Saturday, February 03, 2007

Explore Comics?

Here's something you may not have known about me - I have a small collection of illustrated books & comics. I know it sounds a little geeky for the true outdoorsy adventure guy I am but hey what can I say I like reading about adventures as well as living them. I'm guessing watching Spiderman on Saturday mornings or after school helped kick start my interest in heroic stories.
Because I grew up outside the big city, we didn't have access to a great library other than the books shared by my grandmother or books that we purchased as a family. But the Winnipeg Public Library offered a service for a nominal fee - in lending books via mail in a big ol' green canvas bag that we would exchange the books with.
I remember the Batman comics were some of my favorites - it was an amazing treasure for me as a 12 year old to read all these adventures about the Dark Night.
It was also through the library that I discovered Tin Tin (see above) and Asterix (below) - and to date - I have complete collections of both and even some hardcover versions.
As far as comic mags I have collected - I tried to focus on the Silver Surfer. Admittedly, I have enjoyed the X-Men movie series, Smallville TV series, the latest Batman movie was amazing, and occasionally open up a comic book on a magazine rack but my hobby of collecting comics has stalled for the past few years. My favorite comic book heroes include: Batman, Silver Surfer, Aquaman, Green Arrow, and hey Spidey still is pretty cool. I should also note that The Fantastic Four movie franchise will be including the Silver Surfer in their new release this summer.
Anyways while doing a search online - I came across a comic from the UK that intrigued me as the hero happened to carry my name.
Name: Garth
Identity/Class
: Human / extra-terrestrial hybrid
Occupation
: Adventurer
Base of Operations: Active throughout time and across the world
Powers/Abilities
: Extremely strong. He was also a military genius.
Background/History: As a small child the man who would become Garth was washed ashore in the Shetlands in a tiny coracle. Pulled out of the sea by an elderly couple who then adopted him, Garth grew up to be incredibly strong. He became a Naval Captain, but his boat was torpedoed. The shipwrecked Garth washed up from the sea on a wooden raft, amnesiac from his experiences, coming to land on a small island. He is discovered by Gala, a native girl, who introduces him to her people, and whom he later saves from a despotic tyrant. Later his friend Professor Lumiere psycho-analysed him, restoring his memories. Garth had many adventures, travelling through time to a variety of eras and encountering a wide range of opponents.
I did a little more research online and discovered Aquaman had a sidekick named Aqualad who later morphed into Tempest - whose real name was Garth as well. So anyways - there's my little divergent explore of comics. I didn't even touch on my Far Side collection or my wife's love of Calvin & Hobbes. I gotta get out of my batcave - I can only stay indoors by a computer for so long...

6 comments:

Keira said...

Batman is hands down the best superhero of all time.

Have you seen that new show Heroes? It's comic book-y so you might like it.

Garth said...

Yep - I watch it weekly - very well-written and the lack of cheesy-ness is refreshing. Although there is a place for the campy humor of old Batman - but it is really a whole different realm...but the serious take of Batman in Batman Begins I think inspired shows like Heroes to pursue another way. Smallville is actually not bad - even if they really have overdone the whole weird fx of kryptonite...

Keira said...

I used to watch Smallville but then I found it got sort of boring and dumb. The characters don't really draw me in . . . the only one I really liked was Chloe and she wasn't getting much screen time. But it's been a few years since I've seen it . . . is it getting better? Does Lana still get knocked unconscious every episode?
I like Heroes except for the terrible voiceovers and one or two boring characters. My favorite moment so far is when Peter gets chucked off the building by Claude (Doctor Who!).

Garth said...

Smallville is still a bit teenish - but that is who it aimed at but I would say it has grown up some. The inclusion of Green Arrow & some other classic heroes re-imagined has been cool.

Heroes keeps getting better from my perspective - good storylines!

Dave said...

There are the classics, Spiderman, Batman, League of Justice. Along with reading comics, I was a very loyal Saturday morning cartoon watcher. The old Spiderman show, with the funky music and the psychedelic backgrounds was great. Even the old Batman show with it's KAPOW and "Same Bat time, same Bat channel."

But the only comic books I've kept, the very first Wolverine miniseries. He's cool, mysterious, and Canadian.

Garth said...

Got to love the Wolverine - I hear a movie will be done with him as the focus...not sure what's come of that rumor though?