I will present about open mics at San Mateo Main Library March 9 6:30

At the San Mateo main library, 55 w 3rd Street, I will present how I perform my Super Holly Hansson stories at open mics: how I started, what I added to my performances, and how open mics influenced my writing. You will learn about reading stories in front of a microphone and an audience.

March 9. 6:30pm. Come if you are interested. You might bring a life preserver, it looks like rain.

I hope to entertain and teach. And I still believe that Doctor Doom would kick Darth Vader’s butt.

https://sanmateopuhttps://sanmateopublic.libcal.com/event/10340847

Super Holly art: what is Holly thinking?

I was at the Ohana Comic Con today. A very small comic con. And who did I meet but Branden Sanderson? He’s done some Super Holly art for me before. I had some nice geek convo with him (She Hulk, Picard season 3, Zach Snyder Justice League and 4×3 aspect ratio, etc., and Branden is up on X-Men a lot more than me). He is 3 issues into his comic book Malevolent Rising: Matriarch. He was working sketching Spawn on a blank comic book cover, did a nice job for that commission, the customer was happy. Then he started to sketch on a small art pad. I was watching on and off. Then he asked me about Holly’s cape, so I showed him the cover of my book. He asked about the clasp on her cape, I said it was grail-shaped… OH! He was doing a quick Super Holly sketch! Very nice of him! I did ask him to make the nose a little bigger. I always write that her nose is “beaky.”

Holly looks thoughtful. I imagine her giving her caped-and-cowled boyfriend Cal “The Intellectual” that thoughtful look when she knows what he is thinking but not telling her.

P.S. I bought 3 issues of Branden’s Malevolent Rising: Matriarch.

Super Civil War ch 1 rewrite, and The Beagles!

As for Chapter 1 of Super Civil War, I will rewrite it to have more Super Holly, and less Smiling Samurai. I love my Smiling Samurai, but the leader of my critique group pointed out that the starting chapters needed more Super Holly and her motivation. I remember years ago, getting advice from another writer: “Keep the focus on Holly.” In other words, keep your focus on the POV character. Holly is the main character in Super Civil War. Along with Kittygirl. And Laura Shrub. And Flim Flam Shrub. And Cal “the Intellectual” Critbert. But mostly Holly. So I want the reader to see lotsa Holly getting madder and madder at a large part of the public, a public she normally saves.

And now, The Beagles! This is a 1960s cartoon show I watched as a kid, along with the original Underdog. (Skip the Disney movie, even Peter Dinklage couldn’t save it.) the name is like the Beatles, but the characters are based on Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. This song, in my opinion, holds up after more than half a century. As for trying to find more of the cartoons, search Youtube for “The Beagles cartoon” to get 3 or 4 hits. Sadly, very few of The Beagles cartoons are available to watch. Enjoy this old cartoony tune.

My tribute to January 6 and Barbara Walters: Chapter 1 of Super Civil War!

I intend to publish Super Civil War in 2023. The first draft (some chapters a lot rougher than others) is almost done. I have performed Chapter 1 at several open mics, so I share it here. Dang, I shoulda recorded myself last Monday, I do lotsa voices in this chapter, it is fun!

(Note: I have [Music Titles] embedded in the story. These are royalty free songs that go nicely with my readings. For you writers looking for good music to go along with your story, I recommend Kevin MacLeod. Sweet tunes both for free and at reasonable prices.)

CHAPTER 1: CRAZY CAPITOL STEPS!

JANUARY 6. TELEVISIONS ACROSS AMERICA. THE NEWS CHANNEL.

The TV showed the grandfather behind his desk, America’s most trusted anchorman. “This is Walter Clonklite with an emergency newscast. An insurrectionist mob is even now attempting to storm the chambers of the United States Congress! I now switch to the capitol steps, and to our reporter ensconced upon them. Barbara?”

[Plucky Daisy: Kevin MacLeod]

The TV showed a woman with a poofy hairdo and a serious smile, speaking into her microphone while a mob raged behind her. “Hewwo, this is Baba Wawa, wepohwting on this wampent waging wiot! These white tewwobow tewwowists awe enwaged! Angwy! This attempt to ohvohthwow the govowment is wewe wewe warge! I have one tewowwist with me! Elmo Putz?”

The TV showed a short bald man in a hunting outfit and holding a shotgun. “Be vewy vewy qwiet! I’m hunting congwessmen! HUH HUH HUH HUH!”

Baba cocked her head, her helmet hairdo eclipsing a man behind her wearing a bearskin and waving a confederate flag. “Why awe you weeching into yow powket?”

Elmo pulled out a bundle of zip-ties. “I’m gonna tie up those waskowwee senowtows! Then they cannot count those iwwegaw votes!” He smiled. “But I won’t zip them too tight, that would be wewe wong.”

Baba frowned at him. “Kidnapping is iwwegow!”

Elmo frowned at her. “Uh uh! Stumpfingow sez we gotta stop the steeow!”

Baba frowned even more! “Own-wee wacists would wisten to that wacist!”

“HEY! YER BLOCKING MAH PARTRIOTISM,” the bearskin guy shouted into a megaphone. “GIT YOUR FAT FEMALE HEAD OUTTA MAH WAY!” He hammered his confederate flag pole on top of Baba’s head: WANNNNNGGGGGG!!!

Elmo said, “Hey! That’s no way to tweet a wady!” He aimed his shotgun. KAH-BLAMMMM!!!

The bearskin man gawked at strips of smoldering cloth. “Yew shot my flag to smithereeniees!” He turned and ran down the capitol steps. “I’m telling Stumpfinger, I’m telling! WAHHHHHHH!!!”

Elmo turned back to Baba. “Awe you awe wight?”

Baba smiled sweetly. “I’m okay, My haow is tuffow then a motocykow hewmet!”

Elmo thoughtfully held his chin. “I thought Stumpfingow was gonna pwotect my second amendment wights! Instead that wask-oh-wee weactionawy twied to make me a wascist!” His eyes narrowed. “Be vewy vewy qwiet, I’m hunting Stumpfingows!” He stalked away. “HUH HUH HUH HUH!!!”

The TV switched to Walter thoughtfully tapping his earpiece. “This just in! A battle now brews within the hallowed hall of the Congressional Chamber! I switch to the newsman who fought his way there: our sports announcer! Howard?”

[Batty McFaddin: Kevin MacLeod]

The TV switched to a fiftyish man with shiny black hair, nose like a pickle, tan sports coat, and narrow, beady eyes that lasered fiery attitude. He heavyweight-boxer-punched out his every word. “This… is Howard Hardyell! Reporting live, at great risk to my own life and limb! Yet… I report on this pandemonium! Or shall I say… pillow-mondium! Behold!”

The TV switched to the congressional floor, where hundreds of white men and women in orange cowboy hats drove senators and congressmen out of their seats, down the aisles, and against the right wall. Driving not with fists or guns… but with pillows swinging, flying… one shattered the presidential podium.

Howard’s beady eyes widened. “The podium is down! Downed by a weaponized pillow! Who would turn America’s softest sport into gladiator ghastliness?” He glared at someone off-camera. “Was it Stumpfinger’s bullying bellow at this mob earlier today that drove it into insanity? Or was it your offer of free American-flag pillows? And incidentally, the American flag does NOT have a central orange stripe!”

[Professor Umlat: Kevin MacLeod]

The TV panned back to show Howard and a brown-haired, thirtyish white male in a blue sports coat and an orange cowboy hat. The man salesman-smiled into the camera. “Hi, I’m Pillow Guy. I merely help patriots to thwart the theft.”

Howard sneered at Pillow Guy and stated, “You incongruous, incompetent idiot! Anita Von Copper won the first vote count, even after a dozen recounts! Does Stumpfinger fear… the facts?”

Pillow Guy’s smile grew some menace. “We provide alternate facts! If we have to push aside Congress to do it, we do it the American way! Not with bullets—”

Howard cut him off with his well-practiced ease of five-foot-six sportscaster out-yelling six-foot-six boxer. “America knows that no firearm works inside this chamber ever since last October, after Fran Lee installed a gun dampening force field, after the White Wonder Boys smuggled a bazooka into the State of the Union address, which Super Holly stuffed into their leader’s bodily orifice that he found most uncomfortable! But now your weapons of fluffy destruction tear down our democracy! Behold what your pillows have wrought!”

The TV showed congressmen lined up against the right wall of the chamber. The pillow-wielders stalked toward them, swinging pillows like maces on chains, WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!!! A quartet of congresswomen of color moved in front, their arms linked. 

Pillow Guy spoke as if gently telling Howard there is no Santa Claus. “Don’t you know that fake president was born in the darkest African jungle? And was raised by lemurs? Don’t you watch the Rabbit Hole Channel?”

Howard’s steely eyes stared fearless fury into the camera. “You heard it, America! Another debunked crazy conspiracy theory vomited upon you!” He turned back to Pillow Guy. “Behold, your mob cowers before the brave gaze of the ladies of the squad! And I heard of your conspiracy against me!”

Pillow Guy put his hand over his heart. “Why, whatever do you mean?”

A man in a confederate uniform was sneaking up, ready to swing a huge, menacing pillow.

Howard did not bother to turn around. “I mean that goon behind me who’s aim is chillingly simple: inflict fatal damage upon my sportscasting skull with a pillow stuffed with rocks! A cowardly act doomed… to fail!”

The man behind Howard stopped for a moment in surprise. Then he swung!

[Merry Go: Kevin MacLeod]

With a WHOOSH, a young plump woman in a white samurai robe landed between Howard and the goon. She drew a sword and sliced the pillow to shreds… and into pebbles. Smiling sweetly, she said to the fleeing goon, “You boys should play nice!” She turned her head slightly. “You were right, Howard.”

Pillow Guy lost his smile. He trembled and backed away. “It can’t be! We diverted you supers with a bomb threat!”

Howard turned to the camera. “You heard it again, America! A confession, preceded with a tedious catchphrase!”

The sword woman turned her sweet smile to Pillow Guy and put the tip of her sword on his nose. “Don’t go anywhere. You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but don’t ever try to fool Super Holly’s boyfriend, The Intellectual.”

Howard turned to her. “My sportscasting earpiece informed me that you supers were coming! Democracy shall prevail! Brave and talented young woman, your name?”

“Teri Silver.” She bowed. “The Smiling Samurai.”

Howard smiled at her. “I was saved from a pillowy peril by a brave, skilled, happy, and pillowy heroine! May this arrogant sportscasting jerk kiss your hand in gratitude?”

Teri smiled at him while keeping her sword on Pillow Guy’s nose. “Aw! Who says an arrogant, pompous, obnoxious, vain, verbose showoff can’t be a gentleman?”

Howard kissed her hand. “My reputation precedes me. But shouldn’t you be rescuing our government?”

Teri said, “The rescue is already happening.”

The TV switched to a human-size, super-swift blur that grabbed dozens of congressmen and WHOOSHed them out of the building. The blur zipped up to Howard and Teri and stopped. A tall lean African American man said, “Hello, Teri! Big fan, Howard! Gotta deadline to beat!” He sped to a blur again and zipped the remaining congressmen to safety in two seconds.

Howard faced the camera again. “And the day is saved! By the fastest man in the world, Keith Liteman! A true American hero!”

Teri took her sword off Pillow Guy’s nose. “I know what you’re thinking. Don’t say it.”

KAH-RAMMMM! Through the ceiling burst a blue, yellow-topped missile that landed before the pillow fighters. A missile in the form of a superwoman!

[In The Hall of the Mountain King]

Howard’s face filled with respect. “And the mightiest of the mighty, Super Holly Hansson, has arrived! She faces these villainous traitors alone, as a hero should! Hundreds of them! One of her!” The camera filled with his ominous face. “I actually pity them.”

The camera showed Super Holly stalking toward the cowboy-hatted pillow fighters, her red cape rustling like a flag, her long blonde hair fluffed out like an angry lion’s mane. “Do me a favor, you slime-soaked Stumpers! Don’t give up easy!”

They yelled to each other, “Stumpfinger’s worst enemy! Get her!”

Holly sneered at them stalking toward her. “Ooo, the big bad Stumpers gonna fluff me to death? Be sure you got all the stuffing up on end—” POOF! “HEY!” PLAFF! “Stoppit!” FLOOF! “I actually felt that!” PLOOF PLAFF FLOOMPH PLOOF PLOOMMMFF!!! “What’re those pillows stuffed with?”

Teri stared at the shreds of the goon’s pillow. She whispered, “My samurai sense… warning me…” She took a phone out of a pocket, pointed it, and read it. “NO!”

Howard reported, “The Smiling Samurai now spins her sword faster than the human eye! Quicker than a centrifuge! How does she do it? Why does she do it?”

Teri stopped spinning her sword. She glared at Pillow Guy. “I sliced and destroyed every virus that was stuffed into YOUR pillow!”

Pillow Guy gasped! “B-b-but I didn’t do that!”

Teri looked past him. Her cherubic face filled with horror. She yelled, “Holly! STOP!!!“

Super Holly Hansson held aloft hundreds of Stumpers in one gigantic blue telekinetic hand, and their pillows in the other. Her face twisted with warrior rage! “THIS IS HOW I WIN PILLOW FIGHTS! WITH APPLAUSE!!!“

Howard filled the chamber with his mighty obnoxiousness. “SUPER HOLLY HANSSON! DESIST, I SAY! FOR THOSE PESTILENT PILLOWS ARE FULL OF—”

Holly clapped her telekinetic hands, an ear-splitting, earth-quaking, soul-shattering super-sonic boom: PLOOFFFOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!!!!!!

Artwork: Holly Hates Beer!

This is a free quickie art piece from Chuck Whelon (my second from him), whose art is inspired by the great Sergio Aragones (I noticed and asked). This art will go with my upcoming story, Take Me Out To The Boom Game, in my upcoming short story collection, Rise of the Stumpfinger. The villain peeking from the corner will be Bart Boofalugg, based on Brett Kavanaugh, catchphrase is “Do you like beer? I like Beer!” (I still can’t believe Brett blabbed that to Congress.) Holly has to drink a keg full of explosive beer before it detonates and takes out the baseball stadium. Hmm, Holly’s haircut is more like Power Girl here. Which is fine, Holly has some Power Girl in her. P.S. I don’t like beer either.

The Puppy Brothers and a Lunch Lady!

This art is for my short story (and first audio story award winner, I found that my writing works well for that) The Malevolent Mystery Meat, which will be in my book of short stories, Rise of the Stumpfinger. Isabel Ruiz (instagram) drew cutely napping Kittygirl dreaming of punching Stumpfinger (scroll down on my comic con art page). The kids, Tucker and Wrigley, are half African American (daddy based on the great and one-and-only Keef Knight), half German (mommy is his wifey Kerstin), and all doggie-superpowered. (Note: They started out without any mention of race, but it made sense to give them parents based on people I know.) Catchphrase: BARK BARK BARK BARK BARK!!! Wrigley has doogie-ear-type tufts that stand up when he is upset, GRR, GRR! Isabel added the glasses on the lunch lady, nice touch! I was a little fussy on Wrigley’s tufts, I like the end result. Thanks again, Isabel!

Super Holly meets Black Panther

I wrote this fanfic some time ago as a tribute to Chadwick Boseman, who is still missed. But I forgot to post it. WIth Black Panther: Wakanda Forever coming out, so is my little fanfic. Enjoy.

WAKANDA. THE MAIN COURTYARD AT THE MAIN PALACE. HIGH NOON.

Super Holly Hansson stood up. Wow, the buildings, the castle, the statue artwork, all so tall and clean and artistic and afro-futuristic! She said, “I don’t think I’m in California anymore… oh!” African children in colorful robe-like clothes ran up to her and to the man who had helped her to her feet after she fell out of yet another dimension portal.

The handsome man in black body armor with a high-tech vibe said, “I am T’Challa, king of Wakanda.” He softly chuckled. “Pardon my small subjects, Miss. Most Wakandan children have not see a woman so sunny-haired and fair-skinned.” Smiling children hugged him and babbled happily in some African language.

Holly said, “I’m Super Holly Hansson. I think I kinda stick out here.” Kids pressed around Holly and tugged her cape. Holly forced herself not to chew her lip, he was so handsome! T’Challa had a calm voice and kind bearing. For a king.

Little girls on tiptoe petted Holly’s blonde hair and babbled in Wakandan. One said in perfect english, “You have a funny accent!”

T’Challa knelt before the little girl. “That is because she is not of this world.” He held a small phone-like device before the girl. “See her dimensional vibrational frequency?”

The girl looked carefully at the phone, and then at the man in black. “Yes, T’Challa! Hers is 22.15 microvibes higher than ours!” She pulled out a phone with her tiny hand. “Can I record this for my physics class next week?”

Holly smiled big, this was so cute! So not all royalty was inbred and greedy, not all dark heroes were grim and gritty. So refreshing! A tall older woman in fine royal blue stepped up to Holly with a wise smile. “The girls say they like your hair, Miss Hansson. I am Ramonda, T-Challa’s mother.”

Holly shook her hand. “I’m Super Holly Hansson. I’m searching the dimensions—”

A horrible screech: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!

OWWWWWWWWW!!! Holly jammed her fingers in her ears, but it did not stop that sound twisting in her brain like a super-speed barbed-wire rotisserie!

The hundreds of Wakandans in the courtyard where she’d landed minutes earlier had fallen to the ground unconscious—wow, that courtyard was spotlessly clean, bet they pay the groundskeeper well!

T’Challa was front of her, his mouth moving furiously, his eyes dark and intense!

Holly yelled, “WHAT?!?!”

T’Challa jammed plugs into Holly’s ears. “Can you hear me now?”

Holly said, “YES!!!” She turned down her volume at T’Challa’s frown. “Sorry! What happened?”

T’Challa said, “I gave you vibranium earplugs. We are under attack.”

Holly stretched her jaw and swallowed, trying to pop her ears. “Vibranium?”

“Strongest metal on Earth. Absorbs kinetic energy.”

Holly grabbed his shoulders. “Are YOU all right?”

T’Challa nodded. “I have the strength of the Wakandan Panther God Bast, and my costume is laced with vibranium.” His mask rose to cover his head… wow, so dark and feline fierce! T’Challa pointed. “There he is. Klaw. Careful, he has recently been upgraded.”

Twenty feet away, in the center of the courtyard, stood a tall man, head-to-toe skintight red. Instead of a right hand, he had a silvery cone with an antenna in the middle. His face was chalk white, eyes and nose were black slits, mouth was a jagged lightening line twisted into a smile. “T’Challa! I like your new consort! Swedish spice should improve your bloodline!”

Fury supernovaed in Holly’s chest! Steam blasted out her nose! She stomped toward Klaw, fists up and ready! “I’ll bloodline YOU, you frickin’ frakkin’ racist!”

The man aimed his silver cone at Holly. “Meet my pet who is made of pure solidified sound!” EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! From that cone burst a huge red rhinoceros that freight-trained into Holly and bashed her into the base of a tall statue—BAH-KRONNNNK!!!—and exploded—KABOOM!!!

Holly fell out of the dent she’d made in the marble. The world spun around her, demonstrating that sonics and equilibrium were mutually exclusive.

Klaw strode toward T-Challa. “Vibranium is wasted on you savages.”

T’Challa was unmoved and unbowed. “Klaw, you have left flesh behind. But not your prejudice.”

Klaw aimed his cone left, then right: EEEEEE! EEEEEE! Two red gorillas formed to flank him. “Since our last encounter, I have become pure solidified sound! Immortal! Indestructible! Once I take the vibranium from you savages, I will lead mankind onto a path of eugenic perfection!”

Holly ground her teeth with stiff-as-steel jaw muscles. She yelled, “Why the white supremacy, you don’t even have DNA anymore! Missing anything else, mister MAN-kind?”

T’Challa glanced toward Holly, his acrobatic fighting was pure poetry. “Miss Hansson, this is a matter between myself and this usurper. Like so.” He scratched at one gorilla. Its right arm vanished.

Klaw grabbed his shoulder. “Ow!”

Hmm, thought Holly, tactile feedback like my telekinesis! She got to her feet and got her balance. “I am a superheroine! When I see a crime, I stop it! When I see evil, I fight it! When I see a villain,” she smacked her fist into her palm with a THOOOOOOMMM, “I punch his lights out!”

Klaw aimed his cone at Holly. “Race traitors will be crushed!” EEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!! A twenty-foot-tall red gorilla leaped and landed before Holly.

Holly looked way up into the gorilla’s face. “Can’t you play any other tune?”

The gorilla’s raised fists were two asteroids about to wipe out the dinosaurs.

Holly almost punched up, then she thought, Feedback! She reached up. Two three-foot-wide blue transparent telekinetic hands flew to the sonic gorilla’s armpits. She fluttered her fingers. “Tickle, tickle, tickle!”

Klaw and giant sonic gorilla smiled goofily. They stumbled and waved their arms. “HAHAHAHAHAHH!!! Stop! HOHOHHOHOHO!!! Quit it! HEE HEE HEE HEE HEE!!!”

With a clawing swipe, T’Challa sliced his remaining sonic gorilla in half. His black mask vanished to show an amused smile. He strolled over and stuck his right index finger into the center of Klaw’s chest.

Klaw shimmered. “HO HO HO, you will not…” He became transparent. “HEE HEE HEE, replace me.” With a SHOOOP, he was sucked into the metal cone, which clonked onto the ground.

The giant gorilla popped like a soap bubble.

T’Challa picked up the cone and admired it. “That will hold you until we set up a vibranium prison cell.”

Holly flew to him, grabbed his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

T’Challa had such a calm demeanor… mmm, and so handsome! “I am undamaged. And with Klaw restrained, my people are recovering.”

Everyone was getting up. Children ran to T’Challa and hugged him. “My king, did you save us?”

He nodded toward Holly. “Yes. With some help.”

Holly blushed as children beamed at her and said, “Thank you!” She gave T’Challa her exposition. “I’m here searching for my mother. She fell into another dimension when… I was five…” Ramonda was hugging and calming children. Holly swallowed a lump in her throat. “You know so much about vibrational science. Can you help me?”

T’Challa took Holly’s hand. “I feel your pain. I miss my father. I shall give you a homing beacon so you can return here in six months. By then, we will know if your mother is on this world, or…” He stumbled, he winced. “Or if we can help you locate her elsewhere.”

Holly reached out and steadied him. “Are you all right?”

T’Challa nodded. “Just a little weary.”

SIX MONTHS LATER.

At the memorial service, Super Holly Hansson knelt beside T’Challa. He was in the palace courtyard, laid upon a vibranium slab, surrounded by his loving kingdom. His face was calm, regal, and wise, even in death. Wakanda’s advanced medical facilities had not been advanced enough.

Everyone else had knelt and said the words. A lump in Holly’s throat choked her soul. She felt Ramonda’s hand on her shoulder. “You can do it, Miss Hansson.”

Holly stood up. Her grief-heavy head stayed bowed. Her words finally came with a burst of tears: “Wakanda forever.”

New art: Lionel Evilmore and Flim Flam Shrub!

Back at SiliCon in late August, I got a couple more pieces of art drawn.

Lionel Evilmore, my resident evil scientist! More art from Nathan Hanley, the writer/artist/creator of Truth & Consequence, Originally, I was going to base Lionel on Steve Bannon. However, Steve Bannon might say rotten hateful fascist stuff, but he says it in regular voice. So I thought of Simon Bar Sinister from the old Underdog cartoons, whose voice was based upon the great Lionel Barrymore (Mister Potter from the movie It’s a Wonderful Life). I think in the back of my mind was also Crabby Appleton (click the name and FF to 3:03 for some crabbiness!) from the Captain Kangaroo show, Tom Terrific. Lionel is the villain in The Shrinking Superheroine, which will be in my collection, The Rise of the Stumpfinger. The hero of that story is KIttygirl, who will bond with Super Holly on a new level when Lionel hits Holly with a time gun and turns her into a non-super but still tough-and-fighty little girl. I have performed Lionel at some open mics, and his voice is pure juicy evil fun!

Flim Flam Shrub’s first artwork! I asked Dave Law, artist on The Space Odditorium, to draw the mastermind and judge. Again, I gave Dave a basic description of Flim Flam: very ancient Texan, face like a smiling skull and a grinning death mask, rides in a mini-tank of a wheelchair. Dave added lots of robot arms and a cigar, which will be fun to play with in my stories. Oh, and don’t miss his gavel! Flim Flam is a mix of Davros from Doctor Who, and J.R. Ewing from Dallas. The lady behind him is one of his bodyguards: tall, curvy, smiling, cowboy boots strong as an ox, and a vocabulary of “Yes’m, Mister Shrub!” She is wearing a bailiff uniform for my story where Holly is on trial for beating up a racist police department in Clout City (my version of Chicago). Flim Flam will be introduced in my upcoming short story collection Rise of the Stumpfinger, and will be a major player in my upcoming novel Super Civil War.

Cinequest is on this week!

Cinequest, the San Jose Film Festival, was also on last week (as in LIVE in the downtown San Jose theaters), and I have seen some nice movies and film shorts. And I am about to see more. So I will get back with a post or two more. But in the meantime, if you live near San Jose, look up Cinequest and see some flicks!!

I heart Disney+ Ms. Marvel! Don’t sue me, Disney.

I heart the Disney+ Ms. Marvel show. It has heart, it has family, it has a lead actress who is a perfect Kamala Khan, and it had a hardass villainess who compares well to torturer Agent Rogersz of Repo Man (“No one is innocent!”).

The Disney+ Ms. Marvel has very cool superpowers. The origins of the powers differ form the comics. Now that I have seen the entire first season, I say they improve on them. The Terrigen Mists in the comics should really be called the MacGuffin Fog. (Look up McGuffin.) Making Kamala’s Disney+ powers relate to her background was smart.

I previously mentioned her purple energy-construct superpowers and how they differ from her stretchy/growing/shrinking powers in the comics. But I admit her Disney+ powers look cool and operate well. Her blue stepping disk thing is the best substitute for flying since Spider-Man’s web swinging.

But this gets to Ms. Marvel’s big purple fist. (I have to take their word for the color, I am a little color blind.)

Here’s Super Holly’s big blue fist. Super Holly was there first, back in 2016, when I first published Super Bad Hair Day.

But Green Lantern did giant fists way before Super Holly and Ms. Marvel. So I am not worried.

Let’s get to the big bracelet thing. Kamala and Holly both have one, but for different purposes.

Kamala’s bracelet is what lets her channel her superpowers. It is also part of her family heritage, making it a better MacGuffin. I wonder if someday, the bracelet will be lost or destroyed, and Kamala will desperately say her powers are gone, how can she save the day? Then Yogurt from Spaceballs will appear as a Schwartz ghost and say, “The bracelet is bupkis, I got it out of a Crackerjack box! The power is in you, Kamala, it’s always been in you!”

Super Holly’s e-bracelet was there first, in 2016, but it has nothing to do with her superpowers. Rather, it is her version of an iPhone (or Android phone, which is what I use). I decided Super Holly would not have super-vision or super-hearing. She uses her e-bracelet (and an app like Google Maps) to find her way when flying. Also, Holly goes on the superhero-clock when she gets a call on her e-bracelet. I wanted her to have a life other than listening all day and night for cries of, “Help! Help help!”

Okay, I admit it, Futurama’s Leela had an e-bracelet way before Super Holly. Please don’t sue me, Leela. Please?

Image by jeremiasamorim2 from Pixabay