Hola Hola - It's Mike Mignola!

And If You Ask "Who?" -
 - I shall rap you over the head with this spoon.  In fact I shall hit you anyway, just to make a point <bap> and to prove I can.
     Mike Mignola, or The Mig as probably nobody ever called him, is a South Canadian artist and writer.  Art?

The Mig

     He's best known for creating Hellboy, whom you should be familiar with.  There were films.  Art?

Our hero

     "Yes yes yes," I hear you qvetch.  "A comics artist.  So what?"
     Leaving aside that I don't think that's how you spell that word, I should point out  Hellboy is the very definition of Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover.  Yes, he looks like one of the denizens of the lower circles of Hades decided to have a day off and spend it in the mortal realm, but he's more human on the inside than a lot of your fellow Hom. Sap.  Plus, he likes cats.
     Also, Conrad likes the way that The M - that Mike works the folklore of foreign lands into the Hellboy mythos.  I've just finished reading "Hellboy: 1952" about his first ever mission with the B.P.R.D.**
     The reason I'm wittering on about this is that Mike is going to be present at Travelling Man in Manchester on October 29th, for a signing.  Your humble scribe plans to also be present, and to have something to sign, too.  Travelling all that way to only say "Hello" and shake the great man's hand would be a bit of a let-down.

The Mig 15 (for comparison purposes only)

A Little Musical Critique
I can tell what you're thinking.  Don't worry, we'll get back to thermonuclear warheads shortly.  O how we will!
     Anyway, back to knocking nails in the lyrical pursuits of Peter Gabriel, more specifically that song "Carpet Crawlers" from "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway".  I realise I've been banging on about this song for weeks, and that's because it's such an easy target, that and I have no shame.  Take it away Peter*!

"Where the needle's eye is winking, closing on the poor"

I think this rather heavy-handed verse is intended to be an allegory.  Possibly a metaphor, or even an analogy.  Nor is it made explicit why low-income families are being victimised by sentient sewing kit.  Conrad, being a right-on kinda guy, is vehemently against discrimination by malicious little pricks.  So to speak.

"The Carpet Crawlers heed their callers, now"

     Then we are informed that these very dubious crawling nasties are, seemingly, house-trained.  Exactly who is calling them, and, even more worryingly, why?
     Hang on, last time we were informed that the crawlers were heading for a door.  Is this caller shouting through the door?  Wouldn't it be much easier to just - you know - open the door?  A shockingly controversial suggestion, yes, but just typical of Conrad.

"You've got to get in to get out"

Peter really wants to get across the next concept, of "getting out", because it's sung 3 times.  Perhaps you should simply have sung it once, Peter, except REALLY LOUDLY.
     NO!  
     Conrad, being a big fat coward, is opposed to any of these flea-spider-with-ears hybrid horrors getting anywhere near the outside.

"Doctor Strangelove"
If you have not seen this film, stop reading BOOJUM! and go watch it.  NOW!
     It is, for those with short attention spans, a satire about the end of the world thanks to thermonuclear warfare, a pitch-black and citric comedy.  Peter George, author of the source novel, was reportedly not happy about his thriller being turned into a comedy; well man-up and suck it in, Pete, it works splendidly.
     Thanks to Anna - sorry, Anna, no credit as an assistant here on the blog, just the honour of your name in lights - Conrad has this on DVD with a set of very interesting features added.  In fact there's enough stuff to do a whole blog entry on this film, but I shall be merciful and not overdo it.

Remember this?

     Conrad has been either boring or scaring you with his analysis of the above work, from 1960.  Of course, prefatory to making DrS, Stanley Kubrick had read it "probably several times" according to his friend James Harris, along with about 50 other books on nuclear war.  The sequence in which the titular Doctor analyses the Sinister's Doomsday Weapon comes straight from Hermie's work, FYI.
     Also, Conrad has spotted what might be a bit of an error.  During the Battle of Burpelson Air Force Base, there is a lot of fire directed at the building below:

Thrilling stuff

     It's strongly hinted that this building is where General Ripper conducts his machine-gun battle against the attacking paratroopers.  However, notice the unbroken windows! because Ripper's office has it's windows shot out by gunfire.

Here I note that I've gone over count and merely started yarking on about DrS.  I shall reserve some for tomorrow, which you can look forward to with either joy or trepidation.

Tally ho!


*  Far away.  Tunisia should be okay.
**  Unlike UNIT, MI5 or SPECTRUM, Conrad is on very good terms with the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defence