Batwoman is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1956, the character is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the notorious superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources towards a war on crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. Batwoman was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman’s homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). Conversely, the modern Batwoman is written as being a lesbian of Jewish descent. Described as the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC, Batwoman’s sexual orientation drew wide media attention following her reintroduction.
I suppose this is my contribution to the long-awaited celebration of the Supreme Court declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states yesterday. It’s always a nice feeling to be proud of something that happens in my country, belated or not. Rainbows are everywhere. As for my 8-bit characters, the LGBTQIA+ tag keeps growing.
The Flash is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. The original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 (January 1940). All incarnations of the Flash possess “super speed,” which includes the ability to run and move extremely fast, use superhuman reflexes and seemingly violate certain laws of physics. Thus far, four different characters have assumed the identity of the Flash: Jay Garrick (1940-present), Barry Allen (1956-1985, 2008-present), Wally West (1986-2006, 2007-2012, 2013-present) and Bart Allen (2006-2007). The second incarnation of the Flash (Barry Allen) is part of the Silver Age of comic books. The third incarnation (Wally West) is considered the greatest and most well-known superhero of the four. Each version of the Flash has been a key member of at least one of DC’s premier teams: the Justice Society of America, the Justice League and the Teen Titans.
“Pistol Pete” Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University (LSU) and played for three NBA teams (Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans/Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics) until injuries forced his retirement in 1980. He is still the all-time leading NCAA Division I scorer with 3,667 points scored (in only three seasons) and an average of 44.2 points per game. All of his accomplishments were achieved before the three-point line and shot clock were introduced to NCAA basketball. Often celebrated as one of the best ball-handlers and offensive creators of all time, Maravich was born on June 22, 1947 and died while playing pickup basketball on January 5, 1988 of a rare congenital heart defect.
Nicole Kidman is an Australian actress and film producer. Kidman’s breakthrough film role was in the 1989 thriller Dead Calm. After appearing in several films in the early 1990s, she came to worldwide recognition for her performances in the auto-racing film Days of Thunder (1990), the romance Far and Away (1992) and the superhero film Batman Forever (1995). Other acclaimed performances include her work in the erotic Kubrick thriller Eyes Wide Shut(1999), the musical Moulin Rouge! (2001), the horror-thriller The Others (2001) and The Hours (2002). Kidman was married to Tom Cruise from 1990 to 2001. She was born to Australian parents in Hawai’i on June 20, 1967.
Note: In my search for Nicole Kidman’s most iconic outfit, I found this lime-green or chartreuse dress she wore to the 69th Academy Awards in 1997.
Dr. Crime is the costumed identity of Edward Elmgren, a villain in Marvel’s main universe, Earth-616. Elmgren’s primary weapon was a blow gun that fired darts coated with a lethal poison. In 1941, Elmgren led an expedition into the Amazon looking to find riches, but instead found a concentrated shrinking formula used by an Amazonian tribe to shrink heads. This shrinking formula enabled Elmgren to reduce the size of human beings and their clothes. As Dr. Crime he began administering this liquid using a water pistol. During a battle with Captain America and Bucky, Elmgren attempted to escape by using his own shrinking formula, but was swooped up by a passing eagle and likely carried to his death.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was a French naval officer, explorer, conservationist, filmmaker, innovator, scientist, photographer, author and researcher who studied the sea and all forms of life in water. He co-developed the Aqua-Lung, pioneered marine conservation and was a member of the French Academy. Cousteau described his underwater world research in series of books, perhaps most successful being his first book, The Silent World: A Story of Undersea Discovery and Adventure, published in 1953. He also directed films, most notably the documentary adaptation of the book, The Silent World, which won a Palme d’or at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. Cousteau was born on June 11, 1910 and died on June 25, 1997.
Nancy Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of Frank Sinatra and is widely known for her 1966 signature hit “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’.” Other defining recordings include the title song from the James Bond film You Only Live Twice, several collaborations with Lee Hazlewood and her cover of Cher’s “Bang Bang,” which was used in the opening sequence of the 2003 Tarantino film Kill Bill: Vol. One. The promo clip for “These Boots Are Made for Walkin'” popularized and made her synonymous with go-go boots. The song was written by Lee Hazlewood, who wrote and produced most of her hits and sang with her on several duets, including the critical and cult favorite “Some Velvet Morning.” Sinatra also had a brief acting career in the mid-1960s, including a costarring role with Elvis Presley in the movie Speedway, and with Peter Fonda in The Wild Angels. She was born on June 8, 1940.
I have a framed print of “Escape,” a 1962 portrait by artist Margaret Keane, in my living room; the woman depicted has always reminded me of an idealized version of Nancy Sinatra. I don’t care for most of Keane’s big-eyed art, but I specifically love that painting. Also, this dubstep mashup of “Bang Bang” by Fytch is fantastic. I’ve listened to it dozens of times over the past three years. It features samples from four songs—by Nancy Sinatra, Cas One, Biggie and Ella Fitzgerald. You can download it for free.
Ian Bavitz, better known by his stage name Aesop Rock, is an American hip-hop recording artist and producer residing in Portland, Oregon. He was at the forefront of the new wave of underground and alternative hip-hop acts that emerged during the late 1990s and early 2000s. Aesop Rock was signed to Definitive Jux until El-P put the label on hiatus in 2010. Aesop Rock’s solo discography includes Labor Days (2001), Bazooka Tooth (2003) and None Shall Pass (2007). An analysis of Aesop Rock’s lyrics found that he has the largest vocabulary in hip-hop music. He is a member of the groups The Weathermen, Hail Mary Mallon (with Rob Sonic & DJ Big Wiz), The Uncluded (with Kimya Dawson) and Two of Every Animal (with Cage). Aesop Rock was born on June 5, 1976.
Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of both the Beat Generation of the 1950s and the counterculture that soon would follow. He vigorously opposed militarism, economic materialism and sexual repression. Ginsberg is best known for his epic poem “Howl,” in which he denounced what he saw as the destructive forces of capitalism and conformity in the United States. In 1957, “Howl” attracted widespread publicity when it became the subject of an obscenity trial for depicting heterosexual and homosexual sex. Ginsberg was a practicing Buddhist who studied Eastern religious disciplines extensively. He took part in decades of nonviolent political protest against everything from the Vietnam War to the War on Drugs. Ginsberg was born on June 3, 1926 and died on April 5, 1997.
Jeff Buckley, raised as Scott Moorhead, was an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. After a decade as a session guitarist in Los Angeles, Buckley amassed a following in the early 1990s by playing cover songs at venues in Manhattan’s East Village, such as Sin-é. In 1994, he recorded what would be his only studio album, Grace. Over the following two years, Buckley toured widely to promote the album, including concerts in the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia. In 1997, he moved to Memphis, Tennessee, to resume work on his second album, to be titled My Sweetheart the Drunk, recording many four-track demos while also playing weekly solo shows at a local venue. On May 29, 1997, while awaiting the arrival of his band from New York, Buckley drowned during a spontaneous evening swim, fully clothed, in the Mississippi River when he was caught in the wake of a passing boat; his body was found on June 4. He was born on November 17, 1966.
It’s been 18 years now. Jeff Buckley’s death occurred four days after my high school graduation. So many young musicians that mattered to me were lost while I was in high school (1993-1997): Kurt Cobain (Nirvana), Eazy-E (N.W.A), Jack Vigliatura (For Squirrels), Shannon Hoon (Blind Melon), Tupac Shakur, The Notorious B.I.G., Jeff Buckley. There were probably more that I’m forgetting. The deaths of Vigliatura and Buckley were maybe the saddest to me because they were such freak accidents. I’ll always remember the story that Radiohead’s Thom Yorke recorded the final version of “Fake Plastic Trees“—a song that holds a lot of meaning for me personally—immediately after seeing a Jeff Buckley performance in London. Apparently Radiohead was finding it difficult to nail the song and decided to take a break and catch a Buckley gig at Highbury in 1994. When they returned to the studio mesmerized by Buckley’s set, Yorke recorded the song and broke down into tears. Since Buckley’s death, numerous artists have recorded tributes. And, well, now I feel a little sad. Rest in peace, everybody.
Miles Davis was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Davis was, together with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz, hard bop, modal jazz and jazz fusion. His 1959 album Kind of Blue, widely considered his magnum opus, has sold over four million copies in the United States. This makes it the bestselling album in jazz history. In 2009, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a symbolic resolution recognizing and commemorating the album Kind of Blue on its 50th anniversary, “honoring the masterpiece and reaffirming jazz as a national treasure.” Davis was born on May 26, 1926 and died on September 28, 1991.
P.S. In 2009, Andy Baio released Kind of Bloop, an 8-bit tribute to Miles Davis. Have a listen.
Sonic the Hedgehog is an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog. He is the protagonist of a video game franchise created by Yuji Naka, and is developed and owned by Sega. The franchise centers on a series of speed-based platform games, but several are spin-offs in different genres. Sonic’s peaceful life is often interrupted by mad scientist Doctor “Eggman” Robotnik. Typically, Sonic—usually along with some of his friends, such as Tails, Amy Rose and Knuckles—must stop Eggman and foil any plans of world domination. The first game in the series, published in 1991, was conceived after Sega requested a mascot character; the title was a success and and transformed Sega into a leading video game company during the 16-bit era in the early to mid-1990s. The series has sold 150 million units as of November 2014, making it one of the best-selling franchises of all time.
Since I had a Sega Genesis instead of a Super Nintendo, Sonic the Hedgehog was a relevant part of my junior high school experience. The decision to choose Sega Genesis over SNES was easy at the time because violent arcade games like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat, plus EA Sports titles, were important to adolescent me. Oh yeah, and NBA Jam was the best (as covered in my Mike Iuzzolino post).
Garfield is the title character of a comic strip created by Jim Davis. Published since 1978, Garfield chronicles the life of the cat Garfield; his owner, Jon; and Jon’s dog, Odie. As of 2013, it was syndicated in roughly 2,580 newspapers and journals, and held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s most widely syndicated comic strip. Common themes in the strip include Garfield’s laziness, obsessive eating, and disdain of Mondays and diets. Originally created with the intentions to “come up with a good, marketable character,” Garfield has spawned merchandise earning $750 million to $1 billion annually. In addition to the various merchandise and commercial tie-ins, the strip has spawned several animated television specials, television series and movies. Part of the strip’s broad appeal is due to its lack of social or political commentary.
Few things are more banal than a Garfield comic strip, but apparently few things are more profitable than relatable banality. My daughter now has two plush Garfield toys from my 1980s childhood. With one billion dollars in Garfield merchandise sold each year, this lazy cat is difficult to avoid, despite having nothing interesting to say. However, it’s all worth it, because the existential angst of Dan Walsh’s Garfield Minus Garfield is the best.
Snoopy is a pet dog owned by Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz. The original drawings of Snoopy were inspired by Spike, one of Schulz’s childhood dogs. Snoopy is a perpetually innocent and mindlessly happy dog who either fantasizes or dances around in joy. Snoopy cannot talk, so his thoughts are shown in thought balloons. In the animated Peanuts films and television specials, Snoopy’s thoughts are not verbalized; his moods are instead conveyed through growls, sobs, laughter, monosyllabic utterances and pantomime. Snoopy has imagined himself as different things such as a pelican, a vulture, an author and a World War I Flying Ace (in which he battles the Red Baron).
Andy Murray is a Scottish professional tennis player, currently ranked world No. 3. He started playing tennis at the age of three, entered his first competitive tournament at age five and was playing league tennis by the time he was eight. Murray won the junior U.S. Open in 2004 and turned professional the following year. He has since won the 2012 U.S. Open and the 2013 Wimbledon Championships in men’s singles. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Murray won a gold medal in singles, defeating Roger Federer. From 2008 to 2015, Murray was the runner-up in six Grand Slam finals, losing three each to Federer and Novak Djokovic. Murray was born on May 15, 1987.
Tony Hawk, nicknamed “The Birdman,” is an American professional skateboarder and actor. Hawk is well-known for completing the first documented 900 and is widely considered one of the most successful and influential pioneers of modern vert skateboarding. His series of licensed video game titles have been published by Activision since 1999. In 2002, Hawk created the Boom Boom HuckJam, an extreme sports exhibition and tour that was launched in Las Vegas. Throughout his career, Hawk has made numerous appearances in films, other media and his own series of video games. He has also been involved in various philanthropic activities, including his own Tony Hawk Foundation that helps to build skateparks in underprivileged areas. Hawk was born on May 12, 1968.
Josip Broz Tito was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman, serving in various roles from 1943 until his death in 1980. During World War II he was the leader of the Partisans, often regarded as the most effective resistance movement in occupied Europe. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was seen by most as a benevolent dictator due to his economic and diplomatic policies. He was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad. Viewed as a unifying symbol, Tito’s internal policies maintained the peaceful coexistence of the nations of the Yugoslav federation. From 1943 until his death, he held the rank of Marshal of Yugoslavia, serving as the supreme commander of the Yugoslav military, the Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA). Tito was the chief architect of the second Yugoslavia, a socialist federation that lasted from 1943 to 1991-92. Despite being one of the founders of Cominform, soon he became the first Cominform member to defy Soviet hegemony and the only one to manage to leave Cominform and begin with its own socialist program. Tito was born on May 7, 1892 and died on May 4, 1980.
One detail from Tito’s life that particularly fascinates me is his top-secret underground nuclear bunker in present-day Bosnia. I am a sucker for subterranean lairs, bomb shelters and the like. And this guy was way into them. According to The Telegraph: “In the early 1950s, Josip Broz Tito, the late leader of the former Yugoslavia, ordered the building of a secret bunker that would safeguard the country’s ruling class in case of a nuclear attack. Located 900 feet (270 m) underground, near the Bosnian town of Konjic, the 26-year project was only completed in 1979, the year before Tito died, and it was built at a cost equivalent to just under £3 billion ($4.6 billion). According to AP, if restocked with supplies it would still serve its purpose – allowing 350 people to live and work for six months without ever coming outside.”
Sugar Ray Robinson was an American professional boxer. Frequently cited as the greatest boxer of all time, Robinson’s performances in the welterweight and middleweight divisions prompted sportswriters to create “pound for pound” rankings, where they compared fighters regardless of weight. Robinson was 85-0 as an amateur with 69 of those victories coming by way of knockout, 40 in the first round. He turned professional in 1940 at the age of 19 and by 1951 had a professional record of 128-1-2 with 84 knockouts. From 1943 to 1951 Robinson went on a 91-fight unbeaten streak, the third longest in professional boxing history. Renowned for his flamboyant lifestyle outside the ring, Robinson is credited with being the originator of the modern sports “entourage.” After his boxing career ended, Robinson attempted a career as an entertainer, but struggled, and was challenged financially until his death. Robinson was born on May 3, 1921 and died on April 12, 1989. In 2006, he was featured on a United States Postal Service commemorative stamp.
Lars von Trier is a Danish film director and screenwriter. He is closely associated with the Dogme 95 collective, an avant-garde filmmaking movement, although his own films have taken a variety of approaches. Known as a provocateur, he is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential directors in world cinema. Von Trier suffers periodically from depression, and also from various fears and phobias, including an intense fear of flying. As he quipped in an interview, “basically, I’m afraid of everything in life, except filmmaking.” His first feature was The Element of Crime (1984). Von Trier’s filmography also includes Breaking the Waves (1996); Dancer in the Dark (2000), starring Björk as Selma; Antichrist (2009) and Melancholia (2011). He was born on April 30, 1956.
The Little Professor is a backwards calculator designed for children ages five to nine. Instead of providing the answer to a mathematical expression entered by the user, it generates unsolved expressions and prompts the user for the answer. The Little Professor was first released by Texas Instruments in 1976. As the first electronic educational toy, the Little Professor is a common item on calculator collectors’ lists. An emulator of the Little Professor for Android was published in 2012.
I still have my Little Professor calculator from the early 1980s in a box somewhere, as well as a couple of Tiger handheld games. I was quite fond of the robotic way the Little Professor spoke. If you play as the Little Professor in my retro artillery game, he throws money. In other money-throwing news, we officially closed on a new house today, and so the laborious process of moving across town begins. Keeping up with any of my hobbies is going to be difficult for a little while.
Batwoman – No. 885
Batwoman is a fictional superheroine appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in 1956, the character is a wealthy heiress who becomes inspired by the notorious superhero Batman and chooses, like him, to put her wealth and resources towards a war on crime as a masked vigilante in her home of Gotham City. Batwoman was introduced as a love interest for Batman in order to combat the allegations of Batman’s homosexuality arising from the controversial book Seduction of the Innocent (1954). Conversely, the modern Batwoman is written as being a lesbian of Jewish descent. Described as the highest-profile gay superhero to appear in stories published by DC, Batwoman’s sexual orientation drew wide media attention following her reintroduction.
I suppose this is my contribution to the long-awaited celebration of the Supreme Court declaring same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states yesterday. It’s always a nice feeling to be proud of something that happens in my country, belated or not. Rainbows are everywhere. As for my 8-bit characters, the LGBTQIA+ tag keeps growing.