I'm Almost Ready To Review Some Comics

I did pick up my comics today, but I'll start discussing them tomorrow. I'd like at least a day to digest them, and at this point, how much difference does one more day make, really?

I watched two more of those Westerns last night, both less than 70 minutes. Neither one really stuck with me the way To the Last Man or Boot Hill did. With Song for Arizona, I couldn't believe that Roy Rogers doesn't even play a role in the film. He's just, Roy Rogers, singing cowboy.

Winds of the Wasteland was a little more interesting, though very short (55 minutes), about two former Pony Express riders trying to start up a successful carriage line, which pits them against an already established carriage line mogul. Once again, the honorable heroes must persevere against the dirty tricks of the fat cat businessman. Of course the heroes succeed, one of them is John Wayne. However, since this movie's from the mid-1930s, he's not JOHN WAYNE yet, so he isn't the commanding presence he was later. Part of that might be it's still early in his career and he's learning, but also, I think the camera isn't being used to make him seem larger. The sound quality doesn't help, either, as his voice doesn't seem to have as much power. It's a different experience from the Wayne movies I'm more familiar with, but it wasn't a bad thing.

One thing the movies had in common was the use of skunks for humor. I feel that's something you don't see as much in movies these days, people freaking out when they see a skunk, because holy crap, it's going to make them smell really bad. Yes, it just might if you rile it, so perhaps screaming and running around in a panic isn't the best strategy. I can't guarantee I'd be Joe Cool if confronted with a skunk, but unless it starts making aggressive moves like scratching the ground or raising its tail or hind legs, you're probably fine if you back slowly away.