Month: August 2015

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0050

Posted on August 21, 2015 by Bruce

0050I remember my first trip to Hawaii, actually the island of Oahu. I was second or third grade and this was a time in which flying anywhere was kinda special. You dressed up instead of being comfortable. It was over the holidays and I was promised that Santa would know where I was so my presents would make it to me. We flew in a 747 and I spent a lot of the flight in the upper deck, which was a lounge. I had with me a few comic books and my G.I. Joe in his official footlocker packed with stuff. I remember the stewardess commenting, as I was reading Superman, that her name was Lois Lane… and I was dumbfounded- that was awesome. The entire trip was awesome and one of those memories that, while it gets fuzzy, still warms my heart. Happy Statehood Hawaii, thanks for the memories.

 

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Bruce, the jet setter, flying off to Hawaii. Didn’t I look cool?

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1308

Posted on August 20, 2015 by Bruce

1308So tonight was Back to School Night for the new school year… ask me in May if any of my class should wear one of these, right now we are in the “Honeymoon Period” so things aren’t that bad, I hope they stay that way. Since I finished around 7:30 and hadn’t eaten, I needed something quick, after a quick broccoli & ham pizza. A dunce cap is white- no coloring! After 232 Monkeys, I’m scraping the bottom of the bowl for different ideas… that is what a get for challenging myself!

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1812

Posted on August 19, 2015 by Bruce

1812In honor of that most patriotic piece of music (played every Fourth of July) written by a true American genius, about a horrible battle in the War of 1812 on the outskirts of Moscow, Florida. As the piece closes you can almost hear the triumphant canon blasts as the rag tag little baseball team takes the field… ahhh, brings a tear to my eye.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1625

Posted on August 17, 2015 by Bruce

1625I loved the swashbuckling films I grew up with on television, The Three Musketeers and The Scarlet Pimpernel were stories I actually searched out so I could read the source material. Remember: “Never judge a book by its movie.” While there have been many versions of various stories I hate to admit that my favorite version of The Three Musketeers was the 1948 version with Gene Kelly as d’Artagnan. Yes, it is rather hokey, but it was the one I remember seeing first, so it became my favorite. Something about the simpleness of the 1940’s movie, in which they aren’t trying to make it gritty reality. In high school I even bought a fencing foil. I had it for years and used it as a pointer in my class, until another teacher complained to the principal. What a sourpuss!

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1332

Posted on August 15, 2015 by Bruce

1332MINIon #1332 is based on a character from one of my favorite graphic novels (that started out a comic book), Bone by Jeff Smith. It’s the story of the three Bone cousins and how they help save the valley while trying to just get back to Boneville. I’ve over simplified the story, but it’s hard to take 1332 pages and boil it down to an elevator speech.
The three cousins are Phone Bone, Smiley Bone, and Phoney Bone. One is kind, brave and curious. one is devil may care and laid back. The last cousin is a Bone after Cecil’s heart- always planning, always scheming, always trying to pull something over on you. Just if he offers you prune tarts, you might want to decline.

As school has started back into session, and I have a new group of third graders, my class is usually overwhelmed by the number of comics and graphic novels available to read. Recently though I discovered that I’m having to teach how to read a comic book to some kids. How to go from panel to panel. How to read the word balloons, in order. How some words in the balloons might just be sound effects. Most importantly how you don’t just read the words, but need to look at the pictures to understand what is happening. It was fun this week to see one of my students actually get it, and then she really liked the story she was reading. No, it wasn’t Bone, it was Giants Beware, but I’m sure Bone will soon be on her reading list.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #4873

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Bruce

4873Does anyone really know what is “art”? While many people (including myself at one time) thought modern art was something simple and easy to create, it is actually more difficult to reproduce than you would think. Yes, I one time took a bunch of empty easels and told everyone it was a piece that described Man’s inhumanity towards me, and how it was supposed to strike you in your soul. I also received a Scholastic Gold Key in high school for a joke painting I called “A Nightmare in Acrylic.” Sadly that mixed media collage still hangs in my parent’s house. I just remember how astonished my art teacher was that I had actually created that work. Today is a  MINIon from my “blue period.” 🙂

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0018

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Bruce

0018I like golf, just not playing it, you see like many things Sue enjoys, I tried golf (I also tried cross stitch and knitting). There’s even one of the early comics is about the experience. I tried, wasn’t very good (wasn’t good at all) and didn’t have the time to invest to get better. After enough time, I put my clubs in the basement. Golf on the Nintendo Wii is much more forgiving.