Monday Foofarah! – Superheroic Edition –

I don’t feel qualified to write tonight’s Foofarah. I didn’t even have the heart to capitalize the poor word just there. Shameful. And I had a theme prepared and everything, spilling out from my recent indulging in Grant Morrison’s amazing SUPERGODS original nonfiction novel. If you’re a fan of Grants or comic book superheroes in general, it’s a dandy, electrifying read, part history, part autobiography, inspirational, goofy, packed with interesting and insightful looks into the storied history of the spandex-clad Gods of newsprint. It got classic comix on my mind so much that I’ve been splashing out on reprint volumes of the original Marvel mags…FANTASTIC FOUR, THOR, SPIDER-MAN, and it’s just god-damned dandy. The classic Marvel Universe ROCKED.

Okay, I'm geeking out in anticipation of THE AVENGERS movie. Fuck you, it looks fun.

So superheroes is my theme for this Monday…or at least, that’s the plan. I’m personally feeling a little defeated this day, tho as the Human Torch just told me in an old issue, every hero suffers defeats. But it feels worse than that…the internet is hammering my wobbly self-esteem with a vengeance these days, and I have the sneaking suspicion that I’m going to be looking for a new job before too long. Yes, like a proper modern comic book hero (and also an asshole who’s just passed 40), I may just have a good old-fashioned CRISIS on my hands. Let’s greet this with an inspirational, heroic anthem:

(that thing doesn’t seem to be working, link-wise, but cut and paste it, you’ll love me for it) Have you noticed how many songs there are about Superman, and how few there are about Batman? Think about it. In the meantime…

FIRST AND LAST CHANCE TO SEE: CREATION, debuting over at the NAC, and you totally have to go see THIS one, because it’s your last chance to see bonafide superstar Kris Joseph on an Ottawa stage afore he heads out to Edmonton.

Also, CYRANO DE BERGERAC hits the Gladstone, from Plosive Productions. I had the chance to see a brief preview of a few scenes from this show a few days back, and it looks to be a pretty fantastic take on swashbuckling superhero Cyrano, big nose and all. Featuring one of the biggest and coolest sounding all-star casts an Ottawa stage has ever played host to (Richard Gelinas, Elise Gauthier, Tim Oberholzer, Katie Bunting, Garret Quirk..and I’m not even half done!), and newly translated by the almost eerily knowledgeable David Whiteley. I chatted with him for a spell about the appeal of the Bergerac, the world’s most tragic comedy-adventure, and his passion for the material is pretty infectious. Also? There’s cool swordfighting and stuff, so right away you KNOW you don’t have anything better to do. Go get Cyranoed already!

And don’t forget, this is your last week to catch Pierre Brault’s BLOOD ON THE MOON at the GCTC, and it may not be around again! And your life WILL be poorer if you don’t go. Just saying.

…And, honestly, I don’t have much else to say this time around. Like I say, defeated. But I’ll bounce back (or I won’t, but that’s life, eh?). Hey, at least I have CYRANO and CREATION to catch this week, so hells yeah to that! Now let me try and find one silly Superhero themed video to share with you on the way out, and…well, here’s three.