now-in-technicolor

I came to the somewhat funny, pretty coincidental and still pretty intriguing realization that both of my two heroes when it comes to art and comics are Canadian. While their two styles and audiences are completely different (probably because they each belong to two very different publishers,) in the work I have yet to scan (I'm working on it, watchers!) I draw an amazing amount of influence from the charm and plain old FUN that their books exude. I'm just going to say a little about them here. (In order of how recently I found something of theirs, that is.)

PART ONE: Bryan Lee O'Malley
He does some of the funniest, freshest and most naturally-charming stuff I've ever read. The "Scott Pilgrim" series is one of my favorites and I'm sad that it's going to end in the next book. I find myself constantly identifying with 'mind-blowing, dangerously fashionable' Ramona as I follow Scott's epic, platforming game-styled odyssey for love and musical success.
I love Scott's lack of good comebacks and his not-very-well-planned ways. I love Wallace Wells with all my heart too (Crash and the Boys: "This song is for the guy who keeps yelling at us- 'We Hate You, Please Die'!" (a very drunken)Wallace: "Sweet! A song for me!"), even if the feeling will never be mutual. Ramona's use of subspace highways and storage are preposterous, baffling and glorious. When the movie (which stars Michael Cera! Holy shit!) comes out next year (probably), I plan to cosplay her, star-emblazoned bag, rollerblades (if they're allowed in the theater) and all, to the midnight showing.
Just this afternoon I read "Lost At Sea", which is by virtue of mood and tone a stark contrast to Scott Pilgrim's indie humor. What I had picked up at the library mainly because Scott Pilgrim had been checked out turned out to be one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. Raleigh's search for answers, along with a cat who may or may not have her soul, is one that, as the book reached its climax, I realized is one that I'm taking as I awkwardly late-bloom into the summer of adulthood.
The way Raleigh presents her thoughts is rambling and mile-a-minute, which I find immensely endearing and I relate to so well; it's exactly how each and every one of my generation thinks. As the book reached its close, and Raleigh opens the floodgate of what's been on her mind for the whole book, the thoughts that leave that high-water mark on the levy are ones that I myself think every day. Just as it says on the back cover, "Raleigh's 18 and doesn't know what she's doing. If you've ever been 18, or confused, or maybe both, then you should read this book."

That's it. My mother needs to get the hell out of my business. There are a number of reasons...

1. She thinks she has a right to listen to my iPod (not to mention take it away until a huge list of things are finished) when it was never hers to withold from me. It would have been understandable had she been the one to buy it for me, but no. I actually won it in a drawing. So she has no right to be using my stuff. Get yer own.

2. She's gone through my new digital camera several times and given me a lecture on what she's found. I'm a hormonally-raging, Spring Awakening-esque teenager- what exactly does she expect from me? Besides, it's the same as with my iPod. Mine. Not hers. To quote that one Quizno's commercial, this camera's all mine-o and not hers-o.

3. I really shouldn't hold her responsible for this, but she's a haridresser. She makes it a point to find out what I'm up to when she does hair for my friends  or their parents. Or rather Ethan's friends and their parents (because whenever I mention my mom's salon to my friends they bitch and moan about how expensive it is. I guess I'll never really understand since my mom has always done stuff on my hair for free.) So she always knows what's going on. I really don't get to keep anything a secret from her because she expects me to tell her about everything. Well, honestly there are a few things that I've never told my mom, which I'd certainly like to keep that way. Mostly for my sake. If she knew the things I've done that I never told her (umm.... pepper?) she'd KILL me. On the same note, she threatens me when I won't tell her something or won't sing for her. She'll be like, "Tell me!" and I'll say "No!" and then SHE'LL say, "Well I guess you don't have to (insert thing I was looking forward to doing here)!" I've told her, "You can't hold that against me!!!" but she'll just say "I can do whatever I want!" It's frustrating to no end how she thinks she can do that when it just makes me resent her even more.
I HATE it.

4. She threatens to take away things that I have made a commitment to. It's my obligation to fulfill commitments and her interfering with that is interfering with my life. And she'll break promises too and not do her end of the deals we make. Case in point: at a meeting with my teachers and caseload provider (technically I'm a special ed student but not like crazy or anything) we agreed that I could get on the computer if I had my day planner filled in. Not once since maybe the week after that meeting has she followed through on that, and that was in January.

And if my mom does read this, I have a message for you: Suck it.

I'm waiting on some shit to get scanned by my lazy friend [url=cerulesta.deviantart.com]~Ceru…. Don't blame me.

Band Camp is coming! Which means... I will NOT be able to do a lot of shit. Starting Tuesday, I will be attending 13-hour rehearsals on a wide, extremely not shady practice field. Which means, putting on more suntan lotion at every water break. Es todo muy divertido, which is Spanish for 'it is all very fun.' Actually it isn't if you don't want a near-Latino complexion (no offense to any Latinos reading this, I think Latinos are muy hermoso y atractiva). You spend about 4 hours doing drill exercises out on the practice field (that is, if you're in the band; I'm in colorguard so I get to work in the glorious air conditioning) and you think that there won't be any end to it... but then, LUNCH! then sectionals and ensemble rehearsal, but then, FRUITBREAK! YAY FRUITBREAK!!! I love band camp.

I AM! I can't wait to go down there! If you have no idea what Ikea is, what the HELL is wrong with you?!?!?!