He would probably eat Daleks and Droids for lunch.
From the comic world comes our next Geekwood candidate. I wasn't even born yet when the hero known as Magnus, Robot Fighter first came into being. Born from the creative mind of writer and artist Russ Manning back in 1963, Magnus was a man who fought against robots thanks to his incredible martial arts.
This sketch was made back in the 1960s, Timeless and impressive.
Makes you wonder why aren't more characters designed this cleanly?
While primarily based on Tarzan, the character quickly gained a more original feel with each passing issue. Like Tarzan, Magnus was raised by non-humans (specifically a robot called 1A) and was trained to protect humans from rogue robots and humans who have chosen to side with the robots.
Somehow I think for most of you, you'd be smiling with arms outstretched ready
to catch him if he ever did this to your bedroom window.
Set all the way in the future, the year 4000 AD to be more precise, the comic follows the adventures of Magnus as he attempts to protect his girlfriend Leeja Clane, as well as find a way to free those areas that have been overwhelmed by robot rule.
"RAPE MAGNUS..." said the robot. "Yes please," said us slaves of the technological dictators.
While most Geekwook candidates have a generous helping of hotness, Magnus is quite the tease with precious little moments of him showing of his fantastic physique. A HUGE tease. I could barely find more images of him showing off his build.
While the original comics approached the concept of Magnus merely being trained to break steel with his bare hands, later incarnations of the concept gave him an immense reservoir of incredible strength. I wish I was able to find a good comparative chart of his machine-killing strength against other comic heroes like Superman or the Hulk.
Damn, you see that clawed out part on the dino's neck?
Magnus is THAT bad-assed!
And this was a merit which Magnus clearly used to his advantage. It did not matter what kind of robot stood to face him. In the end, a quick application of wits, unearthly strength and heroic determination allowed him to bring down anyone who stood in his way.
His super bulge probably kept his tunic in place too.
Devoted partner, and a shining paragon of masculinity, what else would add to making Magnus the choice for this installment of Geekwood? Well, how many men do you know are not only straight, but confident enough to actually wear red skintight tunic, white boots, and nothing else but a black belt emblazoned with a huge buckle with the letter M. For someone in the 4000s, Magnus sure has a love for the classics.
If you can sit like that while having a picnic in your tunic, it is either because
you've got everything to show off, or nothing to be ashamed of. Yes, Magnus, you fulfill both.
And yes, when he does finally decide to tease us a bit, Magnus does it with a nonchalantness that would probably make others blush. His ease with his body is quite apparent in how he chooses to carry himself. How many guys would throw kicks like that when wearing a tunic?
And I shave too!
Not to mention, each issue of Magnus Robot Fighter would have a healthy dose of muscular guns and sweaty armpits for all of you guys who are into that thing. It is a pity though that they decided men in the 4000s would be into body waxing, but that does seem to be the case.
I'm not sure what Magnus is up to here.
But I am seriously bothered that when out of his tunic,
it looks more like just an oversized shirt.
So, go continue fighting the good fight for us, Magnus! Well, the fight which as far as we are concerned has yet to begin... and as far as your comics were concerned, had already ended. You already defeated the Malevs and married your Leeja, and have a son named Torque. Heck, you even already have a toy! Here's hoping your new upcoming revival will be a greater success.
While I may have a strangely broad range of music in my collection, my appreciation of her music used to be something that I had to keep private. Partly because I wasn't quite out of the closet back then and partly because I didn't want to "share her", I used to catch Kylie's music videos on tv or hear her songs and without any outward signs, enjoy the experience of hearing her sing to me once again. Being three years younger than my brother in the height of the 80s, I was pretty much expected to like the things he did. When he was deeply into The Cure, I had to get into them as well. When Depeche Mode and A-ha sang their songs, I bobbed my head and swayed my fists to the beat. So when it came to Kylie songs and a few other Madonna tunes, I treated them as secret songs that I alone relished.
I did that for a few years.
There was I time I wanted to marry you, Tori.
There weren't much friends in my younger years who liked Kylie songs. As strange as it may sound, even by the time college came around, I knew far more people who loved Tori Amos than I did people who loved Kylie. Having a group that shared my love for Tori, I did in many ways gravitate more towards her music and soon ended up with both a ticket to watch her concert in Los Angeles, a video copy of her concert and unplugged performance, an $80 dollar Venus Envy pendant, and a number of her music cds. As to Kylie, I only had my memories of her duet with Kermit the Frog and a silent joy in my heart every time I'd hear the Locomotion play.
Thankfully, all that has changed now.
Kylie is back in my life and even better, my partner shares a strong passion for her songs as well. While other artist like Pink, Ke$sha, Rhianna or Robyn might come up with their own dance-throbbing tunes, I always found myself struggling to completely enjoy their songs particularly because of the kind of message they espouse.
I sense a conflict between message and image.
Take for instance, Pink's "Raise your Glass":
So raise your glass if you are wrong
in all the right ways, all my underdogs
we will never be anything but loud
and nitty gritty dirty little freaks
won't you come on and raise your glass!
I don't grasp the pride and joy in being different in her lyrics. I know the message is there, but I don't feel it the way I do in other songs. Ultimately, as fun as the song is to dance to, I struggle to embrace what Pink wants to celebrate in a song here. Her music video, thankfully, pushes more the message that I love to hear from her. I guess I just wish I could feel it from her song. Different strokes I guess.
I go through the same trouble with Rihanna songs and the rest of them. While I do understand the emotional strength of a song that channels out anger or discontent (again, I am a huge Tori Amos fan too) I don't get the need to always embrace such negativity and try to make it sound cool. Especially when the said artist presents herself as Rock rather than Goth and so on and so forth. It is all a performance. It is all just an image. It isn't about singing from the heart. It feels like its all about singing for the paycheck.
While I admire Gaga for being creative, she has been sorely lacking in being much more original.
Kylie, on the other hand, sings with the campiness of a fag hag who loves her gay audience. She sings of beauty and being wonderful in all ways one can be. She sings of heart break but quickly reminds you that you deserve better and you shouldn't just be some drama queen. She sings of love and celebrates its power as real and beautiful.
Rocky, DJ Symon and Me
(Clearly Rocky and I have had a fair amount of beer by then)
It is such a huge plus for me that my favorite haunt, O bar, has a DJ who understands my love for Kylie and how much Rocky and I love to dance to her songs. Already there was a time the DJ mixed a series of Kylie songs just for us and made sure to let us know it was meant for us when he played it. (Thanks again DJ Symon!) It is interesting how Katy Perry seemingly is on the road of moving in the same direction as Kylie. I can only wonder though when there would be more people who would learn to look past fluff and hype and appreciate good songs the way they are meant to be.
Already counting the days til Gaga copies even THIS look.
But then again, until that day happens, I don't care if only Rocky and I cheer out loud the moment a Kylie song is played in O bar. After all, sometimes you do want to keep special things all to yourself and your partner. Heck Kylie already has a song that captures this!
And it goes like this:
DJ's spinning up my favorite song,
Hurry up and get a grove on.
Light fantastic and it won't be long,
Don't let the moment slip away.
'Cause you and I could find a pleasure, no one else has ever known.
Feels like it is now or never, don't want to be alone
How does it feel in my arms?
How does it feel in my arms?
Do you want it?
Do you need it?
Can you feel it?
Tell me.
How does it feel in my arms?
Keep singing, dancing and spreading the love, Kylie!
You make the world a far better, lovelier, musical place!
For the curious, here is my list of my favorite Kylie songs:
Christmas has just zoomed passed us and in a few more days 2010 will be bidding us farewell. Who would have thought time can move so quickly when you are having this much fun. To be honest, I still find myself at times pinching myself to make sure I'm not caught in a dream or lost in some food-induced ecstatic vision. The number of things that I had accomplished in this year alone are quite overwhelming, to be honest. It was almost as if I had been stagnating for so long and had never really noticed it.
Merry Christmas from us!
But I guess life is really like that. There are the ups and downs, the zig zags and the u-turns, the humps and the rapid roads that fast-track us through what we are meant to experience. There are the scenic routes and the dumpy boring ones. There are the long agonizing treks that move past galleries of regrets and frustrations. And there are the wonderful stop overs that are there to remind you, "Hey you deserve this!" that quietly then hitch along for a ride as you go through your life.
Life is like Inception.
Confusing.
Let's face it: Life can be challenging enough as it is. From academic to economic expectations, dealing with the pressures of school and work are already a lot for some people. Add to that the pressures from siblings, friends, and parents who all (well, at least the real ones) really just want was is best for you. Then finally, add the delicate act of sharing and yet respecting boundaries that is necessary for a relationship to remain healthy and not dip into either obsession or abuse. Life is pretty challenging enough as it is.
Add to that the discrimination from both others and one's peers for being gay.
And for being a geek.
Trust me, you guys have it easier :-P
And trust me, it can be a far greater challenge than most would expect.
So yes, 2011 is inching its way closer with barely a week left of time remaining. Lots of people talk about having a "resolution" this new year. Others mumble about trying to accomplish a list of goals. Me? I think what would be best is to review one's life and consider what one has done to be both oneself and at the same time an even better version of oneself. Others might be content to judge the joy in the lives by the branded things they buy, or the free trips out-of-town they connive out of others... don't mislead yourself into thinking they have it "better". After all, all they've done is measure the quality of their lives on financial means. Celebrate being you and celebrating always becoming even a better you each and every single day!
Year of the Rabbit is coming up!
Here's to another year filled with real rainbows that color the sky!
*Thanks to my partner Rocky for some of the pictures! George Washington Associate yourself with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation. It is better be alone than in bad company.
Once again, from the realm of comic books comes another entry for this blog's Geekwood. Most of the time, we find a guy who is smart, or strong, or handsome, or beautifully built. If we're lucky, we get someone who captures two of the four qualities. Maybe even three. But rare is there a man who captures all four, and is socially skilled to boot.
Tom Strong is the creation of Alan Moore (Watchmen, V for Vendetta) and Chris Sprouse (Legionnaires). Unlike most superheroes whose powers greatly define who they are, Tom Strong is a science hero in the vein of a modernized pulp hero. He uses everything from his incredible intellect, super-science gadgets, total body control and clear undeniable logic to defeat his many enemies who tend to be nods towards various comic genres.
While Tom Strong might not be as popular as Superman or Spider-man, his approach to defeating his villains is always an entertaining read. The comics show him doing everything from talking down an otherworldly digital construct to trading another planet for the salvation of the Earth. Each issue an interesting read by itself! But even more fun are the cast of characters that join him in his exploits, from his wife Dhalua, to his daughter Tesla, his gorilla companion King Solomon, and his loyal servant Pneuman.
Of course, I can't deny that Tom Strong has massive bonus points for being one of the rare comic characters who proudly cultivates a healthy growth of chest fuzz. Most comic characters seem to prefer shaving themselves to a more pre-pubescent look. Tom Strong, however, proudly shows the strength of his testosterone.
There was even an issue where the explore a future version of Tom Strong, and yes, age has done little to bring down this man's hotness. Even if his hair had grown white, his body remains at the peak of delicious fitness and his fuzziness even more so.
And of course, what comic that embraces the pulp era would fail to have its own share of bondage moments? There also are issues where our good yummy Tom finds himself fighting against tentacle-like horrors or struggling against bukake-esque monstrosities.. but I think I best leave that for you readers to find the issues and experience the visuals on your won.
But definitely, this married man is off limits save for us adoring his heroic exploits. I mean, let's be frank here, he already has a daughter. Superman only accomplished that when an openly gay director was given the rights to handle his development. Yep, we gay guys are needed to remind them breeders to breed at times.
So with all that, Tom Strong wins a place in this blog's Geekwood entries. Admitted, he might not be the chunky bulk most bears are, nor the much more hirsute forest grizzlies can get, his massive guns, and even larger intelligence easy shoo him into the world of comic hunks that deserve to be noticed.
Check out Tom Strong when you can! With 36 issues out there with each one absolutely worth reading, I highly recommend you head for your nearest bookstore or comic shop and treat yourself to a four-color experience that tickles both your brain and your... other bone.
The Philippines recently had its annual Gay Pride March and much to my dismay, I was not able to take part in it this year. My partner and I had been looking forward to taking part in it for months after experiencing the excitement and pride of being part of something meaningful last year. Unfortunately, my parents decided that the same weekend was to be a good weekend to fly to Singapore to celebrate my sister's birthday. So like a good recently outed gay son, I decided to do my share in being part of the family and joined them for the trip.
Last year with my other friends.
Being able to take part in an event that allows you to celebrate being yourself is something I honestly wish more people get a chance to experience. While coming out is a personal journey in every gay person's life, stepping outside to join the Pride March is a call for courage and the willingness to make a statement. A statement that says, "We are who we are and we are not ashamed." And as ironic as it sounds, taking part of the march while wearing a mask since one might still be in the closet is quite welcome. Just as much as any straight friend joining the march to support their gay friends. The march, after all, isn't about just being gay. It is about celebrating the fact as diverse as we all are, we are happy to be who we are.
I remember how excited I was last year to join the Pride March. I wasn't out to my family. While most of my co-workers and friends knew I wasn't walking the "straight" path, few neighbors or family friends were aware of my preferences. But I admired the courage of those who had been part of the march year after year and realized in many ways it was more than just a chance to show off one's gayest costume (like some do). In fact, those who showed off their gayest costumes were simply doing something I was, back then, afraid to do: Just be myself and have fun.
My partner and me in our matching black Trek shirts
My partner and I decided to join the march wearing our black Star Trek shirts to celebrate our unity as a couple and as geeks. And even if I was still in the closet family-wise, I threw away all fears of being discovered and walked with my face clearly visible for all to see.
And experienced very quickly all the hate and bigotry that certain members of society had for me.
They were at the corners, with their banners and placards condemning us for being who we were. Calling us vile things. Speaking into their loudspeakers cruel and wicked words. They used the Lord's name in vain. They used the Bible as a personal weapon. And they said WE were the one's who had lost our way.
So much hate from people claiming to love God.
It was the first time they have ever seen me, and they hated me down to the very core of my being.
Some of our friends retaliated.
They made their own posters. They chanted their own slogans. They yelled back. Or sang. Or threw jokes back. Insults too. But all they did was encourage the hate even more. Fan the flames stronger. Fed the evil that called itself good.
I felt it was a sad reminder of how people still believed we were best invisible.
Or non-existent.
And even worse was when I heard from people I consider my friends the similar themes of hate.
One facebook friend wrote about the Pride March not representing him since it merely showcased freaks. Another proudly shared how he was invited to the March but felt it was all just politics. Was that really how bad it get's here in the Philippines? That the discrimination ran so deep, rather than take part to BE represented, we would rather insult and demean those who clearly showed a courage superior to our own? That we would dismiss the march as merely something political, when in fact, it WAS political for the right reasons. It was political because we deserve to be acknowledged. We deserve to be recognized. We deserve to be accepted. We aren't even seen as mere equals. It wasn't a call for special treatment. It was a call to be identified as real. Damn right it was political!
Yes, it felt so much like this.
How sad, therefore, that its urgency is so easily dismissed and thrown aside.
There I was, stick in Singapore, wishing I could be part of it, and here were friends of mine so content with their own personal concerns that the idea of being part of something bigger felt... unimportant.
It was insulting. It was depressing.
It nearly drove me to disassociate myself with them.
Who needs friends who don't see the point in seeing you to the very least as equals.
More so when they themselves were gay.
Of course, when it comes to the "other" annual big gay event, the so-called White Party attendance shoots up and celebrations are explosively present. When it comes to bathhouses and models strutting around in badly designed underwear, you have throes of gay men screaming their tonsils out. Clearly sex sells.
Things need to change.
And we need to do our part.
The March to the very least shows we are not afraid.
So I challenge you gay guys out there in Manila. Stop being content with hiding. Stop thinking you aren't part of something bigger. Take that step. Join the March.
Make a difference.
Be represented by being there to represent yourself.
We can fill the world with rainbows.
We can help make it a better place.
--- thanks to my partner Rocky for most of the pictures of last year's Pride March.
I promise, 2011, I will do all I can to be with you when we attend it.
