HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: mkelly@happy.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Subject: Re: VERTIGO: How much should we buy?
Reply-To: mkelly@happy.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Organization: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 17:10:01 GMT


Once again I'll suggest everyone take a crack at Dick Foreman's Black Orchid.
He has pleased me with his fill-in issues of Swamp Thing and Hellblazer. As
far as Jill Thompson's art: I'm completely neutral.

-- 
+               Mike Kelly, Notre Dame Department of Physics                +
+                                                                           +
+ mkelly@doc.helios.nd.edu          "The more you drive,                    + 
+ mkelly@undhe5.hep.nd.edu                 the less intelligent you are."   +
From: branwen@cerebus.ccc.amdahl.com (Karen Williams)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: What is ACME??
Date: 11 Jan 93 19:26:37 GMT
Organization: Amdahl Corporation, Sunnyvale CA

In article <1993Jan11.105124.22347@ousrvr.oulu.fi> sn@phoenix.oulu.fi (Sami Nieminen) writes:

>   Yeah, the ACME co... I've seen it in lots of american comics and
>it's been producing all kinds of weird stuff. But I'm curious to know,
>where has the name come from and why it is so darned funny ?

In the Saturday morning cartoons about Wile E. Coyote and his endless
attempt to kill the Roadrunner, the coyote always sends off to ACME Co.
for bombs, traps, and other equipment, all of which invariably break s
at the crucial time. 

--
                                          Karen Williams
                                          branwen@cerebus.ras.amdahl.com
"Don't whine. Warrior women speak in a husky whisper."
  -- Brat Pack #3
From: albert@chain.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu (Rick Jones)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: DC:  Scarlett #1
Date: 4 Jan 1993 15:33:28 GMT
Organization: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Tx
NNTP-Posting-Host: chain.ssctr.bcm.tmc.edu

In article <lis.726152837@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu> lis@chaos.cs.brandeis.edu (Elisabeth Riba) writes:
>What did anyone else think of this one?  I haven't seen Buffy, the
>Vampire Slayer, but the concepts seem too similar to be coincidental.  

	Well, I saw Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Buffy is a friend of mine,
and Scarlett, you're no Buffy.
	(I'm a vampire nut, and Scarlett couldn't convince me to buy a 
second issue, whereas Nightstalkers was able to keep me interested even
after the three issues of sappy Hydra villains called, of all things,
"DOA".)
	
>2)  Was anyone else bothered by the party?  I know high school
>students drink, and they were portrayed as "responsible drinkers"
>(designated drivers), but still...  Showing it in the comics seems to
>be condoning the behavior.

	Is that any worse than having characters like Deathstroke, or 
Battalion, since aren't they condoning the use of guns (especially after
such a harsh anti-gun editorial stance in Seduction of the Gun).
	I thought it was nice, for a change, to see underage drinking
done without someone wrapping a car around a tree and having a huge 
DWI message.  Yes, underage drinking is illegal, and it has led to tragedies,
but, so long as they show responcible drinking and the use of designated
drivers.  Note that also, everyone drinking looked like idiots (Scarlett's
boyfriend, and big dumb jock friend.).


-- 
Rick Jones		"People come back from the dead all the time.  I mean,
albert@bcm.tmc.edu	 I've come back from the dead.  I bet you have to!"
Systems Support Center	"Well... Yes, I have.  But I AM a professional."
Voice: 713-798-7352	       -Rick Jones and Dr Strange, Incredible Hulk #399
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: pduggan@world.std.com (Paul C Duggan)
Subject: Re: Cerebus #165 (spoiler ?)
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:46:28 GMT

In article <1993Jan9.000608.2721@news2.cis.umn.edu> lsmith@deci.cs.umn.edu (Lance "Squiddie" Smith) writes:
>In article <1993Jan8.221442.7983@netcom.com> dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:
>>Cerebus #165 is certainly a dense issue.  Lots of things are happening
>>and, as usual, we come away with more new questions than new answers. 
>>
Did you catch Generals Dworkin and Greer? :-) Famed names among feminists.

paul
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: lazlo@triton.unm.edu (Lazlo Nibble)
Subject: Re: The Big Marvel Slurp (Was Re: Marvel Implosion Imminent?)
Date: Tue, 05 Jan 93 19:32:49 GMT
Organization: Usenet Power Elite: Crush-The-Innocent-Newbies Strike Team

v129j6ed@ubvmsb.cc.buffalo.edu (This is F.U.N.) writes:

>> Personally, I thought that BILL & TED'S was an incredible book, with 
>> much of the flavour and insanity of Dorkin's other stuff.
> 
> I have known several people,  including some comic shop owners, who 
> thought this was the most hilarious book out in the market, at that time.

The bit with Bill & Ted & Death at the "Planet Of The Apes" festival was 
the funniest scene in comics last year, period.

And the next issue of PC$ should be out Any Day Now.

--
Lazlo (lazlo@triton.unm.edu)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: spira@panix.com (Greg "Sarcasm Is A Way Of Life" Spira)
Subject: Superclones
Organization: Boo!
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 14:31:03 GMT

According to a report in New York Newsday this morning, "Superman...
will return sometime in April....And, according to one executive,
Superman will return not as one Man of Steel - but as four.  Martin
Stever, advertising and promotion manager for Capital City
Distribution, said he has learned that there will be four Superman
clones - an African-American, an Asian, a Caucasian and a Hispanic - 
and that each will have his own book.  "DC Comics will bring Superman
back to life in four separate comic books, one for each week of April,"
says Stever.  A DC spokeswoman denied the reports of 4 Superman clones,
and said that there would be an announcement soon "about developments
in the Superman storyline."

Is this accurate?  My guess, knowing the news media, is that it's
about 50% accurate.  But who knows?

Greg
From: rogerk@queernet.org (Roger B.A. Klorese)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Vertigo Bomb
Date: 11 Jan 93 16:28:50 GMT
Distribution: na
Organization: QueerNet

In article <C0p3Dp.GvK@watserv1.uwaterloo.ca> kesidis@cheetah.vlsi.uwaterloo.ca (George Kesidis) writes:
>It's hard to deny that J. Thompson's art sucks.

It's easy to deny.  To me, it's delicate, stylish, and tells
a story well.

Do you think P. Craig Russell's art "sucks" too?
-- 
ROGER B.A. KLORESE                                              +1 415 ALL-ARFF
rogerk@unpc.QueerNet.ORG              {ames,decwrl,pyramid}!sgiblab!unpc!rogerk
"Normal is not something to aspire to, it's something to get away from."
                                                                   -- J. Foster
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: conty@cbnewsl.cb.att.com (E. Kontei)
Subject: Re: Harvey does Ultraman (recommended!)
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 1993 16:02:42 GMT

In article <yjc-050193015117@yjc-slip.dialin.cwru.edu>, yjc@po.cwru.edu (Jerome 'TofuSoft' Chan) writes:
> 
> Get Alan Moore or Neil Gaiman to write UltraMan.

Now that's what I call having the wrong person for the job.  I mean, I'm
sure they could do an excellent job in Ultraman, but it wouldn't be
the Ultraman we know.  What we need is someone who can write a story which
is campy and epic at the same time.  Suggestions?
-- 
			    E n r i q u e  C o n t y
			       Master of Science!
			      jester@ihlpm.att.com
		    Disclaimer: You're not dealing with AT&T
From: bssbc3gsd@dct.ac.uk (Grant Doig)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Hawkworld:Flights End(spoiler)
Date: 6 Jan 93 09:05:16 GMT
Organization: Dundee Institute of Technology





sort of spoiler coming....
























soon



























here it comes!!
























why, oh why is hawkworld ending after flights end??


tradgedy is mentioned in various sources (note, i'm only up to part four)

and the new "hawkman" title begins soon..



sounds like sheyiera(sp????) is off to the same place as superman but not
coming back in march!!!


So, hawkman 32 is the last!!


(according to the DC newsletter insider thing anyway..)

i, personally am upset! 
-- 
								               
  Professional Wasters Inc.			E-Mail BSSBC3GSD@DCT.AC.UK     
  Dundee, Scotland.				Todays thought..	       
  Your time wasted..or your money back!	        "Look at all that lovely       
  Breaks between classes a speciality.          money!!" (unknown DC comics   
                                                          executive)
From: royd@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Roy Daniel)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: SANDMAN: Lucien's Library
Date: 7 Jan 93 22:32:03 GMT
Organization: Universite de Montreal

In article <1993Jan7.085242.1@skcla.monsanto.com> jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com writes:
>>>Neil Gaiman's "Superman Goes To Hell" Story
>> 
>> Wasn't this supposed to be titled "667: Neighbor of the Beast"?
>
>Sorry, but 667 would be on the other side of the street from 666, and there
>is already a book titled "668: The Neighbor of the Beast"
>
Yup. It is also the title of an album by the group "My Dog Popper".

Daniel Roy

-- 
Mr. Cole's axiom:
	"The sum of the intelligence on the planet is a constant;
	 the population is growing."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: lsmith@deci.cs.umn.edu (Lance "Squiddie" Smith)
Subject: Re: Evan Dorkin and...El Santo (was Re: Bill & Ted's Excellent Comic)
Organization: University of Minnesota
Distribution: na
Date: Sat, 9 Jan 1993 00:20:29 GMT

In <DAN.93Jan8145721@spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu> dan@spiff.gnu.ai.mit.edu (Dan Parmenter) writes:

>As cartoonists go, Dorkin is still fairly young, and if he's really as
>good as people think, he'll eventually start doing things with a bit
>more originality and less obvious "attitude".  After re-examining some
>of his art in light of this discussion, I've concluded that he's
>definitely got some drawing ability, and I will continue to observe
>his career with interest.  But if Bill and Ted, Milk and Cheese and
>what I've seen of his other stuff is any indication, than it may be a
>bit of a wait.

Using Milk and Cheese and Bill and Ted (wasn't this a movie?) as the
only references to Dorkin's work doesn't provide a full perspective.
I admit there isn't a lot more. However, Evan seems to have grown
tired of Milk and Cheese and what he could and couldn't do on Bill
and Ted may have limited the final product. 

I think the Slave Labor issues of Pirate Corp$ help balance out the
view. It's a fuller book with a fuller range of emotions. Unfortunately,
there are only five issues and a special to go by. I do recommend it
if you can find copies. (They're also available from Slave Labor.) 

Pirate Corp$ is still packed with an "attitude," but it isn't the
mindful violence of Milk and Cheese and the characters are a little
less two-dimensional than Bill and Ted. It's storyline is confused 
(mainly due to the infrequency of its publication) and there are 
still a lot of hip and clever references. But Dorkin does seem to 
capture a lot of reality with the recurring characters.     

----------------------------
  Lance "Cr2O3.2H2O" Smith | "Major, I realize it might not be my place 
    (lsmith@cs.umn.edu)    |  to say this, but with all due respect, I 
  Cry Pollock and unleash  |  think you chose the wrong man to water the
      the dogs of art      |  elephants."      _Mr Peanut of the Raj_
From: acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil (Arthur C. Adams)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: Presidents in comics
Date: 7 Jan 93 12:19:01 GMT
Organization: The Great Beyond

In article <1993Jan7.065855.10742@dvorak.amd.com> twhite@mozart.amd.com (Tom White) writes:
>In article <1ievitINNdi0@alice.cs.purdue.edu> berninge@cs.purdue.edu (James Berninger) writes:
>>Perhaps most famously, Superman revealed his identity to John F.
>>Kennedy in an issue of Action (#306?) that was shipped right around
>>the time of his death.
>
>   The issue had been prepared and ready to ship when Kennedy was assassinated.
>DC was in a quandry until someone in the Johnson administration -- perhaps
>LBJ himself -- and the Kennedy family gave their blessing, reasoning that
>JFK wanted to see it printed and therefore, it should be so.

Actually, the way I heard the story is that DC had already shipped
the issue when Kennedey was assassinated. They took a lot of public
flak, accusing them of horrible taste, but they responded (truthfully,
I assume) that there was no way they could have called all the books
back - they were too far in the pipeline.
-- 
We need not fear those who do evil in the name of evil, but Heaven
protect us from those who do evil in the name of good.
Arthur C. Adams acadams@afterlife.ncsc.mil            	<fnord>
No, I'm not the Arthur Adams who draws comic books. Don't even ask.
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: billian@exchanger.ecn.purdue.edu (Mark W. Billian)
Subject: Re:Looker (was DC misc)
Organization: Purdue University Engineering Computer Network
Date: Sun, 10 Jan 1993 19:49:59 GMT

In Article 11391, Vanessa C. Zondervan writes:


>The Outsiders: BTW, since there are RUMORS (I've seen no schedule) for a
>new Outsiders comic to come out, I'll ask this question that's been on my
>mind for awhile. At the end of the Outsiders' run, Looker was completely
>de-powered. In a later storyline of Detective, she reappears fully
>powered, and nothing was mentioned.
>
>Does anybody know if this was ever explained?? If so, where and when?

Word of a forth coming Outsiders series has been abounding for quite a while.
Most recently I read about in a lettercol in on of the Justice League books.
I am patiently waiting for it myself.

As far as I know, no explaination was ever given for how Looker got her
powers (and good looks) back between the last issue of the Outsiders
and her appearance in "The Mudpack" storyline in Detective.  This has
troubled me as well.

Mark B. 

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: ejs16@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Eric Jaron Stieglitz)
Subject: Re: DC: Vertigo Preview
Reply-To: ejs16@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Eric Jaron Stieglitz)
Organization: Me, Myself, and I
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 00:41:51 GMT

In article <1993Jan5.155110.26493@ils.nwu.edu> pautler@ils.nwu.edu (David Pautler) writes:
>
>What else has Kent Williams done?
>
>	-dp-
 
Try the _Havok and Wolverine: Meltdown_ limited series which was written by
Walter and Louise Simonson, and contains art by Jon J. Muth and Kent Williams.

---


Eric Jaron Stieglitz aka ejs16@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu
"With great power comes great responsibility"
We have been given the power of free speech.
Let's make sure that we use it wisely... 
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: cblaise@moose.uvm.edu (Chris Blaise)
Subject: Re: Next Men Russian
Originator: cblaise@moose.uvm.edu
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 14:01:44 GMT

From article <1993Jan8.105736.21408@sol.UVic.CA>, by jcowling@ophelia.UVic.CA (Scowling Jim Cowling):
> The only drawback I could see is that the artist/letterer would be limited by
> the variety of characters usable.  There's more variety in hand-lettering, but
> when the letters are as "perfect" as Byrne's system makes them...
> 
> Hmm.  What do y'all think?

	Sounds good to me.  Not learning my lesson obviously, I choked myself
through an issue of UXmen last week (thank god it was at the parent's store
and I didn't have to buy it).  Besides the obvious facts of a bad story
and mediocre art (Marvel must really care about their nest egg to give
it such a shitty art team), THE LETTERING WAS AWFUL!  Did they get
X-force's letter?  Instead of Important(tm) words being bolded, they
are BOLDED AND OUTLINED!  Not just in 1 or 2 places either...at least
2-3 places in nearly every page.

 TTYL
 Chris

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: a905576@tiuk.ti.com (David Pardoe          (0013 spif))
Subject: Re: President at Superman's Funeral
Reply-To: a905576@tiuk.ti.com
Organization: Texas Instruments Ltd.
Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 16:33:38 GMT

In article 19269@netcom.com, dani@netcom.com (Dani Zweig) writes:
>I thought comics had to be done two or three months ahead of their
>distribution date in order to get into the pipeline in time, but
>Clinton was at Superman's funeral six weeks after the election.

Damn, and I was hoping that Tommy O'Neil would get elected in the
DC Universe (check out the last issue of Hawk & Dove if you're confused).

David.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"So you're the Master. Bit of a subjective term, isn't it?"
                                                Bernice Surprise Summerfield

Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: mkelly@happy.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Subject: Re: SUPERMAN RETURNS AS FOURSOME CONFIRMED BY DC ON ET
Reply-To: mkelly@happy.helios.nd.edu (michael kelly)
Organization: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 16:58:46 GMT


 dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dave Van Domelen) writes:

|> On Entertainment tonight we got to see some of the new art for Superman's 
|> "Return" from the dead.  It goes like this.
|>      Pa Kent dies, and meets Kal at the Gates Of Whatever.  The two draw on 
|> each other's strength and love for each other and return to the land of the 
|> living.  But there must be a difficulty in Kal's return because:
|>      Four people (Teenager, Steel Worker, Warrior and Alien Cyborg) with 
|> Superman-level powers surface, each claiming to be Supes.

Soon to be followed by Mary Superman, Uncle Dudley Superman, and the three
Lieutenant Supermen: Fat Superman, Tall Superman and Short Superman.

-- 
+               Mike Kelly, Notre Dame Department of Physics                +
+                                                                           +
+ mkelly@doc.helios.nd.edu          "The more you drive,                    + 
+ mkelly@undhe5.hep.nd.edu                 the less intelligent you are."   +
From: jed@matilda.vut.edu.au (Jed Bowtell)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
Subject: Re: I'm bored - gimme something to read
Date: 6 Jan 93 05:16:02 GMT
Organization: Victoria University of Technology

gipper.1@nd.edu (The Gipper) writes:

>In article <C0BqF1.1J1@matilda.vut.edu.au>, jed@matilda.vut.edu.au (Jed
>Bowtell) wrote:
>> 
>> panda@Micor.OCUnix.on.ca (Elizabeth Holden) writes:
>> 
>> >jed@matilda.vut.edu.au (Jed Bowtell) writes:
>> 
>> >> I agree, Spawn is overrated. McFarlane's writing has not
>> >> improved, it has gone downhill.
>> 
>> >This was my impression.  Sad but true.
>> 
>> At last somebody who agrees with me.
>> 
>Are you kidding?  People actually believed McFarlane could write?  His
>Spider-Man title was an atrocity.  The art was decent, but the dialogue was
>patheitic and the plots were feeble. I have completely resisted the
>temptation to read Spawn. Please, Mr. McFarlane, stick to what you do best;
>you can draw, but you can't write!  

I didn't ever comment on the writing in Spiderman. I just said
that the writing in Spawn is worse than the writing in Spiderman.
I do think that the writing in Spiderman was overly criticised.

Jed
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: tyg@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Tom Galloway)
Subject: Re: Is that Susan Richards' new costume?
Reply-To: tyg@HQ.Ileaf.COM (Tom Galloway)
Organization: Interleaf, Inc.
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 93 22:03:11 GMT

 In article <1993Jan6.085131.1@skcla.monsanto.com> jjfink@skcla.monsanto.com writes:
>Still... wouldn't you think that a woman who can levitate things on force
>fields and make various things invisible, and a man who can stretch various
>parts of his body, would have the best personal life in comics?

In one of his collections in the late 70s/early 80s, Fred Hembeck did a 
superhero Newlywed Game with Hawkman/Hawkwoman, Scarlet Witch/Vision,
Flash/no one (Iris being recently killed off at the time), and Reed/Sue.
One question, first addressed to the wives, was "What's the most unusual
place you and your husband have made whoopie". Sue's response: "Hmm, I'd
have to say in the kitchen and in the bedroom" "I'm afraid we can only
take one answer" "That is one answer; Reed was in the bedroom and I was
in the kitchen". Alas, Reed's response was the Negative Zone and they lost
out to Wanda and Vizh on that question.

"A friend who went to Harvard explains that they have mnemonic cuisine, e.g.,
they serve something that reminds you of lasagna." --John Levine
tyg   tyg@hq.ileaf.com
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics.misc
From: jelmore@nyx.cs.du.edu (John Elmore)
Subject: Re: ** Comic Book Collector's Database **
X-Disclaimer: Nyx is a public access Unix system run by the University
	of Denver for the Denver community.  The University has neither
	control over nor responsibility for the opinions of users.
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Tue, 5 Jan 93 17:46:46 GMT

In article <mXLwwB3w165w@Micor.OCUnix.on.ca> panda@Micor.OCUnix.on.ca (Elizabeth Holden) writes:
>nin15b53@merrimack.edu (Ed Greenwood) writes:
>
>> Could anyone offer suggestions for features to be included in a forthcoming
>> Comic Book Collector's Database?
>> 
>> What statistics are of value to Comic Book Enthusiasts?
>
>*Statistics*?  I'm not sure what you mean by this word.  In my database 
>listing (designed by myself) I list title, issue number, date, series or 
>volume number, company, story title, writer, plot, penciller, inker, 
>letterer, colorist, editor, notes (e.g., #1 of 4), keywords (e.g., 
>Supergirl if she appears in the story), numbers of that issue I own, 
>cover cost (to me, Canadian funds), collector's value (if I want to 
>sell), and current date.
>
>These are the things which interest me enough to note them.

Ack! You take your index a _lot_ more seriously than I do. I have an Excel
database (until I can get a true database program) and the only things I
note and Title, Number, and Publisher. An earlier program I had started to
design on 4th Dimension had radio buttons for Graphic Novel, Trade
Paperback, Mini-series, and frequency (monthly, bimonth|y, biweeky,
annual) but the thought of having to dig out all 2000 (then) of my comics
to enter them was haunting me. Now I have around 4500, in two cities
(thanks Mom!) and I _still don't want to do it.

When I have a _lot_ of free time, the database I want to design would
have: Title, Issue Number, Publisher, Length of series (for mini- and
maxi-series), Number of copies, Art (Names of artists), Plot (Name(s) of
writer), and perhaps a Keywords field for entering things like names of
cross-overs (Crisis, Armageddon 2001), guest-stars, first and last issue,
and important events (Death of Phoenix).

I _still_ don't want to go through _every_ issue I own; the number of
duplicate issues I won is very small, and I never buy more than 4 copies
of anything (Spiderman #1 is the only exception; I have 4 of each cover.)

Jay (=
From: dvandom@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Dave Van Domelen)
Subject: Re: Best Death? (Was Re: Random thoughts on Supes)
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 20:48:37 GMT

In article <1993Jan11.152648.19656@cc.umontreal.ca> royd@ERE.UMontreal.CA (Roy
Daniel) writes:
>
>Just to remind you: 1)Grimjack the main character; he died a not-so heroic
>death, I'd even say a stupid one.
>                    2)They didn't hint at his death at all. It was a hell of a
>surprise, believe me.
>
>
>So, anybody can beat that?

Yep.  Rorschach.  He was arguably the main character of Watchmen, and his death
was fairly unexpected, and HE DIDN'T COME BACK!  Which Grimjack did, again and 
again, in fact becoming his "character hook" that he was doomed to keep coming 
back.  It made his death in #36 a little less severe when you were already 
seeing Althea 8's clone of John in that issue.
     Dave Van Domelen, say, is that a bit of Rorschach over there?