what's the use of growing up?

Nerd. Doctor of Philosophy! Wifey. Ancient by Tumblr standards. Potterhead. Comics Geek. Whedonite. Whovian. This is where I let the fangirl go mad. Oh! Feel free to hit up my ask. I like to talk geek.

[worldcupofhotness]

WORLD CUP OF HOTNESS - GROUP STAGE RESULTS

Who is the 🔥HOTTEST🔥 team in the World Cup? It’s your chance to decide. We’ll do it like the World Cup, with group stages and brackets.

RESULTS ARE IN FOR THE GROUP STAGE! I’ll put the brackets up later today. I’ve got a busy weekend, so Knockouts will likely begin on Monday.

GROUP A

URUGUAY finish on top with 55% of the vote!

EGYPT finish second with 33% of the vote!

Russia takes third with 10%

Saudi Arabia finishes up with 2%

GROUP B

IRAN top the group with 44% of the vote!

SPAIN finish second with 32%

Morocco get pip third place with 13%

Despite a late rally, Portugal finish late with 12%

GROUP C

DENMARK tops with group with 38% of the vote

FRANCE’s late rally got them through the deadlock, and they finish second with 29%

Peru’s 44 votes are only enough for third, and 27% of the vote

Australia had a rough showing this year, and only finish with 7% of the vote.

GROUP D

CROATIA top the group with 43% of the vote

ICELAND get second place with 31%

No great escape for Argentina, who only grab 23% of the vote

Nigeria’s 7 votes give them 3% of the total.

GROUP E

BRAZIL’s samba kings lead the group with 46% of the vote

SERBIA grabs second with 33%

Switzerland gets third place with 15% of the vote

Costa Rica finishes off the group with 6% of the vote

GROUP F

MEXICO top with group with a stunning 58% of the vote

GERMANY pick the second spot with 27%

South Korea’s 11 votes kept them steady at 10% for third place

Sweden manage to get 5% of the vote, for last place.

GROUP G

ENGLAND top the group, commanding 49% of the vote.

BELGIUM’s Red Devils grab second with 35%

Tunisia had the most dedicated fans, and moved their team the most % points. Alas, they got to third, with 10% of the group votes.

Panama finishes last, with 6% of the vote

GROUP H

COLOMBIA top the group with 54% of the vote

JAPAN finish second, with 25% of the vote

Poland’s dedicated fans worked hard, but Poland only managed 16% of the vote (7 votes shy of Japan)

Senegal round out the group with 6% of the group.

[bookishandi]

As the person who runs WCOH, I have to say I have some feelings about Switzerland’s low showing, because they’re practically a team of Disney Princes, and I don’t particularly see Serbia’s charm. But the Slavs came out in force because Croatia also SLAMMED Group D even though I think Argentina is hotter and yes, I’m biased. A little sad that Senegal and Nigeria had such poor showings, because they both had some REAL FINE MEN on their sides but, unfortunately, I think the African teams didn’t get as much love as they deserved in general.

But I made it democratic, so I suppose I can only blame me. :D

[worldcupofhotness]

WORLD CUP OF HOTNESS 2018 - Current Standings 7/1

Who is the 🔥HOTTEST🔥 team in the World Cup? It’s your chance to decide. We’ll do it like the World Cup, with group stages and brackets.

Each team will get a point for each like, reblog, reply, and message. The top two teams from each group will move on to the Knock Out Stages. In the unlikely event of a tie, I will exercise the tiny privilege this blog gives me as tiebreaker. The Group Stages end July 4th.

Remeber! If you have already liked and reblogged, earn your team more points by dropping a message in their favor! Or, better yet, get your friends to like and reblog!

HERE ARE THE CURRENT STANDINGS AS OF THE EVENING OF THE THIRD EVENING OF THE GROUP STAGES:

GROUP A

🇷🇺 Russia 8.5%  9%

🇺🇾 Uruguay 52%  55%

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia 2%  2%

🇪🇬 Egypt 37.5%  34%

Uruguay are solidifying that first place spot, and Egypt seems firmly in second…but will Russia’s surprise victory today give them a boost?

GROUP B

🇵🇹 Portugal 10%  12%

🇪🇸 Spain 28%  29%

🇲🇦 Morocco 15%  14%

🇮🇷 Iran 47%  45%

Everyone in this group is now out of the “real” World Cup, but this might have been the hottest group in the Cup. And Iran and Spain seem to be keeping hold.

GROUP C

🇫🇷 France 23%  27%

🇦🇺 Australia 9%  8%

🇵🇪 Peru 35%  27%

🇩🇰 Denmark 33%  38%

A group of death continues! The heartbroken Danes should find comfort here, and meanwhile France has pulled level with Peru! What will happen in the last two days?

GROUP D

🇦🇷 Argentina 18%  24%

🇮🇸 Iceland 36%  30%

🇭🇷 Croatia 43%  43%

🇳🇬 Nigeria 3%  3%

Croatia and Iceland are still on top but Argentina’s gained some ground…upset on the way? And no love the for the Super Eagles?

GROUP E

🇧🇷 Brazil 41%  46%

🇨🇭 Switzerland 14%  12%

🇨🇷 Costa Rica 7%  6%

🇷🇸 Serbia 38%  36%

It still appears to be a two horse race between Serbia and Brazil. I gotta say, I’m surprised at Switzerland’s weak showing.

GROUP F

🇩🇪 Germany 28%  29%

🇲🇽 Mexico 61%  57%

🇰🇷 South Korea 8%  10%

🇸🇪 Sweden 3%  4%

Mexico is still on tip by quite a bit, but everyone else is picking up the chase! Will an interesting game versus Switzerland tomorrow up the Swedish chances?

GROUP G

🇧🇪 Belgium 33%  20%

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England 12%  64%

🇵🇦 Panama 22%  4%

🇹🇳 Tunisia 33%  12%

Goodness, but there’s been some turnaround here. England has taken quite the lead, with Belgium far behind in second. Tunisia has a chance to pip second place yet…

GROUP H

🇵🇱 Poland 9%

🇯🇵 Japan 16%

🇨🇴 Colombia 68%

🇸🇳 Senegal 6%

Well, Colombia take a commanding lead! But second place is still anybody’s game!

Your next update will come tomorrow night!

[bookishandi]

THINGS ARE HEATING UP AT MY WORLD CUP BLOG GUYZ

[worldcupofhotness]

Meet the Team: IRAN

Now that squads have been announced, we can look more closely into the hotness of the individual teams. I mean, that’s what we’re here for, right? For each team, I’ll talk a bit about the squad, then highlight ten hotties.

Today’s team: IRAN!

This is the first time Iran have qualified for two World Cups in a row, and Iran look stronger this go ‘round. They’ve added some pacey wingers and an in-form striker to their well-organized defense. Many don’t expect them to make it to the knockouts, and it’s a shame because I wouldn’t mind looking at these faces longer.

Team Nickname: Team Melli (The National Team) Fan Chant: Iran! (6x clap)

Goalkeepers: 

Ali Beiranvand, #1 (home club: Persepolis FC)

Rashid Mazaheri, #12 (home club: Zob Ahan Isfahan FC)

Amir Abedzadeh #22 (home club: CS Maritomo)

Hot, young…talent.

Defenders:

Roozbeh Cheshmi, #4, (home club: Esteghlal Tehran)

Milad Mohammadi, #5 (home club: Akhmat Grozny)

Pejman Montazeri, #15 (home club: Esteghlal Tehran)

Majid Hosseini, #19 (home club: Esteghlal Tehran);

Ehsan Haji Safi, #3 (home club: Olympiacos)

What a jawline (with or without facial hair) and can rock a suit and a kit in equal measure.

Morteza Pourliganji, #8 (home club: Al Saad)

Stocky, hardy build. Eyebrow game on fleek (as the kids say), and great hair. 

Mohammad Reza Khanzadeh, #13 (home club: Padideh FC)

Beautiful brown eyes, amazing bone structure, and a wink I’m happy to return

Ramin Rezaeian, #23 (home club: KV Oostende)

Ramin seems kind of like a frat boy, but like a really talented one with a sweet smile. So…it’s not terrible

Midfielders: 

Mehdi Torabi, #2 (home club: Saipa Alborz)

Saeid Ezatolahi, #6 (home club:  FK Amkar Perm)

Omid Ebrahimi, #9 (home club:  Esteghlal Tehran)

Vahid Amiri, #11 (home club: Persepolis FC)

Masoud Shojaei, #7 (home club:  AEK Athens)

That one friend you had in third grade whose father was so handsome and would ruffle your hair and laugh and tell you he was glad to see you again and even though he was totally wholesome (and now you know that was part of it), you felt things for the first time

Forwards:

Mehdi Taremi, #17, (home club: Al Gharafa)

Sardar Azmoun, #20 (home club: Rubin Kazan)

Ashkan Dejagah, #21 (home club: Nottingham Forest),

Karim Ansarifard, #10 (home club: Olympiacos)

I’m still processing the deltoids in the first pic, And I can’t even think about the thighs in the second.

Saman Ghoddos, #14 (home club: IFK Östersund)

Gorgeous eyes and looks like he gives really great hugs?

Reza Ghoochannejhad, #16 (home club: SC Heerenveen)

Reza, Reza, Reza. Stop.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh, #18 (home club: AZ Alkmaar)

Arguably Iran’s star player this year on the field. And off the field. I mean, are you seeing this? What is in the water in Iran?

[bookishandi]

My sideblog is blowing up. Are you joining the fun? I think Iran is winning the World Cup of Hotness so far.

[worldcupofhotness]

World Cup of Hotness Hall of Fame - Classics

The official rosters were announced today…that means hotness research can begin in earnest! But hotness in footballers isn’t new. It’s been around a long time. To celebrate this slower news day, I’m going to take you on a journey through the World Cup of Hotness Hall of Fame. These hotties are classics, doing their best work before 1990. Note: WCOH Hall of Famers must have played in World Cups. There’s lots of hotness to go around, and I have to narrow it down somehow.

Didi

Waldyr Pereria was better known as “Didi,” and played for Brazil in the 1954, 1958, and 1962 World Cups (Brazil won the last two). He was named the best player of the tournament in 1958. He played professionally from 1946-1966, for prestigious teams like Botafogo, Real Madrid, and Sao Paulo. Following his time as a player, he had a prestigious coaching career.

That smile, those cheekbones, that intense gaze…he’s like a fairy tale prince who also happens to be good at free kicks.

Jairzinho

Jair Ventura Filha was a member of the 1970 World-Cup winning Brazil team, and he also played on the 1966 and 1974 teams. A right-winger by trade, he could slot in to many attacking positions. He spent most of his professional career at the Brazilian team Botafogo.

Cheekbones for days, full lips, that bod. A bold sense of style. Are you kidding me? 

Mario Kempes

Kempes was a member of the 1974, 1978, and 1982 Argentina squads. He’s best known as the leading the Cup-winning 78 squad from the front: he won the Golden Boot (scored the most goals in the tournament) and scored twice in the final. He played for many teams but is most closely associated with Rosario Central in Argentina and Valencia in Spain.

Long and lanky with similarly long and lanky hair, I feel like Kempes could be the hot frontman of that cool band you like right now and no one could tell the difference

Sándor Kocsis

The top goalscorer in the 1954 World Cup, this Hungarian played for the Budapest team Honvéd FC for seven years and for Barcelona for seven years. He is one of only two players in FIFA records with an average of more than one goal per game playing for his national team.

Get you a man who can serve both Andrew Garfield twink cuteness and be a hot dad at the same time and have the highest international goal per game ratio of all time. You deserve it.

Raymond Kopa

Kopa was a French striker who played professionally for Reims and Real Madrid. He was a member of the 1954 and third-place winning 1958 French squads. He won the 1958 Ballon d’Or (Footballer of the Year Award) and was the first football player to be awarded the France Légion d'honneur.

Look at this cutie! He’s so very French. And was apparently quite congenial. I found a bunch of pictures of him hanging with the rest of the guys on this list. Best wingman ever.

Pelé

Pelé’s full name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, but he only needs Pelé. He is quite possibly the single greatest football player of all time, and was even considered Athlete of the Century (in

any

sport) by the International Olympic Committee. He was a member of four Brazil World Cup squads…and won three times–in 1958, 1962, and 1970. (They shockingly did not make it out of the group stages in 1966). He played over 1100 matches for Santos FC, and helped launch the first professional soccer league in the US when he played for the New York Cosmos. 

Hotness is not particularly the thing Pelé is known for, but his smile makes me melt into an absolute puddle. I think he’s as beautiful a man as he is a footballer. And that’s saying something.

Luis Suárez Miramontes

An attacking midfielder, Luis Suárez has represented his home country Spain in three World Cups: 1962, 1966, and

1990

? Yes, after his professional career, which included long stints at both Barcelona and Inter Milan, Suárez began a successful coaching career. So, after a 24 year absence, he returned to the World Cup team as a coach for the 1990 Spain squad.

Who does this kid think he is, and how is he a 1950s soccer player and not the current star of Riverdale? Football is truly the gift that keeps on giving.

Lev Yashin You want swagger? How about the being the only goalkeeper ever to win the Ball d’Or? He was the goalkeeper for the USSR for four World Cups: 1958, 1962, 1966, and 1970. He’s considering one of the fathers of modern goalkeeping–being a leader by organizing the defense on the field, and rushing defenders rather than waiting between the sticks. He’s kept of 270 clean sheets and saved over 150 penalties in his career

Yashin might not be to all ya’ll’s tastes, but I can’t help but find him attractive. Sweaty and covered in mud, this face swaggers over after just having saved his zillionth penalty. Swoon.

[bookishandi]

Hey-yooo! It’s that time of every four years! WCOH is back!

[nightlifemingus]

i wish more conspiracy theorists would really swing for the fences. ‘we never went to the moon’ = boring, pedestrian. ‘we are actually living on the moon right now, but have been programmed to think we’re on earth’ = endlessly fascinating, shimmering with possibilities

[bookishandi]

Just...talk to flat earthers for a few minutes and you’ll find that’s not far off. 

Or don’t, cause it hurts the brain.

[ruebella-b]

Cosmic Love [a Doctor/Rose comic via Florence + The Machine]

[andreagilroy]

COMICS CRASH COURSE - EPISODE 8 is LIVE!

In this week’s episode I explore the genres outside of superhero books that helped make the Golden Age so very shiny. I spend a little extra time discussing the great forgotten genre of comic books, the romance comic.

ON THE GOLDEN AGE, GENERALLY

Collecting these books is out of the question for most of us, but there are a lot of great ways to read Golden Age material. One source I’ve frequently turned to is Comic Book Plus. Since most of the non-superhero books are now in the public domain, it’s safe to post them online…and that’s just what this site has done! The link I’ve provided goes to the “categories” page, which is a little bit of an easier way to start digging in. 

Pappy’s Golden Age Comic Blogzine is less an organized archive than Comic Book Plus, but still regularly posts covers and whole stories from Golden Age books. He’ll often work in theme, so there’ll be a period of war books, a period of horror, some romance, etc. Follow the tags and you’re sure to find great stuff!

Most histories of the Golden Age focus on the superheroes–that was where a lot of the most well-known artists were working and would be the main genres of the biggest surviving companies (DC and Marvel–though it was called Timely, then). A few good ones: Bradford Wright’s Comic Book Nation examines the role comic book industry has had in shaping youth culture. Men of Tomorrow: Geeks, Gangsters, and the Birth of the Comic Book by Gerard Jones is one of the most compelling re-tellings of the birth of the industry; as deeply researched as it is well-written. If you want some really nitty-gritty stuff, check out Ian Gordon’s Comic Strips and Consumer Culture, 1890-1945. 

ROMANCE COMICS

Oh man, there are a lot of great anthologies of classic romance comics! Start with Young Romance: The Best of Simon & Kirby’s Romance Comics, Love Without Tears: 50′s Romance Comics With A Twist, and Agonizing Love: The Golden Era of Romance Comics. These’ll get you going.

There are two great, accessible histories. The first, Love on the Racks: A History of American Romance Comics by Michelle Nolan, is an overview of the genre from the 40s to the 70s. The second, Confessions, Romances, Secrets, and Temptations: Archer St. John and the St. John Romance Comics, is a dive into St. John, a publisher that’s less widely known but highly regarded by romance comic fans as one of the best publishers in the history of the genre. The publisher was active primarily in the 1950s, so the book provides a closer look at the industry during the height of the genre.

Spend some time on Sequential Crush! This site focuses a bit more on 60s and 70s romance comics, but it’s a lot of fun.

MISCELLANY

I only briefly mentioned Carl Barks, but the man wrote A TON of Disney comics. He was lovingly called “The Good Duck Artist” by fans for many years. He’s a huge deal among comics aficionados, and rightly so. His work truly is lovely–the sort of comic book cartooning that makes drawing and storytelling look effortless and easy, but almost no one managed to match. This is an old website, and a little difficult to navigate, but it has tons of images to help give you an idea of his skill. Check out this beautiful essay written by Michael Barrier on the occasion of Barks’s 100th birthday. 

That’s it for this week. Have fun, and keep reading!

[bookishandi]

I’m still doing the thing! AND I WILL KEEP DOING THE THING

[andreagilroy]

Still on time for the east coast! In this episode, we look at some of the greats of the early years of newspaper comic strips–the Pioneers of the Funnies.

There’s a whole bunch of stuff out there on these artists–some easier to find than others. Enjoy looking around!

Books Worth Checking Out There are a lot of books on the subject, but these are the ones I like the best:

The Smithsonian Collection of Newspaper Comics, Bill Blackbeard

The Comics: Before 1945, Brian Walker

The Comics: An Illustrated History of Comic Strip Art, Jerry Robinson

The Art of the Funnies: An Aesthetic History, Robert C. Harvey

Krazy: George Herriman, a Life in Black and White, Michael Tisserand

Links Some of these are informational, some are links to image collections.

The AV Club’s Primer on Newspaper Comics: A grand primer! This goes beyond the early days discussed in this video, but is a good primer if you’re interested in the funny pages.

Obscure US Newspaper Comics: For every one strip that thrived during the Golden Age of Newspaper Strips, many more failed. The Lambiek Comiclopedia is a great source for tons of info, but this particular page is relevant to today’s interests.

San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection: Using the site takes a little getting used to, but there’s a great digitized collection of comic art here.

Comic Strip Library: This site has high-res images of Krazy Kat, Little Nemo, and Dream of the Rarebit Fiend.

Comics Kingdom Vintage: King Features is the syndicate that’s home to Bringing Up Father, Krazy Kat, The Katzenjammer Kids, and The Little King. They have samples of each strip available to read.

Mutt and Jeff: The Original Odd Couple: This article discusses Mutt and Jeff’s adaptation into animation and includes links to several videos

ComicArtFans: This is a place for comic art collectors to show off their collections (and sometimes sell them. Search by title and/or author to check out surviving original art. Examples of art by Tad Dorgan, Bud Fisher, George Herriman, Rudolph Dirks, George McManus, Frederick Burr Opper, and Winsor McCay have been posted!

[bookishandi]

I’m still going it’s like a real thing?

[iguanamouth]

[unicornempire]

I. Love this. 

Love it.

Oh my god

yes.

[defilerwyrm]

This is it, I found it, the funniest post on this entire godsforsaken website

[andreagilroy]

The comics have arrived! In this video we talk about the emergence of the modern comic strip in two places: Rodolphe Topffer’s “histoires en images” and the newspaper funny pages!

On a trip this week, so not too much to add right now. I’m particularly proud of this one, we’re really getting into “my” territory. Next week will be exciting, too!

[bookishandi]

My think continues!

[andreagilroy]

EPISODE 3 - PRINT CULTURE GETS GOING

In today’s video we examine the birth of print culture. That means starting with Johannes Gutenberg’s printing press! There are a million videos of replicas of the Gutenberg press (we don’t actually have the plans of the original, so we don’t know exactly what it looked like!), but some of the best (imho) are here, here, and…if you have some time…here.

One of my biggest sources for this piece was David Kunzle’s The Early Comic Strip. It’s out of print and a bit difficult to get a hold of–but see if your library can get it for you. It’s full of fascinating stuff.

There’s a lot of information on the early British political cartoonists out there online. Here’s a nice introductory article. You can also browse the Library of Congress, which has a nice collection of these pieces.

One side story I didn’t tell was how caricature got a French cartoonist jailed.The magazine La Caricature was founded in 1830. The main author was a man names Charles Philipon, who was incredibly critical of King Louis-Philippe and frequently published illustrations making fun of the king. The most famous of these was an Honore Daumier piece based on one of Philipon’s own sketches that compared Louis-Philippe to a pear. 

The pear became a broader symbol of the breakdown of the king’s government. Between 1831 and 1835, the offices of the journal were seized by the government over a dozen times and Philipon himself spent at least a year in jail.

A bit light this week, but after recovering from illness next week, we’re getting back to it! See you then!

[bookishandi]

I’m still doing the thing!

[buffyann23]

Vitex Heiress Rose Tyler to wed Doctor John Noble

This is what happens when you allow The Doctor to choose the photo for the wedding announcement.

“You had one job.” - Jackie Tyler

[mysharona1987]

[bookishandi]

yooooooooooooooo

[bookishandi]

Hey, guys! This is an excellent A+ project. You should check it out, share the news widely, and maybe support it, if you can! Anything helps!

[stardust-devi]

Harrison Ford talking about Carrie Fisher at Mark Hamill’s Walk of Fame Ceremony

[andreagilroy]

EPISODE TWO IS LIVE!

In Episode Two, “BC Means ‘Before Comics,” I discuss some artistic traditions that pre-date comics but use similar techniques to represent time in space.

I discuss a few historical precedents for comics storytelling, in which space is time. There’s a ton more to see for a lot of these forms, so check out the links below.

Cave Paintings

Check out Zach Zorich’s lovely piece that delves into the “animation” of cave paintings.

I was first introduced to the concept of primitive animation and the beauty of the Chauvet Caves through Werner Herzog’s 2010 documentary, Cave of Forgotten Dreams, which is streaming on Netflix.

Tomb of Menna

For the budding Egyptologist or merely curious, here is a SUPER detailed outline of Menna’s tomb, including translations of the inscriptions, wall layouts, and detailed descriptions of all the paintings.

Trajan’s Column

National Geographic has an absolutely stunning page breaking down the scenes in Trajan’s Column. You don’t need to build a ladder or bring a telescope to read the whole thing anymore!

Hand Scrolls

This piece, at Dartmouth, is not the original Genji Monogatari Emakimono, but one made in the mid-1700s. Still, it shows you how a typical emakimono might work.

This collection, from the Tokugawa Art Museum (the page is in Japanese), shows a 12th century version of a Genji emaki.

“Encounter I”

“Companion”

“Encounter II”

Mayan Codices

The folks at the Foundation for the Advancement of Mesoamerican Studies, Inc have scanned the four remaining pre-Columbian Mayan Codices. They’re super fascinating! Check ‘em out!

Madrid/Troano Codex

Dresden/Añute Codex

Grolier Codex

Paris Codex

Bayeux Tapestry

Check out this site, which allows you to scroll through the whole length of the Tapestry.

This site doesn’t let your scroll through in one move, but lets you look at each section in closer detail and explains what’s happening.

“Lookest though upon the field in which I grow my fucks!” Remember when the Bayeux Tapestry was used to make memes? I do.

Stay tuned, Crashers! I’ll see you next week.

[bookishandi]

don’t be 2 kool 4 skool! 

[bookishandi]

Guys...