Believe in YOUR Passion - the Comic Life

Is it just me or does it seem like 2014 has taken wings and flew on by!  Looking at a calendar is almost scary now.  I remember a time when hours seemed like decades and now it is the opposite.  We hear all the time that we live in a fast paced world.  What is crazier - is when you live in a fast paced industry.  Would we want it any different? 

 The comic book industry has sprouted its wings and has taken flight as well.  It is "cool" to like comics.  "GEEK" is a household AND acceptable word.  Sister industries are jumping on the comic band wagon, and pop culture is as fruitful as it has ever been.  

It is a good time to love art.  To love great story telling.  It is a good time to WANT to be apart of something bigger.  I can not say anything that has not already been said, but it is a good time to have a passion.  To believe in a cause -or rather YOUR cause.  

Take a moment and think why you are involved in this industry.  Whether you are a creator, a provider, or someone who just love the fruits of comic labors.  Translate this into your daily life.  Live for something.

Stories have been told, however the best stories are yet to come.  Why? Because we live in a daily life that allows us to believe that passion for what we love is "OK"...and that my friends - is a beautiful thing.

So take a bit of advice from those characters we have come to love and allow to be a part of our life:

"It's not who I am underneath, but what I do that defines me."

—Batman (Batman Begins)

"The future is worth it. All the pain. All the tears. The future is worth the fight." 

—Martian Manhunter (Martian Manhunter #1,000,000)

"The real crime would be not to finish what we started."

—Doctor Octopus (Spider-Man 2)

"The greatest power on Earth is the magnificent power we all of us possess... the power of the human brain!"

—Professor X (Uncanny X-Men #2)

"But everyone's story begins once upon a time, and it's up to us to cherish the time we're given to ensure we live happily ever after."

—Scarlet Witch (Avengers Fairy Tales)

Ludicrous Speed Is How I Roll

It has officially been (1) year since I posted on this blog.  "Holy air tight alibi" - the time has flown by faster than the Flash on coffee.  A lot has happened and I have succeeded at incorporating the comic industry into every nook and cranny of my life! Do not get me wrong, I love this, however when I dream of super hero battles (who would win scenarios) and in a fevered sweat think I see the Green Goblin hovering above me...I may need to re-evaluate my saturation level.

Seriously, the comic industry has made me very happy.  I do travel at times at "ludicrous speed" (thank you Spaceballs for amazing quotable phrases) at many cons however, I would feel as if a part of me was ripped away if I could not be in the thralls of the excitement.

I get asked a lot of questions while I am at cons regarding "comic conventions" and how to market and advertise.  After addressing several questions on a personal level I came to a couple conclusions:

1. I am no expert, however I have seen first hand what works and does not work.

2. What seems obvious to me in marketing and production of comic conventions is NOT obvious to everyone.

3. I have a blog I am not using correctly! 

4. I need a doppelganger.

With these thoughts in mind, I have decided to start adding some tips and tricks that I have found really seem to kick the tires and light the fires in the comic industry.

My hope is to eventually bring world peace, alas I will be happy with a smile and a thank you if my meager knowledge seems to help anyone. 

Look for upcoming regular updates.
Until then know that I am She-Ra in training.

NYCC 2013 - CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ

Another year heading to NYCC and already I have been bombarded with "firsts" and it has only begun with trying the infamous red eye plane ride. 

I expect NYCC will be nothing short of spectacular however, a note to self -under all future circumstances I must avoid the "red eye" flights. 

In the wee hours of the night the general public , of ALL nationalities, are awkwardly nosey, grumpy, smell bad, have ridiculously small bladders, and  steal blankets.  Which according to DELTA rules red coveted paper blankets are "delegated only one per seat and if you 'snooze' you loose"...midnight humor by the overly optimist and cosmetically painted pink flight attendee.  (This statement left me stunned and frigid as I hobbled back to my seat in pure amazement.)

In the beginning of time -my career of being a flying patron-my optimum seat choice was the aisle. Easy come and easy go! Bada Bing...you know the rest. 

Not on the red eye. Ohhhh nooooo!

Optimum seat choice my friend is smack dab in the middle of the aisle with a couple of Tylenol PM and a wine spritzer to wash those blue bad boys down apparently!

(I am strictly speaking from first hand observation experience ...real time)

Why the middle? Let me paint the picture. Get rid of the arm rests on both sides. Just lift them up. Bring your own oversized fleece blanket. Wrap yourself in it- then sit down. Put down the tray in front of you and squarely place your elbows in a wing span of 30ft on each side. This secures at LEAST 1/2 of each of your seating partners paid seating. You are a true success now, and a bonefide   sleeping machine - who ironically the flight attendants feel SORRY for because you must be so tired to sleep through all the traipsing up and down the aisles, the horrid midnight bodily order, and turbulence. This is how I came to know of the villain CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ!

Now, I am a small woman. A size 2. The cute 20 something girl in the window seat, opposite me, maybe a 0. The look of utter dismay justified we were in similar circumstances on both sides of the CAPTAIN. 

At one point, I noticed across the mass of SHE ZzzZZ that this girl  was so incredibly smashed up against the window she was practically riding wing side. However, I was jolted back into reality when I lost yet another bit of my shoulder and shin to the beverage cart. 

Oh, there was that one time when "wing side" (my pet name for my new comrade)  and I started talking for oh, 5 seconds, about how we had actually met at SLComic Con And what a small world it was. When suddenly our conversation was quickly ended by CAPTAIN SHE ZzzZZ  as she emerged from the fleece and we were both flashed with a face of a thousand terrors and horrors and then hushed in nothing less than that of a serpent spewing venom on its prey - immediate silence insured. 

"Wing side" seemed liked a nice girl. All cozy in that tiny window. That was fun to talk. 

As the flight progressed...for days, we finally started our approach for New York. 

SHE ZzzZZ emerged from her cocoon of hell and odorous smells and summoned the flight attendant for regular Tylenol and water. Hey aren't you supposed to wait for at least 4 hours? 

As soon as the seatbelt sign went on, and we started making our 15 minute decent - 25 people stood up to go to the restroom.  I was in utter awe! Pinky calmly but quickly was on the intercom - "we are approaching our final descent to New York please sit down." No one moved. 

Again.  The announcement.  I guess she just let them go because the traffic in and out went pretty fast. Until there was a Rabbi, a priest, and what I can only assume at this point HAD TO BE A MORMON BISHOP - all standing in line. I looked back and thought life just does not get any better than this at 4am mountain time/6am eastern.

Not a moment too soon did the holy trinity sit down before the plane was about to touch down - when lo and behold  two more people popped up to tinkle. Pinky got on the com quicker than the Tony Stark can create yet another IRON MAN suit, and in her nicest flight attendant don't make me pull this plane over voice , yelled, "SIT DOWN WE ARE LANDING PEOPLE!...thank you for flying delta, and welcome to New York. "

Note to self:

1. Middle seat is where gods sit on red eyes. 
2. Never cross a flight attendant in the middle of the night if your are freezing or you have to pee. 
3. If flying the red eye - grab the first blanket you see and hold onto it like your life depends on it. 
4. Wasn't there a horror movie at one time named red eye? Yeah...it has nothing on this. 

All-in-all, I am excited to be in the big apple to see friends, gather with others who love what I love, and to gorge myself in all things geek. 

NYCC here I come! 

Salt Lake Comic Con is HERE!

Marvel Now WHAT?...a timeline to buy Marvel Now Hardcover and Trade Paper Backs

I do not collect many things, however when I do decide to be the pack rat - it is a perfect blend of enthusiasm and OCD! 

I want all of it, I want it in order, and I want to build a shrine.  This may be considered a tad shy of "crazy", however I live in denial, and it is a place full of sunshine and rainbows...and comic books.

Because, less is better - in what universe- when it comes to all things comic.  I love my comic book collection.
  
With DC New 52 I started collecting right away with the buying of single issues -digital and print.  My orderly disorder quickly became one convenient ball of chaos. I am still rooting around between long boxes and digital copies trying to figure out what I need next in each series. 

 After the DC experience, I quickly decided to wait in my reading binge, and look forward to the Marvel NOW trades hitting the shelf.  In my mind this made sense. But thinking outside the ordinary, is perfect unless you have no idea what to buy. Little did I know I would use my college degree of researching to accomplish this task.  My brother Robert had gifted me my first Marvel Now Premiere Hardcover. 

So beautiful and shiny! 

 I will admit I was swoon by the powerful force of the new library binding, ultra smooth cover. and to top it off - the digital codes that are available in each book for bonus collections.  I knew at this point - I needed all of them. 

I want to join, seriously, but where do I start?

Rippin' ready to go, I began the journey to find the release dates for the upcoming Marvel NOW books.  Two days later, 20 websites, and a couple store fronts researched, GUH!, I had comprised a functionable list. 

Being the overly generous person I am, I decided to put the list below for your Marvel pleasure... it was this or a wacky mime routine.  And as OZ said from Buffy...

"Nobody deserves mime, Buffy."

I listed the books according to Premiere Hardcovers and TPB till the end of 2013.

Hopefully I got them all. All dates are subject to change, and approximate times of month.

Marvel Now Premiere Hardcovers

All New X-Men..............Vol.1 Yesterday (#1-5).......................................................3/27/13

                                         Vol.2 Here to Stay (#6-10)................................................6/11/13

                                         Vol.3 Out of Their Depth (#11-15)...................................10/1/13

Iron Man........................Vol.1 Believe (#1-5)............................................................4/13/13

                                        Vol.2 Secret Origin of Tony Stark Bk 1(#6-11)...............8/20/13

                                        Vol.3 Secret Origin of Tony Stark Bk 2 (#12-17)...........12/17/13

Avengers.......................Vol.1 Avengers World (#1-6).............................................4/17/13

                                        Vol.2 The Last White Event (#7-11).................................7/23/13

                                        Vol.3 Prelude to Infinity (#12-?)........................................10/29/13

Uncanny Avengers......Vol.1 The Red Shadow (#1-5)...........................................4/24/13

                                        Vol.2 Ragnarok Now (#6-11).............................................11/5/13

Indestructible Hulk......Vol.1 Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.  (#1-5)......................................5/15/13

                                        Vol.2 Gods and Monsters (#6-10).....................................9/24/13

Thor:God of Thunder...Vol.1 The God Butcher (#1-5)...........................................5/29/13

                                        Vol.2 God Bomb (#6-11)...................................................10/22/13

Captain America.........Vol.1 Castaway in Dimension Z Bk1 (#1-5).....................6/12/13

                                       Vol.2 Castaway in Dimension Z Bk2 (#6-11)..................12/10/13

New Avengers..............Vol.1 Everything Dies (#1-6)..............................................7/3/13

Uncanny X-Men...........Vol.1 Revolution (#1-5)......................................................7/3/13

                                        Vol.2 Magik (#6-11)...........................................................11/19/13

Savage Wolverine.......Vol.1 Kill Island (#1-5)........................................................8/7/13

Guardians of the Galaxy..Vol.1 Cosmic Avengers (#GG1-3,#0.1,GG* Infinite#1)...8/29/13


NOVA............................Vol.1 Origin (#1-5,material MPO*)...................................9/17/13

Marvel Now Trade Paperback

Captain Marvel............Vol.1 In Pursuit of Flight (#1-6)........................................1/1/13

                                        Vol.2 Down (#7-12)...........................................................6/4/13

Thanos Rising..............Vol.1 (#1-5).......................................................................10/22/13

Avengers Arena...........Vol.1 Kill or Die (#1-6).......................................................5/21/13

                                        Vol.2 Game On (#7-12)....................................................9/24/13

Cable and X-Force.....Vol.1 Wanted Now  (#1-5,material MPO*).....................5/14/13

                                       Vol.2 Dead or Alive (#6-9)...............................................11/12/13

Journey Into Mystery..Vol.1 Feat. SIF, Stronger Than Monsters  (#646-650)...6/11/13

                                       Vol.2 Seeds of Destruction (#651-655)..........................11/5/13

Red She Hulk..............Vol.1 Hell Hath No Fury (#58-62)....................................4/16/13

                                       Vol.2 Route 616 (#63-67).................................................9/17/13

Hawkeye.....................Vol.1 My Life as a Weapon (#1-5,YAP*#6)....................3/19/13

                                      Vol.2 Little Hits (#6-11)....................................................7/23/13

                                      Vol.3 L.A. Woman (#12-?)................................................3/25/14

Fantastic Four...Vol.1 New Departure,New Arrivals (#1-3,FF#1-2,material MPO*)...4/16/13

                             Vol.2 Road Trip (#4-8)...........................................................9/13/13

X-Men Legacy............Vol.1 Prodigal (#1-6).........................................................5/7/13

                                      Vol.2 Invasive Exotics (#7-12).........................................9/10/13

                                      Vol.3 Revenants (#13-18)...............................................11/26/14

Thunderbolts..............Vol.1 No Quarter (#1-6)....................................................5/21/13

                                      Vol.2 Red Scare (#7-12)................................................. 10/1/13

Deadpool....................Vol.1 Dead Presidents (#1-6)..........................................6/11/13

                                      Vol.2 Soul Hunter (#7-12)...............................................9/3/13

                                      Vol.3 The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (#13-19).......12/31/13

A+X.............................Vol.1 = Awesome (#1-6)...................................................6/4/13

                                     Vol.2 = Amazing (#7-12)..................................................12/3/13

Morbius Living Vampire: Man Called Morbius (#1-9, AS* #699.1).................12/3/13

X-Men.........................Vol.1 Primer (#1-4, UXM* #244)......................................11/26/13


The Superior Spider-Man...Vol.1 My Worst Enemy (#1-5)...............................6/11/13

                                                Vol.2 A Troubled Mind  (#6-10).............................9/3/13

                                                Vol.3 No Escape (#11-15).....................................12/3/13

Secret Avengers........Vol.1 Reverie (#1-5, material MPO*).............................9/10/13

Uncanny X-Force.......Vol.1 Let it Bleed (#1-6).................................................8/13/13


Young Avengers.........Vol.1 Style Substance (#1-5, material MYAPO*)........9/10/13


Fearless Defenders...Vol.1 Doom Maidens (#1-6)............................................8/27/13


Wolverine....................Vol.1 Hunting Season (#1-6)..........................................9/3/13


Gambit.........................Vol.1 Once a Thief (#1-7)................................................4/2/13

                                      Vol.2 Tombstone Blues (#8-12).....................................7/23/13

FF.................................Vol.1 Fantastic Faux  (#4-8)............................................7/23/13

                                      Vol.2 Family Freakout (#9-13)........................................12/10/13

Avengers Assemble... (#1-8).................................................................................1/29/13

                                        Science Bros (#9-13,Annual 1).....................................8/27/13

Avengers: Enemy Within...(#1, AA*#16-17,CM*#13-14,17).............................12/17/13

Marvel Now Directly to Book

Avengers: Endless Wartime (Hardback).............................................................10/1/13

Age of Ultron TPB.... (#1-10,AA*#14-15, FF*#5,FD*#4,TSS*#6,Ultron #1,UA*#8,WXM*#27,A* #10)............................................................................................................................9/17/13


*KEY

MPO - Marvel Point One
MYAPO - Marvel Young Avengers Point One
A -Avengers
AA - Avengers Assemble
AS - Amazing Spider-Man
CM- Captain Marvel
FF - Fantastic Four

FD - Fearless Defenders

GG - Guardians of the Galaxy

TSS- The Superior Spider-Man

UA -Uncanny Avengers

UXM - Uncanny X-Men

WXM - Wolverine and the X-Men

YAP - Young Avengers Presents

Adults Need LEGO's Too: Give us Stark Tower!

LEGO DC Minifigure Collection for 2013
Robin and Aquaman

Lego's are the addicting source of conflict for most parents.  
Said parents have a child, have an excuse to buy and build with Lego's till heart is filled with joy.  Then the inevitable happens.  
The child grows up and wants a phone. 
Lego's are no longer a source of fun.  
The child will not realize that this was true entertainment for unfortunately another 10+ years.

The dilemma that is left is either, "How can I get away with squandering my time on Lego's without the child?" or "Where the heck do I store 2 five gallon bins of Lego's?" 

Okay, so maybe this is a little bit of a case in point scenario, meaning my case in point.  When my son decided Lego's were not cool anymore, I thought he was insane.  Seriously. 

We had put together the Lego Full NBA Basketball Court together and had some rockin games; and we conquered the Lego Full Soccer Stadium and continued to add to it. Then there was HOGWARTS....oh boy, that was crazy. We plowed through helicopters, airplanes, spaceships, trains, towns, and even the jungle - dinosaurs included.  Finally, there was of course, Star Wars everything. 

Star Wars and Lego's seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly.  They just fit. When in doubt - buy Star Wars Legos. 

"Have you put any Lego's together lately?" 
"Pshhhh, yep just finished the 3,808 piece Death Star. Started it last night."

Last October, I went to New York Comic Con and was thrilled to see the Lego booth, I had a small surge of excitement when I saw this however:

New York Comic Con - October 2012 LEGO booth

I stood and stared. The concept of LEGO piecing together bricks of Legos was so boggling to my feeble mind.  
It was like INCEPTION!  
Yet, glorious! It was at this moment I realized - Lego needs to just straight up make Lego's for adults.  
Market them to adults, geeks, nerds, or 'parents who have no more excuses.'  

Give us STARK Tower!  Give us Justice League Headquarters orbiting satellite! Give us Castle Grayskull! And for the fun of it - throw in Voltron! 

I for one, wouldn't mind stepping on Lego's again. 
Some pain, is a reminder of creativity!

Reflections on NYCC 2012: The Fix YOU Need!

New York Comic Con 2012 - Is absolutely more than an event, it is an affair.  It is a time where everyone that everyone buys their tickets (and in advance I might add since it sold out this year months before) and puts on their best straight jackets for one heckuva crazy and wild time!

It just does not get better than this! 

While scanning the net for stats and numbers of the final count of attendees it looks as if NYCC is going to explode out at estimations around 115,000 in attendance.  And let me just say with a few times of having to travel and wait in line for broken escalators it felt that way.  However, I do live in denial, a happy place full of sunshine and rainbows so I decided that it was all good! 

When looking back - NYCC started in 2006 and boasted of an attendance of 33,000 the numbers this year choose to stand out at best.  In 2011, NYCC completed a successful year with 105,000 and many pats on the back.  This year as the booths were closing and fans were exiting there were rumors that NYCC might, just might, begin to rival its west coast foe SDCC! A style statement of the comic book world if there ever was one! 

The layout of the show was phenomenal in my opinion. However, I am a bit OCD and I like organization to a "T". Hence my intense love of reading within the gutter! (sorry taking a moment to laugh at my own jokes.) 
First and foremost, I want to address the placement of "Artist Alley".  The alley was a few 1000 square feet shy of an alley at best and was at the opposite end of the first floor of the of the convention center.  Professionally speaking, I believe this was a great decision. There was some hesitation in the air at first, however after the first full day (Friday) when the show floor was so packed that FLASH himself would just give up on speed, the separation was welcomed. 

Artist Alley was a breathe of fresh air - literally! The crowds still thronged however, and when they did, it was with purpose. It was nice to also have all artists and creators in one area. Because lets face it, less is better in what universe?

The show floor...The wonder of wonders. The area where crazy and "can it get any better than this" fall into the same category!  Booths from new literature, showcases for new games from Nintendo, Wii U, Saga, Playstation, Zombie U, New Super Mario Bros., and many more were available. Tomb Raider provided an amazing demo as well as Hitman and Sony provided demos for God of War.  Great comic book icons represented such as Marvel, DC, Vertigo, Image, Dark Horse, IDW and several up and coming.

Cosplay, professional and homemade were all welcome and enjoyed. This is a place were everyone celebrates and enjoys that everyone is insane and we love it!  From Sci-Fi, to gaming, to superheroes, to noir, to horror, to the LEGO's fanatics, to collectors, to action figures galore, there is just something for everyone and we celebrate our love of it.

Unfortunately, I did not get to as many panels as I wanted to, however the panels I did get to go to were fantastic well organized very informative.

All in all, I walked away knowing that cultivating and keeping my inner child alive for so many years has been a good thing.  Comic Cons are good for that.  There are too many serious topics that need immediate addressing on a day to day basis.  It is easy to forget that once in a while to set in the motion the FIX you NEED. To feed your inner child.

Up next...Marketing Tips in the Comic Book Industry - its multidimensional!

X-Men:Always Taking 'GAME ON' to the Next Level

Some combinations are just meant to be together. Such is the case of X-Men and Comic Books. The mutant team was created and released in 1963 by creators Stan Lee and Jack Kirby with Marvel Comics publishing.  It was to be an unstoppable force that is still going strong to this day!  

So much has been written about X-Men.  I am what would be called an X-men novice.  I have dipped my hands in the amazing worlds, however, if I were to even begin to go into great depths of explanation or get on a soapbox...I would be squashed by any well knowledgeable X-Men expert.  So alas, I will refer for those who know more than I. 

What is an X-Men? Simply a mutant or rather a human born with superhuman ability due to a factor in their genetic code.  The transformation does not happen until puberty. A dividing factor has been established between mutants vs. humans, or distrust and fear due to mutant abilities.  An additional conflict is amplified in the story lines between the mutants. Good vs. Evil.  Rather, using the abilities for good or evil, and taking the mutations of human evolution to the next level through scientific experimentation.  

Charles Xavier and Magneto are usually the protagonists in the mutant community.  Charles the wealthy mutant who has founded a school to house and protect and train young children just coming into their abilities, showing them how to use their powers for good against evil and world threats. As well as his one time friend Magneto, who has also lifted up an army called the Brotherhood of Mutants, who inflicts and causes anarchy and destruction against the X-men and mankind.  This is a ridiculously small synopsis.  For further information check out: X-Men Marvel Wiki

Jumping into the world of X-men can be confusing at best.  There are X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, New X-Men, X-Men Legacy,Ultimate X-Men, X-Factor, plus secondary titles and spin off titles featuring solo characters (example Wolverine First Class.)

X-men has filtered into many medias since its debut in comic books.  Many films,video games, online games, and television shows have been successful.  Action figures have been made of many of the characters from each of the medias.  X-men has been a profitable name and business. 

So, the question must be asked what has made X-men and its characters so popular over the years?  Every decade new characters have been introduced, however the original tried and true have stayed the same.
Beast
Cyclops
Iceman
Professor X
Archangel
Phoenix
Wolverine
Magneto
Kitty Pryde
Storm
Night Crawler
Colossus

...just to name a few.  

X-men started off as a well rounded story.  Something just a little different. A bit extreme but different. The characters actually got to know each other.  There was storytelling.  Teams consisted off characters from different ethnic groups and nationalities and stations in life.  Personalities and difficult pasts HAD to be addressed in order to work together. 

The X-Men, in my opinion, began what appeared to me a legitimate Super-Hero throw down era.  They showed that just because you had abilities it was not all "have your cake and eat it too" -it took training and effort and team work, or have your HUZZAH handed to you on a silver platter!  Basically, the fighting rocked! You could see their life flash before your eyes in a blaze of comic book panel color. This leads me to my next thought - good ole Wolverine.

Ahhhh, the days of Wolverine when he would fly off the handle and threaten to just destroy everyone - even his own team. You know the "Is it all about you? Oh I thought it was all about me!" syndrome that only Wolverine can pull off so well.  Who could not resist pages of Wolverine attitude.

Decade after decade X-men has hit the bulls eye.  Grabbing the readers.  Confusing the heck out of us for what is next in line to read- lets face it - sometimes we are all confused. Giving us new characters that blow us away and new fights like AvX that is mind boggling in a delightful multi dimensional way.  X-men is a staple in my comic book life.  However I join the ranks of I wish I knew more. For now I leave you some of the greats:

Scott: "What do you think we should call me? When I'm in costume, I mean."
Logan: "It ain't a costume, kid, it's a uniform. And how bout we call you 'that ridiculous polite Pollyanna who won't last a week.'" X-Men Evolution issue 2 

Northstar: [about Gambit] "A spicy Cajun dish with some seriously hot buns."
Uncanny X-Men 425

Wolverine: "Deadpool ain't it? Sorta rhymes with Dead Fool?" 
Deadpool: "Yeah-- like Wolverine rhymes with... Louver Screen? ... Hoover Spleen? Hey what the heck does it rhyme with?" 
Wolverine #88


"Speaking of gettin' things, Cyke -- Yer gonna be gettin' me a new bike! I lend ya mine fer one day and ya leave it parked in another dimension. So start raiding the cookie jar, bub, 'cause the lod Canucklehead's gotta have a set o' wheels!" 
 Wolverine, the Adventures of the X-Men #4

"You always know where the X-Men have been, because it's always on fire."
Pete Wisdom, Excalibur

"Finally, anyone wishing to complain to Mr. Logan about injuries sustained during yesterday's field expedition will, I'm afraid, be waisting his or her time." 
White Queen

"I'm a patient woman, but sometimes I wish all children had a single neck and I was knotting a rope around it!"
White Queen