Von Brown vs. the Box Sets

In a previous post I gushed about the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World.  Recap:  I love it.  Instantly in my top five favorite films of all time.

Well, the truth is I'd come to the character with his martial arts and guitaring prowess via the film.  It's based on a series of graphic novels by Bryan Lee O'Malley.

So I am pleased as punch to have received Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Box Set which is, but of course, all six books conveniently crammed into a little box.  And it comes with a poster, too.  (Sweet!)  At last, I will be able to experience the original manifestation of the endearing and wacky world of O'Malley.

I know from watching the supplementary material on the Blu-Ray DVD that O'Malley appoves of the movie.  And his charming drawings appear ratherly cleverly in the film.  So it's not like I'm going to be disappointed.  The goal had apparently not been to one-for-one adapt the series, but to make a new version of it without losing sight of the source.  The film could threw in whole sets of balls of waxes - from video game sound effects to music (a big part of the story) to ways of moving the camera not feasible in print.  Thus, they knew it would be a different animal.  But of the same species.

I can't wait to flip through the pages.  But I shall!  You see, I have decided to first get through what Santa brought me.  Every year since their first release, Santa delivers a different box set:  The Complete Peanuts.  They've compiled the entire oeuvre of Schulz by year, a la each and every day (it ran for 50 years, people!) in published order.  Some of the strips have not been seen in decades.  Being a major fan of Peanuts it's a rare gem.  Each box has the two books published throughout the year, each book spanning two years.  I've got half of the second book to get through... and then...on to Scott Pilgrim!  [I can't not hear Matthew Patel [a character in it] saying that.]

I've also decided something else.  As with any series, devoted fans of Pilgrim had to wait a year or so for each next book to come out.  And the final chapter didn't arrive until one month before the movie!  It's sort of a pet peeve of mine.  Okay, no, it's not a pet peeve.  But it just makes me a touch sad that when a work is complete the overbearing anticipation is no longer a factor.  Sometimes that build up of suspense is a good thing.  It can also drive one nuts.  But I've decided not to plow through the graphic novels.  I'm going to wait a week before I will allow myself to get to the next one.  Granted a week doesn't compare to the wait endured by the fans who knew the joy of Scott before me... but it will at least nod to it.

Now, if you'll pardon me, I'm going to pick up 1977-1978 of Peanuts and laugh myself silly.