Don’t worry. I’m not going to get overtly political on you.

Cami and I actually had this conversation because we couldn’t really figure out who the audience for W. was meant for.

As pointed out in the strip, it’s an Oliver Stone movie – so that right there should raise flags. To me, Stone is all about sensationalism. So if I were a fan of George W. Bush (which I am not), then I would expect this movie to be some kind of hatchet job. So let’s say this movie is not meant for conservatives who are looking for a biography piece meant to celebrate the 43rd President of the United States.

Who’s left? Liberals, maybe. People who are attracted to Oliver Stone and his politics (if he even has any at this point). People who WANT to see a hatchet job. People who want to laugh at the expense of "Dubya" while his approval rating languishes near record lows.

This is America for you. Granted, it’s not as if Bush Jr. hasn’t bungled things up so badly that he isn’t deserving of a little scorn. But I feel like it is distinctly an American tradition to build up our idols and then kick dirt into their eye when their star eventually falls. We relish in it. We consider it sport.

Me, personally – I guess I want to see the hatchet job. But I’m not exactly a fan of Oliver Stone or what he stands for anymore. The guy has always had a tenuous grip on reality to begin with. But I think after Natural Born Killers, he pretty much crawled up his own ass and never came out again. I’m attracted to the controversy W. is generating, but obviously we don’t have the historical perspective to dissect Bush thoroughly. To me, this movie is about Stone planting his flag on Bush’s legacy so he can said he got there first.

I mean, Stone shot this thing in, like, 45 days. For a guy who is all about spectacle and visual panache, that’s a land speed record! He obviously has an agenda in mind – something he wants to express before Election Day. What remains to be seen is how much of his signature style he had to abandon to do it.

Truthfully, if I was going to see the movie for any reason, it would be to see Josh Brolin in the title role. Brolin is one of those actors I haven’t thought about since The Goonies – and even then, I didn’t know who the hell he was. But after No Country For Old Men and (surprisingly) Planet Terror, he has my full and undivided attention. All of a sudden, he can do no wrong. From the ads and trailers I’ve seen, I think he gets Bush’s mannerisms down without over-exaggerating them – which is a tough thing to do. So, if anything, I’ll be watching the movie to examine his performance. Because the buzz surrounding it has been strong.

I think Cami and I are going to try and catch a matinee of W. tomorrow. My in-laws are coming over for lunch and are going to hang around the house to make sure Henry is okay while he naps and we see the movie.

I’m probably also going to try and squeeze in Sex Drive tonight. Because after the week I’ve had, I could use a formulaic teen sex comedy. Should be fun being the creepy 30 year-old guy in the back of the theater again.

Not for nothing, but I thought you guys might be interested to know that I sent in my registration, booked a hotel and an airline reservation so I could attend the Emerald City Comicon in Seattle, April 4 -5. I know that’s, like, 6 months away. But I’m excited to share the news because this will be my first time attending Emerald City Comicon, my first time visiting Seattle and my first time flying to attend a convention.

I was basically talking with a few other webcomic guys and complaining that I can’t go to any conventions that aren’t within driving distance because it costs too much to fly. Someone suggested Emerald City Comicon if I was ever going to take the risk because it’s large, but not overwhelming and they have a strong reputation for taking care of webcomic creators.

On a whim, I went to Orbitz and looked up the cost of a plane ticket to Seattle and was shocked when I found a fair for under $200.

You need to understand why that is significant. First of all, there’s a bit of an economic crisis that makes everything expensive. Second, gas prices are astronomical and third, airlines are now charging you a fee to breath oxygen inside their pressurized cabins.

MOST significantly, however, is that I live in Des Moines, Iowa. A town where you’d have to catch a connecting flight to go to Chicago. Flights out of town NEVER cost less than $300. I don’t know if it was a computer error, or what, but I jumped on the opportunity.

So, now I’m going to Seattle and paying about as much for transportation as I did paying for gas to drive myself it Wizard World Chicago back in June!

Anyway, like I said, it’s 6 months away. But I wanted to let you know about it now. I’m really looking forward to it.

That’s it for today. Thanks for swinging by the site and I’ll see you again on Monday! Have a great weekend!=