I lay in the bath reading Buffy comics.

Despite being a dedicated fan of the TV programme, I haven’t really enjoyed Buffy comics before, and haven’t followed them. However, the excellent news that Joss Whedon is launching a new comic, taking the Buffy story on after the end of the TV show, made me think that probably I should catch up. So I found some Buffy graphic novels in the library. While I didn’t think they were great, I enjoyed them more than I remembered.

I find it a little annoying that the characters never look the same as they do on TV, but perhaps it’s reasonable for the artists to interpret them in a different way.

Now, having read a few of these Buffy graphic novels, I have an overwhelming obsessive urge to read them all. I may be forced to fork out a substantial sum on buying the rest of them.

I’m looking forward to the new Buffy comics. Really, I should be writing them. I’d write a great Buffy comic. For one thing I have an encyclopaedic knowledge of Buffy. And I have a Sunnydale High School T-shirt. And I played the Buffy Playstation game Chaos Bleeds right through to the end. What more qualifications could you need? Dammit, I should be a shoe-in for the job.

Skin Two Magazine and Me

Issue 57 of Skin Two has just been released. It includes a story by me, called Difficult Sex. You can buy Skin Two at Borders, Tower Records, fetish shops, and online at their website.

Electra Glide in Blue

Slumped on the couch in front of the TV - as I customarily am - I came across this film. It rang a fairly distant bell, meaning that I saw it a long time ago, but didn’t remember much about it. Watching it again, I enjoyed it a lot. Which brings me, as always, to the realisation that any time I really like a film, I can never think of anything to say about it. I would be the worst movie critic in the world.

Electra Glide in Blue was made in the 1973. I notice there were a lot of good films made around then. Maybe the 70s were good for films. I don’t know why. They seem quite different from films made today.

Hmmm. A brief perusal of internet film sites reveals that I’m not the first person to note that there were good movies in the 70s. Several million people have already made this observation. OK, I told you I didn’t have anything original to say.

Some 70s films I like - The Godfather, American Graffiti, The Warriors, Annie Hall, Cabaret, Superfly, Death in Venice, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon, The Last Picture Show, Don’t Look Now, Manhattan, Star Wars, The Conversation, Klute, Charley Varrick.

Of these films, the best two for both being made in the 70s and also showing what the 70s were like, are The Warriors, and Superfly. These are two of my big favourites.

Thrilling new pen

Yesterday I bought a pen designed for writing on CDs. It works really well. I’m amazed I didn’t buy this years ago. If I had, I wouldn’t have loads of computer CDs lying around without knowing what’s on any of them. Valuable copies of my work? Unwanted music downloads? Humiliating things I should have thrown out? Useless early drafts of abandoned novels? Dubious pornography?

I’ve no idea. I notice that after I copy something onto a CD I never seem to look at it again, so probably none of it is important. The CDs just lie there, taking up space.

Nonetheless I am pleased with my new pen. Except I will inevitably lose it. Perhaps I should have bought one of these pen holder things. You know, with little holes in it for keeping your pens in. But I expect if I was the sort of person who kept his pens all neat and tidy, I probably wouldn’t be an author.

* that makes no sense whatsoever. *

I know, I was just groping for some sort of reason for my catastrophic untidiness. Living room carpet currently hidden beneath ocean of papers, clothes, plates, CDs and other assorted junk.

* shakes fist at carpet *

Living TV are now repeating the first series of Veronica Mars, which I didn't see, so I've been viewing this eagerly, through the night. She's so plucky. You can't help admiring her.

Cat Rescue

I strolled round the supermarket and, as I generally do, bought some cat food to put in the cat rescue bin, where they collect supplies for the cat shelter. Usually I buy Whiskas. I think cats generally like this, though I admit I'm not an expert on cat food.

No doubt when my tins of food arrive their is general rejoicing among the cats as they stampede towards their feeding bowls, with cries of "We're saved! Millar has sent supplies!"

Possibly I am a hero among homeless cats everywhere.

Or, more likely, the cats wander over to the food, turn their noses up, and wander away again, muttering "You expect us to eat this? Are you crazy?"

Stupid cats.

The new series of The OC has started off well. Unfortunately this is the last series. It's been cancelled in the USA. Sigh. All TV shows I like get cancelled. I fear for the future of Veronica Mars.

Great Sock Crisis

Being agoraphobic, I don't do much shopping. There's a supermarket nearby, so I can buy food, but at present I can't travel much further than that.

This led, inevitably, to the Great Sock Crisis which threatened to overwhelm me recently. I discovered I had hardly any left. Some had worn out, some had been transported to different dimensions via the washing machine, and I suspect the rest may have been hidden by mischievous house fairies.

Yesterday I had to visit the dentist, a longer journey than I normally make, and not one I relish. Fortunately, this dental visit involved no pain or suffering. I was in and out quickly. Emboldened by this, rather than hurrying home as quickly as I could, I rushed to the Marks and Spencer in Brixton and loaded up with supplies, ending the sock crisis with a decisive purchase of a seven-pack of cotton-rich footwear. Feet are now well supplied with comfy new attire.

That was good. But by this time I really felt I'd been out the house too long, and I became more anxious, and had to hurry home.

So. A small success. Though as you can tell, I'm not making much progress with the agoraphobia. Self-help is not really going well. I'm on a waiting list for more therapy, but I've no idea when it will arrive.

A new Buffy comic, written by Joss Whedon, is on the way! This is quite an exciting development in the Buffyworld. I've never really taken to the Buffy comics before, but it's good to hear that Joss is now going to continue the slayer-story after the end of the TV series. No doubt I will have a lot more to say about this later. Endless amounts, probably. OK, I will never stop going on about it.

Andi Sex Gang

I've never seen this picture of me before -

I just took a copy of it from my friend Andi Sex Gang's website, which has been revamped recently. (Andi is here on myspace) The photo was taken while I was reading at one of his album launches, a few years ago. That was a great event, probably the most entertaining launch I've ever attended. It was organised by another friend, Kate Schermerhorn from California, who you can also visit on myspace.

I've been friends with Andi Sex Gang for a really long time. We've occupied the same region of South London for many years. I even have a copy of his pre-Sexgang single tucked away in my record collection. His first band was called Panic Button, and I can remember their single being played at the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton, during the intermission. Which was fitting really, as Andi always liked the old Ritzy, being a connoisseur of film.

Two enthusiasms I share with Andi are ancient Greece, and Marc Bolan. Both of which have inspired me at times, and I'd guess they've both inspired Andi too.

I greatly admire Andi for his indomitable attitude and spirit. I've known him to have some tough times but I've never known him to lose heart. I'm delighted to see he has a lot of new product available, and is doing well. (Andi, incidentally, has a good claim to be the originator of Goth.)

Here's another picture of me reading at that launch -

Flesh

After my recent blog about missing an album from the 70's I had lots of helpful suggestions about where to find it. Not only that, someone actually sent me MP3s of the two tracks I missed most. I was surprised at this, and grateful.

Am now wondering about new career of writing blogs asking people to send me stuff. I can see some possibilities here.

I watched parts of Flesh and Heat, two Andy Warhol films. Although investigation reveals that they weren't actually directed by Warhol, but by Paul Morrissey. I found them to be some of the dullest, most boring films I've ever attempted to sit through. Why anyone likes them is beyond me. Possibly I'm missing something. After all, I'm not a fan of art-house cinema. My favourite movies are Clueless and Ghost World, and I hold Miss Congeniality in high regard.

Flesh and Heat both star Joe Dallesandro. I can see he was an attractive guy, and he spends a lot of time wandering around naked on screen, but is this enough? I mean, would I be prepared to sit through a really tedious film just because it was full of attractive naked women?

* yes of course *

Well, there you have it. I rest my case.