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Review: [untitled]
Posted By: stanDate: 11/29/07 7:30 p.m.


ZZoMBIE13. "Another Halo Comic Strip #23." Miami, FL: Halo.Bungie.Org Press. 2007. 5 panels. $0.00.

As any adolescent boy can affirm, flatulence is a universal human experience. Though we might hold different views on when, where, and under what circumstances it might be appropriate to "cut the cheese", passing gas is a biological reality for all humans. In his latest work, ZZoMBIE13 examines the consequences of breaking wind in an enclosed environment. By studying air biscuits in the context of super-modern warfare, ZZoMBIE13's work educes a number of hitherto unrecognized connections between the body, the self, modernity, technology, and the politics of war.

His question is simple: What would happen if a super-soldier were to rip a Tommy Squeaker while ensconced in his ultra-modern fully-body armor? His conclusion, however, is not as clear-cut and requires deeper investigation. Ultimately we learn that after a short period of time, the T.J. O'Pootertoot eventually reaches the soldier's face causing him great discomfort. This might seem an obvious conclusion, yet much is left unexamined. ZZoMBIE13 is not the first to investigate the effect of dropping an arse cruncher in an enclosed space. Parker and Stone, among their other extensive work on the subject, have demonstrated that time can be an important factor when a nasty pant ripper is released in an enclosed space (in this instance, the hold of a military cargo plane) [1]. ZZoMBIE13's study, however, seems to discount this important temporal aspect ofthe enclosed-space carpet slipper. While it is impossible to determine the context in which this event took place (another of the study's short-comings) we can imagine that an armor clad super-soldier might not be at luxury to remove his helmet and thus vent the offending gas. In that sense, then, the issue of exposure over time becomes central to the understanding of this phenomenon.

Time is also important in a different context. Though it is not spelled out in the current work, we know from ZZoMBIE13's past efforts [2] that this is not in fact the super-soldier's first time donning his full-bodied armor. Are we to expect then that this issue has never arisen before? Are we in fact seeing the first instance in which the soldier is forced to come face-to-face with one seriously depressing and disheartening aspect of his profession? ZZoMBIE13 (through the super-soldier) states that even after "millions of dollars in cybernetics research [the suit's designers] couldn't be bothered to add a filter for poo gas!!!"[3]. This moment of recognition, of course, illustrates that until this point the soldier had never pooted in his armor. Of course, though we might feel justified in our incredulity, ZZoMBIE13 might be equally justified in stating that yes, we are indeed witnessing a unique and new experience. Yet, setting aside the fact that ZZoMBIE13 is unwilling (or perhaps unable) to demonstrate this fact, even if we accept the event at face-value, we are still presented with a number of difficult questions. For instance, we might be forced to ask: why now? What in the past prevented this soldier from unloading a butt burp, and what is it about the current situation that caused him to do so now? Only through examining these questions can this sort of study reach its fullest potential (which, I hasten to add, is indeed stunningly full).

On the whole, despite these reservations, this work represents an important and engaging new offering to the field, one which will undoubtedly launch numerous new lines of investigation, and inspire countless students of the discipline for generations to come.

-stan
halo.bungie.org Forum

******

[1] Trey Parker and Matt Stone, "Osama Bin Laden Wears Farty Pants," 7 November, 2001; For more on Parker and Stone's work on these issues see esp., Paker and Stone, "South Park, Bigger, Longer, and Uncut," 1999, and "Terrence and Phillip: Not Without My Anus," 1 April, 1998.
[2] ZZoMBIE13, "Another Halo Comic Strip," nos. 1-22.
[3] ZZoMBIE13 "Another Halo Comic Strip," no. 23, panel 5.


Message Index




Replies:

Review: [untitled]stan 11/29/07 7:30 p.m.
     *tears well in eyes* *NM*Spartan Jag 11/29/07 8:54 p.m.
           you smelled it too, eh? *NM*Miguel Chavez 11/30/07 8:56 a.m.
     Too much time on your hands? *NM*gunluva 11/29/07 9:09 p.m.
     Re: Review: [untitled]Nevan 11/29/07 11:32 p.m.
           Re: Review: [untitled]gspawn 11/30/07 9:21 a.m.
     Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemGrunt2552 11/30/07 7:41 a.m.
           Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemLouis Wu 11/30/07 10:26 a.m.
                 Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemThorsHammer 11/30/07 12:05 p.m.
                       Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemLouis Wu 11/30/07 1:16 p.m.
                             Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemThorsHammer 11/30/07 9:17 p.m.
                       Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemImpervium 11/30/07 2:16 p.m.
                             Re: Another Sealed Suit Gass ProblemLouis Wu 11/30/07 2:33 p.m.
                             Mythica link worked for me! *NM*DiscipleN2k 11/30/07 2:37 p.m.



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