Jason Aaron’s BEARD MISSIVES newsletter #11, Notes on Things I’m Nerdy About
I got a lotta happy places. I guess you could say I’m a nerd of many colors.
Pretty much every time I mention something on Twitter about watching wrestling, somebody responds, “I didn’t know you liked wrestling?!”
I do. Quite a bit. I’m pretty sure half the shirts I own at this point are wrestling shirts. My son and I were marking out in the crowd in Kansas City the night Becky Lynch got the most badass broken nose in wrestling history. And the night Brock Lesnar and the Undertaker had an epic locker room clearing brawl. And when Kenny Omega and Pac put on one incredible, 30 minute Iron Man match. I’ve shaken hands with the Young Bucks and Rey Mysterio and fist bumped the Shield. I’ve done a Thor signing with CM Punk.
So yeah, watching wrestling is one of the things that makes me happy these days. One of the many things.
Here, for the record, are some the other things about which I’m rather highly nerdy, of which you may not have been aware:
—Bath Bombs. This one shouldn’t be that much of a surprise, since I did write a story for MARVEL COMICS #1000 where Wolverine confesses his love of bath bombs to the Punisher, in the midst of them killing a whole bunch of ninjas. It’s drawn by the incredible Goran Parlov so it’s as gorgeous a one-page story as you’ll ever see. Hot fizzy baths and long showers are actually an important part of my writing process. Those are places where I can drift away, feel relaxed and just get lost in my own head. Pretty much every time I get outta the bath, I’ve got ideas to write down. Chances are I first came up with Gorr the God Butcher while covered in glitter from some sweet smelling bath bomb from Lush or Witch Baby Soap (“Get Naked, Do Witchcraft.” Yes, please.)
—Prince. The first concert I ever saw was the Purple Rain tour in February 1985. I became a lifelong Prince fan that night. Years later, I’d realize that the show I’d witnessed was regarded behind the scenes as the most disastrous show of the enitre tour. But that shows you just how magical Prince was, that even on his worst night he still changed the life of at least one 12-year-old Bama kid in the audience. I got a Prince symbol tattoo the week he died. I have a Prince themed master bathroom. And I miss him. I hate that he’s not in the world anymore.
—Tiki Bars. My love for all things tiki started when James Sime of San Francisco’s legendary Isotope Comic Shop took me for drinks at San Francisco’s legendary Smuggler’s Cove tiki bar. Sitting with a Painkiller at Smuggler’s Cove has become one of my happiest of all happy places. Since then, my home has filled with tiki mugs, and I look for tiki bars whenever I travel. For a time we had a really great one here in KC, but I’m afraid it looks like TikiCat didn’t survive the pandemic. RIP.
—Disney Theme Parks. If I ever have to find a job other than writing, I’ll be shit outta luck, because I have pretty much no marketable job skills whatsoever. Except for maybe Disney vacation planner. I can plan the hell out of a Disney theme park visit and help you line up the best corndogs and Dole Whips and fancy dinners. I’m a grinning fucking kid whenever I’m in a Disney park. In the truest and most magical of ways. And when I’m not there, I’m thinking about it and planning the next trip. Just bury me somewhere in the vicinity of Splash Mountain.
—Tiki Bars at Disney Theme Parks. Well, yeah, I mean, c’mon. That’s like Happy Place on top of Happy Place.
—Candy and Conan. Visual proof:
(Note: this is not all of my living room candy supply. Or Conan books.)
—Comic Books. This one should be obvious, but just for the record, I’ve been reading and collecting and adoring comics since I was first old enough to read, and I have the basement full of long boxes to prove it. Plus loads of toys and statues and a literal arsenal of Thor hammers. My house looks like a comic book convention threw up all over it, as soon as you walk in the door. Like I said: Happy Place.
AVENGERS #44 is the latest piece of business to emerge from my work desk, another longtime Happy Place. It’s the finale of the “Enter the Phoenix” arc and features quite a bit of fire and thunder, along with the gorgeous artwork and character design of Javier Garrón, who has made these last couple arcs some of the best looking Avengers stories I’ve been a part of.
I don’t wanna speak to things too spoilery right now in regards to this issue. But I’ll be happy to talk more about this arc next time we’re here, including its still-unfolding Thor revelations, and the wild new HEROES REBORN event that’s coming up next.
And if you have questions about this arc or anything else, feel free to leave them in the comments and I’ll answer the best ones when I can.
Or you can also just watch these interviews I recently did:
I’m trying to do more of these right now, so, you know, expect to see more of my beard in your feed. You’re welcome.
As always, you can also find me on Twitter talking about the joys of wrestling and the evils of Hickman, and on Instagram posting pictures of jellybeans, and you can buy signed copies of most of my books over in my online store.
This has been Beard Missives, direct from the happy, nerdy face of Jason Aaron.
This week’s newsletter has been brought to you by… pretty much all of the above. Plus jelly beans. All of the Easter jelly beans.
You had mentioned in a previous Beard Missive that more Southern Bastards was in the future, any news on that? Thanks!