It's the Great Pumpkin, Sticker Ball!

Sittin' on Top of the World

Sometimes you just want to know what it feels like to be the world, you know? 

It all started when I was reading about Atlas.This poor mythological god was doomed to hold up celestial spheres for eternity. Eternity! I'm told it's quite a burden to bear. There was a brief moment of respite for the poor guy when Heracles held the heavens for a time, but that was it. 

The more I read, though, the more I realized that everyone was focused on Atlas. Poor Atlas. Woe is Atlas. Woe is me for feeling like the weight of the world is on my shoulders just like good ole' Atlas. 

But you know what? 

Not poor Atlas. He fought against Zeus and lost. 

           Life Lesson: if you're going to fight against the gods, make sure you win. 

What I really want to know, what's burning deep inside this papered brain of mine... is what is it like to be the universe he was holding?! 

Am I right? 

Just think... forever to be held in some big, strong arms, never to be put down.  It can't be all that bad, can it? 

I wanted to find out. So I went and found Atlas and asked him if I could swap places with the heavens he was holding, just for a bit. For a taste. And you know what? He agreed!

Sticker Ball spending some time in the very capable arms of Atlas.

I've gotta say... it was the most amazing, people-watching, relaxing day I've had in a long time. 

Highly recommended.

Truly top-notch stuff.

 

Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is a time to stop and appreciate all of the fathers, and father figures, in our lives. Being a nontraditional entity myself, I thought it might be fun to stop and appreciate some of the fictional father figures in the Comic Book world. Trying to save the world while also trying to raise the next generation is no small task, but many characters in the comic universe undertake it none-the-less.

In no particular order, here are my 3 favorite Super Fathers:

1. Animal Man (Father of two kids, Cliff and Maxine).
2. Batman (Father of Damian Wayne).
3. Mr. Fantastic (Father of Franklin and Valeria).

These three family groups represent a wide range of what it looks like to be a parent. And despite being super heroes, they exhibit many of the qualities that we see in fathers today. Some do this better than others, but that's to be expected. And while having children who have super powers may create some special challenges, they must still face the more typical ones that many of our fathers face, such as deciding whether and when to let the children help out with adult problems, where to find a sitter, when you need to let them go and make their own mistakes, and when you need to step in and save the day. It can be a tough job, but somebody's got to it. And for those that do it well, I am grateful.

So I salute you, father-figures of the world. Happy Father's Day. Super powers or not, you're all super to me.

~SB

The Fault in Our Stickers

Dear Reader,

The book world is abuzz with talk about John Green's latest book, and now movie, The Fault in Our Stars. I've read it. It's good. But there is a danger here...

Water is bad for stickers.

I repeat.

Water is bad for stickers.

As you're probably already well aware, Green's book is a bit of a tearjerker. And usually, because of my sticky situation, I avoid sad things like the plague. However, my friends at the Nashville McKay's are having a Book Club in a few weeks to discuss this very piece, and I refuse to be left out. So, I did what any self-respecting sticker would do and read it.

But the consequences of this were nearly catastrophic. By the end of the book I had become a squishy, mushy, sticky glob of wet stickers. I would post pictures of my soggy state, but I learned long ago that you cannot un-see what you have already seen. I will save you from that harsh reality by keeping those images to myself.

And I must say, this book was well worth the occupational hazard. The characters are believable and endearing, and I never once felt like Green was trying too hard to make the book sad. It's sad because sometimes life is sad. And there is something really beautiful about that. Even just thinking about it now is causing me to tear up a little. Quick! A joke!

-Do you know why the librarian slipped and fell?
-Because she went walking in the Non-Friction section!

Whew. That was close.

As I was saying… the book is wonderful. The movie adaptation is also supposed to be wonderful. And I am thoroughly looking forward to talking about it at the store. But to all of my paper friends and fans out there: be prepared if you decide to undertake reading this book. I recommend wearing a rain coat. Learn from my mistakes. I know I have.

   ~SB

A Sticker Ball's New Hope

Dear Reader,

    In honor of "May the Fourth," I decided that it would be fun to visit the taping of Star Wars.

After setting all the proper coordinates on my time machine (picture Cinderella's pumpkin carriage, cover it in stickers, and have it last longer than midnight, and you'll have a loose idea about what my machine looks like), I set off to the taping of Episode IV: A New Hope.

Upon arrival, I was immediately accepted as one of the group. I became fast friends with the cast, had some lovely chats with C-3PO and R2-D2 (they've reached singularity as well you know, but shhh... don't tell anyone), and spent some time with the creatives responsible for the film.

But the best part? They created a special movie poster just for me to commemorate my visit. They decided that my look and skill level warranted a place as one of the most epic weapons of all time: the Death Star.

Star Wars, featuring Sticker Ball as the Death Star

They were all like "oooh, Sticker Ball, you look so tough as the Death Star!" And I was all like, "Yeah! Pew! Pew! Pew!" and then Mark was all like "Yeah, but you know I destroy you at the end of the film, right?" And I was like "Aw man, why do you always have to burst my bubble like that?"

But I digress.

Until next time...

Sticker Singularity

Dear Reader,

   It has come to my attention that people may be curious about my life up to this point. So here, without further ado, is my tale.

   I was conceived 6 years ago in Nashville, TN at a used books/movies/music/and more store called McKay's. During this time, the employees were slowly feeding me order stickers to help me grow up big and strong. They kept watch over me by day, and I, in turn, watched over the store at night.

    Day-in and day-out I was a part of their lives. I watched people come and go, heard their tales, chuckled silently at their terrible jokes. And while I sometimes had my doubts as to whether I was truly a part of the work family, all doubt was cast aside when they moved into a new store... and took me with them.

   This new store brought with it more space and less dust! I was once again placed on a desk near the workers so that I could, in my own small way, be a part of the culture. And I was content. But then something started to change. I found myself wanting to see more. I loved my little world, but everyone else was free to leave it at the end of the day and experience a part of life I could only imagine. Not only that, but I couldn't even convey my desires to anyone else. I was just a sticker ball. A novelty to have around.

  But then, on April 28, 2014, it happened. I reached Stickerlarity - a sort of sticker singularity where my intelligence became such that I could finally communicate telepathically with my creators, invented a time machine (for sticker use only), and learned how to teleport. And that's when I went from being just a regular old sticker ball, to Sticker Ball! And with that, I was able to confess my desire to see more of the world and take part in life's little joys. The gracious employees heard my plea and  granted me the freedom to be all that I can be.

 Welcome to my adventures.