Conan , Vampire Hunter D & Philosophy

I bought another comic book. A few weeks ago I bought the gorgeously illustrated Conan - The Frost Giant's Daughter and Other Stories. Written by Kurt Busiek and illustrated by the legendary Cary Nord, this is a refreshing re-interpretation of Conan the Cimmerian (that's what his real name is). Yesterday I managed to get my hands on the Japanese manga, Vampire Hunter D; adapted and illustrated by the eternally passionate Saiko Takaki.

And to keep my feet firmly on the ground and away from the wild imaginings of the comic world, I managed to get Philip Stokes' Philosophy - The Great Thinkers, for a bargain.

Conan was beautiful. The colour rich and the visual effects brilliantly done. The story line was smooth and one can feel the two opposing ends of Conan's personality at war through-out the stories. One is of Conan the brutal warrior who takes no prisoners and the other a man of passion,love and wisdom. For a glorious two hours, I was taken on a ride to a magical land of warriors and fair maidens.

Enter, Vampire Hunter D. Done in classical Japanese manga style, this is one fluid and intense story with a illustrative style that can be confusing to a novice. The story is straight-forward as far as manga goes but that belies the fact that the illustrations have more to tell than the narration. So, one needs to have patience and an eye for details.

These comics don't come cheap. They are as expensive as some management books but they got my creative juices flowing for the work I need to get done this week. That was worth it.

A quick preview of Philosophy; remember the phrase 'change is the only constant'? Well, it was the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus who said 'permanence does not exist in the universe,only the permanent condition of change'. Over the centuries his words have resonated within those who have tried to make sense of the changes that they have witnessed all around them. For the unthinking mass, change is a nuisance but for the enlightened, change is an adventure.

I will share more on Philosophy in my next entry. Have a great week ahead everybody.