Mary Jane - The first post

I say first cause I'm sure there will be more! :-D

While sitting around, I was reading my trade paperback "Son of the Green Goblin" and came across a few pages that I just have to share.

At the end of the day, I love Mary Jane Watson-Parker. Not because she is an attractive woman, not because she is sassy although it doesn't hurt, not because she is a model or an actress or any of that.

I love her because she is rarely paralyzed with fear. I love her because she is a fighter. I love her because, with no powers to her name except sheer determination, she has walked into the fray multiple times and managed to turn the tide, save herself and others and even her husband on occasion. I love her because she is a fast thinker, I love her because she is loyal and I love her because she fights with herself. Because she'll do what it takes to protect the people she loves, be it putting herself in physical danger or simply coming up with a fast story.

I love her because she isn't a crying, begging, damsel in distress...

And I love her because she is willing to walk into the demon's lair to try make things right.

There is no argument that the character is troubled - Mary Jane has a fear of commitment that could rival Superman's decades long 'will I, won't I' with Lois. She spent years hiding all of her feelings and worries deep within herself. She spent years running from caring and being cared about. She has hurts that she will never be able to let go of completely. Maybe that is why she understands the burden Peter carries when it comes to Gwyn - there are some things that even time and distance can't undo completely.

Despite all her flaws, this image, for me is Mary Jane. While everyone else around her is flipping out and in a state of panic, Mary Jane is busy getting the situation under control. Making a crack or two much like her webhead lover, she is taking care of business. Without super powers, without SHEILD training - just a redhead and a fire ax. It is a glorious thing.

I love the 'little guy'. The average Joe or Josephine who saves the day through sheer will, determination, and smarts. I'm not talking about the Bat family - sure I adore them but they all, including Bruce before he got started, had years of intensive training. I'm talking about someone with no prior interest, training, or preparation carrying the day because they have to. Because, to paraphrase the words of John McClain, they are that guy.

I find that fascinating and utterly irresistible. I think, if we were confronted with such an impossible situation, that we would all like to think that we would take action and not give in to a fear response. That we would all be brave for ourselves, for those around us, and for our loved ones. It's not easy to do though, not easy at all. This is one of the reasons why I have a lot of love for Mary Jane.

MegaCon!

 

Oh con season. Have I mentioned how much I love it? Granted, with my current state of affairs I don't attend that many but I love the hell out of the ones I attend! And there is always a thrill, for me anyway, about attending a convention for the first time.

This past week I attended MegaCon for the first time. It was interesting - I would compare it to Heroes if Heroes were larger. Perhaps what Heroes will be in a few years. I confess that I wasn't able to give it my usual all - staying off-site and a week of Disney leading up to the con while trying to get all the collectable cards at the Magic Kingdom... I was a touch worn out by the time Friday rolled around.

My experience was good overall. Parking was a mess for us all three days but I assume better parking could be had if I was more familiar with the area. Either way, there were an abundance of bicycle petty cabs - I just wish I had realized ahead of time. The petty cabs are great but they only take cash. Unfortunately only one member of our group is in the habit of carrying cash and it wasn't me. So we took the cabs once or twice, at any rate my Oracle wheelchair is great for carrying other props but can't fit easily in the back of a petty cab.

Once we got inside the convention center, I have to admit that I got turned around as it quite large and with several events going on at once, MegaCon signs weren't everywhere. However a convention center employee was able to direct us - and was extremely jovial by the way - and cosplayers and signs soon appeared in our sights. I have to admit that the line to get my pass on Friday turned my stomach at first with it's length. My fears of an epically long wait were soon calmed though - the staff kept the line moving at a very reasonable pace and we were through very quickly. In addition, the line was tucked to the side but still in one of the main areas so I got to spot and chat with con-buddies. As a side note, there is something really funny about hearing someone yell your name while you are in the Batgirl getup, turn and be greeted by "I thought I knew those ears!", referring to the bat ears on the cowl!

So the line was good - I am not a fan of the wristband badge. I don't think it is a cosplayer's friend but oh well. I do wish con staff had told us where to get maps and programs - I don't think I was told until the last day. I just kinda read off my friends', which isn't a big deal for me since I rarely attend panels. I'm mostly there to shop and socialize.

The artist's alley/dealer room was huge by the way. There was a tardis, the astromech builders, the 501st, Gotham City FX... Everywhere I turned there was something new it seemed. It goes without saying that I went by the Love and Capes booth a number of times and I got to talk to Thom about the recent blog post and he approved my Amazonia cosplay. Always a good feeling!

The cosplay was great, and I'm not talking about mine! There was at least one truly awesome Iron Man suit, a lot of amazing DC costumes and the Wonder Twins. One of the great things about cons this size is that MegaCon is large enough to draw out amazing cosplayers but small enough where you can usually get a chance to talk about how it was accomplished. Unless, of course, you are like me and get surprisingly shy. And then you ask about a tenth of the questions you want, if that!

Despite my shyness I did work up the guts to head over to the Hero Initiative booth for a little while, partially because I'd seen it posted on the Superhero Costuming Forums. I am extremely glad I did that - not only did I get pictures with a Nightwing and Batgirl, I got to give George Perez a chaste smooch! *fangirl swoon*

The con staff themselves were nice as well, at least the ones I spoke with, and didn't take me to task for a rule I wasn't aware I was breaking. This seems to have been a bit of a theme for the trip! Luckily for me, genuine apologies and immediate attempts to correct my blunders paired with the graciousness of those in charge seemed to carry me through.

All in all, this was a really fun con. I am not sure if I will be able to attend again next year but I will definitely try. I like adding more cons to circuit and no longer being in commuting distance to Heroes, Steller, and WTH cons makes me sad!

Love and Capes!

All right... Hands up who knew it was only a matter of time before I did a post on my sweetheart comic "Love and Capes"? At least I made it out of my first month without mentioning it!

For those who haven't heard me sing it's praises loudly, let me give you a little background on it. It is published by IDW and both written and drawn by Thom Zahler, who is a very sweet and sincere man. I have had the pleasure of chatting with him at several conventions.

Anyway, I first met Thom at either my first or second Heroes con, down in the Charlotte NC. I honestly can't remember which. What I do remember was that Thom gave me a couple of his comics as they were doing a promo where first 100 or so women who came by the booth got free issues. To my eternal and utter shame... I slid them into my bag and completely forgot about them. In my defense, I was still growing my geekery then.

The next year, I remembered him and the comic as the art is very striking (in a good way) and I felt bad about having forgotten about the comics he gave me. So out of guilt I bought a few issues and settled down at the booth I was working with Dan Johnson (a charming gentleman who does writing for graphic novels and Dennis the Menace, check him out sometime!).

I can honestly say I didn't stay in my chair long. I read the first issue, literally stood up, told Dan I would be right back and scurried over back over to Thom's booth. I needed *all* the Love and Capes and I wasn't going to take the chance, however slight, that they would be bought out before the end of the day. After probably scaring poor Thom a bit, I can be a little intense when I'm going fangirl and I was dressed up so that doesn't help!, I devoured the rest of the comics at my booth between helping our own guests.

Later that night I very literally pushed them at my husband who was tired and didn't want to do any reading. I was insistent - he needed to read these and if he would just read the first issue, I would leave him alone. Like me, he couldn't stop at just one. He had to have the rest.

I now own multiple copies of most of the issues - just in case anything happens to them and so I can lend them out. I even have them in multiple formats, single issues, trades and all the digital issues that IDW will sell me. I really wish that they would put more on there! It's not entirely uncommon to see me whip out my phone or iPad and let someone read the first couple of issues then and there. And lest you think my husband and I are alone in our addictions, it works the same way with everyone else. If I can get someone to read the first issue or two, I have usually turned them into another Cape-head - it happened fairly recently when I was asking people for their opinion on my Amazonia cosplay actually.

The main two characters are Mark, a sweet superhero with a sense of humor who is not above telling a white lie and very bad at buying presents and his love interest Abby. She is a book store owner, a bad liar and a great actress. Her sister Charlotte works for her at Abby's Books and Coffee - ABC get it? - and is in on Mark's secret identity. Remember the bit about Abby being a bad liar? ;-)

So what is it about Love and Capes that is so addicting? I honestly don't know, I wish I could just say that it is because of this or that but I can't point to one *single* thing. What I can do is point out *several* things. The first is that it is just fresh. These are new characters and the heroes play a delightful and loving homage to well-known and well-loved comic archetypes.

Abby also has a practical side...

The second is that the characters are finding themselves in situations that the average, every-day person can relate to. Ok, my date from OkCupid has never turned out to be super-criminal that my sister's caped boyfriend was tracking down . For one thing, I don't have a sister. Although if I did, I'd want a sister like Abigail and a brother-in-law like Mark. I do relate to being all psyched up to finally go out with this guy and then realizing that he is the last person in the world I want to spend time with. I think I would have rather had Charlotte's date than mine honestly - at least her guy made conversation whereas mine drank his dinner. (No offense to my actual brother-in-law or the wonderful man I met and dated for awhile off OkCupid after the loser!)

The third is the quiet, simple way three things are handled in this comics - sex in general, homosexuality and religion. I know, the last two are taboo subjects. The first one: I have to say how much I love the banter between Mark and Abby and a later couple (not gonna spoil it!). It becomes very clear that they are... quite attracted to each other. But it doesn't require Abby to be lounging around all the time in mini-skirts or plunging necklines. Sure she has them and yes she does wear them. But she also bums around in sweats and often dresses rather modestly. Particularly after a solid commitment is made between them, it very clear to any adult that Mark and Abby are enjoying the physical side of their relationship very much indeed. Yet the banter is veiled and everything but kisses happen off-camera so I would feel comfortable letting a kid read this title. While I don't demand this in my comics, or even want it in all of them, it is a major plus in my mind when a title pulls it off.

Their banter does more 'obvious' but I wanted to pull all the images from the first issue exclusively to avoid too many spoilers!

The last two are handled so... matter-of-factly. I wouldn't say discreetly. More that there isn't a big deal made because there doesn't need to be one. I don't know Zahler's personal views on these topics and I won't presume to know. What I do know is that one of Abby's employees is a young gay man and there just isn't much made of it. We find out the young man's sexuality at a wedding when a female character tries to flirt with him and is introduced to his partner. At a later point, while discussing high school, Abby comments that his having to deal with his coming out puts her own high school angst in perspective. So far, as far I can tell, no one in the comic has stated a view for or against - it simply... is, without a lot of questioning or protesting. I like that.

Religion is handled in much the same way. Abby sometimes wears a cross but a lot of times she doesn't. We know she is religious because a mention is made of having to get to her folks in time for Mass. It simply isn't a huge plot point but exists quietly and steadily throughout, peeking out here and there to add flavor to the characters. Again, I have no idea the creator's personal viewpoints or affiliations and will not presume to guess. However I will say that, as a religious geek myself though not Christian, it is wonderful to see characters with a definite religious inclination of some variety where it doesn't take over the story or consume to the character. She is Abby, a character who happens to be religious as opposed to a religious character who happens to be Abby.

This is, by far, not a definitive list of reasons why I love and adore Love and Capes. However, I think it is a pretty good starting post! We all know I'll write about it again so let's call this a to be continued at a later date! ;-)

End of issue one... <3

 

The Women of Fandom

Geeky women.

We are amazing. Not to toot our horn too much, let's face it. We have been, in our unique quiet and not-so-quiet ways, invading the 'boy's club' of comics, video games and RPGs of all varieties. We come in all shapes and sizes, all flavors of fandom. We demand more from comic creators and game designers and have the strength of will to stick it out.

It isn't always easy being a geek female either. It's a lot more common now, with 'geek chic' currently trending and with more and more young woman proudly and loudly wearing their fandoms on their sleeves. And front and center on their shirts (I'm wearing Gir as I type this by the way and yes, I do still have a hug in me...). And on their bags. And jewelry. And tattoos... Have I mentioned that I think we're amazing? ;-)

I grew up without a lot of geekery in my life though, hindsight being 20-20 and all that, there were so many signs. I honestly can't count the number of times I slipped into comic book shops as a middle and high schooler, with my Mom tagging along behind. I kept flipping through the long boxes. In theory I was trying to find the Masters of the Universe comics (I never found any if you are wondering) but I used to look through them all. I had one Spider-Man comic that my Dad got me when I kept asking him for Spider-Man stories. Sadly, it wasn't a great issue and the employees of the stores never took any time to sit with me and help me comics that would appeal to a kid who knew she liked something about this stuff but didn't have a clue where to start.

If it was because I was a girl or because my Mom was hovering behind me, I'll never know but I do know that no one actually talked to me in a comic book shop and tried to help me figure out what I would like until I was at college. By that point, I'd kept poking at my geeky-ness, trying to figure it out. After the first Spider-Man movie (don't judge me too harshly, I was in high school then) I started dying my hair red for the first time. After the second, I turned to the Internet and became to track down every Spider-Man fact I could find. Through the course of that, I was introduced to Oracle though I don't remember exactly how. Gradually my web - bad pun! - of knowledge began to spread. So when I walked into a comic book shop in college, I had at least a vague idea of what I wanted. I wanted Spider-Man and Mary Jane and back issues of Birds of Prey.

I do remember, with distinct frustration, one of the employees looking over my comics and, in so many words, that he was pleasantly surprised by my choices. I felt more than a touch of patronization in his voice and couldn't help but wonder if he would have said the same thing to a male customer in his early twenties. My experience is, thankfully, not universal to geeky women but it isn't all that unusual either from what I have gathered.

I also won't forget my very first time cosplaying at Heroes Con - I was so very excited and I had a great time. It was amazing and I'm very thankful that I happened to run into Jeremy Dale at Free Comic Book Day to be told about it. (Check him out by the way:Yay fun stuff! ). I did have one truly weird experience that con though... I was wandering around artist's alley, where I can usually be found. A gentleman came up, made sure that I was indeed cosplaying (I get that a lot in my Mary Jane outfit) and then asked if I had been dragged here by my boyfriend, with a touch of sympathy in his voice. My response was more or less to blink in confusion and explain that no, I had dragged my boyfriend there. While his positive response to seeing a geek woman at a convention of her own free will was nice, the shock on his face did made me rather uncomfortable. There has also been a time or two when I had to pretty much jump up and down to get noticed at various branches of large scale video game stores.

Being a geeky female also means that sometimes you get followed around by very very... enthusiastic males. It is a bit off-putting at best and downright creepy or scary at worst.

http://creepyvans.info/creepy/just-a-creepy-guy.html

Not that it is all bad in the slightest. Once I got my feet under me, thank you Google, reading comics I was able to start talking and asking questions about the characters. And, thankfully, I had been just enough of a Star Wars and Indiana Jones geek as a kid without realizing it that I had some common ground. The trick was, and still is to a certain extent, showing that I'm here because I'm a 'real geek' not a bit of arm candy who doesn't know or care about anything going on.

It has always been easier with the women though and I'm not gonna lie. I'm not going to say that geek women are perfect and we all flock together like dice carrying doves. Things can be tense between female geeks, I think a lot of us have had the situations where we had to prove ourselves and our 'right' to be there. It can create stress. But despite that, it is always easier on me to start chatting with another woman at a con. We have certain shared experiences that make it easy to bond over. Never identical, each woman's story is her own not to should too corny. She may have never been teased at work for her comics but she may relate to my story of getting dumped over being too geeky. I haven't dealt with anyone ripping into my costume for not sewing it myself but I can completely relate to having to tell kids that no, really women read comics too.

I won't say that I become bosom buddies with every fellow female fan I meet. But I will say that it is wonderful to pass the time chatting with a woman who gets why I am there, in the comic shop or at the convention. And why, even when the creepers are creeping, I am not going to leave.

Geeky women.

We aren't perfect. But we are pretty amazing, if I do say so myself.

The Ray

Why I'm excited about The Ray... This is going to be a fun one.

First: Lucien spends most of the first issue naked. Not as in having sex. As in "oh G-d my clothes keep burning off, I gotta hold a guitar in front of my junk". I admit - it's nice to have some fan service thrown my way every once in awhile considering the overwhelming amount of female character designs who seem to be geared towards the teenage male. See I'm all for adult humor in comics aimed at adults. I just get tired of so rarely seeing the shoe on the other foot when it comes to how the genders are drawn and costumed. Panels after the jump that are not *entirely* work safe though all bits are covered.

Cosplay - Make love, not rage

A note on cosplay....

Many of us probably know that cosplay is high up there in my geeky addictions. I get a positive thrill from dressing up and running around 'on stage'. Now I am still quite new in my cosplay and there are so many people that have helped me in my, so far!, short experience with it. I'm not entirely sure it would be possible to name them all.

That is possibly the best part about cosplay - the sheer community factor of it. I've know complete strangers to be life-savers, giving out spirit gum, coming to aid unasked with heavy or difficult props - even bodily supporting each other to help get into that last great pose for that truly amazing special photo. I will, personally, never forget how embarrassed I was when I asked people to make this photo come true. And how thrilled I was when they agreed!

The only thing that frustrates me about cosplayers - and I accept that I'm going to make some people angry when I say this - are the ones who take it to such a level that they feel the need to be condescending or insulting to others. Part of me takes this view because, as someone who studied backstage theatre, I amazed at the snideness people can have regarding a hobby. I'm all for taking this hobby seriously - remember I'm the woman who won't get out of the Oracle wheelchair except make it easier on the people who actually need them. As a side note - it is really funny to watch people do a spit take when I do have to stand up...

I just don't get the contempt I see from certain players. I don't get the anger when I see cosplayers mocking those who take a different approach on a character, be it altering color scheme, time period, gender or something else. I don't understand because how many times have the comic creaters themselves explored what the characters would be like if X, Y, or Z conditions were changed? It seems far more in the spirit of the comics and, in particular cases, the characters themselves to explore different avenues.

In most cases though, I can write those off. I find my temper flaring when certain attacks are used as the words chosen are frequently quite insulting in regard to weight, gender, and other factors - attacks that seem totally out of character for the icons they want to embody. My temper usually grows hot regarding those factors though and I try to remind myself of the words spoken by a dear friend of mine, small minds wearing the outfits of great ones.

What I am really fabblergasted by is the hostility I have seen on a handful of occasions when one cosplayer turns to another and asks how they accomplished a particular effect.

This simply boggles me. To be clear, I realize that we owe each other nothing, there is no contract between us all. Yet the few individuals I have seen doing this have been rather rude about it. I could understand a polite "sorry man, I worked really hard on this and I just don't want to give out how I did it". Not a snide "figure it out yourself man". And, while others may have had a different experience, I have never experienced or witnessed a polite denial. Just the two extremes of people being incredibly willing to help and a handful of people who seem to feel their costumes elavate them over others.

The vast majority of cosplayers I have met are not profressional costumers. I understand and support guarding a trade secret and count myself fortunate that my best friend is a professional costumer. I have drawn on her knowledge many times and likely will continue to do so in the future.

While others disagree with me, and they are more than free to do so, I draw a line between professional costuming and cosplaying. I also draw a line between what cosplays I wear for fun and what costumes I wear when I'm being paid for the appearance - I will wear a costume out and about for fun and play that I wouldn't consider wearing for a paying event unless the people I was working with knew ahead of time the quality/style of the costume.

Now, for me, a costumer is someone who makes their living making and selling costumes and a cosplayer is anyone who assembles their costumes as a hobby. This is a similar difference to the one I saw in historical reenacting. One may make their own garb - the favored term, at least at the time and location when I was doing it - and may make garb for friends but that didn't make one a sulter. That title was reserved for those who set up shop selling their wares.

Now... All that said... There are people I have run into at events who set up booths and sell merchandise for a living that I do not regard as professionals, either because of the quality of the merchandise they sell or because of their customer service or other factors entirely. There are also the amateur prop makers and costumers who are amateur solely because they have no wish to be professional but whose work is positively-breath taking.

Yet while the lines can blur, I do still see there as being a difference and regard costumer as a profession, not a hobby. I do not draw this difference to insult those who are not making a living off their efforts - many, many, many people in historical reenacting, ren fairs, and cosplay could make their creations professionally if they wanted to. I draw this line to give respect to those who do - because it is a hell of a lot harder to make a stock of ball gowns, corsets, and costumes in various materials and sizes and figure what will sell and what won't than it is to create one every now and again for a friend who makes their tastes clearly known. Costumers attached to a theatre don't have it any easier - theatre hours are hell for everyone and theatre companies everywhere are making intense budget cuts. The theatre costumer doesn't have the option of charging more to make a better creation, they have to create amazing out of nothing.

I draw this line to pay respect to a profession that, in my humble opinion, is frequently overlooked and undervalued. So, for me anyway, remember... love your fellow cosplayer. Love to your fellow geeks.

PvP isn't my thing. I don't play Halo, I haven't tried Call of Duty. The idea of getting on a game and fighting with my friends or strangers online just doesn't appeal to me.

PvP, at the end of the day, just isn't nice enough for me - I'm not cutthroat enough with other people. I'm the sort of player who doesn't want to attack anyone too below me, who is still learning, who is having lag issues, so on and so forth. I'm incredibly blood-thirsty when it comes to the NPC hordes but when it comes to other players.... Not really. I tend to take the golden rule to a gaming extreme. I don't want to be afk snipsnipe when I'm having equipment issues or still trying to figure out how things work so I'm too sweet and end up just creating chances for people to kill me. Good times...

I think a lot of the sour taste in my mouth, and my 'head shot as you would wish to be head shotted', in regards to PvP came from Galaxies and their PvP zones and guild wars. Oh those annoyed me to no end. When Galaxies introduced war torn PvP zones, I missed the memo regarding their location and bounderies. My little tailor (a non-combat class so level one with no fighting abilities) was out checking her harvesters. I hit auto zone, put her on the right path and move away to grab something.

When I came back, she was about to enter a PvP zone. The warning text popped up on the screen as I crossed in -  not before or at a particular distance away, as I entered - so I turned myself around. Sadly, speeders do not stop or turn on a dime and before I could make it out I was dead and my speeder was destroyed. I liked that speeder.

I'm the little guy...

While replacing the speeder wasn't a big deal in the end, it was incredibly frustrating to me that the fighting in those sectors was so blood-thirsty that people rejoiced at taking down a level one tailor. Yes... Congrats. You took out a player with no ability to fight back. Truly your ability causes men and women alike to swoon. To be fair, in SWG, it didn't matter if you took down a level 90 or a level 1. You got the same number of points. Maybe that is what really annoyed me about it - that a game that won't give me a tutorial because they want us to talk to each other to encourage community had 90s mowing down 1s because it is just so much easier than taking on a fair fight.

It didn't help that SWG had this thing where guilds could decide that they were feuding. And when that happened, any member of said guilds could pick each other off without the ability to refuse the duel. That, again, annoyed the hell out of me. I loved playing my non-com but this meant that I really couldn't unless I could muster up a group of folks to travel with her at all times. Not exactly the most fun thing in the world, sitting around a cantina while an entertainer provides new cosmetics and buffs.

I much preferred the way PvP worked in Lord of the Rings Online. Which was a really fun game before it went free to play. Not to insult them for doing it but by the time LoTRO went free to pay it was so radically different from the game I bought that I just lost interest. That said, I do have a lifetime membership so I may go back at some point.

Anyway, not to go off on a tangent, PvP in LoTRO was simply not something that you could stumble into. At least not when I left and I highly doubt they have changed it. You very deliberately selected a fast travel to a specific map that you could only get to from this travel point.

Once out there, there were more quests and reward tokens and special horses that you could only get from successful PvP combat. These items could be used anywhere in game, with a few possible exceptions, but they all had to be earned in this zone. Of course it also got into my good graces because it functioned well within the concept of the story - you didn't have elves fighting against elves. Free people characters (elves, humans, hobbits, dwarves) played fought against player controlled monsters (orcs, spiders, and all fun nasties).

And it does have to be said... A part of me avoids PvP because I admit that I am not the most gracious loser in the world when it comes to player v. player combat - I want to win but I'm just not interested enough to build up the required skill set. Not the best combination in the world!



My husband isn't a PvPer either although he is a very gracious loser. He is the kinda guy who will get completely destroyed, laugh and offer genuine congratulations. Me, if it is a console game, I'm fuming. Ah, the joys of an Irish temper. He just doesn't like dealing with it. Me, I get annoyed and go off to slaughter some trolls.

Not me. But I kinda want this outfit even though I don't play WoW.

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying that PvP is bad by any means. I still engage in it from time to time. I had a number of friendly duels in LoTRO and SWG and I don't see any reason why that won't continue in SW:TOR. I never got far enough in DCU to get to any PvP honestly. I remember with particular fondness the PvP servers for Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time game. By the way, if anyone knows of an emulator for that game, let me know. I miss it so much but I can't get it to run on my newer computers without screwing up the cutscenes.

PvP is just not something you are going to see me running off to do. Unless, of course, someone has figured out how to make it appeal to me. In which case you might want to follow along and see what even has me in the fighting! :-)