Fantastically Talented

Growing up a comic book nut, I was amused when a friend of mine compared The Talented Talent Brothers to one of my favorite childhood comics. So amused, in fact, that I rushed right out and wrote this blog entry. This friend (who shall remain nameless in that she doesn’t want the world to realize that she’s secretly a comic book geek) came to see Weasel Erotica. We later talked about how the show really had the structure and took it’s hat off to the old comedies of by-gone days. I mentioned the Marx Brothers, my admiration for them and how I’ve always seen the Talent family as something similar. She replied, “No, you’re not the Marx Brothers ... you’re The Fantastic Four!”

Intrigued, I probed for further clarification. “Well, The Fantastic Four were family as well ... extended family maybe, but a family. A brother, his sister, her husband and her husband’s best friend.”

Okay, but it’s not like The Talented Talent Brothers have ever saved America from Dr. Doom or kept Galactus from devouring the planet. It’s not like Weasel Erotica displayed any kind of heroism in it at all. How are we like The Fantastic Four? She broke it down for me:

Matt ‘Mo’ Talent is The Thing. Now, no disrespect to Matt here ... but the comparison had more to do with personality and importance to the group. Matt is not covered with an orange rocky hide, he doesn’t come from Brooklyn and, as near as I can tell, does not possess super strength. The point made, however, is that Matt is the foundation of the group. He’s the soul of the group. His part in Weasel Erotica, and his performance, grounded the show in its own reality. Matt was the vaudeville comic in a vaudeville show. He is the heart of the act. And like The Thing, he’s the one always striving to be better, to make a connection. He’s our backbone and we all lean on him ... okay, I can deal with that comparison.

Next, Tony King is The Human Torch. Okay, when I first heard this one, I laughed. Not at the absurdity, but because I grasped this comparison right off. The Fantastic Four’s Human Torch, Johnny Storm, is young, impulsive and a bit cocky. Tony fits that bill just fine. Both are good lookin’ guys who you can trust to push things to the limit ... The Human Torch pushes going supernova, Tony pushes the envelope by asking gay monsters what its like “guzzling cum.” (Sorry ... blame Tony ... I’m just reporting what happened here.) The Human Torch is a star and Tony King is certainly our star as well.

Now for the one that I really enjoyed ... Melissa Jo Talent as The Invisible Woman. Well, at least we’re keeping the genders in line here. The joke is that upon seeing Weasel Erotica, Mel would be The Invisible Woman ... she’s the one who never appeared on stage, being our director and all. And as Matt is the soul of the act, Mel is very much the heart. In the comics she’s the one keeping the boys in line. She’s the one nurturing and watching out for them. She’s the only level-headed one ... Mel tries her best to keep her boys in line too and is often the only one with any common sense. The Invisible Woman is the one who never got any appreciation in the comics but was, to tell the truth, the most powerful of them all. In recent years she’s been drawn as a little hottie too ... all of which are fitting for Melissa Jo Talent.

Finally that leaves me, King Talent, as Mr. Fantastic ... or as most people refer to him, Reed Richards. Funny that I should be the one superhero in all of comicdom who’s known by his regular name because his superhero name is so lame. Reed’s character is more known for his intellect than for his ability to bring down a super villain. He’s the genius in the comics and, as it was pointed out to me, I was the genius behind a little silly something involving weasels and scantily clad women. Reed’s ability to stretch was originally an analogy for his personality ... always reaching for the stars. He’s the team leader, but he’s also fallible. It was his mistake during one fateful journey to the stars that caused his friends to be bombarded by cosmic rays. I am certainly no genius, but I am the one constantly reaching for something larger than what we are now. I’m the one that got this little group together and I’m the one ultimately responsible for any and all mistakes The Talented Talent Brothers make ... well, except for that “guzzling” line ... that’s all on Tony. But I did lead us on that fateful journey to be bombarded by some idiot podcasting critic.

Too bad they already made that Fantastic Four movie ... we would’ve been perfect for it after all. And Mel sure would’ve been a damn site better than Jessica Alba.