Thor and Me (And Who Was It For You?)
The Hulk was too green. Wolverine was just too brooding (and hairy). And Archie? Well, despite the fierce (and inexplicable) competition raging between Betty and rich uber-bitch Veronica, I thought he was a geek.
In my little girl world, it all began and ended with blonde god Thor, a classic Stan Lee angst-ridden hero. Thor was a Norse god turned by his father Odin into a human medical student in order to teach him humility. At first Thor has no memory of his life as a god and he becomes a gifted surgeon. Until he finds his mystical Thor superhero hammer and discovers his alter ego – thus beginning his dual life as super surgeon and avenging god hero.
For years I avidly followed the comics as Thor kicked butt and fought his evil brother, all the while enjoying in a completely clueless way the power of my little girl juices flowing – arguably for the very first time. As a guy I know once said about his reaction to Diana Rigg’s Emma Peel, the feelings Thor inspired were very powerful. I just didn’t know what they were.
Flash forward to today. Despite the fact that I’ve mercilessly teased a close friend ever since she revealed that Speed Racer was her first crush (without confessing my own comic book love, I might add), I’ve always known that Thor was my original. And, hey, little girl Sandy had good taste. He was hot. He was blonde. He was good. He beat the bad guys. And, most important of all, as a comic book character, he was totally and completely unattainable – and, thus, safe, a necessary requirement for little girl crushes.
Goofing off on the Internet recently, I discovered something that brought all those Thor memories back – this time with big girl juices flowing. It seems that a movie is in the works (finally!) with the talented Kenneth Branagh set to direct. But, and this is where it gets really good, Alexander Skarsgard – yes, he of the to-die-for Eric the vampire – is rumored to be cast as Thor.
Holy crap. My big girl juices are flowing in a gushing river. Only this time I know what they are.
I won’t wax on the beauties, charm, and intelligence of the Swedish actor because anybody who watched True Blood already knows them. But he is totally freakin’ perfect to embody my Thor and if this one gets stuck in turn-around or other Hollywood hell, you may color me freakishy disappointed.
So, yep, a comic book superhero fulfilled all my little girl fantasies. But, despite the perfection of Skarsgard for the role, am I doomed to disappointment because nothing can live up to my own particular brand of fantasy? Movies are huge collaborative efforts between writers, producers, directors, actors, and editors and fantasies are…well, very personal, aren’t they?
But whether or not the movie gets made or Skarsgard lives up to my idea of Thor (he does a damn fine job with Eric, so I’m hopeful), I’ll always have fond memories of sitting in the summer sun with my dog and my Thor. Good times!
And, speaking of good times, don’t we all have a particular soft spot for the ones who do it for us first – be they real or, in my case, a comic creation?
So, here’s the question: ‘fess up and tell the world (or at least this little AAR blog corner of it) the first guy – real or fictional – who got your little girl juices flowing. And if you’d like to confess your big girl crushes as well, hey, let’s talk hot guys!
For me? George Clooney (a long-time favorite), Jon Hamm, Jack (the character, as opposed to Matthew Fox), Bret and Jemaine, and Alexander Skarsgard (a relatively new addition) are all at the top of my 2009 crush list.
What about you?
-Sandy AAR
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i am a movie addict and i watch a lot of movie in just one night, the greatest movie for me is Somewhere In Tome :;`
actually, i like the body of Daniel Craig. wish i could have a body like that :~;
actually, i like the body of Daniel Craig. wish i could have a body like that :–
there are many greatest movies that i can think of by James Bond and Star Wars should be on the top of my list””;*
Daniel Craig is bigger and better than Sean Connery. i like him as the new james bond’~:
i remeber GI JOE when i was still a kid, this was my favorite cartoon`-;
in my opinion, the greatest movie would be Somewhere In Time ;.;
Gerard Butler is definitely a macho guy that needs macho roles -“”*
in my opinion, the greatest movie would be Somewhere In Time .`.
Gerard Butler is definitely a macho guy that needs macho roles :””,
i think that Daniel Craig is only second to Pierce Brosnan when playing the role of James Bond’;,
you could say that War of The Worlds is one of the greatest movies of all times~*””
i think that Daniel Craig is second to Sean Connery when playing James Bond””:.
i always collect the greatest movies from all decades including the 60’s. i love to watch movies.~,`
for me, the greatest movie is non other than War of the Worlds.;’;
i love the acting skills of Gerard Butler. he is definitely a great action star.;:,
I would have to say that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond of all times.'””*
I would have to say that Daniel Craig is the best James Bond of all times.-,,
Would there be a sequel to the last G.I. JOE movie? iron man has a sequel already. ..
i love watching GI Joe, both the cartoon series and the movie. I am hoping that they would make a sequel. `
I had a crush on Gambit too when I was little! I guess it was because he was the ladies man in the cartooon….I am excited that he’s finally in the movie, I told my boyfriend this the other day and he looked at me like I was crazy! So thanks girls u all made me feel a lil normal about having a cartoon crush while growing up.
I’m on the Han Solo bandwagon. Luke who? I think I actually had a little bit of a Harry Ford crush because I adored Indiana Jones too. I love his swagger and rough-edged charm.
I preferred Cyclops in the cartoon until I saw Hugh on the big screen as Wolverine, and I’m excited to hear Gambit will be hitting the screen this time too! He and Rogue were my favourites.
I loved the Archie comics too but I always hoped Reggie would come good. Even then I loved a bad boy.
My first absolute crush was Jonathan Taylor Thomas. The cute little kid from Home Improvement (I think that was the name of the show? Tim the Toolman Taylor.) I was thirteen and I had posters EVERYWHERE. The second was Leo Di Caprio after Romeo and Juliet. I can so empathise with all the teeny boppers and Rob Pattinson at the moment. Who happens to be my little crush at the moment.
In regard to The Saint, for those who are too young to have fallen victim to the charm of Simon Templar, here’s a reference:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/richpub/syltguides/fullview/2YGN9CBOAVWEF
When I was a young teen, my crush was on The Saint (Leslie Charteris, in the novels rather than the radio show).
By the time Han Solo came along, I was taking my children to see Star Wars, but that didn’t keep me from appreciating him.
Rippling muscles are always good, Vanessa! And Hugh Jackman reinvented Wolverine for me, Diane.
The professor, Anne? Really? (Okay, he was cute. I thought so, too.) I saw him recently in one of the bad movies on a repeat of Mystery Science Theatre 3000.
Color me well and truly surprised that so many of you actually had comic book crushes.
OK, I confess. My first real crush was the Professor in Gilligan’s Island (Russell Johnson). I saw some photos of him recently (he has a web site) and realized I had good taste, even back then. :)
I have only had two crushes in my 56 years. Paul McCartney when I was
13 years old & now I have a big girl crush on Hugh Jackman. X-men is not
my kind of movie but I will be 1st in line to see the new Wolverine movie
because of the sexy Mr. jackman. He was the best Oscar host ever!!
My secert crushes as a child included He-man and Lion-o from the Thundercats. I loved their take-charge attitude and the rippling muscles all over. I always imagined myself in the series and playing their girlfriend (even as a kid, I was an incurable romantic). I cried when the shows were cancelled and I was cut off from my little-girl fantasies.
As a big girl, I have eyes for Brendan Fraser as Rick O’Connel in “”The Mummy”” . SOOOO HOT!! He can come to my rescue anytime!!! :-)
Zoe and Ellen, how exciting is it that Gambit is FINALLY going to appear in an X-Men movie? I’m optimistic.
And Maria, I’ll share the Leia love. (Not to mention the Carrie Fischer love. She is somebody I’d love to know.)
I’ll join the chorus in praise of Han Solo. I remember being in the theater, age ten, in 1977. Luke was nice, but when they met Han Solo in the bar, that was it. I knew who the real man of interest was, hero or not.
On a side note: loved the rescue of Leia! When she snatches the gun from Han and snaps at him to jump into the trash compacter…I LOVED IT. And it’s right after the “”sleeping beauty”” moment, so it completely forces you to realize that she’s not just an object to retrieve and remove to safety. OK, done with digression…
Heh. I had graduated from college and while watching the X-Men cartoons on TV with my son, I developed a cartoon crush on Gambit.
I had a huge crush on Gambit from the X-Men. I had a poster of him on my wall. The sad part? I was a junior and senior in college at the time.
And this is why I became a romance novelist.
So, we have multiple votes for Han Solo, the Hardy Boys and some diverse opinions on just who was the best girl detective. (Judy Bolton is another one I somehow missed. Guess I was all caught up in The Nancy Love, even if Ned Nickerson was a shade on the dorky side.)
Heather, I was all about the G.I. Joe, too. The guy was HOT! Needless to say, w-a-a-a-a-y hotter than lame ass Ken.
And, Ellen, I remember reruns of Rawhide. Clint Eastwood was cute with his little hat chin strap.
My first real musician crush was on Paul McCartney. For some reason, I never had movie star crushes when I was a pre-teen, maybe because my favorite movies were sci-fi ones featuring Big Bugs. I had a major book crush on the Hardy Boys and actually preferred them to Nancy Drew. They had more adventures and would actually beat up the bad guys. My grandmother loved watching westerns on TV, and her favorite was Rawhide, so I guess my first TV crush was on Clint Eastwood.
I read Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, and my brother’s Hardy Boys, but Judy Bolton, aside fromWonder Woman, was the heroine for me:
http://www.judybolton.com/
As for a crush, I really can’t remember. This would be late 1940s to the early 1950s.
This is such a fun topic. I remember crushing on David Bowie in Labyrinth, and honestly it still works for me today. Another crush was Gilbert from the Anne of Green Gables movie. Loved him.
Oh, I like this topic. My first cartoon crush was GI Joe and for some strange reason Snake Eyes too – which I can’t explain. Like Katie Mack, my elementary school crushes were the Duke boys. By fourth grade it was totally Luke Skywalker. My big girl self would go for Hans Solo now, but back then I was all about Luke Skywalker. During middle school I was completely IN LOVE with John Taylor of Duran Duran. He was so beautiful to me. My crush from high school is basically still my crush today – Johnny Depp. The love affair began with “”21 Jump Street”” and literally continues to the present. I loved the “”Legend of Sleepy Hollow”” as well as all the Pirate movies. My other big girl crushes include Gerard Butler and Eric Bana, but I’m sure I could list others.
I’d like to add to my previous comment–AAR Sandy and Lynn Spencer have mentioned Han Solo and I was also madly in love with him! However, this wasn’t a childhood “”thing””–I was an adult when I first saw “”Star Wars”” and I’m proud to say that I took time off from work so I could be on line for the first showings of “”The Empire Strikes Back”” (best movie of the series!) and “”Return of the Jedi”” (OK, because we got Han back, but I could have lived without the Ewoks!).
OMG, I completely forgot about Frank and Joe Hardy. Thank you MaryK! I read and re-read the first 58 Hardy Boys books endlessly as a child. This was another double-crush for me. Hmm, I guess I have trouble picking just one guy. ;)
Thanks, MarissaB. What a lovely story.
Yul Brynner in the King and I. Definitely.
I was in Elementary when I first saw him in the movie. I thought I would fall in love with someone bald but, nope, that never happened. Yul personified bald perfection for me.
I’ve liked him in all his other movies, but there was something in his Siamese King persona that spoke to me.
In the early 1980s, when I was in my late twenties, I saw him live on stage in CA performing the same role. He definitely affected me the same way. Got my heart pumping, I can tell you. When he took his final bow, he strode masterfully forward for several steps, chin down, hands on hips, frowning fiercely at us. There was dead silence from the audience. Then he threw back his head and laughed, throwing his arms out as if to embrace us all. He got us screaming and laughing back while we all stood and clapped and clapped and clapped. There were 5 curtain calls. He just couldn’t seem to get enough.
I found out later that he was already sick with lung cancer. He must have been saying good-bye. He died in 1985.
Superior, my butt, LG! (Actually, I never read Trixie Belden so I have no idea what the hell I’m talking about. First time, obviously.)
I had a crush on Jim from the Trixie Belden books….a series so superior to the Nancy Drew books in every way.
Mary K, Frank Hardy as portrayed by Parker Stephenson? Nothing boring about that! (And what is it with the Yul Brynner thing? We’ve had TWO Votes!)
Someday I will blog about Nancy Drew. Now that was a girl!
Katie Mack, I was raised in the south and I think that made the Duke boys not attractive to me, know what I mean? I’ve seen John Schneider recently on Nip/Tuck and he has, indeed, aged VERY well.
Robin B, I agree that Hugh Jackman has made Wolverine sexy as hell. (Can’t wait for the new movie, comic book geek that I am.) As for Paul Newman, I totally get it. I think my affection for Clooney is similar. He is smart as hell, committed to causes I can get behind, and has a genuinely great sense of humor. He’s a mega star, but he’s still a guy — something I think Paul Newman was, too.
Karin, I remember Yul Brynner (MOOOOSES and the Israelites!) very well, but you’ve got me on the Anastasia thing. I vaguely remember seeing the movie, but now you’ve made me curious to check it out again.
Lynn, I was totally all about Han Solo, too. Totally. One of the greatest movie moments of all time: “”I know.””
Too funny, I was thinking the same about The Dukes and Yul Brynner in The Ten Commandments. In literature, I was a very boring child – I had a crush on Frank Hardy. :) These days I have big girl crushes on Damian Lewis and Daniel Craig.
I think I may end up renting True Blood just so I can get a better mental picture of Eric.
The only comics I read were old ghost stories and horror comics I picked up at a comic book store, so no crushes there. Mine were all of the movie variety.
I was obsessed with Star Wars and definitely had a little crush on Hans Solo. When I was in elementary school, my cousins made fun of me for liking him when Luke Skywalker was so OBVIOUSLY meant to be the hero. Even though I was only about 8 and didn’t completely understand everything in the movies, I knew enough to feel a little vindicated after Return of the Jedi.
I used to watch old movies with my dad on Saturdays, and I also had kind of a little girl crush on Jimmy Stewart. Something about the earnestness just got me.