Doug TenNapel

Articles by Doug TenNapel

Found Art: Dear Leader Addresses the Children

Tomorrow President Obama will address our children and students will be encouraged to write his inspirational sayings on sticky notes and homemade posters. My daughter’s class loves the Chairman President so much that they couldn’t wait to get right to

Selling ObamaCare: The True Religion of the Left is Pragmatism

On August 19th, President Obama conducted an Internet conference to draw support from faith leaders for his health care package. He used explicit, religious language to engage the audience, “I know there’s been a lot of misinformation in this debate.

Review: 'Julie and Julia' A Masterpiece

I don’t recall liking much of Nora Ephron’s work other than “When Harry Met Sally.” In fact, if I knew she made “Julie and Julia,” I probably would have avoided it, since “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail” just

Reporting From Comic-Con: There Goes the Neighborhood

Sitting at home with another Comic-Con behind us I look over my box of comics and deposited business cards sprawled across the floor like a Trick or Treater dumping his hoard after a busy Halloween night. This convention represents the

Reporting From Comic-Con: The End is Near

Another great day of selling books, meeting fans, I sold out of my posters and blah blah blah. Tonight I’m officially burnt. Don’t worry, that’s part of the Con too. Sundays are notorious for hosting crowds of The Living Dead

Reporting From Comic-Con: Fear and Loathing in Booth 1714

Today the costumed conventioneers started showing up, but it’s not as big as the big event. The Saturday night costume contest that brings out a freak show of innovation and geekdom. I don’t know why but there are always a

Reporting From Comic-Con: The Recession

Well, there you have it. I made my first big mistake of parking at the mall for Comi-Con and after having drinks with my “Ghostopolis” editor I discovered I racked up a parking bill for 54 dollars. That’s because I’m

Reporting From Comic-Con: Overlap

What does Voltron, Gumby, “Gods of War III” and Bone have in common? Nothing and everything. This is the great cultural collision that occurs at the San Diego Comic-con. I moved into my booth as all of the exhibitors to

Reporting From Comic-Con: Prologue

I’ve packed my car with books and posters to sell at the San Diego Comic-Con. As a comic-creator this is a mandatory part of the business that’s both fun and productive. It’s our journey to Mecca without all that obnoxious

I Now Pronounce You Government and Wife

A new Gallup poll shows that married people are more likely to be Republicans than Democrats. The propensity for marriage among Republicans was the same regardless of race or age groups. So this is my formal call to all single

Troopathon 2009: Why I Love the Military

Certain phrases come to mind when I think about the military: Our boys, our men and women in uniform, our guys. The key being the word “our.” They represent us in uniform, or to be more specific, they represent me.

To the 'Magnificent' Guys

It’s hard to put into words what my father means to me. He’s old school. So writing some emotional, eloquent, diatribe to his greatness would likely embarrass him more than it would pay tribute. There is an art form to

Obama's 'New Tone': A Victory of Astounding Trivia

So much was said of Obama during the election, and for all of the promises of healing America’s divide, reaching across the aisle with a new kind of politics, creating new jobs and improving on “the failed policies of the

The Antarctic is Half Full

Global Warming is not melting the continental ice cap. Come to find out there’s some shrinkage on the west side, but it’s more than made up by the glacial growth on the east side. But the business of Big Green

Why I Took My Family To a Tea Party

I’ve never been to a protest. I hate protesters because they seem to be professional bitchers. They’re quick to complain and jump to picket signs and screaming at the drop of a hat. I once had lunch on a sidewalk

Does God Exist? Hitchens vs. Craig

I had the opportunity to see Christopher Hitchens debate Dr. William Lane Craig on the topic “Does God Exist?” at BIOLA University. The gymnasium was packed with 3,000 people, most of whom were Christians but some non-believers made a showing.

Our Exceptionalism Comes From Our Constitution

I’m not a big Global Citizen. I’m not proud of how the world conducts itself, it has a terrible history and there’s nothing great about humanity other than we have a great Creator. Mankind’s achievement is only consistent in how

The Least Patriotic Administration Ever

I wish I could say I was shocked to discover that Health and Human Services cabinet nominee Kathleen Sebelius is a tax cheat. I’m not moronic or Democrat enough to call this administration a “culture of corruption,” I’ll leave that

Monsters vs. Aliens: We Loved It!

I took my five-year-old son (Ed) and seven-year-old daughter (Ahmi) to see “Monsters vs. Aliens.” We got our Elvis Costello 3D glasses and wore them at all the wrong times during the television commercials that come on before the movie

Earth Hour? Creator Hour!

Our government dare not promote a national religion that refers to a traditional notion of God. We are collectively trained to avoid pushing our values onto others largely because relativism claims that there are no transcendent moral truths. But where

Obama Survival Kit

If the trajectory of the Obama administration continues like this we’ll have to make little adjustments to our lifestyle. So here’s a checklist for making it through 2012: Yes, we’re still obsessed with culture and groupthink so we should try

Hypocrite Hunt

If you just got nailed for doing something stupid or immoral, just find out how your accuser also did something stupid or immoral and you’re off the hook! It doesn’t even have to be for the same indiscretion, just throw

Watchmen: Lots to Like, Little to Love

I don’t judge movies by their source material, so I won’t judge “Watchmen” by the amazing graphic novel from which it comes. When we pay our 12 bucks to see a movie, nobody hands us a book to go along

Same Church Lady, Different Religion

If you thought Dana Carvey’s Church Lady died with the 90s she’s back – complete with a shrill intolerance past the point of being funny. Sean Penn contorts his muzzle to the side of his face and asks, “What made

WGA Pickets 'American Idol'

The Writer’s Guild (WGA) is back to doing what it does best, sending unemployed members out to threaten with picket signs before they go back home to create more TV shows about dark, gritty, dramas featuring liberal gay heroes fighting

Octuplets Mom vs. Your Arguments

Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman, is getting death threats, which is to be expected in today’s culture of rational debate. Maybe she’s crazy or irresponsible, I don’t know. Her decision to have 14 children doesn’t bother me nearly as much as

Democrats Have Bigger Teats

I’ve seen the old man make millions of dollars. He was resourceful, clever, thrifty and had the work ethic of an ant colony. This is the rich old man who passes on his life’s earnings to the next generation. The

Substance Without Presentation

Amadeus is the best movie ever made. It’s not up for debate. Okay, maybe it’s almost as good as Jaws. We’ll throw in Star Wars, Raising Arizona, 300, Aliens and Raiders above it too. There are good ideas rolling around

The Great Divider

This is not a discussion on the merits of life or abortion. It doesn’t matter what your opinion is about that issue because I’m talking about divisive politics. The claim of unity and an end to politics that divide is

Republican is the New Punk

Johnny Cash was punk rock. The birth of rock came when Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Cash toured small towns and set the youth on fire. Parents were outraged. The long dippity-doo hair atop gyrating men “dancing like

Make a Bigger Pie

Box-office attendance continues to trend lower and lower each year. It’s on such a downward trajectory you’d think it might be tied to the crashing Republican brand we keep hearing about. But I think the opposite is the case. From

We Hold These Truths To Be Self Evident

What most people in media say about Republican Conservatives is stupid and wrong. They don’t know what we believe, what we stand for and why. In 2005 DNC Chair Howard Dean went on “Meet the Press” and said, “Our moral

Today Is National Sanctity of Life Day

I see in the news where people are flocking to Washington D.C. to celebrate some big event. Bono is going to sing, Rick Warren is going to pray, and there are only 5 port-a-potties for seven million people. I never

Real Tolerance Training: Christian = 'Intolerant'

I once had a meeting with an executive regarding one of my graphic novels that had been optioned. This exec started the writer’s meeting with a few notes to change some rough spots in the story. This is normal procedure