Watching THEM!

A Big Brother's Monstrous Projection

“THEM!” ©Chris Buczinsky

Them! is a 1954 black-and-white monster movie about mankind’s fight against a colony of giant ants irradiated in the detonation of the atomic bomb.

I was 12 when I fell in love with it. Army men torching filthy freaks of nature. What’s not to love?

When I watch it now, I can put myself right back in my 12-year-old head. Plus as an adult I get to see through the illusion, to the big mechanical puppet ants chasing the actors around the set. It’s a hoot.

Being able to see the farce in our nightmares, the illusory nature of our monsters—that’s a baby step toward Buddhahood, no?

I swear that’s what I’m working on as I pop popcorn and watch the ants burn.

“THEM!” poster (1954) Directed by Gordon Douglas

My baby sister is not another matter entirely.

I regret to inform my adoring fans that to both my little sisters, I was the monster.

I’m sorry, but at 12 there was nothing more fun than hiding in my younger sister’s closet and jumping out at her, like Dracula from his coffin, when she opened the door. Or telling my baby sister that earwigs latch onto people’s ears and suck their blood.

I could scream “Earwig!” at her any time I wanted, and she would completely freak.

Any. Time. I. Wanted.

I didn’t need Darth Vader to tell me about the power of the Dark Side.

I had my own father, whose streaks of cruelty I am only now coming to appreciate for the original works of mid-20th century parental art they were.

One of the best things about comics, and the storytelling game in general, is that we can retell our histories to flatter our egos or at least cover our crimes.

In this comic, I am definitely guilty of a cover-up.

Projection of one’s own behavior onto others is a time-honored (even presidential) psycho-strategy. Experts highly recommend it for defending an image of one’s goodness in the face of one’s misdeeds.

In the spirit of transparency, then, let me confess: I can’t remember a single time when I was actually the victim of monstrous sibling behavior on the part of my baby sister.

She is innocent, but she is not without the wiles portrayed in this comic. Younger siblings often develop deep cunning, and as the years have gone by, I have come to appreciate and rely on my “baby sister’s” smarts.

She pokes gentle fun at my susceptibility to the imaginary, but I know she loves me for it.

What more does a boy really need from a baby sister?

Juicy Quotations from THEM!

I tell you gentleman, science is agreed that unless something is done and done quickly, man as the dominant species of life on earth will be extinct in a year.—Scientist

Look Bob, there’s no time to give you a fast course in insect pathology.—Dr. Patricia Medford

We may be witnesses to a Biblical prophecy come true - 'And there shall be destruction and darkness come upon creation, and the beasts shall reign over the earth.’—Dr. Harold Medford

We haven't seen the end of them. We've only had a close view of the beginning of what may be the end of us.—Dr. Harold Medford

Spit’s the only thing holding me together!—Police Sgt. Ben Peterson