As I have previously stated, I am a pretty big fan of the Silver Surfer. I don't know what it is about the character, the concept, the image; maybe it is a Magpie (the bird, not the comic characters) thing, who knows. Upon further introspection, maybe it is the embodiment of freedom he exudes, or the major grief he experiences from all the sacrifices he has had to make... I know it has changed over the years, but sacrifice and freedom tip the scales on his cosmic balance.

That said, I have noticed, people either LOVE our dear friend Norrin, or HATE him. Granted, the HATE may come from a deep seeded envy of his freedom, but a lot of the time, it stems from his occasional portrayal as a "whiner". I get it, I really do. How do you portray a character's inner most grieving thoughts without making him look like a whiner? It is difficult for some to take the thought bubbles for what they are, passing thoughts and a glimpse into the character's psyche. Because he LOST EVERYTHING doesn't make him a whiner. In my opinion, it makes him a stronger character, a compassionate character, a much beloved character.

Unfortunately, not everyone shares in my adoration for the character. The following are just a couple examples that struck me recently:

From "Beavis and Butthead" Issue #4:

• Title of his cameo appearance: "Silver Surfer Sob Story"
• Notable Quotes: "Chicks know he sucks!"; "An' he doesn't have a wiener, either!"
• 
• The art for the Silver Surfer is fantastic, not something hacked together as a minor part for this issue. The reason is obvious;Ron LimandTom Christopherare credited. To me this means his artists accept the fact that others dislike is "whiny" nature and encouraged it as the highlight of this cameo. Again, I guess I should take this with a grain of salt, as it is Beavis and Butthead poking fun... after all, that is their lot in life. ;)

From "Breathless" (1983):

• Notable Quotes: "The Surfman's a jerk!"; "The Silver Surfer sucks!"
• To be fair, the main character (played byRichard Gere) is somewhat obsessed with the Silver Surfer. These quotes were just from some punk kid at the newsstand. In his (Jesse Lujack's) own words: "Yeah, I like the Surfman.", "He's a space-lost freak lookin' for love."
• Though there was a bit of an anachronism with theSilver Surfer Vol. 1Issues Jessie was reading off the newsstand and the time setting for the movie, overall the writer of "Breathless" got the character of Silver Surfer correct.
  
• Again though, the Silver Surfer's portrayal was that of a very tortured soul. Something I discuss here: Is the Silver Surfer too emotional?

Anyway, just some thoughts based on some recent reading/viewing.

enJOY!

There is always a middle ground most people are just too lazy to look for it

Often people who hold really strong opinions about a character can only see other strong opinions of the character. I am almost totally indifferent on the subject of the Silver Surfer. He does nothing for me.