The Inexplicably Magnetic Toxicity of Colt from, "90 Day Fiance," on TLC

Colt Johnson has been on various iterations of, "90 Day Fiance," for years now. It started out as a show focused on people who had a potential spouse coming over from another country on a K-1 visa so they could get married and start their future spouse on a path to citizenship. Things quickly expanded to create an entire universe of 90-day shows focused on everything from a couples first meeting in person, to people moving to a foreign country, checking on couples and how they're doing, and following up on individuals whose relationships did not work out and are now looking for love again. What started out as a single idea turned into a multi-tentacled octopus of entertainment. Some of the spin-off shows are better than others, and some, "Cast members," are quite intriguing, while other folks are a bore who vanish after a single season. Colt first appeared in 2018 on the, "OG," franchise with Larissa. He almost comes across as sympathetic there, as Larissa was portrayed in an unflattering light when she came over from Brazil to become engaged to and then marry Colt. Colt often had his mother, Debbie, around and meddling in his life, which caused immense friction with Larissa. He and Larissa divorced within a year. Then things get weird.

Before I go down the rabbit hole of Colt's romantic life, let's discuss the man himself. He's a bit nerdy, known as a horndog, and doesn't seem that special, but he keeps drawing in women who he then does terribly wrong. When you watch him on television, you want to hate him, but he's just self-aware and funny enough that it's like the, "Heel," in a wrestling match or Jason in, "Friday the 13th." They're clearly villains, but they're just so fun to watch as they wreak havoc, and Colt has given us plenty of mayhem.

Once Colt was single, he started seeing another Brazilian woman named Jessica. She was a sweet redhead who really liked him, it appeared. He proceeded to cheat on her with a friend he knew locally, Vanessa. Eventually, he and Vanessa got married, had tons of relationship issues (mainly, his infidelity) and divorced. In 2025, we watched as Colt appeared on, "90 Day Fiance: The Hunt for Love," which put a bunch of people who had been on different iterations of the show in a resort to hook up with random folks or each other. Colt and someone else who had been on the show long ago and reappeared only recently-ish, Cortney, fell in love. He also got horribly injured on a slippery step and broke his leg. He moved in with Cortney, and as the latest season of, "The Single Life," has shown us, engaged in remote cheating by using his cellphone to engage in sexting other women--all while struggling to have sex with her and blaming his injury.

On the March 9th episode of, "The Single Life," we saw as Cortney confirmed Colt was lying to her and she kicked him out of her house--where he was currently living. When they met later to discuss how batshit insane everything has been, she pointed out how he is:

1. Injured/can't walk.

2. Homeless (she's letting him crash with her at her parents' house).

3. Jobless (besides this show, of course).

4. Has erectile dysfunction (at least with her) and can't get it up to even have sex...

...yet he is still cheating on her. Then the episode ends with her hesitating to actually leave him and maybe, just maybe, forgive this man and stay? Say what? How does Colt do this to all these women, or as a cast member named Tim once said during a show where they watch 90-day programs with us, "How does Colt get so much ass?"

Perhaps it is a case where Colt gives off an energy where women are like, "I can fix him!" Maybe it is how he is affable, intelligent, and smart enough with that intelligence to hide his slimy tendencies. After two failed marriages, no job, no home, and supposedly having a micropenis as some exes claim, you'd think a person such as Cortney would know better than to set a single foot near Colt...and yet, here we are in 2025 (when the show was filmed), and Colt is somehow irresistible to the ladies. He has some kind of magnetic toxicity, and despite being aware that he should know better than to act how he does...Colt always screws things up. Colt excels at making any bad situation he is in worse. He says he feels shame anytime he gets caught for his behavior, but he keeps doing it--and yes, us the audience, keep watching.

This brings up the age-old debate about reality shows and whether they do little more than encourage bad behavior. The worst individuals/villains/heels get all the airtime, and the fans gobble it up. Can you remember a boring lady from a, "Real Housewives," show, or when you think if castmembers do names such as Nene Leakes, Jen Shah, and so forth pop into your noggin? If you're not a diehard fan of, "Vanderpump Rules," name someone besides Tom Sandoval--Hell, even if you never watch the show or anywhere else he has appeared, you might know that name due to the usual news and jokes of popular culture! We've got an admittedly fun show all about the baddies of reality television called, "House of Villains," and I've seen zero desire online for a house of heroes. Are we enabling Colt by tuning in to his shenanigans? I, personally, think he would behave the way he does regardless of cameras being present sometimes in his life, but as long as the cameras are there, I want to witness what he gets up to! Oh no, does his magnetic toxicity affect us television viewers as well?

Since reality television became popular, those who scheme, backstab, cheat, and otherwise are deceptive are the people who get the most attention. From, "The Real World," and Puck to, "Survivor," and Richard Hatch in the, "Old," days to more recent stuff such as Plane Jane on the 16th season of, "RuPaul's Drag Race," and Monica Garcia in the fourth season of, "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." I mean, one of my favorite reality television shows ever would be, "Big Brother," and Dan Gheeseling is generally thought of as being one of the best players ever because of how good a job he did outright lying and plotting how to screw others over (he struggled a bit on, "The Traitors," though, proving just becuase you excel at one game doesn't mean you will always be good at every single competition). 

We don't necessarily root for the bad guy/gal in reality television, scripted T.V., movies, games, or whatever, but we can all probably admit the scoundrel is fun to watch. Hence, Colt remains a presence of many, "90 Day," shows, and we find ourselves glued to our screens asking, "Jeez, what will he do next?" Tune into the latest episodes of, "90 Day Fiance: The Single Life," if you feel like you need to find out. Don't worry, I won't judge, I'll be right there with you (symbolically, that is, I will be on my own couch) watching too.

Happy Pi/314 Day!

Around the World, we acknowledge Pi day as its first three digits are 3.14, and then it seems to never end after that. This is also a special day locally, however, as 314 is an area code for Saint Louis, and as it is March 14th, that means we've got Pi day and 314 day too! Enjoy some pie, get a handful of toasted ravs on the side, and wash it all down with some $3.14 beer if you're a drinker!

Flashback Friday: "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," is an Example of How to Revisit the Past With Modern Updates

If you've been reading my blog for quite a long time, you may recall how, back in 2011, I wrote about my fondness for, "Rollercoaster Tycoon." All these years later, I still love the series, and I was intrigued to learn about, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic." Playable on a computer or iOS back in 2017 and on the Nintendo Switch (and now Switch 2) as of 2024, it combines a variety of elements from, "Rollercoaster Tycoon," and, "Rollercoaster Tycoon 2," to make something that counts as new but is totally familiar and fun.

When I started playing a copy of, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," I got from the library, I found doing certain things came back to me almost like muscle memory despite the many years since I've actually played one of these games. I guess I spent so many hours as a kiddo crafting the perfect rollercoaster routes or best decor for my little self-made food court that some stuff is just ingrained deep in my brain. I still suck at keeping my park's budget balanced (I'm sorry, but a park that can't afford my epic wooden coaster that takes up half the space and costs thousands a month to keep functioning is a park I refuse to associate with), but I love making wild little setups of food kiosks, decorations, rides, and so forth. Even if my monthly income calls for more red ink than black, at least my guests are pleased with how I set up my footpaths and the free restrooms (I've never had the heart to charge folks even ten cents just to pee).

Whether you're an older gamer who remembers the OG, "Rollercoaster Tycoon," or a young'un eager to build a fun park in a retro-ish (and quite fun) game, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," does an expert job of updating things for the present but keeping 100% of the vintage charm. 

Advance Review: "Oracles," by Olivia Sullivan

"Oracles," is an upcoming original graphic novel by Olivia Sullivan and set to be released by Avery Hill Publishing this Spring. I had the chance to read an advance copy and found it a superb and fascinating book! It features a minimalist prose that invites us to read between metaphorical lines as we witness a heartbroken individual head to the countryside in the hopes of exploration, meditation, and peace. Things get a bit supernatural, as well, between our protagonist, growing tree limbs out of their body at one point, and encountering strange creatures across varying landscapes.

"Oracles," is a bit of a visual poem, lush and imaginative as our hero/heroine (their gender is never made explicitly clear) traverses various places in the hope of finding...something. We are all searching, after all. for answers, community, clarity, or anything else. Maybe it can be found out in the wilderness, maybe not, but our, "Main character," has dreams of making a life out there (at one point literally dreaming of a perfect woodland life and then realizing they're ravenous as even these dreams of a busy life in the wilderness make one hungry). The mix of quiet sadness and an element of hope in, "Oracles," gives it a nice, vaguely optimistic vibe even when the unnamed narrator/protagonist is in harm's way--such as a boat capsizing.

I greatly adored, "Oracles," and found Sullivan's way of telling the story in bits and pieces of prose to work perfectly at giving us a contemplative (and beautifully drawn) tale. I would encourage you to preorder a copy directly from Avery Hill or ask your comic-shop/bookstore/library to secure a copy. I excitedly rate this comic/graphic novel...

5 out of 5 Stars.

I've Got a New Article in, "Undie Comix," #4

You may recall I wrote an article for the 'zine that combines underground and indie comix to become, "Undie Comix." It appeared in the third issue. Well, in exciting news (in my opinion) I wrote another article, and it appears in the latest/fourth issue!

My article is about Avatar Press/Boundless Comics, and, "Sneaking the Underground into the Mainstream." Plus, there are other awesome articles, comics, and for very little cash ($5), you get a great read! If you want a copy, you can always buy it from their store or support their Patreon.

Mar10/Mario Day, 2026!

It is March 10th, and if you note it down just right, it looks like Mar10. Hence, it is Mario Day! Nintendo is doing various promotions, and should you go to Gamestop dressed as Mario (I'm bringing a paper mask and have a fun Mario-themed shirt), you can get a $5 store credit. It's a fun little day and if all I have to do for a free five bucks at Gamestop is stop by in my little getup and perhaps do an awful Mario impression, you know I'm gonna do it!

Tom Brevoort Wants to Make Me Angry--and I Kind of Understand Why

Tom Brevoort works at Marvel, and he wants to make me angry. Not specifically me, however, that would be upsetting. He Marvel Executive Editor, SVP, and Senior X-Men Editor, and he discussed recently how he basically believes that it is better for fans to be furious/angry/otherwise perturbed about a storyline than simply indifferent. If Marvel can stir passions in fans--even objectively, "Bad," ones, that's better than folks shrugging and being bored. I see what he's getting at. I mean, "Secret Empire," was an awful comic, but it had an interesting--albeit odd--idea to have reality-warping powers make Captain America a secret sleeper agent for Hydra. Many fans were angry, but we checked the comic out to see what happened, didn't we?

This reminds me of when I'm watching, "Saturday Night Live," and a really weird sketch comes on. Even if it isn't hilarious, I always say, "I'll take weird over boring." A sketch that is simply dull won't garner laughs or discussion, but if you get really strange with it, that can keep my focus (and if I laugh, too, it is a win-win). Having a comic that makes me angry, piques my interest by being weird, or otherwise stirs some kind of emotion/thought is better than a book I pick up, read, and can barely remember due to how uninteresting it was. If you do something purely for shock value and don't have much substance to what happens, it can backfire. Sometimes doing something utterly shocking can have a remarkable payoff, however. I mean, to stay on the subject of Captain America, a lot of fans were beside themselves when Bucky was brought back from seemingly being dead decades later  (in our real time, not comic-book time) as the Winter Soldier, but that is now regarded as one of the better storylines ever told within a, "Captain America," comic! Even if Hyrda-Cap was a swing-and-a-miss, that earlier storyline was a homerun (and you can't win them all, clearly).

Tom Brevoort wants me to be angry, because at least if I'm angry, I'm not bored. It makes sense, but people can eventually just burn out if you keep simply trying to get their attention with a dumb gimmick. "Spider-Man and Mary Jane aren't married now! She has kids with another guy named Paul...and the kids are metaphysical creations who disappeared, but she's sticking with Paul! Oh, and she's Venom now! Plus, she is leaving Paul, but not getting with Spidey!" and so forth for anyone who has followed the latest (main continuity) Spider-Man. I don't really care about Paul and the, "All-New Venom," comic with Mary Jane is decent, but a lot of people just got whiplash from how rapidly things shifted in a manner that seemed simply designed to constantly infuriate readers. Again, at least the Venom stuff has been fun, but all the stuff leading up to it was insanely off-putting...as Brevoort perhaps wanted, regardless of if it got a bit exhausting.

I'm not personally upset with Tom Brevoort and know he isn't trying to bait me or anyone directly (anyone who sent him death threats about various comics, as he recounts, is taking things way too far). He wants to keep fans engaged, though, and if doing a storyline that ruffles feathers helps accomplish that, then yeah, he's maybe doing something right. I'll take a rage-inducing and/or weird Marvel over a boring one. If anything, the company needs to do something a bit strange or upsetting right now to get more attention in the comic-book market. Go ahead, Tom, make me mad!

The March 2026 ToyMan Was a Delight!

Today's ToyMan Show was another highly enjoyable event. Whenever people ask me, "What show do I go to if I want to be impressed by the sheer amount of stuff for sale?" I always tell them, if you want a variety of neat items (and plenty of them), go to ToyMan. If you can't find a comic, toy, trading card, movie, or such at ToyMan, you probably didn't look hard enough or ask the right person, because it is most likely somewhere there, or a vendor will be able to tell you how they can get it for you! I truly appreciate the mental game of Tetris that the showrunner, Chris McQuillen, must play to make sure all the vendors have space and attendees can walk around without being crowded, because he strikes the perfect balance of rad stuff for sale, but also having a wide enough aisle you don't suffocate in a crowd. Let's discuss who/what I saw at the show, though!

I kicked off the event by chatting with an assortment of great folks. I saw Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, caught up with Tim Metzger, and ran into Jack of Fortress Comics. The cool people from Tatertot's shop were present, and I saw some cool items for sale from 573 Collectibles. I also had a chance to cut some deals with John from Bigfoot Comics, which is how I acquired this fun, "Guardians of the Galaxy," comic featuring an early appearance of when Angela went from Image Comics to Marvel (it was a whole mess of legal rights that eventually were resolved and saw her character's IP sold to Marvel). Here it is:

In the upstairs area, I was overjoyed to see such cool cats as Jessica Mathews, my chum Lindsay Hornsby, and Cayd of Tri Fox Shoppe, who told me they've started doing Twitch streams to show off their artwork! Heroes for Kids was present raising funds too, and talented author Jacqueline James, whom I've bought books from before, told me about another cool new one coming soon! Plus, the guest talent, Eddie Deezen (actor and voice actor), was chatting with fans and signing autographs too! There were clearly a lot of fun activities going on. I love going to the ToyMan Show and eagerly await the next one on May 3rd. There is always something new to see (or multiple new and cool things). Be sure to mark your calendars so you don't forget to attend!

My Reader Letter Was Printed in, "The Jungle," #3 From Uncivilized Books!

I have been loving reading, "The Jungle," which is published by Uncivilized Books and features the work of writer Keenan Marshall Keller and artist Tom Neely. It is a sequel to their run on, "The Humans," that follows the biker gang as a number of them get locked up in prison. The world of the comic is a bit, "Planet of the Apes," with various apes or monkeys as humanoids and us regular humans AKA, "Skins," as mindless pets. For this latest volume, readers were invited to send in letters, and I wrote one that was just published with other notes in the 3rd issue!

This latest issue is great as it focuses on one character who is trying to get by while much of the gang is incarcerated--Queenie--and how life has been tough for her (and everyone else) in the 1970s. It is a superb issue--as anything with the Humans/"The Jungle," has been so far, and I would encourage everyone to read these comics! The fourth issue will come out soon, and I look forward to further wild adventures set in the universe of the Humans!

Please Don't Tell the Parents of Someone With Autism You, "Get It," and Proceed to Illustrate Why You Don't

Many people are parents of children and adults with autism. They have heard all kinds of opinions, put up with a variety of odd questions, and been on the receiving end of stares or comments when out and about if their child/adult they care for is making sounds/stimming/etc. I've written here before about dealing with society's misunderstandings of Autism, but it almost infuriates me more when people feign understanding/kindness and proceed to then express immense ignorance. This was on display to me just today, in this very afternoon.

You see, Clarkson loves looking at books in stores. Any store we go to that has a selection of books excites him immensely. As of late, books featuring Pete the Cat or the David character from the, 'No, David!" books are his favorite. When we are at a store such as Half Price Books, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, or Target, he will build a little stack to flip through while sitting in a shopping cart and proceed to examine all his options. By the time we check out, we sometimes will then select one book he especially likes to purchase (if it's a special occasion, something like that) or tell him we're not getting a book today and give the handful of books to the employee at checkout. No store has ever had an employee complain about this, until today. It wasn't even the complaining that irritated me, either! It was how they did it.

Example of a Target book section

You see, we were checking out at the self-checkout at Target as we didn't have much besides some Salsa, chips, and a big ol' stack of books. Clarkson's birthday just occurred so I told him we could buy one book today. I scanned the wrong one, so I hit the, "Help," button to get it deleted. I was greeted by a lady who said how she recognized us from other visitss and asked if we could not always, "Have so many books," that had to be put back, but, "I get it, I really do." Meanwhile, Clarkson was side-eyeing her as she was standing so close, and he didn't like her angry and almost-yelling tone--which resulted in him clapping more and making some sounds.

At this point in the story, I would like to let you all know I took a deep breath, smiled, and apologized for creating extra work while I patted Clarkson's back to let him know everything was okay. I did not give in to the urge to call her a curse word or curse in general. If she had simply been relatively polite about the books, things would have been fine. If she had been rude but also didn't seem aware of Clarkson having autism, I'd understand that to a degree as well, even! However, please don't feign understanding and then make statements contrary to your claim of, "Getting it." She clearly did not, "Get it," and the situation only could have had the awkwardness and slight rage I felt increased if she'd polished off an old chestnut like, "You know, everyone's a little Autistic!" Should that have occurred, I probably would've busted out some choice swears.

People with Autism can make sounds, engage in movements, and have little routines that interrupt everyday life. Clarkson will hyperfixate on timers, on doors or wanting a shower. If he gets insanely focused on taking a quick shower because he loves the water, there is sometimes very little that can be done to delay/dissaude him from getting a shower without a total sensory meltdown/obbsession with getting a shower before he can focus on anything else. That's how it is sometimes, and you tweak certain things like making sure some doors are open or closed and tell him sometimes he needs to wait 5 minutes for a shower so Mommy and Daddy can finish eating a snack and help turn it on for him, but he gets that shower because he clearly needs it in his mind. If you've cared for someone with any disability, you know every person and disability is different. You understand that, and to a degree, you "Get it." This lady...she did not, "Get it," clearly. 

Oh, and if you don't, "Get it," it is okay to ask questions too! Other children Clarkson meets at play places will sometimes ask why he makes various sounds instead of talking and likes to clap. We'll tell those kids how he has Autism and uses a Talker device to communicate. Then Clarkson will play with them on the trampoline or such, and everyone has fun! When you're genuinely curious and are interacting with someone who is open to answering questions, it is okay to ask those questions (sometimes it isn't a good time, however, like in the middle of a sensory meltdown). Faking sympathy/empathy while at the same time complaining about how the actions of a disabled person inconvenienced you doesn't help anyone, however. I'm sorry that my child sometimes makes a little stack of books. I don't want to make extra work for anyone, and apologize for that. I won't apologize for his having a disability and accept your B.S. claim that you, "Really get it," when that's objectively false. So yeah, that was a Friday afternoon.