Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Hot Comics Revue 20--Mark Spears is Monstrously Popular

Mark Spears has been making art for comics, cards, and the like for quite some time. He also has suddenly become immensely popular. A slow-burn overnight success, as oxymoronic as that sounds. The sudden hit he's created? "Mark Spears Monsters," which has overtaken numerous Top 10 comic lists and inspired a lot of spending for an assortment of fun main and variant covers. Mr. Spears did a Kickstarter campaign that was incredibly successful and it resulted in the publisher Keenspot picking up the series. Since then, everything has sold like hotcakes. The main covers are hot, regular covers are popular, store-exclusive variants sell out in a jiffy, and the original Kickstarter issues are insanely sought-after too. A new Kickstarter launched last Friday for a prequel series that will go to backers and then come out with Keenspot in 2025. It, obviously, has been backed heavily. Anything related to Mark Spears and his monsters is selling for a good deal above the cover price.

Why is this series so hot? Well, the artwork is good (on the covers as well as inside the comics) and people love monsters. Plus, some covers have sexy ladies or lady-monsters. There are tons of folks out there with a kink for monsters and sexy guy or gal creatures are bound to sell too. "Mark Spears Monsters," is a comic that caught lightning in a bottle and while eventually there will be too many variants or books for folks and it could burn out a bit, I'd imagine some of the initially popular issues will keep their value for some time. If you can find any copies for cheap, grab them as quickly as possible.

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Television Tuesday: TLC is Going a Little TOO Hard on Those 90 Day Fiance Shows

I love trashy reality television. Some shows keep me engaged and others eventually wear out their welcome. I eagerly tuned into, "The Bachelor/Bachelorette," for a handful of years until it became overly complicated with so many shows and a tedious formula ("Golden Bachelor," reignited my interest briefly, however). On the other hand, "Big Brother," manages to keep things fresh enough that I always check a new season out because some are fantastic even if others drag. I enjoy a lot of TLC programs and one franchise that has grown, grown, and grown would be, "90 Day Fiance." The initial idea was straightforward. We followed a couple as their future spouse arrived in America and had 90 days to get married as per a K-1 Visa. Then the spin-offs started. 

Some of the mamy 90 Day shows include, "Before the 90 Days," following couples meeting in person for the first time. "The Other Day," which was about the reverse situation where an American is going to live abroad. "Happily Ever After," and its focus on couples that got married. "Single Life," with cast members who did not find love and are now looking for a partner. "Family Chantel," which focused on Chantel and her insane family. "Pillow Talk," where cast members watch, "90 Day," shows and comment on them. The list goes on and I'm going to stop because there are 18 or so of these things creating a complex continuity where people might be on one show, shift to another, then another, and before you know it we've created an unstoppable machine that gets to the point where there is a spin-off featuring the cast doing a cooking show (it happened). You now are unable to tune into TLC without there being at least one new 90 Day-related program occurring that week, possibly a handful. I've got to ask, is this too much?

A chart from Reddit attempting to figure out how to watch everything 90 Day-related.

I used to try and watch almost any, "90 Day Fiance," type show. With so many programs these days, however, the brand feels diluted. I'm not going to criticize how real or fake the shows are, this is reality television and there are always questionably planned-out elements, one theorizes. I don't care too much if I'm entertained, but am I having fun with every show or am I just trying to check them all out so I know who the Hell a couple on, "The Last Resort," is that are trying to save their relationship because they were on two other 90 Day programs already I must've missed due to the sheer deluge of content? I want to watch reality television to relax, not try to keep track of nearly 20 shows and what is going on in them. At least some shows are relatively self-contained still besides some thematic links like, "Thousand Pound Sisters," and, 'Thousand Pound Best Friends," which, yes, are real shows I watch because I already told you I enjoy junk programming. My point is that TLC needs to show a little restraint with the 90 Day brand because you can have too much of a good thing and get sick of it--even deliciously trashy international couples.

Monday, December 2, 2024

It's Not Just You, Honey Crisp Apples Have Become Increasingly Hit-or-Miss in Quality

I love apples. Our eldest child, Clarkson, is very picky about food but he'll eagerly eat apples. His little brother, Gibson, adores apples. My wife, Samii, is fond of apples as well. We have tried a variety and over time a clear favorite has emerged. We are big fans of the Honey Crisp apple. The thing is, over the years it has felt like some Honey Crisp apples just are not as good as they used to be. Is this in our head? Apparently, it is not, as a fascinating article by Genevieve Yam for Serious Eats discusses.

"How Honeycrisp Apples Went From Marvel to Mediocre," has Yam tracing the origin of the Honey Crisp apple to how attempts to greatly scale up production of the tasty fruit has at times impacted the quality. People trying to grow it in regions that aren't optimal for its biology, extensive storage times, and other factors have resulted in there being a risk that your Honey Crisp apple might not always have a delicious taste but instead be a bit weak and mealy--still better than a Red Delicious, though. I suppose in an attempt to meet the demand for the Honey Crisp apple it hurt the quality, a story that can sadly be applied to many products. It still is our household's favorite kind of apple, but I'll admit without hesitation that too many Honey Crisp apples these days for my liking are a disappointment once you chomp into them.


Sunday, December 1, 2024

Joe Biden is Over It/Has Pardoned Hunter Biden


Today, Joe Biden signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden. A full and unconditional pardon relating to Hunter's illegal gun ownership, tax issues, all of it. Biden (the elder) released a statement saying he was doing it because he felt Hunter was treated differently by the justice system due to his relation to Joe and that was unfair. I know the real reason, however: Joe Biden is done. He's done with Republicans who fought him tooth and nail to accomplish anything good for our Nation as it clawed its way back from the COVID-19 pandemic. He's done with Democrats who forced him to not run for President and how as a result he dropped out of the race way late for Kamala Harris to take his place...and she still lost. Joe Biden is done with politics once he leaves office this January and he doesn't care what anyone thinks anymore.

Now, Trump has always done this kind of bullshit and is already making it clear he's going to appoint loyalists and relatives to positions of power the day he takes office having won the white house for a nonconsecutive second. Biden was a career politician (for better or worse) who wanted to follow the rules and do whatever helped the greater good. It got him pushed out of a reelection bid (I mean, we all were thinking he was going to lose, but now who knows considering how good it looked for Kamala and all that got us), and it didn't do any good. Republicans won the white house, Senate, and House. They pulled off a trifecta with their empty promises and hateful rhetoric that more than half the Nation lapped up, and I imagine Joe Biden saw it all and felt a mix of rage, hopelessness, and defeat. I know I still feel that way about the election, but unlike Joe Biden, I don't have the power to do anything about it. 


Biden isn't going to try to stop Trump from assuming office like some kind of January 6th redux, but he can still throw up a couple middle-fingers to everybody, and pardoning Hunter is quite a big flipping of the bird. We can talk about the political implications this could have, but what does it matter? Biden is done and the Democrats lost it all. Biden is basically just flicking a lighter while a building (our nation)  burns down around him--sure it isn't a good idea, but the house is already ablaze so what harm could a few extra sparks do anyway? Joe Biden is a lame-duck President who doesn't give a hoot anymore. He lost one son, Beau, to cancer, and he doesn't want to lose another to the criminal justice system. Therefore, he did something unquestionably in poor judgment with his power to help a family member. He did something that we would shrug at if Trump did it but which was shocking for Biden--he showed he can be selfish. Trump proves every day he is an incredibly flawed person and today Biden showed some cracks too. He doesn't care about his party anymore, they've self-inflicted enough wounds--again, they lost everything.

The one funny thing about this is there is basically nothing anyone can do about this. A pardon can't be taken back and ol' Joe can't get in trouble as this was an official act he did as President--something the Supreme Court ruled he is legally exempt from when people were trying to bring charges against Trump. A ruling that protected Trump has indirectly served as quite useful to Joe and Hunter. Talk about the Biden's finding a silver lining in a major shitstorm cloud, eh? Still, I didn't have Joe Biden basically saying, "Forgot all ya'll," on my bingo card for 2024. It's been a year.

I Enjoyed but Also Have One Quibble with, "West Coast Avengers," #1

I read the latest iteration of, "West Coast Avengers," by Gerry Duggan and Danny Kim, and quite enjoyed it! The debut issue features Tony Stark and an assortment of heroes (and reformed villains) working to help the Western end of the United States stay safe from danger. The West Coast Avengers comics have always had an interesting mish-mash of a cast from the days when it was Hawkeye's team in California, and this new series contains bigger names (Iron Man, Spider-Woman, War Machine) and random characters (Firestar, new addition Blue Bolt, a reformed Ultron). One thing slightly bugged me, however. You see, a potential villain is revealed at the issue's end, and...Ultron is up to no good.

The idea of taking a monster like Ultron and having him be a good guy now (due to events in some other mini-series) is a cool change to the usual formula, for real! The extra twist that he's still plotting destruction with, "The Gospel of Ultron," being advertised as coming in 2025 at the issue's end kind of ruins things. I mean, it is zero surprise for Ultron to be doing evil again--even if it is slightly different in the sense he seems to be fusing humans with machines (kind of like he used to be with Hank Pym) instead of outright wanting to kill all humans.

I don't mind Ultron being a baddie, but why would you solicit him as reformed and make a big deal out of it only to do an immediate rug-pull and declare, "Nope, he's going to be a problem!" It is my one quibble with the new series even if it leads to a cool story from this new, "Gospel," of that mischievous machine. It just could've been less obvious this was going to happen.

Saturday, November 30, 2024

The First-Ever Tatertot Convention Was Fun!

Tatertot Comics and Collectibles held their first-ever comics and crafts convention today, Tatertot Con. It was great fun! We received the first snow of the season this late morning/early afternoon but that didn't stop a good chunk of people from turning out for the event! There were a bunch of vendors, artists, and special guests. I set up a table to sell some of my extra dollar comics and showcase the artwork of friend of the blog, David Welch Burton. He does an assortment of fascinating and affordable multimedia art that is a real treat to look at--you can find his website here.

The show was stuffed with cool things to see, and I was tickled that the concession stand had loaded tater tots for sale in addition to other food items in honor of how the Tatertot store did the show! I hope this becomes an ongoing event (just the show and not the snow) and look forward to any future Tatertot Cons we could expect in the future--when any get announced I'll be sure all of you know.

Friday, November 29, 2024

"Godzilla: Heist," Sounds an Awful Lot like, "Kaiju Score," Strangely Enough

Some years ago there was an interesting comic called, "Kaiju Score." It focused on a motley group of characters who pull off a big burglary while using a Kaiju attacking the city as a distraction to commit their crime. It was published by Aftershock while they were still relatively financially solvent and was pretty fun, blending two types of story (a heist and big city-destroying monsters) to make a fun blend of the genres. It was successful enough there was a follow-up mini-series. This makes it interesting that when I was reading the solicitation by IDW for a new series called, "Godzilla: Heist," it reminded me so much of that story.

"Godzilla: Heist," focuses on a ragtag group of thieves who try to lure Godzilla to London so he can serve as a distraction while they pull off a high-stakes robbery. "A quirky cast of characters and a massive creature wrecking the city so they can steal some stuff," is a story that can be told multiple ways so I have no problem with, "Godzilla: Heist," existing. After all, decades ago we had two movies out of asteroids heading toward Earth that practically arrived in theaters at the same time and told the story of such an event very differently ("Armageddon," and, "Deep Impact," if you need a reminder/weren't born yet). People stealing stuff while a Kaiju attacks a city is not a copywritten style of story, but it is funny to think Godzilla is the best-known big monster besides King Kong and a little indie comic beat him to the punch with this type of story. That said, I hope that, "Godzilla: Heist," is a fun read and imagine it will have some fun twists and turns with the plot--as most big heist tales tend to feature.

Thursday, November 28, 2024

Thanksgiving 2024!

If you live in North America or one of its territories, military bases, or so forth then you are probably aware that today is Thanksgiving. The holiday has murky historical accuracy, but it is a good excuse to get everyone together so they can eat a bunch of food. Then, folks can go shopping on Friday if they want (I might swing by Target after the initial opening surge to check for any fun deals). We'll be spending some time with my wife's sister and brother, with plenty of turkey being stuffed down my gullet. I shall also slurp down so much gravy that it borders on obscene because that truly is the American way.

Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Sony is Allegedly Working on a Competitor to the Nintendo Switch

Nintendo's Switch is both a home console and a portable one (besides the cheaper and portable-only versions). Back in the day I didn't think it would be as huge a hit as it was and didn't really, "Get it," until I started playing the console and found I dug it. That thing helped pass a lot of time during the pandemic lockdowns, I'll tell you that much. Sony must see how the Switch is popular and have some ideas. This is despite having attempted handheld devices before (the underrated PSP comes to mind, along with the massive bomb that was the Vita), but now a Switch-style PS5 or something like the Steam Deck is apparently in the early stages at Sony. From reports, these are very early stages and the whole thing could even end up being scrapped. 

Still, if Sony did make a console with the power of the PS5 and the capabilities of a Nintendo Switch, that could be pretty darn cool. I'll forever defend the original PSP as a bit ahead of its time and remember the device fondly (although the best console ever that was a bit too advanced for the times will forever be the Dreamcast), so a handheld-style PS5 sounds like an entertaining proposition if it ends up working out. I guess we'll know in a handful of years whether these rumors came to fruition or turned out to be silly gossip.

Tuesday, November 26, 2024

The Latest, "Widow," Kickstarter is Live!


Friend of the blog, Mike Wolfer, has launched his latest Kickstarter for his, "Widow Unleashed," series. It takes his classic comic and tweaks everything from the lettering (attended to by the talented Natalie Jane) to the artwork for a fantastic experience. Loaded with lots of action scenes, sci-fi concepts, a decent dose of erotic moments too (incorporated from a previous printing when the series was at Avatar Press for a bit) these Widow comics are a superb way to be introduced to the character of Emma AKA the spider-styled protagonist--and if you've read Wolfer's, "Widow," comics before in any capacity the new changes make a revisit totally worthwhile as well!

This latest Kickstarter campaign is for how now we're up to issues #15 and #16 of the ongoing series. Do not fear, however, as you can easily get digital or physical copies of all previous issues and spend some fun hours catching up on the series. Here's that link for the Kickstarter campaign again. I've already backed it and would recommend you do the same!

Monday, November 25, 2024

Music Mondays: Kendrick Lamar Dropped a Surprise Album Last Week--It's Fantastic

We waited years after, "Damn," for, "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers." There was a whole build-up and everything for, "Morale," and it was a great album but not an especially commercial/radio-friendly work. Then, on Friday, Kendrick dropped with little warning an entire album. 12 songs, 44-ish minutes. The LP is titled, "GNX." It is good and I do mean really good. It isn't as soul-searching or dedicated to digging into generational trauma as, "Morale," was, but it goes hard and has some definite fire tracks.

Kendrick basically obliterated Drake with some hit singles during their feud, so he avoids beating a dead horse on, "GNX," but still has plenty of statements to make about other rappers, society, and the way the World is. On the banger of an opening track, "Wacced Out Murals," he discusses how Lil' Wayne having an angry reaction to Kendrick headlining the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show upset him (and he makes his displeasure with multiple other folks for various reasons apparent too). The Luther Vandross sampling, "Luther," is superb with SZA's contributions to the track being a treat. I also dug, "TV Off," and, "Heart Pt. 6," has some vulnerability and emotion in case you thought Mr. Lamar only spat harsh bars now since his notable squabbles--"Squabble Up," being another fun track, speaking of the term.

I wasn't expecting to spend my weekend engrossed in a whole new album by Kendrick Lamar, but when a lovely surprise such as this happens you've got to take advantage of the opportunity to listen to a genius at work. "GNX," is superb even if it is not quite as amazing as, "DAMN," which I consider Lamar's best work. This ties for second place with, "To Pimp a Butterfly," perhaps. That said, something being considered the second-best thing Kendrick Lamar has put out in his lifetime of work means it is better than 99% of anything else that will be released this year, so yeah, "GNX," is a treat!

5 out of 5 stars.

Sunday, November 24, 2024

The Tatertot Con is Less Than a Week Away!

 

A brand new crafts and collectibles show will happen this coming Saturday, November 30th. It is the Tatertot Con, and I am excited about it! The folks at Tatertot Comics and Collectibles are really nice and when they announced there would be a convention full of comics, crafts, toys, art, cosplay, guests, and plenty of fun you can bet I was excited! It'll be taking place at 9719 Green Park Industrial Drive here in Saint Louis and run from 10AM-4PM. I look forward to eating a bunch of turkey on Thanksgiving day, relaxing Friday (I don't shop as much on Black Friday these days as I try to get gifts bought earlier on) and then having this awesome comic-con to attend Saturday.

Saturday, November 23, 2024

"Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster," is a Fun Trip Down a Refreshed & Refurbished Memory Lane

I played a lot of the original, "Dead Rising," on my Xbox 360. It was a wildly fun (if at times really difficult) title where you play as a freelance photojournalist named Frank West. Frank West has gone to a small town in Colorado, which is being blockaded from the outside world and full of zombies. Yep, zombies. Frank has a helicopter drop him at the big town Mall and over 72 hours you (as Frank) can work to solve the mystery of what's going on and get everyone you possibly can out safely from the Mall too. Now the game is back in a deluxe remaster and I tried a good chunk on my PlayStation 5. It is as great a time as I recalled, if not even more fun now!

I loved the mixture of serious-and-silly in, "Dead Rising," as you were snapping photos and fighting zombies with random objects in the Mall. From benches to swords, toys to chainsaws, it is pretty zany. The story of the zombies and where they were coming from had some interesting twists and turns too that I appreciated. The remaster keeps much of the tone and adds a whole lot more voiceovers, great graphics, some gameplay tweaks, and is familiar to those of us old enough to recall the original but still fresh in a manner that it is fun to revisit the series with some much-needed changes--you can move while aiming a gun now, thankfully.

"Dead Rising: Deluxe Remaster," is like retooling a vintage treat for the modern day. You take a great game, polish off the aged aspects, give it a nice new graphical shine, and you're good to go. It's still plenty tricky, but I'm also at an age now where I realize there is no shame in an easy/casual mode that is offered. I don't have as much free time or patience to constantly die fighting zombies as I did back in my schooling days, after all!

5 out of 5 stars.

Friday, November 22, 2024

Film Friday: People Are Being told Not to Sing at the, "Wicked," Movie--Good!

When you see a musical at a theater do you sing loudly with the actors or do you sit there quietly and listen to the talent (unless it is specifically a sing-a-long show)? You are silent. The new, "Wicked," movie features songs many people know from the Broadway show, but theaters have been telling fans to not sing during the flicks unless they go to a special showing. This is good! I want to hear Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo singing when/if I get a chance to see, "Wicked," not some random person who could possibly be quite off-key. Most people agree with me.

Sure, movie-going is a shared experience where we oftentimes laugh together, cry together, and sometimes even yell in surprise at a scary movie together. That said, I don't need to hear a whole theater attempt to stumble through, "Popular," because many of us (including me) do not sing especially well. I love it when people are passionate about a movie, but maybe just tap your foot along with the song or mouth some words, don't scream aloud that you're defying gravity, please. It's just disrespectful to everyone else.

Thursday, November 21, 2024

"Gunk Getter," is Wildly Effective

I'd seen ads for, "Gunk Getter," in various places. It looked like a weird slimy silly putty that supposedly picked up crumbs, dust, and assorted small debris. In other words, it picked up the titular, "Gunk," in its name. I was curious about Gunk Getter as there are always nooks and crannies I need help getting stuff out of. Car cupholders, that little spot where the floor meets your kitchen counters, and the like are a pain to get at with a standard paper towel (even with some spray on it), a duster, or the like. Using Q-Tips can help get into little crevices, but that gets old too. Therefore, when I saw some packets of Gunk Getter for sale at Walgreens yesterday, I decided to buy some as it was pretty cheap at just 3-ish bucks.

Once I used Gunk Getter I was shocked at how good it actually was when it came to doing its thing. This stuff feels goopy but doesn't leave behind much of any residue. It does, however, pick up dust, pieces of food, and so forth. This strange goopy stuff is really powerful and I was a bit shocked at just how effective it was. I got some extensive use out of my Gunk Getter and by the time I had rolled it all around some spots it was ready to toss--you can only use it so much before it gets kind of gross, after all.  I'm definitely going to purchase some more at Walgreens or online, however, as Gunk Getter was amazingly useful and powerful.

Note: This is not a paid post. Gunk Getter is not even aware I exist as a blog, but I am going to send them a link to this article and if they offer me some free product as thanks for my kind words I won't turn them down!

Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Spider-Man is Going to Fight The Predator in 2025

Marvel has done a couple of series where The Predator of Fox film fame crossed over with a Marvel hero. There was the surprisingly great one with Wolverine and a mini-series where a number of Predators go up against the Black Panther was also quite good and just wrapped. Sometimes these crossovers can feel like a mixture of a cash grab and empty fan service, so I've been pleased with how great the first two were with a lot of the credit for that going to writer Benjamin Percy and the assortment of artists who have tackled these crossovers (oh, and there have been some Predator-only focused comics at Marvel too that were perfectly fine and just got less buzz). Now, Benjamin Percy and Marcelo Ferreira are bringing us the most well-known (Marvel) hero of them all going against the infamous alien. Yep, we're getting, "Predator Versus Spider-Man." That sounds cool, doesn't it?

I'm excited about this series as Percy killed it (no pun intended) on the first two books and based on the teaser art it appears this new mini will be taking place smack-dab in NYC--a place I don't think a Predator has been since the, "Concrete Jungle," comic at Dark Horse decades ago or technically the stand-in, "New Way City," of the, "Predator: Concrete Jungle," video-game on the Xbox and PlayStation 2. Yes, the phrase, "Concrete Jungle," seems popular with media that relates to the Predator, but I digress from my main point--Spider-Man and the Predator are going to fight! That sounds cool and assuming this takes place over four issues in the same manner as the Wolverine and Black Panther crossovers the event will be nice and snappy, keeping us enthralled while not wearing out its welcome. I look forward to when this new mini-series begins in 2025!

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

An Assortment of Free Comic Book Day Titles Have Been Announced for 2025

Free Comic Book Day occurs the first Saturday of May ever since its inception (some COVID-era wonkiness aside). The day features a special comics publisher release for the event and the next one will be on May 3rd of 2025. As of today, some of the comics that will be on offer have been announced!

In regards to Marvel, they'll be spotlighting the Fantastic Four (which makes sense with an MCU movie on the way) and have a combination comic featuring some Amazing Spider-Man goodness and a tease of an upcoming Ultimate Universe event. Since it began I would say Marvel has shown shocking levels of restraint in regards to the latest Ultimate Universe, not putting out a ton of titles or immediately forcing it to do an event. As the series has been moving in real-time somewhat (each month of a comic is treated as an actual month) and counting down to The Maker escaping a prison in a manner of months, it makes sense that would lead into an event--my hypothesis would be that is what's approaching.

Out of some other announced comics, one thing I would not have predicted was a crossover between the Thundercats and Powerpuff Girls, but that's what we're getting! There will also be an issue set in the Energon Universe for Skybound (which has been popular with its original content, G.I. Joe and Transformers). Other interesting releases include a Conan comic from Titan, a Minecraft comic, Archie-themed goodness, and more! These are just some of the comics to expect for FCBD and plenty more will be declared, so I look forward to the next Free Comic Book Day for sure!

Monday, November 18, 2024

Music Mondays: "Bed Chem," is the Raunchiest Song I've Heard in a Bit

I've been upfront about how I usually hate really cute and peppy pop music but for some reason, the tunes of Sabrina Carpenter melt my ice-cold heart. I love the hit tunes, "Espresso," "Taste," "Feather," and, "Nonsense." I could take or leave, "Please, Please, Please," with its country-music vibe as I don't like most country stuff, but its passably entertaining. Carpenter's music is really listenable and often quite suggestive, but man, "Bed Chem," is incredibly horny.

It has a nice synth-heavy feel and features lyrics about tossing each other around intimately and phrases that are barely coded discussing, "Arriving," at the same time to an orgasm and a thermostat being set at, "69," which is also a double-entendre for an act people engaging in romance sometimes do (if you don't know go ask your experienced friend, we all have one). It's a good song, and the fact it doesn't outright say the dirty stuff somehow makes it even more frisky than some songs that outright state what's going on--e.g. how, "W.A.P." leaves literally nothing to our imaginations. 

The, "Bed Chem," song has also made waves as it seems to reference a celebrity at times linked to Carpenter, Barry Keoghan. Regardless of whom she has good chemistry in bed with, however, she clearly is having a good fictional time in the tune. Some folk don't like her (one college I attended in the past has a recent opinion piece really ripping into her, for example), but Carpenter and her collaborators make fun songs, darn it.

Sunday, November 17, 2024

Early Impressions on, "The Monster and the Mirror," and Thoughts on, "Hope by Terry Fox," Too!


I haven't had a ton of free time lately between sick kiddos, teaching a college class virtually, and life itself. That can make it hard to read a full-fledged book at times. That said, I was offered a review copy of, "The Monster and the Mirror," a bit ago and it sounded fascinating. Written by K. J. Aiello, it is a bit of a memoir and a bit of a reflection on the power of popular culture/piece of cultural criticism, discussing how mental illness impacted both the author and how it is reflected in mass media (e.g. with it generally treated as something villainous or as a punishment). I'm earlier-on in the book, but really digging what I've read so far!

K. J. Aiello has some extremely wise points about how most popular culture is terrible at how it portays mental illness as something monstrous and scary. There aren't that many tales where a hero happens to have a mental illness of some sort, after all. These observations come from Aiello telling a very personal story of their own childhood and their own life with mental illness that wasn't understood very well until they were older. This is not a book for those who can't handle some difficult stuff--Aiello has a lot to share and I thank them for being willing to dig deep and expose hard times for us to observe and learn from. I look forward to reading more of, 'The Monster and the Mirror," as it is fascinating!

5 out of 5 stars (from what I've read so far).



On a side note, I was at first actually sent the wrong book to review by the publisher. I received, "Hope by Terry Fox," which was crafted/edited by Barbara Adhiya. It is about a man named Terry Fox who had his right leg amputated above the knee at age 18 due to cancer and in the interest of raising money to cure the disease began doing fundraising runs all across Canada. The book features tons of informational interviews, pictures, maps, and such that Adhiya acquired from a bunch of people from Terry's life (he passed in 1981). Since his passing over 850 million has been raised via the Marathon of Hope he founded. It's a fascinating story I was not familiar with and would encourage people to check out, "Hope," as it is an intriguing true tale!

5 out of 5 stars.

Saturday, November 16, 2024

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul Fought and We All Watched For Some Reason

I don't generally use the word, "Hate," much as it can be overutilized and lose its impact. I save it to truly express how I loathe and despise something. That said, I loathe the Paul brothers (Jake and Logan). They are annoying so-called, "Influencers," on social media. They post idiotic videos, come up with stupid catchphrases, and otherwise annoy other people in the name of entertainment. Jake Paul has become a boxer these past years and got it in his mind he wanted to fight Mike Tyson. Now, Jake is 27 and in prime physical shape. Mike Tyson is 58 and has had a number of health issues over the years even if he tries to keep a solid physique. The two fighting makes little sense, but the internet wanted it, so it happened last night.

60 million or so people logged into Netflix around the World to witness some fights before Tyson and Paul and then the main event finally occurred after midnight Eastern time. Even though Netflix worked to have a lot of bandwidth, the main takeaway from the event is they really should've spent even more money on their internet infrastructure. As the live show went on the buffering, glitches, and outright crashing of Netflix was the main topic on Twitter about the fight as opposed to any actual fighting. That said, Tyson is a complicated man with a messy history of his own, but many people seemed to hope he could get some good licks in on Paul because--like myself--a lot of people just don't like Jake or his brother.

I never watch boxing events. Back in the old days, they cost money on Pay-Per-View and I would've spent that money on plenty of other items. That said, this was free if you had Netflix and could get through the buffering. That resulted in myself and millions of other people shrugging and figuring they would tune and watch some random fights before the main event. I wasn't bored, especially in the last big fight before Tyson and Paul where Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano showcased some real speed, skill, and the blood flowed in a shocking manner. I was ready for bed when the reason we all were watching finally started, but I had already committed so I stayed awake. 

Paul and his brother had an absurdly over-the-top entrance as they rode into the arena with a fancy car that had its sunroof down and, "In the Air Tonight," blasted through the stadium. When it was Mike Tyson's turn to appear, he just walked into the arena with his black trunks on and a look that was half-rage and half-resignation that this was probably the last big fight of his career (one he maybe didn't even want, but money talks). I knew Tyson was bound to lose this fight, but I wanted him to at least show a bit of the, "Iron Mike," everyone has talked about for decades. Then the bell started ringing for the first round.

Mike came out hard. For a split-second, you could've thought he might win this thing. The problem, however, is that while Mike Tyson at age 58 could easily take down a regular bloke off the street with a few choice punches, this was eight rounds of Tyson against someone who is 27 and one has to admit (even if they hate him) has developed a legitimate boxing career. Tyson got in some solid punches, but at the end of the day, he's literally an older generation fighting in vain against the new guard. Still, it went all eight rounds and now Paul gets to brag he officially won against Tyson (never mind it was a Tyson past his prime) and Mike can hold his head high that he lasted against a younger fighter in peak physical condition. The whole thing was more of a soap opera than a real fight in the end (Tyson and Paul, I mean, the other fights were legit brawls to varying degrees), but so many of us watched when we weren't stuck staring at a red circle spinning around to indicate the latest technical snafu. The fight itself was weak, as many concur, but the drama of it all was fun. 

Still, is this a stain on the record of Tyson, doing such a blatant cash-grab? He honestly does not care, telling a 14-year-old reporter who asked him about his own legacy, "[It] means absolutely nothing to me. I’m just passing through. I’mma die, and it’s going to be over. Who cares about legacy after that? I’mma die, I want people to think, 'I was this, I’m great…'No, we’re nothing. We’re just dead. We’re dust. We’re absolutely nothing. Our legacy is nothing." Tyson basically told us nothing matters in the end, and I suppose if you went into this match with the same viewpoint then the sheer anticlimax of when they were actually fighting is a bit less disappointing. Even if you're less nihilistic than Tyson, however, it still is apparent main winner in the end was Most Valuable Promotions, who organized and profited immensely off the fight. Guess who is a co-founder of MVP? Yep, Jake Paul, so of course he laughs all the way to the bank in the end. Beating up an old man and getting rich(er) doing it, that's the true American dream.

Friday, November 15, 2024

Amazon is Killing Freevee



You may have known of Freevee but not realized it was owned by Amazon. It was like Prime but had shows you could watch for free with ads--like Pluto/Tubi/etc. The thing is, Amazon Prime tacked on advertisements a short time ago unless you pay extra (which, yeah, I won't pay any more than I already do). Hence, what purpose Freevee was serving the company was unclear and it's been decided that Freevee is gonna be shut down with Jeff Bezos himself (assumably) laughing manically as he pulls the plug on the service.

This is unfortunate as I like, "Freemium," content, and Freevee had cool stuff (like, "Jury Duty,") but I also understand why Freevee is of little to no use for Amazon. this isn't like Quibi where people outright rejected a service and it croaked, this is just a case of the water getting too muddy between Prime with ads and Freevee. Pour one out for another streaming service biting the dust in an era where I'd wager more will disappear as there are still too many between paid/free/ads/etc.

Thursday, November 14, 2024

Netflix Has Been Building a Cinematic Universe of Christmas Movies

A lot of companies were working at making cinematic universes a short number of years ago due to how popular and successful Marvel had been. Many failures occurred from a false-start of Universal's monsters in a, "Dark Universe," to DC having to get James Gunn to do a reboot for their flicks after they started to crater at the box office. Cinematic Universes don't seem to be much of a focus for companies anymore, so imagine my surprise at reading how Netflix has quietly been building one...with Christmas movies. Yes, seriously.

"Hot Frosty," is a new Netflix flick that looks equally silly and fun. It features Lacey Chabert and a snowman who magically comes to life--he also happens to be a totally ripped hunk played by Dustin Milligan. One assumes the movie features them falling in love, but it just came out the 13th on the streaming service so I haven't watched it yet. That said, I read an article discussing how, "Hot Frosty," ties in slightly with a 2022 film starring Lindsay Lohan known as, "Falling For Christmas," and makes allusions to another movie titled "Single All the Way," where that exists as a fictional production plus, "Christmas Prince," has elements riffed on too. In addition, there are some throwaway jokes that reference, "Mean Girls," just for fun. Still, it is clear that Netflix is building some kind of Christmas-themed movie universe where things tie together, somehow, and that is interesting (the "Mean Girls," stuff is more of a joke than any true continuity, however).

Romance and inter-film continuities!

Could we be leading up to some kind of epic crossover full of wild CGI fights (like Marvel always has) and Christmas cheer? Probably not the former, but I'd imagine we'll get a lot of the latter as even if this is more of a wink-and-nod cinematic universe Netflix has with their holiday flicks, it still is a rare example of one outside of Marvel succeeding so far--even if it is just a handful of films, but that's pretty impressive in some ways considering how many cinematic universes died a terrible death after a single production flopped (sorry, Valiant Comics and your movie plans for after the, "Bloodshot," one). Whether this is a complex multi-layered storyline Netflix is building or just fun easter eggs, I applaud them on inadvertently doing what so few studios have been able to do, make a cinematic universe people actually like watching besides Marvel.

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

"Sunday," by Olivier Schrauwen Explores the Intriguing Within the Tedious

I've got some friends (stop laughing, I do have friends) who work over in the comic biz and know what kinds of odd comics I like. Hence, when one emailed me and said there was a new book by Olivier Schrauwen titled, "Sunday," that they thought I would dig, I found myself intrigued. I'd previously read, "Arsène Schrauwen," by the same author some years ago and enjoyed that surrealist tale of a man visiting a colonist jungle in the 1940s, so I had supplied to me for the purposes of review a copy of, "Sunday."

Published by Fantagraphics, the book arrived a couple weeks ago and it took me a bit to read it because, "Sunday," is a thick publication. It is large in overall page size and a hefty read. It makes sense, though, because a lot is going on within, "Sunday," while at the same time, very little of consequence occurs too. If that sounds confusing, bear with me and I'll explain. You see, "Sunday," follows the day of a (fictional) cousin of the author. Thibault is his name, and we see/"Hear," his stream-of-consciousness thoughts as he goes about wasting much of his day. Very little happens for much of the story, but that is the point. If I had to compare, "Sunday," to any other form of media then the play, "Our Town," oddly enough springs to mind. I say that as a big compliment.

While we witness Thibaults thoughts, the visuals/camera-of-sorts moves around and we see a lot of other things. A cat chasing a rat, friends of Thibault planning a surprise birthday party for him, Thibault's partner making her way back home after a long trip, and a man getting into a fight at the bar. As I said, there is a lot going on while at the same time, nothing much happens for a good chunk of the book. Thibault's thoughts are quite random too, often not syncing up to what's going on in other places--but why should his assorted musings do so? It is all very quirky and looks gorgeous as Olivier's illustrations have a fascinating mix of pencils, pens, and watercolor-style beauty. It makes it so that even when we're just staring at Thibault in the tub, its exciting as the panels shift and break down with the beautiful colorations.

With, "Sunday," a lot of the enjoyment from the book comes from when it meanders whilst looking beautiful. I would recommend, "Sunday," to any readers after something a bit different and very experimental. I had a good time and would rate, "Sunday," as being 5 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, November 12, 2024

November 2024 News and Links

 It is Finally Cooling Off 

Welcome to November of 2024. October was weirdly warm but now we're feeling a chill--after all, the month kicked off with an election that I already shared plenty of thoughts about. We will conclude November with Thanksgiving seemingly really late this year too. In the meantime, here are some pieces of news I found interesting.

News and Stuff of Interest

The movie, "Wicked," has a lot of toys that are going to tie in. Someone who isn't aware of the correct movie URL might try to just go to Wicked as a website instead of the movie one and discover that the former warns folks it is a grown-up site that wants you to clarify you're grown and okay with seeing adults doing adult stuff. No harm no foul if you mess that up. However, if Mattel were to accidentally put the wrong website on their boxes for Barbie toys, that would be quite a mistake. Somebody got in big trouble at Mattel but Wicked (the adult site) is laughing all the way to the bank as they've hit a 12-year high in traffic visiting the site. If even a small percentage of people who are now aware of this site subscribe to it that's a nice chunk of change. Ironically, the mature site has a bunch of spoofs of movies as the news will tell ya, but nothing relating to, "Wicked," itself. That's the real shame here.

In other movie news, Marvel showcased more of their upcoming, "Captain America: Brave New World," and, "Thunderbolts*," movies at their D23 Brazil event. These actually are looking pretty good and like they could draw some crowds after a chunk of Marvel projects have been received with less buzz lately (flicks with Deadpool and/or Wolverine aside).

The new, "Absolute," books DC is putting out have been extremely well-received to the surprise of some who weren't expecting much beyond alternate-universe takes on popular characters. I have read the first issues of the Batman, Wonder Woman, and Superman series and they all are pretty cool. I (and many individuals I've spoken with) really was into the, "Batman," title but see some big potential in the other two as well. Between the Absolute stuff at DC and shockingly good Ultimate titles at Marvel, I guess sometimes a new take on an old classic is what a story can quite benefit from.


"Saturday Night Live," struggled a bit deciding what to say with their first episode since the Presidential election. There was one skit people seemed to either really enjoy or quite dislike that had nothing to do with politics, however. Presented as a bit of an advertisement with host Bill Burr discussing a band called, "Snake Skin," and their greatest hits album, it is glorious. Snake Skin is a fictional 80's band and I personally found the skit hilarious in how much it really did sound like a hair metal band from the 1980s singing about how much they want, "Nah-Nah," along with other raunchy absurdities. I do mean some people hated this sketch, but I was cracking up.

A gentleman playing, "Red Dead Redemption 2," on the PC modded it so that every horse and carriage moved at the speed of a missile and became extremely deadly. The results were both stupid and hilarious. I mean, we gotta do something to pass the time while we wait for, "Grand Theft Auto 6," don't we?

Lastly, everyone has been telling me how much I need to watch that, "The Penguin," show on MAX that spins out the Matt Reeves/Robert Pattinson, "Batman," movie. Colin Farrell is a great actor and person, so I plan to tune in. I just need to find the time to also watch that actual, "The Batman," movie because it is almost 3 hours long and life can be a bit too busy to sit that long. Maybe if I split it up into a few viewing sessions that could work? We'll see as I do really want to watch that, "The Batman," flick and then its Penguin spin-off show as it is getting rave reviews.

Monday, November 11, 2024

Tony Todd Has Passed

Tony Todd has passed away at the age of 69. The man had tons of credits in movies, television, voice-over gigs, and leaves behind a huge body of work. That said, I bet tons of people would immediately know him best for, "Candyman," as that was a series in which he played a huge part. That said, Todd did so much work you've doubtlessly seen him in other productions (or heard him) even if you refused to watch his, "Candyman," work for how damn scary it could be. Tony Todd brought a level of skill and professionalism to his work that whether it was a big blockbuster he happened to pop up in or a micro-budget flick that could barely afford a decent set (let alone someone of his caliber), Todd always made anything he was involved in better with his presence. He'll be missed.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Marvel and Abrams Have New, "Super Stories," on the Way--One with Moon Knight!

Marvel and Abrams have been doing an annual series called, "Marvel Super Stories," with the latest one, being "Amazing Adventures," and serving as the second volume. Geared towards middle-grade/younger readers, these graphic novels help kiddos develop their reading skills via comic stories within a snazzy graphic novel. I always applaud efforts to get younger folks into comics because if the market is just older folks it will eventually crumble when the fanbase for comics literally dies out. Get youth reading superhero stories geared towards them and then before too long, they'll read the superhero stuff for general and older audiences and could segue into the weirder and more unique indie comics that are always deserving of love too.

I'm also intrigued by this new Abrams/Marvel collab as one of the stories will be about Moon Knight and by Chan Chau--a graphic novelist well-known for comic versions of, "The Babysitters Club." Let's make the youngsters fans of Moon Knight for sure! Besides Moon Knight there will be plenty of other cool characters spotlit so it should be a fun publication. The book is out this Tuesday, November 12th, and should be a good time for readers of any age!

Saturday, November 9, 2024

I Listened to a Football Podcast Because Rob Gronkowski is Funny

The only sport I follow to much of a degree is hockey. I enjoy watching the NHL and at least have some knowledge about the game and its players. That said, I do know the biggest names in other sports. Rob Gronkowski has always been an interesting character to me. Humorous, outspoken, and smarter than he acts/portrays, he's a funny fellow. I heard an ad on the radio for how he had a podcast with another former footballer I will confess to not knowing of, Julian Edelman. The name of that podcast? "Dudes on Dudes." Pretty clever and something to be sure you type with extra keywords (like the hosts' names) if you search for it online to avoid a different sort of Google result.

"Dudes on Dudes," debuted this year and features Gronk and Edelman giving us a new episode every Tuesday during the NFL season where they talk about football, its players, and basically crack jokes. I know very little about football, but I gave a solid chunk of the newest episode a listen and it was fun. The guys talked about how there is a game being played in Germany and about the NFL wanting to expand outside of the states in its popularity further. They also chatted about notable former player Stephen A. Smith (who tied into the Germany theme this episode as he spent a chunk of his youth growing up there) and they basically shot the breeze but never were boring, thankfully. I will say Gronk's attempt to learn and speak some German was hilariously awful too.

If you're a fan of Gronk/Edelman, enjoy football, or just like a fun podcast, "Dudes on Dudes," is a fun time. My lack of football knowledge had me scratching my head at some aspects of the conversation and I'm sure a number of jokes went over my head, but I understood enough that I liked the show. You can check it out wherever podcasts are available--I used Spotify!

Friday, November 8, 2024

Happy Birthday to Samii!

Today my wife, Samii, turns 40. She is an amazing person and deserves to have the best birthdays possible. Samii is a wonderful spouse, a loving mother to our two boys (Clarkson and Gibson), and a great friend to anyone with the privilege of knowing her. She is my favorite person in the World and my life is better for knowing her. Happy birthday, Samii, you're the best!

Thursday, November 7, 2024

I've Been Playing Two Card-Themed Games a Good Deal

Card Games, but Virtual

I don't have a ton of time for video-games, but I do try to sample them when the chance arises via renting/Gamepass/buying cheap ones if they get lots of good reviews. Hence, it is funny that as someone who doesn't play a ton of card games I have found two themed for cards which really captured my attention as of late. Let's discuss them.

Inscryption

"Inscryption," is a game within games. It has multiple acts and isn't at all what it seems. That said, Act 1 is a mixture of a card game and an escape room. You find yourself playing this strange game themed for beasts eating each other that requires careful placement of your cards lest you find yourself dead. Don't worry if you die though, a new, "You," appears with new features--so it is a bit of a, "Roguelike," as the term goes. The thing is, there is a lot more to, "Inscryption," than meets the eye in that first Act and things get even twistier. Between exploring the mysterious cabin and how much game there is once you seemingly escape it, you can't say this is purely a card game. That said, the card-focused aspects of, "Inscryption," are extremely fun in this at times quite creepy game. You can buy a copy or play it for, "Free," on Xbox/PC Gamepass at the moment. It's worth trying out.


Baltaro

"Baltaro," is a bit like playing digital Solitare if it were mashed-up with Poker and had a whole bunch of unique power-ups in the form of 150 different Joker cards that all do wildly unique things. You see, in "Baltaro," you make Poker hands and earn points, with enough points clearing a round (sometimes rounds have little rules like Clubs don't earn points or you have to make certain hands). That sounds simple, and it would be, except those Jokers make things very interesting. Suddenly you have a Joker card that makes straights worth a lot more points and you utilize it with a Joker that allows flushes from any black suited card with a black suit or red with red so you're throwing out straight flushes with ease...until suddenly you can only play a hand once in a round and lose quickly. 

Yes, this is again a game where you will eventually lose (even if you win the minimum number of rounds to be considered a winner of a run overall). That is fine, however, as a lot of the fun is finding out what weird combinations of Jokers you can use to rack-up insane points. After all, a Joker that makes face cards repeat their points is kind of helpful, but it becomes a dangerous combo when you have a Joker that makes all cards be considered face cards for points. This deceptively simple game has become a huge hit and can be played on your computer, consoles, or phone. I bought it for just $9.99 on my iPhone and it had zero in-app purchases after that. Between these two games there is clearly lots of fun to be had playing cards virtually!

Wednesday, November 6, 2024

America Made a Choice Yesterday.

Yesterday was November 5th, 2024. America made a choice. More than half of this nation decided it was okay with a man who is a racist, rapist, and raging narcissist becoming President one more. A man convicted of 34 felonies and who would not be able to work in a number of jobs or cast a vote in many states has been chosen to lead the USA. I can almost excuse the people who voted for Trump in 2016 as we didn't know how bad things would get. Then they got bad. After Trump lost his attempt to be reelected an actual coup happened at the Capitol that he rooted for. Despite January 6th, despite the felonies, despite all of it, Trump ran again, won his primary, and proved that maybe America isn't better than this.

We aren't better for our women who have had their reproductive rights under attack due to Trump's first Presidency that allowed him to appoint a Supreme Court that undid Roe V Wade. We aren't better for our citizens of color or migrant workers who just want a piece of the American dream. We definitely aren't better to our LGBTQ+ residents--especially those who are Transgender and seem to constantly be used as a scary prop by conservatives despite being regular people who just want to live their lives. We are not a Nation trying to do better, we are one that is going back to some dark and twisted times. Enough of the country heard Trump and liked what he said that he won. They don't care if his empty promises of filling their pockets also meant taking away their rights--at least, not as long as, "The right people are hurt," as the saying goes. It's the return of a monster, and the only thing different is this time he's even angrier and has a new VP.

Ah yes, Trump has a new Vice President because his last one (Mike Pence) followed the rules of the Constitution after Trump lost to Biden. This angered Trump and his supporters who said Mike Pence should be hanged. Now Trump has a critic-turned-lapdog in the form of J.D. Vance. Trump has a Senate reclaimed by the GOP too. Don't think that just because a number of states have voted to give people abortion rights (one of the few silver linings last night was my State of Missouri voted in favor of that) the Federal government will avoid pushing through a National ban while drunk on power. They said they wouldn't, but since when has Trump and the GOP been honest?

If you voted for Donald Trump this time around I hope you are prepared for the consequences of your actions. Kamala Harris represented some peace and stability, and Trump represented unpredictable and dangerous mayhem. I don't know what kind of dark days are ahead, but come January of 2025 things are going to get quite worse. I've lost a lot of faith in this Nation for choosing to go backward into hate instead of forward into progress. I'm mourning what I thought my country could be, but clearly isn't, in other words. America got the President it apparently deserved in the end, and that's crushing to witness.