Go Read a Fascinating Bill Jemas Article in the Latest, "The Comics Journal," Issue!

The Comics Journal used to come out monthly but some time ago shifted to having short website articles and fascinating pieces of long-form journalism in a yearly-ish edition the size of a hefty novel. The 310th issue recently came out and contains a fascinating examination of how Bill Jemas arguably saved Marvel from going utterly insolvent in the 2000s through all kinds of wild and weird ideas before being let go because the company regained stability and no longer had any space for the wild and weird ideas. The TCJ website has a preview of the big piece you can read, but I'd frankly say you should just get yourself a copy of the latest issue and delve into the fascinating character that is Jemas. 

Is Bill Jemas a man with passion or a bully? Someone who takes calculated risks or a foolhardy gambler who managed to strike it lucky just often enough to keep going? A hero to those he helped like Mark Millar and someone to be compared to Darth Vader by others he enraged like Tom Breevort. I have to confess I have a fondness for the era of Marvel under Jemas' tenure as it brought us the wildly inventive Ultimate Universe, the Marvel Max line, Morales and Bakers' "Truth," Grant Morrison's amazing, "New X-Men," (although that ended after a number of screaming matches via the phone between Morrison and Jemas) and other inventive stuff like a superb run on, "Cable," that morphed into the surreal, "Soldier X." This isn't to say the time Jemas spent at Marvel only put out bangers, there were plenty of flops and outright bizarre misfires--remember, "Marville," my friends? That said, the TCJ article points out it was the last time Marvel seemed to really be trying something new and different as opposed to, "Safe," content that wouldn't rock any corporate boats too much (Disney, after all, did buy Marvel back at the end of 2009).

It's a great article that paints a complex and at times contradictory picture of Bill Jemas, a man who at the end of the day feels he is right, and sometimes he is! In my own dealings with Jemas he once wrote me when I posted negative initial impressions of the comics from one of the publishing lines he was a part of post-Marvel, Double Take comics. He sent me an email stating how he felt if I read more than the first issues of various series I would get a better feel for everything and like a lot more the line's output. Jemas sent me in the mail a bunch more stuff to read. He was, in fact, correct, and I liked the Double Take stuff before the line folded and Jemas went on to some other endeavors. Jemas is an interesting person and, "The Comics Journal," gives us a fascinating and juicy article about the fellow. Go get a copy from your store of choice or the publisher Fantagraphics itself. The rest of the issue is full of great reading too!

Oreo Flavored Coke...Tastes Good?

I tried some Coke Zero that tastes like Oreos because I saw it at the store and figured, "Why not give it a chance?" It is a part of the, "Creations," line Coke has done where random temporary taste sensations hit the market. I expected the worst, but it actually tasted pretty good--I know, I'm shocked too! This is another one of those temporary flavors that Coke does sometimes and apparently, there are Coke-flavored Oreos you can buy too (I haven't tried those yet). I enjoyed the soda as it hits your taste buds at first just like some standard Coke, but then you get a pleasant aftertaste of Oreos. 

This new flavor isn't overpowering, but the taste is there. I like a nice simple little taste of Oreo as opposed to some overly complex mix of flavors as we've seen before from some other Coke, "Creations," they have done. This isn't a new favorite alternate flavor of mine, but I quite liked it. If you see this available in the standard or zero option, give it a try--you might just be surprised in the same manner I was!

"Star Trucker," Early Impressions

I tried the new game, "Star Trucker," via Xbox's Game Pass. I found it both fun and infuriating during the bit of time I've had to sample the simulator of sorts. In, "Star Trucker," you have a big space rig you fly around via the stars. It's a mix between wild sci-fi and at times focusing on the minutia of taking care of your vehicle. One minute you're admiring a space station the next you're replacing your cabin's air filters and making sure the gravity doesn't shut off in your rig. There are lots of little buttons and things to fiddle with in your truck and it gives everything a nice tactile feel even though we obviously can't truly, "Touch," our levers or buttons. "Star Trucker," takes great pains to really make you feel like you're inside a hefty spaceship, however, whether it's cycling your cabin's cameras or pulling the horn. It is quite charming. Then the issue arises that I'm not good at flight simulators.

Yes, you're in a truck, but you are flying through space. Up is down and down is up, but as this is space even that doesn't always hold true. I'm not the best at games with your flying or floating around and I found myself getting incredibly irritated when I'd try to dock myself with a space station or pick up some cargo. I attempted to be as precise as I could lining my truck up with things, but often would just smash into a wall and damage my poor rig. I'd get really annoyed, but then I'd also have fun once I finally got to cruising. Once everything was hitched, I could enjoy some tunes on the space radio and kick-back..before hitting some space debris and having to do a spacewalk to fix my hull.

"Star Trucker," requires patience. You need to watch all the life support systems in your truck at the same time you're flying through space avoiding debris and then slowing down to a crawl and carefully lining-up for cargo. Even on the easiest setting, there is much to manage. It's a very endearing game one minute and has you feeling like throwing your controller across the room in a rage the next. I've had some fun with it when I'm not cursing under my breath, and if you have Game Pass there really is nothing to lose if you give, "Star Trucker," a try. I haven't played enough of the game to feel I could offer an earnest review, but my early impressions are that this is a good time...when it's not enraging you.

Film Friday/Flashback Friday: The Best Movies in the, "Friday the 13th," Franchise For a Newbie to Watch

Today is a Friday. It is also the 13th of the month. Hence, we have the day many consider bad luck or such for...reasons. Friday the 13th is not a day I worry about having bad luck, however. It is a day that reminds me of a sometimes fantastic and sometimes awful franchise. Yes, I'm talking about Jason Vorhees, the big scary baddie in (most) of the famous, "Friday the 13th," flicks. I've previously discussed how the movies can vary a lot in tone but if somebody wanted to dip their toe into the franchise, where should they start? Honestly, Part IV and Part VI.

"Friday the 13th Part IV," was supposed to be the, "The Final Friday." It obviously wasn't, but that's okay. It picks up right at the end of the 3rd movie and sort of recaps everything before then to a degree where even if you're going into the franchise with the bare minimum of knowledge, you can follow along. In a remarkable twist for this movie, we get characters we kind of care about, especially a young boy named Tommy Javis. It's a real treat of a flick and ends with Jason seemingly, "Dead," for real.

Skip Part V. It has zero impact on the franchise and it is revealed the killer isn't even Jason. It sucks.

Now then, after Part IV we get into, "Friday the 13 Part VI: Jason Lives." This entry brings Jason back from the dead and makes it clear he's some sort of supernatural force, dropping any pretense of him being human. This is my favorite entry of the franchise as it expertly mixes horror, humor, and even some explosive action as Tommy Jarvis returns (with a new actor portraying him) to try and get rid of Jason for good.

There are, of course, three entries before Part IV and plenty of films after VI, including a crossover with Freddy Kruger which is more entertaining than it had any right to be. Besides a shoddy remake/reboot we haven't had much Jason lately due to the rights for, "Friday the 13th," being messy for some years. A prequel series focused on the camp AKA Crystal Lake itself has had some rocky development but seems to be in the works for Peacock. Whether it will be as good as some parts or make me as annoyed as Part V will remain to be seen. Whatever the case, have a good Friday the 13th, and remember that as long as you stay away from Camp Crystal Lake Jason will (generally) not start any trouble.

Upper Deck Has Officially Lost the Marvel License to Topps

Upper Deck had the license to produce (physical) Marvel trading cards in America for quite some time. They've released a ton of various themed sets you could buy in stores or via ePack (a digital platform that is physical too as you can have any cards from ePack mailed to your home). However, as was rumored for a bit, Topps has acquired the Marvel license starting in 2025. Topps has had, "Star Wars," for decades and worked with other Disney properties. Heck, Topps has done special physical Marvel cards in the UK, even, so they will surely make some fun sets too. Upper Deck is by no means hurting either, having acquired the DC license recently.

There are still a number of Marvel-themed sets coming out from Upper Deck in the remainder of 2024 and Topps will kick off 2025 with, "Topps Finest X-Men ’97, marking the first-ever global release of Marvel cards under the Topps banner." It should be an interesting 2025 in regards to non-sports cards.

"Widow Unleashed," #13 and #14 Are Live on Kickstarter!

I've been a fan of Mike Wolfer's work for years now and have greatly enjoyed the process he has been doing of taking his old, "Widow," comics and rereleasing them with a number of updates (thanks to funding via Kickstarter). Fully colorized, tweaked art, and re-lettered in spots by Wolfer's collaborator, Natalie Jane--these new versions of the cult-classic, "Widow," comic are fantastic. We're all the way up to the remasters of issues #13 and #14 with this latest Kickstarter campaign (find it right here), but never fear, you still can easily get all the previous issues via this campaign. "Widow," is a great series full of action, some risque scenes, body-horror, and is always good fun. Go back it (here's that link again) and get ready to be entertained by all the previous 12 issues and these latest ones!

John Cassaday Died at Age 52

Earlier this week John Cassaday died of heart complications at the shockingly young age of 52. He was dealing with assorted health issues but this still came as a surprise to many comic fans. He worked on a ton of fantastic series and is especially well-known for, "Planetary," but I always most loved his art on, "Astonishing X-Men." He was a fantastic creator, simply put. Many people shared stories of how awesome a person and creator Cassaday had been. A great talent is gone and it sucks.

9/11/2001 Was 23 Years Ago

9/11/2001 was a day 23 years ago full of shock, terror, and disbelief. Terrorists were able to attack the World Trade Center Towers and the Pentagon via hijacked planes. One plane was retaken by passengers and crashed in Pennsylvania.  It led to wars, numerous political/social/economic changes, and impacted our Nation and the World in so many ways. We have a significant chunk of the population that wasn't even born then and learns about the day in history books. I remember being in 8th grade that morning and how confusing it all was thinking some accident had occurred before it became quite apparent the nation was under attack once the second plane hit the other tower. A dark day in history that saddens me to remember.

Some of My Takeaways From the Harris and Trump Debate Last Night

There will be countless people with more credibility/accreditation/knowledge than me who will share thoughts about last night's debate. That said, I have my own observations, which I'll post here because that's just how I roll. Frankly though, if you didn't watch the entire 90-ish minutes you could get the main takeaway from the final statements Kamala Harris and Donald Trump made at the conclusion of the broadcast. Harris offered a message of optimism and unity before Trump took his turn and spent his time insulting Harris and otherwise using vitriol and fear to state that you better vote for him, or else. 

Vote for Trum[p or else you're in danger from immigrants--throughout the debate Trump discussed how, "Illegal immigrants," are supposedly stealing everyone's jobs, committing crimes, and eating other people's pets, seriously. Vote for him or else Israel will be destroyed. Vote for him or else abortion will be legal to the point that somehow killing an already born baby will be legal. Vote for him or else Democrats will make sure your kid will go to school and be forced to have a sex change operation and be transgender before heading back home later that day. Trump made up a bunch of lies and said to vote for him or else they will somehow be things that happen under the Presidency of Kamala Harris. Harris told us to look forward, and Trump told us to, "Look out!" for all the terrifying things he and the Republican party have dreamed up.

Harris was by no means perfect at the debate, trying to gracefully avoid being called out on her shifting views regarding fracking, but hey, she didn't outright lie about us supposedly giving migrant workers locked up in prisons sex change operations for...reasons like Trump did. Harris repeatedly left little bits of verbal bait out for Trump, and he always came running into the traps. A seemingly off-the-cuff comment about Trump's rallies being boring clearly was a sore point for Trump as he launched into a long diatribe about how amazing his rallies are and that Harris must somehow pay people to attend her dull events. She kept verbally poking at the bear and the bear (Trump) responded with roars of nonsense gibberish.

The debate between Trump and Biden was a mess that left me pretty upset at the prospect of Trump easily trouncing Biden come election day. However, once Biden gave the, "Baton," to Harris so she could run for President she clearly was ready as this debate unquestionably made Harris look quite Presidential whilst Trump rambled about immigrants eating cats and dogs when they weren't busy being given involuntary sex changes or killing freshly-born babies for shits and giggles. One person looked competent and the other looked crazy. I would hope anyone who somehow against all logic is still undecided about who to vote for in November for President drew the logical conclusion from this debate that Harris is ready to lead and Trump is ready for a nice nap (hopefully in a prison cell someday) after shouting his conspiracy theories.

Television Tuesday: "Chimp Crazy," Makes for Wild Viewing

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of us watched the, "Tiger King," documentary made by Eric Goode. It featured a variety of wild folks with none more strange than Joseph Allen Maldonado-Passage AKA Joe Exotic, the titular Tiger King. We've now got a four-party documentary on domestic ownership of chimpanzees titled, "Chimp Crazy," and it is engrossing and at times somewhat tabloidy viewing just as Goode's previous work was.

The reason, "Tiger King," caught everyone's attention was because of how bizarre and interesting the, "Cast," was. "Chimp Crazy," isn't quite as loaded with characters but if you had to pick a, "Face," for it you would need to use Tonia Haddix. Many people interviewed discuss their love of chimps and why they adore them despite how dangerous they can become when older, but Tonia is obsessed. At one point it is discussed by the production crew how in some ways this documentary is a love story about Tonia and chimps--particularly one named Tonka. That's quite accurate, but it also should be pointed out that sometimes love stories have tragic endings.

Besides Tonia, several incidents where people had pet chimps and it ended badly are discussed in, "Chimp Crazy." When they're young chimps are relatively easy to handle as if they were young children, but after they turn five or six they get bigger, stronger, and don't always follow directions. These are highly intelligent--but still wild--animals. Much of, "Chimp Crazy," follows Tonia Haddix as she tries to figure out how to keep a chimp named Tonka, "Safe," from the efforts of PETA to get him put in a sanctuary. 

The docuseries takes multiple bizarre twists thanks to Tonia and her numerous questionable choices. Without Tonia, we would have an interesting documentary about the dangers of private chimpanzee ownership. that said, with Tonia, we get a wild ride of a series that keeps you glued to your seat. "Chimp Crazy," raises a lot of questions about chimpanzee ownership that still haven't been answered (there are still no Federal laws regarding chimp ownership, just certain states). If you were into, "Tiger King," however, then you should find that, "Chimp Crazy," scratches a similar itch. All four episodes have aired on HBO and it can now be streamed/binged on MAX. Give it a viewing!

5 out of 5 Stars.