"Heavy Metal Magazine," is Back With it's (Reboot) Debut Issue

"Heavy Metal," the edgy comic magazine, was due to return in 2025. Well, it is 2025, and here it is on newsstands and at comic shops. With the talented Frank Forte as the helm as EIC, I had hopes it would be an enjoyable read. I have good news in that it was a great (and big) magazine of fun!

"Heavy Metal," is known for wild fantasy stories, crazy sci-fi comics, and quite often plenty of boobs. This new iteration has all of that and more. There are some nonfiction pieces looking back at the previous generation of, "Heavy Metal," and all the talent involved. This may be a reboot of sorts, but it acknowledges where it came from. An absurd number of talents are involved in this debut, and it would take too big a chunk of space to name everyone, so I'll just spotlight that Jim Rugg's story of space aliens was my favorite with its retro-kitsch style--nothing was bad, however, so that's encouraging for the future issues as well.

In the old days a lot of comics were too squeaky clean besides the underground comix and magazines like, "Heavy Metal." I wondered if in this new era where plenty of indie comics push the envelope of content if, "Heavy Metal," could still stand out. Well, even if more comics these days have the violence and nudity some adults crave, "Heavy Metal," still provides a nice fantastical edge to everything with its wildly inventive stories, artwork, and all-around envelope-pushing vibe--even if that envelope is now more pushing the boundaries of creativity as opposed to simply shocking folks with nipples in a comic. Give this new iteration of, "Heavy Metal," a chance--I'm quite pleased with it myself.

5 out of 5 Stars.

News, Links, and Other Tidbits for May 2025

May Flowers, Still Getting Showers

We're past the halfway point of May. We got plenty of bad weather this month despite the supposed April showers giving us the May flowers, but so it goes. I feel like March was an utter slog, April did fly by, and May has moved at a relatively speedy clip as well. A number of interesting things have occurred that I would maybe not dedicate a whole article to, but I definitely want to mention. Let's get into it...

Things to Read

Marvel is going to be doing, "Retrovision," variant covers featuring various artists riffing on the Silver Age of comics and before. A number of these look really fun, and I love some faux-nostalgia.

For a title like, 'Mission Impossible," it is funny to think they're on the eighth, "Mission," or so with the newest flick. That said, Tom Cruise is an actor whom I don't like much as a person based on what I've read about him, but I will say the man is great in flicks. He and I also both love popcorn, apparently. The man downs a lot of popcorn, more than a reasonable person or even I would eat.

"The Precinct," is a new game set in the 1980's where you play a police officer with a top-down view reminiscent of the old-school, "Grand Theft Auto," series. Except, as I noted, you're a cop. It's a nice hook, but reviews of the game have been mostly middling. Perhaps I'll rent it for my PS5 or wait for it to come to Game Pass on the Xbox.

NPR ranked all of this season's musical guests on, "Saturday Night Live," as they've been doing for awhile. I mostly agree with the list except I'd move Lady Gaga from the #2 spot to the top and put Lizzo up higher as well, moving Chappel Roan down to where Lizzo was (still decently high). That's just me, though.

Bruce Springsteen is a popular musician and a human being with opinions. He expressed during a performance that he feels Donald Trump is unfit for office (for the record, I agree). Due to the fact Trump is a fascist, he can't stand someone using their freedom of speech to slander him. Hence, Trump is going to investigate Springsteen for...reasons? When a President can sic the government on people in a form of petty revenge for their thoughts, we've moved well into authoritarianism. 

I enjoy visiting Malls and my eldest, Clarkson, adores them as he can't get enough of the escalators and elevators there. Mad Cave Studios is releasing a new original graphic novel titled, "Xero," and it features subterranean and unending Mall that a man named Xero is stuck in looking for his girlfriend. Written by Vaho with art from Felipe Flores, the description mentions, "This haunting dystopian journey blends pop art, manga, and philosophical horror into a searing meditation on late-stage consumerism, false comfort, and the cost of waking up." I'm all here for it, even if this Mall sounds like a place I'd avoid.

Christopher Priest is such a good writer that I will read comics featuring characters I don't normally give a hoot about if he's penning their adventures. With that in mind, I've not read much of, "Red Sonja," but if he is doing the new comic, "Sonja Reborn," you can bet I'm gonna grab a copy!

Lastly, I've been greatly enjoying, "Yes Chef," on NBC/Peacock. It is another cooking competition show but it has some big names as judges (Martha Stewart and José Andrés), plus a clever, vaguely cruel twist where the winning chefs in a competition basically have to choose who gets voted off. It's worth a viewing.

MAX is HBO MAX...Again

You may recall when HBO MAX started just going by, "MAX," but everyone still called it, "HBO MAX." Well, I have, "Good," news, you can continue to ignore the idea of just calling it MAX because Warner Bros. Discovery has officially rebranded it right back to, "HBO MAX," for...reasons? I mean, people know, "HBO," can mean quality, so the streamer wants to come across as not just being trashy reality television--that's the job of the Discovery+ app, God bless it. When the change was announced, it was basically acknowledged people would mock it, with HBO's own John Oliver getting a shout-out; he did indeed go into this subject on his show, joining everyone in ripping HBO MAX for the rebrand-to-an-old-brand.

Sometimes, a rebrand can be the best thing possible for a company. For example, I just recently posted how the good folks behind the Pizza Cupcake were making new products and therefore changed their name to Incredifulls with the Pizza Cupcake as a product--that makes sense! Other times, however, a rebrand just looks stupid. This is one of those times. So, HBO MAX--in the words of music producer and inspirational speaker D.J. Khaled, "Congratulations, you played yourself."

The, "Battle Beast," Comic Blind Bags Were a Hit--Now Will Everyone Poorly Imitate Them?

Battle Beast is a character in the, "Invincible," comic universe. He just got a spin-off comic set in that World, and folks are going wild for it--but not due to the art or story (although it's a fun comic). You see, they did a blind bag promotion for this comic, and it has sold like hotcakes. There were multiple covers that were solicited, including cover C which was a polybag with a mystery cover inside. It could be almost any of the other covers, from a ratio to some kind of surprise. Folks bought these up and have enjoyed seeing some cool rare sketch covers, reprints of other fun comics (including a, "Marvel Team Up," with Invincible and Spider-Man that Marvel approved a new printing of), and these blind bags were only $3.99--making it seem like a pretty cheap buy-in to potentially get a cool and rare cover for less than a Mega Millions Quick Pick (ever since the price went up). I bought one to read and got...the standard cover B. Still, it was fun, but I have a big concern now: Everyone else is going to run this into the ground.

When a gimmick does well, everyone who can copy it will do so as long as there isn't some kind of trademark/copyright/legal issue to stop them. Glow-in-the-dark covers, lenticular covers, die-cut covers, they all became a big thing--it isn't just comics, either. When crafting weapons or food in video-games became popular, suddenly every game had some kind of hunting mechanic. When Marvel made a successful cinematic universe, all these other studios tried (and mostly failed) to do the same. If one idea does well, everybody who can attempt to replicate it will usually do so in some fashion--and most of the time not as well. 

An unexpected surprise option of the blind bags.

The, "Battle Beast," blind bag was a hit for Skybound (an imprint of Image) thanks to a number of factors all happening together. It is a comic featuring a popular character with the, "Invincible," show on Amazon Prime fresh in everyone's mind. This blind bag was cheap (for a comic), as well. Plus, it had some surprise comics nobody expected like the, "Marvel Team-Up," reprinting legit surprising folks.I don't look forward to DC or Marvel trying to do a blind bag variant themselves for a character nobody cares about and asking $9.99 for it, only to be surprised when it flops. 

You all may think I'm overworrying, but if somebody wants to bet me a dollar coffee from Scooters that within the next six months we will have at least six different blind bag promotions solicited (possibly from six different publishers, and maybe even from a single publisher that just goes all-in) I'll take at least one of those bets--where I'm the guy saying six-or-more and I'll feel pretty comfy with that wager. Let's see where the rest of 2025 takes us, I suppose, but I'm pretty sure my George Washington will be safe in my wallet.

I Tried That, "Dubai Chocolate," the Internet Keeps Talking About

The internet/TikTok will sometimes focus on random stuff. The color of a dress or whether 100 men could beat a gorilla in a fight becomes a huge discussion. Lately, "Dubai Chocolate," has been going viral. There are various brands of chocolate that count as Dubai Chocolate, but the basic idea is that it is chocolate with a filling made of kadayif and pistachio. I did not try the original version, but I bought a version sold at the Nuts and Candy store I like visiting. I enjoyed it.

One thing should be made clear: If you hate pistachios, you will in no way, shape, or form like Dubai Chocolate, regardless of the brand. If you enjoy Pisactho, however, it is pretty yummy. The chocolate (which can vary in quality by brand) generally complements the nutiness well. If you're buying the pricey Dubai Chocolate (some expensive iterations are out there) then you may enjoy Dubai Chocolate even more, but my generic version was pretty good too. Basically, if you enjoy the flavor of pisacho, you'll enjoy the pricey or cheap varieties of Dubai Chocolate/knock-off brands. Hell, you can find some at Costco now. I'd eat it again.

A Tornado Hit Parts of Saint Louis Yesterday and Caused Severe Damage

Yesterday showed how unpredictable the weather can be. In Ballwin and Manchester there was a bit of rain and some thunder...but little else. Chesterfield got hail so violent it busted car windshields, however. Then, parts of the city and county had suspected tornado activity that caused a ton of damage to trees, cars, and properties. A number of people died, and it is upsetting to see Saint Louis (or any area) suffer a natural disaster. The devastation is widespread, showcasing how one spot can randomly be fine, and 10 minutes away, a spot got clobbered. My heart goes out to everyone impacted, and I would encourage you to look into how to receive help (if you need it) or give help (If you want to volunteer/donate) at this link or via Googling how to assist, depending on your location.

When Even the, "Price is Right," Audience Groans At Your Product (an Apple Vision Pro) That Says a Lot

"The Price is Right" sometimes does a "The Price is Right at Night" special with significantly more expensive prizes, trips, and so forth. During a segment where everyone guesses the price of an Apple Vision Pro, even the closest bid was under by $2,000 or so, and the audience audibly groaned when they heard how expensive this device is—$3,500. I mean, this is a show where people get more excited over a coffeemaker than you'd think possible (and I'm saying that as someone who values their coffeemaker), so when even an audience on, "The Price is Right," can't get behind your product, that is saying something. Drew Carey even seemed surprised reading off the price tag.

I'm not exactly surprised the bids were low and the crowd was unenthused. I've always been skeptical of these virtual reality headsets and had extremely little excitement when this thing was announced back in 2023. If even Apple can't nail the whole virtual reality headset, "Trend," and they misfire, then perhaps this is a concept we should quit trying to make happen. That's my two cents, which is about how much I'm willing to spend on these VR headsets, as it is.

A New, "The Invisible Man," Comic is on the Way

I've been enjoying the Universal Monsters-themed comics from Image's Skybound imprint. Their sequels/retellings/etc. have been superb among the issues I have had the chance to read. That is why I'm excited for a new, "The Invisible Man," comic written by  James Tynion IV with art by DaNi and colors by Brad Simpson. There are old tales about an invisible man, more modern retellings and takes, and I have been a fan of many iterations. 

This version of the story goes with the solicitation of, "Jack Griffin has always been invisible to the people around him — at least in his own mind. But when an experimental breakthrough presents a path to make his dreams of invisibility a reality, no one — not even the woman he loves — will stand in his way. Witness Griffin’s legendary descent into madness as his humanity fades away and the monster inside is revealed, leaving only… THE INVISIBLE MAN!" Sounds like some scary fun to me; I look forward to the debut issue on August 27th!

The Full, "Superman," Trailer Is Out

I watched the new, "Full," AKA not teaser trailer for, "Superman." It appears to be action-packed with a dash of playful optimism (something we haven't seen for a while, considering the tone of Snyder's Superman-centric films). It asks serious questions about a Superbeing flying around the World and intervening in conflicts, but also manages to show Superman punching a Kaiju right in the face in epic fashion--we've got a variety of tones being balanced extremely carefully, in other words. James Gunn is the new overseer of the DC Cinematic Universe (with Peter Safran as well) and Gunn is in the director's chair for, "Superman." Warner Bros. Discovery has a ton riding on this movie being good and successful. This trailer makes me suspect he might nail it, with David Corenswet's Clark Kent/Superman looking like a great casting, and Rachel Brosnahan's Lois Lane seeming superb as well. Give it a look below:

Doesn't that just seem fun? There are occasions I want to sit down and just see a fun movie--this looks like a good time that will fit the bill. "Superman," hits theaters on July 11th. I know I'm going to try and get my rear end into the theaters to see it!

The Pizza Cupcake is Now...Incredifulls!

Earlier this year I wrote about how I loved the Pizza Cupcake. As all of you readers might recall, I first found it Target. Well, the good folks behind the Pizza Cupcake appreciated my kind words and have kept me updated about their products since then. Now, they've done something quite interesting and changed the name to, "Incredifulls!" They still have the Pizza Cupcake but have released a breakfast item of egg and cheese--with more fun stuff planned.

I can't wait to try the new breakfast-focused Incredifull option (I'll be making a Target trip soon to get some) and will keep you all updated about anything else cool the company does!

Mike Wolfer Has Launched a Snazzy New, "Widow," Kickstarter With New-Reader Promotions

I've been a longtime fan of any works that are by or feature Mike Wolfer. He's spent the last two years re-releasing his, "Widow," series in full color, with uncensored elements, and edits done to art, dialogue, and the lettering itself (letterer Natalie Jane has been amazing too). Titled as, "Widow Unleashed," the series is now up to the 19th and 20th issues in the latest Kickstarter campaign! To celebrate two years of, "Widow Unleashed," previous back issues are 50% off, and these new latest issues are friendly for fresh readers wanting to dive in right at this point in the series. I'd encourage folks to check out Mike's latest campaign and take advantage of the discounts to stock-up on Widow-related goodness!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms and Motherly Figures

I want to wish a happy Mother's Day to anyone who is a mother, plays the role of a mother in a child's life, or has wanted to be a mother but has faced a struggle in achieving such a goal. I want to express a deep love and appreciation for all the moms I've had in my life, from my own awesome one (Ellen), to my Mother-in-Law, Kim, who we miss very much. I also, obviously, am thankful for and adore my wife, Samii, who is the mother to our kiddos! Happy Mother's Day to them and everyone else wanting to show some love to a mom/motherly figure!

Andre 3000 Dropped a Piano EP

Andre 3000 was at the Met Gala on Monday, and as with many there, he had a wild outfit. His getup featured a (simulated) piano strapped to his back, and at the same time, he dropped a surprise EP titled, "7 Piano Sketches." His website discusses how it was material recorded over some years that was meant, at first, more as an experiment to share with friends. It is a fun example of someone who is quite gifted just messing and having fun--with aurally enjoyable results. He is still not rapping, but he doesn't have to do that for us to listen. I've said before that Andre 3000 owes us nothing, so the fact he is giving us anything, be it an album with woodwinds or him tinkering at a piano, is lovely.

"Peacemaker," Season Two Looks as Wild as the First

I quite enjoyed that James Gunn, "The Suicide Squad," movie and loved the, "Peacemaker," show he did even more. A lot has happened with the DC Cinematic Universe, but even if continuity is in a bit of a flux since that, "Flashpoint," movie nobody saw, the first season of, "Peacemaker," and that Suicide Squad flick did happen in some fashion even if the latest season makes it clear we're in the new continuity thanks to some fun guest stars early in the latest teaser trailer that just dropped today. Check it out below:

Well, this looks utterly zany in the same fashion as the first season, and I eagerly welcome Tim Meadows popping up along with plenty of other new talents and great folks from the debut season. It appears there is a hint of multiversal shenanigans too (perhaps to explain the universe and what, "Counts," or not). I look forward to the season's debut on August 21st!

A New Pope Has Been Selected

The Pope is the head of the Catholic Church. The most recent Pope, Pope Francis, passed away in April and was appreciated as a progressive entity and a genuinely decent human being by all accounts. Everyone seemed to be wondering if the new Pope would be more, "Liberal," in terms of the Catholic Church or a return to conservative-style teachings. It seemed almost nobody thought the next Pope would be an American. Well, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, now known as Pope Leo XIV, is the first Pope from the United States--born in Chicago. He was announced as the, "Winner," of the secretive Conclave's votes yesterday.

Who is Pope Leo XIV? He seems like a decent enough fellow. He's apparently posted on Twitter/X before about being extremely pro-immigrant and pro-human rights, criticizing the Trump administration for how it treats non-U.S. citizens as if they were animals (his election has already enraged some American Conservatives). He has avoided outright condemning LGBTQ folks without exactly being welcoming, and obviously is anti-abortion because he's Catholic, but we'll get a pro-choice Pope around the same time bacon is considered Kosher. He wants women to be more involved in the Catholic church and his brother thinks he'll actively work to help the underprivileged. Basically, if you're Catholic, he's your new boss whether you like it or not, but this looks alright in terms of not being a shock move backwards socially/morally or much of a leap forwards into progressivism.

I'm not Catholic, only about 17.4% (1.4 billion) of the World is. Honestly, the other 82.6% of us don't have to care at all about what the Pope says or thinks, but knowing that the religious leader of over a billion people Worldwide is not a jerk does inspire some confidence regardless of one's religious affiliation or lack thereof. We will see through his future words and actions just how Leo XIV views his role in the Catholic church as well as Catholicism's role in general society. For now, at least it is funny to see right-wingers in America meltdown over a, "Woke," and, "Marxist," Pope. I don't know about you, but calling the Pope, "A Liberal," just because he actually believes in caring about others, as his religion teaches, is hilarious.

I Hope You've Been Appreciating Teachers and Nurses This Week!

This has been Teacher and Nurse Appreciation Week. I am not sure why the weeks overlap, but they do. I appreciate teachers a lot. I mean, they helped me grow into the person I am, I married a teacher, and I've dabbled in teaching collegiate courses, myself (so I guess even I get a lil' appreciation). Nurses also deserve a ton of respect for all they do and all the B.S. and red tape they put up with. We developed some close friendships with some of the NICU nurses who cared for Clarkson, and it continues to amaze me how, "Normal," human beings do jobs with such stressful hours/work content/etc. I put, "Normal," in quotation marks because nurses and many teachers seem positively superhuman/superheroic. It is already Thursday, so if you haven't already told a teacher or nurse you appreciate them, please do so!

A Comic Starring Kool Keith Sounds Fun

As reported by my friend over at Comic Heating Up, Kool Keith has a graphic novel about him incoming from Z2 Comics. It features his myraid of personas and is titled, "KOOL KEITH: KROSSOVER INTO THE FLOWER KOSMIC." Keith has assumed multiple identities from Dr. Octagon, to Dr. Dooom, and Black Elvis, among others. They're all teaming up to take down, "GERBIK." Written by Seamus “Esoteric” Ryan of CZARFACE and illustrated by Sean Von Gorman, this looks like a wild ride of a comic.

I'm a big fan of Kool Keith, and I love comics, so this looks to be right up my alley. There is a, "Platinum," version with a record, a deluxe edition, and the standard hardcover as can be seen on Z2's website. I look forward to the official release in July of this year and truly hope Kool Keith or any other incarnation of him can save reality!

The Wildest Thing in the Latest (Surprise), "Grand Theft Auto VI," Trailer? A Non-Toxic Relationship

"Grand Theft Auto VI," was delayed. Rockstar (the developer) announced it, and not many folks were surprised but it did hurt the stock of Take-Two (the publisher). However, the surprise release of the second official trailer for the game got everyone excited and helped the stock bounce back. Everying in the trailer is apparently in-game (via a PlayStation 5) and a chunk of footage is from gameplay, with some from cinema scenes. We know the protagonists are named Jason and Lucia, and some people think they look a bit boring. That said, the craziest thing to me in the trailer was not any cool explosion or how impressively a piece of clothing shimmered (although there are plenty of things going, "Boom," and outfits that look shiny). No, the fact that Jason and Lucia seem happy shocked me and others.

A happy couple on a date...in, "GTA?"

In the, "Grand Theft Auto," Universe, all relationships seem horrible. Nobody is happy and people just want money, sex, fame, or a mix of the three. Jason and Lucia look like they may be criminals and toxic people, but their relationship actually seems... wholesome? It appears he is eager to greet her when she is released from jail. They make out and have sex (of course), but also just relax and cuddle. They hold hands and seem to legitimately care about each other as human beings. That's surprising for, "Grand Theft Auto."

Joyful cuddling? In, "GTA," of all places?

Rockstar's games set in the, "Red Dead Redemption," theme feature more nuanced relationships, but in, "GTA," a relationship that is, "Mature," usually just means cursing and bumping uglies. An, "Adult," relationship where people actually act like adults seems shocking and shows some growth in the franchise. I'm sure there will be plenty of silly jokes, lots of violence, and the occasional clever insight about the, "The American Dream," through the skewed view, "GTA," has always presented it. I'm just especially intrigued by the idea of two protagonists who support, love, and care about each other unconditionally. Come May 26th, 2026, we'll be able to learn a lot more about Jason and Lucia--then we can see if RockStar nails the subtleties of a grown-folk relationship or struggles with it.

A Ramble About the Console Wars at the News of How a, "Gears of War," Remaster is Coming to Xbox AND PlayStation 5

My birthday year starts with 19 instead of a 20, so I'm older and remember how things used to be quite different for better and worse. I grew up in the time of the console wars, where people were viciously loyal to one company and their games over another corporation. You were a Sega fan or a Nintendo fan, for example. You hated the other folks with a passion! Then, it was all about Sony, Nintendo, or Microsoft with GameCubes/Wii, PlayStation 2/3, Xbox generations, and so forth in the early 2000s. Somewhere along the way, the icy relations started to thaw (arguably, the end of Sega being in the console Market when they gave up on the Dreamcast is one big moment), and the console wars now seem relatively antiquated.

Yes, there are differences between a PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. There especially are differences between those and the Nintendo Switch. Still, you can play certain games with people on other consoles or a PC--that would be unheard of some time ago! Xbox is even letting some of their console exclusives go over to others, with the latest example being a, "Gears of War," remaster coming to both Xbox and the PS5. For years, the, "Gears of War," franchise has been synonymous with Xbox almost as much as Halo--how long until a, "Halo," game arrives on the PS5 or Sony maybe decides to share some love towards Microsoft with a, "Last of Us," adaptation or such? Right now things are more in the direction of Xbox stuff on PlayStation, but we will see.

Banjo Kazooie is owned by Microsoft, but they'll let them appear in a, "Super Smash Brothers," game on the Switch, and Nintendo lets Switch players enjoying, "Minecraft," spend time with Xbox fans of the game. Sony has zero issues with their, "Fortnite," players seeing those on other consoles as well. All of these companies are in competition, yes, but they seem to want to collaborate a bit if it provides benefits (AKA money) for them because the players are pleased. This is a good thing, undoubtedly, it just felt a bit odd when Sonic and Mario started hanging out and it only gets stranger seeing all these other companies so eager to share when I recall how the idea of Sony, Xbox, and Nintendo getting along like this seemed absurd two or so decades ago. It used to be, "[Sega] Genesis Does What Nintendon't," or, ""Do Not Underestimate The Power of PlayStation." Now it's more like, "Hey, let's all play together!" I like it, the tonal shift just is fascinating to someone who remembers the old days.

Celebrating Cinco De Mayo in 2025 if You're in the United States/"This is America," Indeed

Today is Cinco De Mayo. Officially, this day celebrates the Mexican army's victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. However, it has morphed over the years into a general celebration of Mexican culture that Mexico's northern neighbor (the United States) has fashioned into something more corporate and made relatively generic. I'm sorry if that sounds cynical, but in 2025 it almost seems ironic for the U.S. to celebrate Cinco De Mayo the way we are treating Mexican, Latino, or any immigrants, frankly.

Seriously, on this very day, the Trump administration said it will pay undocumented migrants $1,000 and purchase their plane ticket if they voluntarily leave. First of all, nobody should accept that offer as I'm pretty sure the chances you're going to ever get that one grand are quite slim. This administration has been horrific in terms of human rights abuses towards anyone who isn't a citizen (and even people who are and desperately work to prove it before being, "Deported," even though they're citizens). This administration is pushing for it to be allowed where ICE can go into your house without a warrant to, "Look," for migrants. Oddly, people who cling closely to the Second Amendment and loudly yell about their rights to fight against Governmental invasions into their privacy are weirdly silent at the idea of the Government bursting into their home without any due process (almost as if their talk of fighting tyranny was always empty hot air). 

Cinco De Mayo is a Mexican holiday that has been co-opted by the United States, and it is funny that for a holiday situated in Mexico, I keep thinking of the Donald Glover/Childish Gambino song, "This is America." Anytime things seem to get worse in our nation, that song pops into my head, and it has been playing on repeat for the last 100-ish days since Donald Trump took office. Happy Cinco De Mayo to everyone celebrating in Mexico. If you're celebrating in the United States of America, there is a whole lot of irony to process as well.

The May 2025 ToyMan Show Made sure the, "Fourth," Was With Us!

I missed the last ToyMan show due to various obligations, but I was able to attend today and had a fantastic time! A number of vendors had special sales on, "Star Wars," items to tie in with today being May 4th--an unofficial-to-now-relatively-official, "Star Wars," Day. I spotted a lot of cool toys from the franchise with notable sales, and one table had half-off all, "Stars Wars," comics too. Besides that, there was the usual gigantic assortment of goodies for sale. I saw a ton of die-cast cars, Funko Pops, trading cards, comics, assorted vintage toys, new toys, and had so much fun exploring all the neat items. I started the show off chatting with Tim Metzger at his table and checking out the stuff John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles had brought. I purchased some fun comics from him, which you can see pictured right below:

My friend Spike Forester of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles was present with awesome wares, and Tom Milster had a bunch of neat stuff for sale as well nearby. Brian Lan had his table and was kind enough to give me a copy of an interesting movie titled, "The Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler," which features the talented Anna Paquin, and I look forward to watching it! Tatertots Comics and Collectibles had some neat toys for sale. I proceeded upstairs, where I ran into my friend Jessica Mathews, who had a fun new book, "Roar Some More," that I bought, and Lindsay Hornsby, who was selling a fun Princess Pups comic I purchased to read with my kiddos. Here is a picture of both cool books:

Having this ToyMan show overlap with, "Star Wars," Day was a really fun addition to the usual great time I have visiting the show. There is always something that is bound to appeal to your fandom/collecting niche, so if you're able to attend the next ToyMan on July 13th, I suggest you make sure and go!

Happy Free Comic Book Day 2025!

Today is the first Saturday in May, resulting in how it is Free Comic Book Day! This is a wonderful occasion where publishers release special comics (usually they kick off an event or promote an upcoming series) and stores give them away. If you go to a comic shop for FCBD be sure to say, "Thank you," and possibly buy something if you don't usually shop there because it does cost the stores a bit of money to receive these comics. With everything going on at Diamond Comic Distributors (who own the rights to the name/some general concepts of Free Comic Book Day), it is unclear what the future holds for this event. That said, let's not worry too much about any potential future Free Comic Book Days and focus on having a great time right now. Here is a list of what shops may have on offer. Now, get some comics!

Film Friday: Giving Props to Movie Trailers That Don't Reveal Everything

I don't mind spoilers. If you tell me how a book/show/movie or such ends, I'm cool with it. That said, I appreciate when movie trailers leave a little mystery, and if I want to be spoiled, I need to seek it out. Sometimes an ad for a movie seems to reveal basically everything there is to know, with little left to our imagination. When a trailer actually reveals very little, it makes me take notice. For example, the movie, "Longlegs," didn't even reveal the titular serial killer in any ads--that's pretty wild--instead, it focused on world-building with little websites and creepy ads. The movie, "Weapons," is coming soon and doing the same thing.

"Weapons," gives us a hook and little else. The poster and trailer lay it out clearly. Every child in one teacher's class woke up in the middle of the night, ran off, and were never seen again. It's a scary concept and raises a lot of questions--questions the trailer refuses to answer any of! Give the poster a look here:

Speaking of not showing everything in a trailer, I was impressed that, "Fantastic Four: First Steps," did not reveal Galactus at all in the teaser trailer and only showed a hint here and there of him in the official trailer. There have been leaks that indicate what he'll look like (similar to the original comic form), but people have to go looking for such things. Piquing my interest in a movie by having me wonder what happens sometimes is a better way to make me interested than just laying everything out. Plus, then the people who do hate spoilers for stuff are pleased too! Everyone wins!

"Grand Theft Auto VI," Delayed to May 2026

More gaming-related news today after my morning post about Polygon. "Grand Theft Auto VI," was theoretically coming this Fall. However, it has now been officially declared by the developer (Rockstar) that its real debut has been pushed back. We're gonna be waiting a year now. Yep, "GTAVI," is coming in May 2026, for real this time. Maybe.

There are winners and losers with such an announcement. Investors in the game's publisher (Take-Two) are pissed and fans have mixed opinions. Other game companies may be breathing a sigh of relief knowing their titles are free and clear for release in 2025.  I am not shocked or upset because I want a quality product as opposed to something horrifically broken at launch. I also want the people working on the game to avoid, "Crunch," or the term for when a game is nearing completion and the staff has to work arduous and draining hours. If an extra six months helps ensure a great game and a less-exhausted development team, so be it. I mean, there are plenty of other games coming out in 2025, so we aren't short on options. Plus, I know what is going to be on my birthday wishlist for May of 2026 now, so that's good.

Polygon Sold to Valnet--This Doesn't Bode Well

Polygon has been sold to Valent--as reported with concern by many gaming sites, except, funny enough, Polygon itself. Polygon has been around since 2012, doing fantastic journalism on video-game and pop culture.  Valnet runs a bunch of, "Content aggregators," which is a nice way of saying clickbait slop such as Screen Rant, Game Rant, Comic Book Resources and the like. You know when you see an article with an attention-grabbing headline like, "Fans distraught this beloved show is canceled after one season," and then you have to scroll through half the article to actually find out what the show in question is? Yeah, those kinds of sites. These are the sites where half the articles read as if written by AI, and the other half seem like they were scribbled out by a caffeine-addled third-grader desperate to complete an assignment before it's due in 15 minutes. 

Polygon made articles, and these sites make content--there is a big difference. At least, there was. Now, Polygon has been hit with mass layoffs, and everyone seems unhappy with how this all went down, except Valnet, which now has another site it can utilize to put out garbage pieces. I mean, maybe Polygon will survive as we know it in some fashion and not become a shadow of its former self (much like Comic Book Resources did). That said, there are occasions where looking on the bright side is foolish because sometimes optimism spells disaster. This may be one of those times.

"Reanimator Incorporated." is Kickstarting the Latest Issue!

I was quite fond of both the first and the second issues of, "Reanimator Incorporated." Well, the creative team of Andrew Perry and  Lyndon White is back at it with a Kickstarter campaign for chapter/book three! Backers can receive physical or digital copies of this latest part of the wild horror and sci-fi yarn that re-imagines the original H.P. Lovecraft, "Herbert West: Reanimator," story in a fascinating (and beautifully illustrated) manner. If you've missed the first two chapters, there is no reason to worry as there are options backers can select to get all three entries of the comic.

I've had a chance to read a chunk of this third issue and continue to be impressed by Perry and White's series. I'd encourage anyone with a fondness for the concepts of cosmic horror, fans of great (and creepy artwork), or anyone who just enjoys a good scary tale to check out this latest Kickstarter!