Bobby Flay is Leaving Food Network

I greatly enjoy watching Food Network and even read a biography of the channel itself--which was fascinating. There have been some major personalities at Food Network who have come and gone, or arrived and stayed. Emeril was huge but just didn't evolve with the network and found himself left behind. Now, someone who did a great job evolving with the network, Bobby Flay, seems to be leaving. He had been there since 1994 and after 27 years a deal could not be worked out for his contract to be renewed. There could be a last-minute change, but as of now, Flay will be able to go do a show somewhere else (I imagine a lot of streaming services would be happy to scoop him up).

People who watch Food Network seem to either love or absolutely despise Flay. I don't mind him. I also don't purposely seek a show out just because he is involved either. He's moving on though, and it marks the end of an era at Food Network. Guy Fieri isn't going anywhere though, it seems, so if you love the mayor of Flavortown you can rest easy.

My Review of, "Ballad for Sophie," is up on FOG!

I contributed another review to Forces of Geek; I shared my thoughts on the original graphic novel, "Ballad for Sophie," over on their site! Seeing as you're reading my website I assume you like my writing, so check out what I have to say about that comic over on their website. I'm just all over the internet!

Flashback Friday AND Film Friday: "Euro Trip," is an Underrated Gem of a Movie

Hey, remember how miserable the, "American Pie," movies were? They were just basically gross-out humor with little deeper jokes or meaning. Do you also recall the movie, "Road Trip," that came out and how it was basically an imitation? If any of that rings a bell you just might remember, "Euro Trip," from 2004 and how against all logic it is actually absolutely hilarious and clever. Yes, seriously, a sort of sequel to a pale imitation of something that already sucked is in fact often genius and funny. I know, it's weird.

"Euro Trip," centers on a bunch of friends going to Europe so a man can meet his internet pen pal after having a misunderstanding with her so he can apologize for being rude. They take this trip after he learns his girlfriend has been cheating on him when a band (fronted by a cameoing Matt Damon) sings a song all about how she's two-timing him titled, "Scotty Doesn't Know." That's clever, and it just gets sillier. We meet soccer hooligans with hearts of gold, witness a bunch of jokes about the strength of the American dollar in Eastern Europe at the time, and there is a surreally ingenious bit about the Pope and people thinking a new one has been appointed. There's still gross-out humor and sex jokes aplenty, but they're clever gross-out humor and sex jokes mixed in with the smarter bits.

I personally believe that, "Euro Trip," was dismissed before it could have a chance. It has tons of negative reviews, absolutely bombed in theaters, and plenty of folks still only vaguely recall it as even existing. It has fans though, as this article in 2014 observed when it turned 10 years old. Man, I saw this for the first time in theaters back in 2004? I am old. That doesn't take away from the fact that even if some jokes in the movie haven't aged well a lot of this flick still stands up today 17 or so years later. I will still always contend, however, that the, "American Pie," movies this somewhat sprang from are absolute garbage besides some diamond in the rough aspects--Eugene Levy is always a treasure, after all.

It's Happening! I'll Be Selling on Whatnot

First off, thank you to my readers for helping follow me on Whatnot. As I got some more followers and submitted some funny videos showing off my cool comics I have now been approved to sell on Whatnot. They were impressed with my blog's popularity and how I have an exemplary selling history on sites like eBay, so here we are. I actually made a little video to promote my first show:

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That's right, this coming Monday, October 11th, 2021 at 11AM Central I will be doing my first show. There are going to be all kinds of neat and hot comics from my collection and I have one awesome book given to me by my friends at Altered State Comics (shout-out to them), but that won't be revealed until later.  you were debating what time to take your lunch break Monday do it then. If you were going to sleep in absurdly late, wake up at that time. If you're spending time with loved ones tell them to hush up for an hour or so and tune in, etc. Even if you don't buy anything my sheer absurdity and general eccentric nature should entertain you.

Penguin Random House Did Not Have a Good First Week Shipping Comics

As I and others have extensively covered, Marvel switched to Penguin Random House as its comic publisher/distributor. IDW is planning to switch to it too in June of 2022. PRH has a plum gig here and they just have to not screw it up. Hence, in their first week of actually shipping comics, they have screwed some stuff up. That's how things go sometimes.

PRH sent that first batch of comics out this week and some big shipments were outright lost. Ones that arrived where they needed to were often not packed that great and damages were extensive. Stores are upset, customers are mad, and PRH has a lot of comics to refund and/or replace. Diamond was known for not shipping comics the best, so when they look golden compared to you, that's bad. They need to get their act together quickly or this could turn into a major fiasco. Perhaps they should see how Lunar is packaging things with care currently and follow suit? I am quite sure there will be more on this as it develops.

Television Tuesday: You Really Ought to Watch, "Tha God's Honest Truth," on Comedy Central

I greatly enjoy the morning radio show known as The Breakfast Club. One of the reasons I enjoy it so much is it features Lenard McKelvey AKA Charlamagne the God. Every day he offers fascinating insights on topics ranging from race to religion, politics, sex, gender, popular culture, sports, and the intersection of all of these subjects. Recently Charlamagne got a show on Comedy Central; it airs Friday nights at 10PM Eastern and 9PM Central. Over the span of a half-hour, Charlamagne does a deep dive into a variety of subjects from how some Americans are obsessed with the losing Confederacy, to the FBI's racist history, to the most recent episode with Critical Race Theory.

Charlamagne holds many opinions on a lot of subjects, and I don't always agree with him, but I often do. He has this masterful way of taking a heavy topic, breaking it into easy-to-understand pieces, and then he excels at pointing out the hypocrisy and ignorance of others in regards to whatever he's talking about (just look at the boogeyman Critical Race Theory/telling the truth in history classes has become). Every episode of, "Tha God's Honest Truth," offers entertainment, education, and is sure to spark a lot of discussion amongst those watching. You can catch past episodes on Comedy Central's website or if you have Paramount+.

"Stones," by Nadine Redlich is Both Hilarious and Thoughtful

I have discussed loving the work of Nadine Redlich before. I adored her darkly witty, "I Hate You--You Just Don't Know it Yet." She has a new comic coming out which is published by Rotopol (disclosure: I am on their press list and get comics for the purpose of review), and I had the chance to read it. Simply titled, "Stones," I loved this comic!

"Stones," is very minimalist, focusing on a stone that looks and talks at us, the reader. It sometimes is nice, sometimes is mean. Various events take place around the stone from caterpillars turning into butterflies, to seasons shifting, and so forth. Sometimes mere moments seem to pass, other times eons. As the stone points out, it has existed basically forever, that probably makes it tricky for the stone to keep exact track of time.

Redlich illustrates the stone and everything around it in a suitably cartoony manner, with the fun appearance of everything almost disguising a slight sadness at the thought of being stuck living eternally, with little to keep you company besides passing insects or the occasional human accidentally (maybe purposely) giving a kick. 

Even with a hint of melancholy vibes, "Stones," is still very funny while also making you think. Redlich is a fantastic cartoonist and I thank Rotopol for letting me know about this latest work and providing a chance to read and review it! You can find your own copy of, "Stones," available for order on their website. I rate, "Stones," a stupendous...

5 out of 5 stars.

"Jinx Freeze," is the Weirdest Comic I've Read Lately, and I Love That!

When the opportunity arose to read, "Jinx Freeze," by comic-maker Lord Hurk, I took it as the comic sounded just plain odd. At first blush, it's a heist story about a golden arm being stolen from a museum. However, a variety of seemingly unconnected vignettes full of weirdness slowly begin to connect in little ways that tell a surreal story encompassing a lucid-dreaming cyborg superhero, a poet riffing on the World, a comic-themed podcaster, private detectives, Youtube streamers, a sci-fi space priest, and more weirdness I haven't even mentioned yet.

One of my favorite comics ever is the most bizarre I ever read--"The Filth." By Grant Morrison with Chris Weston on art and Gary Frank on colors, it too was full of random little diatribes, side stories, and general madness that eventually all combined into a beautifully grotesque and freakish yarn. Hence, when I say a comic reminds me of, "The Filth," in any manner I am paying it one of the highest compliments possible. This is a long-winded way of me saying, "Jinx Freeze," reminded me of, "The Filth," and that is a very good thing. Lord Hurk injects so much outlandish storytelling into this comic (along with a healthy dose of humor that resulted in me laughing out loud a few times) that it goes from confusing, to overwhelming, to a weird place of over-the-top serendipity.

"Jinx Freeze," is as beautiful to look at as it is at times hideous to gaze upon. That sounds like a paradox, but I'm trying to say that Lord Hurk has mastered the comic form in a manner where a couple happily walking down the street into a mysterious exhibit turns into a complex and amazing illustrative work, but it isn't, "Beautiful," because so many characters are ugly, in an extremely detailed and impressively unpleasant way. A detective named Shitplank (I told you the comic was funny) is a large, sweaty, and blatantly unattractive man (and not the best detective either). Even if he's painful to gawk at, you still want to stare as Lord Hurk has drawn everything with the twisted glee of a madman who refuses to let up for one second of this comic.

"Jinx Freeze," does eventually start to make sense as you keep reading it, with almost all the random beats finally synchronizing in a manner that is most impressive (some lingering plot threads beg for a possible sequel). Lord Hurk has created something amazing with his first full-length original graphic novel. I thank Avery Hill Publishing for having me on their press list so that I was able to read a copy in advance of its release this 12th of October. I would strongly encourage you to preorder a copy so you can read it for yourself!

5 out of 5 stars.

I Visited the Area's Newest Comic Shop, Altered State Comics!

Earlier this week I saw a sign advertising something called, "Altered State," in a business plaza on a road not too far from our house. I was curious what it might be so I got the internet (where you are now) and found out that Altered State Comics was going to be the newest comic shop opening in the Saint Louis County region!

Clarkson and some comics!

I visited their website and their Facebook page, telling them I'd be sure to stop by for the grand opening which occurred today! My wife and son came to the shop too and we met the owners, Brandon and Jon. Here they are after they were kind enough to pose for a pic:

Brandon and Jon told me how they were excited to get the store open and they showed me their back issues (which I enjoyed looking at). They said they would also have the latest weekly releases from Diamond/Lunar/PRH shortly too. 

Their store wasn't just stocked with comics, however, there were Funko Pops and a kid-area that featured a snazzy arcade machine! I greatly enjoyed visiting Altered State for its grand opening and would encourage anyone in the area to stop by as well at 671 Big Bend Road, Manchester, MO, 63021.

Film Friday: "Venom: Let There Be Carnage."

The first, "Venom," movie was a pleasant surprise. I expected it to be awful, but despite itself, it worked. The movie was full of tonal clashes (Tom Hardy as Eddie Brock was so over-the-top and everyone else seemed quite grounded), the tech-bro villain seemed underbakes, and at 2 hours and a good chunk of the movie before any symbiotes appear much it felt a tad bloated. The newest flick, "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," rectifies many of the flaws in the first but adds some new concerns to result in a film that's better than the first but still imperfect.

"Venom: Let There Be Carnage," is a lot more silly and comedic in a manner that matches Hardy's energy. We get a ton of Hardy talking to Venom/himself and it is a delight of zany bits. Woody Harrelson is a fantastic Cletus Kasady/Carnage, bringing a ton of menacing energy. Just seeing Hardy and Harrelson riffing off each other is a delight. As for my other qualm with the initial flick--the running length--this is actually a shorter and sleeker sequel, clocking in at a mere 97 minutes (with credits and the mandatory mid-credits stinger). The latest Venom movie isn't perfect, it adds a romantic interest for Kasady that makes him seem almost too human instead of like the over-the-top monstrous killer he is before even acquiring a symbiote. Plus, Eddie Brock's ex and her new boyfriend-now-fiance return but have precious little to do in the movie besides serves as audience stand-ins discussing how zany and weird Brock and Venom are.

The special effects are a bit sleeker than the first movie, with an even bigger budget allowing some insanely inventive symbiote-style effects, especially when Venom and Carnage fight at the film's climax. The best moments aren't over-the-top alien fisticuffs, however. They are when Hardy or Harrelson are just being weird and funny with each other or by themselves/with their symbiotes. "Venom: Let There Be Carnage," isn't a great movie, but it is a good time and despite some new issues it does improves significantly over the first flick. It's worth a cheap matinee ticket or a rental once it's viewable at home. Sony's little Universe of Marvel characters is doing alright after all.

3.5 out of 5 stars.