Kanye West Announces He's Sorry For All the Hate Speech...and Has a New LP Coming Out Soon

Kanye West put out a letter/bought a full page of ad space in the Wall Street Journal. In it, he goes in-depth about how various brain injuries and bipolar disorder resulted in multiple manic events, paranoia, and his many, many incidents of hate speech. West lays out how he is not an antisemite but loves Jewish people and is sorry for letting the black community down. "I’m not asking for sympathy, or a free pass, though I aspire to earn your forgiveness," is one excerpt from the writing. He discusses losing all touch with reality for a good period of time, hurting those he loved most, and otherwise being destructive and reckless. And you know what? Good for him if he is truly taking accountability and getting help! 

Mental health is a Hell of a thing, and if he was having paranoid delusions but also too rich and powerful for anyone to say, "This is not okay," it is obvious how things would--and did--get out of hand. That said, the timing of this is a bit suspicious as Ye's latest album, "Bully," happens to be released this Friday. Mr. West basically published a letter saying, "My bad for the multiple years of awful statements and erratic behavior, buy/stream my new LP!" and that is awkward all around.

I used to be a huge fan of Kanye West and loved his earlier work. I defended him on this blog, a lot! I supported him in his long-running feud with Taylor Swift and thought she was the villain! Then, things started to shift, and at some point, I became quite pro-Swift and disgusted with the actions of Ye. He even knows that a single letter attempting to explain his myriad of horrific actions won't fix everything, but it is a start, and if he continues to work on rehabilitating not only his image but healing himself, maybe there is hope for Kanye West. Maybe, but he has a long road ahead of him for sure.

"Wrestle Heist," #1 is a Love Letter to Both Wrestling and High-Stakes Burglary

Wrestling and heist tales are both forms of entertainment full of stories. In wrestling, you have operatic tales of good and evil, the hero and the villain (sometimes one is revealed to be the other via heel-turn or such too), and lots of over-the-top fights. With a heist yarn, you've got someone down on their luck or done wrong who assembles a team and gets back at a nefarious party by stealing cash or something of value--in the name of justice and getting a little cheddar. "Wrestle Heist," marries these two storytelling concepts expertly. 

Both wrestling and heist stories can have lots of drama and be a bit silly, something writer-artist Kyle Starks knows in showing us the downfall of Sterling Steele--a pro wrestler who plans to leave one agency for another and is intentionally badly hurt by his former boss as retribution. The issue concludes with the announcement of the plan for a heist, and the promotion for the second issue outright says how next we'll have the exciting part of the crew getting together--"Wrestle Heist," isn't avoiding any genre tropes as opposed to having a lot of fun with them! The big Thanksgiving wrestling showcase of, "Fightsgiving," is Steele's target, and enough people clearly have been done wrong by Buddy that he'll be able to get some accomplices.

I've talked about the stealing, but what about the wrestling? Well, Kyle Starks is superb at illustrating the kinetic scenes of, "Fighting," whether it is the orchestrated aspects or when Steele is genuinely betrayed and hurt by real violence in the ring, made to look like an accident. Starks has always excelled at showing readers intense action scenes with his art, and "Wrestle Heist," serves as another great showcase for his abilities--other reviewers agree it is a superb read as well. This is a comic by someone who knows how to be critical of the industry of professional wrestling, but clearly adores the artform as well. I loved this first issue and can't wait to see how Steele and his friends pull off their caper!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Snow, Lots of Snow

Here in Saint Louis--as with much of the nation--we are hunkering down and preparing for the snow, lots and lots of snow. A good chunk has already fallen, with even more on the way this evening into tomorrow. Plus, it is absolutely frigid outside, so that calls for caution as well. By the time we wake up on Sunday, there could be a foot of snow on the ground. I hope everyone stays safe and warm this weekend into Monday. Take it easy, ya'll!

All Hail The Return of Fat Pikachu!

"Pokémon," is turning 30 years old, and the trading card game is as well. The original artistic representation of Pikachu on Pokémon cards was that of a chunky boi, a chonker, a chungus, etc. In honor of this fact, there is a new and official fat Pikachu plush...but it's a bit hard to acquire outside of Japan. I just hope it gets a wider release, as I've always been a fan of this extra-cushy iteration of the character. We love you, Pikachu, thick or thin!

Marvel to Revisit Their, "Civil War," Event and Seems Low on Ideas in General

I remember when the Marvel event, "Civil War," was a big deal and selling lots of copies back when it kicked off in 2006. Focused on Superhumans being required to register their identity with the government and how that leads to a rift between Tony Stark (in favor of it) and Captain America (opposed), it was somewhat adapted in a popular Marvel flick years later. When it was coming out years ago, it was a hit. Then it got delayed and took forever to finish, with a ton of fill-in one-shots and mini-series. The event had a lot of stuff that tied in and basically got to the point where there were comics saying, "Hey, what is this D-list hero doing about the Superhman Registration Act?" Well, apparently not all the stories were told because in honor of the 20th anniversary of the series (in real-time, not the floating continuity of the comics) we're getting, "Civil War: Unmasked,"  a five-issue series by Christos Gage, Edgar Salazar, and original Civil War colorist Morry Hollowell. Wait, we didn't even get Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch (the original writer and artist) for this cash-grab?

Yes, "The comic will offer a different story in each issue, respectively revealing more of what Tony Stark/Iron Man, Peter Parker/Spider-Man, Bill Foster/Goliath, Greer Nelson/Tigra, and Steve Rogers/Captain America did during the 2006 event." Oh, and this is somehow going to tie in the X-Men event, "Days of Future Past," for...reasons. I'm all for revisiting a fun event, but back when, "Civl War," happened, it just took forever and (I thought) covered everything there was to discuss. The, "Civil War II," event, some years later, was a hot mess as well, so I guess going back to a successful event (and working in an even older one) is the best idea Marvel has right now?

Sorry if that's coming across as overly sarcastic, but outside of the Ultimate Universe (which is ending), Marvel's comics have been struggling to get much hype/attention/etc. I love the current, "Moon Knight," comics (despite constant relaunches), but that's more of a cult character, and I struggle to think of any Marvel books getting the kind of buzz DC has been receiving--especially with their Absolute books. Even Marvel's movies were an unstoppable box office juggernaut, and now lots of people seem cautious about, "Avengers: Doomsday," no matter how many characters/actors are being promoted as coming back for more. Marvel just seems low on ideas, overall, and is throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks. We're giving the Scarlet Witch a turn as Sorcerer Supreme, and Norman Osborn is Spider-Man. The house of ideas indeed.

Advance Review: "The Thing on the Doorstep," #1

"The Thing on the Doorstep," is an upcoming comic series published by Top Cow (an imprint of Image). I had a chance to read an advance copy of the first issue--technically for a second time. You see, when it was independently published on a previous occasion, I reviewed it and loved it, but why not revisit it and share how much fun it was to read again with some tweaks for this new release from Top Cow? Described as drawing from HP Lovecraft and featuring a, "...haunting mystery of friendship, madness, and the horrifying," this comic is written by the talented Simon Birks and is a great first issue!

Illustrated by Willi Roberts with letters by Rob Jones, the entire creative team does a stellar job opening in a, "Present," of sorts, where a shocking act of sudden violence occurs, and then we move back in time to start puzzling together just how things got to the point they did. There are hints of the supernatural in this first issue, with it clear that something dark and twisted is creeping into the minds of various characters. It doesn't appear anyone will emerge unscathed, with the question moreso being who will go utterly mad and who will maintain at least a semblance of sanity? The creepy vibe is superb thanks to Birks, Roberts, and Jones keeping us on our toes and ill-at-ease as the tension increases with every jump forward in time to near where everything starts/ends quite brutally.

"The Thing on the Doorstep,"  #1 releases in comic shops on February 11th, 2026. I encourage everyone to ask their shops to get them a copy and to then read the upcoming issues--as it is with Top Cow instead of being done on a smaller-scale this time, it'll be much easier for folks to buy and enjoy!

5 out of 5 Stars.

Artgerm Doesn't Use AI, it Steals From Artgerm!

Stanley, "Artgerm," Lau has been making comics since before the rise of so-called AI, "Art." That said, his style looks a bit like some of the AI rip-offs, so people have lately been accusing him of using AI...even though that would be impossible time-wise for some of the comics they looked at from years ago and said were AI. It's gotten to the point where Artgerm has posted about his process as he makes art so that people back off.

Look, I hate the supposed, "Artists," who put a prompt into a computer and claim they created a piece as much as everyone else, but even though some people are using AI, not everyone is doing it. A lot of AI artwork is stealing from creators such as Artgerm, and if anything, he is a victim of AI and getting ripped off, not the other way around. Let's support folks such as Mr. Lau and not hurl false accusations at them. After all, plenty of people, "Proudly," proclaim they use AI for their slop; they're the ones who deserve scorn.

MLK, the Fight Against Fascism via Nonviolence and the Question of the 2nd Amendment

It is the day we honor Martin Luther King Jr. He was a man who believed in nonviolence. If he hadn't been assassinated, he could very well still be alive today and 97 years old; that's how recent in history everything he fought for is. I don't feel we're especially close to his dream--Hell, I feel we are farther than we've even been in the time I've been alive (holler at all my 80's babies). King thought we could achieve peace through protest and not being violent. Is that still true?

To slightly change subjects, but everything will eventually come back together, let's look at 2018--a bit of time ago. I made a post that resulted in a bunch of angry comments from people who stumbled across my blog and didn't agree with my very succinct title. That title was, "Fuck the 2nd Amendment." I discussed how, as long as we had a 2nd amendment, it would be impossible to ever have common-sense gun control. I said the idea that we would need to take up arms to defend ourselves against a fascist government was absurd--this is America! Well, I should've said that more like Childish Gambino in, "This is America," because it is 2026, and what do you know, the worst people at one moment in time made the right point about the 2nd Amendment.

Those annoying far-right survivalists who told us how someday the government would, "Tread on us," were correct. The MAGA movement and Donald Trump are using agencies such as ICE to disregard the rights of citizens and kill innocent people in the name of protecting us from the combination strawman/boogeyman that are, "Criminal illegals." Anyone with an accent, a bit of color on their skin, or, "Ethnic," features can be harassed by Trump's personal army. Even a white woman was murdered in broad daylight by an ICE agent and instead of the government saying he was a bad employee who would be investigated, they doubled down and said Renee Good was some kind of far-left domestic terrorist, despite what we all saw. They worked overtime to smear her and bring up her sexuality and politics because they couldn't pull the usual, "Dangerous illegal," gimmick out their ass. MLK would see what's going on and tell us to go against it, but not violently. John Lewis, another civil rights pioneer and former politician who passed in 2020 would tell us to make, "Good trouble." The government isn't after one or two demographics, however, it is after everyone who dares to question it. Every single person. Half the United States seems blind to this and cheers while having rights snatched away. Can we make good trouble when the government doesn't allow any challenge, period?

Certain people kept telling us the fascist government would come for us, and the people who said it were assholes, but they were right...even if they are oddly pleased at the moment for the very tyrannical government they warned us against. MLK would stand against basically everything in this administration, and they'd probably label him a domestic terrorist, too, even if he preached peaceful demonstrations. Trump and his ilk don't stand for any challenge, peaceful or otherwise.

I doubt the government would stand for leftists suddenly taking up arms to defend ourselves from when Trump's Gestapo decides to kick in our doors. I mean, Ronald Reagan and the NRA were suddenly very for banning open carry when the Black Panthers patrolled the streets and made it clear they wouldn't stand for police brutality against people of color. The 2nd Amendment is supposedly a right for all, but when the, "Wrong," people want this so-called inalienable right, the people who scream how we'll pry it from their cold, dead hands get equally cold feet.

Some people tell me things will get better. The nation is a pendulum that swings left to right. Well, it has swung off the hinges and is flying into the stratosphere. Peaceful protestors are being attacked by a Federal Government that wants them to be complacent while Trump flouts banning midterms and invading Greenland--a nice step on the road to pissing off NATO and moving us closer to some form of World War III. I hate guns and personally have no desire to own one. That said, it is 2026, and I see why the worst people once made the right point--our government could very well turn against us.

A great article, read it here.

You can tell me I'm overreacting, but they've been saying that about Trump, and he keeps pushing the line that everyone insists he won't cross further and further. Congress is under the control of the GOP, and they never stop him. By the time he gets that list of Jews in America and suddenly anyone with Jewish heritage loses their citizenship, or they attempt to round up anyone with Autism and take them to mysterious farms, those who backed Trump will shrug and go, "Who could've predicted it would go this far?" All of us with a brain who realize he wants a stupid and submissive population did, ya moron! People like you spent decades saying we needed to be armed, so the people could stand against tyranny and fascism, so why did you go from the aforementioned, "Don't tread on me," to, "Yes, ICE, here are all my papers, please tread on me harder and let me lick your boot clean!"

The pointless gun violence doesn't stop in America, and lately, neither does the fascism. Congress is powerless, our States and cities are doing their best. Many people are protesting and fighting against this horrific Federal government. So yeah, the 2nd amendment might end up being more important than we thought because when they're, "Done," with the so-called illegal immigrants and want to go for those who are Jewish, Black, LGBTQ (already being heavily persecuted too), or anything but a Aryan white dude, things are only going to get uglier. Watch Trump try to claim the Insurrection Act to stop elections. Watch his party let him get away with further crimes. Watch as the supposedly, "Weak," demographics everyone mocks suddenly start packing heat, and instead of hurling peace signs at ICE they hurl bullets. I want nonviolence to be the answer and believe it could be. I wonder if enough people feel that way too or if things are going to only get ugly.

I don't want a civil war to break out in America, but I can see it happening. I detest guns, but I see how they'll be in high demand. Things are only going to get worse before they get better, and I intend to hunker down and keep my family as safe as possible whilst our Nation tears itself apart. I said how I hate guns and thought the 2nd amendment was outdated. I still hate guns, but fuck, the 2nd amendment has made the reason it exists quite clear with the way our Government is going. Props to you, worst people, you were right about something--a bit like a broken clock being accurate twice a day. I just hope the other thing you always predicted--a new civil war--isn't the second thing you call correctly. I hope that MLK was right and justice will prevail. Martin Luther King Jr. wouldn't have wanted us to have a gun to use against our fellow humans. He wouldn't have wanted things to get to that point where the government is shooting people or people are shooting back. It is 2026, however, and while MLK once had a dream, we are living in the American nightmare. I pray that at some point, enough people wake up.

People Didn't Always Realize Michael Rapaport Was Annoying?

When the fourth season cast of, "The Traitors," was announced, I immediately rolled my eyes at seeing Michael Rapaport in the cast. He's been around for decades as a well-known loudmouth who is, to put it plainly, unlikeable. He's just an annoying blowhard who is gifted at saying the wrong thing at the worst possible time. I wasn't surprised that in these earliest episodes of, "The Traitors," everyone hasn't been sure whether he's a distracting and terrible Faithful who sucks at the game or a Traitor who struggles to keep his cover. Well--spoiler alert--he was voted out at the end of the last episode after continuously royally pissing everyone off. 

The, "Straw that broke the camel's back," was him accusing Colton Underwood of being a Traitor and saying Underwood's many years in the closet (he was on, "The Bachelorette and the lead on The Bachelor," before he came out) made him good at keeping secrets. Rapaport tried to walk back what he said and apologize but the main excels at throwing out verbal grenades and attempting to shrug off the shrapnel--he's done it for a long time. It just was strange for people to be, "Surprised," at Rapaport being a pain in the ass because that's basically his whole gimmick. As I mentioned, Underwood and everyone agreed at the end of the episode that, regardless of whether Rapaport was a Traitor or Faithful, he needed to go. I'd say it's for the best of everyone's sanity.

They're Making a, "Fallout," Styled Reality Show

I have enjoyed many of the, "Fallout," video-games and adored the first season of the show set in that Universe. The second season of the, "Fallout," show is running and the company that  broadcasts/streams it has announced a new spin-off of sorts, "Fallout: Shelter." Not to be confused with the mobile video-game of the same name, where you build a Fallout-style Vault, this is set to be a reality show of all things.

The basic gist of, "Fallout: Shelter," is as bunch of people will be locked in a simulated Vault (like from the games/shows) and have to compete to show who is the most S.P.E.C.I.A.L., which are the stats from the games. It sounds a bit like, "Big Brother," with the social isolation element, but themed for, "Fallout." I enjoy both, "Big Brother," and, "Fallout," so I'm willing to give it a chance. I would hope the show leans into the plot point both the games and show touched upon, where the Vaults generally were not a safe place, but self-contained experiments where terrible things happened in some vaults and others chugged along mostly happy. That would be a twist that the contestants are in a, "Bad," Vault, and it goes to show how weird it is that we take shows all about the downfall of society (like, "Squid Game,") and make competition shows out of them.