Check Out the, "Hornets," Kickstarter!

Not too long ago the illustrator of a new graphic novel reached out to me. It was Ben Edwards and he sent me a bunch of information about, "Hornets." It was getting ready to launch on Kickstarter and I said I'd happily make a post about it once the campaign started. Well, now here we are! Written by Jordan Sam Adams with lettering by Rachel Ordway, "Hornets," is a sci-fi comic that follows an elite team of female soldiers who end up captured by the enemy force. 

I gave it a read and enjoyed the G.I. Joe vibe mixed with, futuristic war themes we've seen in titles like, "Metal Gear Solid." Edwards is a great artist and whether he's drawing giant robots or soldiers stuck in a dingy prison, the comic looks fantastic. I'd encourage you to check the Kickstarter campaign out and you can back it if my description and the preview pages strike your fancy.

The, "Shazam," Sequel Had a Rough First Weekend

"Shazam: Fury of the Gods," opened in first place at the domestic box office. That would sound impressive, but it actually made less than was projected--and the projections weren't that high. The latest Shazam flick is a flop, in other words.

Apparently, it is an okay film, if not as fun as the first according to reviews. Why did it falter? Are James Gunn and Peter Safran to blame with the big DC reboot coming and making this movie feel utterly inconsequential? Is Dwayne, "The Rock," Johnson the big culprit? Will people break out that old refrain that, "Hey, maybe folks are tired of superhero films?" even though that keeps being said anytime a movie stumbles and then gets dropped when another one does gangbusters? 

I don't know why the Shazam sequel clearly struggled with its debut and if it even really matters for DC's plans going forward. I just feel a bit bad for director David F. Sandberg who was bummed by the critical reviews and is, "...definitely done with superheroes for now." Ouch. Anways, I liked the first movie and will probably stream this when it comes to HBO MAX or whatever, but I'm not in a rush to see it in theaters. Wait, maybe people like me were the problem? Eh, who knows?

I'm Excited for the Saint Charles Quad Con Next Sunday!

Next Sunday is the Saint Charles Quad Con. Put on by Quad City Con, their events are always great fun! The mixture of comics, toys, games, cosplay, and a stellar assortment of vendors and creators results in a superb show. It is always packed to the gills with awesome stuff to buy and cool folks to meet. This show will be at the same location as previous ones--49 Lawrence Street in Saint Charles--the name of the location has simply changed and it is now known as Steel Shop Athletics and Events. I would encourage anyone in the Saint Louis and Saint Charles region to attend the show a week from today. The doors open at 10AM--see you there!

"Superman: Lost," #1 Kicks off Quite the Superpowered Mystery

Christopher Priest is a writer who can take a character I generally don't read the stories of and get me extremely engaged in a yarn about them. Priest gave us a superb run on, "Deathstroke," which made me care about the character for the first time ever (and when it ended I honestly went back to having zero interest in Deathstroke, so is life). Now, Priest is doing an out-of-continuity 10-issue series about Superman titled, "Superman: Lost." With artist Carlo Pagulayan, this creative team has already knocked it out of the park with the first issue. 

Basically, Superman leaves for a mission and then seems to be back quickly...but he proclaims it has actually been 20 years. How did he go missing, how did he get back, what impact will this have on the relationship with Lois, and what was up with the mysterious political scandal the comic mentioned in the first half and how it might relate to all this? These are some of the questions Priest and Pagulayan raise for us and I am excited to watch as the complex twists and turns being set up see answers. Between some fantastic writing and gorgeous artwork, this comic was a treat--and that's coming from someone who doesn't usually read many Superman-centric stories. I'm eager to read more and already feel like this series is going to be quite the treat!

5 out of 5 stars.

Flashback Friday: "Spring Breakers," Was a Beautiful Mess That Predicted More Than We Could've Expected

The AV Club's Hattie Lindert wrote an article for the AV Club titled, "Spring Breakers Predicted Everything." I felt like the article didn't quite say what, "Everything," was and at the same time stated it perfectly. The movie created such a weird, warm, colorful vibe that when you look at it now seems like a ton of the Instagram pictures and videos so-called influencers upload full of sandy beaches, barely-there bikinis, and ample bottles of liquor reflecting neon lights. Over at Rolling Stone, David Fear has similar observations of how the movie predicted the chaos that was to come in America. "Spring Breakers," accomplished a lot considering it kind of sucks in terms of being a coherent movie.

Seriously, this a flick about some young women who go on Spring Break, and team up with a drug-peddling and money-obsessed rapper named Alien so as to be on vacation forever. Alien is played with insane delight by a James Franco who must've actually been on drugs and not just pretending because he seems too authentically high on weed, cocaine, and other stuff to be acting. The women consist of former Disney stars who 2013 were trying to break free of their squeaky-clean image (Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens), the wife of the movie's director, Harmony Korine (Rachel Korine), and Ashely Benson who was known for, "Pretty Little Liars," at the time if I remember the dates of everything correctly. A solid cast that somewhat aimlessly roams around Florida drinking and doing drugs, breaking the law, and giving us a film that is phenomenally strange and twistedly entertaining even if it's a total mess.

Seriously though, I have to give credit to a flick that has James Franco play a grand piano on the beach as he belts out, "Everytime," by Britney Spears before it segues into a violent montage of criminal activity with Spear's song playing over it. It's weird and nonsensical, but I dig it. As for the cast these days. Gomez and Hudgens have achieved a lot of success, Rachel Korine and Harmony seem to be happily married still, and Benson has continued with a fruitful career acting and singing. Franco seemed to drop off the face of the Earth when a lot of sexual misconduct allegations arose relating to extremely barely legal (like the age of consent in his state but not-even-able-to-vote) women. He seems to be slowly creeping back into showbiz, for better or worse.

"Spring Breakers," landed in our midst like a huge comet crashing into the social psyche. It left an impact even if folks weren't sure quite what the impact was for a number of years. "Spring Breakers," predicted the messy and excessive era we live in now. Forget being responsible, post some pics of yourself practically naked in a g-string with a glass of the current popular beverage and try to live as luxuriously as possible before everything comes crashing down due to your own financial irresponsibility--or the economy simply collapsing on its own(look at all those banks recently, after all). It doesn't matter if you're actually rich and successful, just give off that image because it's all about appearances and the vibe, baby. To quote Alien when he names all the stuff he owns, "Look at my shit," and consider how that could basically be the slogan of many Instagram accounts these days. "Spring Break forever," indeed.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2023!

Today is Saint Patrick's Day. My Grandma Burton was as Irish as they come and loved the holiday and celebrating it. I think of her whenever it is Saint Patrick's Day and hope everyone has a good time celebrating (and celebrating safely if they are drinking). Now go out there and find some gold at the end of a rainbow or such!

Sinus Infections Aren't Fun

Last week, Clarkson was sick with a cold. He's better, but now I'm dealing with a sinus infection and so is my wife, Samii. Plus, she has an ear infection at the same time with a ruptured eardrum. Everyone in the household has been sick or is sick, in other words. Antibiotics are helping Samii and me but they don't magically make you better in a day--it takes time. I'm not announcing all this to fish for sympathy or anything, I just wanted to share that if you know anyone going through a sinus infection you should please be patient with them as they always, always, suck. Samii feels even worse than me with her ear issues added on to everything so send her some good vibes.

Happy Pi Day and 314 Day!

Today is the international holiday known as Pi day and in Saint Louis, we also celebrate 314 day (pronounced, "three-one-four day,"). Pi day is because the first digits in Pi are 3.14 before it trails on potentially forever. 314 day is because a common Saint Louis area code is 314. People celebrate Pi day with pie (a bit of a pun) and folks celebrate 314 day by enjoying Saint Louis attractions or foods considered staples of Saint Louis cuisine--provel cheese pizza, toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake, and the like. Whether you're around the World celebrating Pi day or here in Saint Louis celebrating 314 day, I hope you have a great time!

I Enjoyed the First Issue of, "Local Man," From Image

Image comics put out some really zany comics when they emerged on the scene in the 1990s. They were over-the-top and drawn in an, "Extreme," manner. Big guns, a lot of pouches, extremely sexy women, extremely muscular men, and the like. "Local Man," is a new comic by Tim Seely and Tony Fleecs that riffs on some of those ideas via a clever flip-comic format that focuses on a hero named Crossjack back when he was on a wild team a lot like Image's early days and follows him in a much more subdued modern day story that has a slice-of-life vibe as Jack (his real name) finds himself back in his hometown and kicked-off the hero team with a bunch of pending lawsuits. It's a cleverly meta idea to both pay tribute to the excesses of the 90s and make some fun of them while also telling a story about what a hero might do when their glory days are behind them.

It isn't quite clear what Jack did, but from reading between the lines it seems he maybe had an affair with someone on the superhero team who was with someone else and it turned into a huge scandal. I wouldn't be surprised if there is more to the story, however, as the end of the issue also introduces some kind of murder mystery that piques my interest too. Seely and Fleecs are both skilled writers and artists and watching them collaborate results in a fantastic debut issue. I really enjoyed the start of, "Local Man," and am curious about where things could go. If you like your superhero stories a little more off-kilter or have a mixture of pride and embarrassment about loving comics in the 90s this is worth picking up.

5 out of 5 stars.

Oh, It's Daylight Saving Time

I have written on many occasions about disliking Daylight Saving Time. It seemed to creep up on us this time, with many people I talked with being surprised when I mentioned it was this Sunday--and I only knew as the radio mentioned it a couple times. We gain an extra hour of daylight in the evening, which is nice, but at the expense of an hour of sleep and everyone feeling exhausted...so yah? Anyways, make sure you set your clock ahead an hour today if you live in a location that observes DST. You don't want to be late for anything!

I Won't be at the ToyMan Show Tomorrow but You Should Go!

 

I always write about how much I love going to the ToyMan Show. Due to a variety of obligations and things coming up, I am pretty sure I won't be able to swing by the show tomorrow. That said, I would highly encourage anyone who is able to go to the show to do so. It is always a fantastically fun time full of awesome vendors. Seriously, the ToyMan show is simply packed to the gills with stuff (comics, toys, Funko, Lego, Hot Wheels, paper ephemera, and so forth). I hope to make it to the next show on May 7th and wish everyone a fun time at tomorrow's show!

I've Never Felt, "Threatened," By a Drag Queen

You know, I've never felt threatened by a drag queen. I've been teased by some in a playful manner at a drag show, but I never felt threatened. I haven't worried about any children in their presence either.

I've felt threatened by people who claim to be, "Good Christians," standing outside our local Planned Parenthoods who yell at any car that even slows down by one lest it turns in for affordable/free healthcare.

I've felt fear from people who walk around with their guns hanging out because, "Open carry," is a right they want to flaunt even if the sight of them walking down the sidewalk with their pistols creates great unease in this nation plagued by mass shootings and general gun violence.

I've felt immense discomfort witnessing parents dress their little girls up like grown women for beauty pageants, sexualizing them at a young age as if such an act isn't, "Grooming," which is a word the far-right likes to throw around about anyone who isn't cisgender and straight.

I've felt rage seeing Republican politicians strip transgender individuals of any rights or those with a uterus of the ability to make private medical decisions regarding abortion and why one might be needed.

I've felt all that, but I've never felt threatened by a drag queen. Funny how certain people want to make it a social/moral/political issue instead of focusing on actual concerns. It's almost like distracting people with drag shows allows right-wing politicians to avoid discussing real issues. Funny how that is.

To Be Honest, The Older I Get the Easier and Shorter I Like My Games

I know some people think you aren't a real gamer if you don't play a game with the difficulty ramped up. If you aren't struggling to stay alive/win a match you need to, "Git Gud (get good/play better)," or some nonsense. Well, back in 2021 I said it was, "Okay," to play on easy mode and now I'm doubling down and saying I like games set to be nice and easy. I want to actually have fun, and constantly losing or dying (unless that is a part of the game in some fashion like a Roguelike) just sounds unappealing. When I see an article declaring how some new title is, "...the new hardest game in town." that makes me lose interest quick. I want a game to be easy, and I'd prefer it not be that long either.

Yes, you read the above last sentence correctly. I'm sick of games that brag how they can take 100 or something hours to complete. In those games, so much of the time spent is dull filler and if you can give me a game that is 10-20 hours and an absolute blast from start to finish I will take that any day of the week over those super-long games. The last, "Massive," game I maybe spent a ton of time with was, "Fallout 4," and looking back a good half of my gameplay was fun but another half was dull inventory management, trudging around looking for a quest goal, etc. I'd still agree with my 2016 self in declaring it was, "Pretty fun," but that right there is the kicker in some way as, "Pretty fun," is not, "Nonstop fun." I did spend a good deal of time playing, "Red Dead Redemption 2," as well, but not the many, many hours I put in, "Fallout 4." That was in 2016 though and now it is 2023. I'm older, I've got a kid, and I've got things to do during the day that limit my time to play games. 

I will give Xbox and its Game Pass major props as it allows someone to dip into a game, sample it, and then keep playing or delete it from their console if they grow tired of it/find it isn't for them/beat it should they love it. Having the Game Pass is wonderful for trying stuff out and should it be too lengthy or difficult, it is easy to move on. A game that is not too hard and which can be completed in a reasonable amount of time is a game that sounds good to me. I'll still dabble in games that are hard (as long as they have easier modes) and I'll try titles allegedly filled to the brim with hours upon hours of content, but I'll most likely stop playing them once I've had my fill. I'm too old, too impatient, and too busy for anything else at this point in my life.

The New, "Jurassic Park," Lego Sets Look Awesome

For the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of, "Jurassic Park," there are going to be some really cool Lego sets of characters from the movie and scenes. We've got the big visitor Center with a T-Rex and Velociraptor, Wayne Kinght's character of Dennis getting assaulted by a Dilophosaurus, Laura Dern's Dr. Sattler digging in Triceratops' poop with assistance from Jeff Goldblum's Ian Malcom, and more! My only real complaint is that the Minifigure of Chief Engineer Ray Arnold (Samuel L. Jacksons's character) has both arms attached and really should have one be removable--anyone who has seen this flick knows what I'm talking about. I have some friends who love Legos and I imagine they'll be buying some or all of these, "Jurassic Park," ones!

Burn Your Legacy to the Ground and Smear the Ashes--On Scott Adams

Two things to consider as we start this article:

1. Scott Adams had made it clear for quite some time he was a hateful person.

2. "Dilbert," had not been funny for decades.

Ha, ha?

Taking this into account I find myself flabbergasted that people were surprised to hear Scott Adams making racist statements online. He'd been an ass for quite some time and anyone who followed news about comics (strips or books) was fully aware he was a hateful, ignorant, racist, internet-trolling twatwaffle--as a friend of mine would say.

I find myself equally confused why folks who agreed with Adams or felt he was being persecuted would even pretend, "Dilbert," was funny. The early stuff has some charm, but the luster had long since faded to reveal the seemingly gold nugget of office humor that was, "Dilbert," to be in a fact a polished turd. Even if you're some far-right conservative who thinks Scott Adams was being wrongfully persecuted you don't have to also pretend he was still funny--have some sense now.

So...funny?

For people who missed the news, I'm referring to how Adams did his usual racist blog posts and internet streams and finally was loudly ignorant enough that it got the attention of the Mainstream media. He examined a survey by a racist website that asked people, "Is it okay to be white?" in a leading manner. When a number of Black individuals taking the survey rightfully declined to be a part of such a questionnaire Adams examined this data and took this to mean Black people hate White people and White folks need to, "Get the Hell away," from anyone who has melanin less than lily-white for their own safety, or some strange B.S.

The thing--the really big thing here--is that Adams was a hateful and ignorant monster for years and got away with it. He had a legacy, however, uninspiring a legacy as it was. He was the guy who made that once-funny comic about how working in an office sucks. Comic strips were fading from newspapers and almost no new ones were getting added as the market for comic strips shrank, but anyone who was able to get in early enough was basically grandfathered in. They could make good comic strips or terrible ones and still cash their checks. "Dilbert," had made enough of a societal impact at one point that Adams had the ability to simply coast on its faded popularity. He could do some dull jokes daily about emails, meetings, or whatever else he wanted, and have a legacy, however drab. Over the years Adams chose to taint that legacy with his hateful rhetoric and eventually his dumbass behavior got too blatant to ignore and he found himself removed from newspapers and dropped by any of his publishers/agents/whatever. He took his legacy and burned it to the ground before smearing what was left of the ashes.

Come on, there's not even much of a, "Joke," here!

Now if you want to ingest the vitriol Adam loves to dispense you'll need to subscribe to his website/Patreon/whatever. He had subscription stuff for a while, but that will be his sole source of income with all that newspaper money gone. I imagine that now he can scream about being, "Canceled," it will only drive more easily-fooled people to support him as if that makes some kind of statement. Even when the legacy is dead the grift never ends.

The Big River Comic-Con in Hannibal is Just a Bit More Than a Month Away!

 

Coming April 14th and 15th is a fantastic event, the Big River Comic Convention! Held in Hannibal, Missouri, I have written in the past about how much I enjoy attending the BRCC. This year will have even more vendors, artists, and superb guests such as actor Spencer Wilding, artist Sam De La Rossa, and wrestler Sgt. Slaughter.

I'm incredibly excited about this year's Big River Comic Convention and would encourage anyone who is able to get out to Hannibal for it to go and visit--it's going to be an awesome time! You can buy tickets in advance online here, should you choose. I'll hopefully see you there!

That AV Club's, "20 Best Slasher Films of All Time," List Has Some Random Choices

Richard Newby of the AV Club has a list offering his take on the, "20 Best Slasher films of All Time." There are parts of the list I wholly agree with ("A New Nightmare," is rightfully on there and the first, "Halloween," is #1) and other entries that left me scratching my head. The only, "Friday the 13th," film to grace the list is the shoddy 2009 remake? The 2005 version of, "House of Wax," with Paris Hilton is here too? "Texas Chainsaw Massacre," and, "Scream," makes sense, but, "Psycho II," is a bit of a left-field choice. Also, I know it is an acquired taste but one of the, "Leprechaun," films deserves some props. Also, where the dickens is, "The Devil's Rejects?" Quite possibly the best film Rob Zombie ever made (some are much better than others) it is arguably a love letter to gruesome horror flicks that stands on its own feet in the genre too, yet it gets ignored? True, it isn't a single, "Slasher," killing folks, but that is the case with, "The Strangers," too, and that's listed (plus the aforementioned TCM has a whole deranged family).

This list of what Richard Newby considers the 20 best slasher films of all time is overall pretty solid (no argument with, "Sleepaway Camp," or, "Black Christmas," being on there), but much of the list just seems defensive of weird choices as if Newby wants to irritate readers. For example, when he says, "You ready for it? Child’s Play 2 is better than Child’s Play. There, I said it. The band-aid has been ripped off." Dude, just tell us why you like movie as opposed to being all angry about it, like with your choice of the earlier-discussed 2009, "Friday the 13th," literally having the opening sentence, "Fine, boo me all you want." I mean, I am booing, but that's beside the point. You made a list, some of it I and many others will agree with and some parts are just baffling. That's okay though, it's your list, own it without shame or embarrassment...even when you're wrong and should've said, "Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives," is the best in the franchise, but that's just my opinion.

The Spector Club Comic Show Was Great Fun!

I had a lot of fun today at the Spector Club Comic Show! As I mentioned yesterday, I had my own table for selling stuff. I sold a chunk of dollar-priced books (with my buy 5 get one free offer), some DVDs, a t-shirt or two, and a handful of priced comics--the dollar bin items were the biggest draw for folks, however. I enjoyed seeing my friends such as Spike of Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, Konnor Tate of Tatertot Comics, John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics, Tom (from Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games), and my chum Jason of Midwest Money and Collectibles. I saw my friend Tim Metzger too as he had a table as well.

I enjoyed chatting with a variety of people who stopped by my table and had a lot of fun. I would encourage everyone to mark May 21st on their calendar as that is the next Spector Club Comic Show! I probably won't have a table that day as I have another obligation scheduled already, but if it works out to at least swing by for a bit you can be sure I'll do so!

I'm Going to Have a Table at the Spector Club Comic Show Tomorrow!

Readers of the blog may recall I set up a table back in June of 2022 at the Spector Club Comic Show where I sold a chunk of my dollar-valued comics that I no longer needed (along with other random cool stuff). Well, tomorrow I will be at the Spector Club Comic Show again with a table as I've got more stuff I need to sell to good homes! I'll have a bunch of dollar comics, a shortbox of priced comics, pop-culture t-shirts, some vinyl records, a few toys, and whatever else I think is worth selling and will fit in my designated space. I'd encourage you to check out more information for the show here and I hope if you live in the Saint Louis region or are visiting you'll stop by!

Flashback Friday: The First, "Gorillaz," Album Was Fantastic

A new, "Gorillaz," album has just been released and getting solid reviews. Titled, "Cracker Island," I have not yet checked it out but plan to do so. Before the Gorillaz built up a crazy and complex mythology, however, they were just a zany concept with some cool tunes on their self-titled debut LP. Way back in 2001 Damon Albarn, Del the Funky Homosapien, Dan the Automator and Kid Koala worked together to give us a surreal sonic blend, and comic creator  Jamie Hewlett brought it all home with his unique illustrations. Since the first LP a wide range of musical collaborators have been involved, books have come out detailing the sprawling story of Gorillaz, multimedia projects made, and movies planned (then canceled)--it is a lot. Travel back to 2001, however, with just that first album, and it still rocks.

"Gorillaz," has a mix of genres from some pop rock to rapping (Clint Eastwood remains a classic), weirdly experimental tracks, and there really isn't a track I skip when I listen as the whole LP is good fun. It was a strange idea Albarn and Hewlett had to make a band that was so commercial and fake that it truly didn't exist, and that lark gifted us something quite special. Even if, "Demon Days," was what really catapulted the Gorillaz into the stratosphere for popularity, the debut holds a special place in my heart.

The Today Show Has Some Turmoil

I love watching The Today Show. It has had ups and downs throughout its existence. Two recent low points would be how Matt Laurer turned out to be a creep, and when Megyn Kelly was given an hour of the program. That was awful and I was pleased when it was put out of its misery. There is a lot of fun and information to be gleaned from The Today Show and it generally lacks too much turmoil. The current crew is great and I along with many others especially enjoy Hoda Kotb and Al Roker. Well, as far as we know Al Roker is doing great after a number of health scares in 2022 but Hoda has been mysteriously absent to the point folks were asking what is up. Oh, and Savannah Guthrie tested positive for COVID-19 while she was on the air and had to leave in the middle of an episode. As the AV Club put it, "Things are getting weird."

Hoda's absence was at least somewhat addressed this morning, with it stated she is dealing with, "A family health matter." Hoda and NBC obviously don't owe us an explanation for her absence, but people worried she had been fired, quit, or so forth--this makes it at least somewhat reassuring that this is a (supposedly) temporary leave of absence. For a show that I watch to have something pleasant and chill in the morning to wake up with there is a lot of drama occurring.

Attention Haters: "The Last of Us," Has Always Had LGBTQ+ Themes

I played and loved the first, "The Last of Us," video-game, and my wife enjoyed watching it. I skipped playing the second game because at the time it was released my life was not in a good place due to a variety of losses (although I may mentally be in a place now to enjoy it). Anyone who played the games is well aware of the fact that they've had plenty of LGBTQ+ themes. Joel's business acquaintance, Bill, was gay. DLC for the first game and the sequel made it clear that Ellie is attracted to women. I've seen people online saying how, "'The Last of Us,' was always loaded with Queer themes," and they are 100% correct. The thing is, a lot of people didn't play the games that the new HBO show draws from. This has resulted in unwarranted and silly backlash.

Complaining that the television version of, "The Last of Us," has added a bunch of, "Woke," elements or is forcing us to see LGBTQ+ characters is absurd because the source material always had that. It is equivalent to whining that the, "Jurassic Park," movie added a bunch of dinosaurs when they adapted the book--the themes were always there as clearly as a T-Rex. I would think the fact LGBTQ+ people exist and find love--whether it is in the real World or a fictional one full of fungus zombies--shouldn't be controversial. Yet that is the World these days.