"Erenshor," is a Single-Player Game That Simulates Being an MMORPG; That Sounds Strange and Interesting!

I used to dabble in Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, back when I had a lot more time to burn. I'm old enough to have dipped my toe into, "Ultima Online," and never played, "Everquest," but recall how huge it was. Then, of course, it seems like we've all played a significant chunk of, "World of Warcraft," at some point in our lives. Still, those games can be a huge time-sink and other players can be heavily dependent on you to join them for quests/raids if you're in a guild that enjoys those high-intensity dungeons and such. What if you want to play an online game where there is less of a grind and you won't be letting any real people down if you miss a few events? Why not try an MMO...that's actually offline? Enter the intriguing new game, "Erenshor."

"Erenshor," is essentially a single-player MMO. It takes place in a big fantasy land and is full of other players who go questing, trade loots, and level up when you're not around while hanging out with various guilds...except these other players are all NPCs and the game isn't on the internet. Everyone besides you is a, "SimPlayer," with a computer-generated personality, appearance, and the like. It is a game for just you that feels like a big online title but requires a lot less time, dedication, and the like. The graphics look inspired by, "Runescape," and I love the idea of, "An MMORPG...on your time." I can explore a fantasy world that is just like an MMO but has nary the usual stressors of it taking forever to level up, or having to play with a bunch of people to enjoy the best quests/raids/etc.

Looks like an online game, yet it isn't at all!

You can play a demo of, "Erenshor," now on your computer via Steam. The old-school design gives it relatively modest system requirements--although my current setup is so basic it can't run it. Do please give the demo a try and let me know how it is. If I get a slightly more juicy computer in the future I'd definitely give, "Erenshor," a try sometime either via its demo or once development is complete.

Today's Quad Con in Saint Charles was Stellar!

 

Whenever the Quad Con comes to town I get excited. The Saint Charles one is always held at the Steel Shop Event Center and is a hoot. Full of vendors, creators, and other cool folks, you can spend a bunch of time having fun at any Quad Con show--and that is just what I did today! I made new friends and saw old chums, bought a bit of cool stuff, and otherwise found the show to be quite an enjoyable experience. I'll share some highlights below...

I saw some of my good friends that I often run into at other shows. My chums I had the pleasure of chatting with included John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics, Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, Marcus Mosley, Eric and Tricia of STL Comics, Larry of Bug's Comics, the good folks of Comic Book Relief and That Comic Book Guy. I also was excited to see my good friend Jack Thomas of Fortress Comics. He was kind enough to pose for a photo with his impressive wares:

There were even more vendors of comics/toys/Funko Pops/etc. as the show was packed with folk selling cool items. I met the vendors of Magnitude 10 Comics for the first time and they had a cool giveaway they were doing! Besides folk selling wares, a lot of cool folks who made neat items were present too. The cool fellows of Biff! Bam! Boom! Comics were there and always a treat to speak with. Friend of the blog Ria Leso was at Quad Con, promoting her cool works including the upcoming release of issue 2 from, "The Sleepless Ones," comic. Here she is with her cool banner:

I met Matthew Kreke, an author of the young adult book, "Beacon--The Hero of the Heartland," as well as, "The Night Slayers," comic. The show was really big and I was busy checking all the cool booths for sure, and during the show I made the acquaintance of Marisa Carbonell of Mariposa. She had a ton of cool stickers, bookmarks, and so forth featuring her artwork. Here is a picture of her cool booth:

This Quad Con in Saint Charles was immense fun. The show was packed with vendors, creators, some cool cosplay, and everyone was having a great time! I already look forward to the next one in this region on April 13th, 2025. Thank you again to the folks behind Quad Con for having me attend as it was superb!

The Variety Saint Louis Trunk-or-Treat Event Was Great Fun!

I've written about the wonderful organization here in Saint Louis known as Variety on a previous occasion. They help families in a multitude of ways and were kind enough to highlight how their assistance in getting Clarkson his Novachat device was incredibly helpful when it came to his communication skills. Variety held a Trunk-or-Treat event today and it was a lot of fun!

Samii, Clarkson, Gibson, and I all drove to the event and our good friend Emily met us there to do the trunk-or-treating with us! Clarkson loved one spot where they had made slime (as seen above). He kept making faces as he touched it but didn't want to stop! Everyone loved his Halloween-themed shirt as well with bats on it.

Gibson and Samii had fun outfits themed for the event as well, with Samii sporting a Jack-o'-lantern shirt and Gibson dressing as Donald Duck--he got lots of compliments for his adorable outfit. I need to make sure to thank our friends Doug and Rachel who gifted us the getup! Here is a better look at the boys in their clothing before we left--I tried to crop out the cat the best I could who desperately tried to pop into the picture:

Variety's trunk-or-treat event was fantastic! The cars were all decorated wonderfully with an assortment of themes, everyone was incredibly nice, and the weather was about as perfect as one could have hoped for today. We want to thank Variety for all they do and look forward to attending more fun shindigs they have throughout the year!

Flashback Friday: "Hellspawn," Was a Horrifyingly Good Read

D. Emerson Eddy of The Comics Beat reminded me of a great little series the other day with one of their, "Classic Comic Compendium," articles. It was, "Hellspawn." Published by Image, it was an out-of-continuity series that hard Brian Michael Bendis writing and Ashely Wood providing art before Steve Niles took over writing and Ben Templesmith provided illustrations to close the 16 issue run out. It's creepy, ominous, and while I'm a big fan of Niles and Templesmith, I'm a huge fan of Wood's art and when Bendis' writing is on, it is good. This is an example of some quality Bendis storytelling.

I've always said I enjoy, "Spawn," comics the most when Todd McFarlane isn't writing them. This isn't meant as an outright insult to McFarlane either. McFaralne is an incredible artist and has some stellar ideas. I just don't think his writing/scripting is the absolute best. When other people take his ideas and run with them, however, the result is generally awesome. Whether it is how David Michelinie and McFarlane gave us Venom or that the, "Toddfather," and his Spawn helped create some cool stories when other folks wrote the character--such as, "Hellspawn," and other works (Alan Moore of all people kind of was slumming but gave us some interesting yarns). 

When McFarlane is mainly doing the art and contributing ideas as opposed to full-on scripting, the results can be pretty snazzy. Hence, I enjoy the character of Spawn the most somewhat paradoxically when McFarlane isn't writing him. "Hellspawn," with its demonic creatures, scary tone, and great dialogue stands as a prime example of that assertion. "Hellspawn," is going to have a new collected edition coming out in March of 2025. I look forward to it and hope that this new printing helps other folks discover a fantastic piece of work.

The Latest IDW Logo is Just Plain Ugly

IDW as a company has been through good times and rough times. They are shifting the focus of the company to go heavier on creator-owned genre works in the realms of horror, superheroes, and mafia tales. I suppose with this change a new logo was called for, and how bad could it be? It was unveiled at New York Comic-Con and, well, look above and marvel at that ugly thing. IDW Comics and Entertainment, you okay?

AIPT was kind and said it was, "Slick," while Creative Bloq felt it was, "Too clever for its own good," in how it uses the I and the D to make a W. Bleedingcool was as eloquent as ever and called it, "Stupid." The thing is hideous, for sure. You have to really stare to see the idea of a W and for a good minute, I thought the company had changed the name to be ID Comics and Entertainment without the W for some reason. The W isn't there, but it kind of is? It's gruesome, ya'll. Someone who thought they were really good at typography came up with that logo, patted themselves on the back, and took the rest of the day off when they actually should've tossed this in the bin as a first-draft failure. 

If you stare long enough you can kind of see the W.

It almost could work with the W being visible to a better degree without the weird slice in the I and D; why is that even there? I have little to no artistic skill, so if I think your logo is an epic fail that is saying something. I'm sorry to pile on with most folks here...but that thing is just nasty. No, IDW, just no.

A New Printing of, "The Filth," Has Been Released, so Go Buy it!

"The Filth," is a creator-owned comic that was published over 13 issues by DC's Vertigo imprint (when it existed). Written by Grant Morrison with art by Chris Weston and colors provided by Gary Erskine, it is my absolute favorite thing Morrison ever wrote--and they've written a ton of stellar comics. Describing, "The Filth," is incredibly difficult as there is a lot going on within its pages. Basically, it focuses on a secret organization known as the Hand who serve the World by removing or recruiting those who could pose a danger to the stability and safety of society. This results in stories about a massive cruise ship that descends into violent chaos, a hyper-fertile porn star with amnesia, living inks being used to create comic-book-inspired weapons, a Russian chimp that claims to have killed JFK, and more! Now, thanks to DC, you can get a new 2024 edition of, "The Filth!"

I don't use the word, "Masterpiece," a lot, but, "The Filth," is one. I'm pleased that DC has re-released this amazing comic--now under their, "Black Label." This printing also includes some extra content including pieces of artwork that did not appear in the original comic due to it being a bit too risque but which was included in certain other printings as backmatter--so if you like bonus stuff, this publication has it! The only strange thing is multiple sections refer to Morrison with male pronouns and a chunk of years ago they came out as nonbinary--a bit of an editorial oversight. I understand old review quotes would use he/him terms, but the biographic section too? That note aside, go get yourself a copy of this newest printing of, "The Filth," and enmesh yourself in its amazing weirdness.

"Heavy Metal," Magazine to Return in 2025

There was never much of an official announcement, "Heavy Metal," magazine just kind of ended with a whimper. It was a bummer as the magazine had been through so many highs and lows, and petered out in 2023. The publication sometimes had really thoughtful and mature comics. Sometimes it was mostly boobs, butts, guns, and sci-fi-influenced mixtures of the three in an effort to be experimental and erotic. It was always an interesting publication, however, from the early days in the 70s all the way to when Grant Morrison was briefly at the helm later in its term. The thing is, when I wrote about the end of, "Heavy Metal," (linked above) I did say how barring some unforeseen rising from the ashes of failure like a mythical phoenix I thought it was done. I guess the Phoneix is rising because--you guessed it--"Heavy Metal," is due for a return.

Heavy Metal International has CEO Marhsall Lees confirming the magazine shall relaunch in 2025. Frank Forte will be the Editor-in-Chief, Dave Kelly the new Executive Editor, and Chris Thompson the Editorial Manager. Preorders for the extra-big first issue shall be done via Kickstarter (which will also offer limited edition covers and such). I hope this relaunch is successful so that creators who want to make weird and interesting stuff have a platform to do so for the fans that want to buy the aforementioned interesting and weird stuff. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more information as well--such as when the Kickstarter launches and who will be contributing to this new debut issue!

The Hot Comics Revue 19--Talking Absolutes With Batman

"Absolute Batman," was promoted heavily as a part of DC's new, "Absolute," line. Stores ordered tons of copies. It sold out the first printing at the distributor level but that happens with plenty of comics that sit on store shelves. People on Reddit and in my comic forums scoffed at the idea such a, "Big," book could heat up significantly. AND YET! Comic stores found that even if they went heavy on the first issue, people wanted it, and now the shelves are bare in many places. 

Absolute Batman's cover A.

The comic is getting really good reviews with its fresh take on Batman by Scott Snyder and Nick Dragotta and that mixed with curiosity from fans and regular folks hearing about it has resulted in a run on the book. Supply has dried up of a book that should have--in theory--been clogging up dollar bins in a year from being supposedly so overprinted. Still, the A cover of, "Absolute Batman," keeps climbing in popularity and price to the point people will pay 20 or 25 bucks for it online. Will this book keep gaining in popularity? Will it fizzle? Could it end up being like a, "Spawn," #1 where even though tons of copies exist it always sells for $20-$30 over the decades? I don't know, but I can say this book is currently quite hot and everybody wants a piece. A second and third printing are already coming and this has interest piqued in the other, "Absolute," books coming down the pipeline too.

Other incoming titles.

I was able to grab a copy of, "Absolute Batman," as the variant covers are still pretty cheap for now. I plan to read it once I have some time to sit back and properly enjoy it. I dug the, "DC All-in Special," so between that and the debut of this new Batman it looks like DC might actually have a hit new line of books on their hands thanks to some great ideas and quality storytelling. Sometimes effort is rewarded, I suppose!

That, "Joker: Folie à Deux," Really Bombed Hard

I didn't see the first, "Joker," movie. It seemed to barely have anything to do with, "Batman," conceptually, and looked like a really negative, sour, and unpleasant movie--even if Joaquin Phoneix is a great actor. The sequel--"Joker: Folie à Deux," looked quite strange but still tonally dark, with the movie becoming a musical, somehow. Then it got awful reviews, had an ending few liked, and technically bombed in theaters as it did come in first at the box office the week it debuted, but didn't make nearly as much as was hoped for. It even has set a record of sorts for the, "'worst second-week box office drop' in comic book movie history," according to the AV Club. It fell off a metaphorical cliff. Everyone is blaming everyone else who was involved with the movie. Is it Phoenix demanding rewrites and new scenes? Is it how Lady Gaga had a lot of scenes cut? Director Todd Philips' refusal to work with the studio and let them offer opinions? 

I think the first, "Joker," movie was a bit of a, "Lightning in a bottle," moment that had people curious enough to check it out. Still, nobody wanted more in the form of, "Joker: Folie à Deux," perhaps. It looked like, "Joker," but with more confusing elements (why a musical?) and narrative shifts to the, "Saga," of this Joker that everybody seems to have hated. The , "Joker, " sequel thankfully is its own, "Elseworlds," kind of tale and not related to the main DC continuity now being built up by James Gunn and Peter Safran. That take on the DC Universe has me more optimistic for a good time than I ever had for these, "Joker," flicks, which just seemed to be saturated with negativity, cynicism, and little else of a point besides saying, "Life sucks, oh well." I don't know who to blame for how badly this sequel went, but this particular take on a DC character is clearly finished and ended as a big ol' awful mess.

The Latest Saint Charles Quad Con is Just Over a Week Away!

I always have a grand time at the Quad Con held in Saint Charles at the Steel Shop Event Center. The next one is a week from tomorrow on October 20th, starting at 10AM (and going until 4PM). It is just $5 to get in with free admission for military and free entry for all after 2:30 PM. The Quad Con always has a metric ton of vendors selling everything from comics, to toys, crafts, trading cards, Funko Pops, vintage video-games, original art, cosplay, and more! I highly encourage anyone in the area to be at the Quad Con on Sunday the 20th, I plan on attending and having a fantastic experience! See you there!

Marvel Doing Zany Character Pairings? Sounds Fun!

The Marvel Universe is a big place. There are well-known characters who did not meet for years of existence or whom still haven't hung out. With this in mind,  J. Michael Straczynski is going to be writing a number of one-shots for Marvel featuring, "...characters who had either never been paired before, or only minimally," for the amusement of us readers! JMS returned to Marvel a bit ago to write, "Captain America," after previously leaving on less-than-stellar terms when Editorial overrode how he wanted to finish his, "Amazing Spider-Man," run. JMS's take so far on, "Captain America," has been a bit quirky, but still fun. Hence, it is interesting to think he'll write about Rocket Racoon and Doctor Doom, Nick Fury going against Fin Fang Foom, Hulk chilling with Doctor Strange, and so forth. 

The only story that made me scratch my head in that it doesn't sound like a strange duo is, "Spider-Man Vs. Doctor Octopus." I mean, they interacted enough that at one point Otto literally took over Peter's body and served as, "The Superior Spider-Man," for a controversial run--perhaps there is a twist to that story? Whatever the case, we get to enjoy some wild matchups this January with JMS scripting and a variety of great artists illustrating.

Silver Sprocket is Doing a Fundraiser--With Rewards!

I am a big fan of the independent comic publisher Silver Sprocket. They put out works that are creative, edgy, experimental, and simply awesome. They are celebrating 15 years of existence by running a fundraiser! They're looking for 200 more people to become members/subscribers which can get you all their awesome releases in digital or print form. They're also selling snazzy prints (I have one pictured above) and signed books that the authors were kind enough to autograph. 

This fundraiser will help them to keep printing superb works and make sure everyone at Silver Sprocket can make a living wage (not easy to do in comic-books, sadly). Here is that link again so that you can buy something cool and help give Silver Sprocket some more cash so that they can look forward to another 15 (and more) years!

"Funko Fusion," is a Disappointment of a Game

I've loved playing Lego-themed videogames over the years. There have been many from, "Star Wars," to, "DC," "Marvel," and ones that mash-up a bunch of properties to an interesting result. When Funko announced their own game, "Funko Fusion," I had hoped it would be fun like the Lego games. I've played a bit of, "Funko Fusion," and am disappointed to share that it is pretty mediocre.

The Lego games are full of charm and fun gameplay. "Funko Fusion," is a mostly uninspired 3rd-person shooter with boring landscapes, annoyingly long boss fights, lame puzzles, and a shocking lack of personality considering how fun and quirky real-life Pops can be. Some surprisingly graphic body-horror imagery aside (as others noticed) there isn't much of interest in this game. It's just drab and dull. This is such a missed opportunity and I'm glad my library (libraries rock!) had it for me to check out instead of having to drop a stack of cash to be underwhelmed. At least we still have the Lego-themed games to enjoy after this missed opportunity.

I've Officially Known Samii 13 Years as of Today!

I met Samii 13 years ago today! We chatted online via OkCupid, went on a date (then many more), and now here we are all these years later. I am thankful every day that Samii went from being my girlfriend, to my wife, to the mother of our wonderful boys. It is wild to think we were strangers when I went and met her in-person for the first time at the Crestwood Mall (which was replaced with a Dierbergs and some housing awhile ago). I'm glad I didn't scare her off with my eccentric demeanor and continue to marvel at how caring a person she is. Clarkson and Gibson have the best mommy and I have the best partner in life. It's been a wild 13 years and I look forward to many more!

"The Comics Courier," is the Print Comics Criticism I've Been Yearning For

I love absorbing all forms of media as well as reading crictism of that media. Whether I agree with a review or article, if it makes me think about a movie/show/comic/whatever in a new way, I appreciate that. We don't have much print comics crictism, lately. Magazines that focused on comic-books all went out of print besides a yearly-ish edition of, "The Comics Journal." Hence, seeing that there is a Kickstarter campaign for, "The Comics Courier, A New Comics Criticism Journal," has my attention.

As much as I love reading about comics online, I enjoy a good magazine regarding subjects I enjoy too. Print isn't dead, with plenty of topics still getting magazines, so a biannual (twice a year) print publication dedicated to comics sounds superb. The creator/main editor is Tiffany Babb, who has almost a decade of experience regarding comics. She has recruited a bunch of great folks who write about comics as well and if I had any issue with this new publication it would just be how I wish they'd included me because I love to write about comics and can usually ramble on long enough to meet double the needed word-count--editors love/hate me a lot! My quibble of being left out of this debut issue aside (seriously, hit me up if you want an article in a future issue, Tiffany) I love the idea of, "The Comics Courier," and have already backed it at the level for a physical copy (you can get just a digital, but I just told ya'll I want it in my dirty mitts)! Go and back it on Kickstarter now if you value comic-book criticism too--which considering how I do a chunk of that, I figure you must be into reading folk's thoughts on comics!

You Were Warned About Those Commercial DNA Kits

I've given my genetic information to companies that have to follow strict privacy rules. I'm talking about HIPPA laws regarding genetic testing for myself and my family members. That said, I've always been leery of 3rd party companies like 23andMe or Ancestry that want my DNA and don't seem beholden to any particular rules about what they do with my information. Seriously, I wrote about it back in 2020. Now, 23andMe is on the brink of bankruptcy and has all that useful genetic data they could sell to survive. I warned ya'll.

Could this information serve great medical purposes? Yes. You could anonymize data and study a bulk of it to see how certain genetic markers can be linked to other ones for health issues. Am I paranoid at the idea that it could be sold to advertising companies or law enforcement? Yes, because a lot of information could be in that genetic code and there is zero responsibility to privacy for 23andMe--once you signed up and spat in a tube for them you signed away your rights.

It sounds like a science-fiction concept, but imagine a company getting your genetic information and putting it in a database. This database finds you have a gene that predisposes you to really liking dark chocolate. The company sells this money to an advertisement agency with a corporation that sells chocolate as a client. One day, they trawl their data and decide to send anyone with the chocolate-loving gene a coupon for a discount on a new line of dark chocolate bars with various fun nut options. That isn't too nefarious, but things could get a lot more twisted and intrusive. 

I could be paranoid, but if I give someone all my genetic code and they don't have any privacy obligation, maybe they don't anonymize data and sell my DNA data if they get into a tight spot. I bet a few decades ago the idea of sending a company your salvia so you could find out if you're 30% Irish or such sounded outlandish, but now here we are. Your genetic code could translate to dollar signs. Be careful who gets your DNA because Lord only knows what will be possible to learn from it in the next couple of years.

Wishing Donald Glover a Speedy Recovery

Donald Glover is a talented actor/singer/comedian and basically an all-around skilled fellow. He had postponed a number of tour dates as his musical alter-ego Childish Gambino due to an unspecified health issue. Now, those dates have been outright canceled with it disclosed that Glover's unnamed health issue will require surgery. Glover is entitled to medical privacy just like any other human being, but I appreciate his feeling comfortable sharing that, "“My path to recovery is something I need to confront seriously. With that said, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the remainder of the North American tour and the UK and European dates. Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.” Prioritizing one's health is important and I applaud Glover for doing as such. I wish him a speedy recovery and look forward to him in the, "Community," movie which should eventually come out after delays from script rewrites among other stuff.

The, "DC All-In Special," #1 is a Promising and Creative Start of a New Venture

DC is launching their, "All-In," Initiative which involves the standard DC Universe and an alternate one (the Absolute one) somewhat co-existing and (one assumes) eventually overlapping in some fashion. It's a bit like the original or new Ultimate Universe Marvel is doing, in other words. This new, "DC All-In Special," #1 is a one-shot that kicks everything off...and it actually does so in a clever way.

There is a lot of artistic creativity in this special that makes a big commercial endeavor actually feel almost a bit quirky--and I like that. You see, this is a flipbook that tells the same story from vastly different viewpoints and uses that format for all kinds of intriguing ways to tell a surreal story. We see things from the perspective of the heroes on the main DC Earth as they expand the Justice League--and Booster Gold is there as everything goes wrong with  Daniel Sampere providing some solid art. 

We also witness Darkseid getting up to a bunch of evil stuff and enacting a master plan...with Booster Gold yet again there from a slightly different metaphorical angle as everything goes wrong (the man can't catch a break in this comic). I liked seeing an alternate take of the same yarn and the Wes Craig artwork on the, "Evil," side is especially impressive--as others have observed. I give props to writers Joshua Williamson and Scott Snyder for their creative use of the comic-book format and using that to give us two stories that end up uniting beautifully as one twisted tale.

The, "DC All-in Special," #1 is much more experimental than I expected for a random one-shot that launches a new line of stories (and a whole new Universe of heroes). This gives me some optimism for the upcoming Absolute titles--I was thinking of at least trying their first issues and definitely plan to do so now--and makes me curious about what will be happening in some of the, "Main," DC books as well like the upcoming, "New Gods," series. Color me pleasantly shocked at how good this was. I tip my hat to DC for getting me excited about all the other things coming down the pipeline for, "All-In."

5 out of 5 Stars.

A Chicken Big Mac is Coming to America

McDonald's is bringing a chicken version of its Big Mac to America. This interests me. One big reason I am intrigued is that I have a beef allergy so I welcome any new chicken option at a restaurant. I discovered this allergy back in high school when I had allergy testing done and it explained a lot about my stomach issues. This allergy isn't related to a tick bite, randomly enough, as I can eat other meats that those who suffer from AGS cannot. Hence, if McDonald's is going to make a Big Mac available that has tempera chicken patties instead of beef, I'm intrigued. That said, I'm not sure I'll like the taste of Big Mac sauce, having never tried it (when I did eat beef I just got plain Quarter Pounders with cheese). Still, I'll give it a sampling once this new chicken Big Mac hits America on October 10th.

Frank Fritz of, "American Pickers," Fame Has Passed

Frank Fritz was a major part of, "American Pickers," for a number of seasons. He either left the show or was given the boot some years ago- it depends on who you ask. Still, he kept running his own business of selling antiques and treasures he would find or have people bring to him. Then, in 2022, Frank suffered a stroke due to a blood clot from an earlier motorcycle accident. Since then his health has suffered and as of September 30th, Frank Fritz has passed. He and Mike Wolfe (the show's other OG) had feuded since Frtiz left the show, but by a number of accounts they had reconciled--which makes me happy to hear that at least they could repair their friendship before Fritz's death. I always love watching, "American Pickers," whether I'm viewing old classic episodes or new ones. Frank will be missed.

"Superman: Supercorp," Has Some Twisty Mysteries!

My friend, Brian, has been recommending various, "Superman," comics I should read over the months after taking offense (jokingly, he wasn't legit angry) at my saying that most Superman stories are boring. He was 100% right that the recent, "Warworld Saga," was a fantastic read when collected in a big paperback. Somewhat following after that is, "Superman: Supercorp," which collects the first five issues of the new, "Superman," series that launched out of the recent, "Dawn of DC," line. I read this collection written by Joshua Williamson with art by Jamal Campbell and really enjoyed it.

I missed on paperback between this and, "Warworld," Brian told me, which explains why at the start of this comic why Lex Luthor is now in jail and has assigned his whole corporation to, "Help," Superman. Luthor, obviously, has some ulterior motive, but for now appears interested in helping Superman continue to keep Metropolis safe while also hoping Supes helps fight off some of Luthor's old foes who have crawled out of the woodwork with him imprisoned.

Between an attack by the villain Parasite that takes an intriguing sci-fi and microscopic turn and a subplot about Luthor having once supposedly been a hero in Metropolis that another notable reporter took great pains to bury any news of, a lot of mysterious stuff is happening in, "Supercorp." There are some delightfully funny elements too, with Jimmy Olsen doing his thing where he always gets into various fiascos, in this case ending up dating one of Superman's villains (she's trying to be less evil though these days). I had a good time with, "Superman: Supercorp," and have already asked my friend Brian what collections I need to seek out in order to keep reading this fun story!

5 out of 5 Stars.

"Kelce Mix," Cereal: Worth Eating, but Not Amazing

I tried, "Kelce Mix," cereal and liked it even if I didn't love it. I saw it in stores and figured it was worth a shot because I like weird mixes of stuff and enjoy the Kelce brothers, Travis and Jason. Travis was a surprisingly solid host of SNL in the past (usually athletes--excluding Charles Barkley and Peyton Manning--suck as hosts) and Jason is quite fun too. The, "Kelce Mix," cereal is a blend of Reese's Puffs, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Lucky Charms. It works, interestingly! 

The Reese's chocolate and peanut butter pieces are complimented by the cinnamon wonderfully and the Lucky Charm's cereal pieces help, "Cut," everything so it isn't too much chocolate-peanut-cinnamon at once. Then the Lucky Charms are just kind of there and honestly uncalled for in cereal, which is already this sweet. I love marshmallows though, so I'm not mad at their presence or anything, however. What is funny is another review that quite liked the cereal too actually wished there were more marshmallows--so the opposite of me. I would say this is worth giving a taste, but don't expect anything wild, it is just a mix of a bunch of cereals and a bit of a missed opportunity for a special-shaped Lucky Charm or such, that would've been cool. As it stands, this was good overall!

4 out of 5 Stars.

Ending September 2024 With a Lovely ToyMan Show

There was another ToyMan show yesterday, an event I always look forward to attending! I got there earlier in the day and spent some time browsing the countless fantastic wares and chatting with the awesome vendors as I always enjoy doing. There was a cool special guest today, Warren Proulx. He's an actor who has been involved in a number of, "Star Wars," roles and was eager to chat with fans of the franchise. It is awesome when ToyMan has guests, but you know I'm always there looking for deals--and boy did I find some great ones today!

The view from the upper level before it got too busy!

I started the show off by saying hello to my friend John Chaffee of Bigfoot Comics and looking at all the neat stuff he brought. I saw my friend Tim Metzger too and he was doing well. Tom from Alliance, Comics, Toys, and Games was busy at the show and Bruce Reynolds was there making sales too! Brian Lan was there and we talked about other Superman comics I need to read— he is an encyclopedia of knowledge about Superman! I spoke with Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles, and I was impressed with a fun WALL-E toy he had. By putting in some batteries it can be controlled by a remote and I figured Clarkson and Gibson might find it fun. The price was good so I bought it and once I was home later in the day Gibson loved it as this picture illustrates:

Gibson and WALL-E

Rewinding back to my time at the show, I enjoyed going to the upstairs area when I saw author and my friend, Jessica Mathews. We chatted about how life had been and it was great to see her! I also saw my chum Lindsay Hornsby who was doing well and bought a fun card game from the always-lovely Debbie Manbe Kupfer themed for her book, "Adana the Earth Dragon." In addition, when I returned to the downstairs area I saw my friends Dustin and Tammy set up at their table. They had a bunch of shortboxes of comics for only $3 each so I scooped up some goodies, including a lower-grade (but still awesome) copy of, "Wolverine #8! Give it a look:

Thanks to Dustin and Tammy!

The ToyMan show today showed how you can always rely on the event to be jam-packed with everything from toys, to Funko, Legos, die-cast cars, video-games, DVDs, trading cards, old movie posters, and comic-books (in addition to more things I didn't think to name). I'm already excited for the next show on November 3rd, 2024. It'll be where it always is, the Machinist Hall at 12365 St. Charles Rock Road in Bridgeton, Missouri. 

Another ToyMan-associated show!

In the meantime, however, there is another show ToyMan is actually assisting with too! There is a ToyMan-associated show at the Moolah Shrine Center on Sunday, October 27th. That sounds like it will be really fun too so if you can, go to that then the next official ToyMan show a week later--you'll be busy but surely have a good time!

The, "ILLuminati," Kickstarter Has Some Superb Talent Involved!

I've talked about a number of Kickstarters this week, but I guess there have just been some really snazzy ones lately. That said, there is a new Kickstarter campaign for, "ILLuminati: A Thriller Where Hip-Hop & Comics Collide." It is an original comic being made in a partnership between the publisher AWA and radio personality/author/all-around cool guy Charlamagne Tha God. A number of fantastic talents are involved in bringing this comic to life, including Sanford Greene, Bill Sienkiewicz, Bryan Edward Hill, Denys Cowan, and more! The story focuses on, "When a rising hip-hop star dies under mysterious circumstances, her twin sister, a young woman with psychic abilities, journeys to the City of Angels for answers and becomes enmeshed in a dark conspiracy that snakes its way through the pillars of power, fame, and pop culture."

Charlamagne has talked plenty of times about his fondness for comic books so this isn't a case where a celebrity pretends to be involved in a book, he really worked hard with a team to create this 128-page original graphic novel and it looks really cool. I'd encourage folks to check out the campaign on Kickstarter whether they want to back at a lower level and get a digital copy, or go for the notable variant covers and other cool rewards! I've already backed it and I'm excited that's it already well past its goal!

Film Friday: Will the Discourse Around "Megalopolis," Overshadow the Zany Film Itself?

Francis Ford Coppola has created some of the most revered films of all time. I'm talking, "Godfather," "Apocalypse Now," and the like. He's 85 now and still making movies, with, "Megalopolis," getting lots of attention, but not for reasons relating to the movie itself--which is a weird alternate-history sci-fi epic kind of thing, from what I understand of the plot.

All the talk about, "Megalopolis," has focused on the massive budget Coppola sold some of his own winery to secure funds for, how the movie couldn't even find a distributor for a bit because it seemed so strange, and allegations about Coppola being inappropriate plus a trailer that made-up mean quotes about his previous movies to show critics don't, "Get it," when it comes to his work. In regards to that, reviews have ranged from loving the flick to thinking it is an utter disaster. Some folks think it is a bit of both. I mean, the movie is supposed to somehow have a live-action element where a person in the audience asks the character played by Adam Driver a question that he responds to within the movie. How that can work for viewers at home when this hits streaming is something I cannot fathom. 

All the discourse around, "Megalopolis" has overshadowed the question of whether it is worth seeing. It sounds like it isn't going to make much money at all but it could become a cult classic once all the hype dissipates and people look at it as a movie and not a weird media spectacle because it does sound intriguingly strange. I'd watch it if no other reason than there are some solid members of the cast including the aforementioned Adam Driver as well as Aubrey Plaza, Giancarlo Esposito, Grace VanderWaal, Laurence Fishburne, and more. I don't think it'll take too long for, "Megalopolis," to move from theatres to streaming if it bombs as hard as some have predicted. Time will tell what the overall critical and popular consensus ends up being once the metaphorical dust has settled.

Hoda Kotb to Leave the, “Today Show,” in 2025

Hoda Kotb is a skilled journalist. Whether she’s been covering serious, “Hard news,” or getting drunk on wine with Kathie Lee at 10AM, she can do it all. Seeing Hoda in recent years spending three to four hours or so a day on our television for most segments of the, “Today Show,” has been entertaining for us at home, but she’s ready to move on for a new gig.

Yes, Hoda Kotb is leaving, “Today,” but don’t panic as she will still be at NBC handling other news-type-stuff at a time of day where she’ll get to sleep in (one hopes) as I would think being up so early for, “Today,” must get old/exhausting. I mean, unless you are Al Roker who besides some surgeries (both planned or emergency) that required some months of rest at a time seems to be more machine than man. Seriously, Roker appears capable of broadcasting the weather to us at a moment’s notice no matter the time of day.

I always enjoy watching the, “Today Show,” and Hoda has been a major element of that enjoyment. I understand if she wants to pursue other opportunities, however, and imagine the three or so people it will take to replace her (she seriously does a ton) will do a great job as well when she shifts positions at NBC in the future.

"Doggyland," is Further Proof Snoop Dogg Loves to Try Anything

If you ask Snoop Dogg to try something out the odds seem to be good he will say, "Yes." He might co-host a cooking show with his friend Martha Stewart. He might hang out at the Olympics. Perhaps he will be the voice for a GPS program. He could release a cookbook (with a foreword by the aforementioned Stewart), open a cannabis coffee shop, narrate a show on Animal Planet, or run a youth football league for teenagers. He's also still making music when he's not busy being a Grandfather and some of that music is actually geared towards little kids via, "Doggyland."

"Doggyland," is a 3D show for younger kiddos designed to be educational. As the website explains, the creators are,  "Snoop Dogg, October London, and Claude Brooks--Executive Producer of Hip Hop Harry." The show itself, "...features a colorful cast of dogs in a vibrant world where they sing, rap and dance to fun and educational songs that teach learning and cognitive fundamentals for kids all around the world." "Doggyland," can be watched for free online and has a variety of toys/merch/party supplies that relate to the show. It is, in fact, quite fun and I appreciate the, "Affirmations," song as it focuses on the importance of believing in yourself and how you're constantly improving as a person. Give it a look:

Snoop Dogg, children's entertainment mogul in addition to everything else, I suppose! I appreciate the focus on loving oneself and others while having fun learning--all good things to instill in children. I guess the only thing limiting Snoop Dogg from trying something out is if somebody hasn't asked him to do something yet!

"One More Year," is an Intriguing Mix of the Supernatural and Slice-of-Life

Every year, in March, a woman named Ophelia has a strange man visit her farm with an offer from a mysterious boss. If she sells her soul she gets 5 million dollars. She always says no and, "One More Year," passes. Ophelia has been getting this offer for decades (for reasons the story slowly reveals) and has her own plans to deal with this mysterious force that sends the offer her way. In this story written by Simon Birks with art by Pietro, we witness an interesting blending of a quiet life on a farm mixed with this strangely supernatural gentleman with his clipboard full of notes about souls that have been sold. It gives the story a quirky little vibe that isn't spooky so much as showing how even selling your soul can be as mundane as filling out a questionnaire.

Throughout this 50-ish page original graphic novel the truth slowly unveils itself about why Ophelia keeps getting such a strange offer and how she intends to get what she truly wants from the unknown boss (whom one assumes is devilish in some manner). I quite enjoyed the little mystery at the heart of, "One More Year," and would encourage folks to back the upcoming Kickstarter campaign for the book from publisher Blue Fox Comics. I quite enjoyed the story and think others will too!

5 out of 5 Stars.

The, "Thunderbolts*," Teaser Trailer Has it Looking Mighty Fun

I noted two things as I watched the teaser trailer for, "Thunderbolts*," which was put online today. The first was that it looks quite fun with its random assemblage of not-heroes-not-quite-villains to create Marvel's version of a Suicide Squad. The second thing was being relatively surprised it doesn't give away the entire plot of the movie as more and more trailers seem to do lately (the AV Club noted that too). Check the teaser trailer out below:

We have until May of 2025 to know what exactly is happening in, "Thunderbolts*," and why it has that random asterisk in the name. I don't mind not knowing everything about a movie in advance, for once, and imagine people who get real uptight about spoilers-inserted-in-the-preview-itself are happy too. Plus, we get Bob! I assume that is Bob Reynolds AKA the Sentry, but time will tell. For now, I love him just saying how he's Bob in the trailer. Between how this looks entertaining and the upcoming, "Captain America: Brave New World," seems exciting, Marvel has some interesting-sounding stuff on the way!

The 11th Annual RRParks Cards Halloween Set is on Kickstarter!

Since last year I've enjoyed dabbling in hockey cards, Marvel trading cards, and have read about all kinds of non-sports cards that are fun. The folks behind RRParks make all kinds of interesting non-sports cards and every year do a fun Halloween assortment. I know some folks look at trading cards more as an investment where they spend huge sums of money on various athletes, but there is something to be said for trading cards that are--simply put--just good fun! Hence, when I read about the, "RRParksCARDS 11th HALLOWEEN & PIRATES TRADING CARDS Event," being on Kickstarter I thought it sounded really cool. The folks at RRParks said they would love for me to blog about the Kickstarter campaign, so I'm doing so to encourage folks to check out the various pledge levels of exciting and cool cards! Give the Kickstarter campaign a look and join in on the fun.