"Avengers: Armageddon," #1 Will Come With Promotional, "Magic the Gathering," Card

Here is some interesting marketing synergy. Marvel has partnered with Hasbro/Wizards of the Coast for assorted, "Magic the Gathering," promotions and is now bringing it in directly to the comics. You see, the first printing of the first issue of, "Avengers: Armageddon," kicks off an event series (written by Chip Zdarsky with art by  Frank Alpizar and Delio Diaz) and will have a special card that you can--I assume--use in your Magic games. I know almost nothing about, "Magic: The Gathering," as friends have tried to get me into it, but I always told them I spend enough hours and funds on my current hobbies not to need a new timesink and money pit. That said, I did play the virtual card game,"Hearthstone," some years ago, and when I was a wee lad, and only 151 Pokémon existed, I played that trading card game. Hence, I have some familiarity with trading card games and know Magic is a big one.

This promotion makes me wonder if the goal is more to get comic fans into Magic (nah) or to encourage Magic fans to try some Marvel comics (likely). I'm leaning more towards the latter as it is clever to have the card accompany the debut of a big new event. I could imagine someone who is really into, "Magic: The Gathering," buying the issue mainly for the card, but reading the comic and wanting to follow along with at least this latest big happening in the Marvel continuity (it helps Zdarsky is among the few writers at Marvel putting out stuff in the, "Main," Universe that I like and don't find drab along with Jed MacKay's work on Moon Knight). I could see the result being short-term success for the debut, but I wonder if there will be interest in the follow-up issues, depending on whether gamers read the actual issue. We shall see!

It's April First. Continue to Believe Nothing You See/Read/Hear Online (or Anywhere)

When I was a young child, April Fool's Day held a certain whimsy for me. With the rise of the internet and pranks as we know them being less lighthearted and more terrible, however, the day holds less appeal. I know many of us already don't believe anything we see/read/hear in this age of misinformation, so continue doing so on this day, where falsehoods are purposely posted as jokes. I previously made a post about pranks to be sure you do not do under any circumstances (fake pregnancies, fake deaths, and so forth) and would encourage you to only do a, "Prank," that is harmless and possibly even--dare I say--nice. Tell someone you forgot to bring them a coffee, only to reveal you got them a coffee and a pastry, for example. My point is, carefully gauge the truth of any information you take in tomorrow, and don't be a jerk either. Basically, good advice for any day of the year.

Television Tuesday: "Love Overboard," is Silly, Sloppy, and Great Fun

Last week, Hulu dropped all nine episodes of its newest reality show "Love Overboard." Hosted by Gabby Windey (of former, "Bachelor/Bachelorette," and, "The Traitors," fame), the show is a bit like if, "Love Island," got mashed-up with a Netflix show from some years ago, "Surviving Paradise." A bunch of young and horny singles pair up on a mega yacht with the twist that official couples can be, "Topside," living in luxury, but anyone single or who fails to win challenges to earn a place topside (even if they have somebody they are vibing with) is stuck in the downside. The downside is essentially like another show known as, "Below Deck," with cramped quarters, chores such as cleaning, and a lot less luxury. It is a weird mish-mash of concepts, but it works! 

There is twisted fun to watching contestants such as Bella absolutely lose their mind at the idea of having to clean a toilet or witnessing as couples that seem as solid as granite crumble remarkably fast when new contestants known as, "Shipwreckers," join in on the fun. Oh, and did I mention that when someone is kicked off the show, they fall down off a plank into the ocean water below (don't worry, producers pull them out onto a smaller boat), because it is absurd and hilarious.

As with many of these dating-focused reality shows, a lot of viewer enjoyment comes from just how messy everyone can be. People become strangely clingy to each other in a matter of hours, as if they were a long-time item, arguments break out over who is more in love, and you already know there is grainy night-vision footage of folks getting up to smooches (and more) after dark. Plus, the added desire of being in the comfy topside does indeed motivate certain people to feign interest in one member of topside couples in the hopes of getting into a spacious room with delicious grub provided, too.

It helps with, "Love Overboard," that nobody is too obnoxious (Andrew is just annoying enough to be hilarious in how detached from reality he is, such as when he has a full-blown hissy fit over a bad haircut), and some contestants are downright endearing and sweet. It's a zany concept with a great cast, and I adored the resulting nine episodes. Will the couples last long? You already know the answer with this genre, but since when has that mattered with these dating shows? We're here to have some raunchy fun and giggle as people make rash decisions in the name of romance...plus getting a room with a window. Turn on Hulu, turn off your brain, and get prepared to have a good time.

5 out of 5 Stars.

Music Mondays: When the Remix is Bigger Than the Original Tune

Generally, a remix isn't bigger than the original song. It can become a huge hit as well, but bigger? That said, it can happen. This thought occurred to me when I heard the really catchy song, "Stateside + Zara Larsson," by the artist PinkPantheress. The original song was, "Stateside," and it has had a number of remixes made with different artists. That said, I heard the remix with Larsson joining on the tune first, and having listened to all versions--including the OG--I like the remix the most! It appears many agree with me as while, "Stateside," was good, this remix just sounds better!

This seems to happen a lot with songs that were maybe slower or quieter and with a remix getting louder/busier/wilder. You've got, "I Took a Pill in Ibiza," and its dance remix that blew up. The recent, "Yukon," song by Justin Bieber got a good degree more airplay when its minimalist singing and guitar had some trippy electronic beats added. Hell, the "Macarena," is best known by those in the United States for its version with English lyrics and a faster tempo.

PinkPantheress and Zara Larsson in the remix music video.

Changing a beat isn't the only aspect to make a remix gain even more traction than the original tune, of course. You often see in rap a remix bringing in another music artist, and that can play a major role. From the, "Touch It Remix," with Busta Rhymes and friends to Fabulous and the, "Throw it in the Bag Remix," which incorporated The Dream and Drake to immense success, those are just two examples that popped in my head right away of many. In the late 90's and early 2000's it felt like every rap song had a remix--sometimes to its benefit and other times to little note, but helped give everyone options for which version of a song had the rappers they liked listening to the most!

From the version of, "Summertime Sadness," most recognize to the, "Ignition (Remix)," there are occasions where the remix overshadows the first iteration of a song. That isn't a bad thing, by any means, as sometimes the second/third/whatever time is a charm! I just find it interesting when such a thing happens, and I thank PinkPanteress and Zara Larsson for their tune making me think about all this.

Clarkson Saw the Easter Bunny at the Saint Louis Carousel!

Last year, we went to an awesome event held by Gallia Wealth Management Group. It was at one of Clarkson's favorite places, the Saint Louis Carousel in Faust Park. It happened again this year, and we attended and had fun! Gibson was tired and stayed home to rest with Samii, but Clarkson loved riding the Carousel and seeing the Easter Bunny.  As with last year, the event was geared towards families with members who have assorted disabilities or special needs, with lots of great accommodations for any disability.  There were snacks, goodie bags, activities, and a number of folks were having a ball with the unlimited Carousel rides.

I also chatted with the head of GWMG, John Gallia, and plan to follow up about one of their services focused on assisting with Chartered Special Needs Consultants ( to plan out future financial aspects for loved ones with disabilities). I really appreciate his agency throwing this awesome event and encourage my fellow STL residents to check Gallia Wealth Management Group out!

An Assortment of Comic-Book Biz News

A smattering of interesting news has occurred in comics. I'm not sure any of these are wild enough for me to make a full post about them, but a little overview of some comic-book news sounds like a nice way to catch up on some happenings!

BOOM! is integrating itself more within its distributor, Penguin Random House. Despite this restructuring, they are still their own publisher and, "Independent," to a degree, but PRH definitely has a lot more involvement in, ..."direct-to-consumer and business development efforts." Speaking of PRH, the publisher known as Drawn and Quarterly has partnered with them for distribution. We are seeing more and more consolidation with PRH and Lunar serving as the new home for a chunk of publishers (along with some other options emerging on the scene for smaller indies) who were impacted by the slow and painful death of Diamond.

In other news, I have been a longtime fan of (unfortunately) beleaguered publisher Silver Sprocket. They've had a store in San Fransciso for some time, but a sudden closure has now occurred of the shop, and I do worry about the publisher itself.

DC and Marvel are working on getting stores to order more of their comics lately through various methods. DC is offering packs of comics at discounts of up to 80% if a retailer orders extra copies of a series, and Marvel has added an extra 10% discount if orders on later issues of a comic match earlier orders.

Sony is Raising the Price of a PlayStation 5, Nintendo is Charging More for Physical Games, and Further Mayhem...

Sit down, Gen-Z and younger, to listen to the old Millennial. You see, it used to be that our console games were only available on physical cartridges and discs, which wasn't always optimal, but it was nice to be able to boot up a game and simply play it. No patches or fixes, zero random updates, it just worked. With the rise of digital, physical game sales have steadily decreased (stores like GameStop expanded into a variety of markets to compensate). You can download a game to your console, and that can be great! If you can afford the console.

The PlayStation 5 was released in November of 2020. It has a digital-only version and a fancy Pro version, but is arguably a half-decade or so old in tech (with the Pro a bit fancier). As us Millenials who played consoles back in the day can attest (and GenX who played the even older consoles will agree), usually when a console is around for a while, the price starts to come down. It is older tech, a newer generation will eventually be on the way, and so forth. However, with computing power being gobbled up more and more for AI, those microchips and GPUs, and such, are being bought in large quantities and costing more. Plus, our moronic President's tariffs don't help, either. That is why Sony just announced a price increase on the PS5. Yep, a PS5 that cost $500 in 2020 is going to cost you $650 in 2026, a whole one hundred and fifty smackers more. All the various PS5 models are shooting up in price, with the PS5 Pro set to cost $900. Dropping nearly a grand on an already-outdated, "Pro," model of a gaming console sounds insane, but welcome to 2026! People are not reacting well to this news, obviously.

You might be saying, "Forget that noise! I want to play new games, but I'm mad at Sony for this increase and don't want to pay the higher price for Xbox Game Pass, either. I'm going to stick with my Nintendo Switch/Switch 2 and enjoy physical games on them, none of that digital mumbo-jumbo!" Well, Nintendo is going to start charging more money for the physical copies of their games as opposed to digital, starting with, "Yoshi and the Mysterious Book," running $60 for a download (that you do technically own at least) , but $70 for a copy you can actually, "Own," in the sense of holding it in your hands. Nintendo is saying this is a misunderstanding and, "The cost of physical games is not going up," but, uh, yeah, they are! Don't tell me your game is going to be sixty dollars, then put out information saying the physical copy costs more, followed by you acting like the $60 you already disclosed is some kind of, "Digital discount." That's the equivalent of peeing on my leg and telling me it's raining--then, trying to sell me an umbrella!

Back to you shouting out loud to anyone who will listen, "Alright then, screw gaming, I'm just going to stream Netflix and save some money!" Oh, you sweet Summer child, Netflix is raising its prices, yet again, and you can expect to pay $20 for the, "Standard," ad-free plan, which you may recall won't let you share your password with friends anymore. Again, welcome to 2026--everything is more expensive and less user-friendly! If things are getting to the point you want to dust-off your old Bluray or DVD player and just check-out movies from the library, I don't blame you. Hell, some libraries let you get games too. Maybe try that, at least until the government outlaws libraries because nothing awful our current administration could do would surprise me at this point. Now, if you excuse me, I have an idea to bring back the renting of game consoles like in the old days, but with an added twist, kind of like a timeshare. That idea may sound absolutely terrible, and that's why I say for a third and final time, "Welcome to 2026!" Let's all try to make it out alive.

The, "Bachelorette," Season That Wasn't

I used to watch, "The Bachelor," and, "The Bachelorette," as well as their spin-offs, religiously. Eventually, I grew tired of the franchise's predictability. Besides occasionally dipping my toe in the metaphorical franchise pool once in a while when something looked interesting ("Golden Bachelor,") I simply drifted away from the franchise to other shows. A lot of people seem to share the same story, with it not being any particular scandal the franchise weathered that made them quit (and there were some big fiascos, just ask former host Chris Harrison if that NDA he signed for a big paycheck ever expires), they simply were bored. Perhaps that is why the latest season of, "The Bachelorette," was designed from the start to tweak the formula and outright break some rules. Someone who had never been on the show (that has happened with later seasons of the Bachelor version) and was, in fact, known for different reality series (that has not happened) would be the Bachelorette. A woman named Taylor Frankie Paul. Popular on, "The Secret Wives of Mormon Housewives," she was the first Bachelorette lead to have a wrap sheet due to a, "2023 arrest, in which she ended up pleading guilty to one count of aggravated assault, per the local Salt Lake City Fox affiliate. She took a plea agreement, which dismissed two counts of domestic violence in the presence of a child, a class-A misdemeanor charge of child abuse, and a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief...That 2023 incident kick-started her Mormon Wives career, as it was chronicled on the very first episode of Hulu’s reality hit. But then it resurfaced in the news cycle last week via a leaked video." Oh no.

TMZ released a video from 2023 that showed, "Paul engaging in violent behavior toward her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. The video captures Paul putting Mortensen into a headlock and kicking him. She is then shown throwing three stools at Mortensen while a child cries in the background. Mortensen tries to comfort the child, but Paul refuses to let him." The fallout from this resulted in ABC canceling this 22nd season of, 'The Bachelorette," a mere three days before its scheduled premiere. The whole show had been filmed, edited, the post-production was done, and a lot of money had been spent only for a metaphorical collapse inches from the finish line of making it to air. There were ads running with clips from the show being broadcast already. Hell, they still have magazines at Target on the shelves promoting the show as I snapped a picture of today:

"She's Not That Innocent," turns out to be weirdly prophetic.

This is a PR mess for ABC and a monetary fiasco. Oh, and the fifth season of Paul's original Mormon Wives show has paused development for now due to an apparently recent incident of her engaging in domestic abuse towards Mortensen, yet again, after, "The Bachelorette," finished filming. Is ABC really going to flush the whole season down the drain and take a big loss, or possibly try to present it with disclaimers? Is this simply the end of the, "Bachelor/Bachelorette," franchise as we know it due to a last-ditch effort to inject some life, turning out to be a deadly concoction, instead?

I, personally, don't think ABC will give up completely on Bachelor Nation, as even with this latest shitshow, there is still way too much money to be made. ABC played with fire, picking someone who already came with controversy, and got burned/had this blow up in their faces. The network can try and lean into this, making the show less about fairytale romance and instead focus on flawed individuals looking for love (they aren't role models), or try and run in the opposite direction towards the veneer of wholesome, "I'm only here for the right reasons!" kinds of love that even diehard fans ain't buying after this many years of broadcast. Hell, maybe in the end this scandal could somehow help. Lord knows I'm suddenly more interested in watching Taylor Fankie Paul hand out roses (and possibly uppercuts) than I was a couple of weeks ago due to all the hubbub.

Open AI Kills Sora

Whether you have used Sora or not, you are probably inadvertently familiar with it. Used to make short AI-generated videos that can vary in quality, most of those new, "Viral," Ring videos you see lately are AI digital fakery (the faux-grainy look makes it easier to overlook legit glitches in the images). Sora is basically a form of TikTok where all the videos are AI...so Hell, it is one of the circles of Hell. In all seriousness, I've fiddled with the app, and it can at times, be creepy with how it essentially generates occasionally realistic yet still totally fake clips. Disney even had a 1 billion dollar deal to partner with Sora (perhaps to avoid having their IPs outright stolen and get some money) and use a bunch of their characters in AI videos. However, OpenAI (the parent company who are also behind ChatGPT) announced Tuesday that they were going to shut down Sora very soon. Disney then pulled out of any possible deal (they possibly could have killed the deal in secret first, and that is why Sora fell apart--it isn't yet clear), and now you'll have to imagine the weird stuff you could've prompted the app to make. 

Yes, you could have theoretically enjoyed trying to find a way around filters for questionable content and generated your own, "Simba brutally mauls Prince Eric" animation. That will have to remain a pipe dream, however, along with Oalf fathering a child with any Disney Princesses. This is probably for the best, as while AI tech can potentially be handy for adding up random numbers or looking up the name of, "That one high-school movie, with the funny guy in it too," the AI-generated videos made in Sora were eerie and already being used to fool people or engage in questionable, "Pranks." I don't know about you, but fake security camera footage showing me stealing a pound of liverwurst could be an issue if folks fail to notice how rubbery I appear. This isn't to say there is a lack of other AI video programs that will rush to fill the space, but Sora was the one getting lots of headlines during these months it was in operation. Soon it will be gone, however, and we won't be able to say, "Make me a video of a giant-sized baby being interviewed by a helicopter with a microphone about his favorite snack." Society may never recover. In all seriousness, what is next with OpenAI? Are they going to try and do some other video generation tech all within one big, "ChatGPT Video," program? Could we be ending one vaguely troubling dream only to be about to dive into the real nightmare? We don't know, and that's honestly a bit scary.

Oh, the movie was, "Clueless," and that funny guy was Paul Rudd. Good stuff.

Comics Grading Company CBCS is Shutting Down

Comic grading company CBCS is shutting down and will no longer be accepting comics for grading as of April 17th. Apparently, this news is, "Hot off the presses," as people are getting emails, but I have not seen an official release to comic news outlets. Many are not surprised (and predicted this) as the parent company of CBCS is Beckett, and Beckett was bought out by the company known as Collectors...who also own PSA. If you haven't connected the dots yet, PSA moved into comic book grading somewhat recently. Hence, I guess Collectors looked at CBCS versus PSA, and the conclusion was made to shutter CBCS and avoid redundancy, considering how PSA may be newer at comic grading, but is the big name in card grading. 

All of this makes me think that Beckett's card grading service probably has its days numbered as well and results in CGC and PSA being the two big names in comic grading, as of today (PGX still exists, but isn't especially popular). CBCS was often considered the second-place underdog to CGC, but it had some hardcore fans, and it is always good to have a degree of competition in the marketplace. With all these mergers and acquisitions, however, more and more power gets consolidated in fewer hands (this applies to lots of industries, honestly). There will undoubtedly be more discussion and thoughts on this as the news spreads.

Music Mondays: Chappell Roan and When the Headlines Threaten to Overshadow Your Music

Sometimes a music artist will make good stuff, but their personal life becomes so interesting to their fans/haters/the media that it ends up overshadowing their output. Britney Spears is a big example of this. Chris Brown had this happen, Justin Timberlake, and his recent legal troubles, also come ot mind. When people talk about you more than your music, it is arguably an issue. Kanye West and his very public mental health struggles, Ted Nugent and his very public political opinions,  P. Diddy and...well, everything that went on with his life. These are drastic examples, but even a bunch of small things can snowball and create a narrative, hence Chappell Roan and the concept of how she hates being famous, and as of this week, apparently had to clarify she does not, "Hate children."

Chappell Roan wants to make music and not be harassed by the paparazzi. She doesn't owe you a selfie or hug. It is apparently controversial that she wants to be left (relatively) alone. This recently came to a head when former Chelsea and Arsenal soccer/football player Jorginho claimed that his family suffered, "A deeply upsetting situation," involving Roan's security guard in São Paulo. Apparently Jorginho's wife, Catherine Harding, and step-daughter, Ada, were at a hotel, saw Roan, walked past her and smiled, which resulted in a security guard yelling at them and otherwise bringing an 11-year-old girl to tears. Roan posted that the man was not her own security and must have been with the hotel and overreacted as she never even complained, adding, "I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do not hate children. Like, that is crazy. However, with a narrative that Roan is somehow, "Difficult," already existing, damage has been done.

The mayor of Rio de Janeiro declared that Roan was no longer welcome at a music festival. Various memes have been springing up, and people are demanding Jude Law comment too (he is the biological father of Ada) while Harding has been claiming, "100% this security guard was not a security guard of the hotel--that is what I can say. He looks after artists, so I don’t know if it was her personal security guard, but he was with her." So either this is a huge misunderstanding, or someone is lying. Regardless, lots of folks are cracking jokes at Roan's expense, and I feel bad for her. I'm not even that big a fan of Roan, either!

Seriously, I don't dislike Roan's music and find some tunes catchy. That said, I also don't actively seek out her jams to listen to. They just kind of pop up on the radio, I let them play in my car, and then I listen to whatever comes on next. That said, I feel bad for her as she is suffering from the headlines about her (supposed) actions and (so-called) attitude) overshadowing the thing she wants to be known for, making music--and nothing else! Unlike many of the examples I listed above, Roan isn't seeking fame. She wants to make some music and live her life, but due to a perception that she, "Hates," her fans, whether they are young or old, she's embroiled in a weird scandal. I guess this all could have been avoided if, instead of eating at the hotel restaurant where the issues occurred, she had gotten her food hot to go, eh? I'm sorry, that's an awful joke.

The Debut Spector Club Comic Show for 2026 Was Stellar!

Today was the first Spector Club Comic Show of 2026, and it was the first-ever show in their location at 4690 Lansdowne Avenue! They got a large space in the American-Czech Educational Center, making it easy for all the vendors and guests to be in one single big room! I had a superb time chatting with a bunch of awesome folks and browsing a bunch of cool comics. I snapped a picture of the space before too much setup was complete:

As vendors started to populate the space and prepare their tables, I thanked Dave of All-American Collectibles and Spike from Lost in Space Toys and Collectibles for working so hard to help put on a show I always enjoy visiting. I then had a good chat with my friend, John of Bigfoot Comics and Collectibles, who had a wide assortment of comics and vintage magazines. Here's John:

Thanks to Wayne Judge for this photo.

I then caught up with David of Callisto Comics and had the chance to shoot the breeze with the always-affable Bruce Reynolds. Wayne Judge was at the show, and I was excited to hear he is doing a lot better (I shared previously about the challenges he faced). Dan Yezbick had some amazing comics for sale as well. Here he is:

Thanks again to Wayne Judge for this photo as well.

My chums from Tatertot Comics had a bunch of snazzy books available, and the cool guys from Crypt of Heroes, whom I've met before, were present as well! CoMo Comics was at the show with a metric ton of great stuff for sale. As I continued talking with folks, I saw the crowd excitedly in line, ready to enter the show! Observe:

As 9AM arrived, the Early Bird crowd eagerly entered and began shopping. I had the chance to greet two creators who were guests of the show, Jim Ousley and a longtime friend of the blog, Lorenzo Lizana. Lorenzo let me snap a pic of him:

Between all the vendors, the cool creators, guests, and the nice spacious area, I was ecstatic to be at today's Spector Club Comic Show. I would highly encourage my readers to attend the next event on May 31st, at the aforementioned new location of 4690 Lansdowne Avenue. You already know I plan on being there!

Chuck Norris Has Died

Chuck Norris died this week. He was 86, and the cause of death was not disclosed...but he was 86. Norris is best known as the star of various fun action flicks and for how he made, "Walker, Texas Ranger," one of the most-watched shows around in the 1990s. He also inspired jokes about how tough he was that became a Worldwide meme. Norris was quite conservative (he did not hide it) and in the last couple of decades seemed to move more and more towards the reactionary-right, supporting conspiracies about Obama not being an American and loudly voicing opposition to LGBTQ rights. Basically, Norris was unabashedly himself, for better in some opinions and worse in others. 

Chuck Norris leaves a massive legacy much in the manner of another big name who died not too long ago, Hulk Hogan, although to Norris' credit, many people who knew him seem sad about his passing (Hogan had few friends and many foes by the time of his death). Norris was popular with the many people he knew and worked with in various capacities, from martial arts to acting to his activism in politics. Even Donald Trump has commented on Norris' passing, although Trump found a way to make it all about himself (as usual), discussing how Norris was a, "Great supporter." At least Trump didn't outright insult Norris at the news of his death, as Trump did to Robert Mueller. Norris made some fun action flicks and shows, had an impressive mastery of martial arts, and was unafraid to say what he believed--even if I and others would personally disagree with him on many issues. I know I'll always thank him for the countless sometimes-funny and sometimes-awful Chuck Norris jokes I would see flooding the chat in the Barrens back when I played old-school, "World of Warcraft," around 2005, however.

Flashback Friday: "Small Favors," Remains the Cutest and Silliest Smut You'll Ever Read

Colleen Coover is an insanely talented comic creator who has worked on superhero stuff like the Power Pack and X-Men to doing her own stuff like, "Banana Sunday." One of my favorite creations by her, however, remains the cult hit queer erotica series, "Small Favors." Usually you don't see the words, "Cute," and, "Silly," used to describe titillating comics, but, "Small Favors," is surreally fun, sex-positive, and an oh-so-raunchy piece of Sapphic-focused porn.

The general, "Plot," involves a young woman named Annie who is extremely aroused all the time and engages in self-pleasure so much a manifestation of her conscience named Nibbil has been assigned to monitor Annie and ensure she no longer engages in touching herself, as she's used up her maximum amount of times she's allowed to ever do such a thing again (the universe apparently sets a limit). Thankfully, Nibbil is as horned-up as Annie and capable of shrinking to be basically pocket-sized or make herself normal-sized. This results in a wide range of hilarious and sexy scenarios as Annie, Nibbil, and various friends they make along the way get into mischief and get each other off in the meantime.

I've interviewed Ms. Coover before about, "Small Favors," and her other works, and spotlighted it some time ago in a post as well. The hardcover collection of, "Small Favors," has gone out of print, but there is good news in that a brand-new softcover edition has been published this year, full of all eight original issues and tons of extra artwork. It truly is--as the subheading says--"The Definitive Girly Porno Collection," of an erotic masterpiece. If you love comics that are happy, sexy, and don't mind things getting really spicy, I'd encourage you to acquire the latest printing of, "Small Favors." Just, maybe, read it at home lest you offend any overly-sensitive passerby who peeks over your shoulder!

MapQuest Wants you to Know it is Back and Ready to Guide You

MapQuest used to be huge. If you're over 30 (or so), you probably recall your parents printing out routes with it or doing such a thing yourself. With the rise of map apps on the phone, the idea of printing a bunch of pages with step-by-step directions for vacation or even to find a new spot locally became less than needed. MapQuest didn't really leave or stop existing, but it was a bit of a relic of the past with the most recent notable thing being a company called System1 acquiring MapQuest in 2019, with nothing else of interest happening, until recently. A smidgen ago, System1 launched, "Private Maps by MapQuest," which uses the tech of MapQuest to allow folks to have an app that doesn't, "Save," information about users in a sense. There is no data tracking, it doesn't show ads tailored to your interests, and your travel data isn't shared with other companies (i.e., if you always drive to McDonald's a certain time of day, you won't suddenly start seeing ads for the golden arches in the app). The standard MapQuest has been tweaked heavily, too, even if it lacks the extra privacy features--and it is being advertised with gusto. I mean, I learned that MapQuest in general was, "Back," when I started hearing ads for it and was intrigued. 

New updates both of the MapQuest-related apps continue to make it an appealing proposition with upgraded traffic monitoring features and the like. That is snazzy, but I'd argue the privacy aspect of Private Maps by MapQuest is a big selling point in an era where all of our information is always just...out there. In the same manner that Duck Duck Go has gained increased popularity thanks to not tracking IP addresses, tracking browsing history, or such, Private Maps by MapQuest could appeal to people who find the constant surveillance of Google and its Maps (or Apple Maps, if you're freaky like that), admittedly a bit creepy. I'd love to try the Private Maps by MapQuest app...but it isn't on iPhones.

Yes, that's right, Private Maps is unavailable on iOS. You can use the aforementioned, "Regular," MapQuest and its handy traffic features, but Private Maps is out of reach if you're on an iPhone (and not skilled at fancy hacking tricks or such). It is a bummer, but that could change at some point in the future. As it is, with an Android or iPhone, you can use a newer MapQuest--which is cool--but you need an Android to get the privacy-focused program. MapQuest has risen from a grave of obscurity to be the surprise underdog in a field it once dominated, and now you don't even need your printer!

Marshawn Lynch Has a, "Beast Mode 510," Comic Coming

Marshawn Lynch is known for many things. Being a former Pro Football player and loving Skittles enough that they hired him and made ad campaigns poking fun at how much he usually hates press conferences are two fun aspects of Lynch. Also, he has acted and is a fan of comics enough that he's partnered with AWA to release, "Beast Mode 510," as was recently announced. That is, of course, a nickname he earned through his superb playing of football, and it makes a pretty good name for a superhero comic as well. The number comes from how it is, "Set in the heart of the 510," as AWA's website about the comic discusses. Set to release as an original graphic novel this October (you can preorder it via Amazon or at your local bookstore),  the plot involves a superhero (who looks a lot like Marshawn Lynch) invovled in, "What begins as a surprise birthday celebration for his mother [that] spirals into a globe-spanning conspiracy involving missing young women, Silicon Valley corruption, Yakuza assassins, reptilian billionaires, and a million-dollar bounty on his head."

"Beast Mode 510," features a great creative team, including Axel Alonso (formerly of Marvel), Marshawn Lynch, and Sheldon Allen on plotting, plus the amazing Denys Cowan on art and Dexter Vines providing inks. Chris Sotomayor is the colorist with AndWorld Design, serving as letterer. My curiosity is piqued, and I look forward to hearing more about this comic as the release date nears!

I Test Drove a Tesla and It Was Interesting, All Things Considered

I went to a Tesla showroom yesterday and drove a Tesla Model Y with Clarkson. It was mainly for fun and to give him something to do during his Spring Break. This came about as we would often play around on the Tesla display at a Mall Clarkson enjoys visiting. One time, they asked if we wanted to do a test drive from the showroom location (in Chesterfield, Missouri), and I said, "Sure." Having now driven a Tesla Model Y, I can say they are nice cars, but I doubt I'd own one as they are quite expensive (way out of my price range) and have a weird mix of politics around the brand from the good like the importance of conservation and saving energy (they're electric and don't waste fossil fuel) to the bad like having the face of the company (Elon Mush) who is...problematic.

Tesla vehicles are snazzy. Elon Musk is a terrible person to have as the CEO due to how divisive he is. Both of these things can be true. Having a car with a bunch of sensors and cameras capable of driving itself to a degree and parking for you is impressive. Having your CEO spend hours on Twitter/X posting weird political opinions or outright lies/propaganda is less-than-optimal. Still, I enjoyed tooling around in a Tesla Model Y, and Clarkson had fun too--he was especially intrigued by the unique car handles.

Clarkson examining a Model Y in the showroom.
He has Christmas pants on in March, yes.

The person who assisted us with our test drive was very nice (and not pushy at all about buying the car once I made it clear I lacked the moolah to ever consider that). Frankly, everyone was pleasant and eager to answer questions at the Tesla shop/showroom/service center. It wasn't high-pressure or awkward like some car stores; it felt more like a computer shop or Apple store than anything else. The focus was on all the tech in the cars and in the displays, and it got me thinking about something. These aren't exactly cars being sold, but extremely fancy computers that can transport people, in a sense. You don't use a key; you sync it to your phone. There is no gas, oil, or combustion, but there are monitors with touchscreens that you use to handle a lot of attributes. It's all fascinating, and other companies have taken note and made their own fully electric or electric-focused cars, seeing the success Tesla has had. It's a popular product, and a snazzy one, with a literal front trunk called a, "Frunk," which I find hilarious and clever. Yet, still, he's involved.

Not to harp on Elon Musk, but it matters. I mean, if you were asked to name the CEO of Ford, Toyota, or the like, could you? Perhaps that relative lack of public presence helps those brands more than it hinders them, as Musk is Tesla at this point in time, for better or worse. Eventually, he may leave the company, and it will remove the shadow he casts over everything there to a degree. For now, even if you have the funds to purchase a Tesla, Musk's involvement complicates things, to put it in a polite manner. His love-hate relationship with Trump, messy politics, and the like is alarming ot think about, no matter how fun a test drive can be. 

The wild thing at the end of the day is how Musk is known for making outlandish claims (we ain't going to Mars anytime soon) and screwing things up (he did a number on the US Government with his short-lived DOGE), but this company, which started in 2003, that he joined way back in 2004, has kept chugging along. Perhaps if the Musk of the early 2000's (he was actually somewhat liked back then) were similar to the Musk of today, we'd all have a very different opinion on the public image of Tesla and therefore Musk. That's a big hypothetical, however, and when people with a Tesla need to slap a, "I bought this before Elon went crazy," sticker on their car...well, that says a lot. Some day, Musk will depart Tesla, and on that day, many in the company will breathe a sigh of relief as he takes off for retirement or a trip to his colony on Mars. For now, however, we're all stuck here on Earth with the planet's richest man trolling everybody on Twitter/X as if that's his true passion. Just slap a, "I was on Twitter before Musk changed its name and ruined it," on your iPhone, and we'll be alright.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day 2026

It is Saint Patrick's Day! Wear green if you feel festive and remember that pinching people just because they didn't wear green is a good way to get in trouble (or get a date if you pinch them just right)! Have some corned beef and cabbage (if you're not allergic like me) and some Irish soda bread--which I do recommend as it is quite a tasty item. Just take it easy on the green beer if you're a drinker, as that will definitely look even stranger coming up than it did going down. Have a good one, ya'll!

There Are Two Uncle Bill's Locations Again

Uncle Bill's is a superb restaurant mini-chain. There is a location on a road known as Kingshighway and another on Manchester Road (which opened second). The original spot, in fact, closed for a bit, and was sold to a new owner (the Garcia Brothers), who is now engaged in a soft launch as of today with limited weekday hours. The intent is to keep the original vibe/style/feel for restaurant-goers. Both Uncle Bill's restaurants have been superb anytime I visit them, so I'm happy there will be two spots once more!

The Inexplicably Magnetic Toxicity of Colt from, "90 Day Fiance," on TLC

Colt Johnson has been on various iterations of, "90 Day Fiance," for years now. It started out as a show focused on people who had a potential spouse coming over from another country on a K-1 visa so they could get married and start their future spouse on a path to citizenship. Things quickly expanded to create an entire universe of 90-day shows focused on everything from a couples first meeting in person, to people moving to a foreign country, checking on couples and how they're doing, and following up on individuals whose relationships did not work out and are now looking for love again. What started out as a single idea turned into a multi-tentacled octopus of entertainment. Some of the spin-off shows are better than others, and some, "Cast members," are quite intriguing, while other folks are a bore who vanish after a single season. Colt first appeared in 2018 on the, "OG," franchise with Larissa. He almost comes across as sympathetic there, as Larissa was portrayed in an unflattering light when she came over from Brazil to become engaged to and then marry Colt. Colt often had his mother, Debbie, around and meddling in his life, which caused immense friction with Larissa. He and Larissa divorced within a year. Then things get weird.

Before I go down the rabbit hole of Colt's romantic life, let's discuss the man himself. He's a bit nerdy, known as a horndog, and doesn't seem that special, but he keeps drawing in women who he then does terribly wrong. When you watch him on television, you want to hate him, but he's just self-aware and funny enough that it's like the, "Heel," in a wrestling match or Jason in, "Friday the 13th." They're clearly villains, but they're just so fun to watch as they wreak havoc, and Colt has given us plenty of mayhem.

Once Colt was single, he started seeing another Brazilian woman named Jessica. She was a sweet redhead who really liked him, it appeared. He proceeded to cheat on her with a friend he knew locally, Vanessa. Eventually, he and Vanessa got married, had tons of relationship issues (mainly, his infidelity) and divorced. In 2025, we watched as Colt appeared on, "90 Day Fiance: The Hunt for Love," which put a bunch of people who had been on different iterations of the show in a resort to hook up with random folks or each other. Colt and someone else who had been on the show long ago and reappeared only recently-ish, Cortney, fell in love. He also got horribly injured on a slippery step and broke his leg. He moved in with Cortney, and as the latest season of, "The Single Life," has shown us, engaged in remote cheating by using his cellphone to engage in sexting other women--all while struggling to have sex with her and blaming his injury.

On the March 9th episode of, "The Single Life," we saw as Cortney confirmed Colt was lying to her and she kicked him out of her house--where he was currently living. When they met later to discuss how batshit insane everything has been, she pointed out how he is:

1. Injured/can't walk.

2. Homeless (she's letting him crash with her at her parents' house).

3. Jobless (besides this show, of course).

4. Has erectile dysfunction (at least with her) and can't get it up to even have sex...

...yet he is still cheating on her. Then the episode ends with her hesitating to actually leave him and maybe, just maybe, forgive this man and stay? Say what? How does Colt do this to all these women, or as a cast member named Tim once said during a show where they watch 90-day programs with us, "How does Colt get so much ass?"

Perhaps it is a case where Colt gives off an energy where women are like, "I can fix him!" Maybe it is how he is affable, intelligent, and smart enough with that intelligence to hide his slimy tendencies. After two failed marriages, no job, no home, and supposedly having a micropenis as some exes claim, you'd think a person such as Cortney would know better than to set a single foot near Colt...and yet, here we are in 2025 (when the show was filmed), and Colt is somehow irresistible to the ladies. He has some kind of magnetic toxicity, and despite being aware that he should know better than to act how he does...Colt always screws things up. Colt excels at making any bad situation he is in worse. He says he feels shame anytime he gets caught for his behavior, but he keeps doing it--and yes, us the audience, keep watching.

This brings up the age-old debate about reality shows and whether they do little more than encourage bad behavior. The worst individuals/villains/heels get all the airtime, and the fans gobble it up. Can you remember a boring lady from a, "Real Housewives," show, or when you think if castmembers do names such as Nene Leakes, Jen Shah, and so forth pop into your noggin? If you're not a diehard fan of, "Vanderpump Rules," name someone besides Tom Sandoval--Hell, even if you never watch the show or anywhere else he has appeared, you might know that name due to the usual news and jokes of popular culture! We've got an admittedly fun show all about the baddies of reality television called, "House of Villains," and I've seen zero desire online for a house of heroes. Are we enabling Colt by tuning in to his shenanigans? I, personally, think he would behave the way he does regardless of cameras being present sometimes in his life, but as long as the cameras are there, I want to witness what he gets up to! Oh no, does his magnetic toxicity affect us television viewers as well?

Since reality television became popular, those who scheme, backstab, cheat, and otherwise are deceptive are the people who get the most attention. From, "The Real World," and Puck to, "Survivor," and Richard Hatch in the, "Old," days to more recent stuff such as Plane Jane on the 16th season of, "RuPaul's Drag Race," and Monica Garcia in the fourth season of, "Real Housewives of Salt Lake City." I mean, one of my favorite reality television shows ever would be, "Big Brother," and Dan Gheeseling is generally thought of as being one of the best players ever because of how good a job he did outright lying and plotting how to screw others over (he struggled a bit on, "The Traitors," though, proving just becuase you excel at one game doesn't mean you will always be good at every single competition). 

We don't necessarily root for the bad guy/gal in reality television, scripted T.V., movies, games, or whatever, but we can all probably admit the scoundrel is fun to watch. Hence, Colt remains a presence of many, "90 Day," shows, and we find ourselves glued to our screens asking, "Jeez, what will he do next?" Tune into the latest episodes of, "90 Day Fiance: The Single Life," if you feel like you need to find out. Don't worry, I won't judge, I'll be right there with you (symbolically, that is, I will be on my own couch) watching too.

Happy Pi/314 Day!

Around the World, we acknowledge Pi day as its first three digits are 3.14, and then it seems to never end after that. This is also a special day locally, however, as 314 is an area code for Saint Louis, and as it is March 14th, that means we've got Pi day and 314 day too! Enjoy some pie, get a handful of toasted ravs on the side, and wash it all down with some $3.14 beer if you're a drinker!

Flashback Friday: "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," is an Example of How to Revisit the Past With Modern Updates

If you've been reading my blog for quite a long time, you may recall how, back in 2011, I wrote about my fondness for, "Rollercoaster Tycoon." All these years later, I still love the series, and I was intrigued to learn about, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic." Playable on a computer or iOS back in 2017 and on the Nintendo Switch (and now Switch 2) as of 2024, it combines a variety of elements from, "Rollercoaster Tycoon," and, "Rollercoaster Tycoon 2," to make something that counts as new but is totally familiar and fun.

When I started playing a copy of, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," I got from the library, I found doing certain things came back to me almost like muscle memory despite the many years since I've actually played one of these games. I guess I spent so many hours as a kiddo crafting the perfect rollercoaster routes or best decor for my little self-made food court that some stuff is just ingrained deep in my brain. I still suck at keeping my park's budget balanced (I'm sorry, but a park that can't afford my epic wooden coaster that takes up half the space and costs thousands a month to keep functioning is a park I refuse to associate with), but I love making wild little setups of food kiosks, decorations, rides, and so forth. Even if my monthly income calls for more red ink than black, at least my guests are pleased with how I set up my footpaths and the free restrooms (I've never had the heart to charge folks even ten cents just to pee).

Whether you're an older gamer who remembers the OG, "Rollercoaster Tycoon," or a young'un eager to build a fun park in a retro-ish (and quite fun) game, "Rollercoaster Tycoon Classic," does an expert job of updating things for the present but keeping 100% of the vintage charm. 

Advance Review: "Oracles," by Olivia Sullivan

"Oracles," is an upcoming original graphic novel by Olivia Sullivan and set to be released by Avery Hill Publishing this Spring. I had the chance to read an advance copy and found it a superb and fascinating book! It features a minimalist prose that invites us to read between metaphorical lines as we witness a heartbroken individual head to the countryside in the hopes of exploration, meditation, and peace. Things get a bit supernatural, as well, between our protagonist, growing tree limbs out of their body at one point, and encountering strange creatures across varying landscapes.

"Oracles," is a bit of a visual poem, lush and imaginative as our hero/heroine (their gender is never made explicitly clear) traverses various places in the hope of finding...something. We are all searching, after all. for answers, community, clarity, or anything else. Maybe it can be found out in the wilderness, maybe not, but our, "Main character," has dreams of making a life out there (at one point literally dreaming of a perfect woodland life and then realizing they're ravenous as even these dreams of a busy life in the wilderness make one hungry). The mix of quiet sadness and an element of hope in, "Oracles," gives it a nice, vaguely optimistic vibe even when the unnamed narrator/protagonist is in harm's way--such as a boat capsizing.

I greatly adored, "Oracles," and found Sullivan's way of telling the story in bits and pieces of prose to work perfectly at giving us a contemplative (and beautifully drawn) tale. I would encourage you to preorder a copy directly from Avery Hill or ask your comic-shop/bookstore/library to secure a copy. I excitedly rate this comic/graphic novel...

5 out of 5 Stars.

I've Got a New Article in, "Undie Comix," #4

You may recall I wrote an article for the 'zine that combines underground and indie comix to become, "Undie Comix." It appeared in the third issue. Well, in exciting news (in my opinion) I wrote another article, and it appears in the latest/fourth issue!

My article is about Avatar Press/Boundless Comics, and, "Sneaking the Underground into the Mainstream." Plus, there are other awesome articles, comics, and for very little cash ($5), you get a great read! If you want a copy, you can always buy it from their store or support their Patreon.