Lays' Tikka Masala Chips Are Delicious

The last, "Exotic," flavor of a Lays' potato chip I liked was the, "Chicken and Waffles," one from their first, "Do Us a Flavor," campaign which besides the horrible pun ("Flavor," as, "Favor," get it?) gave us some dull tastes and that delicious one. There have been other supposed deal-big things Lays has done since then with other flavors people can vote on or try, but nothing grabbed my attention, until now.

Lays is doing this, "International Flavors," thing and upon my trying of their Tikka Masala flavor I was incredibly impressed. It of course doesn't taste just like an actual Tikka Masala dish, but just as, "Chicken and Waffles," gave me the same essence of flavor, this chip does that too. There is the spice, mixture of flavor, and it basically just tastes really good. Besides this you could eat a beef one I skipped, the Szechuan Chicken chips, or Greek Tzatziki chips but I would recommend you do not because they are quite frankly terrible (I threw away a half-eaten bag of Szechuan Chicken chips and I rarely find myself unable to finish a bag of chips, no matter how stale or foul).

Long story short, all the other, "International," flavors are trash and you should eat Tikka Masala if you want a chip that is delicious as opposed to hot garbage. Buy it, enjoy it, and then feel free to thank me.

Note: I of course was not paid by Lays for this article, they don't know I exist, etc. Just in case you were worried I've sold out or something rest assured I have not.

Valiant Announces Cat-Themed Cosplay Covers AKA Valiant Won the Internet Today

I used to not really be a cat person. Then my wife and I adopted two of the sweetest cats ever that defy every all the stereotypes of cats being standoffish assholes. While I still know plenty of cats that are jerks, having two felines I proudly call by, "Fur-babies," has given me a bit more of a soft-spot for kitties young and old.

Therefore, when I got a press-email from Valiant today announcing they were going to be releasing cat-themed cosplay covers featuring felines dressed-up as their characters all I could do was exclaim, "Holy fucking shit, this looks amazing!" I felt so excited. I was in the middle of a grocery store standing near a lady with some small children when I screamed those obscenities, so it was a bit awkward, but I still stand-by my initial statements.

The official details can be found in an article on Comicbook.com where is is detailed how Valiant teamed-up with the website known as, "Cat Cosplay of the Feline Variety," to make these awesome covers--which will have a chunk of proceeds go to the Brooklyn Animal Rescue Coalition. Valiant won the internet today, no question. Now my wife and I need to make sure we get every single one of these adorable covers.

On another note, keep your eyes peeled on the blog for an upcoming interview with a cosplayer of the human sort!

Interview Time: Alex de Campi

Intro

Alex de Campi

I've enjoyed reading comics written by Alex de Campi, often loving the dark humor in much of her work. I have a big soft-spot for the wild mini-series that was, "Archie VS. Predator," and as a big fan of wacky horror and science-fiction films loved her, "Grindhouse," comics. I enjoyed meeting and talking with her at the 2015 Project Comic-Con (discussed here and here) as she  was both hilarious and insightful--things that make for a good interview! Therefore, I asked her recently if she would be willing to do an interview via email about her past work and upcoming comic, "Mayday." She was awesome and said yes! Below is the interview.

Interview

Hello Alex! For those not familiar with you, would you mind introducing yourself?

Hey! My name's Alex. I make stuff. I write comics, and am working on two novels (a serious one and a trashy one), and I also direct music videos and commercials. You probably know me from ARCHIE vs PREDATOR or GRINDHOUSE, or maybe my other Image series, NO MERCY. Or maybe the videos I've directed for Amanda Palmer or the Puppini Sisters or Joan as Police Woman.

How did you enter into the field of comics? The first time I personally heard about you it was in reference to your political thriller, "Smoke," and its follow-up, "Ashes," but I'm always a fan of hearing the nitty-gritty of how a person started-up in the comic industry.

When I was a kid, my mom figured out real fast that she could shut me up for a whole hour by letting me pick a comic off the spinner rack in the drugstore. (It was always X-Men.) Then I grew up and discovered boys and rock and roll, and fell out of comics for a while until a friend was moving out of his barracks in London. That friend handed me a HUGE box of 2000AD and the late glory-years Vertigo books (Preacher; Ellis' Hellblazer; Sandman). I got addicted again. Then I fell in with this disreputable crowd who were all trying to write and/or draw comics and they said I should, too. So I did.

A crazy idea that worked quite well!

Oftentimes when I think of a comic-maker I'll be able to associate them with a specific genre, tone, etc. That doesn't really happen with you. You've done everything from a thriller in the form of, "Smoke," and, "Ashes," to kid-friendly comics with, "My Little Pony," what I would call an outreach-trip-gone-terribly-wrong yarn with, "No Mercy," some super-hero stuff about Wonder Woman, and you did many issues of the often-erotic, "Grindhouse," series that was full of science-fiction and horror. Plus, you did a comic where Archie and his friends went-up against the Predator. Describing your bibliography sounds like the work of at least three different writers--what inspires you to do such a wide-variety of comics?

I may not have a particular genre, but I do have a very specific violent, tension-filled noir tone that comes up in a lot of my work. I'm also at heart a comedian, so really wrong humour also happens. I'll tend to do a bunch of books in a similar mood -- Archie vs Predator and Grindhouse, for example -- and then go in a different direction, maybe more noir, maybe lighter. No Mercy and Mayday are both very, very tense, suspenseful stories, so now I'm looking to do something more relaxed. I'm working on a romantic comedy (...which will involve murder and explosons, because me) and a crazy shonen book. You get really involved in something, and then once you've done it, you need to do something different, you dig? It wouldn't be any fun, to just write the same sort of story all the time. Though all my books tend to end up as thrillers...

Speaking of, "Archie Vs Predator," how in the world did that come about? Also, considering how insane an idea that was how did you make it work so well?
I wish I could take credit for the concept, but it was all the Archie bullpen! I was just the Joe (or Joan) lucky enough to be offered the gig. I find it hilarious that people think of it as a hard concept to write -- I took one look at it, went "this is a teen slasher; it's Final Destination with the Predator," and off I went. The only things I kept in mind was that I had to deliver really good scares and gore (for the Predator fans, my people! get in here, fam! ::hugs::) and also great teen physical comedy and sass (for the Archie fans. Also my people! You get hugs too.) In both regards I was ably assisted by Fernando Ruiz, the book's penciller, who has the ability to make any script 400% funnier with his sharp eye for gags.

Going back to the subject of, "Grindhouse," how much of a B-movie aficionado are you? I definitely get the vibe from reading, "Grindhouse," you've seen plenty of weird sci-fi and horror flicks. Do you have a favorite obscure gem?
I grew up just outside Philly and was a latchkey kid, so I spent a lot of time watching terrible old movies on Channel 29 (before it became a Fox station). And then... one of my coping mechanisms is going to see movies. It's a little harder now that I'm a single mom, but I used to haunt the NFT and the ICA in London. I'd see three films in a day, spend the whole day on the South Bank... so yeah. I've seen a lot of movies. Favourite obscure gem? Well, Lucio Fulci's a fave director for horror (see The Beyond, yum, all those Italian gooey practical FX) and see if you can dig up Fernando di Leo's Milan 9mm for a gangster flick. Oh and wanna see something crazy? Check out Sekiguchi Gen's Survive Style 5+.

There are not too many comic-writers who also letter their works but I am aware that you do so. I know so little about lettering that it isn't even funny, please explain to a clueless person like me how it works.
I open up the art in llustrator, zoom in to like 1200% and either hand-letter (like this: http://alexdecampi.tumblr.com/post/137484898259/how-to-hand-lettering-comics-in-illustrator ) or use Comicraft fonts to put dialogue and SFX on the page, and then add balloons around the dialogue. For me as a writer, it's also a chance to fine-tune (and occasionally totally rewrite) dialogue so it fits the art perfectly, and add SFX in the right places. It's hugely time-consuming, but I love doing it.

I've seen how you posted how you're working on a, "Trashy novel," called, "Heartbreak Incorporated," under the pseudonym Bette Noire, can you share what it is about?
I'm working on two novels at the moment -- a big ambitious one about the nature of identity and humanity, and of course the trashy, easy book, Heartbreak Inc. Heartbreak Incorporated is about a twentysomething gal (and would-be investigative journalist) named Evie who is this >< close to not being able to afford to live in NYC any more... until she gets a job working for a private investigator who specialises in breaking up relationships. And who might also be a murderer.

The novel you referred to a big and ambitious sounds interesting! Can you share more or is it in too early of a stage to say much?
It's still too big and raw and in progress to talk about, I'm afraid!

You've got an upcoming comic coming from Image titled, "Mayday," that already had me sold when upon reading the description I saw the words, "California," "Soviet operatives," "Top-Secret," "Sex," and, "Drugs." Is it possibly the drug-and-sex filled comic full of Russian spies in sunny California I've been waiting for?
Most definitely. It's a book full of shady deeds in sunny places.

Earlier you mentioned directing music videos, how is directing different from writing? I imagine there are a lot of, "Moving parts,” so-to-speak.
There's a lot of specialist technical knowledge that comes with directing. You have to be able to do about 20 things at once, and make difficult snap decisions on set -- and refocus quickly if something doesn't work or if you have a setback. Directing means you're collaborating with people on set in real-time.... not asynchronously over email or conference calls. But other than that, there's a lot of complementary knowledge involved, like shot framing, pacing and visual storytelling.

Preview page from, "Mayday."

Speaking of music, what is your favorite kind of stuff to jam-out to? Do you listen to music while writing?
I listen to everything. I tend not to listen to much while I'm writing, as I like to concentrate. MAYDAY is very slated towards music though, each issue has a playlist -- some songs of which are integrated into the story. It's all about the birth of metal and punk... in 1971 Alice Cooper and Sabbath both had a couple albums out, so did the Stooges -- and meanwhile the chart songs were stuff like the Osmonds and Tony Orlando & Dawn. The change in America's sonic landscape towards harder, angrier music reflects what is happening thematically in the book.

What's the difference between a bad comic and a good comic, in your opinion?
Oh, jeez. Tough. I like a lot of ridiculous, trashy stuff, as well as incredibly pretentious stuff. I mean, I'm eagerly awaiting the Criterion release of BAD BOYS 2 and I can also defend Cocteau's ORPHÉE to the death. I don't like books that are lazy, or confusing. Or unimaginative. Bad story logic and crappy villain motivations are the hobgoblin of lesser works. To be honest a bad story is like porn, you can't define it but you know when you see it.

You've got a time machine, putting aside how it may horrifically mess-up history, is there a particular creator you would pluck out of the time stream to collaborate with at a certain period in their career?
Nah. Now's a pretty good time in comics, y'know? This might really be our golden age. There are still so many people I want to work with RIGHT NOW, and I'll never get to collaborate with them all.

What other projects coming up can you tell us about? If you can't talk in-depth about too much can you at least give us some juicy-hints?
Alas, I don't talk out of school about things that aren't announced yet. But I am working nonstop and I have so much coming out over the next 2 years it's kind of crazy.

Interview Concluded

Thanks again to Alex de Campi for a great interview! You can visit her website here and you should be sure to check out, "Mayday," when it hits comic-stands early this November!

"Deus Ex: Mankind Divided," and My Very Early Impressions

There was the game, "Deus Ex," followed by its sequel ("Invisible War") that absolutely nobody likes to talk about. Then they made a prequel, "Deus Ex: Human Revolution," that was actually really good if not without some flaws. Now they've got a sequel that is also a prequel (as it takes place before the debut game) and putting aside how at first the pre-order scheme was terrible and people shouldn't pre-order games, we now have this sequel-prequel some five years since the last game came out.

Wait. It has been five years since, "Human Revolution?" Well, I got that game for my PlayStation 3 shortly after moving to Saint Louis in the late-Summer/early-Fall of 2011, so yes, I guess it really has been that long. I didn't finish, "Human Revolution," but thankfully this game has a 12-minute prologue video you can watch to get yourself nice and updated--and honestly, even if you did finish the game I would think half a decade is a long enough time to forget plenty. Some control-changes aside plus the utilization of the touch-pad on the PS4 what with the game having moved up to this current generation, it handles a lot like the last game (and you can even select a control scheme to make it exactly like, "Human Revolution," should you want). The graphics are a lot better however, and as opposed to two small-ish city regions you can explore (as well as some big mission-areas) there is just the huge city of Prague (and of course some big mission-areas). Oh, and unlike the last game you actually get to go-out and explore during the day, that's a bit of a change.

The plot is made-up of a variety of your usual sci-fi concepts, with a group actually known as, "The Illuminati," possibly running the world, cyborg-styled humans (called, "Augmented," in the game), and a variety of political metaphors where augmented people are persecuted, with this concept sometimes used to better effect than other times (like that whole, "Aug Lives Matter," debacle). The graphics also are quite pretty but not at the level where I said, "Oh my God, this is an incredible improvement over the previous game!" as much as I went, "Hey, this looks a good degree snazzier!" The game-play is the same style as before where you face various missions or side-missions and can choose to handle them a variety of ways as the augmented human, Adam Jensen. Whether you sneak about and act non-lethally or go about things with a lot of noise and violence, there is generally something interesting to do--and because no game is complete without it now--you can craft stuff and tweak your weapons too.

I got, "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided," from a Redbox Kiosk off-and-on for a number of days (much thanks to my wife for the rental coupons!) and would still say I am very early into the game, but I quite like what I've played. The story shows its glimpses of creativity with some interesting characters, but it is mostly ancillary to the awesome game-play and general cool futuristic-vibe. I look forward to playing this more when I have the time and coupons.

Note: I played on a PlayStation 4, for those who were curious.

Rant-Reviews--More Recent First Issues To Read and Criticize

Another Day, Another Batch of Debuts
There are always first issues of comics coming out. Many books sometimes won't even make it to double-digits, but countless titles at least gave us a #1 (or if the publisher wanted to be cheeky, a #0 issue). I feel like discussing some new comics from an assortment of publishers and in addition to my normal review, this time I'll also include a comment about the likelihood I'll pick-up the 2nd issue of a book.

We're #1! I Mean, We Literally Are #1!
Cyborg: Rebirth #1
Ah, and there you go. What was I just talking about? Publishers trying various, "Cute," numbering-schemes. Sure enough with these new DC books we've been getting a, "Rebirth #1," issue and then a title's real first issue. This doubtlessly will allow DC to put out some big Hardcover collecting all the Rebirth-specific issues and lets them milk an extra #1 out of the proceedings--but I digress.

I said I wasn't reading any DC books besides, "Deathstroke," and I honestly wasn't until this came out. I read it pulled a bit of an, "Anatomy Lesson," in the same way the old and famous, "Swamp Thing," issue under Alan Moore did, so I thought that sounded clever enough I would check it out. I'm always a sucker for a good, "Where does the man end and the machine begin?"-styled story, but it is admittedly something that DC has already discussed in-depth with Cyborg (and which many other books have tackled as a subject too), much to the annoyance of some reviewers I  enjoy reading the thoughts of. It was a perfectly fine book however, and the subplot of a mystery involving some kind of evil master-plan for all the Cyborgs in the DC-Universe caught my attention too. There wasn't anything too incredible in here, but I liked it.
3 out of 5 stars
Will I check-out the 2nd issue? Yes, I think it is worth trying at least one more issue to see where the story chooses to go.

Glitterbomb #1
I'm torn with this book. The first opening pages are just astonishing in their dark humor, brutal violence, and otherwise shocking moments as the main character--an aging actress--reaches her breaking point in an industry that no longer values her. There's a, "But," coming here though, because that opening is stupendous but then the rest of the issue takes us back some hours earlier and leads-up to the start of the book. Yes, this is an issue that reaches its climax within the first 5 pages and then has to spend the rest of the time flashing-back and prepping. It is annoying because while establishing a setting, plot, and so forth is very important, a lot of what I need to know about this book is at that amazing start.

At least there also is some heart-breaking nonfiction back-matter where a young woman who worked in Hollywood as a producer talks about just how horrific it can be in that field--giving us a bit more context as to why the protagonist of this comic does the violent things she does. A jaw-dropping start followed by too many pages of boredom results in a review of...
2.5 out of 5 stars
Will I check-out the 2nd issue? I'm really on the fence with this one. The best part of the actual comic was the opening before all the drab set-up to the story, and then the written back-matter was more interesting than mostly anything else. However, now that much of the set-up is done I bet things can probably get even more wild. I'll have to think about if I want to try issue #2 really hard.

Dark: Werewolves VS Dinoaurs #1
I talk some in these reviews today about plot and the importance it can play in a story. This comic is a case where I actually wish there could be less plot. We a have a mysterious town full of shady Government agents and blah, blah, blah, I picked this book up to see Werewolves and Dinosaurs fighting, so why won't you give me more of that? Seriously though, the far-too-rare scenes full of Dinosaurs and Werewolves ripping into each other are absolutely gorgeous, but way too much of the book is full of a drab plot about mad scientists and the ol' evil Government. I first read this book was the debut of a series, then I read it was a one-shot, but the last page has a, "To be continued," on it, so I think more issues will be coming. I just hope they are filled with awesomely-illustrated fighting and less of an attempt to tell a boring conspiracy-story.
2 out of 5 stars.
Will I check-out the 2nd issue? Unless it has a lot more brawling between Werewolves and Dinosaurs I may have to pass, even if the book continues to look gorgeous during the dull moments as well as the awesome fights.

Alters #1
Published by Aftershock Comics, this story has elements of other comics that are very familiar mixed with some new ideas that result in an above-average concept with a lot of potential. We've got a world where a small number of people manifest powers (called, "Alters,") much to the fear of the populace and two super-powered leaders with very differing views of what the Alters should be doing with their abilities exist as well--so this stuff is reminiscent of X-Men. We also have a young hero named Chalice who is also a bit of a nerd and hiding her powers from her family (so a dash of Spider-Man). The unique thing is that our hero is in fact a transgender individual born as, "Charlie," and is also hiding the fact he wants to transition into a woman.

Note that this is not a case of a hero cross-dressing as a woman, Charlie makes it abundantly clear that, "Chalice," is the preferred name, and that he has been taking hormones already so as to transition into a woman. This introduces the unique element of our hero living a triple-life. Charlie/Chalice is hiding that they want to transition, and is a super-hero. In this issue we get a lot of the setting established of this world where Alters are emerging, and spend a chunk of time with Charlie, but we only get to witness Chalice in action some, with it being clear if he want to see her being a super-hero further we need to pick-up the next issue where she starts choosing sides in this big super-powered war. Writer Paul Jenkins is someone I consider quite talented (he managed to get me to care about the Inhumans in that one comic he did about them years ago, and I never care about the Inhumans), and the artwork by Leila Leiz is solid and enjoyable as well. It is a great debut for Chalice I look forward to what comes her way next!
4 out of 5 stars.
Will I check-out the 2nd issue? While much of the the comic may seem to draw from various sources for inspiration, there is enough unique and intriguing material that I would happily read issue #2.

Eclipse #1
This was a really good comic. In a world where one day the sun changed and its light became fatal, people now have become much more nocturnal, only walking in the open at night and otherwise living underground (unless they have special suits to block the sun's deadly rays). The most clever aspect to this is how there isn't actually heat to the light necessarily so buildings and other construction is fine during the day, the very light of the sun is just deadly and can even be used as a weapon, such as a clever scene in the book where a truck decked-out with mirrors tries to cast light into the shadows to burn people.

Now then, you can of course have a killer concept but if you don't have a good story to hang it on your tale is going to flop. Thankfully, Writer Zack Kaplan gives readers of,"Eclipse," a hero to root for named David, "Bax," Baxter, one of the people who maintain buildings during the day via his, "Iceman," suit and an eerie plot to follow. Bax finds himself drawn into a murder mystery (which generally is the most interesting kind of mystery) when it becomes apparent someone is melting people in the sun and leaving weird biblical messages behind. A powerful businessman's daughter has been threatened and it falls to Bax to try and keep her safe and possibly figure-out what could be going on. Between this good plot and stellar artwork I really loved this first issue. Seriously, artist Giovanni Timpano is amazing, whether he's illustrating busy night-scenes or eerily-empty days, a congested underground or wide-open city, it all looks so good. This is definitely a book to keep your eye on.
5 out of 5 stars.
Will I check-out the 2nd issue? I'm hooked on this title after just one issue and I shall be following this book with much enthusiasm!

#1 and Now We Are Done
I read some first issues I really loved and others that disappointed me. That's how it goes when you try a new comic, however, and I'm pleased I that I found some stuff I definitely am into. Now I just have to try and be patient while I wait for the next issues!

9-11, Colin Kaepernick, Football, and Patriotism Versus Nationalism

Colin Kaepernick wearing the hat of his team, The San Francisco 49ers

It's September 11th, 2016. Fifteen years since that tragic day in 2001 and I want to talk about patriotism and sports, two things often associated with one another. I don't follow sports much, but certain events in Football have grabbed my attention, however.

You may be able to tell I'm not a huge sports-fan because the only sport I've ever expressed much interest in is Hockey (there is something about the weird mixture of graceful skating and brutal fighting that has fascinated me) and for some time I followed the New York Jets because they used my Undergraduate Alma mater as Summer-training camp and if they did well it helped with tourism in the town. That said, even if I don't much keep my eye on the actual details of sporting-related games, with my interests in popular-culture I do try to stay tuned to noteworthy things going on in sports. Unless you're currently living under a rock in regards to sports and/or culture you've probably heard about Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers. You also probably have an opinion, because damn near everyone (myself included) does.

For a number of NFL preseason games a Quarterback named Colin Kaepernick chose to stay seated during the National Anthem. Absolutely nobody noticed at first because watching a preseason Football game is like watching the opening plot in a pornographic movie--whatever happens is pointless in regards to when the real action begins at the start of the true season/the people on your T.V. screen get naked. Then someone actually noticed what Kaepernick was doing and asked what the deal was. He honestly answered he could not stand for the anthem in a country where people with his skin color are systematically persecuted and murdered by the police. Some people said he was doing it to disrespect the military and he clarified he has the utmost respect for our men and women who serve our nation, and feels that the mistreatment they receive upon coming home is further proof of why he should protest. They fought and died for his right to not be forced to stand during the National Anthem. As some people have pointed-out, if they want to live in a country where you have to stand-up and honor your country, North Korea is a prime example of where that's a law.

One big thing I've heard said about Colin Kaepernick is that he isn't Patriotic and must hate our country. This is false, Kaepernick is not Nationalistic, but he is Patriotic. Patriotism is being proud of your country, willing to defend what it stands for, and wanting to work to improve it. Nationalism is thinking your country is perfect and must be supported blindly. Living in a country where you can choose not to stand for the National Anthem and choosing to stay seated as a form of protest against things in your country you disprove of is a clear sign of Patriotism--it just isn't the poisonous thing known as Nationalism.

The NFL knows this is a lose-lose situation if they take any dramatic action, so they've wisely been pretty quiet and said players can express themselves however they like. Plus, really, plenty of players have gotten away with doing terrible things as long as they win. If you're a Football player you can quite likely be a rapist, be a wife-abuser, or a myriad of other things, but as long as you don't commit murder or make dogs fight--and win games--all is forgiven. If you suck at playing though it won't take long for everyone to turn on you.

Colin Kaepernick has made many people angry, but is getting more and more support too. What makes me angry is how a bunch of people were saying if he cared so much he would donate money to the communities he speaks about, and once he started putting his money where his mouth is those same people started saying he was just doing it to look good. Clearly some people are always going to be mad if Black athlete dare have an opinion and not just, "Run and throw the ball like a good boy," as I actually have seen posted online.

As the actual season starts with more and more players in various sports expressing support for Colin Kaepernick it will be interesting to see how this impacts Football a well as other sports, their players, and everyone's endorsement-deals. The first, "Real," game for the 49ers starts tomorrow, September 12th. Games today have already seen players kneeling and sitting during the National Anthem. It has been a decade-and-a-half since the horrific events of 9/11, and I still remember things with an uncomfortable clarity (I was in eighth-grade English class). The blind Nationalism that sprouted from that event and which has been used as an excuse to persecute others is a prime example of why people exercising their Patriotic right to protest is more important now than ever.

The iPhone 7 and Playstation 4 Pro AKA This Was a Week of Annoying New Technology Updates

I Complain

Well, this was a week for annoying new technology upgrades, wasn't it? Seriously though, in the exact same day we're told about a new iPhone and kinda-sorta new Playstation (Tuesday September 7th, before the week had even hit its hump). These are of course two completely different companies with two very different products, but the announcements made by each gave me a strong feeling of, "Your upgrades sound more unnecessary than useful." That may sound harsh, but let me explain

I Explain

iPhone 7...sigh. Any other time a new iPhone has been announced by Apple I saw more excitement than anger. Even when the 30-prong cord was replaced with the Lightning one during the birth of the iPhone 5 I saw more people go, "Fine, it's still worth it," as opposed to complaining. When a new iPhone is announced the additions are supposed to be exciting. We get a bigger size, new features, Siri (who turned out to kind of suck, but stick with me), and etc. With this iPhone we got some water-resistance and an additional camera on the back where the two work as one (but only if you buy the absurdly-sized iPhone 7 Plus) that will make pictures look better, and then were told that our headphone-jack/AUX cords needed to go bye-bye because getting rid of them on this iPhone was a move that required,"Courage," and was therefore a brave thing to do. Also, because Apple is so full of "Courage," we get to be encouraged to purchase some wireless headphones that operate on Apple's own closed-system (but thankfully Apple didn't have so much, "Courage," as to completely eliminate Bluetooth functionality, as people rumored).

Wait though, if you still love your dinosaur-era headphones with cords you get a free hideous adapter for listening to music--hooray! Oh, but if you want to charge your phone while listening to music with those old headphones you need another adapter-part which costs 40 dollars and has inspired countless sex-related memes because it...well it looks as awkward as some really bad sex. It's all good though, because we've got two cameras on the back of the phone (again, if you pay even more money for the version that doesn't fit in your pocket) and now even it comes at the cost of a bunch of dongles that resemble a really bad orgy!

This is more painful than anything in the book or movie.

I think the new iPhone will still sell well, because people like new technology and iPhones, so even if we don't upgrade now, eventually Apple will bring us newer iPhones and it will come to the point where if you even want your phone supported by the company you'll need to at least have the oldest generation currently being supported, which will eventually be the the iPhone 7. This isn't a case of Apple giving us, "New Coke," until we protest and they bring, "Coke Classic," back. A more apt metaphor is that if we want to live in the house that Apple owns, we have to eat whatever it serves for dinner. For the past years our meals have always come with a side of AUX-port. However, now Apple has decided our meals will not come with that side. If we choose to complain Apple is going to tell us, "If you don't like what I'm serving feel free to live somewhere else. That free-for-all Android household is always welcoming people, or if you want to throw your life away you could go live in a run-down shack and cry yourself to sleep at night (e.g. owning a Windows phone)."

Apple is the kind of chef who serves up the meal it wants, and if you don't like it substitutions ain't allowed, you just gotta get the Hell out, and don't let the door hit your ass as you leave. It sounds harsh, but that is basically their mindset, and damn-it such a methodology has worked for them so far (I owned an Android phone but once I switched to Apple I never looked back, flaws and all). Frankly, the only thing more annoying than a company forcing us to upgrade like this is when one take a baby-step towards it with a seemingly useless upgrade that...oh, hey Sony!

Thanks?

Ahem, yes, that's right. The Playstation 4 Pro...sigh again. Seriously though, you expect me to be excited when you tell me you're putting out a new-ish console that will improve the graphics in some of my old and new games, but I don't have to own it to play those games, and that unless I have a really expensive kind of television I won't see much of an upgrade? I'll give Sony this, the pseudo-upgrade only costs $400--the same price as the original Playstation 4 when it launched--and they will be introducing a, "Slimmer," version of the original Playstation 4 at the price-point of $300, so kudos to them for reasonable pricing. That said, considering most people lack a fancy (read: 4K) television, and that every game coming out still will run on both regular Playstation 4 devices and PS4 Pros, this news sounds more like, "Sony is releasing a newer and cheaper PS4...oh, and slightly fancier one for a hundred bucks extra," than it does anything else. Also, I haven't mentioned how the PS4 Pro will apparently make Playstation VR games look extra better because it isn't even out yet and I have exactly zero interest in VR-gaming.

I've never been a, "Graphics whore." I'll play old console games that are nowadays considered ugly as sin, and because I have a weaker computer I'm used to playing PC games at lower (or even the lowest) settings. Therefore, this, "Upgraded," Playstation 4 matters little to me. That said, as soon as a single game comes out that is, "So advanced," it requires a PS4 Pro to even play I will throw a huge fit because of how Sony is promising such a thing won't occur. It probably will though, so I'll be on standby for when the time comes to scream and kick my feet whilst rolling around on the floor.

It's All a Pain

"Buy these, put them in your ear, and shut up!"

I don't know about you, but I'm quite perturbed by all this. I'm being told my headphones that have served humanity well for over a century need to be murdered by Apple and that my Playstation 4 games could look a smidgen prettier. As I said at the start, it was an annoying week. Now we just wait and see how it all works out (probably with a lot of people getting angry on the internet in manner similar to how I did).

"Princess Pups" Comics are a Stellar Read!

Puppies + Royalty = Some Great Reading!

I've mentioned comic-creators Lindsay Hornsby and her husband James Hornsby before on the blog, having met them before at one of the Project Comic-Cons and most recently running into them at the 2nd Annual Mini-Con held by the City of Saint Louis Library System. At the mini-con I picked-up two mini-comics (no pun-intended) under Mrs. Hornsby's, "Princess Pups," line and greatly enjoyed them! I read both the 1st issue of, "Princess Pups Minis," which contains various short strips about the puppies and a longer-form story, "Princess Pups In Spaaace!" I greatly enjoyed reading both all-ages comics and found they each had their own unique charms! Shall we review them? Yes, we shall!

"Princess Pups Minis #1" and "Princess Pups In Spaaace!"

This mini-comic about the Princess Pups features shorter stories that range from anywhere between longer 5-ish pagers to 1-page joke-strips. Many of the strips feature the pups eating delicious snacks or putting-up with the shenanigans of cats who live nearby and often will try to either steal the pups' food or otherwise cause difficulties for the young dogs. Thankfully, the Chihuahua pup has a magical scepter of sorts that often resolves any difficulties caused by the cats or other annoyances. In one of my favorite stories that is a short 1-page piece, all of the puppies are watching a horror movie but one is quite unnerved by it. Thankfully, the Chihuahua pup uses her scepter to morph the movie into a less distressing feature and resolves the fear.

If only I could change the outcome of many lame movies!

I liked this strip a lot because I could relate to how often I'll be watching a movie and thinking to myself, "It would be so much better if *this* happened..." and to think a magical scepter could fix some of the idiotic choices characters make in horror movies, or could correct the horrendous twist ending of, "Now You See Me," would be a power I'd be eager to weld. Also, Mrs. Hornsby's artwork is stellar, bright and energetic, giving the comic a perfect happy and cute vibe; often your more independent/small-press comics will have great storytelling but mediocre-to-poor artwork, but Mrs. Hornsby absolutely slays it with her adorable illustrations.

Were I to have a complaint about this issue of the, "Princess Pups," it would be that some of the stories feel like they could be even better if they went longer and were allowed to, "Breathe," so-to-speak. Some of the 1-page gags feel like they could be even more hilarious if extended, but I understand that as this is a, "Mini," collection and that the stories need to be shorter. That said, my desire for a longer-form story with the puppies was met in the also great book, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!"

Within the mini-comic, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!" we get a stellar story where the Princesses are invited to join the Space-Pups on another planet for a party. An exact reason for the party is never given, but do you really need an excuse to have a fun party? Answer: No; you do not ever need an excuse. The Princess Pups prepare a rocket ship and join the Space Pups at a swanky base on the other planet where cookies and cakes are enjoyed. Mrs. Hornsby's aforementioned adorable artwork makes everything look quite fun as well! However, then something interesting happens that really sold me on this comic--stuff gets ugly.

I earlier described how Mrs. Hornsby expertly illustrates the cute puppies and their adventures, but in this comic she shows off how her art-skills are not just limited to adorable pictures, impressing me even further. You see, there are some space-bugs at the station who help with the up-keep, but as many signs declare, they are not to be fed the pastries. One of the Princess Pups in an effort to be nice ignores this rule and gives the small little space-bug a cookie. At this point the artwork goes from cutesy to something that made me think of the scene in, "Akira," where the teenager turns into a hideous blob monster. The space-bug grows to immense size and looks just absolutely disgusting--and a bit terrifying too! The comic of course is geared towards all-ages so there isn't blood and guts or anything, but it is just an awesome surprise for Mrs. Hornsby to take the artwork in a direction a bit less, "Saturday-Morning Cartoon," and more-so something reminiscent of John Carpenter's, "The Thing."

The space-bug transformation is quite scary.

Thankfully the Space Pups are prepared for this sort of emergency and feed the space-bug an antidote before too much mayhem can be wreaked. Still, it is a fascinating twist in the story when the nightmarish transformation happens and made this comic even more enjoyable with its sudden swerve in art-style. Considering how almost all of each comic is without dialogue (the Puppies never speak in anything but growls and barks) other than the written invitation from the Space Pups in the space-themed piece, the comic relies heavily on the artwork to get across the story, and as my compliments about Mrs. Hornsby's artistry illustrates, it fulfills the task of telling us an entertaining yarn without any problem!  I loved both comics, but enjoyed, "Princess Pups in Spaaace!" just a smidgen more thanks to the story feeling like it had more time to develop as a full-length tale, and also due to the fascinating monstrous-mutation of the space-bug in the book.
Princess Pups Minis #1--4.5 out of 5 stars.
Princess Pups in Spaace!--5 out of 5 stars.

Great All-Ages Fun!

Mrs. Hornsby's Twitter Avatar

As someone who enjoys good comics, great artwork, and fun storytelling I can say without a doubt that the, "Princess Pups," comics by Lindsay Hornsby are a great read for all ages and genders! It always makes me happy to find awesome local comic-makers here in Saint Louis and I would recommend for sure you check out Mrs. Hornsby's work, much of which she links to via her Twitter account here. The adventures of these Princess Pups make for stellar entertainment and I'll bet if you pick them up you'll enjoy them too!

I Really Hate The Poor Excuse for a Music-Group Known as, "The Chainsmokers."

Awful, Just Awful

There are two American DJs who formed the duo known as, "The Chainsmokers," and their music is terrible--just seriously, incredibly awful. They make atrocious electronic-esque beats and then get mediocre singers to repeat a handful of lyrics over-and-over until the song eventually ends. You may have heard their somewhat bearable song, "Roses," and probably have heard the atrocious, "Don't Let Me Down," featuring so-so singer Daya droning on-and-on-and-on with almost no verses and instead a never-ending chorus of chanting, "Don't Let me Down," until your ears start bleeding. They also have the new so-called-hit song, "Closer," featuring Halsey which again is some pop-bubblegum excuse for techno music with tedious lyrics posing as some kind of deep statement.

I don't know, maybe I'm just an old and bitter person who should get back to yelling at kids to get off my lawn, but this music is grotesque in how blatantly awful it is. I read a metaphor once for certain kinds of electronica music by someone who was a self-confessed electronic-music snob but had a good point. Basically you have your bare-bones music that only purists will love in its minimal glory--it is a metaphorical hamburger that contains nothing but the meat on the bun (the, "Bun," in this case being your CD/LP/music file, whatever). Then, you can make this burger more deluxe with the addition of other features like cheese, condiments, etc. much in the same way a lot of music today has more and more of the bells and whistles in production. The problem, this argument went, is that a lot of the electronic music--in an effort to appeal to more people--had become less about adding to the theoretical burger and instead focusing on all the additional junk; to put it another way: You've covered your damn burger in so much ketchup you don't even taste the meat anymore, just the sweet and fake tomato-paste full of artificial shit.

"The Chainsmokers," took their burger and have smothered it in so much junk that the meat basically may as well not exist anymore, it's just a bun full of crappy condiments--or in this case lame beats, tedious lyrics that try to burrow into your head (and do, but for the wrong reason of getting in your noggin to the point where you get infuriated instead of happy), and annoying high-pitched bleeps and bloops that are less electronic music than, well, crappy metaphorical ketchup.

There is plenty of commercial music I like. Hell, there is a good chunk of electronica I quite adore that other people despise--many people have decried Paul Van Dyk as a commercial whore and I enjoy a lot of his stuff. I am not some music-extremist who refuses to like anything that, "The mainstream," enjoys. Seriously though, how the Hell can people like anything as awful as, "The Chainsmokers," though? Do people just not want to taste the, "Burger," anymore? Are we as a populace satisfied with nothing but condiments and a lack of real meat to our musical entertainment? I truly want to know. In the meantime, some children just got dropped off the school-bus and are taking a short-cut home that involves walking on my grass, so if you'll excuse me I've got some yelling to do.

Start-of-September Links and Things and Interest

Start of the Month?

I often will post a list of interesting links and such at the end of a month. This time I'm switching thangs up and shall do a post now at the start of the month! Heck, if enough things of interest occur in September I could always do another one of these at the month's conclusion.

Stuff to Look At

Love him or hate him, he's an interesting guy.

•Kanye West was given a chunk of time to talk about whatever he wanted at the VMAs, and did his usual thing of ranting about various subjects that some people hate but I find endearing. The more noteworthy action he did however was unveil an extremely risque and borderline not-safe-for-work music video for, "Fade." As a big fan of Jennifer Beals I appreciate the, "Flashdance," homage-vibe in the video, and as someone attracted to women I can appreciate a barely-clothed Teyana Taylor dancing around as well. The question everyone has with the video's conclusion however is generally, "What is up with that weird cat-face prosthetic at the end?" In a recent interview with the video's director he hints that it is a sign of more weirdness to come. I can dig it.

•When it comes to philosophy one classic question is the, "Trolley/Train Problem," wherein a person has to decide whether to not touch a button an let a trolley hit and kill five people, or press a button to switch the tracks and thereby be responsible for the death of one person standing on the other side. It explores concepts of consequentialism, utilitarianism, and other big words. This article with a video about how a two year-old handles the moral dilemma when it is illustrated to him via his toys is hilarious and promotes an answer I had never considered.

•I haven't been getting the, "Legion of Collectors," box, put out by DC because I only have so much money, but the announcement that the next one coming out will feature Batman villains has me seriously considering trying out the subscription box, even if only for that month. I'll dig in my couch-cushions in the hopes of finding enough extra-scratch.

•Speaking of DC, the only comic from them which I am currently reading is, "Deathstroke." That is completely down to my love of the skillful writer (Christopher Priest) as my knowledge regarding Slade Wilson (the character's real name) is pretty minimal. That said, this article breaks down pretty well by Wilson could be argued to be a good character when written-well, and Priest definitely is doing just that.

•I continue to play, "Hearthstone," off-and-on, having built-up enough gold over time I can get the new cards in expansions without spending any real cash. The latest, "One Night in Karazhan," is fun, but as many people have pointed out, it keeps the Priest class as arguably the worst one to play a match as. I always liked playing the Priest, but lately it is a chore unless you either play with a ton of dragon-themed cards or do something crazy like trying to make a mill-style deck.

•This supercut featuring the cast of SNL, "Breaking," in the middle of sketches is awesome. It is always a hoot when that happens on the show.

•There are some very legitimate concerns regarding Marvel's new out-of-continuity, "Luke Cage," series that has been long-delayed and gives off an uncomfortably ignorant vibe about race. I wouldn't say it is purposely racist, but would agree with the headline that it is playing on negative stereotypes. That said, I do love the classic-look outfit no matter what.

•Also Marvel-related is how they are continuing to try and convince me/everyone that I like the Inhumans by tying them in with their X-Men whilst at the same time arguably stomping all over their mutant characters. How fun?

•I'm always a fan of productivity and note-taking apps. Therefore, the fact that I already use some of the ones on this list of programs for iPhones and Android-products makes me think it is a pretty solid showcase. I always like having things to assist with planning and streamlining life as best as I can. Yes, I'm a little obsessive.

•Lastly, I already have written about how I loved Andre 3000's verse on Frank Ocean's new album, "Blonde." I did not touch upon once subject that bears some interesting discussion, and that is how Frank Ocean is continuing to redefine, "Queerness," within the popular-culture space simply by being himself--and not being afraid to do so.

Information Ingested

We all learn new things!

I hope you enjoyed consuming this information. I would wish that if it doesn't fulfill your daily nutritional requirement of information it at least helped somewhat with your need to acquire some learning about the world.