19 Years Ago Today

19 years ago I was in an eighth grade English class in West Virginia when a teacher came into our room and told another, "Something is happening to the World Trade Center." It was thought a plane had hit one of the towers or a bomb had gone off. Then in the next class I went to--a math class--it became apparent something awful was going on as we heard the other tower had been hit by plane--this was no accident. Everyone was confused and not sure how to process everything.

Some years later I moved to New York and met people who actually had lost loved ones during the attacks of 9/11/2001. It was tragic and we should always commemorate the day. Some online have pointed out there is a bitter irony to how some of the same people wrapping themselves in the American flag today and talking about how tragic the deaths of 9/11 were are the same people saying the many, many more deaths from COVID-19 that could have been prevented with more Government action are, "Not a big deal." Both 9/11 and the impact of the pandemic on our country were caused by intelligence failures and those at the higher levels of power not taking necessary action. I don't say any of this to diminish how tragic 9/11 was, just to point out some people have a lot of cognitive dissonance and hypocrisy if 9/11 brings them to tears but COVID-19 doesn't.

19 years ago we dealt with a horrendous tragedy. Almost 20 years later we are now in the midst of another terrible and tragic event. I mourn for those lost in 2001 and those lost now due to acts of terrorism then and the pandemic today. I just hope that we can come together as a Nation in 2020 the way people claimed we would back in 2001. We seem more divided than ever now, and that is one of the saddest things overall out of all this--the lessons we didn't learn.

"No Going Back," is a Snazzy Looking Comic Kickstarter

"No Going Back,"  is a 201-page graphic novel written by Mike Furth, illustrated by Anna Wieszczyk, and edited by Natalie Cooper. I heard about it from its publisher, Arledge Comics, who email me press releases from time to time. It is about a town that built a wall to try and keep out danger, famine, and other terrible things, but a young girl named Rebecca curious if things are as bad as they say wants to escape the prison of sorts and explore the outside World. There are clearly some metaphors at play here, and I would be interested to see where the story goes. As cool as the story sounds, the artwork by Anna Wiezczyk is what really caught my attention.

The art is frankly gorgeous with a mixture of surreal and dreamy with some stark reds and otherwise is stellar. Between a cool-sounding story and the amazing illustrations, "No Going Back," is a book to keep your eye on. It currently has a Kickstarter campaign going that you can find here should you want to back it.

"Skull and Bones," Sounds Like it's in Development Hell

Way back in, "Assasin's Creed III," there was a small gameplay element where you could pilot a ship and get into fights with other ones. It was loved by players and led to, "Assasin's Creed IV," having sailing about around be the main feature--making it often thought of as the, "Assasin's Creed," for people who normally hate, "Assasin's Creed." Other games in the series have used boats a bit, but there was interest in a game announced in 2017 called, "Skull and Bones," which sounded like a pirate-themed game from the company behind, "Assasin's Creed," Ubisoft, without all the baggage. Again, that was 2017. It was mentioned by Ubisoft in 2019 as being delayed to 2020 and supposedly still getting work done. Now there is an, "Open letter," of sorts from the game's creative director, Elisabeth Pellen. This letter to the fans says how the game has a new vision and will be re-revealed in 2021 as whatever the new, "Skull and Bones," will be. This worries me.

I am concerned that, "Skull and Bones," is going to try and become one of those games that is a, "Service game," as rumors are saying, in that you buy it and then keep buying more upgrades and features. There are games that are essentially, "Free," and do this like, "Fortnite." There are also games like the new, "Avengers," one which you buy it, but then it also comes with a mode that offers a premium currency. These aren't monthly fees like in MMORPGs like, "World of Warcraft," these are games that want to technically, "Never end," and keep getting money as they add an update here and there with a new character/outfit/ship/gun/whatever. I'm not sure I want that, but Ubisoft maybe wants to offer that sort of game in the hopes it'll get, "Skull and Bones," out of whatever development Hell has been delaying it. When I first heard about, "Skull and Bones," in 2017 I was excited. Then I forgot about it. Now, I just don't really have much enthusiasm or hope for it at all.

When Your Mini-Series Has a Surprise Crossover

The, "Agents of Atlas," comics have been in various mini-series lately that are chronologically linked but have different titles somewhat confusingly. The most recent mini-series with them has been, "Atlantis Attacks," which due to COVID-19 was of course delayed with many other books (the comic industry shut down for a bit). The book will soon be back on track, however, and the fifth issue surprisingly ties-in with another upcoming mini-series/event, "King in Black." That is an upcoming big ol' event with the evil God of Symbiotes, Knull. This is interesting and reminds me of when a, "Captain Marvel," mini-series was a part of two events, in a strange way.

During Marvel's, "Civil War," comic there was the surprise reveal that the original Captain Marvel had time-traveled or something and was alive, but still ill with the cancer that took his life back in his comic in the 1980s. Then, he got a mini-series about being back amongst the living, but thinking something was off. The mini-series did not solicit it at first, but there was a surprise reveal he was actually a Skrull sleeper agent for, "Secret Invasion," the mini-series that came a bit after, "Civil War." He did not realize he was in fact a Skrull and it was a shock to readers seeing this too. It was pretty clever, and led to him fighting against the Skrulls even though he was one and telling Marvel Boy to try and be Captain Marvel in the pages of (I think), "Mighty Avengers," when he ended-up drying in combat and indeed reverting to Skrull form.

It is always interesting to me when a comic ends up linking into another that it at first seems completely unrelated to. When it is an editorial mandate it can seem hamfisted and unnecessary, but at other times it works quite well, as with, "Captain Marvel," and hopefully coming up in, "Atlantis Attacks."

Trey Songz and Summer Walker's Song, "Back Home," is Pure Weaponized Nostalgia--in a Good Way

I've written about weaponized nostalgia as well as songs taking other songs and making something new-ish from them multiple times here on my blog. I wrote about Trey Songz doing it with, "About You," and Summer Walker doing it with, "Come Thru." Now, there is a new song with both of them that not only samples another popular song ("Oh Boy") which has itself been in a newer ditty ("What You Did"), it says bits of lyrics from an even older song. It is like a hit of pure nostalgia.

"Back Home," features a sample of the lady saying, "Oh boy," in the classic Cam'Ron song at a really sped-up level and has Trey Songz in the chorus saying, "If it isn't love, why I keep coming back? I keep coming back, back home," a direct re-jiggering of the lyrics in the classic New Edition song, "If it Isn't Love," which goes, "If it isn't love, why do I feel this way, why does she stay on my mind?" It's subtle, but the way Trey says his lines they have the exact same tone and speed as the words when you hear them in the New Edition song.

Trey Songz and Summer Walker.

So, we've got the song, "Back Home," sampling a rap song from the 2000s and lyrics reminiscent of the 1980's while featuring an artist who rose to prominence in the 2010s (Trey Songz) and one who just emerged as we entered into the 2020s (Summer Walker, and yes, she had a commercial mixtape in 2018 and her debut album dropped in late 2019, but I'm counting it this way). We have the perfect mixture of newer artists and a fresh song that also appeals to younger Baby Boomers and older Generation X by alluding to lyrics those who enjoyed the '80s will adore and sampling a hook those of us who came of age in the 2000s (like yours truly) will adore. This song has basically covered all its bases, hence my assertion that, "Back Home," is a powerful hit of weaponized nostalgia--and of course a pretty solid song all on its own too.

As for what my point is in all this, I'm not sure I have one beyond that there is something powerful in taking our love of old media and tweaking it to work in a new setting. Whether it is movies preying upon our love of the past (like, "Jurassic World," taking us back to the park,) or video-games with their remasters of classic titles, or songs as in this case, folk love when their new stuff evokes their love of old stuff, for better or worse.

Enjoy Labor Day, and Thank Unions

Sometimes people are weirdly anti-union. It doesn't make sense, as unions help workers to be able to mobilize and defend themselves against employers. The labor movement brought us the weekend, workplace safety standards, and so many other amazing things. Labor Day celebrates that. Seriously, the U.S. Department of Labor's website says, "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." That means unions, whether some people want to ignore how important they are.

Some people wrongfully try to demonize unions (just look at Fox News today, or better yet, don't bother), but this is foolish. Labor Day and Unions are more closely linked than peanut butter and jelly. Unions have done much for us, make sure you thank them on Labor Day.

Going (Band)Camping: Edition 4

Bandcamp keeps giving me neat music (both newer and sometimes less-recent) to listen to and write about, so we've arrived at my fourth edition of this segment. I guess by the 4th time you do something its less of a lark and more of a habit, so I guess I habitually enjoy finding jams to listen to in the garden of plenty that is Bandcamp. Let's review some music that has no exact thematic link beyond being on the site that treats music artists right!

R.E. Seraphin--Tiny Shapes

I like alternative rock and what folk are calling, "Post-punk," nowadays, so I enjoyed, "Tiny Shapes," by R.E. Seraphin. Tracks such as, "Today Will Be Kind," and, "Fortuna," really capture a listener's attention and there isn't really a stinker on the whole LP. I basically at least liked everything I heard and a few tracks quite pop. It is definitely worth trying, "Tiny Shapes," should its style sound appealing to you. Get a digital copy or cassette here.
4 out of 5 stars.

Marko Bruiser--From Another Time

A nice dose of punk with a hefty lo-fi feel, "From Another Time," is at first solid-but-relatively-unremarkable. Then the last track on this EP, "Crazy," comes on and it is killer. Equal amounts melancholy, harsh, vulnerable, and just plain catchy, this song (with no relation to the same-named one by Gnarls Barkley, in case you wondered) is a fantastic closer and takes this EP from simply being good to me finding it quite phenomenal. I'd say you should listen to, "Crazy," for sure, but the whole EP is worth your time and makes for a great lead-up to the stellar closing track. Check it out here.
4.5 out of 5 stars.

Beans--Team BreakUP

I've been listening to the music of Beans on-and-off now for nearly two decades, with his 2003 album, "Tomorrow Right Now," being my first exposure to him separate from the group he started-out with, The Anti-Pop Consortium. Since then I've listened to Beans at various points in time. I don't follow him closely, but anytime I wonder what he's been up to there is usually some new stuff. Hence, when I saw a tape of, "Team BreakUP," for preorder, I jumped on the opportunity. I've gotta be honest though, I was kind of disappointed.

"Team BreakUP," is more Beans doing strange sonic experiments than it is him doing any kind of rapping. That's a shame as when he does share some thoughts, he really does an amazing job, like on, "$4," which touches upon themes of racism, police brutality, and commercialism. Sadly, that's a diamond in the rough on an LP that mostly is strange bursts of horns, record scratches, sound effects, echoing voice effects, and the like. It's a listenable bummer, but a bummer nonetheless.
2.5 out of 5 stars.

Ginsu Wives--SECRET BODIES OF WORK

An assortment of weird audio experiments and songs recorded from 2006-2019, "SECRET BODIES OF WORK," announces itself loudly and abrasively with its all-caps title. The album itself reflects this feeling as it is a scary, sick, twisted, screeching beast...that at times can actually be pretty listenable too. While I found myself thrown a lot of the time by the pieces that were more experiments in noise when things actually turned into an interesting song ("Robotic Lithgow," for example) I was pleased. Not an album for most people, and a lot of the time not even the kind of album for me, but admittedly attention-grabbing. People who are into this style of techno-heavy rockin' rage will love it, even if I'm a bit more cavalier.
3 out of 5 stars.

Brat Pitt--First One

Notice it is, "Brat," Pitt, not the actor who is known as Brad--just in case you thought he was making intriguing-sounding indie rock now. I was impressed by how the genres covered could shift with each track. My two favorites are back-to-back and take the album from sounding a bit like alt-country ("Stockholm,") to synth-heavy psychedelic pop ("Wallow") all while continuously entertaining. The only track of the five that didn't really grab me was, "(Still) Can't Fly," but the rest were all very enjoyable. A solid little LP for sure. Give it a listen and buy your copy here.
4 out of 5 stars.

Film Friday: I'll Say it Again, "Quantum of Solace," is Great

I saw an article on that served to remind me and make me want to remind others, "Quantum of Solace," is a great movie. The least-respected of the Daniel Craig movies where he plays James Bond, it often is forgotten or considered mediocre. This saddens me as its opening scene is amazing, and Polyon's article about how its villain is pretty darn great further shows why this is a solid flick. A bad guy who doesn't have a crazy weapon or weird physical ailment, he just is a rich and wants to control a country's politics via his billionaire economic influence. It is ahead of its time with so many villainous billionaires our World has now who seem to want to control everything.

 I know everybody loves, "Casino Royale," and, "Skyfall," with mixed opinions about, "Spectre," but I get exhausted seeing how little love, "Quantum of Solace," receives. If you haven't seen it, check it out, and if you did see it years ago and dismissed it, I request you give it another chance. With the heavily-delayed, "No Time to Die," finally coming-out soon (and hopefully it'll be available to safely watch on-demand and not just in theatres) now is a good time to revisit all the solid Craig-as-Bond movies, frankly.

Checking Out Some Zombie Comics--"Dceased: Dead Planet," #3 and, "Marvel Zombies: Resurrection," #1

You like zombies? You like comics? Well, buckle-up and get ready for some fun via zombie-themed comics that both have really long titles. I'm talking about the latest DC mini-series in the, "DCeased," line, "DCeased: Dead Planet," and the first-but-kinda-second issue of, "Marvel Zombies: Ressurection." I liked both for similar reasons--they are clever, a little gruesome, but also quite funny.

"DCeased: Dead Planet," takes place a number of years after the first mini-series, with a grown-up Damian Wayne as Batman and Conner Kent as Superman returning to their original Earth after fleeing to one from another dimension in the hopes of actually curing a zombie plague. Things have gone quite awry, however, and the people left alive on this Earth are both the best and worst of humanity. Trevor Hairsine illustrates the nasty zombies quite well and Tom Taylor injects levity where needed--such as when Damian Wayne and Jim Gordon hug and observe if any villains had realized Bruce Wayne's biggest fear was emotional vulnerability they could've run him out of Gotham with a reassuring pat on the back. There is also a bunker full of DC's richest jerks who've managed to use their money and some questionable tech to stay alive, and it is hinted they will be quite an issue a bit later. It's good stuff.

"Marvel Zombies: Ressurection," is a new take on the, "Marvel Zombies," that were quite popular some years ago, and although this is the first issue, it actually is a follow-up to a one-shot that laid the groundwork for this series some months ago pre-pandemic with the same creative team on that comic as this one--writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and fantastic illustrator Leonard Kirk. I'm not as familiar with Johnson's writing as I am Kirk's artwork, but he gives us a solid yarn, discussing how the zombie virus seems to alter mutants and those with powers in ways a bit stranger than normal folk, and he keeps things light too such as with a sentinel that was reprogrammed to act and talk like British nanny for the Fantastic Four's kids--Franklin and Valeria. As with, "DCeased: Dead Planet," certain threats are foreshadowed and questions are raised (Franklin has mysteriously lost his powers and Spider-Man seems to know why but ain't telling) and thanks to Kirk the whole thing looks gorgeously disgusting.

"DCeased: Dead Planet," and, "Marvel Zombies: Ressurection," both provide quality zombie-related yarns thanks to great writing and artwork that fits the at-times gruesome scenes well too. I enjoyed reading both and would recommend checking each series and the issues that came before these out.
4 out of 5 stars (for both).

John Boyega is Refreshingly Honest About Being in a Franchise

When actors are in a big franchise they generally bite their tongue and don't comment if things are bad. "Star Wars," was pretty bad to Boyega, with multiple movies being unsure what to do with his character and toxic, "Fans," of the franchise harassing him for simply being Black. Since his time with, "Star Wars," has ended, Boyega has been open about how he felt it was terrible and he didn't enjoy it. Yes, he waited to be done to be completely open, but even now that would possibly put him at risk at getting the ire of Disney (who owns Star Wars and Marvel, and tons of stuff). Boyega wants to share his truth, however, and I respect that. Although it is odd he defends J.J. Abrams as his direction of two of the flicks Boyega was in could be described as quite aimless at best for characters of color.