Marvel and Abrams Have New, "Super Stories," on the Way--One with Moon Knight!

Marvel and Abrams have been doing an annual series called, "Marvel Super Stories," with the latest one, being "Amazing Adventures," and serving as the second volume. Geared towards middle-grade/younger readers, these graphic novels help kiddos develop their reading skills via comic stories within a snazzy graphic novel. I always applaud efforts to get younger folks into comics because if the market is just older folks it will eventually crumble when the fanbase for comics literally dies out. Get youth reading superhero stories geared towards them and then before too long, they'll read the superhero stuff for general and older audiences and could segue into the weirder and more unique indie comics that are always deserving of love too.

I'm also intrigued by this new Abrams/Marvel collab as one of the stories will be about Moon Knight and by Chan Chau--a graphic novelist well-known for comic versions of, "The Babysitters Club." Let's make the youngsters fans of Moon Knight for sure! Besides Moon Knight there will be plenty of other cool characters spotlit so it should be a fun publication. The book is out this Tuesday, November 12th, and should be a good time for readers of any age!

I Listened to a Football Podcast Because Rob Gronkowski is Funny

The only sport I follow to much of a degree is hockey. I enjoy watching the NHL and at least have some knowledge about the game and its players. That said, I do know the biggest names in other sports. Rob Gronkowski has always been an interesting character to me. Humorous, outspoken, and smarter than he acts/portrays, he's a funny fellow. I heard an ad on the radio for how he had a podcast with another former footballer I will confess to not knowing of, Julian Edelman. The name of that podcast? "Dudes on Dudes." Pretty clever and something to be sure you type with extra keywords (like the hosts' names) if you search for it online to avoid a different sort of Google result.

"Dudes on Dudes," debuted this year and features Gronk and Edelman giving us a new episode every Tuesday during the NFL season where they talk about football, its players, and basically crack jokes. I know very little about football, but I gave a solid chunk of the newest episode a listen and it was fun. The guys talked about how there is a game being played in Germany and about the NFL wanting to expand outside of the states in its popularity further. They also chatted about notable former player Stephen A. Smith (who tied into the Germany theme this episode as he spent a chunk of his youth growing up there) and they basically shot the breeze but never were boring, thankfully. I will say Gronk's attempt to learn and speak some German was hilariously awful too.

If you're a fan of Gronk/Edelman, enjoy football, or just like a fun podcast, "Dudes on Dudes," is a fun time. My lack of football knowledge had me scratching my head at some aspects of the conversation and I'm sure a number of jokes went over my head, but I understood enough that I liked the show. You can check it out wherever podcasts are available--I used Spotify!

Happy Birthday to Samii!

Today my wife, Samii, turns 40. She is an amazing person and deserves to have the best birthdays possible. Samii is a wonderful spouse, a loving mother to our two boys (Clarkson and Gibson), and a great friend to anyone with the privilege of knowing her. She is my favorite person in the World and my life is better for knowing her. Happy birthday, Samii, you're the best!

I've Been Playing Two Card-Themed Games a Good Deal

Card Games, but Virtual

I don't have a ton of time for video-games, but I do try to sample them when the chance arises via renting/Gamepass/buying cheap ones if they get lots of good reviews. Hence, it is funny that as someone who doesn't play a ton of card games I have found two themed for cards which really captured my attention as of late. Let's discuss them.

Inscryption

"Inscryption," is a game within games. It has multiple acts and isn't at all what it seems. That said, Act 1 is a mixture of a card game and an escape room. You find yourself playing this strange game themed for beasts eating each other that requires careful placement of your cards lest you find yourself dead. Don't worry if you die though, a new, "You," appears with new features--so it is a bit of a, "Roguelike," as the term goes. The thing is, there is a lot more to, "Inscryption," than meets the eye in that first Act and things get even twistier. Between exploring the mysterious cabin and how much game there is once you seemingly escape it, you can't say this is purely a card game. That said, the card-focused aspects of, "Inscryption," are extremely fun in this at times quite creepy game. You can buy a copy or play it for, "Free," on Xbox/PC Gamepass at the moment. It's worth trying out.

Baltaro

"Baltaro," is a bit like playing digital Solitare if it were mashed-up with Poker and had a whole bunch of unique power-ups in the form of 150 different Joker cards that all do wildly unique things. You see, in "Baltaro," you make Poker hands and earn points, with enough points clearing a round (sometimes rounds have little rules like Clubs don't earn points or you have to make certain hands). That sounds simple, and it would be, except those Jokers make things very interesting. Suddenly you have a Joker card that makes straights worth a lot more points and you utilize it with a Joker that allows flushes from any black suited card with a black suit or red with red so you're throwing out straight flushes with ease...until suddenly you can only play a hand once in a round and lose quickly. 

Yes, this is again a game where you will eventually lose (even if you win the minimum number of rounds to be considered a winner of a run overall). That is fine, however, as a lot of the fun is finding out what weird combinations of Jokers you can use to rack-up insane points. After all, a Joker that makes face cards repeat their points is kind of helpful, but it becomes a dangerous combo when you have a Joker that makes all cards be considered face cards for points. This deceptively simple game has become a huge hit and can be played on your computer, consoles, or phone. I bought it for just $9.99 on my iPhone and it had zero in-app purchases after that. Between these two games there is clearly lots of fun to be had playing cards virtually!

America Made a Choice Yesterday.

Yesterday was November 5th, 2024. America made a choice. More than half of this nation decided it was okay with a man who is a racist, rapist, and raging narcissist becoming President one more. A man convicted of 34 felonies and who would not be able to work in a number of jobs or cast a vote in many states has been chosen to lead the USA. I can almost excuse the people who voted for Trump in 2016 as we didn't know how bad things would get. Then they got bad. After Trump lost his attempt to be reelected an actual coup happened at the Capitol that he rooted for. Despite January 6th, despite the felonies, despite all of it, Trump ran again, won his primary, and proved that maybe America isn't better than this.

We aren't better for our women who have had their reproductive rights under attack due to Trump's first Presidency that allowed him to appoint a Supreme Court that undid Roe V Wade. We aren't better for our citizens of color or migrant workers who just want a piece of the American dream. We definitely aren't better to our LGBTQ+ residents--especially those who are Transgender and seem to constantly be used as a scary prop by conservatives despite being regular people who just want to live their lives. We are not a Nation trying to do better, we are one that is going back to some dark and twisted times. Enough of the country heard Trump and liked what he said that he won. They don't care if his empty promises of filling their pockets also meant taking away their rights--at least, not as long as, "The right people are hurt," as the saying goes. It's the return of a monster, and the only thing different is this time he's even angrier and has a new VP.

Ah yes, Trump has a new Vice President because his last one (Mike Pence) followed the rules of the Constitution after Trump lost to Biden. This angered Trump and his supporters who said Mike Pence should be hanged. Now Trump has a critic-turned-lapdog in the form of J.D. Vance. Trump has a Senate reclaimed by the GOP too. Don't think that just because a number of states have voted to give people abortion rights (one of the few silver linings last night was my State of Missouri voted in favor of that) the Federal government will avoid pushing through a National ban while drunk on power. They said they wouldn't, but since when has Trump and the GOP been honest?

If you voted for Donald Trump this time around I hope you are prepared for the consequences of your actions. Kamala Harris represented some peace and stability, and Trump represented unpredictable and dangerous mayhem. I don't know what kind of dark days are ahead, but come January of 2025 things are going to get quite worse. I've lost a lot of faith in this Nation for choosing to go backward into hate instead of forward into progress. I'm mourning what I thought my country could be, but clearly isn't, in other words. America got the President it apparently deserved in the end, and that's crushing to witness.

If You're a Citizen of the USA and Haven't Already, You Need to Vote!

Do you live in the United States of America, Washington D.C., or a Protectorate of our Country? Well, today is the day to vote! There are National, state, and local elections, so don't think wherever you live it doesn't matter to vote--it does! I won't tell you how to vote (although if you read my blog even a little it would be pretty obvious how I plan to choose on candidates and issues), but I'll tell you that you need to go do it! I voted late last month and have seen many news reports about others doing the same. Should you be a citizen of the USA and be legally allowed to vote, you ought to do it ASAP! As I said, it isn't just Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, there are tons of things that impact your state and local region you can vote on, so exercise your rights and impact your home the best way possible, with a ballot!

Music Mondays: Quincy Jones Has Passed

Quincy Jones was not a music producer. He was the music producer. He has just passed away at the age of 91 and left behind a legendary catalog of tunes in which he had been involved. From Michael Jackson to Frank Sinatra, movies to television, the man did too much to list and I won't even try. I'll just say without him music as we know it would be a lot different (and lacking). He made the World's soundscape a lot better with his creations. He will be missed.

I (Briefly) Swung By the ToyMan Show Today!

Sometimes when I visit the ToyMan show I am able to be there for a solid chunk of time. However, I was able to visit today but it was a bit abbreviated. I got there somewhat later in the day than usual as I had a morning activity with Clarkson, so he came with me to the show, too, and I enjoyed walking around and looking at everything! When we got to the show we made sure to say howdy to my friend Spike Forester of Lost In Space Toys and Collectibles. He was fun to talk with as always and then we saw my chum Tom of Alliance Comics, Toys, and Games. He was doing well too. I saw the awesome Marcus Mosley and we conversed about all the impressive comics he had brought to the show for sale. Some of the crew from Tatertot Comics was present as well and we talked about how I'm pumped for their upcoming show at the end of this month!

In the upstairs area, I had the chance to see my stellar author friends including Jessica Mathews, Linsday Hornsby, and Debbie Manber Kupfer. The three of them are all stellar creators of cool stuff! Besides all the folks I know at the ToyMan show there were plenty of vendors with everything you could need ranging from comics (my first love) to assorted toys, Funko Pops, video-games, Laserdisc (of all things), diecast cards, and any other exciting fandom you could think of--the ToyMan show is always jam-packed with awesome wares! Plus, the delightful Scott Innes (famous voiceover actor) was present at the show again due to how great it went the last time he attended. A bunch of fans were very excited to see him and he was chatting with many people and taking lots of pics. It was another superb Toyman show even if I was there a bit shorter than usual. I eagerly look forward to the Christmas season show this December 8th--that is sure to be a humdinger of good time!

TGI Fridays Filed for Bankruptcy and I'm Vaguely Sad For Them

TGI Fridays is nobody's favorite restaurant. I don't know of anyone who outright hates it either, however. It is one of those chains that is simply, "Fine." When you think of a restaurant that has decent food and the occasional good promotion you honestly probably think of Applebee's first. Then...maybe Olive Garden because those breadsticks hit the spot. But then, you think of TGI Fridays, I'd wager. They're good enough food when you're looking for a good enough time. Hence, I wasn't overly upset to see the chain is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but I did feel a slight bit bummed. After all, those potato skins are legit yummy fresh out of the oven.

Still, TGI Fridays has struggled over the years, with the pandemic hitting the brand hard as well as the fact it always seems to lag behind competitors folks think of along with the brand such as Chili's or the aforementioned Bee of Apples. I do hope the company can make things work as Chapter 11 isn't an utter declaration of insolvency like some bankruptcy numbers (I don't understand how exactly it all works). We shall see what can be done to salvage the good-but-not-great name of TGI Fridays in the coming months. Who knows what could happen, after all? Flavor Flav apparently helped save Red Lobster, so anything is possible these days.

Flashback/Film Friday: "The Terminator," Still Impresses 40 Years Later

The, "Terminator," movies have had so many come out that the timeline is an utter mess with some flicks relatively well-regarded and others dismissed as barely worth a mention. That said, the original, "The Terminator," still is a damn good movie and--I'd argue--even better than the beloved sequel due to how outright intense it is on a small-scale. "T2," goes bigger with some wild setpieces, but the first movie is taut and scary thriller. A lot of credit goes to the casting of Arnold Schwarzenegger as the robotic killing machine both frightening us while also almost seeming like he's equally as liable to crack a smile and wink as if he's in on the gag. Linda Hamilton and Michael Biehn make perfect foils as well, however, and this, "Small," movie managed to build quite the franchise whilst showcasing how James Cameron knew how to make a damn good movie--and still does (the, "Avatar," flicks are admittedly good fun to watch, regardless of popular criticisms).

"The Terminator," is 40 years old now, and while some special effects aren't quite as impressive these days, it still stands up quite well in the light of our modern-day computer effects and general tech-wizardry. It's a movie that barely clocks in at an hour and three quarters--with credits--but it crams so much excitement into that lean running time you have nary a chance to catch your breath with all the action and suspense outside of maybe one relatively quiet and sweet lovemaking scene between Hamilton's Sarah Connor and Bieh's Kyle Reese. A scene that actually explains how her son, John Connor, will be born in the future and fight against the robots who want to use time travel to eliminate him from the equation--so we get to see Hamilton and Biehn naked and it serves a plot purpose!

Biehn and Hamilton

Cameron famously claimed that "The Terminator" came to him in a fever dream while he was sick in Rome filming his first flick, "Pirhanna 2." While I would never want Mr. Cameron to be so sick he dreams up an apocalyptic hellscape of a robot-run future, I am glad something amazing came out of his illness. Some of the, "Terminator," movies are a mixed bag, but that first one nailed it and made quite the foundation all the other movies built off of. It just became available on Amazon Prime to stream at no extra cost too, so go watch it!