Ian McKellen - Saved by the Bell

Remote Viewing: Is anything on?

Caught the two-hour season premiere of THE AMAZING RACE last night. As usual, we root against any lawyers, yoga instructors or models (in this case professional poker players who lie about who they are). Frankly, we tend to root FOR what we consider 'normal' folks, or at least people who seem like able. Sadly, there seem to be fewer of them and more of the former each season. Of this season's teams Gary & Matt the father/son farmers, friends Zev (who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome) & Justin, gay brothers Sam & Dan and, believe it or not, Herbert & Nathanial the Harlem Globetrotters teammates are the duos we are favoring after the first two episodes. Sometimes during a season a team or one member of that duo will reveal themselves to be total a**holes, so we may change our minds at any moment. Sad, that our lives have come to this and Bingo, huh?

The new Fall Season used to be a much bigger deal, but despite the network hype it just doesn't mean the same as it once did. I think part of it has to do with most folks around the country turning more and more to cable with hundreds of alternatives to the Big Four, plus the fact that everybody knows that some shows will be pulled after only a couple of episodes anyway so why not wait for a bit. It also seems that those shows that turned up as mid-season replacements for the previous season's losers often have an already built-in audience.

I may have mentioned this before (maybe only on Twitter or Facebook) but can somebody tell me why Jenna Elfman has yet another television series? I realize that for some reason that I'll never understand, her show DHARMA & GREG was a hit, but she already bombed last season and the promos for the new show seem to show her as just as unlikable as she was in the previous one. Wasn't the point of the Dharma character was that she was kind of a lovable airhead or something? I guess CBS is hoping that putting her on Mondays, with all the hit shows might give her holdover viewers. Does that type of thing still work with so many folks having TIVO or other DVRs hooked up?

Recently, Donna and I have taken to falling asleep in our recliners during Letterman and waking up at some point when Craig Ferguson comes on. I have to admit that when Ferguson was first announced as the hosting a show after Dave I was sceptical. I mean I thought the guy was funny as Drew Carey's overbearing boss, but wasn't really familiar with him outside that show. Now that I have had a chance to watch him, especially his opening monologues I have become a fan. As Mark Evanier has said on his site, the show has a low-budget feel, but Ferguson and his crew do a great job with what they have. Best of all, unlike Conan, who always seemed to me to think of himself as slumming, Ferguson really seems to be enjoying himself. Set the DVR and check him out!

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1951) Trailer

Is this not major cool?

Solid Potato Salad - The Ross Sisters (1944)

I'm thanking Mark Evanier for bringing this to my attention. I wanted to share it.

If these gals have any granddaughters they might want to get an act together and hit America's Got Talent!

NEXT TOP PENIS MODEL?!! 2009 EMMY SHOCKERS! - KRISTIN CHENOWTH WINS! DR HORRIBLE! SUPER SMIZE!

I love Watching Buck! It probably says too much about me, but he's just funny. Plus he covers all these strange reality shows that I never watch.

Remote viewing: what I've been watching

No surprise, I guess, that Kevin Skinner (former chicken wrangler) won "America's Got Talent" this season. After the surprise win last year of an opera singer, it looks like it was time for a country/western style performer to take top prize. I did think the toughest competition would be Barbara Padilla, but two operatic singers in a row would have been too much. Personally, I think ventriloquist Terry Fator remains the best performer the show has produced. He's amazing and with or without his puppets he's a good singer. Donna and I agree that we'd love to catch him in Vegas our next trip.

Top Chef was also pretty good last night. It did look like a tough task, cooking at a campsite with limited equipment, over firepits. Still, what a group of whiners some of them were! I keep waiting for brothers Michael & Brian to actually start fighting. I love the looks on their faces when the other wins! I'm still rooting for Kevin! You know me so you know I was happy to see the French guy asked to pack his knives and get deported...um, leave.

It's bad enough reading a couple of books at a time as I usually do (not counting comics, of course). This time around, including the audiobook version of "Last Town on Earth" by Thomas Mullen, I'm in the middle of four books. One is the next Joe Bob Briggs review item, Christopher Hitchens' "God Is Not Great" and Stephen King's "Wolves of the Calla" (the fifth book in his Dark Tower series). Some people ask me how I can do it, but it's just something I've always been able to do. Maybe it does have to do with my reading comics, since you have to remember characters and situations from one issue to another, but I really don't have a problem getting into each book immediately. Because of it's size I'm reading the King book at home, the Joe Bob books I generally keep in the car and read at lunch or in the morning if I'm early, while the Hitchens book I keep at work. Since it is non-fiction it's easy enough to read a few pages during quiet times on the Reference Desk. Anybody else able to juggle a few books at a time?

Review: Causes Unknown by Leslie Horvitz

One of the last Joe Bob Briggs' reviews, unless the good folks there send along some more books. To be honest, I had all but given up hope of ever seeing any more in print, but I have been told that the site will begin posting 'new' reviews shortly.

Just for those who may be interested, here's the new one from me.
***********************************************

Causes Unknown by Leslie Horvitz
Published by: Leisure Books
ISBN: 0843957956

Michael Friedlander doesn’t believe that his brother Alex killed himself. They had not been close for the past few years, but had remained in touch. While Alex was making money on Wall Street, Michael found himself moving from job to job and city to city. Once a medical student, a possible frame up destroyed his medical career and pushed him out of New York City. Now, while waiting to sell his brother’s condo and clearing away his belongings Michael becomes more and more convinced that things are not as cut and dry as the police and the Medical Examiner would have the family believe. Meanwhile, a possible serial killer called The Chopper by the press is leaving a trail of body parts and dismembered corpses around Manhattan. Money is changing hands and there is an obvious cover-up that may tie The Chopper to the death of Michael’s brother. As he begins to investigate his brother’s business dealings several other deaths occur and Michael himself may be in danger.

Originally published in 1989, the book doesn’t seem that dated. Horvitz’s New York skyline is still dominated by the World Trade Center and the stockbrokers and cops are not pulling cell phones out to keep in touch. Still the story captures a time before 9/11, Iraq and the financial breakdown of the past few years. I lived in the city back then and the author captures the spirit of a particular period perfectly.

While we follow Michael we also get into the minds of several other characters, including that of the killer. Horvitz has created a totally creepy, if pretty realistic, sociopath in The Chopper. Convinced that his victims are ‘asking for it’ and able to assume the identity of just the right person to attract those he intends to kill. Aided by a part-time medical examiner’s investigator, who has found she has been used, and a former-cop turned private investigator, Michael tries to uncover the conspiracy which led to his brother’s death, while trying to keep himself and his allies from falling victim.

Horvitz creates some interesting characters, both good & bad, but none without their flaws, and throws in some surprises along the way. Good casual reading for those in the mood.

Three stars

Mr. Sardonicus Trailer

This movie totally freaked me out as a kid. I had nightmares for weeks after and I don't think I watched it again for a decade or so. It still creeped me out!

Of course, I tend to watch horror movies with my hand over my mouth and not my eyes. Who knows why?

Four Color Fiend: Wednesday Comics

I had meant to mention this limited series of tabloids earlier, but I wanted to read at least half the issues so I had a better idea of what the creators were doing. If you aren't familiar with Wednesday Comics you should know that it consists of fifteen one-page stories of sixteen DCU characters. More depending on how you want to count the Teen Titans & Metal Men. As a 'tribute' to the old Sunday comicstrip supplements you would find in newspapers each character appears in a one page chapter of a twelve page story. At the recent San Diego Comic-Con Dan Didio was asked about the series and when asked about the ultimate fate of the stories, hinted that a compilation, similar to the old Treasury Edition books might be considered. It would make artistic sense, if not necessarily a financial one, that the pages be reproduced as close as possible to the size in which they appear in the actual tabloid.

Naturally, as with any anthology, some of the stories are better than others, although none of them (IMHO) are bad. It is nice to see that most of the creators involved can work in a format that doesn't allow (or force them) to drag a storyline out over six months and a hundred pages. Most comics today are 'written for the trade' and often you find both writers & artists, with editorial insistence no doubt, padding their books. Again, while it makes financial sense, it doesn't often allow for a complete tale each issue. Here the creative teams know they have a limited time and space to put forward an adventure. Unfortunately, one or two seem to still to be padding a bit or being cute in how they use the format.

The best stories and the ones I think have a feel for the old adventure strips are the ones featuring HAWKMAN and ADAM STRANGE. Perhaps, these two holdovers from DC's Silver Age, with their SF elements are perfect and lend themselves to this sort of thing. The Adam Strange tale especially, done by Paul Pope & Lovern Kindzierski, reminds me of the best Flash Gordon stories that Mac Raboy did when I was reading the Sunday pages as a kid. Exotic aliens, strange surroundings and brave heroes doing things simply because they are the right thing to do. The Hawkman story, wonderfully written & drawn by Kyle Baker, began with the Winged Wonder trying to save an aircraft being high jacked, and turned into a 'survivor' tale on an island inhabited by dinosaurs. Way Cool!

I love the SUPERGIRL story from Jimmy Palmiotti & Amanda Conner. What a fun, humorous little story. It seems that Krypto & Streaky (Supergirl's super-powered cat) are both beginning to act a bit too much like typical pets and causing havoc due to their powers. When the Girl of Steel (who seems to be in her mid-teens in appearance and actions) goes to Dr. Mid-Nite for assistance in discoving the cause, things don't work out quite as easily as both heroes had hoped. I love this and Amanda Connor does a great job on the art making the pets cute and giving them just enough emotional quality to pull off the humor, letting us know what they may be thinking at a given moment. Bravo!

I would like to think that Jack Kirby fans and even the Kirby family are happy with what Dave Gibbons & Ryan Sook are doing with his creation KAMANDI. (Btw, it is nice to see the titles giving credit to many of the original creators of these characters. Not something always done often enough.) Gibbons & Sook bring a very, realistic feel to the world & characters The King created years ago. Not trying to imitate the creator in any way, they remain true to the characterization and the story has the grand epic quality that Kirby brought to almost everything he did.

Stories featuring SUPERMAN, BATMAN, GREEN LANTERN (Hal Jordan) and the METAL MEN are all entertaining with the GL & MM stories being closest to the Silver Age feel I enjoyed at that age. Supes & the Bats are a little darker, although you expect that from the Dark Knight as he has been portrayed for the past few decades. Karl Kerschl & Brenden Fletcher are doing a nice take on THE FLASH, with poor Barry & Iris West having a very difficult time just trying to have a dinner date. Gorilla Grodd never makes things easy and The Flash finds himself bouncing around in time and alternate realities. I still don't know how the Scarlet Speedster will get out of this.

DEADMAN by Bullock Heuck & Stewart Fletcher has a cartoony art and really nothing special. Same holds true, sadly for SGT. ROCK by Adam & Joe Kubert. The senior Kubert's art is still as good as ever, but Sarge & Easy seem only to be going through the motions in a not very special story. Kubert & Robert Kannigher would have wrapped this up by now (after nine pages) and moved on back when they were cranking this stuff on a regular basis.

Jack Kirby's other creation, THE DEMON, has been teamed with CAT WOMAN for no apparent reason. Perhaps only because somebody felt that Jason Blood could not stand on his own, although so far any female character (even one created just for this story) could have done as well. Walt Simonson & Brian Stelfreeze don't do anything special and like the story featuring Rock, they seem to be padding a twelve page story just to get it to the proper length.

TEEN TITANS by Eddie Beerganza & Sean Galloway appears to be trying to appeal to fans of both the original team and the animated series. I really don't care about these characters and have no idea who a couple of them are. Should I?

Ben Caldwell, with whom I'm not familiar but will have to make an effort to do so, brings us a very, young WONDER WOMAN , in fact Diana here does not even have the various instruments for which she became known. Sort of an 'origin' story, even including Etta Candy. I am enjoying this much more than I would have expected, given how I'm not a big fan of WW and thought I'd be getting more out of some of the other characters in the series.

I loved METAMORPHO when creators Bob Haney & Ramona Fradon were first putting the Element Man through his paces. The character was tragic, but was also fun. His supporting characters (Simon Stagg, his daughter Sapphire & Java) were always a bit cartoonishm, but later attempts to make them more 'realistic' bordered on the creepy, especially in one ill-fated series where the fatherly feelings of Stagg crossed to perverted. Enough about that! I like Neil Gaiman, I have enjoyed his prose & comics work since those first issues of SANDMAN began. I have also had a chance to meet and correspond with him, always finding him a gentleman and a nice guy. I have also been a fan of Mike Allred beginning, naturally with the wild MADMAN comics, although I've found some of his stuff hit or miss the last decade. I find it unfortunate that two such creative guys can take one of my favorite characters and make me want to pass over the page. It's almost as if both men are trying to be so 'different' and 'witty' that they have forgotten that a story would have been nice. Metamorpho is pretty much as I remember him, but the threesome of Stagg, Sapphire & Java are tiresome and more cliche then they were in those first Silver Age stories. I'd like the three of them to meet some grisly fate. Also, with only twelve pages of story to utilize, why do Gaiman & Allred drag out the 'periodic table' gag for two weeks. Do we also have to end on the same final panel note of Java rejoicing in the possible destruction of the hero? Sorry, to end on a very negative note, but I wanted to mention all the creative folks involved and it had to cover the good & the bad.

Wow! This took me much longer and I went on & on. Next time I'll try to remember that as many of the folks here seem to do that brevity can be good.

Mouse and Marvel: Should we care?

I have to admit that my immediate reaction was a shrug, since I don't own stock in either company. On the other hand, I have been enjoying a number of books in the Marvel Universe the past year or so, in addition to knowing a couple of folks who work for the company or have in the past. I do hope that if the purchase does affect them it's only in a good way. Higher royalties, might be nice as a start!

There is enough speculation around pro & con, so I don't think that I can really add anything of substance. I believe it will come down to the bottom line, as it always does with corporations. Disney will decide if leaving Marvel editorial alone is best, or if they should have some of their own looking over the individual titles and characters. I'm sure that when other licenses have ended we will see a "Disney" imprint. Possibly they will stand aside, as Time-Warner seems to have done with DC, and only use the characters in films, TV shows and merchandise. I wonder at times if some folks at T-W even know they still publish comics. I'm guessing that the Marvel themed stuff at Universal will find themselves at a Disney park eventually, but you never know.

Since Donna is going to Bingo tonight I'm going to watch MEGA SHARK VS. GIANT OCTOPUS, which I recorded last weekend on SyFy. LOL! You've got to love it! I don't have Mike & the 'bots around, but I think I can probably entertain myself.

Remote Viewing and other things

I finally had a chance to watch M Night Shyamalan's UNBREAKABLE with Bruce Willis & Samuel L. Jackson. It seemed that every time I mentioned that I was into comics somebody would ask I had seen the film. Now it's easy to understand why, since it is part fanboy wish fulfillment and part letting an obsession control your life. Willis (as David Dunn)is very good, but Jackson (as Elijah Price) steals the film as victim of a disease which makes him highly subject to injury. The film does have a solid ending, but it does leave room for a sequel. Personally, I think it better to leave the fates of the characters up to the viewer's imagination. Recommended.

Anybody else watching TOP CHEF: LAS VEGAS not surprised at who was let go in the second episode? I thought she should have packed up her knives after the initial competition. Can't say I have chosen a fave, just yet, but I wonder how long both brothers will remain in the show. I do like both Hector & Kevin, so wouldn't mind either of them moving on.

Given how some competetors were upset by the 'bachelor/bachelorette' theme, I wonder if any feel quarms about shopping at Whole Food, given the boycott talk by some folks? I'm sure, since WF is a sponsor that nothing will be broadcast, but I'm sure something must have been said or considered behind the scenes. Personally, I don't know how well boycotts work in most cases. I've taken part in my share, but I think you have to pick your enemies. I don't shop at Whole Food anyway, so it would be a sham to announce I'm joing in.

Planet Terror International Trailer

I recorded this the otner night on Encore and finally had a chance to watch last night. OMG! Totally over the top, wish some great cameos by name stars. Make up and SFX are incredible.

Ya' gotta love a chick with a machine gun for a leg!

Popcorn For One & other business

First off, I've been told by the Joe Bob Briggs folks that they will soon start posting new reviews on their site. It's been almost two years since they last updated the page, so my last review was from around Thanksgiving of '07. They have about a half dozen already on hand and I have a couple more books that I never got around to. Keep an eye on the Joe Bob Briggs site and we'll see what happens.

On Friday, your friendly reviewer finished off most of his medium-sized combo while sitting through too many lame trailers. Now generally I love these, but they didn't strike me as something that would appeal to folks waiting for a Quentin Tarantino flick. To me the only one that had any interest was the one for THE WOLFMAN with Anthony Hopkins and Benicio Del Toro in the lead roles. Has that great Hammer film feel to it, so it may be worth checking out.

I had been waiting for INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS since I caught the initial trailer before either STAR TREK or WOLVERINE. I hadn't heard anything prior to that so it was a nice surprise. I've been reading about it since and it has been impossible to miss the interviews that Brad Pitt and Tarantino, himself, have been doing the past few weeks. The additional trailers and 'word of mouth' have added to my interest and I was not disappointed.

This is pure Tarantino! How you feel about him as a screenwriter and director will already color your judgement of this movie. The man is always over the top and this film will not disappoint his fan base. It will certainly piss some folks off, but then Quentin wouldn't be doing his job if it didn't. Those who want reality or a historically accurate portrayal of WWII, are not going to be happy with this movie. Tarantino, especially in later portions of the film, plays extremely fast and loose with facts. For those who allow themselves to be swept along, they will be more than happy with the results.

Pitt plays Lt. Aldo Raine, an Army officer who recruits a group of Jewish-American soldiers (and a former member of the German army) to parachute behind German lines in occupied-France. There they set about murdering "Natsies" and spreading unease among the soldiers. Meanwhile, Allied command has discovered that much of the German high-command, including Hitler will be attending a movie premiere in Paris. The movie theatre where this will occur, just happens to be run by a Jewish woman (now passing as a non-Jew) who earlier escaped the murder of her entire family. She has her own plans for the event. Naturally, the movie culminates in all of the characters coming together in the theatre and the usual Tarantino ultra-violence breaks out.

Pitt is a lot of fun, but the best performances are from Melanie Laurant (as the Jewish theatre owner) and Christoph Waltz (as Nazi Colonel Hans Landa). Landa is known as the "Jew Hunter", having been sent to France to discover those members of the Jewish faith who have gone into hiding. This is a man who thoroughly enjoys his job. Waltz can be charming, funny and then very, scary the next moment. If he doesn't get the Best Supporting Actor nod this year there is something seriously wrong with the members of the Academy. I won't even attempt to mention the number of cameos in this movie, but it is fun seeing one in particular in a scene featuring the then Prime Minister of Great Britain. I highly recommend this movie, but do warn you that the director's well-known love of violence is on display throughout the film. Be warned!

While I'm talking about the subject of violence, I also should mention that among my comic picks this week were WALKING DEAD #64 and VIKING #3, both published by Image. Robert Kirkman's WD continues to be one of the best books currently being written. This issue is especially disturbing, though if you are already reading the book there won't be anything to really shock you. Even when the undead don't make an appearance, it is easy to see how the changes they have created on society effect even those not in immediate danger. VIKING is a bold move by Image. Here is a book in a larger than normal format, yet in full color and priced at less than many titles from the Big Two. No superheroes, but just a tale of individuals living in a savage time where groups made their own laws and death was all to close every day. The art by Nic Klein continues to improve, though his coloring can be a bit dark in places. Writer Ivan Brandon, still doesn't make his transitions immediately easy to follow, so this is a book you may have to read twice to get the impact. Not a whole bunch of likable characters, but it is possible to understand why even the 'good guys' do what they do, sometimes with glee.

World of Warcraft: Horde Zeppelin

Just to piss off some of you! LOL!

Four-color Fiend: PUNK ROCK & TRAILER PARKS by Derf

Punk Rock & Trailer Parks

Okay, I’ll admit that this isn’t exactly one of those books that I’d normally pick up. I have been out of high school over forty years and my interest in ‘punk’ probably lasted only a couple of years during the late ‘70s. Even then I probably only had a few compilation albums or cassettes I bought, while attending college back in Connecticut. Those are long gone and I don’t even remember listening to them once I graduated. I also don’t recall ever seeing any work by the artist “Derf”, although it is possible I may have seen samples or a cover someplace. However, I have read reviews of the book by several folks, whose opinions I trust, so when I saw the TPB at San Diego, for about 50% off I figured I would give it a try. I’ glad I did.

The self-named “The Baron” is a tall, geeky high school senior growing up in Akron, OH in the late 70s. Like many of his contemporaries he is going through hard times, being picked on both for his appearance, non-violent personality and just being a band “nerd”. He lives in a local trailer park, being raised by his uncle, a retired union organizer, who lost his driver’s license so much now go to the bar on his riding mower. The Baron, loves the then emerging ‘punk rock’ scene and believes he is destined to be a part of it. Getting a job in the local club, as bouncer and general clean up guy he finds himself in close contact with a number of the bands and individuals who are helping to make punk the driving force it would be for several years. Bands such as The Clash, The Ramones, The Plasmatics (specifically singer Wendy O. Williams) and others appear briefly and interact with The Baron, often giving him advice or just making his life more interesting. There is a great sequence with the late, rock critic Lester Bangs that shows a lot of respect for him and demonstrates just what a good writer Derf can be. The book ends with a page memorializing some of the real life personalities who appear in the story, who are no longer with us. It’s sad to realize how many of these very creative folks died at such a young age.

Certainly NOT a book for kids or those offended by language, sexual situations or violence, I still have to recommend the book for those with a sense of humor. You would not have had to have much or any experience with ‘sex & drugs & rock ‘n roll’ but it couldn’t hurt! One of the best TPB’s I’ve read this year!

Inglourious Basterds - Movie Review

These guys are the best at what they do! Always fun always spot on...unless I don't agree.

Check them out on YouTube and subscribe. I'm adding a link over on the side.

Four-color Fiend: Reviews with SPOILERS (I give all kinds of stuff away!)

FINAL CRISIS: LEGION OF THREE WORLDS has finally ended, months after the main FC series did and after the 'surprise' returns of Bart Allen (Kid Flash/Impulse) and Conner Kent (Superboy) have already been given away in other titles. Up until this issue, which shipped way late, I was willing to allow Geoff Johns some leeway, even though I had had a bad feeling about how it would end from the second issue. What a surprise to discover that not only had I been right, but that Johns had even made it worse by breaking the fourth wall. Bad enough that this alternate Earth Superboy finally gets his wish and returns to his home, but he is confronted by his parents with the fact that they have been reading about him in FINAL CRISIS. The last couple of pages are an additional slap in the face, with S-prime bullying his parents, implying that Lori, the girl he supposedly loved was physically harmed (perhaps killed) and speaking to the 'reader'. Is the character really that "popular" with fans or writers at DC that he couldn't be killed or de-powered? Artwise, I have no complaints, since George Perez did his usual amazing job of making literally hundreds of characters all individuals. Sad, that his craftsmanship was wasted on this forgettable non-event.

MS MARVEL #42 has Carol Danvers killed again by the current Ms Marvel (the villainous Moonstone in disquise). Don't worry, she apparently gets better again on the last page.

Since I have been you picking up DARK AVENGERS, NEW AVENGERS, MIGHTY AVENGERS, SECRET WARRIORS and several other DR related books, I'm going to go out on a limp here and guess that none of the "Dark Avengers" are going to actually die by the end of this whole thing, since that would mean they couldn't come back in the next event. My hope is that Norman Osborne reverts to the Green Goblin again in the next couple of months and things wrap up. It seems that the whole DARK REIGN story line has been going on for much too long. Not that all of the titles I mentioned (and some other tie-ins) have been bad, it just seems that all this right on top of SECRET INVASION has really not allowed for some of the 'heroes' do move on. It almost appears that since CIVIL WAR many are just running in place from one (pardon the expression) crisis to the next. Of course, the same can be said for the DCU for the past several years, so fair is fair I guess. I wonder it all this is leading up to one of my occasional "THE HELL WITH ALL THIS CRAP" decisions and I just stop collecting. Stay tuned!

Of course, if we look at some of the books not produced by the Big Two, there are still some bright lights and I'd hate to stop getting those. If I have time this coming week I'll try to mention some of those. I may also try to briefly mention some of the freebies and other stuff I picked up last weekend at Comic-con.

A bit more of San Diego, pt. 2

I don't have as much patience to stand in line as I used to, so I tended to skip a lot of events that involved hanging around in the halls for an hour or so. The one event I was willing to stand for was the RiffTrax 'live' show, but due to a late dinner and being caught at the train-crossing the line was closed when I finally arrived. This makes two years in a row I have missed out on seeing the guys who once did Mystery Science Theatre 3000. I guess there is always next year, if I plan ahead.

It was good seeing some former Capa-Alpha folks and meeting others I had not met before. Always odd sitting around with Mark Verheiden when he is talking about the shows he is writing, since I don't watch a single one. Still fun hearing him trying not to give anything away to those who do ask. He is always working on some other projects that he can't reveal, so those always come as a surprise.

Hard to believe that Bob Ingersoll has retired from his civil service job. He remains one of the better story-tellers and can be a pretty brutal critic. Jeff Gelb remains an optimist, so he is another fun breakfast partner. I do feel badly about not making an attempt to meet up with Paul Storrie, since he is another great guy. Yet, another reason to start planning already for next year.

Did I mention last time how the guys doing security at some booths can be major A**holes? Or that somebody should tell the con staffers that they might learn where lines start or end? I know I'm not the only person who missed out on a signing, panel or give-away due to being directed incorrectly.

There actually didn't seem to be quite as many booth-babes as there have been in the past. Even those who were there actually seemed to be wearing a bit more clothes. In fact, it appeared that the fangirls and cosplayers were wearing less! A quick check of YouTube will certainly give you an idea of those in and 'out' of costume. Btw, did anybody happen to see the amazing SILK SPECTRE on Saturday evening? Certainly turned a number of heads not only at the con, but at the Grand Hyatt!

Speaking of our hotel, I don't think I'd mind staying there again. Dan and I had a nice room with a great view and were within short walking distance of both the convention center and the seaport restaurants. I might not use the valet parking though, since it was over $30 a day, with no discount for guests. Also, Dan learned his lesson about ordering Room Service. It was over thirty dollars for a chicken sandwich!

Mark Evanier's annual Quick Draw Challenge with Sergion Aragones & Scott Shaw! was fun as usual. Loved seeing Stan "The Man" Lee on the SuperHero Squard panel. The toyline looks sharp and the cartoon itself (they showed several segments) is delightful. They will be using all of the Marvel heroes and the show has a light, fun style.

Better late then never I suppose, huh? Bye for now!

At Last! My San Diego Comic-Con Report! pt. 1

So a week after everybody else who was at SDCC has given you their opinions, photos and rants I finally have a few moments to get mine down. It would take quite a lot of bandwidth to tell you everything and I'm sure much of it would be meaningless unless you are really into comics are were actually there. There are a few things that stand out and I do have a few misc. photos to share. Speaking of that, I have to get a new memory card for my camera. I thought I could switch off with the one we use in out new digital camera, but discovered too late that it didn't work. There were other pics I took that I had to delete to keep the ones I have. I promise to do better next year!

As you can see Lex Luthor's cousin "Shortie" Luthor made it to the con and was gabbing it up with '50s Superman. I caught a video of this particular Man of Steel dancing on YouTube over at BarelyPolitical, I believe. Pretty funny!

I was pleasantly susprised to see a number of folks dressed up as members of the Justice Society of America (I didn't get a chance to get more photos of them), which must demonstrate that there are fans of the books around. Makes sense then that DC has announced a second JSA title coming out later this year.

Peter Jackson's DISTRICT 9, looks good and they had a big presense at the convention. Dan and I couldn't resist having out picture taken by the MNU van. Okay, I dragged him over to be honest. I'm the bigger fanboy, I guess.

As usual at SDCC there was way too much stuff going on to take in even a part of it over three days. I may consider doing Thursday, as well, next year, but will have to look at my Vacation schedule and how many days I'll have.

That will have to do for now. I hadn't noticed the time. A few more photos and more stuff later!

Going to San Diego and other things on my mind

If you have been paying the least bit of attention here or over at my other blog (or MySpace, Facebook or Twitter) you already know that I'm going to be meeting up with my friend Dan on Thursday. We have a hotel already booked, in fact Dan will be in SD on Wednesday and will be staying there already.

I have some plans to meet some folks there over the weekend, but plan on spending most of my time roaming aimlessly about the displays and taking lots of pictures. Of course, should I be struck by another Jedi this year I don't know if my camera will survive a second light saber hit. *sigh*

There are a number of panels and presentations I would like to attend, but I don't have the patience to stand in line for two-hours for a one hour program. A quick glance at the posted list of programs made me realize that I can't possibly attend everything I would like. A couple of Mark Evanier's panels sound good, especially an interview with Stan Freberg on Friday and the annual "Quick Draw" with Sergio Aragones & Scott Shaw! The former MST3K folks now working as RiffTrax are also doing a live event, which I missed last year but hope to catch this time around.

As usual, I'll be going to Dick's Last Resort at least once and the Marriot Gaslamp for the annual Capa-Alpha breakfast on Saturday. I hear they have re-opened the Spaghetti Factory also, so I might head over there. There are a lot of good places to eat in San Diego, but the problem is that most of them will be packed. We'll have to see how the coffee shop at the hotel is if nothing else is available.

If I can I might try to log-on over the weekend at least once and give a quick update to some of my pages. Keep an eye out!

I highly recommend the first issues of both BLACKEST NIGHT & BLACKEST NIGHT: TALES OF THE CORP for you DC fans. Some really creepy stuff, including the seeming death of a couple of characters and the resurrection of several more. The lead up to this series in the two GL books has been good and it looks like this is going to have a big payoff.