Across the pond, in Jolly Ole' England, there lives Ben Michaels, a young lad who has the most awesome doctor EVER! Michaels suffers from lazy eye syndrome in his right eye. Ben could lose the use of his right eye if it is not treated. How does his doctor, Ken Nischal, treat it?
He covers the good left eye with an eye-patch (thus making Ben a pirate)and has him play video games (specifically "Mario Kart DS") for two hours a day, using only the wonky right eye!
The theory is, that by playing games using only the weakened eye, the repetitive movement and use of hand-eye co-ordination will correct Ben's vision problems. Say it with me, people: Best doctor ever!
And now the world knows a fact about video games we geeks and nerds knew all along: video games don't rot your mind, they heal you with the power of awesome. Play on!
Awhile back, I posted an article about how the DC Animated films were being discontinued ("All Good Things ....Get Cancelled By Poor Sales"). Well, guess what? They are not cancelled! Recently, Bruce Timm was interviewed by the website ComicMix.com about the current state of the direct to DVD films. He said:
"Bottom line: the DCU films are definitely continuing. We've got projects lined up for the next two years at the very least – lots of films in different stages of development and production. I know there are a lot of rumors circulating about future films. Some are true, some are not. I'll tell you this much – anyone at our DCU/Batman: Under the Red Hood panel at Comic-Con will walk away with a very clear picture of the direction we're taking the DCU animated movies in the coming year."
This is awesome! Especially when you see some of the upcoming DC Animated films. First is "Superman/Batman - Apocalypse", a sequel to "Superman/Batman - Public Enemies". Adapting the second storyarch of the "Supermam/Batman" comic series, the World's Finest must deal with Supergirl's arrival on Earth and the evil Darkseid's attempts to control her for his own evil ends. Of course, Batman will be voiced Kevin "I'm the Goddamn Batman" Conroy, Tim Daly will reprise his role of the Man of Steel and every geek's crush, Summer Glau, will voice Kara Zor-El, aka Supergirl! And this time, we get a "Green Arrow" animated short as part of the "DC Showcase" series!
This will be followed by "Green Lantern: Emerald Knights", an adaptation of a late 1990's storyline where Hal Jordan is thrown into the future and has to team up with current GL Kyle Rayner against Sinestro and Jordan's future villainous persona, Parallax!!
This news pleases me. So much so, I am gonna' go do the happy dance now!! Cue the cheesy '90s dance track!
The annual Glastonbury Festival (the largest open-air festival in the world) wrapped up on the weekend and they ended it in a really cool way. Matt Smith (actor, Time Lord) came out on stage and teamed up with the electronica/dance music duo Orbital to play a techno version of the 'Doctor Who' theme. It was kind of hard to tell if Matt Smith was actually playing the synthesizer or not, but it was pretty awesome to see the Doctor jamming on stage to his own theme music. Though I got to wonder how many people went into seizures from the light show. So, if you have epilepsy, this video is not for you! Otherwise, listen and enjoy!
Not too long ago in the United Kingdom, a house cat named Oscar lost his two back paws to a combine harvester. His owner's did not want to put him down and began a search for ways to help their kitty. Enter Noel Fitzpatrick, a pioneering vet in Surrey, UK, who developed new prosthetic feet for the beloved pet. Fitzpatrick's custom made feet, designed to imitate the way deer antlers grow through skin, actually connect to the leg in a fashion not dissimilar to ball joints in an action figure. This process ensures that the implant bonds/fuses with the recipient's flesh and does not become infected. Dr. Fitzpatrick's process could conceivably be used to help amputees and veterans the world over, not to mention frisky animals like Oscar.
Screw the implications of the technology, it was enough to see Oscar moving around. Seriously, I almost cried when I saw him scampering around. Actually, that's a lie. I cried. A lot. (Via CalgarySun.com)
A couple of months ago, I mentioned I was huge fan of 'The Green Hornet'. And as a fan, I was really hesitant about this film. Mainly because of how there has been no word on the status of the project, except Seth Rogen displaying the new model Black Beauty at the San Diego Comic Con last year. But finally, the trailer for the movie hit last night... and it is awesome!
It's definitely looks a lot better than what I imagined it to be and Seth Rogen sure looks like he is capable of pulling off the action-comedy style. I was kind of worried he wouldn't be able to hack it. And so, now begins the waiting, as it doesn't hit 'til January 2011.
When I look at the movies coming out this summer, I think it's time to get my schedule in order. I've already seen "Iron Man 2" (it rocked), I have yet to decide whether or not I want to see "Ghost Rider 2" ... uh, I mean "Jonah Hex" (looks pretty weak) and I am pretty sure I'll be seeing "Toy Story 3" pretty soon ('To Infinity and Beyond'). But there are quite a few geeky movies I will be seeing this summer. And maybe you would want to see them as well. They are:
[1] "The Last Airbender", July 1, 2010, directed by M. Night Shyamalan - Loved the cartoon show, hate the director, Mr. M. Night "What a Twist!" Shama-lama-ding-dong. He hasn't made a good movie since "The Sixth Sense" and that was ONLY because of the magic that is Bruce Willis!
[2] "Predators", July 7, 2010, directed by Nimrod Antal ("Armored") and produced by Robert Rodriguez ("El Mariachi"). Antal has said in various interviews that this film will be to the original "Predator" what "Aliens" was to "Alien". That is to say, bloody, violent and filled with 100% pure kick ass! Sadly, no Jesse Ventura or Carl Weathers cameos. But we do get Laurence Fishburne playing a badass and that's all right with me!
[3] "Despicable Me", July 9, 2010, directed by Pierre Coffin. Steve Carell voices Gru, the world's #2 super villain, who becomes a foster dad while trying to execute the biggest heist ever: he (with the help of his minions) will steal the moon! It's Steve Carell voicing a '3 Stooges" version of a Bond villain, fake Euro-accent and all. What's not to love?! I'd just love for him to say, 'Moose and Squirrel", just once in that voice.
[4] "Inception", July 16, 2010, direct by Christopher Nolan. Leo Dicaprio stars as a man who performs an very specialized service: he breaks into your dreams and steals your most valuable secrets! An sci-fi mind-bender from the man who gave us "The Dark Knight" (one the greatest comic book movies EVER)? Sign me up!
[5] "Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore", July 30.2010, directed by Brad Peyton. I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who remembers the original. But, C'MON!! It's 'cats' (evil) vs 'dogs' (good) in a James Bond-ian struggle for supremacy!
[6] "Scott Pilgrim vs The World", August 13, 2010, directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, SPACED). Based on the graphic novel series about a slacker who must defeat his girlfriend's evil exes in battle in order to date her. The fact that the fights are patterned like an old school NES video game makes me want to see the movie that much more!
[7] "The Expendables", August 13, 2010, directed, written and starring Sylvester Stallone. Billed as the "greatest action movie NEVER made in the '80s", this film also stars Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Randy Couture, Eric Roberts and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, with cameos by Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Two words: 'Hell' and 'Yes' This movie is gonna' ROCK!
When I look at this list, I realize I'm going to be eating a lot of popcorn. A LOT of popcorn!
I love me some 'TRON', always have. Ever since I was 5 or 6 when I saw the original 'TRON' film, I've been a fan. It's one of those '80s movies that hit it right on the head, in my opinion, in terms of special FX (YES, they are dated!), story and characters. The concept of a person being drawn into the computer was brilliant and inspired for the times. The original is on my "Trapped on a Desert Isle" movie list. And I am so looking forward to 'TRON Legacy' this December and I will be buying the 'TRON Evolution' the day, THE DAY it comes out. Because it looks completely badass!
Available this fall, a complete set of every incarnation of the Doctor (to date), including Matt's Smith's 11th Doctor, who is also a very good footballer! This one is for my homie, kleedrac. You know you want it, you Time Lord fanboy! (Via NerdApproved)
Found the video on my FaceBook feed. I know the movie's been out for a while, bu I am kind of saddened at the lack of geeks there. I mean, come one, it's "Iron Man II", baby! That whole place should be filled to over-flowing with ill placed movie quotes and nerds arguing over whether or not Iron Man could beat Batman. Batman would whup Tony's metal covered keister, by the way.
"Big Butter Jesus" (coincidentally NOT actually made of butter, but rather styro-foam and fibreglass) was a statue constructed in 2004 for the Solid Rock Church of Monroe, Ohio. Though many residents complained it was an eyesore and a disgrace, the statue (also nicknamed "Touchdown Jesus") has stood the test of time.... BUT not the wrath of the Almighty. Last night, as a thunderstorm swept through the area, lightning bolts struck the statue, setting it ablaze!
Members of the church tried to save it, but nothing could be done. All that remains is the framework the artist used to construct the statue to begin with.
At the risk of being struck down by a bolt from the blue, I got to imagine the Lord's words said something to effect of "That's all I can stands, cuz I can't stands n'more!"
In wasting time on the internets and not sleeping, I rediscovered this picture. It's by Sean Murphy, who is currently working on Joe the Barbarian with Grant Morrisson, from DC.
I'm a more-than-closet Sean Murphy fan. From his blog, he has created his ultimate team-up. Fortunately, this team-up also got mention in Joe the Barbarian.
Apparently, MARVEL has higher hopes than any of us comic-reading people for the upcoming "Deadpool" movie, starring Ryan Reynolds. It was confirmed today that MARVEL is going to offer the director's chair to none other than Robert 'Antonio Banderas owes me bigtime' Rodriguez!
How can I put this succinctly? 'HELL' and 'YEAH'! The director of such hyper-kinetic, shoot 'em ups such as "Desperado" and "From Dusk Til Dawn" in charge of the Merc with a Mouth's movie?! If there was ever a guy who could direct a movie about an un-killable wise-ass mercenary, it's the godfather of the "El Mariachi" film series!
Oh, please say 'yes', Mr. Rodriguez. Please, please, please!!!! (Via Blogmatic3000)
Based on the graphic novels created, written and drawn by Canadian artist Bryan Lee O'Malley, it is the story of one Scott Pilgrim, slacker and wanna-be rock star. He falls in love with the mysterious Ramona Flowers and things seem great for Scott and Ramona at first. That is until she drops the bomb that in order for them to date, Scott must defeat her seven evil ex-boyfriends in battle. Well, six boyfriends and one girlfriend. Ramona had what Scott called a "sexy phase" in college. Anyway, what's special about the series is the fact the world Scott and his friends inhabit seems to operate like your favorite, old school NES video game. People fight, gather coins and other power-ups from vanquished foes and earn XP points with which they can literally upgrade their lives.
The game design borrows heavily form O'Malley's art style and operates like an 8-bit side scroller. Which is to say you travel left to right, defeat a set number of baddies before moving on and saving the day. It looks sweet as hell and I can't wait to play it. Which may present a problem, as the game will only be available through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade. Which means I'll have to shell out like $70.00 to upgrade my Xbox Live membership to Gold (currently operating at the 'free' silver membership I got with my 360 Pro) and play it in the Xbox arcade. But, I'll do it. Just you wait and see!
I love internet memes, those little jokes that seem to take on a life of their own WAY beyond their time ... or good taste. God help me, I love them! I usually find them through StumbleUpon or some of my favorite nerd news websites.
Today, I found what is probably the funniest one yet. "ICanHasForce.com" is a website full of funny motivational posters, assorted Star Wars memes and apparently the site is run by Darth Vader himself. No. Seriously. Check it out.
Did you like the anime 'Death Note? Do you like anime versions of some of your favorite comic books or cartoons? Because if you do, there is something coming that you may want to check out!
Japanese anime studio Madhouse is going to be producing a 'Supernatural' anime series. Like the forth-coming 'Wolverine' and 'Iron Man' anime series (which are supposed to debut sometime Spring/Summer 2010), the series will be a remake of the popular horror/fantasy series.
The 22 episode 'season' will have some unique details :
- 'Supernatural' will cover the events of the first two seasons.
- There will be several episodes featuring 'anime-only' villains and side characters from the live-action series.
- The voice actors who voice Sam and Dean in the dubbed episodes in Japan (Yuya Uchida/Sam, Hiroki Tuchi/Dean) will also voice them in the anime series.
I don't know about you, dear reader, but this is something that I am eagerly looking forward to. I am a huge fan of 'Supernatural' and I'm the kind of geek who likes to take a look at alt-versions of my favorite series. But there better be a English dub of the series planned because I'm not learning Japanese!
P.S. Here's links for the 'Wolverine' and 'Iron Man' anime trailers. Enjoy!
Just days after the proof of concept "MK - Rebirth" video made the rounds across the Interwebs, an advance E3 trailer has been released for the upcoming 'Mortal Kombat 9'! No more complicated 3D camera angles. No more toned down 'kombat' (heh!) for the kiddies. Just old fashioned gameplay where MK fans and other connoisseurs of fighting games can beat their opponents the old fashioned way.... BRUTALLY!
Deeply fleshed out story lines and immersive gameplay are all well and good, but nothing matches the visceral thrill of beating your opponent to a pulp!! Hehehehe, I cannot wait for this to be released in 2011!
These guys are Russian, stick animated, with an entirely human-created sound track. I've seen their stuff before and they are too cool for school. Here's Contra Vs Tetris.
Over the years of comic book super heroes, there have been many many different heroes that have been created. Some heroes rise and are forgotten very quickly while other heroes stand the test of time. Some heroes last because they resonate with deep cultural archetypes like Batman - the hooded justice seeker or Superman the perfect boy-scout; while other heroes get by with deeply conflicted character traits like Wolverine; but my favourite heroes of all are the ones that survive on character-design alone. That's right, you all know who I'm talking about, all those heroes that don't have much depth, don't have much we can relate to, but they do have amazing costumes that make us want to see them do something cool. Darkhawk, Deathlok, Death's Head I and II, the list goes on and on. But without a doubt, my favourite costume-driven hero is Spiderman 2099, who was the first comic book hero out of the gates in Marvel's 2099 comic line back in the 90's. He comes from a twisted future where corporations have taken over the American government (it's been done) he has spider powers from being genetically altered (yep, done before) but his costume is this wicked blue full-body suit with tribal spider inspired veins of red and spikes everywhere; as a reader, you just can't wait to see him tear into a bad guy! His comics were pulp at best, but that costume sold not only a long run of solo comics, but several cross-over events and a cameo on the Exiles, the reality hopping super team. Now, Marvel is bringing the blue and red demon back as a playable character in their upcoming title: Spiderman - Shattered Dimensions. This game looks SWEET! Check out the trailer here and join the rest of us fashion obsessed fan-boys in drooling with anticipation till we can get our hands on it!!!
Hiah authentic geeks, I havn't been around in a while...mostly cause I don't got much geek news. Phreak711...I'll never live up to those standards.
But just for some random fun, here's some fun I had with the pause button while watching John Stewart online. Oh the faces we make while we're busy switching from one face to the next...
As a random challenge to all our readers, What other fun have you found with the pause button? (links/comments please?!?) -big G.
Found this link to a cool list of 80s cartoons based on movies. If you suffer from 80s withdrawl, check this list out. They even have the "Police Academy" cartoon here. POLICE ACADEMY!
In it's zeal to cash in on everything I love from the 80s, Hollywood is remaking 1985's "Fright Night", the schlocky vampire cheese-fest starring William Ragsdale ("Herman's Head") as Charlie Brewster and Chris Saradon ("The Princess Bride") as Jerry Dandridge. Now, I love me this movie a lot. A LOT. It wasn't the greatest vampire film ever, but I was entertained to an Nth degree by the film. One of the best characters of the film was horror movie host Peter Vincent, played by Roddy McDowall (the original "Planet of the Apes" series). The character was a washed up horror movie actor (a veiled reference to Peter Cushing's work in the Hammer Horror films of the 50s) who hosted a late night movie show on the local TV station.
Now, in the remake, Mr. Vincent will be played the last son of Gallifrey, David Tennant! WHOOOOO! Tennant's character will not host a movie show in the remake, but will be a Criss Angel-esque Las Vegas magician & self-professed vampire expert whose show features a lot of horror movie iconography. The concept of Charlie seeking Mr. Vincent's help and his disbelief is still in the script.
Honestly, I am looking forward to this movie, if only because I miss going to see a good 'turn your brain off' kind of flick. That's something that's been lacking in the theatres for sometime now. I also want to see it because if there's anybody capable of defeating Mr. Dandridge (portrayed by Colin Farell in the remake!), it's the Doctor!
I'm just going to say it: I love me some 'Mortal Kombat'! It's the ONLY video game series that I jones for as much as 'Street Fighter' or 'Need For Speed'. There's just something about the mix of violence, the whole 'fighting tournament' genre and the gorgeous character story/designs that hooks my imagination. And who can argue that it was not one of the best video game movies yet filmed?? I love my 'Street Fighter' movie (R.I.P. Raul Julia), but it hardly holds up to the awesomeness that is "Mortal Kombat (1995)". I mean, come on! The 'Highander' as Raiden or Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as Shang Tsung, not to mention the movie launched the Hollywood careers of Robin Shou (Liu KAng) and Paul W.S. Anderson (he directed the movie). How about the animatronics on Goro?! That was kick-ass stuff! The series has languished in purgatory (whoa, look at me use using the big words there!) for the last few years, ever since the release of "Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe" in 2008.
But the time has come for this game series to rise up once again! I was tooling around on Facebook, checking my updates, when I found this link (Thanks, Mike Dodd!) to a new viral video on YouTube called "Mortal Kombat: Rebirth". It is epic. It is awesome. It is .... got a LOT of blood and gore, so definitely NSFW (Not Safe For Work). Check it out!
AWESOME! We got Michael Jai White ('SPAWN The Movie'), Jeri Ryan (Shark, ST: Voyager, Leverage) and I've seen Ian Anthony Dale (the guy playing Scorpion) in tons of TV shows and action movies. Some people have commented on the YouTube channel that it's a fan vid. I say NAY! It's either a viral video for a new game (which could be announced at E3 this year) or maybe, just MAYBE, it's an advanced promo for a NEW 'Mortal Kombat' movie!! Oh, it's good to be an MK fanboy!
UPDATE: I was jonesing for more MK stuff and found this old school TV ad for "Mortal Kombat II" (my personal fave of the old school console games). I miss how they used to dress up for these ads.
Update #2: According to Jeri Ryan (Sonya Blade in the 'Rebirth' vid) on her Twitter feed, the video was done as proof-of-concept to sell the director's skills to Warner Brothers on a potential new movie. Only time will tell.
I haven't laughed this much all week! Leaders of the 'famous for being famous' pack, Heidi Montag and Kim Kardashian, are both reportedly vying to portray Lara Croft in the next installment of the video game film franchise. What do I think about this?
Are you a fan of the show "Torchwood" and, by extension, lead character Capt. Jack Harkness? Have you wondered what's going on with the series since the end of the "Children of Earth" miniseries from last year?
Released by Titan Publishing and featuring art by Tommy Lee Edwards, the tale therein features Jack tackling the mystery of people disappearing on a Scottish isle all by himself in the first part, then Jack, Gwen and Ianto become trapped in a 'cosmic' hotel by an old enemy from the TV series in the second installment.
I have been waiting for anything new about "Torchwood" for a while now and what better way to satisfy the craving than with a comic book? Now, if only the BBC would get off their tea drinking duffs and get to work already! (Via Comic Book Resources)
That's right, "Thundercats", one of the best examples of '80s animated cheese and one of my personal all time faves, is making a comeback! Cartoon Network (TELETOON is our Cartoon Network in Canada) will be producing an all new animated series to be broadcast some time next year. This by itself is VERY cool, but I also found out that a company called Icon Heroes will be producing 'staction figures'(action figure sized statues) for the new series, similar to what the Four Horsemen did for the 2003 "Masters of the Universe" animated series. I mean, check out the detail on their version of Skeletor!
My childhood lives again, which is so very cool. All I need now is for Earle Hyman (Bill Cosby's dad on 'The Cosby Show') and Larry Kenney to reprise their roles of Panthro and Lion-O respectively. And for the Thundertank to make a comeback. Oh yeah, that would be SWEEEEEET!
When phreak_711 invited me to geek out here, I agreed that there would be plenty for me to say. I work in a comic book store: there's always something new and something great to show off. Something to reveal to the unwitting, or just accolades and/or things to rant about to the already enlightened. I'm really good at preaching to a choir.
So, where to start?
And...for more than a week, I really had nothin'.
I really didn't want to preach to the choir, even about those several-odd titles I think I could celebrate better than anyone else I knew. As for new-geek news, that's not really my forte. I've spent so little time online lately that it's hard to keep up. Phreak_711 does a crazy-good job of not going outside and living in those "series of tubes" that we all know and love as the internets. Mostly, I learn about the future of cool stuff through him. (I also go outside.)
Thus, at a loss, I eventually tracked back to the tried but true method of keeping things simple. I'll do this by writing about a simple web-comic that everyone should read.
I bring Abominable up here because I had merely chanced across it by accident and I worry that some of you out there won't have the same fortune to have heard of it prior, or the luck to have found it already. Though nominated for a couple of Eisner awards, and being a really great Canadian comic, Abominable is not published through the bigger distributors and is primarily hyped through the more remote grapevines.
Here's what you need to know:
Kerschl updates weekly, on New Comic Wednesdays. The good news of this is that the archives (spanning from June 2007) can be read in pretty much one sitting. The bad news is that once you're caught up you're stuck waiting weekly for the next installment.
Our protagonist is Charles, an abominable snowman(?). He doesn't speak and the story jumps around playfully from him to any number of creatures in the forest. Kerschl does this really cool trick of telling an epic story in strands, portraying and building up a grand number of characters in Calvin & Hobbes-esque moments. All of this is leading up to some kind of confrontation between nature and man, and I don't think we--the humans--are going to be the good guys.
Part of the appeal is the art, which is meticulous. Insert a paragraph of praise alone on the art here. Kerschl is a damn fine artist and he uses big spreads, empty panels and simple tones to show it.
Another reason this comic stands apart is for the wait. Kerschl takes his time in the narration of this epic, and while one hopes that the latest installment will bring you closer to the "encounter between hero/villain for the sake of the world" you're just as likely to be shown a quaint mundane moment which makes up the foundation of these characters' world. This is one of those rare reads that I won't mind following for years, if it takes that long to tell Charles' tale.
I think that's more than enough reason to recommend it to others. Check it out. If you enjoy it as much as I do, pick up the book that Kerschl self-publishes. If anything, pass the story's existence along to others. Like Jeff Smith's Bone, or Watterson's Calvin & Hobbes: this is something worth geeking over.
Thru the miracle that is 'StumbleUpon', I found this link to Thingiverse, a geek tech website where like minded souls can share their mods, tweaks and hacks. Site poster 'juniortan' created a specialized 'holster' for his iPhone. It rocks hard. Try making one and not go for the obligatory 'Dirty Harry' impression. I know I would. Click on the picture to check the article.
Searching around on Kotaku.com, I found this article about a dude who modded a Nerf N-Strike Recon gun into a spot on match for a 'Halo' assault rifle. It never ceases to amaze me when I find such examples of nerdy passion in the Interwebs. I have neither the technical skill or manual dexterity to accomplish such a thing, but GAWD, do I wish I did!
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