Monday, August 29, 2011

Fun with Captions: August, 29, 2011


While Bruce Lee may have loved birthdays, he goddamn hated surprise parties!


The original 'pimp-mobile'.

In his later years, Einstein started to slack off when it came to scientific theory.

You will be deleted.... right after I finish watching "Judge Judy".

Robin: "Say, Batman, I think it's my turn to help free Catwoman from her own Cat-Trap."

Batman: "Sorry, 'old chum'. You aren't yet ready to handle such a 'delicate' situation.

Robin: "Geezer."

Batman: "Delinquent."

Robin: "Over the hill gloryhog."

Batman: "Virgin."

Robin: "....dick."

"Hail to the King, baby!!"




         August 28th is a day that every geek worth their comic collection should know by heart. It is the birthday of Jacob Kurtzberg aka Jack "The King" Kirby! Kirby is one of those artists that well and truly deserved the title of 'the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be!' His art was bold, striking and completely captured what comic books are all about! Kirby put so much emotion and power into his artwork, that even when they are standing still they fairly pulse with power. In the mid-'60s, at a time when other artists were toeing the line in terms of what could be done within the pages of a comic, Kirby strode over that line with a style that, to this very day, none have been able to match!! Hell, he had a hand in creating one of my all time favorite comic book baddies, M.O.D.O.K!




       
       










          Kirby didn't just break the mold when it came to comic book art, he ground it into dust. His is the style that screams 'comic book' more that any other. Raise your glasses, tip your hat or however you salute and pay tribute to "The King", Jack Kirby!!

This man created your childhood memories. You're welcome.




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Local Art YAY


Hey all you Authentic Geeks out there!

A couple of months ago our local comic store Unreal City hosted one of its many local art-shows to help launch two comics from local writer Kurtis Wiebe, one of which featured art from (formerly) local comic artist Riley Rossmo.

On that fateful evening, Riley was kind enough to donate an original art-piece for raffle, and it was won by one from our own Authentically Geeky ranks, Devin; who graciously agreed to let me have a copy of said art-work for the purposes of this very blog.

So here ya go:

I always wanted this place to be a bit of a showcase for local art and talent; a kind of "Go-Saskatoon-Art" zone with a geek-enhanced slant and am so glad to have the opportunity to show off some of Riley's work, cause I really like it! He's managed to find a unique conglomeration of styles that really fits his subject matter... there's a loose, almost unfinished-sketch like quality that lends itself to dark, action, monster oriented pieces that Riley excels at! Although Riley is no longer living in Toon town, having recently relocated to Calgary, he's spent many a year here in Saskatoon, frequenting the local comic stores, and being an all around great guy; so I'll always think of him as a local.

If you like his art, be sure to check out some of his books like Proof and Cowboy Ninja Viking from Image comics, as well as Green Wake, which is the series this piece came from (written by the aforementioned Saskatoon-local, Kurtis Wiebe) and is newly printed in TPB form.

-All my lovin'
Big G

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 06 - "Please Sir, May I Have Some More?"



Episode 06 - "Please Sir, May I Have Some More?"



          In this installment of 'Authentic Geek', the guys are chit-chatting about sequels, the 'Cousin Oliver' of the film industry! Some be good, some be bad. The Geeks talk about what goes into making a sequel, some of their favorite sequels and talk about Freddy & Jason more than they should have! But it's not their fault, they're just doing what comes natural.

          POINT OF ORDER: Certain sequels (like 'The Dark Knight', for example) are not discussed in this episode, as they are going to get their own show down the line (more than likely). 

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That's Why I like: Tokusatsu

Hey, what's up with that 'Masked Rider' crap?! Are you trying to piss us off?


          Tokustasu is a genre of Japanese film & TV shows that involves super-heroes, giant monsters and a ton of special FX. It's been around for almost 4 decades (!) and is responsible for the untold hours of my childhood spent watching Godzilla movies and Power Rangers. 




          You want to know why I like tokustasu? It's like someone took the best stuff about Saturday morning cartoons & Silver Age comics and created a living representation of both! Tokusatsu has it all! It has insanely simple, but also extremely complex stories. It's full of over the top villains, plotting world domination, battling stalwart & righteous heroes, whose personalities sometimes border on the 'Dudley Do-Right' stereotype. They contain as many special FX shots as some major motion pictures. And most of the time, the plot doesn't make a lick of sense, but that's okay. It's all 100% fun, every single time! Great stories, intriguing characters and just the right amount cheesy 'what the hell was that' entertainment value. That's why I like tokusatsu!
         Well, that.... and the giant robots!!

"Gaze upon me and weep, for no other after me will be as awesome!"



Monday, August 15, 2011

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Fantasy Fight Night: Voltron, Defender of the Universe vs the original Power Rangers MegaZord in a no-holds-barred cage match, with Ultraman as a referee. Who wins and what wrestling move do they use as a finisher?!

Fantasy Fight Night: Voltron, Defender of the Universe vs the original Power Rangers MegaZord in a no-holds-barred cage match, with Ultraman as a referee. Who wins and what wrestling move do they use as a finisher?!

Answer here

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Well, Now That I Think About It...Part Deux




After talking with friends and reading Doug's thoughts (post-Episode 4 - "Re-Boot Be Gone"), I was of a mind to re-approach my thoughts about the DC Reboot as well. I read my friend's thoughts and I do agree with him in that the medium needs to change and grow and that it may hurt in the process. I get it. I guess I am just a little too bitter in that regard. Now, I want to make one thing clear. This is not a retraction. I am still very much against the reboot for a variety of reasons, but I think I was a little too emotional when first discussing this and didn't get my thoughts across clearly.

And before I really get into it, I would like to clarify something. It has been pointed out to me by some of my Twitter friends that Geoff Johns is not one of the architects of the reboot, but he is still the Chief Creative Officer. The two main architects of the reboot are Dan Didio (hereafter to be referred to as “the Didiot”) and Jim Lee. Being that I am a bit of a Jim Lee fanboy, he gets a pass for now. The Didiot is still on my shitlist. So, in as much as he is still part of the creative staff at DC, Mr. Johns IS still involved but not to the extent that I made him out to be in the podcast. I'm not absolving him of his past sins, like he did Hal Jordan. I just wanted to point that out.

SO, yeah, I am still pissed that DC Comics is rebooting their universe. And make no mistake, it is a reboot. I've read several articles online (mostly on Newarama) where DC Comics claims “it's not a reboot, it's a relaunch”. Which is completely and utterly stupid!


Like I said in the podcast, you can't go and fundamentally alter the origins and histories of most of your entire comics universe and then claim “nothing is changing, it's all good”. It's lazy and dismissive on a level that is staggering in it's arrogance. Now, how can ole' JT make this claim and not be pulling this right out of his tuchus?! Well, according to the Newsarama article, “DC Releases New 'The New 52' Info and Answers to Retailers”, when asked why not call the relaunch a reboot, DC responded by saying, “a reboot is a restart of the story or character that jettisons away everything that happened previously.”

Now to most that would make a lot of sense. But when you ARE changing things, like turning the classic "I, Vampire" into a loosely veiled *shudders* "Twilight" rip-off ...



 ... and Superboy is a robo-clone-hybrid (as far as I can tell from the cover art)...


..... that is EXACTLY what a reboot is! Hell, they just killed Pa Kent not even two years ago and now BOTH of Superman's parents are going to be gone before he ever dons the cape and blue jeans. I am not even kidding.



Also in the article was this little gem. You are gonna' love this! When asked what makes this event different, DC said “This is a historic initiative for DC Entertainment and the DC Comics characters – and a first for the company's publishing history.


I call 'BULLSHIT'! A first for the company's publishing history”?! Are you kidding me?! They cannot possibly be serious, can they? Hey, DC, it HAS happened before. And it will happen again. Oh Gods, I'm so pissed that I'm quoting 'Battlestar Galactica' now. It was a little comic series called “Crisis on Infinite Earths”!!! And unlike this 'event', there was a legitimate editorial reason for it. For those in the audience not sure of what I am talking about, it goes like this. In 1985, the editors at DC Comics devised the “Crisis” to reboot the current DC Universe and consolidate the myriad universes that the various characters inhabited. Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family were on Earth S, Uncle Sam & The Freedom Fighters were fighting Nazis on Earth X, the JSA and all the other WW2 heroes were on Earth 2 and so on and so forth. “Crisis on Infinite Earths” was a tool, designed to not only clean up the continuity, but to bring in new readers at a time when the whole comics industry was not doing so well.

So, it's not like they haven't done this before. It just isn't that neccessary. Sadly, it's pretty much just an attempt to grab a hold of the “unicorn of the comics industry”, the mythical *finger quotes* 'new reader'. Every comic company does this almost every year, by renumbering a failing series with a new #1, by introducing 'new & dynamic' characters or offering yet another 'unknown' chapter of a hero's origin. It happens all the time in this industry that I love, but it never seemed so deparate as it does here. I mean, when you look at DC's current continuity, it's only 25 years old! And DC had used the “Crisis” button before to tighten the continuity. Can any comic fan honestly say that “Zero Hour” was anything more than an excuse to tighten up their literary belt and trim the editorial fat?! It cannot be that hard to keep things straight and in line with the core of the universe, even with all the quasi-reboots and continuity tweaks, can it?!

And it's more than that, really. I love DC Comics, but this whole scheme reeks like it was the early 1990s! I swear, I took one look at the 'new' Harley Quinn and Green Arrow, and I distinctly caught the scent of 1993. 



*sniff, sniff* "Does it smell like Image Comics in here to anyone else?" 

Maybe it was just the art, but it sure does feel like it's the early '90s again. Like I said before, Jim Lee gets a pass ....FOR NOW. That doesn't excuse him entirely. I am just giving him the benefit of the doubt.  All that's missing now is Rob Liefeld drawing “Hawk and Dove” again and ....oh wait.....


Dammit.

I know it's a little ways off yet and I have yet to read even ONE issue of this new universe, but I am so far beyond 'cautiously paranoid' that it's not even funny. And it is very hypocritical on my part for me to say that I will probably be buying some of the new titles. I am still very interested in seeing how they are going to try and pull this off. I just think it may result in DC pulling a 'Heroes Reborn' and going back to the old continuity after a years time has passed. I think most of my thoughts can be summed up in this response to Doug's post from   from Karen (@powergirlfan on Twitter), a fellow comic fan and Power Girl cos-player who has commented on the blog before. She summed up her thoughts by saying:

"If The DCU truly wanted to keep up with times, they would allow characters to age and build families (as they had done in the Superman titles, with Clark wooing Lois, then getting engaged, then married).

To suffer great tragedies and rise above them, not allowing the hurts they've suffered to define them (like Barbara Gordon being permanently injured by the Joker, but finding a new role as Oracle).

Or to choose what defines you: your past or your future (with characters like Superboy, whose lineage could make him either the greatest hero, or villain of the future)

Or to move forward with real change, as beloved characters age into new roles and identities (like Dick Grayson actually graduating to the status of equal to Bruce, and donning the Batman cowl)

But instead, all of those characters remain stunted, and all are reset back to their previous settings. The New DCU is not about moving forward, it's about being slavish to the status quo. And not just any status quo, but the specific, arbitrary status quo that Dan DiDio and Jim Lee want to cling to.

And that is the biggest problem I have with this whole deal. The reboot is not moving things forward, letting the characters and titles evolve into something new and exciting. Gone is originality and 'thinking outside the box'. Instead, we get a mixed grab bag of the greatest hits of the '90s, a time when comics were so indistinct from one another, it was hard to tell if I even cared about what I was reading. 



Steve-O approves.

But like I said, it has not happened yet. I haven't read even one issue yet and in all honesty, what they have planned may even surprise and entertain me. God, I hope so, because if the "New 52" doesn't pull it off, I weep for the future. 



Friday, August 5, 2011

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 05 - "Everything Old Is New Again"

Episode 05 - "Everything Old Is New Again"


         Remake. It is a word that has been tossed around Hollywood a lot these last few years. It's also a word that draws equal amounts of dread and interest from the Authentic Geeks. With so many cherished memories of TV shows and movies from their youth, Doug & JT manage to find a few gems in the massive crap pile labelled 'Remake'. Listen and discover what the Geeks consider "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" of Remakes!


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Wednesday, August 3, 2011

The Gift That Keeps On Giving!!!

Hey all you Authentically Geeky Gamers out there!

I've just been party to a deal so great, so immense, so awe-inspiringly generous that I have to do my best to tell the whole world about it.

What monumental deal could possibly inspire such rabid delight?!? Why the Humble Indie Bundle 3 of course!!!

For those of you who might not know what I'm talking about, the Humble Indie Bundle is a set of independently produced video games that were bundled together by Wolfire Games way back in May of 2010 and sold for the sake of charity. The money one paid for the games was portioned out into different game-related charities, like one that brings video game systems into intensive care units at hospitals; so cute!

But perhaps the coolest aspect of the Indie Bundle Deal was that buyers could "Pay What You Want" meaning you could download all of the games for the measly price of one cent. But since the money was going for charity (and you could even choose what percentage of your donation went to charities or game developers) so they recommended a minimum bid of $10.

But for $10, only a little more than what you would pay to rent a game for a couple of nights, you got 5 AMAZING games that were not only cross platform (Windows, Mac, Steam, and even Linux) but you could download and install them on as many of your computers as you like; no expiry dates, no limits.

Best of all, these were no mere crappy demo-games. These were full version, imaginative, fun, and above all, highly addictive games. Games like World of Goo, a game of stick-and-ball architecture puzzles, Lugaru, a fighting game starring Rabbit people, and Gish, a classic side-scrolling game with a new twist. It was more fun per dollar than a $10 shopping spree at Giant Tiger!

Now we come to today and the release of Humble Indie Bundle 3. There are five new games, the price is the same; I couldn't resist and paid my $10 and was completely satisfied...but then it kept getting better.

A few days after the release of the Bundle they added another game for free called Steel Storm. Then, just this morning, I get an e-mail saying "anyone who donated more than the average of $5.09 also gets to download the Humble Indie Bundle 2 for free!" BAMM, they give me five more games and in one fell swoop they DOUBLE MY GAMING VALUE FOR FREE!!!

So I cannot say enough good things about this package. It's a charity that gives back to you, and keeps giving back to you; and they give awesome, experimental, addictive video games. God bless you Wolfire Games!!!

Authentic Geek, The PODCAST -- Episode 4 - "Re-Boot Be Gone"

Episode 04 - "Re-boot Be Gone"

           There's a dark cloud that hangs over the heads of the Authentic Geeks in this episode. DC Comics is going to reboot their ENTIRE continuity from scratch (well, except for Batman and Green Lantern) and the guys aren't happy! Dare ye' listen to JT and Doug as they attempt to compare this reboot to 'Crisis on Infinite Earths' (the original and still the best crossover), analyse the new costume designs and take a look at the 52 (!) new titles coming out in December?! They go from 'geek' to 'raving fanboy' in about 2 seconds flat! NERD RAGE! 


POINT OF ORDER: Once again, the cuss' words fly true and free. So, those with sensitive ears and/or sensibilities had best not play this one for kids or at work. Just saying.


          (Also, please forgive the EXTREME lateness of this post. Blame JT, as this is his job and he dropped the ball. Bad JT, BAD.)

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