On My Buy Pile

The Astounding Wolf-Man

This one really leaves me with mixed feelings. Yes, I am going to be buying this one. Hell, I might even start a pull for this. He's a werewolf and a superhero? I'm so there.

But what bugs me is that I wanted to do something like this! I'm so sick of the usual werewolf goes crazy and tears up the city thing and I'm not one for the nature lover or neo-vampire werewolves that seem popular. I love this idea but now I can't use it! At least, not obviously. I swear, if I don't get a move on things and get serious about my career then I'll find all of my good ideas being used by other people. Not only will I feel robbed but I'll also feel like a robber. Does that make sense?

ArchEnemies

I've known about this one for a little bit but now it has a trade paperback so I can read it without all the stupid advertisements!* This looks like a fun book indeed. With so many mainstream hero comics getting bloated on their own self-importance (HA!) and then getting tied up in irritating and pompous events (I'm talking about you, Marvel) I think parody and heroes-with-a-twist comics are much more appealing to me. Plus, when creators aren't bogged down by fifty plus years of someone else's continuity (AKA fan-boy shit) they can make much more coherent and fun stories.

Oh, but I'm supposed to talk about the actual story, aren't I? Silly me!

ArchEnemies is about a hero and his arch enemy who just happen to be roommates who hate each other even more. While neither good guy nor bad guy knows the other's secret, it looks as though things will get even more complicated before they find out the truth if the previews have anything to say about it.

I should also note that the writer of the series, Drew Melbourne, posts on a site I just discovered called Scryptic Studios
which is the first website I've found that focuses on the non-artist writer. His posts there tend to be a little rambling (at times incoherent, to be blunt) but his advice is sound even if its also a little self promotional.

*Side note: When will Marvel and DC and others quit putting ads in the books? I know they'll cost more but I think I might be ready to shell out more money for an ad-free comic. Better yet, when will they end monthlies and switch to a dedicated trade paperback system? I only read Fables in TPB because the ads in the monthlies drive me insane.

Rageh Inside Iran

The government seems to be pushing for a war with Iran. Granted, unless something severe happens (like the Ayatollah having a death wish for everybody) I don't think we'll be seeing an American-Iranian War but things are pretty hostile.

BBC journalist Rageh Omaar went to Iran to find out what life is like there and, for me, it was pretty surprising. I've heard that Iran is more liberal than it's given credit for but seeing it up close is really surprising. While on one hand you see that Iranians are upset with Westerners, especially in regards to Israel, they also show that they love Western (especially American) ideas and culture and want to be more connected with the wider world. Also, while the government there seems to be obsessed with Israel and America and creating a more conservative Islamic state (through deplorable means as we all know,) Iranian people have bigger concerns like...the same concerns we all have. (SHOCK!)

More and more I feel that our government and all other governments are too busy worrying about the problems in other countries when they should be focused on serving us, the common citizen. Also, while this film shows that Iran has a much more liberated culture than we tend to think they have, it makes me feel happy and blessed to have been born and raised in the United States. For all of the problems here, at least I know I can speak openly about them.



view video | Found via digg.com

Prince at Super Bowl XLI

When they said Prince was doing the Halftime show I thought someone had made a mistake. The-Artist-Formerly-Known-as-The-Artist is not the type of guy I'd associate with football. As a fan of the old MTV multi-celeb bashes up until the Janet Jackson* debacle, I was disappointed that it was just Prince at first. But then I saw the show.

WOW! This was the best Halftime show in years. Far better than the last one I saw, Paul McCartney in 2005 (Somehow I didn't see The Stones last year so I'm listening/watching as I type this.) Prince was in top form, his ladies were HOT but not skanky, the marching band was awesome and didn't give me flashbacks to my awful band years, and Prince has a collection of songs which was...well, that's where things get interesting.

Dave Grohl is either the giddiest guy in the world or completely pissed. I don't know why Prince did a cover of "Best of You" but it's now official: that song now belongs to Prince. The Foo Fighters can't have it anymore. They are banned from that song because they can't do it like Prince did it. (That and Dave Grohl ticks me off even though I like his music. He needs a little slap in the face by someone with better musical chops but I digress.)

Oh, and some football team from Indiana won a game and a trophy afterwards. That was nice too.

*Despite that, Ms. Jackson is still one of my future wives. And, yes, I'm NASTY!

Multi-eyes!!! (WARNING: Creepy Post)

I HAVE SIX EYES. WOOOOOOO!

No, no, I don't have six eyes, I just thought I did this morning. Aren't dreams weird like that? All of the sudden in a dream all sorts of bizarre things can happen and you'll accept them as if they're normal. But what's even stranger is that you can end up accepting things as if they're long established facts that even though they're impossible.

The dream had no plot, it was all about me having six eyes, three on each side in one row. I had no problem with this whatsoever. Most people didn't. It was just one of those things that could happen to people and I just happen to have been born with six eyes instead of the established four.

I have no idea where this idea came from. It probably stems from the same factors that had me dreaming that my mother had to go and get her stomach stapled to keep the acid in her stomach (caused by spicy tacos) from boiling up into her head and causing mumps, a disease in which so much fluid fills the lungs that the victim has to breathe through their ears.

No, I am not on drugs. As far as I can tell I am still sane (but don't crazy people think they're sane too.) I just happen to have a very weird brain that likes to tell me that having six eyes is normal.

Wanna know what's even weirder? When I woke up and realized that I only have two eyes like 99% of the population I was just a little disappointed.

Next week: B checks-in to Arkham Asylum.

Cowards

"Cowards" is a British comedy troupe composed of four guys or, since they're from the UK, blokes who go about doing what blokes do. It's like most of the dude comedy here in the US but, because it's British, it seems smarter and cooler even if it doesn't make you laugh out loud. It's a weird thing about me: enjoying comedy that doesn't make me laugh. Go figure.

COWARDS is brought to you by BBC Three