tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89108426783361070872024-03-12T21:43:47.015-05:00Deep End Of The Long BoxIs being nerdy a lifestyle choice or genetic cuz I am pretty sure I was born this way?Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-32071409628847436442010-10-09T11:13:00.002-05:002011-01-28T10:28:57.735-06:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/TLCUYMxxXFI/AAAAAAAAARM/TiS7tq2Hr4c/s1600/darth-vader-prequels-whiny.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5526079886251351122" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 275px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/TLCUYMxxXFI/AAAAAAAAARM/TiS7tq2Hr4c/s320/darth-vader-prequels-whiny.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Hey, guess who remembered he had a blog! Yep, this guy. :::pointing to myself::: All I can say is that over the previous summer, I kinda decided to keep my opinions and thoughts to myself. It is not like anyone really cares what I have to say, right?<br /><br />Well, A lot of nerdy things have happened to me since the last time I posted anything. I bought a PS3 (my first Sony system ever and my first Blu-ray player), the wife and I now own iPhones, discovered one of the best TV shows ever (I will devote a full post to it later), and we left the United States for the first time. Those aren't the reasons I decided to get back on this here blog though. I want to talk about something important....Star Wars.<br /><br />Just a few minutes ago, I finished watching Episode II. I haven't seen that movie in full since I saw in the theater eight years ago. I've seen some small bits and pieces on TV, but never start to finish since I saw it on the big screen. The only reason I watched it now is because I found it for $3.00 on clearance at the local Half Price Books. Of course, I know that every single one of my fellow nerds has their opinion of the prequel trilogy and the internet is where all those opinions are aired. I bring it up now to many years after it would be relevant because I think my opinion has actually mellowed a bit since seeing the movie originally. Basically, I now believe that Star Wars Episodes I - III suffer from just three small misjudgments that, if corrected, would have saved them all from the ire of many a man-child. Here they are.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">1. Midichlorians</span><br />If you are reading this blog than odds are you know exactly what I am talking about. A small throwaway conversation between Qui-Gon and Anakin in The Phantom Menance ruined the mythology of all six films. The audience has already expected the Force as an idea. We get it. We didn't need any explanation for it and the explanation forced upon us (no pun intended) was horrible. It was three minutes that easily could have hit the cutting room floor and then would not have changed what we already excepted.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">2. Hayden Christensen<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><br /></span></span>Again, I know this has been talked about at length but it still astonishes me that throughout the casting process and filming, no one piped up and said "he's a little robotic." Anakin Skywalker is literally consumed by his emotions but we don't see any of them on the screen? We ALL know what is coming! Come on people! The whole point of these movies is to see why he turns to the Dark Side, and from Christensen's performance, we just don't see it.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">3.<span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> The Jedi Council is pretty dumb.</span></span><br />It is prophesied that Anakin Skywalker would "bring balance to the Force." O...K...I would think that every member of the Jedi Council could count, at least on their hands and toes even though that would only be a total of twelve for Yoda. There are a whole slew of Jedi and only two Sith that they know about. Hmmmmm. That does sound out of balance to me but the Council never realizes that balancing it out means a ton of Jedi have to die? These are supposed to be the wisest beings in the galaxy! All they needed to do to fix this obvious continuity error is say that the prophesy was that Anakin's appearance would "foretell a balancing of the Force." That way the story of Anakin falling to the Dark Side can still occur and the Jedi Council don't look like a bunch of morons.<br /><br />And with three small tweaks, we would get three fine movies. Now you may be asking why the hell I even care enough to bring this all up now. It is because I watch Cartoon Network's The Clone Wars. None of the problems I listed are even mentioned on the show and that is why I enjoy the program as much as I do. I almost think that The Clone Wars is somewhat of a "mea culpa" for what was wrong in the films. I don't know but that's my opinion, take it or leave it.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-87368469237799091552010-06-04T19:44:00.003-05:002010-10-09T11:21:02.233-05:00Sit right back and you'll hear a tale....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/TAmfGLee02I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/dXv4hXqHegs/s1600/lost+cake+2.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/TAmfGLee02I/AAAAAAAAAQ8/dXv4hXqHegs/s320/lost+cake+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5479085350181589858" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong>(NOTE: SPOILERS ABOUND SO READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!)</strong> Apparently I don't need to say this since everyone on Earth has told everybody else by now, but ABC's <em>Lost</em> has come to an end. Yep, it's over, and less than a second after Jack closed his eyes, the web was breaking in two under the sheer weight of opinions being thrown around. My wife and I, like millions of other viewers, sat by the television watching and waiting patiently to see if all the time we had invested in this show was worth it. Once it was over, I made the big mistake of tweeting my opinion and I definitely regret it now. It was a mistake because as soon as I said anything, I was told by multiple people that I was wrong. Well, I have let some time pass and ruminated on it and now it's my turn! BWA HAHAHA. This is my blog and here I am king! My opinion cannot be besmirched here! </div><br /><div></div>After reading and hearing so many opinions, I think I know what I want to say about the finale. It is an unpopular opinion, but it is mine and I stick by it. Here goes. See if you can follow me. The finale itself was fine and served its purpose as a bookend for the show. I totally understand why people were moved by it even if I thought it was a little preachy. I totally understand where all of the positive reactions are coming from. The whole episode was a gigantic affirmation of life and even of death. You would have to be a statue for that not to affect you in some way. This is my problem with it though. These affirmations act as a smokescreen for weak writing not only in the finale but in the series as a whole. Giving happy endings to everyone is how the writers fool us into forgetting everything we have thought about the series.<br /><br />I think a friend of mine, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#%21/mattmarquissee?ref=ts">Matt Marquissee</a>, put it better than I ever could: "It's a puzzle without a picture, just pieces. Then, when you're about finished, someone throws it out." If you think about it, he is totally right and you could even take it further and say that not only was there no picture but there were a lot of pieces left over too. Before you even say it, I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO SAY! "The writers told us we would not get all the answers!" "We knew everything was not going to be answered." "The show isn't about knowing everything." Those are all cop outs for the writers, plain and simple. I'm sorry but I don't buy it. There was <span style="font-style: italic;">too much</span> left over or cast aside. All those happy endings just stop you from thinking about the series and all the plot lines, character development, and continuity that now means nothing. For instance, let's go all the way back to the first season and the episode "Raised By Another." Anyone remember why Claire was on Flight 815? Anyone? Bueller?......Bueller? She was on the plane because a psychic had a vision that if Aaron was born, he would be some type of evil incarnate. So the psychic bought Claire a ticket knowing full well the plane would go down and kill her and her evil son. Don't remember that? That's because everyone is so happy moving on with their loved ones to the afterlife. Or hey! What about Faraday? The poor guy gets shot by his own mother in the past and he doesn't get to go on to the afterlife because she doesn't want him to? Doesn't seem fair to me at all. I could go on and on about everything that didn't make sense or all the instances of sloppy writing, but I won't. No one wants to read that. All I have to say now that it is all over and we can see it all in focus, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lost </span>was a very interesting ride that ended up having a lot of potholes, but it was interesting nonetheless.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-18878387931101858652010-05-25T10:41:00.000-05:002010-05-25T10:41:13.060-05:00Now you can hear my voice!<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S_vvMaVtNPI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/EDl_axN_E7w/s1600/marvel+noise.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5475232768506803442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 125px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 125px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S_vvMaVtNPI/AAAAAAAAAQ0/EDl_axN_E7w/s320/marvel+noise.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I just wanted to leave a note and tell everyone to go listen to the newest episode (#119) of the <a href="http://www.marvelnoise.com/">Marvel Noise podcast</a>. Why, you ask? Because yours truly is the newest contributor! My new segment, "From The Quarter Box," looks at some of Marvel's contributions to the cheap bins, and the first spotlight is on Solarman #1, a true gem of Stan Lee's career. Go give it a listen. Since this is the first time I have ever really recorded anything, I welcome any thoughts or criticisms anyone may have.</div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-79434771861038081452010-05-04T19:38:00.002-05:002010-05-25T13:24:20.334-05:00Either I am totally right or I'm developing Aspergers. YOU DECIDE!As much as I don't want this blog to become my own little emo bully pulpit where I only talk about the things that anger me, it seems like those kinds of things are what get me motivated enough to sit down and start typing. To make matters even more depressing, the things that anger me usually have to do with the internet since that is where most of my social interaction comes from these days. Maybe I should explain my situation and get it off my chest so you can understand what I am talking about.<br /><br />A couple days ago, I was very sick all day. I had absolutely horrible pains in my gut and I would have left work if I thought that the walk to the train station was possible in my condition. Basically, I just sat at my desk and waited until it was time to go. When I finally got home, I went right to my bed and slept for 3 1/2 hours straight. Eventually my wife woke me up since she was worried about me, and luckily for me, I felt better. We went to get some dinner so I could get some fresh air and food in my system. We got home late and my wife went to bed but due to sleeping earlier, there was no way I could fall asleep. Time ticked away as I surfed the internet all night. I looked at the clock and it was already 1:30 in the morning. Now this gets to the part where the problems (aside from not feeling well and not being able to sleep) begin. I will preface it with the fact that I know it may seem asinine but it was important to me at the time and what came next is what really irked me. I decide to read my Twitter feed and right there at the top was a major spoiler of the X-Men member that had died in X-Force #26 which had come out two days prior. Due to the fact that my comic store was sold out, I couldn't read it and I was doing everything not to be spoiled. I didn't read message boards, I didn't go to CBR or Newsarama, I did everything I could. I don't think it is too much that I was disappointed. Who likes things ruined for them? Do you want go to a movie and then someone tell you the end as soon as you buy your ticket? I decide to reply and say "DUDE, WTF. SPOILERS." I was pissed and that was all I could think to say at first. I then said that I had been trying not to be spoiled. I did eventually get to sleep at around 2:45 in the morning. Then I awoke to find this greeting me when I turn on my computer:<br /><br /><span class="status-body"><span class="status-content"><span class="entry-content">"for anyone out there who thinks i "ruined" second coming for them lasr [sic] night...grow up, this is the internet age. it isnt even half way over"<br /><br />This is what turned me into a mushroom cloud. A simple "sorry" would have been enough (and those five letters would have been easier to type too), but no. I get told to grow up in the most condescending way possible. So you're saying I can't be disappointed that the pivotal plot point of the book that I wanted to read but could not purchase was told to me? Is that what you are saying? Ya know, the whole spoiler phenomenon is not that big a deal to me normally but since I couldn't buy the book, I just wanted to read it myself. Is that too much to ask? Now I have been thinking about this since it happened. It drives me nuts. I know that it may seem petty to a lot of people and I own that fact, but I was still disappointed. Being "spoiled" isn't even why I am angry! The ire comes from the "holier than thou" and "I'm better than you" response that I got in return. Am I right or crazy or both? I don't know anymore and I need to stop thinking about it. Writing it out helps. Thanks for listening to my rant anyway. It is always good to get stuff off your chest I guess.<br /></span></span></span>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-34698203025334883082010-05-01T08:56:00.004-05:002010-05-18T13:58:17.754-05:00Free Comic Book Day 2010Just wanted to wish everyone a happy Free Comic Book Day today. Make sure to head out to your local comic store for some awesome free stuff (and make sure to buy something too since the comics are free for you but not free for the store.) Here is a link to the website so you can find a participating store near you: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.freecomicbookday.com">www.freecomicbookday.com</a>.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-58414002907193827132010-04-25T11:50:00.004-05:002010-06-04T13:44:56.192-05:00C2E2 Con ReportIt has been a weird week and I have been so tired every day after work, but I decided that I should probably get my thoughts about C2E2 down before everyone has forgotten about it and moved on to other things. I was very excited for this con (like kid trying to sleep on Xmas eve) and it totally lived up to my expectations. I guess the best way to break the con down is to go day by day.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">FRIDAY</span><br />So, I took the day off of work Friday so that I could attend the con. I slept in a little and left around 10 since I expected it would take about 2 hours total to get to McCormick Place using the CTA Blue Line and the #3 bus. That means I would get there with an hour to find where everything was and to get a good place in line. Boy, was I wrong. I ended up getting into line to enter the con after only 50 minutes. I was about the twentieth person in line and I had to wait a little over two hours to get in. Luckily I brought a book to read but I didn't even need it since they had a huge screen playing <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Dark Knight</span> which mesmerized me like a small child. Once I actually got into the con, the set-up was pretty spectacular. The place was so clean and bright with ACTUAL NATURAL LIGHT! The aisles were huge and no one was stuck together walking into each other. I applaud ReedPOP for their excellent use of the venue.<br /><br />I made a b-line to artist alley since I knew there were sketch lists that I wanted to get on and books I wanted to pick up. Like the good little nerd I am, I printed out a to-do list full of everything I wanted to get done at the con. The first thing I did was get on <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ihatemike.com">Mike Norton</a>'s sketch list. (I'll post my art haul at the end so you can see it all.) Stop #2 was to pick up The Uniques #8 & 9 and a new gorgeous X-Men print from two of my favorite creators, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.uniquescomic.com">Adam Withers and Comfort Love</a>. They really do astonishing work and I have loved every issue of the Uniques more than the last. I also hit up Steve Bryant for the Athena Voltaire Collected Webcomics since I had just finished reading the Flight of the Falcon series and loved it. Go check out <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/389994459/athena-voltaire-and-the-volcano-goddess-a-comic">his Kickstarter campaign</a> for the new Athena Voltaire series. I am really pulling for him. With those first purchases out of the way, we get to the most important aspect of the con for me, meeting up with everybody. So many people were coming into town for this con and I wanted to make sure I saw them. So Friday was spent with <a href="http://www.legionofsubstitutepodcasters.com/">Matt and Sarah Kramer</a> and <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.11oclockcomics.com">Vince B, David (Don't call them floppies) Price, and Jason Wood from 11 O'Clock Comics.</a> Walking around a con is great, but seeing everything with friends is better. It is always a highlight of a con to see people and hang out. As they should, the comics take a back seat to friendships. In the interest of keeping this short, the rest of the Friday was spent getting the lay of the land and talking with everybody.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">SATURDAY</span><br />Saturday <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">during the con itself</span> was amazing. I got to hang out and walk the con floor with my beautiful wife, and my boys, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.twitter.com/rickyhansen">Rick "Smash Tales" Hansen</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/chicofiesta425">Jose Capetillo</a>, and <a href="http://eldavephoto.blogspot.com/">Dave "ElDave" Mathis</a>. We checked out the Cup O' Joe panel which was pretty much a snooze until they had the inevitable hilarious question. A girl wearing flannel and cat ears came up to the mic and asked very bluntly "Why do you hate your female readers?" and continued to berate the panel and interrupt their attempts at an answer as she explains how Marvel's depiction of women is a horrible injustice. Just wow. After the panel, I went and talked with <a href="http://bigbugillustration.blogspot.com/">Tom Fowler</a> and got on his sketch list and got a FREE sketch from <a href="http://surlyhackattack.blogspot.com/">Hilary Barta</a>. I insisted on paying him but he wouldn't have it. Hilary is just plain awesome. My wife and I also went to the Cleveland Show panel which was very cool since they showed the upcoming episode with Kanye West.<br /><br />By this time, the con was closed for the day and we headed to the shuttle bus to the "afterparty" at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/reggies-music-joint-chicago#hrid:Km0RMSSC1Cr5M1UiaGR5zA">Reggie's</a>. Note to self: NEVER GO TO ANOTHER AFTERPARTY. My wife and I missed the shuttle that our friends had gotten on so we waited 20 minutes for the next one. Once we got there, our friends had already ordered food and had heard nothing since they ordered, so we all stood there, waiting at the bar forever. Finally a table opens, we jump on it like lions on a fresh kill, and we continue to sit and wait. The music is blaring, we can't hear each other, and we are hungry. We waited more than an hour for food. Let's just say no one was very happy. Then <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">my</span> food comes. I came 20 minutes after the other guys and my food came first. It was such a clusterf---. There is no other way to put it. And to add insult to injury, our food came right as the 11 O'Clock Comics guys decide to bolt. Hanging out with all of them was the big reason we all decided to even go but we couldn't leave with this food here. Luckily, my friends got their money back, but it all pretty much sucked.<br /><br /><span style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">SUNDAY</span><br />Sunday was the winding-down day, saying good bye to everybody and doing some last minute bargain bin diving. I found some books I needed to complete some runs so that's always good. I also went to the X-Men panel which pretty much became "The Peter David Show starring Peter David." He was the biggest name on the panel so he took over which is fine with me since he's a writing god. All in all, the day was a nice way to end the con. Sadly, there were a lot of people that I didn't see or run into like <a href="http://randomthoughtsescaping.blogspot.com/">Adam Bensenyodi</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/gobo">Ryan "Gobo,"</a> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/antihero815">George and Jon from anti-hero</a>, and <a href="http://wednesdayshaul.com/wordpress/">Scott Cederlund</a>, but there is only so much you can do. Well, there will always be other cons. Maybe I will see them at the Summit City Convention, if I can find a ride to Fort Wayne. <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Wink, wink.</span><br /><br />All in all, I think King DAP put it best. "Everything in the convention center was amazing. Outside the building, not so much." With that said, I had an amazing time and I will be back next year. Oh and here is my haul for those that want to bask in some awesome art:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/959/img0009e.jpg"></a><a href="http://img146.imageshack.us/i/img0009e.jpg/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/959/img0009e.th.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="http://img146.imageshack.us/i/img0009e.jpg/" target="_blank"><br /></a>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-74468030103563408382010-04-10T10:05:00.005-05:002010-04-10T10:09:53.189-05:00That was pretty "groovy."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage//upl_images/bandb29.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 220px; height: 339px;" src="http://cdn.springboard.gorillanation.com/storage//upl_images/bandb29.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />It's only 9:18 in the morning and I have already had a pretty weird day. I was planning to go into work for some overtime, but traffic is so bad due to construction that my normally 15 to 20 minute drive would have taken an hour and a half at best. So, I decided to stay home, grabbed a piece of last night's pizza for breakfast, and read some comics. One of those comics was so good that I had to jump on the laptop and talk about it: Brave and the Bold #29.<br /><br />I am quite the fan of the "team-up" books like Marvel Team-Up, Superman/Batman, etc. I just never got into the newest incarnation of DC's Brave and the Bold because when it started, the comic store where I shopped kept running out of copies and I eventually forgot about it. Now, I have been finding issues on the cheap and catching up and I must say that J. Michael Straczynski's current run on the book is pretty amazing. One off team-up stories with gorgeous Jesus Saiz art? Sign me up. Having just finished reading issue #29, I think I can say that I have found the best issue of the bunch as well. Now due to the fact that I was exclusively a Marvel reader as a kid, there is a lot of DC history that I don't know. The character of Brother Power, the Geek, is one such lapse in my DC knowledge. I had never heard of him before reading this issue. Apparently, he/it was a tailor's dummy that was exposed to chemicals and lighting and came to life during the 60's. OK...it <span style="font-style: italic;">is </span>a comic book so you have to suspend your disbelief. The issue is really about the differences he sees from the 60's to now. Thanks to Saiz's art, it was pretty powerful. If you have a chance, pick up Brave and the Bold #29. You won't regret it.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-1173820423556700462010-04-09T12:14:00.002-05:002010-04-09T12:54:14.128-05:00Getting ready for C2E2<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S79pvqtKYdI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Az6aluV23O4/s1600/258497-c2e2logo1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458197541034811858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 176px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S79pvqtKYdI/AAAAAAAAAQE/Az6aluV23O4/s200/258497-c2e2logo1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It is really weird. I seems like only weeks ago that I heard the news that a new comic book convention was coming to town. It's actually been more than a year since the initial announcement, and now C2E2 is only a week away. I have decided that I am going to play this con cool. What I mean is that I'm going more to see people I know and to socialize and not really worry about buying a whole lot of stuff. This is mainly due to the fact that I need the money for my upcoming trip to Europe and also because there will be a lot of people I want to see, taking stuff home from McCormick Place is not as easy as from the Rosemont Convention Center, and less purchases equals less clutter in my apartment. I'm not saying that I won't dive in some longboxes, but I plan to rigidly stick to the list of issues I need to complete some runs. (Thank you <a href="http://www.comicbookdb.com/">ComicbookDB </a>for making it so easy to keep an organized list or what I am looking for.)<br /><br />There is one thing though that I am taking some time and preparing for next weekend. I have never really been very organized when it comes to the commissioned art pieces that I have bought at cons. I've meant to fix this oversight but I really didn't know how to do it. From what I read on the internet and hear in podcasts, most people have a sketchbook and have artists draw in those. Now I am only speaking for myself but I just don't get sketchbooks. The idea doesn't work for me. First, having a sketchbook limits you at a con since the first artist you get a commission from has to <em>take </em>the sketchbook. You are out of luck until he or she is done. That means either you just write that time off or you plan like crazy ahead of time to make sure you take the book to each artist you want one after the other and hope they have time left to do it. The other problem I have is the fact that I like having the oppurtunity to frame a piece if I really love it (and the wife approves). You can't do that if the commission is in a sketchbook. So after spending some time at some office supply stores and online, here is the answer that I have come up with: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00342VCWG/ref=oss_product">the TOPS 11x17 Executive Showfile</a>. (Even that name makes it sound important.) With a big enough size to fit all the art that I bought at cons before and the freedom to get more than one piece at a time and display them how I want, the showfile is perfect for me. I don't want people to think that I am insulting them if they have a sketchbook. I have seen some amazing books where every drawing fits a theme (for instance "The Many Deaths of Strawberry Shortcake" and "Gambit fighting an alligator"). Sketchbooks just aren't for me though and I am excited about the new alternative that I have found.</div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-88543926275288043282010-03-30T19:18:00.008-05:002010-04-03T20:27:48.796-05:00Put some Rock Sugar on me.Geeks come in every shape and size and span the gamut of things one can obsess about. I am the first to admit that my weakest area of geekiness is music. Sure, I love music and I have gigs and gigs of tunes on my iPod, but I am not one of those guys that knows the names of every drummer that has ever played with KISS or knows where Mötley Crüe played their first gig. I know what bands I like when I hear them and that is as far as it goes for me. Now with that said, I have to gush over a new band that I just found out about. As soon as I heard them, I knew I must use my little outlet to the world that I have here and spread the good word, the word of ROCK SUGAR!<br /><br />OK, here's the story. One of the funniest podcasts ever is <a href="http://www.mikeschmidtcomedy.com/podcast.asp">Mike Schmidt's "The 40 Year Old Boy"</a> which I have been listening to since the very first episode. Recently, a fan sent him a music recommendation and he could not stop talking about them on the podcast. That recommendation was of course Rock Sugar. Then days later, the band signs to a label and will start touring. Coincidence? Nope, someone heard the podcast and signed them. How amazing is that!? So I go on <a href="http://www.rocksugarband.com/">the band's website</a> and order their CD and wait patiently for the mailman to deliver it.<br /><br />"But Mike, why didn't you just download the album like a normal person?"<br /><br />I was getting to that. Rock Sugar is not your normal band. They play "mashups." They still don't have the rights to put their music on iTunes and the like because they take songs we all know by heart, retool them, and mash them together. This might be too hard to explain in words. I think the only way for you to understand is to see it....<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/kQyPjIe1yPQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/kQyPjIe1yPQ&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x2b405b&color2=0x6b8ab6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Now hopefully, you can understand why I love Rock Sugar.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-51255071360146158302010-03-20T08:12:00.000-05:002010-03-20T08:18:41.624-05:00The End of an EraI just wanted to make a quick note and and mark the end of something pretty special. In case you didn't know, <a href="http://www.aroundcomics.com/">Around Comics</a>, the best comic book podcast out there if you ask me, had their final recording session last night. It was a memorable night with a whole lot of great people jammed into Dark Tower Comics, eating pizza, shooting the shit, and just having a good time. It will definitely be sad to see it go. To Chris, Sal, and Tom, you have done a great service to the comic industry and to comic fans. Well done, sirs.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-34951312144826099002010-03-18T22:42:00.004-05:002010-06-04T13:37:27.686-05:00I'd like some puddin' please.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S6LzCJKsj6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/I4dN7oqgs0s/s1600-h/gcs-cv5-copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5450185717217791906" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 208px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S6LzCJKsj6I/AAAAAAAAAPY/I4dN7oqgs0s/s320/gcs-cv5-copy.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Don't you love that feeling when you read a book or see a movie, and it just totally resonates with you? Well, I had that experience yesterday as I read some issues that have been sitting in my "to be read" pile. Those issues were Gotham City Sirens #5-9.<br /><br />First and foremost, it is not like I have just let these issues build up for five months without reading them. I recently changed comic stores, and Sirens was one of the titles that my old store could not get in stock even though I poked and prodded and asked them to order it. Now that I go to <a href="http://www.darktowercomics.net/">Dark Tower Comics</a> here in Chicago, I have been able to fill in all of the issues that I have been missing. In the case of Sirens, I was missing issues #5 and #6. Now armed with five months worth of issues, I put them in the messenger bag I bring to work and decided to spend my lunch with the ladies of Gotham City. It actually was hard to have to wait to read these because I loved the first four issues <a href="http://deependofthelongbox.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-told-you-before-i-was-going-to-start.html">(I have even blogged about the series before)</a>, but now I get my chance to dive in.<br /><br />There is a reason that I bring all this up and the reason is Harley Quinn. I have always liked Harley but these issues showed that her character is more multifaceted than I think a lot of people would realize. Harley is not just the Joker's sidekick any more. Despite her festive costume and her one-liners, when you break her down, Quinn is a truly tragic anti-hero seeking penance for past wrongdoings. The tragedy starts with her origin. Most people know that Harley was created by Paul Dini specifically for "Batman: the Animated Series." What they may not know is that Dini created a back story for Harley once she made the transition to the comics, and it is a back story that almost breaks your heart. Even though she was able to go to college on a gymnastics scholarship and eventually became a prominent psychiatrist, Harley's horrible home life and dead beat, criminal father scarred her mentally and made her easy pickings for the Joker and his corruption. Today, Dini writes her as this smart, educated woman trapped in the mind of a mistreated child. What makes her even more tragic is that even though now that she wants to fight the good fight and make amends for what she's done, she is still in love with "her puddin'." The Joker is Harley's tragic flaw, and for me, that makes her a complex character worthy of reading about. What I am getting at is that when she's written well, Harley Quinn is an amazing character that gets forgotten due to her past sidekick status and television roots.<br /><br />Gotham City Sirens is an under appreciated gem that I worry will not last long. I totally admit that I'm writing about it right now partially due to the selfish fact that I want the book to continue so I can continue to read it. But I can't be the only one that enjoys this, right? If you like the Batman family, why in the world wouldn't you give this book a chance? Issue #9 is an excellent jumping on point with the girls hiring the Riddler to help them with a mystery that literally fell into their laps (or should I say, fell into their pool). Go out and pick it up. I think you will be pleasantly surprised. </div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-57074238139620201982010-03-12T13:40:00.001-06:002010-03-12T13:41:50.830-06:00You got free money. What else do you want?<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S5qXL-ocS0I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/24XcIJfhj0Q/s1600-h/grinds-my-gears1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447832931305016130" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 307px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 231px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S5qXL-ocS0I/AAAAAAAAAPQ/24XcIJfhj0Q/s320/grinds-my-gears1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Last weekend and the early part of this week was an insane roller coaster of emotions for many nerds. In case you hadn't heard, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/">Amazon</a> marked down tons of comic hardcovers and omnibuses to clearance level prices. We're talking discounts as big as $100 books for $14.99. Of course, everyone scrambles to get in on the deals and message boards and twitter feeds are abuzz. Now after years of trolling sites like <a href="http://www.fatwallet.com/">Fat Wallet </a>and <a href="http://slickdeals.net/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Slickdeals</span></a>, I know when a deal is too good to be true and that there is little to no chance it will be honored. So, I too ordered some books, knowing full well that the order would probably be cancelled as soon as the pricing error is found, just in the off chance I could get some cheap reads.</div><br /><div>Fast forward three days. One of the four books I ordered (The Old Man Logan hardcover for $14.99) arrives and I find an email telling me Amazon has cancelled the other books, but gave me a $25 credit for the inconvenience. How awesome is that!? Now I am riding a nerd high and thinking about what to use this free money on. I start surfing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">internet</span> to see if some of my fellow comic <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">enthusiasts</span> got the same deal. That is when my gears were officially <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">grinded</span>. I found tweets and message boards posts of angry customers saying that Amazon sucks and that this whole thing was horrible even after they too had received their $25 credit. What do you people want!? Handwritten apology notices? Bigger credits? A pound of flesh? Hookers? Honestly, what would make you happy? Amazon didn't have to do <em>anything</em>, let alone give you $25, because their site specifically states that they can cancel orders due to pricing errors. I just couldn't believe it and I needed to vent a little. We all had our fun this weekend and we all got something out of it. Be happy with that. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Geez</span>.</div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-72101176258547974302010-03-01T19:12:00.004-06:002010-03-01T20:52:52.584-06:00Massively Affected<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S4xkoRPpqxI/AAAAAAAAAPI/p2jkn0OYzms/s1600-h/Mordin+by+Mike+Norton.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 236px; height: 400px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/S4xkoRPpqxI/AAAAAAAAAPI/p2jkn0OYzms/s400/Mordin+by+Mike+Norton.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5443836692570680082" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As much as I herald the cause of nerds, geeks, and fanboys everywhere, there is one aspect of my brethren that I have come to hate. I think, in most circles, the worst trait for nerds is their vocal distaste for anything and everything. Go online moments after a movie premieres and foulmouthed tweet after foulmouthed tweet will abound. No matter how good something is, you will find thousands of acerbic status updates, forum posts, and comments from angry nerds nitpicking even the smallest details and blowing them out of proportion. Or they can go the complete opposite way and hate something for no reason whatsoever and still feel the need to rant to anyone that will listen. I don't think I ever need to hear or read the words "It just didn't work for <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span>" ever again. They are totally useless words that convey absolutely nothing. Opinions are like assholes as the saying goes, but shouting your opinion at the top of your lungs <span style="font-style: italic;">makes </span>you an asshole. I learned this the hard way and I know now that back in college, a lot of people didn't like <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> for just that reason. Once I realized how asinine it all was, I promised myself that I would end it from then on. In this day and age, comments like those just make the commenter out to be the fool. Just talking about this in the abstract though doesn't cut it. The only way to illustrate this is with an example and I have the perfect one: Mass Effect 2.<br /><br />Mass Effect 2 has completely changed the way I see video games. As a story, I would hold Mass Effect 2 up against the greatest examples of science fiction and it would hold its own. The way I have described it to people is "take the dynamic alien species of Star Trek and the multifaceted and relatable characters of Battlestar Galactica and place them in the space opera and grand scale of Star Wars and you get Mass Effect 2." While I admit that the first game had its faults in gameplay, I still held it as my favorite game of all time until the day that its sequel finally hit my doorstep and I put the disc into my Xbox. From that point on, there was nothing else that could compare in my mind. It was as if Bioware had created a game just for me and me alone and the fact that they sold hundreds of thousands of other copies was just gravy for them. But here is where my ire toward my fellow nerds comes to a head. I go online just for regular daily websurfing and not even looking for commentary on the game and I see the cynical comments, "I am getting sick and tired of all the scanning" being the most common among them. If you have not played the game then you may not get this so let me explain. In the game, in order to improve the technology of your ship and your crews tools, you have to scan and mine planets that you visit. A large amount of people found this tedious and time consuming and made sure everyone knew about it. I hate it because I don't want to be the one that shouts back and has to be equally as obnoxious, but when I read those comments they drove me nuts. Part of me felt like they were trying to rain on my parade and part of me felt that they were flat out wrong. For me, scanning planets made perfect sense in a story perspective. It fit well with the overall feel of what was going on. Also, if you paid attention, you can tell that the game designers went to a lot of trouble to make the planets as scientifically plausible as possible. But of course, fanboys have to harp on the one thing they don't like and not look at everything in the big picture. I think what I am trying to say is for the love of god people, just try to enjoy things and don't go into something trying to think what you are going to tweet from your iPhone the second it is over. If you want to talk to me about something, bring thoughts, not snark.<br /><br />I also want to massively thank <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.ihatemike.com">Mike Norton</a> for doing the above sketch of Mordin <a href="http://tweetphoto.com/11264679">after I tweeted about it</a>. I wasn't kidding Mike, I am going straight to your table with money in hand for one of these.<br /><br />Oh and I know someone is going to mention it. Yes, the title of this post is grammatically correct. English degree yo!<br /></div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-19753079240342035422010-02-27T10:29:00.003-06:002010-02-27T10:50:32.454-06:00You can do some of the work, you lazy bums!While I am writing my next post (and it is going to be a long one since I have a lot to say about the topic), I'm hoping to get some help from teh intarwebs. Here's the deal. If you are reading this, than I want you to toss out a title, character, team, storyline, year of publication, anything. The first one mentioned that I can find buried in my longboxes will be the topic of an upcoming post. Basically, I want to read something, but I want it to be totally random and out of my control. So post a comment, send me a twitter, yell in my face, etc., and tell me what to read.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-23730502421644658862010-02-22T20:58:00.000-06:002010-02-22T20:58:59.027-06:00Insert apologetic title here.<div>I want to apologize to the two people who actually read this blog. I know it has been a <em>very</em> long time since I wrote anything, and I know that I have a track record of letting endeavors like this fall to wayside once I lose interest or when other things get in the way. To be totally honest, I think I have a little of both going on now. Let me explain.</div><br /><div></div>Let's tackle the lack of interest first. I will be totally honest with you. Comics just aren't doing it for me for the last couple months. Now before you go all crazy and tell me how great some series is and that I should be reading it (ha, as if someone would take the time to do that), I know that there are great comics out there. I am in no way saying that there are no titles that still interest me. God, X-Factor is probably better right now than it has ever been. That's why it's one of the few titles that have survived the massive culling of my pull list, but sadly, many other titles have not. Partially it is due to the sucky economy and my newfound effort to reevaluate my spending. I want to be able to really do things, and the money I spend on comics every week could be used to do other grander things. My wife and I are going to London and Paris for instance and cutting back on the comics will help us get there. Plus, there is the space issue. Someone (I won't name names) has been pressuring me lately to starting selling or donating the comics I have. Past Michael would have gone ballistic, ran into the office, and starting hugging the longboxes and telling them that everything is alright. Now, I realize that it might be time to start getting rid of some of the books that I never plan on reading again. Who knows? Someone else might want to read them as well.<br /><br />Lack of interest in blogging itself is part of the problem as well I guess. I have two really strong opinions on the subject that are fighting it out in my head right now. One half of my brain says that no one cares what some boring nerd with a desk job thinks. Kinda like a "You actually think you have something to add?" complex. Even typing this right now makes me feel like the emo losers that I hate. Then there is that other half of me that says I need this. Writing can only help me become a better writer. Even if no one reads this besides myself, it still makes me better with every word, so that's something right? I hope so.<br /><br /><div></div>On top of the fact that my interest in comics and blogging are not what they once were, there are so many other types of media that is vying for my attention. I think the best and worst thing that has happened to me recently is that my best friend, and best man, Carl, got Katie and I a subscription to Netflix for our wedding gift. Seeing so many great (and some not so great) movies and having the ability to watch some of them whenever I want has definitely been a timesuck in this household. Not only that but, I am even reading novels again. I have a stack of books ready to go including some Star Wars books, a biography of Walt Disney, and Katie's Kurt Vonnegut books. Lastly, the Xbox has been singing its sweet siren song A LOT lately, but I will talk about that in a second. I guess what I am trying to say is that I am trying to have a more well-rounded entertainment diet by digging into some of the other food groups in the media pyramid.<br /><br /><div>Now none of this means that this blog is ending. Quite the opposite actually. As I mentioned in an earlier post from way back, I want to retool and be open to write about anything I think is cool and nerdy. There will be plenty of writing about the comics in my boxes waiting to be read, but there are a lot of other things that I want to talk about (even if no one is listening). For instance, there is a reason my wife has been an Xbox widow lately, and that would be Mass Effect 2. I have never played a game like it, and I promise you there will be a full writeup of all of my Mass Effect escapades. God, look at me. I am actually sitting at a desk and writing. When was the last time that happened!? Now I just need to keep it up and I hope someone out there will read it, but if not, oh well.<br /></div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-52560669509976933022009-08-31T13:24:00.003-05:002010-03-01T19:39:11.918-06:00Spider-Donald and Daisy-Jane<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpwVguGGIpI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/V9llmIGHqpw/s1600-h/mickey-jackman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5376195707047125650" style="margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; float: left; width: 320px; height: 259px;" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpwVguGGIpI/AAAAAAAAAOQ/V9llmIGHqpw/s320/mickey-jackman.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Never before have two of my fandoms collided as massively as they did today. In case this is the first website you have seen today (ha, I wish) or you've been playing copious amounts of Batman: Arkham Asylum as I have, you haven't heard that <a href="http://www.marketwatch.com/story/disney-to-acquire-marvel-entertainment-2009-08-31-9050">the Walt Disney Company has bought Marvel Comics</a>. I will give you a second to let that sink in...<br /><br />Now before you run around like a chicken with its head cut off, yelling that Ragnarok has come and that we are all doomed, take a deep breath and let's think about this. Practically every message board, comics news site, and newspaper has been abuzz with this story and as of right now, there are a whole lot more questions than answers. How will this affect Marvel movies in the pipeline? What about Marvel Island at Universal Studios? Are the MAX and Icon comics lines going to disappear? I have even more questions just off the top of my head, but no one knows when all of them will be answered. Since that is the case, I think it is a smart idea to relax and think of the positives that will come from this. First, I think it will definitely help Marvel in terms of making new relationships with retailers. Disney could definitely throw some of the shelf space they have in stores to Marvel. Second (as I mentioned on the 11 O'Clock Comics boards where A LOT of people are discussing this topic), Disney is all about self-promotion and they do everything they can to make sure people know about their properties and products. Due to this, I would not be surprised if Marvel's presence at conventions and the like were to increase as well as ads and commercials for their products. Lastly, the biggest gain from Disney's purchase is the possibility of a Marvel/Pixar collaboration. <a href="http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=22747">Comic Book Resources reported </a>that "When asked if there was potential for cross-polination between Marvel and Pixar, Disney said that Pixar’s John Lasseter has met with key Marvel creative executives recently and the group got 'pretty excited, very fast.' Disney will look at all opportunities and thinks there are some exciting products that could come from this sort of partnership." That is pretty awesome if you ask me.<br /><br />All in all, I think us fanboys need to keep our heads on straight and wait to see how this will all play out, but personally, I think this is the beginning of a mutually beneficial partnership.</div><div> </div><div>Oh and one last thing. As for the title of this post, if they ever make a statue or something of Spider-Donald and Daisy-Jane, I will be the first person in line to buy one.</div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-59771217178958436112009-08-27T20:08:00.001-05:002009-08-27T20:24:37.284-05:00I told you before I was going to start breaking my own rules.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpcsctmvMMI/AAAAAAAAAOA/uI5SmVP2JH4/s1600-h/wfc18.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpcsctmvMMI/AAAAAAAAAOA/uI5SmVP2JH4/s320/wfc18.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374813552080007362" border="0" /></a>Everybody loves getting surprises. It's just human nature. But ya know what's better than getting one surprise? Getting TWO surprises in the same week like I did in the form of two comic books that I picked up this Wednesday. It was like Marvel and DC both said "let's put out an issue just for Mike." These books made my so giddy that I had to blog about them as soon as I could (and I bet I'll be the only person really talking about them). In a week with Blackest Night & War of Kings tie-ins, multiple Avengers titles, and of course, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wednesday Comics</span>, my favorite books this week will probably be missed by a lot of people. Hell, I almost missed them too, but I'm getting ahead of myself.<br /><br />The first of these awesome books was <span style="font-style: italic;">Wolverine: First Class</span> #18. Like any good comic fan, I print out and bring my shopping list with me every Wednesday when I go to the comic shop. Since I've only read an issue here and there from the "First Class" books, I did not have <span style="font-style: italic;">Wolverine: First Class</span> #18 on my list. Then, sitting on the new release shelf, was that hilarious Skottie Young cover with none other than my favorite character in all of comics: Jamie Madrox, the Multiple Man. Not only that, but the issue was written by one of my favorite writers, Peter David, who currently writes <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Factor</span> which also features Madrox. Someone was not doing their job because I should have known about this month's issue of <span style="font-style: italic;">Wolverine: First Class</span><span>!</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>Really, they could have put an ad in <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Factor</span> for this issue. I'll bet you it would have helped sales. Of course, as soon as I realized what this issue was, I bought it, and as you can probably can tell, it did not disappoint. Basically, the story is Multiple Man (whose power is that he can make copies of himself called "dupes" in case you didn't know) is looking for a runaway dupe and comes to Xavier's school looking for help. A chase ensues with Wolverine and Kitty Pryde in tow with a couple existential crises happening in the meantime as they debate what makes someone a person. So you get action, comedy, philosophy, and some great art from Francis Portela with Madrox in his awesome classic costume. What more could you want? It was a great issue, and with all of the rumors floating around that Peter David's <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Factor</span> might be canceled soon, I want to get as much Madrox as I can. (By the way, please go out and buy <span style="font-style: italic;">X-Factor</span>. Try it out. You'll like it. It needs all the help it can get if the rumors are true.)<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpcslXZH1UI/AAAAAAAAAOI/kfi4jWfPoJA/s1600-h/gcs3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 208px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/SpcslXZH1UI/AAAAAAAAAOI/kfi4jWfPoJA/s320/gcs3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5374813700736144706" border="0" /></a>The second book <span style="font-style: italic;">was </span>on my shopping list but the story was not at all what I was expecting. That book was <span style="font-style: italic;">Gotham City Sirens</span> #3. Now this series has not been getting much buzz really, and I don't understand why. The story so far has been tight and full of great action and Guillem March's art can only be described as "crazy fantastic." Over the last couple years, I have grown to love Batman's lady rogues. Will Pfeifer's run on <span style="font-style: italic;">Catwoman</span> has made me a devout fan of Selina Kyle, and who can't enjoy the team of Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn? Put all three in one title and I will definitely be purchasing it. Plus, look at that cover. How can you say no to that? It's like a movie poster for one of the good Bond movies. Now remember how I said this book was not what I was expecting. Well, I expected a book called <span style="font-style: italic;">Gotham City Sirens</span> to have the Gotham City sirens in the book, but this issue concentrated on someone else entirely: my favorite of Batman's rouges, the Riddler! Just like my love of Jaime Madrox, I will buy any book with the Riddler, especially now that he has turned over a new leaf as a private investigator. Seeing Riddler solving crimes just like he would solve a riddle brings a new dynamic to the character, and writer Scott Lobdell shows us the genius that is going on in Riddler's mind as he mumbles the parts of each puzzle to himself, even the puzzle of a possible new Batman. Here's hoping that Riddler continues to be a major part of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gotham City Sirens </span>as the series continues.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-66127340500004247402009-08-21T14:27:00.004-05:002010-02-22T15:17:43.030-06:00The Most Disgusting Thing EverThere is a new post coming this weekend, I assure you. Something happened thought that I have to talk about real quick.<br /><br />I buy a lot of back issues at my local Half Price Books. It is a phenomenal store and I love searching through all the crazy stuff they have there (especially the comics of course). There is a very major downside though which made itself apparent to me while reading some of the comics I bought there yesterday evening. I wanted to get out of the house yesterday so I decided to drive over to HPB to see if they had anything interesting. To my delight, the comic boxes had a veritable smorgasbord of new comics from the last couple months. I found a great assortment of books that I wanted to read (but didn't want to pay cover for when they came out). I brought some of them to work with me today to read during my lunch. That is when I noticed something; the issues are filled with crumbs and oil stains from those crumbs! Really!? You are so gross that you don't brush off the food that doesn't make it into your maw while you're stuffing your face and reading your comics, and <em>then</em> you go and sell these books still full of crumbs to a used book store!? Ugh. The sad thing is that this has happened to me before and I totally forgot about it. So, whoever it is that sells bunchs of new comics to the Half Price Books in Niles, IL., you are disgusting.<br /><br />(Oh and I want to make it perfectly clear that this is not a slight on Half Price Books. I love that place, but I will not buy newer issues of comics there anymore.)Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-12534050400410609042009-08-11T19:10:00.003-05:002010-02-22T15:23:30.245-06:00Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.Yes, I am back after moving, getting married, losing a $1,100 security deposit because my old landlord is a f'ing deadbeat, and having to change internet providers since Comcast wouldn't get up off there asses and fix all the problems we had with their service. It has been a really crazy time in my life and I haven't had a lot of time to read comics. This past weekend was the Chicago Comic-Con though so what better time to get back into the swing of this here blog, but it is going to be a little different than before. Let me explain.<br /><br />I have come to the conclusion that I have kinda handcuffed myself with the theme of reading old comics. While I will continue to read and blog about all of the comics that fill my longboxes, I've made the decision that having a different kind of post every once in a while might spice things up. This is going to be one of those posts. I have a bunch of little thoughts that have been running through my mind as of late that I think are worth sharing.<br /><br />You may know that <a href="http://www.biglots.com/">Big Lots</a> is a chain of stores that sells closeouts items. What you may not know is that Big Lots carries a very interesting assortment of DVD's for dirt cheap. I recently found <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Batman: The Animated Series</span> Vol. 4 there for $3.00! Of course as soon as I got it, I started watching the whole volume from beginning to end. Watching the series this way made something very strange stand out to me: smoke bombs. Gotham City must have a store called "Smoke Bombs R Us" because everybody and their mother has smoke bombs of every size and shape and they're throwing those suckers all over the place. If I watched the episodes every week in the manner they were intended, then this plot device might not have seemed so overused, but when you watch all the episodes back to back, it is a smoke bomb party and everyone's invited. The best example of this is in the episode "Mean Seasons" where Batman fights a crazy past-her-prime model who goes around terrorizing people as the Calendar Girl. (The episode is a more kid-friendly version of Loeb and Sale's <em>Long Halloween</em> in case you were wondering.) Now this model dresses up for a Halloween themed attack and uses smoke bombs disguised as candy corn earrings in order to facilitate a quick getaway. How in the world does a washed up model get her hands on candy corn smoke bombs!? I need to know!<br /><br />Smoke bombs aside, there is one other thing I want to talk about that I mentioned earlier. Now that the Chicago Comic-Con (or whatever Wizard is calling it these days) is over, I have very mixed feelings about this year's con. As soon as I walked in to the convention center on Preview Night, I knew that this was going to be a lot different than previous years. The most obvious difference was the lack of Marvel or DC booths and all that space taken up by autograph areas. It was really weird not seeing huge banners and posters from the Big 2 everywhere as I walked in. That is how it has been since I first started going to the con. I am just so torn about it. It is a sign of the times that this is not an important con anymore. Frankly, I got bored and left early every day. It just wasn't the same for me, and apparently it wasn't the same for a lot of people. It wasn't bad for everyone though. A lot of the artists that I talked to had a great time since more people were interested in Artist Alley this year and spent their money there. That is great to hear and I am really happy that people had a good time. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself and found a lot of comics that have been on my wishlist for a long time (including one that was a total wild goose chase that I will recount in a post in the near future.) All in all, it was fun, but I will not be shelling out the money for a weekend pass. I will probably go on Sunday only next year so I can hunt for deals. Now I can get really excited for <a href="http://www.windycitycomicon.com/">Windy City Comicon</a> in a little over a month. If you haven't bought your tickets yet, GO NOW AND BUY THEM! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? And when you come, don't forget to come and say hi. I will be volunteering like last year so look for me in my new "Henchman" shirt.<br /><br />Lastly, real quick, I wanted to mention a blog that I found and added to my links on the right. Go check out the <a href="http://coveredblog.blogspot.com/"><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Covered</span> </a>blog. It is amazing!Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-41826941743342165922009-05-20T22:55:00.002-05:002009-08-18T09:48:00.916-05:00Riker's eyes are huge!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/ShTQQJp-f-I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/WpySOL0NyBA/s1600-h/sttngmanga.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5338120434229346274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 215px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/ShTQQJp-f-I/AAAAAAAAAMQ/WpySOL0NyBA/s320/sttngmanga.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />By all accounts, I should have no energy to walk, let alone finally get back to my blog. I know I have been whining a lot, but between moving to a new apartment, a deadbeat landlord that won't return our security deposit, a wedding looming in less than a month, and craziness at work, I just haven't had the time to read or write about my precious comics. Now you may ask what has sparked my return to this here blog? Well, I'll tell you. I have been reinvigorated by a true work of art: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek</span>. I have been a Trekkie since I was a little kid. (Yes, I have a Starfleet uniform. No, I would not wear it if I were called to be a juror. True Trekkies will get that.) One of my fondest memories of my childhood is spending Thursday nights with my dad watching <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">: The Next Generation</span></span>. That show turned me into the nerd that I am today. Now in 2009, we have the eleventh movie in the <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek</span> franchise and it left me speechless. I have seen it twice now and the haters can all keep their opinions to themselves because they have given us a practically perfect film and a clean slate to start creating some new amazing stories.<br /><br />Of course, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek</span> was so good and had me so energized that I went through my longboxes and started pulling Trek books left and right. I came up with a pretty wide assortment that spanned both the gamut of Trek series and many of the major comic book companies. You may not be aware that the Star Trek franchise jumped from publisher to publisher many times over the years. Here's the quick timeline: Gold Key - DC - Malibu - Marvel - Wildstorm - IDW.<br />The weird thing about all the Star Trek books I have read recently is that the book that really grabbed my attention the most isn't even from any of these publishers. It is <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Manga Boukenshin</span>. In the interest of full disclosure, I have to admit that this is a new book that was just released. I am bending the rules and talking about it because I did get it on sale and it DEFINITELY fits into the "oddities" category. I have never read manga before, but as soon as I saw this book solicited and saw the crazy preview pages, I knew that I had to get my hands on a copy. The book consisted of four separate stories of the crew of the USS Enterprise. Overall, I enjoyed reading this just based on the fact that I am seeing these characters artistically interpreted in a totally new way.<br /><br />In the first story, "Changeling" written by David Gerrold (writer of the Original Series episode "Trouble With Tribbles") and drawn by E. J. Su, the crew investigate the "Labyrinth of Wisdom" and Wesley keeps transforming into different people. Honestly, this was the kind of story I expected to read. It seems stereotypically manga to me with magic and a crazy premise. The ending is mildly predictable, but it was still fun to read. This story also had the first of two majorly awkward moments of the book. Wesley transforms into a female Betazoid much like Counselor Troi. That alone is awkward, but when Riker comes onto Wesley, I was particularly skeeved out. Ah manga, you don't disappoint with strange sexual moments.<br /><br />The second story, "Sensation," was very reminiscent of a few episodes of the TV show. Something is affecting the crew and only Troi can sense it. We've all seen it before, so the story really didn't bring anything new to the table. The art on the other hand; drawn by Chrissy Delk, was very interesting and kept my attention. Delk really knows how to draw a close-up that invokes a lot of emotion out of the character's faces. Obviously, this talent comes in handy when your story revolves around a character that reads people emotions. I would really like to see some more of Chrissy Delk's work. (<a href="http://chrissydelk.blogspot.com/">Here is a link to her sketch blog.</a> She definitely knows how to draw!)<br /><br />And now the book took a bit of a dive in my opinion. In the third story, "The Picardian Knot" by Christine Boylan and Don Hudson, we see the after effects of Picard's mindmeld with Sarek from the episode "Sarek." Both the story and the art style fell flat for me. The story revolves around Picard and his inability to access his emotions as the crew tries to help him. I had never really seen art like this before either. Every page seems to be inked with a very fine tip which seems to deprieve the art from having definition. Also, the second extremely awkward moment came in this story when Picard, Data, and Troi talk to Guinan (the ship's wise bartender played on the show by Whoopi Goldberg). Guinan is in eleven panels and not one of them show her completely. It is so absurd and the only reasoning I can think of is that the artist did not know how to draw Whoopi Goldberg so he put her in shadow, faced her in the other direction with her back to the audience, and even cut her face off by the top or bottom of the panel. How weird!<br /><br />Lastly, "Loyalty" by F. J. DeSanto and Bettina Kurkowski was another story that tied directly into a TNG episode, namely the perrenial favorite "Best of Both Worlds." We see Riker called by the Starfleet admiralty to defend Picard's ability to command after his assimilation by the Borg. This was no doubt the best story in the book. The story was an interesting wrinkle added to the established Trek canon and character development was spot on. The art was gorgeous as well. (<a href="http://www.comixology.com/previews/JAN094435/Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation-Vol-1-of-2-The-Manga">Comixology has some preview pages from this story if you are interested.</a>) Though the panels do have a manga feel to them, I would want to see more Next Gen stories drawn by Kurkowski. "Loyalty" by itself made this book worth the cover price.<br /><br />All in all, I think I had a fairly painless jaunt into the world of manga. I don't think I will be picking up much more any time soon, but as a Trekkie, I am glad I picked up <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Manga Boukenshin</span>.<br /><br />Just a note: I recently found that all of the Star Trek comics from 1967 - 2002 have been collected on DVD-ROM. The best part is that Amazon is selling it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Star-Trek-The-Complete-Collection/dp/B001B5KYR2/ref=wl_it_dp?ie=UTF8&coliid=I3GVEI9IBCQU6G&colid=11IRWMXFYNMU4">here </a>for only $27.99! Every Trekkie out there should jump on this.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-44711111201076908752009-05-08T14:30:00.002-05:002009-05-08T14:32:34.232-05:00Moving is not fun.Just so everyone knows, I have in no way given up on this little blogging endeavor. I just moved into a new apartment last weekend and all of the moving stuff has thrown practically everything out of whack. My internet in the new place <em>should</em> be up and running tomorrow so hopefully, I will be back soon.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-16944678269404704932009-04-20T20:43:00.003-05:002009-08-15T10:58:20.876-05:00"Well, it's only a quarter..."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0hcY_72fI/AAAAAAAAALw/GGwAei8EkgQ/s1600-h/noblecausesfirstimpressions1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326950705879833074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 210px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0hcY_72fI/AAAAAAAAALw/GGwAei8EkgQ/s320/noblecausesfirstimpressions1.jpg" border="0" /></a>The beauty of the quarter boxes is that I find and buy books that I would normally not even take a second glance at. If the cover looks even mildly appealing or the subject matter might be something I like, in the pile it goes. Everybody always says you should "broaden your horizons," right? It's true, and it's even better when you can do so on the cheap. I may not like everything that I grab out of the cheap bins, but when they are less than a dollar, how can I really complain?<br /><br />What better way to try new things then to pick up a "Special Introductory One-shot." After hearing all of the praise for Jay Faerber's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Noble Causes</span> series on multiple podcasts, I decided that I would be looking for some issues, and just my luck, I found <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Noble Causes: First Impressions</span> #1 in one of the cheap boxes. A lot like DC's <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Secret Files</span> books, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Noble Causes: First Impressions</span> #1 uses a couple small stories to introduce the reader to the Noble family, a family of superheroes that save the world while being followed around by the paparazzi and talked about in the tabloids. Both stories were written by Faerber with pencils from Billy Dallas Patton on the first story and Patrick Gleason (of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Green Lantern Corps</span> fame) on the second. Now I am going to be perfectly honest here. The book didn't really do anything for me. I knew going in that the series was a "soap opera with superheroes" but I guess I didn't know how much soap opera there would be. I don't know if I can explain it real well though since there are a lot of superhero books on the shelves that seem like soap operas too. Look at Spider-Man. Geez, how many hearts has he broken? I guess the difference is in the characters. Spider-Man and Mary Jane are multifaceted characters while it felt like every character in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Noble Causes</span> were just basic soap opera type characters. Maybe I need to try more than just this introductory issue.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0iCA-iz6I/AAAAAAAAAL4/6TNH6a-fIp4/s1600-h/darkness3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326951352266575778" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 207px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0iCA-iz6I/AAAAAAAAAL4/6TNH6a-fIp4/s320/darkness3.jpg" border="0" /></a>Next up, we have a Top Cow two-fer: <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Darkness</span> #3 by Phil Hester and Michael Broussard and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Witchblade</span> #118 by Ron Marz & Stjepan Sejic. I came into both of these books totally blind. Top Cow has kinda flown under my comics radar and the only things I know about these books is what I have gleaned from ads and podcasts. Thankfully, both books had well written recap pages so I had enough info to know what is going on and enjoy both issues. (There has been some debate lately about recap pages. I find myself firmly on the pro side. I love a recap page and I think they can be pretty important. Every book is someone's first, right?) Admittedly, based on these two issues, I think I have been missing out on some goodness from Top Cow. I really enjoyed both issues. I can't think of one serious villian-based book from Marvel or DC right now, and <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Darkness</span> seemed to have a very cool premise of Grand Theft Auto meets Venom. In one scene, the Darkness summons all of these "darklings" just to make a giant pile to fling himself onto a helicopter. One word: epic. Phil Hester, I applaud you sir. I see the purchase of some Darkness trades in my future. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0iy9JujtI/AAAAAAAAAMA/1uNsPFyAsgE/s1600-h/witchblade118.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326952193053331154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0iy9JujtI/AAAAAAAAAMA/1uNsPFyAsgE/s320/witchblade118.jpg" border="0" /></a>As for Witchblade, I will admit I had some preconceptions. Like I said before, all I knew of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Witchblade </span>was what I had gleaned from ads and magazines, so I assumed that <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Witchblade </span>was just a simple cheesecake book. Most of the ads for the book have the title character wearing little more that strategically placed armor, and honestly, I like the ladies just as much as the next guy but cheesecake books don't really do anything for me. That is why I never picked up any Witchblade books. Sadly, I wish I had known that I was wrong. I might have picked up a Witchblade book a long time ago. The story in this issue was very cool with the son of one of Witchblade's enemies taking up his father's quest to steal the Witchblade. Artistically, the issue shined. I was amazed by Stjepan Sejic's painted art. Sejic's art alone would be enough to make me buy this book on a regular basis. Top Cow is batting a thousand with me right now and I will be looking for more of their books in the near future.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0jkdRWPQI/AAAAAAAAAMI/TuKHeKKzBcM/s1600-h/boris1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5326953043488816386" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; WIDTH: 214px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Se0jkdRWPQI/AAAAAAAAAMI/TuKHeKKzBcM/s320/boris1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Now I saved the best for last. I present to you <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Boris the Bear Slaughters the Teenage Radioactive Black Belt Mutant Ninja Critters</span>. This was one of those books that I saw laying in the quarter box and I knew I had to make it mine. Produced by Dark Horse Comics and written by Mike Richardson, Randy Stradley, and James Dean Smith with Smith on art as well, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Boris The Bear<span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"> </span></span>is one of those books that just makes you ask yourself "What in God's name were they thinking!?" Well, luckily for the reader, they ask that very question in the preface to the book on the inside front cover. Apparently, Boris is the answer to the horrible influx of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles clones and ripoffs that flooded the comic book market in the 80's. Just so you know Boris's answer is of course a machine gun and katana which he uses to brutally kill Usagi Yojimbo, Cerebus, the Ninja Turtles, the Hamster Vice, Ambush Bug, Snoopy, the Looney Tunes, Captain Carrot, the Ewoks, the Smurfs, and many more cartoon favorites. (The best part of the book was the one character Boris spares from his carnage: Droopy Dog. Boris just says "You can go. I like you.") Honestly, <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Boris the Bear</span> really was interesting to read, purely as an artifact of the 80's. I was right in the TMNT demographic at that time so I never realized how much the Turtles took over pop culture. I loved them and the more I had of them the better. I guess they needed a bear to come and clean house a little, and that is how we got Boris. This is the kinda comic I dig in the longboxes for.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-44805259558757119532009-04-13T10:30:00.001-05:002009-04-13T10:34:40.206-05:00Do they make inoculations for comic books?I thought moving and planning a wedding were enough problems in my life. Now I have this. Thanks to David from <a href="http://bullpenbulletinspodcast.com/">11 O'Clock Comics</a>, I am now aware of the fact that my quarter bin addiction may be LETHAL! (Cue dramatic music.)<br /><br /><a href="http://adistantsoil.com/2009/03/15/nanny-state-law-gets-book-burned/" target="_blank"><strong><em>Nanny State Law Gets Books Burned</em></strong></a><br /><br /><em>The latest round of nanny state legislation finds Congress protecting your children from daily exposure to dangerous </em><a href="http://www.city-journal.org/2009/eon0212wo.html" target="_blank"><em>chemicals commonly found in items not usually considered dangerous, such as books</em></a><em>. Everyone is aTwitter about it, and Laurie Sutton wrote me to let me know about the article in City Journal.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em><strong>“…under a law Congress passed last year aimed at regulating hazards in children’s products, the federal government has now advised that children’s books published before 1985 should not be considered safe and may in many cases be unlawful to sell or distribute. Merchants, thrift stores, and booksellers may be at risk if they sell older volumes, or even give them away, without first subjecting them to testing—at prohibitive expense. Many used-book sellers, consignment stores, Goodwill outlets, and the like have accordingly begun to refuse new donations of pre-1985 volumes, yank existing ones off their shelves, and in some cases discard them en masse.”</strong></em><br /><em></em><br /><em>The fine for selling a pre-1985 children’s book to a child or for “children’s use”? $100,000 in fines, and prison. The law covers ANY item sold to children or for children which does not meet draconian testing standards, including handmade crafts and goods.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Can you knit junior a sweater? No, he might eat it and ingest lead. Or something.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Oh my goodness.</em><br /><em></em><br /><em>Go read and see if you think this law is as dumb as I think it is.</em><br /><br />Now when I say "They will have to pry the comics from my COLD DEAD HAND," I actually mean it. Seriously though, this is insane. I say fight back and give a kid an issue of X-Men from the 80's. I am sure the only "symptom" they will have is something called "reading."Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-71199576289014973582009-04-10T08:26:00.000-05:002009-04-10T08:26:23.740-05:00A quick note for my fellow deal hunters....If you read this blog, that means you like comics. It also means that you probably like cheap comics. Therefore, I thought I would post this link for anyone interested. I just found out that the website <a href="http://www.tfaw.com/">Things From Another Universe</a> is having a "<a href="http://www.tfaw.com/Promos/Nick-and-Dent">Nick & Dent Sale</a>." What that means is that the books might not be in perfect condition, but you will get them for 60% off. I looked through what they had and there were some really good reads in there. Just thought I would drop a quick note and share some cheap comic goodness with everyone.Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8910842678336107087.post-40888260744087098962009-04-05T14:22:00.000-05:002009-04-05T14:22:46.157-05:00Trying to fill the void...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_ERhELLI/AAAAAAAAALY/wDBvLgwdq2o/s1600-h/op1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 215px; height: 320px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_ERhELLI/AAAAAAAAALY/wDBvLgwdq2o/s320/op1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321283408624889010" border="0" /></a>As you can probably tell from past posts, I am quite a fan of Ron Moore's <span style="font-style: italic;">Battlestar Galactica</span> and an card-carrying Trekkie. With the final episode of BSG behind us and the new Star Trek movie still months away, I am in desperate need of a science fiction fix. So, TO THE LONGBOXES! To be honest, I've actually been saving something for just such an occasion. One of my many jaunts to the quarter bins turned up these: Marvel's <em>Open Space</em> #1, 2, and 3. I had never even heard of this series before I bought them, but they did look interesting. They are prestige format books put out by "Marvel Graphics" which I can only assume was some type of Marvel graphic novel imprint in the late 80's and early 90's. Conceptually, the series is the "world's first shared universe SF anthology in comics form" according to the foreward by Kurt Busiek who edited the series and went on to write the Avengers, Justice League, Astro City, and a whole lot more. The series brings famous science fiction writers together with well known comic artists to create stories set in a dystopian future. Think <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heavy_Metal_%28film%29"><span style="font-style: italic;">Heavy Metal</span></a> minus the glowing green ball or the aliens and you have a pretty good idea of <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span> (and if you have never seen <span style="font-style: italic;">Heavy Metal</span>, what are you doing reading this blog?).<br /><div> </div><br /><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_QD3fKmI/AAAAAAAAALo/2eTTPYZzIE0/s1600-h/op2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_QD3fKmI/AAAAAAAAALo/2eTTPYZzIE0/s320/op2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321283611119266402" border="0" /></a>Have you ever had so many different comments and thoughts about something that you can't articulate any of them coherently? It feels like a whole bunch of people trying to get through a door at the same time. Reading <em>Open Space</em> has caused this exact phenomenon. I will try to boil it down to the most important points for the sake of you, the reader, and my own sanity. I guess I should probably start with the positives. The art of the series is probably the most obvious strength of the series. While you have to look past the coloring on some of the stories due to fact they did not have the coloring techniques we have today, the pencils and painted works are amazing. Each writer's story is paired perfectly with the artist. Just like <span style="font-style: italic;">Heavy Metal</span>, the art complements each story and shows the contrasts that are needed in any anthology series, even those that share a universe. There are definitely some artists whose names I will be looking for now that I have seen what they can do in <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span>. Of course art is not the only thing. Many of the stories can stand on their plot alone. Even though some fall into common science fiction tropes, they were all interesting enough to keep me reading. My favorite, titled "Heroes" from the first issue, written by G. Harry Stine and Kurt Busiek with art by Bill Wray. "Heroes" revolved around a con man whose ever growing cons eventually lead to his death and the false belief of thousands that he was a martyr for their freedom from the tyrannical supercompanies. Lastly, the last aspect of the series taht I enjoyed was a little more tangential. Obviously, most if not all of the stories are a product of and commentary on the United States and Reaganomics. When this series came out, the US was just transitioning out of Ronald Regan's presidency, but negative feelings of his economic policies still lingered. The whole <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span> universe and its companies taking over the government are proff of that. Comparing the series to the feelings of the country today in our economic crises shows some eerie similarities.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_EtUQzzI/AAAAAAAAALg/tiFPKmFuj8w/s1600-h/op3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 320px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_yhcbVgLL0ZE/Sdj_EtUQzzI/AAAAAAAAALg/tiFPKmFuj8w/s320/op3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5321283416087383858" border="0" /></a>Now the idea of a sci-fi anthology series is not unheard of, but a "shared universe" sci-fi anthology is a very lofty goal and harder to execute by definition. The idea of a shared universe causes one of the most aggravating aspects of <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span>. Now I know that the term "continuity" has become the word that shall not be uttered among comic fans lately, but when the foreword of the first issue makes such a big deal of the fact that all of the stories in the series exist together, then continuity should be considered pretty important. The sad fact is that continuity errors litter the series and drove me crazy. I wasn't surprised though. When you bring famed sci-fi writers in to write their stories and then tell them that they have to shoehorn them into a particular universe, there are going to be problems. First, there is a lack of definition to the universe. What I mean by that is certain facts about the <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span> world were obviously written in some manifesto somewhere that was given to all the writers but explanations for these things were never given. I assume the writer just said "OK" when they read these tidbits and didn't have any desire to explain them in their respective stories. For example, throughout all three books, there are a lot of characters with the last names "Etchison" and "Brody." I wish they would explain why, but they don't. From what you can infer, it seems like the two names are class identifiers with the richest of the rich taking the Etchison name and the dregs of society called Brodys. The other big problem is that some writers just shaped the structure of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span> society as it fits the story. While some stories operated according to the timeline on the inside cover of the second and third issues, some just went their own direction. One of the most important factors of universe is that the major companies of the United States have taken over the government. Some of the stories though still mention specifc goverment agencies that other stories have said no longer exist as they were replaced by particular companies. As any nerdy comic reader knows, a shared universe can be a major strength or a major weakness, and I think it detracted a bit for th<span style="font-style: italic;">e Open Space</span> series as a whole.<br /><br />Even considering the frustrations I had, I am glad that I found <span style="font-style: italic;">Open Space</span> because it is good to see that at some point Marvel was willing to try something very unique for its time and 180° from anything they were working on. Original ideas are the lifeblood of the comics industry, and I think the idea of a shared sci-fi universe should be dusted off by one of the indy companies. They could have a very popular book on their hands if it is done right.<br /></div>Michael Moskophttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17652875721554099378noreply@blogger.com2