WIN

YES! Your favorite game and mine, Marvel vs Capcom 2, is making a come back as a download available for the PS3 and XBOX 360! KICKASS!

Functioning Nintendo Purse!

Um...WHOA!

Dedicated to Mike <3

These super cute buttons are from Buttonempire and remind me of my fiancee and I. Awwwww. <3

Nintendo: 20 years of Awesome!

This is a documentary my friend Mai made for a class. I think it rules! Find Mai here!

All I have to say is LOL!!!

Top Ten Copycat Characters!

Ever notice that some comic book characters look just a wee bit...familiar? Or that the same powers are used over and over again? Here's my Top Ten!

10. Batman/Nite Owl II
Similarities: Animal themed suits, sweet secret lairs where they keep all their awesome technology, cool modes of transportation.
Who Came First: Batman- Nite Owl II was purposely molded after him!

9.Green Hornet/Spirit
Similarities: Crime fighters who wear suits, eye masks and hats. From the same era of detective style stories.
Who Came First: Green Hornet, who got his start as a radio show story in the 1940’s.

8. Lex Luthor/Kingpin
Similarities: Bald business men with bad intentions.
Who Came First: Lex, in “Action Comics” #23, who first appeared with a full head of red hair!

7. Darkseid/Thanos
Similarities: Otherworldly blue baddies with cosmic capabilities.
Who Came First: Darkseid appeared a slim 3 years before Thanos.

6. Brainiac/The Leader
Similarities: Villainous green guys with weird head gear.
Who Came First: Brainiac, giving Supes hell in “Action Comics“.

5. Plastic Man/Elongated Man/Mr. Fantastic
Similarities: Stretchy bodies. ’Nuff Said.
Who Came First: Plastic Man, created by a company called “Quality Comics” which was bought out by DC.

4. Green Arrow/Hawkeye
Similarities: Master marksmen who make crazy arrows, no other “superpowers” to speak of.
Who Came First: Green Arrow, in “More Fun Comics”, the FIRST publication from the company we know now as DC Comics!

3. The Flash/Quicksilver
Similarities: Running and thinking at super speeds.
Who Came First: The Flash, who once went by the nickname “Scarlet Speedster”.

2.Human Torch/Burnout
Similarities: Blonde haired bros with fiery tempers, flame powers and flight.
Who Came First: Human Torch, who is a reinvention of the Golden Age Human Torch who was actually an android!

1.Namor/Aqua Man
Similarities: Trident carrying Princes of Atlantis who spend their time talking to fish.
Who Came First: Namor, the “Sub-Mariner”, one of the very first superheroes ever!

Comic Book Curriculum

Comic books have struggled to be seen as a "legitamate" form of art and literature; books like Watchmen, Maus and Road to Perdition have helped the genre, but many people still wouldn't consider seeing them in a school setting. Tim Caron, an English Professor for California State is changing that!

"Good works of literature explore themes, ideas and emotions, he said.

'And you realize that comics have that same ability,' he said. 'So it is slowly gaining respect in the academy.'

Students in the class - called 'Show and Tell: From Comics to Graphic Novels' - analyze 14 graphic novels over the course of the one-year seminar.

They include what co-teacher Nhora Serrano - a CSULB professor in the Comparative World Literature and Classics Department - calls the "Big Three:" "Maus," Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight," and "Watchmen," the latter written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons." Get more of this story at it's original source!

R.I.P Dave Arneson

"Co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons and one of the founding fathers of the role-playing genre, Dave Arneson has passed away at the age of 61.

While the late Gary Gygax, who passed on a little more than a year ago, added fantasy elements to war gaming to create the basis for Dungeons & Dragons, it was Dave Arneson who took those rules and altered them to a point where instead of controlling large armies, players controlled a single character with a role to play, giving birth to the role-playing genre as we know it. It may have taken a 1979 lawsuit to get him listed officially as D&D's co-creator, but role-players around the world will always remember his contributions to gaming, both tabletop and otherwise."

Top Ten Superheroes withOUT Superpowers!

Ah, to be a Superhero- if only you came from another planet, or had a kickass mutation, or could get blasted with a good ole dose of radiation! Then you could get Superpowers and be beating up bad guys all day long!

What’s that you say? You don’t need powers to be a Superhero? That’s right! Before you jump in that nuclear reactor core, answer these questions: Are you a technological genius? Are you richer than Bill Gates? Do you have a spare lair to put various suits of armor in? Then you too could join the ranks of Superheroes withOUT Superpowers! Here’s my Top Ten!

10. Bluntman and Chronic
Kevin Smith writes my fantasy come true: stoners win the lottery and become superheroes! Sign me up! With no powers to speak of and a super agenda to save New Jersey, Bluntman and Chronic start my list off- P.S Kevin, if you need another addition to your team, I'm available!

9. The Spirit
Somewhere between pulp crime stories and superhero comics is The Spirit, fighting crime in a suit and mask. Will Eisner’s creative storytelling spanned multiple genres and his characters inspired many comic book creators including Frank Miller. The Spirit has been called "the only real middle-class crimefighter" - probably true, since most of the people on my list are billionaires!

8. Hawkeye
Yeah, he’s wearing a flamboyant purple costume, wanna fight about it? I wouldn’t; I tend to avoid situations that end with bows and arrows! So why is Hawkeye so low? This usually non-powered hero cheated for a time when he used Pym Particles to become Goliath. Why would you want to be more like Henry Pym? That’s a question even I can’t answer.

7. The Punisher
Marvel’s skull wearing weapons expert comes in at lucky number 7-not that he doesn’t kick serious ass, but that he is a far cry from the traditional sense of “Superhero.” From his conception, The Punisher was meant to be an “anti-hero”- he tortures, he kidnaps, he kills- all with no real remorse. Since he has usually been on the side of good, I say it counts!

6. Nite Owl II
No one from the Minute Men had real superpowers except of course for Dr. Manhattan- but were they all “superheroes“? While characters like Rorschach and The Comedian walked a villainous line, Nite Owl II stayed true to the concept of what a Superhero was supposed to be, complete with cave like dwelling, suits for different environments and animal themed transportation. He would have been higher on the list if he had spent more time crime fighting and less time being…well, a huge nerd.

5. Green Arrow
Don’t let the fact that he looks like a Renaissance Fair worker fool you- Ollie is quite the inventor, filling his quiver with everything from exploding arrows to ones with boxing gloves on them. He gets points for being part of groundbreaking story lines, like his sidekick being addicted to drugs (his name was SPEEDY after all!)

4. Blue Beetle (Ted Kord)
Who wouldn’t want to descend from their bug shaped craft via steel cable, light gun blinding enemies before you launch into a flying kick and knock them out? That’s Blue Beetle’s MO, relying only on his genius and athleticism to defeat his foes while providing the reader with some comedic relief!

3. The Phantom
The Phantom set a lot of standards for Superheroes. From a modest beginning as a comic strip, he started both the skin tight spandex trend as well as the pupil-less eye mask style. Not to mention the concept of new heroes taking over where others have left off- there have been at least 20 generations of Phantoms who have donned the costume and sworn their lives to “the destruction of piracy, greed, cruelty, and injustice, in all their forms.”

2. Iron Man
Oh Tony Stark, you sly dog! Who else can get away with being an wealthy, arrogant, boozehound weapons manufacturer yet still be loved by billions? It’s gotta be the suit- of armor, that is, and the best damn one in comic book history. Iron Man is constantly up to date on the newest technology (most of the time he’s inventing it!) and rich enough to afford anything he wants, putting him just shy of the number one spot.

1. Batman
Who else? Batman is the poster boy for the “powerless” superhero- he may have a dark side and some questionable methods, but uh…it’s fucking BATMAN. ‘Nuff said.

Because your walls are lame!

Geek out your room with Space Invader decals from loudmouthprinthouse - they are vinyl, so they can be easily placed and removed AND they last for years. Perfect for the game room in my dreams!

Superpowers: Comics and Politics

If you woke up tomorrow with superpowers, what would you do? Would you dedicate your life to the betterment of mankind? Would you plot domination to rule the world? Would you attempt to ignore your powers and live a normal life?

In comic books and movies, superpowers usually refer to an individual’s abilities; strength, flight, invincibility. However this is the real world- genetic mutations impair us, radiation makes us sick, and no alien beings have come to earth (yet.) We still have superpowers though- I’m talking about the “superpowers of the world”- the countries around the earth who’s influence, economy and authority shape global events everyday.

America has long been known as a superpower. Is it any wonder then that we are the producer of so many stories where super powered beings struggle with their might? Perhaps “With great power comes great responsibility” is not just the motto of our pop culture heroes but the concept of our foreign policy as well. We have the largest economy in the world, the largest military in the world and the largest notoriety in the world, thus, the question has been asked again and again: what level of involvement should America have in other countries? To what extent should we impose our will for what we believe to be right, good, and true?

When George W Bush had declared Iraq, Iran and North Korea an “Axis of Evil”, he stirred imagery that’s deeply ingrained in American society. Evil needs to be fought back by the forces of good- it’s why Captain America fought the Nazis, why Batman fights the Joker, why the X-Men fight Magneto, even if they are misunderstood, criticized and hated by others. The battle of good vs. evil is so prevalent in humanity’s history is has been called a “universal part of the human condition.”

We have entered a new era now, with an administration that is trying to set a different course for America. President Obama has abandoned the idea of the “Axis of Evil” and even the terminology “enemy combatant”- but this obviously does not mean the end of war nor the end of our self imposed responsibility to the rest of the world. The question isn’t “Will we continue to fight for what’s right and good”, it’s an exploration of what IS right and good to begin with.

As everyone with super powers has had to do, we have to reevaluate our methodology, principals and place on this planet. As everyone with super powers has been, we are challenged to find new resolve in an ever changing reality that questions, critiques and confronts us. We could use our power purely for self benefit, as Spiderman attempted to when he first realized his abilities. We could declare ourselves superior and kill those we deem a threat, as Magneto and the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants do. We could shirk the responsibly, as Superman does when he retreats to the Fortress of Solitude. More probable though is that we will continue the battle of good vs. evil, whatever that should mean to us at this particular point in our history.

So I ask again to you, the reader: What would you do?


“Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this America: They will be met.”
-Barack Obama

“Sometimes I feel like I'm out there fighting all alone. Sometimes I feel like giving up. But, then I remember that what I stand for is more important than anything else.”
-Superman

“Together, you and I will identify and confront America's problems. Together we will figure out what we are and what we can be. Together we will define the American dream and make it an American reality."
-Captain America

Comic Book Box!

I'm happy to say that the cool thing I bring you today is made by ME! Hurray! I used real comic books to collage this box, painted the inside red and put felt on the bottom. I recycled old or damaged comics- trust me, I wouldn't DREAM of cutting up most of my comic collection!

You can get this box on my Etsy, or holler at me for customized orders! They are only $5! Tell me what you think of them!

Obamamania!

What happens when you change the face of history as we know it? You get immortalized as collectable products, that’s what!

President Barack Obama has shown up in some pretty nerdy places lately. We saw him make an appearance in Marvel Comic's Amazing Spider-Man #583 where he gives the webcrawler a fist bump- awesome for President Obama, who admittedly collects Spider Man comics!

Then we have the Obama action figure, complete with a change of ties, hand gestures and… light sabers? OK, maybe that’s some fanboy’s add on, but the possibilities are endless!

Coming up this month, Wizard will be giving away an Obama card from Topps with their 212 issue (out April 29th) You can get full Obama trading card sets from the Topps website, featuring moments from his childhood all the way up to the historic election- there’s even a “Rookie Card” of Obama when he played Basketball!

Do you know of another way Obama has been personified in geekery? Let me know!

Wii Spray

Turn my Wii-mote into a spray can? DO WANT! Sadly (for me because I wish I could go buy one right now!) it is the hack brainchild of an art student in germany for his thesis- maybe Nintendo will hire him to make one for real? I'd go crazy for something like this, what about you?

Super Spanking: Bad Girls Beware!

I found these images by accident (though you probably don't believe that!)- Just like old movies and television shows frequently showed women being spanked for questionable behavior, many Silver Age comics did the same thing! Superman was known to put a bad girl or two over his knee back in the day- even Bats gets in on the action while a photographer snaps a picture in the background. Kinky!
I guess even in the days of the Comic Book Code, OTK was OK! What would happen if images like this were produced in mainstream comics today?

Top Ten Comic to Movie Character Portrayals

Casting for comic book favorites is a difficult job, and we’ve probably seen more misses than hits - but who’s the best of the best?

Here are my picks! I narrowed them down by considering importance of the role to comic book fans, impact of the character on popular culture, difficulty of the role itself, accuracy in design and look and general performance. I really want feedback, let’s get our nerd on!

I also researched and designed the comparison graphic, so please give me your opinion of that as well!

10. Brandon Lee as The Crow (The Crow)
Why so low on the list? Because I don’t think it’s particularly hard to look like The Crow- black eye make-up, black clothing, dirty emo hair. Despite this, Brandon Lee did a great job bringing a cult comic into the mainstream and his mysterious death while playing the role sealed his association with the character.

9. Thora Birch as Enid (Ghost World)
Nerdy, artistic and angsty, Enid is the poster girl for alternative pop culture cool. Thora Birch pulled it off perfectly, from the scathing dialogue to the fangirl punk outfits. Unfortunately, she’s the only chick on my list!

8. Gerard Butler as King Leonidas (300)
300 kicked some serious ass and they couldn’t have chosen better that Gerard Butler to lead the bloodshed. He nailed it, and for better or worse had you and your friends screaming “This is SPARTA!” at any given moment.

7. Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man (Iron Man)
Robert Downey Jr revived his career with the role of this alcoholic billionaire in body armor. Iron Man is the type of movie that could very easily been another pile of comic based crapola, but well done special effects and fantastic casting saved it, especially with the RDJ at the helm!

6. Patrick Wilson as Nite Owl II (Watchmen)
Watchmen the movie may be highly debated among fans, but I’d be surprised to hear anyone say that Patrick Wilson didn’t portray Dan Dreisberg to a T- from impotent and geeky in the beginning of Watchmen to more self assured and strong when he reembraces his masked persona.

5. Patrick Stewart as Professor X (X-Men)
Professor X is the heart and soul of the X-Men- a bad casting choice could have easily left the entire movie in the trash. Fortunately we got bald and badass Patrick Stewart who turned us all into True Believers!

4. Mickey Rourke as Marv (Sin City)
Seeing the comparison between comic Marv and movie Marv makes you wonder if Frank Miller was writing the character for Mickey Rourke! He had the look and also the voice that we all imagined Marv would have while reading Sin City! Comic book fans are notoriously hard to please, but I know of very few fanboys who had bad words for Frank Miller’s masterpiece.

3. Heath Ledger as The Joker (The Dark Knight)
Some people think that Heath Ledger’s performance as Joker was over hyped due to his tragic death, but I’ll have to vehemently disagree! Heath did what very few actors can do with such an important comic book role- he took the main elements of what made The Joker the perfect villain, updated it for a modern audience and essentially reinvented the role! From the first “Do you want to see a magic trick?” scene to the last “I have a feeling we’ll be doing this forever”, Heath Ledger inspired a generation of Joker fans.

2. Hugh Jackman as Wolverine (X-Men)
Wolvie is THE quintessential badass character; he is an anti-hero, technically part of a Superhero team yet wild, rebellious and animalistic. He’s so important to the X-Men story and general fans that when barely known Hugh was first cast complaints like “He’s too tall” and “What about the hair?” were rampant. However there was no longer any doubts when the movie came out- Hugh Jackman IS Wolverine. The role made him an instant star and accomplished the daunting task of making fans -who had waited over a decade for the X-Men movie- happy!

1. Christopher Reeve as Superman (Superman)
Superman is probably the most well known comic book character in history; he’s globally recognized and loved! When it comes to movies, not just any Superman will do- Christopher Reeve is everyone’s definition of Superman from the geekiest critic to the general public. Not only was the first Superman a huge hit when it came out, it has retained it’s place among best comic book movies of all time (it even has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes!) No one has been able to touch Christopher Reeve’s portrayal of the number one Superhero in the world since he appeared on screen in 1978- and until they do, Christopher Reeve as Superman will stand as the number one BEST comic-to-movie character adaptation.

DO WANT

Zombie High Heels. 'Nuff Said!

The Art of Star Wars

You've seen Wolverine done by the masters, now check out another nerd classic- Star Wars!

"It's no secret that the Something Awful Forum Goons love inserting Star Wars references into things, and this week that love runs wild and untamed. Using classic art as their canvas, they, uh, paint in Star Wars references. If you enjoy the wonders of art and/or the darling antics of beepy robots and outer space wizards, this Phriday is for you!"