STRIPPED: Mr. Bill Is Back On The Boards For This Comic Documentary

Stripped_MP 

Ever since Calvin & Hobbes disappeared from newspapers in 1995, the great Bill Watterson has been missed by many fans of his work. However, as you can see here, the man is back with a funny poster for the serious documentary about the dying print newspaper comics business, STRIPPED, now available for pre-order (ironically) on iTunes. Me, I’ll hold out for a Blu-Ray/DVD release because I like owning my movies and holding them in my grubby little hands. I hope people watching this now on their small screens can appreciate what’s being said and maybe think about how they consume their media in the future. But of course, you can’t beat convenience and enforced evolution colliding as they squeeze out some who formerly made a decent living doing what they love. Ah, my old fogey card is showing here, I guess…

Koe (声) Kickstarter: Learning Japanese? I Really Think So…

One of the main hurdles (if not THE main hurdle) for some gamers who lobe Japanese games is the language barrier. Another hurdles is laziness when it comes to learning new and important things like languages. Yeas, I said it and you can go on ahead and admit it if you’re reading this and happen to collect or be interested in collecting and playing games from Japan. Some of you (your narrator included) know a teeny tiny bit of the language but just haven’t had the time to sink into some proper learning situations for assorted reasons (lazy!) or are indeed too busy to seek out a tutor. Or we’re just too darn cheap (hey, a good tutor costs good money!). Anyway, Strawberry Games (Jitesh Rawal, Sayuki and Dan Tsukasa for now) is working on what’s looking like a fantastic solution and yes, it’s a Kickstarter project worth helping fund for a few reasons… Continue reading

Thank You, David Lynch For Making It Clear (Again)…

(Thanks, BrittneyGilbert!) 

So, I’m working on a long post about the demise of movie theaters in the area where I live because it just blows my mind to bits that something like fifteen to twenty or more cinemas around here are gone for what seems to be good and it’s a total joke that no one seems to care or mind. Granted, those people who don’t give a crap are a big part of the reason why theaters are vanishing from this part of NYC, but tell them that and they tend to get a bit more obnoxious than they would if you told them to shut off their damned cell phone BEFORE they even bought their tickets. Anyway, mini-rant over (although it’s not really a rant at all)… Back in a bit.

Random Art (Again!): Hey, Maybe This Can Be A More Regular Thing?

Test 
Or maybe not – we’ll see. I tend to draw only when I can find the time to do so, so you folks just got lucky this week. Yeah, that’s it. Anyway, off to a late start again this week. This cold weather returning is messing with my sleep schedule. Well, that and compiling notes for some articles, playing a few too many games at the same time and other stuff. Eh, back in a few hours. I need to find some coffee and get myself moving…

Dark Souls II Collector’s Edition Reveal: I Need To Put Up Some Shelves, It Seems…

 
Well, wow. I have no room for those big box set Limited and Collector’s Editions some (and some would say too many) games get these days, but I’d sell someone’s kidney for this one. As usual, I have to say “someone” because I rather like both of mine (we’re VERY close) and I think I can find a willing volunteer if I look hard enough. Hmmm… I wonder how I can word that Craigslist ad so it makes it look appealing that some sap willing victim soul would be more than happy to go under the knife AND sell their own part (or parts if there are any other organs they thing they have no use for) on the black market AND deliver me the cash (cash ONLY!) before the game ships out on March 11? What, that’s TOO much to ask for? Nonsense, I say! Heck, I’d go to GameStop myself and BUY the game after all that, so it’s not as if I was asking that fool person to do that (which is the most painful thing of all if you’re like me and hate going to GameStop)…

You know where to reach me, folks. I just need ONE sucker volunteer…

Random Art: OK, It’s Have a Tree TUESDAY Now? Um, Maybe…

something in the air 
Yes, I know it’s not Thursday yet, but I have an excuse or two handy for this one. I was cooking dinner earlier and as I was waiting for some water to boil for pasta, I started randomly doodling away in MS Paint and the next thing you know, I got this out of it. I was going to save this for Thursday’s tree picture, but figured I’d drop in in now because my post count is so low this month. Yes, I still have a bunch of posts to bang out, but I forgot February is only 28 days (oops) and it looks like some of that stuff will gently slide into the first week of March. Eh, I may as change the name of this non-feature to “Tree of the Week” or something corny like that. We’ll see…

Godzilla Official Trailer: Now THAT’S More Like It (Times Ten Or So)…

 
BOOM. Okay, I’ll take two tickets, please. Any doubts that a decent Godzilla can be made outside of Japan get squashed here and now. Toho is probably pretty happy with the results, I’m gathering. I can’t say anything more because I despise the usual speculation and trailer trawling that goes on as soon as something like this goes up. Slowing it down to poke and peck at individual frames is meaningless because the final film will be structured differently and may not even have everything seen in the trailer. But you can’t stop people who should be happy and move onto more productive stuff from getting all over-geeky and picky and foolish with their opinions, so I won’t even try. Eh, whatever. I just file the good trailers away into my Must See mental pile while the rest go into the Catch it on Cable stack where most films end up because they’re not worth traveling money and the ticket price to pay for. Godzilla, on the other hand? He’s worth the 11-mile or so trip I now need to take since there are NO theaters near me at all these days. Bleh.

Hey, Spider-Man 2? Even Electro Doesn’t Spark My Interest…

Uh… nope. I’m not feeling this new Spider-Man movie at all for a few reasons. The reboot was kind of lame and forced with way too many CG effects (par for the course for this franchise) and worse, separating it from the rest of the Marvel movie lineup has always been a terrible idea because as come comic fans know Spidey WAS an active Avenger for a brief time. Anyway, this new film has too many villains, too many connected bits (I think the Oscorp-created heroes is a terrible idea) and nope, I don’t like the casting here at all. That said, this one will rake in the dough as it were because the fans don’t seem to care thanks to them just wanting more of the same but bigger and louder.

That said, I’d really rather see a filmed version of that now dead Broadway musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark just because of all that behind the scenes turmoil that went into the live show and all its changes during and after its initial previews and premiere. I hope someone was smart enough to shoot that, as even as a flawed work, there’s something about a live show (or a filmed version of one) that’s a good deal more interesting and impressive than a film with a room full of computers powering the better parts of the action scenes…

Godzilla “ROAR” Teaser: What’s Coming Is Far Larger Than You’re Thinking…

Soooooo, tomorrow is the big day, huh? 10AM, hmmmmm? Well, it’s a date then. And I do hope this trailer coming shuts up the people wailing like a stomped on Bambi that Legendary Pictures hasn’t been promoting their big movie as much as the more vocal fans wish. Trust me, kids… like a real giant monster attack (well, if giant monsters did exist), you won’t be escaping from this new Godzilla any time soon once he gets walking in your general direction. I’ll bet that in some cities, no form of transportation, billboard or other large free spaces will be safe! Well, from an ad plastered all over those things, that is. You’ll see…

Things I Learned @ Toy Fair 2014 (#1): Super Sprowtz Wants To Help Your Kids Eat Better*

ToyFair2014Well, besides there being way too much stuff for one person to cover without going slightly mad, I did pick up a few helpful life tips while poking round this year’s show. Below (and for the next few days) you’ll find those tips with a few products that come in quite handy for learning some essential life skills. Yes, this is a humor piece of sorts, but everything in these posts are things I saw and liked, so plugged it shall get. Onward!

(Thanks, SuperSprowtz!)

Sprowtz_1Eat Your Veggies! Super Sprowtz wants to change the way parents and kids look at and eat food and if their TF2014 presence was any indication, these healthy looking guys and gals are going to make a major impact over the next few years. Launched in 2011 by WILD Restaurant owner Radha Agrawal, the company is dedicated to getting kids to see and appreciate vegetables in a more positive manner using a wide range of media and fun activities to get them motivated and moving towards more healthy eating choices… Continue reading