"A True Coward Can't Face the Reality"

Should you ever find yourself doing some soul searching in Minneapolis, I highly recommend visiting Comic Book College. They had a huge holiday sale last week and I went a little crazy.

Among the stacks was a book I hadn't really seen before but came highly recommended by my brother, an Uptown celebrity turned Seattlehead. I know it's an oldie, but Coward is seriously making my pre-New Year's partying head spin.

Written by Ed Burbaker (Captain America), the protagonist (or least worst villain), Leo, is a criminal who escapes prison and death by being flighty and cautious . He has wounds and baggage, but nevertheless takes a risky job because he didn't have the heart to say no to a smackhead hottie from his past. Romantic! (my favorite Farm Talk) Tom Fontana's introduction officially stressed me out and made all of my resolutions appear vapid. Am I a coward? Do I play life too safe? "If life is only about survival, then what is the ultimate cost?"

At times a little too Ocean's Eleven, it's still a page turner. As I put it down I'm determined to pull on my party pants and set aside Leo's lifesaving rules for another day.

To all of the cowards out there, Happy New Year!

Farm Talk: Web Comic of the Year

Okay, it might not be web comic of the year -- not that I'm qualified to even say what might be -- but it's damn good! Our very own Chris Bacolo made one post about his new web comic, Farm Talk, but I just wanted to jump in and encourage everyone to check it out (Chris is either too lazy or too humble to self-promote it, but I'm not).

Farm Talk is a (somewhat) all-ages comic starring farm animals talking, flying kites, drinking, killing, and lots more -- and it's actually very funny. Chris publishes new strips every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so be sure check his page on DrunkDuck then for new comics. Here's my favorite so far:

The Wrestler - The Story Behind The Guy Who Lives In A Van Down By The River...

I just saw Mickey Rourke's highly anticipated comeback vehicle The Wrestler, and (spoiler alert), he does live in a van and though no river is specified, a close proximity to a river (or rivulet or stream) is inferred since it is set in NJ (Rahway and Linden mostly - exit 136 or exit 137 on the Garden State Parkway depending on who you ask) and since most towns in NJ are near a flowing watercourse of some sort, Mickey Rourke is actually playing a guy who lives down by the river. Thank you, Chris Farley for a lesson in art imitating art.

Rourke's performance is nothing short of immersive. Director/producer Darren Aranofsky drops us into Randy "The Ram" Robinson's life as if he's pushing us out of a low-flying airplane with a barely working chute. Upon landing, we surey the cold landscape of a lesser New Jersey, a county somewhere central that appears as if it hasn't seen a spring in years. Think desolate town roads punctuated with 99 cent stores and hardly lit bars. And while The Ram suffers through the working week, working in the stockroom of a grocery store under the hulimiating thumb of NYC alt-comedy scene's Todd Barry, the Ram's weekends are when he steps into the intoxicating light of fan adulation, though just barely since walking requires his damaged bones and tendons to function as they did in his prime. Forget Candian Destroyers, Graveyard Smashes, and Tiger Drivers, it's a physical feat to see him put one foot in front of the other and make it to his van (an appropriate Dodge Ram).

Marisa Tomei gives voice and face to NJ strippers and does so with a matching accuracy to Rourke's performance. Working in the actual ill-famed Cheeks strip club in Pemberton, NJ (Route 38, east of 206, it was also the sight of several prostitution stings over the years, remember Burlington County?), Tomei plays both single mother and seasoned older stripper and best tries to alternate between the two in her interactions with Randy. Evan Rachel Wood cannot help being shadowed by Tomei and Rourke, but she keeps a strong foothold in Randy's story and without her, we can't see Randy for what he truly is, a man who sacrificed it all for the one thing he was best at, and ultimately for a life of lonely VFW bars and American Legion Hall backrooms.

Rourke's own troubled and enigmatic life provides the vehicle for a man beaten down by his profession and the mistakes of a life long forgotten by most. But when approached by die-hard fans with faces lit up and flushed with ecstatic 1980s memories, Rourke responds with an all-too-creepily genuine reaction of self-validation and pride. Go up to Rourke right now and tell him how much you loved him in Pope of Greenwich Village and you may experience the same reaction.

Merry Christmas...From The Master!

New Webcomic!

Hey guys, if you have a spare second, check out my new webcomic over at drunkduck.com. 

Sketchbook gets real!

Carl Perkins + George Harrison and Dave Edmunds = Kick Ass

This is from a Carl Perkins tribute show in the 80s, and is some prime rockabilly. George Harrison and Dave Edmunds in particular seem to be having a great time, which just adds to the great sound and vibe.

28 years later...

Twenty-eight years ago today, John Lennon was murdered outside his apartment. I know that singing the praises of the Beatles is almost a cliche at this point, but in the end, these guys were THE best. And what happened to John (and George) is not what he deserved, as he and all the Beatles really gave something positive to the world.

Here's a video of "(Just Like) Starting Over," a tune from Double Fantasy that I really love.

Attack of the Sketchbook #8 - Superman

I took a stab at Supes looking to the left last night, taking Chris's advice to try different angles when drawing and see how you do. Anyways, this is the result:

Revenge of the Sketchbook! (a.k.a. AOTS #7 - Captain America)

Elliott Smith Was Awesome

I've been listening to a lot of my Elliott Smith records lately -- From a Basement on a Hill and XO, in particular -- and it's strange. I've forgotten just how good he really was. Not just as a singer and songwriter, but as a producer as well. His songs had just enough on them to not sound like Robert Pollard's tossed off mediocrities, but not too much on them to sound dated to any specific time period.

Anyways, here's a killer cover of the Beatles' "I Me Mine" by Mr. Smith:

Best Photo Ever?

(That's Gary Coleman and Mark Messier, for those wondering.)

Update: Sick, Watching Hockey

Nope, it doesn't get much better than this. At home on a rainy day, watching the Rangers, the warm glow of a laptop keeping me company. That part is great. The sick part -- sore throat, light headed, and a cough -- sucks. So maybe it does get better than this.

Anywho, it's been awhile. Anyone out there? The podcast will probably return at some point. Otherwise, don't worry. We're all alive; we're just lazy.

...

Ah, crap. The Rangers just lost, 3-1.

"Road House" Rifftrax Clip

We here at the 'Shop are big time MST3K fans. Being such, we also like us some Rifftrax, Mike Nelson's current movie riffing venture. The first Rifftrax -- and still my favorite -- was Mike Nelson's amazing evisceration of Roadhouse. Check out a clip.

Why Cats Are Awesome

Ninja Kitty

Attack of the Sketchbook #6 - Batman Animated

I guess we here at the 'Shop have a bad case of Batman Fever, and there ain't no cure! Zing! Thusly, here's a sketch I did last night at about 1am in a fit of inspiration (and, thanks to hot NYC summers, perspiration -- double zing!). Having just watched a couple of amazing episodes from Batman: The Animated Series, I took a crack at drawing an animated-style Bats. Here is the result:

Boomstick! 4th Evil Dead movie in the works!

http://www.slashfilm.com/2008/07/29/sam-raimi-confirms-evil-dead-4-with-the-bruce/

They've got the story.

What will expect from Ash 13 years later? Here are a few predictions
- iChainsaw (with earbuds)
- Ash shooting something and then saying, "put that in your blog."
- references to blogs
- Hannah Montana, Segways, energy drinks, Lil Wayne, and a bunch of other forgettable junk since the last movie...

My Dreams Also Have Bad Writing

Dan and I must be paying the same failed Hollywood screenwriters to pen our dreams. I also woke up hysterically laughing because it was just so terrible.

Open: I'm in a classroom wearing army fatigues. The class is full of the most ragtag bunch of soldiers you ever saw: a solider with thick glasses, an overweight guy, a sassy latina solider. Basically it's the setup to Renaissance Man (starring Danny Devito). In walks a young Steve Guttenberg wearing army fatigues but with a frilly milkmaid dress over it. Oh, you know that Mahoney, always looking for a reaction from the institution! And guess what, he gets it! Outcry from the classroom! Rabble rabble! How dare he! So un-American! Well, yes, so now we have my dream ripping off Police Academy.
I am outraged by the class so I decide to defend my wacky upstart friend. Then what happens next is the worst- I end up jumping in front of the class and give this bizarre patriotic rant that starts off how we're all in this together, and if we're gonna fight these bastards overseas, we gotta be ready to sleep in the sand next to dead bodies, and how we gotta defecate while sitting on wooden boxes, and how we gotta be ready to see the worst God himself created in man, because we're Americans damnit, (no lie, Glory Golory Halleluya starts playing from somewhere), and how we gotta see our own best pals get sprayed with machine gun fire, and how we gotta see our best friends dodge RPG attacks (and here's the kicker), so how in the world can we see all that if we can't (the whole class erupts in unison) "...SEE A MAN IN A DRESS!" Everyone starts cheering and hi-fiving. I wake up realizing I had just ripped off the Bill Murray "It just doesn't matter" scene in Meatballs.

Podcast Episode #16 - Batman & PS3 & Wei From the Bronx, Oh My!

Robot Sweatshop is back with Lucky Episode 16, featuring talk on that new movie everyone loves, about a guy who dresses up as a Bat and fights some dude named the Joker. I think it's called Space Chimps. Plus some PS3 bandwagon jumping-on, and our new favorite caller, Wei From the Bronx.


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Some Homemade Doo Wop: "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" by The East 2nds

Sir Michael Civins suggested I post this (so blame him) -- on July 4th, me, my dad and 2 uncles recorded a doo wop version of the standard, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered." We really just copied the arrangement done by The 4 Evers, a great (and forgotten) Brooklyn doo wop band, though their version is only vocals and acoustic guitar.

We recorded the vocals together -- harmonies on one mic, lead on another -- and I overdubbed the instruments myself later on at home.

I'm calling us The East 2nds, since me, my dad and godfather all lived on East 2nd Street in Brooklyn at one point. Oh, doo wop, how we miss you. Anyways, enjoy. (I hope.) Click on the link below:

"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" by The Best Band of All Time

"The Real Ghostbusters" Hits DVD In Huge-Ass Box Set

One of the best animated shows of all-time, that thus far has been unavailable on DVD (except for a couple of worthless single discs put out by Sony), The Real Ghostbusters is finally poised to receive a full-blown release. Except, unlike most shows, The Real Ghostbusters is coming out in an awesome/insane, expensive ($161.99 preorder price), 25-disc box set that includes the entire series. I'm so tempted to buy this, but do I really need 25 discs of The Real Ghostbusters? Based on the extras and packaging, MAYBE I DO!

Right now, Time Life is letting fans vote on two different packaging designs:



Extras include:

...over TWELVE HOURS of bonus features, including:

● The original promotional pilot for The Real Ghostbusters, NEVER BEFORE AIRED

● 21 on-camera Commentary Tracks with producers, voice actors, writers, animators and production personnel

● 5 exclusive Documentaries

● 86 Episode Introductions

● 16-page booklets include episode synopses, trivia, and art for every episode!

● Plus Scripts, Storyboards, Image Galleries, Music & Effects Audio Tracks, and Much More!

● Interviews with J. Michael Straczynski (Writer & Story Editor), Maurice La Marche (Voice Of " Egon Spengler"), Laura Summer (Voice Of First "Janine Melnitz"), Kath Soucie (Voice Of Second "Janine Melnitz"), and Many Others

Attack of the Sketchbook #5 - Batman!

Inspired from "The Dark Knight"...

"The Dark Knight"

It's after midnight now on Monday morning, and I've been home for an hour or so since seeing The Dark Knight. I won't go into a full-fledged review, as so much has been written about this film, and so much hype was generated leading up to it. But I will say that I was truly amazed by what I just saw. Christopher & Jonathan Nolan's script is insanely rich, and the film is filled with this unwavering tension unlike few films I've ever seen. Heath Ledger is as good as you've heard and deserves an Oscar nod; his Joker will surely go down as one of the all-time great screen villains. Christian Bale, as he did in the first film, makes Bruce Wayne and Batman both awe-inspiring and believable. And Aaron Eckhart may have been the film's real surprise: the tragedy of Harvey Dent, and the way Eckhart plays it, is unforgettable.

I can't stop thinking about it. Truly fantastic.

E3 News: "God of War 3" for PS3 Official

I guess we all knew it was coming, but it's nice to have confirmation when you're of the geek ilk. Sony officially announced God of War 3 today with a teaser trailer, that didn't really show much of anything. But at least we know it's for realz now.

Nintendo Announces the "Wii MotionPlus"

One of the few gripes against the Wiimote is that it doesn't quite deliver 1:1 controls, meaning it doesn't exactly recreate your actual movements onscreen. But that's about to change.

In a surprise announcement, Nintendo has unveiled the "Wii MotionPlus," a simple add-on to Wiimote that will create true 1:1 controls for the Wii. Hopefully, LucasArts has enough time to incorporate this baby into the upcoming Clone Wars: Lightsaber Duels game. Either way, this is a definite buy. (Check out pics at the link above.)

New "Sonic Unleashed" Trailer

Happy Sunday.

I Found It Somewhere Online #1 -- Metal Gear Solid: Cold Blooded

In yet another new feature here on Robot Sweatshop (mainly 'cause I want to somehow organize the random videos I post), I Found It Somewhere Online, we'll be posting the cool shit that, well, we found somewhere online.

This here's a fan made Metal Gear Solid video, and it's pretty awesome. (P.S. That sentence reads a lot better with a southern drawl, so please re-read with one. Thanks.)


Metal Gear Solid: Cold Blooded from TheDuoGroup on Vimeo.

Handing in My Xbox 360 Badge

That's right, folks. After owning the Xbox 360 for the better part of 8 months, I've come to the realization that things just weren't working out. I'm not the biggest online gamer, Halo 3 turned out to be disappointing, and well, I've always wanted a PS3 anyways. With Metal Gear Solid and God of War being among my favorite franchises of all time (next to Nintendo's), the Blu-ray/DVD/CD playing ability, and the fact that I still love my PS2 games, it was bound to happen. So, I'm selling my 360 on eBay, and will be shortly picking up a PS3. Good day to you, 360!

"Cockadoodledo!"

Just a gentle reminder that What About Bob is one of the best movies of all time.

Holy Crap Dept: Animated "Goon" Movie Coming!

That's right, folks! According to the Hollywood Reporter, Eric Powell's brilliant comic, The Goon, has been optioned by none other than David Fincher (director of several great films, including a personal favorite, Zodiac) and animation house Blur Studios for a CGI animated movie. Also awesome: Powell himself is writing the screenplay.

(And happy 4th, by the way.)

Attack of the Sketchbook #4 - Snikt!

Here is another Wolvie. Not sure why I keep drawing him, I guess he's fun to draw. I'm not sure if you could tell but I've been reading HELLBOY lately, Mignola is a genius. Anyway I love how much contrast he uses- something I've been trying lately.

Comic Book Artist Michael Turner Passes Away

In some very sad news, comic book artist Michael Turner, 37, died on Friday after a long battle with cancer.

I never met Turner, but always liked his art, and he always seemed like a really nice guy in interviews. Here's his variant cover to Wolverine: Origins #1, which is one of my favorite works of Turner's -- so much so, that a framed poster of the drawing is hanging in my living room.

Revenge of the Sketchbook

There is no way in God's green hell that I'm going to be bested by Daniel Brooks. See folks, I'm also a bit of an amateur artist and according to a school teacher 27 years ago, I showed "tremendous promise." Maybe I won't be penning a graphic novel any time soon but at least Old Man Brooks knows there's some competition on the block.

C-murder

Attack of the Sketchbook #3 - Animated Obi-Wan

Here's one I just did of Obi-Wan (in Episode 3 getup) in an animated style. Full disclosure, I based this off of an already published drawing of animated Obi-Wan, but tweaked it to suit the particular costume. Mainly I used it as an exercise to keep working on mastering this style myself.

ELO Video Thursday: Video

Nope, "Video" isn't a typo. In the mid-80s, Jeff Lynne wrote a couple of songs for the soundtrack to a flick called Electric Dreams, including the one featured here, "Video." I've never seen the film (it's probably awful), but Lynne's tunes were solid, with "Video" in particular being really catchy and filled with crazy sound effects and a great rhythm track.

The Red Rings of Death Strike Again!!!!!

2nd Xbox goes belly up! This time it's an Elite system. Elite my ass. Called Xbox repair and I'm currently waiting for my coffin (pre-paid shipping box) to arrive. The console is still covered by the 3 year warranty which only covers hardware failure (red rings o' death). Future updates to come! Including my Metal Gear Solid review!!

Attack of the Sketchbook #2 - Wolverine

Here's a Wolverine I recently did. I used my shiny new Wacom Intuos tablet and Photoshop. I'm still a noob with both these tools, so if anyone has any tips for me I appreciate it. Or if you have any question feel free to post.

By the Gods! "God of War 3" to Debut at E3

So says an article posted on NeoGAF. No confirmation on whether or not it's a trailer or actually playable, but any actual news/visual proof of God of War 3 (for PS3) is reason for excitement. The God of War games are easily two of my favorite games of all time, thus I am seriously considering selling my 360 for PS3 as of...NOW.

George Carlin - 1937-2008

So long, George.

Attack of the Sketchbook #1 - Solid Snake

I used to draw all the time as a kid, but essentially gave it up once I discovered girls, the Beatles and the guitar. But in the last few weeks, I've spent some time with the 'ol pencil and paper, and have been really enjoying it.

I'm trying my hand at developing some sort of an animated style, as it's a look (The Clone Wars, Batman The Animated Series, etc.) I really love.

So in a new feature here at Robot Sweatshop -- Attack of the Sketchbook -- I'll be posting some of my sketches for your perusal. Don't worry, I know I ain't what one would call "good," or say, "talented," but I figure what the hell; let me know whatcha think, so long as you think everything I draw is fucking awesome.

The first entry for Attack of the Sketchbook, in celebration of the release of Metal Gear Solid 4 is none other than the game's hero and all-around video game icon, Solid Snake.

"The Love Guru" Confirmed As Awful

I used to love Mike Myers, but let's keep it real 'cause I'm keeping it real: The guy has not been funny for a long, long time. And from the second I saw the trailer for The Love Guru, my brain was telling me, "This does not look funny. AT ALL." Today, the New York Times review has confirmed what my Spider-Sense was tingling about:

"To say that the movie is not funny is merely to affirm the obvious. The word “unfunny” surely applies to Mr. Myers’s obnoxious attempts to find mirth in physical and cultural differences but does not quite capture the strenuous unpleasantness of his performance. No, “The Love Guru” is downright antifunny, an experience that makes you wonder if you will ever laugh again."

Yikes!

A Handy Reference Guide

A pet peeve of mine is people who complain about how Van Halen is now considered "classic rock." Big deal. Less of a pet peeve (but still there) is people who complain that the Clash is now considered "classic rock." Quit crying, you goddamn babies. Black Flag's Nervous Breakdown came out in '78! That's thirty years ago. Do you see us crying like a bunch of namby-pambys? No. It's reality. Lesson 1: Things age and die. Lesson 2: You are no exception.

So live fast and leave one hell of a beautiful corpse with all debts unpaid.

Podcast Episode 15 - The Return (Again)

Robot Sweatshop makes yet another comeback. Join Dan, Mike and Chris as we talk about that new flick about a giant green hulking dude. I forget the name, but I think it's called "Sex and the City." We also talk video games, comics, and more of the usual crap. This is a short one, cause it was late and we're wimps.

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"The Happening" Review/GChat Discussion

Robot Sweatshop superfan Amanda and yours truly had a quick discussion about what I'd been not-so-secretly hoping is Sir M. Night Shyamalan’s latest debacle, The Happening. (The Lady in the Water, M.'s last movie, is probably the worst thing ever.) Amanda, who'd just come back from seeing the flick, spoke with me about her thoughts on the film, the audience reaction, and more:

amanda: m night shamalamadingdong
dont see it!

me: man
did u see it?

amanda: yes i just got back
i want my 12 dollars back

me: it's funny you say that

amanda: acutally no. im not a shamalamading fan
so i wasnt expecting much
but i went with fans
and they were pissed
i thought it was hysterical

me: here, from my more well-known blog: http://kungfurodeo.com/2008/06/12/the-happening-can-it-be-as-bad-as-im-hoping/
see i want it to be as bad as Lady in the Water, which was one of the worst things I've ever seen

amanda: hahahahaha
i never saw lady in the water
but the guys i was with said it was worse
it was so funny man
it was so bad

me: wow

amanda: usually im the only one that laughs in horror/thrillers
and i get yelled at by my friends

me: see you're only making me want to see it more!

amanda: but this time they couldnt yell at me
because the whole theater was laughing

me: wow
holy crap

amanda: yessir
i dont want to spoil anything
so my detes stop there

me: please don't!
let me just say that in Lady in the Water, M. Night casts himself as a misunderstood genius writer destined to write something that will change the world

amanda: hahahahaha
yes the guys i was with said they didnt see him in it
but im sure he was there in the crowd killing himself somewhere

me: ugh

amanda: all i have to say is mark wahlberg wears a mood ring
enough material right there

me: haha awesome

me: you have a good weekend my friend. and trust me, netflix m. night shaymalsn's lady in the water, or as i call it, MNSLITW

amanda: done and done

New Podcast Coming on Monday!

That's right, we got off our lazy asses and finally recorded a new episode. Come back Monday for Episode 15 of Robot Sweatshop. We talk comics, video games, that new Hulk movie all the kidz (I spelled it that way on purpose) are talking about, and more.

"Planet Hulk," "Gamma Corps," and Wolverine Animated Movies Coming

Because we asked for it just two days ago! That's right, Newsarama reports that a Planet Hulk animated flick is coming, as well as second Hulk animated called Gamma Corps and Marvel Extreme: Wolverine, whatever the hell that will be.

Planet Hulk is perfect for an animated adaptation, with its great action, monsters, and epic feel. Here's hoping they don't screw it up.

1UP's "Metal Gear Solid 4" Review

Yep, the game destined to make me regret getting a 360 over a PS3 is here. 1UP has posted their review, giving it an A- overall:

The million or so geeks who've followed Snake's tale for the past decade (or two) will find absolute satisfaction in the resolution MGS4 brings. Every plot thread is tied up; every bizarre supernatural impossibility is explained; every character is allowed some form of closure. The stakes rise to epic heights, and not every ending is happy, but the bittersweet moments make the gestalt all the more fulfilling. It's an astounding feat, especially given how immense the cast has grown and just how far "out there" some of Metal Gear's pulpier plot points can be. The identities of the Patriots, the final fate of Big Boss, the reason Snake looks decrepit while his companions are still fresh-faced and vigorous, the means by which the villain exists as a talking hand grafted to an old man's arm -- it's all here. You'll even learn what "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" means, if you pay attention.

ELO Video Thursday: Twilight

Here's "Twilight," a fantastic '80s pop song, filled with crazy synthesizers, vocoders, fantastic harmonies, and is altogether insanely catchy.

Halloween gift ideas in June...

Just saw these in the spring catalog of Entertainment Earth. And besides, you don't have to wait for Halloween to get something cool for your special guy or ghoul.

Awesome animated version of Jason Voorhees for about $90.

A transforming lumberjack werewolf for about $30.

This Sucks Dept: "Office Rage" Not Real!

As I feared, the Office Rage video I posted last week has been confirmed as not real. Nope, it's yet another effing viral marketing campaign, this time for a Russian film called Wanted by director Timur Bekmambetov. Well played, Mr. Bekmambetov. Well played.

Thanks to Tina for the depressing heads up and link.

MST3K Reunion at SDCC

Okay, this could be pretty amazing. According to Satellite News, the entire cast and writing team of the great Mystery Science Theater 3000 -- Trace Beaulieu, Paul Chaplin, Frank Conniff, Bill Corbett, Joel Hodgson, Jim Mallon, Kevin Murphy, Bridget Nelson, Mike Nelson, Mary Jo Pehl and J. Elvis Weinstein -- will hold a panel discussion moderated by the awesome Patton Oswalt at the upcoming San Diego Comic Con. This just might be enough to get me on a plane and over to SDCC for the first time.

Must Listen: Tom Scharpling Eviscerates Kevin Smith

Me and Mikey Boy Civins are pretty big fans of Tom Scharpling, host of The Best Show on WFMU. Tom is a really funny, nice guy, who essentially pretends to be a bully for three hours, hanging up on callers randomly when he wants (but always in a funny way), being nice to other callers randomly, and always seemingly honest about the music, movies, TV, and comics he likes.

One of the show's best moments came after Tom, who is an avowed Kevin Smith hater (much like myself), saw the god-awful Clerks II and ripped into Smith for about an hour. It's some of the best radio I've ever heard. Check it out here at the Best Show Archives: the July 25, 2006 episode, about 1 hour, 59 minutes in.

Superdrag Video: "Way Down Here Without You"

I don't think I've really mentioned them on the show or here on the site, but Superdrag has always been one of my favorite bands -- they bring the rock and the melody better than anyone, IMO -- and they recently got back together after a 5-year-hiatus. Here's a video I just found of one of their best songs, a live version of the acoustic ballad, "Way Down Here Without You."

New Cinematic Titanic Trailers for "Doomsday Machine"

The long awaited second episode of Cinematic Titanic (MST3K creator Joel Hodgson's new movie-riffing vehicle), an awful looking 70s sci-fi flick called Doomsday Machine, is set to debut on DVD and digital download on June 19th. The fine folks of CT have released two trailers; check 'em out below. (The new episode looks pretty awesome -- I was a little underwhelmed with the first CT episode, The Oozing Skull.)

"Planet Hulk" review

I finally got around to reading the trade of Planet Hulk, a book I'd heard was criminally underrated and better than most recent mediocre comic epics (cough, Civil War and Infinite Crisis, cough). And it's true -- from beginning to end, this is a joy.

Fun, action-packed, smart, and featuring the most likable Hulk I've read in a long time, as well as a great new supporting cast, Planet Hulk was definitely one of the great comics of 2007. It's not entirely original -- "Hulk meets Gladiator" is a pretty accurate description -- but in the end, a story like this works so well, it's a wonder it wasn't made sooner. Kudos to Greg Pak for crafting what is probably the best epic tragedy in Hulk history.

Now to you readers: How was World War Hulk? Is it a worthy sequel?

Wii Opinion Update

Just to let everyone know, I'm pretty much back on the Wii bandwagon after a brief period of disappointment. The system seems to be hitting a real stride. Three terrific games -- Mario Kart Wii, Wii Fit, and Boom Blox (which I have yet to play but is supposed to be fantastic) -- were all released within weeks of each other, and I think we're in for some surprises come E3 (can you say Kid Icarus 2?). I've even gone back to finish Zelda, which for some reason I dropped, but is a pretty amazing game. (And as I've always said, Super Mario Galaxy is one of the best games of all time.) Anyways, I've always been a Nintendo fan, so I'm excited to see the Wii living up to its potential.

Weezer "The Red Album": 4-Songs-In Review

So I'm listening to the new Weezer record as I write this, with song #4 having just ended. Everyone can bitch and moan all they want about these guys, but so far I'm really digging it (especially the McCartney/Queen-esque "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived", song #2) and I'm pretty amazed that Rivers and the gang have managed to crank out a 6th unique album.

ELO Video Thursday: The Making of Livin' Thing

OK, I know it ain't Thursday, but I've missed the last couple of weeks and felt I needed to get one of these up to let you know we're still alive.

Here's an interview clip of Jeff Lynne explaining how he wrote "Livin' Thing." Pretty interesting!

Office Rage!

Here's GChat commentary by myself and Sir Britt Schramm:

Britt: Haha too funny

me: i know it's insane
I don't know why 3 guys didn't pounce on him after he threw the monitor

Britt: No kidding. he almost cracked that worman's head with it
and the broom to the copier was pure Office Space

me: haha yeah

Britt: Then the WWE takedown from the desktop was sweet.

me: yeah i think the spanish announcing table was destroyed

Britt: And you gotta love the lemmings, I mean workers, moving away from the guy but yet can't leave the office

me: haha yes

Britt: almost herd like
Haha, just saw the spanish table comment