DEMOCRAT NO MORE!

Hi folks, I've been busy with the new place post move and work has been crazy but I wanted to let you know how I've been feeling. It's seems that Dean Wormer and I have come to the same conclusion at about the same time. See his excellent post here.

I didn't think we'd get all the progressive stuff we wanted, maybe 50% (and I would have taken even 25%), but to get absolutely NOTHING! It's simply just too much. All the political capital that has been wasted in the last year coddling conservatives, insurance lobbyists and the list goes on.

I'm done with 'em 'cause the Dems really don't give a crap about the folks in their own party. So maybe if I leave it they'll start paying attention. ...Yeah right.

All that hope... and now it's gone...

-Swinebread


PS I'm also pissed because Dean is gonna post all his pop and entertainment news on his own blog now 'cause he can't bring himself to talk politics anymore. grrrrr

Update On Swinebread

I just spoke to him on the phone.

No, he's not dead.

Nor has he suddenly been bitten by a radioactive insect, discovered his parents were actually gods or aliens, walked into the path of an atomic experiment or any other thing that would have bestowed him with superpowers. He can't have superpowers. For one thing he's not single. We all know only single people have superpowers.

Swinebread is not serving time in an intergalactic prison, banished to the Phantom Zone or trapped in a giant block of ice to be revived thousands of years in the future. Neither he nor the city he lives in have been shrunken down so they can sit on the mantle of some super schlub.

He's definitely not a zombie or any other form of undead.

On the other side of the coin he hasn't been trapped on Paradise Island to be fawned over by hundreds of 6-foot tall Amazonian women that look suspiciously like Lynda Carter. So he doesn't have that going for him.

He's simply without computer access since the move. He plans on continuing this blog and sends his love to y'all.

So Commisioner Gordon you can stop shining the Swinebread Spotlight into the sky to call him out of his Swine Cave. He'll be back to fight crime, talk comics and piss me off when he fails to agree that Joss Whedon is the second coming of Christ before you know it.

-Dean Wormer-
--

Dean's New Comics

Dean's cover of the week.

Cthulhu Tales #12, Boom Studios.

You can read the entire first series of this title online here.,

Buffy the Vampire Slayer #23, Dark Horse - these books are pretty much for fans of the show. There's a lot of inside stuff from the seven years of the series. I love them.

Army of Darkness #17, Dynamite Entertainment- Consistently a strong title.


Sonic Universe #1, Archie Comics - Sigh.

Conan the Cimmerian #8, Dark Horse.

Sgt. Rock The Lost Battalion #4, DC Comics.

The Haunted Tank #4 , DC Comics.


I'm enjoying the hell out of this very adult take on a comic I loved in my childhood. The ghost of Jeb Stuart is forever condemned to help his ancestors if they bear his surname and they're soldiers. His modern ancestor is the commander of an Abrams tank during the Iraq war who just happens to be black. The writers don't shy away from the racial conflict this engenders. The tank action is pretty good as well.

War That Time Forgot #10, DC Comics.

- Dean Wormer

No Hurm, No Foul

Watchmen's visionary* director Zack Snyder went into some detail about the DVD release of his pending film based on the classic graphic novel. The running time of the DVD will be a whopping 3 hours and 25 minutes. Mostly because it will include the Tales of the Black Freighter which will not be in the theatrical release.

Of course Black Freighter will be released on it's own DVD to coincide with the release of the film but I can't imagine how fans of the book would want to see it any other way than included in the overall story since it parallels and complements the larger Watchmen narrative.

Here's the trailer for that DVD if you haven't seen it-



(*Warner Brothers requires under pain of broken fingers that you refer to Zack Snyder as "visionary" whenever you mention him in writing.)

PC Magazine's Lousy 10 Best List

Top 10 lists are often arbitrary but by any standard PC Magazine's 10 Best PC Games Ever is saddled with some glaring omissions.

Sure, they get Civilization, Starcraft and Doom* but they also include the far less impressive Trade Wars 2002, Rogue:The Adventure Game and most notably World of Warcraft on that list. (If you're wondering why I'm hating on WOW- I like MMOGs but consider them more social chat rooms than games. There are better online gaming experiences, IMHO, including the recent Left 4 Dead zombie shooter.)

Just some of the games that should have been included-

Ultima 3

As a role playing game this was unsurpassed at the time. It had a strong sandbox flavor that made the game seem much bigger than it actually was.



Monkey Island 3

Actually all the Lucasarts adventure games were sublime, but the Monkey Island games had a wicked sense of humor and beautiful background artwork.



Wing Commander

It may have been a rip off of the Traveller rpg world but it was still a great space shooter. I can still hear the midi music when you took off in your fighter.



The original Castle Wolfenstein

My favorite bit was stealing nazi guard's uniforms.



Not to mention Might and Magic, Fallout 2, Grand Theft Auto 3, Planetfall (Infocom), Half Life 2, The Bard's Tale, Pirates!, Zoo Tycoon, Leisure Suit Larry, Oregon Trail, Tie Fighter, Test Drive, Interstate 76, Star Trek 25th Anniversary and about 100 other games I can think of off the top of my head.

Those guys at PC Magazine were just phoning it in.

(* If Snabalus reads this- I haven't forgotten the time you hacked Doom and stuck my wedding pictures in there. Having to look at yourself in a tux kind of distracts from killing mutants.)

Hello true believers!

It was so very cool of Swinebread to ask me to contribute to his blog. While we don't always agree on everything (*cough* JJ Abrams' Star Trek *cough*) we most certainly share a love of comics, cartoons, movies and pop culture. I love Swinebread's Atomic Romance and am happy to be a small part of it.

Just a bit on my geek creds so you know where I'm coming from. As a boy my imagination was consumed with all things fantasy and science fiction. I read Tolkein, Moorcock, Asimov, Lovecraft and Adams. I played Dungeons and Dragons, Gamma World and Traveller. I spent many a sleepless night on our old Commodore 64 computer adventuring my way through Richard Garrett's Ultima series. I watched Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers (mmm Wilma) and Space 1999 religiously.

On my 9th birthday my parents rented a van and took most of my grade school class to see Star Wars on the big screen. It was a wonderful, out-of-body experience. I lost complete track of the theater and the other people sitting around us munching popcorn. I was IN that movie. I've spent the last 32 years of being a film fan trying to replicate that experience.

When I was growing up comics were a reward. I have wonderful memories of serving as an alter boy and having my dad stop on the way home at 7-11 to get me a coke flavored Slurpee and a copy of "House of Mystery" or "Haunted Tank" as a thank you to me for working through a boring mass. I've expanded this idea tenfold with my own kids by the way. They got comics in their comics on Christmas morning, in their baskets on Easter and to cheer them up when they were home sick from school.

I'll say this outright- Swinebread is a genius when it comes to comics. I have nowhere near the encyclopedic knowledge he has of artists, authors, titles, etc. that he has. I don't subscribe to the previews. I don't always know what's going on in the comics industry. I do have a box at the local comics store. I subscribe to whatever titles interest me when I walk in the door.

I am not a comic "collector" I'm a comic "reader." To the extent I bag and store my comics it's not so I can sell them at a profit 10 years down the line. It's so I can get them out and rediscover them 10 years down the line when I've forgotten the stories. When I think about the CGC company and what they do with comics it makes me sad. Sure, they're putting aside a Picasso for forever but put aside the value of that particular comic and they're also removing forever the chance that some kid will open up that old comic and have their imagination exploded.

So, with Swinebread's blessing I'm going to post stuff here about comics from a layman's perspective. At the same time I'll also be posting stuff that isn't necessarily comics related but will always be geek-centric. I still occasionally play rpgs, computer games and will always be on the hunt for that Star Wars out-of-body fix at the movies. All of that is fodder.

Until next time guys,

Dean

It's Time For Some Pop Culture Discipline: Dean Wormer Joins Atomic Romance

That's right kids! Get ready to be geek schooled in all things as Dean accepts his post as the Grand Imperial Poobah of pop. He's gunnin' for tenure, so look out!

With the demands of Swinebread Jr. (who is now a rugrat for gosh sakes), I've felt for awhile that I'm unable to provide any real analysis on this blog as well as keep up with consistent posting. By asking Dean Wormer to join AR, I hope to rectify this. I know he's been wiggin' to rant and rave a lot more about some of his geekier hobbies but the Dean's Office is just too respectable of a place to engage in such banter.

So join me in welcoming Dean!

I'm sure life is about to get a lot more interesting around here with the Wormermeister on board.


-Swinebread

Six Random Things About Me

Dean Wormer tagged me with a the "Six Random Things About Me" meme. see here

The Rules

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Six random things about me-

1) I have driven on the autobahn... it's not as fun as you might think... but there were some great views

2) While I was reading Mel Blanc's autobiography, That's Not All Folks, he died. I was kinda freaked out about reading autobiographies for awhile...

3) I have two vague memories of being in a baby crib... ...(when I was a baby, sheesh)

4) I rule at connect four.

5) I was never able to watch CBS when I was a kid because of bad reception so I missed that whole Dukes of Hazzard thing...

6) Thundarr has to be my all-time favorite Saturday Morning cartoon. Demon Dogs!

I know I'm supposed to tag six folks but I haven't been very good about commening on other folks blogs so I feel kinda weird about demanding a tag from anybody.

Broke the rules.... oh well.



-Swinebread

Warp Their Minds From the Beginning

We received lots of wonderful and useful gifts from friends and family for Swinebread Jr. but Dean Wormer really knows how get the programming going early. Thanks buddy!

My son will wear these loud and proud.

Cthulhu fhtagn!

-Swinebread

Indy Furthers His Adventures

I don't think I'm going to be able to see Indy 4 this weekend. Maybe I can get to it on Monday. Dean Wormer has a nice review here


I picked up a few issues of the Further Adventures of Indiana Jones comics way back in early '80s. This is the first issue I bought #7. The Marvel Jones comics don't get much respect but they're fun in a pulpy kinda way. I regret not picking up more, but back then I was all about the superheroes and a kid's budget only goes so far. I'm hearing good things about the new Dark Horse Indy Comics though.


-Swinebread

Six Questions Virus

Dean Wormer tagged me with the Six Questions virus.


* The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.
* Each player answers the questions about himself or herself.
* At the end of the post, the player then tags five people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Ten Years Ago I Was

Getting very close to the end of a fairly long commitment to the US government.


Five Things on Today's To Do List

1. See Iron Man with Dean and the gang.

2. Eat Dim Sum.

3. Get free comics because it’s free comic book day!

4. Go shopping for food.

5. Vacuum the house.


Things I'd do if I were a Billionaire

Invest in renewable energy.

Make a documentary about the Crimes of the Bush administration

Publish some comics

Go back to school

Start foundations for various charities.

Visit Italy, Greece, Spain, Hawaii, China, India, Australia, and a lot of other places.

Meet Shilpa Shetty


Three Bad Habits

1) Food
2) Daydreaming too much
3) Not enough exercise


Five Places I've lived

New York State, Oregon, Germany, Bosnia (if nine months count as living there)… don’t have a fifth


Six Jobs I've had in Life (not in order)

1) Cab Driver.
2) Dishwasher.
3) Supply Sergeant.
4) Actor (I got paid once so that counts).
5) Video production guy
6) Photocopy specialist


I tag five folks on my blog roll that haven't done this. I’ve been very bad about making it to other people sites so I feel a little weird about tagging folks right now.

-Swinebread

I’ve been tagged by Dean Wormer

Old Dean got me see here

List 7 random things about yourself that people may not know.

Link the person who sent this to you, and leave a comment on their blog so that their readers can visit yours.

Post the rules on your blog.


1. I’ve been to Disneyland three times.

2. I hate Gambit… a lot! I dropped the X-men, and even comics for a long time after he showed up. He symbolizes everything that was wrong with ‘90s comics IMO. Plus, all the great stories from the 80’s that were adapted by the first X-Men cartoon series didn’t have Nightcrawler or Colossus; No, instead we got that stupid Gambit guy. That bugged me to no end; the Dark Phoenix saga with Gambit? Yuck! He didn’t show up in the first three X-Men movies so that was way cool although he is in the new Wolverine film.

3. Some high school chums and I buried a time capsule. I can’t remember what we put in it beyond a war comic that I didn’t want. It was a metal case about the size of small toolbox and it was wrapped in a plastic bag. I’m sure it’s long since been ruined by now.

4. My Favorite Looney Tunes character is Daffy Duck.

5. I’ve been to the site of the Dachau concentration camp while on a backpacking trip through Germany years ago, horrific but necessary in my opinion..

6. My favorite episode of Star Trek TOS is The Return of the Archons. It used to be Mirror, Mirror for a long time until after I became an adult and learned a little bit about how computers worked. I also love what it has to say about religion, and technology. “Festival Festival!” It’s totally cheesy and very deep at the same time.

7. I ate pig brains once…

I’m going to tag Heidi Meely (who never does my tags but that’s OK), and ah… anybody else that wants to do it I guess…

-Swinebread

"The Gun Is Good..."

It’s pure carnage with your “Singing Connery” Dean. I'm sure glad that I haven’t seen the Seagulls. But yes, I'm willing to call it a draw, although not in the way you think. The only answer is MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) so yeah, a draw, but I've gotta’ blow myself up in the process. I know Lady Bug thinks she brought it up, but I’ve had this doozey on the back burner a long time. Sean Connery in Diapers is the only way of ensuring nobody wins.

Show Me… Zardoz!




Maybe "Walken" would make a first-rate epitaph?

-Swinebread

You fight dirty Dean Wormer, with your Bat Dancing post (here), I have no choice but bring out the big guns!



-Swinebread

I see Dean Wormer's dancing Pee Wee, and raise him an Ed Wood meets Orson Wells.



You wanna' call it Dean?

-Swinebread

Now I Know Why Dean Wormer Is Going to Cloverfield

It seems that a new teaser trailer for Star Trek 11 will be shown before Cloverfield. See Here.

Now all Dean has to do is wait until December.

Yeah right!

Just don’t try to freeze yourself like Cartman buddy.

Plus, that's a new “Official” pic up top there. Oh Boy!

-Swinebread

War of the Worlds Radio

I was reminded by Dean Wormer that today is the anniversary of Orson Welles' radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds.

Go here to listen.