Babble Bites…

Hello Dear Babblers, I thought today we would engage in some light reading that I like to call Babble Bites. Enjoy.

They have to be thinking R.I.P.

Killing Community:  One of our favorite shows, Community, more or less just got the death sentence. First Sony fires the creator/producer Dan Harmon for unexplained reasons. I don’t know if  Harmon is a little hard to get along with, or maybe TV execs are hard to get along with, or maybe both are. Whatever, the reason he was released (screwed over) from the show this weekend. Even with keeping the same writers, I have to think he is still the heart and soul of the show and it sucks to see his creativity get crapped on.  Equally as bad, Community is now being moved to Friday night, alongside the flailing Whitney.  Weirdly enough, this all comes on the heels of Community just having been renewed for a fourth season. One wonders why it would be renewed at all if they see such little potential in it. It’s a shame too, because it’s a great show and this season has had some of the best episodes yet (The Civil War documentary spoof, the Law and Order episode and the 8-bit video game episode.) Here is his blog about what happened.

SNL – This weekend’s SNL was definitely one of the best this season. Mick Jagger was the host and performed with the Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters and Jeff Beck (or rather they performed with him!) I have to admit, Mick looked good considering he is in his 60’s. As a host his acting was great and he never flinched or faltered. As a singer he can still rock it.  This is Kristen Wiigs last season and they did a really nice tribute to her at the end as well. Here is a link to it.

“We WILL make more money.”

Awesome Avengers – The Avengers continues to dominate the box office, garnering another $50 million this weekend and beating out two new releases in The Dictator (which I do want to see) and Battleship (which I do not want to see.) That puts The Avengers at a staggering $457 million domestically in 17 days! To give you an idea of how crazy this is, it took Dark Knight 27 days to reach that mark. It is now Disney’s biggest release ever and is fourth on the all-time world chart, behind only Avatar, Titanic and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2, once again affirming the adage “in Joss we trust.:  Come on Avengers you can take them down, we are rooting for you!

Game of Thrones – Not that anyone needs to rave more about this show, but it continues to be the best show on television. This season is even better than last year’s and the politics and intrigue just keeping building. I can’t wait for the Comic-Con panel!

Awesomesauce this weekend at the Nerdmelt!

Hey dear Babblers! If you are a nerd and in the greater Los Angeles area, have we got a deal for you! This weekend has some amazing events from Nerdmelt at the famed Nerdist Theatre!  Here is the link.  Also special thanks to Nerds in Babeland, because I had almost forgotten about this until I checked their site! Hope to see you there!

Deep thoughts on the Avengers…

 

Congratulations to the Avengers for setting back-to-back weekend records! I have to admit this is really, really cool. Growing up, there were two types of nerd, DC Comic and Marvel Fans (or Star Trek vs. Star Wars). I was a Marvel fan (with the exception of Batman, who is universally loved.) The old Marvel G.I. Joes written by Larry Hama were the first comic books I ever got into and it wasn’t before long that it spiraled into X-Men, Wolverine and other random assortment of Marvel properties.

Not only that, I loved watching the Marvel themed TV shows. I loved the old 1960’s Spiderman cartoon with the hit song, “spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can…”, the old Incredible Hulk TV show with Lou Ferrigno, and of course, Spiderman and His Amazing Friends, with Iceman and Firestar. Spiderman and his Amazing Friends was one of the more popular 80’s cartoons and for its time featured good animation and decent plots.  We used to play like we were these characters all of the time.

But there was one Marvel property I wanted desperately to like, but just couldn’t do it because they were well, just too cheesy (even by my 80’s elementary school standards) and that would be the Avengers.  You can’t deny their place and history in the comic book world, but by the time I was a kid they were pretty second rate. I wanted to like them, I wanted them to be good, but they just weren’t.  That is, until now.

It really started with the Ultimate series, where Marvel reworked them into a tougher, grittier and more realistic series of characters. Then the movies starting coming out, and the characters became popular again.

There has never been a movie like the Avengers. They have been building up to this movie with a series of FIVE other movies for years now.  The stakes for Marvel, Disney, and director Joss Whedon were huge and many questions were raised as to whether or not they could pull it off, and they did, with amazing results.

Think of it this way, Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk were all on some level, decent movies that did well. Sure Iron Man 2 wasn’t nearly as good as the first one,  and Hulk wasn’t as good as Captain America, but for all intents and purposes, all of those movies were decent, if not great, on one level of another. If you are a movie production company, say DC, wouldn’t you take those results any day? Look at Superman, Catwoman and the Green Lantern.  (Dark Knight is all they have had.)

“Spider-stan, Spider-stan…”

It’s great to see these old, classic characters be given a chance to shine.  Did you ever think the Avengers would outsell X-Men comics?  As a Joss Whedon fan I am thrilled to see him finally cement his place as one of the new talented directors. More importantly, as a Stan Lee fan I am thrilled to see the Avengers do so well.

I have to think the ole’ Generalismo has got to have a grin on his face. These last few years have seen the smash success of his greatest creations, from Spiderman, to the X-Men and now the Avengers.  I hate to say it, but he is getting up there in age, and we don’t know how much longer he will be with us.

I have to think that as a writer and creator these films and comics will go down as a lasting tribute to his legacy. That when his time does finally come, he can rest in peace knowing he will always be remembered. Not just by comic fans and nerds, but by the greater population of movie going America, and the millions he inspired.  And of course, by a young, red headed kid with whom it all started by staying up late at night and reading G.I. Joes. Here’s to you Stan, Excelsior! And we salute you.

A Creepy WonderCon Encounter with Lloyd Kaufman

So here is a creepy little story I have been saving for just the right time, and dear Babblers, the time is now.  I already wrote about how much I enjoyed WonderCon but there was one little incident I failed to report. Ironically enough, the same weekend the Anaheim Convention Center hosted WonderCon, it also hosted a high school cheerleading contest AND a high school volleyball tournament, so there were many high school girls running around, and many jokes being made about the new cosplay, how this was the same group of girls who used to pick on us, and how this is the safest place they could possibly be.  That is, until this little incident occurred.

Friday night fellow Babblers Johnny, Tony and I were standing in the hotel lobby waiting for the elevator and this wiry old guy walks up. He is wearing a sports jacket and bright tie and I had the feeling he was somebody but couldn’t place him. Tony leans over and whispers in my ear,” that’s Lloyd Kaufman. “ Ah cool, I thought to myself.

Lloyd Kaufman is a Hollywood writer, producer, director and occasional actor. He did some freelance work on Rocky and Saturday Night Fever, but he is most well known for starting the Troma Entertainment company. If you aren’t familiar with Troma, they are famous for making super cheesy, super sexual and super violent horror films that often pull from 1950’s and 1960’s genre flicks while usually adding a bit of social satire and commentary as well. Their biggest film was The Toxic Avenger (which inspired a cartoon and several sequels) but others like Class of Nuke ’Em High went on to moderate success. Troma is also where James Gunn got his start as a writer.

Back to the story: We get in the elevator with Kaufman and go up. It stops on the 5^th floor, the pool floor, and this high school girl in a bathing suit, flip flops, wet hair and towel wrapped her gets in. The door closes and a moment later, from behind me and to the left I hear a gravelly voice say:

This is a pretty standard face he makes..google and see.

“Very nice.”  Our eye brows lifted as we tried to pretend this didn’t just happen. The poor girl tensed up.

Again. “Oh yes, Mmmm.” Now it is getting awkward as we make eye contact with each other, wondering if it could get worse. The answer was yes.

“Oh yes, very, very nice,” he said.

Fortunately, at this point the elevator stopped and the girl hurried off.  A couple floors later Lloyd got off. I wanted to say “Lloyd you are a dirty, dirty man,” but he probably would have just laughed and agreed.  After he got off (the elevator that is)we all sort of took a deep breath and universally agreed that was just plain stalkerish.

Lloyd is a Hollywood guy and is probably used to young little starlets throwing themselves at him in hopes of getting any role they can. Still I always remember our creepy encounter with him and hope that from now he stays at a court ordered 100 feet away from all conventions.

Wonder-Con vs. Comic-Con: Random Thoughts

So I have been to Comic-Con the last 5 years in a row, hanging with my friends at Comic-Con (our Contourage as we call it) is one of the things that convinced me to move to California. The last two years I have been to Wonder-Con as well. Nothing can top Comic-Con, but in some ways, I really enjoy Wonder-Con more. Here is why.

1. First of all, the crowds aren’t out of control. Let’s face it, Comic-Con is just too crowded and you can tire yourself out just by trying to get through the sales floor. Additionally it is absurd having to wait in a line for 5 hours just get a seat in Hall H or Ballroom 20. At Wonder-Con you easily get into any panel you want without spending half the day in line.
2. The atmosphere is a lot more relaxing as well. Comic-Con is four days of constantly being on the go (when you’re not waiting in line.) It’s a  nonstop whirl of people, hype, costumes, panels, celebrities and venders that can leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed by the end.  Wonder-Con you just relax and enjoy. You can take your time on the sales floor, hang out with people and just soak up the nerdiness.
3. There is also a lot more focus on comics, writers and artists. Comic-Con has little to do with comics anymore (which is fine) but at times it feels more like one big advertisement whereas Wonder-Con is really more about developing and promoting the creative side of things. They even have the connect event each night where writers and artist could meet each other.
4. The venders were better as well. Except for the huge displays put on by the big names, Comic-Con kind of feels like a flea market as times. Large, obnoxious shirt venders, cramped booths filled with random action figures and some things that probably shouldn’t exist at all. The venders at Wonder-Con were less junky and more unique, with a wider range of original, unique items. It was also a lot of local venders. Comic-Con could stand to clean up the sales floor a bit. Sadly, these other venders will never get into Comic-Con. The wait list is too long and nobody in their right mind is giving up their spots.

Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love Comic-Con and wouldn’t miss it for the world. I love the panels, the celebrities, the culture, the people, the costumes and everything else associated with Comic-Con. Jews go to Jerusalem, Muslims go to Mecca, and nerds go to Comic-Con. This is really more of a critique or comparison of the two.  Think of Wonder-Con as a magic time machine that takes you back to what Comic-Con was 15 years ago. Fun times.

A Capcom Card Game!?

Ah the nerd world, so full of creative and odd games. There are RPG’S, MMORPG’s, Table Top Miniatures, LARP’s and of course CCG’s. The last one (CCG) stands for Collectible Card Games, and if you already knew then you will fit right in with us. CCG”s are just that, card games where buy and collect cards and play each other. These are cool, slick games like Texas Hold’Em or Blackjack, no leave it to use nerds to take something cool like cards and make it, well, nerdy.

You have probably seen some of them. The biggest is Magic the Gathering but there are plenty of others. There is a Star Wars one, Overpower (a Marvel and DC superhero themed game,) Legend of the Five Ring (L5R), World of Warcraft and even Pokemon can be considered a CCG.

I never played Magic, it was too expensive and too many cards. I did play L5R and Overpower pretty heavily. One day I decided that due to money and the fact I only enjoyed them half the time, I quit playing them and swore I would never get back in: Until now.

It has been announced that Capcom and Cryptozoic Entertainment are developing an all new CCG based on the Capcom universe! It will feature Street Fighter, Final Fight and other Capcom entities you can choose to battle it out with your friends.

Resident Evil was not on the list of the first sets to be released, but you can bet good money that if they game is a hit, they will add Resident Evil sooner or later. Will I play it? Maybe, I said I would never get back into CCG’s, but I also said I would never get back into Dungeon’s and Dragons but we see how that went.  Now if we could just get a Silent Hill card game going.

Here is the press release and oh, I call Chun-Li.

Announcing the Nerdist!

Well everyone, it may be spring but as far as we are concerned not only is winter coming, but it has already arrived in a full force gale. That’s right, Game of Thrones, the super-duper, ultra awesome, mega hit show from HBO started up again last night and it did not disappoint one bit. Any concern as to whether they would pick right up where they left off has been erased and I would even argue they took it to an even higher level than last year. Also added some nice new characters and showed once again why Peter Dinklage won an Emmy.  If there was any doubt about it before, this show is definitely my favorite (sorry Breaking Bad and Dexter) and I am already completely hooked and looking forward to the Comic-Con panel this summer!

On another nerdy note, we are excited for the launch of The Nerdist channel on YouTube. We got a chance to see some of the at the Wondercon panel and it looks hilarious. Chris Hardwick (the Nerdist) is partnering with Neil Patrick Harris, Weird Al Yankovic, Rob Zombie and several other nerdy types to bring you some very original programming. Be sure to check it out and maybe even subscribe to it?

Happy Groundhog’s Day!

Okay, I wish I could take credit for this but can’t. Thanks God of Nerds, whoever you are!

"Happy Groundhogs Day!"

You can be a hero!

Some of you may not be aware, but there is a huge famine in the Horn of Africa and they are facing what is being called the worst hunger crisis of the last 60 years. Approximately 13 million people are suffering without food. It doesn’t help that much of the area, like Somalia, doesn’t have a functioning government and local leaders are making distribution difficult. I read a story about one women who had to walk 100 miles to find food. On the way she had to stop and bury her infant son who had died during her travels. Terrible, heart-breaking stuff, but you can help.

DC is launching the We Can Be Hero’s campaign. For every donation you make to raise food for Africa, they will match it 100%, they are also selling super cool gear with the slick We Can Be Hero’s logo, 50% of those proceeds go to help raise food as well. I have had the privilege of visiting Africa (not this part though) it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I can honestly say the people are the most kind and joyous I have ever met. Here in America, where we have so much, let’s help those who have so little. The world is in need of a few hero’s, what are you waiting for?

Comic Con Member Registration Begins

Fellow Babblers! If you are one of the countless millions that hope to get into Comic-Con this year be warned, like The Flaming Lips say, “the test begins now.” (Brownie points if you name that song or album.) As of now until February 28th you must first register with Comic Con and receive a member ID that you will later use to crash their system when tickets sales go live. This is done to make things easier, how?  We don’t know! But they say it is, so thus it must be! That being said, we all plan on being there this year and hope you do too! Good luck.

Here is the   Comic Con Member Registration Link.

a man who unknowingly influenced us all

If you have ever been to, or dreamed of attending Comic-Con, or any geeky convention, then your life has been influenced by Richard Alf, one of the cofounders of Comic-Con San Diego. He passed away today at age 59 of cancer.

The ironically named Alf, helped form the convention in 1970 with a handful of volunteers. He also loaned money to the convention in its early years and did a lot of the hands on work as well. Of course, back in those days the convention was nothing like it is now. Low numbers of visitors and get this, actual comic book related items covered the sales floor and panels.

I remember as a kid in the 1980’s reading my comic books and seeing the convention advertisements and dreaming about how cool it would be to go someday. It only took me a couple of decades to do so. Now I have been 5 times and look forward to every year.

So here is to you Alf, unknown hero of nerds everywhere. We give you are condolences and thanks for making Comic-Con such an amazing event. It’s pretty impressive to go out with what you know has become a tradition for so many. Your legacy will live on.

The Dark Crystal Rises

The Dark Crystal does not refer to my heart, it does however, refer to one of the best fantasy films of the 1980′s (and for all of time for that matter.) Releases in 1982 this movie proves to be more of the greatness of Jim Henson and Frank Oz. It is a fantasy movie set on a distant planet in the past and it rocked our nerd worlds. We loved it. For you younger generations who are spoiled on special effects, the Muppet’s and other Henson works, were as good as it got back then, I would argue their work still holds up to anything produced today.

So that being said, I recently learned they are coming out with a Dark Crystal prequel. Not on film but in the graphic novel format.  It’s being called Dark Crystal: Creation Myths, and we can only assume it goes into the origin stories of the Gelflings and their mystical world. According to Neatorama.com, Brian Froud, the concept designer for the original Dark Crystal, is doing the illustrations. Sign me up. This definitely calls for a Dark Crystal watching party.

My friend Brandon unknowingly contributed to this article.