Worth Your Consideration #021

The “Worth Your Consideration” column is finally legal, just in time to sip some livened-up eggnog and give to you, constant reader, a veritable Santa-sized stockingful of linkage love.

• Jennifer Aniston’s recent anti-Angelina ranting be pissing off most people, but Hugh Hefner ain’t mad at her. The Playboy founder told Extra that Jen’s nude spread for GQ looked like it belonged on the cover of his own magazine.
• And, speaking of bared breasts, they can also, apparently, sell washing machines. Well, only if there are lots of them. And only if they’re attached to beautiful skydiving models. 
• Toplessness has not been a ladies-only phenomenon this past fortnight either. Here’s a shocker: our President-Elect is, relatively speaking, pretty cut. His abs aren’t quite a six-pack, but he ain’t sporting no pot belly neither.
• Oh, and he is also Time’s Person of the Year. That news comes courtesy of our old friend Jason Kottke.
• Also from Kottke: a Periodic Table of Awesomeness.  Bacon is #1 and Samuel L. Jackson, despite never having appeared in a Kevin Smith film, is #37. Weird.
• Also weird: The trailer for X-Men Origins: Wolverine is available exclusively on MySpace. Why MySpace, man? Haven’t we established that Apple’s Trailers Site is the place for movie previews.
• The place for parodies of the Bush shoe-throwing incident: Best Week Ever.
• On a totally separate note: I finally stop subjecting myself to the weekly torture that Smallville has become over the past three years, and now they have to go and make it good again? The preview for the second half of their latest season features The Legion of Superheroes, flying Clark, angry Doomsday, and naked Lex. Guess I’m going to have to catch up and tune in.
• The filming of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will span fifty-four weeks, according to producer David Heyman. They’re still debating on where to split the story (Hallows will be released as two films) but may have found “an emotional and very truthful” place for the break.
• Apple debuted two video ads, one of them featuring a cute talking rabbit. Thanks to TUAW for the link.
• But, if you like your Mac vs. PC action a bit more violent, check this bit of YouTubeage. It’s done in the style of Transformers, and if that doesn’t pique your interest, then you’re not really a geek.
• Speaking of YouTubeage, TUAW provided a link to this wicked pissa montage of Apple history. It condenses 30 years of awesome into 3 minutes and is definitely worth your consideration.
• Moving on, MacNN reported this past week that an Iron Man video game has come to the iPhone. I haven’t played Iron Man: Aerial Assault yet, but I plan on plunking down eight bucks for it just as soon as, well… just as soon as I have eight bucks. Which might be next year, for all I know. Stupid economy.
• SimCity has come to the iPhone, as well. That’s another ten bucks down the drain. They just knew that I couldn’t resist it, didn’t they? TUAW has a review.
• Also in the making me spend more money than I have department, Marvel released their full slate of solicitations for March 2009. Just when I thought I was going to be able to kick my comic book habit, those bastards reel me back in with stories about who will be the next Sorceror Supreme, and news that the Sisterhood of Evil Mutants is finally assembled and ready to destroy the X-Men once and for all (I’m still holding out hope that they’ve duped Firestar into joining and that she’ll somehow escape their grasp and rocket to new levels of superstardom as a member of the X-Men or something).
• It’s Christmas and I’m getting tired, so let’s finish this puppy up…
• Apple announced that their appearance at 2009’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco would be their last appearance at Macworld. They also announced that Steve Jobs would not give his customary keynote address. Apple fanatics promptly lost their shit, but TUAW provided a sane look at why this decision was probably inevitable.
• In crossover news: Who knew that Nine Inch Nails was using a MacBook Pro and Logic Studio to replace racks of equipment on their latest tour. I certainly didn’t. To think that this tour was so much more awesome than usual, but that they used so much less equipment to make it happen… That rules.
• This does not rule: Nine Inch Nails wrapped up their Lights in the Sky tour, and are currently prepping for a final wave of dates before calling it quits for the foreseeable future. There was news recently that Lights in the Sky would not be captured on film, which most NIN fans who had the pleasure of seeing the show would say is a total travesty. But there is also news that fans who attended the Las Vegas show are assembling a fan-made DVD. The project even has a Website: This One’s On Us (a reference to Trent Reznor’s comment, on the release of The Slip earlier this year, that that one [The Slip] was on him).
• In Lost news: Jack finally shaves and The Powers That Be answer questions in these clips provided by DarkUFO.
• Also: lots of people in Dharma jumpsuits that I never thought I’d see in Dharma jumpsuits can be seen in these pictures snagged by Dark and his associates.
• AND, a new promo is out that made me go, “Huh? What?!?”
• AND, cute postcards, direct from the island, are begging me not to be a stranger, and reminding me that the island cures what ails me.
• Oh, and there’s a Lostpedia interview with Michael Emerson, too.

And yeah, I think that’s where I’ll call it a night. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and all that.

Worth Your Consideration #020

• There are lots of interesting Lost links popping up. Among them, the scoop on a casting call for an Arabic-fluent 12-year-old that might be a younger version of the show’s resident Iraqi assassin; two new(ish) trailers for season five; a full scene from the fifth season premiere; a transcript of a chat with show producers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof; and news that Evangeline Lilly and Jorge Garcia were spotted filming a scene together that somehow involved a vehicle that shall remain nameless, so as to not cross that line between teasing and spoiling.
• In comics news, the first official photo of Gambit from the upcoming Wolverine film has made its online debut, courtesy of IESB.net. Harry Knowles at Ain’t It Cool delivers a predictably snarky micro-review of the news. I don’t think the image is half as bad as Mr. Knowles apparently does. But, regardless of which side of the debate you come down on, you have to agree: it’s only one picture! It’s not enough to base expectations on, as Knowles suggests we do.
• Newsarama has a positive review of Secret Invasion #8, the conclusion of Marvel’s Secret Invasion crossover and the beginning of their new line-wide Dark Reign storyline. I, for one, loved Secret Invasion, and think that the Marvel Universe it is leaving behind in its wake is a far more compelling milieu than the one we were reading about pre-Invasion.
• Jeff Bridges rules for many reasons—his performance in The Big Lebowski comes to mind—and here’s a new reason: He shot a shitload of behind the scenes photos while on the set of Iron Man, and he’s decided to share them with the world. [link courtesy of Colin Devroe]
• Harry Potter fans are rejoicing this week, thanks to the release of the latest Potter spinoff book, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. But there has also been news on the film adaptation front. Daniel Radcliffe and Alan Rickman have each done interviews on the end of the series (to E! Online and SciFi Wire, respectively). [Thanks to Mugglenet and The Leaky Cauldron, as always, for pointing the way.]
• I’ve never been a big fan of BusySync or SpanningSync, a pair of services which charge for something I’ve always felt should be easy and free: Google Calendar-to-Apple iCal synchronization. That’s why this week’s news that Google Calendar and iCal are now “officially” playing nice together was awesome to hear. This functionality is going to play a big role in how I manage calendar synchronization and sharing between Stephanie’s account and my account on our iMac.
• Boxee, a service which I’ve used to add new functionality to my awesome Apple TV, has just launched a new version which integrates support for online streaming from TheWB, from MTVMusic.com (MTV’s place for music videos online), and from Boston.com’s Big Picture photo-blog. I’m wicked psyched to install the update over the weekend. I loved my Apple TV, and Boxee is only making the experience that much better.
• There’s very disappointing news from the Nine Inch Nails camp this week. A planned film project, which would have documented the amazing show the band is putting on during its current North American tour (see my review here), has been scrapped. Trent Reznor broke the news on nin.com in a post where he also reiterated that this tour will probably be the last time the band does something of this size and scope. An update to the story notes that the camcorder policy at tonight’s stop in Victoria, BC will be “very relaxed”. My Canadian brothers and sisters: you know what to do.
• In happier NIN news, the band is up for two Grammys this year, one for “34 Ghosts IV” (Best Rock Instrumental Performance) and one for Ghosts I-IV as a whole (Best Boxed Set or Limited Edition Package).
• And, in closing, Jason Kottke points us in the direction of a video that spoils 100 movies in less than four minutes. Definitely check that out. And when you’re done with that, be sure to visit Metafilter for links to a slew of people covering the Kermit the Frog classic, “The Rainbow Connection”.

Geek Force Utterz #053 - Change-Hate

Hey, boys and girls! Today’s episode of Geek Force Utterz features a whole heckuva lot of bellyaching from our old pal ChrisClark. Please consider yourself forewarned. But please, also, do give the episode a chance. There’s loads of fun to be had in listening to Chris complain about inconsequential things like podcasts not syncing to his iPhone and comics coming out a day late this week, thanks to Thanksgiving. You can listen in via the embed above, or by visiting Utterli.com.

Marvel Mythos and Media #5 - Ms. Marvel, Part Two

Mythos:

New to Marvel Mythos and Media? Please check out my previous columns!

When I left you last, we were just beginning a three-part look into the history of Ms. Marvel. If you haven’t checked out her extremely confusing origin, please visit my previous column and attempt to get the basics.

I have no idea what turns her eyes white when she puts on that little domino mask, but it drives a grown man wild.

Okay, if you’ve read the first column on Ms. Marvel, you know that she was Marvel’s attempt at being “hip” to feminism. As previously detailed, the attempts were amateurish at best, even under the pen of talented comics scribe Chris Claremont. However, Claremont did make a major change to Ms. Marvel that was very beneficial to all six people buying the book on a monthly basis; he cleared up the story angle involving multiple personalities. Before we get to that point, let’s look at what took up Ms. Marvel’s time while she waited for that necessary reboot.

Desperate for villains, Claremont seemed to think that the dynamic of having a large Cro-Magnon man would set up a nice comparison. The liberated woman destroys the misogynistic man? Whether or not that’s the intended metaphor, it’s given to the reader through some very suspect dialogue between Ms. Marvel and this goon who goes by the name of Grotesk. In what’s become a comic book cliché, he’s from an underground civilization that hates humanity because we unknowingly destroyed them.

Every single villain needs to first mention that Ms. Marvel is a woman. What clued you in first? The breasts or the lack of a bulge through the spandex, you idiot?!

Never heard of Grotesk? There’s a reason for that. Depressingly, long and drawn out battles with this hairy chump consume several issues at the beginning of Claremont’s arc on the book. When he finally disappears, Ms. Marvel’s best feud comes as a result of a run-in with AIM, a terrorist organization that is based in the Marvel universe. Specifically, she clashes with a former commander of AIM named MODOK. His acronym stands for Mobile/Mental Operative Designed Only for Killing. If you’re unfamiliar, he’s a big head in a flying wheelchair that looks scarily like a fetus.

Feel bad for MODOK’s mom? Imagine pushing that head out during the birthing process!

Though he’d return to torment Ms. Marvel, you never get the sense that Ms. Marvel is in any real danger. After all, MODOK was never intended to be much of a physical threat. Instead, like many other Ms. Marvel villains, he relies on a beam that shoots out of his head. One wonders where this “head beam” technology is originating and what one could do to stop it. 

Needing a change of scenery, Ms. Marvel finds her way back to Florida to watch an old friend go into space. Predictably, said friend is endangered. Having plumbed the angle of sexist villains who doubt they can fall to a “woman”, Ms. Marvel was given a villainess. Finally, somebody of her own gender to battle. Predictably, Marvel didn’t over-sexualize this villainess in any way, giving her plain looks and a normal physique. Yes, that’s sarcasm. Bring on the boobs, Marvel.

I don’t see any conflict between attempts to espouse the tenets of feminism AND having all females look like models with bulging cleavage. Do you?

This character, Hecate, played up to her moniker. Hecate is the name of a pre-Olympian Greek goddess who’s portrayed as good or evil depending on the hands crafting the story at the time. Eventually, it’s revealed that this Hecate isn’t evil-incarnate, even teaming up with Ms. Marvel to take down her ambitious cronies once they turn on her. Before that can happen, though, Hecate forces Ms. Marvel to confront the truth about her dual personalities.

Why does this cheesy moment seem so familiar?

“That’s not true! That’s impossible!”

Though the reveal is unforgivably melodramatic, it cleared up the annoying dual personality storylines and allowed for much greater freedom with the character. No longer bound, one would think that the storylines would improve greatly. While facets of character development regarding Carol Danvers improved, her supporting cast and rogues’ gallery continued to be less than stellar. Enter Steeplejack.

Not only does she get another reject-villain that even I had never heard of upon first read, she gets the lame successor of said reject.

Continuing to ram the feminist angle down our throats, this issue introduces us to Carol’s father, Joe Danvers. Hoisting stereotype upon stereotype, Joe is a construction worker. Joe also happens to be a raving misogynist who disapproves of his working daughter, wondering when she’s going to settle down and get married. Working for a crooked job site, it’s he who initially runs afoul of the new Steeplejack. 

Ah, speakin’ in contractions and losin’ unnecessary consonants. That’s all us lower class chumps do, ya’ know?

Predictably, when a woman who can crush bricks is put up against a loser named Steeplejack, whose best gimmick is shooting a nail gun, this is going to be a one and done storyline. By the end, Steeplejack is gone and Dad Danvers is still a raving sexist, having not really learned his lesson. Perhaps the oddest part about this issue is a random appearance by Dracula, which would lead to nowhere in the coming issues. Was Dracula being considered for a run at Ms. Marvel? Who knows? He had a successful run battling the X-Men, and he would have at least been an upgrade over Steeplejack.

On a random aside, does anybody else think the Marvel version of Drac is an ode to Vincent Price? The resemblance is uncanny.

Oddly, this stumbling about after she’s found herself continues into the next few issues, another C-list villain appearance that would lead to nowhere. A water-based villain, Tiger Shark typically fought Namor, but he and Ms. Marvel tussle through an odd turn of events that leads to Ms. Marvel forcing to fight him in order to save Namor’s cousin, the poorly named Namorita. Never heard of her? Well, she’s dead, anyway, and you didn’t miss much when she was alive.

Hard to believe, but Ms. Marvel is nearly defeated by this doofus.

After defeating Tiger Shark, the series would hit a few high notes and a few more valleys of suck before its cancellation. Return next time for our last look at Ms. Marvel!

Media:

In Media, we’re going to be taking a look at the lineage of the late, great Captain Marvel. He’s the gentleman who is the founder of this feast so to speak, having a hand in creating a number of interesting situations in Marvel Comics and its media.

No wiseass cracks for this guy. Great character with a great look!

As mentioned in the first article on Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel was a Kree warrior who fought alongside Earth’s heroes from time to time, showing a great deal of moral fortitude. Powered through psionic abilities that were amplified through the bands he wore around his wrists, he was able to fly, generate energy, and was granted super-strength. Sadly, his tenure in the Marvel universe would come to an untimely end. On the bright side, his poignant death was captured in a very well known one-off written by Jim Starlin.

Very bleak cover, but it conveys the mood.

The interesting thing about his death was that he was laid low by something very pedestrian, at least in the superhero sense. Captain Marvel contracted incurable cancer. While the manner in which he contracted it is a bit fantastic, toxic gas from a villain battle, the death is handled professionally and in a surprisingly gentle fashion for a mainstream graphic novel. He passes quietly in bed, surrounded by friends. Indeed, his death is known as one of the most well-written and poignant in comics’ lore.

However, controversy would spring up when Captain Marvel recently reappeared during the Civil War storyline, during which Marvel’s superheroes fought amongst themselves. However, in the subsequent storyline, the Skrull Invasion, it was revealed that this Captain Marvel was a Skrull imposter. The awesome part of this is that the Skrull was imprinted so heavily with Captain Marvel’s pure, moral personality that he went rogue, fighting for Earth before perishing!

The inner conflict begins for the Skrull Mar-Vell.

However, the Kree race, their long-time enemies, just found out that the Skrull Empire got one more dig in, this time at their most famed hero. To say that the Kree are pissed and looking for revenge is a bit of an understatement. Where that will lead is anybody’s guess, but expect it to be bloody and to involve Captain Marvel’s son, the heir to the Kree superhero position AND an heir to the Skrull throne!

So with that, we arrive at another comic controversy, Captain Marvel’s son, the Hulkling of the Young Avengers. Why controversial? Firstly, he’s the son of Marvel and a Skrull princess. So, he has a claim to both races and abilities of both. He can shape-shift, but possesses the extreme strength of his father. He was pivotal during the Civil War storyline, helping the rebels under Captain America achieve a near-victory before Cap commanded a surrender.

Teddy, Marvel’s son, in civilian form.

Teddy is set to become a major shaker in the Marvel universe some day, but that might lead to major heat for Marvel Comics as a company. The reason for this is that Teddy is, as far as I know, the most mainstream gay character in comics. Marvel has been less than shy lately about acknowledging the sly hints of a relationship between him and fellow Avenger, Wiccan. They have even referred to each other as “boyfriends” in recent issues.

Teddy in fighting form with his boyfriend, Wiccan.

I like to think that I, like most comic fans, am accepting of any sort of lifestyle. If anything, I’d be excited because it represents a big step forward in mainstream comics and would open up some interesting storylines. However, I do worry about what will happen if Teddy is given a boost in importance along the lines of Ms. Marvel, which appears to be in the works. Will fundamentalists balk even though most comic readers are no longer underage? Only time will tell what the future will hold for the family line of Captain Marvel.

*All black and white images used are from Marvel Comics’ Essential Ms. Marvel.

Geek Force Utterz #045 - Comics Rant

After a day off, Geek Force Utterz returns with a cut-off episode about comic books, their publishing schedules, and their skyrocketing prices. If it weren’t for the thirty-second cellphone dead zone I pass through on my way to work, you would have gotten to hear even more. But, for now, take a listen via the embed above or by visiting Utterli.com.

Marvel Mythos and Media #4 - Ms. Marvel, Part One

Mythos:

New to Marvel Mythos and Media? Please check out my previous columns!

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to be taking a look at Ms. Marvel.  While previously abused and maligned by the Marvel Universe, she has reemerged in recent years as a major character in Marvel, even being tapped by Tony “Iron Man” Stark to head up the Mighty Avengers!  Clearly, Ms. Marvel has become a major mover and shaker in the Marvel universe.

She’s back, and she apparently has the same plastic surgeon as Demi Moore.

Who is Ms. Marvel, though?  If you’re a casual fan and you’re scratching your head, don’t feel lost.  Most hardcore comic fans know precious little about the origins of the character.  In fact, to trace the crazy evolution of this character, we’re going to have to journey all the way back to the popularization of superhero comics themselves.  That means traveling back to 1938 and the creation of a character named Superman.  I know he’s not a Marvel character, but bear with me.

With the success of Superman and others, superheroes started springing up all over the place.  One of these mighty heroes went by the name of Captain Marvel.  Possessing similar powers to Superman and a similar look, he had a much different origin involving magic.  Though there were stark differences, the similarities were obvious to all.

Totally different color scheme means no copyright infringement, right?

With a hefty amount of litigation, the publishers of Superman pulverized Captain Marvel into oblivion.  Thus, Captain Marvel was fundamentally buried under legal tape while Superman went on to become the most recognizable superhero icon from comic books. Eventually, this Captain Marvel would become owned by DC Comics, the very company that owned Superman.  Thus, in a crazy bit of irony, the supposed Superman copycat has become a contemporary.

The only mortal badass enough to hold his own with Superman!

Well, we’re going to be looking at another Captain Marvel.  Confused?  Well, during the time this Captain Marvel was hung up in litigation, Marvel Comics had a great idea.  It was 1967 and the copyright had been shot to hell on the Captain Marvel name, so they created their own Captain Marvel!

Marvel’s Captain Marvel.  Getting an ice cream headache yet?

Well, this Captain Marvel was a Kree warrior by the name of Mar-Vell.  The Kree are an alien race that exists in the Marvel Universe and is quite warlike.  While on Earth battling another Kree, a NASA security chief named Carol Danvers was caught in the middle. After the battle, she ended up with superpowers as the result of an explosion and fought crime as a female counterpart of Captain Marvel. 

Bared midriff? Scandalous!

Why is Ms. Marvel important?  Beyond her importance in Marvel today, the reason is that she was Marvel’s inept attempt at recognizing women’s liberation.  Intended to be written as an enlightened and modern woman, Ms. Marvel is handled shabbily in spots and stretches.  This is shocking, because much of this early history is penned by the great Chris Claremont.  For those unfamiliar, Claremont would eventually have a heavy hand in the history of X-Men, creating characters such as Jubilee, Gambit, Rogue, Sabretooth, etc.  If you’re a casual fan who has seen the movies, he’s the writer that penned that famous Jean Grey turns into Phoenix storyline, the inspiration for X-Men III.

Originally, Carol’s powers were explained as being the suit she wore as Ms. Marvel, but it’s eventually revealed that she herself possesses the strength and flying ability.  However, here is where things get tricky: Carol is suffering from a split personality.  Carol is unaware that she is Ms. Marvel.  Spontaneously changing into this super-being, Ms. Marvel will begin flying around, speaking of her Kree heritage while unaware of Carol.

With an origin this hung up and confusing, this series needed some serious grounding.  The original writer of the book, Gerry Conway, sent Ms. Marvel to that favorite of Marvel superhero spots: New York.  As a career switch to magazine editor, she created the magazine Woman for renowned misogynist J. Jonah Jameson, the editor of the Daily Bugle and boss to one Peter Parker, aka Spider-man.

Not only does he have to hire a woman, he has to pay one? What is the world coming to?!

Clearly, the women’s lib message is being crammed down the throats of the reader at this juncture.  The title is also affected by a glut of male villains spouting insults about her gender, saying such drivel as “I’ll never be defeated by a woman!” Considering this “woman” can punch holes in a building, I’m not sure there’s a lot of shame in getting your butt handed to you.  Furthermore, the series is harmed by a series of Carol’s “dates”, a line of anonymous men with zero personality, meant to showcase her sexual liberation.  A ho-hum psychiatrist was the most consistent suitor.

Yeah, he figured it out.  It doesn’t matter, though. He’s a loser.

In another ridiculous allusion to the powers of the fairer sex, Ms. Marvel was granted a “seventh sense” that would give her premonitions about upcoming events.  Why is it called the seventh sense?  Answers are elusive, but one would guess that it’s a tongue-in-cheek reference to a sixth sense, ESP.  In my experiences, the possession of a sixth sense is used most often in reference to females.

I sense the cancellation of this series...

Over the first few issues, armed with her powers, Ms. Marvel is forced to slog through poorly written feminist-oriented personal situations and several lousy villains.  Firstly, as seen in the shot of her seventh sense, Ms. Marvel ended up with a B-list Spider-man villain by the name of the Scorpion.  While he’s become more respectable in recent years due to his parading around as the new Venom, at this juncture in time, he was nothing more than a goon with a goofy suit.

Get used to this move.  The tail swipe is about the only move this guy has.

Still, even the Scorpion was better than the Destructor.  With the tired evil scientist handle, this Cro-Magnon looking fool got himself a special “beam” weapon, mounted it on his melon, and figured he was good to go.  I could make fun of this gentleman for entire paragraphs, but I’ll let the picture tell the story.

I was going to rag on him for being the Destructor, but I guess anything’s better than Kerwin Korman.

By the end of the first few arcs, Ms. Marvel was still suffering and so were the readers.  The split personality was resulting in havoc for Carol and Ms. Marvel and leaving readers with a spot of irritation.  After Claremont came on board for Ms. Marvel #4, there would be a general improvement.  Come back next week to take a look at how Carol and Ms. Marvel would inevitably become one.

I wouldn’t trust that cabbie. He has that “date-rape” look to him.

Media:

This is going to be a depressingly thin media this week because of the lack of attention given to Ms. Marvel.  Her appearances in other media forms have been brief and lacking pop.  Drudging through my personal memories, I do know that she made a brief appearance in the X-Men cartoon that ran during the early 1990s, but it’s nothing more than quick encounter with Rogue, a member of the X-Men.  The two have quite a history, one that we’ll explore in coming weeks.

I loved this show so much as a kid, but God, it looks so goofy to me now.

Carol Danvers has also appeared in numerous “altiverses”, differing versions of the Marvel universe.  For instance, her character in the Ultimate Marvel universe is a kick-butt Shield agent.  While she’s appeared and is as physically and mentally competent as her regular universe counterpart, we’ve yet to see her appear as Ms. Marvel.

She just has government spook written all over her in that get-up.

Thin, huh?  Well, with the depressing past wrapped up, let’s look at the future.  In recent film hits such as Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk, an Avengers movie is a foregone conclusion.  This is cemented by the fact that the remainder of the original Avengers, Captain America and Thor, will be receiving their own treatments in film.  With a dearth of female members, there just might be a chance for Ms. Marvel to slip into the line-up and provide some punch.  Fans of Ms. Marvel, start your email campaigns now and let them know that “The Wasp” isn’t enough!  See you next time!

*All black and white images used are from Marvel Comics’ Essential Ms. Marvel.

Geek Force Utterz #041 - Comic Book Coverage

Can a guy who has stopped collecting comic books keep writing about comic books on his Website? That’s the question I’m pondering in today’s episode of Geek Force Utterz, which you can listen to via the embed above or by visiting Utterli.com.

Geek Force Utterz #036 - Lost RPG?

I’m still behind on getting the site back on track (next week is looking more likely right now), but I have been thinking a lot about what I’m going to do, once I have time to do something. One of the things I’ve been thinking about is a bi-weekly comics column (alternating weeks with Shawn Lampron’s, which I promise is coming back really soon) focused on my past experiences with comic books and comic book stores. And thinking about that got me thinking about role playing games, specifically Rifts, and specifically how the more sci-fi parts of the Lost mythology remind me of Rifts campaigns I used to dream of running before everyone I played RPGs with got sick of Rifts altogether.

Listen in to today’s call via the embed above or via Utterli.com, then add your two cents in the comments.

Geek Force Utterz #031 - Giving Up the Habit

After a few days in Philly—Go Phils, by the way!—and a few days off to recover from the conference I helped to organize there, I’m back to a quasi-normal schedule today. In today’s episode of Geek Force Utterz, I talk a bit about what’s been going on this past week before I move on to the topic of comic book addiction and how I’m working to break the habit. It all begins with my decision to drop Amazing Spider-Man from my pull-list. Listen in to learn more.

And remember, there’s always the good old direct-play option at Utterli.com if you can’t see/hear the embed above.

Geek Force Utterz #028 - In-Flight Entertainment?

I finally got the chance to see Iron Man over the weekend, and it was great. Today the whole experience gets even greater with the release of the second interconnected Marvel Comics movie, The Incredible Hulk, and you can be damned sure that I’ll be downloading it from iTunes as soon as I get home tonight.

But this got me wondering about when I’ll have time to watch it. I have flights back and forth to Philadelphia coming up this week, but I’m pretty sure that they won’t be long enough to allow for the viewing of a whole movie.

What do you do for in-flight entertainment, Geek Forcers? In this age when we can watch movies, play video games, or even go old-school and read ourselves a book, what is the best way to pass the time on an airplane? How do you keep yourselves from constantly dwelling on the fact that it could turn into a fiery wreck at any given moment? Let me know in the comments.

Can’t see/hear the embed above? Listen on Utterli.com instead.