Review: COMICS: Saturday Night Live!

Comics: Saturday Night Live
Written by Chad Lambert
Art by Patricio Carbajal
Colors by Michael Langdale
Letters by Jaymes Reed
Cover by Rovel Yumul
Bluewater Productions
Release date: April 11, 2012
Cover Price: $3.99
Paperback | Digital

Like many pop culture fanatics, I was raised on television. An only child with few friends in my neighborhood, I watched a lot of TV. I was especially fond of late night television, even when I was just hearing the highlights from my mom talking about it with her friends. At church on Sunday mornings, I would hear the adults dish about Saturday Night Live, which aired the night before. Since then, anytime I get emotional about a given situation, I say, “I’m getting verklempt. Tawlk amongst yourselves.” SNL has not only been an institution in American television, but for me it’s been a teaching tool about humor, political commentary, and popular culture.

Geeks Who Care: Wonder Woman Costume for a Cause Contest

Have you ever dreamed of being Wonder Woman? Who hasn't really. If you've ever dreamed of being a superhero and saving the day, HalloweenCostumes.com is giving you your chance. They're giving away $500, a video camera, and a Wonder Woman costume to the person who comes up with the best project. It doesn't matter how old you are and even guys can enter, because everybody can be Wonder Woman! The rules are simple, you have to live in the United States and submit the best deed that you would do as Wonder Woman for a day.

Talking Dead and Comic Book Men Renewed for Season 2

Things seem to be pretty good over at AMC, the station formerly known as American Movie Classics that has gone from being a go-to source for golden-era Hollywood films to gritty, original programming. With hits such as The Walking Dead and Mad Men, fans have come to expect a lot out of the cable channel. In a release today, executives unveiled their plans to not only renew the network's newest shows The Talking Dead and Comic Book Men, they are extending their run from thirteen episodes to sixteen. Both shows are part of the network's Sunday night line-up and follow the series The Walking Dead, based on the comic book by Kentucky-native Robert Kirkman.


The Talking Dead, hosted by 'The Nerdist' Chris Hardwick, invites celebrity guests in a panel-style discussion of the night's episode of TWD. The show has featured Felicia Day, as well as stars of the show and Kirkman himself. The reality show Comic Book Men follows the staff of director Kevin Smith's New Jersey comic book shop Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash. In addition to the documentary style of the show, the podcast which Smith leads is part of every episode, recounts the adventures of the week. According to the AMC Blog, Neilson ratings place Comic Book Men as one of the most engaging reality programs on television. Both Hardwick and Smith are very happy with the news about their AMC programming. Smith was quoted as saying,  

"A thousand thank you's wouldn't cover the gratitude I'm feeling right now. And as you might imagine, everyone at SModcast Pictures is in love with everyone at AMC today! Rest assured, Walt, Bry, Mike, Ming and I are suited up and ready to hit the ice for our second season with Team AMC."

  Hardwick shared similar elation.  

"Talking Dead has been an amazing experience and I cannot pile enough hugs and thanks onto AMC for renewing it. I CAN'T WAIT for Season 3 of Walking Dead, so that we can finally talk about Rick meeting [SPOILER] and [SPOILER]-ing him with a heavy-duty [SPOILER] at the [SPOILER]. And let's not forget all the rest of the [SPOILER]s getting in on the action! [EXPLETIVE] me! It's going to be great..."

  According to network executives, both programs fit the model that AMC strives for in creating engaging original programming. While both television shows feature "real" people, they do tell unique stories and create "authentic characters." Both programs should be back in the fall to correspond with the premier of season three of The Walking Dead.

Are you a fan of these two programs? Leave a note in the comments and tell me what you think of them!

This article appeared on Word of the Nerd Online on May 10, 2012.

EPIC GIVEAWAY: lots of free stuff from KGG at LCTC!

 Alrighty folks, the time has come where I let you all know the details of the giveaways that I'll be doing at Lexington Comic & Toy Convention! Some great people have graciously donated items for me to give away, so I'll be having giveaways every hour beginning at 11:00 AM (the second hour of the convention.) Items include: Batman soap from GEEKSOAP.net and prizes from The Morris Bookshop, Apex Publications, and DriveThruRPG.com

The Legend of Korra gets a release date and new trailer!

I first watched Avatar: The Last Airbender a couple of summers ago. Using my powers of the Fire nation, I burned right through the series and I was so sad that when I watched the finale. When I found out that there was going to be a new series on Nickelodeon, I rejoiced with the masses. As of today, we finally know how much longer fans will have to wait: the new series The Legend of Korra will premiere on April 14! Check out the brand new trailer after the break.

New Amazing Spider-Man Trailer Released - Glimpse of Lizard and Peter Parker's Parents!

On Tuesday,  the newest trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man was introduced to the world. Now, it's a trending topic on Twitter. And why not? It looks like a great film! Andrew Garfield is really witty with this portrayal of Peter Parker with lines like, "You seriously think I’m a cop, in a skintight red-and-blue suit?" It seems like there will also be a very interesting relationship between Spiderman and the NYPD, something that wasn't exactly explored in the Sam Raimi trilogy. And what about the villain? We get to see the origin of Lizard (Rhys Ifans), as Parker tries to investigate about his own past. I think that it's a good thing to call this "the Untold Story" because it really is. Marc Webb's adaptation is a lot more gritty and much darker than the three Raimi films. Hopefully there won't be a dance number and emo Peter Parker. 

The Amazing Spider-Man slings into theaters July 3, 2012.   

Be sure to check out Word of the Nerd for more posts from me and more geek news!

Have you hugged your nerd today?  

Aspen Comics Now Available for Nook

The digital comics revolution is alive and well, as Aspen Comics has teamed up with Graphicly to make the company's popular titles available on the digital market for the Nook e-reader. The digitization of comic books is as much of a contentious topic as e-books were when e-readers were first introduced, but Aspen is confident that their titles being available through Nook's e-reader, tablet, and smart phone applications will help increase readership and ultimately allow more people to appreciate comic books.  

 

“We’re excited to work alongside Graphicly to deliver our wonderful library of Aspen titles to a new audience and platform on the Nook. In addition to our launch collections, we will be working quickly to add to the number of books available, so fans can look forward to seeing even more new collected series on the horizon shortly.”

Titles at this initial launch will be available by collection only, so prices will vary. Aspen titles included in the initial launch on the Nook include: The Aspen Extended Edition, Executive Assistant: Iris Volume One, Fathom Volume One, Fathom: Cannon Hawke, Fathom: Dawn of War, Fathom: Kiani Volume One, Shrugged Volume One, and Soulfire: Volume One. Check out Barnes and Noble's online store to find the Aspen Comics titles that are available for Nook. Also head over to the Aspen Comics website for more information about their great work and Graphicly for more awesome comic books.

You can find posts by me and more news like this over at Word of the Nerd.

Nerd up!

I pledge allegiance to Captain America

A new theatrical trailer for Captain America was released just a couple of weeks ago, and now that we've hit July 4th, America's Day of Independence, the clock continutes to tick toward the July 22 release date. I made it no secret that I am a strong supporter of Captain America and his message. As an American historian, I believe that though he ws initially created as a piece of political propaganda, there is something genuine and steadfast about this normal guy from Brooklyn who becomes an ultimate warrior for the American way. Come on, this guy is a veteran Nazi-pwner for crying out loud! Superman, to my recollection never beat up any Nazis.

In fact, the very first issue of the Captain America comic, Captain America Comics #1, depicted Cap punching Adolf Hitler square in the jaw. That issue, dated March 1941, went on to sell one million copies. March 1941 was around one year since the fighting of World War II had begun, but only nine months before the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan, the catalyst that would bring the United States into WW2. In Captain America: The First Avenger, our villain is Red Skull, portrayed by Hugo Weaving, who, like Captain America, is a test subject of his country's super-soldier program.

Steve Rogers was horrified by newsreel footage of Nazi soldiers ransacking Europe and the Japanese and Chinese treatment of Korea. So, he attempted to enlist in the military in order to become a soldier for WW2. Ultimately being rejected due to his size and frailty, he is handpicked for the super soldier program. When he becomes Captain America, he goes on a whirlwind tour to boost morale in America.

Captain America: The First Avenger looks like an absolutely fantastic movie and it looks to me like it's stayed true to the comic book story. Chris Evans is no stranger to comic adaptations, of course, portraying Human Torch in both Fantastic Four movies.

Keep an eye out for more Captain America news and a review following the movie's release!

Your Friendly Local Comic Shop: Collectibles, Etc

I believe there is a strong community of folks in the gaming and comic book world that needs to be cultivated. Your Friendly Local Game Shop (or Your Friendly Local Comic Shop) will provide a way for me to highlight such places and give an in-depth review of the store based on the following criteria:

• Initial Impressions 
• Customer Service 
• Atmosphere 
• Selection 
• Value 
• Online Experience 
• Overall Score 

Join me as I venture to these meccas of geekdom.

N.B. As I was thinking of expanding this series, I reminded myself of the fact that, while I feel well versed with the culture of the gaming store, I'm not as well acquainted with that of the comic book store. So, I decided that though I include a rating system in my posts about gaming shops , I will not be doing that in my profiles of comic book shops. I have still kept the criteria in mind while writing the comic shop portion of this series, but I will not be assigning a score.

115 N Locust Hill Dr #106

Lexington KY

(859) 269-6633

Hours: M - Sat 11 am - 8 pm

Sun 1 pm - 6pm

Facebook | Blog

Owner: Tony Florence

The store is located among restaurants and shops on N. Locust Hill Dr near Movie Tavern. Its unobtrusive storefront simply reads Collectibles, Etc. My initial visit was made prior to Free Comic Book Day on May 7 and there was a large banner for it hanging up. I think it was definitely intriguing to passersby and could have drawn them in. Upon entering, I was immediately greeted and asked if I needed any help with anything. I noted, also, the cleanliness and openness of the store.

You can feel the love that the store's owner, Tony Florence, has for this store and the dedication he has to his customers. The store is inviting and you can make yourself comfortable in a reading area. Tony explained that he wanted to create a clean, organized and courteous atmosphere. He said that they want people to be comfortable and enjoy their shopping experience. The store is also extremely family friendly; an entire section is devoted to kids comics as well as board games and action figures. Tony explained that he is very interested in fostering creativity and a love for comics in children. They go out to elementary schools in an effort to education children on the nature of comics and how to enjoy them.

Collectibles not only offers comic books, but they also sell some gaming items as well. Tony said that many comic enthusiasts are also interested in gaming, so he wanted to be able to make sure their varied needs were met. All walls are linted with comics, both trades and volumes. He said that they originally focused on back issues, but removed those large bins and scaled back that inventory. Having more room, they moved the sales counter to the center wall and added island shelving as well. Amazing Spider-man by Dan Slott and FF by Hickman are hot sellers right now. The Green Lantern titles are doing well in the store currently as well. Collectibles also prides itself on the selection of independent titles such as such as Lock & Key (horror/suspense), Sixth Gun (western horror), Morning Glories (think Lost crossed with Buffy), and Walking Dead are doing quite well.

On this trip, I felt very welcome inside the store. The new look really opens it up and makes it more inviting. On my first venture in a few years ago, the employee that was working that afternoon seemed kind of distracted, so he wasn't as receptive to assisting my friends and I. However, on a recent trip to the store, I saw the same employee and he was helping another customer, so it's obvious that everyone has good and bad days. The employees offer helpful recommendations. If you're new to comic books, like I am for the most part, they will take a look at your interests and suggest comics. You can place items on hold and request titles be pulled and saved for you. Prices are fair and comparable to other stores.

I think that Collectibles is a great store with employees who really know their stuff. They care a great deal about their customers and that shows through in their service. You can find Collectibles, Etc on Facebook and on their new blog.

Check out more pictures from the store on my Flickr page! 

Movie Review: The Green Lantern

As I've said before, I'm not a huge comic book aficionado, however, I appreciate comic book movies. I went into seeing Green Lantern with only a basic knowledge of the story of the Green Lantern Corps, but as I am a fan of lore and a good story, I have come to really enjoy the world of the Green Lantern. The very beginning of the movie provides an excellent way for those not in the know to get caught up on the story. The introduction explains who the Corps came into being and the creation of Oa by the Guardians.

America... F*%$ Yeah!

Okay, no, this isn't about Team America: World Police, it's about Captain America! With less than a month to go before release, a new trailer for Captain America: The First Avenger went live today! And holy schniekies, is it amazing. The trailer doesn't skip a beat. I could prattle on about how star-studded this cast is (Tommy Lee Jones, Stanley Tucci, Chris Evans, Hugo Weaving, and Dominic Cooper as Howard Stark) but why don't you just watch this awesomeness for itself? Video after the cut!