Teacher fired for getting married. Wait... what?

I have yet another reason for my grudging dismissal of religion...

Under the ruler, faster than the ruler...

Don't you hate being out smarted by a plush animal?

Give the gift of bacon!

Let's face it, PETA could use some. So could Fox News.

Even I'd like a piece.

And now, you can share the bacon love, too!

Shuttle missions can quack you up...

Whether following the Endeavour mission,

or looking for lost ducks,

it's never a dull day for NASA.

Yeah, that about sums it up.

She's dead, Jim.

Good night, Majel. Ahead warp factor 9.

Asshole!

Getting to know me... getting to know all about me...

Your result for The Are you a SEXY geek test...

The Hip Nerd

52% Sexy!

You are one of those rare geeks that has style! You march to the beat of your own drummer, You enjoy the geeky things in life, but you can mingle in any crowd. As the geek. You definitely love your sci-fi and computers, probably a bit TOO much, but you also know when to put it on the shelf. Supermodels may be out of your league, but you have enough style to date. And you can always download the supermodels later when you get home.

Take The Are you a SEXY geek test at HelloQuizzy

Is it can be list time, yet?

Well, the end of the calendar year is fastly approaching,

which means the arrival of the dreaded year end top ten lists.
But, with all the crap that's been 2008, at least it's good to know

we can get a good chuckle out of it

It all makes sense, now!

Death meets the Internet...

End of an era...

A sad day for beer and Irish pride

as Heineken sets to close the 210 year old

Beamish brewery.

Maiden of Death

Done as a submission for the SXSW Film Festival

Grindhouse trailer competition

where filmmakers were asked to make trailers

for fake exploitation films.

They Live while We Sleep....

Music by Jello Baifra.

Tune in this Christmas!

What would it be without crappy TV holiday specials

on a grainy old set like those traditional shows of yesteryear?

Well, it wouldn't be a BeTaXmaS Christmas, that's for sure.

Be the hit of your Holiday Party...

... or the bane of your fundamentalist family this holiday season

with Lawrence Kelemen's Christmas: The Real Story.

Something for every nutty pagan geek out there!

I present to you the 8 Bit Tarot!

I... I got nuthin'.

Sure, but does he do it in the woods?

And now for something completely different,

a bear shitting prime numbers.

It's like a twenty four hour pajama party!

Happy Day of the Ninja!

Suds around the world!

Take a global trip through the beer brewing countries of the world

via their best domestic brew!

Yay beer!

Beeeeeerrsssss.... Innnnnnn.... Sppppaaaaaacccee..

Figures the first beer brewed from barley grown

in the International Space Station would be Japanese.

"I had a good time"

God Speed, Brenden Foster.

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse...

... they pull out the bacon!

And just in time for Thanksgiving, too.

Here is a Muppets news flash!

Epic Box...

... is Epic!

Just don't pull his finger!

Internet truth in the modern age...?

Once upon a time, within my own youth even,

there was a lot less fetish and a lot more normal.

Now a days it seems that there are all kinds of kinks,

and, as I'm told, they've been around all along;

just that, until now, we hadn't seen them as much.

But these days I really wonder

how much of that is really true,

and how much has just been made

or fed into by today's hyperconnectivity.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

more animals

LOLcats go Rocky Horror.

This is so wrong!

Brik-click Battle Ready!

Ladies and genetlemen, I give you the Lego exo-suit!

It's not dress up, it's cos- HOLY COW CUTE GEEK CHICS!

WoW!

There's just something about a hot geek chic

in a home made costume.

Batsmart?

The new Batmobile?

Um... no.

A thought on Veteran's Day...

Just shut the *F* up, already!

Interviewed by

(Adjusting shock face.)

Fox News, Palin attacks her critics.

My favorite is, at one minute in,

her characterization of bloggers...

Seriously?!

Bowling through the confussion...

Just so we're all in the know on this one, okay?

Nuts to her!

I always knew that Lucy was up to no good.

R.I.P. Phoenix; you'd shown us so much.

After running two months more than planned,

NASA has declared Phoenix, the Martian probe, dead;

after falling silent for over a week.

Good bye little adventurer on your big quest.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

Is this the end of Pinball?!

A sad day that will be, indeed.

Choo-choo to Comic Con?!

Looks like in the not too distant future I might

be able to hop a bullet train to San Diego.

Riding a train to promote Neverland Transit Authority? Priceless!

My idea of Photoshop...

A capella tribute to John Williams

Want to sing along? Lyrics and MP3 available here.

Remember remember the fifth of November!

Happy Guy Fawkes Day!

There is something that's a no right...

Sometimes perspectives from space can be a bit... screwy.

Mind blowing...

I admit this is not my own work;

though, starting next week, I'll be posting mine.

I found it on Reddit.

Yeah, it's just... Wow.

Conspiracies... I sees 'em!

I don't know about you, but it seems odd that

NASA and the Air Force will be sending up a satellite

that's supposed to be monitoring Earth climate change...

without any Earth viewing equipment.

HUH?!

Have we lost touch with the true spirit of Halloween?

C'est nuit de Thiller !

Somewhere in the deepest corners of France, and in one take, comes Thriller!

Dream Home?

Sure. If you want to live like an Ewok.

Bright news on the energy front!

Researchers in Ohio accidentally discover new solar cell material with almost 100% efficiency!

IronChuck says: LISTEN TO THIS!

Just in time for the holidays, Disney Music has put out a tribute album to Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas; entitled Nightmare Revisited.

With Danny Elfman, himself, making a couple of guest appearances on the album, this is more than just a typical cover album. Each track from the original has been re-done, in the style of the particular band that has been chosen for that track.

The result?

Effectively, with such bands on board as Korn (Kidnap the Sandy Claws), Shiny Toy Guns (The Finale), and Amy Lee of Evanesence (Sally's Song), Nightmare has risen above mere musical to the epic status of rock opera; borrowing much of the genre's musical cues. This is heightened by the musical scores an medleys by other one of bands such as DeVotchka (Overture), The Vitamin String Quartet (Jack and Sally Montage), and The Yoshida Brothers (Nabbed).

For me, the album has only two hiccups; one small, and one not so. Rodrigo y Gabriela's "Oogie Boogie's Song" is a fun Spanish style guitar take, but loses just a little, I feel, without the lyrics. And, for the second time (First appearing on a anniversary re release) is Marilyn Manson's very flat and uninspired "This is Halloween".

Over all this is a great album, with a great blend of sounds that culminate in a fantastic new take on, what has become, an all time classic. A definite must have pick for the season, as well as any lover of Nightmare Before Christmas.

Available now from Walt Disney music at finer music retailers in the Soundtrack section.

Rebuilding...

Now this is one heck of a "Under Construction" page!

Looking into the heart of the sun...

The COROT satellite uses a sounding technique

to probe the heart of our sun, and three other stars;

beginning to unlock the mysteries of space's giant nuclear furnaces.

Ron Howard's call to action!

See more Ron Howard videos at Funny or Die

Thanks to Highfly for updating me on the video.

30Years?! Awesome!

Stylish, long lasting, and good for the environment -

Frog Design unveils its LED Bulb;

a mercury free lighting alternative

with an estimated life of 30 years!

Hope.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

As a once upon a time web comic creator

- soon to be, again -

I am always on the hunt for new web comics to read, absorb, and enjoy.

Well, I'm pleased to give you a new web comic site that started as an idea for a anthology magazine for local Toronto creators. The magazine idea never made it, but the idea blossomed into its own web board.

I give you Transmission X.

Scary Haunts for you Holiday!

Looking for a creepy place to spend this Halloween?
Well, here's a few destination ideas.

One Dark night at a Museum...

Goth goes on display at museum in New York City.

Does that mean we've gone legit?

Smile!

It's time for a little positive reinforcement.

IronChuck says: LISTEN TO THIS!

CD Baby describes it as;

"Cinematic ethereal, spaghetti western flavored retro-futuristic music with powerful female vocals. A sweeping, cinematic, wide-screen journey that combines ethereal sound scapes with surf-tinged guitar. Perfect for those late night rides across the desert with the top down. Uniquely original retro-futurism."

Yeah, sure; that's a good start.

But The Lost Patrol needs to be heard to be believed.

Reverbed guitar, slick production, and haunting vocals give this album

an utterly other world feeling; like surf meeting city

down a lone highway on a warm night.

So, go have a listen, then get yourself a copy!

Looking for a unique holiday destination?

Well, I've got ten odd museums for you to see.

Illusion of the Doll Face

Checkmate!

Speared the anime!

Britney goes Japanese!

Enter LOL Sandman...

I can haz funny Metalica comments now?

Covered in greatness!

Popular Photography presents their list of

the top 100 album covers of all time.

Talk about a movie mash-up!

Hari Puttar: A Comedy of Terrors

Zombie fiction? That's a felony!

Just ask William Poole, whose grandparents

found his English assignment

and turned him over to authorities.

Wow, I bet it'll be awkward

at Thanksgiving dinner.

A couple of days...

... in the life of Homer Simpson.

What is the square root of funny?

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you

Earth's Premiere Science Comedian.

Palin as President?

The gods help us if it ever happened!

(Hint: try mousing over everything!)

Looking for a new $10 approach to decorating your basement?

Have you thought about Sharpie markers?

Hallowindow!

Would you trick or treat this house?

Cosplay: FAIL

Talk about a mash-up!

What do you get when you mix a ukelel, a baby toy piano, and a kazoo?

You get magic!

Animals do the darnest things!

I swear, there's no LOLCats, here.

Just lots of pictures of funny animals.

Now that's class...?

Looking to get laid in style... good, or bad?

Well, then, Germany is your place.

Figuring out the financial crisis...

... with help from the gang at Red versus Blue.

The Year in Beer!

Time for a reality check.

I was an impressionable Hollywood child...

Six things Hollywood tries to teach kids... wrongly.

Let's get Spasmodic!

Safe for work porn!

Nathan Fillion wants to nail Aria Giovanni!

Nailing Your Wife Girls SPIKE.com

IronChuck Says: READ THIS!

The third, and (sadly) final volume of the Eisner Award winning series, Batman: Black and White is now available from DC Comics; collecting thirty three shorts from some of comics most dynamic and up and coming.

This is Batman the way he was, the way he is, and the way he should be. Gritty tales of the battle on the streets, of hope, and of courage. Each tale is a stand alone short told in stunning Black and white detail. (With one exception.) Gleaned are insights into Bruce Wayne, Gotham City, and the mad inhabitants that dwell within it.

Available now at Finer comic shops and book retailers now. Published by DC Comics. 288 pages. B&W. $19.99

Still down and out...

Yep, it's been a month, and my home internet issues have yet to be resolved.

Still working on it, though.

Down, but not out...

You've probably noticed a lack of posts over the past week.

That's because the home computer has died.

We're working on getting a new one hooked up,

and getting back on line this week.

Sorry for the inconvenience.

Possibly the best Guinness ad ever...

So, naturally, the ad is red linked to remind you

it's a little not safe for work.

Some memes never get old...

Gentlemen... my card.

Thinking of making the coolest business card ever?

70 people beat you to it.

Liquid metal art

I imagine that no "Sarah Conner" will be allowed into the show...

Remember when...

... afternoon cartoons didn't suck?

That's okay; I haven't seen it, either...

Oops...

This is kind of funny, so naturally it needs to be here.

Turns out Bono was out in the south of France at his villa and decided to blare new music from the up coming album, tentatively called "No Line on the Horizon" for all to hear. Well, a passer bye did, in fact, hear it, and recorded it.

Then he did what comes naturally. He posted them on Youtube.

If you just tried that link, you'll notice something rather odd. It seems, to keep as neutral as possible, the video is still up, but the audio has been disabled.

So, we have an notoriously egocentric band that's out for file sharing blood leaking their own music and then getting Youtube to mute it so it can keep as neutral as possible - keeping as many happy as possible during its own legal woes.

I don't know about any of you, but I smell the stink of a publicity stunt.

Just another day in Imperial San Francisco...

That boy was our last hope...

I guess it's truly the last sign;

the final death cry of a diseased giant finally passing...

Lucas gets Ain't It Cool to "unpublish" it's brutal review of Clone Wars.

Let it go, George... let it go.

Update: Ain't It Cool's offical comment.

Heading for the last blue screen of death?

Good bye Windows?

Cue the big synth organ!

I don't know what deserves the comment; the fact we picked up a signal,

or the fact that no one has reported it... until now?!

I... I got nuthin'.

Nerd humor...

Don McMillan is an engineer, but at least he's Technically Funny;

and he's got a Powerpoint presentation to prove it, too.

Remember when...?

Danny Phantom spotted in Florida High School!

I know it's too early for ghost stories, but...

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

So, right off the top, I'll admit that this is a rediscovery, and not a new book. It's amazing what one can find when one cleans out there somewhat large comic book library.

Set early in the 22nd century, against the backdrop of a post near apocalyptic world, comes Masamunie Shirow's Appleseed. Deunan Knute, the only daughter of a career special ops soldier, and her cyborg companion Briareos, have made due in the badlands until they are recruited to immigrate to the Utopian city of Olympus; a new, independent state set up on an artificial island. Amid the chaos of old world super powers and terrorist wars, they are the new beacon of hope for civilization.

Or, are they?

Once within the cover of the protective city, revelations of genetic engineering, political maneuvering, and clandestine forces find Deunan and Bri caught in the scheming crossfire of divided factions fighting for control of the city, and the very nature of mankind, itself.

As typical with all of Shirow's work, the story is ripe with plot twists, political commentary, and action. For the art, it, too, is full of the usual Shirow level quality; with lush, detailed cityscapes, as well as comprehensive mech, blazing weaponry, and rich urban sprawl. The main cast of players are well layered, each with his or her own history; and interact with each other very engagingly.

The only negative thing I can really say about this title is that, after four collected volumes, it's been left hanging. And, it's been hanging for a while, now. Though there have been a couple of small back up releases and the end of 2007, at this time Shirow has no immediate plans to pick up the story.

Volumes 1 - 4, plus "Hypernotes" are avaialable from Dark Horse comics in B&W perfect bound format books, ranging in page count and price.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

An apathetic scientist works late defrosting the Abominable Snowman. A naive blood donor dates a rageaholic vampire. A two-bit fortune teller inadvertently sparks a zombie epidemic. And it's all played for laughs. But that's how it is when The Claws Come Out.

Indie cartoonist Pat Lewis takes his two favorite things - women and monsters - and puts them head to head in fun and campy action comedies. Aliens, psychos, and B-movies creeps square off against tough chicks in a fun collection of shorts "hosted" by Lily St. Dead; who introduces each one in true, late night fashion.

The Claws Come Out is available in hardback by IDW. 152 pages, B&W, $19.99. And don't forget to visit Pat Lewis' website.

How many sic-fi disaster epics start like this?

If Awesomeville goes off air tomorrow, you know why.

iDumb

Oh, there's all kinds of things I could say about this.

But, I think it speaks for itself.

Mr Spock is da houz!

Crap; there goes the neighborhood...

X-men make the move to the city by the Bay.

They should fit right in.

As a Packer fan, I'm so embarrassed...

Seriously?!

Man, what a douche.

I have to say that I have lost

a lot of serious respect for Brett.

But that's okay,

I'm a Green Bay boy;

So, go Rodgers, go!

No! You go to Hell!

Why in the world would you want to "mask the meaty flavor"?!

If there's a Hell, Satan has a special place, just for you.

Is this what you'd call "ironic"?

A virus catching... a virus?

Military Shenanigans...

Say what you will, our boys at arms can sometimes be funny.

In 2009 you shall see Red!

In celebration of global warming...

It's the first week of August and it's cold and rainy

outside my California window. So, naturally...

Watch this!

And at $550,000 a watch

it damn well better tell me exactly when the beer is perfect

and warn me when she's about to PMS!

Hope the flame doesn't ignite the sky!

Welcome to the *cough cough hack weeze* 2008 summer games.

You know that California ban on cell phones...?

Yeah, cops are except from that.

San Francisco... the healthy state?

Newsom's out to control your heatlh.

Listen to Big Brother Newsom.

IronChuck says: Listen to this!

Metallica has become the very cliche of itself in the 21st century.

But, it is good fodder for experimentation.

Wax Audio shows us this very well when he takes Metallica to

Istanbul(Not Constantinople.), and introduces them to Stevie Wonder,

as well as Bryan Adams.

Enjoy.

Bert and Ernie try Gangsta Rap...

And then... the world blew up...

A little food for thought...

Icha Nub Nub!

Ever wanted to kick it like an ewok on your vacation?

Well then, have I got the place for you.

REALLY get your Harry Potter nerdgasm on!

Tales of Beedle the Bard exclusively from Amazon.

Spend a lot of time online?

Chances are it's because you're sick in the head.

Go ahead, get your Harry Potter nerdgasm on...

Episode 12: Bats in our Belfry

If you missed last weekend's episode of Mixed Blessings,

chalked full of Isk picking on The IronChuck for his Batman-i-ness,

on Awesomeville then you're in luck!

It's now available for download on the archive page.

Sexitron is ready to roll!

He's bringing sexy robot back!

I'm sure they'll be a new fetish around this, soon.

Me thinks he be a bit confused...

I... I got nuthin'. (Contains simulated robot puppet sex.)

He's got what you want!

All is fair in Android Love and Robot Wars.

Welcome to the big leagues... it's about time.

Academia discovers the comic book.

TR2N

What you're about to see... depending on how long it'll last... is a teaser trailer shown TODAY at Comic Con. (And I don't think I need to tell you how down I am that I couldn't go this year.) It was captured via a cellphone and then stabalized to make it more viewable.

Enjoy.

LOLwars

I think we've entered a whole new level, now...

Dead or Alive, we're making this film, creep.

It's been over 20 years since his first movie,

but Old Detroit's first bullet proof copper is coming back.

God help us...

Ode to Beaker

Klaatu... Barada... Nikkto...

In the age of Hollywood remakes, not even a real classic is safe.

May the Steam be with You!

With the franchise pretty much turning its back on its original audience

how do you make Star Wars more fun?

You make it Steam Punk, naturally.

Broken themes and excessive pointlessness!

Missed last weekend's episode of Mixed Blessings on Awesomeville?

Well, good news; it's now available

on the archive page.

NASA's new test recruits dead tired on job.

Great, just great... I smell a new Zombie movie theme coming.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Say, do you like those illustrated fantasy books? Do you also love comics? Do you have a yearning for adventure, romance, comedy, and epic struggles of good versus evil across time, itself? Well then, have I got the series for you!

Returning home to the city of Ocensend from a mighty adventure at sea with his grandfather, young Rubel soon discovers all his friends are gone and his grandfather's ship has gone down with all hands lost. The evil and vile prince now sits on the throne, and his beloved princess, for which he had promised himself to as her loyal thief, now hides in exile, ridiculed by the people of Oceansend.

All alone, he suddenly finds himself in the middle of a struggle between the Shadow Lady, a figment from his childhood, and the local foolish wizard Quenton; who, himself, is now missing. Rubel will have to make new friends and allies as he does battle with forces greater than himself in order to return balance to the kingdom. But things never are quite what they seem.

Lavishly illustrated with detail, and filled with bright and deep characters, this book has quickly become my most favorite. At times this is a lovable adventurous comic, and at others a work of high fantasy; filled with pirates, rogues, and magic.

Thieves and Kings is available from Ibox Publishing, and is moving from a bi-monthly format to collected trade paperback format. Black and White. Price varies between collected volumes.

DC makes its first play for 2009

Some of you will, no doubt, be seeing this tonight

in front of the new Batman moive.

I guess the real question will be how long

until Alan Moore denounces this, too?

Just let it die, already!

Seriously?!

Man, I don't want to even get into how many

plot holes this has to jump over just to work.

Let alone the fact that this franchise is over done.

I mean, the show died a whimper; that should be a sign, folks.

Me thinks, also, that Christian Bale is getting himself type casted as the new Jean Claude...

Covered in Crud!

Missed this past weekend's Mixed Blessings?

Well, good news! "Episode 9" is now up

on the podcast archives page to listen to!

Still can't stop watching... this time not so bad.

Once again, America's got talent.

And once again, it's all about The Hoff!

Cutting Crustaceans!

Trying to keep my train of thought...

I've been thinking of taking a train ride across America, just for fun.

I may rethink that.

As a train lover, I long for the glory days of the steam giants...

Batman... the musical?!

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

No matter how hard you yell; In Space No One Can Hear Star Scream!

Come follow the misadventures of Kickback and the Insecticons as they explore the humorous, ever gender bending, fandom social commentary of non continuity.

ISNOCHS is your basic photo comics, utilizing Transformer toys from G1 to the movie. What's not so basic is the way in which, breaking from traditional fan sites, it actively apes, and pokes fun at TF fandom, and those dark denisons that inhabit its shadow. Nothing is safe here; from fan fic writers, to Daleks (And you thought you'd get by without a Dr. Who reference, huh?), to the power struggles of Starscream, right down to the often absurd notion of TF romance.

ISNOCHS is created by Wayward, and usually updates Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Christian goths, relentless movie based pranks, social observations, romance, intrigue (No, not really.), cinema, and polyester. If you ever worked in a theatre, you know that's just another night behind the snack bar.

Gordon McAlpin's Multiplex is a must read; not only for the witty story lines, dialog, and great character interactions, but also as a hub for lovers of movies, as well.

From the lives of actors, to who lined up to see Sex in the City, pretty much no one is safe from this band of movie misfits; not even themselves. Multiplex boasts a diverse cast of characters that dip into the many facets of life; cultural, sexual, and racial. And, always keeping it in a funny vain.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Think you know all about comics? Want to get into comics, but not sure where to start, or how to decipher its inner language of icons, and such? Well then, this weeks' pic is just for you.

Scott Mcloud, creator of Zot!, has become synonymous within the world of comics as a definitive authority on the inner workings of this amazing art form; receiving accolades from the likes of Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Jim Lee, and the late great Will Eisner, among others.

In his first installment, Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Scott sets to define comics, as well as explore its history, iconic language, use of symbols, borders, and line work, compression of time through space, and illusionary closure through gutters. Each page delivers insights into structure of story elements, cultural influences, and comics potential as a serious medium; and all in easy to read comic form, itself.

Available from Harper Perennial $20

Enter the Rhinestone Ninja!

Whether you listen to us live (Saturday mornings starting around 9am) or podcasted, listeners of last week's Mixed Blessings (Hosted by Isk, and yours truly) will defintly get a giggle.

Boycott Ronald?

You know, I can come up with a list of better reasons to boycott McDonald's than this.

Getting gratuitous...

And now it's time for a little Sax and Violence...

A Capella metal?!

Five singers and one drummer - Okay, so, not so much a Capella - but no guitar, bass, or keyboard; Van Canto does their own take of Metallica's "Battery".

Just batty over her bra...

Bats in the belfry I can buy, sure. But in her bra...? And for 5 hours?!

Word Up!

Even If Korn said it loudest, Cameo still said it best.

Either way I still say "WoW"!

Bonus points for you if you figured out who the detective is.

10 Thing You might not Know about Robots...

The Chicago Tribune as a fun little article about robots,

which include a history lesson on the source of the word,

robot take overs, human perception,

and the clash between robots and house hold pets.

And, just in case, here's that very video

mentioned in the article.

Go Puppy, go!

I guess you can bring a knife to a sword fight...

... when you're in a wheelchair.

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Daisy Kutter runs a nice little store in a nice little town. She has a good and stable life.

Which is not much for a former bandit who once led the life of adventure.

However, she's turned away from that life, to pursue an honest living, as well as a few extra lugs at the poker tournaments. That is, until she is dealt a losing hand; which costs her her shop. But, the winner has a deal; rob his train, and she gets it all back.

Easy, right?

Daisy Kutter: The Last Train is set in one of those timeless realms where old west history and Sci-fi technology seamlessly meet. In fact, it has just about everything I can want in a comic; strong female lead, big guns, action, trains, and robots.

Daisy Kutter is written and illustrated by Kazu Kibuishi. The book includes a concept gallery, guest art, and annotated "making of". Published by Viper Comics. $10.95

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

Things were going just okay for amateur artist Wendy Watson. That is, until things got a little hairy at her temp job at A.N.D. Laboratories. Barely surviving a mutant monstrosity, she meets The Middle Man; solver of unique problems.

Blamed for the "incident" at the lab, and not having any stable work, Wendy does what logically comes next; she joins The Middle Man. And, suddenly, they are unleashed on a mafia hit mystery that will leave you bananas.

Written by Javier Grillo-Marxuach, and illustrated by Les McClaine, The Middle Man is, in a nut shell, just about everything Men in Black wished it was. Quirky characters and witty dialog combine with with action and pop sci-fi adventure to give you one fun read.

And look for the television adaptation on ABC.

The Middle Man: Trade Paperback Imperative is available from Viper Comics. Features forward by Paul Dini. $9.95

IronChuck says: READ THIS!

When 47 women spontaneously give birth in one night, after having no signs of pregnancy, millionaire inventor Reginold Hargreeves manages to find and adopt seven of them. "To save the world," his only explanation.

Two decades later, this super dysfunctional super family reunites to morn the passing of their adoptive father, and face the greatest threat to mankind.

The Umbrella Academy is penned by rock star Gerald Way, of My Chemical Romance, and illustrated by Eisner Award Nominee Gabriel Ba; along with Eisner award winners Dave Stewart (colors) James Jean (original series covers). Collected, for the first time, in "graphic novel" form by Dark Horse.

While there've been more than a few runs of dysfunctions super teams/families, the odd dynamic within this group, not to mention its quirky villains and battles, sets this apart from its contemporaries. Not to mention the very unique and exciting plot twist that develops out of these unhealthy dynamics.

Also included are the original series covers, an annotated design section, and a couple of extra stories. Forward by Grant Morrison. $17.95

Bubble Gum

It takes some work to sit through, but the gag at the end is still funny.

Yes, that was The Brotherhood of the Black Flag. Long live faire geeks.

Jedi Gym

I...I got nuthin'.

Why can't I stop watching?!

It was wrong... so why couldn't I turn away?!

Got to give props to The Hoff, though!

Happy Independence Day

PVP Online by Scott Kurtz

Experiments in color...

Recently I bought some Tombo art markers for the comic. It's been interesting trying to figure these things out; especially since I've been a big color pencil fan for years. But, markers are, it appears, the way to go; seeing as I can't really paint too well and Photoshop just isn't working out for me.

At any rate, this is what I whipped up today, just screwing around. It's a Pin Up of Kali.

Yeah, the composition could be a little stronger, but I pretty much drew it straight ahead, without much planning, just to try out the markers. Not bad, I think, for only my fith try. Of course, I only have half the colors available, to work with, too.

I'm gonna keep screwing around, in between working on the pages. Most likely there'll be a few more pin ups of various women in the comic, as well as some small strip style gag comics, all to help me get used to these pens.

Of course, al this work just keeps proving to myself how much I really must hate me...

Kid gets Pac-Man branding... with a laser!

Some kid modified a industrial laser etcher to give himself tattoos; including Pac-Man, a robot, and Space Invaders. Over rides safeties with a magnet and a six sided die.

Bonus: Article includes how to video!

IronChuck says: Watch This!

There's very little reality in "Reality TV".

So, I guess it stands to reason why I am totally hooked on

Total Drama Island.

Or, does it?

At any rate, this is a great parody of the ridiculous world of "reality television". Complete with shallow host, silly challenges, and horrible interpersonal team play and loads of back stabbing. But then the funny part is that it's... well... funny.

There are some fun characters, as well as humorous conflicts. The animation is that new "computerized but I still want to look drawn" style; which, for the first time, is actually lending itself to the story telling instead of being an annoying distraction. The drama, for lack of a better word, is a little more complex, aimed at a teen plus age group; though there's more than enough for adults to get a giggle, too.

I wonder if Scott Kurtz of PVP Online had anything to do with this, though.

Most of the character design looks like it came right from his comic.

Proof there is a god?

Yes, or no, it's still very happy news!

Possibly one of the best movies ever...?

So, if you haven't yet,
you really need to go out
and see Wall*E.

This is what great movie making
is really all about, folks. I don't want
to give too much away,
but with little real dialog,
and really great story telling
the gang at Pixar creates a tale
or comedy, romance, adventure,
and, if you're watching,
makes a few topical observations.

I left this movie really inspired,
from the characters, to the story,
to the score - and end credit song by
Peter Gabriel. This movie had my riveted,
laughing out loud, and got me really caring
about those little robots, as well as all mankind.

I give it a 4.8 out of 5
and have added it to my
top five of all time.

Kenny's Last Rhythm

Sage advice from the mouth of Johnny Cash,
but when Mint Royale tags along,
then it's down right uplifting.

The world loses a comedy great.

So long and thanks for everything
Icebox Man...

And cue REM...

And then, the world blew up...

Ah, the taste of Summer!

All hail the Slurpee!
Last uncorrupted indulgence.

This is a test...

This is only a test.

I have dropped Tribe
because it started sucking hard core.
Well, now so has My Space.
So, this is a test to see
how well I can put together a good post.

Okay, that video above
was just to see if I could actually get a video
in here proper.

This picture of a train was also put here
to test if I could get pictures in here good and proper.

That, and, I really like trains.

Anyway, I have a few more things to play with;
since it's been so long from
my last post. I'm sure
that they've changed a few things
while I've been away.