Dinoff: Life In General

Music Video Mondays

2012-01-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome back dear readers!

To start off the new year's first Music Video Mondays, I decided to do a party song. Just a good ol' fashioned party song, just to get everyone in the mood for fun!
I recently came across this video, and immediately liked it! The song is called "I Like It Like That" by the band Hot Chelle Rae.

*Hot Chelle Rae is a pop rock band formed in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2005. The band consists of Ryan Follesé, Nash Overstreet, Ian Keaggy, and Jamie Follesé. They gained widespread attention for their 2011 double platinum single, "Tonight Tonight".

"I Like It Like That" was released as the second single from their second album Whatever on October 4, 2011. The song features vocals from American hip hop group New Boyz. The song peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S.

*All information provided by Wikipedia

Happy New Year!!

2012-01-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

A Happy New Year to all of you good sirs and madams out there!

Ah, a new year; full of new opportunities and possibilities! And for this year, I plan on taking full advantage of whatever possibilities and opportunities that come my way. And that means making time for blogging.

As one of my new year's resolutions, I want to have more of an online presence. One piece to that is to blog more. So I am going to try to blog at lest once a day. I looked back at this blog, and saw that I started out strong, but then faltered, badly (last year being, by far, the worst of it). I'm not going to make excuses, I'm just going to resolve it. I have an outline of blogs plannned, and as long as I keep to it, I should have th next month pretty much set and ready to go! That's a pretty good start! So here is to 365 quality posts, and a great exciting year!

**Credit for the picture to whoever did it**

Music Video Mondays

2011-08-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back my friends! In this week's MVM, we have a recently released song that will make your toes tap and your head bop! In a recent collaboration, the band Gym Class Heroes teamed up with Adam Levine of the band Maroon 5 to produce "Stereo Hearts". The song combines rap with pop, and blends it together in a nice, melodic sound. This is the first collaboration between the Gym Class Heroes & Adam Levine (I believe), but I hope they do some other work together again!

For those that don't know, Gym Class Heroes is an American hip hop band from Geneva, New York, that formed in 1997. They are most known for their hit song "Cupid's Chokehold", which reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

So, enjoy this week's Music Video Monday!

Changes

2011-08-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, what's that old expression? "Time flies when you are having fun"? I think it should just be changed to "Time Flies". It's more realistic that way, don'tcha think?

Anywhoo, I have decided that some things (creatively) need to change, and one of them is this blog. I'm bummed that I haven't been blogging, and honest apologies on that! Like I have always said, it's not about content. I have more stuff lined up on here in prep stage than probably any other blog I can think of. No, it's more about inspiration. I just haven't been inspired to write anything witty, or just plain good enough to write. I don't know what happened, or how it happened, but all of a sudden, I'm inspired again! It's funny how that works, huh?

Over the past couple of days (and in the moments of inspiration), I was thinking of what changes I want to make (in terms of the direction of this blog), and this is what I have come up with:

1. I need to change the look of the blog, back to the original look; back to it's "roots"; when I thought it looked cool, and I liked looking and reading what (little) I wrote.

2. I need to update the links - not that anything is wrong with them, per se, but there are a few more out there that I want to share. Some are cool, some are interesting, and some have had a subtle part in helping me get inspired about blogging (and being creative as well) again.

3. I need to do a better job of updating my blog. If this were a business, I would have been out of business a long time ago! I need to treat it seriously, even though it is a passion, or hobby, if you will.

4. I am thinking about starting up a couple of different blogs, one in particular, that just has me writing my opinions on certain topics. Now, you are probably saying, "just do that here", and yeah, I could, but I'm thinking it takes away from the "coolness" that is this blog. Over the past few years, this blog (I believe) has taken on it's own identity, and to try to cram something in there that doesn't seem natural, just doesn't seem right.

Now, I know 1 & 2 are doable, I could do those in my sleep. It's going to difficult for numbers 3 & 4, for a variety of reasons; but lately, I have been really chommping at the bit to do this! My creative juices are flowing, and I feel really rejuvinated creatively. I want to see what happens! Will the lazy side of me prevail, or will the amount of creative rejuvination I have been feeling lately prevail? Let's see, shall we???? My new tag line is going to be..."NO PROMISES, ONLY SURPRISES".

Lata... 4 now!

Hello? Is This Thing On? (Tap) (Tap)

2011-04-23T22:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it has been 4 months since my last post! Tsk! Tsk! Whatever shall I do? Why, clean the cobwebs off, and start updating of course! I have a couple of new sections that I want to test out, so with that, and I'm not sure what my schedule is going to be either, I'll take it nice and slow, and see where it goes! Right now, I am going to update the look and feel of the site. Hopefully, my programming skills are good, 'cause if I pull off what I want the blog to look like, it will be awesome!!!

Music Video Mondays: Post Chanukah Edition

2010-12-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Welcome to another installment of Music Video Mondays. This is the post Chanukah Edition (because I was to lazy/busy to actually post it last Monday, during Chanukah).

Ever since Adam Sandler created the classic "Chanukah" song, people have been eager to try create other hits based on this holiday. And why not? We have enough Christmas songs to last lifetimes over. And while Sandler's hit song may never be replaced, here a couple of songs created in the spirit of the Jewish holiday.

Fist up, we have a band by the name of The Maccabeats, with their hit song "Candlelight", which is a parody of the song "Dynamite" by Tiao Cruz. The Maccabeats are a Jewish acapella group, from Yeshiva University, who formed in 2007. The song was just released, and has become a viral hit on the internet. It's a fun and catchy song, which will totally get in your head and stay there for a good, long while!

Next up is another clever song entitled "Chanukah Musical Remix 2010" by six13 & NCSY. This song is a parody of not one, but three hit songs: "Baby" by Justin Beiber, "Heartless" by Kanye West & "I Like It" by Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull. I don't have any info on six13, the group that did the music, but NCSY is a Jewish youth organization dedicated to inspiring the young Jewish people out there.

**Bonus**
As a treat, here is the original song that started the Chanukah song craze, "The Chanukah Song" by Adam Sandler.

Trailer Time Part II

2010-12-11T13:00:00.000-08:00

Next up on the list o' trailers is the latest installment of the Transformers franchise, entitled: Transformers: Dark of the Moon Based on the trailer alone, it does look intriguing. I will probably see this at the movie theaters, unless I see a horrible trailer that comes out to make me change my mind. I think this movie will be solid, if only to make up for the horrible movie that was Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (don't even get me started on that one).

**Tip** Full screen this for best viewing...

Trailer Time Part I(Comic Book Edition)

2010-12-11T09:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so seeing as how I have a slew of info that I want to put out, I am going to kind of clump things together for the moment. For this particular post, I have decided to post some new trailers that were recently released for the upcoming 2011 slate of movies. I'll give my thoughts on them as well!

First up, we have THOR...

The One-Sheet Movie Poster

In my opinion, I think this movie is going to be awesome! At first, I admit, I was a bit skeptical about it; but, after seeing the trailer, my skepticism was averted. I think this movie is going to be great, although I'm not sure if it will do as well at the box office as when the original IRON MAN came out. I hope so, because it actually looks like a lot of care and work went into it.

*TIP* Open this in full screen...

Wow! The story looks good, the action looks good, and the fact that Marvel Studios is building a little interconnecting movie universe is just awesome. It's an interesting concept (and one that will pay off when AVENGERS hits in 2012). When the concept works, it works really well (take Kevin Smith's movie for example; he has a whole little "Leonardo, NJ universe" for most of his movies; and they work well with each other). I will go see this movie in the theater for sure!!!

Next up, we have GREEN LANTERN...

The One-Sheet Movie Poster

Much hype has been placed on this movie; but after seeing the trailer, I think it's over hyped. I know, I am a hard core comic fan, and I am such a little nit picker when it comes to movies based on comic books. In all fairness, while making a movie is a challenge in itself, I don't think it is that hard to make a movie well. Christopher Nolan did it with BATMAN, Sam Raimi did it with the original SPIDER MAN movie, and even Jon Favreau did it with the first IRON MAN movie. So, what this is what the hell happened with GREEN LANTERN? If this is what the movie is going to be, then just look for me at the Redbox stand, because I am going to pay $1.00 to rent it. Why so harsh? Watch the trailer, and I'll give my explanation below....

*TIP* Go full screen on this...

Soooooo, whadaya think?! Okay, for those who thought it was good, I apologize for my nit pickiness. For those who didn't think it was all that it was cracked up to be, read below for my reasoning, and see if you agree with my thoughts....

THE GOOD
Okay, to be fair, there are some good spots in this trailer.

1.. Ryan Reynolds: I think he makes a good Hal Jordan. In the comics, Jordan is a character who makes with the wise cracks, and with Reynolds sense of humor and ability to deadpan, I think he was a logical choice for Green Lantern.

2. GRAPHICS - SOME of the graphics in this movie look really good. Oa, in general, looks good. Kilowog, one of the Green Lantern Corps. drill instructors, looks good ( he is the one that snorts air at Hal in the trailer). A severely injured Abin Sur looks really good as well.

THE BAD
1. THE COSTUME - Um, WTF is up with that costume?! First off, the mask looks like it was painted on to Reynolds face.

Next is the actual costume itself. It's ...It's...horrible (I just looked at the trailer again, to confirm). From far away, it looks okay, but when you have close up shots, it just doesn't work (See the screen grabs, below, for what I am talking about).

2. THE RING - Really?! This is the best that you could come up with on the ring?! Hell, if DC DIRECT can put out a better prop ring (based on the comic), why can't a better ring be made for this movie?! Really, it looks like a high school class ring with a green light up piece inside instead of a stone. It boggles my mind at how people get paid tons of money for things like this, and then this is what is produced.

According to one website, comicbookmovie.com the design of the ring came from the Neal Adams & Mike Grell 1970's run on Green Lantern (see photo below). Um, if this is true, really? Out of, what, 50 years and designs, you use the 70's style concept?! Really?!!!!! Not to mention, that Hal Jordan has pretty much had the same type of ring for a good, long time.

3. THE WRITING- Okay, granted, this is only the trailer, but based on this, I feel the writing is going to be weak. Some of the lines, to me, just don't come off as polished. One of the writers even comments as such in an interview with MTV. Marc Guggenheim was quoted as saying, "When we wrote the script, we did not expect to make the movie. It was really like, 'Let's do a good enough job that Warner Bros. wants hire us to write another movie.'" In the interview however, he does also say, "I’ve seen a fair amount [of the film]," Guggenheim told MTV News. "Everything I’ve seen has completely blown me away — and I really say that as a fanboy."

All in all, I don't think that I am as eager to see this movie as I am THOR. And that is sad, because I am a huge Green Lantern fan. Oh well, we will see what happens....

...Aaaaand I'm Back....

2010-12-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

I'll keep this short and sweet:
I was out of blogging for a while,
but certain events have made it so that I can now blog a little bit more!
It seems I have a wee bit of catching up to do...
Let's see what we can do about that, shall we?!

Music Video Mondays

2010-08-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of Music Video Mondays. This weeks selection was one that came after hearing it on the radio. I used to love this song when it came out, but then forgot all about it, until now!

This weeks selection comes from a band that was formed to be "the world's worst band". In 1981, Bill Manspeaker & Joe Cannizarro formed Green Jellÿ (originally named Green Jell-O, after a friend suggested it because of "lime flavored Jell-O being the worst flavor of Jell-O", as well as the lack of talent from the band).

The band was known more for its antics, rather than their songs or talents. After a lawsuit, the band was renamed Green Jellÿ. Gaining a cult following (again, because of their onstage antics, rather than their talent), the band released Cereal Killer in 1992, with their actual hit song "3 Little Pigs"

The song reached prominence by hitting the charts at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. The song was ranked #35 on VH1's 40 Most Awesomely Bad Metal Songs...Ever.

Never meant to be taken seriously, they are described as a "comedy heavy metal band", because of their lack of talent and their parody-like songs.*

Here it is, this weeks selection "3 Little Pigs". Enjoy!

Did You Know?

Green Jellÿ claimed that they were the "World's First Video Only Band" in order to get signed by Zoo Entertainment? The bluff worked, and Zoo Entertainment signed them; only they didn't actually know what they were doing, and had to learan about making videos on the fly. It took one year, and $50,000 later, but the result was the video only album, Cereal Killer. In 1993, Cereal Killer was finally released on cd.*

*All info taken from Wikipedia.

Music Video Mondays

2010-08-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

This weeks Music Video Monday is by one of my most favorite artists of all time(and I'm not ashamed to say that either). Born Alicia Moore in 1979, this singer-songwriter is better known by her stage name of Pink (or stylized as P!nk). Pink has had hits from all 5 of her albums since rising to fame in 2000. This weeks song is off of her latest cd, "Funhouse". The song is called "Glitter in the Air". The song itself talks about love and taking a leap in faith. It was released as a single after her awesome performance at the Grammys. What's impressive about the video for this song is what she does in the video. The particular video that I posted just happens to be from the Grammys, where she received a standing ovation for her performance. Not only is it a great performance, but just hearing how good she is live is amazing! There are many artists who don't sound good live, and there are artists who sound like crap because of moving around and stuff. P!nk is not one of those artists. She is the real deal! Enjoy!

"Young Justice" Cartoon Series Trailer

2010-08-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Sooooo, a few years back (1998, to be exact), DC Comics created a group called "Young Justice". It first consisted of Robin (from Batman), Superboy (from Superman), and Impulse (from Flash). They grew to include members Wonder Girl (from Wonder Woman), Arrowette & the mysterious Secret. Basically, they were crime fighters who banded together to try to become the next generation of the Justice League. The team went through roster changes, and eventually developed into the Teen Titans (plus and minus members). DC Entertainment has finally made a cartoon out of the series. The animation looks good, and it looks a lot more serious than the Teen Titans cartoon that was produced a few years back. Hopefully, this cartoon will do well.

Thor Trailer

2010-08-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know that Marvel is making a movie about this guy, well now you know. This is the "THOR" Teaser Trailer. I think this will be a good movie, but as always with comic book movies, I don't think I am going to hold my breath. Hopefully, it doesn't dissapoint, because it kinda sets the tone for the slew of new movies coming out from Marvel..... Enjoy!

**EDIT - So, it looks like the fine folks at Paramount have kindly asked that the trailer get taken down....damn me & my timing of puting up cool posts!!! Anyhoo, if I come across it, I will surely repost it.**

***EDIT UPDATE- try here:
THOR TRAILER
I just checked it and it appears to be working there!***

This is Funny....hopefully!

2010-08-04T17:00:00.000-07:00

So I came across this "interview" between with Zach Galifianakis & Steve Carell, on Zach's show "Between Two Ferns" , for FUNNY OR DIE.COM. It doesn't go as planned, and goes on a different path than expected. It's from the Funny or Die website, so that's saying something too!

** I had to put up the link only, because even though you get the code to embed the video, it doesn't go directly to the video; it goes to an old video of Will Farrell, which is funny, but not what I want. This is the way with most of their codes for videos. It always goes back to that default video, which I find EXTREMELY annoying, but it's their site and their clips, so they can do with what they wish. **

Enjoy!

Zach Galifianakis & Steve Carell "Interview"

Avengers Assemble!

2010-08-04T15:59:00.000-07:00

Over at Comic Book Resources.com, they posted a link to a "leaked trailer" of the new AVENGERS movie coming out. It's not really a "trailer" at all, so don't get too excited. But, in my opinion, this "trailer" is a good way to get some buzz going for the movie, due out in 2012. I'm not sure how long this will be up (although, why it would be taken down I have no idea; it's not like it shows anything), so watch it while you can!!!!

....And I'm Back!

2010-08-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

Yup, I'm back! Apologies for keeping my fans waiting!

I gotta admit, burnout sucks. Having no real desire to blog (even though I have a TON of new stuff to post) really saddens me. But hey, what can you do? Just try to get that desire back, and start posting again, I suppose! So, here it is, the first blog post back to blogging....

So, if you haven't heard, there is a new movie coming out that is based on a popular property that has been out of the public eye for quite some time. What is this long standing property? Or should I say, WHO is this property? I'll give you a clue....he resides at Jellystone Park. Give up? It's none other than the one, the only, YOGI BEAR!

Recently, with, I presume, the success of the Chipmunks movies, that studio heads want to make lightning strike again, this time with Yogi Bear getting the CGI treatment. Will it be a good movie? A flop? Who knows! But, listen to the voices, and see if you can guess them!

See ya lata with some more new stuff!

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer

2010-06-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, lately all I seem to be posting is movie trailers! Oh well, it is the summer after all! And the summer, for me, was always the best time for movies! And with that, I bring to you the trailer for the latest in the Harry Potter films. This is the last movie, so the movie will be split in two parts; Part 1 will be out in November of 2010, while Part 2 will be out in July 2011. The trailer looks really cool! If you haven't read the book, don't watch this! Go read the book!

Green Hornet Trailer

2010-06-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

Well, it's finally making it's appearance, the GREEN HORNET trailer. I watched it with no sound, and thought that this may be a huge dissapoinmtent. I'm kinda thinking that if I do watch it with sound, I will be correct. Seth Rogen stars as the title character of Britt Reid. Now, of all people in Hollywood, you let one of the masters of "pot and curse" jokes be the lead character? Um, he is not known for his "leading man action star" status, unless you are counting PINEAPPLE EXPRESS, which, if you are, don't. Off the top of my head, I can think of a slew of young Hollywood actors who would probably be a better fit for the character of Green Hornet. I'm not sure the script is looking that great either. From watching it without sound, it just looks....weak.

Who knows? I may be wrong, but once again, I don't think I am. GREEN HORNET premieres in January of 2011.

The Voyage of The Dawn Treader Trailer

2010-06-18T09:00:00.001-07:00

Here it is, the newest Chronicles of Narnia Movie:

This is interesting, because last I heard, either this this movie wasn't getting made, or it was being delayed for a long time. It's great to see that it was made, and hopefully, it will be a good movie. I liked the last two movies, of which, I only read The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe out of the book series.

Here is the trailer for the movie, hopefully it plays, and hopefully, it's good!

video platform video management video solutions video player

Star Wars: The Old Republic Trailer

2010-06-18T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another trailer for the newest Star Wars game, STAR WARS: THE OLD REPUBLIC. After watching this trailer (and the one before), I always get irratated at the fact that Bioware (or whoever made the trailer)should move into movies, not video games; and that Lucasfilms should give them a greenlight for any Star Wars film they want. Why should the public settle for crappy animation ala THE CLONE WARS?

Anyways, that's my rant for right now...enjoy the trailer!

The Smurfs Trailer

2010-06-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right; they're back, and bluer than ever!

Starting off as a cartoon strip in 1958, by a Belgian cartoonist by the name of Peyo, the Smurfs became so popular that in 1981, became a cartoon series that ran until 1989.

In 2011, the Smurfs will hit the big screen! The movie will star the voices of Jonathan Winters as Papa Smurf, George Lopez as Grouchy Smurf, Katy Perry as Smurfette and Alan Cumming as Gutsy Smurf. Hank Azaria will play Gargamel, the main villain against the Smurfs. Neil Patrick Harris will also be in the movie as one of the human characters.

While I am actually amazed that this movie got made, I'm not holding out any hopes that it will be a great cinematic masterpiece. I'm sure it will do well with kids, and I'm sure it will do well enough for a sequel, but overall, I don't think it will be great. Well, here is the first trailer of it, so judge for yourself.

Mortal Kombat: Rebirth Trailer?

2010-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

So, I came across this little trailer the other day. I'm not sure if it's an actual trailer for an upcoming movie, or a game, or what. Nothing has really been said about it. It's a cool trailer, if it is true, and a good way to "reboot" the franchise (esp. after the poor, poor, Mortal Kombat: Annialation movie) Here's to hoping good things come out of this trailer.

Music Video Mondays

2010-05-31T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's "Music Video Monday" is a fun one. There isn't much to say about this video.

This week's video is "Bohemian Rhapsody", from Queen, as done by the Muppets. It's a cute video. Enjoy!

Awesome Art

2010-05-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Awesome Art is brought to you by the wildly talented artist Jo Chen.

Jo Chen is one of the cover artists for Dark Horse Comics Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 8. She has created some iconic covers with her full, rich & detailed painted covers.

This particular cover is to BTVS:S8 # 36 (I think), which features Spike, a vampire that is in Buffy's "circle of turst". Spike is played by James Marsters (a picture of him as Spike has been added to see the likeness that Jo Chen has incorporated into her work)

Music Video Mondays

2010-05-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Music Video Monday selection is from the great folk trio band, Peter Paul & Mary .

Albert Grossman was the man responsible for the creation of Peter, Paul and Mary. In 1961, after auditioning several singers in the New York folk scene, he decided on the trio of Peter Yarrow, Noel "Paul" Stookey, and Mary Travers. Shortly after their "rehearsal phase", Grossman booked them into The Bitter End, a coffee house and popular folk music venue in New York City's Greenwich Village. They recorded their first album, Peter, Paul and Mary, the following year. The album was listed in the Billboard Magazine Top Ten for 10 months, including seven weeks in the #1 position.

This week's song selection is one of their most popular songs, "Puff the Magic Dragon", which has always been a topic of talk, due to the nature of it's lyrics. Often assumed that the song is about drug references, Peter Yarrow (co-writer of the song, along with Leonard Lipton) states that the song is purely about the loss of a child's innocence.
The group incorporated the song into their live performances before recording it in 1962; their 1962 recording of "Puff" reached #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in early 1963.

The video is a live rendition of the song (I believe in 2003 or 2006), where Yarrow does clearly state the meaning behind "Puff"....

**EDIT**
OMG!
I just watched the video below, from what appears to be the 60's, and DAMN do they sound the EXACT SAME?!
WTC(What The Crap)?!
How is that even possible?!

Awesome Art

2010-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

This Awesome Art is by Alex Ross. It is for the upcoming coming book, "The Last Phantom", by Dynamite Entertainment. It's creepy and cool both at the same time!
I must admit, based on this cover, the comic looks very intriguing...

What is a Makerbot?

2010-05-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

So, I came across this video while surfing the web! I thought this was really fascinating and cool as hell!

You can find out more about Markerbot here

**FROM WIKIPEDIA**

MakerBot Industries is a company founded in January of 2009 by Bre Pettis, Adam Mayer, and Zach “Hoeken” Smith producing an open source 3D printer rapid prototyping machine called the Cupcake CNC. The Cupcake incorporates the ideas of the RepRap Project with the goal of bringing desktop 3D printing into the home at an affordable price, partially due to being able to produce some of its own parts. It allows people to make their own bots that can build almost anything up to 4"x4"x6". They print with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) , high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polylactic acid (PLA) plastics.

Cupcake CNC machines are sold as do it yourself kits. The circuit boards are already soldered, requiring only minor soldering on non-critical parts from the user.
MakerBot Industries has an online community called Thingiverse where users can post files, document their designs, and collaborate on open source hardware. The site is not just for MakerBot, but rather for anyone with a digital fabrication device to share their designs.

Batman: Under the Hood Preview

2010-05-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

This is DC Entertainment's newest direct to video offering. It deals with a storyline from a little bit ago. I wasn't fimiliar with the story, so I went to the library to read it. Gotta say, not bad! Hopefully, the movie will live up to the storyline; so far, it looks promising!

**Unfortunately, I can't figure out how to shrink these particular videos down without messing them up. Best to get it in full screen and watch them that way.***

"Rojo" Johnson in Action

2010-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:00

Meet Billy Ray "Rojo"Johnson, this is his debut for the Houston Astros Triple-A squad, the Round Rock Express.

This was his first appearance....was it his last as well?

Eclipse Trailer

2010-05-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the trailer for the newest movie isn the "Twilight" series, Eclipse

I am merely posting it for the benefit of others...

Darth Vader does TomTom

2010-05-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

Man, if I only owned a TomTom Navigational GPS Device!!! If I did, I could have Darth Vader giving me directions to my destination! That would be awesome! Here is a behind the scenes video of the recording process.

Burnout & Inspiration

2010-05-05T15:04:00.000-07:00

As readers of this blog have seen (or haven't, as the case may be), I haven't beeen "Mr. Active Blogger" as of late. I'm not going to bore anyone with specifics, but the general reason is because of burnout. I'm burntout, plain and simple. I come home from work and the last thing I want to do is anything, which is sad, because I love to blog.

Last week, I got a burst of inspiration, and started to set up all of these posts to go and post. So, I think I am in a good place to start it up again. I know the last thing anyone wants to hear is my whining about this, so I will leave it at that! I'm also not going to say that I'm going to try to keep up, because I will only let people down, myself included, when I don't. Hopefully, this new found burst of inspiration lasts a good long time! So far, I have about 13 new posts coming up, and I'm gunning for more! I also updated my list of links, including among them, a couple of webcomics that I have just discovered. How long will this last? Only time will tell!

Comic Art Comparison # 11

2010-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

On March 27, 2010, Dick Giordano, noted inker & Creative Executive for DC Comics passed away. In both an effort to reintroduce the series of Comic Art Comparison, as well as pay my respects to one of the BEST inkers in the comics industry, and all around nice guy, I've decided to make this Comic Art Comparison about him.

It's interesting to note on Mr. Giordano's drawing for the back cover of his book, DICK GIORDANO: CHANGING COMICS ONE DAY AT A TIME,what was changed from the original. On the inked version, it shows Batgirl, yet, in the finished colored version, it now shows Aquaman. Also, Wonder Woman looks a little different in the colored version as opposed to the inked version.

Pencils: Dick Giordano
Inks: Dick Giordano
Colors: Unknown

**I'm not sure where I got these pics; proper credit goes to them, whoever they may be**

Music Video Mondays

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

In an effort to follow up from Friday's post, here is my selection for this week's Music Video Monday. It's called "Bad, Bad Man" from John Cena, the actor/wrester from the movie "The Marine", or from World Wrestling Entertainment off of his debut album "You Can't See Me".

Now, while you may not see the connection, don't worry, it's coming. The video for "Bad, Bad Man" is spoof on the A-Team television series as well as other 80's pop culture. The song may not be the best song ever created, but it's got a good beat, and I've def. heard worse out there!

The New A-Team Trailer

2010-04-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, I will admit; even though I am a huge A-Team fan, I was kinda skeptical about this movie when I first saw the trailer. I think this trailer seals the deal for me!
I saw this trailer, and was like, WOW! And that was watching it WITHOUT SOUND!
I will be going to see it in the theaters; so good bad or indifferent, the movie industry will be making $10 of of me! Click for full screen awesomeness!!!!

What if....

2010-03-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

I came across these two videos over the weekend, and could not stop laughing! They come from a comedy duo called SMOSH.

I thought these videos were really funny; hopefully, you will as well!

Enjoy!

What if Video Games Were Real?

What if Movies Were Real?

Predators Movie Teaser Trailer

2010-03-22T10:00:00.000-07:00

I came across this trailer on Friday, when it was released.
I have to say, I am a huge Predator fan. I look the look of the creature, and the movies weren't all that bad (altough I never saw Aliens v. Predator: Requiem). The first movie was the best, and will always be the bar to set when sequels are made. The trailer doesn't look all that bad, although I don't think it will do that well in the theaters. The movie is due out on July 7, 2010.

Music Video Mondays

2010-03-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Music Video Monday is a fairly new one; by that I mean I just heard the song recently, while it was actually released in August 2009. This week's selection comes from the band Weezer.

Weezer is an alternative rock band formed in 1992, and has such hits as "Buddy Holly" "Undone - The Sweater Song" & "Island in the Sun".
The band currently consists of Rivers Cuomo, Patrick Wilson, Brian Bell, and Scott Shriner.

This week's song selection is "(If You're Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To", off of Weezer's newest album Raditude. It hit # 2 on the U.S. Billboard Alternative Songs chart, while placing # 3 on the U.S. Billboard Rock Songs Chart & # 81 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The song has a cool beat; one that just makes you tap your feet, and snap your fingers to.

Enjoy!

**Side Note - Is it me, or does Rivers Cuomo look like Rick Moranis from "Ghostbusters" and "Honey I Shrunk the Kids" fame? Just Askin'.....***

There's a New King in Town.......

2010-03-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

Billy Mitchell fans, don't have panic attacks, buuuut....

THERE'S A NEW "KING OF KONG" IN TOWN!!!

His name is Hank Chien, a 35-year-old plastic surgeon from Flushing, New York, who recently set the record to become the newest "King of Kong".

His score was 1,061,700 points, which tops Billy Mitchell's best recorded score of 1,050,200, who beat Steve Wiebe's best score of 1,049,100 to be the newest champion of Donkey Kong.

Wiebe and Mitchell were featured in 2007's "King of Kong", a documentary about the battle for Donkey Kong title supremecy. Billy Mitchell was the lone leader, until Steve Wiebe came along and snatched the title (briefly), until Mitchell took it back--until now.

Chien said that because of Twin Galaxies (the official score keeper and title decider) changing the rules for recording video game high scores, it was possible to try to go for the record. And he did it. On March 10th, it was announced that Hank Chien is the new undisputed champion of the Donkey Kong Game.

Congrats Hank!!!!

How long can Hank hold the title? Will Steve & Billy battle back to take the title again? Who knows, but it will be fun to see! (Me personally, I'm a "Wieber"; Go Steve Go!)

*** To see the rules for setting the Donkey Kong (or other games) record, go to the Twin Galaxies website***

Stan Lee-Futue Oscar Winner

2010-03-20T23:00:00.000-07:00

I think I'm just going to let this video speak for itself....
Thank me afterwards!

Stan Lee's Oscar Campaign from Stan Lee

Music Video Mondays

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's Back!!!!! The always popular Music Video Mondays!

And I have a request! Wahoo! I'm surprised I didn't post this video before, considering it is one of my all time favorite songs, but hey, because I have a request now, I can't say no! Thanks to Kelly for this request!

This week's selection is "We Built This City"; it's a song written by Bernie Taupin, Martin Page, Dennis Lambert, and Peter Wolf, and recorded by Starship and released as its debut single on August 30, 1985.

Surprisingly, it was listed as "the #1 Worst Song Ever" by Blender magazine in April 2004.

Shrek Forever After Trailer

2010-03-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

This is the trailer for the newest Shrek Movie. I have to admit, when I first heard yet another Shrek movie was being made, at first I was like, "WTF? Why can't they let that franchise go?" After seeing this trailer, the movie doesn't look all that bad. I could be wrong; it could be the best parts of the movie are in this trailer, but we'll see, I suppose. I just hope it's the last movie. Let the franchise go out on a high note, y'know?

Toy Story 3 Trailer # 2

2010-03-13T11:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the newest trailer for the new "Toy Story 3" Movie.
It looks really good, with the quality remaining what it is.
And all the voices appear to be the same!
Um, Disney, are you paying attention to this? This is what is supposed to happen with sequels.....

(Helpful Suggestion: Bring it up to Full Screen)

Tron: LEGACY Trailer

2010-03-13T10:00:00.000-08:00

Back in the 80's, Disney made a movie called TRON. I never saw it, so I have no idea what it is about. It has a cult following though, so Disney decided to FINALLY make a sequel of this movie. Here is the trailer for the movie.

(Helpful suggestion, pop it up to full screen)

Iron Man 2 Trailer

2010-03-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well, here it is; the newest trailer for "Iron Man 2". It's pretty much the same scenes as the first one, except with some extended scenes. I hope it's just as good as the first one (the movie, not the trailer)!!!

**EDIT** Sorry about the awkwardness of this video; if I come across a better video, I will update this.

Movie Trailer Saturday

2010-03-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Watch out, cause I'm unloading a whole slew of movie trailers and other stuff today! I could have spaced them out, but it's rarin' to go! Enjoy!

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths Trailer

2010-03-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here is the trailer for DC Entertainment's newest animated feature: Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. At first, I was kinda "blase" about it; but the more and more that I saw of it, the more and more I came around. I have always thought the DC animated universe should have a sense of consistency, especially when it comes to animation. DC Entertainment does takes bold moves to diversify and show range, although sometimes it doesn't work (Superman/Doomsday anyone?)

If the movies is as good as the trailer is, then great. If it's not, well, hey, at least the trailer was good, right?

WTF? Crazy & Cool at the Same time!

2010-02-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Take a quick look at the below picture......

Notice anything different about it?!

You should; that’s an actual chest with an actual tattoo of the tattered Spidey costume! Apparently, it took over 9000 minutes, or 150 hours to complete! WOW! Not only is this tattoo CRAZY AWESOME, just imagine sitting in a chair for over 150 hours waiting for your tattoo to get done! Yikes!

Music Video Mondays

2010-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

This week's edition of Music Video Mondays is a little late. I meant to put this up last week as a shout out to all the single (newly & otherwise) people in the world.
This song isn't a slam against them, just a fun view from the single's perspective.

To all those in relationships (like me), Happy Valentine's Day !!(um, yes, again, a little late, I know...); to all those single and looking: don't worry, it will happen!

The name of the song is "Haven't Met You Yet", by Canadian singer Michael Buble (pronounced boo-blay). It's a fun song with a catchy beat, and good music. The video is fun as well! The song is off his "Crazy Love" album.

To check out some of his other songs, visit his You Tube page: Michael Buble

Welcome to the NEW DC ENTERTAINMENT

2010-02-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yeah, I know I'm a little late on this one, but still.....

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: DC ENTERTAINMENT NAMES EXECUTIVE TEAM
Thursday, February 18th, 2010

By David Hyde

Jim Lee and Dan DiDio Named Co-Publishers DC Comics

Geoff Johns to Serve as Chief Creative Officer

John Rood Named EVP, Sales, Marketing and Business Development
Patrick Caldon Named EVP, Finance and Administration

(February 18, 2010 – New York, NY and Burbank, CA) DC Entertainment, founded in September 2009 to unleash the power of the DC Comics library of characters across all media platforms, has named its executive management team, including new co-publishers of DC Comics and a Chief Creative Officer, as well as heads of Sales/Marketing/Business Development and Finance/Administration. Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment, made the announcement today.

The new senior executive team includes Jim Lee and Dan DiDio, who have been named Co-Publishers of DC Comics, and Geoff Johns, who will serve as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment. Additionally, John Rood has been named Executive Vice President, Sales, Marketing and Business Development, and Patrick Caldon will serve as Executive Vice President, Finance and Administration. Each of these executives will report directly to Nelson.

“DC Entertainment’s new executive team is a creative ‘dream team,’ with accomplishments and talent unrivaled in the business,” said Nelson. “This announcement continues and underscores DC’s legacy as the ultimate destination for creators. We’ll benefit enormously from the deep experience this team represents, while re-energizing the direction and focus of the company. I’m excited and honored to have each of them with me at the helm of DC Entertainment.”

“With this new leadership team, Diane will be able to fully and respectfully integrate DC’s brand and characters, not only as key content drivers in the film division, but across all of the businesses of Warner Bros. and Time Warner,” said Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “I am very proud and excited about the accomplished executives who are charged with expanding this powerful library. They each have a diverse and complementary skill-set and are deeply committed to contributing to the DC Comics legacy.”

Prior to his current post, Lee served as Editorial Director, where he oversaw WildStorm Studios and was also the artist for many of DC Comics’ bestselling comic books and graphic novels, including “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Batman: Hush” and “Superman: For Tomorrow.” He also serves as the Executive Creative Director for the upcoming DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.
Lee is an award-winning comic book illustrator/creator/publisher who started his professional career at Marvel Comics where his work on the X-Men continues to hold the all-time sales record for single issue sales at eight million copies sold in one month. At Marvel, he also drew the Punisher and co-created many characters, the most popular being Gambit, featured in 2009’s “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” feature film. In 1992, he started his own production company, WildStorm Productions, and co-founded Image Comics, an independent comics company which quickly grew to become the number-three North American comics publisher. His most notable creations, “WildCats” and “Gen 13,” saw life beyond comic books as a CBS Saturday morning cartoon and as a direct-to-video animated movie distributed by Disney, respectively. In 1998, he left Image Comics and sold WildStorm to DC Comics.

DiDio most recently served as Senior Vice President and Executive Editor, DC Universe, overseeing the editorial department for the DC Universe imprint, including the ongoing adventures of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and scores of heroes and villains. He also worked to develop new titles with the industry’s premier writers and artists. At DC Comics, DiDio has spearheaded such bestselling projects as “All Star Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder,” “Identity Crisis,” Green Lantern, Teen Titans and The Outsiders.

Before joining DC in 2002, DiDio was with Mainframe Entertainment, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President, Creative Affairs, overseeing the development, distribution, marketing and promotion of all Mainframe’s television properties. Prior to that, he served as Executive Director of Children’s Programming for ABC, where he was also a publicity manager, having started his television career at CBS, working in a variety of positions.
Johns builds on his current role at DC from being one of today’s most prolific, popular and award-winning contemporary comic book writers with this new executive role. He is a New York Times bestselling author who has written highly acclaimed stories revitalizing Green Lantern, Superman, the Flash, Teen Titans, and the Justice Society of America for DC Comics.

Johns began his comics career creating and writing “Stars and S.T.R.I.P.E.” for DC Comics while at the same time working with film director Richard Donner. After acclaimed runs on Flash, Teen Titans and the bestselling “Infinite Crisis” mini-series, Johns co-wrote a run on Action Comics with his mentor, Donner. Johns has also written and produced for various other media, including the acclaimed “Legion” and “Absolute Justice” episodes of Warner Bros. Television’s “Smallville” and Adult Swim’s “Robot Chicken” and “Titan Maximum.” He also wrote the story of the DC Universe Online massively multiplayer action game from Sony Online Entertainment.

Rood returns to Warner Bros. after 10 years with the Disney ABC Television Group, where he most recently was Senior Vice President of Marketing, ABC Family. While at ABC, he also consulted for ABC News during the recent transitions at “Good Morning America” and “ABC World News with Diane Sawyer.”

Prior to Disney, Rood worked for six years at Warner Bros. Consumer Products, negotiating promotional deals with national advertisers using Warner Bros.’ properties, including the DC Comics characters. He has also worked in promotions for Equity Marketing on the Burger King account and in advertising for Leo Burnett on the McDonald’s and Miller Brewing accounts.

Caldon most recently served as Executive Vice President, Finance and Operations of DC Comics and MAD Magazine. Before that, he served as Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and his other posts at DC include Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Controller, the position in which he joined the company in 1985. Prior to joining DC Comics, Caldon spent a decade at Warner Communications in corporate accounting and as Senior Vice President and CFO of the Cosmos soccer team (owned by Warner Communications at the time).
DC Entertainment, a division of Warner Bros. Entertainment, is charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment utilizes the expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises to prioritize the DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business is the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month as well as continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

Congratulations to DC, Geoff, Dan, Jim, John, & Patrick. Between the greatness of what Marvel is doing, and now what DC Entertainment has done, this truly is a great time to be a fan of comic books, and I can't wait to see what happens next! Game on Everybody!!!!

The Ballad of G.I. Joe

2010-02-10T09:00:00.000-08:00

While surfing the net, I came across this little "music video". It's from the Funny or Die website, so I gave it a listen. Pretty entertaining, I must say! Not only is it funny, but there are a ton of people in it!!!! See how many you can spot in the video! ( A list will be provided underneath the video for those who can't tell who is who)

The Ballad of G.I. Joe from Olivia Wilde

Cast List (in order of appearance):

Daniel Strange as Torch
Kevin Umbricht as Ripper
Alan Tudyk as Shipwreck
Laz Alonso as Doc
Zach Galifiankais as Snow Job
Andreas Owald as Snake Eyes
Julianne Moore as Scarlett
Henry Rollins as Duke
Alexis Bledel as Lady Jaye
Geoff Mann as Buzzer
Frankie Kang as Storm Shadow
Joey Kern as Tomax
Joey Kern as Xamot
Jamin Fite as Cobra Commander
Billy Crudup as Zartan
Vinnie Jones as Destro
Olivia Wilde as The Baroness
Tony Hale as Dr. Mindbender
Chuck Liddell as Gung Ho
and
Sgt. Slaughter as Himself

Awesome Art

2010-01-17T16:19:00.000-08:00

I came across this on Deviant Art.

The artist is Felipe Massafera.

WOW is all I can say, and let the art speak for itself.

Check out his gallery HERE

The New Karate Kid Trailer

2010-01-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

Once again, another movie trailer that I have seen, which I am not holding my breath on. One question comes to mind: What is up with all the remakes? And with that, when will it end?

A-Team Trailer

2010-01-12T09:00:00.000-08:00

Okay, so here is the trailer for the new A-Team Movie, which comes out June 11. It looks like it stars Liam Neisson as Hannibal Smith, Rampage Jackson as B.A. Baracus, and Bradley Cooper as "Face-man" Templeton Peck.
Like many of the movies I see the trailers for, I am not expecting much; although I have to say, when I don't go in with any pre-conceived notions, it doesn't turn out too bad!

The A-Team at IGN.com

Iron Man 2 Trailer

2010-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Here it is!

The Iron Man 2 trailer.

It believe it hits theaters May 10, 2010.

I'm not sure if this is going to be a good sequel or not. I am holding out hope though!

Music Video Mondays

2010-01-04T09:00:00.000-08:00

It's Back! And better than ever!

On this edition of Music Video Mondays, I present to you a new video, made in 2009.

The song is "According to You", by the artist Orianthi.....

Wait, what? You don't know her? It's quite possible you don't.

Okay, a little background info on her....

Orianthi Panagaris is a female guitarist & solo artist who learned to play the acoustic guitar at six, started electric when she was eleven. Since that time she has played with Carlos Santana, Prince, Carrie Underwood, and Adam Lambert. She was named one of the 12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists by the New York Times business section, as well as a becoming a promoter Eco-friendly acoustic guitars.
Her debut single "According to You" has peaked at #36 in the U.S.

In addition to all that, Orianthi was Michael Jackson's lead guitarist and was present on all rehearsals for his This Is It concerts before his death. She got the gig when she performed Beat It on her electric guitar for him, and just blew him away with her skill. See a clip of her playing it below.

New Year, New Look

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Well, it's a new year, so I figured, why not a new look?

Look for more posting this year, with new music, new videos, new additions to the blog, and who knows what else?

2010 is looking to be a very interesting year indeed!

Update Part III

2009-12-13T21:57:00.000-08:00

Wow, a whole month with a post! Geez! WTF?!

Sorry about the month long blog lag there, everybody!

It's been a looong month!

It's not for a lack of material, believe me.

I have a ton of material that I want to post, but I just don't have the time.

One of my New Year's resolutions is to make a better effort to make time for myself to blog.

To build up my blog, and to get a few of my personal projects out the door, and see what goes from there.

So bear with me, 'cause 2010 is going to interesting!!!!

If I don't blog until the new year: Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, & Happy New Years!

Moving Forward

2009-11-13T09:00:00.000-08:00

One of the things that I love about comic book art is when it shows a good degree of fluid movement. It's really hard to do on a cover, as well as in a comic book. I think the way that the way that it is depicted below is awesome! Although, it's kind of cheating (the comic has three different covers), it does convey the motion of something moving.

I give you Amazing Spiderman # 617 covers

Amazing Spider-Man # 617 Something is Coming Variant

Amazing Spider-Man # 617 Rhino is Coming Variant

Amazing Spider-Man # 617 Normal Cover

The Legend of Zelda...MOVIE

2009-11-12T23:09:00.000-08:00

Here is a trailer I found online tonight.
I'm not sure if it is legit or not, but here it is....if it is, then it looks pretty interesting!

Music Video Mondays

2009-11-09T09:00:00.000-08:00

Jumping from the 60's to the 80's is this week's song "Sweet Child o' Mine" from the one & only Guns-N-Roses.

"Sweet Child o' Mine" was the third single off of G-N-R's "Appetite for Destruction" album. Released as a single in 1988 (whereas the album was released in 1987), suprisingly becoming the bands first, and only, # 1 hit.

Did You Know?

"Sweet Child o' Mine" was made from a combination of Slash joking around during a jam session and an unfinished song written about Rose's then-girlfriend Erin Everly?

Apparently, Slash played the intro in a jam session as a joke, practicing when guitarist Izzy Stradlin asked Slash to play it again, and Axl rushed upstairs to find an ode he'd started but hadn't finished. With Steven Adler's added drum part, the harmony became the core of the song. *

*Info taken from Wikipeida.

Toy Story 3 Trailer

2009-11-09T00:38:00.000-08:00

Here it is! The official Toy Story 3 trailer!

Yeah, the quality isn't the best, but all the HD ones are "disabled by request"....

Planet Hulk DVD

2009-11-07T19:29:00.000-08:00

Here is the trailer for the next Marvel Animated movie. Based off of one of Marvel's best story lines involving the Incredible Hulk (in my opinion), "Planet Hulk" comes out in Feb. 2010. I'm not the biggest fan of the animation, but it looks good enough to enjoy!

Comic Art Comparisons # 10

2009-10-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another edition of Comic Art Comparisions! Yeah, yeah, I know it has been a while, but it's back; don't fret little ones!

This comparison brings back memories of the 80's cartoon "He-Man"

"He-Man and the Masters of the Universe" was started as a line of action figures in 1981, from the Mattel Company. In 1983, it was brought to TV, under the animation and direction of Filmation. Over the years, there have been many different interpretations of the Masters of the Universe line. In 2002, the franchise was revived yet again, this time with a new show, and a new comic book to go along with it. MV Creations was the company responsible for the comic book portion of the franchise. Written by Val Staples, and penciled by Emiliano Santalucia, it enjoyed some success before being cancelled.

Below is Emiliano Santalucia's art from pencils to colors.

Pencils by: Emiliano Santalucia

Inks by: Val Staples

Colors by: Val Staples

7 Years = 7 Songs

2009-10-27T09:00:00.000-07:00

WE INTERRUPT THIS BLOG FOR A SPECIAL EDITION OF MUSIC VIDEO MONDAYS -- ON A TUESDAY!

Not just a SPECIAL EDITION, a VERY SPECIAL EDITION of EXTENDED MUSIC VIDEOS!

Wow, I can't believe it's been 7 years of being together with the Vegan Von Vittle! How time flies when your having fun!

In honor of that, I have decided to post some videos that reflect the way I feel about her. V3, you are my absolute best friend, and I love every day with you!

The first video I have selected is Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This". One of the first songs that V3 & I heard together.

The Next video up is Taylor Swift's "The Best Day". This song reminds me that every day with V3 is "the best day" with her. So, everyday, I'm having the best day! (without V3, not so much)

Next up on the list, is Plain White T's "1,2,3,4". When I first heard this song, I totally thought of V3. Then I saw the video!
Awwwww....

**Sorry about reposting this video...**

The next "video" I want to present is Blue October's "Calling You". I use the "air quotes" because it's not really a video, just the song, with a pic on it. The stupid music companies won't let me embed the song. This song totally says how I feel about V3!

**Side Note**
This song is actually the ORIGINAL version. It's acoustic. It was a bonus track on the album History for Sale, but it was later remixed and put on Foiled for the Last Time. To see the remixed & redone version, please click here .

Up next, is another "video". I couldn't find an actual video, but this one will work. It's a video that has the lyrics of the song. Again, this song totally says how I feel about V3, and then some! It's from the awesome band, Lifehouse.
The song is called "Everything".

Up next, is Jesse McCartney's "Beautiful Soul". I can't really describe it well enough, so I'll just let the video do the talking.

**Note** Sorry about the mark on the side; it was the only video I can actually embed.

Last, but not least, is a video of a singer that I hadn't seen until I met V3. Well, more point of fact, this singer's movie.

The singer's name? George Strait.

The movie? Pure Country.

Again, this song totally describes what I feel for V3.

Well, that's it. 7 years, 7 songs.
I hope you enjoyed the videos!

V3, congratulations for putting up with me for 7 years. Here is to many more years of fun, laughs, & good times! I Love You!

WE NOW RETURN YOU TO YOUR REGULAR BLOG.....

Music Video Mondays

2009-10-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another edition of Music Video Mondays. This week my friends, we're going to go back in time, back to the 60's.

Ah, the 60's; a time that gave us great music from Aretha Franklin, the Beatles, Jimmi Hendrix, and the man whose selection is this weeks video, Ben E. King.

King, born Benjamin Earl Nelson, in 1938, was first known as the lead singer of the doo wop group The Five Crowns (still going by his original name). Shortly afterwards, he became the lead singer of the Drifters (after the original Drifters were fired by their manger and replaced with the members of the Five Crowns). In 1960, after failing to get a raise and a bigger cut of royalties, Nelson decided to quit the band and strike it solo. Deciding on the stage name, Ben E. King, he went to work on his first solo album.

This week's video is "Stand By Me", a song that was written by King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, and recorded in 1961, and later on, had a movie named after the song.

**Did You Know?**

"Stand By Me" was almost never made? According to the documentary History of Rock 'n' Roll, King had no intention of recording the song himself when he wrote it.King had written the song for The Drifters, who passed on the chance to record it. It was not until after the "Spanish Harlem" recording session that he had some studio time left over. The session's producers, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, asked if he had any more songs and King played "Stand by Me" on the piano for them. They liked it and called all the studio musicians back in to record it. If King hadn't finished recording his other songs early, "Stand by Me" might never have been recorded.**

**Info taken from Wikipedia.

Rant of the Day

2009-10-25T18:00:00.000-07:00

What is the big deal with embedding videos onto your website, blog, etc.? Why do the big music companies (or other companies, for that matter) block you from embedding certain videos on YouTube? I never understood it, nor do I understand it. Would it not make more sense to have whoever wanted to let people hear and see the video, and get the word out there that there is a new song, product, or whatever now out?

I just don't get it.... can someone please explain it to me????

Middle Aged Corporate Mutated Americans

2009-10-25T16:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, first Marvel sells out to Disney, then DC forms DC ENTERTAINMENT, now this. What's next?!

For those of you who don't know, The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, possibly the last successful independent property, has been sold to Nickelodeon (which, in turn, is owned by Viacom).

It comes as a shock to fans, yet, Peter Laird, co-creator of the Turtles contends that "...Not only has the idea, the concept of a sale of the TMNT been percolating in my brain for at least the last decade, the actual work on this deal with Viacom has been going on for many months. It was a complicated, grueling negotiation with thousands of details to consider."

Sold for $60 million USD, some people believe that Mr. Laird got ripped off. But, as he states, "...Please keep in mind that I had consulted with smart advisers who know about this kind of stuff, who had studied and researched how to evaluate the dollar value of a property like TMNT in real-world terms..."

So, what now?
Well, pretty much, everything is up in the air.

As for the movie, reports were that the new movie (which was reported to be a live-action movie) was supposed to come out in 2011 with screenwriter John Fusco to create the script and work with with producers Scott Mednick and Galen Walker. Since the sale to Nickelodeon, that has been taken off the table, and replaced with, (according to the press release from Nickelodeon) "...in partnership with Viacom's Paramount Pictures, a new release of a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles feature film is also planned for 2012."

As for the comics, who knows how that will work itself out? Although, according to a response given by Jim Lawson on his blog,"...Peter maintains the right to publish up to 18 TMNT comics per year that can be sold via the direct market and/or web site."

While that is some encouraging news, what does it mean? Well, it means the Turtles will be in comics for a little while longer, so stories can be finished up. Other than that, who knows?

As for the cartoon? Well, again, according to the press release, "Nickelodeon also announced plans to develop a new CG-animated television series based on the popular superhero franchise, anticipated to premiere in 2012."

Here are my two cents (and no disrespect is intended if it comes off as a scathing rant, it's just my opinions based of what I've read. I'm not in MA, nor am I involved with knowing any of the day-to-day activities) :

While, on the one hand, I can respect the fact that Peter Laird wanted to sell the Turtles property, because, as he puts it, "...why did I sell the TMNT? There are a number of reasons, but first and foremost is that I have been doing this TMNT thing for twenty-five years, sixteen of them in partnership with TMNT co-creator Kevin Eastman and the last nine as sole owner of the property. That is a long time. It is almost half my life (I'm 55). I never expected to be working on the same thing for this long. And it has worn me down. I am no longer that guy who carries his sketchbook around with him and draws in it every chance he gets. That guy did all of the pre-TMNT artwork you have been seeing on this blog in many of my "Blast from the Past" posts."

I get it. He's burnt out. I totally understand that point. Do I agree with his need to sell the property because he is burnt out and want's nothing more to do with the "bigger issues" that he has to deal with? Not exactly.

Why? Just for the fact that:

A) He reserved the right to publish up to 18 comics per year. Now, from one side, I can see the need to get that to finish up Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2. BUT, to have it that you can ALSO finish up TMNT Vol. 4, "whenever you want" is somewhat irksome. You wanted to walk away, but yet, you don't want to totally walk away?

It will be interesting to see what the future holds.

My hope is that (at least on the comics side) Mirage Publishing figures out a way to get all of the projected books that they had in release out, and to the fans. I think it would be hard, but not entirely difficult.

For example: If, as Dan Berger has stated, that, "...Tales of the TMNT Vol. 2 will continue through to and conclude with issue #70, scheduled for next year.", and it's at Issue # 62 or 63, then that leaves only 7 to 8 more issues left.

He goes on to say that, "TMNT Vol. 4 will continue at a pace that only Peter Laird will be able to decide."

With that statement, it could be weeks, months, or years before Peter Laird decides he wants to go back to the TMNT world (and, arguably, understandable). With that though, you have a possible ten slot comic book that can be produced.

My plan (if I were at all involved), would be to pull the Mirage Universe TPB (which has been done) and break it into monthly books. Now, (as I have seen) there isn't a page count that these can be put into, but, as Dan Berger puts it, "...they are (likely) allowed to do reprints, so long as they are between 32-48 pages, which rules out the publication of any trade paperbacks."
If you keep each monthly book in those page requirements, then boom! Done! And if you want to reprint at some point, Done!

Now, about "Forever War". This book, should, no, NEEDS to see the light of day. It was originally scraped for whatever reason, but yet, back on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, Stephen Murphy announced, via his blog, that, "Just came out of a meeting with Peter Laird and CEO Gary and am very pleased to report that the long-delayed The Forever War project has been given a green light and will see print as one of the "special event projects" to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the TMNT in May 2009...". This was from 2007. 2007!!!!

Again, with Peter Laird's current "I don't know when" schedule for TMNT Vol. 4, this, again, is doable. I'm not sure if I am imagining this, or not, but I thought I read that the 18 comics per year can be black & white only (I need clarification on that). I'm not really sure if that makes a difference to anyone or not, but if you have to print it in black and white to get it out, then DO IT! Chris Allan's art work is strong enough to stand up in black and white.

So, if you have Tales pumping along at a book a month (December is when # 63 is supposed to be out) then 64-70 would be 7 books in 7 months (for 2010), put in the Forever War book in there are as well (4-5 issues I think is what it was), that's 11-12 books out in 7 months, and put out at least 5-6 issues of Mirage Universe out( I'm not sure who many books that would break out into),then you have 17-18 books in a year. Perfect for interlacing a Peter Laird Vol 4. book here and there, wouldn't you agree?

Now, as for that special "cartoon". I saw the clip of it that was posted on the Ninja Pizza Blog, and I gotta admit, it looked pretty cool. I'm not sure why that wasn't released (possibly due to the sale), but I have to wonder why that wasn't brought up into any discussions (again, I wasn't there for any negotiations, so I don't know). All that time, and effort, possibly wasted. The fact that it was purported to be for the 25th anniversary makes it even more irksome why that has never, nor possibly will, ever be released. I don't have the slightest idea on how to get that out.

The other thing that I wonder is:
Why was there a 25th Anniversary "shellebration" at all? Was it for the fans, or just to point out that "Hey, the TMNT are 25 years old" to some prosepective buyer? If it was, then why was it (again, in my opinion) done so poorly? Was it because the initial proceedings for selling the TMNT property were already beiginning? I find it hard to believe that if you weren't going through the motions, that the TMNT 25th celebration would have been handled better.

One case in point: The collected TMNT book that was put out had a multitude of errors (see this post for specifics on the errors); that, when asked about, the response was, "It was a combination of things, including laziness and the sense that -- as a reprint -- there wouldn't really be any errors for me to find. Obviously, I was wrong."

And, as Roseangelo (her blog is here) puts it, "...It's not unusual for me to see something from the TMNT25 team, anchored by some folks at Peppercom, and be disappointed by its pointlessness and consistant lack of professionalism. So far we've seen pajama TMNT "costumes" at Comic-Con last year (and they were sooooo proud of these), a pointless Twitter account that gives weather updates more than anything else, a crappy Web site still full of inaccurate information, an April with a Kill Bill jumpsuit, and now the e-mail that arrived today." (her total post about this is here)

In closing, I hope that the fans are treated to a little bit more than what they have gotten. Yes, the franchise was revived in 2003 with a great cartoon, and again in 2007 with the movie, but other than, that? Not much. Playmates has put out toys that have had some success, and others that has been ridiculed for it's ridiculousness.
The 25th Anniversary? A collected book, (with mistakes made), another collected book (from Kevin Eastman), a screening of the ORIGINAL Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Movie, a bus made up to look like the Turtle van, some really bad marketing campaigns, and unfulfilled promises of books and movies that are "supposedly" (read: probably not) coming out. Whahoo!(dripping with sarcasm)

Am I totally wrong in my thinking, and way off base with my thoughts?

Some comments were taken off of the following blogs:

http://ninja-pizza.blogspot.com
http://boxburning.blogspot.com
http://plairdblog.blogspot.com
http://the-5th-turtle.blogspot.com

Amazing Music

2009-10-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

The other day, I came across this video.

Totally amazing! I have no other words to describe it!

Enjoy!

Awesome Art

2009-10-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

So, I was surfing the Internet the other day and came across this piece of Awesome Art. It's of Mr. Freeze, from Batman fame. I love the cold air coming out of Mr. Freeze's mouth, giving off the toal impression that it is cold; really cold! I love the reflection of Batman in Mr. Freeze's helmet. All in all, just some Awesome Art.

The artist of this awesome work is Mansloth.
You can check out his other work here.

Music Video Mondays

2009-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's Music Video is from a band that hit it big in the 90's and has managed to stick around and still have hits to this day.

Train started out in San Francisco as a two member band, Patrick Monahan & Rob Hotchkiss, who performed in coffee houses and local clubs. After deciding to form a full band, Monihan & Hotchkiss recruited Jimmy Stafford, Charlie Colin, and later, Scott Underwood.

This week's video is called "Soul Sister", and is off of their brand new album, Save Me San Francisco and is scheduled for release October 27, 2009.

*Quick Note* This video is actually a "pre-video", before the ACTUAL video is made.

"Sushi, I am your Daddy!"

2009-10-09T14:40:00.000-07:00

TGIF!!! What a week!
I saw this online and just had to post it!!! The title of the post is a vague reference to Star Wars, where Darth Vader tells Luke that he is, in fact, his father. So what does this have to do with sushi you may ask? Weeeeell, feast your eyes on the pictures below! Eating sushi will never be the same again! BWAHAHA!

Hi, I'm Batman...and I'm Iron Man

2009-10-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

As I was surfing the net, I came across this little gem of a video on Youtube. It's a spoof on the "I'm a PC, I'm a Mac" commercials. It's original (well, the writing anyway), and it's really funny! Enjoy!

**UPDATE** It has come to my attention that not everyone is familiar with the Mac/Pc ads. With that in mind, below the video I have put another video of some "Mac vs. PC" ads.

The Adventures of Rhett and Link

2009-10-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

A special thanks to the V3 for reminding me to post this video. Rhett and Link are the comedy duo of Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal. They are famous for their music and comedy videos on the net and refer to themselves as "Internetainers". Rhett and Link are also musicians (releasing two albums), filmmakers (releasing one movie), and TV hosts (Online Nation - which got canceled). They have been best friends since meeting in first grade.

I could have sworn I already put up this video, but apparently, I didn't. Shame on me. Anyone who knows me, knows I have a love for Taco Bell. Any chance I get, I can often be found either inside or on the drive-thru line, waiting to order my tasty, custom creations! I wish I had the guts, no, the kootzbah, to do what these two guys did! Anytime I go now, I always have the urge to! Hope you like it!

Daily Dose of Dilbert

2009-10-06T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is another dose of Dilbert!

Music Video Mondays

2009-10-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

This week's video is from a Native of Detroit, Michigan. An artist whose music I love and I actually respect. This week's video is Kid Rock's "All Summer Long"

"All Summer Long" was released in 2008 as the third single from the album Rock N Roll Jesus. The song is based on Warren Zevon's "Werewolves of London" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama". The song samples the instrumental part of Werewolves of London and the most well known riff of "Sweet Home Alabama" alongside new lyrics by Kid Rock. Lynyrd Skynyrd's longtime keyboardist Billy Powell plays the piano on the track, including a reprise of his famous piano solo at the end of "Sweet Home Alabama".*

Enjoy!

* Info taken from Wikipedia

Wrestling's Fake, Right?

2009-10-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

We all know that wrestling is fake, right? Yeah, well, while wrestling may be scripted, it does take a toll on the body, whether you want to believe it or not. Case in point, John Cena. Cena is one of WWE's premier wrestlers, and the videos below, chronicle what happened to him while wrestling. Watch both videos. It's interesting, cool, and somewhat inspiring all at the same time.

John Cena Neck Surgery Part 1

John Cena Neck Surgery Part 2

Pencil Art

2009-10-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Being the comic book geek that I am, I have to say that I love just plain pencil art! It's so good to see comic book art that is in its plainest, rarest form.
I came across different art below. I will probably add onto the pics.

** I had this set up as a blog post from 6/08. I don't know why I didn't actually post this. I think I was going to make these into Comic Art Comparison posts.**

All Star Batman & Robin # 3(DC Comics): Art by Jim Lee

Teen Titan # 39 (DC Comics): Art by Tony Daniel

Optimus Prime (sketch): Art by Joe Madureia

Ultimate Origins # 1: Art by Michael Turner

Random Panel from a Teen Titans issue: Art by Tony Daniel

Awesome Art

2009-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

I love it when I come across really good art on topics or subjects that I love. Case in point, I came across this AWESOME piece of art by the VERY talented artist, Darren Tan.
It's a STAR WARS piece, which just floored me. Wow is all I can say! Check out his work on Deviant Art: http://wraithdt.deviantart.com/

Superman Batman Public Enemies Clip

2009-09-29T09:00:00.000-07:00

Here is a clip of DC Entertainment's newest offering direct to DVD: Superman/Batman, Public Enemies. It doesn't look horrible, although I think I am used to the art style of Batman: The Animated Series, or Superman: The Animated Series. Or Justice League. Now, those shows had some good art work in it. The latest dvd movies, not so much....

So, what are your thoughts?

Music Video Mondays

2009-09-28T10:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to another edition of Music Video Mondays! Did you miss it?!

To start this up again, I wanted to start it back up with a "bang". What better song than "You Shook Me All Night Long" by the legendary band AC/DC.

"You Shook Me All Night Long" is one of AC/DC's signature songs from their most successful album, Back in Black.It was released August of 1980, and went on to reach number 35 on Billboard's's Hot 100 when it debuted in 1980. It has since gone on to be recognized as one of the Greatest Songs of the 80's by various sources.

Daily Dose of Dilbert

2009-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:00

Ah Dilbert. A comic strip created by Scott Adams that took a close look at the workplace. When I started reading them, I thought the guy had a secret camera or something that was videotaping my work life. But sadly, some of these strips were from 1996. And yet these things happen today as well. Hopefully, the strips will put a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a great outlook on your day. Or, it could make you realize other stuff, and make you weep openly in front of your co workers; me, I don't work near anyone, as I sit in the back of the office all day where pretty much no one comes down unless they have to, so no one sees my tears. So, bring on the funny....

Dilbert is created by the great Scott Adams.

My Cubicle

2009-09-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Geez, what a week! Some days, I totally feel like this video!
And that's all I'm going to say on this topic....haha!
P.S. Sorry about the quality of sound on this, I didn't make it, I just found it! :)

Update Part II

2009-09-24T16:27:00.000-07:00

What's up????? Nope, not dead yet! Yeah, been really bad about updating this blog, but not for lack of a better reason than being crazy work wise. I don't think it's going to get any better, so I am trying to adjust and set some stuff up for the future. I tried this once before, but it didn't quite work out the way I would have liked, but we'll see....

In the meantime, I have gathered a ton of material that should keep things rolling for a while, but I think I will also be trying (emphasis on the word trying) to update my other blog as well; so if you don't see an update on one blog, maybe I updated the other, or vice versa, or maybe I updated both (we'll see about that one happeneing!)

Been thinking about changing up the look of the blog, but I'm still up in the air about it; I really like the black background, so I dunno; I'll do some test runs to see how things go.

Nothing really new, just the same ol', same ol', multiplied by ten...

Think that's about it for right now!

Lata!!

Update

2009-09-02T12:50:00.000-07:00

Hey All! Sorry about the lack of updates here. I just looked in my post listings, and have/had a ton of stuff planned to put up. But the kicker is with all this stuff, I don't have any of it labeled as to what it is! Hahaha! So, I will take a look at it, and go from there!

So, here is an update of stuff that has been happening in the world of music, movies, & comics....

1. DISNEY BUYS MARVEL

Yup, you read that correctly. Disney Entertainment has bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion dollars. I'm not sure if Disney got off cheap or if they overpaid for Marvel. I guess we'll see. It'll be interesting how this plays out; what changes will or won't be made, what wil be affected, so on & so on. Hopefully, it's a good deal. I'm a little hesitant to think it is, but hey, I'm just a big cynical jerk sometimes, so I look for the evil in everything!

Ironically enough, now the two biggest comic book companies are both owned by the two biggest media companies (Marvel by Disney & DC Comics by Time Warner)

2. RYAN REYNOLDS IS GREEN LANTERN

Ryan Reynolds has been confirmed as playing the lead role of Hal Jordan in the movie "GREEN LANTERN". Personally, I like Ryan Reynolds. I think he's a good actor with good timing. I think he can do a very good job with it (provided that the movie itself isn't going to suck). Green Lantern is scheduled for sometime in 2010.
Coincidentally, Ryan will be the main role in Marvel Comic's "DEADPOOL" movie. It should be interesting which one does better.....

3. OASIS BREAKS UP

Really? Didn't they already do this? Then came back together? Then broke up again? Geez, can't these guys just decide they can't work together and move on? Or at least make albums by not being near each other? At least with that, people hear there music (which wasn't THAT bad), but they don't have to be in real contact with each other. And yeah, they wouldn't be able to tour, but then again, sometimes, touring isn't all that it is cracked up to be!

4.BLACKEST NIGHT HAS BEGUN

In the world of comics, DC Comics has put out a solid effort with BLACKEST NIGHT, a comic that started off in GREEN LANTERN, but expands into the whole DC Universe. It's very well written, and the art is top notch too. If you are into comics, I highly recomend picking this series up. The tie-in books are good as well, notably BLACKEST NIGHT: SUPERMAN.

5. SPIDERMAN MUSICAL (RUMORED TO BE) BACK IN PRODUCTION

This comes straight from the CBR website. You can check it out here...

It looks as if word of the death of the Spider-Man musical may have been premature.

Multiple media reports have "modest" work resuming today on the $35-million Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, which halted production in early August because of cash-flow problems on the part of lead producer Hello Entertainment.

But Variety notes that the Broadway show, directed by Julie Taymor (The Lion King) and featuring music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge, "isn't quite out of the financial woods yet."

"Not everyone who was working on Spider-Man has been called back to work, it's said," writes Gordon Cox, "which some point to as an indication that while producers have gotten hold of some of the cash needed to capitalize the massive tuner, not all of it has yet been secured."

As we reported yesterday, the rest of the cash isn't likely to come from Disney, which on Monday announced plans to purchase Marvel Entertainment. Instead, the New York Post's Michael Riedel says, the funding could come from the pockets of Bono's wealthy friends.

"Bono's too smart to put his own money in the show," Riedel writes, "but word on the street is that he's tapped into his vast network of rich friends and business associates to restart production."

So, I think that is it for right now.....more to come!

UPDATE: FUTURAMA

2009-08-01T11:03:00.000-07:00

It's official; well, as official as anything really can be in the age of gossip magazines and internet sites. It looks like the original voice actors for the hit show FUTURAMA have reached an agreement to return to the show! Huzzah! Apparently, this was not only confirmed by various web sites, but indiviual actors as well.

So, now you know, and knowing is half the battle!!!

Comic Art Comparisons # 9

2009-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to another edition of Comic Art Comparisons! This weeks edition is from the red hot Batman artist, Tony Daniel. You can visit his blog here.

This particular piece is from Batman 690, I think.

Inks

Full Color

This next piece is also from Tony Daniel. This is the cover to Batman 677.

Inks

Colors

Artistic tips for the Newbies and Cannots

2009-07-22T09:00:00.000-07:00

For all of you art fans looking how to draw somewhat realistically, here is a clip of drawing a "manga" face. Me, I can't draw to save my life. Well, that's not exactly true; but I can't draw any type of serious figures; so this actually helped a bit. I know some of you out there can already draw, and draw quite well, but for those of us that can't, here's some helpful advice!

Meet the Man

2009-07-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

There is an expression that goes, "if you wanna be the man, you gotta beat the man!" In my humble opinion, Jim Lee is the man. His artistic skills are excellent, as evidenced in the video of a drawing he does of the X-Man Gambit. He can do in 8 minutes what most people dream about doing in a lifetime. Hope you guys like it! To see more of Jim Lee's awesome artwork, go to his deviantART page here.

Note from around the world of Cartoons and Comics

2009-07-20T11:00:00.000-07:00

Green Lantern's light shines brightly on Ryan Reynolds

Variety is reporting that actor Ryan Reynolds (“X-Men Origins: Wolverine”) has landed the role of Green Lantern Hal Jordan in the Warner Bros. live-action film " Green Lantern ", based on the popular DC Comics series. Production is expected to begin in January 2010. Martin Campbell is scheduled to direct.

Futurama Cast Replaced?

Update: Bender and company could sound very different when the show returns.
by Eric Goldman

July 17, 2009 - Is Futurama being recast? Several outlets, including EW.com, are reporting that apparently 20th Century Fox, who produce the series, are currently auditioning actors to take over all of the major roles on the series, replacing Billy West ("Fry", "Hubert J. Farnsworth", "Zoidberg"), Katey Sagal ("Leela"), John DiMaggio ("Bender"), Maurice LaMarche ("Kif Kroker"), and Tress MacNeille ("Mom").

IGN TV contacted 20th Century Fox and were told, "We love the Futurama voice performers and absolutely wanted to use them, but unfortunately, we could not meet their salary demands. While replacing these talented actors will be difficult, the show must go on. We are confident that we will find terrific new performers to give voice to Matt [Groening] and David [X. Cohen]'s brilliantly subversive characters."

With the show being brought back, certainly it wouldn't be surprising if the voice actors asked for raises – and considering Futurama is now being produced for Comedy Central, not FOX, it's also possible those salary requests were too high for 20th Century Fox and Comedy Central to justify, since cable series typically operate at lower budgets than network series.

However, there are some interesting things to consider here. Several weeks ago, the details of the Futurama panel at Comic-Con were revealed, and they read:

"Futurama: Life or Death?! BE A PART OF SCI-FI HISTORY! Join Executive Producers Matt Groening and David X. Cohen, and stars Billy West, Katey Sagal, John DiMaggio and Maurice LaMarche for high-stakes thrills as a top-ranking Fox executive decides live, on stage, whether Futurama will make yet another triumphant return, or whether it is gone forever! The very fate of Futurama hangs in the balance! Paramedics will be standing by in case the intense excitement causes any panelists to collapse. Raucous celebration or abject despair to follow the news."

Obviously, the whole "life or death" thing is a joke, since the show has officially been brought back. And then there's the fact that three of the cast members said to be among those being replaced are scheduled to be on the panel. Certainly, salary negotiations could have fallen apart since the panel was first set up, but it makes you wonder… One thing's for certain, it will make the Futurama Comic-Con panel even more of a big deal. If the original cast is there, and this is an elaborate hoax, then fans will no doubt be very relieved. If they're not there, and they are indeed being recast, then it's not hard to imagine plenty of not-so-happy fan questions on the subject, to say the least.

Update: Variety is now chiming in on theFuturama situation, and it looks like this is indeed the real deal, as in not any sort of hoax. Variety confirms that the show has a dramatically slashed budget, and that the salary offers made to the cast were far below what they were asking – which Variety says was likely around $75,000 an episode. The budget cuts (compared to what the show had when it originally was produced) have also led to a smaller writing staff and a shorter schedule to produce episodes.

If there's any hope for fans, it's the fact that a casting call for new voice actors doesn't necessarily mean that a deal still can't be made. In fact, Variety points out that when negotiations were going badly for new deals with The Simpsons cast several years ago, similar casting inquiries were made for new actors – and obviously, in that case, the original cast did eventually come to terms on a new deal. Let's all cross our fingers that history repeats itself here...

FAMILY GUY GETS EMMY NOD

With the comedy series category expanded to seven series, there was a couple of other notable new editions, starting with Family Guy. The past two years, Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane had made a major push to get his show in the comedy category as opposed to the animated category, and it paid off this time – making Family Guy the first animated series since The Flintstones to make it into this category.

GEOFF JOHNS TO PRODUCE/CO-WRITE “FLASH”
by CBR News Team, Editor

In what will certainly be welcome news to comic readers, The Hollywood Reporter has published a lengthy piece on the state of DC Comics properties in TV and Film, including word that “Flash: Rebirth” and “Green Lantern” writer Geoff Johns is on board as a producer for an upcoming “Flash” feature film.

According to THR, Warners hired Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman this last fall to act as consultants and writers for its superhero line of films. While details of Morrison and Wolfman’s projects weren’t revealed, it was noted that Johns has worked up a new treatment for a “Flash” film, being written by Dan Mazeau. Johns will act in a producer capacity on “Flash,” which does not yet have a director.

In addition to the “Flash” news, THR said Warner Bros. is taking pitches on films spotlighting Adam Strange as well as Aquaman, which would be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way shingle.

There’s also "Bizarro Superman," written by "Galaxy Quest" writers David Howard and Robert Gordon; a sequel to "Constantine"; two Green Arrow projects, one an origin story and the other the previously announced "Super Max"; and also "Shazam" with Pete Segal attached to direct.

This is on top of already in production films like “The Losers,” “Jonah Hex” and “Green Lantern,” plus the television series adaptation of “Human Target.”

Music Video Mondays

2009-07-20T09:00:00.000-07:00

This weeks edition of Music Video Monday brings you a band that was uber popular in the 1990s. Although still around today, they aren't as popular, but just as good musically. The band is the Counting Crows. Formed in 1991 by Adam Duritz and Dave Bryson formed Counting Crows in San Francisco in 1991. They reached the big time in 1994, after their release of "August and Everything After". The song chosen is actually off of their sophomore album "Recovering the Satellites". The name of the song is Angels of the Silences. Enjoy!

It's all in the Cards....

2009-07-17T09:00:00.000-07:00

Different Takes # 6

2009-07-16T09:00:00.000-07:00

The next song is an oldie, but a goodie. Many people may not have heard the original version of the song, but heard the cover version by the popular band, Pearl Jam.
The song that I am refering to is called "Last Kiss". Pearl Jam's version is one of my all time favorite songs.

A couple of intersesting notes about the song:

1. It was originally written by Wayne Cochran who was inspired to write "Last Kiss" after having lived near a dangerous highway where several accidents had occurred yearly. Cochran began writing the song in 1956. He came up with the song's chord progression, first verse, and chorus, although five years would pass before Cochran finished the song.

2. Cochran based the rest of "Last Kiss" on an incident in which several teens were killed and two seriously injured when their car struck a flatbed logging truck. Sixteen-year-old Jeanette Clark was out on a date in Barnesville, Georgia on December 22, 1962, the Saturday before Christmas. She was with a group of friends in a 1954 Chevrolet. J. L. Hancock, also sixteen, was driving the car in heavy traffic and while traveling on Highway 341, collided with a trailer truck. Clark, Hancock, and another teenager were killed, and two other teens in the car were seriously injured. Cochran finished the song, which he titled "Last Kiss", and dedicated it to Clark.

The idea to cover "Last Kiss" came about after vocalist Eddie Vedder found an old record of the song at the Fremont Antique Mall in Seattle, Washington.[7] He convinced the rest of the band to try out the song and it was performed a few times on the band's 1998 tour. The band eventually and released it as a 1998 fan club Christmas single.

When Pearl Jam covered the song, it became, arguably, the band's biggest hit. Originally recorded at a soundcheck at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. and released as a 1998 fan club Christmas single, their version would end up reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100. This remains Pearl Jam's highest position on the Billboard Hot 100. It peaked at number four on the Top 40 Mainstream. The song peaked at number five on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and number two on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The "Last Kiss" single has been certified gold by the RIAA.

J. Frank Wilson & the Cavilers - "Last Kiss"

Pearl Jam- "Last Kiss"

When companies fight for your business, you win!!!!

2009-07-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

One day, when I was trollin the internet looking for some cool art, I came across this particular piece of art. At first, I did a double take. Then thinking about it, I laughed out loud! Imagine if someone really did develop a fighting video game based on the characters to fast food chains. That would be awesome!!!! Hahaha! I'm the BK King! It's good to be the King!! LOL!

The art is done by an artist named Lysol Jones. If I ever come across his Deviant Art page, I will post a link to it.

Different Takes # 5

2009-07-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

The next Take 2 in the series is a fmaous Beatles song.
The first version is the original; the video has a pretty cool intro into the song. The second version is about 180 degrees the other way of the style, tempo, and even vocals for the song. I like both versions alot, so I can't tell which one is better.

The Beatles -"I Wanna Hold your Hand"

T.V. Carpio -"I Wanna Hold your Hand"

Music Video Mondays

2009-07-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

This weeks Music Video Monday is from a band that was formed in 1991 by vocalist/songwriter John McCrea, guitarist Greg Brown, trumpeter Vince DiFiore, bassist Shon Meckfessel and drummer Frank French. Shon Meckfessel soon left and was replaced by Gabe Nelson. That band is the indie rock band CAKE (yes, all caps on purpose). They are still around today, although I believe the original lineup has changed.

"Never There" is the first single from Cake's third album Prolonging the Magic. It is often considered the most successful Cake song.

The song is awesome, and the video is pretty good too!

Some of the many reasons why I love, and why I want, an Ipod Touch

2009-07-10T09:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, you did read that title right. It's the Ipod Touch, not the Iphone that I want. (Besides, I'm sure there are apps out there that would allow me to make a free call now and then anyway...)

Brushes App

Iverse Comic Reader

Different Takes # 4 - Take On Me

2009-07-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

I gotta say, I'm really glad I thought of this one. Growing up, I really, really didn't like Aha's version, but then I came across the Reel Big Fish's version of this song & I lovbe it! It's fun, upbeat, just a really good cover of this song!
**Sorry about the poor quality of the original, it was the only one that I found that let me embed**
Aha

Reel Big Fish

Dukes of Hazzard: The Chase Scene

2009-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've posted this before, but this is a clip of the chase scene from "Dukes of Hazzard", the movie made in 2005, based on the TV show. While the movie itself was bad, no, horrible; it did have some good moments. One of them was this chase scene. The writing is horrible, but its pretty cool to see the General Lee in all out action! Piece of Advice: click HQ, and turn of annotations! Enjoy!

Different Takes # 3 - Kiss the Girl

2009-07-07T09:00:00.000-07:00

I always liked this song. I always thought it was the best out of all of the songs for the Little Mermaid. I like the other version too. It's different from the other version, so all is good!

This Original Version- "Kiss the Girl"

Ashley Tisdale -"Kiss the Girl"