An Adventure In Time

I wanted to write this blog entry discussing a show that I recently started watching called, "Adventure Time". I first want to start by saying that I purely discovered this show through a co-worker who suggested I should give this show a look at the very least. So eventually I came around on the idea (plus I had nothing else that I was watching at the time) and borrowed season 1 from him. I have to admit, the first few episodes I had no clue what I was watching and things were happening so randomly that it had almost no structure at all. However this did not take away from me being introduced to Finn and Jake!!! These two main characters were soooo funny and engaging that I couldn't stop watching them. Let me give you a brief background on the show: Adventure Time takes place in the post apocalyptic land of Ooo (yes that's the name of the place). We as viewers don't get to see much of what happened to Earth other than some background destruction of cars and some mentions of "mushroom wars" which is reference to the nuclear war that destroyed the Earth which left Finn as the only human alive. What I really love about this show are the supporting characters that make the show very enjoyable. The first character is Princess Bubble Gum who rules the Candy Kingdom and is made of bubblegum. I feel like she gives the show a bit of a romantic tone by her interactions with Finn. Another fun character is The Ice King who is the lonely antagonist on the show. Through his antics and constant pursuit of all the princesses in the land, this character adds to the humour element of the show. Moving right along we get to the main characters, Finn and Jack who are the best of friends on the show. One interesting fact is the character Jake, who is a dog that can talk and stretch his body in all directions which is a cool thing to watch. Most people love Jake and find him humorous, but my personal favourite is Finn. If there's any character that stands out and takes us on this bizarre and funny adventure, it's Finn. I'm a huge fan of Finn and his character along with Jake as they compliment one another perfectly. All in all, this show is exciting, funny and quirky with not much continuity between episodes but is a roller coaster ride of laughs and adventure. I highly recommend the show!!! You shall not be disappointed. 

---------------------- 

My On My Shelf item is this 1991 Wizard Collectors Edition # 1. I was a huge fan of Wizard in its early years of inception and with great aspects like "hidden gems" and "top 10 books of the month," Wizard really set themselves apart from any competition. Sadly, Wizard has stopped making its price guide books but it's great to remember the early years when this magazine had every comic nerd salivating!!!

My First Book

I would like to start this blog talking about how I got into comics as a youngster. When I was about 6 years old, I was on my way home from school and I stopped off at a nearby convenience store. As I looked around for the latest gummy or Twizzler, it was in that moment that my eyes locked on a comic that not only captured the awe of a 6 year old, but began my life long love affair with comics. This magical book was Amazing Spiderman #291. Don't get me wrong, this book wasn't some classic book like Detective Comics # 27 or Action Comics #1!! However, to a boy of 6 years old, it represented much more than a comic - it represented an escape to a world of hope and wonder. From that moment on, I could once a week take a swing through the city with Spiderman or fly the blue skies with Superman. From that point, comics didn't just represent fun and fantasy, it was my partner in life that would see me through difficult and trying times. So for all of you book worms and avid readers, don't forget that first book that set you on the path to adventure and wonder because you will always remember your first love.

---------------------

The On My Shelf item this week is not a book but something just as great. These two little guys you might remember from the Knorr commercials a few years back. The commercials were so cute and one day, I went online to see if you actually get one. Low and behold - you could! It took about 3 to 4 months later but I received them and now they share a space on my shelf. As a side note: these little guys have been known to fetch $100 and over on eBay (luckily I got them for just $15!!).

8 Bit As Good

Remember 8 bit games? I do and when I was digging out my closet the other day, I found some old GameBoy games. As I held these games I thought about how popular 8 bit games were 20 years ago and all of the countless hours I spent playing Super Mario Bros, amongst many other games. Understanding that the times have changed and gaming has advanced to the point that you can play an opponent from half way across the world, we have to respect the classic games that started it all and gave us such iconic symbols such as Zelda, Mario and Donkey Kong. Don't get me wrong, all the new games today being so fast paced, with graphics that are so real it looks like a movie, it's hard to play 8 bit games. However for me, 8 bit represents a journey back to my childhood. So the next time you're cleaning your room or accidentally come across an 8 bit game lying around, take a minute to respect and play it for 5 minutes. You won't be disappointed, I know that I wasn't.

My Favourite 8 Bit Games:

• Classic Mario Bros.
• Legend of Zelda
• Mike Tyson's Punch Out
• Burger Time
• Donkey Kong
• Pac Man 

------------------------

This week's On My Shelf item is a Hellboy pencil sketch drawn by Mouse Guard's fame artist David Petersen. I have a few of David Petersen's incredible water colours but among all of his artwork, this is one is my favourites. For more of David Petersen's work, check out this link: http://mouseguard.bigcartel.com/

The Savage Welker

In this looooong overdue blog post, I will be focusing on one of the all time greatest voice actors.. Frank Welker!!! For those of you who don't know who Frank is, well look no further than those 80's cartoons like Transformers. It was on that very successful show that Frank voiced the main antagonist and leader of the Decepticons: Megatron!!! One interesting fact of this native from Denver is that his first job in the industry was a commercial for Friskies dog food commercial. The most amazing thing for me is the fact that people love Peter Cullen's voice (Optimus Prime), but a hero can only go as far as the villian takes him. Welker's voice adds a strong presence and holds its own against the power deep monotone voice of Peter Cullen. As a young boy growing up, I loved Optimus Prime's voice as well as the character but now looking back over the years, it's both Peter and Frank that not only captivated a young man's imagination but cemented Frank Welker as one of my favourite voice actors of all time!

Frank's other notable roles -

1) Fred Jones, "Scooby Doo"

2) Marvin White, "Super Friends"

3) Dr. Claw, "Inspector Gadget"

4) Slimer, "The Real Ghostbusters"

5) Malebolgia, "Spawn"

----------

 

This week's On My Shelf item is Megaton Explosion # 3. This is the first appearance of Erik Larsen's Savage Dragon. Savage Dragon was one of the first founded Image character and for a brief time, had a televisions series.  With a very low print run, this book makes as a very rare jem in an any collector's vault.

 

Walking Jacks

Jack Of All Trades

The first item of discussion is Jack of All Trades. These authentic and soft material t-shirts are a great fit making it comfortable and easy to wear. JOAT carries a large range of awesome comic designs in a variety of different colours. This great t-shirt brand can be found in local comic shops and HMV stores, In addition, their website is easily accessible and as the warehouse is based in Montreal, it makes ordering a lot more convenient. The greatest bonus is that Jack of All Trades is affordable, making you want to buy 100 shirts like me.

 ----------

The Walking Dead Series

A show that is addicting to watch is AMC's "The Walking Dead." Based on the comic books, The Walking Dead is about a group of people who have survived after a zombie outbreak. There has been 3 seasons filled with drama and character twists. The production and special effects are very well done. Something that I noticed is that the characters and the plot are different between the show and the books. For example, some of the character events are changed such as Rick. In the comics, Rick loses his hand because it was cut off by The Governor which is a big moment but this was not shown in the show. Overall, it is a great show to watch and I highly recommend reading the comic books!

 ----------

This week's On My Shelf item is Harbinger # 1 Children of The Eighth Day from January 1992. This is Valiant's first team book with a low print run of only 48,000 copies ever made.

Dead-Expo-Rising

So Fan Expo has come and gone and I have to say that the event has grown by leaps and bounds. This year's expo had a Lego area which was highlighted by Lego Iron Man and Lego Lord of The Rings. Another added attraction this year was the inclusion of athletes. This however, did not sit well with me due to the fact that the genres are not similar. I think it would be ridiculous if you saw a man dressed in a Superman outfit at a sports convention. It just made for more people and longer lineups which can bug the hell out of you.

I also found that the deals this year on G1 Transformers were a bit too steep, especially since they weren't even mint in box!! However, there were a lot of neat events like a Sailor Moon reunion after 20 years which was very entertaining.

All in all, the event was a 7 out of 10 but still worth going to, especially if it's your first time.

------------

Character Profile: THANOS

With the Avengers movie that came out last year, I wanted to focus on the villain that briefly appeared at the end which must have had people talking. Thanos first appeared in Iron Man # 55 in 1968 and since then, he has wrecked havoc on the Avengers ever since! Thanos is a Titan that has been fascinated with Death (or the embodiment of Death). Lately, I have read some great books about this character and I would  like to recommend the following books about this mad Titan!

1. Thanos Rising (2013)
2. Infinity Gaunlet (1992)
3. Infinity (2013)

------------

This week's On My Shelf item is the first appearance of Deadpool in New Mutants (1983 1st Series) # 98 which was from February 1991. Deadpool is known as the merc with the mouth. Catch Deadpool's exploits throughout the comic realm in "Deadpool Kills The Marvel Universe" miniseries.

Out With The Old & In With The Digital

Before I start my article about the differences between digital and hard copy comics, I must first mention that I am in no way promoting one or the other! Digital comics are the new thing lately and a lot of fans have flocked to this new form of reading comics. In my post this week, I will be looking at the advantages of both hard copies vs. digital comics.

The first aspect I'm going to analyze is the price, but this is where it gets a bit hard to determine. The reason I say this is because downloading contents on certain sites can be free, but for this argument, I will be referring specifically to paying for the digital comics. I have found from my trips to local comic shops that it's cheaper to pay online for books. There are factors as to why I believe this. For instance, transportation (driving, bus, cab fare) to get a comic(s) at your local store will cost you some change just to get there unless you're lucky enough to live near one. On the other side of the coin, digital comics can be bought without leaving the comforts of your very own home. I also found through looking online that it's cheaper to order a book than at your local shop just because some shops will charge more for a variant cover book which has the same material inside but with a different cover (which most readers can't afford or want).

One thing I will say that digital comics doesn't have is the experience of going to a comic store. For myself, comics shops are all unique and have their own personalities. I find that going to comic shops is nostalgic for me and the smell of the print is something digital comics can never replace. However, digital comics can be stored on your devices (computer, iPad/tablets, laptop) which saves way more space. I love my comics but the boxes, book shelves and endless piles of books on the floor make it difficult to keep my books in near mint condition.

Another aspect of this debate are the profits and support to the artist/writer. I know if we use the legal download point, then it's equal both ways. But in a day and age where people have bills to pay and there being sooo many free downloading sites, it seems like the poor creators get the short end of the stick.

This topic about which is better can go on forever but it's nice to have a look at how digital comics has changed the comic industry.

---------------------------------------

This week's, On My Shelf item is Amazing Spider-Man # 300 (1988). With Fan Expo quickly approaching, I thought it would be nice to feature an item of one of its guests. This book is not only the first appearance of Venom, but it marked the come out party for one Todd McFarlane!! If you don't know who McFarlane is, just look up Spawn (among other projects he's done). As one of the founders of Image Comics, McFarlane will be at Toronto Fan Expo this weekend. So if you get a rare chance to meet him, definitely take advantage of it!