Pac-Man Pumpkin

We went to a pumpkin carving the other night, and I felt obligated to post this photo. I wish I could say I created the Pac-Man pumpkin, but I was too busy eating to carve one (though I did help scoop out some of the gunk).

Recently published in...

Comics Buyer's Guide #1648, where I review the following:
Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy #1 (3 out of 4 stars)
Super Friends #5 (1 star)
Fantastic Four: True Story #1 (2.5 stars)
Marvel Adventures Super Heroes #1 (3.5 stars)

Here's my review of Joker's Asylum: Poison Ivy #1:

Joker’s Asylum: Poison Ivy #1
DC Comics
$2.99, color, 32 pgs., available now
Writer: J.T. Krul
Artist: Guillem March

Starring an impossibly long-legged, usually half-naked (or naked altogether) Poison Ivy, “Deflowered!” finds The Botanical Babe once again stalking and killing corporate fat cats who make their living at the expense of others. Other plants, that is. And once again, Batman is on her tail (so to speak), investigating the deaths, trying to find a pattern.

This story is like countless other Poison Ivy yarns, but for a couple of differences that make it stand out (at least to some degree). Instead of poisoning her victims with toxins, Ivy is making them suffer extra by having her plants stab them with thorns or choke them to death. In addition, though every fan knows Ivy favors fauna and flora, this story pounds the notion home (and makes Ivy a somewhat sympathetic character) by showing her shrieking in terror at hearing the plants, flowers, and trees cry with “sorrow and torment.”

An origin recap and surprise ending add to the horticultural hijinks. Book-ending the action in Crypt Keeper-like fashion is The Joker, whose appearance is purely superfluous.

The Cowboys

I usually just post about comics, video games, science fiction, and the like, but I liked this picture of my wife and I taken at the Dallas Cowboys' game a week ago Sunday. The Cowboys lost, but we had a great time. We were on the 40-yard line 11 rows up, so we had a good look at Romo, T.O., and the rest of the 'Boys (there were probably some cheerleaders there, too, but I didn't notice).

OAF CON 2008

Just got back from OAF Con 2008, a gathering of seasoned (I was easily one of the two or three youngest people there) comics fans and pros buying and selling comics, pulp novels, movie posters, magazines, fanzines, and much more.(OAF stands for Oklahoma Alliance of Fans, an organization started during the early days of comic book fandom).

OAF convention organizer Bart Bush, who was a key figure in early comic book fandom (he published the OAF fanzine during the early 70s). Bart was kind enough to display my book at his table.


The highlight of the show for me was meeting special guest Bill Schelly, comic book historian and author of The Golden Age of Comic Fandom (among other books).


The Revised Edition of The Golden Age of Comic Fandom


Rick Kelsey, a friend who went with me to the con, talking with and getting some books signed by Bill Schelly.


The con had lots of cool collectibles for sale, including these Universal Monsters bubble soap containers from the 1960s (the Dracula bottle is a prototype).


Vintage Universal Monsters models.


The Bride of Frankenstein, my favorite Universal Monster.


Co-author Michael Cochran and publisher Russ Cochran selling their new book about Hopalong Cassidy.


A typical display of Golden and Silver Age comic books.

Recently published in...

Comics Buyer's Guide #1647, where I review I Kill Giants #1, Trinity #1-9, and Amazing Spider-Man #565.

Here's my Spider-Man review:

Amazing Spider-Man #565
Marvel Comics
$2.99, color, 32 pgs., available now
Writer: Marc Guggenheim
Artist: Phil Jimenez
Grade: 3 Stars (out of 4)

The “Brand New Day” cover banner has finally disappeared, making way for the new Kraven, who is dead set on making Spidey’s life a living (make that dying) hell. Unlike the original Kraven, who was a mustachioed brunette wearing a loin cloth with accompanying lion’s mane, the new Kraven is a bleach blond punk chick (!) whose dark, organic looking costume appears as though it were designed by H.R. Geiger.

The female Kraven is a skilled tracker, spying on Spider-Man as he teams with Daredevil (against Fracture) and then returns to his apartment, the latter providing Kraven with the clues needed to uncover Spidey’s secret identity. A super-villain ruining a super-hero’s life on all fronts is hardly a fresh concept, but the setup, enabled substantially by Phil Jimenez’ detailed renderings, is strong enough to warrant a look at the next issue.

Two niggling points: Peter Parker claims he doesn’t read comics (conflicting with previous continuity), and his spider-sense doesn’t warn him of Kraven hiding in the elevator.

Top 25 PlayStation 2 Games

Although in my book it's not really old enough to qualify as a "classic" system (major companies are still making games for it), the PlayStation 2 was featured in the Classic GI section of this month's Game Informer. The best 25 games or series of games were listed in order, with the usual suspects making the list (Grand Theft Auto, Tony Hawk, Metal Gear Solid, Gran Turismo, etc.).

(click on the images for a closer look at the pages)


Notably absent was Maximo: Ghosts to Glory, a killer hack-and-slash/platforming game that is probably the most underrated title in the PS2 library. Sure, the save system is a pain (you have to spend coins), and there's some tricky platforming involved (NES-era gamers will welcome this aspect), but the hard hitting, creature killing action is every bit as good as Resident Evil 4, God of War, or any other modern game. The sequel, Maximo and the Army of Zin, is also a great, undervalued title. You can pick up either disc at most any used game shop for $10 or less.

Now playing...

The Weakest Link!

My kids have been watching The Weakest Link recently, prompting my son to pick up the PS1 version of the game. I've never seen an episode of the show, so my kids had to show me how to play (they thought it was funny that it took a while for me to grasp the "bank the money" strategy). I like trivia, so I enjoyed the game, and my kids found particular delight in voting me out (meaning I lived up to the title of the game).

Players can select from 24 different characters and three difficulty levels, and there are 100,000 different questions, meaning repeats are relatively few and far between (compare this to the paltry 600 questions in Who Wants to be a Millionaire: 2nd Edition for the PS1). The obnoxious (yet popular) Anne Robinson is on hand to moderate the action, which can be enjoyed by up to 7 players. Categories include Arts & Entertainment, History & Politics, People & Places, Science & Nature, and Sports & Leisure.