I woke up Tuesday morning like you did, finding that the world had changed.  Cuban dictator Fidel Castro announced in the small hours of the morning that he had resigned his position.  Amazing!  Historic!  World changing!

And what expert did WFAA produce on Tuesday morning?

Channel 8 employee Monica Diaz whose qualifications are that she is "from Miami" and of "Cuban descent" provided commentary.  Her keen insight yielded this astute observation about Florida's Cuban community, "Surprised."

You know, I believe I'll send my resume to WFAA to apply for that Cuban Community Subject Matter Expert gig.  After all, I really enjoy a good Cuban roastbeef sandwich and a mojito.  An wow, do I love a Cuban cigar!

I suspect I'm over qualified.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 7:30 AM CST

Updated: Tuesday, 19 February 2008 8:52 PM CST

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Critical Hits had an entry yesterday about this summer's releases.  I tell you, I am quite truly amazed at the wealth of wonderful popcorn movie goodness on its way to the multiplex this summer.  Look at the list!

The fun starts on May 2nd with Marvel comics' first forray into the world of self-financed movie-making, Iron Man.  Robert Downey, Jr was born to play this role.  It just looks marvelous (pun intended). 

I really didn't care for the first Chronicles of Narnia film, The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.  But I have big hopes for the sequel, Prince Caspian, which opens May 16th.  I have nothing to support my wishes here.  No facts in evidence.  It's just that I dearly love the works of C.S. Lewis.  I pray they do this one up right.

The 900 pound gorilla of the summer box office has got to be Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.  The trailer for the movie is just amazing.  You can't even see Harrison Ford's walker!  It opens May 22nd.

I originally heard about Wanted when I was at Wizard World Texas this past fall.  It was originally slated for a March release, but the studio realized what a strong property it had and decided to release it into the deep box office potention of the summer.  Wanted is the film adaptation of Mark Millar's comic book.  It opens June 27th.

The sequel to Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, opens July 18th. 

I'm a huge fan of Mike Mignola's Hellboy comics and even The Wife liked the first Hellboy movie.  That Guillermo Del Toro knows his way around a film.  Hellboy II has the appearance of being awfully fun!   

I cannot for the life of me think of a summer with better prospects for SF/Fantasy/Superhero films.

Up til now, I've held that the summer of 1984 was the finest movie summer ever.  During those months, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Ghostbusters, and Prince's Purple Rain dominated cinema.  I worked for a movie theater back in the day and got to see each of these at advance screenings the night before the official openings... and then all summer long.

That was a huge summer - not just in ticket sales, but in the quality on the screen.

2008 might actually beat it.

Can't wait to find out.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 7:30 AM CST

Updated: Monday, 18 February 2008 8:12 PM CST

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Remember when they came out with New Coke?  It tasted nothing like classic Coke.  In a lot of ways, that's how I feel about the New Avengers.  They ain't a thing like the classic team.  The pre-Bendis Avengers were the gold standard of the Marvel Universe.  Government sanctioned, they were the law.   Since they were disassembled by Brian Michael Bendis four years ago, the Avengers have evolved into an edgey group fighting outside the law.  No longer are they the premier heroes of the Marvel U. 

Mr. Bendis is telling a long story here with many threads.  Directly, this tale started with Disassembled which led us to the recent CIVIL WAR.  But this chapter in New Avengers picks up on what I loved about Bendis' earlier work on ALIAS and THE PULSE.  It's all about Jessica Jones and Luke Cage.

Issue 38 has the couple at a crossroads.  What is more important?  Ideals?  Or safety?  Commitment to self?  Or the responsibility of parenting?  Tony's a skrull?  Tony's not a skrull?

Luke lands on one side of those questions; Jessica on the other.

It's expertly managed with no clean resolution lining up lots of future conflict.

Just like ALIAS and THE PULSE, I love it.

But I can understand why others might not.   It's not the classic.   It's not the known quantity that we're all comfortable with.

In a lot of ways, it's better.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
 

Posted by Aron Head at 7:30 AM CST

Updated: Sunday, 17 February 2008 7:51 PM CST

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Wow!

This ain't your momma's Barbie.  This one might kick your butt!

And you know, she's kind of hot.

This figure is one of four DC super-hero themed Barbie figures for 2008.  In addition to Black Canary featured to the left, Batgirl, Supergirl, and Wonder Woman are also featured.  Very nice figures all.

Too bad they're not doing any Marvel Barbies.  I'd love to see a Ms. Marvel.  Or perhaps a She-Hulk.

All of this puts me in mind of playing with my cousin Lora so many years ago...

Lora had a gigantic doll house in which all of her Barbies and other dolls took residence.  Kind of like the FACTS OF LIFE.  Going over there, I would bring The Hulk, Captain America, Big Jim, The Six Million Dollar Man, and my Micronauts.  Some kind of intergalactic war would inevitably roll into the neighborhood necessitating that Captain America and his team of alien fighters use Lora's dollhouse as their HQ.

"I'm sorry, Miss Roberts."  Cap would explain to Barbie, "It's a matter of global security."

She had some initial misgivings - some political, others social.  But the noble charm of the sentinel of liberty won her over.  Accomodating the visiting heroes, the Barbies made room.  It was crowded, but they all strove to listen and learn from each to make it work. 

Barbie and her girls provided support as a hospital unit as well as a USO.

When they weren't battling alien scum, the heroes helped out around the house.  Colonel Steve Austin made short work of the dishes with his bionic abilities.  And who knew The Hulk could vacuum? 

"The madder Hulk gets, the tidier he gets!"

Pansy slack-ass Ken showed up at some point.  In fairly short order, his role as collaborator in the alien attack stood revealed.  The Hulk was dispatched to dispose of the simpering traitor.

After Baron Karza's barrage on their fortifications,  Cap and Barbie found themselves trapped beneath the rubble.  Frightened, alone, yet both unharmed, they were cut-off from the others. 

In the dark quiet - safe for the moment - lips found each other. 

Our side wins the wore and as Cap took his leave, he thanked Barbie for her kindness.

Barbie smiles, eyes sparkling.  "We have a room for you if you find yourself back this way."

"I..." Captain America hesitated, "I have some leave due me.  Perhaps you could show me around town?"

"I'd like that."

But he never did make it back there.  Soldiers have no control of where the winds of war sweep them.  Cap was off fighting other battles in faraway lands, and having dirty, degrading sex with other local, doe eyed women. 

In those rare quiet moments between cosmic conflicts, Cap swirls the scotch in his glass and wonders.  What about Barbie...? 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:13 AM CST

Updated: Sunday, 17 February 2008 2:32 PM CST

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I'm beginning to suspect that WFAA's Pete Delkus may be a little bit of a control freak.  He is the station's Chief Meteorologist having officially replaced tenured "Weather-Man" Troy Dungan late last year.  Pete does an admirable job covering the weather. 

As the top weather guy there, his schedule has him on-the-air weeknights at the six and ten newscasts.  

We're having some weather this morning.  It's a rather large rain event providing 100% coverage of the DFW viewing area.  Typically one of the other weather people are on deck weekend mornings.  I was expecting to see Meghan Danahey this morning.  Instead, there's Pete.   The message I infer from his presence is that the weather's serious, here's our top guy.

Normally, he'd be wearing a suit.  But this morning, he's in his shirt sleeves.  Because that's how hard he's working, you see.  Serious weather work... covering, y'know, rain.

This is the second time I've seen him do this.

A few weeks ago, all the weather professionals were predicting a big ice storm.  I arose at five AM to find the regular morning guy, Greg Fields, and Pete (again in his shirt sleeves) covering what amounted to be a non-event.

Another message I gather from his behavior is that these other weather people on staff are fine for the regular weather, but when something "serious" happens (e.g. rain, not-icing) - only Pete can report it.  'Nice way to build confidence in the capabilities of one's team, right?

I doubt that's the message WFAA really wants to communicate.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 8:06 AM CST

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Wow!

Fear the Con is less than a month away. 

For the game I'm running, an ALL FLESH MUST BE EATEN scenario, I've got lots of stuff to do between now and then.  I'm in the process of pulling together all the character sheets and player documents that I will be sharing with the table.  I still have some notes to flesh out.  And I want to take another look at the speed rules for AFMBE.  They weren't clear enough in my last session.

I have some particularly nasty surprises in store for my players, but you can always use more, right?  Because if less is more, after all, how much more would more be? 

I've probably got eight hours worth of game ready for what will be less than a four hour session.  That's my comfort zone, though.

Professional voice actor and long time friend Gary (who once rolled my lip up in his car window) recorded a nifty promo for me.  Take a listen.  It makes me giggle.

And A Little Child Shall Eat Them

The zombie apocalypse is just weeks away... 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 11:08 PM CST

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Back in the day, I used to run a webcam... It was a lot of fun.  I was even asked to participate in a news story that NBC was putting together for the Today Show.  I opted not to participate.  

It's one thing to be a freak on the web.  Quite another to be a freak on national television. 

On occasion I still think about hooking up a front porch cam and a living room cam... but The Wife quickly disabuses me of such notions.  Anyhow, here are some images from way back when...

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net

Posted by Aron Head at 9:36 PM CST

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Balls!

Steve Gerber, the co-creator of Howard The Duck (the brilliant comic, not the hideous movie), passed away yesterday.   Gerber's hands are all over some of Marvel's most interesting work in the 70s.  He made me love THE DEFENDERS.  No one's done that since.

His current project has been DOCTOR FATE for DC Comics.  

His last post on his own blog is dated February 4th in which he reports that he's up late working on Doctor Fate. 

Mr. Gerber died due to complications from a lung disease he has been fighting.  He was sixty years old. 

I'll miss you, Steve.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:38 PM CST

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