List-Mania: Music from Musicals

Two List-Manias in one week? I have always wanted to do this one during my 365 Challenge but I never got around to it. I found these type of columns to be the most taxing but now since I am well-rested, I have the energy to put this one together.

5) My Friends (from Sweeney Todd)

I don't think I was prepared when I first listened to Sweeney Todd and even that didn't prepare me to seeing it live. Sweeney Todd himself is such a tragic figure, here you have a cold-blooded killer and yet you feel for the man. This song is just so haunting and yet beautiful as well. And I love the line "And we'll do wonders, won't we?"

4) Skid Row (from Little Shop of Horrors)

I remember seeing this movie with my family in the movie theaters. This was the first time I was exposed to musicals that went to the beat of a different drum. And I knew I loved it as soon as this song was finished. Playing Seymour would be my dream acting job.

3) Quartet (from Secret Garden)

I had never heard of the Secret Garden before I went and saw it. This musical surprised me in its dark tone. All of the songs had a hint of sadness and this one really hit me. Archibald is one of those characters that steals the show to me and he is the most human out of all of them. Can you really blame him for acting the way he does?

2) One Day More! (from Les Miserables)

I get goosebumps every time I hear this song. It makes me want to stand up for something and fight.

1) Pity the Child (from Chess)

Again, the bad guys win out again. Three of the songs I have picked are sung by those that are villainous or have some hidden agenda. One Night in Bangkok made me pick this CD up but this song is what won me over. The audience is made to hate this guy but he bears his soul in this song and you can see why he is the way he is. I remember watching a girl cry outright when this song was performed when I was apart of this musical. I love this rendition the best although the rocking guitar solo at the end was cut dramatically short.

List-Mania: Fleetwood Mac Songs

I seem to go in cycles when it comes to listening to music. I will spend a lot of time on one band and then suddenly switch and pick another band to listen to. This time around I went to a band that I am sure I heard first from my list of favorite musicians/bands.

My parents owned and the fantastic Rumors album and they must have played it over and over again to engrave it on my mind. I quickly became a fan of them when they released the album Tango in the Night and it was like being reunited with some old friends. I then became reaquainted with them and they are never far from my playlist. One of the reasons that I love about them is that there is not a single lead singer. Stevie Nicks definitely made an impression on me with her raspy voice and I grew up wanting to be just like Lindsey Buckingham (I still do). They have such a unique sound.

5) Hold Me

I love to play the bass along with this song. While I prefer Stevie to Christine, I absolutely adore Christine on this track. 

4) Seven Wonders

This was the song that made me pay attention. I watched MTV's Top 20 Countdown pretty religiously back in those days and this video/song was one that I made sure I caught. 

3) Go Your Own Way

This song makes me want to get up and go. Lindsey's vocals and the thunderous drums are the perfect combination.

2) Silver Springs

This is one of those songs that I will stop whatever I am doing and sit back and listen. Stevie is absolutely perfect on this track

1) Tango in the Night

This song gives me the chills. I love to pluck the bass to this song nice and loud.

List-Mania: Queen T-Shirts

Yeah, I am still around. Just not in the mood for blogging and really nothing has happened this week. Well, that is not exactly true. A lot has transpired this week but nothing that I should publicly blog here. These things have been weighing on me pretty good lately. But enough of that, I wanted to blog about something fun and a List-Mania return is just what the doctor ordered.

I decided to combine my love of t-shirts and Queen into one List-Mania and blog about which Queen shirts I want to own.

5) A Day at the Races T-Shirt

It is my current favorite Queen album (it changes often) and it gives off a sense of grandeur and royalty. Which makes perfect sense for this band.

4) The Miracle T-Shirt

Another memorable cover (you can see it in the background image of my blog) of Queen. It is something you can stare at for hours and it amazes me how well each member of the band blends together. What is even more amazing is that picture was composed over twenty years ago! 

3) News of the World T-Shirt

News of the World has my favorite album art of all the Queen albums. You can see more of it here. I absolutely love how the robot looks like a kid and is looking up at a disapproving parent and shocked and saddened that he killed his pets. This t-shirt captures that look perfectly. 

2) Hot Space T-Shirt

Hot Space is one of the worst Queen albums but it makes one of the best t-shirts. I love the bright colors of the album cover contrasted with the dark gray background. Ever since the release of the new remasters, my opinion of Hot Space (the album) has changed. While not my favorite, it is a lot of fun to listen to. And I would be proud to display my new love of the album by wearing this shirt.

1) Flash Gordon T-Shirt

It is no secret that I absolutely love the old cheesy movie and music. But what I really like about this t-shirt is that it captures the Flash Gordon look but it also honors the album since the album cover is exactly the same as the shirt. 

List-Mania: Yo Joe!

I am now down to just 3 pages left in my epic GI: Joe comic book script! And to tell you the truth I think I am getting a little burnt out from writing that and also trying to keep up on this blog.

But I really only have one days worth of scripting and I am FINISHED!

So in honor (and to keep a theme going with yesterday's blog) of completing this task, I thought it would be proper to make a List-Mania column devoted to one of my favorite childhood toys (and I still am interested in the Joe franchise) GI: JOE!

Here are my Top 5 Favorite GI: Joe characters along with some teasers of what they are up to in my comic:

5) Firefly
Cobra definitely had some of the better and cooler looking characters. This was one of my favorite action figures as a kid because he looked like a ninja but he carried a cool looking sub-machine gun and was an expert in explosives. And he was a sneaky little dude.

I honestly didn't have much of a role for Firefly in the beginning but the more I wrote him, the more he became important. He is one of the very few that escape from the alien infestation and he plays a major role in getting the Joe team involved.

4) Flint
In the Marvel comics this character was extremely brash and cocky but I didn't see it that way. I only saw that this character oozed confidence. He is a leader and a tough guy and he has a cool shotgun for a weapon. I always wanted to be Flint whenever I played GI: Joe, what girl wouldn't go for a guy in a beret?

Flint is part of the GI: Joe rescue team sent in to Cobra Island. His fate has yet to be plotted out but I am sure he will survive since I like him so much. But then a heroic death would be right up his alley.

3) Storm Shadow
This was the first GI: Joe action figure that I ever got. It was the 80's so Storm Shadow was cool because he was a ninja. But he was also an evil ninja! And not only that, he was cocky enough to wear all white so he couldn't hide. You can also never tell where his allegiances were.

Storm Shadow saves Cobra Commander from an alien attack. He slices one of the alien's tails off which dissolves his sword. He pushes Cobra Commander to safety and we never see Storm Shadow again. But that doesn't mean he is dead.

2) Snake Eyes
How could you not like this guy? He was just the ultimate soldier. He was a commando, a ninja, dressed in black, carried an uzi... ...I could just go on and on about how cool he is. He was the best part of the lame GI: Joe movie even though he had no lines! Some of my favorite comic books centered around this Joe.

He has a pretty major role in my story. In fact he is quite integral to the end and the final confrontation with the Alien Queen. Hmmmm... ...I think I may have shared too much.

I drew this back in 1986. I found the Snake Eyes action figure while visiting the Case cousins in Orem. It was at the grocery store down by the 7/11

1) Zartan
This guy was so evil, so scary and so cool. Not only was he a tough dude, he had his own gang of bikers in the Dreadnoks, he can hold his own against ninjas, he was NOT to be trusted by anyone, he had his own base in a swamp and he could change his features like a chameleon. So he could be anyone!  He also came with a cool Swamp Skier. And not only that, he caused some controversy when he was released in toy stores in Canada. They thought he was too violent and freaky for kids so they used a black marker to mark out his dossier card. That only made me want him more!

And he plays a major role in the my story. Unfortunately Zartan is one of the first to be killed. But trust me, his legacy will definitely live on throughout the rest of the story!

Special thanks to YoJoe.com for the pictures and also for all the detailed information.

List-Mania: Queen Songs Part II

Back on Day 90 (which was almost a year ago to the day... ...strange) I posted my all-time favorite Queen songs. This time around I would like to share some other favorite Queen songs in no particular order.

Breakthru

If I could only reach you

If I could make you smile

If I could only reach you

That would really be a breakthru

Two separate songs were combined into Breakthru. This is one of my favorite Queen songs because of that. The beginning is much slower, very much a Freddie song and then turns into a faster and harder song. When I feel down, this song picks me up.

Under Pressure

'Cause love's such an old fashioned word

And love dares you to care for

The people on the (People on streets) edge of the night

And loves (People on streets) dares you to change our way of 

Caring about ourselves

I just love how simple this song and its message is. We are all feeling under pressure at times and we all should remember to help out each other when we are. 

Too Much Love Will Kill You

Too much love will kill you

Just as sure as none at all

It'll drain the power that's in you

Make you plead and scream and crawl

And the pain will make you crazy

You're the victim of your crime

Too much love will kill you - every time

This was originally a song written by Brian May for his solo album but after Freddie passed away, the surviving members of Queen put together a new album featuring some of Freddie's last recordings including this one. This song is just so beautiful and Freddie just nailed it. 

Say It's Not True

With the wonders of science

All the knowledge we've stored

Magic cocktails for lives

People just can't afford

A lot of critics bashed Queen's collaboration with Paul Rodgers saying it is not Queen. Of course, it is not the original Queen. That is why they named the band Queen + Paul Rodgers. Paul is not replacing Freddie at all, he is merely playing with Queen. And I have no problem with this collaboration, I appreciate what Paul had to offer. This song off their album is definitely the best one. It is a song that makes me think and makes me appreciate what I have been blessed with. My life could definitely be worse; I could be suffering from such a horrible thing like AIDS. I need to be more thankful for what I have.

Orge Battle

He gives a great big cry and he can swallow up the ocean

With a mighty tongue he catches flies - the palm of a hand incredible size

One great big eye - has a focus in your direction

Now the battle is on

I just love this song. I love the guitar riffs and I just love how absurd, strange and over-the-top Queen can be. At first I hated this song and I hated the whole Queen II album but now it is one of my favorites.

The one thing that really attracts me to Queen is how different their music is. They seem to have a song for any occasion and with almost every musical style.

List-Mania: Childhood Toys

The last time I did one of these type of columns was back in October! After reading some of my cousin's blogs, I thought this would be a fun subject to cover. I could have just listed all the fun video games but I decided to go with actual toys. Here are my Top 5 Favorite Childhood Toys.

5) Cobra Rattler

After Star Wars I needed something else to play with and GI Joe fit the bill. They had cool action figures and vehicles and they also had some of the best villains. One of my favorite vehicles was the Cobra Rattler. It had a cool large Gatling gun and a ton of missiles and bombs. It also came with Wild Weasel (the pilot). I think the biggest reason why I loved this toy was because the first GI Joe comic (#34) featured this cool jet.

4) Space Legos

I loved Legos as a kid and I never thought anything could top that. Then Space Legos came around. Luckily I was a spoiled kid and I got a ton of these. I used to love to build my own ships. I still have them at my mom's house and one day I will get them and let Logan have them. The best part about Space Legos is that I was only limited by what I could think of. I would spend hours making ships.

3) Star Wars Blasters

I had two cool Star Wars guns. I had a Stormtrooper rifle and Han Solo's pistol. When we would get a ton of snow in Edmonton my friend Alvin and I would play outside with these guns all the time. I still have the rifle and I know I have the pistol somewhere. I was lucky to live in a day and age when toy guns could be all black.

2) AT-AT

This toy made all my friends jealous. This thing was so huge! You could place your hand inside of the AT-AT and manipulate its head to swivel around. I had a small die-cast snowspeeder that was a perfect size so I could re-enact the Hoth battle. And I did hundreds, perhaps thousands of times!

1) Secret Wars Wolverine

I remember the day I found this cool action figure. It was at this large toy store in Edmonton and I was browsing down the aisles. Marvel never had any action figures out and I was shocked to Wolverine (this was before he became big). He had a pair of silver claws that you could snap on the wrists. I had to have it. But right next to him was Spider-Man in his black costume. My parents would only allow me to get one (see? I am not that spoiled) so I grabbed Wolverine. I do not regret it even though I have never seen that black Spider-Man again. I still have this guy and his claws.

Honorable Mention:

Vic Hockey Stick

No matter what, if you were a kid growing up in Edmonton, you had a hockey stick. It didn't matter if you played on ice or on the road. You had a stick. Me and my friends used to play almost every Saturday during the winter. The roads were so icy that we could skate on them in just our shoes. We used a tennis ball as a puck and we would be out for hours. In our old house, I used to go downstairs and play hockey down there too. I would use the bottom of the stairs as the goal and I would take shots from all over the unfinished basement. If you were the right socks, you could skate around too. 

List-Mania: Oh the Horror!

Day 356

I am totally stealing my cousin's (and fellow blogger) idea to list his favorite spooky movies. Since it is Halloween and a good idea is a good idea, I am going to list my 5 Favorite Horror Movies. I am not a huge fan of the slasher pics and I am definitely not into the torture stuff (Hostel, Saw) but I do like to be creeped out.

5) The Omen (1976)

Oh man. Kids can sure be creepy and this kid takes the cake. I would probably walk across the street if I saw this kid walking towards me. Why is this kid so creepy? Because he is the son of the devil, Damian. Gregory Peck was fantastic in this film as a desperate dad trying to figure out if his adoptive son is really the Antichrist. My favorite scene is when his dad takes a close look at his son's scalp (while Damian is sleeping) and finds a 666 birthmark. But that scene was trumped by the creepy smile we get at the end of the film.

4) The Shining

Stephen King can sure write some creepy books but unfortunately the movies that are made from the books fall a bit short. Sure we have Carrie, but that means we also get Thinner. But the Shining really is the best of the bunch. Of course Jack Nicholson is already a little creepy in his own right but make him trot around the empty halls sporting an ax and a demented look in his eyes and you have one of the creepiest dude ever. My favorite scene has to be when his wife (whom I could not stand!) discovers his novel and finds that it is just the same line repeated over and over again. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". And then he sneaks up on her. Even the poster for the film leaves me a weird feeling.

3) The Thing (1982)

Science Fiction has given us some of the scariest films around. From the Alien series to the Fly but John Carpenter's remake of The Thing was on an entirely different level. I loved the original movie and I loved the idea of a monster that can shape change. But this movie took a more realistic view of what would happen if there was a shape changer among us. The paranoia is ramped up to ten and I could actually feel the dread and anxiety of not knowing who to trust. My favorite scene is where they test each others blood to see if they are the creature or not. They put some blood in a small container and put a flame to it. That scene felt like hours. And the ending was perfect.

2) Night of the Living Dead (1968)

I do love my zombies and this classic is what started it all. I remember watching this movie on TV with my dad on Halloween and we were both drawn in. What made this movie great was not the zombies themselves (even though the little girl in the cellar was certainly creepy and I will never look at a cement trowel the same way) but it was how the survivors dealt with each other. Human nature is much more scarier than any monster. Now I don't want to ruin the ending because I highly recommend watching this movie, even if you are not a horror buff, you need to see this movie! The ending was so surprising, I totally didn't see it.coming and was shocking! And then just like that, it ended. My favorite scene was the last 20 minutes.

1) Halloween (1978)

Like I said before I am not a big fan of the slasher films but yet the grandaddy of them all is my favorite horror film. Jason and Freddy don't freak me out because I know they cannot exist. Michael on the other hand could certainly exist. And that is what makes him more scary than the rest of the films. Michael was not a monster but just a crazy person. I remember when this movie came out. I was only four years old and I was watching  Siskel and Ebert at the Movies and they showed a clip from this film. It was when she was hiding the kids from Michael and they said that the bogeyman was coming to get them. I ran upstairs to my mom it scared me so much. Just a small clip scared me! Flash forward to my college days and I saw this movie for the first time. And then I saw that scene again and I remembered that horrible creepy feeling. My favorite scene in the movie is when Dr. Loomis goes to the Mental Hospital and they find that the power is knocked out (and it is night time). They see these strange ghosts in the field when the lightning flashes and they realize it is the inmates of the hospital. And then they know Michael is on the loose!

I might have to watch a few of these here in the next couple of weeks. There are other Halloween films that I love too that are a little safer to watch and are not truly horror films. Maybe I will share those next week.

List-Mania: 5 Comics that Wigged Me Out!

Day 335

I haven't done a List-Mania column for a long time, let alone a real geeky one too, and I thought that the time is right for another List-Mania devoted to comics. This time I am choosing comic books that are difficult for me to read and get through. These comics are ones that stay with me long after I read them. They are either creepy, or they really tug at the heart strings or they portray pain, sorrow and anguish. They are not shocking just to be shocking. These are real moments, moments that made me take pause. Basically they are Comics that Wigged Me Out!

In no particular order.

What If? #30 "What If The Fantastic Four's Second Child Had Lived?"

Marvel published a line of comics called "What If?" and they would take a storyline and choose a different route for it to take. Most of the time the stories would be tragic and this one was no doubt one of the few comics that creeped me out. Mr. Fantastic (the stretch guy) and his wife the Invisible Woman have one child, a boy named Franklin. He is a mutant and has the ability to have special dreams that foretell the future. The Invisible Woman gets pregnant again and she dies in childbirth. But this story shows what would happen if the baby survived. Franklin sees the future and sees that his sister is a monster and no one believes him. Eventually family members die and Franklin sees that his sister is the reason. So Franklin turns to the Fantastic Four's deadliest enemy, Dr. Doom for help.

Dr. Doom kills Mr. Fantastic and he dies but before he dies he sees his daughter as the monster that his own son described. Doom also dies facing the monster and Franklin manages to send it to the Negative Zone (long story... basically he sends his sister to another dimension).

The final words of the story, spoken by Franklin looking on all the destruction and death were haunting.

"At first you said it was a nightmare... ...a child's dream gone away. Probably from something I ate. The you chalked it up to jealousy... ...sibling rivalry... ...as old as Cain and Abel. But I was never jealous of her daddy.. ...I was afraid of her. And as I stand here amid the ruins of your lab... ...over your body... ...I take no solace in the fact that I was right and you were wrong. If only you'd listen to me things might have been different."

Vigilante #50
I was in the sixth grade when I first read this comic. Vigilante was my friend's brother's favorite comic. I read a few on and off but I had to get this final issue. And I was not prepared to what happened right at the end and it bugged me for days. The character (Adrian Chase) was a lawyer who became disenchanted with the law and took the law in his own hands as the costumed hero Vigilante. Unfortunately Adrian was a tortured soul who made grave mistakes and was often haunted by the decisions he made as Vigilante. And soon it was too much for him to take. He gets caught up in a situation where he mistakenly kills law enforcement agents and realizes he has gone too far.

I honestly didn't expect him to kill himself and I thought it took a lot of guts for the writer to make that call. I eventually picked up the entire series and you can see how Adrian slid down that slippery slope.

Generation Next #4
The Age of Apocalypse storyline was a bold move for Marvel. They cancelled all the very popular X-Men titles and replaced them with a whole new set of X-Men drastically different from what has happened before. Essentially, a huge reset button was pressed when Professor X's son travels back in time to kill Magneto (a play on if you would go back in time to kill Hitler) so mutants can live in peace with humans. Only his son accidentally kills his dad, Charles Xavier and (as usual) something horrible happens and changes everything. In this world mutants are in charge and one of the most evilest mutants, Apocalypse, is in charge and a small team of X-Men, led by Magneto is all that stands in the way of total mutant domination.

In this story, the X-Man Colossus and his wife Shadowcat train a set of young mutants to be the next generation of X-Men (hence the name) and Magneto assigns them a mission to find Colossus's sister whom he thought was dead. Things quickly get out of hand and the team find themselves in a situation and battle that they are unlikely to survive. But this is Colossus and Shadowcat we are talking about. Colossus is one of the most bravest and noblest heroes. But not in this universe. Colossus and Shadowcat succeed in their mission and rescue Colossus's sister and they get her out of the death and mayhem caused by the revolt. Shadowcat wants to go back to rescue their students but Colossus stops her. He volunteers because he does not want to lose his wife. So Colossus goes back to rescue them. He peers inside to see the massacre and hopeless battle and shuts the door.

He goes back to his sister and his wife and tells them there was nothing he could do. He left them to die because he was afraid. He was afraid of losing his sister again and his wife. All I remember is the look on the abandoned student's face when she watches Colossus shut the door on her. And the look on Shadowcat's face because I think she knew.

There were a lot of horrible and heroic moments peppered throughout this series but this one made the biggest impact. There was another one at the conclusion of the massive storyline and unfortunately it involved our good friend Colossus once again.

Colossus does not want to be without his sister Illyana and tries to involve himself in Magneto's plan to save the world. But he would screw it up (long story, trust me). Shadowcat has the mutant ability to become like a ghost and she counted that her husband would stop if she said so. So she doesn't use her powers and Colossus runs her over and tramples her to death. Another X-Man uses his powers to stop (kill) Colossus before he does any more damage. As he dies, he sees his younger sister and says, "Forgive me sister. I thought... I was the bravest of us all. And then I met you. I am so scared... please... give me courage and hold me while I..." And then he dies.

Will To Power #11
The story followed the descent of Titan from hero to villain. Titan was like Superman. Except he had a difficult childhood involving abuse from his father and trying to fit in. He was told throughout his life that he was never good enough. Slowly, as he made mistakes and tried to be a true Superman-like hero he became more distant and angry. Eventually he wanted to prove he was the best and tried to take down one of the most powerful beings on Earth just to prove a point.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely. That is what I thought of when I saw the look on Titan's face here. There is no pity, there is no conscious thought here. This is pure rage and hate and Chris Warner (the artist) really captured that look here. One simple look from Titan was all it took. The pages before showed him easily dispatching the Army and destroying Las Vegas. None of those shows of power told the story like that the bottom panel.

Star Wars Annual #2
Yes! A Star Wars comic! It had Han on the cover so it had to be safe right? Set after the events in the Empire Strikes Back, Luke, C3-P0 and Lando are escaping from Stormtroopers when they find a gold statue of Han Solo. Han was one of my favorite characters so I had to have this comic. I remember flipping through the comic to find out what happened but I didn't get too far because I came across a panel that freaked me out and even to this day I cannot look at it. Go ahead and call me chicken but I didn't re-read this annual because I was too creeped out. Check out the panels below:  BRRRRRR!

 

Just looking at that gives me the creeps! I am sure that I could find more stories or pieces of art that stuck with me but these were the ones that came right to mind.

Tag! 15 Albums

Day 317

A friend recently tagged me in a note on Facebook. She was inviting me to name 15 albums that I have listened to that will always stick with me and then she listed her 15 albums. I have done something like this before only with 15 movies.

Since I have no idea what I want to blog about today I thought I will steal this idea and post my list of albums. If you want to participate the rules are very simple. Take fifteen minutes and list the first fifteen albums you think of. Don't take too long to think about it.

Now before you judge me and poke fun or laugh, remember, these albums are NOT necessarily my favorite movies (although there are a few), these are albums that stuck with me; ones that I cannot shake and easily forget. They are not in any order.

Men at Work: Business as Usual

I have fond memories listening to this album when my sister and mom drove down from Canada down to Utah. I still listen to these guys, Colin Hay has such a unique voice.

Honeymoon Suite: Honeymoon Suite

This was the first album that I bought. Ah.... hair metal.

Alien 3 Original Score: Eliot Goldenthal

This must be one of my favorite scores since it was the first one that came to mind. I listen to this whenever I write. It has a unique blend of orchestration along with a set of interesting organic noises.

Queen: A Night of the Opera

One of the first Queen albums I bought. I cannot listen to just a song of this album by itself, I have to play the whole album.

Led Zepplien: Led Zepplin 4

This takes me back to my high school days when I first discovered them. Another album I like to listen the whole way through.

Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night

This was my gateway drug to the rest of Fleetwood Mac. I ended up knowing a lot of Fleetwood Mac. Who knew that my parents at the time were cool enough to listen to them?

U2: Zooropa

I still think this is the best U2 album. Definitely their most underrated album. And it has Johnny Cash singing on it.

Mussorgsky: Pictures at an Exhibition

Growing up my parents introduced me to a ton of different music. They would often play classical music and "A Night at Bald Mountain" quickly became a favorite of my sister and I.

Pink Floyd: The Wall

I discovered Pink Floyd much later in life and I was blown away by this album. This one sticks with me.

Queen: The Miracle

It seems like Queen is split into two different bands. The earlier Queen sound and the later stuff. I am a fan of both but this is my favorite "later" stuff.

Rob Zombie: Hellbilly Deluxe

I think the only reason this came to mind is that I am preparing myself to go see his show next month. This was his first album that I took from my sister and never gave back. Oops.

Men Without Hats: Pop Goes the World

I must be thinking of albums that I listen to the whole way through because this one came to mind too. A very well put together album that can fit any mood.

Les Miserables: The Complete Symphonic Recording

This 3 CD set is the complete show. I don't know why this came to mind but it did. One of my favorite Broadway shows that I was lucky enough to see in person.

Sweeney Todd: Highlights

My sister raved about this show and she gave me the CD to listen to it. I had no idea what the crap I was listening to but I remember listening to it when I was alone and it was stormy outside and I almost peed my pants when that whistle went off.

Black Sabbath: Masters of Reality

Apparently my sister made an impact on what I listen to. Surprisingly this album is not as dark as people think. There are some very beautiful instrumentals and a very tender song. All around one of my favorite albums.

 

So what are yours?

List-Mania: Rob Zombie Songs

Day 300!

Do I look like someone who listens to Rob Zombie?

I am a big Rob Zombie fan. In fact, I kinda wish I was Rob Zombie. He gets to do every thing that I would love to do. He writes and sings in a rock band, he writes and directs movies and he writes comic books too.

But what I really appreciate and like about his music is that it is different and unique. His songs are dark and often times a bit disturbing. They are all tinged with horror and things that are creepy and campy. It is hard to explain what his music is all about, you just have to sample it yourself.

Now I will warn you. This music is not for everyone. I am pretty sure that most of you that read my blog will hate this type of music. It is not for the weak hearted but you have to admit he is pretty creative. When I am in a major writing slump I watch some of his videos and it reignites my creative drive. When I am feeling down I listen to him for a kickstart.

I am in the final stages of negotiations to attend this concert October 4th! Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper on the same stage? Will curiosity kill the cat again?

5) More Human Than Human

I had heard this song before my sister introduced me to Rob Zombie. I loved this video when it was on MTV and is one of my favorite running songs.

4) Feel So Numb

Again another fun running song. I am learning this one on the bass.

3) Burn

This is one of his newest songs from his latest album. I admit that I have to stop typing and air guitar during those awesome guitar licks.

2) Never Gonna Stop (The Red Red Kroovy)

This is one of Kristy's favorites too. I especially like this video and all the "Clockwork Orange" references. I have developed a character of the scene where he is sitting down with that cane.

1) Dragula

This is the song that my sister introduced me too and I loved it right from the start. You know what Dragula is don't you? That is what Grandpa Munster drove in the TV show. I could watch this video all the time. The images of the kids laughing and the nuclear explosion plastered on top is just awesome.

I am looking forward to seeing him in concert. It should be a memorable experience.

List-Mania: Offspring Songs

Day 286

The last couple of blog entries have been long ones and have taken a lot of time to put together and post and I think I need a break. I have not done a List-Mania blog for awhile and thought of a quick and fun one to do.

I discovered the band Offspring while on my LDS mission in New York. Yeah, I know, that doesn't sound right but it is true. When I served in Jamaica, Queens our neighbor used to blast his radio very loud while he was at work. When my companion and I would come home for lunch we could hear the radio very clearly. We could hear the music and the DJ ramble and I heard a song that was quite catchy and it was not hard to figure out who they were. A couple of weeks later on my P-Day, Elder Powell and I were in a record shop and I found the CD Smash. It was on sale so I  bought it and sent it home. Music in New York was very cheap, I could usually find CDs for less than ten bucks.

Offspring had such a different sound than any of the other bands that I was listening too. Not only do they have catchy tunes they also infuse clever lyrics into their songs. Some of them are silly, some of them are funny, some of them are political and some of them speak out about society. I have bought every Offspring album since and they are a band that I would love to see in person. Not only do I really like their music, the artwork for their albums capture their essence. Here are my Top 5 Offspring songs.

NOTE: For some reason the brilliant people at Sony Music have taken all official Offspring videos off of YouTube and also from Offspring's official website.

5) Self Esteem

The song that started it all. I love the edgy feel of this song and that is what first caught my attention. But then I listened to the lyrics and found them to be unique. They were funny, sad, crude, and told an interesting story. I was hooked.

4) Hit That

Another catchy song with some interesting lyrics about youth pregnancy.

3) Gone Away

Hey! An original video! When I get down in the dumps I like to listen to this song. It projects just enough anguish and anger. After singing along, I find myself in a better mood. And I know this song on my bass!

2) Half Truism

This is the opening track of their latest album and I knew that this would be one of my favorite Offspring song after one listen. I just really dig the lyrics. My favorite being "the banner you're waving is burning and red, it's blocking the sunlight that shines overhead, you against the world, diamonds and pearls, voices inside you churn, watch the city burn."

1) Special Delivery

This song takes me back to when I worked for UPS. The song deals with obsessiveness and how relationships could turn dangerous when one spurs the other. I just think it is a catchy tune and I often listen to this song while running. It gets me into a higher gear.

List-Mania: Writing Comic Books

Day 265!

That means I only have one hundred days to go! So I am going to celebrate by being all geeky!

I was trying to think of a subject for today's List-Mania, something other than my usual favorite something. I didn't want to do something cliche for List-Mania like favorite fruits or my top favorite colors. I also get bored writing them. I can make the list but explaining why I like them bores the crap out of me and I usually leave the column half done.

The topic for this column will probably only interest me but it will help flex my writing abilities. For this column I am choosing my Top 5 comic books that I would want to write and why I would want to write them. These are my dream projects.

5) Cloak and Dagger

The Concept: Cloak and Dagger met in New York City as runaways. The two teens were soon forcibly delivered to a criminal chemist who was developing a new synthetic heroin. Cloak and Dagger were injected with the drugs as a test for the new drug and they gained superpowers.

Why Would I Write It: Cloak and Dagger first appeared as vigilantes but eventually they were turned more into superheroes and later was involved as mutants in the X-Men. I would remove them from this and return them to the street where they belong. Dagger's abilities would be the thing I would focus on. Dagger can generate and throw "light daggers" which stun targets by forcing them to confront the darkness in their own souls. Her light can also cure drug addictions in some people, as a side affect of that painfully enlightening experience. Additionally, her light can alleviate Cloak's thirst for light and warmth. What if she could cure more than just addictions? What if she could cure disease? Everyone would be after her and that is what I would tackle. I would also play up the supernatural feel to the book and they would venture into the dark corners of the Marvel Universe.

4) Cyberforce

The Concept: Cyberforce is a team of mutants who had all at one point been captured by Cyberdata, an enormous corporation with ambitions of world-takeover. Cyberdata used their elaborate technology to enhance the mutant powers with cybernetic implants. Eventually the members of Cyberforce escaped Cyberdata and Cyberdata is no more.

Why Would I Write It: What attracts me to this team is the fusion of mutant abilities with hardcore cybernetics and technology. Instead of making them typical superheroes I would really concentrate on the science fiction behind this concept. My first storyline would involve one of the characters, Ballistic, searching for her missing sister Velocity and the rest of the Cyberforce squad. It seems like they have vanished from the face of the Earth. There is no record of them even existing, it was like a computer hard drive that was wiped clean. For some reason I also think it is cool that the females outnumber the males on this team.

3) Spider-Man

I don't think I should draw the comic though. This drawing of mine comes from 1984-85.

The Concept: Everyone knows the story of nerdy Peter Parker being bitten by a radioactive spider and gaining super abilities. What comic book writer wouldn't want a chance to write the best superhero in the world?

Why Would I Write It: Who wouldn't want to write Spidey? While I would mix my stories with classic villains, I would also create some new baddies for Spidey. What I really admire about Spider-Man is his sense of responsibility and core beliefs. Peter tries his hardest to be a good person even when things are going bad. And I would throw everything at him including the kitchen sink. After I had plotted a storyline I would read it again and wonder what would be the worst thing to happen to Peter and then I would write it in.

2) Alpha Flight

This has to be one of the best and simpliest costume designs.

The Concept: Alpha Flight is Canada's premier superhero team.

Why Would I Write It: How could I turn away the job of writing Canada's own superteam? Alpha Flight has been treated like a joke at Marvel and I would want to change that. In fact, I already have. For my first ScriptFrenzy project I wrote Alpha Flight: Dark Reign. I have lots and lots of ideas for the various members of Alpha Flight. Did you know that Wolverine was supposed to lead this team instead he bolted and joined the X-Men? Personally, I see a lot of potential for this team and more than likely I would try to get them tied into the Avengers franchise. After writing my script I did find it difficult in writing a large cast of characters and it made me appreciate those writers that do.

1) The Powergate Project

The Herald makes his first appearance.

The Concept: In the search for an alternative energy source, a terrible accident binds three strangers together and leads them to even stranger discoveries.

Why Would I Write It: I would love the chance to write about the adventures of Dr. Mercury, Professor Taylis, Brock, Alecia, Nick and all those guys from Legacy and the Guild.

Wait... ...you never heard of these guys?

My friend Joel did all the conceptual art for our comic.

That's good because this has been my special comic project for the last ten years or so. My friend and artist Joel and I developed this cast of characters while we were in college. It was more of a Fantastic Four homage but definitely metamorphosed into something completely different. The first time I participated in NaNoWrMo I decided to write my comic book in novel form from the beginning. I will eventually go back to this and complete it and may revisit next November. I have hundreds of pages of plots and scripts. One day I will complete this massive story.

Posting this has really put me in the mood to do some writing.

List-Mania: More Simpsons!

Day 258
It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that I love the Simpsons. I have mentioned them at least 12 times already on this blog and they have already been the subject to one List-Mania column involving my favorite episodes.

For this column I wanted to spotlight my favorite Simpsons characters. There are so many of them, I don't think there is a character that I don't like. It is like picking my favorite kid. But since I don't know how that feels since I only have Logan, I now present my Top 5 Favorite Simpsons Characters and some of my favorite quotes as well.

5) Crazy Cat Lady

I love this lady. Now I don't support cat tossing at all, I like cats. But I also have seen ladies like this one that loves cats enough to throw them. I don't have any quotes from her though.

4) Ned Flanders

I’ve done everything the Bible says — even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!

Oh do I hear the sound of butting in? It must be Lisa Simspon, Springfields answer to a question, NO ONE ASKED!

Hens Love Roosters

Geese Love Ganders

Everyone else loves Ned Flanders

Just like the song says, I love Flanders. I love the episode where he finally cracks and I kinda wish I had a neighbor like him.

3) Comic Book Guy

But, Aquaman, you cannot marry a woman without gills. You’re from two different worlds… Oh, I’ve wasted my life.

Ooh, your powers of deduction are exceptional. I can't allow you to waste them here when there are so many crimes going unsolved at this very moment. Go, go, for the good of the city!

Is this character a stereotype? Perhaps. But out of the five comic book store owners I have met, only one of them was not like Comic Book Guy at all.

2) Homer Simpson

Marge, you being a cop makes you the man! Which makes me the woman — and I have no interest in that, besides occasionally wearing the underwear, which as we discussed, is strictly a comfort thing.

Marge, it takes two to lie. One to lie and one to listen.

Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals…except the weasel.

D'oh!  I love that this word has been added to dictionaries. I totally use this word all the time. One time in church I was blessing the sacrament and I kept getting the wording messed up. On the third attempt I thought I got it right but I was told I didn't. I uttered "D'oh!" right into the mike.

You totally have to click on this link and hear the British pronunciation of D'oh. Trust me, it is worth the clicking on. The American version gets it right.

1) Charles Montgomery Burns

What good is money if it can’t inspire terror in your fellow men?

I don’t like being outdoors, Smithers. For one thing, there’s too many fat children.

I’ll keep it short and sweet — Family. Religion. Friendship. These are the three demons you must slay if you wish to succeed in business.

I love Mister Burns. He is the icing to all Simpson cakes. He makes every episode better. I love the one where he fights the Germans, or the one where he kidnaps the 13 Dalmatians and tries to make them into a coat, or the one where he was part of the Fighting Hellfish, or the one where he opens his own casino, or the one where he loses his money, or the one.... well, you get the picture.

But you know which Simpsons character I really like but doesn't get much credit?

Snowball II. And I like both versions of Snowball II. The original and the 5th cat the Simpsons owned which was renamed Snowball II to avoid confusion and so they didn't have to get a new water dish. Even though you are ugly as all out, I would open up my home to you Snowball II.