Rise Above (the clutter)

I have been listening to the Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark non-stop yesterday and today. I found a place online where you can listen to the whole album for free. Sure it is cheesy but I am cheesy so this is right up my alley.

While listening to this I was surfing the Internet and decided to make myself useful. I am still in that strange dejunking mood so I decided to part with the rest of my CDs. I sold a whole bunch months ago but I kept a lot of them, I just couldn't part with them.

No longer. I have sold almost all of them. And the reasoning is that I have not looked at them since I sold my last set. I have them all in my iTunes, I also made a copy of them and I have them in my backup too. So it is not like I would lose them forever. They are just taking up space and I am positive I can use the money I make for something else. I am still holding on to my Queen collection and I justified myself in keeping them. I have looked at the CD inserts recently to look at the art and pictures and to figure out some lyrics. But that is all of them.

I sell my CDs (you can sell games and DVDs as well) to two different places. One offers free shipping (you print out a shipping label) and the other will credit you when they pay you out for your shipping costs. Now you may not make a lot of money selling them back. In fact some CDs they have so many of that they will only offer a quarter or even a nickel. But I look at it this way, these CDs are taking up space and I never use them. So why have them? I might as well get something right?



I recommend clicking on the banner above to visit SecondSpin first. And then open up a new window/tab and go to Spun.com and compare the prices. It is interesting but you will find that one place will buy a CD for 50 cents and the other will buy it for $8!

And already I don't regret getting rid of this stuff.

Turn Off the Dark

I have always been a bit curious about this musical ever since I caught wind of it. I like musicals, I like U2 and I like Spider-Man. How can this be wrong?

I wish I still lived in New York because I would catch this show as soon as possible. Now I have heard negative reviews and heard bad things about this but after watching this preview, I am really intrigued.

This could be bad. But it could be Flash Gordon bad. And that could be a good thing.

One thing for sure is that the music is really good. I previewed the songs in iTunes and more than likely I will make a purchase shortly.

Random Ramblings

Day 289

I am happy that the weather has cooled down the last week or so. I went running today and it was not as hot as it looked. There was a gentle breeze which cooled me down and the wind was at my back. Luckily the wind was not kicking up so it didn't affect my asthma.

Speaking of running, I want to give a shout out to fellow blogger and cousin Jaimee for running and conquering her first 5K! I am very impressed, she used the Couch to 5K program and stuck with it and accomplished her goal in style. You can read about her Run for Glory by clicking on the linky.

Speaking of 5K races, I have decided that I will take the plunge and run a 5K.

What was that? Didja hear that?

That was the sound of Kristy hitting the floor.

So yeah, I am going to do it. Probably not this year (unless I can find one in October) but I will the next. This will keep me motivated through the winter to keep myself in shape. Hey Jaimee, we should run one together! We'll do one in Utah and then one in Colorado.

I go out running with my iPod (I don't care what people say, I would die from boredom if I didn't have it while running!) and I was listening to some Offspring and I found another track that I forgot to blog about. It really captures the essence of them. Take a listen, I think you will enjoy it.



One of the reasons I need to keep running is because Kristy keeps making these delicious desserts. Look at this bad boy!

Packed with tasty calories.

While we were at the reunion we were chatting about...  ...I don't know how we got onto the topic but I told the story of the time I really embarrassed myself in one of my Political Science classes at Utah State University. It was about halfway through the semester and my professor pulled me aside and said that I really need to participate in class. She told me that I should add to our daily news conversations. We would take the first 15 minutes of class and pick a news item and talk about it and it usually ended in laughter. So I thought maybe I could make a funny since everyone else was doing it. Cloning at the time was a hot topic and one student brought up how clones would be beneficial to society.

My class had a few conservative students that were really against cloning of any kind and things were getting a bit heated so I thought I would say something which I thought would relieve the tension. I raised my hand and my professor proudly called on me. I said something like this:

"I believe that producing clones would be extremely beneficial to our society. Aside from the medical and science breakthroughs, it would be a boon to the entertainment industry, especially the movie industry."

Good use of Clones in entertainment.

I got every one's attention since I was using my announcer voice so it sounded like I was serious.

Bad use of Clones in entertainment. See below for more info.

"Clones could be used as stunt people without having to worry about securing and protecting them. Hollywood could really let things fly, imagine how real movies would look if we used clones instead of trick photography using stunt men and special CGI effects. It would definitely make war and horror movies feel and look real."

*sounds of crickets*

Yeah, no one laughed. No one said a word. I was humiliated. And I am sure I disgusted a few of my fellow students who thought I was being real. I never participated again, that is until I made an off-color remark about how ratings in the WNBA could improve. 

Shirts and skins.

Again I was treated to complete silence, I could hear crickets in the distance. But everyone knew deep down inside that I was right. They just didn't want to admit it.

Speaking of clones, I am reading Spider-Man: The Complete Clone Sage Epic. I just finished volume 2 and I have already preordered Volume 3. I think there will be six or seven volumes in total. And let me tell you, I am a bit surprised.

For those that are not geeks, don't know, the infamous Clone Saga will go down in history as one of the WORST Spider-Man stories and with good reason. Basically, the Spider-Man that most of us grew up reading was revealed to be a clone and "our" Spider-Man was shipped off and replaced. What made this story even more outrageous is that sales were so good of this controversial storyline that Marvel's Marketing Department demanded that this storyline be stretched out as much as possible. The original Clone Saga was only supposed to take six months (about six issues total of each Spider-Man comic) but the creators made it last YEARS. Fans reacted and quickly stopped reading the book since it was going nowhere and for what they did to Spider-Man. It was an interesting concept but the story escaped and spun out of control. Spider-Man's sales plummeted and have barely recovered almost fifteen years later. And Marvel has never spoken about it again. They didn't reference it anyway.

Until now.

I have to admit that the first two gigantic books have been entertaining. Some good art along with some really underrated writing. But I heard it just gets worse from here. It is like a train wreck, I just have to look and be a witness. Call me a sicko if you want but I just have to read this whole horrible story.

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 Graphic Novel Recommendations

Day 209

Last month I blogged about my favorite graphic novels and recommended them to you guys. These were the books that I would want to have if I was stranded on a desert island and in looking back I definitely got the list right. But if I was really on a deserted island I would miss these books quite a bit.

So here are more graphic novel recommendations. I have included a link directly to Amazon so you find more information and reviews as well and if you want to buy it. I have also included the synopsis/review of each title and why of course I love them.

I tried to choose a variety of different books this time instead of just my favorites. Hopefully there is something here for every one.



SCOTT PILGRIM: Precious Little Life
Vol. 1
By: Bryan Lee O'Malley

Scott Pilgrim is 23 years old, lives in a cold, unnamed Canadian town, plays bass in a band called Sex Bob-Omb and has a very cute 17-year-old Chinese-Canadian girlfriend, Knives Chau. His "precious little life" is amiably unstructured, and he drifts, happily unemployed, between band practice and time spent with Knives. But then he starts having dreams about Ramona Flowers, a mysterious, equally cute and perfectly legal hipster chick on Rollerblades who delivers books for Amazon.com. Ramona is anything but simple, and O'Malley's tale of adorable slackers in love is transformed into a wildly magically manga–kung fu fantasy adventure. We meet the first of Ramona's seven evil ex-boyfriends, Matthew Patel, who challenges Scott and his band to a supernatural martial arts duel right out of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.  It's an alt-lit, rock 'n' roll graphic novel with wonderful manga-influenced drawing and a comically mystical plot that manages to capture both the genuine intimacies and serial dishonesties of young love.

If you want something completely different and very unique, I recommend picking up this first volume of Scott Pilgrim. It is funny, cute and exciting. Real life mixed with Nintendo. Michael Cera (of Arrested Development fame) is set to star as Scott Pilgrim in coming soon to theatres and I cannot wait. And the final Scott Pilgrim book (in a series of 6) is coming out in just a few short months.


ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: ULTIMATE COLLECTION
Book 1
By: Brian Michael Bendis and Mark Bagley

High school, puberty, first dances - there are many pitfalls to being young. Compound these with intense personal tragedy and superhuman powers, and you can start to visualize the world of Peter Parker, a.k.a. Spider-Man. Following the murder of his uncle and the Green Goblin's assault on his high school, Peter finds himself on the brink of manhood: getting a job at the Daily Bugle to help support his widowed aunt and taking on extracurricular activities - such as bringing down the Kingpin, the head of organized crime in New York City!

If you enjoyed the Spider-Man movies, I cannot possibly recommend these books any higher. While there are big differences between the movie and this version, it is still Spider-Man at heart. You don't need to worry about being lost reading this, it starts right at the beginning. Bendis really delivers a powerful and believable story and Bagley's art is perfect for new readers. Once you start, I promise you will be addicted and luckily there are about 20 volumes so far. Seriously, it is probably the best Spider-Man stories I have ever read.


HELLBOY: SEED OF DESTRUCTION
VOL. 1
By: Mike Mignola


Hellboy is one of the most celebrated comics series in recent years. The ultimate artists' artist and a great storyteller whose work is in turns haunting, hilarious, and spellbinding, Mike Mignola has won numerous awards in the comics industry and beyond. When strangeness threatens to engulf the world, a strange man will come to save it. Sent to investigate a mystery with supernatural overtones, Hellboy discovers the secrets of his own origins, and his link to the Nazi occultists who promised Hitler a final solution in the form of a demonic avatar.

Hellboy and Hellboy 2 are some of my favorite movies and Hellboy is definitely one of my favorite comic books. If you like mystery, action and horror, this series of books (10 volumes) are definitely up your alley. If you like strange monsters, Lovecraft, fables and urban legends, this book is definitely for you. Mignola takes real fables and sends Hellboy out to figure them out. And the Hellboy character is just perfect, even though he is a demon, he is certainly human. Just writing about him makes me want to go read them.

STAR WARS LEGACY:  BROKEN
VOL 1
By: John Ostrander and Jan Duursema

The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but that's just the beginning of the story! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place! Readers will meet a host of new characters, see fleets of new spaceships, and visit scores of exotic locations - some new and some familiar. This is a perfect jumping-on point for any reader - an epic beginning to an untold chapter of the greatest adventure in the universe!

What kind of geek would I be if I didn't recommend a Star Wars title to read? I read these in comic book form and I absolutely love this series sanctioned by Lucas himself. The story idea is wonderful, it is set over 125 years after the events in Return of the Jedi. It features a descendant of Luke Skywalker who was trained as a Jedi but has abandoned the order. The series begins with an attack on the Jedi Temple and the overthrow of the Galactic Empire by a newly created Sith order. If you like Star Wars you will love this series. And there are more volumes published.


Y: THE LAST MAN: UNMANNED
VOL 1
By: Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra

A mysterious plague has killed every man on earth except Yorick Brown, who was somehow spared. The sole Y-chromosomed survivor is an amiable, headstrong young man, the son of a U.S. congresswoman and, as it happens, an amateur escape artist. He tries to escape to Australia to find his girlfriend but finds that being the last man on Earth to be a much greater problem.

This series is not for the weak-hearted. Terrible things have happened and terribly things will continue to happen as Yorick tries to travel to Australia to find his girlfriend Beth. During his travels he will encounter various groups of women that have different beliefs and have different views on what they should do with Yorick. But during his travels he learns a lot more about himself. This is a fantastic science fiction story that really addresses a lot of what the world would be like if all the men died. But like I said before, this book is for Mature Readers Only. There is cursing and adult situations.

Most of these books are available at any book store and I am sure you could find copies of it at your local library. Do yourself a favor and try one of them out and you'll see why I love this medium so much.