That's right it raining!!! Woot!!
Yes I am one of those weird Californians that love the rain. I love the snow I love all weather associated with Winter. When it gets cold like this I like to sit on my patio with a cup of coffee and a smoke and enjoy the cold.
Weather like this is also a great time to bundle up in the house and turn on some good music and do some reading. It is also a good time to chill out and watch some movies. I have done both in the month since my last post. Aren't you proud?
First I want to talk about the movie 9. Now I know a lot of people out there were complaining about this movie and how they didn't like it. I have no clue what the hell they were talking about. I liked this movie. In fact I almost loved it. Almost.
Here's the synopsis: Basically it's your average Scientist creates a machine to help mankind and the military comes in to take the project to use it for a war weapon. Common theme right? Here is the twist it takes. Basically this scientist creates the perfect machine. This machine is capable of independent thought when it comes to the creation of other machines. The military wants to use it to create war machines and it does. The machines, of course, become sentient and eradicate the human race. In desperation and out of guilt, the scientist creates 9 sack dolls and stores a piece of his soul into each of them killing himself in the process. The 9th doll wakes up to a post apocalyptic world and through a series of misadventures he comes to discover their true purpose in recreating the world of man.
Yes while it is a story we have seen before, I still liked it. The soundtrack was fairly cool and the visuals were outstanding. The voice acting was top notch as well. I don't understand what everyones complaint about the movie was. I have even heard some people say they didn't understand what the movie was about. After watching the movie I was wondering if we were all talking about the same movie. If you haven't had a chance to watch this movie then do so. I am sure you will enjoy it. If not then pop me an email and lets discuss it.
Pandorum is a movie that has Dennis Quaid and Ben Foster waking up in a space ship and wondering where they are. They quickly come to realize that they are the crew of the ship put into hypersleep and awoken to relieve the crew before them. Unfortunately for them all is not what it seems.
I heard a lot of people not digging on this movie as well. In fact the box office numbers even show this. I, however, dug the hell out of it. I am a sucker for cool sci fi and this one didn't let me down. It was creepy and depressing all at the same time. This one will look awesome on blu-ray when it comes out.
On the comic front, I haven't really been reading to many new series. I am still loving the Deadpool series and all the other regular series that I have been reading. I am glad to see that the Dark Reign storyline is coming to an end. I am excited to see The Siege and War of the Hulks beginning to start. Powers Vol 3 #1 came out and I ran down to grab it up. I was not disappointed.
On the FP front, I am proud to announce that ZKS #0 is finished. Unfortunately we ran out of funds in getting it created and may have to delay printing. We would like to ask for donations though (we aren't THAT proud) and if you feel like donating please do. Make all checks out to AJ Herrera and send them to:
Forbidden Panel
P.O. Box 692
Redlands, ca 92373
Any and all donations will receive a free signed copy of the comic as well as a limited edition poster. Let me just thank you now for it heh.
We will also be appearing at the Rose Bowl Comics and Collectibles Show on Dec 13. This is going to be a big event as it takes place during the Rose Bowl flea market which in itself brings in 10,000-15,000 people. Please come out and see us!!
Dec 17th at midnight will find us at the IMAX in Ontario, California to see the midnight release of AVATAR in 3-D. Please come join us for that as well.
Well that's all for now. Stay tuned for some more awesome news coming as well as Panelcast!!!
please send any and all feedback to aj@forbiddenpanel.com or just reply here.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Friday, November 06, 2009
Somebody check my brain!!!
Whelp here I am again with another song stuck in my head and you have to suffer from it. I have the new Alice In Chains sung playing in the background and I am steadily groovin out to it. No one can replace Layne Staley but it looks like they went out and did there best. It's not bad and he does a good job but it's just not the same.
Ye know the other day I tried to put in an entry on Wiki for FP and I got denied. I am a sad monkey now because of it. So if any of you are inclined to do so and know the ins and outs on how, please do so and shoot us a link.
I hope everyone had a good Halloween. I spent the evening on the patio reading comics and handing out candy. I loved it. hehe.
Now on to the reviews and news. First bit of news is the lack of PanelCast. Last week being Halloween we decided to take that week off. Though many a Zombie conversations could have been had, but we needed a break. Same with this week. No cast this week folks and we are sorry about that. But there have been plenty of news bits on the site so head on over and check it out!!!!!
So this week I read I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and put out by Image. I jumped into this comic thinking it would be some what reminiscent of the Shadow of the Colossus/Ico video game series as is implied by the name and boy was I wrong. This series is about a little girl who believes the world is infested with fairies and giants and that they are out to get her and her family. She spends her days DM'ing local D&D games and setting up traps for the giants. The comic takes a nice twist at the end that had me all kinds of pissed at Kelly for invoking emotions of me. He does a great job of foreshadowing the events that are about to come and wraps it all up in a nice little bow. JM Ken Niimura does a great job with the art in that it takes on kind of an anime feel but not really. He keeps it simple and poignant so that when the important images appear they strike a cord and stand out thus showing their impact on the story.
The series is short and sweet and only takes 7 issues to complete. It's out right now and if you have a chance I recommend you pic it up.
Next up is Boom Studio's Irredeemable. This one is written by Mark Waid, with artwork by Peter Krause. This series is the shit. I mean that. It starts off with a superhero, The Plutonian, doing...well....killing the fuck outta folks would be the most simplest way to describe it. I really want to talk more about it but I can't without giving it away. Let's just say he seems to have lost his way and the series seems to plot out how and why and what is being done about it. The writing is superb and the art complements it perfectly. Please please please pick up this series right now and let me know when you have so I have someone to geek out about it with!!!
Northlanders is a series put out by Brian Wood. It's a series that contains multiple different storylines all pertaining to the Viking era. Brian Wood does some of the coolest series out there. Demo, Local, DV8 and my favorite DMZ just to name a few. I love this new series as well. It's something I have had to add to my "must read" list on a monthly basis. The stories are nice and indepth and though they rarely ever focus on the same character(s), he spends enough time with them to make you give a shit. That's whats nice about it. You can pick up any trade and not worry about not getting what's going on or not. Each arc is also drawn by a different artist and all of them seem to know what they are doing with the story and give you just enough to draw you in. Add it to your list too, you won't be disappointed.
Last comic I want to talk about is 28 Days Later. Another series that's put out by Boom! Studios. This one takes place between the 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later movies. It serves to bridge the gap between both. Currently it is only on issue #3 so my review can only be up to that point. Having said that, this series really pisses me off. It's written well enough by Michael Alan Nelson but it's what in the story that angers me.
Basically this group of guerrilla style reporters want to hop into the infected zone to try to report on it. They recruit Selena (the hero from the first movie) to act as a guide through it all. The reporters think that because they have seen war and horror that they are experts walking in and do their best to bring that point up a lot. No one listens to Selena and thus keep getting led into the most retarded situations.
This book angers me in that the characters are all idiots and deserve to die. I am basically reading this book expecting all of them to get turned due to their own incompetence leaving Selena stuck in the same situation she was in during the first movie. Please tell me if that is the case so I can stop reading the comic now. If it isn't than rock on!!
The art is done by Declan Shalvey and is probably the only redeeming part of this series. If you are a fan of the movies and zombies in general than please pick up this book if for anything than to share in my misery.
On to movies!! Well only one movie that I feel like talking about and as it is I don't feel like talking about it to much. So let me just say this, I watched Jennifer's Body this week and am reserving my comments from when I have a chance to read the Graphic Novel that accompanies it.
There.
On to the video game front. I have been playing Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. Never heard of it? Don't worry. Neither have I for the most part. I came across it while cruising through Gamefly's new release list. I took a look at the videos and decided to give the game a chance. FUCK THIS GAME. I fucking hate it. I feel bad because every time I load it up I want to toss my PS3 out the window and bury it Office Space style.
This game is basically an FPS done in the style of Call Of Duty Modern Warfare. Except if you take COD, mash it into a ball, shove it up a Rhinos ass, make him puke it out, then rub it all over a leprosy ridden body and teabagged it onto your dead and toothless grandmas forehead then put it in my PS3 then you would have this game. The physics engine sucks, the graphics are glitchy and the controls are retarded. Your POV has no peripherals, there is no active radar or UAV and your squad is filled with a bunch of stupid dipshits that I as a Veteran of the US Army wouldn't take with me to the bathroom much less into combat.
Avoid this game.
Please.
Well that is all the ranting that I am ready to give you guys this week. Stop by your local comic store and show them some love and please leave me some comments!!!
Ye know the other day I tried to put in an entry on Wiki for FP and I got denied. I am a sad monkey now because of it. So if any of you are inclined to do so and know the ins and outs on how, please do so and shoot us a link.
I hope everyone had a good Halloween. I spent the evening on the patio reading comics and handing out candy. I loved it. hehe.
Now on to the reviews and news. First bit of news is the lack of PanelCast. Last week being Halloween we decided to take that week off. Though many a Zombie conversations could have been had, but we needed a break. Same with this week. No cast this week folks and we are sorry about that. But there have been plenty of news bits on the site so head on over and check it out!!!!!
So this week I read I Kill Giants by Joe Kelly and put out by Image. I jumped into this comic thinking it would be some what reminiscent of the Shadow of the Colossus/Ico video game series as is implied by the name and boy was I wrong. This series is about a little girl who believes the world is infested with fairies and giants and that they are out to get her and her family. She spends her days DM'ing local D&D games and setting up traps for the giants. The comic takes a nice twist at the end that had me all kinds of pissed at Kelly for invoking emotions of me. He does a great job of foreshadowing the events that are about to come and wraps it all up in a nice little bow. JM Ken Niimura does a great job with the art in that it takes on kind of an anime feel but not really. He keeps it simple and poignant so that when the important images appear they strike a cord and stand out thus showing their impact on the story.
The series is short and sweet and only takes 7 issues to complete. It's out right now and if you have a chance I recommend you pic it up.
Next up is Boom Studio's Irredeemable. This one is written by Mark Waid, with artwork by Peter Krause. This series is the shit. I mean that. It starts off with a superhero, The Plutonian, doing...well....killing the fuck outta folks would be the most simplest way to describe it. I really want to talk more about it but I can't without giving it away. Let's just say he seems to have lost his way and the series seems to plot out how and why and what is being done about it. The writing is superb and the art complements it perfectly. Please please please pick up this series right now and let me know when you have so I have someone to geek out about it with!!!
Northlanders is a series put out by Brian Wood. It's a series that contains multiple different storylines all pertaining to the Viking era. Brian Wood does some of the coolest series out there. Demo, Local, DV8 and my favorite DMZ just to name a few. I love this new series as well. It's something I have had to add to my "must read" list on a monthly basis. The stories are nice and indepth and though they rarely ever focus on the same character(s), he spends enough time with them to make you give a shit. That's whats nice about it. You can pick up any trade and not worry about not getting what's going on or not. Each arc is also drawn by a different artist and all of them seem to know what they are doing with the story and give you just enough to draw you in. Add it to your list too, you won't be disappointed.
Last comic I want to talk about is 28 Days Later. Another series that's put out by Boom! Studios. This one takes place between the 28 Days Later and 28 Weeks Later movies. It serves to bridge the gap between both. Currently it is only on issue #3 so my review can only be up to that point. Having said that, this series really pisses me off. It's written well enough by Michael Alan Nelson but it's what in the story that angers me.
Basically this group of guerrilla style reporters want to hop into the infected zone to try to report on it. They recruit Selena (the hero from the first movie) to act as a guide through it all. The reporters think that because they have seen war and horror that they are experts walking in and do their best to bring that point up a lot. No one listens to Selena and thus keep getting led into the most retarded situations.
This book angers me in that the characters are all idiots and deserve to die. I am basically reading this book expecting all of them to get turned due to their own incompetence leaving Selena stuck in the same situation she was in during the first movie. Please tell me if that is the case so I can stop reading the comic now. If it isn't than rock on!!
The art is done by Declan Shalvey and is probably the only redeeming part of this series. If you are a fan of the movies and zombies in general than please pick up this book if for anything than to share in my misery.
On to movies!! Well only one movie that I feel like talking about and as it is I don't feel like talking about it to much. So let me just say this, I watched Jennifer's Body this week and am reserving my comments from when I have a chance to read the Graphic Novel that accompanies it.
There.
On to the video game front. I have been playing Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising. Never heard of it? Don't worry. Neither have I for the most part. I came across it while cruising through Gamefly's new release list. I took a look at the videos and decided to give the game a chance. FUCK THIS GAME. I fucking hate it. I feel bad because every time I load it up I want to toss my PS3 out the window and bury it Office Space style.
This game is basically an FPS done in the style of Call Of Duty Modern Warfare. Except if you take COD, mash it into a ball, shove it up a Rhinos ass, make him puke it out, then rub it all over a leprosy ridden body and teabagged it onto your dead and toothless grandmas forehead then put it in my PS3 then you would have this game. The physics engine sucks, the graphics are glitchy and the controls are retarded. Your POV has no peripherals, there is no active radar or UAV and your squad is filled with a bunch of stupid dipshits that I as a Veteran of the US Army wouldn't take with me to the bathroom much less into combat.
Avoid this game.
Please.
Well that is all the ranting that I am ready to give you guys this week. Stop by your local comic store and show them some love and please leave me some comments!!!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Nooowwww waaaaiiiitttt a minute!!!!!!
Ye know you make me wanna SHOUT!!!
Hehehe sorry. Songs stuck in my brain right now. Don't know why. It just is.
So this week has been pretty cool. Saw Zombieland. It rocked. Saw some other stuff and it got me through the week I guess. Nothing to exciting as my life had been all Uncharted 2 all the time. That's right Uncharted 2 ruled my life this past week and I am not ashamed to say it.
Uncharted 2 is the continuation of the adventures of Nathan "Nate" Drake, a fortune hunter badass. The story picks up a few years after part 1 with Nate on the trail for Marco Polos journals and the time missing from them.
First off, the cinematics of this game are astounding. It's so pretty that it looks great even on my non hd tv.
The gameplay mechanics are the same as the were in the first game. Easy to control and basic yet fun. My only complaint is the camera control. Sometimes you are messing with the camera and suddenly some douche from outta nowhere snaps your neck. Aggravating.
But other than that, it's a pretty sweet game. And the story is so deep that you want to keep playing just to see what else happens. They extended the gameplay so that the gamer could enjoy it more and become more enthralled with the gameplay.
They also added a multiplayer aspect to the game. I haven't had a chance to crack it open yet but if it's anything like the beta then I know I will be devoting even more time to it.
So yeah it's #1 on all the charts right now and deservedly so. Run out and pick up a copy now!!!!
Last night I went out to Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, Ca in support of Girls Drawin Girls showing their artwork their. The Gallery itself was very awesome in that it was littered with amazing paintings and sculptures. I had fun seeing the GDG stuff incorporated into everything. Stay tuned to some pics and such from the event and in the meantime head over to the site to see some of the artwork on display.
We just wrapped and edited and posted Episode 42 of the Panelcast. Please head over and give it a listen and let me know what you think.
Sanctuary season 2 started last week and so far it is off to a disappointing start. Me no likey. Smallville has taken a turn this season in that it is focusing more on the dramatics than the normal smushy teen love story crap that it follows. Not saying that it is better but it is a tad bit more tolerable. Stargate Universe and Defying Gravity are 2 of my new favorites on the air right now. Though Defying Gravity is already facing cancellation. Luckily enough they finished filming the first season and since it is a joint production there is a chance that it will continue in Canada or even on ScyFy. But right now those are the 2 shows that I get upset over the fact that I am watching on the weekly basis. I hate having to wait a week between eps in order to continue the story. Grrrrr.
Well that's all I got for this week. Make sure you head out and see Where the Wild Things Are. And please, don't hesitate to drop me an email and let me know about what you think about my opinions.
Hehehe sorry. Songs stuck in my brain right now. Don't know why. It just is.
So this week has been pretty cool. Saw Zombieland. It rocked. Saw some other stuff and it got me through the week I guess. Nothing to exciting as my life had been all Uncharted 2 all the time. That's right Uncharted 2 ruled my life this past week and I am not ashamed to say it.
Uncharted 2 is the continuation of the adventures of Nathan "Nate" Drake, a fortune hunter badass. The story picks up a few years after part 1 with Nate on the trail for Marco Polos journals and the time missing from them.
First off, the cinematics of this game are astounding. It's so pretty that it looks great even on my non hd tv.
The gameplay mechanics are the same as the were in the first game. Easy to control and basic yet fun. My only complaint is the camera control. Sometimes you are messing with the camera and suddenly some douche from outta nowhere snaps your neck. Aggravating.
But other than that, it's a pretty sweet game. And the story is so deep that you want to keep playing just to see what else happens. They extended the gameplay so that the gamer could enjoy it more and become more enthralled with the gameplay.
They also added a multiplayer aspect to the game. I haven't had a chance to crack it open yet but if it's anything like the beta then I know I will be devoting even more time to it.
So yeah it's #1 on all the charts right now and deservedly so. Run out and pick up a copy now!!!!
Last night I went out to Hyaena Gallery in Burbank, Ca in support of Girls Drawin Girls showing their artwork their. The Gallery itself was very awesome in that it was littered with amazing paintings and sculptures. I had fun seeing the GDG stuff incorporated into everything. Stay tuned to some pics and such from the event and in the meantime head over to the site to see some of the artwork on display.
We just wrapped and edited and posted Episode 42 of the Panelcast. Please head over and give it a listen and let me know what you think.
Sanctuary season 2 started last week and so far it is off to a disappointing start. Me no likey. Smallville has taken a turn this season in that it is focusing more on the dramatics than the normal smushy teen love story crap that it follows. Not saying that it is better but it is a tad bit more tolerable. Stargate Universe and Defying Gravity are 2 of my new favorites on the air right now. Though Defying Gravity is already facing cancellation. Luckily enough they finished filming the first season and since it is a joint production there is a chance that it will continue in Canada or even on ScyFy. But right now those are the 2 shows that I get upset over the fact that I am watching on the weekly basis. I hate having to wait a week between eps in order to continue the story. Grrrrr.
Well that's all I got for this week. Make sure you head out and see Where the Wild Things Are. And please, don't hesitate to drop me an email and let me know about what you think about my opinions.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
Save Me!!!
Man there are a crazy amount of Medical Dramas on TV now. It seems like since ER went off the air the networks are scrambling to put something up that will take its place. It a practical madhouse right now.
Let me go through the ones that I have seen or come across and give you my opinion on them.
Mercy: Man this show is all kinds of cutesy wah wah let's bang type of show. Definitely not my bag, but I can totally see how people would get into it. It's more Grey's than ER but it still falls short in my book. If you are watching this then please drop me a line and tell me what you think.
Nurse Jackie: This one is one of my favs in that it has Edie Falco as a fallible woman trying to juggle home and work. But she almost juggles it to much because she has a husband and kids at home and a lover and co-workers who know nothing about her family at home. She is a no nonsense ball breaking breathe of fresh air and I am grateful that it's on Showtime as opposed to any of the Primetime channels.
Three Rivers: Caught the first episode of this the other night. This one is about a transplant hospital and it has the whole "We can fix it for you" feel on it. I think it's ok in that it's trying to create its own Niche, but I don't see it lasting long.
Trauma: Another one of my favs. This one is a balls to the wall, action packed, drama filled, non stop rollercoaster of fucked upedness. And I dig it. It has a great approach in that it's not actually about what happenes in the hospital but more about what happens with the paramedics. I like this one because it doesn't have that happy ending bullcrap that most of the other shows have. Less love story, more WTF!!. Plus it has Jamey Sheridan in it and any show that has Randall Flagg in it is worth the watch heh.
Anyway, I know that there are a metric buttload more but I think that it's way overkill. We shall see who will rise to the top and who will fall by the way side.
Stargate Universe started this week. I don't know if it's my love for the Stargate or what but this show lived up to it's expectations for me. I loved it. But of course we can't judge it by the first episode. I am going to have to get a few more under my belt before I can differentiate my love for it. Whether they go back to the cheesiness of the previous incantations or if they branch out into their own entity, I hope at least the ride will be great.
24 hour comics day was this past weekend. Thanks to all those that made it out. It was a lot of fun. Brandi Auset sat with us and between her and Justin White and I, Forbidden Panel made a good showing. We all managed to complete the challenge and now have our first comic book. I couldn't be more proud. Thanks to 4 Color Fantasies for being awesome hosts. Stay tuned soon as the comic we completed will but up as a digital download as well as in print sometime soon.
Some of you may have been on the site recently and seen random bits of a live broadcast. I was testing out the new stuff we have for it to see if it would be a viable option to start doing the Panelcasts in such a manner. For those of you who saw it, I apologize for any confusion or possibly offensive things I may have said during the testing phases. Oh, what the hell, it's us and you can't expect anything different hehehe.
Been playing the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Beta. It's awesome. I dig it alot. If you have a Playstation 3 then you should definitely get the beta. It's available to DL on the Playstation store right now. Feel free to add me as a friend on the PSN as well. Drayvn or ForbiddenPanel are the screen names and I try to balance out the time between the two.
Not sure if you have added us or not but you can find Forbidden Panel on twitter. Forbidden Panel or Drayvn. Feel free to add both. The rest of the staff have twitters as well but I will let them advertise their own.
Going to put up a poll on the site asking if anyone would like to participate in a live Panelcast. You will be able to listen to us chatter away live and even be able to ask questions in the chat room while doing it. Here is the Ustream link. Please vote in the poll or just comment here with your opinion.
Well that's it for another week. Remember, we love feedback and would love to hear from you. Also, Bryan is looking for my people to interview for Geek Girls, and Forbidden Panel is looking for more people to network with and talk to.
Email me at aj@forbiddenpanel.com or panelcast@forbiddenpanel.com
Thanks.
Let me go through the ones that I have seen or come across and give you my opinion on them.
Mercy: Man this show is all kinds of cutesy wah wah let's bang type of show. Definitely not my bag, but I can totally see how people would get into it. It's more Grey's than ER but it still falls short in my book. If you are watching this then please drop me a line and tell me what you think.
Nurse Jackie: This one is one of my favs in that it has Edie Falco as a fallible woman trying to juggle home and work. But she almost juggles it to much because she has a husband and kids at home and a lover and co-workers who know nothing about her family at home. She is a no nonsense ball breaking breathe of fresh air and I am grateful that it's on Showtime as opposed to any of the Primetime channels.
Three Rivers: Caught the first episode of this the other night. This one is about a transplant hospital and it has the whole "We can fix it for you" feel on it. I think it's ok in that it's trying to create its own Niche, but I don't see it lasting long.
Trauma: Another one of my favs. This one is a balls to the wall, action packed, drama filled, non stop rollercoaster of fucked upedness. And I dig it. It has a great approach in that it's not actually about what happenes in the hospital but more about what happens with the paramedics. I like this one because it doesn't have that happy ending bullcrap that most of the other shows have. Less love story, more WTF!!. Plus it has Jamey Sheridan in it and any show that has Randall Flagg in it is worth the watch heh.
Anyway, I know that there are a metric buttload more but I think that it's way overkill. We shall see who will rise to the top and who will fall by the way side.
Stargate Universe started this week. I don't know if it's my love for the Stargate or what but this show lived up to it's expectations for me. I loved it. But of course we can't judge it by the first episode. I am going to have to get a few more under my belt before I can differentiate my love for it. Whether they go back to the cheesiness of the previous incantations or if they branch out into their own entity, I hope at least the ride will be great.
24 hour comics day was this past weekend. Thanks to all those that made it out. It was a lot of fun. Brandi Auset sat with us and between her and Justin White and I, Forbidden Panel made a good showing. We all managed to complete the challenge and now have our first comic book. I couldn't be more proud. Thanks to 4 Color Fantasies for being awesome hosts. Stay tuned soon as the comic we completed will but up as a digital download as well as in print sometime soon.
Some of you may have been on the site recently and seen random bits of a live broadcast. I was testing out the new stuff we have for it to see if it would be a viable option to start doing the Panelcasts in such a manner. For those of you who saw it, I apologize for any confusion or possibly offensive things I may have said during the testing phases. Oh, what the hell, it's us and you can't expect anything different hehehe.
Been playing the Uncharted 2: Among Thieves Beta. It's awesome. I dig it alot. If you have a Playstation 3 then you should definitely get the beta. It's available to DL on the Playstation store right now. Feel free to add me as a friend on the PSN as well. Drayvn or ForbiddenPanel are the screen names and I try to balance out the time between the two.
Not sure if you have added us or not but you can find Forbidden Panel on twitter. Forbidden Panel or Drayvn. Feel free to add both. The rest of the staff have twitters as well but I will let them advertise their own.
Going to put up a poll on the site asking if anyone would like to participate in a live Panelcast. You will be able to listen to us chatter away live and even be able to ask questions in the chat room while doing it. Here is the Ustream link. Please vote in the poll or just comment here with your opinion.
Well that's it for another week. Remember, we love feedback and would love to hear from you. Also, Bryan is looking for my people to interview for Geek Girls, and Forbidden Panel is looking for more people to network with and talk to.
Email me at aj@forbiddenpanel.com or panelcast@forbiddenpanel.com
Thanks.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
24 Hour Comics Day.
Well here we are and another week has past. Not to busy of a week but I have been getting a lot of behind the scenes stuff done. This update will be kind of light because I plan on updating like crazy on Saturday ala 24 Hour Comics Day.
What is 24 Hour Comics Day you ask? Well please allow me to fill you up...I mean in. Heh. 24 Hour Comics Day is, well, here is the Wiki:
A 24-hour comic is a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 hours. Scott McCloud originally came up with the challenge for himself and Steve Bissette as a creative exercise. McCloud drew the first 24-hour comic to prove it could be done on August 31, 1990, and Bissette did his on September 5.
On this day, comics creators around the world were invited to spend the day making a 24-hour comic. All participants were requested to send their completed comic to McCloud, who keeps an archive of all completed 24-hour comics on his webpage. Many comic book stores supported this event by setting up space for participating artists to work on their comic. It attracted many writers and artists, working both in print and web media.
On this year the event falls on Oct 3rd. Justin White and I will be joining other comic creators from around the world and challenging ourselves to spend 24 writing and drawing a complete comic book. It's going to be an awesome time and we invite people to come by and say hi and show your support. There is still plenty of room for those of you who want to sign up. The event we will be at will be located at our favorite comic store 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
We (Forbidden Panel) will be doing interviews and taking pics and stuff to post on the site as well as posting the finished product here as a free digital download. It will eventually be incorporated into the ZKS storyline. I am pretty amped to do this as it will be our first completed project. Hehe.
As I am writing this I am editing the PanelCast so if you hear and misques there or see me mistype here then you know why.
I had a chance to watch The Super Hero Squad, which is Marvels newest animated cartoon to appear on Cartoon Network. This show sucks. It was kinda cool to see almost all of the characters from the Marvel universe show up on screen again. Yet, this show was obviously designed and aimed at ADD and ADHD kids as it was all over the place. It was exhausting to watch this show. I couldn't handle it and had to shut it off. Blah.
I also went and watched The Surrogates. It was...ok I guess. I mean they changed a lot from the comic, which was to be expected. But, I think they changed to much. I won't give away any spoilers but this movie as well as others as of late has made me change my mind about reading the comic before seeing the movie. Now I am of the opinion that you should see the movie the read the comic afterward just so you can enjoy the movie and then enjoy the comic more after.
Well that's really all I got for this week. Remember on Saturday to find your nearest 24 hour comics location and go out and support them!
What is 24 Hour Comics Day you ask? Well please allow me to fill you up...I mean in. Heh. 24 Hour Comics Day is, well, here is the Wiki:
A 24-hour comic is a 24-page comic book written, drawn, and completed in 24 hours. Scott McCloud originally came up with the challenge for himself and Steve Bissette as a creative exercise. McCloud drew the first 24-hour comic to prove it could be done on August 31, 1990, and Bissette did his on September 5.
On this day, comics creators around the world were invited to spend the day making a 24-hour comic. All participants were requested to send their completed comic to McCloud, who keeps an archive of all completed 24-hour comics on his webpage. Many comic book stores supported this event by setting up space for participating artists to work on their comic. It attracted many writers and artists, working both in print and web media.
On this year the event falls on Oct 3rd. Justin White and I will be joining other comic creators from around the world and challenging ourselves to spend 24 writing and drawing a complete comic book. It's going to be an awesome time and we invite people to come by and say hi and show your support. There is still plenty of room for those of you who want to sign up. The event we will be at will be located at our favorite comic store 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.
We (Forbidden Panel) will be doing interviews and taking pics and stuff to post on the site as well as posting the finished product here as a free digital download. It will eventually be incorporated into the ZKS storyline. I am pretty amped to do this as it will be our first completed project. Hehe.
As I am writing this I am editing the PanelCast so if you hear and misques there or see me mistype here then you know why.
I had a chance to watch The Super Hero Squad, which is Marvels newest animated cartoon to appear on Cartoon Network. This show sucks. It was kinda cool to see almost all of the characters from the Marvel universe show up on screen again. Yet, this show was obviously designed and aimed at ADD and ADHD kids as it was all over the place. It was exhausting to watch this show. I couldn't handle it and had to shut it off. Blah.
I also went and watched The Surrogates. It was...ok I guess. I mean they changed a lot from the comic, which was to be expected. But, I think they changed to much. I won't give away any spoilers but this movie as well as others as of late has made me change my mind about reading the comic before seeing the movie. Now I am of the opinion that you should see the movie the read the comic afterward just so you can enjoy the movie and then enjoy the comic more after.
Well that's really all I got for this week. Remember on Saturday to find your nearest 24 hour comics location and go out and support them!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
It Has Begun!!
So this week saw the beginning of the Fall season. As much as I enjoy the summer season of tv shows I am always glad when the regular season starts back up. Summer season is always full of nothing to watch and shows trying to stretch out their longevity.
First up was Big Bang Theory. I love this show and if you haven't been watching it then you should be. The first episode did a great job of picking up where the last season ended. Funny as all hell.
Watched Heroes. Now this season looks like it might actually be decent. With the inclusion of Robert Knepper and Ray Park it looks like we may actually get good storylines.
Caught the new Castle as well. I really dig this show as I am a fan of Nathan Fillion and it's nice to see him on a show that actually has a second season. Plus, being a book nut helps as well.
Finally got Ep #39 of the PanelCast up. It was painful for me to edit because I could hear how sick we were on the show and felt it made for a bad show. But still I put it up in hopes of it inspiring us to put on a better show for our 40th ep.
So, Chris Brady of 4 Color Fantasies and John Narcomey of High Tower Comics and I started working on a new project called Geeks Place. It's basically just a weekly video podcast of the 3 of us geeking out over random topics. We shot the second one last night. As it turns out we will be using it as the first episode since our first try failed horribly. It's a lot of fun doing and we all love having someone to geek out with. It should be done editing soon and will be up on all of our prospective sites.
24 Hour Comic day is coming up. If you are unfamiliar with it, please, allow me to explain. Basically it's a group of comic book pros getting together for 24 hours to create comics. It's set up with teams of 2. The writer writes 24 scripts while the artist draws 24 strips. After which we submit it and have it published. It should be a blast. It's a world wide event where tons of shops host while creators come out to participate. Forbidden Panel will be at 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga and we invite you all to come out and show some support. Hopefully we won't be to wiped out as we all have to sit in one location for 24 hours and do all of this. Be sure to bring us some coffee heh. It will be a lot of fun and it will be our first outing in such a fashion. Tons of people signing and drawing and such.
Well that's all I got for this week. Catch up with everyone soon.
First up was Big Bang Theory. I love this show and if you haven't been watching it then you should be. The first episode did a great job of picking up where the last season ended. Funny as all hell.
Watched Heroes. Now this season looks like it might actually be decent. With the inclusion of Robert Knepper and Ray Park it looks like we may actually get good storylines.
Caught the new Castle as well. I really dig this show as I am a fan of Nathan Fillion and it's nice to see him on a show that actually has a second season. Plus, being a book nut helps as well.
Finally got Ep #39 of the PanelCast up. It was painful for me to edit because I could hear how sick we were on the show and felt it made for a bad show. But still I put it up in hopes of it inspiring us to put on a better show for our 40th ep.
So, Chris Brady of 4 Color Fantasies and John Narcomey of High Tower Comics and I started working on a new project called Geeks Place. It's basically just a weekly video podcast of the 3 of us geeking out over random topics. We shot the second one last night. As it turns out we will be using it as the first episode since our first try failed horribly. It's a lot of fun doing and we all love having someone to geek out with. It should be done editing soon and will be up on all of our prospective sites.
24 Hour Comic day is coming up. If you are unfamiliar with it, please, allow me to explain. Basically it's a group of comic book pros getting together for 24 hours to create comics. It's set up with teams of 2. The writer writes 24 scripts while the artist draws 24 strips. After which we submit it and have it published. It should be a blast. It's a world wide event where tons of shops host while creators come out to participate. Forbidden Panel will be at 4 Color Fantasies in Rancho Cucamonga and we invite you all to come out and show some support. Hopefully we won't be to wiped out as we all have to sit in one location for 24 hours and do all of this. Be sure to bring us some coffee heh. It will be a lot of fun and it will be our first outing in such a fashion. Tons of people signing and drawing and such.
Well that's all I got for this week. Catch up with everyone soon.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Whiteout, Gamer, and all the other things that's been going on.
Sorry for the lack of updates on our behalf. Seems like I am always late on the updates but I can't help it at times. This time it was due to Bryan and I being sick for the past week. So without further adieu let's get going with the updates and such.
First up, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Let me just say that as a consummate gamer I went into this game expecting and hoping for vast improvements over other Batman game. Suffice to say I was blown away. This game pulled out all the stops. I popped it in and didn't do anything but play this game for the next few days (maybe I should have used that as an excuse instead of being sick hehe).
I always look at a game an judge based on Visuals, Action, Gameplay, Story, and voice acting. So when I rate out of 5 stars then you know that if it is less than 5 stars than it was missing on some level on those parts.
Batman: Arkham Asylum gets a 5 out of 5 stars. The visuals were stunning, though admittingly I spent most of the game in detective mode. Action, well this game has it in spades delivering an unrelenting amount of action that guarantees never a dull moment. Gamepley, amazing. Not only do you have a fairly strong linear storyline but the interactivity is something that other games should take a cue from. Story, well it's Arkham Asylum now isn't it. Once of the most celebrated and greatest Batman story ever told. True it doesn't stick to the graphic novel much but the overall feel of it makes up for that. Voice acting, come now really? Bringing back and banking on the fact that most of us watched Batman the Animated Series while it was out, this game recruits the original gang and brings them back to bring that familiar feel to an old friend. At this point in my life, I can't and refuse to imagine anyone other than Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker.
I can't say enough great things about this game. The few gripes I had were this: I didn't like not having full interactivity with all the objects in the game. That would have been nice. And that's it. A great game otherwise.
Gamer. I was able to catch this movie on opening weekend. I walked into the theater pretty amped at the prospect of the future of gaming caught in a movie. I was not disappointed.
The movie starts Michael C. Hall as a software developer who devises of a way to remotely control people. He first tries out this new discovery by developing a game called Society. This game was designer to be a Sims esq type of game where users get to control other people in real time and determine the things they do in a preset social location. After running this for awhile he begins working on another project called Slayers. Slayers is basically a first person shooter where Gamers control prisoners in what is basically an all out Capture the Flag.
This movie was pretty cool in that it does a great job of appealing to Video Gamers everywhere. From great little easter eggs (such as teabaggin) to the all out non stop violence, this movie does not let down.
Where it excels at apex-ing on the geek scale, it only moderately appeals everywhere else. The story is one we have all seen before. The feel was very Escape From New York. And the cast (except for Butler) basically phoned in their roles and then hung up after 10 mins. I mean really, when you have a cast of Alison Lohman, John Leguizamo, Ludacris, Terry Crews, and Milo Ventimiglia it would have been nice if they were in the film longer than 15 mins a piece. Though it was nice to see Terry Crews play a psycho. Overall I liked the movie even though at the end it felt like it was missing something. Don't take the kids to see this one.
Lastly, let's talk Whiteout. Whiteout is a movie that was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name written by Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber. This movie was hard for me to gauge. I had recently read the book and then went to go see this movie. And with the exception of a few minor points, the movie pretty much follows the book. Unfortunately knowing the big surprise that came at the end of the movie pretty much ruined it for me. Not to say it's a good movie, it is, just I wasn't as emotionally involved in it as I should have been.
Whiteout takes place in Antartica and focus's around Marshall Stetko as she tries to solve the first murder to ever take place there. I feel that I would have really enjoyed this movie in that it's just an old fashioned Murder/Mystery but set in a remote location. But due to the fact that I recently finished the book all the magic was taken away for me. So do yourself a favor, go check out the movie and then read the graphic novel. You may enjoy playing the comparison game.
Well that's about all I've got for now. This past week was a sea of thera-flu and old videos. The great thing about being sick is that it gives you a legitimate excuse to play video games and not get out of your PJ's.
On the FP front, I am still currently editing EP#39 of the Panelcast. I am hoping to have it up by the end of the day. Also, [url=www.hightowercomics.com]High Tower Comics[/url], [url=www.4colorfantasies.com]4 Color Fantasies[/url], and Forbidden Panel are going to begin working on a new project. Stay tuned as more info will be coming soon.
In the meantime please enjoy this pic from ZKS!!
First up, Batman: Arkham Asylum. Let me just say that as a consummate gamer I went into this game expecting and hoping for vast improvements over other Batman game. Suffice to say I was blown away. This game pulled out all the stops. I popped it in and didn't do anything but play this game for the next few days (maybe I should have used that as an excuse instead of being sick hehe).
I always look at a game an judge based on Visuals, Action, Gameplay, Story, and voice acting. So when I rate out of 5 stars then you know that if it is less than 5 stars than it was missing on some level on those parts.
Batman: Arkham Asylum gets a 5 out of 5 stars. The visuals were stunning, though admittingly I spent most of the game in detective mode. Action, well this game has it in spades delivering an unrelenting amount of action that guarantees never a dull moment. Gamepley, amazing. Not only do you have a fairly strong linear storyline but the interactivity is something that other games should take a cue from. Story, well it's Arkham Asylum now isn't it. Once of the most celebrated and greatest Batman story ever told. True it doesn't stick to the graphic novel much but the overall feel of it makes up for that. Voice acting, come now really? Bringing back and banking on the fact that most of us watched Batman the Animated Series while it was out, this game recruits the original gang and brings them back to bring that familiar feel to an old friend. At this point in my life, I can't and refuse to imagine anyone other than Mark Hamill as the voice of the Joker.
I can't say enough great things about this game. The few gripes I had were this: I didn't like not having full interactivity with all the objects in the game. That would have been nice. And that's it. A great game otherwise.
Gamer. I was able to catch this movie on opening weekend. I walked into the theater pretty amped at the prospect of the future of gaming caught in a movie. I was not disappointed.
The movie starts Michael C. Hall as a software developer who devises of a way to remotely control people. He first tries out this new discovery by developing a game called Society. This game was designer to be a Sims esq type of game where users get to control other people in real time and determine the things they do in a preset social location. After running this for awhile he begins working on another project called Slayers. Slayers is basically a first person shooter where Gamers control prisoners in what is basically an all out Capture the Flag.
This movie was pretty cool in that it does a great job of appealing to Video Gamers everywhere. From great little easter eggs (such as teabaggin) to the all out non stop violence, this movie does not let down.
Where it excels at apex-ing on the geek scale, it only moderately appeals everywhere else. The story is one we have all seen before. The feel was very Escape From New York. And the cast (except for Butler) basically phoned in their roles and then hung up after 10 mins. I mean really, when you have a cast of Alison Lohman, John Leguizamo, Ludacris, Terry Crews, and Milo Ventimiglia it would have been nice if they were in the film longer than 15 mins a piece. Though it was nice to see Terry Crews play a psycho. Overall I liked the movie even though at the end it felt like it was missing something. Don't take the kids to see this one.
Lastly, let's talk Whiteout. Whiteout is a movie that was adapted from the graphic novel of the same name written by Greg Rucka and artist Steve Lieber. This movie was hard for me to gauge. I had recently read the book and then went to go see this movie. And with the exception of a few minor points, the movie pretty much follows the book. Unfortunately knowing the big surprise that came at the end of the movie pretty much ruined it for me. Not to say it's a good movie, it is, just I wasn't as emotionally involved in it as I should have been.
Whiteout takes place in Antartica and focus's around Marshall Stetko as she tries to solve the first murder to ever take place there. I feel that I would have really enjoyed this movie in that it's just an old fashioned Murder/Mystery but set in a remote location. But due to the fact that I recently finished the book all the magic was taken away for me. So do yourself a favor, go check out the movie and then read the graphic novel. You may enjoy playing the comparison game.
Well that's about all I've got for now. This past week was a sea of thera-flu and old videos. The great thing about being sick is that it gives you a legitimate excuse to play video games and not get out of your PJ's.
On the FP front, I am still currently editing EP#39 of the Panelcast. I am hoping to have it up by the end of the day. Also, [url=www.hightowercomics.com]High Tower Comics[/url], [url=www.4colorfantasies.com]4 Color Fantasies[/url], and Forbidden Panel are going to begin working on a new project. Stay tuned as more info will be coming soon.
In the meantime please enjoy this pic from ZKS!!
Monday, August 31, 2009
Disney/Marvel wonder twin powers activate!!!
So I woke up this morning to find that amidst the fires that are slowly, once again, burning California down, that Disney had acquired Marvel. While some people are freaking out or starting to talk bad about it, I have decided to look at it in a positive light. I mean after all Marvel was bankrupt only a few short years ago, and to now see it land on stable ground makes me happy to see that some of the titles I grew up with might just have some stable ground.
Granted this bit of news will cause rampant speculation in the days to come, but in truth we won't say anything become of this for a least a few years.
I always saw Marvel as The Man when it came to comics anyway. And I don't mean "Yo, dawg you da man!!!" but more of "I will not work for The Man!!". So to see these two come together just means more corporate America at work.
I am way excited at maybe seeing the possibility of Marvel properties with Pixar but at least we won't have to worry about licensing rights when comparing The Incredibles with The Fantastic Four. So who knows, this could work out good for both companies. I mean just look at what it's done for Harry Potter.
I think that what's going to happen is Disney will walk in and trim some of the fat as far as Marvels excessive titles goes. Hopefully we won't see 100 different X-Men titles anymore and maybe even a more cohesive storyline within the Marvel universe. I seriously doubt that they will try to make the comics more kid friendly. They themselves have been quoted as saying "If it isn't broke..."
As far as the films go, they have only one way to go and that's up. Fans such as myself have been somewhat disappointed for years at the quality of films being put out by Marvel studios. I mean there have been 3 Punisher films in the past 20 years and all of them blew. 2 Hulk films. 4 Captain America movies. I think what will happen is Disney will give them their own studio (much like Dreamworks which is owned by Disney as well) and let them make their movies. As long as they stay within the quality standards of Iron Man then it could work out for the better.
If anything, as a comic writer myself, it makes me wonder if we will see more Indy Comic companies more prodominante or if Disney will choke out Marvel and then we will see more Creator owned comic companies like what happened when Image was created. Who knows, only time will tell.
Here is a list of other companies Disney owns. Hopefully, it will help you reach your own conclusions.
The Walt Disney Studios
* Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
o Walt Disney Pictures
o Touchstone Pictures
o Hollywood Pictures
o ImageMovers Digital
o Miramax Films
+ Miramax Family Films
+ Dimension Films (Disney owns the Dimension Films library for all films released before September 30, 2005)
+ Miramax Television
o Disneynature
o DreamWorks (for films made by Touchstone only, its sister company, DreamWorks Animation SKG, is still distributed and owned by Paramount Pictures)
o Animation
+ Walt Disney Animation Studios (formerly Walt Disney Feature Animation)
+ Pixar Animation Studios
+ DisneyToon Studios
* Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (formerly Buena Vista Distribution)
* Buena Vista International
o Miravista Films
o Patagonik Film Group (joint venture between Disney and Artear Argentina)
* Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (distributes under the following labels: Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Touchstone Home Entertainment, Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment, Miramax Home Entertainment, Dimension Home Video, ABC Video, Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
* El Capitan Theatre
* Disney Music Group
o Walt Disney Records
o Hollywood Records
o Mammoth Records
o Lyric Street Records
o Buena Vista Records
o Disney Music Publishing (see Buena Vista Music Group page for a list of publishers that are part of Disney Music Publishing)
* Disney Theatrical Productions
o Hyperion Theatrical
o Disney Live Family Entertainment
+ Disney on Ice - produced by Feld Entertainment
+ Disney Live — produced by Feld Entertainment
* Disney Character Voices International
Granted this bit of news will cause rampant speculation in the days to come, but in truth we won't say anything become of this for a least a few years.
I always saw Marvel as The Man when it came to comics anyway. And I don't mean "Yo, dawg you da man!!!" but more of "I will not work for The Man!!". So to see these two come together just means more corporate America at work.
I am way excited at maybe seeing the possibility of Marvel properties with Pixar but at least we won't have to worry about licensing rights when comparing The Incredibles with The Fantastic Four. So who knows, this could work out good for both companies. I mean just look at what it's done for Harry Potter.
I think that what's going to happen is Disney will walk in and trim some of the fat as far as Marvels excessive titles goes. Hopefully we won't see 100 different X-Men titles anymore and maybe even a more cohesive storyline within the Marvel universe. I seriously doubt that they will try to make the comics more kid friendly. They themselves have been quoted as saying "If it isn't broke..."
As far as the films go, they have only one way to go and that's up. Fans such as myself have been somewhat disappointed for years at the quality of films being put out by Marvel studios. I mean there have been 3 Punisher films in the past 20 years and all of them blew. 2 Hulk films. 4 Captain America movies. I think what will happen is Disney will give them their own studio (much like Dreamworks which is owned by Disney as well) and let them make their movies. As long as they stay within the quality standards of Iron Man then it could work out for the better.
If anything, as a comic writer myself, it makes me wonder if we will see more Indy Comic companies more prodominante or if Disney will choke out Marvel and then we will see more Creator owned comic companies like what happened when Image was created. Who knows, only time will tell.
Here is a list of other companies Disney owns. Hopefully, it will help you reach your own conclusions.
The Walt Disney Studios
* Walt Disney Motion Pictures Group
o Walt Disney Pictures
o Touchstone Pictures
o Hollywood Pictures
o ImageMovers Digital
o Miramax Films
+ Miramax Family Films
+ Dimension Films (Disney owns the Dimension Films library for all films released before September 30, 2005)
+ Miramax Television
o Disneynature
o DreamWorks (for films made by Touchstone only, its sister company, DreamWorks Animation SKG, is still distributed and owned by Paramount Pictures)
o Animation
+ Walt Disney Animation Studios (formerly Walt Disney Feature Animation)
+ Pixar Animation Studios
+ DisneyToon Studios
* Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (formerly Buena Vista Distribution)
* Buena Vista International
o Miravista Films
o Patagonik Film Group (joint venture between Disney and Artear Argentina)
* Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment (distributes under the following labels: Walt Disney Home Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Touchstone Home Entertainment, Hollywood Pictures Home Entertainment, Miramax Home Entertainment, Dimension Home Video, ABC Video, Buena Vista Home Entertainment)
* El Capitan Theatre
* Disney Music Group
o Walt Disney Records
o Hollywood Records
o Mammoth Records
o Lyric Street Records
o Buena Vista Records
o Disney Music Publishing (see Buena Vista Music Group page for a list of publishers that are part of Disney Music Publishing)
* Disney Theatrical Productions
o Hyperion Theatrical
o Disney Live Family Entertainment
+ Disney on Ice - produced by Feld Entertainment
+ Disney Live — produced by Feld Entertainment
* Disney Character Voices International
Friday, August 28, 2009
Where do I start
Man, what a past few weeks it's been. I don't even know where to start with an update or column.
Let's start with Inglorious Basterds. Did not dig it. I mean it was kinda cool and all in an artistic sense but as an overall movie, I just wasn't feeling it. Sorry. Start shooting me hate responses now lol.
Been busy doing a lotta running around and prep work for the upcoming comic. Justin and I are hard at work and trying to get all the prep done on this so we can send it to the printers as soon as possible. Wanna see a sneak peek at the art for it?
There ye have it.
We are very proud of the comic and how it's coming together. So stick around and you won't be disappointed.
Read The Nobody this week. That was a really good book and was pleasantly surprised by it. Also, Deadpool Suicide Kings wrapped up it's 4 issue run. Really loved that one.
The banter between Deadpool and Spiderman had me laughing.
Well, it's getting late and I need to play me some Batman: Arkham Asylum. Can't believe it made it into the Guinness Book Of World Records already. That's kinda sweet. hehe.
Let's start with Inglorious Basterds. Did not dig it. I mean it was kinda cool and all in an artistic sense but as an overall movie, I just wasn't feeling it. Sorry. Start shooting me hate responses now lol.
Been busy doing a lotta running around and prep work for the upcoming comic. Justin and I are hard at work and trying to get all the prep done on this so we can send it to the printers as soon as possible. Wanna see a sneak peek at the art for it?
There ye have it.
We are very proud of the comic and how it's coming together. So stick around and you won't be disappointed.
Read The Nobody this week. That was a really good book and was pleasantly surprised by it. Also, Deadpool Suicide Kings wrapped up it's 4 issue run. Really loved that one.
The banter between Deadpool and Spiderman had me laughing.
Well, it's getting late and I need to play me some Batman: Arkham Asylum. Can't believe it made it into the Guinness Book Of World Records already. That's kinda sweet. hehe.
Monday, August 17, 2009
District 9
District 9, wow what a pleasant surprise this movie was. I seriously can't say enough good things about it. But let's see if I can try.
For those of you who don't know, District 9 is a movie about the Alien occupation of a small section of Johannesburg. And by Alien, I mean creatures/being from outer space. In the movie timeline 28 years ago a spacecraft came to Earth and took position over Johannesburg. After two months of speculating, the military decided to take action and try entering the craft. Upon doing so they discovered 1.8 million Aliens, which the call Prawns due to their looks, living in what we would consider poverty. They begun moving the Prawns to District 9 in order to try to learn more about them.
The movie starts off with documentary detailing how their occupation of this District was causing more problems than solving. The MNU (Multi-National United) is about to launch a movement which would evict the tenants of District 9 and move them into another District 200 km away from their current location. And that's where the fun starts.
This movie takes an in-depth look into how we as humans would react in an environment such as this. It shows not only our "PC" stance on the situation but also the true face of horror. Showing not only what we would see on the outside but also alot of what we wouldn't see due to the media spin on it.
I loved it. I loved every second of the movie. It had to have been one of the only movies this summer that I walked into that wasn't a sequel, a comic, or a movie based on a book or story of which I had already read. It was nice to walk into the theater with an open mind, ready to be surprised and that I was. The acting in this was pretty good. Most of the characters that were seen were just side characters of a documentary but they managed to pull off their jobs well. The main antagonist of the story did a great job in not only making me think he was a supreme dork but to also get me to hate him with every ire of my being. In what had to be a twist of irony, the entire theater seemed to the be rooting for the Alien to return home, knowing that he was going to do so in order to get his friends and come back to whip our collective asses.
The FX were also top notch. For what had to be a lower budget film, they did their best to pull out all of the stops. The story had me from the word go and the action at the end had me on the edge of my seat.
This film took the best elements of Cloverfield and Blair Witch and any other "shaky cam" movie and improved on it without making the audience sick or bored. If you haven't had a chance to see this movie yet, then do yourself a favor and get out there and do so. Hopefully you will be as surprised as I was.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
G.I. WTF?!?!?!
So, I went out the other night to catch G.I. Joe the movie last Friday. And wow, I don't even know where to start with this one. Needless to say it's taken me a few days to collect my thoughts on the matter in order to access my feelings on the subject. Let me just start with this, I have been a huge fan of the comic since I was a kid. I remember when the #1 issue came out and I picked it up. I thought to myself, holy crap this is cool. Reading the series (while I was able to identify that it was pure make believe) influenced me to join the military. Which I did proudly for 3 years.
I also know that it had been out for decades before that but in the form of a doll that was put out. I would collect the toys and make my own adventures with them. Hell many a time did I have Snake-Eyes sitting on top of Optimus Prime heading out to do battle with Darth Vader in Castle Greyskull. Heh yup I was a dork. Hell I still am. And like many others, Snake-Eyes was my favorite. I even went with a buddy of mine and we got our Clan Arashikage tatts on our forearms.
So now that I filled you in on the level of dorkiness that I have within me let me address the movie itself.
G.I. Joe the movie was crap.
Wait, let me rethink that and just list the pros and cons of the movie and let you formulate your own opinion.
Cons:
As a military man I failed to understand how the two main characters had Goatees. It's not allowed in the service dammit.
Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow, while starting out as enemies, ended up living with their Sword Brothers moniker and would later lead a ninja squad in G.I. Joe. He never died.
Snake-Eyes Mask had lips!!!!!!!
The whole Star Wars theme of the movie. I wasn't the only one screaming "Stay on target" during the last battle scene.
So when you destroy ice, it floats. It doesn't sink.
When you are destroying the roof of a building, don't take the elevator up to it. The signs on the elevator even tell you that.
The quotes from the cartoon, while cool to hear, just sounded waaay to forced. They tried to hard to make it bound in reality and dorky at the same time. They should have found a way to do one or the other.
No one is called Storm Shadow and Snake-Eyes at the age of 8!!!
Really Cobra Commanders mask had to look like that?
There are tons of other cons, but I should probably list the pros before I get to deep lol.
Pros:
The chicks were hot.
With the understanding constant switch in continuity in the comics and tv shows, it was understandable that they tried to mix it up.
Snake-Eyes and Storm Shadow throwing down was the shit!!!
Action and tons of it.
The chicks were hot.
The trailers!!
Yeah. so to summarize, the movie at times felt forced or awkward in that they had to many origin stories and not enough of everything else. The fact that Cobra Commander turned out to be the Baronesses Brother whose death she blamed on Duke while they were dating 4 years ago seemed waaaaay to convenient. And while it was cool to see Marlon Wayans in a movie that wasn't him trying to be funny or had his entire family in it, he just doesn't pull off that badass like we were expected to see.
The director and writers of the movie seemed to accept that there was no way that they were going to create a believable story out of this movie and so they saturated it with tons and tons of CGI and action. And while I can normally forgive that and just live in Actionville (i.e. Transformers 2) in this case I couldn't be so ignorant. Of course the movie will have made it's budget back and the ending of it was left wide open enough for us to be stupid not to expect a sequel, I would have just like it better if they would have called Warren Ellis up and said "Hey, yeah you know what you did for G.I. Joe Resolute? Can you do that for G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra?"
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Tri-Fi
So, as many times as I have complained in the past about the lack of any good science fiction shows out there (with the exception of Battlestar Galactica and Stargate) the networks have seemed to answer my complaints with what would seem to be a trifecta of new shows.
Now before I dive to deep into this column let me remind you of my theory that I had stated in my first column. Every few years or so Hollywood will put out 2 movies and 1 TV show which are almost identical. This season seems to go above and beyond in proving me right but more in reverse. Instead of 2 movies and a TV show this year it's 1 movie and 4 TV shows which seem to be related.
The movie having been Moon with Sam Rockwell dealt with a guy on the surface of the moon alone doing research. While it only had limited release my understanding is that it was outstanding. My regret was my inability to see it.
The first TV show is kinda of a standalone from the other three. The being Battlestar Galactica Caprica. This series will focus on how the Cylons were created and how the society of the time period deals with it. Don't except to much in the way of space travel but more on technilogical advances of the use of AI as well as dramactic overtones of 2 heartbroken fathers dealing with the ramifications of their decisions. Having seen the 2 hour movie that was put out a short time ago, I can tell you that I am well over anxious to watch this series and it lays it hope of success on the success of it predecessor. Still, it will make for some good TV. Eric Stolz seems to have found his niche as a drunken misunderstood parent making questionable decisions thanks to his role in The Butterfly effect. We'll see how this one pans out.
The second, third and fourth TV show I can lump together as all 3 of them seem to be about the same thing (hence my trifecta statement). The shows being Stargate Universe, Virtuality, and Defying Gravity. All of them seem to be about a bunch of astronauts hoping on a ship in some planet saving fashion only to have some "Otherworldly" issues present themselves. The only difference is that SGU gives the impression of a flat out ripoff of Star Trek Voyager in that the crew is full of non-astronauts stuck on a ship in an unknown galaxy. We as the viewers are expected to watch them travel throughout while trying to find a way home. Sound familiar? While I am excited at the prospect of being able to watch a new Stargate show, I am disappointed in the fact that the originality of this show seems to be non-existent.
The other two shows, Virtuality and Defying Gravity, seem to be about exactly the same thing. Group of people having trained for a mission to travel to an unmapped sector of the galaxy in hopes of discovering something to help save the planet on a 5 or 6 year mission. Not only do they have to deal with their own discrepincies but they will be faced with either a haunted ship or an extraterrestrial guiding them or hitching a ride until they reach their final destination. While I applaud the fact that we will be seeing 2 sci-fi space shows on main stream tv, I have to question their arrogance and hopefulness that the shows will last all of the 5 or 6 years slated for each series. A little wishful thinking? I do believe that TV shows should have an expected shelf life (Harpers Island, Alias, Lost) I fear that the audience will once again get disappointed when a show that they seem to be enjoying once again gets cancelled in the middle of a story arc (Firefly, Journeyman, Life, Kings) or be forced to wrap the series with some haphazardly throw together disappointing ending (Life on Mars).
I have watched both Virtuality and Defying Gravity (the pilots at least) and generally like them both. I can see the storylines and episodes laid out before me and am excited to see where they go. Sure they are basically the same TV show, but hopefully the networks won't show them at the same time thus forcing us to make a choice. At the same time, I hope they realize their similarities and do something to make them stand apart from one another else we will feel like we are watching repeats when we are indeed watching 2 shows with the same plot.
Who knows how the season will plan out. I mean they could all get cancelled and leave us all eager for next summer to watch new episodes of Burn Notice (awesome show btw). But I will hold out and watch them each with eager anticipation. Stay tuned to either this column or the panelcasts as I will do my best to review them in turn
Now before I dive to deep into this column let me remind you of my theory that I had stated in my first column. Every few years or so Hollywood will put out 2 movies and 1 TV show which are almost identical. This season seems to go above and beyond in proving me right but more in reverse. Instead of 2 movies and a TV show this year it's 1 movie and 4 TV shows which seem to be related.
The movie having been Moon with Sam Rockwell dealt with a guy on the surface of the moon alone doing research. While it only had limited release my understanding is that it was outstanding. My regret was my inability to see it.
The first TV show is kinda of a standalone from the other three. The being Battlestar Galactica Caprica. This series will focus on how the Cylons were created and how the society of the time period deals with it. Don't except to much in the way of space travel but more on technilogical advances of the use of AI as well as dramactic overtones of 2 heartbroken fathers dealing with the ramifications of their decisions. Having seen the 2 hour movie that was put out a short time ago, I can tell you that I am well over anxious to watch this series and it lays it hope of success on the success of it predecessor. Still, it will make for some good TV. Eric Stolz seems to have found his niche as a drunken misunderstood parent making questionable decisions thanks to his role in The Butterfly effect. We'll see how this one pans out.
The second, third and fourth TV show I can lump together as all 3 of them seem to be about the same thing (hence my trifecta statement). The shows being Stargate Universe, Virtuality, and Defying Gravity. All of them seem to be about a bunch of astronauts hoping on a ship in some planet saving fashion only to have some "Otherworldly" issues present themselves. The only difference is that SGU gives the impression of a flat out ripoff of Star Trek Voyager in that the crew is full of non-astronauts stuck on a ship in an unknown galaxy. We as the viewers are expected to watch them travel throughout while trying to find a way home. Sound familiar? While I am excited at the prospect of being able to watch a new Stargate show, I am disappointed in the fact that the originality of this show seems to be non-existent.
The other two shows, Virtuality and Defying Gravity, seem to be about exactly the same thing. Group of people having trained for a mission to travel to an unmapped sector of the galaxy in hopes of discovering something to help save the planet on a 5 or 6 year mission. Not only do they have to deal with their own discrepincies but they will be faced with either a haunted ship or an extraterrestrial guiding them or hitching a ride until they reach their final destination. While I applaud the fact that we will be seeing 2 sci-fi space shows on main stream tv, I have to question their arrogance and hopefulness that the shows will last all of the 5 or 6 years slated for each series. A little wishful thinking? I do believe that TV shows should have an expected shelf life (Harpers Island, Alias, Lost) I fear that the audience will once again get disappointed when a show that they seem to be enjoying once again gets cancelled in the middle of a story arc (Firefly, Journeyman, Life, Kings) or be forced to wrap the series with some haphazardly throw together disappointing ending (Life on Mars).
I have watched both Virtuality and Defying Gravity (the pilots at least) and generally like them both. I can see the storylines and episodes laid out before me and am excited to see where they go. Sure they are basically the same TV show, but hopefully the networks won't show them at the same time thus forcing us to make a choice. At the same time, I hope they realize their similarities and do something to make them stand apart from one another else we will feel like we are watching repeats when we are indeed watching 2 shows with the same plot.
Who knows how the season will plan out. I mean they could all get cancelled and leave us all eager for next summer to watch new episodes of Burn Notice (awesome show btw). But I will hold out and watch them each with eager anticipation. Stay tuned to either this column or the panelcasts as I will do my best to review them in turn
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
My bad
Sorry it's been so long since I have posted on here. This blog was designed to follow me and the rest of Forbidden Panel as we cruised along to the point where our comics were published and ready for the world. We are still working on that goal, but in the meantime please continue to visit either here or our website for updates and podcasts as our journey continues.
Sunday, October 23, 2005
Welcome
Wednesday, February 02, 2005
The Apartment chapter 4
The Apartment:
Jim was a complete ass. He hated the restrictions set on to him by society. He had spent his entire life scrapping the bottom of the barrel. A feat that was, in this day an age, hard to do. Being a bottom-rung lifeform actually took some work. Even a 4-year-old child had the opportunity to earn a decent income. Job choices were plentiful in Upper Redlands. All one needed was a standard input chip and they could access the upperweb and download any choice of job skills and advance. Yes, being a bottom feeder took supreme effort and Jim was a man that took pride in that.
He was a black market extraordinaire. The black market was an extremely dangerous business. It dealt with having the true knowledge of the ground world and interacting with it's fabled residents. Hundreds of years ago stories and myths of the groundworld were passed around. They became law and eventually hazardous. Stating that the ground world was toxic and those that journeyed to it were forever banned from SkyLife. It had been taboo for long that people took it as gospel. No one gave a second thought to what lay beneath the clouds. Jim on the other hand saw profit from this fear.
City counsel members were his best customers. Presidential hopefuls begged for his services and silence. With drug induced simsticks and open access websites now made legal, people had to find another way to live on the edge. So they came to Jim to play with the devil. They came to Jim to purchase some of the most outlawed items in human history. Pets, plants any form of organic life. Jim loved it and they loved him. In every complex there resided at least one Rose bush. Only the richest of families had a cat or dog.
The care of these items was intense. To hide the fact that these were indeed real items and not synthetics created from replicators to the most sneakiest of handleing. That was where the real money flowed. Synthetic plants never died or shed leaves. Synthetic animals/pets never created a mess or made a noise or left excrement. They were all self-sustaining creations. Jim's job was to come in and care for them or replace them in due time. He loved it.
He wasn't a stupid man. He wasn't a man that would be is destitute. He had the same opportunities in life as everyone else. But like the higher up snobs, he lived for the thrill of being on the other side of the law. He knew that by being captured he would be banished to one of the penal colonies below. No big deal. He was already so entrenched in the underworld that imprisonment would be like being sent home. And that was the way he wanted it.
He had his vehicle outfitted with a high gravity adapter and stealth unit. This allowed him to disappear from radar and journey to the forbidden planet below. Something he did on a regular basis. The excitement appealed to him and sometime he would pop down there for no reason what so ever. His life of crime afforded him to live a luxurious lifestyle, one he chose not to exploit. For the most part he charged very little for his services but would only deal with clientele that had the most to lose.
Jim lived in one of the most average complexes in the city. Complex 8814 was not the classiest of places but it afforded him the anonymity he needed. Because of it's central location he was able to slip to the underground unnoticed. It's antennae array housed a storage facility that very few visited. Being completely automated by maintenance droids no one would notice the few odds and ends that he kept there. One of which was a grape vine he was keeping for himself.
He planned on harvesting the grapes to create wine. He found the instructions one day while hacking around the web. He knew that organic wine would cause the socialites to burst into frenzy. Make them to appear classier. And cause their downfall to be greater than before.
He had planned on going down to the storage compartment when he woke up that morning. He wanted to run down and begin trimming some of the vines and picking grapes when there came a knock on his door.
"Crap", he thought and he scurried about to cover everything up.
"Who is it" he called.
"Rene" said the voice "I wanted to talk to you about my daughters party"
"One second” he said.
Throwing a sheet over his porn collection, which was made of paper another illegal item in the Skyworld, he walked toward the door.
"Open" he said and the electro door slide open revealing an averagely beautiful women with a look of worry on her face.
"Come in" he said. "Excuse the mess I wasn't expecting company."
"My apologies, I would have called to let you know I was coming but I didn't know if you would see me"
"What can I do for you?” said Jim, cautiously
"Well", she hesitated” I understand that you.... see my daughters birthday's are coming up next week and I wanted to get them something special"
"What the hell does that have to do with me?” he said adamantly
Her body shifted as she began fidgeting with her blouse. Searching for the right words she said "Word around the complex is that...you have the ability to...procure sp.. special items. Items that would otherwise be considered...improper"
He could tell she was nervous about having to interact with someone of his caliber. Jim wasn't a big man, nor was he even remotely intimidating. Standing just under six feet, light skin and light hair one would almost consider him a kind soul just by looking at him. No, he knew that discomfort she was feeling was due to his reputation and was fine by him.
"Special items? I have no idea what you’re talking about" he said. '"Are you a cop,” he said vehemently, knowing full well that she wasn't.
"N..No, I'm not a cop", she said
"Your that single mother that live in 1414 right, the one with the twins daughters?" he asked.
'Yes" she said proudly.
He liked her immediately. He knew that life as a single mother was almost as bad as being a criminal. His respect for her was instant.
"My work isn't cheap. And I usually don't deal with people of your social standing"
"Excuse me what the hell is that supp...." she reared up on him
"But, since you have the balls to come down here maybe we can work something out" he said cutting her off.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"Well", she said calming down instantly but determined to not show any fear "I was hope for.... a kitten" she said staring a whole through him.
"Hmmm..Those are very hard to come by. What sort of timeframe are you looking at?”
"Well next week obviously, as I said before. It for their birthday and I would like it to be the first thing they see when they wake up"
'You do understand that organic animals are complexly forbidden and that if you are caught you and your daughters will be banished"
"Yes, I kno..."
"And that just having a pet is no easy task. You have to clean up and care for them and then there are the possibilities of allergic reactions that you have to take into effect. It’s not like you can walk in to any hospital and say 'my daughter is allergic to cats' or anything"
"I know I know I understand all that. But don't you offer services in that area?" She asked.
"Yes...yes I do. But pardon me for saying it doesn't look like you can afford my prices, nor can you afford to care for these creatures your self." He said while looking her up and down...grinning
"Well", she paused." Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement, I meant how much is it, can we work out a payment plan or something"
"Payment plan", he chuckled "Darlin, do I look like a department store?'
She glared at him. She hadn't wanted it to get to this point. She had expected some sort of embarrassment for her social standings but had hoped a price could be negotiated. She knew now by staring into his hungry glare what it would take. She took a deep breath and said, " Well, maybe there is something...else ". She put her hand on his shoulder.
He grinned. "Are you sure you want to do this.... is a kitten that important? I mean you can run to the synth store and just pick one up,” he said letting her hand wander.
"No", she said.” It’s not special enough, to ordinary. My daughters deserve the best and that's what it going to be...no matter what the price.” she said with a determinded look on her face.
"Sweet" he said as he picked her up and threw her on the mess of a bed. "I'll get right on it then...as soon as I'm done getting right on you that is"...
This looked to be a profitable day after all he thought. His mind wandered to the possibilities of the payment methods he would be enjoying. Picking grapes being the furthest thing from his mind.
Jim was a complete ass. He hated the restrictions set on to him by society. He had spent his entire life scrapping the bottom of the barrel. A feat that was, in this day an age, hard to do. Being a bottom-rung lifeform actually took some work. Even a 4-year-old child had the opportunity to earn a decent income. Job choices were plentiful in Upper Redlands. All one needed was a standard input chip and they could access the upperweb and download any choice of job skills and advance. Yes, being a bottom feeder took supreme effort and Jim was a man that took pride in that.
He was a black market extraordinaire. The black market was an extremely dangerous business. It dealt with having the true knowledge of the ground world and interacting with it's fabled residents. Hundreds of years ago stories and myths of the groundworld were passed around. They became law and eventually hazardous. Stating that the ground world was toxic and those that journeyed to it were forever banned from SkyLife. It had been taboo for long that people took it as gospel. No one gave a second thought to what lay beneath the clouds. Jim on the other hand saw profit from this fear.
City counsel members were his best customers. Presidential hopefuls begged for his services and silence. With drug induced simsticks and open access websites now made legal, people had to find another way to live on the edge. So they came to Jim to play with the devil. They came to Jim to purchase some of the most outlawed items in human history. Pets, plants any form of organic life. Jim loved it and they loved him. In every complex there resided at least one Rose bush. Only the richest of families had a cat or dog.
The care of these items was intense. To hide the fact that these were indeed real items and not synthetics created from replicators to the most sneakiest of handleing. That was where the real money flowed. Synthetic plants never died or shed leaves. Synthetic animals/pets never created a mess or made a noise or left excrement. They were all self-sustaining creations. Jim's job was to come in and care for them or replace them in due time. He loved it.
He wasn't a stupid man. He wasn't a man that would be is destitute. He had the same opportunities in life as everyone else. But like the higher up snobs, he lived for the thrill of being on the other side of the law. He knew that by being captured he would be banished to one of the penal colonies below. No big deal. He was already so entrenched in the underworld that imprisonment would be like being sent home. And that was the way he wanted it.
He had his vehicle outfitted with a high gravity adapter and stealth unit. This allowed him to disappear from radar and journey to the forbidden planet below. Something he did on a regular basis. The excitement appealed to him and sometime he would pop down there for no reason what so ever. His life of crime afforded him to live a luxurious lifestyle, one he chose not to exploit. For the most part he charged very little for his services but would only deal with clientele that had the most to lose.
Jim lived in one of the most average complexes in the city. Complex 8814 was not the classiest of places but it afforded him the anonymity he needed. Because of it's central location he was able to slip to the underground unnoticed. It's antennae array housed a storage facility that very few visited. Being completely automated by maintenance droids no one would notice the few odds and ends that he kept there. One of which was a grape vine he was keeping for himself.
He planned on harvesting the grapes to create wine. He found the instructions one day while hacking around the web. He knew that organic wine would cause the socialites to burst into frenzy. Make them to appear classier. And cause their downfall to be greater than before.
He had planned on going down to the storage compartment when he woke up that morning. He wanted to run down and begin trimming some of the vines and picking grapes when there came a knock on his door.
"Crap", he thought and he scurried about to cover everything up.
"Who is it" he called.
"Rene" said the voice "I wanted to talk to you about my daughters party"
"One second” he said.
Throwing a sheet over his porn collection, which was made of paper another illegal item in the Skyworld, he walked toward the door.
"Open" he said and the electro door slide open revealing an averagely beautiful women with a look of worry on her face.
"Come in" he said. "Excuse the mess I wasn't expecting company."
"My apologies, I would have called to let you know I was coming but I didn't know if you would see me"
"What can I do for you?” said Jim, cautiously
"Well", she hesitated” I understand that you.... see my daughters birthday's are coming up next week and I wanted to get them something special"
"What the hell does that have to do with me?” he said adamantly
Her body shifted as she began fidgeting with her blouse. Searching for the right words she said "Word around the complex is that...you have the ability to...procure sp.. special items. Items that would otherwise be considered...improper"
He could tell she was nervous about having to interact with someone of his caliber. Jim wasn't a big man, nor was he even remotely intimidating. Standing just under six feet, light skin and light hair one would almost consider him a kind soul just by looking at him. No, he knew that discomfort she was feeling was due to his reputation and was fine by him.
"Special items? I have no idea what you’re talking about" he said. '"Are you a cop,” he said vehemently, knowing full well that she wasn't.
"N..No, I'm not a cop", she said
"Your that single mother that live in 1414 right, the one with the twins daughters?" he asked.
'Yes" she said proudly.
He liked her immediately. He knew that life as a single mother was almost as bad as being a criminal. His respect for her was instant.
"My work isn't cheap. And I usually don't deal with people of your social standing"
"Excuse me what the hell is that supp...." she reared up on him
"But, since you have the balls to come down here maybe we can work something out" he said cutting her off.
"What exactly are you looking for?"
"Well", she said calming down instantly but determined to not show any fear "I was hope for.... a kitten" she said staring a whole through him.
"Hmmm..Those are very hard to come by. What sort of timeframe are you looking at?”
"Well next week obviously, as I said before. It for their birthday and I would like it to be the first thing they see when they wake up"
'You do understand that organic animals are complexly forbidden and that if you are caught you and your daughters will be banished"
"Yes, I kno..."
"And that just having a pet is no easy task. You have to clean up and care for them and then there are the possibilities of allergic reactions that you have to take into effect. It’s not like you can walk in to any hospital and say 'my daughter is allergic to cats' or anything"
"I know I know I understand all that. But don't you offer services in that area?" She asked.
"Yes...yes I do. But pardon me for saying it doesn't look like you can afford my prices, nor can you afford to care for these creatures your self." He said while looking her up and down...grinning
"Well", she paused." Maybe we can come to some sort of arrangement, I meant how much is it, can we work out a payment plan or something"
"Payment plan", he chuckled "Darlin, do I look like a department store?'
She glared at him. She hadn't wanted it to get to this point. She had expected some sort of embarrassment for her social standings but had hoped a price could be negotiated. She knew now by staring into his hungry glare what it would take. She took a deep breath and said, " Well, maybe there is something...else ". She put her hand on his shoulder.
He grinned. "Are you sure you want to do this.... is a kitten that important? I mean you can run to the synth store and just pick one up,” he said letting her hand wander.
"No", she said.” It’s not special enough, to ordinary. My daughters deserve the best and that's what it going to be...no matter what the price.” she said with a determinded look on her face.
"Sweet" he said as he picked her up and threw her on the mess of a bed. "I'll get right on it then...as soon as I'm done getting right on you that is"...
This looked to be a profitable day after all he thought. His mind wandered to the possibilities of the payment methods he would be enjoying. Picking grapes being the furthest thing from his mind.
Monday, January 31, 2005
The Apartment chapter 3
The Apartment:
Gerard was an old man. He had spent his days as a janitor in the old elementary school. It didn't pay well but he didn't care. He enjoyed being around the kids. It reminded him of his youth. But in the past 2 months that had all changed. He was old after all and was often tired. He had gotten sick. So sick that it had wiped him of his energy. The doctors said that he was suffering from cellular degeneration. Basically his body had reached its end and was beginning to deteriorate. Soon, within the next month or so, he would be dead. And there was nothing he could do about it.
For the past week or so he was bedridden. He hadn't the energy to work much less reach the toilet. He was so tired. It was during this week that he began to reflect on his life. He was never one to speak up, to cause any trouble or attract any undue attention. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that the classes were always clean in the morning you wouldn't even had know Gerard was there. Dark as night and gray as a ghost, this man had managed to blend in to the scenery. He was not always proud of this fact but as long as he was left alone he didn't mind. He was taught a long time ago to cause any trouble unless trouble cam e looking. Even then he would just hold his head down and continue about his business. Yes the old man was nothing more than a shadow.
"Soon" he thought.
He woke up bright and early in the morning (though you couldn't tell because he always kept the shades drawn in his house) and set about his determined path. The school released him a month ago when they found out that he wouldn't be returning. True he could be replaced by any number of automated droids out and about nowadays but the school always felt a loyalty toward their oldest employee. It was because of this that he had lived so long. People nowadays retire at the age of 50 and reside in rest homes and were never seen or heard from again. Another way to handle population control. Gerard was indeed a shadow, a reminder of a government policy that no one sought fit to question. No matter though.
"Soon"
As he walked across his living room he began to go over his plans. Sitting at his desk he looked at his computer. "Old like me" he said as he look at his prefabricated monitor, keyboard, mouse. He was to old to have an implant. One that would cause the fibrocables laced in each home for the past 10 years to come to life. No, no video game downloads, no touch screen control, no monitor floating randomly in some darkened room obeying his call. Just him and his desk, which was probably for the better seeing how standing had become a chore for him as of late. He sat comfortably in his old leather chair. A chair that was smooth and comforting unlike his skin. Replicated leather never needed oiling but skin did, and he just didn't care anymore.
He looked at the monitor and began to call up images in his mind. Stories. Stories he had heard as a child. Folklore and myths about a world below. About a time when creatures flew through the air. When you had to look up to see the clouds instead of below. He began to imagine the images his father had told him about. Trees, mountains, bodies of water just beckoning to be enveloped in. Grass to run through barefoot. A world where water fell from the sky. He remembered as a child how much he had loved these stories. How his father would sit the family down after dinner and tell them the tales of mythical creatures called birds that flew through the sky with no centralized computer to tell it where to go. He knew he father had embellished in some of the stories, after all, his father had heard them second hand as well. These were stories that were passed down from generation to generation. And they were always followed by the horror stricken reality that the land below was barren and poisoned. They lived amongst the clouds. They were the remains of a race that destroyed itself and the land it walked on.
Even as these thoughts entered his mind, he could feel them leaving just as fast. He wondered if this was the last time he would be able to picture such images so vividly. It was all fading so fast nowadays. Time called on his body like a tooth fairy collecting her dues. His eyes darkened a little as he felt his brow furrow. Gone was his youth, his memories and his innocence. The skin wrinkled and course. Joints that ached upon a thought a thought that faded as the life was slowly being drained from his body.
"Soon" he thought, "It will be all over soon".
He began the pained process of stretching his aged fingers over the keyboard. Glasses sliding to the brim of his nose as he tried to block the ache from his padded fingertips. To old for ocular implants and cosmetic readjustments, he pushed his antiqued glasses back into place as he looked on the screen. "Soon", he thought. The words appeared on the screen, slower than he had hoped but expected nonetheless. "Last Will And Testament" the screen blinked at him.
His family had "retired" decades ago. He had no wife or children of his own and knew there would be no bereaved when his time came. He wanted to leave everything to the school, which had treated him so well. Invisible and old as he was, he still loved being around them. The laughter of children and they ran down the hall to class had always brought a smile to his graying beard. He planned to leave what little he had to them. His worldly possessions, which barely made an impact in this lonely studio apartment. Small and forgotten...much like him.
He couldn't go on like this. He couldn't let something claim him as his anonymity had. He never caused a ripple in the fabric. Always did as he was told. But he wanted to control this. He wanted to be in charge just once in his life, even if it was a matter of how to end it. No more pain. No more forgetting. No more tears flowing down his face relieving the dryness of age upon it. It'll be all over soon. He can finally sleep in peace. Because he said so. He would have the final word and today that word was soon. He finished the arduous task and looked up at the screen.
"Soon" he said
"Soon"
Gerard was an old man. He had spent his days as a janitor in the old elementary school. It didn't pay well but he didn't care. He enjoyed being around the kids. It reminded him of his youth. But in the past 2 months that had all changed. He was old after all and was often tired. He had gotten sick. So sick that it had wiped him of his energy. The doctors said that he was suffering from cellular degeneration. Basically his body had reached its end and was beginning to deteriorate. Soon, within the next month or so, he would be dead. And there was nothing he could do about it.
For the past week or so he was bedridden. He hadn't the energy to work much less reach the toilet. He was so tired. It was during this week that he began to reflect on his life. He was never one to speak up, to cause any trouble or attract any undue attention. In fact if it wasn't for the fact that the classes were always clean in the morning you wouldn't even had know Gerard was there. Dark as night and gray as a ghost, this man had managed to blend in to the scenery. He was not always proud of this fact but as long as he was left alone he didn't mind. He was taught a long time ago to cause any trouble unless trouble cam e looking. Even then he would just hold his head down and continue about his business. Yes the old man was nothing more than a shadow.
"Soon" he thought.
He woke up bright and early in the morning (though you couldn't tell because he always kept the shades drawn in his house) and set about his determined path. The school released him a month ago when they found out that he wouldn't be returning. True he could be replaced by any number of automated droids out and about nowadays but the school always felt a loyalty toward their oldest employee. It was because of this that he had lived so long. People nowadays retire at the age of 50 and reside in rest homes and were never seen or heard from again. Another way to handle population control. Gerard was indeed a shadow, a reminder of a government policy that no one sought fit to question. No matter though.
"Soon"
As he walked across his living room he began to go over his plans. Sitting at his desk he looked at his computer. "Old like me" he said as he look at his prefabricated monitor, keyboard, mouse. He was to old to have an implant. One that would cause the fibrocables laced in each home for the past 10 years to come to life. No, no video game downloads, no touch screen control, no monitor floating randomly in some darkened room obeying his call. Just him and his desk, which was probably for the better seeing how standing had become a chore for him as of late. He sat comfortably in his old leather chair. A chair that was smooth and comforting unlike his skin. Replicated leather never needed oiling but skin did, and he just didn't care anymore.
He looked at the monitor and began to call up images in his mind. Stories. Stories he had heard as a child. Folklore and myths about a world below. About a time when creatures flew through the air. When you had to look up to see the clouds instead of below. He began to imagine the images his father had told him about. Trees, mountains, bodies of water just beckoning to be enveloped in. Grass to run through barefoot. A world where water fell from the sky. He remembered as a child how much he had loved these stories. How his father would sit the family down after dinner and tell them the tales of mythical creatures called birds that flew through the sky with no centralized computer to tell it where to go. He knew he father had embellished in some of the stories, after all, his father had heard them second hand as well. These were stories that were passed down from generation to generation. And they were always followed by the horror stricken reality that the land below was barren and poisoned. They lived amongst the clouds. They were the remains of a race that destroyed itself and the land it walked on.
Even as these thoughts entered his mind, he could feel them leaving just as fast. He wondered if this was the last time he would be able to picture such images so vividly. It was all fading so fast nowadays. Time called on his body like a tooth fairy collecting her dues. His eyes darkened a little as he felt his brow furrow. Gone was his youth, his memories and his innocence. The skin wrinkled and course. Joints that ached upon a thought a thought that faded as the life was slowly being drained from his body.
"Soon" he thought, "It will be all over soon".
He began the pained process of stretching his aged fingers over the keyboard. Glasses sliding to the brim of his nose as he tried to block the ache from his padded fingertips. To old for ocular implants and cosmetic readjustments, he pushed his antiqued glasses back into place as he looked on the screen. "Soon", he thought. The words appeared on the screen, slower than he had hoped but expected nonetheless. "Last Will And Testament" the screen blinked at him.
His family had "retired" decades ago. He had no wife or children of his own and knew there would be no bereaved when his time came. He wanted to leave everything to the school, which had treated him so well. Invisible and old as he was, he still loved being around them. The laughter of children and they ran down the hall to class had always brought a smile to his graying beard. He planned to leave what little he had to them. His worldly possessions, which barely made an impact in this lonely studio apartment. Small and forgotten...much like him.
He couldn't go on like this. He couldn't let something claim him as his anonymity had. He never caused a ripple in the fabric. Always did as he was told. But he wanted to control this. He wanted to be in charge just once in his life, even if it was a matter of how to end it. No more pain. No more forgetting. No more tears flowing down his face relieving the dryness of age upon it. It'll be all over soon. He can finally sleep in peace. Because he said so. He would have the final word and today that word was soon. He finished the arduous task and looked up at the screen.
"Soon" he said
"Soon"
Sunday, January 30, 2005
The Apartment chapter 2
The Apartment
Rene was perfectly happy with her life since moving here. She was a single mother, which was unheard of in these days what with population control and all, but loved her daughters greatly. Kitty and Tabby were about to turn 8. Next week to be exact and Rene was deep in party preparation. It was much easier to do now that she had moved here. Her last apt was so expensive and costly that she could hardly cloth her daughters much less throw them a party. Plus, living in such a high priced area meant the people were fairly snobbish. They often looked down on Rene for being a single mother and not a day would go by where she wasn't called some derogatory name. All under their breath of course. When you deal with that class of people they think money brings them intimidation instead of actually having the balls to say something.
Rene didn't care. It wasn't her fault that the fathers seed carried twins, much less daughters instead of the sons he always wanted. Upon finding out the sex of his children he promptly buried himself in work. He spent so much time there that he was rarely home to help out. Which was fine by Rene. She had her unborn daughters which whom to lavish her time and love on. When Tony literally worked himself to death Rene saw it as a godsend. Industrial accident or not he was gone, and so was his hatred. Not like she missed him anyway. But it was the hospital costs which finally got her. The money left from his death got sucked away by the surgeon fees that were charged to try and save his life. That, coupled with the cost of delivery, had nearly wiped Rene clean. She had to find work immediately after her daughters were born. Luckily for her she had attained a teaching degree 2 years earlier and was able to find a job teaching Planetary Literature Composition right away. One which allowed her to bring her newborn daughters to work with her.
But teaching didn't pay much. Not even in this day and age. She had to find a new place to live. When an opening came in this complex she fell to her knees and thanked the maker. Even though the rent was a lot cheaper, the quality of the complex and amenities made it seem like a costlier place. It was a pure miracle that she happened to come across it when she did, and she never let herself forget that.
The tenants here were much friendlier and more open to her plight. Most women in Rene's situation would have remarried immediately but not her. She had all she needed with her two daughters and let everyone know that that was the case. Her daughters were able to make friends quickly once they were old enough. Enough friends that Rene knew the birthday would be a smash.
With the invitations already set Rene had begun to get her daughters ready to go to the sitters. Today was the day she had planned on gift shopping and entertainment arranging. Having the girls around while shopping would ruin the surprise. She had arranged for the girls to stay over at her neighbors house. Jim and Rose were a wonderful couple with a daughter, Toni, of their own. As Rene dropped off her daughters, she knelt down to kiss and hug them good bye.
"Have a good day mommy, we'll miss you!" , they said.
"You behave for Jim and Rose and have fun. And don't worry, I plan on having a wonderful day".
Rene was perfectly happy with her life since moving here. She was a single mother, which was unheard of in these days what with population control and all, but loved her daughters greatly. Kitty and Tabby were about to turn 8. Next week to be exact and Rene was deep in party preparation. It was much easier to do now that she had moved here. Her last apt was so expensive and costly that she could hardly cloth her daughters much less throw them a party. Plus, living in such a high priced area meant the people were fairly snobbish. They often looked down on Rene for being a single mother and not a day would go by where she wasn't called some derogatory name. All under their breath of course. When you deal with that class of people they think money brings them intimidation instead of actually having the balls to say something.
Rene didn't care. It wasn't her fault that the fathers seed carried twins, much less daughters instead of the sons he always wanted. Upon finding out the sex of his children he promptly buried himself in work. He spent so much time there that he was rarely home to help out. Which was fine by Rene. She had her unborn daughters which whom to lavish her time and love on. When Tony literally worked himself to death Rene saw it as a godsend. Industrial accident or not he was gone, and so was his hatred. Not like she missed him anyway. But it was the hospital costs which finally got her. The money left from his death got sucked away by the surgeon fees that were charged to try and save his life. That, coupled with the cost of delivery, had nearly wiped Rene clean. She had to find work immediately after her daughters were born. Luckily for her she had attained a teaching degree 2 years earlier and was able to find a job teaching Planetary Literature Composition right away. One which allowed her to bring her newborn daughters to work with her.
But teaching didn't pay much. Not even in this day and age. She had to find a new place to live. When an opening came in this complex she fell to her knees and thanked the maker. Even though the rent was a lot cheaper, the quality of the complex and amenities made it seem like a costlier place. It was a pure miracle that she happened to come across it when she did, and she never let herself forget that.
The tenants here were much friendlier and more open to her plight. Most women in Rene's situation would have remarried immediately but not her. She had all she needed with her two daughters and let everyone know that that was the case. Her daughters were able to make friends quickly once they were old enough. Enough friends that Rene knew the birthday would be a smash.
With the invitations already set Rene had begun to get her daughters ready to go to the sitters. Today was the day she had planned on gift shopping and entertainment arranging. Having the girls around while shopping would ruin the surprise. She had arranged for the girls to stay over at her neighbors house. Jim and Rose were a wonderful couple with a daughter, Toni, of their own. As Rene dropped off her daughters, she knelt down to kiss and hug them good bye.
"Have a good day mommy, we'll miss you!" , they said.
"You behave for Jim and Rose and have fun. And don't worry, I plan on having a wonderful day".
Saturday, January 29, 2005
The Apartment
The Apartment.
It was a beautiful morning in Upper Redlands. The sky was clear, as it always is at that elevation, and the weather was a nice 77 degrees. And while the air was filled with the usual morning traffic, Joe was ready to get his day started. Today was the day. Today was the day he was going to ask his boss for a raise. He had spent the entire weekend pacing around in his apartment trying to figure out the best way to go about this task. He worked at Improved Optimistics, a video game conglomerate that had won the console wars of 2119, and was an advanced engine builder. Being that he worked endless amounts of hours creating new gaming engines on which game developers would base future games on, he felt he deserved more benefits and more pay. True he already made more than any other employee of the company, but his rent was decreased recently which meant that more less than desireable tenants would soon be occupying his building. He didn't want to be associated with lesser standards of living. He was 27 years old and felt he deserved to be cut of a higher cloth.
Getting dressed that morning was no simple task. The normal gears and servos that made up his outfitting machine were in pristine order, it was Joe that was out of sync. He found it hard to stand still for more that 30 sec to let the machine do it's job. Having had the same problem in the shower with the autoshaver had already provided him with nics all over his face. After what seemed like an eternity and getting a fair scolding from the machines Joe was ready to work. He hit his vehicle call button on his watch and waited patiently for his '17 Vista Cruiser to arrive for pick up. Once it did, Joe sped off to work bound and determined to make this day happen the way he wanted it to.
It was a beautiful morning in Upper Redlands. The sky was clear, as it always is at that elevation, and the weather was a nice 77 degrees. And while the air was filled with the usual morning traffic, Joe was ready to get his day started. Today was the day. Today was the day he was going to ask his boss for a raise. He had spent the entire weekend pacing around in his apartment trying to figure out the best way to go about this task. He worked at Improved Optimistics, a video game conglomerate that had won the console wars of 2119, and was an advanced engine builder. Being that he worked endless amounts of hours creating new gaming engines on which game developers would base future games on, he felt he deserved more benefits and more pay. True he already made more than any other employee of the company, but his rent was decreased recently which meant that more less than desireable tenants would soon be occupying his building. He didn't want to be associated with lesser standards of living. He was 27 years old and felt he deserved to be cut of a higher cloth.
Getting dressed that morning was no simple task. The normal gears and servos that made up his outfitting machine were in pristine order, it was Joe that was out of sync. He found it hard to stand still for more that 30 sec to let the machine do it's job. Having had the same problem in the shower with the autoshaver had already provided him with nics all over his face. After what seemed like an eternity and getting a fair scolding from the machines Joe was ready to work. He hit his vehicle call button on his watch and waited patiently for his '17 Vista Cruiser to arrive for pick up. Once it did, Joe sped off to work bound and determined to make this day happen the way he wanted it to.
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