tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161858182024-03-07T09:53:00.789-08:00The Phamtom ZonePetehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14763379062337974777noreply@blogger.comBlogger299125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-5682413905918507812012-09-05T11:59:00.001-07:002012-09-05T12:03:34.253-07:00Exclusive - Interview with Author: Art Aguinaldo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL93y2k5fIRMJNfMPKa9d9ttIGS4SIkhE36HJepn30qj7p2zqgFUszb0hYnmURkQhyphenhyphenmhz5_1RmkgYLQa6vxD1CEOlJzPKHvl8C9PK0ZbWdsLlkuNGEXtCPgDC8tTwp9HHKFAcgA/s1600/aguinaldo_campsite.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdL93y2k5fIRMJNfMPKa9d9ttIGS4SIkhE36HJepn30qj7p2zqgFUszb0hYnmURkQhyphenhyphenmhz5_1RmkgYLQa6vxD1CEOlJzPKHvl8C9PK0ZbWdsLlkuNGEXtCPgDC8tTwp9HHKFAcgA/s400/aguinaldo_campsite.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
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Over the summer at Comic Con, I was lucky enough to meet and talk to author Arthur Aguinaldo. Here exclusively at Phamtom Zone is an in-depth look at the author also known as <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 16px; line-height: 18px;"><b>loujen haxm’Yor.</b></span><br />
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<b>Can you tell us what your novel is about? Did you provide the illustrations as well?</b></div>
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<i>The title of my novel is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">ChaulE A Barbarian Fantasy.</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is the story of the ChaulEr Guardians of the Holy Well
versus the evil Qortlite Empire, which seeks domination over the Lynk Star
system as well as control of the Well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The main characters are Paun—rise-to-fame Sinner Chieftain of the ground
forces of ChaulE and one of the most powerful warriors on Lynk Star.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>She is betrayed by her lover,
kidnapped, tortured, and imprisoned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Eventually she is rescued by a mariner from another planet. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His name is Jyl.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Suspicious of his true intentions, the
ChaulEr nobility have assigned their council sleuth to construct him as the
enemy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His primary interest is the
location of the Well of Sut UnBii.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is a tale of ferocious battles, elite female warriors, witchcraft,
serpentlords, flying elkstallions, very foreign lands, romance and
treachery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All this takes place on
a star system of two primary planets periodically connected by a great river in
space.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Currently
my only illustration for this novel is the book cover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Within the next few weeks I am going to
upgrade my story with at least three illustrations, each of them reflective of
their chapter content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My final
goal is to have at least one illustration per chapter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got the idea for this from when, as
an eight year old, I checked out Robinson
Crusoe from the library and was excited about the black and white drawings
throughout the story.</i></div>
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<b>When did you starting writing? Has it always been something you were passionate about?</b></div>
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<i>I
began writing as a poet in high school.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I wrote a poem about a possible end-of-the-world situation using the
meter from Edgar Allen Poe’s The Raven.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I later transposed it into an
Elizbethan sonnet for a senior English class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since then I’ve continued to jot down poetic notes, some of
them in my making of holiday and special occasion cards to friends and family.</i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Barbarian
fantasy/ancient history movies were my favorites as a kid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hercules,
300 Spartans, Ulysses, Helen of Troy, and Demetrius and the Gladiators to
name a few.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While in the military
between 1968 and 1972, I had this story in my head about well-trained women
sworders defending a mysterious land and an armada of parasailed enemy ships
sailing a great Lynk Sea from one planet to another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, in 1982, I took out my banker’s box of partial
hand-written chapters, scribblings, index cards and doodle drawings and put
everything to an old fashioned typewriter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<b><br /></b>
<b>What's the hardest thing about writing a novel and how can you overcome that obstacle?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>The hardest part was how to end the story—with real closure—and not let the audience hanging. When the finale light bulb cracked my brain I had to change some of the inner guts of the story to make it work. But it was fun doing it. </i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>Of course, the other hard part of
story writing is deleting, not just small, but even large areas of
content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In 2011 I found out about
e-book publishing by way of a one-day free seminar.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By then I had written some short stories as well as a
collection of about fifty poems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
reread my novel, ChaulE, cringed a
bit—actually a lot—then did some major editing to make the story more reader
friendly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>My original version was
too full of grammatical correctness (people just don’t converse that way) and
too many poetic lines (I remember using a whole page of prose to basically say
“It was a dark and stormy night.”)
I just had to tell myself that major sacrifices, despite how much work
was put into them, have sometimes got to be made. </i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>You mentioned you also do a series of self-help books with your wife. Could you give us some details about those?</b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<i>My wife, Jenny, collaborated with
me on two self-help e-books.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One
of them was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Retirement on a Sea Level Budget</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One day in our mid-forties we took a hard look at our
economics.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We always paid our
bills on time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Did dinner and movies
on weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Took all our yearly
vacations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But how much did we
have saved up?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And by the time
we’re in our sixties, how exactly will we live?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We figured that if we continued our current middle income
lifestyle, we’d never be able to retire—or at least not comfortably.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So we put together some really helpful
advice on what we did since that time to achieve our retirement goal.</i></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<i>Our other book was <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Going
with the Flow: Life’s Triumph over Dementia</b>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When my brother and sister-in-law on the east coast both
lost their jobs, they were stressing hard, both economically and over the care
of my 83-year-old mom.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite her
dementia and other health problems, they found it hard to put her into a
nursing home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But the
round-the-clock care was taking a toll on them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I agreed to have mom come stay with us in California.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I figured it would be easier for us,
since I was already retired and home most of the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After three months of sleepless nights,
Jenny and I knew that mom needed more professional quality care.</i></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<i>This story is about our manner of helping my mom as well as
the nursing home staff during our visits—myself on a daily basis, and my wife
on weekends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the long run, it
made everyone’s life—especially my mom’s—much more pleasant and rewarding.</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
Under his pen name, Aguinaldo has written the following books, which can be found on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites as e-Books:</div>
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A novel—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Chaule<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
Barbarian Fantasy</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Short Stories—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Kissers<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>White Box<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 1.0in; text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Job Interview<o:p></o:p></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></i>Collection
of Poems—<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When Apricots Had Wings</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
Using our real names, Jenny and Art
Aguinaldo, my wife and I have written:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Retirement
on a Sea Level Budget </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: .5in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Going
with the Flow: Life’s Triumph over Dementia</i></div>
<div style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-33581126684587140292012-08-02T16:41:00.001-07:002012-08-02T16:41:36.500-07:00Review - Avengers vs. X-Men #9<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i7AdB-VsLEWjWRDnISakVaBJV1jAg_c7hGxPUoceoU-79IM6ns5j-ZxezW0J6x1yMpEVvo_EnzdMiZq8R83_GXdXc2tm1vqxifJ_mxVcrPrQ0Vapy_y_rF1TM9cQLSC_q34iHg/s1600/Avengers_vs._X-Men_Vol_1_9_Textless.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3i7AdB-VsLEWjWRDnISakVaBJV1jAg_c7hGxPUoceoU-79IM6ns5j-ZxezW0J6x1yMpEVvo_EnzdMiZq8R83_GXdXc2tm1vqxifJ_mxVcrPrQ0Vapy_y_rF1TM9cQLSC_q34iHg/s400/Avengers_vs._X-Men_Vol_1_9_Textless.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
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<br />
Marvel has really been taking their time with this crossover. I haven't seen a story arc this panned out since Civil War. While I'm not the biggest fan of Adam Kubert, he nailed it this issue.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>.: SPOILERS AHEAD :.</b></div>
<br />
As Hope Summers continues her training in the mystical city of K'un-Lun, Spider-Man gives her some words of advice about what it means to be an Avenger. Elsewhere, the Wakanda is devastated by Namor's attack on the city and is in ruins. Storm, who sided with the X-Men, returns to her home and husband Black Panther. The the latter delivering some pretty harsh news. Now that Namor has been defeated, the Phoenix Force inside him is divided up among the remaining four hosts: Cyclops, Emma Frost, Colossus, and Magik. Pretty much they're more powerful than ever.<br />
<br />
With the Avengers broken, beaten, and thinned out, the siblings Colossus and Magik carry out an attack on the team. So this is the best part of the entire book, and for me a highlight in the series. Spider-Man gives the team a chance to escape by taking on the Phoenix-powered Colossus and Magik by himself. The hero, who's actions parallels the advice he gave Hope earlier on in the issue, takes probably the most brutal beating I've seen anyone take in a Marvel book in a long time (Punisher books not-with-standing). <br />
<br />
This moment of self-sacrifice is totally in character with Spider-Man and something that's been missing from previous blockbuster cross-overs. I won't tell you how it ends, but this book has been a major turning point in the series. I am most excited and anxious to see what happens next in a few weeks.<br />
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<b>5/5</b>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-32420286064172741442012-07-31T15:44:00.002-07:002012-08-02T16:41:54.580-07:00Review - Spider-Men #3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLyY8uDW9uEwbzdIw86_KtSIWNgg9MUNOXM7nAWeF3YWdAI184mqiWv1GIBnrUSrYDXo6cIE9Kga64amhzSEe3rd0oBuWzdaY16v4eTTKtk76AT3PTNHIQ4AKJlBKxW3ml5l0Jg/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-31+at+3.33.20+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiLyY8uDW9uEwbzdIw86_KtSIWNgg9MUNOXM7nAWeF3YWdAI184mqiWv1GIBnrUSrYDXo6cIE9Kga64amhzSEe3rd0oBuWzdaY16v4eTTKtk76AT3PTNHIQ4AKJlBKxW3ml5l0Jg/s400/Screen+shot+2012-07-31+at+3.33.20+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
A pretty fun issue, packed with tons of action and breathtaking art. Peter and Miles take on Mysterio who conjures up Spider-Man's entire rouges gallery. The fight scenes are pretty cool, but it's issue #3 of #5 already and Peter hasn't taught Miles jack shit.<br />
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<div>
When they first announced the series I was excited for Peter to interact with Miles and teach him a thing or two about being Spider-Man. Now we're three issues into it and all we've gotten are fight scenes and a few handfuls of irrelevant dialogue.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>.:SPOILERS AHEAD:.</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So far, all Peter has pieced together is that he's in another world where their Peter Parker is dead and outed as Spider-Man. I'm really worried about the pacing of this series because he should have realized this at the end of issue one or early issue two. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I also feel they've dumbed down the 616 Peter for the series. He's supposed to be the experienced superhero, but Miles (13-years-old and just starting his Spidey career) gets the upper hand on him twice. Pretty lame. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The issue concludes with Peter showing up and revealing himself to Aunt May and Gwen Stacy. Hopefully we'll get some answers next issue but until then, I have a pretty bad feeling the last two books will be rushed in terms of story.<br />
<div>
<br />
<b>3.5/5</b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-50449341820717935032012-07-31T14:48:00.000-07:002012-07-31T14:48:16.849-07:00Editorial - Next Batman Franchise<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwZfIy7X-dSHqWm7lU3AjPnQ58VzxBOltAzEbASKJcLlxM6emKV7cxFkPXxD8qeRpKo3y0dVr4L1d_TUg75-y3B2hoJkwFbjLyZ3wFaQby2aQRlG_wGnLXlGURZN3c4aZfozqvg/s1600/413757_10100177844270514_2041558856_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxwZfIy7X-dSHqWm7lU3AjPnQ58VzxBOltAzEbASKJcLlxM6emKV7cxFkPXxD8qeRpKo3y0dVr4L1d_TUg75-y3B2hoJkwFbjLyZ3wFaQby2aQRlG_wGnLXlGURZN3c4aZfozqvg/s400/413757_10100177844270514_2041558856_o.jpg" width="253" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
The Nolan Batman movies have finally come to their epic conclusion with the Dark Knight Rises. With Hollywood throwing out reboots of films like it's Halloween candy, maybe it's time to have a fresh new take on the Batman story. Everyone is still in love with Christopher Nolan's interpretation of the Dark Knight, what director in their right mind would want to follow that?<br />
<br />
Here's my pitch: <i>Batman Beyond</i>.<br />
<br />
It'd be great to see the cult television cartoon that appeared at the end of the 90s on the big screen. It's fresh enough that we can get a entirely new Batman experience, but with the same themes and elements that we have all come to love from the Batman character.<br />
<br />
Set in a Neo-Gothic future, a new Batman takes the mantle as Bruce Wayne's successor. Batman Beyond can be the new film we need to tide us over until the next appropriate reboot of the Batman franchise.<br />
<br />
Joseph Kosinski, the director of <i>Tron: Legacy</i>, would be a perfect candidate to direct this futuristic take on Gotham City.<br />
<br />
Something to think about.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-51081319218439838562012-07-31T14:01:00.001-07:002012-07-31T14:01:55.068-07:00New CW Series - Arrow<div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
We all know that this fall, CW will be premiering their new series: <i>Arrow</i>. The show will be based on the Oliver Queen/Green Arrow character. The incarnation had previously appeared on Smallville, played by Justin Hartley. But the CW has made it adamantly clear that the show will have no ties to one another and that the new Oliver Queen is a completely different and new character.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
From the trailer, it looks like we'll be getting a much darker version of the Emerald Archer. Most people on the message boards are hoping it will be more closer to the Mike Grell version of Green Arrow, where he's more of a hunter than a superhero. From the looks of it, it will be. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What I'm most excited for is that they're bringing in some of the most bad-ass comic book villains in the DC Universe pretty early on in the show (Deathstroke, Deadshot, and Constantine Drakon). The first two being a complete waste of an opportunity when they appeared on the final season of Smallville. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The only thing I'm worried about is that they seem to be calling him "Arrow" instead of "Green Arrow" and that crappy face paint mask he has.<br />
<br />
Other than that, I'm pretty stoked to catch the premiere. </div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-34214325762089987882012-07-31T13:39:00.001-07:002012-07-31T13:41:45.412-07:00Trailer - The Dark Knight Returns Pt. 1<iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-QF8fFQkJk8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe><br />
<br />
Hot off the release of The Dark Knight Rises, DC Universe Original Animated Movies have officially released the trailer for the next installment of their animated film franchise, <i>The Dark Knight Returns</i>. Adapted from Frank Miller's legendary graphic novel, the story focuses on an elderly Bruce Wayne returning to a life of crime-fighting as the Batman. The movie is to be split in two parts, with the first releasing on DVD and Bluray on September 25.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Gc-gdkwtG4XlIaxOB17SupYgQZNzFDrG84L8tTns3qUUG6XHqVdGWB4NcpEp87OZ4oh2g-UVyks3U7ZNHdEcJsp2Q-MVd19JU6DMRbcK0EvuAvSWNPipDcfYe7-4Kr2Qoymuw/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-31+at+1.31.45+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8Gc-gdkwtG4XlIaxOB17SupYgQZNzFDrG84L8tTns3qUUG6XHqVdGWB4NcpEp87OZ4oh2g-UVyks3U7ZNHdEcJsp2Q-MVd19JU6DMRbcK0EvuAvSWNPipDcfYe7-4Kr2Qoymuw/s400/Screen+shot+2012-07-31+at+1.31.45+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
With the commercial success of The Dark Knight Rises, fans are probably eager to get their next Batman fix. Peter Weller, better known for his role as RoboCop, will provide the voice of Batman. DC animated movies have been pretty hit-or-miss, but they have more or less hit a consistency of good storytelling when it comes to Batman.<br />
<br />
Very excited for this!Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-18721977042311583672012-07-30T18:09:00.000-07:002012-07-30T18:09:04.538-07:00Smallville Season 11<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8XwTOgIW1_pCU-jYyZecqOSC7WI801MAIs67qTp6DPzESw1Kja9PbTYXU0P2qronKxdUJ9va7e22EsH2q3dVnWsOmqd2FaTqoItWhI4eWxHB01AGeVKeMJ0xixEbu9s_ZCoGog/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-30+at+6.04.25+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK8XwTOgIW1_pCU-jYyZecqOSC7WI801MAIs67qTp6DPzESw1Kja9PbTYXU0P2qronKxdUJ9va7e22EsH2q3dVnWsOmqd2FaTqoItWhI4eWxHB01AGeVKeMJ0xixEbu9s_ZCoGog/s400/Screen+shot+2012-07-30+at+6.04.25+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
As all of you know, Smallville ended it's tenth and final season with Clark taking to the skies as Superman. Earlier this year, it was announced that an eleventh season would be picked up. In comic book form.<br />
<br />
As a fan of Smallville since the very first episode (I was in eighth grade), the thought of furthering the adventures of the characters I grew up with sounded amazing. I didn't have to say goodbye just yet. Thankfully, Smallville Season 11 still has most of the heart of the TV show. The pacing is a bit faster since each chapter is only a handful of pages, but the story and medium allows for much more action than the television show. It's great to see Superman in costume flying around in action.<br />
<br />
The art is pretty spot-on when it comes to making the characters look like the actors that once portrayed them, also giving them the freedom to do things in the book that the budget on the show once would not allow. As far as the writing goes, it's pretty hit-or-miss depending on the chapter.<br />
<br />
But then again, that's Smallville.<br />
<br />
The best part is, there's no summer break in between as this is a comic book. Definitely worth checking out.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-58667537916541469812012-07-30T17:27:00.001-07:002012-07-31T13:45:01.875-07:00Under Rated Movie: Meteor Man<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5Y2S7FHxTm1rzR5Yp4WwCIz_kh0uCAExBqf0-Hbrc9gMRt-f6PB2uCfSbARdJ27YNjnd2j6LMNYWFxqSvK0azqWGAziEbcLENei_e4dYO8sQkKQUfHqEtkofKLOtYbpRi31F8w/s1600/2c7255e51eeb51d8d8260e1551a7ffff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5Y2S7FHxTm1rzR5Yp4WwCIz_kh0uCAExBqf0-Hbrc9gMRt-f6PB2uCfSbARdJ27YNjnd2j6LMNYWFxqSvK0azqWGAziEbcLENei_e4dYO8sQkKQUfHqEtkofKLOtYbpRi31F8w/s400/2c7255e51eeb51d8d8260e1551a7ffff.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div>
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Does anyone remember a time where a comic book movie didn't come out every other month? Back when comic book fans took what they could get in a superhero flick? <div>
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<div>
Back in 1993, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave us <i>Meteor Man</i>. Starring Robert Townsend, the film focused on shy educator Jefferson Reed. Reed lives in a neighborhood that is under the thumb of a local gang: The Golden Lords. After a rough encounter with them, Reed is struck by a meteor and gains superpowers. He then uses those powers to become Meteor Man, defending his neighborhood and standing up for it's residents. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Now as much crap as the movie got back when it came out, it still holds the spot for one of my favorite superhero movies ever. The Meteor Man pretty much has everything you could ask for: action, comedy, family, heart, and James Earl Jones in a high-top-fade! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Now, if you do manage to find yourself a copy, I'm not promising The Dark Knight, or even Spider-Man 2, but I am going to promise that you'll get a laugh or two with this light-hearted superhero comedy. </div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-2958912209603182902012-07-25T17:37:00.000-07:002012-07-30T17:27:45.522-07:00Toon of the Week - "Canadian Bacon"<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OqpYYSYD_FbsAhPBES5yQQv8BwexBorBuTRdtBn3_z6ISQCKtqShB9-59Jt-VNLSo8TrPVbwEcvAhJLEjVq5gFz7AH-iabTf4pk6iODI7OysbfLWrEY-dzQBud97Buh67HAINg/s1600/canadianbacon_print.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7OqpYYSYD_FbsAhPBES5yQQv8BwexBorBuTRdtBn3_z6ISQCKtqShB9-59Jt-VNLSo8TrPVbwEcvAhJLEjVq5gFz7AH-iabTf4pk6iODI7OysbfLWrEY-dzQBud97Buh67HAINg/s400/canadianbacon_print.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Whore!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Ever bite into a crispy piece of freshly fried bacon with your breakfast? With bacon trends blowing up in the foodie world over the last few years, do you ever stop and wonder:<br />
<br />
<i><b>"Hey, what's the history behind this salty piece of meat I'm about to put in my mouth?"</b></i><br />
<br />
This piece I did for <a href="http://foodbeast.com/content/2012/03/09/foodscape-a-food-themed-art-exhibit/">FOODSCAPE</a>, "<b>Canadian Bacon</b>," gives us a look into the lives of these delicious breakfast creatures. What we have is a window into at their problems, their loves, and their sorrows.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-32828169316317391972012-07-25T17:14:00.001-07:002012-07-25T17:19:04.811-07:00Review - Hit-Girl #2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2f5f_QwG-cLscJglGJ4zcrOt71qje_PJKJJpWAkSaT_rvUSyjpSEB_OKZUv6GTuohzm06zurF4h7xHJ9NHfx8tEKRF-9b4FRB5-VhuO6O7eewmfHzDoGw3Df47MmFf9jaVND4A/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-25+at+5.08.48+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF2f5f_QwG-cLscJglGJ4zcrOt71qje_PJKJJpWAkSaT_rvUSyjpSEB_OKZUv6GTuohzm06zurF4h7xHJ9NHfx8tEKRF-9b4FRB5-VhuO6O7eewmfHzDoGw3Df47MmFf9jaVND4A/s400/Screen+shot+2012-07-25+at+5.08.48+PM.png" width="261" /></a></div>
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Taking place after the events of <i>Kick-Ass vol. 1</i> and <i>Kick-Ass vol. 2</i>, Hit-Girl bridges the gap between what happened after Dave and Mindy took down the Genovese crime family and before the Red Mist's rose to power. Mindy is secretly training Dave to be a better hero, and Dave is teaching Mindy how to be a regular 12-year-old girl.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>.:SPOILERS AHEAD:.</b></div>
<br />
Not much takes place as far as the story goes. We get a bunch of hilarious scenes of Kick-Ass and Hit-Girl training. She's toughening him up after what she saw in vol. 1. Mindy, who can kill men three times her size, is having the hardest time adjusting to a normal life. She's unpopular, and ridiculed and she doesn't understand why. Her home life isn't going too great either as her step-father, Marcus, makes her promise to give up the superhero life.<br />
<br />
But come on, we all know better.<br />
<br />
Not much of Red Mist in this issue, but from the ending, it looks like he's going to start his war against superheroes first thing the next issue.<br />
<br />
Mark Millar and John Romita Jr. deliver the same consistency and quality that they put into Kick-Ass 1 & 2. The dialogue is natural, ridiculous, terrifying, and hilarious all at the same time. The Hit-Girl series is the perfect transition between the two Kick-Ass books. Romita's art is great in this book. Though I'm not a fan of his work on Avengers, I'm happy with the quality and real-life vibe he puts into Hit-Girl.<br />
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Stay tuned! <b>4/5</b><br />
<br />Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-20953536135299559802012-07-25T11:46:00.004-07:002012-07-25T17:20:07.298-07:00Man of Steel Teaser<br />
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A few days ago, the <i>Man of Steel</i> teaser trailer was released online.<br />
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Two different versions of the trailer were released depending on what part of the world you lived in. The domestic trailer featured a voiceover from Kevin Costner's Jonathan Kent, while the International trailer was voiced by Russell Crowe's Jor-El. Like every teaser trailer, it doesn't show much of the movie. Just a few quick snippets of Clark traveling and a concludes with Superman breaking the sound barrier.<br />
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What's great is that this is literally the first movie to have nothing to do with Richard Donner's Superman movies. The last Superman movie was released six years ago in 2006, and was a loose continuation of the Donner films. Don't get me wrong, they were great, but I think it's time we get a new take on the Man of Steel. Hopefully, that's what director Zack Synder and producer Christopher Nolan will deliver.Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-62114037974934137182012-07-09T19:39:00.003-07:002012-07-25T11:53:40.185-07:00Review - Batman: Earth One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sY5oA55g4ctKJKfChbris7kkmiO5QrpC6p-Jzj9ivc2kaVSLhoNiKlJ2miGDayf27mXCs8A6DQG8UjAAZjMkKn8MnoMBjdTsgMGKoPobkB6rcYKNDF6sgbBLCZmEeOwZLtGKRQ/s1600/Screen+shot+2012-07-09+at+7.30.36+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4sY5oA55g4ctKJKfChbris7kkmiO5QrpC6p-Jzj9ivc2kaVSLhoNiKlJ2miGDayf27mXCs8A6DQG8UjAAZjMkKn8MnoMBjdTsgMGKoPobkB6rcYKNDF6sgbBLCZmEeOwZLtGKRQ/s400/Screen+shot+2012-07-09+at+7.30.36+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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Almost years ago, DC Comics teamed writers J. Michael Straczynski and artist Shane Davis together to create Superman: Earth One, a contemporary take on the Superman legend. Now, with DC golden boy scribe Geoff Johns and powerhouse artist Gary Frank, they have released Batman: Earth One.<br />
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.: SPOILERS AHEAD :.</div>
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Batman: Earth One covers the early days of Bruce Wayne's venture in to vigilante business. But what's unique about the story is what they do to the more secondary characters in the world of Batman. Two particular examples are Alfred Pennyworth and Detective Harvey Bullock. Pennyworth is brought to the States by Thomas Wayne as head of security during his mayoral campaign. In this alternate world, the two were war buddies and Wayne trusts Pennyworth with his life. Bullock, who's an overweight drunk in the main Batman universe, is a hotshot Detective who, here's the kicker, was the host of his own television reality show for five seasons: <i>Hollywood Detectives</i>.<br />
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What's interesting is that while these two characters begin as polar opposites of who they are in the mainstream universe, Johns creates a gradual transition for their characters throughout the novel. You can see what chain of events lead them to what they become when the story comes to an end. Geoff Johns has a knack for developing obscure characters and making them cool again.<br />
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Then there's Bruce Wayne. Earth One Batman is a cocky kid who's pissed off at the world. He lacks the depth and control that the mainstream Batman has, and everyone knows it. This Batman screws up more than he is successful. He's angry that his parents were killed and he's looking to lash out at the world. But by the end of the story, you get a better sense that he'll eventually become the Batman we all know.<br />
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Gary Frank, mostly associated with his Superman work, is a phenomenal artist and delivers dynamic illustrations that engage the readers just as much, if not more, than the story. I bet if there wasn't any dialogue, you could still piece together a great story just from the pencils alone.<br />
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Rating: 4/5<br />
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Definitely something to pick up.<br />
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<br />Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-78325795878845659672011-04-29T09:49:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:59:23.004-07:00More Comic Book Trailers!Here is a new batch of movie trailers of upcoming comic book movies! Which ones are you excited for the most? Enjoy!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">X-Men: First Class</span><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/frcCCHb9LHc?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/frcCCHb9LHc?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Green Lantern</span><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7lKgX7M_lfQ?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7lKgX7M_lfQ?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Thor</span><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/U6npTwHsFew?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/U6npTwHsFew?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Transformers: Dark of the Moon</span><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YxVt75aGko8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YxVt75aGko8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-26816452720822703142011-04-28T19:14:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:59:46.551-07:00Exclusive Interview with Amélie Fléchais!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYGNY1O7q0igKkCuk-lziZtL2nmJw2bEUhzzxguwt1CD2jLX8T6LW7WYhT2C_PmEs2uAwUHC2gRNInDBcM9wI1AZFHNplfF3fE7LUbg3r97zkByPjHln5V2G9efNjVfwQm6Pd7Q/s1600/illuc.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 243px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYGNY1O7q0igKkCuk-lziZtL2nmJw2bEUhzzxguwt1CD2jLX8T6LW7WYhT2C_PmEs2uAwUHC2gRNInDBcM9wI1AZFHNplfF3fE7LUbg3r97zkByPjHln5V2G9efNjVfwQm6Pd7Q/s320/illuc.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600827238723660082" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Phamtom Zone has landed an exclusive interview with artist <em>Amélie</em> Fléchais! A French artist, Amélie's work was mentioned in an earlier blog post about her piece for the 25th anniversary Edward Scissorhands Exhibit at Nucleus. Even though English is not her first language, Amélie was kind enough to let us interview her briefly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: What kind of art do you specialize in?</span><br /><br />AF: I'm specialized in illustrations and comic books, I spend most of the time doing traditional techniques (ink, water color, pencil), but also digital technique.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: Where did you learn?</span><br /><br />AF: I have studied in two different schools, during one year in the artistic school "EESI" I specialized in comic books. During 3 years at the artistic school "ESAAT" I specialized in animation. But I especially have learned a lot thanks to people I met in these schools and my friend.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: Do you have any big projects you are working on?</span><br /><br />AF: I have lot of big projects, I am preparing a comic book ("chemin perdu" ) for ANKAMA, which will be published at end of 2012, after that I will work on illustration book for the collection "Metamorphose" (Le petit loup rouge") and after that I have two secret projects: also with Ankama and Metamorphose. I would also like to work on my student short movie "Mu" and prepare an exhibit. I want to try to carve wood, and make a short live movie, but I don't know when I could have the time to do that.</div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-75985081383572455442011-04-26T14:45:00.000-07:002011-04-26T15:49:28.905-07:00Exclusive Interview with Philip Tan!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV9buvF0VH02OSacXj98F0E9mpTwsKowbE2FcW1vBFJUHBlCAMYqdbrwaHlWuJNVLPlkCctrScP57o7zdezxmRVJlTtjvPgpoPWLFRCnc0RexwNqX2UmtsYVkNdet-BP7jjW3ew/s1600/fcrev_cv3_b_solicit.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 210px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvV9buvF0VH02OSacXj98F0E9mpTwsKowbE2FcW1vBFJUHBlCAMYqdbrwaHlWuJNVLPlkCctrScP57o7zdezxmRVJlTtjvPgpoPWLFRCnc0RexwNqX2UmtsYVkNdet-BP7jjW3ew/s320/fcrev_cv3_b_solicit.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600028040148921138" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">The Phamtom Zone has landed an exclusive interview with comic book artist Philip Tan. Tan is known for his work on Spawn and recently some cover work for DC Comics.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: You have a very impressive resume in comics. What was your most memorable experience in the industry?</span> </div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="GBThreadMessageRow_Body"><div class="GBThreadMessageRow_Body_Content"><br />PT: There are quite a few, but one of them got to be meeting Stan Winston and visiting the creature effects production house, when I was drawing his book for him. Getting lessons from Todd McFarlane is another!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: Fans may recognize your work on Spawn for so many years and more recently your work in DC Comics. Do you draw your inspiration from any particular styles?</span><br /><br />I love the majority form of comic mediums, Asian to American to European.. they all influence me a lot.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: Do you any major projects coming up that you are allowed to talk about?</span><br /><br />PT: For DC? Not really, sorry. Although I am working away slowly on my own book. Hopefully to be published someday<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">PZ: Lastly, if you were to host a meal with three fictional characters, who would they be and what would you serve?</span><br /><br />PT: Kinda tough, never thought about it. Probably give Jiraya nude sushi?<br /></div></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-65830437320424217322011-04-26T06:42:00.001-07:002011-04-26T06:53:14.314-07:00Mortal Kombat: Legacy - Episode 3Here is the 3rd episode of the series! This series just gets better and better.<br /><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/sqlaU5OMsks?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/sqlaU5OMsks?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-86000117031654769272011-04-22T11:54:00.001-07:002011-04-22T12:08:43.040-07:00Lois Lane, Reporter!<a href="http://beatonna.livejournal.com/147168.html">Hark! A Vagrant</a> has posted a handful of hilarious Lois Lane and Superman strips. Fingers crossed on a future interview with Kate Beaton!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqR-7Q70N5W4GhG3kabebv-EsEXpKXbah9MMCKXLH6DTvtFpGI_oHDLuieFfhSWckbotb4omVa3tj9zI73jcAxk53voITlEjgohxEayTB7bSSknrC96xHW_lrqHBErpeanQxWxA/s1600/loislanesm.png"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 140px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpqR-7Q70N5W4GhG3kabebv-EsEXpKXbah9MMCKXLH6DTvtFpGI_oHDLuieFfhSWckbotb4omVa3tj9zI73jcAxk53voITlEjgohxEayTB7bSSknrC96xHW_lrqHBErpeanQxWxA/s400/loislanesm.png" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598483708642128866" border="0" /></a>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-1857474958472336632011-04-22T11:25:00.001-07:002011-04-22T12:08:20.146-07:00Invincible #79<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULYYDg8YD_GIpc8JOLs0mVCcgfKe6adMhACfffpvQueInTu7AXiZWOLkGMUrr6bCLQvS9OgZ_esFvMz3ixLjf5u9eKNPUdIt4CZtewFlimvvPMxM2gUd6c2Lqfrf3vCsm2HOG2w/s1600/Invinibortion.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 294px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULYYDg8YD_GIpc8JOLs0mVCcgfKe6adMhACfffpvQueInTu7AXiZWOLkGMUrr6bCLQvS9OgZ_esFvMz3ixLjf5u9eKNPUdIt4CZtewFlimvvPMxM2gUd6c2Lqfrf3vCsm2HOG2w/s320/Invinibortion.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598478167079886802" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Mark Grayson has saved the world. He ended the Viltrumite War. Ten months later, Mark has returned home. Issue #79 follows Mark as he catches up with all the things he's missed in the time he was gone. His mother has ended her relationship with her boyfriend and is almost ready to give Mark's father another chance. Mark's business is booming. He's even gotten a new costume made. But something is different with his girlfriend Eve. In ten months, she's lost her superheroine figure. Eve seems distant and depressed. Upon going to dinner with The Immortal and Duplicate, Mark finds that the couple has had twins in the time he was gone. This dinner party upsets Eve greatly to Mark's surprise. Mark then finds out, and this is a <span style="font-weight: bold;">HUGE SPOILER</span>, Eve was pregnant and had an abortion.<br /><br />This issue takes a slower pace than the last few. Mark retouches with all of his supporting characters in the aftermath of the war. The huge revelation at the end is something that completely surprised me. This was definitely something I didn't see coming in a mainstream comic book. Next issue: Dinosaurus! <span style="font-weight: bold;">4/5</span></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-65034156030968070102011-04-22T07:12:00.001-07:002011-04-22T12:08:05.913-07:00Cute Thor Promo!A cute parody of the Superbowl Darth Vader spot.<br /><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPNjWWQqWCA?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/EPNjWWQqWCA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-28643267194326066682011-04-20T15:17:00.000-07:002011-04-22T12:07:51.732-07:00Green Lantern #65<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEWbRW572Ebqz2EmOcviGhiYKmiyWm9uRicMQG6Xithx13JpK58y48UZBduSdpqiaTTMj9JFqfsrziN3S0Q7h4YlOvRAP57fFvm_4VWIRyW90sDuR1VjcbaBjAZ3eMdYd8CP1fA/s1600/GL_65_Legion_CPS_024.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 205px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUEWbRW572Ebqz2EmOcviGhiYKmiyWm9uRicMQG6Xithx13JpK58y48UZBduSdpqiaTTMj9JFqfsrziN3S0Q7h4YlOvRAP57fFvm_4VWIRyW90sDuR1VjcbaBjAZ3eMdYd8CP1fA/s320/GL_65_Legion_CPS_024.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597797753453997074" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Krona, has seized control of the entire Green Lantern Corps. The only Lanterns free from his control are the four Earth Lanterns. Hal, Guy, Kyle, and John are all powerless and must maneuver their way through Oa to stop Krona and save Ganthet. Because their Green rings allow Krono to infect them, the Lanterns decide to use the rings from the other Corps in order to give themselves a fighting chance against Krona. Hal, who was familiar with using a Yellow Ring, chooses to join the Sinestro Corps. Guy chooses a Red Ring. Kyle, who is filled with Hope, chooses Blue. And John chooses to join the Indigo Tribe.<br /><br />Geoff Johns delivers another exciting turn in the chapter of the Green Lanterns. The entire arc has been solid and ties in to all previous installments of Green Lantern. Doug Manke's art is once again as breathtaking as ever. <span style="font-weight: bold;">5/5</span><br /></div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-64653380859278164442011-04-19T01:54:00.000-07:002011-04-19T01:56:42.179-07:00Mortal Kombat: Legacy Episode 2Here is the second episode of the new Mortal Kombat series! Watch it here!<br /><br /><object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/PTSEa--Alkw?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PTSEa--Alkw?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-24515272177901976532011-04-18T22:18:00.001-07:002011-04-18T22:30:03.137-07:00Edward Scissorhands Tribute<div style="text-align: justify;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxduhFmJShvQD3d2B_o-Stk9LEx3w9qxPVOZdlzBsno3GoYP4vGUe1YINruxxix0mQb3yVVBP_Sq7RGr1y_rBemi8q7kwkXtQ9qM5y_ZRG9l4_BQedKieYFsqODoIGTKMRl0C7w/s1600/edward.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxduhFmJShvQD3d2B_o-Stk9LEx3w9qxPVOZdlzBsno3GoYP4vGUe1YINruxxix0mQb3yVVBP_Sq7RGr1y_rBemi8q7kwkXtQ9qM5y_ZRG9l4_BQedKieYFsqODoIGTKMRl0C7w/s320/edward.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597160106467222818" border="0" /></a>In celebration of the Edward Scissorhands exhibit at Gallery Nucleus, <a href="http://ssoja.blogspot.com/">Amelie Flechais</a>, created a beautiful piece. So much detail went into it that I wanted to try and recreate it. Check out her blog when you get a chance. It's amazing.<br /><br /></div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkTOPKB0oeaMIsY8MDxgWxUJ_0QE16OIiPfw-O5J3xL7O9vML7CC00ZnLCdwWbWwoVXf4X8jC3NUx_4BKL2tdGJe1urbg9QOhpe93a_6VdcIwJEo5WcL2NwfNEphD4yEbi0ercQ/s1600/6mo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 219px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjkTOPKB0oeaMIsY8MDxgWxUJ_0QE16OIiPfw-O5J3xL7O9vML7CC00ZnLCdwWbWwoVXf4X8jC3NUx_4BKL2tdGJe1urbg9QOhpe93a_6VdcIwJEo5WcL2NwfNEphD4yEbi0ercQ/s320/6mo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597160011359747570" border="0" /></a>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-3374606605250393192011-04-16T08:18:00.000-07:002011-04-18T22:29:26.709-07:00Smallville Series Finale Teaser<object width="560" height="349"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/TV7ttZueyq8?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/TV7ttZueyq8?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="560" height="349"></embed></object>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-85669443673567261092011-04-12T19:47:00.001-07:002011-04-12T22:49:18.929-07:00Exclusive Interview with How It Should Have Ended!<div style="text-align: justify;"><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/_2Nn4wAVNOg?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/_2Nn4wAVNOg?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /><br />The Phamtom Zone has landed an exclusive interview with <span style="font-weight: bold;">Tina Alexander</span> from the online cartoon sensation: <span style="font-weight: bold;">How It Should Have Ended!</span> HISHE features cartoon shorts that poke fun of the illogical endings of some movies and adds a more realistic, and hilarious, solution to the plot.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><b>Phamtom Zone</b>: About how long does it take to create an episode of HISHE. How many people contribute to the production of a single episode?</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>HISHE</b>: Right now we are on a three week production cycle. Week one is artwork and script writing. Week two is finalizing artwork and completing animation. We also do all our voice recording during Week two. Week three is music and sound effects. It is a lot of work!!<br /><br />Daniel and I work together daily on all aspects of the cartoons, but we also have a composer [Bryan English] and Tommy Watson is a huge help on the business side of things and a great resource when we are stumped creatively. HISHE is also made up of a team of great friends that help us with ideas and voices when we need it. Stephanie Fisher being our constant, and awesome, female lead. So there's about eight of us total. We couldn't do it without the help of our friends.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /><b>Phamtom Zone</b>: Do you guys plan on doing anything else with HISHE other than the shorts? Maybe a feature length movie?</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>HISHE</b>: Not anytime soon, although we get lots of requests to do this with our Terminator/Back to the Future mash up. It might be fun someday, who knows?!<br /><br /><object height="349" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/bBBw9E2Q_aY?fs=1&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/bBBw9E2Q_aY?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" height="349" width="560"></embed></object><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /><b>Phamtom Zone</b>: What was your favorite HISHE?</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>HISHE</b>: That's a really tough question. From the original collection, I really love How Lord of the Rings Should Have Ended and it's probably the one that we hear the most about from fans when we attend conventions. I also love our Terminator short, it still gives me goosebumps. More recently I have to say I'm really proud of our TRON rap video. That was a HUGE undertaking and I'm really happy we attempted something different and outside our box.</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /><b>Phamtom Zone</b>: What movies can the fans look forward to in the future that HISHE will spoof?</div><div style="text-align: justify;" class="im"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>HISHE</b>: Well, we're working on Toy Story 3 right now. And Harry Potter fans can relax because we promise we'll spoof that this summer when the series ends.<br /><br />Our Scream HISHE is already up on our website, but will debut on Youtube this Thursday if you want to embed it on your blog. Thanks for your interest in us, we really appreciate bloggers spreading the word!<br /><br /><b>Phamtom Zone</b>: Thank you for the interview!</div>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16185818.post-22578410953338320722011-04-12T08:21:00.002-07:002011-04-12T16:21:55.567-07:00Mortal Kombat Legacy: Episode 01Here is the first episode of the new Mortal Kombat webseries. I'm about to watch it now. Check it out, it's only 12 minutes long!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PKE_maspdxg" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>Petehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09790987551989397467noreply@blogger.com0