They Don't Make 'em Like This Anymore

I'm pretty busy with school starting and all, so I don't have the energy for a meaningful post. So I'm just gonna sit back and enjoy this vid of some classic mecha-vs.-mecha action from my favorite anime, Mobile Police Patlabor.



Man, those were the days, when all you needed was a giant robot and some fighting spirit...

And I'm totally crushing on Noa Izumi. Just saying. She's too cool, and cute to boot.

Gideon II

If you're a fan of DC's Checkmate, or just the DC Universe in general, you really need to check out this viral website set up by DC.

Username "CARL DRAPER", password "wilhelmina".

(Oh, and if anyone at DC sees this post and wants me to delete it 'cause I'm blabbing their secret, I'll comply.)

RIP Heath Ledger

Heath Ledger died today.

What a downer. Poor guy. Now his three-year-old kid will never know her dad.

I'm just in shock at all this.

Answerman Saves the Day

I don't regularly read Anime News Network (I'm mainly a comics fan; anime is just a secondary obsession for me :P), but I was just looking up cast information on a series I'm currently following and happened to read this column while I was there.

While I understand the importance of being precise with your speech, honestly, "anime" just means "Japanese cartoons". People these days know what you mean when you say anime, but getting angry about people saying "Japanese cartoons" smacks of mindless elitism to me. The word "anime" does not imbue these things with some kind of foreign coolness, it's just an easy catch-all. It's the same with manga - there's really nothing wrong with calling them comics, or "Japanese comics" or whatever. Yeah, I guess it's "more correct" to say anime and manga but I often get the feeling when people "correct" you on this sort of thing, it's less about being precise or actually believing that the person saying "Japanese comics" doesn't know that they're "supposed" to say manga, it's more about being a bit pedantic and elitist.

Thank you, Answerman. Thank you. I loves me some anime and manga, but anyone who thinks that Sailor Moon is superior to Watchmen just by basis of its national origin is fooling themselves.

Also, Ron Paul is apparently the pro-anime candidate.

HAHAHAHAHA

Afganis-tan

Um...

Am I the only one who finds this just a mite distasteful?

Especially this part here?

I mean, I think it's great and all that someone's trying to educate people about Central Asia's tumultuous history, but there's got to be a better way...

Move Over, Chuck Norris!

I knew Captain Falcon from Super Smash Bros. was from an old video game called F-Zero, but I didn't know there was a cartoon based on it. Or how awesome the captain was. All I can say is...

With the fury of a thousand volcanoes...

With the might of a thousand battleships...

With the passion of a thousand dinosaurs...


FALCON PUNCH!!!

Countdown Presents: Lord Havoc and the Extremists

I've been reading this comic, not because I have any attachment to the characters (I don't, tho' it's always nice to see some JLI alums pop up), or because I like the author (I don't), or because of the Countdown brand name (hellz no), but because I'm always interested in exploring new Earths throughout the new multiverse and yadda yadda.

Anyway.

I can't quite figure out whether or not it's supposed to be a parody of bad '90s comics with overwrought plots and dialog, characters who are total jerkasses, and art that looks like it was done by a hormonal 14-year-old boy.

If it is, then it's actually pretty darn clever.

If it isn't, it's crap.

Hmmm.

Breakfast of the Gods

So, y'all should all probably be reading Breakfast of the Gods right about now. I'm just tellin' ya for your own good.

What's it about? Think The Lord of the Rings meets Crisis on Infinite Earths meets this nutritious breakfast.

...the puffs... the chocolaty, chocolaty puffs...

The Butler Did It

If I had any faith at all in my ability to write fiction, I think I would like to write a story in which we know from the beginning that the butler really did do it and the real mystery is how and why.

The title, of course, would be "The Butler Did It."

Why yes, I have indeed been reading TV Tropes Wiki again, why do you ask?

CD Meme

I don't usually post memes I wasn't tagged for on my Blogger account, but I figured some of my comics blogosphere friends might have fun with it too, so. Here's a fun meme borrowed from some friends of mine on LiveJournal. Try it -- it's fun!

1. Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random. The first article title on the page is the name of your band. Write it down.

2. Now point your trusty web browser towards http://www.quotationspage.com/random.php3. The last four words of the very last quote is the title of your album. Write it too down, not too large, not too small, somewhere in the same place as the name of your band. (Only kidding, just write it down however you want...)

3. Our third and last visit on the internet shall be http://www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days/. The third picture, no matter what it is, and no matter how attractive the other pictures are, will be your album cover. Don't cheat on this one!

4. Lastly, open up your favourite graphics program and apply your editing skills to combine all three, and post the results.



I would so buy this album, if I didn't first illegally download the two or three songs on it worth listening to.

Space has a New Hero!

Okay, so I bought the Teen Titans Lost Annual at my friendly local comics shop today, which was written in 2000 but put on the shelf for eight years because it was so damn weird. Here is the last page.

So, like, John F. Kennedy is kidnapped by some aliens who looks like the Johnny Carson-era Beatles, who need him for their war with some furry space-hippies, and replace him with a shapeshifting duplicate, and the Teen Titans come get him, and he makes peace between the space-mods and space-hippies, but while they're away the Cuban Missile Crisis happens and the JFK-duplicate gets assassinated and the real JFK decides to let the world think he's dead so he can go back into space to help the space-mods and space-hippies.

PHEW.

Oh, and Wonder Girl falls in love with a space-hippie named Zora but breaks up with him 'cause he has three wives already.

And so...



JFK, Hero of Space!!!

Timmy, Johnny, and Spike

I was reading this article on game design by Mark Rosewater, the head designer for Magic: The Gathering and one of the big names in the gaming industry. He talks about the different kinds of players that he markets to, why they play, and what they enjoy. It's an entertaining read if you're curious about the inner workings of the gaming industry.

Anyway, it occured to me that these three "psychological profiles" extend beyond just one single card game and cover just about any game player you can think of:

Timmy/Tina -- Plays for fun and wants to have a good time around the game table. Stereotyped as a power gamer; loves splashy effects and blowing things up. Maybe doesn't know the rules too well. Loves having a great story to tell about the game afterwards.

Johnny/Joanie -- Plays to express him/herself. Stereotyped as a role-player (as opposed to "roll"-player) in RPGs and many fit that profile, though may also or instead express him/herself through number crunching by putting together game stats in a way no one else has or building a deck around a spectacular combo.

Spike/Barb -- Plays to win. Stereotyped as a "roll"-player (as opposed to role-player) or munchkin. Gravitates toward competetive games (such as card games, board games, etc.) or games with a clearly-defined objective (such as most video games). Spikes/Barbs who play RPGs prefer "kick in the door, kill the monsters, loot the treasure" game play.

Needless to say, there can be some overlap between the different types, and one can be some combination of the three. Personally I see myself as a Johnny/Timmy hybrid.

Yet Another MTG Preview

I promise I'll try and post something of substance in the not-too-distant future, but for now...



Another great preview card from Morningtide. The thing I love about this guy is his synergy with the set's other legendary elf: You lose 3 life each turn with Maralen, then get it back same turn with interest with Rhys. It's like they were made for each other. <3

I'd also like to give it some bonus points for the art. Very dynamic, and I love how the loose clothing shows off his not-quite-human anatomy in motion.

Because it must be linked to:

Reign of the Supermen in 30 seconds.

(If you don't get the ending, click here.

That's a shocker...

Which Power Ring would come to you?

You are strong in the dark side of the emotional spectrum. You have hate. You have anger. Good... good...You will make a powerful Red Lantern Lord. Draw on your anger, your rage. Let it build inside you. It makes you stronger than others. You will have your revenge.
Take this quiz!








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I feel speshul.

For the first time just now I played against someone I don't know on Magic Workstation and totally kicked their butt with a deck I just threw together like two minutes before that.

Lovisa Coldeyes and Phantom Warrior are a match made in heaven. I never would have thought of a red/blue warrior deck:

Warrior's Guile
(Type 2 deck, 60 cards, under construction, no sideboard as yet)

Lands
Island x8
Mountain x8
Shivan Reef x4

Creatures
Amoeboid Changeling x4
Axegrinder Giant x1
Boggart Sprite-Chaser x2
Boldwyr Intimidator x2
Goblin Furrier x3
Lovisa Coldeyes x4
Phantom Warrior x4
Sage of Epityr x4
Shapesharer x1
Turtleshell Changeling x1

Spells
Ego Erasure x2
Ovinize x3
Remove Soul x4
Unsummon x3
Wings of Velis Vel x3

Looking Forward to Morningtide

From MTG's upcoming new set:



Damn. That is badass.

Oh, and Happy New Year everyone!!! :D