This first video... well, you'll likely be interested in the first part of it -- a TV commercial for the World's Greatest Superheroes action figures that I've never seen before, and I have a video of what I thought were all the Mego TV commercials!
Next up, the introduction to the Groovie Goolies (have you bought your copy of the DVD release yet?)!
Jon's Random Acts of Geekery is your five days a week destination for old-school geekery!
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Guess What This Post Is About?
Yes, it's some more live links from The Incredible Internet Guide to Comic Books and Super-Heroes! We're up to Directories and Link Lists...
The Marvel URL List by Randy Tischler is still up... but it hasn't been updated in seven years, so it's anyone's guess if any of the links are still active there... and that's the only link listed in the book that's still around!
Next up? Search Engines -- these are supposed to be comics-related search engines. The Science Fiction Crowsnest is supposed to be a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Search Engine... but I don't see a search engine there. Might be worth checking out, though!
Oh, they did mention Comic Book Resources here... but I've never really thought of CBR as being a search engine, you know? They do have a link database, however they don't always check on how up-to-date these are. About six years ago, I started going through it and letting them know what sites were gone or needed revised URLs, and they updated those (even thanked me on the site for it!).
Now, on to Webrings... this may take me a while to do, since there's so many listed (we'll see how many are still up!)...
...except that after a full page of entering in URLs, none of them (from A through G) are still there, so I won't even bother with the remainder.
Next posting: Comic Book Careers!
Jon
The Marvel URL List by Randy Tischler is still up... but it hasn't been updated in seven years, so it's anyone's guess if any of the links are still active there... and that's the only link listed in the book that's still around!
Next up? Search Engines -- these are supposed to be comics-related search engines. The Science Fiction Crowsnest is supposed to be a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Search Engine... but I don't see a search engine there. Might be worth checking out, though!
Oh, they did mention Comic Book Resources here... but I've never really thought of CBR as being a search engine, you know? They do have a link database, however they don't always check on how up-to-date these are. About six years ago, I started going through it and letting them know what sites were gone or needed revised URLs, and they updated those (even thanked me on the site for it!).
Now, on to Webrings... this may take me a while to do, since there's so many listed (we'll see how many are still up!)...
...except that after a full page of entering in URLs, none of them (from A through G) are still there, so I won't even bother with the remainder.
Next posting: Comic Book Careers!
Jon
This 'n That Time!
OK, let's see what I've avoided talking about while posting stupid links culled from that "Incredible Internet Guide to Comics and Super-Heroes" book...
Work this week went fine... more or less, anyway. One of our clients, a local appliance store (which I had done some spec ads for over a year ago that were turned down because they looked "too modern" -- their current ads pretty much all look like they were designed in the 1970s and never updated since then) had a new ad they needed built, and only had some vague ideas, which were communicated to me through the sales rep. I took what I was given, and kind of ran with it (it was a full-color half-page ad, but with no guidance for what to use for color... plus it was supposed to have appliance manufacturer's logos on it, but I was given no previous jobs to pick up those logos from, so I went and got high-res ones from one of those websites I keep mentioning obliquely). To make a long story short (well, shorter, anyway), what I gave them wasn't anything like what they were expecting... "but it's perfect," to use their words. Apparently, I managed to actually give them a modern-looking ad that they really, really liked!
The sales rep was so appreciative that she a) Gave me a nice thank-you card with two free movie passes to the Regal Cinemas, and b) Emailed my boss and her boss to let them know how much they appreciate the outstanding work I did.
Hmm... you know, the last time I got some little token of appreciation, it was only a week or two later that I made employee of the month! It'd be nice if I could have managed to accomplish that a second time this year (it would make me practically a shoo-in for employee of the year).
In other stuff... it's raining here in the South Puget Sound area (well, all of Western Washington, from what I can tell)... which is not unusual in and of itself, and god knows we needed the rain after the near-drought we were having over the summer... but the streets here don't have drains located nearly as often as they should be, and there's about a two-foot wide "creek" running down either side of our street as the rain's been coming down (plus a mini-waterfall of sorts going from our driveway to the street). The rain is great for the grass and other plants, naturally... but it makes it a pain to take the dogs for their walks!
Plus, earlier today, Jessi and I ran out to take care of a few errands, including a quick stop at Fred Meyer to get milk and diet cola... and after I unloaded the cart into the car, and pushed the cart to the cart corral, I stepped in a muddle... that was so freakin' deep that my shoes and socks were completely soaked through in seconds! There's a few parking lots near there, too, which have puddles so deep that if you don't have a decent amount of speed when you hit them while driving, you could risk having your car stall out (I've seen situations where the water got just deep enough that if you don't have the necessary forward momentum going, the water can drain into your tailpipe and kill the engine -- and I've seen people creep through at speeds so slow that's what happened to them).
I'll never understand why parking lots and streets get designed so there's places where this can happen.
This coming week, on Thursday, November 9, is my 44th birthday (gads, I'm getting closer and closer to that half-century mark). Jessi and I don't have anything special planned for that day (well, I have that day off), but we're having the family birthday party next Saturday at our place. I decided that instead of doing all sorts of cooking, as I usually do for our parties, that we'll make it a build-your-own-sub-sandwich bar kind of thing... with different kinds of buns and breads, different lunch meats, cheeses, etc... with all the essential toppings, to boot, plus veggie tray, some kind of side salad... and I'm not going to be buying all the food for it, either! Heck, it's my family, people can bring some of the stuff (plus they'll be asked to bring their own drinks). Jessi's had her present to me for my birthday (the one she hasn't given to me already, that is) wrapped up for a few days now... I think she's more anxious to give it to me than I am to find out what it is!
Hmmm... can't think of much else to talk about! I'm on the last of the movies I recorded on the DVR from Monsterfest X (Terror of Mechagodzilla -- Godzilla's about to make his first real appearance in the movie, aside from the scenes in the opening credits, Mechagodzilla hasn't moved at all, the only monster shown in action is Titanosaurus so far). Once I finish watching that, I have about six or seven Gigantors to watch... and there's this past week's Star Trek and Fantastic Four episodes to watch (I've heard that Cartoon Network's pulled the Fantastic Four toon from its future schedule, though).
Jon
Work this week went fine... more or less, anyway. One of our clients, a local appliance store (which I had done some spec ads for over a year ago that were turned down because they looked "too modern" -- their current ads pretty much all look like they were designed in the 1970s and never updated since then) had a new ad they needed built, and only had some vague ideas, which were communicated to me through the sales rep. I took what I was given, and kind of ran with it (it was a full-color half-page ad, but with no guidance for what to use for color... plus it was supposed to have appliance manufacturer's logos on it, but I was given no previous jobs to pick up those logos from, so I went and got high-res ones from one of those websites I keep mentioning obliquely). To make a long story short (well, shorter, anyway), what I gave them wasn't anything like what they were expecting... "but it's perfect," to use their words. Apparently, I managed to actually give them a modern-looking ad that they really, really liked!
The sales rep was so appreciative that she a) Gave me a nice thank-you card with two free movie passes to the Regal Cinemas, and b) Emailed my boss and her boss to let them know how much they appreciate the outstanding work I did.
Hmm... you know, the last time I got some little token of appreciation, it was only a week or two later that I made employee of the month! It'd be nice if I could have managed to accomplish that a second time this year (it would make me practically a shoo-in for employee of the year).
In other stuff... it's raining here in the South Puget Sound area (well, all of Western Washington, from what I can tell)... which is not unusual in and of itself, and god knows we needed the rain after the near-drought we were having over the summer... but the streets here don't have drains located nearly as often as they should be, and there's about a two-foot wide "creek" running down either side of our street as the rain's been coming down (plus a mini-waterfall of sorts going from our driveway to the street). The rain is great for the grass and other plants, naturally... but it makes it a pain to take the dogs for their walks!
Plus, earlier today, Jessi and I ran out to take care of a few errands, including a quick stop at Fred Meyer to get milk and diet cola... and after I unloaded the cart into the car, and pushed the cart to the cart corral, I stepped in a muddle... that was so freakin' deep that my shoes and socks were completely soaked through in seconds! There's a few parking lots near there, too, which have puddles so deep that if you don't have a decent amount of speed when you hit them while driving, you could risk having your car stall out (I've seen situations where the water got just deep enough that if you don't have the necessary forward momentum going, the water can drain into your tailpipe and kill the engine -- and I've seen people creep through at speeds so slow that's what happened to them).
I'll never understand why parking lots and streets get designed so there's places where this can happen.
This coming week, on Thursday, November 9, is my 44th birthday (gads, I'm getting closer and closer to that half-century mark). Jessi and I don't have anything special planned for that day (well, I have that day off), but we're having the family birthday party next Saturday at our place. I decided that instead of doing all sorts of cooking, as I usually do for our parties, that we'll make it a build-your-own-sub-sandwich bar kind of thing... with different kinds of buns and breads, different lunch meats, cheeses, etc... with all the essential toppings, to boot, plus veggie tray, some kind of side salad... and I'm not going to be buying all the food for it, either! Heck, it's my family, people can bring some of the stuff (plus they'll be asked to bring their own drinks). Jessi's had her present to me for my birthday (the one she hasn't given to me already, that is) wrapped up for a few days now... I think she's more anxious to give it to me than I am to find out what it is!
Hmmm... can't think of much else to talk about! I'm on the last of the movies I recorded on the DVR from Monsterfest X (Terror of Mechagodzilla -- Godzilla's about to make his first real appearance in the movie, aside from the scenes in the opening credits, Mechagodzilla hasn't moved at all, the only monster shown in action is Titanosaurus so far). Once I finish watching that, I have about six or seven Gigantors to watch... and there's this past week's Star Trek and Fantastic Four episodes to watch (I've heard that Cartoon Network's pulled the Fantastic Four toon from its future schedule, though).
Jon
Friday, November 03, 2006
more Incredible Internet Guide Links!
Yes, that's right, I don't have anything better to talk about tonight... so it's on to Annotations!
I'd already listed the Annotated Crisis on Infinite Earths link a few posts back (go ahead, scroll down to it, I'll wait).
The Annotated Justice Society Checklist was one I was looking forward to, but the original link says it's been moved... and the site it moved to is gone. What a shame!
Strangely enough, the Books of Magic Annotations Page is still up, even though it's on a college host site (they usually tend to disappear when the student who created it graduates). This same person has created other comics annotation pages located here.
Jess Nevins' Comic Book Annotations is still up and running... check it out!
And that's it... on to Databases... if any be left up!
Well, the Dark Knight: Comics Database is still up... and naturally, the Grand Comics Database is still there, getting better every day!
The site listed for Image Comics Database is now Image Comics Resources... and if you're into Image Comics, I'd imagine you'll find stuff of interest there... even if it hasn't been updated for four years.
They list both AllMovie.com and The Internet Movie Database.
There's all kinds great info at the Pazsaz Entertainment Network -- especially their Superhero Cartoon Database!
The site listed in the book is out of date, but I found an updated listing for The Unofficial Database of Marvel Comics Creators.
Let's see... next up are FAQs aka Frequently Asked Questions... but after lots of entering URLs that don't exist any more, I'm giving up halfway through this category!
So, on to Historical Information
The only remaining site, The History of Superhero Comic Books, had exceeded its daily bandwidth limit when I check up on it... so I'm guessing you may not have any more luck, unless you check it out early in the day!
The entirety of the Synopes section seems to be missing, with the rare exception of sites that I'd already covered (too bad most of those sites were all on the same host site that's no longer around).
So, what's next? Well, there's Miscellaneous Reference Texts; Directories and Link Lists; Search Engines; Web Rings; General Comics Career Resources; Creating the Art; Writing; Creators Sites; Series & Titles Online, Super-Team Sites; Character Sites; and last is sections on fan sites based on publisher (which I'm guessing will be retreads of stuff covered in the previous two sections).
We'll see how long it takes to get through all those!
Jon
I'd already listed the Annotated Crisis on Infinite Earths link a few posts back (go ahead, scroll down to it, I'll wait).
The Annotated Justice Society Checklist was one I was looking forward to, but the original link says it's been moved... and the site it moved to is gone. What a shame!
Strangely enough, the Books of Magic Annotations Page is still up, even though it's on a college host site (they usually tend to disappear when the student who created it graduates). This same person has created other comics annotation pages located here.
Jess Nevins' Comic Book Annotations is still up and running... check it out!
And that's it... on to Databases... if any be left up!
Well, the Dark Knight: Comics Database is still up... and naturally, the Grand Comics Database is still there, getting better every day!
The site listed for Image Comics Database is now Image Comics Resources... and if you're into Image Comics, I'd imagine you'll find stuff of interest there... even if it hasn't been updated for four years.
They list both AllMovie.com and The Internet Movie Database.
There's all kinds great info at the Pazsaz Entertainment Network -- especially their Superhero Cartoon Database!
The site listed in the book is out of date, but I found an updated listing for The Unofficial Database of Marvel Comics Creators.
Let's see... next up are FAQs aka Frequently Asked Questions... but after lots of entering URLs that don't exist any more, I'm giving up halfway through this category!
So, on to Historical Information
The only remaining site, The History of Superhero Comic Books, had exceeded its daily bandwidth limit when I check up on it... so I'm guessing you may not have any more luck, unless you check it out early in the day!
The entirety of the Synopes section seems to be missing, with the rare exception of sites that I'd already covered (too bad most of those sites were all on the same host site that's no longer around).
So, what's next? Well, there's Miscellaneous Reference Texts; Directories and Link Lists; Search Engines; Web Rings; General Comics Career Resources; Creating the Art; Writing; Creators Sites; Series & Titles Online, Super-Team Sites; Character Sites; and last is sections on fan sites based on publisher (which I'm guessing will be retreads of stuff covered in the previous two sections).
We'll see how long it takes to get through all those!
Jon
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
More Incredible Internet Guide... Links!
The next group of sites are those to help you part with your hard-earned cash... I make no promises as to how good or reliable these sites are, nor do I get any kind of kickback from these links...
On to Selling...
The World Famous Comics classifieds site listed in the book is now at this location.
I see that ComicLink is still up and running...
And while I'm sure that Yahoo Auctions still has comic book auctions, I'm even more sure that you'll find more listings on eBay... although I'm even more certain that you can win auctions on Yahoo much more easily, since there are rarely any bidders there.
Shopping Online
Atomic Comics
The Cellar of Comics
Comic Books Circus
Golden Apple Comics
Wicked Cool Stuff
Mile High Comics
Neverland Comics
New Dimension Comics
Salem Comics
Superheroes Animation Art Page
Graham Crackers Comics
So, that was a more successful section of the book... although I'd bet there are lots and lots of sites that aren't listed in the book that were around then and are still today!
On the other hand... if you want to do some shopping that I will make some money on...
On to Selling...
The World Famous Comics classifieds site listed in the book is now at this location.
I see that ComicLink is still up and running...
And while I'm sure that Yahoo Auctions still has comic book auctions, I'm even more sure that you'll find more listings on eBay... although I'm even more certain that you can win auctions on Yahoo much more easily, since there are rarely any bidders there.
Shopping Online
Atomic Comics
The Cellar of Comics
Comic Books Circus
Golden Apple Comics
Wicked Cool Stuff
Mile High Comics
Neverland Comics
New Dimension Comics
Salem Comics
Superheroes Animation Art Page
Graham Crackers Comics
So, that was a more successful section of the book... although I'd bet there are lots and lots of sites that aren't listed in the book that were around then and are still today!
On the other hand... if you want to do some shopping that I will make some money on...
Early Birthday Presents!
I can't believe I mentioned this earlier... but a few weeks back, I got an early birthday present from my wife, Jessi... it was an amazing surprise... a copy of one of Emeril Lagasse's cookbooks... signed by Emeril himself!
I've been an admirer of Emeril for some time now, even if I rarely watch his show these days... actually, I'm a fan of most of the cooks on the Food Network shows. Even though I rarely cook the exact recipes they prepare on the shows, I always learn something I can apply in my own cooking.
More recently, I got a nice birthday surprise in today's mail... You may recall my mentioning a while back that I got to preview Digital Webbing's new E-Man one-shot, right? I even ran the letter I wrote in a blog entry some time ago.
Well, today, I got a copy of the book in the mail, and it was one of a special edition print run of only 500 copies (not that I'd consider selling it or anything like that). The best surprise about it was when I looked at the letters page... and my letter was run in it!
Sheesh, here I am, a nearly 44-year-old comics geek, and this was my very first letter published in a comic book. I've had letters published in the Comics Buyers Guide, and of course I mentioned the one in the last Charlton Spotlight... but this was the only one published in a comic book itself!
Jon
I've been an admirer of Emeril for some time now, even if I rarely watch his show these days... actually, I'm a fan of most of the cooks on the Food Network shows. Even though I rarely cook the exact recipes they prepare on the shows, I always learn something I can apply in my own cooking.
More recently, I got a nice birthday surprise in today's mail... You may recall my mentioning a while back that I got to preview Digital Webbing's new E-Man one-shot, right? I even ran the letter I wrote in a blog entry some time ago.
Well, today, I got a copy of the book in the mail, and it was one of a special edition print run of only 500 copies (not that I'd consider selling it or anything like that). The best surprise about it was when I looked at the letters page... and my letter was run in it!
Sheesh, here I am, a nearly 44-year-old comics geek, and this was my very first letter published in a comic book. I've had letters published in the Comics Buyers Guide, and of course I mentioned the one in the last Charlton Spotlight... but this was the only one published in a comic book itself!
Jon
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
More Incredible Internet Guide... Stuff
We're continuing with the Events category...
And there's no sites left that they listed for Age of Apocalypse...
And I found one site from the Amalgam section... Who's Who - Handbook of the Amalgam Universe
The same person also has other sites listed, and they can all be found at The Chroma City Page. It looks worth checking out!
Moving Onward to Collecting (since those were the only sites left), starting with Action Figures...
While Tegan's original Aquaman Action Figure site isn't there anymore... she has started an Aquaman Shrine which features all kinds of Aquaman merchandise...
Although it's moved from the original location in the book, Dr. Mego's Reproductions is still going strong... they're the official supplier to Adult Swim's Robot Chicken show!
Do you really need to be told how to find the official websites for Hasbro or McFarlane Toys? I don't think so.
If you're interested in toys, you should check out The Raving Toy Maniac. You can probably find the other sites that are mentioned in the book (but aren't at the same URL) by starting from that page.
Sheesh... it's been nearly three pages of site listings before I found anything that still worked! That means none of the Customized Action Figures, Collectibles, or Professional Are for Sale sites were up!
Pulps
The Hero Pulp site is still up -- if you want to learn about the precursor to comic books!
The Vintage Library's Pulp Fiction Central page is still up, too!
So is The Pulp.net.
And that's it for tonight!
Jon
And there's no sites left that they listed for Age of Apocalypse...
And I found one site from the Amalgam section... Who's Who - Handbook of the Amalgam Universe
The same person also has other sites listed, and they can all be found at The Chroma City Page. It looks worth checking out!
Moving Onward to Collecting (since those were the only sites left), starting with Action Figures...
While Tegan's original Aquaman Action Figure site isn't there anymore... she has started an Aquaman Shrine which features all kinds of Aquaman merchandise...
Although it's moved from the original location in the book, Dr. Mego's Reproductions is still going strong... they're the official supplier to Adult Swim's Robot Chicken show!
Do you really need to be told how to find the official websites for Hasbro or McFarlane Toys? I don't think so.
If you're interested in toys, you should check out The Raving Toy Maniac. You can probably find the other sites that are mentioned in the book (but aren't at the same URL) by starting from that page.
Sheesh... it's been nearly three pages of site listings before I found anything that still worked! That means none of the Customized Action Figures, Collectibles, or Professional Are for Sale sites were up!
Pulps
The Hero Pulp site is still up -- if you want to learn about the precursor to comic books!
The Vintage Library's Pulp Fiction Central page is still up, too!
So is The Pulp.net.
And that's it for tonight!
Jon
This 'n That - Post-Halloween Edition
Mark Evanier...
...really doesn't like Halloween... or candy corn, either.
Next Halloween...
I have to remember a few details:
1. No matter how few kids show up the first "official" hour of trick-or-treating (around here, it's all supposed to be done from 6pm to 8pm), DON'T start handing out gobs of candy to kids who show up during the last hour.
2. And just to be safe, always buy even more candy than you think you need. (Because I didn't follow rule #1, I ran out of candy and was bringing the decorations inside just as another group of kids was coming to the door).
3. Next year, put a sign on the door saying, "No teenagers unless accompanied by a child, please." I'm sorry, but I think at age 13 or 14, you should reconsider participating in trick-or-treating, unless you're accompanying a younger sibling. And if you're old enough to drive, you DEFINITELY shouldn't trick-or-treat unless you're bringing a much younger sibling with you.
4. The sign should also read, "No Costume, No Candy." Just because I'm a sticker for Halloween tradition. And I can't buy the concept that not everybody can afford a costume for Halloween, either... not when you can buy entire costumes at The Dollar Tree! (honestly, I saw them!)
Watched Heroes Tonight...
And I'm a bit confused... well, a little confused, maybe. Surely they didn't kill Nicki off, did they? She's not shown in the previews for next week, but of course, that's just smart preview editing.
Intersting how Claire, the healing cheerleader, has started doing stuff that most of us wouldn't think about doing (such as taking a hot tray of cupcakes out of the oven without an oven mitt, or even an Ove Glove) so casually... she definitely accepts the powers she's got (and I figure she has two -- 1) She regenerates from any physical harm, and 2) She doesn't feel pain). Obviously, those weren't her real bio-parents!
Hiro is definitely my favorite character on the show, and will remain so as long as he keeps demonstrating how much of an uber-geek he is like in this week's episode!
Peter (I think that's his name -- the guy who can copy other people's powers, although he doesn't realize that's his power) barely appeared in the episode at all, did he? In fact, his only appearance was a repeat of the last scene from last week's ep! And his brother, the flying senator, was nowhere to be seen (neither was the psychic policeman).
I don't mind some characters getting short shrift every now and then... but what if the psychic cop was someone's favorite character?
Haven't Watched This Week's House Yet
But that doesn't mean I haven't read the review at Polite Dissent -- why do I do that? Well, it won't spoil the episode for me that much, as I'm sure I'll barely remember it by the time we watch the episode tomorrow night.
Can't Believe I Haven't Mentioned Yet...
This week's Cover Stories Column was posted on time... this week's theme: "Get In The Picture!"
Jon
...really doesn't like Halloween... or candy corn, either.
Next Halloween...
I have to remember a few details:
1. No matter how few kids show up the first "official" hour of trick-or-treating (around here, it's all supposed to be done from 6pm to 8pm), DON'T start handing out gobs of candy to kids who show up during the last hour.
2. And just to be safe, always buy even more candy than you think you need. (Because I didn't follow rule #1, I ran out of candy and was bringing the decorations inside just as another group of kids was coming to the door).
3. Next year, put a sign on the door saying, "No teenagers unless accompanied by a child, please." I'm sorry, but I think at age 13 or 14, you should reconsider participating in trick-or-treating, unless you're accompanying a younger sibling. And if you're old enough to drive, you DEFINITELY shouldn't trick-or-treat unless you're bringing a much younger sibling with you.
4. The sign should also read, "No Costume, No Candy." Just because I'm a sticker for Halloween tradition. And I can't buy the concept that not everybody can afford a costume for Halloween, either... not when you can buy entire costumes at The Dollar Tree! (honestly, I saw them!)
Watched Heroes Tonight...
And I'm a bit confused... well, a little confused, maybe. Surely they didn't kill Nicki off, did they? She's not shown in the previews for next week, but of course, that's just smart preview editing.
Intersting how Claire, the healing cheerleader, has started doing stuff that most of us wouldn't think about doing (such as taking a hot tray of cupcakes out of the oven without an oven mitt, or even an Ove Glove) so casually... she definitely accepts the powers she's got (and I figure she has two -- 1) She regenerates from any physical harm, and 2) She doesn't feel pain). Obviously, those weren't her real bio-parents!
Hiro is definitely my favorite character on the show, and will remain so as long as he keeps demonstrating how much of an uber-geek he is like in this week's episode!
Peter (I think that's his name -- the guy who can copy other people's powers, although he doesn't realize that's his power) barely appeared in the episode at all, did he? In fact, his only appearance was a repeat of the last scene from last week's ep! And his brother, the flying senator, was nowhere to be seen (neither was the psychic policeman).
I don't mind some characters getting short shrift every now and then... but what if the psychic cop was someone's favorite character?
Haven't Watched This Week's House Yet
But that doesn't mean I haven't read the review at Polite Dissent -- why do I do that? Well, it won't spoil the episode for me that much, as I'm sure I'll barely remember it by the time we watch the episode tomorrow night.
Can't Believe I Haven't Mentioned Yet...
This week's Cover Stories Column was posted on time... this week's theme: "Get In The Picture!"
Jon
Monday, October 30, 2006
Happy Halloween!
You know, sometimes I think Halloween is my favorite "holiday" of the year. There's been a number of times in my life when I didn't have a thing to do with Halloween (such as when I lived in Wisconsin -- the apartment complex I was in didn't seem to have any kids), and the past two years, I was working while the trick-or-treaters came around... but I'm hoping to be home soon enough this year to be able to catch some of the kids in costume.
My first Halloween after moving back from Wisconsin was probably my best one ever, personally... I got involved with a haunted house project, and created my Frankenstein Monster make-up (which I've not worn since -- although I would probably be more effective with it now than I was then). It was a blast, dressing up and scaring the crap out of people.
I also attended one Halloween party that year... and Jessi and I haven't attended one since. And as you know, this year and last, my costume was my Superman one (which will need some work for next year -- I needed to wash it after this year's Bones & Treats, and since the S-Shields were glued on, they came off in the wash).
Anyway...
One of these years, once Jessi and I have bought a house, I'm hoping to do my own haunted house... assuming I can find some people who are also interested in doing this. If I can get the volunteers, I would create all the monster make-up for them (putting make-up on other people is much easier than putting it on yourself, y'know), and my own role would be as a "mad scientist" type, sort of the host of the thing. There'd be scary music, special effects, etc... and each subsequent year, I'd add on to it.
Of course, it'd have to be something that I could keep out of the way so that it wouldn't bother Jessi!
But it's a dream, one that I hope in another year or two to start fulfilling.
Have a Happy Halloween, readers!
Jon
My first Halloween after moving back from Wisconsin was probably my best one ever, personally... I got involved with a haunted house project, and created my Frankenstein Monster make-up (which I've not worn since -- although I would probably be more effective with it now than I was then). It was a blast, dressing up and scaring the crap out of people.
I also attended one Halloween party that year... and Jessi and I haven't attended one since. And as you know, this year and last, my costume was my Superman one (which will need some work for next year -- I needed to wash it after this year's Bones & Treats, and since the S-Shields were glued on, they came off in the wash).
Anyway...
One of these years, once Jessi and I have bought a house, I'm hoping to do my own haunted house... assuming I can find some people who are also interested in doing this. If I can get the volunteers, I would create all the monster make-up for them (putting make-up on other people is much easier than putting it on yourself, y'know), and my own role would be as a "mad scientist" type, sort of the host of the thing. There'd be scary music, special effects, etc... and each subsequent year, I'd add on to it.
Of course, it'd have to be something that I could keep out of the way so that it wouldn't bother Jessi!
But it's a dream, one that I hope in another year or two to start fulfilling.
Have a Happy Halloween, readers!
Jon
It's Cold... and Bones & Treats
It's gotten a bit chilly around here... this morning, when I let the dogs out for a few minutes, the thermometer said it was only about 38 degrees (OK, that was in the shade, but still...). Sunday around here was full of high winds -- although fortunately, not high enough that power or cable got affected! It did make it feel extremely cold, though; when we took the dogs for their walk Sunday morning, we were feeling so cold after two laps (we usually do three), we decided to head home.
(Wow, I'm really writing this entry out of chronological order!)
Saturday was the Bones & Treats event, such as it was. The "sponsor" of the event, Pet Spa (a pet grooming and doggie daycare facility, with three locations in town) had been taken over by new owners since last year's event, and it really showed this year. As with the two previous years we took part in this, it started at one of the daycare locations and ended up at the other one (the third location is grooming only, and wasn't included in the event). Unlike the previous years, though, there was no kind of event at either location... no costume contest, no "bobbing for biscuits," no photographer taking pictures of the dogs in costume... none of that.
In addition, rather than making it more of a timed event, where you'd be able to see all the other people's dogs in costumes, it was spread out, lasting (in theory, at least) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last two years, it started at 10 a.m., and everyone gathered at one location before heading out to the next stops on the list.
A few businesses who'd participated in previous years dropped out this time around, and there were a few new businesses who were added to the list. A lot of the stops where completely disorganized, as if they didn't know what time things were supposed to start. For example, the first stop after the Pet Spa on our side of town was at PetSmart -- when we showed up there, they didn't have anyone set up for anything, and one of the store employees ended up just opening up a bag of dog biscuits to hand out (they had some excuse about some people who were supposed to show up running late... I'm not sure if I buy that or not).
One of the stops has to be commended -- and I wish I could remember the new name of the business, but it's the one that's the most out of the way to go to. They definitely realized that if you're going that far out of your way to stop there, they need to make it worth your while -- and they do! They're always one of the best stops, handing out loads of samples of dog food and treats, plus other goodies. I think they were responsible for half the total goodies we collected!
PetCo, on the other hand, we're not so happy with... and it probably isn't their fault. We showed up there around 11 a.m., saw nothing was set up for Bones & Treats, and learned that they weren't expecting anyone to show up there until 2 p.m., for their own costume contest (why this wasn't established before is beyond me... but then, there seemed to be a major lack of follow-through). Well we did have some plans for later that afternoon, so we ended up just leaving there and going on to the final stops.
I'd imagine that if this had been our first Bones & Treats, we wouldn't have felt disappointed in this year's event... but given it was the third one, it did feel like a let-down. Hopefully, the people behind it will be more organized for next year.
Jon
(Wow, I'm really writing this entry out of chronological order!)
Saturday was the Bones & Treats event, such as it was. The "sponsor" of the event, Pet Spa (a pet grooming and doggie daycare facility, with three locations in town) had been taken over by new owners since last year's event, and it really showed this year. As with the two previous years we took part in this, it started at one of the daycare locations and ended up at the other one (the third location is grooming only, and wasn't included in the event). Unlike the previous years, though, there was no kind of event at either location... no costume contest, no "bobbing for biscuits," no photographer taking pictures of the dogs in costume... none of that.
In addition, rather than making it more of a timed event, where you'd be able to see all the other people's dogs in costumes, it was spread out, lasting (in theory, at least) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The last two years, it started at 10 a.m., and everyone gathered at one location before heading out to the next stops on the list.
A few businesses who'd participated in previous years dropped out this time around, and there were a few new businesses who were added to the list. A lot of the stops where completely disorganized, as if they didn't know what time things were supposed to start. For example, the first stop after the Pet Spa on our side of town was at PetSmart -- when we showed up there, they didn't have anyone set up for anything, and one of the store employees ended up just opening up a bag of dog biscuits to hand out (they had some excuse about some people who were supposed to show up running late... I'm not sure if I buy that or not).
One of the stops has to be commended -- and I wish I could remember the new name of the business, but it's the one that's the most out of the way to go to. They definitely realized that if you're going that far out of your way to stop there, they need to make it worth your while -- and they do! They're always one of the best stops, handing out loads of samples of dog food and treats, plus other goodies. I think they were responsible for half the total goodies we collected!
PetCo, on the other hand, we're not so happy with... and it probably isn't their fault. We showed up there around 11 a.m., saw nothing was set up for Bones & Treats, and learned that they weren't expecting anyone to show up there until 2 p.m., for their own costume contest (why this wasn't established before is beyond me... but then, there seemed to be a major lack of follow-through). Well we did have some plans for later that afternoon, so we ended up just leaving there and going on to the final stops.
I'd imagine that if this had been our first Bones & Treats, we wouldn't have felt disappointed in this year's event... but given it was the third one, it did feel like a let-down. Hopefully, the people behind it will be more organized for next year.
Jon
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Incredible Internet Guide... links
I'm up to Timelines... let's see what's still around!
The Earth-2 Timeline listed in the book is still there... as is the Earth-4 Timeline by the same person, and also their Earth-12 timeline! What's Earth-12? Click the link to find out!
Also still up is The Unofficial Chronology of the Marvel Universe... and that's it for this section!
The Golden Age
Jess Nevins, who created the Unofficial Chronology of the Marvel Universe page listed previously, also has A Guide to Marvel's Golden Age Characters, which is still there. A similar site is the Marvel Golden Age Character Profiles site... which is part of the Golden Age of Super-Heroes page. (No, I don't know why they couldn't figure out these were the same sites when the book was written, and included it in there twice).
The Good Guys & Gals of the Golden Age site is still there... at least for a second or two, before the page reloads (thanks, Tripod, you really do your customers good there).
The Silver Age
None of the sites listed in this part of the book still exist... at least, not as described in the book!
2099 (Marvel)
The 2099 character stats for the Marvel Super-Heroes RPG is still there... and that's all!
Sheesh... pretty pathetic showing, isn't it? Let's see what I can find for those categories with a few minutes' searching...
Here's the Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe (although I'd imagine with the events of Infinite Crisis and 52, this is a bit off these days). You can also find out some timeline info at The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe, like the old Who's Who comics that came out back during Crisis on Infinite Earths. And here's a specific JSA Chronology to boot! And here's a Marvel Chronology page, too.
Did the author of this book really think it was that hard for people to find web pages????
Jon
The Earth-2 Timeline listed in the book is still there... as is the Earth-4 Timeline by the same person, and also their Earth-12 timeline! What's Earth-12? Click the link to find out!
Also still up is The Unofficial Chronology of the Marvel Universe... and that's it for this section!
The Golden Age
Jess Nevins, who created the Unofficial Chronology of the Marvel Universe page listed previously, also has A Guide to Marvel's Golden Age Characters, which is still there. A similar site is the Marvel Golden Age Character Profiles site... which is part of the Golden Age of Super-Heroes page. (No, I don't know why they couldn't figure out these were the same sites when the book was written, and included it in there twice).
The Good Guys & Gals of the Golden Age site is still there... at least for a second or two, before the page reloads (thanks, Tripod, you really do your customers good there).
The Silver Age
None of the sites listed in this part of the book still exist... at least, not as described in the book!
2099 (Marvel)
The 2099 character stats for the Marvel Super-Heroes RPG is still there... and that's all!
Sheesh... pretty pathetic showing, isn't it? Let's see what I can find for those categories with a few minutes' searching...
Here's the Unauthorized Chronology of the DC Universe (although I'd imagine with the events of Infinite Crisis and 52, this is a bit off these days). You can also find out some timeline info at The Unofficial Guide to the DC Universe, like the old Who's Who comics that came out back during Crisis on Infinite Earths. And here's a specific JSA Chronology to boot! And here's a Marvel Chronology page, too.
Did the author of this book really think it was that hard for people to find web pages????
Jon
Some Working Links from "Incredible Internet Guide"...
Humor
I'm not sure what they were thinking with this category... but anyway, one page that's still up from this category is The Justice Lego of America page... but while you're there, go to the guy's front page and check out some of his other pages... there's some fun stuff there!
Probably the weirdest site that's still up is The Many Lives of MJB. It's truly strange.
The X-Rising: Parodies Page is still there... but I didn't check out anything there, so I can't make any promises as to how funny it is.
Online Comics
You can still read the Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip online... and I've even provided the updated link for it!
Mark Martin's Crazy Boss & Friends strip may not be up anymore, but if you remember his work from the Comics Buyers Guide and Gnatrat parody, you might want to go ahead and check out his website anyway.
You can read some Classic Hero Comics comics at the Heroic Publishing website.
The Liberty League Lounge site is still up... and still has just two pages of the online comic posted since 1998!
And you can find all of the World Famous Comics online comic strips by clicking here (the book only lists the Japanese Beetle strip).
Jon
I'm not sure what they were thinking with this category... but anyway, one page that's still up from this category is The Justice Lego of America page... but while you're there, go to the guy's front page and check out some of his other pages... there's some fun stuff there!
Probably the weirdest site that's still up is The Many Lives of MJB. It's truly strange.
The X-Rising: Parodies Page is still there... but I didn't check out anything there, so I can't make any promises as to how funny it is.
Online Comics
You can still read the Amazing Spider-Man Newspaper Strip online... and I've even provided the updated link for it!
Mark Martin's Crazy Boss & Friends strip may not be up anymore, but if you remember his work from the Comics Buyers Guide and Gnatrat parody, you might want to go ahead and check out his website anyway.
You can read some Classic Hero Comics comics at the Heroic Publishing website.
The Liberty League Lounge site is still up... and still has just two pages of the online comic posted since 1998!
And you can find all of the World Famous Comics online comic strips by clicking here (the book only lists the Japanese Beetle strip).
Jon
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