Just a quick note to let you all know that I'll be posting another Party Truck review later this week. It's being written at the request of one of the Partytruckers themselves. They're awesome like that.
And you may rest assured, gentle reader, that this review will ACTUALLY be a review, and also make for better reading. Having the podcasters in question pay attention to what one writes REALLY focuses one's writing gland.
Look for it no later than Friday evening.
-g-
Illustration by Rob Rodas
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Monday, September 27, 2010
It's "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!" - Episode Two!
Hey kids! It's time for another edu-tastic episode of "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!"
This week - DENTISTRY! Starring Connie Daye!
This week - DENTISTRY! Starring Connie Daye!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
The Colour and the Shape
I've been thinking about comics a lot lately. Difficult not to when you spend three hours of commuting time a day listening to geek-friendly podcasts.
Comics fans of my ilk are now, it seems, kind of the ruling power structure behind current mainstream interest in comics, comic-related ephemera, and super-hero- themed prose. If you're between the ages of 22 and 40 and identify as even slightly geekish, then odds are the media world is going out of it's way to give you comics-related material to toss your shekels at.
I'm 38. I've been a fan of comics since I was about... oh, about four or so. Granted, while my time with comics didn't start with "Maus" or "Dark Knight Returns", a solid grounding in "Archie", "Richie Rich", "Casper the Friendly Ghost", and the rest of the non-superhero young readers offerings paved the way for a lifetime obsession that stays with me to this day.
I'm no rarity. And mainstream media producers are aware of that. So, we get comics movies. We get superhero TV shows. Cartoons are becoming slightly less interested in repackaging Japanese toys commercials, and are a little more likely to actually produce comics / super hero material.
And what goes with all of that? That's right - cultural self-analysis (this blog post being a stellar example of said - there's an extra free-fer-nuthin' level of meta to this post. It's significance is recursive - whoo!).
We love to talk comics, we geeks. Since the first proto-fanboy who crawled out of the primordial basement with the question poised on his lips... "Who would win in a fight between...?", we've always loved dissecting the whys and wherefores of our favorite pastime, pursuit, and passion.
An it's not just the fanboy (and girl) community that's in on the conversation anymore. Lately, it seems Hollywood has more than entered the discourse. In this case, "lately" has a given value of +/- 10 years-ish. Or more.
From stars to writers, to producers, to media pundits - everyone seems to be chatting comics like crazy, and has been for ages, it seems.
But I've noticed something. When asked, as they inevitably will be, what began their love affair (real or not) with comics, most actors, writers, media figures, and even comics creators themselves, will invariably give an answer speaking to the deeply significant moral/metaphorical/emotional/intellectual impact of their favorite works.
Be it the pathos-laden origin of Batman or Spider-Man, or the Man-and-Superman, Man-who-fell-to-earth duck-out-of-water origin of Superman, the answers try desperately to give strong intellectual validation to ideas many parts of media culture have labelled "kid's stuff". They try so hard. Spider-Man is the embodiment of western cultural guilt. Batman is the right-leaning reaction to the chaos of modern culture. Any way they spell it, their first foray into comics was first and foremost LEGITIMATE.
Which is kinda odd when you consider that a lot of us first discovered comics when we were wee nippers, barely able to complete a complex sentence let alone conceptualize the metaphorical implications of a mythical / fantastical creature such as a super hero.
I think there's some disingenuously stated ideas here. I think, like Spider-man making a deal with the devil, or the multiverse disappearing, only to re-appear again, some retconning is happening.
The thing is, the truth may well be just a bit too straight-forward and - and this is the sticky part - childish for prime-time.
You know why I got into comics? Specificaly super-hero comics? The answer can be told in two words: bright colors.
As a child, it was clear that the world of adult media was a bland, subdued- color-palette of boring-ness wrapped up in ideas and words that made no sense to my six- and seven-year old brain. But Superman? That red-and-blue adult who never talked about taxes or other boring crap? Yeah, he was cool.
Same with Spider-Man, AND he could stick to walls, which you gotta admit - is pretty kickass. Batman? When I was a kid, we were still pretty close to the Adam West era. So again - bright colors. Plus a utility belt.
I had the twelve-inch tall Superman figure as a youngster. Same too for the Mego 8" Spider-man figure. Both were amongst my most prized toys. They were prized not just because of their attachment to the cartoons that replaced the boring muted world of adults with something with some damn visual flair, but because they served that same purpose in the real world.
Like a torn-bodice-clad maiden holding a cross to ward off the vampire, so too did my primary-colored avatars hold the real world at bay, and let the color and magic of the unreal take its place.
Why did I get into comics? Because they're better than the real world. It was true when I was six, and sometime, just sometime - it's true today, too.
-g-
Comics fans of my ilk are now, it seems, kind of the ruling power structure behind current mainstream interest in comics, comic-related ephemera, and super-hero- themed prose. If you're between the ages of 22 and 40 and identify as even slightly geekish, then odds are the media world is going out of it's way to give you comics-related material to toss your shekels at.
I'm 38. I've been a fan of comics since I was about... oh, about four or so. Granted, while my time with comics didn't start with "Maus" or "Dark Knight Returns", a solid grounding in "Archie", "Richie Rich", "Casper the Friendly Ghost", and the rest of the non-superhero young readers offerings paved the way for a lifetime obsession that stays with me to this day.
I'm no rarity. And mainstream media producers are aware of that. So, we get comics movies. We get superhero TV shows. Cartoons are becoming slightly less interested in repackaging Japanese toys commercials, and are a little more likely to actually produce comics / super hero material.
And what goes with all of that? That's right - cultural self-analysis (this blog post being a stellar example of said - there's an extra free-fer-nuthin' level of meta to this post. It's significance is recursive - whoo!).
We love to talk comics, we geeks. Since the first proto-fanboy who crawled out of the primordial basement with the question poised on his lips... "Who would win in a fight between...?", we've always loved dissecting the whys and wherefores of our favorite pastime, pursuit, and passion.
An it's not just the fanboy (and girl) community that's in on the conversation anymore. Lately, it seems Hollywood has more than entered the discourse. In this case, "lately" has a given value of +/- 10 years-ish. Or more.
From stars to writers, to producers, to media pundits - everyone seems to be chatting comics like crazy, and has been for ages, it seems.
But I've noticed something. When asked, as they inevitably will be, what began their love affair (real or not) with comics, most actors, writers, media figures, and even comics creators themselves, will invariably give an answer speaking to the deeply significant moral/metaphorical/emotional/intellectual impact of their favorite works.
Be it the pathos-laden origin of Batman or Spider-Man, or the Man-and-Superman, Man-who-fell-to-earth duck-out-of-water origin of Superman, the answers try desperately to give strong intellectual validation to ideas many parts of media culture have labelled "kid's stuff". They try so hard. Spider-Man is the embodiment of western cultural guilt. Batman is the right-leaning reaction to the chaos of modern culture. Any way they spell it, their first foray into comics was first and foremost LEGITIMATE.
Which is kinda odd when you consider that a lot of us first discovered comics when we were wee nippers, barely able to complete a complex sentence let alone conceptualize the metaphorical implications of a mythical / fantastical creature such as a super hero.
I think there's some disingenuously stated ideas here. I think, like Spider-man making a deal with the devil, or the multiverse disappearing, only to re-appear again, some retconning is happening.
The thing is, the truth may well be just a bit too straight-forward and - and this is the sticky part - childish for prime-time.
You know why I got into comics? Specificaly super-hero comics? The answer can be told in two words: bright colors.
As a child, it was clear that the world of adult media was a bland, subdued- color-palette of boring-ness wrapped up in ideas and words that made no sense to my six- and seven-year old brain. But Superman? That red-and-blue adult who never talked about taxes or other boring crap? Yeah, he was cool.
Same with Spider-Man, AND he could stick to walls, which you gotta admit - is pretty kickass. Batman? When I was a kid, we were still pretty close to the Adam West era. So again - bright colors. Plus a utility belt.
I had the twelve-inch tall Superman figure as a youngster. Same too for the Mego 8" Spider-man figure. Both were amongst my most prized toys. They were prized not just because of their attachment to the cartoons that replaced the boring muted world of adults with something with some damn visual flair, but because they served that same purpose in the real world.
Like a torn-bodice-clad maiden holding a cross to ward off the vampire, so too did my primary-colored avatars hold the real world at bay, and let the color and magic of the unreal take its place.
Why did I get into comics? Because they're better than the real world. It was true when I was six, and sometime, just sometime - it's true today, too.
-g-
Friday, September 24, 2010
Partytruck USA!
Howdy guys n' gals. Forget everything you know or care about "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!". As of today, let's ALL pay attention to one of the interwebs's'es' funnest and funniest podcasts - PARTYTRUCK USA!
Some of you may recall the review I wrote last week. I tweeted it to Brain Lynch, one of the four Partytruckers, and he kindly re-tweeted it. Needless to say, this blog has gotten more hits in the past week then in its entire history.
And just when I didn't think my brief flirtation with Partytruck could get any better - it went and DID.
Episode 27 - the episode in which they read my review and say awesome nice stuff at me.
GO LISTEN NOW!
-g-
Some of you may recall the review I wrote last week. I tweeted it to Brain Lynch, one of the four Partytruckers, and he kindly re-tweeted it. Needless to say, this blog has gotten more hits in the past week then in its entire history.
And just when I didn't think my brief flirtation with Partytruck could get any better - it went and DID.
Episode 27 - the episode in which they read my review and say awesome nice stuff at me.
GO LISTEN NOW!
-g-
Monday, September 20, 2010
It's "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!" Episode one.
Welcome to Unadulterated Douchebloggery's premiere show, "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!". This is episode one of a multi-episode series to be shown here every Monday night at ten pm Eastern Standard time. We hope you enjoy tonight's episode, and c'mon back next week for another episode of:
"Hey! Admiral Ackbar!"
favoursforfriends@gmail.com
Twitter: @case71
http://unadulterateddouchebloggery2.blogspot.com/
http://www.stompingground.ca/
"Hey! Admiral Ackbar!"
favoursforfriends@gmail.com
Twitter: @case71
http://unadulterateddouchebloggery2.blogspot.com/
http://www.stompingground.ca/
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Tune in Monday night!
For the launch of "Unadulterated Douchebloggery"'s newest (and only) show, "Hey! Admiral Ackbar!". The first ep will go live around 10pm est. C'mon by and tune in! The Admiral will be waiting...
-g-
-g-
Saturday, September 18, 2010
While I have your attention...
...for the next five seconds. May I recommend you visit my other, more media-related sites?
http://www.stompingground.ca/
This is the blog / posting spot for any and all creative endeavours. This blog features music, video, short films, and prose from myself and an ever-growing cast of creators.
http://www.youtube.com/user/case71
My youtube channel. All sorts of little stuff here. Mini films, and video jiggery-pokery.
http://twitter.com/case71
Here is where I tweet. I do this more than anything else.
http://www.vimeo.com/fffp/videos
My Vimeo page. This is where I put my favoritest videos that I've made. And yes, "favoritest" IS a word, dammit.
Enjoy, all;
-g-
http://www.stompingground.ca/
This is the blog / posting spot for any and all creative endeavours. This blog features music, video, short films, and prose from myself and an ever-growing cast of creators.
http://www.youtube.com/user/case71
My youtube channel. All sorts of little stuff here. Mini films, and video jiggery-pokery.
http://twitter.com/case71
Here is where I tweet. I do this more than anything else.
http://www.vimeo.com/fffp/videos
My Vimeo page. This is where I put my favoritest videos that I've made. And yes, "favoritest" IS a word, dammit.
Enjoy, all;
-g-
Now I have a big happy...
...so big it could choke a Rhino. Wanna know who gave me my giant happy?
Neat! And, you know - effectively whore-ish on my behalf, too. Which in internet terms, spells double win.
I sense a meme coming on. Double-self-whoring-win-all-the-way-man. DSWWATWM. Yeah. Snappy.
-g-
PS - And geek fanboy win, too of course. I always assume that this goes without saying in my case.
Neat! And, you know - effectively whore-ish on my behalf, too. Which in internet terms, spells double win.
I sense a meme coming on. Double-self-whoring-win-all-the-way-man. DSWWATWM. Yeah. Snappy.
-g-
PS - And geek fanboy win, too of course. I always assume that this goes without saying in my case.
Saturday morning's all right for fighting...
Fine. Afternoon.
Too long has it been since I've blogged properly. It seems the small amount I do nowadays is all about posting video or prose or something to www.stompingground.ca and even THAT has been some thin treacle of late.
I've gone pdcast crazy. Right now I'm listening to the entire Kevin Smith Smodcast network pods (there's, like, five or six of 'em now - www.smodcast.com), and have just singed on to Brian Lynch's "Party Truck USA" pod. http://www.angrynakedpat.com/podcast/
I love 'em all, but I gotta say - that Party Truck has really captured my imagination. It comes off as a cross between prepared improv and genuine off-the-top-of-one's-head banter. The pod features a lightly rotating cast of four to six guys. Mostly friends from Jersey now living in LA, and most of them are ex- (or current) comedy improv players.
Lynch himself (writer / director "Big Helium Dog", and comics writer ("Spike: Asylum", and um, that other Spike book. With puppets. That one.) is the unchanging core of the group. Any further details would only serve to better derail the point I'm slowly trying to make.
Wait. Was there a point? Hm. Maybe not. Maybe this IS just one giant loving ass-kiss to my newest favourite podcast. With more than a tinge of jealousy that there exists a group of writers / film-makers / comedians, and all I have is a cat, a collection of action figures, and you, dear internet. Thank god and baby jesus for you.
Okay - quick solo improv game. Fake podcast intro - two hosts, and... GO!
Host 1: "Hello, and welcome to the Fake podcast, episode one. I'm one of your hosts, Fakey McFakerton, and with me as always is the lovable, wacky, Falsey Falsetein. Say hi Falsey."
Host 2: -honks horn-
Host 1: "Really? Again with the horn?"
Host 2: -honk-
Host 1: "Godamnit, Falsey, you said you weren't gonna do this again."
Host 2: -honk- -honk-
Host 1: "No one wants to listen to that, man! You sound like a fucking idiot. I swear, if you don't put down that godamn horn, I'm gonna go across this table at you."
Host 2: -honk-
Host 1: "That's it, you sonuva..." -indistinct struggling noises-.
Aaaaand... scene!
Okay, so maybe I'm not so much missing out.
-g-
Follow me on twitter - @case71
Too long has it been since I've blogged properly. It seems the small amount I do nowadays is all about posting video or prose or something to www.stompingground.ca and even THAT has been some thin treacle of late.
I've gone pdcast crazy. Right now I'm listening to the entire Kevin Smith Smodcast network pods (there's, like, five or six of 'em now - www.smodcast.com), and have just singed on to Brian Lynch's "Party Truck USA" pod. http://www.angrynakedpat.com/podcast/
I love 'em all, but I gotta say - that Party Truck has really captured my imagination. It comes off as a cross between prepared improv and genuine off-the-top-of-one's-head banter. The pod features a lightly rotating cast of four to six guys. Mostly friends from Jersey now living in LA, and most of them are ex- (or current) comedy improv players.
Lynch himself (writer / director "Big Helium Dog", and comics writer ("Spike: Asylum", and um, that other Spike book. With puppets. That one.) is the unchanging core of the group. Any further details would only serve to better derail the point I'm slowly trying to make.
Wait. Was there a point? Hm. Maybe not. Maybe this IS just one giant loving ass-kiss to my newest favourite podcast. With more than a tinge of jealousy that there exists a group of writers / film-makers / comedians, and all I have is a cat, a collection of action figures, and you, dear internet. Thank god and baby jesus for you.
Okay - quick solo improv game. Fake podcast intro - two hosts, and... GO!
Host 1: "Hello, and welcome to the Fake podcast, episode one. I'm one of your hosts, Fakey McFakerton, and with me as always is the lovable, wacky, Falsey Falsetein. Say hi Falsey."
Host 2: -honks horn-
Host 1: "Really? Again with the horn?"
Host 2: -honk-
Host 1: "Godamnit, Falsey, you said you weren't gonna do this again."
Host 2: -honk- -honk-
Host 1: "No one wants to listen to that, man! You sound like a fucking idiot. I swear, if you don't put down that godamn horn, I'm gonna go across this table at you."
Host 2: -honk-
Host 1: "That's it, you sonuva..." -indistinct struggling noises-.
Aaaaand... scene!
Okay, so maybe I'm not so much missing out.
-g-
Follow me on twitter - @case71
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