Tagged: monsters
New Comic Book Pick of the Week: Rumble #1!
Hey not everyone can afford to pick up a heavy load of comic books every week, that clearly will set you back some serious cash especially during the spendy holiday season! So I’m reporting to you a good solid pick this week and that particular book is Image’s “Rumble” #1! John Arcudi, James Harren & Dave Stewart’s brand new series hit shelves yesterday and it’s a helluva good first issue! You can pretty much expect that you’re going to get something pretty unique when Arcudi’s name is attached to the project and this here is no exception to that rule.
There’s something sinister in the air here, and most of it takes place late night at a lonely dive bar. This is where bartender Bobby and his sole customer a old regular named Rufus are quietly shooting the shit about relationships. As the night comes to an end Rufus hits the streets only to be attacked by a giant scarecrow like creature wielding a gigantic sword. Rufus heads back into the bar, missing an arm and we are treated to an truly awesome bar room brawl.
This is all put to life by the brilliant art of Dave Stewart and the story doesn’t simply end there. Add some skeptical cops to the mix along with more creatures into the equation and I was already more than ready to dive into the second issue. Without spoiling any of the rest I’m just going to say if you’re a fan of swords, mystery, monsters and not the usual cast of pretty people we often see in comics then you’ll eat this first issue up. Arcudi really has a unique way with character development too, he gives them real life personalities which make it incredibly easy to get hooked into whatever story he’s got to tell.
This story could really go anywhere from this point and that’s what’s so damn good about it. I recommend checking this out as it’s off to a great first issue and definitely worth the $3.50!
Comic Pick of the Week: Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. #1!
I have been looking forward to Hellboy and The BPRD #1 for quite some time now and this first issue was a real treat for any fan. I’ve missed Hellboy (and Abe Sapien for that matter) in the pages of BPRD now for quite sometime and this series is giving us a first look at his first adventure ever with the team!
Mignola and John Arcudi (one of my favorite writers) team up again this time with Alex Maleev making this an epic event. I’ve been in love with Maleev’s brilliant artwork since his legendary long run on Daredevil he did years ago with Brian Michael Bendis. He’s easily one of my favorite modern comic book artists and his work on this book thus far doesn’t disappoint. This is also the perfect time for anyone who was thinking about getting into the Hellboy universe to get on board, as the universe is at this point pretty vast. This shows us what the red devil was like on his first paranormal outing with a team.
The story is a simple premise thus far. Professor Trevor Bruttenholm assembles a team of human BPRD agents to take a younger Hellboy on a mission to the jungles of Brazil to investigate a series of over thirty murders. They head out to a small village where the townsfolk claim a strange creature has been blamed. The team, a bit reluctant about bringing Hellboy along find refuge there near a huge ominous castle.
This is a great set up issue, with awesome artwork, creepy locales and a cool mystery brewing. This is the kind of book I love. The series is planned to cover each year, in 2015 covering 1953 and so on. I can’t wait to see who we meet along the way as the BPRD fills it’s ranks with likely more odd characters, so buy this book and maybe we’ll get that third Hellboy flick we have been waiting for!
Help Rowdy Roddy Piper Open The ‘Portal to HELL’!!!
The world always needs more of Rowdy Roddy Piper! Duh! Who doesn’t love ‘They Live’ or ‘Hell Comes to Frogtown’ or classic WWF Wrestling?! Well if you don’t then there’s probably something seriously wrong with your brain or you just don’t like having fun. So I’m thrilled to hear that Piper is currently involved with a project via Indiegogo called “Portal to Hell” which is an indie horror film which pits Piper against Cthulhu and his minions!
Here’s what they had to say about it thus far:
“Director Vivieno Caldinelli and writer Matt Watts are embarking on a short film called PORTAL TO HELL, with hopes of expanding it into a feature. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper will star, and the producing team includes Todd Brown of THE ABCs OF DEATH and THE RAID and Andrew Rosen of TODD & THE BOOK OF PURE EVIL, with MANBORG’s Steven Kostanski on board to create the FX.
The synopsis: “Jack [Piper] is a simple man with simple needs. Mostly he just needs to be left alone to read his book. It’s a good book and he likes it…or, at least, he would if the tenants of the building he manages weren’t so damn needy. And it’s not just blown fuses and clogged toilets… No, when the building power goes out, the culprit is a pair of Cthulhu-worshiping tenants opening a portal to the demon city of R’lyeh in the basement. Does this count as building maintenance? Is battling the supernatural part of Jack’s job description? Maybe not, but if Jack can’t close the portal, the entire building and—let’s face it—the whole world is screwed.”
Sounds like something to get behind to me! I’ve always hoped Carpenter would get Piper back for a They Live sequel, however that’s a pipe dream I guess (no pun intended). This though sounds just as good and has cult classic written all over it. I think Piper has that same appeal as someone like Bruce Campbell and honestly I’m a bit surprised he hasn’t been called upon sooner for projects like this one. It’s about time we get him back in the spotlight, he a cool guy, with a lot of interesting things to say and hell he even lives in oregon (where I do). So help spread the word and support this project at their Indiegogo page ! It’s a known fact – the world is always a better place with moreRowdy Roddy Piper!
Forgotten Halloween Specials: ALF Creator’s Puppetfest “The Crown of Bogg”!
Ever have a memory of a TV show as a kid that as an adult you couldn’t remember what it was called or for that matter if the thing even really existed? Well today I want to spotlight one of those very lost/found memories in way of an old Halloween special waaay back from 1981 called “The Crown of Bogg”!! What makes this one special you might wonder?
Well being a big fan of puppets (I mean who isn’t right?) this one was made by none other than Paul Fusco, the damn creator of ALF!!! Well this one aired long before Alf was gobbling up cats on nationwide tv it’s nonetheless just as charming and weird! This one might bring to mind classics like The Fraggles with it’s strange muppet style, wacky songs and humor. With a character names like “King Mildew” you know this one is worth a watch if you’re looking for a odd long lost Halloween special to tune into before you watch some more well known classics!! Check it!! Damn how I do love Youtube!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkKDGqOI8W4
Honestly, That Godzilla Movie Wasn’t That Good….
I had to share this awesome “Honest Trailer” from the most recent American Godzilla flick. I’ve been thinking about it a little bit here and there and the more Ido the more I realize that the movie just kinda well…sucked! I don’t wanna be a hater on the Hollywood Blockbuster version of Godzilla, well, yeah I kinda do, I really could care less if they make a sequel. So instead of me ranting about it I figured I’d just post this amazing Honest Trailer that really hits the nail on the head in every way. check it out and admit to yourself the truth, that last Godzilla movie did indeed kinda suck…
Alex Maleev Takes on Hellboy!!
December can’t come quick enough! The new series from Dark Horse called Hellboy & The B.P.R.D. is on the top of my list for comic books I’m totally pumped about! It’s cool already to know that Hellboy’s early adventures with the B.P.R.D. will finally be told in detail, it’s great news to know John Arcudi will be joining Mignola as writer on the series, but what’s got me even more pumped is Alex Maleev joining as the series artist! Maleev has been a favorite of mine ever since the amazing Bendis run on Daredevil-if you’ve never read that stuff you are missing out bigtime. I love the current run of B.P.R.D. but I often wish for the return of Hellboy & Abe Sapien to the team. It looks like my wish is coming true, here’s a few pic’s that have me excited about this book!
Here’s some panels from the only other Maleev Hellboy, a short story called “Still Born”
And the synopsis for the new series first arc sounds top notch…
“A bizarre series of murders and rumors of something worse lead Professor Bruttenholm to send a young Hellboy to a Brazilian village on his first mission. Hellboy and a small group of agents uncover something terrible in the shadows of a sixteenth-century Portuguese fortress . . .”
Urban Legend Monster Action Figures!
I stumbled upon this cool new toy line which met it’s Kickstarter goal recently and these action figures look pretty awesome! These monsters are based on urban legends such as The Mothman, The Jersey Devil & Chupacabra.
Each set includes a monster, victim, diorama base and eyewitness account. It’s a pretty neat idea and the they could really go crazy with all of the other creatures out there obviously Bigfoot, Nessie, Montauk Monster, the Wendigo ect ect.
The possibilities are endless! Anyway these cool toys called The Legendary Monsters are available from Nevermore Toys. It looked like they had a Slender Man toy in production as well, but right now that seems like it could be a little to controversial.
Either way check out the Kickstarter page, it has a ton of cool info on it!
This Week’s Comic Book Reviews! ‘Manifest Destiny’ Stomps ‘The Walking Dead’!
Yesterday was Wednesday and as usual I bought a few new funny books! Here’s what I though of ’em!
Manifest Destiny #7, Image/Skybound
What else can I say here about this comic book? It’s could be my fave title at the moment-the first story arc was a great and it’s now in trade paperback form so I suggest checking it out ASAP! This title gives me similar feelings of when I first got hooked on The Walking Dead! Issue #7 continues the adventures of Lewis & Clark as they continue up river on boat with cast of crew members who’re truly creepy in their own right. We’ve got Lewis trying to keep his monstrous discoveries a secret and a new female crew member who’s discovered his private journal entries. It doesn’t take long though for things to get crazy again as their boat become stuck on on something strange which signifies that these guys are in for more monster mayhem in the woods! The book is fresh as hell and the artwork is awesome-this books popularity is rising quickly and the first six issues are going for a pretty penny already on Ebay-now’s the time to jump on board as you can read seven straight issues without having to wait months between!
Abe Sapien #13, Dark Horse
Abe Sapien’s ongoing solo series has been pretty interesting so far. It’s always bizarre and keeps getting darker in tone with every issue. Abe’s recently went through some transformations recently becoming more monster in appearance than man. This issue encourages new readers to jump on board as a good starting point. We see Abe still traveling across an apocalyptic wasteland with an odd woman whom he found chained up inside a weirdly ravaged house. They run into some strangers who’s son has half transformed into frog man monster, seeking the powers of a healer who supposedly lives close by. Abe’s still trying to prove to himself and world that he himself is in no way connected to the most recent events of monster outbreaks that have occurred in major cities. This series continues to intrigue me as does almost everything in the Hellboy universe. I’m still trying to catch up on all the thick rich back stories that all seem to connect in some way. This issue also features some pretty spectacular artwork and an additional Abe Sapien back up story-so you most definitely get your money’s worth! Anyone looking for a good creepy comic book with heavy Lovecraft influence should check this title out!
Walking Dead #128, Image
Ok, first let me clarify that I’m really not a huge fan of this book anymore, it used to be my favorite title. I wasn’t a fan of “All Out War” and this continues the story a couple years after those events. The whole gang has been hanging out with Rick in their picture perfect community but of course we still have the annoying Negan involved as he’s being held captive trying to make friends with Carl secretly. We have a new group of people who enter the community and of course no one truly trusts each other. Carl wants to move out of Rick’s place. It’s really more of the same shit we have been reading for the past couple years or so. Man, this book needs a serious kick in the ass. But it just keeps going and it really doesn’t cover too much new ground. There’s not a lot of adventure to be had in The Walking Dead anymore, they kinda just like staying in the same place, no matter what and pretending that they’re rebuilding the world single handedly. However they still have zero clue what is going on in the rest of the world, nor does anyone seem to care. They have no idea what caused the outbreak, and they don’t seem to care. They really haven’t traveled all that far, they just blindly accept that the whole world is fucked and continue with their repetitive daily operation. Maybe Rick just wants be the leader of the world? Maybe he fears finding others and losing his say in how everything always goes down? I think a lot about how this title could be a top notch adventure still and all the different scenarios they could face, yet it just keeps doing more of the same old shit. I’m really at this point keeping up with the story because I’ve made it this far. I really do miss the old days of this book when the group was on the move and constantly entering into the unknown…..
Live A Horror Movie This Summer at The Great Horror Campout!?
I was just turned on to this neat event called The Great Horror Campout-it’s an interactive live event that you can be a part of! It’s a choose you own adventure evening and for one night you basically live a horror movie story! That is if you’re not too scared! Here’s what it is in their own words:
“The Great Horror Campout is a 12-hour, overnight, interactive Horror camping adventure. Campers can choose their level of engagement by their choice of activities and tent zone. It can be an extreme horror adventure or a more mild horror adventure. It’s completely up to the camper.Regardless of how high the camper chooses to turn up the volume on their experience, all content is strictly for entertainment purposes and at no time will campers ever be in real danger.The Great Horror Campout at it’s core is just FUN! Great Horror Campout is frightening and may include total darkness, water spray and splash, uneven surfaces, steps up and down, strobe lighting, latex, narrow tunnels, crouch spaces which require you to bend down while walking, sudden loud noises, live scareactors, fog and scent effects which are all intended to startle and frighten you.”
It’s brought to you by the team that produce the Los Angeles Haunted Hayride and from what I have read is supposed to have some pretty awesome make up and creature effects. The Great Horror Campout is coming on tour this summer from Texas to Northern California, Seattle to Portland and more cities. Yikes! That means that it’s coming to my city! For a mere $223 bucks you can have the shit scared out of you! Check out the official website at http://www.greathorrorcampout.com
Godzilla 2014: Less Boring Humans, More Monster Mayhem Please!
I saw Godzilla last night and my expectations were set quite low, because it’s a Hollywood Blockbuster reboot of yet another classic movie franchise and we all know how well this idea was executed back in 1998! So here we are, Hollywood is ready to take another stab on cashing in our nostalgia and this time I’m ready to bite the hook. So how well did the big lizard fare with Universal Dork?
I had a decent enough time with this one when it first kicked in, but around mid point my mind started wandering, thinking about other stuff like D&D the night before and that I was going to run out of licorice candy at any moment. Yeah the human plot line of this movie was pretty flat and boring. Which in a sense keeps in tradition with most classic Godzilla flicks. You have the boring human plot that somehow drives the movie and then you get a bunch of ass kicking monster battles. This time though I think Hollywood could have really improved on the boring human plot, a soldier trying to get back home to his perfect family while giant monsters awaken and threaten the planet. Yeah, it’s a touching hallmark-esque story that’s boring as fuck. So you really gotta appreciate it when some giant CGI monsters finally get on screen and break up this shitty monotony.
The only real problem was there wasn’t enough monster mayhem. In fact until maybe the last maybe 5-10 minutes, they tease you constantly and show you a beginning of a monster fight, like Godzilla getting ready to throw a punch and then switch to some shitty boring human drama. Seriously this gets old real quick and its actually quite irritating. The movie had some fairly decent special effects especially if you’re into giant CGI creatures smashing CG buildings into oblivion.
This is clearly much different than classic man in suit Godzilla and I’m not sure honestly that it’s that big of an improvement on the old movies effects wise. Don’t get me wrong the old Godzilla flicks have some crappy ass special effects, they however improved immensely over the years. It to me always felt a bit like monster WWF wrestling when I was a kid and I loved it. This however was real slick and much of the fun that the old movies had is almost entirely lost here in 2014. By this time I’m already feeling my attention span waning for glittery, bloated, CG infested, often heartless Hollywood Blockbusters and it’s really not even summer yet! Ughh!
I’d say if you really want the best CG monster battle movie skip Godzilla and just watch Pacific Rim. It’s a heck of a better time and about ten times more interesting. It’s looking like we’ll most definitely be getting a sequel here so perhaps next movie we’ll get some better monster battles? Maybe they can insert some human characters that aren’t quite so stale? Until then this has inspired me to check out some of newer Godzilla films I may have missed through the years. And for the record Gareth Edwards first flick “Monsters” was a far more superior movie…..let’s hope Godzilla 2014 doesn’t get the treatment that Zilla did in Final Wars!!
Universal Dork 