The end of a year – 2009

Well, this year has just flown by us and we get to contemplate what to do with the next one. I had expected to be working at a TV or radio station by this point, yet I’m working at a book store and waiting on the arrival of our first child.

Just a short 365 days ago, I said bye to a friend on his last night in Dallas. He packed up his family and headed to Iowa. He says that he can see Kirk’s future house from his. That was also my last day at a job that I decided to leave so that I could try a career in TV/radio broadcast. For those that don’t know, I was a club DJ for a long time, but have some skills in voice-over, editing and camera work. Not a lot, but enough that it wouldn’t be hard to get my foot in the door somewhere.

First week of March I got a letter that the school had got my loan disbursement and then five days later, got a call from my wife to turn on the news. My school, all 26 locations in the US, had been shut down by their bank. Hence, the career change.

About a week later, I decided that we were gonna go out and do something fun. Didn’t know what, but as I was looking, I found out that All-Con was that weekend. I went and had a blast and decided that I was going to get back into all my old passions and get back to being a big geek! For years, I had catered to others as a DJ and that basically burned me out on music. I love music but not with a passion as I once did.

That’s how this website got started really. I didn’t know that All-Con was going on until the day of and I didn’t want to miss out on anything else. So, I put this site up to keep tabs on events around the DFW area. Anything that was geeky-nerdy-sci-fi-fantasy goodness.

Now that I’ve got a job (that I really love) I’ve had to ration my time on the blog. I’m still slowly building my network. I’m a firm believer that their is always something going on in the area, you just have to look to find it and hopefully, eventually, this will be the only place you have to look. If you’ve been reading over the months or if this is the first time you’ve stopped in, thank you. If you’ve told a friend, thank you. I’m not out to make money with this site. Although, a little scratch here and there does make it easier to keep up. I just like the thought of a community of people who love the same things being able to get together and talk about it and brag about it and show it off. Thanks, and here’s to a Happy New Year!

Red Band ‘Kick-Ass’ Trailer

Warning! Warning! Danger Wil Robinson! This isn’t for kids so watch it with them and explain the hard stuff or if your squeamish on that kind of thing, run them off! I’m so ready for this! So, So, So Ready for this! I tried to embed the video but Empire Magazine’s got a much better quality page.

Empire Magazine – Kick-Ass Trailer

Avatar blows the mind and overloads the senses

I really find it hard to say what I want to say about this movie because nothing really describes it. All I can tell anyone is, “go see it'”. And if you can afford it, go see it in 3D on the Imax screen. We went to the first showing in Plano and paid $14, but believe me, it was money well-spent! My wife and I could not believe the colors and the detail of each scene. The creativity that went into designing the wildlife and the Na’vi themselves is astounding. The seamlessness of what was cgi and what was real still leaves me dumbfounded.

Now, on another note. Some websites have tried to read into what James Cameron has done here and the story in general. It has been likened to the plight of the American Indian and some people have even called it a racist movie. I’ve also heard of people who have walked away with tears in their eyes as the credits rolled, overwhelmed from the shear beauty of the story and vision that they have witnessed. Before drawing conclusions, go see the movie!

Nicholas Cage in ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’

Hitting theaters on July 16, 2010, this looks to be a pretty good movie. I have to admit, Cage is taking some roles that I never really saw him in but as I watch the trailers for this movie and ‘The Season of the Witch’ I’m getting used to the idea. ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Disney Studios and they have a pretty decent track record, so I’m not too worried about it flubbing. Since Disney is behind it, you know they just had to put in the water-carrying broomsticks scene from the original ‘Fantasia’!

 

I mention that I never thought of Cage as a knight or a wizard, so, what are some roles that you’ve found other actors in and never saw it coming? Who else could you see in Cage’s place?

Books I’m reading and book shop finds

Had some friends in town over the weekend for my wife’s baby shower, and I drug her best friend’s husband around and showed him my favorite spots. In doing that, I was able to snag some nice stuff from Half Price Books in Irving. I was doing a little a dance when I found a Trivial Pursuit Star Wars Classic Trilogy Collectors Edition game and the Dungeons & Dragons - The Complete Animated Series. It was a good day and I couldn’t wait to get home and break’em open!

I’m also going to start posting about books I’m reading and give a little blurb about what I liked and disliked about the book. I’m not calling it a review because I don’t expect people to base their buying decisions on my opinion. Buy the thing and make your own opinion. I just finished Event: A Novel (Event Group Thrillers)and really enjoyed it. Opening with Navy fighters taking on two huge UFOs the book takes you into a covert organization that has been around for over 150 years and brings the past and present together. It moves along with just enough action to keep me interested and has enough “buddy banter” as I call it, to keep it light. Check out the book and let me know what you think. If you’ve read anything else by this guy, let me know what you thought of that, also.

Boomerang Comics has two new reading clubs

Neal at Boomerang Comics is full of ideas and here are two new ones. On December 19 at noon a new member of the Boomerang team, Morgan, will read the ‘Bone’ and the kids can read along in their own books.

Every month we pick a book that we think everyone will love and we will have a live reading where kids can come in and follow along in their own books!

Then on December 29, for the bigger kids, he will hold a book club meeting for the graphic novel ‘Blanket’.

Our first book is Blankets! The folks at the pop culture site Paste Magazine just released their 20 Best Graphic Novels of the Decade: Their #1 choice? Craig Thompson's Blankets!

The meeting will be held at 7pm and if you don’t have a copy of the book, you can get one at Boomerang Comics for 15% off the list price. Hope to see everyone there!

Question: Paste Magazine listed ‘Blankets’ as the #1 Graphic Novel of the Decade. What would be your choice?

Season of the Witch

It’s a new one from Nicholas Cage, who is also in ‘Kick-Ass’ as “Big Daddy”, and Ron Perlman, “Hellboy”. It’s a medieval tale of a witch being escorted with the intent of her being either tried or converted. Unlike most middle-age witches, this one is a very bad girl. Lots of cool special effects and armor. I’m not sure about Cage as a knight but only time will tell. Let me know what you think of the video.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Children of the gods running rampant in modern day New York? Zeus lost his mojo? Olympus is actually at the top of the Empire State? What in the world is going on here? Actually, it looks pretty cool and from the way the books are flying off the shelf at the store, I think I may have to pick this one up myself. It also makes a great gift this time of year. Have you read any of the books and if so, how did you like them?

Lone Star Shindig December 4-6, 2009

This weekend the ‘Verse will materialize in Austin. Thousands of Browncoats and other denizens will descend upon Grace United Methodist Church at 205 east Monroe street for the Lone Star Shindig.

Join us as we celebrate Shepherd Book's journey before becoming a crew member on Serenity. We'll start with an Abbey Fashion Show, showcasing Asian-inspired designs, while offering Sereniteas' blended teas, as well as homemade hors d'oeuvres. We'll have a costume picnic on the Abbey grounds and then a dance in the Fellowship Hall with music by The Bedlam Bards and food made primarily from produce grown at the Abbey! We'll end this shiny shindig with Serenity on the Big Screen at our local Alamo Drafthouse Lake Creek.

The best part - all proceeds from this event will go to support The Al Wooten Jr. Heritage Center of which Ron Glass, our Shepherd Book, is a Board Member.

Want to spend a weekend at Southdown Abbey? Get your tickets now. Space is extremely limited for this event, so don't miss out!

It’s benefiting a great cause so I hope some of you can make it down there. Take pictures and let me see’em!

Geek Orthodox’ Reis O’Brian opens up shop

Reis over at Geek Orthodox has found a way to make a little scratch to pay for the upkeep at his website. I’m keeping an eye on him because I would like to do the same thing one day. In the meantime, check him out and also take a look at his store.

Richard Cheese – Galactic Lounge Singer

Found this video posted on The Kessel Run and thought I’d link it here. Check out their blog, it’s pretty cool! The song will get stuck in your head if you watch it too much. Like I did.

Family Guy releases trailer for ‘Something Something Something Dark Side’

This looks to be hilarious and I can’t wait for December 22, 2009. Of course, I’m one of those guys that doesn’t own a copy of ‘Blue Harvest’ but that is about to be rectified. The clip below has some great scenes. My favorite one is the “nerfherder clip”.

Happy Thanksgiving or (Quch tlho'taHghach)

I hope that all of you can find some reason to be thankful this holiday season. This is a tough time of year and this year has hit some folks especially hard. So, in the upcoming weeks, if you get the chance, reach out and lend a helping hand in any way that you can. Sometimes, even a smile towards someone is enough when they find it hard to do themselves. God bless everyone and don’t eat too much (at one time).

This image is courtesy of Dave Reddick at “The Legend of Bill” who did this for CBS/Startrek.com.

‘Prince of Persia: Sands of Time’ Trailer

Finally got a trailer for this movie and I have to admit, I’m impressed. I was not really digging the whole Jake Gyllenhaal as the Prince. He has buffed up and has a whole new look. Now we’ll just have to wait until May to see if it’s worth the hype. Are any of you worried about if it will live up to the game or does it matter? Let me know?

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time

Trailer Park | MySpace Video

Star Wars Gangsta Rap fro Atom.com

Straight outta Atom.com, ya’ll. Atom always puts out some funny stuff. Know of a rap parody about your favorite movie or TV show? Represent! (Okay, I’m sorry about that. Won’t happen again.) Word.

ALL NEW! Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Chronicles

Atom.com: Funny Videos | Atom Originals | Star Wars Gangsta Rap

‘Star Trek’ Release Today

I just picked up my copy of ‘Star Trek’ and can’t wait to watch it again. And again. And maybe again. I’ve already seen it three times. Once with my wife, once with a friend, and once with my father-in-law. I even thought about taking a stranger to see it. I don’t know why I love it so. It may be that the actors captured that old camaraderie of the TV show. I would sit and watch with my father and we loved the back and forth between Kirk and Spock or Spock and Bones. The new actors did a great job in bringing that to the movie.

While I was out, I also picked up the Disney/Pixar film, ‘UP’. I didn’t get a chance to see it in the theater but everyone has had nothing but praise for it, so I had to grab it too. I’ve always loved Ed Asner and think they couldn’t have picked a better voice for Carl. What movies, theater or DVD, are you looking forward to watching?

Clash of the Titans Trailer

I can’t get over how cool this movie looks! I had reservations about a remake. Granted the original wasn’t that great, but no Burgess Meredith, no Ray Harryhausen and no Bubo. But you get Liam Neeson as Zeus and that works well enough for me.

Paperback Trader in Lewisville

Had to take the truck to the shop for a downed window (again) and decided to browse the local paperback shop. Paperback Trader is a great little shop, and I do mean little, but I love to browse. The great thing about this place is their trade-in program. It breaks down like this. All books are half of the cover price. Easy enough. If you trade in books, you get 25% of the cover price on them in credit. Then use that credit on half of what your purchases cost. I’ve heard some complain about not getting any cash back. Well, most of the time your gonna turn around and put it right back into books so why not do it there. Another person complained that they didn’t have a more current selection. Well, that selection depends on people bringing their books to them. I like reading current stuff, but there are so many great titles that were written last century that I’ve got my hands full keeping up with the titles. In fact, in this last visit, I found some great titles from the 50’s and 60’s. Check out these covers. 

 

Paperback Trader can be found at 1112 W. Main Street in Lewisville, Texas. They are open 10am-6pm Monday through Friday and 10am-5am on Saturday!

Say “Hi” to Debra for me.

YuleCon 2009

That's right folks, it's just around the corner. Your holiday anime and gaming convention is just in time to find great stuff for the holidays. It will be held November 20-22 at the Radisson Hotel North Fort-Worth Fossil Creek. Check your schedule and hope to see you there.

Last Minute Halloween Parties and Haunted Houses in Dallas

Here’s a few links thanks to Pegasus News that give you a list of haunted houses and Trick or Treatin’ Spots around the DFW area. Enjoy and send me photos.

Halloween Events

Haunted Houses

Boomerang Halloween Party Saturday October 31st

Neal has got some great things planned for this Saturday, so bring the kids and get some great deals and show off that home-made Spiderman costume!

On Saturday, October 31st (Halloween, coincidentally) we’ll be having a big ole Halloween shindig here in our store!  We’ve got tons of free comics, including special Halloween comics published by the major publishers, plus tons of swag, chances to win the Super Spooky prize pack, and if you show up in costume you'll get 15% off your purchas!! Pluusssss, since it's Halloween, we’ll have some trick-or-treatables!

But coolest of all, this year we’ll be having a Halloween Costume Contest in our store! Come by in costume, Halloweeners of all ages, and we’ll snap your photo and enter you into our contest! At least one winner per category will win sweet freebies, including gift certificates to the store!  NOTE to parents–we will post these photos on our store’s website, so let us know if you’d prefer not to have your child’s picture included!

Don’t miss this sweet event! I’m sure Denisha and Dania will whip up some last-minute surprises for those of you who are value-minded, so there will be plenty to do for young and old!

I have to work that day, so if you go and get photos or score some great swag, send me an email or post it here bragging about it.

Wanderings

Cruised through PegasusNews and found these little tidbits for the upcoming weekend. Enjoy.

• Ghost Hunts and Investigations

• Free Movie on the Lawn: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

• Deep Ellum Zombie Crawl for Charity

• Sci-fi psycho thriller Minuteman to begin shooting in Dallas on Monday

• Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

‘Stolen Moon of Londor’ Release Party with A. P. Stephens

Click the image to enlarge

Marty’s Going-away Party at Boomerang

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that also this Saturday, the 24th, that Marty Longoria will be having a going-away party and art sale at the comic book shop.

Hey FB Friends, many of you know I am leaving to Germany @ the end of the month. I Will be having an Going away/Art Sale at Boomerang Comics in Lewisville this Saturday the 24th from 1-4pm, Boomerang is in The Target Shopping Center on 3040/Round Grove RD. Neal has a great store, so come by and say GoodBye or Buy some Art, I'll have some Originals and Artcards stuff starting at 8 bucks Great Deals!!!! I probably won't be able to do Commission work.

So, please stop by and say bye and buy a few things. I just had to do that.

Fun-filled Weekend

Hope you folks got to visit Boomerang Comics today and got your chance to win tickets to ‘Star Wars in Concert’ which is happening Friday night. Also, Star Wars Fan Days is this weekend so be sure and visit. Lots of actors, celebrities, artists, etc. will be on hand so do a little sight-seeing and get those autographs. I’ll have to make it on Sunday, the wife and I will be in child-birthing classes all day Saturday. Also, on Saturday there will be a children’s costume party at the Borders in Lewisville at 2pm. Bring the little one’s for games and crafts. If anyone knows of anything else going on this weekend, feel free to post it in the comments section. Even if it doesn’t take place in the DFW area, throw it in there. Everybody have a great weekend!

‘Star Wars in Concert’ Ticket Giveaway

Had to shoot this out before I left for work. Boomerang Comics is giving away a pair of tickets to ‘Star Wars in Concert’. Today is the only day to try and win so head over to the shop and try your luck. I already have mine, so if you’re going let me know and maybe we can meet up before the show.

Star Wars In Concert Tickets!

Enter for a chance to win tickets tomorrow!

DATE: Wed. Oct 21, 2009

TIME: We are giving away a pair of Star Wars in Concert tickets tomorrow (Wednesday)! The show is Friday night at 7:30pm. All you have to do, to enter is come in and purchase something (which is not hard on new comic book day). These are great seats on the first level, directly in front of the stage.

At the end of the day we will draw the lucky winner.

Good luck!

Wanderings

So the new job has put a major damper on my blogging time. It’s not really the writing part that I don’t have time for, but the finding of material to write about. I completely missed the ‘Paranormal Activity’ screenings which did really well in theaters. It takes a lot of time to sift through all the blogs and websites that I track to get all the local events. I need to work on streamlining that a little.

I also have to try and keep up with my reading. I have met a few authors over the last few months and I am trying to catch up with their offerings so that I can give an honest review on them.  Included with all of that is the artist page, the author page, the comic page, etc . . . that I have yet to finish.

Though I complain about not having any time for the blog, the new job does give me a lot of joy. For one thing, I work at a bookstore. How cool is that! To be around books all day long. To know when the new ones are coming out. To meet new authors, through reading their books and in person. One of the “in-persons” being local author, A. P. Stephens. Check out his new title ‘The Stolen Moon of Londor’ in stores now or listen here. I’m reading it and will give you my view in a few days. He will be at the store

Borders 2403 S. Stemmons, Suite 100
Lewisville, TX 75067

on October 23rd at 7pm. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend his signing for I will be in the 5th row of Cowboys stadium watching Anthony Daniels narrate ‘Star Wars in Concert’ that night. Hope you have your tickets.

Don’t forget that Star Wars Fan Days is that same weekend. I might get to go on Sunday, but it’ll be close. They seem to have a lot of great celebrities showing up, so hopefully things will work out.

I’d also like to send a howdy out to all the fine folks that I have met over the counter at the store and thank them for coming by and looking at the website. I have met a wannabe ghost hunter and will be putting together a post of local haunt websites and hauntings in the next few weeks, hopefully in time for Halloween.

RiffTrax and ‘Plan 9 from Outer Space’ Redux

If you didn’t get a chance to see this show in August, it will be shown again on October 8. Check here for participating theaters and don’t forget that after the show they will give codes for free swag through the RiffTrax website. I had a blast last time and will probably go again, just for the fun of it!

Wanderings

Surrogates opens in theaters this week. Don’t forget to check Google for midnight openings. You know, I haven’t been watching that much TV lately, but when I do, I sure don’t see any trailers for this movie. Is it just my TV or is it like that everywhere? I’m thinking about picking up the graphics before I see it, just to be able to compare the two. Anyone out there read the graphic yet, and if you have, what do you think.

Surrogates the Movie

‘Wizard of Oz’ in HD and on the Big Screen

70 years ago, a movie hit the silver screen that showed off new techniques in film-making and told a story that excited the imagination. No, ‘Star Wars’ hasn’t been around that long, but the ‘Wizard of Oz’ has and it stills delivers.

The colorful characters and unforgettable songs of The Wizard of Oz come alive as never before as the cinematic treasure is brought into the digital age with this entirely re-mastered Hi-Def presentation.  Celebrating its 70th Anniversary, The Wizard of Oz originally opened at Grauman’s Chinese Theater in 1939.  It received five Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, and captured two Oscars® -- Best Song (“Over the Rainbow”) and Best Original Score -- plus a special award for Outstanding Juvenile Performance by Judy Garland. Its magical story and heartfelt performances have enabled it to grow from a perennial classic to its current status as a treasured icon of popular culture.

Show starts at 7pm  here, but check out the site to be sure about your theater.

'Wizard of Oz' in High-Definition

Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day

If you’ve never played D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) or any RPG for that matter, then there are enough events going on in the area to get you in on the fun. Sit in on a game or just watch and see what the fun is all about. Check out your local hobby, game, or comic book shop to see what’s on the schedule.

A Few Items from AstroPixie

I follow a young lady named AstroPixie and she always finds some really cool stuff. She’s an astronomer in the UK though she’s from the states. Went to school here in Texas if I’m not mistaken. She found this

and then she offered up this little video. Enjoy.

FenCon VI September 18-20 2009

FenCon was a concept that came about in 1999 when fans Tim Miller and Ed Dravecky decided that DFW needed a fan science fiction gathering. The first meet-up was a room party at ConDFW in 2003 and has grown ever since. This years line-up looks great with the guest of honor being Lois McMaster Bujold. Check out her website for the latest news. If you can make it out, take pictures for me. I’ve got to work but I would love to see what happened. Have fun everybody.

Borders of Lewisville Book Club Meeting

There will be a meeting on Wednesday, September 16 at 6:30 pm at the Lewisville Borders Books. Jennie Stewart will be leading the discussion of George R. R. Martin’s ‘A Game of Thrones’. Feel free to bring your questions and viewpoints that evening and enjoy the company of others who have enjoyed the book. If you have any questions, you can email Jennie at jstewart@bordersstores.com. See you there.

Midnight Movie Showings and the SGU trailer

Yes, the Stargate Universe trailer will be shown before ‘Halloween II’, ‘The Final Destination’ and ‘TFD 3D’. Here’s a list of country-wide participating theaters and then my general list of Dallas-area theaters. For some reason, on the Google list, Vista Ridge Cinemark is not showing up, but it is showing the movies tonight. Here’s a link for them. In fact, if you don’t see your favorite theater, double check it by just going to it’s website. It’s kind of funny that I can’t find the Vista Ridge, because it’s been on there before. Oh, well, have fun. I’m going to see G.I. Joe (finally) and will probably just sneak into a theater for the trailers. Have fun, ya’ll!

Gamestop Arkham Asylum Release Party a Success

I dropped by the Gamestop #688 after work tonight to check out who was standing in line. Got there about 11:30 just as they were doing the prize drawings and snapped off a few random shots. Lots of costumed characters (and very well done, I might add) were in attendance. Thanks to Andrew for his help and look forward to hearing about new events from him in the future. Then I stopped at the Gamestop around the corner from Boomerang to see how Marty was holding up with his sketches. Run into Jamel while I was snapping photos of the crowd and the Bat suit. Supposedly, it’s the one worn by Michael Keaton and just to be near it was pretty cool. Met some new people including a youngster named Dayton who was tearing up the new Batman demo. His mom and dad, gamers themselves, said that he was just as excited about the new game as they were. Howdy, to Keith at Gamestop #465 and look forward to hearing from him about new events.

You can check out the rest of the photos here or by clicking on “Galaxy Photos” to the right. You can download for your own personal use and if you want the original file you can email me and I’ll send it to you. If you have any photos, send me some links so that I’m can put them here and share.

Batman - Arkham Asylum Midnight Release in Lewisville

I’m still sketchy on the details, but I do know that Neal and the gang will be having a blast at midnight tonight. They’ve gotten together with both Gamestop stores in the area and will be giving away prizes and food. Marty Longoria will be at the Gamestop next to Boomerang doing sketches and they will have the original Michael Keaton Batman suit on display at one of them (not sure which one). Gamestop #688 is on Round Grove Rd. across from Vista Ridge mall and #465 is across Hwy 35 in front of the Target. They are in the same building as Boomerang. Hope to see everyone there.

Wanderings – Catching up

As I’ve already posted, I’m back in the workforce. Very happy to be there, especially after the eight month hiatus. I do miss working on the blog though, and I’m sure you’ve noticed the slower rate of posting. Not intentional, but I’m not making money off of the website, so it gets the back burner. I figured that I would use these “wanderings” to kind of catch up on what is happening in the week ahead and in this particular post, let you know how I use twitter.

Let me start with twitter. I love watching the tweets, but I’m usually on at odd hours. I have no idea when most of you are or aren’t so I thought that I might set up an auto tweeter to send out at certain times of the day, a schedule  for the upcoming days. Kind of like what you would find here. I will also eventually add a page of all the people I follow in twitter so that you can show them some tweet love. If you have any suggestions, please send them my way.

In other news, Thursday night is the simulcast of RiffTrax’ ‘Plan 9 From Outer Space’ at local participating theaters.

Friday night is the iMax preview of ‘Avatar’. Some of you may have already seen it at SDCC, but I couldn’t afford that, so I’ve reserved a view for Friday at 7pm. I signed up for alerts, but it would seem that even the e-mail system is slow. I got the Avatar news alert too late to post here and by the time I was able to get to it, only a few tickets were left. I apologize and will be a little more diligent in getting this information to you.

Saturday morning tickets go on sale for ‘Star Wars in Concert’. I’ve got my alarm set for 10am CDT (I think that’s Central Daylight Time). Prices are really not that bad, it’s the parking that’s going to kill. Not sure on the prices, but I’ve heard anywhere between $15 and $40. Heck, get enough people together and split a limo for less than that. May have to do that. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.

Previous Posts:

RiffTrax' 'Plan 9 from Outer Space'

Star Wars in Concert and Update

Update: Star Wars in Concert for Dallas Texas

Tickets went on sale the 12th for American Express card holders (I think that’s what they mean) then on the 17th and 18th for Cowboys Club seat holders and Cowboys Reserved seat holders respectively. VIP packages and general public tickets will go on sale the 22nd. Prices will run from $35 to 75 which is not too shabby. I’ve got a brand new credit card just waiting to be broken in. Who all wants to road trip? Here’s my previous post.

‘Legion’ Movie Trailer

I’ve looked at this trailer and I think I’m in love. I’ve always been a fan of the supernatural when it pertained to the higher power. As a child, we went to a Baptist church where we learned of the fire and brimstone and instead of fearing myself away from sin, it made me want to read more about the Rapture and the Apocalypse and how the end of times would be. Granted, I don’t think this movie is what God has in mind, but it sure looks good. I’ve posted the trailer on a separate page because it is rated “R”, so listen up kids. Don’t fake it because the man upstairs will know if you did and the movie might come true. If you are younger than 17 then look at this pretty picture below and get your parents to take you to the movie when it comes out January 22, 2010.

Midnight Movies at Inwood Theater and a Personal Update

I just wanted to kind of give everyone a heads up on what was going on with the 6 days of no posting. I finally got a job after 8 months of looking and couple that with taking care of the pregnant wife (due in January) I got kind of busy. I’m trying to set up a schedule and automate a few things so that I can keep everyone posted on what’s happening. I finally got a chance to get over and see Neal and the gang at Boomerang and catch up on what was happening in the area. Denisha offered up a midnight showing at the Inwood Theater of ‘Shaun of the Dead’ on August 28th and 29th (Friday and Saturday). That also pointed me to ‘The City of Lost Children’ the week before on the 21st and 22nd. Go to this link to see the entire list of movies, but you’ll have to scroll down the page to see the rest of the Midnight Madness movies.

Dallas Comic Con 2009

 

That’s right boys and girls. It’s back. With a full line-up of artists and writers and other celebrity guests, this looks like the place to be this weekend. Tickets are available at the show for $10 and kids under 12 get in free. I love seeing affordable prices like that. The show runs from 11am to 6pm on Saturday and from noon to 4pm on Sunday.

I’m looking forward to seeing my favorite local guys Brian Denham and Josh Howard, but I’ve got a limited window. I finally got a job after eight months of unemployment. Before, I had all the time in the world to go to these shows, but no money. Now I can afford to go but I have no time. What to do? I’m scheduled to work Saturday and still haven’t seen the schedule for Sunday. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

‘Ponyo’ Midnight Showings in Dallas

Ponyo didn’t get as many showings as did ‘District 9’ but then again it didn’t really receive as much press. I honestly can’t say that I’ve found anyone wanting to see this one either. If you are looking forward to seeing it, enlighten me. What do you find exciting about?

 Midnight Movie Times

District 9 Midnight Showings in Dallas

Check out this link for the midnight showings in Dallas. Is there a lot of interest in it or is it just me. I’m looking forward to seeing it but I don’t get that vibe from any of my other geek friends. What say you?

RiffTrax Live – Plan 9 from Outer Space

Anyone remember Mystery Science Theater 3000? MST3K? Anyone? That was my show, and I watched whenever I could so when they went on their merry way, I was depressed. Then I found them again. RiffTrax is the new site and it allows you to do the same thing that the cast did: add your own lines to the movie! But now, they are doing something really cool and it’s local. August 20th they will be simulcasting to local theaters the horrible/wonderful Ed Wood classic “Plan 9 from Outer Space.” Here’s the link to local shows and how you can get tickets. I’ve got it marked on the website calendar also, so there is no reason to miss this. Look to your left and you’ll find a cool widget from the show.

Marvel Comics’ 70th Anniversary with Lone Star Comics

Can you believe that this group has been around longer than you and your dad and maybe your grandfather (if you’re really young). I would tell you what issues of Spiderman I read when I was young but that would make some of you feel real old and some of you would want to know what I was talking about, so, suffice it to say, I was a Spiderman kid. On that note, you can meet him tomorrow, August 12th, at Lone Star Comics. That’s right, kids (and I mean all ages), you can meet Spiderman (and friends, according to some postings) at the Dallas location. Some posts that I have read state the event starts at 5pm and others say 7pm. I would opt for the earlier, because there will be swag given away and special edition comics for sale commemorating the event and I’m sure they will go fast. Contests, games, movies, and just a big old shindig is planned so make sure and not miss it.

Lone Star Comics in Dallas is located at 6465 East Mockingbird Lane Suite #362 Dallas, TX 75214. For more information call (214) 823-0934 or email Store02@lonestarcomics.com.

More Links:

Lone Star Comics Locations

Pegasus News

Craigslist

Marvel Comics, 70th Anniversary Party

DFW Toy & Diecast Show

 

Next show Saturday 8/08/09 
Come buy your collectibles

Hot Wheels, Jada, Matchbox, Nascar, NHRA
Star Wars, Comics, Sports Cards, Action Figures

RAFFLE EVERY HALF HOUR $25.00 SHOPPING SPREE AT NOON
SHOW STARTS AT 9:00 A.M. TIL 1:00P.M.
ADMISSION: ADULTS $2.00 EA
AGES 6-13 $1.00 EA
KIDS 5 AND UNDER FREE

SELLERS

Come sell your diecast and collectibles
Tables $10.00 each plus donation for raffle
Setup starts at 7am
Where? Meadow Brook Recreation Center
1400 Dugan St1400 DUGAN ST
Arlington, Tx  76010

Email at dfwtoy.diecastshow@tx.rr.com or call 214-577-6690 for more info

Can be found on Craigslist

The Variants – Brought to you by Zeus Comics

Richard Neal at Zeus Comics here in Dallas has decided to branch out into the field of live-action web comics. Coming August 5th you will be able to see the latest release every first Wednesday of the month. Below you will find a link to the news article and their website. Warning: This is mature stuff due to adult themes. All of you folks that are old enough, enjoy. This is one of the promos from the website, but there are others, so check it out.

Pegasus News

The Variants Website

D Magazine “Frontburner”

The Thrillist

G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra – Free Movie Passes

MovieGeekFeed really knows how to cater to the fan. They’ve put together a special screening Thursday night and you can get your passes at these two locations. In other news, MGF had a reporter/fangirl in attendance at TwiCon. You can read that post here. Gooooo, Joe!

Book Of Eli – January 15, 2010

I’ve never read the comic, Book of Eli, but it would seem that I need to track it down. Has anyone read? Are you worried that they may screw the movie up? Did you even like the comic?

The Book of Eli

Area 51 Celebrates One Year in Style

Saturday started stormy but that didn’t last long. By the time I rolled into Area 51 at about 10:45 the skies had cleared and the temperatures were on the rise. Which meant that the best place to be was inside. Cake was on the schedule and as if on cue the crowd showed up. Erin, Mike and Wayne with the help of family members and customers had sales specials posted, cake and ice tea (man, I’m still coming off the sugar rush), tables with for the customers with items that they wanted to trade or sell and plenty of games in session.

 

Brian Denham was manning the pen and I got to listen in on some great conversations about the comic industry. It was great to meet Charles from Fellowship of Fools and look forward to listening to his podcasts. After cake, Erin started calling out raffle ticket numbers and gave away some sweet prizes.

Everyone had smiles, even the folks that didn’t win anything. Of course, on the chance of sounding cheesy but not caring, there aren’t any losers because Area 51 is set to be around for a long long time. Sorry, Erin, you’re gonna have this headache for a while, if we have anything to do with it.

Here’s the link to the album.

Area-51’s Big Birthday Bash

Area-51 will be celebrating a year of bringing games, comics, rpgs and miniatures to the Grapevine area. Come join them in a day filled with specials and Brian Denham in the house signing stuff. Be sure and congratulate him on picking “Angel” as his next gig. Looking forward to that. Place opens at 10:00am with cake around noon with different games throughout the day and a good ole’ swap meet to find some of those hard-to-find items. Check out the site for the schedule and game times. I know that they will be playing D&D but I’m not sure if you can just drop in on those. Munchkin and AT-43 are open play, so if you haven’t tried them, this is your chance. I’m pretty sure that if you ask nicely, Erin might show you how to play Epic. Look forward to seeing everyone there and smile, I’ll be taking pictures.

Did you go? TwiCon Sold Out!

So, I was perusing some of the local websites and found one that listed the convention as sold out. I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around this. The convention, just to walk through the doors, is $255 per person. The hotel room is cheaper at $139. Then once you get in, photo ops are $40 per person and as high as $60. And those spots are limited to about 65 people. Am I just aghast at the money involved because I’m not that big a fan or is it really that ludicrous. Now, I’ve spent money before on things like autographed photos and it was hard to watch that $20 bill go bye-bye, but I only paid $15 to get in to the place. If I had paid $255, they better be throwing autographs at me. Let me hear what you think!

Twilight Convention in Dallas – TwiCon 2009

This is an unofficial Twilight convention, but it does seem to have some pull to it. Of course, I think they can pull in the actors because it cost $255 to get in to this thing. Fortunately for them, there are die hard fans out there that will pay this price, thus giving the promoters incentive to keep doing it.

Why does it cost $255?

TwiCon 2009 is the first US conference of this size for fans of Stephenie Meyer, but it's not the first of its kind.  Many hours of research and number crunching went into determining the cost of admission into TwiCon 2009.  We looked at other conventions and used the experience of our managing team to determine costs.  There are rental fees for space and equipment, speaker fees and travel accommodations for special guests, staffing fees, insurance, credit card processing fees, website maintenance, food and a number of other costs that must be covered.  We have kept the cost as low as possible while still ensuring a quality event. 

 

From the website FAQ

And I thought $20 was a lot to ask, but I’ll never complain again.

Have you seen prices like this before? If you are a fan, would you pay this price? And if you did, show me your photos!

 

TwiCon 2009
July 30-August 2, 2009

Sheraton Dallas Hotel
400 North Olive Street
Dallas, TX 75201
(214) 922-8000

‘Star Wars in Concert’

Though no dates have been announced for the Dallas area, Tulsa and Oklahoma City have already been put on the menu. Keep an eye out here for the updates as soon as I receive them. For those that haven’t heard, this will be a multi-media event with John Williams’ score being synchronized to movie footage. Anthony Daniels will be narrating the two plus hours of audio-visual heaven. Behind the orchestra will be a three-story-high HD screen and there will also be a huge exhibit of movie props and costumes. So far prices look to be $45 to 125, but we’ll see when they start to go on sale August 1st and 2nd. If any of you come across information before I do, please forward it to me.

NBC5

Star-Telegram

Star Wars In Concert

Comic-Con Costumes

Leisure Fett and Darth Pimp are not the only ones to be spotted at the the San Diego Comic Con this weekend. Check out the link here at Mania.

FanBoys and the 501st at MovieGeekFeed bash

So, I just got back from the MovieGeekFeed birthday event where we watched Star Wars: Phantom Menace and Fanboys. Some vendors were already set up when I got there and so I got to browse some really cool stuff. Thankfully, they will all be at the swap meet this Saturday and Sunday. I should have some allowance by then . . . if my wife let’s me have any. The 501st showed about 6:30 with Lord Vader and his Imperial Guard (it was all I could do to not yell “don’t taze me ‘bro”), sand troopers, scout troopers, and some that I didn’t recognize in attendance. It was a great sight and got me geared up for the movie.

I got my soda and sat down and the crawl began. The music and the crawl always gave me goose bumps and it still does to this day. The grandeur and the scope of these movies will always keep me watching. And then Jar Jar showed up. I had forgotten how much I loathed Jar Jar. The whole high-pitched hodge-podge that he spoke was unbearable until the wooden whiney acting of young Anikan came along. By the way, they had an “Anakin Skywalker Whine Off” at the beginning of the evening. Anyway, the great special effects and fight choreography kept me sane.

As many times as I’ve seen this movie I will never get over the climatic fight between Qui-Gon Jin and Darth Maul. The music makes the scene. I think the title is called “Dual of Fates” and it’s that music that makes the death of Qui-gon tear me up every time I see it. You’ve got to hand it to Ray Park, he makes Maul one bad dude.

There were more photos before Fanboys came on, so I took a few more and got me another soda and grabbed a seat. I had never seen this movie but I had heard that it was funny so I was anxious to watch it. I was not disappointed. I knew these same characters when I was a kid and we had the same discussions and same arguments. The cameos by Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams, William Shatner, Kevin Smith and Jason Mewes were awesome, but the best for me was Ray Park as the security guard (THX-1138 outfit) telling Windows, “Time for you to get mauled, boy.”

All in all, I had a great time and look forward to seeing a few of the folks on Saturday and Sunday. If you came to the show, let me know how you enjoyed it and if you got any photos, send me a link. Here are mine.

APOTAC Comic, Toy & Collectible Swap Meet

APOTAC's Comic, Toy, & Collectibles Swap Meet 6 will be held this Saturday and Sunday July 25-26 at the Crown Plaza North Dallas. It’s the same place that All-Con was held earlier this year. Check out this link for further details. What’s really great is that they don’t charge an arm and a leg to get in which leave more money in your pocket for spending on other things inside! Only two dollars and you can cut that in half by going to participating stores and get a half-off coupon. Those stores are listed here. See you there.

MovieGeekFeed celebrates one year!

MGF will be celebrating in style tonight in Grand Prairie with the ultimate Star Wars fan tribute film – Fanboys! Also, showing will be Phantom Menace which explains one of the contests. Start practicing now for the “Anakin Skywalker Whine-off.” Members of the 501st Legion will be there so that you can get your picture taken and everyone is encouraged to where their best get-up. You might just win a prize in the costume contest!

Web series takes on the world of Professional DnD

I read a blog called “Key Our Cars” (as in, “What’s the DM gonna do next, key our cars?”) and came across this little video. I swear that I’ve played with these guys throughout my game life and even though we weren’t playing for money, they were still just as intense. Do you play with people like this? Are you one of these guys? And, should there be a league like this or is there already?

Official Tim Burton Gallery

The Official Tim Burton Gallery is now open at TimBurton.com. I came across this several weeks back but the link wasn’t operational yet. Just got the email yesterday and the site is great. You can log in to get more details and access another page of drawings. The book will be available this fall.

Magic the Gathering 2010 restock at Area 51 Friday July 21st

News from the wire last night (or at least from Area 51), saying that the release of Magic 2010 was success since the product has sold out. It’s officially out of print until August 14, but . . . the folks at A51 have gotten a little something for those folks needing more. Prices will be a little higher due to the string pulling to get this stuff, but the booster pack prices will remain the same. According to A51, their stock should arrive about 1pm on Friday. Get it while you can!

Comic-Con fashion by Seth Green

Seth Green has been to Comic-Con for the last fourteen years so I think that it’s safe to say that he knows a little something about what to wear if you really have to be in costume. Here’s an idea. Send me your worst costume photos. I don’t mean costumes that were just bad ideas. I want the photos of people that just should not have walked out of the house dressed like that. I’ll post the best or maybe even all of them.

Guest Editor Seth Green: A wear-it-if-you-dare guide to Comic-Con costumes

Review: 'Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince'

The wife and I decided to go to the very first matinee on Sunday thinking that we would beat the crowds. Boy, were we in for a surprise. The Cinemark Vista Ridge 15 had their first show at 10:05 that morning for only five dollars and a lot of people knew about it. Fortunately, we always arrive with plenty of time to spare and were able to get drinks and find seats. I knew we were going to have a great time when the couple with the two young boys wedged themselves in behind us and Dad promptly showered the back of my neck with popcorn. At least it wasn’t the drink in the other hand, but hey, the movie hadn’t started yet and there was plenty of time. About two hours and forty-five minutes to be exact.

I’d heard from the beginning about how you’ll never get everything from the book into the movie. I don’t expect that to happen. As long as I’m not sitting after watching a scene and wondering what the heck just happened then I’m pretty sure they did a good job. Well, in this movie they did a great job! With the addition of two scenes blessed by J.K. Rowling and the repositioning of a scene or two, the movie moved along at a nice pace allowing everything to soak in to my brain. It’s been awhile since I had last read the book and so there were parts that I couldn’t remember. My wife said that it was a little slow, but I think that the reason it seemed that way is because the book was more plot-driven. If it weren’t for the addition of a new scene there would be very little action. With a story like this, though, I didn’t require the action to move it along. Seeing the kids growing up and the romances blooming between them made me feel as if they were my own children and I almost got a little misty-eyed thinking about it. The one thing that I thought would tear me up was the death of Dumbledore, but the scene came across as a little anti-climatic. I cried for an hour just reading it in the book.

All in all, I loved the movie and will probably watch it again. Some of the shining moments were Ron’s quidditch match, Lavender’s fawning over him, and Professor Slughorn’s facial expressions in certain scenes. I don’t know if I would rank it as the best of them all, but I do not think that it fell short in any way.

Have you seen it yet? What did you think? Let me know.

Test

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'Sherlock Holmes' Trailer 2

I am so looking forward to this movie. I am very happy to see that Robert Downey Jr. is back in full form as he was in the 80's and look to every project that he does. One of his missed out on performances was in the movie 'A Scanner Darkly'. Another movie based on a Philip K. Dick story. I actually found the movie to be quite good and liked the style that they filmed it in. If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest you give it a shot.

'Sherlock Holmes' Teaser Trailer 2 @ Yahoo! Video

'G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra' movie trailer

The latest video from 'G.I.Joe: The Rise of Cobra' which arrives in theaters August 7th.

‘Prince of Persia’ - Photos of Jake Gyllenhaal

A little something for the ladies! Latest photos of Jake Gyllenhaal as Prince Dastan. He’s stated that he is tired of taking himself seriously and is using Jerry Bruckheimer’s  Prince of Persia: Sands of Time as the means to the end. The movie is set for a May 28, 2010 premiere. Filming should start sometime this month in Morocco.

The movie is based upon the video game and will entail Prince Dastan teaming up with a Persian princess named Tamina. Tamina will be played by Gemma Arterton, who played Strawberry Fields in Quantum of Solace and will also appear in Clash of the Titans. Together they mush prevent a madman from getting the Sands of Time and ruling the world.

If you click on the title of the film above, you’ll see more photos and video from the filming of the movie. Enjoy.

 

Trying new things

You may notice a lot of changes as of late with the website. I really like the 3 column look but something was missing and so my Google Analytics page was not keeping track properly. I think that I may get back to basics and maybe weed out some of the things that clutter the page. If you are a regular visitor, I would love your input as to what you like about the page and what you would like to see disappear. I can't say that I will follow everyone's suggestions but I will listen. So, please, take a look around and let me know what you think. Thanks in advance.

We Choose the Moon

This is an amazing website that was posted by Sci Fi Wire. Put together by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the moon landing, this website is a real-time recreation of the entire mission. The background noise you hear is the actual noises recorded the day of the launch. You can look at photos and watch videos to immerse yourself even further in the history that was truly a one of a kind event for humanity. I wouldn’t be born for another three weeks but as I got older, I watched the later launches and it’s what influenced my hobbies and interests. Check out the site and relive the history!

Black Lantern Power Ring at Boomerang Comics

That’s right, you heard it! Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corp are in it up to there necks with two releases this week. Blackest Night #1 and Blackest Night Tales of Corp #1 release today and with a purchase you can get said Power Ring while supplies last at Boomerang Comics. I know I’m getting mine. Send me photos of you wearing yours and I’ll post them here!

Josh Howard at Comic Con in San Diego

He’s off and running folks. Wish I could afford to go, but I’ll enjoy the convention vicariously by following Josh on Twitter. You can also keep up here on his MySpace page. Here is a photo I took of him, so you’ll be able to recognize him.