Pining for the past...

Happy Tuesday, everybloody! A few years back, I had my cd collection stolen out of my ever-so-classy Mitsubishi Eclipse and since that time, I have been diligently trying to replace each and every disk within it. Some, unfortunately, are irreplaceable (personalized mix cds, small time concert disks, my dad's music, etc...) but I am still trying to rebuild my collection to its former glory. To help put it in perspective, it was every cd I had collected and created since early high school, so we are talking several hundred cds easy. I have since been lucky so far to find most of the missing cds on the cheap (I love you, Salvation Army...), but some are still AWOL. So, with all that build up, I'm running down the top missing discs I still need for my collection to be whole again. Here we go...

13) Daft Punk - Human After All: For those in the know, I am a pretty big Daft Punk fan. I wanted to fight a dude for his Daft Punk shirt at a recent bachelor party because I thought he didn't deserve it because he looked like a douche. Either way, I have enjoyed Daft Punk ever since senior year of high school and saw their music videos in Germany. Their music stylings mixed with slightly retro anime animation worked wonders for me. Since then, I have been following their continuing career with much enthusiasm and interest (TRON was awesome...). As far as this album is concerned, it will never be their best work as it is filled with an overuse of repetitive loops and beats AND it happened to follow Discovery which is one of my ultimate albums. It's still a good album and I must have it for completions sake alone, even outside enjoying the band...
Songs of note: Human After All, Robot Rock, Technologic...

12) Phil Collins - ...Hits: Sometimes, you just want the sappy love songs or the heart rending ballads. Enter Phil Collins and his greatest hits collection from his very extensive body of work. This was released pre-Tarzan but truly captures the overall feeling of the bald pop star and former front man of Genesis. I get a lot of good natured flack for liking the Phil (you know who you are...), but like most things, even Phil Collins has his time and place in my musical repertoire. Sometimes I don't really want to listen to his B-sides; that's the joy and the convenience of a greatest hits disc...
Songs of note: In The Air Tonight, Take Me Home, Two Hearts...

11) Simply Red - Home: Here we have a blue-eyed soul group who had their greatest success in the 1980's. However, it would be foolish to sell this group short as they can still produce all-around solid tunes. Home is a disc of covers and songs inspired by recognizable works of other artists. For some groups, this might feel like cheating or a cop out. But for Simply Red, it really works. Each of the songs within that are influenced by others is done in a way that makes them unique and they own their version of it. Their stylings go from pop to jazz to dance and beyond within the span of this album and it has never disappointed. It may not push any boundaries, but not every album needs to...
Songs of note: Home, Sunrise, Fake...

10) John Mayer - Heavier Things: One of my favorite younger artists (comparatively; I listen to a LOT of old rockers...), John Mayer is often a treat to listen to. Spawned from and inspired by the era of Dave Matthews Band pop/rock, John Mayer is one of the few musicians that come to mind to have 'gamed the system' successfully. By that, I mean he entered the scene being a pure pop act with a smattering a blues and rock elements thrown in AND was successful. Now that he established himself, Mr. Mayer is able to tell the record companies what he wants to do and not always pander to the needs of 'the man', whatever that means. This particular album venture shows the beginning of the transition of John's music style from pop to the blues that he loves so much. As the album progresses, his passion for music definitely comes through in this piece of work...
Songs of note: Clarity, Bigger Than My Body, Come Back to Bed...

9) Genesis - Genesis: Oh, Genesis. Be you fronted by Peter Gabriel or Phil Collins, I totally dig your style. This particular album, led by the aforementioned PC, was one of the first albums I ever owned. It was a Christmas gift in the late 90's. Back then, I was WAY into Phil Collins, so obviously I was into his era of Genesis. Now, as an adult, I can actually more fully appreciate the songs within this album. Still feeling their prog-rock roots but beginning to shift towards the pop scene, Genesis (the album...) is full of strange, quirky, yet catchy songs that hold up to the test of time. I recommend this to anyone who thinks the Phil Collins-era of Genesis is only about pop and not worth the time of day...
Songs of note: Mama, That's All, Illegal Alien...

8) Michael Jackson - Thriller: Good Lord, is there anything anyone can say about Thriller that hasn't been said twenty times before? At this point, I sincerely doubt it. It's MJ, it's the ultimate in 80's pop, it's got both Eddie Van Halen AND Vincent Price on the same album, and it’s the number one selling album even before Jackson died. Thriller is just worth owning as it is polished, slick, and just a pleasure to put in and jam on...
Songs of note: Wanna Be Startin' Somethin', Billie Jean, Thriller...

7) 3 Doors Down - The Better Life: The boys of 3 Doors Down are a great example of the post-grunge style spawned from the loins of bands such as Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, and Soundgarden. 3DD's sound is more palatable and relatable than their predecessors and (by proxy...) more lucrative. Not that this is a bad thing; bands gotta eat too. This particular album came out at the end of my junior year in high school and we listened the hell out of it. To date, none of 3 Doors Down's other albums have match the success of The Better Life but it did succeed in establishing them as a solid rock act worth the plastic they are printed on. Kind of like ZZ Top...
Songs of note: Kryptonite, Loser, Down Poison...

6) ZZ Top - Afterburner: And speaking of the boys in beards, we have the long standing blues-rock group from Texas. These guys are so good, it surprises me how often they get glossed over in 'Awesome Rock Groups' lists. They are musically great, their themes are relatable and awesome (hot chicks and hot cars, man...), and they just ooze cool. Afterburner was released at the height of their more synthesizer period, but each song still contains the elements that make ZZ Top... ZZ Top. Due to the success of the previously released Eliminator, it is not surprising they would release a similarly synthed-up album. Want some solid rock tracks? Pick up Afterburner...
Songs of note: Stages, Planet of Women, Delirious...

5) The Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell ...and Back: The short lived, glam-rock send up band known as The Darkness never achieved the mainstream success they should have. Not surprising; the media couldn't figure out if they were a joke band like Spinal Tap or a throwback group akin to Queen. The Darkness also waffled on that matter during interviews, so confusion was sown and, with their breakup, many have forgotten this little gem of a band. This is their second and last album (to date...) and, while it did not reach the height of Permissions to Land, it contained some solid glam metal tracks that are just fun to listen to and rock out with...
Songs of note: Is it Just Me?, Dinner Lady Arms, Girlfriend...

4) Spinal Tap - Break Like The Wind: Going from a pseudo-fake band to a full on fake band, we have the dudes from Spinal Tap. This album was procured during my tenure at camp and I was blown away. I thought this actually legitimized Spinal Tap as a 100% real bad. I was wrong. Break Like The Wind was released around the time of the movie sequel to 'This is Spinal Tap'. Oh well. Either way, this silly album features a plethora of guest artists such as Dweezil Zappa, Slash, and even Cher. While the Tap is surprisingly talented musically, each song on Break Like The Wind is full of silly humor, double entandres, and strange, nonsensical metaphor, all of which add to the charm of this album...
Songs of note: Bitch School, Diva Fever, The Sun Never Sweats...

3) The Eagles - Complete Greatest Hits/The Very Best Of: So far, this two-disc set of Eagles hits has been the only thing to dislodge Thriller from the number one album slot. This was a temporary dislodging, but it proved the sheer might of this collection. I highly recommend this set for any Eagles fan, be they the casual radio-listener type or the hardcore, 'I own them all on vinyl' type. It contains the best of both the Frey years and the Henley years and there would be no reason to not own this compilation. I enjoy Greatest Hits discs as they are easier to listen to and you don't have to switch out discs to hear what you want. This may change in this iPod era, but we'll see...
Songs of note: Take it Easy, Life in the Fast Lane, Hotel California...

2) Fleetwood Mac - Rumors: Rumors is a staple of 70's rock and quite possibly one of the best composed albums I've ever owned. Many of the songs differ greatly in theme, style and sound, but they have been blended together in a wonderful piece of art that is relevant in any time period since its release in 1977. The stories have been expounded upon by various news sources about what was going on with Fleetwood Mac at this time, so I won't go into it here. I will say (with apologies to the band...) that I am glad for the listeners’ sake that they had the troubles they did back then. The level of heightened emotion each member felt then came pouring out into their music and lyrics. Rumors is a triumph of rock music and if you do not own a copy, remedy that...
Songs of note: Go Your Own Way, You Make Lovin' Fun, Don't Stop...

1) Red Hot Chili Peppers - Californication: And so we come to the end of the list with an album that really caps off 90's rock with a bang. If there is a better album that exemplifies this period in rock music (specifically mainstream rock music...), I don't know what it is. Californication feels like a giant opus for the Chili Peppers, helped partially by the length, but also due to the level of surface emotions in this album. RHCP hit on all their strengths in this album; they get funky, they rock out hard, the slow it down for introspection, all of which can be seen to varying degrees in each of their previous albums. But it took Californication to really bring it home and cobble it together as one giant package. My only complaint: it can get a little long, but I really can't pick any songs to remove. It's one of the few albums to actually make me tired while listening to it. It's just a great big road trip. Let's put it in perspective, though; I've bought this album three times before. I guess I have a forth coming up...
Songs of note: Scar Tissue, Californication, Purple Stain...

This week intentionally left blank...

A little game review for a little game...

In my down time/off time, I have a penchant for playing games. I am no stranger to Civilization 4 (I'm kicking some serious tail as Chairman Mao in a Terra campaign...) as well as a variety of other online and console games. When I don't have much time to mess around or needs some mindless/numbing entertainment, I drift towards simple flash-based games that abound on the internet. Recently, I discovered a game on onlineflashgames.org that really works for me on multiple levels. The game in question is 'Tower of Heaven'...

Game play is delightfully simple. Jump and move your little... whatever he is towards the exit to advance. At the beginning of each level of the tower, a text box discouraging you from the 'path of righteousness' appears and has varying levels of snarkiness for you to read. Obstacles (such as spikes and pits...) appear in your way to destroy you so you cannot reach the top of the tower. An interesting twist to this is that as you progress, the game will give you rules that are an instant kill if you violate them. A couple examples are, 'You cannot touch any living thing (such as vines, grass, and butterflies...)' and 'You cannot walk left (more annoying than you can imagine...)'. The game play is also very linear, which is no surprise for an online flash game, but this is not a detractor either. It's straight forward and simple and that's good for me...

Here's why I love this game: The graphics are done in the style and colors of the old school Game Boy (read: blacks, browns, and greens...), the sound effects are also appropriate to the style, and (last but certainly not least...) the soundtrack is f'ing fantastic. The composer is on deviantart as FlashyGoodness and has made a plethora of video game music as well as large variety of video game remixes. This dude has the chops, let me tell you. Beyond that, this game succeeds where many others I've played failed. It is very easy to make an homage game that is rather half-assed. It takes real talent, then, to make a game that shows the great affection the creator has the genre. The graphics and music blend together perfectly with the play style and make playing it a joy each time I load it up...

I give this game a solid A all around. I would pick this game up even after I beat it because of the music and of the challenge level. As of this blog post, I still haven't finished the game. Level 11 is smacking me around resoundly. I trust I shall complete it though. But unlike many other games, I'm in no hurry to do so. Game on, friends. Oh, and let's not forget you can find the link to the game here...

Keep your shirts on, hipsters...

Back again and this time, it's a movie review. You know how you see a movie preview and hear a lot of hype about it and it REALLY gets you pumped to see it? And in that same preview, there are a dozen or more reason why you THINK the movie will appeal to you and be just one hell of a ride? You wait and you wait and (sometimes...) you miss it in the theaters and mourn the loss. And then you get to actually see the movie and it is a complete and total let down on a level you cannot appropriately describe. I have had this experience many, many times and guess what? It happened again. I don't normally go off and negatively review a movie (I like talking about things I actually enjoy...), but this will as close as I get for a while. Let's just jump right in with the Witte's Review of 'Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'...

Good lord, where to start? I suppose a synopsis is in order, but I won't give too much away if you still want to give this film a shot. It starts with an 8-bit rendition of the Universal Studios theme (pretty cool, if nerdy...). Then, we are introduced to Scott Pilgrim and his band, Sex Bob-omb, right off. They have a sort of odd indie/post-emo sound that Scott's current girlfriend, Knives (ugh...), thinks is awesome even though the rest of the band go on and On and ON about how they are pretty sure they suck (double ugh [more on this 'ugh' later...]...). It needs mentioning that the majority of the characters are extremely depressing and whiny for no damn reason. We are then shortly introduced Ramona Flowers, the object of Scott's affections and the motivation for the rest of the film. He breaks up with Knives to be with Ramona and Knives has a bit of a breakdown. Sex Bob-omb is scheduled to play at a battle of the bands against Scott's ex-ex-girlfriend (more and more whine...) but the journey is punctuated with battles between Scott and Ramona's evil ex-boyfriends. These battles are further punctuated with video game and comic book references, making them more fun and unique than your usual action movie. In between each battle there is an attempt at character development (fail...) and then another battle. This back and forth of story eventually leads Scott to the final boyfriend. I'll leave it there as to leave some surprise of the ending for those who still want to see it...

I'll start with saying it takes 30 minutes before the first battle starts, and that first 30 minutes are quite painful to get through by the end. The characters are introduced but not very well developed and end up being very one-dimensional and shallow. Probably the best character (even by the end...) is Scott's gay roommate, who actually shows a bit of normalcy and depth compare to the other characters. We know little about each of the characters, though I can imagine this would be alleviated if I had read the comics first (people who saw 'Watchmen' without reading it first might feel the same way...). Even so, the characterization is weak in the context of the movie. The majority of the characters are extremely whiny and depressing, but for no reason that is discernable. The band members have all the marks of being in high school for all their complaining, but each of them (minus Knives...) is 20+ and (as far as I can tell...) have little to no reason to be THIS whiny...

The movie gives us little reason to commiserate with the characters and their issues. This might also be a factor of my age and the maturing of my movie palate. Each of the band members prattle on about their 'suckness', but little is shown to back up that opinion. Many of the important characters are annoyingly narcissistic and it makes me not care whether I see them develop or not. Scott and his band are portrayed as if they are in high school and thus act as if they are still under the social pressure of high schoolers. However, this does not pan out as the movie goes for a variety of reasons. They are not in a situation that bombards them with social disapproval and have chosen a hobby/profession that would (inevitably...) either preclude them from ridicule or be forced out due to harsh unpopularity. However, their audience seems to either care very little or avidly like them as a band (especially by the end...). Plus, they can actually play so the talent part is out. Further, they are put forward as trendy, semi-nomadic, mostly attractive hipsters. This doesn't jive with the social outcast vibe the movie was trying to give us. This movie is trying to tell us that this kind of people are not cool or in and (frankly...) that is who this movie is pandering to; the pretensious cool kids who are too cool to think they are cool (ya dig?)...

Wow, that was cathartic to say the least. I'll move onto a positive note; the actual fights. Most of them are actually pretty good. The choreography rivals to any modern martial arts movie and the effects used are seamless. It was nice to see comic book styled sound effects accompany the hits as well as having an announcer denote combos and K.O.s (a la Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat...). I was less than impressed with the CGI monster during the band battle as it show less innovation and originality compared to the other fight scenes, but on the whole, the fights were the best part of the film. I'd even go as far as saying that if they release a 'Fight's Only' DVD version, I'd by it. Though (as I was told recently...), that's why God made the scene skip button on the remote...

This will kind of segue into my next up-note for SCvTW; the evil ex-boyfriend's themselves. This is where the overall silliness comes into play and the movies are the most fun. The villains are over the top and seem to have a bit more depth than our main characters (sad...). Specifically, two of the exes stand out from the pack and only because of the actors they chose. These are Chris Evans (whom you know as the Human Torch and Capt. America to name a few...) and Brandon Routh (the Reeves look-a-like from Superman Returns...). Having established super hero actors in this kind of movie inspires me to think of what this movie could have been with a little extra effort. 2 of the 7 exes are already in the comic genre; just make the rest other hero actors. There are enough young bucks in the field that it would have been easy and fun for the audience. However, what I got was enough to amuse me (if not completely counteract the whine...). I have to mention my favorite bit where Routh's character gets assaulted by the Vegan Police for breaking vegan law (one of the V-Cops is Thomas Jane, who you know as Punisher in the first reboot...). It's silly without being obnoxious and that fact is crucial to making these moments of the film better than the whole kit-and-caboodle...

So, my overall thoughts? I will say I don't regret seeing Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. However, I will likely not see it again or if I must, I will find something to do in between the fight scenes. I see the love note to video game fans there are attempting to send, but they didn't do it enough to suit me. I compare it to the love note Hot Fuzz sent to action movie fans; that movie (for me...) was the total package. SCvTW falls a little short for not doing enough. The effects are good, but the characters aren't worth the celluloid they were printed on. Might I have a different reaction after reading the comics? Perhaps, but I doubt I will ever based on what I've seen in the movie. Again, if you like heavy effects fight scenes and video game references, you might like this. If you hate non-purpose whiner babies, it's doubtful you'll make it far with this. I'll end with the thought I had midway through the film: "I thought that angsty emo-kids were the most annoying people. Turns out I hate whiny, pretentious hipsters even more". Take what you will from that...

We'll be right back...

Going camping this weekend, so there won't be any decent post on here until next week. I should have a couple gems by then, but in the meantime, how about a suggestion or two for what to write about? I love reader suggestions (even if I don't fulfill them...) because it allows me to stretch out. Either way, see you guys come Monday of next week...

Casting call, part deux...

Here we have another round of casting choices if it were even remotely possible to make an Earth/Universe/Paradise X movie. Let me tell you, it took some thought for this challenge (I hate phoning it in...) and with the length being what it is, we're going into overtime. Er, round three that is. I'll get to them as I get to them, but let's see who's on deck this time:

Reed Richards - Pierce Brosnan: Overcome with grief due to the loss of his wife Sue, as well as Johnny Storm, the former Mr. Fantastic has settled into Doom's castle and wears the armor of Doom as penance. He still works tirelessly to right the world’s wrongs, but is constantly a frustrated man. We need an actor who can seem to take the world's burden on their shoulders and remain strong. We need an actor who can play a tortured genius but also be looked up to by others. I'm tapping Pierce Brosnan to play Mr. Fantastic for this. It may seem odd to some, but I really would feel this performance as Pierce is a more than decent actor and this might give him a reason to stretch out (HA!) and do something a little different for a change. Plus, his voice can have a soft quality to it that I think fits the persona of this older Richards. Lastly, the ladies love Pierce, no matter his age...

X-51/Machine Man - Frank Welker: X-51 is the first character we meet in Earth X and he remains supremely important in the entire series. He is 'recruited' by the old Watcher to be his replacement. However, despite his being a machine, X-51 was built with a conscience and this will contrast with his predecessor’s method of Watching. This character would be 90% CGI, but you need a voice that can be very tragic, torn and conflicted as well as passionate and often sublime. This was the toughest on the list to fill, but I chose to go with one of the current masters of voice acting, Frank Welker. You've heard Frank in countless cartoons (Fred in Scooby Doo, Megatron in the original Transformers, Abu in Aladdin, check Wikipedia for the full list...) but might have never figured that one guy does so many different voices. He has such a range that I often have to check the credits just to find out if he did a voice or not. When you have a difficult decision, it's best to go with the best...

The Thing - Michael Chiklis: After the Fantastic Four disbanded, Ben Grimm settled down with Alicia Masters in New York and have a couple of kids; basically living the American Dream, even if it is cosmically powered. The Thing is one of the few characters that are very close to their main Marvel counterpart, in demeanor, in attitude, and in how he views the world. You might think this selection is a cheat, but I'll let you in on a little secret; casting Michael Chiklis was probably the most perfect choice regarding the Fantastic Four movies (from a fan boys' stance...). He's reportedly a fan of the series and it really shows in the performance he gave us then and Mike would give the same dedication if an Earth X movie was green lit...

Female Thor - Tilda Swinton: Thor was cursed yet again by Odin, by way of Loki's trickery, to inhabit the body of a female in an effort to teach the thunder god further humility. Part of this new curse also entails that if Thor sets foot in Asgard, he will never be able to leave again. The changes Thor experiences over the course of series are deep and very important to plot in each part of the trilogy. I went a little left on this one. There is a distinct lack of large, Norse women in movie worth sticking in this role. So, I went with Tilda Swinton. She's a really good actress plus she has a very intense feeling about her. Even though she is tall and lithe, she can project such power. Also, playing characters like the White Witch and the angel Gabriel were great primers for this role...

Loki - Jude Law: Of all the characters within the X trilogy, Loki changes the most drastically than most of the other Marvel characters. In the confines of Earth X, however, he starts out as most know him best; he's the Norse God of Trickery and Lies and fulfills this role magnificently. To play Loki properly, you need an actor who can make you trust him, but you feel like he would just stab you in the back if you try and double cross him. I'm grabbing Jude Law for this one. He's a very likable guy and plays many likable, sympathetic roles. Jude's also got some serious acting chops outside of character work he has done in recent years. But, every so often I feel like he could just destroy to someone's way of life if he wanted to. That's Loki to a T for me...

Dr. Strange - Vincent Price: Stranded astrally in the land of the dead before the events of Earth X, Dr. Strange is very integral to the overall story line of the X series. I do not want to give any of his parts away but while there will be betrayal from many sides, yet he will remain the Sorcerer Supreme. Yes, this is my second dead actor for this list. Since I can remember, I have thought that Vincent Price would have made an excellent Dr. Strange at any age. He has the poise, the grace, and the presence to be the Sorcerer Supreme. His older actor style fits well with the Dr. Strange aesthetic and would add a touch of class to what may turn into a super hero action romp...

Medusa - Sigourney Weaver: Wife of Black Bolt and Queen of the Inhuman race, Medusa has become much more subdued when we see her appear in Earth X. She is usually known for her fiery temper, but age has dulled her rage and taught her patience even in the face of adversity. A woman with an air of tempered royalty and underlying passion would be needed to play the Queen and I can think of few I'd rather see in this role than Sigourney Weaver. She is a tall and imposing women, capable of both savagery and gentleness (don't believe me? Watch Aliens...) in the roles she takes on. Also, I've got a crush on Ms. Weaver. Sue me...

Luke Cage - Michael Jai White: Known for his mercenary crime-fighting tactics, Luke Cage has grown up from his Heroes-For-Hire days and is now a prominent member of the NYPD. Still fighting crime, the man once known as Power Man is a respected crime fighter in his community, now legitimately taking out the bad guys. I went with Michael Jai White on this one because of his interest in the martial arts, the fact he is the right size for Luke Cage AND in shape for the role, and he has an intense presence about him. Plus, it might redeem him for making Spawn (I doubt many consider 'Black Dynamite' redemption...)...

Cyclops - George Clooney: After the X-Men broke up before Earth X began, Cyclops lived a solitary life speaking telepathically with Phoenix in the land of the dead and doing general good in the community. His relationship with the living Jean Grey deteriorated due to his bond with the Phoenix Force. Captain America sends him circus mutants to train as a new team of X-Men for the upcoming crisis in Earth X. Now, because we are to believe that this aging hero is able to take on a bunch of young mutants and come out on top to be their mentor, you'll need a guy who can show that being old doesn't mean you are weak. I'm going with George Clooney on this one. Much like Bruce Willis, he can still believably do action-type roles that are typically reserved for the 22 to 38 age group. Plus, it'd be a nice apology for Batman & Robin...

As always, your comments are encouraged and welcome (even the off color, tasteless ones...). I'd love to know if you disagree and who you'd see in the roles. This will be the last one of these for a while, but I will get to another round sooner or later. Hit me back...

Only the best for comic dystopia...

Hey guys! Missed a full week for the first time this year. Not too shabby for me, actually; I've almost done more posts in 3 months than I have over the course of 2008 - 2010 (scary...). Other projects took precedent and I found I had less to blog about while I was at work. I had slipped back into my consumer role instead of remaining a reviewer. Let me tell you, it is tough to keep this up regularly AND keep the quality of the posts high. It may seem like a cop out, but I would rather not post if I don't have something worth posting. I don't want to fall back onto 'Top 10 list of X' or any other trick done to keep my numbers up. There is nothing wrong with lists in blogs; I have seen other blogs who rely on them too much when there is a lack of actual content though. I just don't want to be 'that guy'...

Anyways, onto the real deal. As an avid fan of graphic novels and collected editions of comic, I have quite the collection (probably not as big as you might think; that crap is EXPENSIVE...) which grows each year. And one of my favorites is Kingdom Come. In a nutshell, it's about DC superheroes in a future where the tensions of super beings are nearly bursting and the aging heroes (Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman...) come out of retirement to restore sanity to society before it is too late. Bad stuff happens, lots of heroes die, but in the end, order is restore and all is (relatively...) well. This graphic novel was done by the most excellent Alex Ross (check earlier comic posts for some Ross love [photo realism, baby...]...) and Mark Waid, who doesn't have the rep of Ross, but has been in the business for quite some time and holds weight on his own. Following the success of Kingdom Come, Ross wanted to do a similar situation with the Marvel Universe, albeit different enough that it didn't turn into Marvel's Kingdom Come. The end product was the Earth X series (spanning across the titles Earth X, Universe X and Paradise X...), which was piloted by Ross, writer Jim Kruger, and interior artist John Paul Leon...

This series (unlike Kingdom Come...) is too large and expanding to encompass into a paragraph or so, but it does break down a bit like it's DC predecessor: Society is spinning out of control (EVERYONE has superpowers now...), no one in the current generation is stepping up to reign it all in, so over the course of the series more and more old heroes step up to do what they do best; save the world. However, this series spans the ENTIRE Marvel Universe, hopping into alternate realities and possible futures and uses celestial beings, such as the Asgardian Gods, Galactus, Mephisto, and even Death itself. It is/was a treat for comic trivia nuts out there, but I would imagine that it was sort of confusing or overwhelming for the casual reader (this may be why it was not as successful as Kingdom Come...) since there is so much to take in. Even though they do recap the heroes origins and how previous events played out (at least those that lead to the current story...), there is still too much to take in for some...

That being said, I love the series. Not in the same way as I love Kingdom Come (that was a glorious love note to the DC Universe...), but the Earth X series is a great ride and I AM a Marvel trivia buff (specifically trivia that pertains to Marvel circa 1993 and before, which is what the X series relates to...). Because of the grand scope of Earth X and the look of the individuals, I have given some thought to who would fit into these aged hero roles if (in my own fantasy world...) they ever wanted to make it into a movie. They never will (much like the never will for Kingdom Come...) actually make a film of this convoluted and niche storyline, but it does get my movie imagination running to think of it. So let's get to it...

Captain America - Bruce Willis: In this reality, Cap is roughly 100 years old and fights for a dream that no one believes in anymore. He has become jaded over the many years fighting what he sees as an ever-losing battle, but fighting for the American Dream is all he knows. I picked Bruce Willis as he plays the action hero type well and retains this ability even as he ages (Sin City, Red, Live Free or Die Hard...). Actually, the real bottom line is that Bruce is a great actor and has a knack for playing this kind of character...

Iron Man - Anthony Hopkins: Tony Stark has sealed himself off inside his mansion as he is the only person left without 'mutant' super powers and has rebuilt robot versions of the Avengers as they have died in combat. He is a paranoid old man, trying to hold on to a past world that has been long gone. Mr. Hopkins is a fantastic actor who can play a wide variety of roles. Playing a grizzled and paranoid Tony Stark would be a cinch as well as a treat to see. Several of Anthony's characters (Zorro, Hannibal, etc...) have been given an obsessive quality which would serve him well as an aged Stark...

Namor - Robert Patrick: Cursed by Franklin Richards for killing the Human Torch, half of The Submariner's body burns without killing him when he is in contact with the air. The only thing that can stop it is constant submersion into the ocean, which prevents him from interacting with the surface world without constant, agonizing pain. I have thought for some time (ok, shortly after T2 came out...) that Robert Patrick had the chops to be Namor and he has aged gracefully enough that he would fit the demeanor of an aged Namor. He's sinister and sly enough that it would be quite fun and a pleasure to see to say the least...

Black Panther/Panther-Man - Tony Todd: Due to the population of Earth being mutated into super beings, Black Panther had been mutated into an actually animal man: along with the power and savagery of a panther, his head now is that of his namesake. He still rules Wakanda with Storm by his side as queen, as well as with Hank McCoy (the Beast...). As this would be completely CGI, you need a great, powerful voice to go along with the Panther-Man. You could pick several mighty voices for this (Michael Dorn, Keith David, etc...), but my pick is Tony Todd, a veteran of many horror and thriller movies. He has the right delivery and tone to match the kind of role while adding an unknown and unexpected quality to the character...

Spiderman/Peter Parker - John Ritter: After the people of Earth all gain powers, Spiderman retires and is revealed to be mild-mannered Peter Parker. He lives a life of despondency as no one needs a man with spider powers if everyone can just save themselves. At this point in the story, Mary Jane has died, but after they had a daughter, May (more on her in a minute...). This will be one of the few instances where I will pick a dead actor, but I think this one fits well. Before John's death, he played a slightly dumpy dad on a prime time sitcom so this juxtaposition fits well. Mr. Ritter has always felt like an everyman to me, and that's really what Spiderman should be (you know, minus the spider powers...). John proved to his audiences that, while he may not be one of the great actors, he is a solid one and gave consistent and enjoyable performances whenever he was on the screen...

May 'Mayday' Parker/Spidergirl - Olivia Wilde: The daughter of Spiderman and Mary Jane, she inherited her father's powers, if not his sense of responsibility. Before the events of Earth X take place, May has become bonded with the Venom symbiot, but professes to her father that she is in control, rather than the suit controlling her. I'll admit it: I picked Olivia Wilde after seeing Tron: Legacy and thinking that she was great in it. She is athletic enough to fill the role as well as being able to portray the attitude of the semi-estranged daughter of a super hero legend. The fit feels natural...

The Skull - Tom Felton: Integral to the beginning and the end of the Earth X series, this young teen is the most powerful telepath to exist. When his powers manifested, it destroyed every active telepath on Earth (Prof. X, Jean Grey, etc...) as well as activated a need to conquer and control. He took the Punisher's symbol, painted red, and set out on a crusade to conquer everyone on the planet. Ignore what you have seen earlier today as it was a spoiler, but now it is gone. This one is kind of a cheat as Tom Felton (you know him as Draco Malfoy...) already played a sadistic blonde teen, but honestly I couldn't think of anyone better. He's got that domineering bully stereotype down pat...

Wolverine - Danny DeVito: In this reality, Wolverine and Jean Grey left the X-Men after Xavier's death and started a life together. This was mainly due to the fact that Cyclops was in love with the Phoenix Force rather than Jean herself. Unfortunately, once there was no need for the X-Men, Wolverine began leading a life of laze and the 'happy' couple began to resemble the cast of 'All in the Family' rather than hardened heroes. I picked DeVito because, well, look at him. That's Danny DeVito. Period. He's belligerent, he's uncouth, he's short, he's heavy. DeVito...

I will stop there as this post has gone MUCH longer than anticipated. I will create a second (or more...) post for other character/actor combination for this same topic. But, for now, I hope you've enjoyed this beginning piece of fantasy mumbo-jumbo. If you are familiar with the Earth X series and wish to add your own thoughts, feel free to. I'd love to know who would fit where...

Hee-Haw ::clank, clank:: Hee-Haw...

Hitting it early this week with a video game review and an odd little game it is. In the 80's, the video game field was dominated by a few main types of game: You had your action platformers (Super Mario Bros., Mega Man, Castlevania, Metroid, etc...), your top down adventure/puzzle games (Legend of Zelda, Bomberman, Final Fantasy, Fester's Quest, etc...), and your various sports simulators (Pole Position, Tecmo Bowl, Jordan vs. Bird: One on One, Excitebike, etc...). Granted, that is an over simplification of the field, but an appropriate one never the less. However, there were a handful of games to break this mold do something uniquely different (yeah, I said it...). One game in particular is a great love from my childhood (you too, tall guy...) and that game is the simply titled M.U.L.E...

M.U.L.E. is an economic strategy game with cooperative elements. The setting is that the players are settlers (aliens, humans, even robots...) on a distant planet and need to not only make a good settlement for yourself, but also increase the overall productivity and value of the entire colony. The game play goes as follows: you are granted a plot of land to which you will work for a resource of your choice (Mining for Smithore, Crystite for Crystite, Energy for Energy, and Farm for Food...); to do this, you purchase a M.U.L.E. (Multiple Use Labor Element) and outfit said M.U.L.E accordingly and place it in the plot. After this point, you can hunt the mountain wampus (???), assay the land for crystite levels, or go to the pub for gambling (this ends the turn...). The turns are timed so you must be quick to make sure you get everything done you need/want to. After this, the plots' resources are gathered and the players take part in the auction phase. Each resource is bartered for 'cash' from either the store or the players who are in need of a particular resource. Resources can also be bought from the store (if it has any to spare...). Lacking particular resources causes bad things to happen during game play (less time in a turn, higher M.U.L.E. prices, etc...). Finally, the leader board is displayed, showing the ranking order of each of the players. Scores are determined by land amount, total number of resources, and cash level. The turn then starts again. Over the course of the game, players can receive beneficial or detrimental messages that affect everybody or just an individual player (Pirate raid the store, M.U.L.E. goes crazy, solar flares, receive an inheritance, etc...). The total point level at the end of the last round determines how well your colony has done and how often supply ships will return to your colony with supplies...

I first experienced this game in the 90's after moving back to Maryland and befriending my buddy, Brian (that's two shout outs in one post, sir...). His dad had it and it was an excellent breath of fresh air after playing games like Super Mario and Tetris religiously. The strangest part of it, even at the tender age of 8 or 9, I really got into it (as did Brian and his siblings...). We got into this strange habit as the messages at the beginning of the turns scrolled across the screen (with dial-up buffering slowness, it seemed...), we would read the messages like a jerky robot. For some reason, even though there wasn't a lot of hilarity in that, that aspect of the game stuck with me almost more so than any other part of it (only slightly more so than the 'walking in place' glitch during the auction scenes...). I would even speculate that my love for complex and intricate board games can be traced to extensive playing of M.U.L.E. It was definitely my gateway game (suck it, Settlers of Catan...)...

The competition in M.U.L.E. is a much more cerebral challenge and requires a different skill set than what is required for platformers or puzzle games. In effect, this game played much more like a board game than a 'standard' video game. The level of resource management and economics within M.U.L.E. had not been seen before in a video game and, while the concept did not take off from here, the ability to effectively create a multiplayer game on the NES and that you could create a dynamic and interesting game in this era video games without the need for enemies flying at you, laser blasts, or power ups. While very easy to get into, M.U.L.E. is a layered, if not complex, 8-bit game whose influence can be seen in other games, video or otherwise down the line. It is the grand daddy to many games of its genre, even if they don't realize it (Will Wright even dedicated The Sims to its creator!)...

A last point: M.U.L.E has proven popular enough (even in cult-ish status...) that individuals have created their own clones of M.U.L.E. to varying success. My personal favorite: Planet M.U.L.E. It has excellent slick graphics and the people who created it really took the time to fine tune the details. I very much enjoy the modern remix of the M.U.L.E theme at the beginning (I do enjoy some techno...) and everything I have played with it, it is a perfect recreation of the mechanics and game play. If you are interested, please click here and give Planet M.U.L.E. a download. You won't be sorry (but your free time will...)...

The Midnight Sons ride on...

It's time I did another comic review and pulling from my most often read binder-o-comics, what do I come across? Spirits of Vengeance #2 from 1992. I came across this particular issue before the tender age of 10 and, due to the local librarian being a friend of the family, she would give me a bunch of comics when they cycled their stock (yes, my Lodi library branch used to carry semi-current issues of comics back in the 90's...). I have a bad feeling most of their 'stock' was recycled back then, but at the time, I was just stoked to get free comics. My copy even still has the check-out date stickers still attached (if anyone cares...). Enough pointless nostalgia; on to the issue...

A little backstory for this one; during the 90's, Ghost Rider was revamped and rebooted with a new human host (Dan Ketch...) and a trendy, 90's look (read: bulkier and spikey...). This new Ghost Rider proved so popular that a whole line of comics dedicated to the darker characters of the Marvel Universe sprung up (at least for a couple years...). We had the Nightstalkers (Blade, Frank Drake and Hannibal King...), a revamped, edgier and hipper Morbius, the Living Vampire (who you have seen as an on-again, off-again Spiderman villain...), the aforementioned Spirits of Vengeance (Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze, and [ugh...] Vengeance...), and some fairly obscure or non-characters known as the Darkhold Redeemers (look 'em up if you are honestly interested...). Their biggest thing was an event that put them head to head (with Dr. Strange backing them up...) with the demon queen Lilith who wished to plunge the world into darkness. In the end, these 'Midnight Sons' saved the day with little losses, but none of these individual series (save Ghost Rider...) never attained the awesomeness that was attained at this time in Marvel history. The art was all solid (we're talking pre-Chapter 11 Marvel here...), most of the characters were dynamic, gritty, and very cool, the storylines and dialogue weren't forced compared to most other comics, and the whole of them (especially Spirits of Vengeance...) felt very natural on the whole. I still have this feeling even today; nearly 20 years after the issues debuted...

Anyways, onto the issue itself. We begin with a hitchhiker getting nabbed by our villain of the issue, Steel Vengeance (have we picked up on the theme of 90's comics yet?), and killed so she could paint with his blood (why else?). She is the sister of another Ghost Rider villain, Steel Wind, who had been rendered comatose due to GR's penance stare (a little dab'll do ya...). After the killing, we skip to Ghost Rider and Johnny Blaze (the 'first' Ghost Rider [don't ask...]...) racing towards Blaze's carnival where his family is atop of fiery motorcycles (it was the 90's...). After getting there, Ghost Rider falls into a coma-esque state where his flames went out but he remained in skeletal form (read: a skeleton in biker gear...). While Blaze was checking in with his carnival family, Steel Vengeance showed up and started blasting the carnival with her assault motorcycle (they never say that, but it's the only thing I can call it...). Blaze is knocked out, so she proceeds to beat up on the non-responsive GR and getting increasingly frustrated doing so. Eventually, Blaze awakens and demands of his family to locate his gun (did I mention it spews Hellfire rounds? Cause it does...) and, while he searches, the carneys distract her with a small TANK(!) and the acrobat midget nearly gets killed fighting her. Blaze shows up at that point (gun...blazing...) and takes Steel Vengeance down and is about to kill her, but Ghost Rider awakens and wants to give her his Penance Stare (tm...). This attack fails, as she has sold her soul for power and is unaffected by GR's stare. She breaks away with the Rider and Blaze in hot pursuit and ends up driving off a cliff, swearing to return (go with it...). We end with a panel of Lilith and a clairvoyant servant watching the action from a city with a dark and pithy remark...

Bottom line, this is by far one of my favorite comic book issues to own. I actually own two copies; my beat up one from when I was a kid and a better condition one that I keep with the rest of the Spirits line. The art is fantastic and comes from a time in comic art that was nearly the last of its era before the Chapter 11 bit. The interior art is penciled by Adam Kubert, while the cover was done by his brother, Andy. These guys' father is the well-known comic artist Joe Kubert (another day, another time...), so good comic art is in their blood. I have a lot of the Kubert's issues (as well as their contemporaries...) and this one doesn't disappoint. The story itself made me want to hunt down other issues as a kid to see who Steel Wind was, who this Lilith character was at the end, why Dan Ketch was missing INSIDE of Ghost Rider, and why was Johnny Blaze a carney? The ending is silly (just keep driving but away from the ravine OR use some of those spikes to hang on to the wall...), but whatever; it doesn't detract for me. Also, I have to mention the layout of the issue as I draw a great deal of inspiration from, not only this issue, but others of this era of Marvel as it's very well done. The pacing is very well done and I aspire to that in my own work...

I recommend this particular (and several others of this time...) for their artistic quality if not the story. The art itself is very well proportioned (give or take...) and lends itself to believability of the characters. Ghost Rider, Blaze, even Steel Wind to a point, while products of the time period they were released, they have a high level of sophistication in their design and realism in their quality. If you want to know what the Witte would aspire to be like (at least in the realm of comic creation...), look no further than Spirits of Vengeance vol. 1 #2. It's definitely worth your time to pick it up...

(Disclaimer: The third image is not from Spirits of Vengeance #2. I just liked the picture and the quote...)

Ah, faeries, dancing under the moon\ A Druid land, a Druid tune!

Falling behind in general, but chew on this, non-believers...

Day 6

A much better morning, indeed. Not only was it comfy and dry, it came with a full traditional Irish breakfast (with an amazing view...). And when I mean full, I mean FULL. Check this:
-cereal...
-toast...
-juice...
-French pressed coffee...
-English style bacon...
-sausage links...
-an egg (fried...)...
-black pudding...
-scones...
-tomato...
Damn, that's good...

The itinerary consisted of three goals:
1)See Queen Maeve's grave...
2)See W.B. Yeats grave...
3)Get to Tara's friend Catherine's home in Strabane...

So, first things first: Queen Maeve's grave. After finding the area, getting to the site was a challenge in-and-of itself. I can imagine that many of the pagan persuasion would consider the trek up the steep (very in some parts...) hill as a pilgrimage of sorts, and I don't blame them. I felt I had accomplished something once I reached the top...

The Queen's grave itself was more like a cross between a tomb and a cairn (size plus materials used...). Regardless what the monument was, I was suitably impressed and satisfied with the site/sight. It was at this point I did two things a stereotypical, ignorant tourist would do. One, I ignored the sign saying, 'Do Not Climb the Grave' and went to the top. This, again, was worth it. To see a stormy panorama of Ireland stretched all around me; the feeling was nothing short of magical. I'm not much for religion, but it was as close as I've come in a long time. And two: I took stones from the grave. I really shouldn't have, but they were small and not all for me. I can now say I have 'The Bones of Maeve' (By the way, if you don't know who Queen Maeve was, look her up...)...

On to Yeats. I only know this figure by reputation, as I am not usually for poetry. I do know W.B. Yeats was, and is, a highly respected and regarded author and poet in the literary world. After my experience at Maeve's, one might think I'd have a similar experience at Yeats' grave. I didn't...

So, with the two major sites to see out of the way, it was off to see Tara's friend, Catherine, in Strabane for the weekend. Catherine knows Tara through an online RPG within the Pern universe (years before the term 'MMORPG' was popularized...), as well as another Irish native named Marion. Catherine, and her husband Colin, were gracious enough to open their home to us free of charge for three days, so I was looking forward to getting to know some new people fairly well (the two bottles of wine we brought should help...)...

It was quite a long drive to Strabane, so Tara and I had to amuse ourselves. Our main topic: concepting a new addition to the Tycoon computer game series, Wine Tycoon. Due to our love of wine these days (thank you Ithaca and the Finger Lakes...), it was an easy topic for us to jump into, but a very in depth idea once we got going. We think we covered everything: Grape types, soil content, hazards, equipments, world regions, customer needs, and a bunch of other things as well. To put it in perspective, we talked about the whole idea for over an hour and a half. That feels like a long time to brainstorm a computer game...

Meeting Catherine was neat, I'd have to say. While we waited for her husband, Colin, to return home from work, we played the get-to-know-you game. Apparently, Catherine knows more about me than I could ever realize (she follows Tara's blogging...). She made us a nice dinner and we actually went through three bottles of wine between the four of us. Being tired, we made light conversation till evening's end, sharing a few more drinks and then retiring. Good people, though it's shaping up to be an alcohol-filled stop. It behooves me to mention that our hosts are 35 and 42, so their tolerance is a bit higher than Tara's or mine. Hang on, liver; it's going to be a bumpy ride. Zzzz...

June 18, 2009
Nicholas C. Witte

Enjoy these other pictures of the day: