Action Figure Friday

If you missed them the first time around, you have a second chance. Toynami has released a second wave of it's first two Futurama figures "Fry" & "Bender". I found them at Think Geek for a good price of $24.99 for the set.

They also have "Prof. Farnsworth" & "Hermes" or "Leela" & "Zapp Brannigan" for the same price. They are a really great company & I have ordered from them before with no difficulties. They are usually pretty speedy with the shipping, too. They even have a rewards program called "Geek Points".

As far as the figures go, I love them. The Futurama line happens to be some of my favorite figures of my entire Geek collection. "Chef Bender", "Mom", "Nudar", "Calculon", "Kif", "Dr. Zoidberg", "Cloberella", "Super King Bender", "Capt. Yesterday" are available all over the web as well. "Wooden Bender", "Morbo" and "URL" (robot peace officer) were displayed at the 2010 Toy Fair, so I'm betting they will be next in line. The accessories that come with these figures are usually just what they should be. "Fry" has a holophoner, a can of Slurm, & anchovies for example.

If you love Futurama these are fun way to support the show.

New Music Thursday

Killfest coming to Oklahoma. If you like black, death, or hardcore screaming metal this is a show not to miss. Sunday, April 25th in Tulsa Oklahoma at the Marquee

Killfest is a hardcore metal concert that includes the bands Vader, God Dethroned, Woe of Tyrants, Warbringer, & Evile, all leading up to the top band on the bill, OVERKILL.

This is going to be one heavy show. You can get yout tickets now at ENTER THE VAULT. Check the tour calendar for a show near you if you aren't anywhere near the Tulsa location. It's a pretty extensive tour.

Website/Blog Wednesday

Okay, so I hear about this new online game site. It's called thesixtyone.com. It's not just any game website though. This one is a music website game site. You listen to music, rate it, skip it, etc. & move on & up. Their mission statement is:

"On thesixtyone, new artists make music and listeners decide what's good. We're nurturing a growing ecosystem where talented folks can sell songs and merchandise directly to their fans. Unlike a record or distribution deal where they only make $1-2 per album (if they ever get paid, that is), artists on thesixtyone make at least $7 per album and are paid every 30 days -- no wait for recoupment and no complex royalty schemes!

We're named after Highway 61, a U.S. route that runs along the Mississippi River and marks the origin of American music culture. Muddy Waters, Bob Dylan and B.B. King rode the 61. Elvis grew up in the housing projects along it. Highway 61 was the road by which people left their homes to take their music to the world.

thesixtyone, inc. was created in 2008 on the basis of yielding the highest annual dividend of auditory happiness for our shareholders across the universe."

Pretty cool. The first song I got to listen to was "Yeti" by Like Bells & I have to say, I liked it. It seems to be a really great way to find new music by new bands or bands that have yet to get any attention from the mainstream.

One really great thing about the website is that they let you listen & download music without an account. Smart decision & great decision if you are an artist on the site.

An incentive to get join & sign-up for an account is the ability to comment on songs, upload as opposed to download songs, & get to some music that has been keep back as for members only.

There is cool info & pictures of the band you are listening to in addition to any tour schedules they may have.

I have to say I was really surprised by the quality of music on the site. Most of it was not my type, I'm a metalhead, but some of it I really liked. Go check it out & see if it's something you could get into. You might find some great new music or a place to put the great new music you make.

Don't forget to leave a tip in the tip jar if you really like the band.

Ciao!

Art Tuesday feat. The Artistic Biker

The Artist Biker is, as he describes himself, "...Jonathan "Blade" Manning. A treasure troll of a man, with hobbit feet and a sharp pointy head. You may see me traveling up and down the highways of Oklahoma looking for the next place to sketch, paint, sing, dance, write, photograph or simply meditate. I have begun a journey that once set upon, there is no turning back".

He runs a blog, The Artist Biker, that has a plethora of information on creative outlets & creativity. He also shows off his own creative skills. He's quite the art journalist. He also owns & rides a motorcycle. He's also very funny. He runs a live show/podcast every Thursday to show you the techniques he's discovered as well as invented. He is self-taught with no formal training. His shows always promise lots of laughs. He has a Facebook page as well as being on Twitter, Flickr & Youtube.

Right now he is trying to start up his own art studio. He has a building he's made an offer on & he's asking for donations. If you can spare some pocket change or five bucks, I'm sure he'd appreciate it. He has a Paypal link all set up over at his blog.

Go check him out & make sure to catch his show on Thursday. Tell him SisterInArms sent ya. ;)

Movie Review Monday

Howdy friends! This weekend I had the chance to catch a late showing of "The Wolfman" directed by Joe Johnston who is also listed as directing "The First Avenger: Captain America" movie coming next year. He directed one of my favorite overlooked movies back in 1991, "The Rocketeer". He seems to be really good at capturing "mood" in film & he did an excellent job in this film. There were many very dark, as in lighting, scenes that I think many directors would have tried to light up more, but shouldn't. The whole film felt older than it is. The sets/locations were perfect.

Andrew Kevin Walker & David Self(screenplay) obviously studied & loved the original Wolfman screenplay by Curt Siodmak & only made it better. As a huge fan of Lon Chaney Jr.'s Wolfman that's quite a statement for me. They kept the heart & soul of the tale even paying homage to Maria Ouspenskaya with a couple of seconds of action with a little gypsy girl named Maria. Very nice. They also added something, that as a fan of Siodmak's script, I always wanted to see & suspected. Sir John Talbot's history. These guys simply took what was already there, fleshed it out more, made a few minor changes & ended it perfectly. I gotta say, I was very satisfied with the story. Now, that being said, keep in mind, it is "The Wolfman" & not some super brainy movie.

I do want to address something that made me very happy. There is a traveling scene. Many people who know me, know this is my movie pet peeve. No one ever does traveling scenes correctly. They are slow, boring, & take forever. They stop the rhythm of a film dead many times. Not this time. Whoever was responsible for the traveling scene in "The Wolfman" nailed it. Excellent job. Peter Jackson could really learn something here.

Now, on to the acting. Benicio Del Toro was perfectly cast for this film. There were times that I would swear I was looking at Lon Chaney, Jr. instead of Mr. Del Toro. He did wonderful job with the character & I feel he could really have opened some doors for himself with this film, perhaps reviving some other Lon Chaney or Lon Chaney, Jr. roles. The whole cast was great.

The antiques shop from the original made an appearance in the film, & if I didn't know better I would think it was exactly the same shop. The attention to detail was superb in many instances. Many people will probably complain about the use of make-up vs. CGI, but for the Wolfman, I am very happy that they went with Rick Baker (Gorillas in the Mist, American Werewolf in London, Beauty & the Beast TV series) & the old school feel of applied make-up plus CGI. I thought the make-up was perfect & the use of the CGI for the transformation scenes used as it should be. There was one little scene of the Wolfman running on all fours that wasn't quite up to specs. In other words, it was bad. As bad as that Luke vs. Rancor scene in Jedi. It was just a two second scene though. Still, I wish the editor had cut it.

There was a little gore, but overall it was quite tame compared to most films today. Even compared to most films in the 70's & 80's. I don't think there were any utterances of profanity, but I might be wrong there. If there were they were very few & were hells or damns. No sex scenes, no nudity, just a good old fashioned monster flick.

So overall, I really liked it. It's a solid B+ or A- movie. Probably B+ for the bad CGI scene & I think perhaps we needed just a bit more in the climactic scene at the end. There was a bit of bad CGI there as well, and maybe just a little tiny bit too much cheese. I won't mention what, but if you go see it, you'll understand. I recommend trying to catch it before it's gone. I figure it has maybe a week left before the theaters switch it out with something else.

...and that's your Movie Review Monday! Thanks for stopping by!

Action Figure Friday feat. Sarah Connor

Okay, I know, Sideshow again!? Yep. Look they created a Sarah Connor figure. I freakin' LOVE Sarah Connor. Linda Hamilton is one of my all time favs, okay? Now, that being said...what the FRAK!? Where are the muscles?


Seriously Sideshow? Seriously? You spend all that time on the face sculpt, but leave off the muscles. Now, I understand that the majority of the population is freaked out & grossed out by ripped muscled women, but those of us who love Sarah, love her not only for the strength of character, but for her freakin' muscles! Just putting "muscles" in the description does not make them appear. Sheesh. This is a very important aspect of this character. The figure does seem to have a weak attempt at a toned look, but my friends there is a huge difference between toned & cut, and Sarah is CUT. Save the toned look for the Lena Heady version of Sarah.

What's with the green fatigues? Green? Is the accessory/costume/clothing person color blind? They are supposed to be black. BLACK. A slightly faded black tank top with crisp new black pants. OMG. What is it with Sarah Connor figures & toy makers? They NEVER get things right.

You even left one of the most important things out of all the extras. The chip from the T-800. Where's the chip? Really, no chip? An extra set of hair bangs, but no chip? *facepalm* Then there's the price. $150.00. WHAT!? Wrong color fatigues, no muscles, no chip, & you want $150.00? No Frakkin way! Lol.

I'm sorry Sideshow, but this time you missed. Take that beautiful head sculpt that you paid so much for & put it on a Sarah with muscles in the right clothes & you might get the $150.00 you want. That's just this HUGE Linda Hamilton/Sarah Connor fans opinion though.

Music Thursday will return next week...

So I got all excited about Roller Derby after I wrote the post on Wednesday & decided to start a painting of a Derby girl. I sketched/thumbnailed something out while at work, stuffed it in my Biker jacket, Vroomed home & started the painting.

I decided to go with oil. That might have been a wrong choice because I probably could have finished it that night with all the enthusiasm I had going, but I had to wait for the paint to dry. I'm still waiting for the paint to dry. *sigh* Oh well, at least it's started & I really like the composition of it. Perhaps I'll do the rest of it in acrylic.

I don't know why I feel like no one takes acrylic seriously. I've been pushing myself to paint in oil more because I think somehow that makes my art seem more "real" or somehow more legit. I see paintings in shows & they always seem to be oils & never acrylics. Is there a reason for that? Is oil considered more legit?

I paint fast, so acrylic has always been a much more comfortable medium for me. That's part of the reason I've picked oil up as well. I'm trying to push myself out of comfortable places. Still, the waiting really causes me to loose steam & sometimes interest in what I'm doing. What do you guys/gals/peeps think?

Website Wednesday feat. Roller Derby!!!

That's right, I said Roller Derby. Womens flat track, full contact, high energy fun! They used to be know as TARG or the Tornado Alley Roller Girls, but have now been combined with other teams to create Oklahoma City Roller Derby.

Here's a video of some of the action: TARG vs. ITC

If you've never made it out to a match, you should give it a whirl. It's a fun way to get to scream & shout & cheer for your team. The first time I went I was hooked. I ended up standing up & shouting "Go, go, go!" before the night was through.

They usually have refreshments at the matches, including beer, when at the Farmer's Market. Show up early or finding a seat might be a challenge. I prefer the balcony myself. Bring signs to cheer on your team or paint yourself up, or just come as you are. It's fun to really get into the spirit of things.

Wednesday March 10th, 2010 the Roller Girls will be making an appearance right here in Norman, Oklahoma at StarSkate

Check out the MYSPACE page here: OKCRD

Here's their Facebook: OKCRD on Facebook

Go check them out!

Art Tuesday feat. Mike Deodato

The first place I ever remember seeing Mike Deodato's work was in the comic adaptation of the television series "Beauty & the Beast" starring Linda Hamilton & Ron Perlman. I was a huge fan of the show & was amazed at how he managed to capture the characters & environment so perfectly.

Now he's big time with Marvel covers & the New Avengers, Amazing Spider-Man, Thunderbolts and his latest ongoing series, Wolverine: Origins. Marvel has him all to themselves.



He has really improved over the years & I'm pretty excited that he & Brubaker, one of my favorite, if not favorite, comics writers will be working together soon in an Avengers title I believe. Go check out his site here: Deodato & Here: Art of Deodato

Follow him on twitter here: mikedeodato

or Facebook here: Mike Deodato, Jr.

Keep up the great work Mike!

Movie review Monday

Well, hmm....I didn't watch a single movie this last week that I can review. So I guess I will have to pick an old favorite or something. Hmm...Oh, I know. I'll review Inglorious Basterds. I saw this movie in the theater when it was released so my memory may not be exact on details. It is out now on DVD for purchase & rent.

Okay, first of all, I loved it. LOVED it! If you don't like Tarantino, don't bother, you won't like this either. What is wrong with you, by the way? Against cheesy fun or something? Your life really sucks so bad you can't enjoy Tarantino? Okay, anyway, if you do like Tarantino, and haven't caught it yet, go get it!

This is a movie set in WWII. It contains one of my all time favorite scenes in a movie EVER. I don't want to tell you what it is here because it would be a total spoiler for anyone who hasn't seen it yet, but OMG! best scene possibly ever. I didn't see it coming & never expected it. There may not have been as many one-liners in this movie as other Tarantino flicks, but I think the scenes were better & more meaningful than previous flicks by the director. There were some seriously tense moments in this movie that I absolutely loved. Personally, I think this is Tarantino's best film.

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Kill Bill movies, but this movie just has perfect moments in it, & seriously...I LOVE the one scene in this movie so, so much.

Go rent it if you haven't seen it. If you are a hardcore Tarantino fan, just go buy it. Of course if you are hardcore, you've probably already seen it 100 times.

Thanks for stopping by. Tell your friends to come by. Say hello, leave me a comment. Let me know you are out there.

Action Figure Friday

New Wolfman action figures by Mezco are out & about in your local retailers.

12inch scale figure features film accurate detail, 13 points of articulation, and real "bloody" cloth vest and shirt.

7inch scale figure features film accurate detail, 12 points of articulation, and sculpted clothing. Each figure also includes a scale wolf head cane as featured in the film.

Wait! There's also a necklace crafted and cast of metal. This life size, double sided, metal prop replica of the infamous medallion worn by Lawrence Talbot captures every detail of the original as seen in the film. A metal chain is included.

If you are a big Universal Monster fan or werewolf fan or just a Wolfman fan, these are pretty sweet figures & collectibles!

Make sure to head on over to TCM Hitchhiker's photostream on Flickr as well, to see some beautiful shots of the figures he took for Mezco!

New Music Thursday

Hello again. It's Thursday! One more day to the weekend for me! Although I think I might just take tomorrow off & finally get up to see the Family for Christmas. I haven't had Christmas yet & my Mother still has the tree up waiting for me. Lol!

It's new music Thursday. As many of you know I am quite the metal head. I love metal. I love guitars that sing. It doesn't matter if the band is serious or silly, if it's metal I'm there. I'm always on the lookout for new metal bands & metal bands that have been around that I've never heard. This weeks find is the band EPICA.

Epica is a Dutch symphonic metal band that blends progressive metal, gothic metal & symphonic metal. They were founded by guitarist and vocalist Mark Jansen subsequent to his departure from the band After Forever. Their debut album, The Phantom Agony, was produced by Sascha Paeth (known for having produced bands such as Angra, Rhapsody of Fire and Kamelot) and released in late 2003. Their second release, Consign to Oblivion, was inspired by the culture of the Mayan people & their stories & legends. Epica's non-metal album The Score - An Epic Journey was released in September 2005 and is the soundtrack for a Dutch movie called Joyride. In 2005 and 2006 Epica went on their first tour throughout North America with Kamelot. In April 2009, they announced a new album with the title "Design Your Universe". It was said to continue the A New Age Dawns saga which started on Consign to Oblivion. The album was released on October 16, 2009.

This band just happens to be swinging by my area:

Feb. 22 - Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
Feb. 23 - Marquee - Tulsa, OK
Feb. 24 - Scout Bar - Houston, TX
Feb. 25 - White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX

and I am interested in trying to make a show. The song UNLEASHED is really good, & I would love to hear them live. Go check them out if you have never heard them before here: Epica Youtube , Epica Myspace , Epica Last.fm

If you want to make a show, check out tickets here: The VAULT

I've used these guys before & sometimes you can get V.I.P. & special tickets here.

Website Wednesday

This Wednesday I am going to send you in the direction of a stop motion filmaker & artist named PES. His videos are amazing & a barrel of fun! He has won several awards for his films & also been commissioned to do commercials for many big name companies. PES is yet another example of doing what you love becoming the thing you get to do for money. Follow your heart people. The money will follow. Be creative & love what you are doing. Go check out all the coolness that is PES here: PES

Art Tuesday!

Well, we are 5 days away from Valentine's Day. Yep, that's right. Five. You better go get something or make something or plan something if you haven't yet. To celebrate art & the coming of one of my favorite holidays I want to share with you a blog I stumbled across.

STOWE

Go check out this guy's blog beyond the link above. He has some great takes on Futurama characters & other art that is really cool stuff. His name is James Stowe & his bio says he's been doing RPG fantasy and horror illustrations for over 10 years now. He also has Twitter & Facebook links. Go check him out!

Movie Review Monday feat. Avatar

So I have now joined the millions who have witnessed the spectacle that is Avatar. I really don't even need to bother with a review because all of you have probably beaten me to seeing it anyway. However, it is Movie Review Monday, so I will go for it.

Let's start with the part everyone is enamored with, the effects. I give them a solid A. Great effects. Unfortunately for me, I was not impressed. Maybe it's all the PS3 games I play, or the artwork I do, I don't know, but I just wasn't taken aback by the glorious grandiose visual masterpiece of the effects. Batman: Arkham Asylum has graphics that are just as marvelous, they just aren't in 3-D. Maybe that has something to do with it as well. I've seen every 3D movie that has come out for the last 2 years. Coraline blew me away. That is when I, personally, was stunned by the leap in 3D technology. So maybe I am not blown away this time because I have seen the progression in each 3D movie I've paid to go see. If you haven't seen any 3D movies for a while, then you are probably going to be awed.

Next let's go to the meat & talk plot. It was good. A solid C. Not too cheesy, not too serious, followed the story-telling formula for success. It was nothing new either. The joke I had heard that it was just a re-make of Ferngully. After seeing it, I realized that statement wasn't really a joke. If you have never heard of Ferngully, it was an animated movie that came out in 1992. The plot was:

The magical inhabitants of a rain-forest called Ferngully fight to save their home that is threatened by logging and a polluting force of destruction called Hexxus.

Avatar...same story.

Now, this is what perplexes me. This movie? This is the movie that everyone loves right now? Really? It must just be the visuals, because I KNOW for certain that in the USA, people hate this kind of message. I don't, and most of my friends don't, but the baby boomers think this sort of thing is nothing but a bunch of tree hugger crap. So I guess the masses are choosing to ignore the message & just have fun with the visuals. Interesting. Of course, maybe I'm being a pessimist, am completely wrong, and everyone has woken up to realize how important the earth really is. How important all life really is. Maybe, just maybe, people are beginning to truly understand that we are all connected. The earth, the trees, the animals, the rocks & the people. We are all one. Seriously though, I doubt it.

I did notice not really feeling emotionally invested in the characters in this movie. There was some sort of detached feeling throughout the film. I'm not sure why exactly. Maybe it was because the plot was familiar, so as a viewer I knew what was going to happen before it did, thus leaving me unsurprised. I'm not sure. I'm still rolling it over in my head. One thing I can say is that I have heard many evangelicals calling it a "Godless" movie. Okay, LOL, you really didn't get it. Godless? Absolutely not. God is what is being lost. If you don't see this, it frightens me to think what you picture god is. This is NOT a "godless" movie.

So, did I like it? Yeah, I liked it. I like Inglorious Bastards better. District 9 did a better job storytelling. 2012 was more of a thrill ride visually. Heck, even Zombieland left me caring about the characters more, but go see it. The 3D & Weta effects are beautiful and maybe, just maybe it'll change you for the better. I give it a B- to a C+.

Action Figure Friday feat. Tom Baker as Doctor Who!

Finally a plastic representation of the Doctor of Doctors for most of us in our 30's & up. Tom Baker portrayed the 4th Doctor in the BBC series Doctor Who. Now Underground Toys has added him to their toy-line of Doctor Who treasures. This figure is 5 1/2 inches tall & includes interchangeable heads. He even has his signature scarf! You can pick him up at Entertainment Earth for about $16.00.

New Music Thursday feat. Luna Moth

This week it is another local band I'm putting people in touch with. I worked with one of the members for several years at a book store & this guy is a really great person. The music is very psychedelic sometimes & folky other times. You can catch the band Luna Moth live in Norman, Oklahoma at different spots at least once a month usually. Check out some of their tunes here: Luna Moth Myspace

It's really great stuff to paint to or just chill to.

Website Wednesday Feat. Conan's Creator

One of my biggest influences from the time I was probably around 7 or 8 was and still is the writing & creations of Robert E. Howard or REH. Not many people are aware that a guy from a tiny town in Texas was the creator of Conan the Barbarian, Solomon Kane, Kull, and what would eventually become Red Sonja. 2006 would have been Robert's 100th Birthday. Sadly, he never made it past 30. He had quite a tormented life & put a bullet in his brain hours before the death of his mother. I will always wonder what other characters full of rawness, freedom, & wanderlust REH might have conjured up. I smile a little whenever I see anything with sword swinging barbarians on it. If it wasn't for REH, they might never have existed. This is a great example of what Joseph Campbell meant when he said, "The artists function is the mythologization of the environment and the world". Thanks REH for all the inspiration. Go check out the official Robert E. Howard website HERE.

Art Tuesday!!!!

It's Tuesday & that means it is time for some art! I know this brilliantly talented woman who is a writer, artist, & great singer and has a great website featuring her art. She was born in Ohio & moved to Oklahoma in her 20's. She has her Bachelor's from the University of Oklahoma in anthropology & history & is working her way through the Master's program in Professional Writing now. She has several of her paintings up for sale as prints on her site. She also takes commissions. Her studies in history & anthropology heavily influence her work. She was really taken by the rich cultural history of China & ancient Greece.

Go check out her sight here: Jen Elsner

If you want to commission a work, her e-mail address is: jen@jenelsner.com

A side note....

You may have noticed I fell a little behind on my posts. Unfortunately I have a good reason for this. I've had to have some x-rays & visits to the Doctor. Apparently I am suffering from a condition called cricopharyngeus spasm & I have tennis elbow as well as a couple of small tears in my right rotator cuff. I had to have x-rays for the first time ever & was pretty excited. I find x-rays fascinating & being able to see your own skeleton is pretty cool. The bad news is the amount of discomfort & pain I am in right now. I'm going to try & keep on it with the blog, but some days it may just be a little too much. Let's hope with the physical therapy & steroids everything heals itself back up & I am A-ok in no time. So please, if you stop by & enjoy my blog, bear with me. Thanks.

Movie Review Monday

This week's movie review is for the recently released on DVD movie "Whip It". "Whip It" is a movie about a girl coming into her own by falling in love with Roller Derby. Being a Derby fan myself & making it to as many Tornado Alley Roller Girls matches as possible, I was interested to see this film. It is Drew Barrymore's directorial debut I believe & she has done a great job. We find ourselves in a sleepy little Texas town named Bodeen. We travel from Bodeen to Austin as our main character transforms from a beauty pageant reject to a skilled Roller Derby girl. The cast is great in this movie. You have Zoe Bell, Drew Barrymore, Juliette Lewis, Eve, Kristen Wiig, & more! It's a fun feel good no-brainer of a film to just kick back & enjoy. I'd give it an A for just being what it was trying to be & being fun.