Welcome, loyal readers/listeners. As alluded to in our previous blog entry, due to time constraints (and perhaps appropriate happenstance), The Comic Shoppe has moved to Sundays at 6pm. Join Daryll B., Captain Kirk and Dburt as they discuss the following sci-fi/graphic novel/fantasy fare: not surprisingly, the Brits have done it again with another superlative fantasy TV series entitled, The Fades which just wrapped up its first season; another comic book geek fantasy turns into reality, a deceased man's comic book collection found by a relative gets auctioned off to the tune of 3.5 million dollars!!!; our thoughts on the latest release of the Justice League: Doom direct to DVD animated movie; Ghost Rider 2 thoughts and lastly, picking up on a them that was left on the table from a few shows past....as Black History Month comes to a conclusion, we will close out our discussion of the history of the Black image in comicdom detailing the advent of the modern Black comic book hero.
And now for the second half....Afronerd featuring Captain Kirk airs right after The Comic Shoppe at 7pm. The topics up for grabs are: dovetailing off a theme that was extrapolated during the excellent FreedomTrainOnline podcast, we will, in like-minded fashion, "unpack" our thoughts on the origins (and demise) of the Neo-Soul era of music; model, actress and former talk show host, Tyra Banks graduates from Harvard University's Executive Education Owner/President Manager Program; The Grio website provides some interesting facts about the Academy Awards and past winners of color; and for our Blue Area segment, it must be noted that our nations's first Black POTUS breaks ground on the Smithsonian Black History Musuem and lastly, on the tech front, the famed online business development site, Kickstarter has given birth (unintentionally) to a doppelganger site entitled, Offbeatr-for adult business idea. Call us live for BOTH shows at the same number-646-915-9620 or via email/IM at afronerdradio@yahoo.com.
And in homage of the double feature concept, does anyone remember the Creature-Feature TV intros from back-in-the-day?
Our Double Feature Broadcast! The Comic Shoppe & Afronerd Radio air back 2 back!
And least we forget, here is the latest blog entry from The Shoppe's Daryll B:
AfroNerds Unite!
Hello once again valued readers! First I would like to apologize for my absence from blogging and the ComicShoppe over the past 2 weeks. A shift in work hours has sent me for a loop and when it comes to cash, well we are all slaves to its whims. I shall return... but it isn't like I didn't keep an eye out on all the latest newsworthy Sci-Fi stories in my absence. As a valued hero once remarked: "They may shackle my body in this prison but my mind remains free to explore!" With that, let's see what got my mind going this week:
The Ghost Rider movie was a slight improvement over the first in a couple of respects but the most glaring improvement was Nicholas Cage himself. It seemed to me that in this go around, Cage felt looser in the role of Johnny Blaze and wasn't so stiff. As a result, those who acted around him didn't tread on eggshells around him, making for a "fun" atmosphere coming across in the acting. BlackOut was a creepy yet interesting villain and I loved the geek heaven casting thoughout the film.
It is weird though, I didn't know the pedigee of the director who took over the franchise when I watched the movie, but I remarked to a friend that GR2 felt like "a demonic Crank". Then I go to find out that the creative team of Neveldine and Taylor were the ones behind Crank. Funny how these things work out huh? By no means is the film redefining the genre, but it's a good 90-108 minute diversion from life...
David Brothers picks up on something at Marvel that I have complained about for years:
http://4thletter.net/2012/02/thats-a-one-hot-team-every-ten-issues-average/
Meanwhile, Afronerd himself sent me an article by Marty Mar concerning his thoughts about Static Shock:
http://geekmodeonline.com/how-they-should-have-handled-static-shock/
Why did I group these 2 thought provoking articles together? Well it goes back to an old argument I have had with the comic companies about doing "bait and switch" tactics in terms of their characters and creative teams. Why put writers and artists on high profile books if they can't give you a ten to twelve issue run straight to get readers in? Why do the fans, including myself, keep on buying this schlock mindlessly expecting change? Let's face it: we are all lemmings to this addiction. We all know the potholes and traps ahead of us in continuing this path but still charge headlong off the cliff anyway buying the crap. Marvel and DC KNOW that they got us and will never change their tactics..... no matter how much we complain. This is like a bad S&M relationship that continues eternally, even though one of the participants is bored and the other has suffered major blood loss....
Static Shock, and to a lesser extent, Mister Terrific were doomed by a lack of foresight and were just kneejerk conceptions by DC to gain better PR at the time. Both characters were cut off at the knees by removing their histories and then the continuing flux in regards to their creative teams put the final nails in the coffin. I said it when the books began. I said it when the Rozum situation was revealed. I said it when Mr. Terrific went through 3 artists in the first 4 issues of his book. I believe it still now. Both books could have been mined for interesting stories if everything that made the characters essentiial wasn't stripped from them.....
Time for AfroLink-Blogging.....
Star Wars Die Hards? When I say it is hard to take you all seriously when you say how much you hate the "prequels", this is why....
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/24/star-wars-the-phantom-menace-passes-1-billion-at-box-office/
For a movie you universally 'hate' a lot of you certainly went back to the box office and spent money on it.... That's like me saying how much I hate the "Avengers vs X-Men" schlock.. Then going out and then buying every issue of it....
This news is cool yet kills me at the same time:
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/24/fringe-producers-discuss-shows-future-and-the-end-of-all-things/
Man... If you saw this Friday's episode, then you should be right with me in that there is NO WAY they'll answer all the questions in my head in the remaining half a season... if that is all that is left in Fringe's lifespan...
Black History Month and of course I learn something new:
http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/balloonless-jackie-ormes-the-first-african-american-woman-cartoonist/
I swear I never knew Jackie Ormes existed before this and it now makes me wonder about how many of them are out there who never got a "spotlight"?
Finally, in keeping with the female power part of the program, I know by now most of you have heard or seen Kelly Thompson's piece at Comics Should Be Good about portrayals of Men and Women Superheroes within comics:
http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2012/02/21/she-has-no-head-no-its-not-equal/
...but what I bet is your didn't see Gail Simone's answer to some of the more 'shallow' comments made to the article by readers of Kelly's blog...
http://gailsimone.tumblr.com/post/18048046730/sometimes-i-get-a-little-discouraged
There's nothing more to be added to this by me about some "fans" on the internet. To them, it will always be a crime to think a little differently about a subject.... and THAT'S the true shame in all of this. Remember that thing about the Internet being used as a tool for informational and interlectual enlightenment by the mass of humanity? Forget that jazz now... We are all stuck with: "My idea is right and you suck because you don't think the same.."
There it is... I'm back.... and until next time AfroNerd Readers: Keep Fantasizing!
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