Monday, March 01, 2010

S-T-A-U-N-C-H Villains Don’t Weaken, No Matter What

One of my favorite things in the world is when fanboy icons and gay icons collide. New site member Themysciran created this little cinematic gem, bringing together the story of the Beales of Grey Gardens and everyone’s favorite Eternian villains. You’ll never look at Skeletor and Hordak‘s relationship the same way again. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Quote of the Week: The Wisdom of Janice

I met a fellow recently who was charming and attractive and a total fanboy of various degrees and persuasions. Since I’m always on the lookout for potential Fanboys of the Month, I pitched the idea to him. He seemed open to it, even a little excited, until I got to the part involving the whole “take your clothes off” thing. My new friend smiled and said, “Look buddy, I don’t take my clothes off for anyone, I don’t care if it is ‘artistic.’” To which I replied, “It’s got nothing to do with art. It’s a journey that you go on.”

Immediately, we both realized that consciously or not, he quoted Janice from The Muppets Take Manhattan at me, and I quoted Madonna from Truth or Dare right back at him. Truly, a meeting of the minds.

My useless pop culture knowledge impressed him, however, and he promised to think about the whole “take your clothes off” thing. In exchange, I’m honoring Janice with this week’s Quote of the Week. We’ll do her similar riff from The Great Muppet Caper another time.

“Look buddy, I don’t take my clothes off for anyone, I don’t care if it is ‘artistic.’”
-Janice, The Muppets Take Manhattan

Can you get behind it? Fer surely. 

Saturday, February 27, 2010

FBOTU’s Weekly Comics Load: Namor Fantasies Not Included

I thank thee for thy clicking.

Friday, February 26, 2010

FBOTM Friday: Play It Again, Sam

Stupid February. Too, too short of a month for a specimen like Fanboy of the Month Sam. Whose bright idea was it to put him in February? Oh, yeah. That would be me. Well, take heart, because we have until next Friday to enjoy Sam and all his sexy, geeky goodness. Also, you’ll be getting a second scoop of Sam in April. He’s joining a few other previous FBOTMs for a special 2nd Anniversary photo shoot. I’d like to thank Sam for his enthusiasm and good humor. He was a delight to work with and he’s made an excellent addition to the FBOTM Fraternity.

And a final note on Sam’s underpants. We ended up shooting Sam in two different pairs: the navy and gold Go Softwear trunks and what can only be described as “star-spangled” Ginch Gonch. I’m saving those for next year’s calendar.

Now, here’s the last of the good stuff.

• Check out the final shots from Sam’s shoot in the Gallery.
• Take one more look at Sam’s bio in the FBOTM Lounge.
• Watch Sam’s behind-the-scenes video one more time in the FBOTM Lounge or on the FBOTU YouTube page.

Be sure to check back next FBOTM Friday to meet March Fanboy of the Month Rafael. Have a great weekend!

Thursday, February 25, 2010

FBOTU Book Club: One Week to Go!

Only one week left before your book reports are due and we have a pop quiz. Ha! Did I scare you? Reading and grading your papers would require a level of concentration Twitter has successfully obliterated from my brain. Don’t worry, though, I’ll still give everyone an A, and you won’t even have to sleep with the prof, like I had to throughout my entire college career. Can you believe I only graduated with a 3.8? Aw, now I’ve made myself sad. What does any of this have to do with our FBOTU Book Club selection: The Magician and the Fool by Barth Anderson? Nothing. Except you have one week to finish (or start) the book.

Discussion begins on Wednesday, March 3 in the Books Forum. If you haven’t picked it up yet, you can buy The Magician and the Fool at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Borders or wherever books about gay guys written by straight guys are sold. I think that’s everywhere. Happy reading!

By the way, I think I could get a 4.0 now. I’ve been practicing. 

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Review: Crisis of Infinite Yawns

Note: The following review contains spoilers. Reader beware.

Little known fact. Several years ago, I was replaced by a multiverse version of myself who, thankfully, proved to be somewhat smarter and better looking. Still no good at math, but until another version of me shows up from a mathy universe, this version will have to do. True story. So I know from multiverses. And so does DC. In DCU: The New World, a documentary accompanying Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, Dan DiDio waxes nostalgic about the Identity Crisis miniseries from 2004:

“At the end of the day, if we had a seven-issue miniseries that was able to stand the test of time… That is able to give a layer of depth to the heroes… And had some ramifications that played out in the DC Universe, that would be great.”

Unfortunately, it’s those elements that are missing from this latest animated feature from DC. Saving the world has become so de rigueur in comics, movies and TV shows, that unless there’s a real personal connection with the characters involved, it just feels like the same old story. With a script by Justice League scribe Dwayne McDuffie and direction by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery, Crisis certainly had a lot of potential. In a parallel universe, the lone survivor of Earth’s Justice League, Lex Luthor, travels through other-world dimensions to join forces with our own Justice League in a desperate attempt to save his world and its people from the Crime Syndicate, controlled by Ultraman, Owlman and Superwoman.

With so many characters, there’s no shortage of fight scenes. In fact, Crisis indulges in every conceivable match-up between its characters, filling scene after scene with grunting and property damage. The fights in these films are certainly a draw, and I’m sure there’s a large fan base for that. However, I started to lose interest pretty quickly, mainly because the threat lacked personal stakes for the characters. The heroes decide to get involved in the parallel Earth’s problems because it’s “what we do.” I needed something a little more personal than that.

Familiar voices are also missing from this production. Longtime favorite Kevin Conroy has been replaced by William Baldwin. While Baldwin admirably resists the urge to do a Christian Bale impersonation, his Batman lacks gravitas. Also, Brian Bloom‘s Ultraman is little more than yet another Italian mafioso stereotype. An anti-Superman would have been more chilling in his similarities to Superman, not in his differences. Stealing the show, however, are James Woods as Owlman and Gina Torres as Superwoman. The subtlety and subtext in their delivery make them the most interesting characters on display. In fact, Owlman’s philosophical ponderings about the futility of free will are infinitely more interesting in terms of motivation than anything the heroes have on their side.

All that said, the production itself looks great. The animation is fluid and vivid, and the score and sound are top notch. I just wish I cared more about the end of the world. Or cared more about the characters caring about the end of the world. The other unsettling aspect of this feature is the rewriting of Batman’s code of justice. With no remorse, Bats kills not one, but two of the parallel Earth’s bad guys. A bizarre shift for the character, to say the least.

Accompanying Crisis is a short featuring The Spectre. Dressed up like a 70s exploitation film, overexposed and washed out, with dust and grain marring the quality, the short delivers the right mix of pulp and supernatural vengeance. It was just the right length, too, considering the stylistic choice. Hopefully, we’ll see more of these kinds of shorts in the future.

I’d still recommend the film, especially if you’re just in the mood to see a bunch of heroes and villains punching each other. But, if you’re looking for a little more, you might want to wait for the next DC release.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Geek Couture

If you’re a fan of The Big Bang Theory, you know that Sheldon Cooper is a brilliant physicist, comic book geek and hopeless misanthrope. But fashion plate? Viewers with a proclivity towards the sartorial have developed an appreciation for Sheldon’s seemingly endless supply of geeky, intellectual and artistic t-shirts. If you’ve ever admired one of Sheldon’s shirts and wondered where you could get one for your own, wonder no more. A clever and devoted site called SheldonShirts.com has taken up the task to chronicle, research and display as much of Sheldon’s wardrobe as possible, including when he wore it and where you can buy it. Sheldon’s not alone, though. They’ve also researched a good number of Leonard‘s science and sci-fi shirts, as well as Howard‘s belt buckles. So, if you’ve always wanted Sheldon’s caffeine molecule shirt or his bright green manbot tee, check out the site and start shopping.

Note: Sadly, no socks and underpants section yet.

Monday, February 22, 2010

Toy Review: Hello, Kitty!

After the sturm and drang of last week’s sale at Mattycollector.com, I assumed my reaction to receiving the actual toys would be subdued. However, no matter what shenanigans Mattel employs in their business practices, I can’t deny that the Masters of the Universe Classics line continues to exceed my expectations.

This month, the bonus figure that had the whole world in an uproar was none other than He-Man‘s best friend and main ride, Battle Cat (aka Cringer). What surprised me most about actually holding this figure in my hand was its weight. This is not a hollow, plastic kitty cat. He is solid and heavy, an impressive and substantial figure. For those of us who grew up with a Battle Cat frozen forever in a static pose, this figure’s articulation and posable features are revolutionary. Neck, head, mouth, shoulder, knee, wrist, even tail joints make him the most dynamic Battle Cat ever produced. He comes in his trademark green, with orange tiger stripes. His saddle is the most regal version we’ve ever seen, with a lot of detail and weight attributed to this piece alone. Straddling the saddle requires a bit of a wide stance for He-Man, but the size of Battle Cat and the overall majesty of our favorite feline transportation more than makes up for the somewhat awkward riding pose. He-Man isn’t He-Man without Battle Cat, and this is a stellar addition to the line. I can’t wait to get more beasts and (hopefully) vehicles in the future. (Attack Trak and Talon Fighter, please!)

The main figure of the month (and part of the 2010 Club Eternia subscription) was dear, old Trap Jaw. As a kid, Trap Jaw was never a buffoon in my adventures, as he was portrayed on the cartoon. He was sinister and dangerous and had no regard for human life. This figure is a gorgeous tribute to his dangerous legacy. Mattel warned us they wouldn’t be incorporating trademark action features and gimmicks in this line, but Trap Jaw managed to slip through mostly intact. He has a hinged, movable jaw, interchangeable attachments for his robotic arm and even a whole other head and arm for his Kronis persona. The paint job on TJ is one of the best we’ve seen in this line. The shinier finish on his helmet and arm give the appearance of real armor, while the careful application of details to his arms and legs give him a real sense of presence. Even the tiny gold applications to his belt are a standout on this figure. A creepy new addition is the bloody remnants of his jaw, hidden by his mechanical choppers.

You’ll notice I have Trap Jaw posed on one of the figure stands Mattel offered in last week’s sale. They are serviceable, overall, but I found them to be flimsy, with really oddly-spaced holes for the pegs. Also, I feel the stone work should fit more seamlessly onto the stand. But, like I said, they’re serviceable. I probably won’t order more than I already have, though.

It’s great to see this line continue to fill out with all the characters we know and love. I really do hope Mattel makes getting these figures a lot less stressful for the fans. Figures of this quality should be in the hands of everyone who wants them.