This is Bizarre

Ben at 8 weeks:

Sebastian at 8 weeks:

Evidently I only make one kind of human.

Guitar for sale!

Hate to do it but I'm selling this guitar. It's a 1999 Rickenbacker 360 modified and customized by Rickenbacker genius Mark Arnquist. The finish on the rosewood fingerboard has been sanded down so it feels like a Gibson 360 with single coils. Plays like a dream. A good dream. Not a zombie vampire dream.

So why not keep it? It's been a slow work year and the mortgage keeps coming. With a second child on the way, this would do more good paying a bill than sitting in the corner in its case unplayed.

So why not play it? Because I have too many guitars. And my band plays music that works better for a Fenders and Gibsons which I currently play the hell out of. I also own a 12 string Rickenbacker with vintage toaster pickups. That's the sound I really love. You can't have that one. 

Want it? Go to Stonegrove Guitars and make them an offer!

New Caffeinated Comics

Doctor Who is back! we get giddy and discuss all thing British Then Dave gets angry and it all goes wrong somehow. Plus Bill Monroe is back in a non emergency role. He discusses the conflict of being a life long Star Trek fan and a new Doctor Who fan. It all happens in little more than an hour!



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New "Caffeinated Comics"

Our iTunes issues are solved and now we're also available on stitcher! This week comedian Mike Lawrence comes in to talk about the worst of the best comics in history!

EMERGENCY PODCAST! AGAIN!

Yes, Robin is dead. Jon, Steve and Dave Redfield react to the news and think about death in comics in general. Then Bill Monroe checks in to tell us about his meeting two Star Trek Legends at Emerald City Comicon and four great nerd bands at Krackle Fest!

iTunes is running late this week but you can still:

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New Caffeinated Comics!

The animated version of "The Dark Knight Returns" is so good we have to wonder why Frank Miller isn't. Steven Brown and Dave Gonzales are back to talk about the rise and fall of comic geniuses. Plus, Mike Drucker checks in on Skype to offer his opinion.


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KnightFall DC Animated film idea

Now that "The Dark Knight Returns" has finally been animated in to two films, the next logical choice for Batman is Knightfall. This 90's mega series was DC's Bat answer to the Death of Superman. And like that story it was extremely popular and ran too long.

A single animated film like "Superman/Doomsday" would truncate the story too much losing key elements of the saga. Jamal Igle thinks it should be done as 3 films and is currently running a Facebook thread on that hypothesis. here's how it can be done in 2:

Knightfall 1:
Cold open. Batman fights Biis in the snowcapped mountains and is aided by Azreal. They defeat him but Azreal demonstrates his power and mental instability. He collapses in Batman's arms.

Bane breaks open Arkham Asylum (with Dark Knight Rises Bane is an "A" lister known to the general public and doesn't need a long Vengeance of Bane setup). Batman gets the call in the Batcave and tells Azreal to stay behind. He and Robin got out into the madness of Gotham.

The second act is pure fights. Mad Hatter. Killer Croc, two-Face and finally Joker and Scarecrow.  Batman arrives alone to the Batcave and is beaten by Bane. (in a deviation Jean Paul could be in the cave and unable to help. This gives him the motivation for revenge). Bane tosses Bruce's body into the center of town.

The city gets worse. Robin, knowing that the city needs a Batman, convinces Azreal to put on the suit. He's only supposed to show his face but his conditioning leads him right to Bane. This fight is more brutal and ends in Azreal's victory. The hero won but it leaves with an unsettling tone.

Knightfall 2:
It's three months later. Azreal is now an armored batman, working alone. Robin is blocked from the Batcave.

Bruce is slowly healing, relearning martial arts. No magical healing properties, just a slow recovery like in Dark Knight Rises.

Azreal fights Joker. He kills one of Joker's henchmen. (rather than the 'd' lister Abattoir)

Bruce meets Azreal on the rooftops and asks for the return of the mantle (no reason to have two confrontations in the Batcave). Azreal, still with blood on his hands, refuses and batman chases him acrossthe city. We have teh bridge sequence, Azreal losing more and more of his mind to St. Dumas.

We end in the Batcave. Bruce beats Azreal by his wits and his connection to the darkness. There is only one Batman.

This version loses Bane's henchmen, Shondra Kinsloving and even Nightwing but keeps the overall story intact. A good guide for this cleaner version is Denny O'Neil's prose novelization of Knightfall.

Make sense?

The Adventures of Cryman

Introducing Ben's first superhero; Cryman.

His origin: "He gets made fun of by bad guys and he cries and the water washes them away so no one wants to make fun of him anymore."

Original powers, a tragic origin and a positive message about bullying. Not bad for a 5 year old. Now let's work on the costume design.

Caffeinated Comics 2

This should prove we're serious.

The second podcast of "Caffeinated Comics" is up now! This episode, steven Brown, and Jon Clarke welcome Dave Gonzales to the studio to talk batman. We'll discuss where he's going now that Nolan has finished his films and Grant Morrison is wrapping up his six year comic run. Then we'll get very sidetracked talking Tim Burton. Plus, a visit from the host of "The Bat Signal" podcast, Jeff Sussman! All in one hour and all for free.


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The Hobbit Review

I saw "An Unexpected Journey" at the midnight preview. Only fell asleep twice.

Here's the full review. 

Caffeinated Comics 1

Here is the first podcast I've done in three years. In that time I got better equipment, moved four states and started hanging out at my local comic store. The store that sponsors this show. If you're a regular reader of this blog (which in the last couple of years has become impossible) you'll find the exact same opinions, jokes and self doubt that's been a signature of this blog, now in audio form.

Listen above or subscribe on itunes.