Graphic Novel Review: BENJAMIN BEAR IN BRIGHT IDEAS!

Benjamin Bear, the title character of the BENJAMIN BEAR IN FUZZY THINKING (which was nominated for an Eisner Award) created by French artist Philippe Coudray, is back in BENJAMIN BEAR IN BRIGHT IDEAS! Each page of the book is a comic that involves Benjamin. His friend Rabbit has returned and there a few newer recurring characters, too. Benjamin might not be a role model, but he is a character that kids will love. The theme of the book is thinking outside of the box. Some of the ideas are clever and some are unusual, but foolish (and sometimes funny). My two favorite strips in the book are when Benjamin decides to visit his friend goldfish at his house in the water and when rabbit draws a picture of Benjamin on a tree. BENJAMIN BEAR IN BRIGHT IDEAS! is a short, but entertaining book filled with simple and enduring illustrations. Recommended for kids in kindergarten – 3^rd grades.

Graphic Novel Review: THE BIG WET BALLOON

Written by Liniers, a famous artist from Argentina, THE BIG WET BALLOON is a short Toon Book about a young girl named Matilda and her sister Clemmie. On a rainy day, Matilda wants to go outside and play with Clemmie, but Clemmie won’t go. Matilda does everything in her power to illustrate to Clemmie the fun and joy of playing in the rain. I really liked the watercolor illustrations in this book. In terms of story, Toon Books are usually fairly short and THE BIG WET BALLOON isn’t any different. Nevertheless, I was expecting a little more to happen. Overall, THE BIG WET BALLOON is a beautifully illustrated Toon Book that youngsters will probably enjoy having read to them or flipping through the pages to look at the pictures.

B.J. Novak Becomes a Novelist

So, BJ Novak, one of the producers of the American THE OFFICE and on-again, off-again real life boyfriend of Mindy Kaling has a book of comical short stories coming out on February 4th. I'm not a big fan of celebrities who become authors. However, Novak has been writing for a long time and I'm willing to read his book. I love the promo they shot for it. Watch it below.

Going to Hell in a Handbasket

Taken from the book What's That Funny Look on Your Faith? by Inherit the Mirth

Stay Away from the Sides

 

A comic from the book What's That Funny Look on Your Faith? by Inherit the Mirth

Graphic Novel Book Review: THEA STILTON #1: THE SECRET OF WHALE ISLAND

Set in the world of Geronimo Stilton, THEA STILTON #1: THE SECRET OF WHALE ISLAND follows the adventures not of the famous mouse Geronimo, but his sister Thea. However, in THEA STILTON #1: THE SECRET OF WHALE ISLAND, Thea Stilton is not seen for much of the book. Instead the story focuses on the Thea Sisters, five female teenage mice who attend the Mouseford Academy where Thea is a journalism teacher. There’s some danger surrounding whale island as a lone orca keeps ramming into ships for no apparent reason. Meanwhile, the Mouseford Academy is all abuzz as Vanilla and Vic Vissen, children of multi-billionaire cosmetic queen Vissia de Vissen, arrive at Mouseford. The illustrations in the book are very colorful and the storyline is full of action. Although the series is definitely marketed towards girls, THEA STILTON #1: THE SECRET OF WHALE ISLAND is a story that boys will probably enjoy, too. I’d guess the reading level for the book is for those in 2^nd-5^th grades. Personally, I enjoyed the story and am looking forward to reading another book in the Thea Stilton series.

The Opposite of Poverty Is Not "Enough"

I was listening to a Christian radio station the other day. The lady was talking about poverty and those in need and about a time she was on a mission trip. On this mission trip she said that one of the leaders had told them that the opposite of poverty isn't wealth, but "enough"; just by having enough is the opposite of poverty. I can understand why someone would say that, but it's just not true. Poverty is the absence of having enough while wealth is having excess of enough. Therefore, the opposite of poverty is not "enough". The opposite of poverty is wealth. Don't be deceived, even by those who mean the best.

Book Review: UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT

It’s no secret: I’m a big fan of the comic strip "Pearls Before Swine." In my opinion it's one of the best strips currently running in newspapers. As is often the case, much of the humor in this collection of “Pearls Before Swine” strips, UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT, comes in the form of witty one-liners, witty puns, and extensive verbal gags. The book features strips that ran from February 28, 2011 to December 4, 2011. Pastis’ pleasure in using Sunday strips for elaborate puns continues. Some of the major storylines featured in the collection include one where Larry the Croc becomes the Vice President of a neighborhood Kids Club treehouse, Rat returning to work at Joe’s Roastery, a story where aliens who are just anthromorphic beer cans visit the neighborhood, the imprisonment of Stephan Pastis for Rat’s anti-government tirades, and Zebra’s decision to build a huge wall to protect him from the Crocs. Characters from the comics “Dennis the Menance”, “Pluggers”, and “Peanuts” make appearances in a few of the strips. There’s also a great regular weekday strip where Pig gets a little bit of “revenge” on Rat on Opposite Day. I also like the Sunday Thanksgiving strip in this collection which features a tribute Charlie Brown. Overall, UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT is another great collection of "Pearls Before Swine" comic strips.

Graphic Novel Book Review:BENNY AND PENNY IN THE TOY BREAKER

Benny and Penny, the lead characters of a series of graphic novels from Toon Books are back again in BENNY AND PENNY AND THE TOY BREAKER. In this story the brother and sister duo of Benny and Penny are informed that their cousin Bo has arrived. Quickly the siblings attempt to hide their toys because Bo always seems to break things. They do their best to hide their toys and not play with Bo while he's there. But Bo has a way of popping up when not expected. Something happens to Bo that causes him to not only reevaluate his behavior, but that also causes Benny and Penny to question they way they have been treating Bo. Toon Books are a great series of graphic novels published specifically for children. The Benny and Penny series is a popular series and BENNY AND PENNY AND THE TOY BREAKER doesn't disappoint.

Book Review: HEARTS by Thereza Rowe

HEARTS by Thereza Rowe is a Toon Book. For those unfamiliar, Toon Books is a company that publishes high-quality graphic novel specifically oriented toward children. Toon Books are distributed by Candlewick Press. HEARTS is a short story about a female fox named Penelope who loses her heart in the sea. Thus begins a dangerous voyage filled with sharks, cats, and other strange creatures to get her heart back. The images in the book are full of bright colors and the overall design of the illustrations are quite playful. However, in terms of content, there’s not much here. Also, I think the more symbolic elements of the story will be lost upon the younger readers that the book is oriented towards. Overall, HEARTS is a high-quality and brilliantly illustrated graphic novel, full of interesting illustrations, but somewhat confusing in plot.

Book Review: BEDLAM: 30th BABY BLUES COLLECTION

BEDLAM is the 30^th “Baby Blues” comic collection. It follows the daily lives of the humorous, but relatable MacPhersons clan: Dad Darryl, Mom Wanda, oldest daughter Zoe age 10, son Hammie age 7, and baby daughter Wren age 1. The strips in BEDLAM ran in newspapers from Dec. 4, 2011- Dec. 29, 2012. The book is full of typical “Baby Blues” humor: Wanda being overworked, Zoe complaining about fashion, Darryl trying to balance being the breadwinner while being a supportive husband and father. Unlike other collections of “Baby Blues”, there really aren’t many longer story arcs in the strip. There is about a week’s worth of strips where Wanda starts a blog and there’s another small collection of strips where Zoe borrows a jewel gun and goes nuts putting jewels on everything. Also, there seems to be a lot more strips that focus on Hammie and the adventures he gets into. The collection here is a good collection of “Baby Blues” strips.

However, there are a few flaws about the way that BEDLAM is published. I’m not sure why, but unlike the previous 29 collections, BEDLAM is almost twice the physical size of the previous 29 collections: instead of being an almost square of 9” X 8.5”, BEDLAM is 11” x 8.5”. There are many different comics that are published this way (for instance, several of the “Calvin and Hobbes” collections were published this way and most of the collections of “Zits” are published this way). However, if you have collected the previous 29 collections, BEDLAM doesn’t fit with them. Also, I’m not sure why, but there are a handful of Sunday strips in the book that are published over two pages. The illustrations are bigger, but some of the dialogue gets lost in the book binding, making them difficult to read. Therefore, even though the content is just as good, the format of BEDLAM makes it a level below the other books in the “Baby Blues” series.

The Orpheum Goes Viral

I really like The Orpheum Theater in Hillsboro, IL. I've been there several times and they've got a great movie deal (admission includes popcorn and soda). In the past couple days, The Orpheum has gone viral with their recent marquee. Check it out on the Buzzfeed through the link below.

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ellievhall/illinois-movie-theater-posts-amazing-frozen-marquee

Life Is Short, So...

Freaks and The Elephant Man

Recently I had the opportunity to examine the book SINEMANIA! by Sophie Cossette. The book is kind of bizarre and very risqué, but it does contain some great illustrations, such as the ones below for the movies FREAKS and THE ELEPHANT MAN. It isn't a book that's for everyone; it kind of reminded me of a non-fiction movie-based version of LOVE AND ROCKETS. I liked the illustrations for these two movies and they are two of the movies mentioned in the book that I highly recommend.



Predictions for 2014

Every year, my friend, John Coleman makes end of the year predictions about the coming year. These are just too hilarious to keep to myself and with his permission, I've posted his predictions for 2014 below. Please read and enjoy (you won't be disappointed)!
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Remember last fall we had the federal shutdown where the government was closed for several weeks? Well, in 2014 the US will borrow an idea from Weekends Only Furniture and just be open on Friday, Saturday, and Su...nday. President Obama will film some public service announcements where he pulls on a light switch and says: "It's Monday, we're closed!"

Providing healthcare to the uninsured finally becomes a reality in 2014. Actually, Obamacare gets scrapped altogether and the President just claims 40 million dependents on his policy.

Speaking of President Obama, she's going to have a very busy schedule next year. Did I say she? Yes, that's right, Michelle Obama will be president for most of 2014. It comes as the result of a huge Oval Office fight that ends with the phrase, "we'll if you know so much, maybe you can do it better!"

Illinois is going to have a governor's election next year. This state will make history when it elects the first computer to be our next governor. His name will be Corrupto 3000. He'll institute many changes that'll save Illinois millions of dollars; such as allowing online payments of bribes, faster speed of calculating the bills it won't pay, and an I Phone app that allows dead people to register to vote.

You know 2013 will be remembered as the year of the George Zimmerman trial. Well, looks like 2014 is going to be remembered as the year of the George Zimmerman trial.

The hottest selling item next Christmas will be Oprahvision.

In sports, the NHL has been struggling lately with low attendance and little attention given to the sport in the media. Well in 2014 they finally turn a corner when they stop playing hockey and start playing "ice football."

Speaking of football, after much debate with the player's union, the NFL picks a new training camp location. They agree to put it somewhere convenient for their players... next door to the Federal Penitentiary at Leavenworth, Kansas.

We're going to loose several famous people in 2014: Micky Rooney, John Glenn, Florence Henderson, Dan Rather, Nancy Reagan, and Regis Philbin. Oh they don't die, we just can't remember where we left them. Don't worry, they'll all turn up again in 2015.

Here's some TV predictions: Honey Boo Boo will get another member of the family when she gains a baby sister. Of course it will also be her daughter, her aunt, her second and third cousin, and her new BFF.

Speaking of redneck reality tv, the hit new show next fall will be about a Hillbilly family from Arkansas with a father named "Bubba," a super bitchy mom, and an ugly daughter. It seems America just can't get enough of the Clintons.

Calvin and Hobbes Grow Up

I loved reading the comic strip "Calvin and Hobbes" when I was a kid. Next to the end of  "Peanuts", the end of "Calvin and Hobbes" was the saddest day for me in my over thirty years of reading the funny papers. Two weeks ago, Stephan Pastis took a look at Calvin and Hobbes and what they would look like today. It's only a four strip series, but it's a great one (I particular like the decal sign in the last panel of the first strip). Enjoy!

Monday, December 16, 2013

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Thursday, December 19, 2013

One Frank is Not the Other

Thanks to Inherit the Mirth.

Following the Wrong Star

Thanks to "Inherit the Mirth".

One of the White Witch's Problems

http://www.inheritthemirth.com/

Would You Like Some Wine With That Cheese?

A couple months ago I read the below article. I found it fascinating. I think it does a great job of articulating not only what the major problem with youth ministry is, but what the major problem facing Christianity in America is: a complete lack of authenticity.


http://ethikapolitika.org/2013/06/07/would-you-like-some-wine-with-that-cheese/

C3 Stingray: Providing support and parts for all Corvette enthusiasts!

Supporting a Business: C3Stingray

A little over a month ago, I helped a couple of guys film a video for a Corvette business they want to start. I had acted in a couple of plays with one of the guys a few years before and he emailed me and asked if I would be able to help them with their video. So, I did. The video we made is currently no longer available to see, but you can still support them. Below is the link to their crowdsourcing site on RocketHub.

http://www.rockethub.com/35488

You can also visit their Facebook page at:

https://www.facebook.com/C3Stingray

These are two great guys and I know they'll appreciate any help they can get at all. So, help them out!
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I just found out that you can view the original video through YouTube at this link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mrzbhZtFTQ

2014 Graphic Novels Challenge

For the past several years, I participated in an online reading challenge. I signed up for it this year (2013), but due to a variety of reasons, I haven't read near as much this year as in year's past. Therefore, I don't think I'm going to end up meeting the challenge. That's ok and I've decided to give it another try and have signed up for the 2014 challenge. I'm going to try for the Modern Age level (12 books in a year). They've stretched the rules a bit, so now comic-strip collections count as well and since I read several of those, it is doable. Anyway, if you're interested, you can find out more info by going here.

Blockbuster Closes for Good

Just read this article a few minutes ago.

http://www.cinemablend.com/new/RIP-Blockbuster-All-Remaining-Stores-Now-Closing-Good-40180.html

Blockbuster Video is no more. Perhaps if they hadn't started charging $5 for a movie per night and hadn't put so many smaller mom and pop businesses out of business, there would still be some sort of Blockbuster still around. Thank goodness for Family Video.

Is Anyone Actually Here?

From the book Man V. Liver by Neil Hinson & Paul Friedrich.

The Price of Happiness

From the book Man V. Liver by Neil Hinson & Paul Friedrich.

A Google Doodle Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Remember the Video Store?

We still have some video stores around (thank you FAMILY VIDEO!), but many places do not. Remember what it was like when there were just VHS tapes and no DVDs or Bluray? I do. If you do, perhaps this video will bring back some memories and if you don't, watch it for it's education in cultural history.

The Original STAR WARS Trailer

Every wonder what STAR WARS was like before it became STAR WARS? Well, here's the original trailer for the movie.

What Do the Cards Have?

This is for all the St. Louis Cardinals fans out there.


What Do the Cards Have?

Short Animated Video Tribute to Superman

So, Superman turned 75 this year and just a couple weeks before MAN OF STEEL opened in cinemas all around the globe, Zach Snyder (director of MAN OF STEEL) showed this short video that shows Superman through the years and his different transitions. As a lifelong fan of Superman, I have to admit it's a pretty darn good video.

The DeMoulin Museum in the News

Here's an interesting short video about the DeMoulin Museum, an archive of some really interesting, intriguing, and imaginative stuff that was all made right here in the USA.

Obama, Putin, and Syria