Variety is reporting that some networks and stations are planning to reduce their ad time in the hopes of fighting the current hemorrhaging of TV watchers to online media. It sounds good in theory but if you pay attention you’ll notice that it may mean higher prices for the advertisers. That plus less time on the national end means less time on the local end, meaning smaller businesses will now find it harder to let people know they exist. This may not end as well as you think.
You know why the show moved to doing book tours for JB? Because half of Cabot Cove was in jail for killing the other half by then.
I was just feeling silly.
Over at The Clutter Reports I took some time to organize my computer workspace.
Speaking of clutter, my schedule is kind of cluttered this week so I’m not sure what I’ll be able to post for my feature articles this week, or what I can do for The Clutter Reports. Don’t worry, there will be something. I’m just expecting filler posts this week. As far as the daily comic reviews I have my new Wednesday, but it’s not going to last long. While I’ve already reviewed all of the Boom Studios series between the weekly and daily new comic reviews I’ve never looked at the original four-part miniseries adapting The Incredibles. So this week I’m going to start doing that. This will clear another longbox off of my list. Then I have one of two different long series to review, but there’s one I’m trying to save for when I’m finally caught up with IDW’s Transformers, which should be in a few months. And with Phantom ending maybe next week (as I’ll be caught up with those) I’ll be moving to another series there. I’m hoping to have all of my old comics reviewed and to lighten the overload before it’s all done. We’ll see what we can do this week.
After the success of Knight Rider the 1980s and into the 90s were filled with high-tech vehicles. The only other ones that talked came from Pole Position unless they turned into a robot, but you had helicopters like the movie Blue Thunder, which inspired the series Airwolf, which inspired the series Blue Thunder, thus coming full circle. Then you had the TV series Viper which was part of the larger trend of ground vehicles. You also had shows like MASK and it’s 90s knockoff Vor-Tech. They even put a supernatural spin on it with The Wraith, a movie that was either the debut or first starring role for Charlie Sheen. However, we aren’t talking about those shows tonight.
You may remember way back in my Video Review of Hard Time On Planet Earth I mentioned a show called Street Hawk. The show starred Rex Smith as Jessie Mach (subtle, creators) and Joe Regalbuto (you may remember him from Murphy Brown) as Normal Tuttle, the man who recruits him for the government test program Project: Street Hawk. Street Hawk is a super high-tech motorcycle that may be the next tool of crimefighting, but they have to work out the bugs. Injured by guest villain Christopher Lloyd, Jessie ends up with a second chance to ride, but as a superhero.
The show was created by Paul M. Belous and Robert “Bob” Wolterstorff, with Bruce Landsbury creating the format. It aired for one season on ABC and got a series of novels and toys overseas, but nothing in the US. In 2010 Shout Factory released the series on DVD. To promote the show on their streaming channel they posted the pilot movie on their YouTube channel, which how I can bring it to you tonight. Enjoy the ride!
I see Scare Glow is still getting work.
Batman Beyond #3
DC Comics (May, 1999)
“Never Mix, Never Worry”
WRITER: Hilary J. Bader
PENCILER: Rick Burchett
INKER: Terry Beatty
COLORIST: Lee Loughridge
LETTERER: Tim Harkins
EDITOR: Darren Vincenzo
What makes a good comic book fight? Specifics may differ depending on the reader or even the writer, but I think there are a few factors that make any kind of fight in any media work. It has to make sense to the story. Whether they’re friends or enemies, the combatants need a good reason to fight, whether it’s a disagreement, a competition, or the old fashioned “good versus evil” beatdown. It has to be well choreographed. The characters (or actors in live-action media) have to look like they’re fighting. It has to showcase the actual fighting talents. If superpowers are involved it has to look even cooler, or what’s the point? Maybe they’re not even fighting a person but challenging the elements of nature itself.
When the defunct website Always Bet On Bahlactus began the Friday Night Fights a lot of people competed. When I found the site I wanted to join in but at the time all I had was a MySpace blog so I didn’t think it would qualify. By the time Fred of the webcomic Spacebooger took over the event BW Media Spotlight was just started. And over the years I worked through my limited knowledge of my comic library through tournaments both themed and unthemed to create some good entries. Some were last-minute, but some I was really proud of. To say goodbye to the Friday Night Fights I’ll be producing a series of my favorite entries of mine. While in the past the Best Of FNF subcategory looked into other fights and linked back to whatever I posted in that tournament, these are the fights that I feel were the most visually interesting, fun, different, or action-packed whether in context to the story or not. These won’t be all my fights but something in the vein of my “best of” anniversary posts for articles and Jake & Leon. So here was how I introduced myself to the Friday Night Fights!
“I’ll take the high road, and you take the low road….”
The Phantom #23
Moonstone (2008)
“Checkmate” part 3
WRITER: Mike Bullock
ARTIST: Slivestre Szilagyi
COLORIST: Bob Pedroza
COVER ART: Rick Leonardi & Terry Austin
LETTERER: Nate Pride
EDITOR: Joe Gentile
Star Wars: Yoda Stories (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
With all the stories, side stories, and TV shows (plus comics, novels, and audio dramas), there are plenty of stories to be told in the Star Wars Universe. However, we might have a movie about Wookies, one eventually became a novel, one where the Clone Wars led to the forming of the Jedi Knights, and I would like to see one just centered on the droids. ScreenCrush lists five Star Wars movies that were considered but never started.
The Clutter Reports (my other site) Atop The Fourth Wall Crisis On Earth Prime Lean Into Artcast Bully Says “Comics Oughta Be Fun” Siskoid’s Blog of Geekery
Cartoon Hero’s Lair SF Debris Four Million Years Later
