Alex Ross Does Obama

Alex Ross swipes his own source material to create the new image of the presidential hopeful:

Source - Comicmix.com

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RIP Michael Turner (1971-2008)

It was announced over the weekend that artist Michael Turner, creator of such works as Fathom (pictured above) and founder of the publishing company Aspen MLT Inc, passed away from complications due to health complications. Here is the announcement that was posted on the Aspen website by EIC Vince Hernandez:

Hello all,

Unfortunately it's with great sadness that I must inform everyone that Michael Turner tragically passed away last night, June 27th at approximately 10:42 pm in Santa Monica, Ca. Turner had been dealing with recent health complications arisen in the past few weeks. More details concerning Turner's passing, and services, will be given shortly.

Anyone wishing to send their condolences to Michael Turner's family is encouraged to send to:

Aspen MLT, Inc.
C/O Michael Turner
5855 Green Valley Circle, Suite 111
Culver City, CA, 90230

Aspen also encourages anyone wishing to make a charitable donation to please send to Michael Turner's requested charities:

The American Cancer Society
http://www.cancer.org/docroot/home/index.asp

Or

The Make-A-Wish Foundation
http://www.wish.org/help?s_kwcid=make%20a%20wish|917760391

Official Contact: Vince Hernandez

This is truly sad news since the guy could draw superheroes like no one's business. But his tenacity and dedication to his own vision will be what makes his legacy at Aspen MLT last. CBR's Jonah Weiland posted a great In Memoriam story of Turner which gives not only the artist's history but a glimpse into his battles with cancer as well. Hernandez also provided a heartfelt send-off to his friend and business partner. If you don't tear up after reading it, you have no heart.

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The Friday Favorite - "Stuff" by George Carlin (Comic Relief 1986)

In honor of the great comic philosopher, Carlin, here's one of his most recognized (and tamer) bits - "Stuff" from 1986's Comic Relief. Anyone who love Carlin listens to him wih not only their ears with their brains as well:

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A quick follow-up on the Geronimo comeback

Well, yesterday's news seems to be official as one more media outlet has confirmed the return of radio legend Don Geronimo. Here are a couple quick quotes from Tuesday's Delaware Online news article on Geronimo's quitting his retirement so he can come back to the national airwaves (albeit through a station in Ocean City, MD):

The radio personality and former co-host of the nationally syndicated “Don & Mike Show” will return to his record-spinning roots with Ocean City’s 98.1 WOCM-FM, according to station manager and morning show host David “Bulldog” Rothner.

“I saw some article that he was moving in this direction,” Bulldog said. “What he said was, he loves radio — the guy’s passionate about radio — but he’s sick and tired of the corporate (nonsense). I read the article, and the only thing missing from what he was looking to do was our call letters, man.

“We have an independent radio station that will allow him to do stuff without a bunch of corporate red tape watching over him. I called him up, and I said, let’s see if we can make something work out. So when we got together, we talked about this thing, and it was a perfect fit.”

Bulldog said “Don Geronimo’s Rockin’ Soul Show” will run 1-3 p.m. weekdays on WOCM, starting July 7....“He’ll bring in his own music, stuff that fits in with our station,” Bulldog said. “He can bring his CD players in, play some good music and go back to the way it used to be — that’s what he likes about it. The guy’s got 35 years of radio experience. He can certainly bring something to the station.”

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Don Geronimo back on the air in Ocean City, MD?

Very interesting news from yesterday (from DCRTV.com, whose sole contributor has been inching towards being thisclose to the second coming of Carl R. Grossman with his recent Doni G sightings):

Geronimo To Do OC Radio Gig -6/24 - First on DCRTV. Starting 7/7, former WJFK-FM afternooner Don Geronimo (right) will be working for eclectic rocker WOCM (98.1 FM), Ocean 98, in Ocean City each weekday from 1 PM to 3 PM doing "an up-tempo show" with "hit music that doesn't suck" from the 1970s and 1980s. There'll be jingles and he'll "talk up" the records. Geronimo, a three-decade radio vet who retired as half of "The Don And Mike Show" in April, has been spending the time since at his Ocean City beachfront condo, we hear. Geronimo guested this morning on WOCM's "Bulldog In The Morning Show" to discuss his future radio plans. The audio of that interview is available via wocmdg.mp3. When Geronimo left CBS-owned WJFK-FM, he was told that his non-compete contract allows him to work in markets where there are no CBS radio stations, a la Ocean City. Geronimo, a former "top 40" DJ at WPGC, is a big fan of classic pop tunes.....

To hear the words come from the man's mouth could not bring a bigger smile to my face. I've been living off of the D&M Time Mahcheen and American Top 40 reruns ever since I heard that Don was retiring. To hear that Geronimo will be bringing back the same style and patter that made him a DJ Legend is like getting Christmas in July. To this listener, July 7th can't make it here fast enough.

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Motley Crue - "Saints of Los Angeles" audio and music video streaming eCard

Just in case you might be on the fence on buying the new Crue CD, click the image above to here the stream of Saints of Los Angeles single as well as the accompanying music video. I have to admit - I'm not a fan of the whole "Reunion" CDs phenomena but the single does sound like old school Crue, which means that I'm on the hook for it at the old Yellow Ticket store.

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George Carlin take the final bow

A truly sad morning as word was confirmed that George Carlin, one fo the true kings of stand-up comedy, passed away last night at the age of 71. His HBO concerts are a thing of legends and his wit and timeless, perverted (in the truest sense of the word) observational humor will never be matched. And what is somewhat ironic is that he was going to be honored with the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor; probably for saying those seven words that you can't never say on TV - many times. The laughter has definitely left the room today.

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MP3s 4 Cheap - Barenaked Ladies are Me (Deluxe Ed)

Just a quick note to those who read today - Amazon is offering a really sick deal on the aforementioned Barenaked Ladies MP3 Album (Barenaked Ladies Are Me) for $2.99. Now, this would be an okay deal for the standard release but the deluxe version of the CD includes not only BNL Are Me but also the BNL Are Men release (minus the last two songs). So, that's 27 MP3s for three bucks total. Now that is sick. But don't believe my obviously biased view - listen below to the MP3 samples and decide for yourself:

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KG and Ray Allen on Letterman

Just in case you missed it (like I did), here's the segment David Letterman did with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen of the 2008 World Champions Boston Celtics on the 18th:

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The Friday Favorite - "We Are The Champions/We Will Rock You" by Queen

For reason that will obvious for regular readers of this here blog, here's the Friday Favorite for this week:

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My veiled threat has been answered...

Click on the image to get it... (you know you want a taste of this old-school goodness)

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And the winner of the first product endorsement of the NBA Finals goes to...

PG Rajon Rondo for this new drink called "Purple". The pitch:

Yo...I started drinking this new healthy drink called Purple - The bottle says it's the most powerful antioxidant beverage on the planet. Supposed to help the body recover so day after the NBA Finals I started drinking it. One of their mottos is "It's all good" - I like that. Plus they are focused on social causes so it really is all good. You can check them out at drinkpurple.com. I made a little video about Purple yesterday - check that out too. I'll holla

Rondo, you had me at drinking. Now do as he says and check out the vid below...



*Update* - Just saw this on Boston.com Celtics Blog:



All I know is that adidas better be coming out with that 2008 Parade T-shirt or some people are going to get hurt. I'm not saying nuthin'.

(Video via his blog over at Yardbarker).

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2008 Harvey Awards Nominees Announced

The nominees for the 2008 Harvey Awards, the top honor in the comic book community, were announced earlier today. As I went through the list, I was having a hard time of not only handicapping the winners but trying to find ones that I outright did not lie. this year might be the most packed one yet. You can read the list below or click on this link for further details:

BEST WRITER
Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Marvel Comics
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
Grant Morrison, All Star Superman, DC Comics
William Van Horn, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone
Brian K. Vaughan, Y: The Last Man, Vertigo/DC Comics

BEST ARTIST
Gabriel Ba, Umbrella Academy, Dark Horse Comics
John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men, Marvel Comics
Guy Davis, BPRD, Dark Horse Comics
Frank Quitely, All Star Superman, DC Comics
William Van Horn, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone

BEST CARTOONIST
Darwyn Cooke, The Spirit, DC Comics
Matt Kindt, Super Spy, Top Shelf
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Oni Press
Vasilis Lolos, Last Call, Oni Press
William Van Horn, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - ORIGINAL
The Arrival, Scholastic Books
Donald Duck: The Case of the Missing Mummy, Gemstone
Exit Wounds, Drawn & Quarterly
Laika, First Second
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Oni Press

BEST GRAPHIC ALBUM - PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED
The Annotated Northwest Passage, Oni Press
Antiques, Volume 1, Gemstone
Captain America Omnibus, Volume 1, Marvel Comics
Damned, Volume 1, Oni Press
Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, Marvel Comics

BEST DOMESTIC REPRINT PROJECT
Complete Peanuts, Fantagraphics Books
Complete Terry and the Pirates, IDW
EC Archives, Gemstone
Popeye, Fantagraphics Books
Walt and Skeezix, Drawn & Quarterly

BEST AMERICAN EDITION OF FOREIGN MATERIAL
Eduardo Risso's Tales of Terror, Dynamite Entertainment
Exit Wounds, Drawn & Quarterly
Manga Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet, Abrams
Moomin, Volume 2, Drawn & Quarterly
Witchblade Manga, Top Cow/Image

SPECIAL AWARD FOR HUMOR
Chris Eliopoulos, Franklin Richards series, Marvel Comics
Nicholas Gurewitch, Perry Bible Fellowship, www.pbfcomics.com
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
Bryan Lee O'Malley, Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together, Oni Press
William Van Horn, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone

BEST ON-LINE COMIC
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney, www.wimpykid.com
EZ Street, Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley, www.comicmix.com/title/ez-street/
Penny Arcade, Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, www.penny-arcade.com
Perry Bible Fellowship, Nicholas Gurewitch, www.pbfcomics.com
Surreal Adventures of Edgar Allan Poo, Dwight L. Macpherson, Thomas Boatwright and Thomas Mauer, www.drunkduck.com/The_Surreal_Adventures_of_Edgar_Allan_Poo

SPECIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN PRESENTATION
The Annotated Northwest Passage, Scott Chantler, Oni Press
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Jeff Kinney, Amulet Books
EC Archives, Various, edited by John Clark, Gemstone
Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, edited by Jason Rodriguez, Villard
Super Spy, Matt Kindt, Top Shelf

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR STORY
Alice in Sunderland, Dark Horse Comics
All Star Superman # 8, DC Comics
Captain America # 25, Marvel Comics
Donald Duck: The Case of the Missing Mummy, Gemstone
I Killed Adolf Hitler, Fantagraphics Books
Immortal Iron Fist # 7, Marvel Comics
Stephen Colbert's Tek Jansen # 1, Oni Press

BEST BIOGRAPHICAL, HISTORICAL OR JOURNALISTIC PRESENTATION
Blah Blah Blog, Tom Brevoort, http://www.marvel.com/blogs/Tom%20Brevoort/
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth and Michael Dean, Fantagraphics Books
Meanwhile...Comics!, John, Jason and Scott, http://www.meanwhilecomics.com
The Naked Artist: Comic Book Legends, Bryan Talbot and Hunt Emerson, Moonstone Books
Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, edited by J.C. Vaughn, Gemstone
Reading Comics: How Graphic Albums Work and What They Mean, Douglas Wolk, Da Capo Press

BEST COVER ARTIST
John Cassaday, Astonishing X-Men, Marvel Comics
Marko Djurdjevic, Daredevil, Marvel Comics
James Jean, Fables, Vertigo/DC Comics
Mike Mignola, Hellboy, Dark Horse Comics
William Van Horn, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone

BEST LETTERER
Chris Eliopoulos, Daredevil, Marvel Comics
Jared K. Fletcher, The Spirit, DC Comics
Willie Schubert, Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, Gemstone
Douglas E. Sherwood, Local, Oni Books
Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library, Acme Novelty

BEST COLORIST
Susan Daigle-Leach, Uncle Scrooge, Gemstone
Jamie Grant, All Star Superman, DC Comics
Matt Hollingsworth, Daredevil, Marvel Comics
Matt Kindt, Super Spy, Top Shelf
Laura Martin, Thor, Marvel Comics

BEST INKER
Stefano Gaudiano, Daredevil, Marvel Comics
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
Steve Leialoha, Fables, DC Comics
Mark Morales, Thor, Marvel Comics
Kevin Nowlan, Witchblade, Top Cow/Image

BEST SYNDICATED STRIP OR PANEL
Doonesbury, Garry Trudeau, Universal Press Syndicate
Get Fuzzy, Darby Conley, United Feature Syndicate
The K Chronicles, Keith Knight, Self-Syndicated
The Mighty Motor-Sapiens, Mark Wheatley, Daniel Krall, Robert Tinnell, MJ Butler, Craig Taillerfer, Matthew Plog, and Jerry Carr, Self-Syndicated
Mutts, Patrick McDonnell, King Features Syndicate

BEST CONTINUING OR LIMITED SERIES
All Star Superman, DC Comics
Captain America, Marvel Comics
Damned, Oni Press
Daredevil, Marvel Comics
Umbrella Academy, Dark Horse Comics
Uncle Scrooge, Gemstone Comics

BEST NEW SERIES
Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
The Order, Marvel Comics
Resurrection, Oni Press
Thor, Marvel Comics
Umbrella Academy, Dark Horse Comics

BEST NEW TALENT
Jeff Kinney, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Amulet Books
Jeff Lemire, Essex County, Top Shelf
Vasilis Lolos, Last Call, Oni Press
Robbi Rodriguez, Maintenance, Oni Press
Christian Slade, Korgi #1: Sprouting Wings, Top Shelf

BEST ANTHOLOGY
Flight Volume 4, edited by Kazu Kibuishi, Ballantine Books
Mome Volume 8, edited by Gary Groth and Eric Reynolds, Fantagraphics Books
Popgun Volume 1, edited by Joe Keatinge and Mark Andrew Smith, Image Books
Postcards: True Stories That Never Happened, edited by Jason Rodriquez, Villard
Walt Disney's Comics and Stories, edited by John Clark, Gemstone

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What "17" Can Do For You

*Post-it Note - Please keep in mind that I have limited resources at work.

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Ripped from KFR - Reality Retreads Highlight Celebrity Championship Wrestling

Sorry for the late post and somewhat dated news but work had a major power outage for the majority of my workday which means no access to the Internets. So, please sit back and enjoy this edition of Ripped from KFR...

Dancing with the Stars too high-brow for you? Celebrity Circus seems too stuffy for your tastes? Do you miss the shock and awe of Celebrity Boxing mixed with the hilarity of MTV’s Tough Enough? Well, according to The Hollywood Reporter, CMT has the cure for your ills this fall with the announcement of Celebrity Championship Wrestling.

Reality D-listers Dennis Rodman, Dustin Diamond, Danny Bonaduce, Todd Bridges, Nikki Ziering, Tiffany, and queen reality show whore Trishelle Cannatella all return to the glow of the small screen for the lure of more money and ever-diminishing dignity. Other cast members include Butterbean, Jackie Stallone’s other kid and Bewitched’s Tabitha Stephens.

The show uses the ever-popular 3 judges scoring format with Hulk Hogan, Jimmy “The Mouth of the South” Hart and Eric Bischoff in those roles with Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake and Nasty Boy Brian Knobbs coaching up the wrestling dummies “celebrities”. And as much as I bad-mouth this show, I have a feeling that a season pass will find its way to the old TiVo. I blame it on brainwashing here in the Redneck Riviera.

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The Middleman - Watch It Before It On TV Legally

Just came across this link and thought that I'd pass it along; especially since it is comics-related. The Middleman, originally a comic from indie label Viper Comics, is now an ABC Family series premiering tonight at 8 PM EST. However, iTunes has it available for download for free today before the show even airs.

I have downloaded the show but due to impatient kids, I haven't had a chance to spec it out (although from here, the leading actress could be Liv Tyler's illegitimate Hispanic sister) so there is no short review/preview for you to chew on. But from what the setup looks like, think of Men In Black but made for TV. If that grabs your fancy and you have the bandwidth/memory, click on the image to get it (and obviously you must have iTunes installed to get it):

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The Friday Favorite - "Hole Hearted" by Extreme

This one is dedicated to the Boston Celtics and their fans who have a certain hole in their heart since 1986. And to Chazer who will hopefully have to give up the trophy for this year on Father's Day.

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There's no way Jack Bauer would've shot 6 for 19 in Game 4 of the NBA Finals

How did a 21-point first quarter lead turn into a six-point loss for the Purple and Gold? Simply put - it wasn't in the numbers for the player formerly known as Black Mamba.

Kobe Bryant was in the role of drive and dish man; trying to get his teammates behind him and they were hitting their shots which got them the healthy lead midway through the third quarter. However, Kobe was off track points-wise and never found his stroke, which he needed in the worse way when the Celts decided to "compete" at both ends of the floor.

After this game, Paul Pierce should switch jersey numbers with Mr. Bryant with his Jack Bauer-esque lockdown on the league MVP as the telling excerpt from Marc Stein's Game Four piece on the Worldwide Leader's website details below:

It's the unavoidable conclusion when a 24-point lead -- at home -- isn't enough for No. 24.

The 24th Finals game of Kobe Bryant's career had the Celtics trailing by 20 points halfway through the third quarter, unable until 4:07 remained in the game to snatch their first lead and then showing their steel from there by refusing to give it back ... all while Bryant could finish with only a measly 17 points on 6-for-19 shooting.

The Celtics are one game away from putting the 17th Banner hanging from the rafters this fall. The Lakers may have the colors of royalty but on Sunday, it's more than likely that it will be the Celtics who will be coronated; much to the chagrin of the anti-Jordan in LA.

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Radio Rewind - Last Hour of 105.1 WAVA (Top 40, Washington DC)

Due to the slow death of commercial terrestrial radio, I've been looking for some classic digital bits from my youth on the Internets and found this wonderful gem. The last hour of 105.1 WAVA (also known as All Hits 105 and Power 105) does its best to gather all of the events, jingles and most notably the deejays of the station starting when it changed formats from Album Oriented Rock (AOR) to Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) or Top 40 in 1983 until its last breath on Febraury 12, 1992.

Deejays highlighted were TK Tom Kent, Flash Phillips (aka Gene "Bean" Baxter), Capt. Dave Fogel, Charlie and Harrigan, and the hour's true centerpiece, Don Geronimo and Mike O'Meara otherwise known as "The Don and Mike Show".

If you're an old guy like me and love the medium, this might be a breath of fresh air. However, if you're under 30 or hate Top 40, I truly feel sorry for you.

Click the image below to hear/download the MP3:

File is courtesy of Airchexx.com

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Your Random Facts for June 10

Here are some semi-random thoughts before Game 3 tips out in LaLa Land:

• ESPN's Stu Scott is basically one conversion to Judaism away from singing Candy Man in some sort of Rat Pack tribute act in a show off of the main Vegas strip.
• The real crime is not that the new Coldplay song "Viva La Vida" sounds like a U2 rip-off, it's that Apple hammered that fact home with it's new commercial.
• Home cooking may not help the Lakers if they can't seem to get more aggresive in order to get to the fouls line (something that Kobe didn't do that much in the last two series).
• One full spin of Man Raze's CD Surreal and you realize that Phil Collen has more to do with of the success of Def Leppard vocally than you may thought before you listened.

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Rage Out Vid With Added Blogging Commentary

Just another shameless self-promotion post but Robot Sweatshop's Daniel Brooks and yours truly watch the latest display of Office Rage and offer our oddball observations. The clip must be seen to be believed.

Go there right now -> Office Rage!

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The Healing Power of The Truth

Celts lock down Lakers in the fourth and take Game 1 by 10. Read here for the details.

Then compare and contrast the hyperbole from LA Times' Bill Plaschke (a hack living on borrowed time) and ESPN's Chris Sheridan. So, let me get this straight - either Pierce is an Oscar-winning actor in faking his knee injury or that he'll need a leg transplant during the layoff in order to play on Sunday. It's amazing that these two people were looking at the same person. I guess in a world where sports journalism and tabloid reporting are becoming more and more similar, any angle is a good one; especially when you're the first one to report it.

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Bob Ryan goes after ESPN's Sports Guy

It appears that Bob Ryan has something against the Worldwide Leader's biggest web page producer. In yesterday's blog post on The Boston Globe's website by Mr. Ryan, the heralded columnist goes right after Bill Simmons (albeit without naming him specifically) concerning the history of the Celts/Lakers rivalry. Ryan goes so far as to try to discount Simmons by calling him a "false prophet". He also stated that Simmons failed do his homework in regards to Simmons' recent magazine column.

However, I think that Ryan's growing dislike for Simmons may have blinded his judgment as he failed to recognize the fact that Simmons was going for the absurd angle on the argument and trying his best to be like the acting "editor-in-chief" Ocho Cinco aka Chad Johnson. But even though Ryan may have been wrong in calling out Simmons on this one doesn't make him any less right on his assessment of the over-hyped Sports Guy.

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Debt Paid In Full - NBA Finals Bet

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Where I'm at and what it means to TTLF..

I'll try to make this as short as possible. So, bear with me...

For the last couple of months, I've been posting here steadily with a veritable plethora of pop-culture minutiae that I liked and when I was really on my game, I'd drop an occasional review into the mix. But the accumulation of the blogger naysayers (Bissinger being the poster boy for that movement) and the whole hatred coverage behind the unoriginal titled "Spygate" (a wound from those jackal journalists that really has never fully healed) was making me feel like I was being battered around like James Thompson's cauliflower ear. My level of desire to write anything - much less a blog - was way below E and trying to write at that point was doing both the reader (however few they're are) and myself a disservice.

So, until I fully recharge, the posts here will be somewhere in between daily and weekly. Hope that those of you who read my incoherent babbling can understand.

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