It’s time to celebrate one of the most important days on the Geek calendar. Today is the 4th May; Star Wars Day! Now to say Star Wars Day isn’t a big deal to our family, is a massive understatement. The love for Star Wars in strong in my family. I have it, my wife has it, and our children have it.
From movies, books, comics, toys, board games, cosplay, and tv shows, we love Star Wars. I mean I did get married on Star Wars Day, as well as give UMC2, a Star Wars name. That is next level commitment.
Because of this special day, I’d like to share two of our favourite Star Wars books. First is UMC2’s pride and joy; Star Wars: The Secret Life of Droids. He loves this book, and quite often retells information about IG-88, Pit droids, Crab droids, Probe droids, and every other droid, to some unfortunate people at the supermarket.
The second book is Star Wars: Alien Archive. This was given to me as a birthday gift, which contains information and illustrations about the various alien species in the Star Wars universe. I’m not ashamed to admit it, but this book has been quite helpful with reading other Star Wars content. Nice.
And to end this short and zealous blog, I’d like to talk about Power droids, aka Gonk droids. All four of us love Power droids. I mean, who wouldn’t? Anyway, some very creative people, produced a fan film about everybody’s favourite walking battery; it’s awesome. If Disney actually made a real movie or tv show about Power droids, we would all watch it.
Do you celebrate Star Wars Day? Please let me know what you do. That’s it for this special blog, and I’ll see you on Saturday for the second special geek blog. May the Force be with you. Always.
I want to talk about 2023. Why? Um…let’s see. It’s nice to see the back of 2022 and usher in 2023, so Happy New Year! Because we have a brand new year, filled with fear and disappointment, I thought it might be optimistic of me for a change, to discuss what I’m looking forward to this year.
This is not a New Years Resolutions List, because you know, they don’t work. No, these are special events that are happening in 2023. It could be the release of a new movie, tv show, book, sporting event, of just about anything, as long as it is happening in 2023. They are five notes that go with the list.
1.) Just because an event is on the list, does not mean I will get to experience that event in 2023. A book might be released in May, a movie might come out in December, or a tv show will be released on a streaming platform that I don’t currently subscribe to, so I may not read and watch them until 2024. Also I can’t watch every single World Cup match or sports game either; I wish.
2.) Annual events like birthdays, anniversaries, Free Comic Book Day, or annual sporting competitions are special, but they don’t count, because they happen every year.
3.) Sour Cream and Chives being banned is very hopeful, but severely unlikely, so I can’t really put it on the list.
4.) Some dates could be confusing because of time zones differences, but they are subject to change,
5.) Against popular belief, I don’t know everything. There will be information about an event that hasn’t be released yet, that I could be interested in; but if I don’t know about it, I can’t add it to the list.
Right, I’m not here to shag spiders, so let’s do this.
ICC Women’s T20 World Cup: 11th February-27th February
New Zealand Tour of India: 18th January-1st February
England Tour of New Zealand: 16th February-28th February
Sri Lanka Tour of New Zealand: 9th March-8th April
New Zealand Tour of Pakistan: 13th April-7th May
New Zealand Tour of England: 25th August-15th September
ICC Men’s World Cup: 10th October-26th November
Football
FIFA Women’s World Cup: 20th July-20th August
CONCACAF Gold Cup: 24th June-16th July
Side note: The 2023 AFC Asian Cup and the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, have been pushed back to late 2023 to early 2024, with no confirmed dates. Thanks COVID-19 and climate change.
Rugby Union
2023 Rugby World Cup: 8th September-28th October
I have no idea about international fixtures, other than the Six Nations and the World Cup.
Rugby League
I have no idea about international fixtures or tournaments.
I live in New Zealand, so these are my favourite sports. I’m very sorry.
Movies
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania (February)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (March)
John Wick: Chapter 4 (March)
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (May)
The Flash (June)
Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (June)
Oppenheimer (July)
The Marvels (July)
Blue Beetle (August)
Dune: Part Two (November)
The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (November)
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (December)
And for various reasons, I’m a little nervous for this one:
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (June)
I’m painfully aware that out of all of these movies I want to see, only one is not a some type of sequel. Damn you Hollywood!
Television
The Mandalorian (March)
Superman & Lois (March)
Loki (Unknown)
Secret Invasion (Unknown)
Avatar: The Last Airbender (Unknown)
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Unknown)
Invincible (Unknown)
Doctor Who (Unknown)
Star Trek: Discovery (Unknown)
House of the Dragon (Unknown)
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power (Unknown)
Wow, what a list of superheroes, fantasy and science fiction shows! I’m embarrassed now.
Music
I have no idea, I have to start listening to more music created after 2005.
Literature
Manga
Sadly, I read six different titles and they’re published sporadically; so I don’t know when they would be released in 2023.
Comics
Saga is back in January with #61.
Any Locke & Key or The Umbrella Academy mini-series.
Fiction
The Nature of Middle-earth (February-paperback)
Star Wars: The High Republic – The Battle of Jedha (February)
Star Wars: The High Republic – Quest for Planet X (April))
Star Wars: The High Republic – Cataclysm (April)
Star Wars: The High Republic – Path of Vengeance (May)
The Fall of Númenor (Unknown-paperback)
Non-Fiction
Starry Messenger : Cosmic Perspectives on Civilisation (June)
A Brief History of Black Holes : And why nearly everything you know about them is wrong (Present)
The Men Who Destroyed Africa (Unknown)
Let’s be honest, shall we? One day I will talk about Star Wars: The High Republic; I purchase too many books; but also, my to-read pile is not getting any smaller. It has grown to three piles now. Because of that, I could continue listing books, but you’re probably already bored with my ramblings anyway, so I won’t add any more.
Random
New Zealand General Election (Sometime in mid-late 2023)
More news of nuclear fusion discoveries.
Any new SpaceX , ESA or NASA launches.
New images from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Any new species discovered.
Any new Count Binface election campaigns.
New content from my favourite bloggers and YouTube channels.
UMC1 and UMC2 could be playing sport this year, so I’m looking forward to that.
The problem is that I’ll publish this blog and then realise I’ve missed something; as usual. Anyway, is there anything that you think that I’ve missed? What are you looking forward to in 2023? Please let me know.
That’s it for me. Read some banned books, walk your dog, and I’ll see you next week. Thanks for reading!
At the moment 2022 feels less like a year, but rather like a twisted Pokémon trainer that runs around and collecting comic icons, instead of Pokémon. Not only did we lose Neal Adams, George Perez, and Tim Sale this year, but quite recently, Kevin O’Neill, Carlos Pacheco, and Kevin Conroy, also died.
I don’t know what I can say about these three icons, that has not already been said before, by far better writers and journalists over the last few weeks. In saying that, I’d still like to say something.
I can’t be sure, and it won’t come as a surprise; but I think the first time I saw Kevin’s art was with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. I do realise he had created a lot of art through 2000AD content, Marshal Law, and other material, but the League stands out to me.
I loved his attention to background detail, body proportions and facial expressions; so it meant that Kevin’s art was very recognisable. Have you ever seen a drawing of Daredevil, Green Lantern, Zorro, or any other character, and just by glancing at the art work, you could name the artist? Kevin’s art was like that for me, I could stare at a picture and realise, “Kevin O’Neill drew that, that’s Kevin’s.” I loved his art.
Speaking of loving art, I loved Carlos’ work for different reasons. His work grew on me, because I’d sometimes see his art ranging from Fantastic Four, Captain America, X-Men, Avengers, Inhumans, Excalibur, Green Lantern, The Flash, Superman,Arrowsmith, and so many more.
After discovering that the art I’m looking at belonged to Carlos, I would often comment about how he could draw anything, because it seemed like he was drawing everything on the shelf. I loved his range, but also his commitment to getting each panel to almost sing with positivity and direction.
Both Kevin and Carlos were masters of their beloved trade, and it showed through in the volumes of their work. They helped me to learn and discover new ways to appreciate stories, as well as being gobsmacked with stellar art work.
As for Kevin Conroy, well he was Batman’s voice, wasn’t he? I’m old enough to remember when Batman: The Animated Series was released, but young enough to have watched it. It was amazing and so was Kevin. Over the years, if I was watching an animated version of Batman voiced by Kevin, then I knew it was legit.
Through two decades and countless animated series and movies, coupled with his video game work and his live-action performance, Kevin was the definitive Batman. He brought more depth and range to the character than anyone beforehand, but also shone a spotlight on Bruce Wayne’s pain and compassion. He helped to flesh out Batman’s 2-D existence and dragged him by the cape, into our 3-D world. Damn it was glorious and it still is.
Thank you Kevin; Thank you Carlos; Thank you Kevin. I don’t know what else to say about three people that I never met, other than their work has brought a lot of happiness into millions of people’s lives and including my own; and will continue to do so.
This was another strange post to do, so I’m sorry about that. I’ll return to our regular weekly blog about nonsense next week. Thanks for following, go walk your dog, buy a banned book and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about San Diego Comic-Con, in particular, the 2022 edition. Why? Well for starters I’ve never been. I live over 10,730 km away, so I’m practically next door, but I have yet to drag my broke arse there.
Another thing is that this year was the first one to be held in person, since the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled, because of everybody’s least favourite virus, COVID-19.
For those of you that already know about the San Diego Comic-Con, congratulations! For those of you that don’t know about it; I’m very sorry, but I’ll give you a quick summary. Don’t panic.
The San Diego Comic-Con is arguably, one of the the largest events; if not the largest, celebrating popular culture on the planet. The event is designed for creators and companies to advertise new products coming up like toys, anime, computer games, manga, books, comics, movies, tv shows and anything else; as well as being able to sell their existing products to the public.
Because of this, it attracts people from all over the world, to help celebrate everything that is pop culture. Oh, I forgot to mention the cosplayers. So many cosplayers!
I think San Diego Comic-Con is usually held over 3-4 days in July, and even though I’m thousands of kilometres away, I can still get excited. This is because of the important reveals, trailers, and announcements.
This year has been no exception, with an avalanche of information released to the public. But is any of it interesting? Being the writer of this blog; and the person to blame for anything that happens here, I’ve decided to breakdown the most interesting things I have discovered from the event.
Let’s establish a few things first:
1.) I have not read or seen, every article or trailer released from San Diego Comic-Con. There’s probably a ton of information I have missed, but I’m only one man against the odds. I can only discuss the things I have knowledge on, but also things I’m actually interested in. Any news about a Sour Cream and Chives themed computer game, will not be mentioned.
2.) Just because a product is on my list, does not mean I’ll actually get to see it or purchase it. There are so many different streaming services, I can’t subscribe to all of them; I would need a higher paying job for that. Simply, if something has landed on this list, it has my attention.
I know the High Republic is not for everybody and that some people don’t like it. Having said that, no one is perfect, and I fall in the other camp, because I enjoy this series!
I loved learning about the Phase II reveals, new characters and stories, listening to the creators, but also looking at the amazing novel and comic book covers for the series. I’m invested with this for the long haul, so I was pretty happy to learn new things about Phase II. One day soon, I’ll write a blog about the High Republic and explain it better. Anyway, we are off to a good start!
Batman/Spawn
There was news that DC and Image will be getting together for another Batman/Spawn crossover. I understand that Batman and Spawn alumni artist, Greg Capullo, will have the art duties, with Todd McFarlane as the writer.
Apparently it will be released this December, and I thought these characters would never met again, after their two 1994 meetings. I didn’t see this one coming at all. I’m not sure what to expect from this, apart from the stellar art. I’m quite interested, to be honest.
As for other comic news, um…..nope. I have to admit, nothing else that I’ve heard from Marvel, DC, Image or anybody else, released from Comic-Con actually has me interested in their upcoming comic book projects. It’s quite strange. Just Star Wars: The High Republic and Batman/Spawn. Maybe I’m getting too picky in my old age.
Movies
DCEU: Shazam! Fury of the Gods
The first film, Shazam! was cool. I mean I thought the film makers did a great job balancing Billy’s personal and superhero life. It was also refreshing to see the villain actually survive. What mischief will Doctor Sivana and Mister Mind get up to?!
It was fun, which is why I’ve been looking forward to the sequel. Bringing more mythology into the franchise with Hespera and Kalypso, will be entertaining. Will it be predictable and a bit corny with Billy’s family? Yes and yes, again, however it will be a lot of fun.
It just makes you want to stand up and shout, “SHAZAM!” Damn, I want to watch the first film again now. How good is bullet immunity?!
Black Adam
Speaking of Shazam!, how about we discuss the Big Red Cheese’s antithesis villain. I have always thought that Teth-Adam is similar to Magneto, Namor, or Ronan the Accuser; a leader or symbol to his people, which means he can and will fight alongside the heroes, as easily as against them. A classic anti-hero.
I’m nervous, but I have high hopes for this film. Having the Rock play Black Adam is a master stroke, and it will also be interesting how the Justice Society will connect with audiences. Doctor Fate was my first introduction to a superhero magician, so hopefully this film will not disappoint. How far will they push things? I have no idea.
We do need to see the Shazam!/Black Adam or Superman/Black Adam fight somewhere in the future. Pretty please? Teth-Adam is the last person on Earth that should have these powers, so let the smackdown begin!
MCU
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
I liked Black Panther, because at least to me, it brought a lot of political and social issues of living in a superhuman world into the light. Plus I thought Chadwick Boseman was phenomenal as T’Challa. He’s one of the greatest characters Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, ever created together. I’ve always liked T’Challa.
So because of that, I’m nervous about the sequel for three reasons. Firstly, since the original film was such a massive success, there could be a lot pressure to catch lightning in a bottle for a second time. An example of this is Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984. The sequel did not quite hit the mark.
Secondly, I feel it was a mistake not to recast T’Challa. I know they did it to honour Boseman’s memory, but I feel allowing T’Challa to exist in the MCU, would have been a better tribute. Allowing another excellent actor to step into T’Challa’s sneakers, is not something uncommon in superhero films.
And lastly, Namor. I’m always concerned when great villains are not adapted in the best way. Doctor Doom is the best example, with three films behind him, the film makers got it wrong, three times over.
Namor just like Black Adam, he is an anti-hero. His arrogance is only equal to Batman’s, so it will be interesting to see how the film makers translate this; but also for his culture. Obviously there will be some tension/conflict between Wakanda and Atlantis, just like T’Challa and Namor in the comics.
I want this film to work, which is precisely the reason why I’m interested in it. And the Dora Milaje kicking arse helps.
Phase 5 and Phase 6: The Multiverse Saga
This covers Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, The Marvels, Blade, Captain America: New World Order, Thunderbolts, Fantastic Four, Avengers: The Kang Dynasty, and Avengers: Secret Wars (February 2023-November 2025).
I’m interested in all of these films, but I’ll wait to receive more information about them as the wheel turns, as the world moves on.1 I also do realise there are some MCU tv shows as well, but I’ll talk about them below.
Television shows (streaming)
Disney +
I don’t have Disney +, but if I did, I think my family wouldn’t see me for a few weeks. Without discussing the shows already on the platform, the reveals and trailers from Comic-Con include Andor, She-Hulk, Secret Invasion, Echo, Loki Season 2, Ironheart, Agatha: Coven of Chaos, and I am Groot, sound quite fantastic.
These announcements are awesome and I’m interested in watching all of them…one day I guess. However, there was one reveal that was jaw dropping: Daredevil: Born Again.
I’ve seen Netflix’s Daredevil Season 1 and 2 on DVD, and that show was astounding. I loved it, but I haven’t seen the third season. I’m very impressed that Charlie Cox and the rest of the crew (I think) will be coming back.
Whether the show will be based on the famous Born Again storyline, or a play on words like Spider-Man: Homecoming, I don’t know…but Daredevil is back! I’ve always thought Daredevil was a very underrated character, so I’m stoked that he’s getting more camera time.
The Sandman
If you’re a follower of my blog, you will understand how special this show is to me. I’m actually not going to discuss it too much, other than stating that The Sandman trailer was mind blowing; but also this was the most interesting reveal/trailer/announcement to come out of San Diego Comic-Con.
Meeting the Endless will bring me a lot of happiness, but I also can’t wait for people to meet Desire, because they were woke, before woke was a concept.
The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power
I understand the Rings of Power are getting some flak from Tolkien super fans over changes to characters, the timeline, and other things. As a Tolkien fan myself, not every fan has to agree on a product’s direction; however, I am ready for this show.
I’m not sure how much of the plot will be taken from The Silmarillion, The Fall of Númenor, The Nature of Middle-Earth or Unfinished Tales, but it looks great. I know it’s set during the Second Age of the Sun, and….I’m so excited for this.
Will we see the Silmarils? Will we see the rise of Sauron? Will we see Angband? Will we see the War of the Last Alliance? Or even better, will Morgoth have a cameo, even in a flashback or prologue? I have no idea!
There are many things that can go right or wrong with this show, but I’m choosing to be positive; I have to. I’m just stunned that the show exists at all. I love the genres of superheroes and science fiction, but throw fantasy in there also, and I’m going to be immersed in geekdom.
I’m not a subscriber to Amazon Prime, but this show is tempting me.
Can I also mention House of the Dragon? This show is one I can actually watch on my streaming platform, so I have to research the Targaryen family tree a lot more, before it starts in a few weeks. Things to do.
Ok that’s it. What reveals from San Diego Comic-Con were you interested in? Please let me know. My dog needs his belly rubbed, so look both ways before you cross the street and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about saying goodbye to a series. Why? Over the many times I have travelled around the Sun, this strange event has happened repeatedly. To understand this subject better, you won’t need Herb Powell to build a translator for you, I’ll just try to do a better job at explaining it.
You don’t have to be a geek or nerd to enjoy a series. This could be in the form of comics, novels, television shows, movies, video games, music, or just about anything that is created for people’s enjoyment and entertainment.1
Now for whatever reason, you love that series. Maybe you have grown up listening to a special artist or band, read all of the books in a saga, played all of the games in a franchise, watched every episode in a tv show, or seen every movie in a series.
Whatever it is, there is something you like watching, listening to, or reading, that…well, makes you happy; like lying in bed, listening to the rain fall on the roof, or eating some some Salt and Vinegar chips, while watching your favourite team win.
Whatever the case, you have a relationship with…and I’m doing to use the word, product, for the purposes of context. You have a relationship with that product; whether it is positive, negative and everything in between.
But here’s the problem: just like the relationships you have with other homo sapiens, every relationship has a beginning and an ending. Just the same as the relationship you have with your product.2
The way I see it, I can think of three different ways the relationship with the product will end.
1.) The product stops creating
The band could split up; the singer retires; the monthly comic book finishes; the tv show screens the final season; the final movie in a trilogy or series is released; the makers of the video game, have discontinued the line; or the last and final book in a saga, is finally released.
It doesn’t matter what the reason is, but the product that you enjoy, will no longer be creating any new content going forward, on a regular basis. Yes, it’s possible that tv shows and movies, could have spin offs; the monthly comic book could come back as a mini-series; the band members could join or create new bands; or the author may decide to explore prequel eras of the saga; but it’s not the same, is it?
Basically what I’m saying, is that the product broke up with you. It hurts, but it’s out of your hands. There will be no new book, album, movie, tv show, or comic book; whatever story the creators of that medium were telling, that story has been told and now, it’s finished.
You also know, if it was up to you, the product and yourself would still be together. All you can do now, is listen to the songs again, reread the saga, play the games again, or binge watch the tv shows and movies; compounded by the blessing and the curse, that you know what happens.
2.) The product is high maintenance
As the stale, old, bread winner of our one income family, this reason is a no-brainer: money. ABBBA and Pink Floyd warned us about this in the 70’s, to various degrees. The loss of a job, extra bills, crossovers, multi-media projects, dwindling savings, or just the slow and steady rise of the product’s cost, could result in you declaring that the product is now, high maintenance; therefore, you can’t afford it anymore.
It sucks, because you love the product, but the product is out of your league now. You could try to figure out a way to keep it: buy less food, give up the gym, or decrease on using electricity.
However when there are children or UMCs involved, you have to admit that you’re the adult, and you need to give up the product for their sake. Bread vs the new book? Electricity vs the new video game?
You’re a parent and you’re doing the best that you can for your kids, so you quit the product to help them. Or until you can afford it again!
3.) You and the product want different things
So we have finally arrived at the most strangest and personal reason, you and your product are no longer together: you’ve lost that loving feeling.
There are so many various situations about why this happens. It can cover the product receiving a new artist, new writer, new direction, new singer, death or return of major characters, new music video, new songs, games becoming easier/harder, storylines getting repeated, bad dialogue, or maybe just the fact that you have moved on from the product.
Whatever it is, the love and the passion you once had for the product, has slowly faded away. It could have been your family’s influence, or your friends, spouse, partner, work mates, or quite honestly, it was you realising that you and the product are travelling down different roads now, and you want something else.
There is no shame in this. I think about my own life and the products that I have quit for different reasons, is probably more than Chuck Norris has executed a roundhouse kick. Wait…that’s physically impossible. You can’t beat Chuck Norris at anything, except receiving roundhouse kicks to the face.
And you’re back in the room. This may sound quite odd, but hey, a geek’s going to do, what a geek’s going to. Every time I have quit a product; whether it involves movies, novels, comics, bands, or tv shows, I feel the need to explain myself.
By this I mean writing an email or letter to the director, author, or whomever it would be, to apologise for leaving the product, and explain why I have done it. I never have though, but the desire is there.
Sometimes it’s extremely easy for me to identify, the reason(s) why I’m not interested in a product anymore, but there are times when it’s the opposite. I’ll know that I’d like to quit the product, however I’m unable to explain why.
I may start second guessing myself over the decision, but if I start doing that, I know it’s over. Throughout my life, my love of music, books, comics, movies, and tv shows has not changed, but the genres have.
My tastes in popular culture have changed, just like me. I’m definitely a work in progress, but I’m still evolving, which means the products that I spend my hard earned money on, have to reflect what makes me happy. Though my taste for Sour Cream and Chives will never, ever change. Ever.
We have now arrived at the point of the conversation where I ask you the question: Are you a quitter? What products were you interested in, but have now left behind? What caused the break up? Please let me know.
Sorry, this was a long one. As usual I have a bad idea, then it spirals out of control. Alright, thanks for reading, walk your dog, and I’ll see you next Monday.
1 Alliteration much?
2 Am I the only one that has Closing Time, by Semisonic, as an earworm now?
2022 is slowly becoming a crappy year for the comics industry, because another legendary artist has died. On 16th June, Tim Sale passed away in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. He was 66 years old.
I can’t tell you what the first Tim Sale art I ever saw was, but I can sure as hell tell you that I liked it. I loved his work, because it was moody and edgy, but at the same time, it was classical and mythical.
To me, the way Tim used shadows on characters and the background, was an art form on its own. His art kicked so many different types of arse. From Marvel, there was Daredevil: Yellow, Hulk: Gray, Captain America: White and Spider-Man: Blue; which is regarded as one of the best Peter Parker stories ever.
And from DC, there was Superman for all Seasons, Catwoman: When in Rome, and…Batman. The way that Tim drew Batman’s cape, you would think the cape was actually alive and sentient, because of the way it moved.
His work on the various Batman projects was so powerful and mind crunching, that I can only offer this compliment: for me, Batman is synonymous with Tim Sale, like Tim Sale is synonymous with Batman.1
His work has had an impact on me, and it still does to this day. Thank you, Tim.
Thanks for reading, avoid Sour Cream and Chives, and I’ll see you next Monday.
1 I’m really sorry if I have forgotten to mention any of Tim’s other work.
I want to talk about Saga. Why? Well let’s be honest shall we? After my last four blogs about the morally bankrupt Tories, I thought it might be nice to talk about something, that actually makes me happy; like watching rugby, and eating salt and vinegar chips.
After waiting 41 months, Saga is back and I’m pretty stoked.1 For those unlucky people that have no idea what Saga is or what it’s about, I’ll try and keep it brief. Saga is a monthly 2 comic book that’s published by Image Comics. It’s written by Brian K. Vaughan and illustrated by Fiona Staples, since the release of #1, back in March 2012.
This book is good. Seriously good. The book, Vaughan and Staples, have won multiple Eisner, Harvey, Hugo, and various other comic book awards. I’ve been very blessed that I started reading Saga with #1, so I try to convert anybody to the title. 3
Now I’m not going to bore you with a rant about Saga’s plot or why you really should read it 4, however what I am going to discuss, are my five favourite Saga covers. Basically, this is for fun and Fiona Staples is a kick arse artist.
At the time of writing this blog, Saga is on Chapter 59, otherwise known as #59. The covers I’m going to discuss are not ranked by awesomeness, but by the order of their release.
Also, just because certain other covers did not make this list, it’s not because they suck; because they don’t. I just can’t have a list of 59 covers, I need to sleep, eat, work, and play Lego with UMC1 and UMC2.
Sweet as?
Saga #16: November 2013
Saga #16, Art by Fiona Staples
As soon as I first saw this cover, I liked it. I’m not sure whether it’s because of the contrast of colours, or the image of Upsher and Doff, putting themselves in harm’s way, in search of the truth; or maybe it’s both of them. The cover is a great indicator to their personalities and their motivation.
Also having Upsher writing, “Please Do Not Kill,” on a helmet, is a nice, but funny touch. I love this cover. It’s so striking.
Saga #34: February 2016
Saga #34, Art by Fiona Staples
This cover features of my favourite characters from the series: Ghüs. He’s such a cool character, you just want to pick him up and tickle his belly. And of course, he is chilling with Friendo, his walrus creature.
To me, it’s just a simple scene that highlights Ghüs’ personality and his lifestyle. The blurry reflection of the two characters, helps to draw your attention to the beautiful sky in the background. The only thing missing from the cover, is Ghüs’ battle axe. This cover is utterly gorgeous.
Saga #38: September 2016
Saga #38, Art by Fiona Staples
I have mixed feelings about this cover. On one hand, you get to see the relationship between Hazel and her ghost-babysitter, Izabel. With Izabel’s shape shifting abilities on display, you get to see how much fun the two characters can have with each other, but also how important they actually are. Plus, the use of various shades of pink is quite impressive.
This of course leads us to the other feelings: anger, and grief. Izabel was such an amazing character and being a ghost, you thought she would be safe to protect Hazel, and to be in her life. Wow, we were wrong.
Looking at this stunning cover, I’m reminded of how the characters interconnect with each other; which is the strength of the book. I’m also reminded that sadly, no character in the book is safe.
Saga #39: October 2016
Saga #39, Art by Fiona Staples
Having the previous issue cover saturated with pink, this cover is surrounded by purple. Petrichor is shown here in all her beautiful detail, with magic lighting the foreground, while darkness is crawling around the edges.
I also think Petrichor paints a haunted image, to go along with the haunted past and her outlook on life. I’m not sure what else I can say about this cover, except that it’s evocative and extremely effective.
Saga #41: January 2017
Saga #41, Art by Fiona Staples
I found this cover to be fun, because of Alana’s and Marko’s stances. Alana is on brand, by firing a weapon, willing to kill anybody to protect her family. Marko is also reflecting his personality by wielding a shield, like his pacifist nature.
The use of various shades of green, at least to me, brings out some sort of neutrality to the cover, because of the happy couple’s opposite natures. I feel it works. It’s also the last cover, where Alana and Marko are on it together; minus Hazel. It’s just husband and wife, against the galaxy. It’s a cool image.
But then again, what do I know? Nothing, except that Sour Cream and Chives is the worst. I’d rather lick my dog’s paws, than eat any product of that flavour.
In conclusion,these are my five favourite Saga covers. Do you read Saga? What are your favourite covers?
Ok, that’s it from me today. Thanks for reading, wash your hands, look after yourselves, and I’ll see you next Monday.
1 Lying Cat would not have a problem with I just said.
2 Saga is one of the few monthly titles I read anymore.
3 I converted my wife to Saga. She saw me reading, what she thought was a soft porn comic book. After explaining the plot and her reading the trades to catch up, we now read the new issue of Saga together, when it arrives by post. Ahhh…romance.
Anybody that knows me or follows my blog, will understand that I’m a comic book fan. I’ve been reading and collecting comics for decades, so over that time, I’ve learnt a few things, which have included Neal Adams and George Perez.
Growing up and teaching myself about comics, I discovered and identified Neal’s and George’s art, before I could recognise their names. As a kid, the names of artists were not important to me, only if I liked their artwork. And for the record, I liked them both.
To me, and thousands; if not millions of people around the world, these two men were amazing storytellers. Their passion for their medium, shone through in their art, but also through interviews, attending conventions, and their community work. Neal and George also worked for different publishers, not just DC and Marvel.
Both men challenged what a comic book could be, by drawing strong, but flawed characters; introducing new and exciting characters that would push social boundaries; incorporate more mature themes to comics; redefining the way the body and muscles were drawn; but also being top quality storytellers.
Neal and George helped to build worlds, where a small boy, from a small town, from a small country, could escape to and dream that all things were possible. From intimate and personal stories; to race against time, globe trotting stories; to reality-crushing and cosmic stories, they could do it all.
Neal Adams cover for Avengers Vol 1 #92/George Perez cover for Crisis on Infinite Earths #1
Sadly, Neal passed away on 28th April, aged 80; while George passed away on 6th May, aged 67. My condolences to their families and friends.
Just like many other people I admired and respected; like Stephen Hawking and Stan Lee, I always thought I would meet Neal and/or George. It would have been at some sort of comic convention, where I would shake their hand, thank them for all of their amazing work, and then apologise for saying something they would have heard thousands of times before.
That can never happen now.
In New Zealand, we have some mighty trees called tōtaras. They are symbolically important, because they are massive, straight, quite light, and resistant to rot. Bascially, they’re forest giants. Māori would use them to make large wakas (canoes), but also carve the tōtara to decorate maraes.
These are not my words, but they convey my thoughts and feelings:
KUA HINGA TE TOTARA I TE WAO NUI A TANE
THE TOTARA HAS FALLEN IN THE FOREST OF TANE
THE TOTARA IS A HUGE TREE THAT GROWS FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS. THE GREATNESS OF THE TOTARA IS A METAPHOR FOR WHEN SOMEONE OF IMPORTANCE PASSES AWAY.
Simply put, Neal and George were tōtaras.
Whenever I see their artwork, until the end of my days, I’ll push away the thoughts of sadness and anger; and just be grateful that I’ll be looking at 2-D representations of what love looks like: the evidence of someone doing a job that they love.
Neal Adams cover for Green Lantern/Green Arrow #6/George Perez cover for The Infinity Gauntlet #1
Thank you Neal. Thank you George. Thank you for your art, stories, imagination, and passion. You are both immortal now.
I want to talk about Star Wars. Why? Hmmm….maybe because it’s Star Wars Day! The 4th of May aka May the 4th be with you, can mean different things to different people; but ultimately, it’s a day to celebrate all things Star Wars.
Slowly over time, UMC1 and UMC2 have been becoming more interested in Star Wars. They recently saw A New Hope, last week for the first time, and they now want to see all of the films. Patience, my clever padawan and youngling, patience.
Oddly enough, they like Star Wars for different reasons. UMC1 seems to be all about the different vehicles, whether they fly or drive. He wants know to about their engines, passengers, speeds, and other capabilities. UMC2 on the other hand, is all about the droids. He is nearly 4 years old, but he is hard core about droids.
Because of Star Wars Day, UMC1 and UMC2 decided to take after their artistic mother, and make some Star Wars art projects.
Utinni the Jawa by UMC2Utinni the Jawa by UMC2
UMC2 decided to make a Jawa, named Utinni. This is because he thinks they’re the worst aliens to purchase a droid from. He also believes that Jawas are extremely funny, but he doesn’t trust them. UMC2 constantly tells random people, to never buy droids from Jawas, because they’ll have bad motivators.
Gonky the power droid by UMC1
UMC1 chose to create a power droid, called Gonky. Apparently Gonky is some sort of super power droid, because he can run at extremely fast speeds, helping to fix broken spaceships, by supplying power to them. Oh, I forgot, he can also dance.
That’s it for today. From all of the staff at Some Geek Told Me, have a Happy Star Wars Day! May the 4th be with you. Always.
Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week.
I want to talk about children’s names. Why? This is because selecting a child’s name is supposed to be a meaningful process, but sometimes it feels like it’s one of the most difficult things a parent can do. I thought my wife and I would get divorced, over our inability to compromise on UMC2’s name!
Both UMC1 and UMC2 have pop cultures names, but they are not mainstream names. It would only take a geek to identify their names and the meanings behind them.
Now this blog is not an original idea. My wife saw something similar on social media, about non-geeks giving children extremely cool sounding names from pop culture, but the parents not understanding the background of the names.
I liked the idea so much, that I put it to a vote to all of the staff at Some Geek Told Me, and I received 100% support for this, to create my own list.
As a parent, you could name your child after anything; like a traditional name from your family, or your favourite singer or sportsperson. Maybe it’s a name you have heard from pop culture that you quite like, but have no understanding about where it’s from.
Could you imagine yourself as a parent saying, “Luke, please wash your hands,“ or “Where are your shoes, Shuri?” That works, right?
But, what about, “Iago, please wash you hands,” or “Where are your shoes, Cruella?” Does it work now? No, no it doesn’t. Not for a child, at least. Or an adult I guess.
Below you will find some truly awesome sounding names from across pop culture. The issue is that these names will be from characters that have not made the wisest of choices. This will be because of two reasons; 1.) Characters that have very wobbly moral compasses, so they have made some very shitty decisions, or 2.) Characters that have betrayed their values, beliefs, country, family or friends, for vengeance, money, or power.
My humble apologies if there are real people with these names out there. It’s not to cause offense to anybody, I’m just trying to get some parents to rethink their choices, because you’re upsetting the geek community. And that is dangerous….just kidding, no, it’s not. We’re harmless, apart from trivia nights, where we conquer all whom stand before us. Pity the fools.
Alright, let’s do it in alphabetically order, because I can’t think of a better way!
Anakin Aoyama Atomica Baelish Barriss Belloq Bellwether Bertholdt Black Adam Briony Brutus Caliban Cersei Claudius Cruella Cypher Daenerys Davros Demona Don John Dooku Ephialtes Fredo Gambit Ghirra Gin Goneril Gothel Hamlet Hans Iago Judas Kaede Kisma Kylo Loki Lotso Macbeth Madhouse Maeglin Meleoron Melkor Miek Mondego Morgoth Namor Nedry O’Brien O’Dim Obadiah Othello Palpatine Pettigrew Pong Prosset Reiner Roose Saruman Sauron Scar Severus Sinestro Smeagol Squard Starscream Stinky Pete Tandro Terra The Master Tyrion Valeris Vegeta Vizsla Volemort Vulko Walder Waller Waternoose Zuko
If you’re thinking of selecting a name from this list for your future child, please reconsider. Seriously, please rethink it. Don’t be a hipster; just trust a geek when I say: Your child will not thank you for it, nor will the geek community. Stay away from these names, like the Bog of Eternal Stench!
Did you recognise any names on the list? Do you think I missed some out? Please let me know your thoughts.
That’s another blog down, and a whole week to think of a new topic to rant about. Thanks for reading, wash your hands, and I’ll see you next week!
SOME GEEK TOLD ME 
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