You may have noticed that most of my projects have been on hold as of late, including A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S). Since I have finished chemo I have had a lot going on and have pulled most of my projects in order to revamp and start fresh. I will be back to the connected world very soon, but for now everything is on indefinite hiatus. I have several projects in the pipeline, so hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.
See you soon.
Case Number 52 is a short film by Dakota Graves.
A young private detective runs through a noir-ish NKU.
Is being chased by an unseen force?Or is he struggling to save someone in the nick of time?
CaseNumber52 from Dakota Graves on Vimeo.
This is kinda late, but oh well fuck it.
Adam’s Pre-show Show from Dakota Graves on Vimeo.
Introductions Ep 6 from Dakota Graves on Vimeo.
I’m sorry there hasn’t been much reviews or news lately, its getting near the end of the semester, so once again, I am incredibly busy. As soon as my schedule eases up a bit I promise a lurry of articles.
Anywho, here is an update:
For starters A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S) is going incvredibly strong. We are now on iTunes as a free podcast and have our own website.
www.anerdsguidetotheuniverses.com
and social network-
www.angttu.ning.com
Also, preliminary work on B.I.G. City (some sketches and designs, first story is almost completely writtren) and my unnamed detective film has begun. Hopefully this summer I will be able to get some substantial work on these two projects done.
Hopefully you’ll see more of me soon.
Ive always been a huge Dick Grayson/Nightwing fan and Tim Drake/ Robin fan. Hell, I read Nightwing and Robin every month while they were out. I even love the ressurrected Jason Todd. Course, I dont think he has been used properly since then but the potential is there! When/if written well those three could (and sometimes do) have awesome dynamics. I have two younger brothers so I guess I understand what its like for three brothers to struggle to finding their own identities separate of each other, while still loving each other and being part of a family. Jason even tells Dick during the Nightwing One Year Later arc that he considers them family, and obviously Bruce does too as he left Jason a post-mortem message along with Dick and Tim in the final issue of Robin. Since I’m the oldest I naturally seem to connect with Dick as my favorite of the three. We’re both take charge personalities and people persons. Jason Todd and my middle brother Jesse could not be more opposite. Jason Todd is well, Jason and Jesse is a golden child, but they both stand out in a crowd. My youngest brother Logan and Tim Drake are both thinkers, planners, learning everything they possibly can. I love those characters. What can I say, they’re like family.
Anywho, the point is, due to my connection with these characters I am really excited for Batman in 2009. I mean exxtremely excited. I LOVE these characters. Seriously.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS!
You may have heard. Grant Morrison will be returning to Batman in June with the all new title Batman and Robin with stellar All-Star Superman partner/artist Frank Quitely. I’m excited to see if they can bring to Batman and Robin the magic they worked on (the now ended) All-Star Superman title.
Before you ask the title is set in continuity and will feature the brand new Batman (winner of Battle For The Cowl) and the Robin (however the hell there ends up being a new Robin). Of course anyone who who has read Batman comics at all the last year or so can tell you with 99.9% certainty that this Batman and Robin is Dick Grayson and Damien Wayne.
Point is that I am excited about nearly every Batman book coming out this year. Starting with Battle For The Cowl. Of course I will read/buy the two issues of Gotham Gazette, the three main issues of Battle For The Cowl, and Battle For the Cowl: Commisioner Gordon, Man-Bat, Arkham Asylum, Underground and The Network. I will read Azreal if my roommate (Adam Acree from A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S)) buys them but I wont buy them myself. I have no desire to read Oracle: The Cure even though I like the character (PLEASE don’t turn her back into Batgirl.) This isn’t part of Battle For The Cowl, but I have been reading Neil Gaiman’s Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader? as well.
Starting in June out of the end of Battle For The Cowl is when the the real fun starts! Batman and Detective Comics come back after a three month hiatus completely revamped. Batman will be written by Judd Winick (who I’m not to crazy about) and Detective Comics will be written by Greg Rucka (who I am crazy about). When Detective returns it will also have a new main character for the foreseeable future instead of Batman. Batwoman will take over Detective, herself a Rucka creation and one of my favorite characters! Outsiders (Peter Tomasi) will be returning completely revamped with Alfred as the new leader! Batman and Robin (Morrison, Quitely), Red Robin (Tim Drake’s new role), and Batman: Streets of Gotham will be the other bat-books that I’ll be reading this June.
I am not sexist, this is purely coincidental, but I will not be reading Batgirl, simply because I want to know what direction this character is going in before I buy it. Maybe a couple of issues into the series. I will also not be reading Gotham City Sirens a book about the femme fatales local to Gotham. Poison Ivy, Catwoman, Harley Quinn and etc. Even though Paul Dini is writing, I just can’t be made to care.
END OF SPOILERS!
There are also tons of DC books that I am extremely excited for this year, but I’ll touch on the rest of them in another blog soon!
Spring Break at Northern Kentucky University began on Friday March 6th. Consequently this puts the next episode of A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S) postponed until Tuesday the 17th, and puts me living in my parents house in the illustrious Henry County, Kentucky for about a week. I am spending plenty of time with Caitlen though and my parents are in Florida till Wednesday night so I have their house to myself (and my oldest little brother) so its not all bad.
The guys and myself from A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S) attended the official grand opening of the comic book store we make a mecca to every Wednesday, COMICS 2 GAMES. If you follow me on twitter or are a fan of A Nerd’s Guide To The Universe(S) on Facebook, which I’m sure you are then you would have known that were attending.
The guys over at Soapbox Media posted this fine video of the opening!
Soapboxmedia – SBS – Comics 2 Games from Chas Pangburn on Vimeo.
I spent this weekend at home with my family and my lovely girlfriend Caitlen. We celebrated her birthday and our anniversary. It was a grand old time. I love every minute I get to spend with that girl. I’ve known (and been with) lots of girls but none of them are like her. Ha, I’m not one for the mushy stuff (at least not on here) so I’ll get right to the point. This weekend I went and saw Coraline and finally got around to reading FABLES: Volume 11: War and Pieces.
What can I say about Coraline other than its one of the best animated films I’ve seen in a long time. It deffinitely holds its own as one of the best stop-motion animation films of the last few years. Its easily as good as The Nightmare Before Christmas (In some ways even better) and deffinitely better than The Corpse Bride.
Coraline is the film adaptation of Coraline, the horror novella by the amazing (comic book writer) Neil Gaiman (Coraline wasn’t originally a comic book however). It has been adapted by Henry Selick, the original director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and is the first film by Laika animation studio.
Henry Selick was the director of “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” Tim Burton produced, co-wrote, and came up with the original ideas for the project while Henry Selick, who (would go on to make a career out of directing stop-motion films) directed it and in my opinion did all the real work. I might as well get it out of the way and say that I am not very fond of Tim Burton. While he did do one of my favorite films, “Big Fish” and that most ofhis films are pretty good, I feel like Mr. Burton’a portfolio is very narrow. His movies are all very similar and he never explores anything new or reinvents his style. He’s found what he works and hes not going to change it apparently. Not what I would be doing if I was in his position. Then again he is the big time Hollywood director, but I digress. I think Henry Selick did much better without Tim Burton than Tim Burton did without Henry Selick. Coraline is just as good is not better than The Nightmare Before Christmas, while The Corpse Bride felt like a desperate attempt for Tim Burton to cash in on his The Nightmare Before Christmas namesake.
Fans of The Nightmare Before Christmas (cough* scene kids cough*) should love this movie. Its much better written, and perfectly balanced between adult and family themes. The animation is beautiful, especially where the CGI and stop-motion meet. There are some camera angles that i was very surprised to se in a stop-motion movie, very impressive. The voice acting is phenomenal, and you can tell the dialogue was very thoughtfully written. All and all this is an amazing animated movie.
FABLES. I absolutely love Fables. This is one of the best comic books of all time. Simply amazing. Seriously, if you like comics or even great stroies in general you need to be reading FABLES. This book is astounding.
This weekend I finally got around to reading FABLES: Volume 11: War and Pieces. Does not dissappoint. Continuing the amazing ongoing storyline of FABLETOWN v.s. The Adversary, the war to take back the homelands finally starts in this volume and it is badass. I was dissappointed by the Bigby v.s. The Emperor fight round 1. I would really like to have seen Bigby just kick the Emperor’s ass straight forward with his magic powers and the fight could have been a little longer. It was one of those “Oh shit!” moments, “Bigby is going to throw down with The Emperor!” This was followed immediately by Bigby getting his ass handed to him, a major let down. Though the whole outsmarting thing in round 2 was cool, but the “Great Wolf” should have kicked some wooden ass. I love that he is this magical force of nature to be reckoned with, he helps sell the series. The dialogue between the enemy troops referring to Bigby as a “Wonder Wolf” made my nerd sense happy. I was also very pleased with Boy Blue’s narration . Another character who just sells the series.
Seriously, if you haven’t read Fables, GO READ IT.
