Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Comic Review: Veritas

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Well folks, I'm back from Phoenix and while I am, I'm not quite ready to write about the weekend there. It wasn't what I was expecting and it's led to some serious shake ups in my life. Due to that, it might be a while before I can write about this past weekend with a clear head.

What I can do, however, is write about a comic that thanks to Walter (best friend and amazing assistant), I was given a copy to review. Now, y'all know that I am ages behind in my C2E2 reviews, but sometimes something just tells you that you need to pick up something before what is technically its time. That was the case with Veritas.

Something just told me today to ignore the rest of the stack waiting for me and to pick this one up and read. Somehow I knew that I'd find something in there that would speak to me and how often does that happen in a comic book? So, let me tell you about Veritas...

The Good - This book comes out of nowhere with a story that I never saw coming. Honestly, I had zero background on this book and I'm glad that I didn't. It left me open to the message that is right there in the first pages of the book. The art is crisp and leaves no doubt as to what is happening in the story. By the end of the book, I was looking for more. I might just have to do some "sucking up" to the author so that I can be on his future reviewer list for upcoming books.

The Bad - I don't know that this is bad necessarily, but I do have a bit of an issue with the font that is used inside the front and back covers. Instead of a's, it uses lower case e's upside down and it does the same thing with w's (using upside down lower case m's). It's a bit bizarre and takes the eyes/brain a minute or so to adjust to what it is.

The Summary - Veritas might not be for everyone. It has a very biblical message and that might be a turn off to some. For me, who is finding their way back, it carried a message that I needed to hear. The story isn't an easy one but it is one that people can and will relate to. Keep in mind that this isn't a book that I would hand to my children, but it is one that I would hand to anyone who is looking for something new to read. There aren't any vampires or zombies (yet?) and that alone makes it different from a lot of what is being handed to me lately. So, if you're looking for something new to check out from an up and coming writer, check out Joshua Pantalleresco's Veritas. For more information on Josh and what he does, check out his blog at Michael Through Time (Nope, I have no idea why it's called that. Why not go read and find out?)

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I received a copy of this book thanks to the extremely awesome Walter Jimenez who totally pimped me at the con. Without him, this review wouldn't have been possible. It's amazing how sometimes things line up just when you need them to. All thoughts, comments, Walter, etc are 100% mine. Ok, Walter isn't 100% mine, but he is my best friend and I thank God every day for bringing him into my life. (How's that for sappy disclaimer?)

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Monday, May 21, 2012

Help "My" Kate

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I'm going to do something I don't think I've ever done here and I'm going to ask you to help out a fellow human being. In specific, I'm going to ask you to help out my friend, Kate. Kate is this incredibly kick ass, bad ass, sweeter than hell woman who has been an amazing friend to me during one of the hardest periods of my life. Now, I want to give back to her.

Kate's grandma isn't doing super well and Kate needs to get back home to Pittsburgh so that she can spend some time with her. Right now, she's living in Phoenix and like most of us doesn't have ready funds available. That's where all of us come in. We're going to get Kate home and I'm hoping that we can do it with all of your help. If you have an extra $5, please considering donating it to this beautiful woman who is setting pride aside and letting us help her. I have her paypal addy and will happily share it with anyone who asks me.

I'm not the only one asking you to help though...SpazDog Comics also has a wonderful thing that they would like to do to help her out. In their own words:

Kate Finnegan is the colorist who colored our Phoenix Comicon Exclusive Cover of Unite and Take Over Volume 2: A Smiths Comic Anthology. Her grandmother has taken ill and she needs to move back to Philly* asap. For those of you who want to support a comic book artist and get something for it, I'm offering to mail out a copy of her limited cover book (only 200 made) if you send payment directly to her so she can move back to Philly. To sweeten the deal, the first 20 people also get the PCC guitar pick (http://www.phoenixcomicon.com/images/upload/Exclusives/5-20/2012_unite_take_over.png). Send a paypal payment of $23 ($30 international) to ksfinn85@gmail.com and forward the payment confirmation with the mailing address to shawn@spazdogpress.com and I'll ship the book.

Please note that it is actually Pittsburgh and not Philly, but you know what? That's an amazing thing for them to do. If you do this to get something awesome or if you do this because you feel called to help, I want to say thank you. Thank you for giving an amazing woman more time with someone so important to her. You guys know that I lost my grandma just a couple of months ago and I am so thankful for the time I had with her. Kate was someone who spent ages talking to me and listening to me. Let's give her that time.

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Sunday, May 20, 2012

The Press Badge (Part 1)

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Some of you have asked about what it's like to be considered a member of the press when I attend events. So, welcome to my behind the scenes look of a not so glamorous press agent as I walk you through what it's like for me to prepare and attend Phoenix Comicon 2012.

It started way back in February when, with the support of some amazing people, I decided to go ahead and apply for a press badge. I was plum sure that there would be absolutely no way that they would say yes. I do believe that I nearly fell off my bed when I received the email saying yes!

Then, I put the whole thing on the back burner. Sure, I thought about the show. I even pondered whether or not I'd do any interviews there. Then, I thought, nah, I'm not real press. It doesn't matter how many times I've been told that I am or that I'm part of the comic book industry, I just never believe it.

Fast forward to about a week ago when suddenly I realized how fast this show was looming! I bet you can guess what happened. I started to panic. I suddenly realized that I did want to do interviews and meet people and omg what am I going to do? Yep, glamorous, I'm tellin ya. So what did I do? I did what any good reporter would. I turned to Facebook and contacted 4 of my friends in the industry and said please oh please can I interview you? I promise it will be painless! Thank goodness, they all came back and said sure. Whew!

Up next? Clothing. Oh dear heavens, what am I going to wear for 4 days in a gazillion degree heat that will be cute and sassy and sexy (maybe?) but still professional. This brought about the dreaded shopping trip. Now y'all know that I've lost some weight. In fact, I'm down nearly 3 sizes, not quite but nearly. You also know I live in the middle of nowhere and my shopping is limited to Walmart and K-mart. Yippee! Neither store is exactly known for their plus size selections. It took me 2 days but I finally got most of what I needed..combined with some last minute panicked shopping the week prior. I'm still short a few pieces but I'm praying that my own closet will reveal to me something I've forgotten I own.

Did I mention that I had to go bathing suit shopping? My trusted suit of the past..umm...lot of years is finally wearing out and 3 stores later, I found the following selections:




Yeah, aren't those fabulous? Loaded down with no less than 7 versions of the same 3 suits, I headed into the changing rooms. I wiggled, I squirmed, I tugged and pulled and managed to try them all on. Same size suits and yet they all fit totally different! I muttered a lot about how "the man" so nonchalantly sent me to my doom while all he has to do is go buy a pair of shorts. I think it took me 20 minutes to wriggle and squirm in and out of suit after suit until I finally found one that actually fit! You gals know how it is..you get one foot in, but there's no way to balance while you put the other one in so you drift around, bouncing off the walls like a drunken sailor (but without the fun of the booze!). Once you've managed to not knock yourself out, you stand and you tug and you pull and you do a weird little dance, hoping against hope that it will just get past your hips. Then suddenly...success! It's up to your waist! From here it should be smooth sailing, but no! Now, there are the dreaded mountains of boobies to get past! If you're lucky, the suit covers them...if you're not...well, let's just say a sailor would love to see that. In the end, resigned, you grab desperately at the one lone suit which covers the mountains and the hills and the valleys and you throw it on the counter, just begging the poor check out girl to ring it up before the suit changes it's mind....

Tune in next time to hear the glories of paperwork...

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Press Release & Contest Announcement: Elvatron Chronicles

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Ok, all my fellow Phoenix Comicon attendees, you're going to want to pay attention. I just got word from Andy Bohn about a very fun and exciting Twitter giveaway that he's going to be doing during the show. The best part? It's about as easy as scoring an awesome comic book to enter. Here are the details as I got them from him:

Brieanna Brock (author's note: Isn't she gorgeous? That's her on the left there.) will be dressed up as Animus, a female hero that controls the Power Orb of Light. She will be dressed throughout the day Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Contest rules are simple: Each day you can take a picture of you standing with her as Animus and upload it to Twitter, being sure to tag @elvatron as well as including the hash tag #ElvatronChronicles. Each day, he will draw a name from the days' picture posts. The winner will receive a signed copy of an Animus print (Brieanna Brock) as well as the signed standard issues of Elvatron Chronicles #0, #1 and the newly released #2. Andy, himself, will be drawing the winners at 5pm on Friday and Saturday and again at 4pm on Sunday. You must be present to win so make sure you stop by the table at the end of each day to see if the lucky winner is you!

Not sure where to find Andy and all his Elvatron goodness? Check out his event listing over on Facebook. Who knows, you might even find me loitering around his table. He's good people and those are the best to stand and talk to while you rest your tired con feet. Trust me on this one, folks. ;)





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Saturday, May 19, 2012

Whitney Farms

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This post brought to you by Whitney Farms. All opinions are 100% mine.

109103_1.jpg (6 documents, 6 total pages) Ahh summer...It's nearly here and like other years, I tell myself that this will be the year that I get up off my bum and plant a summer vegetable garden for us. Also, like other years, this won't be that year. Life has just thrown too much at me and so I didn't get one planned or planted. I envy folks like my friend Jim or my friend Shawn who just get out there and do it. No excuses. Maybe that will be me next year..hehe.

One thing that is important to me though is making sure that the veggies we do eat are as healthy as they can be. This means a lack of chemicals. This is where something like Whitney Farms® organic soil and organic plant food comes in. If you're not familiar with Whitney Farms®, let me give you a bit of information. They have 25+ years of experience in the gardening industry. Their products are low to no dust and are easy to apply. Let's face it. Today we're all looking for ease of use to be a factor in anything we buy.

While I may not be putting in that garden this year, I'm already daydreaming about next year and the types of things I'm going to need to be using. I know that I'm going to have to boost the soil and for that reason, I'm going to be looking into Whitney Farms. After all, healthy food needs a healthy hand. 

Who knows..maybe next year, I'll have something like this...

You just never know! If I do, maybe it will be with the help of:

Whitney-Farms-Logo_Banner_New_C.jpg (6 documents, 6 total pages)

If you'd like more informaiton, be sure to head over to the Whitney Farms® website and check out their products and the $3 coupon! 

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Thursday, May 17, 2012

Comic Book Review: The Night Owls

10:30 AM 0 Comments
I feel like I've been totally slacking. I still have a good sized pile of reviews to bring to y'all but I've needed a bit of a break to focus on some other things happening in my life. I'll have to fill y'all in but not right now. Right now, I need to tell you about this really cute book that was given to me at C2E2.

According to Amazon, this lovely gem's description reads:
In 1920s New York City, Professor Ernest Baxter, an expert in all things arcane, Mindy Markus, a scrappy flapper and Roscoe, a gargoyle from the Bronx, are The Night Owls. Together they solve crimes no one else can, specializing in the supernatural, in this first volume collecting the short stories that make up their webcomic adventures.

I think y'all already know how I feel about this book, but here's the rundown:

The Good - There's so much that's good about this book. It's laid out in a Sunday comic format which is great. It means you can sit and read the whole book or you can read one or two and come back to pick it up later. The artist's work is fantastic. It's not overdone but you never have any doubt as to what's happening. The story lines are cute and fun. They're not so overdone that one of my boys wouldn't be able to understand but they're not dropped down to such a level that I couldn't enjoy it.

The Bad - Crud. It's rare that I can't find some fault with a book. Usually I've caught a grammatical error or a problem with the art. Something. This time, I'm stumped. The only bad thing..I wish I had a volume 2. There you go. That's all I can come up with.

The Summary - I really like this book. I like that it's family friendly. I like that the characters are real. All in all, I just like this book. It's one that you won't regret finding and buying. It's one that you'll probably come back to more than once and chuckle. It's just plain fun and shouldn't comics be fun? So, head on over to their site or Amazon and get your order in today. You can also find them over on Facebook. This one has the Katrina seal of approval for sure.

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I did receive this book for the purpose of this review. I read the whoooole thing because I wanted to, though. I'm glad I did. It's a good book and y'all should go buy it. I should probably mention that all thoughts, randomness and comments are 100% mine because while my cat is next to me, I don't think he's mastered mind control yet..or the ability to turn the pages without tearing them.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Press Release: Ursa Minor Hits Stores

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Vampires...check. Wereweolves...check. Rock golems...check. Werebears...big time check. Faeries, mermaids and demons that live inside the cracks of the sidewalks you walk on...check. Two cute vampire hunting chicks on a powertrip...check. Ursa Minor..check your local comic book shops tomorrow May 16th, 2012. Writer, Tom Hutchinson, will be at Graham Crackers Comics on Downer's Grove (Illinois) all day signing copies and then it's off to Phoenix Comic Con next week for the official release party with Eric Basaldua, Nei Ruffino and series artist Ian Snyder!

For those attending Phoenix Comicon, I will also be there and in attendance at the official release party! So, stop by and say hi to the amazing talent and get them to autograph your wares. The first issue has multiple special edition covers as well as the fantabulous cover by series artist, Ian Snyder!

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Thursday, May 10, 2012

Busy Girl

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Ahhh! Life got me! I promise I'll be back very, very soon though to fill you in on everything I've been up to and lots more reviews and events and oh the excitement! Hang in there! I've not abandoned you, just got snatched up by a life that is slowly turning itself around. If you're interested in reading anything ...go check out my weight loss/life blog over at Welcoming Weight Loss. I did post over there earlier this week. If you're not, well you'll just have to wait for me to get home again! I'm hoping to put something up this weekend at the latest. :)


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Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Comic Book Review: Dusk Vol. 1

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Ahh Dusk...one of my favorite times of day and the title of a new to me comic book series. Just check out that cover. Doesn't it just ooze dark mystery and maybe just a bit of sex appeal? Maybe?

This is Dusk vol. 1, another interesting tidbit that was sent home with me from C2E2. It is also the next in our list of comic book reviews.

According to the publisher's website, the summary to Dusk goes something like this: As a battered wife, Eve's only concern was to keep her marriage together. But when she is kidnapped into the sordid supernatural world of vampires and foul magic, Eve finds she doesn't want to leave. Her mysterious benefactor, the Vampire Lord Ash, wishes her to have a normal life; but Eve chooses to stay in the service of Ash. Dusk is the story of Eve's challenges living in the darkness, a supernatural action/drama done in a dynamic blending of the sequential art styles of American Comics and Japanese Manga. Several artists help tell these stark noir tales of Vampires and unrequited love.

Now, for what I thought about it.

The Good - This is another book full of potential to be so much more than it is. The stories are good. They pull you in. You want to know more about who Eve is and who Ash is and what the heck are these vampires up to. Personally, I also love the cover on this book. I know that sounds like I can't come up with anything better to say, but it's true. Art in comic books is so important. The art carries the stories and sometimes it can make or break a story. The cover art on this piece (once I realized he was holding blood vials and not batteries), made me want to open it up and see what was inside. Ok, even before I realized they were blood vials, I wanted to know. I mean, after all, what does a vampire need with a handful of AA batteries?

The Bad - The stories, while each interesting on their own, didn't always seem to connect. They left me wanting more, which is good, but confused which isn't so good. Also, the inks in the first half of the book make the story really hard to follow. There was an overuse of black which made the images hard to see. This is a black and white printed book, which was fun to see, but the over use of black was tough.

The Summary - If you're into vampires and comic books, this one might interest you. While there were flaws, I believe that was a first book and y'all know I'm far more tolerant on first books than on later ones. My suggestion? Check this one out and if you like it, track down the second book that was recently released. I have high hopes that the author/publisher has corrected the problems in the next book. In fact, I heard a rumor that someone I actually know did some inking for the 2nd book so I'm hoping to get my fingers on it so I can let y'all know how it turned out. I've heard the author/publisher will be at the Phoenix Comicon so I may just have to see if I can perky my way into another review for them.

Until then, if you're interested in learning more about this series, check out the publisher's website.

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for this reviews. Vampires did not influence me in any unnatural way to say what I did. This means that yes, all comments, thoughts, ramblings, etc belong 100% to me. I was not under any sort of mind control when I suggested to check this book out for yourself. 
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