Hi!
After almost eight years, this blog will be basically shutting down.
What? Oh, no - I'm not going away - I'm just moving to a new neighborhood!
Here's the deal: the first issue of The Mighty Andromeda is finally closing in, and the purpose of this blog is about to change in a drastic way - so drastic that it is easier to just create a new blog rather than try to repurpose this blog. Understand that I love this blog - this is where it all started for me, and this is where I reached out to the online world, and the online world reached back, and in ways that I never imagined. This is where it all began for me before I was ever on Facebook.
And speaking of Facebook, I still haven't heard a peep as to why my account got suspended. Rather than create a new account and invite the possibility of being suspended again (since I don't know why I was suspended in the first place), I have chosen to not make a new account until I hear from FB; or until my old FB account is reactivated. I wish they would tell me what I did. Anyway...
There will be a new blog, with a new purpose, and it's to serve both for the comic, and for Araujo Arts, the company that brings you the comic, and that has brought me to you through this blog, and until recently, through FB. I work for the boss of AA, whom you know through me as "the boss". His name is John Araujo, and along with my continued role as a blogger and reviewer, he also will be contributing posts to the new blog, called (/drumroll):
Andi4Indies
Why "Andi4Indies"? Because, along with promoting TMA, AA, and any other news concerning the company and its products, we will also be promoting the friends we have made over these past eight years, our fellow independent comic creators, who have had an indispensable role in helping to bring about the TMA comic. In essence, the Andi4Indies blog is our thank-you for their assistance. We couldn't have gotten this close without them!
So "Andi4Indies" means
"Andi" - that is, me, your friendly neighborhood blogger
"4" - that is, "for"
"Indies" - our independent comic creator friends.
Thus, it's "Andi for Indies". Cute, huh? :-)
Like I said above, the new blog will have me continuing my role as blogger and reviewer, and will also have the boss making contributions, but also - we will be encouraging guest columns and guest reviewers, and we will help promote our indie creator friends. So basically we're expanding what we do with the blog, and now you see why it was easier to just make a new blog!
It's only recently made, and we're going to be experimenting with what we want to do, but we hope that it will serve its purpose of reaching out to the same online world that helped bring about The Mighty One to your home.
Thank you for reading Busty Superhero Chick. This blog will always hold a special place in my heart. :-D
But it's now time for new challenges, and new adventures. Join me at the new blog, won't you?
See you there, my little nerdlings! :-)
Thursday, June 30, 2016
Friday, May 20, 2016
Facebook issues: Updated
As of today, I still don't know why I was booted from FB. Again, I had no warning, no CLUE as to why I was kicked out. Sure I had the occasional debates with others, but none of them indicated to me that they were that outraged by my comments. I certainly can think of no one among my FB friends who seemed so incensed and offended over something I said that they'd report me to FB.
On the contrary, just like in my real life, I had many very passionate leftists among my FB friends who were as dedicated to their views as I am to my conservative views. And I didn't hide the fact that I am conservative. I never did before I came on FB, and for the entire eight year run, I never hid my views. Everyone who friended me knew how I felt on the issues, and yet they were still my FB friends. I enjoyed their company, even if they had contrary views to mine, and as far as I could tell, they enjoyed my company.
I did not see any sort of indication of anyone being that upset with me, because I think that they would have told me. I've had rather spirited discussions before, but we always still got along afterwards. I try to make it a point of being an "approachable" conservative, and I think most people felt that way about me. So after saying all this, I find it hard to believe that anyone would report me. I'm not denying the possibility, but again, I can't think of anyone among my FB friends who would do that. One of my FB friends is as leftist as you can get, and yet we're downright chummy when we're not engaging in virtual fisticuffs.
I thought about this a LOT, and about the only reason I can think of as to why FB would boot me is because my email is "bustyherochick" and my blog is "Busty Superhero Chick"; that is, some part-time unpaid intern at FB saw my account name, assumed that "busty" meant that I was some porn spammer, and gave me the axe, because boobs. Boobs always cause problems, and I wouldn't doubt it if this was why I was booted. Here's why I think this is a logical reason why I got booted: For FB, it probably IS that easy to spot the porn spammers, by using keywords like "busty" to find accounts that are most likely porn hustlers. Porn people have been trying to disguise what they do by getting creative, like using b00b$, but they still have to give some clue as to what they're about, so they can't get too creative, or their potential customers won't be able to find them.
The thing is, I've been "busty" for nearly 10 years, and only now they find me? I guess I was hiding in plain sight all this time because I used the actual word instead of strange and rare but still readable characters like ßŨŞŦŸ! So I am still out of the loop. I just hope you're all behaving out there!
Meanwhile, I still have my duties as the Director of Social Media Marketing to take care of. Plans that were in the making before the Big Boot are still in effect, although now without me there, we'll have to get creative as to how to promote the book once it comes out. Oh! And that's another thing! The first issue has finally made progress on getting those final, six, infuriating pages completed, so we're finally moving along, friends! WHOOHOO!!! :-D
Also, the boss has been working diligently on getting artists lined up and hired to take care of TMA2 and TMA3, so that, once the first book comes out, the wait for the following issues hopefully won't be nearly as long. We are still at the mercy of the artists' schedules, but with more time to do their work, hopefully this will reduce the wait time like we had with TMA1. We are also working on marketing strategies like t-shirts, variant covers, replica earrings, and other merchy products. All about the merch, of course! ;-) And last, we're making decisions on what sort of fundraiser to use. Kickstarter? We don't have the merch yet to offer as incentives, so that might not be likely. GoFundMe? Something else? The boss is going to ask for input from others on what we could do for this first go-round until he can get us some decent merch to pitch for KS.
While all that is going on, the time that I normally spent being on FB has instead been spent on catching up on books, movies, logging onto World of Warcraft more than usual (can never be on WoW TOO much! LOL), and staying up to date on the 2016 election and other recent events. I'm still conservative, by the way, so that hasn't changed. >.<
I'm also going to see a movie that I've been strongly encouraged to see, which is Captain America: Civil War. The other movie that I will most definitely go see, and perhaps see several times - IN THE THEATER! - is the OMGWarcraft movie! Okay, it's actually Warcraft, but those of you who've followed me all this time know how much I love me some WoW!
Also, while I may not be on FB, I still have my blog. This is where it all started, actually, and I suppose it's only fitting that I come back here and show it the kind of love that I had not been giving it in recent years. I love blogging, but FB needed my attention more, and more often, if I was to keep up with the contacts that I had made over the years. And you know - that's what kills me the most - all those people I connected with and got to know over the years, all those artists whom I helped connect with the boss and get pin-ups from, all those creators who helped us to finally put together a book, and creators who joined up and formed Creators United - ALL GONE in an instant! That really, really kills me so much that it actually hurts, especially in the way I was unceremoniously dumped from FB.
But I can't change things, so here I am. So be it. I won't be swayed from my conservative views, even if I am cut out entirely from the social media. I'd rather be cut out from the social media than surrender ONE viewpoint; that's how much I believe in my views. And again, while FB was the most amount of contact that I had with others, it was still only ONE contact. There's still other means of reaching out to others, and now I have my excuse to explore those alternatives. Give me some time, I should be popping up somewhere else soon, but do keep up with my blog to see what I'm up to. ;-)
In closing, I leave this quote by Captain America, which he said during the comic version of Civil War. I love it, because it captures WHY I stick by my beliefs. Thank you, friends. I miss you, and I love you. Take care.
On the contrary, just like in my real life, I had many very passionate leftists among my FB friends who were as dedicated to their views as I am to my conservative views. And I didn't hide the fact that I am conservative. I never did before I came on FB, and for the entire eight year run, I never hid my views. Everyone who friended me knew how I felt on the issues, and yet they were still my FB friends. I enjoyed their company, even if they had contrary views to mine, and as far as I could tell, they enjoyed my company.
I did not see any sort of indication of anyone being that upset with me, because I think that they would have told me. I've had rather spirited discussions before, but we always still got along afterwards. I try to make it a point of being an "approachable" conservative, and I think most people felt that way about me. So after saying all this, I find it hard to believe that anyone would report me. I'm not denying the possibility, but again, I can't think of anyone among my FB friends who would do that. One of my FB friends is as leftist as you can get, and yet we're downright chummy when we're not engaging in virtual fisticuffs.
I thought about this a LOT, and about the only reason I can think of as to why FB would boot me is because my email is "bustyherochick" and my blog is "Busty Superhero Chick"; that is, some part-time unpaid intern at FB saw my account name, assumed that "busty" meant that I was some porn spammer, and gave me the axe, because boobs. Boobs always cause problems, and I wouldn't doubt it if this was why I was booted. Here's why I think this is a logical reason why I got booted: For FB, it probably IS that easy to spot the porn spammers, by using keywords like "busty" to find accounts that are most likely porn hustlers. Porn people have been trying to disguise what they do by getting creative, like using b00b$, but they still have to give some clue as to what they're about, so they can't get too creative, or their potential customers won't be able to find them.
The thing is, I've been "busty" for nearly 10 years, and only now they find me? I guess I was hiding in plain sight all this time because I used the actual word instead of strange and rare but still readable characters like ßŨŞŦŸ! So I am still out of the loop. I just hope you're all behaving out there!
Meanwhile, I still have my duties as the Director of Social Media Marketing to take care of. Plans that were in the making before the Big Boot are still in effect, although now without me there, we'll have to get creative as to how to promote the book once it comes out. Oh! And that's another thing! The first issue has finally made progress on getting those final, six, infuriating pages completed, so we're finally moving along, friends! WHOOHOO!!! :-D
Also, the boss has been working diligently on getting artists lined up and hired to take care of TMA2 and TMA3, so that, once the first book comes out, the wait for the following issues hopefully won't be nearly as long. We are still at the mercy of the artists' schedules, but with more time to do their work, hopefully this will reduce the wait time like we had with TMA1. We are also working on marketing strategies like t-shirts, variant covers, replica earrings, and other merchy products. All about the merch, of course! ;-) And last, we're making decisions on what sort of fundraiser to use. Kickstarter? We don't have the merch yet to offer as incentives, so that might not be likely. GoFundMe? Something else? The boss is going to ask for input from others on what we could do for this first go-round until he can get us some decent merch to pitch for KS.
While all that is going on, the time that I normally spent being on FB has instead been spent on catching up on books, movies, logging onto World of Warcraft more than usual (can never be on WoW TOO much! LOL), and staying up to date on the 2016 election and other recent events. I'm still conservative, by the way, so that hasn't changed. >.<
I'm also going to see a movie that I've been strongly encouraged to see, which is Captain America: Civil War. The other movie that I will most definitely go see, and perhaps see several times - IN THE THEATER! - is the OMGWarcraft movie! Okay, it's actually Warcraft, but those of you who've followed me all this time know how much I love me some WoW!
Also, while I may not be on FB, I still have my blog. This is where it all started, actually, and I suppose it's only fitting that I come back here and show it the kind of love that I had not been giving it in recent years. I love blogging, but FB needed my attention more, and more often, if I was to keep up with the contacts that I had made over the years. And you know - that's what kills me the most - all those people I connected with and got to know over the years, all those artists whom I helped connect with the boss and get pin-ups from, all those creators who helped us to finally put together a book, and creators who joined up and formed Creators United - ALL GONE in an instant! That really, really kills me so much that it actually hurts, especially in the way I was unceremoniously dumped from FB.
But I can't change things, so here I am. So be it. I won't be swayed from my conservative views, even if I am cut out entirely from the social media. I'd rather be cut out from the social media than surrender ONE viewpoint; that's how much I believe in my views. And again, while FB was the most amount of contact that I had with others, it was still only ONE contact. There's still other means of reaching out to others, and now I have my excuse to explore those alternatives. Give me some time, I should be popping up somewhere else soon, but do keep up with my blog to see what I'm up to. ;-)
In closing, I leave this quote by Captain America, which he said during the comic version of Civil War. I love it, because it captures WHY I stick by my beliefs. Thank you, friends. I miss you, and I love you. Take care.
Sunday, May 8, 2016
My Facebook Account
Hello, everyone!
This morning, I logged onto my FB account to wish my mother a Happy Mother's Day. Later in the morning I was going to mention the second anniversary of my having been named my boss' Director of Social Media Marketing, but I couldn't log onto my account.
I got a message that my account was suspended. Understand friends, that this came without warning. I heard NOTHING of any problems from FB regarding my account, nor was I given any reports from anyone upset about something I posted - NOTHING! This was just plain out of the blue.
I've been trying to contact FB over what happened, and whether we can resolve whatever the problem is, but I can't get ahold of them. I'll keep working on the problem, but in the meantime, I will be out of the loop and out of touch with my FB friends. WAAAAAAHH!!!! :'-(
I mean, this is EIGHT years out of my online life we are talking here! Eight years of contacts made and formed with artists and other creative types from all over the world that I've gotten to know and love! And then I'm cut off, and for what?!? I wish I'd have some warning or some way to explain my side of things, instead of this kill from out of nowhere!!
I COULD just make another account, but I'd like to know why I was cut off in the first place. And on top of that, I'd like my old account back if possible, because like I said, I made many connections over the years that I'd rather not lose just like that. That's lots of friendships made, lots of interesting people that I no longer have contact with, FB groups that I am now cut off from, so that's a lot of rebuilding should I have to make a new account.
So bear with me friends, as I try to figure this out. In the meantime, I can be contacted by email: bustyherochick@yahoo.com
As I try to work through this, the boss will keep you posted on any updates or goings-on.
Thanks friends, and I hope to see you all again REAL soon!
This morning, I logged onto my FB account to wish my mother a Happy Mother's Day. Later in the morning I was going to mention the second anniversary of my having been named my boss' Director of Social Media Marketing, but I couldn't log onto my account.
I got a message that my account was suspended. Understand friends, that this came without warning. I heard NOTHING of any problems from FB regarding my account, nor was I given any reports from anyone upset about something I posted - NOTHING! This was just plain out of the blue.
I've been trying to contact FB over what happened, and whether we can resolve whatever the problem is, but I can't get ahold of them. I'll keep working on the problem, but in the meantime, I will be out of the loop and out of touch with my FB friends. WAAAAAAHH!!!! :'-(
I mean, this is EIGHT years out of my online life we are talking here! Eight years of contacts made and formed with artists and other creative types from all over the world that I've gotten to know and love! And then I'm cut off, and for what?!? I wish I'd have some warning or some way to explain my side of things, instead of this kill from out of nowhere!!
I COULD just make another account, but I'd like to know why I was cut off in the first place. And on top of that, I'd like my old account back if possible, because like I said, I made many connections over the years that I'd rather not lose just like that. That's lots of friendships made, lots of interesting people that I no longer have contact with, FB groups that I am now cut off from, so that's a lot of rebuilding should I have to make a new account.
So bear with me friends, as I try to figure this out. In the meantime, I can be contacted by email: bustyherochick@yahoo.com
As I try to work through this, the boss will keep you posted on any updates or goings-on.
Thanks friends, and I hope to see you all again REAL soon!
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Alright,
before I get into my spoilery review of Star Wars: The Force Awakens (TFA), let
me say here and now before I get any grief from those who haven’t seen SW: TFA –
AHEAD BE SPOILERS!!!
***SPOILERZZ!!!***
That is, what I’m about to say below has CONTENT FROM THE MOVIE THAT WILL SPOIL IT for you if you haven’t seen it! GOT IT? GOOD!!
Okay, before I continue, let me give my preference in regards to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate: I prefer Star Trek. However, before any of you SW fanz start losing your shit, let me quickly add that honestly, that’s not saying much, as I do not have a great deal of passion for either franchise. When it comes to ST or SW, I much love me some World of Warcraft. WoW comes way, way before any Jedi or Vulcan. Let’s say that on a scale of 1 to 10, and WoW (and comics, my other huge pop culture passion) is 10, then SW comes in at 4, while ST at 5. Yeah. So. No big difference.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons why I was in no rush to go see TFA when it first came out in the theaters. And I didn’t see it until the boss bought me the BluRay of it for my birthday. Only THEN did I see it. As longtime readers of my blog know, I’m a cheapskate – that is, I don’t hand out my money willy-nilly just because some movie is hyped up. For most movies, I have to be DRAGGED to a movie with someone else paying my way before I’ll go. And now that I’ve seen TFA, I see that I would have been disappointed had I spent money to see it in the theaters.
It’s not that it was a bad movie, it’s just that it really was (in my opinion, of course) a rehash reboot of the very first (from 1977, that is) Star Wars. In other words, TFA was meant to reboot the franchise for future SW films. Did it do that – reboot the franchise? Yes, it did, but by being basically formulaic in that there was even a new death star to blow up by striking just the right spot in an otherwise impenetrable fortress. Kinda curious how those engineers always leave in that one little flaw that some hotshot pilot can fire into to blow the whole thing to smithereens. That’s probably the main thing that bothered me about TFA – that it was basically another Star Wars: A New Hope.
Don’t get me wrong – it was fun and exciting and visually entertaining, but there was the old Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, and the new Luke, Han, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader in his grandson, Kylo Ren. And of course, there was the mysterious new “emperor” behind the corruption of the new Vader, a new Sith Lord. There was even a desert planet where the film started in and the film finished with the ginormous explosion. So in short, I’ve seen this before.
***SPOILERZZ!!!***
That is, what I’m about to say below has CONTENT FROM THE MOVIE THAT WILL SPOIL IT for you if you haven’t seen it! GOT IT? GOOD!!
Okay, before I continue, let me give my preference in regards to the whole Star Wars/Star Trek debate: I prefer Star Trek. However, before any of you SW fanz start losing your shit, let me quickly add that honestly, that’s not saying much, as I do not have a great deal of passion for either franchise. When it comes to ST or SW, I much love me some World of Warcraft. WoW comes way, way before any Jedi or Vulcan. Let’s say that on a scale of 1 to 10, and WoW (and comics, my other huge pop culture passion) is 10, then SW comes in at 4, while ST at 5. Yeah. So. No big difference.
This, by the way, is one of the reasons why I was in no rush to go see TFA when it first came out in the theaters. And I didn’t see it until the boss bought me the BluRay of it for my birthday. Only THEN did I see it. As longtime readers of my blog know, I’m a cheapskate – that is, I don’t hand out my money willy-nilly just because some movie is hyped up. For most movies, I have to be DRAGGED to a movie with someone else paying my way before I’ll go. And now that I’ve seen TFA, I see that I would have been disappointed had I spent money to see it in the theaters.
It’s not that it was a bad movie, it’s just that it really was (in my opinion, of course) a rehash reboot of the very first (from 1977, that is) Star Wars. In other words, TFA was meant to reboot the franchise for future SW films. Did it do that – reboot the franchise? Yes, it did, but by being basically formulaic in that there was even a new death star to blow up by striking just the right spot in an otherwise impenetrable fortress. Kinda curious how those engineers always leave in that one little flaw that some hotshot pilot can fire into to blow the whole thing to smithereens. That’s probably the main thing that bothered me about TFA – that it was basically another Star Wars: A New Hope.
Don’t get me wrong – it was fun and exciting and visually entertaining, but there was the old Han, Leia, Chewie, C-3P0, R2-D2, and the new Luke, Han, R2-D2 and even Darth Vader in his grandson, Kylo Ren. And of course, there was the mysterious new “emperor” behind the corruption of the new Vader, a new Sith Lord. There was even a desert planet where the film started in and the film finished with the ginormous explosion. So in short, I’ve seen this before.
Thing is, I get why Disney went with the familiarity route. They just spent Kim Kardashian-sized buttloads of money to acquire the franchise from that chubby nerdy slob whose name I can't recall right now, so dammit, the people want Star Wars, they're gonna get friggin' Star Wars! And Disney knows that people are willing to spend buttloads of money to go see it, so it's a guaranteed audience so long as they stay with the safe and familiar - which is why we have TFA.
George Lucas. Yeah, that's the chubby nerdy slob guy.
So what happens after this? Will Disney venture into new, unexplored territory with the SW franchise? Don't count on it, because again, it's a known and beloved franchise, so they can't risk straying from the safe and familiar without risking scathing hatred from the loyal SW fandom. Let's face it, SW is going to be Disney's little profit-producer from here on in, and they're not about to upset that apple cart - not after what they spent to get it.
George Lucas. Yeah, that's the chubby nerdy slob guy.
So what happens after this? Will Disney venture into new, unexplored territory with the SW franchise? Don't count on it, because again, it's a known and beloved franchise, so they can't risk straying from the safe and familiar without risking scathing hatred from the loyal SW fandom. Let's face it, SW is going to be Disney's little profit-producer from here on in, and they're not about to upset that apple cart - not after what they spent to get it.
I know that this isn't what loyal SW fans wanted to hear from me, but I have to be honest in that TFA stayed with the safe and familiar by giving us a modern retelling of A New Hope. I honestly hope that I'm wrong, and that Disney does indeed takes the franchise into a bold new direction, but the shameless capitalist in me knows how capitalists and capitalism work, and I can't see them making any serious changes and risking SW not being the planned profit generator. On the one hand, Disney's purchase of the SW franchise saved it, because we will finally have films that take place after The Empire Strikes Back, but at the same time, the franchise was doomed by Disney's purchase of it, because of what I just described above.
So on a scale of 1 to 10 in which 1 is a bomb and 10 is THE bomb, I give SW: TFA a 7.5. It was marvelously put together, but sadly very predictable. Let's hope Disney surprises me with their future films.
So on a scale of 1 to 10 in which 1 is a bomb and 10 is THE bomb, I give SW: TFA a 7.5. It was marvelously put together, but sadly very predictable. Let's hope Disney surprises me with their future films.
Monday, March 14, 2016
Review of Stuart Black's The 4Horsefemmes, and my first shameless marketing promo
It's time for my very first shameless sales pitch for my very first marketing promotion as the Director of Social Media Marketing! Time to earn my bread! Here we go! WHOOHOOO!!!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Yes, friends! This comic, by the awesomely talented Stuart Black, creator of The 4Horsefemmes, has produced the comic with the VERY FIRST APPEARANCE of The Mighty One - ANYWHERE! It is issue #7, but don't hesitate to buy the whole series while you're at it! I've owed this dude a review for a long time now, and I'll be taking care of that below, but first, make sure you get a copy of 4HFs #7 in your greedy and grubby little hands as quickly as possible! Otherwise, you'll be dissed and maybe even cussed out by your kids, grandkids, and even great-grandkids for having missed this historic opportunity! Okay, time for the review!
Gosh, what to say about Stuart Black and his book, The 4Horsefemmes? Let's go ahead and start by introducing his four main characters. They are, in no particular order, Lacey the sword-swinging de facto leader of the group, Mussk the sai-wielding blonde who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish, Rasta the Hawaiian who is from a family of super-powered folks, and Talena, whom Stuart describes as a "loveable douchebag." Talena's power is basically the discharging of static electricity for mostly destructive actions. There's also Harvey, Talena's turtle, who is just a turtle. He doesn't talk or anything, he's just a turtle, but he's a cute little guy!
What I'm about to get into now is kinda spoilery, so if you haven't read The 4Horsefemmes and don't want what's in it spoiled for you, then
STOP READING NOW!!! You have been warned!!!
The first four issues begin with Lacey and Talena on the run from Australia's superhero team, Supreme Justice (did I mention that Stuart is from Australia, and that his stories take place there? Now you know!), and have been for years. Lacey and Talena are located by Mussk and Rasta, who are members of SJ. But a bad guy named Satan (not THAT Satan, but if you have a name like "Satan", you gotta be a bad guy, right?) is also pursuing Talena, and after a brawl in which Talena basically tasers Satan, Lacey and Talena are back on the run.
Long story short, it turns out that the head of SJ is actually a bad guy, and the other bad guys also pursuing Lacey and Talena are all doing so on his orders. So, he has his SJ team looking for Lacey and Talena, and he also has bad guys looking for them. Big battle happens, the head bad guy loses, and Rasta and Mussk join up with Lacey and Talena, and The 4Horsefemmes are born. I don't want to reveal TOO much of this story arc, because I won't do it justice. You'll just have to read the books yourself!
After this first story arc, Stuart takes a one issue respite with a book called Plan B, which is another superhero team that also works for SJ (by the way, The 4HFs now work for SJ as well), and it is basically Stuart's way of having a little fun, and it is indeed a quick and fun read. His current story arc is about an invasion from Mars, and it's in the 7th issue that The Mighty One makes her appearance. She's come to help out, but is stopped by a giant glowing energy shield that's surrounding the SJ headquarters, where The 4HFs are trapped. The Mighty One does not like big, glowy energy shields stopping her punches, but what can she do? This isn't her book! LOL
I'm going to stop here in regards to describing the stories, because really, you'll just have to read them. But I will say this - Stuart's books are a fun, fun read, and you will go through each book very quickly. For those of you who may want to be told of this, there's adult language, and there's heads and other body parts being lopped off, and other kinds of "PG-17"-type fare. For those of you who are Christian (as I am), there's also an occasional use of the Lord's name in vain, although I don't get the impression at all that Stuart is out to bash Christianity. So in short, The 4HFs isn't a kids' book, so be aware of that! The stories themselves are fast-paced, and the backstory scenes of Lacey and Talena's youth are touching and very moving. The two ladies aren't related, but they are orphans who bonded together in order to survive, so they are very much sisters in every which way except biologically.
Lacey sticks by Talena, despite Talena having just destroyed Lacey's car in the very first page of the very first book, and also Talena often not seeming to even be grateful for when Lacey comes to her aid. Talena often annoys and even angers Lacey, but she'll still run to her side, as she did one time when Lacey lost her turtle in a lake, and Talena was on the verge of tears, and Lacey flung a blanket around her and doted on her much like a mother. Back when they were kids, Lacey once came to fight off bullies who were tormenting Talena, and they've stuck with each other ever since. In a future issue, I'd love to see more of their backstory, with a better explanation as to why Lacey cares so much for Talena, even when there are times she wants to smack her. This is why I described their relationship as a sisterhood, although I would still like the backstory.
In fact, as he did with Plan B as a fill-in between story arcs, perhaps Stuart can dedicate one issue to back stories of each of the ladies? I'm not at all telling him what to write, I'm simply suggesting what I'd like to see. For example, a short story of Rasta and her brothers, and also what drove Mussk to be the chain smoker and drinker that she is. Just bad habits, or is she using these habits to shield herself from something that she doesn't want to face? One of the things I enjoy about the stories is that the ladies are both simple and easy to understand as to why they do what they do on the surface, and yet something about how they're written suggests that there's more story to tell for each of them. I'm speaking here mainly as a comic nerd who loves her some comic lore, and I feel that each of the ladies has more story to tell. Or at least that's the vibe I'm getting as I read each new issue.
So in summary in regards to the books themselves, The 4HFs is a great, fun, roller-coaster of a ride series that will probably make a fan out of you right off the bat, as it did me. The main question for me to answer when I do these reviews is this: Do I want to know "What happens next?" To me, answering that question is the make-or-break of a given comic's worth as a comic, because, after reading it, if I don't have that desire to know "what happens next?" - if I don't come away with that feeling of anticipation for the next issue, that I will probably die before the next one comes out - then that comic still has things to work out. That is NOT a problem for The 4HFs! I DEFINITELY want to know "what happens next", and I am already ready for #8 to come out! WHOOHOO!! :-D
Normally at this point, this is where I end the review, but I have a little more to tell here, and this is in regards to Stuart Black himself. Stuart is part of the same FB group for independent comic creators that the boss and I are in that's called Creators United. Ever since joining up, Stuart has been very eager to join up in group exercises, and has often contributed artworks of other creator's characters, and - as shown in 4HFs #7, he's even offered to have cameos of other creator's characters in his book! How cool is that? On top of that Stuart has a maniacal work ethic, having done all seven (plus Plan B!) of his issues in an insanely short span of time.
You'd think that these books would look or feel rushed, but IMHO, they're all quality works. Yes, it's an insanely short time span, but still, he questions and fusses over how to illustrate his scenes and paces his stories like any other creator. I'm simply amazed at his output. To call him a "dedicated comic creator" isn't enough, he's more like "a comic creator's comic creator". He's also an excellent lesson on what a little dedication to the dream and skill of being an independent comic creator can do, especially in our day and age in which indies have access to all sorts of avenues for self-publishing. Stuart is definitely a child of our modern age of comic creation. Well done, Stuart! Keep up the awesome work! By the way, I hope The Mighty One didn't cause any problems while she was in Australia... :-P
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gosh, what to say about Stuart Black and his book, The 4Horsefemmes? Let's go ahead and start by introducing his four main characters. They are, in no particular order, Lacey the sword-swinging de facto leader of the group, Mussk the sai-wielding blonde who smokes like a chimney and drinks like a fish, Rasta the Hawaiian who is from a family of super-powered folks, and Talena, whom Stuart describes as a "loveable douchebag." Talena's power is basically the discharging of static electricity for mostly destructive actions. There's also Harvey, Talena's turtle, who is just a turtle. He doesn't talk or anything, he's just a turtle, but he's a cute little guy!
What I'm about to get into now is kinda spoilery, so if you haven't read The 4Horsefemmes and don't want what's in it spoiled for you, then
STOP READING NOW!!! You have been warned!!!
The first four issues begin with Lacey and Talena on the run from Australia's superhero team, Supreme Justice (did I mention that Stuart is from Australia, and that his stories take place there? Now you know!), and have been for years. Lacey and Talena are located by Mussk and Rasta, who are members of SJ. But a bad guy named Satan (not THAT Satan, but if you have a name like "Satan", you gotta be a bad guy, right?) is also pursuing Talena, and after a brawl in which Talena basically tasers Satan, Lacey and Talena are back on the run.
Long story short, it turns out that the head of SJ is actually a bad guy, and the other bad guys also pursuing Lacey and Talena are all doing so on his orders. So, he has his SJ team looking for Lacey and Talena, and he also has bad guys looking for them. Big battle happens, the head bad guy loses, and Rasta and Mussk join up with Lacey and Talena, and The 4Horsefemmes are born. I don't want to reveal TOO much of this story arc, because I won't do it justice. You'll just have to read the books yourself!
After this first story arc, Stuart takes a one issue respite with a book called Plan B, which is another superhero team that also works for SJ (by the way, The 4HFs now work for SJ as well), and it is basically Stuart's way of having a little fun, and it is indeed a quick and fun read. His current story arc is about an invasion from Mars, and it's in the 7th issue that The Mighty One makes her appearance. She's come to help out, but is stopped by a giant glowing energy shield that's surrounding the SJ headquarters, where The 4HFs are trapped. The Mighty One does not like big, glowy energy shields stopping her punches, but what can she do? This isn't her book! LOL
I'm going to stop here in regards to describing the stories, because really, you'll just have to read them. But I will say this - Stuart's books are a fun, fun read, and you will go through each book very quickly. For those of you who may want to be told of this, there's adult language, and there's heads and other body parts being lopped off, and other kinds of "PG-17"-type fare. For those of you who are Christian (as I am), there's also an occasional use of the Lord's name in vain, although I don't get the impression at all that Stuart is out to bash Christianity. So in short, The 4HFs isn't a kids' book, so be aware of that! The stories themselves are fast-paced, and the backstory scenes of Lacey and Talena's youth are touching and very moving. The two ladies aren't related, but they are orphans who bonded together in order to survive, so they are very much sisters in every which way except biologically.
Lacey sticks by Talena, despite Talena having just destroyed Lacey's car in the very first page of the very first book, and also Talena often not seeming to even be grateful for when Lacey comes to her aid. Talena often annoys and even angers Lacey, but she'll still run to her side, as she did one time when Lacey lost her turtle in a lake, and Talena was on the verge of tears, and Lacey flung a blanket around her and doted on her much like a mother. Back when they were kids, Lacey once came to fight off bullies who were tormenting Talena, and they've stuck with each other ever since. In a future issue, I'd love to see more of their backstory, with a better explanation as to why Lacey cares so much for Talena, even when there are times she wants to smack her. This is why I described their relationship as a sisterhood, although I would still like the backstory.
In fact, as he did with Plan B as a fill-in between story arcs, perhaps Stuart can dedicate one issue to back stories of each of the ladies? I'm not at all telling him what to write, I'm simply suggesting what I'd like to see. For example, a short story of Rasta and her brothers, and also what drove Mussk to be the chain smoker and drinker that she is. Just bad habits, or is she using these habits to shield herself from something that she doesn't want to face? One of the things I enjoy about the stories is that the ladies are both simple and easy to understand as to why they do what they do on the surface, and yet something about how they're written suggests that there's more story to tell for each of them. I'm speaking here mainly as a comic nerd who loves her some comic lore, and I feel that each of the ladies has more story to tell. Or at least that's the vibe I'm getting as I read each new issue.
So in summary in regards to the books themselves, The 4HFs is a great, fun, roller-coaster of a ride series that will probably make a fan out of you right off the bat, as it did me. The main question for me to answer when I do these reviews is this: Do I want to know "What happens next?" To me, answering that question is the make-or-break of a given comic's worth as a comic, because, after reading it, if I don't have that desire to know "what happens next?" - if I don't come away with that feeling of anticipation for the next issue, that I will probably die before the next one comes out - then that comic still has things to work out. That is NOT a problem for The 4HFs! I DEFINITELY want to know "what happens next", and I am already ready for #8 to come out! WHOOHOO!! :-D
Normally at this point, this is where I end the review, but I have a little more to tell here, and this is in regards to Stuart Black himself. Stuart is part of the same FB group for independent comic creators that the boss and I are in that's called Creators United. Ever since joining up, Stuart has been very eager to join up in group exercises, and has often contributed artworks of other creator's characters, and - as shown in 4HFs #7, he's even offered to have cameos of other creator's characters in his book! How cool is that? On top of that Stuart has a maniacal work ethic, having done all seven (plus Plan B!) of his issues in an insanely short span of time.
You'd think that these books would look or feel rushed, but IMHO, they're all quality works. Yes, it's an insanely short time span, but still, he questions and fusses over how to illustrate his scenes and paces his stories like any other creator. I'm simply amazed at his output. To call him a "dedicated comic creator" isn't enough, he's more like "a comic creator's comic creator". He's also an excellent lesson on what a little dedication to the dream and skill of being an independent comic creator can do, especially in our day and age in which indies have access to all sorts of avenues for self-publishing. Stuart is definitely a child of our modern age of comic creation. Well done, Stuart! Keep up the awesome work! By the way, I hope The Mighty One didn't cause any problems while she was in Australia... :-P
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
Awesomely detailed statue of Red Sonja
Check out this upcoming statue of Red Sonja.
Hopefully, one day, there will be a similarly detailed and awesome statue of The Mighty One. And fanboys and fangirls everywhere will celebrate. :-D
Hopefully, one day, there will be a similarly detailed and awesome statue of The Mighty One. And fanboys and fangirls everywhere will celebrate. :-D
Sunday, February 14, 2016
YOU are the heart and soul of the Democratic Party's future
Okay, I know that's an odd title coming from a self-proclaimed right-wing nutjob. And yet, it's an important title to convey what I hope to bring to you today. And by "you", I mean those of you who are:
* "Millennial" - born mostly between 1980 and 1990,
* Democrats or Democrat-leaning,
* among the rank-and-file (that is, not wealthy),
* and are Bernie Sanders supporters.
Before I continue to my point for this blog entry, let me first state that I am not a Democrat, nor will I be one for a very, very long time - if ever. That's because I know its past, and I know its present, and I like neither one. It's because of that past and present that I can't foresee myself becoming a Democrat for many, many years to come, because I can't see the party changing in any significant way that would cause me to consider joining it. Right now I know that some of you who are Democrat are thinking "Well, the GOP has its flaws! Many of them!"
I agree, and the two main reasons that I am with the GOP are, 1.) It's the only serious alternative to the Democratic Party, and 2.) It's allegedly the pro-life party, an issue that I hold very dear. Don't get me wrong - I know the GOP has its flaws, primary among them is that it is filled with cowards who do not stand with the courage of their convictions, which annoys me to no end. So my standing with the GOP is mainly because it's the only alternative to the Democrats. That the GOP relies so much on that reason for so many of its members to be in their ranks should be a damn embarrassment to them, but they actually seem to be okay with that, and that's just damn disgusting. And yet, I and most other members of the GOP really don't have a choice, and the GOP knows it. Bleh. Let's move on, before I barf on my keyboard. :-P
Here's a little history: Let's take the side that fought FOR slavery during the American Civil War. Let's take the side that fought against changes to laws to help former slaves in their new lives in the post-war world. Let's take the side that had the KKK, had lynchings, Jim Crow Laws, separated water fountains, segregated schools, pools, lunch counters, and many public facilities. Let's take the side that fought against civil rights laws, and that attacked peaceful protesters with clubs, dogs, water cannons, and other instruments of enforcement. Let's take the side that fought against school segregation, with even a governor blocking a school entrance. Let's take the side that fought tooth and nail against laws and changes for a century after the end of the war before the former slaves and then their descendants finally had all the rights that our Constitution guaranteed for everyone. Know which side that was? All of that was from Democrats. DEM-O-CRATS. Check your history, folks - it's all there.
And yet.
And yet.
And yet, for some reason, the Dems are the side that's considered "on the side" of "the people." They're considered the good guys, the ones with all the smart people, the ones who will go all out for the many categories of "oppressed" classes - especially in the faces of the GOP's "tactics" to keep those "oppressed folks" down. When I bring up the Democrat party's very ugly past, it's usually explained to me that "those guys changed parties to the GOP sometime in the 70s" I have to disagree; especially since it's the Dems who still need a class of our society to designate as "not human". I speak, of course, of the unborn. It took over a century for the party to finally recognize the humanity of the slaves and their descendants, and not a decade passed before they replaced them with the unborn as their new class to deny basic human rights. It's plain as vanilla for anyone who really wants to see the truth. But this is a battle that I'm not going to win overnight, and I'm certainly not going to win with one blog post. It's time to get to the point of what I'm trying to write here today.
At this time, the majority of my fellow Millennials vote Democrat, and they also believe that Socialism holds the cure to all of our country's ills. They couldn't be further from the truth, but again, I'm not going to convince them of that with one blog post. Right now, all I can do is to suggest a course of action in this 2016 presidential election. Right now, they support Bernie Sanders as their candidate. But also right now, the Democratic leadership has made it abundantly clear that they want Hillary Clinton as their candidate. So the establishment and the Millennial voters are clashing over which candidate will get the nod. In all honesty, the odds are overwhelmingly against the Millennials, and my fellow Millennials are known as the generation that got "participation trophies", so this seems to be a battle in which my generation is expected to simply give up and go home.
That indeed seems to be the case, but I am hoping that right here, right now, is when my generation finally grows a pair. I am hoping that this election season will be when the Millennials finally grow up, and fight for a cause that they believe in. Now, here's the thing, friends - I will support my fellow Millennials fighting for Socialism and for Bernie Sanders, even if I am wholly against both - if it means that, for once in their entitled and "participation trophy-awarded" little lives, my generation will finally stand for something and fight for it.
Again, the odds are almost completely stacked against them. The odds are, by my guesstimation, to be at least 90+% that this will be a fight that they will lose. But I hope they fight away. I hope they make the Democratic Party leadership choosing Hillary Clinton as difficult as possible. I hope they make the leadership pull all of their con games and other chicanery cards out, and very much in public, and make the leadership look in all the worst ways possible in order to get their desired candidate on the ballot. I hope that my generation will help expose the Democratic leadership to be the party of corruption that I've long known them to be. I could point it out to my fellow Millennials until I was blue in the face, but it's going to take being conned by the party before they will see it. But they will only see it if they keep on fighting for Bernie, and they will only see it if they get burned by the party when the party finally selects Hillary.
So, despite my preferences for a GOP candidate, I hope my fellow Millennials fight for Bernie - in fact, I wholly encourage them to do so, even if it means dealing with the expected disappointment in the end, because it will mean that, for once in their lives, they fought for something, even if they fought for it and lost, so long as they participated in the battle. And in the process, they will have helped expose the Democratic party for ALL to see. I will be honest in admitting that I hope that the Democratic party crashes and burns, and collapses in a heap under the weight of their corruption, because that's what it's going to take for the party to finally, finally change.
And if this indeed happens, then it will be my fellow Millennials who will be there to pick up the pieces. This is why I said in the title of this post that they are the heart and soul of the Democratic party's future. So the battle for Bernie is for more than just for 2016, it's for all the upcoming elections in the near future, when the Baby Boomers step down and retire, and the next generation - my generation - takes their place. You can either follow in the footsteps of the past generations, and continue all the ugliness that comes with it, or you can make your own footsteps, into a new and brighter future.
So please, my friends, choose the latter. We can always talk about your mistaken attachment to Socialism another time. ;-)
* "Millennial" - born mostly between 1980 and 1990,
* Democrats or Democrat-leaning,
* among the rank-and-file (that is, not wealthy),
* and are Bernie Sanders supporters.
Before I continue to my point for this blog entry, let me first state that I am not a Democrat, nor will I be one for a very, very long time - if ever. That's because I know its past, and I know its present, and I like neither one. It's because of that past and present that I can't foresee myself becoming a Democrat for many, many years to come, because I can't see the party changing in any significant way that would cause me to consider joining it. Right now I know that some of you who are Democrat are thinking "Well, the GOP has its flaws! Many of them!"
I agree, and the two main reasons that I am with the GOP are, 1.) It's the only serious alternative to the Democratic Party, and 2.) It's allegedly the pro-life party, an issue that I hold very dear. Don't get me wrong - I know the GOP has its flaws, primary among them is that it is filled with cowards who do not stand with the courage of their convictions, which annoys me to no end. So my standing with the GOP is mainly because it's the only alternative to the Democrats. That the GOP relies so much on that reason for so many of its members to be in their ranks should be a damn embarrassment to them, but they actually seem to be okay with that, and that's just damn disgusting. And yet, I and most other members of the GOP really don't have a choice, and the GOP knows it. Bleh. Let's move on, before I barf on my keyboard. :-P
Here's a little history: Let's take the side that fought FOR slavery during the American Civil War. Let's take the side that fought against changes to laws to help former slaves in their new lives in the post-war world. Let's take the side that had the KKK, had lynchings, Jim Crow Laws, separated water fountains, segregated schools, pools, lunch counters, and many public facilities. Let's take the side that fought against civil rights laws, and that attacked peaceful protesters with clubs, dogs, water cannons, and other instruments of enforcement. Let's take the side that fought against school segregation, with even a governor blocking a school entrance. Let's take the side that fought tooth and nail against laws and changes for a century after the end of the war before the former slaves and then their descendants finally had all the rights that our Constitution guaranteed for everyone. Know which side that was? All of that was from Democrats. DEM-O-CRATS. Check your history, folks - it's all there.
And yet.
And yet.
And yet, for some reason, the Dems are the side that's considered "on the side" of "the people." They're considered the good guys, the ones with all the smart people, the ones who will go all out for the many categories of "oppressed" classes - especially in the faces of the GOP's "tactics" to keep those "oppressed folks" down. When I bring up the Democrat party's very ugly past, it's usually explained to me that "those guys changed parties to the GOP sometime in the 70s" I have to disagree; especially since it's the Dems who still need a class of our society to designate as "not human". I speak, of course, of the unborn. It took over a century for the party to finally recognize the humanity of the slaves and their descendants, and not a decade passed before they replaced them with the unborn as their new class to deny basic human rights. It's plain as vanilla for anyone who really wants to see the truth. But this is a battle that I'm not going to win overnight, and I'm certainly not going to win with one blog post. It's time to get to the point of what I'm trying to write here today.
At this time, the majority of my fellow Millennials vote Democrat, and they also believe that Socialism holds the cure to all of our country's ills. They couldn't be further from the truth, but again, I'm not going to convince them of that with one blog post. Right now, all I can do is to suggest a course of action in this 2016 presidential election. Right now, they support Bernie Sanders as their candidate. But also right now, the Democratic leadership has made it abundantly clear that they want Hillary Clinton as their candidate. So the establishment and the Millennial voters are clashing over which candidate will get the nod. In all honesty, the odds are overwhelmingly against the Millennials, and my fellow Millennials are known as the generation that got "participation trophies", so this seems to be a battle in which my generation is expected to simply give up and go home.
That indeed seems to be the case, but I am hoping that right here, right now, is when my generation finally grows a pair. I am hoping that this election season will be when the Millennials finally grow up, and fight for a cause that they believe in. Now, here's the thing, friends - I will support my fellow Millennials fighting for Socialism and for Bernie Sanders, even if I am wholly against both - if it means that, for once in their entitled and "participation trophy-awarded" little lives, my generation will finally stand for something and fight for it.
Again, the odds are almost completely stacked against them. The odds are, by my guesstimation, to be at least 90+% that this will be a fight that they will lose. But I hope they fight away. I hope they make the Democratic Party leadership choosing Hillary Clinton as difficult as possible. I hope they make the leadership pull all of their con games and other chicanery cards out, and very much in public, and make the leadership look in all the worst ways possible in order to get their desired candidate on the ballot. I hope that my generation will help expose the Democratic leadership to be the party of corruption that I've long known them to be. I could point it out to my fellow Millennials until I was blue in the face, but it's going to take being conned by the party before they will see it. But they will only see it if they keep on fighting for Bernie, and they will only see it if they get burned by the party when the party finally selects Hillary.
So, despite my preferences for a GOP candidate, I hope my fellow Millennials fight for Bernie - in fact, I wholly encourage them to do so, even if it means dealing with the expected disappointment in the end, because it will mean that, for once in their lives, they fought for something, even if they fought for it and lost, so long as they participated in the battle. And in the process, they will have helped expose the Democratic party for ALL to see. I will be honest in admitting that I hope that the Democratic party crashes and burns, and collapses in a heap under the weight of their corruption, because that's what it's going to take for the party to finally, finally change.
And if this indeed happens, then it will be my fellow Millennials who will be there to pick up the pieces. This is why I said in the title of this post that they are the heart and soul of the Democratic party's future. So the battle for Bernie is for more than just for 2016, it's for all the upcoming elections in the near future, when the Baby Boomers step down and retire, and the next generation - my generation - takes their place. You can either follow in the footsteps of the past generations, and continue all the ugliness that comes with it, or you can make your own footsteps, into a new and brighter future.
So please, my friends, choose the latter. We can always talk about your mistaken attachment to Socialism another time. ;-)
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Hello! Welcome to my blog!
If you're here because you read my FB post about posting to my blog while I am AFK for 40 Days from FB, then hello! ^.^
Unlike in recent years, in which I went AFK from both FB and my blog for Lent, this time around I will be posting to my blog during Lent, because I haven't shown my poor blog much love in quite awhile, and it's not really "stepping away" if I'm not here on my blog anyway.
So in the coming 40 days, I'll try to catch up on many topics that I didn't cover on FB, and at the same time, I'll reinvigorate those writing muscles that I used to cut my writing teeth during my pre-FB days.
Stay tuned, my friends! More to come! :-D
Unlike in recent years, in which I went AFK from both FB and my blog for Lent, this time around I will be posting to my blog during Lent, because I haven't shown my poor blog much love in quite awhile, and it's not really "stepping away" if I'm not here on my blog anyway.
So in the coming 40 days, I'll try to catch up on many topics that I didn't cover on FB, and at the same time, I'll reinvigorate those writing muscles that I used to cut my writing teeth during my pre-FB days.
Stay tuned, my friends! More to come! :-D
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