Greetings, Caped Crusaders!

Did everyone out there in Spwug-readingland have an enjoyable holiday and a fun New Year?  Vacation is over and I hope we’ve all recovered enough to make that daily jaunt back into work as our ball of cooled Big Bang matter begins its next trip around Sol.

And hopefully that recovery didn’t require a Doctor, because you’re getting a new one.

Back in October, current Time Lord David Tennant made the official announcement that he would be stepping down as The Doctor at the end of 2009.  As what always happens when there is a major change to the source of a large fandom, the fans went nuts.  Variations on the emotional spectrum ranged from anger to tears to eager anticipation to cries of “Wait.  There’s a new Doctor Who show?”

Then the speculation began.  Who was it going to be?  Lots of names were bandied about (is it acceptable to use “bandied about” nowadays without losing a ‘man’ card?).  “Ooh!  Paterson Joseph would be great!  He’d be the first black Doctor!”  “Oh man!  My money’s on David Morrissey!  He’s going to play “The Next Doctor” in the Christmas special!”  “No way!  It’s Sean Pertwee!  He’s the son of a former Doctor!”  “You’re all nuts!  It’s going to be David Hasslehoff!  I read it in The Sun!”

For months the speculation continued.  Bets were made, arguments were raised, red herrings were tossed into the crowds, children were sold for porridge (is it acceptable to use the word porridge nowadays without being mauled by a bear?).

Now, let me break from the article for a moment to acknowledge an overlooked fact – I am, indeed, a little late covering this news.  Most of you who watch “Doctor Who” probably already know all this and have probably already read everything there is to read on the subject and have already moved on, had kids, and retired to that cute, little, woodland cottage you’d always dreamt of when you were fighting in the First Great Intergalactic Conflict Over Telosian Summer Squash.

Yeah, I know.  But, since I can really only update this on Thursdays, it kinda puts me behind on the curve.  It’ll be okay, though.  We’ll get through this together.  I’ll even rub your feet and bring you warm milk when you wake up in the middle of the night from the night terrors you frequently get from back when you were taken prisoner by the King of the Potato People.

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled program, already in progress…

So, fast-forward a few months to last Saturday – the day it all went down and The Don had to wait five extra days to talk about it.  The BBC aired a special “Doctor Who Confidential” that evening, and the announcement was made.  The new Doctor was…

Drum roll please…

Matt Smith!

Who?

Exactly!

No, I mean who is he?

Yes, he is!  Brilliant, isn’t it?

No, I don’t think you quite understand.  I know he’s bloody Doctor Who, because you just said so, but just who the bloody hell is he?

He’s Who!

Yes, who?

Indeed!

I need to pop into the chemist’s for some cyanide capsules.  Don’t wait up…

With the name of the new actor revealed, the world joined in with a collective “WaHUH?”  This was quite a bold move for the show – a veritable unknown who had only done a few projects here and there.  Not only that, but he is the youngest actor to ever tackle the role – beating fifth Doctor Peter Davison by three years.  Many fans started talking themselves into the idea.  He had worked with Billie Piper a few times, and she played Rose on the first two “Doctor Who” series.  And Steven Moffat recommended him, and he can be trusted because he’s the best writer the new serial has.  All that must mean that he’ll be okay!

As the above collective continued to talk themselves into liking the new guy, as well as into trying that new latte flavor they heard about on television, the other variations of the emotional spectrum started getting worked up again.  Many some several a few one person immediately embraced the creative decision, while the angry ones once again threatened to quit watching the show or said they’d quit and will continue to watch anyway, all the while complaining that they don’t like the new guy until they finally warm up to him like they did with David Tennant, and then everything will be cool again until Smith leaves and the cycle begins anew.

Personally?  I was taken aback at first.  I mean, look at the guy:

Doesn’t really scream out The Doctor does he?  I mean, besides the fact that it’s a static picture and he can’t say anything.  But, the more I look at the pictures of him, the more I begin to see the potential he has.  I’m a huge fan of Tennant, and am somewhat saddened that he’s leaving, but I felt the same way when Eccleston left.  I really enjoyed his one-series stint as The Doctor, and when Tennant took over, I wasn’t too overjoyed.  But, Tennant soon became one of my favorites.  I think if I give him the chance, this Smith character will grow on me as well.  In fact, I eagerly anticipate what he’ll bring to the character.

Because honestly, when all is said and done, one of the biggest aspects that makes “Doctor Who” such a great piece of British television is the fact that each Doctor is his own character.  Half the fun is seeing what the personality of each new Regeneration will be like.

Oh, and I just noticed something!  His last name is Smith.  The Doctor goes around under the pseudonym “John Smith” all the time!  That must mean he’ll be okay!

Yeah, I think he’ll do just fine.

The Don is trapped in his own TARDIS (Totally Absurd Room Disguised In ShamWow!s).

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Greetings, Time Lords!

I hope everyone had a great holiday and that you are all geared up as we approach yet another new year.  I had a good Christmas, but it left me exhausted all the same.  Between that and the upcoming festivities I’m putting together to help welcome the earth’s next trip around the sun, I’m taking the week off.  So, there won’t be a regular “Office” installment this week.

But – as always – I can’t leave my fan hanging.  So, for this installment of “The Docks” I will briefly go over the highlights of what Santa was kind enough to throw at me this year.  I got a nice collection of stuff in general, but these are the ones that stand out:

Dead Space for the PS3

Resident Evil who?  No, seriously – this game should come with a change of pants.  Lots of gore and nothing but layered moments of the wiggins.  And I’m addicted.

Chrono Trigger for the DS

A true classic returns.  I never got to finish this when I had it for the SNES, so I was excited to get this for Christmas.  I’ve been playing this game almost nonstop since I got it.  It’s still a remarkable game, and now it has extra Bosses, FMV sequences, and a few other surprises.  Now I get to never finish this for the DS.  I love it.

The Milennium Falcon

I’ve had to cut down on my action figure collecting for the past few months, but I knew I had to get this baby.  It’s a brand new vehicle for the 3 ¾ inch figures.  It’s bigger than the original, and boasts an array of new features, including an escape pod. This sucker kicks ass.  And no, you didn’t see me playing with my dolls again.  Good!

Planet of the Apes 40^th Anniversary Edition Boxed Set (Blu-Ray)

I got this myself with the help of some gift cards and Christmas monies.  All five films, all in Hi-Def.  And the last two are extended cuts.  It’s glorious.  And you know what else it comes with?  Monkeys!  MONKEYS!!!!!  Get your stinking paws on this set, you damn, dirty ape!

And there it is.  Hope this will tide over all of you drunks while you all stand around watching for a light-up ball to fall to its doom.  Here’s to a great and merciful 2009.  See you next week when I go back to the regular grind.

The Don thinks all aquanauts should be forgot and never brought to mines.

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Season’s Greetings, Vendequm!

I hope you’ve all enjoyed our Christmas journey over the past couple of weeks as we’ve looked upon a couple of the big geek moments of the past and present.

Now it’s time to be visited by the final spirit – the one we all fear the most…

Bah, who am I kidding?  That may work with the Dickensian folk, but we’re geeks.  When confronted with a ghost who can show us the future, we’re all like “Cool, man!  Show me what the Playstation 4 or the X-Box Cosmic look like!  Does Nintendo have full-on Holodeck capability yet?  Has Joss Whedon finally brought back ‘Firefly’?  Where’s my copy of Grey’s Sports Almanac?  I’m gonna be rich!”

Yeah, we are an undaunted and enthusiastic lot.

Still, our visit by the Ghic of Christmas Yet to Come should prove to be at least a little enlightening.  As you’ve seen with the last two installments, I’ve provided you with a look at major highlights in the progress of all things geek and how they’ve shaped our journey down the road of geek culture.

And as everyone already knows who is familiar with Christmas Yet to Come, what I present to you in this installment aren’t of things that will be, but merely shadows of what may be only.  So, you better straighten up, eat yer veggies, and quick mailing dirty socks to the neighbors, or Tiny Tim will never be played by Mary Lou Retton.  Now, let’s get started…

Our knowledge into the future begins in the present, as the seeds of our next technological breakthrough are still being planted.  What’s most unusual and interesting about this particular techno-development is that the cultivation of it has been going on for decades.  In fact, the very beginnings of this long-simmering application date as far back as the late 1800s.

Have I kept you all in the dark long enough?  Not seeing the big picture through your rose-and-navy colored glasses yet?  You gotta concentrate and look past the dots to see the image.

See?  A sailboat!

You got it.  I’m referring to the technological creation known as 3-D.  Most of you are aware that the 3-D phenomenon got a huge kick in the how’s-your-father back in the 1950s. 

Back then it was simply used as a novelty, only to die out for a period of time before coming back to theaters in the 1980s.

Jaws 3-D, anyone?

So, you’re probably wondering how a device used primarily as a goof to get some yahoos into theater seats while wearing crazy glasses could possibly become the next big thing on the road to geek utopia.

I’m glad you asked.  I just so happen to have something that resembles an answer.

The source of our reason goes back to the 1950s again.  Some of you may be familiar with the fact that when the television first became widely available in the 1950s, movie theater attendance began to drop off.  Back then, movies were in the same aspect ratio as what you saw on the television screen.  In order to get folks back into theaters and bring up box office revenues, lots of different tactics were attempted.  Among these efforts were widescreen motion pictures and 3-D films.

One of these stuck around and became the standard for how we watch movies.  The other dropped off the earth periodically only to be brought back every so often for fun and amusement.

The widescreen approach ended up doing exactly what the film industry wanted.  Movie revenues went back up, because folks could only watch movies in such a wide scope in the theater.  The aspect ratio became so popular that eventually it would be adopted as the standard ratio for television as well, something we are seeing today.  Now, everywhere you look you can see widescreen TVs for sale, and the television networks are starting to film all of their shows in that format.

Unfortunately, that brings us back to the problem we had back in the 50s – with home theater systems becoming just as good as (if not better than) movie theaters in sound and picture quality, the box office revenues are once again showing a sharp decline.  Add to that the development of Hi-Def, and theaters are starting to feel bruises that they haven’t felt since the appearance of the beatnik.

So, in today’s technological society, how can the movie industry triumph as they did during the days of the affluent society?

That’s right – 3-D.

What’s interesting is that this method for film-viewing my be the hero to save the theater experience… against the very same hero that saved theater attendance in the first place.  And for the first time since its inception in the 1890s, 3-D films may actually stick around as a mainstream method for watching film instead of just as a novelty device.

Indeed, film-production companies are already starting to get serious about using 3-D.  Movies like The Nightmare Before Christmas have already been retooled to be seen in theaters in 3-D.  And original movies such as Coraline are being created specifically with the 3-D process in mind.

We’re also seeing sections of popular movies like Transformers, and The Dark Knight being made into 3-D for movie-goer amusement.

Where does all this lead?  More and more movies are looking to jump right into the 3-D filming process with both feet, like Tim Burton’s upcoming Alice in Wonderland.  All signs seem to point that this will be the natural progression for how we will regularly view movies.

But not everyone is convinced.  There are still some folks out there, like Devin Faraci of movie website CHUD, that think the current resurrection of the 3-D process is just another temporary gimmick. 

So, what do you think?  Are we seeing the natural progression of film and television viewing?  Or are we just bearing witness to yet another brief resuscitation of a novelty that serves as the motion picture equivalent of jingling your keys in front of someone with a short attention span?  Just keep in mind, fellow geeks, that these are just the shadows of what may be only.  What we see and do today will determine the outcome.  So try not to step on any butterflies, okay?  I want my holodeck.

In the meantime, I’d like to thank you readers for coming along on the journey for this series.  It was fun to write and I hope it was fun to read.  I want to wish each and every geek and Spwug reader out there a very Merry/Happy Chanukah, Christmas, Solstice, Crazy Carl Day, Festivus, Kwanzaa, Chocolatepants Day, Yuletide, Decemberween, Uncle Bunny’s Day, birthday (I’m looking at you, Jesus), or just Thursday.

See you next year!

The Don is walking in a moderate wonderland.  Stupid Virginia.

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Season’s Greetings, Wet Bandits!

Last week we were visited by the Ghic of Christmas Past, dropping some 8-bit knowledge on us while I was constantly looking at random folks who may or may not even exist (I’m looking at myself…in the mirror).

This week the Ghic of Christmas Present comes a-knockin’.  What modern-day geekery does this spirit wish to show us?  And will he be kind enough to keep his robe closed so we don’t have to see more than we need to?

Let’s find out, shall we?  All we need to do is take hold of his robe… and mind the creepy-looking children hiding inappropriately underneath.  Just don’t make eye contact and you should be fine.

It took me some time to decide what I thought would be the definitive face of geek for our current position in the space/time continuum.  It needed to be something that is currently a hot commodity, but has plenty of room for growth and not just some fad that would fade out in about a year’s time.  This was something that had to stay the course and would be a constant influence on geek life for years to come.  And although digital cow tipping was a serious contender, I ended up going in a different direction:

This is the time for Hi-Def, baby.

What was ushered in with a modern-day format war is quickly evolving into the way we watch movies and television.  Sure, we’re still a ways off from affordably priced hardware and media so that everyone can get on the Hi-Def train, but what’s important now is that everything we see and do in regards to how we view entertainment is crucial to what Hi-Def will become.

And this isn’t just a rehash of the galactic Betamax/VHS war (or the lesser-known laser-disc vs. DVD “I just shot you in the face” fiasco).  The visual media landscape is changing, to the point were even the lawmakers are getting in on it; as you all are already aware, the US government has mandated that the FCC require all TV stations switch from analog broadcasting to digital by mid-February of next year.  Now, this legislation is in no way forcing the consumer to upgrade to hi-definition.  What it is doing, however, is paving the landscape for what will eventually become the norm (at least until the next revolution in entertainment comes along).

I joined the Cult of Hi-Def earlier this year when my wife and I bought our first house.  It was so incredible to see some of my favorite TV shows in a much higher resolution with such clarity and detail (although I got my TV at the end of a viewing season, so I wasn’t able to catch much).  The biggest impression on me would have to wait for June.  It happened on a day I’m sure you all remember:

The day I got a PS3.

You all thought I was gonna mention something like the first petaflop computer (Roadrunner) breaking the processing speed barrier, didn’t you?  Yeah, you did.  That’s cute.

So, there I was with that new PS3.  My first experiences playing Grand Theft Auto 4 and watching my first Blu-Ray DVD (after spending hours upon days trying to get the PS3 to connect to the internet properly – thanks, Eric) were comparable to going through life with a slight tingle in the back of your head, then suddenly having the flood-gates opened to a bajillion crazy pixies zapping your synapses with multi-colored, psychedelic donuts dancing with pom-poms while blowing large, hurricane-sized chocolate kisses to your nervous system.

In short (too late), it was pretty damn cool.

What’s amusing is that once I started immersing myself in Hi-Def, it gradually became more and more difficult to go back to standard.  I notice the artifacting and other flaws more when I watch standard definition DVDs or TV channels on my Hi-Def TV.  I even thought, originally, that I would be content with just watching the up-converts on some of my standard definition DVDs instead of trying to upgrade my movie collection.  I mean, the up-converts were supposed to look pretty good.  I shouldn’t have to replace all of my movies on DVD with their Blu-Ray counterparts, should I?

Maybe I should.  Though some of my DVDs do look really good when up-converted on my PS3 (Bladerunner is a great example), I found that quite a few of my DVDs went in the opposite direction in terms of quality.  Even DVDs advertised as being “Digitally Remastered for Hi-Definition TVs” weren’t living up to the words printed on the cases.  Imagine my disappointment when Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind looked like crap (both movies happen to be Spielberg films.  Coincidence?).

So yeah – I think I’ve become officially spoiled by the Hi-Def movement currently underway.  I’m not alone, either.  Sales of Blu-Ray discs, Hi-Def televisions and Blu-Ray players are consistently going up while the prices of those same items are finally starting to come down.  We’re slowly making the transition.  I know that we’re still a couple of years away from the total embracement of Hi-Def, but after the digital broadcast switch-over happening next February, the rest of the locks and tumblers are going to start falling into place quicker.

And when those crazy pixies first come for you, heaven help you.

The Don thinks you’ll be alright with your Christmas of white, but he’ll have a Blu-Ray Christmas.

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Seasons Greetings, fellow Whos!

Well, the holidays are already finally upon us, and no matter what you celebrate – Chanukah, Christmas, Solstice, Crazy Carl Day, Festivus, Kwanzaa, Chocolatepants Day, Yuletide, Decemberween, Uncle Bunny’s Day, your own birthday (I’m looking at you, Jesus), or just Thursday – being a geek knows no cultural difference.  We can all get together and bask in the glow of geek without caring about where we come from or who we are.  We are geeks.  Our love is of all things geek.  If you don’t consider yourself a geek, what are you even doing here? (I’m looking at you, Jesus.)

Think I said the word geek enough?

Since it is the holiday season, I thought it would be neat to do something similar to what I did for October.  No, not kill hobos.  I’m already over quota for the rest of the year and I’ve already been given a stern warning about it.

No, what I plan to do for the next three Thursdays is bring you three festively-infected articles, all part of a grander theme based on the Charles Dickens classic “A Christmas Carol”.  The three ghosts, to be exact.  I’m going to cover, in spirit order, a few of the geeky items that were, are, or will be a part of that coveted position called Geek Chic.  Or, as I have coined the term, Ghic.

This week, I’m starting at the beginning with Christmas Past (Yes, I know Marley comes first.  Just drink your holiday beverage of choice).  And to do that, we’re paying a visit to the Christmas that I first got a Nintendo Entertainment System.

I’m sure a lot of you remember when the first NES came out in 1985.  At that point the big video game crash had already happened a couple of years earlier in 1983 (I’m looking at you, E.T.).  The video game market was in tatters, with many (at the time) big game companies left bankrupt.  General consensus was that the video game industry was a fad and had quickly played out its last hand.

Atari made one last effort to keep the video game console market afloat with the Atari 7800.  It featured vastly improved graphics over the 2600, including an upgrade to a 256 color palette.  It was also the first system to be backwards compatible, allowing owners to play all of their 2600 cartridges on it (except you, E.T.).  The goal was to offer home gamers the ability to play games at home that looked just like their arcade counterparts.  Atari was also trying to tie the system into the home computer market by making it possible to upgrade your 7800 to be a home computer.  The attempt was a failure, and the 7800 sat on shelves.

Except for one.  My parents ended up buying one for our household.  It was pretty darn cool (at least I thought so).  I was an old hat at the 2600, so seeing this sleek, streamlined beauty made my fire button fingers twitch.  My eyes gleamed with delight as I played the new-and-improved Asteroids (in 256 color!).  I smiled with glee as I popped in and played my older 2600 (except for you, E.T.).  I thought to myself that it didn’t get much better than this.

Oh, but it did.  Next door, in fact.  Why over there?  Because my best friend Eric and his family had just gotten a new game console that I hadn’t heard of.

You guessed it.  They got a Nintendo Entertainment System.

It was glorious.  I watched them play this game that I had seen just a couple of weeks ago at an arcade in one of the local theme parks.  The game on the TV looked just like the arcade version!!!  That was something completely unheard of at that point in video game history.  The arcade version of a video game always looked superior to a home console version.  What manner of sorcery was this? (I’m looking at you, Ulrich the Wizard.)

I was handed the second player controller.  I got to be Luigi!  Oh hush.  Luigi used to be cool before they made him into this whiny, shadow-cowering goof.  But anyway, Luigi!  I made my way through level 1-1 with a new gleam in my eye – one that beat up the old 7800 gleam in my eye and tossed it into a wood chipper.

I wasn’t very good at the game.  I remember when I first played it at that arcade.  Four quarters and a depressing sigh later and I had only made it halfway through level 1-2.

A couple of weeks later I realized I had not magically improved.  What the heck, sorcerers?  You had the time and the power to make a console game look as good as its arcade counterpart, but you couldn’t sprinkle some magic dust or wave a wand or spray goat’s blood on me so I could have the mad Mario (Luigi!) skills?  Man, I am so not watching Dragonslayer again until tomorrow.  I’ll never show you.

So now we come to the part where I finish playing for the afternoon, and suddenly become very envious of my friend Eric.  So much so, in fact, that I secretly moved in without telling anyone, hoping that Eric’s folks would just assume they suddenly had four children.  Yeah, that didn’t work.  I got caught easy (I’m looking at you, Jason).

Despite uttering my curses at being foiled again, I found myself over at Eric’s all the time, playing Super Mario Bros., Duck Hunt (heh heh), Hogan’s Alley, Balloon Fight, and… Gyromite?  Gyromite?  What the hell was that game?  Was the robot supposed to help you?  Because the one that came with Eric’s NES would either just sit there or run off to the middle of town, staging wild riots and screaming something about robot rights.

Months passed while my 7800 continued to collect dust and my best friend’s NES continued to need its cartridges blown into because of dust.  While I enjoyed hanging out with Eric and flattening Troopas and Goombas, secretly all I wanted was an NES of my own (I’m looking at you, mom and dad).

Then it happened.  The Berlin Wall came down.  No, wait… different story.  Christmas came to visit our sleepy little mountain town.  I made my way to our Christmas tree and opened one of the first presents handed to me.  And what to my wondering eyes should appear?  Hang on, there’s a miniature sleigh and some large dogs with antlers in the way or something.  Ah… there:

The Nintendo Entertainment System.

The system that would usher in the revitalization of the video game industry was mine ours.  For a Christmas Past, this one Christmas in particular would signify the beginning of my journey into becoming the gamer I am today.

For now I was playing with Power.

Dedicated to my best friend Eric Collwell.  I miss you, buddy.

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Greetings, Full-Roaming Vapors!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday.  I mean everyone, as in everyone who partakes of the turkey and anti-pleases.  I hope everyone else had a great day last week that was in no way connected to animals shaped like your hand or cordial replies of gratitude.

My holiday experience was… filled with wondrous variety.  We drove into a snow storm practically as soon as we hit the Pennsylvania border (much to my wife’s unenjoyment).  It lasted the whole time we were there, but was clear enough for a pleasant and welcome trip home.

And this is what was waiting for me when I got to the Sturges Compound:

That’s right, kiddies.  That there is the complete set of “The Real Ghostbusters”, packaged fanwankably into a firehouse-shaped box.

I’ll give you a minute to calm your geek-citement.  Those who are scratching their heads at what the big deal is, what are you even doing at this site?

I’m just kidding.  But seriously, you need to stand over there.

I dunno if I mentioned it or not, but I ordered this sweet set during the summer.  It wasn’t available to ship until the end of November, hence the treat that awaited me when I returned home from Parentmania 2008.

And I’m just going to say this right out of the gate – this is probably one of the best TV show boxed sets I’ve ever seen, and I own “The Greatest American Hero” collector’s tin with cape and light-up instruction manual.

Just check this bad boy out when I dissect it and empty out its innards:

It includes a bonus disc with interviews that include Maurice La Marche (the voice of Egon) and J. Michael Straczynski (writer for “The Real Ghostbusters”, “Babylon 5”, and a memorable run on “The Amazing Spider-Man comic book).  The bonus disc also includes a never-before-seen four-minute promo that shows the GB gang in more movie-familiar attire.  The set also includes a book with a breakdown of each episode, including trivia facts.  And to top that off, the firehouse box also includes two lenticular, moving-image panels – one showcasing the Ghostbusters Logo Ghost sawing through his “NO” sign, and the other showing Slimer.  And I haven’t even mentioned the hours and hours of bonus commentary, introductions to each episode, and other featurettes.

Peter realized the next morning that seven shots of Mad Dog and complete loss if your inhibitions take you way beyond Coyote Ugly.

This set is massive; enough to make the Staypuft Marshmallow Man look like the Michelin Man in comparison.

I’ve barely put a dent in this set so far, but as a major fan of the show back when it aired, I’ve feverishly soaking in as much as I can with each sitting.  The video transfer is pretty decent.  It’s not the best thing in the world, but it has been cleaned up rather well.  Not bad at all for a twenty-two year old cartoon (Twenty-two???  Holy crap!)  There are some minor flaws and the color seems a little off at times, but it’s really not that noticeable once you start to really get into the show.  The sound has been cleaned up nicely as well.  It’s only in basic stereo, so there really isn’t much that needs to be done.  Overall, it looks and sounds nice, and your enjoyment will not be impeded by either.

Most 80s acts dried up by the end of the decade, by Colin Hay knew that keeping his band working meant they sometimes had to play some questionable venues.

I think one of the features on this set I enjoy the most is the complete interview with J. Michael Straczynski.  This man was allowed to go into full detail as to why the show dropped in ratings and why he left when ABC decided to hire consultants to “fix” a show that wasn’t broken (“The Real Ghostbusters” was one of the highest-rated cartoons during its first season.)  Listening to Straczynski go into detail about the shows eventual demise is so much fun to listen to, you almost forget about that revenge plot you cooked up to take out those ABC execs for ruining one of your favorite cartoons.

Er… I mean, you don’t even think about such a plot because, honestly, who would ever concoct such a scheme?  I mean, really!

Moving along…

The set not only boasts some great extras, but the show itself was really good on its own.  Sure, there were some weak episodes (what show doesn’t have those), and all the eps that were produced under the “Slimer and the Real Ghostbusters” banner were just on the south side of ass, but the show did have some solid episodes as well.  Some of the best ones included villains like Samhain and the Boogeyman.  Then there’s my personal favorite, “The Collect Call of Cathulhu”, the first cartoon to ever use characters and situations from H. P. Lovecraft.  How many shows can boast that?

Of course, there is a downside to this incredible box of wonderful and it is the price tag – at $179.98, it’s a little steep for a lot of folks to consider.  I was fortunate that I had a few months to save up for it.  Otherwise, this thing would have been mine only when I watched the TV in my sleepy head-pictures.

But, if you happen to have some money saved up and are looking to blow it on a major DVD purchase, or if you happen to have a rich friend or relative who buys you major DVD purchases for holidays and birthdays, you may wanna make this your next purchase.  Or, if you want the series but don’t need all the bells and whistles, the individual volumes are going to be sold in stores for a much fairer price.

Or if you would rather put that money to better use and keep your social life, you could always get yourself possessed by a demon dog and spend your nights looking for your own, personal “Gatekeeper”.

Yeah, eHarmony didn’t work for me, either.

The Don still scratches his head over those other Ghost Busters.  What’s with the ape?

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Greetings, Pilgrims!

This is really weird, right?  What the heck am I doing updating on a Monday night?  Well… due to the Thanksgiving holiday, I will be up in Pennsylvania visiting my folks.  Since they live up in the mountains of northwestern PA, my access to cel phone and internet will be limited.  Therefore, no update.  My sincerest apologies.

To try to make up for it, I leave you with this.  It’s my favorite scene from my favorite Thansgiving film - Planes, Trains and Automobiles.

Okay, there really aren’t that many Thanksgiving films out there, so having this be my favorite doesn’t carry much weight.  But, I love this movie.

Give it a look-see, and Happy Thanksgiving!!

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Greetings, Vampire Killers!

I’m sick.

No, not sick in the head (Actually, the voices tell me that I am.  Are you there, Todd?  It’s me and Margaret.).  But, that isn’t the sick I’m referring to.  I’ve been dealing with a monster cold for over a week now that likes to play “Pretend You’re Leaving So the Guy You’ve Taken Residence In is Lured Into a False Sense of Recovery, Then Smack Him in the Face!!”

I hear this game is popular in Germany.  Or France.  Or in the back alley behind a shop that sells broken dreams and used library cards.

Don’t mind me.  I’m just delirious with sick.

I started off with just a light cold before Nekocon weekend.  Nothing major, and nothing I couldn’t handle.  Then, during Neko, it got promoted to Major Annoyance.  Then, the following Friday, it decided we were in Fight Club.

We didn’t talk about Fight Club.

That’s when it knocked me on my ass, and I’ve been trying to bounce back ever since.  Unfortunately, I’m not made of rubber… no matter what your adhesive consistency might be, or what elementary school fables dictate.

So here I’ve been, trying to recover from Captain Trips for over a week now.  Between that and exhaustion it has been extremely difficult to get any writing or other projects done.

But, I didn’t want to let all of my reader down.  That’s why I’ve propped myself up in desk chair with a stick to tell you what I’ve been spending my dying days extended illness doing.

I’ve been playing Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia on my Nintendo DS.

I gotta tell you – as a Castlevania fan since Simon first brandished the whip on the NES – there is currently no other game I would rather play on the DS right now to carry through my fevered delirium.

This game is incredible – hard evidence that side-scrolling, 2-D games can still hold their own in today’s 3-D gaming world.  The graphics are some of the best the DS Castlevania series has ever seen.  The designers manage to sneak in some really amazing 3-D effects amongst the 2-D sprites as well.  Don’t let the screen cap below fool you, as it’s blown up a bit for display purposes.  On the dual screens of the DS, this game looks astounding.

Then there’s the soundtrack.  If there’s one thing the Castlevania series is well-known for, it’s great music.  From gothic symphony pieces to guitar-riddled rock cues, Castlevania: OoE delivers.  I have to admit, I didn’t think this game soundtrack was as good as we’ve seen in previous entries of the series, but it sure doesn’t suck either (it also didn’t hurt that I got a 6 track OoE soundtrack CD free when I preordered the game).  And if you’re itchin’ for a blast from the musical past, throughout the game you can find little record albums that unlock music from the original NES Castlevania.  And once you unlock them, you can set them to play while you’re playing through the game.

The game play is where Castlevania: OoE really shines.  A lot of fans and gamers (including me) have been enjoying the “Castleroid”-style of game that was first introduced to us by Symphony of the Night (which continues to be my favorite game in the series).  Since that first step into a more Metroid-style of game play (hence the nick name above), pretty much every Castlevania that has come out since for the GBA and later the DS has been in that style.

That’s where Order of Ecclesia differs.  Though it still utilizes that style once you actually enter Dracula’s Castle, it’s only featured in the last third of the game.  Everything leading up to it has been revamped to fit more in the style of Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.  There are several areas to fight through, all selectable from an overhead map as you unlock them.  There is also a central village that you can visit repeatedly where you can shop for items or take on quests imparted to you by several villagers that you first have to rescue throughout the game.  All of these elements combined make it the perfect marriage between Symphony and Simon’s Quest.

There is also plenty of replay value to the game.  Not only can you unlock an alternate character after you complete your first playthrough, but there is also the famous Boss Rush mode (a timed level where you fight through several bosses).  You can also keep all of your experience, stats, items and other stuff when you start a new game from your finished game save, as well as the ability to play in HARD mode.  Take all that and add to it the ability to buy and sell items with other players through Wi-Fi, and you’ve got yourself a great, little, $30 game.

So, if you have a Nintendo DS and are looking to add a fun, challenging, monster-fighting side-scroller to your collection, or if you need another game to put on your Christmas list, I definitely recommend this one.

And you never know, it may just save your life one day.  Okay, maybe not, but it could, at least, help you get through a horrible, never-ending, curse the gods and men kind of cold.

The Don realizes that constant sneezing and a touch-screen don’t mix.

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Greetings, Bugrom!

I have survived returned from Nekocon!  And I bring presents!

 
Not really.

 
I did promise you a con report, however.  So, I will do my best to accommodate.

*Ahem*

I sat behind a table in the Artists Alley all weekend.  The End.

Okay, that’s not exactly fair.  That’s a wee bit short for a con report.  I will admit, I did sit at a table in the Artists Alley for almost the whole weekend, but I’m sure I can come up with more than that to spark some excitement in the crisp, November air.

To make it look official, let’s split it up into days, shall we?

 
Friday

Friday was an interesting beginning to the weekend.  I didn’t do a whole hell of a lot.  I spent most of it waiting for my 2wcOnline partner-in-crime to show up and join me.  In the meantime, I made my rounds, met up with several staff members, artists, and friends that I haven’t seen in a long time.  I made it to the Opening Ceremonies at 3 PM, where I was greeted by some of the other guests.  When the MC my name to come up on stage, I found myself doing something that most people would only be caught doing if they were blind, insanely drunk –

I went up dressed as The Greatest American Hero.

I dunno what possessed me to do it.  I literally woke up that morning, looked at my cat and said, “Wouldn’t it be completely silly and out there if I went to opening ceremonies in my Greatest American Hero t-shirt and Greatest American Hero cape that I got from my Greatest American Hero DVD collector’s tin?”

My cat looked at me as if to say, “Why the hell are you talking to a cat?”

And just like Cameron from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when he kept arguing with himself on whether or not he was going to go pick up Ferris so that they could have that day off that the title of the movie so seductively alluded to, I had a similar self-argument:

“I’ll do it.”

“Are you nuts?”

“Yup.  I’m doing it.”

“No.  No!  That’s just nuts!  You’re really nuts, man!”

“Like crunchy peanut butter.  I’m doing it.”

“Like crunchy… what?  What does that even mean?”

“I don’t care, cause it’s on like TRON!”

So there I was, sober, bright lights shining on my bearded visage, staring down a bunch of con-goers I couldn’t even see in silly defiance.

And the crowd loved it.

See, here’s a little sidebar – ever since 2wcOnline and The Draconia Chronicles have started to do some serious growing in popularity, I’ve started to move away from the whole Silent Bob thing more and more.  And on that fateful day last Friday, I realized that I really don’t need to be Silent Bob any more.  The crowd loves my antics no matter what.  Especially as The Greatest American Weirdo.  I don’t have a pic, but here’s a drawing a good friend named James Evans did:

Looks like I have a new regular convention costume.  Time for a show down, Neo-Vader!

Saturday

Saturday was more of the same.  Danny and I went to the web comics panel with the other web comics guests and had a great time.  There was a huge turn-out and every one had plenty of questions.  The best part?  Danny and I have been doing this enough times now that we actually felt like a part of the group.  We were able to add our 2 cents in quite often and it felt natural.  It was a great feeling.

Later, we had a few aspiring artists and new fans come up to the table and ask us even more questions, or in one case, show us a portfolio of her work.  Blair, you rock!

Sunday

Sunday wasn’t much of anything.  Danny and I spent a couple more hours in the Artists Alley, getting in some last minute sales.  We ended up doing really well, selling over half of our stock of 2009 Draconia calendars, as well as making a sweet killing with out other merchandise.  After closing ceremonies, we packed up, regrouped, got a grip, came equipped, grabbed our proton packs out the back and we split.  Found out about Viggo, the Master of Evil, try to battle my boys?  That’s not legal!

And then we socialized with the other guests and staff in the hotel lounge until the guest/staff dinner at the Olive Garden.

It was an incredible weekend, overall.  Danny and I got to meet a lot of our fans face-to-face.  We made some new friends.  We enjoyed ourselves.  We ended the weekend feeling like we belong with the rest of the web comic guests.  And from what I heard, the con programming staff actually managed to pull off their plan of having two bands perform both Friday and Saturday night.  Kudos to you guys!  If you plan on pulling such a stunt again next year, let me know.  I can get you a body guard for both bands real cheap.

 
I hear The Greatest American Weirdo works for peanuts.

Believe it or not, The Don is walking on thin ice.

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Greetings, Ninja Science Team members!

I hope that one of you who reads this you all enjoyed the Hallowe’en series I did last month.  And hopefully it was packed with enough win and nougat that you’ll forgive this week’s shortened feature.  I’m a little pressed for time this week, as this weekend happens to be Nekocon.  For our something-somethingth time in a row, I and my 2wcOnline cohort Danny Valentini will be in attendance as guests.

“Guests?” you scratch your head in wonder over.  “Why in the hell would you be a guest, writer-boy?”

Excellent question!  And by trying to insult me by calling me “writer-boy” (okay, okay – it stings a little *sniff*) you’ve partially hit the nail on the head!  You know, like with a hammer.  Cause… the hammer… hits the nail…

 
Nevermind!

 
The facts are these: once upon a time a writer and an artist love a creative idea very much and so they get together and write and draw and write and draw and nine months later a web comic comes out!

Or something like that.

 
But because of 2wcOnline’s ever-increasing popularity with the web comic “The Draconia Chronicles”, the Powers-That-Be at Nekocon were kind and gracious enough to invite us back each year for the past several to be guests, where we can talk ad nauseum at panels like we know the secrets of the universe (we don’t), as well as make you buy hock our wares in the Artist Alley.

By-golly, that’s what we intend to do.

And this year, we have a brand new Draconia calendar out for mortal consumption.

So, if you happen to be in the area or for some reason need a place to hide while fleeing from the cops, come hang out at Nekocon this weekend.  I’ll be there to take your verbal abuse and angry rants about why I wasted a perfectly good Spwug article on trivial ramblings such as these.

Then next week I’ll give you a con report and an apology.*

Paid for by the Committee to Stop The Don From Paying for Committees.

*The Don not responsible or held liable for actual apology or lack thereof.

A Mark Goodson Television Production.

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