New Finds on the Radio

I’ve been getting into NPR’s Ask Me Another, another quiz show that goes great along with my favorite NPR show, Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.  The questions are often plays on words and, just like Wait Wait, it’s fun to play along.

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Saturday Songs – May 4, 2013

It was a bit of a dilemma.  Do I pick a song that is oriented towards comics since this is Free Comic Book Day?  Or, do I pick a song that is Star Wars in theme, since it is May the Fourth (be with you… sound it out).

I decided on this.

and this.

Enjoy!

Picks of the Week – May 1, 2013

It’s the first of the month and a Wednesday, so it’s time for some new books.

And, just a reminder, this Saturday is Free Comic Book Day.  Be sure to visit your local comic shop to pick up some free stuff, and maybe pick up a few new titles as well.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

Quote of the Day – April 29, 2013

The Mark III armor as featured in the 2008 film Iron Man. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

May I say how refreshing it is to finally see you on a video with your clothing on, sir.

Jarvis (voiced by Paul Bettany)

Iron Man 2

Quote of the Day – April 27, 2013

Steve Carell (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You know what? I respect women! I love women! I respect them so much that I completely stay away from them!

Andy Stitzer (played by Steve Carell)

The 40 Year Old Virgin

Saturday Songs – April 27, 2013

Recently, I did a post listing five videos that I thought were a bit below par for the songs they were being matched with.

Well, this week, I’m heading back to the 1980s for a song that is just as sub par as the video it’s matched with.

Picks of the Week – April 24, 2013

It’s been a rough week for me.  Still, I did manage to read through some of this week’s releases and come up with a pick or two.

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

5 Good Songs with Bad Videos

The wonder of music is that the experience often goes beyond the auditory.  Listeners often will envision the song they are listening to in their own way.  Even with the creation of the music video, that experience still stands, though now, what we envision for a song may be drasticly different from what some random director decided what visuals should go with the song.

And, sadly, there are some great songs that are sidled with videos that are, well, crap.

Saturday Songs – April 20, 2013

Something a little different as we take a breather from this past week.

As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who, I decided to take a look back at some of the obscure Doctor moments.

Many times throughout the years, Doctor Who played a part in Children in Need, aired on the BBC to collect donations for, well, children in need.  This particular episode stands out for Doctor Who fans because, well, just watch as the new meets the old.

5 Superman Projects To Check Out

75 years ago this week, Action Comics #1 hit the newsstands, introducing America and the world to Superman.  Since that day, the Man of Steel has become one of the most recognizable comic character in the world, if not the most.  And with the latest Superman movie set to premiere this summer, it seemed only fitting for me to look back at some of the great Superman projects over the years.

Think of it as a primer.

1. The Adventures of Superman – A classic of television shows.  I remember watching these in syndication as a child, never knowing the dark history that surrounded George Reeves.  The series did not go in for the major villains, but it was still fun watching the Man of Steel break up criminal rings throughout Metropolis.  The series is available on DVD.
2. Superman cartoons – Heading way back to the era of the matinees, Max Fleischer created a number of Superman shorts that ran in theaters.  Unlike the television show, Superman’s foes were more in line with the comics, facing mad scientists and robot monsters.  These shorts are available on DVD and Youtube.com
3. Superman: The High-Flying History of America’s Most Enduring Hero by Larry Tye – This book covers the history of the Man of Steel, from his humble origins in the minds of Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster to the legal turmoil that has plagued Superman in recent years.  Tye’s book covers everything about the Man of Steel, including the radio shows, the Fleischer cartoons, the television show, and even the movies.  Tye does not pull punches in this book as he reveals the behind the scenes drama that has accompanied the Last Son of Krypton over the years.
4. Superman: The Movie – Directed by Richard Donner and starring a stellar cast, this was the epic tour de force for the Man of Steel, covering his origins right up to his clash with Lex Luthor.
5. The Man of Steel – In 1986, DC Comics had just created a major restructuring of their comics universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths.  In its wake, DC started to relaunch their flagship characters, updating them for the modern times.  Written by John Byrne, The Man of Steel retold Superman’s origin for the 1980s, but did so much more.  Gone were much of what had been created in the Silver Age of comics, making Superman truly the Last Son of Krypton.  Even Superman’s long standing cast of supporting characters were revamped, from a modernizing of Lois Lane, to the transformation of Lex Luthor from criminal mastermind to unscrupulous (and untouchable) businessman.  Much of what Byrne created in this series stood until later writers began to return many of the classic elements of Superman.  But, this mini-series still remains a great read.

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• Cleveland Declares ‘Superman Day’ To Celebrate The Man Of Steel’s 75th Anniversary (comicsalliance.com)
• Happy birthday, Superman! A look back at 75 powerful years (herocomplex.latimes.com)
• Cleveland mayor declares April 18 ‘Superman Day’ (robot6.comicbookresources.com)
• Superman At 75: Dan Jurgens Reflects On The Man of Steel (comicbookresources.com)
• Superman Turns 75! His Top 5 Screen Appearances (nerdist.com)
• It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a super-septuagenarian! (today.com)
• Happy 75th Birthday Superman And Lois Lane! (splashpage.mtv.com)
• Superman Turns 75! Here’s 7 Things You Didn’t Know About The Man Of Steel (radaronline.com)