Fun STAR TREK Parody of FROZEN Song

My Disney Princess crazed daughter was begging me the other day to take her to see the “Sing Along” version of the movie FROZEN the other day, I am really amazed how my 5 year old has the lyrics to the song LET IT GO memorized, and as I was looking online for show times stumbled across a really well done parody of my little girl’s favorite song that brought a smile to this Geek Daddy’s face.  A Toronto-based musical group called Debs & Errol have put together a very well done STAR TREK parody of LET IT GO based on the signature line of Captain Jean Luc Picard “Make is So.”  Check this out:

Debs and Errol have a youtube site which features 61 parodies, covers, and original songs.  Two of my favorites are their tribute to the Peanut’s Linus & Lucy and a STAR WARS parody of Cindy Lauper’s “Time After Time” titled TIE AFTER TIE.  These two singers do a very talented job in providing enjoyable performances through the creation of a “geek” musical niche to market themselves and have some fun with their music. 

For more information about Debs and Errol check out their website, DEBSandERROL.COM, which also features a comic strip that profiles the comedic group's adventures with the music industry and their travels on the comic book & scifi convention circuit promoting their CD and website.

LEGO and STAR WARS combine for fun starfighter game

A new game app for mobile devices was launched this week titled LEGOS: Star Wars Micro Star Fighters.   It is a vertical scrolling shooter game that lets the player pretend they are flying one of six vehicles from the Star Wars universe.  You blast your way through hostile terrain destroying enemies and collecting LEGO studs.  I bought the game for .99 cents and found it to be a fun distraction but it really isn't a lengthy detailed game with only 18 levels simulating  visits to just four planets from the Star Wars movies:  Geonosis (Episode II), Yavin (Episode IV), Hoth (Episode V) and Endor (Episode VI). I didn't notice any in-app purchase options in the game which I appreciated (HATE THOSE) but you can upgrade your ships or open other bonus features by collecting LEGO blocks and studs through game play.  Once you've collected enough LEGO blocks you can also open DARK SIDE campaigns that provide additional scenarios & game play.

The game play reminds me of the old school shooter 1941 and combining that layout with the Star Wars story makes the game somewhat nostalgic with a cool retro vibe.  The graphics on the game are simplistic yet very well done without the LEGO theme overwhelming or distracting the playing experience.  What really impressed me was the soundtrack...the music sounds great and made me feel like I was sitting in a movie theater listening to the Star Wars score.  The controls are very EASY making it great for kids to be able to play or for adults to pull out on their iphone during a lunch break.  You simply control the ship you are flying with your finger moving it around the screen...simple as that.  If you are looking for an indepth game experience this will probably be too short and dull for you, but if you are looking for a game you can play for just a few minutes at a time on an iphone or ipad I believe you'll really enjoy this.  Hey for .99 cents I felt it was a pretty darn good game....and hopefully they will add some free updates with new levels and vehicles down the road.

Check out this trailer to see the gameplay:

CLICK HERE to buy LEGO STAR WARS MICROFIGHTERS.  Sorry I don't know if it is available for android though you'd think all things Star Wars would be also accessible for Droids.

DC COMICS GOES STEAMPUNK

Keep in eye out this February for some interesting artwork coming from the folks at DC COMICS.  During the month of February twenty of their most popular titles will have steampunk themed variant covers.  What is steampunk?  Steampunk is a fantasy genre that is somewhat a combination of science fiction with the Wild West.  Essentially it presents a futuristic world where technology never advanced beyond the steam powered era of the 19^thCentury British Victorian era or American Wild West.  Steampunk features lots of retro-futuristic images, in other words futuristic clothes, tools, machines and so on as the people of that time period would have envisioned them using the capabilities of that era.  

The stories themselves in these issues won’t be steampunk this promotion just involves providing variant covers…so it is a gimmick to sell some extra comic books during the month of February by the publisher.  That being said, if you appreciate cool, unique artwork these are some comic book covers you absolutely should keep an eye out for.

Here are a few samples of the upcoming steampunk variant covers:

Aquaman #28 variant by Richard Horle

Batman and Robin # 28 variant by Matteo Scalera

Batman/Superman # 8 variant by Tommy Lee Edwards

Earth 2 # 20 variant by Dan Panosian

Flash # 28 variant by Howard Chaykin with colors by Jesus Aburtov

Justice League #28 variant by Dan Panosian

Interested in actually reading a steampunk inspired comic?  You may want to check out FREE COMIC BOOK DAY which will be providing a sample of STEAM WARS, a Star Wars themed steampunk story.

A not so long ago, in a galaxy relatively close by began an epic struggle on a world seized in the grip of an evil Victorian empire.  Only a ragged alliance of rebels oppose the emperor and his black guard, but hope is fading.  While fleeing from the steam-driven war machines of her imperial pursuers, Duchess Imoen stumbles across the home of the last Dragoon: the legendary storm foil warriors of ancient lore!  This new (but strangely familiar) steam-fantasy epic will give thrills that haven't been felt since 1977!

FREE COMIC BOOK DAY is on May 3, 2014.  On the first Saturday in May each year participating comic book retailers provide comic books for FREE to anyone who visits their store.  To find a participating location or for more information about this event visit www.freecomicbookday.com

Actress Scarlett Johansson Banned From SuperBowl

Well she's not actually been banned from being at the game, but the SodaStream ad featuring actress Scarlett Johansson has been banned from airing during the television broadcast of the SuperBowl.  SodaStream, which manufactures machines that allow people to make their own carbonated soda beverages at home, planned on having Johansson seductively pitch their product during a tv commercial on FOX's broadcast of the big game.  Fox has banned the advertisement from airing though.  Check it out:

FOX claims the advertisement is too HOT for TV, but not because of any sultry scenes.  Rather the commercial breaks a network rule of not letting products criticize competitors, at least ones that have also purchased ad time, in commercials during the SuperBowl broadcast.  So they yanked this SodaStream ad from the game night commercial rotation because Johansson ends it with "Sorry Coke & Pepsi". 

Hmmm I do believe though that I've seen Pepsi & Coke poke fun at each other in their ads before during the game.  Could it be that the network didn't want to touch another HOT topic when it comes to this advertisement, the potential flare up from special interest groups that don't like the company SODA STREAM.  SodaStream's machines are build and imported to the United States from Israel, which wouldn't be a big deal except that the manufacturing facilities are located in contested territory of the West Bank and therefore made the business a target of criticism by some Arab advocacy, charitable, and constituency groups.  Scarlot Johansson has already been publicly criticized for her endorsement of this company by several of these groups. A conspiracy theorist might take from this that maybe rather than the content of the commercial being blocked but rather the NFL and FOX wanting to stay clear of any association to this Mid East conflict. Of course I'm not a conspiracy theorist so that is probably nonsense ... or is it?  

The ban of the SodaStream ad was probably a good thing though because their "SuperBowl" tv commercial really isn't very good and it is probably getting more attention now than it would have from airing during the big game because of the controversy.  This has been a controversy filled week for the actress who was also involved with complaints from women's issues and health care advocacy groups criticizing the newly released Captain America movie poster.  Critics contend Johansson's portrayal in the poster was photoshopped to give her an un-naturally small waist and argue that this markets an unhealthy societal image for women and girls.  What do you think of the poster?

When you see advertisements for products during the SuperBowl or posters for movies do you look at the bigger picture regarding issues like have been brought up with these two marketing pieces or do you just focus on the products being promoted in the ad?  Something to think about as we're about to be flooded with promotional messages on February 2nd as every marketer that has an opportunity tries to grab a second of your attention during the biggest television viewing audience of the year to make an impression for their client.

THE STRAIN INFECTS FX IN JULY

A few years before Guillermo del Toro directed the recent summer SciFi blockbuster PACIFIC RIM, he co-wrote with Chuck Hogan a vampire horror novel titled  THE STRAIN which reached the NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller List in 2009.  Dark Horse comics adapted the novel to a comic book series in 2011 and now the story is coming to the small screen with the cable channel FX (home to American Horror Story, The Americans & Sons of Anarchy ) airing a television show based on del Toro's novel starting in July 2014.

Picture a stormy night at JFK airport with the wind whipping and lighting crashing.  A plane routinely lands but than just stops dead on the tarmac.  All the shades on its windows are drawn down, the lights are off, and no one is answering its radio.  In addition, to SWAT and counter-terrorism units being brought in to address the situation, a crack team from the CDC (Center for Disease Control) is called in to help ascertain the situation.  This is how THE STRAIN begins.

The plane is the beginning of a vampire infestation of New York City.  These aren't the glamorized vampires of Dracula lore though but rather grotesque mutated monsters that really put the "horror" into the vampire myth.  If you've seen the mutated vampires in the movie BLADE 2, which del Toro also happened to direct, you get the picture.  If not check out the great artwork in Dark Horse's STRAIN comic books for some great visuals.  The book and TV show will revolve around how the CDC tackles this vampire epidemic.

Unlike Dracula and other vampire stories that provide a mystical element for the origin and creation of these creatures of the night, THE STRAIN takes a scientific approach to explaining them.  The vampires are infected by parasitic worms that carry a virus that is passed on to humans causing them to mutate.  The worms are introduces to a person's body through a vampire's feeding or through it entering on its own in an invasive manner through a wound or orifice.  The worms feed off of blood and as they do that they transmit an incurable vampire virus transforming the victim.

 
These vampires develop "stingers" that shoot out of their mouths to lach onto their human prey and suck out their blood.  If the vampire doesn't kill their prey through feeding on them than the person is infected by worms that make their way into their body during the feeding infecting them with the virus and turning them into vampires too.  The vampires in the strain also lose their hair and fingernails, while gaining sharp talons and a hard skin covering for protection.  Not the most glamorous of characters are they but pretty creepy.

If you enjoy THE WALKING DEAD, you will probably enjoy THE STRAIN.  Here's a teaser trailer from FX for this new show:

For more information, about FX'S THE STRAIN visit:  http://www.fxnetworks.com/thestrain

USE A LITTLE SALINE TO CLEAR UP STUFFY NOSES

It is that dreaded time of year … cold & flu season.  Our whole family has had flu shots this year but that hasn’t prevented us all from getting stuffy noses the last few weeks as snow has piled up  and freezing temperatures have made us shiver thanks to the infamous polar vortex.  So I looked up online some tips to try and get our noses unplugged and everyone feeling a little better.

MedlinePlus, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (note the .gov in its url: www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus ) had some great information on the topic.  The website recommended:

"Medicines are not the only way to relieve a stuffy or runny nose.  Often, gentler solutions are better.  Try these steps to thin the mucus, which can help you breathe easier and get nasal secretions back to normal.

•  Use gentle saline nasal sprays.

• Increase the humidity in the air with a vaporizer or humidifier.

• Drink extra fluids. Hot tea, broth, or chicken soup may be especially helpful."

 We were in luck because we just had just received a sample of a new product called Boogie Mist and I decided to give it a try to see if it could help get rid of those pesky boogers bugging my kids.  I’m pleased to say that it worked like a charm.

Boogie Mist is a non-medicated saline solution that flushes blockages from the nose, dissolves mucus, and moisturizes the skin within the nasal passage.  Seems like an easy enough solution, except until you take into consideration my children don’t want me sticking anything up their nose and freaked out like riled chickens when I approached them with the bottle.  Hmmm….what is a Dad to do?

Well I used it first on myself and showed them it wasn’t just fine to use but also a little fun too.  You see Boogie Mist instead of having a nozzle has a Schnozzle (scented nozzle) that makes the saline smell like grape flavor candy.  It actually is a tasty scent that is closer to bubblegum than cough syrup in the hierarchy of all things grape flavored.  Since, I made a big deal about how great the grape was the kids of course wanted to try it too.  Mission Accomplished!

Another nice feature about this product was that it doesn’t really spray into your nose but actually like the name implies mists.  My kids seemed pretty comfortable having the saline misted into their noses and I believe we’d probably have some kickback from them from a more traditional product where you are spraying a solution in with more pressure.

In addition to grape scented solution, we also tried out some saline nose wipes called Boogie Wipes.   These were nice because unlike traditional facial tissues these were moist and didn’t scratch up your nose when you blew it.  We’ve all been there before haven’t we when your nose gets raw, scratchy and hurts not from the congestion of a cold but rather from all the rubbing of dry tissues against it when you are repeatedly blow or sneeze into them.  My daughter actually said “hey Dad these are great they aren’t scratchy!” when she was using them.  Plus another great bonus to the product, just like the Boogie Mist, it smells like GRAPES! 

If you have kids at home and want to make being sick a little less miserable, I recommend checking out the Boogie Mist & Boogie Wipe products.  In addition to Grape Scent they also come in "Fresh Scent". You can buy them at Kroger, Target, Toys-R-Us, and Walgreens, among other retailers.  For more information, visit www.boogiewipes.com

DISCLAIMER:  I received a complimentary product sample from Little Busy Bodies of the Boogie Mist & Boogie Wipes discussed in this post.  The views and opinions expressed are my own.

A New Adventure: ELFQUEST "The Final Quest"

The Wolf Riders are back - the first new adventures of the elves of ElfQuest to be published in eight years start this week with the release by Dark Horse Comics of a series titled ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST.  Created by Wendy & Richard Pini in 1978, the ElfQuest stories follow the adventures of Cutter and his band of elves on an Earth-like planet called the World of Two Moons.  The elves battle against pre-civilized humans who think of them as "evil spirits" and trolls who want to either enslave them or eat them depending on the circumstances.  The stories that have spanned over the last 35 years have focused on Cutter's band of Wolf Riders looking for the magical palace of their ancestors and along that journey discovering new brethren tribes of elves with unique characteristics and mysterious secrets about their origins.

Wendy Pini's ElfQuest illustrations have a  magical context to them that really emphasizes the artistic quality of artwork in the comic medium.  The stories are a little mature for elementary aged children with themes that include sex and violence, but I remember being engrossed by the mythical and mystical elements reading these stories in middle school.  ElfQuest is a great adventure to enjoy that I would recommend for someone who may be a tween or older that enjoys science fiction / fantasy stories.

What is really GREAT is you can read ALL of the ElfQuest stories that take place before this new Dark Horse Comics series for FREE at http://www.elfquest.com/gallery/OnlineComics3.html.  That's more than 6,500 pages of material to peruse.  If you've enjoyed the stories in the past, this is a great opportunity to go back to read them again and if you've never read ElfQuest before you can see everything online to review if it may be appropriate for your child to read or if you enjoy the characters and plots enough to purchase THE FINAL QUEST. The website also has a Prologue that is available to download for FREE that kicks off the story line for the new THE FINAL QUEST series.

Dark Horse Comics will be publishing monthly issues of THE FINAL QUEST starting January 2014 that will be available in print form from local retailers or in digital format via the publisher's website prices at $3.50.  Dark Horse also has a couple page preview of ISSUE #1 on their website, check it out at:  http://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/Previews/24-774

I haven't read the new series yet, but plan on picking up #1 today for myself.  Here's Dark Horse's summary of this new comic book series for the ElfQuest franchise:

ELFQUEST: THE FINAL QUEST #1

The Wolfriders' chief, Cutter, knows that change is coming. His tribe's proximity to the Palace of the High Ones, a mysterious and magical oasis, makes this inevitable. As Cutter's daughter Ember, chief of her own tribe, shares her father's efforts to preserve the old ways amongst their kin, the human tyrant, Angrif Djun, ascends the mountain her clan call home and rocks the foundation of their peaceful existence.
* Winner of the Golden Pen Award from the Young Adult Advisory Committee!
* Brand-new Elfquest art and adventures!
* Includes Elfquest extras from past and present!

Martin Luther King Jr. utilized comic books to promote his message

On this Martin Luther King Jr holiday, I think back to the challenges of energizing a movement, capturing the attention of youth, and communicating a message to a wide audience back in a time, before I was born, that was void of the Internet, cell phones, texts, twitter, Facebook, and blogs that are such popular mediums today for people to connect with one another.  In the late 1950's television was the new exciting technology and most written messages were still delivered through newspapers, telegram, or the good old US Mail. How was a passionate Minster to reach out to gain volunteers and supporters to support him in his crusade against racial discrimination?  Very creatively, Martin Luther King Jr. used a comic book as a marketing tool to help share his vision to the World.

In 1957, a group called the Fellowship of Reconciliation  worked with Martin Luther King Jr. to publish a full-color comic book entitled MARTIN LUTHER KING & THE MONTGOMERY STORY.  This comic book brought the story of his fight to end racial discrimination to life for many people and promoted the concept of utilizing the principles of non-violence to reach this goal.   Noted civil rights veteran Congressman John Lewis credit this comic book for inspiring him and many other young activists at that time to join Dr. King's movement.

Top Shelf Productions is taking people back to that turbulent time in history by republishing the original MARTIN LUTHER KING AND THE MONTGOMERY STORY in print and digital formats.  The comic can be purchased digitally exclusively on Comixology for $1.99 or in print format through Tip Shelf Comics for $5.00  Take a look at how comic books helped change the world through this unique historical reprint.  What a great way on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to sit down with your kids and discuss the issues relating to this holiday.  Martin Luther King Jr. was much more than his "I have a Dream" speech and this comic book is a great way to look at the man and his mission.  Plus it is an interesting look at how comic books have played a role in the development of American history.

All money collected from the sale of this comic book by Top Shelf Productions will be donated to the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR).  An interfaith, tax-exempt organization, FOR promotes active nonviolence and has members from many religious, spiritual, and ethnic traditions. FOR-USA is a branch of the International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR), which coordinates affiliates in more than 50 countries.  http://forusa.org/

For more information, visit:  http://www.topshelfcomix.com/catalog/martin-luther-king-and-the-montgomery-story/876

PAPERCUTZ BRINGS DINOSAURS TO LIFE

PAPERCUTZ is a comic book / graphic novel publisher that I have a lot of respect for which has a great catalog of titles for children ranging from DISNEY FAIRIES, GERONIMO STILTON, GARFIELD and THE SMURFS for younger kids to CLASSIC ILLUSTRATED, HARDY BOYS, NANCY DREW, and TALES FROM THE CRYPT for grade school students and teens.  I have 5 year old twins who really aren't reading on their own yet, but I've enjoyed reading PAPERCUTZ titles to them which allows them to follow along with the pictures as I tell the story.  My daughter loves the Disney Fairies comics and my son The Smurfs.  Now, PaperCutz is adding a great new title to their catalog called DINOSAURS.

DINOSAURS isn't available as individual soft bound serial series comic books but rather will be sold as a series of 3 individual hardcover graphic novels with the first edition "In the Beginning ... " hitting retailers' shelves this week.  The book has a goofy paleontologist, with a name that spoofs Indiana Jones, called INDINO JONES discussing the history of dinosaurs, how things become fossilized, various geological topics, and the various time periods when these giant creatures roamed the Earth.  Rather than having stories, the graphic novel is divided into short segments or skits that each make you think of newspaper comic book strips. Looking at the artwork and reading through the text of each segment you could imagine this was a compilation of newspaper comic strips collected together for this book.  They actually have been created specifically for this book though and aren't taken from another source. The artwork reminded me of B.C. and Wizard of ID to some extent but it also has a "pop" factor from the pages of the book that provides a "wow" factor lacking from those types of comic strips.  My daughter saw me reading through the book on my computer screen and loved the graphics saying "That's a really cool comic Dad".

The stories are both entertaining and educational which I believe makes it an excellent addition to a child's bookshelf.  The artwork is bright and nicely colored in a cartoonish manner which may entice some children who may not want to read a book with realistic images because it may be to much like school work or in some cases scary for those kids who may get spooked by things.  Humor and some slap stick comedy is intertwined with the book to make the reading experience fun for the kids, and parents, reading it.  For example, in one scene while Indino Jones is looking for fossils on a beach he doesn't notice an elderly woman sunbathing as he is walking along and spouts out a statement of "old fossils on the beach".  The old woman, wearing a bikini, chases the haphazard paleontologist off the beach.

The book gives descriptions of "What is a Dinosaur" and the types of Dinosaurs ranging from popular ones such as T-REX, STEGOSAURUS, and VELOCIRAPTOR along with less well known ones such as ALLOSAURUS and DEINONYCHUS from the perspective of the dinosaurs.  Indino Jones role is somewhat similar to the paleontologist on the PBS tv show Dinosaur Train who comes in between stories featuring the dinosaurs to provide some educational information, though in this comic book he is a narrator who binds the book together plus also has a few storylines of his own and throws in some comic relief too.

 While my daughter did see a few pages of the book while I was working on this review, I decided not to read it to my kids because I thought the content was somewhat mature for preschoolers, which was a tough decision because my son LOVES dinosaurs. There are some graphic depictions of dinosaurs being killed and eaten by predators showing carcasses, exposed bones, and blood in blood.  Additionally there is some violence with dinosaurs fighting and hunting contained in the publication.  Also there was some language I didn't really want the kids exposed to including dinosaurs calling other dinos "morons" and "shrimps".  That being said I believe the content is suitable for grade school children maybe starting around second or third grades.  It may also be suitable for older middle school and high school aged students who need some extra enticements or encouragement to get into their studies.  The book does a good job of explaining "science stuff" like continental drift, extinction, fossilization in an easy to understand manner.  So the description of the book by the publisher is pretty fitting:

Think you know everything there is to know about dinosaurs? Think again! In this bronto-sizedseries, kid dinos show us what their lives were like in short, funny, teeth-gnashing bursts of prehistoric mayhem. DINOSAURS is your guided tour through the rough-and-tumble world of themightiest beasts to ever walk the earth!

All in all I believe the DINOSAUR graphic novels are an excellent addition to the PAPERCUTZ library that compliment there current lineup of titles and fits into their niche of providing quality reading materials for children and teens.  If you have a student in your life, I'd encourage you to take a look at DINOSAURS: IN THE BEGINNING.

The book is priced $10.99 and is available at local book stores, comic retailers, and online.  Volume 2 & 3 will be published in the near future.  For more information, visit:  http://www.papercutz.com/comics/dinosaurs/ 

DISCLAIMER:  I received a complimentary digital pdf copy of this book from the Publisher for this review.  The opinions expressed in this post are my own.