From today’s b, the paper

Bow brings out vote

Bow Wow once thought politics was only for “old folks,” but the 21-year-old rapper said he’s had a change of heart and wants other young people to vote.

“I used to think going to the mall and hollering at girls (was) more important,” he said. “But in reality, we are in a different time now. My focus now is to take it a step further to make a change and vote.”
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Spider-Man meets Colbert in new comic {thanks, Marvel Comics}

From today’s b, the paper

When a comic and comic books collide
Plenty of television comedy stars have hung with Spider-Man, but Stephen Colbert may be the first to swing with him.

Colbert, the master parodist of Comedy Central, shares an eight-page adventure with the world-famous web-slinger in issue No. 573 of “The Amazing Spider-Man,” on sale Oct. 15.
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Baltimore Comic-Con Video by Brian Krista, b

Fanboy Feasting No. 18

So when I first walked into the Baltimore Convention Center Sunday morning I had 87 bucks on me. One hour into my downtown excursion I had 2 dollars left in my wallet with another 17 dollar parking fee to look forward to upon leaving.

For some reason, even though this was my fourth or so “con,” I have yet to learn to major lessons. Lesson Number 1: Bring more money. Lesson Number 2: Comic-Con is freakin’ expensive — even with all the wheeling and dealing you can typically do with some of the countless artists, exhibitors and retailers.

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Jim Lee

This weekend’s Baltimore Comic-Con will draw plenty of purists and fanboys — more than 10,000 people are expected — but their heroes have transcended the page to conquer movies, TV and video games. Since 2000’s “X-Men” — and particularly since 2002’s “Spider-Man” — superhero franchises have become predictable blockbusters. This summer was no exception, with “The Dark Knight” grossing $522 million in the U.S. alone and “Iron Man” helping to resuscitate Robert Downey Jr.’s career. Jim Lee, a renowned comic book artist and publisher, has exerted his visual influence throughout the Marvel and DC Comics universes. In an e-mail exchange this week, he weighed in on the future of comic-book films and gave us a glimpse into some of his upcoming projects. Read the rest of this entry »

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Fanboy Feasting No. 10

Every year Comic-Con steps further away from the simplicity of the event’s former glory — looking more and more like a dog and pony show for Hollywood’s upcoming blockbusters.

Does this, in some way, deteriorate from the integrity of an industry once exclusive to only the most hardcore of fans? Possibly. Does that really matter? Not so much. After all, this evolution has helped the comic book industry grow on the whole and has opened peoples’ eyes to comics and graphic novels as legitimate literary works — and even more so as story-and-character-rich fodder as background and subject matter for some of the box office’s most successful ventures (Dark Knight, anyone?).

Here are a few quick snippets about some of Comic-Con 2008’s major movies, along with a few video trailers.

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Fanboy Feasting No. 9

I went to the movies twice this weekend (please don’t ask what the second movie was) and got a good taste for some of the Batmania sweeping across the area. Sold out show times and long lines don’t even begin to cover it.

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Fanboy Feasting No. 8So anyone who’s anyone knows The Dark Knight is hitting the big screen this Friday. Whether you hate superhero movies or love’em, this movie has been essentially impossible not to know about.The Dark Knight has been big in the news, not only from simple anticipation, but also from the death of actor Heath Ledger, who plays the maniacal Joker, the arch enemy to our beloved dark and broody Batman. Even if you’re numb to the entertainment world you’ve probably seen the billboards on the side of the highway or posters with “HA HA HA” and “WHY SO SERIOUS?” scratched in bright red over top images of Batman or the Joker. Read the rest of this entry »

Ever wonder what the Garfield comic strip would be like without Garfield in it? Fret not, me neither — until a friend of mine swore it was funny in a dark sort of way and passed along a link to prove it.

I have to say, my friend was right, so now, I pass the link on to you, bthesite.com readers. It may take digesting about 10 of them to appreciate the humor and let the weirdness sink in, so give it a chance (I recommend clicking on the “older comics” link once you reach the bottom.)

If that’s not enough to entice you, maybe the explainer on the site will: “Who would have guessed that when you remove Garfield from the Garfield comic strips, the result is an even better comic about schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and the empty desperation of modern life? Friends, meet Jon Arbuckle. Let’s laugh and learn with him on a journey deep into the tortured mind of an isolated young everyman as he fights a losing battle against loneliness in a quiet American suburb.”

If nothing else, it should make you feel better about yourself.

Fanboy Feasting No. 4

Thank you for helping me forget about the crap-tastic Hulk movie from 2003. The Incredible Hulk might have just saved the franchise.

To be clear, the movie is not without its faults. Ed Norton is still playing the same shifty-eyed, somewhat obsessively crazed character that he always plays and the movie comes shortly after the huge success of Iron Man.

Hulk’s redeeming qualities completely overshadow the aforementioned and relatively insignificant faults mentioned before.

Making a clear (and refreshing) departure from Ang Lee’s imagining of our favorite, not-so-jolly green giant, The Incredible Hulk brings back the fun. Comic book writer’s have already built entire multifaceted personalities for all of their characters. I’m glad director Louis Leterrier chose to embrace this silver platter of opportunity

No review, just a recommendation. If you’re looking for a fun gamma-radiation-infused ride of near non-stop action and fun, just see the damn movie

Earlier this week, a feature on the Blue Monkey Disco Party website compared former Oriole great Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Stark (aka Iron Man of Marvel Comics lore) to determine who was the real Iron Man. The website doesn’t say who gets the win in that matchup, but you’ve got to figure that Cal would have outlasted the comic book hero in the end.

I once heard a rumor that the U.S. government considered using Ripken as a weapon of mass destruction in the Gulf War, but Ripken refused to comment when I asked him about it. OK, I might have made all of that up.

Anyways, what do you think? Who’s the real Iron Man here?