Tuesday, September 30, 2014


The latest (and 125th!!) episode of The Adventurers! Link on over to read all kinds of Kelly Tindall comic-y goodness.

Monday, September 29, 2014


I've told people before of Saturday morning cartoon memories of a show where Fonz, Richie and Ralph Malph from Happy Days had time travel adventures with a girl from the future and a Hanna Barbera-esque semi-talking dog. Such crazy talk was countered that this was a false memory from an early morning sugary cereal induced hallucination,that no such show can possibly exist. Yesterday,I finally watched an episode of Th Fonz And The Happy Days Gang. In the hey-day of the insane Saturday morning animation offerings of the 1980's, such madness was plentiful. Can you imagine the cast of How I Met Your Mother or Parks And Recreation undertaking such a project today? Not that I wouldn't be intrigued.

Sunday, September 28, 2014


A preview page from Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier #1. Looking very forward to seeing Marco's art on this ongoing book. I'm buying anything he draws (not just 'cause he's a friend).

Saturday, September 27, 2014


The A.V. Club wrote some glowing praise for my pal Marco Rudy's latest comic book work, the first issue of the ongoing Bucky Barnes: The Winter Soldier.

Friday, September 26, 2014


My pal Kris Waddell is making his inaugural appearance in Previews Magazine, a very exciting time for any comic book writer. This means that you can easily walk into any comic book store in North America and order up a copy of Big Box Apocalypse for yourself. Another proud day from my talented stable of geeky friends indeed. The order code to get the book through Diamond is: OCT14 1548. Go buy one!

Thursday, September 25, 2014


Finished watching the Netflix animated series Bojack Horseman. I initially tuned into the show because it featured an A-list comic voice cast,including Will Arnett, Amy Sedaris, Alison Brie, Paul F. Tompkins, Patton Oswalt, & Kristen Schaal. Before watching,I thought I might soon give up on the show,since it seemed like it might be along the Seth MacFarlane genre of cartooning, which I'm not a fan of at all. I was pleasantly surprised that show show had much more depth, and an unexpected amount of drama. It's still a show about a talking hose-guy, but it reminded me of the best of cautionary Hollywood fame and fortune fall from grace tales. And, it seems to be another example that traditional teevee is in its final days, and that the Netflix world is where our home entertainment intake will continue to successfully come from. Network teevee and cable networks must be in a deserved panic at the ever looming extinction of teevee as we have known it.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014


Last night I refrained from being social with friends after a day of work, 'cause I really rally wanted to get to watching the series premiere of Gotham as quickly as humanly possible. I do not regret my anti-social decision. I think that it's the first time in 25 years that I've loved a live-action Batman related project. I was both guilty of grinning like a love-struck fool, and getting choked up, during the program. I am yet again thankful for this overwhelmingly geeky pop-culture age of entertainment that we are in the midst of. I even forgive them for a mustache-less Jim Gordon and Alfred Pennyworth.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014


Ah...the simple pop-culture-geek pleasure of being safely entrenched within a world where one can buy, and have delivered to one's door, the complete series of The Planet Of The Apes teevee series for less than $10 bucks.

Monday, September 22, 2014


Watched the latest episode of Doctor Who - episode 8.5, Time Heist. A few people have said to me that they are hesitant to jump into a 50 year old series...or even just an 8 year old series (which the current incarnation is in). I continue to implore that the series isn't really all that hard to jump in to. Our hero travels through time and space saving the universe with help from companion humans. I only know the show from these modern 8 seasons, and have only seen a handful of the classic more low-budget, black box theatre style offerings from the 1960's and later. I follow the continuity of the mythology just fine. Doctor Who ranks high alongside many of the other excellent shows on during this golden age of television. If you haven't sen it, you should.

Sunday, September 21, 2014


I'm at work at the Mayfair. My friend who currently lives in Ottawa, currently living in Moncton, is visiting for his birthday. He,my girlfriend, and other friends are currently across the street at the awesome House of Targ. It was top of his wish list of things to do while in town, having only heard of the legend of the location in his absence from Ottawa (he moved away a couple years ago). I dropped over for a quick visit and to order some take-out perogies in between shows. His over-load of vintage arcade games, pinball, and beer made him as happy as a kid visiting Disney World while riding a dinosaur and brandishing a lightsaber. I look forward to visiting again soon,when I have some spare time to pinball it up.

Saturday, September 20, 2014


Playing a backstabbing game of 'Zombies!!!' (or more specifically, 'Humans!!!) with four of my bestest friends on a Saturday night. Listening to Weird Al, and Prince, and Kriss Kross, eating junk food, and not a girl in sight. It's just like high school life all over again.

Friday, September 19, 2014


Ysterday I got to be in the presence of actual Boxtrolls! Looking very forward to seeing this movie from the creators of Coraline and Paranorman

Thursday, September 18, 2014


I always get defensive when someone claims that Ottawa is a boring town and that there's nothing to do here. I think there are people like that in very city. People who like to sit at home and complain instead of making a bit of effort to find something fun to do. I always have the train of thought that if you don't like it here,why don't you move to somewhere else? When I hard the hosts of one of my favourite podcasts being similarly angered by people complaining about L.A., I felt akin to his defensive rants defending the city he loves.

Today, for example, I got to attend a screening of short films at the Ottawa International Animation Festival. I followed that up by a separate event in honour of the upcoming movie The Boxtrolls. Where, amongst a fun presentation, behind the scenes stuff and a q&a, the host from the animation studio passed around some stuff show-and-tell style. I got to hold in my hands actual pieces of stop motion animation history in the forms of puppet faces from Coraline and Paranorman. It made fellow animation nerd friends very jealous. I never get to go to as many events as I'd like, but I always make sure to hit the fest at least a couple of times. It is one of the awesome things in this town that you musn't miss out on participating in every year.

Wednesday, September 17, 2014


A few days ago, while stuck in another country and rather stressed out, I learned that Blue Beetle and Booster Gold were going to be in Justice League 3000. As I let me friend know via social media, this good news after a bad event, made me so happy that I almost shed a geeky tear. Really. For, not only are these two of my favourite characters making a return to DC Comics New 52 universe, it's the ones from the old universe. These aren't rebooted characters,but the originals making their way into th future of the current DC universe thanks to the power of comic book science fiction. Plus, they are being written by the masterminds who wrote the Justice League that I grew up on in the 1980's, J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen. 'Tis a good time to be a geek indeed.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014


Went to see Frank tonight, we have it at the Mayfair Theatre for the next couple of nights. Anyone who complains about there being no originality in movies just isn't trying hard enough to watch original movies. They are everywhere! This movie has Michael Fassbender starring as an eccentric lead singer of a band that worships him in a cult like manner, who never removes a giant paper mache mask. That old re-hash of a story. There are plenty of great original movies being made, you just have to go and watch them instead of watching the latest live-action Transformers train-wreck.

Monday, September 15, 2014


The best thing about being back in Ottawa is getting to return to the Mayfair Theatre to watch movies. Tonight my girlfriend and I watched the new Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon road-trip comedy drama, The Trip To Italy. I could watch their dueling Michael Caine impersonations for hours. It screens with us for the next couple weeks. It's very good to be home.

Sunday, September 14, 2014


Recovering from the stresses and hectic nature of the Vegas work-trip that became a stolen passport misadventure. Watched the last few episodes of the latest season and incarnation of Doctor Who. I wish David Tennant had never left, I wish Matt Smith had never left, and now I hope Peter Capaldi never leaves.

Saturday, September 13, 2014


I have successfully made it back into Canada. With little in the way of help from the Toronto airport, which I was warned and reminded from numerous people, is the worst airport in all the land. I now concur with that though. Running around in an airport in a mad panic and being stuck in the longest lines ever notwithstanding, I managed to make my flight with seconds to spare. See you in hell Vegas...and Toronto airport, you can see me in hell too.

Friday, September 12, 2014


A couple of days ago we got to stand in the footprints of R2 greatness in L.A., while we were in the city to get paperwork figured out so I could get back into the Canada. I would rather my passport had not been stolen, but it did at least garner some adventure and a good stories. Happy to report that the temp one-time passport has been received, and I can go home tomorrow. I think it's safe to say that I will not have a desire to rush back to Veas anytime soon.

Thursday, September 11, 2014


I made a new lil' manta ray friend at the Mandalay Bay Shark Reef Aquarium today. This marks the third city that I have played with manta ray's in, after Boston and Atlanta. Yet again, they would not let me bring one home.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014


If ever forced to visit the fine city of L.A. to hand in paperwork at the Canadian Consulate due to having your passport stolen in Vegas, I highly recommend that you visit Pizzanista. I partook in a slice of Vegan Veggie pizza and then went back for seconds.

The adventure from Vegas to L.A. went well. The bus trip allowed for some lovely vista sights, I spotted what I think was a wild donkey. There were tent and trailer set-up's in the middle of nowhere, along with Area 51 calibre seeming locales, cactus scenery, and scary cliffs.

Thanks to my girlfriends dad, we were blessed with a car service to transport us around the city for a couple of hours. Our driver was a lovely motherly lady who was a great help in our quest, and refused to take even one extra step. She made us feel like quite the Hollywood big shots. Got to the Consulate with time to spare, but alas had to go get new passport photo's, the ones I got at the post office weren't approved. Then, of course, had to hit numerous photo places to actually get the things. The clock was ticking, and we got back to the Consulate with only moments to spare. I think that my girlfriend was freaking out a bit, but for better got worse I hit a zen like calm at this crazy misadventure that w found ourselves thrown into. References were contacted and approval stamped and my girlfriend said she would've hugged the kind lady assisting us if there was not a glass window between us.

We had time left with our driver, and the first place that popped into my head to do while having a few tourist moments to spare in L.A., was the Grauman's Chinese Theatre. It was nowhere near where we were, but our driver said it was no problem. It made for a great quick tour of the city, got to pass by all kind of landmarks like the Capitol Records building, the Griffith Observatory, the Hollywood sign, and a bunch of uber-rich homes in the hills. At the theatre were got to stand in the footprints of the greats, ranging from John Goodman, to Marilyn Monroe, to R2D2.

We saw no less than four film shoots. No celebrity sightings, but one director sitting in a director's chair behind some monitors, who was such a stereotype that he might as well of been from a Saturday Night Live sketch. He had one a scarf, berret, giant sunglasses, a diamond encrusted wrist watch, and hipster facial hair.

We ate at the aforementioned Pizzanista, played some bus station Galaga and Ms Pac Man, and then were back to Vegas. I don't recommend falling victim to theft, but if you do, at least partake in a fun adventure in its aftermath.

Tuesday, September 09, 2014


Las Vegas isn't a real city, which means that they don't have rules or morals or laws or consulates. Hence, I gotta' go all the way to L.A. to hand in all the paperwork n' stuff needed to get a document so I can get back into Canada. I've hit a zen like attitude to this theft related inconvenience, and am looking forward to a one day Californian adventure tomorrow.

Monday, September 08, 2014


Sure, I don't currently have a passport and might be stranded in Vegas for the rest of my life. Good news though, the 7-11 has vegan fruit pies and chocolate pies! So, I'll at least be able to eat heartily as long as I'm stuck here in this heat soaked neon wasteland. Also, I got these snazzy Batman and Robin socks! Glass half full!

Sunday, September 07, 2014


If you ever have your backpack stolen while outside of your home country, I highly recommend that you don't take your passport out of it first. My backpack, and the wallet and passport within it, were stolen from the convention centre I was working in tonight. Which, of course, is a bit of a financial loss and a major inconvenience. I think I've already gone through all the stages of loss: denial,anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I got a secondary wave of emotions when I realized that they took my beloved Boba Fett usb key and my Green Lantern notebook. The bastards could've at least left those behind. Lesson learned, as history and media has hinted at, Vegas is a horrible place filled with horrible people.

Saturday, September 06, 2014


Dear Chipotle,

Please open up one of your fine establishments in Ottawa.

Your pal,
Josh

Friday, September 05, 2014


If you hear the word monorail without thinking of the classic Simpsons episode, there is something wrong with your brain. The monorail in Vegas has no driver, takes sharp turns, and is shaky enough to feel like an old timey carnie roller coaster. I'm not sure if that is a negative or a positive.

Thursday, September 04, 2014


Playing some old school pinball at the Riviera Hotel's pinball museum (which is really more of a pinball corner). Yes, I eventually got slightly higher than 12 points.

Wednesday, September 03, 2014


My girlfriend and I got up horribly early to go to the airport to trek to Vegas for a week and a half of work. Nothing too exciting, helping at setting up a giant glass themed trade show. The money is decent though, we get a nice per diem, and get a decent bit of time off in between the working to do Vegas-y things.

The heat was staggering. I've never felt heat like that before. I could barely make it over to the mall,only a few blocks away. We went to a great vegan friendly place called the Red Velvet Cafe for dinner. Visited the Lego Store, where I got a Star Lord key-chain. It's still a bit unbelievable that Star Lord is available in Lego form. Also stopped into the Disney Store. It's bizarre to see The Punisher and Deadpool on a t-shirt for sale there.

For a more Vegas touristing themed event, we went to the kid themed hotel casino Circus Circus for classic arcade video gaming and trapeze artist watching. My girlfriend is addicted to Skee Ball, and won roughly on bazillion game tickets. Which bought her a teddy bear and candy.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014


Any comic geek who thinks that there are no good titles being published under DC's The New 52 line clearly isn't reading Tomasi and Gleason's run on Batman And Robin.

Monday, September 01, 2014


Go read the complete first issue of Josh Pruner's first issue of The Robots Of Futuretown right now!