The Trials & Tribulations of Cupcake

Its been a fun week up here in the Great White North. Halloween was a blast. The town of Wilton (where I live) had their annual Halloween Parade Wednesday afternoon. The entire downtown area is shut off and police cars and fire engines lead all the kids from the elementary school on a short parade from the school yard, down Main Street, and then back up to the school while us parents “ooh” and “ah” from the sidewalk. It sounds hoakie as hell, and it is, but its also super cute.

We went to not one, but two kick-ass parties. The first was with some new friends at a place called Curtis Hill Farm. The family that owns this gorgeous place set up a spooky disco in the ginormous barn and there was much drinking, dancing, and pumpkin carving. The second was at the home of some old friends. By far the best costume was donned by my old friend Uncle Monkey (we seem to have lots of animal-family members; see Aunt Chicken from last blog). Monkey was decked out as a member of DEVO, in yellow radiation suit, safety glasses, and red “power dome”.

Its funny and a little disturbing to see myself and my friends waddling into middle-age. We all basically look the same but hair is getting thin and we all look slightly swollen, like fruit that was left out in the hot sun.

The Widget and I attended the second party as zombies. Though at the last minute Widget decided that zombies were a tad too scary and opted for a skeleton instead.

After a week in our house Grand Masta Cupcake (who I am now calling Cheezeburga Head) is finally settling down. She still spends most of her time sleeping in the back of my closet, unless Dorinda and the Widget are home. Partly I think this is because I’m pretty quiet while I work so she doesn’t even know I’m home. Those other two are like chaos in motion, and the insanity they ooze is too interesting for a young cat to ignore.

When she is out and about during the day Cheezeburga Head has been getting into everything. Our old cat, Maceo, was old and fat, and primarily a ground dweller even before he lost his leg. Cheezeburga Head, however, is a jumper. A huge amount of energy is devoted to chasing the birds outside out house from window to window, or stalking them from atop my scanner. Her other favorite thing to do is throw herself under your feet whenever you are on the stairs –an area of the house which she has claimed as her own.

“Push off Fatheads, I ownz dis.”

We learned just how much shit a cat can push over the back of a dryer . . .

“I cee you brdz. . .”

Oh, wayt, wazzat ovr hear?”

“Ooh, more brdz!”

“Oh hai, watchu doin’?”

“Ur doin’ it wrong. Let me halp.”

“I can has yur coffee, kay thanxs.”

The Superest. What is this insanity? Try clicking the “What Is This?” link.

On the Robo front, Team Robo will be at the Big Apple National on the 16^th-18^th. We’ll have some copies of Robo #1 (second printing, new cover), copies of Robo #2, and probably copies of the other Red5 titles as well. I’m really looking forward to this one. Clevinger is a good friend and hanging out with him is a lot of fun. But Florida is too damn far away to see him very often.

This crap always roll in the day AFTER I post a blog and then I have to wait all week to tell you guys. Real pain in the ass I tell ya’. Anyway, Atomic Robo is back on Newsarama with a review of Issue 2. There was no fun art to look at in this one so I’m just pasting the entire review right here:

Warning Shot!

Atomic Robo #2
From: Red 5 Comics
Written by: Brian Clevinger
Art: Scott Wegener
Street Date: November
Reviewed by Tim Janson

The first issue of Atomic Robo was one of the most enjoyable new titles that I’ve read in months and I’m happy to say that issue #2 proves that the first issue was no fluke. The Atomic Robo was created by genius Nikola Tesla in 1923 and is full intelligent and free-thinking. He’s granted American Citizenship and becomes a force for good against all manner of monsters and the unexplained. I’d almost like to call him Atomic Retro as the design of Robo is influenced by the look of 30’s and 40’s sci-fi pulp art.

This issue cuts back and forth between the present and 1940. In the present, Robo is out in the Reno desert battling giant ants in a tribute to the 1950’s classic “Them!” While Robo battles the ants with the only weapon that seems to work (hitting them with a Buick) the scientists accompanying him argue over whether giant ants should even be able to exist, ignoring their own eyes in a hysterical debate over the laws of physics…and pretend physics. This hit on why I have enjoyed the book so much through the first two issues…the dialog is so witty and funny. One of the scientists questions why his colleague thinks the ants can shoot beams from their eyes…his reply: “They’re giant insects, of course they have eye beams!” That’s just gold!

Meanwhile in the 1940’s, Robo is a member of the Flying Tigers, the volunteer group of American pilots who actually were discharged from their regular military service in order to join the AVG (American Volunteer Group) as part of the Republic of China Air Force. In China, Robo is piloting a Curtiss P-40 fighter (that famous WWII plane whose nose was painted to look like a shark’s mouth) against rival Japanese aircraft. This will lead to a poignant moment back in the presences as Robo comes to grips with his relative immortality.

Brian Clevinger is a good, old-fashioned storyteller and I love his nods to comics, art, and film of decades gone by. Robo is like the Bruce Willis of the robot world…going into a fight armed with a laundry list of snappy one-liners. The style of the story is perfectly complemented by the art of Scott Wegener. His lines are very clean and I love how he frames his action. Great colors as well. I strongly urge that you give this book a look.

Over at PopTown they had at least one panel from Issue Two, and another very favorable review.

You can also listen to an audio review at Me Geek, You Geek. Its the first book reviewed so you wont have to search around for it.

So far its looking like Issue One was not a crazy fluke, and that if we remove the Nazis (which Hellboy seems to have some sort of illogical proprietary relationship with anyway), Atomic Robo is still a good book.

The Project What can’t Be Named (still!) is going well. I’m on page 4 of the second book and so far its non-stop mayhem and destruction. 3 dead super-villains in 4 pages it pretty cool.

RANDOM SPLENDOR

When I was a kid there was a game for the Nintendo called Bionic Commando. This game blew my little mind at the time, and I became obsessed with the idea of being not just a commando, or just bionic, but being a commando what was also bionic. That would be boss. That must be 20 years ago. And now its back. Joy!

Speaking of games, I got rid of Halo 3 today. I traded it it for Beautiful Katamari. I have no regrets. Now if Halo had contained a fraction of the awesome in THIS game trailer I would have built it a small hermetically sealed shrine to its awesomness in my living room. Unfortunately it was about as awesome as THIS.

Sometimes I forget just home much I really love DAFT PUNK.

Documentary detailing the History of LOLCATS.

TEH AWESOME

So if I steal from Hellboy AND some other book it will be okay, right?

If men drew male superheroes the way they draw female superheroes, this is how they would look.

And if God loved me, I would never have found this picture to share with you. . .