The Last of the Innocent

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Whenever Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips get together for a crime comic series they create magic.  Well, the boys are at it again with their latest arc Criminal: The Last of the Innocent.  Based on Brubaker & Phillips track record, I like many of you, pre-ordered it, sight unseen.  Well according to this five star review at CBR.com, we made an excellent decision in getting on board early.

If you haven’t ordered yours yet, it’s not to late to contact your local comic shop.  You’ll be glad you did.

Playing for Change: Gimme Shelter

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This cover of The Rolling Stones’ Gimme Shelter by Playing for Change really works.  It’s a cool video made cooler when you know the process of getting people from around the world to join in…

  • Gimme Shelter was recorded by unknown artists in a virtual worldwide street studio all around the world. It all starts with the base percussion, which is recorded first and sets the rhythm to it all, played by Greg Ellis in Hollywood. Then, the track flies all over the world, where other artists use it to play their own parts of the song.

[Via Gizmodo]

Vincent Price: 100 for his 100th

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On Friday, May 27, 2011, if he was still alive, Vincent Price would have celebrated his 100th birthday.  Zach Bellissimo decided to honor the milestone by creating 100 Vincent Price drawings of the horror legend in the roles that made him famous.  What a cool idea!

Well done, Zach.  I’m sure Vincent Price would have gotten a kick out of them!

Billy Fowler Got Carter

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I met Billy Fowler at Heroes Con last year. I hadn’t seen Billy’s art prior to the show, but I really liked the sketches that he was doing. Luckily, I was just able to get on Billy’s sketch last. He worked up this really great take on Sly as Jack Carter.

Billy is scheduled to be at Heroes Con again this year. I wonder if lightning can strike twice. You can see more of Billy’s art at his blog.

UFC 130 Results

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There was maybe one person who had a worse night that me when it came to UFC 130.  Who?  Oh, I’d say maybe Stefan Struve… maybe. Let’s see what made it so bad…

  • Thiago Alves [18-7] vs. Rick Story [12-3]
    Prediction: Alves wins by decision
    Result: Story wins by unanimous decision making me 0-1 for the night.


  • Jorge Santiago [23-8] vs. Brian Stann [10-3]
    Prediction: Stann wins by TKO.
    Result: Stann wins by TKO making me 1-1 for the night


  • Travis Browne [10-0] vs. Stefan Struve [21-4]
    Prediction: Struve by TKO
    Result: Browne by KO in the first round making me 1-2 for the night


  • Frank Mir [14-5] vs. Roy Nelson [15-5]
    Prediction: Mir by decision
    Result: Mir by decision making me 2-2 for the night


  • Matt Hamill [10-2] vs. Quinton Jackson [31-8]
    Prediction: Hamill by decision.
    Result: Jackson by unanimous decision making me 2-3 for the night

Final Thoughts:

  • Rick Story is a tough kid who just won’t quit!
  • Brian Stann has a great future ahead of him.
  • Stefan Struve got KO’d!
  • I wish Mir could have ended the fight against Nelson.  Unfortunately, Nelson was tough enough to hang in but not in shape enough to make it really competitive.
  • Hamill fought a dumb fight.  I thought he’d have tried to stay on the outside of Jackson and just keep kicking and punching.  Instead, Hamill continued to shoot for takedowns [which Jackson easily stuffed] and then would get clocked each time he tried to disengage.
  • Bring on Caine vs Do Santos!

UFC 130 Predictions

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  • Thiago Alves [18-7] vs. Rick Story [12-3] If Alves didn’t weaken himself making weight and he doesn’t have too much ring [mat] rust, he should do okay.
    Prediction: Alves wins by decision


  • Jorge Santiago [23-8] vs. Brian Stann [10-3] Stann is a star on the rise and Santiago hasn’t fought in the UFC in five years.
    Prediction: Stann wins by TKO.


  • Travis Browne [10-0] vs. Stefan Struve [21-4]  These are two giants!  Browne is 6’7″ and Struve is 6’11”.  If there’s a KO someone has a long way to fall.
    Prediction: Struve by TKO


  • Frank Mir [14-5] vs. Roy Nelson [15-5]  This should be the main event.  I like both of these warriors, but Mir is my favorite fighter.  Nelson can take a punch and has a great ground game.  Mir is a submission artist but does he want to go to the ground with Big Country?
    Prediction: Mir by decision


  • Matt Hamill [10-2] vs. Quinton Jackson [31-8]  Jackson has the experience and usually does well against wrestlers.  What worries me is that Rampage has been talking about quitting the fight game in a few years.  In my opinion that signals trouble.
    Prediction; Hamill by decision.

    HeroesCon: One Week to Go

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    In just one short week I’ll be heading up to Charlotte for my annual pilgrimage to HeroesCon.  I can’t wait.  It’ll be nice to get away for a “long” weekend… especially since I’ll be spending it at Heroes.   There’s always plenty to do to stay busy and the guest list this year is the best ever.

    If you’re planning to attend, here are some great tips [posted by Neil] so you can get the most out of the show.

    Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide

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    That’s Fiona Staples’ cover to Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide.  This one shot comic looks to be a winner.  Fans of Steve Niles’ Cal MacDonald stories [both prose and graphic] and Eric Powell’s The Goon comics will want to order a copy of Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide since it features both characters in a story where…

    Criminal Macbre/The Goon: When Freaks Collide is cowritten by Steve Niles and Eric Powell with art by Christopher Mitten.  In addition to Fiona Staples’ cover, there will be a variant cover by Eric Powell.   This bad boy is going to fly off the shelves so get your order in early if you want a copy!

    Mike Torrance Takes a Shot at Barney Ross

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    Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd created the art above earlier this week. It’s his take on Sly as Barney Ross from The Expendables.

    Mike Torrance can do it all – pencils, inks and colors. You can see more of Mike’s art at The Daily Sketch with The Krayola Kidd and his Deviant Art site. Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable. You’re also going to be happy to know that once a month Mike has a contest for someone to win a free sketchcard!

    RIP – Randall Poffo aka Randy “Macho Man” Savage

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    Randall Poffo aka Randy “Macho Man” Savage, a true professional wrestling superstar, died today following a car accident.  TMZ reported that, according to Lanny Poffo [Savage’s brother and a former wrestling superstar in his own right], Savage had a heart attack that led to him losing control of his vehicle and crashing.  Savage’s wife, who was traveling with him survived with minor injuries.

    Randall Poffo was a true athlete.  He almost had a career as a professional baseball player, but luckily for fans of professional wrestling, opted to follow in his father, Angelo Poffo’s footsteps.  Rather than use his father’s famous name, Randall opted to take on the persona of Randy “Macho Man” Savage.  His success is evidenced by the fact that both professional wrestling fans and those who hate the sport, all know The Macho Man.  Randall was one of the first superstars to cross-over to the main media and could be seen in movies, tv shows and commercials.

    I had the great fortune to meet and spend some time with his brother, Lanny Poffo [a professional wrestling superstar in his own right],  Lanny shared some stories and history with me, but what I remember most from talking with him (other than what a truly decent human being he is) was his love for his father and brother.  Lanny made sure to tell me what a great man he thought Randall was and not because of the things that he did in the ring, but more importantly because of the things that Randall did outside of the ring that no one knew about.   I was truly touched.

    My thoughts and prayers go out to the family, friends and fans of Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Lanny Poffo.

    Brock Lesnar Taps Like Gregory Hines on a Hot Plate

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    After Brock Lesnar nearly got whipped by Shane Carwin, I thought that Brock developed a bit of humility.  Then when Cain Velesquez beat Brock in every aspect of the game and pounded him into the fetal position before a ref stopped the fight, I was pretty sure that Brock became more humble.  I was wrong.

    The first paragraph of Brock’s forthcoming autobiography ends with this sentence…

    • “I handed this guy, who will never be half the man I am, a victory he didn’t deserve.”

    Brock is talking about Frank Mir.  You know, the guy who made Brock, in the first round, tap like Gregory Hines on a hot plate.  Sure, Brock won the rematch by ref stoppage in the second, but which loss was quicker and more humiliating?  Exactly.

    At any rate, Brock Lesnar has an autobiography coming out soon.  It’s called Deathclutch: My Story of Determination, Domination and Survival.  Any bets on how much humility he shows in it?