Nerd Trash

I guess I'm a comic book guy now (again)

2024-11-04T12:00:00.001-05:00

But not THE Comic Book Guy.

For one thing, I still have a full head of hair. On the other hand, I'm probably a few chili dogs and large supreme pizzas away from having that gut.

Nonetheless, the title of this post is accurate as I've returned to my original fandom and started reading comic books again. I grew up with an older brother who collected and as a result, grew up with somewhat ready access to comics. As time passed, however, that access dwindled and I found myself moving on to other pastures. But now, thanks to the internet and apps, I can once again indulge in a former hobby.

In other words, I finally signed up for both Marvel Unlimited and DC Infinite a while back and have been reading. For the most part. As you can guess with such a buffet before me, I've had a hard time choosing what to read so sometimes I just won't and kick the can down the road. Fortunately, I've started to stomp the can instead and made a point of opening one app or the other and read.

It's also has had the unexpected but not unwelcome effect of making me want to revive Nerd Trash. I've toyed with the idea before, but now with my return to comics, I think I can do it. More on that later, after I've done some more thinking and planning.

Shout out to Kurt Busiek and George Perez for creating a meme decades before anyone else

2024-11-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

Who knew that when Kurt Busiek and George Perez teamed up to do the 1998 Heroes Return relaunch (volume 3, issue #1) of the Avengers, they'd create a meme decades before the original was itself even created?

Obviously nobody, but that panel from the comic gave me a sensible chuckle.

Alas, say it ain't so: HeroPress calls it a day

2023-11-13T15:05:00.005-05:00

And so we say farewell to one of the genuinely good geek/nerd blogs out there. I'm a bit late on this, but Tim Knight from HeroPress announced his retirement from blogging last month, bring into an end an epic 16 year blogging run.

I'm not bullshitting when I say that HeroPress really was one of the best blogs out there for the geek/nerd/whatever you want to call it sphere of the internet. Unlike the bigger, mostly corporate owned blogs that just regurgitate the same SEO friendly news and articles, the content that Tim posted felt like it was of genuine interest to him and his readership. Our portion of the blogosphere is diminished without his work, but to quote Kenny Rogers: You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away when the dealing's done.

Nerd Trash salutes Tim and HeroPress and wish him good luck and favorable winds wherever he may go!

Thoughts: 11-13-2023: Tattoos

2023-11-13T14:35:00.000-05:00

I've had the idea/urge lately to get tattoos. I've always been hesitant about it because I don't want a shitty tattoo or one that I'm not going to like as time passes. I've got way too many people in my family and have seen way too many people with shitty tattoos because they either knew a guy with a tattoo gun and no talent or decided not to invest the money into getting good tats. I'm also apprehensive about getting a tattoo that I'm going to end up not like days, weeks, years, decades down the road. I'm 40 and the last thing I want is to get a tattoo now, then spend the next 30-50 years regretting it until they plant me six feet in the ground.

So that probably leaves out overly complex tattoos and sleeves. With the former, it's a shame because I've seen cool ass designs, like watercolors and elaborate geometrics. But elaborate and complex are going to be too expensive and heighten my aforementioned apprehensiveness, so say nothing of the time and patience that the god knows how many sessions it would take to get that kind of work done. With the latter, sleeves just might be too much for me to deal with for the same reasons.

What I am thinking about is getting some very simple tattoos. Like just combinations of shapes and arrows. I got the idea from a video a YouTuber named Milo Rossi did about Otzi, an ancient mummy found in the Alps. His body was so well preserved that you could still see his tattoos and Rossi decided to get the same tattooed on his own body. I thought the idea was neat, but I don't want to exactly that. Instead, I want to come up with my own basic designs.

Of course, having said all of that, I do have two ideas for tattoos that are dumb. The first is a barcode on my wrist, not some dumb "Hurr, we're slaves of da gubment, hurr hurr" reason, but just because it's an idea that's floated in my head for decades. The other one is a tattoo on the back of my neck of a data port. Blame science fiction for that. I have no idea how that would look, but I'm not exactly going to be rushing out to make that my first tattoo

Quick thought: Give me a Bad Bat over a Bad Big Blue Boy Scout anyday

2023-08-14T02:12:00.002-04:00

Is it just me or does anyone else think that the whole "What if Superman goes evil" thing is just boring? We've seen it in Injustice and elsewhere and while I get the appeal of a near-godlike and highly esteemed superhero going to the darkside, I just think it's been done enough and it's time to move on. Besides, you know who would be more interesting to see go evil?

Batman. The Caped Crusader going bad is far more terrifying specifically because he isn't a godlike being like Superman. He just has his brain and that thing is always - ALWAYS - coming up with plans and plans for those plans and so on. We're talking about a guy who looked at his fellow Justice Leaguers and friends and thought "How can I best defeat and potentially kill these people if I had to?" This dude would wipe out the JLA, the JSA, the Titans, etc. before they even knew that he had flipped. The supervillains of the DC Universe meanwhile would be like:

And you know what? I would read the ever loving frak out of that comic. Come on, DC, gimme evil Batman!

I should probably update this

2022-11-18T01:12:00.005-05:00

Holy fugnuts, it's been over a year since my last post?!?!?!? Wild. I remember working on a post about the mystery of the Mary Celeste, taking a break...and not coming back for like 15 months???? WELP.

But yeah, that was a weird lapse due to a combination of work, reading, and just forgetting to post. Going forward, I'm going to try and post more often, especially with the nebulous future of Twitter and it's possible imminent demise. I'm not promising daily or even weekly posts, but definitely more than once annually. I'm aiming for longer content mixed in with the shorter stuff that I used to put on here.

So anyways, how are you?

Opps, I guess this is the 1001st post

2021-08-04T18:19:00.005-04:00

Didn't realize it until the other day but that post about Scarlett Johansson suing Disney was Nerd Trash's 1000th post.

Oh well, I was going to make a big deal about it anyways. Hell, I've probably already pissed the tenth anniversary. 😂

Discontent in the House of Mouse: Scarlett Johansson sues Disney over Black Widow release

2021-07-29T17:40:00.005-04:00

With the blockbuster performance of the latest entry in the Marvel cinematic canon, you would think everybody involved would be pleased as punch. Dear reader, you would be wrong for there is one person not happy with the movie's release and that is none other than Black Widow herself, Scarlett Johansson, who filed suit against Disney today.

Her main complaint isn't that the movie was released, but where it was released. Apparently, her contract for the movie stipulated that Black Widow would be released in theaters first, before showing up on Disney+. Instead, Disney released the movie to both on the same day, earning Johansson's ire. It may seem odd at first that she would be upset at how the movie was released, but the mystery dissipates when you learn the real reason beyond it: money. According to the Polygon article, her contract was set up in such a way that she would bank more money depending on how well the movie did...in theaters. I'm guessing Disney+ isn't covered by that, so Johansson potentially lost quite a bit of dough. Can't say I blame her for being angry there.

Weirdness Wednesday: Was Jack the Ripper a Royal Prince?

2021-07-28T20:14:00.005-04:00

Via Wikipedia.

Jack the Ripper is easily one of the most infamous serial killers in history and his true identity is also one of the greatest mysteries. One of my favorite podcasts, Red Web, did an episode about Jack a couple of weeks ago and as they were ticking off all the people suspected of being the Ripper, one stood out: Prince Albert Victor, member of the British Royal Family and second (at the time) in line to the throne of the British Empire. Now, I had heard before that a royal prince was floated as a suspect, but I didn't know much more beyond that because the Ripper killings has never held that much interest to me. But a prince close to becoming to king of the one of the biggest empires in history? Now, you have my attention.

Now to be clear, Albert Victor isn't given any serious consideration as a suspect by Ripperologists, the community dedicated to all things Jack the Ripper. Indeed, he wasn't even proposed as a suspect until 1962, 70 years after his death! In 1976 some guy named Stephen Knight wrote a book called Jack the Ripper: The Final Solution in which he claims that the murders were committed to cover up that the prince had had an illegitimate child with a prostitute. The also claims that the murders were either committed by others on his behalf or by the prince himself. Another theory presented elsewhere is that Albert Victor had contracted syphilis from a prostitute and that it drove him insane, thus the killings.

Via Goodreads.

As I said above, Ripperologists have rejected the prince as a possible suspect because there's more evidence that he wasn't than any that he was. Case in point, he was literally 500 miles away from London, surrounded by family and friends when two of the victims were murdered. There's also no evidence that he had any sexually transmitted diseases.

I actually feel sorry for the poor guy. Imagine dying at the age 28 of pneumonia, then being maligned unfairly seven decades later as one of the worst serial killers in history with no evidence to back up those claims.

Music Monday: Jonathan Coulton - Skullcrusher Mountain

2021-07-26T18:34:00.009-04:00

Weirdness Wednesday: Holy crap, look at that thing on his neck!

2021-07-14T19:59:00.003-04:00

I also posted about this on my history blog, but I thought I'd share it here too. Kim Il-Sung, the founder of North Korea, had a giant...thing on the back of his neck and man, was that sucker B I G.

Like I said, B I G. According to Wikipedia, he had a condition called calcinosis which causes calcium deposits to accumulate in the body. So you're probably wondering why he didn't just get it removed? Well, the official reason is that it was considered too dangerous to remove owing to it being so close to his spine and brain. Unofficially, it's rumored that he was too scared - paranoia made him too fearful that he would get bumped off while under the knife. I guess if you're the founder and leader of a brutal regime, you're bound to be worried about bad karma catching up with you.

Weirdness Wednesday: Shoebills sound like an old war movie

2021-07-07T22:48:00.003-04:00

Imagine having one of these show up somewhere unobserved and it starts making that noise.

Music Monday: Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract

2021-07-05T10:30:00.001-04:00

Maybe I'll do a deep dive about this video and its inspiration one day because it involves Gene Kelly, two cartoon mice, and Disney.

He speaks fluent Japanese

2021-07-01T19:10:00.003-04:00

God, I have to watch this movie at some point.

Music Monday: Dio - Holy Diver

2021-06-28T10:30:00.001-04:00

For all D&D inspiration needs.

Weirdness Wednesday: When computers used to have locks

2021-06-23T11:00:00.001-04:00

Imagine losing the key, though.

Music Monday: George Michael - Freedom! '90

2021-06-21T10:30:00.001-04:00

Batman may be The World's Greatest Detective, but according to DC Comics, he's not a cunning lingus

2021-06-17T15:00:00.001-04:00

Oh boy, this is a wild one, folks. The internet got a bit roiled the other day after it was discovered that DC Comics had requested a scene from an episode of HBO Max's Harley Quinn animated series be removed. So what was it about this one particular scene that triggered an intervention by DC?

Batman going down on Catwoman.

Yes, that's right folks, DC found out that one episode contained a scene in which the Caped Crusader *ahem* swabs the deck, so to speak because according the comic giant, "heroes don't do that". They apparently elaborated that it was a marketing decision because somebody at DC thinks that a billionaire who dresses up as a bat and punches clowns performing orally on a woman who dresses up as a cat will somehow negatively impact their ability to sell merchandise of a billionaire who dresses up as a bat and punches clowns. Okay??? Maybe overthinking it here, guys? Maybe projecting a little? 🤔🤔🤔

Really though, this is a perfect example of the "Streisand Effect" where DC unintentionally brought more attention to the whole oral sex thing by trying to excise it. The fact is that this wouldn't have been as big of an issue as they feared, but they made it one by overreacting. Sure, "Batman eats out Catwoman" would have gotten some attention on the internet, but not as much as "DC Comics made Harley Quinn cartoon remove a scene where Batman goes down on Catwoman".

Masters of the Universe: Revelation looks interesting

2021-06-16T22:21:00.003-04:00

It's got all the right-wingers on YouTube riled up for reasons that I honestly don't care to find out why. It's He-Man, ya dorks.

Weirdness Wednesday - I don't think that's how you're supposed to use celery

2021-06-16T11:00:00.001-04:00

Fortunately, this ad isn't real, but rather from some comic called Devil Chef. With that in mind it's obvious that it's a fake, but given the kind of ads that exist for real, this isn't much of a stretch.

Music Monday: Waylon Jennings & Willie Nelson - Luchenbach, Texas

2021-05-31T21:37:00.002-04:00

;

James Gunn certainly made some...interesting choices for The Suicide Squad lineup, didn't he?

2021-03-31T23:01:00.000-04:00

I remember my reaction back when the lineup for the upcoming Suicide Squad movie was announced last year being a shake of the head and a sensible chuckle. James Gunn really would pick characters like Weasel, Ratcatcher 2, and Polka-Dot Man for a major big budget comic book movie. The other person I can think of right off the top of my head who would make similar choices is Ryan Reynolds.

But honestly? I dig it. Like Marvel, DC Comics has a deep roster of characters that they draw from for their movies and TV shows, so they don't have to rely on more like "marquee" characters such as Superman and Batman for example. It'll be interesting to see where things lead if The Suicide Squad is a big hit. Maybe we'll see more lesser knowns be pulled out of obscurity and given the spotlight.

Will you pay $30 to watch Black Widow on Disney+ this summer?

2021-03-30T22:34:00.001-04:00

I'm just a tad bit late on the news, but Marvel recently(ish) announced that Black Widow will finally hit theaters July 9 and for those aren't willing to risk exposure to Covid because we're still in the middle of a pandemic, it'll be on Disney+ at the same time.

For thirty bucks. Which is like almost four times the cost of a movie ticket.

It does raise the question, however: would you pay that much to watch new movie? Me? Fuck, no. The fact that Disney keeps charging people extra for a movie on a streaming service that they're already paying a monthly subscription to is just plain greedy. Like, there's no other explanation for it other than greed. HBO Max, Netflix, or any of the other streamers have charged their subscribers extra for new releases.

I do want to watch Black Widow, so I'm hoping that it'll be safe to go to the theater by July 9. Knowing our (humanity) collective luck, Earth will be blown up to make way for a hyperspace bypass.

I has a Twittah now

2021-01-26T10:04:00.002-05:00

It can be found here. Obviously I'll be adding a widget to the sidebar today. I also have a Goodreads, so feel free to scope out what I've read and am reading.

Elliot Page comes out as trans

2020-12-01T16:37:00.001-05:00

An unexpected surprise as the star of Juno, the X-Men movies, and The Umbrella Academy (among many other roles) announced via social media that he was living his truth and coming out as trans and would be using he/him and they/them pronouns. The reason why I'm not mentioning his former name is because apparently that's considered a "dead name" within the context of the trans community and that it's considered gaunche to refer to a trans person by their old name. I think there's exception for like historical context, but I'd rather play it safe and respectful by not saying it. Plus, I mean, given that there was only one actor with the surname "Page" in the X-Men movies and on The Umbrella Academy, it's not difficult to figure what his old name was prior to the change.

My hat's off to him and it goes without saying that I and Nerd Trash support both Elliot Page and all trans people because TRANS RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS.