Union Pacific's Great Excursion Adventure

Free Comic Book Day 2023

comics and animation, event, everyday glory No Comments »

Free Comic Book Day is this Saturday, 06 May 2023! You may be asking: “What is Free Comic Book Day?”

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) is the biggest event in the comic book industry—a single day when participating comic book specialty shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free to anyone who comes into their shops! Founded on the belief that for every person out there, there’s a comic book they’ll love, the annual event offers a huge selection of free titles designed to appeal to a broad range of age levels and their tastes.

Most comic shops will allow you to take up to five (5) of the free books, others may allow you to take more. Please be sure to ask the employees of the shop you visit for their particular rules.

In the Salt Lake City area, participating shops include:

Diana and Vanessa will be going to our favorite local shop, Dr. Volt’s. Doors open at 11:00 am, but we will be getting there a little before 10:00, as there will be a line. And costumes are welcome! In fact, Dr. Volt’s will have members of Heroic, a local charity cosplay group, and members of SLC’s own Velleity Studios, publishers of comics like Salt City Strangers, The Gull, and Ruthless. (Check other stores to see who they will have as guests!)

Neal Adams: 1941-2022

comics and animation, everyday glory, people No Comments »

News spread yesterday of the passing of Neal Adams, at the age of 80.

For those who don’t know, he was a legendarily famous artist and writer for both Marvel and DC, as well as his own studio. He championed creator rights and diversity in the field of comics. You may have seen some of his iconic work on such titles/characters as:

  • The X-Men;
  • Batman;
  • Superman, including:
    • Superman vs. Muhammad Ali, and
    • “Kryptonite Nevermore;”
  • Green Lantern/Green Arrow, including:
    • The controversial “My Ward Is a Junkie” comic (Issue 85), and
    • The creation and introduction of GL John Stewart (Issue 87);
  • The Avengers;
  • and dozens of others.

I had the fortune and privilege to meet him, while he was in town for that winter’s Salt Lake FanX. He did a signing even at Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. I had a couple of comics signed and bought three prints of his work. The whole story can be read here.

The comics world has lost one of its great ambassadors and advocates. And, the world at large has lost a good man.

On a Sunday evening…

books, comics and animation, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, football, games, geekery, movies and TV, people No Comments »

Sunday – 19 December 2021
Hello.
Hello again.

December is two-thirds over. It’s almost time for a visit from a certain figure who has been called “jolly” and classified as an “Elf,” although almost all of the Frost Elves I’ve ever seen have a slightly more pale – almost bluish – complexion.

But, let’s face it: All racial types have outliers. So, I guess it isn’t really “a thing.”

Speaking of which: If you’re not familiar with Neil Gaiman’s short story “Nicholas Was,” go find and read it.

Today started with brunch with some of the Clitorati. We were originally going to go to Prohibition, but as we didn’t have a reservation – and didn’t want to wait for 60-ish minutes for a table, we wound up at the Factory of Cheesecakes. And there was coffee. And mimosas. And coffee.

Our conversation covered many topics, including (but not limited to):

  • Movies.
  • Television.
  • Alcohol.
  • Politics.
  • The Politics of Alcohol in Utah.
  • Parenthood.

I’ve missed these conversations – even when we disagree on points – because we tend to have our perspectives broadened by entertaining different viewpoints.

After that, I tried to track down a battery to replace the one in our garage door opener. It was a failed attempt, despite the all-knowing Google telling me that a vendor near home had one. BAH. Fortunately, I found another vendor that carried it and Sara was able to pick it up while running an errand.

The afternoon wrapped up with me watching an NFL battle between the Green Bay Packers and the Ravens. The Packers won… by one point… marking the second time in three weeks that the Ravens have lost by trying to win on a last-ditch two-point conversion. Not the call I would have made, but there’s probably a good reason (or dozens of them) that I’m not coaching in the NFL. And it is surprisingly easy to coach from the safety and comfort of an armchair.

Stray Toasters

  • I’ve been watching Arcane: League of Legends over the past couple of weeks. I have not played LoL, so this was an introduction to the world of the game. I was taken by the animation style and the world-building they did over the course of the nine episodes of the first season.
  • I also recently finished Masters of the Universe: Revelation. I watched episodes of the original He-Man and the Masters of the Universe growing up, but it was more “something to have on” than “I LOVE THIS SHOW!” And, the old cartoon was also part of the “Every show has to have a poignant lesson for kids” cavalcade of shows.

    Revelation, however, was a solid, well-written and well-cast show. That didn’t pull punches. Nor did it try to be the original show… much to the obvious chagrin to many old-school die-hards. (What I really wanted to say there was “People who can’t get out of their own way and past their own head-canon to enjoy something new.” But that would have been a little harsh. Not as harsh as “Whiny people – mostly guys – who are mad that it isn’t exactly the same as their power-fantasy childhood nostalgic favorite cartoon,” but you get the gist.)
  • A commercial for the new Matrix movie just came on, and I’m wondering why it wasn’t just called Matrix: Rebooted.
  • I guess that I should also mention that I saw Spider-Man: No Way Home last week. There was A LOT to take in. Yes, there is something that I wasn’t 100% happy with – and have found that a friend agreed with me on that point – but I really liked the movie. It hit all the right beats and lived up to its hype. And more importantly, it surprised me in places. Well done, Sony and Marvel. Well done.

And now these headlines…

books, comics and animation, education, everyday glory, food for thought, news and info, the world No Comments »

Saturday – 01 August 2020
Today begins a new month in a year that has thrown more curveballs than Dwight Gooden.

Let’s see if it will ease off the gas enough to let us catch our collective breath… if only for a few brief moments.

Stray Toasters

Stay safe.

“Set Adrift on Memory Bliss…”

comics and animation, everyday glory, geekery, movies and TV No Comments »

Sunday – 31 May 2020
This morning, I woke up a little earlier than expected. Nothing was wrong, I was just awake. I went to the kitchen to start coffee a’brewing, opened the blinds, let Evie out of her crate. A pretty typical start to the day.

After taking Evie outside for an uneventful – and non-productive – excursion, I came in, sat on the sofa, and turned on the TV. The past few weeks, I might have turned on CBS Sunday Morning, but my heart just wasn’t up for news today. I flipped past NBC’s Meet the Press and wound up letting it play in the background, while I distracted myself with other things.

At 9:00, I turned to Heroes & Icons to watch an episode of Old Man in Tights The Adventures of Superman, because… Superman.

George Reeve in The Adventures of Superman

As the last few episodes that I’ve watched were in color, I was a little shocked to see that it was a black-and-white episode. When the title card came up, it was one that I didn’t recognize: “Superman on Earth.” So, I sat back and took it in…

It was the FIRST episode of the first season, one that I’d never seen in all of the years I’ve watched the show! It went all the way back to just before Krypton’s explosion, as Jor-El tried to explain the ruling council members that they should make preparations for the planet’s demise.

Sidebar: If you have a young, hot-shot scientist – who isn’t given to hyperbole and whose expertise no one has had any reason to doubt, by the way – and he tells you, “We’re on the clock… start building ships, ’cause we need to raise up and roll out,” you might want to listen to him. Just saying.

Anyway, you know the spiel:

  • Jor-El tells the old dudes.
  • They scoff.
  • Jor-El and Lara put their only child in a prototype rocket.
  • Planet goes ‘splodey.
  • Rocket lands on Earth.

And here’s where things get a little different than what most people currently know about Superman: There’s no Jonathan or Martha Kent.

That’s not to say that there aren’t any Kents, just not the ones modern audiences know. The characters that we’ve come to know as “Jonathan” and “Martha” were originally named “Eben” and “Sarah,” even in the comics. Still farmers. Still in Smallville, Kansas. Just not “Jonathan” and “Martha.”

Man, that would have screwed things up in Batman vs. Superman

But, I digress.

In the 22 minute episode, not only did we see all of the above, but also:

  • a twelve-year-old Clark wondering why he was different than other kids and being consoled by Martha.
  • The death of Jonathan.
  • Clark’s journey to Metropolis, and
  • How Clark met the Daily Planet gang AND scooped Lois on the first appearance of Superman.

All-in-all, I was not only thrilled to see an episode I’d never seen, but I also quite enjoyed how tightly – if dripping in 50’s Sci-Fi cheesiness – it introduced the characters and set up all you needed to know about Superman.

Because we could all use something a little lighter and more fun right now…

business and economy, comics and animation, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, geekery No Comments »

Saturday – 14 March 2020

Given the current state of affairs in the world, I’m reasonably sure that many people are just… weary… from the news of the day.

With that, I would like to turn your attention to this article from Comic Book Resources:

What Strange Restriction Did All Superhero Hostess Ads Have to Follow?

It’s light and fluffy.

I mean bite-size!

Wafer thin, even.

All of that to say, it’s a fun look back at a few ads “…from a simpler time,” and the restrictions placed upon the writers who brought them to us.

Enjoy!

We Bleed Metal

comics and animation, everyday glory, kids No Comments »

Sunday – 20 January 2019
Every once in a while your kids will come up with something that surprises and impresses you. A few minutes ago, I had one of those “onces.”

Team DiVa came to my office to play a little LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 before dinner. They looked up at the shelves around my television and noticed my Legion of Super-Heroes figures.

Ferro Lad (between Matter-Eater Lad and Timber Wolf)

Out of the blue, Diana asked “Why does Ferro Lad have an ‘Fe’ on his shirt? What does that mean?”

I responded that ‘Fe,’ in this case, stood for “Iron,” which he could turn into. (He died many, many issues past…)

She then retorted, “He was a twin. He and his brother had the same powers.”

I was stunned and it apparently showed on my face.

Diana very calmly said, “I read it in one of our books.”

Proud geek father moment: CHECK.

“That’s the thing about weekends and Quik, they both go so fast…”

comics and animation, dining and cuisine, event, everyday glory, family and friends, movies and TV, workout No Comments »

Sunday – 15 July 2018
Man, it’s already after 9:00 and I am sitting here wondering where the weekend went. There’s just one “problem.”

I know exactly where.

Friday, after work, I left work a little later than planned, made a quick stop at a local toy store (again, surprising absolutely NO ONE), met Sara and Team DiVa for dinner, and headed off to Clitorati. After that was all buttoned-up, back home for some Overwatch with friends.

Saturday morning, I did not want to get out of bed… which might have had something to do with staying up late. Maybe. But, I got up, ate and went to work out while DiVa had swim class. For some, as yet unknown reason, I decided to throw squats into the mix. For the record: NOT MY FAVORITE. (Put a pin in this, we’ll be coming back to it shortly.) Back home to shower and change and head off to Dr. Volt’s to judge a tournament. I was pleased; it went well.

Back home to knock out a couple of things and get ready for an evening out with Sara – we finally got around to celebrating promotions that we got back in the Spring. We dropped the ladies off with their grand-parents for the evening and headed downtown. We had dinner and dessert at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar; it had been far too long since we had been there. As usual, the food and service were both excellent.

Next, we decided to check out Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Yeah, yeah… not exactly Oscar fare, but we kind of knew what we were getting into. Kind of. Our best summation was that it wasn’t the best movie we’d ever seen – and it was far from the worst – but we were entertained. C’mon… it’s got dinosaurs, for Pete’s sake! Yeah, you know what I’m talkin’ about. Back home and we both crashed pretty hard.

This morning, I woke up tired. Remember that pin from earlier? Here’s where it makes its reprise: Somewhere in the middle of an already not-great sleep (a series of unpleasant dreams kept waking me up), I encountered “The Revenge of the Squats” – my thighs delighted in making turning over and even lying still “somewhat unpleasant.”

Ibuprofen, my old friend…
I’ve come to be with you again…

We headed back to the in-laws’ for breakfast. Oh… and to pick up the girls. My father-in-law makes a mean waffle. And he makes LOTS of them. Sara’s local sibs and their families were there for breakfast, too. It was a good way to start a busy day.

It was a “busy day” as today was (“is,” still… technically) National Ice Cream Day, which means Sara and I put on our annual Ice Cream Social.

Please note: It was, apparently “The Twins’ Ice Cream Party” Fine. Next year, they get to foot the bill and do the heavy lifting.

That meant a lot of “spending the rest of the morning and afternoon getting ready.” Thus, we did. One thing that we didn’t fully account for were the number of unexpected guests, in the forms of bees and wasps.

Fortunately, there were no cross-species incidents, for which I was supremely grateful. There was ice cream, toppings, pink lemonade, good company and conversation.

After our guests left, there was a little bit of clean up – we pretty much have set up and teardown down to a science after… six or seven years of doing this – and then time to get ready for dinner. I somehow managed to convince Team DiVa that it would be a “good idea” to take their showers while dinner was getting ready. Not quite sure “how,” but I wasn’t about to look a gift horse in the mouth. We ate dinner – salads (light post-ice cream fare = WIN) with chicken. And lemonade. Duh.

Sometime during the post-dinner “What do we do now” period, I stretched out on the couch. My mistake. I fell asleep for almost an hour. That might not have been such a mistake, after all. I woke up in time to find Sara and the girls watching the tail-end of a two-part Sofia the First episode… with mermaids. Yes, I just made that pun and decided not to edit it out. When the episode was over, the girls got ready for bed. Once they were tucked in, it was time for a greatly sought-after cool summer shower. It was sublime, just in case you wondered.

Now, I still have a little bit of free time before I have to make my way to The Dreaming. I should probably figure out what to do with said time…

“I turn my back to the wind, to catch my breath, before I start off again…”

comics and animation, event, everyday glory, food for thought, football, history, music, news and info, trains/model railroads, travel No Comments »

Monday – 28 May 2018
Today is Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.History.com

Stray Toasters

.eof

Enter: October

art, books, comics and animation, event, everyday glory, games, geekery, kids, LEGO and Rokenbok No Comments »

Sunday – 01 October 2017
And, so, we come to Birthday Month…

So far, it’s been pretty good. Chilly, but good. Of course, any month that starts off with sleeping in can’t be all bad.

Today was a low-key, mostly spent-at-home kind of day. After the hullaballoo of last week, it wasn’t a terrible change of pace. Of course, being at home meant that (some) chores had to be tackled. Some were. The world didn’t stop spinning. This afternoon, Team DiVa and I jetted off to the mall for an errand (for me) and some walking around looking at things time (for the three of us) and a little play time at The LEGO Store (for them… mostly). All missions were accomplished nicely. The evening has been pretty quiet. I consider that a good way to end the day and start the week.

Stray Toasters

  • Earlier, I posted my first-ever submission for Inktober. I haven’t really drawn anything in months and haven’t seriously drawn anything in years. This should be fun.
  • Last night, we had our final session of the Shadowrun adventure my group’s been playing. The whole team survived; that’s a good thing. (For them.) I’d been co-GMing our group with my friend, Josh. He’s bowing out of running things and it seems that I’m going to be GMing the whole shebang from here on out. May the deity of my players’ choices have mercy on their souls…
  • I completely spaced off a few things in my recap of Salt Lake Comic Con ’17:
    • I got to meet Michael Stackpole and have him autograph a book I’ve had for many years.
    • I also met Yale Stewart, writer and author of JL8, a webcomic based on the Justice League… as grade-schoolers.
  • I know it’s probably going to get nerfed, but I love what the latest Overwatch update has done for Mercy (my main).
  • Two or so months ago, I discovered a new-to-me webcomic: Star Power. I’ve quite enjoyed it.
  • I’m still rather amused by how Team DiVa has taken to DuckTales – both the old and new series.
    • I think that we’re only a few episodes away from seeing my favorite Duckberg denizen: GizmoDuck!

Okay, time for  a snack and a little gaming before bed.

Namaste.

Father’s Day: Coda

comics and animation, event, everyday glory, family and friends No Comments »

Sunday – 18 June 2017
Today has been a great day.

Sara and Team DiVa let me sleep in this morning. Since I was gone – and on the go – all last week, this was a boon. DiVa wanted to give me breakfast in bed, but Sara prepared French Toast and I’m not so sure that would have been such a great idea. So, we all ate at the table. The ladies presented me with cards and a gift bag. In the bag:

Superhero-themed Father’s Day swag: Superman t-shirt, Guardians of the Galaxy boxer-briefs, DC Super Hero LEGO, Reese’s Minis, and a hand-painted picture from Team DiVa

They know me so well.  🙂

After breakfast, Team DiVa came up with all sorts of suggestions… of things they wanted to do today. Sara reminded them that today was Father’s Day and that I got to choose what our adventure would be. To be honest, I didn’t really have an agenda for the day, so I was happy to do something they wanted. Thus, we wound up at Utah’s Hogle Zoo. On the way, we stopped off to wish Sara’s father a Happy Father’s Day and give him his gift and card. Then we were off.

The zoo has a new exhibit called “Bugzilla,” comprised of large – giant, really – animated insect statues.

There be bugs here…

 

 

Team DiVa and me… and an elephant statue.

 

On the Hogle Zoo Train… because TRAIN! 😀

 

Selfie with Sara!

 

After we returned home, the little ladies played Disney Infinity while I read last week’s comics. Then it was time for dinner – Butter Chicken Curry! – and baths for the little ones. They followed that up with an episode of Super Hero Squad and then they were off to bed. Sara asked what I was planning for the rest of the evening, before noting that I could wind up my day with a cigar and a cocktail… and that’s exactly what I did.

It was the perfect way to end an excellent day.

Selah.

Midweek: Mother’s Day and Other Things

art, baseball, books, comics and animation, computers, everyday glory, games, geekery, history, movies and TV, music, opera, trains/model railroads, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Wednesday – 17 May 2017
Stuff and Things.

This past weekend was… busy. But also awesome. Saturday saw the usual ballet and swim morning routine. I missed the swim portion, as I was judging a game tournament. Then there was a little break – filled by running a couple of errands. Next, early dinner and dropping Team DiVa off at their grandparents’ house, so that Sara and I could see Utah Opera’s Don Giovanni. Again. (We saw the final dress rehearsal, with the little ladies, but went back Saturday for opening night.) I enjoyed the production. They updated the sets and costumes to place it in a noir setting. This changed a couple of scenes, but worked for me on the whole.

Sunday, was Mother’s Day.  Sara had been wanting to go to Spiral Jetty for a while and Golden Spike National Historic Site is just a (long) hop, skip, and a jump from there. Thus, we were up early to pick up DiVa and meet friends at Golden Spike and Spiral Jetty. The first time we went to Golden Spike, the locomotives were in the Engine House for the season; that was not the case this time. We arrived just before the Jupiter made its appearance.

About half an hour later, No. 119 rolled up.

The presentation that the rangers provided also informed us that the engines were fired differently: Jupiter is wood-fired, while No. 119 is coal-fired. You could also tell this from the way they smelled as they approached – Jupiter smelled like a camp fire, No. 119 smelled like a coal-burning oven.

 

After a while, we made the drive to Spiral Jetty. Fifteen miles. Forty minutes. Over bumpy dirt road. The water level was a little higher this time – still not up to the jetty, but only 20 or so yards away to splash pools and just past that to deeper water.

 

 

 

All in all, it was good weekend.

Stray Toasters

And that’s a wrap.

Happy Green Lantern Day (or, that day about that one guy…)

comics and animation, event, everyday glory, geekery, toys No Comments »

Friday – 17 March 2017
There are a lot of good things about today:

  • It’s Friday. That, in and of itself, is a great thing.
  • Salt Lake Comic Con FanX kicks off today.
  • The sun is out (at least it is in SLC).

But, far more importantly, it’s the second most important day in March (third, depending on when Easter falls): Green Lantern Day!

On Greenest Day…

Of course, there are those (uncreative types, I’d say) who would say that it’s simply “St. Patrick’s Day.” And that’s fine; I’m alright with sharing the day.

Whatever you’re celebrating, I hope that your day is fantastic!

Namaste.

Catching up.

comics and animation, computers, dining and cuisine, everyday glory, family and friends, games, geekery, history, movies and TV, notable, the world, toys, travel No Comments »

Monday – 20 February 2017
Today is President’s Day in the U.S.

For my President’s Day #morningcoffee picture, I used Lex Luthor. Because I could.

Today was a slightly busier-than-planned day, but still very good. Team DiVa, after sleeping in until after 9:30 on Sunday morning, were up at 7:30 this morning – Diana decided to play with the Kindle, while Vanessa decided that crawling into our bed was her best option. (To be honest, I still appreciate getting kid cuddles when I can, as I know that they won’t last forever.)

After breakfast (cinnamon rolls!), it was a kind of lazy morning… until 10:30, when I got an email from work.

<sarcasm>
Yay.
</sarcasm>

So, I did what any diligent IT guy would do: I made like Kool Moe Dee and I went to work. I got there and looked at the system in question, only to find that there was nothing wrong. At. All.

*grblsnrkx*

Back home in time to surprise Team DiVa with a trip to the theatre to see The LEGO Batman Movie. It was a big hit. (Sara and I enjoyed it, too.) Back home again before heading up to Park City for…

…dinner with Liz, a high school classmate:

With Liz (photobomb by Maya)

We met at the Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City, where Liz and her family are staying this week. It’s the first time we’ve seen each other since high school graduation. We had a nice dinner and caught up a little bit on the last three decades. (Man, it really seems like a long time when you put it that way…)

Diana, Liz, and Vanessa

 

Liz, Maya, and Michael

 

Diana, Maya, and Vanessa

After dinner, said our goodbyes and headed back to Salt Lake City. We got little ladies ready for bed, took care of a couple of chores, I caught up on a couple episodes of The Flash, including one that I somehow missed about three weeks ago.

And that brings us to now.

Stray Toasters

Tomorrow comes soon, I should probably start considering hitting the rack.

Namaste.

Saturday Night Musings

comics and animation, everyday glory, faith and religion, food for thought, games, geekery, history, kids, LEGO and Rokenbok, music, politics and law, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot...?! No Comments »

Saturday – 28 January 2017
Happy Chinese New Year!

Another week comes to a close. Between being sick earlier in the week, having a vmware host decide to go on break – and take a few servers with it – in the middle of a workday, and the political shenanigans that have been going on here in the U.S., I can honestly say that I’m glad to have it in the rear-view mirror (or back-up camera, for some of you).

This isn’t to say that the week hasn’t been without its bright spots. Thankfully, there have been a few.

Stray Toasters

And that’s all for now.

Namaste.