'GRUDGE MATCH' (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

‘GRUDGE MATCH’ (review)

Review by Clay N Ferno

Produced by Peter Segal, Michael Ewing, Bill Gerber, 

Mark Steven Johnson, Ravi D. Mehta

Screenplay by Doug Ellin, Tim Kelleher, Rodney Rothman

Directed by Peter Segal

Starring Robert De Niro, Sylvester Stallone, Kevin Hart, 

Alan Arkin, Kim Basinger, Jon Bernthal

Somehow, Jake “Raging Bull” LaMotta and Rocky Balboa are pitted against each other in a fight to end a 30 year rivalry while both are in their golden years.

Grudge Match is directed by Peter Segal and surprises audiences with funny performances by DeNiro and Stallone alongside Kevin Hart, Alan Arkin and Kim Basinger.  This Christmas release is funnier and classier than the initial pitch sounds, with family moments and longtime rivalries being at the center of the tension in the film.

An ersatz sequel to Rocky Balboa (2006), this comedy starts with a theme of that movie.


Dante Slate, Jr. (Kevin Hart) is the son of late 70’s boxing promoter Dante Slate, and he approaches Henry ‘Razor’ Sharp to provide motion capture for a new boxing game.

Also appearing in the game, Billy ‘The Kid’ McDonnen (DeNiro). The appeal of extra money convinces Razor to join in—as long as his rival The Kid is not at the studio.

Something happened in the past that is unforgivable, and the 30 year grudge weighs on both of the older gentlemen. 

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: HARLEY QUINN #1, G.I. JOE: COBRA FILES #9, ILLEGITIMATES #1 plus DIARY OF NIGHT #1

Today, on a very special holiday edition of Triple Shot, we help Harley Quinnmove into her new place, mourn the loss of one of our favorite G.I. Joe titles, introduce the family to The Illegitimates plus read a different kind of vampire diary at ComiXology with Diary of Night #1.



  

HARLEY QUINN #1
WRITTEN BY: Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti
ART: Chad Hardin
Publication Date: December 18, 2013
Price: $2.99
Publisher: DC Comics
UPC: 76194131887500111
Buy it HERE

Since Death of the Family, the Joker has been missing, presumed dead.  And Harley herself kicked off the New 52 by starring in Suicide Squad.

Last month, Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti gave Dr. Quinzel her own book in the form of an anthology introduction, Harley Quinn #0 with too many guest artists to even fit on the cover.

This month, the story takes off as we recommend Conner & Palmiotti’s new Harley Quinn #1 with series artist Chad Hardin. Harley rides a Harley into her new apartment in Coney Island left to her by an Arkham patient. 

The series is off to a great start, and plenty of action and storytelling in this debut issue.

A Danzig lookalike Big Tony helps get her acquainted to the neighborhood just as she finds out she’ll still have some responsibilities in the building as landlord, mostly financial concerns. She applies to become a doctor in residence at a nursing home with some dangerous patients, and on the next page she is pwning a roller derby team tryout!

Fun stuff to watch Harley start over in the New 52, and also to explore her therapeutic side as she rekindles her practice.

But also this is fun because she hits people with a big wooden mallet.

Excited to see where this goes!

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: TOP 10 EARTH PRIME TIME INTERVIEWS

Taking a look at last year’s list proves that there are no shortage of favorites here, in fact there were some great columns like my Man of Steel review I didn’t get to include. One thing is for sure, it really was an honor to speak with and hang out with some of my childhood heroes for DigBoston’s Earth Prime Time this year.

1. EARTH PRIME TIME: BABYLON CONFIDENTIAL WITH CLAUDIA CHRISTIAN (PARTS 1and 2)
Babylon 5 Actress Claudia Christian talks JMS, getting Clean and Sober and her tales in Hollywood as a young actress.

2. EARTH PRIME TIME: G.I. JOE #1 WITH FRED VAN LENTE Fred Van Lente talks his run onG.I. Joe – the most important comic book being published today!

3. EARTH PRIME TIME: BOSTON COMIC CON WITH NICK KANIEFF (PARTS 1 and 2)
A major terrorist attack stuns and locks down the City of Boston. Nick and Boston Comic Con proved everything will be OK with a change in date and venue combined with an outpouring of supportfrom creators and fans from across the country.

4. EARTH PRIME TIME: INTERVIEW WITH PETER BAGGE (PARTS 1 and 2)
Peter Bagge of Hate takes on the biography of one of history’s greatest controversial feminists. And I got to grab a burger with the guy.

Robin Hood – Outlaw of 21st Century – Variant by Clay N. Ferno and colors by Stacey B. Rizoli

5. EARTH PRIME TIME: ROBIN HOOD: OUTLAW OF THE 21ST CENTURY WITH MATT DURSIN 
The bandleader of LeaguePodcast, Matt Dursin launches a Kickstarter and gets it funded. ThinkSherlock (BBC) for Robin Hood. His concept predates Sherlock, so “Patent Pending!” Thanks to him!

6. EARTH PRIME TIME: PRIMATES INTERVIEW WITH MARIS WICKS & JIM OTTAVIANI 
Maris Wicks and Jim Ottoviani educate, preen and eat bananas in the jungle with this great First Second book.

7. EARTH PRIME TIME: MOTH CITY INTERVIEW WITH TIM GIBSON 
New Zealander Tim Gibson creates a tablet ready comic that is “genre spanning… an instinctual approach to digital-native comics”.

8. EARTH PRIME TIME: MARA INTERVIEW WITH MING DOYLE 
Mara was one of the most praised mini-series of the year from Image Comics. Local comic superstar Ming Doyle gave us a preview of this strong female sports super hero.

9. EARTH PRIME TIME: MIRIAM KATIN ON ‘LETTING IT GO’ AT BROOKLINE BOOKSMITH 3.19.13 
Miriam was so sweet at Brookline Booksmith, I thought I’d cry. Thanks Miriam! This is a story about New York and visiting the home country as well as relationships with your family. A great book or gift for family this year.

10. EARTH PRIME TIME: NATHAN EDMONDSON OF THE ACTIVITY AND WHERE IS JAKE ELLIS?
Two great spy-fi books covered in this interview from Nathan Edmondson, writer of the upcomingPunisher and Black Widow series for Marvel.

Have a Happy New Year, everyone! Thanks again for checking in with us at EPT!

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

THE MIGHTY Q&A: Ben McCool - 13th Dimension

British comic creator Ben McCool has a string of indie Image Comics books you’d be familiar with from the racks (Pigs, Choker, Memoir) as well as more mainstream titles such as Justice League Unlimited. He also has the honor of being the only comic creator who lives in New York that I’ve done any barhopping with, including a stop at Fenway Park’s Bleacher Bar.

In November, Ben and Valiant Comics released a new type of digital comic combining the best parts of digital native storytelling with 8-bit video games of our youth. I quite literally bought an iPad days later. Here at the Mighty Q &A, Ben tells us about Valiant 8-Bit Adventure: Unity.

Thanks for joining us, Ben! Writing Valiant 8-Bit Adventure, a prelude to Unity, must have been different for you. Did you work with the artist Donovan Santiago on the pacing and animations?

My pleasure, good sir! And for sure, the Valiant 8-bit Adventure was a break from the norm for me. In the best possible sense, though! It’s also the first project I’ve written for Valiant, and it appeared to go down very well with fans.

Donovan Santiago was brilliant to work with — the guy’s skills are off the charts, especially as he’s producing such unique and imaginative art. My script was put together in a format I’d never really used before, mainly due to the “motion” effects that incorporate two, three, sometimes even four different images within a single (oversized) panel. And Donovan was certainly a big help in me figuring that out, along with our top-notch editor, Josh Johns. But once I’d got the hang of it the transition was pretty straightforward, not least because the story was so much fun!

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION]

Dan Goldman Discusses 'RED LIGHT PROPERTIES' on The Cosmic Treadmill at FORCES OF GEE

Last week it was announced that IDW Publishing would be printing Dan Goldman’s cult web-comic Red Light Properties.

The weird Floridian paranormal real estate agents will be unleashed in a remastered print edition in January.

Forces of Geek’s Clay N. Ferno put on his fanny pack and asked Dan some questions about the upcoming release and early digital native comics storytelling!

FOG!: Thanks for joining us to talk Red Light Properties, Dan!

Dan Goldman: Well, thank you for having me over, Clay! I promise not to spill my Slurpee on this nice rug. 

IDW is publishing Red Light Properties in January, but the series was started digitally. What’s new about the ‘remastered’ version we’ll see in print? Were the revisions all yours?

Aside from the 20+ pages the world has never seen before, I’ve recolored and re-lettered literally the entire book as well as redrawn many panels, swapped out early 3D modeling work for updated models, clarified some initially sloppy storytelling and tweaked a good deal of the dialogue. Lettering is normally my final pass at my own scripts, so this was, as they say, another chance to get it right.

I worked with editor Joan Hilty as the book came into its final shape, and having her eagle eyes were invaluable as I’ve been deep into RLP for years now, but ultimately all the revisions made were my decisions to make.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

Francesco Francavilla's 'THE BLACK BEETLE' Takes a Walk on The Cosmic Treadmill AT FORCES OF GEEK

Can a review come out in December and not be a gift suggestion?

Probably not! We do the cool down lap on the Cosmic Treadmill this year with our favorite short run series of the year, Francesco Francavilla’s breakout pulp hit Black Beetle Volume 1:No Way Out from Dark Horse Comics.

Francavilla’s composition, colors, and ink brush line work complement his own script—drawing influences from noir film to The Shadow and Batman.

Our hero looks cool, has steampunk weapons and is 100% creator owned and original. The hardcover version serves as a great gift, even for yourself as a sort of ‘reward’ for how generous you have been this season!


The book starts out with the long out of print One Shot - Black Beetle: Night Shift. I read this volume first in issues as No Way Out #1-4, kicking myself for missing a hard copy of the one-shot and issue #1 when I heard the buzz. The precursor to the main series hits hard with Nazis seeking a lizard amulet, a strong female doctor in a museum and hiding in a sarcophagus. It was clear to me that this was the beginning of a larger world with exciting consequences as we enter Colt City — the home base of the mysterious Black Beetle.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

BOOK REVIEW: IPAD: THE MISSING MANUAL, 6TH EDITION

Just in time for gifting purposes, O’Reilly Media delivers this new edition of the popular iPad:The Missing Manual. The timing’s ideal for non-holiday reasons too, as it’s only been a matter of months since the last major iOS 7 upgrade and release of new iPad models. As usual, this guide is an entirely useful companion, in paperback or even better via Kindle or iBooks. For those looking for a short version, the answer is yes–it’s worth buying for a loved one. Or yourself.

Turn your mom into a tablet ninja.

For the first time ever, I’m gently tapping through this review on the sleek glass surface of a new 64gb iPad Air with a rocket-fast A7 chip. An exclusive iPhone user for years, The Missing Manual has been essential reading in my getting intimate with this new tablet or, as I like to call it, my “comic book delivery device.”

As it were, 2013 also saw the release of the long-awaited Retina iPad Mini, which one can assume is inspiring innumerable consumers to choose an Apple tablet for the first time. In those cases, problems they might encounter include: Having little experience with iOS; Trying to replace their computer with an iPad (don’t do it!); not being tech savvy at all. The latter is a phrase I loathe, but what else better describes the “Facebook won’t let me do this or that” worrywarts who are always asking for us, the resident nerds, to help them post in their knitting groups?

Enter The Missing Manual.

Since 2000, the O’Reilly imprint has conquered the difficult task of communicating computing basics and essentials, and they’ve done it better than the For Dummies series (much respect to the helpers there, but it’s nice to not be insulted right in the title).

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 18, 2013

COMICS


Happy Holidays, Mr. J! Treat Yo’ Self to the namesake of Kevin Smith’s daughter, Harley Quinn #1 from Jimmy Palmiotti, Amanda Connor and Chad Hardin! You might get fishnet burn as she takes on the Roller Derby! … Remender returns to wacky sci-fi pulp space adventures in Black Science #2 from Image. … We absolutely have to honor and mention the last issue of Locke and Key (Alpha #2) comes out today. Joe Hill (Stephen King’s Son! & Gabriel Rodriguez) redefined mystery, supernatural and horror comics with this long run. Sad to see it go! … Mistletoe this week from LeaguePodcast!

Facebook Twitter digboston.com Google Plus Copyright © Copyright Dig Publishing LLC, 2013 All rights reserved. 242 E. Berkeley St, 5th Floor, Boston, MA 02118

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Triple Shot With a Digital Chaser: UNITY #2, G.I. JOE #11, BRAIN BOY #0 plus CODE MONKEY SAVE WORLD #2 at FORCES OF GEEK

Christmas comes a little early this year with some amazing comics this week!

In fact, paring this list down to four was hard for the first time in a while.

The Valiant Universe crossover continues in Unity #2, our friend Fred Van Lente takes two spots with his last G.I. Joe #11 and an early adventure in Brain Boy #0.

On ComiXology, Code Monkey get pants and more in his origin, Code Monkey Save World #2. 

UNITY #2
WRITER: Matt Kindt
ARTIST: Doug Braithwaite
Publication Date: December 11, 2013
Price: $3.99
Publisher: Valiant Comics
UPC: 85899200312300211
Buy it HERE

The struggle against X-O Manowar continues this week in the Valiant crossover Unity #2.

Toyo Harada’s first wave of infiltrators, a team of Harbingers was largely unsuccessful, and Ninjak got himself captured by the Visigoth and is now trapped in the Vine ship in Romania.

Does none of that make sense to you?

Don’t worry, with only two issues in, you can start from the beginning and get a sense of story.

Valiant, by design, is making their second wave of comics great jumping on points for new readers, and are attracting more with consistent five-star reviews for this Matt Kindt (Mind MGMT) written crossover limited series.

In issue #2, Livewire, Eternal Warrior and Harada infiltrate the ship and tap into the virtual controls, in attempt to rescue Ninjak and save the planet from Aric’s invasion. 

The virtual reality fight scenes drawn by Doug Braithwaite ramp the action up to eleven, making for a true page turner.

I’m telling you, drop event comics from the big two and hop on Unity. Valiant is doing it right.

Explosive action with real consequences to characters you’ve just met makes for the best kind of comics.

Not sure quite yet? Wait for the reasonably priced trade in a few months.

[READ MORE at FORCES OF GEEK]

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MIGHTY Q&A: DARICK ROBERTSON AT 13TH DIMENSION

Artist Darick Robertson of Transmetropolitan, The Boys, and Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker joins the punk rock Occupy Comics crew at Black Mask Studios for his talking-gun tale in Ballistic. This week also sees the deluxe hardcover release of Happy! from Image Comics, a hard-boiled Christmas story about an imaginary horse friend, written by Grant Morrison. Darick joins us today for the Mighty Q&A.

By CLAY N. FERNO

Clay N. Ferno: Hi Darick! We’re just though with reading Ballistic #3 from you and Adam Egypt Mortimer. As bonus fodder there are some script notes in the back about odd science and weird history. Are you at home working in this hyper-future? Butch and Spider might be related somehow, right?

Darick Robertson: Well, world building is something I’m familiar with, but Spider and Butch wouldn’t really exist together. Transmetropolitan is a future where the world we live in now just kept expanding and expanding, and we built upon and into what exists to maintain an ever-growing population and city life. Butch inhabits a world where it’s utopia by technology. The West as we know it is a crumbled, environmentally destroyed memory and the entire truly surviving civilization is inhabiting a continent born of bio-formed trash and manipulated DNA that rests upon terraformed rock, twice the size of Texas. Where Spider Jerusalem’s Government was ridiculous, it was still a government. Repo City State is run by a cabal of glorified gangsters.

[READ MORE AT 13th DIMENSION]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: NECESSARY EVIL: SUPER-VILLAINS OF DC COMICS

DC Comics released Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, a sleeper study of the anatomy of a villain, on DVD/Blu-Ray and Digital Video in October. Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics features everyone from Andrea Romano and Neal Adams to Zack Snyder and Len Wein as the ensemble cast of interviews and video clips going deep into the minds of Luthor, Riddler, Bane, and Reverse Flash. If you still have a comics fan on your holiday gift list this is a great pick. Dracula Christopher Lee narrates.
 

The New 52 was taken over by the baddies in September in a company-wide event called Villain’s Month, coinciding with the limited series Forever Evil storyline written by DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns. The comics, with special lenticular (plastic, 3D) varied in quality and interrupted the flow of the monthly titles, but as an experiment was not all bad. Joker took over Batman #23.1, written by Andy Kubert and drawn by Andy Clarke.

Count Vertigo – Green Arrow 23.1 – Cover by: Andrea Sorrentino

Pointing the spotlight on the villains, in what seem to be increasingly darker themes in our entertainment these days (see our Man of Steel review) makes sense.

Besides, aren’t we all rooting for the bad guy in the movies? I mean, how cool was Bane?

This four-color exploration into what makes a villain want to subvert our favorite heroes gets into the armchair psychology of the thing with interviews from new and classic Batman writers, top DC executives, and even Zack Snyder—director of this year’s aforementioned Zod movie!

Some extreme fans like myself like to hear ’70s Batman artist Neal Adams go on about Ra’s al Ghul and get the latest from the mouths and twitter feeds of Aquaman’s Geoff Johns and current Batman writer Scott Snyder. For the more casual fan this video takes a look at scoundrels of all kinds, and at points clinical psychology researcher Andrea Letamendi, PhD. offers her expert opinions as to how singular events (like being dropped into a vat at ACE Chemical) can or would affect someone’s development.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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The Cosmic Treadmill Takes a Look at Monkeybrain's EDISON REX at FORCES OF GEEK

I like myself some Superman, heck, I even like Lex in a way.

When it comes to new superhero comics, I have a go-to theme that I like too, and that’s of the Superman gone bad vs. the world and the super villain gone good to stop him.

While that’s not exactly the case here, as seen in The Mighty or Irredeemable, but Chris Roberson and Dennis Culver’s Edison Rex (Monkeybrain comics) transforms the world’s most formidable super bad guy into the man who will save the world. It won’t be easy for him, and it also won’t be easy for him to shake his bad public perception as he puts on the hero hat. IDW Publishing has released the first volume of the digital first Monkeybrain comic, a great independent comics gift idea this season. 

When Valiant, Protector of Earth, is exposed to knowledge of why he is really here (aliens from a doomed planet sent his RNA here to conquer our race) by criminal genius Edison Rex, he chooses to kill himself instead of wait to be activated by his doomed planet’s signal. Fans of recent issues of Superior Spider-Man will catch this trope immediately, as Edison Rex makes an equally hard decision. No longer having to use his inveterate hate for Valiant, he decides to take up the mantle of superhero! Of course his loyal female sidekick M’Laizz has her eyes set on world domination still, and needs some convincing. Much like Strax the Sontaran from Doctor Who, M’Laizz does go along with the plan, no matter how helpful to the puny human race!

This comic is like rolling around naked in a million dollar bills on your bed, or a million comics (though you could probably guess my preference as to the best paper to roll on!). Roberson has tapped into and referenced so many comic stories from the Silver Age to now, and not just Superman, but Thor, Howard the Duck, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Bizarro Superman, Invincible, Fantastic Four, Fortress of Solitude, Cerebro, Superman robots, throw a little Grodd and The Venture Bros. and you have got just the first volume! Rao only knows what’s in store next! (Actually, the next six issues are available on ComiXology, Issue #12 drops on Wed. Dec. 4!)

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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SAT 12/21 - EARLY EVENING SHOW - TT THE BEARS PLACE LeaguePodcast & RockOn! Concerts Present: A Chippunk Christmas

SAT 12/21 - EARLY EVENING SHOW 

TT THE BEARS PLACE

LeaguePodcast & RockOn! Concerts Present: 

A Chippunk Christmas 

Br1ght Pr1mate (Chiptune / Chipmusic / Futurepop) (8PM)

Control Group CD Release (featuring Darren Korb - Bastion) (7PM)

The Demographic featuring Sturgis from MC Frontalot) (6PM)

The World is Square (5PM)

18+ $10 Advance / $12 Day of Show 

*NOTE: 4:30 pm Doors

http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=3887134

TT THE BEARS PLACE

10 Brookline St

Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4152

(617) 492-0082

http://www.ttthebears.com/

https://www.facebook.com/TTtheBears

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BRIGHT PRIMATE

Game Boy Symphony Orchestra Electro-beat Karaoke Death Metal For Your Mom

Night Animals is an album that was 3 years in the making. It is what we set out to do as BRIGHT PRIMATE, and we couldn’t be happier to be finally sharing it with you, our friends and fans and internet associates. Its been an effort of love and we believe that it represents another small step forward in the evolution of chip music from a basement hobbyists pursuit to what we all know it can become. 

There are so many people that have helped us shape this album, so many people who have inspired us or listened to rough mixes late at night or assisted us with their expertise in one way or another, and we would like to acknowledge some invaluable specifics: Carl AKA Radlib AKA Oxygenstar et al. for general solidness of character and always moving forward; Misfit Chris for many 5am chat sessions and lending me his ears on more than one occasion; Smiletron David for being a constant mellow optimist in the wee hours of the night; Disasterpeace Rich for setting the bar pretty high; Dan of the J. Arthur Keenes Band for showing us all just how great a vocal chiptune album can be. Boston8Bit, Toy Company, Bitmasters, 8Static, I/O, Chipwin, REboot, PAX and Magfest peeps; you know who you are. Nerd Rock Radio and Seaking’s Seaglass too. Probably most of all though, thanks to you for listening to this record, whoever you are, because music is just two animals communicating in the night.

https://www.facebook.com/br1ghtpr1mate

YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alFhPUvhDlE

https://twitter.com/BRIGHTPRIMATE

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Control Group

Control Group is a new band comprised of three singer-musicians with

some impressive Indie cred: between them they have recorded three

BBC Peel Sessions, won Best Original Score at the Spike Video Game

Awards, sold 200,000 albums (Bastion), got NME’s Single Of The Week, won a

Rock Band® National Championship, had a Swirlies’ song named

after them, and toured with bands like Girls Against Boys, The Jon

Spencer Blues Explosion, and The Damned.  

Having left their previous projects behind with the other detritus in rock music’s roiling wake,

Control Group found each other in the creative petri dish of Brooklyn.

There they set about discovering their new style, expressing the spirit of

their surroundings.

https://www.facebook.com/CtrlGroupMusic

Control Group is a new rock combo made up of three lead singers: Darren Korb, Jeremy Parker, and Evan Reynolds. The band’s sound is a combination of nostalgic guitar punk, DIY indie rock, and 90s pop. Imagine early Dinosaur Jr crossed with Foo Fighters with a bit of The Smiths thrown in.

https://twitter.com/ctrlgroupmusic

http://www.controlgroupmusic.com/

https://soundcloud.com/Control-Group

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THE DEMOGRAPHIC - Guitar, drums, etc.

“…a noisy conglomeration of garage-rock and Neil Young-esque guitar work mixed with proto-grunge and alt-country.”—The Noise

“…ultra-fuzzed guitars playing great riffs and punky sonic hooks.”—Valley Advocate

“Listen Close has lowbrow cinemascope grandeur, with precision and economy.”—Jersey Beat

“Ornery and catchy.”—Hampshire Life

“[Verse Chorus Curse] showcases a love for both noise and melody.” —Noise Boston

“Rock served raw… Every song is solid.” —The Deli

“…straight-ahead Husker Du-esque rockers.” —Valley Advocate

“They can raise speedy hell.” —Daily Hampshire Gazette

The Demographic is a somewhat loud guitar/drum duo from Northampton, Massachusetts featuring Tom Pappalardo (guitar+vocal) and Sturgis Cunningham (drums+back vocal). We write short, concise rock songs with most of the bullshit cut out. We’ve been together since 2009.

RIYL: Kurt Vonnegut, The IT Crowd,Massachusetts, 1992.

http://www.the-dem.com/

https://www.facebook.com/demographic

http://thedemographic.bandcamp.com/album/listen-close

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The World Is Square

SquareSoft/Enix VGM Folk Band from Boston, Massachusetts. 

Description

The World is Square is a 5 Piece Video Game Tribute Band from Boston, MA; focusing on the Classic Years of SquareSoft/Enix Games. They perform songs from titles like Final Fantasy VII, and Chrono Trigger, using a variety of traditional, unconventional and modern instruments.

RIYL:

The Protomen, Those Who Fight, The X-Hunters, Descendants of Erdrick, Br1ght Pr1mate, Armcannon, Powerglove, Metriod Metal, VGO, The OneUps, Vanish Doom, Lords of Thunder, Diamond Machine, & so many more.

https://www.facebook.com/theworldissquareband

http://theworldissquare.bandcamp.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/twisband

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HOLIDAY GIFT TIME!

BOYS AND GIRLS - Stacey B. Rizoli will be selling her handcrafted flowers and jewelry at the show. We’ll take Square. Will post pictures soon!

*Flower Barrettes/Hair Accessories* *pins* *paintings* *original art* *handpainted birdhouses* *handpainted boxes*

Monsters are good. will also be there selling monster related items to fulfill all your holiday needs! And don’t miss your chance to get your photo with Frankenclaus! 

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https://www.facebook.com/events/349301125215186/

https://www.facebook.com/monstersaregood

http://www.rockonconcerts.com/

http://www.rockonconcerts.com/event/412743-chippunk-christmas-br1ght-cambridge/

PRESS: CLAYNFERNO [ at ] CLAYNFERNO.COM

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 11, 2013

COMICS

Harada’s team has 8-bit simulated taking down X-O Manowar in the digital prelude, but issue #1 got Ninjak locked up on Aric’s ship! The crossover event continues as The Eternal Warrior, Livewire and Harada go to rescue him in Valiant’s Unity #2! … Fred Van Lente’s time on G.I. Joe is almost over, but he gets to tell the cajun spiced gumbo origin of Roadblock in G.I. Joe #11. … Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMDatteis take the Justice League into the future in Justice League 3000 #1! Super cool future Trinity art by Howard Porter. … Picks from LeaguePodcast.com!

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MIGHTY Q&A: TIM GIBSON AND MOTH CITY - DEBUT AT 13TH DIMENSION

New Site! New Column! Same Great Comics Coverage!

Really stoked to be writing for these guys! Thanks for checking it out. - Clay

Tim Gibson’s murder mystery Moth City is a genre-spanning digital comic that draws from the Western, Kung Fu, zombies and historical fiction. The slippery ink line work and muted palette is combined with an instinctual approach to digital-native comics creation, made of hundreds of swipes per issue, animating and exposing sections of the page. The New Zealander, whose tale is based in a place similar to 1930s Hong Kong, joins us today to preview his latest issue.

Clay N. Ferno: Hi, Tim. Moth City returns to ComiXology today. When we last spoke in June, you said you wrote this first as a narrative piece. Issue #6 is bringing all of the story lines to a head. Is the pacing on point to end at issue #8?

Tim Gibson: Yes, the story is definitely ramping up. A lot of the characters are reaching breaking point, having already made some decisions that they can’t come back from. The last few pages of Issue #6 imply that the characters are going to be coming back together again. Last time they were in close proximity, a man got his throat cut. This time there’s a heck of a lot more teetering on the edge. Issues 7 and 8 are going to play that out, and not many characters are going to be happy with the result (evil grin).

Going through the issues, almost each added a new twist or an entirely new genre to the book. Can we expect genre exploration in the home stretch?

We’ve had mystery and crime/detective, a bit of thriller, some horror, this issue has some Western tones with the showdown on the roof, so yeah, it’s a nice little gumbo. The story dictates a lot of conflict and drama to wrap it all up so the remaining issues are moving towards all-in action. Which is great because previously we’ve only had moments interspersed here and there.

[READ MORE at 13th DIMENSION.COM]

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EARTH PRIME TIME: JACK TURNBULL SIGNING @ HUB COMICS

Local independent comic book creator Jack Turnbull teams up with MK Reed (The Cute Girl Network, First Second Books) for a reading and signing on Saturday, December 7 atHub Comics. Jack’s book, I Escaped a Satanic Ninja Cult will be available as well, and he joined us today to talk about it.


DIGBOSTON: What’s happening over at Hub on Saturday? It appears…you’ll not be appearing alone!
Jack Turnbull: On Saturday, Hub Comics is hosting three graphic novelists: MK Reed, who is from Brooklyn and currently on a book tour, yours truly, and Tim Finn, owner of Hub Comics. Each artist scans selections from their graphic novels panel by panel and publicly narrates them using Powerpoint.  Liz Prince, Dash Shaw, and Nichole J. Georges have done this in the past (to name a few) and the result is surprisingly effective. At the end of the reading there will be a signing and maybe time for a little Q &A. Let me emphasize–the event is free!

MK Reed’s new book seems amazing, Have you seen a preview of The Cute Girl Network?
Her newest book, The Cute Girl Network, is actually available now through Hub Comics (and wherever finer graphic novels are sold). I have purposely not read it so I may experience the full effect of her performance.  That being said, the synopsis presented sounds like it is a romantic comedy that is simultaneously relatable and eccentric (the best romantic comedies are). Jane, a charming, skateboarding new girl moves to town and quickly falls for Jack (not me; fictional Jack). Everything is right as rain until Jane finds out through what appears to be a a secret conspiracy called “the cute girl network” that Jack has a history and baggage. MK Reed’s newest work has a blurb on the back from the mighty, unstoppable Kate Beaton, author of “Hark! A Vagrant!”. She is high praise, so I’m very excited.

The Gute Girl Network – MK Reed (First Second Books)

And Mr. Finn is reading as well?
Tim Finn, owner of Hub Comics and all-around awesome guy, will be reading selections from the always off-beat and legendary cartoonist Fletcher Hanks. Hanks is well known for his odd and non-conventional super hero story structures, high fructose corn syrup color palette, and endlessly inventive imagination. Hanks worked primarily during the golden age of comics (’30s and ’40s). The Comics Journal crowned him the “Ed Wood” of comics. His stories are twisted and “lo-fi” in the best possible way.

I suggest not bringing milk to drink during his reading because the chances of it flying through your nose from laughing too hard are very high.

Check out Paul Karasak’s edited anthologies of his.

[READ MORE at DIGBOSTON.COM]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for December 4, 2013

 


COMICS

Get ready for a new chapter in Jack Boniface’s afterlife as Peter Milligan (Shade the Changing Man, Justice League Dark) takes over Shadowman at Issue #13. Looking to rid himself of the Shadowman Loa, he seeks the ‘Punk Mambo’ in a swamp. But the loa is not easy to get rid of. Points for the Babaloo (JP’s punk mambo band) reference! … Quantum and Woody #6 puts the boys on a suicide mission. Art by DigBoston pal Ming Doyle! … Glen Brunswick’s Reality Check comes to a close this week with Issue #4 - what happens when you superhero comes to life an asks for advice! Picks from LeaguePodcast.com!

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FOTOBOM: EARTH PRIME TIME @ SUPER MEGAFEST 2013

Yo Joe! Getting throttled by the drill Sergent of my childhood, Sgt. Slaughter, just minutes after meeting fellow Arashikage Clan Member Snake-Eyes Ray Park so that we can team up with Scarlett to take on the Baroness and some Cobra troopers before hoping in the TARDIS to escape the Daleks was not another pumpkin coffee induced daydream.

This happened IRL this past weekend at Supermega Fest in Framingham. As Con Season draws to a close and we will soon stop buying expensive variant action figures for ourselves so we treated ourselves to one last nerdout with cosplayers, comic and toy vendors, TV stars, Ron Jeremy, Christopher Lloyd and so much more at the Sheraton Framingham Hotel this past weekend. As a firstimer to Supermega, I recommend the trip next year to not just comic fans, but pop culture fans in general.

First impressions are that this is slightly more schizophrenic show than the previous cons we have attended this year, and less of a comic book focus. Also, the format seems to be crammed into the Sheraton in Framingham, leaving vendors to set up in hallways off of the main ballroom and signing area. Not that that is a complaint, it makes for more creative ways to adhere to the Prime Directive:

Keep Moving, And Get Out Of The Way.

Comic artists were there, including our friend Jamal Igle, who is hard at work telling everyone about his all ages young heroine, Molly Danger.

[READ MORE AT DIGBOSTON.COM]

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Cosmic Treadmill: 'GREEN ARROW: YEAR ONE' (review) at FORCES OF GEEK

Marathoning shows, or binging, has become part of the parlance, and my most recent binge for television was the CW’s popular Arrow.

You might want to say the book was an influence on the series.

The story is written by Andy Diggle (Daredevil, The Losers) with art by Jock (Detective Comics) and serves as a great companion to the show—and great holiday gift for your Arrow fan.

[READ MORE AT FORCES OF GEEK]

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DigBoston and LeaguePodcast Comic Book Picks of the Week for November 27, 2013

COMICS + TRIFECTA EDITIONS MASSHOLE PRINT GIVEAWAY

Celebrate the Doctor’s 50th this week with Vol. 3 #15 as the Doctor(s) and Clara visit Deadwood! … Jamal Igle and Chuck Dixon take Bildocker & Dial tone on G.I.Joe Special Missions #9! … Art & Franco take Itty Bitty Hellboy to heaven in Ish #4, Aw Yeah, Heckboy! … Inspired by geologic illustrations, David Buckley Borden’s clever Masshole print celebrates growing up in Massachusetts. What kind of rock is Plymouth Rock? Email us or sign up for the Trifecta Editions mailing list for a chance to win a limited edition poster and postcard pack from new local studio Trifecta Editions.

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