Fantasy Book Sale + Free Short Stories, Oct 16 to 20

 Visit amazon.com/author/moffat to get free short stories and huge discounts on fantasy books by Charles Moffat. Sale ends on October 20th.

Why I Dislike Using Orcs In My Fantasy Worlds

By Charles Moffat

I have orcs in some of my fantasy worlds, but not all of them. Furthermore, I don't like using orcs except in very specific circumstances where I portray them in a certain way (similar to how orcs are portrayed in Skyrim is my preference, spliced with Tolkien-esque orcs).

Writers and artists in the 21st century, in my opinion, have a responsibility to avoid using racist stereotypes - especially when portraying fantasy races like orcs. Or if they do use a stereotype, they also have an obligation to subvert it so that the meaning is changed.

J. R. R. Tolkien popularized orcs in fantasy fiction, but he was using them as a metaphor to represent the Nazis and to be representational of the horrors of war.

Since then however many critics of Tolkien's work have pushed the idea that his orcs represent people of colour or so-called "primitive cultures". This portrayal of orcs as something loaded with racism and cultural superiority is something I actively want to avoid, and thus even in my settings where orcs do exist (eg. Korovia) they primarily live in Loqland, in the city of Molloch (which is itself a reference to the film "Metropolis").

Thus my orcs are essentially a mixture of the workers of Metropolis who serve their evil overlords, the warfare themed orcs of Tolkien, and also like the orcs of Skyrim, where they are more technologically advanced and intelligent. So smart orcs, still brimming with the thirst for war, but serving their evil overlords in the factory city of Molloch... But not necessarily evil themselves and some of them do break away or flee from Molloch. (But that is another story...)

So yes, they exist, but I am deliberately avoiding using them except in the right circumstances. Eg. There are some time traveling orcs that appear in one short story: "A Hound Named Hunter", which I admit doesn't sound like a time travel story, but you have to read it to understand.

The other problem with orcs is that they are so tied to Tolkien's work that if you use them too much then it draws comparisons to his books.

But if I use a different kind of humanoid race, like minotaurs, then I don't really have that same problem. This is why when I create Korovia in 1999 I made minotaurs to be one of major races of the region. (That and I really like minotaurs, having previously used minotaurs in 3 novels I wrote during the 1990s.)

And again, my minotaurs are an intelligent and technologically advanced race... Plus in Korovia they're usually vegans, pacifists, spiritual and practice martial arts. Eg. Check out the four minotaurs that appear in my novel "The Coven's Wolves".

Are all minotaurs in Korovia pacifists and vegans? Nope. There are those who 'break from tradition', so to speak, like one such minotaur in my upcoming book "The Exorcist's Dagger" who forsakes his vows as an Ironskin and becomes a prizefighter.

How we portray races in our books is important. Even the races we normally wouldn't think about as being potentially racist.

Eg. Elves and halflings.

In my book "The Demon's Sacrifice" the elf Gyburn and the halfling Kaeto don't get along, with both characters being racist against the other. What happens to the two characters during the novel is meaningful in my opinion. No spoilers here. You will have to buy the book to see what happens.

Civilization versus 'perceived barbarism' is an ongoing theme within the Adventures of Wrathgar, wherein the main character is a so-called barbarian from the Snowfell Mountains and he is traveling through the civilized regions of Korovia looking for his missing father. People often see him as a dumb barbarian and treat him as such, despite his intelligence and skills. Wrathgar, to his credit, doesn't lose his temper when dealing with such people. Despite his name, he rarely ever loses his temper. (But when he does it is spectacular...)

As a writer I feel my work has meaning, and while I use fantasy as the method to convey that meaning, I could just as easily be writing science fiction or westerns to convey the same meaning. The setting doesn't matter so much as the message I am trying to get across to the reader.

 

Writers and artists in the 21st century, in my opinion, have a responsibility to avoid using racist stereotypes - especially when portraying fantasy races like orcs.

 

If you want to learn more about my books I recommend visiting the following sites:

amazon.com/author/moffat
fiction.charlesmoffat.com

You can also follow me via:

twitter.com/charlesmoffat
instagram.com/charles.moffat
facebook.com/charlesmoffat.fans
youtube.com/c/CharlesMoffatToronto

Charles Moffat's Heroic Fantasy "The Assassin's Trail"

The Assassin's Trail is a Heroic Fantasy novel by Charles Moffat.

The original first edition book was an anthology of short stories about the titular hero Wrathgar, but the second edition version is a novel in which the short stories have been reorganized into chapters and additional chapters added to provide more information about other characters in the story.

The central plot of the story is that the main character Wrathgar grows up with a bully called Muddenklaw, which everyone believes dies during the "Test of Manhood" at the beginning of the book. However Muddenklaw later turns up alive and murders a child and leads a group of monsters to attack his village. Wrathgar is then tasked with hunting down Muddenklaw and bringing back his head. Meanwhile Muddenklaw decides to join the Assassin's Guild...

And there you go, no spoilers. But if you want more just read the reviews on Amazon it currently has 4.5 stars.

Also this book is particularly geared towards people who love archery, and the author Charles Moffat has been an archery instructor for 12+ years and also publishes nonfiction in archery magazines. So he definitely knows his archery stuff, so if you're looking for a fantasy book with a realistic approach to archery, then this is a good book to read.

The Adventures of Wrathgar is a series of novels, with 3 published so far and a 4th coming on March 1st 2021. The novels are:

1. The Assassin's Trail
2. The Blizzard's Daughter
3. The Coven's Wolves (Coming March 1st 2021.)
   
4. The Demon's Sacrifice

Each book stands alone and they do not need to be read in order. There is also a short story featuring Wrathgar called "The Sunken Castle" which takes place between books I and II of the series.

The series of books are set in the Kingdom of Korovia, which Moffat created in 1999 and has been using as the setting for most of his publications during the past two decades.

Moffat's novel "The Assassin's Trail" is currently available in two formats:

The Assassin's Trail, Trade Paperback - $9.99

The Assassin's Trail, eBook - $5.99

The older first edition version is no longer available on Amazon.

It can also be purchased from your local bookstore using the ISBN numbers:

• ISBN-10: 1095788663
• ISBN-13: 978-1095788660

Charles Moffat's New Fantasy Books

Canadian fantasy author Charles Moffat has two new books coming out on March 1st 2020.

The Blizzard's Daughter
Heroic Fantasy
Ebook $5.99 
Paperback TBD

'Blizzards' are wizards who specialize in ice magic (cryomancy) and have undergone a transformation that turns their skin blue. They become immune to the cold, but vulnerable to fire, and their cryomancy magic is enhanced dramatically. They are also very rare as only the toughest wizards can survive the magical transformation without dying...

The hunter and tracker Wrathgar knows little of wizards and their ways, but when an elderly Blizzard approaches him and asks him to track down his missing daughter and bring her home he agrees to the task knowing little of what lies ahead. What he doesn't know is that there is a prophecy about "a child of a Blizzard" and people seeking to stop the prophecy from happening have set their sights on the Blizzard's Daughter. If they can kill her maybe they can stop the prophecy from happening.

Shifting Shadows in Iztark
Sword and Sorcery
Ebook $2.99
Paperback $5.99

Wulfric the Wanderer has defeated the dark wizards inhabiting the Ivory Tower of Iztark, but upon exiting a strange old man approaches him with the promise of riches if he can assassinate the dark wizard known as Merchant-Lord Phrax Al-Amun. But Phrax's palace and harem full of women is guarded by more than mere mortal guards and the wandering barbarian-turned-assassin will have to battle his way through all manner of dangers and distractions.

Fantasy Writing Group in Toronto

By Charles Moffat.

So I am starting a small Fantasy Writing Group in Toronto and I am looking for 2 or 3 like-minded fantasy writers based in Toronto who want to share their individual chapters, short stories, fables, fantasy poetry/poetry fables, etc in a group with a total of 3 or 4 people.

So I know of at least 1 other writer in Toronto who might be interested, whom I went to university with, and I am hoping she will agree to co-create the group with me and get it off the ground. If she is available and agrees, then we only need to find 1 or 2 more people who are into fantasy writing to join us.

I am hoping to have the meetings once or twice per month on Saturday mornings at a local Starbucks. That is the plan at least. Could just as easily meet at a pub... yeah, day drinking...

Fantasy writers in Toronto who are interested in joining should contact me via charlesmoffat{atsymbol}charlesmoffat.com with the subject "Writers Group".

Green Arrow Superheroes and Villains in Season 1 of ARROW

If you haven't already been watching the new television show ARROW then I gotta let you know about all the great superheroes and villains that have been making appearances in the show...

#1. Green Arrow / Oliver Queen - Well obviously, he's the main hero of the show!

#2. Felicity Smoak - Computer hacker - in the comic books she ran a software company, but in this case she is Oliver Queen's go-to-girl for all things computer geeky.

First Appearance: The Fury of Firestorm #23 (comics); Season 1 episode 3 "Lone Gunmen" (Arrow)

#3. Walter Steele - The CEO of Queen Consolidated.

 First Appearance: Green Arrow Vol 4 #1 (comics); Season 1 episode 1 "Pilot" (Arrow)

#4. Merlyn - The Arch Villain of Green Arrow... In this case there is actually two of them. Merlyn Sr and Tommy Merlyn. So far only the older Merlyn has shown any skill in archery - having beaten Oliver at his own forte.

 First Appearance: Justice League of America #94 (comics); Season 1 episode 1 "Pilot" (Arrow)

 #5.  China White - Chinese Triad Leader.

First Appearance: Green Arrow Year One #3 (comics); Season 1 episode 2 "Honor Thy Father" (Arrow)

#6. Constantine Drakon - Martial artist / Assassin / Bodyguard.

First Appearance: Green Arrow #27 (comics); Season 1 episode 1 "Pilot" (Arrow)

#7. Deadshot - Assassin who uses poisoned bullets.

First Appearance: Batman #59 (comics); Season 1 episode 3 "Lone Gunmen" (Arrow)

#8. Black Canary - The future wife of Oliver Queen... complete with fishnets!

First Appearance: Flash Comics #86 (comics); Season 1 episode 1 "Pilot" (Arrow)

#9. The Huntress / Helena Rosa Bertinelli - Oliver's brief romantic squeeze in one episode - but also the future Batgirl and wife of Bruce Wayne.

First Appearance: The Huntress #1 (comics)

#10. Deathstroke - Highly skilled mercenary Oliver fights on the island.

First Appearance: The New Teen Titans #2 (comics), Season 1 episode unknown. Mask seen in "Pilot" (Arrow)

#11. Speedy / Red Arrow / Roy William Harper Jr. - Oliver's future sidekick.

First Appearance: Speedy I: More Fun Comics #73; Speedy II: Green Arrow vol 3 #2 (comics)

Special Note!

There is actually two versions of Speedy - the other being a female version. Not sure if she will also make an appearance.

FINAL NOTE

While there is no plans to have Bruce Wayne / Batman appear in the season 1 of Arrow, it is possible he might make an appearance in season 2. Batman and Green Arrow are long time allies and share many similarities since they both lack super-powers. Plus the fans would LOVE appearances of Batman. Should be interesting...

On February 11, 2013, ARROW was renewed for a second season by The CW. Ratings for the show are reportedly through the roof!

All the recent fuss about archery in movies has caused demand for archery lessons in Toronto to skyrocket.

Conan Trailer + Conan the Berserker

Conan the Berserker

A free eBook short story: Belit is dead and Conan strikes out on his own, wandering aimlessly. What he encounters however is black magic and 'The Black Monoliths of Stygia' and Conan is forced to unlock his own rage within the dark abyss of his soul.

Fantasy eBooks = Nerd Heaven

I give the following eBooks 5 stars each. Note: You may find cheaper rates on the author's personal website.

Rise of the Blade

Ebook (PDF): $15.99

A legendary warrior has come back to life and is on a murderous rampage on the streets of Waterdeep. Retired gladiator and Academy of Combat instructor Pierce O'Hiram is dragged back into service for the Harpers one last time in an effort to stop the killings.

The Paladin Assassin

Ebook (PDF): $15.99

The Minotaur Emperor has been assassinated and the continent is on the brink of an epic war between minotaurs and humans. Wynic Doxon, the Arthian Royal Assassin, is asked to track down the assassin who killed the emperor and help prevent a war that would destroy the ancient city of Athex.

Ice War

Ebook (PDF): $15.99

An evil army has set up camp in the northern reaches of the continent and plots are afoot. The heroes from "The Paladin Assassin" are ordered north to confront this new danger and to seek out the legendary Spear of Destiny. This book is part 2 of The Crimson Companions Trilogy.

Brutus & Avianna

Ebook (PDF): $7.59

A love story between a human barbarian and an elf female, set amidst the backdrop of the Korovian wilderness. Bandits, ogres, trolls and wild sex scenes. 

Celebrities Who Play Dungeons & Dragons

ENTERTAINMENT

Mike Meyers says he used to play D&D on Inside the Actor’s Studio.

Vin Diesel, a longtime D&D player, wrote an introduction to the book "Thirty Years of Adventure: Celebrating Dungeons and Dragons".

Judy Dench was introduced to the game by Vin Diesel and continues to play.

Matthew Lillard has played D&D for charity.

Basketball player Tim Duncan is a long-time D&D player.

Robin Williams has played D&D for charity, but also plays at home with friends.

Kevin Smith is a long time D&D player and Dungeon Master.

Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were introduced to the game by Kevin Smith.

Daryl Hannah

Jesse McCarthy

Lauren Graham

Actor/Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) credits D&D for much of his storytelling prowess.

Joss Whedon played D&D in college.

Stephen Colbert was a big D&D player as a kid and still plays now.

Ewan McGreggor plays D&D.

Will Wheaton played D&D when not on the set of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Sarah Silverman Show’s Brian Posehn has played weekly for years.

Weezer front man Rivers Cuomo sings about his “Dungeon Master’s Guide” in his 1994 song “In the Garage.”

Gerard Way of My Chemical Romance told Rolling Stone that he shopped for Dungeons & Dragons supplies rather than partying while on tour.

The lead singer of Marcy Playground, John Wozniak, has played D&D since he was a kid even though his parents forbid him.

THOR - Four Stars out of Five

ENTERTAINMENT - Want to see a fun, action packed comicbook-based film (and based on a Norse god)?

Well, then I recommend Thor.

Saw it yesterday, I give it four stars out of five.

Without ruining the plot for you, I am just going to say I enjoyed the plot, the action, the romance and the ending.

Don't forget to sit through the credits and watch the extra scene at the end.

For more May films, see May Movie Trailers.

Apps Meg is Using

Since I fixed the wireless in my apartment, my interest in iPod Touch apps as skyrocketed. Not just for games, but also neat little utilities. Since my fascination with multi-purpose consumer electronics knows no bounds, I've been trying to think of everything and anything I could use my ipod touch for. Here's what I've come up with so far.

1. Metro - That's right, it's the newspaper, now in app form. It can be updated daily, and has offline viewing, so I sometimes boot up just before I leave the house and then browse the latest news stories when I'm on the bus. I could say "this saves a tree", but really my bus is packed in the morning, and I can't always get a seat, so it's easier than fumbling with a newspaper. And for the record, my bus stop doesn't even HAVE a Metro box- it only has 24. Jerks.

2. GoodReader - This app is great as a pdf viewer or even as a ebook reader. It handles large files with ease and I use it to store my TTC map and other odds and ends. The free version has all of the same options, but with a limited number of files.

3. MobileRSS - What can I say? It imports from Google Reader and has offline viewing. That's all I really need/want. Now that I think about it, I could probably add the Metro to this thing and save myself an app...

4. Starbucks - Yes, I'm a coffee snob. And Toronto has a LOT of Starbucks stores, but for some reason I have trouble finding them when I want one.

5. CBC - I am a CBC junkie. The shows, the news, the music...dare I say it, Sheyla Rogers. The Radio 3 podcast was my first experience with podcasts when I found it back in '05. It's a lovely, organized little app.

6. TuneIn Radio - A massive list of live feeds of real radio stations across the globe.
7. FreeBooks - An app that accesses a database of thousands of free books/books in the public domain.

Apps I want:

• A reliable, official TTC app- It would be incredibly useful to many people. There are a few TTC apps already, but none of them seem to be created by the TTC and judging by the reviews, have quickly become outdated.

• An official driver's handbook app/quiz- Again, there have been some independently created ones that have been criticized in the reviews for having incorrect answers. At the very least, the official book should be offered in .pdf or ebook format- are they going to get paranoid about people pirating a driver's handbook?

Singles of Elemental Evil

ENTERTAINMENT

Hello!

Could please pass along the following message to any of your single friends in Toronto who play D&D? Thank you!

I am looking for D&D players who are single (neither married or currently dating anyone) looking to join a 2nd Edition game of "The Temple of Elemental Evil" which will be held in a downtown Toronto location. If you are interested in joining this unique singles event for D&D players please email me at lilithgallery@gmail.com to express your interest.

Obviously we will have more males than females, but I will trying to balance the sexes as best we can. If you are single and looking for Mr or Ms Perfectly Geeky, this is likely to be something you would enjoy. If all else fails your character(s) bite the dust in what is one of the all time most deadly dungeon crawls available (as the DM I will be sticking to the module as thoroughly as possible).

We will being using 2nd Edition rules (just the core books) and the 1st edition Temple of Elemental Evil module. The differences between 1st & 2nd edition are negligible. PLEASE do not read the module in advance, you will only force the DM to up the ante and make it more deadly than it already is.

Players will need to create TWO characters (one as a backup) because this module is especially deadly and as the DM I will not be pulling any punches. If you die, you die, roll another backup character.

Games will be held on Saturday afternoons in a location downtown, likely from 12 noon to 6 PM with a half hour break in the middle.

Players are expected to refrain from non-game chat during game time. If you want to flirt do so before or after the game or during the half hour break. Players are encouraged to flirt IN CHARACTER, although frankly encouragement is not really needed.

Players will be in the 20 - 35 age group and the game itself will last multiple sessions (its a big module). For more information please email lilithgallery@gmail.com.

AWWWW! NERDS IN LOVE... HOW CUTE!

The Geek Hierarchy

ENTERTAINMENT - Check out this hierarchical chart which shows fantasy art, Dungeons & Dragons players, video gamers, furries, Trekkies, anime and comicbook fans, etc. and compares them on a scale of geekiness.

Photoshopped Fantasy Books = Funny

ENTERTAINMENT - I found these rather funny photoshopped fantasy books on a website. Hilarious! I especially like the Farting Sluggoth.

4th Edition D&D: Not for me...

By Charles Moffat - 2008.

Based on a Google search there is a surprising number of hits for the words 4th edition D&D and boycott. Almost 28,000. Quite a few of the complaints are on blogs or forums.

For those not familiar with Dungeons & Dragons the game was first published in 1974 and has gone through a number of changes over the past 34 years with new editions, including some radical changes like 3rd edition.

The problem however is the new 4th edition game has pissed off many of the game's fans. 28,000 posts talking about boycotting 4th edition D&D suggests there is hundreds of thousands more roleplayers out there who are likewise pissed off by the new game and will avoid playing it.

Granted, there are those who say the new game is an improvement... but I will point out these players tend to also play Magic the Gathering, miniatures games or computer games... the new 4th edition game complicates the game to the point that players print or make "Power Cards" that they use during the game... and the new complicated rules for movement makes miniatures mandatory.

This however reduces the game to a card game/miniatures game and roleplaying, actual roleplaying TIME is reduced. The rules governing movement, powers, etc. end up wasting a lot of game time.

Time is a very relevant thing when playing RPGs. Games are only so many hours long and typically only one session every week or two. Time is therefore very precious and the more time wasted discussing rules, powers, etc. is less time doing actual character roleplaying. And it is the roleplaying that people enjoy the most.

Here's an example of what 4th edition does:

A player moves his Paladin miniature so that its beside an orc on the table. The player lifts up a card and says "I move 1 square and I Divine Challenge this orc" and points at the orc miniature on the table. He then lifts up a 2nd card and says "and then I use Holy Strike on him." The player then rolls his d20 to see if he hits or not.

The use of the power cards thus reduces roleplaying... the same player in 3rd edition could have simply moved the miniature and said "Hello foul orc! I am going to smite you so hard you are going to wish you were never born!", thus indicating to the DM that he is both challenging the orc to fight him, and intending to use a smite attack. A 4th edition player could have done the same thing in theory, but because of the power card system players tend to forget they have the option to roleplay out their powers instead of just reading off the cards.

You could try running a 4th edition game without the power cards, but it would be a lot of stuff to remember in your head and you'd be flipping through the rulebook constantly to check the different powers and the precise wording of each.

I personally have boycotted 4th edition D&D. I tried the game out for several months but eventually got bored of the lack of character development in the face of a party more interested in powers, bickering over movement rules, etc. My review of the game was 0 stars out of 5. I viewed it as a complete waste of time.

I currently am DMing a 3.0 game and I'm also an avid member of a 1st edition game and a 2nd edition Dark Sun game. I also play Dungeons & Dragons Online, which most closely resembles 3.5 D&D.

I will note that a game's roleplaying success largely depends on the players and their willingness to roleplay out situations. 4th Edition seems to discourage this however with too much emphasis on the various powers/rules. The previous editions allow players to customize their characters more statistically, but also gives them a lot more room to roleplay out their situations.

In the aforementioned 1st edition game I am currently playing a cleric and I roleplay out every undead turn check ("Begone foul undead! Back to the graves with thee!"), every spell I cast ("Goddess, heal my friend in this time of need!") and even my pathetic attempts to hit the enemy ("I swing wildly at the kobold with my hammer {rolls dice} and hit the tree standing next to him!")

There's also the regular roleplaying where you're just talking to the NPCs, trying to solve a mystery, puzzle or whatever or threatening the barkeep that if he doesn't keep pouring the ale you're going to burn down his tavern...

Some of the players in my game had never experienced this style of gaming, but once you get into it you realize its much more satisfying to cut off the bad guy's head while shouting "Thats for killing my sister and burning my town down you bastard!"

Sure the neighbours may wonder whats going on with all the noise, but that is the way roleplaying games are meant to be. Loud and fun.

Its certainly not supposed to be a bunch of geeks playing power cards and bickering. Thats not even D&D any more. Its something else and the makers of 4th edition should be ashamed of themselves.

The Stars are Twittering

Some of you may already be familiar with this new microcosmic form of blogging known as 'microblogging', and its pioneering site, Twitter.

If you're not familiar with it, here it is in a nutshell: SMS length 'updates' or 'bits' that can be posted over the internet and received through regular RSS, IM, or mobile text messages.

Twittering has become a novelty for some, and a form of expression for others.

But the upshot is, a few celebrities are now getting on board, and obsessive fans can keep up with their comings and goings 24/7 via their cell phone. I recently notice this little news bite in my Twitter newsletter:

There's also some folks who've been twittering from comic-con, the
big comic book convention in San Diego, California. Check out
Agent M from the folks behind the scenes at Marvel Entertainment
and actor/writer Wil Wheaton on Twitter for a little peek into the
comic book industry's biggest shindig.

Agent M: http://twitter.com/agent_m
Wil Wheaton: http://twitter.com/wilw


If only I had known this last week!
Oh well, I have now added Wil Wheaton to my Twitter. Yup. That's how much of a geek I am.

Who are the Watchmen that you will be Watching?

Ah Comic Con is in full swing on the West Coast which means comic news is going to be coming fast and furious over the next little while. I'm going to blog the highlights of what I hear (I'm not there so it'll all be second hand) and provide links to better version of the story.

First up and roaring out of the gate is confirmation on Watchmen casting. If you have not read Watchmen, stop reading, hit a Chapters or comic shop, buy the paperback (or if you have the cash the amazing absolute edition) and read it and then come back. After you read it, you'll know why I'm excited and frightened by this coming to the screen. This is kind of like Lord of the Rings for fantasy nuts.

Jackie Earle Haley is Walter Kovacs/Rorschach
Billy Crudup is Dr. Manhattan
Malin Akerman is Juspeczyk / The Silk Spectre
Matthew Goode is Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias
Patrick Wilson is Night-Owl
Jeffrey Dean Morgan will play The Comedian

(pics available at http://www.aintitcool.com/node/33449 )

I'll be honest, I have not seen many of these people in anything. Haley apparently was nominated for an Oscar for a movie called "Little Children" but I have not seen it. In fact the only credit of his listed on IMDB that I can say 100% sure I've seen is The Bad News Bears...the original one. Crudup I know from Almost Famous and Big Fish. Patrick Wilson does an amazing job in a small thriller called Hard Candy which was one of my favorite films of last year. The rest I don't really know.

But before everyone starts critiquing the casting choices and saying things like "How can Crudup be Dr. Manhattan? He isn't 30 feet tall or blue!" I'd like to present some things to calm fan boy minds.

1) Zach Snyder. The dude has performed two film miracles. He created a remake of a Romero zombie film that wasn't only not horrible, but it was pretty damn good. he also took a graphic novel that not many outside of comics had heard of or read, called 300 and made it into a movie both faithful to the book and a blockbuster.

2) Micheal Keaton. When he was chosen to play Batman, everyone, including myself thought it was a terrible idea. Who thinks that now?

3) Hugh Jackman. No one had any clue who the dude was until X-Men came out. And he wasn't even the first choice. First choice was Doug Ray Scott.

So take heart fanboys. Yes it is one of our most cherished books but there is possibility it might not suck.

Lots of Nerd News

Man, today has been filled with tons of geek news so I'll go over bits and pieces.

Video Game Goodness
It's E3 and there is a ton of game news...well maybe not news actually a lot of grandstanding about why "My system is better then the others guy's". Nintendo bragging about their sales figures...and why the hell not? A lot of people were starting to think Nintendo was going to head the way of Sega before the DS and WII appeared. So a lot of stuff was said and very polite smack was talked and there are much better reporters covering it then me, they've even got their own channel. So for all the news and video check out G4 on your tv or head over to their website, http://www.g4tv.com/

In the meantime, here's what caught my eye.

Nintendo
Zelda is coming to the DS and man it looks cool. Zelda: Phantom Hourglass appears to be very touch screen oriented which worries me a little (Starfox, I'm glaring in anger in your direction) but the demo looked really good and it's selling craploads in Japan.

The WII blaster...a connection to make the wimote and nunchuck into a lightgun...and a resident evil game to go with it...if they weren't so hard to find I'd buy a Wii just for that...except for the fact I want Halo 3 much worse.

Xbox 360
Saw a bunch of things we already knew about but at least saw in game demos. Left 4 Dead being a little bit of a surprise. Fast "28 Days Later" style zombies, team play...drool. Assassin's Creed looks like it's coming along nicely. There was also a demo of Rock Band, the guitar hero style game but with guitar and drums and bass. And yet another Halo 3 trailer...which shows The Arbiter standing beside The Master Chief on Earth looking at the sky.

Sony
Trumpeted their non-price cut price cut (the current PS3's will be dropped by $100 which would be a step in the right direction except it's because they're bringing out another version with more memory at the higher price) and the line up of games on the way...not many of which are exclusive. That may even include the new Metal Gear. But they've also got Lair which I admit, looks awesome, piloting dragons, wiping out armies. But the games are kind of moot if no one can afford the system.

The others
Plenty of multi platform games coming but the one that caught my eye was Stranglehold, the video game sequel to one of my favorite movies, Hard Boiled...ah John Woo before Hollywood ruined him.

Comics
A bunch of little items and then one big one.

- According to comic gossip columnist, Rich Johnston (yes we do have them, he's latest column is here ) The Punisher is having a baby.

- Jim Starlin is writing a miniseries for DC called Death of the New Gods.

- I saw the following at newsarama but felt it should be posted here as well.

From Jim Lee

To my fellow professionals, artists and comic book fans--In comics, we're always telling stories about people in life-threatening situations. That's thrilling in a comic book, but in real life it's the scariest ordeal you can imagine. Right now Gordon Lee, a retailer in Rome, GA, is facing the fight of his life. This August he will finally stand trial against two counts of distributing harmful to minors materials. He faces penalties of up to a year in prison and fines of up to $1,000 on each count if convicted. Gordon has been fighting to prove his innocence for almost three years. Fighting through being overcharged with two felonies and five misdemeanors, most of which were later thrown out. Fighting though the prosecution throwing out and refiling their case because the day before the trial they discovered that their facts were wrong. And now fighting against two remaining charges that are completely meritless. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has taken up the fight for Gordon, and now we need to help them finish that that fight.Right now, I'm asking you to join me in supporting the CBLDF's work on this case. To date they've spent nearly $80,000 defending Gordon, and they expect the trial to cost another $20,000 on top of that. To ensure that they have the cash on hand for Gordon's August trial, and to shore up their reserves for what could be a very litigious Presidential election year, they need our donations now.Please join me in supporting the Fund by making a donation of cash, original art, high-grade comics, or even some of your time (like I did in 2003 when I did a signing at Defender of Liberty recipient Chuck Rozanski's Mile High Comics as part of a CBLDF benefit auction). It's up to those of us who rely on comics for our living to stand behind the Fund in protecting our own. The Fund needs all of our support to win this case, where a conviction won't just harm Gordon, but its precedent could affect all of our livelihoods.To donate art or collectibles for the Comic-Con auction, please send an email to cbldf1@gmail.com to let them know what you are contributing. If you have it available, include a jpg of your donation so they can list it in their auction preview online. You can see my donation--a penciled promo piece of Batman for the upcoming DCU MMO--above.To donate money, go to Donations-CBLDF. To make sure that the Fund can include your donation in their Comic-Con auction preview, please be sure to get in touch with them with a jpg no later than Sunday, July 15. You can send the physical piece to their office until July 20th, or deliver it to them onsite at Comic-Con.Please join me in helping the CBLDF raise the resources it needs to win this important case. If you have questions or to let the Fund know what you're sending, email Charles Brownstein or Greg Thompson at cbldf1@gmail.com or call them at the CBLDF office -- 212.679.7151. And please send your contributions to CBLDF, 271 Madison Ave, Suite 1400, New York, NY 10016 and tell them that I sent you!Thanks for joining me in support,

Jim Lee

And finally a little personal retrospective. Until the early 90's I had bought comics but never hardcore collected...until the first issue of Rob Liefled's X-Force hit newsstands. Just look at that art...alright today it looks over used and plain but back then it really stood out.

Liefeld's been an interesting character when it comes to comics. Left Marvel to help form Image, thus helping to start a revolution in comics. Then goes back and takes over a couple of marvel books along with fellow creator Jim Lee and then get's kicked off of that and then get's kicked out (or leaves depending on who's version of the story you're ready) Image and forms or joins hands with numerous companies all the while only releasing a comic seemingly every few years.

This is not to mention the feuds he's started or snide remarks he's made about others (including his former Image brothers) or remarks made about him.

So lo and behold I was nearly knocked on my ass when I saw that Rob had teamed up with his former cohorts at Image to reprint old Youngblood material and print new Youngblood material.

You can read the story here and get a good view of the whole Liefeld story here.

Now the real question is, how long till the first new Youngblood comes out after it's supposed to and how long between issues? I say 3 months late for issue 1 and a year for issue 2.

J. Benjamin Compton reveals 7th Harry Potter book

That's right, this guy's got it nailed alright. No doubt about it. Check it out:

http://randomlyhumming.com/files/hp7.pdf

It's a good read, I guarantee it. ;)

The Bad Comic Book Movies and TV

Megan brought back a lot of painful memories with her Legends of the Superheros clips. I have been a life long comic book fan and one of those things that always lit up my smile was when we heard about a Marvel movie. I grew up essentially a Marvel guy with DC overtones so after Batman (Burton version) came out, rumours started to fly about other projects. I'm old enough to remember the hype of the James Cameron version of Spider-Man that was never to be. Unfortunately I'm also old enough to remember other painful things. Things some of you are curious about but much like bad crack, if you try them because your curious you may end up with brain damage and horrible scarring to your psyche.

So as a public service, I figured I'd round up some of the bad I've seen, tell you why you should not see it and saving you the anguish that I've already gone through.

Captain America (1991)
See Cap Throw His Shield! See The Red Skull! See Cap walk from Alaska to Florida in a matter of hours...no I'm not kidding. What a hunk of crap. The Red Skull appears in costume for maybe ten minutes and then when we see him in present day he had facial Reconstruction surgery so he doesn't look like the Red Skull...not to mention he's not even German in the film. Now why the Hell would you do that? The Cap costume itself is a little weak but I just blame the time period on that.
Surprisingly I could not find the trailer to the film but I did find some footage from people who actually like it.



The Fantastic Four (1994 version)
My dislike of both The Fantastic Four comic and the 2005 film are pretty well known and can be summed up into one word: Crap. However as much as I dislike the current version, the 1994 version is worse. It is an hour and a half of your life that you will never get back. The worst part was that this was essentially a deal maker. The film company (headed by B-movie god, Roger Corman) had the rights to do a FF movie but not the budget. Time was running out on those rights and people with money were actually looking at the project (most notably Chris Columbus who had lots of money at the time due to Home Alone). But in order to maintain those rights, Corman's company had to produce something...and produce something they did.
Here's the trailer:



Justice League Of America (1997)
Ok. You're a television exec for CBS. Superheroes have become cool and you need to cash in. You have the rights to several DC properties. Solution? Make a JLA show. Wouldn't that be awesome with Superman...wait can't use him due to a movie in the works....But yous till have Batman and Wonder Woman....nope can't use them either.

So we'll use Green Lantern (Cool), Martian Manhunter (cool), The Atom (alright...could be ok), and Fire....yup...Fire....ok...and Ice.... that's kind of lame but could work. The Green Lantern is going to be a mash up of all of the Green Lanterns but we'll call him Guy Gardner....why don't we just cancel it now before it gets worse.

And that boys and girls, is what they did. Oh and Winchester from MASH was Manhunter.





Now there are others that are mediocre. The Dolph Lungren Punisher movie, a bunch of Captain America tv movies from the 70's. but these are the worst. You can thank me later, for now I must lay down and take some advil.