Cartoon Recap

My DVR was full of superhero cartoons this weekend, so I felt it was my civic duty to watch some of them. While I’m going to talk about each of them individually, I have to say I came away pretty happy. It has been a long time since there were so many quality superhero cartoons on TV at once. I know some people don’t like the happy Batman in the Brave and the Bold; but that cartoon has managed to bring the Haunted Tank and J.A.K.E. the GI. Robot to the small screen. That’s pretty amazing. I’m going to talk about these episode/movies in the order I watched them, so don’t think I’m rating them against each other or anything.

Check out the Cartoons after the jump.

Just a bit of a Cake Tease...

Starting next Monday you can all look forward to a weekly Cake Fucker post. I know everyone will be waiting with baited breath. Also, yes I have seen the Green Lantern Teaser Trailer, and no I will not be talking about it. At this point all my posts have been Lantern centric, so you can now look forward to some other more random thoughts on Comics, Games, and Booze. Until next week folks...

Barnkickers

The sun was up before I got to close my eyes this morning and even then it was only for an hour before it was time to shower and get to work. Not surprisingly I’ve been dragging pretty badly. Just about half an hour ago, after a bottle of water, a bottle of Mountain Dew, and half a pot of coffee I finally woke up. I think part of it had to do with my musical selection too. If you haven’t heard of them before, it is my pleasure to introduce the Barnkickers too you.






Yeah, just one video should be enough to make you go running for more. Check out their website;  it's http://www.thebarnkickers.com/, go check it outand buy their CD. I did and it is one of my favorites. I’m going to give the whole album another listen and grab another cup of coffee.

Flash Friday: Dream Products

When DC puts a superhero on something we usually get Batman and Superman. If they think the product might appeal to girls they’ll do a Wonder Woman or Supergirl version. We’re about to get drowned in Green Lantern things. I’m happy Flash isn’t at that level of saturation, but I would like a little more merchandise. Last week we talked about Flash stuff I wouldn’t buy. This week I figured we’d do the opposite. Flash merchandise that I wish I could buy. This is partially inspired by Miguel’s wish for a Flash coffee mug in last week’s comment section. I’d buy one of those in an instant. So be prepared for hastily thrown together photoshop work and some of my stranger whims.

Check it out the wish list after the jump.

Brought to you by the letters S, N, and L

I think it is pretty obvious at this moment that we here at That F’ing Monkey love Muppets. So, when word got out that there is a Facebook petition to help Cookie Monster host Saturday Night Live, well we have to help this really happen. The below video will explain it far better then I can.




Those of you who have seen SNL’s first season will know there were Muppet Sketches. Kermit and other Muppets have show up to sing on the show. Isn’t it time for a Muppet host? If you’re on the Facebooks, go help out by going here.

Brew Masters

It’s Thanksgiving week and I know many people will be off a good portion of it. The blog will only be taking Thursday off. Since I’ll be with family Wednesday night I still might be hung over but I won’t be able post about it. I spent my Saturday at an Irish Festival so beer has been on my mind all weekend. Which is why I was happy to check out the premire of Brew Masters on Discovery.

It wasn’t that long ago I was telling you to pick up Dogfish Head’s Punkin Ale and now they have their own television show. Not that I think I have anything to do with it, I mean a two week turn around for a new show would be something worth writing about. Anyway, I enjoyed the show. It is about Dogfish Head owner Sam Calagione looking for new ingredients for his beer. The first episode centered on trying to create a beer to coincide the re-release of Miles Davis’ album Bitches Brew. Next week has something to do with chewed up corn.

I enjoyed the show a lot. I really wish I had a six pack of the Bitches Brew to taste while watching the show; I had to settle for what I had in the fridge. The brewing process was interesting to me, as was the beer history they were throwing out. That being said, I am worried for the show. Sam is well known in the beer community but already reviews are calling him a little too nice or bland. What is more important to me is that I hope it branches out to other craft brewers. I like Dogfish Head and like the idea of them getting publicity, but I don’t want the show to be an hour long infomercial for their beer.

The last concern I have is the largest and I don’t think the show will last more then a season because of it. Beer brewing isn’t a very visual thing. Here is a big tank, now here is a smaller tank. Not the most riveting thing to watch. This was only the first episode though. Maybe it will take an episode or two to really get kicken. Regardless, I already set the DVR to record the rest. Check it out for yourself and if you’ve seen it, let me know what you think.

Comics, Games, Booze

Hey F’ing Monkey, what is best in life?

That’s right! What if I want to tell the rest if the world?

Oh, tattoos? That’s awesome. But what if I don’t want it on my body forever?

They’re temporary? That’s even better.

Yup. That F’ing Monkey now has temporary tattoos. Well a test run of them anyway. Anyone who really wants one now should hit the contact us button. Supplies are very limited.

Use it as a shopping list. Use it as a personal mantra, motto, spiritual guidance, or mission statement. This is just some fun self promotion everyone. Testing the merchandise waters if you know what I mean.

Remember kids, when you think Comics, Games, Booze; think That F’ing Monkey.

Flash Friday: Um…No Thank You

Considering how many places I went looking for a Flash themed snack cake, it is obvious that I’ll go pretty far out of my way for a piece of Flash merchandise. I don’t buy everything I see though and that’s what we’re talking about today. We aren’t talking about the things I’d like to buy but can’t afford. There was a really nice statue out this month, but it wasn’t in the budget. Hopefully I’ll be able to track it down when things are better.

So what won’t I buy? Hit the link to check it out.

Hangover Thursday: 100 bottles of beer…

It’s Thursday, how is your head? Mine is actually doing pretty well. I don’t know how because last night was all about the beer. I managed to take out beers 96-101, so it won’t be long you’ll be seeing a picture of my mug. Also since I’m getting very close to ending my beer list, you’re going to see a lot of strange beers lumped together. My strategy to drink beers that are similar is pretty impossible as I pick off all the beers I had skipped earlier. But hey, I’ve past the 100 mark, that has to count for something.

What were the beers I drank? They were Gouden Carolus, Bacardi Silver Lemonade, Corona, Corona Light, Heineken Light, and Fullers ESB. I told you that it was getting random. Also I want to point out a few things about Gouden Carolus. First, it is a damn fine beer. It isn’t the new love of my life, but it is very tasty. The other thing is that the bottle is fricken huge; 750mls or .75 liters. I was not expecting that. Not sure how Heineken Light ended up on my list again.  Checking things off in a dark bar while drunk probably isn't the most accurate process in the world.

Oh yeah, also there is the image right above. Click on it to get the bigger version, then come back here.  How cool is that? Go to http://popchartlab.com/ and buy one for 25 bucks. It’s a lithograph too, which makes it art.

Updates, Thoughts, Sadness, etc

The Flash Field Guide hit some strange places on the internet and site hits went through the roof.  So another of those is in the works, sidekicks and whatnot.  I know I left out Bart in the Flash ones; he will be in the next group.  His Flash costume wasn’t different enough to warrant a mention.  A non Flash related Geek Field Guide is also in the works.  Making them at least a little bit funny is way more difficult then I thought. 

 Obviously I want to make the site popular.  Looking at what draws readers is odd.  The copepod shark story is mad popular every month.  But so is the reference picture of Mad Eye Moody.  Feedback is always appreciated, so if there is something you like or want to see more of, please let me know.  There are lots of cool plans, but most of them you won’t be seeing until after the holidays. 

 

On a final and unrelated note, I’m sad today.  I don’t know why.  There isn't a reason really.  So the above video is for me.  I guess you can enjoy it with me.

Tales From the Brain Jar, #9

I must warn you; today’s Tales from the Brain Jar is powerful stuff indeed. If you aren’t prepared for it, I’m not sure your heart will be able to take it. The sketch in question was done at Megacon in 2006. So I warn you again, click the link only if you dare!

Print On Demand DVDs

I had missed a very important announcement; you really should have told me people. I’m a little disappointed in all of you. In March of 09 Warner Brothers started making Print on Demand DVDs of those movies that they didn’t think would survive on store shelves. You can order them directly from them at http://www.wbshop.com/.

 What kind of movies?  How about Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze? They have a bunch of Gordon Scott Tarzan films. I don’t know if I need to own Richard Grieco in If Looks Could Kill, but some one might. For all those Aquafans out there, they have the Man from Atlantis with Patrick Duffy. Okay, I don’t really know how close that was to Aquaman besides the Atlantis connection, for some reason the name Patrick Duffy makes me laugh. If you really need to see Shaq as Steel, you could do that too. Oh and I can’t forget, Under the Rainbow. Seriously some crazy stuff.

Sure all that sounds good but what am I really excited for? Thundarr the Barbarian and the Pirates of Darkwater!! Both of them are now available. I’ve passed by the bootleg tables for years longingly looking at these. Ariel, Ookla, we ride! Pirates of Darkwater will be hard to watch knowing that we’ll never get to see an end to the series, but I still remember how blown away I was as a kid seeing it for the first time.

Last but definitely least; they have the long bootlegged Legends of the Super Heroes. Order that one at your own risk.

Flash Friday: Lunar Invaders

I’ve already talked about the Leaf mini-comic that is one of my first memories of the Flash. Today we’re going to look at another one of them. Justice League of America: The Lunar Invaders. Published in 1982 it is a 62 page hardcover book that came with an audio tape that read the story to you. Written by Marv Wolfman and illustrated by Ross Andru, Rich Buckler, Bob Smith, Bob LeRose.

At the sound of the beep, turn the page. No wait; just click the link to find out more about the Lunar Invaders.

Fall Seasonal Beers

I wasn’t able to hit the bar last night due to some vehicle issues. That doesn’t mean I didn’t have a few beers. The bottom drawer in my fridge is full of beer and there isn’t a full six pack of any one type. Sure there are bottle of Guinness, that is too be expected in my fridge; a few Sessions too. But I also had a small collection of seasonal beers. That F’ing Monkey will always recommend checking out a beer you’ve never tried before, but this week I’m saying go out and grab something seasonal instead of your regular brew.


What should you look for?

Oktoberfests should be easy to find. Most beers listed as Oktoberfests are Märzens. Märzens are full-bodied and usually a dark copper. They have a malty flavor with brewers in the states usually being a little bitterer. I like Spaten Oktoberfest; Rogue’s Maierfest Lager is good if you can find it. Warsteiner Premium Oktoberfest doesn’t taste like most Märzens but I enjoy it. Oddly enough many people swear by Sam Adam’s Octoberfest. I see Brooklyn Brewery also makes an Oktoberfest, if my truck is operational this week I have to track that down.

Pumpkins Ales are also very popular this time of year. While I don’t like eating pumpkin pie, I enjoy a pumpkin ale. Most of them carry a strong taste of cinnamon, allspice, and other sweeter flavors. If you want my recommendation go with either Dogfish Head Punkin Ale or Shipyard Smashed Pumpkins. Shipyard has two pumpkin ales and they do not taste the same, so stay away from the Shipyard Pumpkinhead. Blue Moon’s version is also a little lacking.

You may see more amber beers then you do in the warmer months. To me that’s good news. I prefer an amber over a straight lager anyway. Brown ales also seem to be popping up more. So this weekend grab a Fall beer before they get replaced with all those Winter ones.

Dragon Age 2 Gameplay

Kadoo Games posted up actual game play footage of Dragon Age2. 
This was taken at the Igromir Game Expo. 

It shows off some combat and the new dialogue system. 

Enjoy.

Tales from the Brain Jar, #8

Remember when we used to talk about convention sketches? All the great times we had before we got all caught up in hockey talk. It’s back now and today is a fun one. I’ve already mentioned Chris Moreno on this blog before. He is the artist who did the art for my picture and the one of Brandon and the cake. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, if you are at a convention and want a fantastic sketch, go see this man. Funny, gory, sexy, etc… He brings it all.

So after all this man crush talk about Chris you can see I got this fantastic Monkey in a Wagon versus Lemur on a Big Wheel sketch! This was done at Megacon in 2006. Obviously if given a choice, all brain jars would ride roller skates. If you’re unfamiliar with the characters, it is an epic story of two creatures whose hate spans decades.

Actually it is a collection of short stories where a monkey and a lemur due battle in all sorts of different settings and time periods. Kind of like a primate Spy vs Spy. It is hysterically funny and worth tracking down all of the issues if you can find them.

While I’m at it, I’d also recommend you pick up the Sidekick trade. More comedy gold right there; and also drawn by Chris. The man knows how to make with the ha ha. So the next time you are at a convention, check the artist alley. If you see Chris tell him Ken says hello and then get him to autograph pornographic comics he didn’t write….he loves that!

Hockey Talk

Hockey week is coming to a close so today will be a catch all of things, a hockey pot luck if you will. These are the things I’m looking forward to this season.

Winter Classic. How can you not love the Winter Classic? Much like the skills competition this has become a mid-season celebration of hockey. I love the attention it gets. This year it is Capitals vs Penguins. I’m sorry to see Pittsburgh back in it. Not anything against them, I’d just like to see two new teams get a shot at it. The Penguins already got to play in a Winter Classic, give the other teams a chance. My dream Classic would be to get the Stars up to Minnesota to play the Wild, the irony of the throwbacks jerseys would be staggering.

Roberto Luongo. I’ve never been quiet for my admiration of Luongo. Since playing for the Panthers I think he is one of the best goalies I’ve ever seen play. The teams in front of him have not been stellar. He stepped down from Captainship to keep himself more focused in the pipes, a move I respect. Currently the Canucks are at the top of the Northwest and third in the West; so it looks like it might be working.

Detroit. My beloved Wings are playing strong right now. Kirk Maltby retired this year to become a scout for the team. 14 seasons and 4 cups with the Wings, that’s one hell of a career. I think this is the last season I’m going to be seeing a lot of the old favorites on the ice. Kris Draper is a machine, but how long can he keep playing? The Wings rose up from being the Dead Wings because of the way they groom their young talent. It hurts seeing some of my favorite names retiring, but I’m excited to see who the new players that rise up will be. Anyway, my hopes are always on them lifting the cup again.  And I really need to get a better picture of my tat, the lighting looks all odd in that one.

Ryan Getzlaf. He’s got the big C all to himself this year and man does he deserve it. I was worried the way he started out, but after a few games he is back into his groove. One of those players I love to watch, he can put you on the ice or put the puck in the net.

Tampa Bay. I wouldn't forget these guys, Brandon would never forgive me. Wikipedia has their seasons (starting from 06-07) listed as “Another short postseason,” “Dead Last,” “From bad to worse,” and finally “Season of new beginnings.” It takes a lot to pull a team around, but the talent is there. It is going to be an interesting year. If nothing else maybe I can get Steve Yzerman to sign a puck for me.

Daniel Carcillo. Yeah, sometimes I like a goon. Here is the thing though, I think he can be better then he is. I’m not saying he is the next Gretzky or anything, but I believe he could be putting up Scott Hartnell sized numbers. They are on the same team, I hope someone takes him aside and shows him that you can bang bodies and still put up points. Also, I know this is an old picture of him, but look how stick guitar is awesome.

That’s all the hockey talk I have for now. But if you have anything to say, comment section is always open and I’m always happy to talk hockey.

Flash Friday: Saga of the Flash Jersey

Flash Friday is here and since it is Hockey Week here at That F’ing Monkey, today’s blog is going to be hockey related. I have talked in the past about how much I liked issue 174 so much that I tracked down some of the page art and bought the page with the fantastic shot of Captain Cold wearing a Keystone Combines jersey. This information will be important later in the story, I promise.

Check after the jump for the Saga of the Flash jersey

Hanogover Thrusday: Ouch

I failed Hockey Week while at the bar last night. I did not order a Bud Light, official beer of the NHL. I had planned too, but I didn’t even have a Guinness last night, I just stuck to my list. I know it’s surprising, it surprised the bar tenders too. So if I didn't verge off my list for a beer I actually like, you can see why I didn't do it for a Bud Light.

I also hurt myself. I think I’d rather be hung over this morning then have this pain in my gut. I went a little too far with the extra-hot wings last night. The discomfort is odd because I’ve eaten them many times before. They aren’t even the hottest ones the bar offers; I’ve had the extreme hot before. But regardless I’m doubling over this morning like I got punched in the gut. Who knows, maybe I got a bad boneless wing. Can we start being honest with ourselves and start calling boneless wings chicken nuggets? Or is there some special preparation that determines if something is a nugget?

Anyway, what did I drink last night? 90-95 are St. Peter Porter, Tetley’s English Ale, Lagunitas IPA, Stone IPA, Dales Pale Ale, and Heineken Light.  There is a St. Peter Cream Stout on my list too, but they didn't have any in stock at the time.  I liked the Porter a lot, so I'm looking forward to trying the Stout.

Comic Hockey League

We are continuing with Hockey Week today with something very near and dear to my heart, Fantasy Hockey. I got invited to my first league during the 05-06 season and was hooked. The other people in that group weren’t the people I wanted to be dealing with though, so the next year I started my own over at Yahoo. By now you know I’m a comic geek and so are many of my friends, so when I started a league it was all comic based. The Comic Hockey League was born.

So how do you make a Fantasy League comic book themed? It’s all in the names of the teams. Over the years we’ve had Asgardian Hammers, Windy City SuperPros, Coast City Lanterns, and San Futuro Sharks and many more. Personally I’ve tried to change up my team every year so I’ve been the Keystone Rogues, Quad City Wild Dogs, K’un-L’un Iron Fists, Central City Speedsters, and this year’s team, the Opal Stars.

We also have our own trophy, the Geoff Johns Cup. There was a moment where we almost went with the very punny Stan Lee Cup. Instead we went with a comic book professionally who I knew appreciated hockey and someone I knew that I could get their blessing for naming the trophy after them. Sure we could have named the trophy after him without telling him, but it just felt better checking with him first.

Yahoo just added the ability to record Hits and Blocked Shots and I think it is a huge improvement to their tracking. Finally defensive players get a chance to shine. The extra options I think also balance our league between Forwards, Defense, and Goalies. The years before were probably too Goalie-centric, but now it is perfect. I took a huge chance during this year’s draft and it is paying off big time so far, but we’ll see how I’m doing after the all-star game.  Of course if you have any good Fantasy tips, let me know.

Hockey Songs!

We’ve been neglecting something very important here at That F’ing Monkey and that is about to change starting today. It is now, officially Hockey Week!! Both Brandon and I are huge hockey nerds, the extent of which will become pretty apparent as this week goes on. While Hangover Thursday might be a bit hard to fit into the theme, Flash Friday will totally be about Flash and Hockey. So to get everyone excited about dropping the puck, today we get to look at a few great hockey songs!

There are a bunch of videos posted, so check them out after the jump.