Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Nintendo Wii 2

I'm a big fan of the Nintendo Wii. My family owns one and we all seem to enjoy playing our ever-growing cache of Wii games (some of us more than others...ahem....cough cough...). And now, Nintendo is getting ready to release the Wii 2.0. Unfortunately it doesn't look like it's going to be motion control.



Saturday, May 21, 2011

Armed Forces Day Salute 2011

In case you didn't know, today is Armed Forces Day. From the United States Department of Defense website:
President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.
On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days. The single-day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under one department -- the Department of Defense.
I can't think of any other superhero capable of embodying the Spirit of Service than Captain America. And so, a special Armed Forces Day Salute from Captain America!






To all the men and women who so proudly serve our country and wear the flag, I thank you!


Tuesday, May 17, 2011

The Six Million Dollar Man

Six million bucks doesn't get you a pinky in today's economy. But back in the 1970's? Shoot, it could get you an arm, two legs and a nifty bionic eye!
The original cover art to The Six Million Dollar Man #5 (Charlton Comics, 1977).
The Six Million Dollar Man #5, Cover art by Earl Norem
And the original cover to The Six Million Dollar Man #4 (Charlton Comics, 1977).
The Six Million Dollar Man #4, Cover art by Earl Norem

Nifty artwork courtesy of Heritage Auctions, here and here.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Nyanpire

Nyanpire: quite possibly the cutest vampire cat ever!



I can't make head or tails of what's going on in the trailer other than a character introduction. But it's pretty darn cute! There's a link to a website here, and a Google translation here.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Human Fly

The 1970's were a strange time...
Much like today, the United States was deep in an economic downturn. Oil prices were high; smaller, more fuel-efficient cars began replacing the giant, hulking, gas-guzzling behemoths of past decades; and most people suffered from the effects of recessionary inflation. Hence, entertainment was a premium. Anything cheap or free was considered great entertainment.
Combine all these ingredients together and it makes a wacky stew. Throw in a dash of human nature in the form of morbid curiosity (drive real slow past that accident on the highway) and you have a powder keg souffle of zany goodness.
One man, billed as the world's greatest superhero (because he was real) briefly entertained the masses (or small clusters of yokels at county fairs). His name was...



In reality the Human Fly was Canadian stunt performer Rick Rojatt. Who? Exactly. Almost before the popularity of the Human Fly peaked, he faded into obscurity. For a time he was a popular Marvel Comics' character with his own comic book and crossovers with Spider-Man and Ghost Rider.
Much like Sort of like Evel Knievel, the Human Fly performed death-defying stunts for the gratification of gawkers at air shows, monster truck rallys and the like, complete with luchador mask and all.



Neat, huh? Over the years the legend of the Human Fly outgrew his original reputation. So much so that even today kids that weren't around to remember the daredevil stunts of Rick Rojatt worship enjoy the mix of reality and superhero drama.




There's scant information about this guy online but I think he deserves his props. If anyone knows how to contact Rick Rojatt or knows more about the history of the Human Fly, please let me know. Frankly, I think the time is right for the Human Fly to make a return to media greatness. Conditions are nearly identical to 30+ years ago. People would go crazy for the greatest superhero of all time...because he's real!