‘Sup?

It’s been a busy past couple of months. Between work and my brother’s wedding I haven’t had much time to sit and relax. But here, I’ve forced myself.

First up, the picture that accompanies this post, that’s me at my brothers wedding. Well, in the bathroom taking a selfie. I really loved my look and glad I pulled it off. Their wedding was absolutely stunning, and being that I was in Arizona for a few days I got to spend plenty of time with them soaking up the 85 degree weather (it was 30s to 40s in NY at that time).

The best part is no matter what I love writing. I can write anything and just have an enjoyable time. I’ve written non-stop since I was a kid. It’s a powerful feeling.

Some other things I’ve gotten around to in my online absence are buying Hamilton tickets, seeing Captain America: Civil War, twice. In addition, I’ve attended a ton of family parties and have written up a handful of articles. Oh, and I’ve bought a ton of new comics, especially a lot of trades. Still tackling that pile. I bagged and boarded nearly 100 comics yesterday, but still have to organize them in my long box.

Today I learned one of my favorite television shows was canceled. I really enjoyed Marvel’s Agent Carter. The Peggy Carter character was one of the most refreshing and wonderful characters on TV. Was the show flawed? Yes. But they were forgivable flaws. Perhaps the Marvel fanbase can do what it does best and revive the show, like they did with Agent Coulson.

Since coming back from my brother’s wedding I’ve had a difficult time getting back to the gym. With the weather in New York finally shaping up, I haven’t wanted to spend the time indoors (I am so guilty of just taking my laptop outside to work).

Oh yeah… I updated my Linkedin. I still have loads of tinkering to do with it, and undo the damage I did in my youth, but I must remember one thing at a time.

Happy Spring, everybody!

My Avengers: Age of Ultron Trailer Review

This was written as a word vomit so please excuse the lack of structure.

Watch the trailer for Avengers: Age of Ultron here.

 

My thoughts as I can process them right now on the Avengers Age of Ultron trailer:

– Opening crowd scene (where Ultron says ‘screaming’) looks like it’s taking place in France due to the French flag and European styled license plates in surrounding screens. Scarlet Witch and Quiksilver are in the front

– The scene where Natasha, Thor, Bruce, and Steve are sitting in what is probably a quinjet. They look shaken, notably Tony is missing. Bruce has no shoes and doesn’t have a shirt on but is wrapped in a sweater or blanket

– “You’re all puppets” we see ultron a bit damaged and staggering to walk. Off to his sides looks like workout equipment. He is probably in the Avengers Tower. The Avengers could have just finished doing a battle and thought they were successful. In the scenes where everyone is in formalwear and getting up from their seats/turning to look at probably Ultron there is alcohol everywhere. They were probably celebrating a job well done when Ultron ‘comes back to life.’

– Also in that scene who is the girl next to Thor? Maria Hill and Rhodey are there too to the right of the screen

– Natasha looks like she is escorting Bruce out in that scene as well. Perhaps Bruce is having difficulty controlling himself

– When the creepy cover of that cheery song from Pinocchio starts we see Iron Man and then also a large stone building in the mountains (probably Europe) it then looks as if Cap is inside said building searching for something. Maybe Cap was on his search for TWS and Iron Man went to go and retrieve him?

– Next scene is police (probably in Europe as well) Notice the ‘Walk Tall’ store in the background. That is a Marvel Easter egg (Skottie Young/Rocket Raccoon)

– Who is that in the yellow rolling onto what looks like a bed?

– Bruce stumbling shirtless/barefoot in the forest, perhaps right before that scene he is in, in the beginning of the trailer where he is also shirtless/barefoot and looking psyched out

– Cut to Natasha alone in an empty room and then a few scenes later ballerinas – Red Room/Nat backstory anyone?

– Hospital gurney rolling down oldish looking hospital and old looking medical tools – possibly part of Cap’s flashbacks?

– the ultron bots climbing out of water. Tired/ragged Avengers looking out in rubble. Note: Tony is missing.

– ‘This is the end’ Tony looks like he messed up something big time next to yellow robot (is this an ultron bot? is this the same thing that rolled onto the bed? is this something he made that turned against him?)

– Fury looking like a crusty old sea man haha (not my original thought)

– Witch screaming amidst rubble in probably Europe

– Hulkbuster vs. Hulk – could this be why Tony is apart from the group in many of these scenes and also why Bruce looks so freaked out? also probably taking place in England ‘apartments to let’ is a british thing, correct?

– After Nat dropping out of a quinjet on a motorcycle we see Quicksilver vs. Cap and probably an Ultron bot in what looks like a train. Trains are very bad for Cap (see Captain America the first avenger)

– Next scene is Witch and then we’re cut to warships and then a Cap flashback. We see ‘USO’ in the background and what looks like the silhouettes of Bucky and Peggy walk by

– Who is that guy with the beard turning to look up?

– Next we see Cap on motorcycle which looks like it may be somewhere in Asia

– Why is Thor naked and angry in water?

– Next wee see the Hulk and Nat pressing palms together. AWW trust! Perhaps because Tony is going against the team (and thus also starting to branch out for the Civil War storyline). This is also an important scene because of how the Hulk almost killed Nat in the first Avengers

– Ballerina scene (see Red Room) Am I also the only one who thinks that looks like Hawkeye on the piano? How can he even hear music?!

– Next we see tanks firing into the air and Hawkeye running in a snowy forest, perhaps same forest we saw Bruce stumbling through shirtless. Why are there explosions in the trees? I mean if you’re trying to kill someone running through a forest wouldn’t you shoot the bottom of the trees so it also takes the tree down and that could possibly kill who you are trying to kill?

– Thor is pissed and puts Tony in a chokehold. Very reminiscent of Loki doing the same to him. Plus shows that Tony is at odds with the rest of the Avengers

– Nat looking petrified and alone in a dark room

– cut to Hulk and Hulkbuster fighting again

– But there might be also an going fight between Cap, Scarlet Witch & Quicksilver…looks like this may be in Europe again as well (probably France with the mountains in the back)

– Cap is lying on the ground and his shield is split in TWO. Death of Cap maybe?!

– And then last peak is of Ultron fully operational and being menacing… and a puppet master.

New York Comic Con Recap!

Phew! It is a damn good thing today is  Columbus Day because I definitely need a day to recuperate. New York Comic Con was intense! Intense in all the good ways, of course!

My first time at NYCC was in 2011, and I only got a taste of what it was since I was there for a few hours on the final day. This time around I won a 3-day pass from the wonderful Pete’s Basement Comic Book Talk Show and came equipped with a better knowledge of events and the floor layout.

Day 1

I took my cousin Sandra as my first guest (I won 2 passes) and she has never been to a Comic Con. I think she totally loved it just by the sheer volume of pictures she took. We arrived to the Javits Center before 10am in hopes of making our way to the Marvel booth. All went well until we got inside, I wasn’t sure where we were in relativity to the booth (we walked in closest to the Weta Workshop booth) and by the time we elbowed our way to Marvel the line for the raffles was looped around a couple times. We still got on line praying for a miracle. Marvel set up their panels and autographing session with Clark Gregg a bit differently then the rest of the Con, you basically get on line and pick a ballot. Some ballots give you the wristband and some don’t so it is a complete gamble. We were maybe 10 people away from getting a chance to pick a raffle before we were told they were out. I’m guessing you have to seek your first-born child to get into a Marvel panel/screening because I lucked out the rest of the weekend too.

Denied but not defeated, my cousin and I perused the showroom, gaping at the ginormous Bumblebee at the Chevrolet booth (real person in there too). I bought an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. t-shirt from the Super Hero Stuff booth and I made it my mission to also track down a Funko Pop Vinvl of The Winter Soldier. That figure has been just as elusive as the character is and I finally found him an hour before we left. I also bought an original Winter Soldier paining by Tony Santiago and a Hello Kitty style Winter Soldier from I believe Tom Kelly. It’s pretty evident that I really love this character and I am so glad there was plenty of great artwork that has interpreted him.

Comic Con also has a lot of fun photo booths scattered all over the place. My cousin and I took lots of them and had lots of goofy faces to give the camera. Artists Alley was also another highlight. We spent a lot of time just watching these artists at work and admiring their craft. I know who to keep an eye out for as I learn more about comics and what I like in reading and viewing comics. It was really something special to meet Allen Bellman who drew for Marvel in the 1940s and 1950s.

Clark Gregg (Phil Coulson in the Marvel Cinematic Universe) was doing his signing at the Marvel booth. We were able to watch him and got some photos of him. Gregg has one of those demeanors that make him look so warm and caring. Two of the people getting autographs signed had a phenomenal cosplay of Captain America and The Black Widow and Gregg jumped up to take a special picture with them. He is a total fanboy and proud.

Our day ended around 4:30/5ish. My cousin had to leave to go to work and I left with her because I needed her 3-day pass for Saturday since I was bringing a friend.

Day 2

Saturday was easily the busiest day. My friend Cat and I arrived about an hour in and it was already bustling. Unfortunately, it had been a very rainy morning and while I kept my Winter Soldier metal arm dry, putting it on my own wet arm was a bad, bad, terrible idea. I suspected the top part was beginning to crack the night before when I was trying it on one last time but I felt it crack more on this morning. There is still no visible crack but it is going to need a Franken-fix on it. The water also smudged some of the paint. I couldn’t get the arm up to my shoulder due to my arm being wet so it didn’t look right in its placement. Also, I need to make the cuts better so I can have some mobility with it. ONE MORE THING: A lot of people kept bumping into my arm. Dear people, please try to respect anyone wearing a homemade costume, it is likely that we spent a LOT of time and MONEY on it and even if it’s not that good it is still near and dear to our hearts.

Despite my cosplay snafu I enjoyed the rest of my day. I didn’t buy much except for lunch, beer, and an Agent Jemma Simmons identification card. My bank account needed a rest from how much I spent on Friday. We tried to get into a couple  panel’s such as the Mary Sue one on women in comics but we were shut out. We even showed up an hour before it would start. I guess I just don’t know how to get into them!

We met up with some other friends who had taken advantage of the fact you can buy alcohol. It was fun to talk with them and hear about their Con stories. I ended up taking the same train ride home with them which was definitely nicer than traveling by myself.

Day 3

I arrived on time and by myself this time. My friend Erin was caught up in an assignment and didn’t make it until the late afternoon, but I am so glad she got to enjoy herself for a few hours. I did bring my nice D-SLR camera so I roamed the floor taking shots of people cosplaying. I’m always in awe over these costumes. The time, love, and craftsmanship that goes into them is astounding. It’s interesting to see what people chose to cosplay, to see what’s important to them.

Erin and I had a lot of fun trying on silly hats and goggles. We had a really awesome conversation with one of the guys from the Weta Workshop (post will come later). I bought some cool prints made from a 95 year old press machine and also a Doctor Who tumbler so I can enjoy my pumpkin spice beverages any time I want.

There was a guy outside of the Javits Center dressed up as The Doctor and he brought his own Tardis. He was a great sport and a fantastic Ten impersonator. He definitely put a lot of smiles of peoples faces that day, including mine.

∇∇∇

New York Comic Con was a blast and I wish it was every month. I barely slept with how excited I was every night. There a few things left in my adulthood that cause that kind of reaction. It had a way of making me feel so relaxed. I was surrounded by things I love and people who love them just as passionately as I do. And like the heroes we admire, I had no fear.

Well, there’s now less than 365 days until next year, time to get planning!

Here are couple pictures I took throughout the weekend:

Arm Part Deux for Comic Con!



Here are some progress shots! I am now near completion!!


IMG_7006

I spray painted my arm with Chrome Aluminum spray paint. It came out better than I expected.

IMG_7015

Once all was good and dry I cut out a a star template, taped said template to arm and used painters tape to mark the shape out.

IMG_7016

Then I did what normally takes place after preparing to paint, I painted. I used Behr’s Flirt Alert color because it’s a bold red against the shiny metallic Chrome Aluminum spray print I used on the arm.

IMG_7018

 

IMG_7019

 

This is just after painting. It dried pretty well, I don’t think I need a second coat, however, despite my best efforts to keep the lines straight, the painters tape didn’t stick well to the arm and there was some smudging on the edges. I may draw a thin black line around the star to keep it looking polished, but I’ll need another eye on that.

It is looking really great now that it’s painted and almost complete. Comic Con here I come!!!

Comic Con Coming Up!

I am going to New York Comic Con! I haven’t been since 2011 so I am SUPER EXCITED!

My favorite superhero movie is Captain America: The Winter Soldier, partly because I love Ed Brubaker’s comic that started it and also Sebastian Stan’s portrayal of the Winter Soldier.

So, I have been working on my costume, known in the nerd world as cosplay, of the Winter Soldier. I have a few steps left with making the arm, which is essentially the most difficult part of the costume. The rest of the costume is pretty much black clothes with some gadgets and gizmos. I’m also dressing as a female version of The Winter Soldier.

Here are some progression shots and my explanation of what’s going on:

1st Part: After wrapped my left arm in Saran wrap and then masking tape, we cut it off my arm. Here I am stuffing the makeshift cast of the arm with plastic bags so it will retain its shape during the process.

IMG_6760
2nd Part: This is it closed back up. My biggest regret is not smoothing down the masking tape edges, it became such a headache later on.

IMG_6761
IMG_6763
Step 4:  Here’s another picture of the application of the wood glue. This time I mixed the wood glue with water putty to have some flexibility in the material. After many coats and letting it drive I sanded it for days.

IMG_6774
Step 5: This is the arm covered in worbla, a thermoplastic material. It’s hard when room temperature but once heated it becomes quite malleable. You can also see that I split the arm in two so I have bend my arm.

IMG_6964
Not pictures, but will be in my part two of this post is cutting the back open again and affixing elastic to it so it doesn’t slide on my arm and stays fitted. I’m looking to spray paint it next and added details.

AUTUMN!

We are now entering arguably the best season of the year – autumn. And to celebrate the season of never-ending pumpkin spice and TV show premieres, how about a little a poem to warm up to the cozy chilly winds coming our way? Here is an excerpt from a poem called September Midnight by Sara Teasdale:

 

Over my soul murmur your mute benediction,
While I gaze, O fields that rest after harvest,
As those who part look long in the eyes they lean to,
Lest they forget them.

September Midnight by Sara Teasdale

As aforementioned it is also television premiere season! One of my favorite shows is returning for its second season. Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. premieres on the 23rd. The first season started off slow but it skyrocketed to the amazing stratosphere after covering the Marvel Cinematic Events that took place in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Doctor Who also just started back up with the new season and Peter Capaldi taking over the mantle. I like him so far, but I still mourn Matt Smith in the role. Guess it’s like putting on a new pair of shoes, uncomfortable at first but you like them so you keep wearing them until they’re a perfect fit.

I miss writing about entertainment and movies and music so I want to start doing that again. Dust off the old keys and fine tune my craft.

NaNoWriMo also takes places in the fall, if you remember all my posts from last November pretty much correlated with that. I’m planning on doing it again, but I may just work on finishing the book I started last year and also start the graphic novel I’ve been tinkering around with.