HOW I MET MY FAVORITE SITCOM OF ALL TIME

Wrote this fresh after completing the final episode, take it is as is =)

May I say I am not a very sentimental person when it comes to tv, movies and cartoons. Do not get me wrong I can easily be swept away, and lost in their lore and taken to another world. When I say sentimental I mean cry because something touched me emotionally. Sure I got spooked with Lord of the Rings when Sam said"I cannot carry the ring sir, but I can carry you" then hoisted Mr.Baggins onto his back. I did not know if Frodo would live or die(no I did not read the books) but I held it back. Mufasa gets murdered in The Lion king, yes I cried I dare any of you not to cry during that(I was a kid), excuses aside I still cried. Toy Story 3 made a couple tears shed because if you know me I love toys and the ending made me think of my kid and passing toys on to them.

But this final season of "How I Met your Mother" really touched me in a way no bit of fiction has. What was so surprising about it is that I knew how the show would end. Its in its damn name for crying out loud. They keep you on hold for so long awaiting this huge moment and you are enjoying the ride but damn meet the mother already.  Was some of this drawn out,yes it was but I enjoy every moment with the HIMYM bunch. Something I told my wife was I love how I feel they are my friends. I felt like I was their friend. From the references to Cleveland(my home town) to all the geekness with my favorite line delivered by Marshall" Really, its not like its Voldemort." How they goof off and all the inside jokes. NPH is a gem and he should be shared with the world. I love them all as apart of this awesome show. I see why Aaron nominated for Stuff of the Year(I knew but it hits closer to home seeing the Finale)

In the final three episodes I watched and I do not know if the fact that i am a parent and married had an effect on me but I really felt the final three episodes. I was literally slow crying(couple drops come out at time over a period of time) watching the final fates of this cast become revealed.

SPOILER****************

The choice to divorce Barney and Robin after damn near two season dedicated to building up their relationship was a nice touch of reality. We all do not get the classic Disney happy ending. The reality of friends who would die for one another, who used to spend so much time together, did everything together I could truly understand as I had to deal with this on two fronts. When I came to college, and now with my friends here we all have separate lives now with families, jobs and goals. We still love one another and make an effort to see each other but it will never be the same as when we were younger. I am not knocking what I have now because I love my wife and kids they are beautiful. Just saying I can relate to all of this, and this is probably why it touched so close to home for me.

The twist ending once everything played out that I should have seen coming but was blindsided because I was so caught up in the moment of what was happening. Barney's moment with his daughter, i love that they kept him true to his character and that the only thing that could slow him down was his very own girl. She is going to be a problem, boys do not stand a chance.

I must have missed an episode because I do not remember them mentioning that Ted's wife passes away form being ill. To tell this whole story and have the name be for two different mothers,wow. maybe thats a stretch and maybe it cleaned up all to neatly. Either way I am still happy and can say this is my favorite televised comedy sit com now that I have completed the series.


-FS

SEX WOMEN COMICS OH YEAH MEN TOO!

  So I got to be apart of what I would call an age old argument today. One that started on Facebook with images from more than 5 years ago. If your own Facebook you can join the discussion here https://www.facebook.com/groups/cbnah/permalink/10153021805569274/

  Women being seen as objects, over sexualized and ineffective costumes, Oh and Men too(when guys get offended by women who feel they are the only ones getting raped on comic pages). Complaints of how that pose is not possible, she would break her back. How can she fight in a Bikini, where is your battle armor your fighting men in full war armor?  Boobs are huge, booties that have drinks sitting on them, cleavage is everywhere.  Look at his 24 pack, pecks that are 2 feet out, arms like tree trunks and comparisons to Rob Liefield's Art.

Let me attack the Rob Lefield Art, he is a comic gem. Leave him alone he made a living drawing the way he does and we ate that stuff up with 2 spoons. I have never been a fan of it but I can step outside my dislike of his art box and realize he changed the game. Rob's art;love it or hate it was all over the place in the 90's it could not be stopped. He also created characters we love and are main stays in our world today such as Cable, X-force, and everyones favorite merc with a mouth Deadpool. This man is one of the forefathers of Image comics, the 3rd biggest comic company in the world. We all know his drawings are not the best but because of his art we have really cool characters, a style of comics that people took and ran with, and an amazing publisher that in all honesty is whooping DC/Marvel's ass in the creative comic department. Final point on this, we all bought it in the 90's so we loved it then. Just because we got educated and grew does not mean we should attack and destroy what he has brought to the table. He still sells and makes art because he is a legend in the comic book world for more than his art.

Spider-Woman a super popular female character to talk about. On the left is a version drawn that people feel cannot be done in the real world. On the left is a artist I feel can draw this charter without objectifying or over sexualizing her. First her powers include the ability to seduce men, and she has agility, and flexibility of a spider. In short there is virtually not pose she cannot do. My second point which will be an over all statement is this is fictional, fantasy, pretend, a escape from reality. The third point is that there are people who are extremely flexible such as martial artist, dancers, break dancers, people that are double jointed so to a degree we have people that can contort their bodies in ways that would blow us away. So this is not very far from reality. The other complaint is her costume is like body paint. 

Well guess the costume is not an issue. Spider-Woman got a very updated look with more plain cloths that convert to super hero gear. So my question is why is she being included in the debate? Looks like marvel heard the complaint made the change.

More on the characters and costume changes for a more modern look.

These are great revisions of great characters. Marvel may be doing it to gain a bigger crowd but who cares if they are giving you what you want.

Stuart Immonen is a phenomenal artist and one I look to for inspiration for drawing women. Here is a fabulous drawing of Ultimate Universe's Spider-Woman. I believe this pose looks very possible by real world standards. reminds me of a break dancer(from a point I made earlier)

One of the most controversial costumes in comics get an update this past year by another top notch talent Stuart Immonen. He gave her a fresh more conservative look.

So there are artist out here who are creating more conservative smarter looking females.Once they have the chance because they think like us. Despite this Emma has gone back to a sultry look, which makes sense that she is dressed like this because she is a very sexual character. So are we saying that we cannot have characters who are sexual, who ooze it out of their pours and it in turn reflects in how they dress. There are people in real life who do not do this same exact thing? Yes there is they are every where.

The biggest issue is that all women are sticks, boobs and booty. I point out in one book called "Invincible" which is a wildly popular title. The main Character Mark, has a girlfriend who is also a Super Hero named Atom Eve. They met through heroics and have a great relationship where they challenge each other. Eve ends up getting pregnant and losing the baby but she still has the baby fat. She was ashamed that she was not thin anymore, but Mark said to her that he loved the way she looked and hoped she stayed in her new shape.

This is a top selling comic show casing how Mark loves Eve and that loves means no matter what how ever you are. Even with that bold statement it was not him settling with her but he preferred her size. This is a big choice to promote and push this look it shows clearly it is time for a change with women in comics and they are making it.

This pose of Psylocke was posted as A very impossible pose. To me there is nothing strenuous about this pose. The only issue of complaint that there should be is her costume.

Which Marvel updated still skin tight but completely covered.

Batgirl is another female to get an update to her look

There are artist that are out here creating women that look like women in todays world. Women you can see walking past you on the street.

Yes they are slim in these images but boobs and booty are not the focus. There are no awkward angles to push and show case luscious body types. What shines through more than anything is each one of the characters personalities.

Here are a lot of costumes that have been reworked for this series and they show barely any skin. They are covered up, and we get to see the character before we see the sleek sexiness of them.

 If main stream does not work for you here are other artist who are out here with great talent.

Freestyle Komics show casing people of all shapes and these three woman from left to right are Jfab(left,purple) Vigilance(Red and white Middle), and Titan(Yellow and Blue, Right). Vigilance and Jfab are based of real women who are shaped as they are drawn. Titan is a total original creation because FSK's camp knows they need realistic body features from the other end of the spectrum as well.

 Just some examples of Big, beautiful, awesome women. Images from a few artist changing the face of the typical comic styled woman. With changes in costumes, size and a variety if color behind the mask there have been siginifcant strides in the sexual atmosphere of comics. The long and short of it is, if you do not like the face of comics that are out here and how they showcase women and men then find stories that draw the characters the way you want to view them. Or you can pick up a pencil and put hand to pad and make your own vision. I understand where the origin of the argument comes from but the change is right there. I feel that this argument is not even valid anymore. Especially when some of the art referenced is not even from the last 3 years. An artist takes years to hone their talent who are you to tell them how to draw unless your going to pay them to draw it the way you want. I just felt the argument on Facebook was on sided and only showed images(older images) that proved their point but there is so much out here that show the exact opposite. that is the end of my rant. In case your wondering I draw too so that is another reason why I was so fired up about this.

On a side note no one complains about the Cos-players who have every option to un-sexify the costumes but still keeps them true to the original designs. OS it cannot be that much of an issue the female cosplay community is strong.


-FS

A Geek Girl reviews Geek Girl #0

Being an intern for The Stuff, I have had the opportunity to read the works of many up-and-coming artist. Recently, I read a comic called Geek Girl by Sam Johnson. Upon reading this comic I was not only disappointed in the story, but personally offended. The story displays women in a very sexist, objectifying way.
This comic came to my attention when we had the writer on our show. When I read his comic and realized I would have the opportunity to speak with the writer, I felt I had to speak with him and address how potentially hurtful his comic was. I hoped that I could take time on air to talk with the artist but, unfortunately, this was not the case. So, in order to clear my own conscience, I am writing a review of the comic, explaining why Geek Girl is doing more harm than good.

There are quite a few unsettling themes in the comic, first of which is the overwhelming amount of sexual references. Now there is nothing wrong with sexual references, but context is king. Most of these scenes make it seem like the characters involved are good for nothing else. For example, In the beginning of the comic, when Ruby decides that she wants the glasses that would give her super powers. In order to con them out of the man who invented them, she asks the friend who was with her at the time if she wanted to make out.

This, when first thought about, does not even make any sense. How would making out with someone else get the inventor to give her the glasses? In the next few panels you come to find that this makes the inventor and his colleague have the idea to play strip-poker with Ruby and her friend.    
It’s a huge letdown that within the first few pages, this is how the author decides to introduce the character. She could have come up with a brilliant plan to take the glasses, or just have been strong enough to take them by force. But when she goes with the “make out” plan, it sets a tone for the rest of the story, making it seem like that was the best she could come up with, and the only thing she was good at was making herself seem sexually pleasing to men and hoping that they will give her what she wants.
    This was not the only time in the story that gave off the impression that girls are only good for sex. Just a few pages later, when ruby walks into a club to meet up with some friends, you hear the end of a conversation between two people. One girl, (unnamed in the comic and referred to by the author as “The Bitch”,) was talking to her friend Caitlin about how her boyfriend was trying to convince her to do something. The author didn’t even bother to give this character an introduction, or even a name at all in this issue. The only way left for me to refer to her would be to say what relationship she has with a character. I could just say Ruby’s friend, but this describes a lot of people in the same scene. So the only way for me to actually specify that I am talking about this character would be to say that she is “Todd’s Girlfriend”. This shows that the author has little respect for his female characters, and even though he may not be doing this purposely, he is making this ‘bitch’ seem like nothing more than the possession of some unseen character.

Another problem here is that she is pin holed by the author into a very hurtful stereotype. The thing that her boyfriend was pressuring her to do was to try anal sex, and she said she would only do it if he would buy her something “really really expensive”. This shows like it’s alright to pressure people into doing something sexual that they would really not, as long as you compensate them with something. It also why was she not be able to pay for the things herself? This girl has been reduced to the stereotype of being someone's bitch who is worth it for the sex--an object..
Aside from the direct amount of sexism through sexual references, there was also the fact that the female figure didn’t have any identifying personality traits. When thinking of Jeff and Trevor, the only two male figures the issue, current characteristics can be picked out for each of them. Jeff enjoys poker, Megan Fox, and celebrating his good grades with a few too many alcoholic drinks. Trevor, who is referred to as a Scientific Brainiac by his friends, is not really into sports, but is hopelessly crushing on a waitress. For the first issue, this is a good amount of knowledge to have on people who are not the main character. But when thinking of the other people after reading, there is nothing to separate them from one another.   
When getting to know a character, you pick up facts about them from side conversations. Jeff and Trevor were able to have tell us a little bit about them through their conversation, and it stuck in our brains. You would be hard pressed thinking of facts about the other characters in the book, and had to review and actually point to certain characters in order to let other people know who I was talking about. It can be said that Ruby wanted the glasses that gave her superpowers, and it can be said that her friend Summer is interested in fashion design, but other than that there is nothing that separates the female characters.
And, lastly, the geek shaming. When picking up this issue, I was hoping for some better representation for a group that could really use it. What I got instead was a misleading title followed by a lot of geek shaming. I am not referring to the huge amount of times that someone in the comic would make fun of the glasses for looking geeky; I am referring to how the author talked about the main character Ruby.
During the interview on the podcast, it was pointed out that Ruby was not actually a geek, and in reply to this comment, the author explained that “There is a glitch in the glasses programming that messes with her brain.” and “the glasses affect her mentally and physically and they change her” and says that as the story develops you will see more of this theme. He then continues by saying “Rather than it being the nerd becoming cool after they get their powers, like Spider Man, it’s the opposite around, its the cool kid becomes uncool, at least in the eyes of her clique”
Stated this way, it displays that 1) In order for a girl to be a geek, she literally needs to have something wrong with her brain, and 2) nerds are not cool and are less than other cliques.
Let me explain the dilemma on geek girls. There seems to be a lot of pressure on girls who are geeks to always prove themselves, or they risk not being taken seriously by their male geek peers. This kind of sexism I have actually run into myself. If you are unsure of what I am talking about, Buzz feed has some amazing videos perfectly displaying the issue. It is hard to say whether or not Ruby is in fact a geek at all, because of the lack of character development previously discussed..

When writing anything for any audience, one must think of the impact it will have. When talking about this comic to my father he said “There are two ways you can write about injustices and tragedies. One of them is bringing light to the problem so we can change it, or of people overcoming it. The second is talking about it in a way that makes it seem normal, or even perpetuates it.” If you write a story about someone dealing with these issues and overcoming them, then you can shed light on them, and help make change happen. When you write a story with these issues in them, and make it seem like they are just the way things are, you are perpetuating it, and you are part of the problem.
 I hope that this review will shed some light on the offenses displayed in Geek Girl.


Zara Soliday

Mid Season Finales are a Scam

So anyone with me on being against Mid Season Finales? I absolutely hate them, and as some people say it does not give you more episodes per season.

I am enjoying my Walking Dead season 5 so much but then a looming shadow is approaching. Like Jason chasing me through the woods of Crystal Lake. The mid Season Finale that TWD has made popular is fast approaching. In all honesty its friggin' annoying.

All the shows I watch are now incorporating this new way of life into their seasons. I just went through a serious binge on Grey's Anatomy and then suddenly the brakes were slammed and I now have to wait for the end of January for it to return. I am in the middle of watching How to get away with Murder and yet again 8 episodes in a mid season finale. I cannot win it is everywhere.

Just as an example there was a show called ER and they on average had 22 episodes per season excluding season 1 which was a whopping 25 episodes. Now what we get are 16 episodes in one season and we are suppose to be happy with that. I say F that, bring back more episodes

I feel mid-season finales and premiers are pointless and only serve the purpose to create more viewership so the networks in turn charge more for commercial time. Here are the prices for season 3 "$200,000 and $260,000 earlier in the year, according to two media buyers. And the network has been seeking as much as $375,000"(from adage.com from 2013). The $375,000 price tag is for the last minute buyers of the commercials,lol.  Looking at the average for this year as quoted from variety.com "AMC’s “The Walking Dead” commands an average of $413,695 for a package of ads across several runs of an episode, marking a 26.9% hike over 2013’s average of $326,000"

So my basic thought is that you make a great show that people love and crave. Once you know you have them hooked you now need to get more money. How can you tell advertisers we can guarantee more and more viewers. (this is my corporate voice)I got it, have you noticed how are ratings increase for the season premier and season finale? Well how about this we break our season into two parts then we have two season finales and two season premiers. Wait I am not done, then we will shorten the season so the time in between the premiers loses no steam. Then we slowly increase the cost of a commercial.

Or maybe I am just mad to be left hanging

Anyone agree or disagree, thoughts?

FS

Lets Lay the Best to Rest

Wolverine aka Logan aka James Howlett
1974-2014
Wolverine is my all time favorite character in the world. He is the reason i am the geek I am today. Without him I would not be drawing comics. I have named my child after him and she is a girl, Logan Watson.

Wolvie has brought a lot to me and it is a very sad day to see him leave. Today the final issue of "The Death of Wolverine" comes out. I know he is over used and on 20 different teams but I still love him and I will miss him(even if this is a temporary leave). I never would have thought they would kill him but Marvel pulled the trigger. I have not bought the final issue yet and as I contemplate Logan's end I just want to remember the old canucklehead.

Favorite Artist on Wolverine Adam Kubert
Favorite Storyline "Old Man Logan"
Favorite Fight Sabertooth, Wolverine #90
Favorite Team Wolverine is on X-Men Blue Sqaud
Favorite side Kick Jublation Lee
Favorite Costume Brown and Tan
Favorite WTF Moment Magneto rips out His adamantium

The best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be.

Enjoy you vacation Logan looking forward to seeing how it finally ends for you and how they bring you back.

What are some of your favorite things about Wolverine

The Journey So Far

   First off, I want to say that I never envisioned The Stuff Podcast would be where it's at today. It's astounding and I'm very humbled by all the support the show has received. That goes with out saying, I can't not mention my co-host Michael Watson. He has been my rock, my best friend, and all around ass kicker. 

   I initially met Mike through a mutual friend of ours, Victor Dandridge. I was doing some event coverage for Creative Control Fest when he introduced us. We got to talking about our aspirations and realized that we couldn't not do something together. He mentioned he wanted to do a podcast and I mentioned I used to work for a podcast website. Magical ever since. Just kidding, it wouldn't be a really good story is it ended now. 

  After doing some planning, we decided to meet every Thursday evening at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. We went on to record over the course of several weeks near a coffee shop that closed right when we started the show. We were hassled by security, people passing by etc. It was stressful, but we managed. One day as we were leaving, I noticed that there was a comic book shop that was open. I've seen the store before, but it was always closed when we were recording the show. 

   I went in, talked to the store owner, Doug Simms, and mentioned that we did a podcast. He got really excited and told me he was looking to do a podcast for quite sometime now, but didn't know how to go about doing. This almost seemed too good to be true. He offered to let us record in the shop every week which took care of the problem being hassled. Doug went beyond that though. He offered to be a sponsor of the show, which is amazing. Because of this, we've been able to go to multiple shows in the comic convention circuit. 

  This past year has been a real fun experience for Mike and I. Though sometimes we might hit some rough patches with editing, upload times and so on, we've been able to turn something that was a hobby for us into a full on show that people listen to every week. If we can make this much progress in one year, I can't wait what the next year will bring for us. 

-James

Gotham or Agents of SHIELD

Hello all this is FS from The Stuff, posing/poll a question from the podcast page. Please vote and share your thoughts. Both these shows are approaching their stories and characters differently, who is doing it better? Whose opening episode was better?


Vote Here for Gotham or Agents of SHIELD

Fandom or Not to Fandom

   I met a doctor this weekend and his name was Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor from the famed Doctor Who Series. I am not a Doctor Who fan, and I can understand the craze because I am a geek. I can geek out like a little school girl myself. Just as I did when I got my picture taken with Gimli (aka John Ryhs-Davies). So I will never disrespect a DW fan by saying I don't get it. Plus I love the brits, lol. 

   I happen to have had the pleasure of going to the Cincy Comic Con with the Sci Fi Photo Guys this weekend due to my part time employment with them as a digital artist. We were signed on to do the celebrity photography for the convention. We took pictures for Jason David Frank, Henry Winkler, Jewel Staite, Julie Newmar, Lou Ferrigno, Walter Jones, William Kircher, John Rhys-Davies, Paul McGann and all of the Boba Fet Actors. 

   What does your star level have to be before your passion for your fans fades. I have been to a few conventions and the difference in "I am here for my Fans" versus "I am here because I am paid" are becoming more and more apparent. 

  I single out Paul McGann because his attitude this weekend was amazing. He has only been in a movie for the DW series and as I have been told he is the last of the classic doctors. His popularity this past weekend was massive. Each one of his fans left with smiles of bliss and geekiness. Not to say there were not other actors and actresses who were awesome. I shout out John Rhys-Davies who, at the end of his photo line, pulled Hazel and I for Photos with him. While Mr.McGann sat in between photo sets, he told a very interesting story of how his role in DW has impacted him and placed a large responsibility on his shoulders. A responsibility that he welcomes. A powerful line he said was that "He would not be here if it was not for his fans." To hear him say this and then see him interact with each one of his fans was an awesome experience. He was by far the best of the weekend. Its one thing to say it but to actually show it in action with emotion is a something else. 

  His stellar attitude and cheerfulness has made me want to check out the DW series. Which I will be starting tonight. I wish other stars shared his attitude. I get it, I know some fans are crazy and can be overbearing, but you’re at a comic book convention for the fans. A place they can have access to you. That was my impression, but I could be wrong. If you’re not going to interact with the fans, then why be there? Now there are stars who are more popular that may share in Mr. McGann's attitude. I am not saying they don't exist, but there seems to be stars who are just there due to a pay check.           

   Another stand out bunch is the entire cast of Being Human. They took close to 100 pictures at Fandom Fest. Instead of just standing there and smiling, they came up with a different scene for each one of their fans, so all the pictures were original (yes all pictures). They then took the digitals of each picture to create a future coffee book for the fans. 

   This does not just happen with stars, but also comic artist as well. (If you notice I have not named the culprits, and I will not). I met one of my long time favorite artist a few years back. I approached him to talk to him just to say thanks, I love your work and you have inspired me as an artist. As I spoke he said nothing his head was down, drawing a comic image. I began to speak again and his wife spoke for him. She stated that she would be speaking if I needed anything. I said "Great, I need to talk to him please." She turned me down stating "He does not talk until 1:30pm where you can pay for the pic, and autograph." "I just wanted to say what an inspiration he was to me as an artist but thanks for changing my mind." The artist did not budge while his wife and I had this exchange. I notice people complain about comic artist not making money at conventions but with some having attitudes (not all) like this, who wants to talk to you.

   The comic convention is a place where we can talk to the people we adore and love as idols in our world. The one place originally where the geek is celebrated and allowed in public. Sadly I think with geek becoming the new way of life, the commercialization of it is taking away the genuine love for a lot of creators and stars. 

    If you stay at home only leaving to go to set, I get it you are not a people person. If you are attending comic conventions and participating in photo opts or meet and greets, then you should look like you enjoy it. It may be a fleeting moment to you, but to the fan that pays that $50-$100 ticket on top of a weekend pass to see you; its what they have been wanting for a very long time. Five minutes of you doing what you are getting paid to do goes a long way. I mean you’re an actor right? So can't you act like you’re having a good time? You never know who that one person you turn away may be or does to your future. What are your thoughts? While you think, take a look at this pic from the Sci Fi Photo Guys(check them out online and facebook they do great work). I believe it sums up what comic con should be.

Article by FS of The Stuff

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Get your facts right with Delta Force

Some Delta Force Facts:
1. All Delta Force operatives have a magazine of kryptonite tipped rounds.
2. Chuck Norris is bitter he couldn't make Delta Force.
3. Batman was booted from Delta Force due to his lack of preparation.
4. Delta Force can tell Lelouch no.
5. Every member of Delta Force has their name written in the Death Note daily throughout their service.
6. Delta Force knows the locations of every missing sock.
7. Delta Force can make change for a penny.
8. Delta Force carried out the operation that removed all the funny jokes from Big Bang Theory.
9. Delta Force ding dong ditch Dr. Doom.
10. Delta Force made Galactus try Adkins.
11. When Delta Force goes out for Mexican food, they get free Guac.
12. Delta Force wins debates against fanboys.
13. Delta Force can prove it happened without pics.
14. Delta Force can cite Wikipedia.
15. Every member of Delta Force has a set of the Dragonballs.
16. Morgan Freeman used to be a member of Delta Force, but his voice became to gravely.
17. Delta Force knows who would win in a fight between Darkseid and Thanos.
18. Goku failed the H2H test of delta recruitment... Twice.
19. Every new recruit in Delta Force must clean the toilets wearing a pair of Infinity Gauntlets instead of rubber gloves.
20. Delta Force have the Blade of Olympus as standard issue.
21. Liam Neeson trained Batman and Qui-Gon Jin, is king of the Greek gods, saved the Jews, led the A-Team and was the father to the protagonist of Fallout 3. Liam Neeson almost made the cut for Delta Force.
22. Delta Force invented Tesla and Edison.
23. Delta Force cans the Whoop-Ass.
24. Delta Force felt bad about beating the Flash in a race; even though they gave him a head start.
25. Delta Force is the reason our planet rotates on a tilted axis.
26. All those craters in the Moon? Delta Force EOD training.
27. Jedi wish to be one with the Force, the Force wishes to be one with the Delta Force.
28. Delta Force can teach Bart Simpson math.
29. Lobo and Wolverine were booted from Delta Force when the failed to heal fast enough.
30. Delta Force killed Deadpool.
31. Delta Force won the console war.
32. Delta Force could kill the Metal, they just don't want to.
33. Delta Force made Kristen Stewart show emotion.
34. Delta Force can eat just one Lays potato chip.
35. Reed Richards and Victor Von Doom cheated off of Delta Force in Highschool.
36. Delta Force never activates anyone's trap card.
37. It was actually Delta Force that killed the Radio Star.
38. Wolverine will meet Delta Force one more time... In issue #4 of Death of Wolverine.
39. A fouls ball caught by a member of Delta Force is considered a Home Run.
40. MacGuyver can complete his mission with a stick of gum, a paper clip and tape. He was chastised by Delta Force for using so much unnecessary material.
41. Delta Force would weight train with Mjolnir, if it wasn't so damn light.
42. Delta Force is the real meaning of life.
43. The virus uploaded in the movie Independence Day was actually just pictures of Delta Force flexing.
44. The Supreme Court's deliberation time is actually used to call and get advice from Delta Force.
45. Delta Force have scissors that cut rocks, paper that break scissors and rocks that can never be covered.
46. There were plans of a Delta Force edition of Monster Hunter. The first attempt had you acting as a member of Delta Force hunting such game enemies and monsters as a hybrid Godzilla, all the Weapons from FF7, Galactus, and other world enders. The second attempt saw you as a hunter with access to the Infinity Gauntlet, Mjolnir, The Bat-belt, Shazam's lightning, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagan and other artifacts while you hunt a single member of Delta force. The first attempt was regarded as far too easy even on nightmare difficulty, while the. Second attempt was considered impossible even by code hacking.
47. Only Delta Force can solo Delta Force.
48. Delta Force can change the tires on Tanks.
49. Luke actually fired a member of Delta Force down the Death Star's exhaust port.
50. Delta Force let these feats slip because they weren't impressive enough to keep quiet.


Aaron Helfer  of The Stuff

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You can only be the Best for so long

Logan this is very hard for me, saying goodbye. I mean I know your gonna come back in year maybe two years tops. So it really is not goodbye more so than see you later. You and I have been through so much.From the adamantium being ripped from outta you, to one handed killing machine, brain washing and attacking the marvel universe, being death and now finally death comes for the best there is. Sixth grade, I was 11 years old and I knew one thing for sure I hated comics, they made no sense to me. I did not see why people liked them so much. Those were the words that came out of my mouth to my friend Tom. his jaw dropped. He literally said we cannot be friends until I read X-Men, he said there was no way I could read that I still feel the same way about comics. He bugged me all day, I said ok. He brought them in the next day, a stack full of X-men, classic Blue and Gold. I had no idea what I was in for. At home in my bed reading X-Men #17. Blue Squad Cyclops, Psylocke, Beast, Jubilee, Gambit/Rouge(not in this issue) and Wolverine. Colossus is in this one too as a guest star, they are trying to fight off Omega Red. First impressions Wolvie is the shortest hero I have ever seen. He is smaller than everyone and all he has is claws. I mean the X-Men are pretty imposing just looking at them and judging a book by its cover and Omega Red is handing it to them. They are going down like flies except one hairy mutant. He just keeps getting up no matter how hard he gets knocked down(thanks to a mutant healing factor). I was in awe of this. I mean we were the same height, he really didn't have any powers like the other X-Men, he was a scrapper. I loved it. I have loved it ever since then. Despite all the good and the bad.Some of my favorite moments are when Wolverine is pushed beyond all limits. Some stories really stick out like Wolverine VS Sabertooth issue #90 the one they sold tickets too. The painful issue when he had the adamantium ripped out of his body by Magneto. Wolverine agent of Hydra, and my favorite Old Man Logan. I hated when they took his metal and he was rolling around with bone claws. It drove me crazy but when I think about it those were some of the best stories. Taking him to his lowest and having him claw his way back to the top.

Logan has been to so many places he has taken on the Hulk and almost killed him. Chose to become Death the Horseman of Apocalypse because he knew he should fight past the brain washing. I was a bit of a scrapper in high school. Looking back on those fights I got into(not that I recommend it)I had wolverine with me. His mentality, anger and will to win despite the opponents size, or skill. Maybe corny but he has greatly affected my life. I am drawing and into comics because of him. My daughter is named after him. Now after going down memory lane with my favorite character I am now reading "The Death of Wolverine" Now my only and biggest gripe with this is the fact that they have announced his Death. They took my experience away from me. I would have loved to read this as a special edition and been caught off guard by them killing him. I wanted to read the story and have the fear of not knowing what would happen to the best there is. Once you get past that the first issue is pretty damn awesome. They have managed to bring back a wolverine I have missed and did not even realize it. They brought the bad ass back. The reason I fell in love with this character. In the first issue of this story it has the makings and all the beats of X-Men 17, I was 11 all over again. It was so important my friend Victor stayed on the phone while I read the issue

This is probably one of the most annoying things about Wolverine and other characters. Why can he be written so well in one series but like ass in another. I mean I know it is hard to write this well consistently amongst other writers doing all types of things with the character but shouldn't that mean we should not over saturate the character? Its a double edged sword then right? The character is loved and wanted so put him in all we can, but we also have these special issues written and drawn by mega talent who create amazing stories. They get to write this way because of all the crap that is already out there. If a creative team was allowed to be on a book for longer than 4-6 issues we would get the best comics around. Example and case in point Invincible. Same creative team for a 100 issues. I know it is a different medium but what Marvel does on their cinematic universe needs to be applied to their comics. So I can say I am enjoying this it will be interesting to see what they or how they deal with his absence in the marvel universe. Comparative to the death of Superman this death will have the same ripple of effect on the Marvel universe. next week I will not take so long to look at issue 2 and 3 lol. You have to understand this is hard for me.....

Death of Wolverine #1 5 out of 5 Stuffs Death of Wolverine #2 3.5 out of 5 Stuffs

Nostalgia in gaming.

Ask any gamer alive what their favorite game is and nine times out of ten it'll be one from our childhood. My answer would be no different. How many times have you heard or even have said that kids these day play garbage compared to what we had growing up? Because of this, the constant debate rages in the gaming community that the games from our childhood are far better than the ones that are released today. The problem with this argument is there are too many variables for this to be a fair debate. You can not compare anything from a  tech standpoint because of the limitations allowed at the time in the hardware.  Even comparing music and story would be a tough argument due to limitations of file sizes. Where does nostalgia come into play and how much was looking at the game through the eyes of a child versus the more refined (cynical) eyes of an adult? With that said this entire debate is still apples and oranges but lets throw some fuel into the fire anyway. 

"Lufia and the Fortress of Doom" for the snes is my absolute favorite game of all time and it is one I have never even finished. But before we start the argument let me shine some light on my personal history with the game.  I first discovered this game at my local video rental place. I had it for three days and immediately fell in love. The music, the combat system, the story, and even the graphics. Obviously I could not finish a turned based rpg in that short amount of time, so alas it was returned unbeaten.  I rented it as often as I could for months always hoping that my save file was still intact. Sometimes yes more often than not it was gone. Being a kid with a game you are absolutely obsessed with this was no big deal. Start again and memorize every inch of it. My mom even printed off an all text walk through for me. My fondest memory of the game came from a week where my parents were out of town and my grandmother was watching me. They gave her the money so she could rent it for me and the best part she sat and watched me play it asking me questions and being genuinely engaged.

Now that brings us to the argument. Is this my favorite game because of the memories I have associated with it? Is it because it was my obsession for so long when I was still so green to games? Is it because the game stands up to the test of time and is one of the best games of all time?  I chuckle to myself full well knowing it is not that last one. At release it received mixed reviews being compared to Secret of Mana or Final Fantasy. Even more recent reviews are still mixed between enduring characters and story versus being referred to as average or boring. So now this brings into question if I had played more rpgs or even more games before this would I feel the same about it? As we experience life and everything that it has to offer do we slowly and unconsciously raise the bar without us even realizing it?

Don't get me wrong, there a many current day series that I absolutely love. But time and again nothing has managed to bump my number one spot. So where do you stand? And why do you feel that way?

William

Generation Rising

Stephen M Buchanan - 8/25/2014

Summer is almost over, meaning that the holiday deluge of games is fast approaching. This year will bring the first defining wave of content built for this generation of consoles. Gamescom has concluded with promises of inspired and intriguing games, big and small, for both Microsoft and Sony’s consoles. PAX is just round the corner, which will give fans hands on experience with upcoming titles.

Early adopters of the newest console offerings from Sony and Microsoft are finally being shown the merit of their investments. Unlike previous generations, I did not pick up either of the new machines inside their launch windows. The decision to go without was a simple one — there was very little compelling me to do so.

While the newest consoles have broken sales records the world over, the software available for both the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 has been uninspired. The price of admission to play similar games with marginal visual improvements is far too steep when the same experience is essentially already available on consoles that myself and many other gamers already own.

That is not to say that the burgeoning boxes have been without exclusive content. Xbox One can claim Dead Rising 3 and Titanfall for it’s portfolio and the PlayStation 4 can point to inFAMOUS: Second Son and Killzone Shadowfall. Yet most of these titles are familiar, being sequels for existing franchises. While the specific content is different from predecessor’s, none of the games distinguish themselves beyond being another good entry in a good series.

While ‘more of the same’ isn’t necessarily a bad thing with these examples, there is little incentive to spend $400 or more on a machine that does not enrich the gameplay experience.

In spite of these issues, the industry continues to shift older content to the new consoles bundled with DLC and the promise of better graphics and that ever important label of 60 FPS. Sleeping Dogs, The Last of Us, Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto V, Diablo III, and Injustice: Gods Among Us are all either out or have plans for a ‘definitive edition’ on the new consoles.

With so much recycled content, it becomes difficult to find justify the cost of entry into this generation.

But the zeitgeist of this current generation of consoles is just beginning to take shape, and the gaming public has every reason to be excited. Robust titles from AAA dev teams and a new wave of increasingly sophisticated indie content are paving the way for this generation to define itself.

Sony and Microsoft played their respective hands at Gamescom 2014, showing gamers what they can look forward to if they already own a console and giving those who have abstained from the current generation reason to reconsider.

Microsoft has done a fair amount of legwork since E3 2014. Their initial announcement of the Xbox One was met with criticism due to it’s restrictive DRM policies, always-on Kinect and Internet requirements, and an overzealous focus on the television integration aspects of the console. Compounding the issue was the flippantly dismissive attitude of Microsoft when it came to addressing the concerns of fans. Upon the release of the console, the Xbox One performed better than it’s predecessor, the Xbox 360, but was largely outpaced by the PlayStation 4.

Unable to upset PlayStation’s early dominance, Microsoft has altered their strategy. The company focused on their game content almost exclusively at their E3 and Gamescom conferences. The console giant showed a variety of content, ranging from indies like the hilariously absurd Screamride and the ominously beautiful Ori and the Blind Forest to the time-bending, AAA gunplay of Quantum Break. Established franchises were also on display, with betas for Halo 5: Guardians and Fable Legends promised for the end of the year.

Sony has answered Microsoft’s challenge with gusto. During their Gamescom press conference, Sony revealed that they had sold over 10 million PlayStation 4 consoles since its release, making it the fastest selling console of all time.

But Sony talked about far more than their sales figures. There were a half-dozen entirely new projects were announced for PlayStation consoles ranging a wide variety of genres and styles. Sony continued its commitment to indie developers, showcasing the ever excellent Housemarque’s new twin-stick shooter project called Alienation alongside Q-Games bizarrely artistic project The Tomorrow Children. We also got to see more of Bloodborne, a dark and atmospheric action RPG made exclusively for PlayStation 4 by Dark Souls developer, From Software. And this is only a portion of what Sony had to offer.

The take away from Gamescom is clear — Microsoft and Sony are in heated competition for hearts and minds in the gaming community. The PlayStation 4 has developed an early lead over the Xbox One, but the console race has only just begun. The One’s sales have picked up since Microsoft stopped requiring gamers to purchase the machine with the Kinect. Microsoft is not at a pace to overtake the PlayStation currently, but Sony themselves proved that sales gaps can be closed in the last generation.

While many portions of the industry are dividing up content and holding it hostage with preorder ‘bonuses’ and DLC the contest for console superiority is being fought with games.Even though some controversy has emerged over dubious exclusivity deals, the competition between Xbox One and PlayStation 4 is producing the perfect climate for consumers. These two giants are putting their considerable weight behind the production of compelling original content to make their new ecosystems the best places to play. That means more games for us.

If the climate of the industry continues to push for quality content in this manner, we could be in for one of the most exciting generation yet.