Category: Blogposts

Posts not connected to a comic… sometimes information, sometimes just ranting, it’s a bit of a gamble when you read these.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0006

Posted on April 16, 2015 by Bruce

0006There’s that immortal question- “Star Trek or Star Wars?” I tend to tell people that I fall into the Star Trek camp, but then I remember the excitement I had for Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi… During that time in my life I was definitely a Star Wars junkie. I even tell the story of getting a bootleg copy of Star Wars for Christmas in 1977. Two betamax tapes of grainy awesomeness. As for the new stuff, I tried, I really tried to like them, I even went to the midnight shows for all three, hoping each time, it would capture the pure amazing experience I had as a 12 year old. – no comment.

I have played around with various Star Wars games and do really like the X-Wing Miniature game when I get the chance to play it.

Today they released the second trailer for Episode VII, I think they should call this one “A New Hope” because I really hope it is good.

 

Sorry for the multiple posts and redactions – I’m tired.

 

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0080

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Bruce

0080Every so often a comic book publisher comes up with an utterly amazing title… At the beginning of one of those “Ultimate Final Crisis Wars” DC Comics decided to try something weird. They took a 1940’s hero and reinvented him for a more modern age (at the time it was the mid 90’s). This had been done before, but there was something about this character and what they did, the homage they paid to the past, made it something special, and something I really liked.
Maybe it was the fact that Jack was an artist and junk dealer who never wanted to be a hero. Maybe it was his relationship with his father, maybe it was the wonderful cast of characters, the annual “Talking with David” issues, Shade’s Journals… I don’t know, but I know I shed a tear when that last issue came out, not just because it was a wonderful ending- but because it was an ending, something you don’t normally find in comics. You knew after reading that last page, that Jack Knight wouldn’t be back- ever.  No matter what Starman was something special.  80 of (in my opinion) some of the best comics out there.

People always ask me what my favorite hero is… It’s easy to say “the Flash” but I think it might actually be Starman.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0076

Posted on April 14, 2015 by Bruce

0076One time, at band camp…

 

OK so I never went to band camp, in fact I can barely play the ukulele. My musical knowledge extends to things like: My favorite song? You know that one with the singing in it, the person who sings it is a guy- although it could be a girl… My favorite band? That one that does that one song…  I’ve been to a few concerts in my life, but while I do enjoy music, I just haven’t loved it enough to be a geek about it.

As for MINIon #0076, I understand he graduated from the Gary Conservatory of Music, and relocated to River City, Iowa where there was some trouble, with a capital “T” and that rhymes with “P” and that stands for prune tarts… oh, such a disaster.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #????

Posted on April 13, 2015 by Bruce

StigSome say that on really warm days, he sheds his skin like a snake, and that for some reason, he’s allergic to the Dutch… Some say that he invented November… Some say that he sucks the moisture from ducks… Some say that his breath smells of magnesium, and that he’s scared of bells… Some say that his ears aren’t exactly where you’d expect them to be… Some say his droppings have been found as far north as York. And that he has a full size tattoo of his face, on his face… Some say it’s impossible for him to wear socks…

There are so many things people say about MINIon# ???? including some say that he doesn’t even remember his own MINIon number… All we know is- well actually we don’t know much about him at all.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0012

Posted on April 12, 2015 by Bruce

0012a“Wait a second!” you say… “There already was a MINIon #0012. Are you messing with me?” Yes, and No. You see when someone requests a MINIon # sometimes they have a change of mind, either for the number, or the design. in this case a little of both. The original MINIon # 0012 wants a change of number, and a yet to be done MINIon wanted to be #0012… so it all worked out. As for the design- I’ve said it before, everyone is a geek about some thing…

Those who know me know that I am saying this with the most excitement I can muster… “Gooooo Sports Team!” 😉

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #6502

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Bruce

6502aSo you might have heard that I hang around with a lot of geeks… or that as far as I’m concerned everyone is a geek, it just matters what they are passionate about.  MINIon #6502 fits one of the stereo types for a geek, his MINIon # is from “… the microprocessor that I grew up with, one year I had my grandparents give me the hardware and programming Manual for it as a Christmas gift! The first computer I built was based around the 6502, and it got me my first job, which eventually led to where I am today!”

 

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #0777

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Bruce

0777So this is my samurai MINIon… I believe he is part of the “Ookagowa” shogunate.  Recently I had the chance to play “Age of War” at Saltire Games (my local game shop) It’s a quick dice based game in which players try to capture castles and various clans.  Lots of fun, but reminded me of how little I know.

MINIon #0777, mentioned that they had Japanese style tattoos, so combined with having played Age of War- this is what happens.

A Year in MINIons- MINIon #1177

Posted on April 7, 2015 by Bruce

1177I didn’t always understand the connection between a pet and a person… no really.  I know many of you would find this difficult to understand knowing the bond between myself & Hemi (best cat in the world).  You see as a child I never had a pet, I had hundreds of them.  At one point we had three (?) dogs, four or five cats, two goats, five or six chickens, four guinea pigs, two hamsters, two parakeets, and around 100 rabbits.  It’s hard to get attached to a pet when there are so many to choose from.  As I grew older the numbers dwindled, but it still was difficult when we just kept getting more.  So when I moved away, I made a conscious choice to not have a pet.  Hemi was Sue’s idea (she had never had a pet).

I bring this up because many MINIons have pets, and want to have their pet included in the badge I draw… this is more difficult than you would think.  Basically I can draw a “dog” but to draw your exact dog is hard.  You know where every little spot is, and that exact expression.  I had a student once who asked me to draw a dog- and then told me the exact breed.  I then asked her to describe it for me and she said it looks like a collie, but smaller.  So I drew a collie and was told that I got it wrong because the tail wasn’t right.  The dog on this badge is the best interpretation of a sable German Shepherd I can do.  I hope it’s good enough.