San Diego Comic Con 2014

For some the San Diego Comic Con (SDCC) is a big event, and while it does showcase film, TV, comic, game and general media news, I never get too hyped for it. This is partly due to it being such a big event and that so much is announced that I have trouble knowing what's happened. But it is also because whilst I do obsess over media, like any good geek, it is mainly gaming that I strive to stay up to date with.

Regardless of this I do keep an eye out for news that interests me, in this post I thought I would round-up the things that peaked my interest.

More than a few clever cosplayers around.

Films

• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 will be coming to theaters on July 28th 2017, this more annoys me then interests me. How can the sequel have been scheduled before the first has seen release?
• There was a trailer for Avengers:Age of Ultron and apparently it has a very dark tone. I can't wait to catch a glimpse myself as this description of it sounds amazing.
• Horns is an upcoming murder mystery film starring Daniel Radcliffe. He plays a man as a man growing horns (normal?) following his girlfriends disappearance; things get weirder still, as people around him start to act rather odd. I checked out the trailer and think it looks rather promising. Who said Radcliffe would be typecast as a adolescent wizard all his life?

TV

• Constantine after the rather disappointing film a few years ago I'm surprised to see this getting a reboot. But from the trailer it looks good, very supernatural, mysterious and maybe even spooky. After recently being rather disappointed with American Horror Story: Asylum  perhaps I can get my shivers here instead.
• Gotham is something which I have paid very little attention to, which is odd considering I'm a massive Batman fan. I put this down to not being too interested in Batman's early years, let alone anything before he takes upon the mantle. Yet, after watching the new trailer I feel like I perhaps should be paying attention, as it looks like it could be impressive.

Comics

• This surely wasn't a surprise for anyone, the Jokers coming back to Batman comics with Scott Snyder's Endgame story arc. Not yet sure how I feel about this, he may be my favorite character, but his 'death' at the end of Death of the Family felt rather appropriate. I will see when the arc begins in October.
• A comic series will be released as an official sequel to the 1999 film Galaxy Quest. I loved this film and a return to the story is long overdo. Also announced is a crossover between Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Ghostbusters, which I can't even begin to imagine and soon won't have to. (Article about both here)

Games 

• Firefly Online was shown and although not an MMO fan I can't wait for this. I love everything about Firefly except, of course for it's cancellation.

If you think I've missed something, or you have a stand out moment of SDCC then let me know in the comments section.

Cosplay image from GoNintendo.

Monty Python Live at London's O2

Catholic confessors, dirty peasants clapping coconut shells and a ten-foot Norwegian Blue parrot- who had unfortunately expired. Three rather unique sights I saw on a trip to London's O2 on Friday the 18th of July; and at that point the event had yet to begin.

What show show could draw such crazy sights? Monty Python Live of course. If the posters are to believed this is the last tour the Python's (John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman [via old footage]) will ever perform. Not only this, but it also marks their first tour together in thirty years. Both factors have made this a hard to miss experience for a comedy nut like myself. Having said that it was actually rather easy for many to miss the show, Tickets for the first performance sold out within 35 seconds- I was lucky to get mine.

'This is a dead parrot.'

However, approaching the dome I didn't feel lucky or even excited: I felt like a charlatan. I wasn't born when Flying Circus first aired, nor was I overly keen of sketches I'd seen on clip-shows. I enjoyed the film Holy Grail, and Life of Brian never ceases to make me chuckle. But I wouldn't class myself as a hard-core Python fan, and I felt like I was a bit out of my depth. Surely the crowds would sense someone not so enthused, and that there were others more deserving of my seat.

Far from being made to feel excluded, instead I picked up on the surrounding excitement and eagerly awaited the Python's return. I couldn't help it, there was a buzz in the air. People flocked to the aforementioned dead parrot statue (an homage to one of their best known sketch) to have photos taken. Some people were dressed as famous characters too, there was an air of silly-ness that lends itself to the Python's style of humour.

The stage dressing as a show in itself.

Any remaining unease, was put aside as soon as the show began. Opening with a sketch about four men reminiscing on their childhood. Each one striving to outdo the other in making their lives sound harsh. The stories got to the ridiculous height of one character casually mentioning to another, how he was lucky to have been able to live in a swamp. A great take on the typical English middle-age man troupe of having to one up each other whilst having a moan. It also helped set the tone for the evening: the Python's are back, older and more successful, but they haven't forgotten their roots.

The various sketches were all short and wonderfully silly. Often about noisy body functions, awkward situations or something exploding unexpectedly. In between whilst the set was dressed or even the actors themselves, animations of Terry Gilliam were shown on a screen above the stage. It is these animations that have put me off Monty Python in the past. I can't help but find it's art style slightly creepy, especially the announcer who literally lets his mouth get the better than him. It doesn't sit right with me, but never the less the show was amazing.

I left feeling like I had been doing comedy a dis-service in not giving Flying Circus a proper chance in the past. Something I vow to do now, after all I have the box set.

Well at least they are honest.

I highly recommend the show to both old fans and new, although the former probably won't see anything new. The show is essentially a live remake of their most famous sketches. But you will I'm sure enjoy the modern twists on the old classics. It will win over any fan of juvenile comedy and maybe even those who aren't, the Python's enthusiasm for the show is obvious and you can't help but feel like part of the fun. The crowd definitely couldn't and clapped in time with the various musical numbers.

Whilst the show may be their final tour and the last night has passed, it was broadcast on TV. I'm sure anyone not lucky enough to get tickets can watch it too, I certainly urge you to. The reunion is long overdo, both the audience and the performers

Hyper Japan Cosplay: Ni No Kuni

So after much deliberation and a few helpful suggestions I have decided what to cosplay as for Hyper Japan.

It didn't take much persuading to choose Oliver from Ni No Kuni. I became obsessed with the game earlier this year, completing in a single week (with around 75 hours playtime). I loved the character Oliver and empathized with his quest throughout.

Not sure if I'm quite as innocent and naive as him, but I shall try my best. I even went out stick hunting for my starter wand.

In the end the others were either too easy, uninteresting to me personally or too hard in the short amount of time I gave myself. To the person who suggested Gygas from Earthbound, I'm sorry I disappointed you. But swirling fog of doom or machine alien are beyond me.

My costume all laid out for tomorrows early start.

I promise to update with pictures of Hyper Japan, and of course me as Oliver.

Let me know what you guys think below in the comments section.


Oliver image from theparanoidgamer.

What a gamer wants.

Like many gamers, I have an ever-increasing list of announcements that I want (read as need). Surprisingly, none of these is for the elusive Half Life 3; I have yet to complete Half Life 2. Also, I personally think the good people of Valve aren't quite sure what number follows two.

I thought I would post a list about what I want to see in the near future. You may not want another fan-boy wish list, but I'm going to give them to you anyway.

If by the end of this post you find yourself agreeing/disagreeing or discovering your own wishes, then please leave them in the comment section and we can banter about them there.

1. Minecraft for Wii U.                                                                                                          Just think how well the Wii U's tablet controller would lend itself to Minecraft, or for that matter Terraria. No more fiddling in inventory screens, just drag and drop, the thing touchscreens were made for.                                                                                             I'd even take a 3DS port of the pocket edition. Come on people of Nintendo and Mojang, get together; there's money to be made in this one.                                                                                    
2. Japan's Hyrule Warriors limited editions.                                                                            If you don't know about the Hyrule Warriors Treasure Box set then check out this link. I am rather envious of this limited edition, and very tempted to import it. I especially love the scarf and Tri-force alarm clock. Western special sets have yet to be announced, so I'm still holding out for a similar version to reach our shores.                                                                       
   
3. More respect for the Wii U.                                                                                               I won't rant about this one too much, for now. However, I could and have written many posts about the wasted potential of the Wii U. What annoys me isn't just the gamers who don't give it the time it deserves, developers too always seem very reluctant to give it a chance. The most recent example of this is Ubisoft, withholding a Wii U game that is ready to ship (link).                                                                                                                    
4. The end of console exclusives.                                                                                           Surely, I'm not the only one who is sick and tired of being pulled in all directions, just to play games. Why should we have to choose between missing out on exclusives, or spending money on buying multiple consoles? I know that the simple answer is to buy a PC, where the majority of games end up. But, for someone not tech savvy, PC gaming seems like a minefield.                                                                                                                          

   

   It looks cool but,
   can it play Crysis?

5. The cost.                                                                                                                          Number four leads nicely onto this one. It doesn't matter what console you pick, gaming is getting too expensive. Just a few years ago, a new release would cost about £39.99, that would only be a few days before there was some promotion making it affordable. But now, games release at around £45, and seem to hold that value. Games companies wonder why gamers buy pre-owned, it's because they are pricing themselves out of the market.

That's a few wants off my chest. I bet the moment I hit publish I will think of a dozen more.

For now, however I want to hear yours. Share them in the comments. I will reply and discuss them all, no matter how insane.

Rage image from the christian nerd, Tri-force alarm from nerdreactor, PC image from techspot.

Have You Seen This Book?

Okay readers, I have a challenge for you. One that I don't hold out much hope for you solving.

Basically, there is a book from my childhood that I vaguely remember, but do not know the title or author. So, I am going to put a list of details below. If you think you know the book, let me know in the comments.

1. Set in modern day.
2. The last event in the book/series is a retelling of Ragnarok.
3. Main character is an original character.
4. Many side characters are taken from Norse mythology.
5. Loki is key, obviously, and there is a detailed description of his imprisonment.
6. It is probably from the children's fiction area (ages 8-12).
7. I owned the book about eight years ago, and I think it had been released fairly recently.
8. May also have been the last book in a series.
9. I think there is a plot point that it is all a video game, or virtual reality (this is uncertain).
10. An earlier book in the series took inspiration from the Greek Minotaur and labyrinth myth.

That's about all I remember. It isn't Percy Jackson, Ragnarok, Rune Marks, The Gospel of Loki or American Gods; before anyone suggests those.

Please if you have an inclining drop a comment below, it's really bugging me I can't remember the book.

Hyper Japan 2014

Panic stations, Hyper Japan is just around the corner!

'What's the problem? That sounds amazing.' I hear you cry.

Well, yes it is but I have a rather pressing issue ahead of me as a result. No, I haven't forgot to order tickets and it isn't fully booked.

My problem, is what to cosplay as. I have some ideas but all of them come with their own hurdles. Dear reader I beseech your advice, but first here are some guidelines.

                                                  I Have cosplayed before as:

I'm the one on the right, I think.

• Dr. Horrible from Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog
• The Joker from the Death of the Family arc
• L from Deathnote

I don't want to repeat myself. Also as it's Hyper Japan only L really fits the theme. My girlfriend has decided to go as Ponyo, however we are not couple cosplaying. So don't suggest that please.

I have had a few ideas so far:

Me as L who hasn't done his washing.

1. Sora or Riku from KingdomHearts.                                                                                                
2. Oliver from Ni No Kuni.                                                                                                     
3. Professor Layton from the Professor Layton series.                                                               
4. Lloyd from Tales of Symphonia.                                                                                         
5. Wizardmon from Digimon.

That's all I have so far, I'll post a picture of myself below. I'm open to any and all suggests, but remember time is a constraint and money is tight.

Please suggest away in the comments below.

Dirty Little Secret

Guilty pleasures. We all have them, activities we partake in that we are embarrassed about. Not because they are sordid, but because it isn’t normal in society's eye for us to enjoy them. I thought I would take the time to admit to some of my own.

I’ve tried to think of ones that are very different from each other, one for music, film, food, TV show, video game and book. This wasn’t as easy as it sounds either; I am a rather open person and not easily shamed.

Music

See, it's official!

This one is easy, and I came up with the idea for this post whilst I listened. Taylor Swift is my guilty music pleasure. There was a time when I scoffed at those who liked her music, to me she sounded cheesy, girly and a bit too country. But now, thanks in part to a certain person, (you know who you are) I can’t help but smile when I hear her songs.

Yes, most of her songs are along the same theme, either amazing relationship or tragic break-up, but for the most part they are feel good. A big reason for the joy I get from them is due to the memories I have associated to them. So yeah, I’m a Swiftie and proud.

Film

This one was difficult; I wanted a film that I would only watch alone. At first, I thought of the Saw films as I am rather ashamed that I have seen them. But the problem is I don’t really like them, so aren’t really a pleasure.

However, I think that the Resident evil films fit the bill, specifically Resident Evil:Afterlife.  The films have terrible plots, too much gore and tear apart the rich lore that the games set down. As both a gamer and a writer, I should hate these films. Yet, I can’t help but get a little excited at the nods to the game series. The climatic fight against Wesker in Afterlife is lifted straight from the game. My love of the film is due to reminiscing the times I enjoyed playing; which means I should probably just play the games again instead.

TV Series

Some people would be embarrassed if they watched as much children’s TV shows as I do. But I’m not, I love shows like Digimon. Despite their cheesy plots and clichés, it’s nice to have something mind numbing you can just switch off and take in.

But my guilty pleasure is an anime, Welcome To The NHK. This is a show about a man who hates leaving his house. He is obsessed with video games, TV and perhaps, most embarrassingly, dating simulator games. He then meets a mysterious girl who attempts to help him.

You're classic tale of shut-in boy meets insane girl.

What I find most unsettling about the show is how much of my younger self I see in the main character. I sympathised with him throughout, and that’s why it is one of the only animes I have watched until the end. It helps that the plot stays funny and interesting, whilst dealing with complex issues such as sexuality and depression. It is compelling to watch.

Food

This one is short and sweet, quite literally. It’s baby biscuits. It started with a single innocent looking Rusk. But now it’s escalated, and I always keep a packet of baby biscotti at hand. I love them, and they come in different flavours, chocolate, banana, apple and plain. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that I am besotted with biscotti.

Books

This one is pretty easy and is a combination of books. Last year I went through a phase of reading a lot of horror fiction, centred on zombies. Typically these are gore filled; and involve a lot of smashing deceased humanoids skulls in. This is why I often feel uneasy about admitting to liking zombies. It’s because it can quite easily be seen as a way of fantasising about killing our fellow man.

Zombies provide us with a motive for killing each other, they aren’t human anymore. Whilst this is true, it is a thinly disguised excuse for mass murder. For this reason, I always feel a little guilty for enjoying Max Brook’s Zombie Survival Guide. A book that at times takes itself so seriously that I fear for the author’s sanity (even if he is the great Mel Brook’s son, so insanity runs through his genes).

Video Games

At this point it is probably about time that I feel slightly guilty about something that is clearly aimed at children. Viva Piñata is a game which tasks you with keeping an allotment, that’s it, pretty simple. The nicer your patch is, the more piñata animals you attract. It’s sickly sweet, and much like shows such as Digimon it doesn’t take much thought.

Good job too, if you do delve deeper into the game you actually see some rather dark undertones. To attract certain piñatas you must offer some of your residents as food. Basically sacrificing them; quite often I have bred a friendly critter from birth just so that I can feed him to an unfriendly fox. I do feel bad about it, honest. I won’t even talk about the animal husbandry mini-game, that’s just weird.

So there you have it, my secret shames on show for all to see. Although, as someone who is quite proud to be bizarre, it was a hard list to compile. Maybe next I’ll do a list of proud moments to compensate.

But for now, I challenge you to think of your own dirty little secrets. I want to hear them, so why not do a post like mine and I’ll link you in. we can start a chain post and the world can absolve itself. If you’re not a blogger then leave them in the comments below.

Hey Mr. Fudgehog you look happy,
just wait till the Mallowolf comes for ya.

Swift ID created on big huge labs, Wesker image from Comic vine, biscotti image from Tesco, NHK image from alphacoders, Brooks photo from Washingtonlife, Fudgehog image from Spong.

What Turned Me Japanese-y!

As mental preparation for my imminent trip to Tokyo, something that both excites and terrifies me, I thought it would be good to reflect upon my current view of Japanese culture.

Our personalities are shaped by the interests that we have, many of mine are often what many in a Western culture to be obscure. Things like anime, video games and popular internet images (known as memes) are often dissmissed as being geeky. Often in order to partake in these interests I need to actively seek out this subculture as it isn't prevelant in everyday life. I have been to London Comic Con in the past and will be attending this year's Hyper Japan; two examples of events that allow me to express my passions and meet others with similar interests. Many of these geeky franchises seem to originate from Japan, which has built a keen interest within me to experience the culture.

This is the type of merchandise I hope to find in Tokyo,
although my wallet hopes I don't

 Despite this, I am aware that what I have experienced so far as Japanese culture goes is only a snippet. Indeed, even my trip is limited to a ten day burst in Tokyo. I will not presume to have experienced all of the culture when I return - merely a brief glimpse of city life in Japan's capital. This will surely be an eye opener to me nevertheless, and my image of what Japanese life is like will change. Right now, my view is of a city not too dissimilar from London - filled with bright lights and loud traffic. Only with an abundance of all things 'kawaii' and geeky. My mind paints a picture of brightly painted anime characters dancing outside vast stores devoted to technology. Whilst I know that these places do exist, in reality they will only be in certain districts (such as Akihabara) and not scattered everywhere.

An example of Tokyo's bright city life.

Like many modern childhoods, my Saturdays began with sugar-coated cereal and morning television. Growing up, my favourite shows to watch were Pokémon, Cubix and Digimon (all of which I still have a slight obsession with). They all depicted the lives of Japanese children, which struck a chord with me. The towns they lived in seemed much simpler and yet more exciting than my own. Cubix especially, as this displayed an image of a robot-obsessed world where it was possible to have your own robot friend. How could my town compare? All it could offer was a musty library and a park that got burnt down every few months.

When these shows weren’t on I indulged in video games and, once again, often my preferences were  brightly coloured offerings from the East. Super Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog games were my first introductions to the gaming world. Many weekends were spent playing Mario Kart with my brother on our N64, and these are some of my fondest memories. It's little wonder then that I embraced an idealistic view of the land they originated from.

This sums up my childhood.

Due to my enjoyment of crafting, I also developed a keen interest in origami, the Japanese art of paper folding to make objects. I am quite proud of my origami skills; there is something about watching the precise folds turn into amazing creations. I find it calming, and that it creates a sense of real accomplishment.   

Even circumstance seem eager to encourage my ever-growing obsession with Japan. In Primary school, we started to learn Japanese in year three. Now, it seems odd to me for our school to expect young children to be able to take on and understand a language that is so alien to our own. Yet, reflecting on this, I can remember really enjoying learning the language and displaying a certain aptitude for it. One which weirdly I haven’t been able to replicate, demonstrated by how I am currently struggling to learn little bits that will enable me to get by during my trip. I recall learning numbers from one to ten, how to write my name and memorising the alphabet (I am unsure if what we were taught at the time was Kanji, Katakana or Hiragana, Japan's three main alphabets).

Some of my origami creations

The highlight of these lessons came when we took a visit to Canterbury University, where the students had put on some form of Japanese experience day. I remember walking round their campus revelling in the examples of culture around me. Getting to try katsu chicken kebabs, making delicate kites small enough to fly using a desk fan, being introduced to haiku and painting our names onto thin parchment using  a brush called a fude. It appeared I had a certain knack for the latter, as my attempt won me a book of haikus. I felt so proud of myself and treasured both the book and the poetic form of haiku. To this day, despite a certain lack of enthusiasm to all things poetic (especially non-rhyming ones) I still love haiku. I enjoy reading these for their seemingly simple structure, and the contrasts they create.

More recently in life, I have continued to be drawn to Japanese culture. I have recently developed a passion for amigurumi (a form of crochet to create soft toys, often game or anime characters), which I hope to be able to sell on Etsy. I was also very fortunate that I have found a like-minded partner - my amazing girlfriend, Amy. I don't doubt that anyone else would deem me too insane to give the time of day to. But not her, oh no. Instead, she showed an equal obsession and introduced me to all things ‘kawaii,’ and taught me what the word actually means and how to spell it. I in turn have taught her some origami and together we rediscovered haiku. We also enjoy exploring Japanese cuisine together. Whilst we are both hesitant towards sushi, we never shy away from a good yakisoba (pan fried noodles) and I fear that an argument over the last mochi or dorayaki (traditional Japanese sweet treats) could be the thing that may eventually separate us!

Some examples of my amigurumi projects.

Overall, my life seems to naturally deviate towards certain aspects, probably the ‘geekier,’ ones of Japanese culture. I realise in reality that anime, video games and cute critters isn’t what Japan is about. There is also a rich, spiritual culture, evident in the many festivals and shrines they have. I hope to immerse myself in these during my stay. In highlighting my presumptions in this post, I will hopefully be more inclinded not to focus too much on what I want to experience in Tokyo, but instead seek out new experiences as well. Indeed, whilst I am there people will be celebrating Obon, a summer festival devoted to remembering ancestors.

I hope my trip will be eye-opening. and allow my love for Japanese culture to flourish. I also want it to enrich the knowledge I have of the culture in a way that will give me a greater understanding of it and my own interests.


Merchandise image from illustrators lounge, Tokyo image from The Telegraph, Nintendo image from Theology Gaming