Cool Books You Won't Find At Wal-Mart #2

Age of TV Heroes

The Live-Action Adventures of

Your Favorite Comic Book Characters

by Jason Hofius and George Khoury

Actually, as of this writing, you can't find this book ANYWHERE (the release date isn't until December 17, 2008), but check out that line-up on the cover! George Reeves, Adam West, Lynda Carter and Jackson Bostwick in their super-hero guises that inspired comic book fans throughout the 1950s to the present day as painted by Alex Ross.

Inside are interviews with the actors, producers, writers and creators who translated both Marvel and DC heroes alike into living icons for lovers of adventure and fantasy. Thrill to the memories of Nick Hammond (a.k.a. Spider-Man), John Wesley Shipp (The Flash) and even the current voice of Brock Samson himself, Patrick Warburton (or, as he was in his live-action incarnation, The Tick)!

A friend recently asked me if I ever get excited about anything these days ... well, here's something exciting, and we're all going to have to wait until Christmas to open our present!

Oddest MSN Banner Ever

This one speaks for itself. Trust me when I say it is the real deal straight to you from the MSN.com homepage, and has been unaltered by yours truly in any form or fashion. I suppose clicking it took you to some strange health article, but I'm still trying to figure out the juxtaposition with the male enlarged breasts "bonus" feature.

Why Steranko Still Matters

Click the classic cover and enjoy the homages!

Stuff About Poe ...

... as written in a "round robin biographical recall" by my 11th graders:

1. Poe had a very bad childhood.




2. He was cursed.




3. His real mother & wife died at the age of 24.




4. His step-father didn't like him.




5. His last name was Poe.




6. Poe was 40 years old when he died.




7. He wrote short stories.




8. Poe lived in Richmond, VA.




9. He's dead.




10. His middle name of Allan was not used until after his death.




11. He wrote "The Raven."




12. Poe was most famous for his horror stories.




13. Poe's horrible life was the reason for the horror stories.




14. He was weird.




15. Poe's mother and wife died of TB.




16. He joined the military.




17. Hooked up with his 13-year-old cousin.




18. He had a weird looking mustache.




19. Poe could not hold his booze.




20. He liked writing better than I did.

What Are You Currently Reading?

Yes, I know Banned Books Week ends today ... all the more important to keep awareness of it alive for the other 51 weeks of the year.

So, with that in mind ... go here to get the basics.

Then, read a column about how "lucky" we are in this part of North Carolina not to have major issues with book banners and their ilk (ah, apathy ...).

For a good chuckle, enjoy the list of books that then-Mayor Sarah Palin supposedly wanted banned from the Wasilla Public Library (the laugh comes from imagining Palin actually reading even a tenth of these books that made the fake hit list).

And finally, in honor of Banned Books Week, here' s a quick quiz.

Toons In 3-Dimensions

Check out this amazing flickr set of View-Master slides courtesy of Matt Hinrichs ... quite simply put, these are some of the most beautiful sculptures of animated images you'll ever see.

Hey, I Wrote That!

Meant to post this at the first of the month instead of the end, but here's the latest book to appear with my byline, as well as my first title from the fine folks at Capstone Press.

Available in both a hardcover "library binding" and a softcover edition for those of us on a budget. Of course, if one believes what one reads on amazon.com, they are both the same price. Yes, the listings for both versions of The FBI (Cartoon Nation) are riddled with errors such as having the wrong product description, two authors instead of one (Terry and Collins), incorrect creator bios and a listed page count of 2,660 (instead of the correct 32)!

I sent amazon a list of corrections just a few moments ago, but have my doubts how long they will take to appear. Click the book cover if you're curious to see for yourself! ADDENDUM: In less than 24 hours, amazon.com did correct the author's name, but the rest of the errors still stand. Stay tuned for further details (although I must confess to feeling positively like Thomas Pynchon at the thought of crafting a 2,660 page book on the FBI - and a book for young readers at that)!