Two of the biggest comics in the industry collide as Star Wars and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra cross over for the first time! Today, Marvel is pleased to announce STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL – a blockbuster five-part story beginning this May! Superstar writers Jason Aaron (Star Wars, The Mighty Thor) and Kieron Gillen (Star Wars: Darth Vader, Star Wars: Doctor Aphra) join forces once again to combine their two hit series for an epic crossover in the mighty Marvel manner!

“We’re so excited for The Screaming Citadel because it brings a whole new tone and feel to the Star Wars characters we know and love,” says series Editor Jordan D. White. “The titular citadel is our version of the dark and mysterious castle on the hill, and our cast of rebels and rogues are the adventurers who face a stormy night exploring the darkness. Kieron and Jason write these characters so vibrantly, it’s awesome to see them thrown into a new situation like this…get ready for a good one!”

Rebel pilot and rogue archaeologist wander side-by-side into the darkest corners of the galaxy as Luke Skywalker reluctantly teams with Doctor Aphra! The good Doctor has an offer for this flyboy farm boy – help her, and she’ll provide him with information crucial on his quest to become a Jedi. With an offer he can’t refuse on the table, this unlikely duo finds themselves deep into the heart of the infamous Screaming Citadel! Can Luke find what he’s looking for? Can Aphra be trusted? Or will the Citadel’s Queen and the dark forces lurking within make their journey a one-way trip?!

“In writing the issues so far reminds me of how much fun it was writing Star Wars: Vader Down and mixing up the casts together,” says Jason Aaron in an interview with Marvel.com. “And it reminds me how much there still is left on the table. We did that crossover and the whole thing was these two casts fighting against each other, but we really only scratched the surface of what’s out there for stories. It’s been a blast getting back to that.”

Kicking off in May’s oversized STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL #1 one-shot, the adventure continues later that month in the pages of Star Wars and Star Wars: Doctor Aphra! What secrets lie deep within the citadel’s walls? Find out when STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL begins this May!

STAR WARS: THE SCREAMING CITADEL #1
Part 1 of Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Art & Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
On Sale In May!

STAR WARS #31
Part 2 of Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel
Written by JASON AARON
Art by SALVADOR LARROCA
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
On Sale In May!

STAR WARS: DOCTOR APHRA #7
Part 3 of Star Wars: The Screaming Citadel
Written by KIERON GILLEN
Art by ANDREA BROCCARDO
Cover by MARCO CHECCHETTO
On Sale In May!

To find a comic shop near you, visit www.comicshoplocator.com
or call 1-888-comicbook. 

Trekker: Rites of Passage
Written and Illustrated by Ron Randall
Published by Dark Horse Comics
In Stores: February 8, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-50670-248-3
$12.99

I was thrilled to have a chance to read and write this review for Ron Randall’s Trekker: Rites of Passage TPB.

Trekker continues to be one of my favorite comic book series of all time.  Originally appearing in short stories in the Dark Horse anthology comic Dark Horse Presents, Trekker features the continuing adventures of bounty hunter, Mercy St. Clair.

Creator Ron Randall keeps expanding and lovingly honing the world of Trekker and is willing to tell different types stories to keep things exciting and more personal.

As a reader this is wonderful as I never get bored and I am always kept on the edge of my seat with fresh story telling.

A lesser creator, one who plays it safe would just stick to the same old same old and never take a chance at something different. Randall, however, is always looking to broaden and round his characters and as a loving fan himself of his own work he is never willing to compromise the integrity of them, willing to show different sides of them while always keeping them turned to who they are.

Rites of Passage takes place a short while after the tragic events of the previous story, Train To Avalon Bay. Mercy is on a case again. Looking for a pack of “off-world hitters” and she inevitably winds up in the hire of protecting a young girl named Jekka and helping an old acquaintance to get her back to her home world. She gets more then she bargains for as she discovers new information about her mother and the world she knows begins to broaden and unravel.

Like other stories he has told featuring his talented young bounty hunter, Rites of Passage continues the personal journey of St. Clair. Much like the one-shot color story “Sins of the Fathers” which is amazing and can be found in the Trekker Omnibus also published by Dark Horse, this story is both action packed and full of emotion. By making Mercy almost a “tag along character, and though central not the most important character in her own book, Randall, takes the route of inner journey over outer journey with her and through her actions and the actions of the characters around her whom she is protecting we get a thoughtful glimpse past her “hardened shell” exterior and into who she is as a person.

Ron’s artwork is nothing short of beautiful and he continues to prove himself as a master of composition, design and depicting emotion in his panel to panel work. Continuing with the color style and look that was created by the previous colorist Jeremy Colwell, Randall wrote, drew and colored this story himself, collaborating with Cowell on the dynamic cover art.

The entire Trekker oeuvre is a feast for the eyes and brain.

A smart, sexy, rough and tumble main character that is the perfect mixture for a comic book heroine. She is someone to look up to as she is no nonsense and not over sexualized. She is a strong, yet vulnerable character. Mercy St. Clair is badass and I kind of love her.

30 years ago this year I discovered her and the denizens of New Gelaph. I fell in love with the bounty hunter Mercy St. Clair and I love and admire the work of Ron Randall. That love and respect is once again renewed with Trekker: Rites of Passage.

Pick up Trekker: Rites of Passage at your local comic shop as it was released this past Wednesday. If you are unfamiliar with the series you can also order the Trekker Omnibus TPB which collects all the previous older stories and Trekker: Train to Avalon Bay TPB the most recent release to this new one from your local comic shop or online retailer.

Timed to February’s full moon, Papercutz’s Super Genius imprint has announced that it will publish the definitive edition of HIGH MOON, the acclaimed graphic novel series by writer David Gallaher and artist Steve Ellis. Originally published by DC’s Zuda Comics imprint in 2007 and the Winner of the Harvey Award for Best Online Series, HIGH MOON is a unique western and horror genre mash-up about the investigations of a mysterious bounty hunter, one whose own dark secret emerges every full moon. Or, as Molly Crabapple said, “With werewolves, gunslingers, and the sumptuous artwork of Steve Ellis, HIGH MOON will change everything you thought you knew about the Old West.”

Super Genius will publish HIGH MOON: BULLET HOLES AND BITE MARKS this October, followed by volume 2 in May of 2018. For their release of HIGH MOON, Super Genius will remaster the existing art for Volumes One and Two, before concluding the story with all new material in Volume Three. All three graphic novels will feature new covers by artist and co-creator Steve Ellis, the storyboard artist and illustrator on AMC’s Breaking Bad (The Cost of Doing Business) and The Walking Dead (Dead Reckoning) games, and the co-creator of THE ONLY LIVING BOY graphic novel series, also written and co-created by Gallaher and published by Papercutz.

“Super Genius is committed to publishing unique, creative visions from the likes of Jessica Abel (TRISH TRASH) and Melissa Jane Osborne & Veronica Fish (THE WENDY PROJECT). David Gallaher and Steve Ellis are extremely gifted storytellers and their smart and relevant story is a natural fit for this imprint,” said Super Genius Editor-in-Chief Jim Salicrup. “I immediately gravitated to HIGH MOON’s classic themes of xenophobia and self-reliance which are as relevant today as they ever have been.”

In HIGH MOON, former Pinkerton agent and current bounty-hunter Matthew Macgregor investigates a series of strange happenings in a small Texas town. Drought has brought famine and hardship to Blest. The summer heat pushes the temperature to unbearable heights during the day. The nights are even worse– for the streets are haunted by strange, unnatural creatures. And even as Macgregor works to uncover the truth about the creatures, he struggles to keep his own supernatural nature a secret.

“A decade ago, we began designing these tough guy heroes, magnificent landscapes, and unearthly creatures,” said co-creator and artist Steve Ellis. “With Super Genius publishing HIGH MOON, we can create the full story, as we always envisioned.”

The Super Genius editions will be larger than the previous Zuda Comics print edition and will present the landscape formatted series in a removable slipcase that allows it to be racked vertically, maximizing its visibility for retailers and consumers. “Looking at Steve’s gorgeous artwork, we knew we didn’t want to alter the layouts of the original pages,” said Super Genius publisher Terry Nantier. “At the same time we wanted to amplify the exposure of the book in the market. We didn’t want any physical limitations to hold that back. With the slipcase, we have the added bonus of creating a really nice contemporary edition that will look great on bookshelves.”

All three volumes of HIGH MOON will be published in hardcover at $24.99 and simultaneously in paperback at $14.99. HIGH MOON: BULLET HOLES AND BITE MARKS  will be available in bookstores and comic book stores across the United States and Canada on October 17th, 2017.

“Between WESTWORLD, LOGAN, and RED DEAD REDEMPTION, the western is resonating in our culture in weird and unusual ways,” said co-creator and writer David Gallaher. “HIGH MOON recalls the best tropes of both the classic western adventure and werewolf mythology. I can’t wait for readers to discover our bloody tale of werewoles six shootboys, bullets and the supernatural.”

To find a comic shop near you go to http://www.comicshoplocator.com
or dial 1-888-COMIC BOOK.  

It was a Sunday night at Christmastime, as I lay under the tree watching the season finale of Westworld.

After a while, I start thinking, “Man, this episode feels longer than normal.”

I didn’t know it was slated for 90 minutes. The prevalence of serial, hour long prestige dramas in this golden age of Too Much TV already got to me a while ago – I just don’t have this much free time to pay this much attention! But now I gotta hang in here for 90 minutes?

Yet there I was, watching even more of this mysterious, atmospheric, always foreboding parade of dramatic blue balls.

Not that I didn’t like Westworld. I did like it, because there was a lot to like: the costumes, the music, the acting. But yo, the plots, though. The plots.

So many balls thrown into the air, so much setup and meaningful glances, so much murder. So little characterization, after all this time. Ultimately, the show took 10 episodes to tell a story that could have been told in six or eight. Or, as Kenan Thompson said in a recent Saturday Night Live sketch, “I thought the finale could have been the premiere.”

Think about how mind-blowing Westworld’s big reveal – that William and the Man in Black were the same guy, in different time periods – was supposed to be. The show moved so slowly that folks figured out the twist already. And then, once the finale got here, the show made the twist immediately obvious, but then took a ton of time to deliver the reveal.

But each character had been drawn so thinly that the surprise didn’t matter. Ultimately, I didn’t care about either character, at all.

Feh.

I’m tired of shows that set up the big conflict in the first episode, and then take a dozen hours of my time inflating the story with pattern-holding instead of just getting to the good stuff or filling those patterns with good character work. After so much setup and anticipation, the payoff fizzles.

It’s part of why I left The Walking Dead. It’s why Boardwalk Empire lost its allure. It’s why I wanted to fast-forward through entire episodes of Daredevil and have yet to watch the second season.

Maybe that’s why The Good Place caught me so off guard.

The show was as high-concept as you could get: Eleanor (Kristen Bell) wakes up in the afterlife, a form of heaven simply called The Good Place. But her archangel boss, Michael (Ted Danson), unknowingly picked the wrong Eleanor, and she’s there by mistake.

Bang, there’s a twist! How will Eleanor stay in The Good Place? Will she be found out?

In the process of following that plot, The Good Place presented lots of character development as Eleanor learns, well, character development. Her soulmate/housemate Chidi, a philosopher, teaches her ethics, sending the show into some pretty brainy territory for a primetime network sitcom.

In other words, classic touches by co-creator Michael Schur, who cut his teeth writing The Office before going on to make Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine as well as The Good Place. Schur’s formula includes brainy nerdscapes, emotionally powerful characterizations, joke-a-minute dialogue, and diverse ensemble casts.

But little did I know that The Good Place was chock full of mystery, too. Each episode drew the viewer deeper into the intrigue of this false Eleanor and her effects on everything and everyone around her. Each episode ended on a twist and cliffhanger that made you want to binge on the next installment.

And then … and then … the big twist, and its stunning reveal. Holy forking shirtsnacks! A masterpiece of plot and performance.

It’s so good that I don’t even feel right saying it. But I will say this. It was a twist of such enormity that it recasts the entire series in a different light. It was a twist that I didn’t expect at all. The characters had been so well made that it was easy to sink into them, only to watch the rug be pulled out when I didn’t expect it at all.

It was the kind of twist that makes inconsistencies in the show suddenly make sense, that is so big that you question it and keep thinking that it’s just a trick by the good guys. And it was a twist that brings out the best acting of the series in everyone, including perhaps the greatest scene of Danson’s career.

Bring. Me. More. Of. That!

If you’re gonna center your show around some big mystery, then let’s get on with it. Distract me. Intrigue me. Make me care about the characters so much, and make them into real people so much, that I won’t get bored or abandon ship no matter how slick your production, how cool your concept.

Keep up the good work, The Expanse. I like your world-building and sociopolitical engineering.

You hear me, Taboo? You’re on notice.

Sure, the setup of the show is engaging, with all the muck and mayhem and corporate savagery in a Sweeney Todd, there’s-a-hole-in-the-world-like-a-great-black-pit London. Not to mention the walking figure of white guilt while still playing on the trope of the white man who gains magic powers while going native?

Tom Hardy has one of the most riveting screen presences today; his simple, silent glare screams menace, and his swaggering strut through London in his top hat and 75-pound greatcoat could take up entire episodes on their own. Who doesn’t love watching Jonathan Pryce being super-evil and yelling “fuck” a lot?

But, good grief, the plot has gotta get moving for real, and give us more than Grand Guignol squalor and rutting. Give me reasons to care about these characters as people, not as archetypes.

Because, more and more, I won’t care about whatever the big mystery is. Or I may have guessed it already.

The first half of Season 7 saw Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the group broken by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), forced to fall under his will and brutally convinced to live under his rules. The second half of the season will focus on preparing for war and gathering the supplies and numbers to take Negan down once and for all.

Rick’s group will find out yet again that the world isn’t what they thought it was. It’s much bigger than anything they’ve seen so far. While they have a singular purpose – to defeat Negan – it won’t come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop, but, similar to how Rick felt, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Gregory (Xander Berkeley)

do not want bloodshed. To convince them otherwise will take more than speeches. The lengths Rick and the group will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable.

We’ll meet new survivors in incredible places. We’ll see Rick and the group tested in ways we’ve never seen before. We’ll see treachery from people we trust.  Rick is confident as he will see his group and many others band together with the common goal of taking down Negan.  But no amount of planning will prepare the group for all-out war with Negan and his army.

This clip from Sunday’s all-new episode features Rick and the group as they discover a dangerous threat.

“The Walking Dead” is executive produced by showrunner Scott M. Gimple, Robert Kirkman, Gale Anne Hurd, Greg Nicotero, Dave Alpert and Tom Luse.

Originally banned by the apartheid government in 1972, the South African-produced, action film Joe Bullet – fully restored from the original 35mm assets – will be released on DVD Feb. 21 from The Film Detective. This special-edition release includes bonus features: An audio commentary, trailer and before-and-after restoration demo.

More than 40 years since it was last seen, this all-African cast, “Blaxploitation” film has been well received on the international film festival circuit and is now being released on home entertainment platforms to a new generation of classic film lovers. Shot entirely on location in and around Johannesburg, the film is a nail-biting, action-packed and explosive display of soccer, guns, karate fights … even romance.

In Joe Bullet, a local soccer team, the Eagles, is just a week from the championship final when it falls prey to the deadly demands of a mysterious gangster. Desperate, the team implores the one man who can help them fight this underworld corruption, the James Bond-esque Joe Bullet (Ken Gampu, The Gods Must Be Crazy; The Naked Prey; Dinkaka).

To help the Eagles, Bullet goes up against everything from hired assassins to exploding booby traps. But when the bad guys abduct his love interest Beauty (Abigail Kubeka, Cry, the Beloved Country; Knock-Out), they learn why the movie’s theme song says, Beware if he’s looking for you… Joe Bullet!

Writer/producer Tonie van der Merwe, who preserved the original 35mm film elements, was recently honored with a prestigious Heroes and Legends Award at the second annual Simon “Mabhunu” Sabela Film and Television Awards. His contributions include hundreds of indigenous-language films produced in his country during the ’70s and ’80s for Black audiences.

Digitally restored through the Gravel Road African Film Legacy (GRAFL) Initiative by Waterfront Film Studios, Joe Bullet is presented in full screen with an aspect ratio of 4 x 3 (1.33:1) and Dolby Digital Sound.  Audio commentary features van der Merwe, documentary filmmaker Calum Waddell and Benjamin Cowley, CEO of Gravel Road Entertainment.

In addition to this special-edition DVD release, Joe Bullet is available for streaming on the Brown Sugar app, which features an extensive collection of classic, urban movies.

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown…the Friday edition!

Let’s get this party started with some comic book reviews!

 
Action Comics #973   
Written by Dan Jurgens
Illustrated by Patrick Zircher and Stephen Segovia

Dan Jurgens has stepped up and written one cool issue here. The story is very nice actually and compliments the art quite nicely. I liked this very much. The whole thing works fairly well and I enjoyed this very much.

The road to “Superman: Reborn” starts here!

With Superman and Lex Luthor back on Earth, the Man of Steel turns his attention to uncovering the mystery of the human Clark Kent living and working in Metropolis. But there’s something…off about this guy, and Superman better figure out just what that is, before it’s too late!

I love Zircher and I love Segovia. You put them both on a title and you have a fantastic issue of art. This is pretty great. Add on a great cover, and I have to say pick this book up.

It’s very good and you will enjoy it.

RATING: B+

 
Deadman: Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love Book Three
Written by Sarah Vaughn
Illustrated by Lan Medina

This has been a weird, yet somehow very fun ride. The story is very different, and putting Deadman in a romance setting was actually pretty cool. I’ll be sad to see this title go.

Will Deadman escape the dark magic of the mansion? Will Berenice accept Nathan’s proposal?

Will Sam reveal their true feelings for Berenice? Will the shocking nature of Adelia’s murder be revealed?

Answers to all these questions and more—in the stunning finale to this epic gothic romance!

The art on this title has been nothing short of great. I’m going to read all three books together one more time.

It’s been a great, fun ride that I am glad I was part of reading.

RATING: A-

 
Justice League of America: Rebirth #1 
Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Ivan Reis

This is a good start to the title. It feels a little more fresh than the last few restarts. That mostly has to do with the writing of Steve Orlando.

Orlando has a really great take on each character. And it’s a kick seeing characters like Lobo and the Ray in the title.

This could really take off.

Batman, Black Canary, Killer Frost, the Ray, Vixen, the Atom, and…Lobo?!

Spinning directly out of the events of Justice League vs Suicide Squad, join the sensational team of writer Steve Orlando and artists Ivan Reis and Joe Prado and discover how Batman assembled the roughest, toughest Justice League of all time!

The art by Reis is fairly good as well. I liked it very much. In face, the package works as a whole.

I quite enjoyed it and look forward to the next issue!

RATING: B+

 
Wonder Woman # 16 
Written by Greg Rucka
Illustrated by Bilquis Evely

This is one of the coolest books I have seen artwise this week.

Seriously, who is Bilquis Evely?

The art is standout especially the cover. It makes the story easy to read and a lot of fun.

GODWATCH Part One!

Since the moment Wonder Woman arrived in our world, Godwatch has been waiting. But who are they, and what do they want?

Diana’s journey to the truth continues with the origin of what may prove to be her greatest enemies.

The story by Rucka is fairly good as well. This issue is very strong.

Pick it up. It’s damn  worth it.

RATING: B+

 
And the rest….

Justice League/Mighty Morphin Power Rangers #2
Written by Tom Taylor
Illustrated by Stephen Byrne
Published by DC Comics and BOOM! Studios
This is a ton of silly fun. I’ll tell you, these are two teams who shouldn’t be together but yet here they are. It’s a book I have not been waiting for, but it’s ok. The art by Byrne is pretty cool though.
RATING: B
 
Supergirl #6
Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Brian Ching
This is still a very strong title. Orlando writes a great tale here. The art by Ching is a standout. A good  book to follow, watch, and keep an eye on.
RATING: B+
 
Superwoman # 7
Written by Phil Jimenez
Illustrated by Matt Santorelli and Jack Herbert
This title is fairly dull and the art is uninspiring. I trudged along to get to the end, quite honestly. Still, they tried.
RATING: C

After its premiere 32 years ago, Film Threat is back.  The rogue brand that introduced film lovers to some of the great filmmakers of our time was relaunched today, maintaining its original goal to support and promote emerging filmmakers looking to make their mark as well as remind people that it’s not about the sequel.  Filmthreat.com will house reviews, features, interviews with emerging filmmakers and more, all without taking itself too seriously.  Film Threat’s announcement was made today by founder and principal Chris Gore.

“It’s hard to believe that Film Threat is back and I’m so excited,” commented Gore.  “Our number one reason for restarting Film Threat is the fans.  Over the years, they’ve asked me about Film Threat and without even realizing it, they’ve kept the brand alive.  So after a few challenges — nothing a true indie filmmaker hasn’t experienced — we got it together and I’m thrilled to announce our launch.  We also have a few fun projects planned and we hope you’ll follow our journey, share your stories and laugh with us along the way.”

Film Threat began as a xeroxed fanzine started by Chris Gore and Andre Seewood. Only 500 copies of the first issue were printed and then distributed on the campus of Wayne State University on February 6th, 1985. It was on that campus that Gore and Seewood earned a reputation as disruptors by playing pranks on the film department and even going so far as to fake Gore’s death to promote a film screening. Seewood left after a year and Gore continued to grow the magazine beyond its photocopied roots into a fully printed magazine.

Chris Gore moved the magazine to Los Angeles in 1989 and opened an office at the Cherokee Building on Hollywood Boulevard. In 1991, Larry Flynt acquired Film Threat which then split into two magazines – Film Threat was owned by LFP and Gore continued to champion underground filmmakers in the pages of the newsprint sister publication, Film Threat Video Guide edited by David E. Williams.

Gore briefly left the magazine in 1995 and Film Threat was then headed up by Paul Zimmerman. After Larry Flynt chose to end the magazine in 1996, the rights reverted back to Chris Gore. During the paper crisis of the late 90s, Film Threat printed its final issue in 1997

The Film Threat website launched just before the print magazine’s demise in 1996. Only two issues of this new incarnation were published; a third issue was completed but never made it to the printer. Gore expanded the Film Threat website offering an email newsletter that contained reviews and news. The site grew with extensive coverage of independent films and film festivals. Gore sold the website to Mark Bell in 2010. Bell headed up the site for the next five years with the rights reverting back to Gore in 2015. After an unsuccessful crowd funding bid in 2015, Chris Gore chose to shut down the site for good. Amid overwhelming public outcry over the site’s absence, Gore launched a new Kickstarter campaign in 2016, resulting in today’s announcement.

Filmthreat can be found at www.filmthreat.com.

Produced by Kerry Barden,
Hans Canosa, Marius Markevicius
Written and Directed by Minhal Baig
Starring Anna Camp, Justin Chatwin,
Isabelle Fuhrmaan, Kyle Allen,
Kelli Berglund, Roshon Fegan

Anna Camp (the Pitch Perfect films) and Justin Chatwin (Tom Cruise’s son in War of The Worlds) portray a married couple, Elizabeth and Drew, going through a tumultuous period.

They (apparently) decide to relive the night of their high school Senior Prom in an attempt to get to the roots of their relationship.

At the prom, they meet a teenage boy and girl – longtime platonic friends – who are having separate, miserable times at their own Prom.

Bea (Isabelle Fuhrman) just got dumped by her prom date and boyfriend, and Andy (Kyle Allen), the yearbook photographer and aspiring photojournalist, is at the prom dateless, but obviously pines for his friend.

The film, set entirely in and around the hotel at which the prom take place, follows the two couples’ parallel stories.

In a nifty twist, it’s hinted early on that the married couple somehow has (perhaps) gone back in time to interact with their younger selves (Bea and Andy) and try to salvage their crumbling marriage.
Minhal Baig’s debut feature as writer/director is a solid romantic drama that certainly benefits from said nifty twist.

The acting is fine all-around, the characters interesting and believable, the relationships involving.
Involving as the relationships are, the married couple’s issues could have been fleshed out a bit more.

There are ominous references to “Argentina” – photojournalist Drew went there, presumably on assignment, and betrayed Elizabeth somehow – that are never detailed.

We get the idea, but the lack of detail is indicative of the vagueness of Elizabeth’s dissatisfaction.

There’s enough there to make it work, and the acting certainly sells it, but I would have liked one or two more anecdotes.

The younger couples’ conversations and interactions feel real and lived-in, and certainly brought back memories of my own high school relationships. The younger actors also attack their roles with conviction, which helps immeasurably to paste over some of the gaps in Baig’s script.

Those viewers who like to have everything explained thoroughly and their stories tied up in a bow will be quite frustrated by 1 Night.

Viewers who don’t fall into that camp will likely be charmed by the film.  It’s a tad too short (71 mins excluding the end credits) and slightly undernourished, but it’s also touching and mature and, in its best moments, quite beguiling.

1 Night is now playing in limited release and
is available On Demand and via Digital HD

Geek culture is always growing and changing.

It can include a wide variety of things from gaming to comic books and movies.

Being a geek is certainly not a bad thing, it just means that you have a vast love of something and you love to share that thing with others.

The other good thing about the changing trends in the world of geek, is that there’s usually a fashion statement that goes with each one.

So read on so you can keep up!

Why Is Geek Chic a Trend?

When you think about being a geek or nerd back in the 90s, it was not a good thing and many kids would often get bullied and teased about the way they dressed because of this. So why is it that now being a geek or a nerd is so cool?

One of the biggest reasons is because of the biggest names in fashion, they create these looks and fashions that are “geeky” and because of who they are they take off in a big way and are considered to be cool and hip.

Another thing that helps to make the geek culture huge is the Marvel and DC universe.

When they take their comics and turn them into blockbuster movies and games that everyone loves, that turns into sales of t-shirts and other merchandise that you can collect.

So stay current,  you can find the ultimate gaming t-shirt collection online and pick up many of your favorite shirts at a great deal.

From video games to tabletop gaming, movies and television shows, nothing is off limits when it comes to the world of the geek.

You can even geek out over things like sports and cars if you really want to. A true geek knows no bounds and will share their love of their favorite things.

Some do this with collectibles scattered around the house, some with comic book collections or collectible cards, while others have their own brand of geek fashion.

The Best Geek Fashion

Some of the best geek fashion you will find anywhere is during a comic convention or comic-con where people will dress up as their favorite anime or comic book characters.

These conventions happen all over the world and are the best places to go to find all the greatest in geek fashion and collectibles from around the world. No matter what type of geek culture you are looking for you can be sure to find it and one of these cons.

Bowties Are Cool

If you have ever watched an episode of Doctor Who then you know that bowties are, in fact, cool.

You can definitely make a fashion statement when you sport a bowtie and they come in so many different styles. What you want to do in order to really stand out, now that everyone is wearing bowties, is to go bold. Instead of getting designer ties that have patterns and other designs, get them made out of feathers from different birds like turkeys or even peacocks.

You will look amazing and make a statement, and you can be sure that you will stand out among your peers.

So you can be sure that the next time you hear the word geek you won’t hear the laughs or giggles of the past because being a geek in the world today is cool.

There are far more geeks and nerds in the world than ever before and it’s time you looked the part.

A “babymoon” is defined as a relaxing vacation taken by parents-to-be before their baby is born.

Unfortunately, nothing is relaxing for Shaina, a late blooming New Yorker whose biggest fear is that parenthood means the end of creativity.

The feature-length debut from multi-hyphenate writer-director-stars Shaina Feinberg and Chris Manley, THE BABYMOONERS, is a series of humorous vignettes about Feinberg’s anxious and surreal journey into motherhood.

Two weeks before the birth of her first child, Shaina sits down to create a video letter for her unborn son.

Clearly influenced by old Woody Allen films, her video letter becomes a series of vignettes that include her newly sober husband (Manley), her goofy Upper West Side parents, an adorable Shih Tzu mix, an overly anxious shrink and her own views on daytime television.

Seen through the neurotic, romantic lens of Woody Allen’s New York, THE BABYMOONERS, stars a winning ensemble cast featuring the Brooklyn based comedy troupe, Bankrukt (Feinberg, Manley, Jeff Seal and High Maintenance‘s Chris Roberti), whose improvised web series “New York, Am I Right?” was just named as one of IndieWire’s 16 Best Web Series of 2016. Co-stars in this film that captured the “Audience Award” at the 2016 Lower East Side Film Festival also include comedians Maeve Higgins and Dave Hill.

And we’re giving away 3 copies on DVD.

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “The Babymooners” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

In addition to co-starring and co-directing with Shaina Feinberg, what two other production roles did Chris Manley have in The Babymooners?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 26th, 2017.

MARVEL

SECRET EMPIRE Unites the Marvel Universe this May!

The Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, Inhumans, Champions, and more galvanize as one

What if your greatest ally was secretly your greatest enemy? Beginning May 3^rd, prepare for Marvel Comics’ SECRET EMPIRE! Blockbuster creators Nick Spencer, Steve McNiven, Andrea Sorrentino and Leinil Yu are ready to challenge the entire Marvel Universe as they unite the Avengers, X-Men, Defenders, Champions, Inhumans, Spider-Man, and more, as an unwavering front against the SECRET EMPIRE!

The Marvel Universe is under siege from within! Due to the manipulations of the Red Skull, Captain America, secretly a true believer in the cause of Hydra, uses the trust and respect he has gained over the years to a position where he can enacts Hydra’s ideals against the Marvel Universe and it’s up to all heroes to unite against one of the greatest challenges they have ever faced.

Marvel’s Editor-in-Chief Axel Alonso said, “SECRET EMPIRE is the rallying cry for all the heroes — Avengers, Guardians, Defenders, X-Men, Spider-Man, Deadpool – to put aside their differences and unify in the defense of the Marvel Universe.”

That unification is what will be needed to confront Steve Rogers since all the heroes close to Cap have been be influenced by him over the years. SVP and Executive Editor Tom Brevoort said, “Our heroes will be tested both physically and morally against one of the most trusted heroes of all time and that’s the aspect of this story our characters face and what forces them to come together.”

Forged together as one – the Avengers, the Champions, the Defenders, the Guardians of the Galaxy, the Inhumans, the X-Men, and more will be tested as Hydra’s grip tightens around the Marvel Universe and SECRET EMPIRE unleashes a horde of villains against those who have sworn to protect the innocent. Be here as SECRET EMPIRE launches this May from Nick Spencer, Steve McNiven and Marvel Comics.

World Famous Author R.L. Stine Comes to Marvel – Your New Look at MAN-THING #1!

First Terrifying Issue Available March 8^th!

Legendary author R.L. Stine brings his unique brand of horror to Marvel Comics as he makes his mark on one of the most monstrous creatures in the Marvel mythos! That’s right True Believer, the beloved Goosebumps & Fear Street scribe will pen the highly anticipated MAN-THING #1 – in stores on March 8^th featuring art from German Peralta (Moon Knight, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and a bevy of comics rising stars!

Attempting to recreate the formula that produced Captain America, biochemist Ted Sallis was transformed into the shambling creature known only as MAN-THING! Now, having recently regained his ability to speak, Man-Thing sets out on a journey to leave the swamp once and for all. But when an ancient and mysterious danger threatens reality, he will have to choose between his new life and the place he once called home!

Plus, it’s terror on the high seas as R.L. Stine and artist Daniel Warren Johnson bring you a special second tale that’s sure to leave you seasick!

Prepare your senses for a spine-tingling journey that will take you, dear reader, from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to the muck and grime of the deepest swamps. Run, don’t walk, to your local comic shop on March 8^th for the can’t-miss MAN-THING #1!

DC COMICS

FIRST LOOK: SUPERMAN #18

SUPERMAN #18. In the first Rebirth crossover between SUPERMAN and ACTION COMICS, one of Mr. Oz’s prisoners has escaped, leaving everyone, including Superman and his family, in danger. This crossover will take place for SUPERMAN #18-19 and ACTION COMICS #975-976.

SUPERMAN #18 hits shelves March 1.

DARK HORSE COMICS

Dark Horse and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products to Publish “Predator: Hunters” and “Predator: The Original Comics Series—Concrete Jungle and Other Stories” in 2017

Dark Horse Comics and 20th Century Fox Consumer Products celebrate an amazing thirty years of Predator with a new comic series, Predator: Hunters, and a hardcover collection, Predator: The Original Comics Series—Concrete Jungle and Other Stories! Dark Horse’s own senior editor Chris Warner (Barb Wire) returns to the famed franchise with Predator: Hunters, alongside artist Francisco Ruiz Velasco (Hellboy II, Pacific Rim), letterer Michael Heisler, and cover artist Doug Wheatley for the new five-issue series. And Mark Verheiden’s Predator stories from 1989 to 1996 are collected in a beautiful hardcover in Predator: The Original Comics Series—Concrete Jungle and Other Stories.

Earth has been plagued by space aliens for centuries. In Predator: Hunters, characters from past Dark Horse series team up against the extraterrestrial visitors. The Predators are in for a surprise when the toughest, most dangerous humans start hunting them.

Predator: The Original Comics Series—Concrete Jungle and Other Stories follows the success of 2016’s Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comic Series. Concrete Jungle and Other Stories collects Predator: Concrete Jungle #1–#4, Predator: Cold War #1–#4, and Predator: Dark River #1–4. Concrete Jungle finds the alien trophy hunters traveling from the jungles of Central America to the concrete jungle of New York City, where they face off against an NYPD detective. In Cold War, the Predators crash-land in Siberia, and in Dark River, the hero of Concrete Jungle traces the path of his younger brother to find out what really happened to him after the events in the movie Predator.

The first issue of Predator: Hunters goes on sale May 3, 2017. Predator: The Original Comics Series—Concrete Jungle and Other Stories goes on sale June 14, 2017.

ARCHIE COMICS

RIVERDALE ONE-SHOT

A MUST-HAVE ONE-SHOT—THE PERFECT PRIMER FOR THE CW’s RIVERDALE SERIES!

Learn the secrets and hidden tales from the summer before the eternal love-triangle begins in this special issue, which features four short stories focusing on the major players and events in the Riverdale series. You dare not miss this special commemorative issue in advance of the upcoming ongoing Riverdale series, written by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa (Afterlife with Archie, Chilling Adventures of Sabrina) and the writers of the CW’s Riverdale series, with stunning art by Alitha Martinez (Black Panther)!

Script: Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Brian E. Paterson, Britta Lundin, James Dewille, Will Ewing
Art: Alitha Martinez, Eliot Fernandez, Jim Towe, Thomas Pitilli
Cover: Alitha Martinez with Steve Downer
Variant Covers: Derek Charm, Adam Gorham, Robert Hack with Kelly Fitzpatrick, Sandra Lanz, Moritat, Dan Parent, Thomas Pitilli, Matthew Dow Smith, Cory Smith
Blank Sketch Cover Also Available
On Sale Date: 3/1
48-page, full color comic
$4.99 U.S.

IMAGE COMICS

ACTION-PACKED QUARTERLY SERIES HEAD LOPPER CONTINUES THIS MARCH

Andrew MacLean’s fantasy series kicks off new story arc: “HEAD LOPPER and the CRIMSON TOWER”

Critically acclaimed cartoonist Andrew MacLean (ApocalyptiGirl) will launch a new story arc in his ongoing swords-and-sorcery-but-mostly-swords quarterly series HEAD LOPPER this March.

In HEAD LOPPER #5, a daring new adventure awaits, looming like the Crimson Tower, home of Ulrich the Twice Damned, sworn enemy of Zhaania Kota Ka. With old friends and new, our heroes boldly enter the bloodied pinnacle with bare steel and steady hearts.

“HEAD LOPPER and the CRIMSON TOWER is an all-new HEAD LOPPER adventure that is chronological to HEAD LOPPER and the ISLAND or A PLAGUE of BEASTS,” said MacLean. “So, while returning readers will be excited to see a couple familiar faces, new readers should feel pretty comfortable hopping on board. Personally, I couldn’t be more excited to start this new adventure. I hope you guys enjoy the ride.”

HEAD LOPPER #5, Cover A by MacLean (Diamond code: JAN170690) and Cover B by Tony Sandoval (Diamond code: JAN170691), hits comic book stores Wednesday, March 15th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, February 20th.

STREET ANGEL, THE DEADLIEST GIRL ALIVE, COMES TO IMAGE COMICS

Teenage homeless ninja skater STREET ANGEL gets a new hardcover this April

Jesse “Street Angel” Sanchez, of webcomic fame, will grace/deface a full-color hardcover graphic novel for the first time this April, from the Eisner Award-winning creative team of Jim Rugg (The PLAIN Janes, Afrodisiac) and Brian Maruca (Afrodisiac).

Sanchez is a kung fu master on a skateboard and a homeless orphan failing seventh grade.

In STREET ANGEL: AFTER SCHOOL KUNG FU SPECIAL, Jesse takes the Ninja Kid to school! Her fists are the facts and his face is the report card! Meanwhile, Saturday night’s the big dance and Jesse doesn’t want to go! Is love in the air? No. No, it’s not.

Jim Rugg describes STREET ANGEL as “a cross between the A-Team, a xenomorph, and Lacey Baker. She loves food, fist fights, hanging out with friends Bell (a robot), Lilith (Satan’s daughter), and Emma (a zombie), skateboarding, candy, pizza, nutraloaf, grilled cheese, General Tso’s, french fries, beer, chips, moon pies, Twinkies, sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, tacos, pancakes, spaghetti, mac & cheese, peanut butter, BBQ, wings, soda…”

Brian Maruca says “STREET ANGEL puts the fun back into being an orfun.”

STREET ANGEL: AFTER SCHOOL KUNG FU SPECIAL HC (Diamond code: FEB170714, ISBN: 978-1-5343-0287-7) hits comic book stores on Wednesday, April 26th and bookstores on Tuesday, May 2nd. The final order cutoff deadline for retailers is Monday, March 13th.

POWERHOUSE CREATORS TEAM UP FOR ALL-NEW SERIES BLACK CLOUD THIS APRIL

Ivan Brandon, Jason Latour, Greg Hinkle, and Matt Wilson launch new fantasy series

Writers Ivan Brandon (DRIFTER, Wolverine) and Jason Latour (SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Spider-Gwen) team up with artist Greg Hinkle (THE RATTLER, AIRBOY) and colorist Matt Wilson (THE WICKED + THE DIVINE, PAPER GIRLS) for all-new dark fantasy series BLACK CLOUD this April from Image Comics.

“I think building this book has taken us all by surprise,” said Brandon. “This team makes my jaw drop, and it’s been a surreal experience watching all of our different tastes and ideas link up to build something that feels like more than the sum of its parts. This is very different from anything we’ve ever done before. It’s invigorating to be part of it.”

Hinkle added: “I’m thrilled to get to work with so many folks that I’ve looked up to for so long. It’s a learning experience in the best possible way, and I’m really excited to get to share the results.”

Zelda was born in a world of dreams, and hers burned bigger than anyone had ever seen. Now she’s on the run in our world, the dreams broken in her hands. But the pieces are for sale, the rich and the powerful are buying, and suddenly her world isn’t the only place Zelda’s running from.

“Even though it’s conceived as a pretty unfettered comic book kind of idea, BLACK CLOUD just seems to grow to fit and reflect the life that’s happening around us in real time,” said Latour. “With each passing day, we’re reminded more and more of how the stories we consume and tell ourselves really do define our world. Just like real life, this is a story about fact and fiction fighting for supremacy—only here, one of them has a lightning sword.”

Dreams come true—and today, they go to war.

BLACK CLOUD #1 (Diamond code: FEB170540) hits comic book stores on Wednesday, April 5th. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, March 13th.

IMAGE COMICS CO-FOUNDER AND CO-PARTNER ERIK LARSEN INTRODUCES

MIGHTY MAN ONE-SHOT

Image Comics is pleased to announce an all-new one-shot by comics legend Erik Larsen, Image Comics’ co-founder and co-partner and the creator of the long-running SAVAGE DRAGON series, and artist Nikos Koutsis team up for: MIGHTY MAN. The one-shot story will take flight this April.

In MIGHTY MAN, seven-year-old Betty Bradford has inherited the mantle of the World’s Mightiest Man. Now she trains to take on the role of the world’s greatest superhero and faces her biggest challenge ever.

“Mighty Man was a nutty idea I had some years ago where a godlike entity could be transferred from one host to another, enabling its host to transform into the world’s mightiest man,” said Larsen. “In each case, I thought it would be compelling to give those powers to the least likely recipient. At this point the power is in the hands of a seven year old girl, the daughter of a previous host who had been Mighty Man.”

A fun, action-packed story, MIGHTY MAN is sure to satisfy any comics fan in search of a standalone, page-turning adventure.

MIGHTY MAN, one-shot (Diamond Code FEB170577) hits stores on Wednesday, April 5th. The final order cutoff deadline is Monday, March 13th.

JEFF LEMIRE’S ROYAL CITY INTERIOR ARTWORK REVEALED

Image Comics is pleased to reveal interior preview artwork from the forthcoming ROYAL CITY—a new ongoing monthly series written and illustrated by New York Times bestselling author Jeff Lemire (DESCENDER, Sweet Tooth) and set to launch in March 2017. First announced in Entertainment Weekly this Spring, ROYAL CITY promises to be a sprawling, serialized graphic novel that will chart the lives, loves, and losses of a troubled family and a vanishing town across three decades.

ROYAL CITY follows Patrick Pike, a fading literary star who reluctantly returns to the once-thriving factory town where he grew up and is quickly drawn back into the dramas of his two adult siblings, his overbearing mother and his brow-beaten father, all of whom are still haunted by different versions of his youngest brother, Tommy, who drowned decades ago.

“Royal City is the first ongoing series that I have both written and drawn since Sweet Tooth and it’s definitely my most ambitious and personal project to date,” said Lemire. The book will combine grounded family drama with a healthy dose of magical realism and mystery, much like my previous books Essex County and The Underwater Welder. I can’t wait for Royal City to launch in March!”

As each member of the family struggles to keep themselves above water, it quickly becomes clear that Tommy’s death isn’t the only dark secret tearing the town, and this family, apart at the seams. Can each member of the Pike family come to terms with their own guilt over Tommy’s death, and make peace with the many versions of Tommy that still haunt them, or will they all be dragged down below the river along with his lingering ghost?

ROYAL CITY #1 (Diamond Code JAN170646) hits stores on Wednesday, March 1st. The final order cutoff deadline for comics retailers is Monday, February 6th.

AFTERSHOCK COMICS

New John Layman/ Sam Kieth Series ELEANOR & THE EGRET Arrives This April

A slightly surreal tale of an art thief and her sidekick, a talking egret who gets just a bit bigger after each successful caper, as they embark on a escalating series of daring thefts of world-famous paintings, and dodge pursuers in an increasingly weirdly dangerous game of cat-and-mouse.

According to  Layman, “As far as I’m concerned, Mike Marts is the very best editor in comics, and a great guy too, so I’m always looking for opportunities to work with him. When he landed at AfterShock I knew very quickly it would be a company that would produce excellent comics –and they are!—so I jumped at the chance to work with them. I’m proud to be part of the AfterShock family, and grateful they are getting behind Sam and I for this very unique and off-kilter book. I would describe Eleanor & the Egret as a fable, and a surrealist romance, but it’s probably more easily described as something NOT easily describable. It’s a melding of two unique voices to comics. It’s also just an excuse for me to give Sam cool stuff to draw, and, in that, he’s exceeding all expectations—some of the pages he’s turning in are absolutely breathtaking.”

Aftershock Announces WORLD READER From Jeff Loveness and Juan Doe

Meet Sarah, an astronaut traveling from dead planet to dead planet, talking to the ghosts of the dead worlds…as she fights to discover the secret that’s killing the universe. But Death doesn’t give up its secrets so easily, and as Death hunts her from planet to planet, Sarah struggles to maintain the trust of her crew and her own sanity in the endless ocean of lives. Every world has a story, and if she can find the secret tying them all together, she can save Earth from being the next world to die.

From GROOT and JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE writer Jeff Loveness and AMERICAN MONSTER, ANIMOSITY: THE RISE artist Juan Doe, comes the chilling, epic new series that will be sure to appeal to fans of THE ARRIVAL, INTERSTELLAR, and THE EXPANSE.

According to Loveness, “When Mike Marts and AfterShock offered me my first creator-owned series, I tried to pitch the biggest idea I could think of. Mike and the AfterShock team were completely on board and helped foster it from the beginning. I couldn’t have asked for a more open and exciting creative experience. I’ve always loved big, existential sci-fi that takes a swing at the Universe. Films like Tarkovsky’s “Solaris” and “2001”, mixed with modern ones like ‘Contact’ and Arrival’ and Ray Bradbury sci-fi were huge huge influences on this story. AfterShock gave me the freedom to combine spirituality, sci-fi, and horror with Cosmogony and Apocalypse narratives in every issue. We’ve got a psychic astronaut traveling to dead worlds, talking to space ghosts and trying to figure out what’s killing life across the Universe… should have something fun and weird for everybody.”

“And on art, Juan Doe brings such intense stylization to this. I’ve been a fan of his work for years, so it’s great to finally collaborate with him. I am not worthy, and luckily he hasn’t figured that out yet. Please don’t tell him.”

“It’s been an absolute thrill to reach outside my comfort zone and swing for the fences with AfterShock, and I can’t wait for people to take that swing with us”

Doe commented, “Working on World Reader from Jeff Loveness has been a blast. It’s very different from my work on American Monster and I’ve always wanted to do a story that takes place in outer space. Jeff’s framework for the story has some very cool, metaphysical narratives. It brings to the forefront the questions humans have had from the beginning of civilization, the questions of origins and why we were created and it is very much an operatic space thriller with some nice twists and turns.”

WORLD READER #1 arrives in stores on April 19, 2017

BABY TEETH Arrives This June!

Sadie Ritter is sixteen years old, nine months pregnant, and scared out of sweet nerdy mind. Having a baby that young is tough. But with the support of her loving family behind her, everything should be okay. OH YEAH, and also her baby is the antichrist and it’s going to break open the barriers between the earthly and demonic planes and unleash eternal suffering to all of humankind. Other than that, though…should be fine.

This exciting new series from AfterShock is like Buffy the Vampire Slayer combined with Rosemary’s Baby.

According to writer Donny Cates, “Babyteeth is so much fun to write. After spending much of my career writing gruff anguished heroes and dusty old men I really wanted to sink my teeth into something that had a lot of heart and a lot of fun to it. That being said, I suppose it’s telling that my idea of fun is a young girl giving birth to the antichrist. But honestly, Sadie Ritter is one of my hands down favorite people in the whole world. I love her dearly and I know you will too. Her son can be a handful, though…

And might I just say, that doing the book with AfterShock has been amazing. Everyone at the company has been fired up and 100% onboard since I turned the first pitch in. Their excitement is infectious and makes the whole creative team really step their game up. I tend to think fans can tell when a creative team is having fun on a book. And if even a tenth of Aftershocks enthusiasm bleeds through on this one, you are all going to have a fucking blast reading Babyteeth.”

Photo Illustration by Kelly Caminero/The Daily Beast

Technically, Jack Chick—who passed away last October—was one of the most successful comic creators in the entire world. Chick Publications has sold over 750 million of his tracts (small comic books printed on inexpensive paper), and they have been translated into over 100 different languages.

Moreover, Chick wrote and cartooned in a style and manner of narrative that has seemed to literally change the lives (and beliefs) of many of his readers.

Technically, Jack Chick was an important figure in the history of comic books, someone with the drive, focus, and passion to not only see his vision to print but to get it read by the masses.

However, Chick is not considered by the mainstream comics community to be a successful or an important person at all. His controversial, and some might say extreme, evangelical fundamentalist Christian beliefs have essentially rendered him as a purveyor of “hate literature.” Chick’s tracts have attacked not only people of faiths other than Christian, but many groups within Christianity itself (most notably, Catholics). In fact, the door to Heaven, according to Chick’s interpretation, is very narrow indeed—there are very little people he has not offended.

And so his work exists in this weird sort of limbo as being “cast out” by Comics—pretty much to the point where they are not considered to be “truly” comic book material, though they most certainly are—though at the same time being extremely successful with a completely different segment of the population.

But is there anything we can learn from the phenomenon of Chick Publications? Are Chick tracts “underground?” Are they “countercultural?” Are they some of the most “dangerous” comic book material on the planet? And where does Chick’s work fit in an industry and fan culture where the defense of free speech and potentially offensive material is placed in such high regard?

The weird and entertaining 2008 documentary God’s Cartoonist: The Comic Crusade Of Jack Chick explores some of these questions, as well as giving some insight into the life of the notoriously private Chick. Comics historians, artists, religious types, Chick’s associates, and even the Rev. Ivan Stang from the Church of the SubGenius (!) are interviewed, interspersed with trippy animated segments featuring Chick’s own work.

It should be noted that Chick’s work enjoys a cult status among some independent comic creators and collectors; their fascination with his tracts being a sort of combination between reveling in the “shock” value of the content (as one might do with a low-budget exploitation film) and some genuine awe at the sort of “outsider artist” genius of Chick himself. For Chick was the comic book making equivalent of the “End is Near” fanatic…but a fanatic who was extremely good at getting his point across in the most effective way possible.

There is a reason why the Chick Publications tagline is “Chick Tracts Get Read!” While they are sold (for a nominal price) to distributors and the public, the goal is to have them given away for free. And so the tracts are discovered in laundromats, bus stations…shoved between the tomes at public libraries…and (at least where I live) found lying on the pavement. They are easy and cheap to print and reprint. Plus, they are translated into many many languages; as the documentary points out, sometimes they got read simply because the person was happy to find a comic publication in their own language.

So add that level of accessibility to straightforward narration and streamlined, powerful imagery…you get a very successful comic book. The “problem” is the nature of the content itself, which is offensive to many other people. What do you do about that?

Well, Canada has classified Chick tracts as “hate literature.” Should the United States do that? According to God’s Cartoonist, Catholic organizations successfully campaigned to get the tracts out Christian bookstores in the 1980s. Should there be a wider “net” cast to force Chick Publications out of print and off the Internet?

And if all of the above happens, will the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund step in as they have done for comics that have presented extreme gore and sex?

Are Chick tracts “underground” works? Are they part of the “counterculture?” Or are the terms “underground” and “counterculture” only applied to things that are, for lack of a better term, “cool?” The underground artist is classically pictured as a person working against a repressive society. Did Chick feel that he too was working against a repressive society? Is this all, in part, a matter of perspective? Or is this unhelpful “cultural relativism” on my part?

We currently live in a society where certain works, websites, content, and even cartoon memes are considered to be truly dangerous and worthy of censorship; this is made even more pertinent an issue because of the tumultuous and quite frankly wee bit insane political climate.

I have probably about 15 titles on just the first two shelves of my bookcase alone that would get me permanently banished (well, unless I proclaimed my devotion to the King James version of Jesus at the very last second) from Jack Chick’s version of the Afterlife. And yet, I feel our tolerance for comic material like Chick’s is as important as that of, say, hentai manga porn.

I think Chick was an important underground artist, with one of the most over-the-top, phantasmagorically fanatical, and voluptously paranoid viewpoints ever set down in ink and print. Further, I feel that the erasure of him from general overviews of comics history is misguided.

Because if you truly want to counteract political and religious movements that you feel hurt other people, wouldn’t you like to do it in a manner that is effective in reaching masses of people? What is going to better get your message out to the world’s billions—a pricy and slick graphic novel, or millions of free pamphlets scattered all over the place?

Last year, I was contacted by a political entity to spitball ideas for “viral” comic book material targeted against another political entity (no need to name-drop here; and it’s all moot at this point anyhow). I responded that the content needed to be highly accessible to the masses and address their concerns and issues in a straightforward manner with highly impactful illustrations. In the back of my mind, of course, I pictured a Chick tract…a progressive version of a Chick tract.

Instead, this political entity decided to seize upon a cartoon meme—taken from an actual independent comic—and “elevate” it to the level of “Dangerous Things That Must Be Banned.” This approach, in my opinion, horrifically backfired & ended up giving much more power and, frankly, “countercultural cachet” to the said meme.

You may not like Jack Chick—but you might learn a lot from him.

God’s Cartoonist: The Comic Crusade Of Jack Chick is available now on DVD

I’ve written a bit in the past about live-streamed role-playing games, and don’t really feel the need to do regular reviews of on-going live-stream series. That said, this past month has seen the start of some new seasons with changes in game and player line-up and other events.

With that in mind, I’m presenting a quick review of some of the latest news in the world of live-streamed role-playing games.

Acquisitions Incorporated

The recent PAX South convention in Texas unveiled the new team change for Acquisitions Incorporated. After last season, the 2016 PAX West show, and a Christmas special, Scott Kurtz (Binwin Bronzebottom) has officially left Acquisitions, Inc. to strike out on his own. Replacing Scott/Binwin is Morgan Webb returning as ranger Morgaen.

In the aftermath of Acquisition, Inc.‘s recent setbacks due to their rivals at Dran Enterprises, the gang is working out of a tavern in Waterdeep and hatches a plan to heist a magic war-hammer from a heavily-guarded warehouse. As expected, many unexpected events occur. Morgaen fills in well as a replacement for Binwin as she exhibits many of those same impulsive, often ill-advised actions Binwin was so known for.

In addition to Morgan Webb/Morgaen are the usual suspects: Jerry Holkins/Omin Dran, Mike Krahulik/Jim Darkmagic, and Patrick Rothfuss/Viari, along with Dungeon Master Supreme Chris Perkins. The show was originally broadcast on Twitch, but is also now available on YouTube.

As I mentioned, Scott Kurtz has decided to move on and let someone else take the spotlight at Acquisitions, Inc. This decision was not the result of any kind of bad blood between Scott and the Penny Arcade crew. It was more an acknowledgement that to everything there is a beginning, middle, and end–and that his time as an Acquisitions Inc. intern had come to a pass.

So what’s next? Scott will still be a regular fixture of the PAX conventions, of course. And he’s working on a RPG/puzzle hybrid game based on the Binwin’s Minions webcomic. The game is still at its very early stages. Reportedly, Chris Perkins ran an introductory adventure for Scott at PAX South, but as of yet there is no broadcast available.

Dice, Camera, Action!

Season One introduced the Waffle Crew (Anna Prosser Robinson/Evelyn, Holly Conrad/Strix, Jared Knabenbauer/Diath, and Nathan Sharp/Paultin) to Ravenloft under the guidance of Chris Perkins running Wizard of the Coast’s Curse of Strahd D&D adventure.

Season Two sees the return of the gang to the Forgotten Realms for a turn at Storm King’s Thunder (which I reviewed a couple of months ago).

It’s a great cast that works well together. Evelyn, the paladin of Lathlander is a personal favorite with her exuberance and role-playing skills. Tiefling Strix, too, is a lot of fun–particularly in her strained relationship with Evelyn. The new season also features a new opening animation which gives viewers a nice idea as to what the characters are supposed to look like.

The show is broadcast live on Twitch Tuesday evenings, and made available on YouTube afterward. Check out episode one of the second season below.

Critical Role

With the support of Geek & Sundry, Critical Role continues to be a fan favorite. 85 episodes strong and going! The most recent episode was so full of drama and feels that even Reddit covered the topic with extreme spoiler warnings. All I’m going to say is that there is a MAJOR character event which, unsurprisingly, affects the whole Vox Machina crowd.

If you’ve not been keeping up with their adventures, it’d be worth giving it a go. Story-wise, you get a lot. Matthew Mercer still does an outstanding job as DM and his range of voice-acting skills adds a fun level of immersion into the storytelling.

This is a big episode for Scanlan and Grog fans. There is something to be said for streaming a D&D game being played by professional voice actors. To see what I mean, check out episode 85 (Season 5, episode 29). If you want to watch future episodes live, they are broadcast on Twitch from x to y.

Other Game Systems Live-streamed

So far I’ve been reporting on live-streams featuring D&D material. Sure, there are live-streams on Twitch and YouTube featuring other games, but none that seem to be supported by their brands–at least not in any production-value sort of way. This is a shame.

As much as Dungeons & Dragons is a great system, it’s not the only one.

We had a great first season of HarmonQuest featuring the Pathfinder system with support from Paizo, but while there was a lot of RPG verisimilitude, it seemed more improv performance than improv gameplay. Still, it’s nice to know the second season is in production. Lately, though, there haven’t been many quality Pathfinder live-streams of late.

Last year there was the all-goblin “To the Poop!” one-shot Pathfinder adventure from Critical Role. The first couple of seasons of Critical Role were Pathfinder, so it was nice to see them make a short return to the system. You can find the highly entertaining “To the Poop!” one-shot on YouTube.

As we get closer to the release of Starfinder from Paizo. I’m hoping for some quality live-stream demos of gameplay.

I’ve talked in the past about Wil Wheaton’s creation Titansgrave: The Ashes of Valkana from Green Ronin and a gameplay series from Geek & Sundry. Sure enough, word is that season two is still a thing and something we may see after the fourth season of Tabletop–in the fall of 2017.

As for other games by Green Ronin, there are a couple of decent Dragon Age RPG live-streams, and a couple of Fantasy AGE broadcasts. Give Fantasy AGE’s focus on role-play and stunts, I’m surprised there aren’t more live-streams of this system yet.

Green Ronin is going to be publishing sourcebooks based on the Critical Role series, so maybe there will be some Critical Role treatment for Fantasy AGE sometime down the line. Why not?

Until then, you can get a taste of what Fantasy AGE is like by looking at its predecessor, Dragon Age (the tabletop RPG) on TableTop.

So those are just some examples of the bigger names in live-stream role-playing games. There are hundreds, nay thousands, of other live-streams available for viewing on Twitch and YouTube. Some are people sitting around a table; others make use of services like Roll20 and Fantasy Grounds.

There are way too many to try and review, but I can at least recommend you searching them out yourself for a bit of hit or miss. I think you’ll find more hits than misses if you enjoy this sort of thing.

Cheers!

Guest post by Ethan Nicolle

Seven years ago I created a comic with my five year old brother. It happened on a whim, when he said something that gave me such a clear mental picture I just had to draw it: A cop with an axe. Nothing could have prepared either of us for what would come next.

Who ever heard of a webcomic going viral?

Maybe the Oatmeal. But not something made by a 5 year old. I assumed the comic would be a drop in the ocean of content on the internet and go unnoticed by most, and that was OK with me. It was really fun to make.

If you know the story, it went viral.

It became one of the most well known webcomics basically overnight, which was crazy. I was just dipping my toes in the webcomics pond and I never expected anything like that to happen. It wasn’t part of the plan.

Through that unexpected success, my brother and I embraced our partnership and kept making comics. We did short ones, medium ones and long ones. We did exclusive print series with Dark Horse Comics, animated shorts on YouTube and a TV series on FOX and later FXX.

After six volumes of Axe Cop, Malachai hit age 10 and was much more into video games than writing comics. I think we both needed a break. I got a 3-year job writing for Dreamworks animation. I was now married with a family. Life had changed quite a bit for both of us.

Axe Cop took a two year rest.

Then, recently, we started talking about bringing him back. Axe Cop, the character, is so much more than a gimmicky web comic that laughs at things kids say. To me, he is like the Tick. He is a real character and we love him for the solutions he creates and the things he says. We wrote some Axe Cop TV episodes without much input from Malachai that I felt were still really strong Axe Cop stories.

I think they worked because we were working off of the well established character Malachai and I had put so much work into shaping. Now when Malachai and I write, we are writing that character.

I often got asked what I would do with Axe Cop as my brother got older. My basic answer was always “if it’s fun to make and fun to read, I’ll make it.” I always thought it would be interesting to revisit Axe Cop at different stages of Malachai’s life, just to see how the character develops.

The truth is, he always changed. Malachai was 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 when we made the initial Axe Cop stories. He was rapidly growing and changing throughout the process. That is one thing that is funny about Axe Cop, how confident he is, and yet how often he changes his story.

Ethan, and a now 12 year old Malachai

I had fallen in love with the music of Parry Gripp so I asked him a while back if he wanted to collaborate on anything. We talked about doing an Axe Cop collaboration, and now we are.

We’ve recently begun releasing a new “Ask Axe Cop” every Monday, and a new story page every Thursday. The new story is called “The Songster” and is about a pop singer with a demonic microphone who can sing things to life. The story is full of songs, and Parry is making those songs audible for us. Every time a new song posts on the page, an accompanying audio track is posted with it. We just posted the first one with page 3.

People ask how the process of collaboration with my brother has changed over the years. Not too much, to be honest. He has changed, for sure. But there is a chemistry that has remained with us creatively that sort of ignites whenever we start making stuff up. For one thing, I think that his unique childhood of being encouraged to flex his creative brainstorming muscles without reservation has developed that talent in him, because he still does it and he is good at it.

Our relationship was always more collaborative than the credits (written by Malachai, drawn by Ethan) let on, so in the new comics the credit simply says “by the Nicolle Brothers” because it’s closer to the truth. These comics are a product of a rapid fire back and forth between Malachai and me.

Throwing Parry into the mix has been a lot of fun. It’s required a little more planning on my part. I have to have the story mapped out far enough in advance so that he has time to make a song that will post the day that page goes up.

In the old days there were times I was finding out what happened next in an Axe Cop story the same week it got posted. But what is most fun about this process for me is hearing Parry’s songs as they come in. I really geek out because I am a genuine fan of him, so the idea that he is making songs to go with my work is a huge treat.

I hope people will give the new Axe Cop comics a read. We’re having a lot of fun making them and Parry’s songs are awesome. While they’re at it, I have another ongoing webcomic called Bearmageddon that updates every Wednesday and a joke strip called Frontkick  that updates every Friday.

Read the latest adventures of Axe Cop HERE!

Available Now

Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds

Bright Lights is the intimate profile of Carrie Fisher and her equally famous mother, Debbie Reynolds. The “powerful portrait of love in action” (Entertainment Weekly) brings viewers into the homes and private lives of two of Hollywood’s most effusive and eclectic personalities. In addition to highlighting some delightful back-and-forth banter from the Beverly Hills compound they share (a brick walkway separates their houses), Carrie and Debbie offer candid insights into their careers and personal lives, for better and (sometimes) worse.

Available February 14

Rules Don’t Apply

It’s Hollywood, 1958. An aspiring young actress, songwriter, beauty queen and devout Baptist virgin, Marla Mabrey (Lily Collins), and her young, ambitious, deeply religious Methodist chauffeur, Frank Forbes (Alden Ehrenreich), both struggle with the absurd eccentricities of the wildly unpredictable billionaire they work for, Howard Hughes (Warren Beatty). Their attraction to each other not only puts their religious convictions to the test, but also defies Hughes’ #1 rule: no employee is allowed to have any relationship whatsoever with a contract actress. Hughes’ behavior draws them both deeper into his bizarre world, and their lives are changed. Written and directed by Beatty (with a story by Beatty and Bo Goldman), Rules Don’t Apply also stars Annette Bening, Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Candice Bergen, Ed Harris, Oliver Platt and Martin Sheen.

Bad Santa 2

Fueled by cheap whiskey and greed, Willie Soke (Academy Award-winner Billy Bob Thornton), teams up once again with his angry sidekick, Marcus (Tony Cox), to knock off a Chicago charity run by curvaceous Diane (Christina Hendricks). But the arrival of Willie’s horror story of a mother, Sunny (Academy Award-winner Kathy Bates), and “the kid” – Thurman Merman (Brett Kelly) – may upset their plan.

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk

Academy Award winner Ang Lee (2012, Best Director, Life Of Pi ) brings his extraordinary vision to Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, based on the widely-acclaimed, bestselling novel. The story is told from the point of view of 19-year-old private Billy Lynn (Joe Alwyn) who, along with his fellow soldiers in Bravo Squad, becomes a hero after a harrowing battle in Iraq and is brought home temporarily for a victory tour. Through a sequence of flashbacks, the truth about what really happened is revealed – contrasting the realities of the war with America’s distorted perceptions of heroism. Co-starring Kristen Stewart, Chris Tucker, Garrett Hedlund, Vin Diesel and Steve Martin.

The Crooked Man

As a young girl, Olivia (Angelique Rivera) recited a haunting rhyme at a slumber party, which summoned the demonic figure known as the Crooked Man. Years later, she must team up with a reclusive mastermind (Michael Jai White) to defeat the demon before they die by his hands.

DC’s Young Animal is adding more strange and wonderful to the mix with BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER. The new miniseries is an original story that pays tribute to the work of Jack Kirby by featuring his characters, like his version of Sandman and sidekick Sandy, Blue Beetle, Atlas and more! What makes this comic book even more unique is that it’s a family affair—with Lee, Michael and Laura Allred writing, drawing and coloring the book. The six-issue miniseries is set to debut May 10.

“Every time I get to work with my ‘big bro’ Lee, it’s like tapping into our most thrilling childhood comic book daydreams,” says Michael Allred, artist on the project. “If you gave me the chance to list the characters I’d most like to get my hands on from Kirby’s ‘Fourth World,’ Forager the Bug sits squarely at the top. And now we are throwing him into the DC’s Young Animal mix, winding him up and letting him go! When you add in our not-so-secret weapon of Laura’s magical colors, I couldn’t possibly be more pumped about this series!”

Forager is just one of the hive until the day he breaks out of his cocoon and finds himself in a mysterious house in an unknown realm. But he’s not alone. As he comes across strange creatures—a ghostly girl, a talking teddy bear—Bug will have to figure out how he got here and how to return. He’ll soon cross paths with the evil General Electric, who is after a precious metal that might change the very fabric of life! Forager must set out on a trip across the Multiverse to stop this evil uprising, and may even establish himself as a New God in the process.

“I am absolutely thrilled to have the first family of comics, the Allreds, producing BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER. This year, DC is celebrating the fantastic brain of Jack Kirby and this is our offering to that wonderful tribute. In Young Animal fashion, this miniseries takes an alternative look at a character from the past, Forager, who still has a few unturned stones in his history,” explains Gerard Way, curator of the imprint. “The Allred’s brand of wild and weird fits perfectly with what we are doing, and in some ways inspired various aspects of the imprint— so it only makes sense to bring them in to do what they do best. We can’t wait to show you what they’re cooking up and hope this is the first of many family projects for the imprint that they’ll be involved in.”

“Ever since Mike and I read a battered copy of NEW GODS #9 in the waiting room before guitar lessons, we’ve loved Forager the Bug,” explains Lee Allred, writer on the project. “A kinetic action hero on one hand, an alienated, introspective youth on the other—he’s the quintessential Young Animal character. We’re taking Bug on a slam-bang, save-the-universe romp across DC’s Kirbyverse as we search for Bug’s true place in life. It’s a family team project about a family road trip. Don’t make us turn this Kirby car around!”

“What a blast to watch Mike and Lee work together. It’s like listening to little kids romping in a sandbox and hearing their imaginations burst as they play,” says Laura Allred. “I get inspired whenever the three of us slide into that perfect creative stream. They turn me loose with so much wonderful stuff that lights me up. There is a lot of joy in what we’ve done so far, and I’m so excited about everything we’ll do.”

Way continues, “The imprint takes an unexpected approach with DC’s classic heroes, while at the same time keeping them fun and completely accessible, and this comic book is no exception. We are honored to have such talented creators at the top of their game working with the imprint, and we hope this is the first of many miniseries to head your way.”

DC’s Young Animal, the pop-up imprint driven by the creative mind of Gerard Way, is alternative, unconventional storytelling with thought-provoking narrative featuring unexpected characters from the DC Universe. BUG!: THE ADVENTURES OF FORAGER joins the bizarre and thrilling DOOM PATROL, MOTHER PANIC, SHADE, THE CHANGING GIRL and CAVE CARSON HAS A CYBERNETIC EYE. These are comics for dangerous humans.

You’ve been warned.

Academy Award winner Denzel Washington directs and stars in the powerful and moving drama FENCES, arriving on  Blu-ray, DVD and On Demand March 14, 2017 from Paramount Home Media Distribution.  The film arrives on Digital HD February 24, two days before the 2017 Academy Awards ceremony.

Hailed by critics and audiences alike, FENCES has been nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Denzel Washington), Best Supporting Actress (Viola Davis) and Best Adapted Screenplay (August Wilson).  FENCES also has been named one of the best films of the year by the American Film Institute, Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, the Producers Guild of America and more.  In addition, Washington and Viola Davis both won SAG Awards for their performances and Davis’ transcendent performance earned her the 2017 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and more than a dozen critics’ group awards.

Adapted by legendary writer August Wilson from his own renowned play, FENCES follows former Negro-league baseball player Troy Maxson (Washington) in 1950s Pittsburgh as he fights to provide for those he loves in a world that threatens to push him down. An unforgettable and timeless masterpiece, FENCES “connects with people on a deep, emotional level” (Glenn Whipp, Los Angeles Times) and pulses with the universal truths of love and forgiveness, despite what lies beyond your own fence.

The FENCES Blu-ray Combo Pack includes over 30 minutes of fascinating bonus content. With interviews from the cast and crew, including actor/director Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, discover how August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play was adapted from stage to screen. Plus, visit the movie’s Pittsburgh set, learn how Davis prepared for her award-winning performance, and much more. Buy FENCES on Blu-ray Combo Pack and get a bonus digital copy of The Manchurian Candidate (2004), starring Denzel Washington, for a limited time only.

FENCES Blu-ray Combo Pack

The FENCES Blu-ray is presented in 1080p high definition with English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and English Audio Description and English, English SDH, French, and Spanish subtitles.  The combo pack includes access to a Digital HD copy of the film as well as the following:

Blu-ray

• Feature film in high definition
• Bonus Content:
  • Expanding the Audience: From Stage to Screen
  • The Company of Fences
  • Building Fences: Denzel Washington
  • Playing the Part: Rose Maxson
  • August Wilson’s Hill District

The Blu-ray Combo Pack available for purchase includes a Digital HD Version of the film that can be accessed through UltraViolet, a way to collect, access and enjoy movies.  With UltraViolet, consumers can add movies to their digital collection in the cloud, and then stream or download them—reliably and securely—to a variety of devices.

FENCES Single-Disc DVD

The single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 TVs with English 5.1 Dolby Digital and English Audio Description and English, French, and Spanish subtitles.  The disc includes the feature film in standard definition.

FencesMovie.com

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Red Skelton was a brilliant performer, a passionate patriot, and a master of simple, hilarious and classic comedy.

Now, home audiences can be entertained by America’s Clown Prince any time with brilliant full-color episodes of The Red Skelton Hour, some of which have been unseen for over 50 years!

After purchasing an old movie studio and converting it for TV productions, Red was the first CBS host to begin taping his weekly programs in color. And now, on January 3, Time Life brings viewers back to a simpler time with THE RED SKELTON HOUR IN COLOR, showcasing never-before-released shows as they were originally broadcast more than 50 years ago.

One of the country’s most treasured comedians, Skelton kept TV audiences in stitches for 20 groundbreaking seasons on The Red Skelton Show. The son of a circus clown, Red always had a twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step (often accompanied by a cowbell sound effect); his heart was pure gold, his jokes were silly and his gifts for physical comedy were unparalleled.

And from his inimitable comic mind also came a memorable lineup of zany characters including the country bumpkin Clem Kadiddlehopper, the lovable hobo Freddie the Freeloader, Sheriff Deadeye and more.

Available in two configurations, THE RED SKELTON HOUR IN COLOR — perfect viewing for the whole family — is packed with hilarious, heartwarming humor. The 3-disc collector’s set ($29.95srp) features 12 never-before-released episodes, including best-loved sketches with Freddie the Freeloader joining a love-in with hippie Tim Conway; Sheriff Deadeye facing off with Rooster Cogburn (John Wayne); and Clem Kadiddlehopper being mistaken for a robot by mad scientists Boris Karloff and Vincent Price. Other fan favorite sketches include classics such as “Dial M for Moron” with Phyllis Diller, “Yo Ho Ho and a Bottle of Dumb” with George Gobel, and “Eenie Meenie Minee Schmo” with Mickey Rooney. The single disc release ($12.95srp) includes 4 complete episodes. Additionally, both releases include exclusive new interviews with Bobby Rydell and Vicki Lawrence.

There’s no business like funny business and no one did it better than Red, on full, hilarious display in THE RED SKLETON HOUR IN COLOR!

And we’re giving away 3 copies on DVD.

To enter, please send an email with the subject header “RED SKELTON” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following:

How many episodes did The Red Skelton Hour run?

Please include your name and address (U.S. Residents only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 26th, 2017.