ComiXology announced today it is releasing creator-owned comic books and graphic novels for the first time as part of its comiXology Originals program. The premiere digital comics service announced four new comiXology Originals titles – spanning fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and superhero genres – via a livestreaming event on Twitch.  Today readers can dive into the debut titles through a variety of ways: they are free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited, and comiXology Unlimited and are also available for purchase on Kindle and comiXology.

The new comiXology Original releases include: Savage Game created byNFL player Ryan Kalil, written by Shawn Kittelsen, and art by Chris B. Murray; Superfreaks fromwritersElsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet, with newcomer artist Margaux Saltel; Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty from writer Richard Starkings, and artists Axel Medellin and Boo Cook; Ask For Mercy from writer Starkings and newcomer artist Abigail Jill Harding.

The debuts feature a host of industry firsts, including:

• All issues of the Superfreaks series are available to read now – perfect for binge reading
• In addition to digital, Savage Game is available in print exclusively through Amazon.com via Print-on-Demand
• Collections of Elephantmen and Ask for Mercy will also be available in print via Print-on-Demand, with future comiXology Originals trade collections and graphic novels also available in print
• Savage Game sees noted cover and fine artist Chris B. Murray’s interior art debut
• Superfreaks artist Margaux Saltel also makes her series debut
• Ask For Mercy artist Abigail Jill Harding makes her series debut

“We’re proud to offer these creator-owned titles where creators keep their IP rights and are motivated to bring their A-game to the benefit of readers everywhere,” said Chip Mosher, comiXology’s Head of Content. “Helping bring these incredible titles to fans lets us experiment with different release strategies like a binge-style drop of a whole series, high quality print-on-demand, and day-and-date inclusion in Prime Reading, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited.”

The new comiXology Originals titles were announced today in tandem with a livestream event on Twitch, hosted by noted esports personality Marcus “djWHEAT” Graham. During the livestream, which was screened at viewing parties at Amazon Books retail locations and Amazon Pop-Up kiosks across the United States, comiXology unveiled its “Always Original” ad campaign that spotlights the characters featured in today’s new releases. Customers attending the viewing parties were offered free print copies of the Savage Game graphic novel on a first come, first served basis.

The company also teased the next wave of comiXology Original titles to be released in the coming months, announcing an impressive list of creators, including: Tyler Crook, Kristian Donaldson, Alti Firmansyah, Sam Humphries, Megan Kearney, Kel McDonald, Hope Nicholson, Mike Norton, MK Reed, Mark Sable, Tim Seeley, C. Spike Trotman, Jen Vaughn, and Magdalene Visaggio.  More details on upcoming releases will be unveiled during Comic-Con International San Diego 2018.

Information on today’s comiXology Originals debuts can be found below:

Savage Game

Created by Ryan Kalil, written by Shawn Kittelsen, with art by Chris B. Murray

From NFL player Ryan Kalil and his company Strange Turn comes an original 60-page sci-fi graphic novel that is high tech version of The Island of Dr. Moreau. What happens when a rogue titan of Silicon Valley creates his own island nation with no laws to hold him back? You get the Savage Game, where audiences watch genetically modified hybrid creatures fight to the death in a fantastic gladiator-style battle. But Conner Bowen isn’t having it. He’s on a quest to stop his mad father and the Savage Game. But is it too late?

• Original 60pg Graphic Novel – $4.99 on Kindle and comiXology
• Free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited
• Available in print for $6.99 as a Print-on-Demand graphic novel exclusively on Amazon.com

“Working on Savage Game has been a labor of love for everyone and I am really thrilled that it’s finally coming out with comiXology Originals and via Amazon’s Print-on-Demand,” said Savage Game creator Ryan Kalil. “I am very excited for the reader response and for the future of Savage Game.”

Superfreaks

Written by Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet with art by Margaux Saltel

An all-new 5-issue superhero mystery debuting digitally in its entirety – a thrilling story perfect for binge reading – with art by rising star Margaux Saltel. All the world’s superheroes have disappeared overnight, and it’s up to their untrained, largely overlooked teenage sidekicks to find out what happened – while dealing with the biggest crisis Earth has ever known — much to the public’s displeasure. Can they save the day?

• 5-issue series – all issues available to binge read now
• Issue are $2.99 each on Kindle and comiXology
• Free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited

“Not only am I ecstatic about Superfreaks being released today, but doubly so having the entire series being available all at once,” said Superfreaks writer Elsa Charretier. “Readers will experience all the cliffhangers we intended as storytellers, while binge reading the entire series the same day it’s released. And when the world’s superheroes have disappeared overnight, you don’t want to wait to see what’s happened.”

Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty

Written by Richard Starkings with art by Axel Medellin and Boo Cook

The iconic Elephantmen debuts as acomiXology Originals title with issue 1 of Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty, a 5-issue monthly mini-series. Described by J.J. Abrams as “An Awesome and Unexpected Story. You Must Check it out!” and lauded by Andy Serkis as “Bold, mythic and heartbreakingly cool, Starkings’ universe is a breed apart!”, Elephantmen 2261: The Death of Shorty, is the next adventure of the pulp science fiction series Elephantmen, which debuted nearly 15 years and 80 issues ago from Image Comics. This all-new story is a whodunit that draws our heroes, Hip Flask and Jack Farrell, into the curious death of an Elephantman known to his friends as “Shorty”.

• 5-issue miniseries – issues will be available monthly – $2.99 per issue on Kindle and comiXology
• Free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited
• Print edition will be available via Print-on-Demand exclusively on Amazon.com

“Once I realized Elephantmen sold more digitally than in print, I suggested to my friends at comiXology that we create a brand new Elephantmen series exclusively for digital readers,” says Elephantmen creator Richard Starkings. “And yet – for those who’d rather hold a print version – you’ll still be able to order a Print-on-Demand paperback collection as soon as it’s complete!  I’ve seen what Amazon can do with Print-on-Demand and it’s absolutely unbelievable!”

Ask For Mercy

Written by Richard Starkings with art by Abigail Jill Harding

An action-packed and artistically stunning dark fantasy story from Elephantmen creator, Richard Starkings and breakout talent, Abigail Jill Harding. Ask For Mercy is a World War II fantasy horror story in the tradition of John Carpenter’s The Thing and Sandman. Mercy is snatched from her own place and time to join a team of Monster Hunters who are actually Monsters themselves, and together they have to take on a Pantheon of Hideous Creatures summoned to our world by Nazi evil!

• 6-issue series – issues will be available every 6 weeks – $2.99 per issue on Kindle and comiXology
• Free to read for members of Amazon Prime, Kindle Unlimited and comiXology Unlimited
• Print collected edition will be available via Print-on-Demand on Amazon.com

Customers can enjoy today’s releases on a variety of Amazon’s membership services. Prime Reading offers Amazon Prime members a rotating selection of over a thousand top Kindle books, magazines, short works, comic books, children’s books, and more – all at no additional cost. Kindle Unlimited offers over 1 million titles, thousands of audiobooks, and select current issues of popular magazines for just $9.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at amazon.com/kindleunlimited. ComiXology Unlimited now offers over 15,000 comics, graphic novels and manga for just $5.99 a month with a 30-day free trial at comixology.com/unlimited. All titles are also available as individual purchases on Kindle and comiXology.

To learn more about Amazon Pop-Up and Amazon Books retail locations
near you, as well as hours, visit www.amazon.com/popup
or www.amazon.com/amazonbooks.

For more updates on comiXology Originals, check out http://comixologyoriginals.com
and follow comiXology on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

via Tom Richmond

The National Cartoonists Society held its 72nd annual Reuben Awards dinner on Saturday, May 26th, in Philadelphia.

Glen Keane was crowned Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year — a prize known simply as The Reuben — for the 2017 short film “Dear Basketball”. Past winners include Walt Kelly, Mort Drucker, Bill Watterson, Milton Caniff, and Will Eisner. It appears to be the first time the top award has been given for work in animation.

The NCS conferred its Medal of Honor, presented “in recognition of a long and distinguished career of continued excellence in cartooning that has set the highest of standards and inspiration,” upon Lynn Johnston. Johnston, creator of For Better or for Worse, became the first female recipient of the Reuben in 1985.

“Dear Basketball” is a 5-minute film based on the open letter written by Kobe Bryant announcing his retirement from the game in 2015. Keane was the director and lead animator. The film, scored by John Williams, garnered Keane and Bryant the Oscar for Best Animated Short earlier this year. As fate would have it, Keane and Bryant were both born in Philadelphia.

Keane spent decades working for Walt Disney Animation Studios on films from Pete’s Dragon to Wreck-It Ralph, as staff and later freelance, notably contributing key character design and supervision on Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and more during the 1990s Disney Renaissance. He is the son of Bil Keane, creator of syndicated newspaper staple The Family Circus and himself a Reuben Award winner in 1982. Glen’s daughter Claire Keane is an illustrator and concept artist who has worked on several Disney projects. His son Max Keane served as production designer on “Dear Basketball”.

Keane’s feature debut as director, Over the Moon, is being produced at Pearl Studio for theatrical release in China and internationally on Netflix in 2020.

A handful of special honors, revealed slightly in advance of the ceremony, were distributed by the Society alongside competitive awards in various disciplines. Most, like the T-Squares, are bestowed for longevity in addition to quality or for activity beyond cartooning itself; quirkiest among them, however, is the Amateur Cartoonist Extraordinary award, a.k.a. the ACE, given to a former aspiring cartoonist who’s become renowned in another field. CNN anchor Jake Tapper, a Philadelphia native mentored by Inquirer editorial cartoonist Tony Auth, received this year’s ACE.

2017 winners of the NCS’ Division Awards:

Advertising / Product Illustration — Dave Whamond

Book Illustration — Adam Rex for The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors, published by Balzer & Bray / HarperCollins Publishers

Comic Books, Series or Collected — Sana Takeda for Monstress Vol. 2: The Blood, published by Image Comics

Editorial Cartooning — Mike Peters; Michael Ramirez [tie]

Feature Animation — Lee Unkrich (director) & Adrian Molina (co-director) for Pixar Animation Studios’ Coco

Gag Cartoons — Will McPhail

Graphic Novels, Original — Emil Ferris for My Favorite Thing Is Monsters, published by Fantagraphics Books

Magazine Illustration — Peter Kuper

Newspaper Illustration — Dave Whamond

Newspaper Panels — Mark Parisi for Off the Mark

Newspaper Strips — Mike Peters for Mother Goose and Grimm

Online Comics, Long-Form — John Allison for Bad Machinery

Online Comics, Short-Form — Gemma Correll

Television Animation — Alan Bodner (art director) for The Disney Channel’s Tangled

In addition to Johnston and Tapper, special honors went to Brendon Burford and Rick Stromoski, each awarded the Silver T-Square “by unanimous vote of the NCS Board of Directors, to persons who have demonstrated outstanding dedication or service to the Society or the profession,” and to Arnold Roth, presented with the Gold T-Square in commemoration of 50 years as a professional cartoonist.

Earlier this month the National Cartoonists Society Foundation announced that Zi Chen, majoring in Animation at Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, was the recipient of the 2018 Jay Kennedy Memorial Scholarship and would be attending the Reuben Awards weekend as a guest.

The Reuben is named for Rube Goldberg, a cartoonist whose characters’ wildly complicated devices — often built to accomplish relatively simple tasks — became such a trademark that his name is perhaps most used now in describing such contraptions. Honorees are given statuettes based on one of Goldberg’s sculptures.
A full list of this year’s Reuben nominees is available at The Daily Cartoonist. You can find past recipients, information about the NCS Foundation, and more at the National Cartoonist Society website, and photos from this year’s dinner on its Facebook page.

The “Dear Basketball” website currently has the film available to view.

Written by Zack Kaplan
Illustrated by Alvaro Sarraseca
Published by AfterShock Comics

This is the start of a new series at AfterShock. They are really putting out some really excellent books. So I was hopeful going into this one.

Sadly, it was just okay. There’s a few problems with it and I hope they are fixed so it can get better.

This is a mystery comic book that has a mystery that doesn’t really hook you right away. It focuses on a group of millennial teenagers who find just where the Lost City of Atlantis is.

And it’s underneath New York City!

The first issue sets this up. And there’s a lot of setup. So much so, we don’t really get much in the way of action. I understand wanting to build your characters, but it’s slow to start.

The only action that happens in the entire issue is in the first four pages, but even then it’s not very exciting.

It also doesn’t help that the characters themselves aren’t very good. It feels like Kaplan has watched Stranger Things and The Goonies a lot and modeled his characters after that. He feels like he is trying for a gritty take on that genre but it doesn’t really work. Or, at least not yet.

The art also suffers from a lack of style. AfterShock’s best books have a style to them that feels raw and passionate. This feels quaint and mannered.

The ending gets the plot completely set up. So who knows? This could really pick up. But as far for right now, this story of finding Atlantis feels like it’s sinking.

RATING: C+

Thanks to our friends at Dark Horse Comics, we’ve got an exclusive preview from World of Tanks: Citadel #2, arriving in stores on June 13th from writer Garth Ennis, artist PJ Holden, colorist Mike Atiyeh under a cover by Isaac Hannaford!

As the two vast tank armies clash on the plains of Kursk, Russians and Germans alike are caught in a maelstrom of steel and fire. Piotr and Ginger find themselves outmatched by almost everything on the battlefield–and dangerously undermined by divisions within their own ranks. For Kraft and Stadler, things go more smoothly at first–until the real armored monsters begin to enter the fray. The blazing battle action continues, as Ennis and Holden continue their tale of total war on the hellish Eastern Front.

For more details, visit DarkHorse.com!!

Written and Illustrated by Edwina Dumm
Published by IDW / The Library of American Comics
Release date 3/13/18 /$29.99

I’ve been a devotee of newspaper comic strips since long before I ever saw my first comic BOOK. Those flames were fanned by now-classic volumes such as Pierre Couperie’s A History of the Comic Strip (1968) and The Smithsonian Book of Newspaper Comic Strips (1977). I became a fan of many long-gone strips such as Buster Brown, Happy Hooligan, and Her Name Was Maud. I devoured each new collection of Alley Oop, Dick Tracy, and Pogo and continued to follow everything current from Smokey Stover and Spider-Man to Rose is Rose and Bloom County!

All that said, “Cap” Stubbs and Tippie, I here reluctantly admit, had always been just a name to me.

But today, of course, is a Golden Age of comic strip reprints and here at hand we have IDW’s strip-sized collection of cartoonist Edwina Dumm’s delightfully homespun “Cap” Stubbs and Tippie strip. This volume, from the Library of American Comics Essentials series, collects a long run of slightly more than a year’s strips beginning in February of 1945 and ending in April of 1946.

The first thing that jumps out at the reader unfamiliar with Cap” Stubbs and Tippie is its leisurely pacing. It’s not a rapid-fire gag a day strip like so many were. In fact, there aren’t a lot of gags at all, although there’s certainly humor. It reminds more of a daily radio serial, with its slice of life hominess that keeps you tuning in to see what your friends are up to.

The second thing that stands out is the strip’s large cast of characters, mostly relatives or friends of our titular leading man, “Cap” Stubbs, an excitable, energetic young boy of maybe 10 years. He’s concerned about things such as his pals, school, new clothes, the circus, and his grandmother, and he’s excited and proud that his Uncle is naming a diner for servicemen after him. He’s also mischievous and nosy at times and that gets him into some almost Little Orphan Annie style troubles at one point.

Sounds like a pretty full and busy strip already but we haven’t even gotten to the real star yet—Tippie!

Tippie is “Cap”’s fluffy, expressive, smallish dog—a terrier, perhaps? Tippie isn’t one of those talking comic strip dogs or one whose thoughts you can read. No, like “Cap” himself, Tippie comes across as very real, a generally silent observer and participant in any given day’s events—a member of the family. Tippie was so popular that some newspapers actually renamed the strip Tippie and “Cap” Stubbs!

A nicely informative intro by Caitlin McGurk brings the reader quickly up to speed, telling us that it ran for nearly half a century and giving us background on Ms. Dumm, a pioneering female cartoonist in a number of ways.

As you read through the book, it’s obvious that the strip is just amazingly successful at depicting what a very real, live young boy was thinking, feeling, wearing, worrying about, dreaming about. And yet it was begun by someone who could never have actually lived and remembered those feelings. Edwina Dumm was just a young girl when the strip started and a “little old lady” by the time it ended. That she could capture those sensibilities so well is impressive as all get out.

I may not have been familiar with “Cap” Stubbs and Tippie before but I am now. And I like it…and them!

Booksteve recommends

DC Super Hero Girls is an all-new animated action-comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation and based on characters from DC Entertainment. Featuring fresh character designs and storytelling from Emmy Award–winning producer Lauren Faust (Super Best Friends Forever, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends), DC Super Hero Girls will be coming soon to Cartoon Network.

The world may know them as Wonder Woman, Supergirl and Batgirl, but not-so-typical teenagers Diana, Kara and Barbara, alongside their Super Hero friends have much more to deal with than just protecting the citizens of Metropolis from some of the most sinister school-aged Super-Villains of the DC Universe. After all, being teens is tough enough, what with school, friends, family and the chaos that comes with managing a social life.  But add super powers and a secret identity to the mix, and things can get a lot more complicated.

Sure, gal pals Bumblebee, Zatanna and Green Lantern Jessica Cruz are always there to lend an ear, a shoulder to cry on, and a fist to punch with, but what happens when Diana and her favorite study buddy and fencing partner, Tatsu, can’t agree on how to dole out justice as Wonder Woman and Katana? Or when Barbara finds out her Gotham-Con bestie is teen-fiend Harley Quinn? Along with all their friends, foes and frenemies, this squad of super teens navigates the unique growing pains that come when you’re a teenager trying to fight the battles of the world and the battles of growing up at the same time.

The new series is a global initiative with Cartoon Network and builds on the successful DC Super Hero Girls global franchise, including direct-to-video movies as well as digital webisodes launched in 2015 and viewed by millions of fans on the DC Super Hero Girls YouTube channel, as well as the DC Super Hero Girls mobile app.

Lauren Faust is executive producer with Sam Register (Teen Titans Go!) also serving as executive producer.

Written by Peter Milligan
Illustrated by Tess Fowler
Published by IDW Publishing
Released 5/23/18 / $19.99

This book seemed like it could be interesting. I liked iZombie the comic series and this seemed to be along the same lines. Sadly, it was hard to read and digest. I got bored instantly.

It’s such a shame, too. It had such promise and Milligan is a really great writer in general. It just got weird for weird’s sake quickly.

In the opening scene, Kid Lobotomy is performing brain surgery. Then, he decides to eat the brains of the person to get to the grey matter.

It was only downhill from there. There are flashbacks and all sorts of time displacement. The plot has to do with the Kid taking over a hotel from his childhood and turning into a lucrative business. Or at least, I think so.

I stopped caring about where I was and who I was with after the first few pages.

Eventually, Kid Lobotomy is guided by a big cockroach and the spirit of Franz Kafka.

Instead of being smart, it ends up just being pretentious and gag inducing.

The plot is all over the place. It’s hard to tell what Milligan was going for. He and Fowler don’t make for a good pairing. Milligan seems interested in making comparisons to King Lear and Fowler seems to want to entertain.

The art is very good. It just doesn’t fit the story. It seems simple, but it’s actually very involved. Fowler is a talent who shines here.

The ending of this book just falls flat. I have no idea if it got cancelled or what the heck happened. It’s abrupt. But maybe it’s for the best.

RATING: C

The stunning story of an ordinary girl’s extraordinary adventure through time and space offers exhilarating entertainment and positive messages for the whole family—encouraging self-confidence, inclusion and pushing imagination to the next level.

Families who bring home “A Wrinkle in Time” will go behind the scenes to meet the talented crafts persons, actors and filmmakers who brought to life every spectacular detail of this triumphant tale. Bonus material includes an extended featurette providing inside access to the A-list cast and crew; insightful audio commentary from director Ava DuVernay and team; deleted scenes; bloopers; and two music videos, including “I Believe” performed by GRAMMY-nominated music mogul DJ Khaled and featuring GRAMMY-nominated singer-songwriter Demi Lovato.

Three celestial guides, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling), come to Earth to share their wisdom and love with struggling eighth-grader Meg Murry (Storm Reid) as she journeys across dimensions with classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) and younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) in search of her father (Chris Pine), a world-renowned physicist who mysteriously disappeared four years ago.

As fantastical as the film’s premise and imagery may seem, “A Wrinkle in Time” centers on a universal human need that feels particularly relevant and relatable today. “This is a story about belonging,” says DuVernay. “It’s about a girl who just doesn’t feel strong in her mind, body and spirit. But through this epic journey, she finds her strength and learns that the center of the universe starts inside her. It’s about Meg feeling like she belongs in the universe and has a mighty part to play… as do we all.”

And we’re giving away a copy of the Blu-ray Combo release!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “WRINKLE IN TIME” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Who wrote the novel A Wrinkle in Time?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 June 17th, 2018

Written by Steve Orlando
Illustrated by Garry Brown
Published by Image Comics

Steve Orlando is a fine writer. That’s why I was more than a little disappointed with this title. It’s not terrible and it has some good art, but I wasn’t grabbed by it at all. It sort of just left me cold.

The main character is Piotr Petrovich. He was once the most feared killer in the world. When his son is killed, he travels back to Russia to dig through his son’s past. He’s also out to get revenge on his son’s killers.

It’s a very familiar story and Orlando doesn’t do much to make it stand out. When he does try makes it unique, it instead for me became confusing.

The good part of the book is the artwork by Garry Brown. Orlando starts off the first two pages of the book with a really strong flashback sequence that lets Brown strut his stuff. Brown keeps it up throughout. But then Orlando jumps back and forth in time. One scene it’s a flashback to 20 years ago. The next, we are in present time. Then, it’s back to 20 years ago. Then a year ago. He also takes us to different locales. A more streamlined book would have been appreciated. I like being off kilter as a reader but I got lost a few times.

That’s tough for a new series.

The last line of the first book was cool. It’s Piotr saying, “show me who you really were” about his son. By that point, the book was a chore and had a lot of talking. A LOT of talking.

The second issue moved a bit more but had many of the same problems as the first issue. There is a scene where Piotr gets to stretch his stuff in a fight but it’s more confusing rather than fun.

Again, the art on this is the highlight for me. Brown has been great for years. I hope this turns around. Orlando can do better than this and I hope the story picks up and feels more focused. Right now, it’s just not fully formed.

RATING: B-

New York Times best-selling author Fred Van Lente is the voice behind great comic books like Archer and Armstrong (Valiant Entertainment), Action Philosophers (Evil Twin Press), and Cowboys & Aliens (Image Comics), which served as the inspiration behind the film. An Amazon Best of the Month in Mystery, Thriller, and Suspense, Van Lente’s debut novel, Ten Dead Comedians (June 5, 2018; Quirk Books; Trade Paperback Reprint), is a laugh-out-loud dark comedy and murder mystery that will keep readers turning the page until the final shocking twist.

Nine comedians are invited to the private island of once-legendary stand-up comic and actor Dustin Walker to work on a career-changing collaborative project. Once they arrive, they find the island devoid of cell phone service, Wi-Fi signals, and other people, except for Walker’s eager assistant, the aspiring comic Meredith Ladipo. As they settle in and prepare to get to work, longtime performers, including insult comic and plastic surgery addict Janet “The Shotgun” Kahn, butt heads with mouthy new upstarts, like social justice podcaster Ruby Ng.

After being greeted in the writers’ room by a strange video message from Walker, followed by a GoPro video feed of his own suicide, comedians begin to be murdered one by one in ways tailored to their acts. In an attempt to survive, the survivors set out to explore Walker’s sprawling estate of secret rooms and hidden passageways to search for clues. But for alcoholic Dante Dupree and failed funnyman Steve Gordon, the murderer isn’t the only thing stalking the grounds—their personal demons follow close behind. The remaining stand-ups must sacrifice their egos and band together—or turn on one another—to find out who’s doing the killing and why.

Full of captivating twists and turns, Ten Dead Comedians is punctuated with hilarious monologues in each character’s voice that bring readers fully into Van Lente’s world of intrigue, suspense, and showbiz. Every character is a nod to the history of comedy—from staples like embittered former late-night host TJ Martinez and secretly erudite blue-collar comic Billy the Contractor to satirical takes on modern comedians like bizarre prop comic Orange Baby Man and raunchy it-girl Zoe Schwartz. With remarkable literary ventriloquism, Van Lente pays loving homage to the history of stand-up comedy even as he lampoons it.

An ode to the classic mystery tales of Agatha Christie as well as the cultural legacy of stand-up, Ten Dead Comedians combines suspense and humor to create a unique reading experience for fans of mysteries, comedy, or both.

Fred Van Lente’s The Con Artist will be released on July 10, 2018.

Written and Illustrated by Peter and Marie Hoey
Published by Top Shelf Comics
Released 5/23/18 / $29.99

I love Top Shelf Comics. They are the publisher I consistently buy comics from at the San Diego Comic Con.

They always produce unique stories. This book is one of the strangest I have read from them.

Yet, I couldn’t put it down.

This was originally published in floppy comic format. All of the issues are collected here but in reverse order. There are more than twenty individual stories here all having to do with music and film.

The only two characters that appear from time to time are Saltz and Pepz. The tales themselves range from abstract to completely abstract. I’m not sure I understand even half of what was going on but I was completely engrossed throughout.

You don’t really read this comic: You experience it. It very much feels like the illegitimate child of Daniel Clowes and Chris Ware. There’s a story with Saltz and Pepz on a railway car where they talk about VHS and Betamax and how it correlates to their surroundings and life that I enjoyed very much.

The rest of the book goes on some interesting distractions. We get to see some classic movie scenarios done in some interesting new twists. The best of these is the spin on Rear Window. It pays respect to the original film yet goes down some crazy new paths.

There seems to be be an overall story but I’ll be damned if I know what it is. But maybe that’s the point. Either way, a little more of a connecting thread would have been helpful rather than recurring characters that are talking about videotapes.

Still, it’s quite an experience and I’m glad I read this. It’s a book that made me think for a long time and I’ll revisit to see if I can figure more of it out.

RATING: B+

Since the post-Memorial Day weekend is considered a slump time when Hollywood movie studios typically opt not to release anything major into theaters, I thought I’d likewise take a brief break from movie blogging with this week’s SPASM and instead geek supreme about pop music.

Specifically, about popular songs by famous artists that feature a surprise cameo by a superstar singing backup vocals or playing an instrument.

We’re not talking about the gazillion times musicians have teamed up for a single cut or even an entire album and then promoted the daylights out of it.

No, we’re talking about those special tracks that feature a surprise guest performance—a distinctive and familiar voice on backup and/or an instrument being played with signature style by a virtuoso—but the artist performing the surprise cameo is intended to remain uncredited.

What follows is a playlist of some of my favorite songs featuring surprise secret superstars on backup.

Granted, some of these musical cameos have become so famous we forget the guest superstar is supposed to remain a secret, but these pop music cameos all illustrate a common notion among artists that was perhaps expressed best and first by The Beatles: you really do get by with a little help from your friends.

Young MC – “Bust A Move” – That hot plucked bass heard throughout this early hip-hop hit is courtesy of Red Hot Chili Peppers founder Flea, who still likes to gripe about getting paid only $200 for the gig.

Rockwell – “Somebody’s Watching Me” – Having a sister who was married to Jermaine Jackson turned out to be a great opportunity for aspiring artist Rockwell to gain access to the King of Pop—Michael Jackson. The gloved one was at the height of his Thriller popularity when he sang backup on Rockwell’s first single, which remains his biggest hit.

Madonna – “Justify My Love” – You might not hear him singing any lyrics, but some of the undulating moaning that punctuates Madge’s slinky dance floor groove are courtesy of Lenny Kravitz, who wrote the track for her.

David Bowie – “Young Americans” – A young Luther Vandross serves as one of the background singers heard on Bowie’s indelible anthem.

Glass Tiger – “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)” – Okay, so maybe the Canadian band Glass Tiger is a mere relic of the ’80s, a wannabe Duran Duran or Simple Minds and a one-hit wonder who occasionally receive some love from oldies stations—and, egads, songs from the ’80s are considered oldies now!—but I still find it eternally cool that fellow Canadian Bryan Adams contributed his guest vocals to the young band as a gesture of national camaraderie.

David Bowie – “Fame” – Though modulated via voice box, that’s ex-Beatle John Lennon joining in on the funky refrain.

Clarence Clemons – “You’re A Friend Of Mine” – Longtime Bruce Springsteen collaborator and E Street Band saxophonist Clemons’ pop ditty is spiced up with dual vocal contributions from Jackson Browne and the beloved actress he was dating at the time—Daryl Hannah.

Martika – “Toy Soldiers” – Actress Jennifer Love Hewitt was nine years old when she sang backup vocals on this ’80s anti-war anthem. Joining her in the children’s chorus: a then-13-year-old Stacy Ferguson, known today as “Fergie” from The Black Eyed Peas.

Phil Collins – “Take Me Home” – Two music legends show up to deliver subtle but distinctive backup vocals: Peter Gabriel and Sting.

The Beatles – “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” – Eric Clapton performs the guitar solo.

Pink Floyd – “Keep Talking” – One of the few radio-friendly tracks off the band’s early-’90s concept album The Division Bell, this mini rock operetta features the modulated voice of Stephen Hawking encapsulating evolution in a few succinct stanzas.

Chaka Khan – “I Feel For You” – The incomparable Stevie Wonder jams on the harmonica for this classic R&B ditty, and music lore has it he recorded the track the same day he attended the funeral of Marvin Gaye.

Diana Ross – “Chain Reaction” – While no “Upside Down” or “Why Do Fools Fall In Love?” this catchy ’80s dance cut was a decent-sized radio hit for Miss Ross, notable for featuring a cameo vocal appearance by the Gibb Brothers—as in The Bee Gees—who wrote the song for her and can be heard on backup.

Stevie Nicks – “Stand Back” – That’s an uncredited Prince playing on the keyboards for the Fleetwood Mac songstress flying solo.

Eddie Money – “Take Me Home Tonight” – Ronnie Specter from the legendary girl group The Ronettes shows up to belt out the refrain, and her angelic vocal stylings transform a catchy, achy rock ’n’ roll torch song into something truly haunting and eternal.

Kenny Loggins – “I’m Alright” – While we’re on the topic of Eddie Money, he can be heard singing along on Loggins’ hit, which most movie geeks recognize as the de-facto theme song for the film Caddyshack.

Carly Simon – “You’re So Vain” – Though the rumors that Simon was scolding Mick Jagger in this song have long since been debunked—It’s James Taylor! No, it’ Warren Beatty! Wrong, it’s David Geffen!—the flamboyant Rolling Stones front man can be heard on backup vocals.

Dire Straits – “Money for Nothing” – That’s unmistakably Sting singing about how he wants his MTV on Dire Straits’ biggest pop/rock hit. Both Sting and Dire Straits front man Mark Knopfler are Englishmen from Newcastle.

Michael Jackson – “Beat It” – Legend has it Eddie Van Halen didn’t even tell his vacationing Van Halen bandmates about his brief 1982 gig jamming on electric guitar with young Michael Jackson for the kid’s upcoming new album, assuming his cameo contribution to the first single “Beat It” would remain unnoticed…but scarcely anticipating how forcefully Jackson’s album Thriller would rock the globe.

The Toronto True Crime Film Festival will have its first annual edition this June 8th – 9th, 2018 at The Royal Cinema and Monarch Tavern in Toronto. The inaugural lineup includes five film screenings and three symposium events, with 15% of all pass and ticket sales being donated to charity.

ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT

Dir. Skye Borgman / USA / 2017 / 91 min / International Premiere
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ABDUCTED IN PLAIN SIGHT is a stranger-than-fiction documentary about the Brobergs; a naïve, church-going Idaho family that fell under the spell of a sociopathic neighbor who would stop at nothing to be with their twelve-year-old daughter. You will not believe how bizarre this true tale of obsession gets! Screens with short film MAYBE IF IT WERE A NICE ROOM (Dir. Alicia K. Harris, Canada, 2016).

MY NAME IS MYEISHA

Dir. Gus Krieger / USA / 2018 / 82 min / Canadian Premiere

The award-winning Slamdance hit MY NAME IS MYEISHA is a hip-hop musical inspired by the 1998 police shooting of California teen Tyisha Miller (as well as countless other acts of police brutality against African American citizens) and adapted from the internationally acclaimed play, Dreamscape. Screens with Oscar-nominated short film TRAFFIC STOP (Dir. Kate Davis, USA, 2017).

THE STRANGER

Dir. Nicole Nielsen Horanyi / Denmark / 2017 / 100 min / Canadian Premiere

After meeting the man of her dreams on Facebook, Amanda finds herself being swept off her feet by Casper, the dedicated father and charming heir to a family fortune. There’s only one problem—everything that Casper has told her is a lie. This documentary-narrative hybrid is made all the more fascinating with reenactments played out almost entirely by the actual characters of this twisted story of an imposter. Fans of the investigative podcast Dirty John will find themselves being drawn in by the similar themes of love, lies, and con artistry in THE STRANGER and won’t want to miss this DOC NYC Grand Jury Prize-winning film. Screens with short-film 42 COUNTS (Dir. Jill Gevargizian, USA, 2018).

HOSTAGES

Dir. Rezo Gigineishvili / Georgia | Russia | Poland / 2017 / 103 min / Canadian Premiere

HOSTAGES is a tension-filled drama based on the true story of a 1983 airplane hijacking by a group of Georgian youth trying to escape the Soviet Union. Screens with short film DON’T BE A HERO (Dir. Pete Lee, USA, 2018).

MONSTER

Dir. Patty Jenkins / USA / 2003 / 109 min

The film programming is rounded out by a 15th-anniversary screening of Patty Jenkin’s Academy Award-winning biopic MONSTER, which tells the tale of one of the world’s most infamous female serial killers, Aileen Wuornos. Screens with short film THE SANDMAN (Dir. Lauren Knapp, USA, 2017).

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Our symposium section will feature three daytime events through which audiences can get up close and personal with true crime professionals and media practitioners whose work centers on the world of true crime. First up is the panel “Why Do Women Love True Crime?” presented by Investigation Discovery, America’s top-rated women’s network. Featuring ID’s own Keila Woodard, as well as filmmaker Catherine Legge (Met While Incarcerated) and more to be announced, this panel will look at womens’ historical engagement with true crime fandom, from the Victorian era to today. Next, The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies presents visiting filmmaker and writer Rémy Bennett, who will present “L.A. Despair: Chasing Death with John Gilmore,” a multimedia presentation exploring the life and work of the late Noir and true crime writer John Gilmore that is a meditation on the relationship between pop-cultural crime landmarks of the past century and celebrity iconography viewed amidst the landscape of the tragedies he chronicled. And finally the symposium will close with the star-studded panel “The Rise of the Armchair Detective,” moderated by author Naben Ruthnum (who writes crime stories under the pen name Nathan Ripley), which looks at non-law enforcement professionals who have taken it upon themselves to investigate – and sometimes solve! – ongoing and cold cases, including journalists Christine Pelisek (who broke L.A’s Grim Sleeper case) and Kevin Flynn (who broke the Sheila LaBarre case), filmmaker Joshua Zeman (A&E’s The Killing Season, Cropsey), Bek and Tyler Allen of The Minds of Madness podcast and more to be confirmed.

The Toronto True Crime Film Festival is organized by Lisa Gallagher (programmer at Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival, formerly producer of The MUFF Society screening series), Steven Landry (Programming Director at Saskatoon Fantastic Film Festival and programmer at Ithaca Fantastik, Toronto After Dark Film Festival), Kier-La Janisse (owner/artistic director of Spectacular Optical Publications, founder of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies), Gina Rim (staff at imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival and Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival), and Jeff Wright (founder of Refocus film series and Programmer at Calgary Underground Film Festival, CUFF Docs). Elizabeth Munro and Claire Bonduro round out the festival team as staff with academic backgrounds in justice services, victims advocacy, and criminology.

The TTCFF team is joined by an advisory committee consisting of Erin Lee Carr (director: Mommy Dead & Dearest, Thought Crimes), Kevin Flynn & Rebecca Lavoie (authors, podcasters: Our Little Secret, Notes on a Killing, Crime Writers On…, These Are Their Stories: the Law & Order Podcast), Christine Pelisek (journalist, author: PEOPLE Magazine, The Grim Sleeper: The Lost Women of South Central), Anthony Timpson (producer: The Field Guide To Evil, Deathgasm, Turbo Kid, The ABCs of Death, The Greasy Strangler), and Keila Woodard (Supervising Producer: Investigation Discovery, Web of Lies, Deadly Women). This committee has been alongside the festival every step of the way, offering advice, support, guidance, and expertise as they make their way towards opening night.

For more details, visit TorontoTrueCrimeFilmFestival.com

Written by Matt Kindt
Illustrated by David Rubin
Published by Dark Horse Comics

The first Ether series was a trippy adventure. The story was something we hadn’t seen before and the art was magnificent.

I’m happy to report that the first issue of the new series is just as good as the previous series. It picks up where the last one left off and it’s pretty damn awesome.

This book is about Boone Dias, a science based hero who is trying to maintain the balance between the Earth and a magical world. He’s struggling with this and his personal life. Then, portals start appearing with more and more frequency and it’s leading to a bunch of chaos.

The opening scene starts out with Boone in Venice, Italy, getting bailed out of prison. Boone looks like hell.

He explains that the world is falling apart to the investigator. Kindt is smart by opening with this scene as it gets the point across quickly.

We then see Boone get out (of course) and assess where he is. He realizes he can’t do it alone. So he recruits a bunch of mystical beings. Kindt infuses each of them with a great personality. It’s enjoyable to read.

In fact, much of the issue is set up. But you’re so into it you won’t care. Kindt deftly makes a book that is addicting. And that leads into the art.

David Rubin creates art that is simply magnificent. He creates creatures and worlds you haven’t seen before. It’s awesome. The illustrations within are truly a breath of fresh air and Rubin makes each panel worth revisiting.

The only problem with this book is that it moves too fast. You can read it very quickly. But that’s okay. It hooks you like a drug and leaves you wanting more.

RATING: A

Cisco Ramon, S.T.A.R. Labs’ mechanical engineering genius, wearer of awesome T-shirts, and alter-ego of metahuman Vibe, is one of the original members of Team Flash. Responsible for creating much of their equipment, including the Flash’s speed suit, these are his confidential journal entries from the period leading up to Flashpoint, covering everything from S.T.A.R. Labs and his tech designs, through heroes and villains the team encounters, to time travel, the Multiverse, and his own Vibe abilities.

And we’re giving away three copies!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “CISCO’S JOURNAL” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Who created the comic book character Vibe?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. 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 June 17th, 2018

The eternal wait is over as Warner Bros. Home Entertainment brings you Lucifer: The Complete Third Season on DVD on August 28, 2018. A Top 10 program on FOX, Lucifer delivered over 5.2 million Total Viewers weekly. Put on your devilish grin as you indulge on all 26 hell-raising episodes from the third season, and fulfill your deepest desires with extra features including the 2017 Comic-Con Panel and a new featurette. Lucifer: The Complete Third Season will be available at all major retailers and is priced to own at $39.99 SRP. Lucifer: The Complete Third Season is also available to own on Digital via purchase from digital retailers.

Lucifer: The Complete Third Season will be available on Blu-ray courtesy of Warner Archive Collection. The Blu-ray release includes all bonus features on the DVD, and is also arriving August 28, 2018. Warner Archive Blu-ray releases are easily found at wb.com/warnerarchive and your favorite online retailer.

Entering its third season, the story of the original fallen angel continues.  As Season Two came to a close, Lucifer (Tom Ellis) took care of a little problem called Mom, aka Charlotte (Tricia Helfer). But now he’s facing an even greater challenge – finding out who kidnapped him, and why his angel wings are back.  In addition, Tom Welling (Smallville) joins the cast as Marcus Pierce, an accomplished police lieutenant who is everything Lucifer is not – strategic, reserved and well-respected. But perhaps even more annoying are all the things they have in common. Both men are charming, charismatic and handsome as hell. So, when Pierce starts developing a connection with Chloe (Lauren German), Lucifer’s devilish traits are inflamed.

“From powerhouse producers Jerry Bruckheimer Television, we are excited to heat up your home entertainment centers with the next installment of the critically acclaimed series,” said Rosemary Markson, WBHE Senior Vice President, Television Marketing. “Catch up on all 26 episodes from Season 3 with hours of frighteningly fun entertainment and frivolous adventures.”

The series stars Tom Ellis (Rush, EastEnders), Lauren German (Chicago Fire), Kevin Alejandro (Southland, True Blood), Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica), DB Woodside (Suits, 24), Lesley-Ann Brandt (The Librarians), Aimee Garcia (The George Lopez Show, Dexter), and Scarlett Estevez (Daddy’s Home), with Tom Welling (Smallville) and Rachael Harris (The Hangover, Diary Of A Wimpy Kid). Based upon the characters created by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth and Mike Dringenberg for Vertigo from DC Entertainment, Lucifer is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television in association with Warner Bros. Television. Developed by Tom Kapinos (Californication),, the series is executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (CSI franchise, Pirates of the Caribbean films), Jonathan Littman (The Amazing Race, CSI franchise), Joe Henderson (White Collar, Almost Human), Ildy Modrovich (CSI: Miami, Californication), Kristianne Reed (CSI: Cyber) and Sheri Elwood (Call Me Fitz).

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Lucifer: 2017 Comic-Con Panel
• Lucifer Returns! Bringing the Hit Show to L.A.
• Off Script with Tom & Tom – Actors Tom Ellis (“Lucifer”) and Tom Welling (“Lieutenant Marcus Pierce”) interview one another on their roles and life on the set of Lucifer.

Written by John Carpenter, Anthony Burch
Illustrated by Jorge Corona
Published by BOOM! Studios
Available in Comic Stores and via Digital

Everybody relax. Jack’s here.

Three decades in the making and fans of John Carpenter’s Big Trouble In Little China finally get what they always wanted: A sequel. And a sequel penned by the legendary helmer himself, no less.

Written by Carpenter, and Anthony Burch, Big Trouble In Little China: Old Man Jack is the twisted tale of everyone’s favorite trucker, with the title as a tongue-in-cheek reference to the popular curmudgeon X-Men book that earned so many accolades (and a big screen adaptation.)

And much like recent reboots such as Old Man Logan and Ash vs. The Evil Dead, Old Man Jack takes a look at what happen Burton and how the ne’er-do-well is doing this days.

The answer is: Not that great.

So, what has been Jack been up to in the last 30 years? Well, the usual. Driving around the good ole’ Pork-Chop Express, wearing his one and only tank top into the ground, and accidentally freeing the Ching Dai Demon God of the East from captivity so that it enslaves the population of Earth in a hell dimension, aka the Hellpocolypse, as it sets up shop in Little China.

So, you know, the usual.

The narrative picks up 30 years later, finding Burton in the midst of a heap of trouble, as three decades on Earth hasn’t taught Old Burton much. He’s still the same loveable lunkhead who runs headfirst into chaos without so much of a courtesy knock. This time, he’s aided by former nemesis-turned-mortal David Lo Pan as he attempts to navigate the oceans of hell from the demons he’s unwittingly unlocked.

Old friends from the original cult hit continue to pop up throughout the books, keeping the reader in the fuzzy embrace of nostalgia. And the books are filled with in-jokes galore, from Jack Burton action figures with multiple smirks to choose from to glossy movie poster parodies of other Kurt Russell pics.

The writing of the book is sharp, updating the humor from the original movie so that it translates for a modern audiences without losing the long-time fans.

This Jack is ready for battle and he’s armed with enough snide remarks to cut down any millennial.

The exaggerated look of the comic and the characters leans into the campy humor of the original movie. The over-the-top look of the characters kicks up the comedy of the original source material but playing up the yucks and the supernatural element. This Burton is even more reminiscent of Evil Dead’s Ash in many ways (cough*chin*cough) as he continues on the path of righteousness as a charismatic lunkhead who acts without thinking.

But the comic is not without flaws.

The book gives Carpenter something he never had in the movie: the freedom to explore all avenues of insane plots, theories and supernatural elements without being confined to a budget. The ability to delve into any and all ideas without the restraint of money (or in some cases, actual physical limitations) gives Carpenter and company the capability to stretch the storyline of Little China to furthest regions of their imagination.

And this is both a good thing…and a bad thing.

In some cases, it goes a little too far. The plot, the surroundings and the characters become unfamiliar and foreign to the reader as the writers get lost in their ability to go anywhere and do anything with their beloved Jack. As some points, it becomes a bit of a mess and difficult to read without reality to tether the plot.

That said, these diversions are brief and there is still Jack’s humor to help readers though. In the end, fans of the original movie looking to continue the adventures of their favorite trucker and his friends will not be disappointed.

At the end of the day, Big Trouble In Little China: Old Man Jack is an entertaining read. Sure, a little cluttered at times, but hang in there. Jack will see ya through.

Clint Eastwood, a director, actor, and producer, has been a Hollywood legend for more than sixty years, and has received film’s most prestigious awards, including four Oscars, three Golden Globes, and the National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts.

On screen, Eastwood portrays not just a man, but a nameless vigilante, vengeful detective, bare-knuckle boxer, Secret Service agent, and countless other archetypes. However, Eastwood’s powerful and recognizable image exists far beyond the narratives of his films.

Insight Editions is pleased to announce the publication of a new edition of Clint Eastwood: Icon: The Essential Film Art Collection, the definitive collection of film art representing Clint Eastwood’s unprecedented career. Previously published in 2009, this revised and expanded edition has a wealth of new content from Eastwood’s most recent films, including 15:17 to Paris.

Curated and written by David Frangioni, one of the most prominent and knowledgeable collectors of Clint Eastwood memorabilia, this trove gathers together poster art, lobby cards, standees, Italian spaghetti Western premiere posters, studio ads, and esoteric film memorabilia from around the world. From Eastwood’s early roles as the heroic gunslinger in Sergio Leone’s spaghetti Westerns, to the vigilante films of the 1970s and 1980s, through his directorial roles and latest releases, Clint Eastwood: Icon captures the powerful presence of Clint Eastwood the ultimate American hero.

Clint Eastwood: Icon: The Essential Film Art Collection
arrives from Insight Editions on June 19th, 2018

Casino vacations rank near the top for a lot of reasons. You have slot machines developed around almost every major cult movie ever released as well as games with superhero, television and video game themes. The regular table games like blackjack, roulette and craps can provide a great deal of entertainment. The baccarat tables let you pretend you’re a high roller or a spy.

But let’s be realistic. That vacation spent traveling requires time and money. Why not take a day off, indulge in technology and have some fun?

Plus, you can stay in your bathrobe, sit at your computer and play free slots online.

Sounds like a perfect day, doesn’t it? Below check out five movies that serve as a reminder that watching from home is better than stepping foot in a casino.

National Lampoon’s Vegas Vacation

This is probably the worst of the films featuring the Griswold’s. In the film Clark goes on one of the longest losing streaks in history. In an attempt to change his luck he visits a rundown casino way off The Strip. There his losing streak continues playing games like Rock, Paper, Scissors; Coin Toss, Guess Which Hand, and Pick a Number, all of which are made up.

Why The Movie and Slots Online Are Better Than Going to a Casino? There’s little chance that you’re going to run into Chevy Chase.

Most of the James Bond Movies

This is sort of cheating, but the earliest images of gambling many people have come from the Bond films. Bond’s game was baccarat, or chemin-de-fer, in most of the early movies, although he did play roulette in Diamonds are Forever. It wasn’t until Casino Royale where Bond found the perfect game for his style and status, poker. The casinos, with the exception of Circus Circus in Las Vegas are spectacular. Two of the movies were filmed at the Monte Carlo Casino, which consistently ranks first in list of impressive casinos.

Why The Movie and Slots Online Are Better Than Going to a Casino? You’re not going to get shot at.

Rain Man

The blackjack scene with Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is among the best in film. Hoffman plays the autistic brother of Tom Cruise with a gift for numbers. Hoffman goes on to win big at the blackjack tables.

Why The Movie and Slots Online Are Better Than Going to a Casino? No need to count cards or look for a long lost autistic brother that was dismissed as an imaginary friend for most of your life.

Rounders

For a poker movie very little of Rounders takes place in a casino poker room. Just two scenes, one when the New York Gang is playing in Atlantic City and the other when Mike is recounting his encounter with World Series of Poker Champion Johnny Chan. You’ll usually average one quote an hour from the movie at a poker table, with “I’m sorry John, I don’t remember” being the leader.

Why The Movie and Slots Online Are Better Than Going to a Casino? No chance that you’ll wind up in an underground poker club trying to save yourself from a mad Russian in the middle of the night.

The Hangover

In many ways, The Hangover is a comedic version of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. The blackjack scene where Alan goes on one of the most epic winning streaks in blackjack history is a direct homage to the scene from Rain Man.

Why The Movie and Slots Online Are Better Than Going to a Casino? You aren’t going to find yourself missing a tooth, losing a friend, finding a baby and getting punched by Mike Tyson.  Only in the movies…