The Facebook/Twitter Awards

Social Media is the most potent and addicting drug out there right now. Besides crystal meth. It's inescapable. It's become so huge, for better or worse, it has changed the way business is conducted, it's made revolutions possible, and it's almost gotten me fired from my job. You gotta watch what you say. Seriously. Who knows what the true long term effects of facebook and twitter et. al. will be? I know one of the unintended consequences was probably the Arab Spring and Occupy movements. Online bullying is probably the worst thing to come out of all of it. AND OF COURSE, just dumb people in general on your feed. I know, you can block them, but the day I go on facebook and don't see a stupid or just inane status will be the day that I drink my own urine in disbelief. Why urine? I dunno, I guess I could just eat my shoes. Anyways, i'm getting off topic. Facebook is everything you love and hate about people, some of them your friends, some just know you exist. It can be great fun and a great tool to network, organize get-together's, and all kinds of stuff. It's very entertaining. I've collected my top favorite statuses of the year, from my friends, and some other things that either made me laugh or smacked my head. Failbook is good, but this is my take. Hopefully I don't piss too many people off. There's some Twitter stuff too. Haven't really done much on Google+ yet. So here we go, the first annual Ted Hood Facebook (and twitter) awards:

This is a wonderful status.

Jonel wins the award for best comeback.

This made me laugh.

This might be the most ignorant thing i've seen.

I take it back, this is the most ignorant thing i've seen.

Can't argue with that!

A perennial contender for status of the year.

Zack Ryder owned social media this year.

I have no idea what Jay is talking about here, but he is pumped.

That's pretty f***ing clever.

Those are the statuses that made 2011 a banner year for statuses. I hope everyone on here knows not to take this too seriously, and I probably have some dumbass statuses as well if you want to roast me back, but yeah, I genuinely love all you people and if I didn't i'd just defriend you. I'd be surprised if half of you are reading this, actually. These statuses brightened my day and/or made me laugh, and that is where Facebook totally wins. Even though I think Twitter is superior and Tumblr is more my style. 

There it is!

Currently Reading Episode 8 Megapost

HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Well obviously, by the title of this blog, you can tell what my favorite holiday is. Christmas is a solid 2nd though, and although it doesn't hold much meaning for me other than a great time to spend with family and to get some annual gifts, I still recognize it as a pretty dang O.K. holiday. A bit overrated, maybe. Infinite Christmas would be cool too, maybe there's some bizarro blog out there like that, or maybe I could start a sister blog called "Infinite Christmas." Hmmm. In other news, I'm on vacation right now so i'm going to do some serious blogging and writing. I have no excuses, no school, no work, no distractions.
Oh man, I can't believe the holidays have come so quickly. I haven't updated this thing with anything original in quite some time, and at some point, i'll probably have to cut down on the reading and start writing like a maniac. But that time wasn't during this semester. Oh no, my excuse is that I had no time, since I have two jobs and school. That excuse is kind of legit, but it's not acceptable anymore. Either way, before I get off on a tangent, I have started cutting down my summer reading queue. That's right, summer reading queue. I'm only going to to short reviews since I need to get some actual work done, and I don't think anyone out there actually cares for my reviews, it's more something I do for myself, but yeah. I finished these three graphic novels over the last month or so:

Black Hole by Charles Burns

I loved this. Charles Burns is a cartoonist with an impressive pedigree. He did designs for the short lived OK Soda, as well as for Believer magazine, just to name some of the projects he's been attached to. His art had been familiar to me because of the Believer covers, and I've seen Black Hole in like every graphic novel section of every Barnes and Noble and Borders (R.I.P.) that i've ever been to, I just never picked it up for whatever reason. Charles Burns was vaguely on my radar though, and I've finally gotten to this thanks to a friend who lent me this. Actually, all of the graphic novels in this post were lent to me by friends. Thank you, friends! Either way, I dug pretty much everything about this. The STD-analogue was interesting and the characters didn't really stand out, except for the really deformed ones. I think that was kind of the point though. It was creepy at times, haunting, and I did gag at one panel, honestly, so that's a minor achievement in of itself. Overall, really good and has a vibe that kinda reminds me of Dazed and Confused but really dark and serious, and a bit more existential. His art style is really clean and it adds to the creepiness of the hallucination scenes, and the deformities the characters who contract "the bug" are even weirder due to his clean art style. I'd compare it to Mike Allred's.  I feel like I should be listening to Led Zeppelin when I read this. RATING: pretty gnarly.

Marvel 1602 by Neil Gaiman

I really, really enjoyed this. I haven't read a lot of Neil Gaiman, honestly. Besides this, the only other work of his i've read is Eternals, also a Marvel comic. So I have much Neil Gaiman to catch up on. I have very much liked what i've read, so far. I know this book was criticized when it came out for not being "epic" enough, or something, but I thought it was a good little tale. Nothing too monumental or crazy, just solid characters and good storytelling. I've read that after 9/11, Gaiman wanted to do a project that didn't involve guns of explosions of any kind, and 1602 was the result. I like this interpretation of the Silver Age Marvel Heroes, the first wave created by Stan and Jack and Steve Ditko. He really gives mad respect to those guys and the universality of the characters they created. It totally works for me. It was fresh, even though i've been reading Marvel Comics since I could read. I dug that it was in England. The character of Matt Murdock/Daredevil worked so well in this world. It might be bare bones for some, but this, along with Alan Moore's earlier work, is great comic writing 101. I know there are a  gazillion parallel universes and alternate timelines in Marvel (and DC, for that matter) but this one is worth a gander. Andy Kubert's art doesn't hurt either. I'll have to pick up Sandman and his novels at some point. Hopefully relatively soon. Gaiman's pretty much the man. Bravo.

Drinking at the Movies by Julia Wertz

FUNNY SHIT. This had me cracking up like no other recent comic. Julia Wertz is fucking hilarious and has such a refreshing worldview, it was just a treat to read this one. I need to read more "indie" stuff and Drinking At The Movies is a good reason why. The humour really makes it, but there is really some more enlightening stuff in here that I think many in my generation could benefit from. Julia Wertz is a compelling protagonist and you really care about her by the end. She's like the female version me except way funnier. For serious. There are some good life lessons in here too. It's great stuff. I give it my highest recommendation. It would make a good Adult Swim type cartoon, IMO.

There it is!

Currently Reading: Episode 7

Amazon Link

I had to read this for my Geology class, and ironically, it has almost nothing to do with Geology.

This book is an in depth look at the psychology and physiology of people who have been in a disaster. There are interviews with survivors of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, Vietnam, and many other horrific events. Amanda Ripley has done a tremendous amount of research into what happened to these people. It's very interesting information and it makes you think about what you'd do in a similar situation. We've all seen the news footage of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina and there aftermaths, but what most people don't see or read into is what happens before the ambulances and firefighters show up. What happens to people who are in these overwhelming situations? What are the effects of acute fear and panic? Why do some people crumble and others rise to the occasion? There are many questions answered. In this day and age, everyone should read this book. It's very savvy and timely. Great read.

Currently Reading: Episode 6

On The Road: The Original Scroll by Jack Kerouac

This might be my favorite book ever. I read the original my senior year of high school, and it was huge for me. Kerouac's style is so unique and brilliant, it's hard to do it justice in a review. All the praise for this book is well earned. This unedited, uncensored version is even better. There are 4 very insightful essays for the first 100 pages that dissect the creation of the original version, and how Kerouac had to modify it many times due to publishers being stingy, or because he couldn't use a person's real name in fear they might sue. It's really interesting. Then the scroll itself begins, and it is more or less a 300 page continuous paragraph. A glorious paragraph. Unfiltered Kerouac is just really inspiring and his mastery of depicting his world is pretty amazing. The way he describes everything, and he's mostly describing people drinking and being wild and looking for kicks, is poetic. His attention to the minor characters and details is what really makes him a special writer. One such character was some bum they met on the road, who claimed he was going to "Canady." This made me laugh. You get the sense that Kerouac is just absorbing so much. I can't do this book justice in a review, it's something you have to experience. It's just amazing. A great and true story. 

Of note, when I  started reading this during the summer, I somehow came to the knowledge that they are making a movie, which is coming out next year. Could be interesting.....the cast looks okay...Viggo Mortensen as Old Bull Lee is going to be fantastic, though. Hopefully it's good and it brings more attention to the book.I'll be seeing it. Here's the imdb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0337692/

When Wrestlers Make Music: Part 1

When wrestlers make music.....it's usually a bad thing. I'm going to run down the top 5 best and therefore worst forays into music by professional wrestlers, starting with Chris Jericho's metal band, Fozzy. Now, I believe Fozzy started as a cover band featuring members of Stuck Mojo. It seemed to start off as a semi-serious project for Jericho, but over the last couple years, they've released albums of original material....and it just ain't so hot. Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time, but I can't say i'm a fan of his singing. Fozzy has some decent musical chops, but they just...aren't that great. I'm sure they work hard, and they seem to be getting more buzz, but just listen to the track posted, and judge for yourself. Lyrics are not their strong suit, and that's a theme that we'll run into quite a bit......When wrestlers make music.

Rating: 3/5

The next twelve months are going to be quite interesting.

As you may know, i'm a HUGE MMA and Pro-Wrestling fan. They are both cut from the same cloth in my mind and there are many parallel threads. Going into next year, they both look to continue to evolve and get bigger, in different ways. Two of the biggest developments are as follows:

This is going to be insane. An entire channel dedicated to Vince McMahon's Empire? WWE 24/7? I've heard there's going to be a reality show starring WWE Legends, which is a terrible idea, but if it gets some broken down old men some paydays, i'm down. WWE needs to evolve next year otherwise UFC is going to continue to beat them in the PPV arena. That brings me to my second development, which everyone has heard by now :

As big as the WWE Network could be, UFC on FOX is even bigger. This is taking the sport to the next level and a guaranteed increase of eyeballs for the UFC. The most brilliant move for Dana White in what has been a banner year for them. This ensures they will get even bigger and do great business this year. Giving away a Heavyweight title fight on free T.V. doesn't hurt either. They could reach an over saturation point with too many events next year, but we'll have to wait and see. 

It's going to be an interesting year.

Currently Reading: Episode 5

THOR VISIONARIES BY WALTER SIMONSON VOL. 1 (&2)

Well now, it's been quite some time since I updated this guy. I didn't forget about this, i've just been slacking like a championship procrastinator. Either way, on the creative side I haven't gotten a whole lot done, so this blog has been neglected, unfortunately. I've been busy giving my brain a vacation watching all kinds of goofy stuff on Netflix. However, i've gotten a bit of reading done, and with the school semester starting, i'll be back in full-on soldier mode. Anyways, on to the review.

I'm a sucker for a good tale based  in Asgard. Let me just get that out there.

Walter Simonson is a greatly talented creator. Ask any comics fan familiar with his work, and they will tell you that much. The guy is a fantastic artist and his writing ain't so bad, either. His work on Thor is widely known as the definitive run on the character, and for good reason. I first bought the first volume of his run about 3 years ago and I loved it. His handle on Thor and his supporting cast is awesome. You can tell he loves these characters, and he sets them up for amazing things in his run. Also, Simonson has a deep knowledge of Norse mythology, and he incorporates it into this run to great effect. So, there are a lot of elements that went into his run that made it great. Of course, he created Beta Ray Bill, who's incredibly popular and still appears in comics to this day. That's a testament to how awesome a creator Simonson was. But what else made this run great? (And mind you, i'm only two volumes into his five volume run, and it's already stunning.) Well, his plotting and use of the characters and extended cast of Thor is my argument. He sets up  many pieces and subplots into the overall epic so that there is literally no downtime in the series, it's pacing is spot on, in my humble opinion. Also, for a guy who would like to write these characters someday, i'm envious at all the tools in his toolbox. He uses everyone, even the minor characters like the children of Asgard and Odin's wife, Frigga. It's his attention to the details that makes this run great, and I could gush about it all day. However since, i'm not even finished with the run, I suppose I should hold off my thoughts until I do. I'll revise this once I finish the next three volumes, but as it is so far, i'm only expecting it to be, dare i say, magical? If I can be excused for an incredibly cheesy and admittedly bad line, Walter Simonson is a comic creator who is destined  to be honored in the literary Valhalla. Yeah, that sounds worse now that I typed it. 

That's it for now. 

EDIT: Just remembered, after reading this and comparing it to the current Thor series, which i'm quite fond of, there is something much more rich in Simonson's Thor.I can't quite put my finger on it, but i'll have to think about it a little bit more in depth. I've been reading Thor since JMS took over in 2007, and that was a great run, which many people called the best run since Walter Simonson. It was good, I loved it and it was in my Top 3 books for..most of the past 5 years. With Matt Fraction's current run being really good in my opinion, how does it stand up to Simonson's? I think everyone who writes Thor will inevitably be compared to Simonson, and the current title is an honorable attempt.I'd say it's really good, in general, but there is a different feeling when reading Simonson's run. Hmmmmm....It's kind of like the current books are like cheesecake. Cheesecake is always generally good. However Simonson's Thor is like the greatest cheesecake you ever tasted, and the taste lingers with you for days. It's the work of a remarkable chef.

Currently Reading, Episode 4

Thor: The Warriors Three, by Various


http://www.amazon.com/Thor-Warriors-Three-Len-Wein/dp/0785144803/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311529104&sr=1-1



Cool little trade! The first story is an old Marvel Spotlight featuring the Warriors Three in New York in a fish out of water story. They save some woman from committing suicide and learn that her husband is caught up in some gambling racket or something so they go to save him. Misadventures and bar fights ensue. It's awesome how Fandral and Hogun are almost constantly ripping on Volstagg for being fat.

The rest of the trade is a four issue tale from Marvel Fanfare which takes place in Asgard. Really awesome '80s Marvel fantasy stuff. The art is pure '80s pulp, it looks like something that would be in Epic Illustrated or a Killraven graphic novel, perhaps. I loved this. Loki turns some woman's fiance into a goat, and if they don't get married at a certain point right at midsummer, Asgard will fall. Fandral, Hogun, and Volstagg all go on separate quests where Loki tricks them into getting...trick goats. These are so much fun. In Volstagg's tale, we learn he has a wife and kids, which is hilarious. They neglect to mention that these days, but apparently, Volstagg's got a chick that stresses him out, possibly leading him to binge on food. Fandral's character is much like Pusha  T in that Kanye West song "Runaway":
24/7, 365, pussy stays on my mind.
Fandral literally asks like two females for their hand in marriage in the span of 26 pages. It's very entertaining. That guy has got Asguardian enhanced pimp juice.
Hogun the grim is just that, the no nonsenes, no comedy straight man who dresses in black. It's still good, but Volstagg and Fandral are just so much damn fun.

In the end, Thor shows up for two seconds and saves the day.

Good stuff.

Money In The Bank

So, I can cross off a couple things that i need to see as a wrestling fan.

A. Epic, 5 Star Main Event

B. Historic Pay-per view

C. WWE Title change hands

D. The chicago crowd proving why it is THE hot crowd

The main event was amazing. I got most of it recorded on my bloggie, and hope to put some of it up soon. It was everything you could hope for in a pro wrestling match. The stars don't align as often as they used to like that. A 33 minute title match is a gift. I've always been critical of WWE's booking during the last couple years...but this was a home run. It was a great Chicago moment, seeing our hometown boy beat Vince's golden boy, the new Hulk Hogan, John Cena. The montreal screwjob scare, many, MANY false finishes, and Punk finally winning was just....why wresling is an art form. They did so much using the ring as their canvas. Cena deserves credit too. Alberto Del Rio attempting to cash in his title shot and then getting shellacked by Punk, was perfect. That's GREAT booking and keeping the interest going, delivering above and beyond what we as fans bargain for. Punk disappearing into the crowd with the title was also, pitch perfect. He's the new People's champ. Fucking great match.

A couple sidenotes:

1. i wore a purple john cena shirt to the event, i also had a "PUNK IS DEAD" sign, just for shits and giggles

and i got some heat at the chili's by the allstate arena, where some guy called said "nice purple shirt, fag" and then started a loud "Fuck you Cena" chant, directed at me, cuz yeah, I'm John Cena. It was fun. Also, my buddy Jordan, a HARDCORE CM Punk fan, claimed he "didn't know if he could be seen with me." That's some heat, folks. Heat like that doesn't come around often these days.

 I look like a little kid.

2. I actually met CM Punk at Warped Tour '07, back when i was a stoner. It was the summer Chris Benoit happened and i was disillusioned and couldn't watch wrestling. CM Punk was the guy scheduled to wrestle Benoit..match never happened. Either way, Punk was coming out of the pit and i just kinda said "Hey it's CM Punk" He shook my hand, and we went our seperate ways.

So, I went to Money In The Bank last night...

Isn't the ring beautiful?

Jesus, it was red hot last night, i have the feeling that i've witnessed a historical pay per view and a great moment in WWE history.....So much buzz going into this ppv, and it delivered...

it delivered....LADDER COMBAT!

The ladder matches were both sick. Daniel Bryan winning is a plus. I didn't see the divas match or Mark Henry Vs. Big Show, as i was standing in line to get a t-shirt at that point. 

Randy Orton Vs. Christian was a clinic in ring psychology....awesome stuff...

I'll get to the main event later....that deserves it's own post...

Currently Reading: Episode Thr33

Captain America: The Captain Trade Paperback by Mark Gruenwald. (Collects Captain America #'s 332-350)

ahhhh, '80s Cap. This is the good stuff. Mark Gruenwald is an excellent writer who takes a somewhat basic and simplistic idea: (What defines Captain America-The costume, or the man wearing it?) and extrapolates that into a brilliant run of issues that are well plotted and have some great moments. '80's Marvel is really interesting to me right now, for a couple reasons. Some of the dialogue is goofy, and the villains are equally as corny (Flag-Smasher, anarchist supervillain with a cape.) The story is great though, and it brings John Walker, former Super-Patriot and future USAgent, as the new Captain America. They juxtapose his troubles living up to the Cap role as Stever Rogers goes on a vision quest with his close friends (Nomad, D-Man, and Falcon) to discover himself and re-evaluate his role in things. One thing that really intrigued me is the mention that Stever Rogers, in his spare time, was an ARTIST FOR MARVEL COMICS. They neglect to focus on that in the current storylines, and I always forget that Steve Rogers Is an artist. This is good stuff, i loved it

P.S. I just remembered, one of the funniest scenes is when Lady Viper poisons Washington DC's water supply, turning Ronald Reagan into a snake-like creature who battles a reluctant Steve Rogers. It's kind of awesome. The Serpent Society were a group of bad guys who were all snake themed, and they appear in many issues in this saga. I feel like there were so many snake themed villains in the '80s...like GI Joe as well. Diamonback was one of these characters, a woman who has pink hair and wears all pink, which is totally '80s. She's a bad girl, but she instantly wants to be Steve Rogers girlfriend as soon as she sees him in action. I'm not sure,but i think they go on to date in later issues, which is also awesome. Steve Rogers=Pimp Juice.

Currently Reading: Episode Two

I made the mistake of buying this for my brother, not for myself, as a christmas gift last year. (i think?) I mean, the mistake was that i didn't read it first. As it stands, it's probably the best christmas gift i've ever gotten anyone. I finally read his copy when i visited him in Philly this winter break, and dear god, it's a masterwork. Completely brilliant, poignant, stuff. As a cartoonist, Mazzuchelli is just schooling people. Literally. No, he like, teaches a class and shit. As a composition, it's entirely...stunning. It's the work of a master artist. Experience. He brings up some great questions and you can't help but feel inspired after reading it. I finally bought myself a copy last week and re read it and i'm ready to read it a third time. It might be the best thing i've ever read, quite frankly. It's definitely top 5 desert island.

Dear God it's good.

I've finally got NETFLIX

I can watch garbage like this:

Just watched this the other day cuz a coworker said it was okay....and obviously it's total politics. I find it funny that Hulk Hogan, the GUY THAT MADE PRO WRESTLING, was only at No. 23. I hate Hulk Hogan, but lets give the man some props. But yeah, not a total waste of time, but if anyone believes this list to be accurate at all, they're retarded. Top 5 was okay.....I do agree with Shawn Michaels being at No. 1. He is the best performer in WWE history. Yeah, i'm that much of a nerd.

oh yeah, Ultimate Warrior is not on the list....

here's the listing, my commentary is in red.

#50 – Killer Kowalski
#49 – Batista
#48 – "Ravishing" Rick Rude
#47 – Bob Backlund
#46 – Dory Funk Jr.
#45 – Jeff Hardy
#44 – Nick Bockwinkel
#43 – Kane
#42 – Sgt. Slaughter
#41 – Jack Brisco
#40 – Big Show
#39 – Jake "The Snake" Roberts
#38 – "Superstar" Billy Graham
#37 – Junkyard Dog
#36 – Gorilla Monsoon
#35 – "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers
#34 – Kurt Angle    should be ranked WAY higher
#33 – Mick Foley   Foley @ 33? That's horse manure. This is a time man of the year candidate we're talking about. A qualified author! NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
#32 – "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
#31 – The Iron Sheik
#30 – Pat Patterson F$*& Pat Patterson! Actually, behind the scenes he runs shit...created the royal rumble...but as a performer? Eh....having him above Foley and Angle is kinda lame, but maybe i'm biased to wrestlers who were my favs as a youngin. Whatev.
#29 – Randy Orton
#28 – "Classie" Freddie Blassie
#27 – The Fabulous Moolah
#26 – "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
#25 – Chris Jericho
#24 – Bruno Sammartino
#23 – Hulk Hogan  Hogan is a scumbag, but he's surely better than Jerry Lawler, and most of the other guys ranked ahead of him. Hogan is at the very least, top 5. ARE YOU SERIOUS BRO
#22 – Terry Funk
#21 – Lou Thesz
#20 – Jerry "The King" Lawler
#19 – Edge
#18 – N/A
#17 – Dusty Rhodes/Ric Flair (Tie)
#16 – John Cena
#15 – "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig
#14 – "Macho Man" Randy Savage  I like that Savage is so high on the list.
#13 – Gorgeous George
#12 – Triple H HHH is relatively low, Austin and Rock smoked him, and he didn't leave for hollywood
or have his career cut short with an injury....i guess headling more wrestlemanias than those guys and winning more world titles doesn't amount to much.
#11 – Eddie Guerrero I LOVE Eddie Guerrero, but he's a bit too high honestly.
#10 – "Rowdy" Roddy Piper Piper ahead of Hogan? With what World titles?
#9 – Rey Mysterio
#8 – Andre The Giant
#7 – Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat  Love Ricky, but i'd have him at # 10 highest..
#6 – Harley Race
#5 – The Rock
#4 – Bret "The Hitman" Hart
#3 – Stone Cold Steve Austin
#2 – The Undertaker
#1 – Shawn Michaels  I actually agree with this, HBK is the best performer, without a doubt.

Currently Reading : Episode One

The Nightly News by Jonathan Hickman.
This is the second time i've read it, its been so long. I've leant this comic out to more people than i can remember. I've tried to get as many people as possible on the hickman bandwagon, because as it currently stands, i'd have to give him the title of lord and master of sequential art...and the stunning thing is, HE'S JUST GETTING STARTED. The first time i read nightly news it was like a thunderbolt, on this second go around, i'm stunned, again at how good it is. This is the future of comics. I've gotten many co workers to read it and some were smart enough to get it, and love it, and a couple others just couldn't get past the design. (And they were art school kids, ironically. Snickersnicker) but either way, Hickman's mastery of design, dialogue, and pretty much everything is on display in this vicious piece of work. Viciously compelling. Compellingly vicious. It's fucking amazing. It's a creative work i hope to achieve, not in the execution or copying, but in the tone that it takes...it's tailor made for a generation of kids that grew up on rage against the machine and system of a down. I would like to adopt a similiar body of work.