Comic Fans: Free MSU Comics Forum Tonight and Tomorrow

by on March 1, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, News

[dc]H[/dc]ey comic fans: the MSU Comics Forum is this weekend on Michigan State University’s campus.

Michigan State University Comics Forum Comic Book Creator Panel

From the 2009 Comics Forum. Photo © MSU Comics Forum. Via its Flickr photostream.

Better still, all the events at the MSU Comics Forum are free. Find the full schedule, and more information, on the MSU Comics Forum site.

MSU Comics Forum – Friday (Today!)

Nick Bertozzi kicks off the MSU Comics Forum weekend with his keynote address tonight at 7PM (again, this is FREE). I hope to make it myself, so say hi if you spot me in the crowd (or hand me any extra cash you don’t want). Here’s some of Bertozzi’s comics on Amazon.

Bertozzi’s keynote address will be held at the ‘Residential College in the Arts & Humanities Theatre, Snyder/Phillips Hall Basement’ on MSU’s campus. Bertozzi is an award-winning comic creator, and a teacher of comics to boot, so his keynote address is a can’t miss.

MSU Comics Forum – Saturday (Tomorrow!)

The second day of the MSU Comics Forum features plenty to do: Artist’s Alley opens at 11AM and panel discussions run until 5PM. Plenty of Michigan comic artists will be on hand in Artist’s Alley—which is free to visit. Seriously, it is a heck of a deal. A day of events like this would probably run you $30-$50 for the day at another convention, if not more (which means more cash to spend on goodies from your favorite artist’s table).

Here’s a full list of Artist Alley attendees. If you buy something at the tables of Ryan Claytor, Jay Jacot, or Dean Stahl, tell ’em I said hi (not responsible if they threw something at you).

Details about the panels are found on the MSU Comics Forum schedule page.

If you live in, or near, Lansing and love comics, this is a must-attend event. The Lansing area is super-fortunate to have this great free event each year. Heck, if you don’t consider yourself a comic book fan, swing on through: visit Artist’s Alley and chat with some of the folks, check out one of the panels, or just learn something about comics you didn’t already know (not every comic is Superman or Garfield).¹

It is free, and what else are you going to do on a Friday or Saturday in March in Michigan? If you said ‘watch college basketball,’ then I don’t even know you any more.

Affiliate Shout-out: Today’s Gold Box and Lightning Deals on Amazon
(Buy something, Daniel gets a % with no extra cost to you)

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¹ No offense to Superman and/or Garfield or their respective fans. Those two should team up some time, and, I don’t know, fight a Space Lasagna with Kryptonite cheese or something—on a Monday. The drama!

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Amazon Enigmas: Dog Treadmills and Cat Exercise Wheels Oh My

by on February 27, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Amazon Enigmas, Blog, Humor

[dc]T[/dc]here is an issue we must address.

Kids, put away your My Little Bieber dolls. Adults, stop Instagramming your Applebee’s appetizers. It is time to get a serious, and rap with me.

The ‘after school special’ kind of rap with me, not the slice like a ninja kind of rap with me: I gotta rap with you about training pets for running races. Word to your groomer.

Sure, Garfield shines a humorous light on idle pets, and hating Mondays, but sleeping all day and gorging on lasagna is no way to train for a marathon. Taking your dog, cat, or platypus on a training run is the best way to prep a pet, but who has the time?

With busy schedules filled with buying locally sourced artisan goat-milk puddings, monitoring Dance Moms Internet forums, or screaming about local college basketball squads, finding the time to help Man’s Best Friend train for a race is difficult. Especially during Winter months, because, y’know, snow.

Luckily, technology is here to help. (Assuming it doesn’t rise up and crush us. Or fall down and crush us.)

Is your dog’s first 5K, 10K, or marathon coming up? Too busy filling out your March Madness bracket to go for a run? Use a dog treadmill and train anytime. Sure, you could probably use your human treadmill, but that means taking all the dirty clothes and/or towels of the handles. Nuts to that.

dog treadmill

Run, runner! Image via Amazon and © original source.

Why do extra work when you can just buy the PetRun Dog Treadmill? Don’t let the little doggie in the photo fool you, the PetRun PR700 can (according to its Amazon page) handle a dog up to 44 pounds. Which is like 22 Chihuahuas, give or take. Maybe 23 and a half (DON’T ASK).

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Ocarina of Time, Pt. 6: Future Tension in the Forest Temple

by on February 21, 2013 at 12:01 am
Posted In: Blog, Humor

[dc]I[/dc] am in new Ocarina of Time territory here. In my several attempts at playing Ocarina of Time, I never made it to the Forest Temple after aging. I made it as far as Adult Link before (a status, not a saucy Nintendo game), but no further.

ocarina of time forest temple

“I’m here to tell you about the Kingdom of Hyrule.” Image © Nintendo.

And always, Ocarina of Time does not disappoint. In fact, it kinda ups the crazy in Link’s adult years—which is bound to happen when time travel is involved (See: 12 Monkeys, Looper, Disney’s The Kid¹).

And the Horse You Rode in On

Epona, the lovable horse I met as a kid, is super-handy when Link is an adult. Now the boring jaunts across Hyrule Field don’t take nearly as long, and help negate one of the Legend of Zelda series’ most annoying features: backtracking. Backtracking caused me to never finish Wind Waker (another regret), because I tired of the nearly endless sailing back and forth. All the talking boats and Tingles in the world couldn’t help me forget that tedium.

Malon is older now too, I’m guessing near Link in age (18?). Her lazy dad, Talon, lost Link’s once and future ranch. The bum. Will adult Link and adult Malon reconnect? She doesn’t remember Link ,which is something I can relate to.

Uh, I mean, can’t relate to. Yes. Women I meet never forget me, what with my rugged good looks and video game t-shirt collection.

After I liberated Epona, Malon’s memory of Link returned. The lesson here: Guys, if a lady doesn’t remember you, just steal her horse. It makes a great impression (which is what I think Vanilla Ice was going for when he scared Kat off her horse in Cool As Ice).
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Amazon Enigmas: Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

by on February 13, 2013 at 8:50 pm
Posted In: Amazon Enigmas, Blog, Humor

[dc]I[/dc]t happened again: Valentine’s Day is here and you forgot a gift for your imaginary significant other. The horror! The insult! The sleeping on the couch!

Fear not, intrepid romantic. Amazon has plenty of fine…things…which can save the day. Or make it much, much worse.

valentine's day heart costume

You sure do. Image via Amazon and © original source.

If film and television have taught me anything, it is this: never get involved in land war in Asia the only way to make something better, is to do something CRAZY. See: Jingle All the Way (actually, don’t. You’ll thank me). That’s where this giant heart costume comes in. The redundant chest text aside, this costume will help mend those emotional fences. Just exercise caution when walking through doors or going out in public.

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