HAPPY NATIONAL GORILLA SUIT DAY 2021

LEAGUE OF MORONS' KRAUTCHIP REPLICA

Black Box Recordings' Krautchip Replica by League of Morons is one groovin creation, featuring a band of Motorik masters of fast, careening play.

The initial tracks are quite lathery in their drive, seducing one with an uncompromising, Kraut draw, as the band's specialized members bring it all to nuts-and-bolts life with that desired, ceaseless drumbeat. 

Take for example, Jumble Hole's "A Stroll Around Barry Scrapyard", which moves like Peter Gunn in The Wild Wild West, even if garrulously grumbled; and when buffered by Ian Haygreen's "Boiled Cabbage", the flavor feels like brains burning in a hot, jumping pot. 

Menopausal Hound Dog's Moe Tuckerick shaves off the gory edge, wagging along with a sardonic wobble, as does gIRL's "Motorikon", which squirts heavy, industrial grease. 

By the time one gets to Belial Pelgrim's "Eleventh", one's struck villainous hate, but to cool down those harmful urges, there's Bedtime for Robot's "Stress Rehearsal", which in its catchy melody, shrugs off dissent by politely giving the middle finger to all modernized flack.

Stormweatherfriend then adds to the courageousness with "Unintense", painting a placating storm that sprinkles music-box frivolity, which in turn calls upon Uncles of Wise's guiding "Ego Bombazi", where a percussive tapping keeps one on a wide, derisive glide. 

The sounds eventually get sexy, spurred by Frankie Machina's "Route 88", which paints an endless stream of copulating automatons, followed by How Far to Hitchin's Whovian "Potassium Dalek Addiction", in which the exotic thumps get deep and bitchin in an implied, time-traveling slide. 

Asleep at the Headphones' "Mango Tango" opens the door to infinite, simulated perversions, never once real, but impossible to shake, as Station Zero's "Bad Racer" skids right on through, mowing down anything that looms far or near. 

Schtummm's "Kraut Musk Republican" eases it all to a terrific, traditional tip: a '70s ambiance that gets evermore determined, warding off every speck of unorthodox junk, so that one's ears (one's mind) remains crisp, cool and clear. 

By the album's conclusion, one will have regurgitated perfect, rebellious replication. At such point, one will also realize that there's nothing in the least moronic about this band's reconstructive altercations.  

Get in gear at 

https://blackboxrecordings.bandcamp.com/album/krautchip-replica

RIP, GREGORY SIERRA...

You were a personable and familiar face on television and the big screen, impressing my childhood with your portrayal of Julio Fuentes on the smash sitcom, Sanford and Son. 

You were also a regular on Barney Miller and Soap, as well as making strong impressions on The Mod Squad; Kung Fu; The X-Files; All in the Family, the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air; Zorro and Son; Something is Out There; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

On the feature route, you covered Beneath the Planet of the Apes; The Clones; Honey, I Blew Up the Kid; John Carpenter's Vampires; Papillon; The Culpepper Cattle Co.; Machismo: 40 Graves for 40 Guns; Wrath of God; the Castaway Cowboy; Red Sky Morning; Weekend of Terror; The Towering Inferno; The Thief Who Came to Dinner; The Laughing Policeman; Let's Get Harry; The Night They Took Miss Beautiful; The Trouble With Spies; Goodnight Jackie; Mean Dog Blues; A Low Down Dirty Shame; and Ray Bradbury's The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit. 

You were an actor I always sought out, Mr. Sierra: a great guy of great talent. Your passing touches a special part of my heart, and forever in my heart, you'll remain. 

GOODBYE, DALE BAER...

You were a legend in animation, who touched lives with endearing characters and worlds of wonderment.

Among your many titles, one will find Frozen; the Lion King '94; Robin Hood '73; Tarzan '99; Who Framed Roger Rabbit; the Emperor's New Groove; the Black Cauldron; Lord of the Rings '78; Quest for Camelot; Pete's Dragon '77; the Princess and the Frog; Mickey's Christmas Carol; Treasure Planet; Tom and Jerry: Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory; the Rescuers; Bedknob and Broomsticks; Rover Dangerfield; Home on the Range; Chicken Little; Meet the Robinsons; Bob's Burger's: the Movie; Journey Back to Oz; the Great Mouse Detective; The Ballad of Nessie; Get a Horse!; Zootopia; Wreck-It Ralph; Last Action Hero; Species; Winnie the Poo '11; The Many Adventures of Winnie the Poo; and Winnie the Poo and Tigger Too. 

What you've left behind will only grow in popularity, Mr. Baer, ensured to fulfill and uplift descendants who choose colorful whimsy over the vexing mundane. 

MAIN'S BRAIN FREEZE #6: TASTY SLICES OF LIFE

Just as many of us were about to slip into Brain Freeze withdraw, publisher Jim Main comes to the rescue, serving us Issue #6 (March '21). 

The Slice of Life issue is a darn delicious one, too, with an appetizing cover by Brad Foster and a vast variety of ingredients, presented per a generous heart.

Inside one will find Simon Mackie's clever homage to the The Bicycle Thief, The Umbrella Thief, in addition to his indignant but humorous entry, Crosswords. There's also Verl Bond's sentimental Chance Meeting; Jerry Szostek's surreal Rhyme & Reason; and Robert Sodaro and Thomas Ahern's parent/child-sprung The Muse. Additional artistry for this issue comes from Rick McCollum, Kel Crum, Alan Groening, Jacob Dubi, Kevin Duncan and John Lambert.

The enclosed seasoning is eclectic, empathetic and down-to-earth, making Brain Freeze #6 an extra-special submission among Main Enterprise's ever expanding series. 

For pre-ordering information on Brain Freeze #6, please contact Mr. Main at mainjim23@gmail.com. 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: THE SUPERMAN-WONDER WOMAN TEAM, WITH LOIS LANE

 

AIRSHIP 27 PODCAST (JAN '21): READY FOR LIFTOFF!!!

A new year has commenced and with it, Ron Fortier and Rob Davis treat us to a splendid "year in review" of 2020's spellbinding releases.

Among the terrific titles are two to which I contributed: Ravenwood, Stepson of Mystery, Vol #4 and Mark Justice's the Dead Sheriff, Vol #4: Purity. 

Also in the roundup, special emphasis falls upon 2020's final release, Bass Reeve's Frontier Marshal, Vol 4 and 2021's first release, Nancy Hansen's Jezebel Johnston: Mastiff. These fine titles further prove that despite the persistent, pandemic pestering and contentious, Capitol conundrums, Airship 27 keeps churning out the most prolific, literary escapism in the world. 

Steer your New Pulp sails to the stars, the seas and the western plains by engaging at 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scT5NBLIYEE&t=3250s

PIN-UP TIME: JULIE STRAIN IS WONDER WOMAN

 

An Alternate Reality: The Man Without Fear Visits MCU's Spider-verse

The latest buzz on the in-production, live-action Spider-verse, i.e. Tom Holland/John Watt's Spider-man 3, is that Charlie Cox joined the cast as Daredevil (from the eponymous, cancelled Netflix series) and in pretty much the same breath, he's finished filming.  

One must presume then that his participation has been relegated to a cameo (maybe merely in Matt Murdock guise), and perhaps that's the case with most other heavyweights involved: Toby Mcguire, Andrew Garfield, Alfred Molina and Jamie Foxx. (Say, has anyone thought of pulling Nicholas Hammond into the brew? Come, now! He's much too historic to overlook.)

In any event, I was hoping for maybe something more substantial than cameos with Spider-verse's guest stars, but hey, I suppose whatever's concocted for the next, Tom Holland effort, it'll still add some real, web-swinging razzmatazz to the prosperous franchise. 

Also, this progressing multiverse trend won't just cover Spider-man, but Doctor Strange and for DC, a whole other mixing-and-matching of legends in the upcoming Flashpoint adaptation, to include Batman in the guise of Ben Affleck and Michael Keaton. The overlapping of realities is surely the next big thing. (While we're stirring the pot, why not have Affleck's Batman meet Affleck's Daredevil? Okay, just kiddin'...I think.) 

That headlining names are being dropped only guarantees interest, inspiring fans to flock to the colliding productions, if not in theaters (since so many are now restricted or closed due to dictatorial, pandemic constraints), but on subscription channels, as with Wonder Woman 1984 and the upcoming Godzilla vs Kong. 

I also like the idea that, at least on Marvel's front, Netflick's incarnations aren't being tossed to the wayside, as Cox's Man Without Fear suggests. As such, word has it that Luke Cage/Power Man will soon enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe line-up, though will it be in the Netflix mode, or something spankin' new? Cage's persona will be more comic-based, or publicity now claims, so who knows what the result will be and who'll play him? (I daresay, it would seem foolish at this point to purge Mike Colter from the role, unless it's his choice to evade the character.) 

Again, enticers are the ticket here (no matter the casting or length of the iconic appearances), with the Cox/Daredevil announcement being only the latest. This makes the anticipation of Spider-verse/Spidey 3, or any of the upcoming, universe-blurring adaptations, a massive, driving force: without question, genius-fueled on all fired cylinders.