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Dark Horse Comics, Ed’s Picks of Oct and Nov 2016

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Autumn is here, and Winter is near. Just what can a kid like me do? Read comics of course! When my interest with Pokémon GO has waned, and I have thoughts about what can be played, well here’s my list of Dark Horse Comics picks for the cold nights ahead. I say it is time to pull out my colouring pencils!

Adult colouring books is a phenomenon, and when Dark Horse is one of the leaders of the pack, I can also try out the water-soluble leads I have on trying to mimic the style found in some Asian prints.

On top of my list is the Avatar: The Last Airbender trade paperback. There are 45 pages to paint up, and the art is done by Jed Henry. This book is out now.

Either now available or soon will be are my bi-monthly picks:

Chimichanga:
Sorrow of the
World’s Worse Face #1
October 12

Wrinkle’s Traveling Circus’ most adorable bearded girl and her savory-named beast are back, and there is a new act in store! Come one, come all to the Sorrow of the World’s Worst Face! But beware: those who look behind the curtain are in for an awful treat, and it’s not just his face we’re talkin’ about!

Featuring art by Stephanie Buscema!

“Chimichanga is full of that youthful vigor that makes The Goon such a delight.” —Broken Frontier

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Ed’s Pokémon GO Journals — How to Truly Fix Gym Stagnation

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Niantic‘s latest update to curb Pokémon GO gym stagnation is a step in the right direction but I feel more can be done. Players can now lower more prestige points from rival gyms and levelling up will be a touch more difficult. Trying to get more players to fight at gyms is still a problem and for myself, I will not tackle a level 6 or higher gym alone. If I have to feed this company’s coffers with real world money just for those egg incubators, lures and incense I will. And I have racked up enough survey points from different programs to get iTunes/Google Play gift cards without spending. This trick is one some players know about, and It beats spending money on gas to find gyms where a defender can be placed only to have an uncertain future of how long it will last.

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Making a B Line (can’t say P) to Potted Potter

potted-potter-poster By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

I’m no stranger to the ‘reduced’ format when stage performers decide to condense a very well-known work from its voluminous size down to a few minutes. The final result is often hilarious and you do not need to attempt to read the book afterwards! Take, for example, the many works of William Shakespeare (which the Reduced Shakespeare Company is famous for) or Star Wars (One Man Star Wars). There’re other works too, and when I heard about Potted Potter, I had to be there and drag James Shaw along.

Interestingly enough this show has a James Percy as the straight-laced half of the comedic duo (he plays Harry throughout the show) who knows the material and Joseph Maudsley making himself appear like he did not know the books. Maudsley was kinetic on stage and cross-dressed. Can you imagine him as Cho Chang? For the strong male personalities, he played Hagrid like a Scotsman. To hear him claim that he had not finished reading the saga made the sitcom all the more hilarious because what’s on stage mirrored the friendship I have with my buddy. Though I don’t slap James around, he does get well-deserved noogies. In order to know how to play out some scenes, Joseph was required to know the final book by the end of the show. I bet my buddy felt a little lost. Continue reading “Making a B Line (can’t say P) to Potted Potter”

Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders Brings Back Plenty of Nostalgia

Holy Double, no Triple Take … Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Batman! The Return of the Caped Crusaders is here!

Available to purchase on Amazon — available on Amazon to purchase

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

Holy Double, no Triple Take … Doctor Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Batman! The Return of the Caped Crusaders should have my coffin co-writer (James Shaw) wake up from his post-Halloween coma, do the Batusi, dust his cowl off (from all the dirt I dumped on him) and fly to the nearest big box store to buy this animated video release and give a review. He loves the 60s Bat more than I do but his steadfast refusal to review any product on his own is his loss and my gain. Some readers may have wondered why his content is few and far between and I don’t comprehend why he behaves this way.

I picked up this product just because I find the creative heads at Warner Bros Animation never fails to disappoint. Just like the vintage show, lessons in morality are offered and advice in how to overcome obstacles are offered. Maybe James did not hear those messages and apply them to his life.

This video, like the series, is made for the yuk yuks and camp we all recall the TV series represented instead of being taken seriously. Though the show was not blatant in saying we should all be boy scouts, the throwback style was obvious in the many television programs from this era and it is recreated in all its memorable glory. The Andy Griffith Show is the best example of leads imparting infinite wisdom, and other programs like My Three Sons and Bonanza followed suit. Because the two are deputized as duly appointed representatives of Gotham Police, Batman has to remind Robin to do what’s right. From properly crossing the street at a corner instead of jaywalking to get to the other side to stop crime, the humourous examples remain!

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The Future is “Compromised” in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow

legends-of-tomorrow-205-trailer

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

* Spoiler Alert

Plenty of fun and character development can be found with “Compromised.” This week’s episode of DC’s Legends of Tomorrow shows the series works better when further developing the season’s story arc than making one-offs. When considering that The CW has ordered an additional four episodes, the board of writers have extra room to make the finale go out with a bang. Let’s hope an increase in budget will help. Teases about the mega crossover event suggests a lot of cash is being invested in cutting edge computer animation technology to bring to life space age wonders, but which show will see the most improvement?

This series sees more space-faring action than the other three (Arrow, The Flash and Supergirl) and as for guest stars, who else might make an appearance? The appearance of Lance Henriksen as the older Obsidian is welcoming and Dean Cain is slated to be in Supergirl. This week’s episode lays the tribute thick with more Back to the Future time-travel science and 80’s style wardrobe (Miami Vice) to boot. But in a politically charged Reagan era, I’m surprised there was no deeper look into the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI), aka Star Wars, program. The narrative is certainly making allusions to it.

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In Vancouver, BC You Can Level Up with EXP Restaurant

exp-bar-vancouver EXP Restaurant + Bar
309 W Pender St
Vancouver, BC

Hours: 5PM–12AM
Phone: (604) 558-1337

Who can not love a restaurant catering to video game nerds? EXP Restaurant & Bar has been in operation since late 2012 and perhaps the only reason why I have not noticed this place is because it’s a game of darts at randomly determining an area to dine at whenever I visit Vancouver, BC.

At this place, all of the entertainment is digital. While waiting for a table, you can play the latest games on an X-Box One. With Shaw Wifi at the premise you can also fish out your mobile for a few Candy Crush quick plays (or another online game of your liking).

My addiction (yes, I admit it) to the Pokémon GO game is not as huge as others, but it’s still my go-to game to kill time — assuming there is a stop and spawn spot within range. This operation recognizes the sudden popularity of this game, and they had plenty of art hanging by the front to admire. I inquired if any of the new Pocket Monster creations hanging on the walls were available for purchase as a print. Sadly, they aren’t since there’s no contact information on them and one of the staff told me so. At least I was permitted to take photos for prosperity. I love the pop art fusion style that permeates through the place, and the scents from the kitchen were very good too!

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