Getting a Sneak Peak to the Ben 10 Reboot (coming April 2017)

Ben 10By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

While most of Europe aired the new Ben 10 rebooted series since fall of last year, fans from North America are still anxiously waiting. Teletoon Canada offered a sneak peek Monday night for what’s to come in Spring. This new series is better off packaged as two episodes for the time-slot it is given instead of 10 minutes (giving a lot more time for commercials), before jumping to another show.

Given that the intended audience is for kids with limited attention span, the 10-minute format is satisfactory. But I’m craving longer tales, and am hoping by binge-watching a bunch of episodes back to back will reveal a greater story arc.

Tonight’s broadcast sees Ben Tennyson (Tara Strong reprises the role) learning responsibility. His access to the internet gets taken away until he cleans the Rust Bucket, a camping van that he, his cousin Gwen (Montserrat Hernandez) and grandfather Max (David Kaye) rides in throughout their many adventures. When the alien Fly Guy attempts to steal it because it reeks of garbage, this boy has a lot to do before his family returns! Amusingly enough, they are off to visit a bat guano cave.

Continue reading “Getting a Sneak Peak to the Ben 10 Reboot (coming April 2017)”

Ed’s Dark Horse News from Emerald City Comicon & Picks for Feb, March & June

Ben 10

I’ve been thinking about nothing but the 15th anniversary of Emerald City Comicon (ECCC) since last month and was very excited to see what Dark Horse Comics has plans on announcing this year. In addition to the artist and writer signings and giveaways at the show, there’s something always cool to be found when walking by! Had I gone to the main exhibit hall early in the morning, I might have walked away with a yellow tote bag, but alas, I was in another building awaiting photo ops with a few of this show’s entertainment guests.

Fortunately, I did not miss meeting artist Irene Koh (she’s illustrating the upcoming official Legend of Korra continuation due in shelves Jun 7) and writer Gene Luen Yang (Avatar: Last Airbender). I’ve been buying everything Avatar related this company puts out and plan on a huge binge-read. While waiting in line, I can only smile at how much of a strong fan base this series has, especially amongst the Asian community.

17097578_10210778144142182_8050766955021570984_o

Also, I got to see Mike Mignola again and learn he’s working on a new work. The Visitor: How and Why He Stayed is out and it takes place in the Hellboy universe. While the stories about the title character are finished, thankfully there’s more to enjoy in this realm from other perspectives. One hope I had is to see all the Hellboy stories packaged together in an omnibus collection; sadly the representative said there are no immediate plans. The collections we have now is it for those preferring the trade paperback route. My mix of one-shots and owning certain storylines sometimes gets me lost as to where each story fits in.

Continue reading “Ed’s Dark Horse News from Emerald City Comicon & Picks for Feb, March & June”

Japanese Artist Hikaru Shirosu Upstaged by Cat in Latest YouTube Video

hikarushirosuprofileBy James Robert Shaw (The Wind up Geek)

For those of you who love cats or even own one or two (or three), you’ve come to realize (as I have) that cats come with incredible power. They may not fetch a stick or even a ball like our canine companions, they are more than willing to look silly chasing a bit of yarn, tossing a fake mouse laced with catnip, or bravely explore a brown paper bag. But the true power of cats comes from their ability to inject themselves into whatever we are doing at the time, no matter how important, and cause us to stop and pay attention to their kind. In a way they are saying “I want to be loved, now.”

That appears to be what is being told to Hikaru Shirosu, a talented pianist and singer from Japan. In his latest video we get a behind the scenes look at a video he produced for YouTube back in 2013. Shirosu found the video on an old SD card. Posting through his official Twitter the artist stated of the video:

Continue reading “Japanese Artist Hikaru Shirosu Upstaged by Cat in Latest YouTube Video”

[Victoria, BC] Cherry Bomb Toys to Explode with Party Room Goodness

Reposted from an article written by Ed Sum for TwoHungryBlokes.com. To see the full photoset, please visit the original article.

1069719-01Cherry Bomb Toys in Victoria, BC is expanding. Not only do they have the National Toy Museum of Canada, on the second floor, which showcases approximately 80 years of love for childhood knickknacks, but soon, they will be opening their basement for people to use on a by appointment basis. The official opening is tentatively set for the end of March.

This area will not be limited to families wishing to celebrate their child’s birthdays (or an adult’s) in a venue that does not have to be their home. B Woodword, manager of the store, explained that not everyone has the space, especially if they live downtown, and cleanup for a whole home can be a chore. This operation’s idea is to offer a safe space so people can have fun in. There’s an arcade area filled with classic gaming consoles (Nintendo and SEGA were spotted) and four separate television screens so anyone can game with. People can bring their own next-gen consoles, but the purpose of this space is to stay retro. A dining room type area (with a few basic kitchen essentials) exists so people can mingle in. Of course, washroom facilities is down the hall.

Continue reading “[Victoria, BC] Cherry Bomb Toys to Explode with Party Room Goodness”

In March, Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses Rides Again

window-horses_poster_goldposter_com_10o_0l_300w_70q

By Ed Sum (The Vintage Tempest)

For a list of upcoming screenings,
please click here.

Window Horses has been trotting through many festivals since its world premiere at the 2016 Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France. In North America, it’s making a return for a special engagement today in Vancouver with the producer of this movie, Ann Marie Fleming, in attendance. It has played in other shows like the Toronto Film Festival last year and the Victoria Film Festival early Feb 2017. On March 4th, it is playing at the New York International Children’s Film Festival.

Plans for a wider distribution is continuing with Mongrel Media handling distribution, and soon, folks can see why this colourful and powerful coming-of-age story is particularly engaging.

Continue reading “In March, Ann Marie Fleming’s Window Horses Rides Again”