We’ve left the building

But we moved to a new one! Dan and I loved doing this site, but thanks to life, the universe, and everything, we had to stop. But if you want to find us now, we’re part of Geekade.com now! I’m editor-in-chief, and Dan is our senior contributor.

I’m writing this because every couple of months I get an email telling me that someone has commented on one of our old articles, or that someone has stumbled on the site. It amazes me that folks still find this stuff, so I wanted to tell anyone who finds us that we’re still around, we’re still writing, and we’re pretty easy to find.

Dan writes a weekly article series called Why I Love Wrestling. It’s about why he loves wrestling. He’s great at naming things. He also writes a monthly series called Bits & Brews where he pairs video games with beer. He ALSO is the host of the Paper Cuts comic podcast, and my co-host on the Stone Age Gamer Podcast.

I’m the host of the Stone Age Gamer Podcast, which is Geekade’s video game podcast sponsored by StoneAgeGamer.com. I’m also the host of WaveBack, a video game music podcast, and I’m a co-host on This Week’s Episode, a TV podcast. I still write Lost In Time, as well as some other random articles for the site. And I do a monthly video series called Into the Vault where I highlight different weird things from my video game collection.

So if you liked theGEEKwriters, try some Geekade. And thanks for reading!

R2D2 Lamp

Check out this instructable on an awesome R2D2 lamp. Looks super easy and really nice when it’s all done.
http://geekcrafts.com/tutorial-tuesday-r2d2-lamp/

5 Great New Comics That Aren’t Part of Something Bigger

Between Fear Itself, Flashpoint, Spider-Island, and The New 52, there are a lot of high profile things happening in the world of comics these days. Some of it is very quality stuff, and some of it maybe not so much. But what about the rest of the world? I’ve decided to point my tiny spotlight towards a few other recent releases that may be worth your attention. Good books slip through the cracks all the time, right? Maybe you’ll find something new to read. Hit the jump to find out.  

Bulk review DCnU

Not every title deserves it’s own spot. I’ll put a bunch here so that we can take a look at the more deserving books.

Batwing #01
Basically an average title from writer Judd Winick. I didn’t care about anything that was going on. It really felt like a second rate Black Panther but the art was very well done. 5/10

Deathstroke #01
The art certainly leaves a bit to be desired as the cover to this is so good. The story itself is okay, not great or terrible. Not sure if I will get the second issue.

Suicide Squad #01
A great concept done much better by the Thunderbolts at Marvel. The main problem is how incredibly predictable this issue was. The second problem is making Amanda Waller a skinny girl. Absolutely no reason for it. And third, Harley Quinn’s costume change is awful. Overall this book was pretty bad. Skip it for now. 4/10

Static Shock #01
A second rate Spiderman book that tries way to hard to be hip and street. Meh. 4/10

OMAC #01
Super surprised by this. This book was a total love letter to Stan Lee and Jack Kirby and it totally worked for me. Not sure how long I’ll be interested but for now I am down for a bit more. 6.5/10

Help Release Portal 2 Early!

Okay, Valve has gone and done it. They have done something so incredibly cool that they have solidified themselves as one of the coolest gaming companies around. In an unprecedented level of awesomeness, Valve has announced that GLADOS from Portal will allow the early release of the hotly anticipated Portal 2 via Steam if enough people play some of the best indie games on the market today. No kidding.

Doctor Who Series 6 Premiere Rocks NYC

Doctor Who has been around for years, and it seems that its popularity is finally catching on here in the US. For the first time ever, BBC America is broadcasting the new series of Doctor Who at the same time in both the US and UK, and we’ve never been so lucky. The powers that be decided to host a premiere event in NYC this past Monday featuring the first 2 episodes of Series 6, followed by a Q&A with the writers and cast. I was fortunate enough to attend the event. What did I think?

The stars of Doctor Who in front of their classy ride.

Can you identify these Alphabet Superheroes? (2 HQ photos) : : theCHIVE

Can you identify these Alphabet Superheroes? (2 HQ photos) : : theCHIVE.

(thanks to Samson Adam for this)

How many superheroes can you name on this super cool alphabet?

I missed four.

Lego Ghostbusters! Tattoo!

This is my wife’s new Lego Ghostbusters tattoo.  It was done by the incredible Heather Maranda at Skinfinity Tattoo in Winter Haven Florida.  The best Ghostbusters tattoo ever!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

These guys are not only on the prowl, but sources say they are loose.

The Toy Fair of London was today and Bandai had a first look at the character designs for the new Thundercats. I  fucking love it. There. That’s it. Now, I  also may be a tad biased as Thundercats IS and will always be MY 80’s cartoon.  I was a  little too young to truly be crazy for Transformers, a little too straight for He-man 😉 and G.I. Joe…I mean seriously people. Why does anyone fucking like G.I. Joe, but I digress. Back to the Thundercats.  I love that Panthro looks like he stole the syringes of every baseball player dosing right now and took all the shots himself. Cheetara somehow looks like some young female out of a henati that is going to be accosted by the first tree she walks by and I could not be happier.  Above all else though I think Lion-O looks fantastic, I know a lot of people are going to think he looks too young, but if you remember correctly he is supposed to be a child that gets rapidly aged into adolescence and I think they did an amazing job making him look young. Overall I think it looks great I am extremely stoked, oh I did not bother showing the toys because quite frankly they look like french fried asshole.

Top Records of 2010

My personal top 10 records of 2010.  By no means definitive.

10.  Weezer – Pinkerton Reissue

I really wanted to put this at number one but considering that it is a reissue I decided that wasn’t exactly fair.  That being said, this is probably the best album release of the year.  At the time it originally released it was panned by critics and fans alike.  Over the years it has gotten the recognition it deserves as one of the very best albums released in the 90’s and the very best of Weezer’s career.

9.  DC Fallout – Retreat

There is nothing better than music that gets you going.  Whether it is to workout, skate, screw, play, whatever; a good song can get you more involved with your chosen activity.  The songs on Retreat accomplish that with aplomb.  Each track is a driving force perfectly suited for any type of high energy activity.

8.  Flobots – Survival Story

Modern Rap music is awful.  The mainstream is littered with an unbelievable amount of garbage.  From Drake to Waka Flaka Flame to Nicki Minaj the modern radio dial is unlistenable.  But just underneath the surface there is a wealth of amazing Hip Hop waiting to be discovered.  The Flobots are but one example of underground Hip Hop that you should be listening to.  The group is comprised of musicians and lyricists.  Their tracks are diverse but approachable.  Their words are intelligent and thought provoking.  In short, everything music should be.

7.  Johnny Cash – American VI: Ain’t No Grave

Any time Johnny Cash releases a new album it will be in my personal top 10.  Simply put, the man is my favorite artist of all time.  His songs are just about perfect little pieces of America.  And not the bullshit TV America that is portrayed by modern country music.  Johnny Cash’s America is gritty and dirty and imperfect.  While this album represents the weakest overall in the American series it is still a damn fine record and deserves a spin.  His voice still resonates like few others.  The fact that he has passed on makes these songs that much more haunting.

6.  She & Him – Vol.2

She and Him is made up of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel.  While I am somewhat indifferent to M. Ward I am madly in love with Zooey.  She is the perfect mix of arty, beauty, quirky, polished, and timeless.  She has a quality about her that just drives me mad.  The songs she has done as part of She and Him are simple to listen to and hard to forget.  This album is really good and derserves your attention.

5.  SHAD – Tsol

Shad’s latest record, TSOL, is a more complex soundscape than his previous record.  He branches out beyond the more traditional Hip Hop style that he was so good at and touches new ground here.  And it works quite well.  His lyrics are poignant, the music is dancable.  In short, a great record that got played a ton this year.

4.  Deftones – Diamond Eyes

I love this band.  I love this record.  Diamond Eyes is the best that the Deftones have been in years.  No matter where they have decided to go with their songwriting, Chino has always sounded amazing.  I’m not sure what was done in production but this might be my favorite Chino performance.  I will always love Around the Fur and think it their best work.  But, Diamond Eyes strikes as a return to form combining the heaviness of Around the Fur with the exploratory nature of White Pony and side project Team Sleep.  This record kicks ass in a beautiful way.

3.  Cee-Lo Green – Ladykiller

Cee Lo might have the greatest soul voice of all time.  The fact that he uses it for more than just soul music is to the benefit of the public at large.  This record generated a ton of press due to the first single “Fuck You” and it’s text driven video.  If you haven’t seen it yet give it a quick youtube search.  However, underneath the hubbub is a really solid record that perfectly showcases the many talents of Mr. Green.  It’s a shame this record releases so late in the year as it has a much more summer vibe to me.  Regardless of a seeming misstep in release date this record needs to be in your collection.  It’s the type of record you cannot help but sing along to.

2.  Qwel and Maker – Owl

This record is the best Hip Hop release of 2010 without a doubt.  Coming out of Chicago Qwel and Maker are absolutely everything that is right with Hip Hop.  The beats fit the songs perfectly.  And while that seems a silly thing to say when discussing Hip Hop it is very often not the case.  The samples are always done with purpose, another thing that cannot be said about most Hip Hop.  On my first listen to this record I reacted the same way as when I listened to “Up From the 36 Chambers” for the first time.  I can think on no higher praise than that.  Please get this and let it digest in your soul.  It is simply fantastic.

1.  The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang

I listened to no album more than American Slang in 2010.  I love everything about it.  The lyrics, the music, the diversity, all top notch.  When describing The Gaslight Anthem to others I always struggle.  Some songs have a straight ahead punk vibe while others have a jangly quality to them while still others recall strong images of rocking out to early Bruce Springsteen records.  I haven’t been this excited for a band in a long time.  This is not only the perfect driving record but the perfect headphone record and everything in between.  From the opening masterpiece that is the title track to the closing notes this records grabs you by the ears and never lets go.  I cannot wait to hear more for this band and hope that you dig them as well.

And that’s my list.  A pretty diverse selection but all high quality.  I have never been one to seek out things that others will never hear to make myself cooler than anyone else.  All of the records posted here are readily available via the internet and are well worth your time.  I’m sure there were a ton of great records that I missed this year.  What were some of your favorites?