And it all starts with a vomiting clown.
Welcome to the very first day of Spunky Brew, a brand spanking new twice-weekly webcomic in the 'gag a day' format. I decided to use this format for a few reasons. The first reason was my love for one panel gag-a-day comics like The Far Side, Omake Theater and Hello With Cheese. The second was my inability to draw two things that look alike. My former webcomic Bored and Evil (which you probably haven't read if you aren't in my family) was a story comic with a group of continuing characters. I found a way around drawing them repeatedly but I found that eventually I got sick of writing them too. Thus, Spunky Brew. Spunky Brew will be about things that interest me. Geeky things in other words. While I recognize that this isn't an entirely unique approach to making people laugh, it's likely to be the one that works best for me.
Interestingly enough, my first dip into the world of webcomics came when Steve Napierski (of Dueling Analogs fame) and I put together a couple strips about the Rocky Horror cast we were both in at one time and titled it Life With Fishnets. My first comic made several people laugh and several people angry, both sensations that I savored at the time. And though it's been a while since I've done a comic, working on Spunky Brew has helped me rekindle the feeling I used to get when I had a great idea for comic. So I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

On the advice of a good friend I decided to blog weekdays, even when I don't have a new webcomic. Maybe he thinks people will come back and read what I write. Or maybe he thinks I need the written therapy. Either way, I've come to trust his advice, so here goes.
I was wondering what to write about and like a bolt of lightning from heaven came a brief advertisement on AMC (where I was watching the pretty terrible Wild Wild West movie) for the Walking Dead, the new TV series based on the brilliant comic book series by Robert Kirkman (who also created the great Invincible comic series). I'm excited because it's on AMC (home of Mad Men and Breaking Bad), I'm excited because it's got zombies (on TV for once) and I'm even excited because it has Laurie Holden in it. That's right, I'm excited because the lady who played Marita Corrivubias on The X-Files is in it. I am geek, hear me roar. I do wonder how much gore will be allowed on TV, even cable TV, but I'm sure it will be fine based on advanced photos from the set that I have seen. Besides, The Walking Dead is as much (if not more) about the human characters as about the zombie apocalypse that has become my favorite movie setting since Dawn of the Dead blew my mind so many years ago.
A success for The Walking Dead could mean more great comics adapted for series. Maybe Preacher (promised but never delivered for years)? Maybe The Sandman? Who knows?
Tune back in tomorrow for another blog (short as they are, I like to get right to the point) and a brand new comic! Thanks to all of those who have read so far and make sure to spread the word.

So Zack Snyder is going to be directing the new Superman movie.
This is bound to be a controversial choice. Snyder has often been the target of overzealous fanboys who dislike that his adaptations of their favorite properties doesn't always jibe with what is in their heads. I haven't seen the new one about the owls but I've personally enjoyed the guy's work. His Dawn of the Dead was fun (using Johnny Cash's "The Man Comes Around" for the opening was so brilliant it made me forget that I hate zombies that run), 300 was decent and no matter what purists say I loved Watchmen. Was it 100% faithful to the source material? No. Could it have been? Of course not. The source material is SO iconic, SO layered and SO detailed that it would have been impossible to do it perfect justice. Jackie Earl Haley WAS Rorschach. And that's enough for me. Even if I would have liked to see a chubby Kevin Costner as Captain Metropolis. I LOVE the trailer for Snyder's forthcoming Sucker Punch. I mean it's like a cosplay pillow fight with robots! What's not to like?
So how will his take on Superman go? We will see. Christopher Nolan is producing it which is a good sign. But I take issue with the choice of Zod for the villain. Terrance Stamp DEFINED Zod in Superman II. Not to mention that they've done Zod recently on Smallville. Why not take some of the great villains in Superman's past and finally give them their shot at the big screen? Why not Steve Buscemi as a creepy Toyman? Why not a psychotic Bizarro? I'd even go for Metallo. But they need BRAINIAC! Brainiac is second only to Lex Luthor as Superman's greatest enemy. And think of all the great actors they could get to play him!

Today I'm going to talk about one of my favorite shows, The Big Bang Theory. I love this show. But recently I've heard a person or two throw out the opinion that the show doesn't show realistic nerds but Hollywood's version of nerds. I disagree.
The average nerd (and the most likely to comment in the above fashion) is a person of average to above average intelligence whose tastes run to sci-fi, comics etc. I lump myself in there. The nerds presented on Big Bang Theory are REAL nerds, SCIENCE nerds. And it's this I think that sometimes accounts for a bit of a disconnect with the viewing audience. I know nothing of astronomy, engineering or physics. Science was my absolute worst subject in high school (at least chemistry was).
I'm here to tell you, the nerds on this show are accurately portrayed. Sheldon is the know-it-all nerd, Leonard is the almost-normal nerd, Raj is the shy-nerd and Howard is the wannabe-womanizer nerd. I know these nerds, each and every one of them. Many of the nerds I have met are THIS close to inventing Paper Rock Scissors Lizard Spock or building a mechanical arm. So I don't wanna hear any of this bull about my show not accurately portraying nerds. It gets the stamp of approval from a real nerd. One who has his Green Lantern rings lined up on his computer monitor while he watches Fringe.
Besides Kaley Cuoco is hot.

I have no idea what to blog about now. So I'm going to talk about three TV shows that I really miss.
LOST- I miss this show most of all. While it made sense for the creators to guarantee themselves an ending by calling it a day after six seasons, the show left me wishing for more. More Sawyer and Juliet. More Hurley in charge of the island. And more Charlotte. Great job guys! Kill the hot English redhead!
HEROES- True. Heroes may not have had the same momentum that it started out with. But these were great characters and there were still many, many things you could have done with this show. Primarily I will miss Masi Oka. And the Claire's lesbian roommate.
ANGEL- A show cut down in it's prime. The ongoing tale of the vampire with a soul had hid it's creative stride with arguably it's best season. They added the brilliant James Marsters to the cast and ripped our hearts to shreds with the death of Fred before the network ended the show. A sixth season could have been the greatest thing television has ever seen.
Sorry for the short update. Tune in tomorrow for a brand new comic and blog!