The Interminable Cockroach Man

I'm done with the rainbow, so time to post about something new! If you haven't been over there yet, check out The Interminable Cockroach Man, which goes live today!

I've lived with Cockroach Man since I was in 4th grade. He's the brainchild of my brother, Sam Albro. Sam is more of an artist than a writer, though, and he finally contracted some help to make his dream come true. Written by Kyle Strickland (the husband) and Sam Albro (the brother), The Interminable Cockroach Man is a comedic superhero web comic about a well-loved superhero who vanished and returned completely insane. Learn about the Sensational Origin of his sidekick, Fly Boy.

The comic updates Sundays.

http://cockroachman.com 

LIKE IT ON FACEBOOK

And like this post below!

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Book Review: Vs. Reality

by Blake Northcott
★★★★★

Available for 99¢ on Amazon Kindle

Vs. Reality is a quick and engaging read that will keep you pressing that [Next Page] button until there's nothing left to read. The first volume is short, but creates an entertaining introduction to a series that promises longer future volumes. It's an amazing debut from a first-time author, blogger Blake Northcott.

I bought Vs. Reality on the reputation that Northcott had already built up as one of my favorite bloggers and tweeters. The thing that impresses me most about her reviews is that Northcott seems to be one of the few people out there who understands that Entertainment Value is value.

So often we see fun movies, novels, and TV shows discarded because they aren't artistic or deep enough or because they *gasp* have some kind of mass appeal. Rarely do we see anything involving super powers getting any kind of praise by the serious critics because they forget that not every movie has the same purpose as Black Swan. Northcott has never been one to shy away from praising the commercial action movies, so I knew that no matter what, Vs. Reality was going to be fun.

Vs. Reality tells the story of Donovan Cole, a fighter who is used to concussions and beat-downs. When a chance encounter with a mysterious girl drags Donovan into her serious drama, Cole takes a hit that triggers a glitch in reality and allows him to manifest super-human abilities based on his own self image.

Vs. Reality blends the aesthetic of a comic book movie with the mind-f#@& of a Chuck Palahniuk novel. There's the suped-up action balanced well with gritty imagery. If there is one thing that I noticed straight from the start of Vs. Reality, it's that Blake Northcott is amazing at writing uncomfortable imagery. At her best moments, her imagery gives you a shiver reminiscent of that nails on the chalkboard sound. At the very least it makes me think of some of the more cringe-worthy impressions from the Aeon Flux cartoons.

In the end, Vs. Reality is a lot of things. It's an adrenaline rush. It's a commentary on addiction. It's the source material for a future summer Blockbuster.

Spend that 99¢ and get yourself a Kindle copy of Vs. Reality. Don't have a Kindle? Read it on your iPhone, Mac, PC, Blackberry, etc... (see how).

The 2nd Volume comes out in October, 2011

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In Support of Amy Adams

I've heard a lot of confusion since the casting of Amy Adams as Lois Lane. At first I was a bit shocked, too, but I've come to decide that this is actually a brilliant move. Amy Adams seems like an odd fit, to many, for Zack Snyder's Superman: Man of Steel, because she's generally seen as sweet, bubbly, and cute. Her early claims to fame being Junebug (where she's a naive, young, pregnant wife) and Enchanted, certainly explain where this perception comes from.

I'm here to let you know that Amy Adams can be tough like Lois and to explain why her cute nature may actually help the character.

Now, Henry Cavill (drool) as Kal El is perhaps the best casting I could have hoped for. I was rooting for him in the 2006 Singer Superman Returns, when he was too young for the role. Thank God he didn't get it then, as that movie turned out to be a major disappointment. 

When you cast a character who is solely a love interest, chemistry is one of the most important factors. I'm sure that part of this decision was making sure that whoever was cast as Lois has chemistry with Cavill.

My next point of reference is The Fighter. If you've seen it, you'll know what I mean. If you haven't seen it, it's streaming on Netflix. Stop waiting and go watch it! Amy Adams plays Charlene, a tough Lowell girl, a bartender, a college dropout, and someone not afraid to speak up. Not only does she beat the snot out of one of Mickey Ward's sisters in a hair-pulling, punch-throwing brawl. She shoots whiskey and she talks back with sharp wit.

Alice: I've heard a lot about you.
Charlene: Really? I've heard a lot about you too.
Alice: What's that supposed to mean?
Charlene: Same thing you meant.

The World has seen Amy Adams be tough. It was believable. She was nominated for an Oscar for it! (Best Supporting Actress).

My final argument is that she shouldn't look and sound tough. Why? Johnny Depp was so much better in the first Pirates movie than the second because Jack was written as a hero and played as a freak. In Pirates 2 he was written as a freak, played as a freak and it was just too much. If Lois is written as a sexy, tough cookie who takes crap from no one, cast as a sharp-featured woman and cast with a cold, sharp voice, her character will be 100% bitch.

Amy Adams will be able to take tough, sarcastic, often snappy lines and deliver them with a sweet face and voice so that she's delightful and fun. It's called playing opposites. Face it, Lois Lane is the toughest superhero love interest to make likable.  She's not very warm, she's not a nurturer, and it would be a betrayal of her character to make her show more than subtle hints of vulnerability over the course of the film. Amy Adams is a talented actress who can play that vulnerability so that the script doesn't have to hit us over the head with it. Her presence will soften her hard edges naturally.

Lois will still be a strong, formidable woman, but Amy Adams will make us understand why Clark loves her, too.

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