Posted by
Sean Hamilton
- Friday, November 21, 2014
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| Nothing Fits cover by Alex McCrone |
Want to go on a journey? Lets go to a place where Nothing Fits.
This is a world where a dastardly villain, Solemn, has taken prisoner Charlie, the hero of the story, and cloned her, just as he has himself for a nefarious purpose, what unravels is simply an intriguing story. Oh, and there is a reanimated adolescent, ancient Egyptian mummy as well.
Nothing Fits is a whimsical tale that has been a labor of love, published online since 2011 by Mary Tamblyn and Alex McCrone. While it has been coalescing within the artistic endeavors of the creators for much longer, it has now come to fruition, with the collected work recently being produced thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign earlier in 2014.
The tale is a linear narrative that explores the challenge of a power-hungry villain who attempts to get what he wants through the use of cloning. A little magic and science are melded together into one during the plot. We get a sense of the development of a larger political play as we go further, but the more interesting aspects of the story are reserved for the main characters' relationships.
Initially the comic was produced page by page and uploaded online over a lengthy period of time. An in-depth review was completed earlier this year to bring the story together for printing; because of this method being used, some of the plot details were quickly established and just as quickly any nagging questions about possible holes, were explained away within single pages. The aim was not to foment an in-depth exploration of characters, at least to begin with, but to establish the world as it is in Nothing Fits and then leave the tale to be told before the reader.
The story makes use of a variety of character tropes, such as a snake being the villain, rats being subservient creatures to the overall plot, and humans ultimately wanting to fulfill their own selfish desires. While there are no heavy pieces of characterization, we do get to see development within the story, which is pertinent to Tamblyn's need to guide us through her world.
The art has a great feel to it that is unencumbered by its free style and simplicity. Alex McCrone composed the art freehand, but the need to manage the production process in an efficient manner meant he then scanned the images for digital touchup and coloring. This approach left a rawness that links the artist to the audience in a refreshing manner. The same can be said of the custom font, which is actually made from Tamblyn's own handwriting.
A nice aspect of the art is the color scheme employed to draw out the story. Primarily yellow, red, green, and blue are used to wash the pages with a thematic tone, which you don't even realize is there until you're deeper into the comic.
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| Charlie gets a dramatic green wash. |
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| Solemn is a deadly foe. |
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Nothing Fits is a fun comic to while away some time. You will be taken for a journey to a place you didn't know existed, and when it is time to come back to reality, you can't help but have a smile for having been there. You can feel free to check out Nothing Fits by visiting the website here. Should you feel inclined to go one step further, you can also purchase the published book by visiting the online store.
For a self-published comic coming from the ends of the Earth, this is a good way to display the talent from New Zealand comics. Nothing Fits is surely to be only a stepping stone for the creators to more projects (one of which, the Rosetta Phone, can be seen here). It is refreshing to see such different and engaging stories from independent comics and even more so when its closer to home.
As always, Fanboys and -girls, make sure you check out the online version of Nothing Fits and let us know what you think with a comment below.
Posted by
The Dace Man
- Thursday, November 20, 2014
Hey, hey, hey, Dacetacular nation! Check out Episode 74 of The Dace Man Show with hosts Dace, Gibby, and Tricia Bell, and special guest Xander Demos!
::SPORTS NEWS::
- NHL stuff
- NFL week 11 is in the books!
- Plus more
::WEIRD NEWS WITH GIBBY::
- Short but fun...like a gherkin.
::FRANK'S CORNER::
- Still no sign of Frank. But hey, we got a theme.
::CELEB NEWS::
- Bill Cosby in hot water.
- The wedding of Charles Manson. He got married and you're not...tsk, tsk.
- Plus more…
::Who Said It::
VS.
Plus Gibby Sings and The Douchebag of The Week! All that and more, only on The Dace Man Show.
As always, check back regularly to see what Chris "The Dace Man" Dace is looking at (and no, not just porn), as well as all of the other bloggers here at Fanboys Anonymous. Remember, keyboard warriors: leave your feedback! Until the next time, for the few, the proud, and, of course, the Dacetacular, grab a beer—and in this case a comfy seat in front of your computer—and check out what's going on here in the Dace-Sphere. See ya next time!
Follow on Facebook: Mega Powers Radio | Fanboys Anonymous | The Dace Man Show | Nerd Court | Sports Talk Weekly | Addicted to Anime
Posted by
Anthony Mango
- Wednesday, November 19, 2014
On episode 5 of the Fanboys Anonymous FanTracks podcast, the panel provides commentary for the Thanksgiving season by watching several turkey day-themed episodes of television shows. The second edition in this series is:
South Park
Season 1 - Episode 8 - "Starvin' Marvin"
(original air date November 19, 1997)
Hosted by Tony Mango, the panel includes Chris Dace and Mike Paden.
After a short introduction, you will be told when to sync up your copy of the episode so you can follow along with our commentary. Follow the links below to listen to the podcast on either YouTube, iTunes, or Stitcher. Make sure to subscribe!
Posted by
Unknown
- Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Yes, yes. This year's Annabelle was not a masterpiece, but who cares! The Conjuring 2: The Enfield Poltergeist, set to be released on June 10, 2016, seems to have all the right elements to be as awesome (if not even better) as its 2013 predecessor, which made a whopping $318 million worldwide.
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| Farmiga and Wilson as the Warrens. |
For starters, both the original director, James Wan, and writers, Chad and Carey Hayes, are returning for the sequel, which will focus on another case in Ed and Lorraine Warren's long list of real-life paranormal investigations. Patrick Wilson and Vera Farmiga will reprise their roles as the two investigators.
Although the official plot of the script has not been announced yet, here is a short account of the true bone-chilling story that inspired the movie: the Enfield Poltergeist.
It all started on the evening of August 30, 1977, at a council house in Enfield, North London, England. Single mom Peggy Hodgson was trying to put her four children—Margaret, age 13; Janet, 11; Johnny, 10; Billy, 7—to bed when Janet complained about her brother's bed shaking. Peggy did not pay much attention to it, but on the following night Peggy experienced something she could not ignore.
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| The Hodgson Family. |
After hearing a crashing sound coming from Janet's room, the single mother rushed in only to find a chest of drawers moving by itself. Suddenly, the chest was propelled toward the door by an invisible force. Scared, Peggy and her children ran to her neighbors' house.
Not knowing what to do, the frightened neighbors called the police. The attending female police constable, Carolyn Heeps, was not able to do much at the scene, since no one was breaking the law. However, she did see "a large armchair moved, unassisted, 4 ft across the floor."
Next, press. Daily Mirror photographer Graham Morris was contacted. He was able to capture some of the supernatural phenomena on camera, but things seemed to be getting worse.
After BBC visited the house to try to record some of the phenomena, the family finally sought help from the Society for Psychical Research (SPR), which sent investigators Maurice Grosse and Guy Lyon Playfair, a poltergeist expert who subsequently wrote This House Is Haunted, to investigate.
Grosse, when interviewed by Will Storr, recorded the chaos in the house:
As soon as I got there, I realised that the case was real because the family was in a bad state. Everybody was in chaos. [At first] nothing happened for a while, then I experienced Lego pieces [and marbles] flying across the room; The extraordinary thing was, when you picked them up, they were hot.
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| " I thought I was going to die," Janet Hodgson. |
Although many people experienced objects flying, furniture moving, and heard knocking coming from inside the walls, most of the activity seemed to be centered around 11-year-old Janet. The girl would go into violent trances and became certain she was possessed by a ghost named Bill Wilkins.
According to the paranormal investigators' reports, Janet would levitate and speak in an eerie, raspy voice when she was allegedly possessed by Wilkins. In one instance, a invisible force seemed to control a curtain, which tried to strangle her.
To this day, Janet stands by her story: "[The poltergeist] lived off me, off my energy. Call me mad if you like. Those events did happen. The poltergeist was with me and I feel that in a sense he always will be."
For a more on this true ghost story, check out the documentary below, where most (if not all) audio recordings of Janet's trances can be heard.
Cynics believe it was all a big hoax, but no one can deny the Enfield Poltergeist is one fascinating ghost story. It will make an awesome story for the Conjuring 2.
Do you believe it was real? Are you going to watch The Conjuring sequel? Leave your comments below!
Posted by
Jeff Penner
- Sunday, November 16, 2014
Want to know what happened the past few days in nerd culture? WEEK IN GEEK is your quick fix to catch up with the rest of the fanboys out there.
MOVIES
Suicide Squad Brings A-List Characters.
My take: Joker (Jared Leto, maybe) and Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) may appear in the upcoming film, a definite change from the B and C list characters the series depends on. Though they may be part of the story and not the team, it still adds the film into the new DC Cinematic Universe and, thus, Joker and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie). A strange way to tease them for an upcoming Batman film, perhaps?
Batman v Superman Films "death of the Waynes" Sequence.
My take: Ugh. We can't get a Star Trek movie without an original cast member involved and we can't get a Batman movie without a "Thomas and Martha Wayne" flashback. I expect there to also be a shot of Krypton exploding and Clark jumping up in bed screaming, covered in super-sweat.
Doctor Doom is a Blogger Named "Doom".
My take: Not wanting to judge a film before seeing a single frame of footage, I'm still disappointed to hear any and all tidbits on the upcoming Fantastic Four reboot. The supposed "down to earth" version doesn't work with the word "fantastic", or fans expectations. Actor Toby Kebbell recently revealed he will be playing the role of Victor Domashev, who blogs online as "Doom". He is an anti-social computer programmer and, eventually, becomes Dr. Doom. Who knows what this means for the origins of The Fantastic Four themselves.
TELEVISION
Dr Leslie Thompkins Added to "Gotham".
My take: …as a love interest for Jim Gordon. What? She's an obvious character to have on the series, and should have been since episode one. To have her as a love interest is certainly a twist, but an unnecessary one. She will also be a large excuse to have Bruce in the story more, which I'm not a huge fan of (sorry, kid).
The Flash Wins Best Show Thus Far.
My take: About half a dozen episodes in for the somewhat disappointing Gotham, the impressive Constantine and The Flash, the latter wins top honours in my opinion. The episodes are fun and the effects are great to watch, albeit the current "freak of the week" is growing tired.
Katie Cassidy Revealed in Black Canary Costume.
My take: Since I'm only in season 2 and this got spoiled for me, now it's spoiled for you, too! You're welcome!
COMIC BOOKS
Joker Returns in Batman.
My take: His return may feel a long time in the waiting but after getting a year long flashback story, didn't they technically just deal with him a couple weeks ago? In any case, he's back with a new face (as was inevitable) and another sales boost for DC.
Spider-Verse Finally Moving Along.
My take: After trudging through Edge of Spider-Verse, we're finally on our way. I'm curious what makes 616 Peter Parker so special and if it has any connection to 2015's Secret Wars. As long as Spider-Ham survives, I don't care who else they kill.
DC's Convergence Details.
My take: As excited as I want to be for this Crisis On Infinite Earths anniversary story, I can't help but feel underwhelmed. I'm a Pre-New-52 fan and hope some elements return from that era. Many of the teased characters (Donna Troy, Wally West) reek of "cannon fodder", considering DC's attempt at updating their roster.
Watch out for this segment each and every weekend. We'll see you next week!
Did we miss something? What are your thoughts on these topics?
Leave us a comment below!
Posted by
Tam To
- Saturday, November 15, 2014
Nintendo is still wet behind the ears when it comes to including downloadable content for their big AAA releases. Regardless, you can rest assured that Mario Kart 8's first batch of DLC is extremely well done.
In total, Mario Kart 8 features two DLC packs: the first has just been recently released, while a second will be released in May of 2015. The first pack includes three new drivers, four new vehicles, and two new cups featuring eight new tracks.
Perhaps the most popular feature of this DLC pack is one of the new characters, Link from the Legend of Zelda franchise. This will be Link's first foray into Mario's crazy kart-riding antics, and it's safe to say that he fits in surprisingly well. Hearing Link excitedly yell in pure joy when performing tricks off of ramps or exclaiming cautiously when he's gliding through the air is something that will strike long-time Zelda fans as both jarring and satisfying.
Link is also accompanied by his own vehicle, known as the Master Cycle, which brandishes Hylian shields on either side and a horse motif. Not only that, but Link gets a whole track—no, a whole cup devoted to him in the form of the Triforce Cup. The tracks included in this are Wario's Gold Mine from Mario Kart Wii, Rainbow Road from Super Mario Kart, Ice Ice Outpost, and of course, Hyrule Circuit.
Check out this video to see Link, the Master Cycle, and the Triforce Cup in action:
Just when you think you've had enough DLC from the pack already, there's more! Tanooki Mario and Cat Peach make appearances as well. The following vehicles are also available: the Tanooki Kart, B Dasher, and Blue Falcon (on loan from Captain Falcon of F-Zero fame).
Joining the Triforce Cup is another new cup: the Egg Cup. This includes Yoshi Circuit from Mario Kart: Double Dash, Excitebike Arena (paying homage to the old NES classic), Dragon Driftway, and Mute City from the F-Zero franchise. Check out the videos below to see those in action!
Have you gotten the chance to try out this DLC pack for Mario Kart 8 yet? What are your thoughts on it? Let us know in the comments!
Mario Kart 8 is available exclusively for the Wii U. DLC Pack 1 is available now, while DLC Pack 2 will be available in May of 2015, both priced at $7.99. Pre-purchasing both packs in a bundle for $11.99 will allow players access to new Yoshi and Shy Guy alternate character colors.
Press Start films weekly and can be followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Posted by
Unknown
- Friday, November 14, 2014
Are horror movies not scary enough for you? Do you play Silent Hill or The Evil Within without even flinching? If so, Affected might just be what your psycho self needs to feel scared. I know I need it.
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| The Manor |
Affected, a virtual reality horror game that uses both the Kickstarter-funded Cyberith Virtualizer (due to be released in early 2015) and the next generation Oculus Rift, allows the player to fully immerse her- or himself into the game.
According to its developer, Fallen Planet Studios, Affected has "no puzzles to solve, no coins to collect"—the player just has to make it to the end in one piece.
The journey takes you through three terrifying environments: The Manor, The Asylum, and the The Carnival. Each level makes use of various thematic fears and phobias, lots of jumpscares, cutting-edge 3D graphics, and dynamic sound effects, all in order to launch the player into a world filled with nightmares. The developer promises "heightened feelings of tension and more importantly, unprecedented levels of fear."
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| The Asylum |
Although one can download the game and play it on a regular computer, Fallen Planet Studios has partnered up with Cyberith and Oculus to create the ultimate immersive experience.
The Cyberith Virtualizer consists of a flat base plate whose low-friction surface allows the player to "walk, run, and strafe freely in every direction," and a uniquely constructed ring that allows one to use "vertical movements such as jumping and crouching, as well as a 360° axial rotation." Cyberith promises its design allows for "movement [that] feels realistic, dramatically enhancing immersion [and] the adjustable harness ensures that movement through virtual worlds is effortless."
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| The Carnival |
The Oculus Rift allows the player to seamlessly look around the virtual world by using "custom tracking technology to provide ultra-low latency 360° head tracking." It also possesses a stereoscopic 3D, which allows one to perceive images the same way one's eyes perceive them in the real world, creating a much more natural and comfortable experience.
If Affected makes anyone feel "comfortable" remains to be seen.
Still curious about this game and all the technology that it involves? Then check out this young lady attempting to conquer Affected by playing with both Oculus and the Virtualizer.
You can download the game at https://share.oculus.com/app/affected.
Are you ready for this? Let me know what you think by leaving me comments below!
Posted by
Fanboys Anonymous
Throughout the series The Hunger Games by author Suzanne Collins, the symbol of the mockingjay represents the unity of the districts of Panem in their fight against the oppression of the Capitol in honor of their figurehead, Katniss Everdeen.
This symbol is brought to the forefront more than ever in the latest installment of the film franchise, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1.
In preparation for its upcoming release, Fanboys Anonymous is partnering up with TV Store Online for another special giveaway contest where you can win a free mockingjay pendant necklace by showing your support for the website where geeks go for everything nerdy.
Hunger Games fans unite! If you're a fan of this beloved series of novels, why not show it off with this classy Hunger Games necklace? The officially licensed pendant necklace features the Mockingjay pin that Katniss wears during the Hunger Games.
- Metal
- 2" Diameter
- Officially Licensed - no knockoffs!
- Regular price: $15.95
Emblazon yourself with the symbol of the rebellion by entering this contest now!
HOW TO WIN
Participants can earn the equivalent of one raffle ticket for each of the following tasks they complete.
There are no limits on how many chances to win that you can earn:
1) Share the Facebook contest image post
2) Retweet the Twitter contest post
3) Share this link throughout the geek community (post a comment below linking to the forum, message board, subreddit, or website's page that you shared it to show proof of this)
You must be following at least one of the following accounts — but you earn multiple chances to win by following each one of them.
Like the Fanboys Anonymous Facebook page
Follow the Fanboys Anonymous Twitter account
Subscribe to the Fanboys Anonymous YouTube channel
The more points you earn, the more chances you have to win! The winner will be chosen in a random draw and contacted through their social media account.
DISCLAIMER: The prize(s) that may be awarded to the eligible winner are not transferable, redeemable for cash or exchangeable for any other prize. If the winner has not redeemed his or her prize in 7 days, a new winner will be chosen. No points will be awarded to contestants who unsubscribe and resubscribe to an account. Only one point is awarded per account subscription. No members of the Fanboys Anonymous team are eligible to win.
Thank you for supporting Fanboys Anonymous and TV Store Online!
Posted by
Kym Pressley
- Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Shuffle forward and consume the brains of the masses in Hungry Hal, a comedic side-scrolling endless runner. Dodge explosions, missiles, and bear traps as you collect bones to purchase power ups and compete for highest score. While there are more than a few endless runners out there, Hungry Hal sticks out because of the comedic elements, theme, and the differences in game play.
In Hungry Hal, there are three lanes laden with traps that you run down horizontally. Hitting these traps slows you for a few seconds and lowers your hunger meter. Obviously, when your hunger meter empties, you're dead—for real this time. To replenish it, you chase down people trying to escape the zombie apocalypse and feast upon their grey matter.
Attacking a person takes their brain as they let out a funny death cry. As you advance further in the level, the people will launch into a dead sprint to get away, letting out another funny sound. More obstacles get in the way of your feast the further you go, making the game more difficult but giving a rewarding feeling as you climb the leader boards. The game's only substantial set back is the one shared by most endless runners; once the competitive aspect fades, the game becomes repetitive. However, until it does, it's a fun and engaging way to pass the time.
Overall, I give Hungry Hal a 4/5. It sticks well to its theme of a zombie apocalypse, manages to make it funny, and has simple controls with increasingly challenging game play. I recommend giving it a try and let me know what you think about it.
