Preview: Flaw Fest

NOTE: This article was originally posted by me on TheWebsiteofDOOM.com

I think I need to start this piece by explaining a few things. First of all, this is not a review, it's a preview. I'm telling you about something cool that is about to come out but I'm talking from a slightly biased stand-point. I know Joseph Scrimshaw, the comedian who is about to release his very funny comedy album entitled Flaw Fest. We have worked together before, performing rather silly comedy at Atlanta's Dragon Con. I also contributed to the Kickstarter which funded this hilarious comedy album and accompanying music written by some incredibly talented musicians (some of whom I also know) inspired by Joseph's side-splittingly funny show. In fact, in the last track of Flaw Fest, where Joseph lists off the names of those contributors, I am the first name listed. It would be underhanded of me to claim that I'm going to critique Flaw Fest from a point of neutrality. But I will tell you how awesome it is because you should listen to it because it's great. OK?

Also, Joseph's album Comedy of Doom is in no way connected to us here at The Website of DOOM. It's just a weird coincidence.

The idea of the show is simple. Joseph Scrimshaw lists off all the flaws about himself in front of a live audience. It's an unusual theme but within it he manages to connect a lot of very different stories. Particular highlights are the tale of how a real live bear ate Gummy Bears from his mouth, a rather bizarre advertisement for eggs, and a song written by him in his teenaged years called Mr Suckface. It's that song that steers Flaw Fest into the unusual.

Joseph commissioned 10 songs from 10 different musicians. Their only guidance was to write a song based on his stories from the show. It's heartening to see the wide range of genres and subjects that the musicians came back with. Paul & Storm, Molly Lewis, Bill Corbett, The Sevateem, John Roderick, John Munson, The Doubleclicks, Kevin Murphy, Mike Phirman, and The Dregs all provide great material as diverse as the anecdotes themselves. From Paul & Storm's 1920s style jingle to Mike Phirman's dance-rock song about Kaiju it goes to show just how much is going on in Flaw Fest.

Flaw Fest is available now for pre-order on Bandcamp and will “drop” on Tuesday, November 5th. For $10 I don't think you can really go wrong for what is essentially a comedy/music double album full of the internet's finest. For a preview check out the introduction and song from John Munson below.

My Favourite Things: October 2013

NOTE: This article was originally published by me on ASiteCalledFRED.com
I'm back to give you more of my favourite stuff online. The videos aren't necessarily from the last month, but that's when I found them so it's good enough for me!

1) We Are Brothers

Two brothers (with the decidedly mad names Baddy Paris and Rufus Starlight) set out to give the most memorable best-man speech at a wedding and I think they gave it one hell of a shot. Here is a snippet of their description:

"At his wedding we pleaded for our brother not to leave us, in the only way we knew how to say it; through the medium of 80s music and video. We thought we'd done ok, but he left us anyway".

It has no right to be as good as it is.

I Heart Graffiti: Once We Were Heroes

I love a good stencil. They just look great sometimes. This particular one has caught my eye on a number of occasions due to it's excellent location at the back of Whelan's pub.

Comics: 23rd October 2013

- Wolverine and the X-Men #37

- Written by Jason Aaron

- Art by Giuseppe Camuncoli

At the start of this issue, I feel like I missed a bit somewhere.

I've never been entirely convinced by Jason Aaron's writing but I'm reluctant to lay the blame on him. This is a complicated story (see all my attempts to explain it previously) so it's easy to lose track. However, up until now I didn't feel like I needed to work so hard to follow the loose strings.
This is the last of the cross-over Battle of the Atom issues. The next chapter will be BotA #2 and it will be the final part of the saga.

I've said before that as a stand-alone story, it has been great to read but I don't feel it was necessary for it to leave the trappings of the All New title.

- Avengers #21

- Written by Jonathan Hickman

- Art by Leinil Francis Yu

In comparison to it's sister title, New Avengers, this is relatively a drunken night out. NA is so morose and contemplative but this, this is a big dirty war in space. It's brilliant.

Makes me want to shout "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT". But, you know, no-one in space can hear you scream "FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT". Which is a shame.

Good to see our two Captains, Marvel and America, working side by side as the Generals (ranks can be confusing) for Earth. Steve Rogers became Cap during a World War so he's right at home here. Although obviously, not actually at home, he's in space.

...FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!

Tease Me, Baby! - Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Captain America: The First Avenger was a perfect example of superhero movie making. They took a character who was intrinsically good, of a high moral code, and didnt try to dilute him to make him "more edgy" or "more relateable". He was a hero and we got to look up to him. Can you tell that I loved it?

I'm also a lover of the Ed Brubaker run of the Captain America comic. Captain America: The Winter Soldier is based on this story. I won't get into the specifics of it, because I don't want to give away any spoilers for the movie, but The Winter Soldier is the name of the enemy that Cap will be squaring up against.

This time around though, there is a different director, different writers, and even a different era of history so can Marvel keep their high standard going? They've brought in some more characters to bolster the ranks. The Black Widow is back, alongside the first live-action appearance of long-time Cap colleague The Falcon.

The Drive-In of DOOM! - RED

We were a little late getting October's commentary to you, mostly because myself and JJ have hectic schedules at the moment, so apologies for that. This month we grant the request of a Drive-In listener who was looking for us to cover the fun action flick RED.

The cast is pretty amazing with award winners like Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, and John Malkovitch but somehow we find a way to recast the whole thing with 80s teen sensations. Go figure.

Actually, I making fun of our diversions but this was one of the most fun to record as we talk about almost everything but the movie. It's a weird one this month, folks!

To listen CLICK HERE or to download directly CLICK HERE.

Aaron's WWEport- Tag Me In

NOTE: This article was originally published by me on TheWebsiteofDOOM.com

If you think about the WWE tag division of 3 or 4 years ago it would probably be pretty damn difficult for you to name three teams from that period. There were a lot of randomly generated teams put together out of ease rather than purpose. However, I'm going to make the argument that they've really turned things around and the division is now the strongest it has been since the Attitude days.

I'll make my case by listing all legitimate teams currently getting air-time on RAW and Smackdown and there is no better place to start than the champions.

- The Rhodes Brothers

The winners of the best match at the recent Battleground PPV surprisingly stayed together as a team and won the titles a week later. I was only surprised that they stayed together as Goldust was essentially retired as a wrestler and working backstage until about a month ago. I didn't think he'd stay active after the PPV but I'm so glad he did. He looks in great shape and is the epitome of a veteran with all the skills that comes with such experience. Teaming him with the young and talented Cody is a great combination and I hope they stick around for the foreseeable future.

I Heart Graffiti: Rome Edition Part 2

I spotted these two different pieces about 30 minutes walk away from each other. The first was close to The Vatican and the second was on a side-street in Trastevere.

I think Stan Lee is about to sue somebody!

Comics: 16th October 2013

This is late for two reasons; 1) my life is a mess and 2) I bought 6 comics last week. SIX! Bloody hell. Alright, let's get to this...

- Uncanny X-Men #13
- Written by Brian Michael Bendis
- Art by Chris Bachalo

Only two more issues to go before the Battle of the Atom story is all wrapped up. It's even less when you consider that Bendis has revealed the final issue is essentially everyone's epilogues.
Considering the info, it's not surprising there are a lot of deaths in this installment. It's a bit of a bloodbath, really. Plus we're also told the rather game-changing info that the past-X-Men can't return to the past. At least, not in the same way that they came to the present. It looks like we're going to be reading more of their time-travelling exploits in the future. I, for one, welcome this news.

Although, the game was given away a little when Marvel released previews this past week of the team having adventures in space with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Sigh. Good job, marketing.

Tease Me, Baby! - Dear Mr. Watterson

NOTE: This article was originally published by me on TheWebsiteofDOOM.com

Calvin & Hobbes is one of the most universally loved pieces of literature in the world. It's creator, Bill Watterson, is an intensely private man and has done very, very few interviews in his life. Less so since he retired the comic 18 years ago. With all that in mind, can director Joel Allen Schroeder shed some light on the strip with his documentary?

You'll see in the following full-length trailer that at the very least he had no shortage of people looking to talk about it. From actors and fellow cartoonists to regular fanatics it appears everybody is chomping at the bit to gush about this seminal work.



Unlike most TMBs here at DOOM Towers we can't exactly pick this apart for nuggets of info. It's a documentary full of people talking to camera, what's to say? But there are a couple points.

- Beauty is in the eye of the director

So this is one of those documentaries where the director inserts themselves physically into the film. We'll be seeing Joel as he meets fans and looks into the history of the comic.



This can be a slippery slope for documentaries as sometimes the director can end up making the film all about himself. When the subject matter is this good, that isn't necessary/wanted.

- Whatever they say, believe it

I can't stress this enough; whatever superlative they use to describe Calvin & Hobbes, whatever praise they pour onto it, it's all true. You can not over emphasize how wonderful the comic is.



If you haven't read it yet, stop reading this article now and go do so. In fact, even if you have read it before, go back and read it again. And just in case you don't listen, I'm going to stop this article right now so you've no excuse.

I Heart Graffiti: Rome Edition Part 1

Two weeks ago I got to visit Rome, Italy. For some pretty pictures you can check out my Flickr page. I saw very little graffiti while I was there (maybe it was too pretty to paint over) but I managed to bring back one or two photos to show you.

This was in a part of the city called Trastevere which was full of restaurants and cafes. I rather like it.

Comics: 9th October 2013

I've been trying not to pick up any new comics, and by new I mean titles I'm not already reading. I'm already buying a lot and I'm trying to cut down. Yes, I'm talking about comics like they're cigarettes. However one was released this week that caught my eye and much like a junkie who is doomed for life, I had to get one more thrill.

- X-Men #6
- Written by Brian Wood
- Art by David López

The future X-Men reveal themselves to be the slightly evil group that people suspected they were. Only slightly evil though. They genuinely seem like they only want to incapacitate the present X-Men and not kill them which I figure has to get you some sort of bonus points.

Out of all the different X-books I've read during the BotA event this felt a little more like business as usual for the title. We see more of Brian Wood's team than previously and that's a welcomed change because there are plenty of good things going on there.

One highlight is Shogo, Jubilee's adopted son. The young X-Men students devise a form of defense for the baby as... well, they're X-Men and it would be silly not to considering how often people try to kill them. When you see the result, it will definitely put a smile on your face.

Interview: Jordie Bellaire

This interview took place over a week ago. I wanted to post this so much sooner because I had an absolute blast talking to Jordie and we continued to chat even after the interview was over. She's a genuinely fun person to talk to. However, because we talked for so long it made transcribing the interview a very slow process. I think it was worth it though, and I hope you enjoy our twelve minutes of chat below.

If you don't know Jordie Bellaire, chances are you probably do. She's the colourist on some of the best comics this year like Mara, The Manhattan Projects and Half Past Danger (all of which I previously complimented on this site) and a ton more. I got to speak to her during D.I.C.E. 2013 last month.

Aaron: I was going to say "welcome to Dublin" but that's dumb because you live here!

Jordie: Yeah, I've lived here now for about three years with Declan Shalvey.

A: How do you find Dublin in comparison to America?

J: Well I'm from Florida where they actually get the sun. There you go, that's the main thing you need to know! And from the South where there is cornbread, and fixin's, and pancakes, and waffles, and food. I'm really hungry right now.

A: Do they have Bojangles down as far as Florida? I know Georgia has it.

J: Bojangles... that's the chicken place yeah? I don't think it's a Florida thing but I do know about them.

A: That place is like crack... There were a few questions I wanted to ask you. One of the things I've been really impressed by in The Manhattan Projects is the split personality colour thing you do with the red and blue sides of Oppenheimer. How did that come about?

Comics: 2nd October 2013

Not gonna lie, I'm kinda worn out from all the comic stuff. Still two more interviews to try and transcribe over the next week or two (they're long interviews and my free time is short). A week's break might be nice but then I'd miss out on all the good stuff! I said I'd do this for a full year and damn it that's what I'm going to do!

- All New X-Men #17
- Written by Brian Michael Bendis
- Art by Stuart Immonen

The time travel hijinks continue. I love the word hijinks by the way, people don't use it enough.

*takes a deep breath*

So the past-X-Men who have been brought to the present, their future, by present-Beast have stuck around in the present to try and change their future but the future-X-Men have come back to the present, their past, to tell their past versions of themselves to go back into the past where they belong but the present-X-Men disagree with each-other about whether or not to listen to the future-X-Men about the past-X-Men especially because the future-X-Men aren't necessarily who they claim to be so the present X-Men go into the future with a couple of the past-X-Men to see if the future-X-Men in the present are telling the truth.

Got it? good.

Comics Catch Up: Half Past Danger

I recently bought the first five issues of Half Past Danger but it was a while before I got a chance to read them. However, it's too good not to tell you about it so here we go...

- Half Past Danger #1-5
- Written by Stephen Mooney
- Art by Stephen Mooney

I'm going to try and give you a large amount of information about five issues of a comic book without giving away too many spoilers. Some story points will have to be addressed in order just to have the conversation, but most of which could be gleamed from looking at a cover or seeing a preview anywhere online so you should be fine.

First of all, I need to start off with the fact that I'm quite proud that this is by an Irishman. There aren't many of us in comics so it's always great to see one.

Possibly unsurprisingly the lead character is also Irish. His name is Sergeant Tommy Flynn and he joined the American army to fight in World War II. In the first issue we meet Tommy leading his platoon across the jungle of a South Pacific island in 1943. As they travel they stumble across a secret Nazi base amongst the greenery. Before they get a chance to act, suddenly they're attacked by dinosaurs.

That's right. Nazis and dinosaurs. You're welcome.


There isn't much more plot details I feel necessary to fill you in on after that. I mean, that should really be enough to make you hand over your cash. So instead I'll tell you about all the other things going on.

Mooney tells the story in that modern pulp style. Think of any Steven Spielberg movie and you're pretty close. Actually, Spielberg has two films that if you crossed them would be a pretty accurate representation of Half Past Danger; Indiana Jones and Jurassic Park. Lots of thrills, lots of gristled men in khaki, and dinosaurs in jungles.

No Milk Day: The Hat

This is one of those improvised videos that we often do at No Milk Day but funnily enough we improvised this based on a scene we improvised previously at a drama workshop.

It's ok though, I'm ripping off myself here so it's grand.