Back from the dead

So I'm not dead. I just haven't updated this blog or put out new cartoons or drawings for some time.

Why? Because real life happened. That's really all that needs to be said. Thankfully, I'm settling back into a routine and, as as soon as my usual laptop is fixed (I'm typing this from a relative's computer), I'll be back to work on Wario and Spacious.

In the meantime, if you were ever interested in the show Dragon Hunters I mentioned long ago, the whole series is now streaming on Netflix, available in a torrent floating around (Not linking that, but it should be easy to find), and someone is putting every episode up on Youtube, so you really have no excuse to give it a shot now if you're even slightly intrigued.

Also, of the last three movies I saw, Rango was really good, Mars Needs Moms was surprisingly decent, and Battle: Los Angeles was painfully dull. I'll be putting up more reviews at http://www.examiner.com/user-behonkiss in the future.

Kung Fu Panda, Number One Super Guy

When I saw the trailer for Kung Fu Panda in the theater, I rolled my eyes. I turned to my sister next to me (She's 11) and said it looked like crap. She agreed wholeheartedly. In fact, it becamse a running gag between us over the next couple of months, ie, "Kung Fu Panda, MOVIE OF THE YEAR!" every time we saw a mention of it. And then it came out, and people started to go crazy over it. So we went and ate our words.

This is a good movie. The humor doesn't have any soon-to-be-dated pop culture references that I caught, there's some good elements to the story (A villain with a REASON for his ambitions?!), and a surprisingly authentic Asian look to the whole thing. The action sequences make the movie. The most stunning scene to me involves a prison escape, and all I'll say about the craziest shot is that it involves lots and lots of arrows. There are also some neat looking 2D sequences at the beginning and end, the former of which is super-stylized and could hold a movie on its own.

I'd actually recommend this not just to cartoon fans and kids but fans of martial arts films, because they got the Crouching Tiger-style fighting down pat. The only real bad news about the film's success is that Stephen Katzenberg is hoping to make not one, or two, but FIVE sequels. I smell some crap headed our way if they try to rush these out.

Podcasts worth your time (If you're a geek)

The Greatest Movie EVER!- Gooberzilla and Co. have fun discussing various cult films, B-movies, and anything that can fit the podcast's title, along with some earning the title of Worst Movie EVER. Good for anyone who enjoys popcorn-type flicks.

Movies You Should See- A bunch of Brits who know their movies discuss their favorite movies, both recent and old. They are very well educated in their knowledge of the medium, so that any type of movie lover can enjoy them.

Scene Unseen- A podcast reviewing recent movies, with a twist: One cohost sees the movie, while the other doesn't. This works very well.

Channel Frederator- Very well-known, and for good reason. A showcase for indie animators to show their stuff, and there is tons of quality and creativity to find.

Play Value- A videocast that has similar vibes of Icons on G4, except much more professional and informative. Great info on the history of the video game industry.

Anime World Order- I haven't been into anime much lately, but this is still a great show. The three cohosts often review older and/or more obscure things, which makes for much better entertainment than "HERES WHAT HAPPND IN BLEACH TODAY GUYS". They are also very, very funny.

Fast Karate for the Gentlemen- Also anime, but not as devoted- these guys often talk about why they hate the title, also discuss gaming just as much, and basically sit around going off on crazy tangents that are fun to listen to, regardless of your interests.

Worst Movie Ever!- The polar opposite of Greatest Movie EVER- kind of. They do have a tradition where they discuss a bad movie in the later parts of each show, but the first parts are reviews of newer movies and discussion on industry news.