Help A Blogger Out!

Received an e-mail earlier this morning, and thought that rather than write another long-winded post, I would write a short, succinct call to action to help a fellow blogger out.

I don't know Tony Collett personally (actually, I think I may have "met" him through another blogger), but he's been really good about linking to my blog in the past. He writes Mah Two Cents, where he does little capsule reviews, talks about some personal issues, and sometimes, the occasional post-that-leads-to-money writing.

Much like my godson Logan, he's from Indiana (which does Illinois a favor in that it shields us from Ohio), and he's a pretty cool guy (based on his writing).  He's been good to me in the past - I'd like to return the favor.

Be sure to read his blog at http://www.mahtwocents.com, and subscribe to his RSS feed. I think you'll dig his work.

Indie Comic Comedy Isn't Pretty...But It's Pretty Funny

(Full disclosure - review copies were provided for this blog post)

Humor is a tricky thing - some people prefer gentle wit; others prefer profane, pushing-the-envelope styles, and some others prefer their humor with a slight edge (think South Park). Comics that provide edgy humor can be tricky, because very few can pull it off. (An exception - and my personal favorite - is Evan Dorkin's Fun With Milk & Cheese). Fortunately, I've been asked to write about two different pieces, and so with further adieu, here we go....

I've owed Jeff Burk a blog post about Super Giant Monster Time, which is (in his own words) a parody of the Choose Your Own Adventure series), and having read it, it's actually quite good. It is, to be honest, not everyone's cup of tea (and quite frankly, I'm not a big fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure style of books), but I admit, I found myself chucking frequently (and with one or two laugh-out-loud moments). In fact, it's encouraging that I now want to read Jeff's other work, Shatnerquake. Of course, I have a twisted enough mind to want to read a book called Shatnerquake.

My personal favorite, though (post-C2E2) is The Angry Penguin web comic, which does more for penguins than Close, Personal Friend® Andy Martello. The black & white art is not super cartoony, and the humor is sharp and nasty (but in a good way). Granted, this and Super Giant Monster Time are not for everyone (especially the prudish), but if you have a sense of humor, you may enjoy them both as much as I did.

Whither Indiana

You know, there's a very common sport in Chicago - at least, with my family and friends - that is well regarded.

And that, of course, is Indiana bashing.

Why, I have no idea - first, they're next to Ohio, which really doesn't do much for their reputation. Plus, any state that gives us Kurt Vonnegut and Avery Brooks gets bonus points in my view.

(Plus, my godson lives there with my cousin, so I can't really point the finger - recent photos included in the slideshow below)

But today, for no reason other than I can....I'm going to highlight some Indiana bloggers.

(And post pictures of my godson. Did I mention that?)

First, there's Mark Gibson, who writes a pretty cool blog of pop culture-type stuff. You might want to check it out, especially the fact that he seems to be pulling out of a tough period. (Plus, his writing is simply a hoot)

Then, there's mutual friend Tony Collett, whose blog has some nice, pithy little comments. (Just a heads-up; he uses one of those pay-per-post services, so you might have to wade through some "commercial" messages)

Then, one of my newest favorites is a young lady who blogs under the name, "Sea of Green". She writes about comics and other pop-culture type stuff, and although we disagree about "Justice League: Cry for Justice", she's still cool.

And no, I won't mention former co-worker/antagonist Andy, because he lives in Chicago now. Plus, he has my cell phone number, and will probably call me about personal hygiene, or something.

But enough of my rambling - pictures of Logan - for you!