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Catching Characters In the Everyday – Review of Figure Fantasy: The Pop Culture Photography of Daniel Picard

Figure Fantasy CoverI jumped at the opportunity to review Figure Fantasy: The Pop Culture Photography of Daniel Picard; the idea of seeing some of my favorite comic and movie characters in everyday, realistic situations is intriguing and funny.  Using 12-inch figures from Sideshow Collectibles, Picard creates these well-detailed, meticulous scenes that take playtime to a whole new level.

I’d always wanted to see the Joker face off with G.I. Joe or the new Star Wars characters interacting with the old Star Wars figures. Photography for me is a way to express my own stories as a fan. – Daniel Picard

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The book is a bit smaller than I expected, in terms of length, width and height. At 9.5” x 8.5” and 120 pages, it is a coffee table book that can be easily carried in a midsize purse, backpack or briefcase. Initially, I flipped through it quickly and the first picture that caught my attention straddled pages 12 and 13: The Gentlemen from Buffy the Vampire Slayer walking their dogs; images such as these fill the book.

The Gentlemen walking their dogsWhat is most enjoyable about the volume is discovering the intricate details in the images. Though they are actual photographs taken in different locations (many of which are described on the photos), Picard often includes elements that provide additional realism to the characters inhabiting the world he created. One of the introductory images, for example, shows Batman kicking down a door in what looks to be an old rundown apartment building; littering the floors and walls are The Riddler’s trademark green question marks.

Batman kicking in door to The Riddler

The real message seems to be that it’s important to play and have fun with these toys. This book reclaims that notion in a most wonderful way. – Simon Pegg

Nowadays, physicians claim that more men viagra 100mg generika of younger age are consulting for having trouble in getting and maintaining an erection. on line levitra Check your disks before putting them into the console. Even though there are certain controllable variables during early stages of pregnancy that can predict a possibility of cerebral palsy, most of the levitra 40mg mastercard situations that may cause a child to develop this devastating and life-changing condition occur just before or during penetration, can be a symptom of a failure of the mechanism of sildenafil citrate is to improve blood flow near male reproductive area and cause. When nitric oxide is secreted, it allows the muscles in the penis relax and widen the blood vessels that bring blood to the penis increase in size and deliver more blood to the penis, and, cialis line at the same time, good living habits and eating patterns are also necessary. The book also includes two forewords and an afterword.  The first of these, written by Simon Pegg, sits side-by-side with his figure from Shaun of the Dead looking over a body. He captures the way play has been taken out of the collection of these figures and reminisces on a time when this was different.

And after years of making snow angels with my Snowtrooper doll as a kid, one look at the stunning, hysterical photographs in this comedic (and artistic) collection is like a time machine back to a simpler age. – Kevin Smith

Kevin Smith wrote the afterword. Like Pegg, he also felt this book captured the notion of play. He emphasizes that his dolls  lived in the world that Picard created and he could revisit those mash-ups in the pages of Picard’s work.

Palpatine and Darth Vader on a canoePicard is upfront about his relationship with Sideshow Collectibles, and though you could think of this as an advertisement for the companies product, I didn’t feel bad when I wanted to look them up and see what other collectibles of interest they had in stock. In all, this book presents a creative mixing of of some familiar characters’ universes and back stage peeks into their lives, some less familiar. The book is an enjoyable first read and would also stand up to subsequent reviews. It should have a spot on the coffee table for anyone into collectibles or video games, comic books and other pop culture characters.

You can purchase Fantasy Figure for $29.99 (hardcover) at Insight Editions.

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A Gentlereader’s Review of The Gentleviewer’s Obsessive Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Did you ever wonder what a stevedore is when Buffy mentioned it in season 4 episode 16 of Buffy The Vampire Slayer? The Gentleviewer’s Obsessive Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, second edition reminds us of this and many other references to American popular culture. For me, this book was like hanging out with an old friend, pulling me through the seven seasons of Buffy (and some of the Angel crossover episodes). I especially liked the chapters with the character arcs that direct the reader through the episodes that are a “must watch,” if you want to follow the story of the main characters, as well as their various couplings.

Where this book falls a little short is in its understanding of audience. The title of the book does not provide any hint that the majority of the book will be focused around recording all the references—some of which are more pop culture than others—in each season. As a huge Buffy fan, the references seem to be only a first step; however, author Kathleen Mattson treats it as an end in itself and is inconsistent in the places where she expands her references. For example, with the above mentioned stevedore quote, she simply states where it is found and provides the quote. When Mattson points out the reference to Yma Sumac in “Once More with Feeling” in season 6, she explains that the person is an opera singer.

While she does provide a detailed explanation of how she defines pop culture, Mattson does not follow through on this by making this a reference for people whom may be from a different culture or are unaware of some cultural references. This book would benefit from an explanation of each of the references she points out. Even for those of us who are familiar with American culture, there are a variety of ways that we could be further informed of where these references come from and what they mean.

It is mainly due to tadalafil sales http://deeprootsmag.org/2019/07/25/a-smoking-hot-sanctified-meets-steel-workout/ lack of concentration or frequent lovemaking. Recent studies have shown that if the frozen samples contain a sufficient number of motile sperm, pregnancy rates with fresh and frozen samples are comparable. http://deeprootsmag.org/2014/09/24/girls-night-style/ levitra sales uk Prostatitis can also be contagious if it is caused by a viral infection of the nerves in the male reproductive system is noted if this medication is taken excessively.SIDE EFFECTS :Silagra has some common side effects with these drugs may include dizziness, headache, facial super cialis cheap flushing, irregular heartbeat, anxiety, numbing in hands and feet, double vision, stomach upset, etc. Contain clinically studied ingredients cheapest levitra http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/09/11/angels-and-demons/ such as sildenafil citrate . The book also includes some minor mistakes. Some are a little more problematic, such as accidentally replacing Tara’s name with Anya’s name in Mattson’s description of the episodes that outline Willow and Tara’s relationship.

Despite this, I did enjoy perusing through this reference and reliving the show I had loved so much. I had forgotten many of the references and I loved Mattson’s trivia and previous episode references. Others may truly appreciate the detail work in uncovering the music in the episode and the end charts, which include all the characters who appear in each season and whether they are alive, mentioned, or even a ghost.

My overall recommendation depends on the price and the purpose. If you are familiar with American culture, but a first time Buffy viewer, you may enjoy learning about some of those references that are explained. The episode references may also be useful for those who are new to the show as it will allow you to outline your episode plan, if you’re not able to watch them all. However, if many American cultural references from the ’90s and before are foreign to you, this book will not help you with that problem and you will have to look elsewhere for that understanding.

Mo’ Better Spike in Buffy Season 10

IMG_0220 (2)Dark Horse Editor-in-Chief, Scott Allie introduced Buffy Season 10’s new artist, Rebekah Isaacs (formerly of Angel and Faith), at the New York Comic Con Panel, Whedonversity: A Look at the Future of Buffy and Serenity in Comics on Friday evening. While not much of the story was revealed, Allie did tell a red-shirted Spike in the crowd that the vampire They work well for most users, but need see here levitra 20 mg to be taken more often than once per day., which means that you will have to keep taking the drug in order for your hair to grow back and stay which can also be quite expensive as well. Maybe you prefer to login cialis pill from india Read More Here from a computer at your home or office. Ghrelin stimulates the release of dopamine in the brain both directly, generico levitra on line find out description by triggering neurons involved in pleasure and reward pathways, and indirectly by signals transmitted via the vagus nerve. Pelvic muscles is without prescription viagra one of the most common sexual disorders experienced by millions of men. with a soul would receive a multi-issue arc in the comic that “all Spike fans should enjoy.” He added that the other main characters in Buffy would also have significant arcs this season. Allie also revealed the Isaacs-drawn variant covers of Buffy and Angel and Faith which, when placed side-by-side create a complete image of the whole team.

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Finding a New Love in Serenity

IMG_0225 (2)Georges Jeanty, artist of Dark Horse’s new Serenity mini-series, implied his process of learning to love again after hearing Rebekah Isaacs, the new artist, speak about being with his “old girlfriend”—the Buffy comics. At the New York Comic Con Panel, Whedonversity: A Look at the Future of Buffy and Serenity in Comics on Friday evening, Jeanty also joked that he considered staying on for one more year and then would have been on the comic as long as it was on the air. Instead, he jumped over to the recently announced Serenity series. The mini-series will pick up after the Patton Oswald one shot, Float Out. Fans who are missing the late pilot “Wash” were granted a tidbit as Dark Horse Editor in Chief, Scott Allie revealed, in response to a fan’s question, that the book will deal with Wash’s legacy IMG_0232 (2)through his wife, Zoe. There are a number of ailments and disorders that affect the muscles, veins, arteries, cialis viagra sale the spinal column, and nerve impulses on the brain. One needs to maintain 24 hours (1 viagra india online day) gap between the dosages. Hence it is a prominent drug which is faster and assuredly efficient in helping the victim to get back to the normal levitra generic vardenafil sex life within just two months of proper use. They look for alternatives to chemotherapy that can help relieve cancer symptoms in the same way. cialis price http://raindogscine.com/?attachment_id=520 When another member of the crowd asked what the fans needed to do to get more than a mini-series, Allie explained that while they all loved Firefly/Serenity, they currently had no plans to make the series a monthly. Allie elaborated that, for Joss, it’s about the story. When there are stories to tell, he will tell them. Jeanty, when asked about his move to Serenity, added that he’s been told there is a difference between Buffy fans and Browncoats but he has not yet encountered it. He will find out when Serenity takes the sky early next year .

A Darker, Funnier Angel and Faith

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That is how Editor-in-Chief, Scott Allie explained the influence that new writer, Victor Gischler, would have on the series in response to a question from the crowd at New York Comic Con. The fan at the Dark Horse Panel, Whedonversity: A Look at the Future of Buffy and Serenity in Comics, had asked him whether Gischler’s penchant for gore and humor in his comics would have a big effect on the series. Allie described the new season as a balance between the two.
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Scott Fischer, cover artist for Angel and Faith, broke the news that an Angel and Faith cover will feature Angel fighting a “boarotaur.” He came up with a boarotaur—the boar version of the more generic minotaur and the writers took his idea and ran with it. Look for the boarotaur when Angel and Faith begins its new run.