#Brian Neal

[not-the-coffee-machine4]

John wearing this shirt around the band is hilarious

From the book, Queen: The Neal Preston Photographs

[vertigoartgore]

2004's Avengers: Finale Vol.1 #1 (turning 20 today, feel old yet ?) cover by artist Neal Adams (R.I.P.) and colorist Laura Martin.

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

July 1982, New York, USA - Queen backstage with Andy Warhol during 'Hot Space' North American Tour

📸 Photographer © Neal Preston

[rhapsodynew]

Sometimes I forget how great it was to work for Queen.

The 4 greatest guys of all time. Bri and Rog - well, you guys know how I feel....

And there was no better team...... and tour managers like Stickells don't do it anymore.

I still can't even look at a bottle of ouzo (aniseed vodka).

photographer Neal Preston

[p-c-ba-dcforever]

Justice League of America pt 2

[braddocklegacy]

Betsy Braddock —> Training/Sparring

[myvinylplaylist]

Slash: Orgy Of The Damned (2024)

Cover Artwork By Toni Greis

Snakepit Records

[pinkfloyd-musicartnaturelove]

Link Wray, David Gilmour, Dave Edmunds, Dickey Betts, Brian Setzer, Steve Cropper, Lita Ford, Neal Schon, Tony Iommi | 1984

[pleas3pretendimnothere]

Read a strange variety of books this month... Let's talk about them!

THE LOST ART

By Simon Morden - Sometimes, it's fun to go to bookstores and take a risk on a book you've never heard of. You read the descriptor, you don't look up any reviews, and you hand over a couple bucks to the cashier. This can lead to finding hidden gems or harmless time-wasters. So what's the verdict on Morden's Art?

Well, this book was very strange. The first half was interesting, albeit slow, the world confusing but grounded. The characters had intrigue, and the plot was weird enough to keep my attention. However, lots of issues ended up ruining this read. Characters that are at first mysterious end up predictable archetypes. Interesting storylines go absolutely nowhere. A book about the future keeps you in the past. Female characters throw themselves at the lead, nothing is explained, and all of the sudden, the book is over.

Left me feeling unsatisfied and bored, which is the worst thing a book can be. Morden's following works are praised, but I see why Art isn't talked about. It's absolutely un-special, B-movie blandness. SKIP IT!

THE MAGICIAN'S NEPHEW THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE

By C.S. Lewis - Somehow, I have never read the Narnia series. As a very young child, my mother gifted to me a boxed set of Lewis's masterpiece, and I only ever read The Lion. Despite losing interest, I've still never let go of my original copies, and over two decades later, I finally decided to tackle them!

Lewis's prose is phenomenal. For that alone, the series is worth reading. Nephew is the weaker of these first two books, essentially comprised of only a handful of scenes surrounding the mystical creationism of Narnia, but there is great charm in our two leads and their short adventure. The pacing suffers near the end, but the first half in the forest and witch's dead kingdom is magical. The Lion takes off fantastically; Narnia is now a fully realized world, and the danger feels wicked and tangible while never lacking in whimsy and imagination. This sequel is a delight. Both books are easy, quick reads that make for excellent bedtime stories (if you don't mind Lewis's unashamed religious inspirations). I look forward to continuing the rest of the series, but so far, I would suggest you RENT IT!

A WIZARD OF EARTHSEA

By Ursula Le Guin - I don't have much to say about Earthsea that hasn't already been said. Prose? Check. World? Check. Characters, story, stakes, pacing? Check, check, check, check. People call this book a masterpiece, and they are right.

You naturally fall in love with the main character. You love the magical world, and you fear its mystery. You want things to end happily, but they end how they should--the right way. It's satisfying, it's gut-wrenching, it's beautiful and it's fun. That's it. All I got to say! Fantasy thanks you, Le Guin!

All the best fantasy comes from before the 2000s, don't they? Romantasy and Sanderson have ruined the genre for me! I'm getting Earthsea's sequel, OBVIOUSLY. BUY IT!

SCYTHE

By Neal Shusterman - Another highly praised book I've had on my shelf for ages and ages. I don't even remember how I got this book, but I did, and it was time to read it. It's a weird one, but it's special.

The book is not without flaws. There's a weird aside where a character travels to another country that feels like a silly YA page-filler. The ending is campy and lackluster. Most notably, the two main characters are quite flat--this somehow both helps and hinders the story. They both feel cold and distant, which gives intrigue to their journey; however, they come across as calculating and unfeeling, so it feels natural when they develop schemes but unnatural when they develop feelings. Luckily, the romance takes a backseat, and overall, this is some sharp YA fiction.

My best comparison is to the Persona series--cool, weird, and genuinely interesting. I would totally recommend Scythe. It's bizarre and creepy, it's nonsensical and sometimes thought-provoking in its analyses of a world without death. I had many issues with the character work, but the plot and pacing is gripping, and I could not put this book down. It just left me feeling uneasy, and I will definitely be getting the sequels. RENT IT!

REDWALL

By Brian Jacques - I started reading a piece of modern fantasy, and I just could not tolerate the prose. It was so average, so normal, and coming off of Narnia, Earthsea, and then Redwall? It went back on the shelf unfinished. And I looked at Redwall, and I thought, "Damn, Jacques. Why can't they all be like you?"

This is a children's story, so Redwall suffers in the way children's stories do. The pacing is slow, the characters one-note, the story predictable. Nonetheless, this is how you write children's fiction! Despite slow pacing, episodic adventures help the story still feel fresh as it rolls along. Despite flat characters, they are adorable and loveable, and you root for Constance, you cry for Methuselah. Despite a predictable ending, Jacques shocks you with sudden betrayals, injuries, battles and violent deaths! Jacques is not messing around here!

Awesome literature, and something I'd recommend to all elementary school kids who read ahead of their level and adults like me who didn't love fantasy until they were "too old" for Redwall. This is a classic in the genre, no doubt, and anyone who cares about fantasy needs to have a copy of this on their shelf! BUY IT!

[gameofthunder66]

'Causeway' (2022) film

-watched 6/29/2024- 3 [1/2] stars- on Apple tv

85% Rotten Tomatoes

[camyfilms]

SPOTLIGHT 2015

They knew and they let it happen! It could've been you, it could've been me, it could've been any of us!

[link-sans-specs]

Anwir Bladehaven, a Rogue Half-Elf

Have you seen my father?

Rhett & Link

We Hired An Exorcist To Play D&D

[classicmarvelera]

The Success Story of Marvel’s Secret Invasion Crossover Event

In the autumn of 1961, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced a shape-shifting alien race who we would know as Skrulls. They would make their first appearance in The Fantastic Four no. 2 and they would get entangled with the Avengers a few years later during the Kree-Skrull War.  No one had imagined how this alien race would make a comeback that would have a lasting impact on the Marvel Universe as well as its readership

While Secret Invasion was published in 2008 before that Brian Michael Bendis had been planting the seeds for it in Avengers: Disassembled, New Avengers: Breakout, and Secret War. Something big was about to happen but no one had any idea who was behind it or why. The success lay in the fact that Bendis had remained tight-lipped throughout and every crossover event that followed up until the time when the full-scale invasion happened, shocked the readers, made them wonder about the characters they were so familiar with and whether they were what they showed themselves to be. It wasn’t about Skrulls shape-shifting to look like humans or superheroes and even super villains, it was also about the adoption of their target’s personality completely. This wasn’t a Personality Disorder, it was the Order!       

Marvel's Secret Invasion comic book crossover event was highly successful for several reasons. Here are some key factors that contributed to its success:

1. Strong Concept: Secret Invasion had a compelling premise that captivated readers. The story centered around the infiltration of Earth by shape-shifting Skrull aliens who had replaced key Marvel characters. This concept generated excitement and intrigue, as readers were left guessing who was a Skrull and who could be trusted

2. Impactful Storytelling: The event was meticulously planned and executed by writer Brian Michael Bendis, who created a suspenseful and intricate storyline. Bendis crafted a narrative that had significant repercussions across the Marvel Universe. The invasion resulted in significant character developments, shocking reveals, and dramatic confrontations, keeping readers engaged and eager to see how it all unfolded

3. Character-driven Drama: Secret Invasion explored the psychological and emotional impact of the Skrull infiltration on the Marvel heroes. The story delved into themes of trust, betrayal, and identity, as beloved characters faced the unsettling reality that their friends and allies could be impostors. This focus on character-driven drama added depth and complexity to the event

4. Wide-scale Impact: The event had far-reaching consequences beyond the main Secret Invasion series. Tie-in issues and spin-off titles explored the invasion's effects on different corners of the Marvel Universe, involving various characters and teams

Brian Michael Bendis will forever be remembered for making the Skrulls an unclear and ever-present threat at a scale that would make his predecessors admire him in the Valhalla of comic creators 

Secret Invasion MUST Haves: 

[freddiemercurylegendabovelegends]

1980, USA - Freddie Mercury during an interview

📸 Photo by Neal Preston

[superheroes-or-whatever]

Star Trek/Green Lantern: The Spectrum War (2015) variant cover gallery 

[p-c-ba-dcforever]

Countdown to Batman Day continues with Batman and Batgirl! (the Boy Wonder sneaks in a couple times, too!)