#the miracle: mike bennett

[munatarswrestlingassociationrp]

"Ow, my balls... I'm never going back to that lunatic's blog again..."

[thisisyourdriverspeaking]

Summer break and I'm kinda sorta missing F1 so here are the UK number one songs when drivers got their first Grand Prix win. Enjoy 😊

Giuseppe Farina (1950 British GP - 13th May), Juan Manuel Fangio (1950 Monaco GP - 21st May) & Johnnie Parsons (1950 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Billy Eckstine - My Foolish Heart

Lee Wallard (1951 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Les Paul & Mary Ford - Mockin' Bird Hill

Luigi Fagioli (1951 French GP - 1st July) & Jose Froilan Gonzalez (1951 British GP - 14th July) - Nelson Eddy & Jo Stafford - With These Hands

Alberto Ascari (1951 German GP - 29th July) - Hoagy Carmichael - My Resistance Is Low

Piero Taruffi (1952 Swiss GP - 18th May) - Nat 'King' Cole - Unforgettable

Troy Ruttman (1952 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Jo Stafford - Ay-Round The Corner

Bill Vukovich (1953 Indy 500 - 30th May) & Mike Hawthorn (1953 French GP - 5th July) - Frankie Laine - I Believe

Maurice Trintignant (1955 Monaco GP - 22nd May) - Tony Bennett - Stranger In Paradise

Bob Sweikert (1955 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Eddie Calvert - Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White

Stirling Moss (1955 British GP - 16th July) - Alma Cogan - Dreamboat

Luigi Musso (1956 Argentine GP - 22nd January) - Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons

Pat Flaherty (1956 Indy 500 - 30th May) & Peter Collins (1956 Belgian GP - 3rd June) - Ronnie Hilton - No Other Love

Sam Hanks (1957 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Andy Williams - Butterfly

Tony Brooks (1957 British GP - 20th July) - Elvis Presley - All Shook Up

Jimmy Bryan (1958 Indy 500 - 30th May) - Connie Francis - Who's Sorry Now

Jack Brabham (1959 Monaco GP - 10th May) - Buddy Holly - It Doesn't Matter Anymore

Rodger Ward (1959 Indy 500 - 30th May) & Jo Bonnier (1959 Dutch GP - 31st May) - Elvis Presley - A Fool Such As I

Bruce McLaren (1959 US GP - 12th December) - Adam Faith - What Do You Want?

Jim Rathmann (1960 Indy 500 - 30th May) - The Everly Brothers - Cathy's Clown

Phil Hill (1960 Italian GP - 4th September) - The Shadows - Apache

Wolfgang Von Trips (1961 Dutch GP - 22nd May) - Floyd Cramer - On The Rebound

Giancarlo Baghetti (1961 French GP - 2nd July) - Del Shannon - Runaway

Innes Ireland (1961 US GP - 8th October) - The Shadows - Kon-Tiki

Graham Hill (1962 Dutch GP - 20th May) - B Bumble & The Stingers - Nut Rocker

Jim Clark (1962 Belgian GP - 17th June) - Elvis Presley - Good Luck Charm

Dan Gurney (1962 French GP - 8th July) - Mike Sarne & Wendy Richard - Come Outside

John Surtees (1963 German GP - 4th August) - Elvis Presley - Devil In Disguise

Lorenzo Bandini (1964 Austrian GP - 23rd August) - Manfred Man - Do Wah Diddy Diddy

Jackie Stewart (1965 Italian GP - 12th September) - The Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction

Richie Ginther (1965 Mexican GP - 24th October) - Ken Dodd - Tears

Ludovico Scarfiotti (1966 Italian GP - 4th September) - The Beatles - Yellow Submarine

Pedro Rodriguez (1967 South African GP - 2nd January) - Tom Jones - Green Green Grass Of Home

Denny Hulme (1967 Monaco GP - 7th May) - Sandie Shaw - Puppet On A String

Jacky Ickx (1968 French GP - 7th July) & Jo Siffert (1968 British GP - 20th July) - Equals - Baby Come Back

Jochen Rindt (1969 US GP - 5th October) - Jane Birkin & Serge Gainsbourg - Je T'aime... Mon Non Plus

Clay Regazzoni (1970 Italian GP - 6th September) - Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown

Emerson Fittipaldi (1970 US GP - 4th October) - Freda Payne - Band Of Gold

Mario Andretti (1971 South African GP - 6th March) - Mungo Jerry - Baby Jump

Peter Gethin (1971 Italian GP - 5th September) - Diana Ross - I'm Still Waiting

Francois Cevert (1971 US GP - 3rd October) - Rod Stewart - Maggie May

Jean-Pierre Beltoise (1972 Monaco GP - 14th May) - T-Rex - Metal Guru

Ronnie Peterson (1973 French GP - 1st July) - Donny Osmond - Young Love

Peter Revson (1973 British GP - 14th July) - Slade - Skweeze Me Pleeze Me

Carlos Reutemann (1974 South African GP - 30th March) - Paper Lace - Billy Don't Be A Hero

Niki Lauda (1974 Spanish GP - 28th April) - Abba - Waterloo

Jody Scheckter (1974 Swedish GP - 9th June) - Ray Stevens - The Streak

Jose Carlos Pace (1975 Brazilian GP - 26th January) - Pilot - January

Jochen Mass - (1975 Spanish GP - 27th April) - Mud - Oh Boy

James Hunt (1975 Dutch GP - 22nd June) - 10CC - I'm Not In Love

Vittorio Brambilla (1975 Austrian GP - 17th August) - The Stylistics - I Can't Give You Anything (But My Love)

John Watson (1976 Austrian GP - 15th August) - Elton John & Kiki Dee - Don't Go Breaking My Heart

Gunnar Nilsson (1977 Belgian GP - 5th June) - Rod Stewart - I Don't Want To Talk About It

Jacques Laffite (1977 Swedish GP - 19th June) - The Jacksons - Show You The Way To Go

Alan Jones (1977 Austrian GP - 14th August) - Brotherhood Of Man - Angelo

Patrick Depailler (1978 Monaco GP - 7th May) - Boney M - Rivers Of Babylon

Gilles Villeneuve (1978 Canadian GP - 8th October) - John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John - Summer Nights

Jean-Pierre Jabouille (1979 French GP - 1st July) - Tubeway Army - Are 'Friends' Electric?

Rene Arnoux (1980 Brazilian GP - 27th January) - The Specials - Too Much Too Young

Nelson Piquet (1980 US GP - March 30) - The Jam - Going Underground

Didier Pironi (1980 Belgian GP - 4th May) - Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno

Alain Prost (1981 French GP - 5th July) - The Specials - Ghost Town

Riccardo Patrese (1982 Monaco GP - 23rd May) - Madness - House Of Fun

Patrick Tambay (1982 German GP - 8th August) & Elio De Angelis (1982 Austrian GP) - Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen

Keke Rosberg (1982 Swiss GP - 29th August) & Michele Alboreto (1982 Caesers Palace GP) - Survivor - Eye Of The Tiger

Ayrton Senna (1985 Portuguese GP - 21st April) - USA For Africa - We Are The World

Nigel Mansell (1985 European GP - 6th October) - Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love

Gerhard Berger (1986 Mexican GP - 12th October) - Nick Berry - Every Loser Wins

Thierry Boutsen (1989 Canadian GP - 18th June) - Soul II Soul - Back To Life (However Do You Want Me)

Alessandro Nannini (1989 Japanese GP - 22nd October) - Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers - That's What I Like

Michael Schumacher (1992 Belgian GP - 30th August) - Snap! - Rhythm Is A Dancer

Damon Hill (1993 Hungarian GP - 15th August) - Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own

Jean Alesi (1995 Canadian GP - 11th June) - Robson & Jerome - Unchained Melody

Johnny Herbert (1995 British GP - 16th July) - Outhere Brothers - Boom Boom Boom

David Coulthard (1995 Portuguese GP - 24th September) - Simply Red - Fairground

Olivier Panis (1996 Monaco GP - 19th May) - Gina G - Ooh Ahh... Just A Little Bit

Jacques Villeneuve (1996 European GP - 28th April) - George Michael - Fastlove

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (1997 San Marino GP) - Michael Jackson - Blood On The Dance Floor

Mika Hakkinen (1997 European GP - 26th October) - Aqua - Barbie Girl

Eddie Irvine (1999 Australian GP - 7th March) - Boyzone - When The Going Gets Tough

Ruben Barrichello (2000 German GP - 30th July) - Craig David - 7 Days

Ralf Schumacher (2001 San Marino GP - 15th April) - Emma Bunton - What Took You So Long?

Juan Pablo Montoya (2001 Italian GP - 16th September) - DJ Otzi - Hey Baby

Kimi Raikkonen (2003 Malaysian GP - 23rd March) - Gareth Gates ft The Kumars - Spirit In The Sky

Giancarlo Fisichella (2003 Brazilian GP - 6th April) - Room 5 ft Oliver Cheatham - Make Luv

Fernando Alonso (2003 Hungarian GP - 24th August) - Blu Cantrell ft Sean Paul - Breathe

Jarno Trulli (2004 Monaco GP - 23rd May) - Frankee - F.U.R.B (F U Right Back

Jenson Button (2006 Hungarian GP - 6th August) - Shakira ft Wyclef Jean - Hips Don't Lie

Felipe Massa (2006 Turkish GP - 27th August) - Beyonce ft Jay-Z - Deja Vu

Lewis Hamilton (2007 Canadian GP - 10th June) - Rihanna ft Jay-Z - Umbrella

Robert Kubica (2008 Canadian GP - 8th June) - Mint Royale - Singin' In The Rain

Heikki Kovalainen (2008 Hungarian GP - 3rd August) - Dizzee Rascal ft Calvin Harris & Chrome - Dance Wiv Me

Sebastian Vettel (2008 Italian GP - 14th September) - Kings Of Leon - Sex On Fire

Mark Webber (2009 German GP - 12th July) - Cascada - Evacuate The Dancefloor

Nico Rosberg (2012 Chinese GP - 15th April) - Carly Rae Jepsen - Call Me Maybe

Pastor Maldonado (2012 Spanish GP - 13th May) - Rita Ora ft Tinie Tempah - R.I.P.

Daniel Ricciardo (2014 Canadian GP - 8th June) - Ed Sheeran - Sing

Max Verstappen (2016 Spanish GP - 15th May) - Drake ft Wizkid & Kyla - One Dance

Valtteri Bottas (2017 Russian GP - 30th April) - Clean Bandit ft Zara Larsson - Symphony

Charles Leclerc (2019 Belgian GP - 1st September) - Ed Sheeran ft Stormzy - Take Me Back To London

Pierre Gasly (2020 Italian GP - 6th September) - Cardi B ft Megan Thee Stallion - WAP

Sergio Perez (2020 Sakhir GP - 6th December) - Ariana Grande - Positions

Esteban Ocon (2021 Hungarian GP - 1st August) - Ed Sheeran - Bad Habits

Carlos Sainz Jr (2022 British GP - 3rd July) - Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill

George Russell (2022 Brazilian GP - 13th November) - Taylor Swift - Anti-Hero

Lando Norris (2024 Miami GP - 5th May) & Oscar Piastri (2024 Hungarian GP - 21st July) - Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

And yes, I've created a Spotify playlist for these tunes 😊😊

[kayenimate]

Official Common Side Effects you sayyy??

Here's something a little different than what I usually post, but rant/thoughts up ahead...

Extremely late to the CSE updates, but I'm still hyped to see what this show has to offer. Joe Bennett and Mike Judge are such a powerhouse when it comes to animation, and this show definitely brings some pseudo-pharma into the conspiracy zeitgeist that Inside Job left behind. (Cries in missing Inside Job)

I already love the protags and the story it's trying to tell, but I don't see as much hype on any other social media besides youtube's comments section... which kind of worries me.

Now, I'm not as tuned into people's reception toward a lot of shows, and didn't even know about AS/CN's Invincible Fight Girl, which also looks AWESOME- but I really wish there was a lot more talk about the lesser known shows of recent animation in pop culture besides Arcane or Smiling Friends or whatever animated sitcom is coming out today.

I don't see fans outside of animation talk about these shows and it kind of sucks. If animation won't be given a chance by the people that have yet to watch certain works, then who's to say that upper management will ever greenlight animation that's not just for kids in the future?

I want to see more gritty stories. I want to immerse myself into these things even if it may take me weeks to watch it all and find friends to talk about it. That is the epitome of the experience. That is animation. Does anyone else feel that way? Does anyone have any underrated and lesser-known animated shows to share?

🌱

Rant aside, I'm so glad to be hearing Kelly's voice in animation again; weird to admit, but I really missed her tone and infliction from CatEotW. Suffice to say I've rewatched a bit of the series (CatEotW) again and I really can't wrap my head around why I loved it as much as I did. Literally give me a character moment or song and I could tell you what episode it's from... it’s honestly a miracle a show like that even exists.

I really hope she voices more offbeat characters like Harrington in the future ✋😭

I don’t know how to end this ramble, but I hope everyone who reads this an amazing day. Bug bye!!

[curtisedmarkwi]

The Green Bay Packers’ Storied 1996 Super Bowl Year

The 1996 Green Bay Packers remain one of the most storied teams in franchise history. Anchored by quarterback Brett Favre and defensive tackle Reggie White and coached by Mike Holmgren, the team was the culmination of a steady upward ascent. The template for success was set when Green Bay successfully recruited Holmgren, who had achieved success under San Francisco coach Bill Walsh during the 49ers glory years of Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott.

Favre, a fan favorite from his first 1992 snap, progressed steadily, combining speed in the pocket with hard-hitting passes. The team made the playoffs in 1993 and 1994 and attained a spot in the NFC Championship Game in 1995. Having earned his first MVP award in 1995, Favre came into the 1996 season with a cloud over his head as he underwent treatment for an addiction to painkillers. Despite his personal issues, Favre emerged as a commanding presence on a team that was balanced offensively and defensively.

On the defensive end, the 34-year-old veteran Reggie White was a feared presence who lined up at the left end but sometimes shifted to center. Combining strength and power, he required two linemen to hold him in check. Operating under defensive coordinator Fritz Shurmur, the team had a power-rushing approach that sent big bodies at the opposing quarterback en masse. At the same time, the four starting defensive backs attained 24 interceptions across 19 games, with opponents’ passer ratings at 55.4, the lowest NFL mark of the past four decades.

The Packers’ offense was a juggernaut, with Favre adept in racing out of the pocket and time connecting with receiver Antonio Freeman, as well as the fleet-footed Don Beebe, Andre Rison, and tight-end Mark Chmura. Benefitting from the lead blocking of William Henderson, Dorsey Levens and Edgar Bennett consistently moved the chains at running back, attaining an average of 151.7 yards rushing per postseason game.

The results were substantive: the Packers achieved the highest-scoring offense in 1996 (456) while limiting opposing teams to the fewest total points (210). This was the first time a team had achieved such a feat since the 1972 Miami Dolphins, who went undefeated. En route to his second consecutive MVP award, Brett Favre successfully threw into the end zone on 39 occasions.

A playoff highlight occurred on January 6, 1996, when the Packers took on the 49ers in the divisional round as 10-point underdogs. San Francisco featured a blitz-heavy approach that Favre used to his advantage, evading attackers and throwing to sparsely defended receivers downfield, avoiding turnovers in the process. At the same time, the Packers put intense pressure on quarterback Steve Young, shutting down the usually explosive run and closely tracking wide receivers. Jerry Rice couldn’t establish his usual connection with the ball, while rookie J.J. Stokes succumbed to the pressure of the moment, dropping a number of key passes. Pulling ahead 21-3, the Packers had victory essentially locked away by halftime.

Moving on to the Super Bowl, the Packers once again combined offensive and defensive prowess in a 35-21 victory against the New England Patriots. The hero of this game was not Favre but Desmond Howard, who had a miracle 99-yard run on special teams for a touchdown that put the Packers ahead and earned him the MVP nod. At the time of this rousing victory, no one would have guessed that this would be the one defining championship for Brett Favre across a two-decades-long career.

[hallmark-movie-fanatics]

PETER GALLAGHER, BRUCE CAMPBELL, ELOISE MUMFORD AND BRETT DALTON STAR IN ‘ONE DECEMBER NIGHT’A NEW ORIGINAL PREMIERING NOVEMBER 13, ON HALLMARK MOVIES & MYSTERIES

Peter Gallagher performs an original song, “One December Night” and a never before released single, “Coming Home”

Part of the Network’s Annual “Miracles of Christmas” Programming Event

STUDIO CITY, CA – October 15 – Peter Gallagher (Palm Springs, “The O.C.”), Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, “Burn Notice”), Eloise Mumford (Fifty Shades of Grey, “The Baker’s Son”) and Brett Dalton (“Just My Type,” “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) star in “One December Night,” a new original premiering Saturday, November 13 (10 p.m. ET/PT), on Hallmark Movies & Mysteries as part of the network’s annual “Miracles of Christmas” programming event – your home for the holiday.

Quinn (Eloise Mumford), an up-and-coming music manager, is ordered by her boss to return to her hometown and oversee a live telecast reunion of the legendary musical duo, Bedford & Sullivan. However, one of the musicians, Mike Sullivan (Gallagher), is her estranged father. Mike and his former bandmate, Steve Bedford (Campbell), had a contentious relationship that ended 10 years ago after Mike showed up unable to play a sold-out concert. Shortly thereafter, Quinn broke off communication and hasn’t seen her dad since. While Quinn unpacks the relationship with Mike, she must also navigate her relationship with Steve’s son and manager, Jason Bedford (Dalton). He is also tasked with overseeing the televised event and they have their hands full with the complicated history between their fathers. After many bumps along the road, the fractured friendship between the stars begins to mend. Ultimately, Quinn and Jason must come together to produce a fantastic, televised event for the holiday season.

“One December Night” is from Crown Choice Films Inc. Nancy Bennett is executive producer. Tony Glazer and Summer Crockett Moore serve as producers. Claire Niederpruem directed from a script by Sib Ventress. Original songs by Jonathan Yudkin. Original Score by Tommy Fields.

LINK

[miguelmarias]

TOP 2020

25/12/2020

 A)    Great movies made since 2015 seen for the first time in 2020: 

Buoyancy(Freedom;Rodd Rathjen, 2019)

Les choses qu’on dit, les choses qu’on fait(Emmanuel Mouret, 2020)

L’Île au trésor(Guillaume Brac, 2018)

Le Sel des larmes(Philippe Garrel, 2019/20)

Ghawre Bairey Aaj(Home and the World;Aparna Sen, 2019)

Undine(Christian Petzold, 2020)

Happī awā(Happy Hour;Hamaguchi Ryūsuke, 2015)

Netemo Sametemo(Asako I & II;Hamaguchi Ryūsuke, 2018)

Adolescentes(Sébastien Lifshitz, 2013-9/20)

Family Romance, LLC.(Werner Herzog, 2019)

Demain et tous les autres jours(Noémie Lvovsky, 2017)

Gamak Ghar(Achal Mishra, 2019)

Lunana:A Yak in the Classroom(Pawo Choyning Dorji, 2019)

Semina il vento(Sow the Wind;Danilo Caputo, 2020)

Objector(Molly Stuart, 2019)

La France contre les robots(Jean-Marie Straub, 2020)

Paris Calligrammes(Ulrike Ottinger, 2019/20)

Un film dramatique(Éric Baudelaire, 2019)

 B)    Great movies made before 2015 seen for the first time in 2020: 

Là-Haut, un Roi au-dessus des nuages(Pierre Schoendoerffer, 2003)

Pangarap ng Puso(Demons/Whispers of the Demon/Hope of the Heart;Mario O’Hara, 2000)

Les Films rêvés(Eric Pauwels, 2009)

La vida en rojo(Andrés Linares, 2007/8)

Come Next Spring(R.G. Springsteen, 1955/6)

Song of Surrender(Mitchell Leisen, 1948/9)

Adventure in Manhattan(Edward Ludwig, 1936)

Strannaia zhenshchina(A Strange Woman;Iuli Raízman, 1978)

Chastnaia zhízn(Private Life;Iuli Raízman, 1982)

Málva(Vladimir Braun, 1956/7)

Zhila-byla devochka(Once There Was a Girl;Viktor Eisimont, 1944)

The Unknown Man(Richard Thorpe, 1951)

Aisai Monogatari(Story of a Beloved Wife;Shindō Kaneto, 1951)

Practically Yours(Mitchell Leisen, 1944)

A Summer Storm(Robert Wise, 1999/2000)

Lettre d’un cinéaste à sa fille(Eric Pauwels, 2000)

Sombra verde(Untouched;Roberto Gavaldón, 1954)

Fantasma d’amore(Dino Risi, 1981)

Adieu, Mascotte(Das Modell vom Montparnasse;Wilhelm Thiele, 1929)

Mori no kajiya(The Blacksmith of the Forest;Shimizu Hiroshi, 1928/9;fragment)

Zwischen Gestern und Morgen(Between Yesterday and Tomorrow;Harald Braun, 1947)

Last Holiday(Henry Cass, 1950)

Dialogue d’ombres(Danièle Huillet & Jean-Marie Straub, 1954-2013)

Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man(Jonas Mekas, 2012)

Nice Time(Claude Goretta & Alain Tanner, 1957)

Aloma of the South Seas(Alfred Santell, 1941)

A Feather in Her Hat(Alfred Santell, 1935)

La Danseuse Orchidée(Léonce Perret, 1928)

Underground(Vincent Sherman, 1941)

Time Out(in Twilight Zone-The Movie)(John Landis, 1983)

Lackawanna Blues(George C. Wolfe, 2005)

Janie(Michael Curtiz, 1944)

Dernier Amour(Léonce Perret, 2016)

Jeunes Filles en détresse(Georg Wilhelm Pabst, 1939)

Kisapmata(Blink of an Eye;Mike De Leon, 1981)

La Dernière Lettre(Frederick Wiseman, 2002)

The Lady of the Dig-Out(W.S. Van Dyke II, 1918)

Their Own Desire(E.Mason Hopper, 1929)

 C)    Very good movies made since 2015 seen for the first time in 2020: 

Zumiriki(Oskar Alegria, 2019)

Atlantique(Mati Diop, 2019)

J’accuse(An Officier and A Spy;Roman Polanski, 2019)

Richard Jewell(Clint Eastwood, 2019)

Alice et le Maire(Nicolas Pariser, 2019)

Contes de Juillet(July Tales;Guillaume Brac, 2017)

Dark Waters(Todd Haynes, 2019)

Ofrenda a la tormenta(Fernando González Molina, 2020)

Nomad:In the Footsteps of Bruce Chatwin(Werner Herzog, 2019)

Into the Inferno(Werner Herzog, 2016)

The Zookeeper’s Wife(Niki Caro, 2017)

Journal de septembre(Eric Pauwels, 2019)

La Deuxième Nuit(Eric Pauwels, 2016)

Kaze no denwa(Voices in the Wind;Suwa Nobuhiro, 2019/20)

Da 5 Bloods(Spike Lee, 2020)

Izaokas(Isaac;Jurgis Matulevičius, 2019)

A Metamorfose dos Pássaros(Catarina Vasconcelos, 2020)

Tabi no Owari Sekai no Hajimari(To the Ends of the Earth;Kurosawa Kiyoshi, 2019)

La Nuit d’avant(Pablo García Canga, 2019)

My Mexican Bretzel(Nuria Giménez, 2018-9)

Domangchin yeoja(The Woman Who Ran;Hong Sang-soo, 2019/20)

Öndög(Wang Quanan, 2019)

Hatsukoi(First Love;Miike Takashi, 1959)

Million raz pogivaet odin Cheloviek(One man dies a million times;Jessica Oreck, 2018/9)

The Two Popes(Fernando Meirelles, 2019)

Félicité(Alain Gomis, 2016/7)

Salt and Fire(Werner Herzog, 2016)

Ni de lian(Your Face;Tsai Ming-liang, 2018)

Qi qiu(Balloon;Pema Tseden, 2019)

River Silence(Rogério Soares, 2019)

Charlie’s Angels(Elizabeth Banks, 2019)

La boda de Rosa(Iciar Bollain, 2020)

Guerra(War;José Oliveira & Marta Ramos, 2020)

My Thoughts Are Silent/Moyi dumky tykhi(Antonio Lukich, 2019)

Namo(The Alien;Nader Saeivar;co-script-Jafar Panahi, 2020)

Los silencios(The Silences;Beatriz Seigner, 2018)

Terminal Sud(Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche, 2019)

Tu mérites un amour(You Deserve a Lover;Hafsia Herzi, 2019)

Les Misérables(Ladj Ly, 2019)

Padre no hay más que uno(Santiago Segura, 2019)

Honeyland(Tamara Kotovska & Ljubomir Stefanov, 2019)

Izbrisana(Erased;Miha Mazzini & Dusan Joksimovic, 2018)

This Is Not A Burial, It’s A Resurrection(Lemohang Jeremiah Mosese, 2019)

Primero Enero(Darío Mascambroni, 2016)

Lahi, Hayop(Pan, Genus/Genus Pan;Lav Diaz, 2020)

 D)    Very good movies made before 2015 seen for the first time in 2020: 

Topaze(Marcel Pagnol, 1936)

The SIGN OF THE RAM(John Sturges, 1947/8)

Abandoned(Joseph M. Newman, 1949)

Bewitched(Arch Oboler, 1944/5)

La Femme du Bout du Monde((Jean Epstein, 1937)

The Outcast(William Witney, 1954)

Saadia(Albert Lewin, 1953)

Un monde sans femmes(Guillaume Brac, 2011)

Dishonored Lady(Robert Stevenson, 1947)

Always Goodbye(Signey Lanfield, 1938)

A Blueprint for Murder(Andrew L. Stone, 1953)

Bedevilled(Mitchell Leisen, 1955)

That Forsyte Woman(Compton Bennett, 1949)

The Miracle(Irving Rapper, 1959)

The Madonna’s Secret(Wilhelm Thiele, 1946)

The Town That Dreaded Sundown(Charles B. Pierce, 1976)

Grayeagle(Charles B. Pierce, 1977)

Barricade(Peter Godfrey, 1949/50)

Tomorrow is Forever(Irving Pichel, 1945/6)

David Harum(James Cruze, 1934)

The Vanquished(Edward Ludwig, 1953)

Keisatsukan(Uchida Tomu, 1933)

...Enfants des courants d’air(Édouard Luntz, 1959, short)

The Winds of Autumn(Charles B. Pierce, 1976)

Suddenly It’s Spring(Mitchell Leisen, 1946)

Uchūjin Tōkyō ni arawaru(Warning from Space;Shima Kōji, 1956)

Swiss Family Robinson(Edward Ludwig, 1940)

Ludwig der Zweite, König von Bayern(Wilhelm Dieterle, 1930)

Faithless(Harry Beaumont, 1932)

Botan-dorō(Peony Lanterns;Yamamoto Satsuo, 1968)

Ginza 24 chou(Tales of Ginza;Kawashima Yūzō, 1955)

Goodbye Again(Michael Curtiz, 1933)

Lines of White on a Sullen Sea(D.W. Griffith, 1909)

You Gotta Stay Happy(H.C. Potter, 1948)

Cave of Forgotten Dreams(Werner Herzog, 2010)

Riff-Raff(Ted Tetzlaff, 1947)

The Moon is Down(Irving Pichel, 1943)

The Bride Wore Boots(Irving Pichel, 1946)

Adventures in Silverado(Phil Karlson, 1948)

The Stolen Ranch(William Wyler, 1926)

Congo Maisie(H.C. Potter, 1940)

Marcides(Mercedes;Yousry Nasrallah, 1993)

Hell’s Five Hours(Jack L. Copeland, 1958)

Daniel(in Stimulantia;Ingmar Bergman, 1967)

Diên Biên Phú(Pierre Schoendoerffer, 1992)

Canyon River(Cattle King;Harmon Jones, 1956)

Dos Basuras(Kurt Land, 1958)

Smart Girls Don’t Talk(Richard L. Bare, 1948)

The Big Shakedown(John Francis Dillon, 1933/4)

Corvette K-225(Richard Rosson;p.,collab.Howard Hawks, 1943)

The Gay Deception(William Wyler, 1935)

The Invisible Woman(A.Edward Sutherland, 1940)

Rage in Heaven(W.S. Van Dyke II;collab.Robert B. Sinclair,Richard Thorpe, 1941)

Wild Side(Sébastien Lifshitz, 2004)

I bambini e noi(Luigi Comencini, 1970//7)

The House Across The Street(Richard L. Bare, 1948/9)

The Doughgirls(James V. Kern, 1944)

The Love Trap(William Wyler, 1929)

Torch Song(Charles Walters, 1953)

The Meanest Man in the World(Sidney Lanfield, 1942/3)

Cole Younger, Gunfighter(R.G. Springsteen, 1958)

Ballerine(Gustav Machatý, 1936)

Via Mala(Josef von Báky, 1945//8)

Sky Giant(Lew Landers, 1938)

Les Invisibles(Sébastien Lifshitz, 2012)

Promène toi donc tout nu(Emmanuel Mouret, 1998)

A Story for the Modlins(Una historia para los Modlin;Sergio Oksman, 2012)

Something in the Wind(Irving Pichel, 1947)

Spoveď(Confession;Pavol Skýkova, 1968)

Guilty Hands(W.S. Van Dyke II;collab.Lionel Barrymore, 1931)

Atto di accusa(Giacomo Gentilomo, 1950)

Suspense(Frank Tuttle, 1956)

This Is The Night(Frank Tuttle, 1932)

Escape in the Fog(Oscar ‘Budd’ Boetticher,Jr., 1945)

The Price of Fear(Abner Biberman, 1956)

Happy People:A Year in the Taiga(Werner Herzog, 2010)

Urok(The Lesson;Kristina Grozeva & Petar Valchanov, 2014)

Le Naufragé(Guillaume Brac, 2009)

Lili Marlen(Peter Mihálik;script.Dušan Hanák, 1970;short)

Deseo(Antonio Zavala Kugler, 2013)

  E)     Great movies that improved by new watchings: 

Shanghai Express(Josef von Sternberg, 1932)

The Best Years of Our Lives(William Wyler, 1946)

Till We Meet Again(Frank Borzage, 1944)

Man’s Favorite Sport?(Howard Hawks, 1963/4)

Along The Great Divide(Raoul Walsh, 1951)

Hondo(John V. Farrow, 1953)

Where The Sidewalk Ends(Otto Preminger, 1950)

Mrs. Miniver(William Wyler, 1942)

Driftwood(Allan Dwan, 1947)

‘Good-bye, My Lady’(William A. Wellman, 1956)

Touch of Evil(Preview version, 1975;not later ‘improvements’)(Orson Welles, 1958)

Le Crabe-Tambour(Pierre Schoendoerffer, 1977)

Unfinished Business(Gregory LaCava, 1941)

Madigan(Don Siegel, 1968)

Big Business(James Wesley Horne;s.Leo McCarey, 1929)

Putting Pants on Philip(Clyde A. Bruckman;s.Leo McCarey, 1927)

The Runner Stumbles(Stanley Kramer, 1979)

Yushima no Shiraume(Romance at Yushima;Kinugasa Teinosukē, 1955)

David Harum(Allan Dwan, 1915)

The Virginian(Cecil B. DeMille, 1914)

Island in the Sky(William A. Wellman, 1953)

All About Eve(Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1950)

L’Eclisse(Michelangelo Antonioni, 1962)

The Roaring Twenties(Raoul Walsh, 1939)

The Plainsman(Cecil B. DeMille, 1936)

JLG/JLG-Autoportrait de décembre(Jean-Luc Godard, 1994)

‘Je vous salue, Marie’(Hail Mary;Jean-Luc Godard, 1984)

La Roue(Abel Gance, 1923)

They All Laughed(Peter Bogdanovich, 1981)

Innocent Blood(John Landis, 1992)

An American Werewolf in London(John Landis, 1981)

The Thing Called Love(Peter Bogdanovich, 1993)

Into the Night(John Landis, 1985)

The File On Thelma Jordon(Thelma Jordon;Robert Siodmak, 1949)

The Little American(Cecil B. DeMille, 1917)

In Our Time(Vincent Sherman, 1944)

The Hunters(Dick Powell, 1958)

Phase IV(Saul Bass, 1974)

L’Honneur d’un Capitaine(Pierre Schoendoerffer, 1982)

Backfire(Vincent Sherman, 1948//50)

Five(Arch Oboler, 1951)

Somewhere in the Night(Joseph L. Mankiewiz, 1946)

A Man Alone(Ray Milland, 1955)

Die Geiger von Florez(Paul Czinner, 1926)

Living on Velvet(Frank Borzage, 1934/5)

La Recta provincia(Raúl Ruiz, 2007//15)

La Noche de enfrente(Raúl Ruiz, 2012)

Carrie(Sister Carrie;William Wyler, 1951/2)

The Spiral Staircase(Robert Siodmak, 1945/6)

The Paradine Case(Alfred Hitchcock, 1947)

L’Amore(Una voce umana+Il Miracolo)(Roberto Rossellini, 1947/8)

The Heiress(William Wyler, 1949)

 F)     Very good movies watched again 

Bluebeard’s 10 Honeymoons(W.Lee Wilder, 1960)

The Five Pennies(Melville Shavelson, 1958)

Take a Letter, Darling(Mitchell Leisen, 1942)

Escape(Joseph L. Mankiewicz, 1948)

Appassionatamente(Giacomo Gentilomo, 1954)

Así como habían sido(Trío)(Andrés Linares, 1986/7)

San Antone(Joseph Kane, 1953)

The High and the Mighty(William A. Wellman, 1954)

Taki no Shiraito(The Water Magician;Mizoguchi Kenji, 1933)

The Web(Michael Gordon, 1947)

The Buccaneer(Anthony Quinn;s.Cecil B. DeMille, 1958)

The Buccaneer(Cecil B. DeMille, 1938)

Desire Me(uncredited:George Cukor/Jack Conway/Mervyn LeRoy/Victor Saville, 1946)

Flaxy Martin(Richard L. Bare, 1948/9)

Swing High, Swing Low(Mitchell Leien, 1937)

Death Takes A Holiday(Mitchell Leisen, 1934)

Irene(Herbert Wilcox, 1940)

Beloved Enemy(H.C. Potter, 1936)

The Cowboy and the Lady(H.C. Potter, 1938)

Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam(Paul Wegener, 1920)

Mia madre(Nanni Moretti, 2015)

Hell On Frisco Bay(Frank Tuttle, 1955)

Stormy Weather(Andrew L. Stone, 1943)

The Milky Way(Leo McCarey;w.Harold Lloyd, 1936)

Pietà per chi cade(Mario Costa, 1954)

Repeat Performance(Alfred L. Werker, 1947)

Das indische Grabmal:1.Die Sendung des Yoghi,2.Der Tiger von Eschnapur(Joe May, 1921)

Julie(Andrew L. Stone, 1956)

The Member of the Wedding(Fred Zinnemann, 1953)

Winterset(Alfred Santell, 1936)

The Right to Romance(Alfred Santell, 1933)

As Young as You Feel(Harmon Jones, 1951)

You’ll Never Get Rich(Sidney Lanfield, 1941)

The Woman Accused(Paul Sloane, 1933)

Foma Gordeiev(Mark Donskoí, 1959)

The Parent Trap(David Swift, 1961)

High Wall(Curtis Bernhardt, 1947)

Mr. Lucky(H.C. Potter, 1943)

Un Marido de Ida y Vuelta(Luis Lucia, 1957)

The Safecracker(Ray Milland, 1957/8)

She’s Funny That Way(Peter Bogdanovich, 2014)

Oh...Rosalinda!!(Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1955)

Caribbean(Edward Ludwig, 1952)

Harper(The Moving Target;Jack Smight, 1966)

For You I Die(John Reinhardt, 1947)

Crashing Hollywood(Lew Landers, 1937/8)

Le Souvenir d’un avenir(Chris. Marker & Yannick Bellon, 2001)

Susan Slept Here(Frank Tashlin, 1954)

Bishkanyar Deshot(In the Land of Poison Women;Manju Borah, 2019)

Pollyanna(David Swift, 1960)

A Tale of Two Cities(Jack Conway;collab.Val Lewton & Jacques Tourneur, 1935)

Café Society(Woody Allen, 2016)

Shadow on the Wall(Patrick Jackson, 1949/50)

Tonnerre(Guillaume Brac, 2013)

Le Jouet criminel(Adolfo G. Arrieta, 1969)

‘Once more, with feeling!’(Stanley Donen, 1959)

The Shopworn Angel(H.C. Potter, 1938)

The Absent Minded Professor(Robert Stevenson, 1961)

Gavaznha(The Deer;Masud Kimiai, 1974)

[hstwrestling]

[zsaaaaszhoney]

It’s so weird cause when I was watching Impact last week I was thinking, “Oh shit, I forgot Maria Kanellis and Mike Bennett left…I miss them” and now here they are in WWE.

[johnthescientist]

They are here 💜

[aion-rsa]

The Best Comics of 2020

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

It has been a year, hasn’t it?

The year started with such tenuous promise, and is ending the same way: slivers of hope among rivers of misery. But even with all the chaos, all the changes forced by the pandemic and that were coming anyway, we still got some incredible comics in 2020. 

Let us be abundantly clear: every work of art made in the last year is a small miracle. Every comic creator who put irons in the fire in a year that certainly didn’t lack fires deserves gratitude and commendation. Picking 20 comics doesn’t do justice to the herculean work and dedication that everyone who works in comics demonstrated – from the creators, to the back office folks who kept the trains running on time and let us know they were coming, to the people who actually put the books in our hands, we should be immensely grateful to all of them. 

To those creators we say: Thank you for giving us a few minutes on Wednesdays (or Tuesdays) to escape…all this. 

With that said, there really were some excellent books, and we’re very excited to talk about the best comics of 2020.

20. Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist

Adrian Tomine (Writer/Artist)

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Adrian Tomine is here to share his sadness with readers and inspire it in anyone who has ever tried to make art and present it to the world. In what might be his greatest work so far, the cartoonist collects his own diary comics about being an artist and trying to release a book.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Cartoonist is painfully raw, uncomfortably authentic, and impressively hilarious. It takes guts to make yourself the butt of the joke and to do it so well, but there is such heart and humor here that it’ll speak to any reader whether or not you’ve ever had the (mis)fortune to make your own comics or not. 

19. Witch Hat Atelier 

Kamome Shirahama (Writer/Artist)

Speaking of wonderful manga, this series is one of the best books on shelves in any genre, format, or language. It’s hard to overstate how inventive and imaginative Witch Hat Atelier is but for the sake of this list we’ll try.

Kamome Shirahama paints a wonderful world where magic is real but only a select few can use it. Coco is our heroine and when she accidentally learns the secret behind using magic she’s inducted into a witch’s coven and is thrown into a vibrant world of sorcery, spells, and uneasy friendship with her fellow students. 

18. Daredevil

Chip Zdarsky (Writer); Marco Checchetto, Mike Hawthorne, Francesco Mobili, Jorge Fornes (Artists); Marcio Menyz, Mattia Iacono, Nolan Woodard (Colorists); Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

Chip Zdarsky’s Matt Murdock is terrific. His Wilson Fisk is Hall of Fame.

Fisk is attempting to go legit after discovering as Mayor of New York City that there is a much larger pond he could be swimming in. But the big fish in that pond (the Stromwyns – think Marvel’s Koch Brothers) don’t much get along with someone as insignificant as Fisk. What they do to him, and what Fisk does back, is incredible. 

The art on this run has been the real deal. Jorge Fornes and Marco Checchetto have handled the bulk of the pencils this year, and their dramatically divergent styles do a great job of showing the two sides of Murdock’s world – Fornes excels at the quiet investigatory work that Daredevil does, while Checchetto blows the doors off of some monster action set pieces. No lie, Stilt Man has never looked this good. This run is shaping up to be one of the best Daredevil stories of all time, a very high bar to clear.

17. The Department of Truth

James Tynion IV (Writer), Martin Simmonds (Artist)

What happens in a world where all conspiracy theories are actually true? Or that reality actually warps to accommodate new “truths” as they come into being? Such is the premise of The Department of Truth, which delivers on all the unsettling promise of its premise. The fact that it tells its story in a way that aesthetically calls to mind Alan Moore and Bill Sienkiewicz’s 1988 collaboration Shadowplay: The Secret Team, which told some unsavory details about how the CIA conducted some real world foreign policy only adds to the eerie feel.

With more and more people getting internet brain poisoning thanks to wilder and wilder conspiracy theories somehow becoming mainstream every day, The Department of Truth feels like one of the more timely comics of 2020. We only wish it could be a little less timely in some ways, though.

16. The Green Lantern Season Two

Grant Morrison (Writer), Liam Sharp (Artist), Steve Oliff (Colorist), Steve Wands (Letterer)

Grant Morrison and Liam Sharp have been quietly making one of the best superhero comics in decades over at DC, and although we can’t quite believe we’re saying this, it’s about Hal Jordan. The most boring Green Lantern of all has come to life in this trippy, experimental, and beautiful series which transcends space and time, showcasing the best of what Morrrison and Sharp do.

If you think that superhero comics are all the same, The Green Lantern will change your mind (and likely expand it) as Hal adventures through Sharp’s sprawling and stunning cosmos.

15. Immortal Hulk

Al Ewing (Writer); Joe Bennett, Mike Hawthorne, Butch Guice, Nick Pitarra, Javier Rodriguez (Pencilers); Ruy Jose, Belardino Brabo, Mark Morales, Tom Palmer, Marc Deering (Inkers); Paul Mounts, Matt Milla (Colorists); Cory Petit (Letterer)

Over at Marvel, Al Ewing and Joe Bennett have been equally delighting and horrifying readers with this reinvention of Bruce Banner and the hulking hero he becomes. This is about as close to a horror comic as a mainline superhero title can get as the team delve into the multiple manifestations of Hulk and the man behind them.

Just like The Green Lantern, The Immortal Hulk both reconsiders and revisits the lore that has made the character so iconic, and also features an impressive collection of Hulk-centric characters from throughout history. 

14. Shadow of the Batgirl

Sarah Kuhn (Writer), Nicole Goux (Artist)

DC Comics has been doing a great job bringing new visions of some of their best loved characters to the spotlight and Cass Cain got that treatment this year in this gorgeous graphic novel. Taking the one-time Batgirl and teaming her up with Barbara Gordon’s Oracle was a genius move, but the real magic here comes from the sweet natured take on the hero that Sarah Kuhn and Nicole Goux offer up.

Shadow of the Batgirl is a superhero comic with real heart and a look that feels far more like an indie comic than anything coming out of the big two. Just lovely!

13. Hedra

Jesse Lonergan (Writer/Artist)

Hedra is unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, and probably the same goes for you. It’s a completely silent comic, but it’s a massively dense, intricate storytelling experience. It’s light and cartoony, but it’s got panels that would look at home in an old Wally Wood comic. It’s got so many panels, and yet it’s full of moments that will take your breath away.

Lonergan manages the pace and flow of the storytelling so well that you have to experience it yourself to fully appreciate it. Hedra is a beautiful, smart, fascinating comic.

12. John Constantine: Hellblazer

Si Spurrier (Writer); Aaron Campbell, Matias Bergara (Artists); Jordie Bellaire (Colorist); Adita Bidakyar (Letterer)

Si Spurrier doesn’t seem like the type who gets mad often, but his John Constantine was fucking pissed, and goddamn if it wasn’t the best Hellblazer comic in decades. This too-brief run of comics starring everyone’s favorite dirtbag street mage was as much about England being a dumpster fire as it was about Constantine being a dumpster fire, and that low-key seethe gave this book an edge that many of Constantine’s more recent exploits have been missing.

Campbell and Bergara are gifted at depicting grimy fantasy, and Bellaire continues to be one of the greatest colorists who ever lived. In a sane, just world, a second volume of John Constantine: Hellblazer is being planned as we speak. Let’s hope.

11. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Last Ronin

Kevin Eastman, Peter Laird (Writers); Esau & Isaac Escorza (Artists); Luis Antonio Delgado (Colorist), Shaun Lee (Letterer)

When we saw a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic called The Last Ronin, we had no idea they meant Frank Miller Ronin. The art on this comic is astounding. 

The story is almost irrelevant, in part because it’s only just getting going (only one oversized issue has been released at the time of this writing). But it’s excellent set up – the last living Ninja Turtle assaults a city controlled by the Foot Clan to try and end their long battle once and for all. It’s set in the future, and heavily influenced by the cyberpunk ninja aesthetic so common to the genre, but filtered through a strong Miller lens that makes it a joy to discover.

10. Captain America: The End

Erik Larsen (Writer/Artist), Dono Sánchez-Almara (Colorist), Joe Caramagna (Letterer)

The superhero comic one shot is an underrated – even lost – art form these days. Annuals are often fill-in stories, and unless Marvel or DC are putting out an oversized issue to herald a line wide relaunch or a similar event, it’s rare that you get a nice thick single issue telling a self contained story of any real “importance.” Fortunately, there’s Captain America: The End.

Marvel’s The End line is exactly what it sounds like: an excuse for creators to tell not-really-in-continuity “final” stories for the biggest Marvel heroes. And while Captain America: The End ostensibly presents itself as the “final” Captain America story, it’s way more fun than that. Erik Larsen uses this opportunity to pay tribute to Cap’s greatest creative periods: specifically Jack Kirby’s two-fisted, acrobatic stint on the character in the 1960s, and his socially conscious and psychedelic late ’70s return to the book.

Wall to wall action, with Kirby-esque idea factory energy and dynamism at the forefront, Captain America: The End is one of the most purely fun superhero issues in years. But don’t mistake this for an exercise in nostalgia, as Larsen blends timely (and timeless) messages that help sum up what made Captain America great in the first place, and why we’ll never truly see the “last” Cap story.

9. Maison Ikkoku

Rumiko Takahashi (Writer/Artist)

We can’t make enough noise about how great Viz has been doing recently at making some of the harder to find manga classics available to bigger audiences. This lovely reprint of Rumiko Takahashi’s joyful slice of life comic technically came out decades ago, but most Western comics fans likely only came to it via this new printing.

Maison Ikkoku follows the misadventures of a young apartment building manager and the tenants that she has to keep in check. In turns sweet, silly, and saucy, this is truly a masterwork of manga that you must read. 

8. Billionaire Island

Mark Russell (Writer), Steve Pugh (Artist), Chris Chuckry (Colorist), Rob Steen (Letterer)

This is not Mark Russell, Steve Pugh, and Chris Chuckry’s first time on our lists, but it’s definitely the angriest they’ve been since showing up on here. If we’re really being fair, it’s entirely deserved. 

Billionaire Island is a wild fantasy story definitely based on nothing in reality about the world’s uber wealthy, who control the world, building their own island to ride out climate change while the poors all die off and suffer on the mainland. It follows a reporter with the Miami Herald, and an ex-mercenary who lost his family to Aggrocorp’s sterility experiments in Angola, as they try and bring down the aforementioned billionaires, are trapped on the island, and work to escape. 

It is every bit as hilarious as you would expect from the team who brought us The Flintstones, but there’s an edge to it that wasn’t there in Russell, Pugh and Chuckry’s earlier work. That’s probably because of the villains – The Flintstones skewered society, while Billionaire Island takes aim at the shittiest people in the world. Several of them by name.

Despite the undercurrent of anger, Billionaire Island is still packed with genuinely hilarious moments. Pugh’s sight gags remain incredible, and the comedic timing on display is outstanding. I had high expectations for Billionaire Island coming into it, and it exceeded all of them.

7. The Magic Fish

Trung Le Nguyen (Writer/Artist)

Feel like crying a lot? Because The Magic Fish got almost everyone we’ve seen read it. It’s an incredibly powerful yet quiet comic about a 13 year old coming to terms with who he is and how to talk with his parents about it. 

Tien, the aforementioned 13 year old, is a first generation Vietnamese-American with a crush on a friend and a mother who is still processing her move to the States and the family she left behind. Much of the story is about Tien trying to figure out how to broach the subject with his mother.

What stands out about The Magic Fish is how Nguyen tells the story. Much of it is is told by retellings of fairy tales – two modifications of the Cinderella story, and one of The Little Mermaid. The colors are especially effective in setting up the mood and tone of the sections of story, elegantly communicating so much about Tien’s emotional and intellectual state. And the fashion and hair are magnificent. Nguyen draws Alan Davis-good hairstyles. 

Nguyen’s The Magic Fish is accessible, deeply moving, and beautiful, a book that should be shared with friends.

6. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen

Matt Fracion (Writer), Steve Lieber (Artist), Nathan Fairbairn (Colorist), Clayton Cowles (Letterer)

It’s probably good that the prank war issue, where Timmy Olsen stole the wheel off the Batmobile for Youtube clout, was published last December, because otherwise this entire entry would be the Den of Geek reciting bits to each other like this was comics Anchorman. And all that time we’d spend telling each other we sure have created some…content…would distract from the fact that Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, best put-together comics in years. 

Beneath all of the gags – and there are a ton – Fraction, Lieber, Fairbairn, and Cowles put together a deceptively complex character study of Jimmy, Superman and Metropolis. This is a book that is as much about what Jimmy Olsen means to the people of Metropolis as it is about Dex-Starr puking blood on the remnants of Jimmy’s Gorilla City wedding, or the army of Kevins attacking him.

Lieber and Fairbairn were the perfect choices for art on this story: Lieber’s facial expressions and Fairbairn’s bright color palette sell every joke and set every mood that the story requires, and the way the creators play with time and information release is masterful. Superman’s Pal, Jimmy Olsen is essential reading, both because of its importance to the Superman universe as a whole, and because it’s just that damn funny.

5. Once and Future (READER’S CHOICE!)

Kieron Gillen (Writer), Dan Mora (Artist), Tamra Bonvillain (Colorist), Ed Dukeshire (Letterer)

Turns out letting Dan Mora draw his way through an English lit degree is a really good idea.

Joking aside, our readers have excellent taste, naming Once and Future their top pick for comic of the year.

Kieron Gillen takes the “story about a story” formula, smashes several more stories into the first one, and then lets Dan Mora and Tamra Bonvillain go ham on the whole thing, and the resulting comic is breathlessly exciting, and gorgeous to look at. It remixes Arthurian legend and this year added a sprinkle of Beowulf and developed the magic a little more, while juxtaposing that rich fantasy world with the mundanity of things like a senior living facility.

Mora draws monsters exceptionally well, and Bonvillain gives several scenes an ominous glow that sets a hell of a tone. Once and Future is a great pick by our readers, and is comfortably one of the best books of the year.

4. Dracula, Motherf**ker!

Alex de Campi (Writer/Letterer), Erica Henderson (Artist)

You may not realize that you need a grindhouse ‘70s story about Dracula’s brides being extremely done with his shit, but trust us, you need Dracula, Motherf**ker! in your life.

This book isn’t especially long, nor is it terribly complex. We get a lot of echoes of the original Dracula story updated to a dingy 1970s Los Angeles, and a lot of what you’d expect from a grindhouse horror comic, but it’s done exceptionally well by two incredibly talented storytellers. 

In retrospect, it’s hard to believe this is the first time de Campi and Henderson have ever worked together. Dracula, Motherf**ker! felt a lot like someone discovering peanut butter cups for the first time – there’s that dawning realization as you’re reading that it really works well, and then a secondary shock that nobody had ever done it before.

De Campi is a pro’s pro and a veritable cluster bomb of ideas. Henderson is a gifted sequential artist who gets to show off her mastery of color art as a storytelling device in these pages. The final package is outstanding. 

3. Far Sector

N.K. Jemisin (Writer), Jamal Campbell (Artist), Deron Bennett (Letterer)

The quality level of Far Sector is almost impossible to believe. Jamal Campbell doesn’t have an enormous comics resume, and this is N.K. Jemisin’s debut comic story. And yet the skill evident in every panel screams that this was made by a team of master craftsmen. 

Far Sector is the story of Jo Mullein, a new Green Lantern with an experimental, self-charging ring, dispatched to a floating megacity run jointly by three alien races; the Nah, a group of spacefaring fishtailed/winged bipeds; the keh-Topli, a group of carnivorous plants; and the @at, a race of sentient ethereal memelords. Jo is there at the request of the ruling council to investigate the City Enduring’s first murder in centuries. 

Her investigation is our way into Jemisin and Campbell’s vibrant imaginations.

This is a stunning book to look at – at least once an issue, Campbell draws something completely mind-bending. And Jemisin writes with the easy confidence and command of the form that people who have been writing comics for 50 years can’t match: there isn’t a wasted word on a single page of this entire series. It’s elegantly topical, stunning to look at, and a ton of fun to read. Far Sector is handily one of the greatest Green Lantern stories of all time.

X of Swords

Jonathan Hickman, Tini Howard, Leah Williams, Benjamin Percy, Vita Ayala, Zeb Wells, Ed Brisson, Gerry Duggan (Writers); Pepe Larraz, Carlos Gomez, Viktor Bogdanovic, Matteo Lolli, Carmen Carnero, Rod Reis, Phil Noto, R.B. Silva, Mahmud Asrar, Leinil Francis Yu, Stefano Casselli, Joshua Cassara (Artists); Marte Gracia, Israel Silva, Matt Wilson, Edgar Delgado, David Curiel, Nolan Woodard, Sunny Gho, Guru-eFX, Rachelle Rosenberg (Colorists); Clayton Cowles, Joe Caramagna, Cory Petit, Ariana Maher, Travis Lanham, Joe Sabino (Letterers)

X-Men fans are not commonly known for our penchant for consensus. We can and will argue over everything, from who’s a better partner for Cyclops to which story arc in the ‘90s was actually rock bottom. So when you get near unanimity that X of Swords is the best X-Men crossover since Inferno, you can pretty much take that to the bank. 

The culmination of the first phase of the X-universe’s post House of X/Powers of X plan, X of Swords tied all the mutant comics back together to take on a couple of the biggest ideas dropped in and immediately after HoXPoX. It did something that was nearly impossible: it paid off a year’s worth of stories from ten different series, with satisfying climaxes for more than a handful of storylines. 

It did this in part because several creators are making the jump to superstardom. Larraz somehow managed to do even better work than on House of X, delivering massive beat after massive beat in the final issue of the crossover. Tini Howard spent a year making Excalibur the best book in the line, and wove her plot threads through the crossover she co-shepherded (with Boss X or whatever they’re calling Hickman) to give us a foundational Otherworld and Captain Britain story. All the while, Howard also made sure that this Excalibur-centric crossover paid homage to the first Excalibur series – packing it full of magical silliness and genuine heart. Vita Ayala only got one issue in the crossover, but that issue will go down as one of Storm’s best stories of all time. And Joshua Cassara drew two issues of fights and competitions, and dropped multiple staggering spreads.

The X-Men line as a whole is the best it’s been in decades, and there’s no better proof of that than in X of Swords.

Blue in Green

Ram V (writer), Anand RK (Artist), Aditya Bidikar (Letterer)

Fiction is especially tough when the storyteller isn’t up to the subjects. If someone is writing a book about the smartest person in the world, the writer has to be smart enough to believably put brilliance in that character’s mouth. If someone is making a comic about a drug that makes everyone indescribably beautiful, then the art has to be angelic, or the book falls apart. 

But when a creative team IS up to the task, the end result can be sublime. That’s what Ram V, Anand RK and Aditya Bidikar gave us with Blue in Green. A comic about jazz that so perfectly evokes the form of its subject matter that I’m willing to bet this comic is taught in years to come. Blue in Green is incredible comics. 

Blue in Green’s story is broadly familiar: it’s the crossroads tale, where the Devil meets a gifted musician and trades the musician’s life for magnificent talent. Erik is a talented saxophonist with a rough family history who’s pissing away his talents half-heartedly teaching kids how to play. He goes home for his mother’s funeral, makes his deal, and wakes up days later, after a fugue state that included him blowing the doors off of a jazz club with his sax. Eventually, the bill comes due. 

The presentation has a uniquely loose flow to it, moving from rigid grids to collage with prose attached, with surreal, disorienting colors that match the mood of the section of story marvelously. The way the storytelling shifts from section to section, the way the form changes so that it can tell the story as much as the words or art can, is one of the most skillful feats of comics creation I’ve read in years. It’s like its own kind of visual jazz. Blue in Green is an astounding piece of comics storytelling, and I can’t wait to read what’s next from everyone involved.

The post The Best Comics of 2020 appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/38KsveF

[munatarswrestlingassociationrp]

Justin Roberts: "This bout is set for one fall with a 20-minute time limit! Introducing first, from Boston, Massachusetts, weighing 200 pounds... Mike Bennett!"

Jim Ross: "And Mike Bennett, looking primed and ready for this one-on-one contest!"

Jerry Lawler: "Yeah, but... where's his wife? Don't they usually enter together?"

Jim Ross: "Maria Kanellis is an active wrestler in the women's division, so I imagine she a bit too busy preparing for her own matches to be playing valet all the time."

Jim Cornette: "And, plus, I'm more interested in seeing the abilities of the man himself, not who the fuck he married! Leave that shit to the dirt sheets and let the action speak of him itself!"

Jerry Lawler: "Oh, God, this guy..."

Jim Ross: "A familiar face of the mid 2000's and early 2010's. A man looking to make a comeback after a promising career was derailed by some unfortunate events-"

Mr. Anderson does his signature pose, and a mic drops into his hand.

Mr. Anderson: "Ladies and gentlemen... this guy's a pretty good lover boy, huh? Faithful, fatherly... BUT YOU SEE, THE SO-CALLED "POWER OF LOVE" DON'T WIN YOU SHIT IN THE WRESTLING RING! Now that he's out there on his own, it's gonna take a real "miracle" for him not to get his ass kicked tonight. Kicked... by a man FROM GREEN BAY WISCONSIN..."

Jerry Lawler: "Oh, god..."

Mr. Anderson: "I am... MIIIIIIIIIIIIISTEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR... ANDERSON!!!!"

He holds his mic up to the fans.

Fans: "Anderson!"

Jim Ross: "And here we go! The bell rings, and the two square up. Mike Bennett, driving Mr. Anderson to the corner!"

Jim Cornette: "Impressive display of strength by "The Miracle" Mike Bennett."

Jerry Lawler: "Oh, and what a clothesline in the corner of the ring! That ought to knock Mr. Anderson for a loop!"

Jim Ross: "And he takes him to another corner and does it again! And again! And again!"

Jim Cornette: "You know, it's great he's found a move that works, but sooner or later, Mr. Anderson's gonna have to find a way to neutralize that attack."

Jim Ross: "And now Mike Bennett, waiting in the ring... and he drops Mr. Anderson with the superkick!"

Jerry Lawler: "Good grief!"

Jim Cornette: "But come on! There's no need to taunt like that! Get back on the attack!"

Jim Ross: "Looks like he's about to do just that, as he picks up Anderson and drops him down with the spinebuster!"

Jerry Lawler: "I could feel my spine rattling from seeing that move!"

Jim Ross: "And he waits for Anderson to get up... and drops him with the cutter! Cover, 1... 2, no! Anderson kicks out at 2!"

Jerry Lawler: "I just can't believe how hot Mike Bennett started out this match! It's a miracle!"

Jim Ross: "Well, it looks like the miracle's coming to an end, as the two now lock up... and Mr. Anderson drops Mike Bennett with the belly-to-back suplex!"

Jim Cornette: "Textbook wrestling fundamentals, folks. Textbook wrestling fundamentals."

Jim Ross: "And Anderson, now, picking up Mike Bennett... Irish Whip, and he hits the running clothesline! Cover 1... not even close! Bennett kicks out at 1!"

Jerry Lawler: "He's still got plenty of gas in the tank... wonder if he's thinking of his wife through all this?"

Jim Ross: "Anderson now, with the drop toe hold, sending Bennett into the ropes. And he follows it up with the leapfrog guillotine!"

Jim Cornette: "You'd have to be really dumb not to go for a cover here..."

Jim Ross: "Apparently, Anderson is. He wants to inflict some more punishment in the form of a dropkick! Bennett, getting out of the ring to regroup for a moment!"

Jerry Lawler: "I don't blame him, either. Mr. Anderson's on the warpath now!"

Jim Ross: "Anderson, though, in pursuit and sending Mike Bennett crashing into the ring stairs!"

Mr. Anderson: "That's right! That's what you get when you step into the ring with the real competitors!"

Jim Cornette: "And a bit of taunting by Mr. Anderson! Come on, enough's enough! You want to talk the talk, you better walk the walk!"

Jim Ross: "Anderson, though, back in first and Mike's not in for a second before he's hit with the Green Bay Plunge! Anderson, now climbing the... oh, no. Mike's gone to the corner to regroup... that turns out to be a bad move as Mr. Anderson just scrapes his head with the face wash!"

Jim Cornette: "Guys, I just don't think Mike Bennett has it in him anymore to win this one."

Jim Ross: "Anderson setting up Mike Bennett in the center of the ring... and there's the Kenton Bomb! Cover, 1... 2... no! Mike Bennett kicks out at 2 and a half!"

Jerry Lawler: "I think we might be seeing the beginning of the end here!"

Jim Ross: "You may be right, King, as Anderson sets up Bennett... and drops him down with the Mic Check! Cover, 1... 2... 3, it's all over!"

Justin Roberts: "The winner of the match... Mr. Anderson!"

Jim Cornette: "So long, thanks for coming Mike Bennett!"

Jim Ross: "It was a pretty hard-fought battle, I'll tell you that much! But in the end, there could only be one winner, and this time, it was Mr. Anderson... Anderson!"

Jerry Lawler: "Oh... I hope his wife's wrestling in the next match! I can't wait to see her!"

[geekcavepodcast]

DC Comics Announces “DC Future State”

DC Comics is kicking off 2021 with DC Future State, a line-wide event taking place from January to February 2021. The event will feature monthly and twice-monthly over-sized anthologies and monthly miniseries and one-shots. 

DC Future State find the Multiverse saved from the brink of destruction. Hurray! But the fabric of time and space has been shaken loose. Boo! New characters will take up iconic mantles. Don’t worry about your favorites, though, in March 2021 the regular line-up resumes and will continue 2020′s story arcs.

The Batman Family

DC Future State finds Gotham City controlled by the villainous Magistrate. The city is under constant surveillance, masked vigilantes are outlawed, and Batman is dead. A new Batman will lead Gotham’s guardians and restore hope.

Oversized Comics:

Future State: The Next Batman #1-4

The Next Batman - John Ridley, Nick Derington and Laura Braga

Outsiders - Brandon Thomas and Sumit Kumar

Arkham Knights - Paul Jenkins and Jack Herbert

Batgirls - Vita Ayala and Aneke

Gotham City Sirens - Paula Sevenbergen and Emanuela Lupacchino

Future State: Dark Detective #1-4 

Dark Detective - Mariko Tamaki and Dan Mora

Grifters - Matthew Rosenberg and Carmine di Giandomenico

Red Hood - Joshua Williamson and Giannis Milonogiannis

Monthly Miniseries:

Future State: Batman/Superman, by Gene Luen Yang and Ben Oliver

Future State: Catwoman - Ram V. and Otto Schmidt

Future State: Harley Quinn - Stephanie Phillips and Simone Di Meo

Future State: Nightwing - Andrew Constant and Nicola Scott

Future State: Robin Eternal - Meghan Fitzmartin and Eddy Barrows

The Superman Family

DC Future State’s Clark Kent has be rejected from Earth due to his involvement with an international crisis. He rises through the gladiatorial ranks in Warworld in order to defeat Mongul with some new allies. Meanwhile, Jon, Clark’s son, has become Superman. In order to protect Metropolis from what happened to Gotham, Jon bottles up the city, putting himself at odds with Supergirl.

Mister Miracle, aka Shilo Norman, find himself caught between his home city and the planet in a story connecting the two Future State: Superman titles.

Meanwhile, meanwhile, a new Wonder Woman has been chosen in the Amazon Rainforest - Yara Flor. The new Superman and Wonder Woman will, years later, find themselves teaming up to save their cities.

Oversized Comics:

Future State: Superman of Metropolis #1-2

Superman of Metropolis - Sean Lewis and John Timms

The Guardian - Sean Lewis and Cully Hamner

Mister Miracle - Brandon Easton and Valentine De Landro

Future State: Superman: Worlds of War #1-4

Superman: Worlds of War - Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Mikel Janin

Midnighter - Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Gleb Melnikov

Black Racer - Jeremy Adams and Siya Oum

Mister Miracle - Brandon Easton and Valentine De Landro

Future State: Immortal Wonder Woman #1-2

Immortal Wonder Woman - Becky Cloonan, Michael W. Conrad and Jen Bartel

Nubia - L.L. McKinney, Alitha E. Martinez and Mark Morales

Monthly Miniseries and One Shots:

Future State: House of El - Phillip Kennedy Johnson and Scott Godlewski (one-shot on sale February)

Future State: Kara Zor-El, Superwoman - Marguerite Bennett and Marguerite Sauvage

Future State: Legion of Super-Heroes - Brian Michael Bendis and Riley Rossmo

Future State: Superman/Wonder Woman - Dan Watters and Leila del Duca

Future State: Superman vs. Imperious Lex - Mark Russell and Steve Pugh (3-issue series ending March 2021)

Future State: Wonder Woman - Joëlle Jones

The Justice League Family

DC Future State’s new League is built upon secret identities, even from each other. An old but evolved enemy will use the secrets to try to take over the world. Over at Justice League Dark, the heroes are hunted as the fabric of reality has shifted.

The Four Riders of the Apocalypse unleash a battle at Titans Acadmey, kicking things off for the Teen Titans, Flash, and Shazam. Barry Allen has been cut off from the Speed Force, Wally West is controlled by Famine, and Billy Batson makes a deal with the devil. Meanwhile, John Stewart and the Green LAnterns are stranded due to a dead power battery. Jackson Hyde and Andy Curry are separated, and Amanda Waller starts to execute her plan with a new, but familiar Suicide Squad on Earth-3.

Finally, Swamp Thing reveals its true intentions at the end of time. It will rule supreme until the last of humanity rebels and Black Adam will look to the past to save the future of the Multiverse.

Oversized Comics:

Future State: Justice League #1-2

Justice League - Joshua Williamson and Robson Rocha

Justice League Dark - Ram V. and Marcio Takara

Future State: Green LAntern #1-2

Last Lanterns - Geoffrey Thorne and Tom Raney

Tales of the Green Lantern Corps - Josie Campbell, Ryan Cady and Ernie Altbacker, with Sami Basri and Clayton Henry

Future State: Suicide Squad #1-2

Suicide Squad - Robbie Thompson and Javi Fernandez

Black Adam - Jeremy Adams and Fernando Pasarin

Monthly Miniseries:

Future State: Aquaman - Brandon Thomas and Daniel Sampere

Future State: The Flash - Brandon Vietti and Dale Eaglesham

Future State: Teen Titans - Tim Sheridan and Rafa Sandoval

Future State: SHAZAM! - Tim Sheridan and Eduardo Pansica

Future State: Swamp Thing - Ram V and Mike Perkins

January and February 2021 is going to be busy.

For more covers check out DC Comics.

(Images via DC Comics)

[silent-era-of-cinema]

Gilbert Roland (born Luis Antonio Dámaso de Alonso, December 11, 1905 – May 15, 1994) was a Mexican-born American film and television actor whose career spanned seven decades from the 1920s until the 1980s. He was twice nominated for the Golden Globe Award in 1952 and 1964, and inducted into the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960.

Roland was born in Ciudad Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, and originally intended to become a bullfighter like his father and his paternal grandfather.

When Pancho Villa took control of their town, Roland and his family fled to the United States. He lived in Texas until at age 14 he hopped on a freight train and went to Hollywood. After arriving there, he found menial jobs and slept in a Catholic church. He often lost those jobs because he spent time working as an extra in films. He chose his screen name by combining the names of his favorite actors, John Gilbert and Ruth Roland. He was often cast in the stereotypical Latin lover role.

Roland's first film contract was with Paramount.[2] His first major role was in the collegiate comedy The Plastic Age (1925) together with Clara Bow, to whom he became engaged.[5] In 1926, he played Armand in Camille opposite Norma Talmadge, with whom he was romantically involved, and they starred together in several productions. With the advent of sound films, Roland frequently appeared in Spanish language adaptations of American films, in romantic lead roles. Roland served in the United States Army Air Corps during World War II.

Beginning in the 1940s, critics began to take notice of his acting and he was praised for his supporting roles in John Huston's We Were Strangers (1949), The Bad and the Beautiful (1952), Thunder Bay (1953), and Cheyenne Autumn (1964). He also appeared in a series of films in the mid-1940s as the popular character "The Cisco Kid". He played Hugo, the agnostic (and fictional) friend of the three shepherd children in The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima, based on the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima in 1917. In 1953, Roland played Greek-American sponge diver Mike Petrakis in the epic Beneath the 12-Mile Reef.

Roland played Dom Pedro II, the emperor of Brazil, in a 1963 episode, "A Kingdom for a Horse", of the syndicated western television series Death Valley Days.[citation needed] He also portrayed Howad McMahon on Bewitched, acted on December Bride and Playhouse 90, and both wrote the script for and acted in an episode of Wagon Train.

His last film appearance was in the 1982 western Barbarosa.

Roland married actress Constance Bennett on April 20, 1941 in Yuma, Arizona. They were married until 1946 and had two daughters, Lorinda "Lynda" (b. 1938) and Christina "Gyl" (b. 1941). Bennett won custody of their daughters. He had appeared with Bennett in 1933 as Pepe in George Cukor's Our Betters, and in the same year, as the romantic lead in After Tonight, a World War I drama.

His second marriage to Guillermina Cantú in 1954 lasted until his death 40 years later.

Gilbert Roland died of cancer in Beverly Hills, California in 1994, aged 88. His body was cremated and his ashes scattered at sea.

[smashpages]

Winners announced for the 2019 Eisner Awards

The winners were announced last night for the 2019 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

Tom King and Mitch Gerads, partners on the Mister Miracle series from DC, took home five awards between them. John Allison’s Giant Days and The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang also took home multiple awards.

The Eisner Awards also inducted 10 people into the Hall of Fame last night: the judges chose Jim Aparo, June Tarpé Mills, Dave Stevens and Morrie Turner, while voters chose José Luis García-López, Jenette Kahn, Paul Levitz, Wendy and Richard Pini, and Bill Sienkiewicz to join the class of 2019.

Other awards given out last night included the The Bill Finger Excellence In Comic Book Writing Award, which was presented to Mike Friedrich and the late E. Nelson Bridwell, and the Russ Manning Most Promising Newcomer Award, which went to Lorena Alvarez.

The 2019 recipients of the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award were Edgardo Miranda-Rodriguez, for his work on Ricanstruction: Reminiscing & Rebuilding Puerto Rico, and comic artist Tula Lotay, AKA Lisa Wood, for creating the UK-based Thought Bubble Festival. And La Revisteria Comics in Argentina won the Will Eisner Spirit of Comics Retailer Award.

You can see all the Eisner winners below, in bold.

Best Short Story

“Get Naked in Barcelona,” by Steven T. Seagle and Emei Olivia Burrell, in Get Naked (Image)

“The Ghastlygun Tinies,” by Matt Cohen and Marc Palm, in MAD magazine #4 (DC)

“Here I Am,” by Shaun Tan, in I Feel Machine (SelfMadeHero)

“Life During Interesting Times,” by Mike Dawson (The Nib), https://thenib.com/greatest-generation-interesting-times

“Supply Chains,” by Peter and Maria Hoey, in Coin-Op #7 (Coin-Op Books)

“The Talk of the Saints,” by Tom King and Jason Fabok, in Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Best Single Issue/One-Shot

Beneath the Dead Oak Tree, by Emily Carroll (ShortBox)

Black Hammer: Cthu-Louise, by Jeff Lemire and Emi Lenox (Dark Horse)

No Better Words, by Carolyn Nowak (Silver Sprocket)

Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #310, by Chip Zdarsky (Marvel)

The Terrible Elisabeth Dumn Against the Devils In Suits, by Arabson, translated by James Robinson (IHQ Studio/ Image)

Best Continuing Series

Batman, by Tom King et al. (DC)

Black Hammer: Age of Doom, by Jeff Lemire, Dean Ormston, and Rich Tommaso (Dark Horse)

Gasolina, by Sean Mackiewicz and Niko Walter (Skybound/Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julaa Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

The Immortal Hulk, by Al Ewing, Joe Bennett, and Ruy José (Marvel)

Runaways, by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka (Marvel)

Best Limited Series

Batman: White Knight, by Sean Murphy (DC)

Eternity Girl, by Magdalene Visaggio and Sonny Liew (Vertigo/DC)

Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, by Mark Russell, Mike Feehan, and Mark Morales (DC)

Mister Miracle, by Tom King and Mitch Gerads (DC)

X-Men: Grand Design: Second Genesis, by Ed Piskor (Marvel)

Best New Series

Bitter Root, by David Walker, Chuck Brown, and Sanford Green (Image)

Crowded, by Christopher Sebela, Ro Stein, and Ted Brandt (Image)

Gideon Falls, by Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino (Image)

Isola, by Brenden Fletcher and Karl Kerschl (Image)

Man-Eaters, by Chelsea Cain and Kate Niemczyk (Image)

Skyward, by Joe Henderson and Lee Garbett (Image)

Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 8)

Johnny Boo and the Ice Cream Computer, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf/IDW)

Petals, by Gustavo Borges (KaBOOM!)

Peter & Ernesto: A Tale of Two Sloths, by Graham Annable (First Second)

This Is a Taco! By Andrew Cangelose and Josh Shipley (CubHouse/Lion Forge)

Tiger Vs. Nightmare, by Emily Tetri (First Second)

Best Publication for Kids (ages 9–12)

Aquicorn Cove, by Katie O’Neill (Oni)

Be Prepared, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)

The Cardboard Kingdom, by Chad Sell (Knopf/Random House Children’s Books)

Crush, by Svetlana Chmakova (JY/Yen Press)

The Divided Earth, by Faith Erin Hicks (First Second)

Best Publication for Teens (ages 13–17)

All Summer Long, by Hope Larson (Farrar Straus Giroux)

Gumballs, by Erin Nations (Top Shelf/IDW)

Middlewest, by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona (Image)

Norroway, Book 1: The Black Bull of Norroway, by Cat Seaton and Kit Seaton (Image)

The Prince and the Dressmaker, by Jen Wang (First Second)

Watersnakes, by Tony Sandoval, translated by Lucas Marangon (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Humor Publication

Get Naked, by Steven T. Seagle et al. (Image)

Giant Days, by John Allison, Max Sarin, and Julia Madrigal (BOOM! Box)

MAD magazine, edited by Bill Morrison (DC)

A Perfect Failure: Fanta Bukowski 3, by Noah Van Sciver (Fantagraphics)

Woman World, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Anthology

Femme Magnifique: 50 Magnificent Women Who Changed the World, edited by Shelly Bond (Black Crown/IDW)

Puerto Rico Strong, edited by Marco Lopez, Desiree Rodriguez, Hazel Newlevant, Derek Ruiz, and Neil Schwartz (Lion Forge)

Twisted Romance, edited by Alex de Campi (Image)

Where We Live: A Benefit for the Survivors in Las Vegas, edited by Will Dennis, curated by J. H. Williams III and Wendy Wright-Williams (Image)

Best Reality-Based Work

All the Answers: A Graphic Memoir, by Michael Kupperman (Gallery 13)

All the Sad Songs, by Summer Pierre (Retrofit/Big Planet)

Is This Guy For Real? The Unbelievable Andy Kaufman, by Box Brown (First Second)

Monk! by Youssef Daoudi (First Second)

One Dirty Tree, by Noah Van Sciver (Uncivilized Books)

Best Graphic Album—New

Bad Girls, by Alex de Campi and Victor Santos (Gallery 13)

Come Again, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf/IDW)

Green Lantern: Earth One Vol. 1, by Corinna Bechko and Gabriel Hardman (DC)

Homunculus, by Joe Sparrow (ShortBox)

My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Image)

Sabrina, by Nick Drnaso (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album—Reprint

Berlin, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

Girl Town, by Carolyn Nowak (Top Shelf/IDW)

Upgrade Soul, by Ezra Claytan Daniels (Lion Forge)

The Vision hardcover, by Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Michael Walsh (Marvel)

Young Frances, by Hartley Lin (AdHouse Books)

Best Adaptation from Another Medium

Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation, adapted by Ari Folman and David Polonsky (Pantheon)

“Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley, in Frankenstein: Junji Ito Story Collection, adapted by Junji Ito, translated by Jocelyne Allen (VIZ Media)

Out in the Open by Jesús Carraso, adapted by Javi Rey, translated by Lawrence Schimel (SelfMadeHero)

Speak: The Graphic Novel, by Laurie Halse Anderson and Emily Carroll (Farrar Straus Giroux)

To Build a Fire: Based on Jack London’s Classic Story, by Chabouté (Gallery 13)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

About Betty’s Boob, by Vero Cazot and Julie Rocheleau, translated by Edward Gauvin (Archaia/BOOM!)

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World, by Pénélope Bagieu (First Second)

Herakles Book 1, by Edouard Cour, translated by Jeremy Melloul (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Niourk, by Stefan Wul and Olivier Vatine, translated by Brandon Kander and Diana Schutz (Dark Horse)

A Sea of Love, by Wilfrid Lupano and Grégory Panaccione (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia

Abara: Complete Deluxe Edition, by Tsutomu Nihei, translated by Sheldon Drzka (VIZ Media)

Dead Dead Demon’s Dededede Destruction, by Inio Asano, translated by John Werry (VIZ Media)

Laid-Back Camp, by Afro, translated by Amber Tamosaitis (Yen Press)

My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder, by Nie Jun, translated by Edward Gauvin (Graphic Universe/Lerner)

Tokyo Tarareba Girls, by Akiko Higashimura (Kodansha)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips

Pogo, vol. 5: Out of This World At Home, by Walt Kelly, edited by Mark Evanier and Eric Reynolds (Fantagraphics)

Sky Masters of the Space Force: The Complete Sunday Strips in Color (1959–1960), by Jack Kirby, Wally Wood et al., edited by Ferran Delgado (Amigo Comics)

Star Wars: Classic Newspaper Strips, vol. 3, by Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson, edited by Dean Mullaney (Library of American Comics/IDW)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Words and Worlds of Herbert Crowley, by Justin Duerr (Beehive Books

Thimble Theatre and the Pre-Popeye Comics of E. C. Segar, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books

Action Comics: 80 Years of Superman Deluxe Edition, edited by Paul Levitz (DC)

Bill Sienkiewicz’s Mutants and Moon Knights… And Assassins… Artifact Edition, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)

Dirty Plotte: The Complete Julie Doucet (Drawn & Quarterly)

Madman Quarter Century Shindig, by Mike Allred, edited by Chris Ryall (IDW)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, edited by Joseph Melchior and Bob Chapman (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, edited by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Writer

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Tom King, Batman, Mister Miracle, Heroes in Crisis, Swamp Thing Winter Special (DC)

Jeff Lemire, Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Doctor Star & the Kingdom of Lost Tomorrows, Quantum Age (Dark Horse); Descender, Gideon Falls, Royal City (Image)

Mark Russell, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, Green Lantern/Huckleberry Hound, Lex Luthor/Porky Pig (DC); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)

Kelly Thompson, Nancy Drew (Dynamite); Hawkeye, Jessica Jones, Mr. & Mrs. X, Rogue & Gambit, Uncanny X-Men, West Coast Avengers (Marvel)

Chip Zdarsky, Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man, Marvel Two-in-One (Marvel)

Best Writer/Artist

Sophie Campbell, Wet Moon (Oni)

Nick Drnaso, Sabrina (Drawn & Quarterly)

David Lapham, Lodger (Black Crown/IDW); Stray Bullets (Image)

Nate Powell, Come Again (Top Shelf/IDW)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Jen Wang, The Prince and the Dressmaker (First Second)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

Matías Bergara, Coda (BOOM!)

Mitch Gerads, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Sonny Liew, Eternity Girl (Vertigo/DC)

Sean Phillips, Kill or Be Killed, My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies (Image)

Yanick Paquette, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)

Lee Bermejo, Batman: Damned (DC)

Carita Lupatelli, Izuna Book 2 (Humanoids)

Dustin Nguyen, Descender (Image)

Gregory Panaccione, A Sea of Love (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Tony Sandoval, Watersnakes (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

Best Cover Artist (for multiple covers)

Jen Bartel, Blackbird (Image); Submerged (Vault)

Nick Derington, Mister Miracle (DC)

Karl Kerschl, Isola (Image)

Joshua Middleton, Batgirl and Aquaman variants (DC)

Julian Tedesco, Hawkeye, Life of Captain Marvel (Marvel)

Best Coloring

Jordie Bellaire, Batgirl, Batman (DC); The Divided Earth (First Second); Days of Hate, Dead Hand, Head Lopper, Redlands (Image); Shuri, Doctor Strange (Marvel)

Tamra Bonvillain, Alien 3 (Dark Horse); Batman, Doom Patrol (DC); Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur, Multiple Man (Marvel)

Nathan Fairbairn, Batman, Batgirl, Birds of Prey, Wonder Woman Earth One, vol. 2 (DC); Die!Die!Die! (Image)

Matt Hollingsworth, Batman: White Knight (DC): Seven to Eternity, Wytches (Image)

Matt Wilson, Black Cloud, Paper Girls, The Wicked + The Divine (Image); The Mighty Thor, Runaways (Marvel)

Best Lettering

David Aja, Seeds (Berger Books/Dark Horse)

Jim Campbell, Breathless, Calexit, Gravetrancers, Snap Flash Hustle, Survival Fetish, The Wilds (Black Mask); Abbott, Alice: Dream to Dream, Black Badge, Clueless, Coda, Fence, Firefly, Giant Days, Grass Kings, Lumberjanes: The Infernal Compass, Low Road West, Sparrowhawk (BOOM); Angelic (Image); Wasted Space (Vault)

Alex de Campi, Bad Girls (Gallery 13); Twisted Romance (Image)

Jared Fletcher, Batman: Damned (DC); The Gravediggers Union, Moonshine, Paper Girls, Southern Bastards (Image)

Todd Klein— Black Hammer: Age of Doom, Neil Gaiman’s A Study in Emerald (Dark Horse); Batman: White Night (DC); Eternity Girl, Books of Magic (Vertigo/DC); The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Tempest (Top Shelf/IDW)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/ Journalism

Note: There was a tie in this category

Back Issue, edited by Michael Eury (TwoMorrows)

The Columbus Scribbler, edited by Brian Canini, columbusscribbler.com

Comicosity, edited by Aaron Long and Matt Santori,  www.comicosity.com

LAAB Magazine #0: Dark Matter, edited by Ronald Wimberley and Josh O’Neill (Beehive Books)

PanelxPanel magazine, edited by Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou, panelxpanel.com

Best Comics-Related Book

Comic Book Implosion: An Oral History of DC Comics Circa 1978, by Keith Dallas and John Wells (TwoMorrows)

Drawn to Purpose: American Women Illustrators and Cartoonists, by Martha H. Kennedy (University Press of Mississippi)

The League of Regrettable Sidekicks, by Jon Morris (Quirk Books)

Mike Grell: Life Is Drawing Without an Eraser, by Dewey Cassell with Jeff Messer (TwoMorrows)

Yoshitaka Amano: The Illustrated Biography—Beyond the Fantasy, by Florent Gorges, translated by Laure Dupont and Annie Gullion (Dark Horse)

Best Academic/Scholarly Work

Between Pen and Pixel: Comics, Materiality, and the Book of the Future, by Aaron Kashtan (Ohio State University Press)

Breaking the Frames: Populism and Prestige in Comics Studies, by Marc Singer (University of Texas Press)

The Goat-Getters: Jack Johnson, the Fight of the Century, and How a Bunch of Raucous Cartoonists Reinvented Comics, by Eddie Campbell (Library of American Comics/IDW/Ohio State University Press)

Incorrigibles and Innocents, by Lara Saguisag (Rutgers Univeristy Press)

Sweet Little C*nt: The Graphic Work of Julie Doucet, by Anne Elizabeth Moore (Uncivilized Books)

Best Publication Design

A Sea of Love, designed by Wilfrid Lupano, Grégory Panaccione, and Mike Kennedy (Magnetic/Lion Forge)

The Stan Lee Story Collector’s Edition, designed by Josh Baker (Taschen)

The Temple of Silence: Forgotten Worlds of Herbert Crowley, designed by Paul Kepple and Max Vandenberg (Beehive Books)

Terry Moore’s Strangers in Paradise Gallery Edition, designed by Josh Beatman/Brainchild Studios/NYC (Abstract Studio/Graphitti Designs)

Will Eisner’s A Contract with God: Curator’s Collection, designed by John Lind (Kitchen Sink/Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic

Aztec Empire, by Paul Guinan, Anina Bennett, and David Hahn, www.bigredhair.com/books/Aztec-empire/

The Führer and the Tramp, by Sean McArdle, Jon Judy, and Dexter Wee, http://thefuhrerandthetramp.com/

The Journey, by Pablo Leon (Rewire), https://rewire.news/article/2018/01/08/rewire-exclusive-comic-journey/

The Stone King, by Kel McDonald and Tyler Crook (comiXology Originals)  https://cmxl.gy/Stone-King

Umami, by Ken Niimura (Panel Syndicate), http://panelsyndicate.com/comics/umami

Best Webcomic

The Contradictions, by Sophie Yanow, www.thecontradictions.com

Lavender Jack, by Dan Schkade (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/thriller/lavender-jack/list?title_no=1410&page=1

Let’s Play, by Mongie (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/letsplay/list?title_no=1218&page=1

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe, (WEBTOON), https://www.webtoons.com/en/romance/lore-olympus/list?title_no=1320&page=1

Tiger, Tiger, by Petra Erika Nordlund, (Hiveworks) http://www.tigertigercomic.com/

[massmurdera]

2019 & 2010s Best/Worst

Because I like lists and cataloguing the dumb shit I cared about. As my brother once said after seeing and reviewing NOW YOU SEE ME on a lazy Sunday, ‘Some would say it was a waste of time, others might say it was a colossal waste of time.’     

I’ll admit, it’s a bit over-the-top. Particularly including the Pats, but yeah, in the Tom Brady era that started when I was 14 as a Freshman in high school to 33 years old now and wrapping up soon-ish (?), there’s not a chance in hell I’ll care as intimately about this shit. I grew up with it at just the right time.

2019 MOVIES  TOP TIER 1) Once Upon a Time in Hollywood 2) Uncut Gems 2nd TIER 3) Knives Out 4) Parasite 5) Little Women 6) Midsommer 3rd TIER 7) John Wick III 8) Ready or Not 9) Marriage Story 10) Joker 11) Irishman 12) Shazam! 13) Us UNDERRATED Ready or Not TOO LONG John Wick III; Irishman SOLID El Camino GOOD BAD 6 Underground OK 21 Bridges; Avengers: Endgame; Dolemite is my Name; Dragged Across Concrete; Fighting With My Family; Hustlers; Knock Down the House; Longshot; the Report; Two Popes MEH Always Be My Maybe; Death of Dick Long; High Flying Bird; Spiderman: Far From Home; Standoff at Sparrow Creek DISAPPOINTING Hobbs & Shaw; Toy Story 4; Triple Frontier SUCK Laundromat; Under the Silver Lake OVERRATED Ad Astra; Booksmart; the Farewell FUNNIEST SCENE Dicaprio flipping out in movie trailer BEST CLIMAX/ENDING Once Upon a Time; Uncut Gems HAVEN’T SEEN 1917; Apollo 11; Beach Bum; Dark Waters; Ford vs Ferrari; Honey Boy; Jojo Rabbit; the Lighthouse; Star Wars 2019 TV  TOP TIER 1) Succession 2) Fleabag 3) Watchmen 2nd TIER 4) When They See Us 5) Barry 6) Unbelievable 7) Chernobyl 8) Sex Education DAMN GOOD Big Mouth; the Boys; Brockmire; Derry Girls; Euphoria; Loudest Voice; Mindhunter; Pen15; Righteous Gemstones; Veep WATCHABLE Atypical; Bosch; Dark; Goliath; Karate Kid; Kominsky Method; Mandalorian; Mr Robot; Mrs Fletcher; Russian Doll; Warrior HIGH/LOW I Think You Should Leave SHIT END FOR ALL-TIME GREAT Game of Thrones HALF-WATCH Living With Yourself; Raising Dion; the Society NOT UP TO STANDARD Stranger Things; GLOW; Killing Eve; True Detective BAD Luther; Shameless; Silicon Valley; SNL SUCK 13 Reasons Why; Big Little Lies; the Witcher FUNNIEST Desus & Mero DOCS 1) Fyre: both  2) Ted Bundy Tapes 3) American Factory 4) Leaving Neverland STAND-UP SPECIALS 1) Burr 2) Chappelle 3) Jeselnik 4) Birbiglia 5) Gulman BEHIND ON SHOWS I DIG Brooklyn 99; Catastrophe; Corporate; Expanse; Good Place; It’s Always Sunny; Letterkenny 2010s TV  DRAMA 1) Breaking Bad 2) Game of Thrones 3) Justified 4) Mad Men 5) Hannibal 6) Banshee ANTHOLOGY/LIMITED SERIES 1) Fargo SII 2) True Detective SI 3) When They See Us 4) People Vs OJ Simpson 5) Chernobyl 6) Show Me a Hero 7) the Night Of 8) Honorable Woman COMEDY 1) Atlanta 2) Fleabag 3) Veep 4) Big Mouth 5) Parks & Rec 6) Rick & Morty 7) Nathan for You 8) Review 9) American Vandal HIT/MISS Black Mirror OVERRATED Boardwalk Empire; House of Cards; Peaky Blinders; Westworld UNDERRATED Banshee; Brockmire; Hannibal FUN HATE-WATCH Newsroom DOWNHILL Homeland; How I Met Your Mother; Legion; Sons of Anarchy HATED Girls; Leftovers; Rectify UNWATCHABLE Twin Peaks BEST ENDINGS Breaking Bad; Justified; Fleabag; Parks & Rec DUMBEST ENDING Dexter; Sons of Anarchy LATE NIGHT Desus & Mero POLITICAL John Oliver 2010s MOVIES 2010 Social Network Animal Kingdom; the Fighter; Four Lions; Inside Job; Jackass 3; MacGruber; Shutter Island; Toy Story 3; True Grit; Winter’s Bone 2011 the Raid Descendents; Drive; Fast Five; the Guard; Mission Impossible 4; Take This Waltz; Warrior 2012 Magic Mike 21 Jump Street; Argo; Cabin in the Woods; Chronicle; Django Unchained; Goon; Looper; Queen of Versailles; Silver Linings Playbook; Skyfall 2013 Wolf of Wall Street Before Midnight; the Conjuring; Gravity; Her; Inside Llewyn Davis; Prisoners; Short-Term 12 2014 John Wick the Drop; Edge of Tomorrow; Gone Girl; the Guest; Lego Movie; Nightcrawler; the Raid 2; Whiplash 2015 Mad Max 7 Days in Hell; Big Short; Brooklyn; Creed; Ex Machina; Fast 7; It Follows; Logan; Magic Mike XXL; the Martian; Me and Earl and the Dying Girl; Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation; Sicario 2016 the Nice Guys Deadpool; Edge of Seventeen; Everybody Wants Some!; Green Room; La La Land; Manchester By the Sea; Moonlight; OJ: Made in America; Popstar; Sing Street; Weiner 2017 Get Out Blade Runner 2049; Coco; Dunkirk; Lady Bird; Logan; Thor Ragnorak; Tour de Pharmacy 2018 Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse BlacKKKlansman; Den of Thieves; Hereditary; If Beale Street Could Talk; Minding the Gap; Sorry to Bother You

THE BEST Mad Max BEST DOC OJ: Made in America FUNNIEST DOC Tickled UNDERRATED DOC Weiner HORROR Hereditary FAVORITE/FUNNIEST PERFORMANCE Ryan Gosling (Nice Guys) DESERVED 5 SEQUELS the Nice Guys SUPERHERO Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse WAR Dunkirk BEST FIGHT SCENES the Raid UNDERRATED any Lonely Island project NICE TRY Dark Knight Rises; Inception; Interstellar; Widows STAND-UP 2010s FAVORITE Bill Burr NEXT BEST Ali Wong; Anthony Jeselnik; Kyle Kinane; Bert Kreischer; Marc Maron; John Mulaney; Patton Oswalt; Rory Scovel; Tom Segura COMEBACK Chappelle DOWNFALL Louis CK DIED BEFORE PRIME Patrice O’Neal, Greg Giraldo UNDERRATED Joe Derosa MUST-SEE LIVE Robert Kelly  PODCASTS 2010s  BEST/FUNNIEST/UNDERRATED Walking the Room RUNNER-UP 600 Dollar Podcast ONE-MAN RANT Bill Burr Monday Morning Podcast SPORTS Pardon My Take RIFFING Bodega Boys HISTORY/COMEDY Dollop HISTORY DEEP DIVE Hardcore History MOVIES Rewatchables HATE-WATCH CRITICISM West Wing Thing POP CULTURE/FILM Frotcast MIXED Revisionist History GOOD/BAD Joe Rogan: GOOD: propping up comic friends; BAD: useful idiot for propping up bad faith fascists who should be put out to pasture INTERNET CURIOSITY Reply All LEFTIST POLITICS Chapo Trap House TRUE CRIME In the Dark ADVICE Don’t Take Bullshit From Fuckers LAME Pod Save America OVERRATED Missing Richard Simmons DIDN’T LIKE S-Town SERIAL Season 3>Season 1 TRUMP Trump, Inc SPORTS SCHAUDENFREUDE Fuck the Chargers OKAY Bill Simmons WTF WITH MARON good when he talks to comics MURDER My Favorite Murder OTHER GOOD ONES Hound Tall; Press Box

2010s MUSIC  FAVORITE anything Brian Fallon ROCK BAND Menzingers SONG Robyn-‘Dancing On My Own’ POP-PUNK BAND Wonder Years LIVE ALBUM Horrible Crowes-‘Elsie’ HEAVY BAND Every Time I Die ELECTRONIC Chvrches SOLO Rihanna COVER ALBUM Dustin Kensrue-‘Thoughts on a Different Blood’ GO-TO AT GYM Story So Far OFF THE INEVITABLE & IRRECOVERABLE DEEP END Kanye KIND OF LIKE THE MUSIC/HATE THE PERSON: LIKE KANYE Taylor Swift, Bieber THOUGHT I’D HATE BUT DOES NOT SUCK Lana Del Rey; Post Malone OTHER FAVES 1975; Arctic Monkeys; Beach Slang; Black Keys; Bon Iver; Carly Rae Jepsen; the National; Thrice MIXED Chance the Rapper; Kendrick Lamar I’ll be honest I spent far more time listening to podcasts nearly all the time and just listened to mostly the same couple of things I liked. 2010s PATRIOTS  2010s BEST GAMES 1) Seahawks Super Bowl 2) Falcons Super Bowl 3) Ravens 2015 Divisional 4) Chiefs 2019 AFCCG UNDERRATED CLASSIC Ravens 2015 Divisional BRADY/GRONK GO DOWN LIKE CHAMPS 1) 2018 Eagles Super Bowl 2) Broncos 2015 AFCCG: Brady’ offensive line was a sieve EITHER WAY Giants Super Bowl: game changed when Brady’s shoulder got fucked up by Tuck FAVORITE PLAYER TB12 MOST FUN/DOMINANT Gronk HEART OF TEAM Edelman BELOVED Wilfork ROCK SOLID 1) Hightower 2) McCourty 3) James White 1st BALLOT HALL OF FAMERS 1) Brady 2) Gronk 3) Revis LATER BALLOT 1) Edelman 2) Scarnecchia 3) Welker 4) Wilfork 5) Slater MAKING AN ARGUMENT Gilmore PATS HALL ONLY 1) McCourty 2) Hightower 3) Mankins 4) White 5) Gostkowski 6) Mayo 7) Chung UNDERRATED/GOOD VALUE 1) Amendola 2) Vollmer 3) Ninkovich 4) Chung 5) Woodhead DESERVED BETTER Welker UNSUNG Slater OVERRATED 1) Solder 2) Brandin Cooks NO-SHOWS Dolphins (Dec ’19); Jets Divisional (Jan ‘11) BEST REGULAR SEASON WINS 1) 2013 Broncos 2) 2017 Steelers 3) 2013 Saints BEST REGULAR SEASON LOSSES 1) 2012 49ers 2) 2016 Seahawks 3) 2014 Packers 4) 2015 Broncos LOL Miami Miracle: saved by winning Super Bowl LEAST TALENTED TEAM 1) 2013 by a mile 2) 2010 3) 2011 4) 2018 BEST TEAM 1) 2014  2) 2016 BEST PLAYS (NON-GRONK) 1) Butler INT Seahawks 2) Edelman TD pass vs Ravens 3) Buttfumble Jets 4) Edelman catch vs Falcons 5) Walk-off TD vs Falcons 6) Dan Connolly kick return 7) Brady TD pass to LaFell 2015 Divisional POUNDED TABLE TO DRAFT 1) Lamar Jackson 2) Kittle 3) AJ Brown 4) Honey Badger 5) Stefon Diggs WANTED BUT OUT OF REACH 1) Aaron Donald 2) Quenton Nelson 3) Derwin James 4) Hopkins 5) TJ Watt 6) Saquon 7) Keenan Allen 8) McCaffrey 9) Gurley WOULD’VE WON IT ALL IF NOT FOR INJURIES 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017. That’s football HEALTHIEST SEASON 2018 ROPE-A-DOPED/GOT BY ON VETERAN GUILE 2018: Belichick’s best coaching FAVORITE PICKS AT THE TIME OF GUYS I WANTED 1) Gronk 2) Hightower/Chandler Jones 3) Shaq Mason MOVES I HATED THAT I WAS WRONG ABOUT 1) Stephon Gilmore 2) trading Jamie Collins MOST IMPROVED Marcus Cannon BEST FIND Kyle Van Noy MOVE I LOVED getting Blount back the 2nd time IF BUTLER WASN’T BENCHED, DO THEY BEAT THE EAGLES? Yes 100%. If only because, if nothing else, he can tackle BUTLER’s INT KILLED THE ‘LEGION OF BOOM’ SEAHAWKS WOULD-BE DYNASTY Yes DRAFT REACH THAT MADE NO SENSE Jordan Richards: Tavon Wilson 2.0 BAD DRAFT MOVES 1) Dominique Easley 2) Cyrus Jones 3) Dobson 4) Mallett DIRTY SECRET Belichick sucks at drafting in 2nd round WOULD HAVE BEEN GOOD IF HE STAYED HEALTHY Malcolm Mitchell HATE TO SEE WALK BUT COULDN’T AFFORD 1) Trey Flowers 2) Chandler Jones 3) Jimmy G 4) Talib 5) Akiem Hicks DEFLATEGATE fraud/power trip job by Goodell/owners BRADY OR BELICHICK MORE VALUABLE Brady 100% DISAPPOINTING/GAMBLES 1) Ochocinco 2) Michael Bennett: got him 2 years too late 3) Fanene signing 4) Haynesworth BEST SHORT-TERM 1) Martellus Bennett 2) Chris Long 3) Revis 4) Brian Waters SUSPECT CHARACTERS/EDGY PERSONALITY MACHINES Brandon Spikes; Brandon Browner…SERIAL KILLER Aaron Hernandez PERSONALITY DISORDER DISASTER Antonio Brown: bad signing/unexpected HOW THE FUCK DID WE LOSE TO THAT GUY? Eli Manning/Nick Foles LIFESAVER Scarnecchia MCDANIELS Frustrating—but continuity matters REFS FUCKED OVER Gronk  MISCELANNEOUS 2010s GOOD/ENJOY Bernie Sanders/AOC: people who actually want to get good done that’s long overdue…Lebron James; Stephen Curry; Kawhi; Zion Williamson; Luka Doncic...Lamar Jackson; Pat Mahomes; JJ Watt; Marshawn Lynch…Coach Ed Orgeron...David Ortiz…2011 Bruins…memes…Don Winslow crime novels…David Roth writing on Trump…David Grann non-fiction…’Book of Mormon’ DID NOT ENJOY Kyrie Irving…Deflategate…LeBron on the Heat…Bobby Valentine DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE LIKE ‘Between the World and Me’…Elon Musk…Lin Manuel-Miranda/’Hamilton’ INDEFENSIBLY AND INFURIATINGLY BAD THE MORE YOU LOOK AT IT Facebook…Obama Presidency/Democratic Party Leadership EVERYDAY DISASTER Media: CNN; Fox; MSNBC; NY Times Op-Ed…Trump/Republicans: Trump presidency was basically 2010s 9/11 for inevitable disastrous fallout & consequences my generation will never recover from…Grifters Trojan horsing way in shamelessly (Trump administration; Ben Shapiro; Alex Jones; Milo; Jordan Peterson, Tomi Lahren, etc.) and no repercussions...Republican Party basically one goal: to troll libs even with shitty ideas that suck FAVORITES WHO DIED Bourdain; Elmore Leonard; Garry Shandling; Muhammad Ali; Robin Williams; Tom Petty BEST TALENT CUT SHORT Philip Seymour Hoffman SHITTIEST PEOPLE WHO DIED Antonin Scalia; George HW Bush; John McCain; Osama; Steve Jobs; Whitey Bulger I FORGOT THAT SHIT HAPPENED Charlie Sheen loses it JEFFREY EPSTEIN did not kill himself WHAT DEFINES 2010s Amazon/Bezos…Climate Change/Gun Violence inaction…Journalism being taken over by Bane Capital-esque vultures/local places dying...one-sided Class War by the uber-rich…#MeToo…Netflix…Opioids…Outrage/Cancel culture…Police Injustice…Silicon Valley…Social Media…Superhero shit…Your mom

[arlingtonpark]

2018 Midterm Election Primer

Ladies and gentlemen, Armageddon is upon us.

I am of course referring to the 2018 Midterms, the 116th such elections to be held under the current Constitution.

It’s been a long way since this election cycle started. Democrats were so assured of victory in 2016. Indeed, most Americans probably thought Clinton would win.  

Donald Trump’s rather flukey victory was attributable to a lot of factors. Hillary Clinton’s general unpopularity, which to some extent had a basis in sexism; the racialization of American politics, which Trump, to his credit, adeptly took advantage of; the refusal of Republican politicians to abandon Trump in the face of his many outrages; and the infamous Comey Letter.

And Clinton’s forsaking of Waukesha County.

Trump’s victory was a catalyzing moment for the American left, with women, and especially white, suburban women, traditionally a GOP leaning group, mobilizing in opposition to Trump’s presidency. The Women’s March, later joined by the #metoo movement, have marked an inflection point in female activism. There has been an unprecedented number of women running for public office this election cycle. Many of these women were compelled to run by the trauma of 2016 (never forget) and naturally, because the Democratic Party is the party in opposition to Trump, they overwhelmingly chose to run as Democrats.

Not counting incumbents, so in other words only looking at races where no candidate was favored to win the nomination, the Democratic Party has nominated women to be their standard bearer in half of all elections for the House of Representatives. In this small sliver of the political universe we have gender parity.

That has never happened before.

The 116th Congress, to be elected this November, will be the first one with a fourth of its membership being women. This will represent a huge increase from the current proportion, which is about one fifth.

However, this surge in female activism has been mostly limited to the Democratic Party. The Republicans have seen a much more limited increase in female candidacies.

It’s no secret to anyone paying attention that the Democrats are the party of women and minorities and the Republicans are the party of white men. In 2018 we saw an acceleration of this trend. As of this writing, 33% of Democratic members of the House are women. Only 9% of Republican House members are women. 37% of Democratic House members are nonwhite. 5% of Republican House members are nonwhite. These differences will only grow after 2018.

Joe Crowley and Mike Capuano, both white, male Democrats, were not renominated by the party and were replaced by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, both women of color, respectively. Kristi Noem and Marsha Blackburn, both female Republicans, opted to leave the House to run for higher office and Dusty Johnson and Mark Green, both men, were respectively nominated to replace them.

As Dave Wasserman put it, House Democrats are 41% white men and falling. House Republicans are 85% white men and rising.

The parties will only continue to grow further and further apart.

The House of Representatives.

The marquee race on Election night will be the drive to 218. Whichever party gets over that number will (at least nominally) control the House of Representatives.

As of now, the Democrats are favored five times out of six to win the majority of seats. That’s very good, but there is still a one in six chance Republicans remain in power. The forecast models being used to predict the outcome of the election are based, in part, on polling. Polls are not perfect; it is not uncommon for them to be off by 2-3 percentage points.

If the polls are underestimating Republicans by 2-3 percentage points, then the GOP has a solid chance of retaining the majority. This would happen on the backs of numerous races being won by less than a two percentage margin or so.

Conversely, if it turns out the polls are overestimating Republicans (and yes, a 15% chance of victory could actually be an overestimation) by 2-3 percentage points, then the GOP will get fucking slaughtered on 11/6. In this scenario the Democrats could win over 50 seats. They only need 23 to win.  

There’s an equal chance that either scenario happens.

Most gains by the Democrats will be concentrated among suburban areas, a sign of the GOP’s collapse among suburban voters.

The number of competitive seats has greatly expanded over time. Democrats are competitive in districts such as Virginia’s 5th, North Carolina’s 9th, and Michigan’s 8th. This was unthinkable a year ago.

If the Democrats retake the House it is unlikely they will move to impeach Trump immediately. When Republicans tried to impeach Bill Clinton there was a backlash amongst the people against them. People thought they were being too hasty. Democrats will try to avoid that.

But don’t worry. Democrats fully intend on riding Trump’s ass and in more ways than you can imagine. The duty of the House is to oversee the executive branch, a duty Republicans have shirked. If the Democrats take control you can bet there will be innumerable investigations into reports of impropriety in the Trump administration.

And Nancy Pelosi?

If Republicans keep control she’s dead. She’s deader than Tony Bennett. She’ll be ousted from power and replaced by someone else. Who that’ll be, I don’t know. Joe Crowley was the obvious replacement but he’s dead too, now. There’s really no clear replacement.

Even if the Democrats take control, Pelosi isn’t a lock for the Speakership. Many Democratic candidates are running on a promise of not supporting her. If there’s only a slim Democratic majority, there may not be enough Pelosi Democrats to get her the Speakership. Things could get messy next January.

 The Senate.

The Senate is a mirror image of the House. Republicans are favored five out of six times to have the majority after the election.

But the fact that it’s even this close is a miracle.

There are 24 Democrats running for reelection in 2018. Ten of them are trying to win in states that voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Five of them are running in states Trump won by over 15 percentage points.

If Clinton were President, Republicans could conceivably have picked up over 10 seats, a massive landslide victory for them. But now? They may not win any seats. That’s incredible.

Right now, Democrats may lose only one of their own: Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, who’s been polling behind her Republican opponent.

This loss will likely be offset, though, in Arizona, where Democrat Kyrsten Sinema is favored to replace Republican Jeff Flake, who is retiring.

To win the majority, Heitkamp will need to hang on in North Dakota and Sinema will need to win alongside Jacky Rosen, the Democrat running against Republican Senator Dean Heller in Nevada. That would give then the 51 seats they need for a majority. Unfortunately, Rosen has also fallen behind in the polls.

If Heitkamp or Rosen or both can’t pull through, they’ll need to get to 51 seats some other way, most likely by winning Texas and Tennessee…and it’s at this point I hope it becomes clear just how measly their chances are of winning.

In Indiana, Democrat Joe Donnelley is running for reelection and his strategy is to basically try and trick voters into thinking he’s the Republican. Donnelley is an accidental Senator; he only won because his Republican opponent was a moron who threw away the election.

The same holds true for Claire McCaskill, Missouri’s Democratic senator. She should have lost reelection in 2012, but was saved when her Republican opponent epically screwed himself. If you were around back then you probably remember it, actually.

The final race of note is Florida. The Democrat is Bill Nelson, who is a former astronaut. The Republican is Governor Rick Scott, who was fined over $1 billion for defrauding the federal government.

Even if the Democrats don’t win the majority now, keeping the Republicans at 51 seats will set them up to take the Senate later on down the line. 2020 and 2022 will feature election maps far more favorable to the Democrats than 2018.

But looking out even further into the future the Democratic Party’s Senate prospects are not looking good. It is only through sheer luck that they aren’t going to get slaughtered here. The 2018 map will be up for election again in 2024 and it is then that they’ll get slaughtered.

 Governors

The gaggle of 36 governor’s races are a mirror image of the Senate map, which is a mirror image of the House. It’s mirrors all the way down in this cycle! Most of the seats are held by Republicans and a lot of them are in states where Democrats have a chance to win. But unlike the Senate, they don’t have a favorable map to buoy themselves, which means they’re on a sinking ship without a lifeboat.

Democrats are favored to take governorships from the Republicans in Michigan, Illinois, Maine, Iowa, New Mexico, and Florida.

Florida!

That’s just bewildering. Florida is a swing state, all elections there are close. Yet Democrat Andrew Gillum, a black guy running on universal healthcare, is practically running away with the governorship!

And you want even more proof things are going well for Democrats?

Georgia is a toss-up. Yeah, that’s right, Democrat Stacey Abrams, another black candidate, is competitive against Republican Brian Kemp.

Republican governor Scott Walker is slightly favored to get his ass kicked in Wisconsin, which is karmic justice as far as union leaders are concerned since he’s been a thorn in their side for a while now.

Another competitive Republican state that shouldn’t be: Kansas. The old Republican governor, Sam Brownback, is like the captain of the Titanic, except imagine if Captain Smith drove the ship into the iceberg on purpose. Brownback’s policies have ruined the state and now his disciple, Kris Kobach, is trying to succeed him. Kobach is such a clown that several prominent Kansas Republicans have endorsed the Democrat, Laura Kelly.

Things are a bit complicated in Alaska. Bill Walker, the current governor, is not affiliated with any party, except he used to be a Democrat, and the Democrats chose to endorse him instead of nominating someone in the last election. Things didn’t go so smoothly this time, though. Democrats nominated Mark Begich to be governor and Walker chose to run for reelection anyway. This split the anti-Republican vote and cleared the way for Republican Dunleavey to hike his way to victory.

Most politicians would be too egomaniacal to see they can’t win and drop out, but not Bill Walker. He dropped out of the race and endorsed Begich, ironically proving he was the one who deserved to win the most. Now Dunleavy…is still favored to win. But it’s closer now. Yeah.

The truth is that Walker is just very unpopular. However much Alaskans are stereotyped as rugged mountainpeople, never forget their state is the only one in the country that gives every man, women, and child. literally. free. money. That’s why Walker wasn’t so popular. Because he cut back on the amount of free money he was giving away.

Alaska is only one of two bright spots for Republicans here. The other is New England. They have three governorships there and all three are favored to be reelected. These governors are more moderate (pro-choice, pro-gun control, pro-gay marriage, etc.) and they all work with Democrats to govern effectively. It is precisely because of this they will never be big with the national Republican Party.

I haven’t followed the Nevada race, but Nevada politico Jon Ralston describes Republican Adam Laxalt like he’s a douche who’s dating someone for their looks, so I hope he loses. He’s (barely) favored to win.

Ohio’s race is a toss-up between Mike DeWine and Richard Corduroy.

Winning all these governorships is important for Democrats because these governors will be around in 2021 when congressional districts are redrawn. Because those district maps have to be passed into law to take effect, the governors of most states have a veto over it. Republicans had a free hand in 2011 during the last redraw and they drew the maps to favor themselves. Having Democratic governors will be important to keeping the party from being drawn out.

 The Big Picture

The most important aspect of any given election is how it sets up the next election two years later. (The one constant in American politics is a torturously arduous struggle that never ends.) Which candidates win and which lose will be used to argue for one vision of the Democratic and Republican parties over the others. For example, if Andrew Gillum, a black man running on Bernie Sander’s platform, wins in Florida, then that will strengthen the case Sanders and his ilk are making for the path the Party needs to go down.

It’s possible a future President could be elected in 2018. Gillum and Beto O’Rourke, the Democratic Senate candidate in Texas, have both been talked about as presidential candidates. Gavin Newsom, the Democratic candidate for Governor of California, has also had his name thrown around.

The best election night commentary is from the smart politicos on twitter. Seriously, these people know what they’re talking about and because it’s Twitter, there’ll be much snark. I’ll have a Twitter list ready by election night for anyone willing to follow it on Twitter.

Hope you all vote! :)