#this kid is a hero a legend a deputy a sheriff

[profounddefendorcrusade-blog]

Friendly reminder that Clover gave up their entire life just so monsters could maybe be free one day. This child believed their friends and everyone else would get a happy ending. They believed a good human would show up one day and that everyone would finally see the surface.

Everyone except Clover.

I still get chills.

[tabloidtoc]

National Examiner, January 25

Cover: Secret Dawn Wells took to the grave: her affair with Bob Denver of Gilligan’s Island 

Page 2: Best and Worst Celeb Tippers -- Katherine Heigl, Amy Schumer, Drew Barrymore, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Madonna, Johnny Depp, Jay-Z 

Page 3: Charlie Sheen, Ben Affleck, Sean Penn, Sharon Stone, Naomi Campbell, Mark Zuckerberg, Tom Selleck and Donnie Wahlberg took the 2020 Tip Challenge 

Page 4: Goldie Hawn’s movie roles 

Page 6: Melissa Gilbert who played Laura Ingalls on Little House on the Prairie says if there’s one piece of unfinished business that emerged from the show it’s that she’d like to punch former co-star Shannen Doherty -- Shannen was only 12 when she joined the Little House cast for the show’s ninth and final season playing Jenny Wilder but in a couples therapy session with her first husband Bo Brinkman it came out that Shannen at 22 had bagged Bo in bed 

Page 7: Country star Dolly Parton may be 75 year old but that doesn’t stop her from leaping out of bed at 3 a.m. every morning -- she’s a very very very early riser and she goes to bed pretty early but she’s up and down

* Tom Hanks has been in countless movies and TV shows but his most important role in life has been as a father of four and he has tips for how to do it right 

Page 8: If you’ve soured on feeding canned dog food to your precious pooch you’re not alone -- plenty of owners are switching over to healthy people-food diets for their pets but it’s essential to get guidance from your veterinarian 

Page 9: Most of your kitty’s diet should be a nutritionally complete cat food but you can give them a treat from your plate every once in a while -- you just need to know how to choose feline-friendly snacks with nutrients they need and which they should NEVER eat -- check with your veterinarian 

* Why animals creep into our dreams -- we all dream about animals from time to time and here are some of the most common creatures of our nights and what they could be trying to tell us 

Page 10: On his 21st birthday Matt Goodman raised a glass to his late father who had left behind the money to buy his son’s first beer 

Page 11: Your Health -- the stark truth is that sleeping naked is good for you 

Page 12: Top Guns -- these Hollywood stars were fastest on the draw -- James Garner, Henry Fonda, Eli Wallach, Burt Lancaster, Roy Rogers 

Page 13: Kevin Costner, Yul Brynner, Gary Cooper, Clint Eastwood, John Wayne 

Page 14: Dear Tony, America’s Top Psychic Healer -- a lesson from COVID-19 which is work on mentally healing ourselves, Tony predicts Miley Cyrus will struggle to overcome many of her self-destructive habits, finding strength through religion and she will be back on the hit parade come summer 

Page 15: If you and your partner fight a lot here’s a great idea to grasp: holding each other’s hand is the key to better conflict resolution 

Page 16: Prince William and Duchess Kate Middleton might be royals but they’re raising their children just like any other parents and family is their first priority and Will and Kate are rarely apart from their three kids Prince George and Prince Charlotte and Prince Louis 

Page 18: Maggie the shelter stray was twice unlucky when two potential forever homes kicked her to the curb but now she’s found her true calling as a beloved K-9 officer 

Page 19: A homeless man in Atlanta put his life on the line to rescue every single cat and dog from a blazing inferno at an animal shelter 

Page 20: Cover Story -- a three-hour tour that turned into a three-season laugh-fest on Gilligan’s Island made Dawn Wells a star and she took the show’s juiciest secrets to her grave including a red-hot affair with co-star Bob Denver -- Dawn who died of complications related to COVID-19 at age 82 hid a crazy sexy side which she kept under wraps because it was the exact opposite of the squeaky-clean image se presented to the world as farm girl Mary Ann on Gilligan’s Island 

Page 22: This Michigan teen is a top Elvis Presley impersonator even performing in Las Vegas and the only one with Down syndrome 

Page 24: Texas firefighters were hailed as heroes after they rescued a four-year-old boy who had fallen down a well 

Page 25: Here’s the dirt on soil-free gardening 

Page 26: Nice Work If You Can Get It -- celebs shell out stupid money for stupid jobs -- Rod Stewart travels with a room-darkening team, Lady Gaga hates to sleep alone and her personal assistant had to get in bed with her on nights when Gaga was solo, Larry Ellison likes to play basketball on his yacht and employs a person who job it is to circle it in a boat and retrieve stray balls from the ocean, Mariah Carey has a woman who stands beside her at all times holding a drink, Snoop Dogg pays a professional blunts roller, Prince Charles has a personal dresser, Justin Bieber’s entourage includes someone to hold his drink and another to hold his slice of pizza, Sean Combs has an assistant whose only job is to carry around an umbrella for him 

Page 28: Burt Lancaster was one of Hollywood’s biggest stars acting in more than 70 movies during a four-decade-long career but he was also a silly practical joker says his daughter Joanna Lancaster one of the actor’s five children 

Page 30: Legendary actress and dancer Ann-Marget will be 80 years old in April but she’s still stepping out and making movies -- you’re not dead when you reach a certain age said the star who shot to fame when she famously dated Elvis Presley when they made Viva Las Vegas in 1964 

* Candice Bergen running wild and free at age 74 -- she recently became a first-time grandmother and is selling her hand-designed merchandise online 

* What is Marie Osmond doing during the pandemic? She bought a Harley motorcycle and so did her husband Steve and they love to go riding together -- the twosome also take walks and see their kids and grandkids and stay busy and have fun 

Page 42: All Washed Up -- surprising facts about bathing and showering 

Page 44: Eyes on the Stars -- Ellen DeGeneres goes for a spin in California (picture), Chrissy Teigen and John Legend take their kids Luna and Miles to watch planes make the tricky landing at St. Barts’ airport (picture), Joan Collins claims she once gave Bobby Kennedy the brush off because neither of them was single at the time, George Clooney can’t bear the thought of his early film Grizzly II seeing the light of day but it is set to be released later this year, Barry Gibb the last living member of The Bee Gees says life was incredibly hard after losing his brothers and bandmates Robin Gibb and Maurice Gibb who died in 2012 and 2003, Ray Liotta and Jacy Nittolo engaged, Bob Seger paid tribute to saxophonist Alto Reed a longtime member of his Silver Bullet Band who lost his life to colon cancer 

Page 45: Prince Charles and Duchess Camilla show off their walking sticks outside their home at Birkhall in Scotland (picture), Tori Spelling gets some puppy love from one of their pet pooches in L.A. with help from hubby Dean McDermott (picture), Megan Fox has moved on with Machine Gun Kelly and her estranged husband Brian Austin Green isn’t moping solo -- he vacationed in Hawaii with Sharna Burgess of Dancing with the Stars, British photographer David Bailey is dishing on his storied career in his memoir -- he claims sloshed Elizabeth Taylor tried to swipe his camera and his first impression of ex-wife Catherine Deneuve was that she was short and a bit on the fat side, Phyllis McGuire who shared the stage with her late siblings Dorothy and Ruby as the McGuire Sisters died in her lavish Las Vegas home -- she found fame through her voice and infamy through her relationship with Sin City mobster Sam Giancana 

Page 46: Good-hearted sheriff’s deputies surprised a woman with a vehicle after they kept getting calls about her walking along the highway in the freezing cold each morning 

Page 47: These UN Ambassadors use star power to help -- Emma Watson, Danny Glover, Nicole Kidman, Angelina Jolie, Antonio Banderas, Whoopi Goldberg, Susan Sarandon, Liam Neeson, Laurence Fishburne, Mia Farrow, Katy Perry, Alyssa Milano 

[tranquil-slaughterhouse]

Here‘s An Unforgettable Month

Next month... Cartoon Network... Is counting on the viewers... Who'll sway as they'd swarm... With expectations in their eyes They'll stumble into a great whirling storm...

Episode synopses and news regarding OK KO, Mao Mao, Infinity Train, Craig of the Creek, and Victor and Valentino for August 2019.  

Source: The Futon Critic

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!

Yo, don't ever end this show to save some dough. If it's gone, I'll always feel so low.   I'll fight on through the summer and the snow!   For Mr. Gar, Rad, Enid, and K.O.!    

Let's Meet Sonic - When world class hero SONIC THE HEDGEHOG visits the plaza, he teams up with K.O. to save the day. Deep Space Vacation - When Gar lets K.O. and Enid take a vacation to outer space, they get more than they bargained for. Big Reveal - KO finds out who his father is. Radical Rescue - Rad is forced to reconsider his identity when KO starts taking on some of his traits. Let's Get Shadowy -  K.O. teams up with an unlikely ally to take on an old foe. You're a Good Friend, KO - K.O. brings Dendy along for a hero mission in order to cheer her up. Red Action 3: Grudgement Day - K.O. and Enid attempt to prevent a mysterious power battle between Rad and Red Action. Carl - A pleasant weekend goes awry when a monster attacks.

Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart

I'm just itching for a real match. 'Cuz I'm a hero with these claws that scratch Your eyes out when you dare to underestimate me. Why can't you see that I'm better than thee?

Popularity Conquest - When Mao Mao discovers that he is not as popular as Badgerclops and Adorabat, they decide to reinvent him as a kinder, cuddlier hero. Sick Mao - When Mao Mao won't admit that he's sick, he puts the town in danger. Thumb War - The gang decides to compete in the annual Thumb War competition, but a surprise forces Mao Mao to deal with the unthinkable... losing. All By Mao Self - Mao Mao’s desire to be a legend drives him to keep topping himself. He's the Sheriff - The gang struggles to get rid of the King when he joins them as their new deputy-for-a-day! Bobo Chan - Badgerclops adopts an abandoned monster, but some things are better left in the wild.

Infinity Train

Anxiety Overload! Solve the puzzles with the robot, Keep your eyes on the road. Reaching out, aiding those in need But do you think it'll help your own?

The Beach Car - Tulip strikes a deal with a cat in an attempt to get home, but is the price worth it? The Corgi Car -Tulip and One-One explore a car full of Corgis and face off against a mysterious monster. The Crystal Car - Tulip, Atticus and One-One enter a crystal forest car and have to take part in a musical ritual. The Cat's Car - Tulip has to face her past. The Unfinished Car - The gang enters an unfinished train car and tries to fix it. The Chrome Car - The gang meets a familiar face in a mirrored car. The Ball Pit Car - The gang is confronted by a strange new force on a Ball Pit Car adventure. The Past Car - Tulip takes a risk trusting an old foe. The Engine - Tulip makes it to the front of the train and is faced with a choice.

I know you'll never go back home. So set fire to your ships and past regrets and be free!

Craig of the Creek

Cousin of the Creek - Craig takes his cousin, Bryson, to the Creek and accidentally starts a water balloon war. Camper On the Run - A runaway from a summer camp ends up at the Stump, but Craig suspects her story may not be what it seems. Stink Bomb - An accidental stink bomb explosion causes the kids to evacuate the Creek, but Craig takes it upon himself to rescue those left behind in the stench. The Evolution of Craig - Craig rescues a tadpole and decides to raise him into a level 100 frog!

Victor and Valentino

The last(?) episodes of season one: Go With The Flow, Aluxes, and Guillermo's Gathering will have their weekly Saturday tv premieres starting on the 3rd.

Balloon Boys - Victor and Valentino go on a hot air balloon trip with Sal and compete to be his favorite, but things go awry when they try to use the magical Nazca Lines to their advantage.

Your days of summer are halfway over The temperature's getting mild Go watch these shows in chronological order Because Cartoon Network is back in style

[yay855]

For this Pride Month, I’d just like to remind you all that there are many series which have LGBT+ characters of all types.

Mega Man may technically refer to its various Robot Masters as male, but the simple fact is that they don’t fully have genders; as androids, they don’t have bioloogical sexes, and thus their gender presentation is how they want it to be; furthermore, calling them a Man, such as Guts Man or Elec Man, is a designation of job, and not gender- although female-aligned Robot Masters are called women, such as Splash Woman, many robot masters are distinctly non-gendered in appearance and design, and they’re happy with that.

Digimon do not have strict genders; although each one generally has a gender they prefer, and some series do force strict genders on different digimon, most of the time, digimon are what they are. A Lillymon isn’t always female, and a Leomon isn’t always male. Furthermore, so long as they’re in the same family or species, it’s entirely possible for a digimon to evolve into a completely different gender presentation- an Armadillomon could easily evolve into a Birdramon, and then Cherrymon. Doggymon could evolve into Dorugamon and then Lillymon. They are shaped by their preferences and experiences, and always become the being they were meant to be.

Patricia Tannis of the Borderlands series is canonically bisexual, while Janey Springs is a lesbian. Nakayama is gay, and the Claptraps are generally nonbinary and attracted to a wide variety of machines.

Shantae and most of her female friends are either lesbians or bisexual. Rottytops herself is romantically interested in Shantae.

Practically every character in Stardew Valley is bisexual.

Frisk and Kris from Undertale and Deltarune respectively are both nonbinary, specifically agender.

Saints Row 2 allows you to create a transgender character, while SR4 lets your character be whatever sexuality you want.

Gravity Falls features Sheriff Daryl Blubs and Deputy Edwin Durland, two gay men in a relationship. And unlike most small towns in the middle of the country, their relationship is fully accepted by everyone around them.

OK KO: Let’s Be Heroes features Enid, who is heavily suggested to be a lesbian. There are also Lord Boxman and Professor Venomous, two gay men in a relationship; it’s never spoken outright, but they live together, they want their kids to get along, and they love spending time together (planning on destroying the Plaza). Also, there’s a scene where Boxman tears his shirt off and fires a gun, and Venomous can only stare at his glistening chest.

Adventure Time features Princess Bonibell Bubblegum and Marceline the Vampire Queen, who are in a relationship together. Bubblegum is a lesbian, while Marcy is bisexual.

The Loud House features Howard and Harold McBride, a gay couple. They even have a son, Clyde McBride.

Arthur recently revealed Mister Ratburn, the teacher of the main characters, to be a gay man- there was an entire episode revolving around him marrying another man.

The Legend of Korra features the titular character along with Asami Sato as bisexual women- and they both end up together by the finale.

Steven Universe features a large cast of lesbians and bi women. Many of them are even fully butch.

[tadcoopers-throneroom]

Wild West AU Headcanons

I did one where the villian dies and lives because my knowledge of westerns is that people will die. But it’s not very galavant like so it’s a pick your ending.  Also I got most of my knowledge of Westerns from tv tropes because it’s not a genre I grew up in so if though I tried my best the modern au will probably have a fewer miss opportunities so if you have some headcannons you want to add just reblog it with it and I’ll put it on my blog.  And of course you can ask for more head cannons any time you want.   I just suggest not suggesting noir or scifi because I’ll probably do it myself for fun because that was my parents shit and I am my parents’ child.

Isabella’s parents were wealthy, from their farm with all the cattle.  Her parents tried to set her up with wealthy men, but she wanted more from her life.  When she became an adult she moved out and found Valencia.  She did odd jobs around the town at first.  Soon she was no longer considered some idiot city girl who would have no chance of surviving the west to a well loved member of the town, who the townspeople relied on.  When the election for mayor comes up, she won by a landslide.�� 

Roberta grew up learning to shoot from her father.  Her father knew the world was dangerous and the importance of taking care of the ones you love, and that sometimes the best way to do that is to teach them to protect themselves.  Roberta became very similar to her father and became very protective of the things she loved, including the town she grew up in, Valencia.  She grew up to be a sheriff with Sid as her Deputy.

Sid’s parents died when he was a baby.   Outlaws broke into their house and tried to steal their stuff, luckily for Sid the neighbors heard gunshots and went over to kill the intruders.  They adopted the young boy and gave him the best life they could provide for him.  He wanted to be a hero like his parents and thought law enforcement could be it.  So he became a deputy. 

Richard  moved into town after his parents disowned him after finding out his girlfriend only dated him to steal their money.  His brother Kinsley losing his life during the heist. By the time they found out she was long gone.  His family was snuck out of the city figuring staying and explaining that they lost everyone in the city’s money was a bad idea.  Richard settled in Valencia.  Roberta and Isabella became fiercely protective of him.  Roberta because she knew what happened wasn’t his fault and now that he’s here he was a part of the town and under her protection as sheriff and Isabella felt a weird sense of kinship with him.   They were both city slickers and she knows how difficult that can be in this town and the fact that he was trying to escape his family’s shadow.  The mayor saw a lot of herself in him.  

Roberta and Richard spent a lot of time with him when she found out why he was there.  She was worried about his past catching up to him and didn’t want him to die because of this.  She of course taught him to shoot and made him tell her what city he is from and who might come back to deal with him.  Name, physical description everything she made him tell her.  They trained everyday until he was one of the best marksmen in the town and they soon fell in love.  

Galavant is a gunslinger,  like his father before him.  His dad disappeared on night never to be seen again.  He assumed he died until finding him.  He found out he abandoned him and his mother and then proceeded to save a bunch of orphans kidnapped by some outlaws and adopted him.  He traveled town to town helping people when the need arises. He became a sort of a legend, after saving his fifth town.  He just happened to wander in town when he witnessed shit hit the fan (explain later) which ended up with him returning to town every opportunity he got because he fell in love with Isabella and taking Sid under his wings to teach the young man to be a gunslinger like him. He retired when Sid got a handle on it and married Isabella and had some kids.  Sid still comes back to Valencia on occasion giving money to his family and saying hi to everyone.

Chef inherited the Saloon from his father.  It isn’t a Saloon that makes a lot of money since it’s in a small town but he wouldn’t trade it for the world.  He meets so many interesting people and is friends with everyone in town.  He even met his wife because of this Saloon what more could he want.

Quinn moved into Valencia after she lost everything to a fire.  The town was in walking distance of her house that was miles away from any other civilization.  Chef gave her a job at his Saloon when he heard what happened.  They soon fell in love and got married. 

Jester hangs in the Saloon.  He occasionally plays the piano and cracks jokes and was considered one of the best gamblers in the town.  His best opponent is a local prostitute named Jubilee.  A woman who people might think might take over the brothel when the current owner retires. The brothel owner adores her and the fact she’s willing to work with both genders is something she’s incredibly grateful for.

Madelena was the thief that robbed Richard’s family and killed Kinsley.  She used the wealth to start a railroad business.  She became one of the most wealthy and powerful women in the west.She hired a former outlaw named, Gareth to hunt him down and help her kill him.  He asked her how he could be assured that she won’t do the same to him.  She told him every wealthy woman needs a knife in the dark. She hired him as her personal assassin and when he found her they traveled to Valencia to kill Richard. 

Villians live- The town hid Richard the best he could.  There was about to be a duel between Richard and Gareth before Isabella stopped it, afraid that the duel could have a long lasting impact on the town.  She convinced Madelena that if she just killed Richard she would get in bigger trouble with the law, and that if she slaughters the entire town that would cause even bigger cover up issues.  They agreed that Madelena never steps foot in the town and Richard won’t come near her or kill her and the moment evidence comes that he made an attempt on her life or career they will not protect Richard.  And that was it.  Madelena married her assassin because he is the only person she trusts made her fall for him quickly.

Villian dies- Richard shoots Gareth in old fashioned duel and Gal kills Madelena when he saw her pull a pistol out while Richard was having the duel with Gareth.  

Edit: wedding planner is a snake oil salesmen and sells magical cures and potions to everyone

The pirates are highwaymen

[fly-pow-bye]

This Friday’s batch of See It Firsts have quite a bit of variety. First, 6 episodes, with two segments each, from what Cartoon Network considers to be the second season of Bakugan: Battle Planet. According to Bakugan’s official Twitter, these will air on TV every Sunday starting on August 4th at 7 AM.

The Forbidden Isle - The AO travel to a remote island in search of a Core Cell, but instead they find the Bakugan known as Kelion, which soon bonds with Dan. / New World Orders - The AO discover a small group of kids and Bakugan being used as laborers against their will, but freeing them is only half the problem.

In the Wild - The AO are invited to a video-stars conference, but when the chartered jet goes down, the AO must give over to their wild sides to survive! / Call Me Old Brakken - Lord Brakken is the ultimate AO super-fan, but his zeal takes a dark turn when he looks to prove that he is their superior in battle.

Hide Matrix and Seek - The AO go undercover to try and pass as citizens of Lord Brakken, but quickly discover that even minor celebrity makes anonymity impossible. / Or Forever Hold Your Peace - The AO seek to rescue Lia from an arranged marriage with Lord Brakken only to discover she just made a major discovery for the Bakugan!

Two Sides of the Coin - The AO and Magnus take parallel tracks to retrieve the same piece of data, one that promises a breakthrough in the Bakugan phenomenon. / The Race for Gold - When the AO seek out a mythical, lost Bakugan, they get more than they bargained for when Magnus is on the trail of this new discovery, too.

Seek and Hide - Sent to investigate a Japanese island by Benton Dusk, the AO discover a hidden facility conducting experiments that affect The Hide. / Family First - Trapped by his father, Shun is forced to battle his own friends, revealing dark secrets about the Kazami family and Masato's experiments.

A Door Closes, A Door Opens - Shun must stand up to his father, expose his cousin and protect his friends before Masato destroys everyone on Ichiro's island! / Kazami's Gambit - When Magnus looks to steal the Dimensional Doorway, Shun and Ichiro must make peace while the AO stop the Doorway from destroying them all.

Also, all of the episodes of Craig of the Creek that will air in August are already up:

Cousin of the Creek - Craig takes his cousin, Bryson, to the Creek, and accidentally starts a water balloon war.

Camper on the Run - A runaway from a summer camp ends up at the Stump, but Craig suspects her story may not be what it seems.

Stink Bomb - An accidental stink bomb explosion causes the kids to evacuate the Creek, but Craig takes it upon himself to rescue those left behind in the stench.

The Evolution of Craig - Craig rescues a tadpole and decides to raise him into a level 100 frog!

But that’s not all, the same applies for Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart as well:

Popularity Conquest - When Mao Mao discovers that he is not as popular as Badgerclops and Adorabat, they decide to reinvent him as a kinder, cuddlier hero.

Sick Mao - When Mao Mao won't admit that he's sick, he puts the town in danger.

Thumb War - The gang decide to compete in the annual Thumb War competition, but a surprise forces Mao Mao to deal with the unthinkable... losing.

All By Mao Self - Mao Mao's desire to be a legend drives him to keep topping himself. But how much is enough?

He's the Sheriff - The gang struggles to get rid of the King when he joins them as their new deputy-for-a-day!

Bobo Chan - Badgerclops adopts an abandoned monster, but some things are better left in the wild.

All of these are available on the Cartoon Network website and the CN app. If you have a cable or satellite subscription, check them out. Stay tuned.

[rachembol]

Dust in the Wind (Part 4/?)

Pairings: Sam x Reader (Eventually)

Genre/Warnings: Self-discovery, vengeance, grief, absentee father, typical Supernatural violence, cursing, fluff, shitty writing, idk probably typos?

Words: ~2 k

Summary:  Life as a post doc was stressful, but your typical norm: lecturing in the morning, working in the lab in the afternoon, and finally grading homework and working on your publications in the evening.  Of course, that life came crashing down the day the sheriff of your hometown called telling you of your mother’s brutal murder. As the only child of a single mother, you had to return to your small Midwestern town to bury the only person who supported you and pushed you through everything.  While sorting through her belongings, you had come across a small box whose contents had you switching your title from Doctorate in Biology to Hunter.  What would become the search of your lifetime will not end the way you expect it.

a/n: This is my first attempt ever at writing fanfiction.  You know it’s garbage, I know it’s garbage, we all know its garbage.  Just trying to get the writing part of my brain semi functioning while also enjoy the interesting universe that is Supernatural. Please feel free to leave constructive criticism!

Series List | Part 3 | Part 5

Before grabbing the beers off the counter, you adjusted your bra and shirt; just enough to get the maximum effect of your frame. You predicted that this would be your only chance with the Winchester brothers before they could figure out who you really were, making this an all or nothing effort.  You silently thanked your intuition to clean up a little bit and switch to a more revealing top before you had left your motel room earlier.

Time to put on the dipsy charm.

You made your way through the bar, making damn sure your hips swung to the beat of Juke Box Hero playing on, ironically, an old beat up juke box in the corner of the room. You could feel the eyes of many watching you, some with lust, some with admiration.  Even in just a slightly revealing top and blue jeans, you knew how to hold yourself in such a fashion that attracted the other half of the population. It wasn’t often you got to display your form, as you were an extremely modest individual; however, the glares from the bar patrons did more than boost your confidence, to say the least.

“Hello, boys.” You winked as you placed the beers on the table.  “I didn’t expect to see any hunters in this area, especially the infamous Winchester brothers.”

There was a slight pause before shorter one answered. It was obvious that your charm had been working.

“Well, we’re just as surprised at being recognized.”

“Oh, is that so?  For a no name hunter as myself, you two are legends in the hunting community.”

“Legends?” He chuckled as he snagged the beer you had placed in front of him. “Did ya hear that Sammy? Legends!”

Scoffing at his brother, the one you presumed to be Sam turned his attention toward you.  “I apologize for Dean.  He drove for way to long and has already finished off more than a few drinks.”  He paused before he continued, attempting to think about the conversation he was having with you instead of your beautiful Y/C eyes staring at him.  It wasn’t just the color either, that caught his attention, but the familiarity of them as well.  He just couldn’t quite place it.

“I’m Sam.” He finally blurted, not knowing what else to say as he held out his hand.

“Rebecca.” You lied as you shook his hand. “Rebecca Vocale.”

Continuing to show his intoxication, Dean began questioning you flirtatiously after introducing himself too.  “Now that’s a pretty name.  Say Rebecca, what brings you out to the lovely Sioux Falls area?”

“A werewolf case actually.  Just finished up burning the bastard before stopping by for a drink.” Let the lying continue.

“Werewolf?  And Jody didn’t catch wind of it?  Damn, that’s unusual.” Sam replied.

Jody? Who the fuck is Jody?

“Hey Sam, have you seen my phone?” Dean asked suddenly, slurring his words horribly.

Rolling his eyes in frustration, Sam answered crudely. “You probably left it in the Impala.”

“You’re right!  I’m gonna go get it.”

“As long as you promise to not drive off and leave me here.” Sam sighed.

Stumbling to get out of the booth, Dean whined at his brother.  “Now when have I ever done such a horrible thing like that?”

Dean left before another word could be said. You were shocked to see how much these two argue.  After all, they were supposed to be the greatest team in the hunting community, yet here they sat fighting like an old married couple.

“What’s up with you two?” You blurted.

“I really am sorry.” Sam apologized, again. “He and I are currently working a uh- very personal case.  It’s taking a toll on both of us mentally, and seeing as he prefers to drown out his brain with alcohol-“

“He becomes even more difficult to deal with?” You interrupted with a smile.

All he could do was nod in agreement.  Both of the boys had been super frustrated, even with the good news from Jody about R’s vehicle info.  They were fortunate enough to have her sweep the salvage yard instead of themselves.  Knowing how upset Dean would have been discovering the study destroyed, Sam wouldn’t have been surprised if Dean had destroyed something out of anger as well.

You watched as Sam continued to not say anything; he just continued picking at the label on the beer you had brought.  There was pain and sadness in his eyes and you were surprised by your growing sympathy for the man.

“Hey.” You nudged him. “It’ll get better.”

Looking up at you, he smiled.  “It’ll only get better once we know no one is looking for him anymore.”

“Him?” You questioned.  Fear began to trickle down your spine as you remembered the Winchesters’ ungodly ability to fake FBI badges.

There’s no way they were the one’s who got a hold of Sullivan.  That’s... impossible right?

“Uh, yeah.  Let’s just say someone is looking for someone extremely important to Dean and me. We’re pretty sure a shapeshifter is involved because there is no way someone would be looking for a de- “. Realization spread across Sam’s face as he stopped midsentence.  You could see the gears turning behind his blue-green eyes.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“Looking for a what?” You asked, a little bit more quietly that intended.

Sam cleared his throat, planning his next words carefully.  Before he could speak, he felt his phone go off in his pocket.  You watched him scan it quickly before he snapped his head up at you. You began sweating bullets.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

“Say Rebecca, it appears my asshole of a brother has left already.  You wouldn’t by chance give a stranded hunter a ride back to his motel, would you?”

THANK GOD!

Relieved, you answered him. “Yeah! That shouldn’t be a problem! Where are you staying?”

After paying your tab, you and Sam headed out the back door of the bar.  He gave you the address to his motel and you pulled out your keys from your back pocket. You two bounced light conversation while walking through the parking lot.  As you got closer to your car, Sam became increasingly nervous.  Finally reaching your Blazer, you soon discovered the cause of Sam’s anxiety.

One second you were looking at your reflection in the driver side window, the next you are lying on your back with all the air knocked out of you.  You could feel the hand that had a hard grip on your ankle; from your peripheral vision you were able to see the being connected to it crawling out from under your car. Instincts kicking in, you pulled the revolver you had tucked in your waste band.  You were starting to cock it when Sam came running over and took the weapon from you.

“Damnit Dean! Did you have to knock the wind out of her?” Sam yelled as he held you down.  You weren’t going to give up without a fight.  If these boys wanted to play rough, you would give them just that.

“Let go of me. Now. Or I will start screaming ‘Rape!’” You could feel the venom of your words as you spoke.

“Listen, Rebecca, we aren’t here to hurt you.  We just want to know why you’re looking for Bobby!” Sam pleaded, his eyes searching your face as he tried to figure out if you were bluffing.  Dean was now completely out from under your car and sat to your left.  He still showed signs of being inebriated, but the adrenaline in his system was doing wonders.

“I gotta tell ya, kid.  I didn’t suspect you for a damn second until I walked out here and saw your Blazer.  Don’t know what you did to that poor woman’s mind but fortunately enough she remembered your car.”

Through your clenched teeth, you began cursing yourself.  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.  I don’t know what the hell you are talking about.  I don’t know a Robert Singer!”

With that, Sam and Dean looked at each other for a brief second, the perfect amount of time for you to wiggle yourself free from Sam’s grip.  Once you escaped, you immediately stood to retrieve your fallen revolver.  Sam launched himself off the ground in an attempt to reach the weapon first but failed.  Pointing the gun right at the boys, you pondered what you should do next.

“Look, Rebecca.” Sam began while holding his hands up in defense. “Obviously you know who he is because we didn’t even mention his name!  We know who you are.  We know you bribed the cop.”

“Not to mention you used R as an identifier when communicating with Deputy Dumbass!” Dean chimed in.

“You… Don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“Please.  We came all this way to find who was looking for Bobby; to set the record straight. It’s obvious you’re not a shapeshifter as you would have burned from my ring earlier.” Dean said as he held up his hand to show you the silver ring.  “You’re clearly a hunter, a familiar one I might add.  We can’t place where but if you just set the gun down and we talk this out-“

“Talk this out?  You attacked me!  I was going to give Sam a ride back to your motel for Christ sake!”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart, we had to make sure you weren’t a shapeshifter.  It isn’t normal for somebody to be looking for a de-“

“Dean!”  Sam cut him off.

“What!” He huffed.

“Now is not the time nor place.”

“Not the time nor place for what?” You yelled at Sam.  This was getting out of control, you were getting out of control.  You needed to end this soon.

Get the info and get out.

“Just-ugh. Let’s end this.  Tell me where the hell Robert Singer is!”

“Why do you want to know?” Dean exasperated.

You couldn’t believe the audacity these two had. You had a loaded and cocked gun in their face and they still wouldn’t give you an answer right away.  Sam kept his eyes on you, their blue-green color filled to the brim with- with sadness?

Why would he be looking at me like that?

“It’s classified, okay?  I just need to find him as soon as possible.”

Finally understanding that you weren’t going to back down, Sam decided he needed to be blunt with you.

“We will tell you once you tell us who you really are.” He stated as he began moving closer to you; the tip of your revolver instantly began to track him.  “Your name isn’t Rebecca, and it sure as hell isn’t Vocale either.”

The look of confusion mixed with concern was plastered all over Dean’s face.  “Sam, what the hell are you doing?”

The closer he got the more your body screamed to back up, but you stood your ground.  If this six-foot idiot wanted to get shot, he would get shot.  Right?

“At first, I couldn’t figure out how I knew you, but I know those eyes.” He now stood five feet away.  “I know those cheek bones.” Now three feet.  “I know who you are, so say it.”  The tip of your revolver now poked into his flannel.

Uncocking your weapon and holstering it, you looked at both Winchester brothers.  A tear slid down your face as you spoke, barely above a whisper.

“My name is Y/N Singer.  I’m looking for my father.”

Series List | Part 3 | Part 5

[mdwatchestv]

Dirk Gently 2x02: Everything is Connected Blah, Blah, Blah

Episode two, we are here, we are doing it, it is happening. I feel like we have  experienced a veritable season's worth of content this past episode and frankly my dear, I am exhausted. Both figuratively in the sense that my mind and spirit have absorbed so much exposition they are wearied, and physically in the sense that I feel like my body is going to turn to dust any moment. And yes there were still many bright spots, I smiled, I lolled, I felt holistic universal joy. But I also feel adrift in a plot ocean, gasping for breath in an endless sea of names and relationships. Okay that's enough couching and complaining, let's submerge fully together and try to shed some light into the murky depths.

Once again this episode begins in the whimsical land of Wendimoor, where the moon becomes increasingly terrifying to me the longer I stare at it. Like is this just a waned Majora's Mask moon? Does the season end with it killing everyone? Help. In this first scene  Silas, boyfriend of Pink Hair, and that big guy he was with, return to their castle where they have some 'splainin to do to their queen (right?). Queen lady lays out the reason for their kingdoms feud with Pink Hair’s family, although to be frank with you all I got up during this scene to get a ginger ale because I was super hungover so my understanding of what was said is limited. But I think the gist is that the Queen's family stole the land/is mining the land/built that weird castle on the land, that rightfully belongs to Pink Hair’s family. Queen believes Pink Hair to be a rogue and wants him killt. In this world/dimension/dream-space Dirk Gently is a legend/fairytale that Silas believes in, to the chagrin of the queen. That's right, right? If there was more going on in this scene, I honestly don't want to know about it.

Back in the real world, there is even more happening. Amanda Walsh (Suzie) discovers her witch-powers in an enjoyable montage that, as a fellow witch, really spoke to my heart. Suzie goes for the classic witchy glam-makeover, lookin' good, feelin' good. But despite these gains, Suzie still has her miserable family of sucky dudes to deal with. Her super-mean husband delivers a surprisingly articulate and character-illuminating speech though before Suzie turns him into her zombie slave. Apparently Suzie suffered some sort of earlier accident (perhaps the origin of her limp and cane) and hasn't been able to move past it. What could it be! I know we are supposed to see Suzie as a potential bad guy because she *literally* kicks the dog, but any lady who uses questionable witchcraft for personal gain is a-okay in my book.

Meanwhile back at the Blackwing center, Friedkin is spinning out over Dirk's escape. Is he invisible, can he teleport? Friedkin doesn't know, because honestly he doesn't know a whole lot. We the audience, who know quite a bit more, know that Mona transported him with a glass of water. Ya duh. Freidkin decides to poll the audience and asks Ken (still trapped in the taxi with Rapunzel) and the captured members of the Rowdy 3 (on ice and more vampirey than ever) if they have any Dirk intel. They do not. Skipping right past 50/50, Friedkin phones a friend to come in and clean up his mess - and it's Alan Tudyk as the likely meaningfully named Mr. Priest! Thankfully Mr. Priest seems to be the real baddest bad, because I am still not feeling Freidkin. Also I just LOVE bad guy Alan Tudyk, and he is going wild and out with an accent, and weird chuckling. I'm here for it. Chew it up baby, chew it up.

Speaking of the Rowdy 3, Vogle and Amanda are still on the run trying to triangulate their missing compatriots via Amanda's visions. I am so digging Amanda's look this season, I am also digging her disregard for personal safety. This show likes to stick in little clues and clever foreshadowing (which I love), so let's take a little looksy at Amanda's vision and see what we can pull out- There’s the abandoned mansion, what looks to be Suzie’s zombie husband as well as the motor park where he works, Sherlock getting shot, Montana and Alan Tudyk as well as a child (the boy?) drawing what could be either Pink Hair or Dirk on a wall. She also sees things we know to identify with Wendimoor such as the scary moon and scissors. In all the visions we’ve seen so far this season there has also been a recurring menacing face with super scary eyes. Who dat? 

Finally back to that car in a tree and our main story heroes. Surprise Dirk is in the trunk! I thought surprise Dirk in the trunk was a little easy, but I'm not mad about expediting his reunion with Todd. Their friendship is the beating heart of the show and their repartee was sorely missed in the first episode. After our heroes reunion, our trio is arrested by Sheriff Sherlock (in his first ever arrest). While Sherlock is a little rusty on police protocol it turns out he is SUPER DOWN with holistic detectiving and may be Dirk's spiritual soulmate. That development was unexpected, but welcome and I am hoping for some jealousy on Todd's part about no longer being Dirk's go-to-guy (he was recently downgraded to assistant after all). Sherlock seems to get what's going down and takes his new prisoners out on the road to investigate the old mansion and wet circle wall. We have now arrived at our second exposition dump.

I stayed on the couch raptly watching this part, ginger ale in hand. So here we go. The car that fell out of the tree was 50 years old, although brand new (with only 42 miles...wink) and also contained the body of Marina Cardenas who has been missing for the same amount of time. The disappearance of Marina and her husband Hector are a local mystery. Bergsberg has many a local mystery including  an electrical burnout that fried the town's power and caused a mass exodus of residents, and the random boat in the field that we saw last episode. Although Sherlock assures Farrah these things are not connected, I can't help feeling like they probably are. A wild guess, I know.

But wait there's more! Farrah and Sherlock follow muddy footprints (left by John Hannah at the end of last episode) into the abandoned house (previously lived in by the missing Marina and Hector). Inside they find more mystery footprints, a single red phone (Chekov's phone), height markers, and a disconcertingly ghost-like John Hannah himself. Clues people. Clues. Out in the back they make an even more startling discovery- Hector Cardenas entombed in a tree. A tree that they find because Todd and Deputy Tattoo Face are practicing a sonic gun out on it. Exhausting, truly. Anyway, we have found the missing couple! Although their corpses are definitely suspish. Both tree-related, and both suggesting time-travel tomfoolery. I'm sure there will be more on this. But there is even MORE Cardenas mystery to be had! As Farrah astutely wonders "Where's the kid?" As she has deduced from the height markings in the house they must have had a child. Perhaps a boy! Oh wait where have we heard this before? Dirk assumes this is the boy, THE boy, the FIND the boy, boy. There is a LOT going on, but connections are starting to be made. This is positive.

Finally Pink Hair pops out in the middle of a road, he's not in Wendimoor anymore. How did he get to our world? What is the means of that transport? Did Bart swap places with him? More questions, always more questions. Honestly this episode made ME feel like I was hit with a car. While there was a welcome return to the team dynamics that worked in season 1, and continue to shine (team Farrah/Dirk/Todd) as well as some intriguing new characters (Amanda Walsh/Alan Tudyk), this episode was over-laden with plot. It's not that I need anything watered-down, in fact one of the aspects of the writing I enjoy is the fact that it assumes the audience can keep up with its clever tricks and clues. Season one was a rare season of television storytelling that had both organic twists and surprises and a commendably tight plot that contained time-travel and body-swapping. Season two seems to be attempting to top the first seasons tale with an even more outrageous case and an even wider reaching world. This is fine and expected but if the first season was a perfect clear chime, this season is more of a...thump. Not unpleasant, thumps can be satisfying too, and there is still much about these episodes that has been genuinely delightful. I am still a believer, and maybe like last season this is the info dump that will then provide a foundation for the rest of the season to be picked through and expanded. What I fear is additional piling on without the reprieve of investigation and character development. Time will tell.

CORGI WATCH:

NO CHANGE.

XO MD

[turntothree]

Ry& Reaction: Wolves & Shepherds

E3 came early this year! ...OK, it didn’t but it certainly felt that way, kind of.

It seems in recent years, game publishers have been tripping over themselves to take up valuable space on that pre-show hype train. I’m talking teasers, press releases, cryptic tweets and anything else they can think of to score some attention before the big three step in and snatch the spotlight. Hell, we’ve seen E3 grow an extra couple days to accommodate more publisher-sponsored events.

Editor’s Note: Really looking forward to that keynote, Devolver Digital!

A few weeks back, Ubisoft decided to do things its own way and steer the train in a slightly different direction with a bombshell announcement most other companies would save for the trade show.

Editor’s Note: NO! NO! That wasn’t released, it escaped!

Damn, man. I was just kidding. It’s going to be alright.

Anyway...this is what I’m really talking about.

Yup, the French gaming giant casually name dropped one of its top secret E3 reveals in a nonchalant tweet, a whole month before the show. But it didn’t stop there. One week later, the aforementioned Youtube suite released a...let’s call it “tourism video” for the humble little town of Hope County, Montana.  

Editor’s Note: I have a “MIGHTY” fine feeling about this place.

What? You’ve got crisp country air for breathin’, plenty of wild game for huntin, a nice clean creek for fishin’ and plenty of big ol’ green acres to roam. Of course, you’d have to overlook the constant bear attacks, air strikes, ominously empty streets and the prospect of being randomly murdered, but what town doesn’t have its share of problems?  

Editor’s Note: Wait...wasn’t Far Cry 4’s announcement handled in a similar fashion? Letting the fanbase sneak a peek behind the curtain; then slamming the curtain back down until a good and proper reveal at E3? Isn’t that what’s going on here?

You’d think so, but...

Dateline – May 26, 2017

IGN’s Daemon Hatfield and Marty Silva greeted the California sunrise with a live (and exclusive) reveal of Far Cry 5’s first proper trailer. In it, would-be players are told the sad tale of how a struggling working-class town was taken in by a wealthy con artist who promised the world.

This self-proclaimed “prophet” Joseph Seed and his twisted family of disciples preached of peace and prosperity; instead they delivered onto his flock a life of servitude and unabashed cruelty. He used his good fortune to giveith himself their property. He used his cultish militia to takeith away their free will. The chosen among “his” townsfolk would be baptised into his parish or they would surely perish.

In a town past the edge of civility, a brave few in the community have chosen to fight back against Seed’s ghoulish gospel and reclaim what’s theirs. In this holy war for the soul of America’s heart land, it is up to the player to lead the resistance. 

That’s the story (at least up to that point)...as for gameplay, the trailer didn’t show too much, but it caught fans a quick glimpse at some old and new tricks alike.

As said previously, the hunting mechanics are back, but with a new batch of wildlife to track. Bears, deer, wolves, cows and bulls are among the critters in the mix. In a similar vain, fishing will be implemented into the series for the first time. Catch and fry up some bass for hit points!

Also returning are the conveniently placed vehicles. Fast travel and open road/seas/(and for the first time) sky combat will be a breeze with your choice of motor boats, ATVs, 18 wheelers, muscle cars and fighter planes. 

Of course, the series’ standard first-person gunplay will remain locked and loaded.

Oh and the world-wide release date for Far Cry 5 has been set for February 27, 2018. The platforms in which it will be made available are as follows: Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC. Sorry, Nintendo fans. No Switch port is planned.

Editor’s Note: That’s a fair bit of information. Surely, that’s enough to appease fans for now.

Actually, Ubisoft continued the Youtube rollout with three more trailers; specifically the stories of the three main support characters as told by them in direct conversation with the player.

Meet Nick Rye: A third-generation fighter pilot who had been fortunate enough to have never seen combat, but when “Eden’s Gate” comes knockin’ on his doorstep, Nick is the first to enlist in the resistance.

Meet Mary May Fairgrave: A bartender pushed to the edge after both her brother and mother are kidnapped by Seed’s followers; now her family-owned establishment serves as a home for anyone looking to bust a cap in “Eden’s Ass!”

Meet Jerome Jefferies: The local pastor turned shepherd in wolves clothing; charged with the task of taking back the flock “father” Seed had led astray.

Monologues aside, the folks at UbiBlog also had the chance to catch up with Far Cry 5 Creative Director Dan Hay, who discussed the modern day anxieties, urban legends and Montana road trip that inspired the game’s theme and setting. That interview was also posted to Youtube.  

Editor’s Note: ...Anything else?

Then the press releases rolled out and the media was all over it.

Details of full campaign co-op; a customizable protagonist (who also happens to be the sheriff’s deputy); and so much pending controversy plastered the headlines.

Oh yeah, and there has also been some talk about melee combat specific scenarios being worked into the game. New weapons such as baseball bats, sledgehammers and pitchforks will be implemented as part of the series’ inventory.

image credit - 20th Century Fox

Editor’s Note: Wow! That’s an awful lot to tell so soon. What’s left for the E3 showing?

Actually, there’s still plenty to juicy reveal tidbits to share. Like say, an in-depth look at “Eden’s Gate”. We know so much about the heroes, but we haven’t really seen much of anything concerning the big bads, nor do we know the why or how of their hostile takeover.

There’s also the new feature Ubisoft promised to show off during its presser. If I had to wager a guess, I’d say it’s either the campaign’s co-op option or the flight mechanics.

Editor’s Note: Even still, why reveal so much about the game now? Why not leave it all as a major E3 surprise?   

My theory, the publisher wants the press to focus its collective energy on whatever new Ubisoft IPs (and or Assassin’s Creed sequel) premier that fateful day, so it’s trying to answer the more common Far Cry questions ASAP. Also, all this Far Cry hype sure makes for a damn fine centerpiece.

...

Editor’s Note: Thoughts on what you’ve seen and read so far?

 *Sigh* I guess I should start off by addressing the elephant in the room – the story.

For all of the hullabaloo, it’s nothing new. The town overrun with zealot cultists ranks among the classics of horror tropes, and stories (subtly or not) inspired by political unrest are certainly commonplace, even in the world video games.

Editor’s Note: And they’re only going to get more common over the next, let’s say four years?

While these character archetypes and plot devices may seem a tad (or more) over done, that doesn’t mean they can’t be used to tell a good story. In fact, I trust Ubisoft Montreal to do just that. That’s not to say I didn’t have any reservations or crack a joke or two at first glance, but the deeper the Youtube showings went, the more invested I got.

Hearing the stories of Nick, Mary and Pastor Jerome gave me Goosebumps, and I instantly wanted to know more about what was going on and how they aimed to deal with it.

Editor’s Note: Forget this customizable protagonist nonsense, Ubisoft. Rip-off Rockstar so I can swap between these three heroes!

The villains on the other hand, I have no real opinion of, yet. Sure, Ubi is more than capable of creating the type of sinisterly charismatic baddies this plot calls for (shout out to Vaas and Pagan Min), so I feel “Eden’s Gate” has plenty of potential. However, I can’t judge Seed or his siblings sight unseen.

...Promo images excluded, of course.

Editor’s Note: Speaking of elephants, Far Cry 4 let me wreck shit on elephant back. Surely, Ubisoft can’t just expect me to go back to primitive man power.

I don’t believe the southern United States is an elephant’s natural habitat.  

Editor’s Note: i dOn’T bEliEVe tHE SoUtHERn UnITeD StATeS iS aN eLePHaNT’s nAtURal hAbITat.

...

OK, so Montana isn’t normally thought of alongside the exotic locales the series is known for, but the more I’ve thought it over, the more I’ve come to realize it’s the perfect setting for a Far Cry game.

It’s beautiful and serene territory hosts some gorgeous natural splendour...it also has some hidden and very real dangers entrenched deep within its forestry and rocky domains. The ravenous wolves, perilous coyote packs, rabid dogs, wild bulls and massive grizzlies will be just as, if not more formidable than the tigers and honey badgers of previous games.

If you’re luckily enough to be the hunter, as opposed to the hunted, you’ll be able to score some prime cuts of meat for health boosts, and some fine pelts for crafting items.

Of course, there’s also the option to fish for some grub. That could be fun for a bit.

Editor’s Note: As long as it’s SEGA Bass Fishing quality and not Sonic Adventure quality, I’m totally up to do a little fishin’.

Not to mention the prospect of being hunted down by a bunch of gun-toting manics does compliment itself rather terrifyingly well to the whole outdoor survivalist angle, much like the militants and royal guardsmen of entries 1-4.

Yeah, the setting might be a little different and the enemies might be a little different but this is still very much Far Cry, with all the fun DIY M-A-Y-H-E-M that comes with it.

Speaking of what makes Far Cry - Far Cry, let’s talk vehicles. This pitched selection is cool as frig!

Tarring through the countryside in a muscle car or big rig, and the promise of delivering some cathartic death from above sounds absolutely sick!

Editor’s Note: Hopefully, the air battles can match stuff like Ace Combat or Battlefield 1. Now that would be sick.

Anything else...oh, right; campaign co-op. It’s a great idea!

I can’t recall the number of times I played through a mission in Far Cry 4 only to find myself completely surrounded and desperately wishing I had back-up. The ability to call in a buddy should certainly make breaking through those impenetrable compounds at least a little bit more bearable.

Editor’s Note: This all sounds rad...still wish I had my elephant though.

...

I honestly don’t quite know how to cap this off. I guess I could say:

Far Cry 5 has all the potential in the world to be a great action game, as its pedigree can attest. The guns, explosions, fast rides, deadly beasts, and vast destructible set pieces are all on lock. It has all it needs to kick ass and take names. But its creative direction is taking the series into some unknown and fairly risky territory.

There’s certainly plenty of potential in the characters and setting presented, as I’ve said earlier. However, the direction the game seems to be heading could cause a drastic tonal shift that throws the entire thing off kilter. This building sense of horror, sorrow and despair, and to have it all inspired by today’s political climate could put a major damper on the aforementioned ass-kicking and taking of names.

It’s going to be tough and sadly, it might even get a little ugly, but Ubisoft has a rock solid creative team and I do believe they can make these pieces fit into something truly great. At least I hope so.

...

...

Boy that sure was some dark stuff. Let’s lighten things up next time by battling it out Poké-Style!

[blackkudos]

Bass Reeves

Bass Reeves (July 1838 – 12 January 1910) was one of the first black Deputy U.S. Marshals west of the Mississippi River, working mostly in Arkansas and the Oklahoma Territory. During his long career, he was credited with arresting over 3,000 felons and shot and killed fourteen outlaws in self-defense.

Early life

Reeves was born into slavery in Crawford County, Arkansas in 1838. He was named after his grandfather, Basse Washington. Bass Reeves and his family were slaves of Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves. When Bass was eight (about 1846), William Reeves moved to Grayson County, Texas, near Sherman in the Peters Colony. Bass Reeves may have served William Steele Reeves' son, Colonel George R. Reeves, who was a sheriff and legislator in Texas and one-time Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives until his death from rabies in 1882. During the American Civil War, Bass parted company with George Reeves, perhaps "because Bass beat up George after a dispute in a card game." Bass fled north into the Indian Territory and lived with the Cherokee, Seminole, and Creek Indians until he was freed by the Thirteenth Amendment, which abolished slavery, in 1865.

Later, Reeves moved to Arkansas and farmed near Van Buren. He married Nellie Jennie from Texas, with whom he had eleven children.

Career

Reeves and his family farmed until 1875, when Isaac Parker was appointed federal judge for the Indian Territory. Parker appointed James F. Fagan as U.S. Marshal, directing him to hire 200 deputy U.S. Marshals. Fagan had heard about Reeves, who knew the Indian Territory and could speak several Indian languages. He recruited him as one of his deputies, making Reeves the first black deputy west of the Mississippi River. Reeves was initially assigned as a Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas, which also had responsibility for the Indian Territory. He served there until 1893, when he transferred to the Eastern District of Texas in Paris, Texas for a short while, then in 1897 to the Muskogee Federal Court in the Indian Territory.

Reeves worked for thirty-two years as a federal peace officer in the Indian Territory, and became one of Judge Parker's most valued deputies. Reeves brought in some of the most dangerous criminals of the time, but was never wounded, despite having his hat and belt shot off on separate occasions. Once he had to arrest his own son for murder.

In addition to being a marksman with a rifle and pistol, Reeves developed superior detective skills during his long career. When he retired in 1907, Reeves claimed to have arrested over 3,000 felons. He is said to have shot and killed fourteen outlaws to defend his own life.

One of his sons, Bennie Reeves, was charged with the murder of his wife. Deputy Marshal Reeves was disturbed and shaken by the incident but allegedly demanded the responsibility of bringing Bennie to justice. Bennie was eventually tracked and captured, tried, and convicted. He served his time in Fort Leavenworth in Kansas before being released and living the rest of his life as a responsible and model citizen.

When Oklahoma became a state in 1907, Bass Reeves, then 68, became an officer of the Muskogee, Oklahoma police department. He served for two years before he became ill and had to retire.

Reeves was himself once charged with murdering a posse cook. At his trial before Judge Parker, Reeves was represented by former United States Attorney W.H.H. Clayton, who was a colleague and friend. Reeves was acquitted.

Death

Reeves' health began to fail, and he died of Bright's disease (nephritis) in 1910. He was a great-uncle of Paul L. Brady, the first black man appointed a Federal Administrative Law Judge (in 1972).

Legacy

In 2007, the U.S. Route 62 bridge crossing the Arkansas River between Muskogee and Fort Gibson, Oklahoma was named the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge in his honor. On 16 May 2012, a bronze statue of Reeves by sculptor Harold Holden, of Enid, Oklahoma, was cast at a foundry in Norman, Oklahoma. It was then moved to its permanent location at Pendergraft Park in Fort Smith, Arkansas.

In popular culture

Film

Bass Reeves (2010) is a fictionalized film of his life and career. Outlaw Belle Starr also depicted.

It is believed by some that Bass Reeves was the inspiration for The Lone Ranger radio and television series, even though he was never a Texas Ranger and spent little time in Texas.

Morgan Freeman has expressed interest in playing Reeves in a motion picture about his life.

Print

The only scholarly research book on the life of Bass Reeves was written by historian Art T. Burton, the book is titled Black Gun, Silver Star: The Life and Legend of Frontier Marshal Bass Reeves, which was published in 2006. The book is currently available also as an audio book. Reeves' story has been presented to kids. Vaunda Micheaux Nelson's book, Bad News for Outlaws: The Remarkable Life of Bass Reeves, Deputy U.S. Marshal, won the 2010 Coretta Scott King Award for best author.

Bass Reeves is also featured among other historical figures from world and U.S. history in Ben Thompsons book Badass, as well as the website Badass of the week.

Illustrator and historian Joel Christian Gill published a graphic novel in 2014 called Tales of the Talented Tenth, Volume 1, which featured the story of Bass Reeves.

Authors Ken Farmer and Buck Stienke have penned five novels based on and inspired by the exploits of Bass Reeves, The Nations, Haunted Falls (winner of the Laramie Award for best action western, 2013), Hell Hole, Across the Red, and "Bass and the Lady" [www.amazon.com/dp/B0197AWPYM].

Author Elizabeth Bear depicted Bass Reeves in her 2015 wild-west/steampunk novel, Karen Memory.

Reeves 'guest-stars' in the ninth volume of the Atomic Robo comic book series, "Atomic Robo and the Knights of the Golden Circle." The story, which takes place in 1884, features Robo, Reeves, and Doc Holliday teaming up to fight a mad scientist.

Television

Reeves figures prominently in an episode of How It's Made, in which a Bass Reeves limited edition collectors' figurine is shown in various stages of the production process.

The story of Bass Reeves, portrayed by Jaleel White, is told on an episode of Drunk History by Mark Gagliardi.

"Bass Reeves: The Real Lone Ranger" is the title and subject of "Legends and Lies: The Real West" Season 1, Episode 9 (2015).

"Bass Reeves - The Real Lone Ranger" is also the title and subject of "Gunslingers" Season 2, Episode 4 (2015). Reeves is portrayed by Joseph Callender.

It has been suggested that Reeves was an inspiration for the fictional character The Lone Ranger. The origin of this may have been a 2008 biography in which the author stated "that Bass Reeves is the closest real person to resemble the fictional Lone Ranger." However, Reeves was never a Texas Ranger, and records of the creation of The Lone Ranger show no evidence of this.

Reeves is mentioned as one of the great Deputy US Marshals in Season 3, Episode 2 of the FX Network's "Justified", titled "Cut Ties". While Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal Art Mullen, played by actor Nick Searcy and another Marshal, Bill Nichols, played by Michael Harding are talking about legendary US Marshals Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Bass Reeves, Mullin says of Reeves, "Oh, one of my all-time favorites. And good luck trying to find a movie about him. Somebody needs to tell Denzel that story," referring to actor Denzel Washington, an actor known for playing quiet and capable African-American heroes on the big screen.

Wikipedia

[hey-i-wrote-a-story]

Chapter 36 A Moment’s Respite

           With the crisis past, at least for the time being, Scott took the moment’s respite to approach his fellow werewolf.  The lanky young man was busying himself seeing to the welfare of others; helping some people to their feet, seeing to it that those who couldn’t rise were tended to. He stopped what he was doing when he saw Scott approaching, and walked over to greet him.

           “You did some pretty nice work there”, the tall boy smiled.

           “Right back at ya.”

           The young man extended a hand. “Jolman Shanty.”

           Scott took his hand and shook it. He had a firm grip. It was clear to Scott that it was due to a combination of his oversized hand and having wolf strength behind it. He wasn’t squeezing hard to show off. Scott offered him a smile, then an introduction.

           “I’m—“

           “Scott McCall”, Jolman finished for him. “Yeah, I know.”

           Scott’s brow furrowed. Did he know this kid? He had no recollection of them meeting before. But then, Beacon Hills High played every team in the league throughout the season.  “Have we…played against each other before? Because I don’t remem—“

           “Nope. New to the district and to the sport. I used to be all about basketball, but everybody here is gaga for lacrosse, so I figured if I wanted to get my sports fix in, I’d better grab a stick and join ‘em. I’m trying out next season.”

           Scott managed a weak smile, but went on with his question. “Then how do you know who I am?”

           Jolman gave a quick laugh, which was oddly high pitched for his appearance. “Seriously? You’re Scott McCall, for God’s sake.” He looked around to see that no one was within earshot. No one was. “You’re an Alpha. You’re like, the Alpha. Trust me, word gets around.” Scott was taken aback. He was not comfortable with this level of notoriety. It was bad enough with a small out-of-town fan club led by a clairvoyant, but having another local know his business was, literally, too close to home. Jolman picked up on Scott’s unease and said, “Don’t worry, it’s not like I’m gonna say anything to anyone who isn’t, y’know, like us. I’m not eager to get outed, so I’m guessing you feel the same way.”

           “More lately than ever”, Scott agreed. “Thanks.”

           Jolman gave a polite nod and turned away to go back to helping his injured classmates and the other recovering victims. As far as he was concerned, the meeting was over. They had exchanged introductions and quick reassurances, and that was that. He’d taken only a few steps when he turned around to face Scott, even while walking backwards, continuing on his way. “So you and your pack gonna take care of all this?”

           “All of what? These people? I think we should probably leave that to the paramedics and the sheriff. We’re not trained to—“

           “No, no”, Jolman interrupted. “All this”, and he gestured broadly with his arms, indicating the chaos around him, and also glancing up at the sky, from where the monster had descended. “You gonna do your hero thing? Go after this killer beastie and kick its ass for the safety of your hometown and its defenseless inhabitants?”

           Jolman was doing his best to sound glib, trying to make light of a terrifying situation. Scott’s enhanced senses picked up on the tall boy’s quickening heartbeat and somewhat shallow breathing. He was still frightened, no matter how much his brave front worked to conceal it.

           “What makes you think that we--?”

           “Please. Like I said, word gets around. You’re sort of becoming a legend around here, from what I understand. All o’ you guys are. So you gonna stop it? That…thing, whatever it was?”

           “We’re going to try.”

           That satisfied Jolman for the moment. He turned away from Scott again to focus on how he could help those around him. “Whatever you’re gonna do”, he said over his shoulder, “Do it quick.”

           High above, concealed within a blanket of clouds, the monster watched the scene down below. It had seen how quickly and completely it had taken control of the crowd of human prey and how, just as quickly, the High Alpha had undone its work. The monster snorted, exhaling a thick puff or orange smoke, then arched it back as it soared higher into the night sky, deeper into the thick clouds. It was not happy.

           Scott surveyed the scene around him to check if anyone was not yet being tended to. There was a lot of crying and confusion. Plenty of “What the hell happened?”s and “How did I get over here?”s and a whole lot of “Are you okay?”s. But by now paramedics were seeing to everyone in turn, the firefighters were dousing the patches of fires around the grounds, and putting out the bonfire, just in case. Stiles’ dad and Deputy Parrish were assessing injuries and main sure that those in the worst shape were treated first. A few more deputies were now on the scene, taking statements and generally making themselves useful as best they could. Scott looked across the field and spotted Stiles standing by the volunteer brigade truck. He was holding a small boy in his arms. Scott made his way over to him.

           Stiles was speaking quiet assurances to the little boy who did not want to let go of him. Scott saw the state of the frightened boy and began to reach out to him.

           “Is he alright? Does he need--?”

           Stiles gently brushed Scott’s hand away, knowing that his friend was prepared to use his powers to take away any of the boy’s pain. “No, he’s okay”, Stiles told him. “He’s just pretty shaken, that’s all.” Then to the kid, “You were pretty brave during all that, weren’t you, buddy?”

           “Heck no!”, the boy said. “I was scared!”

           “Well, you can be scared and still be brave”, Scott told him.

           The boy looked astonished. “No way. You can??”            “Sure you can.”

           The boy considered it. “Then maybe I was brave. But I don’t know ‘cause I was too busy being scared!”

           “What do you say we go find your mom, huh little guy?”, Stiles suggested. The boy nodded vigorously. Yes, please.

           It didn’t take long to locate a frantic woman racing around asking about her son. When she came into view, the junior mascot jumped down from Stiles’ arms as if he suddenly realized he was 9 whole years old and despite his small size would look wimpy if his mom saw him being carted around by a high schooler. He called her over and she practically flew to him, throwing her arms around him.

           “Oh thank God! Thank God! I was looking everywhere for you. I was trying to find the Bartholomew costume, but I couldn’t see it and I thought I’d lost you!”

           “Um, Bartholomew’s pretty much a goner”, Stiles said.  She looked at him curiously. “His junior mascot suit caught fire.”

           “Oh no!”, She gasped. “Are you okay??”

           “This guy totally saved my life!”, the boy said, pointing at Stiles. “I guess something happened with the bonfire, ‘cause I can barely see out of it anyway and all of a sudden I’m like on fire!” His fear was fading rapidly as he recounted his adventure. “Then this guy gets the head off me and pulls me out. The thing went up like FWOOSH!”

           “Polyester burns pretty easily”, Stiles commented.

           The grateful mother looked at Stiles, and as she caught her breath, asked, “What happened here tonight?”

           Stiles found himself answering very professionally. “We’re not sure yet. But the sheriff’s department is looking into it. I suspect we’ll have answers soon.” The woman was impressed by his answer. He added, “My pop’s the sheriff.” She nodded, understanding where he got it from.

           “Thank-you so much”, she said.

           Stiles saw in her eyes how heartfelt her thank-you was, and he nodded graciously. “Sure. Just look after the little guy. And you might want to get yourselves checked out just in case. For possible smoke inhalation, for shock.”

           She smiled and left with her son, refusing to let go of his hand. This he didn’t mind so much. Moms freaking out about their kids nearly catching on fire was a situation that permitted public hand-holding. “It’s like the sparks were trying to eat me!”, the boy explained. They were both more collected now, but they kept a quick pace making their exit.

           “Look at you, all authoritative”, Scott said, smiling.

           “Shut up.”

           Nearby, a radio crackled a communication between medical teams and firefighters. The two young men who had been feeling pretty good about their actions during the crisis listened intently as a report came listing five casualties. Two died from smoke inhalation, two more from severe burns, the last by heart attack. Then the list of injuries began, starting with an elderly woman who had been trampled. Stiles was about to suggest they get out of the way of the emergency workers, if only to put distance between them and the radio. Then Scott tilted his head.

           “Did you hear that?”

           “Yeah. Dude, I’m standing right next to you.”

           “Not that”, Scott said, gesturing toward the radio. He took a step forward, paused for moment, listening for something, then pointed toward the parking lot. “That.”

           Sheriff Stilinski stood on the edge of the parking lot, gesturing for Scott to join him. “Scott, I need your help”, the sheriff repeated. He spoke in his normal tone of voice, which he knew Scott would be able to hear if he caught his attention.

           Stiles looked at his friend askance. “Oh sure. I heard that. How could I miss it?”

           “Sorry.”

           Once at the sheriff’s side, the boys saw what he called for. “He’s beyond medical help, as far as I can see. But I thought maybe you…”

           Sprawled on the blacktop was a homeless man, dressed in several layers of worn clothing. He was no one special. Quiet and often amiable, he kept to himself and regularly made his rounds around the outskirts of Beacon Hills, keeping out of trouble and occasionally accepting the kindness of strangers. From time to time, he would venture into town when lured by festivities and celebrations; small touring carnivals, county fairs, 4th of July parades and the like. He’d watch from the sidelines and enjoy the spectacle vicariously through those in attendance. He had been drawn in by the warmth of the bonfire and the jubilation of its participants. This was one time when he should have stuck to the outskirts of town. His tattered coats were being consumed by the few remaining energy spores. To most people he was no one, but to Scott McCall, he was a person in need of help.

           “Maybe I can”, Scott told the sheriff. Scott knelt down and took the man’s hand. It was rough and dirty, with ragged nails. Scott didn’t care. He held tight and tried to draw out the man’s pain. “If you can hear me, hang on. I’m trying to help you.”

           The man looked up at Scott, although it was clear that the movement caused him considerable pain.

           “What’s your name, sir? I’m Scott.”

           The man’s mouth almost formed a smile. It had been a very long time since anyone had called him “sir”. His mouth moved a bit more, but his voice was gone.

           “Well, you can tell me when you have your strength back.” Scott gripped the man’s hand tighter, taking care not to apply too much pressure. Why wasn’t it working?

           Stiles and his father could already see what Scott could not. The man was too far gone. Now that the last of the spores had fizzled out and faded away, it was clear that his injuries were too severe. The sheriff immediately regretted having called Scott over. The clothing was being disintegrated off his back and his flesh was starting to crack and flay. Had he been younger, or healthier, he might have pulled through. But he was too old and too ill to put up any fight against what was happening to him.

           “Come on, sir”, Scott pleaded. “You can do this! Just hold on a little bit longer. I promise you, I’ll—there. There it is!”

Scott looked down to see the black tendrils spreading up his forearm like fingers of ebony frost. His healing power was working. But as soon as it had started, it stopped. The black lines on his skin faded to gray, then to nothing. The man was dying. And he was not dying peacefully.

           The homeless man was dying from the inside out. The eldritch orange fire had already penetrated his skin and was ravaging his body, devouring organs one by one. Scott saw the man’s body begin to collapse.

           “No! Stay with me! I can do this!”

           Scott called upon all his healing power and another trace of veiny black shot up his arm. But it then turned orange and began to glow, emanating a terrible heat. Scott had to let go. It was too painful to maintain contact. That was when the homeless man was consumed. His clothing, flesh, and bones were dissolving into a hideous orange mass right before their eyes. Scott reached out for the man’s hand again, but it dissolved in his grasp.

           “No…!”, Scott cried.

           And the man was gone. As his skull turned orange, liquefied, and collapsed in on itself, his gaze was still on Scott. The last thing to go was his eyes. In them was an expression not of anguish but of gratitude. Scott had rushed to his rescue and treated him as if he were a real person. His last thought was that someone sought to give him aid. The last sight he saw was a young man who clearly cared trying to comfort him. The rescue had not come in time. The man was not saved. But he died knowing that at least someone had tried.

           The three teenagers sat in Freddie’s truck outside the McCall house. They sat in silence, listening to the radio. It did not have the best reception in the world, but the broadcast they were hearing came in clear enough. It was a news report covering the disaster at the lacrosse field. The voice of a well-spoken woman detailed what they knew so far, providing an account of the panic, the fire, the injuries, and the unfortunate deaths. In the middle of the usual canned prattle about thoughts and prayers for the victims’ families, the reporter spied the sheriff and asked for his take on the events. Normally one to eschew any public comments or sound bites, this time he had one prepared. After a quick consult with Parrish earlier, they had arrived at a plausible explanation.

           “I want to stress first and foremost that as yet nothing has been proven conclusively”, the sheriff’s voice came over the old radio. “But as near as we can tell, some type of homemade accelerant was added to the bonfire, possibly to either extend the duration of the fire or for some kind of visual effect such as giving the flames different colors. We suspect that the chemical used mixed with the kerosene already present to create a highly toxic gas. The results were seizures, heightened anxiety, and intense hallucinations. In an excited crowd, it didn’t take long for that to go very wrong.”

           The reporter pressed him. “How do you explain that so many victims claim to have seen the same hallucination? There was talk of a dragon, of all things.”

           The sheriff didn’t miss a beat. “Again, we don’t know anything for certain yet. But one theory is that the toxins released from the fire could affect perception and suggestibility. If one person screamed loud enough about seeing a monster, many others would pick up on it.” He then added quickly, “We also have reason to believe there was no malice aforethought. It’s most likely that it was just a well-intentioned kid full of school spirit and lacking in knowledge of chemistry. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to see to getting these people cared for.”

           “An evening of celebration turned into a night of horrors—“, the reporter continued.

           “Turn it off”, Kaitlyn said.

           Freddie twisted the knob and the cab was silent again. They couldn’t bear to hear anymore.

           “It does sound like a believable explanation”, Aadesh offered after a bit.

           “But we know what really happened”, Freddie said. “And we know why.”

           Kaitlyn buried her face in her hands. “I’m not sure how much longer I can do this.”

           “Do you think they’ll find a way to stop it?”, Freddie pondered. “Besides, I mean, you know. That other option.”

           “And do they really need us here for that?”, Aadesh asked.

           It was the question they’d all been waiting to hear. It had simply been a matter of who was going to say it. All three friends were stunned by the terror that they’d unleashed. They sat wracked with grief and incredible guilt. Did they really need to stick around and potentially make things worse?

           “Highway’s only fifteen minutes that way”, Freddie said, pointing out the darkened window.

           That sounded so good. Making a run for it. Leaving behind what they’d done, knowing that the problem was in the best hands possible to solve it. But in doing so, they’d be abandoning the heroes they wanted so desperately to be.

           Kaitlyn spoke up. “No. We can’t.” the boys turned to look at her. “This whole thing is our fault. The least we can do is see it through to the end.” The boys looked at each other then back to Kaitlyn. They nodded, and she nodded back. They weren’t the juvenile delinquents they once were. They’d already decided that. As Aadesh and Kaitlyn ventured back up the walk to the McCall’s house and Freddie drove back to the Stilinski’s, they told themselves that it was time to grow up and face the consequences of their actions. They would even do their best to help, despite that not having gone so well in the past.

[itsiotrecords-blog]

http://ift.tt/2sXAoXn

Immortalized in a number of films, songs, folklore, and even video games, the American Wild West has become famous for its cowboys, gunslingers, and outlaws. Though the most notorious outlaws of the Wild West were considered enemies of the state, today they are often spoken of as heroes and trailblazers. Regardless of what you think of them though, no one can argue that these are definitely the 25 most notorious outlaws of the wild west.

#1 Doc Holliday In the 125-year plus years since his death, his legend lives on as debates continue about the exact crimes that John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday committed. He earned a DDS degree in dentistry before he became a renowned gambler and gunfighter. He moved to the southwest when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 15, which is where he took up gambling and acquired a reputation as a deadly gunman.

#2 Thomas Edward Ketchum Black Jack was a cowboy who later turned to a life of crime after leaving Texas in 1890. He joined several other outlaws of the Hole-in-the-Wall Gang, which focused on robbing trains and ranches. He was hanged in 1901 after being caught during one of the train robberies.

#3 John Joshua Webb A noted lawman before he turned to being a gunfighter and an outlaw, Webb was a high profile criminal who used his connections to his advantage. He was convicted for murder and after an unsuccessful jail break attempt; he fled to Texas and changed his name to Samuel King, where he died of smallpox in 1882.

#4 Hoodoo Brown Born Hyman G. Neil, the leader of the Dodge City Gang that terrorized Las Vegas, New Mexico from 1879 to early 1880 was considered to be the ‘baddest cowboy of them all. He used his high ranking political position to cover up most of the gang’s crimes, but the citizens of Las Vegas had enough of his corruption and they organized vigilantes to overthrow him in the summer of 1880.

#5 Cherokee Bill Born Crawford Goldsby, Cherokee Bill was a 19th century outlaw who was known to have a quick trigger finger. He and his gang terrorized the Indian Territory for over two years before he was hanged on March 17, 1896 at the age of 20. His crime spree began when he was just 18 years old after shooting Jake Lewis for beating up his younger brother. He joined with outlaws Jim and Bill Cook and began terrorizing Oklahoma until his apprehension.

#6 Isaac “Ike” Black An outlaw in Kansas and Oklahoma, he first got into trouble with the law for stealing cattle in Kansas, though he became more notorious for teaming with the outlaw fugitive Zip Wyatt in early 1890’s. The pair formed a gang and made numerous robberies in the area including the well known post office in Arapaho and the Hightower Store.

#7 Henry Newton Brown Both lawman and outlaw during his life, he rode with Billy the Kid’s gang as they rustled cattle. After the Kid returned to Mexico, he decided to stay in Texas and took a job as a deputy sheriff in Oldham County. He was later fired for picking fights with drunks and was hired as an assistant marshal in Caldwell. He cleaned the tough town quickly, which gave him the title, ‘one of the quickest men on the trigger in the Southwest.’ However, he reverted back to his old outlaw ways and was involved in a shootout during a bank robbery. He was lynched by an angry mob in 1884.

#8 The Bloody Espinosas A gang made up of cousins led by brothers Felipe and Jose, they were feared by the residents of the Colorado Territory in 1863. They all came from Vera Cruz, Mexico where they had witnessed the killings of six of their family members when their town was shelled during the Mexican-American War. They also claimed their land grant was not being honored due to an increasing number of white settlers squatting in their property. Eventually, they resorted to horse stealing and murdering white settlers. They were later killed after being tracked down by the US Cavalry.

#9 William “Curly Bill” Brocius A gunman, rustler and an outlaw cowboy in Cochise County, he was called  ‘Curly Bill’ due to his thick, curly head. He became a leader in one of the Cowboy gangs of cattle rustlers in Tombstone, Arizona. He was also a heavy-drinker and while working as a tax collector has accidentally killed Marshal Fred White. He was acquitted and even Wyatt Earp testified at his defense. However, he later shot and killed him in retaliation for the death of his brother, Morgan Earp.

#10 Sam Bass An American train robber and outlaw, he started out as an honest man who ran away from an abusive uncle and went to Mississippi to work in a saw mill before becoming a cowboy in Texas. In 1876, he and a rough character named Joel Collins were supposed to drive a herd of longhorns up north where they fetched higher prices, but they stole them and split the $8,000 profit between themselves and spent it on gambling. They also got into stagecoach and train robberies where they netted $60,000 from the gold train, the largest robbery of the Union Pacific. He was wounded by a Texas Ranger during one of their heists and died two days later on his 27th birthday.

#11 James Averell An alleged cattle rustler, he was unjustly hanged along with ‘Cattle Kate Wilson’ by a faction of cattle barons, which has become one of the many incidents that led to the Johnson County War. He was a military man who was initially assigned to Fort Douglas, Utah and Fort McKinley, Wyoming, near Buffalo. While in Buffalo, he shot and  killed a man, but was never convicted. He later became a homestead owner who defied large cattle baron, Albert J. Bothwell. As the dispute lingered into months, he and Cattle Kate were branded as outlaws and eventually killed.

#12 Thomas Coleman Younger An American Confederate guerilla-turned outlaw, he became a member of the James-Younger gang along with his younger siblings, Jim, John and Bob with Jesse and Frank James. He joined the Confederate Army after the murder of his father, but became one of the suspects in the 1868 robbery of Nimrod Long & Co. in Kentucky. Besides banks, they also robbed stage coaches and trains but their luck ran out in a botched bank robbery on September 7, 1876. He and his brothers pleaded guilty to avoid the death sentence and were later paroled.

#13 Zip Wyatt Born Nathaniel Ellsworth Wyatt, Zip was also known for his other aliases, Wild Charlie and Dick Yeager. His father who was frequently arrested for drunkenness and disorderly conduct was known in Guthrie, Oklahoma as ‘Old Six-Shooter Bill;’ while his older brother, Nim, a professional gambler, was known as ‘Six-Shooter Jack.’ His life as an outlaw started on June 3, 1891 when he shot up the town of Mulhall and wounded two citizens. While evading arrests, he became involved in a life of crimes including a number of robberies and other crimes.

#14 James Miller Known as Deacon Jim because he regularly attended the Methodist church and did not smoke or drink, he was also a paid assassin with a going rate of $150 to $2000. He ambushed his victims at night wearing a black frock coat, so as not to be easily detected. He was also credited for killing 12 people during gunfights, but was eventually lynched by angry mobs for killing a former Deputy US Marshal.

#15 Bonnie and Clyde If there were outlaws that became legends for living fast and dying young, the duo of Bonnie Elizabeth Parker and Clyde Champion Barrow takes the cake as shown in the 1967 film ‘Bonnie and Clyde.’ They formed the band the Barrow Gang, along with Clyde’s brother and sister-in-law Buck and Blanche as they went on a robbing and killing spree across Texas, Missouri, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. They were killed in Louisiana by police rangers while attempting to evade arrest.

#16 Fred Waite A Chickasaw cowboy, he joined Billy the Kid’s gang, the Regulators, but later quitted to return to his people. As a gunfighter for the gang he killed a number of people including several sheriffs. After he left the gang, he became a prominent politician among the Chickasaw nation until his death at the age of 42, before he could start serving as their governor.

#17 The Sundance Kid Also known as Harry Alonzo Longabaugh, he was an outlaw and member of Butch Cassidy’s Wild Bunch Gang, which was known for the longest strings of successful train and bank robberies in history. He got his moniker when he was caught and convicted for horse thievery in Sundance, Wyoming. He and Robert LeRoy Parker formed a gang after he was released from prison in 1896 and it was believed that he was killed in a shootout in Bolivia, though his family members refuted it.

#18 Pearl Hart A Canadian-born American outlaw, her career as a stage coach robber was short-lived. She drifted into bad company after her abusive husband left her to fight in the Spanish-American War. She and Joe Boot, a gambler, planned a robbery so she could return to her dying mother in Canada, but they were captured and imprisoned. She charmed her way out of prison, but was recaptured and served only two years out of five in a male prison. She was pardoned by the governor upon learning that she was pregnant.

#19 Butch Cassidy Born Robert Leroy Parker, Butch Cassidy was the leader of the Wild Bunch Gang who became notorious for robbing trains and banks in the American West. His last name, Cassidy, was a tribute to his friend and mentor Mike Cassidy who taught him how to shoot. He and three others robbed $21,000 from the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride in 1889, where he used his share to buy the infamous ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ ranch, which was believed to be a cover for his illegal activities.

#20 Belle Starr The Bandit Queen was born Myra Maybelle Shirley Reed Starr before becaming a notorious outlaw. She lived a spoiled, rich girl life, having been brought up from a well-to-do family. Her life changed, however, when the Kansas-Missouri War broke out and residents were forced to take sides. Her marriage to the outlaw Jim Reed also made her a notorious bandit, whose life was immortalized in the novel, ‘Bella Starr, the Bandit Queen.’

#21 John Wesley Hardin Named after the founder of the Methodist church, Hardin was just 14-year-old when he stabbed another boy who was taunting him. He then spent the majority of his life being pursued by the law until he was captured in 1878. This American outlaw and gunfighter claimed to have killed 42 men, though the newspapers attributed only 27 killings. He wrote his autobiography and studied law while in prison, but was shot dead a year after he was released in 1894 by John Selman Jr. in the Acme Saloon in El Paso, Texas.

#22 Geronimo Geronimo was a prominent leader of the Bedonkohe Apache, who was also known for his Chiricahua name, Goyathlay or Goyahkla or ‘one who yawns’. After an attack by a company of Mexican soldiers on his camp in 1858 where his mother, wife and three children were killed, he became a fierce Indian warrior, joining the Chiricahua in their numerous raids in northern Mexico and across the US borders. He surrendered in 1886 and became a celebrity as he appeared in fairs, a decision that he regretted because he was never allowed to return to the land of his birth.

#23 Jesse James Jesse Woodson James was already a celebrity when he was alive, and has became even more legendary after his death. One of the most famous members of the James-Younger Gang, he became a criminal for robbing banks, stage coaches and trains. He was shot in the back of his head on April 3, 1882 in his own home by his trusted friend, Robert Ford, who was hoping to collect the reward money.

#24 The Apache Kid Haskay-bay-nay-ntayl or ‘the tall man destined to come to a mysterious end,’ was better known as the Apache Kid who was said to have been the fiercest Apache next only to Geronimo. A notorious outlaw of the late 19th century in Arizona and New Mexico, he was first enlisted as an Apache scout to fight off the numerous raiding bands of the Apaches that harassed the early settlers before he became a renegade. The Apache Kid character of the Marvel comics was named after him, though their stories were not connected.

#25 Billy the Kid Also known as William H. Bonney or Henry Antrim, Billy the Kid is a legendary outlaw of the American Old West whose life has become sensationalized in movies, songs, and books. He became notorious for supposedly killing 21 people for each year of his life, although factual evidence suggests he only killed 4 in his lifetime. Though he was depicted as a cold-bloodied killer, those who knew him believed that he became an outlaw out of necessity.

Source: List25

[fly-pow-bye]

What’s Airing On Cartoon Network? (August 2019)

The Futon Critic has a list of every new episode airing in August. Warning: there may be spoilers.

Craig of the Creek:

Saturdays at 9 AM.

8/3/19 - Cousin of the Creek - Craig takes his cousin, Bryson, to the Creek and accidentally starts a water balloon war.

8/10/19 - Camper on the Run - A runaway from a summer camp ends up at the Stump, but Craig suspects her story may not be what it seems.

8/17/19 - Stink Bomb - An accidental stink bomb explosion causes the kids to evacuate the Creek, but Craig takes it upon himself to rescue those left behind in the stench.

8/24/19 - The Evolution of Craig - Craig rescues a tadpole and decides to raise him into a level 100 frog!

DC Super Hero Girls:

A whole week of new episodes will start on July 29th. This is the latter half of them. Both will air at 12 PM.

8/1/19 - #BeastsInShow - When Babs and Kara spar over whose dog is better, they decide to settle it at the Metropolis Dog Show, where Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Superdog suddenly find themselves called upon to save the day... in more ways than one.

8/2/19 - #GothamCon - A fun day for Barbara Gordon and her bestie Harleen Quinzel at Gotham City's annual geekfest is turned on its head when the villainous Harley Quinn shows up to wreak havoc! Lucky for everyone, Batgirl just happens to be in the area...

Infinity Train:

This mini-series will start on August 5th, with two 15 minute episodes back to back at 7:30 PM. While these descriptions are just as vague as Steven Universe's, I'll do you all a service and not list the summaries or episode titles here. They're all on The Futon Critic here.

OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes:

That Sonic crossover is far closer than you think. A set of two episodes every Sunday at 4:30 PM.

8/4/19 - Deep Space Vacation - When Gar lets K.O. and Enid take a vacation to outer space, they get more than they bargained for.

Let's Meet Sonic - When world class hero SONIC THE HEDGEHOG visits the plaza, he teams up with K.O. to save the day.

8/11/19 - Big Reveal - K.O. finds out who his father is.

Radical Rescue - Rad is forced to reconsider his identity when K.O. starts taking on some of his traits.

8/18/19 - Let's Get Shadowy - K.O. teams up with an unlikely ally to take on an old foe.

You're a Good Friend, KO - K.O. brings Dendy along for a hero mission in order to cheer her up.

8/25/19 - Red Action 3: Grudgement Day - K.O. brings Dendy along for a hero mission in order to cheer her up.

Carl - A pleasant weekend goes awry when a monster attacks.

Mao Mao, Heroes of Pure Heart:

A set of two episodes every Monday starting at 6:10 PM, right after Teen Titans Go.

8/5/19 - Popularity Conquest - When Mao Mao discovers that he is not as popular as Badgerclops and Adorabat, they decide to reinvent him as a kinder, cuddlier hero.

Sick Mao - When Mao Mao won't admit that he's sick, he puts the town in danger.

8/12/19 - Thumb War - The gang decide to compete in the annual Thumb War competition, but a surprise forces Mao Mao to deal with the unthinkable... losing.

All By Mao Self - Mao Mao's desire to be a legend drives him to keep topping himself. But how much is enough?

8/19/19 - He's the Sheriff - The gang struggles to get rid of the King when he joins them as their new deputy-for-a-day!

Bobo Chan - Badgerclops adopts an abandoned monster, but some things are better left in the wild.

Ninjago: Masters of Spinjitzu:

Saturdays at 12 PM, including a double feature on August 3rd.

8/3/19 - The Explorer's Club - The ninja must break into Explorer's Club to obtain the second Scroll of Forbidden Spinjitzu, running afoul of the club's manager and irate club-members.

Vengeance Is Mine! - Aspheera arrives at the Monastery of Spinjitzu and confronts Wu, forcing one of the ninja to make a heroic sacrifice.

8/10/19 - A Cold Goodbye - Having learned Zane is not dead, Master Wu prepares to go after him, but Lloyd and the other ninja take matters into their own hands and defy their Master.

Teen Titans Go!:

Mondays at 6 PM.

8/5/19 - Girls Night In Part 2 - When Blackfire begins her plan to conquer Earth, the girls must pull out all the stops to defeat her.

8/12/19 - The Great Disaster - Robin gets amnesia and starts thinking that Hawkman is his mother.

8/19/19 - The Viewers Decide - It's Titans West vs Titans East as the two teams compete for who gets Bumblebee.

Victor and Valentino:

Three of these episodes are already available as See It First episodes, but one is completely new. Saturdays at 9:30 AM.

8/3/19 - Go With the Flow - When Sal stays with Victor and Valentino, the boys are annoyed by him as their roommate but eventually they learn how cool and magical he is.

8/10/19 - Aluxes - When Victor finds an ancient relic that summons a gang of mischievous creatures, he uses them to do his bidding, which has disastrous consequences.

8/17/19 - Guillermo's Gathering - When Victor and Valentino are forced to go to Guillermo's boring birthday party, they devise a scheme to leave early, but end up discovering that the party is way cooler than they thought.

8/24/19 - Balloon Boys - Victor and Valentino go on a hot air balloon trip with Sal and compete to be his favorite, but things go awry when they try to use the magical Nazca Lines to their advantage.