Fear of a Black FRIDAY...

Well, Thanksgiving is over and done...time to start putting yourself into the X-mas mindset. I won't start churning out stuff for that until December, but (for those of you in the Chicagoland area) I have a great suggestion on how to kickstart your yuletide vibe into hyperdive.

One of my favorite parts of the holiday season, is BEER. Yes, I love the stuff year round, but the multitude of special seasonal brews out this time of year are some of the finest. I'll do a full line-up of some of my favorites soon, but today is the day for the one perched at the top of the list...Mickey Finn's 'Santa's Magic'.

'Santa's Magic' is a Belgian ale, lighter bodied than most beers they produce. The aroma is very complex with notes of fruits and spices. Honey and dark Belgian candy sugar are added during the brewing process to add to the brew. It's their most popular seasonal beer, so don't wait, it's usually on tap for only a few weeks. Released the day after Thanksgiving...TODAY, stupid!

They are located in downtown Libertyville, IL and you can find more info HERE. I'm going to pick up a growler today...and likely put back a couple there while they fill it up. Beats waking up at 5AM to get a quesidilla maker for 50% off at Wal-Mart, eh?

Thank You, Friends...

I'm extremely thankful for a lot of really good stuff in my life (my family, my home, my job, my ADIDAS). That said, i'd like to take this opportunity to say THANKS to YOU, the loyal AMBFAD readers and members of the 'Dalek Nation'...all 4-5 of you...HAPPY TURKEY DAY!

Good Grief!

I have a lot of stuff to do today, so in preparation for Thanksgiving tomorrow...have some Peanuts (and toast and jellybeans and popcorn) while you prepare your own bountiful (ping-pong) table of goodies.

I'm A Rocket Man (Rocket Man)

Yeah, this review/shout-out is long overdue. Some of you may remember my fanboy gushing over the work of one Mr. Mike 'Doc' Allred back during 'Comic Book Week', where I focused in on his watershed creation MADMAN. However, as I stated in the earlier post, Allred has dished out some other wonderfully freaky comics/characters...of which, 'Red Rocket 7' is no exception.

If you could perfectly combine two of my most favorite things in the world (that aren't tits and ass)...it'd look an awful lot like 'Red Rocket 7'. What 'two things' you ask? Comic Books and Rock-N-Roll, stupid. Allred has always wore his love of rock 'n' roll and music in general on his sleeve in his work on MADMAN, but that love is fully realized in a book one half sci-fi adventure and one half VH1 Behind the Music.

'Red Rocket 7' is basically the entire history of rock 'n' roll as seen through the eyes of the seventh clone of a man from a very distant world. RR7 rubs shoulders with every legend from the birth of rock in the '50s, through the British invasion of the '60s...the advent of Heavy Metal and Glam rock in the '70s, the New Wave of the '80s, the Grunge Rock and Indie/Alt. scene in the '90s and on into the new millennium!

Really, whether you are a comic book or a music geek...this book is something worth grabbing a copy of. Luckily, it'll be a little easier as Image Comics just released both a new TPB and Deluxe Hardcover 10th Anniversary editions a few months ago. Much like the album-sized format the original series shipped in 10 years ago, the TPB comes in a dandy little 45 single sized format and features a bunch of extra art and stuff.

Track it down at your local comic book shop or order it online...you'll thank me (and 'Doc' Allred) for it!

I Just Realized...

...the haircut I got last week makes me look a lot like Fry from Futurama.

I *Heart* The KLF

DAY OFF!

'Hello, you've reached All My Best Friends Are Daleks and I can't come to the blog right now. I've got the day off, so I can watch the kids this afternoon while the Mrs. conducts parent/teacher conferences. Please leave a message and i'll get right back you w/ useless pop-culture flavored crap tomorrow.' *BEEP*

What the Hell Happened?

I went from Heroes to Star Trek to a 5 day Dr. Who binge...i'm one Star Wars post away from completely going to over to the dark side and becoming a fully-tenured Geek Sith Lord (if I haven't already).

I think I need to spend the weekend snorting steaks off of a stripper's ass, while wearing one of those beer holder/hard hats, high-fiving my friends, mainlining testosterone and watching the 1985 Bears Super Bowl on a giant HD plasma TV...but Doctor Who is on Saturday night, so maybe Sunday.

Have a good weekend and enjoy a tune even a DALEK would love in the AMBFAD jukebox!

'It's Hard to Get a Screw, When You're a Fan...'

A fitting musical tribute from the President of the 'Wollongong Doctor Who Fan Club' (AKA Andrew Hanson of Australian comedy team The Chaser). Too funny.

With X-mas Right Around the Corner...

If you are looking for gift ideas for your favorite Uncle EL, the official Dalek Voice Changer Helmet would be a good place to start. While you're sure to pull a lot of tail while wearing it out on the town, this baby isn't just for looks...it also allows you to sing Hall & Oates in the Dalek’s bloodless tone, play back your favorite pre-recorded Dalek phrases, activate the 'Exterminator' sound or impress the ladies w/the size of your 'glowing blue eye stalk'.

If you really want to splurge on me, pony up for the Red Supreme Dalek Voice Changer Helmet. The 'Supreme Dalek' is the leader of the new Dalek empire, arrogant and ruthless, he believes the Daleks are the rightful masters of the entire universe...you know, just like me!

AND The 3rd Doctor vs. The KLF?!

During his tenure as the 3rd Doctor in the 70's, it seems Mr. Pertwee released a dandy little tune based around the title theme called 'I Am the Doctor'. Enjoy the 'karaoke' version above and then watch how it fares against the equally as weird (but fun) tune/video below for 'Doctorin' The Tardis' from THE TIMELORDS/KLF...

Vintage (Who) Villains!

In no particular order (outside of 'Holy Trinity' of the Top 3)...can you name them ALL?

The 3rd Doctor vs. Svengoolie!

The 3rd Doctor, John Pertwee, on Son of Svengoolie promoting a Chicago Doctor Who convention. Too funny.

Who's Who (All 10 Doctors)...

First Doctor/William Hartnell (1963–1966)

Second Doctor/Patrick Troughton (1966–1969)

Third Doctor/Jon Pertwee (1970–1974)

Fourth Doctor/Tom Baker (1974–1981)

Fifth Doctor/Peter Davison (1981–1984)

Sixth Doctor/Colin Baker (1984–1986)

Seventh Doctor/Sylvester McCoy (1987–1989)

Eighth Doctor/Paul McGann (1996)

Ninth Doctor/Christopher Eccleston (2005)

Tenth Doctor/David Tennant (2005–Present)

How (or WHO) Cool Is This?

'The Ultimate Doctor Who Title Sequence'...every opening from Hartnell to Tennant. I'm only slightly ashamed to admit I got wood while watching it.

Well, It's About Time (Lord)!

In the same Sci-Fi/TV vein, i've made mention before about how, even w/ a blog named after one of his most infamous foes, I really hadn't gotten into the new BBC Doctor Who series outside of catching a few episodes here and there after we finally got Sci-Fi and BBC America via digital cable a couple of years ago. It wasn't for lack of excitement, but the US debut kind of passed me by and then I never really went back.

Well, I think that's finally changed. Over the past few Saturdays, i've been catching up on older episodes on PBS (old school!) and getting in at the start of Season 4 on BBC. Oh man, after catching the two part 'Army of Ghosts/Doomsday' where you get a war between both The Cybermen AND The Daleks...the Oods and an encounter w/ 'The Devil' in 'The Impossible Planet/The Satan Pit'...amongst some other decent episodes, i've just now realized what i've been missing and become a total fanboy all over again.

Anyhow, like I said, I watched the excellent 2007 x-mas episode 'Voyage of the Damned' that kick-started the new BBC America season a couple of weeks ago and then the first actual episode 'Partners in Crime' this past Saturday. I'm hooked and the following preview clip made me even more so...

Sontarans, Daleks and Oods...OH MY!

More Exciting Star Trek News...

...in fact, arguably, MORE exciting than the new 'Star Trek' movie itself. Coming in Early-2009, a re-release of possibly one of the greatest action-figure playsets of all time. The Mego Enterprise Playset originally came out in 1975 and was for use w/ their line of Trek action figures. This thing was badass...spinning transporter...interchangeable viewscreen...captain's chair...all in a handy-dandy fold-up design.

Diamond-Select Toys will be re-releasing a completely accurate version of this bad boy sometime around February of 2009 and it'll supposedly retail somewhere around $45-60 via your favorite online/or real life comic/collectible retailer. That may sound a tad expensive, but check this TV ad for the original playset out and tell me it ain't worth it...

Alright Already, Beam Me Up...

I've never considered myself a real 'Trekkie'...actually, not even a moderate one. Don't get me wrong, I have fond memories of watching reruns the original series as a youth and one cannot deny the cinematic excellence of 'The Wrath of Khan'. I probably watched a decent-sized handful of episodes of the 'Next Generation' as well, but could never really get into it...or the gaggle of spin-offs. All that said, I have a great appreciation for the franchise and everything it represents.

So, thusly, I wasn't really all that jacked up about J.J. Abrams-helmed 'Star Trek' re-set when it was initially announced...even the first trailer, focused on the construction of the USS Enterprise, (while a bit intriguing) didn't really do much for me. Well, seems trailer #2 debuted over the weekend in theatres and effectively changed my mind. I haven't gone so far as donning plastic Vulcan ears or brushing up on my Klingon...but i'm effectively stoked.

Plain and simple, it looks like a good time. I like how the story will intertwine a sort of 'origins' focus on some of the key crew members w/ a battle w/ some pissed off Romulans from the future, looking to effectively re-write Starfleet history. Som of the casting choices are kind of fun... Zachary Quinto as Spock...Simon Pegg as Scotty...John Cho as Sulu...w/ a nice fat cameo from the original/'older' Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who has come from the future to provide some assistance.

Anyhow, the flick won't make the warp from the final frontier to your local theatre until 8-May-2009...but you can set your phasers to 'stun' and peep the bootleg of the trailer now (since they've seemed to postpone the HD online version until tomorrow):

Whose Side Are YOU On?

Damn. I don't get it. I'm still totally digging Season 3 of NBC's HEROES, but it is getting it's ass handed to itself in the press! While still drawing impressive numbers, it's ratings are down significantly over it's original run. This has led to claims that the show has 'jumped the shark' and that some major changes need to happen to return it to it's Nielson glory.

Suffice to say that I was fucking floored to see NBC cave to those requests for change by firing co-executive producers Jeph Loeb and Jesse Alexander, both of whom ran the show on a day-to-day basis under creator Tim Kring. Supposedly, Alexander and Loeb were let go because of Peacock execs' frustration with the creative direction of the show...which, again, leads me to ask them what fucking show are they watching?! I think the show is back to form after a slow-moving Season 2.

Regardless, Loeb is an Emmy-nominated film/TV writer/producer and (more importantly) a Eisner-winning comic book writer. It's that pedigree and legendary background in comics that provided an ethos to the show that helped to make it so legit...at least to me. I don't see giving him the heave-ho being a wise move, but I guess we'll see. Again, I think the show is still one of the best on TV...hope the NBC suits don't fuck it up.

...And What the Hell, A Couple of Corndogs!

That's all I have for you today, kids. Not a bad return to useless form after all the political stuff, if I say so myself. Have an utterly groovy weekend!

HOLY HARRYHAUSEN!

Yikes! They actually released this last month, but I was just made aware of it's existence today. Feast your eyes, true believers, on the 'Ray Harryhausen Gift Set - 20 Million Miles to Earth: 50th Anniversary Edition'! The master of stop-motion model animation, responsible for such classics as 'Mighty Joe Young', 'The 7th Voyage of Sinbad' and 'Jason and the Argonauts' gets his due in this killer set of three of his fantastic films and much, much more.

The six-disc set includes the 3 films: '20 Million Miles to Earth', 'Earth vs. the Flying Saucers' and 'It Came from Beneath the Sea' w/a insane amount of of bonus features and documentaries about each film, including Tim Burton sitting down with Harryhausen to discuss each one. Throw in the mega-cool scaled-down figure of the 20-feet tall YMIR from '20 Million Miles' and you've got one hell of a good time.

I reviewed 'Earth vs.' HERE, but here are the trailers for all 3 flicks anyhow...

Even if you don't buy the set for yourself, all three films are totally worth checking out...and then you buy ME the set, because you love me. Please?

That Last Post Made Me Think of...

Different plot than the previous post, but anybody remember this flick? I think I caught it one of those 'FREE HBO' weekends as a young lad. John Ritter is an actor in NYC, who takes a gig making appearances as comic-book hero Captain Avenger at various comic book shops and conventions. Shit gets kind of hectic when he stops a robbery while in costume and becomes a semi-real version of the character he's dressed up as.

Watching the trailer almost 30 years after it's release, it reminded me that it was actually kind of disposable in that late-70's/early-80's sort of way. However, the story itself is a great concept in that it offers up ample opportunity for commentary about mistaking celebrities as legitimate heroes and the art of building our heroes up...then knocking them down the very next day.

Eh, whatever, any script-writers in the house can consider this a freebie on a possible cash-cow rip-off...

You're SPECIAL (So Special)...

Speaking of superhero flicks, just recently caught the trailer for the upcoming Michael Rapaport flick, 'Special', and it actually looks kind of good. It seems he plays a run-of-the-mill average guy who digs comic books, somebody that is pretty much so plain that he's virtually 'invisible' to everybody around him.

All that changes when is accepted into an experimental drug study for a new anti-depressant. As he begins to take the drugs, an unexpected side effect occurs – he begins to develop 'special powers': the ability to levitate, to read peoples' minds and even walk through walls. Of course, upon discovery of these new 'abilities', the next logical step is to put together a homemade superhero suit and hits the streets to fight crime and the 'forces of evil'.

I'll let you watch the trailer, but (for obvious reasons) this sparks the ire of the pharmaceutical company manufacturing the drug, making them his 'arch-nemesis' in the process. Looks like an equally funny and sad little movie. It drops on 21-Nov, even though it debuted at the film fests over two years ago! Wow...

FAKE POSTER, but I Like How Your Thinking...

I missed this originally, but it seems some dude created the absolutely fake poster above and it caused a bit of an e-stir last week amongst the fanboy nation. Personally, I could (literally) get behind a Megan Fox as Wonder Woman. Considering i've also heard disturbing rumors about a McG directed 'Wonder Woman' project starring (WTF?) Beyonce as everybody's favorite Amazon...this doesn't seem like all that horrible of an alternative.

Plus, c'mon, over-exposed and engaged to Brian Austin Green or not...she is so freaking HOT!

Uhhhhh...

The Fed is changing their tune on how they are using the $700B 'rescue package'...the market is tanking even further after hearing that it doesn't involve buying banks' shitty mortgage assets after all...and now, it seems we may have to look at doing the same thing for the auto industry.

Anybody else out there pooping their pants a little?

I (Also) Give You...Women (Women)

Ok. This one ruled pretty hard too and, dear Lord, did I want that concert tee that had the comic book from the video on it soooo freaking bad. Legs, thighs...WHAT'S THAT SPELL?

Awwww F**K IT...or should I Say ROCKET?

On the Def Leppard tip, I really don't care what anybody says...both this song and the accompanying video un-ironically OWN. GUITAR! DRUMS! LIGHT IT! (Yeah)

A Not-So-Long-Distance Dedication...

...for my buddy Gep, who (hopefully) will be stopping by. IT'S 'DEF LEPPARD SUNDAY'...AND IT'S ONLY TUESDAY!

'I Was but the Learner; now *I* am the Master.'

Doh! I almost forget to post up w/ a sort-of follow up to an earlier entry about the culture shock of seeing your own kids play w/ the same toys you did. The entire family was over at a friends pad on Saturday and while i'm in the kitchen w/ the other 'head of the household', discussing winter microbrews and the best hot dogs you can buy at the grocery store...Logan comes strolling through w/ the bad boy above.

That's right, true-believers...the 'force is strong in that one' and, while playing downstairs w/ the rest of the kids, Lo had grabbed the original Kenner Imperial Tie-Fighter straight outta' 1977! It seems it used to be the other Dad's Brother's from back in the day and was part of an entire armada of the original Kenner Star Wars vehicles, play-sets and action figures he had downstairs. Both of them have daughters, so they were unplayed with and in great condition considering their age.

Needless to say, we busted them ALL out and walked the boys through the entire rogue's gallery. They looked at us like we were nuts and (really) we were, but they also seemed to catch on they were getting to play around w/ something pretty freaking cool. It felt like going back in time...long, long ago...to when I was 6, but still legal to drink the beer in my other hand.

'Like Dougie When I Set My Specs...'

...'and on the microphone I come correct.'

This is Your Final AMBFAD Dan Clowes PSA...

While you're checking out the book, be sure to check out 'Ghost World' the flick. Trailer above, fun stuff.

Dan Clowes SPECIAL Bonus Round!

'Ghost World: The Special Edition'

While we're on the subject of Dan Clowes, I highly suggest picking up (or at least checking out) the recently released 'Ghost World: the Special Edition'. This new edition expands upon the original graphic novel (worth reading/owning in and of itself) from 80 pages into a 288-page, behind-the-scenes tour through the making of both the classic book and the subsequent Terry Zwigoff film-adaptation!

For those not familiar w/ either the book or the the film, 'Ghost World' is the story of Becky and Enid, two teenaged girls and best friends facing the common prospect of not only growing up, but growing apart from each other. Clowes paints a tender picture of this intellectually precocious, sexually adventurous (despite a mutual lack of experience), and formative period in their lives, filtered through a light blue hue echoing a world lit by the cathode rays of a television...the perfect metaphor for their post-nuclear existence.

This insanely lavish version features a new introduction and several pages of new strips by Clowes, as well as over 200 pages of extras including: the Oscar-nominated screenplay by Clowes and Zwigoff, dozens of pages of never-before-collected ephemera, including unused concept drawings, notes, movie posters, foreign edition covers, merchandise, artwork created for the movie by Clowes, Sophie Crumb and the cast, and much more, all of it annotated by Clowes himself! Damn.

Originally released in 1997 as a limited hardcover edition of 2,500 copies that sold out almost instantly, 'Ghost World' has subsequently gone through 14 softcover printings, selling in excess of 150,000 copies in the United States, becoming one of the best-selling and most revered graphic novels of all-time. Despite that success, the original, first printing was the only hardcover edition of the book ever published...until now.

So, be you fan of the book, the film or both...or someone familiar w/ neither who enjoys both great art and great stortytelling...for a meager $40, this book is worth adding to your collection. Seriously, you'll be a little cooler just for touching it...hipster osmosis...look it up.