South Park: Butters

There are great TV shows, and then there are great TV characters.  These characters become so popular they become part of pop culture.  Pretty soon everyone is saying their catch phrases, wearing their t-shirts, and buying their toys.  What makes these characters so popular is how lovable they are.  For me, one of the most lovable TV characters has to be Butters from South Park.  Although he didn’t start off as a main character on the show, his personality was so bright that he soon started to get more attention.  Butters is just fun to watch because of his innocence and all the trouble he gets into with Eric Cartman.  Butters is more than just a one dimensional character, I also love his dark side with his alter ego Professor Chaos.

So when I first heard that Mezco was going to create a toy line based on South Park, I knew I just had to get Butters.  It took a while for me to finally get him, but he was worth the wait.  Mezco did an amazing job on this toy series.  To start with, I just love the packaging.  It comes in a clamshell plastic with the character and a South Park background, (the snow and mountains).  In keeping with what is in style with toys today, Mezco also decided to make the toys vinyl.  I really like this because it makes them look so much like themselves, which is amazing considering the TV show characters are all flat.

The paint job is also nice, although Butters does have a few minor issues with his green jacket (having a yellow stripe).  Accessories that are included are an extra pair of alternate arms, a hockey mask (which attaches to his head with elastics), and a “best friends” drawing (Butters with AWESOM-O).  Butters can also move his eyebrows and arms.  All in all these are great figures from Mezco, and I am very happy with the two versions I have.  Please be aware that two versions of Butters were released, one original and one variant (one is showing his teeth and the other is not).

Mezco Toyz:
http://www.mezcotoyz.com/
YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCHfLZUgWY8

The List: Top favourite things

Another new category I have wanted to add to my blog has been a list of my favourite things.  This list can be made up of music, foods, TV shows, movies, sports stuff, or just anything in general.  It was inspired by the movie High Fidelity, where a bunch of dudes spend the whole day at work making up a list of their favourite things.  I can relate to this movie because I’ve spent (wasted) numerous hours with my friends at work just making up lists as well.  But I now want to include this category in my blog to be able to talk about the things that I love.

Although I do appreciate people that can post a video or blog about a particular movie or song, I much rather just say a couple of words and be happy.  The best part is that I don’t have to take it seriously, it’s just something I want to do just to have fun.  Hopefully the people that will read it will either agree/disagree with it and post a comment, or I will inspire them to something new they have never heard about.  I’m also hoping that by adding a ‘top favourite list’ it will allow me the chance to be able to write more in my blog, and improve my writing skills (since I have difficulty expressing my opinions).

“I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like... Books, records, films - these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the fucking truth, and by this measure I was having one of the best dates of my life”

Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Title: Batman: The Resurrection of Ra’s Al Ghul

Writers and Pencillers: too many to mention, lol (Peter Milligan, Grant Morrison, Don Kramer, Jason Pearson, etc.)

Published by: DC comics

I basically picked this graphic novel up in the library because it featured Batman.  As mentioned in an earlier post, I haven’t kept up with the comic book scene so I was totally lost with how this book started.  The introduction however did provide a nice review of the main characters and the story leading up to this graphic novel.  Wow, was I surprised to learn that Batman not only was going out with a woman named Talia (the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul) but that he also had a child with her named, Damian.  Regardless of that little bit of new information on the Dark Knight’s personal life, I started reading with optimistic intentions.

At first the story was easy to follow and the art work was cartoonish and colourful.  But then suddenly a new writer and artist took over and the story and drawings became more about action and resembled something close to Japanese Anime.  But as soon as I began to follow that story, the comic again changed the writer and artist and introduced new characters and sub-stories.  I just decided to read on and try to get by.  The story is basically about an immortal being, Ra’s al Ghul whose body is slowly decaying and so he must find a new body to use.  He believes that the only suitable body for him to enter is of his grandson, Damian.  Eventually Batman (Damian’s father) discovers his plans and sends Nightwing to protect his son while he goes after Ra’s al Ghul.  When Batman catches up to Ra’s al Ghul, Robin, Damian, Nightwing and Talia are there to help him.  Batman, then fights against Ra’s al Ghul in what I think are really nicely drawn action scenes that are well executed.

However the back and forth between writers to me is what made this graphic novel such a letdown, it simply did not connect each writer to one another resulting in many holes in the story line, and confusion.  The ending of the story I did not like as well because it was rushed choosing to stick with the generic ending of; good guy wins, bad guy promises revenge, all sub-stories (such as Robin wanting to join Ra’s al Ghul) vanish as if they never happened.  I would not recommend this graphic novel to anyone wanting to read a good story, however I’m sure Batman fans will appreciate the amazing drawings featured in the book.

Wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Resurrection_of_Ra's_al_Ghul

DC Comics:

http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/graphic_novels/?gn=9006

Air Jordan 2009

The first time I saw pictures of the Air Jordan 2009 I thought it was a joke.  From years past I knew that Jordan brand liked to release sample pictures to wet everyone’s appetite.  But if the 2009’s were a meal I would surely be on a hunger strike.  This has been the same story every year now.  Besides a few exceptions here and there, Jordan brand just isn’t releasing hot shoes anymore.  While I do love retro’s, I have always loved the newest Air Jordan’s because they were so creative, innovative, and used the best quality and materials.

These sneakers looked like nothing I had come to expect as a child from the brand, so when they released I passed on them (retail in Canada was over $229).  It didn’t take very long before the 2009’s made it to the outlets, when I finally decided to try them on.  My concerns were that the leather on the front toe of the sneaker would crease a lot, and that the raised heel support would feel awkward.  However when I did try them on, I was amazed that these concerns didn’t cause a problem.  In fact I was impressed by the quality of the sneaker, it was built with a lot of different kinds of materials such as leather, satin, and metallic mesh.  Living in Canada this has always been a priority for me; buying sneakers that had a lot of materials so my foot would stay warm.  For this reason and because they were on clearance I decided to buy the sneakers.

When it comes to the design of sneakers, now that I am older I prefer something more subtle and sleek.  I don’t want it to have straps, use bright colors, or have useless gimmicks.  Besides the jewel hologram, and placement of the white pieces, the 2009’s are what I like in a shoe.  I like to refer to it as being ‘here to work, not to play’.  And boy do these sneakers provide you with enough attributes to make them a shoe that will work hard.

The comfort is amazing thanks to the air sole and midsole, the laces are wide so they don’t come loose, the satin material conforms to the shape of the foot to provide a lockdown effect and yet is breathable, and the outsole provides amazing traction.  If you can find them for sale on clearance, these are the best sneakers you can wear as beaters.  I recommend the Air Jordan 2009’s to anyone that is looking for a great fall/winter sneaker, and that can overlook its design and instead love it for its quality and comfort.

The Air Jordan 2009:

http://www.nike.com/jumpman23/aj2009/

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1_ePZZpllA