Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer

Specially ordered, I picked up my Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer graphic novel today. The story of a wooden boy who has the ability to lie, grow a longer wooden-stake nose, break it off, and then kill an undead blood-sucker with it...is worth any amount of money. Luckily it was only $10.95.

The story was written by Dan Jensen and illustrated by Dusty Higgins. The book is smaller than a conventional comic in height and width, yet is still a graphic novel length of read. The art is all black and white except for the cover...which is black, white, and red. The intro art (which retells the classic tale) is bloody simplistic yet charming. It captures the quick-paced fun tone of the book in a brief 3 page sequence.

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer picks up on the fable of Pinocchio after the conventional tale, but before he turns into a real boy. He remains splintered and string-less with a knack for vampire slaying. There is a bit of romance, a lot of action, and plenty of puns. I love puns.

Overall the story is good. I wanted it to be the best thing I've read in a while but it's no Old Man Logan (which came out in hardback today - Mark Millar & Steve McNiven). The fast pace story doesn't leave a ton of time to get to know the characters very well, but it does allow for a story that delivers many scenes one expects from a book about a vampire killing puppet.

I have always understood that a book focusing on a unique story idea, or even gimmick, does not have to have the best art. The art should be fun and make for quick visual recognition, but it should not take away from the story or tone. Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer has art that sinks-up with the level of story and takes nothing away from the adventure. It is clear, the characters have distinct designs, and the backgrounds are not overly detailed. The art actually reminds me of a basic Mike Mignola style. Not quite to his creative ends, but the hint of his style is there.

On a scale from "1" to "destruction of night walkers", I would have to give Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer a B...adass +. The plus indicates that the book is a great shelf or coffee table book to share with friends when they stop by.

Fun to read. Awesome to own.

True Love to Conquer the Damn Yankees...Just Not This Year

I want the Yankees to win the World Series.

I am not a New York Yankee fan, nor am I a Philadelphia Philly fan. I am not a front runner, nor am I looking for pin-stripe victories based on a bet. I want the Yankees to win for the simple fact that they are the Yankees.

Step by Step Reasoning

1. I am from Cleveland.
2. I love the Indians.
3. I believe one day the Indians can win the World Series.
4. The greatest team of all time is the Yankees.
5. Going through the Yankees to get a World Series win legitimizes the win.
6. Cleveland becomes less of a joke to the outside world.

If the Indians can not win, due to the fact that they have been out of the playoffs since late May, then I would rather the great get greater. If the Yankees pick up another championship it will be their 27th. It will add to the legend of those damn Yankees. So, when my team is out of it, I like the Yankees to win.

I like the Yankees because I love the Indians.

The Always Fashionable Marvel

Though Disney has recently purchased Marvel, the 2 companies will not affect each other for quite awhile. Once all of the final contracts our worked out and signed the creative teams of Disney and Marvel will start to meet.

Disney, well known for it's animation division, may be surprised by the wide array of current animated projects Marvel has operating. Without getting into straight to DVD animated features, Marvel currently produces Ironman: Armored Adventure, Wolverine and the X-Men, and The Super Hero Squad Show. Marvel also has other shows currently on television and in pre-production, but these three are maintaining excellent ratings in the youth market.


Of the previously mentioned shows, The Super Hero Squad Show is doing quite well in the under 10 years of age demographic. I sat in on a viewing of two of the upcoming episodes and recognized right away that the target demographic was a young child (it was painful). Unlike Wolverine and the X-Men target market of young teens (and comic lovers of all ages), The Super Hero Squad Show has very basic plots and slapstick comedy. There are hidden bits of info only Marvel comic fans will understand and appreciate, but the show is made to be loud and quickly paced for the current A.D.D. culture of children television.

When I was young shows like The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the 90's X-Men animated series were made in a different style. TMNT was fun for kids because there was action, but they could also understand what was going on differently. The characters talked slower and the show was not one dramatic scene followed by another. Attention spans have changed and with the advent of so many program choices and recorded television, loud noises and constant intensity is often needed to keep the channel from changing.

The Super Hero Squad Show is not only fashionable on TV these days...it is also keeping up with the community of the growing amounts of children on the Internet. The show has it's own section on Marvel's animation page, and includes some very cool interactive features. The coolest feature: the create your own comic section.

Using a simple type of Flash, you are able to either create a mini comic strip of a couple panels or a full comic book with several pages! The give you backgrounds, characters, dialog balloons and many other options to create your own original stories...using the Super Hero Squad Show characters, of course.

You may recognize "My Lovin' " strip inspired by En Vogue.

Create your own comic here. Have fun with it. Oh and one more thing...

A'Woo Woo Wooo!

A Dire Outcome for Mr. Bloom

Not by explosion
Not by blood loss
Not by a rabid animal on the streets

Not by plane crash
Not by snake bite
Not by accidental stabbing by cleats

Not by knife
Not by fire
Not by drowning in a pool of oil

Not by stroke
Not by heart attack
Not by a dirty infected old boil

Not by cannibalism
Not by cancer
Not by an allergic reaction to an apple he took

Not by virus
Not by old age
Not by an accident with a grapple: type hook

It is true...
There was a dire outcome for Mr. Bloom
And yet still...
We cease to know what caused his death and his doom

The Bid With One Name

Tonight I was on a mission. Recently, Ruben Martinez, an artist who's art work I check in on from time to time, created a piece titled "Sleepy Hallow." It is a wonderful depiction of the Sleepy Hallow story which I came to find out...was up for silent auction. Martinez had created the art for a charity auction Matel (the toy maker) was sponsoring for the Children Affected by Aids Foundations (CAAF). Randomly, the event was held down the street from where I live so I thought...why don't I go and see if I can bid the highest for "Sleepy Hallow."

So I went.

I knew going into the event the art started at about $100. I was cool with spending a little more then I would normally spend on art because it was for a great cause. I went thinking I can spend a little over $200. I have a shot! Or so I thought...

The show had a nice set-up with art lining the walls of a small venue. Most guest were in casual nice clothing of slacks, sports jackets, and casual dress attire for the women (I had jeans and a hoody). The event was catered with snacks, wine and beer.

As I toured the paintings, wine in hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the art. Some pieces you could buy instantly, and thus, steal a gem. But most pieces were silent auction. I made my way past the He-Man original art, which Ruben was bidding on with other high spenders, and finally to Ruben's "Sleepy Hollow." It had a black laser cut frame which included a pumpkin on top. It wasn't a large piece, yet it was just about the best of show. After viewing the art I turned to view the silent auction sheet to see what I would have to bid, and that's when I saw it.

Peterson?

The current bid was held at $225 by Peterson. No first and last name. Just Peterson. I was in trouble. Unless this guy was Brazilian, no body goes by just one name unless they are a certain type of person. They are confident to the point of almost cocky. They sign their name as the nick name or shortened version of their name everyone in the office calls them as they walk by giving the Fonzie thumbs-up saying, "Ehhh!" They know what they want and they get what they want. Always.

As I stared at "Sleepy Hallow" I noticed a couple of good enough guys in their early 30's in nice casual suits. One fella was talking about all the pieces he bid on. He pointed at Ruben's work a few times and smiled while he proudly told his friend he was the top bidder on "Sleepy Hallow." He genuinely liked and wanted it.

A woman my age walked next to me.

"This is a problem," I said. "He has one name! How do you beat a man with one name?"

"Maybe you should place your bid with just one name," she replied.

"I should. Or maybe even just a letter. Or a number. Or a symbol...like I was the Artist formerly known as Prince. He would see the symbol and think, 'how do I beat a guy with just a symbol for a name'. Or maybe I Should sign, I will kill you if you out bid me Peterson."

The woman thought that would be my best shot. She wished me luck and moved on.

I finished my second glass of wine, took a deep breath and grabbed the pen. Dom Gazzuolo $250 I wrote in child's hand writing. I smiled, put the pen down, and stepped back. To my right I could see Peterson walking back towards the painting. Peterson and pal noticed someone had just out-bid Peterson. He looked around frantically until he stopped his gaze on me.

Eye to eye we stood for a brief moment. It felt like a life time. He knew. I knew. And just to make sure he knew...I folded my arms lifted my head high and said in a bold voice so he couldn't be mistaken,

"I've got all night Peterson!"

Startled, he grabbed for the pen and jumped my bid. He violently wrote Peterson and placed the pen down.

Frick'n Peterson!

He made a face as if to say "there, it is done." He then gave me a smile and punched me in the shoulder like a couple of buddies just playing around. It was amazing.

I of course was playing around. I could bid no higher, and though I did not look back at how high he out-bid me, I imagine it was by a pretty good amount.

I found Ruben and complimented him on his excellent work of art and told him the brief story of Peterson. I said I tried to beat a man with one name, but like Pele, he will go down in history as a winner and a legend. Ruben thanked me for coming and for the compliments. I let him know it was my pleasure and that at the very least, I made it so Peterson ended up giving more to charity.

It's all about the children after all.


I never saw Peterson again, but I suspect he is at peace. Peterson and "Sleepy Hallow."

Special Halloween Banner!

In honor of Halloween the artistically talented Erin Clark has made me a special banner.

It includes the basic themes of Halloween:

• Monster (The Creature)
• Mad Scientist (Dr. Frankenstein)
• Goofiness
• A look of horror

Check out Erin's own Halloween banner at her blog, Inked in Red.

Happy Halloween!

Universally Established

Some things are just known. These are a few...

Decepticons

Most people will have to go to an auto shop and have to deal with a car mechanic at least once in their lifetime. This is unfortunate.

What they do know:

• You know nothing about cars.
• Your car is broke and you need it to (essentially) survive.

What they don't know:

• Not one person trusts an auto mechanic.

How can they not know that every person thinks they are shady. In Seinfeld we first meet David Puddy (the voice of The Emporor's New Grove's Kronk...for you Disney love'n type), Elaine's on-again off-again boyfriend, who is a mechanic in New York. Jerry is unsure of the quote he is getting on his car, so Jerry trys to get Elaine to get Puddy to give her price estimates while they are sleeping together. Sound confusing? Watch The Fusilli Jerry episode of Seinfeld.



We call mechanics grease-monkeys but as Puddy from Seinfeld points out, "I don't know too many monkeys that could take apart a fuel injector." The bottom line is we don't know how to fix our cars. The mechanic can charge us a ton of money just because they want to or because the tow-truck left your car with them. These Decepticons love money and hate fairness. Plus, they hate soap. Don't shake their hands.

We're Still Doing This?

Who is still spitting their gum out on the street or any type of walk way? I stepped in a piece outside of the grocery store yesterday...yesterday in the year 2009! Years ago when gum became wide spread it may have become uncommon to step in gum, but still!? I thought by the 80's it was established that chewed gum dispensed all over the ground was a big problem. Not only does it stick to shoes, but it ruins the floor and appearance of it's environment. Gum droppings attract birds, bugs, and bums.

The bottom line is not only do we hate stepping in gum, but we really hate bums.

Bathrooms, Sensors, and Bots! Oh My!

Bathrooms have become hands free. An experience in the bathroom begins with a toilet or urinal which includes a sensor to recognize when the user is away...at which point it flushes itself. Next we arrive at the sink where the faucet is on sensor to pour water on our hands for cleansing. We then dry our hands with a paper towel which dispenses towels based on motion. All of these motion detectors are designed to save on water and allow as little contact, with germ-possible areas, necessary.

Bathroom-Bot

I like the sensor bathroom idea but I think bathrooms should be taken a step further. Let's begin with a sensor door. It can slide open like on the Starship Enterprise or in a grocery store (for you non-nerds). The next step would include a robot that can take my pants down, clean me, and zip me up when I'm through. Maybe even put a coin slot on the bathroom-bot's head for tips. The next step of cleaning your hands is only necessary if you tip bathroom-bot. Use the sensor faucet, sensor soap dispenser (I like the sound of that), and sensor air drier. Walk back through the sensor Star Trek doors and you are done.


Back to Reality

The sensor faucet intrigues me. I always wondered how the faucet turns itself off once it is flowing. Shouldn't the water continue to run since the motion sensor recognizes movement at the running water's distance? I needed to run some tests.

First I turned my hand flat and parallel to the sensor and slowly moved it closer. The water turned on once my hand was under the water. This meant the distance the water pours at can trigger the faucet to run. So why does the water not continue to flow? I got it! I flattened my hand, thumb pointing up, and moved it straight under the faucet towards the sensor. The water did not trigger.

Just as I suspected! The sensor only recognizes motion to the left and right of where the water pours.

Bathroom technology is advancing quickly and so must our understanding of it. How else will we recognize proper bathroom-bot tip etiquette when that day comes?

Spider-Woman & Motion Comics

Yesterday, the final iTunes episode of Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. was released by Marvel. Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. is a comic book written by Brian Michael Bendis (New Avengers, Dark Avengers, everything Marvel) with art by Alex Maleev (Daredevil). This comic is a motion comic in that the backgrounds and images move, the lighting changes, and there are voice actors speaking the lines that would normaly be read in a comic book.

This first attempt at an original series debuting as a motion comic has gone quite well for Marvel. The first installment debuted as the #2 top selling television show purchased on iTunes. There are 5 episodes in all and they run between 10 to 12 minutes. Watch the first episode below to get a feel for what a motion comic looks like.



After completing the series I was quite impressed. The look alone, largely due to Alex Maleev's art, is worth the $1.99 price on iTunes. A standard printed comic book cost $2.99...a dollar more. Plus, at a run time of at least 10 minutes, it takes longer to watch the motion comic then it does to read a traditional comic book.

Story wise I like the idea of the motion comic because you hear the tone the writer is going for when penning the story. The pace of the book is set, the inflection of vocal moments are hit, and the settings literally come to life.

For traditionalist Marvel still offers the comic book in print. It generally comes out well after the episodes, but the art and story is the same. I personally do not like reading comics online (Marvel Digital Comics), but i thoroughly enjoy the motion comics for their mini-motion picture feel.

Though Spider-Woman: Agent of S.W.O.R.D. has completed it's motion comics run Marvel still has some upcoming stories in motion comic form. On October 28th Marvel is starting a run on Astonishing X-Men. Astonishing was written by Joss Whedon with art by John Cassaday. Their 25 issue run is considered one of the best X-Men runs ever written. Check out the trailer for Astonishing's motion comics below.

INGOLT: Rubber Bands

Survival is not just about living physically. Food and water may be essential to staying alive, but if one can not mentally stay intact then one may lose the ability to meet their physical needs. A mental tool is today's "I'm Not Going Out Like That" survival item. Not a standard book or travel mad libs to keep the mind sharp but rather a flexible wordless tool to secure not just our sanity but much more.

A British entrepreneur, Stephen Perry Bobstein, invented and patented the rubber band in 1845. This elastic loop can hold two objects together, one object in place, or snap an eye-ball out...if aimed properly.

For women, hippies, and guys stuck in the 80's, this band of rubber (synthetic rubber now), replaced the string as the number one hair holding devise. String manufacturers started seeing a decline in profits in the late 1800's as women scoffed at string and clamored towards the rubber band. Adjustments such as cloth out siding have been added so as to not pull the hair to tight, but the same concept remains in modern hair bands.

Besides basic rubber band functions, such as holding a newspaper paper or poster in a cylinder together, the rubber band is also useful around the house.

I have cabinet drawers that will not stay together when closed. I use a handy rubber band to hold the 2 knob handles together to keep the doors' swing in check. Also, I have used rubber bands to keep chip bags closed after being opened.

The rubber band has so many uses in ones life but the problem is coming across one. Have you ever noticed to have random rubber bands lying around when you do not need them? Should you save them? They always look a little too used and dirty. But can you just throw them away too? You know they most likely will take a billion years to decompose, and I have never seen a rubber band bin for recycling container. Glass, plastic, paper, rubber bands...not once.

In the end I toss the little guys like old greeting cards. But the next day...

Shoot! I need a rubber band!

Unless you are Tom Sawyer you will never have a rubber band when you need one.

Does Disney Still Own the Angels?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim recently swept the Boston Red Sox to move on to the ALCS. After the game I caught a short interview with Bobby Abreu. I did not see the interview, but I heard it from the other room. This is when I figured it out. Disney still has their mouse hooks in the Angels.

Have you ever looked at or listened to the Angels players and swear you knew them from somewhere? At first you may think you know Reggie Willits as the cashier at the local Starbucks, or John Lacky as a serial killer on some MSNBC show...but you would be wrong. They are former cartoon characters.

Sounds (or reads, in this case) crazy...I know, but lets take a look at a couple of examples that can not be disputed.

Cinderella Clothed a Scared Bobby Abreu

Watch this clip of Bobby Abreu being interviewed. Look at him and listen to his voice. After that watch the video below.



Bobby is Gus Gus!

They look the same. They sound the same. It is to exact to be a coincidence. Plus, Abreu loves beads and cutting things with scissors.

Admittedly I do not know how Disney is turning their cartoons into real people...I never saw "Enchanted." All I know is that it is happening. Or should I say, it Izturis happening.

I'm Not Going Out Like That

"I'm Not Going Out Like That" is a new series of post which will have to do with survival in one form or another. This series will also be known by it's totally catchy acronym INGOLT. Based on a lot of movie and television watching (mainly McGiver) I pretty much know what is necessary to get you by and out of tough situations. So let's start this off with an easy one...

Got a light?

Not only does a carrying a Zippo make you super-cool, but it can also be a great tool if you are in the cast of Lost. (Unfortunately, you would have to put a lighter in your checked bag. You can not carry a Zippo on a plane.) The obvious reason for a lighter is to be able to produce fire quickly. If you are stranded somewhere and must survive by hunting and gathering you will need it to start fires to cook your hunted and gathered dead animals. Oh, I forgot to mention that by "gathering" I also meant animal base. You may be trying to survive on an island or in a jungle, but that doesn't mean you have to be a pussy and gather berries.

What about after the lighter runs out of lighter fluid?

The best thing to do with a Zippo lighter is to simply open and shut it. Most people who already own one don't often even produce a flame with their Zippo. Try this:

• Lean against a wall (brick if possible...and outside a bar)
• Take the Zippo from your pocket
• Open and close the lighter a few times
• Smirk at chicks walking by (ladies, also look at ladies)
• Put the lighter away
• Repeat

While the previous technique for survival has to do with the survival of being fucking awesome, this does not mean a fluid-less lighter can't help you survive "stranded style."

It is going to be tougher to start a blaze, but you can still use the striking part (the thumb wheel combined with the bit of flint inside) to make a spark. The spark can help you catch dried out paper, plants, or organic matter on fire. That's right. Burn an old dead body if you have to.

This will lead us to a future survival item...

An old dead body

Don't Hate the Player, Hate the Game

This post is inspired by events that take place in Lost, season 1.

At the end of episode 4, John Jock stares at his wheelchair going up in flames with the dead bodies and rotting innards of the Lost group's crashed airplane. Him smiling at the engulfed chair symbolizes his joy of not being limited anymore. He can now walk and no one can tell him what he "can't do."

I have a problem with his emotion over the melting wheelchair. I could not help but think...poor wheelchair. Lock had been crippled and rather than crawl around in the dirt, elbow over elbow, the ol' reliable chair of wheel contraption allowed him to maintain some sort of respect and mobility.

Apparently Phillip II of Spain had a wheelchair made for him in 1595. This invention was truly a tool built for kings! To scoff at Phillip II chair would be an act of dishonor to the king and would surely result in the loss of one's head.

But I understand John. Losing the ability to walk in a world on the move is devastating. You can't dance, kick bums, or go on "Walk-About" trips. It sucks. But consider not being able to even get around. Having to hire someone to carry you is cool for about a week, but then it just gets embarrassing...even if it's a midget. The thing that really takes the cripples' hand and supports them through a tough time is a wheel.

While some views may have watched and cried for Lock's freedom of the chair, I cried for the chairs lack of respect or a thank you. The wheelchair is truly the "Velveteen Rabbit" of the cured.

Chiclee! Chiclee!

When in Mexico, There are a few things one can count on: the poverty, the heat, and the chiclets.

Oh God...the chiclets. As soon as one hits those streets of Mexico, children swarm like bums outside the post office. "Chiclee! Chiclee!", they cry out holding up their hands packed with square wrapped gum. Understand that I do not hate the children, which many (my two readers...) may have assumed that's where I was going with this rant. I hate the product selection.


Selling Orbitz you say? Some Bubbleyum? Big League Chew!? I'll take two!

A chiclet is possibly the worst gum selection a person could choose. Chiclets do not have any flavor...just different colors (like that old zebra-print gum). The pieces aren't even individually wrapped!

Oh, and who decided gum is what everyone wants in Mexico? Maybe a bottle of clean water would better fit the Mexican market. Plus, this just in! Immigration problems solved! Mexicans can come over to do the work Americans will not do and make money to buy better gum (in bulk from Costco) for their children to sell in Mexico. From the tourist to the Mexican...everyone wins. I do believe Mexican children would be sought out if they sold a higher quality gum that could last a little longer.

Speaking of "last a little longer," even Big Red would be a better choice, and Big Red is a cinnamon gum. Why, by the way, doesn't cinnamon gum taste like a cinnamon bun? Why does cinnamon taste differently depending on what it is on?

I hate inconsistent cinnamon.

A Patch of Racism

In 1965 a film about a blind woman and black man titled A Patch of Blue was made. If this movie was made today you may assume it was written by Tyler Perry or star Anna Faris and Martin Lawrence, but you would be wrong...or maybe racist. I'm not sure.

A Patch of Blue starred Sydney Poitier, Shelly Winters (who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film), and Elizabeth Hartmen. The movie tells the tale of a blind woman (Hartmen) who meets a friendly stranger in the park. The two spend time together and eventually fall in love. The movie takes place over a racially divided American landscape and tells a story which takes color out of our world. We discover "love is blind."

So, if that is what this thought provoking movie is about...what is with this original poster?


Does it seem odd that a movie exploring pointless racial inequality would make this poster? It has a large picture of the actress playing the blind woman, a lot of blue (involving the movie's name), and down in the bottom left corner is a tiny little picture of Sydney Poitier. It looks like they just used his head-shot to fill some space. He is the most well known actor in the movie, in the leading male role, and this is the image they came up with.

I can see (no pun intended...or was it intended since I have clearly taken time to type "no pun intended" where as I could have just deleted this whole beginning and not written this whole bit?) what the main theme of the poster is going for. The poster would be better suited if it just left his image off of it completely. The 2 well known stars (Shirley Winters is the other) could have just had top name billing and that would be fine. But to taunt the idea of equality which this movie preaches by installing a random smile from Poitier is reckless. It subconsciously says the characters, and thus races, are not equal.

Then again...my hypersensitivity towards racism may mean I am covering my own hidden racism.

This blog post is my small picture of Sydney Poitier.

My First Con

I just completed my first weekend at a Comic Con: the Long Beach Comic Con. A Comic Con is a convention that brings comic book writers and artists to their fans. There are also appearances by entertainers (such as actors), video gaming companies, and other pop-cultural relevant companies and people. Basically, if you are not into sports...you probably like something here.

I went to check out the many different artists' work. I picked up Ruben Martinez's new book "Extinction" and a couple of prints by Dustin Nguyen (posted below).


While at LBCC I went to several panels. Some of my favorite panels included:

The Comics on Comic panel with Jimmy Palmiotti (Jonah Hex writer) and Amanda Conner (The Pro & Power Girl artist) was funny and interesting. Hearing insiders takes on the Disney/Marvel merger was intriguing. Plus, they talked about the state of DC comics and crazy Allen Moore. I was able to asked the panelist a question the last question, too. This was a fun panel, and my first.

The Web Comics panel was very informative. I asked a question (which I will reveal in a bit), and learned that it is very difficult to make a living with web comics...even if they have a large following.

My favorite panel was the "Robot Chicken" panel. Seth Green, the writers, producers, and director were very entertaining. They had great "behind the ideas" stories and were very quick with snappy jokes. Green made a couple of fans' lives by asking them up on stage and getting an autograph and picture during the panel questions section. The group also showed the attendees footage from the new season. The hall was packed and very enthusiastic...especially when Seth Green did his Chris Griffin voice from "Family Guy".

Last Day Mad Libs

On Sunday, the last day of the Long Beach Comic Con, I took a mad libs book with me. I asked writers and artist to come up with the words. Some felt the pressure to be creative and had a tough time, but all of the writers/artists that I asked happily played along. Richard Starkings (creator, writer, letterer, legend in the business) was the best and most into the mad lib. His best word: llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch.

I brought the mad libs into a panel and used the words from their answers as my mad lib fill-ins. Though I was short a color, I simple asked the panel "I am doing a mad lib and I need a type of color." They quickly answered "green." The panelist and previous mad lib participants all signed their mad lib and were very nice. I like to think a gave them a little bit of a different and fun experience that both they and myself enjoyed.

Mad Libs Participants:

Pepe Moreno, Christos Gage, Richard Starkings, Dave Kellett, David Malki, Jeff Zugale

Enjoy my blurry picture with the Predator. (You'd shake too in the presence of a Predator.)