The Walking Dead Season Finale = Failure

 *Sigh* Where do I begin? I had such high hopes for this show. I've been a fan of the comic for years, and when rumors started circulating about a TV adaptation, I was apprehensive about it. However, when I heard that AMC had picked it up, I felt like my fears had left. AMC does such a great job with things that it's very hard to fail over there. After the success of "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad", AMC has carved out a little niche for themselves as the cable channel who can do no wrong.

The first two episodes of the show didn't really "grab" me as much as I would have liked. It wasn't until the third episode that I really started caring about what happened. The show is suspenseful, and in my opinion, over the top gory, but smack dab in the middle of all that, you have an awesome story about humanity, and survival. Some people complain that the show "needs more zombies", and that is part of the problem. This story is NOT a story about zombies. It's a story about survival, human nature, and the depths people will go to when they have nothing.

My problem with the season finale is that I could not have cared less about what was going on. I understand that there were only six episodes allowed this season, however, those six episodes failed to make me care about any of the characters. The entire CDC storyline was a waste of time, and basically created a "reset" button for the last episode. We gained absolutely nothing by going to the CDC. When it got to the point where CDC guy was talking to the computer, and the computer was talking back, and the computer locked them into the building, things got a little too "Umbrella Corporation" for my taste. I mean, how convenient was it that when they show up to the CDC, it happens to be the SAME TIME the gigantic doomsday clock is running out? *YAWN*  The one thing we did learn though, is that in the event of a zombie apocalypse, booze is NEVER a good idea.

 Then there was the medical explanation.I don't care about what it does to the brain, and I don't care how it works, I just care about how to kill it. Yes, it's super sad that CDC guy had to experiment on his wife, however, I knew so little about CDC guy, that I failed to care that he had to shoot his wife in the head. Dire times call for desperate measures.

At the end, there is this big "you're leaving, I'm staying" thing with Jacqui and Andrea. Let's start with Jacqui. Jacqui was such a minimal character this season, did anyone really CARE if she stayed? Honestly? Then there is Andrea. If the show follows the books at all, Andrea will becoming a key character in what happens. We're only six episodes in, and they have made Andrea out to be one of the least likable characters on the show. I was WAY more upset at the fact that she almost took Dale down with her, than I was that she wanted to kill herself.

I said it with "True Blood" and I'll say it again now. I understand that the producers and creators want the source material and the TV show to be different, so that fans of the source material don't get bored, and don't spoil things for people who haven't read it. That being said I have absolutely NO problem watching a television show that comes DIRECTLY from the source material. With "The Walking Dead" and "True Blood" the source material is SO good that there is really not a whole lot of reason why they SHOULD be changed. Sure, the occasional add-in of a character, or a slight story change here or there can be a good thing, but when you veer so far off the original story, it just makes me sad.

I'm the kind of gal who believes in second chances, so obviously I'll give season two a go. I'm not saying by any means that the show is terrible, I'm simply saying that it has failed to impress me so far. There are 6 million people who think otherwise, but I'm sticking to my guns. I think with the talent they have at their disposal, it's not too much to ask for a little more.

Nerding 101: Holiday Gift Guide Pt. 1

Hello! Welcome to Carly on Comic's first ever Holiday Gift Guide! Below are a few ideas for that nerd (or nerdette) in your life. Enjoy!

1) Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall-- This book is the perfect gift for mom, or that special lady in your life. It gives you a lot of the "Fables" story lines in one book. It's a prequel to the "Fables" series, and tells all sorts of origin stories about your favorite characters. The best part is that you don't have to have read ANY of the ongoing series to enjoy it. Bill Willingham delivers a wonderful story, while a variety of different artists take on the illustration of the book. It is an absolutely amazing gift.

2) Kick-Ass vol 2, issue 1. Ultimate Comics Edition.- The guys over at Ultimate Comics make some pretty amazing scores. They had their own custom issue on "The Walking Dead" #75 made, and they also have their own edition of "Kick-Ass" vol 2, issue 1. This rare comic is a great addition to any collection, and I guarantee if you send Alan, or any of the guys over at Ultimate an e-mail, or give them a calll, they'd be more than happy to help you out. This is the perfect score when you're looking for a present for the guy who has everything.

3) Dr Who, The Complete Fifth Series- This is the most current incarnation of The Doctor. Starring Karen Gillan and Matt Smith, this season will get you right where you need to be. Matt Smith is NOT Evan T.'s number one choice for The Doctor, so if you want to explore Evan T.'s favorite Doctor, pick up series 2-4 for the David Tennant incarnation of the time lord. With plenty of twists and turns, Dr Who will soon become one of your favorite new shows.

4) DC Comic Plushes- These ADORABLE doll versions of your favorite DC characters are a GREAT stocking stuffer. Once unwrapped, there will surely be an "AWWWWWW" to follow.

5) The Walking Dead Compendium One- Now this one is one everyone can enjoy. It's the story that the TV show was based on. Robert Kirkman delivers an amazing story of humanity and zombies and what happens when the world is cut off. It's a story about survival and human nature. and zombies, of course! The compendium collects 1-48 of the comic series, and from what I understand it also includes a bonus story cannot be found anywhere else. This gift will not disappoint.

That's all I've got this week, but I'll be posting more next week with opinions from Evan T. and The Editor as well!

Fables 100

Below is a fantastic interview between Cyriaque Lamar of io9 and Bill Willingham, author of the hit comic book "Fables". I hope you enjoy!

The one-hundredth issue of Fables hits the stands this week, and in anticipation of its release, we spoke with series author Bill Willingham about where the comic's been and where it's going. Also, the Fables TV show's probably dead. Boo!


First off, when you began writing Fables, did you anticipate it going on as long as it has?
I had wanted it go on for a long time. Considering the books I'd had out just before Fables — Proposition Player and some other things — they had been getting good critical praise but very little sales prior to Fables, so my expectations were colored by that.

At what points did the story diverge from what you had originally planned?
There were many big changes. I would love nothing better than to do a proposal to the publisher that says, "The story starts this way. By the time we get to this issue, I'll have thought of a whole bunch of cool new things to do with the story." The "don't worry, I'll think of something" method doesn't inspire a ton of confidence in publishers, but pretty much that's how I've gone all along since the Elementals days in the dim Eighties [...] For example, the Adversary was pretty much locked in, but we had to change who he was right away. As you might know, I originally intended for the Adversary to be Peter Pan, because even as I child I thought he was the villain of the story because he stole people's kids. I thought it was sinister and, as a kid, used to have nightmares of Peter Pan coming through our bedroom window. The first issue hadn't come out yet, but we were two or three issues in when DC came to us and said, "We can't have Peter Pan because of the copyright situation in England." After a while, I picked Gepetto instead. The long-term story of Fables — which followed the battle with the Adversary and him signing the General Amnesty — that was locked in from the beginning. Many of the side stories — like Boy Blue discovering who the Adversary was, Flycatcher becoming an important character — those were ideas that grew out of things planted early. It's almost a 50-50 mix of plots planned and plots developed.



Are there any other famous characters you've wanted to use but couldn't?
If the heirs and copyright holders of C.S. Lewis wanted to write me a nice letter and say, "The entire treasure chest of Narnia characters is now open and yours to use," I'd think that just be the finest thing possible. I'd love to bring characters I've read as a kid into Fables, such as the characters of Edgar Rice Burroughs. The true origin of Fables is in Fractured Fairy Tales from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. That launched the whole idea in my head as a kid that you could take these well-known stories and twist them around and be irreverent. I had previously thought that stories were protected. Out of a residual affection for that moment, I wouldn't mind bringing Rocky and Bullwinkle in, but those things aren't going to happen.

Are there any updates on the Fables TV show?
None whatsoever. I am the last person to know about things like that. Through rumors of rumors of mistellings of legends, I understand that the new DC regime was very much interested in getting Fables going. The TV show that was prematurely announced is probably dead — don't hold me to that, because I don't know. Hopefully, I'll know before it airs, but I'm kind of out of the loop.

What's the future hold for Fables?
I've been asked, "Why doesn't Fables come to an end the way other Vertigo books do?" — this question implies that you get a stronger story if you set a horizon line. My reply is, "Fables comes to an end all the time." There's been many stories throughout the series — both epic and small — that have come to an end. My hope is that I won't get bored writing this book, and that I'll be able to do it for a long time to come.



As always, I want to thank the readership of Fables for being with us this long, we've got a lot of fun stuff coming up. As people may have seen, the title of the next major arc following issue 100 is called "Super Group" — it's a Fables examination of superhero comics with a weird twist.

My mom, who hasn't been a comics fan since the 1950s, loves Fables. How would you as the author explain your book's longevity and popular appeal
The "my mom or dad who never understood why I like comics but finally does" anecdote is very near and dear to me. I've managed to hear this story in a variety of permutations, and I never get tired of hearing it. I don't exactly what the break-out-of-the-box appeal is, but it involves characters that almost everyone in Western culture knows. There's that lack of intimidation — people know where these characters started from without continuity. Otherwise, I'm not sure why. I'm glad that Fables readers are very evangelical about the book. If I knew why Fables inspired this kind of loyalty, I'd bottle it and sell it to every other comic writer.

Given that Fables is a comic with a literary leaning, what have you been reading lately?
I just caught up with Matt Sturgess' House of Mystery — that's just wonderfuly. I'm enjoying I, Zombie and The Unwritten. Not to toot my own horn, as I'm doing a Warriors Three story arc for Marvel, but a lot of the Thor stuff is terrific these days. They're really getting back to the raw mythology that drives the character. In the land of books, I'm reading Patrick Rothfuss' The Name of the Wind, which is quite enjoyable. Anything that Bernard Cornwell puts out, he's so prolific.

What is Bill Willingham's advice for writing comics?
It's the same as my advice for drawing comics — it's a lot harder than it looks, so don't waste your time writing stories that aren't vitally important to you. And by "important," I don't mean that you should set out to write great literature, because that's the one guarantee that whatever you do produce won't be it. That's the kind of thing that's decided by others, it's out of your hands. "Important" means entertaining stories that you're dying to tell.

Fables 100, which includes the above board game illustrated by Mark Buckingham, hits stands Wednesday, December 8.

Watchmen: The Failure by Evan T.

I have just re-watched Watchmen and man, that is some good movie. It is easily the most true to source material comic movie I have ever seen. I'm looking at panels in the book and seeing them on screen, listening to the words that I have read. I really think Zach Snyder's love of this material is what kept it so close to the source. This movie failed in theaters.

Why? Well let me tell you.

This movie was 2 hours and 40 minutes long. Most people have an attention span that cannot follow one minute commercials. Who thought people would be able to sit still for that long? I know what you are saying, Avatar is the highest grossing movie of forever and that movie was 2 hours 40 minutes. Yeah. No disrespect to that movie, I liked it a whole lot and am sure the Chief would call me an Ava-tard. That movie flows a little better and is not handling nearly the story load Watchmen does. It really gets heady.

The thing I blame most for the failure is the source itself. Watchmen is oft sighted as the greatest graphic novel. A creation that changed comics. Which it did. In 1986. The world of comics was very different back then. Hell, the world itself was very different back then. I really feel like people were slightly unimpressed with the movie because things have come since then and been more popular, really diluting the message and themes the book portrayed. I would like to know what the Chief and the Editor think about this subject.
Oh, and even though I did love the movie I didn't care very much for the book. It was hyped up beyond belief to me and I really was not impressed. I think, because, of all the comics and books and movies I had seen before reading it.

Red Dead Intervention

Hello all, the editor here making his first appearance. Before I settle in for an evening chock full of shooting bandits with a sleeping damsel on the couch next to me I thought I'd drop some quick knowledge on my current 360 obsession, Red Dead Redemption.

For those of you unaware, the game is basically Grand Theft Auto with horses.  Set in the wild west you play the role of a bandit-turned-bounty hunter John Marston, the cowboy version of Sabu. Much like Grand Theft Auto, the game is sandbox-style. You can complete main story missions, side quests for nutty strangers, or waste 3 hours hunting cougars and playing Liar's Dice. While I am really enjoying the game a lot, I am surprised it has a rating of 95 on Metacritic (a very neat website that compiles reviews of TV/Movies/Vidja Games etc. from many sources). Admittedly I'm only ~40% through the game so far, but I was expecting a more engrossing storyline. Hopefully as I make my way to Mexico the story will pickup, sort of the opposite of season two of Eastbound & Down...

Bottom line, if you enjoyed GTA, you'll happily burn many hours playing Red Dead Redemption!

John Marston, the most homicidal, genocidal, suicidal, death-defying cowboy

The one and only Sabu, hailing from Bombay Michigan!

Sacchariferous Thursday

 Hey everyone! So I was looking at different cakes online today (because deep down in my soul, I am an inspiring baker) for different cool-designed cakes for Miss Cara M.'s upcoming birthday. While looking at all the different sweet stuff it dawned on me that I should post a few of these amazing cakes every week. This will not only satisfy the geek in you, but it'll satisfy the fat kid living in your belly too ;-)

In the spirit of comic books, I thought superhero cakes were a good place to start.

Superman/Batman/Spiderman cake via Geek Cakes

Superman/Batman/Spiderman Cupcakes via Geek Cakes

Thing Rice Krispy cake via am.fm.pm.

Another Batman/Spiderman/Superman cake via Cake Central

The most amazing Marvel/DC mash-up ever. Uncredited.

Wonder Woman cake via Soozun

I thought I'd just give you guys a little taste of things to come! If you have any submissions of your own for Sacchariferous Thursdays please e-mail them my way!

The Most Amazing Thing I've Seen In YEARS.

So I was looking for some funny spoof videos of Harry Potter for tonight's "Wizarding Wednesday", when I stumbled across the most amazing mash-up ever made. Being a HUGE fan of the Canadian television show "Trailer Park Boys" and a fan of "The Wire", this video is unreal. If you've never watched these shows, you absolutely should. All the good shows are going on winter hiatus soon, so it's the perfect opportunity to watch both shows in their entirety. For those of you who have seen the shows, I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

MashUpPiece Theater: The Wire / Trailer Park Boys - watch more funny videos

And for those of you dying to see a Harry Potter spoof, I give you a great SNL classic featuring the trainwreck known as Ms. Lindsay Lohan as Hermoine.

Harry Potter 5 parody (Lindsay Lohan as Hermione)

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