Issue 7: July 2012 | E3 Round-Up Edition

DayOldStubble the Magazine

NEWS & REVIEWS FOR THE REFINED GEEK

ISSUE 7 / $9.00 | www.dayoldstubble.com

E3 2012 ROUND-UP

Lots Of New Games, But No Hardware

THE NEW AGE OF VIDEO GAMES

With Jason West & Vincent Zampella

GEEK'S GUIDE: Convention Survival Tips To Make Your Next Con A Success

PROMETHEUS Review The Summer's First Blockbuster

LOLLIPOP CHAINSAW Review HIGHLIGHTS:

D12 Academy, Bugger Off, Dave's Toy Chest, The Booby Hatch, London 2012 App-lympics, Movie Reviews and more...

Is This Slasher A Cut Above The Rest

Watch For Us At Wizard World Chicago

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DayOldStubble

from the Editor...

Well that time has finally come. Yes that is correct, we are preparing to head to Chicago and the Wizard World Chicago Comic Con from August 9-12. Will be out in full force gathering interviews, videos, and pictures for the official launch of our new redesign coming in August.

DayOldStubble 1122 21st Street, Manistee, MI, 49660 T: (978) 432-9653 www.DayOldStubble.com MAGAZINE TEAM Editor / Jason Carrick Deputy Editor / James Detzler Game Editor / Aaron DeKuiper Comic Editor / Dave Norton Indie Editor / Shea Kimbrough Managing & Web Editor / Jason Carrick Copy Editor / Studio6: Diana Six & Wayne Bialik Copy Editor / Laura Moore Staff Photographer / James Detzler Production Assistants / Gretchen Carrick & Linda Detzler

Last year's convention was a great time and we are looking forward to it again this year. If you want to see some of the highlights from 2011 we have all of our pictures online and videos of from the panels on our YouTube page at www.youtube. com/DayOldStubble. Head on over and check them out.

If you want to get an idea on what we will be covering, head to the official site at WizardWorld.com and see who all will be attending. If there is any one special you would like us to get an interview with let me know and I will do my best to get with them.

CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Dekuiper/ Dave Norton / Shea Kimbrough THE ANALYTICAL COUCH POTATO Guest Writer / Marten Dollinger All rights reserved www.theanalyticalcouchpotato.com

As an independent self-published magazine we have been incurring our first growth spat but have gotten all the kinks ironed out and are looking forward to bring you a quality product for years to come.

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If you have any comments or questions, contact me personally at komodojay@dayoldstubble.com. We want the magazine to reflect what you our readers want and are always looking for new suggestions and great ideas.

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Jason Carrick

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Head of International Licensing / Jason Carrick T: (978) 432-9653 E: info@dayoldstubble.com SUBSCRIPTIONS For subscription enquiries email: info@dayoldstubble.com Head of Subscriptions / Jason Carrick T (978) 432-9653 12 Issue Subscription US / $72.00 12 Issue Digital Subscription / $10.gi00 CIRCULATION Head of Circulation / Jason Carrick T: (978) 432-9653 PRODUCTION Production Director / James Detzler T: (978) 432-9653 PRINTING & DISTRIBUTION Printed by / HP MagCloud, W: MagCloud.com Distributed by / DayOldStubble, W: www.dayoldstubble.com DISCLAIMER The publisher cannot accept responsibility for any unsolicited material lost or damaged in the post. All text and layout is the copyright of DayOldStubble. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of critic and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at time of print, prices and availability may change.

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Copyright Š 2012 DayOldStubble ISSN 1234-5678

Editor in Chief

meet the TEAM...

James Detzler

Aaron DeKuiper Dave Norton

Shea Kimbrough

Co-Editor/Founder James, aka The Great Detzby, is a man shrouded in mystery.The one thing people do know is..... in the event of a zombie apocalypse, find him.

Game Reviews Aaron knows what cell block Princess Leia's is in, why Chapel is the single most powerful Dominion card, and where to find the hatch from Lost in World of Warcraft.

Ah, geekiness...

Indie Insider "As the selfproclaimed "sexiest geek alive," Shea studied Archaeology and Film at The University of North Alabama. Now a proud father, Lion King is currently his favorite film."

Comic Fanatic Have you ever had an entire fraternity take a dump on your chest and NOT let you in.

>>Have your say about anything geek @ www.dayoldstubble.com and you could be featured in the magazine << July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 3

Contents >> 6

INBOX

32 ENTERTAINMENT

IT’S TIME FOR OUR READERS TO HAVE THEIR SAY...

10 TECHNOLOGY

32 33

Summer Gadget Tips

11

Ways To Cut Data Bills

34

Rise Of The Tablets

36

The London App-Lympics 2012

37

12 14

Apps To Enjoy The Games

24 Video Games 28

Lollipop Chainsaw Review

We Need To Talk About Kevin Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Killer Can This Book Adaptation Hold Up?

Ways To Protect Your Toys

Microsoft and Google Join In

Prometheus

Blockbuster Movie Review

Redshirts Book Review

16 DAVE'S TOY CHEST Dave takes a look at Mattel's Marvel Secret Wars tie-ins .

Can't A Redshirt Ever Get A Break?

Wrestling Geek

Do You Prefer Attitude or PG?

38

Mac N Cheese Break

39

The Booby Hatch

Why Do We Have Ratings

Exclusive Comic

Can This Slasher Make The Cut

30

16 FEATURES

Indie DVD Review

10

6 Handy Tips For Saving $$$

DayOldStubble | Issue 7 | July 2012

18 BUGGER OFF

We look at Dark Horse Comics take on the future of the Empire.

The New Age Of Video Games

Jason West and Vincent Zampella

8

NEWS

INDUSTRY GOSSIP, OPINION AND RUMORS

20 D12 ACADEMY

The D12 Academy is back with the game Dominion. Learn how to play and dominate your friends.

9

WINDOWS 8 RELEASE

Microsoft announces the release date for its upcoming Windows 8.

8

GRUM BOTNET KILLED

The third largest botnet in the world was shut down on July 18.

4 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

9

METRO NOOK READER

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble partner to make a Nook reader for Windows 8.

7

GOTTA HAVE

THE GUIDE TO ALL THE GEEK STUFF YOU’LL EVER NEED

24

E3 2012 ROUND-UP

22 GEEKS GUIDE:

Convention Survival Tips

34 Prometheus REVIEW DOES THE BLOCKBUSTER BREAK OUT July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 5

>>HAVE YOUR SAY@ Www.dayoldstubble.com AND GET YOURSELF ONTO THESE PAGES <<

INBOX>>

ITâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TIME FOR OUR READERS TO HAVE THEIR SAY...

Get In Touch We really want to hear from you. Email your questions, comments, tips, or complaints to us at:

info@ dayoldstubble.com Also contact us on

@DayOldStubble

www.facebook.com/ TheDayOldStubble

Can I save a washed pendrive?

Gamer seeks best tablet option.

Dick Wellington

I want to buy a tablet but am very confused by the wide range of tablets available in the market. I have narrowed my choices to the new iPad, iPad 2 and the Asus eepad Transformer Prime. My requirements are hardcore gaming, net surfing and apps. Please suggest the best tablet.

I accidentally washed my pendrive along with my clothes. Is there any way I can get my data back?

Pendrives use flash storage which are not easily affected by water, unless it has been submerged for a long time.

Dry the pendrive thoroughly for at least a couple of days. Don't plug it in before it is completely dry. Do a check disk to see if the files can be recovered.

Go to Start Menu, open Run and type CMD to bring up a command prompt.

Then type - Chkdsk XX drive:/r If your pendrive does not register on your computer after plug in, chances are the data has been corrupted. You can try and use software like Recover Data and Pen Drive Data Recovery to recover the files. However, these do not have a 100% recovery record.

Cheap way to listen to streaming audio?

Bobby Gordon What is the most cost-effective way to hook up your laptop to your music system to enjoy streaming services such as Spotify and MOG? Run an audio cable from your laptop to your sound system, so what you play on the computer will come out through the speakers attached to your stereo. This can be done for anywhere from 61 cents to $11, depending on the length and quality of the cord.

6 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

Jim Smith

For hardcore gaming, we would have to recommend you go for the new iPad. There are plenty of games available on the App Store that you can download and enjoy. In the case of the Asus Transformer Prime, there is not a huge variety of games available at this time.

MS Surface, a surefire success?

Will Cringley I just watched Microsoft's announcement of its new Surface and wondered what you though about the device?.

Microsofts new tablet looks good. I've been running Windows on my laptop and Asus W500 since March. You definitely get a mix of both worlds and shows potential.

Now we just need to hope the Surface's hardware spec is on the money and that the price keeps it competitive. Head to page 14 for our look at the new Surface.

14

The number of engineers who worked on the demo for Unreal Engine 4. The new engine, which replaces the ubiquitous Mass Effect and BioShock-powering Unreal Engine 3, has been built for the next generation of consoles and highend PCs. At last!

$111 Billion

AMD's loss in the first quarter of 2012. Unlike Nokia, the loss wasn't entirely unexpected - the semiconductor company bought itself out of an exclusive agreement with chip manufacturer Globalfoundries who manufacture its 28nm accelerated processing units.

GOTTAHAVE>> THE GUIDE TO ALL THE GEEK STUFF YOUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;LL EVER NEED

Archos 35 Smart Home Phone Having a smartphone in our pocket that does everything from checking email and postings on Facebook to talking on Skype over the internet isn't a big deal these days. A landline that does all that is rare, but yet, that's what the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone is designed to do.

Its good points are a touchscreen and Android OS, but the phone itself feels rather cheap, and it doesn't have a particularly inspired deisgn. Still, it's easy to use, especially if you're used to a smartphone, and apps are supported, albeit through the third-party AppsLib store rather than Google's own. While it's nice to be able to use a smartphone's features on your home phone, most of us already have a more powerful device in our pockets or have kicked land lines to the curb. www.archos.com

PRICE: $210

Nyko PlayPad The Playpad has been designed with help from Nvidia, so it will control every game in the TegraZone store with no configuration needed. It will also work with any game in Google Play, and if there are any controls missing, you can add them with a free app.

RATING:

La Boite Concept LD120

http://www.nyko.com

Featuring an exquisite design and stunning sound this desk is not something to sit and stare at. With a builtin DAC (digital to analogue converter) sound card, two tweeters, two full range, two mid and one woofer it is amazing if one could get any work done www.laboiteconcept.com

PRICE: TBD

PRICE: $1,680

RATING:

RATING: July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 7

NEWS

The takedown of the Grum botnet this week will only provide a short-lived reprieve from spam, experts said. But despite anticipating only a minimal impact from the action, they lauded the coordination it took to take out the aging botnet.

The Grum botnet was the third largest botnet in the world at the time of its takedown, which was completed July 18. It took several days to shut down command-and-control centers (C&Cs) in the Netherlands, Panama, Russia and Ukraine.

Surfacing in 2008, the Grum botnet had control of hundreds of thousands of computers, which it used to send out pharmaceutical spam. At its height, the Grum botnet was thought to be responsible for 17 percent of all worldwide unsolicited e-mail.

>> INDUSTRY GOSSIP >> OPINIONS & RUMORS

Third Largest Botnet Shut Down >> Grum botnet takedown MAY NOT LEAD TO LESS SPAM

However, while most of the Grum botnet servers have been shut down, it might not be out for good. Security experts believe that the Grum worm may continue, providing the basis for a new botnet. Moreover, a targeted server in Russia managed to survive. Those running the malware ring managed to avert the shutdown of the final C&C server.

While many believe that the botnet ring is currently dead, security experts warn that Grum may be back due to the fact that no suspects connected with the malware have been detained or charged.

The cybercriminals are likely already re-gathering and will be able to develop a new botnet in a short amount of time.

Project Sora DONE

iPHONE 5 THIS FALL

The developer of the 3DS game "Kid Icarus" announced that it is closing its doors for good on June 30th.

Formed in 2009, Project Sora was a joint venture between Masahiro Sakurai's Sora Ltd. and Nintendo.

Verizon's CFO Fran Shammo may have accidentally revealed the date for the next iPhone at a financial meeting.

He stated â&#x20AC;&#x153;the company could be expecting a big phone to launch during the fourth quarter of this year,â&#x20AC;? but did not specify an exact date.

8 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

>>for Geek news as it happens visit www.dayoldstubble.com // 24 hours a day

WINDOWS 8 RELEASE

METRO NOOK READER

MICROSOFT SETS DATE OF OCTOBER 26th

MICROSOFT AND BARNES & NOBLE TEAM UP

Microsoft posted a picture of Steven Sinofsky speaking at the company’s annual sales meeting, where he announced that Windows 8 will be made available on October 26. New computers—in desktop, mobile, and tablet form factors— will be available on that date, as will upgrade editions of the OS, for users looking to update their current PCs.

Microsoft and Barnes & Noble announced they were joining forces to bolster the Nook's competitive edge against Amazon's Kindle and Apple's iBooks platforms. Under the agreement the partners will collaborate on a Metro-style Nook e-reader app for Windows 8 users in the United States and internationally.

Microsoft has also announced that Windows 8 will come in four versions: one for home use, one for business, one for devices running ARM chips, and one for large enterprises.

INSIDEINDUSTRY

The new ebook duo also plan to create Nook-based textbooks to compete with a similar platform Apple announce in January.

what the experts say...

What is 1 Billion?

The amount ex-Activision employees Jason West and Vince Zampella are seeking from their past employer.

West and Zampella co-founded Infinity Ward, before being taken in and then sacked by Activision. They are citing multiple breaches of contract

MARS ROVER LANDING If you're the sort of geek who likes video games and space, NASA and has a new, free, video game available for the Xbox 360. The free game is called Mars Rover Landing for Microsoft Xbox Kinect and uses the Kinect accessory for control.

and wrongful termination for the huge size of the settlement figure.

What is 5 Trillion?

The increase in bits per second in the world's bank of digital information, according to science historian George Dyson.

Do we have an issue with price priorities?

80% of us don't know the average price of a glass of beer. 67% know exactly how much an iPad costs.

CHEATERS BEWARE Anyone Rockstar catches using cheats in Max Payne 3's excellent multiplayer will be forced to play with the worst people in the multiplayer world, other cheaters.

Use a mod or hack to up your game and you'll be sent to the 'Cheaters Pool'.

July 2012| DayOldStubble | 9

>> Technology

Summer Gadget Tips Enjoy The Outdoors While Keeping Your Electronics Safe.

Ah, summertime!

The time of year when the weather drives us outside and finds us venturing into new places. While a day at the beach or out hiking the trails is a lot of fun for us, it can be very hazardous to our electronics that we carry around. If you’re worried about your devices getting wet, bouncing off the ground, or melting in the sun simply follow these simple tips and all will be ok.

1. Keep your gadgets dry. We all know electronics and water don’t mix so be sure to limit their exposure. If your favorite summer activities are water based then be sure to invest in a waterproof cover for your device to keep it dry.

Most devices have at least one plastic cover made specifically to fit, creating a waterproof seal while still allowing you to use the device. If you are in a pinch I have always found two ziplock bags to be a near perfect replacement.

While they may not allow you to use your cell phone while protected, when you get off the water and on dry ground you will have a dry phone to use.

2. Protect your device from nasty drops. If your summer adventures take you out and away from the house, be it on a hiking trail or just walking up and down rows of vendors at your local summer festival, the last thing you want is for your expensive device to drop on the cement and shatter. Invest in a nice hard cover and watch as your new iPhone still works after taking a few bounces along the road. Otterbox carries an extensive selection of cases for just about any portable electronic device with most cases less than $50.

This is a bargain compared to replacing parts of your shattered phone.

3. Keep them cool. Besides water, the other most destructful element for electronics is heat. While you may think leaving your devices in the car will keep them safe and protect from the accidental fall or splash of water, the opposite is just as true. A parked car, in direct sunlight, can reach temperatures as high as 140 degrees. That kind of heat can fry circuits, cause LCD’s to fail, and wear out your device's batteries. If you must leave your devices behind, try to either get them or the car into the shade and allow the device to cool down before turning it on.

If your device does happen to fall prey to any of these conditions be aware that there are less expensive ways to repair your electronics then having to buy a whole new one.

In case of accidental waterlogging, first take out the battery. Then pat dry the device with a towel as best you can and tilt it from side to side to drain any excess water. Finally place the device in either a plastic bag with a few silica gel packets or in a plastic box with rice and let it sit. After a few days, depending on the size and how drenched the item got, you should have a working device.

If your device falls and takes a tumble and the LCD screen gets damaged, most cell phones, tablets, and GPS devices all have replaceable screens.

While not cheap they are less expensive then replacing the whole device.

By: Jason Carrick

10 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

Technology <<

6 ways to cut Your data costs With The Cost Of Data Plans Continually Rising Here Are A Few Ways To Help Lower Your Bills

There have been a number of musthave trends throughout history. While in years past the hottest commodity was the in-demand toy or gaming system, today people cannot seem to get enough of their technological gadgets, most notably smartphones and tablets.

Evolving phones and handheld computers have revolutionized how people communicate. By the end of 2011, market research from Nielsen indicated that 50 percent of mobile phone users in the United States relied on smartphones over standard feature phones. Due to the numerous abilities of a smartphone, including the ability to browse the Web, send e-mails and texts, as well as play streaming video and games, smartphone users must sign up for a data plan to make everything possible.

People may be unknowingly spending more than they have to for these plans.

Consumer Reports says that the average cell phone user spends $600 per year on basic mobile services. When texting and other smartphone features are added in, the cost balloons to $1,800 per year. There are ways to cut these costs considerably if you simply pay attention to details.

Don't bundle up just yet. Regular voice service has lately become a cheap commodity. In an effort to make more money, phone companies are pushing higher-end smartphones that require data packages. Take inventory of the features you plan to use and see how the service plans for those features add

up. Instead of spending $100 for an allinclusive plan, you may be able to buy it in piecemeal and save some money.

Take inventory of how much you use.

When browsing the Internet or exploring different apps, it can be difficult to keep track of just how many minutes, texts and megabytes you are using. But knowing what you use will help you determine the range in which you fall with regard to service. If you find you only send out $7 worth of text messages, do not pay for an unlimited text package that costs $15. Services like BillShrink.com can analyze your cellphone usage and make recommendations to cut costs.

Reduce megabyte guzzlers. Certain features require more bandwidth than others and can take more time to download and more megabyte data usage.

Applications like YouTube work better when viewed on a computer hooked up to a traditional modem. According to the Onavo, which measures how data is being used, a YouTube app for a phone accounts for 40 percent of data consumption. App downloads for Angry Birds or Words With Friends represent 13 percent of data usage. All of this congestion results in dropped signals, slow e-mails and delayed Web browsing. In turn, phone service companies have to invest in different and more expensive broadband networks to improve service. Those improvements cost money and are passed down to the consumer via expensive data plans.

Select the cheapest plans. You can compare plans to see which get the best ratings through Consumer Reports. The organization found that AT&T's unlimited Web add-on is the cheapest, at $15. Be sure you do your research in advance.

You may incur hefty early-termination fees if you decide to switch your plans or companies before the contract is up.

Unlimited is not always better.

Again, figuring out how much data you use can help you scale down bills. You may be able to sign up for a limited data plan that's far less costly than the popular unlimited plan if you don't use that many megabytes per month.

Check for discounts. Certain employees, law-enforcement officials or members of the military may qualify for a plan discount, depending on what the phone company offers. Inquire to see if there are any discounts based on where you work or your membership affiliations. Also, ask your employer if they subsidize mobile phone plans. If you are a business owner, the costs of a mobile phone may be tax-deductible.

Mobile phones have become musthave commodities. Costs for the services associated with the phone can quickly add up, but there are several ways that users can reduce spending on phone data plans.

By: Jason Carrick

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 11

Comparison

Tablets

Windows, Android

RISE OF THE TABLETS Microsoft and Google hope to take bite out of Apple.

Microsft and Google have both thrown their hats into the crowded tablet market by announcing new consumer tablets where they control the software and hardware to give the user a unified experience.

Asus Nexus 7 Specs Screen: 7” 1280×800 HD display (216 ppi), Back-lit IPS display, Scratch-resistant Corning glass.

OS: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean).

Weight: 340g.

RAM: 1 GB. Storage: 8 GB or 16 GB internal storage.

Battery: 4325 mAh (Up to 8 hours of active use).

CPU: Quad-core Tegra 3 processor.

Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth.

USB: Micro USB. Camera: 1.2MP Front Facing Other features: Microphone, NFC (Android Beam), Accelerometer, GPS, Magnetometer, Gyroscope

12 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

Microsoft Surface RT Specs Screen: 10.6-inch HD Display OS: Windows RT (Windows on ARM) Weight: 676 g RAM: TBA Storage: 32 GB or 64 GB Battery: 31.5 watt-hour CPU: Nvidia Tegra Connectivity: WiFi, USB port Ports: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video Software: Office 15 Casing: VaporMg Case & Stand

Google's new Asus-branded tablet is called the Nexus 7 and was announced during Google’s keynote at Google I/O 2012. The Nexus 7 can be ordered online from the Google Play Store starting at $199 for the 8GB storage configuration and $249 for 16GB. The purchase of your new Nexus 7 tablet entitles you to a $25 credit to spend on Google Play media, and comes preconfigured for your Google account. Shipping of preorders started in mid-July and the initial reviews are that the device does very well in out preforming the ever popular Kindle Fire and shows great potential for a version 1 device.

The newly Nexus 7 comes with a 7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1,280×800 pixels. This is the first tablet that comes with 1.3GHz Nvidia Tegra 3 quad-core CPU, which includes a 12-core GPU. Microsoft unveiled its Surface tablet on June 18, showing off the first PC of its own creation in the company's three-decadelong history. Its coolest feature: A

thin-as-paper case that doubles as a touch-sensitive keyboard.

Microsft's Surface comes with a 10.6inch screen and is avialble as an RT or Pro model, while the Nexus 7 comes with a 7-inch screen. Surface RT runs on an ARM processor and is intended for casual tablet users, similar to the Nexus 7 or Kindle Fire. The Surface Pro runs on an Core i5 processor and is meant to be a laptop replacement allowing casual use while allowing for serious work to get done.

Comparing the Nexus7 and Microsoft Surface each comes with different storage options, from 8 GB or 16 GB internal storage for the Nexus, while the Surface comes with options of 32 GB and 64 GB for Windows RT model and 64 GB and 128 GB for Pro model.

Microsoft Surface comes with rear and front cameras, while the Nexus comes with only a front-facing camera.

If your concerned about an impending browser war on tablets then this is the beginning with Safari on the iPad, the Chrome browser on the Nexus 7, and Internet Explorer 10 on Microsoft's Surface.

Note that Microsoft has not launched the Surface, but only announced this tablet. More details will follow during the launch of this tablet. There are still many details that are not yet known.

For consumers, pricing is also an important factor. The official pricing of the Nexus 7 tablet for 8 GB model is $199, while 16GB model costs $249. Looking at Microsoft’s side, there’s still no official word out regarding pricing. However, rumors are that the Windows’ RT model may come with a price tag of $599 while the Pro model could cost $999.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 13

>> GEEK LIFE

THE LONDON APP-LYMPICS 2012

The Best Apps For The Games

Our selection of must have apps to enjoy the London 2012 Olympics no matter where you are

14 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

The 2012 Olympics are just around the corner, and there are plenty of mobile apps to get you in shape for the big event. The Olympic Games are sure to be filled with heated contests and memorable matches. Wether you are attending the games in person and need to navigating around London's Olympic Village, or simply looking to track which athletes and countries are bringing home the most bling from the comforts of home, here are some apps sure to get you through the games.

London 2012: Official Join In App (iPhone, iPod Touch, Android Free)

Those lucky enough to be attending the 2012 Olympics in person should absolutely, positively download the London 2012: Official Join In App. With detailed maps for all of the venues plus a spectator guide with a full listing of the various activities happening in and around the sites, this app could be the Lonely Planet: London Olympics Version. Users can even make a custom schedule of the events they want to check out! Even fans who aren't attending in person will enjoy the app thanks to live updates filled with news reports, photos and analysis.

London 2012: Official Results App

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free) Of course, if you're more concerned with the results than with the general hullabaloo surrounding the games, the London 2012: Official Results App might be more your cup of tea. Official Results covers all 36 Olympic sports with a live schedule that notes which events are happening when. This includes live scoring and results, a calendar that shows each day's events and even an overall medal counter so you can hoot and holler whenever your country takes the top spot on the podium. Official Results also has detailed information, including the latest news, photos and background info. Serious fans can also track the performance of their favorite Olympic athletes in the palm of their hand.

NBC Olympics

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free) NBC Olympics includes a wide range of basic Olympics coverage from the network that has the exclusive

U.S. broadcast rights for this year's games. The app publishes news and information about all the events, plus athlete profiles, photo galleries and more. You can even use Twitter and Facebook to link up with other fans.

2012 Team USA Road To London

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free) One of the real joys of following the Olympics is throwing your full support behind your home country.

If you call the USA home, you'll want to keep the 2012 Team USA Road To London app by your side. Users of this America-focused app can get daily updates on who will be making the team, special editorial content focused on the U.S. athletes, and even a special button that users can hit to send personal messages to Olympic athletes through Twitter and Facebook.

2012 Team USA Road To London also contains information on the athletes, photo galleries and video clips.

London 2012: Official Mobile Game (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free; Premium version $2.99)

For the Olympic fan who's also a gamer, there is London 2012: Official Mobile Game. This app features nine events that players can compete in, including the 100 meter dash, 110 meter hurdles, the triple jump, pole vault, kayaking and more. The game has an RPG focus as players can improve the stats of their virtual athlete by training them through the use of over 200 in-game items. The premium version ($2.99) comes with bonus training points that would otherwise cost more to purchase in the free version.

BBC Olympics App

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free) The BBC app is a FREE comprehensive app with everything you could ever want to know about the London 2012 Olympics. It is available in iOS and Android flavors however, it appears for now only the iOS app is the only one that will let you watch streaming video.

Video is exclusive to the UK only.

NBC “Live Extra” App

(iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free)

This app includes live and replayed video streams of all of the events.

However, there are some stipulations.

To quote their website, “Access is free for subscribers to a cable, satellite or telco TV service package that includes CNBC and MSNBC.”

Time Out London

(iPhone, iPod Touch, Android Free) Made by one of the most prolific city magazine brands in the world, TimeOut is your go-to source for "What's On" in the London area.

Get the best recommendations on London night clubs, music venues, art shows, galleries, restaurants, bars and more. The geo-locational feature of the app makes it easier to plan a night on-the-go, and its easy browsing functions make finding entertainment in London a breeze.

London Underground Free (Android Free)

If you're going to be visiting the city during the Olympic games, chances are you'll be taking the London Underground. This easy-to-use map will keep you from getting lost while beneath the ground. Offline routing functions will help you get to your destinations. It also includes places of interest. Very simply, this is one of the best apps to use in London.

London Tube Map (iPhone Free)

Apple iPhone users will want to check out the London Tube Map prior to visiting London. It's a sleek, lightweight app that works beneath the ground and will keep you on the proper route to your Hotel or Hostel. If you're an iPhone users, you'll need this app to get around.

London Pocket Guide: (iPhone Free)

This iPhone app will show you all the historical sites in London that you'll want to visit. Although the recommendations are a little predictable, if this is going to be your only trip to London, you may want to check out some of the classic tourist spots.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 15

>> COLLECTIBLES

DAVE'S TOY CHEST

MATTEL'S MARVEL SECRET WARS TIE-IN FIGURES WERE COOL BUT MISSED THE MARK COLLECTABLE INFO Company: Mattel Original Release: 1984-1985 THE FIGURES Series 1 • Captain America • Doctor Doom • Doctor Octopus • Iron Man • Kang the Conqueror • Magneto • Spider-Man • Wolverine Series 2 • Baron Zemo • Daredevil • Falcon • Hobgoblin • Spider-Man (black costume) Foreign Series 3 • Constrictor • Electro • Iceman

Okay, if you are familiar with reading DayOldStubble you will no doubt know that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE vintage toys. How does the old saying go “They don’t make things like they used to.” Well it’s true!

Although they make figures more realistic and articulate nowadays it’s just something about those old figures that really get me going. Vintage figures started this whole thing. You must pay your respects to these figures. This month we are going to cover Marvel’s Secret Wars toy line from Mattel.

In 1984 Marvel Comics released a year long comic event called Secret Wars. To help capitalize on this event they released toy figures and vehicles to coincide with the comic. Next to Mego dolls and Pocket Heroes this was Marvel’s first release of a big toyline. (If you want to call 3 waves of figures a big toyline!) Now compared to action figures today Mattel’s Secret Wars line is very mediocre. No special articulation. No gimmick action. No voice chip. These figures came with nothing other than a shield that showed a few different action scenes. (Which really didn’t make much sense to me considering the Captain America is the ONLY Marvel character to carry a shield.) Anyway……

The first series of figures to be released were Captain America, Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, Iron Man, Kang The Conqueror,

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Magneto, Spider Man (in traditional costume), and Wolverine. There was also a time when a rumored black clawed Wolverine figure existed --- making it highly collectible. Like I stated earlier all of the figures came with shields --- the good guys came with red, round shields and the bad guys came with gray, square shields. Now some of these figures, I must admit, were pretty cool. If memory serves me correctly I believe that this was the first figures of Wolverine, Magneto, and Kang The Conqueror. If you were an X-Men fan like I was back in the day this was your first opportunity to obtain a Wolverine figure. This was BIG DOINS! The second series only had 5 figures in it and, the strange thing about it, I don’t believe that 3 of these figures were EVEN IN SECRET WARS! They were Baron Zemo --- NOT IN SECRET WARS, Daredevil --- NOT IN SECRET WARS, Falcon, Hobgoblin --- NOT IN SECRET WARS, and Spider Man (in his black costume). Again, this series also had figures that before now had never been released before. The best part of series 2 was the black costumed Spider Man. Also at this time several vehicles and a few playsets were released to help reenact the Secret War. Now to say these vehicles and playsets were pretty weak is being nice.

NONE of these vehicles were in the story!

Above: The original packaging still intact, showing the Magic Shield and weapon each figure came with.

Above: A small collection of Secret Wars shields. Square were for Villians and round for the Heros.

Get ready for these beauties: The Doom Roller, the Turbo Cycle, the Doom Cycle, the Turbo Copter, the Doom Copter, the Star Dart Glider, the Doom Star Glider, the Freedom Fighter Playset, and the Villains Tower of Doom Playset. (Please keep in mind that this was 1984-1985 and marketing just wasn’t what it is in today’s day and age.)

After these 2 series of figures, vehicles, and playsets somewhat tanked in the good ole’ US of A the brain trust at Mattel decided to release 3 more figures overseas. (Again these figures WEREN’T IN SECRET WARS!) Constrictor, Electro, and Iceman were the latest addition to the Secret Wars toyline. Because of the rarity of these particular figures they are the most sought after pieces to the Secret Wars collection. (Another side note, Mattel kept their cost down on these figures because they were made basically from the same model that just required different paint jobs and head molds.)

At the beginning of this article I did say that I am a fan of vintage toys. Out of all of the old vintage figures Mattel’s Secret Wars line is one of the lamest EVER! Mattel could have made this line so much better if they only would have put better characters out instead of heroes and villains THAT WEREN’T EVEN IN THE FREAKIN’ STORY! Where’s Spider Woman, the Human Torch, Colossus, Klaw, Molecule Man, the Enchantress, Ben Grimm, that strange healer lady from the village that both Colossus and the Human Torch fell in love with, and the Incredible Hulk.

Even the vehicles weren’t in the storyline which made this so frustrating. (Just a quick story. Me and my childhood friend Below: The Doom Roller, one of the few vehicles available in the series and was not even featured in the storyline

Above: The Spiderman figure from Mattel's Secret Wars line showing the back of the card, which included a short bio and information about Spiderman along with a quick comic, and his shield which came with 4 lenticular images.

Scott Ferguson walked over 5 miles in the scorching heat to our local Wal-Mart to purchase Iron Man and Dr. Doom so we could play Secret Wars. What can I say we were stupid kids.) Not all of these articles are for the positive as you can tell. Mattel’s Secret Wars line, although vintage, is a line that you --- the collector --- should avoid. If 1980’s toys are what you are wanting to collect you should spend your money on Star Wars, He-Man, or the Super Powers collection. You’ll thank me later.

On a side note I would like to take this opportunity to mention the passing of my father Lester Joseph Norton. If you have read my past articles about toys you’ll know that I always reference my father complaining about me playing with dolls. You know I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

My father, although very gruff, was one of the sweetest men that ever walked God’s green Earth. If it wasn’t for him I wouldn’t have had any Star Wars,

Transformers, He-Man, Super Powers, G.I. Joe, or Secret Wars figures. I can remember him acting like purchasing these toys were like getting a root canal but the look that he would give me while I was playing on the living room floor will forever be in my mind. I can remember one Christmas when I was living in Texas and he was in Missouri he took my 3 best friends to Wal-Mart and told them “Get whatever David would want!” Well, I received darn near the whole Super Powers collection that year thanks to my father. When I was younger I played with Weebles. He would tell me that he would get on the floor and play with me and steal a Weeble here and there. After stealing one he would say that I would know exactly which one it was that he took.

We would laugh about that for hours. I love you Dad. I’m so glad that you are no longer in pain. Please watch over me and my family and help me to be half the man and father that you were. God Bless you.

Okay friends in 30 days we will discuss a toyline that is currently in circulation and doing fantastically well. Collectors, I bring you the DC Universe Classics! I hope that you are as excited as I am.

Don’t forget to tell your father how much you love him. See you next month.

See you in 30!

By: dave norton

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 17

>> COMICS

BUGGER OFF! I'M READIN' COMICS

Any Star Wars Fan Needs To Read Dark Horse Comics Take On The Future Of The Empire A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away (actually in 2006) Dark Horse Comics published Star Wars: Legacy. Written by famed writer John Ostrander, Legacy takes place roughly 100 after the Yuuzhan Vong War. The lead character in the story is Cade Skywalker, a distant relative of the famous Skywalker bloodline, who has given up his Jedi heritage to pursue fame and fortune as a bounty hunter aboard his ship The Mynock. Along with his comrades Jariah Syn and love interest Deliah Blue, Cade sets out to try and survive in a galaxy that is currently in a state of civil war that sees a Sith Lord, Darth Krayt, seated as the head of the Imperial Throne.

COMIC INFO Publisher: Dark Horse Comics Issues: 50 Publication: June 2006-August 2010 Writer: John Ostrander Jan Duursema Artists: Alex Ross Penciler: Jan Duursema Inker: Dan Parsons Letter: Michael David Thomas Colorist: Brad Anderson

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Darth Krayt and the New Empire had formed an alliance to rid the galaxy of the Jedi. After destroying the Jedi Temple on Coruscant Krayt focuses his attention on the planet of Ossus --- home to the JedI Academy. Kol Skywalker and Wolf Sazen try to halt the onslaught of the invading Sith and Stormtroopers but to no avail. After Master Sazen falls in battle Kol Skywalker orders his young son Cade to take the fallen Master and the younglings to a secure location. Unable to accept his master’s death Cade calls upon the force and is able to bring Master Sazen back to life. Unfortunately, Kol Skywalker is killed by Darth Nihl. Vowing to destroy all of the Sith in the galaxy, Cade manages to buy Master Sazen enough time to retreat in a shuttle while he himself takes on the New Empire. After a severe aerial dogfight it seems that Cade is killed when his ship is destroyed. However, Master Sazen can still feel Cade through the force.

Emperor Roan Fel receives news of the fall of the JedI before being interrupted by Darth Krayt and his followers. Fel is then murdered in cold blood making Darth Krayt the new Emperor. However, after realizing that the person that they actually murdered was a double of Fel, Krayt sends Darth Maladi to find the real Roan Fel and destroy him before he can band together with the last remaining JedI. Krayt felt a disturbance in the force during the battle of Ossus and wants to find the person who was able to bring someone back from the dead. Apparently Darth Krayt is

suffering from some life-threatening ailment and needs this person to help him survive.

Nearly seven years later the Temple of the Sith now occupies the spot that used to be known as the JedI Temple. Darth Krayt sends one of his personal assassins, Darth Talon, to find the daughter of Roan Fel --Princess Marasiah to draw out Fel’s location.

Marasiah and her handmaiden Astraal Vao manage to escape Darth Talon after she murders Marasiah’s personal guard. Astraal Vao then contacts her brother Shado Vao and makes plans to meet him on the planet Vendaxa. The question is how do they get there undetected by the Empire. Roan Fel, Princess Marasiah’s father, discovers that his daughter is missing and her personal guard has been murdered. Fel’s captain of the guard wants to send a team to rescue her but Fel forbids it. Fel understands that this is just the thing that Darth Krayt would do to draw him out of hiding.

After dropping off a bounty to his former employer, Cade finds himself aboard the Mynock about to indulge in deathsticks. (I can only assume that they are some sort of drug in this galaxy.) Before he can take one the ghost form of Luke Skywalker appears and asks Cade why he would use drugs and why he won‘t fulfill his destiny as a JedI. Cade takes the deathsticks to keep the ghost of his ancestor away and they help dampen his force abilities. Cade doesn’t want to be part of the whole JedI thing because when he was younger and brought his master back from the dead he encountered the Dark Side……and enjoyed it! After threatening to shoot himself in the head if Luke doesn’t leave him alone, Luke disappears only for Cade to be greeted with another problem --- Princess Marasiah and Astraal Vao! After bartering passage Cade agrees to take them to Vendaxa (for the reward) but is also planning on turning her and her father over to the Sith for an even larger reward.

When they arrive on Vendaxa they are greeted by Astraal Vao’s brother Shado and Master Sazen --- and Darth Talon! After Talon’s defeat at the hands of Cade (who used

COMICS <<

the force in front of his friends for the first time) the Mynock appears to be not functioning properly. Astraal then sends a message to Moff Konrad Rus on Coruscant telling him everything that has happened to them. Little does Astraal know that Darth Krayt is standing close to Rus listening to everything that is being said. This shows the reader that Rus and Krayt are now allies plotting to get Fel out in the open. After another attack by these mysterious Sith Cade picks up a light saber and vows to take the Sith down!

What happened to the rule of only 2 Sith? Who is Cade’s mother? Is that R2-D2? Who is A’Sharad Hett? What does OB1-Kenobi have to do with Darth Krayt?

Who loses 10% of their entire population in an instant? What is in the hidden JedI Temple?

What’s going on between Darth Talon and Cade Skywalker? Is Cade turning to the Dark Side? Is that the ghost of Anakin Skywalker?

Are those Sand people? Who are Joker Squad?

Why do all of the Royal Guards have light sabers and know the force? Who is Rav? I can tell you fans that if you are a fan of Star Wars YOU NEED TO READ THIS SERIES! John Ostrander has done an amazing job of tapping a part of the Star Wars saga without disturbing anything that we had previously known and loved. The only thing missing is

killing off the dreaded Jar Jar Binks. The idea to make a distant relative of JedI Knight Luke Skywalker the complete opposite that us as fans would think that he would be is simple, but hard thing to pull off. Then going against a conglomerate of Imperials, Force sensitive Royal Guards, and several Sith Lords is no easy task. While reading this comic the reader is left with the occasional cliff hanger when Ostrander introduces background characters and storylines that pertain to the main story. Like I said --- this story has it all. My only complaint would be that, unfortunately, it ended. This was a storyline that could have kept on going. Who knows? Maybe Dark Horse Comics will let someone else have a crack at these amazing characters.

Another thing that makes this story easy to read is the artwork. Enough credit cannot be passed out to Colin Wilson, Omar Francia, Adam Robinson, Kajo Balkisimo, and Dave Rose. The artwork simply jumps off the pages and puts the reader right into the action. There are some times where a story is beautifully written only to be destroyed by the terrible artwork provided for it. That is not the issue here. In Star Wars Legacy the reader gets the perfect combination of amazing writing and breath-taking artwork. You will not be disappointed.

Come back next month and we will check out the wonderful job that writer Geoff Johns is doing on a personal favorite hero of mine…..Aquaman! See you in 30!

By: Dave Norton

JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK You know, I was all for the new 52 from DC Comics and I read every issue but come on. A Justice League Dark? It’s one of the most difficult, stupid, and poorly put together books in a while. I’m sorry DC I gave it a try……. but……..Justice League Dark you have officially been MUNSONED!

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 19

D12 Academy

Dominion

Board Games

D12 Academy

An in-depth study on a different board game each month… increase your strategic knowledge and/or decide if it’s worth a purchase.

Game Info: Name: Dominion Designer: Donald X. Vaccarino Artists: Matthias Catrein Julien Delval Ryan Laukat Harald Lieske Publisher: Rio Grande Games Published: 2008 Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 30 minutes Ages: 8 and up Category: Card Game

The Games Goal The goal of the game is for players to gather the most valuable deck of cards, defined by the total amount of Victory Points, representing a Kingdom.

What It Is

With the recent announcement of Dark Ages, the 7th expansion for Dominion, now is a great time to take a deeper look at this highly-acclaimed game.

Dominion is a deck-building game, a genre descendent from the CCG’s of the 90’s such as Magic: The Gathering.

A defining trait of a CCG is that each player purchases their own cards and builds a deck ahead of time, whereas in a deck-building game everyone is drawing from a shared pool of cards and the building of your deck occurs over the course of the game. Dominion has a light Middle Ages theme, tasking each player as owner of a small fiefdom who has dreams of grandeur- of owning a dominion! From there you’re off “building” your empire by acquiring cards to represent land, treasure, followers, etc. Some minor fantasy elements existyou can call upon a witch to curse your opponents, or encounter a ghost ship, for example, but for the most part it’s stuff like woodcutters, throne rooms, or moats.

How It Plays

Each player starts every game of Dominion with exactly the same deck- 7 Coppers (treasures) and 3 Estates (victory points). You draw five cards on each turn, play the cards you have however suits you best, and then usually buy one new card to add to your deck.

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When your turn is done, all the cards you played- and everything still left in your hand- get discarded, and you draw a new hand of five cards. In this way strategic planning is rewarded…you can’t just wait a couple more turns to draw enough cards to do something really cool. You have to make hay with every five card hand you draw, because rest assured, your opponents will.

The more cards you buy, the stronger and more diverse your deck becomes. But the flipside of that is that each purchase also clogs up your deck, making it less likely to draw whatever card you really want at any given time. Ultimately, players will start purchasing victory cards, though those usually give no value besides points so they’re really gumming up the works. The player with the most points from the cards in his deck once one of the game-ending triggers happens, wins.

It May Be For You If…

If you’re a fan of CCG’s but got turned off by having to sink money into new cards all the time, then deckbuilding games are right up your alley. Since everyone is playing from the same shared pool of cards, also, you won’t run into a case of “whoever spends the most has the best cards and usually wins.” Dominion is a game for thinkers. Every game will see a number of different

Expansions Everywhere Dominion has six Expansions out and another coming out in August: Intrigue: Expands the game to allow up to 6 players (very helpful for larger groups!). Many cards give you a choice between a couple different effects.

Theme of politics and trickery.

The more cards you buy, the stronger and more diverse your deck becomes.

“Kingdom” cards randomly available for purchase- all sorts of effects from giving you extra cash, drawing more cards, hurting your opponents, and so forth. Because there are hundreds of Kingdom cards amongst the base game and all the expansions, every game is going to feature a different combination of possible cards. The easier it is for you to digest what cards are on the table right now and how they might work well together, the stronger your deck will become.

Dominion does feature a number of ways to stick it to your friends, though Attack cards aren’t always in each game. When they are, look out. Many games of Dominion feel like concurrent solo deckbuilding pursuits, but a couple Attack cards can turn things brutal in a flash.

How To Dominate Your Friends

Starting every game of Dominion, you should set your eyes on three questions: “Are there any Attack cards out there?” “Are there any alternative VP cards?” and “Are there any cards that let me Trash stuff?” In order, then: Always beware of Attack cards, especially if an opponent starts buying them. Without Attack cards hitting you, you can mostly streamline your deck with impunity.

If someone can make you discard cards, gain a Curse, etc, though,

you need to be prepared for that.

How can you counter the effect, or reduce its impact on you?

As mentioned above, most VP cards are points… but otherwise dead weight in your hand. Some though have added effects, or give points based on certain criteria. If any of these are in the game, you need to see them, and see if an alternate strategy might work outside of the standard rush to get Provinces. For example, Gardens give you points based on the size of your deckstocking up on them and then bulking up your deck with stuff like Workshop or +Buy cards can be hard to beat.

Lastly, look for any cards that let you Trash stuff. Chapel being the seminal example, but there are many others. Trashing is powerful, and if you aren’t convinced that getting rid of your cards is a good strategy, try it. The fewer cards in your deck means more chance you’ll draw your really good ones. With Chapel for example, you can quickly weed out all your Coppers and Estates, and soon enough have a deck composed of 5 or 6 cards…something like Chapel, Gold, Gold, Gold, Silver, Province. Every turn thereafter will see you draw a powerhouse hand. Just beware of Attack cards that could punish you if you let your deck get too small!

Above: The common appearance while gathering your cards together to make the perfect deck to defeat your enemy.

Seaside: Nautical theme.

Many cards give you a benefit now and the same benefit on your next turn, creating the possibility for “super turns.”

Alchemy: New treasurepotions- fuel cards that have more magical flavor like Transmute, Golem, or Scrying Pool.

Prosperity: Introduces higher-cost treasure and VP cards. Many cards cost more than in the base game, but everything is designed toward big, flashy impact.

if you like this Agricola Lookout Games, Z-Man Games

Agricola is a worker placement game with an agricultural theme. The goal of the game is to build the most wellbalanced farm at the end of 14 rounds.

Cornucopia: Harvest and farming theme. Many cards reward you for diversity, to try to get players away from just spam-buying the couple strongest cards available each time around.

Hinterlands: Many cards give some immediate effect when purchased, instead of only being helpful once they get shuffled into your deck and later drawn.

Theme of the wild lands on the fringes of kingdoms.

Dark Ages: Coming in August 2012! It promises to deliver lots of cards that deal with the Trash effect, such as cards that also do something else when they get Trashed.

By: Aaron Dekuiper

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 21

>> GEEKS GUIDE

GEEKS GUIDE:

CONVENTION SURVIVAL TIPS

TIPS AND TRICKS TO MAKE YOUR NEXT CONVENTION A MEMORABLE ONE By: jason Carrick

The 43rd annual San Diego Comic-Con came and went and as usual, it was a massive success. The event was completely sold out months before and the exhibit halls and conference rooms were teeming with exhibitors, artists, vendors, marketers, and fans.

The convention, spread across four days at the San Diego Convention Center consisting of seminars, panels, workshops, autograph signings and other events related to what are known as the popular arts.

With so many events going on at once, throngs of people cram the halls and ballrooms. And with next yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s convention looking be the same thing, only bigger, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too early to get a jump on Comic-Con or any other convention for that matter.

Here are some great survival tips for your next convention outing sure to make it more enjoyable than the last.

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Getting Prepared Plan Ahead

It doesn't have to be a 100% fool proof plan (because I'm positive there are bound to be a few last minute changes to any scheduled panel or autograph signature, no matter how hard the organizers work), but at least have a rough outline. The most cost-effective way to see it all is to get a multi-day pass so you have ample time throughout the entire convention to see everything and go back to revisit new discoveries.

Check for an online schedule and download or print a copy to keep on hand so you can make your plan of attack. Sometimes lines will fill up quickly for the most popular panels/ actors and it is a good idea to have a fall back option so you don't miss out.

Get There ASAP

You don't want to waste half of your first day waiting to get a badge, right? Well then get there early! See if the convention has any deal with the surrounding hotels and get a room so you can be there bright and early.

Transportation

Figure out how you’re going to get to the convention. If your driving each day be sure to check what kind of parking is available and if there is any public transportation available to the location. You don't want to get stuck paying $30 to park for a day or walking a few miles to reach the show floor.

One perk of getting a hotel room, besides getting to arrive early, is that parking is normally included and you find yourself close to the actual convention.

You may even save a few dollars over the cost of parking for multiple days.

Gear Up!

If you’re not wearing a costume, wear the most comfortable clothes you can. Wear comfortable shoes because you’ll be doing a lot of walking.

Bring supplies! A few bottles of water and any snacks you like can save your day. To get into panels and seminars, you’ll usually be waiting in lines, so staying in place and avoiding the convention center cafeteria food is a huge plus.

For your mobile devices, you’re not going to be able to rely on cellphone reception because there’s just too many people there, all with mobile devices just

like yours, so connections will be spotty.

If you can, bring extra batteries for digital cameras or laptops, or bring your wall charger. The convention center has power outlets available if you need a quick zap.

Bring a small backpack for your snacks and freebies - also, a lot of the booths hand out carry bags to put stuff in that you pick up for free or purchase.

Safety Pins, Fabric Glue, Scissors

If your coming to the convention in full costume, then these are the essential first-aid kit of a cosplayer, and you'll probably want to bring even more. Your costume is bound to ruin when you least expect it, so having your survival kit will always come in hand!

Groups Are Your Friends

Yes, a tad redundant...but still. Coming as a group has many benefits. If you register early, it may cost less in group, plus you can more easily rent out Hotel Rooms and also have people to look after you and vice-versa.

Things To Do Volunteer

Depending on what type of convention you are going to some are ran by a full staff and others look to volunteers to help make things run smoothly. If your interested you can check each conventions website for more info and you may also get a few freebies. Besides it can give you some time to rest between the big events.

Pre-Register For Next Year

On the last day, before the whole shebang ends, remember to check and see if you can pre-register for next year! This will save time later and could also save some money.

Compare Prices

You could just go and buy that huge Evil Dead Poster, or that exclusive DVD you've been looking for, or...you could compare prices! That same poster could be half a room away for half the price of the one you were looking at!

Take Part

Be sure to take part in everything the convention has to offer. Some offer dances, costume contests with cash prizes, meetups, movie screenings, and casual meet and greets with people you would normally never get the chance to get close to.

GEEKS GUIDE <<

Cosplay Tips Felt Is Bad

Sure, it may be cheap and fairly easy to use, but it tears in an instant and is oversaturated with color. Besides, costumes should look like normal clothes, not like you're straight out of the cartoon.

Strike A Pose

When getting asked to have your picture taken means a lot for both you and the photographer. If the character that you're cosplaying as has a famous stance or pose that he/she/it does, don't be shy and pose!

Pockets Are Your Friend

Plan for them. Especially if your character does not use a purse, bag, or other such item. Also decreases likelihood of becoming a victim of theft.

Have pockets wherever you can fit them: inside of cloaks, in/outside of coats, on pants, wherever. It just helps in general.

Ask Before Touching

Some people might see something fluffy, shiny, or well made and feel the urge to reach out and touch it. But please ASK before you touch. Some props can be very fragile and easily broken, and people might not want anyone other than themselves handling their props.

Plus it's simply the polite thing to do.

General Tips Watch Your Spending

As the days go on, you'll see and find things that you'll just go crazy for so make sure you don't waste all your money on the first day.

Make sure you have money stored away ONLY for emergency (i.e.: food, water, transportation, etc.). It will come in handy when you're in a pinch!

Cleanliness is Godliness

Don't just plan to take a Marine shower, I mean actually go wash up or at least go into a bathroom and wash your face.

With several thousand people there, I'm sure they'd all like to breathe.

Please, don't wear one thing all three days. If you have a costume pick a day to wear it or bring different ones for each day.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 23

>> FEATURE

E3 2012 ROUND-UP

E3 2012 offered lots of new games but one thing seemed to be missing, new hardware. >> For geeks with broad interests, there are three ultimate conventions held every year that are incredibly important. First, early in the year is the Consumer Electronics Show(CES) where electronics manufacturers come to debut new products and show off early concepts for future ideas. Next up we have the Electronic Entertainment Expo(E3). E3 is the one that Above: The entrance to the coveted E3 as seen right before opening day. gaming fans are always anxiously awaiting. All the big names in gaming hold on to all their big announcements until this expo. And lastly is the San Diego Comic Con(SDCC) where all the hottest movies, TV shows, and comics are presented to the masses waiting to get a glimpse at what comes next.

24 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

FEATURE <<

With the 2012 E3 show floor cleaned up and things packed away neatly for next year most are still trying to figure out what the big three have to brought to the table. Overall Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony did fairly little to impress people. A lot of fans were hoping for some kind of announcement about the next generation of consoles. While granted Nintendo did discuss their new console, the Wii U, it was basically an update because they had already made the debut announcement at last yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s E3. Sony and Microsoft were mute on any possible future hardware. The rumors circulating around the internet is that there will definitely be hardware announcements made next year.

Right: Lollipop Chainsaw had an interesting booth and booth babe to promote their game. Check out our review on page 28.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 25

>> FEATURE

Above: Assasin's Creed 3 is looking to be shaping into another Game of the Year contenter

With that bit of disappointing news out of the way it allows us to focus on the new games being debuted. Across multiple platforms trailers and gameplay for Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, Watch Dogs, Defiance,Tomb Raider, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, and Assassin's Creed 3. Personally from what I saw of the gameplay COD looks interesting with all the future technology they packed into the game but the graphics are looking no better than when the original Black Ops game released two years ago.

This game with mainly do well because of how well its predecessor has preformed and because of its multiplayer. Watch Dogs looks like an interesting new title with Enemy of the State undertones. Defiance is a MMO shooter that will have a tie-in tv show airing on SyFy, which I am glad to see developers expanding past the idea that stories have to be bound to medium.

Tomb Raider is getting a redo with a new game focusing on the origin story of Lara Croft and adding some intense survival aspects to the game as well. Splinter Cell looks like it will finally have me returning to the franchise after a long time. It seems to blend the stealth aspects with a good dose of run and gun tactics so that all that sneaking around doesn’t get too stale.

Assasins Creed 3 was everyone’s favorite title this year. From proving that it’s not 26 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

impossible to successfully revive what many thought was dying franchise, to all the video and actual playable gameplay available, AC3 is looking to be shaping into another Game of the Year contender.

While those may be the games that all people will have access to no matter if they own a PS3, XBox 360, or PC, Microsoft had a few titles to announce exclusively for their console. Their big names were all present with gameplay trailers from both Halo 4, Gears of War Judgement, and Forza Horizon.

Halo 4 seems to bring a new threat that is actually looks tough to beat, bringing back memories of the original Halo. Gears of War Judgement seems to be a story focusing on Baird in the days immediately following Emergence Day. Forza Horizon seems to filling the gaps that Burnout hasn’t been around to fill with what looks kind of arcade-like racer versus realism. While this may not be true, the trailers I have seen are what I base my assumptions off of. Besides new games, Microsoft is also bringing more sports to your Xbox. MLB.com, NHL.com and the NBA are all coming to your console in the near future along with ESPN so you can stay up to date on all things sports.

The Kinect got some love while showing off ways to use it in Madden NFL 13 and FIFA 13, which are two good games to

Above: Call of Duty Black Ops 2 looks to be an intense game sure to build on the great COD franchise.

Above: Splinter Cell Blacklist blends stealth aspects with a good dose of run and gun tactics.

Above: Watch Dogs looks to be a cybercrime version of Grand Theft Auto with you controlling the hacking.

FEATURE <<

SONY WONDERBOOK

Above: Microsoft and EA announced new additions to the Madden and FIFA franchises that will take advantage of Kinect making for a more involved game experience.

showcase reasons why I would use the Kinect. Microsoft also game out with a new idea called SmartGlass. Basically the idea is that all of our devices will be synced and work in unison with each other. An example would be watching a movie on our tablets, pausing, and then returning home where we would finish the movie on our Xbox. Also making new plays on the fly in Madden 13, and enhancing our tv watching experience with bonus info provided on our tablets. While some features are nice, I personally find it something that will get minimal use by the general masses, but I have been surprised before.

Nintendo had the most lackluster press conference out of the big three.

While they did have more information on their new console it wasn’t enough to impress. The conference was mainly spent showing ways to use the new Wii U controller in various games. Pikmin 3 and Scribblenauts Unlimited looked the most impressive but that was about it. Even with an extremely long name, New Super Mario Bros U looked solid and contained an interesting although unnecessary way to use the new Wii U controller to help other people play the game. Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition didn’t look entirely horrible, although not great, with the ability to use the second screen on the Wii U controller basically as inventory manager.

Luigi’s Ghost Mansion was back but nothing seemed to stand out to me about it. They of course showcased Wii Fit and how the Wii U controller would have an impact on it, which was miniscule in my opinion.

Although it did allow the one feature of the Wii U controller to shine. It showed how even while someone is watching tv, you could be using the Wii Fit and Wii U controller at the same time because of the second screen on the controller. I hope this feature works for all the games, allowing people to play full console games on the second screen would be great for when a

whole family’s interests are divided. Other than that, I think the Wii U might just be the start of a decline for the giant Nintendo.

Sony seemed to wow the most people with their press conference. Their biggest focus was on single platform games and a new idea called Wonderbook. First the games. Playstation mainstay franchise God of War was represented with a new entry, GoW: Ascension. Not sure what the storyline consists of but it certainly showed off some impressive fights in the few moments that it was on screen. Also Naughty Dog, the guys behind the Uncharted series, were on hand to present a new post-apocalyptic game centered around a guy and young girl trying to survive. Heavy Rain’s developer, Quantic Dream, were not without their own title to show off this year. Beyond: Two Souls is a new game focusing on one woman’s life across a 15 year time span while she seems to have some kind of connection with some sort of entity. Since Sony is so focused on finding games that are only playable on their system they doled out a slew of enticing features to bring people to their console. The most stand out feature that I noticed was that for PSN Premium subscribers there would be free games available to download including Infamous 2, Little Big Planet 2, and Saints Row 2.

While we will have to settle with merely new titles to be the most exciting part of this E3, I am still excited. The games all

Finally I get to what Sony spent the most time presenting during their press conference, the Wonderbook. It seems to be another peripheral that will work in unison with the Move controller. The idea is that when you open the book, on your screen it will come alive much like a pop up book but with actual functionality. The first book being presented, The Book of Spells, is in partnership with J.K. Rowling with focus on the world she created for Harry Potter. I will say I was very impressed with the way things would pop up out of the book, interact with you on the screen and get you involved with the book. I see this as having potential in all sorts of fields. I don’t see it helping kids reading, quite the opposite really, but more so as an interactive teaching tool. Creating interactive Wonderbooks with focuses on math, science and especially history could be extremely helpful. I tip my hat to Sony for showing us that innovation is not dead yet. look excellent and seem to showcase how awesome it is to be a gamer right now.

They also hint at good things to come in future years as some of these developers are still fledgling companies not in their prime yet. With Nintendo taking care of the “casual” gamers, Sony the “serious” gamers, and Microsoft becoming the hub for all forms of entertainment, there is something for everyone. I covered only a fraction of the stuff that was discussed at this years E3 and I highly recommend you go online and discover for yourself what all was unleashed. Detz All Folks!!

The Wii U controller playing a game of mario on its touch screen.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 27

REVIEW Lollipop chainsaw

ps3, Xbox 360

Lollipop Chainsaw

CAN A SEXY HEROINE AND CAMPY GORE MAKE THIS ZOMBIE SLASHER STAND OUT?

Game Info: Format: PS3 / Xbox 360 Developer: Grasshopper Manufacture Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment Price: $49.99 Release Date: Out Now No. Players: 1

Some games are epic in scale and graphic quality. Some try to introduce a new gimmick or playing style. Of course some are rehashes of previous titles but then there are games that are made just to be just pure silly fun. The best recent example would be Dead Rising, which while initially poorly received by critics it went on to gain a sort of cult status for its freedom to create crazy weaponry and ability to slay hundreds of the undead with aforementioned weapons.

That kind of crazy and fun gameplay is what Lollipop Chainsaw aimed for.

Lollipop Chainsaw begins with little backstory other than our antagonist, Juliet Starling, is a zombie hunter along with the rest of her family with whom she trains. She is late on her way to meet her boyfriend, Nick Carlyle, and runs into zombies along the way during a prologue training level. In a misguided attempt to safe Julietâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s life, Nick gets bitten and begins to turn. Juliet, being the undead slayer

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that she is, uses some magic while cutting off Nickâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head allowing him to retain his humanity even if it is only from the neck up.

Thus the game really begins. Juliet runs into her school amidst the zombie breakout, encountering all types from normal shamblers, to runners, to mini bosses. While trying to figure why this has happened she encounters moments allowing her to save civilians and classmates, which if successful grant her

juliet is on the hunt trying to save herself and others along the way

Juliet places a perfect blow turning another zombie into a mess of goo and rainbow stars.

bonus zombie medals(form of coins to buy upgrades). If she fails however the victim turns into a slightly more powerful zombie which can make an already bad situation much worse. There are plenty of quick-time events included as well.

They are fairly well spread apart but at times it does seem quite repetitive.

Did I mention she does all this zombie slaying while wielding a large colorful chainsaw? Sorry I left that out but this is where the campiness and silliness really take hold. With Juliet’s basic attack she swings her chainsaw around slicing away. Each swing of the chainsaw brings forth some blood but upon successfully detaching a zombie’s head from its body, rainbows and stars spring forth along with sparkly music. Later in the game you will encounter her eccentric family who give her upgrades to her chainsaw to turn it into a gun of sorts and even the ability use it to accelerate yourself to high speeds while plowing through zombie.

Most zombies take a few hits to finally decapitate so it becomes extremely useful

to use her second attack which is to use her pom-poms and knock them around a little to put them in a daze, making beheading them much easier. It also allows you to herd multiple zombies together, and stun them allowing you to “sparkle hunt”, which is the process of chopping off the heads of multiple zombies in swing. This earns you some major zombie medals as well as some rare platinum medals which allow you to buy costumes, art, and in-game music.

Don’t forget about Nick though. He provides color commentary while being hooked to Juliet’s waist and bounces around giving you his perspective of what it’s like to be bodiless. You can also use him when you get in a pinch. At shops located randomly throughout the levels you can buy Nick Cards which allow you to kick his head at zombies to stun them along with several other Nick attacks. You can also put Nick’s disembodied head onto a headless body which begins a quicktime event allowing you to carry heavy items or destroy obstacles in your way.

As juliet's chainsaw upgrades over time so does the abilities it has to unleash even more sparkle power.

Overall the gameplay is fairly solid.

Controls are well designed, graphics are not top-notch but I also didn’t expect them to be. The story is fairly standard, with very few twists. I found the game to be a little too on-the-rails for my tastes. Especially one that is so goofy and absurd you just want to do more crazy stuff. While it is a fairly mediocre game it does do a good job of pacing the story and spreading out the new upgrades and abilities so just as you’re starting to feel a little underpowered, you can get back on a level playing field. Putting Juliet in different crazy situations also adds to the fun. Most of the laugh out loud moments involve Nick’s commentary and interacting with her quirky family. Adding to the laughs are the myriad of zombies that she encounters. They are usually designed to fit a specific theme depending on who the boss zombie is of that level allowing for some unusually dressed zombies with abilities you don’t see with your normal walking dead. The game does end fairly quickly though. You can go back to each level and try to get a higher score.

After that you can submit it to the online leaderboard and attempt to be top slayer in each level. I find this feature fun to an extent because it is just an obvious rehash to play the same level over again. While it was fun and silly I recommend this one for rental, co-buying, or waiting a few months.

Lollipop Chainsaw starts out revving it up, but by the end it just runs out of gas.

By: James Detzler

RATING

75%

Just like the title implies, it's sweet and gory but unfortunately once the pop is gone so is the fun.

Pros: The crazy antics and varied game play make this an interesting title. Plus you get to slay zombies with a giant chainsaw, enough said.

Cons: The graphics while not horrible are lackluster. Some elements get a little tiresome and replay value is very low.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 29

Guest Writer The Analytical Couch Potato

Video Games

THE NEW AGE OF VIDEOGAMES With Jason West and Vincent Zampella

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In March of 2010, Activision went shady corporation and lopped off the head of the Infinity Ward when they fired Jason West and Vincent Zampella, the creators of the well-known Call of Duty franchise.

On Thursday, May 31st, after two years of litigation and counter-litigation, West and Zampella settled with Activision, ultimately making history in the video game industry.

The full effect of this lawsuit remains to be seen, but it is not unike the cases made against movie studios as a result of the Sherman Antitrust Act in the early 40s. More video game developers and creators may end up with more artistic control over their games rather than remaining nameless and beholden to the whims of big-name publishers. West and Zampella’s case is the beginning of a change of attitudes towards the people who actually create videogames, and has uncanny parallels with the history of film.

When Activision first fired West and Zampella, they sued, accusing their former employers of wrongful dismissal.

They claimed that Activision fired them in order to withhold their fair share of the loot picked up from Call of Duty’s monumental success. After leaving, West and Zampella started a new game studio, Respawn, and signed on with Electronic Arts to publish their games. This is when Activision countersued, and things really started to heat up. Thirty eight of the forty-plus employees who left Activision in response to West and Zampella’s dismissal joined the fray, saying they were denied their rightful compensation as well.

Ultimately, this case boils down to artists wanting their fair compensation from the publishers that distribute the games they create. West and Zampella have won a battle for the recognition of artists. This victory could lead to a paradigm shift similar to what film making went through after WWII. To understand the full meaning of this, we first need to understand the Golden Age of Hollywood as it compares to filmmaking now, as well as how the video game industry works and how it could work in the future.

From the early 1900s to the late 1930s, Hollywood was dominated by the major studios, namely the “big five,” MGM, Paramount, RKO, Warner Brothers, and 20th Century Fox. These studios owned the theaters and had artists, directors, producers, and everyone involved in the massive work of collaboration that makes

up a movie on salary, as well as complete control over the movies they released.

Movies made by any of these studios during this era were clearly identifiable, most obviously by the actors the studios effectively owned.

This began to change in the late 30s with the Anti-trust Act in '38, but it wasn’t until after World War II that Hollywood really had to change the way it operated.

To make a long story short, studios were fragmented and could no longer have control over every level of filmmaking and distribution. As a result, studios, while they still rake in the dough, have to share much more of their profits with each stage of film development. Additionally, this is why the aesthetic choices of a movie are more connected to a writer and/or director rather than a studio; if it’s got Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter in it, you know it’s a Tim Burton movie, whether it’s through Warner Brothers, Disney, Touchstone or what have you. The point is that the creative control is, for better or for worse, in the hands of the creator rather than the studio that has him or her on contract.

Independent games aside, the video game industry, possibly up until now, works in an arguably similar way. Large corporations like EA, Activision, Blizzard, Nintendo, and Sony own creative control over the games they release. If the West and Zampella vs. Activision case turns out anything like the case against movie studios, we may end up seeing more games attached to people’s names rather than to the publishers who release them. This could ultimately change the way gaming culture works, not only for artists, but for the gamers that consume their art.

The obvious advantage here is that everyone who actually creates games will be getting the compensation they deserve for their creation, rather than the bulk of the money going to publishers that just make it accessible. It goes much further than that, however, as this could be the step to bring consumers closer to the creators. Video game franchises will have

an artistic direction guided by individuals that fans can follow more closely than they could a faceless studio. Game creators and their production companies could be more free to branch out and try new things, or have a stronger connection to a fanbase to meet their demands.

Imagine being able to be a fan of an individual director, rather than, say, Blizzard.

When the next Starcraft expansion is released, there’s a face to go along with it, rather than a logo. These are already trends we see with independent game developers like Notch with Minecraft; just imagining how the community would grow if more of the industry were like that opens up some exciting avenues. Granted, it also allows the unfortunate possibility of an M. Night Shamalamadingdong of video games, and individuals are just as capable of taking credit from others as corporations, but I’d prefer to be disappointed by an ego rather than by games being dumbed down for mass consumption.

Marten Dollinger, the Movies Section Editor of the ACP, is a Film Maker and Light-weight Educator in Cleveland, Ohio. At some point, he'd like to work in television, but for now is content living a neo-bohemian lifestyle in Lakewood, somehow finding time to Write, Direct, and Edit for Shoot It Already Films while working a full time job for Americorps. He developed his love of film as well as his writing abilities at the College of Wooster where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theater with a Minor in Philosophy and served as Arts and Entertainment Editor for the Wooster Voice.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 31

REVIEW

WNTTAK

INDIE

We Need to Talk About Kevin

A SUSPENSEFUL, YET UNSETTLING LOOK AT HOW ONE MOTHER DEALS WITH THE ACTIONS OF HER SON movie Info: Production year: 2011 Rated: R Runtime: 112 mins Director: Lynne Ramsay Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller Based On:

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Please, sit down. Listen, we need to talk... We need to talk about We Need to Talk About Kevin. It’s been a while since a film has made me feel uneasy. Usually when someone talks about a film that is unsettling, some of the first ones to come up are Irreversible and Salo. I disagree. I have sat through both a number of times and never once had an uncomfortable feeling in my gut... Well, except that one time I watched Salo with my girlfriend and we ate a bag of popcorn that was out of date, but that doesn’t count here.

Tilda Swinton’s performance is stellar. She doesn’t say much throughout the film, but she doesn’t have to. Her body language and

Above: Tilda Swinton and her outstanding body language portrayed more information during the movie that her lines.

Above: Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller, as Kevin, in a scene discussing some of Kevin's recent actions.

her facial expressions tell it all. She’s tired, hopeful, distraught, mesmerized, broken.

She plays a mother who from day one is burdened with a troublesome, monstrous first-born child, Kevin and the consequences that comes from his malevolent actions.

Kevin is played by both Jasper Newell and Ezra Miller, both of whom set the tone for this story. Ezra Miller plays the teenage Kevin and does a remarkable job and making you want to hate him. Jasper Newell who plays 8 year old Kevin, is equally as haunting. The heinousness of this character, especially at this age, is crucial. The fact that Newell was able to pull off the role perfectly makes me both hopeful for his young acting career and a little troubled by the fact that he had to pull inspiration from somewhere.

The novel from which it was based from has a little different feel to it than the film.

The novel is written as a collection of letters as where the adaptation of it criss-crosses from the present, the past and glimpses of the future. It’s by doing this that you know something is wrong, something bad is going to happen and you don’t know what just yet. It leaves you somewhat nervous and full of anticipation. And I for one enjoy it.

Above: Tilda Swinton and John C Riley star as Kevins parents who try to convince each other that he is just a normal boy.

I won’t spoil the climax for you, but something extremely similar happened in my life and maybe that’s why this film resonated so profoundly with me.

This is a must watch, but not necessarily must own film for me. It’s not a date movie, unless your boyfriend or girlfriend is completely awesome, in which case, go out and pick up for tonight.

By: Shea Kimbrough

RATING

A must watch, but not necessarily a must own.

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REVIEW

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Movie

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter SOMETIMES THE ONLY WAY HISTORY CAN GET ANY BETTER IS TO ADD A FEW VAMPIRES Most of us have had our fill of sparkling vampires and angst-filled teenagers both on the silver screen and on tv sets. Last year’s remedy was a remake of Fright Night which I feel was sorely overlooked by nearly everyone. This year Timur Bekmambetov tackled the directing of Seth Grahame-Smith’s adaptation of his own novel, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Grahame-Smith is well known for his interesting spins on famous literary works, adding zombies to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, retelling the birth of Jesus Christ in Unholy Night. I am glad Timur finally gets a film he is interested in, instead of just snatching up the chance to work with Angelina Jolie like he did is Wanted. You will definitely see his ability to do action scenes shine in Vampire Hunter as well as his attention to detail.

With those two being the creative minds behind this film you already know you are going to be in for a treat. Throw in Rufus Sewell as the penultimate vampire Adam and Dominic Cooper as rebelling vampire Henry Strugess who teaches fairly unknown Benjamin Walker’s Abe Lincoln how to slay the bloodsucking undead, and this movie just ratcheted up to another level of excitability. The story does a good job basing the story around actual events that were happening and even giving a conspiracy theory reason as to why certain things happened. Very fun to experience all my childhood history lessons over again from a completely different perspective.

The acting was certainly good but the cinematography was also awesome. Just watching some of the angles that scenes were shot, and the way time was slowed at certain moments was incredible. The colors that were present also set a very dark mood at times, and at other times

movie Info: Production year: 2011 Rated: R Runtime: 112 mins Director: Lynne Ramsay Cast: Tilda Swinton, John C. Reilly and Ezra Miller Based On:

We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

added excitement to particular action scenes. Timur’s attention to detail is certainly present, even in the way that he sets up the bait for sucker punch of a surprise near the end of the film.

I myself may have not read the book that this film is based on but I have heard that there are some scenes clearly added.

Especially ones that important to the movie but have nothing to do with the book at all. I have also ascertained that the book is much duller than this roller coaster of a film.

I really don’t think it is something people should have an issue with unless you are a stickler for faithfulness to source material.

It was a well-paced movie that did a good job of telling its fun story while also keeping people on the edge of their seats.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone who wants to see a awesome action movie that doesn’t require explosions. Also to those who love to see original ideas.

Something which Hollywood seems to be sorely lacking in here lately. The 3D had it’s fun moments but it certainly is not a requirement when you go and see this movie. Go enjoy, then come back and tell me your opinions. I would certainly love to chat more about this movie with people. It’s just that fun of a movie. Detz All Folks!!

By: James Detzler

RATING

This is one film you won't mind taking a bite of.

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 33

REVIEW

Prometheus

Movie

Prometheus

RIDLEY SCOTT'S NEWEST EDITION TO THE ALIEN FRANCHISE TRIES TO NOT BE ANOTHER PREQUEL

movie Info: Production year: 2012 Rated: R Runtime: 124 mins Director: Ridley Scott Cast: Noomi Rapace, Michael Fassbender, Guy Pearce, Idris Elba, Logan Marshall-Green, Charlize Theron

Quite easily this was one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Largely due to the huge amount of press it has received since the beginning of the year. That is not necessarily a good thing. Building up a movie to a certain expectation makes it really hard for it to attain your lofty goals. Sadly this was the case for Prometheus. While nothing made the movie unwatchable, there were many moments where I was left scratching my head. I was expecting more from Ridley Scott, seeing as he took his baby back to give what everyone was hoping would be a proper prequel.

Once again this may have been due to my high expectations.

Even though I had set this movie on a pedestal before my first viewing, it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t excuse how wishy-washy some characters were. I can forgive the fact that any real scientific team

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would never take their helmet off on a foreign planet, even though the air was considered breathable. I can even forgive that no team would ever be assembled without them properly briefed before their departure.

What I found the most irritating was seeing characters act a particular way, and then turn around and act nearly the complete opposite as before. The geologist/cartographer, who was the one doing the mapping gets lost??

The wuss biologist would not examine the dead alien body and decided to leave with the geologist. When they end up stuck and encounter a slithering white serpent-like

creature swimming in black goo, guess whoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s getting really close trying to pet it. Yeah the wuss biologist somehow grew some balls in the

process of getting lost. Even the main guy, the boyfriend to Noomi Rapace’s character, went from an excited explorer to and sullen drunk. He sort of had his reasons, but nothing to cause such a drastic change.

Character development was not this movies’ only weak point. A potentially amazing surprise was ruined twenty minutes before it was revealed. I really believe you would have to have been away to the restroom for you not to catch

Above: Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi Rapace), David (Michael Fassbender), and Charlie Holloway (Logan MarshallGreen) investigate an ancient discovery.

this glaring giveaway. When the ultimate confrontation happened I was asking myself why didn’t they just send the android to make sure everything went okay instead of risking everyone’s life. Also if you remember watching the original Alien movie there is pretty decent sized plot hole that carries over between the two films. Nothing that ruins anything per se, but when the director of the prequel is also the creator of the original source material you would hope he would remember such fairly obvious points.

The movie was not as bad as I make it out to be. It was a very enjoyable movie to see. It was incredibly pretty. The set pieces were beautiful and everything was done on such a grand scale.

Ridley didn’t treat his viewers as little kids, spelling every little thing out for them. He deftly conveyed thoughts and ideas without the need to dumb them down. This allows our brains some activity during and even after the movie. Noomi

Above: Elizabeth (Noomi Rapace), gears up for a battle with one of the Aliens.

Rapace’s character, Elizabeth Shaw, was one of the most consistent and definitely felt she was very strongwilled much like Ripley was in all the previous Alien canon movies.

Overall you shouldn’t be disappointed plopping down some cash to go see this on the big screen.

Seeing it in 3D is not a requirement in my opinion. Unless you feel your eyes are more accustomed to seeing the extra-dimension, I would recommend saving a little green at least. It certainly was an amazing adventure to watch and you will most likely be left with more questions than answers but I guess that’s why it was clearly set up to have a sequel. Hopefully both movies together will make for a more satisfying experience. Detz All Folks!

By: james detzler

RATING

The only discovery you'll make is that this film did not live up to its hype.

The thing this movie had going for it was its beautiful and grand sets.

Left: Charlize Theron as Meredith Vickers

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 35

>> BOOK REVIEW

ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME THE REDSHIRTS CATCH A BEAK? John Scalzi's latest novel puts a twist on the old notion that all redshirts are expedible.

The title of John Scalzi's new novel, Redshirts', is as irresistible as the premise. For those not familiar with the term 'redshirt' the first chapter serves as a quick introduction. On his first away mission, a young ensign is unprepared and overwhelmed. Trapped on a rock and surrounded by 'landworms', he fires into the dirt, driving the voracious predators into a frenzy and then decides to make a break for it. He is devoured before he reaches the tunnel entrance, of course. The captain utters a few words of commiseration but the reader gets the sense the situation is all too familiar. The loss of a low-ranked crew member, new and untried, barely mars the mission. A redshirt ensign is expendable.

Redshirts changes gear a couple of times.

As it opened, I thought I was reading a very thinly veiled Star Trek parody, something akin to Galaxy Quest and I was almost right: that film still centers on the main protagonists, while Redshirts focuses on minor characters. Star Trek: The Next Generation did the same with the episode "The Lower Decks". This part worked well for me, and I would have been happy for the novel to continue in this way.

However, Redshirts changes course when a handful of new ensigns quickly pick up the fact something is amiss. Every away mission led by certain crew members ends in disaster...for someone else. The captain always survives, as does his chief science officer, Q'eeng. Lieutenant Kerensky is less fortunate, he is often injured, yet always recovers. The crew of the Universal Union Capitol Ship 'Intrepid' scatter when the captain approaches or an away mission is planned. When picked for a mission, they bid tearful goodbyes to friends and then bicker amongst themselves over laws of averages and then they die. The new ensigns, led by Andy Dahl start their own hunt for answers and are surprised at what they discover.

In Science Fiction, all is rarely as it seems.

In 'Redshirts', it's just really twisted. The loss of low-ranked crew members is not entirely due to incompetence, nor is it merely

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coincidence. Some other factor is in play and once it is proposed, it makes a horrible kind of sense.

Even the crew members who chose not to believe the explanation find it difficult not to be affected by it the very idea of it.

Redshirts certainly starts out as an interesting read, but along the way one could easily become confused by the way all the characters in your head will start to sound exactly the same and every single line of dialogue is attributed, even during long, quippy back-and-forths, causing for some rough reading.

I will admit that I did find myself laughing out loud at parts of this book. Despite the high body count I often found myself with a smile on my face, especially when the witty banter between fellow redshirts culminated in a what seemed to resemble Treckies trying to argue who was better, Kirk or Picard. In fact, for me, most of its laurels rest on the fact that it is a comedic book for geeks who have seen a few too many episodes of Star Trek.

This entire story is cemented around one concept which is innately full of humor, and for the most part, manages to carry the novel â&#x20AC;&#x201C; even as the story takes a very strange, unexpected turn and becomes a very meta-packed, philosophical story .

The characters are quite enjoyable, as is the plot. The writing is decent enough, although it was a bit disjointed and could have used some polish. It came off a bit dry, to be honest. Unbelievable. The transitions are awkward and the characters, while enjoyable as I said, do not have much substance. The ending, as well, left me wanting more, but the laughter from the

earlier parts made up for some of the slow parts. The real story seemed to skip along too quickly and the Codas at the end feel like an attempt to complete the story as it should have been without going back and taking the time to rewrite key parts.

REDSHIRTS will appeal mostly to us geeks and nerds who are familiar with science fiction television. If you are not a geek, then a lot of the nuances will go right past you.

Unfortunately you must be prepared for dry story to get to the buckets of laughs.

VERDICT: REDSHIRTS is one of those ultimate geek novels. While extremely humorous it can be bogged down by a rather dry writing style. It wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy science fiction, this is one enjoyable read.

By: Jason Carrick

Wrestling <<

WRESTLING GEEK:

BREAKING KAYFABE Dave Wonders Which Era Do You Prefer, Attitude or PG?

I don’t know about you but I have been watching wrestling for over 30 years. I’ve seen it all. I’ve seen Bulldog Bob Brown bite people on the nose, I’ve seen The Undertaker throw Mankind off the top of Hell In A Cell, I’ve seen the Von Erichs wrestle matches to perfection, I’ve seen Mae Young’s “puppies” YUCK!…..you get the idea. Here within the last 5 years the wrestling fan has seen things change from the Attitude era to the PG era. So I ask you, the wrestling fan, what do you prefer?

This month we will go over the pros and cons and try to come up with an answer.

When I was a kid I can remember watching WWF wrestling and watching the British Bulldogs mascot Matilda being “kidnapped”. When Davey Boy and the Dynamite Kid got her back she was “sick”.

Later on one of the commentators gave an address to send get well cards to her. Well, I’m not ashamed to say it, I sent one to her.

I don’t know if it did any good, but I did it. I also remember ALWAYS cheering for Hulk Hogan because he was the typical good guy. Everyone cheered for him --- except my friend Randy Murray. He was a Ric Flair guy all the way. WHOOOOOOOOO! Anyway my point is that when you are a child watching wrestling it affects you a different way than when you are an adult.

The characters that were gracing the TV set during those day were larger than life characters: Doink the Clown, Kamala, Tatanka, IRS, the One Man Gang, the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, and the Ultimate Warrior. There were only good guys and bad guys. For the most part if you were a bad guy you would stay a bad guy and the same can be said for a good guy as well.

There wasn’t a lot of changing back and forth back in the day. Back then 2 big name wrestlers NEVER wrestled one another. The big name wrestler would always wrestle what they would call a “jobber” to guarantee them a victory. It was very PG oriented.

There were no swear words, no scantily clad ladies, and hardly ever any blood shown.

It was a safe environment for a child and looking back it was EXTREMELY BORING!

VS Now let’s fast forward to the Attitude Era. The Attitude Era was fabricated by the mind of Vincent Kennedy McMahon to help him in the war against his bitter rival WCW. Mr. McMahon was losing viewers to WCW so he had to figure out a way to bring the people back. What better way to do that than push the envelope. The language got a little racier. Women started wearing less and less to the ring. It seemed like every match would have a wrestler practically bleed out during it. Storylines would be very similar to what you were reading about in everyday life. It was exciting.

Wrestling fans had never seen anything like this before. Just when you think that you saw the most amazing thing, the next week they would top it. With wrestlers like the Outsiders, D-Generation X, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Hollywood Hulk Hogan (Oh my God, he turned bad!), and the Devil Worshipping Undertaker the sky was the limit. But like everything else…..what goes up must come down. Fans started to become numb to the surprises that were in store that evening. They had seen it all before. So what’s the next step? Perhaps revert back to the PG era? I can definitely tell you that the Attitude Era was NOT kid friendly. It was designed more for adults.

So the question is: Which era is better?

The PG era or the Attitude era? I suppose

it’s a matter of opinion. My opinion is that the WWE is geared toward the PG era because the wife of Mr. McMahon, Linda, is currently running for Congress and needs to have a squeaky-clean image. Impact Wrestling is more Attitude era because they are trying to draw viewers to their particular show. So is there a right or wrong? I don’t think so. You will have people that want to PG stuff so that they can watch it with their children but you will have fans that don’t have children that are tired of watching predictable good guys versus bad guys.

You will have people that want the Attitude era stuff to be surprised, shocked, and entertained to the highest level. Even if that includes seeing things that no child should see. It sounds like this is a question for the ages: PG or Attitude? I suppose the answer is both. There is a market for both of them so just watch what you want to watch.

Thanks again for reading Breaking Kayfabe. We here at Day Old Stubble greatly appreciate your support. Next month join us here where we discuss some of the greatest characters to ever lace them up in the squared circle. Whatcha gonna do brother when the 42” mullet runs wild on you!

See you in 30!

By: dave norton

July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 37

>> MAC N CHEESE

MAC N CHEESE BREAK WHY DO WE HAVE A RATING SYSTEM IF NO ONE PAYS ATTENTION?

I am not a person who gets angry or even annoyed very easily. I won’t bore you with the cliche of examples proving how I am the most relaxing guy you’ll ever meet until you piss me off scenarios.

Mainly because even when I do get upset I don’t do anything about it. I normally walk away or bottle things up. Sometimes I just need to vent though.

It’s not some big elaborate story about how I came annoyed. It’s simple. I went to my local movie theater on the Friday that Ted was released to see how well Seth MacFarlane did. Side note: Movie review coming for that soon, I swear. I arrived a little later than I prefer so while I don’t mind sitting in the first two rows they are not in my optimized seating area that I usually try to snag. As I sit down I notice a few people in the first row to my right. At first I didn’t pay a whole lot of attention but then I became aware that of the four of them two of them were children. I am not talking about teenagers either. I would put the oldest boy a couple years shy of becoming a teen and his younger brother a few years younger than that. It just shocked me to see such young children in a movie that was not advertised, at least in any trailer that I saw, as a childrens movie. It was clearly defined as an anti-child movie.

Sure it had a cute, cuddly teddy bear as one of the main characters, but he was no Teddy Ruxpin.

Unless someone had programmed theirs to drink beer, smoke pot, and curse worse than a sailor, there was no reason a child should have been exposed to such a warped “child’s” toy. I just couldn’t help but think about how everyone complains about how children have no manners nowadays and how they never acted that way as a child. I am normally against such lump accusations but if this is what children are being exposed to then I am not entirely sure people are far off in their assumptions.

It was those children’s parents who should have had the sense to not take their children to see that movie. Sure maybe you really wanted to see it and couldn’t get a babysitter. I don’t care. Making sacrifices for your children’s well-being, both physically and mentally, is what being a parent is all about. If it was simply a matter that these parents didn’t care that their children had to experience such vulgar language, drugs, and nudity, then shame on them twice. I have no sympathy for parents who treat their child’s mind so flippantly only to complain about how snotty and disrespectful they are down the road.

So yes, I am irritated. I have no children of my own. I do have three nephews, and two nieces and I would never even consider that possibility of bringing them to such an adult movie. I know myself there are movies that they have seen that I would certainly have thought twice about before letting them seeing.

Maybe i am a bit overprotective. Sure, I think my parents went a little too far in the opposite direction as I was growing up. I didn’t see my first PG-13 movie until I was 12 and it was Jurassic Park. After that, I had to wait until I was 13 before my next one. That’s a whole other story and certainly no where in the realm of taking an 8 and 10 year old to see an R rated movie. Please parent’s be smart about these things. It may seem like no damage is done right now but you never know how it will affect them later on.

Detz All Folks!!

-James Detzler

Deputy Editor

38 | DayOldStubble | July 2012

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July 2012 | DayOldStubble | 39

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