Issue 8: October 2012 | Halloween Geektacular

DayOldStubble the Magazine

NEWS & REVIEWS FOR THE REFINED GEEK

ISSUE 8 / $9.00 | www.dayoldstubble.com

Zach Thomas INTERVIEW Trepidation Comics Founder Talks About His Latest Creation

SHEA'S ADVENTURES AT WIZARD WORLD

Shea Talks About His First Big Convention

GEEK'S GUIDE: 2012 Election We Cover The Topics Important To Geeks

SHANE DAVIS Rapid Fire We Asked Shane Davis A Few Questions

Dead Weight Review Should This Independent Film Be Added To Your Collection?

Contamination: A Convention Story A Convention Documentary That Is For The Geeks

HIGHLIGHTS:

D12 Academy, Bugger Off, Dave's Toy Chest, The Booby Hatch, GenCon 2012, Movie Reviews and more...

Ever watch a movie and ask yourself “WTH did I just watch?” Maybe you have played a game that you couldn’t stop playing for hours on end. Or maybe you love to speculate on what is going to happen in the next issue of your favorite comic. If you do any of this or have strong opinions about anything geek related write us a review, rant on about your new addiction, geek out about the latest thing. Whatever you write we want it. We’re not all Hulks and we would love to have help shouldering this heavy load. Even if you write to us only one time, for that issue you just freed up more time for us to bring you a better magazine experience. So send us your musings or we will even take your questions. We do have an inbox to fill and every month we give away a cool prize to a random person who sends us in a question. We look forward to hearing from you and keep in touch. We like being touched.....

DayOldStubble

from the Editor...

Due to an unforseen event here at the sprawling campus of DayOldStubble the current issue you hold in your hands is more than just a tad late. I personally want to apologize for that and have taken the steps to right the ship so this does not happen in the future.

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

We know we have a great magazine and have some of the best writers we can get working each month to bring you, our dedicated readers, the best possible magazine.

Even during our down time we were still continuing to grow. This month you can read about GenCon 2012 from our newest writer Sara Goodwin. Be sure to look for new articles from 2 more writers set to join us for Issue 9.

CONTRIBUTORS Aaron Dekuiper/ Dave Norton / Shea Kimbrough

We did have a great time at Wizard World Chicago and we are looking forward to it again next year. If you want to see some of the highlights from 2012 we have all of our pictures online and videos of from the panels on our YouTube page at www.youtube.com/ DayOldStubble. This issue features a few of the people we met at the show and will feature even more next time. So if we talked to you and you don't see a mention, don't worry it will be in for Issue 9.

THE ANALYTICAL COUCH POTATO Guest Writer / Marten Dollinger All rights reserved www.theanalyticalcouchpotato.com ADVERTISING Advertising Director / James Detzler T: (978) 432-9653 E: ads@dayoldstubble.com PRESS & MARKETING Marketing Director / James Detzler T: (978) 432-9653 E: press@dayoldstubble.com

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.

LETTERS & QUESTIONS PR Director / Jason Carrick T: (978) 432-9653 E: info@dayoldstubble.com

Jason Carrick

INTERNATIONAL DayOldStubble is available for licensing.

Contact the international department to discuss partnership opportunities.

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.

This magazine is fully independent and not affiliated in any way with the companies mentioned herein.

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 "She wasn't that gross, all right.

Maybe if you lowered your standards a bit you'd get laid more."

>>Have your say about anything geek @ www.dayoldstubble.com and you could be featured in the magazine << Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 3

Contents >> 6

INBOX

34 ENTERTAINMENT

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

34

Dead Weight

8

TECHNOLOGY

35

Contamination: A Convention Story

8

Window 8 Is Out

10

Ubuntu 12.10 Review

Should You Upgrade?

16 FEATURES

Indie DVD Review

Can You Go To A Convention And Still Stay Home?

36

Is It Better Than Windows 8?

Halloween (1978)

We Relook At A Classic Horror Film

13 Comics 13

DayOldStubble | Issue 8 | October 2012

14 DAVE'S TOY CHEST Dave goes over the DC Universe Classics Line

Rapid Fire With Shane

Q&A With Shane Davis

24 Conventions

38

Scarefest Central

Dave Gets Choked Up While At A Horror Convention

18 BUGGER OFF

Dave had the chance to interview Zach Thomas from Trepidation Comics

24 GenCon 2012

GenCon Isn't Just For Gamers, There Is Plenty For All Nerds

30 Video Games 30 32

Madden 13

EA Removes Some Popular Items

Pokemon Conquest

Pokemon Fails At History

39

Wrestling Geek

Dave Gets Close to Big Sexy

40 41

Mac N Cheese Break

Do You Know Halloween's Past

The Booby Hatch Exclusive Comic

Find This Ad And Win A $25 iTunes Gift Card 4 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

20 D12 ACADEMY

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

7

GOTTA HAVE

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

18

INTERVIEW

ZACH THOMAS

22 GEEKS GUIDE: 2012 ELECTION

26 WIZARD WORLD CHICAGO SHEA WRITES ABOUT HIS FIRST TIME Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 5

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

INBOX>>

IT’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

What about us horror Geeks ?

Tablet Upgrade Blues.

Charles Hollis

I recently upgraded to the new Nexus 7" tablet from one of those early unofficial Android tablets and am a bit confused as to how I get all my apps and setting onto my new tablet.

My friend has an iPad and everything is done through iTunes but Android has nothing like that. What do I do?

I really like the variety of “geekiness” in Day Old Stubble but where is the horror section? There are several people out there that enjoy horror movies and we think that there is a market for it in your magazine. What gives?

Funny you should ask. In this very issue that you hold in your mitts you will find an article written about none other than Jason Voorhees himself Kane Hodder. Enjoy Charles.

How can I get get my TV on the Internet?

Ben Lewis

@DayOldStubble

www.facebook.com/ TheDayOldStubble

Jim Grates

Well Jim, that is an excellent question. In short all your apps and most of your settings are kept with your Google account so simply logging into your new tablet with your Google ID will set things up similar to how you had. As far as Apps/Games go they will not be installed as you had them but you can go into the Google Play Store and see what apps you purchased and then reinstall each one you want. Regarding documents and files those you will need to manually copy over.

This is a good question Jim and we will go over it in more detail for our next issue due out on November 20th. Look for it then.

Thanks for giving us the smackdown.

How can I connect my home-theater set-up to the Internet? My TV is already connected to it but I want to connect a hard disk to the Net to download sitcoms, etc, and watch it on the TV at leisure. Ideally, I'd like to play all media from the hard disk wirelessly.

Stephen Harrison

You can not connect a regular hard disk to the Internet and download stuff to it directly. You will need an Internetenabled hard-disk (the media player ones), link it to a Wi-Fi and download a torrent app on it. Or if you have a wifi enabled external hard disk you can configure the torrent to be saved on it.

No thank you Stephen. We went to Kayfabe writer Dave Norton to let him know what you said. His reply: Have you ever had a dream where you see yourself standing in sort-of sun god robes on a pyramid with a thousand naked women screaming and throwing little pickles at you? No? Why am I the only one that ever has that dream?

6 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

I just wanted to pass on that I really enjoy reading your Breaking Kayfabe section. I’ve always enjoyed watching WWE, WCW, and TNA and your article helps keep me in the loop. Thanks.

101 Age of oldest Facebook reader.

According to reports, Florence Deltor of Menlo Park, California, is Facebook's oldest registered user. She was recently given a tour of Facebook headquarters at Silicon Valley, where she also met Mark Zuckerberg.

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

GIBBS Quad-Ski Amphibious ATV The GIBBS Quadski is finally about to become a commercially-available product. The amphibious vehicle can be driven like a regular 4WD quad while on land, but it draws in its wheels and becomes a Jet Ski-like contraption upon entering the water – all within five seconds.

The Quadski weighs 1,300 pounds (590 kg), has a 15-gallon (57-liter) fuel tank, and is powered by a 175-horsepower BMW Motorrad fourcylinder water-cooled engine – that engine also features electronic fuel injection, a doubleoverhead camshaft and dry-sump lubrication.

Both on land and water, the vehicle has a claimed top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). Users just drive it into the water, then press a button to pull in the wheels and enable its jet propulsion system. Upon returning to land, it is likewise a simple matter to deploy the wheels and switch back to driving mode. www.archos.com PRICE: $40,000

Dark Knight Returns Action Figure Box Set Frank Miller’s epic tale The Dark Knight Returns basically reinvented Batman back in the day. Now the tale is captured in 3D with this awesome Dark Knight Returns Action Figure Box Set. All of the major players are here: Batman, Robin, The Joker and Superman. Fans of Miller’s classic tale will want to get these quickly before they are gone. www.dccomics.com/collectibles PRICE: $59.95 RATING:

RATING:

Etón FRX3 The Etón FRX3 is a miniature generator. One minute of cranking the hand turbine creates wattage for a 30-second call on a USBconnected phone, 10 minutes of radio time, or 15 minutes of illumination from its builtin flashlight. There’s also a solar panel, an AC adapter, and battery backup. www.etoncorp.com PRICE: $60

RATING: Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 7

Should you upgrade to Windows 8?

>> Technology

Microsoft’s newest Operating System Windows 8 is finally out and many may be wondering if it is wise to upgrade. Not everyone is aware of the features and changes for Windows 8 so we are giving you a heads up of what to expect from the new OS, highlighting the top 5 reasons to upgrade and top 5 reasons why you should wait to help in your decision making.

5 Reasons to Upgrade to Windows 8 Really Quick Boot

It features a faster startup through a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI), which is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. Aside from that, it features the new “Hybrid Boot” mode which hibernates the Windows kernel on shutdown to speed up the subsequent boot.

Support for Touchscreens

If you do happen to have, or are planning to purchase, a touchscreen monitor, Windows 8 is made for it. With the large tile-based design rather than text menus, it’s easy to get to where you want to go.

Touchscreen LCD screens should drop in

8 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

price as the demand goes up, making them a more feasible option for most of us.

More Input/Output Support

Windows 8 has a native support for USB 3.0 devices, which allow for faster data transfers and improved power management with compatible devices, along with support for near field communication to facilitate sharing and communication between devices.

File Explorer

Windows Explorer, a file manager application and also a navigation tool, re-named as the File Explorer. It now features a ribbon in place of the command bar and the file operation dialogs have been updated to provide more detailed statistics, the ability to pause file transfers, and improvements in the ability to manage conflicts when copying files.

It also features a new “File History” function, which allows incremental revisions of files to be backed up to and restored from a secondary storage device, while Storage Spaces allows users to combine different sized hard disks into virtual drives and specify mirroring, parity, or no redundancy on a folder-by-folder basis.

Safety and Security

The lock screen of previous Windows versions would require a person to input an alphanumeric password in order to unlock it but Windows 8 features two new authentication methods, PIN and picture passwords, tailored towards touchscreens and the locked screen now features a clock and notifications.

Aside from the two new authentication methods, antivirus features have been added to Windows Defender, a product that prevents, removes, and quarantines spyware in Microsoft Windows.

Technology <<

SmartScreen, a phishing and malware filter introduced in previous Microsoft products such as Internet Explorer 8 and Hotmail, has also been added to Windows 8 to tighten security. And parents can now have Parental Controls via the integrated Family Safety software that allows parents to monitor and control their children’s activities on a device with activity reports and safety controls.

Very Inexpensive

Through January 2013, if you upgrade Windows 8 from Windows 7, Windows Vista or Windows XP, it’s $40. That’s definitely cheaper than past Windows upgrades and includes a free Windows Media Center add-on, making it dumb not to jump on the offer as soon as you can.

Reset and Refresh

Reinstalling Windows can be an arduous process before now. Windows 8 offers two one-click solutions:Reset and Refresh.

Reset removes everything from your PC and reinstalls Windows, basically restoring it to factory settings. Refresh keeps all your data, settings and apps, and reinstalls Windows on top of that. No more backing up and reinstalling apps whenever something breaks.

5 Reasons to not Upgrade to Windows 8 Not alot new for desktop PC users.

Most of the excitement -- for good or bad -- around Windows 8 is in the new

modern experience, which is sometimes known as Metro. The Metro interface is very touch-centric and is optimized for mobile devices like slates -- that's obvious from the iPad-like full screen app approach. So if you're a normal business user on a desktop or laptop, then you'll probably spend most of your time in the traditional desktop.

And there aren't many changes there.

Sure, there are a few, like the new ribbon on Explorer folders and enhanced multiple monitor support, but at the end of the day it's hardly worth the cost to upgrade.

Dramatic and confusing changes to the interface.

Business users in particular don't like change, and Microsoft has gone out of its way for 25 years to ensure lots of continuity with older versions of Windows.

In Windows 8, though, Redmond has thrown the baby out with the bathwater. The Start menu is gone and can't be restored, for example. Granted, the new modern Start Screen does more or less the same thing and doesn't take but moments to learn, but the fact remains that it's different and you'll need to learn it.

The operating system can be confusing.

Here's the biggest concern: You have both the traditional desktop and the new modern experience. They are different -- radically different -- and share the same operating system. Desktop apps don't run in the modern experience and modern apps don't run on the desktop.

With the new UI, common tasks are in

new places, and you'll have to figure out where they are now and how to perform them. Standard actions such as shutting down your PC now takes an extra step.

There’s a Windows App for that..

The good news is Windows has an app store. The bad news is that most of these apps are modernized and are touch-friendly and seem to be modeled after the iOS model of doing a few things well. There will be regular apps for sale on the Windows Store but at launch one can expect an assortment of apps designed for simple tasks. Hopefully Windows will not become just a more bloated version of the iPad that is more difficult to do rich and complex tasks?

Windows 8 Metro UI has a high learning curve and makes simple operations more complicated.

Like I stated above the new UI makes Windows 8 seem unintuitive if something as simple as shutting down the PC is more complicated to do than it was with Windows XP or Windows 7. This is just an example of how the learning curve in Windows 8 is higher than with any other desktop operating system to come from Microsoft.

Then there is the confusion added by a separate interface. Pressing a button switches from Desktop to Windows 8 UI and vice-versa, which will only encumber inexperienced users that were used to a single place to conduct all operations.

By: Jason Carrick

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 9

>> UBUNTU

UBUNTU 12.10 REVIEW A little birdie told us to take a look at Canonical's latest release

By: Jason Carrick

Ubuntu Linux, probably the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most popular Linux distribution, has been upgraded to 12.10, named Quantal Quetzal. While most of the major changes to Ubuntu's style took place in 12.04, this new version is not lacking from a new set of game changing advances that will either be loved or hated. So lets get get started and see exactly how Ubuntu 12.10 stacks up against its predecessor.

The first place one notices a change is on the size of the OS. The Ubuntu 12.04 ISO is a bit lighter at 730 MB than the 790 MB required for the 12.10 ISO. Those 60 MB, while small, mean the difference between a bootable CD and requiring a DVD or USB drive to install Ubuntu on a computer.

This could mean a huge leap in terms of accessibility to the OS. Speed wise Quantal has a faster booting time.The Unity 6.8 interface actually loads faster than the older Unity interface and seems more refined and a lot more stable in Quantal than Precise. Linux kernel 10 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

and Gnome shell, too, are upgraded to the latest available release. But, Nautilus is not! It is the same 3.4.2 though 3.6 is available! Possibly Nautilus 3.6, widely disliked, didn't gel well with the Unity interface and hence, developers decided to retain 3.4 version. However, all these upgrades come at a cost - significantly higher resource utilization! Precise is a lot more lighter and less taxing on resources than Quantal. Personally, I felt Precise is a bit faster than Quantal though you won't feel the difference if you are using a high end machine.

Installation process is pretty much

the same and takes the same amount of time - no change there!

open Amazon.com site in Firefox browser.

Application-wise both are pretty similar - only Quantal has all latest versions of the same applications that Precise has, namely: Firefox 16.01, LibreOffice 3.6.2, and Thunderbird 16.01. For movies, Ubuntu is using Totem; for photography, it's Shotwell; and for music, it's Rhythmbox. Anyway, Firefox and Thunderbird upgrades are possibly not that significant as they are upgraded separately to the latest available version irrespective of which Ubuntu release you are using! So, no big change there in.

Ubuntu Music Store: Again similar to Unity one and Amazon bookmarks, Ubuntu music store is integrated to the Unity sidebar to be accessed through Firefox. Its content is rich and I could search a lot of Indian artists as well including the legends like Kishore Kumar. Similarly, popular social networks like Facebook and Twitter can also be saved on Unity sidebar as bookmarks.

Apart from differences in the Gnome, Linux and application versions, Quantal brings in one major change and a few subtle changes from Precise.

Major changes:

New "Web Apps": These are applets that connect the local operating system to web and cloud content. In addition to providing online results to search content, these can add webmail and social networking notifications to Ubuntu's mail menu.

Now this search is integrated to Dash and you can see the results I got when I searched for Justin Timberlake songs in my computer. In addition to what was there in my system, it gave me results from Ubuntu music store and Amazon as well.

Web apps are currently offered for 40 sites like Amazon, Facebook, Twitter, etc. and can be installed by accessing the websites in Firefox and accepting the automatic installation request.

By default, Ubuntu 12.10 has the following web apps: Amazon app: I won't call it an app, it is merely a bookmark on the Unity sidebar. Once you click it, it will

Minor changes

Online integration of social network and email: In Quantal, Ubuntu achieves a lot more integration of social and email networks with a single point of sign in.

Preview mode: Once you right click an application icon on dash, it takes you to preview mode. Currently it looks like at work in progress phase and doesn't offer much!

New Grub2 boot loader: This is specifically designed for Windows 8 OS, which has UEFI secure boot feature that doesn't allow dual boot with any other OS. Hence, if you are already tired of Windows 8 Metro interface and want to install a Linux OS alongside, you'll need to install Quantal; Precise won't work on your system!

Remote Desktop Protocol: It's a new feature and allows users to set up a RDP account to access any remote machine added to the account. Very good, but hardly any use for me at this point in time.

No Unity 2D: Till Precise, there was an option of Unity 2D for machines with limited resources.

Now, it has been dropped.

Python 3: Still, Python 2 is supported.

New Dash photo lens along with the already existing music and video lens and Gwibber lens, with a changed Gwibber icon.

LVM support: Now you can install in a logical volume and increase its size, if required, without needing to reinstall the entire system again.

Do the new features and upgraded applications justify an upgrade?

If you don't care about the upgraded applications, and know how to add quantal ppa's you can install them in Ubuntu 12.04 LTS. So, the question boils down to the incremental features like web apps, LVM support, RBP, Python 3, etc. In my opinion, Ubuntu 12.10 integrates social media much more than its predecessors. Of course, preview and dash lens are promising and can potentially integrate my system to web in a much better way in future. Unity is much better and smoother to use in Quantal. Unity is getting good with every release but it remains inflexible as ever - you simply can't change the looks!

So, based on all these facts, it depends on a users taste whether they would like to upgrade or not. Definitely Quantal has some significant improvements, especially in social network integration and web apps, over Precise and is graphically more appealing. However, there are some drawbacks as well like too much of Amazon, more resource consumption, a bit slower than Precise, among others.

All-in-all, I like this new Ubuntu.

I must say though that I don’t love it. It’s not the interface, Unity, unlike GNOME 3.x or Microsoft’s Metro, is useful. Mind you, I still prefer a more traditional desktop interface such as Cinnamon, but Unity with its multitude of lens can be very handy. In particular, I think new users will like it.

For those who haven’t used Linux, we suggest trying this out.

The operating system is free and is available for download from Ubuntu. com. For those who’ve already been on Ubuntu, my recommendation is that if you have a newish PC, go ahead and give Ubuntu 12.10 a try.

If not, then either stick with what you’ve got or give a distribution such as Linux Mint a try. Its newest edition may be months old now, but it’s still my best Linux desktop of 2012.

RATING

90%

Still a great OS but like Windows 8, the interface takes some getting used to.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 11

We Might Be A Few Days Late, But That Doesn't Mean You Can't Be A Few Dollars Richer!

Due to some internal issues the current issue of DayOldStubble the Magazine was uncontrollably delayed. We are giving you our loyal readers a chance to win a $25 iTunes Gift Card as a "mea culpa" for our tardiness. For your chance to win follow the instructions below to get entered.

Want To Win A $25 iTunes Gift Card?

To register simply follow these 4 steps and be entered to win.

1. Send an email to info@dayoldstubble.com 2. Put "Mea Culpa Offer" in the subject line.

3. Enter Code: "iTunes25" in the body of the email.

4. Make sure you like us on Facebook.

Winner will be announced in our next issue due out on November 20th.

RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS WITH SHANE DAVIS

INTERVIEW <<

By: dave norton

Recently at Wizard World Chicago Con I had the opportunity to sit down and interview one of the most talented artists working today. Shane Davis was kind enough to answer a few of our questions. You may know his work from Batman Annual #25, Final Crisis: Rage Of The Red Lanterns, Blackest Night, Superman: Earth One, and his yet unreleased collaboration with writer Mark Waid….. Shadow Walk.

Who was your inspiration? Who made you want to be an artist?

Art Addams definitely.

With all of your breathtaking work that you’ve done for DC what would you say is one of your favorites?

A Batman/Clayface 1-shot. I really enjoy drawing Clayface.

Your newest project Shadow Walk (thru Legendary Comics) has you working with one of my favorite writers Mark Waid. What’s it like working with him? I enjoyed working with a writer of his caliber. Just the way that he builds scenarios is amazing.

What can you tell us about Shadow Walk? The story is about the valley of the shadow of death. Several incidents occur involving soldiers disappearing off the face of the Earth. A group of some of the most intelligent Steve Jobs type soldiers have to go in and investigate this anomaly. This story has several biblical overtones.

What other projects are you currently working on? A Venom/SpiderMan Volume 1 cover along with a few Avengers versus X-Men covers.

What is your “dream project”? I would love to do some work on the X-Men. What advice would you give to any “future artists”?

It’s difficult. Don’t do it! (Laughing)

List your favorites on these 5 things:

Comic Book Characters: Nightcrawler, Wolverine, Batman, Clayface.

Comic Book Artist: Art Addams Comic Book Writer: Alan Moore Comic Book Movie: Captain America Comic Book Company: I like them all. I don’t know.

Marvel. I haven’t done much with them yet.

April 2012 | DayOldStubble | 13

>> COLLECTIBLES

DAVE'S TOY CHEST

Meanwhile, at the Hall Of Justice... Dave reviews the DC Universe Classics line Greetings collectors! Welcome back to the Toy Chest! This month we are covering one of the most talked about and highly collected toyline that is currently out there…..the DC Universe Classics line. Mattel employed none other than the Four Horsemen Studios to do the sculpting of these beauties. Paying homage to the world famous Super Powers line the Four Horsemen have not disappointed at all in regards to these figures. Usually when someone decides to remake a classic they somehow end up doing more damage than good --- THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE! These gentlemen have done a breathtaking job on these figures. The first wave was released in 2008 and each individual wave featured a “collect and connect” feature that would enable the collector to build one of the DC universe’s larger characters. Alright, here we go.

COLLECTABLE INFO Company: Mattel Original Release: 2008-2012 Figure Size: 6" Scale Sculptors: Four Horsemen Studios

Wave One featured Orion, Crime Stopper Batman, The Penguin, Red Tornado, and The Demon Etrigan.

The Collect and Connect figure was Metamorpho.

These characters were an interesting choice for the first wave. Batman is a no-brainer. The Demon and Red Tornado were strange but unique choices. The Penguin made the line, I guess, so Batman could beat someone up and Orion was a solid choice. The build-a-figure Metamorpho was the real treat of this wave. This figure looks amazing and gave the collectors out there hope that they would see more of the obscure figures that they had never seen before.

Wave Two gave the collector more unique figures.

We were treated to 2 different Firestorms (Ronald Raymond and Jason Rusch), 2 different versions of

14 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

Aquaman---one with long hair and one with short hair, Harley Quinn, 2 different Supermans (Electro Blue and Electro Red), and Aquaman’s arch enemy Black Manta. The build-a-figure for this wave was Gorilla Grodd. This set started showing the collector that variants would come in to play and these aren’t variants that could be skipped over. The collector had to buy even them to obtain the entire collection.

What made this particular wave special was the unique choices that were made.

2 Supermen were in the line but none of them were in his traditional blue and red costume. Harley Quinn was

made available but no Joker. A Jason Rusch Firestorm was a nice choice. All in all this wave was a real eye opener for the collector.

Wave Three was headlined by none other than Hal Jordan/Green Lantern. 2 different Deathstroke The Terminators were made available (one with a mask and one without), Nightwing, Robin (Tim Drake), and 2 different Sinestros (one in his traditional outfit and one in his Sinestro Corps uniform). The build-a-figure for this wave was none other than Solomon Grundy. If the first 2 waves didn’t show collectors how serious Mattel was about putting out a strong line then this wave should have. Green Lantern and Sinestro were at the top of the DC universe and Deathstroke was the most feared villain. Solomon Grundy was a nice touch.

Wave Four was anchored by none other than Wonder Woman. Along with her Artemis, Ares, 2 different Cyborg figures (one regular and one with a sonic blast arm), 2 different Captain Atoms (one regular and one from the great Kingdom Come storyline), and 2 different Batman Beyond figures (one masked and one unmasked). The build-afigure for this wave was Despero. I wasn’t really fond of this particular line because it seemed watered down with variants.

The Wonder Woman figure and Artemis figures were nice but that was about it.

Wave Five was initially a Wal-Mart exclusive meaning that this series was one of the most collectable in the line. With figures like Amazo, The Atom, The Riddler,

Above: The Hawk figure from Wave 20 of DC Universe's line showing the front of the card and its detailed design.

The Eradicator, and Black Lightning things got back on track. The build-a-figure for this wave was Metallo. All of these figures were AMAZING. They were nothing terribly fancy but these figures were quite unique. With the release of The Eradicator collectors knew that the figures from the “Death Of Superman” were going to make an appearance soon. Black Lightning was a nice figure but Metallo was the crown jewel of this wave. It is a cool looking figure. The detail that has been put into it is breathtaking making it one of the hardest figures to obtain in the whole collection.

Wave Six featured everyone’s favorite hero Superman. 2 different versions were in this wave (one with a mullet and one in his black recovery costume from the “Death Of Superman”), Shazam, Mr. Miracle, Dr. Impossible, Hawkman, and Killer Moth. The build-a-figure for this set was Kalibak, Darkseid’s son. It was a nice assortment of characters. I was really fond of the Killer Moth and Hawkman figures.

The Shazam figure is also a good one. In regards to the Kalibak figure it definitely was an upgrade over the Super Powers one but wasn’t the strongest figure. I did enjoy the Superman figure just because of the mullet. Gotta love the 80’s.

Wave Seven saw more releases of figures that have never been released before. Ocean Warrior Aquaman, Kid Flash, Blue Beetle (Ted Kord), 2 different Booster Golds (one classic and one custom), 2 different Big Barda figures (one with a helmet and one without), Captain Cold, and The Flash. The build-a-figure for this series was Atom Smasher. In my opinion wave seven was the start of good things to come. The variety of figures that were offered was fantastic. Collectors worldwide were salivating at what would be coming next. I mean if you were a fan of the Justice League Of America how could you not like Blue Beetle/Booster Gold combo or the Ocean Warrior Aquaman? The Atom Smasher figure let collectors know that their favorite members of the Justice Society Of America would be soon released.

Wave Eight debuted several members of the JSA. Commander Steel, 2 different versions of Dr. Fate (one yellow and one gold), Mister Terrific, Vigilante, 2 different Para demons (one red and one green), the Gentleman Ghost, and Hawkgirl. The builda-figure for this wave was Giganta. (To date Giganta is one of the hardest figures to obtain.) This was a very solid wave of figures. The Gentleman Ghost is one of the best pieces in the entire line of figures. The Vigilante figure harkens back to the rumored

Above: The Dynamic Duo 2-Pack featuring Batman and Robin (Dick Grayson) .

figure that was to make its debut in the Super Powers line. Both Parademon figures were nice (one designed by Jack Kirby and the red one from the Super Powers line.)

Wave Nine gave the collector more first time figures. In this set we were treated to 2 different Wildcats (one blue and one purple), Deadshot (A personal favorite of mine), Guardian (lame), Black Adam (another strong choice for a figure and another highly collectible figure), 2 different versions of Mantis (one designed by Jack Kirby and one from the Super Powers line), Black Canary, and FINALLY Green Arrow! The builda-figure for Wave Nine was Chemo! I’ve always like the Chemo figure and it let the collector know that figures were going to be coming from all over the DC Universe.

Wave Ten was another Wal-Mart exclusive but it wasn’t near as collectible as the last one. This wave gave us Robot man (another solid choice….bring on the Doom Patrol), Beast Boy, The Joker…..

FREAKIN’ FINALLY, Power Girl, Man-Bat (another personal favorite of mine), Forager, and Batman in his black costume. The build-a-figure for Wave Ten was Imperiex!

Exactly. No one knew who Imperiex was unless the read JLA. For a collector the diversity of the characters in which they were releasing was mind blowing. Surely they couldn’t do better than this right?

Wave Eleven featured characters from the realm of Green Lantern and also included the winner of the 2008 Toyfare poll…..The Question. Katma Tui, The Shark (lame but different), 2 different versions of Deadman (one solid and one phasing), Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 15

>> COLLECTIBLES the Cyborg Superman in his Sinestro Corps uniform, John Stewart, and 2 different versions of Steppenwolf (one the comic version and one from the Super Powers line.) The build-a-figure in Wave Eleven is my favorite…..Kilowog. Now you would be able to protect the universe with several members of the Green Lantern Corps. Again the collector is seeing several different figures that have never seen the light of day before. It was fun trying to figure out who Mattel was going to make next.

Wave Twelve would feature more of the figures that hadn’t been made before. Collectors would receive Eclipso, 2 different versions of the Spectre (one that glows in the dark and one plain one), Copperhead, Dr. Mid-Nite, DeSaad, 2 different versions of Mary Batson (one in her red costume and one in her white costume), and Iron from the Metal Men. Now we are expanding more on some super teams. The Metal Men are now introduced. The build-afigure in this set is none other than Darkseid. It’s a very nice figure and it towers over your other figures, just like he does in the comics.

Wave Thirteen released figures that would help finish off some of your super teams. Negative Man came with 2 different versions (one with a bandaged head and one without), Superboy (as he was seen during the Death Of Superman storyline), Cyclotron (from the Super Powers line), Blue Beetle II (modern), Cheetah (which came with 3 different versions. One with a black outfit, one without the black outfit, and the classic one), Blue Devil (classic), and Donna Troy in her Teen Titan uniform. The build-afigure for this wave was Trigon, feared enemy of the Teen Titans. WOW! The figure selection was getting huge! Who else could they possibly make? Well…..

Wave Fourteen was another Wal-Mart exclusive that brought in even more figures that had never been made before.

Kamandi, Obsidian (another personal favorite), Tyr (from the Super Powers line), Gold, Hourman (the original), Zatanna (modern), and Alan Scott Green Lantern.

The build-a-figure for Wave Fourteen was the Ultra Humanite. Talk about selection.

The collector got more members of the JSA, another member of the Metal Men, and an older villain that, in my opinion, has never been used to his maximum potential. As a

16 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

collector it was very exciting to see that no figure was off limits in this line.

Wave Fifteen gave the collectors the winner of the 2009 Toyfare fans choice poll along with the runner-up. This set was initially released only at K-Mart but was soon available at all local retailers. Figures that were released were Golden Pharaoh (yes, another personal favorite and a figure from the Super Powers line), OMAC (kind of a lame figure. In my opinion it would have been a better figure if they would have went with the modern one), Jemm Son of Saturn, Raven, 2 different versions of a figure that has been long overdue the Martian Manhunter. One came with an alien head and one came normal. Starman (Ted Knight), and a Sinestro Corps Batman figure. The build-a-figure was Validus.

For those of you keeping score Validus is a villain of the Legion of Superheroes meaning that it wouldn't be long before our little collector hearts would have our grubby little mitts on the Legion!

Wave Sixteen featured more figures that we wouldn’t have expected. Can you say Jonah Hex? The Creeper (another favorite), The Riddler (classic), Mercury (another Metal Man), Azrael Batman (a cool looking figure) and FINALLY Robin the Boy Wonder came with 2 different versions. One as Dick Grayson in his early teens and one as Jason Todd. The build-afigure for Wave Sixteen was Bane and let me tell you that this particular figure looks freakin’ sweet! He is also a figure that is hard to come by especially after the mega successful movie The Dark Knight Rises.

Wave Seventeen was based upon the ultra popular DC storyline Blackest Night.

This is one of my favorite waves in the entire set. Figures available were Star Sapphire Wonder Woman, Sinestro Corps Scarecrow, Blue Lantern Flash, Indigo Lantern Atom, Orange Lantern Lex Luthor, and Hal Jordan graced us twice more with a Black Lantern member and a White Lantern member. The build-a-figure in this wave was the AntiMonitor (another great piece to this already amazing collection.) Collectors now knew that storylines would also play a key role in what characters would be made into figures.

Wave Eighteen is by far my favorite wave in the entire collection. Being a DC Universe fan for almost 35 years I have waited for this line to finally arrive. This wave was HIGHLY influenced by the old Super Friends cartoon that we used to watch on Saturday mornings. Collectors were finally able to obtain a figure of Black Vulcan, El

Dorado, Samurai (a Super Powers remake), Toyman, along with other figures Captain Boomerang (classic), and the Bronze Tiger with interchangeable head. The build-afigure to come with Wave Eighteen is my favorite figure in the entire line…Apache Chief! Now my collection is complete. On a side note, Wave Eighteen was the first wave not to have a variant figure available.

Wave Nineteen does everything that it can to help collectors finish off their Justice Society of America set. Available were Sandman (modern), The Atom (Golden Age), Stargirl, Lord Naga, Hawkman (Golden Age), and Magog. The build-a-figure for this wave was S.T.R.I.P.E, Stargirl’s partner. This set also shows us more of the individual figures that never have been made before. Sure they aren’t the sexiest names out there but they sure do look good and look even greater on my shelf.

Wave Twenty again capitalized on a current DC storyline. Brightest Day was the follow-up to the popular Blackest Night.

These figures played predominate roles in that particular story. Hawk and Dove, Red Arrow, Green Arrow (Brightest Day), Sinestro (Sinestro Corps), White Lantern Flash, and the Reverse Flash (another favorite). The build-a-figure for this wave was the winner of the third annual Toyfare poll Nekron… leader of the Black Lanterns. This wave would represent the last time Mattel would release figures in this manner.

Several exclusives were released along the way as well. Most were released at Below: The back side of the Blue Devil figure from Wave 13 showing a short bio and information about the Blue Devil along with Collect and Connect figure Trigon.

Comic Cons and were only available in limited quantities making them valuable. Lobo was released at the 2008 New York Comic Con, The Wonder Twins Zan and Jaina along with Gleek was released at the 2009 San Diego Comic Con, 2010 saw the release of Plastic Man, and 2011 saw the release of none other than Swamp Thing. Several 2-packs were also made available that usually had a rare figure to go along with a repaint of an existing figure. The Batman Figure Pack: Azrael and Batgirl, the New Gods Figure Pack: Orion and Lightray, the Green Lantern Figure Pack: Hal Jordan and Abin Sur, the Super Enemies Figure Pack: Cyborg Superman (with costume from the Death Of Superman) and Mongul, the Space Heroes 2-Pack: Adam Strange and Starfire, the Battle for Earth 3: Ultraman and Alexander Luthor, the Color of Fear: Romat-Ru and Karu Sil, Justice in the Jungle: Animal Man and B’wana Beast, Fists of Clay Figure Pack: Clayface and Batman, Clash in the Cosmos: Superman and Brainiac (classic), Kryptonite Chaos: Lex Luthor and Supergirl, the Dynamic Duo: Batman and Robin (Tim Drake), Undersea Assault: Aquaman and Black Manta, Fates Intertwined: Hawkgirl and Gentleman Ghost, Power Struggle: Superman and Parasite, Mad Love: The Joker and Harley Quinn, and Mightiest Mortals: Black Adam and Shazam. To collectors that really had some money they could purchase 5-packs.

Available were Gotham City Set with Superman, Batman, Two-Face, Catwoman, and Lex Luthor, a Green Lantern 5-pack with Guy Gardner, Tomar-Re, Hal Jordan (with gray streaks), John Stewart (Mosiac), and a Green Lantern Sinestro. The last 5-pack to be released was of the Crime Syndicate of America containing a new Ultraman, Owlman, Superwoman, Johnny Quick, and Power Ring. However, the Holy Grail of this collection would be the Legion of SuperHeroes 12-pack. This set was a little pricey but it is worth it. The set contains Superboy, Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad, Saturn Girl, Brainiac 5, Chameleon Boy, Ultra Boy, Karate Kid, Wildfire, MatterEater Lad, Timber Wolf, and Colossal Boy. Since the release of Wave Twenty Mattel decided to scale back and start offering the newest figures thru MattyCollector. com calling it Club Infinite Earths. On this website collectors could buy a membership granting them dibs on these new figures that were released every month making them ULTRA COLLECTABLE! So far the list of figures released are Jay Garrick, Atrocitus, Metron, Starman (Legion Of Superheroes), Rocket Red, and Mirror Master. Figures that will be released in the future include Black

Mask, Poison Ivy, Elasti-Girl, Uncle Sam, John Constantine, Platinum, Lead, Saint Walker, the Phantom Stranger, Elongated Man, Larfleeze, Monsieur Mallah, and Wally West.

As you can see this collection is massive.

If you haven’t started collecting DC Universe Classics by now it’s going to cost you an awful lot of money but it will be worth it.

These figures look amazing and will only go up in value. Next to the original Star Wars toyline this collection sets the bar high for uniqueness. It’s sad to see this particular toyline slowing down but how many more figures can the Four Horsemen make?

These individuals have just about covered all of the DC Universe. My only complaint with Mattel is that they didn’t make vehicles or playsets to go along with these amazing figures. Could you imagine a Hall Of Justice playset or a Legion Of Doom hideout? What about a Batmobile or Brainiac floating head ship? That would be something.

Thanks for taking the time to check out this article. Hopefully it helps you in your pursuit of collection the greatest toyline currently on the market…..the DC Universe Classics line. Join us next month at Day Old Stubble where we are going to be discussing a line that I am very fond of. Does anybody else remember the old Hasbro WWF wrestlers? See you in 30.

By: dave norton

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 17

>> COMICS

BUGGER OFF! I'M READIN' COMICS Find out about one of comic book's hidden gems.....writer Z. M. Thomas.

This month we celebrate Halloween. As customary while going door to door trying to obtain as much candy as you can carry you ask “trick or treat”. Fellow Geeks you are in for a treat. We here at DayOldStubble were lucky enough to be able to sit down with a very talented person…… Zach Thomas. Mr. Thomas is the founder of Trepidation-Comics and is the gifted writer behind such titles as Dead Reckoning, Echoes Of Dawn, and the controversial Abe The Aborted Fetus. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

Zach Thomas: Founder of Trepidation Comics

1. How did you get the idea to begin Trepidation-Comics?

I worked at a video game store with a friend of mine and we thought it would be really cool to start our own company. We actually got our start by a stroke of luck. I began to look for a group of artists to help me with my books (MIT college grads) and I was fortunate enough to have

met Dave Kapiti, writer of Lost In Space and Superman. He was the gentleman responsible for training me on how to write comic books. I was known more for being a novelist. It was kind of like a perfect storm.

So that’s how Trepidation-Comics was born.

2. Who were some of your influences? Who is your favorite artist?

Writer? What comics are you currently reading?

Some of my favorite artists are Ben Templesmith who makes watercolors look phenomenal, Tim Bradstreet’s artwork looks like real world photography, and of course Emila Woo. She is able to bring real world into a cartoony way. One of my favorite writers is Steve Niles. Garth Ennis and what he did with the Punisher Max Series was great.

In regards to what I’m reading: 100 Bullets, Calling, Boon, The Carriers from Cuddlefish Comics, and Gross, Grandpa! From Comicbastards. com. It is a vilely awesome comic and will definitely blow your mind.

3. Let’s take some time and break down each one of your titles. Give us a little background on each one and give us the inspiration for each book.

Dead Reckoning: This was a comic that I was trying to release earlier entitled Contagion but Warner Bros. at that same time was releasing a movie of the same name so I decided to change the title. This story is about people being thrust into a zombie apocalypse.

A police officer’s step brother is bitten by a zombie and he is forced to make a decision: save one life or end them all. This will be a thinking man’s zombie book. It doesn’t have the stereotypical gore and it isn’t based on violence. It is very up front and personal.

We will break an unwritten rule in this story.

We will reveal how this virus started.

11th Hour: This is inspired by 1950’s horror.

The story is about John, a recently divorced father, that will do everything in his power to save his son from this alien invasion. I think this particular story has a lot of depth to it.

Echoes Of Dawn: I can tell you that we just put the finishing touches on issue number 6 and 7 so they will be available shortly. This is a good mystery story. It tells the tale of Ethan Deray and how he is trying to uncover his past, much like a French noir. He must travel to a particular city to help him in his quest but once he gets there things get a little interesting. There are these characters that I refer to as the faceless that are on Ethan’s every step. Who these faceless are we don’t know, but I do promise at the end there will be a big reveal and it will all make sense. I was a big horror buff of the 1950’s and 1960’s and especially of Alfred Hitchcock and I wanted to capture that kind of story here. I also am not a big fan of torture-porn or gore so I really tried to avoid using any of that here.

Actually Echoes Of Dawn was intended to be a novel. The psychosis of this story was loosely based on the movie Blair Witch 2.

Abe The Aborted Fetus: Abe is a story of a fetus who survived an abortion at the

about comics from my childhood. The whole Captain America, Rita/Hulk, and John Kickass, who represents every 1980’s hero or every member of the Expendables really brings a comedic element to the story. John is a man’s man and definitely homo erotic.

Creating stupid acronyms is something that I do when I’m really bored. (Read this story and you’ll understand.) This book took over 10 years to write and a lot of research on political science and Roe Vs. Wade helped me achieve this. Abe is very much over the top. I can tell you that I am currently working on the sequel to Abe entitled Midwife Crisis.

hands of Dr. Choice to become a part of the greatest conspiracy ever conceived. ‘Nuff said. This particular story has lots of twists and turns and it was very fun going thru the motions with it. My artist for this book, Anthony Tan, is a christian and he would give me feedback and let me know when I might be taking things a little too far. I also tried to throw in a few things that I loved

Bible 2: Bible 2 is the unofficial spin-off of Abe and it will be out somewhere around Christmas. The story takes place immediately after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Roman Army is still hunting him. A greater evil emerges forcing Jesus out of exile where he had been hiding for 1,000 years. Jesus must save the world and this time there will be no forgiveness for those who sinned against him. The character of Jesus is based upon Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter mixed with God Of War who had a child who only ate paint chips for 18 years of his life.

4. You have been blessed with your artwork in each of your comics. What’s it like working with such a professional crew? (Cliff Richards, Anthony Tan, Jose Carlos, Amelia Woo) I can’t say enough about these masters of their craft. They are fantastic people to deal with and I can say that I’m very lucky to have worked with them.

5. In regards to Abe The Aborted Fetus and Bible 2 what’s it like to receive such hatred towards the project (armyofmom.com) leading to your ad being pulled by Facebook and an initial bad review that, after reading the story again, became a more positive review (rhrealitycheck.org)? It seems like people were just going off of the title. I myself walked by your booth a couple of times before I decided to talk to you about it. What gives?

It comes with the territory. You have to take the good with the bad. You have to take criticism with a grain of salt. Army of mom never read that book. I can say that with 100% certainty. She was just repulsed by my Facebook advertisement. Thanks to her I am banned from advertising there.

6. Have you received any hate mail/ death threats in regards to Abe or Bible 2?

(Bad press is better than no press at all.)

COMICS <<

7. Are there any future projects that you are currently working on?

Well Dead Reckoning and Midwife Crisis are the front runners. I’m also working on a super heroes all ages type thing. Unfortunately I can’t reveal a lot of detail on that right now.

8. Have you made any attempt to submit work to the Big 2? What about Dark Horse, Dynamite, Boom, or Image?

I have received a few rejection letters from some of those companies. My favorite one comes from Shadowline Comics. In regards to Abe it said There’s “nothing” wrong with this book it’s just not for us. I do keep all of my rejection letters. They are framed and hanging up to give me more motivation. I don’t really want to work for the Big 2. They run their characters into the ground. I suppose my dream job would to be able to take Spider-Man and put him in the Marvel Max Line which we know would never happen or maybe showing a prequel to Cletus Kassidy before he became Carnage. Show how the character evolved into Carnage. That would be very interesting.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your taking time out of your day to be able to give us this interview.

We here at Day Old Stubble really enjoy your work and cannot wait for your new works in the future. Consider us life long fans of yours and Trepidation-Comics.

Thank you for having me.

So there you go fans. A random meeting with someone at a show has turned into a good friendship and has revealed several great stories to this collector of comics. If you are lucky enough to attend any comic cons make sure to check out EVERY vendor that is there. Sure you might only want to see the big names that are there, but trust me, you will be more than happy when you are able to discover a diamond in the rough.

Mr. Murphy and his Trepidation-Comics is something that true comic book readers will want to read and collect. Whether it’s horror, mystery, comedy, or drama Mr. Murphy can deliver. So go ahead, give ‘em a try. There are pieces of garbage out there that you are currently reading. Why not pick up a real comic, one that has great characters, good depth, and breath-taking artwork?

By: Dave Norton

Here recently I have been receiving death threats. On a weekly basis I get hate mail. In my opinion it’s fun to light a fire and walk away and see what happens.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 19

D12 Academy

Battlestar Galactica

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.

What It Is

Game Info: Name: Battlestar Galactica Designer: Corey Konieczka Artists: Kevin Childress Corey Konieczka Publisher: Edge Entertainment Published: 2008 Players: 3-6 Playing Time: 180 minutes Ages: 10 and up Category: Science Fiction

The Games Goal Either all of the humans win together, or all of the Cylons win together…but both sides must figure out who they can trust in order to achieve victory.

Based on the 2004 reimagining of the classic television series, Battlestar Galactica presents the epic struggle for survival between humans and Cylons. The core of the game is a cooperative experience, players working together to “beat the game” by working efficiently and overcoming the crisis cards that come out on every turn. But there’s a twist- in the new Battlestar universe the Cylons look like us now, and some number of players in each game are hidden Cylon agents secretly working to undermine the fleet.

Each player controls a unique character with skills and abilities relevant to the TV show, and great emphasis is placed on someone being the admiral while someone else is the president, each responsible for special duties within their respective halves of the colonial fleet.

How It Plays

Once everyone has selected a character, loyalty cards are secretly dealt out which indicate whether you are truly a human, or a Cylon toaster in disguise. Don’t give any clues who you are! Nothing ruins this game more than unfairly knowing who is who. Each turn you can move and perform one action with your character, typically trying to draw extra cards or fight Cylons that are attacking the fleet. Then you draw a Crisis card, the churning wheel of the game. Crisis cards represent

20 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

By: Aaron Dekuiper

dangers and challenges that humanity faces on a regular basis, and all players chip in cards to try to overcome them. It’s through Crisis cards that the humans also get the needed icons to move towards winning the game… from watching how each player helps (or doesn’t help much!) toward each Crisis is one of the main ways you can start to figure out who is really the enemy in disguise! The Cylon players are trying to stay hidden long enough to cause more havoc, while the human players are trying to reveal the traitors so they can work more efficiently towards the ultimate goal of finding Earth.

It May Be For You If…

If you enjoy the cutthroat bluffing, deception, and deduction of poker, you’ll get right into the political slugfest of players making accusations against each other about who is a Cylon or not. Battlestar Galactica combines the hidden loyalties component of games like Shadows Over Camelot with the “everyone must perform well to beat the curve and top the game itself” aspect of games like Pandemic or Arkham Horror. Even with Cylon players revealed and not doing too much harm, the game itself and the constant Crises grind everyone down and require skillful play to achieve victory. If that sounds more like a fun challenge to you than a frustrating exercise, you’ll be at home here.

from there on in disregard trying to stay hidden. Move civilian ships INTO harms way, jump at -3 population when there’s no sign of danger, play Authorize Brutal Force to destroy unthreatening raiders and hope you lose the population, too. If your reveal power could make a big impact you should consider it…but otherwise let the humans force you out.

Revealing from the brig is usually about the same as revealing of your own accord, and if you can waste 1+ human turns (and usually a whole bevy of cards, too) in the process, that’s points towards your side.

you might not even be certain who is on your side until the game ends!

How To Dominate Your Friends

As Human: For human players it’s all about Jump Track icons.

Nothing else truly matters, unless you’re down to your final resources.

Seek out Jump icons whenever possible, and take on any Crisis cards no matter how otherwise difficult in that single-minded pursuit. This game is a race against the clock to jump enough times before you inevitably get beaten down somewhere, and every Jump Track icon is one step closer.

Being efficient and working together is the humans greatest strength. Executive Order is the best skill card in the game, and you should be using it at every possibility to increase your net actions per turn. Help the President build up extra Quorum cards, a pilot take more shots at Cylon ships, or even just allow someone to use one of the two spaces that draw skill cards twice…the more actions, the better.

Honestly, I wouldn’t worry about who’s a Cylon overmuch. It’s fun to accuse and feels great when you flush a Cylon player out, especially early. But the reality is that if a hidden Cylon starts doing big bad stuff it becomes obvious real quick- and every turn they avoid doing big bad stuff to stay secret is a turn they’re doing something to help you. Don’t let them spike skill checks if you can help it, but

don’t waste your turns chasing debatable accusations, either.

Lastly, jealously guard your fuel.

More games in the base version are lost to fuel depletion than any other resource type, by far.

As Cylon: Sow dissent! Stir up distrust! Whenever possible, help muddy the waters of who can be counted on. If the humans are looking around cautiously, they’re less likely to find the trust necessary to really benefit from cards like Executive Order or some of the Quorum cards where you have to select a player other than yourself.

Nothing’s greater as a Cylon player than helping the humans mistakenly put a true human in the brig!

While you’re staying hidden, try not to help too much. You can’t do hurtful things too much unless you’re ready to be discovered…but try not to help, either. Maybe you don’t toss all bad cards in a skill check, but if you toss one good and one bad you’re cancelling yourself out. Whenever possible, burn your skill cards under the guise of being helpful. Once you’re out of cards, you can’t be forced to help more and no one can fault you!

The longer you try to remain hidden, the more helpful actions you’ll have to take just to keep up appearances. I recommend watching for a good moment in the game to make some big impact through your action (or lack of action), and then

Above: The typical game appearance once geeting asigned your sides.

Players' identities are secret and no one will know for certain at the beginning of the game who they can trust. Keep your eyes open and watch how the other players play.

if you like this Axis & Allies 1942 Avalon Hill (Hasbro)

The world is at war! Axis and Allies is a simplified wargame, pitting players on one side or the other in an epic recreation of World War II.

Lastly, look for opportunities for your character’s OPG power to be used for evil before you reveal and lose the chance. Sharon, Helo, and Tom Zarek in particular have ones that are deliciously enjoyable to call in as an unsuspected human friend.

New Allies, New Enemies The two expansions for Battlestar Galactica each add some very well-designed components to the base game, and are highly recommended purchases: Pegasus: The Battlestar Pegasus joins the colonial fleet, giving you a second ship and more locations to utilize. A new endgame in the form of New Caprica helps liven things up after dozens of playthroughs. Four new characters (one of each color) really diversify your options, though be prepared for Adama to be chosen considerably less frequently once Cain is on the table.

Exodus: This box is chock-full of Battlestar goodness. Another four characters are just the start- two new game modes provide significant challenge even for veterans of the game, and pilots finally get some love with the addition of the CAG title that provides leadership choices ala the President and Admiral.

Easily the best addition though is the new Cylon fleet board which removes the old attack Crisis cards in favor of a more balanced- and never ending- way to keep Cylon ships always just a couple steps from going on the offensive.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 21

>> GEEK GUIDE

GEEK GUIDE:

2012 ELECTION ISSUES

WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OF THE ELECTION ISSUES THAT SHOULD MATTER TO US GEEKS

22 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

With the 2012 election drawing near, we at DayOldStubble wanted to compare where President Obama and Govenor Romney stand on issues that we feel important to us geeks.

As Barack Obama and Mitt Romney head into the home stretch of the Presidential election, how do their policies compare?

While job growth, health care, and foreign policy have been the major points talked about this election season we felt there were some more relative policies that would be of more interest to us and that each candidate has sharp differences on.

Starting with President Obama’s campaign for 2008, he has earned a reputation as an avid tech enthusiast. His White House-issued Blackberry and many shots of him using an iPad have made Obama our most tech savy President ever.

In trying to keep up in the technology race Mit Romney’s team created a dedicated smartphone app called “Mitt’s VIP” just to announce Paul Ryan as his running mate. In 2012 both candidates have taken to using social media to get their points to their millions of follows respectively. This year has also seen both parties relying heavily on data mining to help target new potential voters to try to squeeze out some small margins of victory where ever possible.

The candidates’ stances on tech and science vary across a range of social and economic issues including education, immigration, trade, and innovation. So lets take a look at a few of the more important issues that concern us geeks.

Cybersecurity

Obama: Democrats are calling for increased research and development, promotion of cybersecurity awareness, and strengthening public-private and international partnerships. The Obama administration has made cybersecurity a major priority by creating U.S. Cyber Command and strengthening the Department of Homeland Security's cyber efforts. Democrats have been supportive of legislation that would require some businesses to take specific steps to ensure their IT system security. After legislation failed earlier this year, the Obama administration began preparing a Presidential directive on cybersecurity, which is forthcoming. The Democrats also support the Internet Privacy Bill of Rights and a Do Not Track option Romney: Republicans call for upgrades of the Federal Information Security Management Act to better protect

GEEK GUIDE <<

government systems and stronger information sharing between government and industry, but for voluntary rather than mandatory steps by private industry to improve their system security. Republicans say that they will ensure the protection of personal data from "government overreach" and will let individuals decide how third parties can use that data.

Innovation

Obama: Democrats want to make the Research and Experimentation Tax Credit permanent to provide tax relief for American R&D efforts. President Obama has worked to increase federal spending on basic research and the Democratic platform also calls for the use of policy to encourage IT upgrades in the healthcare and education sectors.

Romney: Republicans have also called for extension of research and development tax credits and spending on basic science research, but have called for a decrease in discretionary spending, which could cut the federal research and development budget. Romney has repeatedly said that government should not be in the business of gambling with which startups will succeed or fail.

Education

Obama: Democrats are aiming to increase science education funding and preparation for math and science teachers over the next decade. As part of the President's Educate to Innovate campaign, Obama held the firstever White House Science Fair, declared a National Lab Day, and created a publicprivate partnership with private-sector CEOs to improve science education nationwide.

Obama also created an interagency effort to coordinate the federal government's disparate science, technology, engineering, and math ("STEM") education initiatives.

Romney: While Romney has called the current state of American education "sorry" and an "epic failure," the Republican platform supports Obama’s STEM education but have not been specific on what they would do to help it.

Above: President Barack Obama (D) and Govenor Mitt Romney (R) are the two canditates trying to get your vote for the 2012 Election.

Romney: Republicans want the government's role in managing telecommunications to be limited, but at the same time accelerate the rollout of broadband nationwide. Both Romney and the Republican Party oppose net neutrality, calling it a "solution in search of a problem." Romney has said that it's not the role of government or the United Nations to "manage" the Internet, and that such governance should be left up to non-government stakeholders. When it comes to the enforcement of laws against pornography online and online gambling thought they are in behind these two issue.

Space

Obama: Obama trumpets the successes under his administration, including of course the Mars Rover, and those goals he can set for the future by establishing space goals, including sending humans to Mars by the 2030s. The Democrats have put an emphasis on improving science and technology, engineering and math education to allow the US to reach the goals set by Obama.

Romney: The Republican feel that space exploration is necessary on three grounds: technological innovation, national security, and national pride. Romney's aim is to regain America’s space leadership it has enjoyed for the past half-century by rebuilding NASA and creating new opportunities for space commerce.

Telecommunications

Obama: Democrats want broadband to be widespread and support the freeing up of 500 MHz of spectrum for commercial use.

They have supported network neutrality and support net neutrality limitations on spectrum auctions and allocation. President Obama opposes any changes to the current approach to Internet governance.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 23

>> GenCon 2012

Gen Con is for Gamers, but Provides Pan-Nerd Fun for All >> If a lot of the word on the Internet is to be believed, Gen Con is a gaming convention made for gamers and if you're not a gamer, then Gen Con was not meant to appeal to you.To be fair, Gen Con was started by the granddaddy of all gamers, Gary Gygax himself, and is one of the biggest gaming conventions in the U.S. The 'Gen' in Gen Con comes from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Gygax's home town where the first conventions were held. Many years and purchases by companies such as TSR and Wizards of the Coast later, it is now held in Indianapolis, IN and owned by Peter Adkison, a former CEO of Wizards of the Coast. Tournaments for every possible type of game exist at Gen Con; cards, roleplaying, boardgames, video games, etc. Gaming entrepreneurs bring the games they hope to market to get the bugs worked out during gameplay. This year, Gen Con hosted the first World Magic Cup to determine the worldwide Magic the Gathering champion (team Chinese Taipei won).

But ... what do you do at Gen Con if you're a nerd/geek who doesn't game? Hold the presses ... what? There are nerds who don't game? :-) Of course! Many, like me, used to game but now lack the time and the proper human synergy to facilitate a good gaming experience. Other are just more into comics, costuming, anime/manga, Doctor Who, Stars Trek and Wars, Vampires, etc. than they are into gaming. And that is fine. Just as the general Geekosphere offers a little something for everyone (Power Rangers crossover fanfiction with Newsies and Star Trek, anyone?), Gen Con obliges all types. There were panels for Women in Gaming, panels for all of the specific types of games, panels for art, writing, anime, and a lot more that I could see if there were an actual list available on their website. Which there is not. The only complaint I have had about Gen Con is that the website was terrible and very difficult to navigate. Crucial information such as what is happening, where, and when was missing.

The program we were given upon registration was so big and unwieldy that even having it I was desperately 24 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

GenCon 2012

GenCon 2012 << individually, Gen Con has it set up so that you are issued a bill by the artist, which you take up front to a general cashier, who gives you a receipt. You then take the receipt back to the artist and receive your purchase. Apparently, this helps with taxes or something, but I found that it was potentially embarrassing when I forgot from which artist I had purchased which print. Oops!

Above: Nicholas Briggs, the Dalek voice, from Dr. Who. Below: Our intrepid reporter enjoying her time at GenCon

trying to find an online searchable version with my smartphone.

Brandon Sanderson, the author chosen to complete the late Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series was a guest of honor. I personally met Margaret Weis, who co-wrote the original Dragonlance series with Tracy Hickman. She was staffing a booth selling her books, and graciously signed a copy of Dragons of Spring Dawning for me. Tracy and Laura Hickman were also there, running not only a book table but also some events for the convention, which I might have been able to go to had I been able to make heads or tails of the panels and events from the website.

If gaming and authors aren't your particular brand of geek, there were also celebrity autograph opportunities with Wil Wheaton and Nichelle Nichols. Wheaton's line was very long, due to his resurgence in popularity from his blog, his appearances on The Big Bang Theory, and The Guild.

Nichelle Nichols' line was short, even though her impact on science fiction is much more significant.

The role of Uhura in Star Trek was one of the first serious acting roles for a black woman on television.

I didn't manage to say anything meaningful when it was my turn - I think I squeaked out something like, "It's really cool to get to meet you, I think you're awesome." She smiled, said thank you, and I scurried away, autographed picture in tow.

Next, we decided to explore the Art portion of the exhibition hall.

Instead of buying from each artist

The dealers' portion of the exhibition room was where I had most of my fun. An extensive Doctor Who retailer had a Tardis replica and a life-sized Dalek for free photo opportunities. You can bet that there are pics of me dancing with the Dalek! The best part of the Doctor Who area was Nicholas Briggs, the actor who does the voices for the Daleks. Not only is Mr. Briggs very fan-friendly, he also has a wicked sense of humor. Throughout the day, he used his voice-modulation device to heckle passers-by in Dalekvoice. I accompanied a friend who purchased something he wanted Mr. Briggs to autograph, and as we waited our turn, I got to see even more of Nicholas Briggs' fun-loving nature. A young man in line in front of us was getting something signed for his girlfriend who was at work and could not attend, but was a huge Doctor Who fan. After he autographed the item, he grinned and said, "Do you want to give her an even better present?" Naturally, the guy said yes. Mr. Briggs had him call his girlfriend's cell, knowing that he would get voicemail because she was at work. He then used his Dalek voice to leave a message that said, "Your boyfriend will not be home tonight. He has been ex-ter-minated." Total win. I may have swooned on behalf of the working girlfriend.

Do you like Renaissance wear?

We got a booth for that.

Do you like jewelry? We got a booth for that too.

Do you like nerdy t-shirts?

Well, who the heck doesn't?

On Sunday, I stayed out of the exhibition hall in a desperate attempt to hang on to my last ten bucks. I would have gotten away with it too, if Daniel and the Lion had not been playing some seriously awesome live music in the lobby area. I put ten bucks in a hat and got two CDs for my trouble. Daniel and the Lion (http:// www.datlband.com/) put on such a great live show that the day before I heard them playing in the lobby and tried to zoom in with my camera on their CD labels from all the way up in the balconies above just so I could look them up later. It didn't work, and I was glad to find them playing again on Sunday. In addition to Daniel and the Lion, il Troubadore performed as Klingons (http://www.troubadore. com/QoQ/). Not for everyone, but definitely hilarious. Also in attendance were Tom Smith (http:// www.tomsmithonline.com/), Luke Ski (http://www.thegreatlukeski. com/) , Mikey Mason, the guy who wrote "She Don't Like Firefly" (http:// comedyrockstar.blogspot.com) I could go on, but I think I've made my point - if someone tells you that Gen Con is for gamers, tell them they're right, but that Gen Con is also for all of the nerds!

By: Sara Goodwin

The rest of the dealers' room can be summed up thus: Do you you like Steampunk? If yes, get yourself some fancy goggles and/or a kickass corset, boots, etc.

Do you like gaming? If yes, take your pick from a bajillion dice/figures/ other gaming equipment retailers Do you like reading? If yes, find the famous authors' booths and get your books signed!

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 25

>> FEATURE This is the story of Shea Kimbrough’s first ever Wizard World International Chicago Comic-Con. It’s quiet the adventure. See, in my twenty-five years of existence, I’ve learned that everything I do always seems to have some sort of awesome story to go along with it. I don’t know if this is God’s way of giving me an excruciating amount of material to write a book, or what... All I know is, that, in the end, I am beyond blessed by both the opportunities I’ve been given and the friends that I have.

About a year ago, James (Detzler, Deputy Editor) was telling me about the wonderful time that he and his brother, Jason (Carrick, Editor in Chief), had in Chicago at the Wizard World Comic-Con. It sounded like a wonderful time since I have always dreamed about going to the San Diego Comic-Con and the only other conventions I had been to were small ones in and around Middle Tennessee. Don’t get me wrong, MTAC (Middle Tennessee Anime Convention) and GMX (Geek Media Expo) are great conventions (expect a small recap of those the year as well), but they’re not Comic-Con. A few months ago, Jason sent out an email saying we would be granted passpresses for this years WWICCC (let’s just use this acronym from now on since I’m lazy). I was more than ecstatic. Here’s my chance to experience something that every geek, nerd, dork, or fanatic of any kind should experience. I immediately said yes and began planning the trip.

t a s e r u t n e v d A s ' a She d l r o W d r Wiza 2 1 0 2 o g a Chic 26 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

Since, in the last year, my trusty ol’ Buick has encountered three different deer on two different occasions, I decided that driving my own car the 560 miles was not an option. I had a choice. I could rent a car, or I could fly. I had flown once in a small biplane, but that was with someone I trusted. I have a fear of not being in control, especially when I’m going 680 miles-per-hour. That fact alone made my decision to rent a car much easier.

As the date grew nearer, I began looking at rental car prices. It turned out to be much more expensive than I thought. So, out of curiosity, I went to a travel website and searched for flights. I was shocked when I discovered a non-stop, round-trip flight from Nashville to Chicago O’Hare for $285.

After mulling over for a week, a tiny Shea appeared on my left shoulder. He looked at me and said “YOLO!” Quickly, another tiny Shea popped out from nowhere, punched the first one in the face and said “He’s an idiot, but he’s right, Shea...” So there I was; booking my first commercial flight.

FEATURE <<

The night before my 9Am flight, I headed to Wal*Mart to buy a travel toothpaste since I couldn’t take my giant bottle in my suitcase. (Thanks, Osama!) Along the way, I decided to stop by my bank and get some cash out of the ATM for some unforeseen expenses. I enter Wal*mart, grab the toothpaste and continue to checkout. The cashier confirms the total and waits on my payment. I open my wallet, and to my surprise, I could’t find my debit card. Then it hit me.

My bank has a stupid ATM. It sucks in your card and doesn’t spit it out until the transaction is completely over. But, like any other person, as soon your cash slips through the slot, you think “Ooooh, money!”

So, you grab the bills and speed off. So there my card was, trapped in the belly on an impenetrable fortress and I have a trip to take the next day. Luckily, this happens frequently and you can get your card the next morning when the bank opens at 8AM; however, my flight departed at 9AM. After worrying about it constantly, calling both Visa and American Airlines, and talking to friends, I decided to just take all my cash and just leave the next morning as planned.

After ten minutes the pilot came on the intercom and proceeded to say “Uh, folks, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be letting up anytime soon; but, we’re going to try to push through this heading south.

Then we’ll head west and then finally north.” I thought, aloud, actually, “Wow, Captain American Airlines up there’s going to get us all killed!” He must of heard me because before I knew it we were speeding down the runway and struggling to lift off the ground.

I’ve been through a lot of scary events. A school-shooting, a severe car wreck, seeing my sister get out of the shower... none of them came close to being as scary as this struggle to gain altitude.

The plane would shift left, shift right, dive, drop; at one point the nose went left and the tail right while the whole plane continued to go straight. Thankfully, once

I made it through security quickly and sat down at the gate. Before I knew it I was fastened to the plane and ready to take flight. Then I saw him. My pilot. The pilot who was younger than I was. This was the first time I started to somewhat freak-out. I calmed myself and read a magazine. We took our place on the runway ready for takeoff when lightning stuck close to the airport. We headed back to the gate to refuel and await further instructions.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 27

>> FEATURE we got over northern Kentucky, we shot into clear skies.

Upon arriving to Chicago O’Hare, I was greeted with a wonderful maze to find the shuttle station where I will be taken to meet up with my fellow cohorts. I’m thankful though. At least I was walking and I was in control again. That didn’t last long as the shuttle driver made sure to drive as fast and recklessly as possible.

Finally at the hotel, I headed up to my room and meet up with Jason, James and Dave. We talked for a few minutes about our game-plan before heading across the street to the convention.

Once there, we met Jerry. If you believe in God, take this time to say a prayer for Jerry. This guy has one of the most stressful jobs I’ve witnessed. Not only does he have to deal with snooty celebrities, but he has to deal with people like us, too! Jerry gave us our press bands and told us to find him tomorrow when we were ready to do our interviews.

We entered the convention and were immediately greeted with booths upon booths of almost anything and everything you could want. It was Thursday and James kept reassuring both me and Dave that the following will be much better, much more hectic. At the time I kinda felt like I was at an awesome, uncrowded Flea-Market where they only sold stuff I wanted to purchase, but that was okay.

We all met up and tackled the Gorilla Tango Burlesque interview with with MsPixy. I was thoroughly impressed. She answered all of Jason’s questions in a precise and clear manner. I didn’t know it at the moment, but over the course of the weekend, I would end up longing for the peaceful serenity of WWICCC’s Thursday.

Friday decided to finally show up and James was right; it started to get hard to walk on the floor. Once we entered the clearness of the VIP entrance, we walked over to where we first met Jerry the prior evening. This day, it turns out, was interview day and Jerry was out and about scurrying along the floor like a crazed mouse making it’s way methodically through a maze.

Jason and Dave decided to stay put and wait for him while James and I ventured out grabbing cosplay pics. I feel sorry for them, Jerry never showed. They did, however, meet Milton from Office Space... kinda.

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We all were instructed that we would interview Peter Mayhew and Kevin Nash at specific times and assumed that we would just get to my interviews with Lesley-Ann Brandt and Katrina Law the next day. Because of this unintelligent thought, I didn’t prepare my questions for my interview until an hour or so before it was time. Once we learned that we had to do the interviews that day, I went over to the “bloggers area” where I sat with a notepad and scribbled on 10 pages.

At first I figured I’d be interviewing them seperately.

Then I thought about something Jerry said on how “I’d get my chance with the girls.” This made me think that I was going to interview them together. So, I went to another page and desperately tried to think of questions I could ask them together. That was much harder than I anticipated.

I was stumped. Thankfully, I pulled some questions out of thin air and ran with them.

We arrived at the Spartacus booth before the time Jerry had instructed us to meet. But in grand Jerry-fashion, he was late. When he did arrive, he instructed us that our camera technique of using a cell-phone (since Jason had the better camera filming a Q&A) was degrading to the actresses and asked us to get the better camera and meet him back at the booth at another time.

In the meantime, we did get to have Dave’s interview with WWE star, Kevin Nash. Back in the day, when I watched wrestling, I hated WCW. I was a believer in Vince McMahon’s vision of the WWF. Naturally, I had a certain dislike for “Big Sexy.”

While watching Dave interview him though, I found a respect for him.

It was finally time for my rescheduled interview with Lesley-Ann Brandt and Katrina Law, we had the proper camera, and I was pumped. You can find my interview with both the girls online at dayoldstubble.com.

FEATURE << I thought Friday was a large, troublesome crowd, but Saturday... Saturday’s crowd was the devil. It was almost pure pandemonium.

Shoulder to shoulder foottraffic with people constantly pausing in the middle of the aisle for pictures.

James and I went to the Charmed Q&A with Holly Marie Combs and Brian Krause, and I felt really out of place. I have never watched an episode of the show, and to be honest, by just being in there I started to question my sexuality. But by the end of the segment, I found myself laughing and connecting to the stories and questions that were being asked.

By far, for me, Saturday’s highlight was the Bruce Campbell Q&A. I am a huge fan of everything the man has done and to be just feet away from him while he worked his magic in an incandescent way, was exhilarating.

Saturday also saw the CM Punk Q&A. I quit watching wresting somewhere around 2001, so I had heard of Punk, but I didn’t know anything about him. I was once again thoroughly impressed. He was very faithful with his hometown and even said there was no time-limit to the event that only CM Punk VIPs and press were allowed in. He seemed very intelligent and I learned a few things about him that made me respect him. I also got to witness my fellow colleague, Dave, ask him to say a few words on camera to his daughter. He was a little hesitant at first, but he did it for Dave. I teared up a bit because, being a father, I know what that meant to both Dave and his daughter.

On Sunday we were down to three since Dave had an early flight. We started out with the Stan Lee Q&A and I grabbed my front-row side seat I discovered during Bruce Campbell. Stan was just as fun as Bruce was. Once again, I teared up during his Q&A. Yes, I know, I’m starting to sound like a sissy--maybe the Charmed panel did something to me-- but, there was one of the greatest storytellers of the last 150 years right before me. Sadly, Stan’s age is starting to catch up with him. He’s still able and lively enough to give us part of his valuable time, but who’s to say how

much longer he will be with us. I am so thankful that I was given the opportunity to stand and watch him in part of his craft.

After Stan Lee, we wandered the floor one more time picking up a few interviews and doing a little last-minute reducedprice shopping. During this time, one of the best things of WWICCC happened to me though I didn’t know it at the time.

Jason was interviewing the guys behind Shadowland when a guy came up to me, saw my press-pass and handed me an envelope after saying a few words. I didn’t know what he said or paid much to the envelope after placing it in my bag. Later we’d found out that it was a screener-disc for the film Dead Weight which you can find a review of on page We finished up on the floor and left the convention center heading to the airport for my six hour wait. Once inside, and with plenty of time, I discovered that Chicago O’Hare is actually a pretty magnificent place.

The flight home was smooth, peaceful and calm and I completely enjoyed it. I would love to fly anywhere (except over the Pacific Ocean (Thanks, JJ Abrams!)).

I’d like to say that was the end of the wonderful journey, but I’m Shea Kimbrough, that can’t be the end. There has to be one more stupid thing to happen! Well, I had kept both my keys and a card that showed where I parked carefully locked away in a compartment in my suitcase.

I didn’t open that compartment since I originally closed it. But by some demonic force of nature, that little card just simply disappeared. So, there I was at 11:00 at night, alone and lost in the extremely vast Nashville International Airport Economy Parking Lot. I don’t know how I found my car, but I was relieve when I did.

Over the course of the weekend, I had an Odyssey-like journey, earned a few nicknames, watched childhood idols shine, met one of the (in my mind) most beautiful women in television, and bonded with some incredible men that I am fortunate enough to call not only colleagues, but friends. So, if you have the opportunity to head to Chicago this time next year, do yourself a favor; go. But don’t go alone, take some people with you that you know will have a wonderful time with, because, even though, you’re getting to meet all these people, it’s actually the moments with your friends that will stand out the most.

By: Shea Kimbrough

April 2012 | DayOldStubble | 29

REVIEW

Madden 13

ps3, Xbox 360, Wii

MADDEN 13

DO THE CHANGES MADE BY EA SPORTS TO THIS FAMOUS FRANCHISE IMPROVE OR HINDER WHAT MADE IT SO GREAT OVER THE YEARS?

Game Info: Format: PS3 / Xbox 360 / Wii / Wii U Developer: EA Tiburon Publisher: EA Sports Price: $59.99 Release Date: Out Now No. Players: Single Player Multiplayer

Alright sports fans this month we are giving a review of one of the most anticipated sports games out there……………………MADDEN 13.

Madden 13 was released to much fanfare on August 28, 2012. So much so that it is the first time that the game had been released in Brazil. The game has received positive reviews for the most part but a few people have complained of its complete change from the previous year plus the addition of the Kinect voice support along with the change in the famous GM Mode.

This years game brings us the commentating crew of CBS’ Jim Nantz and Phil Simms. (Where have you gone Summerall and Madden?) Anyway this game seems to be more directed to playing on line than anything else. Being one of the few people that DOES NOT play online I

30 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

was a little disappointed by this. Like a lot of other people I am a huge fan of how Madden did their GM Mode but in this years game they miss the boat on it completely. The only way to be able to access the GM Mode is in picking a career as a head coach. When you are in GM Mode I haven’t been able to see when you trade players how it affects your payroll. (Cap

Phil Simms and Jim Nantz from CBS are the new commentating Crew

New to Madden 13 on Xbox 360 is the addition of Kinect voice-activated commands enabling faster access to common actions.

penalties.) Another thing that is missing…..I loved the fact in the older version where you could relocate a team and move them somewhere else. Guess what? Can’t do it in this one. If there is one thing that I do enjoy about the new GM Mode is the fact that just because you bid on a free agent doesn’t mean that he will sign with your team.

In regards to other new things, I don’t really care for the career mode very much. It doesn’t really bring anything new to the game. The game play has a few different features such as: better placement of the ball on a pass from the QB to the WR, new pass trajectories and ball speeds to open up the field more, new pass animations, better play-action for the QB, the AI is smarter --- making

RATING

it more difficult to score on your favorite plays, defenses disguise their coverages better, and Madden offers the same control scheme that is used in NCAA Football.

Overall I feel that this game took a step back this year. I am an older person and set in my ways and I didn’t think that they needed to change anything. That’s the problem, I suppose, with a game that usually is know for its’ perfection. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. Somebody over at EA Sports thought that they could make Madden better…..but they failed.

By: Dave Norton

MADDEN Cover Athlete

A 64-player fan vote tournament to determine the cover athlete began on March 7, 2012. The vote-in round matched up a pair of teammates from each of the 32 NFL teams, the winners of which were seeded in a 32-player bracket. The cover features Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions.

MADDEN Curse

Prior to 1999 John Madden graced every installment. Since then those who have have experienced a decline in performance, usually due to an injury.

75%

Madden 13 may be flawed compared to years past, but it is still a fun season to play Pros: Enhanced graphics and new commentators along with improved AI Cons: The removal of the classic GM mode and mixing it into the head coaching carrer. Inability to relocate teams to see how they would do.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 31

Guest Writer The Analytical Couch Potato

Video Games

Gets an F- in History While enjoyable to play don't expect to pass any exams with what you learn.

Like many American gamers, I picked up a copy of Pokémon Conquest largely because of the Pokémon part, having little to no knowledge about the other half of the crossover, Nobunaga’s Ambition. Nor did I know anything about the titular character, Oda Nobunaga, who pursued conquest and unification of Japan in the Sengoku period. In order to feel somewhat informed about what I had just played, I looked up a few basic facts — and was both relieved and disappointed to find that the game itself was just as misinformed about Japanese history (and Pokémon history) as I was.

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Based on the names, Pokémon Conquest is designed to seem based on the Sengoku period of Japan. Without going into a full blown history lesson, it was a time of a lot of war; and while many did not give up their kingdoms as easily as those in Pokémon Conquest do, loyalties were built over said wars and other politics, and eventually this would lead to the unification of Japan. Oba Nobunaga, the series’ antagonist, is known in both actual history and in Pokémon Conquest as someone who is a driving force for a while.

seventeen nations within it. Additionally, if we are to believe this is based on the Sengoku period of Japan, then the main player and Nobunaga are striving to take over all of Japan, while it is commonly believed that each other pokemon game’s region is a part of Japan. Oh, and there’s also the extremely obvious “what the hell is Mewtwo doing here” moment, where you realize that not only is Mewtwo allegedly one of a kind, but that somehow some unknown person in-game also managed to acquire the technology to bring him here.

Nobunaga does not succeed in conquering and unifying Japan in either case, though in the actual history he died from betrayal at the hand of Akechi Mitsuhide. Toyotomi Hideyoshi later rose to take his place, actually unified Japan, and then died, with Tokugawa Ieyasu eventually ruling. In the game, however, there is no betrayal; the final battle has Ieyasu, Mitsuhide and Hideyoshi all loyal to Nobunaga, and Nobunaga doesn’t die. Additionally, the fact that Ieyasu started as a prisoner of the Oda clan is not referenced at all. From what I’ve played of the side episodes so far and read online, neither the betrayal nor the inheritance of the nation take place at all; the player’s decision to let each nation rule itself seems to stand in the end, before anyone in Nobunaga’s clan gets any chance at ruling.

Then there’s the stupidly obvious anachronism stew, like the existence of blimps, top hats, glasses, power plants, security cameras, and automated cranes.

But we’re not even going to bother there.

In addition to real history, the game sort of botches Pokémon continuity as well. Several easter eggs reference “the other regions” that have Pokémon carried around in spheres — which not only anachronistically contradicts the feudal system setting of this time period, but also the fact that the terminology of “nations” and “regions” is inconsistent.

In the other games, Kanto, Johto, Sinnoh, Hoenn, and Unova are “regions,” while the whole of the world in which the games take place is the “nation.” Conversely, the Ransei region of Pokémon Conquest has

But at least the game is true to the Nobunaga’s Ambition series, right? It still has that going for it, right? Well, sort of.

Nobunaga’s actually a playable character right off the bat in the other series, which directly contradicts his role as an antagonist of this game. Not only that, but Nobunaga’s Ambition is a more complex game, with other necessities besides conquering land; players have to please the peasants to prevent riots, and sustain the economy to keep the obtained lands fruitful.

The game isn’t entirely off, though.

All of the names are references to real people, and many of the warlords look at least somewhat similar to their real-life counterparts. Nobunaga, Tokugawa, and Uesugi Kenshin have very similar facial structures, and some carry the same outfits and family crests as their real-life counterparts (though occasionally a pokeball replaces a notable other image). Date Masamune is probably my favorite here, because he is portrayed as a teenager in Pokémon Conquest and, in real life, is a good thirty years younger than Nobunaga, which puts him at approximately the right age for consistency there. Not only that, but his hair swoops over his right eye, making it unseen — which I choose to believe is a nod to the fact that he lost his right eye in childhood. Oichi, Nobunaga’s sister (a plot twist totally spoiled if you do know the history) is probably the biggest exception, looking nothing alike in terms of hair color, eyes, or body shape. She’s also extraordinarly whiny compared to her strongwilled real-life counter part.

Above all, the one thing Pokémon Conquest keeps consistent with previous Nobunaga’s Ambition is its own reputation for historical accuracy

and intrigue. Games by the development team Koei in general are known for about 30-40% accuracy; the facts aren’t always correct, but the games give enough names to make it easy to look things up later, once you’ve gotten hooked. And much like other crossover games, the game gives you just enough of a taste of things you haven’t seen/tried yet to make you curious. It almost seems like, in many cases, the point of a crossover game is never to get things perfect, but just to attract interest using things you already enjoy as a branching off.

So don’t get me wrong — none of this is a strike against the game. Pokémon Conquest is a stupidly addicting game if you’re into strategy games, and it’s actually a little more strategic than the average Pokémon combat system, despite each Pokémon only getting one move. But if you’re hoping to culture yourself or gain any sort of appreciation for the past, look elsewhere. Or, better yet, play the game, and just double check when you think you’re learning something. I’m sure the developers would still pat themselves on the back if they at least got you to look up what was right or wrong about the characters.

Chalkey Horenstein, the Editor-In-Chief of The Analytical Couch Potato, is out to prove that video games, as well as other forms of entertainment like movies and television, can be just as literary as literature. Outside of The ACP, his writing and/or editing has also appeared in The Record (Detroit, MI), Spare Change News (Boston, MA), The Westford Eagle (Westford, MA), The Artful Dodge (Wooster, OH), Real Change (Seattle, WA), and Die Jerusalёmmer (Germany), among others. He is a simple man with simple pleasures, like Pokemon, morning jogs, filk, and swing dancing.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 33

REVIEW

DEAD WEIGHT

INDIE

Dead Weight

Small budget indie flick that makes a big impact! movie Info: Production year: 2012 Rated: Unrated Runtime: 89 mins Written & Directed: Adam Bartlett, John Pata Cast: Joe Belknap, Mary Lindberg, Michelle Courvais, and Aaron Christensen Genre: Drama, Thriller

At Wizard World International Chicago Comic-Con, I was given a small white envelope. Unknowingly to me, inside of that envelope would be the film that single handedly restored my faith in independent filmmaking.

Dead Weight is the story of Charlie and his journey through a post-zombie-apocalyptic world to Wausau, WI where he hopes to reunite with his girlfriend. Charlie has a group of ragtag companions who have been traveling with him but you can tell from the first scene shot in the present time, that he is completely different. There’s something that drives him and conversely, there is something that is weighing him down. And

Above: Charlie (Joe Belknap) hams it up in one of his first dates with Samantha, while trying to win her over with his charm.

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Above: Charlie, Meredith, Thomas and Dustin come across an abandonded car on their trek to Wausau, WI.

he must face that and the consequences that carrying such weight brings.

Much like one of my favorite novels, Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” it’s about the humanistic element of survival much more so than the elemental, and physical elements of survival. The novel was an instant classic, but the film adaptation of the novel, while wonderfully acted and beautifully shot, is not as good as a representation of McCarthy’s vision.

Dead Weight, however, is.

This film is not only well written, but the cinematography is completely outstanding. There are certain shots that, as a fellow filmmaker, leave me jealous. It’s had me watching it a third and fourth time just to take notes.

The best facet of the film is the fact that the present time scenes travel forward in time as you follow Charlie on his journey.

The flashbacks, however, start at the viral outbreak and travel backwards in time so you see the deterioration of their relationship, but as you get deeper in the film and witness Charlie doing certain things, you see him and his girlfriend

Above: Meredith (Michelle Courvais) and Thomas (Aaron Christensen) discuss their feelings about Charlie and if he can be trusted.

in earlier and earlier stages of their relationship and you can’t help but feel sorry for and like the character when you normally would want to start to dislike him.

I’d really like to close with a segment on the ending of the film, but I don’t want to ruin it for you. Just trust me when I say it’s heart wrenching and pure genius.

By: Shea Kimbrough

RATING

A must watch and definitely a must own.

REVIEW

Contamination

Movie

Contamination: A Convention Story SOMETIMES THE NEXT BEST THING TO GOING TO A CONVENTION IS SEEING WHAT GOES ON AT ONE Ever wish you could go to fan convention but canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t find the time or unsure what to expect? Then maybe you should consider watching Contamination: A Convention Story. This hour-long documentary of the annual Con-tamination Convention in St. Louis is close to the next best thing.

While the Con-tamination Convention is nowhere near as large San Diegoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Comic Con the director and producer did an excellent job of covering how everyone feels who attends these conventions from the celebrities down to the curious fan checking out their first convention.

"Contamination" was directed by Corey Logsdon, who also directed the beloved love story "Zombie Epidemic" in 2009, and produced by the Pirate Media Group. This documentary is about genre conventions and the crazy assortment of professionals and fans that attend. The film details the dedication and commitment to fandom and everything that it includes from autographs, merchandise, movies, and costumes down to the pure fact that it gives everyone including the celebrities a weekend to escape from the real world.

Featuring several interviews with actors that have worn world famous masks as Jason, Michael, and Leatherface over the years along with Candyman himself, Tony Todd and several horror veterans from the zombie epic DAY OF THE DEAD. Viewers also get to meet musician G Tom Mac, who is best known for the gothic rock anthem "Cry Little Sister" he created for THE LOST BOYS movie, several adult film stars (Including Veronica Hart and Seka ), and the re-united cast and director of the Roger Corman-produced FANTASTIC FOUR. In case you were wondering the film everyone remembers from 2005 with Jessica Alba and Chris Evans was not the first Fantastic Four film made. The 1994 Constantin Film film was pulled from distribution before hitting American screens but developed a strong cult

movie Info: Production year: 2012 Rated: NR Runtime: 65 mins Director: Corey Logsdon Producer: Gayle Gallagher Genre: Documentary

following with leaked copies being distributed to anyone willing to watch.

Corey Logsdon does a great job of letting us know that even the stars can become attached to these conventions and love the interaction they get with their fans. While not every fan can be an emotional pick me up, yes even they admit that some are way too fanatical, the general consensus is that each convention brings something new and rewarding.

Besides covering the stars of the show the filmmakers talk to artists, dealers, and, most importantly, the fans to get their take on what makes a convention worthwhile. Of course many are adorned in their own homemade costumes during the interviews but it is easy to see how and why they come back year after year.

While the documentary loses its pace at times, Corey Logsdon and the Pirate Media Group have produced an entertaining and spontaneous look at the often confusing and misconstrued social gatherings of us the beloved fanatics.

By: Jason Carrick

RATING

Be sure to check back next month for our interview with Director Corey Logsdon and Producers Gayle Gallagher and Wyatt Weed. Check out the Contamination: A Convention Story website at contaminationthemovie.com and Pirate Media Group at pirate-media.net.

This is one documentary you will become a fan of.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 35

REVIEW Halloween 1978

Movie

ARE YOU SCARED YET? Dave Takes a look at the film that started one of the greatest Horror franchises ever Well it’s that time of year again kiddies when you get to put on your scariest costume and run door to door to acquire as much candy as you possibly can…..and to murder several teenagers in a fit of psychotic rage!

This month we here at Day Old Stubble are going to give a review of the greatest movie ever to watch while passing time giving candy out to those little monsters --- John Carpenter’s 1978 horror classic Halloween.

movie Info: Production year: 1978 Rated: R Runtime: 91 mins Director: John Carpenter Cast: Donald Pleasence, Jamie Lee Curtis, P. J. Soles, Nancy Loomis Genre: Horror

Our story begins on October 31, 1963 in Haddonfield, Illinois. We see 6 year old Michael Myers spying on his sister as she is making out with her boyfriend.

After a few minutes they go upstairs to “do the deed”. MAJOR NO-NO in the horror business. Anyway, after the boyfriend leaves Michael goes into the kitchen and gets a butcher knife and decides to go upstairs and stab his sister Judith repeatedly until she dies. Michael then walks downstairs and out to his front porch with the bloody knife in his hand. (What really makes this eerie is the camera angle in which Mr. Carpenter decided to shoot this scene. The viewer is basically placed in the shoes of Michael Myers.) Immediately, a car pulls up with Michael’s parents inside. His father takes Michael’s mask off to reveal a very strange and demented little boy. After the murder takes place it is revealed that Michael is admitted to Smith’s Grove Sanitarium where he is placed under the care of Dr. Samuel Loomis (who, in my own humble opinion, is one of the greatest characters ever to appear in a movie.) Being in a catatonic state for 15 years Michael escapes Smith’s

36 | DayOldStubble | Issue 8

Grove and is on his way back to Haddonfield for murder and mayhem with Dr. Loomis following him.

The next day, which just happens to be Halloween, we are introduced to quiet, mousy high school student Laurie Strode. Laurie begins to see this mysterious figure wherever she goes. Her friends Annie and Lynda tell her not to worry about it, that it’s just in her head. While this is going on Dr. Loomis has made his way to the Haddonfield to discover that Judith Myers’ headstone is missing from the local cemetery. At this point Loomis now knows that Michael has “come home.” Loomis then seeks out the local sheriff. The 2 men then begin the search for the escaped mental patient before any bloodshed can take place.

That night Laurie starts babysitting a boy named Tommy Doyle while down the street Annie is babysitting a girl named Lindsey.

Unbeknownst to them they are being watched

by Michael. After

getting a call from her boyfriend Paul, Annie takes Lindsey over to the Doyle residence so her and Paul can “do the deed”. AGAIN, A MAJOR NO-NO IN THE HORROR WORLD! Well, Annie never makes it. Michael kills her in her car. Little Tommy Doyle just happens to be looking out the window when Michael is carrying Annie’s limp, dead body back into the house. (Another memorable and terrifying scene in the movie.) Tommy screams for Laurie saying that he just saw the Boogeyman but she dismisses it

Michael Myers got a start in horror young and could never let it go as just a Halloween prank. Laurie’s other friend Lynda and her boyfriend Bob head on over to Annie’s house for a little of the taboo stuff not knowing that Michael is inside. After sex, Bob goes downstairs to get him and Lynda a beer. Michael then appears and lifts Bob off of the ground just to impale him into the wall. The creepiest thing about this is after Bob is nailed to the wall, Michael looks at him as if he is some piece of artwork or a painting. (Another classic moment in the movie.) Michael then makes his way upstairs in another great/classic/ creepy moment. He is hiding under a sheet with Bob’s glasses on. Lynda thinks that Bob is just playing a prank on her and gets very angry. She decides to call Laurie.

Right when Laurie picks up the phone Michael takes the phone cord and strangles Lynda while she listens.

The sounds she hears concerns her so she decides to head over to Annie’s house to see what is going on.

Once Laurie enters the home she wishes she didn’t.

She discovers the dead bodies of her friends throughout the house. Upstairs Annie’s dead body has the gravestone of Michael’s long dead sister Judith behind it.

Realizing she has to get out of there as soon as possible, Laurie is then attacked by Michael. After falling down the stairwell, Laurie exits the house and begins screaming for help throughout the neighborhood to no avail. She staggers back over to the Doyle house only to discover

Above: Laurie (Jamie Lee Curtis), trying to decide if going to her friends house is a good idea.

Left: Dr. Sam Loomis (Donald Pleasence) and Sherrif Brackett (Charles Cyphers) talk about the situation at hand.

that the front door is locked. She screams for Tommy to unlock the door and let her in. Once inside she tells Tommy and Lindsey to hide. A few moments later Michael attacks her but Laurie is able to get him off of her thanks to a well placed knitting needle in his neck. Laurie then runs upstairs to hide in a bedroom closet but Michael is hot on her heels and breaks a hole in the door to get to her. Laurie uses a coat hanger to poke Michael in the eye which causes him to drop his knife. She then uses the knife to stab Michael who slumps down and apparently dies. Now comes the GREATEST SCENE IN HORROR MOVIE HISTORY! Laurie has exited from the closet and has stepped over the “dead” body of Michael Myers. Once she gets to the doorway she slumps down from exhaustion and fright.

Laurie calls for Tommy and Lindsey to come out of hiding and go down the street and call for the police.

They run out of the house screaming just as Dr. Loomis is passing by and he suspects that they are running from Michael. Behind Laurie we see the body of Michael sit up and turn his head towards Laurie in one single motion --- that my friends is freakin’ creepy! Michael then goes over to Laurie and begins to strangle her when Dr. Loomis appears and shoots Michael six times. He falls from the seconds story balcony. Dr. Loomis goes to check on Laurie who ask “Was that the Boogeyman?“ Loomis’ reply “As a matter of fact it was.“ The movie ends when Dr. Loomis looks out into the yard but Michael is no where to be found.

Loomis knows that Michael is still out there. We are left with shots of Haddonfield that Michael could

be hiding in all the while listening to his breathing in his mask.

Wow! What a movie. They just don’t make them like this anymore.

Mr. Carpenter’s work here is terrifying yet amazing. Today’s movies require that it show all of the blood and guts but Mr. Carpenter scared people without showing hardly any of that.

The character of Michael Myers was so revolutionary. He was pure evil. In my opinion Michael Myers was the best of all of the “slasher killers”. His costume was so plain that it made you feel like ANYONE could have been Michael Myers.

Add the fact that Michael didn’t talk during any of the movies he was in only added to the creepy factor.

Another thing: THE MUSIC! Who could forget that creepy music? That just helped make Michael so much more scarier. While watching the movie you knew when Michael was around and when he was going to strike. For Christ sake he kills Lester the dog……..how much more evil can you get? Good job Mr. Carpenter!

So this year on Halloween make you some popcorn, sit back, relax, put in John Carpenter’s Halloween and enjoy the show. Above all else though, DON’T HAVE SEX! Unless you want to die. (cue evil laugh).

By: Dave Norton

RATING

This classic horror film set the standard for all going after.

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 37

>> Horror

Scarefest Central

Dave Visits the Flashback Weekend Horror Convention Welcome to a new section here at Day Old Stubble where we discuss what is going on in the world of horror movies and the actors and actresses in them.

Horror movie legend Kane Hodder made an appearance at the Flashback Weekend Chicago Horror Convention on August 10 thru August 12 and he didn’t disappoint. I was lucky enough to have met Mr. Hodder (as you can see by the picture) and he kept me entertained for a while. The only man to portray Friday the 13th’s unstoppable killer Jason Voorhees more than once Mr. Hodder was very hospitable towards his fans. The Hatchet and Hatchet II star would share stories of his adventures and mishaps from his over 100 movie career.

Along with the opportunity to get an autograph and a photo with Mr. Hodder fans were also able to pick up a copy of his autobiography titled Unmasked: The True Story of the World’s Most Prolific Cinematic Killer - Kane Hodder which he helped write along with co-author Mike Aloisi. I can tell you that the book is very entertaining and a great read. I was able to read it cover to cover within 3 hours on my way back from Chicago. If you haven’t obtained a copy you can do so at kanehodderkills.com.

Above: Don't worry Dave didn't meet his untimely demise after meeting Kane Hodder. This is his normal way of thanking his fans for their appreciation.

Kane Hodder is a horror move legend! Most actors and actresses that reach the status aren’t very hospitable but I can tell you Mr. Hodder was one of the nicest individuals I ever had the pleasure to meet. If you have ever debated going to a horror convention show I’m here to tell you…..

GO! You won’t regret it. Other celebrities in attendance were Ken Foree (Dawn Of The Dead, The Devil’s Rejects), Tony Todd (Candyman, Final Destination, Hatchet), Tyler Mane (Halloween and Halloween II), Linda Blair (The Exorcist), Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, The Frighteners), Scout Taylor-Compton (Halloween and Halloween II), and Danielle Harris (Halloween and Halloween 4).

Above: The Candyman's Tony Todd in a more pleasant appearance then most horror fans remember.

38 | DayOldStubble | April 2012

Below: Dave got to meet Ken Foree from Dawn of the Dead at Flashback Weekend.

One final word of warning. If you have never had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hodder at one of these conventions….. be prepared. When you get a picture taken with the man he does put his hands around your throat and gives it a little squeeze. (Again, see the picture!) Another unique experience brought to you by the man also known as Jason Voorhees.

By: dave norton

WRESTLING GEEK:

Wrestling <<

BREAKING KAYFABE Dave Gets Cozy With "Big Sexy"

This month on Breaking Kayfabe we are discussing one of the pioneers of the “Attitude Era”…..Kevin Nash. Mr. Nash is a 6 time World Champion and a 12 time Tag Team Champion along with being one of the founding members of one of the greatest wrestling factions ever the New World Order (n.W.o.).

Mr. Nash began his wrestling career in WCW in 1990. After wrestling as Steel (one half of the tag team Master Blasters), Oz (a character based upon Oz from the Wizard Of Oz), and as Vinnie Vegas (his most profitable character that teamed with Diamond Dallas Page to form the team The Vegas Connection). Mr. Nash decided to seek his fame and fortune with WCW’s main competition WWF. In 1993 Mr. Nash debuted as HBK Shawn Michaels’ bodyguard Diesel.

After a successful year and a half run with HBK which included 2 stints as a tag team champion and 2 stints as the intercontinental champion. Mr. Nash then set his sights on the WWF Championship.

On November 26, 1994 at Madison Square Garden Mr. Nash defeated then champion Bob Backlund in only 8 seconds to capture his first world championship. After a lengthy 358 day campaign as champion Mr. Nash lost to Bret Hart at the 1995 Survivor Series. After battling the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels for the next few months Mr. Nash last match in the WWF was on April 28, 1996 against his old friend Shawn Michaels in the famous MSG Incident.

Mr. Nash then went back to WCW. In 1996 Kevin Nash teamed with Scott Hall to overthrow WCW. With the addition of “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan these 3 men were known as the new World order. The new World order was a revolutionary faction of wrestling that was truly entertaining.

The group was made up of former WWF stars that helped give of the appearance that they were trying to overthrow WCW. During this time Mr. Nash began to tire of Hogan’s antics and formed n.W.o. Wolfpac.

After winning a 60 man battle royal Nash defeated the undefeated Goldberg (with

a little help from a stun gun) to become world champion. Over the next 2 years Mr. Nash would become a multiple WCW champion by defeating rivals such as Diamond Dallas Page and Booker T. By 2002 WCW had been purchased by Vince McMahon. The n.W.o. (“Hollywood” Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash) were brought in to create havok in the WWE. However over the course of the next 2 years injuries played a part in Mr. Nash’s career limiting his wrestling. After a few battles and losing a hair vs. hair match against Chris Jericho Mr. Nash went off to film the major motion picture The Punisher. He would next make an appearance for the newest company to throw their hat in the ring --- the Jeff Jarrett owned TNA Wrestling.

2004 saw Kevin Nash wrestling dominance continue in TNA. (To date Kevin is only 1 of a handful of wrestlers to be able to say that they have been able to draw huge crowds in WCW, TNA, and WWE.) During his tenure with TNA, Nash gave us his war against the X Division, the group Paparazzi Productions, the birth of Jay Lethal’s “Macho Man” Randy Savage’s persona, managing the Motor City Machine Guns, Dr. Nash psychiatrist and advisor to Karen and Kurt Angle, the mentoring of Samoa Joe, the Main Event Mafia, and his “walkout” on TNA. It was during this time period is when Mr. Nash showed his mentoring of the next generation of wrestlers.

Royal Rumble 2011 saw Kevin Nash return to the WWE to an extremely loud ovation. After 7 years it was nice to see Mr. Nash return to where he always should have been. He had one more run in with his old friend HHH before deciding to take some time off to concentrate on an acting career. He has currently starred in the musical “Rock Of Ages” and the summer blockbuster “Magic Mike”.

Recently at Wizard World Chicago Con I had the honor and privilege to be able to interview Mr. Nash. It truly was my pleasure being able to have a sit down with him. Not that I am a ball busting reporter for a major newspaper or anything but Mr. Nash answered every one of my questions without any delay. He was very passionate when answering and had a great sense of humor as well. For a man that is supposedly opinionated and somewhat difficult to deal with Mr. Nash was a true professional. He didn’t have to be as cordial as he was to me but he was. I’ve interviewed several wrestlers and I can honestly say that I am extremely honored to have been able to meet Mr. Nash. Thank you very much for your time. It is appreciated.

Anyone interested in seeing the interview with Mr. Nash can either go to you tube or check our website dayoldstubble.com.

By: dave norton

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 39

>> MAC N CHEESE

MAC N CHEESE BREAK DETZ REFLECTS ON THE HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN

Ahh, it’s that time of year again. A time we all come together to scare the crap out of one another. I am a night owl with a horror/zombie film fetish and I get to celebrate both in the same day! Halloween is the fall equivalent to St. Patrick’s Day, well at least for us adults. It has evolved from a respectful religious holiday to a day where we are more consumed about where and how we are going to party. So to show those religious nuts that I am not completely devoid of knowledge let’s do a recap of the origins of the holiday.

To the surprise of some Halloween actually has it’s roots within pagan rituals. In Celtic history Nov. 1 is known as Samhain, a day that marks the start of preparing for winter and also a day when a door to the underworld was opened enough for souls to reach our side. Common practices of the day before were to set a place at the table for the souls of dead family, turnip lanterns to protect from harmful spirits, and wearing costumes to disguise themselves as a means of protection. The trick-or-treating aspect may have evolved from three different practices.

Some locations in Ireland would travel from house to house to gather food for a huge feast, while other places did so collect fuel for a huge Samhain bonfire. Yet another practice in southern Ireland was the idea that a man dressed as a white mare would lead children from house to house asking for food. In return, those who donated came to expect good luck. It is interesting to see how our common practices today have evolved from history.

But that is not the only history involving Oct 31. In Christianity It was believed that the souls of those who had died roamed the earth until All Saints Day, which was originally May 13th but was moved to Nov. 1st under Pope Gregory IV, a move that was not without scrutiny. People made soul cakes and poor people, often children, would travel amongst the houses asking for these cakes. This was observed as a way of praying for those in purgatory. Costumes were said to be worn to disguise themselves since it was the last day the wandering souls had to take any revenge on those who had wronged them in the past. Our modern day jack-o-lanterns were apparently a representation of a soul in purgatory. While it is clear that Christianity had their own motives for celebrating this holiday I would say without a doubt that it was taken from the Celts. An obvious sign is that North America never really honored this holiday until the the Irish and Scottish immigrated over here en masse.

Obviously Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. Granted I love people giving me things at Christmas and all the food around Thanksgiving but you have to give gifts as well and be nice to people. Screw that. Halloween is allows us to honor the dead in the best ways possible: slutty girl’s costumes, candy, and drinking. What’s that you say? That’s a horrible way to honor the dead? Granted I know it may seem unconventional but in reality All Saint’s Day isn’t until tomorrow. So Halloween in my opinion is the night we show those that have died that we miss them dearly and that this drink is for them. We still love living and we are going to celebrate our life in memory of those who have passed on. So this Halloween as you party it up remember to pour a little of your drink on the ground in honor of those who have passed on.

Detz All Folks!!

-James Detzler

Deputy Editor

40 | DayOldStubble | April 2012

The comic <<

The

BOOby Hatch True Tales of Life in the Retail World

Created by Dave Norton and Steve Dudley

Issue 8 | DayOldStubble | 41

DayOldStubble WATCH OUR REVIEWS

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Awww it’s over???

Yes, this months DayOldStubble magazine has ended. The fun doesn’t have to stop here though. We have a website

also. Come visit us at www.dayoldstubble.com. We update daily with fun and interesting posts. Also you can contact us on there to ask us questions and get featured in the next issue of our magazine. Tell us what you think of the articles by our writers. If you are more into Facebook, come “Like” us at www.facebook.com/TheDayOldStubble. Let us know what sections of the magazine you liked and which ones you could do without If you like to tweet but aren’t a twit you can follow us on Twitter @dayoldstubble. Maybe you just want to let us know of something you want us to cover. Finally, if you are more of a visual person then you can come watch our videos on YouTube, www.youtube.com/DayOldStubble. We have movie and tech reviews and lots of great footage from comic cons this past year.

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