X-Men / Shazam: Clash of the Multiverse mash-up by Paco Taylor
Respects (and apologies) to Alex Ross, the artist whose beautiful imagery was taken from two different comic book covers to create this mash-up idea that zinged me like a baby lightning bolt on Halloween eve. (See: Sugar rush)
What you see isn’t the original idea that hit me, calling for a Storm Halloween cosplaymash-up of some sort. But I’m very happy with the more organic place the creative process took the original idea and what came out of it.
As you can see, Storm of the X-Men stands in for Mary Marvel (aka Black Mary, circa 2007), striking an electrifying pose in front of Black Adam and Mighty Isis. The lighting bolt on the torso is a perfect complement to the little gold lightning bolt earrings that Storm was given in the early 90s, when her look from the previous decade was given a makeover.
If DC and Marvel were ever to revisit their Amalgam Comics imprint of the 90s, which saw heroes from both comic book universes merged to create new ones, Storm–as is quite apparent here–would be a natural (and gorgeous) fit for the Shazam comics universe.
I'll leave it up to someone else to come up with a cool name for the new character. I needed a creative distraction from my writing duties, but now I've got to get back to work.
Oh, yeah! And shout-out to AsylusGoji91 for the Clash of the Multiverse logo. It was a perfect fit for this comic book cover-style fan art.
This idea about the influence of MLK and Malcolm X on Stan Lee's creation of the mutant leaders in X-Men comics has been circulating on the interwebz for years now. Amusingly, I even saw it mentioned in a short film recently. So I decided that it was finally time for Professor XXL to weigh in on whether or not this one is fact or fiction. Oh, but do know that I've known the answer all along. And now you–if you don't know already–will, too. You can check out the essay by clicking here.
UM...HOW DID THIS HAPPEN, AND HOW AM I JUST LEARNING ABOUT IT?!?!
Despite my not owning any records, CDs or even a single mp3 track by the legendary rock group KISS, I still have a soft spot for 'em that dates back to my days as a lil' crumb snatcher. This is mainly because–aside from their super cool-looking visuals and superhero-like alter egos–the band had a series of toys made in their image (by MEGO), and a comic book published by Marvel (Marvel Comics Super Special #1, 1977).
In addition to that serious soft spot for KISS, I have a fanatical love of anime that dates back to childhood. I've mentioned before how old school Japanese import TV 'toons like Prince Planet, Speed Racer, Starblazers, Battle of the Planets, Captain Harlock and others helped make me into the big ol' otaku that I am today.
Well, the video for "Yume no Ukiyo ni Saite Mi na" ("Try to Bloom in a Dream About the Floating World") is giving me all the feels. The idol group Momoiro Clover Z did this rockin' lil ditty as a collabo with KISS back in 2015. I didn't know anything about it, though, until 10 or so minutes ago. So I'm postin' it here, cuz I know I'm not alone.
And no, it's not subtitled in English. Deal widdit.
Incredible Hulk issue 197 (March 1976). Cover by Bernie Wrightson.
One of the great things about comics is that somehow–even having lived through the Bronze Age–there's still so many cool books that I've never even seen. Wow.
Pink, electric cyan, lavender, greens, reds, varying shades of blue and hints of still other nearly-fluorescent colors. The arrangement is, um... "virtually antithetical to the hyper-masculine colors typically associated with testosterone-driven superhero movies." Heck, it almost kinda-sorta makes you wonder how ya'll came up with such a color palette.
Naw, just kidding. It really it doesn't. [Stares in Don Cheadle] Well played, motherfuckers.
Anywho, just wanted to say beautiful work on the 22 Avengers: Infinity War posters that you dropped on the nerdiverse today. Really beautiful. I approve. (You also get middle fingers, yeah, but I approve.) St. Paco
Yoooo! My new piece over on Medium (moved to Vocal.media) goes out as a special dedication to all the Halle Berry haters–cuz y'all suck. Feel free to get abreast on how I managed to milk more out of this very passionate topic of debate amongst geeks than should have been possible by (c)licking here.
Onitsuka Tiger 'Gap Khaki' parody ad by STP Design
I'm going to miss seeing it in the margin atop my "Most Viewed" posts (where it's pretty much stayed since August of 2015!), but this popular lil' piece was deactivated by yours truly today. That's the bad news.
The good news is that I've given the post a Revised-N-Remastered™ edition. I've beefed up the original version with more info and more pics and posted it all to Medium. You can check it out by clicking here.
Sometime back in November of 2017, the nice editors over at Krypton Radio extended this blogger an invitation to write for their sci-fi-centric website. And...last week I finally got around to pitchin' 'em an idea, which they were happy to accept. So, in honor of Marvel's newest box office smash, I pulled out my long boxes and clawed my way through 40 years of comics history to pick out what I deem to be the top 20 illest and flyest and dopest and – simply – coolest Black Panther comic book covers. Give it a gander on Krypton Radio's website by clicking here. Excelsior!
Early last year, I ran across a review written by a Dr. Adams Bodomo, the professor of African Studies at the University of Vienna (Austria). A book by author Don Wyatt, The Blacks of Premodern China, had been critiqued by Dr. Bodomo, and I admired his sharp insights. I had only read a few chapters of Wyatt's book, but I was likewise critical of many of his theories on the origins of black folks in China prior to 1912 (when its modern era began). So on a lark, very late on the evening of January 31st, I sent Professor Bodomo a link to my photo essay "Ancient Chinese Secret." When I awoke the next morning, there was a brief reply. With nothing in the way of fanfare, Dr. Bodomo opened by referring to my essay as "a wonderful piece of writing." Immediately after, he introduced the name of his associate, Professor Li Anshan, who he described as "the best historian on African issues in China." He also mentioned where I might read some of Anshan's work. (By way of a Google search, I learned that Anshan is a professor at Peking University's School of International Studies. He's also the director of the university's African Studies program.) Assuming that I might be familiar with the work of the African American historian and world traveler Runoko Rashidi, he also introduced his name into his note. Ironically, I'd actually sent Runoko a link to the essay right after I sent it to Dr. Bodomo. Runoko is someone with whom I've been acquainted for a decade. He even republished one of my essays in his 2012 book, African Star Over Asia: The Black Presence in the East (Books of Africa, UK). I thanked the professor for his kind reply and went on with my day. Later that evening, I checked my stats on Medium...and saw that the page hits on my essay had gone up by about 1,500 new views, over the 950 it had slowly picked up after the piece was posted on November 28. By Sunday evening, the stats reflected an even more surprising new total of 7.3 thousand views. (As of this posting, the count has just reached 13 thousand views.) I've yet to write to confirm to whom it was that Dr. Bodomo sent the piece, but it seems that someone of influence liked it, and then shared it. Benny Luo, the founder of the Nextshark website, saw the piece when it was shared by one of his contacts on Facebook. He tracked down my profile page and messaged me to ask if I was the author of the work. When I confirmed that it was in fact my piece, he asked if he could syndicate it on Nextshark. Nextshark is an online magazine focused on business, tech, and culture, targeting Asian millennials around the globe. It averages about 3 million unique views per month. (See: site FAQs) He offered some info about the site and I mentioned that I was already a fan of one of Nextshark's editors, whom I follow on Facebook. I also told him that I'd be pleased to have them syndicate my piece. The next day, Benny told me to send a headshot and a 2-3 sentence bio. As of February 5, my photo essay currently on the Medium site is also being featured on Nextshark. The page views there are likely to be astronomical. At the moment, I'm just tryna wrap my head around how quickly it all happened. But I'm happy the essay has finally found its audience. If I do say so myself, it is a wonderful piece of writing. LOL! Fight me.
Remember when I wondered here on this humble lil' blog if my Blade fan art piece somehow made an impact on the naming of the last Underworld movie? Well, ol' Tinsel Town has really got my spider-sense tingling now; those wack-ass swagger jackers bit my $#%&! If you haven't seen it yet, check out the teaser trailer for next year's Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse film.When you're done with that, puh-leeze check out my pulse-pounding post over on vocal.media where I ask: Did Awesome Fan Art Inspire the Remarkable Look of 2018's Animated 'Spider-Man' Movie? And lemme know if you agree, true believers.
Among the countless inquiries often provoked by this still strange and
wondrous world (right up there with Do UFOs exist?, Who
drank the last of the milk?, and Honey, do I look fat in these jeans?), the question of whether black Chinese people exist seems to be one of the most
enduring. The circumstances that have given birth to this question are many, not the least of them maybe having much to do with the unexpected appearance of the half-black and half-Thai sports phenomenon Tiger Woods on golf courses and Nike commercials some two decades ago. Unsatisfied with the attempts made by others to offer a definitive answer to this question, this researcher has tossed his own hat into the ring. The surprising answer — an 11 minute read complete with 14 pulse-pounding photos — can be read over on Medium by clicking here. Press play on your favorite Wu-Tang album and give it a look.
'No. 117: 5Lab3 Iron Man Helmet Mask and Gauntlet'
[Credit: @freehandprofit]
In M. Night Shayamalan's late '90s thriller The Sixth Sense, a young boy with a supernatural talent for seeing something that others can't whispers the now-famous phrase: "I see dead people." Similarly, and almost just as astonishingly, the San Francisco-based artist Freehand Profit has revealed — by way of his senses shattering artwork — his own preternatural gift for seeing in the seams and folds of athletic shoes what no mere mortals can: he sees superheroes.
[Credit: @freehandprofit]
Not only does the curiously monikered Freehand Profit (born Gary Lockwood) see comic book superheroes. He sees the faces of anime heroines, the helmets of Star Wars shock troops, the heads of robots and sci-fi inspired gas masks. But it’s his production of wares based on the Marvel Comics character War Machine — forged from the deconstructed husks of pairs of Air Jordans — that gives the most fitting glimpse into another dimension we never guessed existed.
The world of Freehand Profit is a realm of an imagination gone buck wild, where the contemporary subcultures of comic book geeks, hip-hop heads, cosplayers (costumed role-players) and sneaker freaks collide. It's a world where the stylish, logo-branded future is right now and where lowbrow fan art is the highest art. Best of all, it's a world where our materialism can become creative fodder for a recycling program unlike anything the world has ever seen.
'No. 117: 5Lab3 Iron Man Helmet Mask (Profile)'
[Credit: @freehandprofit]
Embracing The Past, Present And Future
This sneaker mask spotlighted here is the 117th such piece in a senses-shattering series of masks produced by Freehand Profit using the leather and rubber of high-end sneakers. The artist says that he’s always found himself intrigued by masks, whether those used in the ancient rituals of various cultures or those donned by crime fighting superheroes. And Tony Stark, the wealthy industrialist of Marvel Comics' Iron Man comics provides a rich source for mining.
In the comics, the War Machine armor created by Tony Stark first made a brief cameo appearance in the closing pages of Iron Man #281 (June 1992). The armor was made to be used by Tony's friend Captain James Rhodes, who has appeared wearing the suit not only in comics, but in cartoons, video games and live-action Hollywood films like Iron Man 2, Captain America: Civil War and next year's much-awaited film Avengers: Infinity War.
[Credit: Marvel Comics]
Studying The Art of War
Remarkably, the War Machine helmet was crafted from four pairs of black and gray Jordan 5Lab3 sneakers. In addition to headgear, a glove or "gauntlet" was also produced, which boasts working mechanics and lights. Topping off the ensemble is Iron Man's arc reactor, the round technical marvel that keeps the injured heart of Tony Stark beating. True to amazing form, it was also created using the sole of a 5Lab3 sneaker with LED lights added.
If you would like to see more of the "No. 117: 5Lab3 Iron Man Helmet" and more mind-blowing "sneaker head" productions of Freehand Profit, please check out his Instagram page. If you think the mask featured here is amazing, just wait until you see an earlier incarnation of the other Iron Man mask ("No. 45), and the Wolverine mask in the colorway of the classic yellow and blue uniform. If you're lucky, true believer, you'll never see your Air Jordans the same way again.
"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you / Without a strong rhyme to step to."
– Eric B. & Rakim
It's been quite the year, let me tell you. And while I haven't been writing much on YKFS, the cyber-foot traffic still manages to be impressive. I thank everyone who's stumbled upon this humble blog, and I sincerely appreciate all o' yous' who decide to return from time to see what's new.
Oh, and I have been writing. Just not here.
As the views on this site began creeping up to 100,000 back in June of this year (a milestone I'd forgotten to even acknowledge, doh!), I realized that it was finally time to start branching out as a writer and to expand my influence as an...influencer.
Damn skippy, I got influence. And sooomebody owes me some shoes. Uh huh, I see you, Onitsuka. I see you. *Side eye*
Anywho, in a remarkably short amount of time it all came together. After years of mostly giving away mah creative jewels for free-ninety-nine, as of today yours truly is a freelance writer for two different websites, MoviePilot/Creators and Comic Book Resources. Cool, huh?
And no, I'm not exactly making Eric B. & Rakim money (see: Paid in Full), but whatever I'm making will cover the cost of an out-of-control comic book habit. So if you haven't seen anything new posted to YKFS, feel free to check me out from time to time here and here.
Samuel L. Jackson is no stranger to singing on the silver screen, despite the fact that he has never made a frequent thing of it. Whenever he does decide it's time once again to croon a tune (or several tunes), Jackson invariably sings good old fashioned southern blues. This will be no different in his upcoming film The Hitman's Bodyguard, but having Sam singing wasn't originally part of the plan. Before we get into how this turn of events came about, let's take a brief glance back at Jackson's surprising track record of singing the blues. The Blues And Sam Go Back Like Rocking Chairs
In the 1996 action film Long Kiss Goodnight (in which he stars with a proto-Atomic Blonde Geena Davis), Jackson plays Mitch Henessey, a blues-loving private eye. Throughout the film, Mitch croons Bo Diddly's "I'm A Man," with hilariously improvised lyrics that help him feel confident in times of self doubt:
"Ba-da-da-da-dun, got me a handgun / Ba-da-da-da-dun, got a rifle too / Ba-da-da-da-dun, anybody #%&$ with Mitch / He knows just what to do, cuz I'm a bad mother#$%^er."
(Side note: He's not.)
On the more serious side of things, in the 2006 drama Black Snake Moan, Jackson plays Lazarus Redd, a man on a mission from God. Redd is a fanatically religious farmer and a former blues guitarist who believes he's been called to intervene in the life of a promiscuous young woman (Christina Ricci) who's on the road to ruin. To ready himself for the role, Jackson actually spent half a year studying for six or seven hours a day to learn to play blues guitar for his performances with the instrument, which are layered throughout the film.
In keeping with what's shaped up to be about an every 10-year average, Jackson is singing on screen once again. This time it's for The Hitman's Bodyguard, his 2018 action comedy with co-star Ryan Reynolds. Here, Jackson takes on the role of Darius, a notorious hitman who is scheduled testify at the International Court of Justice, and it's the job of his mortal enemy (Reynolds), the world's top bodyguard, to get him there alive. That is, of course, if they don't kill each other first!
'The Hitman's Bodyguard' [Credit: Lionsgate]
A Hitman With A Hit Song?
On the morning of Friday, August 4, the movie hitman himself fired off a tweet to announce to fans on Twitter the release of "Nobody Gets Out Alive," Jackson’s new song on the soundtrack for The Hitmans' Bodyguard. A link to Spotify and iTunes accompanying the Tweet leads listeners to the track, which features the actor’s trademark tenor. It's a song that bubbles with the classic notes of a good blues ditty, complete with stretched slide guitar licks, a bottoming bass groove, and soulful sopranos on the backing vocals. All combined, it creates a sweet marriage of southern blues and southern gospel spiced up with curse words.
Surprisingly, “Nobody Gets Out Alive” wasn't originally planned for the film. It wasn't even a song at all, but just grew organically out of a scene in which Jackson's high-strung hitman is sitting in a car with Reynolds's boring bodyguard. The song's creation was mostly the result of in-the-moment improvisation, but director Patrick Hughes liked what he heard and asked Jackson to keep fleshing the song out.
To make sure that the song lived up to its potential, the director also shared what had been captured on film with Atli Örvarsson the film's soundtrack composer. Örvarsson then worked with Jackson to help mold it into the song heard on the soundtrack today, complete with wisdom-filled but R-rated lyrics written by Jackson himself. Raised In The Land Of Blues Legends
Considering Jackson's past, his cinematic brushes with the blues over the course of his storied career make perfect sense. Although born in Washington, D.C., Jackson was actually raised by his grandparents in Chattanooga, Tennessee, the birthplace of the blues music queen Bessie Smith. Tennessee at large was also the birthplace and the home of several blues music legends like John Lee Hooker, Memphis Minnie, B.B. King, Ike Turner and too many others to name.
Ironically, whenever asked about his preferences in music, Jackson has professed an appreciation for hip-hop, but the man clearly has blues music in his soul, too. With all hope, between now and sometime around 2027, we’ll get yet another chance to hear his inner bluesman crooning once again.
Also starring Salma Hayek, Gary Oldman and Elodie Young, The Hitman’s Bodyguard opens on August 18.
