Wanna Be Famous????

On This Very Blog

I’m sure that you are all aware that convention season is upon us.  Last year was a bust for me as I only attended one convention (Louisiana Comic Con, which was awesome).  This year I plan on attending a few more.  I have definite plans to attend CyPhaCon in Lake Charles, LA and Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, LA.  I also hope to attend Southern Geek Fest in Hattiesburg, MS and CoastCon in Biloxi, MS.  Those two are pretty much up in the air at the moment, but I highly recommend attending them if you can.  I’m also looking at attending at least one or two other smaller conventions in Louisiana and possibly Texas.

So why am I posting this and how will it make you famous?

Simply put:  I want new material for my blog and want your help doing so.

In order to do this, I want to do a few one-on-one interviews in person with cosplayers, other bloggers, artists, authors, convention runners, super fans, and maybe a celebrity or two.  If you happen to be any of the things that I just listed, I want to hear from you!

If you are attending any of the same conventions that I am going to and have a few minutes to kill, I want to talk to you.  I want to know why you love to write.  I want to know what inspired you to create your art.  I want to know how long it takes for you to make your costumes.  Get the picture????

If you aren’t going to be at a convention but happen to be fairly local to me (from Beaumont, TX to Lafayette, LA and north to Alexandria, LA), I’d  love to hang out with you wherever you’d like to meet and talk about what makes you tick.

Last year I started my “Ten Burning Questions” posts and while popular, it became difficult to find participants.  People enjoyed reading those posts, but only a few brave souls actually agreed to answer questions.  By doing interviews in person, though, I hope to get a little more insight to the individuals that I interview.

If you are someone you know is interested in being interviewed, please shoot me a message either through this blog or over on my Facebook page here.

Thanks for reading and thanks for your help!

Burning With Style!

Paper And Pencils On Fire!

Life can be a real jerk sometimes.  A few weeks ago I promised our latest heat-seeking answer man, Frederick Bernard Roseman, that I would post his replies to my latest Ten Burning Questions by the end of the week before Christmas.  Life derailed that plan, so I’m going to try and make it up to him by having his Ten Burning Questions be my first post of 2017!  He’s the man behind Kaz-Magic Arts, and he’s got something to say!

Here are his extremely awesome and thoughtful answers:

1. First off, tell us a little bit about Kaz-Magic. What is it all about?

Kaz-Magic is freelance art business I created back in 2009. It was originally just a signature I put on my work after I developed my artist name, Kazaa Kai. It ranges from traditional and digital art to photography, logo design, etc.

2. Who are some of your biggest influences as an artist? How have they influenced you?

My influences would include Leonardo Davinci, Kenneth Rockafort, and Japanese manga artist, Oh Great! (that’s what he calls himself). They use such great colors and have a great flow of creativity. The details of their designs really sets up the inspiration of you wanting to grow more as you learn new things.

3. Darth Vader, Darth Maul, or Darth Tyrannus? Who would you want to have backing you in a fight?

I love Darth Vader, but I would have to go with Darth Maul. I’ve learned four styles of martial arts and can work a bo staff. So to me thats kung fu chaos waiting to happen. Lol…

4. Which medium do you prefer to use in order to create art?

I prefer paper and pencils a little more than digital. Although digital does help with lowering expenses on art materials, you never forget where you truly learned to create. Plus, I like for my fingers to get dirty when I conjure up something.

5. You can only choose one: Batmobile, KITT, or the A-Team van. Which do you choose and why?

Oh man. That’s actually a good one. I adore the Batmobile though. My father bought me a remote control Tim Burton version when I was a preteen. I felt like such badass. So my reason for that would be two words: ROAD RAGE!

6. The Incredible Hulk’s tailor or Harley Quinn’s psychiatrist, which would be the tougher job and why?

I’m full of such bad influences. So I would have to go with Harley’s. I don’t mind helping people with their problems, but good lord I have my limits.  Lol…

7. Which characters (from any comic book) would be on your Suicide Squad? Why?

GHOST from Dark Horse comics. She was such an underrated heroine and I was very interested in seeing more about her when I had the opportunity to get a comic of her’s. Plus I just now thought of doing a fanart of her with my Black Cauldrun. So be on the lookout for that in the future. But my other picks would be, The Darkness, Angela, Bane, a couple of WILDCATS members, and Madam Mirage.

I think that would be a good match.

8. Of all of your work over the years, what has been your most satisfying piece to complete? It would be my exclusive artwork I had done for JXN Con dealing with my Hybrid Children series. It will forever remind of my con debut and the path I continued forward with.

Artwork by Frederick Bernard Roseman.

Artwork by Frederick Bernard Roseman.

Artwork by Frederick Bernard Roseman.

9. How many conventions, if any, do you attend in an average year?

So far its been two due to finances, but I am working my way to be able to go to more.

10. If you could meet one artist, who would it be and why?

It would be Oh Great!. I am a big fan of his work in Tenjho Tenge and Air Gear. He has other notable works, but he really knows how to bring his characters to life. He is really inspiring me to become better with myself as an artist.

Artwork by Frederick Bernard Roseman.

Super, mega bonus questions: Where can you be reached if anybody would like to check out more of your work? Please list any webpages or social media pages that you would like to share.

FACEBOOK: Kaz-Magic Arts

INSTAGRAM: kaz_m_arts

YOUTUBE: Kaz-Magic Arts

WEBSITE:  http://kazmagicarts.wixsite.com/kazmarts

So, there you have it.  One of the coolest Ten Burning Questions that I’ve ever posted in my opinion.  I want to thank Frederick for taking time out of his busy day to answer Ten Burning Questions.  He gave some great answers.

Be sure to check out all of his links above and if you see him at a convention, buy some of his work!

As always, thanks for reading.  I promise to post more often this year.  In fact, I still have to post a few thoughts on Carrie Fisher and on Star Wars:  Rogue One.  Until next time, stay cool!

 

Heating Up The South!

Somewhere in Mighty Mississippi

The southern United States isn’t necessarily the first place that comes to mind whenever someone mentions geek culture, but geek culture is definitely thriving in key parts of the South.  Almost all of the southern states have successful fan-run conventions.  Some states, such as Louisiana and Mississippi, have multiple successful fan-run events.  Larger cities in the South have attracted the likes of Wizard World as well.

With that in mind, I decided to pose Ten Burning Questions to Tim Nicholas.  He’s one half of the dynamic duo that heads up Southern Geek Fest, a fan-run convention that’s celebrating its second year in 2017.  It takes place in Hattiesburg, and I was fortunate enough to attend the first SGF, and I have to admit that it was an excellent event.  You can read more about my time at that event here.  I’ve been friends with the second member of that duo, Rafe White, for quite a while now, but I’m still getting to know Tim, so I showed no mercy to him with these Ten Burning Questions!

Read on to find out some juicy tidbits about Tim and Southern Geek Fest!

1. You’re a big part of Southern Geek Fest. What exactly do you do with that convention?

Along with Rafe White, I am one of two promoters. At our last SGF, I was in charge of vendor relations, floor planning, volunteers and a hundred other things. Basically I do everything that Rafe doesn’t do.

2. Rafe White or Snow White? Who is the bigger diva?

Rafe is definitely the biggest diva!! He is constantly needy. I think he made an SGF volunteer pick out all the yellow M&Ms before he would eat the bag.

The Dynamic Duo of Southern Geek Fest, Tim Nicholas (L) and Rafe White (R).

3. Which celebrity have you always wanted to meet but haven’t had the opportunity to see in person?

Jackie Chan is probably highest on my list right now.

4. What is the most fun part of running a convention?

It has to be all the women throwing themselves at your feet!! Wait, that was a dream I had. The fun when running a con happened for me after the show, getting the feedback from all the attendees and vendors that we put on a good show.

5. What is the toughest thing about running a convention?

The unexpected. All the multiple fires that had to be extinguished.

Thorlek at SGF!

Angie Starr as Harley Quinn at SGF!

6. Black Sabbath with Ozzy or Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio? Who do you prefer and why?

Sabbath with Ozzy. I love Dio, but I’m all the way Ozzy!!

7. Read any good comics lately? What is your favorite title?

I really haven’t read anything lately. I keep telling myself that I need to get back into comics, but I just haven’t done it.

8. What is your favorite fandom and why?

I’m a huge Trekkie and I love Fantasy novels . Star Trek was a favorite of my parents. I guess them introducing it to me as a child made me love it for my entire life. When I was in high school, a local video store went out of business. I took every dollar a could get together and bought the entire original series on VHS from them. I still have all those VHS’s.

9. In your opinion, has The Walking Dead jumped the shark? Why?

I don’t think so yet. This season has not been very good so far, but I think they are trying to move the show in a different direction. You can’t turn the Titanic on a dime, and I think the same thing goes for mega shows like Walking Dead.

10. A volcano is about to blow and the only way to save the village at the foot of the mountain is to blast Miley Cyrus tunes at the lava? Do you crank up the Cyrus or die a painful death?

“Came in like a wrecking ball!!!”

Mega, happy, deluxe bonus question: Is there a webpage or social media pages where folks can learn more about Southern Geek Fest? If so, share them here and I’ll include links!

Facebook group at Southern Geek 

Our webpage is southerngeekfest.com

@SGeekFest on Twitter and Instagram.

I hope that everyone enjoyed reading about Tim and Southern Geek Fest.  For the record, this is the first time that Miley Cyrus will be featured on a tag in one of my posts.  Thanks for that, Tim.  Be sure to click on all of the links above and follow Southern Geek Fest to get the latest on their wonderful event.

As always, thanks for reading.  I have a few more victims lined up for Ten Burning Questions, and I’ll be getting to them very soon!

A Galaxy On Fire!

A Long Time Ago, In Mississippi

From Rancors to ghosts to Gotham’s toughest villains, the brave soul that’s stepping up to answer Ten Burning Questions, Karen Camp, has her hands full!  She faced down all ten questions with the bravery of Princess Leia, and gave me some great answers.

Here are Karen’s Ten Burning Questions:

1. DDK found out that you’re part of the Mississippi Mandalorians. Could you tell us a little bit about this group?

The Mississippi Mandalorians are a Star Wars based fan group. We have members who cosplay and those who don’t. We try to help raise money with different charities anytime possible. Mostly we are just a bunch of geeks who like to get together as often as possible and geek out.

2. Who puts the “Man” in Mandalorian, Boba Fett, Jango Fett, or someone else?

Boba Fett, most definitely!

3. Are you a part of any other groups, cosplay or otherwise? (click each group to go to their Facebook page)

I’m a member of : Dead South Horror, Gotham Rogues, Mississippi Metahumans, 501st Rancor Raiders, and I’m a member of Mississippi Paranormal Research Institute.

4. Darth Talon or Mara Jade? Who wins that fight and how do they do it?

Mara Jade wins. One good force slam into a wall, then a clean slice across her neck with her purple light saber.

5. The zombie apocalypse has begun! Name three characters that you want by your side when it all goes downhill!

Daryl Dixon, Rick Grimes, Michonne.

6. Do you collect anything nerdy or geeky? If you do, what is it?

I collect anything Luke Skywalker. I have other Star Wars pieces as well. My main item is a life size Han Solo in Carbonite.

7. Should the Star Wars prequels be rebooted or left as they are, warts and all?

The prequels should definitely be left alone. The Phantom Menace was the first Star Wars movie I saw on the big screen. It is what made me fall in love with a galaxy far far away.

8. You’re stranded on a dark highway. Which of these characters would you rather have by your side: Batman, Rick Grimes, or Howard the Duck?

Rick Grimes.  Hopefully he will take me to Daryl Dixon.

9. What are some of your favorite conventions to attend?

My favorite conventions are the Star Wars Celebration, Texas Frightmare, and of course Southern Geek Fest.

10. If you could live on any planet in the Star Wars universe, which one would you pick and why?

I would choose to live on Coruscant, but it would be the Coruscant from the EU. I know it’s not canon anymore, but I wanna live on the Coruscant with the Jedi Temple. The one with Luke Skywalker as the Jedi Grand Master.

Mega happy, super bonus question: Do you or the Mississippi Mandalorians have a webpage or social media pages that you’d like to share?  Karen provided links to all of the groups that she is a part of.  To visit any of them, simply click on the links in questions above.

I want to give a big thank you to Karen for answering Ten Burning Questions.  I have two more interviewees waiting in the wings and will post their answers in the very near future.  I also want to thank all of you for taking time to read this post.

Not to steal any of Karen’s thunder, I also want to briefly address the death of Carrie Fisher.  As many of you know, our lovely princess passed away today, 12/27/2016.  She will be greatly missed.

I plan on doing a more in depth post about Carrie Fisher in the near future.  Rest in peace, beautiful lady.

Again, thanks for reading.  See you all at a convention soon!

A Wolf In Flames!

The Single Most Important Artist That I’ve Ever Met (I’ll get to why later)

Ten Burning Questions has returned!  I plan on having a few new question answering souls over the next few days, so stay tuned.  First up is Michael Granger, an artist, graphic designer, and a friend of mine.  He stepped up to the plate and let his artwork do the talking with his Ten Burning Questions!!!!

Here are his answers!

1. My readers may not know this, but you created DDK’s standard cover photo over on Facebook (it’s currently a Christmasy Spider-Man but will revert after the holidays). Have you designed things for other major celebrities and/or people of note?

I’ve designed a banner for Southern Geek Fest 1 guest, actor John Mangus which was a pretty cool experience! Thanks to Rafe White & Tim Nicholas (of Southern Geek Fest), I got to do most of the guest announcements for Southern Geek Fest One as well as the guest/vendor/artist/admin badges. Scott Hambach is handling all the graphics for SGF2.  I also did the poster for Harvest Night, a horror short by Joey Crocker.

2. Tell us a little bit about LONEWOLF Designs. Whaddya do?

What little design knowledge I have I put towards making geek or horror themed designs for shirts, stickers, etc. mostly geek stuff from Star Wars, Firefly, Doctor Who, etc.

3. Are you a lone wolf, or is that just a little intelligent marketing?

No one has ever accused me of being clever before lol. I’m pretty much a lonewolf. My first tattoo I ever got even says it. But I’ve learned to learn from my betters and to try to keep pushing the level. Ever since I was very young I’ve had this fascination bordering on obsession with wolves and it’s pretty much synonymous with me.

4. Who is your favorite DC superhero and why?

He may be overliked but I would have to go with Batman. He’s dark and troubled but also on a mission. Supes was born with power. Batman doesn’t have powers but instead uses tactics, stealth and martial arts prowess which I respect. That’s what makes him truly dangerous.

5. You’re stuck in traffic. Your only source of entertainment is a radio that catches two stations. One station plays nothing but new country and the other plays contemporary jazz. Which one do you choose?

Jazz if I must. Not a country fan from any era, lol.

6. Beast Man (Masters of the Universe), Beast (X-men), or Chewbacca. Who would be the best spokesperson for Loreal?

While Storm liked what Beast did with his hair, I would have to go with the walking carpet, Chewbacca. He would be the perfect full body spokesman for the power of a good conditioner, lol.

7. Doctor Doom, Doctor Octopus, or Doctor Strange? Which one would you rather receive a full physical examination from and why?

Doom. Not only is he a genius but he is skilled as a sorcerer and I imagine studied anatomy as a way to exploit the weaknesses of his foes. But the cold armor, brrr. No prostate exam this time Doom.

8. Do you collect anything nerdy? If so, what do you collect?

I have a few Funko Pops, but stuff from Star Wars to comics such as my boy, Wolverine (fav marvel character) such as a Wolverine #1 that’s totally legit, Ghostbusters comics and memorabilia, artwork from local artists such as Gavin Michelli, David Bain, Ken Davis, Courtney Vice and others. I’m also a console gamer.

9. What’s the last album that you listened to from beginning to end?

I usually float from Pandora station to station but probably the latest album from Killswitch Engage.

10. Who is one of the biggest influences on your work? Why?

Pretty much every artist I’ve come across, lol. Yeah, that’s a vague answer, but one I consider my mentor is Jason Reeves. He helped me to see that it’s good to be geek and his work influenced my own.

Super-duper, double bonus question: Where can we find you on the web? Do you have any webpages or social media links you’d like to share?

Shameless plug time: www.redbubble.com/people/lonewolfdesigns and you can also search Facebook for my Lonewolf Designs page. Look for the blue tribal wolf logo or click here.

Well, that’s all of the questions that I have for now.  I want to thank Michael Granger for braving Ten Burning Questions.  In the very near future I’ll be taking on a few other people.

As always, thanks for reading.  Keep an eye on this page for more exciting stuff very soon!

 

Busy Week/Weekend Ahead!

I Feel The Need For Speed!

This is going to be a crazy week and an even crazier weekend.  I’ve been working a ton of overtime lately and haven’t been able to pay much attention to this blog, pop culture, my scouting leader duties, or, most importantly, my family.  From homecoming dances to camping out to trying my darnedest to make it over to Louisiana Comic Con, I’m going to need the speed of Barry Allen to get me through the next few days.

I’ve completely missed out on the new season of Gotham.  That kills me, because that is one show that has consistently gotten stronger with each episode.  I also missed a couple of episodes last season, so I’ve decided that Gotham Blu-ray sets will be necessities this Christmas.  I think I’m just going to dive in from the beginning again and play catch up.

Arrow Image AR_2012_KH_0614 Pictured: Stephen Amell as Arrow Photo: Kharen Hill/The CW © 2012 The CW Network. All Rights Reserved

“Stronger Together” — When Kara’s (Melissa Benoist) attempts to help National City don’t go according to plan, she must put aside the doubts that she — and the city’s media — has about her abilities in order to capture an escapee from the Kryptonian prison, Fort Rozz, when SUPERGIRL moves to its regular time period, Monday, Nov. 2 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Cliff Lipson/CBS ©2015 CBS Broadcasting, Inc. All Rights Reserved

I’m also behind on Arrow and Supergirl.  Heck, the only show that I’ve really had a chance to watch recently is Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and that, my friends has not impressed me at all.  I was SOOOOOOO excited to see that Ghost Rider was going to be burning up the screen this season but so far his little run-ins with the ever-increasingly-annoying Quake have me completely fed up with the show.  What an utter waste of a great character!  Marvel needs to stick to films.  It’s what they do best.  Don’t even get me started on all of their Netflix shows, because I haven’t even seen the first season of Daredevil yet!

So, with all of that out of my brain, I can say that I have managed to watch some excellent DC Animation films recently.  Justice League Vs. Teen Titans was a title that I missed on its initial release, but I managed to pick it up over the weekend and watched it with my kids.  We all loved it.  I’ll review it soon enough.  I also re-watched the excellent Throne of Atlantis and the surprisingly funny Justice League:  War.  These are two of my favorite DC titles, and I also recommend grabbing the comics that they are based on.

This coming weekend is, of course, Louisiana Comic Con in Lafayette, LA.  I am going to do my best to make it out there, but it will probably only be for a few hours on Saturday.  Seth Gilliam had to cancel, but Sean Patrick Flanery (Young Indiana Jones, Boondock Saints) will be showing up as a late addition to the lineup.  With Gilliam out of the picture, my autograph quota has dropped, but I will still try to get a few good autographs.  I’m on the fence about a couple of the celebs, but I’ll solidify my choices before hitting the convention floor.  One thing is for sure, I’m going to check out the booth for the Library Bards featuring the lovely Bonnie Gordon and Xan-tastic Xander Jeanneret!

I’ve got a ton of ideas for this blog, I just don’t have the time needed to work with it right now.  I promise that more posts about Ten Burning Questions are on the way, as well as a few convention reviews, film and Blu-ray/DVD release reviews, and other wonderfully pop culture things.

As always, thanks for reading.  Keep me in your thoughts and prayers this week as I attempt to survive!  I AM NOT the fastest man alive, but I do look good in red tights!!!!!

Ten Burning Questions!!!

On The Fiery Pages Of A Book

Another brave soul has stepped up to the plate to answer Ten Burning Questions from your good ol’ pal, Ken from Ken’s Alternate Universe.  This time around, author K.D. Wood (who I got to meet at Southern Geek Fest earlier this year) dares to reveal deep secrets and unimaginable truths that will surely set your heart aflame!

So you’re probably wondering why I’m wasting so much time blabbering, right?!?!?!?  Let’s get on with it!

1. I see that you are an author. What types of books and stories do you write?

I love all things paranormal. Strange creatures, mythological beings, ghosts, beasties, you name it, I love them! Presently, I have a paranormal romance series (Unwilling, Unloved, Unboundless), an adult paranormal romance anthology (Frost A Rendezvous Collection), and contemporary erotic romance novella (Boys of Fall) available.

2. How long have you been an author?

My debut novel, Unwilling, was published in November 2014 by Blue Tulip Publishing.

3. Who is your favorite author and why?

Yikes, super hard one. I love different authors and their work all for different reasons. Carolyn Haines, because her mysteries are perfection, I never can guess who did it! She can scare the hell out of me with her horrors, and I don’t scare easy! Karen Stivali because she was the first contemporary romance I completely enjoyed and boy can she write the hell out of some romance. Tiffany Reisz because she writes some of the most raw, character driven stories out there. As you can see, I can’t pick just one!

4. Who would you rather listen to, Justin Bieber or Queen?

Hands down, Queen.

5. Do you collect anything nerdy?

Sadly, I don’t collect anything but books and pens. There’s all that dusting to think about.

6. Who has better hair, Superman, Wonder Woman, or Wolverine?

Pfffft! I have the best hair.

7. If you could choose any literary world to live in, (real or fictional), which world would it be? Why?

No question, Middle Earth.

#1 second breakfast is a real thing

#2 Hobbit Holes for houses

#3 Aragorn and Legolas are there

8. Are there any writers, singers, actors, or political figures that you would like to meet? If so, please name at least one of them and why?

I’ve been VERY lucky to have met a lot of my author heroes already. Several I can even call friends. I’ve been so blessed to have had those moments and I treasure them. But someone I’d love to have a cup of coffee with is Libba Bray. I was introduced to her work with, Going Bovine. It’s one of those reads that truly changes you. And OMG is she funny! I’d love to just have an hour to chat with her.

9. Rex, Kirk, Solo, or Picard? Who is the best captain?
Best? Not sure on that one. But I grew up on Kirk and fell head over heels for Picard as a teen. Still love them both like crazy!

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10. Where do you draw inspiration from for your books?

I really enjoy writing dialogue, it’s one of my favorite parts of all my books. So much that every book I write begins with nothing more than the characters talking. One of my earliest drafts was straight dialogue, no scene descriptions, just conversations. So my first inspirations are always the characters themselves. Then I love to research different places, mythology, how to kill someone using a paperclip, you know the usual stuff necessary to flesh out the story. Lots of times I’ll get some inspiration during the research too.

Super, mega, happy bonus question: Do you have a webpage, social media page, blog, etc. that you’d like to share with my readers? If so, let’s hear about them!
Absolutely! And thank you for having me on your blog! You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Wattpad, Amazon, Bookbub, a fan page created for my books on FB “Love Stories Over Coffee with KD”, and Every Indie USA LLC’s page. (click on the links to learn more about K.D. and show her some support by sharing and/or purchasing her work!)

Well, there you have it.  K.D. Wood gives us her honest and brutal answers.  Thanks for holding nothing back, K.D., and hopefully we will run into each other at another convention soon!

As always, thanks to everyone for reading and keeping up with my blog.  I’ll be having another round of Ten Burning Questions in the very near future and I’ll also be giving my opinion on that Star Trek Beyond flick that was released a couple of weeks ago.  I hope to see you all very soon!

 

Ten Burning Questions III!!!!!

Filmmaker On Fire!

It has been a little while since my last post, but this one, another one of the highly popular Ten Burning Questions posts, will melt your face!  Today’s brave soul is Patrick Shawn Bennett, an indie filmmaker who has his hands in all sorts of cookie jars.  I’m proud to call him a friend, and hope that you enjoy reading his answers to some pretty hot questions.

Highlighted words in this post will lead to links.  Be sure to check them out!

1. What nerdy hobbies or jobs do you have?

My hobbies are: making movies, running a pop culture website (popninja.net, putting on a couple of annual film festivals (Lake Charles Film Festival & Calcasieu Serialfest), collecting comics / action figures/ movie prop replicas/ posters/ celebrity autographs, and watching movies and tv shows. Oh, I dabble in screenwriting and old school RPG’s too.

2. Who is you favorite comic book character? It’s changed over the years… when I was a kid I was really into war comics and I would have answered this question with 3 characters: SGT Rock, Blackhawk & The Unknown Soldier (both DC comics.) Right now I would answer it: Green Arrow & The Punisher.

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3. What was the last nerdy thing you did? Shot some new scenes on my new superhero web series called “Stretch.” It’s about a girl that gains super powers and is now being hunted by a covert organization that wants to exploit her powers. I’m making the series as original content for my website popninja.net. I also have a Facebook page for it called “Stretch – The Series.”  Check it out.

4. Is there a specific film director or writer that you draw inspiration from? My favorite director is Robert Rodriguez. I like his range. He can do family films like Spy Kids and then turn around a give you a gem like Planet Terror.

5. Are you a member of any nerdy or geeky clubs? Tell me about them.  Just the Lake Area Film Group in Lake Charles and the Lake Area Film Scribes. Sometimes we geek out.

The film group is made up of production geeks who help each other with film projects by giving of their time or equipment to help make films. We have actors, directors, writers, camera operators, lighting technicians, and much more. The film scribes are made up of aspiring screen writers and we write and critique each other’s work.

6. Who’s better with a lightsaber, Count Dooku or Kylo Ren? I would have to say Kylo Ren… because I’m one of those prequel haters and I would have to say who’s Count Dooku? Wasn’t he a vampire duck?

7. Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes? I’m a looper!

8. What, if anything, do you collect, and how big is your collection? I answered some of this earlier. But the biggest part of my collection is vintage action figures and movie/TV memorabilia. I have tons of stuff. So much that I have two storage units to hold it all. Surrounding my computer desk right now is a vintage Evel Knievel figure on a motorcycle, and Evel bobble head, figures of the fFlash and Arrow from the CW shows, a laser cut miniature of myself frozen in carbonate, a Reaction figure of The Rocketeer, a miniature Evel Knievel pinball machine, a life-size full head mask of the Creature of the Black Lagoon (autographed by the guy who played him,) a 12” figure of Chris Reeves as Superman, a vintage Star Wars At-At Walker, a figure of Twiki from “Buck Rogers” and figures of the Super Friends’ Wonder Twins and their pet monkey.

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9. Do you identify with any specific characters from literature or film? If so, which ones and how do you identify with them?  Yep.

Indiana Jones, Doc Savage, Tarzan, and Allan Quartermaine. These guys are adventure personified and I love a good adventure. Fortune and Glory, kid. Fortune and glory!

10. Which convention is your favorite and why? I have always liked the Dallas Comicon, but I stopped going for a few years now because it has grown so big that it’s more hassle to me than it’s worth. I mainly stick to the two local cons in Lake Charles now… CyphaCon and Bayoucon.

Super Mega Bonus Question 11: Do you have a website, Facebook page, email address, or any other type of info that you’d like to share with my readers?

Popninja.net , facebook.com/popninja , lakecharlesfilmfestival.com , facebook.com/lcfilmfest , facebook.com/gorillabob , also you can check blogger for “Movies by the Slice”, “Sci-Fi 100” and “The Adventures of Louisiana Bennett.”

Well, that’s all for this week, folks.  Thanks for reading.  Also, if you happen to be in southwest Louisiana on July 16th, be sure to check out Calcasieu Serialfest.  It’s a FREE event and everybody is welcomed!

Coming up in the next few weeks, I’ll have a few more Ten Burning Questions and my views on all sorts of nerdy things.  Keep in touch!

Ten Burning Questions!

On Fire!

Yesterday’s Ten Burning Questions went so well that I decided to post a second round this evening!  Tonight our brave question answerer is Mel Rivera of Fur De Lis!  Read on to find out a little bit about her and her wonderful organization, as well as a few other juicy bits of info!

1. What is your earliest nerdy or geeky memory?  I would have to say my first nerdy or geeky memory would have to be when my uncle took me to see Superman on the big screen. I was hooked.  From there I started finding as much out about superheroes as possible. While Superman will always be my favorite I appreciate others as well.

2. What’s Fur De Lis all about?  Fur De Lis is a furry group for people who are furries to just be themselves. We are like a big family and support and help each other in any way possible. We run an anti bully campaign and travel from con to con in the MS and LA areas paneling about furries and helping victims of bullying overcome their problems in a healthy way.

3. How many conventions do you attend each year?  Hmm, that’s a hard one but on an average I would say between 8-10.

4. What is your favorite film, book, anime, or all three? Why?  Fave book is actually the Harry Potter series as I not only taught my son how to read with them, I enjoyed every single page myself. Film, geez that’s hard too, but I’m a sucker for musicals turned movie from Grease to Rent to Mama Mia and so on. Anime is easy. There’s two that I love dearly Ouran High Host Club and Soul Eater. I could watch both over and over.

5. Do you collect anything?  I collect Coke memorabilia and wall scrolls.

6. Tony Stark or Bruce Wayne?  Tony Stark all the way! His one liners and sarcasm are the best ever!

7. Which conventions are on your bucket list?  San Francisco Comic Con, E3, Pax East because of Septiceye, and New York Comic Con.

8. On average, how long does it take you to construct a fur suit?  Well that depends on if you want partial, 2-3 weeks, full suit, plantigrade 4-6 weeks, and full suit, digigrade suit 6-8 weeks.

9. What unique skill do you have in your repertoire?  I am a seamstress as well and make the majority of our cosplays and outfits for our fursonas, OCS, and characters.

10. Ice cream or frozen yogurt?  I prefer gelato myself, tbh.

Super Mega Bonus Question 11. Do you have a website or social media page/group that you’d like to share? If so, give us any info so the masses can find you!  We do have Fur de Lis anti bully campaign page on Facebook as well as the group for it Fandoms Against Bullying, and our group page Fur De Lis.

Well, there you have it.  Be sure to check out the Fur De Lis group and Fandoms Against Bullying.  Just click on the highlighted links above to check them out.  Special thanks goes out to Mel for sharing her organization with us and having a little fun as well.

As always, thanks for reading.  Bayoucon is coming up this weekend and I plan on attending and blogging about my experience.  See you again soon with more Ten Burning Questions!

 

Ten Burning Questions

On Fire!

Welcome, fine readers, to the first ever Ten Burning Questions post!  This post will be the first of what I hope will be many to cover ten hardcore questions that range from the serious to the silly.  I’ll be asking questions to friends, cosplayers, authors, convention goers, convention runners, volunteers, etc.  Hopefully I will also get a celeb interview here and there as well!

So, without further ado, here are Ten Burning Questions!!!!

Our first guest is JJ Shipman of RedTop Cosplay.  Let’s pick his brain with Ten Burning Questions!!!!

1. What comic titles and/or television shows are you currently following?

Preacher and Gotham

2. Which character is your favorite to cosplay and why?

Joker.  It’s my favorite villain, specifically Suicide Squad Joker.

3. Which conventions are your favorites? Why?

New Orleans Wizard World.  Big and lots of guests!

4. Who has better hair, Thor or Chewbacca? Explain your answer.

Thor.  He uses Thoreal because Hemsworth it!

5. Where do you hope to see yourself in five years as a cosplayer?

Where I am now.  I’m 100% satisfied.

6. What is your earliest nerdy or geeky memory?

My first episode of Doctor Who.  I was sold.

7. Favorite band or solo artist?

Need To Breathe, great band!

8. If you were stranded on an island, would you rather be stranded with Natalie Portman or Felicia Day?

Natalie Portman

9. When cosplaying, do you take on all aspects of the character, or just the look?

All aspects.

10. Favorite movie monster?

Alien Queen

Super Mega Bonus Question 11: Do you have any websites, social media pages, or contact info that you’d like to share with my readers?

RedTop Cosplay on Facebook.  Click the link to be taken to JJ’s page!

I want to thank JJ Shipman for being the first guest on Ten Burning Questions.  Each time I post about this particular topic, the questions will change!  I hope you, good reader, enjoyed this as well.  I’ll still be posting my standard posts like I always have, but I’ll try to have the Ten Burning Questions segment biweekly.
Thanks for reading!