News on Shuffle – Page 5 – News on Shuffle

Why You Should Be Watching Star Wars Rebels

This post has been on the back burner for a couple weeks now, but I think it’s still worth talking about. During Star Wars Celebration it was announced that the upcoming season would be the last for Rebels. While this makes total sense based on where they’re at in the story, it’s still disappointing. In case you thought it was just some kid show on Disney, check out this trailer for the new season.

Yeah, there are plenty of things that kids can love there, but it’s got enough action and heart to make adults happy too. I simultaneously look forward to this final chapter and dread what’s going to happen to these characters I’ve fallen in love with over the past three years.

Why I Love Critical Role

I’m going to start by saying that in my brain this article started with how different shows have different fans and how the fanbase can add or detract from the enjoyment of a thing. It quickly turned into the story about how Critical Role changed my life and became one of my favorite things on the planet – and how that was just as much about the people involved in the show as the content of the show itself.

Where to begin? I guess I should start by telling you a little bit about my current obsession (and the subject of this article) – Critical Role. It’s a show on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel about a bunch of nerdy voice actors who play D&D together (Dungeons & Dragons for all the non-nerds in the room). Each episode seems like a commitment as they range anywhere between 3-5 hrs long, but as they say, “Time flies when you’re having fun”. I don’t think I’ve ever watched an episode that felt like it dragged, even a little. The show is a ton of fun. You can tell that even the cast is having a blast. There have been many nights where even though it was getting late and some of them had early call times for other projects, they still get disappointed when they have to wrap up for the week. This is thanks in equal parts to the fact they are all a bunch of friends getting paid to have fun, and their DM Matthew Mercer is a great storyteller. This last fact is another part of the reason episodes fly by, despite their lengthiness.

Now that I’ve given you an idea what the show is about and how much I love it, I would like to talk about their fanbase (or Critters as we call ourselves). Critters are some of the best group of people on the internet. They have formed a community that communicates on a Facebook fan page as well as their own subreddit. Every week on Thursday night they gather together to watch the show and talk about what’s happening. True there will always be some bad eggs on the internet, but for the most part they are the kindest and most supportive group of fans I’ve ever met. It got me thinking about the last thing I obsessed over – Doctor Who. Don’t get me wrong, I’m probably one of the few people left on the planet that has zero complaints about this show, but the fans have never been the best. Maybe it’s just the negative ones are louder in this group where the positive Critters rise to the top in that circle, but I definitely have noticed way more negativity in the DW community than the Critter nation. Thinking about this made me appreciate the Critters even more, because it’s so rare to see a bunch of strangers be this nice to each other.

I want to close with one last reason I appreciate CR so much, and that is the effect the positivity surrounding it has had on the fans’ lives. I know that when I’m having a bad mental health day my first thought is to throw on an episode of CR. They recently put together a fan video where people sent in snippets of what Crit Role meant to them, and I was brought to tears at how many people said it literally saved their lives. This community has given people with no hope something to look forward to and a reason to keep going – one week at a time. That in itself is amazing, but what’s even greater is how much the cast truly cares about the fans and are truly happy to be making a difference. Obviously this was not their intention going in, but now that they see how much power they have to make a difference they actually try to use that to make good things happen. Whether it’s a charity drive during a stream or reaching out on social media, these people don’t just hide from the world when they’re not on stream. It makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside to know there’s this thing that connects a bunch of strangers in a positivite way, and that there’s a corner of the internet where a majority of people don’t suck. Times being what they are, this is needed now more than ever. With that I have only one thing to ask:

Is it Thursday yet?

This Is Why We Strike

If you follow me on Twitter (and haven’t been chased away by all the political posts) you know that for awhile I spent a lot of energy talking about the voice actors strike that started in October of last year and is still ongoing. Due to the nature of video game schedules, this is a battle that will probably last a long time before we see any results. In addition to that, we also have another writer’s strike looming. I shared a thread on twitter that in very simple terms laid out why that one is happening. I thought I’d expand on my thoughts and feels about both strikes, why they are important, and what we can do to help.

First, let’s look at the voice actor’s strike. Why is this happening? Simply put, voice actors were renegotiating contracts to include getting better compensated with residuals. They also wanted to include better safety precautions to avoid vocal stress for certain roles. Video games have come a long way from watching a couple dots bounce around a screen. People expect not only better graphics, but to have interactive moments with characters in-game. This is why the hashtag “performance matters” has been the rally cry for voice actors participating in the strike. People expect more in their games, and many gamers would be disappointed if less qualified people tried to bring these characters to life. Voice actors just want to get better compensation that shows how valuable their contribution is to the games they lend their voices to. They also want protection from damaging the most important tool in their work environment (their voice) for games that might require more strain (for example, the various shooter games that the brunt of their voice work is lots of screaming). I don’t think it’s too much to ask these people get properly taken care of in their jobs. Some video game companies disagree, hence the strike. There is currently a petition on change.org that people can sign. I honestly don’t know how much help it will do, but it can’t hurt either.

Next up, let’s look at the pending writer’s strike. Like I said, there’s a great thread on twitter that I shared with the basics of what’s going on here, but I’ll give a brief summary here as well. Remember the last writer’s strike? That one was about how the times were changing and people were viewing tv differently and writers wanted to make sure they didn’t get left with less than they were worth just because cable was seen as a fad and they were writing for a cable show so they were worth less than someone writing for NBC. Obviously cable tv was not a fad, proof being that Walking Dead is on AMC and one of the highest rated shows currently. This is where the problems is, because if, for example, I get paid per episode but NBC guy gets paid more per episode than I do for Breaking Bad or Walking Dead then I’m getting paid less even though I wrote a more successful show. This writer’s strike is just cleaning up a bit and also trying to give pay raises since networks tend to ask for smaller orders per season (13 episodes instead of 22 or 23), so if I get paid per episode I’m now getting less money than I maybe deserve. Since we all saw what happened with the last strike, I think it’s fair to say that writers are important and deserve to be paid what they’re worth.

One thing I will say about the writer’s strike that works in our favor – even though we might have to deal with a season of repeats or terribly written filler episodes, we also might get another Dr Horrible’s Sing-A-Long Blog. Not literally, unless everyone suddenly has lots of free time thanks to the strike and wants to revisit it. What I mean is, Dr Horrible was a result of Joss Whedon having lots of free time and energy and putting that into this stupid little internet thing just because he could. Who knows what we’ll get with some other great writer’s free time if it comes to that. Obviously I want everyone to work things out before it comes to that, but the possibilities of what side projects could come from this are a bit exciting.

What would you like to see happen if the writer’s do strike and have extra free time? Let me know either in the comments or on twitter/facebook!

PS – bonus points if you figured out what my title was referencing this time

Record Store Day 2017

For the music fans out there, this Saturday is the annual celebration of your favorite record shops known as Record Store Day. Every year there are special releases and events to mark the occasion. A list of these releases and participating shops can be found on the record store day website. There you will find something for lovers of all genres to get excited about.

Usually I would take the time to tell you what releases I am most excited about or what my plans are for the day, but this year I work with a record label and want to share the special little thing we’re doing. (Like I said, go check out the RSD site for all the cool things you can buy this year). When you’re done on the RSD site then head on over to Lonely Atom Records Bandcamp, where you will find we have a special sale going. Between now and April 23rd we will be discounting the price of shipping on all orders! International fans will pay $10, Canadians will pay $5, and members of the U.S. of A. will get FREE SHIPPING during this sale. You don’t need any special code for this either. Simply go to our Bandcamp and place your order as normal. We like to keep it simple when it comes to distributing music to the masses. As one of my favorite songs reminds us, “sound wants to be free”.

Happy shopping!

PS – don’t forget to share pictures of you with your shiny new records on our twitter or facebook pages! We love seeing people enjoying our baby.

Sleeping With Ghosts – The Hotel Avira Haunting #1

The following is a review of the first chapter in a new series by Damian Simankowicz. Anyone who followed my writing over at Nerds in Babeland might recognize that name from the series of reviews I did for another project of his: Sage Escape. This one is quite different stylistically, but definitely worth a try if you like ghost stories. Now, without further ado, I present the first chapter of Sleeping Ghosts (albeit a little late).

PS- Normally I would give you a spoiler warning before continuing, but for once I did pretty good at not being too specific. Enjoy this rare treat! And now, on with the show…

Sleeping With Ghosts

The Hotel Avira Haunting #1

Chapter 1: Sebastian

The first impression with any comic is going to be the artwork, and this one does not disappoint. I was immediately impressed with the coloring on this one. Next impression is going to be whether the story catches you immediately. Right from the opening panels you immediately get that this is a supernatural themed story, which I am all about. My two favorite genres for comic books are superheroes and the supernatural. (Put them in a story together and you get Doctor Strange, one of my current favorite comics running now. Honestly, I could write a whole other article about the current story they have going, but that’s not what we’re here for now.)

Sorry for the tangent, folks. My brain doesn’t always like to focus (which is maybe why I’m writing this a good 3-4 months later than I should’ve). I am so very good at life… (but that’s a different article as well).

As I was saying, the story is a supernatural tale of a haunted hotel and the debunker who actually finds some ghosts. In fact, he finds more than he bargained for, and ends up in unexpected places because of it. I know the story has been out for awhile, but I still don’t want to give too much away. I definitely recommend you check this piece of the story out, if you haven’t already. My only warning is there is one scene that is on the mature side, which was fine for me but may not be right for younger readers.

You can find part one of The Hotel Avira Haunting online at ComiXology and on iBooks.

Creative team:

Damian Simankowicz – writer/creator
Marcelo Salaza – Art
Mike Stefan – colorist/ cover artist

Publisher: Primal Archetype

Life Happens

Earlier this month I wrote my first post in over a year because one of my favorite shows turned 20 years old and I had to add my two cents on what that meant to myself and the industry as a whole. Writing that article made me realize I had one that was grossly overdue, a review of a comic for someone whose work I usually love. I wrote him an apology email today about how life got busy and I’m really sorry. And then I read the comic and wrote a thing on it and in that one article I came up with two others I should write – this being one of them (the other is a thing is on the current run of Doctor Strange and how much I LOVE it, but that can wait). The actual article I wrote about the thing I was supposed to will be coming out very soon, but for now I wanted to do yet another giant update on what I was doing that kept me here.

Mostly I got a new job that kept me very busy and RELEASED A RECORD.

Yes, Lonely Atom Records, the small start-up record label I work with, finally released our first 7″ record late February. The two bands featured are The Pandemics and InCircles (both bands from NYC/LI). You can either download the songs or purchase the vinyl on our Bandcamp. There’s also stickers and pins for sale, and we’re working on t-shirts.

Between releasing the record, booking shows, and my actual real job(s), I’ve been fairly busy. I honestly love writing on here though, so I’m going to try to pick it up again. I’ve been reading a lot of comics lately, and between that and watching The Wednesday Club every week on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel, I will probably want to talk about that more. Don’t worry though, I’ll still have plenty of music musings as well as just general stuff about the news and other random things. The site is called “News on Shuffle” for a reason…

That’s all for now. Stay tuned for the review I just finished and whatever other things pop into my head and scream to be written down into this void we call the internet. And remember folks, when life gets you down you gotta remember to just keep swimming.

How Buffy Changed My Life

I’m sure by now you’ve seen plenty of articles online about how Buffy the Vampire Slayer is celebrating 20 years since its premiere. I’m sure you’ve also seen plenty of people tell their stories about how Buffy saved or changed their life in some way. Allow me to be a last-minute addition and share what Buffy means to me (and how it shaped television as we know it today).

BtVS premiered on this day in 1997. I gotta admit, my memory is poor but I’m gonna go out on a limb and say I wasn’t watching this show when I was 9. I know I started watching episodes as they aired at some point, but as far as I can remember the show had already been on for a few seasons. (Don’t worry, I was able to catch up in repeats real quick). Regardless, from my first glimpse of the slayer I could feel her speak to my innermost self. She was awkward, terrible at relationships, and had all the same problems every girl faces, but also was a badass who kicked butt and took names. She was what I already was combined with what I wanted to be. She also was the only female superhero I can think of (other than the girls in the Power Rangers) that I had to look up to. Yeah, I know, there are plenty of other badass ladies out there, but back then I watched a lot of dudes in tights (Superman, Batman, Spider-man) and Buffy. She and Willow were my everything. Yes, the whole cast of Scoobies were great, but they were my favorites.

After watching Buffy (and Angel once that got its spinoff) I started expanding to other vampire/occult offerings. As luck would have it, the show that turned me onto the genre also influenced it. I think it’s fair to say that a lot of the tv and movies you see today would not have had a chance if Buffy didn’t have the success that it did. It masterfully blended the dark and the quirky in ways every television show ever would only hope to achieve. (Charmed comes to mind almost instantly as having similar qualities). It also was the jumping point for a wonderful career for Joss Whedon, as well as many of the cast members. Joss jumped from Buffy and Angel to Dollhouse and Firefly, the latter getting a cult following that might even surpass Buffy levels, before eventually getting to jump into the Marvel Universe with Avengers. Suddenly one of my favorite creators in the industry was in charge of the only genre I love as much as the vampire/magic stuff: superheroes.

Backstory: I learned to read with comic books, and some of the first television I remember watching were cartoons based on those comics. Even today, most of the television I watch is the CW lineup of superhero/comic book related programming. Supergirl, Flash, Arrow – the genre has gotten a big bump with the success of the Marvel films. I also think that CW (formally WB) has been a leader in focusing on “nerdier” fair. Kids WB was my go-to for cartoons as a kid because of how many hero type shows it had, Buffy and Charmed (as well as many others) were WB primetime staples back in the day, and now it continues with the lineup of hero shows I already mentioned. Of all the shows I’ve mentioned, however, I think Buffy was the most significant. And based on how much people have been talking about this anniversary today, I think the masses would agree.

Thanks for letting me ramble for a bit. It’s been over a year since I’ve been inspired to write anything, but it feels appropriate that Buffy Summers finally pushed me into action. She was an inspiration to many. May she continue to do so for 20 more years and beyond.

Buffy-Vampire-Slayer

OK Go Release New Video “Upside Down & Inside Out”

I haven’t written anything since before New Years and I owe you multiple posts that are beyond past due but for now we’re going to forget about all that because OK GO RELEASED A NEW VIDEO AND IT’S AMAZEBALLS.

If you follow the band on their social media, you may have noticed them incessantly hinting about this masterpiece. After much antici…PATION *ahem* the video for “Upside Down & Inside Out” has finally dropped into our laps. It starts with an introduction that says the entire thing is really truly shot in low gravity and there are no green screens or wires involved. What follows is a brilliantly choreographed masterpiece of maneuvers to wow the viewer.

OK Go are no strangers when it comes to viral video making. From their first big hit “Here It Goes Again” audiences have been entranced by their work. It’s good to see that they are still keeping with tradition over ten years later. Now to watch that new video about twenty more times…

To Spoil, or not to Spoil… That is the Question

I owe you a photo post from the Narc Twain show I went to and an introduction to the record label I’m working with now, but I just got into two conversations about spoilers (mostly regarding Star Wars but it’s a hot topic in general) and I want to get this rage post out of my system so I can enjoy the rest of my day.

This all started with a friend on Facebook announcing he was planning on seeing Star Wars on opening night and THERE WILL BE SPOILERS. He suggested that if people don’t like it they can just stay off the internet. I pointed out how unrealistic this was in today’s society, and his friend proceeded to rage at me all the reasons I was WRONG. We went back and forth for a bit before I finally accepted the fact he would never see my viewpoint and quietly backed down. I then had almost the same exact conversation with a group of friends on another Facebook thread, but way more civil and less RAGEY. Which is good because I was ready to ragequit the internet for the next two weeks in an effort to avoid both spoilers and the assholes who post them. Of course one of my most awesome friends sent me a link to simply block all the spoilers if you use Google Chrome. It got me thinking, however, about the unwritten rules when it comes to spoilers and how we consume media nowadays and internet etiquette and such. And that is what this post is really about…

First I’ll give you the argument that was given to me about why it’s ok for someone to post spoilers. Basically it boils down to the fact that the person’s Facebook page is theirs to do with as they please, and if they are excited about a thing then they are going to talk about it and you can’t stop them. This is all fine and good, but there’s also my mantra to consider: DON’T BE A DICK. I’m not saying don’t post spoilers at all. Just have some self-control and if you just can’t help yourself then please for the love of god warn a person before you ruin it for them. Yes, I get you’re a fan that’s excited about a thing. I am too, which is why I would like you to respect that not everyone can see a movie opening weekend. Hell, you’re lucky I’m seeing it a week later. The last James Bond movie I just saw last week and it had been out for a month at that point. I did not see a single spoiler for that movie though and had to go through very little effort to avoid them. But for some reason Star Wars has its own special rules where if I don’t see the movie opening night then it’s my own damn fault if I get spoiled. Which is unrealistic and somewhat childish IMO.

Now let’s look at the other side of things. In one of the discussions I had it was suggested the appropriate time to wait before one can no longer complain about spoilers is a year for movies and a month for TV shows. I, for one, do not watch TV the night it airs. I usually 1) work nights, and 2) wait until the next day when I can watch it online. I also have a life outside of consuming media and have seen almost none of the fall finales of my favorite shows because of this. I am very grateful to the corners of the internet I tend to frequent that they make it fairly obvious what posts to avoid if I don’t want to be spoiled on a thing.

Movies are a bit different. I rarely go to the theater unless it’s something I think the big screen and such will contribute to the experience (or I just can’t wait for the DVD). This usually means I only really see big ticket items like the Marvel franchise, and I wait for everything else. I pay for the Netflix DVD account, which is way cheaper than going to see all these movies when they premiere. Obviously I’m going to see Star Wars. I’m waiting a week though, so I can watch when visiting my family for Christmas weekend. I get that a lot of people will have already seen the movie by then, but I don’t think it’s fair to tell me I need to avoid the internet or have no right to complain when I get spoiled on things. We live in an age where that is unrealistic. For example, the record label I mentioned at the top of the page? It currently has a crowdfunding campaign going that I need to be able to promote ON THE INTERNET. I need to plaster it on Facebook and Twitter and send email blasts, otherwise how do people know I’m doing this awesome thing? And there are plenty of other nerds where it’s THEIR JOB to be on the internet. It is unrealistic and unfair to expect them to stay offline till they watch a movie just because you can’t put a simple “spoiler warning” on something you post.

That’s the thing that gets me the most… I’m not asking people to refrain from talking about it until I’ve seen it. I realize the world does not revolve around me, and you’re excited about this thing just as much as I am, but don’t be a dick about it. Give me a warning so I know to avoid that post and I can still get the same experience you got when you saw that thing for the first time. I’m sure when I finally see the movie I will want to post about it too. Might even write something up on this ol’ blog here. But rest assured I will either choose my words carefully and/or warn people about spoilers beforehand. It’s the little things like respect that make the internet big enough for all of us.

That’s all I have to say on the matter. Feel free to RESPECTFULLY share your opinion in the comments.

Presenting: Narc Twain

You may have heard me talk about a band called “Jukebox the Ghost” here a few times. They’re one of my favorite bands and some of my favorite people of the musical persuasion. One of their members, Tommy Siegal, has two other projects he’s involved with. One is “Drunken Sufis,” who are weird but fun. There’s not much else to say there; you just have to experience it for yourself. The other band he’s in (and what I’m here to talk to you about) is “Narc Twain.” When I talked to Tommy about Narc Twain, he seemed real excited about them. It’s a little something to direct his creative energy towards when what is coming out doesn’t fit the mold for JtG or Sufis. Hearing him talk about it got me excited for him, so of course I’m also excited I now get to review the album and share it with all of you.

If you like dystopian rock tunes, this self-titled album should make it to the top of your list. It has some of the more interesting lyrics I’ve heard in awhile (and this is coming from someone who practically breathes punk rock). It’s not just the lyrics though; the instrumentation also takes some fun leaps and turns at points in the music. I found myself sitting with anticipation at where the songs would go next. There’s only 6 songs to soak in so far, but that should be good for a short trip. While I liked the album as a whole, I think track 3 was my favorite. The chorus is super catchy. It’ll be a nice earworm to knock out the Gogol Bordello song that’s been stuck in my head for a week now.

If this short little album isn’t enough for your hungry ears and brains, then perhaps you want to see them live and in person! Well then you should join me tonight at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn for their show tonight. (While you’re there check out the pizzeria that’s across the street; it’s one of my favorites). Get there early though, because you don’t want to miss any of the show! Doors are at 7pm, and the show starts at 8pm. Knitting usually has good pre-show happy hour deals to enjoy as well, for those who care about such things. Eat, drink, and be merry, and rock your dystopian hearts out with Narc Twain.