Spider Ham cover

Marvel released a black and white image of the upcoming "Spider-Ham" variant cover. Just for fun this afternoon, I whipped off a colour version and superimposed it onto the variant cover background.

Click the image on the right for a larger version. Keep in mind this was done at 72 dpi, and took less than an hour! (If you look closely, you can probably see a lot of colouring outside the lines! ;)

Drawn by Marvelous Mike Wieringo
Inked by Kaptivating Karl Kesel
Coloured for fun by your Friendly Neighbourhood Yours Truly.

For more on Spider-Ham, visit the Spider-Ham Wikipedia entry.

Currently playing: Orphan - Miracle

How to tell if someone is "square".

When you first meet someone, one of the hardest things to do is to determine whether the new acquaintance is "hip", or "square".

I used to judge a person on a wide range of variables; height, age, political opinions, eye colour, accent, proper use of the word 'irregardless', preference in chocolate bars, and volume of laugh (in decibels, rounded up of course).

That just seems like a lot of work. In the interest of being more efficient with my time, I've found one surefire way to determine a strangers un-squareness.

Check the CD collection (or if they are 30+, their record and tape collection). If it contains a copy of The Frantics Boot to the Head, you may remove the new acquaintance from under your microscope. They've passed the test, and are worthy of your enduring friendship and company.

Boot to the Head is a Canadian comedic masterpiece. But, in the words of the immortal LeVar Burton, "Don't take MY word for it!". Have a listen for yourself! Click here to have a listen to A Piece Of Pie!

The Frantics are back in style. My lifelong friend Robin Kowal and I saw them at the Gas Station Theatre earlier this year. They recently recorded new material for a television special that will be airing on the Comedy Network on January 28, 2006 (Featuring new Mr. Canoehead and Ed Gruberman skits!!!). There is also an online petition collecting signatures for the great cause of collecting all of the episodes of their original tv series, 4 on the Floor, on DVD. Please support this noble cause by clicking this link and signing the petition.

Currently playing: Ottawa Senators at Montreal Canadiens (currently tied at 3)
Percentage of Christmas shopping complete: 100.00% (whoo hooo!)

Under the wrecking ball

I drove past the old Winnipeg Arena on my way to work this morning. Demolition efforts are well under way. Most of the North end of the building is now fully open and exposed to the elements.

I'm not going to lose a lot of tears over this one - to say that our new downtown arena is an improvement is a massive understatement. But it did make me stop for a moment and think of all the concerts and Winnipeg Jets games I'd been to over the years. At no point in the future will I be able to stroll it's hallowed halls and reminisce about the Jets' White Outs, 50/50 tickets, and urinating into troughs.

One last go at the Winnipeg Arena Urinal Trough. 2004. From left: "Big Ern" Bazylewski, Donovan Yaciuk, Scott Bazylewski, Spencer Sutton.

The backdrop for all those memories is now gone.

Currently playing: America - Horse With No Name
Percentage of Christmas shopping complete: 93.33%

I am the Champions, my friends!

There are several things I need to do in life before I die.... 1. Work in the comic book industry. (Yep!) 2. Record an album in a studio with a band (Yep - it happened twice!) 3. Get higher that 75% in Grade 12 Math (I really should let that one go!) 4. Eat 27 chicken fingers in one sitting (Yep!) 5. Bring the Jets back to Winnipeg (Methinks I'm going to be alive for a loooong while!) 6. See the Pyramids of Giza. (Still waiting on that one...) 7. See Queen live in concert (See below...) About half my life ago, I saw a video of a Roger Taylor of Queen, singing and drumming "I'm In Love With My Car" at a Montreal concert circa 1982. It was one of the coolest things I'd seen in my life! I was hooked - at that moment I knew I wanted to play the drums. He has been my inspiration as a drummer ever since, and I owe much of any 'style' I have to listening to him play. That was 1990. Queen hadn't toured since 1986, and by 1991, Freddie Mercury had passed on and any hopes I'd had of seeing Queen live had to be abandoned. There was a glimmer of hope in 1993 when I had the chance to see their guitarist, Brian May, open up for Guns and Roses*. My mom wouldn't let me go however, as the girls who had the extra ticket to the show liked to smoke pot and drink Jack Daniels, and probably would have deflowered me at some point during the drive to Winnipeg. Thank god for mothers! Well, Queen has risen like a phoenix from the ashes, and have teamed up with former Bad Company / Free singer Paul Rodgers, completing a European tour last spring. They are now coming to Canada, and my cousin Scott snagged us some sweet tickets to the Vancouver show. Tickets to see Queen. Third row. With a perfect view of Roger Taylor.

Today is a good day.

Currently playing: Johnny Cash - One Percentage of Christmas shopping complete: 33.33% (what the--!? how did it drop from 35.71%!)

*Note: Brian May fell ill and was unable to open for Guns and Roses that night back in 1993, so I was able to forgive my mother for looking out for my safety and virginity. However, as an interesting side note, the band chosen to replace Brian May that night, was none other than local Winnipeg rockers Orphan!!! (known at that time as the Deadbeat Honeymooners). I didn't know Orphan from a hole in the ground back then, so I guess I didn't miss much. ...