Top 10 Bands

The other day I was out in the yard doing some yardwork. And I was trying to think of some more Top 5 lists. Well I was listening to music and thought "Shit Newt do your Top 5 bands." So as I was stacking bamboo shafts I was trying to hash out my top 5. I realized I love too many bands. So it has morphed into a top 10 list.

10.Death

Just discovered them recently. But they have quickly become one of my favorite bands. Formed in the early 70s in Detroit Michigan. They were 3 brothers. And have this great protopunk sound. All they ever released as a single. But 4 or 5 years ago they got resdiscovered and the master tape of their unreleased album got released. If you are a fan of Alice Cooper,The Stooges,The Who or The MC5 check this band out.

9.The Distillers

Fronted by the gorgous Brodie Dalle, this punk band had a great raw sound. I discovered them pretty late in their career. What caught my attention at first was Brodie's voice. It is that rough ,gravely smoking 4 packs of cigs a day voice. They broke up and Brodie went on the sing lead vocals in the short lived band Spinerette.

8.The Stooges
Another great protopunk band from Detroit. Iggy has an amazing stage presence. It was their raw sound that caught me. Thanks to a friend I discovered the Stooges band when I was 12. Since then I have been a huge fan. I still hate that I missed them when they played Voodoo Fest a few years ago.

7.The Misfits
By the Misfits I mean only the Danzig era. I do enjoy a couple of the songs from when Graves was doing lead vocals. But the Danzig era is the best stuff. This is another group I discovered in my pre-teen years.I just wish Jerry Only and Glenn Danzig would settle their differences and we can get a proper Misfits reunion.

6.The Descendents
All the pop punk bands that hit it big in the late 90s/early 2000s owe so much to the Descendents. Loud,Fast and with amazingly clear and intelligent vocals. I actually first heard them when I was 8. Their song Weinersnitzel was lip synched on some TV talent show. My buddy told me that it was a Descendents song. Then he made me a copy of Milo goes to college. That copy found a permanent home in my walkman for years.

TIE 5. Bad Religion
I was about 14 when Suffer came out. I was in Record Bar looking for a new album to buy. The cashier had gotten to know me and knew what bands I was into. "Look little dude buy this album. If you don't like it bring it back and I will refund your money." I took a chance and HOLY FUCK. Then next week I was back and buying all their previous albums. And as good as their albums are it doesn't even compare to how great they are live. Seen them 2 times now. Rumors are flying that the current tour is their last tour. I would love to see them one more time.

TIE 5.NOFX

This was another band I discovered thanks to the great cashier at Record Bar. He told me to buy "White Trash,two Heebs and a Bean." I was back in the store the next day buy every NOFX album they had. I like how they can blend serious topics with comedy.

 4. Guns N Roses
It seems with the generation after me it has become the thing to hate Guns N Roses. Not really sure why. I was in Jr High when Appetite for Destruction hit. For about a year everyone was listening to them. It is an almost perfect album. I got to see them on the ill fated Faith No More/Metallica/Guns N Roses tour. Thanks to various issues the bad is a shell of what it use to be. With only Axl remaining out of the core group. But at least we got 2 great albums and one decent EP.

3.Helmet
I was shopping at Record Bar again. And saw "Helmet-Strap it on" I bought it on a whim. And feel in love with the band. The start/stop of they music. The jazz influences. All made them stand out from all the other early 90s metal bands. Seeing them live was great. But the best part was getting to sit at the bar and buy Paige Hamilton a drink.

TIE 2.Alice in Chains
They are really the only band I ever discovered through MTV. I caught Man in a box airing on Headbangers ball and was hooked. And I do love their album Facelift. But Dirt was the album that stuck with me. The raw pain and emotion Layne Staley brings to each song is haunting. Once I got that album it didn't leave my stereo for years. So happy I saw them 4 times before Layne's OD. I know they are still putting out music and touring. But with out Layne it just isn't Alice in Chains to me.

TIE 2.The Pixies
One of the few good things about one of my ex's is she introduced me to the Pixies.I still don't understand why there were not huge in the States. Almost everywhere else in the world they hit it big. But here they were at the most an underground sensation. They just recently reformed and released a new album. But they don't have Kim Deal and her vocals were a vital part of their sound.

1.The Ramones
No big surprise if you know me. I first heard them on Sha Na Na's weekly tv show. Then a few weeks later heard them on the radio. It started a obsession that has never ended. I own every album and so many bootleg concert recordings. The first time I got to see them they were opening for Pearl Jam. After the Ramones finished their set my ears were ringing so much I could barely hear. I got to see them two more times a few years later. Sadly over the past 13 years 3 of the 4 original members have died. But their music is one of the things that helped me survive the hell that was high school.

Top 5 favorite childhood TV shows

5.Greatest American Hero

As a kid I would watch any show that was based on a comic book or had super heroes in it. And this show hit at the perfect time. Also it has a great theme song. One that I currently have on my mp3 player.Lasting 3 seasons it was about a school teacher who gets a uniform from some aliens. This suit gives him super powers. But the teacher loses the instructions. So he has to learn as he goes. About a year ago I got the first season for $5 on DVD. And it actually holds up.

4.The Fall Guy

Lasting 5 seasons this hour long drama was a starring vehicle for Lee Majors. Lee played Colt Seavers, who is a movie stunt man. Who is also a bounty hunter. As I got older I started watching the show more often because the perky and very pretty Markie Post was on the show for a few seasons. Plus like Greatest American Hero, The Fall Guy has a great theme song. When I was in Army Training Corps my first night there we were all lined up to take a shower. There was 40 of us and 10 shower heads. So you had to wait till a shower head was empty. One of the guys waiting in line started singing the Fall Guy theme. And very quickly everyone joined in.

3.The Incredible Hulk

As far back as I can remember I have been into comic books and super heroes. I clearly remember my first day of kindergarten. And I remember wearing my favorite shirt that day. Which was my Hulk shirt. I was a huge Hulk fan because of this TV show. The late Bill Bixby played David Banner. Who traveled around the USA always one step ahead of the law. After it ended after 5 seasons I didn't see it again till sometime in the mid 2000s. Which is the time frame that the SciFi Channel started airing it. I wasn't expecting it to be as good as I remembered it. But it was. I really need to go and buy all the seasons on DVD. After the show had ended we got 3 made for TV movies. The first 2 were meant to be backdoor pilots for Thor and Daredevil TV shows.

2.The Addams Family

Ahh the Addams Family. The local UHF channel where I grew up showed this 3 days a week. Mondays,Wednesdays,Fridays it aired at 5pm. Right after all the cartoons. Being such a huge fan of the horror genre this show quickly became must see TV. As a kid I was never a fan of TV shows that were black and white. But that didn't bother me with this one. I love the morbid and dark sense of humor that permeates this show. It is another show that one day I will end up buying both seasons on DVD.

1.Batman

NA NA NA NA NA NA BATMAN!!! I first heard of this show when I was 4. My older cousin was over spending the weekend with us. He had just watched Superfriends with me and asked me if I had ever seen Batman. I had never heard of it. About 2 years later the same channel that aired The Addams Family started showing Batman at 4pm weekdays. I got quickly got hooked on this show. I love how almost every episode ends on a cliffhanger. Kind of like the old movie serials. Sadly because of various rights issues the show hasn't been released on DVD or Blu Ray. But if you look around on the Net or go to a convention you can find DVD sets of all three seasons. Maybe one day the rights issues will be cleared up and one of the best superhero live action shows will get a good digital release.

Top 5 Book series

5.Xanth novels by Piers Anthony

Starting in 1977, the Xanth series currently has 23 novels. Sent in a fantasy world, that is shaped like the state of Florida. The Xanth series is known for all the puns. In the world of Xanth everyone has a magical talent. With the more powerful talents being the people that are the Kings and Queens. I discovered this series of novels in the late 80s. I have now read about half of the books. All the ones I have read are light quick reads. But still really fun.

4.Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Starting in 1912 the Tarzan series has 24 novels in the official run. As a kid I first saw Tarzan thanks to the Filmation Saturday morning cartoon. Then after that I saw some of the Tarzan films. I loved the cartoon, but the films I didn't like. So I never bothered reading the novels. Then in 2008 I was at my local library and looking for something to read. I saw the first Tarzan novel on the shelf. Figured what the hell. That night I laid down at 9pm and started reading it. And 5 hours later I finished it. Then in 2010 at Coast Con I bought the other 23 novels for 10 cents each. Some of the ones I got have great Boris Vallejo artwork. The Tarzan of the novels is so different than the Tarzan of all those old films. He is a very intelligent man. And doesn't speak in the broken English that the film version did.

3.The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher

The Dresden Files series of novels are about a detective who lives in Chicago who is also a wizard. There is currently 14 full length novels in the series. Plus a bunch of short stories. Plus a few comic books. I love how this series is a nice mixture of fantasy,horror,film noir and mystery. It is also one of the few series that I don't wait for them to hit paperback. As soon as a new novel comes out I buy the hardcover. Another great thing about this series is you can tell Mr Butcher has plotted out the story line. Stuff that happens in one novel might not come back up until 3 books later. Really my only complaint about this series is that I have to wait 12 to 14 months between each book.

2.Wild Cards edited by George R.R. Martin

This series started back in 1987 and is still has novels coming out today. I read the first book in 1988. The Wild Cards universe is a good example of "alternative timelines". The first book starts right after World War II. A group of humanoid aliens has sent a germ bomb towards Earth. It explodes and releases what gets nicknamed the Wild Card virus. 90% of the people that get the virus die. 9% end up being horribly mutated and get nicknamed Jokers. Then the lucky 1% gain superpowers. They are called Aces. These novels are usually a collection of short stories. That are all tied into each other. Lots of well know fantasy and science fiction authors have stories in the Wild Cards novels. There is currently a total of 21 novels in the series. With 2 more planned.

1.The Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Now it is no secret I am a huge Stephen King fan. But with Mr King my favorite books from him are the 9 books in the Dark Tower series.The first novel "The Gunslinger" was originally published as 5 short stories that came out in various genre fiction magazines between the years of 1978 and 1981. Then in 1982 they were combined into one novel and published. Then every 3 or 4 years a new book in the series was published. With book 7 "The Dark Tower" published in 2004. In 2003 King went and revised The Gunslinger and republished it. After the publication of The Dark Tower everyone thought the series was over. But in 2012 The wind through the keyhole was published. This novel takes place between books 4 and 5 of the series. This series of novels is a weird mixture of western,science fiction,horror and just pure fantasy. I have read each book in the series at least 3 times. When I finished the 7th novel I immediately picked up book 1 and started again. Now for anyone that is going to read this be warned. The first book is a hard read. At least the original version of it is. The revised version is a little easier to read. But stick to it. Because with book 2 it really picks up and that is where most people get hooked. There is also a bunch of comic book mini series that help fill in some gaps in the stories.

Top 5 Kids books

5.Endless Quests books

I had at least 9 of these books when I was a kid. They were the TSR/Dungeons and Dragons versions of the mega popular choose your own adventure books. By the time I was 8 I had started playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons with some friends. So having a game-book version of it was right up my alley.

4.Thirteen ways to sink a sub

I got this book from the school book fair when I was in 4th or 5th grade. The plot is simple. The 4th grade class has their first substitute. So they plan on making her cry. I must have read this book 2 or 3 times a year for years. There is at least 3 more books in this series.

3.Monster of the year

Another book I got from the book fair. The cover grabbed my eye. 2 kids get a billboard for their birthdays. So they make a mock ad for a Monster of the Year contest. Then all kinds of classic monsters start showing up. It is another I read over and over and over. I am tempted to track down a copy.

2.Choose your own Adventure books

When I was in elementary school the CYOA books were hot. Everyone read them. I had over 40 of them back then. I ended up giving them all away. Which I regret now. So any time I see used books I look for CYOA books. And got about 20 of them now.  CYOA are game-books like the Endless Quests novels. But CYOA are known for having some great endings. Most of the books had maybe 2 good endings and the rest were all bad. You would end up dying in graphic ways.

1.The Thief of Always

Now this novel I didn't read as a kid. Because it didn't get published until I was in my 20s. When I heard about it I was wondering "What the fuck a kids book written by Clive Barker." And the book turns out to be as twisted as you would expect a kids novel written by Mr Barker to be. A young boy runs away. And discovers this house that is paradise for a kid. For years now I have heard that the novel is being made into a film. But so far nothing has come out of that.

Top 5 DC teams

5.Forgotten Heroes

Originally made up of the following heroes  Animal Man,Cave Carson,Congorilla,Dolphin,Dane Dorrance,Rick Flag Jr,Rip Hunter and the Immortal Man. They only made a few appearances pre-Crisis. Post-Crisis they showed up in the Resurrection Man title. I love the pre-Crisis team because of how it was a group of almost unknowns. Plus it has Animal Man.

4.New Teen Titans

In the early 80s I wasn't reading much from DC. But New Teen Titans caught my attention. Unlike the older Titans team,which was mostly made up of sidekicks, this team was a nice mixture of sidekicks and new characters. With 3 new characters created just for this series. Starfire, the alien Princess who comes to Earth to escape her crazy sister. Raven,the daughter of a demon who helps form the Titans so they can defeat her father. And then Cyborg,a former high school all star athlete who had to have most of his body replaced with robot parts. Also I love that former Doom Patrol member Changling was brought in. Then you add in Marv Wolfman writing the series and George Perez doing the pencils, you end up with one of the 80s best series.

3.Atari Force

This series started off as 5 comics that came with various Atari 2600 games. I loved them. So when I saw the first issue of the second series on the spinner rack I had to grab it. This second series was one of the best science fiction series of the 80s. In many ways it reminds me of the UK classic science fiction show Blake's 7. Sadly thanks to rights issues this series will not be reprinted. And the Atari Force more than likely won't appear again. Thankfully the second series is easy to find in the cheap bins. I managed to get all 20 issues for around a buck an issue.

2.All Star Squadron

Set in the World War II era, this series was set on Earth 2. I loved how Roy Thomas used all the various heroes that DC had bought the rights too. And All Star Squadron gave some lessor known characters the chance to shine. Then the Crisis happened. And this series got royally fucked.  This is another series that I managed to get a run of out of the cheap bins.

1.Doom Patrol

I have went back and read lots of the Silver Age Doom Patrol run. I do enjoy them. But the second series was so much better. Once Grant Morrison took over the comic went places that very few comics have ever been. How can you hate a comic that has a living sentient street. Or Crazy Jane, a woman that has multiple personality disorder. With each personality has a different power. Then there is Dorthy Spanner, a simian looking young lady. Who can bring her imaginary friends to life. Or Rebis, a  hermaphrodite who has the minds of 3 different people. 

Top 5 Marvel teams

5.Power Pack

4 kids,who are brothers and sisters, gain super powers from an alien that looks like a humanoid horse. One of the first times I went into a comic shop I asked if they had back issues of Power Pack. And the owner laughed at me. At the time Power Pack was laughed at in geek circles. Which is funny because now they are loved. I read the original series for almost 40 issues. Then stopped reading it. Mostly because I didn't have enough money to buy all the comics I wanted each month.

4.DP7

Yeah I know they are New Universe, so technically not Marvel. But it was published by Marvel. The White Event happens and people start developing super powers. A group of 7 people all end up in a clinic in the mid west. For some of them having the powers is a blessing. But for most it is  a curse. Like Scuzz, his sweat is highly acidic. So he can not touch anyone. The series lasted 36 issues and 1 annual. But was never a big seller. I am pretty sure the late Mark Grunwald wrote every issue. I was fucking sad when this series ended. Marvel has brought back DP7 a few times. But without Grunwald it isn't the same.

  3.Excalibur

Most people of my generation loved the X-men. With Wolverine being the most popular. Now I like Wolverine. But my favorite X-men were always Kitty Pryde and Nightcrawler. With Rachel Summers being another favorite. So when a new series started with those three, plus Captain Britain and Megan, I jumped right in. This series started at the perfect time. The X-men comic had started going to shit. With constant crossovers. And it had lost the sense of humor that I loved. Excalibur had the humor, plus it was rare for a crossover. And then you throw in Alan Davis on the pencils, you got a comic that I loved then and still love.

2.Squadron Supreme

I was introduced the the Squadron Supreme in the pages of Marvel 2 in 1 and the Defenders. Then the Mark Grunwald written 12 issue maxi series came out. The Squadron's world had been decimated. So they took over  and tried to create a Utopia. It was a great story that deconstructed the superhero mythos. And this happened a year before Watchmen came out. Lots of fans consider Watchmen to be the best mini series ever.But to me Mark Grunwald's year long Squadron Supreme series is better. When Mr Grunwald died, his ashes were mixed in with the inks for the first printing of the trade paperback collection of this ground breaking series. Decades later JMS tried to reinvent the Squadron. But his version wasn't good.

1.The Defenders

For 152 issues and a handful of Annuals and Giant Sized issues The Defenders were one of the strangest teams in the Marvel Universe. Know as the "un-team". Mostly because the roster was always changing. You never knew who would join the team. They started off with 4 members. Hulk,Namor,Silver Surfer and Dr Strange. But over the course of the series people like Hawkeyes, Nighthawk,Valkyrie,Angel,Iceman,The Beast and The Gargoyle joined.  The stand outs were the runs where either the late Steve Gerber or Steve Engelhart were writing. The last 2 years of the series there was major changes. The original four members all quit. And Angel took over as leader. From what I have heard the comic was selling pretty well. But because they needed Angel,Iceman and the Beast for the upcoming X-factor team, The Defenders was canceled. Marvel has tried many times since then to bring the Defenders back. But each time it has bombed badly.

Top 5 actors

And by actors I mean males. I plan on doing a top 5 actresses post one day.

5.Bruce Campbell

Of course the first thing I saw him in was Evil Dead. But since then I had seen so many low budget horror and science fiction films with Mr Campbell. Usually he brings the right blend of seriousness and comedy to each role. Now I love Evil Dead and Evil Dead II, but my favorite film with Bruce is Bubba Ho Tep. It helps that I am a huge Joe R Lansdale fan. Plus it is such a strange idea for a film. Elvis and JFK in an east Texas nursing home. Fighting a mummy that steals souls.

4.Vincent Price

As a young kid I saw House on Haunted Hill late one Halloween night. And that started my love of Vincent Price films. Mr Price has an aura around him that could make even the cheapest cheesiest film work. Over the years I have seen at least half of the 100 films he made. And my favorite film with him is always changing. Currently it is Madhouse. A film I had never heard of until recently. Another stand out was the sadly short lived "13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo" cartoon. Where Mr Price had a starting role. Right before Halloween in 1993 Mr Price died. And not just the horror industry but the film industry lost a true legend.

3.Robert Carradine

The younger brother of David, I first saw Robert in the 80s comedy classic Revenge of the Nerds. And for a very long time that is all I knew him from. It wasn't until the early 2000s that I discovered he had done a handful of drive in classics back in the 70s. In 1976 he played the lead in the Crown International film "The Pom Pom Girls". Robert is the school's star quarterback. And spends most of the film pulling pranks on their cross town rivals. But the one film from that era that everyone should see is "Massacre at Central High". Also from 1976 this is a  strange film about various high school cliches. Robert is great as Spoony. And kind of proto-punk/hippie. Most people younger than me will best know him as the Dad on the hit Disney Channel show Lizzie McGuire.

2.Michael Chiklis

Before "The Shield" all I knew Mr Chiklis from was "The Commish" and that Mel Gibson made for TV film about the 3 stooges. I didn't realized that he had played John Belushi in the film "Wired". Yes I am one of the 10 people that saw "Wired" in a theater. When "The Shield" started I wasn't going to watch it. I am just not into shows or films really about cops. But something told me to watch the first episode. And while it was good, those final 8 minutes hooked me. And from then till the show ended every Tuesday night at 9pm central I was watching it. Michael Chiklis as Vic Mackey created a character that I had never seen on an American TV show. You hated him for being a piece of scum. But each week you were cheering him on and hoping that whatever scheme he was planning would work. Also he was the only good thing about those 2 horrible Fantastic Four films. Sadly since the Shield ended Mr Chiklis has had bad luck with TV shows. "No Ordinary Family" was fun but lasted one season. And just recently he was on the "Vegas". Another great show that only got one season.

1.Steve Buscemi

I know big surprise. The first thing I remember seeing Steve in was "Airheads". A average 90s comedy. But Mr Buscemi was great in it. Not that long after that I saw Reservoir Dogs. Where Steve steals the show as Mr Pink. He has been the only good parts of horrible films like Armageddon and Con Air. What I love is he is great at comedic and dramatic roles. 4 years ago he got the lead on Boardwalk Empire. As Nucky Thompson a corrupt Atlantic city political power. That show is one of the few I make a point to see. Another thing about Mr Buscemi that made me a huge fan is what he did after 9/11, Before his acting career took off, Steve was a NYC firefighter. After 9/11 he left the set of the film he was in and went back to help out his old firehouse for some weeks. Unlike some celebs after that horrible event, Steve didn't want media attention for what he was doing. He just wanted to help out. I have only seen one interview where he even talks about this. And maybe 3 pictures from this time. That right there increased my fandom and the amount of respect I have for Mr Buscemi.

Top 5 childhood favorite wrestlers.

5.Mike The California Hippie Boyette

I first saw Mike Boyette in the Mid  South/UWF territory. When he came out my parents told me about how they use to watch him wrestle in Gulfport against the Fields brothers. In all my years watching Mid South/UWF I never saw Mike win a match. But I never cared. He entertained me. It wasn't until I got online in the mid 90s that I learned that Mike Boyette was considered one of the best bumpers of his era. Sadly Mike passed away in December 2012.

4.Hot Stuff Eddie Gilbert

Eddie is another I discovered thanks to UWF. While most of the time he was the manager of the Sting and Rick Steiner tag team. Eddie did wrestle. Plus he always had the gorgeous Missy Hyatt at his side. In my eyes Eddie had it all. He was good in the ring. Amazing on the mic. And from what I have heard he had a good mind for the backstage stuff. It seems his height and his issues with drugs are what really held him back from being an even bigger name in the wrestling business. Eddie Gilbert died in February 1995 from a heart attack.

3.Jerry the King Lawler

I didn't just watch Mid South/UWF as a kid. I watched lots of Memphis or as I think it was known back then CWA. And of course if you think about Memphis wrestling in the late 70s till the mid 80s you have to mention the King. It didn't matter to me if Lawler was a heel or face I would cheer him. I know when he dropped the strap shit was about to go down. Jerry could work with anyone. He got good matches out of people that no one else could.Plus the angle with Andy Kaufman. I remember getting my parents to record their appearance on the David Letterman talk show. So I could watch it the next day.I just wish I could have gotten to see Lawler live back in that era.

2.Terry Bam Bam Gordy

I love the Freebirds. And out of the three Terry Gordy was the best. I was so happy when Terry won the UWF heavyweight title. Then he held it for 6 months. To then lose it to One Man Gang, because Terry got injured. I also got to see some of Gordy's stuff when the Freebirds were in WCCW. One of the best matches I have seen live was Terry Gordy and Steve Dr Death Williams vs The Steiner Brothers. This match was the main event of Beach Blast 92. And is the best tag match I have seen live. Terry Gordy died of a heart attack, caused by a blood clot on July 16, 2001. He was 40 years old.

1.Steve Dr Death Williams

And my favorite childhood wrestler. Who is in my top 5 of all time. Steve Williams was the man in UWF. I remember watching a hour long match between Dr Death and Dick Murdoch from the UWF tv show. I think the match was to determine who got a shot at the UWF Heavyweight title. When UWF folded and was absorbed by JCP I figured Steve Williams would quickly get a NWA world title shot against Ric Flair. But JCP didn't do this. Steve ended up teaming up with Terry Gordy and spending most of the rest of his wrestling career in Japan. Where he became a legend. I am very happy that I got to see Dr Death 4 times live. Steve Williams passed away in December of 2009. He had been fighting cancer for years. But it was a battle that Steve lost. RIP Mr Williams.

Top 5 Vertigo series

5.Sandman

At one time I considered Sandman to be the best comic book I had ever read. But over the years it has fallen in my eyes. While it is good. It isn't great. And it gets way more praise than it should. But it is still worth reading. If you are a fan of the various mythologies of the world this is a comic to check out. The first 50 issues are really good. But from issue 51 till then end there is some issues that are not needed.

4.Doom Patrol

Doom Patrol sometimes feels like it is the forgotten Vertigo series. Starting with issue 19 Grant Morrison took the series over. And made it one of the most surreal series I have ever read. Stuff like gender identity,Dadaism and the cut up techniques of William Burroughs are all explored. With issue 64 Morrison left and Rachel Pollack took over the writing duties. She had been writing letters into the series for a long time. Sadly the series was canceled with issue 87. The Doom Patrol has had a few series after this. But none of them have come close to how great the Morrison and Pollack runs were.

3.Fables

This is the only Vertigo series that is still being published that I read. Written by Bill Willingham. The basic plot is simple. Every fairy tale,fable and piece of folklore you heard as a kid is true. All of those people,animals,etc lived in another world. Over 100 years ago a great evil started taking over this parallel world. So all the human looking fables escaped and now live in a small neighborhood of NYC. If this sounds somewhat like the ABC TV show Once Upon a Time, there is a good reason. ABC/Disney optioned the rights to Fables a few years back. And once that option expired they came out with Once Upon a Time.

2.Animal Man

This series is the most under-rated Vertigo series. I can hear the fanboys out there shouting "But Double T everyone remembers the Morrison run on Animal Man." And that is true. But that is only 26 issues out of a 90 issue run. Buddy Baker is Animal Man. He has a pretty versatile super power. He can gain the ability of any animal. After Morrison's run the later writers explored all kinds of issues. Stuff like animal rights,freedom of religion and how the hell a superhero with a wife and kids makes money. With Buddy Baker at first he makes a living by doing stunt work in films. Usually every 2 years I sit down and read all 90 issues.

1.Preacher

Preacher is one of the best comic series I have ever read. What starts off as a simple quest for knowledge and revenge. Morphs into a love story. About two people who are destined to be together. I love how the entire series has the same artist and writer. Garth Ennis wrote every issue and Steve Dillon drew each issue. If you want to know more about Preacher check out this episode of the Asshat Podcast.
Asshat Podcast Episode 14

Top 5 currently airing TV shows

For years I watched lots of TV. But after the writer's strike in the fall of 2007 I realized that there was many shows I was watching just to watch them. Not because I enjoyed them. Since then I have majorly cut back on how much TV I watch.

Warning there will be spoilers.

5.American Horror Story

American Horror Story airs Wednesday nights on FX.The third season started not that long ago. I am a huge horror fanatic. And loved season 1. Which I have heard is now known as Murder house. The acting,plot and pacing were all well done. Season 2 I watched about half of. Then I got way behind and decided to just wait for it to be released to DVD. I bought the Season 2 aka Asylum set a week ago. But haven't started watching it yet. Season 3 I have been DVRing. I think I will just wait till the season is over. Then sit down and watch the entire season in 2 days. I love how each season has no connection to the other seasons. Plus it is pretty neat how they bring back some of the same actors/actresses but they are playing totally different parts.

4.Sons of Anarchy

This is another great series that airs on FX.FX really has stepped up in the past decade. And has aired some great dramas like The Shield,Rescue Me,American Horror Story and this show. Jax Teller is the lead. By this season he is the president of SAMCRO. And the former president,Clay Morrow, is in jail. Jax is trying all he can to get the club to go totally legit. They are working with a local high priced escort group. And are talking about going back into the porn business. But of course there is obstacles. Jax's wife is planning on leaving him and moving out of the area with their two sons. I do like how this season Peter Weller has showed up. As a former cop that does a bunch of grey market stuff. Plus since Jax is wanting to get out of gun running, the IRA has come after them. My only complaint so far about this season is Donal Logue died way too soon.

3.The Walking Dead

I love horror. I love zombies. And I like serialized dramas. So The Walking Dead is an almost perfect show for me. Season 4 has been very well done. Really out of the 3 1/2 seasons that have aired the only one I didn't enjoy was season 2. Now I do read the comic. But this season almost nothing in the TV show happened in the comic. Some kind of respiratory disease has gotten loose in the prison that our rag tag group of survivors calls home. So Daryl and 3 others are sent to a near by vet's office to get the needed meds. And that storyline has been really entertaining. But what I am really intrigued by is what is happening with Carol. In the comic she was just there. But on the show she has kind of filled the role Andrea had in the comic. We find out early on in this current season that she has been teaching the kids how to defend themselves from the walkers. Her and Rick go out on a supply run. And Carol reveals to Rick a dark secret. Which causes Rick to kick her out of the group. At least he gives her supplies and some other stuff to make sure she will survive. Now currently on the show the big bad villain is The Governor. And until the last episode I saw he had no appeared. But he just made a cameo appearance.

2.Eastbound and Down

Season 4, which is also the final season, of the funniest show in years started almost 2 months ago. Set years after the end of season 3, Kenny is trying to adjust to being a father,husband and working a normal job. But of course Kenny isn't happy. He ends up meeting up with a former Atlanta Braves teammate. This guy has a sports talk show. And Kenny ends up being added to the cast of it. Over the past decade most American sitcoms haven't been funny to me. But Eastbound and Down is fucking funny.

1.Boardwalk Empire

Fuck The Sopranos,Fuck OZ,Fuck every other over-hyped HBO drama. Boardwalk Empire is the best drama to air on HBO. Nucky aka Steve Buscemi has moved into an old hotel on the shore. Chalky White now has a nightclub on the Atlantic City boardwalk. Gillian Darmody is now a heroin addict and trying to sell the whorehouse she was running last season. Nucky ends up down in Tampa Florida and works out a deal to get liquor in from Cuba. While down there he meets up with a bartender played by Patricia Arquette. But the storyline that has my attention is the one with Willy. Willy is Nucky's brother's oldest son. He starts the season off in college. Willy tries to impress some of the richer students. So he gets some booze from  the supply house his Dad and Uncle run. One of these rich pricks pulls a nasty prank on Willy. So Willy gets his revenge. Which backfires on him. Willy drops out of college and I really think they are leading up to him working in the "family business". Also I am enjoying what has been happening with Richard Harrow. He starts the season off by going around killing various people. Then he ends up at his childhood home. But in the newest episode He got married and goes and asks Nucky for a job. I said last season that Richard would end up working for Nucky.

Top 5 favorite comics from my childhood.

5.Sabrina the Teenage Witch


Out of all the Archie stuff Sabrina was the title I read the most of. I am sure part of that is because of her being a witch the stories had a semi horror feel to them. And it is no secret that I am a huge horror fan. I even enjoyed the live action tv show with Melissa Joan Hart. I was introduced to Sabrina thanks to the Filmation early 70s Sabrina cartoon. I have tired out the manga influenced Sabrina comic and the cartoons that have come out that are based on the live action show. But they didn't appeal to me.

4.ROM the Spaceknight

Yes ROM. The butt of many jokes. But it is a well written piece of science fiction. The great Bill Mantlo co created ROM along with Sal Buscema. ROM is based on a very short lived toyline from Parker Brothers. That is why none of the issues have ever been reprinted. Sadly Bill Mantlo was the victim of a hit-and-run accident in 1992 and has been in institutional care ever since.

3.Brave and the Bold

Brave and the Bold had been around for decades before I started reading it in the late 70s. By the time I was reading Brave and the Bold it was Batman teaming up with a different person each issue. I loved this comic for one main reason. Each issue I got introduced to a different hero. I discovered so many heros/heroines thanks to Brave and the Bold. Plus the late Jim Aparo did some beautiful artwork in lots of the issues. The sort of recent Batman Brave and the Bold cartoon was partially inspired by this comic.

2.Marvel 2 in 1

During the 70s Marvel had 2 monthly team up titles. Marvel team up,where Spidey teamed up with someone every month. And Marvel 2 in 1. I preferred 2 in 1. Mostly because at the time I was a much bigger fan of the Thing. That is thanks to the Hanna Barbara animated Thing cartoons. THING RING DO YOUR THING! Now I have went back and bought all 100 issues of 2 in 1 plus all the annuals. And sometimes the stories are shit. But it is interesting seeing all the heroes and villains that showed up. The Spidey villain the Sandman first showed signs of turning to the good side in an issue of 2 in 1. Also all but 2 issues have been reprinted in Marvel's Essential line of trades. The 2 that are not reprinted are one with Doc Savage. And one near the end of the series that has ROM in it. Both because of rights issues.

1.Hot Stuff the lil Devil


I was aware of Hot Stuff years before I read any of his comics. My father has him tattooed on his left forearm.

Being into horror a comic about a kid devil was a can't miss title. I loved all the other characters that would appear in this comic also. Stumbo the giant, the devil kids and of course Hot Stuff's various relatives. About 4 or 5 years ago Dark Horse comics put out a trade reprinting 110 Hot Stuff stories.
It is sadly out of print now. Like Marvels Essential line and DC's Showcase Presents line of trades most of the stories in this trade are reprinted in black and white. In the center of the trade they do reprint a handful in color. Hot Stuff is the odd man out of the Harvey line of comic characters. He never had a cartoon. He rarely crossed over with the other titles. And there is very little merchandise of him. In almost 30 years of looking all I have ever found was a stuffed version of Hot Stuff. And a pair of boxers.

So fellow comic geeks what are some of yalls favorite comics books from your childhood?