Showing posts with label top 5 list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top 5 list. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 2, 2014

Top 5 Sequels



5.Friday the 13th part 4 the final chapter

I love the Friday the 13th series. But part 4 is my favorite. The first established the mythos. 2 introduced us to Jason. 3 added the hockey mask. But 4 is where the series became a franchise. We got one of the best plots of the series. Some of the best acting,Crispen Glover and others. Plus Tom Savini returned to do the FX work. Plus Jason dies. Sure he has come back many times. But when this came out it really felt like he was gone for good.



4.Nightmare on Elm Street part 3 the Dream Warriors

I was never a huge Freddy fan. But this one film captured my attention. It is the peak of the series.After this it was pretty much all downhill. And what a cast. Laurence Fishburne,Patricia Arquette and Heather Langencamp coming back. And it was the perfect mix of funny and scary Freddy,.



3.Phantasm Oblivion

Now this film,well either you love it or hate it. I love it. Been a fan of the Phantasm series since I saw the first one as a small child. And Oblivion wrapped up the storyline perfectly. The people I have talked to that hate the ending seem to not understand it. Spoilers,I believe the ending says that all 4 films are a dream that the lead Mike has been having.


2.X-men First class

Kind of a cheat,yeah I know. Because some sources claim this isn't a sequel/prequel to the previous 3 X-men films. I count it as a prequel. It took what I had wanted from an X-men film since 1980 ,when I started reading Uncanny X-men regularly,and put it all up on the screen. So I am very excited for the upcoming X-men Days of Future past film.



1.Empire Strikes Back

Growing up I was a huge Star Wars fan. And this film was my favorite. Over the years my fandom of the Star Wars franchise has died. But I still love this film. As a kid it was rare that I saw any film more than once in a theater. Empire I saw at least 10 times. I can remember begging older cousins,Aunts and Uncles to take me to see it again. There has been 6 Star wars films and currently this is the only one I own on DVD.


Monday, January 27, 2014

Top 5 annoying people you will find at every online forum/message board

Now in this I refer to each of the five using male terms.But they could be female also.Shit I myself have fallen into some of these categories before.

5.The gif/jpeg guy

You know what I am talking about.Instead of taking the time to type out a reply,they instead reply most of the time with a "witty" gif or jpeg.Which gets super annoying quickly.If you can't take the time to type up a reply,please don't reply.

4.The "Funny" guy

This is the poster that thinks they are mega funny.But really all they do is repeat the same 5 or 6 jokes over and over again.In reality they are about as funny as Sam Kinison is right now.And he has been dead over 20 years.They can never take anything serious.And usually end up just rubbing everyone the wrong way.

3.The shitty troll

A good troll can be entertaining for awhile.But a shitty one just makes you want to reach through the screen and slap them with a large trout.The worst part is when the shitty troll is either good friends with the owners or is made a mod.I watched a great horror forum die because the owners made some shitty trolls mods.

2.Contrary guy

Whatever the popular opinion of the forum is they will swear they believe the opposite.And if you confront them about this they will claim you are trolling them.


1.Hey look at me I am Drunk/high guy

They are always posting about how drunk/high they are.And usually they posting handle has drunk,beer,420 or something like that in it.Sometimes they will even drunk post.I seem to encounter this more often on wrestling forums.Maybe they think they are Steve Austin or Rob Van Dam.






Thursday, January 23, 2014

Top 5 comics of my childhood that suck

Like my list of cartoons,this is all about comics I loved when I was a kid.But going back and reading them now I realize how horrible they are.

5.GI Joe

This just barely made the list.The first 8 issues are bad.Then it gets better for about 2 years.Then quickly went downhill and never recovered. And like the cartoon it is one that people swear was great. I don't see it. Out of the entire run there is maybe 10 great issues.And the rest go between passable and total shit.

4.Marvel Team Up

This was one of the comics I would get my mother to drive me to as many stores as it took to find each new issue. Back in 2005 I ordered Essential Marvel Team Up volume 1.Wow what a disappointment.For every good issue there is 20 that suck dead donkey dick.And it was rare that the title had good art.

3.Legion of Super-Heroes

Legion was one of the first DC titles I got every month.In the early 2000s I got a huge run of the series from the late 70s.Which is when I read it as a kid.FUCK! It is so hokey and cheesy.And most of the time the art is bad.

2.Shazam

When this series was coming out in the 70s I was all over it.Then I lost all my issues.So when DC put out the Showcase Presents volume that reprinted most of the run I grabbed it.I was shocked at how bad it was.They totally missed what made the Fawcett Golden Age Shazam stuff so great.

1.Transformers

I clearly remember saving up my allowance to subscribe to this title.So for the first 2 years I read it every month. I have talked about how when I first discovered comic scans I grabbed every issue of Transformers.I sat down and in a week read the entire run. WHAT IN THE BLUE HELL! Bad writing,bad artwork,just all around bad.But I still see comic fans calling this "One of the best comics ever." Please take off those nostalgia glasses.It is badly written and drawn fiction about giant robots punching each other.





Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Top 5 cartoons of my childhood that suck

There is so many cartoons I loved when I was a kid.That now I have grown up and I go back and re-watch them I realize they suck.

 5.GI Joe a real American Hero

When I was a kid I rushed home every day and would sit there holding onto the rabbit ears so I could watch this cartoon.Once it was off the air I didn't see it until Rhino released the first season on DVD.Holy fuck is this shit.Bad writing,subpar animation and just crap. Sadly there is plenty of people my age that still claim this is a great cartoon.Sorry guys and ladies I truly believe that is just nostalgia coloring your opinion.

4.Masters of the Universe

This was another I rushed home to see.Now I didn't have to hold onto the rabbit ears.Because it aired on a channel I could get with just the rooftop antenna.When BCI put out the first season on DVD I grabbed it the day it went on sale.Fuck this show is total shit.From all the re-used animation. To the shoehorned in moral lessons.But once again you have people talking about it like it was one of the best cartoons of it's era.

3.Voltron

I can clearly remember my Art teacher talking about how bad the animation in this show was.And I argued with him about it.Then what was it almost 10 years ago Adult Swim started rerunning it late at night.I recorded a bunch.The Art teacher was right,the animation is total shit.With certain scenes used in every episode. Plus the stories I remember as being mind blowing when I was 10 or so are so badly done.Full of cliches.

2.Super Friends

By the time I was 5 this was airing every weekday on a local UHF channel.Then every Saturday on ABC IIRC.And being a young comic geek I had to watch it.Then in the late 90s Cartoon Network started rerunning it.And like everything else so far on this list I was majorly disappointed.The villains were all bad.Bad animation,and even the voice acting is bad.I will admit to enjoying the final two seasons.But even them are not that good.

1.Transformers

This is the one that most males my age and a bit young love.And I did when I was a kid.Once again I got the DVDs when Rhino started releasing them. And discovered it has to be one of the worst cartoons of the 80s.Well maybe not the worst,but the worst that gets so much praise.I actually sat down 5 years ago and watched every episode.And there is maybe 3 I found worth a shit.But to most geeks that grew up in the 80s this show is untouchable.








Friday, January 10, 2014

Top 5 Movie villains

Thanks to Hagsin for this idea.

 
5.Stan Gable

Revenge of the Nerds is one of my favorite comedies. And Stan Gable is a great villain. He is the perfect douche bag jock. You know the one that made sure to pick on everyone in school. There is some deleted scenes from the film where you learn that Stan's brother is a nerds and I am happy these scenes were cut. They humanize Stan way too much.

4.Henry Lee Lucas

Michael Rooker's early role and one of his best is as infamous serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Lucas in the film is pure evil. He knows what right and wrong are and doesn't care. Rooker's wife has talked about how when the movie was being filmed she found out she was pregnant and didn't tell Rooker because he got so deep into character.

3.Leatherface

At least in the original film Leatherface is like a kid gone wild. He shows no remorse and seems to be nothing but a raging ID. The later films have tried to change this somewhat. And that is part of the reason they are held in as high a regard as the original.

2.Porky

Porky is the perfect movie version of the big fat ass loud mouth southern guy. Who has way too much power because a family member is sheriff. By the end of the first film you are cheering for the guys from Angel Beach High to destroy Porky's place.

1.The Tallman

The best villains do not think they are villains. And also the best villains are never truly explained.Which describes the Tallman perfectly. We never get a good explanation for why he does what he does.And even in the fourth film when we get a partial origin for him,we still do not fully understand his motives.





Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Top 5 TV shows that it surprises people when I tell them I am a huge fan of

5.Disney's Jungle Cubs

I am not a Disney fan. And was never a fan of The Jungle Book. I didn't even know this Muppet Babies like prequel series was out. Then one Saturday morning I had just gotten home from a Friday night party. I was fucked up and couldn't sleep  so I was flipping channels and saw this. Something about it caught my attention. And for the next 2 seasons I had my VCR set to record it. I can not explain what about it appeals to me. But if this got a DVD release I would buy it the day it came out.

4.Saved by the bell

When this started airing on the NBC Saturday morning line up I was in my mid teens and sleeping in each Saturday. Plus I have never been a fan of American made shows about high school. So I rarely saw this show and when I did I didn't care for it. Then in the early 2000s I was working a job where I got home at 5am. I would kick back relax and watch 1 hour of SBTB on TBS. And I totally changed my opinion about the show. Sure it is cheesy. And most of the main cast is horrible. Still I love it. What amazes me is how most guys that grew up watching it find Kelly to be the prettiest of the 3 main females. To me she was the least pretty. With Lisa Turtle being the hottest and Jessie right behind her.

3.Gilmore Girls

I have never cared for most US broadcast dramas. So even though plenty of people had told me how good this series is I skipped it. Then in the mid 2000s ABC Family started showing reruns of it 2 episodes a day. One day I was busy on the computer and had been watching Step By Step reruns on ABC family. When it was over I didn't change the channel and started listening to Gilmore Girls. And saw how well done the dialogue is. Over the next 3 years I managed to see almost all the episodes and it is a show I still see here and there in reruns.


2.Power Rangers SPD

When Power Rangers started back in the early 90s I watched the first season and found it a Ok way to waste 30 minutes. Then in 2005 ABC Family was showing an hour of Power Rangers each weekday. And After watching Saved by the Bell  I would watch Power Rangers SPD. I was very impressed by how the story was done. This group lasted only 1 season. And they wrapped up pretty much every storyline by the final episode. Also I love that they brought in Beth Allen for a few episodes. I have been a huge fan of her since seeing her on The Tribe. This season was  a great blend of comedy/action/drama and science fiction.

TIE

1.7th Heaven

I am not a religious person. And I hate almost every modern family based dramas. The only reason I started watching this was reruns aired around the time I ate dinner. I was flipping channels and saw Jessica Biel. Who I still think is one of the most gorgeous women on the planet. So I started watching it almost every day while eating dinner. Then I got hooked and started recording the 2 or 3 episodes that aired each day. Once Ms Biel permanently left the show I stopped watching. But for about 3 years I saw at least an episode each day.

1.Grounded for Life

I hate most modern sitcoms. And ones about a Mom and Dad trying to raise kids are the ones I hate the most. For some reason when this show first started on FOX I watched it. I love how it was so different than most family sitcoms from it's era. Most episodes began in the middle of the story. Then would flashback to show you how they got there before resolving the issue. Then add in that the entire cast was great actors. Plus they had great chemistry. Once the show left FOX I stopped watching. But thanks to reruns and DVDs I have now seen every episode. Now the production company has done a deal with Mill Creek you can get each season for $5. Worth checking out if you love family based sitcoms.




Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Top 5 US based comedic shows

The reason I said comedic instead of sitcoms is that a least one show on my list wouldn't be considered a sitcom. But it is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen.

TIE

5.Roseanne

Lasting 9 seasons this ABC sitcom was one of the first sitcoms to fairly accurately portray how a working class family lives. For a prime-time sitcom the show did address issues that most other shows would never mention. What made the show stand out even more for me was how great the cast was. Sadly the final season of the show took a major turn in direction. And then the final episode's last 10 minutes was a huge fuck you to all the fans. If not for those two things this show would rank much higher.


5.King of the Hill

Lasting 13 seasons,this was my favorite of Fox's Animation Domination line up. It seems like a show that either you love it or you hate it. Most of the people I have talked to that hate it never lived in a small rural southern town. I have lived most of my life in areas like that so I can identify with the characters and situations on the show. I love how quirky most of the main cast is. I got a neighbor that is just like Dale. And have known so many "Bills" in my lifetime. Once the show was cancelled I haven't watched anything on Fox. And even though I have seen almost every episode 3 or 4 times, I will still go rewatch them when I catch reruns.

TIE


4.Married with Children

For 11 seasons this sitcom was my favorite show on Fox. MWC was one of the original shows on Fox. And their first hit. I started watching the show when it premiered and up until the final season made sure to watch it each week. While Roseanne was one of the first shows to accurately portray how a working class family lives,MWC was the first I know of to have a working class family as the leads.I really enjoyed how wacky the comedy was on this show. And she never gets enough credit for this but Christina Applegate has great comedic timing. This is another show that even though I have seen every episode multiple times, I will still watch them again. For almost a year I was watching the 4am reruns of it that TBS was showing. And every X-mas eve I make sure to watch "It's a Bundyful life". Which is my favorite X-mas episode of any US based show.


4.Arrested Development

I am noticing a pattern here. Lots of the shows on my list all aired on Fox. Arrested Development is a show that I didn't get into until after the first season had aired. I had so many people tell me they thought I would enjoy it. So the summer between the first and second seasons I got a hold of the first season. Watched it in 3 days and loved it. From then till it was canceled I watched each episode as they aired. And have went back and rewatched each season. Each viewing I find jokes that I hadn't caught before. I still need to see season 4 which was made for Netflix streaming. Once it hits DVD/Blu Ray I will buy it. This is another show that like Roseanne the cast has great chemistry. It really feels like they are actually related. Before the show I had never really thought of Jason Bateman as a good actor. To me he was always that guy who was the lead in Teen Wolf Too. Now I know he has a major talent for subtle comedy.

TIE


3.All in the Family

Lasting 9 seasons and airing on CBS,All in the Family is a perfect example of a show that while I enjoyed it as a child,when I got older I saw that the show had a deeper level. It is also one of the few things my maternal grandfather and I  have bonded over. He is 99 and lives by himself. Earlier this year I went to go spend the night with him. Since I knew how much he loves the show I had brought my portable DVD player along with seasons 1 and 2 of All in the family. After we had dinner I hooked the player up. And put in the first dvd. He looked at me and asked "Newt I thought you said we were going to watch Archie Bunker. Why are you putting a CD into that box?" I explained to him that a dvd was a cd that had video on it. We ended up watching 6 hours of All in the family. I haven't seen him laugh so much in years. This show was so good at not only being funny but also talking about various social issues. From the generation gap between Archie and Meathead. To Archie's racism. One of the highlights of my trip to the Smithsonian American History museum was getting to see Archie and Edith's chairs.

3.Night Court

Like All in the Family,Night Court is a show that I loved as a kid. But going back and watching it now I see how lots of the show went over my head. Starting in 1984 as a mid season replacement,this NBC sitcom lasted 9 seasons. It was part of NBC's Thursday night line up. And while Cosby show,Different World and Cheers have pretty much stayed on the air in syndication or reruns on cable. Night Court has disappeared from the airwaves. I was so happy when just today I discovered that Encore Classics is now showing it everyday at 4pm central. The first 3 seasons were of a more realistic style of comedy. But after that the show became this great mash up of realistic and slapstick style comedy. My podcast just recently did a indepth talk about Night Court. Asshat Podcast episode 23 is the episode. The Night Court talk is the middle segment.


2.Eastbound and Down

As of the time of me writing this Eastbound and Down's 4th and final season has finished airing not that long ago. I hope we get another season. But if it is truly ended I will say it had a great ending. I came into this show very late. For years I was having people tell me how much they thought I would love this show. But many times before I have had people tell me how great various HBO shows are. And when I went and watched them I was disappointed. Back in March I rented season 1 from Netflix. Then watched it in one sitting. Quickly put the discs into the mailbox and moved seasons 2 and 3 to the top of my Netflix queue. In about a week I saw all three seasons. At the time season 3 was suppose to be the last season. It is a fairly simple story. Kenny Powers is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Who's anger and drug issues caused the end of his career. And now he is trying to learn how to live a normal life. Kenny is the biggest asshole I have ever seen on a TV show. Another thing I love about the show is my father and I have very little in common. But we have bonded over this show. With a sitcom all I ask is 2 good laughs each episode. With this show usually with in the first 5 minutes I have laughed at least 3 times. There is certain scenes where I have seen them 4 or 5 times and I still laugh so hard at them my sides are hurting.

1.Freaks and Geeks

I remember during the summer of 1999 hearing about this new show that was going to air on NBC. The pilot was getting rave reviews. Hearing a short description of the plot I knew I had to watch it. Set in a suburb outside Detroit in 1980,the show follows two groups of friends. Our main star is Linda Cardellini as Lindsey Weir. She was for years this geeky young lady. Then the death of her grandmother causes her to change her life. She starts hanging out with the so called "freaks" of the school. The other group the show follows is Lindsey's little brother Sam. And his two best friends Bill and Neil. All three of them are huge geeks. When the show first hit the airwaves it aired at 7pm central time on Saturday nights. And I would not leave the house to go out partying or whatever until after it aired. And not only is this show my favorite US based comedic show,it is my favorite TV show ever.What appeals to me about the show is how for the first time with an American show set in high school they try their best to be honest and truthful. This isn't Saved by the Bell or 90210. Sadly the show got shitty ratings. So NBC moved it to Monday nights at 7pm. It aired in that slot for a short time. Then was yanked off the schedule. The official reason was low ratings. But I have heard for years the real reason was the following. The last episode to air on a Monday was about how Lindsey's boyfriend Nick is a huge pothead. For over a week he can't find any pot. Finally he gets some and Nick and Lindsey go back to his place and he gets high. She makes a comment on how she finds it sad that the highlight of his week is getting high. And how she thinks he is addicted to pot. He tells her "Really you think I am addicted. Here take it!" Then he throws her his bag of weed. He also talks about how can she judge him for this when she has never tried it. She leaves and goes back to her house. And we get a long scene where she is trying to roll a joint. She smokes it. And then is reminded by her father she is suppose to babysit one of the neighbor's kid that night. She does the smart thing and gets a sober friend to come with her. I have heard from many sources that NBC got a bunch of calls and letter complaining about this episode.Saying that it was promoting drug use. I don't see it that way. We see Lindsey having a bad time while she is high and in no way did the show glamorize smoking pot. Well after the show was taken off the air it go nominated for all kinds of awards. NBC tried to get the cast to sign for another season. But lots of them had already gotten new jobs. Sometime in May of 2000 NBC one night aired 3 of the 4 episodes they hadn't aired. The following fall Fox Family picked up the rights to air the show. And the show became fairly popular. Since then the 18 episodes have aired on various channels. The DVD set has been a huge seller. I love how the show was great at blending comedy and drama. Really there is so many moments in this show that stand out to me. But I have rambled way too long about Freaks and Geeks. If you haven't seen it currently it airs on FXX. And last time I checked it was on Netflix streaming. Go check it out.


Sunday, December 22, 2013

Top 5 comic books every comic fan should read

There are certain comics that every comic fan has at the very least heard of. Stuff like Watchmen,Dark Knight Returns and Crisis on Infinite Earths. But there is so many comics that I think every comic fan should read,but so many haven't. So here is a quick Top 5 list of some of these.

5.Megaton Man

Written and drawn by Don Simpson,Megaton Man first appeared in 1984. Published by various companies it was one of the earliest of the 80s parodies of the superhero tropes. Sadly the series got over-shadowed by The Tick. Simpson has tried many times to bring it back. But these revivals never last long. Simpson has long stated he thinks Ben Edlund stole the basic idea of Megaton Man and slightly changed it with the Tick. And I can see why he might think that. They have many similarities. As far as I know there is no trades or hardcovers reprinting the various series. But I do see the issues in the cheap bins fairly often. If you like the Tick or just comedy/parody comics this is one to track down.

4.Ms. Tree

Created by Max Collins and Terry Beatty,Ms Tree first appeared in the early 80s. Not too long after her first appearance she got a long running series that was mostly published by Renegade comics. Michael Tree is a female PI. Who not too long after getting married her husband is killed by the mob. It wasn't until this past spring that I got into Ms. Tree. I had heard of the series for years. Then at a con I got close to 30 issues for around a quarter an issue. Most issues have two chapters of the current storyline. Then at least one or sometimes two 2 or 3 page short mysteries. This series became known for tackling controversial issues. And you can see how Frank Miller and Brian Michael Bendis were influenced by it with their film noir/mystery/crime comics of the 90s.

3.Brat pack

Created,written and drawn by the highly under-rated Rick Veitch,this early 90s mini series was fairly controversial when it came out. But over the years it seems to have been forgotten. Veitch took the concept of teenage sidekicks and went to a very dark place. For years various articles had been published speculating on a possible homosexual relationship between Batman and Robin. Well in Brat Pack Veitch addresses that. With the Batman analog Midnight Mink and his sidekick Chippy. This along with Maximortal was suppose to be the first 2 parts of a 4 part series of interlocking mini series from Rick Veitch. As of 2013 the other 2 parts have not been published. But if you loved Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns this is a series to check out.

TIE

2.1963

This 6 issue mini series is the best thing to come out of the first 4 years of Image comics. Written by Alan Moore. 1963 was a homage and a parody of the silver age of comics. With each issue focusing on 1 or 2 heroes or teams. You had the Fantastic Four like Mystery Inc,the Spider-Manish Fury and others. Each issue was made to be a stand alone read. But if you read all 6 you could see there was a underlying plot. Which was suppose to be wrapped up in the never published 1963 annual. I have heard many stories and lots of speculation as to why the annual never came out. And now Alan Moore and another of the creators of this great unsung gem have had a falling out. So the chances of this getting reprinted as a trade or a hardcover are very slim. But thankfully this series came out in the early 90s boom so finding the issues cheap won't be a problem.


2.Squadron Supreme

Starting in the summer of 1985 this was a 12 issue mini series. Where Mark Grunwald took Marvel's JLA parody and got dead serious. The last time the Squadron had appeared their world was devastated.So they took over the USA and set about a plan to create a Utopia. And over the course of the series we how a Utopia will never work. To me this is as good if not better than the much better known 12 issue mini series Watchmen. And I wouldn't be surprised if Alan Moore didn't read this and become inspired. I have seen how over the past decade this series is finally slowly starting to get some of the praise it has deserved.

1.Marvelman/Miracleman

In 1982 Alan Moore took Marvelman,a UK ripoff of Captain Marvel, and revitalized him. This story was serialized in the acclaimed UK comic anthology Warrior. But Warrior went under. Thankfully over in the States Eclipse comics picked it up and continued the series. Alan Moore and various artist did 16 issues. By issue 16 the now known as Miracleman had created a perfect Utopia. And that is where Moore ended his run on the series. He handed the writing duties off to at the time an almost unknown Neil Gaiman. Gaiman plotted out 3 storylines. Each to run 6 issues. The first was called The Golden Age and dealt with Miracleman and the rest of the world dealing with the new Utopia. The next storyline,titled the Silver Age, only had 1 issue printed before Eclipse went bankrupt. And for years it felt like this series was forgotten. Then Todd McFarlene tried to bring Miracleman back in his Spawn comic. But it turns out that Neil Gaiman and others own part of the rights to the character. So for years and years it looked like not only would this amazing storyline not be finished but also wouldn't be reprinted. Finally this year Marvel comics announced they had all the rights issues sorta out and sometime in 2014 they will start reprinting the 24 issues. And then Neil Gaiman will get to finish what he started back in the 90s. While with Alan Moore his Swamp Thing and Watchmen work gets so much praise,to me this is the best thing he has ever done. And with Neil Gaiman,Sandman gets all the hype and praise. But that is shit compared to what he did on Miracleman. Maybe now that it can be reprints more people will read what I consider one of the best comics of all time. 





Friday, December 20, 2013

Top 5 comics writers

5.Erik Larsen

Best known for Savage Dragon,Erik Larsen has been in the comic industry since the 80s. Before Savage Dragon I just knew Larsen from his work on Spider-man. And while that was entertaining it was nothing special. Well when Image started I was one of the many that bought everything they put out. I saw the cover for Savage Dragon and figured it would be a Hulk ripoff. How wrong I was. It was a very well done mixture of superheroes,cop drama and science fiction. Larsen has talked about how he created Dragon when he was a young child.. And for years made his own comics starring Dragon. All this rich back story has been woven into the Savage Dragon comic book. It is also the only one of the original Image titles that still has it's original creator working on it.

4.Peter Bagge

I discovered Peter Bagge when on a whim I picked up issue 3 of Hate. Bagge is one of the best satirist working in modern comics. Hate started off as a piss-take of Generation X and slackers. And over it's 30 issue run Bagge targeted all kinds of subjects. And each time it not only made me laugh but made me think. Since Hate ended Bagge has done other stuff. His highest profile work is when he did the Bat-Boy comic strip in the Weekly World News. But of all his post Hate work the one that stands out the most to me is his short lived YEAH! comic. This all ages series was the story of an all female teenage rock band. On one level it was just about their wacky adventures. On another level it was all about the explosion in the late 90s of pop bands that were marketed more based on their looks than their actual talent.


TIE

3.Garth Ennis

Before Preacher I knew Ennis's name. But I don't think I had read much of his work. Since Preacher ended I have went back and read some of his work on Hellblazer,The Demon,Shadowman and Hitman. I keep hearing that Ennis' work on various war based comics. The other of his work I have read and loved is "The Boys". Which is a dark and twisted look at superheroes.

3.Steve Gerber

Until about 10 years ago I really hadn't read much of Gerber's comic work. Since then I have dove head first into his 70s stuff and he has become in my eyes one of the most under-rated comic writers out there.His best known stuff is the run on Howard the Duck. Which was such as subversive comic. Then you got his long run on Man-thing. Which took the ages old swamp monster genre and warped and changed it into something totally different. I truly believe that Alan Moore read Gerber's run on Man-thing and was inspired for his acclaimed Swamp Thing run.  I am not surprised that after Gerber left Man-thing it didn't last much longer. Now Howard and Man-thing are starting to get the acclaim they deserve. His run on the Defenders is as good as the previous mentioned runs. But never gets talked about. Then in the 90s Steve took one panel from one of his more experimental issues of Howard and used that to inspire his Nevada mini series. Which is all about a Vegas showgirl and her pet ostrich who have to fight to save the universe. Sadly back in Feb 2008 Mr Gerber passed away.


2.Rick Veitch

While Mr Veitch is well known for his art skills, and his art is great. But his writing is his best talent.Stuff like Heartburst,Roaring Rick's Rarebit Fiends and Brat Pack are all under-rated pieces of comic brilliance. Inspired by Little Nemo,Roaring Rick's Rarebit Fiends was Veitch's dream diary. Now thanks to the meds I have to take to sleep and they cause me to have strange dreams. But Veitch had STRANGE dreams. And Brat Pack,which should be spoken of in the same tone and praise as Watchmen,Dark Knight Returns and all the other 80s deconstructions of the superhero mythos. This dark and disturbing tale of superhero and their sidekicks. Maybe because it was a black and white indy that didn't get published by a big company,but Brat Pack feels like the lost classic of 80s comics.

TIE

1.Frank Miller

Yeah I know not that big a surprise Miller is #1. And I do agree that his Daredevil run and Dark Knight Returns are stunning pieces of  comic work. But I prefer Sin City,the Martha Washington mini series and The Dark Knight Strikes Again. Before reading the first 2 Sin City I had no interest in the film noir genre. But Sin City got me interested not only in the film noir genre of cinema but mysteries,detective fiction,That is the sign of a great work of fiction when it gets you interested in reading what inspired it. For years fans had been wanting a sequel to Dark Knight Returns. So in fall of 2001 the first of the 3 issue sequel,Dark Knight Strikes Again,was published. And the fanboys hated it. I didn't read it at that time. I had stopped reading comics. It wasn't until early 2009 that I read it. I had only heard one person say they had enjoyed it. So going into it I was prepared to be disappointed. I read the entire series in one sitting and was shocked. "Why the hell does everyone hate this?" I wondered. A few weeks later I sat down and read it again and realized why so many people hated it. Miller never wanted to do a sequel. DC kept throwing more and more money at him to do it. So he agreed. And produced one of the best "FUCK YOU FANBOYS" comics I have ever seen. The entire 3 issues is a huge middle finger to all those fans that for years had been begging for a sequel.

1.Alan Moore

Again I know not a big surprise that on a list of top comic writers Alan Moore is #1. The first of Mr Moore's work I read was Swamp Thing. I had become a fan of the character thanks to the under-rated Wes Craven movie. I was fairly young when I was reading Moore's run on Swamp Thing and it shocked me. I had never see comics like this. Then my cousin told me he had a comic for me. "Yeah I got this comic because Superman was in it.I don't like it so you can have it." That comic was an issue of DC Comics Presents that teamed Superman up with Swamp Thing. I have never been a Superman fan. But this comic I loved. I looked at the credits and saw that Alan Moore had wrote it. I assume everyone reading this has at least heard of Watchmen so I won't bother talking about it. But to me the best thing Moore has done is sadly one of the least read. In the 80s in the UK comic anthology comic "Warrior" Alan Moore took the old UK superhero Marvelman and brought him into the modern age. In the short 16 issue run Moore deconstructed the entire superhero mythos. Sadly thanks to various rights issues Marvelman/Miracleman has been out of print for years now. And the issues,TPBs and hardcovers are costly. Sometime in the next few years Marvel Comics will be reprinting and continuing this classic of modern comics.