Top 5 Female pro wrestlers

I love wrestling. Been watching it off and on since I was 4 or 5. But until I started watching GLOW in 1986 and that is when I got into female wrestling. Yeah I find it funny some of the worst women wrestling is what got me into it. Now a few things. First off I have barely seen any joshi. So there won't be any ladies from that style on my list. And I haven't watched any lucha libre in years now. So no female luchadores on the list.

5.AJ Lee

AJ is a great mixture of good on the mic,good at the outside the ring stuff and good in the ring. I love the "crazy hot woman" gimmick she was doing for awhile. And I have only seen one bad match from her. That was against one of the Bellas. The Bellas ,in my eyes, have almost no wrestling talent.

TIE

4.Saturyne

Yes I know she doesn't use that name anymore. So far I have only seen here on various Wrestling is FUN! shows. And she was the stand out to me. Working a mixture of American ladies style plus lucha libre. Her flexibility and just general athleticism impressed me. I hope the rumors about why she has changed her name and isn't working for the WIF fed anymore aren't true. But she is one I can easily see getting one day called up to WWE or TNA. Plus think how over with kids she would be doing the intergalactic luchadore gimmick would be.

4.Mickie James AKA Alexis Laree

The first time I saw Mickie she was wrestling as Alexis Laree in WEW. My late grandmother had bought me a WEW dvd set. I am sure she got it because she knew I love wrestling and it was 8 hours of wrestling for $5. Well out of those 8 hours the only matches worth watching all had Alexis in them. Mickie then came over to the WWE and exploded. Her feud with Trish is one of the highlights of that era of WWE. In the ring Mickie is very well rounded. And when she is a heel she is great on the mic. As a face her mic work isn't as good. But still she is a great talent. Maybe one day she will come back to WWE. But if the rumors about why her contract wasn't renewed are true I don't see her coming back.

3.Tina Ferrari AKA Ivory

I first saw Ivory in GLOW and she my favorite. Then after GLOW folded I forgot about her. In 1999 she started in the WWF. I knew she looked familiar but I really had no idea why. It wasn't until a year later I found out she was from GLOW. I loved how when she first showed up in WWF she was one of the few Divas that was actually a wrestler first. It seemed to me that during that year all the other Divas were models/fitness trainers/etc that were trained to be wrestlers. Ivory was a wrestler first. And what a wrestler she was. She is one of the few female wrestlers that I could see facing off against the males and looking legit in it. Since she left WWE she hasn't done that much. But I sometimes dig out my old "Ivory comp" tape and watch it.

2.Ms Chif

I came to the Ms Chif party way late. In 2008 I found a bunch of Gateway Championship Wrestling Ms Chif matches for download. I grabbed them and was blown away. Earlier I mentioned how flexible Saturyne is. But Ms Chif is like one of those Gumby dolls. Since then I have wondered why TNA or WWE never picked her up. Then I found out thanks to the PBS documentary "The Secret Life of Scientists and Engineers" she works in a lab as a genetics scientist.

1.Molly Holly

Since I gave up on WCW after Starrcade 1997 I never saw any of Molly in WCW. But once she showed up in WWF and had her first match I was majorly impressed. Not only is she a very nice looking woman but she is a great wrestler. Starting off as the younger cousin of Crash and Hardcore Holly,Molly excelled at playing the wide eyed innocent country girl. But when she went from blonde to brunette and became a heel is when she really proved to me she is the best female wrestler I have ever seen. Many many times she was stuck in there with barely trained models. And she would do everything she could to make sure the match was good. I am still pissed about one of her last angles in the WWE. Where the announcers and some of the other wrestlers were calling her fat. Molly is far from fat. And I hate how the US culture has tried to convince people that if you are a woman and above a size 3 you are fat. Molly is a healthy looking woman. She retired from the ring for various reasons. And after watching her self produced shoot interview I became a even bigger fan. She talked about how she retired so she could help out her family and she had a health scare. Since her retirement she has traveled to many third world countries and helped build homes and schools. She worked for a drug counseling center. I would love to see her come back to wrestling, but if she doesn't at least I got plenty of tapes and DVDs of her matches.

Is it worth it Wednesdays:The Django Collection from TGG Direct

So I am trying out a new thing. Wednesdays I will do a review of DVD,Comic book,Book,etc. Then explain if I think it was worth what I paid.

Media-DVD
Title-The Django Collection
Company-TGG Direct
Price-$5

With Quentin Tarentino's "Django Unchained" being a pretty big hit I was expecting to see some cheap multipacks of "Django" films. Back earlier this year I found this DVD sitting in the Walmart $5. I have never been a fan of the Western genre. But the spaghetti westerns I have seen I did really enjoy. I glanced at the films listed on the back and thought "Shit 6 movies $5 that is less than a buck a film. If I don't like any of them I can always give it to someone that likes westerns."

1.A Man called Django AKA Viva! Django from 1971

This is your basic revenge drama set in the west. Anthony Steffen plays Django. And is decent. He is after a group of outlaws that raped and killed his wife. He teams up with a horse thief. While fairly violent and bloody,really the film didn't hold my attention much. I kept glancing at the timer to see how much longer it was.

2.Django the runner AKA Massacre Time from 1966

When I got home from buying this DVD I looked up each film. Since the back has no descriptions of the films I looked for non-spoiler plot synopsis. Seeing that this film is directed by Lucio Fulci it was the first one I watched. I knew Fulci had done some spaghetti westerns. I went in hoping for his trademark extreme gore and violence. Spaghetti western regular Franco Nero plays Tom Corbett. He is a gold prospector who has to go back to his home town. He arrives and finds it under the control of the evil Jason Scott.Tom ends up teaming up with his drunk ass brother to wrestle control of the town back from the evil Scott family.

This is one of many films that was retitled to Django "Something" when released in the States. As far as I remember no one in the film is called Django. But that doesn't matter,because this was a really entertaining film. I am betting even if I didn't know before viewing it that Lucio Fulci had directed I would have been able to tell. All his directorial touches show up.

3.Hanging for Django AKA Una lunga fila di croci from 1969

Anthony Steffen returns,but he is Johnny Brandon this time. The plot is about smuggling Mexicans into the States. I am pretty sure this is another film that just had the Django name slapped on it to sell more tickets. Now it has some fairly violent gunfights. But they don't make up for how confusing the plot is. The little bit of research I have done has let me know this is a fairly hard film to find. If it was a better film then it getting a wide and cheap release would be something to celebrate.

4.Django:A Bullet for you AKA Pochi dollari per Djang 1966

Anthony Steffen is back again. I believe this is not one of the many spaghetti films that was retitled to Django for a USA release. Now this is what I want from a spaghetti western. Lots of great camera work. Piles of blood and violence. And unlike lots of American westerns,everyone in this film isn't all clean and pretty looking. They look more like people would have looked back in the old west. I can see myself going back and rewatching this film every few years.

5.Return of Django AKA Il figlio di Django from 1967

Like the previous film I am pretty sure this is a "legit" Django film. Gabriele Tinti plays Jeff Tracy. Who is Django's son. And we get what amounts to a revenge against the mob story. But set in the old west.For me it has everything I want out of this type of western. Plus Gabriele has that weathered look I always figured someone who spent lots of their time outdoors in the harsh sun would have.

6.Pistol for Django AKA Django's Cut Price Corpses from 1971

Django's lady is kidnapped. And he heads out to rescue her.The kidnappers are wanted for stealing gold from a bank. So Django teams up with a man that was hired to bring back the gold. Sadly this film is lacking action. There is long stretches with almost nothing going on. At least Jeff Cameron is called Django in this film.

So was it worth it?- Since the DVD was only $5 I would say this set is worth it.Django the runner,Django:A Bullet for you and Return of Django are all good films. The other 3 range from meh to horrible.

Top 5 annoying geeks you will run into at any convention/comic shop

Top 5 annoying geeks you will run into at every convention/comic shop

Now first off I myself have fallen into some of these categories before. Once I realized it I changed my ways.



5.Anime Geek

Easy to spot. They usually have on an anime based t-shirt or some kind of "Asian" style clothing. About a decade ago they all wore those fake "silk" button down Dragonball Z shirts. Most of them will look down their nose at you unless you have watched whatever the newest hottest fansubbed show it. And don't dare mention that you think Robotech is better than the 3 anime shows it was created out of. Or that you found Dragonball Z boring and hated how it would tkae 4 episodes for each fight.That is the same as them catching you giving their mother a 3 finger magilla. I have noticed this sub culture is dying out some.



4."I am better than you all" geek

These are the ones you will see complaining about how the con is getting smaller each year. But then turn around and bitch about the kids and teens that show up. "Why are they here they don't even know about US1. Which just happens to be one of Brian Michael Bendis's favorite comics." They will try to strike up a conversation with you while you are digging through the longboxes of comics. Then make sure to point out how either they already own everything you are interested in. Or how some other comic is much better. The best thing to do with them is to wear earbuds,avoid eye contact and pretend you don't hear them.



3."Witty" geek

Yeah I use to fall into this category. You know the type. They repeat over and over lines from Monty Python,Black Adder,Red Dwarf and lots of other UK comedies. Somehow they seem to believe just because a comedy is from the UK it is automatically better than any US made comedy. Now fuck it I will admit I love me some BBC comedies. But there is some total shit BBC comedies. There is only so many times you can hear "We are the Knights that say Neigh!" before you want to grab that 300 buck replica sword and re-enact the Black Knight scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. And if for some reason they aren't into the UK based comedy,they will run into the ground whatever the newest internet meme is. One con I counted and heard "All your base belong to us" 42,yes I know fucking 42 Buscemi bless Douglas Adams,times in 10 minutes. Like with the last geek,wear earbuds to drown out their tired played out "jokes" and try to avoid eye contact.



2.Nostalgia geek

Hey another category I feel into at one time. And still do some. You know the type, the usually grew up in the late 70s through mid 80s. And refuse to believe that the cartoons/comics based on those cartoons they loved as a kid are actually kind of crap. Examples ,and fuck I fell for these. GI Joe,Transformers and Voltron. All three are shows I loved as a kid. And with the first two I LOVED the comics. So back when all three started hitting DVD I ran out and bought them. Along with Masters of the Universe,Thundercats and Silverhawks. I tried watching the shows. And those cartoons I found amazing as a kid,to my adult eyes I saw them for what they really were. 30 minute long animated commercials for the toylines. Stuff like Voltron had some of the worst animation I have seen. Then you got the comics. Back in 2004 when I first discovered torrents of comic scans. The first two comics I searched out and downloaded complete runs of were GI Joe and Transformers. Wow Transformers ,which as a kid was one of my favorite comics ever, is total shit. Bad art,bad writing and bad inking. GI Joe is slightly better. The first 30 or so issues are at least readable. But don't say any of this around a Nostalgia geek. At Coast Con 3 years ago I was looking at this one dealer's booth that had lots of DVDs for really good prices. This guy,whom I assume was around my age walks up and starts looking at one of the Rhino Transformer cartoon sets. "Hey have you seen this?" He asked me. "Yeah sadly I paid full price when it came out. It doesn't hold up that well." He actually dropped the stuff he had in his hands,balled up his fists and I think he was wanting to fight me. I just laughed and walked away. And I understand it we all have some show/movie we loved as a kid that brings back fond memories. Mine is Blackstar. But I will admit that the show is shit. A Nostalgia Geek will argue "You are just see the surface level. The Death of Optimus Prime in the Transformer movie was symbolic of how at that time the economy was dying." And yes I actually heard someone say that.



1.Smelly Geek

The bane of all conventions/comic shops. The geek that smells like the last time they bathed William Shatner wasn't wearing a toupee. Now I understand that convention centers get warm. The con I attend each year is in March so it does get fairly warm. But here's some tips. First take a shower each morning before heading out.Of course use deodorant. And shit I am not normally the type of guy that will wear cologne. But a small spirtz of that wouldn't hurt. Last year at Coast Con I went 3 times on Saturday. And the a/c failed in my car that day. So I got up showered went to con for a few hours. Came back to my cousin's showered again,grabbed her son and went back for another few hours. There was about 3 hours between the panels I wanted to goto. And I knew I had been sweating. So I took her son home, took my third shower of the day and went back. But every year I see geeks wearing the same cloths all three days of the con. And holy hell man it is March and warm what is up with lots of them wearing sweatshirts. Shorts,t-shirts keep you much cooler. Then there always has to be the geeks that will wear the same polyester blend Star Fleet uniform each day. You can sometimes actually see the cloud of B.O floating around them. And now with the Steampunk fad growing so huge. The smell is getting worse. You get plenty of people in heavy replica Victorian era clothing. There is a reason now at some cons Steampunk fans are referred to as Stunkers!

Top 10 Under-rated Beauties

Under-rated beauties to me is any female that I don't hear much about how pretty/cute/gorgeous they are. At least here in the States there are certain female celebs that I keep hearing about how beautiful they are, and at least to me they are average at best.

10.Nicki Clyne

Best known for playing Cally on the remake of Battlestar Galactica. Nicki Clyne was a lady that I thought was cute. Then in 2010 I met her at Coast Con. In person she is a stunning beauty. On BSG she looked tiny. But in person she is even tinier. Plus she has such a radiant personality. She had a huge line of people wanting to meet her and get autographs. And she made sure to spend at least 10 minutes with each person.

09.Patricia Tallman

I first saw Ms Tallman in the 1990 Night of the Living Dead remake. And thought she was a nice looking lady. And like Nicki Clyne it wasn't until I met Ms Tallman at Coast Con 2012 that I realized how beautiful she is. She is another one that I saw make sure to take the time to talk to and interact with every fan that approached her. Most people know her from Babylon 5. But to me she will always be the woman that worked on so many George Romero films.

08.Gretchen Mol

Ms Mol has a classic 30's pin up model look to me. I first saw her in the fairly entertaining "Notorious Bettie Page" film. Where she played Ms Page. After that film I really didn't see her in anything. And had forgotten about her. Then I started watching Boardwalk Empire and she plays Gillian on the show. She has a timeless look to her. Plus her eyes just grab me.

07.Connie Britton

I am noticing a trend here. So far every woman on the list has red hair or reddish hair. Connie I noticed when she was on Spin City. And found her personality so damn cute on the show. After it went off the air I didn't see her for a few years. Then American Horror Story:Murder House started. Ms Britton played the mother. She actually got prettier as she got older. I also like how she isn't some super thin blonde generic lady.

06.Katee Sackhoff

Katee was the only good thing about Halloween Resurrection. Besides being super cute in the film. She was great as the bitchy blonde stereotype. But I really fell in love with her as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace on the Battlestar Galactica remake. I have always have a thing for a woman that you can tell would have your back in a fight. And Kara was a great example of that. It seems outside of Science fiction geek circles she is almost unknown. Which is kind of sad. Because she is a great actress who should be much better known.

05.Lily Rabe

Ms Rabe seems to have done lots of theater work. But very little other stuff. I noticed her in her small part in the first season of American Horror Story. But it was American Horror Story:Asylum that really made me take notice of her. Like Gretchen Mol, Lily Rabe has that pin up/timeless look to her. Plus she has an amazing smile.I was told she has a pretty big role in the currently airing American Horror Story:Coven.

04.Maggie Siff

Sure I saw her during her short stint on Mad Men. But it was when Sons of Anarchy started that I realized how attractive Maggie Siff is. She isn't a conventional beauty. But in my eyes she is one of the best looking women on TV currently. She is another woman where the first thing about her that I noticed was her eyes. In the newest season of Sons of Anarchy she has cut her hair. And it is about shoulder length. To me this look doesn't work as well for her as the longer hair. But she is still a very pretty lady.

03.Bordy Dalle

The former leader singer of The Distillers and Spinnerette, Brody Dalle is a great example of a woman is far from what the media pushes as the standard of beauty. I find her breath taking. I mentioned earlier that I like a lady who looks like she would have your back in a fight. And Brody looks like not only would she have your back but odds are she would be able to handle the fight all on her own. Sometimes it seems like she goes out of her way to downplay her looks. But even then she is still gorgeous. Plus there is just something about any woman that can play a guitar.

02.Fairuza Balk

When The Craft first hit theaters all my friends kept talking about how all the main cast, besides Ms Balk were "SO HAWT!" I had to disagree. Now Rachel True is a very pretty woman. But the other two ladies just didn't appeal to me. Fairuza Balk was the one I found the most attractive. With any woman the first thing I notice is their eyes. And Ms Balk has AMAZING eyes. They feel like they are looking at you and piercing into your inner being. Then you add in this "Don't fuck with me" attitude she projects. I wish she did more films or television work.

01.Linda Cardellini

What can I say. From the first 3 minutes of the first episode of Freaks and Geeks I have had a massive crush on Ms Cardellini. For awhile I thought maybe I was more attracted to the character she played. But then I saw her in the Scooby Doo movie and realized it was her beauty and personality that attracted me to her. She has a smile that brightens any room. Eyes that I can stare at for hours. Then a face that oozes cuteness. The only time I haven't found her mega attractive is the time frame when she was on ER and had blonde hair. Some women look good with blonde hair. But Linda Cardellini doesn't. Then you add in her great acting talent. She is good at dramatic and comedic roles. Even in run of the mill tripe like Legally Blonde she manages to rise above the LCD script and put in a standout role.

Top 5 directors

5.Tie

Todd Browning

Todd makes the list mostly for one film. That is Freaks. I had heard of this film for years. But never could find a copy. Then not too long after we finally got cable TNT aired it late one night. I recorded it. And once I got home from school the next day I sat down and watched it. Most horror from that era doesn't shock or scare me. But Freaks does. Todd may be better known for directing Dracula. But to me Freaks is a much better film.

Peter Jackson

If I was making this list before he made the Lord of the Rings trilogy he would rank much higher. I discovered Mr Jackson not too long after Bad Taste hit VHS. Once I saw that film I tracked down each of his films and loved them. Dead/Alive,Forgotten Silver,Meet the Feebles and The Frighteners are all some of my favorite films. Then I heard he was going to direct the LotR trilogy of films. I wasn't that excited. Because I didn't enjoy the novels. But since it was Peter Jackson I gave them a chance. I sat through Fellowship of the rings, bored the entire time. I have tried to watch The Two Towers 3 times and every time I end up falling asleep. His King Kong remake was lifeless. But for all his pre-LotR films he makes my list.

4.Stanley Kubrick

The first Kubrick film I saw was 2001. I had to be 8 or 9. After reading about how it was a classic of the science fiction genre I felt a strong need to see it. The 2 video stores we belonged to didn't have it. So I begged and begged my parents to join one that did. I rented it and didn't get it. When I was 15 I rewatched it and finally understood it. Then I saw Clockwork Orange,Full Metal Jacket,The Shining and pretty much every other Kubrick film. The only film of his I don't care for is Eyes Wide Shut. Mr Kubrick has a very distinct style. And is well know for being a perfectionist.

3.Lucio Fulci

Now most horror fans consider Dario Argento the master of Italian horror. And I do like Argento. But I prefer Lucio Fulci. The Gates of Hell was the first of his films I saw. And it hooked me and got me into Euro-horror. Over the years I have seen lots of his work. From the westerns he directed to even his version of the classic White Fang. My favorite is The Beyond. Fulci's horror work has this dream like feel too it that appeals to me. Another stand out is Cat in a Brain. Which is one of the best meta-fiction horror films I have ever seen. And at least in my opinion is the film Wes Craven ripped off with New Nightmare. I had a chance to goto the NYC Fango Con where Mr Fulci made an appearance. But I skipped it. I regret it. Not too long after that con Fulci died.

2.Bob Clark

Most people know Mr Clark as the director of  A Christmas Story. Or as the director of the 80s comedy classic Porkys. But how many people know about his horror films from the 70s. He directed the proto-slasher Black Christmas. Which is a very chilling film. Then there is the comedy/zombie film Children Shouldn't play with dead things. Bob Clark feels like a director that never gets the attention he deserves. Sadly he died a few years back. He was in a wreck caused by a drunk driver. And Mr Clark and his son were both killed.

1.David Lynch

Since seeing Blue Velvet I have been a huge David Lynch fan. I have seen every film,tv show and even commercial he has directed. He perfectly captures the feeling of having a nightmare. Sure most of his films require multiple viewings to even begin to understand what they are about. But outside of Dune, each film is worth watching. I am still amazed at what he got away with in Twin Peaks. It is one of the most subversive TV shows to air in prime time in the USA.

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.