Last three flavours of potato crisps consumed: chargrilled steak, Margherita, sour cream & chives

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

By Rain Szeto. An inviting scene combining curious detail and warm colours that make me want to lose myself in it for hours. Well, several minutes, anyway.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Deep Blue" by Future Palace (Germany). Heavy guitar/drums, synth, melodic vocals and death growls. Basically, my ideal sort of modern metal track. And it's about computer Chess! (It isn't.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27f9SUE2QKs

Commended: "The Right Way" by The Midnight. Be warned, the clip - the dramatic highlights of 1993's "Untamed Heart" - will have you pining for the girl-next-door sweetness of young Marisa Tomei and blubbing about poor Christian Slater's untimely passing :-)

BEST HORROR DOCO VIEWED IN THE PAST WEEK

From 2024. Appears to be a Sky production. I caught it on library service Kanopy. Studio's rise'n'fall as told by those involved (or their descendants) and other experts. 

Last three mugglezines read

They shoulda used what's known in publishing as a fifth colour (i.e. a separate layer on top of the CMYK) to a put a red-foil "ring of death" on that 360.

Update: Finished "The Traitors India". It went downhill when my fave gal left. Nevertheless, a satisfying conclusion to a unique spin on the format, e.g. desert palace instead of woodland castle, Indian-flavoured missions. Have motored on to S3 of Japan's "Love Transit". Was chuffed to see Chiaki Horan from NHK's "Imagine-Nation", etc. added to the panel of hosts.

Last three reality-TV contests binged

> "Drink Masters" [Netflix]: Cocktail making. Excellent mix of contestants (so to speak), conceptually and visually wowing drinks, interesting variety of challenges. And you actually learn a lot about primo boozecraft.

> "The Celebrity Traitors UK" [10 Play/Paramount]: Social deduction. Famous competitors include Stephen Fry! DO NOT read anything about it beforehand. I've watched all of the Aussie, Kiwi, Yank and regular Pom seasons of the show and this was the best. That said, I am hooked on the Indian incarnation at the mo'.

> "007 - Road To A Million" S1 [Prime]: Travel and adventure. Starts out a mite slow/simple, but gits gud. "The Amazing Race" meets James Bond. Super stylish and the stuff they put the ordinary Joes and Jills through is almost unbelievable. Haven't watched S2.

Heart Strings XVII

A while back, I inadvertently perma-deleted my H/S archive, so I can now only use archeress snaps I'm *positive* I've never beheld afore.

1. Bo Bragason in upcoming, hopefully not terrible fillum "The Legend Of Zelda".

2. Black Canary depicted on a "Dark Knights Of Steel" issue #5 variant cover by Joshua Middleton.

3. & 4. Latenna from the bastard-hard videogame "Elden Ring". I think this is an original sculpt. Alas, I'm not sure of the Japanese artist's name (have seen three names attached). Sorry for the lack of credit, mate, but your work is beautiful.

5. Medieval Warrior Huntress costume by House Of Leatherr [sic], as advertised on Etsy.

6. Miss Universe 2025 contestant, representing the Philippines, Ahtisa Manalo. There are at least two other equally stunning pics in the shoot.

7. Nesta Cooper as Haniwa in Apple TV's "See".

8. New Horizon card from the "Flesh And Blood" TCG. Artist: Mihail Spil-Haufter.

9. Therica Wilson-Read for "The Witcher", Season 4.

123 (83)

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

The "Harley Quinn #56" cov by Rahzzah is arresting. Impossibly real. 

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Crazy DnB!" by Azikazin Magic World (Korea). May be among my electronic tracks of the year.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FYrXyrtNzU

Am also enjoying the Suray remix of "Atlas" by Acid Arab (France) feat. Cem Yildiz (Turkey), "Gimme" by Hazel English (Australia), "PS118" by Jurin Asaya (Japan) feat. Rapsody (US), "So Much Has Changed" by Maro (Portugal) for the Colors YT channel, "The One" by gal group No Na (Indonesia), and "Gold" by Maduk (Netherlands) & Veela (Canada). Skip the opening 23 seconds of "The One" - farq, I hate intros on songs! Wait until you hear Maro's voice - goes straight to the heart.

BEST MOVIE I SAW IN THE PAST WEEK

Nearly lost me in the setup, then grew fascinating with its multiple viewpoints, then threatened to become tedious after the central mystery was "explained", then gripped me again with the finale. A bizarre trip I don't regret taking, even if it could have been shorter. The talented ensemble cast and mix of flawed characters helped.

POD REC

Witty, super-knowledgable Aussie dudes dissect every broadcast "Doctor Who" yarn. Am ripping through their playfully irreverent takes on Classic "Who". (As entertaining as the hosts are, I likely won't bother with the analyses of the New "Who" eps. Don't care enough.)

PUT TOGETHER WHILE EATING LUNCH AND WATCHING TODAY'S UFC :-)

Nothing alleviates anxiety like LEGO.

Culture warbles

[Netsy], (2019). Riveting drama! Three episodes, each covering a different police interrogation. Not yer typical cases, plus topnotch acting and subtle continuity. PG tells me that "Criminal: France", "Criminal: Spain" and "Criminal: UK" are just as good - and all different again.

[DC], 2023. I wanna say both writing and art are slightly rougher than in the first volume. Regardless, they keep the deaths and twists coming, and I was satisfied by the grand reveal. The appendix of little prequel tales felt inconsequential after everything that had transpired.

[Switchy-poo], also 2023. Had been neglecting this system, not to mention this acclaimed platformer I've had for bloody ages. It's magical. Would you expect anything less from a flagship Nintendo title? Am presently using Mario rather than an easy-mode chara. That may change!

--

Watched a news report today on how Mongolia is planning to move its capital from Ulaanbaatar to a new city to be built on the ancient site of Kharkhorum. There are arguments for and against the shift, and I'm far from qualified to say which side outweighs the other in this instance. I do believe climate, rising sea levels, overcrowding, poor infrastructure, pollution, war, internal politics, etc., etc. will force additional countries to consider such relocations in the years ahead. Indonesia, South Korea, Egypt, South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea are apparently planning similar monumental moves.

Affinity for artifacts

Been studying Danish for several years and don't recall seeing this question before.

Somebody obviously felt strongly enough to add it to the database of Qs.

Of course, I agree museums should return any items acquired in the modern era that are proven not to have come through the proper channels (to put it delicately).

But as for treasures obtained in eras past...the situation is more complicated than you might suppose.

My eyes were opened to these complexities by the episode of the "History Extra Podcast" from around March 31 entitled 'Why we shouldn't see museum artefacts as stolen'. 

Give it a listen.

Then return that ancient statue of Zeus currently sitting in your outside toilet to the citizens of Greece.

It was Funko while it lasted

Signs point to the demise of the maker of Pop! Vinyls, Funko. Many people loathe their products. I don't. I must have about 100. But even I am annoyed by the insane number of variants they release. There should only be one Pop! of each character forever. Do a second batch if there's genuine demand, but don't do multiple outfits/poses/metallics/sizes, etc. Hey, why don't I make a list of my figs and see if there are 100?

Ahmanet from 2017's "The Mummy"

Ahsoka Tano from "Ahsoka"

Alana from "Saga"

April Ludgate from "Parks And Recreation"

Art3mis from "Ready Player One" (geez, that novel sequel sucked)

Asmodeus from "Dungeons & Dragons"

Asuka in her WWE attire

Beckett Mariner from "Lower Decks"

Beetlejuice* on tombstone

Bruce Lee ("Be Water" celebration; "Game Of Death" tracksuit)

Cammy from "Street Fighter"

Captain Britain

Captain Marvel in her Starforce Uniform

Carmen Sandiego from "Where is...?"

Chani from "Dune" (Zendaya)

Charlie Bradbury from "Supernatural" (out of loyalty to Felicia Day :-))

Chief Cenobite from "Hellraiser"

Ciri from "The Witcher" (finally got around to watching animated film "Sirens Of The Deep" = ace)

Count Strahd Von Zarovich from "Ravenloft"

Daenerys Targaryen from "Game Of Thrones" (with li'l dragon)

Danger Mouse

Dark Magician Girl from "Yu-Gi-Oh!"

Data from "The Goonies"

Death of The Endless

Dr Ian Malcolm from "Jurassic Park"

Dr Jillian Holtzmann from "Ghostbusters"

Dr Zaius from the old "Apes" flicks

Eleven with Eggos from "Stranger Things" (this was a gift)

Elizabeth Bennet from "Pride + Prejudice + Zombies" (as played by Lily James...[cartoon hearts])

Elliott with E.T. in the basket of his BMX

Elvira (sparkly red dress)

Erlich Bachman from "Silicon Valley" (in Aviato T-shirt. I wasn't aware of the actor's controversies!)

Erza Scarlet from "Fairy Tail" [sic]

Evil-Lyn from "Masters Of The Universe"

Fionna from "Adventure Time"

Firefighter with rescue koala (this was a bushfire fundraiser here in Oz)

Fourth Doctor with jelly babies from "Doctor Who"

Frieren being chomped by a treasure-chest mimic from "Frieren: Journey's End"

Garona from the "Warcraft" movie

Gisele Yashar from the "Fast & Furious" franchise (out of loyalty to Gal Gadot :-))

Gizmo from "Gremlins"

Golden Girl from "Goldfinger"

Gwenpool

Hawkgirl steampunk incarnation (DC Bombshells)

Hera from "The War Of The Rohirrim"

Iago the parrot from "Aladdin" (why didn't I buy Princess Jasmine?)

IG-88 from "The Empire Strikes Back"

Iron Maiden "Powerslave" album-cover scene

Jessica Jones from the "Daredevil" family of shows

Joe, Jun and Ken from "Gatchaman" (separate items; they'll always be Jason, Princess and Mark to me)

John Lennon (performing in military jacket)

Johnny Silverhand from "Cyberpunk 2077"

Judomaster from "Peacemaker"

Kait Diaz from "Gears Of War" (out of loyalty to Laura Bailey :-))

Kaylee Frye from "Firefly"

Kenny Powers from "Eastbound & Down"

Kim Possible

King Kong from the new Godzilla flicks

Kitty Pryde in pirate gear with Lockheed from "X-Men"

Knives Chau from "Scott Pilgrim"

Lara Croft from "Tomb Raider" (classic videogame clothing)

Leilah from "Bright"

Lemmy from Motorhead

Liz Sherman from "Hellboy" (accidentally purchased twice!)

Lloyd Dobler from "Say Anything" (holding up the boombox)

Logan from "X-Men" (Wolvie in street clothes. This was a gift)

Luna Lovegood from "Harry Potter" (lion mask)

Lyra Belacqua aka Lyra Silvertongue from "His Dark Materials"

Maximilian from "The Black Hole"

Maeve from "Westworld" (Thandiwe Newtown's character when she was a Wild West madam)

Magik aka Illyana Rasputin from "X-Men"

Marty McFly from "Back To The Future"

Master Splinter from "TMNT"

Megadeth "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" album-cover scene

Mira from "The Dark Crystal: Age Of Resistance" (which Netflix made so dark it was unenjoyable)

Mo(hamed) Sala from Liverpool FC

Momo Ayase from "Dandadan"

Mr Bean

Mr Chow from "The Hangover" (Ken Jeong rules)

Mycroft Holmes from "Sherlock" (you *knew* I had this)

Nami from "One Piece"

Naru* with Sarii from "Prey"

Nobara Kugisaki from "Jujutsu Kaisen"

Penny from "The Big Bang Theory" (when she got addicted to videogames, stayed in her sweats, had bits of Cheetos stuck in her hair...)

Pickle Rick from "Rick And Morty"

Pink Power Ranger**

Qi'ra from "Solo" (an excuse to include a second miniature cartoonish likeness of Emilia Clarke?)

Reptar* from "Rugrats"

Rey from "The Force Awakens"

Rick Deckard from "Blade Runner 2049"

Robin & Steve* from "Stranger Things" (box set)

Ronda Rousey in her WWE attire (also fun while it lasted)

Rush "Exit...Stage Left" album-cover scene

RX-78-2 Gundam (oversized edition, so I guess I'm a bit of a hypocrite)

Samantha Stephens from "Bewitched"

Sarah with Worm from "Labyrinth"

Shuri from "Black Panther"

Snoopy with Beagle Scouts from "Peanuts"

Spock in Gold Key "Star Trek" comic-cover scene

Stephen King

Sung Jinwoo from "Solo Leveling"

Sunni Gummi from "Gummi Bears"

Swamp Thing***

Tahani Al-Jamil from "The Good Place"

The Log Lady from "Twin Peaks"

The Phantom

Tony Tony Chopper*** from "One Piece"

Toronto Blue Jays mascot (screw the LA Dodgers and their significantly more expensive roster)

Tron

(Turanga) Leela from "Futurama"

Uncle "Traveling" Matt from "Fraggle Rock" (why didn't I buy Red?)

"Weird Al" Yankovic

Winry Rockbell from "Fullmetal Alchemist"

Wonder Woman (sword and shield)

Xena and Gabrielle from "Xena: Warrior Princess" (separate items)

Zoya The Destroyer from "Glow" (Alison Brie's wrestling persona)

How many did you count? It's conceivable I may've missed a Pop! as they are displayed in/on nine bookcases and a wardrobe.

I used to have Rapunzel from "Tangled" until she caught a niece's eye. A hulking Hulk until he was spotted by a nephew. Similarly, I had the Target-exclusive Red Stormtrooper (no, not the also-red Emperor's Royal Guard), but used it as an emergency Christmas present for a third relo who visited unexpectedly and who was mad about "Star Wars". Er...and now that I think about it, what happened to my Demogorgon from "Stranger Things" (another gift to me)? "Thief, thief, thief! Baggins!"

*    Glow-in-the-dark!

**  Translucent!

*** Fuzzy!

Yeah, I pretty much own all of the best figures. Except for Cosima Niehaus from "Orphan Black". She's the one that got away. Oh, and Jabba The Hutt on his throne with pet Salacious B. Crumb. I ended up finding a realistic model of that scene from a different manufacturer.

Ever had a nothing sandwich?

Two pieces of plain white bread.

Control, I'm here

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

"Exquisite Corpses #7" by Mahmud Asrar. Foxy and freaky!

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Regen" by Fyne (Germany). Clip is pretty lame - sexy poses and trail bike. Track is top-tier dreamy, dancey pop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHyBHArgU0k

Commended: "Alatau" by Otyken (Russia). Messy, but still their best in a long while. Is every native lass from Siberia a deadset stunner? "Parachute" by Requin Chagrin (France). '90s Addster woulda gone bonkers for this group.

BEST FILM I SAW IN THE PAST WEEK

More like "Fam-tastic Five" - amirite? Ahem. These are the notes I scribbled afterwards >>>

LOVED how - in a retro-futuristic style - they sped through the team's origin and early escapades, referencing famous scenes from the Marvel comic along the way. (And the gold record from the Voyager spacecraft?) 

They finally nailed it! A cast who understood it's more important to be believable than merely cool or amusing. Vanessa Kirby acted the shit out of her role. The "FF" vibe. The idyllic day-to-day NYC life sold to us by Stan Lee and co. The truly cosmic threat.

Awesome impossible choice offered by the Big Bad. Had me flashing back to Philosophy ethics lectures. Stellar "ambulance ride". Delightfully crazy comic-book solutions (plural). And I like that they continued the news reports throughout the movie.

A certain development had me wanting to fish out IQ's 1997 double album "Subterranea".

The climax was fully EARNT. Closing titles and accompanying choral music also cute. Can't wait for the next chapter with these same actors. That villainous teaser! I've happily deleted the casts and events of the previous adaptations from my memory banks.

Bad night, bad back

Huzzah! I completed the LEGO Blacktron Renegade kit. Took all week. No photo, sorry. Well, there was one on my old mobile, then I upgraded in a hurry-hurry-super-scurry and didn't bother transferring it over. Also still getting to grips with this new iPhone.

Latest car stickers to make me smile:

* "DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH, I'M 10 YEARS OLD" (on a battered hatchback)

* "OFFENDED ARE YOU? GIVE A SHIT I DO NOT" (with a picture of Yoda)

* In the Lamborghini font, across the rear of another jalopy: "LAMB BIKINI".

That third vehicle also sported a decal of a sheep in a swimsuit, away from the corresponding pretend logo. Humans are funny.

Thoughts on "The Witcher" S4 >>>

- Hemsworth doesn't have the presence of Cavill.

- Nevertheless, I liked his adventuring party a lot.

- I also liked Ciri's stint with The Rats, which was often the most interesting thing happening.

- Really clumsy/forced plotting towards the end.

- As with the previous seasons, whenever they cut to a throne room or some other continuity crap, the Boredom-ometer went into the red.

- Again, as with the previous seasons, the program should just be Geralt hunting monsters with occasional assistance from Yennefer.

POD RECS

"B/R" initially seems a solved criminal case - and, maintaining objectivity, it may ultimately be just that. But with Episode 4, serious questions begin to be raised about the investigation and trial.

DOCO SERIES WOT I'M DIGGING ON FOXTEL

(Despite the intrusive quirky soundtrack.)

Tryer's remorse

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

Last week's covers were banger upon banger. This week, it's the opposite. Mostly dreck. That said, I like artist Andy Price's composition here, and you definitely get an alien-environment vibe.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Pull Like A Dog" by The Scratch (Ireland).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeCqhZ36ueQ

Commended: "White Gloves II" by Khruangbin (US) and "Marlboro Mann" by Kraftklub (Germany).

POD REC

SC: Cyber-Loki!

ENJOYING THIS

(I own the paperback, but it appears to be free on Internet Archive.)

Publisher blurb:

Feel bad about not reading or not enjoying the so-called great books? Don't sweat it, it's not your fault. Did anyone tell you that Anna Karenina is a beach read, that Dickens is hilarious, that the Iliad's battle scenes rival Hollywood's for gore, or that Joyce is at his best when he's talking about booze, sex or organ meats?

Writer and professor Jack Murnighan says it's time to give literature another look, but this time you'll enjoy yourself. With a little help, you'll see just how great the great books are: how they can make you laugh, moisten your eyes, turn you on, and leave you awestruck and deeply moved. Beowulf on the Beach is your field guide - erudite, witty and fun-loving - for helping you read and relish 50 of the biggest (and most skipped) classics of all time. For each book, Murnighan reveals how to get the most out of your reading and provides a crib sheet that includes The Buzz, Best Line, What's Sexy and What To Skip.

Dat sculpt

Took delivery of this Spider-Gwen statue last week. Didn't have time to blog-brag, because I was busy with a Software Product Design. Also had a minor health scare one day, where I coughed up some blood :-( Anyhoo...she came with a masked head as well. The base is magnetic, so you could theoretically display her upside down, like a real arachnid.

Watched the third rugby-league Ashes game on delay this morning. Well done to Kevy and the Kangaz, but I kinda wish the series had been closer. The Poms tried hard, especially in Games 2 and 3, but our try-line defence was formidable.

Am up to date with the second season of "Squid Game - The Challenge". It's just OK. I mainly tune in for the fiendishness of the program structure and to witness bad peeps (hopefully) get their comeuppance. Will talk "The Witcher" S4 later...

Best shieldmaiden since Lagertha

Winsome heroine Hera sticks to her convictions and bravely defends her people in a land torn apart by male pride. The character animation brings to mind old-skool anime, while the backdrops hint at the vintage "L/O/T/R" cartoons. The straightforward revenge-taken-too-far plot is reminiscent of a licensed comic - i.e. writers carefully playing in a corner of an existing property so as not to disturb continuity and annoy fans (which they still did). As Hera, Gaia Wise - daughter of Emma Thompson - stands out among the voice cast. Then again, her male counterparts can't really be blamed if their charas/lines are more cliched. The music is solid, although I didn't walk away humming anything. "The War Of The Rohirrim", while simple and overlong at 2.25 hours, does feel like it takes place in Middle-Earth. I'll probably revisit it in the future when I'm after a Tolkien fix. According to Wikipedia, the film lost money at the cinema, which is sad and underserved. It has, however, inspired some wonderful cosplay, fan art and other crafts one need look no further than Reddit to find. And I immediately bought the Pop! Vinyl below, so that would've helped the makers recoup a few bucks.

3?

Addster's outsider tip for The Cup is Flatten The Curve. Bear in mind that I cut up the wrong credit card yesty, and I hung out the washing shoeless today and suffered two painful green-ant bites on the foot. So, knowing my luck, it'll fall asleep in the barrier.

Rotate-y 180

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

By Lee Bermejo. The classic Mary Jane Watson quote. But why is she out in suburbia and not amid the apartment buildings of NYC?

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Go Forth And Learn To Live" by Korean alternative popsters Leenalchi.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xgy_RaMSkc

Commended: "Hugorm Nedlaegger Forsvaret" by Hugorm (Denmark), "Cigarettes, Beer And Stray Cats" by Tuesday Trinkets (Philippines) and the "Video Killed The Radio Star" cover by Sophie Grey (US) feat. the legendary Trevor Horn.

TTRPG TOME I'VE BEEN EXCAVATING

Jam-packed with (arguably problematic) lore. Pity about the 4E rules data. Much as we tried to like it, what a misstep that edition was.

ANOTHER CUTE LI'L KIT

Need to take on a substantial build. Have my eye on the LEGO Icons Blacktron Renegade. When the price is right, I'll pull the trigger.

Fantasy/horror/scifi

Had been wanting to tackle this limited series for donkey's yonks. So...instead of sending him here, Superman's parents escape the dying planet Krypton *with* their son. They crash-land on a medieval-fantasy sort of world where, through strange events, they become the ruling family of a kingdom. Then the political assassinations start and it looks like there will be war between the superpowered aliens and the magical (and non-magical) indigenous inhabitants. DC nuts will dig the reimagined characters and connections. Fantasy readers will dig the nods to popular authors. 

The editing in this 2024 doco about "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" [sic] is next level. The visuals don't simply mirror the film-going anecdotes, brilliant scene analyses or deep cinematic references of the famous appreciators (Oswalt, Miike, Heller-Nicholas, King, Kusama), they continually feature side-by-side comparisons and even clips from additional titles not namechecked yet relevant to the current point. By the conclusion, you feel like you've both rewatched "T/T/C/S/M" with half a dozen entertainingly insightful friends, and completed a uni elective on the horror and influence of Tobe Hooper.

Speaking of reactions (or lack of), I've recently been revisiting this shiny pop nugget - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l81HZfkLwpk

New arrival. Inexplicably, the matching Rei was priced $20 higher. Eff that for a game of toy soldiers! I'll find a non-matching Ms Ayanami for cheap elsewhere.

Hunting for treasure, glory and the truth

What a pompous heading!

Mum unearthed a box of HeroClix comic-book figures (Marvel, "2000AD", "Hellboy", "Kabuki", etc.) I'd given her and Dad for their market stall years ago. Not sure why they never made it to sale, although M+D had no shortage of wares to display on their tables back then. I've thrown the figs in with my "D&D" minis.

I suppose you could say this 2025 flick was my creepy viewing for Halloween. Don't worry if you've been Basil-ed on the main twist, there's A Lot More To It. While "Companion" ain't scary, it has an awful inevitability once you realise what's happening, and a few shocking moments. The way the characters interact with the speculative technologies of their world is believable, too.

Awesome premise: A family of scavengers is attempting to clean out a colossal pyramid, replete with traps and guardians, that's floating through space towards an unknown destination...then along come Five and Nyssa. Alas, it ends up being a rather ho-hum runaround and rumination on the idea/justifiability of sacrifice.

We done did a session of "Gloomhaven". I controlled a horde of undead, plus cultists who could summon more. Won't say the chaps* made short work of them (it took four of your Earth hours). However, they barely copped any damage and pocketed mucho dinero. A difficulty raise is required! I shall be lobbying hard for that.

*The chapette in our group doesn't play "Gloomhaven".