To be brave, one must first be frightened

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

It's giving 16-bit JRPG final boss. By Matthew Waite. First time I'd heard his name. Hope he's not an A.I. guy.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Feestje Op Min Graf" by The Opposites (Netherlands). If you were to party on a grave, this'd get it started :-)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GByPAwU-Wtk

Commended >>> "Here With Me" by KI/KI (also Netherlands), "Through The Beam" by Triggerfinger (Belgium), "Someday, Somewhere" by Jungle (UK) with its killer dance routine, and "Energy" by Sane Wav (Zimbabwe). Additionally, I'm a month late on two bangers - "Suave" by Akriila (Chile) feat. Jane Remover (US) and "Where you @" by Margad (Mongolia). And, while the single didn't do much for me, the live performance of "Den Danske Sommer" by Tobias Rahim & Birthe Kjaer (Denmark x2) in front of a rapturous audience at the Roskilde Festival was lovely.

GAMING MAG OF THE WEEK

Issue #8. Inhaled every word in a couple of sittings. Thanks, SC.

ANIME REDUX DEBUT

It's back, baby! With classic-feel characters, janky retro tech, a little wackiness, ace intro/outro and no time to over-explain.

PODCAST OF THE WEEK

13 episodes. Examines its subject from every angle, in an organically rambling fashion. Biggest takeaway: almost all nice people.

Gohan / mifan

"Miniature Masters"! Episode 1 of a new reality contest centred on minis. Painting, basing, kit-bashing, even sculpting. Contestants from various countries (including a fella from Oz). The celeb judges are legit. One has 27 Golden Demons and two Slayer Swords! The supply room is awesomely well stocked - a painter's dream. Based on the unique works produced in this opener, and both the insightful remarks and game-related decisions made by the organisers, I have high hopes for the rest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5z5FIN9F7o

In other news, congrats to the male Blues on repeating the success of their female counterparts back in May. Cleary has nothing left to prove in the rugby-league arena (if he even did before). Daley should retire as coach on this huge positive. Suck eggs, Maroons.

Scramble D

Rock-solid release. The story is underrated and, indeed, somewhat revolutionary for "Who" in '66. Simplistic animated movement, but the likenesses are fine and it's the real audio. Lengthy documentaries "Innes Lloyd: The Producer" and "Remembering Forgetting 'The Savages'" are worth the price on their own!

These crunchfords are grouse - chickeny, herby and slightly citrusy.

This Thai brew's OK. Goes down easy. Goes with crisps and vintage scifi!

Respectable / disgraceful

Well done to the Aussie ladies on winning cricket's T20 World Cup! Undefeated from the warm-up games to the final. Veteran campaigners Mooney, Molineux, Perry and Gardner all stood up.

As for the football version of the W/C...that player reinstatement, allegedly after political pressure (and more sycophancy), undermines the integrity of the whole tournament. Appalling.

Vacuum fluorescent display

I studied traditional karate for about four years in my youth, during which time I had three official teachers (as opposed to higher-ranked students just filling in for a night). 

The first was an ex-cop who ran a security business. He'd undergone an old-school "40-man fight" to earn his black belt and had the bloody photos to prove it. He'd also done his share of brick and board breaking over the years. Occasionally, we would be treated to a wild, violent story from his days walking the beat in a rough 'hood.

The second you might have picked as a surfer, with his longish hair and laid-back demeanour. I suppose, looking back, that he was just one of life's natural athletes, because in addition to being a martial-arts instructor, he was a star in the local footy team. Not that he mentioned it. I was only aware from attending the odd game with pals.

The third had a hot girlfriend who did karate as well, a pet Rottweiler strangers weren't allowed to pat and wicked tattoos that included - if memory serves - a grinning goblin holding a curved dagger. He seemed a nice guy, though. Good sense of humour and, since he didn't drive himself, always appreciative of lifts to and from training.

There was sort of a fourth teacher emerging as I drifted away from the sport/art. This bloke had rapidly risen through the belts, asked questions about our techniques and did heaps of extra training outside of class. A friend and fellow student was (un)lucky enough to live close to him, and the guy would come over to my mate's place and badger him into going for a run up and down a nearby mountain.

I guess he knew that to make it to the top, you gotta make it to the top!

Hallucination nation

Sister EM is flying in this afternoon to stay with us for a few days. Yay!

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COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

By Daniel Warren Johnson, from "Do A Power Bomb B&W #1". Except this is a Diving Crossbody, not a P/B :-) The way he's captured the height/movement, the inherent danger and the anticipation of the crowd/oppo are [chef's kiss].

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Throne Of Thorns" by Stryper (US).

Apparently they are still going. Christian metal was big in the coastal community where I grew up as a teen, especially among Baptist kids, but I never got into it. Anyway, I just like this track. The guitar solo was what won it for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THfZyX9L0qo

Commended >>> "Fireflies" Game Boy cover by Soundbites (US), "Saet Det Fri" by Malte Ebert (Denmark).

GAMEBOOK REREADS OF THE WEEK

* "CYOA #104 - The Cobra Connection": <Died/failed once before beating.> Ludicrous premise, as they so often were, where your parents allow you to go on a trip with your uncle's business partner. Rad meta ending that suggests YOU wrote the gamebook because peeps didn't believe your claims. Time-travel software!

* "EQ #14 - Raid On Nightmare Castle": <Died/failed once before beating.> There's an elf named Estragon, though no Vladimir that I could find. Would a crystal gong actually work? Should it even still be referred to as a gong? The interior illos by Jim Holloway made me feel right at home. Honestly, the prose was decent.

* "FF #14 - Temple Of Terror": <Died/failed four times before beating.> Typical Livo collect-'em-up - multiple artifacts to gather, multiple spells from which to choose, multiple items that may be purchased. Setting was very Conan. Fights were tough, e.g. the 10/20 Sand Worm. Internal art average at best. Abrupt conclusion. 

DOCO OF THE WEEK

Arty Anton Corbijn doco from 2022 about a pair of chancers - one flexible and dedicated, one difficult and visionary - who, thanks to a lucky break, ended up creating some of the most iconic album covers of all time. Beyond the famous talking heads and amusing anecdotes, and deets of the colourful supporting cast who came to join Hipgnosis, it's ultimately a very personal, moving tale.

PODCAST RELISTEN* OF THE WEEK

*In its entirety!

Unusual for me give any pod a second listen. The only example that springs to mind is selected early eps of "The Grognard Files".

2026ADD

Been reading "2000AD" on the reg again for the past couple of months. Judge Dredd strip - and crossover event - "The Oubliette" has the potential to be another legendary storyline like "The Dead Man". Judge Anderson also just returned last issue. Waifu for life-u! It's not all zarjaz, however: two of the five strips currently running don't thrill me in the slightest (sorry, Tharg). Oh, for the days when everything between the mag's covers was can't-miss. Was it truly superior then, or is this 60% strike rate more about my level of jadedness/cynicism? We shall see as, regardless of the duds, I'm relishing the new-old Thursday-eve ritual of sitting down with the latest "2000AD", and I don't intend on cancelling my subscription any time soon.