Big Audible dynamite

Am 12 hours into this audiobook on my daily walks (10 to go). It's gritty AF heroic fantasy. Not quite up to Gemmell standard, but what is? Certainly good enough for me to continue with the rest of the trilogy.

Mechanical pencil

A fan of Finnish director Aki Kaurismaki since 1989's "Leningrad Cowboys Go America", I was keen to see this 2023 rom-com...yet somehow waited three years. Blame the Pandemic for scaring me out of cinemas and making me reliant on what turns up on my various free/paid streaming services. "Fallen Leaves" is like a fairytale told with harsh realism. While the viewer hopes the leads will be granted a happyish ending, the odds in their community of damaged people, precarious low-paying jobs and rampant alcoholism are against them. What we in Oz sometimes dub "battlers", Ansa and Holappa own precious little but have so much to give if the Fates would just be kind. You'll root for them, too.

Received this HC GN as a pressie. I don't mind Harley, however I hate The Joker, who I find over-exposed and boring. Considering that, the fact it's entirely written and drawn by one person - Stjepan Sejic - and the known arc, I was shocked by how fine I was going along for the psycho ride. Quality work.

Built a Brawl deck based around this chick. The random critter is taken from the total "Arena" card pool of hundreds (thousands?). There are a couple of other spells in the deck that also have a similar effect. With the right combination, you can summon an instant army of randos! Of varying usefulness :-)

"When you move, the monsters move"

Managed 21 on "U/C".

MANGA OF THE WEEK

Heart Strings XX

After 20 instalments, it's becoming quite difficult to find images of striking and/or noteworthy babes with bows that I haven't posted afore.

1. Fashion shot of Japanese model Chiharu Okunugi. (I was actually searching for kyudo archeresses.)

2. "The Archer" (1910) statue by Ferdinand Lepcke in a park in Bydgoszcz, Poland.

3. Nightingale Armour set from the videogame "Skyrim", as recreated by a talented American lass known as Armored Heart Cosplay. 

4. Saucy thumbnail - or should I say bum-nail? - from the "Archery Clash" game app.

5. Libuse Safrankova in 1973 Czech-East German movie "Three Wishes For Cinderella". She was 20 at the time.

6. Australian "Playboy" magazine from July 1982.

7. "Seldarine Dedicate" by artist Howard Lyon for the "D&D 4E - Divine Power" manual. Such a great illo!

LHS 1140 b

Will be nigh on impossible for tomorrow's World Cup final to top this morning's third-place playoff. What a show-stealer! The 10(!!!) goals, the near misses and saves, the records set, the crowd reactions, the slick pitch, the DRAMA between two eternal rivals.

Smashed this bookazine in short order. From items such as Eldrad's Hand and the Moleculon Nanoscaler, the ace hacks springboard into examinations of wider aspects of "Who" like the use of quarries and surprisingly many tales involving miniaturisation. These writeups feel fresh while, to my eyes, correctly privileging the classic era.

(Very) Aussie zombie fillum from 2024. Smart, sensitive, stylish, sinister, stark, savage, something special!

Squirm like a wyrm

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

"Justice League Unlimited #21" by Seb McKinnon. Eerily beautiful! I'd put it on a wall. I'd go there if I could.

SONG OF THE WEEK

"Heaven" by Tayori (Japan).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyZdh5GaVJo

Commended >>> "Call The Cops" by Xzibit, B-Real, Demrick (US) is REAL rap; "Brussels Is Haunted" by Echo & The Bunnymen (UK) could have been an '80s hit for the band; "Sunshine (Just Right)" by Tessa Violet (US) is cuter than I normally like but somehow gets away with it; "Ultimate Sacrifice" by Gloryhammer (UK) grows on ya - should be heard LOUD while browsing the racks in a heavy-metal store; "Barthelona" by Sofi Tukker (US) is unadulterated fun.

BEST THREE NEW 'TOONS I WATCHED YESTY

The animations I saw on Friday would fill a reel the size of a cosmic wheel...er, if they weren't digital. The Top 3 standouts had to be "One Piece Heroines" [Netflix], "X-Men '97" Season 2 [Disney+] and "Smoking Behind The Supermarket With You" [Crunchyroll].

NEW FAVE BITMAP COMPENDIUM (TA, RS2)

Considering I lived through the VCS era, played all of the key titles extensively and have since read tons of articles on the system/games/programmers/publishers, I was suprised by how much I learnt from this designer doorstopper. It has overtaken the Sega Master System compendium as my favourite in the range.

Missing Scorpia

Felt a bit off. Had an AFD (alcohol-free day). Dug out the album below for a listen. Still ultra-cool nine years later. Watched the season opener of "Only Connect". Newcastle, Australia appeared on one of the Connecting Walls! Spooned Greek yoghurt and honey onto a slab of homemade apricot'n'almond slice. Did not regret it. Read some of the new issue of "Wargames Illustrated". Did less interesting stuff.