blast-o-rama • issue 001 • 2019-05-05
blast-o-rama
issue 001 • 2019-05-05
Welcome! Hello and welcome to the inaugural edition of the blast-o-rama. newsletter. You might be asking – why a newsletter?
Two reasons really:
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I've been an avid fan of the resurgence of newsletters (Warren Ellis' Orbital Operations and Dave Pell's NextDraft are two of my favorites.)
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My site has turned into a very “of the moment” type thing, where I share things (with brief thoughts) as they happen. I thought it'd be an interesting challenge to look back on the week and see what at least I learned or found interesting, and maybe you would as well.
Expect this to take a nerdy slant (movies, TV, technology, video games, comics, etc.), but with some additional interest in politics and privacy.
You know, like having a conversation with me in real life.
All and all, I'm going to try to make it a place where at the very least, you find one cool link worth reading every week.
Story of the Week
Every week, I'll toss a few thoughts out on what I felt the biggest story of the week was.
The key word this week was spoilers.
Whether you didn't want to know how the Marvel Cinematic Universe tied-up in Avengers: Endgame or the results of the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones, chances are, at least one time this week you ran out of a room in your office with fingers in your ears.
I do wonder – is it the fear of spoilers which lead Avengers: Endgame to hit a record setting $1.2 Billion worldwide opening?
I do know that it was Avengers spoilers which lead to violence bothin Hong Kong and here in the States.
Although, if you lived in the Philippines, you just had to turn on the TV to have Endgame spoiled for you.
That said, dear reader: if you're avoiding Avengers: Endgame spoilers, you have until Monday…
Thrones fans? I think you're out of luck as soon as the next episode airs tonight.
More Avengers:
- Earther looked into what would actually happen if half of all of life was wiped out, a'la Thanos.
- The Ringer spoke to a proper Quantum Physicist about the plot of Avengers: Endgame. (Spoilers!)
More Game of Thrones:
- Have a hard time watching this week's episode? Blame your TV. And streaming.
- Not everyone liked the twist of last week's episode. (Spoilers!)
In Other News
This will be another story which grabbed my eye from the week.
Facebook, while dealing with countless data breaches (you might remember this one. Or this one. Or this one.), went face to face with the public with their annual F8 Conference.
While the majority of the event was what you'd expect – new features coming to Instagram, a push of how Oculus and its VR are the future, a shiny new coat of paint to Facebook proper – there was a focus on the big P word: privacy.
Obviously, this wasn't something to joke about (although Zuckerberg sure did try, and fail), but Facebook is swearing up and down, as the biggest profiteer of our personal data, that they're going to focus on privacy.
How you may ask? Yeah, that wasn't very clear. But they kept saying the P-word, therefore it must be in the works, right?
Probably about as likely as that History Removal tool mentioned last year…which still hasn't come out.
This week, Peter Mayhew, the original actor who played Chewbacca, passed away at the age of 74.
One of the sweetest human beings ever, he's been beautifully eulogized by his fellow cast members.
Me, I'd just like to remember him by sharing this rare clip of what he sounded like on the set.
There was a real man behind the beast. And he was damned entertaining.
Worthwhile Reads
A bunch of cool reads what I read this week, typically culled from my ever-growing Instapaper queue.
- Love the awesome stuntwork of the ladies of Marvel Studios? You can thank the Moneymaker Sisters. (ESPN)
- If you're considering going iPad Pro for your next laptop (I know I am), here's a guide on how to start. (The Brooks Review)
- Tech. Gambling. Football. The life and death of the AAF. (Sports Illustrated)
- A crazy behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new Lion King movie.(Entertainment Weekly)
- When exactly did Pop Culture become homework? (Longreads)
- The Get Up Kids are back making music, real lives be damned. (Stereogum)
- 20 Years Later, we can't get enough of Smash Mouth's “All Star”. Here's why. (The Ringer)
- Normally, oral histories are about the creation of movies, or of critical events in history. Would you believe that the one about the creation of Amazon Prime is a good read? (Vox)
- Slack might be actively hurting our ability to get things done. (Vox)
- If there's any proof that Let's Plays are facing a glut of creators, let it be that the Washington Post covered it. (The Washington Post)
blast-o-rama recommends
Every week, I'll make a recommendation of something to read, to watch, to listen to. I'll even link to where you can check it out.
This week's recommendation: Coda, Volume 1.
Coming off of attending Awesome Con, and getting caught up on the world of comic books using both Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe, I decided I needed some indie books in my life too.
This past Sunday, I binged through the first volume of Coda, published by Boom! Studios.
I admit, this was a book which I judged by the cover (which I think is actually OK in the world of comics), but I devoured it once I got in-between the covers.
Set in a world which is best described by the creator's elevator pitch of The Lord of the Rings meets Mad Max, Coda is a brilliant ride through a fantasy world post-Apocalypse, where magic is a rare commodity. Our hero, of sorts, is a former bard named Hum, riding along the wastelands on a mutated unicorn. The book, written by Si Spurrier is witty and darkly comedic, and each of the four issues in the first trade land on a brilliant cliffhanger making you want to read the next installment immediately. The art, by Matías Bergara, is beautiful, yet has a nice layer of grime upon it all, to underline the gritty era the characters are living, while never coming off as grotesque or overwrought.
Coda itself is about to wrap up with issue #12, meaning there are three more trades to come. Personally, I can't wait for the second trade to hit - due this July - and I'm sure if you give the first volume a read, you'll join me in the excitement.
• Coda, Volume 1: Buy Physical on Amazon| Buy Digital via Comixology
Thoughts? Feedback? Etc.?
I want to hear from YOU!
Let's not make this one-sided. I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts. Something you liked? Something you disliked? Something you want more of? Fire away. The reply-to is my personal inbox. I'd love to get your thoughts and responses.
That's that.
First issue in the books. Glad to have you on this journey with me. Each issue is going to be better and better.
Have yourself a wonderful week, dear reader. And don't let the bastards bring you down.
-Marty