Web-comic Review: Supernormal Step

By Temper

Magic, face punching and a robot or two; that is the tagline for this month’s web comic recommendation, Supernormal Step. Written, drawn, and colored by Michael Lee Lunsford; Supernormal Step centers on the misadventures of the blue haired heroine Fiona Dae. The plot starts when she gets transported to an alternate dimension Earth where magic is prevalent and where a man named Henderson is the lifetime leader of the United States.

Fiona doesn't care much about her current situation.  The plot mostly centers on her getting used to life on this new version of Earth while also trying to find a way back to her old life on the “normal” Earth. However, Fiona doesn't have to go on this adventure alone, she will have many allies. They will range from the wandering mage that sort of summoned her into this word, to a man trapped in the body of a stuffed bunny because he was a prick. The world of Supernormal Step has diverse characters from various mythical races along with the wonderful art of Lunsford.  During the evolution of the series, each character is portrayed beautifully.

What first attracted me to Supernormal Step was, believe it or not, Lunsford’s involvement with the Create a Wrestler Community that surrounds VGCW. SNST, as he is known over on Twitch, created some of the best looking wrestlers. So naturally, when he announced that he would no longer be making any more CAWs to concentrate more on his art, my interest was peaked. 

I Googled Supernormal Step and it led me to the web-comic. As I usually do with new web-comics, I read from the number one publication to the most recent page at the time. I thought Lunsford’s art was awesome. Fair Warning! Lunsford is also known as Zet13 and he does draw NSFW material, so Google him at your own risk.

Supernormal Step has a fun story, comedy, action, romance, and one of the most comprehensive portrayals of an asexual character I have ever seen. I won’t spoil who it is, but you can go on over to http://supernormalstep.com/ and find out. I highly

recommend it.

Netflix Addiction: West Wing

By Temper

What if you had access to the lives and minds of the President and his cabinet members? What if you could follow them around on a day-to-day basis and see exactly what it means to run the United States of America? Well that is precisely what Aaron Sorkin brought us on September 22, 1999.

The West Wing is set primarily in the West Wing of the White House, where the Oval Office and offices of presidential senior staff are located, during the fictional Democratic administration of Josiah Bartlet. The show, which won multiple Emmy and Golden Globe awards, includes a cast of memorable characters played by amazing actors.  The cast includes the likes of Stockard Channing, Dulé Hill, Jimmy Smits, Alan Alda, Rob Lowe, and Martin Sheen.

All seven seasons are on Netflix, and though I have fallen behind on watching the show in the last few weeks, it is one of my favorite television shows of all time. The West Wing mixes dramatic, triumphant, comedic and thought provoking moments while providing you with enough insight into what it is like to be there, running the country. Most episodes follow President Bartlet and his staff through particular legislative or political issues. The typical episode loosely follows the President and his staff through their day, generally following several plots connected by some idea or theme.

The West Wing captivated my interest for its use of the political landscape to create its characters and grow them into people you know, people you love, people you can’t stand. There really isn’t much else to say about the show without going into spoilers or criticisms about the layout of The White House being a bit off, like Susan Ford (daughter of former President Gerald Ford) commented many years ago.  The West Wing is one of the best television shows in the last few decades and is very much worth viewing. I encourage you to live through the Bartlet presidency.

Twitching 3: Wings of DeathX

By. Temper

   Following up on BZork's MOBA article, this month I decided to give you guys a look at the streamer that has helped me understand of League of Legends the most and my role as a top-laner.

Daryl Hennegan, better known on Twitch and by the League community as WingsofDeathX, is a high ranking LoL player. Hennegan mainly plays the role of the solo top-laner. WingsofDeathX is a well-respected player by pros and fans alike having been a substitute for teams like Dignitas and Team Solo Mid, and having played for TSM.evo and Epik Game.

   Wings is a fairly well known streamer and is best known for being extremely informative during his stream helping his viewers better understand everything from champions, runes, masteries, to the very flow of the game. He will constantly point out his mistakes, missteps, better plays or just a more effective way to accomplish his goals. Wings will take the time to explain his matchup and what went right or wrong in a team fight in every match. Overall he has a very good grip on the flow of the game and what it takes to win, even if a win doesn't always happen. 

  As with every MOBA streamer however, Wings does have to deal with unruly teammates, troll players, and a rowdy chat. But to his credit, Wings has a no tolerance policy and tries his best to keep both toxic players and viewers in check. Wings also rewards his subscribers (of which I am one) with end of stream subscriber only games.

  If you want to learn more about the solo lanes and mechanics of League of Legends, you can't go wrong with giving WingsofDeathX a view. I highly recommend you check out his stream and learn all that you can from one of the best resources out there. http://www.twitch.tv/wingsofdeath

Netflix Addiction: Dirty Jobs

by Temper

   It’s a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. For eight seasons the Discovery Channel brought us the real life misadventures of host Mike Rowe, as he and his crew shed a light on the thousands of dirty jobs in the U.S. Jobs like Alpaca farmer, large animal veterinarian, marble maker, and many more.

    The show isn't just showcasing the job, it gets a lot of its charm and character from the people Rowe interacts with. Through Rowe's attempts at performing the job he is presenting and generally slowing down the process due to his inexperience, the program showcases the skills developed after years of performing these dirty jobs. Rowe is constantly impressed and taken aback by the speed, precision and efficiency with which many of these people carry out their jobs. The host is constantly reminding the viewer that even though the show is called Dirty Jobs and many of the jobs can boil down to just menial labor, the people performing them deserve no less respect than your average lawyer, doctor, or similar professional because without those people "civilized life wouldn't be possible for the rest of us." 

    Secondary to the people whose jobs Rowe and his crew are visiting, Dirty Jobs shines a light on the set up and general process that the Dirty Jobs team goes through. Crawling into tight holes with big cameras and putting themselves in the way of dangerous equipment and animals all to show us how Rowe and those he visits perform the jobs.  Through the series you get to know the crew and Rowe for being just a silly group of people willing to film the harshest, dirtiest, darkest, grimiest jobs for your entertainment, and a bit of education on the side.

  Dirty Jobs however does suffer from the missing episode ailment, where many of the televised episodes are not on Netflix (as far as I can remember) for some reason or another. Fortunately the episodes that are on Netflix are some of the more memorable ones from Dirty Jobs. Sadly Discovery did not renew Dirty Jobs after its eighth season. So next time you want to complain about your job, why not queue up an episode? And be glad you don't have to inspect the hundred year old San Francisco sewer system.

Comic Review: The Adventures of Dr. McNinja & Star Power

By. Temper 

I read a lot of webcomics. My webcomics bookmarks folder has around 20 pages that I read on a daily basis. Webcomics have been around for a long time, and they tend to be part of the lives of many geeks and nerds. My morning ritual isn’t complete without checking for updates on my reading list. Tonight, I give you two webcomics that are worth checking out.

Thirty five years old, a doctor, and a ninja. These are the descriptors of the main character of Christopher Hastings’ webcomic, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja. Launched in 2004, The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is written and inked by Christopher Hastings, and colored by Anthony “Nedroid” Clark.  The comic is updated three times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday), and centers on the adventures of Dr. McNinja, his secretary Judy, the signing Gorrilla, and Gordito, the twelve year old mustachioed pistolero, as they tend to patients with normal and not so normal ailments in Cumberland, Maryland. If this sounds ridiculous, that’s because it most certainly is. Dr.McNinja not only cures illness, but also fights enemies like Dracula, gorilla vampires, Dr. McLuchador, and his most difficult enemy, King Radical, all to keep the city of Cumberland and the rest of the world safe. Hastings is a brilliant comedy writer and a great artist, having written stuff for the iconic fourth wall breaker Deadpool, so it’s pretty much guaranteed that a good amount of hilarious word play and panels will show up in his work. I’ve laughed hysterically so many times just from a single panel. The Adventures of Dr. McNinja is on its 21^st story arc, and shows no sign of stopping. Give it a try at http://www.drmcninja.com/

Danica Maris is your run of the mill astronomer on Space Station Sanctuary Six. That is, until she observes a peculiar star through her private telescope one night after work. The star turns out to be the last Star Power, transforming Danica into the universe’s last Star Powered Sentinel. Written by Michael “Mookie” Terracciano, and inked and colored by Garth Graham, Star Power follows Danica as she masters her newfound powers while keeping them and the dangers a secret from the crew of Sanctuary Six. Featuring a cast of colorful human and alien characters, Star Power quickly became one of my favorites this past year, thanks to its portrayal of a normal girl suddenly thrust with the powers and responsibilities attached to them. One of the comic’s best qualities is that Danica actually isn’t the most interesting character, despite being the protagonist. Her supporting cast garners as much attention as she does. While Star Power isn’t as over the top as McNinja, the beautiful art, the great story, and the amazing characters should keep you very interested. Check it out at http://www.starpowercomic.com

Temper recommends Welcome to Night Vale

By.Temper   

  
      In the small desert town of Night Vale, anything and everything is possible. Every conspiracy is true, while nature behaves in very odd ways. It’s a place where science and magic seem indistinguishable from each other. But the residents of Night Vale don’t seem to mind very much, despite being watched over by both a totalitarian police force and a vague yet menacing government agency. That is, if their community radio program is to be believed.

       


   Welcome to Night Vale is a podcast presented as the live recordings of a public radio show airing in the fictional desert town of Night Vale. The show was created by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor and airs on the 1^st and 15^th of every month (delays not withstanding). The fictional show stars host Cecil, voiced by Cecil Baldwin, who doles out news and advertisements to the audience of Night Vale. Each episode also contains a “weather report” showcasing a different independent musical act. Along with the weather, the show has intro, outro, and background music by musician and composer Disparition.

       When I first heard of Welcome to Night Vale, from our very own Houdini, I was doing my yearly “read everything H.P. Lovecraft ever wrote”. He described the show to me as a mix of Twilight Zone meets Lovecraft, with a little bit of Stephen King thrown in. I was so surprised he hadn’t mentioned Night Vale to me before that I actually shook him. Needless to say, I went home and subscribed, and have been listening religiously ever since.

                 
        Night Vale has been running for a relatively short time, only recently releasing its 43^rd episode. Despite that, the podcast has garnered the attention of thousands of listeners, reaching the top ten podcasts list on iTunes in July 2013. Hundreds of fan blogs are out there, fan art is plentiful, and the mystery and horror aspects of the show have created many fan theories and side stories. The show is so popular that it even prompted its creators to open live show tours, as well as pen a novel to explore parts of Night Vale that haven't been able to get proper exposition with the podcast. The fandom has a sort of hive mind that accepts pretty much anything the creators’ offer, likely because of the audio-only nature of the show. Fans have a more or less universal acceptance of what titular characters look like and of the general layout of the town, among other things.  

         Welcome to Night Vale is currently my favorite podcast. I wholeheartedly recommend to anyone who will listen to me gush about how amazing it is.  Although, is it really that good, or am I just under the control of the Sherriff’s Secre-

           “Oh how nice of him to write about us. It really is too bad the Secret Police took him. I’ll just correct his grammar until he gets back. You won’t tell, right?”

Temper is Twitching 2: ItmeJP

By. Temper

   This month’s stream is ItmeJP, a more traditional Twitch channel, where host JP McDaniel plays games and gives running commentary. JP plays everything he can get his hands on, while combining the Twitch channel with his own perspective on YouTube. Recently, through a Google Voice account, he gave his audience a chance to pitch a game for him to try out. However, JP’s traditional gaming stuff is not the main reason I watch and subscribe. (Just for full disclosure, I will make it a point to eventually let you guys know the channels I subscribe to.)

  Around October last year, I was sitting at my desk as I had finished watching a League of Legends stream. I then decided to browse the games currently being played on Twitch. Surprisingly, I saw that Dungeons and Dragons was an option. I was curious, so I clicked it, and noticed that one channel in particular had a lot of viewers. I decided to take a look, and that’s when I saw five people play D&D over Skype, using a popular web app called Roll20 to make their rolls.

   If that doesn’t sound like a very exciting thing to watch, you’re not too far off from the truth. The RollPlay, as the streams are called, consists of four to five Skype windows showing the players with a lightly animated background and overlay. The Roll20 window is shown only when needed. Despite the simplicity of the stream, the cast members do an amazing job of playing their characters, while also painting a picture of what is happening and advancing the story presented by the DM. I was hooked after that first night and became utterly invested in the story and characters, to the point where I even had a favorite character.

  The RollPlay brand, found on twitch.tv/itmejp, currently includes four shows. This  includes the original show, RollPlay: Solum, as well as RollPlay: Ehbon, both of which use Dungeons and Dragons. RollPlay: Dark Heresy uses the WarHammer 40K RPG system. Their newest show, RollPlay: R&D, switches the system, story, and characters every six to eight weeks to expose viewers to different pen and paper RPG systems.

  I actually found the channel and the RollPlay shows when I had desperately wanted to play a pen and paper RPG, so that probably inspired my initial zealous love for it. I continue to almost religiously watch the streams, even subscribing to have access to previous broadcasts, just in case I miss a show. (If you don’t subscribe, JP posts twenty or thirty minute segments of the past week’s games every day on his YouTube channel.) Whether you’re a pen and paper RPG fan or not, I recommend giving the show a shot. I think you might enjoy yourself.

 

Netflix Addiction: Haven

By Temper

In Maine there’s a quaint little town with a picturesque view of the ocean. Beyond the harbor lie a town square and a forest. Everyone knows just about every single face in town. This is what Audrey Parker, a special agent from the FBI, finds when arriving in Haven, Maine, on a routine case. However, she soon learns that the town has larger, supernatural problems to deal with.

  Loosely based on “The Colorado Kid”, a novel by Stephen King, Haven airs on the SyFy network. The show revolves around the day-to-day struggles of Audrey and her partner, Nathan, to solve supernatural mysteries and crimes, referred to as “The Troubles” by the townsfolk. Along the way, Audrey, Nathan, and others discover truths about themselves, the town and “The Troubles”. They also run into people with supernatural abilities who are directly, though not usually consciously, causing “The Troubles.” These “Troubles” can range from psychic powers, to bringing machines to life after repairing them, to not feeling any pain or cold, and can even grant a general immunity to other “Troubles”.

  Haven currently spans four seasons, with a fifth season comprising of twenty-six episodes, half of which will begin airing later this year, with the second half set to run in 2015. I’ve been watching a marathon of this show for the past few weeks, going through three to four episodes a night. I definitely recommend it to those looking for a good mystery. Can you solve the mysteries of Haven? Or will you be forced to wait while the answers are slowly revealed, bringing even more questions? There is one thing certain; however, anything can happen in Haven.