INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT: ROCK MARY ROCK

INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT:

ROCK MARY ROCK

Rock Mary Rock Issue #1

CREATED, WRITTEN & ILLUSTRATED BY: NICKY SOH

LEAD COLORS BY: JEREMY LAWSON

          How many of you VIGILANT GEEKS out there used to dream of being a rock star? I for one had that dream since my teenage years. Usually, it takes years of practice to become a guitar legend. However, for a young high school girl named Mary, all it took was a little help from the paranormal variety. Rock Mary Rock by Nicky Soh is an extremely fun and original tale with incredible, top shelf artwork that sucks the reader into the story just like a good animation.

           Issue one starts out with Mary helping her Granny take care of the old theater Granny has been working at for years.When Mary goes down to the basement to check the lights while Granny plays with the fuse box, she finds a beautiful electric guitar. However, when she touches it, she releases a spirit that has been inside the guitar for years! When Mary and the spirit are bound for the first time, it causes Mary to pass out in the basement. When she comes to in her bedroom, the spirit, now identified as Rock, has followed her home! Rock explains that the two are bound together until they find the guitar. Finding the guitar would have been easy enough, except that when Mary and Rock get to the theater, it is burnt down, and the guitar could not be found among the rubble!

Rock Mary Rock Issue #2

            Issue two picks up with some back story on Rock. Then,.Mary and Rock go to Mary's high school to find a guitar in the music room. When Mary and Rock get to the music room, the guitar club is there practicing, and a boy named Wesley is playing a beautiful song that is captivating everyone in the room. When Rock starts dissing Wesley's performance, Mary accidentally repeats what he says, resulting in Wesley and the other kids forcing Mary to try and prove she is better at guitar than Wesley. Mary panics, knowing full well that she doesn't know how to play guitar. That is, until Rock realizes that they are bonded and he can play the notes for her! Due to Rock's amazing guitar skills, playing through Mary's fingers, Mary looks and sounds like a guitar goddess. All of the kids praise her, saying, "it's like she's Spring herself." However, Mary's musical victory is short lived as she get's freaked out by Rock controlling her fingers and drops the guitar, breaking it in two. What will happen between her and Wesley in issue three? Will MAry and Rock finally become unbound, or will Rock make Mary a musical sensation? I for one cannot wait to find out!

Full page artwork from Issue #1

            If you're looking for a fun comic book adventure with hints of paranormal activity and rock and roll, look no further than Rock Mary Rock. This is a publication that is safe to give children of all ages, and is enjoyed by adults as well. It is a story that provides big laughs, captivating artwork by Nicky Soh and a plot that keeps readers on the edge of their seats from issue to issue. If only the ghost of Jimi Hendrix or Jerry Garcia would bond with me. Then I could be a rock and roll legend. For now though, I'll be happy to live vicariously through Mary.

** To purchase your copies of ROCK MARY ROCK, go to:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/nickysoh

Also, check out Nicky Soh's website @:

www.nickysoh.com

... AND AS ALWAYS ...

STAY VIGILANT!!

MY COMIC BOOK BACKGROUND

MY COMIC BOOK BACKGROUND

BY: ANDREW PUZAK

             

A five year old Andrew with Spider-Man

             

         It occurred to me recently that I have been giving comics-based advice and referrals for THE VIGILANT GEEK for years now, and I have yet to discuss my own personal comic book background. This would be like a doctor who was unable to produce records of his or her own medical background to the patients he or she takes care of! In other words, not knowing how viable your source is can be DANGEROUS! However, you need not fear, as I have taken the time here to display a timeline of my comic book reading history!

             I basically learned to read from comic books. Ever since I was a four-year-old, my father would sit me down and read me some of the classic late 80's and early 90's Marvel. The first comic I remember my father reading to me was Marvel's original Secret Wars from 1984. The reason why I remember this story so well is because this was the Marvel tale that my father used to teach me about bullies. When Doctor Doom manipulated the Molecule Man into using his powers for Doom's bidding, the scenario was used by Dad to teach me what a bully was. I remember being scared of bullies, but Dad would remind me that Captain America wasn't afraid of them, so I shouldn't be either.

My first comic book memory: Marvel's Secret Wars, 1984

              It wasn't long before comics made me literate, and I had Spider-Man, X-Men and Silver Surfer all coming to the house monthly. I breezed through the Infinity Gauntlet at age seven. Due to my love for comics at such an early age, I became the most literate child in my first, second and third grade classes. However, time flew by, and by high school, the only time I was caught reading comics was when I was grounded.

             Then came college. I went to military school, so I was not allowed to have comics my first year, or anything else for that matter. Also, academia became so difficult, I didn't have time to read anything but textbooks. Comics were officially out of my life at that point. I went until the age of twenty-three without even touching a comic book!

           

             It was not until I was almost twenty-four when my comic book cravings had a resurgence. It was all due to Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy. After watching those movies with a best friend of mine over and over again, we just could not get enough Batman! After spending one afternoon watching all three films back-to-back, we ventured to a local comic shop, and my passion came right back to me. That day I picked up Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman/Manbat and Batman: Under the Red Hood and it was the rebirth of comic book fever! Before long, I was diving into some of the classic Batman tales such as A Death in the Family, Batman: The Killing Joke, Batman: The Long Halloween and The Dark Knight Returns. Within the span of a couple years, I had read most of the Bat-literature available from the late 70's to present day.

The Dark Knight Trilogy: The films that got me back into comics

                All of this research on Batman got me back into reading the other mainstream titles I loved such as Superman, Green Lantern, Green Arrow and The Flash for DC, and Daredevil, Punisher, The Avengers, X-Men, Spider-Man and Deadpool for Marvel. I was also broadening my horizons by branching out to other labels such as Vertigo, Image and Valiant. Now, I am thirty years old; I know I will always read and love comic books and I will always do my best to read as much of everything out there as I can and report back to you fine "Vigilant Geeks" out there! It's my passion; and as serious readers, it's your right to know what to spend your money on!

... AND AS ALWAYS ...

STAY VIGILANT!!!

INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT: LIFE'S A BEACH

INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT:

LIFE'S A BEACH

Northeast Comic Con variant cover featuring Gary Sohmers, (The Big Cheese of Northeast Comic Con).

WRITTEN BY: MIKE LOPEZ AND GARY ECKERSON

ART BY: GARY ECKERSON

PUBLISHED BY: E & L COMICS

          Sometimes comic books just need to be fun. Don't get me wrong, I always enjoy a great intricate murder mystery or a chilling horror read with twists and turns, but when the mood calls for something a little lighter, outrageously fun books such as, Life's a Beach by Mike Lopez and Gary Eckerson are just what the doctor ordered. This goofy coming-of-age tale follows a group of teenagers named Dean, Snugs and Lana through a Summer of sun, surfing and beach-wide eye candy. In the essence of Archie Comics, this story provides a great coming-of-age aspect in regards to the group of teens and their insatiable attraction to the opposite sex, slapstick humor provided by the clumsy friend Snugs and an excellent story line about the one Summer that was going to be different from the rest.

           The story starts out with a big party and bonfire at Moondoggies to kick off the Summer fun. When Dean and Snugs get to Moondoggies, their heads are on a swivel, checking out all the pretty girls. Snugs, looking to get hugs from the hot chicks, is not paying attention to where he is going and bumps right into the "bully of the beach," "The Cool!" The Cool is about ready to flatten Snugs until Frankie, the owner of Moondoggies, breaks it up. However, when Lana asks Snugs to dance with her, he crashes into a table and spills drinks all over The Cool, instigating trouble with him once again. It's quite hilarious watching The Cool chase Snugs all over the beach! Then, when the new girl, Roxy, moves to the beach from New York City, Dean and Snugs immediately swoon over her. Will Roxy be the girl that makes Dean's Summer a special one? I for one cannot wait to find out in issue two!

          Life's a Beach has big laughs for everyone. Each character has his or her own personality traits and individual style. Also, the artwork done by Gary Eckerson is outstanding and captures the essence of Archie Comics just enough to provide a hint of nostalgia for readers. If you're looking for a fun, coming-of-age comedy featuring some of the most entertaining beach bums I have seen in comic book panels, then grab your spot in the sun, kick off your flip flops and pick up Life's a Beach! 

** To order your own copy of Life's a Beach, please visit:

www.facebook.com/beachcomics2015

*** AND AS ALWAYS...

STAY VIGILANT!!!

        

INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT: DOUBLE TAKE COMICS

INDIE BOOK SPOTLIGHT:

DOUBLE TAKE COMICS

            If you are looking for good horror, but cannot seem to find anything good outside of The Walking Dead or perhaps some choice Image titles, this article may be for you! In Fall of 2016, Double Take Comics launched a brand new comic book universe centered around George Romero's Night of the Living Dead!! Each title released by Double Take explores a different niche of this particular zombie apocalypse scenario! Double Take has released ten titles in total including: Z-Men, Dedication, Spring, Home, Remote, Honor, Soul, Medic, Rise and Slab. The cover art on all of these titles is absolutely astounding.

Amazing cover art for Double Take's new line of books

             Out of all of these titles, I had the privilege of picking up Remote, Z-Men and Dedication at this past NORTHEAST COMIC CON Winter 2016. Here's what I thought of all three of these great publications:

Dedication:

            All of these Double Take titles seemed to have a horror/comedy theme to them, and Dedication sure did not disappoint in this regard. Centered around George's Grocery Store in Evan County, Pennsylvania, zombies are seen breaking into the store after hours to eat everything in sight and make a colossal mess! During this crisis, everyone seems to be inept in regards to response and recovery except George himself. Though he makes the whole situation seem like a minor inconvenience that is costing him a lot of money, George is the only one who seems to have any clue of what to do during the zombie break-in. All of George's inferiors are seen either telling anecdotes, having sex on the roof or just goofing around, which provides comic relief as a disgruntled George tries to correct everyone and get them back to work cleaning up the zombie mess!

Remote:

            Remote takes place at the Evans County, PA radio station KBRF, where radio journalist Samantha Stanton is the sole survivor of the zombie attacks there. She calls her boss who is in Los Angeles vacationing and getting massages, and he tells her to stay at the station to do a radiothon during the apocalypse. Thinking only about the money that could be made from a monopoly of the radio waves, the boss makes a deal with Samantha that she is allowed to say and do whatever she pleases on air if she agrees to stay on air for the interim of the apocalypse. As zombies start to crowd the radio booth in the station, Samantha gains some serious courage and decides to have fun with the zombies! She teaches some of the zombies to operate the equipment for her in exchange for candy, and then decides to put on a hilarious dating show with some of the other zombies! This was a surprisingly creative and original idea for a story arc involving the zombie apocalypse, and an excellent mash-up of comedy and horror.

Z-Men:

Exciting Z-Men panels

             Z-Men is basically about the government's response to the zombie apocalypse crisis. President Lyndon B. Johnson wants his own men, the secret service, to investigate the zombie attacks in Evans County, PA, but he doesn't want his BEST men on the job. He has the secret service director appoint two mediocre agents from the secret service motor pool, Special Agent Clancy and Special Agent Stuart, for the investigation. Things start to go awry when Stuart, drinking from a flask almost the entire time, passes out in the car while Clancy and Evans County Deputy Tills check out a disturbance in an old woman's basement. When they find out that the disturbance was actually a whole bunch of zombies, it doesn't take long until ammo runs out and improvisation takes place. Meanwhile, Stuart, who wakes up from his drunken stupor to a bunch of zombies tipping over his car, accidentally shoots and kills Deputy Tills in all of the commotion. Clancy recaps the event by saying, "Shit happens, but if I see that flask again, I'm gonna ram it up your ass." The ineptitude of the Z-Men is depicted with excellent storytelling by Jeff McComsey and Bill Jemas and art by Kurt Tiede.

"Kicking zombie butt!!" From RISE

             All of these titles consist of absolutely stellar artwork by Young Heller, Julian Rowe, David Wilson, Kurt Tiede and many others. The pencil work is vivid and visually descriptive to the point where the reader really feels like a part of each scenario. Also, there are numerous vintage-style, (1966), advertisements throughout the pages of each title to add to the nostalgia and time capsule elements of the stories. If you are looking for the perfect blend of George Romero-style flesh-eating horror and zombie-related comic relief, look no further than Double Take Comics!!

** To purchase any of these great Double Take titles, visit:

doubletakeuniverse.com

***and as always...

STAY VIGILANT!!

OVERWATCH CHARACTER PROFILES: McCREE

OVERWATCH CHARACTER PROFILES:

McCREE

Check out this next installment of the VIGILANT GEEK MEDIA OVERWATCH CHARACTER PROFILES SERIES where Holden Orme introduces us all to the badass gunslinger McCree!! ENJOY!!!

...and as always..

STAY VIGILANT!!

THE VIGILANT GEEK PODCAST: S2: E24: VIGILANT GEEK AWARDS 2016

THE VIGILANT GEEK PODCAST

SEASON TWO: EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR

THE 2016 VIGILANT GEEK AWARDS

What better finale for season two of THE VIGILANT GEEK PODCAST than the THIRD ANNUAL VIGILANT GEEK AWARDS??!! Join VIGILANT GEEK MEDIA's Andrew Puzak and Holden Orme as they recap the very best of the best that 2016 had to offer in regards to COMICS, VIDEO GAMES, ANIME, FILM, TV SERIES, COSPLAY and so much more!!

...AND AS ALWAYS... 

STAY VIGILANT!!!

**Thanks to all you faithful listeners and Vigilant Geeks for an incredible Season Two of THE VIGILANT GEEK PODCAST!! Join us in February 2017 for Season Three!!**

OVERWATCH CHARACTER PROFILES: GENJI

OVERWATCH CHARACTER PROFILES:

GENJI

              Who here likes gaming?? All of you? Ok great, then this post is for you!! Are you interested in the fresh new release OVERWATCH, but haven't had a chance to experience any of the gameplay? Allow resident VIGILANT GEEK MEDIA video game master HOLDEN ORME to walk you through a character profile of each of the playable characters in the game! Holden will show you both basic and advanced moves for each OVERWATCH CHARACTER in this series of videos!! The first video in this series introduces the character GENJI!!! ENJOY!!

...and as always...

STAY VIGILANT!!!!