NerdGasm V!

When the time comes to write the definitive history of Big Dave F's NerDgasm quiz, I think chapter five will be the one where the story really gets going. The Pillars of Hercules is a narrow old venue, (more of a corridor than a pub if the truth be told), but it's got character, and it played host to Nerdgasm's biggest gathering of quiz fans to date.

As ever, Quiz Supremo Dave was in fine form, meeting and greeting his fans...

spreading joy amongst the happy contestants...

...and getting into character for his "complete that wrestling quote" question...

Yeah, nobody got that one. We were all treated to further macho antics later though, as Dave took on a junkie who had wandered into the pub to beg for skag money. He faced her down hollering at her to clear off. She, of course, ignored him and slunk off to the bogs to jack up. Huzzah for London's magical West End!

I was joined by the capital's premier Kraven The Hunter lookalike, Mr John Bishop, Mike Leader, who looks a bit like Nate from Six Feet Under, and Joe Ewens - haven't decided who he looks like yet, it'll come...

Anyway, nice to see you lads. Apologies for getting drunk and shouting about the episode of Different Strokes with the paedo, (Link HERE, by the way).

We didn't win, that honour went to this fine bunch of Doctor Who nuts...

...well deserved, and a great trio who were kind enough to give me one of their star prizes - a bottle of Spider-Man aftershave! Here I am posing with it in the urinals...

which is entirely appropriate as it smells EXACTLY like Toilet Duck.

A fragrant end to a top evening.

Vive Le Nerdgasm!

Dick Giordano

Here's a scan of Batman#509...

It's a fairly crappy comic that kicks off the Knightsend saga in which Bruce Wayne goes all ninja on some fella who's taken over the Bat Mantle after Bane snapped Bruce's spine. Summat like that. I can't remember. It doesn't matter.

Anyway, I picked this issue up for 25p at one of the Royal National marts. Wouldn't normally have bothered, but it's signed by writer Doug Moench and all-round comic book legend Dick Giordano who died today. There's a cracking obit up at Comic Book Resources. Proper legend, and there aren't too many of those left now.

R.I.P.

Shopping List

A very short shopping list for me this week...

Green Lantern #52

Northlanders #26

Captain America #604

Secret Warriors #14

I'm skipping the new Millar book, Nemesis, because I'm just about done with limited series at the moment. I'll pick it up in trade.

Almost dropped Northlanders because I've fallen behind by a few issues and it would probably make more sense to pick the stories up in the trade format which they are written for. I've said it before, but it's worth repeating - I think the single issues of Northlanders would really benefit from some decent back matter. It's what keeps me buying Criminal in floppy format and I wouldn't even be considering switching up to trade if Northlanders followed suit. Yes it would entail a price hike to $3.50 (probably) but I have a feeling that this wouldn't hit the numbers too hard. When you're dealing with a series so rooted in real world history, it makes perfect sense to have some accompanying historical text pieces. At least I think so.

Green Lantern continues its zombie-like shamble through Blackest Night, an event which I've enjoyed for the most part, but which I'm ready to see wrap up now. More plot, (as opposed to character), driven shenanigans await, no doubt.

The current Captain America story has been top notch and I look forward to reading the latest installment. However, given the fact that I have zero interest in the back-up story, I am a mite hacked off at the price hike. Pretty soon comics will all be $3.99 with no back-ups, but for the moment I'd rather they kept Cap at $2.99 and spared us the Nomad bilge.

Secret Warriors has its moments. It can be tough keeping track of a large - and for the most part C list - cast but there's enough cool stuff going on in the background to keep me coming back, and the cast of baddies is an impressive one. Say what you like about Mark Millar, but Gorgon is one of the few decent new Marvel villains. He's a genuinely creepy, nasty piece of work who is badass enough to be a player for many years to come. Hickman's done him well in Secret Warriors too.

NerDgasm V - A New Beginning!

That man Big Dave F has been tugging at my electronic coattails again. He wants me to remind you that it's NerDgasm time! Yes, gentle readers, the capital's finest pub quiz is back, and it's moving up in the world! Dave's old base of operations, The Green Man and French Horn, has been evacuated in favour of a new secret HQ - legendary Soho watering hole, The Pillars Of Hercules. Just round the corner from Foyles and that place which sells art books upstairs and porn downstairs, (so I've heard, ahem), The Pillars is one of London's most historic pubs. It got a mention in A Tale of Two Cities and still attracts its fair share of literary luvvies, dontcha know? Now, YOU have chance to rub shoulders with these Soho types AND a smattering of confused tourists. Just imagine!

The quiz kicks off 19:00 hours this Sunday. As per usual questions will ALL be comic, SF, horror or computer game related. Already confirmed are myself and fellow defending champion John "Eyemelt" Bishop. Rumours abound that London's premier purveyor of four colour filth, Mr Andrew Salmond will be in attendance, and, of course, there will be the usual tattoeed ladies and muscle fans to compete with. Everyone who enters gets a prize, and, no doubt, there will be the odd mini-game round to keep interest in proceedings high. It's a top, top night, so make sure you're there.

Map showing the location of The Pillars of Hercules HERE

Reports on previous NerDgasm nights HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

Top Panel!

or should I say "topless"?

Scan lifted from a discussion of Wally Wood's Cannon, on the 11 O'Clock comic forums

Cat Tatt

I've seen some strange superhero tattoos in my time, but this one takes the biscuit...

If you don't recognise this spandex-clad puking cat go HERE

Talking of The Twelve...

via Twitter.

Return

I wouldn't say that my batteries are recharged, but I thought that I'd better give the old blog a bit of a stroke before it slinks off to die. So what to say? Well, I went to the Isle of Man for an interview for a job as Social Media Community Manager for a big poker website. Grand old job title, eh? Basically it involved looking after their presence on blogs, forums, Twitter, Facebook etc. I suppose I should be happy that I made the second round of interviews, sadly I just ended up gutted that I didn't go all the way and get the job. I've never mentioned it on here before, but I like a game of cards. Poker's actually a fairly easy game to become half competent at, and when you do it's entirely possible to make a small amount of money at it. People find that hard to believe, but it's true. Honestly, I could teach anyone to nick a few quid playing low stakes poker. For several years I paid for my comics habit by grinding out profit on a number of online cardrooms. The money I was making was roughly equivalent to what I could've earned working at McDonalds, but playing poker can be fun, whereas flipping burgers and spitting in milkshakes is, well, not. Anyway, I digress, having spent a large whack of the last ten years at the card table I was well up for the idea of working in the industry. It wasn't to be, and while I'm not about to top myself, I didn't feel much like writing anything about comics for a few days after failing to land the job. Sometimes it goes like that.

I'm over the blues now though, so it seems like a good time to resume the old spandex related blathering. Trouble is I haven't got much to say today. Of the stuff I've read lately I can heartily recommend The Twelve: Spearhead, a one-shot drawn and written by Chris Weston. We all know the sad story of The Twelve - great series that just stopped coming out four issues from the end. Well, this isn't issue #9, but it is a fantastic World War II superhero caper featuring all your favourites from The Twelve, plus some special guest stars. The story is a pleasing wee romp, but it's the art that makes this one worth a punt. Weston's one of the best in the biz and he's on fire here. After seeing him draw Nazis, secret bases and WWII tanks I can only say that, even if The Twelve never finishes up, this man needs to draw an Invaders book.

Hello

Cheers to all those who have asked where I am.

I'm taking a brief blog break.

Back soon.

That is all.

Real Life

Off to the Isle of Man for a job interview. Blog silence for the next couple of days.