Kyle Cassidy is a fantastic photographer, who has traveled the world taking pictures of a wide-array of subjects. His work has covered punks to politicians, homeless kids in Romania to archeologists in Giza and has been featured in the New York Times, Vanity Fair (DE), the Sunday Times of London, Marie Claire, Photographers Forum and numerous other publications. He has written several books on technology and a book of photographs of gun owners in their homes, in addition to several other photography projects.

Also, he lives in Philly!

Kyle took the time to chat with me and answer a few questions about his life as a photographer.

What made you first pick up a camera?

I grew up in a time where journalists were very heroic figures. They were tumultuous days and a time before the press had caved into the government and started accepting all sorts of restrictions about how they’d cover wars. You had people like Larry Burroughs who would find some helicopter pilot at a bar somewhere in Saigon and say “Can you take me out with you next time and drop me off?”

At the same time you had Woodward and Bernstein being played by Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in the movies – how much more dashing does it have to be? I had this great desire to experience everything – or at least as many things as I practically could, and journalists always got the front row seats. That’s what started it, but the thing that kept it going is that I realized that parts of my life were just vanishing.

You know, ask me what I was doing on October 16, 1998 – I’m sure it was something, it might have been a great day, but it’s been completely erased from my memory – I don’t know who I saw, who I talked to, but having a photographic record makes it feel like it’s not so ephemeral. (more…)

Over the past couple of weeks, Philadelphians have had to endure an earthquake, seemingly endless rain and the debut of the latest season of Jersey Shore. So it’s understandable if you feel like the end is near.

But what if I told your fears were misguided? My friends, I’m happy to report that it’s not the apocalypse that’s just around the corner, but the Kochalkalypse! You see, indie comics sensation James Kochalka – of Johnny Boo, Monkey vs. Robot and American Elf fame — will be coming to Philly this weekend for two days of cartooning and music.

Kicking things off with be an appearance at Brave New Worlds this Friday that serves both as a signing event for the debut issue of his Fungus comic (released on the new Retrofit imprint) and an art show of Kochalka-inspired work from members of the Philly Comix Jam. Brave New Worlds First Friday events are always worth checking out, but this month’s even more so given that Kochalka is a rising talent in the industry. Fortunately, the kooky Kochalka antics don’t stop there.

On Saturday he’ll be joined by nerd core great MC Blackwolf at South Philly’s Cha-Cha’Razzi venue for a night of 8-bit music. You can put aside any fears you may have that Kochalka is the drawing equivalent of the Rock Bottom Remainders. He’s actually an accomplished musician whose songs have been featured on Nickelodeon and Fox. His tunes tend to be just as smart and whimsical as his art, so paying a visit to his world should prove to be both the coolest and geekiest way for y’all to spend your weekend.

James Kochalka Signing/Philly Comix Jam Art Show
Friday, September 2. 6pm. Free.
Brave New Worlds: 45 N. 2nd Street

James Kochalka with MC Blackwolf
Saturday, September 3. 5pm. Free.
Cha-Cha’Razzi. 1918 S. Bancroft St.

DNR stands for many things: Daunorubicin, Department of Natural Resources, Dialed Number Recorder, Direct normal radiation, Dynamic Noise Reduction, Domain Name Registration, and even an airport in France.

In hospitals and in this book review, it stands for Do Not Resuscitate. For me, this week, it also stood for Do Not Read—in public, that is, because I would then be the guy crying in the park or on the train or in the break room at work. Dr. Lauren Jodi Van Scoy, MD has written a book that boils all the Hollywood out of ER, House, Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy, and any other medical drama, leaving the raw reality of the difficult times that come at the end of human life. (more…)

Mobad Media and Arcana Studios have partnered to produce The Gwaii, a 3-D comic (no glasses needed) book for the iPad. Geekadelphia was given the chance to check out the 1st issue and we have the skinny on this innovative piece of media.

While The Gwaii is decidedly family and child oriented, the story is original enough to make for an interesting read to a comic fan like myself. Written by Arcana co-founder Sean Reilly and illustrated by Pedro Del Gado, The Gwaii centers around Tanu, a sasquatch in the Canadian wilderness that loses his mother to hunters turned kidnappers of this rare animal. Tanu teams up with fellow sasquatch Jaada and the adventure begins.

This iPad app is extremely easy to use and perfect for sharing with the young geek in your life. There are great options for kids like having the story narrated to them (it also highlights the words as they’re being read in this mode to assist in learning) and toggling back and forth between dialogues as they appear on the page. While it hearkens a bit to the motion comic movement, the “no glasses required” 3-D was pretty effective and looked vibrant on the iPad.

Gwaii part one is available right now at the iTunes store with 2 more issues on the way. You can download your copy right here.

Or better yet, why don’t you leave us a comment below for a chance to win a free download of The Gwaii? Just tell us which nomenclature you prefer: sasquatch, bigfoot or yeti?

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is the sort of remake that Fright Night should have been. The film takes a beloved made-for-TV horror film and updates it in a way that, while still somewhat faithful to the original, is definitely still in the same spirit. Del Toro once again shows that even if he is not behind the camera, he excels at picking the right people for the job.

Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark is the tale of a troubled young girl named Sally, who is sent to live with her father and his girlfriend at a mansion they are renovating. While exploring one afternoon the young girl is drawn by voices, and finds a hidden basement to the mansion. Inside the basement Sally sets free a dark force on the house that attempts to seduce the young girl with promises of acceptance.

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This week in the coolest comic book review column on the net, The Comic Roundup, I look at the new take on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, the first issue of The Bionic Man and the latest volume of The Ultimates.

Bionic Man #1
By Kevin Smith, Phil Hester and Jonathan Lau

The Six Million Dollar Man is a big part of some of my happiest childhood memories. (For those of you too young to remember, that was what The Bionic Man was called when six million dollars was a lot of money).

Watching the show with my Dad and playing with the action figures filled my younger years with lots of fun and delight. Now Dynamite has brought Steve Austin back in an (more…)

You ever notice how more and more of the leads in our favorite geek movies these days are from across the pond? Christian Bale in Batman, Daniel Craig in Cowboys and Aliens… and then there is Andrew Garfield and Robert Pattinson. What if the infiltration of American cinema wasn’t just due to better genes or more talent, but something more… sinister?

Well, not sinister really, but at least completely on purpose. I’ll let the guys explain:

The British are coming! Not to reclaim the colonies, but to play America’s superheroes. Bowling For America runs with the wild idea that Britt boy actors are secretly taking over Hollywood.

The film takes place in an abandoned bowling alley where Twilight star Robert Pattinson, challenges the Amazing Spider-Man, Andrew Garfield, to a bowling match. The prize: complete dominance over the American teen idol market. It’s a winner takes all send up about the superheroes and action stars we love.

Although the film will be shot on location in LA, both of the guys are Temple grads and based right here in Philly. The film will be shown online and to short film festivals. (more…)

Another month, another post about movie screenings at the Dock Street Brewery in West Philadelphia.

By now, you know the deal. Tuesday. 8pm. $1 off small, $2 off large on select pizzas. $1 off select drafts during film. In a recent press release from the brewery, they mentioned having a brand new projector screen. Awesome.

Scope out the schedule below. Enjoy!

• August 30th: The Fighter

• September 6th: Dark City

• September 13th: Conan: Can’t Stop

• September 20th: Urban Roots

Fun fact: Urban Roots is a new documentary by the folks who brought us The 11th Hour. As of now, this is the only Philadelphia screening of the film.

Dock Street
701 S. 50th Street (19143)
(215) 726-2337
www.dockstreetbeer.com

Who doesn’t love puppies? They are cute, clumsy, and love you more unconditionally than anyone, including your family. It is time to rally the geeks around an adorable and noble cause.

New Leash On Life USA is a non-profit organization right here in Philadelphia that has prison inmates socialize and train dogs so that they will be more readily adopted. The program, which has just started this summer, has been a resounding success. There has never been more of a win/win situation. Prisoners move along with their rehabilitation while at the same time giving an animal a chance to find a loving home. Not only are the dogs adopted by the public, but in the future many will be trained as companion dogs for veterans and other people with disabilities. Everyone needs a helping paw now and again.

On September 1st, New Leash on Life will be hosting the “Dog Days of Summer” Happy Hour at Gunners Run at the Piazza. There will be a puppy kissing booth so you can be smothered to the brink of death by cuteness.

If puppy smooches aren’t your style, you can enter the raffle, Chinese auction, or gorge yourself on food and delicious beer. Just $5 will get you a beer and some delectable appetizers. 40% of the proceeds will go right to New Leash on Life USA. There’s no cover, but slipping 5 bucks into the donation can is always encouraged. Gunners Run has a special dog food menu just for your pooch so bring your four-legged pal along with you.

So come have a drink, kiss a puppy, and have some fun. You might be helping to save more than one life.

New Leash on Life
newleashonlife-usa.org

Gunners Run
1001 N 2nd St # 3 (19123)
(215) 923-4600

Those of you who attended this year’s Philadelphia Geek Awards were, no doubt, blown away by the opening and closing song; an 8-bit remix of the Game of Thrones theme song, whipped up by Philadelphia’s own Chipocrite.

At the start and the end of the ceremony, we proudly announced that this song would be available as a free download here on Geekadelphia. Well, here it is, friends.

Just Right Click and Save As this link (http://bit.ly/mV6f91) to get the song. Add it to your iTunes, and listen to it on repeat a couple dozen times. I sure as hell have.

Big thank you to Chipocrite for taking the time to mix this track. Visit his official website, and pick up his album Hit & Run. Also be sure to like him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter.

Back in May I headed to Book Expo America with my day job, and was fortunate enough to scoop up a ton of advance reading copies of awesome upcoming titles. Our booth was right next to Random House, and I regularly raided their tables, scoring copies of Robopocalypse, Icefall, the Scorpio Races, and Ernest Cline’s epic… Ready Player One.

Ready Player One finally hit stores last week, and I’m psyched to finally write about it. Cause you know, now you can go buy the book. And buy it you should.

In Ready Player One, we are introduced to a sad future where people live their lives in OASIS, a virtual reality landscape similar to that of today’s MMORPGs and Second (more…)

Fright Night is the latest offering this summer in Hollywood’s constant stream of remakes, reimagings and sequels. While I enjoyed the original, it never was the strongest film even when it was first released. I felt that if they didn’t either take the film in a totally new direction or fix some of the plot/pacing issues the original had, the film would not fare well with current audiences.

Fright Night is the story of Charlie Brewster (Anton Yelchin) who finds out his next-door neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. No one believes him and he must rid the neighborhood of this scourge (which has an eye on his girlfriend and his mother) as people in his neighborhood continue to disappear at an alarming rate.

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