As the year draws to a close, I realize that a lot of my time was spent in Brave New Worlds buying a ton of comics, or just standing around talking to Brian and/or Rob. Before we ring in the new year I wanted to take a look back at some of my favorite comics throughout the year.  Some of which have been completed and collected into trades while others continue to roll out monthly, or if your Mark Millar or Grant Morrison, whenever you get it finished. So let’s get started!

1. Scott Pilgrim’s Finest Hour – Bryan Lee O’Malley’s awesome series concludes with Vol.6 and is without a doubt the best in the series.  After five books of Scott being hilarious and often at times an idiot, he evolves into a, dare I say it, mature adult. Looking back on his past interactions with his friends and family, Scott faces the reality of his actions. Not all of which were that heroic in fact. What may have been my favorite moments of the book were moments that happened off the page when Scott was so busy with his own problems, and failed to see what his closest friends were going through.

2. Batman and Robin – Bruce Wayne is lost in time, many people thinking he’s dead. In the wake of his absence, former boy wonder Dick Grayson takes the mantle of the bat, while Bruce’s son Damien, becomes the newest Robin. I really didn’t know what to expect from this book, but I got some of the best Batman and Robin stories I could have imagined. Not to mention the revolving door of artists such as Frank Quitely, Cameron Stewart, Andy Clarke, and Frazer Irving. Each bringing their own unique style to the story but never sacrificing story to show off their talent.

While the series is ongoing, I’d say you can’t get any better than the first 16 issues, which dealt with Bruce’s absence and the new dynamic duo working out their own personal issues to accept their new roles in protecting Gotham City.

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We here at Geekadelphia prepared a nice holiday gift guide for you all, and I have a few book recommendations I’d like to add to that list.

Our friends at Quirk Books and Titan Books have shared a few of their newest releases with us. They’re all good reads and look good on any geek bookshelf.

So let’s get to it after the jump.

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I won’t lie to you, Geeks… I’m not a fan of the holiday season. People singing, children laughing… yeah, I could do without all that, thank you very much. However, I do love the awesome sales and clever gifts that pop up around this time of year. Folks get creative in their attempts to part you from your hard earned money, and the Geekadelphia crew has picked our favorite items available for gift-giving this year.

From handmade Star Wars crafts to the World of Warcraft expansion, we’ve compiled quite a list. Have a look, get some shopping done, and have a safe holiday.

Timmy Q (@bigredtim) – I recommend anything from Mike Mitchell’s shop. Everything here is curated and designed by Mitchell, geek extraordinaire. I have one of his works framed and hanging in my bathroom. Star Wars inspired knit hats on Etsy. You can find some great R2D2 caps. Like this one, here. A must for any Star Wars fan in your life, who also happens to have a cold head.

Our friend Vince has one of these camera lens mugs… and it is freaking awesome. The Camera Lens mug, a most for any photographer in your life. Jinx currently has some fantastic World of Warcraft swag, including this WoW Murlock hoodie.

Eric Smith (@ericsmithrocks) – I spend a lot of time shopping on Amazon, and they have a killer $10 blu-ray section. Browse away for that high definition media lover in your life. These jawns go for $30+ in your local FYE, and you can scope them for less than $10. Make yourself look like you spent a lot of money, kids.

Also, the X-Men Arcade game hits XBL next week. Buy a voucher, give it a friend. They will love you forever. So much nostalgia.

Daniel Oliveri (@hey_daniel) – World of Warcraft: Cataclysm. That is all.

Nicole Kline (@toits) – Instead of picking something up for the usual friend or family member (or yourself, Selfish McSelfish), why not buy something… anything off of this wishlist here? What is it? Why, it’s the Child’s Play Charity page for the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania. Buy something for a kid in need.

More below!

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Excitement levels were high Thursday morning as Ted x Philly guests were milling around the Kimmel Center. The buzz continued until we were all secure in our seats, and ended in applause as the hosts, Roz Duffy and Chris Bartlett, came out for a brief welcome. They challenged us to take a break from technology for the day, to turn everything off and meet new people. “Instead of tweeting, turn to the person next to you and start a conversation,” Chris encouraged.

After a message from TED Curator Chris Anderson, we were thrown right into the day’s speakers, the first section of which was entitled “Systems & Society.” It started off with Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, a recovering cube worker who dreamt of becoming a writer and decided to make that dream a reality. Opening with some presidential trivia and a poem, she explained her discouragement: “Being a writer was as realistic as being a princess – I knew it could happen, but it didn’t happen to anyone I knew.” Aptowicz now works as the ArtsEdge Writer-in-Resident at the University of Pennsylvania and is working on a book about Thomas Dent Mutter, founder of the Mutter Museum.

Chris Lehmann, founder and principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, was up next. His great message was that our high school education system is set up like an assembly line in a factory – but it doesn’t have to be. The purpose of school should be to learn how to live, not how to work – if we train kids to be workers, that’s all they’ll be; the goal is to train them as citizens instead. His own students were in and around the crowd, videotaping and photographing guests and speakers all day.

The third speaker was urban farming activist Nic Esposito, the co-founder of Philly Rooted. Instead of scaring everyone with doomsday scenarios, he planted his ideas with enthusiasm, encouraging everyone to think pragmatically about sustainable solutions.

The final speaker from the first group was Jay Coen Gilbert, co-founder of a B Corporation entitled B Lab. He explained how B Corporations evolved from the idea that government and nonprofits are necessary but insufficient means to solve social and environmental issues, and that the answer lies with harnessing business power.

That was a lot for the first hour and a half. Emotions were already running high. A half an hour break was barely enough time to catch my breath and head back inside for more.

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While walking home from work, I spotted someone dressed as Guy Fawkes, complete with a dapper outfit and proper signage. He / she was situation right across the street from the Liberty Bell Center, where folks stopped to take photos and exchange peace signs with the character.

Perhaps next year, Geekadelphia will host a mini Guy Fawkes / Bonfire Night. Could be fun, kids.

Remember, remember…

Oh. My. God.

From the YouTube page:

Canadian couple Todd and Meaghan learned about the Mural Arts Program’s (MAP) Love Letter Tour and coordinated an extended layover in Philadelphia (while traveling to France) to experience this wildly popular tour.

Todd contacted the MAP tour office to let them know he wanted to propose to Meaghan on the tour and MAP offered a clever idea in making his marriage proposal extra special.

This video is a result of MAP’s partnership with The University of Pennsylvania — Penn Singers Light Opera Company and Penn Glee Club. We’re excited to share with you the biggest surprise of Meaghan’s life!

Amazing. Warmed my heart this chilly November afternoon.

On October 21st, the 2010 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival will begin. Featuring films made by and starring Asian Americans, this event will celebrate its third year in Philadelphia as a growing voice of diversity for the film community. Over on the PAAFF website you can see the current lineup of films and events. Among the events is A Conversation With Greg Pak on Saturday, October 23rd.  A description of the event follows:

PAAFF is excited to present a free special event with Greg Pak, award-winning director of “Robot Stories” and writer of acclaimed Marvel Comics storylines such as “Planet Hulk,” “World War Hulk,” “Incredible Hercules” (with Fred Van Lente), and “Magneto Testament.” Greg’s latest short film, “Mr.Green” starring Tim Kang (The Mentalist) is an Official Selection at PAAFF ’10. Greg will be in attendance for live Q&A and will also be receiving the 2010 PAAFF Emerging Voice Award. For the latest about Greg’s work, visit www.gregpak.com and twitter.com/gregpak.

There will be a few prize giveaways for this event so that gives you even more of an incentive to attend. Also, in addition to appearing at the PAAFF that Saturday, Greg Pak will be doing a one hour signing event with our friends over at Brave New Worlds in Old City beginning at 3:30pm.

For more information on that event head over to the Brave New World’s website.  Information on where this film festival event will be held is below. We at Geekadelphia hope you attend a screening or two and enjoy the festivities.

International House
3701 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3195
6-7:30PM Sat. Oct 23rd.

You sometimes find the weirdest stuff when taking truck stops breaks for a quick snack on long trips, and my recent trip to Gettysburg for Horrorfind was no exception. It was a weird sort of gas station / Subway combo and after getting my sub, something at the counter caught my eye… it was two of my favorite Street Fighter characters Ryu and Chun-Li totally engaged in non-Capcom approved behavior.

The first thing I noticed was the bold English letters on the box “Stree Overlord” and that was the only text I could read on the packaging. Upon asking the gentleman who owned the establishment what they were, he embarrassingly admitted that it was a box of “sexual enhancers and penis enlargers”.

I honestly couldn’t stop laughing and bought a package to add to my oddities of the road collection.  More pics are after the jump. Please note, these are NSFW.

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Blade Runner. Back To The Future. Indiana Jones. Star Wars.  They all have had the pleasure of being represented by the artwork of Drew Struzan.  Whether you knew it or not, you have seen Drew Struzan’s work for years. Drew has spent decades honing his artistic abilities to the status of legend. He is without a doubt one of the greatest living artists in the world.

Unfortunately for those of us who appreciate a well designed movie poster, or good art for that matter, we are given an ungodly amount of terrible “floating heads” or “photoshop lineup” posters that make me just as excited to watch a movie as I’m excited to watch paint dry. Uninspired, no emotion, lifeless. The exact opposite of everything that Drew brings to his work.

Luckily this year we not only get a documentary on his work, but Titan Books has published The Art Of Drew Struzan, which collects many of his classic works and includes many never before seen comps and finished pieces that were rejected or canceled for different reasons.

The Art Of Drew Struzan is comprised mostly of images. Those images pretty much speak for themselves.  From thumbnails to tight comps, and eventually finished paintings.  The text contains maybe a paragraph or two per film. A few more paragraphs if the story to complete an image it is a long one.

Drew, and accompanying writer David J. Schow, make those few sentences and paragraphs feel intimate. While reading through the book a second time, it feels like this book shouldn’t exist. Getting a peek into the process behind all those famous images feels like a huge privilege. It is both exciting and many times infuriating.

More after the jump!

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Guest Post by Sean Kennedy

Raise your hand if you remember the amazing Haunted Poe performance from last Halloween. I know I do; I had one hell of an enjoyable time. The magnet is still on my fridge to prove it, and my girlfriend’s screams still echo in my mind.

The same geniuses at BRAT Productions who brought that gem to fruition are planning to showcase playwright Erik Jackson’s black-comedy adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie.

This Halloween, Carrie is going to blow your mind. The venue, Underground Arts at the Wolf Building is being completely transformed into the spitting image of a ’70s era high school.

As an added bonus, BRAT recently launched the “Horror High: Outrageously True Tales From Your Graduating Class!” ticket contest on Facebook. I’m sure everyone reading this has some hidden horror story just waiting to come out — add your story in the comments section to be entered to win two free tickets to see Carrie.

They’re giving ‘em out for the best overall story and the story with the most likes. The most mortifying memory, prom or otherwise will even win a BRAT t-shirt.

For a bit more information, feel free to check them out on Twitter, like them up on Facebook or stalk them on their website.

That’s right Geeks, comes September 3rd, you could potentially own a piece of movie memorabilia touched by Edward James Olmos himself. As you’ll recall, before Olmos was our beloved William Adama on Battlestar Galactica, he appeared in another slice of delectable science fiction… Blade Runner.

Under the direction of Simeon Lipman, the cat who’ve seen on Antiques Roadshow appraising miscellaneous swag, Freeman’s first sale of pop culture and memorabilia kicks off on September 3rd, and will feature not just cool movie stuff, but sports and music items as well. Auction lovers can also bid on designer toys and street art.

There are some other interesting highlights. Something about a letter from Frank Sinatra and autographed baseballs from athletes… but what we really care about, are the Terminator 2: Judgment Day and Blade Runner props.

According to a press release from Freeman’s, they will have props and costumes from the flick. We emailed Freeman’s for details on the items, but haven’t heard back yet. So far, they’ve got a script from Blade Runner listed, and a leather jacket from T2.

Freeman’s will host an exhibit on Wednesday and Thursday, September 1st and 2nd, from 10am to 6pm. The auction kicks off Friday, September 3rd at noon.

Freeman’s
www.freemansauction.com

I was almost starting to get worried that the game was over, and another piece lands in my mailbox. This week I got a postcard, once again from New Mexico but handwritten in Morse Code, in pencil no less.

Do we have any Boy Scouts out there who wanna take a stab at this? Check after the jump for artwork that has been retouched so it is easier to see the code and comment if you translate it!

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