International Guide Dog Day!

Today is International Guide Dog Day!

Guide dogs are used by the blind or people who have low vision to...basically help them get around. Guide dogs allow such people to have increased independence as well as more social interaction. Humans are social creatures, after all.

This day is celebrated in the last Wednesday of April every year. The day was first celebrated by the International Association of Guide Dog Associations in 1992, as they were formed on April 26th of 1989.

The concept of the guide dog is nothing new. In fact, references to service animals can be found as far back as the 16th century. The first guide dog training schools of the modern day were started in Germany after World War I ended. The purpose was to train service dogs to be paired with veterans who were blinded by war. American dog breeder and philanthropist Dorothy Harrison Eustis wrote about these guide dogs in The Saturday Evening Post in 1927, which got a lot of interest, including from a then 20-year-old blind man named Morris Frank. 

Frank would spend several weeks in Switzerland (Eustis resided there at the time), learning to work with the first of six guide dogs, all named "Buddy". Frank and Eustis would found The Seeing Eye, the first guide dog training school in the United States, in 1928. The Seeing Eye would also help change public attitudes towards the disabled. 

Golden retrievers are a popular breed to use for guide dogs because of their gentle natures and willing temperament. Labradors, poodles, and German Shepherds are also popular breeds for the job, but German Shepards have fallen out of popularity for the role because of the breed's overly active nature. 

Guide dogs have also been shown to have many positive effects for those who use them. They can provide an increased sense of security and independence, and help provide exercise and social interaction.  

World Book Day!

Happy World Book Day, everyone! 

What is World Book Day? Well, this day is about celebrating one of the most wonderful things in the world: The book!

I love reading. I have loved reading ever since I was a kid. 

So, how did World Book Day start? Well, its history can be traced back to Barcelona, Spain, and a man named Vicente Claval. Claval was in a bit of a pickle. He worked for a publishing house, and he wanted to get more people to buy books. He then got an idea. 💡

In 1922, he decided to take the day of October 7th as a special "book day". This was also the birthday of Miguel de Cervantes, considered the greatest Spanish author of all time. He wrote Don Quixote, if you didn't know. In 1930, the day was moved to April 23rd, the day Cervantes died. It's still celebrated today as the Day of Books and Roses.

The first World Book Day as we know it was celebrated in 1995. UNESCO declared this day World Book Day because not only was it the day that Cervantes died, but English author William Shakespeare and Peruvian author Inca Garcilaso de la Vega also died on this day.

This day is all about promoting reading, so enjoy your day, and curl up with a good book! Thanks for reading this blog entry!

Happy Earth Day!

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

What is Earth Day, you may ask? Well, Earth Day is a day to celebrate the Earth's natural beauty and to call for protection of the environment. The first Earth Day was celebrated on this day in 1970. One year earlier, a peace activist named John McConnell had proposed a day to celebrate the concept of peace that would be held on March 21, 1970. That day was considered the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. He proposed this day at a UNESCO conference. This proposal would be made into a proclamation that was written by McConnell and then signed by then-UN Secretary General U Thant.

A month later, United States Senator Gaylord Nelson (yes, that was his name) proposed an idea for a nationwide teach-in to be held on April 22, 1970. Nelson was inspired by witnessing the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill from an airplane. He hired an activist named Denis Hayes to be the teach-in's National Coordinator. The event became "Earth Day". Hayes took the idea national, and 20 million Americans participated in the protest, making it the largest single-day protest in human history.

Over the next 50 years, the event would grow. In 1990, Hayes would organize Earth Day events in 141 countries. In 2020, over 100 million people amassed online to celebrate Earth Day's 50th anniversary, the largest mass-mobile gathering ever.

On this day, we should do something we should do every day, think about our natural world. Enjoy its beauty, appreciate it. And also, stand to protect it. We only got one planet, better take good care of it.

Thor #280 (February 1979)

Back in 2017, I took a look at the 1985 Squadron Supreme miniseries, which was considered the late Mark Gruenwald's magnum opus, and one of the first superhero deconstructions. But the group was pre-established earlier on, in Avengers #85-86 (February-March 1971). This comic we're looking at here is the group's last appearance of the 1970s. Not quite their last appearance before the 1985 mini-series, but pretty close. Let's look at Thor #280!

The cover is a Joe Sinnott piece. I like it. It depicts our title hero in a brawl with Hyperion. 

"Crisis on Twin Earths!"
Writers: Don and Maggie Thompson (Plot), Roy Thomas (Script)
Penciler: Wayne Boring
Inker: Tom Palmer
Colorist: Carl Gafford
Letterer: Joe Rosen
Editors: Roy Thomas, Jim Shooter, Mark Gruenwald
Editor-In-Chief: Jim Shooter

The story begins with Thor witnessing a brawl between the Squadron Supreme and...Hyperion? 

Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves here. The story actually begins with Thor taking a nice stroll in New York City. The Thunder God thinks he should do this more often in his mortal identity as Dr. Donald Blake. Despite that, he is starting to feel less affinity for the identity due to using it less over the last few months. Unseen by the Asgardian, a figure in a fedora and a trenchcoat is following our man around like a lost puppy. A portal opens up, revealing a figure that Thor is familiar with.

"Oh Odin's Beard, doth he think I owe him coin again?!" 

This Hyperion immediately attacks our hero, making Thor think this is the evil Hyperion that first appeared in Avengers #69 (October 1969), not the heroic Hyperion of Earth-712's Squadron Supreme. The two engage in a brawl.

Thor demands to know what is going on here. Why did Hyperion attack him? Hyperion reveals that he wanted to test the Thunder God, see if he is the real deal and not some nut in a costume. Once the Superman analogue is satisfied that Thor is the real deal, he tells Thor that he wants to offer the man...a role in a movie. 

You know Hype, you have just asked. Either way, Thor is not interested. Hyperion also wants to talk to the Avengers about it. You see, on his Earth, a movie is being made about the life of the Argonian Avenger...at least, the parts the public know about. A part of the film will be tackling the events of Avengers #148. Thor's role will only be a cameo, as he was not on the team at the time. Thor agrees to take Hyperion to the Avengers to discuss it. They may want to appear as the film's proceeds will go to a charity to aid children. A worthy cause if I say so myself. 

The figure following Thor leaps into the portal, revealing himself to be...

"Wait, this isn't Alburquerque!"

...another Hyperion?!

Remember the evil Hyperion I mentioned earlier? This is him. He comes from a subatomic world that was accidentally destroyed by scientists on Earth-616, and he's been seeking revenge since. Remember my review of Avengers Annual #8 (1978)? Same Hyperion. God, I miss George Perez. 

He finds himself in a satellite that clearly is meant to homage Superman's Fortress of Solitude. He realizes he's not on his native Earth, but he can practice wrecking this one until he gets to return to Earth-616. He spots Thor and Hyperion-712 at the satellite. It turns out the Avengers were out, so Hyperion-712 wants to make it up to the Thunder God by giving him a tour of his world. The two superheroes teleport down to Earth, where they meet another native of Earth-712.

"Hype, that actress is going nuts again!" 

Meet L.L. Burbank, filmmaker extraordinaire. He's a legend on this Earth, right up there with the likes of Spielberg and Scorsese. Hype makes the introductions and heads back to his Satellite of Aloneness to check on some things. He ends up ambushed and sent into space by Hyperion-616. Hype-616 returns to the Earth, and ends up encountering another significant figure in his counterpart's life.

Thor doesn't understand Earth-712 humor.

Meet Lonni Lattimer. She's the Lois Lane to Hyperion's Clark Kent. She's a columnist, while he draws comic strips. You know, I can imagine Hyperion-712 sharing stories about drawing comics with Captain America as Steve Rogers worked as an artist for a comic book company in the comics. Wait, is that a comic-ception?

And then another supervillain attacks.

Meet Emil Burbank. You may remember him from the Squadron Supreme miniseries. Basically, he's the Lex Luthor to Hyperion-712's Superman. Hyperion-616 grabs Emil and flies off with him, but Lonni is confused about something. She's unaware of the switch that Hyperion-616 pulled, so she wonders why Hyperion seems to be unaware who Burbank is. After all, the two have been fighting for years. Emil is equally confused. He's tried to kill Hyperion about 300 times. Why does this malevolent genius hate Hyperion? Well, he blames Hyperion for his uncontrollable hair growth. 

Allow me to explain. This is another Superman reference. You see, back in the Silver/Bronze Age, Superman and Lex Luthor's enmity started when they were teenagers. The then-teenage Superboy managed to rescue the young genius from a lab accident, but it resulted in Luthor losing his hair. Luthor swore he would dedicate his life to killing Superboy, later Superman. This is the inverse of that. Instead of losing his hair, Emil's is growing at a presumably accelerated rate. Anyway, Hyperion-616 is all like, "Hey, I'm a bad guy Hyperion. Let's team up to wreak some havoc!" and lets Burbank in on his plan.

Meanwhile, Thor saves Lonni from a falling light, and a fighting-mad Hyperion-712 returns with the Squadron Supreme behind him.

*Andrew W.K.'s "Party Hard" intensifies*

Thor calms the situation by swinging Mjolnir at the Squadron. He doesn't hit them with the hammer, he uses the aerial backlash it creates to knock them over. That's actually pretty clever, he should do that more often.

Hyperion-712 apologizes for the aggression. Evidently, the group is still a bit out of it from the events of Avengers #147-148. Meanwhile, Hyperion-616 helps Emil Burbank build a giant robot, and then they attack Thor and the Squadron Supreme. The Thunder God brings down the robot easily with Mjolnir, and the heroes capture Burbank. However, the robot makes off with Hyperion-616, but the Squadron will catch up to them. L.L. is thrilled. He shot the fight, and now he's got enough footage to make a bunch of films.

With that, the story ends with the Squadron preparing to bring Thor back to his home Earth. 

This story has its flaws, but it's not the worst story in the world. I liked that we got to explore the Squadron Supreme's Earth a little bit. It does make sense that a character like Hyperion that basically is a pastiche/homage of Superman would have his own versions of Lois Lane. I admit, Emil Burbank's motivation for his villainy made me chuckle. It was very Silver Age, and a nice nod/inversion of Silver/Bronze Age-era Luthor's. The story does feel a bit jarring, but that's mainly because one of my first real exposures to the Squadron Supreme was the 1985-86 miniseries. That miniseries was meant to be more of a darker deconstruction. Wayne Boring and Tom Palmer's works are a great combination. Boring was most well-known for his work on Superman back in the 1940s to the 1960s (before Curt Swan took over), so it's rather appropriate that he do the pencil work for a comic in which the main character is a Superman pastiche. I'm assuming Roy Thomas had something to do with that.   

If you want to read this for yourself, I suggest tracking down the 2006 trade paperback Squadron Supreme: Death of a Universe or the 2023 trade paperback Thor Epic Collection Vol. 9: Even an Immortal Can Die. Thanks for reading this blog entry! 

The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare Trailer, My Thoughts

On 14 of January 1942, the British Special Operations Executive and the Small Scale Raiding Force carried out a mission in Africa. Their objective? Board the German and Italian ships that were docked in the Gulf of Guinea and get those boats to Lagos, Nigeria. This raid was a resounding success, which provided a much-needed boost to the SOE's credibility as an agency capable of pulling off such operations regardless of potential political repercussions. This raid was known as Operation Postmaster.

Formed in 1940 by Winston Churchill, the SOE's usage of unconventional tactics to help spy on and sabotage the Nazis were very helpful in ensuring an Allied victory, and the SOE's actions can be seen as a forerunner to modern day black ops and irregular warfare. A fictionalized take on Operation Postmaster is out in the form of the film The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Directed by Guy Ritchie, it stars Henry Cavill, Eiza Gonzalez, Alan Ritchson, and Cary Elwes. Let's look at the trailer!

Put that tongue away, Cavill. We don't know where it's been!

Yeah, that's total bad guy facial hair.

"Basically, we need you to blow Nazis up. That good?"
"...just tell me where they are and where I can get some things to blow them up."

Yeah, if I'm being asked to do a dangerous mission, I'd be stealing booze and cigars, too.

He needs a ragtag bunch of insane, yet capable misfits to come together and form a well-oiled team. Because that kind of team is always the best for world-saving. 

It's already bad enough Jack Reacher can murder a man with his bare hands, but he can do it with bows, too?!

"Hi there. We're Brits, you're Nazis, and you're gonna die now." 

Abort THIS!

"Sorry, we can't hear you. We're too busy blowin' up Nazis." 

I love how this trailer uses Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust".

Yeah, I was bobbin' my head the whole time. 😏

I admit, this looks like a fun movie! I want to watch this. The cast looks solid, and I enjoyed Guy Ritchie's Sherlock Holmes movies. And Nazis get blown up! Even better! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

International Bat Appreciation Day!

Hello, everyone! Welcome to International Bat Appreciation Day!

This day celebrates a little flying critter that is rather misunderstood: The bat. It's celebrated in April as this is the time of year bats start to emerge from hibernation. Bats are often misunderstood creatures, associated with witchcraft and vampires. But bats are actually rather important to the ecosystem. Not to mention, bats are pretty cool.

Bats are mammals, just like humans. They are also the only mammals that are capable of true flight, thanks to their forelimbs being adapted into wings. In fact, what could possibly be considered the smallest mammal is a species of bat: the Kitti's hog-nosed bat, native to Thailand and Myanmar. These little guys have a six-inch wingspan, are around an inch in length, and weigh less than an ounce. The biggest known species of bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox. Native to the Philippines, this bat can weigh about 3.5 pounds, and has a wingspan of over five-and-a-half feet. 

There are about 1,400 species of bats, and they can be found in every continent except for Antarctica. They are the second largest order of mammals, only beaten by rodents. Most bats are nocturnal, and they feed mainly on fruit, nectar, and insects, depending on the species. There are bats that do feed on other things, most famously the vampire bat. 

Despite the reputation bats have in the West, bats are actually very important to their ecosystems. Because many species of bats eat insects, they can help reduce the need for chemical pesticides. In fact, one bat can eat up to one thousand mosquitoes in an hour. Bats are also expert pollinators. Many plants in tropical regions need bats for this purpose. For example, you like tequila? Well, tequila is made from the agave plant. The agave plant needs the lesser long-nosed bat to pollinate.

In some cultures, bats are associated with protection from disease, long life, and even rebirth. 

So, yeah. Bats are awesome critters and deserve a lot more love. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time!

World Art Day

Happy World Art Day! 

What is World Art Day, you may ask? Well, World Art Day is a day to celebrate, well, art! The reason why it's on April 15 is because it's the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci, considered one of the greats in fine art. The day was first declared in 2015 by the International Association of Art.

Art comes in a wide variety of forms, and people use art to express themselves in a variety of ways. Painting, drawing, filmmaking, writing, it's all forms of art. People use art to express themselves, to show off their creativity, to help make this crazy world a little more interesting.

Nintendo Switch Online April Game Updates, My Thoughts

The Nintendo Switch Online service is expanding again! Three new entries are joining the library! Let's take a look!

Amazing Hebereke 
- Developed by Sunsoft and OLM, published by Sunsoft.
- Released in March 1994 for the Super Famicom. This is the first time the game was officially brought to the United States. 

It's a fighting game that is a spin-off of the Hebereke series. The name comes from a Japanese colloquialism for drunkenness.

As of 2024, there are 9 games in the series, but none of them have ever been officially released in North America until Ulforia: The Saga was put on the Wii Virtual Console.

This game feels like a precursor to the Super Smash Bros. except with silly animal characters instead of iconic video game characters. It looks fun, if a bit simple. 

Super R-Type
- Developed by Irem, published by Irem (Japan/North America), Nintendo (Europe)
- Released for the SNES on September 1, 1991 (North America), July 13, 1991 (Japan), June 14, 1992 (Europe)

This game is a partial port of R-Type II, taking the first four levels of that game and adding three new ones. The game has been criticized for its difficulty (even for an R-Type game), as well as the game going into a slowdown when there's a lot of objects on the screen. The trailer actually shows the slowdown! I thought that was due to the SNES's processor being overtaxed, not a programming flaw. Just get R-Type Dimensions EX for the Switch instead if you want to play some R-Type. 

Wrecking Crew '98
- Developed by Nintendo R&D1 & Pax Softnica, published by Nintendo
- Released for the Super Famicom on May 23, 1998 (Japan only)

This game is a sequel to the 1985 game Wrecking Crew. The object of this action puzzle game is that Mario and Luigi must bring down Bowser's new high-rise bases. My guess is the big lizard/dragon/dinosaur/turtle forgot to get the proper building permits. It also marks the return of Foreman Spike, whom you may be aware of thanks to The Super Mario Bros. Movie. 

It's really cool that the Online Service is bringing over these games most Americans never got to play. I think I'll give Amazing Hebereke and Wrecking Crew '98 a shot. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time! 

Wolfpack #4 (November 1988)

It's that time again! It's time to join the Wolfpack as they fight to save the South Bronx from the evil known only as The Nine. Last time, Sharon and her father took in a young boy in need, the Pack stopped a gang war that would have turned the South Bronx into a warzone, and Slag's mother unwittingly gave the Nine a way to get their claws on the Pack. So, what happens next, you may ask? Let's find out in Wolfpack #4!

The cover is a Ron Wilson and Kyle Baker piece. It's pretty neat, depicting what looks like a samurai about to take the head of Slippery Sam, and the rest of the Pack trying to save him. My big critique of the cover is the coloring of the samurai man's skin. The colorist used a pale-yellow tone, which was used in the Golden Age to color Asian characters, and is seen as rather offensive. This was a dumb choice, in my opinion.

The story begins at noon in the South Bronx. A mailman is making some deliveries to some PO Boxes, unaware that a group of men are waiting to ambush him. You see, it's the first of the month, and this is the day welfare checks are delivered. The men want the checks because they see it as way to get some easy money.

The mailman is armed with mace, but the men are still able to overpower him and make off with said checks. 

This new form of chiropractic therapy is WEEEEIRD...

The police arrive but have no leads. Inspector Cassidy is especially frustrated by this. You see, this robbery is the fifth such theft on this block. Slippery Sam and Rafael Vega happen to be nearby, and he asks them to have their little "Wolfpack" let him know if they hear anything. 

Rafael heads home and finds his apartment building's mailboxes have been smashed, too. 

Mrs. Vega reveals her welfare check was stolen, too. She's been needing it thanks to her losing her job. And she can't get another one because so many people fake getting their checks stolen. The family needs some extra money, so Rafael considers getting a job.

...wait a minute there. According to the graphic novel, Rafael was working at the Welchmerz family's hardware store before it got busted up. Has it not been repaired yet? There has been nothing indicating that Rafael was fired or even that he was not a good worker. Also, he's friends with Slippery Sam, the son of the owner. I can't imagine why he'd not re-hire Rafael after the store got repaired. 

Anyway, we go from one Wolfpack member's family drama to another. Sharon is drawing a bath for Malcolm, the abused little boy she and her father took in in the last issue. Sharon's dad (seriously, what is this guy's name) got some new clothes for him, but he points out that Malcolm needs a proper home. He helps Malcolm with the faucets when he notices the bruises on the boy's back.

After putting the boy to bed, Sharon tells her father she's going out to get some milk for Malcolm. Her old man thinks she's actually going out to see Rafael. He doesn't like the boy, as he thinks he's a criminal. Malcolm follows Sharon to her Pack meeting. 

At the meeting, Rafael thinks he may know who the welfare check thief is. He once had a friend called "Ice" who did time for this sort of thing. The teenager thought Ice was still in the clink, but he's evidently out...and back to his old tricks. 

At a check-cashing place in the South Bronx, the FBI and Inspector Cassidy are working on a little trap for the check thieves. 

Page 162, Panel 2

Cassidy hopes this works, as he wants these thieves. Wants them bad. While he's trying to trap them, the Wolfpack are playing detective themselves.

"I think these kids are called the Packwolves or something." 

The patrons of this pool hall are not really in the mood to talk. Instead, they want to fight. So, the Wolfpack obliges them, by showing that not only can they fight well, they can do it in the dark. With the lights switched off, the Pack easily beats down the patrons. Rafael ends it with a warning that he's coming for his former friend...while getting a man to try some delicious pool ball.

"Hey, this pool ball doesn't taste like chicken!"

The next day, at Horace Harding High School, two students approach Rafael. They're taking him to meet with this Mr. "Ice".

"Hey, Raf. You got my Funyuns?"

You can tell he thinks he’s…the coolest man in town. 

Sorry. Rafael asks him if he's stealing welfare checks, and Ice outright says, "Yes, I am!" Yeah, he just outright tells him about it. If only all criminal interrogations were that easy. He wants to get a piece of the racket pie. He even gives Rafael back his mother's welfare check, warning him to stay out of the way. Some of Ice's boys go to cash the welfare checks using phony IDs, unaware that Cassidy is watching them.

The money is given to Ice. He puts it in a briefcase with a bunch of other money. He's going to buy some drugs from some dude in Chinatown calling himself "The Overlord." Once Ice makes this deal, he is in with the Nine. Over at a community center in the Bronx, the Wolfpack attend a tenant meeting.

"AND I WANT THOSE BLASTED KIDS OFF MY LAWN!"

A man heading the meeting calls for tenant patrols and pressuring the police to work harder on finding the thieves. The Wolfpack agrees to do something before the tenants get involved. The Pack follow Ice and his men to Mott Street, an actual place in New York City. Ice and his crew make their way to a Chinese restaurant...mmmm, fried shrimp...

Sorry about that. I like fried shrimp. Anyway, hidden underneath the restaurant is a dojo run by said "Overlord".

"Really? You whip off your pants in front of my men?"

Yeah, this dude fashions himself as a Japanese-style shogun...in Chinatown. Pete's sake...

Anyway, he sees Ice as a small-time hoodlum. He is impressed with the money that the man got from the welfare check thefts, but what he is more interested in is Ice's character. You see, the Overlord is the head of an operation that makes around a million dollars a year. He can't just hand that out to some punk from the streets who steals welfare checks. He wants a man who can handle the job...and who would not lead the Wolfpack to his base.

So, yeah. We got the Wolfpack fighting a bunch of ninjas. 

Slippery Sam sees a vent and crawls through it to the Overlord's secret dojo. Sam easily takes down Ice with Boot to the Face, but the Overlord proves to be more of a challenge. Sam grabs a sword to try and even the odds, but the Overlord knocks it out of his hands with his own sword and tries to slash at Sam. Sam is able to dodge it, but he can't do it forever.

Thankfully, the police arrive and the Wolfpack decide that's their cue to exit stage right.

The Overlord also escapes, but it's not a total loss. The Wolfpack retrieve the uncashed welfare checks and get them to their rightful recipients. A young boy calls out Rafael for betraying Ice, and Rafael points out that Ice did not deserve loyalty. After all, one of the checks Ice's boys made off with was meant to go to the kid's family. Think about that if that check is stolen again. 

I enjoyed this issue as a one-shot story. The cover promised that the Nine will strike back, but it seems that instead, the Wolfpack end up doing the striking. I did have a couple of issues with this comic. One I talked about earlier was Rafael not having a job. I do also wish that this issue touched a bit on Slag's mother ending up working for Crenshaw, though. Hopefully, we'll get a little more on that next issue. Still, this issue was enjoyable. I've said this about the art in the past, it does have a nice gritty style that fits the setting and the tone of the story. 

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2018 trade paperback Wolfpack: The Complete Collection. Thanks for reading this blog entry!

National Pet Day!

Today is National Pet Day!

This day is about celebrating pets. Pets of all kinds. Dogs, cats, fish, bunnies, even gators. Yes, I would not be surprised if there are people who own pet gators. I can imagine that's a thing in Florida.

National Pet Day was created in 2006 by Colleen Paige. An animal welfare advocate, she came up with this day as a way to celebrate the joy and health benefits of owning pets. It's been shown that owning pets can be good for heart health. 

Paige also used the day to raise awareness of the many pets in shelters looking to be adopted. And there are a lot of them. About 6.5 million pets come to shelters. Lots of animals out there needing a little bit of love. 

So, give your pets a little bit of extra love today!