Spock's Pickled Brain

When we think of comic books and graphic novels, the majority of us comic-illiterates are familiar with that world only through the superhero movies we've seen. Yet over time I've seen enough to know that it's an extremely varied medium, and is certainly not limited to the typical superpowered heroes and villains. Dig a little deeper and you find that comic books and graphic novels are at the root of a lot of other great movies. Here are just a few that you might have heard of or seen, but might not have know their pictorial origin stories. 1. The Losers (2010) As the leader of a crack special-ops team, Colonel Clay is ready for almost every contingency. But when the team is betrayed by a mysterious voice on the phone and are left for dead, they'll have to cross more than enemy lines to get back home. Seriously short of options and thirsty for vengeance, they're approached by a fiery and unpredictable woman with intel on a certain shadowy businessman. She promis...

I love cosplay. I'm new to it, so I'm not great at it, but I love it anyway. And in general, when I choose to do a costume, it tends to be big and flashy in some fashion, which often means that it's also hideously uncomfortable. For example, last time I went to the local Comic Con, I strapped a wooden castle to my head and 6-inch platform wedges to my feet. It was awesome. However, for the first 4-5 hours I was at the con, I could barely see, walk, turn my head, or use my hands. Now, being a forward-thinking person, I knew I wasn't going to last the while day in this costume. So I packed a backup costume for when my feet gave out (cut to me wrestling around in the back of a car trying to change my clothes in 100 degree heat). For the rest of the day, I wandered around in a (much cooler and more comfortable) outfit that was loosely inspired by Selina Kyle. No catsuits or stilettos, just hints of the colors and themes used by the one and only Catwoman. While there is ...

Okay, I know I said these were my favorite comics (superhero comics only right now), but there are just so many. So although this is longer list than usual, I want you to know that I cut a lot of works already (RIP Martian Manhunter). So these are some of my favorites, but by no means is it comprehensive. DC Batman: Under the Red Hood (Judd Winnick ) Okay, we might as well start off with a bang here. This book was one of the very first comics I read, and it was the reason that I continued being interested in comics (even though some of the other comics I read around that time were less than stellar). If you're looking for an entry point into the Batman mythos, this is an excellent story. The Long Halloween has more of the noir style, The Killing Joke explores the Batman/Joker dynamic better, but Under the Red Hood is a glorious combination of action, mystery, and gut-wrenching trauma that haunts the core of the Batman character. Batwoman (J. H. Williams III and ...

As another element of my costume, I wanted to make a piece that would actually have a logo on it. Not all that complicated a process, but still managed to take way more time than expected. Still, I like the design of the logo, and it seems to work pretty well as part of the armor. So here's a quick and easy way to make and attach a logo to superhero armor. Materials -Sheet of tough plastic (plastic bin) -Black spray paint -Clear coat enamel spray paint -White acrylic paint Tools -Hobby knife -Scissors -Sharpie -Ruler or compass -Needle/thread 1. Gather the materials There are several ways you can do this, but I chose to make the logos and stencils from hard plastic. I cruised the local dollar store and found a number of candidates in the kitchen and storage sections. I settled on using the plastic from a red plastic storage bin, bought for a $1. I already had the black and clear coat enamel spray paints and the tools, and picked up a bottle of white acry...

So this is actually a craft I did last year, but I think it might actually be relevant for this section of the blog. Once upon a time, I decided stenciling was a thing I was going to do. The phase didn't last, but I ended up with a couple neat things, including an incredibly boring lamp that got covered with superhero symbols. Ta-da! (the table top is also a product of my stenciling phase) What you need: -Lamp (the shade needs to be a fairly flat shape without much texture. This one was $10 at Target) -plastic sheet (I ripped the cover off of one of my old notebooks, which was a flexible but relatively thick sheet of plastic) -craft knife/exacto blade/etc. -acrylic paint -small paint brush That's pretty much it. This is a simple one. Step 1: Make a Stencil So there are lots of ways to make a stencil, including many that are probably better than the one I used. However, most of them are dirt simple, and you can definitely do this with whatever you have in your...

Ah, Captain Marvel. If Marvel was going to have to nail a movie, it would have to be the one with their brand in the title. Superpowered Vers is training as a soldier for the advanced Kree civilization, hoping to make a difference and raring to kick some ass. She's still struggling with a half-remembered past when she's sent on her first mission into enemy territory. Inevitably things go not according to plan, sending her hurtling to a backwater world that seems more than a little familiar. Allying herself with a soon-to-be-famous S.H.I.E.L.D agent, Vers must track down the shape-changing Skrulls and unravel the secrets of her own identity in order to set everything right. Fantastic visuals, great characters, and a worthy plot, Marvel delivers in this newest installment. Continuing in its trademark balance of heart and humor, we also see helpings of Nineties nostalgia and a touching tribute to Stan Lee. I know the film's been out for some weeks already, but if you haven...

Aside from capes, to me one of the iconic common denominators of superheroes is the utility belt. It's especially important for that minority of non-powered superheroes and villains out there, since they usually need technology to keep in step with their mutated and magical counterparts. It's also just downright practical for keeping whatever tools or weapons they need for crimefighting. Sometimes the limits of the utility belt are stretched to shark-jumping proportions (looking at you Adam West's Batman), but overall they're a great piece that works with a lot of superhero costumes. Materials -Black utility belt -Travel-size clear toiletry bottles -Gel bead air freshener -LED light strip with USB cord -Power bank -Cell phone or similar belt holster -Black spray paint -Clear coat enamel -Nylon webbing or black "leather" vinyl strips Tools -Scissors -Needle/thread -Superglue 1. Gather the materials As a lot of my projects,...