Greetings robots! We’re here with another edition of Tee Time with Dr.Cyborg! In which I take a few minutes out of my busy golf schedule to give you your opinion about something I’ve read. Accompanied by my trusty caddie, Slugtron,  this time we’ll be talking about the newly released Sea Bear and Grizzly Shark. So pour yourselves a Robot Cocktail, (1/2 pint Jack Daniels, 1/8 pint Vodka, 2 drops Grenadine. Mix well, add ice, and serve.) And let’s go golfing!

Sea Bear & Grizzly shark is a combination of Jason Howard, and Ryan Ottley’s 24-hour comic projects, complete with an origin story written by Robert Kirkman, and some gray scales by Cliff Rathburn.

I was really shocked when I heard that Kirkman fidgeted his name onto the back of the comic. -Slugtron

One of the reasons I was so compelled to read this book, was not only the killer premise, but also the gimmick of picking a side.

In fact I think it’s such a great gimmick that by the eighteenth hole, I pledge to have picked a side once and for all. “Bear”ing in mind that sharks scare the hell out of me, and I loved Yogi bear as an adolescent robot. Anyway, let’s get on with the review…Well, actually… before we get all the way started I just wanted to mention that I’ve grown up a lot since last golf season, and I’m no longer going to participate in juvenile games such as bikini golf, or laser golf… Now I play a much more mature game that I call “The essence of golf”. Which is essentially the same as regular golf, but I’ve dug eighteen holes throughout an elephant sanctuary that’s wired to blow if I don’t hit the kill switch hidden in the final green in a half an hour… there are also flamingos.

The first half of the comic was Jason Howard’s Sea Bear. Out of the two, I’m glad that Jason Howard chose to do Sea Bear, I think it plays into the strengths of what he’s used to drawing. (The Astounding Wolf-Man) After all, what is a Wolf-Man, if not a glorified sea bear? Whether I was attempting to be sarcastic or not, I felt like Jason Howard did a good job… Keeping in mind that these were at least attempted 24-hour comics, I think the art on Sea Bear was good. It predictably had a few good scenes of gore, and enough killing spanned over 24 pages that you would have to be suffering a stroke during an Earthquake at Disneyland, in order to be entitled to complain about it’s pacing.

The pages were pretty simple, but they took the story far enough… In fact, I was really surprised to see how far from the sea Sea Bear went. A revenge tale that spanned twenty years, it included what I would easily consider random elements. From cybernetic assassins and mutant bears, to an oddly disfigured female alien woman. Strangely, with all of these oddities it really didn’t seem to be funny, but in its defense, it didn’t seem to try to be. I thought it was a great 24-hour comic, my only complaint is that I wish the actual Sea Bear was in it a little more. I’ll keep the ending a surprise, but at least at this point I have to say I would pick Urkel from Family Ties to fight at my side before Sea Bear.

If grizzly bears could live in the ocean, why are the polar bears doing such a lousy job? -Slugtron

There is literally not even a blank page to separate the books, so therefore I feel as if I should just go directly into the review of Grizzly Shark!

Grizzly Shark is both drawn and written by Ryan Ottley of Invincible fame. I’ve read and liked his past 24-hour comics, but I have to say, this one blew all of the others out of the water. (Which is kind of a pun right?) Grizzly Shark was so good, and not just as a quick side comic, but one of the best comics I’ve read in a long time. I hardly ever laugh out loud, but during this comic I came close! Everything was so over the top, but I loved every second. It was a lot of fun, and I could tell that Ryan had a lot of fun drawing it.

The violence in Grizzly Shark is inspirational to us all! …We should bring back national punch your grandma in the face day! Thanks Ryan Ottley! -Slugtron

Since I called Sea Bear a revenge tale, I feel obligated to label this b-horror movie, complete with a hillbilly named Jonbob. The art was really good, definitely better than I expected, and it was filled to the brim with a mountain of ingenious fatalities. My only possible complaint was that it was established that Cinnamon Bear Jubilee was the sharks kryptonite, but it didn’t aid in his killing at all. I find this to be the worst possible complaint because the ending was so rad anyway. Seriously, this was one of the funnest reads I’ve had in a long time.

Holy mackerel! – Slugtron

Both of these books were well done, but ultimately I’ve decided to vote, “I’m with Shark!” Mostly because Grizzly Shark is eating a baby on the front cover.

Sea Bear & Grizzly Shark is being distributed by Image, and comes out today, (June 23rd) I highly recommend going to your comic book shop and picking it up. The cover price is $4.99, but it is worth every single penny twice!

I’ve been incredibly excited to get to Celebration V, and now the biggest reason for my desire to go just dropped out of the sky.

Jon Stewart, the hilarious comedic firebrand of The Daily Show fame, has been announced as the interviewer in charge of George Lucas’ CV appearance.

I was able to see George Lucas live at Celebration III (after an overnight campout in the rain 3 miles from the site of a Tornado in Indianapolis) and it was easily worth the price of admission and travel for the entire affair.

This will be an event to remember, and I’ll write up as much of it as I can.

In the meantime, I will defer to the official press release:

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 17, 2010) – Already jam-packed with a full slate of intergalactic events, activities and attractions, Star Wars Celebration V today announced THE MAIN EVENT – a live, on-stage interview with Saga creator George Lucas hosted by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart. The hour-long, candid conversation will spark a discourse sure to shed light on the storied history of the Star Wars Saga – from its past to its future, with insider insights about the many steps along the way. A self-proclaimed lover of Lucas’ “galaxy far, far away,” Stewart brings a fan sensibility to the interview, aiming to focus on areas of interest to the many diverse and devoted groups that have helped Star Wars endure for more than thirty years. In addition to the dialogue between Lucas and Stewart, fan questions can be submitted through the official Star Wars Celebration V website: www.starwarscelebration.com.

Taking place in Orlando, FL from August 12-15, Star Wars Celebration V will commemorate the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and the ongoing, weekly adventures of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Featuring celebrities, costumes, live entertainment, screenings, autographs, collectibles, panels and much, much more, Star Wars Celebration V is the official Lucasfilm convention – and the biggest Star Wars party in the galaxy!

JoBlo.Com ran this delightful video that David Mamet directed for Funny Or Die and I just HAD to share it here.

You see, David Mamet directed this piece.  The cast is great, the  concept is hilarious and the execution is fantastic. (It’s also SFW)

Enjoy:

I was lucky enough to get my hands on a copy of David Cross’ new comedy special, Bigger and Blackerer…. (Blackerer isn’t a real word…. yet.) The DVD comes complete with an enlarged poster of the cover… its repugnance made me laugh… Which I thought was a good first sign that I was going to like the DVD. I’ve been a fan of David Cross for a long time now… although I’ve never watched any of his comedy specials before…

What I like about his humor is that it comes off as somewhat intellectual, (I think because he wears glasses.) but at the same time he isn’t afraid of using low-brow humor simultaneously. Some people aren’t fans of racist jokes… But I’m not a part of that faction… while I don’t make many racist jokes myself… I’m completely impartial to hearing them… as long as the user doesn’t seem to be actually racist… and even then, only if the jokes aren’t funny. But his jokes were funny… My favorite parts were about religion and how outdated it is…But I was genuinely laughing out loud throughout the whole thing… So overall I thought it was really good.

Apparently the CD and the DVD vary quite a bit… They recorded two shows in a row, and they cut together two entirely different specials… and so I’d be interested in hearing the CD as well… but for the time being, I’ll just say that it was a good DVD. The special features were mostly just deleted scenes from the special… some of them were definitely as funny as anything in the special itself… The special itself was about an hour long, and contains swearing.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any opinions about this special that will change your world view, or give you the courage to finally send your Grandma to that home… but that doesn’t mean I don’t highly recommend it… It is going to be released May 25th, along with the CD. You can buy the completely reasonably priced DVD from Amazon here! or else the CD here!

Once again, Dr. Cyborg is back in the pages of IN magazine for our weekly column. This week, he tells the ladies why it’s better to date Comic Nerds than Jocks.

IN Magazine is published weekly and is available on news stands all over Salt Lake City and Park City. You can read the online version here, or you can click on the image below to read that version.

It was announced this morning that Lucasfilm Animation is working on a new Star Wars series that is in the vein of comedy.  The makers of Robot Chicken are involved.

I think this is a great idea.  I don’t know if any of you read Star Wars comics, but if you look at things like Tag and Bink are Dead and some of the Star Wars Tales short stories, (specifically Skippy the Jedi Droid) there is a gold mine of material they can put on the screen.

From the official release:

Lucasfilm Animation is currently developing an all-new animated Star Wars series, focusing its efforts on the comedic aspects of the “galaxy far, far away.” Featuring creative involvement from Seth Green and Matthew Senreich, creators and executive producers of the Emmy and Annie Award-winning Robot Chicken, as well as writing from The Daily Show‘s Brendan Hay, the series will look at the Saga’s characters with a playful and irreverent tone. The series will be produced by Daytime Emmy and Gemini Award-winner Jennifer Hill (The Backyardigans), and directed by Emmy-nominated Todd Grimes (Back at the Barnyard).

“There are so many stories taking place in the Star Wars universe, and they don’t all have to focus on the fate of the galaxy,” said Grimes. “We’re looking at Star Wars from a new perspective; this will be a glimpse at how the rest of the galaxy is affected by the events of the Saga. There’s a lot of humor to be mined from that.”

“The Star Wars universe is so dense and rich; it’s crazy to think that there aren’t normal, mundane everyday problems in a world so well-defined,” said Green. “And it’s even crazier to think of what those problems might be, since it’s all set in a galaxy far, far away. What do these characters do when they’re not overthrowing Empires?”

Said Senreich, “We’re going to pull back the curtain of some of those behind-the-scenes shenanigans. It’s going to appeal to all ages, the way Star Wars should — but there’ll be plenty buried under the surface, as well. As Obi-Wan might say, ‘it all depends on your point of view’.”

Check back for more details as they become available.

Welcome to what I hope will be a regular, weekly feature.  I have been known to set my DVR from 9pm to 1am to watch every last second of the [adult swim] programming block on Cartoon Network.  I was proud to stay in Friday nights in high school so I didn’t miss Space Ghost: Coast to Coast. So, I like this stuff a lot.

Normally I’d begin with Sunday and preview upcoming new episodes, then on through the week, but last night at midnight [as] pulled a fast one on us for April Fool’s.

At midnight, a familiar Space Ghost was sitting behind his desk, interviewing “director”/”actor”/”writer” Tommy Wiseau, who promptly told us “Happy April Fool!”

Then they showed The Room.

Considered by some to be the west film ever, I had to see this with my own eyes.  And yes, it’s terrible.  The first 30 minutes is basically like a bad episode of Red Shoe Diaries starring ugly people.  Bad acting and flimsy plot and pretenses to get everyone to take off their clothes and get busy. Although, I’m sure there is generally better acting in your average porno.

Personally, I wish they would’ve gotten “Troll 2” and shown it as a double feature with its accompanying documentary “Best Worst Movie.”  That’s at least so bad it’s funny.

Coming back from commercials they also had tidbits of Space Ghost, Zorak, Moltar, and Wiseau, which was far more entertaining.  During one bit, Wiseau says that everyone should try to enjoy his film how it was meant to be experienced: in a theater.  Zorak and Moltar laugh hysterically and derisively.

Also entertaining—the warning from adult swim that ran across the bottom to not copy and distribute this copyrighted material.  Yeah, no real concern there, imho.  Lots of bit torrents of The Venture Brothers and Metalocalypse, but I don’t think The Room will be coming to Pirate Bay any time soon.

Even more entertaining, because of the aforementioned adult naughty bits and because this is still cartoon network, they had to do something about the… er….

Ha ha! Dangly parts.

So, here’s what they did.  Seriously—no lie—from my iphone to God’s ear:

Black boxes over the naughty bits.  In some cases, they black boxed out ¾ of the screen.  In my opinion, they missed another 25%.

And now on to THIS WEEK:

Sunday, Apr 4

We get 2 new episodes, and some classics in syndication:

Tim & Eric: Awesome Show! Great Job! Lucky. We explore the power of a Cinco product: Dream Cream, with Pierre, who isn’t too happy with the nightmares it’s giving him.  Another Rap from Kid Break, the group that brought you the song about dad’s dirty socks—it looks like there is breakdancing in vomit.

Aqua Teen Hunger Force: Juggalo. I can’t possibly comprehend what is going on here, so I’ll simply transcribe what the promo says: “With his life out of control, Shake turns to the internet to summon a higher power (an angel wearing a black pinstripe suit who has rocket boosters coming out of his hands and boots like Iron Man).  Then, Shake summons a lower power (a teenage Juggalo) to make the higher power go away.  With a special appearance by breakroom resident George Lowe.”

You can see all of this week’s schedule here, http://www.adultswim.com/schedule/index.html but here are some highlights:

The return of The Drinky Crow Show.  There’ve got to be some of you who like this show, and you’ll be able to get one (not new) 11 minute episode every night at 1:15 am ET/12:15 CT

Also playing this week: The PJ’s.  1:30/12:30?  Anyone like this at all? I usually switch over and watch Larry King, that’s how utterly boring this is to me.

Wed 12:30 ET/11:30 CT – one of my fav episodes of ATHF– “The Last One” where all of the Aqua Teen villains gather on the moon. Hijinks ensure.

As a general rule, I’m not going to review Saturday Nights and anime.  I just don’t get it, and I don’t have the background to tell whether this is a good anime or not.  I don’t know the difference between Cowboy Bebop, Big O, and Bleach.  To me, Bleach is what I use to scrub my grout or the seminal indie album by Nirvana before they got big.  Anime?  Meh.

But since you peeps who watch anime just looooooove it, here you go.  I’ll do this just once…..

We did get news that Kekkaishi will be coming to the Saturday anime block.  Here’s a press release, which I assume someone will translate for me as I lost my manga-to-english dictionary.

VIZ MEDIA LICENSES KEKKAISHI ANIME

SERIES TO ADULT SWIM

Life Is A Wild Adventure For A Teenager Balancing Girls,

Junior High School And Nighttime Demon Slaying

San Francisco, CA, March 31, 2010,  – VIZ Media, LLC (VIZ Media), one of the entertainment industry’s most innovative and comprehensive publishing, animation and licensing companies, has licensed 52 episodes of the popular Shonen Sunday KEKKAISHI anime series to Adult Swim for domestic broadcast. KEKKAISHI will begin airing on May 29^th.

KEKKAISHI is based on the hit manga series by Yellow Tanabe (also published in North America by VIZ Media). A story of mystical forces powerful in the region known as Karasumori. For over 400 years, it has been the duty of a clan of “kekkaishi”—barrier masters—to guard this land and exterminate the supernatural creatures that are drawn to it night after night.

Yoshimori Sumimura is a junior high school student at Karasumori Academy, which is built upon the Karasumori grounds. By night, Yoshimori follows the tradition passed down through generations and fulfills his destiny as the twenty-second “kekkaishi” of the Sumimura clan. But by day, Yoshimori’s got other demons to contend with, like an obsession with cake making and a seriously crotchety grandfather! Yoshimori’s pretty neighbor, childhood friend and rival, Tokine Yukimura, is also a “kekkaishi,” but their families are caught up in a feud over who is the true practitioner of the art. Protecting ordinary people from the ever-present danger of the Karasumori grounds, Yoshimori will continue to grow stronger as he battles the forces of evil again tonight!

“Kekkaishi spotlights compelling cool characters, in an intense yet fun-filled supernatural action adventure saga. It possesses all of the hallmarks of great anime!”  says William Germain, Director, Programming & Music Sales, VIZ Media. We are very excited to add KEKKAISHI to the Adult Swim anime lineup for U.S. fans to enjoy.”

For more information on KEKKAISHI please visit www.ShonenSunday.com.

Thanks for reading!!

Next week I’ll do more in depth on other episodes you should catch during the week, as my review of The Room kind of supplanted that.  I’ll also include reviews of their online content, including their flash games.

This week in IN, Dr. Cyborg once again takes on the mysteries of dating for comic nerds.

For the online version, click here.

Enjoy the .JPG below, and if you’re in the Salt Lake City or Park City area, be sure to pick up a print copy.

For those unfamiliar with the press release Hitler is referencing, I will include it below.

MARVEL OFFERS RETAILERS COMICS FOR COMICS

In an effort to provide assistance to comic retailers in 2010, Marvel is offering retailers an opportunity to turn unsold comics into an extremely rare Siege #3 Deadpool Variant!

Retailers – for every 50 stripped covers of the following comics sent to Marvel, you will qualify to receive one FREE Siege #3 Deadpool Variant. The 50 stripped covers can be any combination of the comics listed below and all submissions need to be received at the Marvel office at the address below by Tuesday 2/16/2010. Also included with the stripped covers must be your store contact information including Diamond Account # and email address.

Stripped Covers To Be Sent:

Adventure Comics #4

Booster Gold #26

Doom Patrol #4

Justice League Of America #39

Outsiders #24.

R.E.B.E.L.S #10

Address To Send Submission:

James Nausedas

Marvel Entertainment, LLC

417 Fifth Avenue, 10th Floor

New York, NY 10016

Information To Be Included With Submission:

Store Name

Store Address

Contact Person

Email Address

Phone Number

Diamond Account #

List of stripped covers being returned and their quantities

All the directions above must be adhered to in order to receive the free Siege #3 Deadpool Variants and the submissions must be received by Tuesday 2/16/2010 in order to qualify.

Please note that this is not a Diamond-affiliated promotion and Diamond should not be contacted. Retailers will be contacted via email once Marvel receives the submissions. Retailer with further questions should contact helpme@marvel.com.

To find a comic shop near you, call 1-888-comicbook or visit www.comicshoplocator.com

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel’s strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. For more information visit www.marvel.com.

You can pre-order Something Something Something Dark Side from Amazon.com!