The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography

I don't read a lot of manga. I'm old school, Marvel and DC with a spattering of independents through the years, But manga? No, not a lot of that.
Recently I was at the local library looking through the graphic novels and whatnot and I came across this thing called A Drifting Life by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. The book is freaking huge! I looked at it for weeks everytime I went to the library. Finally I checked it out.
I never should have waited. This was a wonderful book.
Because of that I decided to read The 14th Dalai Lama: A Manga Biography. The author, Tetsu Saiwai's style reminded me a little of Tatsumi's so I had that going for me. But, more importantly, is how informative this little volume is. It begins with the passing of the 13 Dalai Lama and the discovery of the 14th at the age of two. we see him butting heads with China and it brings the tale of this remarkable human being to the forefront of the brain. It's not just that smiling guy who shows up on the news from time to time. This is a rich history of a truly historical figure.
This should be required reading for any modern history course in the world.
A truly fine book on a wonderful individual.

  

Did I Mention...?

I published a book?

It's a thriller called NAHUM. Check it out, won't you?

DVD ROUNDUP!

 Okay, poor excuse, but school started this week so I've been running like a madman. with that being said, let's cover a few things that have appeared at The Waltz Compound.

TOM AND JERRY MEET SHERLOCK HOLMES

Um, really? This seemed like a good idea, why? Is it because of the Sherlock Holmes movie? I think it could have been money better spent on some new Tom and Jerry cartoons done old style.















BATMAN:BRAVE AND THE BOLD SEASON ONE PART ONE

My only complaint would have to be why not the entire series? Oh well, this is the best cartoon on television currently and it just keeps getting better. I hope this one has some legs and last for seasons upon seasons.
















SMALLVILLE SEASON NINE

Ya know I'm not one of those people who are a big fan of this series. I missed the suit. But, I'm a traditionalist and like things my own way. Then they threw the Wonder Twins in here and all I can say is bravo! The show could use more of this kind of thing.


















CHUCK THE COMPLETE THIRD SEASON

This is a fun show and it's smart so the geniuses over at NBC will probably cancel it. I've heard that Robert Englund of Nightmare On Elm Street fame will be making an appearance in this season's Halloween episode. Sounds good to me.
















SUPERNATURAL SEASON FIVE

Not a fan. I realize that this show has a fan base or it wouldn't be in its fifth season, but it just doesn't work for me. I liked Reaper better.

Lord Of The Rings On Blu Ray

Yup, the fine folks over at Warner Bros. are releasing the trilogy on Blu Ray on September 14.

To get an interactive desktop that is pretty
freaking cool, go HERE!

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF OLD CHRISTINE SEASON 3

So, I get this DVD set in the mail to review. I have vaguely heard of the series. It's got Julia Louis Dreyfus from Seinfeld in it. That's all I knew.
Then I opened the set and thought to myself, I'll watch one, maybe two of these things and do a brief write up on the series that I have never watched.
Watched the whole thing.
In one sitting.
I haven;t laughed this hard in quite some time. The people are funny, Julia is funny as Hell.
Now I have to go back and watch the rest of these things.
I can't believed I have missed this for so long. And it's up to Season 5!?!?!
Yeah, I'm officially a fan from here on out.
Time to hunt down those new episodes.

The New Adventures of Old Christine: Season 3

SECRET ORGINS DOC!!!

BURBANK, CA (August 11, 2010) – Warner Bros. Pictures presents an

enthralling examination of the creative forces behind the World’s

Greatest Super Heroes in Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics, an

all-new documentary that takes viewers behind the scenes of the iconic

company with unprecedented access to the Warner Bros. and DC Comics

archives. Narrated by Ryan Reynolds, Secret Origin: The Story of DC

Comics will be distributed by Warner Home Video on November 9, 2010 on

DVD for $24.98 (SRP). Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics will also

be available On Demand and for Download.

Behind the amazing tales of Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and a host

of other well-known characters is the equally impressive story of the

challenges, creativity and triumphs of the company that brought those

characters to life. Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is both a

celebration of the best writers and artists in comics and a thoughtful

exploration of 75 years of DC Comics history.

Produced by the Academy Award ® -nominated team behind Spellbound

(Feature Documentary), Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics combines

excerpts from comics, films and television series with the insight of

some of history’s most influential comic book creators and editors,

among them Neal Adams, Karen Berger, Mike Carlin, Dan DiDio, Neil

Gaiman, Geoff Johns, Jim Lee, Paul Levitz, Dwayne McDuffie, Grant

Morrison, Dennis O’Neil, Paul Pope, Louise Simonson, Mark Waid, Len

Wein, and Marv Wolfman.

Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is written and directed by Mac

Carter. Jeffrey Blitz (Spellbound, The Office) served as executive

producer. Producer is Gregory Noveck and co-producer is Ivan Cohen.

Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is produced by Sean Welch and

Janet Eckholm.

“From the bans to the breakthroughs, from humble pulp beginnings to

the literary rise of the graphic novel, the story of DC Comics holds a

mirror to an ever-evolving enterprise and the society reflected in its

comic book pages,” said Diane Nelson, President, DC Entertainment.

“It’s a true American story – Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics is

a riveting, exciting, surprising revelation of that fascinating

history and the men and women who forged it.”

Harry Potter:Spells

“HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS – FREE” NOW AVAILABLE WITH ABILITY TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL SPELLS

NEW PREMIUM SPELL PACK LAUNCHES WITH THE UNFORGIVEABLE CURSE ‘AVADA KEDAVRA’
Muggles Everywhere Can Turn Their iPhone™ and iPod touch® Into Magic Wands to Cast Spells and Duel One Another

BURBANK, Calif., August 4, 2010 – HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS, the best-selling Harry Potter App for the iPhone and iPod touch, is now available as a free app on the App Store. Based on the Harry Potter films, this immersive app transforms Muggles everywhere into fledgling wizards, enabling them to cast spells against their opponents or disarm them with spells such as Expelliarmus.

Earlier this year, fans who previously purchased HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS were asked to choose the future spell packs through the App’s official Facebook pages. After receiving a tremendous response, three of the top spells chosen by fans have been included in the first of many spell packs. The first pack is now available on the App Store and includes Avada Kedavra (instantly defeats your opponent), Morsmordre (summons the Dark Mark) and Reparo (repairs broken objects). By downloading these spell packs, seasoned Muggles will be able to further hone their spell casting abilities. Players who download the free app can also add these powerful spells to their collection for an additional $0.99.

About HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS - FREE App

HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS – FREE begins with three spells that allow wizards-in-training to conjure up magic alone or duel others by casting spells from one device to another using Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connections. After receiving an official invitation to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, students visit Ollivanders wand shop, where the wand chooses its new master. Players are then introduced to the legendary Sorting Hat and placed into one of the four houses (Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw or Slytherin). Then it’s time to begin Wizard Training in Practice, where players learn the specific hand gestures or touch mechanisms to cast each spell.
May the Best Wizard Win!
Once students master their spells they can practice against the computer or challenge a friend to a duel. While players of different years may duel, be wary, as more advanced students will have a tactical advantage with a larger repertoire of spells – but novice students can still win based on their magical skills (more damage is done to an opponent with higher level spells and with well-cast spells, regardless of level). A duel concludes when one player’s health meter is reduced to zero.
Spell Types
The app teaches players some of the most popular spells from the world of Harry Potter, including Expelliarmus, Alohomora, and Petrificus Totalus!
Player Profile
Accomplishments, including mastering spells in practice mode and winning duels, are rewarded with house points. The house points that a player earns are combined with those earned by all other players in the same house around the world. In the Profile section, players can monitor the following:
· Statistics: A record of the player’s accomplishments and total number of house points earned including name, house, wins/losses in dueling, total house points, player’s rank within the house and in the school.
· House Point Leaderboard: Displays top ranked players in all four houses and an Overall Leaderboard that showcases the top Hogwarts students.
· Facebook integration – Players can post profiles and scores on Facebook.
The HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS - FREE App is available from the App Store on the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad or at www.itunes.com/appstore/. The HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS spell packs are now available for $0.99 each. The full version of the App which includes 17 spells and one premium spell pack is also available for $2.99.
For more information on HARRY POTTER™: SPELLS please visit: http://harrypotterspellsapp.com/ or on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/apps/application.php?id=2456501788
HARRY POTTER characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Harry Potter Publishing Rights © JKR.