We don't really have to say goodbye to authors

It's a rough week for readers. We lost Howard Zinn and J.D. Salinger. Zinn was very much a public figure up until his death while Salinger had long ago become an infamous recluse.

I send my regards to the loved ones they leave behind. But I have complete faith that their words (as different yet equally powerful as they are) will continue to affect their loyal readers and future readers.

I'll leave you with two fantastic quotes:

"Dissent is the highest from of patriotism." -Howard Zinn

"I'm sick of just liking people. I wish to God I could meet somebody I could respect." -J.D. Salinger See full post

Now I Know Why The Squeakuel Made So Much Money

Hey friends.

REMEMBER THIS?



Encountered @genjadeshade & @scarletscribe talking about this movie on Twitter just now, which caused me to all of a sudden remember how much I LOVED Alvin & the Chipmunks. I mean. Loved. I LOVED this movie. I watched it over and over and over and knew all the songs. I was creeped out by the Chipettes being in a Harem then, just as much as I am now. Which is very. Very creeped out. I wanna watch this whole thing again on my giant TV in HD so bad. Ohmygod BEST movie ever. The only movie that eclipses it?



Maybe this one too



I LOVE TV MOVIES MADE FROM OLD CARTOONS FROM THE 80S AND 90S

Nah, Alvin is still better.

Well, better than Tiny Toons movie. Duck Tales movie may take the cake at the end of the day.

I think it's bed time. See full post

Under the Dome

Before this 1074 page monster, the last things I read by Stephen King were those he wrote under the pseudonym Richard Bachman, The Regulators and Desperation. Oh, and The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon right before I went on a three week hike on the Appalachian Trail. This was a monumentally bad idea because the girl who loved Tom Gordon gets horribly lost off the Appalachian Trail, and it’s Stephen King so bad things happened.

Anyway, I’ve been reading and hearing about how his last couple of big books, even his last short story anthology, all kind of sucked. Rumor had it that Stephen King had lost his mojo. After reading Under the Dome in under a week, I call bullshit. If you make the mistake of reading the first four page chapter, which is ominously titled “The Airplane and the Woodchuck,” you are screwed. You’re going to carry this ten pound tome around with you everywhere. Your arms, your back, your neck will hurt, and everyone will think you’re crazy as you continuously slam the book shut because he just killed yet another character that he’s so skillfully endeared you to.

Stephen King started his career as an amazing genre writer, and he’ll end it as a legend. You can knock him for being overrated, for a clunky metaphor here and there, or for killing too many of your favorite characters, but the guy is classic. “The Boogeyman,” a seven page short story from his first anthology Night Shift, is still the most terrifying thing I’ve ever read. His portrait of an unraveling alcoholic father who loses out to all that is his horrible in his nature at the Overlook Hotel makes The Shining one of the best books ever. And I still read The Talisman that he co-wrote with Peter Straub at least once a year because it was one of the best “young man goes on a quest and has painfully shed his childhood to grow up” books ever.

So check out Under the Dome. It will steal at least a week of your life, and it’s thirty to fifty percent off all over the internet and in all the stores, barely the price of a movie plus sour patch kids.

And if you're like me, stop procrastinating with your Fangirl Awards Ballot and voice your strong opinion already! See full post

Fangirl Awards FAQ

Been getting a lot of questions about ballot specifications, so I thought I would clarify some things on the blog!

Q: Why is there no Supporting Actor/Actress on TV category?

A: I originally didn't have a TV acting category whatsoever, as I was trying to keep the awards more focused toward film this year, but then realized we all love TV too much to ignore an acting category entirely! But I worried that differentiating between lead & supporting would go one of two ways: Either yield the same results as any awards show or end up not filled out or too confusing, because sometimes it's hard to know who is considered supporting or lead when it comes to our geek shows that are never recognized by legit award ceremonies. Just seemed like too much.

The Best Actor & Best Actress on TV categories are about who you think the best actors on television are, in any size role. It's a chance to narrow it down & really think about who is best, overall. For example, I think Ever Gjokaj is one of the best actors on television and while his role on Dollhouse may be considering supporting, he's still demonstrated more range and ability in two seasons than most lead actors do for the entire run of a show. So screw whose the best at being the lead and whose the best at supporting - I'm interested in who's the best.

Q: Are these all for 2009 only, or are some for all-time/the decade?

A: Every answer should be in regards to 2009 only.

Q: For Best Villain & Best Chemistry, should we write actor names or character names?

A: Either will do as I'll know who you mean in any event, but why don't we say character names, plus the name of the movie/tv show, just so it's uniform

Q: What happens if categories like "Most Overrated/Underrated" get so many differing nominees, that there are no 5 that rule them all?

A: In any scenario where the Fangirl Academy's individual answers differ so much that five clear nominees to not exist, the writers at All Things Fangirl will make an executive decision and pick from whatever you guys submit. We will act as the tie-breakers - the Vice President's role in the Senate, if you will. ... Sorry, thinking a lot about the Senate today, as I'm sure all of you are too!

Q: If I throw in some remarks about my nominees, any chance anyone will get to read them?

A: ATFG new writer @TooAdorkable actually had quite the fun idea regarding that scenario: "What if we added an Apples to Apples element? With every nomination, people can write a sentence or give a quote for why they think the nominee is awesome, and then the best, most hilarious, most clever statements/quotes can be included on the final nominations with credit given to the person who penned it." Sound good? Have at it!

Q: The "platonic or is it?" category, is that just platonic? Or does there have to be a relationship (i.e. Harry+Hermione in HP)

A: Platonic, no romantic relationship. Just wanted a category that could account for the actors who have great chemistry whether their characters are in a "relationship" or not. Just any relationship you enjoy that isn't 1. overtly romantic (i.e. Holmes & Watson - people have their suspicions, but nothing is spelled outright), 2. romantic at all, (i.e. Dr. Parnassus & The Devil - amazing chemistry, not romantic in the slightest) or 3. isn't romantic yet (i.e. Brennan/Booth on Bones. Or Jack/Liz on 30 Rock, one might argue, haha. There is romantic chemistry mixed in the platonic chemistry, it just hasn't been realized or admitted yet, if it ever will be)

Other examples from ballots I've received so far: Paul Rudd & Jason Segal (I Love You Man), The boys of the Hangover, the girls of Whip It, Jessie & Woody (Zombieland, but it's funny that their first names are outta Toy Story 2), Sam & Gerty or Sam & you know who (Moon), Spock & Kirk (Star Trek), Penny & Sheldon (Big Bang Theory), Chuck & Morgan or Chuck & Casey (Chuck), Adama & Tigh (BSG), Topher & Adele (Dollhouse), Peter & Walter (Fringe) and so on and so forth.

Q: Best Characterization of an Established Figure - what qualifies as an "established figure"?

A: Any figure that has already been established anywhere - in comics, previous movies or tv shows, books, or even history. So it could apply to anyone from a comic book adaptation (i.e. Watchmen), any reboot (i.e. Star Trek), anything based on a book (WTWTA, Lovely Bones) or anything that draws from history & uses real life figures (Inglorious Basterds' Hitler, Night at the Museum, biopics). Originally, the category just applied to figures from comics/books, but due to the variety of nominations I've received already, we've opened it up a bit.

Any more questions: Send em to AllThingsFangirl@gmail.com and we'll add them on to this page with an answer! See full post

Who Else Played THIS Amazing Wonderous Game Full of HAPPY?!?!?!

For the longest time, I've been trying to remember the name of one of my favorite games as a child. Not the amazing fairy tale land one I can't remember, but one that involved elves and gems. That's the only way I could describe it. Elves. And Gems. What would YOU have guessed based on that hearty description? Well, one of my dear friends from my school days is currently staying with me and without blinking an eye knew exactly what I was talking about.

Check out the answer below.



I would totally play an updated version of this game. Someone get on that shit! They did it with Monkey Island, they can do it with Treasure motherfucking Mountain.

Oh and if you have any idea what the fairy tale game with minstrels and cats and cows is? Please let me know.

Update: It was Mixed Up Fairy Tales, from the makers of Mixed Up Mother Goose! See full post

Fangirl Awards Ballot

We actually have 36 categories now...we can't help ourselves...

A list of those categories after the jump!


Film

Best Picture ** Best Actor ** Best Actress ** Best Supporting Actor ** Best Supporting Actress ** Best Director ** Best Screenplay (Adap.) ** Best Screenplay (Orig.) ** Best Score ** Best Romantic Chemistry ** Best Platonic (or is it?) Chemistry ** World I'd Most Like To Visit ** Best On Screen Animal (live action or animated) ** Best Voiceover (live action or animated) ** Epic Fail Movie (by @geekgirls) ** Best Fight/Battle Sequence (by @acorn_hat) ** Guiltiest Pleasure ** Best Animated Film (by @onnabugeisha)

Television

Best TV Show of the Year ** Best Actor on TV (any size role) ** Best Actress on TV (any size role) **Best Romantic Chemistry ** Best Platonic (or is it?) Chemistry ** Guiltiest Pleasure

Film or Television

Most Romantic Line EVAR (by @that_sarah) ** Best Fan Outreach Endeavor (@caitlin_burns) ** Best Characterization of an Established Figure (by @pardonmysass) **

Any Platform (Film, TV, Video Games, Comics)

Most Overrated ** Most Underrated ** Best Villain (by @acorn_hat)

Misc.

Actor I'd Most Like to Marry 2009 Edition ** Best Graphic Novel of the Year ** Best Comic of the Year ** Best Video Game of the Year ** Best Musician of the Year ** Best Book of the Year (fiction or non-fiction)



See full post

Connected Through Kisses: The Greatest (or the worst) Incarnation of Six Degrees Evar

So.

I caught a little bit of All My Children last week. Just enough to see Ryan and Erica in bed together and want to claw my eyes out. If you don't know who they are or what that means, you are very lucky and I advise you not to look into it any further. But of course, me, being quite the masochist when it comes to things like this, had to know how the HELL the writers justified something so ridiculous. So after a wiki search proved useless, I went on you tube and searched "Ryan Erica AMC First Kiss." No first kiss came up. I think there was a love scene clip that I couldn't bear to watch as I just had dinner and didn't want to lose it right away.

But something else interesting popped up in this search. Something so girlie & hilarious that it OBVIOUSLY warrants a post. It's a series called Connected Through Kisses. Here's how it works.

Let's say you wanna connect Gwyneth Paltrow to Jason Segal. Well....watch below.



Get it?

And there are nine more of these.

I mean. I thought only I would be crazy enough to spend hours making videos like this..and even I have never made a single video like this. Let alone 10.

But whatever, I'm still kind of obsessed with them and kind of watched all of them. And you can too! I've posted all of them for your convenience after the jump. Enjoy a very girlie next 15 minutes of your life!

Matthew McConaughey to John Cusack

Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Vanessa Hudgens

Robert Pattinson to Heath Ledger

Katie Holmes to Jimmy Fallon

John Krasinski to Mary Kate Olsen

Christian Bale to Ryan Gosling

Alyson Hannigan to Patrick Dempsey

Ginnifer Goodwin to Reese Witherspoon

Gerard Butler to Salma Hayek

See full post

Best Artist You've Never Heard Of

British singer Findlay Brown performed on Letterman last night & seriously impressed the pants off not only the audience, but Paul & the band and Dave himself. If you've been watching Dave as long as I have, you know it ain't easy to impress the man. Findlay Brown's music has been playing on and off in my family's household for a year now and for the past month or so has been playing non-stop. His wistful blend of soulful Righteous Brothers vocals & Zombies/British Invasion-esque structure makes for a refreshing experience in today's musical landscape made up mostly of electro-pop and the alternative, guys & girls with acoustic guitars or pianos. His songs jump back and forth between coming right out of the 50s & right out of the 60s, but with enough of a modern tinge to sound completely unique. I encourage you to check out his MySpace page and if you like him enough, to pick up his album on iTunes or Amazon or wherever the hell they sell albums digitally these days.

His performance on Dave below

Note: I rarely write about music because I don't feel I have the proper vocabulary to describe anything properly. But please don't let my poor diction prevent you from checking out this artist! See full post

Why should you play Assassins Creed II? Because Italian Accents are AWESOME

Ridiculously entertaining Italian accents aside, if you can get past the ludicrous beginning and to the part where Ezio starts slicing and dicing people in the streets of Renaissance Italy, you are going to have a blast playing this game. Not only is it deeper than the first, but it’s prettier. Much, much prettier.


Now as to the absurd first fifteen to twenty minutes of the game, you start as Desmond from the first game, the guy who has all the crazy assassin ancestors’ memories crammed into his DNA, and Lucy, voiced by Gossip Girl Kristen Bell, busting you out of Abstergo Industries so you can hang out in her secret hideout and go through all your bloody memories away from the templars. Besides the fact that there’s a bunch of complicated exposition that has nothing to with stabbing people in Italy, it keeps you from actually getting to stab people in Italy. See full post

New Vampire Weekend! YAY!

You can now download Vampire Weekend's new album "Contra" on iTunes or Amazon. Today, Amazon is selling the whole album for just 3.99! So while I have a lot of issues with Amazon.com (because it's aiding in the demise of real books and bookstores), I still recommend purchasing it here... it's a tough economy and we all need to save money somehow.

Anyway, I still listen to and love the band's first album and I hope this one rocks too.
See full post

Legion: My Wings Will SLICE YOU [Event]

Headed over to the LA Science Fiction & Comic Book Convention yesterday, a place I religiously haunted as a teenager, but haven't been to now in about six years. A slight drop in attendance since its heyday hasn't prevented the show from maintaining the same charm it always had. And it's the only place on either coast where I've been able to find the five issues of Buffy Season 8 I was missing, so, yes, I will be going back.

Because of the smaller crowd, I was very surprised to see a good number of people forming in the back for the day's big panel. Four of the actors (Jeanette Miller, Tyrese Gibson, Adrienne Palicki & Doug Jones) from Screen Gem's upcoming January release, Legion, were on hand to discuss the film with director Scott Stewart and came prepared with both a red band trailer & a world premiere clip. Now, I think I saw bits & pieces of the Legion panel at Comic Con, but nothing really substantial, so it hasn't really been on my radar til yesterday. Well, I have seen a shit load of billboards featuring a hot, angelic Paul Bettany, but that's about it.

Here's a summary of the film,

An out-of-the-way diner becomes the unlikely battleground for the survival of the human race. When God loses faith in humankind, he sends his legion of angels to bring on the Apocalypse. Humanity's only hope lies in a group of strangers trapped in a desert diner with the Archangel Michael.

Now that I've seen some substantial footage, I can safely say that yes, I wanna see this movie, and I'm not sure people quite realize the potential level of awesomeness it may achieve. The red band trailer was filled with fun, over the top violence & a few Sam Raimi-esque scares, which lead me to believe that while the film may be dark and dealing with somewhat heavy subject matter, it'll still be a good time and appeal to those types that just wanna see shit get blown up and flesh get eaten, as well as those types that would rather use their brains a little bit more.

The rest after the jump!


The clip they showed kind of encompassed all of that. It was a a portion of the final battle between Michael (Paul Bettany) & Gabriel (KEAMY! I mean, Kevin Durand) and was all kinds of badass. Gabriel uses his wings as a WEAPON. WINGS. SLICING SHIT. The fight totally sold me on the action (perhaps a particularly violent kind of action, which I'm ALL for) and then randomly, out of nowhere, at the end of the scene, a deeper, emotional side begins to show itself that somehow got lil ol agnostic me getting weepy at the thought of what it would really mean for a higher power to lose all faith in humanity.

Here are some tidbits from the panel itself:

- Director Scott Stewart was hired to rewrite the Legion script from a few years back & took a different approach. He Thought a lot about mythology and specific characters. Read & ultimately drew from both the old & new testement & lots of Sam Shephard plays.

- There is a graphic novel, also written by Stewart,called Legion: Prophets and it follows four different stories & four characters not in the film, but during that same time frame. It gives hints to the greater story at work.

- Doug Jones has a cameo showcase role as the ice cream man! He describes his characters appearance as a "raindrop of the flood, a harbinger of doom." And he gets to have his own face on screen! No makeup! Actual face! For at least a little bit. Before the demon-izing. :)

- Adrienne Palecki plays the Virgin Mary "without the virgin part."

- Tyrese's character stops at a diner to get directions and gets "sucked into the matrix." Didn't mean to be a part of the fight, but is.

- Jeanette "always wanted to be evil" - great that she finally gets to at 80 some aught years old!


- Apparently lots of people have been saying that Legion seems a lot like the film Prophecy. Stewart saw it a long time ago, but wasn't influenced by it at all. Actual influences include the Terminator movies, the Exorcist, Assault on Precinct 13, Westerns, Close Encounters.

- Re: Sequel/franchises: Stewart couldn't get into specifics because of spoilers, but confirms that there are two potential movies/sequels/spin-offs that could come from Legion. He is from the "Jim Cameron school of sequelizing" where the sequel is a different genre from the original.

-No demons or devils in this movie, it's all about angels - old testement version. Similar POV as Noah's Ark, kind of about angry fathers and asks the question, "What if God lost faith in Man?"

The movie opens January 22nd and I'm hoping the whole thing is good as the footage that was shown today! Also, snagged a signed poster from the event, so stay tuned! Closer to the movie's release, we'll be having a contest.
See full post

Optimus Pride [Shirt of the Day]

I'm not a Transformers fan in really any way, shape or form, but if you are or you know someone who is - snatch this up! Gave me a good giggle.

To purchase the shirt for 18.99, just head to 247Magnum's Etsy page, where you'll find a bunch of other great pop culture themed t shirts. See full post

2009 Fangirl Awards!!!

It's that time of year again, AWARDS SEASON AHHHH, and even though I have many issues with what Awards Season has become, nothing changes the fact that I love movies and I love talking about how much I love movies. I also love being a fangirl and talking about how much I love being a fangirl.

SO

I have an idea.

I would like to follow the same schedule as the Academy Awards, with a group of fangirls voting on nominations, then winners, to see what we consider to be the best of the year. Will it differ much from the Academy's opinion? Maybe, maybe not, but why don't we find out?

This is also somewhat inspired by The Film Experience's FilmBitch Awards. I adore @nathanielr and if you aren't reading his site, get on it!

So I'm looking for 50 fangirls. Friends, Tweeps, Friends of Tweeps, anyone - as long as you are a female and consider yourself a fan, I want to hear from you!

If you want to participate: Send your email address to AllThingsFangirl@gmail.com with the subject - I Want To Vote in the Fangirl Awards! or DM me on Twitter @loquaciousmuse with the same info.

Once I have 50 participants (hopefully by Monday), I will explain the rules and everyone will submit their nominations. Nominations will be due around Jan 23nd and announced February 2nd. The categories we'll specifically be going with are:

Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, Director, Adap. Screenplay, Orig. Screenplay, Score, Best Chemistry (romantic), Best Chemistry (platonic), World I Want To Return To Most (live action or animated), Best On-screen Animal (live action or animated), Best Voiceover (live action or animated) and more. Feel free to suggest categories! We're gonna have fun with this :),

Update: We may include a category each for Comics, Video Games & Television on the ballot, though the focus will remain movies this year, as it's our first time experimenting with something like this! See full post

Two Gentlemen of Lebowski

Someone ACTUALLY did this


And by actually did "this" I mean someone actually Shakesperized the entirity of The Big Lebowski and if I'm not mistaken....this someone is also planning on putting the show up in New York. That's just...that's time consuming, man. Bless your heart, Adam Bertocci.

Here's a snippet,

[An artist’s studio. Enter THE KNAVE and MAUDE]

MAUDE
If by my art, my curious friend, I have
Put the wild notions in a roar, so be’t.
What think you on the female form, O Knave?
The woman’s part in me so gallantly
Manifests itself within in mine art
Commended by the wise as country work;
I paint only those of my own sex.
The very word is said to bother men,
Discomfort them, encircled in their ring.
It is the very painting of discomfort,
Two legs without a head. I say no thing.

THE KNAVE
I take no awkward pause, nor balk nor stare,
But only ask, askance, what art this is.
I see no ring to mar if I would kiss’t,
But only oily painting I might stain.
The Knave deciphers nothing in its image;
Thy work has made a nihilist of me.

MAUDE
In faith, the art is only what you will,
And if the word can poison not your ear
Then you’re in luck; some men of lesser stuff
Dislike to hear it, dare not speak its name.
Whereas without a flicker of his eye
A man might speak of King Richard the Third,
Or pose an idle sonnet on his rod,
Or praise the wit of his selfsame Johnson.

THE KNAVE
As Benjamin Jonson, lady?

MAUDE
Let us speak plain and to the purpose. My father bade you take the rug, but that you chose was, in faith, a gift of me to my departed mother, the happiest gift that ever marquess gave, and thus not his to make a rich and precious gift of. But trifles, trifles; let us speak of this supposed kidnapping. It hath the rankest compound of villainous smell that ever offended nostril.

THE KNAVE
Permit me to explain about the rug—

MAUDE
What cares have you, Lebowski, upon love?

THE KNAVE
Alack, lady, thy question does me vex.

MAUDE
The physicality of making love;
I’d have you tell me if you like it well.
A myth persists on women of my stripe,
That our body politic renders us in hate
Of acts of love; a most injurious lie.
The enterprise can have in it much zest.
But men who walk with satyrs in the morn
And women swimming nightly ‘twixt the nymphs
Are punished by Oberon for sin
And do the deed compulsively engaged,
Sans joy, sans love, sans everything.

THE KNAVE
Prithee nay!

MAUDE
So damn’d a soul is Bonnie; I have heard
That lustful creatures sitting at a play
Have by the cunning language of the scene
Been struck so to the soul that presently
They have proclaim’d their infatuations.
I’ve had these players make their show for you;
Suiting the action to the word indeed.
It shall be called “Log Jamming”, because
It hath bared bottom; but hark—the players.
So please your grace, the Prologue is addressed.

To read the whole play, give a click here. See full post

Oscar Watch 2009 - An Update

An updated list of the movies I've seen this year, in chronological order, along with a list of what I have left to see before I feel prepared for awards season. Anything I'm missing? Let me know! I'm quite behind this year.

Movies I've seen this year:

He's Just Not That Into You
My Bloody Valentine 3D*
Coraline 3D*
Friday The 13th
Watchmen (x2)
Alien Trespass (x3)
Paper Heart
I Love You, Man
Knowing
Duplicity
The Damned United
Mystery Team*
Adventureland
Earth
Rudo Y Cursi
Moon* (x2)
Wolverine
17 Again*
Star Trek* (x2)
The Brothers Bloom
Terminator: Salvation
Up*
Drag Me To Hell*
A Serious Man*
The Hangover*
Ghosts of Girlfriend Past
The Proposal
Transformers 2: Crap of the Crap
Harry Potter & The Half Blood Prince*
500 Days of Summer*
Ninja Assassin
Thirst*
GI Joe*
Time Traveler's Wife
District 9**
Inglourious Basterds **
Taking Woodstock*
The Four Faced Liar*
Zombieland**
Where The Wild Things Are** (x2)
The Invention of Lying
Whip It*
New York, I Love You
Paranormal Activity
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Monsters vs Aliens
Whatever Works*
Fantastic Mr. Fox** (x2)
An Education*
Funny People
Pirate Radio*
The Informant**
The Hurt Locker**
Sherlock Holmes
Me & Orson Welles
Up in the Air*
Avatar**
Nine
The Princess and the Frog**
Bright Star
The Last Station*
Julie & Julia
Crazy Heart*
The Blind Side
The Young Victoria*
Precious

Top ten so far, in no particular order:

Inglorious Basterds, District 9, Fantastic Mr. Fox, The Princess & The Frog, Avatar, Up, The Hurt Locker, The Informant, Where the Wild Things Are, some sort of Zombieland/Thirst/500 Days of Summer/Star Trek situation

What's left:

A Prophet
The Messenger
The Road
9
Bad Lieutenant
Broken Embraces
The Cove
Anvil: The Story of Anvil
Invictus
A Single Man
Lovely Bones
It's Complicated
The White Ribbon See full post

The Marvel Disney Dilemma

I was prompted by the lovely Scarlet Scribe for my thoughts on the Marvel/Disney merger, and this is pretty much what it boils down to:

It's tantalizing, because Disney is one of the most powerful marketing machines on the planet. If you look at PotC and Prince of Persia, and then imagine the money and technical teams behind those films being applied to something like, I don't know, THE AVENGERS or the X-Men or anyone else, it's like a wet dream. Unfortunately, Disney is known more for being creatively domineering over smaller productions or creations that aren't 'their baby', and not friendly to a lot of tropes that make comics great or darker material that has marked the transition for comics from pop and pulp to serious attempts at examining the world and telling stories. Disney is also known, fairly or not, for censorship and for caving to public and especially Christian opinion. That's troubling. Also, the degree to which Disney properties are pimped through marketing and multiple media platforms can be distasteful. It's a weird little dichotomy. As a consumer whore, I am torn between fearing the Disney Machine and wanting Marvel plushies. Monetarily, the possibilities are now seemingly endless, but creatively, a Marvel fan has to worry about the hands these properties are now in. See full post