brain out loud

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man Homecoming have recently released short teasers, set visit articles, Q&A sessions with the Directors, and random pics on Twitter. At last, the official Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer was released several days ago and last night Spider-Man Homecoming debuted its first trailer. There are dozens of reasons I want 2016 to be over with; one of which being 2017 will be the first year Marvel releases three Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, one more than usual thanks in part to the cooperation with Sony Pictures. Marvel's/Disney's plan from here on out will be to release three MCU films a year. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 - May 5th, 2017 Spider-Man: Homecoming - July 7th, 2017 Thor: Ragnarok - November 3rd, 2017 Black Panther - February 16, 2018 Avengers: Infinity War - May 4, 2018 Ant-Man and The Wasp - July 6, 2018

In case you don't know the unpleasant history between Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox, here is a quick recap. In the mid 90's Marvel was close to bankruptcy and they sold the live-action film rights to several of their characters to a number of studios. Some of those rights have reverted back to Marvel due to an inactivity clause, like Ghost Rider who's rights were once held by Sony Pictures and is now appearing on Marvel's Agents of Shield. Other characters are now shared after landmark deals were brokered, like the wall-crawling Spider-Man. This gave optimistic fans hope that Marvel and Fox could reach an agreement and the X-Men or the Fantastic Four could share the screen with Iron Man or Captain America, but nearly every time Marvel approached Fox to make an offer the Fox executives acted like jerks and Marvel was denied. To be fair there have probably been jerks on both sides of the table over the years. Regardless, it didn't seem likely that Marvel and

Mindbender Theater, my second GI Joe/Cobra novella is available now to read on your smartphone or tablet, with the free Kindle app. It was a lengthy process, but a satisfying one and the end result is a book I'm really proud of, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the fast-paced action, even if you're not a fan of the Real American Hero. Download it today for only $1.99 and please rate and review. Synopsis: Sci-Fi and Mainframe unexpectedly encounter Cobra in a treasured Hollywood landmark. The mad scientist, Dr. Mindbender has a sinister plan, an army of Cobra Vipers and a deadly surprise. A destructive battle begins in downtown Hollywood and continues on the highway to Burbank in a daring free-for-all at top speed. Meanwhile, reinforcements Wet-Suit and Leatherneck are on the way when a Cobra Night Raven targets the GI Joe Goliath C130. Fortunately, Slip Stream was escorting the air transport in his Conquest X-30 and engages the Night Raven in an exhilarating dogfight, but t

I was recently informed of some technical issues while attempting to download Into the Clutches of Cobra-La. The download would freeze and/or the Kindle app would crash being the worse. This is unfortunate, but I am hoping this is the reason why sales for Into the Clutches of Cobra-La have suffered because Social Media buzz has been decent. Rest assured I have re-uploaded the transcript and it has been approved and published by Kindle Worlds. I may have discovered the issue in the process. The first time I uploaded  Into the Clutches of Cobra-La it did not go through the screening process, nor did Amazon email me an official link. Without going through the screening process the book could have broken all the Kindle World set rules and included graphic violence, explicit sex or worse yet Snake Eyes depicted as a New York Yankees fan. Seriously that is one of the guidelines, 15. The character, Snake Eyes, shall never be depicted or described as a fan of the New York Yankees.

It has been three years since GI Joe Retaliation hit theaters. The 2013 action flick has an even worse aggregate score on rottentomatoes than its predecessor, GI Joe Rise of Cobra. However, Retaliation did haul in over $375 million, with a reported budget of $135 million. That is over $70 million more than the first installment. As much as I dislike GI Joe Retaliation Hasbro and Paramount would consider it a success. Is there going to be a third? Byung-Hun Lee, who portrayed the deadly Cobra ninja Storm Shadow in both films, was asked that very question while doing press for his latest film The Magnificent Seven. Saying, “I heard from the studio that there’s a possibility to do the third one, but I think they’re waiting for the actors’ schedules.” Signaling out someone in particular, “They’re arranging the schedules for the actors, especially Dwayne Johnson.” Even before GI Joe Retaliation, Dwayne Johnson's star was on the rise. Not only does he have a packed schedule through 2

Suicide Squad shattered records, opening to a $135 million domestic box office take. The highest opening August weekend since Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014. Unfortunately, Warner Brothers and DC finds itself in a situation similar to Batman v Super Dawn of Justice. Ticket sales for Suicide Squad have dropped dramatically. It is normal for most movies, even summer blockbusters, to drop between 50% to 65%, so it is fair for me to say the drop was "dramatic" since Suicide Squad's first Friday to second Friday business plummeted 79.4%.

After months and months of promotion and hype Suicide Squad, the next installment of the DC Extended Universe, will open nationwide this Friday, August 5. The question is whether or not the film starring a motley crew of bad guys doing good deeds will pull the DCEU from the downward spiral initiated by Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. I doubt it. The review embargo was finally lifted less than a week before the release date, which is never a good sign; and unfortunately for Warned Brothers and DC, they are mostly negative. As of this writing Suicide Squad is at a dismal 35% on rottentomatoes.com, only marginally better than the 27% obtained by Batman v Superman. A common theme of the reviews is that Suicide Squad is too grim and dark, and is as unpleasant to watch as Batman v Superman. This does not surprise me as I've brained out loud before that DC forces all their movies into the Christopher Nolan Batman Trilogy mold. However, some critics were surprised, suggesting

Several days ago I logged onto Netflix, not sure what to watch. As I scrolled through the seemingly endless menus, the image for Stranger Things caught my eye. The gorgeous image(above), designed like a movie poster, is a hand painted collage of the main cast. It provides a glimpse of the mysterious tone, the character's relationships, and their emotional states. It is purposely very reminiscent of the works of art from the brilliantly talented Drew Struzman, in order to evoke a sense of nostalgia. If you don't know the name you should still know Drew Struzman's work. He has hand drawn and airbrushed movie poster masterpieces just as classic and memorable as the films themselves. A favorite of Stephen Spielberg, George Lucas, and others, Struzman is often called upon to produce posters for an entire franchise of films. He has worked on the Star Wars saga (including the prequels), Indiana Jones, Blade Runner, Back to the Future, Harry Potter, Big Trouble in Little Chi

All the nerd websites have covered every detail of the 2016 San Diego Comic Con, providing in-depth analysis and their elaborate theories. I don't want to simply repeat what others have already said, so I'll just brain out loud about my favorite parts. The entry will be based on news and information coming from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Several days before the convention even started, this trolley (above) wrapped in promotional images for the fourth season of Marvel's Agents of SHIELD had everybody assuming that Ghost Rider would be featured on the show. After a couple days of red herrings, and wild goose chases that had the internet doubting those assumptions, it was revealed that Ghost Rider would indeed be a part of the fourth season, kinda. Like many Marvel heroes and villains, multiple people have assumed the role of a character. The Ghost Rider set to be on Agents of SHIELD on ABC is a young, Latino mechanic named Roberto Reyes, who first appeared in 2014 an

Hasbro recently acquired Dublin, Ireland based Boulder Animation Studios. For decades, Hasbro has relied on others to produce their vast library of cartoons. Bringing their various animated shows in-house will potentially cut costs and give Hasbro unconditional control over their properties. The classic GI Joe and Transformers cartoons of the 1980s, for example, were produced by Sunbow Entertainment, as were their feature length animated films. Over the years the Transformers have had multiple animated series, due in part to their appeal overseas and the box office success of the live action movies. The current incarnation of the Autobot vs. Decipticon war, Transformers: Robots in Disguise, is produced by Darby Pop Productions. GI Joe, on the other hand, has not shared that level of success and The Real American Heroes have not been featured in an animated cartoon since GI Joe Renegades in 2010. The acquisition of Boulder Studios could potentially lead to a new GI Joe animated series

Ghostbusters hits theaters Friday. No, not a re-release of the of the 1984 classic starring Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson. A remake/reboot starring an all-female line-up with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon and Leslie Jones. The internet has buzzed with hatred for this movie for months, and much of it has been disturbingly directed at the female cast. The premature judging, internet rage, and misogynistic comments are all inconsequential. Reviews and fan reactions are pouring in, and so far they have been mostly positive. Ghostbusters is hovering around 78% on rottentomatoes. Most of the reviews I've read point out similar highs and lows. It seems like some of the jokes would have landed better if they pushed them a bit further. The PG-13 rating is most likely to blame for that. The casting of Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig in more somber, deadpan roles, was also disappointing to some. McCarthy and Wiig are exceptionally funny wome

It seems Marvel Studios and 20th Century Fox share the shape-shifting alien race known as the Skrulls. The aliens first appeared within the pages Fantastic Four making them a part of the Fox deal that included other Fantastic Four villains such as Doctor Doom, Galactus, and the Silver Surfer. However, the Skrulls were heavily featured in other Marvel comics, in particular, the Secret Invasion crossover event. This is similar to how the two studios share the rights to Scarlett Witch and Quicksilver. A confusing legal obstacle course that allowed Quicksilver to appear in X-Men Days of Future Past and Avengers Age of Ultron.

The 2016 San Diego Comic-Con is only a few weeks away, taking place from July 21- 24. By now, most of the exhibitors, vendors and artists have been assigned a location and have prepared their agenda. For the bigger players, like Marvel, the preparations never seem to end. Marvel has already announced that Dr. Strange and Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 will have a major presence at the show. Scott Derrickson director of Dr. Strange and James Gunn the director of Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2 are both confirmed to be there. Cast members for the films are expected to be there for a panel and Q&A session. Which cast members and what they'll reveal remains a mystery. With principle photography wrapped on both films, I'd expect to see a sneak peek, the second trailer for Dr. Strange, and maybe even a trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 2. The squeal may still be several months from release on May 5th, but the timing is about right. The trailer for Dr. Strange was relea

WARNING SPOILERS! Several media outlets and websites were granted a visit to the set of DC's Justice League movie recently, and lots of details have been reported. Typically there is an embargo on the release of information until the movie is released. This time around, DC wanted to share with the fans. Perhaps learning from the mistakes of Batman v Superman and it's secretive schedule with more corporate input  from Warner Brothers and little to no guidance from comic writers or fans. This early release of a plot synopsis, spoiler-laden plot details, images and more seems like DC is looking for feedback. Like when they beta test a video game. Zack Snyder remains at the helm of Justice League, so it doesn't sound like Warner Brothers heard the resounding call to remove the so-called visionary director. The influx of new details has the fandom all excited, and even though I am a fan of DC I just don't care about this movie. For this entry, I want to brain out loud why.

A lot of exciting news from the annual GI Joe convention, in Loveland, CO. A panel discussion held by Derryl Depriest and Mark Webber of Hasbro covered a variety of topics. A common theme the duo mentioned was the vastness of the GI Joe universe. Stating the fan involvement and their excitement to share new characters, custom figures, stories and so on is rivaled only by Star Wars. I have to agree with that statement as a lifelong fan and frequent creator myself. Depriest and Webber traced the fan involvement back to 1987 when Hasbro Direct offered the personalized Steel Brigade figure. Fans could mail away a form to create their own soldier, including a code name and specialties of their choosing. Of course, I was thrilled by the first-of-it's-kind-offer, mailed away the requirements and effectively joined the GI Joe team. Colorado state flag after Cobra takes over.

As the summer begins, the nerds, geeks, cosplayers, et al are getting ready. The two biggest annual conventions of popular culture and fandom are E3 the Electronic Entertainment Expo and the San Diego Comic-Con or SDCC for short. Usually held in Los Angeles, CA, E3 is the annual trade show for video game developers, and console and accessory manufacturers to finally reveal closely guarded secrets and preview their newest creations. The show starts tomorrow and runs from June 14 - 16, and just like every year the rumors have been spreading for months. It has been confirmed for quite some time that Nintendo is working on a new console, dubbed the NX, but will they reveal anything at E3. Likewise, Microsoft and Sony are working on upgraded versions of their current consoles the XBox One and the Playstation 4 respectively, yet it's uncertain if either will be on display. Other than the consoles, the fans are also treated to new video games announcements, trailers and sometimes playable

Marvel has established the most successful shared cinematic universe in history, accumulating over $10 Billion with 13 films. Although the pages of a comic book is a very common place to find characters weaving their narratives, Marvel didn't invent the concept. Characters have been sharing screen-time at least since the Universal Monster films of the 30s and 40s. However, Marvel is the undisputed champion of cinematic universes, and the main reason the trend has become so popular today, as it is spreading to other studios. It's unfair to claim that other studios are copying Marvel since the comics powerhouse didn't invent the concept, but It's certainly suspicious. Other Marvel characters, the X-Men have spun off solo films for Wolverine and Deadpool, and will continue to expand their shared universe with Gambit, New Mutants, and X-Force from 20th Century Fox. Before everything fell apart at Sony Pictures, there were plans for multiple movies without the webhead; suc

Looking at this list of  fifty televisions shows based on comic books , on air currently or in development the clear answer is yes. There are too many Superheroes on TV. The majority of these upcoming shows I am not familiar with and will probably not watch. Not only that, but some of the current shows have given me a reason to stop watching. In the case of Arrow on CW, I literally stopped watching that series in the middle of an episode, because it was so stupid. Since I'm not familiar with most of these shows I'll focus on the ones I am familiar with, and brain out loud about them for a few paragraphs. First of all, it's not just me that thinks that television is becoming overly saturated with Superheroes. The recent Fall Upfronts where the networks announce their upcoming season as well as their cancellations, to the press and advertisers, mirrors my concern. None of the major networks ABC, CBS, FOX nor NBC picked up any new hour-long dramas. In fact, ABC canceled M

Into the clutches of Cobra-La, was inspired by the events of the 1986 animated GI Joe: The Movie. If you were a fan of GI Joe you have most likely watched this movie. I have countless times, and several more times while I was writing the book and a few more times doing "research" for this entry. For those who may have missed it, I will provide a brief history. Hasbro had several successful cartoons in the 80's based on their various toy lines. The two most popular, among boys, and the two relevant for this entry were GI Joe: A Real American Hero and The Transformers, both animated by Sunbow Entertainment. After 2 seasons each on television, GI Joe, and The Transformers were both set to make their big screen debut. The animated Transformers: The Movie was released first in August of 1986, and the target audience went ballistic. At least I did, especially when the sentient planet known as Unicron unexpectedly transformed into a massive, unstoppable robot without

I was completely blown away. The 2.5 hour long movie never disappointed for a single minute. I'll try to review it without spoilers. Captain America Civil War starts out with a high-stakes espionage  scene that competes with popular movies of that genre. Displaying the spy training of a SHIELD Agent, spectacular chases, amazing fights and the teamwork of the second generation of Avengers we saw assemble at the end Avengers 2 Age of Ultron. It is that movie the sets the tone for this sequel. After an unfortunate accident in that astounding opening sequence, the governments of the world have had enough of the brazen actions of enhanced superheroes acting on their own volition. The option the governments came up with to regulate their actions is what causes the divide between Team Captain America and Team Iron Man.  

With Captain America Civil War opening this Friday, I decided to brain out loud my opinion. Partially about the star-spangled squeal, but mainly about the state of affairs the library of Marvel characters are in today. Since I am 100% positive Captain America Civil War or Avengers 2.5 as some call it, is going to be a great movie and a box-office smash I'll talk briefly about it first. Some sites have predicted a domestic opening weekend box office around $190 million. The reviews are also in and they're overwhelmingly positive, 94% at Rottentomatoes.com in fact. Captain America Civil War looks as if it will blow away the disappointing Batman vs. Superman debacle. But this entry is about Marvel vs DC, it's about Marvel/Disney vs. 20th Century Fox. Actually, it's not really about the fight between the two studios, as the headline indicates. This entry is about why it's okay that the X-Men won't be showing up in an Avengers Movie. At least from my point of view.

I'm sure by this point, everybody has heard the sad news. The legendary musical genius Prince has passed at the age of 57. Known as The Purple One, Prince Rogers Nelson was a once in a lifetime artist, an icon in every sense of the word and his influence stretched to nearly every musician that proceeded him.  "He's somewhere within every song I've ever written." Justin Timberlake - Instagram I don't need to go about his history, or just how gifted he was, or the amount of hit songs and awards Prince accumulated. There are probably tens of thousands of sites that have analytically recapped his amazing career and his seemingly unending talent. What I do want to do with this entry is address the tragic trend of the deaths of my heroes from the screen, film, music and even pro-wrestling that began at the turn of the year.

As a kid, I never had the first wave of straight-armed GI Joe action figures from 1982, or the reissued first wave with swivel arm articulation, or for that matter the second wave from 1983, or the third wave...etc. My love of GI Joe didn't start until one fateful summer afternoon in 1986. A friend of mine, who had a massive Star Wars collection I envied, was having a yard sale. I knew he wasn't selling anything from that collection, but I rode my bicycle over to the yard sale anyway. Other than a bedroom full of Star Wars toys, vehicles and play sets he also had a growing collection of GI Joe toys and comics. That collection was displayed on the folding tables arranged on their front lawn and I bought it all. I bought the comics, dozens of action figures, the GI Joe Killer Whale and the Cobra Terror Drome. I made multiple trips I bought so much stuff. After that afternoon, I was hopelessly hooked on The Real American Hero, and I mean a lifelong addiction. I built my respectabl

I have played big budget, studio developed hits like Titanfall and Batman Arkham Knight as well as smaller independently developed games, such as the episodic Walking Dead series from Telltale, and have thoroughly enjoyed them. However, I always return to Grand Theft Auto 5. GTA 5 is a fun open world, anything goes, free for all that is completely addictive. It's not just me that's unable to put the game down, GTA 5 has consistently remained in the top 10 worldwide best sellers list despite being two and half years old. The game visual are gorgeous, the soundtrack is a classic, and the single player story mode is thrilling, but the chaotic online play is what gives GTA 5 it's unprecedented longevity. Rockstar, the developers of GTA 5, keep the online play fresh by routinely updating the game with new items, cars, weapons and even modes of gameplay. Even with all it offers and my addiction, it appears that I may finally stop playing GTA 5 as rumors are growing about a squ

Another trailer was released to build anticipation for the second season of Daredevil on Netflix. Where the first trailer featured Jon Bernthal as The Punisher, the new trailer features Elodie Yung as the deadly assassin and Matt Murdock's ex-girlfriend Elektra Natchios. GI Joe fans should recognize her as Jinx in GI Joe 2 Retaliation. Like Jinx, Elektra is also a highly skilled ninja. However Elektra is more willing to kill, something Daredevil does not approve of as seen in the trailer. The lovely French actress has received some praise for her turn as Elektra. Mike Cecchini from Den of Geek called Elodie Yung's Elektra " the character to watch". Elodie Yung demonstrates her martial art prowess as Jinx, in GI Joe 2 Retaliation  It appears Matt Murdock/Daredevil will have multiple, compelling threads in season two. This trailer focuses on one of those two main threads. It looks as if Elektra recruits Daredevil to rid Hell's Kitchen of the Yakuza Crime

According to a post on hisstank.com submitted after the recent 2016 Toy Fair, there will be no main action figure line retail presence of the Real American Hero this year. You will see GI Joe licensed characters from Loyal Subjects, Funko Pop and possibly others. However, there will sadly be no 3 3/4" or 4" modern era action figure line up. The Loyal Subjects and Funko Pop Vinyl figures look great. I'll probably pick up a few, especially that FANG.

The first season of Daredevil on Netflix was a huge success for the streaming service, as well as for Marvel. Delivering an impressive, estimated 4.4 million or 10.7% of subscribers watching, at least, one episode in its first 11 days, according to an article in Variety. Daredevil was also a critical success for Marvel with a nearly perfect 98% rating on rotten tomatoes. It was a grim departure from Marvel's brighter, more colorful cinematic universe and it worked. Much like Batman, Daredevil is a street level vigilante and the streets of Hell's Kitchen are dark and unwelcoming. Marvel has announced plans for a few stories to tell on Netflix with a more mature tone including Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, which is in production now, and in the future Iron Fist. These four properties and a few others such as Moon Knight, Ghost Rider, and Task Master all have more mature tones that would fit perfectly in this darker corner of Marvel's cinematic universe. As mentioned

During the advertising blitz for Watchmen in 2009, Zack Snyder was referred to as “The visionary Director of 300”. I could never see what visionary direction he took with 300. Snyder read the historically inspired tale from Frank Miller and made the frames of the film look like the panels of the comic. The sepia tones, stark contrast, and the slow motion shots looked nice on the big screen but were certainly not groundbreaking nor visionary. Snyder did the same for Watchmen, more or less making a motion picture reproduction of the comic. Both of those movies were considered average among critics at rottentomatoes, 300 is rated at 60% and Watchmen is rated at 65%. Most directors have a vanity project that they would love to do, but the studios have to test the director first. Zack Snyder’s test was his first original concept, a project he had been working on before he directed Watchmen. Snyder obviously passed, as both 300 and Watchman were successful enough for Warner Brothers t

Synopsis When Beach Head and a group of new recruits travel to the Himalayan Mountains for advanced training Lieutenant Falcon and the others make a shocking discovery. What they find changes their mission and their perceptions of reality drastically. They'll have to survive an ancient race of relentless insectoids, savage monsters and even the vicious Golobulus, Supreme Ruler of Cobra-La, if they want to make it onto the GI Joe team. Even Beach Head doubts they'll all make it. My first Kindle Worlds GI Joe book "Into the clutches of Cobra-La" is finished and available to purchase for only $1.99. Writing the book was a fun, eye-opening experience that I didn't know I'd enjoy, as much as I did and I hope you enjoy reading it just as much. A second book is already being written and others are rattling around in my head, anxious to get out. I hope you enjoy the fan-fiction and return to brainoutloud for updates on future tales from the thrilling world o

Kindle Worlds from Amazon is a great platform to tell your stories about a number of licensed properties. I've devoured books from Bill Nedrow and Justin Bell, among others, and anxiously await more. If anybody has recommendations for other Kindle Worlds licensed properties besides GI Joe that I should read, leave a comment below. My one complaint about Kindle Worlds is the cover designer app. Some licensed properties allow you to upload your own cover designs. However, the GI Joe submission page only has a small collection of images that you are permitted to use. I did what I could with the limited resources to create a nice looking cover. I'll post that image soon, as well as details on how to purchase the thrilling Into the clutches of Cobra-La fanfiction. I already had a cover in mind before realizing the limitations So I still made the cover I would have liked to use, and included it below. I don't know all the behind the scenes legalities Amazon deals with in re

Welcome to brain out loud, a fun, whimsical expression that essentially means "these are my thoughts." My thoughts and opinions may be on popular culture news and events, i.e. comic book movies, or I may post about GI Joe and additions to my humble collection. Yes, I absolutely, unabashedly love The Real American Hero. I unknowingly choose a career as a graphic designer when I was young, because of GI Joe. The cartoons, comic books, and action figures during the 1980s inspired me to become an artist. GI Joe grabbed my attention and sparked my imagination more so than any other toy line. Over the years, I have created dozens of my own characters, writing biographies for each. However, for some reason, I never considered writing GI Joe fan fiction. That is until I discovered the licensing programs of Amazon Kindle Worlds. The brain out loud blog will follow as I write and allow me to interact with readers. I have finished my first manuscript, and it is in the process of b