AUTHOR REBOOTS DUNGEON & DRAGONS FRANCHISE FOR A NEW GENERATION

I tend to read more Science Fiction novels than Fantasy but decided to read R. A. Salvatore’s new book “The Companions” because I had previously really enjoyed reading the Star Wars story that he had penned “Vector Prime” despite the fact that he killed off Chewbacca in it …. boo!  I have to admit I’m a fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, Baulder’s Gate video game and played Dungeon and Dragons in middle school so I was curious if this book...

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SEPTEMBER IS DC COMICS - VILLAINS MONTH

Two years ago DC Comics did a major reboot of their comic book franchises stopping every story line and restarting each one from scratch.  They called this the NEW 52 and decades of past character canon was erased with all of their comic book titles starting again at ISSUE #1.  In celebration of the 2nd anniversary of the New 52, DC is focusing the month of September on its villains with a new villain focused mini-series and each of the...

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Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure: a PaperCutz Fairy Tale

There is only one thing that trumps Disney Princesses when it comes to my daughter and that is Tinker Bell and her troupe of Disney Fairies. We have all of the DVD movies featuring the Disney Fairies and what is nice about them is my son gets as engrossed in watching them as my little girl.  These are great movies because they are entertaining for our kids and have content that as parents we don’t have to worry about being appropriate for our...

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Doc McStuffins Starts Making House Calls on Sept 6

The Disney cable network’s popular and award-winning preschool show “Doc McStuffins” will be kicking off Season 2 on Friday, September 6th.   "Doc McStuffins" is a tv program my kids enjoy watching and I can appreciate letting them watch. This animated show chronicles a six-year-old girl named Doc McStuffins who, one day, wants to become a doctor like her mother. As a kid, she "pretends" to be a doctor by fixing up toys and dolls....

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Monday Sept 2 is NEIGHBOR DAY on PBS KIDS' Daniel Tiger Show

You'll often see a Tiger prowling through our house ... don't be alarmed though it is just my son playing as one of his favorite cartoon characters - DANIEL TIGER!  This PBS KIDS show captures my kids' attention and cultivates their imagination.  With one more year to go until  until Kindergarten, my 4 year old twins are at just the right age now to appreciate the stories and lessons portrayed in DANIEL TIGER'S NEIGHBORHOOD.PBS KIDS...

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DC COMICS HAS DOUBLE SUCCESS WITH ITS VIDEO GAME & COMIC BOOK DYNAMIC DUO

My college years were filled with a lot of late evenings tackling my buddies in exhausting bouts of combat as we all strove to be the campus champion in Mortal Kombat.  This game had cutting edge graphics and features for the time and was a great way to release some of our scholarly anxieties and just have some youthful rambunctious fun.  I've wondered over the years why video game publishers have never made an exhilarating combat game...

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Make Educational Stops on Vacations a Family Tradition

We were driving away from the Gerald Eddy Discovery Center during our last vacation when my wife said to me “You know you’ve become your Father – you’re taking our children to all the same types of places your Dad dragged you to as a kid.”  She winked at me.  “I love that about you and our kids are going to have great childhood memories when they grow up.”My Dad always included visits to museums and historical sites on every family vacation....

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Star Wars with a THE

The story that George Lucas originally presented to producers and studio executives was very different than the movie that hit theaters in 1977.  Lucas's rough draft screen play was more like a combination of the "first" three movies that eventually came out as "prequels" after the original Star Wars: Episode IV blockbuster that introduced us to characters like Luke Skywalker and Han Solo from a galaxy far far away.  His original screenplay...

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A Hands -On Adventure in Ann Arbor

We took a road trip with our kids this weekend to Ann Arbor to check out their children's Hands-On Museum.  The museum has a focus on teaching children about the science behind everyday life through more than 250 exhibits that let kids touch, feel & experience demonstrations & experiments.  Admission is $10 per person for both children and adults.   It is located on Ann Street tucked away along a nice neighborhood in downtown...

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Jeffrey Brown wonders what Middle School would be like as a Jedi in new book

Cartoonist Jeffrey Brown who recently brought us the books "Star Wars: Darth Vader & Son" and "Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess" has a new book set a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away coming out in September 2013.  In Chronicle Books' Star Wars: Jedi Academy, after being turned down for a spot in the Pilot Academy's Middle School program tween aged student Roan Novachez is taken under the wing of Yoda who trains him in...

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Comedy Duo Parodies Blockbuster Movies & Hit TV Shows with Children in Song

Who needs to watch blockbuster movies or hit television series when you can watch instead online episodes of MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICAL.  Self-proclaimed "Internetainers" Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal who are known for producing humorous online videos have scripted and casted a troop of want-to-be child actors for a series of YouTube performances that mock the High School Musical movies and GLEE by performing parodies of movies and television shows.  The Middle School Musical clips portray the vibe of being at a junior high drama club performance...

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The Filibuster of all Filibusters: Patton Oswalt's Appearance on "Parks & Recreations"

I'll always think of actor/comedian Patton Oswalt as the character "Spence" from one of my favorite tv shows King of Queens.  He's had a lot of fan fare this year for another role though, his portrayal of "Angry Citizen" in an episode of NBC's Parks and Recreation.  In this appearance, to try and stop a vote by the Pawnee City Council he does a citizen filibuster.  The show's producer's told Oswalt to just wing it for what he said during the filibuster scene so he did an off the cuff one take oratory on his thoughts of what the new...

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