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New Gay-Affirming Pentacostal Church Opens in Cedar Rapids, IA

September 27, 2014, 8:36 am
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You all know that I regularly visit the discussion boards at the Gay Christian Network. One of the things that irks me is when GCN regulars worship at churches that will literally kick them to the curb if they ever find out that they are gay, or gay married, or gay-affirming, or anything but ex-gay. I mean, these folks are supporting religious institutions that will turn against them and cast them out. Meanwhile, they criticize faith communities such as the United Church of Christ and the Metropolitan Community Church that actually will support them and nurture the development of their identities as gay Christians. But I understand their dilemma. They have spiritual needs that are better met by charismatic worship practices. And unfortunately those churches tend to be anti-gay.

There is a third option and it bugs me that more LGBT Christians and straight allies rarely consider: Start a new church that fits your worship needs, but also remains affirming to all. I'm glad to announce that a nearby group of charismatics in Cedar Rapids, IA, have actually done that:
The Rev. Tony White and his partner, Scott Niskanen, know what it’s like to be turned away from the church, and from those leading a Christian life. “There are some hateful people out there, and some of those hateful people are behind the doors of the church,” White said.

That’s why White, a former truck driver, and Niskanen, a retired music teacher, started Showers of Blessings Pentecostal Church, open to anyone but with a specific aim of letting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community know “they are loved,” White said.

“The other night I preached — and this really is the foundation of Showers of Blessings— about John 3:16: ‘That God so loved the world, that he have his only begotten son Jesus Christ, so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life,’” White said. “I am a ‘whosoever.’ We are all, ‘whosoevers.’”

The church is part of a growing denomination, the Affirming Pentecostal Church, International, and Apostolic Pentecostal denomination founded in Indiana in 2010. Unlike most other Apostolic churches, APCI is LGBT-affirming. Their doctrine, however, follows the same beliefs as most other Apostolic Pentecostal churches.
Showers of Blessings is a small church and so far its worship size has grown to nine.

But it's a start. And it's an important start. It's time for LGBT Christians, our friends, and our families to assume our rightful seat within the collective brotherhood of Christ.
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Open Letter to the Married Christian Mom Who is Leery about Worshipping at an Aging Church...

September 28, 2014, 12:08 pm
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A blog article titled "The Church is Responsible for This" by Candice Czubernat was circulating yesterday through my Facebook feed. It tells the first-hand tale of a married lesbian mom, her wife, and their two infants as they search for an LGBT-affirming church. The problem is that they can't find an affirming church that isn't too far away, isn't too liberal, or isn't overly filled with "old people." So she privately grieves and send other LGBT parents to non-religious LGBT community centers. Because she doesn't want to exposed to "old people" germs and because (though she doesn't actually spend any time in the blog article addressing this) she doesn't want to be exposed to "liberal" people (i.e., religious progressives who actually welcome and affirm families like her family).

Lots of people have commented to that article. They either feel her pain or they welcome her to come to their church. More recently, there has been a small group of anti-gay religious folks who want her to know that she and her family are welcome at their church as long as they use quote-marks about the words "wife,""marriage," and "family" when referencing her family and as long as they eventually turn away from lesbianism and get divorced.

But there's another group of commenters who cannot move beyond Czubernat's call for LGBT tolerance; namely those of us who are offended by her lack of tolerance towards those who struggle with "old people" and aging congregations.

I belong to a small church. It hasn't always been this way, but currently we have a lot of old people at our church. I'm in my lower 40s and I'm one of the youngest members. There used to be other families with younger children at my church. There were my boys. There was a lesbian pair with a son & daughter who are roughly the age of my younger son. There were two other kids who were just a bit younger than my younger son. And there were a three other kids just older than my younger son.

And then they all left because they all wanted to belong to a church with more kids. Actually, it was a bit more complicated than that for most of them; but that was one of the stated complaints. The end result is that my aging church was left with one pre-teen boy (i.e., my son).

So do I leave a church with people that I've worshiped alongside since the late 90s so that we can seek out another gay-affirming church with more kids? Or do I stay at our church and allow my son the gift of worshipping at a church with a sense of history that includes our family? And if we had left, what does our absence provide for other visitors and prospective members who are seeking a church with diverse membership ages?

And, frankly, what's the likelihood that we'd find another church that's both gay-affirming, that's liberal (because I don't believe that is a horrible thing), and that has an active youth group that my son wants to hang with?

Speaking of church history, check out this picture:


This was from a membership "Stations of the Cross" exhibit that we created at my church back in 2006 when D'Angelo was five. I remember discussing the scene with D' and asking him to drew a picture. I then asked him what it all means and wrote down his words verbatim. One of the sixtysomething women collected that picture and kept it at her home until recently. She just shared it with me and asked me to share it with D'Angelo.

Keep in mind that D' is going through a "religion is a farce" phase right now. Maybe he will grow out of it. Maybe it won't. But his reaction to this drawing was precious. My 14-year-old son read it out loud and laughed with genuine appreciation. He doesn't worship at our church these days, but he belongs at our church and he knows that the old men and women at Faith UCC love him, worry about him, and are proud of the young man that he is growing into.

I would encourage young families to give a second thought to aging congregations. This isn't a "beggars can't be choosers" encouragement. This is a reminder that aging congregations have a lot to teach younger adults and their kids. It is also a suggestion that your presence may make it easier for other younger church-seekers who are leery about worshipping with people on the other side of 50. And (particularly for LGBT individuals and families who are seeking affirming church communities) this is a reminder that several of those fifty-, sixty-, and seventysomething old people are quite possibly LGBT Christians themselves and (assuming you're so lucky) they may be able to offer you and your kids a glimpse into your future.

In other words, stop being so quick to dismiss churches because there are too many gray-haired members. You both have something to offer each other.
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Don't You Wish Lesbians Had This Much Power?

September 29, 2014, 5:41 pm
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I saw this 1992 quote from Pat Robertson earlier today and couldn't help wishing that lesbians and feminists had this much power...

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Nero Gets Reincarnated! Welcome Fender Blossom!!

September 29, 2014, 6:18 pm
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Earlier this month, I shared a tragic story by my buddy Stuffed Animal featuring Nero's final sacrifice against the evil witch Carmen Serna. You can read all about it here. That said, I hinted at a rebirth of sorts for my favorite poodle. This blog carried on with the rest of that story...


It's true that Nero finally meets his end in the year 2050, but Sabrina "Bree" Spellman made sure that Nero's soul would live on into the next generation.

Shortly after Nero's physical death, Bree redirects his soul into the stillborn body of the offspring of Lyle Jason Blossom and Rikki Ninja. Nero's reincarnated human name is Fender Carlyle Blossom!


This extraordinary child has some unique abilities. In times of need, his animal spirit kicks in and Fender finds himself with the heightened senses, speed, and agility of a canine. He's young now, but those talents will definitely come in handy as he ages. Especially when you consider who his aunt is... (Hint: Carmen Serna!!)

Until now, Fender Blossom gets to grow up basking in the love and care of his dad and his transdad, under the spiritual protection and tutelage of his godmother Bree!
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Georgia Police Mistake SpaghettiOs for Meth // Woman Spends Month in Jail Waiting for Test Results

September 30, 2014, 5:33 pm
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This is one of those stories that you just cannot make up. A Georgia woman was arrested after police found a dirty spoon in her person. Police believed it was meth residue. She asserted that it was dried sauce from an old can of SpaghettiOs. Several weeks of jail later and local officials confirmed that it was indeed dried SpaghettiOs sauce on her spoon:
Ashley Gabrielle Huff, 23, maintains the spoon had only spaghetti sauce. Gainesville police officers thought differently after conducting a field test of the spoon July 2. The charge of possessing methamphetamine was dismissed, according to the Hall County district attorney’s office, after a crime lab analysis. 

“I’m just happy to be free again,” said Huff, who was released on Sept. 18 from the Hall County Jail.
Gainesville police provided The Times with the arrest report this week, the result of a traffic stop for a tag light violation.

The officer’s report states he received consent to search Huff’s 1994 Ford Explorer, and searched a bag with the name “Ashley” printed on it. The officer described Huff, a passenger, as “nervous,” noting sores on her face, arms and legs. Inside the bag was a spoon with a “clear, crystal-like substance,” according to the report...

The officer reported he found a glass smoking device in the bag as well before conducting a field test for methamphetamine. “I tested the spoon with a field test kit, and the crystal-like substance on the spoon showed a positive indication for methamphetamine,” the report reads.

Huff was arrested and taken to Hall County Jail...

Huff told The Times the spoon and the SpaghettiOs were from a friend, as she and the other three people in the car were driving to a friend’s house in Gainesville. “We had been riding around, and I threw the can in the trash because I was eating them straight out of the can,” she said. “I just threw the spoon in my purse because I had borrowed it from a friend — the can of the SpaghettiOs and the spoon.”

The district attorney’s office issued a dismissal for Huff’s charge after further analysis on the spoon. “The Crime Lab report showed no controlled substances on the spoon submitted for testing, “ according to the dismissal signed by Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh.
Another report indicates that Huff was pressured to take a plea deal in order to get out of jail early.

Because of this arrest and incarceration, Huff missed her kids' birthday, as well as a job at a waffle house restaurant.
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"Blessing of the Pets" Worship Services at Faith United Church of Christ on 10/01/14 at 7:00 PM in Iowa City!

October 1, 2014, 5:42 am
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Faith United Church of Christ will be doing its annual "Blessing of the Pets" worship services tonight at 7:00 PM in Iowa City. People are invited to bring their pets -- dogs, cats, birds, sea monkeys, whatever! -- for a brief worship service followed by blessings of each individual pet:


Nero and Ms. Lion will definitely be making appearances. We haven't decided if Calliope Jane is coming or not.

Faith UCC is located at 1609 DeForest Avenue in Iowa City. All are welcomed and affirmed!
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Charges Dropped Against Iowa Man in "Criminal HIV Transmission" Case

October 1, 2014, 3:58 pm
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I wrote last year about Iowa's criminal HIV transmission law. At the center of this law was an otherwise healthy HIV-positive man named Nick Rhoades whose medication compliance and healthy lifestyle made his viral load medically undetectable. He had sex -- wearing a condom -- with another man, but didn't tell that man that he is HIV-positive. The man later found out and reported Rhoades to the police. Despite the fact that they practiced safer sex and that his sex partner did not acquire the disease, Rhoades was convicted of "criminal transmission" of HIV and was sentenced to 25 years in prison. His felony conviction was eventually reduced to time served, but Rhoades remained on Iowa's sex offender registry.

Then earlier this spring, Iowa's legislature updated our criminal HIV transmission law to make it less draconian. As a result of this revised law, Rhoades would be removed from Iowa's sex offender registry effective July 1, 2014. A few weeks later, the Iowa Supreme Court overturned Rhoades' felony conviction of criminal transmission of HIV and sent the case back to the Black Hawk County District Court to reconsider their approach to his case.

Yesterday, the Black Hawk County Attorney office finally decided to drop HIV criminal transmission charges against Rhoades, decided that they don't have a criminal case anymore!:
Assistant Black Hawk County Attorney Linda Fangman filed a motion to dismiss the case on Tuesday, online court records show. The motion cites the Supreme Court's ruling and the amount of time that has passed since the original charges were filed in 2008...

Rhoades' attorneys had said it was his hope the case would be dropped. "We can safely say he will not be a felon, he will not be a sex offender, and he can sleep soundly knowing that," said Joseph Glazebrook of Des Moines, one of the team of attorneys representing Rhoades in his appeal.
Assuming that the Black Hawk County courts approve this dismissal, Rhoades will finally be free.
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Louisiana Church Kicks Out "Alcoholics Anonymous" Group over Fears of Gay Weddings

October 2, 2014, 5:35 am
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The leadership at Westwood Baptist Church in Keithville, LA, is terribly concerned about being forced to allow gay weddings within the church. As a result, they decided to kick out a local Alcoholics Anonymous group from their church in an effort to push back against the homos:
Dear AA Members:
As I am sure you are aware, God’s church, his written word, and its values and principles have come under a constant and aggressive attack from the homosexual and lesbian community.  Churches and Christian businesses alike, across our nation, are being forced, by our legal system, to accommodate these groups in the use of their buildings/facilities to perform marriage ceremonies, receptions, etc. The court’s decision was based on the fact that the Churches/businesses were accepting and accommodating other public entities, and therefore must also accommodate the homosexual and lesbian community.
Therefore, in following with the recommendations of our state and national conventions, it is with great regret that we (the members of Westwood Baptist Church) must inform you that use of our church facilities will no longer be available to you and your organization beginning October 1, 2014.
We are thankful for the time that was afforded to us; and your organization and will continue to lift you; and your group up in our prayers.
Thank you for your understanding in this unfortunate matter.
God bless,
Bro. David Veneble- Pastor
Bro. Tim Tipton- Master of Admin./Edu.
The church has also rewritten its bylaws so that only church members can utilize church space.

Which is well within its rights.

They just seem misinformed. I mean, churches are free to allow or disallow any wedding that they want. That was true yesterday. It's true today. They can refuse to allow weddings of divorced members. They can refuse to allow weddings of former members. They can refuse to allow weddings of non-members. They can refuse to allow weddings of mixed-religious couples. They can refuse to allow weddings of interracial couples. It's all legal.

That didn't change ten years ago when same-sex couples began legally marrying in Massachusetts or five years ago when same-sex couples began legally marrying in Iowa; etc...

But it's always fun to take random civil and court challenges to different laws in different states and pretend that you are the victim of gay marauders.

Hopefully, the various AA members have found new locations to work on maintaining their sobirety. And hopefully they will be informed enough to recognize that they weren't kicked out because of "the homosexual and lesbian community."
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"Real Housewives of New Jersey" Stars Sentenced to Prison over Guilty Fraud Charges

October 2, 2014, 8:09 pm
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Viewers of Bravo's "Real Housewives of New Jersey" have watched as Teresa and Joe Guidice pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and three types of bankruptcy fraud -- as well as Joe pleading guilty to not filing tax returns back in 2004.

Here are some of the details surrounding their charges: 
Teresa and Joe pleaded guilty in March to hiding assets from bankruptcy court and submitting phony loan applications to obtain approximately $5 million in mortgages and construction loans.
This is all playing out right now on the current season of the reality TV show and is being spun to make the normally table-tossing/party-brawling Guidice family look sympathetic.

But that was filmed months ago. The pair was finally sentenced earlier today. Joe Guidice was sentenced to 41 months in prison and Teresa Guidice was sentenced to 15 months in prison. Each were sentenced to two years of supervised probation following their prison terms. They also much pay a combined $414,000-430,000 in restitution. Theoretically, Joe Guidice (an Italian citizen who's lived most of his life in the USA) could be deported following his prison term.

It appears that the prison terms will be staggered so that they can care for their four daughters. Teresa will serve her prison sentence first. After her prison term, Joe will (obviously) serve his prison term.
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Bear With Me... Betty & Veronica Say Farewell to Riverdale -- And Hello to the Zoo!!

October 3, 2014, 7:32 pm
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I was on Facebook yesterday when I saw an Archie Comics-related story that seemed like a gag -- but it's all based on a true story!

It turns out that there is a pair of grizzly bears named Betty and Veronica who have been living at the Bronx Zoo since 1995. The two bears have been cared for by the Wildlife Conservation Society as they cannot return to the wild. The two she-bears have been temporarily relocated to the Central Park Zoo to take the place of a now-deceased polar bear named Gus. Eventually, they will return home to the Bronx Zoo once a trio of orphaned grizzlies are socialized to take their place.

Here is the fun part. Betty and Veronica the bears have met Betty and Veronica from Riverdale! They also met Archie and Jughead -- way back in ARCHIE #550!

I got curious about this story and ended up purchasing a digital copy of the comic book and was treated to a great story. The Lodge family were camping at Yellowstone Park and decided for some unknown reason to bring along Archie, Jughead, and Betty. Early into their stay, the group lost a backpack of food to a scavenging grizzly bear. A ranger informed them that grizzly bears are only allowed three incidents. After that, they have to be destroyed.

Betty freaked out and reconnected with some people that she knew from the Bronx Zoo and the Wildlife Conservation Society. She and her friends learned about the Animal Enrichment Program, which takes in bears who would've otherwise been doomed because of "three strikes" programs out in the wild.


Betty and the rest learned how the Wildlife Conservation Society cares for, stimulates, and entertains their bears. Not only that, but they also revealed that four of their recently acquired bears were named after Betty, Veronica, Archie, and Jughead -- largely due to Betty's commitment for the program!


It was a pretty good story. It offered safety tips for people who find themselves camping in "bear country." But it also provided a good balance between entertainment and education -- which isn't always easy to do! Plus, I'm always a sucker for instances where reality and comic books intersect!

"Bear In Mind" was written by George Gladir, penciled by Stan Goldberg, inked by Bob Smith, and lettered by Vickie Williams. It's a 10-year-old comic book and probably not terribly easy to find if you don't read digital comic books, but it's definitely worth to search if you get the chance!
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Boy Scouts Don't Hire Out Lesbian in Colorado

October 4, 2014, 8:20 am
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A 29-year-old lesbian from Denver, CO, applied for a job with the Boy Scouts of America. She went through a couple rounds of interviews and was eventually hired as Director of the New Adventure Center. Then, Yasmine Cassini "read the Scouts manual" and noticed that there aren't any employee protections based on sexual orientation. She then came out to her new employers and asked "is this going to affect me with this position?" It obviously did and the job offer was rescinded:
“The offer was rescinded because I no longer met the minimum qualifications for the position,” Cassini said.

The Boy Scouts require workers to be a member of their organization and adult members are not allowed to be openly gay.

The Boy Scouts would not talk to FOX31 Denver on camera, but the organization released the following statement: “As this is a personnel matter, we are not at liberty to discuss details. But, during the employment process, this individual brought it to our attention that she did not meet the requirements for employment...”

Cassini said she though the Boy Scouts recent youth membership modifications meant the organization was evolving. “I want to raise awareness that discrimination is not OK – and it’s something that is still occurring and it has to stop,” Cassini said. “Something needs to change and that change needs to happen now.”
This whole situation seems like an attention-seeking set-up. Arguably, pretty much all LGBT people who work professionally with children know that the Boy Scouts of America are anti-gay. They have fought for decades to assert their anti-gay credentials. Not only that, but they recently were in the news for softening their membership criteria so that gay teens wouldn't necessarily be kicked out -- at least, not until they turn 18.

Cassini -- judging from her statements -- seemed well aware of their aversion to working with LGBT people. So why apply for this job? If she was aware of their past discriminatory policies against gay people, why not come out during one of her interviews? Why wait to come out until after she got the job?

This is the type of story that just annoys the heck out of me. I don't like it, but the Boy Scouts of America are a private religious organization and they are free to choose or reject their membership as they please. It doesn't help our broader cause to try and force private groups to accept LGBT members and employees against their will. There are other fights to fight and this type of situation just serves as a distraction and something for social conservatives to use against us in the future.
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Evel Dick from "Big Brother": I'm HIV-Positive

October 5, 2014, 11:24 am
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Fans of CBS'"Big Brother" reality TV show were confused when Dick Donato suddenly left the game during the 2011 "All-Stars" reunion season. Everyone was very tight-lipped about why he left. It turns out that he learned from the show's medical staff that he is HIV-positive:
Donato was competing on season 13 of Big Brother when producers called him into the house's Diary Room. "They told me that something was wrong with my blood test," he says. "They had done two HIV tests. One had come back positive and the other had come back negative." The show's doctor took more blood. Two hours later, Donato learned the life-changing news. "When they told me, I just went numb," he says. With little explanation, Donato left the show."They had a car take me from CBS to my mother's house. She was the first person I told..."

Donato doesn't know how he contracted the disease, but he suspects that it happened during unprotected sex with a woman. "People are going to make assumptions about how I got it, and that's okay," he says. "People are afraid to come forward because they're afraid of the stigma of HIV. I'm not gay and I've never stuck a needle in my arm, but at this point, it doesn't matter. We create a stigma around the disease that makes it hard for people to publicly say they have it."
An article with TMZ says that he most likely contracted HIV while having unprotected sex with a stripper. It seems she was having his period while they were having sex.

Apparently, Donato is appearing on a VH1 program called "Couples Therapy" and decided to come out as HIV-postive -- largely to encourage others to get tested for the disease:
And then one day, he had an epiphany. "Look, I get that I'm a reality-show villain," he says. "But for better or for worse, I have a platform. And I decided that it was time to just publicly say what I'm dealing with. On one hand, I'm doing this for myself: I don't want to hide anymore. On the other hand, I hope it will remind viewers to get tested, practice safe sex, all those things we know in the back of our minds but maybe don't do. After I told everyone on Couples Therapy, I had two production people pull me aside and say that they had gotten tested. I feel like I can do some good." 
Later in the linked interview with People, Donato goes on to state that he is responding well to medications. He is generally healthy and his viral load is virtually undetectable.
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U.S. Supreme Court Refuses to Consider Federal Gay Marriage Challenges // As of 10/06/14, There are Now 26 Marriage Equality States Plus Washington DC -- With More Pending!!

October 6, 2014, 6:20 pm
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There have been so many federal court cases floating around these days that I've largely stopped writing about them. It's the same story most of the time. A series of same-sex couples are denied the ability to marry each other. They file federal court challenges. They are successful and their state's constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage is struck down. That decision is stayed. Their state government appeals to a federal appeals court. And the cycle is repeated.

Until today.

Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that it was not going to consider a series of cases involving the states of Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, and Utah. It turns out that another series of cases involving North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia, Colorado, Kansas, and Wyoming have also gotten folded into this decision.

Gay marriages have already begun in Virginia, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado, Oklahoma, Virginia, Utah. Not only that, but Missouri decided they will stop fighting a case that required them to recognize an out-of-state gay marriage.South Carolina has decided to keep up the fight. Kansas, West Virginia, and Wyoming are still up in the air. North Carolina won't see any gay weddings for at least ten days. So it's still a bit of a jumbled mess.

That said, there were 19 marriage equality states (plus Washington DC and various Native American tribes) yesterday. As of today, there are now 26 marriage equality states -- with five others in the wings plus Missouri!
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Mega Man Rushes Into Space in MEGA MAN #41!

October 6, 2014, 7:16 pm
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The last several issues of MEGA MAN have blended the future with the present, as we've been treated to the adventures of Mega Man and his future brother Mega Man X. MEGA MAN #41 returns 100% of our focus on the Mega Man's present day adventures with a new storyline titled "Legends of the Blue Bomber!"

Back in issue #36, all sorts of craziness happened. Dr. Wily went on trial for various robotic crimes against humanity -- and actually won! He convinced the Judge, Mega Man, and Dr. Light that he was under the influence of an alien computer menace named Ra Moon. Dr. Wily was placed in Dr. Light's custody and told to avoid work with robots, but otherwise everything turned out okay!

While at Dr. Light's home, Wily hatched a scheme -- along with an assortment of rogue Robot Masters -- to steal several elements needed to operate a giant new robot named Gamma. Mega Man has been searching for those Robot Masters ever since... and inadvertently falling into a series of traps set by Dr. Wily himself.

Surprisingly, nobody but Roll, Mega Man's sister, seem to suspect that Dr. Wily is up to no good!

Mega Man's search for the evil Robot Masters has led him into space. He's on his own and need to single-handedly locate eight separate energy elements. Normally, that wouldn't be an overly daunting task. Mega Man has a lot of allies. But he only has his robo-dog Rush with him on this mission. So he's pretty much isolated if things turn out really bad!


Mega Man ends up fighting two separate battles against two different Robot Masters: Top Man and Snake Man. Top Man depends on game-like traps and speed to take down his enemies. Snake Man prefers to utilize stealth-like hunting and hypnotic fear techniques to overwhelm with prey. It's clear that each enemy in this series of fights -- and it looks like we're promised at least six other fights before this mission is through -- will get progressively tougher to defeat.


Can Mega Man keep it together long enough to collect all eight energy elements??

"With Grace, Without Fear" is written by Ian Flynn, penciled by Powree, inked by Gary Martin, lettered by John Workman, and colored by Matt Herms.

By the way, I was reading MEGA MAN's letter column in this issue and saw the following letter and response:
We have spent the last several issues learning about Mega Man X, Dr. Cain, and the Maverick Hunters. I really want to see these guys return. I want to see more of X's adventures. I want to learn about Zero's dubious past. I want to learn the mystery behind Dr. Cain's Reploid rehab program. Basically, I want to see more about this future timeline -- either as an ongoing back-up feature in the MEGA MAN comic book or in their own comic book title.

If you agree with me, please send your letters and/or emails to...

Mega-Mail
c/o Archie Comic Publications, Inc.
PO Box #419
Mamaroneck, NY 10543-0419
MEGAMAN@ARCHIECOMICS.COM
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Coming Soon from Marvel Comics: "Unbeatable Squirrel Girl" Ongoing Series!!!

October 6, 2014, 7:37 pm
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Have you heard the news? Marvel Comics will be publishing a new ongoing series called UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL!! The comic will be written by Ryan North and penciled by Erica Henderson:
In her first appearance, she defeated Doctor Doom. Since then, she’s taken on Wolverine, Deadpool, and freaking Thanos—and she’s never lost. Not a bad track record for a superhero–especially considering that the superhero in question is Squirrel Girl, a Marvel Comics back-bencher who’s probably best known for being Luke Cage’s nanny... In Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, writer Ryan North and artist Erica Henderson take on the lighthearted superheroine whose mutant gene gives her an endearing cocktail of squirrel-related superpowers. When the comic book begins, she’s starting college—but in no time at all, Squirrel Girl is defending Earth from threats most cosmic.
I have been increasingly dissatisfied with a lot of the stuff coming out of Marvel Comics these days -- but I will be purchasing this title when it comes out in January 2015!
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New Sonic/Mega Man "Worlds Unite" Annouced for Spring 2015!!

October 7, 2014, 6:22 pm
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I really enjoyed last summer's 12-part "Worlds Collide" crossover between Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man, published by Archie Comics. The artwork was crisp and exciting and the storyline itself was accessible enough for a newbie like myself to pick up and easily understand what was going on. Apparently, lots of other readers also enjoyed this story. Which means that we will soon get treated to a sequel crossover!!

The sequel is titled "Worlds Unite" and it's scheduled to get published in Spring 2015! The linked article doesn't give us too many details about the upcoming crossover.

We have been promised some details later this week and the New York Comic Con. The "Archie Action Hour: Sonic the Hedgehog and Mega Man" panel has been scheduled for 1:00 PM on Thursday, 10/09/14, in New York.

As always, I will share more once I learn more!!
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Black Foster Child Pepper-Sprayed in his Home by Police

October 8, 2014, 5:51 pm
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A North Carolina family's 18-year-old foster son was pepper-sprayed in his own home after a neighbor and police mistook him for a burglar:
Ricky and Stacy Tyler have fostered 18-year-old DeShawn Currie for about a year. The Tylers, their three young children and DeShawn moved to Fuquay-Varina (NC) in July. They said while they're still getting to know their neighbors, it's hurtful someone would assume DeShawn was a burglar just for going about his normal routine of walking home after school...

She left the side door to their home unlocked Monday for DeShawn, who was coming home early from school.

Fuquay-Varina police said when a neighbor saw DeShawn walk in; they called 911 to report a break-in. Soon, three officers were inside the house, all to DeShawn's surprise. "They was like, 'Put your hands on the door,'" said DeShawn. "I was like, 'For what? This is my house.' I was like, 'Why are y'all in here?'" DeShawn said he became angry when officers pointed out the pictures of the Tyler's three younger children on the mantle, assuming he didn't belong there. An argument ensued and DeShawn said one of the officers pepper-sprayed him in the face.
DeShawn was being treated by an ambulance crew when his foster mother arrived home. She was able to straighten things out with the police before they arrested the boy for being in his own home.

Shockingly, the police haven't charged DeShawn with any crimes.
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Rest In Peace Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends...

October 8, 2014, 5:52 pm
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I have no clue what's happening in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN. I know that there is some menace that is threatening Spider-Men throughout the multiverse, but beyond that? Nothing.

And then I learned the sad news earlier today...


Marvel Comics killed off Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends. I loved this cartoon so much that I named my pekepoo after the team's mascot.

Much sadness...
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"Archie Meets Predator" in Spring 2015!!

October 9, 2014, 4:17 pm
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I've been driving all over Iowa today and then returned to find out this bit of crazy news: Archie Comics and Dark Horse Comics are teaming up for what appears to be a four-issue limited series titled ARCHIE MEETS PREDATOR!!! It's possible that this will be a storyline within the main ARCHIE title, but that's not the impression I get from reading the various articles. It's scheduled to come out in Spring 2015 and will be written by Alex de Campi and penciled by the great Fernando Ruiz.

This is what I know. Archie and the Riverdale Gang will be vacationing in Costa Rica during Spring Break. There is a "best-dressed contest" for the girls and Betty apparently cheats by borrowing Cheryl Blossom's clothing. And then a Predator ends up stowing away back to Riverdale within one of Veronica's clothing trunks. It sounds like we're also to be treated to some cartoonish gore -- but if I've learned anything from the "Predator" franchise, it's that you should never carry a weapon around them. Otherwise, they tend to leave you alone.

I really like this bit from the USA Today interview:
My versions of the characters will really go back to the mid-1940s Archie stories(!!), where Betty and Veronica had a little more edge to them. There's a wonderful Bob Montana/Joe Kubert sequence from 1948 that I love where Veronica is asking Betty if she has a winter sport, and Betty says, "No, only Archie," with this look in her eyes like "I am all alone, with my obsession."

My Veronica is the slightly thoughtless socialite who wants Archie because he is the one thing she can't buy, while Betty is a somewhat fragile obsessive who believes Archie is hers and only hers because they grew up together. 

We use pretty much all the Archie cast in this story, though. The Blossoms play an important part, and in total 10 kids go on the holiday to Costa Rica. Only Dilton and Ethel stay home, and they play big parts in the latter half of the story, as does Sabrina briefly. 
I'm all about these characterizations of Betty and Veronica!! 

I'm sure we will learn more in the weeks to come!
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"The Other Dead" Animal-Zombie-Apocalypse Live-Action Series to Debut in 2016 on Animal Planet

October 10, 2014, 3:11 pm
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I just learned that Animal Planet -- my go-to channel for reality TV shows about Bigfoot and/or pitbulls -- is working on a live-action series based on the IDW comic book series THE OTHER DEAD. This is another zombie apocalypse series -- similar to AMC's "The Walking Dead." However, THE OTHER DEAD is clearly set in the real world and prominently features real life people such as President Barack Obama and former Vice President Dick Cheney.

Oh, and the zombies are animals. So many animals -- such as dogs, cats, birds, alligators, mice, deer... In fact, I've read one scene from THE OTHER DEAD in which Vice President Cheney is killed during a hunting trip by a zombie buck. It wasn't pretty:
First published last year, the series explores a world wracked by hurricanes and other natural disasters where undead animals rise and terrorize the population. Ortega spoke to CBR about the series and its inclusion of President Barack Obama at the time, saying, "As the story goes, a monstrous hurricane -- even worse than Katrina -- is about to hit southern Louisiana just as the Vice President is killed during an outbreak of a mysterious infection that's turning all animals into ravenous, cold-blooded killers.

"Into this mix is thrown our eclectic cast of characters: Tommy Romero, a 10-year old cancer survivor who's struggling with his faith and belief in life; Azrael, Tommy's older brother and a member of the Norwegian-like death metal band, Decapitated; Justina Abelinda Cortez, Az's girlfriend who's an exotic dancer and a Puerto Rican bruja/witch; Chet Wayne, a racist ex-Army Ranger who's been preparing for the apocalypse for years; and Barack Obama -- yes, the actual president of the United States -- who ends up in the eye of the storm, dealing not only with the hurricane but the zombie animal outbreak as well."
The plan is for "The Other Dead" to debut on Animal Planet in early 2016.
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