Graeme McMillan linked to my original blog over in his Blog@Newsarama.com column. The discussion is getting some attention there.

It has been called into question whether anyone at Marvel actually made a solid statement that can actually be called a lie, rather than just making implications. Kevin Melrose caught just such a comment weeks ago, when he appeared to be going along the same lines of thinking as I did after him.

Some apologists are trying to argue against it all being a lie…trying to pass it off as just a bunch of hate from those who didn’t like OMD…but that’s just not it.

Welcome to our new series that (obviously) highlights our contributors! First up, our priestess of the Lyrical Lounge, hip-hop reviewer and interviewer Angelica LeMinh.

Angelica hails from Canada, and she’s presently extremely busy up there. She writes a monthly sex column for “a lovely glossy” in Monteral called Nightlife; here’s a sample. Angelica also writes for Pound, which is the national Canadian hip hop magazine.

You can also check out stuff from Angelica at these NY based e-ventures: The Industry Cosign and natcreole.com (I wrote a big essay a little while ago called “Hip Hop is not dead, bitches”).

Her home away from Shotgun is her own blog, www.trueurbanlegends.blog.com

If you have a moment, show some love for the work of the constantly-writing Ms. LeMinh, all right?

So I was considering which of Britney’s songs to use in the feature after the latest news when something became quite clear. Despite the fact that she doesn’t do the heavy lifting when it comes to the writing of her tunes, there sure seem to be a lot of lyrics presaging the notion that she’s, well, crazy.

“When I’m not with you, I lose my mind.” - Baby One More Time

“Sometimes I run, sometimes I hide.” - Sometimes

“Crazy, but it feels all right.” - Drive Me Crazy

“‘Cause to lose all my senses, that is just so typically me.” - Oops I Did It Again

“Lost in an image, in a dream. But there’s no one there to wake her up.” - Lucky

“Here i go on my own ; I dont need nobody, better off alone.” - Stronger

“Too high/Can’t come down/ Losing my head/Spinning round and round/ Do you feel me now?” - Toxic

“What’s practical, what’s logical, what the hell who cares!” - Slave 4 U

And that’s just a small sample.

In the face of that, Syd Barrett seems remarkably well-adjusted.

The other day, Mr. F’n brought up Wizard’s auction of Heath Ledger covers on eBay.

Since then, I’ve looked into the issue a little more.

The Ledger covers weren’t the only Wizard magazines being auctioned off. Makes it appear like it is just a coincidence that the Ledger covers were out there, right?

Wrong.
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Welcome to an all new feature, the Quick Shot. A Quick Shot will come out the same day as the item it’s reviewing, and will often be a shorter review as a precursor to a longer one at a later date.

But hey, let’s talk Y: The Last Man #60. Simply put, this issue is a masterpiece. This story is held near and dear in a lot of readers’ hearts. I know, I’m one of them. Brian K. Vaughan first caught my eye with the X-Men Icons: Chamber mini-series he did for Marvel around the same time that Y started. When I liked that, my comic shop recommended this Vertigo book to me to check out. I was instantly hooked. This book has been a constant “top of the pile” book for me since I started getting it monthly, and this last issue held ten times the expectation for me.

The issue itself surprised me at every turn. I had so many theories and thoughts of how the story would end, and NONE of them were right; because of that, it was perfect. Pia Guerra’s art did not miss a beat. Every nuance, every heartbreaker, and every joyous moment cried out off the page.

I said heartbreaker, and yes, there are plenty. I literally said “Holy S**t” 6 times in the first four or five pages. I outright cried once, and teared up two more times beyond that. This journey we’ve been on has been a wild one, and it is weird to say goodbye.

All in all, if you’re a regular reader of this series, I will be shocked if you find any disappointment in this issue. If you haven’t yet succumb to the siren’s call, it’s time. The story is complete, and you can now take the trip of a lifetime. I am going to miss seeing what trouble Yorick and Ampersand get themselves into every month, but with an ending like this, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks, Brian, Pia, and all the crew that helped out, for a great literary epic. Is January too soon to declare the best single issue of the year?

For more talk on Y: The Last Man from me and my cohorts, check out this weekend’s edition of Shots in the Dark. The entire show will be dedicated to Yorick and friends, and we’ll be talking about this issue and the series as a whole. Also, look for a full Feature review of the book in next week’s edition of Best Shots at Newsarama.com. Want to talk about Y yourself? Head to this forum topic and let us know what YOU thought.

Over on Newsarama, Marc Guggenheim (WGA member) said the following:

“Speaking solely as a WGA member (and not a representative thereof), I’m not disappointed in Joe at all. He isn’t a member of the WGA (or the DGA, SAG or IATSE, for that matter) and, therefore, has no legal or moral obligation to honor the picket line. Nevertheless, he still solicited the opinion of at least one highly successful WGA member before committing to go on the show — a classy move, in my opinion, that he didn’t have to do.

Plus, did you notice the red WGA-solidarity wristband he wore?”

So, it appears that there are at least two WGA members that think it is OK to support the producers by helping them complete one of their shows by filling time as a guest. I give Mr. Guggenheim all the credit in the world for stating his opinion publicly and standing behind it as he has. But agreeing to appear on a show, when you have no contractual obligation, supports the producers by helping them to get new, compelling product out there. Sure, Quesada is not a big mainstream draw and someone else would probably step in, but that doesn’t excuse making the appearance.

But I want to know who this highly successful WGA member is and whether or not they are a current Marvel writer. I don’t want to support anyone who makes excuses for someone crossing a picket line. As far as comic book writers, that means no purchasing works by Guggenheim, thus far. I can only hope that the Skrull WGA member Joe spoke to will have the courage of his convictions to put his name to that advice so I can swear off purchasing their material as well.

Plus, did anyone notice the attempt to act like the red WGA-solidarity wristband that most of America has no recognition of might outweigh helping producers create a show without writers?

True strong, beautiful, melodious voices in music are few and rare, but when that unique lady comes along - who has the musically blessed voice that can blast your pants off - a true Diva is born. Divas, with octave ranges that defy gravity, are a treasured musical treat, and as much as some might rail against them, they are as necessary to music as videos and concerts. Every generation has “that voice,” that one singer who actually brings the talent - who isn’t a performer marketed to death with teeny tiny voices as thin and shallow as their songs. So are we ready for the next big voice? Check out the new music video by
Britain’s own Leona Lewis and let your ears decide for you.

Leona Lewis, the next Diva

All praises due to Bloody-Disgusting for making me aware of this.

MARVEL ZOMBIES THE MOVIE

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Actually, I completely understand the lyrics.

What I don’t understand is that, knowing what the lyrics mean, how it ever gets played on the radio.

If you think about what is meant by the “Superman” reference (or Supaman, if you prefer), then you’ll be mystified as well.

So, like, even though I am totally a 33 year old man I am so not ashamed to freely and openly admit that I am so loving the heck outta the new Care Bears cartoon on CBS’ Kewlopolis programming block. Like, how can I not? Hello! Any show that is lucky enough to be featured on a block of shows called “Kewlopolis” has gotta be way radical to, like, the max, right? I mean, “cool” isn’t even spelled the way old boring geezers do! Oh no, it’s spelled all “Kewl” with, like, a total “K” and “ewl” and junk, because, welp, it’s totally hip, totally now and, like, totally AWESOME!

Plus, who doesn’t love little furry bears with happy and colorful belly badges teaching positive life lessons? I mean, if I have to relearn my all my forgotten morals – like telling the truth (as if!) and sharing (lame!) - then I for sure want to be educated on them from Funshine Bear and his shiny, smiley sun belly badge of joy. Funshine Bear rocks out hard with his totally red skater hat too! Whoot whoot! He’s street and he’s sweet! Now that’s a winning combo! So don’t hate all you judgey judgersons! Care Bears kick fanny, embrace it! LOL!

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale was rated good and mediocre by a wide range of critics. Editor’s Note: And despised by our own Brian Andersen. Personally, I believe that action movies dealing with good looking actors, a good plot, and magic rank at least a “B” minimum. This movie starred Jason Statham, Leelee Sobieski, John Rhys-Davies, Claire Forlani, and others of that caliber. As far as actors, I found that the mix went really well. No one character stood out. The action sequences were quite tantalizing and I almost made “ooh” and “ah” noises in the theatre.

On a sadder note, even though the plot was pretty pat, it didn’t really solidify until further into the movie. Within the first ten minutes of the movie I looked at my husband and gave him the “wtf?” look. I was really lost at that point but as the movie unfolded, I came back to earth and was able to settle deeper into my seat and just enjoy the movie. In my opinion this movie should be seen on the big screen mainly for the action sequences. Some people who are not die-hard action fans might be able to wait until it comes out in the local movie store where they will have to wait in line to even see the movie cover let alone get their hands on the actual movie. After everything I give this movie an A-.

Read on for reviews of Alvin and the Chipmunks and The Golden Compass!

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The Biggest Loser takes reality TV to another level. Not only are they making people famous or infamous depending on their personality, they are changing lives. Many Americans today are very overweight and can’t overcome their weight problems on their own. The Biggest Loser is motivating people all over America to get up off their hind quarters and start exercising and living healthier lives.

This year the producers decided to take a different approach and have people compete in teams and not just as individuals. There were teams made up of best friends, newlyweds, former teammates, ex-husband and ex-wife, strangers, married couple, mother and daughter, mother and son, brothers, and father and daughter. Having someone there to support you in your efforts to become a healthier person is a great idea. Everyone needs motivation especially when facing such a hard task as these contestants.

The contestants on the show have inspired America to promise to lose more than one million pounds and they are keeping track of this number online. There have been people on this show whose life has been put in jeopardy due to their obesity. What started as a different reality TV show turned into a life changing and life saving masterpiece.

An impromptu purchase of the outlandishly named Whatchamacallit Hershey bar gave me reason to pause as I savored its chocolate-y, peanut-y deliciousness. Just for a moment, but a moment is enough.

Firstly, candy bars are scrumptious. Unless you don’t like chocolate, in which case I doubt your humanity. Perhaps your origins lie in an outer galaxy or alternate universe. So I say again, a candy bar is a tasty treat. Diets and health crazies be damned. Whether it’s made of caramel, nougat, peanuts, those crispy rice things, or just plain ol’ chocolate, it melts your problems away as candy only can. For a few magical minutes, it’s almost as though I don’t possess eight student loans that are worth approximately two small houses.

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Though Fergie’s (admittedly curvy) body of work contains many senseless lyrics, I must admit that I enjoy the images conjured by this bit from “Clumsy”:

When you touch my sleeve
Butterflies so crazy

I think it would be outstanding to have clothing that drove insects insane at the slightest touch. Think of the super-heroic applications!

Red Skull: I have you now, Mein Capitain!

Captain America: Not so fast, Ratzi! Watch as I touch my new Alex Ross-designed glove!

Red Skull: Ach Lieber!! Un swarm de locusts!!!! Jawhol!!!!!!!

Captain America: That’ll teach you to mess with America, Red Scum!

The Rev. OJ Flow’s tattoos are no secret to anyone, having been the subject of a Newsarama article back in December of ‘05. Still, photos of his ink like his (I believe) completed “fire leg” remain nonetheless impressive.

I think we should set up a gallery of the man’s tats, don’t you?