tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53275095499859374892024-03-13T21:42:47.220+00:00Worthy Of A Bigger AudienceFeaturing reviews of music, TV shows, movies, books, graphic novels, websites, apps, travel destinations or in fact anything at all which is worthy of a bigger audience.Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-50079920798063859982016-08-07T09:05:00.000+01:002017-01-24T15:17:32.774+00:00Marvel Unlimited, Scribd and Comixology Unlimited: A Comparison.For any comic fans wanting to read hundreds of comics without breaking the bank, there are now several options available. One option is sites like <a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/books" target="_blank">HumbleBundle</a> and <a href="http://groupees.com/" target="_blank">Groupees</a> which occasionally offer bundles of digital comics for incredibly cheap prices. Another way is with a monthly subscription to <a href="http://marvel.com/comics/unlimited" target="_blank">Marvel Unlimited</a>, <a href="https://www.scribd.com/g/51dpus" target="_blank">Scribd</a>, or <a href="https://www.comixology.com/unlimited" target="_blank">Comixology Unlimited</a>, which you could loosely describe as kind of like 'Netflix for comics'.<br />
<br />
Here's a summary of each of the services...<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://marvel.com/comics/unlimited/home" target="_blank">Marvel Unlimited</a></h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjYlBm2_nQ9gGhjlFSahPxOfXnRnD09faK58JY28Mj7T49rRNSHzaid-TFvmK7GN9NEgVqHtxxh_Ad85uOeeeZib6nLbg1qIVhYzIWHK7RGgaEJ38PhCZ41ZuLRikWk4JcKob8Q8wmftp/s1600/Marvel+Unlimited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjYlBm2_nQ9gGhjlFSahPxOfXnRnD09faK58JY28Mj7T49rRNSHzaid-TFvmK7GN9NEgVqHtxxh_Ad85uOeeeZib6nLbg1qIVhYzIWHK7RGgaEJ38PhCZ41ZuLRikWk4JcKob8Q8wmftp/s400/Marvel+Unlimited.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marvel Unlimited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Pros:</b><br />
1) The Marvel Unlimited library includes over 17,000 comics!<br />
<br />
2) You can save up to 12 comics to your device for offline reading.<br />
<br />
3) The Marvel Unlimited app is available for Android and iOS, and subscribers can also read comics on the Marvel website.<br />
<br />
4) A monthly subscription costs only $9.99, or an annual subscription is even better value at $69. Look out also for special introductory offers from time to time, such as your first month free, etc.<br />
<br />
5) The Marvel Unlimited library is fairly comprehensive from 2000 onwards.<br />
<br />
6) New comics are added every week with recent titles added after a six month delay. The exact number of new additions varies from week to week, but 25-40
per week is fairly typical. As well as recent (six month old) comics being added, each week you'll generally see a few comics from years-gone-by added as well. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>7) Marvel Unlimited features 'guided view' which allows readers to view each page on a panel by panel basis, and is useful for anyone reading on a smaller screen<br />
<br />
8) Since Disney acquired the <a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2015/05/the-star-wars-pants-game-quiz.html" target="_blank">Star Wars</a> licence, Marvel now own the licence to publish Star Wars comics. This is good news for Star Wars fans as it means that Marvel Unlimited includes the current Star Wars books (subject to a six month delay), the original Marvel Star Wars comics from the late 70s/early 80s, and even Star Wars comics originally published by Dark Horse!<br />
<br />
9) Marvel recently updated the app so that you can now mark comics as read, making it easier to keep track of where you're up to if you take a break from a series and come back to it later.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Cons:</b><br />
1) You won't find the very latest releases on Marvel Unlimited (current titles have a six month delay before appearing on Marvel Unlimited), but realistically, this is a nice balance. Any less of a delay and it might eat into sales of current titles. Any longer of a delay and it might deter potential subscribers.<br />
<br />
2) There are significant gaps in the Marvel Unlimited library prior to 2000. For example, the Silver Surfer series from the 80s and 90s ran for 146 issues, but only issues 34 to 38 are available on Marvel Unlimited. Marvel are working at filling in the gaps though, and they regularly add older comics to their library.<br />
<br />
Also, if there are any comics missing which you'd like to read, you can contact Marvel Unlimited and ask for specific issues to be added. They can't make any promises, but as an example a couple of months ago I asked for issues of Warlock Chronicles to be added, and a few weeks later they added the missing issues from the run.<br />
<br />
3) Guided view works great for recent issues, but some older comics do very occasionally have issues.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Personal recommendations:</b><br />
The Vision, Squirrel Girl, Hawkeye (Matt Fraction's run), Groot, Fantastic Four (Jonathan Hickman's run), Infinity Gauntlet, Runaways, The Punisher (Garth Ennis' run), Star Wars (current run), Lando, Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison.<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
At $9.99 per month, Marvel Unlimited is absolutely brilliant value, and if you sign up for the annual deal ($69 per year) it works out even cheaper. Even if you're not a massive super hero fan, Marvel Unlimited also includes loads of Star Wars comics to tempt readers into signing up.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/g/51dpus" target="_blank">Scribd</a></h3>
<br />
<b>Update: Scribd no longer contains comics in its library. The Scribd
subscription service is still available, but it now features exclusively
books and audio books. Other than the removal of comics, most of the terms and conditions are unchanged, so I have left the following description for the benefit of anyone interested in a book subscription service. Check the Scribd website for the latest terms and
conditions.<br /></b>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4rIpJyfiCFmE5guK-davchnTrhSyROe0D4VCCWUmkb4Hl4V_G9YS3OnX_oxpd-rBW6Gg2PvEQ6oQXVuFQaDp_1UUzHkJIRezOtbXjDl6D9DzAxaysCd4gGTHcrTXV-J47CqGDzCsdH0d/s1600/Scribd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc4rIpJyfiCFmE5guK-davchnTrhSyROe0D4VCCWUmkb4Hl4V_G9YS3OnX_oxpd-rBW6Gg2PvEQ6oQXVuFQaDp_1UUzHkJIRezOtbXjDl6D9DzAxaysCd4gGTHcrTXV-J47CqGDzCsdH0d/s400/Scribd.jpg" width="306" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Scribd</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Pros:</b><br />
1) Scribd features comics from top publishers, including Marvel, IDW, Boom, Valiant, Dynamite, Archie, Top Cow and others.<br />
<br />
2) The Scribd library features thousands of comics and graphic novels.<br />
<br />
3) As well as featuring thousands of comics and graphic novels,
Scribd also has tens of thousands of books and audio books in its library (in
fact Scribd is primarily known for its books). <br />
<br />
4) A monthly subscription to Scribd costs only $8.99. As an introductory offer, you can currently enjoy a free two month trial of Scribd with the following link:<br />
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/g/51dpus" target="_blank">Scribd - free two month trial</a><br />
<br />
5) You can save as many titles as you like (subject to your monthly book tokens) for offline reading.<br />
<br />
6) The Scribd app is available for Android and iOS, or subscribers can also read comics on the Scribd website. The app is very easy to navigate around, allowing you to search by
publisher or genre, or you can also search for specific titles or a specific creator.<br />
<br />
7) Scribd has a rotating library of comics, with titles varying every few months. <br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Cons:</b><br />
1) Whereas Marvel Unlimited is an unlimited subscription service, Scribd gives you three tokens per month which can be used to read any graphic novel from their library. In addition to this, Scribd also has 'Scribd Selects' which features around 8 or 9 selected graphic novels each month which are free to read. Additionally, most single issues comics don't require tokens, meaning most single issues are free to read.<br />
<br />
From my own personal experience the token system is not really a major negative, as I've never used up my full quota of book tokens, and I usually end up carrying a few tokens forward to the following month.<br />
<br />
2) The Scribd app has no guided view. Personally, I don't find this an issue as I prefer to read digital comics the way you read paper comics, i.e. viewing each page in full. And if you are using a smaller screen then you can still zoom in simply by double tapping.<br />
<br />
3) The two notable publishers missing from Scribd are DC and Image. DC aren't signed up to any digital comics subscription service though, and although Image Comics aren't signed up, Top Cow (a divison of Image) are and they have some excellent titles available on Scribd.<br />
<br />
<b>Personal recommendations:</b><br />
X-O Manowar (Valiant), Divinity (Valiant), Bloodshot (Valiant), Battlefields (Dynamite), The Woods (Boom), Cluster (Boom), Echoes (Top Cow), Locke and Key (IDW), Love and Capes (IDW), Phoenix Without Ashes (IDW), Lantern City (Boom), Think Tank (Top Cow), A Voice In The Dark (Top Cow), Red Sonja (Dynamite) (Gail Simone's run), Memetic (Boom), Fantastic Four (Marvel) (Jonathan Hickman's run), Runaways (Marvel), Silver Surfer Requiem (Marvel), Zorro (Dynamite), Jennifer Blood (Dynamite), Rising Stars (Top Cow). <br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
At $8.99 per month, Scribd is brilliant value and definitely worth a look if you enjoy comics from a variety of publishers and genres. Scribd is also an excellent choice for readers looking to discover new titles that you may otherwise have overlooked. <br />
<br />
<b>Introductory offer:</b><br />
Once again, you can currently enjoy a free two month trial of Scribd with the following link:<br />
<a href="https://www.scribd.com/g/51dpus" target="_blank">Scribd - free two month trial</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/unlimited" target="_blank">Comixology Unlimited</a></h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS1k5oCsKkbtQ2M-ptM5KVImIh9qI02Cbrpx5rjUV4jFnESqUItbYdaFdu3T9DxdGCYrJOlNn90dRGGfEF9LNe3r6w6sqXYHgSbFm3SFHFg011r9DkhfKSXaywzoO2AmPyN-wL1EGb_RP/s1600/Comixology+Unlimited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVS1k5oCsKkbtQ2M-ptM5KVImIh9qI02Cbrpx5rjUV4jFnESqUItbYdaFdu3T9DxdGCYrJOlNn90dRGGfEF9LNe3r6w6sqXYHgSbFm3SFHFg011r9DkhfKSXaywzoO2AmPyN-wL1EGb_RP/s400/Comixology+Unlimited.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Comixology Unlimited</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Pros:</b><br />
1) Comixology Unlimited features a selection of titles from a number of top comics publishers, including Image, Dynamite, Dark Horse, Oni Press, IDW, Boom, Archie, Valiant, and others.<br />
<br />
2) You can enjoy a selection of titles from the Comixology Unlimited library for only $5.99 per month.<br />
<br />
3) The Comixology app is available for Android and iOS, and you can also read comics on the Comixology website.<br />
<br />
4) You can save comics to your device for offline reading.<br />
<br />
5) The Comixology app features 'guided view' which is handy if you're reading on a smaller screen. For anyone new to digital comics, guided view is basically a way of reading each panel zoomed in.<br />
<br />
6) Comixology Unlimited is still fairly new, but they plan to rotate the comics which are included in the service on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Cons:</b><br />
1) The first negative is quite a significant one for some comic fans ... Comixology Unlimited is currently only available to US comic readers. However, they do plan to expand to other countries, so hopefully the service will be avalilable to the rest of the world pretty soon.<br />
<br />
2) Not all comics available from Comixology are included in the
Comixology Unlimited library. Some readers have described the name
'unlimited' as misleading, as only a small percentage of comics are
included in the Comixology Unlimited library. However, it's unlimited in the sense that you can read as many comics as you like from the selection of comics which are included in the Comixology Unlimited library. And there are still more than enough comics included to make it excellent value.<br />
<br />
3) For titles which are included in Comixology Unlimited, it's generally only the first volume
or two which is available on Comixology Unlimited. From the publishers
point of view, it's probably designed this way to encourage comic
readers to try new titles, and then hopefully buy the rest of the series
if they find a title they enjoy. I've seen a few complaints about this
marketing strategy, but personally, for such a bargain price it seems petty to
complain.<br />
<br />
4) Marvel and DC are the notable publishers missing from Comixology Unlimited, but as previously mentioned DC aren't signed up to any subscription services.<br />
<br />
<b>Personal recommendations (available issues highlighted):</b><br />
Alex
+ Ada (volume 1), Chew (volumes 1 & 2), Descender (volume 1),
Elephantmen (volumes 1 & 2), Saga (volume 1), Jennifer Blood (issues
1-6), The Twilight Zome (volume 1), Zorro (issues 1-6), Mind MGMT
(volume 1), Usagi Yojimbo (issues 1-15), Do Androids Dream Of Electric
Sheep? (volumes 1-2), Locke and Key (volume 1), Love and Capes (volume
1), The Spire (issue 1), Bloodshot (volume 1), X-O Manowar (volume 1).<br />
<br />
<b>Summary:</b><br />
As a UK reader, I haven't yet been able to sign up for Comixology Unlimited. However, I've used the regular Comixology app and it's a great app for reading digital comics. Despite a few quibbles from some readers, at only $5.99 per month Comixology Unlimited represents excellent value for US readers.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
Overall Summary:</h3>
Marvel Unlimited, Scribd and Comixology Unlimited each represent an excellent deal for comic book fans, and they all offer unique differences, so if you're deciding which one to go for, I personally don't see it as an 'either or' situation. However, if you're on a limited budget, then it all comes down to your own personal preferences. Fans of super hero comics will likely prefer Marvel Unlimited, whilst readers who enjoy comics from all genres will perhaps find Scribd or Comixology Unlimited the better option, and if you're looking for a mix of both then Scribd may be the better deal.<br />
<br />
If you read a lot of comics though, then there's merits to subscribing up to all three!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AlienComedy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8j3flRKGjMXHWSejZ33jsep2QnVho4IrNXzjNSKULgKSDohtP2efuXFRTC2HItikwCJoi1kI5U8pC7VzCthkvJhTBcJYd3lnsq2xRbfgc_-a9PkZ7kUFhxumOWi74wOsSw4zAsLJloP6/s1600/Amazon+Free+Wide+Ad+1.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
If you want to discover websites where you can legally find free and cheap comics, then check out our previous article: <br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2015/07/10-websites-for-free-comics-pay-what.html" target="_blank">10 Websites For Free Comics, 'Pay What You Want' Comics and Cheap Bundled Comics </a><br />
<br />
And if anyone has any other recommendations from the Marvel Unlimited, Scribd and Comixology Unlimited libraries, then feel free to leave a comment.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Please note, all screenshots and promotional images used on this blog remain the
copyright of the respective publishers and are used in accordance with
'Fair Use' legislation for review purposes.</span></i>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-72497954575667419522015-09-15T09:01:00.000+01:002015-09-16T18:01:51.388+01:00TV: Mr. Robot<h3>
"Put simply, Mr. Robot is essential viewing."</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewJc0P0jT21G0JABE-jLYQyT4D3mmpBr1lE7_EhxreCiidY3_T3GOFH_2aNtLTvl4Inr2K4176iqp6V6kSgwBIGzds1X-g8-460Ri9Wu7uLl1acaUONrJrefAQuAtNE1RZUSPth88DhfZ/s1600/Mr+Robot++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewJc0P0jT21G0JABE-jLYQyT4D3mmpBr1lE7_EhxreCiidY3_T3GOFH_2aNtLTvl4Inr2K4176iqp6V6kSgwBIGzds1X-g8-460Ri9Wu7uLl1acaUONrJrefAQuAtNE1RZUSPth88DhfZ/s400/Mr+Robot++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rami Malek plays hacker Elliot Alderson in Mr Robot. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are some TV shows which build up slowly and perhaps by the end of the first season or later you realise you love the show. Then there are other shows which capture your interest fairly quickly and by the end of the first episode you're a fan. And then there are shows which firmly grab your attention right from the opening scene. Mr. Robot falls into this final category, and within the first few minutes I was already confident I was going to love this show.<br />
<br />
To outline the basic plot, Mr. Robot is a 'hactivist' (played by Christian Slater) who assembles a team of underground hackers known as fsociety to go after and bring down E Corp, one of the world's biggest corporations. The story is told from the perspective of Elliot Alderson, a cyber-security programmer and talented hacker whose father was killed by E Corp's policy of putting corporate greed over human life, so E Corp are therefore appropriately referred to as Evil Corp throughout the series.<br />
<br />
There are some clever twists along the way; some unexpected and also one big twist that most viewers will probably work out for themselves in advance of the big 'reveal'. But with Mr. Robot, the foreseeable 'twist' is told with such brilliant story-telling that even though you expect it coming, it still adds to the overall intrigue. And when it's finally revealed, although you're not surprised, it adds layers to the story and you're excited for how things will now progress.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>To go off-topic for a moment, Will Smith once offered a philosophical quote on the time he turned down the role of Neo in The Matrix, when he commented, "I watched Keanu's performance, and very rarely do I say this, but I
would have messed it up. At that point I wasn't smart enough as an
actor to let the movie be, whereas Keanu was smart enough to just let it
be." I totally get what Will's saying, and that's sort of how I feel about <a href="https://twitter.com/ItsRamiMalek" target="_blank">Rami Malek</a>'s performance as Elliot. He understands the role perfectly and one of the factors in his brilliant performance is the way he knows when to provide the perfect emotional portrayal of what his character is going through, and when to step back and just let the story take the spotlight.<br />
<br />
But in truth it's unfair to single out one aspect of Mr. Robot for praise over another, because everything about it is superbly executed. The characters, the writing, the acting, the directing, the plot, intriguing sub-plots, interesting supporting characters, even the soundtrack ... pretty much all the ingredients fit together perfectly to produce an extremely addictive TV show.<br />
<br />
Other fans have commented that Mr. Robot takes ideas from other TV
shows and movies, and you will recognise some of the themes and ideas
used, but they're all blended together in a unique way to make Mr. Robot one of the best TV shows of the last few years. One slight concern when a show has such an impressive initial season,
can be whether future seasons will maintain the momentum, but the
reassuring news is that series creator Sam Esmail has indicated he has
an overall outline for Mr. Robot, with an ending around four or five
seasons away. So there's a lot of story still to look forward to!<br />
<br />
Mr. Robot is a technothriller, but it should appeal to anyone who appreciates thoroughly absorbing and gripping drama. In recent years there have been a number of TV shows which have hooked me and had me looking forward to each week's episode, but few have captured my enthusiasm quite as emphatically as Mr. Robot. Put simply, Mr. Robot is essential viewing. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AlienComedy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8j3flRKGjMXHWSejZ33jsep2QnVho4IrNXzjNSKULgKSDohtP2efuXFRTC2HItikwCJoi1kI5U8pC7VzCthkvJhTBcJYd3lnsq2xRbfgc_-a9PkZ7kUFhxumOWi74wOsSw4zAsLJloP6/s1600/Amazon+Free+Wide+Ad+1.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Mr. Robot is now available to watch online and on demand:<br />
<a href="http://www.usanetwork.com/mrrobot" target="_blank">http://www.usanetwork.com/mrrobot</a><br />
<br />
Follow Mr. Robot on twitter and facebook:<br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/whoismrrobot" target="_blank">@whoismrrobot</a><br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WhoIsMrRobot/" target="_blank">facebook.com/whoismrrobot</a><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Please note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the
copyright of the respective publishers and are used in accordance with
'Fair Use' legislation for review purposes.</span></i> Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-29418983805315927702015-07-17T17:01:00.000+01:002015-09-13T16:28:44.758+01:0010 Websites For Free Comics, 'Pay What You Want' Comics and Cheap Bundled Comics<h3>
Free and great value introductions to the world of comics...</h3>
<br />
With the current trend for successful Hollywood movies based on popular comic book characters, it's likely that a number of new readers will have been attracted to the comic book market in recent years. If you're curious about comics yourself, but not sure where to start, then here are a few websites where you can legally download free digitial comics, 'pay what you want' comics, and cheap bundled comics...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fCSauUtvJSuepjexyN-iluC4w7CwIObizYfzpJdiT19Y4smYYFa_8a0-zu7ihKjTnSbPrwRFPYWCIa8tTSdOggchYu_tHZd7SrgVrfHWDR1pdYM-qFqxRYKUoxBxfm33CpgUsl11Jq_1/s1600/DjangoZorro++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2fCSauUtvJSuepjexyN-iluC4w7CwIObizYfzpJdiT19Y4smYYFa_8a0-zu7ihKjTnSbPrwRFPYWCIa8tTSdOggchYu_tHZd7SrgVrfHWDR1pdYM-qFqxRYKUoxBxfm33CpgUsl11Jq_1/s320/DjangoZorro++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Django/Zorro: One of over 200<br />
comics in the Dynamite Mega Bundle.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Bundled Comics:</h3>
<br />
<h3>
1) The Dynamite Mega Bundle</h3>
<br />
I'll start things off
with an absolutely brilliant deal from Dynamite Entertainment and
BitTorrent; <a href="https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/dynamite" target="_blank">The Dynamite Mega Bundle</a>. This comics bundle has two levels; the basic bundle is free and features 30 comics, or
the complete bundle features over 200 comics and is available for a
'pay what you want' price, with a minimum of $6! Personally, I would
definitely recommend buying the full bundle, as at $6 for over 200
comics, that works out at under 3 cents per comic!<br />
<br />
If you want to test
the water first though, then the free bundle is also a great deal and
features a wide range of comics, with my own personal favourites
including Django/Zorro, Bob's Burgers, Ex-Con, Uncanny and The Twilight
Zone. Truthfully though, I'm still only a fraction of the way through reading the entire bundle, so
I'll probably discover several more recommended comics before I finish
reading the entire set of comics.<br />
<a href="https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/dynamite" target="_blank">The Dynamite Mega Bundle!</a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
2) Humble Bundle</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPdGfWkQHyiVqnJJjyebs-5RChzFgXGqmV4d9iMYigFLjjJFxYvjgFu3CnHoGPzJHUXC0OjeCcNFBvFuaACrP7PodfxQd6Ns2DF4veDGm79hAbfdGcCRcE0PLS4hf2CvstfrhYs2Vi6jg/s1600/Locke+And+Key++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPdGfWkQHyiVqnJJjyebs-5RChzFgXGqmV4d9iMYigFLjjJFxYvjgFu3CnHoGPzJHUXC0OjeCcNFBvFuaACrP7PodfxQd6Ns2DF4veDGm79hAbfdGcCRcE0PLS4hf2CvstfrhYs2Vi6jg/s320/Locke+And+Key++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Locke And Key: One of many excellent comics<br />
to feature in the Humble Bundle comic bundles.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
original and best website for bundled digital comics is undoubtedly
<a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/books" target="_blank">HumbleBundle</a>. They began life offering games bundles at incredibly cheap prices, but have since
expanded into books and comics, and they've had some unbelievable deals
on offer since they began. A
new bundle is offered every two weeks, and the bundles tend to
alternate between books and comics. To make things even better, a
percentage of the price you pay goes to
charity, with each bundle supporting different charities.<br />
<br />
Each bundle typically
features three tiers of comics, and are available for a 'pay what you
want' price with different minimum prices depending on the tier you go
for. With the basic bundle, the minimum price is $1 which is an
incredible bargain when you consider the typical full price value of the comics generally on offer. The mid-level bundle and complete bundle feature additional comics and typically cost
between $7 to $15 depending on the average price paid so far.<br />
<br />
Whether you're a new-comer to comics or a long-time fan, HumbleBundle is a brilliant way to discover great new comics that you possibly wouldn't otherwise have read. Some of my own personal all-time favourite comic books which have featured in humble bundles include Locke And Key, Saga, The Twilight Zone, Alex + Ada, March, Elephantmen and more.<br />
<a href="https://www.humblebundle.com/books" target="_blank">Comics/Books on HumbleBundle</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aYUM0vxTebpYNPLD1-V3Ij4oH4h7yTktgQGyVLSmeyaAWl_bRUsj8-eq7pMn-2Y0XHCJqxoejsuBkQeiIxSq0GA37AzBkDa3oh7UeXE78MAiz9mGK7TayFZ9Qc9U89J4yGxF-A0RYKi-/s1600/The+Scam++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8aYUM0vxTebpYNPLD1-V3Ij4oH4h7yTktgQGyVLSmeyaAWl_bRUsj8-eq7pMn-2Y0XHCJqxoejsuBkQeiIxSq0GA37AzBkDa3oh7UeXE78MAiz9mGK7TayFZ9Qc9U89J4yGxF-A0RYKi-/s320/The+Scam++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scam: One of five free comics available to anyone<br />
who signs up to the Comixtribe mailing list.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<h3>
Free Comics:</h3>
<br />
<h3>
3) Comixtribe</h3>
<br />
Comixtribe currently offer 5 free digital comics to
anyone who subscribes to their mailing list. I signed up a few months
ago and didn't really know what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised as the comics were
all high quality, and definitely deserving of a bigger audience.<br />
<br />
You
get one free comic per day in your email for five days, with the comics
on offer being first issues of some of Comixtribe's best titles. My favourites
were possibly The Scam and The Standard, but all of the comics
were impressive, and if Comixtribe can maintain this high
standard then they deserve to become a bigger name in the comic book market:<br />
<a href="http://www.comixtribe.com/subscribe/" target="_blank">Subscribe To The Comixtribe Mailing List For Five Free Comics</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Footnote: Once you sign up to the mailing list, Comixtribe don't spam you, and they only email you with genuine news and offers.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-TkBjZrYwYDimIa9X7B3jlWVfuS-hnrxLfSeXUMG-LrJgCeGRlpMCBfrsb0Bhd58xFoSjkVcj0gGx6K3-NyCy5Bp1p0UfLplo1pqCxUi125EUIPnKnv12BkwFDZjqxxtp72oOEnGeAz9/s1600/The+Invisible+Invasion++woaba.blogapot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-TkBjZrYwYDimIa9X7B3jlWVfuS-hnrxLfSeXUMG-LrJgCeGRlpMCBfrsb0Bhd58xFoSjkVcj0gGx6K3-NyCy5Bp1p0UfLplo1pqCxUi125EUIPnKnv12BkwFDZjqxxtp72oOEnGeAz9/s320/The+Invisible+Invasion++woaba.blogapot.com.jpg" width="246" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Invisible Invasion: Three intriguing issues are available so far.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
4) The Invisible Invasion</h3>
<br />
If the idea of a mysterious
sci-fi story involving meteorites and strange plants sounds appealing, then you may be interested in The Invisible Invasion which is a French comic translated into English.<br />
<br />
The story so far is very intriguing so I'm looking forward to future issues, and I would guess that The Invisible Invasion would have a lot more fans if only more people knew about it.<br />
<br />
The first
three issues are currently available for free from BitTorrent, and I would definitely recommend giving it a look: <br />
<a href="https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/af85ea56a59053946e8d7b48019fe0a055c6e1ec6dc0f7f0ca0f555611447d4c" target="_blank">The Invisible Invasion (Issue 1)</a><br />
<a href="https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/77498170c7440a4a1c9593b4d9cffa439ceb782abdde66314216fab97d4faac2" target="_blank">The Invisible Invasion (Issue 2)</a><br />
<a href="https://bundles.bittorrent.com/bundles/50d910745a2d0c63a15ae4ee6186350d14d118d182f1bf5eeefba6ea29dd7ccb" target="_blank">The Invisible Invasion (Issue 3)</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/Aliencomedyitunes" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8pfvgA3MrknVKEw5xzpF8IRbIESpKAMKztJMj5ePaP61yb7FrsCcBJE1MFlTv3pimvqTm08Q67SUMod0v320bxHJD82n-LpvggRywvO_801vGgo62C7yVHLsu40Wvj5m-LGBLiXQB6Vz/s1600/HTSTW+wide+ad+for+itunes++charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
5) Comixology</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-ls2Mk569GzxejPdyqoYJrUh8F6ZFBGwt46b9qC-p6UsJ1kvTAhy5r80_6Bvkut3zzTdNSCYaRbH9iNXQZYhGL5xM0szx2oJkJ8WPxBvkWOlj5eDavvvEI2IQWZ4tTxfUzdAJ2buh8-/s1600/Invincible++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSF-ls2Mk569GzxejPdyqoYJrUh8F6ZFBGwt46b9qC-p6UsJ1kvTAhy5r80_6Bvkut3zzTdNSCYaRbH9iNXQZYhGL5xM0szx2oJkJ8WPxBvkWOlj5eDavvvEI2IQWZ4tTxfUzdAJ2buh8-/s400/Invincible++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Invincible 118 is free at Comixology.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Most long-time comic fans will already be aware of Comixology, and their website currently has numerous free comics on offer. The free selection includes comics from a wide selection of publishers, from the big two of Marvel and DC, to smaller publishers and self published comics. The free library varies from time to time, but of the current selection my own personal favourites include Invincible, Red Sonja, Planetary and Super Angry Birds. You have to sign up for a free account to read the comics, but you can find over 80 recommended freebies at the link below:<br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/free-comics" target="_blank">Free comics on Comixology</a><br />
<br />
A couple of other freebies I enjoyed which aren't listed on the Comixology 'recommended freebies' page include:<br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/Adrenaline-1/digital-comic/294" target="_blank">Adrenaline</a><br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/Idolized-0/digital-comic/32196" target="_blank">Idolized</a><br />
<br />
Comixology also offer regular sales and bundle deals, so if you discover a free comic you like then from time to time you may find they also offer subsequent issues in the series at a discounted price:<br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/comics-sale" target="_blank">Comixology Sales</a><br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/browse-bundle" target="_blank">Comixology Bundles</a><br />
<br />
Technically speaking, Comixology don't actually sell comics* - they just
sell a limited licence to access content on the Comixology app/website - so for some publishers I'm personally reluctant to 'buy' comics from Comixology, because in my opinion paying to access content is basically a monetised library, and use of the word 'buy' is misleading.<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />* From Comixology terms of use: “Such license does not confer on you any
ownership interest in such Digital Content. Words such as “purchase” or
“sale” (and similar terms, including all tenses), as applied to Digital
Content (including any Digital Content the Company makes available for
free), refer to the grant to you of a limited license as described
herein.” </i></span><br />
<br />
However, some publishers, including Image Comics, Dynamite Entertainment, IDW Comics, Valiant Entertainment, MonkeyBrain Comics and others, offer DRM-free titles, so you can download and keep the comics you've bought, which is of course the way it should be. To help you identify the DRM-free publishers, Comixology have helpfully provided a page highlighting some of the most highly rated comics available DRM-free:<br />
<a href="https://www.comixology.com/DRM-Free-Comics/page/2794" target="_blank">DRM comics available from Comixology</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
6) Indy Planet</h3>
<br />
As the name suggests, Indy Planet is a website
specialising in independently produced comics, and they sell comics covering
all sorts of genres and subjects. The quality can be hit or miss, but many series
offer the first issue (or more) for free, so there's nothing to lose by
giving them a try: <br />
<a href="http://www.indyplanet.com/front/product-category/free/" target="_blank">Free comics from Indy Planet</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhb9EVntr2Jun7IXQhAruxoR4rASM4IxCHufc5nD5B09_3enb178FhM80DslbtJ8dRkxfgugBI0sKmV6h7BVNLbjli-ReCAhzerRgsPlIzIOfBIDO68cP_1bwlQ7ymqFk-6UkGlLulluy/s1600/Vision+Machine+by+Greg+Pak++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNhb9EVntr2Jun7IXQhAruxoR4rASM4IxCHufc5nD5B09_3enb178FhM80DslbtJ8dRkxfgugBI0sKmV6h7BVNLbjli-ReCAhzerRgsPlIzIOfBIDO68cP_1bwlQ7ymqFk-6UkGlLulluy/s320/Vision+Machine+by+Greg+Pak++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vision Machine: A vision of the future?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<h3>
7) Vision Machine</h3>
<br />
The concept behind Vision Machine really appealed to me, and if you love comics and love technology then this combines the two. The plot deals with the iEye, a piece of technology released a few decades in the future that allows users to record, edit and share everything they see. What makes this intriguing is that Vision Machine was published back in 2011 ... two years before Google Glass came on the market.<br />
<br />
My only slight criticism is that I would have liked to see the story explored in more detail with an extended run of issues, but the three issues published are well worth reading. Vision Machine is written by Greg Pak and pencilled by R.B. Silva, and it would be highly recommended if it was regular priced, so it's even better value when you consider that it's free!<br />
<a href="http://visionmachine.net/" target="_blank">Vision Machine by Greg Pak</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
8) Cerebus - Volume 2 (High Society)</h3>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xVNjX0QV7ntmb4o4Rdz0wOjkoPE52Tf2HnRsjmh16oC6llPQEtyiHRu0Wu66QoPXmBQT1UTuMRHzyn_EwlL4yVbbRJGE_d7hKdjPURj5ANAjcMkgZQf3Pn7os4tNizAvFQNIT6wHa4ny/s1600/Cerebus+-+High+Society++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8xVNjX0QV7ntmb4o4Rdz0wOjkoPE52Tf2HnRsjmh16oC6llPQEtyiHRu0Wu66QoPXmBQT1UTuMRHzyn_EwlL4yVbbRJGE_d7hKdjPURj5ANAjcMkgZQf3Pn7os4tNizAvFQNIT6wHa4ny/s320/Cerebus+-+High+Society++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cerebus - High Society by Dave Sim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Cerebus
was a comic about an aardvark written and created by Dave Sim. The
comic ran from 1977 to 2004, and has been compiled into several
collected editions. Cerebus had quite a cult following in its day, and
has received praise such as...<br />
<br />
<i>"Cerebus is a book that I believe every comics fan should read at least once." </i>...Kevin Eastman<br />
<i><br />"Cerebus is still to comic books what hydrogen is to the periodic table." </i>...Alan Moore<br />
<br />
If
you want to give it a try then the good news is that you can currently
get all 512 pages of the second volume, which compiles issues 26 to 60,
for free from Sellfy in return for a tweet.<br />
<a href="https://sellfy.com/p/TpC4/" target="_blank">Cerebus (Volume 2) - High Society</a><br />
<br />
And if you enjoy High Society then the rest of the Cerebus volumes are currently available at a 50% discount:<br />
<a href="https://sellfy.com/Cerebus" target="_blank">Cerebus comics on Sellfy</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/Smallpotsitunes" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzybIzSqYCaA6HZuIgc2BIo3AMIhhyYd8Wf1WQdIo7j4qZ4HtXc22VZI0x0HxRY4Tr1ekVPEYqzlHaJvKcZMdGLyLa-BLpN-XgQtThB9eDcgc-kd1FxrBWjhLiDrctkSAd7bnDK-gh8PG/s1600/Small+Pots+Also+Have+Ears+-+468x60+-+charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
'Pay What You Want' Comics</h3>
<br />
<h3>
9) Panel Syndicate</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIn5mL3AEdVzjv6rESTaZ1mjrqYwrOfRmWxfGpoCXNjbq1WiG0ErV3uHE3eHLVgPW-YK4plY-Y6qIqWNUouUTq87LW8W13irf8yEk6QqTRlplJ_w6jyY8z6DuLbCpNwMvgGY8lcH4-2z-/s1600/The+Private+Eye++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIn5mL3AEdVzjv6rESTaZ1mjrqYwrOfRmWxfGpoCXNjbq1WiG0ErV3uHE3eHLVgPW-YK4plY-Y6qIqWNUouUTq87LW8W13irf8yEk6QqTRlplJ_w6jyY8z6DuLbCpNwMvgGY8lcH4-2z-/s320/The+Private+Eye++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Private Eye: Available for whatever price you think is fair.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Panel Syndicate is a cool website created by acclaimed writer Bryan K. Vaughan and award winning artist Marcos Martin where you can download comics for whatever price you think is fair. Their first offering was the excellent The Private Eye which was a slickly-produced detective story set in the year 2076 told over ten issues.<br />
<br />
The second comic series available from Panel Syndicate is the unique and creative 'Universe', featuring sci-fi tales from writer/artist Albert Monteys. There are currently only two issues of Universe available, but so far it's featured some great ideas, so hopefully it will enjoy a run at least as long as The Private Eye.<br />
<br />
The price you pay is entirely up to you with no minimum price, so you could download the comics for free if you wish, but whatever you pay, 100% of your purchase price goes towards supporting the creators' efforts, and if you do pay then it makes it more likely that future projects will be published through Panel Syndicate.<br />
<a href="http://panelsyndicate.com/" target="_blank">Panel Syndicate</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
10) Thrillbent comics:</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxUTWystHuJNjAYvOCJeJz6y0tiIktuTOpDLQpLp5gZy80A7Aq1uYJsiJyMsZvUXdD_1v1kLrHtbFYbT3FVsnrr-Gk3bryTMIiE2NjMar7QzJuJ4WBvM0he7OrTQlCehYrQ3SaYtBQkp0/s1600/Insufferable++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDxUTWystHuJNjAYvOCJeJz6y0tiIktuTOpDLQpLp5gZy80A7Aq1uYJsiJyMsZvUXdD_1v1kLrHtbFYbT3FVsnrr-Gk3bryTMIiE2NjMar7QzJuJ4WBvM0he7OrTQlCehYrQ3SaYtBQkp0/s320/Insufferable++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Insufferable by Thrillbent Comics</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Thrillbent Comics is a digital comics website created by Mark Waid and John Rogers. They've published quite a range of comics and have an expanding line-up of titles, including Insufferable, City Of The Dead and The Damnation Of Charlie Wormwood.<br />
<br />
Most comics are very reasonably priced at under $2, but they also offer a number of issues for free, such as the first issues of Moth City and Pax Arena. The entire run of volumes 1 and 2 of Insufferable is available on a 'pay what you want' deal, or another great deal is you can subscribe to access to their full catalogue of over 300 comics for only $3.99 per month.<br />
<a href="http://thrillbent.com/" target="_blank">Thrillbent Comics</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
This list is far from being exhaustive, so if you know of any other sites where you can get free or great value comics, then feel free to leave a comment.<br />
<br />
Other posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2015/01/free-stuff.html" target="_blank">Free stuff!</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Graphic%20Novels" target="_blank">Graphic novel recommendations</a><br />
<br />
Follow 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience' on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the
copyright of the respective publishers and are used in accordance with
'Fair Use' legislation for review purposes.</span></i>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-61443197511195859322015-05-15T09:01:00.000+01:002015-05-19T15:49:35.842+01:00Music: Five Chilled Out Summer Tunes<h3>
Mellow tunes for a lazy summer's day...</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKamPRK4GkgoNi0p0w2JbXTvbOa67Ih4LBMqvFGFMXvvgf9LAtoaTXGZ2wqfbyof82IZVwtRnO3xQR55nj9qWzzTg1zMzW-VayIyjzGm09x4z6RLqyyaU6z2K8vRm4rMt_95RWXn38waaR/s1600/B.O.R.N.S.++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKamPRK4GkgoNi0p0w2JbXTvbOa67Ih4LBMqvFGFMXvvgf9LAtoaTXGZ2wqfbyof82IZVwtRnO3xQR55nj9qWzzTg1zMzW-VayIyjzGm09x4z6RLqyyaU6z2K8vRm4rMt_95RWXn38waaR/s320/B.O.R.N.S.++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garrett Borns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As summer approaches, this week I feature a round-up of five songs which are perfect for a lazy relaxing summer's afternoon...<br />
<br />
<h3>
1) B.O.R.N.S. - 10,000 Emerald Pools</h3>
<br />
Within about the first five seconds of 10,000 Emerald Pools, I realised that this is the sort of tune which transforms your mood completely and makes you feel totally happy with the world. And as the song progresses it just gets better and better, and to me it somehow sounded nostalgic, yet also fresh and exciting. Garrett Borns' dress sense has a hippie retro look, and the music also captures the feel of an era from days
gone by. You can purchase <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/10-000-emerald-pools/id935491592?i=935491608&uo=6&at=1000l3un&ct=" target="itunes_store">10,000 Emerald Pools from iTunes</a> or listen to it below on Soundcloud:<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/170134653&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
And if you love the tune, then it's also worth checking out an acoustic studio performance on Youtube:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvmafgJevSo" target="_blank">10,000 Emerald Pools (Acoustic Version)</a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<h3>
2) Little May - Boardwalks</h3>
<br />
Boardwalks is a beautiful, understated but powerful song from Sydney based indie folk band, Little May. It starts off soothing and laidback, then just as you settle into a haze of relaxing snugness it picks up the tempo towards the very end for a final mood lift.<br />
<br />
In their own words, "Boardwalks is haunting and humble, and is a candid introduction to the band..." That's an accurate description, but I would say they're being humble themselves, because my own description of Boardwalks would add words such as, 'beautiful', 'uplifting' and 'brilliant'.<br />
<br />
Boardwalks is another tune which makes everything right with the world, and you can buy the track from Bandcamp, or listen to it below: <br />
<br />
<iframe seamless="" src="https://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/track=1199473449/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/artwork=small/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 120px; width: 100%;"><a href="http://littlemaymusic.bandcamp.com/track/boardwalks-2">Boardwalks by Little May</a></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Check out Little May's website:<br />
<a href="http://www.littlemaymusic.com/" target="_blank">Little May website</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
3) First Aid Kit - Master Pretender</h3>
<br />
Master Pretender is from First Aid Kit's excellent third album, 'Stay Gold' and this was a tune I had on repeat when I first heard it. Klara and Johanna Söderberg's voices complement the warmth of the music perfectly, and it's another tune with that mellow chilled out summer vibe. First Aid Kit are from Sweden, but their music and this song in particular has a country music feel to it, although having said that, their music has a broad appeal which attracts fans from beyond that genre.<br />
<br />
Although not released as a single, First Aid Kit produced a cool animated video to accompany the tune. The video expertly complements the tranquil vibe of the song, and you can watch it below:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9gDUZejkARU" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/master-pretender/id845312934?i=845313039&uo=6&at=1000l3un&ct=" target="itunes_store">Purchase Master Pretender by First Aid Kit on iTunes</a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
4) The Kite String Tangle & Dustin Tebbutt - Illuminate</h3>
<br />
Illuminate is another beautiful track and similar to 10,000 Emerald Pools, it's another mood-transforming tune which will make all your stresses just float away. The start is fairly chilled out and low key, then the energy kicks in midway through the song as the full power of the tune is released. Illuminate to me very much conjures up images of a key emotional scene in a movie about life and relationships, and it would be the perfect choice to feature on a Hollywood or indie movie soundtrack.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="no" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/playlists/100361855&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/illuminate-single/id983323784?uo=6&at=1000l3un&ct=" target="_blank">Purchase Illuminate by The Kite String Tangle & Dustin Tebbutt on iTunes</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
5) Angus And Julia Stone - Mango Tree</h3>
<br />
I love so many of Angus And Julia Stone's songs, but Mango Tree is one of my favourites, and like much of their music it has a lovely lazy summer's day feel to it. There's a tender calming presence about the song, and it's a song I could listen to over and over again. The video fits the laidback summer sound perfectly, and you can check it out below:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NNQX9JAeXl4" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mango-tree-single/id300477053?uo=6&at=1000l3un&ct=" target="itunes_store">Purchase Mango Tree by Angus & Julia Stone on iTunes</a>
<br />
<br />
If anyone else has any favourite mellow summer tunes of their own, then feel free to leave a recommendation in the comments below.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/Smallpotsitunes" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTzybIzSqYCaA6HZuIgc2BIo3AMIhhyYd8Wf1WQdIo7j4qZ4HtXc22VZI0x0HxRY4Tr1ekVPEYqzlHaJvKcZMdGLyLa-BLpN-XgQtThB9eDcgc-kd1FxrBWjhLiDrctkSAd7bnDK-gh8PG/s1600/Small+Pots+Also+Have+Ears+-+468x60+-+charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Check out more music recommendations on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Music" target="_blank">Music recommendations</a><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">N.B. All promotional images/videos used
on this blog remain the copyright of the respective artists/publishers
and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use' legislation for review
purposes.</span></i> Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-74862141710479059502015-04-03T09:01:00.000+01:002015-05-14T06:05:01.111+01:00Website: Trustpilot.com<h3>
Trustpilot: Building trust between consumers and companies.</h3>
<br />
If you're buying goods or items on the internet, standards of customer service can vary from one website to another, so it's wise to base your purchase decision on more than just the cheapest price.<br />
<br />
For example, I once booked a holiday only to find that when I clicked the final purchase button, the confirmation page had suddenly added an extra £80 onto the advertised price! To make matters worse when I rang up to complain about being overcharged they then agreed as 'a gesture of goodwill' to refund me half of the overcharged amount!<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5nyYkFtWXgktH65mlTGE1sahmOAe0CqJwUynfwgRMQHFCpgM3n_TQZaj2HMuJxOPZx2qW0IMLDMc3ypT5yiaiZ6_49m5CQUxjZIX0NyGWFUqHGfnsqGNuCDNVvrcpFoENxCI1Z_oA6tx/s1600/Trustpilot_logo_on_white.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="64" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb5nyYkFtWXgktH65mlTGE1sahmOAe0CqJwUynfwgRMQHFCpgM3n_TQZaj2HMuJxOPZx2qW0IMLDMc3ypT5yiaiZ6_49m5CQUxjZIX0NyGWFUqHGfnsqGNuCDNVvrcpFoENxCI1Z_oA6tx/s1600/Trustpilot_logo_on_white.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Trustpilot: Making your shopping experience more transparent.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
So let me get this straight... You've incorrectly overcharged me by £80, but as a gesture of goodwill you'll keep half of the money!? I don't think so!<br />
<br />
Luckily, I had kept screen prints of every stage of the purchase, so when I threatened to take things further they eventually agreed to return the full overcharged amount which they had incorrectly taken from me.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>However, the whole experience left me a little wary of making blind purchases on the internet, and I could have avoided the whole stressful experience if I'd only done a little research before booking my holiday. Since that day I always like to research websites and companies before deciding to part with my cash, and the first website I always refer to when checking out websites/companies, not just for holidays but for everything, is <a href="https://uk.trustpilot.com/" target="_blank">trustpilot</a>.<br />
<br />
Trustpilot have loads of helpful authentic reviews and in the case of some better known companies there are thousands of reviews (such as <a href="https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.amazon.co.uk" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, or <a href="https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.agoda.com" target="_blank">Agoda</a>), but even some smaller companies have hundreds of reviews, so you can be confident that you're getting a cross section of opinion.<br />
<br />
You can search for a specific company, or if you're looking for a recommended supplier of a specific product then you can also search by category. There are categories covering pretty much everything, such as electronics, entertainment, travel & holidays, etc, and clicking on a category brings up the top twenty rated companies in that category, together with the trustscore, number of reviews and a brief quote from a recent review.<br />
<br />
On several occasions trustpilot have helped me discover some excellent companies that I otherwise wouldn't have known about, and on each occasion I've received excellent customer service. Being able to refer to recent reviews gives you that extra assurance that your shopping experience is going to be a professional and reliable one, and helps you to find a trustworthy company to shop with.<br />
<br />
And even if you're considering purchasing from a more well known company, it can still be wise to consult trustpilot. Established companies can occasionally become complacent from time to time, so a quick check of the latest trustpilot reviews can reveal their current standards of customer service, and help you decide whether they're worthy of your cash.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AlienComedy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8j3flRKGjMXHWSejZ33jsep2QnVho4IrNXzjNSKULgKSDohtP2efuXFRTC2HItikwCJoi1kI5U8pC7VzCthkvJhTBcJYd3lnsq2xRbfgc_-a9PkZ7kUFhxumOWi74wOsSw4zAsLJloP6/s1600/Amazon+Free+Wide+Ad+1.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Similarly, if you've made a purchase from an exceptional company and want to
recommend them to other consumers, or if you have constructive criticism
about a poor customer service experience, then trustpilot is a great
website to leave a review. <br />
<br />
The trustpilot website states:<br />
<br />
<i>"We at Trustpilot are working hard to make sure that consumers are informed about the companies they buy from. Are they doing a good job? Does their customer service stand out? Do they deliver on their promises?"</i><br />
<br />
...and that's exactly why I find trustpilot so useful and thoroughly recommend trustpilot to other consumers.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
In summary, if you want to consult reliable trustworthy reviews before
making a purchase then trustpilot should be your first port of call. <br />
<br />
Check out trustpilot at the link below:<br />
<a href="https://uk.trustpilot.com/" target="_blank">trustpilot.com</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Follow trustpilot on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/trustpilot" target="_blank">@trustpilot</a><br />
<br />
Follow 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience' on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Woabablog" target="_blank">@Woabablog</a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-38986381929181530682015-02-20T09:01:00.000+00:002015-05-14T06:06:56.572+01:00Books: The Walking Man by Wright Forbucks<h3>
"The Walking Man is a unique book which deserves to be discovered by a much bigger audience."</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIEgT5Fjn-toF6JBNu_ngbRa1n7CK7bBk41TUhkUy2Fd28RmbwgcIyRySBUxPcbaw6_xezlM5Fcwkzb7RckTqiR3LrjjwZqKFJs-4OY4OGuon_0cTChnkQN-cl7GnGIagSqGDU3N49YWy/s1600/The+Walking+Man+by+Wright+Forbucks++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIEgT5Fjn-toF6JBNu_ngbRa1n7CK7bBk41TUhkUy2Fd28RmbwgcIyRySBUxPcbaw6_xezlM5Fcwkzb7RckTqiR3LrjjwZqKFJs-4OY4OGuon_0cTChnkQN-cl7GnGIagSqGDU3N49YWy/s1600/The+Walking+Man+by+Wright+Forbucks++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Walking Man by Wright Forbucks</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Walking Man tells the story of Francis 'Buddy' Morris, a selfish yet strangely likeable character who suffers from Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disease which causes paralysis after muscle use, and right from the start it quickly becomes clear that this is a book which isn't afraid to pull any punches. Likewise, author Wright Forbucks isn't a writer who will sugar coat his stories.<br />
<br />
I was hooked right from the very start, and a combination of the unique story and the memorable characters meant that within a few chapters I was thoroughly engrossed. It's the type of book where you say to yourself, 'I'll just read one more chapter,' and then two hours later you realise that 'one more chapter' has quickly become an extended reading session.<br />
<br />
If you were a cynical person then you might possibly argue that certain elements of the plot are unrealistic, but as Wright Forbucks himself points out, the truth is often stranger than fiction. Real life can also be incredibly unrealistic sometimes, and despite the non-conventional nature of the plot, the blurb describes The Walking Man as 'loosely based on a true story'.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As Wright Forbucks reveals on his website, the main character, Francis 'Buddy' Morris is based on an amalgamation of himself and his uncle, and at times takes inspiration from his own story. Although not an exact replica of his own life, the origins of the idea perhaps explain why I found it impossible not to connect with the trials and challenges faced by the main character.<br />
<br />
Of course there's also a portion of fiction thrown into the
final story, but whatever its specific origins The Walking Man is ultimately an inspiring
story, and like all of Wright Forbucks novels, it's also a creative and original one.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/HowToSaveTheWorld" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODcGmeSnth184k4PyUJbHCb43r6Yjn5naaVhXkkudaIDwGe1ZN31uLCUDY-3NM3gZA4L4K0IcMBTTSRyB9bjI9z2YkRY27BFb7EdiirPZtFeyoo2iyFtDcyKIhMqbV1tgEfmkmSluIp1T/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Free+download+from+payhip+-+Ad+2++charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Overall, The Walking Man is an excellent example of how brilliant indie books can
be. Wright Forbucks has created characters who you can at times
dislike and at other times sympathise with and even admire. On occasion
I found myself laughing out loud and then thinking, 'I shouldn't really
be laughing at this,' because the humour can be a bit dark, but the way
it's handled means that it never really crosses the line into feeling
uncomfortable.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
At times highly funny and at other times heart-breakingly sad, The Walking Man is a unique book which deserves to be discovered and read by a much bigger audience. If you enjoy tales which involve overcoming adversity and succeeding against the odds, and stories which feature flawed characters, rather than the perfect heroes of Hollywood, then give The Walking Man a try. Highly recommended.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a>You can stay up to date with the latest news from Wright Forbucks at his website:<br />
<a href="http://www.wrightforbucks.com/" target="_blank">www.wrightforbucks.com</a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><br />
Follow Wright Forbucks on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/wrightforbucks" target="_blank">Wright Forbucks</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/WrightForbucks" target="_blank">@WrightForbucks</a><br />
<br />
Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-3778102496594807712015-01-17T12:15:00.000+00:002015-01-17T12:15:59.036+00:00Free Stuff!<h3>
Music, web shows, guide books, etc ... all for free!</h3>
<br />
This month's post is for the benefit of anyone who spent a little too much cash over Christmas and New Year. All the items featured in this post are free!<br />
<br />
<h3>
1) Free web series:</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ_2bAS7VgB5lxyYGU7IxzmU3YQE47H5gEIbtUi9xMQQyViWXOnIHPjfv0gyeNpw5FTnL-_ucooZBTnzylNe2d_fmDI5rfmKGUeXJdNp0WcYgDVuBn-fM3q04yVfti7AMUnp4uyHrY9q6/s1600/Pioneer+One++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMJ_2bAS7VgB5lxyYGU7IxzmU3YQE47H5gEIbtUi9xMQQyViWXOnIHPjfv0gyeNpw5FTnL-_ucooZBTnzylNe2d_fmDI5rfmKGUeXJdNp0WcYgDVuBn-fM3q04yVfti7AMUnp4uyHrY9q6/s1600/Pioneer+One++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pioneer One was funded entirely through donations.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Pioneer One is a cool web series which was financed via crowdfunding and won the Best Drama Pilot at the 2010 New York Television Festival. It's distributed with a creative commons licence, and each episode is available free (via torrents) from the VODO website:<br />
<br />
This is the blurb:<br />
"A mysterious spaceship has entered Earth's atmosphere. A US Department of Homeland Security investigation has uncovered a live human being in a Soviet space suit in an unstable condition. A note in Russian, found at the crash site, claims the man is the child of cosmonauts living at a base on Mars."<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>It's a very intriguing show and as more of the plot is revealed, it has you asking further questions. The first episode was filmed with a budget of $6,000, so don't go expecting Jurassic Park levels of special effects, but overall Pioneer One proves that you can produce a very good show on a very limited budget.<br />
<br />
Click the link below to go to the Pioneer One page on the VODO website.<br />
<a href="http://vodo.net/download/127" target="_blank">Pioneer One</a><br />
<br />
Click the 'Watch Now' button, then choose the episode you want to
start downloading (I recommend starting with episode 1).<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
2) Free music:</h3>
<br />
For a limited time, The Chemical Brothers are offering a free extended holiday mix called 'When You Start Hating You're Out Of Control' which you can download from their website. The download includes mixes of some of their more chilled out tracks, such as 'Asleep From Day' and 'Dream On' from their Surrender album, and 'Where Do I Begin' from their 'Dig Your Own Hole' album. You can find out more about the download here:<br />
<a href="http://www.thechemicalbrothers.com/#p=news&id=429" target="_blank">The Chemical Brothers website</a><br />
<br />
The 'When You Start Hating You're Out Of Control' mix is available to anyone who subscribes via email to The Chemical Brothers' website, and you can find the download page at the following link:<br />
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/dx5clhv" target="_blank">Chemical Brothers Holiday Mix</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
3) Free images:</h3>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuakP-akZprl6_UgdrKI0nmuENdneXmHXup9JEV-sS7ejE59L0XXOmu68JQD2kCuD_qsxzfxbNbmA0a7VLIvdl1ShInAFO6f-y0R-wcreJTtD7fmQjas39o95hEw_CzS1Z5ykSzhZylupz/s1600/Everything+will+be+okay+in+the+end++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuakP-akZprl6_UgdrKI0nmuENdneXmHXup9JEV-sS7ejE59L0XXOmu68JQD2kCuD_qsxzfxbNbmA0a7VLIvdl1ShInAFO6f-y0R-wcreJTtD7fmQjas39o95hEw_CzS1Z5ykSzhZylupz/s1600/Everything+will+be+okay+in+the+end++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
Anyone who runs a blog or website, or any designers, may be interested in checking out the Unsplash website. They offer ten free images every ten days and each image comes with a 'do what you want' licence. You can also download any of their previous images, and there's now a pretty extensive back catalogue of images.<br />
<br />
The unsplash images are high resolution professional photos, and are all very high quality. They generally capture scenery, photogenic moments or scenes of everyday life.<br />
<br />
To give you an example of the type of the images on offer, here's an iPhone wallpaper created with one of the images from the Unsplash website:<br />
<a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2014/09/everything-will-be-okay-in-end.html" target="_blank">iPhone Wallpaper - 'Everything Will Be Okay In The End'</a><br />
<br />
Check out the Unsplash website at the following link:<br />
<a href="https://unsplash.com/" target="_blank">Unsplash website</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/HowToSaveTheWorld" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODcGmeSnth184k4PyUJbHCb43r6Yjn5naaVhXkkudaIDwGe1ZN31uLCUDY-3NM3gZA4L4K0IcMBTTSRyB9bjI9z2YkRY27BFb7EdiirPZtFeyoo2iyFtDcyKIhMqbV1tgEfmkmSluIp1T/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Free+download+from+payhip+-+Ad+2++charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<h3>
4) Pay what you want comics:</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnGW7wlrKFyC2LxAxpFAS6nil1pwfmt6A9NF3p6S5ZN-D_CAT6KotTmkgoGsAckljtX9QMfIOsnZ51UH2UVnGZAhnpwinfMDfNQhf8KfJCNVQQY6_c5pl8ZFRapOj1XqsTBal7QaUGoHZ/s1600/The+Private+Eye++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGnGW7wlrKFyC2LxAxpFAS6nil1pwfmt6A9NF3p6S5ZN-D_CAT6KotTmkgoGsAckljtX9QMfIOsnZ51UH2UVnGZAhnpwinfMDfNQhf8KfJCNVQQY6_c5pl8ZFRapOj1XqsTBal7QaUGoHZ/s1600/The+Private+Eye++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="193" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Private Eye by Vaughan, Martin and Vicente.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Private Eye is a sci-fi comic series set in the year 2076 in a time when the internet is no more and people are extremely protective of their identities, to the point of wearing masks in public. It follows the adventures of private detective <span id="intelliTXT">Patrick Immelman</span>, and is written by Bryan K.Vaughan (writer and co-creator of the excellent Saga), and illustrated by Marcos Martin.<br />
<br />
Strictly speaking, The Private Eye is a 'pay what you want' comic, rather than a free comic, but you choose the price you want to pay, so if you want to download it for free then you can. However, if everyone did this then the creators wouldn't really have much incentive to complete the series, so if you're undecided about what to pay then one idea is to download the first issue for free, and if you enjoy it then you may wish to donate for future issues. Again though, it's available as 'pay what you want', so pay what you want!<br />
<br />
The Private Eye is self-published through Bryan K.Vaughan and Marcos Martin's panel syndicate website, and is almost at the end of its ten issue run:<br />
<a href="http://panelsyndicate.com/" target="_blank">Download The Private Eye from panelsyndicate.com</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
5) Free guide book:</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfCE9p8SWJc6d9wnHd37CMUuj8FfCgVvGuyYAf6Q9FmeV3wyelmdc2CQyzvy23itbpdalc3CBYtWQGcpCwW6CFTM07mAsruhdmrkgAVTSHCUBoL4_0AS0E8zXCz_eeQdDKKW8swSpyyP0/s1600/The+Full+Moon+Party+Guide+Book+375x600++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfCE9p8SWJc6d9wnHd37CMUuj8FfCgVvGuyYAf6Q9FmeV3wyelmdc2CQyzvy23itbpdalc3CBYtWQGcpCwW6CFTM07mAsruhdmrkgAVTSHCUBoL4_0AS0E8zXCz_eeQdDKKW8swSpyyP0/s1600/The+Full+Moon+Party+Guide+Book+375x600++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Full Moon Party Guide Book<br />
is a 'Woaba Blog' publication.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This next one will be of interest to any party loving backpackers heading for South East Asia and specifically Thailand. It's a free guide book all about the famous Full Moon Party held every full moon on the tropical island of Koh Pha Ngan. Between ten and fourty thousand party lovers attend every month, and the Full Moon Party Guide Book is an in-depth guide to Thailand's biggest and most famous beach party.<br />
<br />
The guide book features sections on hotels, hostels, bars, restaurants, things to do, getting there and away, and much more. It's available in pdf (laptop, PC and tablet), mobi (kindle, kindle app) and azw3 (kindle fire), and you can find out more at the Full Moon Party Guide Book blog:<br />
<a href="http://fullmoonpartyguide.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Full Moon Party Guide Book blog</a><br />
<br />
Download the Full Moon Party Guide Book from Noisetrade or Payhip:<br />
<a href="http://smarturl.it/FullMoonParty" target="_blank">The Full Moon Party Guide Book - download from Payhip</a><br />
<a href="http://smarturl.it/FullMoonParty" target="_blank">The Full Moon Party Guide Book - download from Noisetrade</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
6) Free charity:</h3>
<br />
<a href="http://freerice.com/?icn=banner&ici=fr_spread_the_word" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="Online game to end hunger"><img alt="Online game to end hunger" src="http://cdn.wfp.org/freerice/banners/280x280_fr.jpg" height="250" width="250" /></a>To round things off, this last one is a chance to donate to charity for free. It's the website freerice.com which is a cool site where you answer questions and for every question you get right they donate ten grains of rice to the World Food Programme (paid for by sponsors). At first glance ten grains of rice doesn’t sound like much, but it doesn’t take very long to answer a question, so it all adds up pretty quickly.<br />
<br />
In fact since the website started in 2007 over 97 billion grains of rice have been donated! You can find out more at the Freerice website:<br />
<a href="http://freerice.com/about" target="_blank">Freerice.com</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />If you know of any other cool music, books, web shows, comics, etc, which are free to download, then feel free to leave a comment with the link. N.B. Any links to non-free stuff will be deleted.<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">N.B. All promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use' legislation for review purposes.</span></i><br />
Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-76340510459035344272014-11-14T09:01:00.000+00:002015-05-14T06:18:53.492+01:00Movie: Frankenweenie<h3>
Frankenweenie: An excellent movie for kids of all ages.</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyug8dMvtoHosUgmH-BNiHj9fr-C7EtaEBhyMa9ukO_uXvPj6H4TuHOkp8w8CxULnQgH2bk4XxkJkppzbpeRWf_wRyJI0G8kFSkt3Wj-MexyUjYWn-4RIyRRdEY7uYvIO0hE4200imePSx/s1600/Frankenweenie+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyug8dMvtoHosUgmH-BNiHj9fr-C7EtaEBhyMa9ukO_uXvPj6H4TuHOkp8w8CxULnQgH2bk4XxkJkppzbpeRWf_wRyJI0G8kFSkt3Wj-MexyUjYWn-4RIyRRdEY7uYvIO0hE4200imePSx/s320/Frankenweenie+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="216" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sparky, the reanimated star of Frankenweenie.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Frankenweenie tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a science obsessed school kid with no real friends other than his loveable dog, Sparky. Victor and Sparky are residents of New Holland, a town which for some reason seems to get more than its fair share of lightning strikes and while the kids at school speculate as to the reasons behind all the lightning strikes, Victor instead follows a different train of thought.<br />
<br />
During a science lesson from Mr Rzykruski, Victor learns that even after death, the muscles of a dead frog will still respond to electricity. Given the title of the movie it’s safe to say that I won’t be giving too much away when I reveal that by this stage Victor’s dog Sparky has befallen the fate of many unfortunate animals in Disney movies, and when you throw in the already mentioned frequent lightning storms, you can probably guess how things develop. I won’t say any more other than that the words of Mr Rzykruski prove to be very prophetic when he states that ‘science can be used for good or bad.’ Or in some cases, both…<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The animation in Frankenweenie is superb and very distinctive, and Sparky’s dopey expressions and loveable body language bring an instant smile to your face. This in turn means that when his time comes to meet his inevitable fate it makes his death all the more emotional.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
The action takes place in black and white which isn’t something which would normally appeal to me, but given the spooky theme of the story, and also the genre of movies which Frankenweenie takes its inspiration from, you can understand why the animation has been rendered like this. The visuals have that typical Tim Burton trademark to them and the black and white imagery fits in perfectly, particularly for some of the cemetery scenes and the animation as a whole is distinctively atmospheric and helps create a thoroughly enjoyable movie watching experience.<br />
<br />
The stylised appearance of several of the characters and monsters are also superb, and the voice actors likewise do a brilliant job of really bringing the characters to life. A lot of work has obviously been put into the overall presentation as demonstrated by numerous nice background touches. For example one scene in the pet cemetery features a gravestone engraved with the message, ‘Goodbye Kitty’ and a cat-like emblem that bears more than a passing resemblance to a certain popular Japanese brand.<br />
<br />
Frankenweenie isn’t overloaded with jokes but it has its funny moments, although in general the comedy is at the level which will bring a chuckle to your face rather than have you rolling around laughing on the floor. Many of the jokes are of a visual nature, such as the reanimated Sparky wagging his tail with joy on seeing his pal Victor once again, only to discover that Victor hasn’t stitched his tail back on quite securely enough.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.dpbolvw.net/click-6543779-10885929" target="_blank">
<img alt="Save 10-50% on computers & electronics" border="0" src="http://www.ftjcfx.com/image-6543779-10885929" height="60" width="468" /></a>
<br />
<br />
Animated movies of this nature tend to be aimed predominantly at kids, but Frankenweenie is a movie which adults can also enjoy, and in fact some of the scenes will possibly be a little scary or uncomfortable for very young viewers. Any parents watching this movie with younger kids with a recently departed pet might also perhaps be wise to explain afterwards that in real life you can’t just shoot a load of electricity into a dead pet to bring it back to life!<br />
<br />
On the whole though, Frankenweenie is an excellent movie for kids of all ages and as you’d expect, Tim Burton has done an accomplished job of bringing the story of Frankenweenie to life just as effectively as Victor does with his cute and delightful dog Sparky.<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Find more movie recommendations at the following link:<br /><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Movies" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29aae1;">Movies on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience'</span></a> </span><br />
<br />
Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span></span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-9375187807672518282014-09-12T09:01:00.000+01:002015-01-04T09:47:23.943+00:00TV: Bates Motel<h3>
Bates Motel: "Had me hooked from the first episode."</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DF2msdmdQykgmsgZ5gPyzZEh0UGdaqxCXpfBIc9txZAndY49XSIFTlmTE8b-Z0blood6g1sIrBT4Ey2r6HGf8Vz-DlFHO-y7QriqFHg8UP_B9FvVJlSUPisGj4H71SwB8p6i1bqkgfRI/s1600/Bates+Motel++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DF2msdmdQykgmsgZ5gPyzZEh0UGdaqxCXpfBIc9txZAndY49XSIFTlmTE8b-Z0blood6g1sIrBT4Ey2r6HGf8Vz-DlFHO-y7QriqFHg8UP_B9FvVJlSUPisGj4H71SwB8p6i1bqkgfRI/s1600/Bates+Motel++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="400" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bates Motel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Bates Motel is a TV prequel to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, but with a modern day setting, and the show is based on the early life of main character, Norman Bates. The show explores the loving but intense and occasionally creepy relationship between Norman and his mother Norma Bates, and also examines the psychology of this young Norman Bates and the events of his early life which will eventually lead to him becoming the psycho of Hitchcock's movie.<br />
<br />
This early version of Norman Bates is a long way from becoming the ultimately unhinged Norman Bates from the Psycho movie though, and you don't have to be a fan of the original movie to enjoy Bates Motel. The show does include some clever and interesting details which fans of the movie will recognise, however, such as the beginnings of Norman's interest in taxidermy, and of course his complex relationship with his mother, Norma Bates.<br />
<br />
Perhaps the danger with doing a show about a character who goes on to become a psycho killer is that you could potentially alienate some viewers by having a main character who it's difficult to sympathise with. However, at this stage in his life Norman, although already showing signs for concern with his mental state, is nevertheless a largely likeable character. Actor Freddie Highmore is the perfect choice to play Norman, and helped by some talented writers he does a superb job or portraying the deep and complex nature of Norman Bates'
character. He also infuses the perfect balance of edginess and vulnerability into Norman, with the overall result being a character who you cheer for even when his psychological problems surface.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>But this isn't a one man show, and the other key players in Norman's life are likewise cleverly written and brilliantly portrayed by a strong cast of actors and actresses. Vera Farmiga does a superb job as Norma Bates, Norman's loving but overly protective and occasionally creepy mother, and Norman's older and more street-wise half-brother, Dylan Masset, is expertly portrayed by Max Thieriot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/HowToSaveTheWorld" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjODcGmeSnth184k4PyUJbHCb43r6Yjn5naaVhXkkudaIDwGe1ZN31uLCUDY-3NM3gZA4L4K0IcMBTTSRyB9bjI9z2YkRY27BFb7EdiirPZtFeyoo2iyFtDcyKIhMqbV1tgEfmkmSluIp1T/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Free+download+from+payhip+-+Ad+2++charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
In fact the entire cast produce consistently excellent acting performances, and are assisted by the type of scripts and plots
actors presumably dream of. This is also a show with classicly evil villains, and one small personal
criticism is that perhaps in some cases they kill off the bad guys just a
little too soon for my tastes. To be fair though, just when Norma and Norman, or Dylan, or Sheriff Romero, have
taken care of one bad guy, another equally memorable villain arrives
on the scene to cause more troubles for Norman and Norma, and the residents of White Pine Bay.<br />
<br />
Bates Motel had me intrigued right from the first episode
and from then on pretty much every episode has you on the edge of your seat with suspense and tension. As you'd expect given the original inspiration, there are also a few grisly violent scenes along the way but for the most part, the drama comes from the tension and anticipation of these explosively dramatic events. Several episodes finish with a cliff hanger ending or with the revelation of a significant
plot development, and Bates Motel is presented as an ongoing tale, rather than each episode being an individual story.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>In summary, Bates Motel is a TV show where the end result is stronger than the sum of it's already strong individual elements. The acting, plot-lines and overall creepy and mysterious atmosphere all combine to produce an excellent show which you could quite easily binge watch, and a show which more people need to know about.<br />
<br />Check out clips, interviews and more on the official Bates Motel webpage:<br /><a href="http://www.aetv.com/bates-motel" target="_blank">Bates Motel webpage</a><br /><br />
Get the latest Bates Motel news by following the official Bates Motel twitter account:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/InsideBates" target="_blank">@InsideBates</a><br />
<br />
Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-68020596174328872132014-07-09T09:12:00.000+01:002014-11-24T12:00:01.381+00:00Funny Webcomics Worth Checking Out<h3>
Surreal humour from comic strips found on the web...</h3>
<br />
There are lots of amusing webcomics out there with large followings of fans, but in my opinion many of these webcomics deserve an even bigger audience. This month I've therefore featured below a few comic strips from some favourite webcomics of mine...<br />
<br />
<h3>
1) Unearthed Comics</h3>
<br />
This first comic strip is from the <a href="http://unearthedcomics.com/" target="_blank">Unearthed Comics</a> website created by Sara Zimmerman (with her husband Rob providing support), and it features quite a literal joke...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xXHDs6QPU0HSF2MDfh29xwd-HPIIcM24_WfrvIgjbdS2JmPlckon1U6eC-Y5kQ3Vmoq3ivc_jXKR_EOsspZE_XiBTfTG_jwBP8TJz_qyknXGd7FBg_ss0AMrq2FaTHoBZ8vytcYH1x78/s1600/That+ass+is+smoking++unearthedcomics.com.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1xXHDs6QPU0HSF2MDfh29xwd-HPIIcM24_WfrvIgjbdS2JmPlckon1U6eC-Y5kQ3Vmoq3ivc_jXKR_EOsspZE_XiBTfTG_jwBP8TJz_qyknXGd7FBg_ss0AMrq2FaTHoBZ8vytcYH1x78/s1600/That+ass+is+smoking++unearthedcomics.com.jpg" height="400" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a>The comic strips on <a href="http://unearthedcomics.com/" target="_blank">UnearthedComics.com</a> cover a range of topics with popular themes including <span class="s2">science comics, parenting humor, business jokes, relationship comics,
environmental humor, technology cartoons, and health humor.</span><span class="s1"> Some of my favourites are the comics set in space featuring a talking Earth known as Marilyn Earth</span>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
2) Cutting Edge Cartoon</h3>
<br />
This next comic strip is from the <a href="http://thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">Cutting Edge Cartoon blog</a>, and is based on the experience of meeting a friend's girlfriend for the first time. Once again, it features just the sort of weird surrealness that perfectly appeals to my sense of humour...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAw_hDQcoTg8sOD51WV1bJKO4MH5EWSp29CcCAye1GoUSoJt_gH-T8OeGe-XrHWrmysM9rDSfCmCW13eVOBEAzmDnOgsLMPPk3RKt4oCZvpm7Fac9iU-u8jK8pz54aXlr5JOJtpn3OWeJ/s1600/Meeting+a+friends+girlfriend++thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwAw_hDQcoTg8sOD51WV1bJKO4MH5EWSp29CcCAye1GoUSoJt_gH-T8OeGe-XrHWrmysM9rDSfCmCW13eVOBEAzmDnOgsLMPPk3RKt4oCZvpm7Fac9iU-u8jK8pz54aXlr5JOJtpn3OWeJ/s1600/Meeting+a+friends+girlfriend++thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com.jpg" height="375" width="540" /></a></div>
<br />
The 'meeting a friend's girlfriend' comic strip displays better on the <a href="http://thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com/comic/?random" target="_blank">Cutting Edge Cartoon</a> blog where you can view it in its original full size:<br />
<a href="http://thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com/comic/meeting-a-friends-girlfriend/" target="_blank">Cutting Edge Cartoon: Meeting A Friend's Girlfriend</a>
<br />
<br />
The comic strips on the <a href="http://thecuttingedgecartoon.wordpress.com/comic/?random" target="_blank">Cutting Edge Cartoon</a> cover a range of topics, and they all feature the same sort of weird amusing daftness which brings a smile to my face.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
3) Small Blue Yonder</h3>
<br />
Next up is a comic strip from the <a href="http://www.smallblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">SmallBlueYonder</a> website by Crispin Wood and this time I've picked out an amusing visual joke...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySf1rg9gzV2GQe7QHbKKc0OIq_T2s4-I0Mq4eOeGqsmzeR4PC2kRKVjxw6SrdzrZYLmO58yLPIl7rqWGZT9nT3VRTYX6sNB58TWGqDsr_K6KGWAUHYd9guaKRg9f9OF6U4IPbkAJxQINV/s1600/Showerus+Interruptus++smallblueyonder.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhySf1rg9gzV2GQe7QHbKKc0OIq_T2s4-I0Mq4eOeGqsmzeR4PC2kRKVjxw6SrdzrZYLmO58yLPIl7rqWGZT9nT3VRTYX6sNB58TWGqDsr_K6KGWAUHYd9guaKRg9f9OF6U4IPbkAJxQINV/s1600/Showerus+Interruptus++smallblueyonder.com.jpg" height="198" width="540" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
You can find more cool comic strips by Crispin Wood at his <a href="http://www.smallblueyonder.com/" target="_blank">SmallBlueYonder</a> website.<br />
<br />
<br />
To round things off, here are a few links to some more of my favourite web comic strips covering themes such as funerals, apple trees, Waldo, and a particular favourite ... Lego Batman:<br />
<a href="http://www.1111comics.me/comic/162/" target="_blank">1111 Comics: Apple Tree</a><br />
<a href="http://explosm.net/comics/970/" target="_blank">Cyanide & Happiness: Great Party</a><br />
<a href="http://www.webdonuts.com/2009/04/where-are-they-now/" target="_blank">Webdonuts: Waldo's New Job</a><br />
<a href="http://theawkwardyeti.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/GnatFuneral.jpg" target="_blank">The Awkward Yeti: Gnat Funeral</a><br />
<a href="http://www.picturesinboxes.com/2014/03/07/lego-batman/" target="_blank">Pictures In Boxes: Lego Batman</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
You can follow the featured webcomics on facebook, twitter and pinterest:<br />
Facebook:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/smallblueyonder" target="_blank">Small Blue Yonder</a><br />
<a href="http://www.facebook.com/UnearthedComics" target="_blank">Unearthed Comics</a><br />
<br />
Twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/UnearthedComics" target="_blank">@UnearthedComics</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/EdHallx" target="_blank">@EdHallx</a> (Cutting Edge Cartoon)<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/SmallBlueYonder" target="_blank">@SmallBlueYonder</a><br />
<br />
Pinterest:<br />
<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/edhallx/" target="_blank">Cutting Edge Cartoon</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Please
note, all comic strips used in this blog post remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used with kind permission and/or in accordance with the terms of use on the relevant blogs/websites.</span></i></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-58907389707886407882014-05-12T09:35:00.000+01:002014-12-06T12:21:14.439+00:00Movie: Clear History<h3>
A treat for fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm.</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_ZhTqAI_xmDYihjsFMYTx7rPfM5QQ6fIqS2XXvpT0DbIcv957D5FOZT0UFxcbGkO5TzGNnD8Z2wgME6-S4zMwNjawhUr5u7OFiwXeDRZQPkNZGW4jvWk2pPCj-3VPYutWYcdXOpHLN1T/s1600/Clear+History++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS_ZhTqAI_xmDYihjsFMYTx7rPfM5QQ6fIqS2XXvpT0DbIcv957D5FOZT0UFxcbGkO5TzGNnD8Z2wgME6-S4zMwNjawhUr5u7OFiwXeDRZQPkNZGW4jvWk2pPCj-3VPYutWYcdXOpHLN1T/s1600/Clear+History++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clear History starring Larry David</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Any Larry David fans who haven't yet seen Clear History will be pleased to know that it follows the tried and tested format followed by Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the result is a brilliantly funny movie. Although not a carbon copy, Larry's character Nathan/Rolly still has some similarities with the Larry David character from Curb, most notably that they both seem cursed with the same bad luck.<br />
<br />
Another similarity is that Clear History was also produced in an
improvisational style, rather than by following a script. According to
Larry David, in some cases this helped create extra unintended laughs,
as for example the character of Frank (Nathan's friend and
co-conspirator in his quest for revenge, played by Danny McBride) was
originally meant to be more of a straight role, but because of Danny
McBride's improvisational skills he ended up with more jokes in the
finished version than intended.<br />
<br />
One thing which is different though, is that Nathan has a sinister side to his character and this provides a key element of the plot. The story
sees Nathan Flomm fall out with his friend and business partner just
before the launch of a new electronic car (known as the 'Howard') which
goes on to be the success story of the decade. As a result Nathan loses
out on what would have potentially made him a billion dollars, and
becomes a figure of media ridicule.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>The movie then fast
forwards ten years and Nathan has relocated to Martha's Vineyard, his hair
has fallen out and he's reinvented himself as Rolly DaVore. He seems
fairly happy with his new life until his old business partner also
decides to move to Martha's Vineyard, causing feelings of revenge to start to surface...<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://smarturl.it/HowToSaveTheWorld" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMNNaBQaBSeneTSYEQHCUWmKuw_FgROo7MVgPOafy3R4geB2FotZt0Sa7k_EWotUq-FRnUs-xtM6oh0JJ0hAMcQoow2b7kDLSZ9aD9SveVCdTXNlZ0gPOTRguRrBNwfA8OHXr1uBtuH5mC/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Free+download+from+payhip++charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com.gif" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
The cast of Clear History is superb and includes the likes of
Kate Hudson, Michael Keaton, Eva Mendes, Amy Ryan, Danny McBride and
J.B.Smoove (the only other Curb regular to make an appearance), and they all do a superb job at creating the same type of humour which fans of Curb Your Enthusiasm will recognise and appreciate.<br />
<br />
Something else which Larry Davd fans will recgonise if the same seemingly irrelevant discussions, such as Nathan falling
out with the local restaurant owner over the cleanliness of her
cutlery, and as with most episodes of Curb, this difference of opinion then goes on to have
repercussions later in the movie.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>There's an excellent attention to detail throughout the movie, and in fact several conversations and incidents come back to have
larger consequences later on, usually with a lot of laughter
as a result. Without giving away too many spoilers, I especially loved one of the key
plot twists at the very end, which was very much like the bad luck which inevitably befalls Larry David in most episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
In case I haven't already made it more than clear, Clear History is all done very much in the Curb Your Enthusiasm spirit, so if you're already a fan of Larry David then it's a fairly safe bet that you'll also love this movie, and if you haven't seen the genius of Larry David in Curb yet, then check out Clear History and discover what you're missing.<br />
<br />
You can buy Clear History on Blu-ray and DVD from CD Universe:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/link?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=214935.9018485&type=2&murl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cduniverse.com%2Fproductinfo.asp%3FPID%3D9018485%26style%3Dmovie%26frm%3Dlinkshare" target="new"><img border="0" src="http://c3.cduniverse.ws/CDUCoverArt/video/85/9018485.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Find more movie recommendations at the following link:<br /><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Movies" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29aae1;">Movies on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience'</span></a> </span><br />
<br />
Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span><br />
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-28378819688421209832014-03-15T09:44:00.000+00:002014-05-02T10:17:40.854+01:00Music: 6 Cool Tunes By Australian Artists<h3>
Six of my favourite songs by Australian musicians</h3>
<br />
In my youth I don't remember being aware of that many Australian bands and musicians who were big in the UK. However, I'm guessing there were actually loads of great Australian musicians and the problem was just that their talent hadn't gained the worldwide recognition it deserved.<br />
<br />
Whatever the reason, the internet now means that great bands and artists from all over the world can be enjoyed all over the world, and Australia seems to be producing more than its fair share of great music at the moment, so to highlight some of the best, here are six of my favourite tunes by Australian artists.<br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
1) Cypher - Liar</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy2QnKFHpdANGEndiqqk6C83qv1awNrNTDboArZvUOuucLhspeMuDHAo7vQABOw9XAApRxgKVQ6gCLx8S-8kHIobNwzSGcOFgbI5S4oUj8CVPQYMI9MwtqIHE3own9zYcISVl2zlpqW7u/s1600/Cypher+-+Liar++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwy2QnKFHpdANGEndiqqk6C83qv1awNrNTDboArZvUOuucLhspeMuDHAo7vQABOw9XAApRxgKVQ6gCLx8S-8kHIobNwzSGcOFgbI5S4oUj8CVPQYMI9MwtqIHE3own9zYcISVl2zlpqW7u/s1600/Cypher+-+Liar++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Liar by Cypher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
An absolutely brilliant track to start things off. Liar opens with simple
piano and vocals, then gradually builds up as more layers kick in, and it's a tune that for a brief spell I listened to on repeat. The first time I heard it I sort of casually had it on in the background, but it turned out that Liar was so excellent that I had to stop what I was doing and give the song my full attention to fully
take in and absorb every moment of its brilliance.<br />
<br />
Cypher recorded Liar on Garageband on her iPad and if the marketing executives at Apple had any sense they would launch a promotional campaign around this song to showcase the excellent standard of music you can potentially produce with GarageBand. <br />
<br />
Listen to it and download it for free from the Triple J Unearthed website:<br />
<a href="https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/cypher" target="_blank">Cypher - Liar</a><br />
<br />
Like Cypher on facebook:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/xcypherxmexifxyouxcanx" target="_blank">Cypher</a><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<h3>
2) Angus And Julia Stone - Bella</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jRzga83-HOa_UMP7f9tyjvCCD8xO86-OiVTOJzS0D-o3mCzYgeYr0EA0oGLsNu3KuULW9hsSWsqpfe-9lsjsPOdbbK1nNHOF-GRbuqNtQe7lmrpUg3pUuhwzqvzTFizgABHu3yyp1waN/s1600/A+Book+Like+This+by+Angus+And+Julia+Stone++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jRzga83-HOa_UMP7f9tyjvCCD8xO86-OiVTOJzS0D-o3mCzYgeYr0EA0oGLsNu3KuULW9hsSWsqpfe-9lsjsPOdbbK1nNHOF-GRbuqNtQe7lmrpUg3pUuhwzqvzTFizgABHu3yyp1waN/s1600/A+Book+Like+This+by+Angus+And+Julia+Stone++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bella can be found on the album<br />
'A Book Like This' by Angus And Julia Stone</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyone who likes folk music is probably already a big fan of Angus And Julia Stone, but if you're not already a fan then give this tune a listen and you soon will be. Listening to Bella always fills me with optimism and leaves me with a calm inner happiness, and for such a peaceful tune it's an extremely powerful track.<br />
<br />
In truth Angus And Julia Stone have got so many beautiful chilled out tunes that I could have basically picked any one of their songs for inclusion on this list, but Bella (from the album 'A Book Like This') was the first of their songs which I really got hooked on, so it always has a special significance for me.<br />
<br />
Follow Angus And Julia Stone on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AngusAndJulia" target="_blank">AngusAndJulia</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/angusjuliastone" target="_blank">@AngusJuliaStone</a><br />
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<h3>
3) Dustin Tebbutt - The Breach</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBR-Z9URSMXi985NB2Q3LstJp5V0fPWHURnHzihbGqyw2DmEFmf_0kORSLFFmHtBWP3cZaceimK3jnL-or_6bKTVmvmb5vwOTQuVH0Wv0qcl3ByetCpemHoejC9zw_cfVbYBNhsB0Gp-qw/s1600/The+Breach+by+Dustin+Tebbutt++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBR-Z9URSMXi985NB2Q3LstJp5V0fPWHURnHzihbGqyw2DmEFmf_0kORSLFFmHtBWP3cZaceimK3jnL-or_6bKTVmvmb5vwOTQuVH0Wv0qcl3ByetCpemHoejC9zw_cfVbYBNhsB0Gp-qw/s1600/The+Breach+by+Dustin+Tebbutt++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="260" width="260" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Breach by Dustin Tebbutt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The Breach is a quietly powerful song which grabs your attention right from the very start. The gentle relaxing guitar rhythm instantly draws you in, and yet when the vocals arrive the song goes up another level and gets even better. On first listen it has a reassuring familiarity to it, and yet at the same time it feels fresh and exciting. The Breach is an absolutely brilliant track to chill out to and one which any fan of the acoustic guitar will almost certainly love.<br />
<br />
Download The Breach for free from the Triple J Unearthed website:<br />
<a href="http://www.triplejunearthed.com/DustinTebbutt" target="_blank">The Breach by Dustin Tebbutt</a><br />
<br />
Check out Dustin Tebbutt's website:<br />
<a href="http://dustintebbutt.com/" target="_blank">www.dustintebbutt.com</a><br />
<br />
Follow Dustin Tebbutt on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DustinTebbuttMusic" target="_blank">DustinTebbuttMusic</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/DustinTebbutt" target="_blank">@DustinTebbutt</a><br />
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<h3>
4) Pigeon - Oh Hebe</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lJkEj-p9eTFiAUaoeP-rJbZXs3B7fDS-iH611wQk-QOd0q1LrT64mWZ8fGY1bIad65XdtMPncuAq3EH7HcdWe-bKLlJQtSoim3NiSprTNk49E6eDZSjA9oMnGLRixszp_1hF2qrHDLd5/s1600/Pigeon++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8lJkEj-p9eTFiAUaoeP-rJbZXs3B7fDS-iH611wQk-QOd0q1LrT64mWZ8fGY1bIad65XdtMPncuAq3EH7HcdWe-bKLlJQtSoim3NiSprTNk49E6eDZSjA9oMnGLRixszp_1hF2qrHDLd5/s1600/Pigeon++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="280" width="280" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pigeon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first time I heard this track I thought, 'Yeah, pretty cool,' but within a few listens I had upgraded that to 'pretty awesome' as Oh Hebe just gets better and better with every listen. It's a great dance anthem but it's equally perfect to listen to on your iPod while relaxing on the beach, and I can also imagine it being a tune perfectly suited for summer festivals. Future releases from Pigeon have been just as catchy and for selfish reasons I'd love them to become as big as they deserve to be, purely to increase the chances of them deciding to tour the UK.<br />
<br />
Listen to Oh Hebe and download it from the Triple J Unearthed site for free:<br />
<a href="https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/pigeon" target="_blank">Pigeon - Oh Hebe</a><br />
<br />
Pigeon have got loads of other quality tunes which you can find on their YouTube channel:<br />
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/pigeonsitemusic/videos?view=57&flow=grid" target="_blank">Pigeon on YouTube</a><br />
<br />
Or check out their official website:<br />
<a href="http://www.pigeonofficial.com/" target="_blank">www.pigeonofficial.com</a><br />
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<h3>
5) Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Vapour</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtgdOvGL3IPL97N3NhJM34YoHdcxyr-TMhu8CnoUpGFlqM0PKRtmsTqTkUGVDZaJTqX5HYSzHh2wB_CcfRdZs6jsm3qg89r7pp8WQVyKhLboUL4zuyq3WN3wvp2_ylAdXIBNolijCCnSG/s1600/Vancouver+Sleep+Clinic++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTtgdOvGL3IPL97N3NhJM34YoHdcxyr-TMhu8CnoUpGFlqM0PKRtmsTqTkUGVDZaJTqX5HYSzHh2wB_CcfRdZs6jsm3qg89r7pp8WQVyKhLboUL4zuyq3WN3wvp2_ylAdXIBNolijCCnSG/s1600/Vancouver+Sleep+Clinic++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="210" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vancouver Sleep Clinic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
If you're based in Vancouver and looking for a clinic to help you with sleep problems then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed to discover that Vancouver Sleep Clinic are neither based in Vancouver nor a sleep clinic. However, if what you're looking for is a beautiful breathtaking song then Vapour by Vancouver Sleep Clinic fits the bill perfectly. The vocals and acoustic nature of the track are reminiscent of Bon Iver, and this is yet another example of the brilliant music currently being produced in Australia.<br />
<br />
Listen to Vapour and download it from the Triple J Unearthed site for free:<br />
<a href="https://www.triplejunearthed.com/artist/vancouver-sleep-clinic" target="_blank">Vancouver Sleep Clinic - Vapour</a><br />
<br />
Listen to Vancouver Sleep Clinic on Soundcloud<br />
<a href="https://soundcloud.com/vancouversleepclinic" target="_blank">Vancouver Sleep Clinic on Soundcloud</a><br />
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<br />
<h3>
6) Oh! Hark! - Lisa Mitchell</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wCJl8AW13yMkuuH1hQNSN3ln01MJw40XTw1xHV7Dyv43a_xdA0WCerOo8kFZLw81JM0q5wLpbu-3y2xW8vKta0Gsyjl5Dl4cvLzyoWAubLkW5DA5vVkjnJzVYZfhL0oZCv7yLjksRypc/s1600/Lisa+Mitchell+-+Oh+Hark++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7wCJl8AW13yMkuuH1hQNSN3ln01MJw40XTw1xHV7Dyv43a_xdA0WCerOo8kFZLw81JM0q5wLpbu-3y2xW8vKta0Gsyjl5Dl4cvLzyoWAubLkW5DA5vVkjnJzVYZfhL0oZCv7yLjksRypc/s1600/Lisa+Mitchell+-+Oh+Hark++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="218" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa Mitchell in her Oh! Hark! video</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One of my all time favourite tracks to round things off. Lisa Mitchell has got so many superb tunes which I love but I would rank Oh! Hark! as her most instantly catchy tune and her best song to introduce a potential new fan to.<br />
<br />
At one time this was one of the most played tracks on my iPod out of a playlist of thousands and it has a brilliantly infectious happy feel to it that fills you with energy. Whenever I listen to this, no matter what I'm doing it always makes me want to get up and start dancing about, and it seriously disappoints me that Oh! Hark! didn't go massive on a worldwide scale when it was first released.<br />
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Here's the official Oh! Hark! video on YouTube:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_2XF1y5KlM" target="_blank">Oh! Hark! (Official Video)</a><br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
More music recommendations on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience':<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Music" target="_blank">Music recommendations</a><br />
<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the
copyright of the respective artists/publishers and are used in
accordance with 'Fair Use' legislation for review purposes.</i></span><br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-36237298915007704282014-01-30T08:52:00.000+00:002014-05-08T10:17:57.259+01:00Graphic Novel: Anya's Ghost<h3>
Anya's Ghost: "...brilliantly illustrated in a way which makes it impossible not to connect with the characters."</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA2xbWFrmDE0TmBkfbrWtC1M2O4d-i8FtKHP4uEzswSF4oMCo2fpJUV9yGbAMfIZyvnUxjMPpMSGxAgj50zI6gQnKW7IPeURWJQD8AhSSwMg8EjHjPFN_HnWz0I09tPn2VMHO_VZpg6LI/s1600/Anya's+Ghost+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikA2xbWFrmDE0TmBkfbrWtC1M2O4d-i8FtKHP4uEzswSF4oMCo2fpJUV9yGbAMfIZyvnUxjMPpMSGxAgj50zI6gQnKW7IPeURWJQD8AhSSwMg8EjHjPFN_HnWz0I09tPn2VMHO_VZpg6LI/s400/Anya's+Ghost+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="400" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anya's Ghost tells the story of Anya Borzakovskaya, a Russian girl growing up in America. Her life takes a twist one day when she falls down a well and meets a ghost called Emily, and after an initial tentative start they then go on to become friends.<br />
<br />
The theme of ghosts in fiction is hardly a new idea and yet the concept behind Anya's Ghost manages to come across as fresh and unique. It's also a creatively concocted story, with lots of cool ideas and twists. I have to admit that when the main twist arrived it took the plot in a direction away from the storyline I expected and hoped for, but within a few pages I was drawn into the story even more and the unexpected developments definitely crank up the intrigue and drama.<br />
<br />
The author, Vera Brosgol's, own life mirrors the basic outline behind Anya* in that she was born in Russia but grew up in the US, so that probably helps explain why some of the emotions Anya describes about growing up as a Russian in America and feeling like an outsider, feel so genuine and believable.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>* Apart from the bit about the ghost, presumably.</i></span><br />
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<a name='more'></a>However, Anya's Ghost is a story which will appeal to a broad selection of readers, as most of the problems and worries which Anya experiences relate to subjects which all high school students (or ex-students) will identify with, such as worrying about her image and wanting to fit in. There are other layers to the story of course, such as the supernatural aspect of having a ghost as a friend, and also Anya's own investigations into Emily's life when she was alive, but at its heart are story elements which most readers will identify with.<br />
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<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=225463.71&subid=0&type=4" target="new"><img alt="GreatArt" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=225463.71&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Just as strong as the storyline is the artwork which really brings the characters and the story alive. Vera Brosgol uses an innocent and simple style of artwork which is very appealing and perfectly suited to the story. The facial expressions of Anya and Emily in particular are brilliantly illustrated in a way which makes it impossible not to connect with the characters and the range of emotions they experience.<br />
<br />
Anya's Ghost is a book which had me hooked within a few pages and it's a story I'd love to see made into a movie. I'm not usually a big fan of supernatural fiction, but in this case Vera Drosgol has focused as much if not more on the actual character and personality behind Emily, rather than just the fact that she's a ghost. For that reason I suspect that although Anya's Ghost will especially appeal to teenage girls, other readers like myself who wouldn't usually go for this type of book will also be won over by the clever intriguing storyline and the appealing emotionally expressive artwork.<br />
<br />
Anya's Ghost won several awards, including an Eisner Award for Best Publication for Young Adults and a Harvey Award for Best Original Graphic Publication for Younger Readers, and you can find it on Amazon at the following links:<br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CNTSVA2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B00CNTSVA2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudge0f-21" target="_blank">Anya's Ghost</a><br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CNTSVA2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00CNTSVA2&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">Anya's Ghost</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_aBpq39Q3LnvffSpjupROO9Y42GmCMxxJ5IginDWs5xBoJqA8BDC2ivJW2S5J4axLpU4-XfnX7d9CSb_VPC89EshqscF-RkvKwG7WpLGxVCvqd5J4f0RCjsgoHNVh0_lTegPu0N3Khl0/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn_aBpq39Q3LnvffSpjupROO9Y42GmCMxxJ5IginDWs5xBoJqA8BDC2ivJW2S5J4axLpU4-XfnX7d9CSb_VPC89EshqscF-RkvKwG7WpLGxVCvqd5J4f0RCjsgoHNVh0_lTegPu0N3Khl0/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="240" width="240" /></a></div>
Check out Vera Drosgol's website:<br />
<a href="http://verabee.com/" target="_blank">verabee.com</a><br />
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. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Other Graphic Novels on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience':<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Graphic%20Novels" target="_blank">Graphic Novels</a><br />
<br />
Follow 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience' on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i><br />Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.<br /><br />Legal Note: Ths blog post contains affiliate banner links.</i></span></span><br />
Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-87552868015828019422013-12-18T08:09:00.000+00:002015-02-21T12:07:11.889+00:00TV: Impractical Jokers<h3>
"Warning: The following program contains scenes of graphic stupidity among four lifelong friends who compete to embarrass each other."</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNXfkAJHyIXmizNouqds18SKQOhBiORVMi8whiD8BLlLKupl7IWvKAZe1IrI_MwBBHbov1q11iN0xDpGPrVzZ0hNieINPnICy8nIEeMMW4w8KEXna5CVC5aJKAGsz224YdBWipF3EzjwP/s1600/Impractical+Jokers++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWNXfkAJHyIXmizNouqds18SKQOhBiORVMi8whiD8BLlLKupl7IWvKAZe1IrI_MwBBHbov1q11iN0xDpGPrVzZ0hNieINPnICy8nIEeMMW4w8KEXna5CVC5aJKAGsz224YdBWipF3EzjwP/s320/Impractical+Jokers++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="201" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whichever Joker gets the most fails is that week's loser<br />
and has to suffer the end of show punishment.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That's the cautionary note that precedes every episode of Impractical Jokers and at its most basic level that's what the show is all about; four friends trying to embarrass each other. What the warning doesn't mention though, is just how funny Impractical Jokers is.<br />
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I got into Impractical Jokers more and more as the first season progressed and
I think it definitely helps the humour once you get to know
the personalities of the four jokers. Once I was hooked, some of the
episodes had me absolutely crying my eyes out with laughter and in fact on one occasion I was
literally laughing so much that I had a sore throat.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>In some ways Impractical Jokers is very loosely similar to other shows before it in that
it follows the hidden camera prank show format, but what sets it apart is that this time the joke is on the presenters, rather than
the public. The format has four friends competing against each other in various challenges where they each have to perform an outlandish task set by the other three. If you wimp
out and don't do what you're told, or if you fail to achieve the goal
of the challenge then you get a fail, and whoever ends the show with the
most fails must then perform an embarrassing or humiliating act as a
punishment. <br />
<br />
There's a great bond between the four jokers but that doesn't stop them
from going all out to embarrass each other and in fact the friendship
between the jokers only seems to make them more determined to set each
other impossible and generally extremely funny tasks. For example when handing out free samples on a cheese counter in a
supermarket, Sal has to ask shoppers a survey which starts off
innocently enough with questions such as "Do you use cheese as a snack
often?"<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyoV8I-EKIRAxSxIKrSmrlW9b9ayix8LyuNaiF0bJMBm3XUvoDGuRU62h8Kvcqauxbejtu2F-YW7uEVUjezM5rgWlFGmUYGi754wdwsBjlOcRtMR76q_kRTUN_TtW2n00UeJ_UGHd5rN8/s1600/Murray+manages+to+pull+off+a+seemingly+impossible+task++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiyoV8I-EKIRAxSxIKrSmrlW9b9ayix8LyuNaiF0bJMBm3XUvoDGuRU62h8Kvcqauxbejtu2F-YW7uEVUjezM5rgWlFGmUYGi754wdwsBjlOcRtMR76q_kRTUN_TtW2n00UeJ_UGHd5rN8/s320/Murray+manages+to+pull+off+a+seemingly+impossible+task++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murray manages to pull off a seemingly impossible task.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The other jokers then quickly crank up the embarrassment factor
as the survey soon progresses to less conventional questions such as "Where do you get all that
booty from?" To be fair, the customer is a good sport and replies,
"From my mama," but he's even more surprised when Sal then has to ask, "I
want to treat you right. Will you let me treat you right?" After a few
moments of total confusion the dude taking the cheese survey shrugs and replies, "I
guess so."<br />
<br />
Another strength of the show is that the jokers compliment each
other so well. They're all on a similar wavelength humour-wise, but
they also each bring something different to the party. Murray has his
'foolproof' plans and his over-the-top elaborate back-stories which he
dreams up to help him accomplish some of the tasks, Joe has basically
got no shame whatsoever and will pretty much do anything in the pursuit of laughter
no matter how embarrassing, Sal is unable to keep a straight face and
often breaks down in fits of contagious laughter, and Q has, em ... his
hats. <i>(Only joking ... Q with his laidback attitude is just as brilliant as the other jokers.) </i><br />
<br />
The only worry with Impractical Jokers is that as the show continues to become more and more popular, the Jokers are inevitably going to be recognised more often which might detract from
the hilarity of some of the genuine reactions from the public, so in a way a part of me hopes it doesn't become <i>too </i>popular. But the good news is that for now there are already three seasons' worth of excellent episodes to watch which will have you crying with laughter. <br />
<br />
Impractical Jokers has developed a rapidly growing following in the US, so if you're a UK fan of daft but brilliant comedy and you're yet to discover the genius of Impractical Jokers then I can't recommend it highly enough. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvxSd69lsD8qw8bMbeH7NX7kXW0Q2XagU1pE1ikGs-Pr3Xgs5-vVm-TGmLFMY_69QDqQ6ZEMqXeMxV13vnbCdgz-v4PQtu1YdDpN2LJAvF10AvmEBYwdCc5lYioBrGHweJz5tvtOPCxfe/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+HiRes+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>If you've never seen Impractical Jokers before then you can check out a few clips on the TruTV website, or if you're already a big fan then there are also a few deleted scenes to watch:<br />
<a href="http://www.trutv.com/shows/impractical-jokers/new-stuff.html" target="_blank">Impractical Jokers on TruTV</a><br />
<br />
You can follow Impractical Jokers on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/trutvjokers" target="_blank">@truTVjokers</a><br />
<br />
And each joker also has his own twitter account:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/BQQuinn" target="_blank">@BQQuinn</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/SalVulcano" target="_blank">@SalVulcano</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/jamessmurray" target="_blank">@jamessmurray</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Joe_Gatto" target="_blank">@Joe_Gatto</a><br />
<br />
Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://smarturl.it/AlienComedy" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv8j3flRKGjMXHWSejZ33jsep2QnVho4IrNXzjNSKULgKSDohtP2efuXFRTC2HItikwCJoi1kI5U8pC7VzCthkvJhTBcJYd3lnsq2xRbfgc_-a9PkZ7kUFhxumOWi74wOsSw4zAsLJloP6/s1600/Amazon+Free+Wide+Ad+1.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-37118512353714918472013-11-01T12:18:00.000+00:002013-11-01T14:54:37.120+00:00Animated Short: Spacebound<h3>
"Everyone but the most hard-hearted of viewers will enjoy Spacebound."</h3>
<br />
Spacebound is a touching animated short movie which tells the story of an astronaut and his cute space dog who are stranded in space with their oxygen supplies running dangerously low. The movie reveals how the dude and his dog spend their last few minutes and in a way Spacebound is basically an animated version of the saying, "Stop and smell the flowers."<br />
<br />
You can watch it below...<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/X7hjTszI3F8" width="560"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
Spacebound is the creation of Ellen Su (3D artist/illustrator) and Kyle Moy (character animator) and it's a wonderful movie which I guess will especially appeal to dog lovers, although in truth pretty
much everyone but the most hard-hearted of viewers will thoroughly enjoy it.<br />
<br />
The whole thing only lasts for less than three minutes, and given the scenario, i.e. that the astronaut and his dog are trapped in space and
running out of oxygen, the story is surprisingly filled with numerous uplifting moments of warmth and friendship between the two. Without giving the story away too much, it's basically a story about appreciating life while you can, and any career motivated people whose number one priority in life is getting
that promotion and a big house and flashy car, would be well advised to
watch this movie.<br />
<br />
For such a short movie there's a lot of emotion squeezed into those
three minutes, especially when the story is told purely via visuals
and features no dialogue. The little touches and attention to detail are also impressive. For example, you can't help but be moved by the innocent
expression of the dog towards the end as he's totally unaware of the predicament they face.<br />
<br />
The story for Spacebound is a simple idea, but this is one of those occasions where pretty much every aspect of the whole movie is brilliantly done. The accompanying soundtrack also deserves a mention as it fits perfectly with the story and expertly captures the mood to enhance the connection with the most emotional moments.<br />
<br />
Spacebound is definitely a movie which leaves a positive lasting impression, and anyone with a pet dog of their own may well be inspired to go out and
enjoy a few games of fetch with their own dog after watching it.<br />
<br />
Overall, on the basis of Spacebound you have to suspect that both Kyle Moy and Ellen Su will soon be going onto bigger projects, and I for one will definitely be keen to see what animated gems they produce in future.<br />
<br />
<br />
You can find out more about Spacebound at the official blog:<br />
<a href="http://spaceboundthemovie.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Spacebound The Movie</a><br />
<br />
If you like the soundtrack by Johan Ericsson Degerlund you can buy it on bandcamp:<br />
<a href="http://johanericssondegerlund.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank">Purchase the soundtrack to Spacebound</a><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a>Follow Ellen Su and Kyle Moy on twitter:<br />
Ellen Su: <a href="https://twitter.com/aiyaitsai" target="_blank">@aiyaitsai</a><br />
Kyle Moy: <a href="https://twitter.com/kylemoy" target="_blank">@kylemoy</a><br />
<br />
Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/09/android-app-time-of-exploration.html" target="_blank">Android App: Time Of Exploration</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/07/music-finally-we-are-no-one-by-mum.html" target="_blank">Music: Finally We Are No One by Mum</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/06/comic-lil-depressed-boy.html" target="_blank">Comics: The Li'l Depressed Boy</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/04/tv-celebrity-bedlam.html" target="_blank">TV: Celebrity Bedlam</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/books-how-to-save-world-alien-comedy-by.html" target="_blank">Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-56256100432839243762013-09-15T09:41:00.000+01:002014-01-01T07:33:28.374+00:00Android App: Time Of Exploration<h3>
Time Of Exploration: Its simplicity makes it instantly appealing.</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Cz0z3XMXHtNwbbv4l3X0s2f59qaQqMIaUMVqjp4FR8v74aaBAhedHVgtQ09zJbBtLDuVa1DI5cCrise3UB7IPP73y8hY3FHO1uKwXf0SbpO4HukD_7X8NJm_Y23S4ThQcA0DNxIXPpZR/s1600/Time+Of+Exploration+-+A+game+of+statistics++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Cz0z3XMXHtNwbbv4l3X0s2f59qaQqMIaUMVqjp4FR8v74aaBAhedHVgtQ09zJbBtLDuVa1DI5cCrise3UB7IPP73y8hY3FHO1uKwXf0SbpO4HukD_7X8NJm_Y23S4ThQcA0DNxIXPpZR/s320/Time+Of+Exploration+-+A+game+of+statistics++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="220" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Time Of Exploration: A game of statistics.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
Time Of Exploration by Androdan Games certainly won't be for everyone's tastes, but for a spell when I first began playing it I found myself constantly and eagerly checking at regular intervals throughout the day to see how my settlement was getting on.<br />
<br />
The game follows a simple format; your buildings produce resources which you can then use to construct additional buildings, and as the production of resources accrues in real time, it therefore makes Time Of Exploration the perfect game to dip in and out of for a brief spell a few times each day.<br />
<br />
The object of Time Of Exploration is to expand your settlement, and in this modern day of flashy graphics and all action gameplay it's perhaps hard to explain just why I found it so addictive. If you were to show someone a few screenshots of the game, they might perhaps be puzzled as to how a few menus full of statistics (which is all Time Of Exploration basically is) could combine to produce such an addictive game. However, despite the games basic nature, there's nevertheless something strangely satisfying about unlocking new building options and watching your settlement develop.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>You start the game with just a headquarters and the only building
options are the tree feller and the stonecutter, but once your resources
accumulate, further options soon open up in the progression tree. For
example, building a tree feller then allows you the option of building a
sawmill, so as you can see the options for expanding your settlement
generally follow a logical progression.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
The menu system is incredibly simple and exceptionally easy to
follow, and it's this simplicity that perhaps makes the game so easy to
get into and in my case why I found it instantly appealing. There are
only two main screens within the game to refer to; the Buildings screen
and the Resources screen, and both are fairly self-explanatory.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FfCAhzN3Ca1_JN_qVt3kabjNh0VNXSJdkYRWF6p0-PkBYqTfcnqSIW-FPUdWn5n4zbKnCgMzfI0JAgSjNCdwZ3fiTjZtb80yilMSyZS1_LFhBG0MzxSErZVJQZ3tFCicKF5YoWystyVS/s1600/Time+Of+Exploration+-+Unlocking+new+buildings++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-FfCAhzN3Ca1_JN_qVt3kabjNh0VNXSJdkYRWF6p0-PkBYqTfcnqSIW-FPUdWn5n4zbKnCgMzfI0JAgSjNCdwZ3fiTjZtb80yilMSyZS1_LFhBG0MzxSErZVJQZ3tFCicKF5YoWystyVS/s320/Time+Of+Exploration+-+Unlocking+new+buildings++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="234" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More buildings are unlocked as you<br />
progress further in the game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The
Buildings screen lists your current number of each building and also
highlights which of the building classes you currently have enough
resources to build extra of. The Resources screen similarly lists all
of the essential data such as resource quantities, maximum capacities
and production rates. Tapping on a building type brings up that
building's cost, resource consumption and resource production, and it's
all well laid out and extremely easy to navigate.<br />
<br />
At the same time, the simple nature of Time Of Exploration inevitably means that there's not a massive amount of replay value, but the simple gameplay is what makes it so accessible, so overall the developers have probably got the balance just about right.<br />
<br />
Completing the game gives you a score (based on how quickly you manage to complete it), and at the concluding stages you're presented with a few alternative options regarding which final monument you wish to pursue, so the developers have tried to include some features to prolong the lasting appeal of the game.<br />
<br />
Overall though, Time Of Exploration accomplishes what it sets out to achieve and does so extremely well, and at the time of writing it's a free app, so there's nothing to lose by giving it a try. Adrenaline junkies craving a fix of edge-of-the-seat excitement should look elsewhere, but gamers who are looking for something a little bit different and a game to enjoy at a leisurely pace, may find that Time Of Exploration proves to be a refreshingly pleasing choice.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a>Other recommended games:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Games" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01689c;">Games on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience'</span></a><span style="color: #01689c;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/07/music-finally-we-are-no-one-by-mum.html" target="_blank">Music: Finally We Are No One by Mum</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/06/comic-lil-depressed-boy.html" target="_blank">Comics: The Li'l Depressed Boy</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/04/tv-celebrity-bedlam.html" target="_blank">TV: Celebrity Bedlam</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/website-thrilling-tales-of-downright.html" target="_blank">Website: Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/books-how-to-save-world-alien-comedy-by.html" target="_blank">Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=248931.11&subid=0&type=4" target="new"><img alt="Continental Mobiles" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=248931.11&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>
<br />
<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-33817530747650843532013-07-31T17:08:00.000+01:002014-04-25T07:07:59.927+01:00Music: Finally We Are No One by Mum<h3>
Finally We Are No One: Lullabies For Adults</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUX7YtTZA73Opx09CmvoQ4UPt10yTMvgmc5Yu5E_UeBR_LZrkn9u5LsuuLQ_6g6VjjMAdSis_fmkWInLqacFe2LWhyphenhyphensFhNlZZL2K-f8ggoI9et8nNrNXRx5aSX_Wy9CUkEODuXJBJVqJs/s1600/Finally+We+Are+No+One+by+Mum++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUX7YtTZA73Opx09CmvoQ4UPt10yTMvgmc5Yu5E_UeBR_LZrkn9u5LsuuLQ_6g6VjjMAdSis_fmkWInLqacFe2LWhyphenhyphensFhNlZZL2K-f8ggoI9et8nNrNXRx5aSX_Wy9CUkEODuXJBJVqJs/s320/Finally+We+Are+No+One+by+Mum++woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="304" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally We Are No One by Mum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first time I discovered Mum was when another Icelandic band, Sigur Ros, posted a link with a glowing recommendation on their facebook page. As a big Sigur Ros fan, I was immediately intrigued, and after checking out the link I was instantly hooked. In some ways Mum remind me of Sigur Ros, as both bands are experts at creating beautifully atmospheric and emotional music.<br />
<br />
Finally We Are No-One was the first album by Mum I listened to and right from the first listen it was an album which had me excited to have belatedly discovered such a cool and creative band. The whole album is hauntingly beautiful and after a stressful day at work it's the perfect album to put on to help you switch off from the stresses of the world and drift off into a calming inner peace.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>In fact many of the songs on Finally We Are No-One could accurately be described as lullabies for adults. This is comforting and relaxing music, and there's a mystical child-like quality to the album. Vocals are used fairly sparsely, but when they are featured they have the same hypnotic innocent vibe as the instrumentation and suit the music perfectly.<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=281973.35&subid=0&type=4" target="new"><img alt="Design By Humans" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=281973.35&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>
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With some of the tracks it's almost as if they tell a story and they seem to conjure up mental imagery as you listen to them. For example, Green Grass Of Tunnel, would make an excellent tune for the closing soundtrack to a clever sci-fi movie. If you imagine the scene where the big twist finally gets revealed and all the questions are answered then Green Grass Of Tunnel would be absolutely perfect as the accompanying music for the moment when the complex mystery is explained.<br />
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My personal album highlights are the already mentioned Green Grass Of Tunnel, We Have A Map Of The Plane (a soothing slice of ambient excellence), and K/Half Noise (which reminds me of some of the slower tunes on Gary Numan's Telekon album which also combine electronic music with violins), but if you like one track you'll like them all, as the album has a very coherent feel to it.<br />
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Finally We Are No-One perhaps won't be to everyone's tastes, but if you enjoy creatively beautiful music and are looking for something a bit different then I can thoroughly recommend giving this album a try.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Check out the official Mum website:<br />
<a href="http://mum.is/" target="_blank">Mum's Official Website</a><br />
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Follow Mum on twitter:<br />
<a href="http://twitter.com/mumtheband" target="_blank">@mumtheband</a><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Worthy Of Bigger Audience is also on twitter:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Find more music recommendations at the following link:<br /><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Music" target="_blank"><span style="color: #01689c;">Music on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience'</span></a><span style="color: #01689c;"> </span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Please note, all promotional
images used on this blog remain the copyright of the respective
artists/publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i><br />
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</span></span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-15076854523603311922013-06-18T12:10:00.000+01:002014-01-30T07:16:42.450+00:00Comics: The Li'l Depressed Boy<h3>
The Li'l Depressed Boy: A Uniquely Appealing Comic</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxEvsVL9hZ-XPCH-Rwwo5KQbwqGzEopINWc96zNNMoRNYBtbNsnOi-Bpx6g6ZCrnndrqPWKH0HbkVp4HpU8bxLJOPdQgtlG8kZQS0XNKNmj1Ov55oQjxj6L2azo4ZfysMLK-EXXHVAxrb/s1600/The+Li%2527l+Depressed+Boy+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxEvsVL9hZ-XPCH-Rwwo5KQbwqGzEopINWc96zNNMoRNYBtbNsnOi-Bpx6g6ZCrnndrqPWKH0HbkVp4HpU8bxLJOPdQgtlG8kZQS0XNKNmj1Ov55oQjxj6L2azo4ZfysMLK-EXXHVAxrb/s400/The+Li%2527l+Depressed+Boy+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Li'l Depressed Boy: "A comic with a lot of charm."</td></tr>
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When I first discovered The Li’l Depressed Boy, I was immediately curious about the title, but at the same time it was a title which also almost put me off reading it. I wondered if maybe this was a downbeat depressing comic where the main character just mopes about feeling sorry for himself. Thankfully, I was wrong and The Li'l Depressed Boy is just a regular dude who likes doing regular things, trying to deal with regular life.<br />
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It’s hard to really describe why I enjoyed the opening issue so much, as all that happens is that the Li’l Depressed Boy meets a girl and does ordinary stuff like going to gigs (and playing laser quest!). Whatever the reason though, the opening issue left me feeling excited at having discovered a cool new comic, but also confused as to why exactly I had enjoyed this comic so much.<br />
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Maybe part of the appeal is the fact that writer S. Steven Struble has created story-lines about everyday real-life, rather than fantastical adventures, and therefore many readers will find it easy to relate to. And without doubt another of the reasons why I instantly made a connection with this comic is the cool stylised way in which The Li’l Depressed Boy is depicted. <br />
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<a name='more'></a>You can’t help but be drawn to such a distinctive character and for such a simple appearance the artist, Sina Grace, manages to cram a massive amount of emotion into The Li’l Depressed Boy’s expressions. When LDB smiles, the artwork conveys the message of how he's feeling more powerfully than a page of writing could.<br /><br />
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<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=281973.35&subid=0&type=4" target="new"><img alt="Design By Humans" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=281973.35&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>
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<br />That's not to say that life always runs smoothly for The Li'l Depressed Boy (it doesn't), but even when things don't turn out too well for LDB, the story is told in such a way that there's something very comforting about the everyday nature of the storylines. You can't help but share LDB's happiness and feel his heartache, and the end product of this is a uniquely appealing comic.<br />
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Even those of us who are lucky enough to have excellent lives still have moments where things don’t work out quite the way we were hoping, so I would guess that The Li'l Depressed Boy will strike a chord with many readers, as pretty much everyone will identify with parts of this comic book to some degree.<br />
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Overall, The Li’l Depressed Boy is a comic with a lot of charm and an excellent advert for the versatility of the comic book medium.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Related websites/blogs:<br />
<a href="http://lildepressedboy.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">lildepressedboy.tumblr.com</a><br />
<a href="http://sinagrace.com/" target="_blank">sinagrace.com</a><br />
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Follow The Li'l Depressed Boy writer S. Steven Struble and artist Sina Grace on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Struble" target="_blank">@Struble</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/SinaGrace" target="_blank">@SinaGrace</a><br />
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Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is also on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Recommended graphic novels on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Graphic%20Novels" target="_blank"><span style="color: #29aae1;">Graphic Novels on 'Worthy Of A Bigger Audience'</span></a><br />
<br />
<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/04/tv-celebrity-bedlam.html" target="_blank">TV: Celebrity Bedlam</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/website-thrilling-tales-of-downright.html" target="_blank">Website: Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/books-how-to-save-world-alien-comedy-by.html" target="_blank">Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/travel-helvellyn-lake-district-northern.html" target="_blank">Travel: Helvellyn, The Lake District, Northern England</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/albums-strange-weekend-by-porcelain-raft.html" target="_blank">Music: Strange Weekend by Porcelain Raft</a><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span><br />
Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-24949794866115392492013-05-14T09:07:00.000+01:002014-11-24T11:56:46.644+00:00TV: Celebrity Bedlam<h3>
Celebrity Bedlam: It's got celebrities in it and it's bedlam.</h3>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hYwoze-0eDmdjpennxSlT_CS8oi3sZGXy9oSQzl6sqNdfry0kelfKPfKIDsazpHtkQSfilSdYCdEymcgb-DJ3obaECjidjtkNPGPXs5pU2-8ys7y69pgmLiDgIVMdiYTOpjRhQpKS1Ld/s1600/Lee+Kern,+the+presenter+and+creator+of+Celebrity+Bedlam+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5hYwoze-0eDmdjpennxSlT_CS8oi3sZGXy9oSQzl6sqNdfry0kelfKPfKIDsazpHtkQSfilSdYCdEymcgb-DJ3obaECjidjtkNPGPXs5pU2-8ys7y69pgmLiDgIVMdiYTOpjRhQpKS1Ld/s320/Lee+Kern,+the+presenter+and+creator+of+Celebrity+Bedlam+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="220" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lee Kern, the presenter and creator of Celebrity Bedlam.</td></tr>
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In the words of Lee Kern, "Celebrity Bedlam is the show where we explore the hot topics of the day by playing pranks on fame-hungry celebs and getting them to take part in fake TV shows." In reality there’s very little exploration of hot topics going on and the focus of the show is pretty much entirely based around ridiculing celebrities through crazy and sometimes bizarre jokes and tricks.<br />
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Each episode of Celebrity Bedlam features sketches and pranks of a similar general theme, such as the environment, travel and adventure, or health and lifestyle, but in truth it’s all just a big excuse to have a laugh at celebrities’ expense.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Pretty much every episode had me laughing away at the ridiculousness of it all but if I had to highlight some favourite moments then I’d have to include a sketch which has David Van Day being introduced to an allegedly full-size fully grown clone of himself. Rather than question the credibility of such an occurrence he instead declares, “How can you do this without my permission!?”<br />
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Another scene which had me giggling away is a sketch where Lee interviews Sir John Houghton (a Noble Peace Prize Winner) on the environment. Straight away things immediately get a bit weird as Lee switches off the lights and conducts the interview in the dark ‘as a nod to the environment.’ Lee then proceeds to explain a bizarre idea from his friend whereby we would locate all the factories of the world in the same place and then build a giant chimney up into space so that all the pollution will just float away into outer space. Lee also attempts to put words in Sir John’s mouth at every opportunity but to give Sir John credit he stands his ground well and fights the cause of the environment, despite the increasingly ridiculous direction which the interview takes.<br />
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One other prank I loved was a sketch which featured Lee Kern as <a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/celebrity-bedlam/video/series-1/episode-3/s1-ep3-blind-race-driver" target="_blank">the world’s only blind racing driver</a>. Carianne Barrow from The Bachelor was in absolute hysterics as Lee drove her around the course colliding with pretty much every obstacle in his path, and I have to say that I don’t know how Lee Kern managed to keep a straight face himself.<br />
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Admittedly at times you feel a bit uncomfortable at the way Lee Kern is blatantly exposing the gullibility of the celebrities, but for all this is a show designed to play pranks on the famous and make them look stupid, for the most part it’s never really malicious. The primary motivation is comedy and in fact some of the celebrities, as well as coming across as gullible and naive, also come across as really sweet and nice people, so you could argue that it’s not a totally cruel show.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKi8CJXxjG0BNHGLwx9-UlCnfCYMqXq3QihMQX_B0JXchTQXR0m2V2zxXXy51GGQZx73Vc5VdEZxdPbrGNI-kD0IVE22BJmWDZh7tG18H3I_0UaMz4bUi-4ndsNS9PpIka8R-9AHNVGG7/s1600/Jelly+babies+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDKi8CJXxjG0BNHGLwx9-UlCnfCYMqXq3QihMQX_B0JXchTQXR0m2V2zxXXy51GGQZx73Vc5VdEZxdPbrGNI-kD0IVE22BJmWDZh7tG18H3I_0UaMz4bUi-4ndsNS9PpIka8R-9AHNVGG7/s320/Jelly+babies+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jelly babies!</td></tr>
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Many of the pranks have unexpected twists such as one sketch where members of a focus group are told they are about to meet a man who has travelled into space. Just when you are expecting a famous astronaught to appear, instead a nerdish looking dude is introduced who then starts recalling stories of how he was abducted by aliens. The looks on the faces of the studio panel as he relates his experience of being <a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2012/11/eric-and-jixyl-alien-discuss-anal-probes.html" target="_blank">anally probed</a> are hilarious, and the tension and the guests’ discomfort as the dude recalls account after account of being anally probed just adds to the comedy.
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Lee Kern himself describes Celebrity Bedlam as ‘a combination of pranking celebrities, booking them for fake TV shows and getting them to engage in random acts of lunacy.’ Or to put it another way, ‘We have a bit of a giggle playing pranks on celebs.’ In my case I had more than just a giggle as most of the time while watching the show I was totally creased up with laughter. <br />
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Anyone who enjoys prank TV shows and hasn’t yet discovered Celebrity Bedlam would be well advised to check it out. Many of the wind-ups are hilarious and despite the fact that prank TV shows have been done to death, Celebrity Bedlam still manages to come across as creative and fresh.<br />
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The series was shown on E4 last year and its run has come to an end now, but it’s a very underrated show so hopefully Channel 4 will schedule it again at some point. You can also watch a selection of Celebrity Bedlam clips on the Channel 4 website:<br />
<a href="http://www.channel4.com/programmes/celebrity-bedlam/video" target="_blank">Celebrity Bedlam Clips</a><br />
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Follow Lee Kern on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/lee_Kern" target="_blank">@lee_Kern</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a>Worthy Of A Bigger Audience is on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/website-thrilling-tales-of-downright.html" target="_blank">Website: Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/books-how-to-save-world-alien-comedy-by.html" target="_blank">Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/books-hoax-by-clifford-irving.html" target="_blank">Books: The Hoax by Clifford Irving</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/graphic-novel-cuba-my-revolution.html" target="_blank">Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.
</i></span><br />
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-44739961482055345562013-04-15T09:09:00.000+01:002013-07-31T17:13:39.762+01:00Website: Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual<h3>
Thrilling Tales: An interactive website featuring gorgeous retro inspired illustrations.</h3>
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<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Interactive Stories from the Retro Future" border="0" height="250" src="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/banners/Tales_300x250.jpg" width="300" /></a>
Thrilling Tales of the Downright Unusual is a cool website featuring various pages and gadgets, but as the name suggests the main spotlight of the website is a series of lightly interactive retro sci-fi stories written and illustrated by <a href="http://www.webomator.com/" target="_blank">Bradley W. Schenck</a>.<br />
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Some of the Thrilling Tales you can read include <a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/the-lair-of-the-clockwork-book/001" target="_blank">The Lair Of The Clockwork Book</a> and <a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/toaster-with-two-brains-part-one/00_01" target="_blank">Trapped In The Tower Of The Brain Thieves</a> and as you can probably guess from the nature of the titles, the stories are set in a sci-fi retro
future in the city of Retropolis. The stories are free to read on the internet and are accompanied by gorgeous artwork which captures the retro sci-fi vibe of decades gone by absolutely perfectly.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>If you'd prefer to own your own copies then there's also the option to buy The Lair Of The Clockwork Book and Trapped In The Tower Of The Bran Thieves as full colour illustrated books:<br />
<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/support.shtml" target="_blank">Buy Thrilling Tales books</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Art and Stories from the Retro Future" border="0" height="350" src="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/banners/Tales_SS_short.jpg" width="160" /></a>There's more to the Thrilling Tales website than just illustrated stories, though. The website also features a couple of cool gadgets, the first of which is the <a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/derange-o-lab/title-o-tron.shtml" target="_blank">Pulp Sci-Fi Title-O-Tron</a> which comes up
with random retro sci-fi titles reminiscent of B movies from the past
such as 'Forgotten in the Tarnished Space Ship' and 'Race Against the
Messenger of Doom'.<br />
<br />
A far more interactive gadget though, is the <a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/derange-o-lab/pulp-o-mizer/pulp-o-mizer.html" target="_blank">Pulp-O-Mizer</a> which is a clever tool which lets you create your own impressive looking retro magazine covers. First, choose from a variety of magazine titles, then add your headline in a retro typeface. Next, choose a sci-fi background from categories such as Skies & Stars or Landscapes & Outdoor Scenes, then finally add some characters, spaceships or vehicles from the retro future to complete your cover.<br />
<br />
You can render your magazine cover in rectangular 332x509 resolution which can be used on blogs and forums, or there's also the option of producing a square image which is ideal for a facebook or twitter profile photo. The rectangular versions would make ideal sci-fi book covers and in fact if artist and creator, Bradley W. Schenk, adapted the Pulp-O-Mizer slightly I'm sure many sci-fi authors would be keen to pay to licence his creations to use as the covers for their books.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDHh5B9z5_TEA4SEUa5OWioNSjuAzpYYiciPhlwNUht_WFJXXGzrx0Lvy9eCZZyE4pGPqsSnqOkv9hJLksGvyFygx0CcvooMZBlIdjfJax8lttwZI3LERO2NZztmIzB_gju0vKxkCEC4c/s1600/Example+cover+for+How+To+Save+The+World+-+An+Alien+Comedy,+created+with+Pulp-O-Mizer+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMDHh5B9z5_TEA4SEUa5OWioNSjuAzpYYiciPhlwNUht_WFJXXGzrx0Lvy9eCZZyE4pGPqsSnqOkv9hJLksGvyFygx0CcvooMZBlIdjfJax8lttwZI3LERO2NZztmIzB_gju0vKxkCEC4c/s320/Example+cover+for+How+To+Save+The+World+-+An+Alien+Comedy,+created+with+Pulp-O-Mizer+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">'<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</a>'<br />
How the cover might have looked if the book<br />
had been written several decades ago. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
To the right you can see an example magazine cover I produced using the title of my own sci-fi comedy novel '<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy</a>'* and as you can see the artwork expertly captures the retro sci-fi vibe of movies and fiction from the past.<br />
<br />
Anyone wanting to have a go at creating their own magazine covers can check out the Pulp-O-Mizer at the following link:<br />
<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/derange-o-lab/pulp-o-mizer/pulp-o-mizer.html" target="_blank">Pulp-O-Mizer</a><br />
<br />
If you create a retro image which you particularly like then there's even the option to have it made into a t-shirt, hoodie, poster or mug. You can also get some cool retro wallpapers and screen savers from the Thrilling Tales website:<br />
<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/downloads.shtml" target="_blank">Wallpapers and screen savers on the Thrilling Tales website</a><br />
<br />
All in all there's a lot to entertain you and you can easily end up
spending far more time on the Thrilling Tales website than you
originally planned. If you're a sci-fi fan, or even of you're not, the Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual website is definitely worth checking out:<br />
<a href="http://thrilling-tales.webomator.com/" target="_blank">Thrilling Tales Of The Downright Unusual</a><br />
<br />
<br />
* Self-promotional plug: The sci-fi comedy novel 'How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy' is available for
Kindle (and the Kindle app) from the following amazon links:<i><br /></i>US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy </a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy </a><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">
<br />
Find more website recommendations at the following link:</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Websites" target="_blank">Website reviews on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience</a></span><br />
<br />
Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
<br />
<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/03/books-how-to-save-world-alien-comedy-by.html" target="_blank">Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/travel-helvellyn-lake-district-northern.html" target="_blank">Travel: Helvellyn, The Lake District, Northern England</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/books-hoax-by-clifford-irving.html" target="_blank">Books: The Hoax by Clifford Irving</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/graphic-novel-cuba-my-revolution.html" target="_blank">Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/albums-strange-weekend-by-porcelain-raft.html" target="_blank">Music: Strange Weekend by Porcelain Raft</a><br />
<br />
Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-56249549223668498732013-03-24T09:10:00.000+00:002014-11-24T11:54:08.204+00:00Books: How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy by Charles Fudgemuffin<h3>
"...an entertaining humorous read."</h3>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgbgCzZkjYJRw_95MvmYjA9-9pUvIUFfCDRmbk1pADMOe1xYfU855sQj-SZHe1BJuQeUHtBTLS_dBO_dNSQo5aD7b-rY-zW2JuA6vJTCMuWUhbBNp8upkUCCvRyHWdrKlI2HKNC2cXmaC/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+An+Alien+Comedy+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJgbgCzZkjYJRw_95MvmYjA9-9pUvIUFfCDRmbk1pADMOe1xYfU855sQj-SZHe1BJuQeUHtBTLS_dBO_dNSQo5aD7b-rY-zW2JuA6vJTCMuWUhbBNp8upkUCCvRyHWdrKlI2HKNC2cXmaC/s400/How+To+Save+The+World+-+An+Alien+Comedy+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="400" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy<br />
by Charles Fudgemuffin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On Worthy Of A Bigger Audience I usually feature music, movies, TV shows, books, etc which in my opinion more people need to know about. However, I'm not really qualified to make an unbiased decision as to whether the book featured this week is worthy of a bigger audience, because I wrote it.<br />
<br />
The book in question is How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy which is the first book in the 'How To Save The World' <span style="font-size: small;">saga. You can sample the
first three chapters for free on amazon's website, so a</span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">ny Kin</span>dle owners (or Kindle app users) who enjoy sci-fi comedy have nothing</span> to lose by downloading the first three chapters for free and giving it a read:</span><br />
US: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM&linkCode=as2&tag=charlefudgem-20" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy </a><br />
UK: <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" target="_blank">How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy </a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
Here's a quote from a review of the book on amazon.com from Todd A. Fonseca (member of Amazon Vine™ Voice):<br />
<br />
<i>"How to Save The World by Charles Fudgemuffin, is funny. Think Monty Python meets Saturday Night Live funny... ...this is an entertaining humorous read. The style of humor is likely one
that will not resonate with everyone, so grab a sample from Amazon or
Charles' website and find out. If you like the sample, you'll enjoy the
rest."</i><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>I'm a big Monty Python fan so I was flattered by the comparison, but I would also agree that the book won't be for everyone's tastes. The humour in 'How To Save The World: An Alien Comedy' isn't suitable for those who are easily offended or for readers who prefer their entertainment to be more like Little House On The Prairie and less like The Inbetweeners. Having said that, it's not a Jackie Collins novel so any adult themes are purely for the purposes of comedy.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I would agree with Todd that if you can handle the humour in the first chapter then you'll probably enjoy the rest of the book.<br />
<br />
<div class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
You can also check out the Charles Fudgemuffin blog which as well as covering the latest 'How To Save The World' news also features a variety of non-book related posts such as:<br />
<a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2013/05/and-award-for-most-stupid-question-ever.html" target="_blank">And The Award For The Most Stupid Question Ever Goes To... </a><br />
<a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/2013/01/people-are-literally-tearing-their-hair-out.html" target="_blank">People Are Literally Tearing Their Hair Out!</a><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/how-i-got-thousands-of-followers-on.html" target="_blank">How I Got Thousands Of Followers On Twitter … Absolutely Free! A guest post by Lady Gaga</a></span>.</div>
<br />
<br />
Follow <a href="http://charlesfudgemuffin.blogspot.com/p/about.html" target="_blank">Charles Fudgemuffin</a> on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/charlesfudgemuffin" target="_blank">CharlesFudgemuffin</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/CFudgemuffin" target="_blank">@CFudgemuffin</a>
<br />
<br />
. . . . . . . .<br />
<br />
<i></i><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><i>Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.</i></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B007HAC5RM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=charlefudge0f-21&linkCode=as2&camp=1634&creative=19450&creativeASIN=B007HAC5RM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgVXe93R6cNpf5Hljtnf9bsSizvQB_nHNndHbSqgH6OcIflR-rA3QISCdASgAt0Iu6Rr5wGBYEjHRYDGebbBmR8-0YH6bVpYeBf3OgrvcwRJyZgNuKV4fCCn0v-8tb3yd69B4WWAyetChyphenhyphen/s1600/How+To+Save+The+World+-+Ad+1.gif" title="" /></a></div>
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<br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Share this post on facebook or twitter by clicking the small facebook or twitter symbols below (just above where it says 'Posted by Charles Fudgemuffin').</span></i>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-55800895045317940362013-03-07T09:09:00.000+00:002013-03-07T09:09:00.641+00:00Music: Six Beautiful Tunes Worth Checking Out<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Some of my favorite beautiful tunes...</h3>
<h3>
</h3>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
From time to time on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience I collect together six tunes of a similar category, such as cover versions or remixes, and today it’s the turn of songs which in my opinion are totally beautiful tunes.<b> </b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCVAzeCJx-6XKMBuIZZKJ0zuXqL9RxsIctbA2lqpZGHt9zQeCsFF2HOyXeDogS1DA4fxoCq36VoCO_-GdRlXE5b9dFmN80RDJt-oVmHuV0WaCP5tVfI0avfag_7j5HqI6FoMzyOwPhnO0/s1600/Moments+Of+Pleasure+found+on+The+Red+Shoes+album+by+Kate+Bush+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCVAzeCJx-6XKMBuIZZKJ0zuXqL9RxsIctbA2lqpZGHt9zQeCsFF2HOyXeDogS1DA4fxoCq36VoCO_-GdRlXE5b9dFmN80RDJt-oVmHuV0WaCP5tVfI0avfag_7j5HqI6FoMzyOwPhnO0/s320/Moments+Of+Pleasure+found+on+The+Red+Shoes+album+by+Kate+Bush+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moments Of Pleasure from Kate Bush's The Red Shoes album.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>1) Moments Of Pleasure</b><br />
<b>by Kate Bush</b><br />
This is quite a big statement to make, but Moments Of Pleasure is one of my all time favourite tunes and in my opinion deserves to be recognised alongside some of Kate’s more well known classics such as Wuthering Heights or Running Up That Hill. It maybe doesn’t have quite the widespread commercial appeal as those two tracks but the maturity and the power of this tune is immense. As well as a hauntingly beautiful piano track, it also features some very personal lyrics from Kate which fit the music perfectly.<br />
Find it on Kate’s The Red Shoes album.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><b>2) Heart Full Of Wine by Angus And Julia Stone</b><br />
Angus And Julia Stone have got so many beautiful tracks which would have been ideal for this list but in the end I could only choose one and decided to go for the brilliant Heart Full Of Wine. This is such a lovely tune and I find it impossible to listen to without a smile forming on my face. If ever you’ve had a stressful day then this is the ideal tune to play to help you tune out from the stresses of the world and relax and rethink your priorities again.<br />
Find it on their Heart Full Of Wine EP and also on Angus And Julia Stone's excellent Memories Of An Old Friend compilation album.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=240897.122&type=4&subid=0" target="new"><img alt="ProAudioStar.com Lowest Prices, Live Chat, Great Service" border="0" src="http://c805845.r45.cf2.rackcdn.com/Basic-Banner-468x60-MCW.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
<b>3) Colorblind by Natalie Walker</b><br />
This is a track which features a piano riff which sort of repeats on itself and compliments Natalie Walker’s voice perfectly as it gets inside your head and gets you asking questions. My only criticism is that it ends a little abruptly for my liking and I always find myself wishing the song could have lasted for longer.<br />
Find it on Natalie's Urban Angel album.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9WhGZGvC5kOR5-N9I-m9ZYjCLyfegMFNGZyJi0etMfsm9PHZwKLdc04eZ0kWnCKTkbwpQWRr_gkBgzTH2Fa6ty_x_HNiP0p9hYlUu7S8uHKnB_bh_VfTGin6PhHyqm64RHSwwLajrlvA/s1600/Saeglopur+by+Sigur+Ros+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9WhGZGvC5kOR5-N9I-m9ZYjCLyfegMFNGZyJi0etMfsm9PHZwKLdc04eZ0kWnCKTkbwpQWRr_gkBgzTH2Fa6ty_x_HNiP0p9hYlUu7S8uHKnB_bh_VfTGin6PhHyqm64RHSwwLajrlvA/s320/Saeglopur+by+Sigur+Ros+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saeglopur by Sigur Ros.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>4) Saeglopur by Sigur Ros</b><br />
If any up and coming movie directors are looking for a band to produce the soundtrack to their latest movie, then I would very strongly recommend Sigur Ros. In my opinion pretty much all of their songs would be ideal for any movie and they would be especially fitting for particularly emotional scenes. Saeglopur is one tune in particular which illustrates perfectly just how exceptional Sigur Ros are at doing emotional music. It’s more dramatic than some of the other more reflectively beautiful tunes on this list, but it nevertheless captures exactly why Sigur Ros are such a brilliant band and why they have to be a guaranteed absolute must have inclusion on any list of beautiful tunes. <br />
Find it on their superb Takk album.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Green Grass Of Tunnel by Mum</b><br />
Any fans of Sigur Ros would also be well advised to check out Mum who are another Icelandic band with a similarly beautiful sound to Sigur Ros, and if you’re looking for a tune to introduce you to their music then Green Grass Of Tunnel is an excellent place to start. It’s another beautiful tune but it also has an air of mystery about it, and I can imagine Green Grass Of Tunnel playing at the end of a clever sci-fi movie where the big twist has just been revealed and everything makes sense as you suddenly realise, ‘A-ha! Of course!’<br />
Find it on Mum’s Finally We Are No-One album.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdvZRHYLquTkhJkjE8Yy5KZUVQRqrEIEw9mJ3VCv8hdiXx1gYmd_kNf4e_2-kV51kolu1qn6_RCwskgUeacDGPHqR63RSMTi6o2S4R2czqB9_1hLH4R_YU3LgOr36nq2k2HJuLJH_uhpq/s1600/Little+Brother+found+on+The+Tallest+Man+On+Earth%2527s+There%2527s+No+Leaving+Now+album+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdvZRHYLquTkhJkjE8Yy5KZUVQRqrEIEw9mJ3VCv8hdiXx1gYmd_kNf4e_2-kV51kolu1qn6_RCwskgUeacDGPHqR63RSMTi6o2S4R2czqB9_1hLH4R_YU3LgOr36nq2k2HJuLJH_uhpq/s320/Little+Brother+found+on+The+Tallest+Man+On+Earth%2527s+There%2527s+No+Leaving+Now+album+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Little Brother can be found on The Tallest Man On Earth's<br />
There's No Leaving Now album.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b></b><b>6) Little Brother by The Tallest Man On Earth</b><br />
I have to admit I absolutely love The Tallest Man On Earth’s music, but when I first heard his latest album, There’s No Leaving Now, I was initially slightly underwhelmed by it. As it turned out, this was due to my overly high expectations as a result of the brilliance of his previous album The Wild Hunt, but anyway after a few more listens I realised that There’s No Leaving Now is in fact another excellent album. Little Brother is one of the stand out tracks and is another brilliant tune on this list which is absolutely filled with emotion and perfectly showcases The Tallest Man On Earth’s amazing song-writing and performing talents.<br />
Find it in The Tallest Man On Earth’s There’s No Leaving Now album.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=218489.10000001&type=4&subid=0" target="new"><img alt="SecondSpin.com" border="0" src="http://www.secondspin.com/twcontent/ss/images/ss468x60.jpg" /></a>
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<br />
Just to recap, these six beautiful tunes can be found on the following albums:<br />
The Red Shoes by Kate Bush<br />
Heart Full Of Wine EP by Angus And Julia Stone<br />
Urban Angel by Natalie Walker<br />
Takk by Sigur Ros<br />
Finally We Are No-One by Mum<br />
There's No Leaving Now by The Tallest Man On Earth<br />
<br />
Download these albums from iTunes:<br />
<br />
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<br />
<br />
Six Tunes Worth Checking Out by category:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2012/12/six-b-sides-worth-checking-out.html" target="_blank">Six B Sides Worth Checking Out</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2012/07/music-six-cover-versions-worth-checking.html" target="_blank">Six Cover Versions Worth Checking Out</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2012/09/music-six-remixes-worth-checking-out.html" target="_blank">Six Remixes Worth Checking Out</a><br />
<br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Find more music recommendations at the following link:</span><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Music" target="_blank">Music reviews on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience</a></span><br />
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Follow Worthy Of A Bigger Audience on twitter:<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/WoabaBlog" target="_blank">@WoabaBlog</a><br />
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<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/travel-helvellyn-lake-district-northern.html" target="_blank">Travel: Helvellyn, The Lake District, Northern England</a><br /><a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/books-hoax-by-clifford-irving.html" target="_blank">Books: The Hoax by Clifford Irving</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/graphic-novel-cuba-my-revolution.html" target="_blank">Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/albums-strange-weekend-by-porcelain-raft.html" target="_blank">Music: Strange Weekend by Porcelain Raft</a>
<br />
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<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/01/ipod-app-glass-tower-2.html" target="_blank">iPod App: Glass Tower 2</a></div>
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<br />
Please
note, all promotional images used on this blog remain the copyright of
the respective publishers and are used in accordance with 'Fair Use'
legislation for review purposes.
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<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=141003.10000040&subid=0&type=4" target="new"><img alt="Sirius Satellite Radio Inc." border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=141003.10000040&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-70938963898919535442013-02-28T09:12:00.000+00:002013-02-28T09:12:00.472+00:00Travel: Helvellyn, The Lake District, Northern England<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h3>
Helvellyn: A satisfying and rewarding challenge.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8L_EQAFyQffb6BO3MBERVjmSwQzxbFfto4wvC-2cO0GYEHK7y82q35ucXFqCmCiRlOtveTGe8spP8Hhawl12KWZCWl5JS-8HlkGlVwPjdASewRZYSA8gw0lUk8HnMtvraOVtmdhRedEmk/s1600/Two+hillwalkers+about+to+start+their+ascent+of+Helvellyn+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8L_EQAFyQffb6BO3MBERVjmSwQzxbFfto4wvC-2cO0GYEHK7y82q35ucXFqCmCiRlOtveTGe8spP8Hhawl12KWZCWl5JS-8HlkGlVwPjdASewRZYSA8gw0lUk8HnMtvraOVtmdhRedEmk/s320/Two+hillwalkers+about+to+start+their+ascent+of+Helvellyn+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two hillwalkers about to start their ascent of Helvellyn.</td></tr>
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Compared to some of the mountains in the world it almost seems a bit inappropriate to describe Helvellyn as a mountain, given that its peak is only 950 metres high. However, don’t let its comparative lack of height fool you, as Helvellyn nevertheless provides a challenging but satisfying ascent for beginners and experienced hillwalkers alike.<br />
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When I made the trek a few years ago I considered myself reasonably fit and yet before very long at all I still found myself having to stop every fifteen minutes or so to catch my breath, so take plenty fluids and be prepared for a day of tough physical exertion.<br />
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It’s most definitely worth the effort though, as Helvellyn presents an interesting and varied ascent, and an impressive panoramic view of the Lake District from the peak. The first few hundred metres are pretty much a regular incline until you get to Red Tarn, a pool containing trout and herring which you pass on the way to Striding Edge, but once you reach Red Tarn this is where things start to get interesting as the climb suddenly become a lot more tricky.<br />
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The next step of the journey involves a scramble along Striding Edge, one of the most popular scrambles in the Lake District and quite a nerve racking experience for an amateur hillwalker like myself. I found out later on that Striding Edge is a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/cumbria/7188227.stm" target="_blank">notorious accident spot</a> and unfortunately walkers have died from falls while scrambling along the ridge, so it’s not something to be undertaken lightly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCCr89yHfOQyY7sbL6oGGTPAoQ0rs7iC_01tFhdCKeaEei7EaDKdt3c9-yTPxJpOE7kSdECbcqC4aQ-9Q186kMU9P5KCnxEHsOj636ZIu4SHgj3qtK3vSk-p3D3yq6rC5-1R4ddNs4l7W/s1600/Helvellyn.+Start+of+trail+and+Striding+Edge+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCCr89yHfOQyY7sbL6oGGTPAoQ0rs7iC_01tFhdCKeaEei7EaDKdt3c9-yTPxJpOE7kSdECbcqC4aQ-9Q186kMU9P5KCnxEHsOj636ZIu4SHgj3qtK3vSk-p3D3yq6rC5-1R4ddNs4l7W/s320/Helvellyn.+Start+of+trail+and+Striding+Edge+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Things start off easy but soon get a lot trickier once you reach Striding Edge.</td></tr>
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Fortunately I did the trek with a mate who is an experienced hillwalker and he was therefore able to offer useful advice and safety tips as we made the scramble and I would definitely recommend taking along a professional if you decide to attempt a climb of Helvellyn. It’s also perhaps wise for relative beginners to stick to the summer months because Striding Edge can get dangerously icy during the winter, and as you can see from the photo, a ridge like Striding Edge simply isn’t worth taking chances with.<br />
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Once you complete the scramble along Striding Edge, however, things become much simpler as the final two hundred metres or so of the ascent involves a gentle stroll along a more convenient plateau. The summit itself is marked by a stone shelter and after such a strenuous climb it’s a rewarding experience to finally reach the peak and be able to spend a generous amount of time at the summit just taking in the impressive views of the Lake District.<br />
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Some of the surroundings viewable from the summit of Helvellyn include Scafell Pike, Fairfield and Ullswater, and it was interesting to note that although all the nearby peaks are of very similar heights, only some of the mountains were snow topped which seemed strange given their close proximity and similar heights.<br />
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Once you’ve fully enjoyed the views, the next stage is the descent and rather than retrace your steps, the traditionally more popular route is a scramble down Swirral Edge. This is a lot shorter and less nerve racking than Striding Edge and before long the edge (or arête) transforms into a regular steep hill which soon rejoins the path leading to Red Tarn from the start of the climb.<br />
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All in all I perhaps went into my visit to Helevellyn a touch naively and didn’t expect it to be quite as challenging as it was. However, it was also a lot more satisfying and rewarding than I was expecting and at the end of the day I was left with a gratifying sense of achievement as my mate and I enjoyed a well deserved relaxing game of pool back at a pub next to the local car park.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IbTC37fa5iWBQ7imIqWeoOYCDYl40cjc3vCaZzbmuvs2LdMRJNIPNr080hU60c15oyLd2dpigl-tsAYlfqGtPHOde3hmLYBm_JEtNtEe_YnQMk_93sSnCnB_mUxJX2m6cQByOOevDzyd/s1600/A+view+of+the+Lake+District+from+the+top+of+Helvellyn+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2IbTC37fa5iWBQ7imIqWeoOYCDYl40cjc3vCaZzbmuvs2LdMRJNIPNr080hU60c15oyLd2dpigl-tsAYlfqGtPHOde3hmLYBm_JEtNtEe_YnQMk_93sSnCnB_mUxJX2m6cQByOOevDzyd/s320/A+view+of+the+Lake+District+from+the+top+of+Helvellyn+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="268" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A view of the Lake District from the top of Helvellyn.</td></tr>
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As already stated, anyone interested in visiting Helvellyn would be strongly advised to go along with an experienced hillwalker. It would also be very wise to avoid the winter months as even when conditions at the bottom seem fine, the peak can still be covered in over a foot of snow. Specialised climbing equipment can also be advised, depending on the conditions. Consulting the <a href="http://www.lakedistrictweatherline.co.uk/" target="_blank">Weatherline</a> website is also strongly advisable in order to get an idea of the conditions to expect and thus prepare accordingly.<br />
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Anyone interested in visiting Helvellyn can find out further information from the Helvellyn website. The Lake District Walks website is also worth checking out:<br />
<a href="http://www.helvellyn.com/" target="_blank">Helvellyn</a><br />
<a href="http://www.lakedistrict-walks.co.uk/Wainwrights/Helvellyn.html" target="_blank">Lake District Walks</a><br />
<br />
Stay up to date with the latest Helvellyn news on facebook and twitter:<br />
Facebook: <a href="http://www.facebook.com/helvellyn" target="_blank">Helvellyn</a><br />
Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/helvellyn" target="_blank">@helvellyn</a><br />
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Check out more travel recommendations on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/search/label/Travel" target="_blank">Travel related reviews on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience</a><br />
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<br />
Other recent posts:<br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/books-hoax-by-clifford-irving.html" target="_blank">Books: The Hoax by Clifford Irving</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/graphic-novel-cuba-my-revolution.html" target="_blank">Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution</a><br />
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/albums-strange-weekend-by-porcelain-raft.html" target="_blank">Music: Strange Weekend by Porcelain Raft</a><br />
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<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/01/ipod-app-glass-tower-2.html" target="_blank">iPod App: Glass Tower 2</a></div>
<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/01/tv-red-dwarf-x.html" target="_blank">TV: Red Dwarf X</a><br />
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Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-13468514372090995162013-02-21T09:16:00.000+00:002014-03-06T17:04:50.535+00:00Books: The Hoax by Clifford Irving<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<h3>
The Hoax: An engrossing read which gathers momentum as the hoax develops.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwAZ6EOcKYjdMzaNet-GsGtTJMFCoe3JDt8gdiT5otIfOk93iXaoyuRu6pellahG-zf1emAUkwOUiUaAerVWN4DxOCFjAbS2CSHeCgdh8qezgADUbcKwLIjy25a6IsyKsSzvGlLF8ADL5/s1600/The+Hoax+by+Clifford+Irving+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRwAZ6EOcKYjdMzaNet-GsGtTJMFCoe3JDt8gdiT5otIfOk93iXaoyuRu6pellahG-zf1emAUkwOUiUaAerVWN4DxOCFjAbS2CSHeCgdh8qezgADUbcKwLIjy25a6IsyKsSzvGlLF8ADL5/s320/The+Hoax+by+Clifford+Irving+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" height="320" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hoax by Clifford Irving</td></tr>
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The Hoax tells the true story of Clifford Irving, a writer who one day came up with the ambitious idea of writing the authorised biography of Howard Hughes, an eccentric and reclusive American billionaire. The only problem was that Clifford had never even met Howard and so he and his co-conspirator, Richard Suskind, set about concocting a scam whereby they would write a fictional biography and then attempt to convince McGraw-Hill Publishing House this biography was the real deal.<br />
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To convince McGraw-Hill, Clifford originally wrote up three fake letters allegedly from Howard Hughes explaining that Hughes wanted Clifford to write his official biography in order to tell the world the truth about some of the media misconceptions about him. From there on in the hoax quickly developed until in very little time at all Clifford Irving and Richard Suskind had been given the go ahead and were researching the information they would need to create their ‘autobiography’.<br />
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In the very early stages of the hoax it becomes apparent that Clifford is out of his depth and doesn’t really know the ‘dos’ and don’ts’ to follow when you’re trying to trick someone. In fact on a couple of occasions it’s only really a mixture of luck and the fact that McGraw-Hill desperately wanted it to be true that allowed him to avoid getting found out, but as the scam progresses so Clifford’s deceptive side develops and he gradually begins to become more accomplished in the art of illusion.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>He also has a lot of luck along the way such as being asked by Stanley Meyer, an old Hollywood associate, to take a look at a ‘tell-all’ book written by Noah Dietrich, the former right-hand man of Howard Hughes, with a view to Clifford signing on as a ghost writer for the book. Of course Clifford instead simply copied the book and turned Meyer down, then used the material for his own autobiography.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=257667.15&subid=0&type=4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="new"><img alt="Hive.co.uk homepage" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=257667.15&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=1" /></a>The first half of The Hoax focuses largely on the research that Clifford and Richard carried out into Howard Hughes’ life, and also recalls where some of their fabricated ideas for inclusion in the book originally came from. This is all reasonably interesting reading but it’s not until later in the book when unforeseen twists in their plan start to occur and their scheme starts to unravel that the story really comes alive. It’s once the biography is almost ready and McGraw-Hill announce its release that the action really heats up, and yet with every new problem that occurs Clifford just comes up with an increasingly wild and creative counter-story to attempt to explain away these twists which threaten to potentially expose the hoax.<br />
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One of the tools he uses to successful effect is the art of distraction. Whenever a development occurs which looks like it might pull the rug from under his feet he simply creates an unexpected twist of his own, usually in the form of problems from the unpredictable fictitious Howard Hughes he has created, and as a result his publishers become so embroiled in solving these new problems that they lose focus from their original questions which could potentially have revealed the whole thing as a hoax. Ultimately though, the weight of evidence finally becomes too great and Clifford’s scheme eventually becomes exposed.<br />
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I’m usually not a fan of ‘crime’ books as in my opinion the best stories are those which have a likeable main character and I don’t find criminals likeable. However, Clifford points out in the book that he never saw it as a crime, just a hoax. He never spent the money so it was always there to repay to McGraw-Hill in the event that he got found out, so it’s clear that in his head he regarded it as a victimless crime.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=GY0yI06lXPI&offerid=258820.12&subid=0&type=4" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="new"><img alt="Kobo (UK)" border="0" src="http://ad.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/show?id=GY0yI06lXPI&bids=258820.12&subid=0&type=4&gridnum=13" /></a>One point that needs to be raised though is the question that given that Clifford attempted to pass off a work of fiction as an official autobiography, how can we be sure that The Hoax isn’t also a pack of lies? This is a question which Clifford himself pre-empts and attempts to answer by pointing out that the Chief Attorney of New York promised him that if any parts of the book were false and contradicted his sworn testimony then he would risk an additional five years in jail for perjury.<br />
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Of course the response to this is that writing Howard Hughes' fake biography in the first place put Clifford at risk of going to jail and that didn’t seem to worry him on that occasion, but nevertheless, for what it’s worth the impression I got from reading The Hoax was that in all likelihood it’s most probably an accurate reflection of events and if any minor events have been changed at all then I suspect it was only to protect his friends.<br />
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For the most part, the Clifford Irving that wrote The Hoax doesn’t come across as someone attempting to rewrite history or hide his actions. He uses flowery language on a couple of occasions to try to justify his poor behaviour towards his wife, but he never tries to hide his actions from the reader. Overall, this gives the book the believability it needs to make it an enjoyable read.<br />
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In summary, The Hoax provides a fascinating and absorbing account of the story of Howard Hughes’ fake autobiography. The parts of the book dealing with the research, although obviously necessary, are the least interesting sections, and it’s once these are out of the way and the publication date approaches that the book really starts to grab you. Although you ultimately know how it all ends (if Clifford had got away with it then it’s unlikely that he would then have gone on to record his actions in a book!), it’s nevertheless fascinating to discover how the original idea developed and then eventually unravelled as the weight of evidence gradually became too great to deny any longer.<br />
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The Hoax has since been turned into a movie starring Richard Gere but the big screen version is merely inspired by the book and has been adapted by the producers and screenwriter into their own version of events, rather than being an accurate record of how things actually happened. If you therefore want to discover the original story as told by Clifford Irving then the written version The Hoax is definitely well worth a look. It’s a book which will draw you in as the scam develops and a story which gathers steam and momentum as it heads towards the numerous twists of its conclusion.<br />
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Clifford Irving has his own website:<br />
<a href="http://cliffordirving.com/" target="_blank">www.cliffordirving.com</a><br />
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<a href="http://woaba.blogspot.com/2013/02/graphic-novel-cuba-my-revolution.html" target="_blank">Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution</a><br />
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<br />Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5327509549985937489.post-14810208608598572932013-02-14T09:03:00.000+00:002017-02-15T12:35:25.580+00:00Graphic Novel: Cuba: My Revolution<h3>
Cuba: My Revolution: A powerful story which takes you to emotional extremes.</h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RF7C-50rSfeM6MjRIG57XnwsJ6dqGAbs3Zc6M_ydtcvKAovLVm_V6VxGNfqLAxjSoc5cuWc2wR8yBE75LjSLpT6hEKGYURlkMHFscf_Zl3qD9JB6Rv0i0VhibmozK0QzTZQz6oHzLJoD/s1600/Cuba+My+Revolution+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RF7C-50rSfeM6MjRIG57XnwsJ6dqGAbs3Zc6M_ydtcvKAovLVm_V6VxGNfqLAxjSoc5cuWc2wR8yBE75LjSLpT6hEKGYURlkMHFscf_Zl3qD9JB6Rv0i0VhibmozK0QzTZQz6oHzLJoD/s320/Cuba+My+Revolution+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="245" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuba: My Revolution by Inverna Lockpez and Dean Haspiel</td></tr>
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Cuba: My Revolution is an affecting account of Sonya, a seventeen year old Cuban girl who dreams of becoming an artist, and who is initially a passionate believer in Fidel Castro and his revolution. However, as she begins to witness the brutality, oppressiveness and inequality of Fidel’s rule, she gradually becomes more and more disillusioned with the reality of Fidel Castro’s government.<br />
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It’s a thought-provoking and affecting story based on actual events in the early life of writer Inverna Lockpez and one which leaves a powerful lasting impression, as well as an appreciation for the freedoms we often take for granted.<br />
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The story begins with Cuba full of excitement and enthusiasm for the future, with dreams of justice and equality as Fidel Castro marches into Havana to the triumphant sound of canon salutes. The nation is in celebration at the removal of former president and dictator, Fulgencio Batista, and when you learn how Batista was violently oppressive of anyone who dared to disagree with him, resorting to torture and censorship, you can understand why Fidel Castro was initially so popular.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Fast forward six years later, however, and the wave of optimism has disappeared and in its turn disillusionment has set in as the principles which were promised haven’t matched the reality. The equality which was talked about just means that everyone is equally poor and equally afraid. <br />
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But Cuba: My Revolution is more than just a history lesson. Inverna Lockpez tells the story through Sonya’s eyes and that helps create a strong emotional attachment, as you find yourself initially sympathising with Sonya and understanding her support for Fidel Castro. However, as it gradually becomes apparent that Cuba has simply replaced one tyrant with another, and Sonya herself becomes a victim of Castro’s paranoid and ruthless government, you find yourself desperately wishing she would open her eyes to the truth. Unfortunately though, as Sonya’s friend, Willi, remarks, “The genius of Castro is in the art of deception.”
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The political element obviously makes up the lion’s share of the story, but Sonya’s personal life is also explored as friendship and love are intertwined into the political backdrop and all in all it makes for a powerful emotional cocktail. It’s an intense and at times painful journey which Sonya travels along, with her dreams of hope and justice for her country gradually turning sour, and as a result it draws you into the story right from the very first few pages.<br />
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Dean Haspiel’s artwork also helps in his respect, as the style is perfectly matched with the era of the story and the retro feel to the art expertly captures the atmosphere of the time. Throughout the book the story takes you to emotional extremes and some of the imagery, portraying scenes of pain and tears, and then eventually unbridled jubilation, left me feeling very humbled.<br />
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There are some stories which need and deserve to be told and Cuba: My Revolution is one of them. Reporting the story from the viewpoint of one of Cuba’s citizens gives this book a personal connection with its readers and ensures that the story will linger on your mind long after you finish reading it.<br />
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If ever an example was needed to show how powerful a story-telling medium the graphic novel can be, then Cuba: My Revolution is the perfect example.<br />
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Check out Inverna Lockpez and Dean Haspiel's official websites:<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s1600/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhyy4Bjs58YtsIdRnq0hJH-3YV1tRc872dTOO-QQU7Q_Qv0IkMFPZwFlEPDAMSCvJNp0w1MN4nE8QnAKKNz1VLKgQKHThgTEgW2yuNwsT32EIXWmxNWDWAisI5xLBXfwBGmWasy81RBCwI/s200/Worthy+Of+A+Bigger+Audience+2013+woaba.blogspot.com.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://www.invernalockpez.com/" target="_blank">www.invernalockpez.com</a><br />
<a href="http://www.deanhaspiel.com/" target="_blank">www.deanhaspiel.com</a><br />
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Follow Dean Haspiel on twitter:<br />
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Other recommended graphic novels on Worthy Of A Bigger Audience:<br />
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</span>Charles Fudgemuffinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04644403046003673633noreply@blogger.com0