2017 Forceys

THE FORCEYS (Downtown Condo - 14th Floor)  This year the 12th Annual Forceys moved to what I unofficially count as the 7th different location for the awards and maybe the most scenic.  This downtown location brought together our largest audience in years with eight attendees to celebrate the best of the past year.  Discussions and shots ensued as we honored the following. 

BEST MOVIE - LOGAN.  With last year's winner "Star Wars: Force Awakens" having another entry this year and Marvel having a sequel to previous winner "Guardians of the Galaxy", I thought the winner was predetermined.  Although "Arrival" made a strong showing, it was moody X-Men property, "Logan" that captured our attention the most last year.  We love our moody heroes.

BEST COMIC - SAGA.  This category gets lots of variety from mainstream to independent to adult themed titles nominated.  Previous winner "Paper Dolls" seemed set to have a repeat victory.  But "Saga", a title that had finished in 2nd place a number of years was able to garner enough votes to finally bring home the win.  It is as much a tribute to the staying power of the title than necessarily the number of issues that came out this year.  I started reading it because of the yearly love from this group and I love it.

BEST MUSIC - A TRIBE CALLED QUEST - WE GOT IT FROM HERE.  An inconclusive favorite during the nomination stage led to one of the most lopsided winners for this year's awards.  Maybe it was the loss of Phife or just the opportunity for a lifetime achievement type of award or maybe that it was just a damn good album.  I'm happy honor them in a category that has had such notables as the Beastie Boys, White Stripes, David Bowie and Radiohead as winners.

BEST OF TV -  STRANGER THINGS.  We still haven't had a repeat winner in this category.  It's by far the strongest list of nominees and we have discussed having a separate category for single TV movies and short, limited series.  A strong group this year with "Better Call Saul", "Halt and Catch Fire" and "Samurai Jack" all receiving votes.  But for the second year in a row, a Netflix show wins.  Last year it was "Daredevil" and this year the retro-themed and "X-Files" fan friendly show "Stranger Things" pulled off the win.  I was sufficiently shamed for not watching this show even though I watch all the other nominees.  I quickly plan to change that.

BEST OF THE WEB - NETFLIX and WTF PODCAST (tie).  Netflix sets a record with four wins, including four years in a row.  The previous winner before them was the tie for this year, the WTF Podcast.  I keep thinking that Amazon or Hulu will make some inroads but as seen in the TV category, Netflix is putting out quality programming.  And the WTF Podcast chugs along year after year with funny, interesting content.  Marc Maron is like the funny but crazy neighbor that you talk to in their garage on a Saturday night.   Hard to argue with the results this year but interesting to see who will disrupt this run.

COOLEST ITEM OF THE YEAR - MELISSA MCCARTHY AS SEAN SPICER and THE WOMEN'S MARCH (tie).  In years where we've had toys and gay marriage and personal accomplishments of our members - we chose to go a little political this year over such nominees at "Art Of Atari", the Chicago Cubs and "Sgt Pepper" remastered.  Melissa McCarthy had a good run as Sean Spicer and probably benefits from his departure only because they won't run the character into the ground.  The Women's March speaks for itself and we're proud of our female members of Strikeforce and support all equal rights as a group.

STRIKEFORCE HALL OF DOOM - the highest honor is also known as "The Kirby".  Last year we inducted five honorees.  This year was also a solid crop of 6 inductees.  Each very deserving of the honor.

A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.  One of the most influential hip hop groups ever joins The Beastie Boys and KRS-One as previous genre entries into the Hall.

BERNIE WRIGHTSON.  If you like horror, then you probably are already a fan of Bernie or the authors and directors that you love owe him a debt of gratitude.  Upon his death last year, even "The Walking Dead" gave him a nod for him importance to their genre.

DAVID LYNCH.  The revamp of "Twin Peaks" put David Lynch back into our lives in a big way this year.  The accomplishments from "Eraserhead" through "Blue Velvet" and "Mulholland Dr." up to "Twin Peaks" makes his mark on our lives pretty important.  There are very few directors you would call "unique" like him.

ELVIRA.  In the year of the Women's March, we finally inducted our first female into the Hall.  With our relatively closeness in ages, her importance as a Horror Movie host had an influence on us all.  Her character is funny and yet knowledgeable about films and everything young people want in a horror movie host.

LOONEY TUNES.  After years of just missing the cut, I made a plea for Looney Tunes to make the Hall.  When you said "cartoons" in my youth - this is what I thought of.  After school and Saturday mornings were meant for Bugs and Daffy and Foghorn and Tweety.  The body of work speaks for itself and holds up better today than almost anything else from that era.

MADELINE KAHN.  Our second female entrant has a flawless resume including "Blazing Saddles", "Young Frankenstein" and "The Muppet Movie".  She was beautiful and had the singing voice of an angel.  Her humor fit like a glove with the Mel Brooks troupe of the 70s.  

Just missing the vote this year and hoping for further consideration - Henry Silva, Hanna Barbera, Coen Bros and Richard Pryor.

THE KINNEY -  TRUMP.  On the heels of last year's victory of the Trump/Clinton election, this category might be renamed The Trump in the future years.  We'll see how history treats the legacy.  For now, the vote came down more convincing than his actual Presidential election victory.  He clearly won the popular vote.

BLAST FROM THE PAST - BEST REISSUE -  THE ART OF ATARI.  The Hall of Doom entry from last year returned to the podium with a very well thought of book among the group.   Edging out "Twin Peaks" and "Purple Rain (Remastered)", this poster book is a purely enjoyable book of memories.  

The Forceys continue to be some of my favorite social moments of our annual gathering of the Tribe.  Next year you are cordially invited to attend our festivities.  There are plenty of beers and shots to go around.  I'm inspired to put the pageantry back into the awards.  Put in your RSVP for San Diego, July 2018 today.  

"Everybody runnin' when the see the storm's comin' / But whatever's gonna be will be / Some will dash to the mountain, some will crawl / And the weakest amongst them, they will fall / But the strongest in faith, they will stand tall."    

Stay hard.

sb

2016 Forceys

THE FORCEYS (Manchester Grand Hyatt)  This year's 11th Annual Forcey Awards took place on the Friday night of the 2016 Comic Con in San Diego.  The awards still generate much discussion about the previous year.  This hotel is the closest we've ever stayed to the venue and was a nice change of pace from shuttle riding.  The group of five representatives gathered with beer, whiskey and wine to celebrate the best of 2015/2106.  After over a decade we're still going strong . . . 

BEST MOVIE - Star Wars: The Force Awakens.   Strikeforce has often rewarded comic book adaptations with this award.  Despite a strong run in the voting from "Civil War", Star Wars nostalgia won the day for this strong return of the franchise.  With a new release coming at us yearly and Marvel not slowing down their schedule, this should be a strong rivalry going forward.

BEST COMIC - Paper Girls.  This category has had a variety of winners over the years.  We've had mainstream superhero comics, Vertigo titles, TV show adventures and independent comics.  "Saga" is a title that gets runner up votes each year but has never held the crown.  This year's winner harkens back to our first winner "Y: The Last Man".  This Brian K. Vaughn science fiction mystery title captured our imaginations in 2015/2016.

BEST MUSIC - David Bowie - Black Star.  Radiohead, Wilco and Leon Bridges all made good runs at this award this year.  But an appreciate for Bowie's legacy vaulted this album to the top.  It is certainly a worthy album for consideration but there's a feeling that in a different year he wouldn't have made it.  I don't disagree but will defend the quality of this release held up against other recent releases.

 

BEST OF TV -  Daredevil.  This is the odd category that hasn't had a repeat winner.  We've chosen superhero shows more often than not but there have been comedies and drama's too.  Last year's "The Flash" looked to be making a good effort for repeat winner but the Netflix power of their Marvel Universe passed them up and "Daredevil" was the big winner.  Netflix has built a huge stable of shows but our love of superheroes drove this one.  Will they have staying power into the future?  Our fickle tastes and number of choices would tell me we'll find something new to love.

BEST OF THE WEB - Netflix.  This 3rd time consecutive winner might mean the retirement of this category.  YouTube was a three time winner in it's day, so we almost need to have a run off this year to see who rules.  Amazon has yet to make a solid run at this crown.  Is anyone willing to make a case for them or Hulu against these content provider giants?

COOLEST ITEM OF THE YEAR - Sphero BB-8.   Because of the timing of this, I thought that Pokemon Go! was going to pull out a last second win.  But the rebirth of Star Wars mania won the day.  This little guy picked up the cute droid flag and ran with it (rolled with it, technically).  Hard to deny the cool aspects of this guy.  Brings back memories of our first winner - The Phantasm Ball.

STRIKEFORCE HALL OF DOOM - the highest honor is also known as "The Kirby".  Last year we inducted five honorees.  This year was also a solid crop of 5 inductees.  Each very deserving of the honor.

Atari 2600.  The classic game console joins the Hall.

David Bowie.  Sadly it took his death to get him in here.

John Carpenter.  One of the most unanimous picks we've ever had.

Steve Ditko.  For years and years he has just barely missed the cut and got through this time.

Weed.  It's been another nominee for years that finally is getting a little love.  Legalization across the nation is probably only a decade away.

Just missing the vote this year and hoping for further consideration - Blondie, Coen Brothers, Looney Tunes and Public Enemy

THE KINNEY -  Trump/Clinton Election -  Inaction On Gun Control.  I thought it would be hard to top previous winners like Bush/Libby and last year's Cosby.  This year was a little over the top with crazy crap.  I think we'll continue this theme of the category for a few years.

BLAST FROM THE PAST - BEST REISSUE - Complete Peanuts V.25.  The project took over a decade to finish.  I spent the 2016 year reading every strip from 1950 to 2000.  This collection is one of my most valued possessions for what it has meant to me over the course of my lifetime.  Few things have put such a smile on my face.

The Forceys took place late in the drinking evening but there was still plenty of post-awards fun to be had.  This gathering of the tribe is always the highlight of the weekend.  The awards for 2016/2017 promise to be just as much fun with another unique location.  Please make your plans right now to join us in a couple weeks.

"I'm a blackstar, way up, oh hone, I've got game / I see right so white, so open-heart it's pain / I want eagles in my daydreams, diamonds in my eyes."   Stay hard.

sb

2015 Forceys

THE FORCEYS (Kona Kai Resort San Diego)  This year's 10th Annual Forcey Awards took place on the Friday night of the 2015 Comic Con.  This was one of our most beautiful venues in the decade of Forceys.  The group of five representatives gathered with beer, whiskey and wine to celebrate the best of 2014/2105.  After a decade we're still going strong . . . 

BEST MOVIE - Guardians of the Galaxy.  Beating out "Birdman" and "Mad Max Fury Road", this wasn't a huge surprise.  In the past ten years, The Forceys have rewarded superhero films like "Iron Man", "The Dark Knight" and "The Avengers".  This was a solid Marvel entry and won by a landslide.

BEST COMIC - Southern Bastards.  Marvel superheroes win the Best Movie category but it's a small story about folks in rural Alabama that takes the Best Comic category.  Previous winners Hawkeye and Sandman stepped aside for this interesting and powerful title.  The Spider-Man fans split their votes among multiple Spider titles and this Bastard snuck in for the victory.

BEST MUSIC - John Carpenter - Lost Themes.  There were some solid releases from Basement Jaxx, Failure and Giorgio Moroder but this first release from director, John Carpenter are moody pieces that could have come from any of the classic 1970s horror films.  Previous winners - St. Vincent, Daft Punk and Broken Bells among others shows the eclectic tastes of this group.  This collection of themes is a fine addition.

BEST OF TV - The Flash.  The comic book genre dominates the TV section again.  The new show on the block beat out a solid run from "Daredevil", "Better Call Saul" and "Veep".  Previous winners including "The Walking Dead" and the original winner "Heroes" also come from the comic/superhero genre.

BEST OF THE WEB - Netflix. The best location on the web came down to three candidates.  There was the upstart of Comixology, the Forcey champion and three time winner, YouTube and the movie streaming game changer, Netflix.  Netflix on the heels of such great work as "Daredevil" tied YouTube as a three time winner this year.  It's hard to imagine a new winner in the years to come.

COOLEST ITEM OF THE YEAR - Gay Marriage.  A year after we were able to celebrate Legal Weed in this category, we awarded the Coolest Item to something that didn't seem possible when the Forceys started in 2005.  The world isn't such a bad place after all.  Just not as cool were the Lego Batman Tumbler and Pop Dolls.

STRIKEFORCE HALL OF DOOM - the highest honor is also known as "The Kirby".  Last year we inducted five honorees.  This year was also a solid crop of 5 inductees.  Each very deserving of the honor.

Christopher Lee.  Actor

Clint Eastwood.  Actor, director.

H.P. Lovecraft.  Author

Late Night / Late Show w/David Letterman

The Cure / Robert Smith.  Music.

Just missing the vote this year and hoping for further consideration - Carl Sagan, Doctor Who, HR Giger, Looney Tunes and Steve Ditko

THE KINNEY -  Cosby.  This category "celebrates" the worst / pathetic items of the year and there was a huge battle between Bill Cosby, Civil Unrest Because of Racism and simply something labelled Trump.  It was a single vote that kept Cosby atop the race.

BLAST FROM THE PAST - BEST REISSUE - 1966 Batman Show / Decline of Western Civilization Series Box Set. (Tie).  These two very different reissues both deserved recognition and voters couldn't decide.  This category recently celebrated Creepy, Roger Corman, Thor and Bone.

The Forceys took place late in the drinking evening but there was still plenty of post-awards fun to be had.  This gathering of the tribe is always the highlight of the weekend.  Guests are welcomed and encouraged for the 2016 version.

"If only I'd have thought of the right words / I could have held onto your heart / If only I'd thought of the right words / I wouldn't be breaking apart all my pictures of you."  Stay hard.

sb

NOVICE - Grilled Cheese Ep. 2

The continuing adventures of Grilled Cheese. . . 

March brought a trip to Fayetteville, Arkansas to see my older son and a visit to my first and favorite grilled cheese specific restaurant -  Hammontree's.  There are 16 sandwiches on the menu - so I really should have invited 13 more of you along.  Instead we were able to sample three of the sandwiches - all of which come highly recommended.

Caleb got the PARMAGEDDON without the mushrooms and on sourdough.  I got the SCARLET CHEDDAR on sourdough.  The 24 month vintage cheddar was incredible.  I can't recommend this highly enough.  The third sandwich is untitled because I just plain forgot to write it down in my excitement over the sandwiches.

In late March and early April we tried a couple other variations at home.

First we tried a very basic grilled cheese with bacon.  That's your basic topping and hard to do wrong.  The next attempt with pulled pork was even better.  The different meats all work quite well in the grilled cheese format.  I don't know that any single meat or combo of meats would be wrong.

Today, April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day.  We celebrated with a little different take on the traditional sandwich.  The bread is dipped in egg like French Toast and coated with parmesan cheese.  The cheese inside is melted mozzarella.  I added tomato and jalapeno to mine and we dipped them in a vodka tomato sauce.  It's a nice little cheesestick style sandwich.

Still a novice we are just starting to expand horizons.  Nothing really crazy yet.  There are still some more breads and cheeses to judge.  So far the sourdough bread is the clear winner.

NOVICE - Grilled Cheese - Ep. 1

Novice.  Someone new or inexperienced to a situation or subject.

I've always had my little "projects".  In other days they were sweetly called "hobbies".  I've had moments where you might call them obsessions.  My OCD likes to defend them as learning.  I've learned about whiskey and I've spent a year sampling different cheeseburgers.  Part of my method has mostly been documenting the progress through Social Media.  See Instagram or Twitter or Facebook for my counts and countdowns.  What I've done but not documented is the process of my learning.

Last year I had over 500 beers in 11 months.  I learned more about craft beer and breweries than I ever thought I would know in my lifetime.  I started as more of a Beer Novice than I thought I was and border on being a Craft Enthusiast right now.  What I wish I'd done is document the progression.  What were the moments of "ah-ha" and when did I learn new important things.  It's easy to talk about the project at the end but I don't document the process enough.

The goal of this NOVICE project is to pick one or two or twelve things and write short to medium length blogs along the way about my progress.  Some will be just knowledge. Some will be trying new things.  Some will be larger adventures.  I'm limited by time, geography and budget in many cases.  So that's why there will be multiple projects at once.  I'm happy to accept challenges because there might be things I want to know about that I need a push on (thanks to Kim for encouraging me to watch all of "Sons of Anarchy").

GRILLED CHEESE

It's hard to call myself a "novice" regarding the first solid food I ever remember eating.  I've had them for 47 years and yet I've really never put much thought into the sandwich.  It's always just been whatever bread is available (usually white or wheat) and some butter and most of the time just some melted cheddar.  I've added some bacon and tried a couple different cheeses.  But in general it's been something I've not put much thought into.

For this purpose I'm talking about Grilled Cheese or Cheese Toasties.  Two pieces of bread, butter and melted cheese.  That's the base.  I'll get into different toppings and breads and cheeses as I go.  My first sandwich this weekend was my base.  It was a white bread from the bakery at Kroger, sharp cheddar and butter on the griddle.  I like my bread just a little golden brown.

I had tomato soup with the first batch but I am not making that a requirement for the project.  This is the classic for me.  This is the grilled cheese sandwich of my youth.  Melted cheese dripping off the plate.  Every future grilled cheese is measured against this classic.

The grilled cheese as we know it seems to have been around since the 1920s and the invention of sliced bread.  My very short research came up with the addition of tomato soup as a way to get children Vitamin C with their meal of the sandwich.

Next episode - different cheeses and different breads and maybe explore some toppings.

SB

2015 Beer School #1-250

I've had beer before.  I like beer.  I've been drinking beer probably since a young age when my father and his friends would give me a sip of their Michelob while they played poker at our house when I was young.  I graduated to drinking Budweiser and cheap beer like Schaefer's in college.  I was never a beer snob of any sort.

When I lived in California I would sometimes have Anchor Steam and when I moved back to Michigan it would be Bells.  But those were rare moments.  Normally it was the easy picks like Coors or Labatts or Molson Golden.  Mainly I was a liquor guy and beer was just a distraction in public.  Even moving to Texas I adopted Shiner but I wasn't very knowledgable about the product other than I liked the Bock.

I spent 2013 learning and sampling whiskey and 2014 learning and sampling vodka.  Those years taught me lots about what I liked and didn't like in those liquors and gave me more of a palate to discern the differences.  So 2015 it seemed time to do the same to beer.  So I started a journey that I thought would be 200 beers.  That goal came and wend and I'm looking to drink 500 different beers before the end of the year.

Methodology.  I'm only counting bottles or cans I have at home.  That way I slow down and really look at the product and take my time to read up on each beer.  I still drink at the bars and restaurants but I'm using those venues as a way to sample product I might want to purchase or revisit beers that I really like.  On June 30th I reached the halfway point and here are a few observations.

I've come a long way since that Shiner - Cheer on January 1st.  I feel like such a beer novice looking back on the first few weeks.  I was all over the board without any idea what I was drinking.  I'm looking over a list and these are some unofficial stats.

Beers By Style

1.  IPA
2.  Pale Ale
3.  Wheat
4.  Amber Ale
5.  Lager

I think this is influenced by the sheer numbers of different IPA's out there now.  It's definitely a beer style of the day.  And six months ago I wouldn't have necessarily known the difference between one style or another.  But now I can smell and taste and most likely tell you the kind of beer I'm drinking.

That said, what really excites me is the hybrids that are happening out there.  Not content to just make an IPA - there are brewers pushing the envelope and mixing different types and creating beers like the red or black IPAs that have really interested me.

Beers By Brewery

1.  Ballast Point
2.  Rahr
3.  Samuel Adams
4.  New Belgium
5.  Green Flash

This is hard because some great breweries just don't have many beers.  But what I've found is that once you find a brewery you like, it's usually a good idea to trust their other beers.  The list is initially heavy on beers from Texas and California.  Part of it is the availability of the beers in this area but also the two states are home to some great beers.  As a region, there are some great beers to come from the Midwest and Northeast.  Michigan and Wisconsin and Vermont have become areas of the country I've come to trust.

Let's get down to it.  Here's a ranking of my Top Ten Beers out of the first half.

10.  Kona Brewery - Big Wave Golden Ale
9.  Sierra Nevada - 2015 Beer Camp
8.  Magic Hat - #9 Pale Ale
7.  Breckenridge - OPhelia Hoppy Wheat
6.  Dogfish Head - Aprihop
5.  Founders - All Day IPA.  I had this one back on January 13th.  This Michigan IPA was the first time I really discovered that I loved IPAs.  It had a light fruity taste that I didn't expect from an IPA.  And I discovered that this Grand Rapids, Michigan brewery makes some incredible beers.

4.  Green Flash - Soul Style IPA.  On April 20th I discovered this favorite from San Diego, California.  There's a citrus taste to this that takes much of the hoppy taste off.  I could see this being "my beer" for a long time.

3.  Revolver - Blood & Honey.  I had this beer for the first time last Summer.  It was a favorite but I feel like I'm only learning why I like different beers.  I made sure this was one of my first - January 2, 2015.  This wheat ale from Granbury, Texas has great color and flavor.  I wouldn't have even known before that it was a wheat.  The beer smells wonderful and the blood orange just smooths out the taste.

2.  Community - Mosaic IPA.  Dallas, Texas represents.  Why did I even wait until May 25th to have this?  Smooth taste, great color.  It's not a beer to hide the hops.  There's a bitterness that I've learned to love.  I wouldn't have liked this beer six months ago.  But here's how I've changed - my tastes have evolved to love a little bit of bitter hops.  This is a perfect combination and one I'll have for a long time.

1.  Ballast Point - Grapefruit Sculpin.  I'm not alone in loving this beer.  In fact, almost every beer drinking that I've met has found that they love this beer.  It's one of those "I don't like IPAs but . . . " beers.  Mostly it's the perfect blend of the grapefruit with the IPA.  This isn't a fruit beer - the citrus just takes the edge off the bitterness.  This is a beer that will sneak up on you but one that you can drink all day too.

There are still a few that I've had and love but haven't made the list because I haven't had them at home yet.  Leading the list of favorites are the Green Flash / Peticolas Collaboration IPA and Bell's Oberon.   I'm learning more with each beer I've tried.  And the best part is being able to talk beer intelligently with people.  I've found so many more people who love their beer than when I was doing whiskey.  Keep your recommendations coming - I write them all down and I've found some awesome beers through it.   I can't wait to see what #215-500 bring.

Shawn

2014 Forceys

THE FORCEYS (Town and Country Resort and Convention Center)  This year's 9th Annual Forcey Awards took place on the last night of the 2014 Comic Con.  The new venue was more relaxed and the crew was enthusiastic.  We gathered with four other Strikeforce members represented and the return of Grace's friend who was impressed enough in 2013 to bring a boyfriend to the occasion this year.  We missed Cantankerous Chris this year and hope for his quick return to the fold.  The results were live tweeted to dozens of followers.  For those who somehow missed the overage - without further ado - your 2014 Forcey Award Winners . . . 

BEST MOVIE - Lego Movie.  This was a bit of an upset winner.  Previous years have leaned towards Superhero films (Iron Man, The Dark Knight, The Avengers) and more adult fare (Pan's Labyrinth, Let The Right One In).  For the first time, a truly all ages film won out over Captain America 2 and X-Men: Days of Future Past.

BEST COMIC - Sandman: Overture.  Previous winner Hawkeye made a solid run at a two year run.  But the return of Sandman claimed the top spot over up and comer, Saga.  The old comic reader vote wins out.

BEST MUSIC - St. Vincent - St. Vincent.  Last year, Daft Punk was the runaway winner.  This year there was almost a dead heat.  Beck and Jack White and Queens of the Stone Age split many of the votes.  But the best music of the year came out of the Dallas, Texas and the Polyphonic Spree.  Annie Clark has been around for years but really broke out with this album and was rewarded with a Forcey.

BEST OF TV - True Detective.  With multiple past winners returning including The Walking Dead and Breaking Bad, this category was taken by the only newcomer.  HBO brought a nontraditional story to air that really caught on.  Harrelson and McConaughey kicked ass as flawed cops.  A repeat of this magic seems unlikely.

BEST OF THE WEB - Netflix.  Only YouTube has won more than second time winner Netflix.  With the addition of quality direct-to-Netflix originals and a steady supply of binge worthy shows, this could be the start of a long run of victories for this voting block.

COOLEST ITEM OF THE YEAR - Legal Weed.  Beating out World Cup soccer, Marvel comics movies and even Pop Dolls it was the growing trend of legalized weed.  Keep the dream alive, fellas.

STRIKEFORCE HALL OF DOOM - the highest honor is also known as "The Kirby".  Last year we inducted a record six new honorees.  This year was a solid crop of 5 inductees.  Each very deserving of the honor.

John Williams. Composer.

Monty Python.  Comic troop.

Prince.  Musician.

Saturday Night Live.  TV show.

Star Trek.  Mega franchise.

Just missing the vote this year and hoping for further consideration - Bill Waterson, Clint Eastwood, Steve Ditko and Thelonious Monk.

THE KINNEY -  Edgar Wright Off of Ant Man.  The film didn't make it out in the wave of Marvel films that it should have and the man that could have balanced the humor and action was sent packing and/or quit.  Either way we wait another year and fear that the potentially fun character might be ruined.

BLAST FROM THE PAST - BEST REISSUE - Bone Artists Edition.  There is no arguing that this Mat Smith book is a modern classic.  Having read it in original issues it's funny to see it already winning as a Best Reissue but deserving.

The Forceys took place late in the drinking evening but there was still plenty of post-awards fun to be had.  Steve provided a nice mix of music to background some great conversation with old friends.

"And if the elevator tries to bring you down / Go crazy.  Punch a higher floor."  Stay hard.

sb