The Future of Event Fatigue

Man, the last three months have flown by. It feels like yesterday I just started this blog as a way to goof off and as an outlet for my bitter comic book related cynicism. But in three months I've written over fifty articles (some were really short) for this fair blog and I was joined by two of my very good friends from IWU, Tim Dunn and Peter Durkin, as co-authors who will help to balance out the perspectives of the site. So, with the first couple steps and growing pains out of the way, what is there to look forward to? LOTS! Hit the jump for a little preview of what 2010 has in store for our fair blog.

Event Fatigue's Worst of 2009

In lots of ways, 2009 was just a terrible year that a lot of people are going to wish just never existed in the first place. Layoffs, the economy still struggling to aloft, health care "reform", and of course Kanye West not letting people finish after interrupting their special moment despite saying he was going to. But really, with a much brighter 2010 just around the corner, we think that the time is right to look back, point, and laugh at the really bad things that came out in '09. It's the same set-up as our Best of '09 list, with the same categories as yesterday too. Hit the jump for the list.

Event Fatigue's Best of 2009 List

Welcome to Event Fatigue's list of the very best of 2009 in comic books, movies, and tv as decided by each of the writers on this our fair blog. We're going to all give our choices for each category, along with a brief write-up of why we chose what we did, and we're going to alternate who goes first so that way it's fair. So with 2009 now almost completely behind us, let's revisit the best that the year had to offer us, shall we? Hit the jump for article.

Warwick's Top 10 Films of 2009

Well, here we are. The end of the year, a time when everyone is putting together their Top 10 lists and talking about the "best" films of the past year. I actually really like this time of year because I enjoy Top 10 lists and I like looking back on films that I had seen and really enjoyed, plus I think it is really interesting to see different people's perspectives on film and the best way to see that is by what they rank in the top 3 on their lists. I have a theory that everyone's top 3 are always set in stone as to what films are up there, but the position changes depending on that person's mood or feelings when they are ranking them. And that's why I find them interesting. Anyway, my picks for the year are after the jump. Punch it Chewy!

2010: A Look Ahead

Man oh man, Christmas flew by. We're only a couple days away from finally putting 2009 behind us, and moving on to what should be a much better and brighter year. I'm going to be putting a "Best of 2009" post up later this week, hopefully before the end of '09, but I thought first I would bring up some of the things to really look forward to in the upcoming year. Hit the jump for the preview.

It's A Wonderful Life - A Quote a Day

Merry Christmas!! I hope that all of you are having a great holiday and no matter how or what you are celebrating I sincerely hope that you are happy and spending today with people you love. 2009 has been a great year for me, not the least of which has to do with this blog that I started only three months ago, so if you are reading this, than thank you so much for doing so. I love writing this blog and I'm definitely in this for the long haul, and I really do appreciate all of you for joining me in this so Thank You. For Chirstmas today I'm going to be sharing my two favorite quotes from this film. Enjoy.

Harry Bailey (surrounded by the townspeople): A toast to my big brother George: The richest man in town.



  
Clarence: Remember George, No man is a failure who has friends.
 
Merry Christmas everybody.

It's a Wonderful Life - A Quote a Day

Clarence: Your brother, Harry Bailey, broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine.



George Bailey: That's a lie! Harry Bailey went to war - he got the Congressional Medal of Honor, he saved the lives of every man on that transport.


Clarence: Every man on that transport died! Harry wasn't there to save them, because you weren't there to save Harry.
 
Clarence: You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?

It's A Wonderful Life - A Quote a Day

So I decided today that since I'm going to be busy getting ready for Christmas and then, you know, enjoying my Christmas, I'm going to simply post a new quote everyday from It's A Wonderful Life all the way through Christmas. To get it started today, I'm going to actually post two quotes. Enjoy!

George Bailey: "Just remember this, Mr. Potter, that this rabble you're talking about... they do most of the working and paying and living and dying in this community. Well, is it too much to have them work and pay and live and die in a couple of decent rooms and a bath? Anyway, my father didn't think so. People were human beings to him. But to you, a warped, frustrated old man, they're cattle. Well, in my book he died a much richer man than you'll ever be."

And here's the other one, one of my absolute favorite quotes from this film:

Clarence: "Strange, isn't it? Each man's life touches so many other lives. When he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?"


2 Days Until Christmas!

The Curious Case of the Cap & the Bat

Sychronicity, not just a plot device in a Grant Morrison JLA story arc, but it is actually the term for the coincidence of events that seem to be meaningfully related that are causally unrelated. Essentially, a fancy term for when two events that are unrelated to each other that then through accident or luck become very much alike. Something like, say, the plot lines of two different comic books from two different comic book companies that somehow end up following almost the same exact story-arc as each other. What stories have lined up, and what does it mean? Why does this kind of thing happen? Hit the jump for the article.

Top 10 Favorite Christmas Films

I have to say, I am not in the Christmas spirit at all. I have bought gifts for exactly one person, and even that was only because I won't see them on Christmas Day and have to give it to them earlier. The thing is I do still have time to get people's gifts, even though that window is closing, and I already know what I'm getting for just about everybody that I still have to shop for. It's just a matter of physically getting the gifts, which is arguably the easiest part of gift giving. So to get into the Christmas spirit, I organized my Top 10 favorite Christmas movies list and am presenting it to you all! Hit the jump for the list.

GAH!! IT'S SO AWESOME!!!

The Iron Man 2 trailer is now online!! Russians!! Gary Shandling!!! Shoulder cannons!!!! GAH!!! IT'S SO AWESOME!!!!!!!

IRON MAN 2 TRAILER! CLICK FOR AWESOMENESS!!

All-Time Awesome Lines From Comics - Pt. 12

I know, I know. I haven't done a post for ATALFC in several weeks, but it's not like I just flat out have not been posting anything in that time period. I introduced THREE new regular features; Trade Secrets, Put It Out To Pasture, and Links You Should Know; plus reporting several comic book news items and doing a sports edition of Windy City Mumblin', as well as a review of the great film Up in the Air. Not only that, but we also debuted our new contributor to the site with Pete's first week of Comic Reviews up (I named the feature for the first week, but I don't really think the name's going to stick). So I'm not going to be too apologetic since that is a lot of content that has gone up since our last post for this feature, but I will say that it is probably going to be a bit of time before you get the next installment after this one. First, I am working on something that if it happens and gets posted, which I do not want to jinx by talking about it before I get it done, then it will be a crowning achievement in my already beyond my expectations foray into internet writing. Needless to say, if it does get done this week and gets put up, you will know about it because I will tell everybody. Literally. EVERYBODY. Also, I'm going to be putting out in the next couple weeks before New Year's my look ahead to my most anticipated things of 2010, and also a recap of 2009 where I am going to chronicle things like Best Comic, new character, hero, villain, and others, and a big Op/Ed piece on how Captain America and Batman have followed the same exact story-arc in recent years and why that might be. Plus, I might end up doing a post that is just a look ahead to 2010 for the blog itself, since next year will feature some really exciting stuff for Event Fatigue. Anyways, click the link for the Awesome Line From Comics.

Links You Should Know - Movie Trailer Edition

Welcome to another installment of Links you Should Know, this time instead focusing on links to movie trailers for films that are going to be Bad-Ass. So all of these links are going to be ones that will take you to a trailer for an upcoming film that I think (based on said trailers) are going to be some of the best in this stage of the year and also in the upcoming year. Check it out

Movie Review: Up In The Air

So this is the first movie review that I've ever written, well, written since the 6th grade when I did a movie review for the Forest Trail Junior High School newspaper. So for my film reviews I'm going to be assigning the stereotypical 1 to 5 stars, with 5 being One of the Best Movies Ever and 1 being You Could Not Pay Me to Watch This Movie Again. So the other night, I took my lovely girlfriend Jesse out to a movie, and we went to see Up in the Air, the new Jason Reitman film starring George Clooney. What did I think of it? Did it come close to matching Reitman's previous films Juno or Thank You For Smoking? Hit the jump to find out.

Top 10 Favorite Episodes of Television - All-Time

So I usually open these posts with some witty or stupid comment about my life, relating some meaningless story for amusement. And I would do this today too, except I really don't have much of anything to talk about. I've been just so exhausted all week and I'm not entirely sure why, but it probably has to do with waking up at 6:30am everyday, something I'm still not accustomed to. Or it could be my overeliance on commas in a sentence, which I figure that the more commas, the better, while fewer commas, are probably worse,. Anyways, grammer jokes aside, down to bidness. So while working on me and Chris Kordy's upcoming Podcast "Status Update", I started digging through lists of television series' that I loved but has for the most part been forgotten for an episode that we're doing (the podcast will launch at the end of this year BTWs, and I'm going to be pimping it pretty hardcore when we're getting ready to launch it). This got me to thinking, and I have compiled my list of my Top 10 favorite episodes on Television of all time. Now, this isn't a "best of" list, but instead is a list of my favorite episodes that I've ever seen, so there is a heavy emphasis on shows that I love dearly. Hit the jump for the list.

DC Announces Rise of Arsenal / Fall of Green Arrow

I don't usually report on every news item that comes through with comic books, except that this week there have been a couple fairly major announcements that have come down the pike and I felt that they were worth noting. This, however, I definitely wanted to post and comment on since it follows up my Attention Must Be Paid article on Red Arrow and Cry for Justice #5. Today, DC announced through their blog The Source that there were going to be a one shot, a new miniseries, and a series defining arc on Green Arrow spinning out of Cry for Justice. Hit the jump for the story.

Windy City Mumblin' 12/11 - Sports Edition

Welcome to another edition of Windy City Mumblin' - which is basically me complaining about things that I don't have enough to write a full post about, so they get kind of lumped in here together. This week, I'm going to be talking about sports primarily, since the majority of the issues that I've been thinking about have to do with either our sports teams or sports in general. Hit the jump for the mumblin'.

Fatigue Relief - Weekly Comic Book Review 12/9

Sorry friends, I’m just not that clever. Here’s the breakdown of my reviews. I will be assigning everything I review a number, 1-10. Writing and plot are very important to me, so that’s the majority of the review. As far as art goes, I’m so terrible at drawing myself, unless the interiors are terrible, you won’t hear too much negativity about it from me. The most important aspect of a comic book, in my opinion, is characterization. If I’ve been reading Daredevil for an extended period of time, and throughout that run DD is constantly preaching that he will not join a team or group because he works solo, it drives me nuts that you find him in Spiderman working with Luke Cage and Iron Fist. That was a made up example, but it makes my point for me. I like my characters to be consistent. Oh hey, watch out for spoilers, because how can you review something and be totally ambiguous the whole time? Onto the reviews.

Put it Out to Pasture: The Office

"There is an end to everything, to good things as well" - Chaucer

With that said, I'd like to welcome you to the first post of another new feature here at Event Fatigue, Put it Out to Pasture. Basically, I spotlight TV shows, comic books, musicians, filmmakers, or anything else really that has outlived it's success and glory days and needs to be sent out to pasture. Now, in order for something to qualify for being put out to pasture, it has to actually be good at one point in its career, so no Til Death or CSI: Miami appearances because those shows just flat out need to die slowly and painfully. For the first post of the feature, I'm going to be talking about a show that was personally my favorite on TV but has now fallen and is no longer the juggernaut that it once was, The Office. Hit the jump for the article.

First Post!

Hello new readers of Event Fatigue! I hope you have been enjoying the website so far, and hopefully with my addition to the crew of writers you’ll like it even more. Let me start off by introducing myself. My name is Peter Durkin, I’m 25 and I’ve been reading and collecting comics for a very, very long time. My taste in comic books is a fairly popular one. I follow the big two, Marvel and DC, grab a couple of indie books from time to time, but mostly keep up via trade. I also keep up on the big events, but as the name of the web site says, I am a little fatigued by the constant events. I like my action big and my dialogue quick and am a stickler for consistent characterization. I appreciate most all artists work, because, well because I couldn’t draw if my life depended on it. But I am a fan in truest sense of the word. I will pick apart my favorite books and writers for the minutest detail, but I will defend to the death the medium in all arenas. So welcome new readers, I hope I give you something to read.

I’ve decided to write my first article not on my favorite character or list of greatest deaths that have been negated by a recent rebirth, but rather one of the happiest places in the world; my comic book store on new comic book Wednesday. I have been collecting comic books since about May of 1993 and over the years I have frequented many comic book vendors. When I was young, the local Walden Books or Magazine isle in Osco was where I found my comic book fix. Ah, the simpler times of my youth, where I could go to Osco with five dollars and walk away with at least four books with X in the title. I was strictly buying a book on the strength of its cover or whether or not Wolverine could be found in the ensuing pages. Sometimes, I would pick up a two or three pack at the local Toys R Us, and can remember very clearly when that same toy store was fazing out it’s selling of comics, so they were selling hundreds of books for pennies. I bought a plastic bag of 50 books for 10 dollars.

As I became more serious about being a collector, I found my first comic book store, Atlas Comics. Atlas, which is still around today, was a small store, but it packed a big punch. I would be taken for a trip to Atlas Comics( the marquee was missing the i in comics for a very long time) every four or five months and would load up when I got there. Whatever I could find in 20 minutes that fit within my $30 budget, that’s what I walked out with. I was a huge fan of Marvel’s What If? title and any book in the X universe. Shiny covers usually helped make hard decisions and quarter bins were my specialty. Atlas also boasted a great wall of vintage comic books, most notably, my holy grail at the time, Wolverine #1. ( The Claremont mini)

For some reason in my life, I stopped collecting. Stopped reading all together. I got back into books around age 15 when I picked up Ultimate X-Men #6, and I haven’t looked back since. By that time, I was able to commit myself to the weekly grind of collecting. After a trial period of finding the right store for me, I tried out Windy City Comics on North Ave in Melrose Park. The store had a great selection of back issues, never ran out of the new issues and had trades galore. But the reason I travel the extra distance for this particular store are the people that work there. I’m always greeted by a ‘Hello Peter!’ when I walk in and a ‘take it easy when I walk out’. The staff is always up for a spirited debate of current events and always more than happy to tell me that I read too much Marvel and not enough DC ( Hey I read all of Countdown, gimmie a break). But above all else, they appreciate your business. When I started all those years ago in Osco books were $1.25. Most of my books are pushing the $3.99 mark with no signs of slowing down in price increase. Windy City Comics recognizes that their core group of comic book denizens are fans through and through and they do the little things that keep us coming back. Bags and boards are on them. And if you start a subscription list (the idea that you’re going to become a loyal customer) you get 10% off new books. Those are little things they don’t have to do, but it’s the little things that make all the difference. But most important: they learn your name. I went into a chain store in Chicago and bought 60 dollars worth of books. The guy behind the register didn’t even bat an eye. Not so at Windy City.

I’m sure I’m not the only person out there who loves their comic book store. Everyone has a ‘guy’ or a sweet deal they’ve worked out. But for those of you who don’t love your store or you don’t get a ‘Hi Bob’, do yourself a favor and keep looking. The right store is out there and it makes all the difference in the world.


I hope you enjoyed my personal reflection on the comic book stores throughout my life. I’ll be breaking down everything from favorite single issues and trades to trends in current books I can’t stand right now. I should be coming out with weekly reviews as well. So keep tuning in, more is on the way.

Peter