HEART #2 Review

Oren “Rooster” Redmond has tasted the fight life, and he never wants to go back to the 9-5 grind ever again. The second installment of this mixed martial arts tale chronicles Redmond’s journey from amateur to professional fighter. We meet the entire cast of characters at the gym where he works out, and they all have their own little story.

The life of a professional MMA fighter is brutal as the training is some of the hardest in all sports. It’s something you need to be 100% committed to to be successful. Redmond doesn’t want to be another weekend warrior or some guy who likes wearing skin-tight Tap Out shirts. He wants to be a world champion, and he is going to enjoy the ride. We discover how Oren got the nickname “Rooster,” and we see him in his first professional bout.

If you watch G4, you know Blair Butler is a huge fight fan. Speaking as someone who has dabbled with MMA training, Butler’s approach is pretty authentic, and her insight shows in her writing. It was a smart move to only make this series a limited run. That’s not a knock at all. The story can become redundant since it lacks a little of that comic element that fans long for. Anyone who is a fan of MMA or looking for something different on Wednesdays will not be disappointed.

UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida Preview & Predictions

(Column I wrote for gerweck.net)

UFC 140 appears to have been lost in the shuffle, with everyone focused on Lesnar vs. Overeem at the end of the month and all the new fights announced for FX and Fox in early 2012. The Air Canada Centre in Toronto will be treated to its second UFC event, which will feature a native featherweight favorite, two all-star bouts, and a world title fight that will set the landscape of the light heavyweight division.

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Can The Count Handle A Little Mayhem?

Spike TV’s swan song to The Ultimate Fighter has produced one of the most exciting seasons in years. The coach’s battle between Jason “Mayhem” Miller and Michael “The Count” Bisping is an evenly matched fight that should produce a lot of action. This will be Mayhem’s first fight since September 25, 2010, when he submitted a past his prime and first ballot hall of famer, Kazushi Sakuraba. This will also be Mayhem’s first fight back in the UFC since he lost a unanimous decision to Georges St. Pierre in 2005.

Miller was a dormant member of the Strikeforce roster despite CBS denying him entry on shows because he caused a post-fight brawl with the Diaz Brothers on live television. On the other hand, Dana White had no reservations about bringing the Bully Beatdown host into the promotion for a second go-around.

The Ultimate Fighter season III winner, Michael Bisping, finds himself coaching his second squad of UFC prospects. He has remained a staple in the middleweight division for quite some time, and now, the Englishmen look to shut up the loud-mouthed Mayhem and be next in line to fight Chael Sonnen.

Bisping is riding a three-fight winning streak with his last victory against middleweight journeyman Jorge Rivera. His second-round TKO finish of the Massachusetts native made him no friends when he spit on Rivera immediately after the fight was called to a halt.

Yes, Rivera taunted him with a plethora of slanderous YouTube videos leading up to the fight. Still, fans thought they were funny. “The Count” is a fighter people love to hate. He is booed more than most and has never been able to embrace the villain role.

Their styles will surely make for an exciting fight, but the most likely scenario for a finish is if Mayhem can control Bisping in his guard long enough for a submission off his back. Bisping will look for the knockout with his technical acumen, but his lack of punching power will make this an impractical task. Miller’s striking is elementary at best, and he needs to take the fight to the ground if he wants to win.

Bisping will look to stay off the ground but has been known to jump into someone’s guard to apply a little ground and pound. Miller’s takedowns are seldom clean, and he has to work from the clinch to achieve his objective. Bisping’s experience with high-caliber wrestlers will pay off for him, and thus, he will control the majority of the fight.

The Pick: Michael Bisping by unanimous decision.

Wolverine #19 Review

I almost can’t put into words how good this issue was and how much I enjoyed reading it. I’m not going to say too much because you should just take my word for it and buy this book.

It was just one big adventure that has everything a comic book fan loves. Wolverine, Fat Cobra, and Gorilla-Man are hiding inside the stomach of three dragons, using them as a disguise to break into Jade Claw’s secret hideout.

If that doesn’t hook you, then I don’t know what will. The art and colors are wonderful, and one of the panels on the last page is a bar scene where one of the dragons poke their head in the window and takes a sip of Fat Cobra’s 24-ounce beer mug.

The conclusion shows an unknown group of people looking at various targets, and they get the word they have to take out our adamantium-clawed Canadian. These last few pages really put over how much of a badass Wolverine is. I’m done typing, please; just buy it right away. It is the must-read Wolverine book of the year!

Why No Love For Jr. Pac-Man???

Santa Claus was extremely generous in 1987 when he left the Atari 2600 and my first video game, Jr. Pac-Man, under my tree. While my friends were accustomed to playing with Junior’s parents, I enjoyed the prospect of riding around a maze in a tricycle. What I want to know, though, is how come we can’t get any love for the little guy? Continue reading “Why No Love For Jr. Pac-Man???” →

The War of Attrition: Henderson vs. Shogun

Dan Henderson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was one of the greatest fights in the 22-year organized history of mixed martial arts. Years from now, historians will chronicle this epic encounter as one of the sports’ legendary nights. This fight had everything you could ask for. It was a brutal symphony of action, excitement, suspense, and drama between two veteran warriors with an undeniable will to win. Hendo was awarded the unanimous decision victory as all three judges scored the bout 48-47.

Continue reading “The War of Attrition: Henderson vs. Shogun” →

Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva Preview

– Cung Le vs. Wanderlei Silva preview

(posted on gerweck.net)

The H.P. Pavilion will be jam packed to the rafters tonight as Wanderlei Silva vs. Cung Le will engage in a middleweight slug fest in the co main event of UFC 139. Cung Le’s reputation as an undefeated San Shou fighter had hardcore fans salivating over the prospect of his participation in mixed martial arts. Le made the move to the cage in 2006 and won by knockout in the first round. He won his first six fights and suffered his first defeat via knockout against Scott Smith. That was loss avenged in June of 2010 by dominating Smith with a barrage of body shots. This also marks the last time he has fought as he comes into the fight on Saturday after a 15 month layoff. The time away was due to an expanding list of Hollywood commitments. The 39 year old star will have a large contingent of fans cheering for him on fight night due to the Vietnamese population in San Jose.

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Interview with SIX AM Comics

If you like old school video games, horror films, comics, humor and really cool artwork, then prepare to get AM-inated by the crew at Six AM Comics. Mark Marianelli, Kevin Letourneau and Daniel Griswold are the creatively talented trio that make up the company.

Q: Tell me a little bit about you and your role at Six AM Comics?

Mark: I do a lot of odd-jobs within the site, more specifically though, my role within the group is the head illustrator. I’m responsible for illustrating our featured webcomic, “Scholars”, as well as creating the majority of imagery around the website. For example, the page headers and any basic web design. On our Facebook page, we select people weekly (through various contests) to be “AM-inated”, in which we draw caricatures for them to use as Avatars. If you’ve had yourself drawn, it was me who did it.

Kevin: I serve as the Marketing Manager for Six AM Comics and help develop overall brand identity and strategy. I also contribute scripts and ideas for the development of new comics and games. I do a lot of social media strategy and creative consulting for clients as a freelance contractor, but my long-term goal has always been to get into the arena of developing intellectual property and franchises through interactive storytelling.

Daniel: I do a bit of everything from writing with Kevin on Scholars to making my own web-comic Honestly, which has a more random humor to it. Mark, Kevin and I go back quite a bit, and in High School we made a lot of video shorts based on my stupid ideas. We did obscure classics (to us) like “The French Director”, “The Mystical Green Face”, “Baby Demons”, and “Kung Fu-tage”. We all collaborated to make our longest running character “Refrigerator Man” – a man who sold his soul for the ability to move between any household appliance due to a need to escape from his tortured childhood. I like to think of myself as an idea guy, and when I have a cup of coffee and something to write or type on, I enjoy creating, drawing, laughing and hanging out to make stuff. That’s probably why we all get along so well – we’re all that way. That was a long answer, but to be a bit more professional, right now my role is Creative Support, making Honestly happen every Thursday, shooting game and Scholars ideas/scripts to support Mark and Kevin, and thinking up new ways to get people excited about Six AM like we are. Continue reading “Interview with SIX AM Comics” →

UFC 137 Preview and Predictions

The bright lights of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino will play host to a UFC event where the injury curse has come in waves as the main event has been changed for the third time as BJ Penn and Nick Diaz will battle for welterweight supremacy.

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Can A Short Guy Be Darth Vader For Halloween?

Halloween is one of the few days of the year when I can unleash my inner child and take a break from that responsible adult thing. The costume I choose is the key ingredient in this endeavor. I have been everything from a clown to Freddy Krueger.

My goal has always been to be Darth Vader. The problem is I’m not exactly the tallest tree in the woods. Before we continue, yes, I know this is not a Star Wars blog. However, the first Star Wars comic book was published on March 8^th, 1977, 79 days before the first movie was released, so there’s your connection, and besides, it’s my blog.

Darth Vader is my favorite science fiction character. I’ve often wished for the ability to force choke someone and have extended my arm in many a failed attempt to levitate the remote control. Vader’s influence has profoundly impacted my life, and all I want to do is pay homage to the dark lord of the Sith.

I gravitate towards the Star Wars section at the costume shop, and I always try on the Darth Vader mask with the special breathing sound effects. My wife always says, “Just do it,” when it’s so obvious what I am contemplating as I wield a plastic lightsaber in the aisle in a dignified manner while a five-year-old wearing a Boba Fett helmet looks at me like I’m the weirdo.

Friends have suggested I dress up as Yoda if I’m apprehensive about the height disparity. Hold the phone. I’m not an AT-AT, but I’m not an Ewok either. Truth be told, I have no quarrel with Yoda, as he and my dog share the same name. The few extra pounds I carry nowadays would make me look more like Slimer than the Jedi master himself.

I could always say I’m dressed as Lord Helmet or, better yet, Vader’s second cousin, Dark Vader. Maybe I will just man up and say, ‘HELL YEAH, I’M DARTH VADER.” It all depends; can a short guy really pull it off?