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Heads up: there won't be an After Show tonight. ETA: I still remember some of the stuff on MTV.com . . . like the time Blair tried to make Abram upset by yelling at him behind a Donell mask.

So . . . how bad did writer Angela Nissel fuck up a Stinkmeaner episode? Well, the guy at the AV Club gave it a D-minus. I merely see it as the Rocky V of what should have been a trilogy. Stinkmeaner himself broke the fourth wall in calling it a reboot, adding that the show doesn't respect the audience's intelligence. At least things are upfront now, right? Anyway, Stinkmeaner gets cloned, and the double starts some you-know-what moments with Robert. "Hilarity" ensues, with Robert trying to follow Huey's lead to squash the beef (thanks to an Empire Strikes Back dream), fail, then more or less becomes Stinkmeaner himself. You know . . . a you-know-what. I'd say the word, but Nissel decided to follow AMc's lead, using it like punctuation, so it would be redundant. Ed Asner returns as Robert Wunclear in a role designed for Ed Jr., pushing the Robert/Stinkmeaner fight forward. Actually, hearing that gruff voice makes me nostalgic for episodes like "The Itis" and "The Red Ball." Then I start missing Charlie Murphy as Ed III. And Samuel L. Jackson as Gin Rummy. I guess slumming on Agents of SHIELD took him away from this show. Oh, and Ruckus only gets one scene. That makes the episode a C-minus at worse. Next week: A RIley episode! And it's the finale! All we need are all evidence that this season exists, a 20-foot hole, and a shitload of concrete. And maybe all of the writers for penning a shitty, shitty season and not bothering to give us Michael Caesar to appease the fans.

Today, I found out that Titan Publishing will be publishing a Twelfth Doctor-based series to go along with books with the Tenth and Eleventh Doctors. This seems to be as good as time as any to start a thread on Doctor Who comics. While I consider myself to be a fan and a geek, I don't think I'll be picking up the "new" adventures of Ten and Eleven, because it would be costly in the long run for me. Besides, I put in my time when IDW had the license, and the comics were pretty good. I'd recommend picking up the trade paperbacks . . . like "The Forgotten," where the Doctor has to piece together his lost past at a museum seemingly devoted to him. I'm also reading the Eleventh's stories in Doctor Who Magazine. The imported tpbs are a bit pricey, but some of the stories are stellar. For instance, "The Betrothal of Sontar" collection includes "The Lodger," where Ten rooms with Mickey after losing his TARDIS. Yes, that's where the Eleven story came from. And there's "The Time Of My Life," which was the perfect tearjerking coda for Donna Noble. I also lucked into a collection of Nine stories, including one where he and Rose meet Shakespeare long before "The Shakespeare Code." For spits and giggles, here are two variant covers for the Titan books. I saw them at Special Edition at the Midtown booth, and I just had to share. Of course, poor Mickey gets shafted, but I like the other showcased companions.

Question: wouldn't it be easier for NBC to air LCS on Monday nights at 8, instead of showing the repeat? That works better for me, because I can chase it with American Ninja Warrior for a full three-hour experience. Instead, they run it on Thursdays at 10, when I'm watching The Challenge. I'd like to see more Amy Schumer. Is she the only LCS alumnus slated to be involved this season? Or am I forgetting somebody else? ETA: WTF was Tell It To My Balls Lady thinking with the ukelele? And the bow tie again??

The octopus is dead? That would explain the cloud and the halo.

That would explain the octopus trying to choose between boxes marked after Belgium and Algeria. Kinda. Sorta.

Caprice . . . I'm a crap magnet myself. I went to the library and missed the first US goal. Who scores in under a minute? I managed to get home and caught the rest of the game, including Ghana's equalizer and the US going up 2-1 four minutes later. One game down, two to go . . . and maybe more afterward.

I should be taking notes because I'm bad at names. To review: No women completed the course. Over 30 people completed the course, including a dude dressed as a "ninja baby." His wife was cheering him on while wearing a bonnet. A father/son team walked onto the course. Dad wrecked his leg on the Warped Wall, while Junior couldn't make it up there. The guy in the promos with the prosthetic foot? Fell in the second obstacle. Flip Rodriguez wound up getting his butt wet climbing down the cargo net. "Devastating" just about covers it. Meanwhile, his rival (whose name escapes me) wound up finishing the course in under a minute.

Out of curiosity, is anybody reading Dracula's Gauntlet online? I'm limited tech-wise, so I'll probably wait until it's collected. It's a little jarring to see Wade suddenly hitched to Shiklah, because I don't read online-exclusive material. So far, the Original Sin tie-in seems to be working well. If the search for Wade's daughter doesn't tickle your fancy, there's always Deadpool teaming with a time-displaced Dazzler (in her roller disco glory) to fight vampires.

Just checking to see if anybody is reading the book. I got to meet Kurt Busiek yesterday. I asked if there was going to be anything special for the book's 20th anniversary next year. He said that it would be embarrassing to go twenty years having done (by his count) 80 issues. He's also been healthy, so he should be plugging away on Astro City for some time.

I'm still recovering from Special Edition. A lot of it comes from walking . . . because there was no shuttle services, I had to walk down 34th Street. I wound up walking 16,077 and 12,717 steps. The con itself was pretty mellow. I was expecting something bigger, but it was a nice comics-exclusive show that was a nice lead-in to NYCC in October. Also, I got to see Gail Simone for the first time in a long while, and I managed to carry on a conversation with Kurt Busiek without being a total dork about it. I wound up getting eleven sketches, including five on blank covers. Those things are like crack for me, since I can get them filled out while I keep my sketchbook on me. Here's what I got: Aquaman #15 God Hates Astronauts Preview X-Men Legacy #1 Black Widow #1 Ghost Rider #1 Space Dandy Shiklah (Deadpool) Nami (One Piece) as Catwoman Deadpool Wapol (One Piece) Excalibur (Soul Eater) And here are my pics. Not as many as AnimeNEXT. Also, my camera was acting wonky, and it might be time to have it replaced.

Yeah . . . from what I remember, he's gone from the bullpen into the rotation. I don't think he's as old as Pedro Martinez when the Mets picked him up. I'm still recovering from Special Edition. Here are the eleven sketches I picked up over both days. I've uploaded the pics (which are a little light) onto my new laptop, and I'll post those later tonight. I'm a little conned out right now . . . dunno when my next fix will come in, and I'm not in any real rush. ETA: Here's the latest Epic Rap Battle, and it comes with a few surprises. Also, the duo behind ERB are featured in YouTube commercials, and the next concept has been revealed.

I think I set a personal record today. I logged in 16,077 steps today at Special Edition NYC. Wound up getting five sketches total, and I'll be going tomorrow for more. If I'm not a whimpering wreck by Monday, I'll consider it a victory. ETA: Logged in 12,717 steps today. All in all, it was a small, mellow convention, though it does make for a nice appetizer for the main course in October.

Just caught the episode. Damn, Eren was a little psychopath. He killed two grown men, and probably would've gotten the third if he knew about him. And yeah, I think we need a little humor, because a lot of the people on this show are evil enough without Titans gobbling folks up. Armin is the blonde kid, right? How long until he snaps and frags somebody? Turns out there's a "Crowning Moment of Funny" page for this show on TVTropes.com . . . and that's where I found this GIF. Late for school indeed.

According to TV Guide and the Animal Planet website, there's going to be an "Episode 36" on Saturday, June 21. Start crossing your fingers for which undiscovered puppies/kittens you want covered. ETA: Looks like we'll be getting kittens next Saturday . . .

Latest column from David Jacoby. It's all about The Challenge this time, with no Bachelorette at all. Sadly, he's a little too appreciative of Teege's abilities as a host.

Johnny and Devyn are beyond lucky. I'm guessing Devyn got off the hook because the universe demanded a battle more epic than (ugh) Bananas/Jordan. Of course, Cara Maria is hurt, and she has to smack her wounded hand into the wall in order to win. It's like Ralph Macchio/Billy Zabka, with CT as Pat Morita. Of course, CT can't apply healing magic to Cara's wounded paw because he has to bury Leroy. That's a no-win battle, because both are good guys. Meanwhile, Zach is a Tarzan-wannabe, Johnny is meh (only best when interacting with Averey and Daisy), and fucking Bananas is Bananas. Who wants him to win a fifth Challenge? Looks like the finale will be with four people per gender, with fourth place getting pocket change. Even with the highlight teaser, it's still fun to imagine Devyn beating Laurel. Who doesn't root for that? Hell, Laurel has finished second three times. What's once more time, just to piss her off and send her into a baby-eating spree? That's assuming she beats Cara Maria, of course. Speaking of CM . . . even with entitlement issues, I think she's got guts. She deserves a better break than the ones she's been getting. And if she winds up winning the whole thing, I might consider that bigger than Sarah winning five Gauntlets and a share of the winning team's pot in The Gauntlet. And I still friggin' adore her.

Just what I always wanted . . . Kenny. And highlights with Abram, Evan, and Julie. Oh, and CT when he was a Cro-Magon. And friggin' Snooki, who doesn't seem to have a personality. Man, I kinda wish I was running the show, because I'm more of a "Superfan," even when I hate myself for it. There were good moments, though . . . seeing Katie rip Veronica is always awesome, because -- you might want to pull up a chair, Zach -- bitch had it coming. CT & Diem was sweet, though not as sweet as "Bananas Backpack." And it's good to see that Laurel would draw the line at what Julie did. Damn, seeing her making the crybaby motions still pisses me off . . . not as much as Veronica ridiculing Sarah, though. Seriously, who hooks up with Abram? He's probably more of a psycho than people make CT out to be. And yes, I'm beginning to see how some people like Zach. If he behaves and cuts his hair, maybe there's something worth rooting for. Oh, and I like CT cleaned up.

Here's the blog on what got covered at the "Anime We'll Never Get Panel." There was some interesting stuff, like mecha maids, a bartender-based anime, sports anime, and Saint Young Men, which is still bonkers to me. And here's what was covered in the "Great Openings" panel. I would've thrown in Neon Genesis Evangelion and at least one theme from Asian Kung Fu Generation, but that's me. ETA: Also off the hook . . . Legend of Koizumi, which is like Yu-Gi-Oh!, only with mahjong instead of a children's card game, and world leaders instead of snot-nosed kids. Here's the (unsubbed) trailer with Bushes Sr. and Jr.

Surreal episode from Japanese animator Masaaki Yuasa. Magic Man sends Finn and Jake on a trip through the food chain, reincarnating them as birds, caterpillars and flowers. Oh, and Finn gets hooked up with a lady caterpillar, because Adventure Time, that's why. There's also music, which is always welcome on the show. In two weeks: We're going back to Aaa and visiting Lumpy Space Prince. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Thanks, Caprice. I wound up getting three more: click here, here and here. And I'll be going to Special Edition NYC this weekend, so I'm going to keep getting sketches. Anybody following the World Cup? I'm thinking soccer would be more exciting if the field shrank a little for more scoring chances*. Otherwise, I like the idea of a major sporting event potentially being over in roughly two hours. *Seriously, you know why announcers get orgasmic over goals? Because they're rarer than scoring in comparison to other sports. It also explains the over-the-top celebrations afterward.

Before the hunt for Sasuke, there was . . . a hunt for Sasuke. Before the Akatsuki attacked, there was merely Itachi Uchiha. And, of course, there was the machinations of Orochimaru, whose lust for Sasuke and his body bordered on the perverse side. For me, I liked the Chunin Exams arc a lot, enough to write abridged fanfic about it on TWoP. I mean, watching would-be ninja take a written exam shouldn't be exciting, but it was. And after the Forrest of Death, there came the big tournament, where Sasuke shined despite enduring a curse mark, Sakura and Ino beat the shit out of each other, Naruto showed off his skills against Kiba . . . and the epic battle between the irresistible force (the bombastic Rock Lee) and the immoveable object (Gaara, who reigned as a heavy at the time). Of course, the tourney went to hell once Orochimaru unleashed his forces, and the third Hokage sacrificed his life to save the Leaf Village, but it pretty hardcore. Ditto the Sasuke Retrieval Arc, where the young ninja of the Leaf showcased their talents, and Naruto and Sasuke squared off in a major duel. So . . . what are your favorite memories of the original recipe Naruto? The introductions of pervy Jiraiya and problem gambler Lady Tsunade? The bridge-builder arc and/or LittleKuriboh's abridged spoof of it? Rock Lee's cowbell-infused theme music? How about the finale pre-timeskip episodes, which basically was a "Naruto &" format, a la Batman: The Brave & The Bold? ETA: I meant "Thread," singular. My bad. Could somebody correct that?

I had fun last weekend at AnimeNEXT, and I'm getting ready for Special Edition NYC this weekend. Here are the pics from AnimeNEXT, which is chock full of cosplayers. I also got five sketches: Marceline (Adventure Time) Donquixote Doflamingo (One Piece) Duke Devlin (Yu-Gi-Oh!) Blair (Soul Eater) Meow (Space Dandy) (the concept was the artist's idea) Beyond next week, I don't know when the next big con will be for me. Wizard World Philly is out for me, since it's four days and too long a commute for me. I also got notice from NYCC about how there's going to be a big pop culture event that would last for a week in October and touch all five boroughs of New York. As a resident of Staten Island, I'd be interested to see what would happen close to my home.

weyrbunny . . . I wound up just going to see Strong World, anime-wise. I wound up getting there so early, the path between the convention center and the hotel was clear of people. I also thought of you when I saw the anitheroes panel had been canceled. Panel-wise, I wound up seeing stuff on anime fandom, Ninja Warrior, a talent showcase-style exhibit hosted by Michelle Knotz, a panel on anime we're never going to get, and great opening themes (for which I recognized nine). I also tried visiting abridged series panels, but I got shut out both times. Out of the "Anime We're Never Going To Get" thing, the one standout was Saint Young Men, which is basically the adventures of Buddha. And Jesus. In modern-day Japan. As a comedy. There was also stuff like Legend of Galactic Heroes, but it isn't as bonkers as seeing Jesus as an otaku. BTW, if anybody's into One Piece, there's a forum on p.tv that I've frequented, and I made up threads about the manga and Strong World (which kicked ass, natch), as well as trying to keep up with the episodes. I'd be interested in any Toonami-related forums, though the only other ones up so far are for Naruto and Black Lagoon. I would've guessed that somebody had set up an Attack On Titan forum, especially with the number of cosplayers I saw wearing those jackets last weekend. Speaking of which, here are the pictures from AnimeNEXT. Lots of quality animation was represented through cosplay, and there were a lot of characters that I'd never expect to see, like Brook (from One Piece) and Ms. Bellum (Powerpuff Girls). Also, a lady Jawa.

Marginally better episode, though -- duh -- that's not saying much. AI going wild is a time-honored trope, and it was decent to see Siri go into destructive fits at Robert. And we got minimal Ruckus, which was nice after "Freedomland" . . . though the part where he was describing how sex would work was a little too much to take. Next week: Stinkmeaner! Let's see how the new writers fuck that up.