What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

• Yooka Laylee: Can't Stop Laughing!

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Where do I begin?

I suppose I begin in 1972, laying on the shag carpet of my parents' living room, tuned into KDNL Channel 30, when I first saw Batman. Oh, I'd seen him in the comic books -- I'd been reading proficiently from a pre-Kindergarten age because of comics. But this was real, not a drawing (although admittedly I was initially taken in by the Dick Sprang style of artwork in the animated opening). And since this was obviously a real person in a real costume, by extension, Batman was real. That's how the mind works at 5 years old.

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

• June's Bombshell - Victoria Avalor

Game Jab

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

• Yooka Laylee
• Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild | Movie Reviews

News

YouTube provides us with so much amazing content it's hard to keep track of it all. But every once in a while someone comes up with a pop-culture parody that can't be ignored.

YouTuber OverEnglishMan, inspired by fan art on tumblr, sings a Star Wars: The Last Jedi parody of "Your Welcome" from Disney's Moana. The song was originally performed by Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Demi-God Maui, when Moana first meets him. High on himself and all the great things he's done, Maui explains all the great adventure he's been on for the benefit of mankind.

photo credit: Clint & Jillian Cosplay and Photography with Fali Ruiz-Davila

A moment of honesty is called for here. I could not just dive in and give a simple, glib introduction with something clever about our monthly Bombshell's representation or about whatever holiday might be coinciding with the timing of our publication.

Florencia Sofen's story, just as much as her skills, put me in a position of awed admiration. Her courage to leave her country for one halfway across the world, and her passions that drive her cosplay journey are inspirational.

With the NFL Draft starting tonight, I often wonder what it would be like if there was a draft for a new team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Who would be the first pick?

I would have to say for Marvel Comics, the selection of heroes is far more complicated than our DC Comics draft. Given the state of Marvel Comics, the popularity of some heroes exceeds their actual powerset. You could probably take these heroes into consideration for the top 5 picks:

With the NFL Draft starting tonight, I often wonder what it would be like if there was a draft for a new team of superheroes in the DC Universe. Who would be the first pick?

I would have to say for DC Comics, the first 3 picks would be easier to predict than our Marvel Comics draft. It most likely comes down to the following 3 heroes:

Pop culture is usually a reflection of real life and in both cases, we see references to gambling. Art imitates life and these pop culture references definitely reflect this pastime!

Krusty the Clown’s Sports Betting

Few shows manage to capture life quite like The Simpsons does, it’s pretty much the epitome of pop culture. Krusty the Clown is Springfield’s loveable comedy character and he hits rock bottom on more than one occasion. We all know someone that isn’t great at betting and boy does Krusty fall into that category.

He bets against the Harlem Globetrotters in an episode, which every basketball fan will know is a big no no. In typical fashion, he loses it all and subsequently rushes out in a fluster.

Look! Up near the sky boxes! It's a Raven! It's a Viking!

No, it's all those things and more -- because at Wizard World Saint Louis, fans got to meet professional cosplayer, Super Kayce!

During the mayhem that constitutes a media convention like Wizard World, I was able to meet up with Kayce for a few moments to ask her about her art. The exchange has been recorded for posterity and presented for the readers (in this case, viewers) of Critical Blast.

One of the real pleasures of attending a convention is to take in all the cosplay -- the good and, yes, the bad. And among the most impressive cosplayers this year at Wizard World St. Louis had to have been Ashe Lynne, who spent Friday saluting the fans as a stunning Captain Marvel.

We caught up with Ashe on Saturday, when she had transformed herself into X-Man Jean Grey in her White Phoenix of the Crown aspect.

Offline, we spoke more about her Disney experiences, so if I'm ever in a parade, I know exactly how to get the wave correct. ("Wipe the window. Get the spot.")

Wizard World St. Louis was the weekend place to be to find fan art, celebrity signatures, fantasy weaponry, iconic vehicles, and sundry other geeky goodies. But it didn't put the slightest strain on your wallet to enjoy the free show that was brought to the Dome at America's Center by the attendees who took advantage of the event to show off their talents at transmogrification, bringing to life some of our favorite comic book, animation, video game and television characters. It's all part of the phenomenon known as cosplay -- a portmanteau word of 'costume' and 'play' -- and it's serious business for a lot of the attendees. This isn't a pair of red shorts and a bathtowel tied around your neck and calling yourself "Superman." Utilizing body paint, plaster casting, rubber molding, rivets, stitchery, and every other manufacturing method available, cosplayers pull out all the stops to make their characters look as off-the-page and out-of-the-screen as possible.

Spring is here, which means it’s that time of year again--the time when newness and life spring forth. For those so inclined it means baseball, but for those of us more eclectic types in the Saint Louis area it means one thing above all: It is time for the now apparently annual Wizard World Convention at the America’s Center.

There's a movement happening. It's not explained what it is, what it stands for, or what it's all about, but it's a movement nonetheless, and it attracts the attentions of bored and frustrated young creatives who leave behind their work to join the passing parade.

These creatives include a blonde-wigged Kendall Jenner doing a modeling shoot when she's beckoned to join the throng. She doffs the wig, joins the march, and finds they've thoughtfully provided an ice-bucket full of Pepsi. She takes one and joyously dances to the front of the movement where she steps past the perimeter of the crowd where a line of policemen stand for no apparent reason other than to be a counterpoint to whatever the march was about.

When participating in the fandom of cosplay -- particularly when you're participating in it from the vantage of a spectator -- it's easy to get caught up in the intricate props, the ostentatious costuming, the unreal weaponry and accoutrements.

But cosplay can include far more subtle aspects. Not every worthwhile character out there requires all the baggage that serves as their calling card; not every anime girl is defined by her accessories and not every superhero boy is defined by the size of his sword.

As subtle as a spring rain comes our April Bombshell, Momma Kawaii, a cosplayer who can do as much with just her eyes as many do with a whole garage full of flexible foam and reams of fabric. Whether portraying Yui from DIABOLIK LOVERS (left) or Noodle from GORILLAZ (below), Momma Kawaii is the definition of "less is more."

(image: "Brownian Bitcoin Piles" by fdecomite (CC BY 2.0))

Very little is known about the bitcoin creator or creators, except for the name Satoshi Nakamoto. But no-one knows if this is a person or group name. This lack of information has sparked a lot of interest in the bitcoin origins and the personality or personalities behind this digitally encrypted currency. Some people believe the name is a pseudonym as it can be translated to “thinking clearly inside foundation”, which adds further to the mystery of who is Satoshi Nakamoto?

My Two-Bits: Doctor Who: The Curse of Fatal Death

We are about a month out from Doctor Who Season 10 (APRIL 15th)!  This season is the last season for star Peter Capaldi and showrunner Steven Moffat. But what some people may not know is that Moffat got his start with Doctor Who way back in 1999.  As part of Comic Relief, BBC had put together a very funny Doctor Who parody written by Moffat and starring Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor, Julia Sawalha as his companion, Jonathan Pryce (as the Master), and Richard E. Grant, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Grant, and Joanna Lumley as later incarnations of the Doctor.