Iraq Star Foundation on OCC: A cause worth paying attention to

Please click the photo to visit the "Iraq Star" website!

Last night I watched a new episode of "American Chopper", so like usual I expected lots of yelling and destroying of things in the shop, but I was unaware and pleasantly surprised by the bike Orange County Choppers was building on this episode.

Here are some video highlights of last nights "American Chopper" with the "Iraq Star" bike!

OCC was asked by the "Iraq Star Foundation" to build a bike to be auctioned off to support the foundation. I had never heard of "Iraq Star Foundation", but they are a non-profit organization that provides American soldiers with reconstructive surgery after returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Please click the photo to visit the "Iraq Star" store which proceeds go to the foundation!

Other then the stars from OCC other celebrities such as Gary Sinise, Kristy Swanson, Tom Selleck, and Kevin Sorbo are among the many celebrity supporters for the "Iraq Star Foundation". I think in a nation that is so engulfed in pop culture that it is imperative that celebrities use their fame for shining a light on such important things such as "Iraq Star".

Myself, and I'm sure most Americans, are extremely proud to have men and woman willing to fight for the U.S.A. and to be away from their families for so long especially during the holiday season. We want them to do what they have to do and get back as soon as possible. Hopefully positive thought will bring them back sooner than later! With that said they are at war and with war inevitably comes injuries and with injuries surely disfigurement; which is where the "Iraq Star Foundation" is needed. I think it is extremely important to respect our soldiers enough to make their return to the United States, injured or not, as harmless as possible. Especially in the case of those who have been injured or disfigured, I think it is critical to take care of any care soldiers may need when the return home. I'm sure the weight of returning from war is heavy enough without having to deal with any other burdens.

Click the photo to visit the Twitter account of Kristy Swanson!
This Playboy is signed to me but I'm definitely willing to part with it and give all proceeds to "Iraq Star".
You can email me here if interested!

I had the honor of meeting Kristy Swanson, the Original Buffy the Vampire Slayer, at a comic book show not too long ago and I am constantlly pleasantly surprised by the humble and selfless approach of alot of celebrities. So it's nice to see celebrities using their notority for good! This is a cause that I can definitely put myself behind and wish "Iraq Star" nothing but huge donations and great things.

Click HERE to join the "Iraq Star" cause on Facebook!

Soldiers: We're thinking about you, be safe and come home soon!

Civilians, yes I'm talking to myself as well, please support our troops and "Iraq Star"

From the Desk of "The Clover Comics Gazette"

this is

"The Boy Wonder"-Dustin

signing off!

CGC is a perfect solution for the casual comic book collector and a status symbol for the serious comic book collector

Detective Comics: #38 "First appearance of Robin"

Click on the picture to search for this comic!

The CGC, aka Certified Guaranty Company, is the part of a group that specializes in the grading and encasing of comic books. The service grades your comics from a scale of 1-10 then encloses said comics into a plastic casing that helps ensure the quality of your graded comics.

For the casual comic book collectors CGC books can be a great route to go. For example if you don't want to read comics and you just want to collect comics as an investment or you like a comic book character and want comics to use as decoration CGC comics are great. Ebay and Comic Book Conventions are filled with CGC books for sale, for an investment CGC books are great because they are enclosed and aren't dificult to keep in great condition, and the casing looks nice on a wall and can be a great conversation piece that you don't have to worry about someone reading the comic and ruining it. So casuals to get rid of some of the guessing games, I would say that you can't go wrong with a CGC book!

Now, for the more hardcore comic book collectors we all know that CGC comics are amazing. Each and every comic book convention I go to I try to make sure that I save enough money to pick up at least one CGC comic book. Of course hardcore comic book collectors want to talk about about comics and though a novice won't see anything good in a box of comics, a novice can appreciate the cleanliness, appearance, and decoration of a CGC book. So hardcore collectors I definitely suggest picking up a box of loose comics for cheap and then saving some money for CGC books that you can collect and are great investment pieces. That way  you can walk away with alot of stuff and something that is worth some money!

This is "Batman #1"

click the picture to search Ebay for CGC books!

Here are a few tips to purchasing CGC books:

1. Invest in a comic book buyers guide, you definitely want to see what the book your looking at is really worth.

2. You can afford CGC books, they aren't all super expensive. Get a book that you will enjoy looking at on the wall and not just something that is worth alot of money.

3. At comic book conventions haggle with the vendors, they want to make a sale, so use that to your advantage. Good time to have your price guide on you, cause you don't want to get ripped off. Always try to get a "reader" copy of the CGC book your buying, they have a "reader" and make sure you get one!

4. Ebay is a great place to find CGC comics, type in something that interests you and go from there. Also, in this situation don't be afraid to offer the seller a lower price. They definitely want to sell their book and if they have no bids, you might could get a great price.

5. Find a CGC vendor that you like and stick with that person, they are not all out to scheme you. So, if you find a good one I suggest being loyal.

6. Finally, I don't suggest that anyone become a member of the CGC unless you plan to become a dealer. CGC is a great service, but pretty pricey. So, I suggest leaving the submissions to the dealers and you can reap the benefits.

"Hulk #181"
Click the picture to visit the CGC Website

"Action Comics #1"
Click the picture to visit my CGC dealer "Crazy Ed's" website

So, in conclusion, I myself love comic books and I'm very happy to have them as one of my many hobbies. CGC grading is a great thing that brings a more "fine dining" style to the casual comic book stacks that most people have. So I encourage everyone to go out and get some CGC books for yourself and happy reading!

This is my wall mounted collection of CGC Comics:
Click the picture to follow me on Twitter!

For "The Clover Comics Gazette"
this is:

"The Boy Wonder" - Dustin

signing off!

Legos: Worth the Money!

Visit the Lego homepage here!

I have definitely been a big fan of Lego for a long long time as a kid and am now starting to get back in to Lego as an adult. The thing about Lego is that the sets always come with a not-so appealing price tag and I doubt that that will change in the future. So, my advice for parents or anyone considering buying Legos during this holiday season is to pay as little attention to the price as you possibly can. I realize this can be hard to do but, the thing is you get what you pay for. Lego is a vastly superior building toy compared to most others that are on the market, the engineering that goes in to designing the sets, and of course the material that is used in Legos is built to last, are just a few facts that should help you stomach the price tag.

Amazing Lego Creations - Click here for more home videos

The video above is a great tip of the hat to some great Lego creations!

Here is Lego builder Natahn Sawaya working on one of his great creations that you can see more of by clicking Here!

So for younger children I suggest smaller sets that should be built with parental supervision. Kids love building toys and with the right supervision and some quality time with someone who can help guide the build Legos are a great gift. Legos should be played with and then put away to prevent any pieces going missing, all boxes should be cared for gently along with the build books, and all original bags are fine to go in to the trash. Here are several links to fun sets that are great for the young builder:
Sponge Bob Lego Set Here!
Police Helicopter Lego Set Here!
Dump Truck Lego Set Here!

This Lego Pharoah is the largest Lego structure ever built and you can read more about it by clicking Here!

For teenagers it used to be not so cool to be a nerd, but I am vey proud to tell you that it is now a "Nerd's World" and Lego sets are great for future engineers. There are great sets with harder difficulties then smaller sets and can be seen more as a presentation piece then a toy. Here are several links to great sets for the teenager:

Quad-Bike Lego Set Here!
Lego Mindstorms 2.0 Here!
Star Wars: Deathstar Lego Set Here!

Now for adults believe it or not their are sets that will challenge even the most mature adult and can be a fun time burner. Honestly as someone who smokes and is constantly battling the urge to smoke Legos make a great way to keep your hands and your mind busy. Have a few hours just to sit around where you would usually sit and smoke, try a lego set. Lego will build up some patience and may help you get through that time where you need a cigarette break. Here are some Lego sets that will challenge an adult:

Star Wars: Ultimate Collector's Edition: Millenium Falcon Lego Set Here!
Emerald Night Train Lego Set Here!
Grand Carousel Lego Set Here!

Also, for a great family gift Lego has released great video games for Playstation 3, x-box 360, Playstation2, and Nintendo Wii that are great family fun. With Lego games for Starwars, Indiana Jones, Batman, and now Rock Band there is a Lego game to suit your preference.

Buy Lego Video Games from Amazon Here or at Gamestop Here!

So, with all of this said as the Holidays quickly approach I think Legos whether in sets or video games can be a great gift for anyone in your family. You never when that Lego set you bought your kids will inspire them to be engineers or architecs, the set  you buy your teenager will inspire them to be creative, or the adult who will now have a new hobby. Legos are definitely a top pick for the holiday season or anytime.

If you live near Orlando or plan to visit you should definitely plan to visit the Lego store at "Downtown Disney", you can get directions and other information about the Lego store by clicking Here!

From the "The Clover Comics Gazette" this is,

"The Boy Wonder" Dustin - signing off

Happy Building!

Lego Hoth Base built buy Mark Borlase with 60,000 lego pieces, $3,000 and 4 years to build! You can read more about this marvel right here!

Batman: Villain Profile: "The Riddler"

Me with the first appearance of "The Riddler" this one was going for $1500!

Welcome to my first in a series of profiles in which I will tell you all about Villains that are in the DC Universe. So of course I'm going to start out with my favorite villain "The Riddler". Edward Nigma aka "The Riddler" is an adversary of many heroes in The DC Universe, most noteworthy would have to be his battles with Batman. The Riddler is obsessed with puzzles, riddles, and mind games to keep all of his adversaries at bay by sending them complex clues to his crimes. He is usually seen, in both comics and televsion, wearing a domino mask and a bowler hat, usually dressing in all green and most of the time carrying a question mark cane. Though he usually is seen as a villain, The Riddler hardly ever committed any violent or deadly crimes and feeds on the thrill of the chase rather then the devestation that villains like "The Joker" love to leave in their wake. Also in the last few years "The Riddler" has been seen as a detective on par with the likes of "The Batman" and recently opened his own detective agency.

Search for "Detective Comics #140" on Ebay by clicking here!

The first appearance of "The Riddler" happens in "Detective Comics #140" which was released  in October of 1948. However he basically disappeared from the "Batman" Universe until "Batman #171" where he is released from prison and goes on a rampage trying to discredit Batman and Robin.

Search for "Batman #171" on Ebay by clicking Here!

Though I enjoy reading storylines in comics about "The Riddler" I prefer "The Riddler" as he is portrayed in the 1990's series, "Batman: The Animated Series". I think this version best shows the genius that is "The Riddler". Plus the voice acting by John Glover is perfect.

Buy "Batman: The Animated Series" on Ebay here or on Amazon here!

Also read more about "Batman: The Animated Series" here!

Read more about the 1960's "Batman" here and purchase the show on DVD here!

Other great versions of "The Riddler" were of course in the 1960's television series where "The Riddler" was played by Frank Gorshin and of course 1995's "Batman Forever" where "The Riddler" is played by Jim Carrey. There are plenty of rumors going on about who the villains will be for the next Batman film, the sequel to 2008's "The Dark Knight", but most are saying that "The Riddler" will be back. Though rumors run wild on the internet I have heard that "The Riddler" would be played by anyone from Johnny Depp to Ryan Reynolds, so I guess we will just have to wait and see.

Read more about "Batman: Forever" here and buy it on DVD here!

I have only scratched the surface of the man that is known as "The Riddler", I think this gives readers a bit of good information to know without spending hours on Wikepedia reading about him. "The Riddler" is my favorite villain and I hope after reading this people will want to read about him in comics, watch him being portrayed on the small screen, and making big waves on the big screen!
Please read more about "The Riddler" by checking on Wikepdia here!

Thank you for reading,

From the desk of "The Gotham City Gazette" this is Dustin signing off!
P.S.Please be my facebook friend by clicking  here!
Try your hand at solving "The Riddler's" riddles at an awesome flash website here!

Commission piece of "The Riddler" done by amazing artist Rob Granito just for me! Please visit Rob's website here and be his Facebook friend here!

My rededication to video games

From the time I was just a little tot watching my sister's play Super Mario Brothers on a 13'' television in the laundry room of our trailer I have been a huge fan of video games. Then all the way through my teenage years I was addicted to video games and even though I lived on a farm and worked long hours I still made plenty of time to beat a good amount of games. From Resident Evil to Final Fantasy VII I consistently made video games a priority in my life. Video Games were something fun that was just good, made you feel good, and were just a good release. Unfortunately, even though  have both a PS3 and an X-box 360, each with a plethora of games, I have made slim to none amount of time to sit down and enjoy them. That needs to stop! I have to rededicate time to playing games and taking a little time to just relax and only worry about having fun. So my promise to myself is this: that I will put aside several hours every week to sit, relax, and game. Just enjoy playing the game and forget about everything else. So over the next few months I promise to beat:

"Bioshock"

Click on the link to buy "Bioshock" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

"Far Cry 2"

Click the link to buy "Far Cry 2" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

"Resident Evil 5"

Click the link to buy "Resident Evil: 5" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

"Ghostbusters"

Click the link to buy "Ghostbusters" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

"Assassin's Creed 2"

Click on the link to buy "Assassin's Creed 2" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

"Uncharted 2"

Click the link to buy "Uncharted 2" from Amazon.com or Gamestop

All games that I am lucky to have in my collection and need to devote the time to beating them. I like to pride myself on being on the nerdier side of the gammit, getting high on life instead of anything else. So I need to practice what I preach. I know I'm not the only adult with this problem so I encourage everyone to get out their dusty controllers and get to work!For any and all teenagers reading this, GAME WHILE YOU CAN, being an adult can really cramp your gaming style! So in the words of my great brother-in-law Jason, when he asks, "What you doin?" I can proudly answer "Beatin' Games!"

Much peace and love,

From the desk of the Gotham City Gazette this is Dustin signing off!

p.s. please follow me on twitter @DJUnderPressure, Thanks!

My Playboy came back today signed by AOTS co-host Olivia Munn

Super excited today to tell you that my Playboy with Olivia Munn on the cover was returned to me today; Personally Autographed! Very cool for someone you watch on TV everyday to take the time to sign and return items to her fans! You can follow Olivia on Twitter by clicking here and you can visit the home page of "Attack of the Show" by clicking here. Here are a few pictures of me and the Playboy that Olivia personalized for me! The writing says "Dustin, Where are you? Olivia Munn, I think that was written because I tweeted her right after my move to a new house, worried that my Playboy would not make it back to me. Thank you Olivia it made it safely back to my home. You can visit her website here and watch her on G4.

Big thanks once again to Olivia Munn for taking the time to sign my Playboy!

Reporting for "The Gotham City Gazette" this is Dustin!

New Comic Book Day reviews for Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Here are my comic book reviews for the books that I read for New Comic Book Day, Wednesday, November 18, 2009! All of my reviews are strictly opinion and I would love to hear any feedback, good or bad, as I work my way through my first week of reviewing comic books! Enjoy!

#1 Pick of the week: "Batman: Confidential" #37 for January 2010

This is my pick of the week for comic readers for many different reasons, which definitely start with the cover! Beautiful art of Batman and Lady Blackhawk to go along with the brilliant art that is all the way through the book. Interesting story with Batman, Lady Black Hawk, and Military Villain Ted Gaynor. Also an appearance by villain Killer Shark who is drawn almost the same as Killer Croc. Story is a quick read, great visuals, and a last page you have to see to believe! Definitely my must read of the week.

Score: 5 out of 5 for me!

#2 Pick of the week: "Azrael" #2 for January 2010

Azrael has never been a huge draw for me to read in the past, however it was in my pull list for this week and I decided to give it a read and I was for sure suprised and happy that I did. The cover art is brilliant which blew away the art that was done on the inside. For me the inside drawings were lacking detail, focus, and sort of dumbed down the story for me. Other then that though, the writing was great, very interesting fast read that left me wanting more. Can't wait for next month. Definitely my sleeper pick for this month and a great read.

Score: 4 out of 5 for me!

#3 Pick of the week: "Blackest Night: Superman/Batman" #66 for January 2010

This book was a draw for me because 1. the inclusion in the Black Latern Universe is well placed and 2. I am a huge fan of Man-Bat. This book features Man-Bat, Bizarro, and Solomon Grundy; which is a odd combination but one I enjoyed. Solomon Grundy as a Black Lantern I thought was brilliant, the battle of Man-Bat against himself is always great, and Bizarro is always around for some guaranteed laughs. As always in Superman/Batman the cover art and inside drawings were great. Maybe, not a buy for some but definitely a good read if you need a filler book.

Score: 3 out of 5 for me!

#4 Pick of the week: "Batman: Streets of Gotham" #6 for January 2010

Great cover with the beautiful Huntress along with many great inside drawings to add to her appeal. The story though simple was well thought out with a beginning, middle, and end. Black Mask is in the book for a split second along with an invisible and yet unknown assailant. Simple book that reminded me of comics from the Silver Age. If you have never read "Streets of Gotham" I think this would be a great starting point. So check it out!

Score: 3 out of 5 for me!

That has been my comic book reviews for this week I hope you have enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed writing it. I would love some feedback and thank you for reading. I will be back next week with a whole new set of reviews!

Much Love,

Dustin from "The Gotham City Gazette"

Welcome to "The Gotham City Gazette"

Hello and welcome to "The Gotham City Gazette". My name is Dustin and I have decided to finally sit down to do a blog about alot of the subjects that I have passion for. If you know me than your already aware and if you don't just from reading my blog you will realize that I have alot of different interests and I am picking up new interests all the time. My problem is that I don't like to get rid of one hobby just to start another. I like to just collect them all so, needless to say I have acquired quite a few in my days. So, as an outlet about all the cool things that I love in my life I've decided to start a blog to chronicle my interests and hopefull inform some people about all the things that make me tick.

My blog will have at least three new blog entries per week; Monday, Wednesday, and Friday in-which I will share different things that are happening in my nerd's world. So, I will be blogging about Comics, Video Games, Juggling, Pop Culture, Magazines, Legos, Movies and a little bit of everything in-between. I will be reviewing all the comics I read on new comic book day, reviewing video games, chronicling new Lego projects, and keeping this blog update with lots of cool things going on in my life.

So without further ado welcome to "The Gotham City Gazette". Hope everyone will enjoy reading it as much as I'm going to enjoy doing it.

Much Love,

"The Boy Wonder" - Dustin