Happy Birthday Superman!

Superman by Larry TyeI don’t know if I can say this as the dad of a five-year old, especially one who changes who his favorite superhero is every week, but for me, my favorite superhero has always been Superman.

And as a fan, it s a good year to be one of us (did you see the trailer for the new movie yet? Wow!). Today marks his 75th year on our planet, so I thought I would link to some of my earlier posts on the man of steel.

Book Review: Superman by Larry Tye

This is a book review for a great piece of nonfiction by Larry Tye. If you are curious about the origins of the character, the people that have played him, and the struggles of the creators (if you are a writer this stuff will floor you), grab this book. You can read the review here.

ExterminatorsRecommending Four of GraphicAudio’s DC Audiobooks

I love GraphicAudio. If you have not heard a GraphicAudio audiobook you are really missing out. Basically, they are extremely well-produced audio readings of books with special effects, music, and a full cast of actors. Their tagline is “A Movie in Your Mind” and that is fairly accurate to what you get from them. In this blog post I recommend four of their audiobooks, many containing our favorite man of steel. They have a new Superman audiobook coming out in May and just recently did their first Marvel title. Trust me on this. Learn more via this link.

The Superhero Books of Ralph Cosentino

Ralph Cosentino has written three books for kids about superheroes; one on Batman, one on Wonderwoman, and, of course, one on Superman. They are beautifully illustrated and a fun way to introduce a child to comics and their heroes. After writing this review, I became a fan of some of his other children books. His books have a lot of wit and are in many ways modern-day classics. If you are a parent of a kid who likes to tie a towel around their neck and pretend it is a cape, I highly recommend you track his stuff down. My review is here.

Up, Up, and Away!

Do you like humor and insight? Sure we all do…

I’ve collected all of the editorials and articles I have written for Green Spot Blue in one location.  They can now be found here on my blog:  https://sdsouthard.wordpress.com/articles-on-greenspotblue-com/

And via the links, you can learn:

* How Indiana Jones can make all of us feel old (Its not the years, its the mileage).

* Why Sesame Street needs to be saved from celebrities (and how it can be done).

* The many, many, many problems with Thomas the Tank Engine.

* Another series of reasons why the Star Wars prequels suck (because we need more reasons, right?).

* How an agnostic celebrates Christmas… and explains death!

Sounds fun? All those and way too many articles about super heroes.  Check it out!

10 Best Superhero Films

A new film editorial is up at Green Spot Blue! It is on superhero films, so grab a towel, make a homemade cape with a pin and enjoy. 

Here is the introduction to the article:

I have never drunk the kool-aid, but I have sipped it.

That is my experience with comic books.

I did some occasional collecting when I was 12; and from time to time may read a graphic novel. Oh, I can do pretty well on some trivial pursuit questions when they come up, but I am no avid fan and I admit it. What I do love about superheroes and comic books is the mythology and when I am around my friends who are more in tune with that “world,” I will usually ask a hundred questions, trying to discover the new imaginative twists and turns (good and bad) the characters have taken. (Did you know they had zombie superheroes a few years ago!?)

The thing is that now I have a toddler; a toddler with a Superman picture on his wall, Batman bed sheets, and a Flash T-shirt. While he can not see any of these movies until he is much older, I am going to put my film critic hat on and share my opinion on this still evolving meeting of the artforms.

You can read the rest of the article (and my list) here- http://www.greenspotblue.com/world/2011/8/12/movies-10-best-superhero-films.html