3 Questions I Am Struggling With

Posted on July 19, 2016 by Scott D. Southard

Question 1: Is it wrong to judge a person for supporting a racist candidate? Does that make me questionable as well for my own judging?

First off, I’m not going to go into a long discussion about who Trump is and his history. If you don’t know about him, well, I don’t know what to say. Personally, I’m a big fan of how the Huffington Post ends every article about him, listing that he is a racist, liar, etc. (All undeniably true.) The fact is we have NO idea how he would govern; all we have to go by on what he would do is his words. And his words are bat-shit crazy.

But Trump’s craziness is not my struggle. I can wrap my brain around that. There has always been crazy in this world.

The thing is I am I judging people when they say they support him. I hide friends left and right on Facebook, drop people on Twitter. Because I immediately think they are crazy and racist too. I mean, who you support says a lot about you, right? Continue reading →

Five Things I Am Into Right Now, February 2013

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Scott D. Southard

Everything feels very influx right now in my life.

I’m busy working on two books for publication (A Jane Austen Daydream and Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare), and I have had to put my new book (Permanent Spring Showers) on the sideline; which is not a bad thing. I have found the more time I have between a first draft and a second, the more “clear-headed” when I return to the manuscript. See, I don’t want to be the dude happy for finishing a new book; I want to be the editor ready to question everything that previous dude did.

So do I have time to be into anything? No, not really. Remember how last month I listed a video game I looked forward to playing? I put a whole record thirty minutes into it so far.

But this is not a bad thing! I am really enjoying my life right now, and I couldn’t be happier with where my writing is going. So… what else? Oh, did I mention I want a new tattoo? I already have one–a quote from the Beatles– but this time I am thinking of a line from Shakespeare lower down on my arm. Yeah, I’m Scott, cool dude writer guy…

Here is my list: Continue reading →

Film Review: The Amazing Spider-Man

Posted on July 6, 2012 by Scott D. Southard

I have a new film review up on Green Spot Blue. It is a review of The Amazing Spider-Man. Here is a snippet from the beginning:

For years, Peter Parker has not been able to catch a break.

I’m not talking about with the villains like Doctor Octopus or the Green Goblin, or with the girls, like Gwen and Mary Jane; no, I am talking about his issues with pop culture.

From questionable musicals to badly-written TV shows (Ultimate Spider-Man, which does not live up to its title at all) to lackluster movies, Peter Parker has had to endure it all. And he has, not losing an inch of his popularity along the way. That is a feat for any creation, even a superhero.

Growing up I was always more of a DC Comics fan, always feeling like there was “too much” going on around the Marvel universe I had to catch up on (I found the first time I picked up an X-Men to be exhausting, for example). However, I am now a dad of a superhero-obsessed, four-year old and his favorite is Spider-Man, which means I have to answer a lot of questions about this friendly neighborhood webslinger I never had to before. I am becoming more and more an encyclopedia of knowledge around him. Feel free to test me.

You can read the rest of the review (where I compare the film to the previous trilogy and dive more into my opinion on it) here. I hope you like it.

Recommending Four of GraphicAudio’s DC Audiobooks

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Scott D. Southard

Since I wrote my initial review of GraphicAudio’s great DC audiobook series for Green Spot Blue (here), the article continues to receive visits and I occasionally get comments and e-mails asking which of theirs I would recommend for listening first.

With summer in full swing and road trips almost every weekend, I thought this might be a great opportunity to share my four top recommendations for helping pass those long hours staring out the window at the lines on the highway.

Also, we are in the midst of a superhero summer here in the US. With The Avengers breaking box office records and the last entry in Christopher Nolan’s Batman series as well, this is as good a time as any for imagining how much more fun (and crazy) the world would be if we had a few people in capes that could fly about.

Justice League of America: Exterminators

Supposedly (based on Facebook comments), GraphicAudio will be making some new DC entries in the Fall or Winter of this year.

When they do, I hope they make some new Justice League episodes. While there are things I liked (and loved) about each of their audiobooks, there is something a lot more “fun” about the Justice League series. They aren’t weighed down by all of the drama that comes with Batman and the Crisis series; what you get is a group of superheroes (with voices that perfectly capture their characters) getting along and getting things done. When I return to listening to these audiobooks from time to time, I usually will go to one of these additions first. Continue reading →

Five Things I Loved About The Avengers

Posted on May 7, 2012 by Scott D. Southard

I have a new film review/editorial up at GreenSpotBlue.com today. This time it is on The Avengers.

Here is the beginning of the article:

While I would probably not let my son see The Avengers until he is eight, the film definitely awakened the kid in me. I can’t remember the last time I came home with such a buzz from a show. (Maybe seeing The Fellowship of the Ring for the first time?)

Everyone in the world is reviewing this film right now, all finding their own things to praise and critique; that is all right and I wish them the best (I would be surprised if any negative review would keep anyone away from this event). I am going to take a different approach and give you my five takeaways from the film. It is like me pressing the “like” button on Facebook but for a film. (I’ll do my best to avoid spoiling the newbies too much.)

1. The HULK

To be honest, as a kid I never got the Hulk. I was more a Batman/Superman kind of kid. I liked the idea of Superman’s power when I was young (and flight, of course; who doesn’t want to fly?); Batman came later when I realized Batman was just like me. Okay, me with a heck of a lot of money, less parents, and a lot of fighter training, but still, overall human.

You can read the rest of the article (and more on my five points) here. I hope you enjoy it.

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

Posted on September 30, 2011 by Scott D. Southard

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

Posted on August 12, 2011 by Scott D. Southard

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