Red Chapter Clothing Company with Marvel Comics

RETRENDERS Red Chapter Clothing Elvis Monroe 02

Bryan Hopkins demonstrates his Ambigram tattoo

What is an Ambigram? I would have to say its the art of font design and creative wordplay, where one word passes off as two at the same time… or maybe superimposition, where one thing is placed over an existing thing to conceal something?

Okay enough, just watch the video we shot at Silicon Valley Comic Con with Bryan Hopkins, lead singer of Elvis Monroe, who is the co-founder of Red Chapter Clothing with world famous Ambigram artist Mark Palmer. He’ll tell you what an Ambigram is and how they have creatively designed them for the Marvel Comics world !

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – The Art of the Film

batmanvsupermanartofthefilmHave you been hiding under a rock or hibernating underground?  Go and watch Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.  Critics and haters be damned!  It’s a solid movie by director Zach Synder, though I did have some issues as a comic book fanboy, but I digress.  What I’m here to talk about is Titan Books latest behind-the-scenes movie book, this is the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – The Art of the Film book series by author Peter E. Aperlo.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Tech Manual

batmantechmanualcoverWhenever there is a new Batman flick, like James Bond, Batman always has cool new toys to use on the bad guys.  In Batman v Superman:  Dawn of Justice, Batman has a new Batsuit, Batmobile and Batplane to get all the fanboys excited.  Well, almost everything you need to know about all the Bat-vehicles and Bat-gadgets, and even Superman’s suit and Wonder Woman’s uniform and weapons are in this book by Titan Books, it’s the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Tech Manual.

bvs003If you’ve seen the movie, Batman is a mix of Frank Miller’s Dark Knight and as director Zach Snyder explains: “My Batman is the late 40s, and war weary” (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – Tech Manual, page 19).  Zach and the design team not only focused on Batman’s overall Batsuit, but went into detail about the body armor, the tech inside the cowl/mask, the cape and the utility belt.

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Sayori Chu interviews Stan Lee!

RETRENDERS Sayori Chu Interviews Stan LeeWe caught up with Stan Lee at Silicon Valley Comic Con to talk to him about the “BIG” direction with comics, how did it begin, what were its influences, and where is it going now that it has become immensely and worldly popular!

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The Blacklist: Elizabeth Keen’s Dossier

blacklistelizabethkeenIf you’re done binge watching Daredevil Sesaon 2 on Netflix, then it’s time to pick another cool action-thriller, that is NBC’s critically acclaimed The Blacklist starring James Spader (Raymond “Red” Reddington) and Megan Boone (Elizabeth Keen), which is currently on it’s 3rd TV season.  The first two seasons of The Blacklist are on Netflix and I have to say I’m hooked on the characters and the story.  Hardcore fans of The Blacklist may want to take a look at this new Titan Books release, Elizabeth Keen’s Dossier by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry.

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Welcome to Silicon Valley Comic-Con 2016!

Retrenders - Silicon Valley Comic Con - SVCC - by Johnny MorenoWelcome to the first Silicon Valley Comic-Con! The inaugural of SVCC was the largest Comic convention in San Jose, California, thanks to Steve Wozniak and Stan Lee. The convention was a collaboration between panel talks of surfacing technology such as Virtual Reality and how will we use it? So when you you took a stroll through the convention floor, you were literally walking through the imaginative world of stories ; and if you chose to attend a tech panel, you can see how comics and Sci-fi have contributed to innovative technology and its use –Such things as the hoverboard which is the future of skateboard transportation! Now that’s what I call the ying and the yang.
Now who said we were just here to see Stan Lee? – RETRENDERS, or course!

Arrow: Vengeance

arrowvengeanceI admit, I’m a huge Arrow fan, since it’s CW TV network debut 4 seasons ago.  I’ve watched every episode so far with pure enjoyment and also gone back to buy classic Green Arrow comics and toys, so yeah, I’m a Green Arrow fanboy.  Fans of the show will know when watching Arrow on TV, there are lots of characters and world building and sometimes certain characters don’t get enough back story, so Titan Books recently released a brand-new paperback novel “Arrow: Vengeance” which focuses on the villains point of view.

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The Little Prince: The Art of the Movie

alittleprincecoverThe Little Prince animated film is based on a 1943 story by author Antoine de Saint-Exupery about a pilot meeting a boy from another planet.  Author Ramin Zahed takes us on a journey with writer/director Mark Osborne known for his Kung-fu Panda animated hit on the challenge of making a classic story with new twist and animating it.  This is Titan Books’ The Little Prince – The Art of the Movie.

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The Final Programme (The Cornelius Quartet 1) by Michael Moorcock

michaelmoorcockIf director Guy Ritchie’s 1960’s themed “The Man from UNCLE” film didn’t float your boat, why not tried this underground British sci-fi novel first published in the 1960s – The Final Programme by author Michael Moorcock.  Titan Books is reprinting the adventures of rock star scientist Jerry Cornelius.

First, if you’re a little unfamiliar with Michael Moorcock’s writing style, the meanings and so on, writer John Clute intros the character Jerry Cornelius and his thoughts on British sci-fi writer Michael Moorcock’s 4 book collection.  Jerry Cornelius’s brother Frank and the sexy evil Miss Brunner have concocted a plan to build the world’s ultimate super computer.  Jerry Cornelius is the key to all this and his unique family background keeps things interesting.

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Vinyl Pulp #11: Jeremy Dale aka ValleyDweller

JeremyDaleArtOneHere we are, the first episode of Vinly Pulp for 2016!  Our team was at Woot Bear with artist Jeremy Dale aka ValleyDweller and his #AlphaSketch art exhibit.

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Skullbunnies by Ben Seto

skullwarsIf you’re a vinyl toy collector looking for something cool, then check this out by artist Ben Seto, his tribute to the Star Wars Stormtrooper!  Ben is known for his Black Sheep Comics‘ Usagi Jane and the Skullbunnies creation, has turned his Skullbunnies into Skull Wars Buntrooper.

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Rebel Galaxy Review

Rebel Galaxy

Rebel Galaxy came out on Steam in October, but it just recently came out for the PlayStation 4 at the beginning of the month, January 5th.  I had never heard of this game before it came to the PS4 but the opportunity to be a “Space Cowboy” was too much to pass up.  The game played a lot like the naval side of Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag.  You sail the ocean of space in a straight line, not being able to pitch up or down, however your opponents are given that option and the smaller crafts will often fly above and below you, while the larger ships are stuck flying on the same level that you are.  Think of it as a less maneuverable version of the “Freelancer” game.

Rebel Galaxy - 2

Most of this game will be you flying your ship from one end of the solar system to the other, complete a mission and head back across the solar system again.  One of the best way to make money in this game will be doing missions that you can pick up during your stops at different space stations; however, after you jump to the next solar system, you will be able to join the mercenary guild which will give you a lot more money but for a lot more risk of course.  This means you will be going back and forth in one system just to scrounge up enough money to to buy upgrades or new weapons/armors for your ship.  Speaking of the stations, the game will automatically save your game when you visit one so always remember to stop by one before heading off to a difficult mission.  Missions and mercenary work aren’t the only way to make money in this game though.  You can also scavenge for parts scattered around space, which to be honest will probably take the most time since you can barely find cargo floating around, look around the space system for bounties to collect or mine asteroids for goods.  Everything you find can then be sold at the commodities market, but be warned as the price for different goods fluctuates.  Then once you get enough credits to buy the new spaceship you’d been eyeing, you’ll be doing missions, mercenary work, scavenging for parts, hunting down pirates and mining asteroids all over again to get more money for new upgrades.  In other words, you will probably be spending most of your time trying to make enough money to use on your ship than actually going through the games story.

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So is this game fun?  Should you try it out or pass on it?  Well I’ve been having a blast with it myself, though it really depends on if you have the patience to play a game like this.  You won’t be getting into space battle after space battle unless you are actively looking for them.  Most of your time will be flying through the emptiness of space.  For a game created by a two man team, this game is amazing.  Still it would have been better if you could fly up and down because there are times when your enemies or certain asteroids are above or below you that your guns can’t seem to shoot at.

In the end, I give this game a solid 8/10.  The price point of 19.99 may drive off a few customers, but for those who enjoy these types of games, I say go for it.  It’s a good PSN game to pass the time with.

Review Rewind: Final Fantasy 7 (PS4)

Final Fantasy 7

Man… when this game showed up on my PS4 on the PlayStation Store, I didn’t even hesitate to buy this game.  I’m a huge Final Fantasy fan, and this was one of my favorites growing up as a kid.  So I buy it, install it and get ready to play through a game I haven’t touched since the turn of the century.  I couldn’t wait, it had to be as good a I remembered it to be right?

Well, they added three mechanics to the game this time around.  Three cheats to get you through the game faster.  While I was fine with one of them, and used it probably throughout the whole game, the other two were game breakers.  The first, and only one I really used, was a ‘3x Speed’ cheat.  After playing with it on for most of the game, I couldn’t switch it off; I had forgotten how slow this game was.  The second was was a ‘no random encounters’ cheat.  With that on you could make your way down to Sephiroth without having to deal with any of the tough enemies in the Northern Crater.  Lastly… the worst offender of all was a ‘power-up’ cheat.  This cheat kept healing you, meaning you couldn’t die unless you were hit with an instant death attack or their attack did more damage than you had health.  Not only that, but your Limit Break meter would refill every time you used it.  It broke the game and took most of the fun away from it.

Final Fantasy 7 - Zolom

So there were two reasons I wanted to replay this game.  The first, and most obvious one, was that I wanted to refresh my memory for when I played the Final Fantasy 7 Remake; the second reason was to actually pay attention to the story.  As a kid, back in 1997, I never fully paid attention to what they were talking about.  I always just mashed away at the buttons to get past the long dialogue parts of the game, and you know what?  I didn’t miss a single thing.  Now I’m not saying the story for Final Fantasy 7 sucks, but it’s not that great either.  The story just felt silly if you sat down and thought about it.

But in the end it all comes down to the remake.  Will it be good?  Will the episodic style hurt the game?  Will they be taking out or putting in content in the remake?  I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.  All I can say is ‘Lady Luck don’t fail me now…’.

Cid - Lady Luck

This game is slower than I had remembered, but with the ‘3x speed’ cheat I cut down a game that once took me over 70 hours to complete down to a 30 hour game.  The story isn’t anything wonderful, but the characters are fun.  Raising Chocobos and trying to breed yourself a Gold Chocobo will probably take up most of your time, as well as racing them.  Trying to master every one of your Materia is hassle but feels rewarding after you do, and of course let us not forget about Ruby and Emerald Weapon.  Final score, I give this game a solid 8 out of 10.  Play it and get ready for that remake…… in about 2 years or so.

Vinyl Pulp #10: KR Holiday Food & Toy Drive 2015

holidaykrcoverA few weeks back, the Kidrobot SF store held a food and toy drive to donate to local charities with artist J*RYU and cosplayer Vampy Bit Me.  Here’s the highlights from the event:

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Vampire Fantasy – “Rise of the Golden Aura”

goldenauraI’ve been able to meet many authors and artists over the years working here at Retrenders and one writer is Chanrithy Him, who wrote the award winning memoir “When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge,” and now, she is working on another writing project that needs a kick-start.  The “Rise of the Golden Aura” is a vampire fantasy novel about a young Cambodian-American girl JD Bohatip living in the city of Portland. Unbeknownst to her, JD is destined to be the “Vampire Queen,” while another group of vampires vies for power and hoping to stop JD from becoming the Queen.

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Actor Peter Shinkoda @ Comikaze Expo 2015

comikazeconlogoThe Ramen team interviews actor Peter Shinkoda at Comikaze Expo 2015.  Peter talks about his time working on the Netflix/Marvel production Daredevil and TNT’s Falling Skies.

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The Jam-Packed Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2015 Show!

comikazeconlogoFirst off, we at Retrenders love providing solid content and quality video content on our YouTube channel, but we had a slight delay and like to apologize for the dark video quality.  We were shooting on our Sony V1U and left the ND Filter on and that’s a “not bad” on our part.  Lesson learned and that will never happen again.

Okay, got that off my chest!  Here’s the jam packed episode from Stan Lee’s Comikaze Expo 2015 from the LA Convention Center on Halloween weekend.  Our Ramen crew explores the growing and ever expanding Comikaze Expo.  The Eddie and Ramon takes around the convention floor.  So sit back and grab some chocolate gummy bears and enjoy the episode.

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Sleepy Hollow: Creating Heroes, Demons & Monsters

sleepyhollowcoverWith an explosive and fun second season, the FOX tv series Sleepy Hollow has just launched its 3rd season this past October 2015.  If you don’t know, Sleepy Hollow is a supernatural mystery TV drama takes a “DC Elseworld’s version” of Washington Irving’s short story “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” with new twists and turns.  Ichabod Crane died defeating the Horseman in 1781, but then finds himself resurrected and trying to adjust to 21st century.  He collaborates with police office Abbie Mills and dig deeper into the supernatural and demonic forces attacking the town.  Now go behind-the-scenes with Sleepy Hollow: Creating Heroes, Demons & Monsters by Tara Bennett and Paul Terry.

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The Art of Stephen Hickman: Empyrean

hickmanartbookIf you ever read a Harlan Ellison, Anne McCaffrey or Larry Niven sci-fi book, usually the sci-fi art cover that catches your eye is drawn by artist Stephen Hickman.  This full-color hardcover art book – “The Art of Stephen Hickman:  Empyrean” is collection of Hickman’s amazing 40 years in fantasy sci-fi art.

hickman00“For me, fantasy imagery is simply my favorite place to work and live, and nature … Personal imagery, much of it inspired or informed by nature, is becoming more important to me the more painting I do, and fantasy is my direction of choice.” Stephen Hickman.

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The Stan Lee Interview @ Comikaze 2015

comikazeconlogoHow we spent our Halloween weekend?  Well, a road trip to SoCal for Stan Lee’s Comikaze @ the LA Convention Center.  Our Ramen host Ramon Angel interviews the comic book legend Stan Lee.

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The Art and Making of The Peanuts Movie

peanutsmoviecoverTwo major comic strips that I grew up in my childhood was Bill Watterson’s Calvin & Hobbes and George M. Schulz’s iconic cartoon character Charlie Brown and the Peanuts gang.  I remember having so much fun reading the strips as a kid with my siblings and then watching the Charlie Brown cartoon Holiday specials on TV with my grandparents.  Just pure nostalgia.  After years of waiting, we now finally get an “official Charlie Brown cartoon” from animation house Blue Sky Studios.  Author Jerry Schmitz takes us Charlie Brown fans on an incredible journey inside Blue Sky Studios in The Art and Making of The Peanuts Movie.

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LEGO Star Wars: Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy

starwarslegobookphotographybookIf you’re a LEGO Star Wars fan and like building cool dioramas and sets and then taking cool imaginative photos, then this is the book for you, the LEGO Star Wars:  Small Scenes from a Big Galaxy by DK Publishing.

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Virtues of War by Bennett R. Coles

virutesofwarcoverI read many novels, and you know it’s going to be some heavy reading when the first couple of pages start with a character listings, glossary and military definitions.  Our story doesn’t kick-off until page 13!  Virtues of War is the first in a trilogy of books by author Bennett R. Coles with the second novel Ghost of War available sometime in 2016 and the third novel March of War available sometime in 2017.  Virtues of War follows Lieutenant Katja Emmes and her 10-trooper striker team on Rapier spacecraft.

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Vinyl Pulp #9: The 13 Dunny Series by Brandt Peters

Dunny Box 00Our latest Vinyl Pulp episode 9 takes a look at “The 13” Dunny Series by artist Brandt Peters.  Vinyl Pulp host “The Eddie” buys a case and has an ultimate box break himself, finding the 2 rare chase figures.

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The Original QUARRY Novel by Max Allan Collins

quarrycoverWith a Cinemax television series this season, Max Allan Collins iconic hitman Quarry returns to the pop-culture forefront.  Journey back to the origins and first pulp adventure as Titan Books re-publishes the first Quarry novel from 1975.

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