My Top Graphic Novels.

My Top 5 Graphic Novels

In the literary world I think graphic novels can still be a bit looked down upon although I do think more and more people are realising that graphic novels may have more scope than they initially thought. One of the main reasons that I like reading them is simply because it makes an interesting change from reading more traditional novels. They are easier to read which, after reading some 500+ page tome, can be a welcome break. I'm fairly new to the world of graphic novels but here is my top 5 list of the ones I have read so far (and only 2 of them are about superheroes). 

#5 - Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller. 

TDKR is a version of Batman that you don't really see in the films. He is older and a bit more vulnerable which makes him a more complex and interesting character in this story. It is considered by many to be one of the most important graphic novels of all time for good reason. 

#4 - The Best We Could Do - Thi Bui. 

This story has so many themes that it is difficult to summarise. It is a memoir and one of the main themes is immigration, largely based on the experiences of the authors parents who were from Vietnam. It's incredibly personal and moving and should probably be compulsory reading for anyone who claims to hate immigrants. 

#3 - Watchmen - Alan Moore.

Possibly the most famous graphic novel on this list and the first one that I personally ever read. Alan Moore famously lives in Northampton, where I went to university, and is a bit of a local hero. I saw him once in Waterstones and he had the exact look and presence you would expect of someone who wrote Watchmen. Anyway, I've said nothing about Watchmen but read it anyway, it's amazing. 

#2 - Maus - Art Spiegelman.

One of the many words that you could use to describe Maus would be epic. The story encompasses so much action, emotion, history etc that you feel like (wait for the cliche) you've been on a real journey by the time you've finished it. There are so many stories out there about the holocaust, as there should be, but this is definitely one of the more unique and memorable ones that I have read. 

#1 - My Friend Dahmer - John "Derf" Backderf. 

I loved reading this book from start to finish. It was just so...weird. It reminded me a bit of the work of Robert Crumb in that it was able to combine the surreal and the ordinary into an incredible work of art. It is about the authors experiences of going to the same school as Jeffrey Dahmer, giving us a completely unique account of this infamous serial killer. 

I still haven't read that many graphic novels and would be interested to hear your recommendations. 

        

   

Good And Bad About Boris.

The Good and the Bad About Boris

In a move that feels like great material for a dystopian novel, it seems very likely that Boris Johnson will be our next prime minister. Personally, I don't think Hunt has a chance of beating Boris but, obviously, I could be wrong. Boris is a classic Marmite type character. Most people I know can't stand him but the few supporters I do know absolutely love the guy and think he's hilarious. You know, the same people that enjoy watching Roy Chubby Brown stand-up. Anyway, to be fair to Boris, here are a few of both the good and bad points about him as a person and potential prime minister. 

Good - He has funny hair.

Bad - He lied to Brexit voters.

Boris' claim that 350 million pounds a week would be going to the NHS if we left the EU was such a big lie that even Nigel Farage and the Daily Mail refuted it. You know things are bad when you have less honesty and integrity than Farage and the Daily Mail. 

Good - His dad seemed nice on 'I'm a Celebrity'. 

Bad - His racist/Islamophobic comments. 

Boris famously described Muslim women as 'looking like letterboxes'. He has also previously described black people as 'picanninies' with 'watermelon smiles'. These aren't even things that he was secretly recorded saying in private conversation or anything like that. He literally published them for the public to read. Probably endearing himself to more of those Roy Chubby Brown fans. 

Good - That time he got stuck on a zip wire. 

Bad - He wants more cuts. 

Austerity and cuts to public services have had a hugely negative effect on ordinary people (low income workers etc) in the UK as seen in many examples such as the huge growth in people relying on food banks. Furthermore, the economic growth of Britain following the recession was actually slower than most other countries in the EU (with far less cuts) despite austerity. However, Boris felt we didn't go far enough with the cuts and stated that we should have continued with them. He also dropped targets for affordable housing (despite owning multiple homes himself) during his time as London Mayor. 

There are lots more good and bad points about Boris but most of us don't get to choose whether he becomes the next prime minster anyway. The good news is that the memes are probably going to be out of this world. 

Fast Food Tier List.

FAST FOOD TIER LIST

I was inspired by this video to create my own fast food tier list. Anyone that knows me knows that I am pretty obsessed with food. However, I'm proud to say that I am in no way a 'foodie'. Although I am generally pretty healthy, have a good diet, often cook from scratch and enjoy the odd sophisticated meal; I also unashamedly love fast food. Here is my personal opinion fast food tier list:

I will talk you through my list from bottom to top.

D - Subway - Below average sandwiches that are genuinely worse than anything you could easily make for yourself at home.

C - Wendy's - I have only ever eaten here about 3 times as there doesn't seem to be many of them in the UK (are there any left?). Generally, I found their burger concepts to just be a bit odd. 

B - McDonald's - McDonald's don't make the best burgers in the world but I do think that they are very distinctive which gives them a certain nostalgia. Their vanilla milkshakes are still one of my personal favourites. 
   
   - Pizza Hut -  You can't beat a Pizza Hut lunch buffet. They still do a thin crust better than the other pizza restaurants on this list.

   - Papa John's - Narrowly misses out on my favourite takeaway pizza chain to Domino's. Excellent sauces.

   - Burger King - Overall, they do a pretty good burger, my personal favourite being the traditional Whopper. The only reason they aren't higher is because of their occasional tendency to completely mess up an order.

A - KFC - I've read online about the falling standards of KFC since it's heyday. However, I never ate there as a child, largely due to growing up in the countryside and not having one nearby and being a vegetarian for a number of years. Therefore, I can only judge it on its current merits. For me, they do the best chicken burgers and the fried chicken is still pretty good 98% of the time. 

   - Domino's Pizza - In my humble opinion, Domino's do the best takeaway pizza. 

S - Five Guys - For me, Five Guys is the god tier of fast food. Their burgers are the best takeaway beef burgers I have ever eaten, their fries are amazing and their hot dogs are well worth discovering if you've never tried one. The most common criticism I hear is that it is overpriced and, yes, it is. However, as far as fast food chains go, it is still above the rest in terms of taste and quality. 

Anyway, what would your fast food tier list be?

Other Consoles Needing The 'Mini' Treatment.

Other Consoles Needing The 'Mini' Treatment

A recent trend has shown big companies releasing 'mini' versions of their classic consoles which are essentially plug and play systems. There have been these types of systems released before but I don't think it became as popular as it is now until Nintendo released the NES mini which was followed by the SNES mini and the Playstation Classic from Sony. Here are a list of consoles that I think most need the 'mini' treatment next. Some of these may have had plug and play versions of them released before but I think they're deserving of a new/improved iteration. 

#5 N64 Mini

I actually have played very little N64 throughout my life. This is due to me only having one many years after it was released and, even then, I mostly owned the 'bargain bin' type games for it rather than the classics. To give some perspective, the game I remember spending the most time playing on it was 'Ready 2 Rumble Boxing'. Not quite Mario 64. However, the N64 is still the most fun I've ever had playing multiplayer games. This is due to some of my friends having one. Mario Kart 64, Goldeneye and especially Smash bros (along with four controllers) would be more than enough reason for me to buy this if it was ever released. 

#4 - Megadrive Classic

The Megadrive has had about a million plug and play versions of it released. However, the reason we need another one is because none of the previous versions of it have ever done it any justice! The Megadrive is my favourite console of all time and it has such an incredible library of games, many of which could be described as 'hidden gems'. If Sega was to actually put time and money into making a quality 'mini' version of the Megadrive with more than just the same old games that have been released on every previous version, I think a lot of people would still buy one. 

#3 - Saturn Mini

The Saturn is probably my most underrated console on this list. It never stood a chance when it was first released because it was up against the mighty Playstation and N64 but it still had a decent game library that could definitely do with a second chance at being appreciated. This includes some classics that weren't included on the Playstation Classic such as the first Tomb Raider game. 

#2 - Windows 95 Classic

This might sound odd due to how easy it is to download old PC games but, if a mini, plug and play version of a classic windows PC (complete with ugly keyboard and mouse) was released, I for one would definitely buy one. This is because I think it would be a new, interesting way to rediscover the huge library of classic PC games from the mid 90's. Civilization II, Duke Nukem 3D, Warcraft II, Diablo, Dungeon Keeper, Carmageddon, Theme Hospital...the list is endless.    

#1 - Gameboy Mini 

In my opinion, the console most deserving of a 'mini' version is the Gameboy. For my personally, the Gameboy evokes more nostalgia of childhood in the 90's than possibly any other console. Again, there are already many ways to emulate Gameboy games but I still feel like there is a place for a quality, officially licenced mini version of the console. Just the way it looked is iconic which is shown by how many people still have it as their iPhone cover. If they were to do a Gameboy Color version, you could even have the different colours they came in. Always clear purple for me. 

Anyway, what classic console would you want to see a 'mini' version of? 

My Desert Island Discs

My Desert Island Discs

I've always enjoyed the format of Desert Island Discs even though many of the guests give horribly pretentious choices (it is Radio 4 after all). I have occasionally considered what my choices will be when I'm famous. Ahem.     

#1 - Lauryn Hill - Ex-Factor

Music was a really important part of my early childhood because my dad played it in the house all the time. There were loads of albums that I remember him continuously playing. However, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill really stands out because I still consider it to be in the top 5 albums I have ever listened to. I could almost choose any song off this album but, for me, Ex-Factor is the song most ingrained in memory from all those years ago. 

#2 - The Simpsons - Do the Bartman

I was lucky enough to grow up in the heyday of The Simpsons. At one point, I remember after school television consisting of The Simpsons, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Buffy The Vampire Slayer (in that order I believe). I had a Bart Simpson t-shirt, Bart Simpson's Guide to Life book and we also had The Simpsons album. As a child, I legitimately thought Do The Bartman was a hip-hop classic. To be honest, I still do.  

#3 - The Corrs - What Can I Do

The Corrs, Talk on Corners was the first album I ever bought and Andrea Corr was my first celebrity crush. Sure, there were a lot of better albums I could have had as my first album (particularly in the 90's) but I will always have a soft spot for this one as being my first. Also, anyone what says they don't sing along to 'What Can I Do' when it comes on the radio is probably lying.

#4 - Nirvana - Lounge Act

When I entered my teens, I went through the mandated period of predominantly listening to rock/metal. Out of the many bands I listened to, Nirvana were the only one that I was truly obsessed by. Fandom is a rite of passage for teenagers and this was mine. Nirvana are possibly the epitome of teen angst which I had in droves (still do) but they also happened to make great music. 

#5 - Ludacris - U Got A Problem

'Back for the First Time' by Ludacris was my first hip-hop album. It's definitely not the best rap album of all time but it was the start of me exploring a new genre. I definitely have a few memories of playing this in the car when my friend passed his driving test and definitely looking like the whitest kids on the planet as we did so.

#6 - T2 - Heartbroken

No song reminds me of nights out at university more than this one. There were places that played better music but I always had more fun at the cheesier clubs where people didn't take themselves quite as seriously. They play this song occasionally at my gym and it takes me back to those fun, messy and often embarrassing times every time hear it.  

#7 - Akala - Absolute Power

It was a friend that first played me Akala and I immediately realised that I was listening to something different than anything else I had heard before. Listening to him is like an education because he manages to squeeze so many different ideas into his music (or interviews or writing) without it ever seeming condescending and pretentious. For me, he continues to be an artist I can learn from and, therefore, be bettered by. Plus, dragging my ex who hated rap music to one of his gigs was good fun.    

#8 - Dave - Hangman

I often see people sharing things on social media about how music isn't as good as it used to be. I totally disagree with this. There has always been lots of great music and lots of crap music whichever decade you look at and I am still discovering new music I enjoy all the time. Dave is an example of an artist who can make songs that are light-hearted and catchy or songs that make you think and reflect. He is one of many artists who allows me to continue enjoying the discovery of new music. 

Book - Ham on Rye by Charles Bukowski

To remind me what it means to be human.

Luxury item - Paper and pencils

To continue sharing my ideas with the same amount of people that read my blog.

Anyway, what are your Desert Island Discs?

The Best Things About 2018.

THE BEST THINGS ABOUT 2018

It would be easy to write off 2018 as being a bad year. If you're British, this might largely be due to the ongoing chaos of Brexit negotiations being led by our 'strong and stable'government. As a response, I am continuing my tradition of finding a few of the many positives from 2018 to counter the negatives. 

#1 - The Royal Wedding

I might as well get it out the way. Despite my thoughts on the wedding, I do have to admit that it made a lot of people happy. Also, with Meghan, we finally have someone in the royal family who actually seems vaguely human. Hopefully, she won't adopt the same dead-behind-the-eyes look that the rest of them have. 

#2 - England in the World Cup

My first memory of watching a world cup was in 1998 and that was probably the highlight...until now. There was a sense that we might do alright before the world cup started but the team really did outdo all of my expectations. Of course, lots of people still managed to be disappointed but I was more than happy to see England reach their first world cup semi-finals I've seen them in.

#3 - Thai Cave Rescue

When this story first hit, it was easy to think it was all going to end in tragedy. Instead, what we saw was hundreds of people working together to try and save the lives of a load of people they had never met, many of them volunteers. It was a genuinely happy moment when the boys got to safety and you got to see how happy everyone involved was about the outcome...everyone except Elon Musk.

#4 - Kim Jong Un

Not quite as many positives have come from Kim Jong Un and the vague promises he made for peace and plans to denuclearize as you might hope. However, the peace talks are still a step in the right direction and there is continued hope of an eventual end to hostilities between North Korea and South Korea/USA.

#5 - Elections in Iraq

Iraqis were able to vote for the first time since the Iraqi government declared victory over the Islamic State. The election was marred with issues and a low turnout of voters but being able to vote was still a positive for people who have been through so much. It is hopefully a sign that more stability will come to the country in the coming year.

#6 - Chile helps the environment

Last year, Chile pledged to help protect a large area of land for conservation reasons. This year, it became official. Chile added 10 million acres of national parkland which will help to protect a huge array of wildlife. As with most Brits, 99% of what I know about wildlife conservation comes purely from David Attenborough documentaries and I'm pretty sure this is a move that David would be proud of.

#7 - UK carbon emissions 

UK carbon emissions fell to their lowest levels since 1890. Technically, this happened in 2017 but the study that discovered this information was completed in 2018. One of the main reasons this has happened is due to the decrease in the amount of coal being used and in increase in the number of renewable energy sources being used.

#8 - Saudi Arabia

In 2018, the ban on female drivers in Saudi Arabia was officially lifted for the first time in decades. Although there is a long way to go for women rights in Saudi Arabia, it is at least showing that the country is moving in the right direction on this issue.

#9 - Endangered animals

There a a number of previously endangered animals who have been slowly increasing in numbers through 2018. These include Pandas, Snow Leopards and certain species of Rhinos and Whales. Again, I'm sure that this is something David can be proud of.

#10 - Betty White is still alive!

Despite predictions of her untimely demise, Betty White is still going strong at 96 years young!

Betty White, a beacon of hope for us all.

Let me know which 2018 positives I missed out. 

   

Films/TV/Books That Terrified Me as a Child

FILMS/TV/BOOKS THAT TERRIFIED ME AS A CHILD

Horror is so much better when you're a child because it has the ability to genuinely terrify you. Especially when you're watching something you really shouldn't be. With Halloween in mind, here is my list of the top six films/TV/books I remember scaring me when I was a kid. 

#6 - Are You Afraid of the Dark? 

Are You Afraid of the Dark? was a much better series than the Goosebumps series because it had much more of a mature tone to it. Even the intro was scary. Anyone who doesn't remember that swing swinging by itself isn't a proper 90's kid. 'The Tale of the Dream Girl' is my personal favourite episode if you fancy re-watching one on YouTube. 

#5 - Terminator 2: Judgement Day

When I was very young my Dad wouldn't let me watch Terminator 2 because I wasn't old enough. However, I managed to secretly watch it by pretending to be asleep on the sofa whilst he watched it. The bit that really stuck in my head was the scene where the guy drinking from the milk carton gets killed. If you also watched this film as a child you might know what I'm going on about.

#4 - Goosebumps - The Ghost Next Door

I loved Goosebumps books as a child but, for the most part, they weren't actually scary. One exception was 'The Ghost Next Door' which is basically the Sixth Sense for children. It manages to be a bit more subtle than some of the other books with a slower build and a well revealed twist. Saying that I did try re-reading this as an adult and...not quite as good as I remembered actually.

#3 - Bad Boy Bubby

This was a classic example of watching something as a child that you really shouldn't be watching. When I was twelve and left to my own devices, I liked watching late night films on Film4 because it would have strange, cult-classics that you didn't get on other channels (i.e. Ginger Snaps). I'll let the Wikipedia plot summary speak for itself as to why this messed with my twelve-year-old mind a bit:

'Bubby is a 35-year-old man who has never set foot outside his mother's dingy apartment in the back of a printing press in an industrial area of Adelaide. In addition to beating and sexually abusing him, she confines him to the apartment, telling him that the air outside is poisonous and telling him he will die if he tries to leave.'

Yep, I didn't sleep well that night.

#2 - Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Hush

Buffy the Vampire Slayer was part of that amazing time in the 90's when you could watch The Simpsons, The Fresh Prince and Buffy on the from your sofa in the early evenings. They were all well written shows aimed at young people which didn't patronise their audience. The 'Hush' episode really stands out for me (and many others) as being significantly scarier than pretty much every other Buffy episode. The Gentleman, with their evil grins and floating feet were brilliantly designed horror villains. I'm pretty sure that scene where one floats past the window would still get me now.

#1 - Paperhouse

When my Mum put this video on for me and my siblings, she probably thought the story of a girls drawings coming to life was the perfect film for some young children. What she didn't know was that the boy she draws would end up not being able to walk because she forgot to draw him legs or that the dad she draws for him would be a psychopath because she accidentally gave him a grumpy face. Let alone whats happens when she tries to scribble his face out. Me and my sister still both remember how much this film stuck with us after we first watched it. 

What did I miss out? Let me know which films/TV/books scared you as a child.