Author Archives: Bizarre Brunette

September Goals!

Posted in Life Lately by

September is a weird month for me in a couple ways. I’m not going back to college for the first time in five years and I’m actually making enough money to support myself in an apartment. I used to write monthly goals on my blog but then stopped for some reason. I’m bringing this back for my blog because I love reflecting month to month on everything I have accomplished.

~Planning Out A Trip to Universal Studios

Me and my family are prepping a trip to Universal Studios in February. Why February? Living in Minnesota for the winter means I need a break from the harsh cold weather plus it’s before spring break so I’m hoping to beat the rush.

~Rent Two Books from the Library

Libraries are often beautiful buildings I forget exist which is sad. I buy many books a month and I’m trying to do less of this. Ever since moving a couple weeks ago, I got rid of a stack of books I wasn’t planning on re-reading. To save money and limit clutter, I will be borrowing books from the library.

~Participate in D&D One Shots

Thanks to Twin Cities Geek, I was added to a local D&D Facebook group. Events are always happening for one-shot D&D campaigns. I always make excuses as to why I can’t go play D&D, but I do want to dabble more in dice-rolling RPGs. Also check out my article about my one-shot campaign, Monsters & Other Childish Things

~Yoga once a week

Most of my workouts are either cardio or strength training and yoga gets forgotten. I might save my yoga for Sundays since those are lazy days anyway.

These goals are ambitious, but I like being busy. I would love to hear your goals for the month in the comments.

Minnesota Fan Fest *haul*

Posted in Uncategorized by

Last weekend I attended Minnesota Fan Fest for free because I was technically press. I write for Twin Cities Geek on the side and I was writing various articles about the convention. My first article was about Minnesota Fan Fest’s controversial cosplay policy while also covering local creators’ thoughts about Fan Fest. Minnesota Fan Fest overall was a fun convention, the only downside being the attendance was low. This puts stress on the creators because they want to make money at this convention. Knowing this information, I wish I would have budgeted more money to spend, but I still left with some fun accessories, so check out below what I bought at Fan Fest.

Tee Turtle Octopus T-Shirt

I would have posted an actual picture of my shirt, but it’s in the laundry and has coffee stains on it. When I walked the convention floor, Tee Turtle was the first booth I noticed because I didn’t realize Tee Turtle would be tabling at MN Fan Fest. I probably would have bought more than just the shirt, but I know that I already own too many geeky T-shirts, so I only bought one.

DC Comics Bombshell Figure

[Image is a can and next to the can is a Lois Lane action figure. Lois looks dressed in the 1920's and she's holding a newspaper]

I don’t actually need to buy any more toys or trinkets, but I still do. I was hoping for Black Canary or Killer Frost, however, I pulled Lois Lane. She isn’t my favorite character, but I’ll still keep her next to my Leonard Hofstadter bobblehead toy on my bookshelf.

Through the Darque Gates book

I volunteered to be a beta reader for Christopher D Schmitz’s sequel to Wolf of the Tesseract. I was able to score this book for free and I encourage anyone who hasn’t read Wolf of the Tesseract to read it.

Severance Lost by J LLoren Quill

[Image is a book cover for Severance Lost by J LLoren Quill. The cover features a red background with a white hand. In the white hand is a tree]

This book combines elements of Game of Thrones with Lord of the Rings. The kingdom Malethya needs a hero to stop the blood mage from wiping out villages. Slate Severance is the protagonist of the story, devoting his life to protecting Malethya. I haven’t read it yet, as it has been added to my book stack.

Madame Xanadu

[Image is a comic book cover for Madame Xanadu Exodus Noir. It features a woman holding tarot cards]

Madame Xanadu is a psychic private detective living in New York with her black cat investigating a murder scene with supernatural elements. It’s a graphic novel that’s great for mature readers as apparently there may be graphic violence in some of the issues. I love independent comics and this one sounded decent.

Whenever I attend a convention, I always have to budget money for spending. I tell myself not to spend money, but then I walk the floor suddenly I’m handing someone my credit card. Minnesota Fan Fest will be a convention I attend next year and I’m hoping it will grow into something as big as C2E2.

Geeky Job, Lady Gaga & Remembering my Kitty – Life Update

Posted in Life Lately by

It’s nice to sit in my newly unpacked apartment with high-speed internet to blog with. Not having WiFi for a couple days felt odd, but it’s all a part of the moving process. There’s been a lot going on lately, so I figured I’d write one post summarizing it all.

Geeky Barista Job

I wanted a part-time job that was more laid back than my full-time job. I applied to be a barista at a coffee shop attached to a board game store. I get 30% off of board games, Magic the Gathering sets, and D&D guidebooks. Plus I get to be around coffee a couple days a week with cash tips. I am finishing training this week, but I’m looking forward to working while socializing with the regulars.

Lady Gaga Concert

On Monday the 21st, I carpooled with a coworker to the Lady Gaga concert in St. Paul, MN. Lady Gaga is the queen of pop who puts on an energetic show. She performed songs off her new album, Joanne while also combining older songs including Poker Face, Love Game, and Born This Way. I won these tickets from my job which included being in a suite with my coworkers. We were above the stage where I took numerous videos of Gaga performing. It was certainly a night to remember.

[Image is a concert venue. The picture has purple and pink lights with trampolines at the concert floor]
[Image is of me and a coworker in a balcony with the stage in the background]
[Image is a blurry countdown leading to the beginning of the concert]
[Image is a blurry image of Lady Gaga performing at the concert]

R. I. P to Ellie.

Unfortunately, I’m ending my life update with a sad announcement of the death of my last cat, Ellie. She had lost a lot of weight in the last couple of weeks, but she was eating and drinking water. However, on the 21st, my mom texted me saying she thought something was wrong with her. When I called back a couple hours later, my brother informed me she died. I’m a little distraught about it because, within a year, I lost both of my childhood cats. Animals become a big part of your family, so there’s a big sense of loss when they finally pass. I’m glad she doesn’t have to suffer anymore.

[Image is a blonde tabby kitty licking from a sink faucet]

Once I get my routine down with my new job, my goal is to write posts every other day. This may not happen all the time, but I do like writing on this blog and I don’t want it to be forgotten.

D&D One Shot Monsters and Other Childish Things

Posted in Gaming by

Becoming a game master in my own D&D campaign is a recent goal of mine. Last Saturday, I was fortunate to be included in a one-shot campaign using the rules from Monsters and Other Childish Things. Players take on the role of children whose best friends are monsters as they play through a custom story about surviving the school day. Ironically, our story didn’t even occur on school grounds instead our story took place at a sleepover at my character’s house. This campaign can be adapted into a longer campaign or a one-shot which is what my group did on Saturday.

One-shot campaigns are campaigns that begin and end on the same day. Most D&D campaigns I have heard of continue for weeks or months. I like that one shot is short because if your schedule is as chaotic as mine is, it’s difficult to carve time for a D&D campaign weekly.

[Image is a children's drawing. At the top it says "Mr. Waffles" with a cat and an exclamation point right after. Below there are two images. One is an orange cat and the second cat is a lion creature with a sword]
I was required to draw Mr. Waffles, so this is what I came up with.

Ellie Ferguson is the character I created myself. She’s a sassy 7th grader living with her dad, little sister, and her monster. Unfortunately, her mother passed away when she was young, so her dad struggles to put food on the table. This circumstance has influenced Ellie to be overprotective of her little sister. Ellie’s monster is named Mr. Waffles who is an orange tabby cat when he’s happy. If Mr. Waffles is threatened, he turns into this raging orange lion monster complete with a sword. Mr. Waffles also has menacing claws that when he scratches his opponent, an ooze leaks from his claws that causes his enemies to hallucinate.

[Image is a character sheet. At the top it says "Permanent Record" and it lists my character's name, birthdate etc.]
My character sheet for Ellie Ferguson.

Over the course of the story, Ellie’s father starts dating a woman who turns out to be a witch. The big conclusion to this story is when Mr. Waffles is fighting her in the house, Mr. Waffles constantly scratches her head causing her to hallucinate because of the ooze that leaks from his claws. Also, Mr. Waffles can breathe fire so the house burned away ultimately collapsing on the evil witch, and killing her.

D&D is a way I can express my creative side by envisioning Mr. Waffles walking alongside Ellie. Monsters and Other Childish Things can be found at a local game store that carries D&D handbooks. Otherwise, the book can be found online in paperback and PDF format. Hopefully, the more experience I get role-playing, the more comfortable I would be in being a game master.

Team Scorpion Geniuses for Hire

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

Summer is meant for catching up on new TV shows. Currently, I’m attempting to watch Capaldi’s season of Doctor Who which I had been meaning to do for a while now. Recently, I finished watching Scorpion which is a fantastic show that my friend introduced me to. We were hanging out one night at her apartment when she nonchalantly mentioned this show. After pulling up Amazon Prime, we watched the first episode, and I was instantly hooked on the premise of the show. Scorpion will be on the fall TV lineup for CBS, but I have no idea when the fourth season will air.

Scorpion tells the true life story of Walter O’Brien (played by Elyes Gabel), a man with an IQ of 197 who hacked NASA when he was younger. Walter recruits other geniuses like him to join a group titled Scorpion. His recruits include Sylvester Dodd (played by Ari Stidham), Happy Quinn (played by Jadyn Wong), and Tobias Curtis (played by Eddie Kaye Thomas). In the pilot episode, we meet a young waitress named Paige Dineen (played by Katherine McPhee) who is raising her young son Ralph (played by Riley B. Smith) who Walter quickly recognizes as someone similar to himself. Walter with his team get recruited by Cabe Gallo (played by Robert Patrick), a homeland security agent to save the world which sounds corny, but in some cases, this statement is genuinely accurate.

One reason why this show is addicting is because of the on-screen chemistry between the cast. Walter is cringeworthy at times because he doesn’t understand human emotion. However, Paige teaches Walter what’s appropriate in emotional situations so he can learn from his past mistakes. Sylvester is the nerd of the group and I love the nerd hobbies that he’s into. Happy provides the negativity at times, while Toby is usually the one who is inappropriate for the most part. Cabe tries to control his team, but ultimately, he’s proud of the team he put together.

Scorpion is one of my all-time favorite TV shows. It’s worth taking the time to watch all three seasons especially to get emotionally invested with each character. Scorpion can be purchased through iTunes or Amazon. CBS under their CBS All Access subscription service has 6 free episodes of Scorpion waiting to be watched.

Coffee Shops and Green Arrow; Comic Haul

Posted in Reading/Books by

Last Monday, I was shopping at Marshall’s with a gift card my boyfriend bought me. I enjoy buying clothes for a bargain plus I needed to mature my wardrobe for my full-time job. I randomly popped into my local comic shop after I spent my gift card and bought a couple different comics. One mini goal of mine is to go to my local comic shop once a week or every other week to keep up with a variety of comics. Here is my haul from last Monday:

Moon Struck by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle

[Image is a comic book cover. The comic is Moonstruck by Grace Ellis and Shae Beagle. It features two baristas, one is holding a huge tray with multiple coffee cups on it]

Thanks to dePepi for this comic recommendation! dePepi is a female geek blogger who sometimes writes about comics to add to your pull list. I hadn’t heard of this comic, but it looks like a lovely body-positive indie comic. Julie is the barista trying to serve all of those fancy coffee drinks with her centaur best friend Chet. Apparently, a magical conspiracy occurs so now Julie needs to manage working as a barista and save her friends.

Green Arrow #1 by Benjamin Percy, Otto Schmidt, and Juan Ferreyra

[Image is a cover of a graphic novel. It's a "DC Universe Rebirth - Green Arrow Vol #1 The Death & Life of Oliver Queen" by Benjamin Percy, Otto Schmidt, and Juan Ferreyra. The cover features a white shining arrow with a man in a green hood.]

My sole reason for purchasing this is Benjamin Percy is a Minnesota native! Plus I just finished Red Hood & the Outlaws Rebirth #1 which was pretty good. I must admit that I am loving Rebirth versus DC’s New 52.

Jade Street Protection Services #2 by Katy Rex and Fabian Lelay

[Image is a comic book cover. It features two people, one is on a bike, and the other one is tying a bag on the back of the bike]

I bought the first issue of this comic at CONvergence in 2016 and when I saw Katy Rex at MCBA Comic Con this past May, she was sold out of the second issue of her comic. In Jade Street Protection Services Kai, Saba, Noemi, Divya, and Emma are rebellious students at Matsdotter Academy, an elite private school for girls with magical abilities. I remember really enjoying issue #1, so I’m sure I will like the second issue.

KaijuMax by Zander Cannon

[Image is a comic book cover for Kaijumax. On the cover there's a volcano and two creatures on it. The one on the left looks like a Dinosaur and the other creature looks like a massive bug / dinosaur creature]

Kaijumax is a comic that I have been missing out on and I was able to score this first issue for a dollar. Kaijumax is a prison filled with Kaiju monsters and vicious guards. I haven’t read this comic and I’m looking forward to reading it.

I always need new comic recommendations so feel free to comment below with some of the comic series you’re enjoying so far. I plan on taking some much-needed time on Tuesday, which is my day off from work, to read and get caught up on all the comics I have bought for this haul.

Minnesota Fan Fest

Posted in Life Lately by

My convention schedule only includes CONvergence in Bloomington, MN because frankly conventions are expensive. A new affordable convention has popped up in the St. Paul area titled Minnesota Fan Fest and I’m excited to attend this year. Minnesota Fan Fest has a similar convention in Phoenix, AZ which I have never attended. This is the first year that Fan Fest will be in Minnesota and I have high hopes that it will be a fun convention. By the way I have 50% off any day pass coupons that I can give out to anybody interested in attending. Comment on my post if you’re interested!

Guest appearances include Zander Cannon, Dave Wheeler, Dan Jurgens and Barbara Shultz plus more that I haven’t mentioned. Zander Cannon created Kaiju Max a comic about monsters in a prison. I personally haven’t read Kaiju Max yet, but I know I’m missing out on a great story. Dave Wheeler is a local comic book writer and illustrator. Barbara Shultz is especially talented having written for Dark Horse, DC and Image Comics. The comics guest list alone is worth noting.

Jason David Frank will also be attending who you may know as the Green Power Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. The Power Rangers was one of the cartoons I would watch on Saturday mornings with my brother.

Like all conventions, I am prepared to spend some money on the creators and artists tabling. I’m still unsure if I’m going to meet Jason David Frank yet because usually I skip the celebrities because of the cost of getting a picture or an autograph. For all of my local readers near the MN area, I highly recommend checking out this convention. Also I do have coupons for 50% off any day pass for Minnesota Fan Fest given to me by Kristin Rowan Director of Marketing. Comment below if you’re interested and I hope to see you all there! Minnesota Fan Fest will be on August 19th – 20th at the Saint Paul River Centre.

Finally, a Female Doctor

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by

When I went to my first convention in 2013, I saw so many Doctor Who references. I went to that same convention a year later, and it was a lot of fun seeing a Dalek rolling around the floor and knowing what it was. When I started watching Doctor Who, I got hooked on Christopher Eccleston’s sass, and ever since, I have called myself a fan. However, once Matt Smith left the role, I felt disconnected from the fandom because Peter Capaldi didn’t charm me as the other doctors had. In my excitement about this announcement, I wanted to do a quick blog tag describing some of my favorite components of the show. 

My Doctor:

Fans of Doctor Who often refer to their favorite Doctor as “My Doctor”. This is the Doctor that got them into the series or who carries the most sentimental value. The Ninth Doctor (played by Christopher Eccleston) introduced me to the series and I appreciated the chemistry that him and Rose (played by Billie Piper) had throughout his whole run of Doctor Who.

Favorite Creature:

[Image shows a woman holding to a white marshmellow like plushie. The plushie has two black eyes, no nose, and a black smile with a little tooth on it]

The Adipose is my favorite creature in Doctor Who! This episode is fun to watch because it relates to my major and the Doctor comes back to meet with Donna (played by Catherine Tate). In the photo above, I have a stuffed adipose that I purchased at a Doctor Who convention in 2015.

Creature I Fear the Most:

Weeping Angels are the scariest creatures in Doctor Who because even though they don’t physically harm you necessarily, transporting you back in time away from your family would take a mental toll.

Favorite Doctor Who Character who was also in the Harry Potter Franchise:

There’s a running joke that a lot of British actors who were in Harry Potter can also be seen in various Doctor Who episodes. The most infamous example is David Tennant who played the Tenth Doctor also plays Barty Crouch Jr. in the Harry Potter film franchise.

I think my favorite example is Rory’s dad (played by Brian Williams) who also played Arthur Weasley in the Harry Potter films.

Favorite Color of Dalek:

BLUE 🙂

Episode that Made Me Cry Ugly Tears:

Doomsday, Blink and Angels in Manhattan all made me emotional.

Doctor Who Cosplay Inspiration:

I want to cosplay Amy Pond with the red plaid shirt and tally marks from The Silence because that would be easy to do. I also would love to do a female Eleventh Doctor cosplay with the blazer and a tight black skirt.

I cannot wait for Jodie Wittaker to take over the franchise. It’s odd that there’s been so much backlash to this announcement. If male fans don’t want to watch the show, then so be it!

New Comic Book Day Comedy Show

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Wednesday is a special day during the week because it’s New Comic Book Day! Besides New Comic Book Day, a brewery in downtown Minneapolis hosts a comedy theme comic show every Wednesday night. I have been wanting to go for a long time, but I had been away at college for most of the shows. I attended my first New Comic Book Day at Day Block Brewing Company this Wednesday and it was hilarious.

[picture of two glasses diagonal from the table]
Me and the boyfriend enjoying a beer before the show.

New Comic Book Day is hosted by Eliot Rahal and Katy Rex who are prominent comic creators from the Twin Cities. Eliot Rahal has written numerous comics including the one-shot for Bloodshot by Valiant comics. Katy Rex is a freelance writer and editor working on Jade Street Protection Services a comic that I can only describe as “punk rock Hogwarts students in detention that save the world.” Both Eliot and Katy are energetic hosts helping to pull this show together.

[man on stage with a baseball cap on talking with a microphone up to his mouth]
Eliot Rahal performing a sketch.

Each show has comedians who come on stage to crack some jokes before an onstage interview happens with someone in the MN comic scene. After all the comedians perform, an interview occurs between the hosts and the featured guest. For this show, the featured guest was Adam Vermillion from the podcast Panels and Pizza.  At the show, I met Adam in person and he’s a nice guy who has been essential in promoting the MN comic scene.

[Image is a man with a black blindfold on, a Daredevil themed sketch]
Daredevil-themed comedy sketch.

If you’re in the Minnesota area, head over to Day Block to see this show. It was a whole lot of fun and Day Block has a great beer list too. My recommendation is to sit in the front because you’re more likely to get free comics.

The Slick Webslinger is Back; Spider-Man Homecoming

Posted in Bizarre Brunette Big-Screen Watches by
[Image is a movie poster for Spider-Man Homecoming.]
Picture from Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki 

I’m sitting in the theater watching Captain America Civil War when I see Spider-Man on the big screen battling Captain America. My initial thought is finally Marvel comes to a deal with Sony to share the rights to Spider-Man. We don’t see that much of him in this movie, but when Marvel announced that they would be redoing Spider-Man with Spider-Man Homecoming, I was skeptical. It hadn’t been that long since Andrew Garfield’s movies and I didn’t want to see another retelling of the spider that bites Peter. Thankfully, in Spider-Man Homecoming there is no origin story because Spider-Man is already established in New York. Spider-Man Homecoming is easily the best Spider-Man movie and I’m instantly looking forward to a sequel.

Tom Holland is an excellent Spide-Man. The first couple minutes of the movie shows him recording the sequence of events leading up to Civil War. He’s a teen who when asked by Tony Stark himself to battle with him, cannot contain his excitement. After Civil War, Peter is anxiously awaiting a call from Tony Stark, but he’s constantly disappointed. Peter notices a robbery that he intends on thwarting and he is attacked with alien weapons. Peter is determined to get the weapons off the streets even though Tony Stark advises him not to.

One thing I notice is Spider-Man is someone any teen can relate to. One minute he’s fighting with the Avengers and then for a couple months he’s going to school like a normal kid. He wants to feel important in New York and if I were him, I would feel the same way. Can I just mention how adorable Ned Leeds is though!! He’s Peter Parker’s nerdy sidekick and discovers his powers when he brings the Lego Deathstar to his room. Plus he becomes the “guy in the chair” which makes sense if you go see the movie.

Also, Michael Keaton makes a damn good villain. His origin story dates all the way back to the first Avengers film when he was a contractor removing alien equipment from NY. He feels that he’s entitled to the alien equipment so he steals some of it to make weapons. Vulture is challenging to battle with and implores Peter to be creative on how to stop him because Peter is inexperienced with this whole superhero thing.

Honestly, I could go on for another couple of paragraphs describing in detail how much I enjoyed this movie. I’m already planning on seeing it again in the next couple of days and I’m determined to read Silk, Miles Morales, and Spider-Gwen.