The Ultimate Nerd-ament is back!
It’s back! The show that Russ Walko and I created for Stan Lee’s YouTube Channel, The Ultimate Nerd-ament, is back with brand new episodes. Last time around, we wanted to find out the most popular superpower. This time we’re attempting to determine: WHICH AVENGER WOULD YOU RATHER BE?!
The first episode is here and it pits Iron Man versus Thor! A legendary battle to be sure! Check out this new episode here:
We were a little nervous that this Nerd-ament wouldn’t resonate as well with people as the last one did. For the last one, people could really personalize the two superpowers in question. For this one, people are just picking between two superheroes.
We shouldn’t have worried though, people have very strong opinions on which superhero they’d rather be and the end result is awesome!
If I was going to legitimately answer the question of who I’d rather be, Iron Man or Thor, I think I would have to side with Stanley and pick Thor. When I was reading comics growing up, Iron Man was just never interesting to me. I did read a lot of Thor though. I always thought reading a Thor comic book was a lot like reading Shakespeare in high school. People were impressed when they realized you could understand it. Okay, no one was impressed.
Anyway, I hope you’ll check out this new season and follow along on World of Heroes. We have a few ideas for a third season, but more about that later. In the mean time, who would YOU rather be?
Iron Man or Thor?
Real Things vs. Screens
My favorite attraction at any Disney park is, and always will be, The Country Bear Jamboree. I understand there are those who find it hokey and even lame, but to me it really is a magical attraction and I would take it over many of today’s modern attractions.
You see, to me, real things are always more jaw dropping and awesome than watching computer generated things on a screen. The Escape from Gringotts ride at Universal in Orlando, probably one of the most state of the art attractions currently operating in the world? Didn’t do a thing for me. Why? Because you are looking at a screen the whole time. There’s a little piece of my brain that knows nothing I’m seeing is real, so why should I care?
Now, the Radiator Springs Racers attraction at Disney’s California Adventure is just amazing to me. They build real, life size, animatronic figures of the Cars characters and you can see them. Right there next to you. To me, that is just simply amazing.
And before you think that I’m some sort of Disney fanboy who is just hating on Universal, I’m not. The most recent update to Star Tours at Disneyland, the one that replaced the original movie with new movies where you have to wear 3D glasses and watch a completely computer generated film? Awful, in my opinion. Even with the ‘never the same ride twice’ technology. In the old version of the attraction, you watched a screen, but the stuff you are seeing on the screen is real. Miniature models shot with a camera. Sure there’s visual effects, but you’re seeing real things.
Anyway, back to the bears. I like them because they are real. People built these big, life sized bears. And they move and appear to play instruments. Sure, they aren’t really playing the instruments or singing, but they are real. Not 1’s and 0’s.
I also have a fondness for country music. Old time country music. Blame my Grandma Donny. She used to listen to country music, like the Oak Ridge Boys, and I used to love listening to it with her. So, the Country Bear Jamboree is my favorite and has been since I was a kid.
To that end, I have entered the somewhat crowded world of Disney podcasts by creating my own called the Country Bear Collector Show. A short video podcast where I show off a piece of my Country Bear Collection.
Yes, the show is extremely, oddly specific, but I think that’s what makes it work. Right now there is no website out there devoted specifically to Country Bear Merchandise and I think that might be what helps this show find some traction. Find a need, fill that need.
Below is the first episode. Give it a watch, even if you aren’t a CBJ fan and let me know what you think. New episodes each Friday.
You can subscribe to the Country Bear Collector Show via iTunes or by subscribing to the Saturday Morning Media YouTube Page. Also, if you want to see better pictures of the items featured in each episode, you can do so by visiting www.CBJCollector.com.
Agents of the Vault – Part 3
Part 3 of Agents of the Vault.
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Also, if you prefer a PDF version to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
By Grant Baciocco
Part 3
At dusk, the train stopped at a water stop near the Kansas-Nebraska border, Grisom and Charlie hopped off the train to grab some food at a tiny roadhouse. Grisom, as he always did, sat in a corner so he could keep an eye on the room’s entrances and the people coming and going through them. A difficult task today as the roadhouse was packed. Every seat was filled except for the two other chairs at the table where they now sat, Charlie’s saddle bag resting on the empty seat next to him. Charlie did his best to cut through the leather tough pice of beef he and Grisom were splitting. Grisom looked in his direction, seeing the displeasure on his companion’s face.
“Food will be better in Yankton.” The older man drawled between bites. Charlie looked up and smiled.
“It’s fine. Better than nothin’” Charlie replied. He popped the piece of meat he’d managed to cut into his mouth and chewed. His jaw popping with each gnashing of his teeth, doing their best to soften the meat. As he chewed he scooped up a spoonful of the ice cold beans they’d been served and glanced around the room. When he was sure no one was looking he doled them out on the wooden seat next to him. The saddlebag at his side began to shift and two fuzzy arms slipped out and began scooping in the beans.
Grisom leaned to his side to watch the beans disappear, then looked up at Charlie. “How’s she doing?”
“Seems to be doing fine. The train put her right out.”
“I reckon the train put us all right out.” Grisom replied, taking a sip off his coffee. “Now once we get to Yankton we’ll—“
“Pardon me, sirs!” said a short, pear shaped man with large handlebar mustache who was now hovering above the other empty seat. “There’s no where else to sit.” He glanced down at the empty chair. “May I join you?”
“We’d be obliged.” Grisom replied and gestured towards the chair. As the man noisily sat, clanking his plate and cup on the table, Charlie made a clicking noise with his tongue. The creature in the saddlebag quickly drew itself to the back and made sure to keep out of sight.
“Thank you.” The man said once seated. “Terrance Brandle is the name.”
“Name’s Grisom. The kid here is Charlie.”
“Pleasure to make both of your acquaintances.” The man said, scooping a large spoonful of beans into his mouth. He talked sloppily with his mouth open. “Lots of folks on their way to Yankton it would seem.”
“It would appear that way.” Grisom replied. He hated small talk.
“I suppose form the looks of many of them, their final destination is the gold in the Black Hills.”
“That your destination Mr. Brandle?” Grisom asked, not looking up at the man who he, after a few seconds of watching his sloppy eating, found disgusting
“Me? Heavens no.” Mr. Brandle chuckled. “My travels take me to Yankton. I’m a courier for the bank there.”
“Courier?”
Mr. Brandle wiped his chin with the back of his hand. “Ah, yes.” He shifted nervously thinking he may have said too much. He always seemed to do that.
Grisom saw the flash of panic cross the man’s face and to ease the man’s suddenly uneasy mind, he changed he subject.
“Foods decent?” Grisom asked sarcastically, watching how Brandle put it away.
“Mmm hmm,” the man replied between chomping mouthfuls. He swallowed, “So Mr. Grison, Charlie what brings you two to the Dakota territories?”
“We are…couriers as well,” said Grisom with a smile over to Charlie. The man stopped chewing and stared at Grisom wide-eyed. “We are bringing some items to a friend in Yankton.”
Brandle leaned in excited, wiping his fingers on his vest, “What kind of items? If I may ask.”
“You may ask,” Grisom answered. “But we ain’t gonna tell you.”
Brandle’s face dropped. Just then the train’s whistle sounded indicating that it was time to roll out. Brandle thanked Grisom and Charlie and scurried off through the throng of people. Charlie watched Grisom watch Brandle walk away.
Grisom indicated towards Brandle’s direction, “There’s something else on the train besides our trunk. Gold, maybe bank notes.”
Charlie stood, gingerly picking up the saddlebag as he rose. “Think so?”
“Yep. Notice how he clammed up the moment he mentioned the bank. He was worried he said too much and that we may take an unusual interest in what he was bringing to Yankton.” Grisom stood, putting on his hat. “Well, let’s get back on the train.”
Charlie stood, pushing in his chair and hoisting the saddlebag’s strap up over his shoulder. The bag was now the same height as the table and if anyone had been looking, which they weren’t, they would have seen a fuzzy, gray arm, slink out of the bag and snag the rest of Charlie’s uneaten steak and then quickly retreat into the bag. Charlie had seen the theft and patted the side of the bag as he and Grisom followed the crowd out of the roadhouse and back aboard the train.
—
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media
Agents of the Vault – Parts 1 & 2
An adventure begins! Here’s a new fiction story I’m working on, it’ll continue for several weeks. I’ve also recorded each section as an episode of The GrantCast that’ll be released as each part is. The audio version also has a little bit of the backstory of the story and how it came to be.
If you want to subscribe to the Grantcast, you can do so with iTunes, or by using this feed in your favorite podcatcher. Enjoy! And let me know what you think of the story in the comments here, as we go along.
Alos, if you prefer a PDF version to read, CLICK HERE for that.
Finally, if you’d like to support my projects, visit www.patreon.com/saturdaymorningmedia
Agents of the Vault
By Grant Baciocco
Part 1
The rattlesnake had slithered up next to the still glowing embers of the fire for warmth a few minutes ago. It was just about lulled to sleep by the warmth when it was startled awake by the approach of horses. The snake began shaking its rattle of a tail as the lead rider dismounted and crossed to the fire. It rattled louder now as as the wiry woman crouched down by the still crackling remnants of the fire. Her long brown leather coat pooled around her on the ground. She tipped back the hat she wore as the heat from the fire reached her face. Her eyes squinted as she looked over the coals. Behind her, the three men on horseback looked on anxiously.
“This fire is only about an hour old. They can’t have gone too far ahead of us.” She said just loud enough for the men to hear her over the continued rattling of the snake.
“You think they rode north to Yankton?” Agent Brenner asked.
“Either that or south towards Tombstone. Both have a Vault.” Came her sharp reply. She stood suddenly from her crouched position and turned to her men. The snake, taking this as aggression, lunged at her boot. The rattler bit the side of her boot hard, driving its teeth into the leather. She didn’t look down as she continued barking order to her agents. “Spread out on foot, carefully. Follow any tracks moving away from the fire. Use torches. I want to know which direction they headed off in, in less than five minutes.”
The men were off their horses before she’d finished her sentence. The snake struggled to remove it’s fangs from the leather of her boot. She ignored it and looked out as far as she could in the darkness. Prairie as far as the eyes could see in the moonlight. “Which way did you go old man?” she whispered to herself. She thought of how long she had tracked him and his kind, but Grisom had always escaped her. The noose was tightening this time.
The tugging at her boot shook her from her thoughts. She looked down at the rattler, writhing to free itself. In a flash, her six shooter was out of it’s holster and she fired a single, unaimed, shot that severed the snake’s head cleanly from its body at the neck. The report echoed loudly across the open land.
The four horses whinnied nervously. The three agents froze and turned to her as the prairie was engulfed in silence once more. She holstered her weapon and turned fiercely toward the agents staring, gape mouthed at her. “You are standing around, which means you are not looking.”
The three men resumed their search without a word.
Part 2
They two men had hopped the train at the station in Kingsley. It had been a struggle getting the large trunk aboard the freight car and making sure it was handled carefully by the porters. The two men were now safely seated as the train lurched forward beginning their journey.
The older man sighed. He was gray haired and scraggly but his appearance gave onlookers the distinct impression that he should not be messed with. His clothes were not new and well worn, probably months, perhaps years since their last washing. He had a gun on either hip and both looked, much like his clothes, as if they were well worn as well. He took a few deep breaths and scanned the faces of the people on the platform outside the window as the train slowly started rumbling forward. Confident that they hadn’t been followed, he finally relaxed back in his seat when the train had cleared the station. The younger man sitting next to him looked over at him nervously. “You okay Grisom?”
“Yes, Charlie, I’m fine. I’m just getting less and less comfortable running so much for so long.” Grisom replied with a small chuckle.
“We gonna be safe in Yankton?” Charlie asked unfolding a pocket knife to cut the apple sitting in his lap.
“I reckon so.” Grisom drawled. “I sent word up on ahead to Doc so he could prepare for our arrival, but we can only hope the message arrived.” Grisom paused and coughed. “That trunk needs to get into Yankton and get into the Vault. It is of historical importance.” He looked at the young man riding beside him. “It was good of you to agree to come Charlie. I’m mighty grateful for your company and glad to have your gun along.”
Charlie smiled nervously. Grisom settled back in the seat and tipped his hat down over his eyes. Charlie looked out the window as the buildings of Kingsley thinned out and the train found its speed. Charlie was twenty two and what some would call ‘fresh faced.’ He cut an appearance slightly less ragged than his traveling companion but there were some sings of wear here and there. He was also armed, two pistols on either side and carried a large saddle bag had been attached a large strap to so it could be worn over his shoulder. His longer brown hair was blown around in the wind entering the car from the window they had taken a seat by.
Charlie’s eyes drifted from the passing landscape to the apple in his lap. Picking up the apple, he cut off a slice. He slid the piece into his mouth and chewed for a minute. After swallowing he looked back down at the apple and cut another slice, this one a little smaller than the first. He slowly lowered the hand with the apple slice towards the saddle bag at his side. When the apple was about three inches from the side of the pouch, the bagged shifted a little and a small, grey, furry arm with claws at the tips of the fingers, slipped out and grabbed the slice from him. The hand withdrew into the pouch quicker than it had appeared. A low whistle emanated from the bag.
Charlie patted the side of the bag, looking around to see if anyone had heard. “Shhh, girl.” The bag shifted slightly again and it seemed to settle down with the rocking of the train. The adrenaline of trying to make the train was finally ebbing as the plains opened up around the train car. Charlie felt his eyes begin to droop. He forced himself to keep them open just long enough to hand their tickets to the conductor. As the conductor passed, Charlie leaned back against the hard wooden seat. He made a quick glance over at Grisom who was deep in slumber. Charlie turned back to look out the window and the clear blue sky above the Kansas plain was the last thing he remembered seeing before drifting off to sleep.
—
©2015 Grant Baciocco/Saturday Morning Media