Friday, August 29, 2008

Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor


Last night Mitsouky and I saw the new Mummy movie. It was good but not awesome. I thought that it very predictable. I liked the special effects but if they were not done by Industrial Light and Magic. The effects appeared kind of "cartoony" and nothing that I had not seen before. I liked Jet Li, but then I always like Jet Li. He seemed kind of "toned" down. It felt like he could have done more impressive fight scenes but due to the limitations of his role he didn't. I have seen his martial arts skills in other movies and they are way more impressive. Kind of like when Bruce Lee was on the Green Hornet television show. The best parts about the movie was trying to incorporate similar stories from the history of China and the family dynamic of Rick and Evie and their now-adult son. Luke Ford was a great as Alex O'Connell. I liked his character a lot. He was so much like his parents it caused friction in their relationship and made the obvious ending reconciliation of father and son really good. I also liked how Rick and Evie's marriage was shown to be strong and how they relied on one another. The characters all grew including Evie's brother. The story takes place soon after WWII ends and its hinted at that they were spies and adventurers for the Allies during the war. I think a series, animated or live-action, covering those adventures would be great!
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Wednesday, August 27, 2008

New Hulk DVD


I have just heard from ReelComix that the Incredible Hulk DVD is going to be released October 21, 2008. So that's about a month after the Iron Man DVD which hits September 30th. I liked both movies and I hope to get both DVDs. To promote the Hulk, Marvel placed a life-sized statue of the Hulk at several theaters through out the country. One of them was at the Sony Metreon in San Francisco, CA. My cousin Anthony and I saw it when we went to see The Dark Knight. The statues are about 8 feet tall and my cousin is about 6 feet tall. Anthony allowed me to take a picture of him next to the statue so that people could get a sense of scale! Tell you one thing, I would not want the Hulk angry at me.

Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Black Comic Characters - Green Lantern


The Green Lantern is one of those comic book characters that has a very convoluted history...especially to the mainstream culture. When discussing Green Lantern it is important to realize that it is not really a single character, but an intergalactic police corps. Each Lantern possesses a power ring that they wear on one their fingers (or tentacles depending on the species). The ring, through unknown fictional energies, can create anything in physical space that the user can imagine. It allows them to fly through the air, in space, or underwater. The more will power and the more imagination the user has, the more powerful the ring makes them. On occasion, the rings have shown sentience by choosing their own wielders. The Green Lantern Corps are controlled and overseen by a race of powerful beings called The Guardians. They created the rings, ultimately choose the beings in the core, and assigns which Green Lantern is responsible for which sector of space.

Because of various reasons, the sector of space containing earth has had about 5 different humans functioning as Green Lantern and sometimes simultaneously. The one that appears in media outside of comic books in the past most often was a test pilot named Hal Jordan, a white man. He is the Green Lantern featured in the animated movie released on DVD spring of 2008 called Justice League: The New Frontier. He was also the Green Lantern used in almost every cartoon I saw growing up. However since 2001, when Justice League was adapted into a television animated show, Hal Jordon was not chosen to be the Green Lantern by the shows' creators. Instead they chose the only black man from the comic books to be Green Lantern, John Stewart. The show did not go into his back story as much as they did in the books. In the show it mentions that John had been a marine and been in love with his Green Lantern trainer just like in the comic books. However in the books it was pointed out that because John is an architect, he has a powerful imagination that allows him to be very good at using his power ring. Also in both incarnation, John is very disciplined, moral, and not given to wise cracking all that much. The other departure from the comic book that they did in the show was having John fall in love with Hawkgirl and develop a complicated relationship between him, Hawkgirl, and Vixen( a black female superhero). John also guest starred in a couple of episodes of the show Static Shock, made by many of the same producers of Justice League.

All in all I like this version of Green Lantern the best. He was one of the first major black superhero at DC Comics. His ring puts him almost on the same footing as Superman and he definitely knows how to use that power. Thankfully there is a mugen character based on John Stewart. Here is a short video of computer controlling him fighting a computer controlled Sinestro.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Mugen Project


I'm interested in learning how to use my computer programming skills to write video games. Thankfully, I can use Mugen to practice. So far I've been finding content that others have created and using them to make my own fighting games. Now I think it is time to make my own content. - characters and stages. Also thankfully there is so much tutorials and tools available. I want to create a Black Panther and a Blade characters because as far as I can tell no one has released those. I guess the first thing is to take a character that already exists and see what how it is put together. I want to make a couple of characters and corresponding stages that work on the Windows Mugen of Windows. I'm excited at the prospect of releasing them for others to play. I will post tests and demos as they become available.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Today is a big day

Today, August 20, 2008. is my fourth wedding anniversary. I thank God daily for the gift he has so graciously bestowed upon me - my wife. Mitsouky is so wonderful in so many different ways. She has an outgoing personality. She lights up a room with her charm. She is so very intelligent. God blesses her to accomplish whatever He puts in her. She has wonderful people skills and does her best work in the center of attention without being arrogant or prideful. On top of that she is beautiful - inside and out; physically and mentally. On top of all of that she is a powerful partner and helpmate. I have no idea what I would do without her. She has also blossomed as a mother. Our daughter is blessed to have her as a mother. I love her sense of humor and her abilities to sing and dance. Mitsouky brings the party with her where ever she goes. She loves music and has talents that allow her to explore musical genres.

The Bible says that

Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD. Proverbs 18:22 (KJV)
Mitsouky is my good thing. I love that scripture. It reminds me that no matter what my wife is a gift from God and He gave her to me to show me His favor. Favor is undeserved on my part, meaning it was because of his mercy and goodness not because of anything I have said or done. I thank Mitsouky for choosing to give me the love God has put inside of her for me and for accepting the love God has put inside me for her.

Not that there aren't problems or issues. Not that sometimes neither one of us knows what to do or how to do. But with the help of God we stick to one another, loving and caring for each other's needs and desires just as much as we care about our own individual needs and desire.

The only downside to having an anniversary in the middle of a week is that we can't celebrate that day. So we'll be celebrating this weekend.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

Black Comic Characters - Cyborg



Cyborg is a DC comics character and has been with the Teen Titans since the team was first formed in 1980s. I did a little research and realized that there is a lot more to cyborg than I thought. If part of the historical experience of being African-American is to be outside of mainstream America, then Cyborg being black and being cybernetic means that he deals with predjudice from the whole human race. Cyborg is a tortured soul who instead of turning evil after disaster and tragedy chooses to be a hero. I think that is what I like most about him. He is such a major DC character that he has appeared in other media like cartoons as the Super Friends in the early eighties. In that incarnation he looks much like his original comic book depiction (pictured on the left). During the early 2000's there was a show on Cartoon Network based on the Teen Titans that included Cyborg. In that version he looked very different (on the right) and it took sometime for it to grow on me. He has even been in two episodes on Smallville portrayed by Lee Thompson Young (above in the center). In Smallville Cyborg's cybernetics are not visible. He looks like everyone else. I dislike that because then you can't explore that expect of his character - how does he deal people who refuse to see past his appearance? The show isn't about him and it would take way too much time to do that subject justice. Also for non-comic book fans, visible cybernetics could have made him harder to identify with. This is why in the Spider-man films, the film makers decided to have the characters face unmasked at key emotional moments of those films. Cyborg has a huge fan base and I am grateful that someone decided to make a Mugen character for him. I have demo at the end of this article.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

The True Meaning of Ambidexterous


I found the picture on the left on the internet and I know it perfectly captures what the word Ambidexterous means to me!
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Countdown for Heroes

I can't wait for season 3

Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Monday, August 18, 2008

Gemini Division Episodes I & II

A few weeks ago I was reading the blog called Sci-Fi/Journalist and came across a posting about a webisode series called Gemini Division on NBC.com starring Rosario Dawson and Justin Hartley. Both great actors. Although I have seen 2 episodes, each just deepen the mystery as to what is going on. I can't wait to see how it further unfolds. I got all the material on this post from Sci-fi/Journalist and from NBC.com and here is the first episode.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Heroes Season 2 DVD


I am excited because Heroes Season 2 drops next week on DVD and Blu-Ray. I was real disappointed that the television writers strike earlier this year cut season 2 short. Of course I think it was the mercy of God because during the strike my church was on a TV Fast anyway. This made the Fast a little easier to endure and sacrifice. Of course this means watching Season 1 and Season 2 before Season 3 airs Septemeber 22. I want to watch them all over in order.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Black Comic Book Creator - Aaron McGruder

I have been very impressed by the work of Aaron McGruder. There is much information about him, but I could not find a home page for him. He is the creator of the Boondocks. It is a nationally syndicated comic strip and an animated comedy series airing om the Cartoon Network. Instead of commenting on the property itself I want to concentrate on talking about what it says about racism and religion. Just about every character in the series represents a stereotype expanded to outlandish conditions, but I think its unfair to just write off what McGruder and his fellow artists are saying. There really are black people who identify so much with white people that they hate other black people. There really are black people who are so into the gangsta hip hop culture that they do not see how evil and corrupt and anti-Christ it is. There really people who have not thought out the implications and foreign policies since World War II that we are paying for now. What is troubling to me about Boondocks, especially the television series, is the "gratuitous" use of the "N-word". I hate that word no matter who says it or how often. My wife is often fond of pointing out the inconsistency of hating the word and not wanting people to use the word around me but liking to watch the show on television. I'd say that McGruder is correct in his defense that this is the way black people today interact with each other. I think the show should show us how silly and self-destructive we are. to use that word It is supposed to satirical...not only of White America but also Black America. I don't really know if that is what the show's writers have in mind, but that is what I see. I think that maybe they do. In season 1 of the show there was a very very controversial episode that imagined that instead of dying 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. fell into a comma and woke up in 2000. One of the plot points was that in the wake the September 11, 2001 attack, King, in the story asked for non-violence and was vilified and marginalized by the media and society. In 2005, King, with the help of Huey ( main character of the series), tries to continue his work only to find out that his ideas have become anachronistic. He has become a cliche to sell merchandise. At the end of the story when a group of black people refuse to listen to him because they are more interested in partying, King goes off angrily decrying all the evils of black America. You know...the things we can't blame white people for. It was poignant and very very funny. It drew fire from Al Sharpton because MLK used the "N-word" a lot. It did not bother me because everything that was said was the truth and the people who listening in the story were behaving that way. Maybe if our leaders really said those things to our young people they would wake up and cause a lasting revolution like the one depicted at the end of that episode. Like Huey I can dream can't I?

I see nothing in any character other than Huey to inspire or want my children to emulate. I don't agree with all of Huey's ideas. I agree with his views on History and Racism. And I think he embodies the cynicism of my generation extremely well. However if he had a theology it would be the ideas of James Cone which I cannot support. The only hope we have to be free of the bonds of racism and economic oppression is to be freed from our sins. Only Jesus can do that.

I'm sadden that the comic strip has been canceled but much of the series has been collected into trade paperbacks. I plan to get some of them and I also plan to get season 2 of the series on DVD (which is out). Here is one of my favorite episodes: "Return of the King."


Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Black Comic Book Creator - Reginald Hudlin

If you are like me than you may not have been familiar with who Reginald Hudlin is but you are familiar with his work. He has been in the entertainment industry for years Since 1990 - writing, directing, producing, and sometimes simultaneously. He was named President of Entertainment for BET in June of 2005 and since then BET has actually had programming that I want to watch! I think he has a lot to do with that. I found out this information because I came across an announcement that BET will be airing and producing an animated series based on the Marvel character and comic book The Black Panther. Needless to say I was excited and have written a few posts about the Black Panther on the blog. I have unfortunately been unable read many comic books in the past few years so I was amazed that Hudlin is also writing the comic book. He's a busy guy to be juggling all those projects at once. However the fact that he writes the monthly book also gives me hope that the animated series is in good hands. I just hope that it is on the same level as the other great animated projects that have been on the air since 1992. I founds an interview he did on the internet that is quite good called "Who Is Reginald Hudlin?" He talk about doing feature films and writing Black Panther and Spider-man. I've missed most of this work but I plan to try to catch up. Here is a video interview from Comic Con.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Black Comic Creator - Christopher Priest


Christopher Priest is the first black person to work at Marvel Comics and at DC Comics as a writer and as an editor. Looking at his website shows that he is into music, photography, and the arts. He changed is name in the 1990's and some of his work is under his given name James Owsley. I'd seen his work and enjoyed him for years and never knew he was black. Historically, whenever you are the first black anything you end up dealing with so much racism and obstacles. It was no different for Christopher. Somehow I thought it was different for black comic book creators. I guess it was hopeful thinking. I mean at Marvel I thought that it would be less racist especially in the 1980's because one of Marvel's flagship franchises, X-men, is an unabashed parallel to man's inhumanity to man based on nothing more than difference in appearance or ability. I guess I thought that the people who work there carry those same ideas personally in their lives.

What I liked about Priest's website is his essays on his life experiences and the peers he worked with. He doesn't seem bitter at all concerning the shocking racism he endured. Personally, I wouldn't have made it. Had he given up, I don't think we would have as many black characters or black people working in the entertainment industry as we do today. Priest wrote about his regrets and triumphs. It was so real. He neither painted anyone completely evil or good. Not even himself I was amazed at how he had to constantly prove himself over and over and how few breaks he got. He seemed almost expected to fail and not succeed. One of the things that I love that he wrote was back in the mid-eighties: Spider-man vs Wolverine. He showed a profound understanding of their personality and great action sequences. I liked it a lot and still have a copy. Although set in the background of Cold-War East Berlin, the story makes you feel like you are there.

He was also responsible for great stories in the Black Panther title that was launched in 1998. His website does a great job of documenting the major works he's done in comics. I would also recommend reading his essays about working in the industry. When he edited the Spider-man books, he resisted the idea of Spider-man marrying Mary Jane Watson. He thought that it would ruin the character because Spider-man should be free to date whomever so that young single guys could identify with him. Twenty-Two years later Marvel seems to agree, in 2007 they effectively started to pretend the marriage never happened. I don't agree with him, and at the time he was fired. I think it added more drama and gave him someone to carry the burdens of his life with.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Black Comic Characters - Black Panther


Marvel Comics must have published thousands of characters during its nearly 70 year history. Not all of those characters are as well known as Spider-Man, Wolverine, or the Hulk, especially black characters. Black Panther may not be well known but he's one of my favorite. He's not an African-American character because he is an African. He's a born and raised African monarch in a fictional African nation called Wakanda. Keep in mind that all of Marvel's characters populate the same universe (or multi-verse). This means that they are all connected. That is one of the things that makes it all very interesting. In our world, most (if not all) the nations of Africa are poorly developed, impoverished, and economically exploited for their wealth of resources. (You know writing about that make me want to address that at a future date.)

However, Wakanda is far different. It is one of the most (arguably the most) sophisticated nation on the fictional earth of the Marvel Universe. They had never been subjugated by anyone and this is because of their fighting skills and remoteness. Their King is given superhuman abilities through the use of a herb. This is why the Black Panther can go toe-to-toe with super villains and keep up with his teammates in the superhero team called the Avengers. The Avengers will be made into a movie soon, I hope Black Panther will be included. The Black Panther is not just a great fighter but he is a top-notch military strategist, scientist, and engineer, rivaling Tony Stark (Iron Man), Reed Richards (from the Fantastic Four), and Dr. Doom. Wakanda is almost a Utopia. Wakanda is a sovereign and rich nation independent from the rest of the world.

If you are unfamiliar with the politics and stories Marvel publishes you may wonder why Black Panther has so much conflict and drama? Why would he have to fight so hard to protect his people? (I mean besides racism.) Simple. Black Panther's country contains the only deposits of a fictional metal called Vibranium. It's precious because it can absorb any form of energy thrown at it and reflect it. It's rare. It doesn't take much imagination to see a great many people would want it and not all for ethical reasons, even if it means destroying Wakandans to get it. I mean why pay for it when you can take it. That's is what such people do in Africa in real life. Black Panther however will not all his people to be bullied or destroyed. He does not play and won't cower before anyone not even the United States. He manipulates his enemies staying many many steps ahead of them. Don't get me wrong, if he has to fight he does, like his namesake with moves that Batman would envy.

To give an idea of how important vibranium is consider that Captain America's indestructible shield is made of vibranium alloyed with adamantium, an indestructible fictional metal and the same metal that laces Wolverine's skeleton.

Over much of time he has been depicted more as a superhero than a true monarch -- along side the Avengers, saving the world. More recently they have play up his role as a king. Exploring the politics and culture in his country. Looking at his motivations. How does a guy like this deals with American Foreign policy? All interesting and heavy questions. I love that stuff as much as I like the high-paced action/fight sequences.

Black Panther will be getting a solo animate television series next year on BET. As far as I know, BET's President of programming, REGINALD HUDLIN, is currently the writer of Black Panther's current comic book series. Mr Hudlin is very talented and he's been taking Black Panther is some new directions...for example in the books, Black Panther has gotten married....to Storm from X-men. Good choice. She is very regal and queenly. It also adds all the dynamics that comes from Storm being there. I mean he's got to deal with the fact that I'm sure many of his subjects don't like the idea of their queen being a mutant....oh the drama.

Another writer on the book I admire is Christopher Priest...who was the first black writer/editor at both Marvel and DC Comics. I'll be writing about him in the future as well. I enjoyed his first story arcs when the book was first launched back the very late Nineties. The first stories were told in the first person from one of the supporting characters...a skinny, cowardly white guy in over-his-head and out of his element. I forget the character's name right now. Ross something. He referred to Black Panther as "the Client" and he was assigned as a liaison between the US State Department and Black Panther. He was told basically to avoid incidents and to babysit. Before the end of it, Ross and the reader were in for the ride of our lives. I think the first arc was called "Enemy of the State". I highly recommend it. Marvel collected the entire story into a trade paperback or you should be able to find it at Marvel's digital comics.

Lastly, I'm sure all who have read my blog know I like to play Mugen. As of yet I have not been able to find a Black Panther mugen character but as soon as I do, I will post it here.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Sunday, August 17, 2008

Dark Knight on DVD!!!


It's not a surprise but a certain conclusion Warner Brothers will release The Dark Knight on DVD soon. Admittedly, I'm not sure exactly when the DVD is coming out. ReelComix did not have that information. What ReelComix did deliver is a picture (on the left) showing the art on the single DVD, two-disk DVD, and Blu-Ray.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

More Iron Man DVD News




Well, ReelComix has done it again. I'm excited so I just had to post this one too. Apparently Access Hollywood has gotten it's hands on a deleted scene from Iron Man! I'm assuming that it will be on the DVD. I have to agree with the writer of the article in asking how did they get this!!? The guy's right however...the question is moot because at least we get to see it. Truth is I'm glad they left it out because in the comics, Tony could have flown halfway around the world without a problem. Further the clip makes Tony look even more like a womanizing jerk. That had already been well-established. And I thought that the movie was about how Tony grew out of that attitude and his old mindset.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Finally More DVDs to Collect



Two of the biggest movies released this year is coming to VDV and Blue Ray. I really enjoyed them in the theater and I look forward to enjoying them at home this fall. The movies are Iron Man (September 30, 2008) and the Incredible Hulk. I plan to write critiques and analysis of both in light of Biblical theology soon.

I really like ReelComics.com It is where I first read the announcement. Here is the one about Iron Man and the other concerning the Hulk.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Monday, August 11, 2008

The Truth Behind G. Craig Lewis Part 3

Anthony from Hazakim pointed out many historical inaccurate claims Lewis has publicly stated in his "The Truth Behind Hip Hop" series. Toward the end of his first DVD, Lewis stated that Freddie Stone, who was the lead guitarist of the group Sly and the Family Stone , had said that he and other members were high on heroine when they wrote music. This is what Lewis said:



Today Pastor Frederick Stewart (Freddie Stone) has been now saved upwards of 28 years and is now Pastor of Evangelist Temple Church of God in Christ in Vallejo, California. On top of that he is my Pastor and in public and private has made no secret of the life of drugs that God delivered him from. He has said that he never shot up heroine. That means that Lewis is wrong. Pastor Stewart has no reason to not admit it if it were true. He admits to everything else. He boasts not himself but in what God has done for him and through him. If Lewis was right Pastor Stewart would use it as one more proof of what God has delivered him from. Pastor Stewart has not said anything of the kind of things Lewis said that he had said.

Lewis also said that he was instrumental in the conversion of Kevin Thornton. Kevin was a member of the group Color Me Badd. Here is Lewis talking about it:



Then I heard Kevin's testimony. It's a beautiful testimony about what God delivered him from but nothing about Lewis or Lewis casting 49 demons out of him. This is how Kevin answered the question about why and how he became a gospel artist.


I have found some corroborating evidence on the internet. Read this article here. It even has an audio clip of a demon supposedly talking through Thornton. This post references to another post that says the clip was provided by Bob Larson. Bob Larson is not really a credible source. He is spoken of well by Lewis but is debunked by the Christian Research Institute (CRI). Here is an article they published in the CRI Journal. Because of his teachings, they and many ministers do not take Larson's tales as factual. Neither I, CRI, nor orthodox historic Christianity denies the existence of demons or demon possession but I just don't think Larson is being truthful. I will write more on him in another article. Added to the fact that Larson claims to have performed the exorcism on Thornton and Lewis make the same claim without either mentioning the presence of the other I've got to wonder if either one is telling the truth. The picture on the right is of the group Color Me Badd and Kevin is the black man. I cannot find anyplace where Kevin Thornton confesses to have needing an exorcism.
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Monday, August 4, 2008

Marvel vs DC Rivalry

There are so many rivalries over a wide range of industries. Cal Berkeley vs Stanford. A's vs Giants. Raiders vs 49'ers. Apple Macs vs Windows PCs. Such rivalries are highly emotional and cause people to draw hard lines of demarcation. In the comic book industry, the biggest rivalry is Marvel vs DC. These publishers each have the most respected and most recognized fictional characters of the 20th and 21st centuries. Everything from the books themselves to the movies and merchandising based on them are compared to one another and scrutinized. Who is better Superman or Spider-man? Batman or Wolverine? Ask 10 different people you will have 100 different opinions. On YouTube there is a channel, called ItsJustSomeRandomGuy, that is basically comedy that explores the difference between Marvel and DC styled on the those Mac vs PC commercial with the cheesy piano music and a guy dressed in a business suit personifying PCs and a guy casually dressed personifying Mac. I love those commercials...obviously Mac biased but fun to watch. Here is an example:
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Saturday, August 2, 2008

Black Comic Characters - Spawn


I'm sure that many have seen or heard of the character Spawn. You have seen the comics, the HBO shows, and the movie. Yes, some might say that such a character that has been popular in all the media of our society that happens to be a black superhero shows how far we have come in terms of race relations, but I think that closer scrutiny is needed. I have to point out that Spawn was created by a white man, Todd McFarlane. I'm not saying that is a bad thing. For example, the character Blade was created by two white men in the 1970s and I have very little negative things to say about Blade and how he is characterized. Spawn on the other hand is so disfigured that it's hard to tell that he was black. I use the past tense that he's also dead and gets his super powers from the devil. This bring us some theological and racial problems. There are a few other characters out there who's powers are demonic but none have had the same success as Spawn. This is why I single him out. If you are familiar with the story, the devil recruits Spawn to lead his army to fight and conquer heaven. Tis is definitely an anti-biblical plot contrivance. Why would the devil give Spawn supernatural powers and then allows Spawn to use those powers against him?

I have three other problems with the back story of Spawn. One is that no where in the story is Jesus or God even remotely brought up as having to do with the story. The devil is depicted with all of the power and Heaven is on the defensive. This is also opposite to what the Bible says.

Two, in the comics Spawn's best friend that ended up marrying Spawn's wife, Wanda, after Spawn died. They had child when Spawn and Wanda never could. I admit that this added a lot of drama when Spawn shows up after 5 years to find out that his wife married to his best friend and with the child he could never give her initially not knowing that he had been in hell five years. Ouch. Thing is in the comic books and cartoon Spawn's friend is black and in the movie he is white. What were the producers of the movie trying to say about black men and black families? Let me blunt. They were saying: Look at this black man - he wasn't able to protect himself or his family so a white man had to step up and do it. Make it worse...he can't protect Wanda without power the devil gives him.

Third, the movie glamorizes hell and paints a picture that hell is fun not torment. That you have super powers if you go and can go and leave whenever you want. More religious heresy. I realize that a lot of people did not look at Spawn these ways. They look at it as entertaining fiction. But the way it expresses itself can't be ignored and points to a worldview we must be aware of. I like the character visually....he look cool in full costume and his power set is interesting, but don't forget that we must always look at truth and think about what is really being said. There is a mugen character for Spawn. Here is a demo of Spawn fighting Spider-man and with both characters being computer controlled. Spider-man owned Spawn as it should be!
Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions

Friday, August 1, 2008

The Truth about G Craige Lewis Part 2


As promised in the last part of this article, I want to spend part 2 discussing the response to G. Craige Lewis' ministry against hip hop. I particularly want to use the response from the gospel Hip Hop group known as Hazakim. I like these brothers. Their work that I have heard is very spiritual, intelligent, clever, apologetical in nature, theologically sound. I gained even more respect for them after reading a response to Mr. Lewis' claims about Hip Hop and Gospel Hip Hop by Anthony. The response is so well written and reasoned I was so grateful to God for inspiring him and his brother the way God has done. I thought that Anthony was gracious and right on target. Anthony also quoted a lot of scripture skillfully and rightly. I can't say the same of Lewis. He pointed out that Lewis is correct in pointing out that mainstream Hip Hop does corrupt some people. It does glamorize sin. However it is a sin to slanderize people in the church for being hip hop artists who also live God-glorifying lives that are trying to use the Hip Hop music style to win souls. This is seen doing with great zeal. He refers to the past sins of McClurkin and Franklin that have long been repented of to God. They publicly repented. If God has forgiven them, why should anyone still be chastising them for it? Lewis is saying that God cannot use Hip Hop to reach people when everyone who looks at the issue can see that He can and does us Hip Hop to talk to some people. Hip Hop as a tool. It's an art style and has become a life style. The life style we see shown on videos and depicted in the mainstream music is definitely god-less, wicked, and evil. The life style cannot be reconciled with the Biblical Christianity we are supposed to be living by.
Here is an example of the kind of music Hazakim releases and tell me if Lewis' message does more to build the kingdom of God on earth.

Read more >>

Return to Main page.

View blog reactions