Splosh

When jumping up and down in muddy puddles, you must wear your boots. 

My Best of 2024 Watchlist

     For the last couple of years, I’ve been doing a sort of recap of the things that I watched throughout the year and liked to some degree or another. This year… I’m doing it again! Because this is the internet where everyone can post their opinion about things as if it’s something that other people actually care to know. 

Enjoy? 

Bluey - "The Sign" 

I’m starting with a “kids show.” I’ve heard several people complain about how low the quality of film and television has been lately, and to that I say, “Watch Bluey.” Kids. No kids. WATCH. BLUEY. This show never fails to make me laugh, cry, CRY, and restore my overall faith in humanity… 

 …even though they’re all... dogs. 

The episode “The Sign” hits the feels real hard in the best way. I’ve heard talk that it could be the series finale, and it certainly gives off that vibe. If so, I can’t think of a better way to wrap up such a perfect series. All good things must come to an end, after all, …as long as said good things continue to make mini episodes and maybe a movie! 

Deadpool and Wolverine 

This one’s definitely NOT a “kids show.” 

I guess this is sort of a ‘hot take’ but I’m not a big fan of the first two Deadpool movies. Not only that, but I also didn’t want to see Hugh Jackman play Wolverine again. Cut to me watching this thing and loving every single minute of it! 

The MCU is a much larger sandbox for Deadpool to play in, and while he definitely does that, I love how this movie mainly serves as a love letter to Fox’s Marvel movies. It’s a meta send off in a way that only Deadpool can deliver. 

Oh! And I also USED to think that Channing Tatum wouldn’t make a good Gambit. Please go ahead and read the rest of these reviews, but keep in mind… I know nothing. 

Young Woman and the Sea 

It was really refreshing getting a movie from Disney that wasn’t some big IP venture, but just an actual compelling story. Those are few and far between these days. 

I have ZERO athletic ability, but I love movies about athletes overcoming the odds, etc, etc. Daisy Ridley is incredible and, just like in Star Wars, plays the perfect balance of capable and vulnerable. That can’t be easy to do, but she pulls it off like the champ she is. I’m excited for the day when she’ll inevitably win an Academy Award. 

The Naboo Movie / The Great Kamino Caper / Mustafar Takes Los Angeles

This one's really three-in-one. Live script readings of the Star Wars prequels performed by a hilarious, but random, assembly of talent. You’ve got some former SNL members, some stars of Dropout TV, a Conan O’Brien cohost, the voice of Daffy Duck… basically a Who’s Who from my Instagram algorithm! And like I said, all coming together to act out Star Wars! Did I dream this?!? NO! It’s an actual thing! 

You can watch each of these masterpieces on YouTube and, if you have the same random proclivities as I do, you definitely should! I now genuinely want Vic Michaelis and Haley Joel Osment to star in some kind of buddy team up movie, and if it happens to be set in the Star Wars universe… obviously that would be fantastic. 

Skeleton Crew 

And speaking of Star Wars… I likes it like I take my Subway sandwiches… FRESH! 

That was stupid. I apologize. But that’s exactly how Skeleton Crew feels! Fresh! It’s a NEW story that revolves around NEW characters rather than relying on audiences to have seen Clone Wars, or that Lizzo episode of The Mandalorian, or whatever. 

It’s fun to see Star Wars grow in new directions and a swashbuckling adventure story that’s a little bit Treasure Island and a little bit Goonies works well in the Star Wars universe. 

I guess my only real problem with it is that I wish it was a movie. The story works fine stretched out over 8 episodes, but this is STAR WARS! I want better than fine! And this story with this budget, IN THEATERS with a tighter script, and Jon Watts directing? That would be an EVENT!

 The Eras Tour (Taylor’s Version) 

But this WAS an EVENT! 

What Star Wars is for me, Taylor Swift is for my 13 year old… and I respect that. Really and truly, Taylor Swift has a MUCH more consistently successful track record. 

I’ve never really been too up to speed on contemporary music, but witnessing a core memory form in my daughter that will inevitably shape the kind of person she grows up to be? That’s something that I will always cherish. It’s pretty much ALL TayTay all the time in our household lately, and I’m okay with that. My child will talk about “All Too Well” lyrics the way I talk about Han Solo or… that Lizzo episode of The Mandalorian! 

I like Taylor Swift. I like the influence she has on my child, and this concert will always hold a special place in my heart. 

Carry-On 

I love me some Jason Bateman. 

That’s it. 

That’s the review.

The Fabelmans 

It feels a little basic saying that Steven Spielberg is my favorite director. It’s like saying my favorite food is pizza or my favorite animal is the dog. Yeah, Nate! Everybody likes those things! Well, whatever. Basic I be, I guess, because the man is just the BEST! 

I finally got a chance to watch The Fabelmans this year and… Oof! What a good movie! The names are all changed, but it’s still obvious that this is a Steven Spielberg autobiography and therefore, I thought, a much more personal film than I’ve ever seen him do. I appreciate that he can be a director for as long as he has and still find new ways to challenge himself. New risks to take. He never phones it in and still has that same love for filmmaking that young Sam Fabelman has in this movie. 

Yeah. The BEST. 

Godzilla Minus One 

I finally got a chance to watch this one also. I probably don’t have anything to say that hasn’t already been said, but… yeah. This was good. 

I’ve never really cared for the giant monster movies, and here I am watching this one and actually getting emotional! You know how some people say that Jaws isn’t really about the shark? Well this movie isn’t really about the giant lizard monster with the laser breath. No matter how many bombs we drop, we’re never going to solve the problem until we deal with the man in the mirror, you know? Because the real Godzilla was inside us all along. 

Or not. Maybe not.

Like I said, I know nothing. 

The Penguin 

I remember hearing James Gunn mention that these stories that were separate from the main DC continuity would be known as “Elseworld” stories and be branded as such. I clicked on the first episode of The Penguin because I was curious what that branding would look like. Like a logo or something? This is just how I nerd. 

I didn’t notice any of that, but I was instantly hooked on the actual show! Unlike so many streaming series out there, this show never lags. Each episode delivers a new layer of depth and intensity chronicling the transformation of a hardened criminal to becoming the absolute monster that a Batman villain is supposed to be! 

Arcane: Season Two 

I watched the first season of this show strictly because I thought the animation looked incredible. If the show was crap, I could at least mute it and just revel in the visuals. That wasn’t the case though. The writing is top notch with every single character being so multi faceted, it amazes me. It’s based on a video game that I know absolutely nothing about, and I still get so much out of this show. 

Season One surprised me, but I was anticipating Season Two and it did NOT disappoint! The only downside, really is that it’s over now. Two and done. The series is made up of three-part story arcs, so it seems a little strange to me that it’s only two seasons and not three, but making a show like this probably isn’t cheap. Hopefully, plenty of others are as blown away by this show as I am and we see more of this level of quality in future animation.

Wicked 

Definitely my favorite movie of the year! I have been wanting a Wicked movie for years now. Every year would go by without a Wicked movie and my want for one would only grow more and more, and sadly, the likelihood of it starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth became less and less. 

But yeah. A LOT was riding on this movie! Normally, this level of expectation would only work against my enjoyment of the film, but not this time! This thing lived up to the hype! So much so that practically every song had me in tears. The sheer spectacle of it all reminded me of the classic musicals we all grew up with while, at the same time, being something completely new! The two leads were incredible and each deserves an Oscar, in my opinion. They even found a satisfying way to work in Misses Menzel and Chenoweth! 

What are the kids saying? “Holding space?” I’m holding space, y’all! 

I mean… I think I am. 

Topping Off 2024

     Here again are my blog headers/corner cards from the past year. 2024 was a rough year for me with a lot of ups and downs so I've decided to take 2025 a little more like Valerie Bertinelli... 

...

...

...One day at a time.

Yeesh! Talk about rough! Happy New Year, kids!

"I'll Wash, You Dry."

     Muppet Family Christmas is one of my absolute favorite Christmas specials. Here's my little take on Jim Henson's cameo in the special.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

To the FOUNDER OF THE FEAST!

The Intrepid Kilroy

     I’ve always been a huge fan of toys. A lot of people grow out of it. I don’t know how that works. It hasn’t happened to me yet. 

     Back in 2021, I was going through a whole thing, like I do from time-to-time, where I feel burnt out on fan art and long to sink my teeth into something more original. I was watching a lot of The Toys That Made Us (incredible show by the way) and had the thought… I should create my own line of action figures! 

Not literally, of course. Ha! I wish! CAN YOU IMAGINE?!? 

     I’ve played around with… what do you even call this… toy fan art(?) before with this and these, but, like I said, I really wanted to go all in on something original and basically conceptualize a line of action figures that I would have LOVED as a kid. So after working hard on it the last couple of years, I’m finally proud to introduce what I’m calling ZAGLORDS! 

     So the idea here is that Kilroy, who is of course the main character in the whole line (my He-Man, my Optimus, my Rainbow Brite) has this sort of power called the Cosmic Flame that he uses to create different constructs. His go to weapon of choice is this staff, that you'll see in his accessories, which he nicknames, "The Big Bang." He can also use his power to create rockets, basketballs, you name it... and to give everything his own sense of flair, Kilroy also conjures a multitude of stickers covering everything he creates. I even thought it'd be fun to have every Zaglords action figure come with their own unique collectible sticker so kids can do the same, but I wasn't able to find room in the budget. What?

     Of course, Kilroy here actually dates back way further than 2021. Cozy up, kiddies! It’s time for some backstory... WITH old artwork to make it, you know... a humbling backstory!

     When I was in the sixth grade, which was a while ago, I wrote a story titled, “Space Chase: The Search for Barney.” I talk about it here, but it was basically a short “book” comprised of mostly illustrations (done in erasable pen) that told the story of a trio of space cops on a mission to rescue Barney the dinosaur from an evil Big Bird and Mister Rogers. 

     It was the hottest of nonsense but believe me when I tell you it… was… EVERYTHING to preteen Nathan! I spent the next few years developing this idea further. I even illustrated “posters” for several Space Chase sequels. Again… with an erasable pen. 

     In high school, the idea evolved in a different direction. I, of course, got rid of all the PBS references and changed each of the characters in various ways. The main change being that, instead of space police, they were now a ragtag group of thieves. After watching Kelly’s Heroes and listening to the song “Mr. Roboto,” I decided to name the main character Kilroy. 

     The years went by and I would often revisit the idea. In college, I even finished my first draft of a Space Chase screenplay. It told the story of a group of thieves who use a cosmic crystal to save the galaxy. And again… not a purple dinosaur in sight. This was going to be my ticket, I thought, but life played out differently (and for the better) and the whole thing eventually fell by the wayside. 

     Then, in 2014, James Gunn gave us the Guardians of the Galaxy… about a group of thieves who use a cosmic crystal to save the galaxy. I absolutely love that movie! Those characters are probably my favorite part of the MCU! I mean, of course they are! I had unknowingly been developing Starlord since I was in high school! I became very discouraged (from a creative standpoint) and never gave Kilroy and his friends another thought. 

     Cut to 2021 when, like I said, I started developing this toy line. I wanted a concept that was open enough for me to be able to plug in any kind of wacky character I could come up with, and it still make sense. Alien ninjas, robot ghosts… purple dinosaurs. You name it! This is how I settled on the “hyperverse” for the setting – a place where basically anything is possible. I’m a fan of the 80’s retro future style and thought it’d be fun to have my main character be loosely based on Disney’s Captain EO. You see where I’m going here.

 I named the guy Kilroy.

     Kilroy is determined and resilient. He’s a risk taker, an optimist, an innovator, and at times… a little reckless. Like I said, the kind of toy/character that I would have LOVED as a kid. He may be a little derivative, but I try to remind myself that everything has been done before, but not by you. Do your best to make it your own. Don’t get discouraged. Have fun… and settle down. 

 This is just a post on some blog, dude!

Rock and Granite

     I recently started working with Procreate the way SEVERAL artists out there do! There's been a few learning curves to work around but, for the most part, I'm really enjoying it!

     Part of that learning curve though involves spending some time on a thing only to not be happy with the final result... because I don't fully know what I'm doing just yet. Such is the case with this character poster for Wacky Races. I'm just not feeling it. Part of it is being a new to Procreate. Part of it is just my skill or lack thereof as an artist. I was also prepping for a colonoscopy while working on this. That definitely played a part as well.

I might make another attempt later on but, for now, I'm just going to post it and move on. 

Reminiscing about Wacky Races while prepping for a colonoscopy. Old age is hitting weird, guys.

Witches

Happy Halloween, everyone! 

Here are some random witches who might not be that spooky, but would definitely make for a fun night of trick-or-treating!

Magic and Wonder

I'm just going to post these under the assumption that everyone already knows about Zoobilee Zoo.