My Favorite 3 Comic Book Super Villains

Fantastic Four #5 (July 1962), Doctor Doom's first appearance. (Wikipedia)

In our world of crime and villainy, it is good to be able to enter a world where the villains are evil but acceptable because of their evil. Comic book writers have created some brilliant superheroes over the years, and they have also created some brilliant super villains. These villains are truly evil, and we know it, but how many of them would you want to be locked away in a prison or killed? Probably none of them, they are as much a part of the enjoyment as the heroes themselves. Totally over the top, they are loved as much as Batman and Superman. 

Below are a few of my favorite human villains from comics over the years.

Rolling Stones To Head Glastonbury 2013

After a two-year gap, Glastonbury is revving up to rock with an impressive line-up of iconic acts and emerging new talent. Two hundred acts are already confirmed but there are only three words on most people’s minds – The Rolling Stones.

As the ancient proverb goes, a rolling stone gathers no moss. So despite time not being on their sides, festival goer’s should expect a fresh, reinvented sound from Ronnie, Keith and co, right?

5 Amazing Rube Goldberg Machines

People find strange and amazing ways to spend their time. Concocting Rube Goldberg machines is one brilliant example of just how humans choose to express brilliance and wackiness simultaneously. A Rube Goldberg machine is a device that goes to extraordinary and often comic lengths to create a complex machine that performs the most mundane tasks. The challenge is often in the flawless execution of the machine due to the fact that its complexity can cause it to fail nine out of ten times. Indulge your need for the extemporaneous by checking out just a few of these feats of ridiculous engineering.

Gaming: Where Trolling Began

The phenomenon of online ‘trolling’ is a fairly new one, with its roots dating back to the early 2000s. The origin of Internet trolling can be found in the first instant messaging services, such as MSN Messenger, where – unfortunately – school playground bullies could now take their daily activities online and into the evenings and weekends as well.

But the real foundation of trolling can be found in technological advances such as faster Internet connections and Xbox Live, both of which facilitated online gaming and made it more accessible to a greater number of people. What started as a fun way to meet new friends online quickly became a bit of a nightmare.

Post-Meteorite Recovery

The whole world was amazed a few months ago when a meteorite crashed through the earth's atmosphere and crash landed in an until then little heard of part of Russia. The incredible images were shown all over the world, and while nobody was killed, a lot of people suffered injuries and a lot of damage was done by our unexpected visitor. In the aftermath of the shock, the town closest to the point where the meteorite hit, Chelyabinsk, is now looking to take advantage of their new found fame.

5 Psychological Tricks Interrogators Use On Criminals

We've all watched the imaginary suspects on televisions hows get grilled. Usually there's a large, muscular cop with a bad temper yelling at the suspect, maybe breaking some furniture, maybe breaking the suspect himself. On the other side of the room is the more mild-mannered, polite officer who promptly removes their overly-enthusiastic partner as soon as the first chair (or nose) breaks. The good cop/bad cop routine, although a bit over played in TV police dramas, is a classic interrogation technique. However it is not the only, or even most commonly used, method.

5 Great Movies That Started As Theatre

The recent success of Les Miserables has many movie goers clamoring for more big screen drama that started in the theatre. Les Miserables raked in the awards and pushed the limit of ticket sales at the box office. This kind of critical acclaim is actually fairly common for theatre turned into film. Plays that do make it to the big screen often do so because of their success on the stage. There are thousands upon thousands of films that are based on plays and often, the audience is unaware of the fact. The following critically acclaimed movies all draw their inspiration from the stage. Success in this transition coupled with good ticket sales contribute to making these films classics which everyone must see.

Book Tour: 'The Jeweler' by Ken Murray [Giveaway Included]

We might have a gem of a Book Tour here with the stop we're hosting today... 
'The jeweler' by Ken Murray, is the story of Cole Hanson, an assassin for the CIA who learned the jewelry trade when he was younger. Nothing like a good old spy novel to start the week in a sparkling way (I know, we are not Monday today but, in my universe, weeks do tend to start on Tuesdays).

There are quite a bit of info about the book and its author as well as a Guest Post written by Ken Murray for us (where he seems to have described me perfectly, by the way) and one of those great Giveaways where some of you guys can win autographed copies of the book.

Definitely worth a look...

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

Game Planning For 'Doomsday'

So the trendy subject of movies and books these days is the end of the world.  To name a few examples I’m thinking of I am Legend and The Road.  But the thing of the matter is:  this is no joking matter to you.  It may be entertainment to some, but you recognize and want to plan for the actuality of the apocalypse.  Let’s go over some essential steps to take to ensure your survival when life as we know it ceases. 

"Life’s stumbles" - A Guest Post by Author R.E. Mullins

Today is another glorious day for LoupDargent.info, or, like a book loving Klingon friend used to say "Today is a good day to read", as R.E. Mullins - the author of "It’s A Wonderful Undead Life" (a vampire/romance novel) has kindly accepted to write a Guest Post for us... 

I'm, of course, very happy about Robin coming here to "talk" about her journey as a writer, but I'm also a bit worried regarding the refreshments situation as I'm not too sure if I should offer her a cup of coffee or a glass of... erm... yep... blood. (Sorry, I'm afraid you will have to read the rest of this post to understand this little joke). 

Don't worry, she doesn't really bite... so keep calm and carry on reading!

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent

StarCraft II Heart Of The Swarm - Lackluster Storyline But Multiplayer Still Great

Some StarCraft fans out there are still a little annoyed that Blizzard opted to turn StarCraft II into a trilogy. However you might feel about it, the nice thing about that move by Blizzard is that we’re getting some pretty interesting games. StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm delivers an impressive, zerg-themed campaign. It’s certainly far more than just running the same thing as what we got from StarCraft: Wings of Liberty in 2010.

Singer VERONIKA Back For Another Round

After receiving over 2 million hits with her first video release Ain’ Russian Doll, VERONIKA is back. She is currently working on her next video release for her 2013 single CameRA. The video is said to be directed by Yevgeniy Timokhin who has created some stellar videos for music sensations Alexa Luna as well as boy band Kazaky. After taking over the airwaves with Ain’t Russian Doll, CameRA is sure to make a splash when the video is released.

Five Of The Creepiest Asylums

Buildings formerly used as insane asylums are creepy and disturbing for a number of reasons. Even the best of these institutions were often the site of crude medical procedures and inhumane treatment of the inmates. Add to that the fact that most of these facilities have been abandoned with numerous structures, furnishings and medical instruments left on-site and the result can be a very chilling place to visit. The following are five of the creepiest asylums in the world.

'Inspiration' - A Guest Post by Author Nicole R. Taylor

Don't worry, I'm not going to go all "The Only Way Is Essex" on you guys, but I must admit I was tempted to start this little introduction with a loud "OMG, guess what?!". I believe it could have been justified though, as, Nicole R. Taylor (the author of 'The Witch Hunter'), is visiting LoupDargent.info once again (must be something in our virtual coffee) and, this time, she is talking about... inspiration.

The inspiration behind a writer's work is always something I'm curious about, so I'm obviously very happy about Nicole's chosen topic...but, I'm also pretty sure somehow that you guys will find Nicole's "talk" about it very interesting (and enjoyable) too.

Happy reading!

Loup Dargent

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Hitting Theaters In Summer 2013

If the term "cowabunga" conjures up images of amphibians rather than surfing, then it is likely you've been bitten by the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles bug. After all, those lovable green guys have been around for decade, in every corner of the globe, and we the people just can't seem to let them go. If you need proof, consider the most current revival. That's right, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles are scheduled to karate kick and ninja chop into a theater near you this very summer. Read on to learn more:

Rock Of Ages: The Longest Serving Bands In Rock History

Rock and roll is not a young man's game; it takes years of practice and dedication for your band to 'make it', playing gigs in seedy biker bars for little or no cash, purely for the love of making and performing music. It also seems that most bands who gain space in the limelight often don't stay there, falling in to the bargain buy CD bucket at the local thrift store or residing in the 'where are they now?' pile at many radio stations.

However, there are some bands and groups who have reached the top of the mountain and still have yet to fall to earth. Here we will take a look at three bands that still have much to offer the world of music and have fans that span generations.

'Elite: Dangerous' To Be Launched In 2014 Thanks To Kickstarter Funding

A release date has finally been set for ‘Elite: Dangerous’, thanks to more than 22,000 hardcore gamers funding the project via Kickstarter. The game will now be released on PC in March 2014. The original game, Elite, was first released in 1984 for the BBC computer by Acornsoft and anyone who was playing games at the time (myself included) will go all nostalgic and weak-kneed at the mere mention of this classic game. Of course back then it had none of the imagery or characters of modern games and contained no landscapes or movie-like cut-scenes. It was a game that took up less than 23K of memory, (probably less than the word document I am currently typing) and yet in that 22k, using lines and dots it managed to pack eight galaxies with hundreds of planets, star systems and days upon days of flying, trading and fighting, (not to mention a good few frustrating hours learning to dock the ship at a space station - before you were able to upgrade and buy a docking computer). ‘The Frontier’ follow-up contained billions of planets and the complete Milky Way and most of us remember playing it for months on end, desperately trying to upgrade our characters to ‘Elite’ status.

Book Tour: Polyamory and Pregnancy

This Book Tour is a bit different from the ones we've hosted previously...
The book being featured today is not a work of fiction. It is a guide about polyamory and pregnancy. Most of us know what the word "pregnancy" means, but I would be extremely surprised if the same amount knew what "polyamory" means (Oi! No googling in the back!)...

There is no need to be embarrassed if you don't know what it means. And there is no shame whatsoever in not knowing everything. As "they" say, "we learn something new everyday."

Don't worry, everything is conveniently explained in this post, with info about the guide and its author as well as a very informative guest post written by Jessica Burde herself.on polyamory in fiction. 

So, take a seat, have some coffee or tea and... enjoy!

 Loup Dargent

Seven Of The Most Famous Musicians Who Died From Drug Abuse

Questions always linger after someone dies from a drug overdose, especially when the victim resides in the celebrity limelight. Friends, family and fans may speculate the circumstances that led to their loved one's death, particularly if the addiction was kept hidden. These seven artists have left lasting impressions during their lives, which were tragically cut short.

Book Tour: 'Trinity' by Clare Davidson

Today's Book Tour is for 'Trinity', an epic fantasy novel and Clare Davidson's first book. 

Lots of stuff to go through, with info about the book and its author as well as an excerpt from the novel and a guest post written by Clare Davidson herself about Avatar (the animated series, not the movie). 

On a more personal note, publishing the above mentioned guest post on here has somehow helped reinforce my position as a cool Dad in my son's eyes in the process (Avatar is one of his favourite TV series...) So, many many thanks to Clare for that too!

Today's Book Tour also gave us a golden opportunity to re-open our (quite neglected for far too long) wolf related category at last... yep, definitely another thing to be thankful for!

(Wow! Today seems to be a day with quite a few win/win situations for me. Cool!)

Enjoy!

Loup Dargent