ADWart department whenever winter 2012

best of everything news of 2012 anthony art ralph reviewPLus: five things dear diary favorite holiday songs

mini BoArD

“You can’t say fuck. Fuck is

Mommy’s word”-kal

“Why do people put apostrophes when

it’s just plural”-katie l.

“I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been in better

threesomes”-Colin

“I would really clap for his neck trying to keep that giant head

up. That couldn’t have been easy”

-luis

“How firm do you want these balls”

-sterling

“I’d rather be a dick than a hipster”

-Colin

“When you’re tandem chaffing with

the right person it feels awesome”

-katie l.

“I don’t gotta try to hard, girls are dumb”

-pete

BoArDoverheArD

By Art

Upon being named People magazines sexiest man alive (for more see Katie’s Dear Diary piece), Diego bestowed upon Channing Tatum his greatest honor—becoming a celebrity centaur. To see this and some of the other brilliant centaurs visit his site celebritycentaur.com

\jäkt\ verbto dunk on someone while jumping so high your junk is in his face.

example: Timofey Mozgev got jocked by Blake Griffi n (pictured above).

neW WorD of the month

JockeD

chAnningcentAUr

Gingerbread houses are so blasé. Why not do something awesome and create a gingerbread AT-AT? Why stop there? Who needs a traditional wedding cake when you could be two storm troopers atop a cakeDeath Star?

eDiBle stAr WArs

overheArD

By Art

I know, you’re thinking, That’s really soon. This is in fact the closest two issues have been published since sometime in 2010. But why not end the year right?

Welcome to our Best of 2012 issue. You’ll see all sorts of “Best of” content peppering the general dubbs ridiculousness.

We have pieces by Erica and Sterling (two of the newer members to the Maxim team). You can also catch a peek into Katie’s diary where she talks about the rise and fall of her relationship with Channing Tatum. Madeline takes over the center spread to bring us the news stories of the year.

We also catch up with original Dubbs contributor Anthony with an amazing piece inspired by the great Will Eisner. I’m hoping to catch up with more original dubbers soon.

For me 2012 had a very clear highlight: the birth of my second son, Ryne scott (named after Chicago Cubs great Ryne Sandberg and X-Men leader Scott Summers). Nothing came close. The joy this little boy brought to our household is astounding. His bright smile has the whole household wrapped around his fi nger (except for Kal who’s still learning to share).

There just isn’t enough space in one issue to talk about all the things that made me happy in 2012.

I was very happy with HBO, which

dominated my best of television list: Game of Thrones, Newsroom, House of Lies, Walking Dead, and Hunted for drama; Modern Family, Glee, How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and HBO’s Girls and Veep for comedy.

On the toy front (yeah, there’s a toy front), the year was dominated by my renewed love for Legos with Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Avengers and DC Superheroes being the core of my brick obsession. Not to be outdone, the relaunched line of Teenage mutant Ninja Turtles was a close second. The sculpting and design of these fi gures closely matches their animated counterparts. The avengers movie line had strong sculpts based on the likenesses of Hawkeye, Nick Fury and Samuel Jackson. G.I. Joe’s and Star Wars had strong years as well with the 30th Anniversary Joe fi gures (amazing articulation and accessories) and the continued brilliance of the SW Clone Wars line. I also go gaga over any toy line I can share with the boys. Kal loves Pixar Cars, which means I love them as well. The Radiator Springs line saw the re-release of original Cars classics, while we all went crazy for Doc McStuffi ns.

Here’s to 2013!

Another DUBBs

aLL NEW X-mENWhen I read about Brian Michael Bendis’ X-Men relaunch I was very worried. The original X-Men team coming to the future to rectify the wrongs of the mutant world. Sounded more than a little ridiculous... Then I read the fi rst issue, and now I’m all in. After a lengthy run on the Avengers, Bendis has refound his mojo. A dying Beast (on suggestion from Ice-Man) goes to the past to fi nd the younger Scott Summers to talk some sense into the current (possibly evil) Cyclops. Typing it makes it sound even more absurd, but it has hit on every note. Not to be outdone, Stuart Immonen’s (ADW issue 65) pencils are some of the best of his career. After only four issues, this book has syrocketed up my pull list. Start buying this book now!

me juggling my top toy picks of the year!

comics

corner

Wreck it rAlph movie revieWWreck It Ralph takes place in a universe of arcade games with a variety of characters working to coexist each day but within their individual communities. For Ralph, the gentle-giant villain, and Fix-It Felix Jr., life isn’t all fun and games. Ralph wants to know the feeling of winning and at the same time shed his bad guy reputation…which gets him in a bit of a mess!

Ralph escapes his game on a quest to prove to the world that there’s more to him than just being bad-and in search of a gold medal. Ralph’s determination to be a winner takes him on quite an adventure, ending up in “Sugar Rush,” a racing-game-meets-a-candy-wonderland… far from home.

There, he encounters a young racer named Vanellope and the rest is history! Ralph helps Vanellope train for her racing debute while keeping his eye on the prize. There are twists and turns in this warm heart-filled story.

Definitely a must-see for kids and adults.

B+ —Erica

movies

of theyeAr2012

Comic book movies and young adult book adaptations ruled the box office in 2012. Here is Erica’s list of the top 5 movies of the year (she originally selected 21 Jump Street, but I pressured her into Dark Knight Rises).

1. The Master

2. Jiro Dreams of Sushi

3. Dark Knight Rises

4. Beasts of the Southern Wild

5. The Hunger Games

—Erica

movie posters 2012Miminialism was the trend in movie posters. Iconic imagery and type were keys that were prevalent throughout the year. Here are my five favorite posters from 2012. 1. Django unchained: I love Tarantino. I love this poster even more. The movie title isn’t even on the poster, proving that great visuals sell.2. Killing Them softly: Amazing graphic which doesn’t feature the film’s star, Brad Pitt.3. Wreck it Ralph: This 8-bit poster harkens back to video game days-gone-by. Perfect.4. Dark Knight Rises: I loved the rain surrounding the dark-but-triumphant Catwoman. 5. Looper: Cool visual tells the story of the movie.

DeAr DiAry11/12 Dear diary I met someone!! I was at trader joes just gettin some baby bel cheese and I get hit in the head with a plantain!! I dropped my babybels and was like WTF!? He threw it at me to get my attn and boy did it!

So here I am, at the grocery store with a sac of babybels, a plantain and...THE STAR OF THE ACADEMY AWARD WINNING MOVIE STEP UP!! (Not that ambiguous curly headed freak from step up 3D).

Yep, channing tatum, or as I like to call him “my hot little dancin man” or “fluffy wuffy balls” or “tandem chaffing” or “baby booski boy man” or “pecs from heaven” I literally like his tits better than mine.

So we start makin out right in aisle 69 I think it was, and we’re like “is this meant to be?!?!” And I’m like screaming “this is meant to be!!!!” And he’s bellowing “I think this is meant to be” and I responded loudly “this is fucking meant to be” and he exclaims “its meant to be!” So I gave him my number, bra size, and batting average and it was a done deal.

11/13 Dear diary OMG JUST GOT BACK FROM OUR FIRST DATE!!! We went to bubba gumps shrimp in times square. It was soooooo good. He loves scampi so sometimes I call him “scamper pants dick ball” LOL. So we had

an amazzzzzing time of course and we split the check bc he hasn’t got paid on magic mike yet. He said mcconaghey let them keep most of the singles that they threw at them on stage which is cool. I really think we have a lot of te same values so this is really gonna work out. Me and chan, not me and mcconnaghey. LOLz.

11/14 Dear diary HOLY SHIT BALLS MY BOUFRIEND IS PEOPLE MAGAZINES SEXIEST PIECE OF ASS BALLS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can u

imagine the scuttlebutt and congratulations I had to deal with all day? It was INSAAAAANE in the membrane! I am so proud of his good looks and even his freckly shoulders. When he found out he did a FIVE MINUTE HANDSTAND. Then a two minute headstand. Then 4 backflips and then we kissed passionately while I laid on my back on the floor while he did a backend over me. “This is true fuckin love”, I thought.

BuT THEN.... This sclorbit (slut, cunt, whore, bitch) JENNA KEEPS TEXTIN HIM!!!!!!!!!!! I don’t know what to do. she seriously thinks they’re MARRIED. LOLZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ. Keep tweetin and textin and see what happens. I don’t really know what to do but he told me she is just some crazy lunatic fan who followed him around the set of Step Up and Dear John and 21 jump street, or was it GI Joe? Whatever...some movie set. I don’t even think she likes him for whats inside his heart and mind, it’s all about his looks...his gorgeous, pristine, sexual, extremely horny, dirty and almost illegal thought-provoking, kill me now I am about to actually orgasm from just looking at his page of google images good looks. So, yeah she’s a shallow bitch.

12/15 Dear diary Today I went to Marshalls to get Chan some tube socks and I could just FEEL everyones eyes on me all like “that’s channing tatums girlfriend” I heard a few people whispering about how unorganized the racks are in that place and how sorry they feel for that housewares section in the back where

everythings all beat up like picture frames that are straight up broken and shit and I know they were just talking in code about me...i don’t know if I can handle this fame.

12/16 Listen up you stupid fuckin diary fucker, I CANT TAKE IT ANYMORE. He told me he loves me more than anything including wife beaters and now im overwhelmed. Plus that Jenna cum bucket is ALL UP ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA DICK!!!!!!!!!! I really don’t know diary, I really don’t know. I WANT to want to lay head to foot on the couch with him listening to old raffi cassettes. I WANT to want to take that trip to Disney with him and interlock our arms while we eat those enormous turkey legs. I WANT to want to name our first born “Diamante” the Spanish word for diamond. But I just. Don’t. think. I. can.

12/17 Diary, I broke up with channing today. it was really hard, I couldn’t bear to look at him slumped over in his boxer briefs bawling and dry heaving which made his abs look SICK. But it really was the right thing to do. I thought we had all the same values but he cares more about family and the little things while I am all about the money and having a boyfriend who can break dance. He started taking all the batteries out of the remotes which is what he does when he gets nervous and I just panicked and ran out of there. I didn’t stop running until I reached the place I knew I truly belonged...in mcconnaghey’s embrace.

—Katie

neWs in 2012BEING A LEAPING ELECTION SUMMER OLYMPIC YEAR, TWO PEOPLE MIGHT REACH MIDNIGHT ON THE 31ST AND LOOK BACK ON 2012 WITH COMPELTELY DIFFERENT TAKES. HAVING WATCHED MOSTLY DISNEY JR. AND NBC NEWS ALL YEAR, HERE IS MADELINE’S LIST OF THINGS WE SHOULD REMEMBER FROM 2012. (SHE WROTE THIS AT THE LITTLE GYM SANS FACT CHECKING.) —Madeline

the electionObviously, the one bit of news that was going to affect us all the most was who reached 270 electoral votes first. (Which was a completely under-whelming event considering the amount of time and money devoted to nominating and electing a president.) Everything was about U.S. politics. Even the Olympics.

the economyHow have I paid so much attention and still learned so little about the economy? It’s always the same: Money is tight. Jobs are

down. Houses are in foreclosure. People are hurting. Stuff is on sale! Get a new iPad! Buy a new car! NEWsRoom will tell you why

the Tea Party is vile, but even they can’t devote a full episode to the economy. If you go to LiNK TV where they have no commercial

sponsors and plead for donations, they run amusing segments on why you need to call your Congressman and beg the House to

raise the debt ceiling. There are like a dozen good movies, such as Too Big To FaiL and CaPiTaLism: a LoVE sToRY, that help

explain how we got into this situation, but they’re documentaries. They only show you what already happened. In the end, it seems

nothing really changed in 2012. Unless we all fall off the Fiscal Cliff. Then that’s news. And we’re really screwed.

FoRTY-sEVEN PERCENT The first time I heard Mitt Romney say that he wasn’t going to get 47% of the vote, I thought he meant that 47% of people automatically support the incumbent. I had read that statistic the same day. Then my next thought was, Ugh, 2016 is going suck.

ioWa Remember Michelle Bachman? Remember how like every week there was a new Republican star? Every caucus, every straw poll... Again, I say, Ugh, 2016 is going to suck. Both parties with hidden videos and Super PACs.

CoRPoRaTioNs aRE PEoPLE Though, I suppose we have lots of idiotic statements to look forward to over the next four years of campaigning...

BiNDERs FuLL oF WomEN ...Followed by the completley ridiculous-sounding statements during the 2016 debates.

HoNEY Boo Boo I didn’t watch the Republican National Convention (though I was amused they were being threatened with a hurricane (you know, FEMA is such a waste...)), so I’m not surprised that apparently no one else did either.

BiLL CLiNToN’s sPEECH It was really good. I forgave them for playing his 1992

theme music because it was such a good speech. (Yes, I remember the music.)

DREssagE The Romneys attend the London Olympics and gain no fans, crapping on the job London has done compared to Salt Lake City 2002.

CaN’T CHaNgE iT Obama goes on Univision and says that he can’t change Washington from the inside. Um... Damn.

EasTWooDiNg I think the biggest winner has to be whoever offered Eastwood a chair at his Esquire cover shoot. Most timely monthly cover ever.

FLoRiDa BaLLoTs Really? Again? Florida is having problems with its ballots again?

HuRRiCaNE saNDY The miracle of electronically scanning ballots gives way to states scrambling to figure out what to do without any power.

CHRisTiE v. aC My jaw dropped when Gov. Christie went on the war path against Atlantic City’s mayor. Your move, Jindal.

THE FisCaL CLiFF Like the Debt Ceiling, I can’t believe the game of chicken these yahoos on the Hill are playing. I tend to fast forward all clips related to this for fear of vomiting on the TV.

foreignI kerned that hed. LV doesn’t care about these things, but I didn’t like how it looked. Anyway... Foreign news... The economy is terrible everywhere. gREECE and iTaLY got a lot of attention for the way they were handling plummeting values. People were straight up trading objects like currency just didn’t exist. I’ll give you this shawl for that cheese.

sYRia did not seem to have any U.S. attention until the current dictator threatened to use bio weapons. And even then the story disappeared. It wasn’t quite like NoRTH KoREa’s rididuclous missile—oh shit. North Korea successfully launched a missile last week. I’m surprised that didn’t make the rounds on the news as another reason we all need to own guns. But, back to Syria. The rebels get no attention here because they are not sitting on oil feilds. Or something. The aRaB sPRiNg started in 2010 and these people are still trying to overthrow the government. This is why the Districts are willing to let the Capital reap children in The Hunger Games—way easier than throwing rocks at the military. (Btw, not really a fan.) If you don’t want to throw rocks, you need a sponsor. Like aL QuEDa. NBC actually had that story. While I watched a lot of Al Jazeera in 2011, I gave it up in 2012. It’s just as repetitious as NBC, but harder to consume with small children around.

This sidebar was originally supposed to be about those stories that don’t get a whole lot of coverage in the daily television news cycle. But that’s okay. It’s all relevant. The Second Amendment exists in case some day we all fi nd ourselves in the same position as the rebels in Syria. Or the Palestinians. Or the Yemens. Just in case, oh shit, we have a real problem with our government or our neighboring countries or the descendants of all those people who were killed by drone strikes. In those cases, yes, someone on my side is going to need a weapon that doesn’t need to be reloaded often. But considering the likelihood of such events (’cuz drone strike retaliation prolly ain’t gonna be with a semi-automatic), I’m not about to argue the NRA’s case here. Fuckers. This space is to say, “Two mass murders?”

The Dark Knight Rises was all LV could talk about for like a year. Late on a Thursday night in July, LV said good-bye, and I just had a horrible feeling. Everything was great with him, so he was shocked when the Today Show was showing a mass murder in Colorado.

Then this past Friday, I go to the playground and there are fi ve girls wearing gym uniforms, obviously cutting school. I wonder, If they can get out, who can get in? I go home. Newsfl ash: Elementary kids murdered.

What ended up getting me was the picture of the Pakistani children with candles and a sign that says we feel your pain as you would feel ours. Um, except that no kids in the U.S. know you’re dying. Is this fake? How do these kids know about Connecticut? Oh, because it’s just so fucked up that someone would murder small children that EVERYONE is talking about it. Except when here when the story is the U.S. killing Middle Eastern children.

the yeAr in

gUns

heAlth cAreRemember when the 2000 Presidential election became all “But how much do support gays?” I totally expected 2012 to become “But how much do you support choice?” Mississippi attempted to introduce Amendment 26 or “personhood,” a completely cute term for a hideous idea that as soon as sperm and egg meet up, that is a person. Where would it end? Don’t get them started on frozen embryos. mississiPPi DiD NoT Pass THE amENDmENT, but it’s on the books EVERYWHERE NoW. Do you like the number of children you have? Those April and September elections matter.

So, the national news glosses over how Obama Care, which enrages some people, is based on RomNEY CaRE. Obama still wins. Then comes this u.N. TREaTY based on the Americans with Disabilities Act. And the Senate doesn’t pass it because Republicans hold the majority and Republicans can’t have a “potentially overzealous international organization” trying to tell Americans what to do. God forbid the U.S. guarantee reproductive rights to anyone. That would bring us back to the frozen people. I mean, embryos. Government small enough to fi t in your uterus!

gAsThe story never seemed to change. PRiCEs kept going up all year. It made for a lot of “serious” fl uff. Stories compared the rates in one state to another. Stories suggested ways to save gas. Then Sandy forced gas rationing and I really started to be thankful I don’t own a car. (However, see “Weather.”) No one ever talked about how DiEsEL fuel is named for a scientist who invented an engine that runs on vegetable oil. No one ever talked about how it’s completely possible to run a gasoline engine on fumes if you alter certain mechanics. No one talked about the projects Big Oil killed because Big Oil pays A LOT of money in advertising dollars. And when that next oil rig blew up in the Gulf, it didn’t get a whole lot of play because it wasn’t actively drilling, so it was all good...

WeAtherWhen did an Inconvenient Truth come out? Like 12 years ago? Whatever. “Global Warming” was still more likely to induce an eye roll than legislation before Sandy. Droughts, wild fi res, tornadoes... The temperature has gone up 3 degrees —just like scientists predicted.

I personally think I would be willing to get a car and partake in alternate side parking if it meant that next September or October (or the September or October after that) I can put some keepsakes and harddrives in a box, load the boys in a vehicle, and get as far away from the coast as possible. (Yes, Megan could come, too. And the cats if it was going to be all Deep Impact.) But I’d want that vehicle to be Diesel so I could just dump some Crisco in it to get us across Pennsylvania. (See “Gas.”)

Beer of the yeAr

stone iPa 6.9% ABV, 77 IBUs. San Diego, CAHuge hop aroma, fl avor and bitterness throughout, with a heavy dose of over the top hops. My favorite beer on the planet.

green Flash West Coast iPa 7.3% ABV, 95 IBUs. San Diego, CAA menagerie of hops creates a unique fruitiness and strong hop pungency. A multi-dimensional hop experience.

Bear Republic Racer 5 7.0% ABV, 75+ IBUs. Healdsburg, CAThis full bodied beer is heavily hopped with Chinook, Cascade, Columbus and Centennial hops. There’s a trophy in every glass.

ithaca Flower Power 7.5% ABV, N/A IBUs. Ithaca, NYClover honey hue and tropical nose. Punchy and soothing with a big body and a fi nish that boasts pineapple and grapefruit. A great East Coast version of the West Coast IPA style.

Flying Fish Exit 16W Wild Rice Double iPa 8.2% ABV, IBUs. Somerdale, NJGenerous additions of Chinook and Citra hops create a nose that hints at tangerine, mango, papaya and pine. This is NJ’s best beer, and another great East Coast version of the West Coast IPA style.

Wondering what ABV and IBUs are? Check out the next “Craft Beer Blurb” to fi nd out (or just look it up).—Matt

Best fooD

trUcks

2012At 12:30 most days in the offi ce you can hear someone shout out, “What food trucks are around.” Food trucks here in midtown are a lunchtime staple. So Colin and I have compiled a list ofthe Top 10 food trucks. Trust me, each of these will make your belly happy!

1. Uncle GussyYou can’t beat the sheer amount of yummy Greek goodness you get for about $6-8. The best deal in the city.

2. Bob&Jo

3. Domo Taco

4. Phil’s Steaks

5. Korilla

6. Jerk Pan

7. Luke’s Lobster

8. Waffl es & Dinges

9. Schnitzel & Things

10. Jianetto’s

If you want a daily peek at which food trucks are in your neighborhood check out newyorkstreetfood.com and go to their mobile munchies Twitter feed. You’ll get links to the top trucks in the city and their daily deals.

Beer is simple, good beer is delicious, and people who like good beer are good people. So be good people and drink good beer instead of that crappy yellow fi zzy stuff.

If you want to start with one of the boldest beers (why not?), try a West Coast India Pale Ale. These tend to be very bold in character and loaded with hops. Hops create a very bitter and citrusy taste, and an extremely fl oral aroma. West Cost IPA’s are best paired with spicy foods because the bitterness of the beer keeps the heat in check (hot wings and IPA’s play very nicely together).

Try one of my top fi ve West Coast IPA’s of 2012! And remember - Fizzy Yellow Beer Is For Wussies.

If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably already seen these. If you haven’t, you need to go over to profootballmock.com and fi nd the archives to “NFL QBs on Facebook.”

These mocks say the same things we all think, in a completey unfi ltered way. Good reads.

QB rAnts

Sharing is caring.

Two on one, lust, hands grabbing

Whatever they can.-Jesse

Jesse’sthreesomehAikU

Jesse on Tie Thursday

2012 was an interesting year in music where independent artists outshined their label peers. Electronic dance music, or EDM, took over the charts and TV commercials. From Taylor Swift to hip hop, EDM was everywhere. So, people bought more copies of Mumford & Sons, with their real instruments, than any other album.

Here are the top songs of 2012.

1. “THRiFT sHoP” feat. Wanz by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (The Heist) [Independent]

2. “i WiLL WaiT” by Mumford & Sons (Babel) [Glassnote Records]

3. “BaNgaRaNg” by Skrillex (Bangarang EP) [OSWLA]

4. “CaLL mE maYBE” by Carly Rae Jepsen (Kiss) [Interscope Records]

5. “WE aRE YouNg” by Fun. (Some Nights) [Atlantic Records]

—Sterling

top Athletes 2012 eDition

I watch a lot of sports. A lot. Here is my list on the top athletes of 2012. Some were singularly brilliant while others elevated their teams. All were standouts.

1. Lebron James Leading the Heat to the NBA Finals, regaining his smile (have you seen the new Samsung Galaxy ad) and winning a gold medal with Team USA all contributed to his being my top athlete of 2012. With a hobbled Dwayne Wade and Bosh out, James cemented his legacy and dominated the Pacers, Celtics and Thunder en route to the title.

2. michael Phelps In what was supposed to be a fi nal lap for him and a coronation for Ryan Lochte, Phelps dominated in the pool yet again—leaving no dout that he is the greatest Olympian of all-time.

3. Eli manning I HATE the Giants, but it’s hard to overlook the brilliance of Eli. He led the Giants to another Super Bowl win with a perfectly converted pass to Mario Manningham.

4.Buster Posey Rehabilitated from a severe broken ankle, he regained form and won his second World Series while also capturing the NL MVP.

5. Brittney griner The most dominant force in collegiate athletics, she led Baylor to an undefeated season and national title.

6. serena Williams Another Wimbledon title win followed by a dominant Olympic gold medal run left no doubt she is still the top female tennis player.

7. gabby Douglas The Flying Squirrel captured the heart of the world in becoming the fi rst black female (African American or otherwise) to win the all-around gymnastics gold medal. While the internet had lots to say about her hair, the rest of us marveled at her amazing ability.

8. usain Bolt The fastest man on the planet. No one comes close.

9. Lionel messi Broke La Liga’s long standing scoring record cementing his place as the best striker on the planet.

10. mike Trout While Miguel Cabrera deserved the MVP for his Triple Crown run, you can’t overlook the season Trout had. The brightest young star in the baseball universe.

11. Jonathan Quick Dominant post season goaltending run in leading the Kings to the Stanley Cup.

12. Jon “Bones” Jones The best MMA fi ghter in the fastest growing sport in the U.S.

songs

of theyeAr2012

Jesse on Tie Thursday

cAtching UpOriginal Dubbs contributor Anthony (Tony Rad Tony, Fontmaster Flex) recently submitted a piece he was extremely proud of. Here are some word on the piece by Anthony himself:

Painted a wall with the crew last weekend dedicated to Will Eisner the illustrator for the comic book The Spirit. I wasn’t too familiar with his work and when I did some research my mind was blown! His affi nity for New York is awesome and his amazing Illustrative type treatments are beautiful and mega original. He was ahead of his time!

iT’s BEgiNNiNg To souND...

With the holiday season upon us, I ran around the offi ce for a poll on everyone’s favorite holiday song. The results were varied, with Mariah’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” the clear favorite (Madeline, Hilary, Lauren and Erica). Colin (“Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer”) and Matt (“Christmas Time is Here”) each chose animated fare, while Jennifer (“Oh Holy Night”), Kathy (“White Chistmas”) and Katie L. (“Baby It’s Cold Outside”) all gravitated to Chistmas standards. Rhudy (“Hannukah Song”) and Katie S. (“Marshmallow Song”) each had off-beat selections. I have no answer for Sterling’s (“Simply Having a Wonderful Christmastime”) choice. Me, I chose “Jingle Bell Rock”.

PREgNaNT PiRELLi moDEL?

In the photography world, the Pirelli calendar is one of the most looked-forward to events of the year. It’s known for sexy pictures (mostly nude) of models posing for famous photogs. This year’s calendar has a fi rst, pregnant model Adriana Lima. For the fi rst time ever It also contains no nudes. Steve McCurry

(the iconic Afghan Girl National Geographic cover) hand selected each of the models with a purpose. He only chose models who make serious commitments to charities. Proving, you can be sexy and make a difference.

toons

of theyeAr2012

With three kids at home, cartoons are pretty standard television viewing—and not just on Saturday mornings. Okay, the boys never watch Cartoon Network. That’s all me —LV

1. Doc McStuffi ns (Disney Junior) This doctor for toys has captured the hearts of everyone in Casa Vega. With almost nightly viewings, it has become one of our favorite series.

2. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Nickelodeon)The new slickly rendered TMNT series has not disappointed. It gives a nice retro nod to the original while upping the action.

3. Octonauts (Disney Junior)These underwater explorers are beautifully animated while teaching us about underwater creatures.

4. Young Justice (Cartoon Network)This series really took off when they fast forwarded 5 years—the drama and action were dialed way up. If only it wasn’t on hiatus now.

5. Green Lantern (Cartoon Network)Slick animation and DC’s master craftsmen Paul Dini and Bruce Timm make this series a must-see.

top comics

20122012 Was a BaNNER YEaR FoR ComiCs, Maxim Party aside. With the late 2011 launch of the New52, DC had momentum, which they only capitalized on with the launch of the Before Watchmen series. Batman’s “Court of Owls” and “Death of the Family” were two gems by Scott Snyder. Not to be outdone, Marvel’s huge event Avengers vs. X-Men proved to be a huge hit which spawned Consequences and the relaunch of numerous titles.

Before Watchmen was DC’s ambitious take on prequels set in the Watchmen universe. The stories and art have all been amazing with Rorschach, Ozymandias and Comedian as absolute standouts. This series is easily my top pick of 2012.

Bendis continues to churn out great Spidey stories, even if Spidey is now miles morales in Ultimate Spider-Man. Miles is the best new character in comics. Grant Morrison’s Action Comics has been DC’s best take on superman in years. Younger and more of a pulp hero it’s a refreshing take on a Superman still learning his powers. IDW’s Cobra deals with the darker, seedier side of the g.i. Joe universe. The best Joe series ever. Geoff Johns Justice League is the fl agship title at DC. Big action, big storylines, big relationships (Superman and Wonder Woman...fi nally). Scott Snyder’s Batman has been the best rollercoaster ride in comics. Court of Owls was outstanding, which was followed by the brilliant Death of the Family. No single writer had a fi ner year. Mark Waid’s Daredevil has been excellent. After years as a dark, brooding character, Waid let Matt cut loose and have a little fun.

Cyclops character arc was at the

forefront of the brilliant AVX and

Consequences. Two of Marvel’s

biggest series of the year.

Brian K. Vaughn’s return to comics with Saga has been

great. It’s kind of a extraterrestial Romeo & Juliet. Sounds

ridiculous, but BKV and Fiona Staples makes it all work.

Fraction and Aja’s

Hawkeye is the best new

book on the market. Buy it, nuff said.

five thingsthe random things on kal vega’s mind

(as determined by his mother)

ToNguEs I like to stick out my tongue. All the time. Like maybe I’m thinking hard. There’s just something about it. It’s perfectly defiant.

BaBY BRoTHER I should be able to tell him to sit when I want him to sit and not play with my train table...

You TuBE Who needs “on demand”? I have a laptop with an internet connection. There are thousands of Thomas the Tank Engine videos. It’s just too bad my mom needs that same laptop for the Dubbs.

LoLLiPoPs TD Bank is the best place ever. Of course, now we just own a GIGANTIC bag of lollipops, but whatever. Lollipops! So good!

sis Once a week, Sis shows up and I get to jump on her bed and play the Cars video game.