Patrick of Digital Ferret Fights Back for all Home Owners!!!

Patrick has let me show my work at Digital Ferret a few times, and I consider the man a pal and a great guy to do business with. So when I heard about this, I couldn't be happier:

"It's not clear how this story will turn out, but right now Patrick Rodgers is living a pay-back fantasy probably shared by millions of struggling U.S. homeowners.

Frustrated by a dispute with Wells Fargo Home Mortgage and by his inability to get answers to questions, the West Philadelphia homeowner took the mortgage company to court last fall.

When Wells Fargo still didn't respond, Rodgers got a $1,000 default judgment against it for failing to answer his formal questions, as required by a federal law called the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act.

And when the mortgage company didn't pay - does something sound familiar? - Rodgers turned to Philadelphia's sheriff."

Read the full story on Philly.com!

Also, I want to note that the one thing that is getting lost in all of this is that Patrick owns and tuns Digital Ferret. The place is AWESOME! Spread the word!

The Big 4: Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax on the Big Screen!

I was a teenager again.

In 2002, I was an oddity in my high school. I, unlike 99% of the other students, listened to metal. Not only that, but I was still just getting into the genre. By the time I graduated, I had gone from listing to Winger’s Seventeen, to listening to Slayer’s Reign in Blood. Those were truly a magical time, and I had one simple vision of all these guys just getting together and playing at each other shows. That was true to some regard; Anthrax let Metallica share its space, Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth after getting kicked out of Metallica, and Kerry King formed Slayer after playing in Megadeth. The dream of everyone in the metal world was to finally, after 25 years, see all of them play the same concert. To see the Big Four in the single greatest concert ever!
Last night, we all got to be kids again.

At movie theaters around the world, The Big Four: Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica were unleashed upon the world, causing not devastation, but the rarest joy you could ever see at a metal concert. It was, in and of itself a different experience than any concert anyone had been to. You’re in an air-condition movie theater with a ton of people. Do you mosh? Do you sing along? Do you act like you do at a show?

To read the rest of my FIRST ARTICLE EVER on Blow The Scene.com, click here!

DVD Funhouse - The BEST Movie Store I've Ever Seen

I was in New York City yesterday, just walking around and having a good time. Walking towards the Flatiron building, I stopped in a cafe that was across the street from a place advertising $5.99 DVD's. Just for the hell of it, I decided to walk in, expecting nothing more than a ton of used DVD's.

Nope. $5.99 for brand new DVD's.

Now, there are used DVD's from Blockbuster for $3.99, but they also had brand-new DVD box sets as cheap as $5.99! In fact, they have the entire Aeon Flux series for only $6.99! Amazing!

I wound up picking the following because I either couldn't find it this cheap, or anywhere else:

1. The Ben Stiller Show (All 13 Episodes)
2. Hamlet 2
3. Chasing Amy
4. South Park Imaginationland Uncut
5. Samurai Jack Season 4 ($6.99)

The last one was the most shocking for me. Animation fans and anyone who grew up at the turn of the century knows that Samurai Jack was a show that never got the respect it deserved in the end, and no proper series finale. The final season is only of legend to me, and now, after nearly 10 years, I finally get to see it! $7 was incredibly cheap, especially since most places price it at $30+!

The Ben Stiller Show was another personal highlight as well. I wanted to watch it for years, and the cheapest I had seen it was $20. Throw in Andy Dick as a cast member, and it has to be good!

Chasing Amy is a personal favorite of a film, and I've only had the VHS for 8 years. Again, the cheapest I've found this DVD ever. Its cool I finally get to catch Hamlet 2, and the copy of Imaginationland I got came uncensored and with commentary, which, if history has taught me anything, will be better and 100% different than if I bought the season they were in. Plus, I can toss it to a pal when I'm done. :)

The DVD's are all Region 1 so they will play in your DVD player. If you can, spend the $20 to go up there and stock up! They also have recent releases up there, like Bruno, and a bunch of others.

DVD Funhouse
655 Sixth Ave
New York, NY 10010

ENTIRE Jon Strewart Interview with Bill O'Reilly

FREAKING AWESOME! Check it out!

I'M WITH COCO!

I would like this time to state my support for Conan O'Brien.

Why? Because he create my favorite bit of all time: TWITTER TRACKER!!!






The opening of the first episode with Conan:



IN THE YEAR 3000:



The Brilliance of his sketch where he took over the Universal Studios Tram Tour:



The time he considered doing porn and came up with a slew of names:



The awesome Anime Voice-Over:



Remember: EVEN THE FREAKIN PRESIDENT APPROVES OF CONAN:



All I can say is: NBC, SAVE CONAN O'BRIEN!

"I'm With Coco" courtesy and thanks to Mike Mitchell

Are the Dead Milkmen Back For Good?

On Friday, I lucked out and met Rodney Linderman, formerly and famously known as Rodney Anonymous, for the first time. We spoke for a moment and I admitted that, "I've heard of you guys, but I haven't actually heard any of your stuff." He later went on to say he was into KMFDM, which I thought was cool and he went to Digital Ferret a lot, too.

On Sunday I went to the Piazza at Schmidts to sell art (I don't plan to do so again anytime soon), and lo-and-behold, Rodney came up to my table! He got to check out my stuff, we exchanged pleasantries, and he finally said that he was getting really busy with the band after 15 years.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, are you guys finally going to go full-tilt and do a reunion?"
"Yeah, we're back together for good."
"Mind if I break the news on my blog?"
"Yeah, go ahead."

So it's official: THE DEAD MILKMEN ARE BACK FOR GOOD!

The Demoness Said KILL! - My Sweet New Skateboard from Zazzle!

I came home yesterday to my custom skateboard deck made by Zazzle.com. I've trusted these folks with helping to spread my art and designs through merchandising, and they've yet to disappoint. This morning I finally cracked open the package of the skateboard I ordered and, well, it was AWESOME!!!!

For the skateboard techs, here are the stats:
Independent Stage 1 Trucks
Ricta Natural Wheels
Bullet Bearings

Really happy with the deck! Took it for a test run, and it ran smoothly out the box! No lie! Easy glide, nice turns... it was basically fine-tuned out the box! SWEET!



Make sure to get your own here:

The Demoness Said Kill! by LuvataciousSkull
Browse Demon Skateboards

PAUL ROMANO ART SHOW!!

I am pleased to say that Paul Romano will be doing this upcoming 4th Friday at Digital Ferret Records!

Who is Paul Romano, you ask? If the name doesn't ring a bell, you more than likely have seen his work! This flyer may, very well, ring some bells. Paul Romano has done all the album covers for metal band Mastodon, and has also done work for Trivium.

I knew he lived in Philadelphia, and it will be an honor to finally get to meet him! I'm really looking forward to this, and if you can, I recommend coming out! It should be a good time!

WHERE:
Digital Ferret
526 S. 5th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147

WHEN:
Friday, August 28th, 2009
7PM - 10PM

Want to Go to a Concert on the 4th of July, But HATE The Roots and Sheryl Crow?

So, all the local blogs are in a tizzy about The Roots playing the Ben Franklin Parkway as the opening act for Sheryl Crow. If you're anything like me, you're as interested in that as going to see your dying aunt when you were 10 years old that you never liked an always pinched your cheeks.

Thankfully, you're an adult now and you can do what you want!

Well, lucky for you, R5 Productions and DFP Promotions have both taken it upon themselves to throw a big middle finger to the idiots who organize the Sunoco "Welcome America" event and said, "Hey, you know what? We have local acts and national acts that actually are INTERESTING! Maybe they'd like to play in the Cradle of Liberty this weekend?"

The Casualties will be playing with Leftover Crack on July 4th at 2PM!

Yep, now you don't have an excuse NOT to go, save being broke! Plenty of time to go to an awesome show and bash a few skulls, then head down to the Parkway to check out the fireworks... some of which you may set off yourself!

Oh, it gets better! You also have the Hostile City Death Fest at The Arena. Why care about a bunch of Deaht Metal bands you've never heard of? Because DEICIDE will be there! DEICIDE! The masters of death metal! The band Tom Ridge (supposedly!) banned from playing Pennsylvania! The band fronted by madman Glenn Benton! Then you have A.C., a band so terribly un-PC its nothing short of amazing! Then you have local acts who made it big, Total F**cking Destruction and Rumplestiltskin Grinder!

So, you have 2, count 'em, TWO great shows to go to instead of sitting around the house and eating crappy hamburgers like you always do! So get off your butt, run down to the nearest ticket outlet, AND BBUY THESE TICKETS! NOW!!!

BLACK METAL COOKIES!!!!

It's been a pretty bleak few days (5 murders on Fathers Day, the actions in Iran, the illegal crackdown on legal skateboarding), so I think its safe to say we all need something to kinda make us laugh right now.

To that end, I give you two teenagers making cookies to Immortal's classic song, "Sons of Northern Darkness"! Personally, I've always loved this song, and this video IS KULT! TRUE NORWEGIAN BLACK METAL!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ah, The Zack Attack is Back!

I so miss this. Hands down, this is the only good thing to come from Jimmy Fallon.

GWAR on Fox News. No, Seriously. GWAR ON FOX NEWS!

AWESOME! "If the Rolling Stones could play their instruments, they still wouldn't be half as good!" Its a great interview and I don't want to spoil anything for you, just check it out and enjoy.

GWAR RULES!!!!!

HOLY CRAP! This is My 300th Post! How To Celebrate....

Wow, 300 posts! 300 nuggets of semi-useless information about anything and everything I could come up with over a 2-year period!

How to celebrate... Oh, I know! WITH GIR FROM INVADER ZIM!



ENJOY!

THE RULES DO NOT APPLY! - Poster

RULES 2 Distressed by LuvataciousSkull

I decided to kinda break the trend I had and just post something different. This time it's my "RULES" poster. Really fun poster to make, sort of a totalitarianism-style going on here.

Enjoy!

Mark Skull Pirate Radio: Coming Back!

I'm working on the full 100% relaunch of my radio station, Mark Skull Pirate Radio.

Look for more info soon!

TONIGHT AND TOMORROW: Three Awesome Shows!

Remember that post I had that went on and on about how dumb I thought it was for the local blogs not to tell you about cool events until the last minute and how much it pissed me off not knowing about something until then, even though they knew about it for weeks?

Today, I am the very thing I hate.



Tonight, MASTODON will be playing the TLA. I don't know if it's sold out or not, so if you can make it (I can't, I'm now broke), I can assure you it's going to be an excellent show! I had the pleasure of seeing them back in 2007 right before Blood Mountain came out, and it was just AWESOME!



Tomorrow, LAMB OF GOD will be dominating the Electric Factory for the second show in a month. Tickets are still available and I want to beat the crap out of my friend who lied to me and said ticket were $50... Tickets are only $38, and you get to see Children of Bodom AND Municipal Waste... oh, and As I Lay Dying. But damn it, that line-up (save AILD) KICKS-ASS!!!!



Also tomorrow, Philadelphia-native Lee Ving is BACK! Who is Lee Ving, you ask? Well, you lame-ass poser, he was THE voice of FEAR, one of the greatest punk bands to ever grace this nation! FEAR is infamously known for their appearance on Saturday Night Live on behalf of John Belushi, who loved the band. They were not allowed to play in the SNL Studios in NYC, so they played, in true fashion, a warehouse in Jersey City.

FEAR will be playing The Troc and save knowing someone in one of the bands or whoring yourself out, tickets are SOLD OUT to this 21+ show.


So, I'm sorry I didn't post these sooner, but I recommend going to any of these shows if you can. A great time will be had by all!

HAPPY IRON MAIDEN DAY!

Awesome, just awesome!

In many countries, Flight 666 is showing for One Night Only so don't miss your chance to catch the full digital cinema experience!

-Iron Maiden

In celebration, today is "Iron Maiden Day"! So, go out, get a 50 cent Iced Coffee from Dunkin Donuts, some free Ice Cream at Ben & Jerry's, and put on some Maiden!

-Also, I wasn't paid to say any of that. If I was... well, I would be happy.

UP THE IRONS!

Some videos:

ANVIL: The Movie - FREE MOVIE TICKET CONTEST

Hey, The Troc is showing Anvil: The Story of Anvil tonight at 7PM! The show is followed by a Q&A with the band, as well as a live performance!

In celebration, I'm giving away ONE FREE TICKET to the show!

In order to get it, you only have to do one thing: Be the first to reply to this post!!!!

Include your e-mail and I'll give you the info.

EDIT: Sorry, the contest is over. Someone just gave me a call.

FINAL WARNING! Kreator and Exodus in Philly Tomorrow Night! Why You Must Go!

If your into metal, you need to go see Kreator and Exodus tomorrow night at The Trocadero. I'm not kidding around.

Why, you ask, do I think this is so vital? Why the hell would I try and push everyone to go to this show? Because I am sick and fucking tired of local blogs and media treating metal shows like nothing! I am sick and tired of seeing shitty indie rock bands sell out places like nothing! I am sick and tired of blogs not even mentioning great metal shows in their articles! I am sick and tired of seeing ads for THE TROC without these metal bands coming to town! THE GOD DAMN TROC isn't even advertising these metal shows!

So if you've got $25, and you want to see two of the GREATEST METAL BANDS OF ALL TIME tear up a fairly intimate club on a Thursday night, get to this show! Buy a ticket for yourself, buy one for your friend... I want this show sold out because I want to send a message that, god damn it, METAL IS ALIVE IN PHILLY!

Again: Kreator and Exodus at The Trocadero, Thursday April 9, 2009. Doors open at 6PM and show starts at 6:30PM. And, for you who don't want to go early and see the openers, Exodus should come on around 8:30PM.

In case your not sure, here is Kreator and Exodus:

A Few Of My Favorite Things (Right Now)

Everyday I visit a bunch of blogs and websites that inspire me and I don't feel that I post my findings enough. Ever since I got posted on NotCot, I felt it's only fitting I share stuff I like to get the word out. Well, enjoy!



Someone was clever enough to take a pineapple grenade and turn it into an awesome piggy bank! SWEET!.... just don't take it with the bank with you. The Love Grenade Coin Bank is available at Heilothrope.




Back in 2001, I thought about becoming a police sketch artist but decided not to because... well, I suck at caricatures. This guy, on the other hand, was able to push his creativity to the limit outside of his job and came up with "Musical Anatomy"! Check out the rest of Shawn Feeny's stuff at his website.


The company "Iron Fist" made this kick-ass high heels! What? I'm secure enough with myself to say that, yes, I like high heel shoes. I know a bunch of women who would love these. Sadly, I can't find them on their site, so here is the Boing Boing story with them.