Tonight is the Royal Rumble!!!

Tonight kicks off WrestleMania season! And WrestleMania season always begins with my favorite wrestling PPV outside of WrestleMania, The Royal Rumble. God the Rumble is fun to watch! From the surprise returns, to the quick eliminations, to the final two combatants, the Rumble has a little bit of everything in the storytelling department.

If there is any PPV that constantly delivers in fun and excitement, its the Royal Rumble. I for one will be sitting back with a bowl of popcorn screaming at my TV with pure childlike excitement. Below are some of my predictions for the 2015 Royal Rumble:

Winner: Daniel Bryan
Surprise Entries: Randy Orton, Jake the Snake Roberts, and 1-2-3 Kid
Most Eliminations: Roman Reigns
Final Four: Roman Reigns, Daniel Bryan, Cesaro, and Rusev

Finishing the IDW Ghostbuster Run

A few weeks ago, I wrote about IDW's Ghostbusters comic series. Well I finished the complete series a few days ago, and let me just say, WHOA!!! For anyone who is a Ghostbusters fan and has patiently been waiting for Ghostbusters 3, please do your self a favor and buy this series. This series is like a third film.

I cannot remember a comic series that has been this enjoyable to read. It's funny, action packed, and most importantly is an absolutely fantastic story. If you are just a fan of the Ghostbusters' movies, there is something here for you. If you are just a fan of either The Real Ghostbusters or the Extreme Ghostbusters cartoons, there is something there for you too. I can honestly say, I am looking forward to re-reading this series again.

Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s

I'm currently reading a biography on Sir Paul McCartney entitled: Man on the Run: Paul McCartney in the 1970s by Tom Doyle. The book documents Sir Paul from right after The Beatles broke up, to his early solo career, to the formation of Wings, and finally up to the assignation of John Lennon.

I've always been curious about the individual members of the Beatles right after the break up. Plus for me at least, Paul McCartney has always been somewhat of a mystery. You never really "know" him by listening to his music. I feel the complete opposite about John Lennon and George Harrison. Both of their music is very personal, and the listener almost develops a personal connection to them by listening to their music. With Paul's music however, it is much light heart and accessible.

One of the great joys of reading this book is how it humanizes him. I feel like I am meeting Paul McCartney the person for the first time. In fact it has cause me to go back and re-evaluate a lot of his solo music, and I'm discovering some very personal lyrics. Especially on his debut solo LP McCartney. I recommend this book for any music fan.

IDW's Ghostbusters Series

My set of Ghostbusters' graphic novels.

For my first posting of 2015, I thought I would write about something that is near and dear to my heart. And that is the Ghostbusters. Since I was a little kid, the Ghostbusters have been one of my absolutely favorite things in the world. I still have all of my old Ghostbusters' toys in my basement. Plus I have the two movies on DVD and Blu-Ray, the complete series of The Real Ghostbusters on DVD, and the complete series of The Extreme Ghostbusters on VHS. (Recorded off of Chicago's very own WCIU channel 26, with all of the great commercials from 1997.)

This past Christmas I was lucky enough to received IDW's complete series by Erik Burnham on The Ghostbusters. The comic series ran from 2011 till 2014 and encompasses 9 graphic novel volumes. I must say they are OUTSTANDING!!! If you are a fan of the films, cartoon series, or both these are a must read. Burnham does a terrific job of honoring the great mythology of the characters by adding new layers of depth to them. He also expands on the Ghostbusters' legend by introducing new characters that the reader truly cares about.

Plus the Easter eggs!!! If you think the Marvel cinematic universe has Easter eggs, wait till you read this Ghostbusters series. It is filled with Easter eggs that will bring a smile to your face, without distracting you from the story. I can't tell you how many times I've caught myself laughing out loud when I notice one of these Easter eggs.

But I think what I love the most so far about this series (I'm only on volume 3) is that it is fun. The stories are serious when they need to be, but never lose their sense of humor. Much like the films. It truly has action, adventure, and comedy. So if you are tired of the serious, dark nature tone that some comics have embraced, then check out Ghostbusters. This series allows you to have fun!