Story Behind The Photo 9

Years ago I used to say that I wanted a giant tattoo like Vega from Street Fighter. I didn’t want anything on my arm or nothing. Just a giant snake that went all around my body. Of course I didn’t get that…or did I? No, I didn’t. Over time I figured that I was over 30 years old and if I got a tattoo it would be my form of a mid-life crisis. Then last year my friend who is a tattoo artist convinced me to finally get one. I decided upon Skulduggery Pleasant, The Skeleton Detective. I love the books and the design and one day while reading it I said to myself “This is it.” I always tell my friend that there is a lot of stuff about tattoos they don't tell you are complete lies in films. It takes a long time to heal. Good places don't tattoo drunk people (booze makes you bleed more). And not all tattoos are completed in one day.

Those Who Shaped Me

As any self respecting nerd knows, you have to have a hero. No, I’m not talking about your father who’s sitting in the living room wondering where he went wrong with raising you. No, I’m talking about fictional characters. Much like the blog I wrote about hot cartoon and video game characters this is about the types of characters I have liked throughout my life. This is the cream of the crop, ya’ll. You can tell a lot about a man by who he worships.

Batman



Of course he starts this list off. What is there not to like about Batman? I grew up liking him in all forms from the cheesy TV show and the silliness of Super Friends. Burton almost killed my love of Batman but the awesome ass animated series saved him. Batman is what every hero should be. Smart, fast, brutal, and efficient. How many other people can say they’ve been kicked out of the Justice League because they have a contingency plan to take out every single member of the team?

Blackbolt



This guy doesn’t get the amount of respect he deserves. Blackbolt is the king of the Inhumans and has so much power he cant use it. See, Blackbolt has the ability to destroy things with his voice. Not like many other characters that shout and bring down planes. No. Blackbolt could crack a country in two if he yelled. He has spoken very few times and even knock down The Incredible Hulk with a whisper.

Brock Samson



Brock is what could clinically be classified as a psychopath. He has no superpowers but somehow manages to not die no matter what situation he is in. He took enough darts to kill a man and was buried alive only to wake from the dead, use his car to crash through a super villains lair and kill all of his henchmen without dropping his cigarette. And he’ll fuck anything that moves…except for that one Russian lady and Dr. Girlfriend.

Deadpool



I used to have every issue of Deadpool. Yeah, they ruined him in that terrible Wolverine movie but “the merc with a mouth” is one of the coolest characters in comics. He is terribly insane and violent. One of the only characters that manage to float between evil and good without being jailed for his crimes.

Marv



When I first read the Sin City graphic novels Marv was like what I always wanted to be. Just human but indestructible. He has been stabbed, shot, hit by cars (I’ve been hit by cars!) and managed to keep on going. His determination and loyalty to the very few people that can stand to be around him makes him an admirable guy.

Rock Lee



This kid is from Naruto and honestly when I first saw him I thought he looked goofy. That was until I learned his story and saw him battle Gaara in one of the coolest and intense fights I’ve ever witnessed in a cartoon. The only student with no actual magical abilities Rock Lee has fought and beaten ninjas with far more power than he has with speed and his teacher smiling all the while.

Shade The Changing Man



I first got this comic book on accident at 7/11 and the bizarre story and art by Chris Bachalo pulled me in. He’s from a planet called Meta and he inhabits the bodies of people that have just died, in a coma, or empty. He has been in the body of a redhead (the one I am most familiar with), a psycho, and a woman. He had sex as a woman just to see what it was like. He had sex with the ground and it gave birth to mini Shade’s. Why are all of my favorite guys insane?

Shadowhawk



Again, another one that doesn’t get respect. Imagine if Batman decided to take his level of violence a step further. When Shadowhawk finds and catches criminals he breaks their spines. That’s his thing. And he does his thing well. This artist that drew him (I couldn’t find his version of Shadowhawk) drew in such a chaotic way it inspired my art in the sense that if something wasn’t completely visible it didn’t matter because I knew what was what and where was where.

The Maxx



Another one I first got from 7/11 and went nuts for. The cartoon was amazing as well as it was taken directly from the comic book. Sam Keith was an amazing artist as was Maxx. A man with the spirit of a rabbit. Long claws which are actually his middle fingers dipped in lava and sharpened. He fights Mr. Gone and switches between the “real” world and the fantasy world of Pangaea. Damn, I am really missing good comic books right now.

Skulduggery Pleasant



This guy is the reason I now have a tattoo. My friend and the best human alive Camille first told me about this book about a skeleton and this girl that used magic. I started reading the book and was hooked immediately. Four books later and the story just keeps getting better. He lost his original head and won a new one in a bet. He has a history that is hinted at where he committed very brutal acts. He throws fireballs! This character is amazing and one of the best ones I have ever read or seen.

And this is my tattoo.

Rosscast Episode 159: Inside The Cracktor's Studio

Rosscast Episode 159

The Rosscast

In this episode I talk about Jim Carrey and his weird ass divorce, progress and why I don’t discuss it, chicks that shouldn’t wear leggings, Inside the Actor’s Studio questions, SEC guys watching porn at work, a psychic being murdered and the extreme irony involved in that sentence, fools trying to open cabin doors in airplanes mid-flight, and the tattoo I’m getting. Click here to download this episode or click here to download this and subscribe through iTunes. Enjoy!

Rosscast Episode 114: Check Tha Vocab!

Rosscast Episode 114

Dante Ross' Podcast

Guess who was finally able to get the best woman in the world on his show? Me! Thank you. Next question. In this episode me and my best friend Cam talk about our top five favorite hip hop albums, movies, books, first kisses, Indian guys, LOL's, and too many other things to list. And just so you know, at the very beginning we are talking about a Spanish film she rented called "Mirage Man." Remember to click here to download this and other Rosscast episodes. Enjoy!

Dante's Book Review: "Skulduggery Pleasant"

So one day while helping Camille out at the Graham Library I pick up this book she had told me about. She said that it was in the Juvenile section but it was awesome. Camille has awesome ass tastes when it comes to books (she gave me a “Zot” graphic novel and hooked me up with “Serena” which were stutardedly amazing) so I gave it a go. First I had to wait until she was done.

Now, I don’t wanna ruin too much of it because I really do want some of you to read it. The story is about a skeleton detective that uses magic to solves crimes. Yeah. After the death of a girls uncle she (Stephanie Edgley) she inherits his home, much to the chagrin of her greedy aunt, uncle, and cousins. Turns out her uncle was a part of an underground society of magic. Let the craziness begin!

This story wastes no time getting to the action. The author, Derek Landy, is a fantastic writer. No use of words you have to look up (Robin Cook), or terrible loose ends and plot holes (anything made by Stephen King after 1990). Also, Landy practices kempo. This shows in the action sequences. When was the last time you read a book that made it feel as if you were getting a workout? When Skulduggery Pleasant (the skeleton detective) twists someone’s arm before smashing their nose in, you feel it.

The young girl of 13 in this story, Stephanie, is actually fascinating. This isn’t a bullshit story about some lonely little girl that wants attention. This is the daughter I will never have but if I did I would want. She is strong, assertive, and clever. There is no young angst. Just a girl with a nice family that wants a bit more excitement in her life.

And boy does she get it!

She is immediately plunged into a world of magic that occurs all around us that we are unaware of. Creepy guards called Cleavers, untrustworthy but beautiful women, sorcerers, vampires, trolls, and all other manner of beasts occupy this story. I finished it quickly and Camille called me with some great news. There was another book.

Like an idiot I finished it too fast. I started it Tuesday night, barely touched it yesterday because I know how I am and will plow through 400 pages in a few hours, and finished it tonight. The second book managed to be better than the first! I didn’t think it was possible but Camille told me it was really good. I agree. How often can you read a story and so quickly fall in love with the characters? Derek Landy has made characters I would gladly read about even if there were just half the cast. Hopefully he doesn’t fall into the same trap Dean Koontz has with his “Odd Thomas” series. With those books the first two were awesome. The third was…okay (it was heavy with Koontz’s love of using people with mental handicaps and Golden Retrievers). The fourth was a huge letdown. It felt like he was just running on fumes and he’s not even done. There are more to come. Heavy sigh…

So if you get a chance, check out Derek Landy’s “Skulduggery Pleasant.” You will not be disappointed.