Howefitz Blog

Yesterday, I gave a little more details in to the motivations of my creating a webcomic. I honestly thought I’d hit on a new idea: chronicling, with sequential art, the life of a dad and his family. However, in my quest to find knowledge and inspiration, I Googled ‘Daddy Webcomic’, and the screen filled with hits from a site called sillydaddy.net.

I am not alone.

Silly Daddy was/is created by Joe Chiappetta of North Riverside, Ill. I found some interesting facts about Silly Daddy over at the Geek To Me blog at chicagonow.com:

Since I was a little boy, I’ve wanted to make cartoons. The dream has taken many forms, from animation to comic books. I look at my children today, and I don’t want them to see a man who didn’t accomplish his dreams.

I’ve already detailed here how I’m putting more effort into developing a webcomic based on the very family I hope to make proud, so I hope it will not come as a surprise that my blogging will become less frequent as I focus on my webcomic.

The past couple weeks were crazy. (Aren’t they all?) But I did manage to find a little time to sit with the family in front of the magic picture box and catch up on some recent family entertainment. I realize that these reviews are not timely, and everyone saw these films before I did. But that’s not going to stop me from trying to have a conversation about them now…

Where The Wild Things Are

Who wouldn't want to watch this movie?

Today’s kids are spoiled. They can have cartoons 24-7, on demand, no questions asked. Here at Howefitz Blog, I’d like to start  a tradition of making Saturday morning an event again. Cartoons belong on Saturday morning!

While surfing the worldwide web last night, I came across a review of Muppet King Arthur published by BOOM! Kids Comics. The review was on School Library Journal and was written by Katherine Dacey. I have not read this comic yet, so for those of you that don’t like to read reviews, don’t worry. This is not a review, it is commentary on what was said in a review.

Before I blow full steam ahead on this post, I want to take you back in time. Through the magic of YouTube, please go back with me to the 1970′s, and a very familiar television show opening. I bet you can sing along…

Now, did you notice anything? Kids? Ok. A big yellow 7 year old bird? Good! Notice anything else? Were the kids outside?! AND they were PLAYING!!!! Keep this in mind as I continue to rant…

Yesterday, Christina Warren of Mashable.com wrote a piece praising Sesame Street and their Elmo iPhone app. Take a look:

I have already reviewed Batman: The Brave and the Bold, but at that time, I had only seen one episode. That was over a year ago, and as I’ve continued to watch the show, I’ve become more enthralled with it’s family atmosphere. Not just in the ‘no one cusses or makes a lot of innuendos’ sort of family atmosphere, but a genuine sense of family among the characters.

I can’t remember a time when I couldn’t hum themes from Sergei Prokofiev‘s ‘Peter and the Wolf‘. I would imagine that most children wouldn’t know what an oboe is without it!

I remember as a kid listening to Patrick Stewart narrate it from a cassette I found at the library. Of course, I saw the Disney version more times than I can count, and who can forget the use of the wolf’s theme in the holiday classic ‘A Christmas Story‘?

When I was still living with my parents, I developed a yearly Thanksgiving tradition. I would set the alarm and get up early so that I could watch the entire original Star Wars trilogy before my dad got up and wanted the T.V. for football. Why Star Wars? Because this was before the prequels, so Star Wars still ruled. I’m still not into football, and Star Wars doesn’t have the same luster it once did, so I decided to compile a list of adult-friendly kids’ movies that you can enjoy with your kids this holiday season, or, if you are in to football, here’s some flicks that will distract your kids in another room while you enjoy the game(s).

I am the father of a teenage girl. Twilight? Yeah, I’ve heard of it. Here are my feelings on the phenomenon. Come with me… if you dare!

Since the dawn of teenage entertainment, what could possibly be described as ‘gothic’ has proved to be popular. What was popular while you were growing up?

Teen Wolf (1985)

OK, so not necessarily gothic, Twilight features werewolves as well as vampires, so I had to find an example of a werewolf other than Lon Chaney, Jr.

Monster Squad (1987)

Before this becomes a list of Halloween flicks of the 80′s, let’s focus on the vampires, shall we?

I’m so glad today’s FatherHood Friday theme is ‘Books’, because it gives me a chance to review an all-ages comic book I just discovered called ‘Lions, Tigers, and Bears‘.

‘Lions, Tigers, and Bears’ is the story of a little boy named Joey Price. Joey has just moved away from his grandmother who he’s close to, and is scared of being in a new place without any friends. As a going away present, his grandma gives him a set of four stuffed animals called ‘The Night Pride’. The lions and tigers in the set she says will chase the beasties away.