TRIPPIN' ROUND THE MITTEN, the sixth album from award-winning singer/songwriter Randy Kaplan, is an album that, though it is marketed to kids…. is not just for kids.

It’s not, because it is full of fun happiness and storytelling that you can’t help but like, no matter who you are.

An extremely well-educated, well-rounded man, who has lived in many places around this country, it easy to see (and hear) the many people Kaplan sites as influences to his music and mirth-making: people such as Steve Martin and the Marx Brothers, Robert Johnson and Woody Guthrie.

But as a fellow native Long Islander, I personally would say his biggest influence was hailing from Dix Hills, a mere half-hour or so as the crow flies from my home town of Port Washington--and I dare say that is where he must have first learned his art of kibitzing (so apparent throughout this CD in between and during the songs).

Young Mary Adler (FULLER HOUSE's MCKENNA GRACE) is about to start first grade, and is resisting it every step of the way, preferring to continue being home-schooled by her uncle, Frank (CHRIS EVANS, MARVEL'S THE AVENGERS). It's not just that she is scared to go to school -- it's that the lessons involve 1+1=2, and Mary is already well past solving quadratic equations.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Really small shopping list this week!

August is the month when things traditionally heat up. Despite that, our August Bombshell, The Walking Farnsworth, exudes cool as he portrays some of the coolest customers in the comics continuum.

As a member of the Midwest cosplay group, Another Castle Creations, TWF makes cosplay a family affair, attending conventions with Mrs. The Walking Farnsworth and generally shaking up the Kansas convention circuit. His designs for Green Arrow, Doctor Strange are both highlighted here -- and how could we resist including a pose of Bruce Wayne -- from DC Comics' own BOMBSHELLS series? So let's get on with the show, shall we?

Critical Blast Bombshell, August 2017

The Walking Farnsworth

What is your interest in cosplay, and why do you do it?

Dragon Con is coming...

For those who aren't familiar with this convention, it's an ENORMOUS fan convention held in Atlanta every Labor Day weekend. I was lucky enough to attend my first Dragon Con in 2014. I had such a blast, checking out cosplay, browsing art and amazing vendors, attending panels and meeting so many cool people. And there's not a moment that's gone by, I haven't thought about how amazing Dragon Con was. I've been trying to get back ever since I left.

Here we are three years later and I'm FINALLY headed back. I couldn't be more excited to be emersed in this insane amount of fandom all over again.

Even better, I'm going to be sharing my experiences at Dragon Con with the readers of Critical Blast! There will be interviews, live tweeting, live streaming, AMAZING cosplay and so much more. Make sure you're following all of Critical Blast's social media streams to keep up with all the awesome things happening.

At the August 2017 Wizard World in Chicago, veteran comic artist and storytelling legend Mike Grell will be inducted into the Wizard World Hall of Legends.

When I heard of the hall, I wondered why it wasn't called the more traditional "Hall of Fame." But after speaking with Mike on some of the touchstones of his career that led to this induction, I have to admit that "Legends" is exactly the right word. We think our readers will agree after they've hear the same stories.

In an interview too big for one publication, Critical Blast is proud to bring you the first of a three-part interview with Mike Grell.

To encourage Americans to get outside for the 2017 solar eclipse, Hipcamp —a startup that creates new campsites by unlocking access to beautiful private lands such as nature preserves, farms, and ranches—is sharing 5 essential eclipse facts and 789 places to camp in the path of totality.

Saw a headline on Hollywood Reporter this morning reporting a NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS sequel coming in 2018.  But, I opened it up to find out that this sequel is a graphic novel coming from TokyoPop, not a new movie.

It's taken almost 25 years, but Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is finally going to get a sequel — but it won't be happening on screen.

(WATCH UNTIL THE VERY END!)

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab
 

On July 21, Disney debuted the long-awaited DESCENDANTS 2 on pretty much every channel Disney owns. You had your choice of watching it on Disney Channel (with limited commercials, unlike the other channels), Disney XD, Freeform, ABC, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies.   

The Mystery Inc gang is back in another hair-raising (or hair-popping-off) adventure. Set in the wonderfully self-referential world of LEGO, SCOOBY-DOO: BLOWOUT BEACH BASH finds the gang trying to take a break from mystery solving, with Fred and Velma trying to overcome their square personas after Daphne and Shaggy have teased them about being unable to have fun. Their quest leads them to a beach celebration, where the two coolest teens are crowned "Captains of the Bash" for having led the other teens in having the most fun. It's a musical adventure straight out of a Frankie Avalon / Annette Funicello flick.

Unfortunately, the boardwalk is finding itself under attack by a pair of ghost pirates from the past, which isn't good for business for either the greedy land developer who's buying up the boardwalk, or for Mr. and Mrs. Holdout who run the Holdout Inn and refuse to sell it. Think you know who the mystery bad guy is already? You'll have to think again.

ATOMIC BLONDE is a stylish retro romp through the world of Cold War cloak and dagger. It’s also a strong debut by director David Leitch, though the tangled web they weave in trying to deceive the audience is ever so slightly overwrought. Then again, it’s bloody lightyears better than that Aston-Martin car wreck that was the last James Bond film, SPECTRE.

Cookies are for Closers -- and so is this lunchbox and Blu-ray set for DreamWorks Animation's THE BOSS BABY, starring the voice of Alec Baldwin.

Designed to look like a briefcase, this metal lunchbox is just the thing to give your midday meal both a modern and retro touch.

DreamWorks Animation presents the fun-filled, feel-good comedy of the year, THE BOSS BABY! Seven-year-old Tim Templeton suddenly finds his share of parental love plummeting when his new baby brother (Alec Baldwin) arrives -- wearing a suit and toting a briefcase -- and makes it clear to everyone that he's in charge. But when Tim discovers that Boss Baby is on a secret mission, he reluctantly agrees to team up with his pint-sized sibling for an epic adventure that might just change the world!

Every so often, and far too infrequently, the world produces an actress with a face like Michele Martin's -- attractive yet versatile, able to portray just about anybody in any genre. And Michele has done just that, with performances ranging from Shakespeare on the stage to co-starring in horror/thrillers like COFFIN 2, not to mention her copious writing credits.

Michele will shortly be portraying Natalie Wood as the lead in the premiere of AVALON at the Edinburgh Fringe, opposite Sean Cronin (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM) as King Arthur. (The two meet each other as ghosts in the titular Avalon, between Heaven and Earth. Guinevere is going to be so jealous!) But before she hits the boards there, she sat down with us to talk a little bit about some of her upcoming projects -- one of which premieres on an entirely new digital platform!

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Zach and Kevin travel down memory lane as they share funny and memorable stories of each other on the show. Do you have a best friend or person in your life with a funny or memorable story you would like to share? 

Yeah we want to hear it Boo!