Culture

It feels a little odd in these last few days of February to say that a long year has come to a close. But that's how it feels, now that all the votes, all the announcements, and all the awards are finally out of the way. And, of course, we like to top off our Best Of awards with a very special one to all of us here at Critical Blast, the Bombshell of the Year.

Each month, Critical Blast focuses on a cosplayer and highlights what makes him or her special, a focus that goes beyond how great he or she looks in a costume. Then, at the end of the year, you the readers determine which of that year's cosplayers are to be the esteemed Bombshell of the Year. And with your help, we can now announce the latest to hold that title.

It is with great pride that Critical Blast introduces to you our 2017 Bombshell of the Year...Jennifer of Themyscira!

Take it away, Jennifer!

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month Sofy Frezer

February is the shortest month of the year. So to balance that out, we've made the farthest reach we can to find this month's Critical Blast Bombshell -- halfway around the world to Russia!

This month's Bombshell has been making a name for herself in the cosplay community through her Instagram photos of recognizable characters in natural, casual poses. She's also an object lesson in time management, as she has to juggle her considerable cosplay skills with the busy life of a full-time college student.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Дамы и господа, we are pleased and proud to present at this time...

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

VOTE FOR THE BEST OF 2017!!!

Click the link above to vote on your choices for the best of film, television and comics for 2017!

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Disclaimer: We don't actually have any articles about Norm MacDonald this week, but I am a fan so he got the cover image this week.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

VOTE FOR THE BEST OF 2017!!!

Jon Del Arroz is a serious science fiction author. And by serious, I mean he's taken the time and trouble to join the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America guild, something I've bothered to do, and now probably never will.

Del Arroz, an Hispanic, was planning to attend Worldcon 76, when he received notice that they were disallowing his attendance, stating he had intended to break their code of conduct. "Worldcon 76 strives to be an inclusive place in fandom, as difficult as that can be, and racist and bullying behavior is not acceptable at our Worldcon."

Because nothing says inclusivity and anti-racism like banning an Hispanic author from your event.

What triggered this reaction? What was it that Del Arroz had done to merit sucha response? Had he published a political manifesto? Posted with a frillion AK-47s on Facebook? Publicly burned a picture of Ray Bradbury?

January. The first. First day of the first month, and a whole new year laid out ahead of all of us. Many of you may be thinking about what you'll do differently this year, what you'll change from last year. And many of you may have already resigned yourself to the notion that you'll probably fail at it, but what the heck, it's a tradition, right? Think about the gym, the work, the sacrifice, and figure that'll last until February and your first box of chocolates, if you're lucky.

Lucky for you, our January 2018 Critical Blast Bombshell has inspiration to spare! Sure, we love to check out cosplayers and get inspired by their costume designing, their prop-making skills, their ability to pull a character off of a page our out of a game and drop them right into our convention center or special event. But this month, we give you a cosplayer who's a little bit more than that.

Another year has come and gone. The sanitation workers have hauled away the last vestiges of torn Christmas wrapping and boxes, our heads are still buzzing a little from staying up way too late and drinking way to much. And on top of that, the shirt that fit us just fine last October seems to have shrunk in the dryer or something!

But with all that, we've not forgotten that the new year brings with it the voting for the best of last year! So please take a look through the categories below, where the team at Critical Blast has suggested what we think are the Best of the Best of 2017. And because we're not infallible (rumors of selecting new staff members through white or black smoke signals to the contrary), we've got an "other" option in almost every category so you can correct us with what we should have suggested!

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Interview

Disclaimer: I want to make it very clear, I am not endorsing this product or any claims made by Unspoil.me.  I am covering this story because it amused me, not because I think it has any credibility.

I stumble across the weirdest things in my journeys across the internet.  Today, that happened to come from a website I've never heard of called IFL Science.  They did a story about something called Unspoil.me, and I just had to talk about it.

There's nothing quite like watching an amazing TV show for the first time. The second time you watch it, however, you're going in with no surprises and the experience is never as good.

In case I've never mentioned it before, I'm old. So my playlist doesn't often reach out to include Taylor Swift in its lineup.

That doesn't mean I'm insulated, though. I know who she is, I remember when she was on my country stations...and I'm aware that, for whatever reason, her opinion on politics is highly sought after, and her silence on it seems to be infuriating to the pop culture media HMFICs. Yes, why is a twenty-something pop-star not weighing in on where she stands on matters of international diplomacy or perceived social inequities? How can we move on without knowing this information?

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Reviews

From CBS News:

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday overturned "net neutrality," the regulations ensuring that internet service providers such as AT&T (T), Comcast (CMCSA) and Verizon (VZ) treat all website and content equally.

The meeting was charged, reflecting the public controversy over whether to preserve or eliminate the Obama-era rules. As if to punctuate the drama, attendees at the FCC hearing were forced to abruptly clear the room over unspecified security concerns before Chair Ajit Pai cast his vote.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Reviews

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Critical Blast Bombshell, December 2017 - Jennifer of Themyscira

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Jack Frost nipping at your nose. Yuletide carols being sung by a choir, and folks dressed up like...Wonder Woman?

Now that's a Christmas tradition we can get behind! In fact, some of our favorite Christmas stories involve things like Superboy and the Legion looking for the Star of Bethlehem, or Batman tracking down a thief dressed like Santa Claus. So why not put a little cosplay into your Christmas, like our Bombshell does this month. She even rescues Star Wars from the cringeworthy Christmas crossover it tried so long ago with a Star Wars holiday pose!

Get ready to hang your stockings and say your prayers, because cosplay is coming at you now, as we proudly present the...