The world of trading and collectible cards

The world of trading cards has certainly come along quite a ways since 1887. For many years the only trading cards were the baseball cards that would come with a stick of gum. Fans of one particular team or another would amass huge collections of cards, and mothers across the nation would throw them away every spring cleaning. But a few managed to keep their cards, and grew to value other cards that would complete a collection or detail the career path of a favorite player. From this simple beginning grew the sports trading cards industry in earnest.

And then in the 1990’s a new idea came out that really shook up the industry. Collectible tradable cards. The first in this line of ideas was Magic: The Gathering. The game system featured easy play, in depth strategy, and numerous cards with original artwork that could be combined in numerous ways under dozens of strategies. The game was a hit with kids and adults, outselling many other games of skill and chance.

Adding to the playability and trading of the game is the fact that expansions were designed for the game and individual cards were made with different degrees of rarity. As an example cards such as the extremely rare Black Lotus were printed in scant quantities, while land cards were common and in massive quantities. Thus several dozen cards became quite valuable in the secondary markets, and as expansions were made and some cards discontinued trading became very active.

While other cards systems have come and gone since Magic: The Gathering (MTG) – this one system remains the leader in the market. Other game systems with popularity include games based on cartoon programs – Naruto, Pokemon, Digimon, movies and television shows – Highlander, and various sci fi themes – Net Runner, Doom Trooper, Jyhad, Vampire: The Masquerade and so on.

How popular are some of these cards? Well I can say from my own personal experience of selling some of my own MTG cards on eBay that most cards sell for about $1 each. But I do have cards that have been around almost from the beginning (started my collection back when I broke my leg in a motorcycle accident and had nothing else to do). Several of these individual cards are worth between $5 - $130.

So the next time spring cleaning comes around, and you run into a trading card or two, I suggest you check eBay first. [And if you really are interested you can always check out what I am offering under Mvass68 on eBay.]

Interview with Creation Network owner Mark Lewkowicz

From time to time I like to interview some of the successful people that are involved with entertainment and related industries. In this interview I decided to look closer to home. I chose Mark Lewkowicz, owner of Creation Network. Many of my readers, and anyone who has visited my online store, are familiar with the work Mark does, as he is the graphic artist I use for all my artwork. You can find Mark's website at http://www.creationnetwork.com/


Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Broward County, Florida just northwest of Fort Lauderdale. I have lived here for 37 years. I love it.

One question that some of my readers from across the country and world may wonder about is what is it like to live in Florida, since it tend to be hit by Hurricanes often?

I have been in Florida for 37 years and have only been hit by one hurricane. It is a daunting thing, but most anywhere you live you deal with tornadoes, earthquakes, ice storms, sink holes. If I worried about it, I would never get out of bed. The weather and year-round opportunities in Florida far outweigh the risk of hurricane for me.

What was your family like?

My family consists of Mom and Dad and two older sisters. I had a good family life growing up. We had some tough times financially, but as a child I never noticed. Played sports, went camping with the family. I had a lot of great memories growing up.

Was education a focus for your family?

I cannot say that education was a high priority for my family. Good values and hard work were stressed more than education.

How important is education for your kids? What about extra-curricular activities (ie. art, band, acting)?

I have put a bigger impact on education for my two daughters. They are both very talented volleyball players and I believe that they can get a nice scholarship to college. But, you have to keep up your grades. We monitor that very closely.

How did you become an artist?

When I was a child I used to do what a lot of kids did. I drew pictures and was fascinated with comic books. I used to draw super heroes and such. I kept it up and got better and better. When I was in high school, a teach of mine said "What is it that you do well that gives you pleasure." I thought about that long and hard. I truly loved to draw. He said that if you do what you love, the success will come. He let me out of his science class and arranged for me to have special art training with the art teachers. They set up a special program just for me and it turbo-charged my love for art.

Did you go to school or college for design?

Yes I did. I went to a community college for a couple of semesters. Then I realized that I wasn't getting the art training I needed. It felt like 13th grade to me. I was working as a graphic artist at the time for a local newspaper and considered going on full time with them. Instead, I went to the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. There I got intensive art training in several subjects including: life drawing, perspective, photography, art history, marketing and more. I graduated at the top of my class and was ready to put my training to the test.

Do you think everyone should go to college?

People may not like this answer, but I do not think that college is for everyone. I believe that there are talented people who are entrepreneurs that can go right into business and make a fine living. There are many self made people that have never had a formal education. In business, you learn by experience. For some people, the sooner they start, the sooner they are successful.

Is education important or real world experience?

To a certain extent - yes. You need to be educated in order to comprehend. But I believe that if you educate yourself in how to deal with people and communication skills, that is more important. I read "How To Win Friends and Influence People" by Dale Carnegie and it changed my life.

What did you do after school?

I was promoted to assistant art director at the newspaper I worked with. Soon after that, some of the people at that newspaper left and started another paper nearby. They asked me to be the art director for that paper. I accepted and within 2 years, we became 5 newspapers and a print shop. I ran the whole operation. It was a blast. I was young and working very hard and loved every minute of it.

Why did you start your own company? Why graphic design?

While I was the art director for the newspaper, I was doing freelance work. The freelance work became so lucrative, that I was making more than my salary as the art director. I then came up with a concept to start an agency called Creation Network. I would bring together talented people who could do anything a client needed that has to do with art.

A lot of my readers wonder how difficult owning a business can be. Was your business an instant success?

Not at first. As a matter of fact, at one time I was 2 weeks away from going out of business. I landed a large client and things took off from there. That was over 19 years ago. I still run Creation Network today.

So what kind of graphic design work do you do?

I no longer do full service agency work or media buying. I do strictly graphic design work for people. I do: logos, brochures, package design, ads, mailers, postcards and more. Anything that can be printed, I can design.

What type of clients do you have?

I do not have any large, big name clients. Most of my clients are business people who need one time graphic design work. Some clients are larger and I do artwork for them consistently. I specialize in people who do not have the budget for a large graphic design firm, but need expert graphics at a reasonable price.

What was the most fun graphic you have ever made? The most odd/memorable?

I truly enjoy doing cartoon work. I once drew a robotic crawfish for a robotics company in Louisiana. That was quite unique.

For those that are wondering, where is your office?

I am located in Coral Springs, Florida. I work from home. I have a dedicated office and usually work Monday through Friday 8 AM-4 PM. This allows me to spend a lot of time with my family and come and go as I please.

Since this is an election year, and many feel it's an important election, what are your top concerns for any future president?

I am truly concerned with oil prices and our dependency on oil in general. We need to start tapping into our own natural resources AND alternative resources. I am also concerned with our world wide reputation. We have a lot of repairing to do with our image and how we deal with foreign countries.

How important is the Iraq War to you?

Wow, that is a powerful question. I have been a little removed from that situation. I do not know anyone who has been affected by it directly. I believe that it may be an impossible battle that can never be won. The Iraqi people need to get their own country under control and we need to get out.

I thank Mark for the interview, and I hope it - like all my interviews - will inspire and help all of my readers, their friends, and co-workers.

Try this with an Xbox360 or PS3

Ok, so I got into a Futbol video kick for a bit. There are some really good ones out there. Inparticular there is this one. Now this is going to be a short post.

American kids may have the money and access to a Playstation 3 or an Xbox 360, but I want you to do this one with either system.



‘nuf said.

Introducing the history of Brazil's Golden Age

So I was running thru the web on a few of my more favored subjects when I ran across an interesting article by Zachary Ball, whom I presume is a fan of the Brazilian national futbol (soccer) team. And he has every reason, as do millions across the world, to favor this team above all others in the international arena. Having read the article I have to say that Americans should read this to get a sense of the passion and history of the game that we just can’t play.

Now most Americans are probably more familiar with a few names that are globally renowned. If I mention David Beckham some might think of the L.A. Galaxy – not realizing he is a superstar due to England and Spain performances. Others may recall Ronaldo without connection to his years for Brazil. Very few can identify (some can’t even pronounce) Ronaldinho – one of my favorites in recent years. The boy can play.

But most Americans just don’t get this beautiful game. But if the game were more stylized like the following video, they might watch a minute or so



Sadly they miss the real beauty in the game and the rich history that exists. And it’s that rich history that Mr. Ball reflects on. The fact that Brazil is the best in international soccer and that they have been for far longer than most remember. For longer than most any other nation in the world.

Instead of discussing the current greats of the game, or even focusing on just the stars, Mr. Ball goes into the history of the team and their Golden Age. Starting with the birth of international futbol and leading up to “three greatest minutes in the history of futbol” and then on to legends including Pele, Hilderaldo Bellini, Valdir Pereira, Jair Ventura Filho, Carlos Alberto up to 1970. He provides the reason why this nation has won more World Cups than any other nation, and in fact several combined.

For those that follow futbol, it’s a wonderful summary of the greatest sport on earth. To those that are unfamiliar (that means Americans) it’s a wonderful introduction and an introduction to some of the greatest names known in the world.

Let me finish with this. Mr. Ball, you did well. [article found at http://bleacherreport.com/articles/21523-The-Golden-Age-of-Brazilian-Futbol-1958-1970-050508]

Thought for the new motorcycle converts

With the warmer weather hitting the nation, the seasonal flux of new and occasional motorcycle riders is in stride. But in this year a new trend is also coming to fore. New motorcycle riders that converted from cars, trucks and SUV’s due to the increased cost of gas. Already record numbers of motorcycles are hitting the roads.

“Motorcycle registrations in Minnesota are at an all time high, up 89% in the last 10 years. Local instructors have had to double motorcycle training courses to accommodate the increase.”

This says nothing of places like California, Texas, the mid-west, and other locations around the nation with pleasant weather conditions and good roads. Considering that gasoline will continue higher, with some pundits targeting a top price of $7 per gallon by next year, converts to motorcycles may become a trend of unforeseen levels.

But that isn’t entirely a good thing.

As a former rider myself, one thing is consistent in every state of the nation. Drivers in cars and other 4-wheel vehicles are as much, if not more, dangerous to those on 2 wheels as every other issue combined. So for all those new motorcycle riders I want to mention a couple of things to keep in mind.

Car drivers tend to change lanes and make turns without ever using blinkers or hand signals. It’s one of the bigger problems. They just turn and assume everyone will know what they are doing. They don’t take into account the stopping distance of a motorcycle, nor the potential danger in having to serve out of the way.

Car drivers don’t look for or recognize motorcycles. It’s almost like you are invisible. I can recall a couple of times when a guy with his wife and kids drove up along side me on a highway in the same lane. I was on the left side of the lane to avoid the oil on the highway, and to allow drivers ahead of me the ability to see me in their mirror. I wasn’t turning or swerving in the lane. So he thought the extra space was just meant for him to drive along side me, maybe a foot way. My comments changed his mind, thankfully, but had anything had caused my bike to move over I’d have been the one hurt.

Infrequent rain in some areas brings up lots of oil on the road. This happens a lot in California, especially in the Los Angeles area. The first rains of the spring/summer season brings up lots of oil from the traffic and makes for slicker roads, especially if you are in the center of the lane.

Car drivers invariably never get your speed right. As such they will turn or cross in front of you, or pull out, just in time to hit you or cause you to swerve. See the change lanes section above.

So if you are a new motorcycle driver I would suggest getting lessons. Take a defensive driving course. Wear bright reflective clothing. Keep an eye out on what cars ahead of you are doing, not just the one in front of you but 2 or 3 cars up.

Given these things I’m sure you will love the freedom and virtual feeling of flying that a motorcycle provides even more than the gas you will save. Just drive safe and please don’t try to impress anyone on the road.

As I was once told by an older biker named Preacher out by Fallbrook California,

“No need to impress them. They are in the car looking up and out at us. They want to be us. So why drive faster or crazy?”

And I’m sure other experienced motorcyclists out there have a few thoughts and tips for new drivers as well. Please leave a comment to help the newbies out. It’s one road out there and we all can enjoy it together.

R Kelly trial to start, or will it?

“5 years and counting. What might that refer to? Could it be the Iraq war? It could also be the amount of time since R Kelly was supposed to go to trial for the alleged rape of a minor…”

“Will R Kelly finally go to court and stand trial for his actions – and will the family of the girl that was raped still be working for him?”

I made those comments back in September 2007. Now in May 2008 with 2 days to go before the start of the trial, another delay looms, and the media still isn’t paying attention. I cannot describe how angy this makes me. A rumored and widely acknowledged pedophile is running around free and evading the law and the news media can’t be bothered.

The media makes me sick in cases like this. Wesley Snipes is an entertainer, and Black, so no time was wasted in painting him as a felony criminal – even after he was found innocent of all but the least significant charges. OJ Simpson can’t walk across the street without a news crew documenting it (as they virtually have for over a decade) – and he was found innocent. Rev. Wright had 35 years of religious service and work for the equality and imporvement of quality of life wiped out by five 10 second polispeak soundbites – and he wasn’t running for an elected position.

But when it comes to real crimes the major news media has it’s head stuck up it’s collective a**. The Jena 6 case was ignored for months. The Megan Williams case was granted all of 30 seconds and will never be uttered again. Sean Bell was discussed form the cops perspective, without ever mentioning the conflicts in their stories, and pushed to a corner as quickly as possible. Now the actions of 15 cops in Philadelphia is set to be accepted as merely a slight over reaction among a small group of officers – completely obfuscating the connection to and growing trend of excessive police brutality to people of color nearly exclusively.

And we can add R Kelly, a pedophile whos targets are near-pubescent girls. The daughters, neices, and sisters in the Black community that are supposed to be protected by the law and the community. Yet the news media can’t be bothered to know anything about this case, because Britney Spears cut her hair, Amy Winehouse is a crackhead that got arrested again, and Paris Hilton is a spoiled rich brat who was arrested for violating the law and is placed into entertainment events because she has too much money to offend.

Of course how can we blame the major news media. African Americans regularly support this vile and disgusting man every time he has a concert or makes a record. Grown women still swoon to his words and gyrations on music videos, actively ignoring the fact that were they standing in front of him naked he would prefer a clothed 13 year old next to them. What makes him any less dispicable than the Mormons in Texas?

And not a single complaint has come from the major news media about the judge’s running of the case.

“Vincent M. Gaughan, a Cook County circuit court judge… essential goal, according to one of his orders: "To preserve the dignity of the court and the integrity of the proceedings." That's an especially powerful, ironic argument, given widespread concern that Kelly is receiving preferential treatment because of his celebrity status.”

The media has been consistent in complaining that Black entertainers get treated preferentially by the legal system. They point to OJ, Wesley Snipes (who was sentanced beyond any parity according to all experts in such matters), and numerous rappers like Snoop Dogg. Yet they can’t seem to be able to see R Kelly or the fact they are giving him a pass that is underserved or justified. And many African Americans laud this as a positive.

Of course R Kelly hasn’t been taking this vacation from the law lightly. He’s used the time to lay low, keeping out of the direct spotlight – letting potential jurors only know about his records and not his deeds. He’s employed the father of his victim, paying cash to keep his a** out of jail and possibly buying testimonies in the process (isn’t that called inciting perjury – and a crime in itself?).

I once quoted

“As Huey states in one episode, [I paraphrase]
“America has done a multitude of injustice to Blacks, but that does not mean everything is an injustice, or that this makes every African American a hero.”

The fact that R Kelly can sing a song, is Black, and entertainer and has some money does not make him a hero. The fact that video tape proves he is a pedophile does make him a criminal and in need of imprisonment in my view. And the news media ignoring this case makes the injustice to African Americans no less palpable than when the media ignored Jena, Megan Williams, Sean Bell, or ignored the innocence of Wesley Snipes.

The major news media has a position and it seems to be clear. It could be said as:

• If a Black is popular and well off – find something to take them down. Crush their lives if possible. (Stories on Michael Jordan gambling on golf games, stories claiming Tiger Woods' wife was in a porno, searching for infidelities in Bill Cosby’s life or others, and so on).
  
  
• If they are guilty, or even suspected of a crime against a White, convict them at every turn (Wesley Snipes, OJ Simpson, and on).
  
  
• If they are committing, or suspected of, a crime against themselves or African Americans. Spin it as positive as possible. Publicize it as often as possible. And if it has no positive edge, ignore it. (R Kelly, Snoop Dogg and more)
  
  
• If they are the victim of a crime – only if commited by a White – ignore it. If it can’t be ignored then blame the African American and support the White (Duke rape case, Megan Williams) but never allow guilt to be a fact.
  
  
• And for any other case not covered, just look for the most negative portrayal of any person of color as possible, or avoid the issue. (How many Amber Alerts have you seen on the news for Black children? How about in the past year?)
  

So I have to wonder if R Kelly will ever get into a courtroom. Or if the media will cover it if he does. Or is the victim in the case (who is now 23 and thus won’t look as obviously a victim as she would have 5+ years ago) going to have her short past used as a weapon against her.

What would you bet?

Police overkill: not a movie, Philadelphia

On Monday night, WTXF news helicopter took video images of 15 police officers.



Those swarming individuals weren’t gang members, though at a glance you would assume they were.

What happened?

According to police they witnessed the car in question pull up and a man stepped out shooting at an individual. The man with the gun then ran away on foot. The car with 3 Black men seen in the video was followed and the video tells the rest of the story.

We have yet to hear the version of events from the African Americans that were in the car, though they all have been charged with attempted murder.

Facts so far?

Beyond the video there are none yet. There is nothing to back up the police allegation that there was a shooting. There is no information about a 4th man. There is no information about all the police involved chasing after the man that had the gun and was on foot. The 4th man is at large according to all news on the event so far.

Does all this sound familiar? The name you may be recalling is Sean Bell.

Like in the Sean Bell case we have police keeping surveillance of a crime area. Again an alleged 4th individual is supposed to have had a gun. Yet again the person with the gun is gone like mist in the sunlight. And again police officers (in this case a multitude of them) are incapable of capturing the most dangerous of the alleged criminals.

Like Rodney King, the men once pulled out of the car, are assaulted with extreme prejudice. Not one man in this video is shown resisting. As if they could considering the numbers involved.

Like Sean Bell the officers involved are in the process of being removed from duty on the street. Note that they are not being suspended, or fired, or not working. They just are being reassigned (which could mean that they are still on the streets, just in a different area).

Also, if this had not been caught on tape by a news helicopter, would any of this made the news? Would anyone have believed the men if there was no tape of the events? What is more believable, police officers or alleged murderers, without video?

How many students in San Diego were beaten by multiple officers when they were arrested? 0 out of 100. How many police abused the 2 blonde bank robbers in Atlanta? None, especially since they found the girls while they were casually getting their hair done and discussing the robbery. [The women got 1 yr probation; the Black men got 10 years in jail.] How many officers assaulted, en masse, a White alleged criminal – not putting up a fight – in numbers approaching 5-1, in the past year? 5 years? 10?

When I hear people say that this is not a Black and White issue I have to ask, How is it not? When I hear people say that law enforcement is fair, I have to ask Where are the Whites being treated in the same manner? When I hear people say this is not systemic I have to ask, What part of the nation has not had a similar type of event in the past year or 2?

I spoke about the problem that exists in America I said

“Black men assaulted by the police, with extreme and unjustifiable force, with officers that walked away from the incidents (crimes) without penalty. Nothing like the even hand of justice in America.”

And then I asked in another post

“What did we do after the Rodney King trial and riots? What did we do after Amidou Diallo was murdered. What have we done after the media circus that was the coverage of Wesley Snipes vs the IRS (which he basically won – though you probably never heard the major news media mention that part)? What has happened after the rape torture and kidnapping of Megan Williams? What have we done about Congress (Democrat and Republican led) and the Presidency’s inaction in Darfur?”

I still have the same insights, and the same questions. What will it take to change either thought I have?

Hints on the movies of 2009

So since I was recently talking about the start of the summer movie season I thought I might also mention a few movies that will be out in a year or so. Luckily there are 2 that should be interesting, though I’m not sure if that means a good movie or not.

The first is news that the sequel to The Lord of the Rings (in fact it’s actually a prequel and the first book about Middle Earth), The Hobbit will be directed by Guillermo Del Toro. He’s a great director and has a very unique vision. His movies are usually quite entertaining, and he gets a lot out of his actors.

As good as he is, and the bonus that he is one of the very few Hispanic/Latino directors in Hollywood, I have reservations. The bar was set extremely high by Peter Jackson’s version of Lord of the Rings. His ability to translate the words of J.R.R. Tolkien into the visual experience was remarkable and believable. I severely doubt anyone’s ability to duplicate that, even if Jackson were still at the helm.

Yet one positive for the film is that Sir Ian McKellan will be returning in his role as Gandalf the Grey. Well at least they are talking about the pay, so excluding the studio getting cheap, he’s in. Another bit of good news is that Peter Jackson will be producing the film.

Now what other people will be involved is unknown. There are many dwarves and men in this film. And of course there is who will be Bilbo – the original Hobbit on the go. And then there is a huge amount of work for the CGI team in trying to bring to life the central character of Smaug. And a return of Gollum.

The challenges will be daunting. But we will see once the trailers start appearing in about a year and a half or so.

In other movie news there is this other item.

The Terminator is back. But it won’t be the Guvernator on the screen. This time out the story will be advancing to new territory. Or more accurately traveling further into the post-nuclear Skynet controlled future.

In this new movie expect to see Christian Bale and Moon Bloodgood (that has to be a stage name – who would name their kid that?). I have no idea who Bloodgood is, but some may recognize the name from the television series Journeyman. I never saw that so it doesn’t help me. As for Bale, well he has done exceptionally well as the Dark Knight and several other movies so that gives me hope.

And of course there is the other side of the news. It’s a big negative too. The director at this moment is McG, the same person responsible for Charlie’s Angels. That was a horrible television show to movie creation. While it may have made money because of Lucy Liu and Drew Barrymore (Carmen Diaz is just not cute and way too skinny) it was a miserable film. Be honest, you know it was.

Considering the news for the upcoming films in 2009 it’s anyone’s bet on what will be worth the time. Until that time there are a few good things to keep you entertained. As I’ve already mentioned, Iron Man is definitely the movie to see. The new Hulk film with Ed Norton looks appealing and should erase any memory of Ang Lee’s version. WANTED looks to be a major hit with Angelina Jolie, and Morgan Freeman.

The Take with John Leguizamo, Tyrese Gibson, and Rosie Perez sounds like it will make it straight to DVD – a shame since I like Leguizamo and think his ability as an entertainer is severely underestimated.

War, Inc. looks to be the first anti-war movie that will do well and be entertaining. Unlike every film so far that has been a poster-child for the ultra-liberal left wing loons (all 10 of them that collectively went to those films), this film uses humor and a well rounded cast. John Cusack leads the film in a role similar to his hitman in Grosse Point Blank (a really fun film). His sister Joan is also in a similar character. There is a bunch to say about this, but I will wait til I get the trailer. Oh, Ben Kingsley has a small role, and the scary part is so does Hillary Duff.

Of course Indiana Jones is going to be a hit. So far trailers look great and I have to imagine that Harrison Ford doesn’t need the money, and his reputation doesn’t need a flop, so it should be good if not very good.

I’d avoid Speed Racer, and Hellboy might be worth the cost. And the Love Guru seems like it will redeem Mike Meyers for doing The Cat in the Hat.

More on those movies and the rest soon.

Review Iron Man

I was wrong about Iron Man. The movie isn’t good. It’s a great movie, made all the better by Robert Downey Jr.’s acting and Jon Faverau’s directing vision. Seriously I think this film is the best in the superhero comic book to movie genre to date.

So why is it so good?

Well they stick greatly to the wealth of the storylines of the comicbook to start with. Tony Stark is a multi-billionaire genius with a penchant for women and liquor. He is a selfish, self-centered cad. And Downey embodies the character perfectly. You can easily relate to Stark’s wild lavish lifestyle of private jets with retractable stripper poles and stewardesses to match. You can also believe his staunch commitment to creating weapons for the protection of America.

At many points in the movie it’s the transition that gets you. Whether its physical, emotional or moral. And unlike failure films like the Ang Lee Hulk (thank god a superior version is about to come to the movies) the morale content is not spoon-fed to you, but allowed to develop in the movie.

Pacifists and ultra-liberals will enjoy the movie and take away an ant-war feel. Which isn’t exactly right. The goal is anti-abuse of the weapons needed to make the world better. And it’s about one man finding his own way to improve the world, growing beyond the shadow of his father.

The visuals in the film are spot on. The suit is believable and stylish. With just enough ostentation to fit a former billionaire will-o-wisp. Many feared this movie wouldn’t connect with moviegoers because you can’t see Downey behind the mask. Well several closeups ‘within the mask’ are more than enough to keep you in touch with the humanity of Stark, and his movements is the suits are anything but robotic.

And I think you just have to love the handy but bumbling helper robot of Stark’s. Never fear a fire when he is near. Though lighting a cigarette or falling down may also get the same result.

The supporting cast include Terrence Howard in a small but beneficial role of Randy Rhodes. He is the second closest person to Stark besides Pepper Potts. He is Stark’s longtime friend and military liason. He is also the man that may one day (in the movies) become the 2nd man in the iron suit – War Machine. Terrence Howard portrays a high ranking Air Force pilot with respect and authority.

Gwenneth Paltrow is the ever present and consistent Pepper Potts. Whether it’s “taking out the garbage” or blowing up the corporate office she is the woman you want. And Paltrow is very good at being dutiful. Thankfully her character gets about the same kind of emotional release as does Evey from V For Vendetta.

In terms of the music, well there is one song you just want to hear from the previews – but on that you will be disappointed. Otherwise the music, and sound is well done.

I’m trying hard not to give away anything more than the basics that you can see in a preview or from a casual perusal on Google of Iron Man. You want to see this film. I want to see it again. I want the DVD.

One of the best things about the film may be the fact that there just has to be a sequel, and Downey will be in it. Or perhaps that this one superhero is the only one that every single one of us could imagine being able to do, and having a hell of a rush doing it.

Expect crowds to see this film, unless you live in a small town like Binghamton and are in the theater at 4ish.