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.

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.

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab
 

We'd love to tell you all about how freaking cool it is to see Richard Browning flying -- yes, you read that right, flying -- over the pavement in his homemade Iron Man suit at the San Diego Comic Con.

But we think you'd be much more impressed in seeing it for yourself. So for all you folks who couldn't make the SDCC scene this year, we present the following video so you can see it for yourselves.

He lives! He walks! He conquers! But best of all -- he flies!

Excelsior!

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

• Spooky's Jump Scare Mansion: We're Being Chased
• Mario Party 64: I'm A Dinosaur!

Reviews

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

July Bombshell of the Month - Kayley Marie

News

"He's going to get someone killed."

That was CNN contributor Ana Navarro's take on the fan-edited video of Donald Trump from WrestleMania (circa 2007), in which WWE head honcho Vince McMahon got clotheslined by The Donald in a guest appearance. In the edit, McMahon's face has been replaced by a CNN logo.

For the literal minded out there, this was a stunt. Also, there is no Mr. CNN running around out there with an animated CNN logo for a head. The guy in the Jack-in-the-Box commercials isn't real, either.

All imagery is by Rick Currier Photography (FB: Rick Currier Photography IG: @rickcurrier32)

Cosplay has come a long way -- but it still has a long way to go. If you don't believe me, witness the debut of this season's BIG BROTHER on CBS, where the admission of one of the houseguests, Ramses Soto, that he was a professional cosplayer was met with blank stares and crickets. (The silent message of derision from CBS did not go unnoticed.)

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

News

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

• Yooka Laylee: Can't Stop Laughing!

News

Where do I begin?

I suppose I begin in 1972, laying on the shag carpet of my parents' living room, tuned into KDNL Channel 30, when I first saw Batman. Oh, I'd seen him in the comic books -- I'd been reading proficiently from a pre-Kindergarten age because of comics. But this was real, not a drawing (although admittedly I was initially taken in by the Dick Sprang style of artwork in the animated opening). And since this was obviously a real person in a real costume, by extension, Batman was real. That's how the mind works at 5 years old.

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

• June's Bombshell - Victoria Avalor

Game Jab

What did you miss on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab

• Yooka Laylee
• Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild | Movie Reviews

News

YouTube provides us with so much amazing content it's hard to keep track of it all. But every once in a while someone comes up with a pop-culture parody that can't be ignored.

YouTuber OverEnglishMan, inspired by fan art on tumblr, sings a Star Wars: The Last Jedi parody of "Your Welcome" from Disney's Moana. The song was originally performed by Dwayne Johnson as the voice of Demi-God Maui, when Moana first meets him. High on himself and all the great things he's done, Maui explains all the great adventure he's been on for the benefit of mankind.

photo credit: Clint & Jillian Cosplay and Photography with Fali Ruiz-Davila

A moment of honesty is called for here. I could not just dive in and give a simple, glib introduction with something clever about our monthly Bombshell's representation or about whatever holiday might be coinciding with the timing of our publication.

Florencia Sofen's story, just as much as her skills, put me in a position of awed admiration. Her courage to leave her country for one halfway across the world, and her passions that drive her cosplay journey are inspirational.

With the NFL Draft starting tonight, I often wonder what it would be like if there was a draft for a new team of superheroes in the Marvel Universe. Who would be the first pick?

I would have to say for Marvel Comics, the selection of heroes is far more complicated than our DC Comics draft. Given the state of Marvel Comics, the popularity of some heroes exceeds their actual powerset. You could probably take these heroes into consideration for the top 5 picks: