#16: Back to Basics

Hello and welcome to the 16th issue of Extremely Unannoying!

After a long hiatus and a weird moving edition, it's time to get back to basics: cool links to cool stuff from around the world.

So let's jump in, shall we?

1) Exquisite word balloons

Last issue, I kicked off my Best of 2023 roundup with the books I enjoyed the most. This week, it's time for the second category: comics.

2023 was a strong year for the world of sequential art with many of my ongoing series achieving new heights, and quite a few newcomers finding permanent homes on my shelf.

I collected the top 5 series of the year in this post.

I recommend browsing through it even if you've never picked up a comic book in your life. Given the breadth and depth of the stories on display, you might find something that convinces you to give this weird and wonderful art form a try.

2) Come, check out where the nerds live

Speaking of comics, it's almost May, which means it's almost time for the Budapest Comic Con.

I went with some friends last year, and it was a blast! Although the name suggests an event solely about comic books, it's really not. It's about everything nerdy.

We took photos with cosplayers, played our first-ever round of Warhammer 40k, marveled at huge LEGO dioramas, tried new board games, ate a surprisingly delicious hot dog, listened to some actors and comics people talk on stage, bought a lot of loot we probably didn't need (but definitely wanted), and generally had a grand old time.

If you like to be around enthusiastic people and enjoy pop culture, the Budapest Comic Con is a great place to visit for a day.

This year, the event will be held on May 18th and 19th, and tickets are already on sale.

(Although I don't have a kid, many of the attendees last year did, so BCC can also work as a family outing, I think.)

I'll definitely be there again. If you decide to go as well and see me on the floor, please come say hi. 🙂

3) How Marvel conquered Hollywood

One of the reasons why I enjoy going to Comic Con is the opportunity to hear the artists talk about their craft on the main stage and in the artist alley. I just love to understand how things are put together.

So when the Wall Street Journal came out with a four-part podcast series on how Marvel went from a bankrupt movie studio to a powerhouse transforming modern cinema, I was quickly hooked.

The miniseries is called With Great Power, and it's an insightful look at the personalities and decisions behind Marvel's rise to dominating Hollywood. You can listen to it on the WSJ's website or wherever they serve podcasts.

(And if you enjoy this kind of behind-the-scenes stuff, I also highly recommend Sean Howe's Marvel Comics: The Untold Story. It's a superb book about the history of the company — a tale sometimes even more exciting than the comics Marvel made.)

+1 A very late recommendation

Look, I know I'm coming to this party after the cake is gone, most of the guests have left, and the champagne buzz has just started to turn into tomorrow's headache.

But!

I simply have to tell you to watch the Apple TV+ show, Severance, if you didn't already.

Based on the first season I inhaled in less than a week, it might be the best TV show I've ever seen. And I saw quite a few TV shows. (I'm an indoor cat. 🤷‍♂️)

Most of the fun of Severance comes from the mystery, so instead of writing a synopsis that would rob you of some of that fun, I'm going to give you a series of outrageously incorrect blurbs to give you a feeling for its vibe.

Ready?

Severance is what Lost would have been if J.J. Abrams had a clue what he was doing.

It's The Office of the darkest imaginable timeline.

It's all of the best Black Mirror episodes wrapped into a gorgeous gift basket, and none of the shitty ones.

It's an Adam Scott appreciation tape.

It's damn brilliant.

Be a good friend to yourself and watch it.

And with that, we're wrapped! Thanks for reading this week's Extremely Unannoying!

Happy Easter if you celebrate it, or simply have a good weekend if you don't!

We'll meet back here in two week's time. Take care until then! 👋