Sci-Fi Explosion guy. Comics lover. Pug snuggler. Retronaut.
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Articles by Chris Cummins
Typesetting the LaTeX way
I love text. Naturally. I mean, between programming, University work, emails and sexting, I spend around 50 hours a week doing the “digit dance” to make words appear on a glass screen in front of me. As a consequence, I’m obsessed with the appearance of type, and those neatly formatted PDFs generated by LaTeX has for a long time been my ideal of what nice typesetting looks like.
The Holy Grails of Toy Collecting: From Barbie and Marvel to Star Trek and G.I. Joe
This article is part of Collector’s Digest, an editorial series powered by: Long before Charles Foster Kane ever uttered the word “Rosebud,” people were spending huge amounts of time, effort, and, of course, money trying to track down beloved items from their childhood. There’s something almost indescribably warm about old toys and possessions long gone.
Large Language Models for Compiler Optimization
Papers Published on Sep 11 · Featured in Daily Papers on Sep 14 Abstract We explore the novel application of Large Language Models to code optimization. We present a 7B-parameter transformer model trained from scratch to optimize LLVM assembly for code size. The model takes as input unoptimized assembly and outputs a list of compiler options to best optimize the program.
The Death of Mister Softee Jingle Genius Len Waas Settles Any Lingering Debate Over What The Best Summer Song Is — PHILEBRITY
The Death of Mister Softee Jingle Genius Len Waas Settles Any Lingering Debate Over What The Best Summer Song Is On April 19th, 2016, longtime Philly ad men Les Waas died at the age of 94. (He's best known around these parts for crafting the immortal Melrose Diner jingle). As unforgettable as that classic is, it is overshadowed by Waas' other big hit: the theme that has become synonymous with summertime.
The Best Music Collectibles and Gifts to Celebrate SXSW 2023
This article is presented to you by: Music is so much more than the soundtrack of our collective experiences; it serves so many crucial and often underappreciated roles in our lives. It can act as a balm when we are at our lowest, giving us hope through melody and lyrics written by strangers who somehow captured in amber exactly what we were feeling—a gentle reminder that we are not alone, that someone cares.
The Best Funko Gifts For Holiday Season 2023
When the weather outside in the galaxy is downright frightful, leave it to this snowy Stormtrooper to warm your holiday spirits.
TCG And Tabletop Gaming Holiday Gift Guide
Amazon’s Lord of the Rings TV series, Iron Crown Enterprises’ 1995 Middle-earth has experienced a massive resurgence in popularity over the last couple of months – leading to bidding wars aplenty for any and all things related to the CCG. If you haven’t ever played this, well, you shall not pass by your second chance to do so.
Black Friday Gifts: Best Geek Stocking Stuffers
Souffle Pancake Ambient Light Adding a touch of light to shadowy places in your home just got considerably more adorable thanks to the illumination geniuses over at Smoko, who present this accent lamp shaped like the most content pancakes we have ever seen.
Cyber Monday Gifts: Best Geek Stocking Stuffers
Souffle Pancake Ambient Light Adding a touch of light to shadowy places in your home just got considerably more adorable thanks to the illumination geniuses over at Smoko, who present this accent lamp shaped like the most content pancakes we have ever seen.
Best Geek Holiday Stocking Stuffers
Souffle Pancake Ambient Light Adding a touch of light to shadowy places in your home just got considerably more adorable thanks to the illumination geniuses over at Smoko, who present this accent lamp shaped like the most content pancakes we have ever seen.
New He-Man and the Masters of the Universe Inspired Music Video Will Blow Your Mind
It took She six months to craft the four and a half minute video, a task that sounds more full of learning than arduousness. “I did a couple of animated videos for other people’s bands which were largely collage based and not so much stop motion all the way through, but it gave me enough confidence to think it’s possible,” he explains. “I gauged whether or not Theo thought it would be a stupid amount of effort and time and he said no, carry on, so I did it,” She says.
The Little Demon Cast is Having Devilish Fun
Executive produced by Rick and Morty and Community‘s Dan Harmon, the new FXX animated comedy series Little Demon blends elements of Rosemary’s Baby, The Omen, Dogma and Family Guy into an engaging and hilarious stew of sacrilegious silliness. The story chronicles the relationship between Satan (Danny DeVito), the Earthly woman he impregnated, single mother Laura (Aubrey Plaza), and their 13-year-old Antichrist daughter Chrissy (Lucy DeVito, Danny’s real-life child).
How Studio Interference Almost Changed the Ending of Star Wars
One of this summer’s most surprising television events has been Vice TV’s Icons Unearthed: Star Wars. What makes this program — whose latest episode covering the production of Star Wars: Episode II: Attack of the Clones, airs Aug. 16at 10 p.m. ET — so compelling is how it somehow manages to be a treasure trove of new information about George Lucas’ space saga.
How a Legendary Marvel Creator Inspired the New Beavis and Butt-Head
While coming up with the idea of the less moronic takes on the characters in the writers room for Beavis and Butt-Head Do the Universe, Judge, writer Lew Morton and company decided to differentiate the two sets of Beavis (Beavises? Beavii? What’s the plural here?) and Butt-Heads by utilizing grandiose designs…much like those favored by Kirby.
How Jack Kirby Inspired the New Beavis and Butt-Head Series
| August 4, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This article contains Beavis and Butt-head spoilers. It seems weird to put a spoiler alert on an article about Beavis and Butt-Head, but then again nothing about the pair’s success has been expected. After debuting 30 years ago in Mike Judge’s animated short Frog Baseball, the troublesome teens first found fame when that cartoon was aired on MTV’s legendary animation anthology Liquid Television. A spinoff quickly ensued, and the rest is pop culture history.
How Riverdale's Season Finale Reboots the Entire Series
This Riverdale review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 22 “We should all be together for whatever’s coming.” Why do I still try to predict what will happen on Riverdale? That is the question I found myself repeatedly asking while I sat down to write this review of the show’s sixth season finale. This is not a series that operates by any logistical sense, nor do the words of critics have any impact on the head-scratching journey that it takes its viewers on.
Paper Girls Season 2: What To Expect
This Paper Girls article contains spoilers. With the first season of Paper Girls currently airing, binge-watchers everywhere find themselves curious about where the story will go next if the series is renewed by Amazon for a second season. (Which feels more than likely given the buzz the show is generating). Seeing how the show diverges from the comics it was based on, much of what you are about to read is timey wimey speculation.
Paper Girls: Brian K. Vaughan on the Moment That Gave Him Goosebumps
Brian K. Vaughan: Well, it started in my childhood. I grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, like the girls in this comic, and we used to get the Cleveland Plain Dealer delivered to us and it was always delivered by a young man until one day it suddenly wasn’t. There were a bunch of 12-year-old girls in our neighborhood, delivering everyone’s Plain Dealer.
Paper Girls Review: Prime Video Adaptation Delivers
| July 29, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This Paper Girls review contains no spoilers. The main thing working against Paper Girls — Amazon’s mostly excellent TV adaptation of Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang’s multiple Eisner-winning Image Comics series — is Stranger Things. Seeing how both chronicle the adventures of 1980s pre-teens who are unwittingly thrust into supernatural conflicts in which the fate of humanity is at stake, some comparisons are bound to arise.
The Best San Diego Comic-Con Collectibles: An eBay Buyer's Guide
“Yeah, yeah yeah! Wow!” Recent years have seen Toei’s 1978 Supaidāman TV series explode in popularity in America. In this, well, marvel of a tokusatsu series, Spidey fights all manner of rubber-suited creatures with the help of a giant robot and his incredibly cool Spider-Machine GP-7 car—the latter of which Hot Wheels created a replica of as a 2019 SDCC exclusive.
Tracking The Influence Of Spider-Man Cartoons On The MCU
Go with me here as we cross franchises to make a point, but if a Terminator was sent from the future to destroy the pop culture of the 21st century, their John Connor-esque target would be the 2008 Iron Man film. Without it, there would be none of the Marvel magic that we’ve come to take for granted in the nearly 15 years that followed. That Howard the Duck cameo in Guardians of the Galaxy? Gone. All those amazing post-credit scenes? As dusted as Thanos’victims.
Sabrina's Riverdale Return Just Became the Netflix Series' Missing Chapter
• Although they don’t appear, Sabrina’s beloved aunties are mentioned in this episode. • In the aftermath of Netflix’s cancellation of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, word spread that a potential fifth season would have featured a Riverdale crossover. Given recent developments, it seems like the next and final season of Riverdale may just feature some sort of version of this proposed storyline.
Grease 2: A Cult Classic That's Way Cooler Than The Original
When I was in high school there was an unspoken rule that said you were either a superfan of The Cure or The Smiths, but not both. Looking back now, this is an invented rivalry, as both groups cover much of the same artistic ground and appeal to like-minded fans. I’ve been thinking about this theory a lot lately, because it really showcases the sort of things that feel of world-shattering importance when you are a teenager.
Riverdale Explores Serial Killer Fandom in Its Latest Episode
This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 17 “This is who I am Arch, this is what I do.” Traditionally, Riverdale‘s musical episode has been the annual installment when all hell breaks loose. So it was a bit unexpected how different this season’s song-packed offering played out. Instead of carnage, we witnessed an understated character exploration that focused on how conflicted Betty is about the dueling portions of her personality.
Cryptozoic Lets Fans Bring DC’s Crisis on Infinite Earths Home with Exclusive eBay Cards!
This article is sponsored by: Be it trading cards, collectibles, or tabletop games, Cryptozoic Entertainment is committed to putting “Fans First.” In fact, those two words are the company’s mantra – symbolizing their vow to bring great pop culture products to the consumers who will appreciate them most. One of the company’s most beloved recent releases is their CZX Crisis on Infinite Earth super-premium trading card release.
Consider: Is/Was Freestyle The Official Music Of Philly Neighborhoods? — PHILEBRITY
Consider: Is/Was Freestyle The Official Music Of Philly Neighborhoods? In certain parts of Kensington, South Philly, and the Northeast, it eternally remains 1989. Some of that has to do with the slow glide of time in neighborhoods that have proved, for better or for worse, gentrification-proof. But it also has to do with the soundtrack, and for these neighborhoods that we're thinking of, that soundtrack is Freestyle, the unlikely subgenre of '80s dance music that has proved to be nearly immortal.
Riverdale Uses Superhero Tropes to Its Advantage
This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 14 “Welcome to the sad superhero club…” It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a…shirtless Archie Andrews! With its latest installment, Riverdale‘s current superhero saga proved that it isn’t afraid to liberally borrow tried and true superhero tropes in order to advance the storyline of Archie’s mighty crusaders squaring off against the increasingly diabolical (and somewhat annoyingly impervious) Percival Pickens.
The 1980s Doctor Strange Movie You Never Saw
There is also a clear Raiders of the Lost Ark influence on display whenever the Skulkane appears on screen, with the relic being treated with the reverence of the Ark of the Covenant. Join our mailing list Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox! A chunk of the script is dedicated to Strange’s time with the Ancient One, necessary for Gale to establish Strange’s from cocky, Maserati-driving douchebag into lovable Master of the Mystic Arts.
Riverdale Espouses the Importance of Returning Library Books
Before he closes the library, he wants all of its books back. Jughead rightfully surmises that this is because Percival seeks to control the knowledge and thinking of Riverdale’s residents. Books promote imagination and independent thought, things that are enemies to Percival and his evil plans. Since none of our heroes except Reggie have the books handy, Percival takes possessions that have great importance to them.
Riverdale Meets The Fog In a John Carpenter-Inspired Outing
Home » Riverdale Meets The Fog In a John Carpenter-Inspired Outing | May 2, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 12 “Hold your loved ones close, the Fog is coming!” Riverdale loves a good pop culture homage. Having tipped its creative hat to everything from Creepshow to Grease 2 over the course of its six seasons to date, this is not a series that is afraid to wear its influences on its sleeve.
Archie Comics Introduces STEM to Readers via a New Character
Here’s what we know about Stacy so far. She will play a Dilton Doiley-esque role in the comics as far as being another budding genius in Riverdale, however one who lives in the shadow of her successful, tech firm-owning parents for whom she interns. “Stacy wants to be recognized for her own talents, so as much as she adores them, she also wants to live a life separate from them,” Rotante tells us, hinting at some of the potential plotlines for the Banks family.
Welp, There's Time Travel on Riverdale Now
Home » Welp, There’s Time Travel on Riverdale Now By Chris Cummins | April 25, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers.
Riverdale Continues to Knock Out Logic In Its Best Season Yet
By Chris Cummins | April 18, 2022 | | Comments count:0 Photo: Jack Rowand | The CW This Riverdale review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 10 “Stranger things have happened in Riverdale” With word of Riverdale being renewed for a seventh season, one question hangs heavily in the air: How long can this series carry on its shenanigans?
Riverdale's Percival Pickens Problem Explained
By Chris Cummins | April 11, 2022 | | Comments count:0 Photo: Bettina Strauss | The CW This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 9 “None of this makes sense.” As Riverdale‘s sixth season rolls on, the series finds itself struggling to fill its Big Bad-shaped hole in the wake of the departure of Mark Consuelos’ Hiram Lodge. The show’s current antagonist is Percival Pickens (Chris O’Shea), a newcomer who claims to be related to the town’s founder.
Is Riverdale the Worst Town in America?
Home » Is Riverdale the Worst Town in America? By Chris Cummins | April 4, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 8 “Thus began the battle for Riverdale’s soul…” With Hiram Lodge well and truly dead (for now at least), Riverdale‘s search for a new Big Bad has yielded the arrival of Percival Pickens (Chris O’Shea), a mysterious stranger who has family ties to one of the town’s darkest periods.
How Pez Changed Collectibles,12 Little Pieces of Candy At A Time
Home » How Pez Changed Collectibles,12 Little Pieces of Candy At A Time By Chris Cummins | March 31, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This story is part of our Collector’s Digest editorial series powered by: To paraphrase Huey Lewis and the News, the power of PEZ is a curious thing. Invented in Vienna, Austria in 1927 by Eduard Haas III as “an alternative to smoking,” the ubiquitous candy’s name was derived from the German word for peppermint – its original flavor.
Batman Collectibles: A History of Caped Crusader Merchandise
Home » Batman Collectibles: A History of Caped Crusader Merchandise By Chris Cummins | March 29, 2022 | | Comments count:0 This article is presented by: “Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot, so my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night.” Those were the words uttered by Bruce Wayne mere seconds before a bat fortuitously flew in his window, making him decide to take on the persona of a winged mammal to fight crime.
By Abandoning Reality, Riverdale Finally Embraces Its Full Potential
Home » By Abandoning Reality, Riverdale Finally Embraces Its Full Potential By Chris Cummins | March 20, 2022 | | Comments count:0 Photo: The CW This Riverdale review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 6 “Do we now believe in magic and curses?” Since I began reviewing Riverdale back in 2017 I have yearned for one thing: For the series to become as unpredictably strange as the comics that inspired the series.
The Batman Collectibles: An eBay Buyer's Guide
Home » The Batman Collectibles: An eBay Buyer’s Guide By Jim Dandeneau, Chris Cummins | March 8, 2022 | This article is presented by: The DC Universe is thriving. It’s quite easy to see if you look at the big screen, where Matt Reeves’ The Batman is proving to be one of the best on-screen iterations of the character to date. The Batman is a treat for movie and comics fans alike, and takes inspiration from many of the caped crusader’s standout issues.
Spider-Man Collecting Swings to The Next Level Following the Success of “No Way Home”
Home » Spider-Man Collecting Swings to The Next Level Following the Success of “No Way Home” By Chris Cummins | February 9, 2022 | | Comments count:0 Presented by: Sixty years. That’s all it has been since Spider-Man first swung into the public’s consciousness when he appeared in the 15th (and final) issue of Marvel’s Amazing Fantasy comic.
Riverdale's 100th Episode Is a Multiversal Celebration of All Things Archie
By Chris Cummins | December 15, 2021 | | Comments count:0 Photo: Kailey Schwerman | The CW -- (C) 2021 The CW Network, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This Riverdale review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 4 “I know, it read it in the comics” For its 100th episode, Riverdale showrunner Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa scripted what is easily the show’s most audacious episode.
O'Neil, Miñoso, Hodges, Kaat, Oliva, Fowler get baseball HOF
FILE - Negro leagues great Buck O'Neil listens to remarks during a news conference for the former Kansas City Monarch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 27, 2006. O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
Riverdale: Intergenerational Trauma Overshadows Sabrina's Arrival
By Chris Cummins | December 8, 2021 | | Comments count:0 Photo: The CW This Riverdale review contains spoilers. Riverdale Season 6 Episode 4 “Happy sad endings are the best.” While the eagerly awaited appearance of now twentysomething witch Sabrina (Kiernan Shipka, immediately re-inhabiting her iconic role with warmth and confidence) got all the pre-air hype, the fourth installment of Riverdale‘s “Rivervale” experiment is really Madelaine Petsch’s tour de force.
O'Neil, Miñoso, Hodges, Kaat, Oliva, Fowler get baseball HOF
FILE - Negro leagues great Buck O'Neil listens to remarks during a news conference for the former Kansas City Monarch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 27, 2006. O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
O'Neil, Miñoso, Hodges, Kaat, Oliva, Fowler get baseball HOF
FILE - Negro leagues great Buck O'Neil listens to remarks during a news conference for the former Kansas City Monarch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 27, 2006. O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
O'Neil, Miñoso, Hodges, Kaat, Oliva, Fowler get baseball HOF
FILE - Negro leagues great Buck O'Neil listens to remarks during a news conference for the former Kansas City Monarch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 27, 2006. O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
O'Neil, Miñoso, Hodges, Kaat, Oliva, Fowler get baseball HOF
FILE - Negro leagues great Buck O'Neil listens to remarks during a news conference for the former Kansas City Monarch at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 27, 2006. O’Neil, a champion of Black ballplayers during a monumental, eight-decade career on and off the field, has joined Gil Hodges, Minnie Minoso and three others in being elected to the baseball Hall of Fame, on Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021.
The Roots of Riverdale: Archie Comics Turns 80
Home » The Roots of Riverdale: Archie Comics Turns 80 By Chris Cummins | December 2, 2021 | | Comments count:0 Photo: Archie “It’s a golden age to be an Archie Comics fan right now,” says company president Mike Pellerito with infectious enthusiasm, adding “I just can’t imagine a better time.” The declaration is more than accurate, as the independently owned publisher is celebrating its 80th anniversary with the massive CW hit Riverdale entering its sixth season (one that will bring on board...
Why Satan Visiting Riverdale Was Anything But Hellish
By Chris Cummins | December 1, 2021 | | Comments count:0 Photo: Kailey Schwerman | The CW This RIVERDALE review contains spoilers.
eBay Holiday Gift Guide for Gamers and Hobbyists
Home » eBay Holiday Gift Guide for Gamers and Hobbyists By Chris Cummins | November 29, 2021 | | Comments count:0 This article is presented by: The indoors time we’ve all had of late has helped develop a deeper appreciation for tabletop gaming, collectible card games, role-playing games and, that perrennial favorite, LEGOS.
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