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I've been slaving away on an outside project ever since the holidays wrapped, and I've had very limited time to write anything too substantial here. Luckily the new kids have been keeping things going reading comics, posting news and generally running wild in the place. So thank Brandon, Alex, Kyle, Hannah and Dave! The project is wrapping up and I'll be back in the saddle I hope. The new features like reviews and entertainment news won't be going away but I hope to get back to the regular Beat recipe which has been altered a bit of late.

Anders Nilsen sees the year out at Medium with a beautiful full color comic called On Optimisim: Why 2015 Won't Suck. It's a very...

I imagine most of you reading this aren't reading this, but are already off on your holiday travels. While the team at Stately Beat Manor is going to remain vigilant for exciting, world changing breaking news, we're going into "holiday mode" for posting, which is about the same as the regular mode except we gave it a name. But to make the holidays bright, I have some previews, art, webcomic alerts and maybe a few other surprises lined up in case you get bored. In the meantime, safe travels and happy holidays to all.

Retailer and frequent Beat contributor Brandon Schatz has hit the big time—or at least the local news appearing as a nerd news expert with...

I'm hitting the road for Thanksgiving frolic, so we're shifting into exciting HOLIDAY mode at the Beat! Oh there will be some news stories, and some GIft Guide suggestions, but also a lot of art and comics recommendations that I've been stockpiling for no good reason. Also, Beat contribours will be along with their own gift guide suggestions.

Housekeeping: The Beat was down a bit over the weekend when my web host moved it to a faster, more up to date server. I also got one of those new fangled Time Warner modems that offers five times faster internet speed. So we're TURBO here! At the same time, the mouse I've been using for about five years went belly up. The coffee spill that happened a few weeks ago may have contributed but the autopsy results aren't in yet. I immediately went to Staples and bought a $10 mouse as a stopgap, and upon getting it home it did not work. PERIOD. MELONFARMER. NEVER BUY CHEAP TECH. However, luckily later in the day I was walking by a pile of discarded computer equipment and was able to obtain a Mighty Mouse from the pile.

Well NYCC Stupor Week is here, with all the excitement and dread that it brings. A bunch of locals were pre-gaming on Saturday and the consensus was that no one was vaguely ready. As a local show, there's a big difference between NYCC and SDCC, the other domestic "Super con" in that when its in your own back yard it becomes part of your regular routine and not a thrilling trip to an exotic locale. You tend to put things off a lot more. But let's look at the big picture.

NERD COMPUTER ALERT! I know computer stuff isn't entertaining but I like writing out my experiences just for Google. I got my laptop back!...

Continuing this morning's elegiac tone, here's a lovely remembrance of retailer Nick Post by the CBLDF's Charles Brownstein. Postiglione, to give his full name,...

The reaction to Robin Williams' death has been unlike any celebrity death I can remember. We all knew Whitney was going to go, and Michael Jackson's end was as expected as it was bizarre. With Williams there seem to be few mysteries. It was a battle, and he lost. Yet the shock of his tragic decision seems to have transcended our celebrity autopsy culture with its essential question: how can someone who gave so much, who had so much to give, have turned away from the light with such finality?

What's happening at Stately Beat Manor! So many exciting things, you won't believe it! Just amazing.

The Beat has joined the crowdfunding revolution! Now you can support the stuff we do here directly with your dollars via the Patreon platform. Lot's of folks have suggested that we do some kind of crowdfunding campaign over the last year or so, but I've chosen Patreon because it's method—recurring monthly payments—seem like a more usable model for an ongoing website than the one and done big bang of a Kickstarter.