Five Things to Make June Successful for Me

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Hey Penguinators, Friends, Family, and Blog Readers,

The month of June is very important to my future success. If you would like to be a part of it, there are five simple things you can do.

  1. Join my blog’s email notification. (It’s over to the right.) WordPress offers this option for anyone who has a WordPress account, so you’ll need to sign up with them. That ensures that your email isn’t going anywhere else. Alternatively, if you would like to join an actual email list, contact me. I should start one, but I haven’t found a good way to build it, yet.
  2. Join my Patreon. Even at the lowest level, you get one article a month about creativity, just for you (and all my other Penguinators). Jenya is considering doing a penguin photo a month and putting that in a calendar next year. The digital version would be something that we would give to anyone as well. If you’re coming to my events, Patreon will save you some money at my table!
  3. Buy my books. They are available on Penguinate.com and on Amazon. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can also read them there for free.
  4. Visit my website. Every page view, every reader is important. Visiting my website costs you some time, but hopefully, you’ll gain some information that you really wanted. I focus on creativity, entertainment and travel. In June, there’ll be a lot about what’s going on at different events.
  5. Spread the word. Sharing is caring. Share a link to my books. Share a blog post you really liked. Share my Patreon page. You can share online with your social media pages and IRL. If you have one of our penguins, we’d love to see his or her adventures.

Of course, this applies to every month, but it’s particularly important to me this month. I hope to see you at one of the events I’ll be attending: Lilac City Comcicon 2019, City Cakes and Café, Ogden UnCon, Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con, and Second Chance Books Author Signing.

Now it’s your turn. What can I do to help you have a successful June? Leave it in the comments.

Tiny Avengers Giveaway at Penguinate Table (A1) at Lilac City Comicon 2019

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I ended up with a couple of doubles of these Avengers figures from Kinder Eggs in Russia. All you have to do is be the first person to come to my table and say “Penguinating is the power of positive creativity.” That means if you’re a VIP at Lilac City Comicon, you have an advantage over others because you get early entry into Lilac City Comicon 2019.

These figures come in their original yellow container with safety card and information card describing how to put them together. The figures you win won’t be revealed until you choose one of the yellow containers. Fully assembled, the figures and their spheres measure just over an inch tall.

If you’re not the first person to say, “Penguinating is the power of positive creativity,” you’ll still get a sticker or chapbook while supplies last. Stop by our table, check out our cosplaying penguins and books, and say the secret words! We look forward to seeing you at Lilac City Comicon 2019.

Author Brian C. Baer Makes His Triumphant Return to Lilac City Comicon 2019

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On Jun 1 and 2, 2019, Author Brian C. Baer will be attending Lilac City Comicon 2019 as a panel moderator and guest author signing books at the Penguinate table (A1). Baer will host panels on both days and will sign books from 10:30 am to 11:30 am at the Penguinate table on Sunday only. You will be able to purchase Baer’s books throughout the weekend.

Baer is the author of “How He-Man Mastered the Universe.” His seminal work on the Master of the Universe franchise examines the social and cultural impacts that the He-Man cartoons had on Children’s television. It also discusses the cult classic film adaptation. Baer’s adept analysis and thorough research bring to light new information that many people aren’t aware of.

By connecting He-Man to the greater cultural and political movements of 1983, Baer achieves something that few authors are capable of. He reveals the reasons why He-Man is truly important to the U.S. culture and allows the reader to draw conclusions about how that has affected the present. On the surface, it’s difficult to fathom how He-Man has affected those who grew up with him.

Baer’s detailed dissection of the He-Man film helps this book to stand out as a labor of love. His own personal connection reinforces the importance of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe.

Baer’s “Bad Publicity” is a story about an entertainment journalist who has a ghost helping him dig up dirt on the rich and famous. A noir detective story, “Bad Publicity” is as inventive as it is entertaining. If you like detective or ghost stories, Baer’s book will find a prized place on your shelf.

Baer is offering attendees at Lilac City Comicon 2019 the opportunity to get a collection of his short stories for free. Those who stop by the Penguinate table (A1) will be able to pick up a copy of the chapbook “I Haunt the Spaceship… and other stories” while supplies last!

Baer will be moderating Saturday’s “State of the Comic Book Adaptations” at 4 pm on the Main Stage. On Sunday, after his book signing from 10:30 am to 11:30 am at the Penguinate table, he will moderate the Guest Spotlight panel with Falk Hentschel at noon and the “Moon Knight” fan film screening at 2 pm in room 402c. All times are subject to change.

Episode 9: ‘The Twilight Zone’ Perchance to Dream

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Charles Beaumont’s first episode for “the Twilight Zone” explores the power of the imagination. It’s main question: “Could someone imagine him- or herself to death?”

The mind is undoubtedly powerful. It creates much of our reality. Self-fulfilling prophecies, the placebo effect, the law of attraction, “If you can dream it, you can do it…” These are the ways the mind bends reality.

When the psychiatrist’s new patient shows up in his office, the patient is concerned and facing a catch-22. If he goes to sleep, his dreams will deliver him a shock his heart can’t withstand; if he stays awake much longer, his heart will give out. He tells the doctor that the doctor won’t be able to help him. The patient has already made up his mind, all that’s left is for his body to figure out how to fulfill the reality the patient sees.

The same is true in our lives. How we think of something is what it becomes, and we can imagine both good and bad things. When someone doesn’t call you, do you imagine something like a car wreck or do you think his or her phone has run out of battery power? If it’s the first, they may not be in an accident, but your body reacts in the same way as if that person had experienced something terrible. You face worry and stress even if nothing has happened. Removing worry from the equation is hard, but if you can achieve it and face reality as it comes, you’ll be healthier and happier.

Movie Buffs Rejoice! Russian Lobby Cards Coming to Lilac City Comicon 2019

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If you love movies and movie memorabilia or you love a certain movie from the last couple of years, we’ll have something for you at the Penguinate table (A1). Our Russian lobby cards are double-sided advertisements for films given away at the Russian cinemas.

Lobby cards used to be a staple of the American cinema, but now, they are collectible and rarely seen at movie theaters in the United States. However, in Russia, movie cards are put out every week, and they are an exact replica of the Russian movie poster. We have brought a limited number of these cards from Russia to the U.S. for you to enjoy. These cards range in size from approximately 3×5 to 4×6 with some being more unique than others.

We have done our best to get the lobby cards from every film in the last year, and many of the cards are from foreign films. We have Marvel, Disney and DC lobby cards, as well as other top-rated films, including Godzilla 2.

Here is a complete list of the lobby cards we will be bringing to our table (A1) at Lilac City Comicon 2019. Come by and find your favorite movie (while supplies last).

24 Hours to Live
A Dog’s Way Home
A Quiet Place
A Star Is Born
Adrift
Alita Battle Angel
American Assassin
American Made
Animation Film Ad
Aritmia (Russia)
Asterix and the Secret Mission
Atterados (Argentina)
Baby Driver
Bad Mamas 2
Bad Samaritan
Bad Times at the El Royale
Bahubali: Birth of a Legend
Bicycles
Big Road (Russia)
Blade Runner 2049
Bohemian Rhapsody
Brothers (Russian)
Byez Mnya
Charming
Chernovik
Chudo-Yudo (Russia)
Coco
Cold Pursuit
Cold Skin (Atlantida; Spain)
Cold War
Corridor of Immortality (Russia)
Crimea (Russia)
Daddy’s Home 2
Dark Mirror (Russia)
Darkest Minds
Day of the Dead: Bloodline
Death Wish
Dessert Ad
Disney Aladdin
Disney Christopher Robin
Disney Dumbo
Disney Incredibles 2
Disney Mary Poppins Returns
Disney Ralph Breaks the Internet
Disney The Jungle Book
Disney The Last Warrior
Disney The Nutcracker and the Four Realms
Disney Wrinkle in Time
Disney Zoopolis
Disney: Beauty and the Beast
Dva Khvosta
Early Man
Equalizer 2
Escape Plan 2
Fantastic Beasts The Crimes of Grindewald
Ferdinand
First Man
Fixiki: The Big Secret
Foto na pamyat
Future World
Gangsterdam (France)
Geostorm
Ghostbusters
Giant Pear
Glass
Godzilla 2
Gogol Beginning (Russia)
Gogol Vii (Russia)
Gogol: Scary Place
Going Vertical (Russia)
Golem
Goosebumps 2
Green Book
Gringo
Halloween
Happiness! Health!
Happy Death Day
Hard Times (Russia)
Holmes and Watson
Hotel Transylvania 3
How to Train Your Dragon 3
I Feel Pretty
Island of Dogs
It
Jim Pykovka and Machinist Lucas
John Wick 3
Jonathan
Jumanji
Jungle
Jurassic World 2
Just Getting Started
Just not them (Russia)
Klubara (Russia)
Kong: Skull Island
Ladybug 2
Lego Film 2
Lego Ninjago
Life
Logan
London Fields
Lucky Logan
Magnificent 7
Mama
Marrowbone (Spain)
Marvel Ant-Man and Wasp
Marvel Avengers: Endgame
Marvel Captain Marvel
Marvel Kingsman: Golden Circle
Marvel Thor: Ragnorok
Marvel Venom
Marvel/ DC: Defenders (Russia)
Marvel/DC Hellboy
Marvel/DC Shazam
Marvel/DC: Justice League
Marvel/DC: Suicide Squad
Marvel: Avengers: Infinity War
Marvel: Black Panther
Marvel: Captain America: Civil War
Marvel: Deadpool 2
Marvel: Once Upon a Deadpool
Mary and the Witch’s Flower
Mary Queen of Scots
Mathilda (Russia)
May Bee
Maze Runner: The Death Cure
Meg
Midnight Sun
Millions (Russia)
Mission Impossible Fallout
Monster Family
Monster Island
Mortal Engines
Mowgli Decoy Planets
Murder on the Orient Express
My Favorite Dinosaur
My Little Pony
Nevedimka
Night Games
Niproshchenyi (Russian)
Niscrushimi (Russian)
Ocean’s 8
Overboard
Pacific Rim 2
Paddington 2
Peppermint
Pet Semetary
Piligrim (Russia)
Play or Die
Power Rangers
Prishelits (Russia)
Proza Brodyach Psob Anime
Rampage
Ready Player 1
Red Sparrow
Renegades
Ribbit
Robin Hood 2018
Robot Park Ad
Rossvet (Russia)
Santa and Company (France)
Saw 8
Searching
Second Act
Selfie from Hell
Serenity 2019
Shape of Water
Sicario 2
Skyline 2
Skyscraper
Smallfoot
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Snow Queen
Snowman
Spascti Leningrad
Star Wars: Solo
Star Wars: The Last Jedi
Suburbicon
Super Bobrovyi (Russia)
Tad and the Secret of King Midas
Tag
Tanks (Russia)
The Boy and the Beast
The Cured
The Curse of Llorna
The Dark Tower
The Foreigner
The Girl in the Spider’s Web
The Greatest Showman
The Hitman’s Bodyguard
The Hustle
The Kid Who Would Be King
The Legend of Kolovrat (Russia)
The Little Vampire
The Mercy
The Mountains Between Us
The New Year (Russia)
The Nun
The Predator 2018
The Professor and the Madman
The School (2018)
The Upside
Three Warriors and the nasledushi prestola
Three Warriors and the Princess of Egypt
Time of Monsters
Titan
Tobol (Russia)
Tomb Raider
Truth or Dare
Unsane
What Happened to Monday
Who Is Who
Widows
Wildling
Winchester: The house that Ghosts Built
Wish Upon
Wolf Obtsi
Wonder
Wonder Park
You Were Never Really Here
Your Name
Zapovednik (Russia)

‘Dead to Me’: Cancer Risks and Human Psychology

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If you haven’t binged “Dead to Me,” yet, it’s time to start. The short episodes featuring Christina Applegate and Linda Cardellini pack a punch. They are witty, dark and amazing. Bookmark this page and come back to it after you’ve seen the series. There are spoilers after the trailer.

Jen (Christina Applegate) found out she had the breast cancer gene and decided to undergo a double mastectomy to protect her family from the pain and suffering she went through when her mother died early due to breast cancer. She does this because she has seen the stress and sorrow that breast cancer can cause. Yet, Jen still smokes and drinks a lot, so while she has reduced the cancer risk due to her genetics, she has increased her overall cancer risk due to lifestyle choices. And it’s an unfortunately too realistic portrayal of decisions people make every day.

At first glance and with deeper thinking, it may seem like Jen’s decision to smoke and drink is in direct opposition to her decision to have a double mastectomy to reduce her risk of cancer. After all, smoking causes cancer, and recent studies have shown that alcohol is the cause of “several types of cancer.” It should be a no-brainer for Jen to give up these vices; instead, she dives headfirst into them.

In some ways, having a double mastectomy is the easier decision because it only has to be made once. There is a lot that goes into that decision, but once it’s made and the procedure is done, there’s no going back. Someone who should quit smoking or drinking needs to make the decision to not participate in those activities every day. Sometimes, the addiction is bad enough that an active decision needs to be made several times a day. It’s not just one decision and it’s over. Instead, it’s a continuous process of decision-making that doesn’t get easier.

Smoking and drinking are socially acceptable. Having a smoke or drink with someone is a way to bond with that person. Jen is in a position where she needs a support system. These activities are a socially acceptable way to make interactions easier.

Smoking and drinking provide solace and improve mood. Jen is facing the death of her husband and the problems that come with it. Alcohol is a depressant, which would make it easier for her to sleep at night. Smoking provides a comforting habit while producing a positive-emotion effect. Both these things are helping her deal with her sadness, her feelings and the tragedy she has experienced.

Regardless of her personal experience, Jen has fallen into the trap that many people succumb to. She doesn’t believe that smoking or alcohol will harm her in the long run. She experienced the death of her mother due to cancer, but that cancer was ostensibly caused by the BCRA gene not by other behavioral and environmental factors. While the cause of cancer is often more complicated than people want to believe, it’s easier to have a procedure done than it is to change behavior and overcome the addictiveness of nicotine and alcohol.

Disney Has an ‘Avatar’ Problem

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In 2010, the Walt Disney Company released “Alice in Wonderland” starring Johnny Depp, Mia Wasikowski, Anne Hathaway, Alan Rickman, Helena Bonham Carter, Crispin Glover, and Stephen Fry. With an estimated budget of $200 million, Alice went on to make over $1 billion worldwide. It was a hit that many attributed to Depp’s lovable Mad Hatter and the newness of the 3D technology.

Six years later, Disney released “Alice through the Looking Glass” as a sequel focusing on Depp’s Hatter and his family. With an estimated $170 million budget and the addition of Sacha Baron Cohen, the film flopped, making less than $300 million worldwide.  Whether this was due to the allegations leveled at Depp by Amanda Heard the week of the film’s opening, Depp’s inability to be a main character when playing an eccentric (see “Mortdecai” and possibly “The Lone Ranger,” which was more about Depp’s Tonto than Armie Hammer’s titular character), or the mundanity of 3D technology that was novel when the first film released, the six years between the two films, or the meandering story line of the film itself, “Through the Looking Glass” couldn’t hold a candle to the original.

Now, in a “hold my (non-alcoholic) beer” moment, Disney’s going to commit the same mistake with four films and a theme park at stake. “Avatar” was released the winter of 2009 and became the biggest grossing movie of all time with $2.8 billion worldwide. (As of this writing, “Avengers: Endgame” may or may not take the top spot.) Disney collaborated with Cameron and added an Avatar-themed land to its Animal Kingdom. It has purchased 20th Century Fox and now owns the rights to the Avatar intellectual properties.

In 2009, 3D was a true novelty, and “Avatar” capitalized on the effect with its beautiful scenery and amazing alien landscape. The movie faced scant competition from “The Princess and the Frog” and “The Blind Side” its first weekend. The next weekend, it faced Robert Downey Jr.’s “Sherlock Holmes”, and after that it dominated the film competition until February’s “Dear John.” The story itself is a retelling of the story of Native Americans if they had actually decided to destroy the explorers that came to the New World. It’s not exceptionally original with its quasi-back to nature message and its ignoring of real history.

“Avatar 2” is scheduled to be released in 2021, 12 years after the first film. While “Avatar” made a lot of money, it’s not a beloved film. Its main appeal was in the new world’s Cameron was able to bring to life. The story was trite and untrue. “Avatar 2” won’t be able to capitalize on a pent-up desire for its characters or world (like Star Wars), and it won’t be able to rely on a stable of characters people have to come to love (like Marvel). Instead, it’s a risk with almost no reward. Even if “Avatar 2” scores a billion dollars, it will be a comparative flop. If it does less than that, it could sink the three sequels that are to come after it and Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Whether or not these films are successful will depend on what Disney expects from them. If the company is okay with decaying box office totals in the hundreds of millions with the understanding that the films are keeping its Animal Kingdom in the public eye, maybe box office won’t matter so much. But an outright flop of the first sequel will create shockwaves that will reverberate throughout the company without being limited to the movie division.

For more Disney related content, order “Penguinate! The Disney Company.” Get “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Preorder “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.”

Go Worldwide with Your Comic Con Experience

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Comic conventions are known for bringing people from different fandoms to the same place to celebrate each other. When local people come together with travelers from farther way, it is a beautiful thing. Marvel, DC, Star Wars, Star Trek and other fandoms can truly admire and enjoy the conversations and the artistry that goes into cosplaying. While all of this goes on in a specific geographical area delivering wonderful results to the area, there’s no reason why those results have to be kept local.

If you’re headed to Lilac City Comicon 2019, Ogden UnCon, and/or Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con 2019, your comic convention experience can extend beyond your city and state. By purchasing one of our penguins, a portion of the proceeds ($1 per penguin) will be donated to the Global Penguin Society.

Our stuffed penguins are soft, cute, cuddly and handmade. They’re great companions and mascots, and the love to cosplay. Because the eyes are hand embroidered, each penguin is unique. The costumes the penguins wear are handmade as well and often take as much time to make as the penguin itself.

If you’re looking to do something more with your comic con experience, our booth is a great place to start. Act local. Think global. Buy a penguin.

Join our Patreon and save money at our convention and community events. Join by May 31, 2019.

Amazing Las Vegas Comic Con VIPs and Vendors Get the Best Deals at Penguinate Table

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If you’re headed to Amazing Las Vegas Comic Convention, you don’t have to gamble on getting the best deal at the Penguinate table. All you have to do is hold a VIP pass or be a Vendor and join our Patreon for the best deal.

As a VIP or Vendor, you’ve worked hard to get your pass, which means you deserve a little break. At the Penguinate table, you’ll get $1 off of every purchase over $10. You don’t need to be a member of our Patreon campaign for this discount, you just need to present your VIP or Vendor credentials.

Of course, we love our Patreon Penguinators, which is why we offer them $1 off for every $10 they spend at are table. Join our Patreon at any level before May 31, 2019 and you’ll be able to get this discount in addition to the VIP and Vendor discount!

Our penguins are looking for good homes where they will be cherished and bring joy. They love to cosplay, and many of them already have costumes. If you don’t see a penguin that captures your fancy, we can make a penguin specifically for you. You’ll can place your order with a small deposit at the comic con, and we’ll begin working on it in July.

Every penguin is handmade with hand embroidered eyes, which gives each penguin a unique look. For every penguin we sell during ALVCC, we will give $1 to the Global Penguin Society.

Our books include “Disneyland Is Creativity” and “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.” We also have the fictional “Adventures on the Amur” series and “The Pirate Union.”

If you are looking for posters, our penguin motivational posters are just the right thing to brighten any room. Disney fans will like our small prints of bygone Disneyland details, and movie buffs should look at our Russian Lobby Cards. Stop by our table and say “Hi!” We look forward to seeing you.

Preordering is available to secure your items. Be sure to join our blog email list.