Daddy Mojo, Author at Daddy Mojo

Jungle, A Photicular Book, as close to it as you’ll get from home

Photicular photography is also known as Lenticular photography. Growing up I had some baseball cards that were produced in that manner. They provided a crude 3D effect that made it look like the players were swinging the bats if you moved the card. Currently our son has a lunchbox that use photicular photography on it. Jungle, A Photicular Book is the third in a series of books by Dan Kainen that has its subject matter running, scratching, flying and slithering off of the page.

In theory, a book on nature images based on the technology that I see on my child’s lunchbox is not entertaining. It’s the quality of the technological difference that really makes Jungle stand out as a book that must be seen to be believed.

Check out these images from Jungle from @WorkmanPub – moving pictures to educate and fascinate. #kidlit pic.twitter.com/Mc850Pb2y8

— Trey Burley (@Daddymojo) September 12, 2016

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Monty The Dinosaur, a happy, must-see all ages comic book

Sometimes things get missed. Monty The Dinosaur from Action Lab Entertainment is a comic book that was on our radar, but somehow we missed its release date. Well, it came out the other week and it is utterly fabulous. Monty The Dinosaur has the soul of a comic strip in the packaging of a comic book. It delivers laughs for younger kids and has the timeless appeal that older readers will immediately recall from their favorite newspaper comic strips.

Monty The Dinosaur is just that, a dinosaur living in modern times trying to fit in. He tries silly disguises like fake moustaches in his effort to blend into society so that he can make friends. Unfortunately for him he’s huge, sneezes and proceeds to scare people off when they realize he’s a dinosaur.

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The Great Shelby Holmes, middle grade caper stuck in a rut

The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg is a middle school book with its tongue slightly in cheek. Shelby Holmes is a 9-year-old local who knows everybody in her New York City neighborhood. She had a new neighbor move in downstairs, 11-year-old John Watson, who is used to moving from place to place. They quickly meet and become friends due to his boredom and her needing someone to assist her.

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Gas Out Game is a laugh good-time for ages 4-7

We were in the toy department and accidentally knocked Gas Out Game to the floor. It made an immediate ‘pfffft’ sound; the kids laughed out loud and proceeded to make their own farting noise while pointing to each other. I double timed it before they wanted to get the farting game. Fast forward a couple of weeks and we were provided with a copy of Gas Out Game. It’s a very simple game to play that ages 4 and up will enjoy playing.

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Win tickets to #JapanFest at Infinite Energy Center, September 17 &18

JapanFest has become one of our annual go-to events for the family. It wasn’t always that way. I’m skeptical of anything that has ‘fest’ or ‘apalooza’ at the end of it, as I channel my inner Heinz Doofenshmirtz and create a JapanCulture-inator. JapanFest is great fun for the entire family on so many levels and it happens at Infinite Energy Center September 17 and 18.

This is a festival designed to celebrate Japanese culture. What is great about JapanFest, and quite surprising from our perspective was how accurate it is as presenting it. I was also surprised at how much fun my wife and children had. It was kind of a given that I would love it, having lived in Fukuoka, Japan for two years. The curve ball was how much fun the kids had, interacting with some cosplay, watching the presentations or looking at the various things for sale.

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At JapanFest 2016, for the first time ever they will have a Kabuki exhibition. Anime and voice over legend Kyle Hebert will also be present for questions and autographs. Hebert’s vocal work in Naruto, DragonBall-Z, Pokemon and others is well known by American audiences.

Do you like Samurai or sumo? They’ll be represented at JapanFest too. We’re most excited about a presentation called Shimasen Rock. This instrument is a three stringed wonder that makes the most magical sound. A close second is watching people play the Koto, which is the large ‘harp’, that is lying down. There is also a very large Anime area with product that you’ll only see at conferences or trade shows like this.

JapanFest has the best food court for Japanese food you will ever find. Ever. Walking through the food court is as close to eating at a yataii that you’ll come to in the U.S. We ate okonomiyaki, a dish that’s rarely served at most Japanese restaurants, and this fast version was as good as we’ve eaten.

They’ve got vendors from lots of Japanese companies, tractors (hello Kuboto!), a stage where they’ll introduce festivals or traditions and lots more. If Japan is Greek to you you’ll be OK at JapanFest. It’s fun, accessible to everyone and a real hoot for the entire family.

All age comic books for September 7

So, you’ve got a kid who wants to read and you know that comic books are a great way to go, but don’t what to recommend to them? Every week we have a listing of the new all age comic books out that just arrived in stores. Some will be the classics that you remember from your youth-but with new art and stories, while others will be brand new characters that make you shake your head in curiosity.

The old school all age comic books have My Little Pony, Scooby Doo Where Are You?, Uncle Scrooge, Spidey and Batman 66’ Meets Man From U.N.C.L.E. graphic novel. My Little Pony will really appeal to girls ages 6 and up, while the rest of them will be great young reading material for boys or girls.

There is also a classic character with a new spin on this particular title, Mickey Mouse Shorts, Season 1, issue 3 (of 4) is out this week. This is a very fun comic book from IDW that tweaks Mickey and company to an almost avant garde manner. It’s still Mickey, Donald, Goofy and friends, but the art is slightly subversive. It’s not R Crumb, but it’s not traditional Disney either. These stories are taken from the Disney Shorts that you see on television and are refreshing and great to read.

File under: kind of new and classic at the same time. Regular Show is the most popular show on Cartoon Network. Regular Show, the comic book from Boom! Studios is funny, strange and something that kids 8 and up will love. This comic book also doesn’t have some of the attitude that parents don’t like about the television show. It’s just on this side of all age comic books to where our 7 year old reads them and laughs, even though some of the humor is above him.

In new comics that parents and kids will love check out, Giant Days #18, Lumberjanes To The Max Hardcover, The Mighty Zodiac #6 (of 6) or Plants Vs. Zombies Volume 5. Lumbejanes is a massive book that collects eight issues of this comic book that is consistently awesome. There is also a new graphic novel out that is perfect for girls 6 and up. DC Super Hero Girls Super Hero High Yearbook takes the girl heroes and villains from DC and puts them in high school together. This is a fun graphic novel series, with all new stories that has action, lessons and a lot of fun for young readers.

Action/Science-fiction

Superhero

Dragon Con cosplay photos, part 2

Here’s our second general block of Dragon Con photos. You won’t see any Star Wars cosplay because there was so much that it’ll be in its own post. Yes, there was that much. These Dragon Con photos were taken during the parade, walking around the hotels, photo shoots or catching them on their downtime. The costumes from Netherworld stand out, they’re frightful and really play to the crowds.

A photo review of Dragon Con, part 1

Dragon Con happens in Atlanta every Labor Day Weekend. It is a ‘con’ in every fan based sense of the word and then some. After speaking with reporters who cover Cons like this across the country I learned that Dragon Con has the biggest and best reputation for its cosplay. Cosplay is a shortened and combined word for ‘costume’ and ‘play’. There is an example of every costume based level on display at Dragon Con, from the low tech folks who simply cut up a cardboard box to those that created movie caliber makeup, costume and performance to sell the look.

Here are some of our favorite photos that capture the spirit of Dragon Con, the families, attendees and fun to be had. Some of these photos were taken during the Dragon Con Parade while others were taken around the hotels.