J.D. Salinger is a name that almost instantly brings out strong reactions in people. Some boo and hiss, proclaiming his most famous work, “The Catcher in the Rye,” to be dangerous in some way and demand that it be banned from their children’s schools.  Others smile and wax as poetic as they can muster, recalling their own first encounter with Holden Caulfield and how revelatory the story was in their youth. I belong to an unfortunate though fortunately very tiny segment of the population who has never read the book because I found out the term “catcher” in the title had nothing wto with baseball. No references to Mickey Cochrane, Gabby Hartnett, Ray Schalk, not even Campy or Yogi? Who needs it?

I’m an idiot, of course. It’s an American masterpiece. If you watch the new biographical film, REBEL IN THE RYE, you’ll hear it time and time again, just in case you don’t believe it already.

Sony continues to reel in top talent for it's adaption of 1985's cult anime, ROBOTECH. Originally conceptualized back in 2007, the project continues to defy all odds as the studio is committed to bringing protoculture to life.

Jason Fuchs, who co-wrote WONDER WOMAN along with Zack Snyder and Allan Heinberg, is being brought in to write the screenplay for ROBOTECH. This is a huge move for the studio, as getting the story right can separate ROBOTECh from other, recent movies that feature fighting robots on a grand scale.

"Old Wounds"

• Written by Seth MacFarlane
• Directed by Jon Favreau

Starring

After waiting us make almost a month since the awesome debut episode, DuckTales returns next weekend (September 23) with two new episodes.

We've got episode descriptions and a first look at "Daytrip of Doom" from Tennantnews.com:

First up is Daytrip Of Doom which sees Scrooge McDuck's great nephews take Webby to Funso’s Fun Zone and have a dangerous run-in with the Beagle Boys.

From StarWars.com:

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Lots of comics coming out and quite a few I want to talk about.

Edgar Allen Poe once penned a line, “Quoth the raven, ‘Nevermore.’” Well, last Friday night in Maryland Heights, MO, three of classic rock’s most talented and prolific stars from the 1960’s to present, whom I deem “Edgar Allen Purple,” came together once more, for an outdoor concert at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheater.

Pretty big night of wrestling at this months WrestlePro show in Rahway, NJ!  Two big title changes, and a great card top to bottom.  The Rahway Rec Center was jam packed for this great show...

• Preshow: Chris Payne won a four way with Joey Keys, Delroy, and Talon

• Mario Bokara/Fallah Bahh def. The Heavenly Bodies

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Bombshell of the Month: Carolina Lino

Mom's back, and there's going to be Hell to pay.

The second season of LUCIFER kicks off with the news that the nameless Goddess of Creation has escaped Hell where God cast her, and is making her way to Earth as soon as she can find a freshly dead body to reanimate and occupy. She finds it in the form of high-profile defense attorney Charlotte Richards (TRICIA HELFER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA), and quickly sets about to finding her children, Lucifer (TOM ELLIS) and Amenadiel (DB WOODSIDE) so that she can bring them into her plan of everyone going back home to Heaven.

WrestlePro is back at the Rahway Rec Center for a huge show on Saturday September 9th.  The card is shaping up to be awesome.  You can get your tickets at WrestleProonline.com.

I did notice that there is no WrestlePro title match on the card.  Guess that coward Bobby Wayward is taking the night off.  I am still predicting that someday real soon Bobby Wayward is going to be losing that title to his “friend” Chris Avery Queling.  There is only so much crap CAQ is going to be able to take before he snaps and gets that gold he so righteously deserves.

Growing up with in America with American comic books, it's easy to think that -- because comic books are such an American institution -- the comic book convention and the attendant cosplay that has really taken off over the last decade must also be uniquely American. But one of the things we are continually reminded of with the Critical Blast Bombshell feature is that the phenomenon is truly a global one, and that it's more than just people dressing up in costumes.

Brazilian cosplayer Carolina Lino (aka C-Cat) has spent half her life doing cosplay. The 24-year-old has, like many others, found a creative outlet in the process and applied it toward charitable events for children, bringing favorite characters to life and bringing smiles to those who need it very much, showing off her mischievous side with characters such as LEAGUE OF LEGENDS' Jinx or SUICIDE SQUAD's Harley Quinn.

This season of BIG BROTHER on CBS has been rife with fan speculation that things aren't perhaps as unscripted as a reality show is supposed to be.

Okay kids, here it is! For you fans of Vincent Furnier who remember the pre-MTV days, Eagle Rock Entertainment has brought back not just the1975 “Welcome To My Nightmare” Concert Video but also the 1975 TV special, “The Nightmare” complete with special guest star, the indomitable Vincent Price, all in a single DVD video offering.

Eagle Rock has been releasing many great videos and CDs of important rock music from the second generation of rock, many of which feature the members performing recently or in the past 10 to 15 years. With this DVD, they are releasing in one of the most important concerts and specials from what I would call the “Golden Age of Alice.” It’s important for a couple of reasons: one, because it was his first solo tour and two, because it was ground-breaking. Remember, this was before MTV and it was the first time a concert special was filmed to support an entire album in long form.

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Earlier today we interviewed NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman who was a member of expedition 16 and 17 on the international space station. He discussed what inspired him to become an astronaut and what space flight is like.

I’ve always enjoyed a cappella music. I’ve covered Straight No Chaser numerous times at the Fox Theatre in St. Louis. The harmonies are always nice, but the recreation of instrumental sounds strictly by the dexterity of vocal cords is a real treat. When I heard Pentatonix was coming to town I was excited for the chance to cover them and to get a different style and range of song and showmanship than what I’ve grown accustomed to by Straight No Chaser.

The show began with an opening act, Us the Duo. Comprised of husband and wife Michael and Carissa Alvarado, the talented twosome quickly won over the audience with their charisma and skill. Carissa charmed with her smile and warmth, singing beautifully, while handsome Michael played the guitar or keyboard.  They were delightful and earned a deserved standing ovation at the end of their set.