Many of us have very fond memories of our time inside video stores, spending a lengthy amount of time looking over various VHS or LaserDisc or DVD covers, reading the information on the back, and hanging on to one or two of them while continuing to browse just to make sure no one else swooped in and grabbed the last copy on you.

Then digital came along and has taken things over. That’s not necessarily a bad thing—being able to jump on Netflix, browse thousands of titles easily, and watch one or five or more whenever you desire with the simple push of a button is undeniably exciting—but there’s also something incredibly depressing about the death of video stores that we’ve known was inevitable for some time.

Now it’s all a little more official, with a “time of death” announcement from the longtime top dog among video stores, Blockbuster Video. The company has revealed a timetable for the closing of their last remaining retail stores and the end of their mail service. Continue reading for more, and to see a little video store nostalgia video.

Shifter
Created by Skip Brittenham and Brian Haberlin
Written by Brian Haberlin and Brian Holguin
Illustrations by Brian Haberlin, Geirrod VanDyke, Kunrong Yap and Chan Hyuk Lee
Letters by Francis Takenaga
Technology by David Pentz
Anomaly Publishing
Release Date: October 8, 2013
Cover Price: $19.99

Shifter is the newest offering from the creative team that brought us Anomaly last year. This huge graphic novel spans over two hundred pages and is more than just entertainment, it’s thought provoking. I found myself pondering how certain people and groups abuse the power they have over others, not to mention what I would do were I in the protagonist’s place.

We start off with Noah (which just so happens to be my nephew’s name), he’s just your average government employee that has a job flying drones to keep an eye on the environment. While getting ready to knock off for the day and head out to his bachelor party, he sees something that’s just a little off. After reporting it to his boss, he heads out for the night, not giving it a second thought. Everything seems normal when he gets up the next day for a nature hike, he even stops to help a couple of guys who are lost on the trail. Following an accident that leaves him half drowned and stuck in an underground cavern, he eventually makes his way to another cave that seems to be the legendary White Lodge that the Native Americans once held sacred. Above him hangs a sphere that abruptly pulls him inside and begins to interact with him in order to repair the damage done to his body.

CHASING A GHOST: STREET ART PORTRAITURE AND THE FUTURE OF GRAFFITI; A PROFILE OF THE ARTIST AKSE-P19

I will give you an extremely brief colloquial history of the street art world, one shrouded in mystery and yet one that bares itself to the world, tagging any available space that used to be in back alleyways, under flyovers, disused or derelict buildings, places that were away from prying eyes (or the local authorities) to assert a form of dominance over an area or district until during the late 1970s and into the 1980s in New York, to quote:

“In New York, an artistic revolution was taking place. Mysterious names like TAKI 183 and STAYHIGH 149 were being scrawled on walls all over the city. Then Phase 2, Seen and many more began to bomb the New York City subway cars. The trains were emblazoned with a new art form, spraypainted “˜window downs,’ “˜top to bottoms,’ “˜whole cars,’ and eventually “˜wildstyle.'”

Quantum and Woody #5
Written by James Asmus
Illustrated by Ming Doyle
Colors by Jordie Bellaire
Lettered by Dave Lanphear
Covers by Andrew Robinson, Lee Garbett, David Lopez, and Mike McKone
Valiant Entertainment
Release Date: November 6, 2013
Cover Price: $3.99

James Asmus continues writing duties for Quantum and Woody #5 along with illustrator Ming Doyle and colorist Jordie Bellaire. Fresh off their first adventure, the two misfit brothers who’ve accidentally gained super powers are taking on life together — and this time they’ve brought a pet goat along for the ride!

Upon realizing that the bracelets Eric (secretly the superhero named Quantum) and Woody both wear force them to rejuvenate their powers every 24 hours or else they’ll perish, the brothers put aside their differences and move in together. Unfortunately for Eric, Woody — acting like an immature child as always — invites a beautiful clone of the evil scientist who killed their father to live with them. The two men soon begin to grasp the notion that having powers is quite the adjustment. Meanwhile, there are blatantly evil happenings going on all over the city and someone very close to Eric wishes to take advantage of his new found abilities.

A new anti-piracy trailer has been released for Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues, featuring Will Ferrell as eccentric newsman Ron Burgundy. The trailer was made specially by Paramount Pictures UK, in collaboration with UK anti-piracy search engine FindAnyFilm.com.

In it, Burgundy talks of “smelly pirate hookers” and “gentlemen’s relish,” and not much more needs to be said than that. If you’re a fan of Anchorman and are looking forward to the sequel, you should enjoy it.

You can check out the trailer below.