It’s been awhile since I’ve posted here on CounterAgent, but I’ve been busy working on this web project called the SuperLame! Comic Balloon Engine. We’ve just launched it in a public Beta. So, let me take a few moments to explain what it is that’s taken up most of my time as of late.

What is SuperLame? Well, I’m glad you asked. You may have heard the saying, “a picture is worth a thousand words”. So, if a picture alone is worth that much, how much more can you say with a picture that actually has words too? I’m betting at least a few more than a thousand.

You may have noticed a number of word balloon pictures on this site, amoung others. Before the SuperLame word balloon image creator web app this was a time consuming process. Enter SuperLame and the Comic Balloon Engine. Basically, it’s a simple web tool that gives users the power to easily and quickly add word balloons, speech bubbles, thought bubbles, whatever you want to call them, to your pictures.

Best of all, the entire tool is free for anyone to use. However, if you would like to donate to the SuperLame cause, we wouldn’t turn you down, of course, and hey, it’s a tax right off, right?

The above picture is an example of what you can do at SuperLame. But, don’t take my word for it, check out the SuperLame Word Balloon Web Tool for yourself. Enjoy.

Boom!

I wrote this article over at Co-Optimus and thought I just had to let everyone here at Counteragent know about it too. It’s this sweet contest for Capcom’s upcoming 2-dimensional masterpiece, Bionic Commando: ReArmed. I’ll direct you to the full story over at Co-Optimus for details.

The video above is just an example of what you can do for the contest. You can design what Capcom is calling a “challenge level”. A very basic level constructed of various obstacles. All you have to do is draw, in some form, a level of your own design. Once you got that, just email Capcom with the image. If you win, your map will be added to the game when it’s released. Yay!

Level editor skills? Feh! Have writing utensil, will travel. Be as impressionistic or as specific as you like. Sketch it, MS Paint, or scrawl it on the wall of a cave–we don’t care–just send in an image of your idea to contest@capcom.com

Official rules are available on Capcom’s community blog here, as well as a diagram of the different components to build your level out of. The contest already started, and it ends March 12th, so hurry up.

Boom!

Video after the break.
More…

So, if you’ve been visiting CounterAgent for any time, or listening to our podcast, you probably know that we love co-op gaming. Can’t get enough of it. Well, it seems we’re not alone out here. Welcome, Co-Optimus, your prime source for co-op gaming. If you haven’t noticed yet, to the far right side of this site is a brand new news feed delivered direct from the guys over at Co-Optimus. That little box will keep you up to date on all the latest in co-op gaming. They’ve got a great index of co-op games as well to keep you up to date on any platform, any genre. Anything happening in the co-op universe, Co-Optimus will have it.

Don’t just take my word for it, well, take my word, but go visit Co-Optimus and see for yourself. I mean, everybody loves to co-operate, right? Right. And aren’t those robots just adorable?

Boom!

Rumor has it that Venom may get his own feature film. IESB reports that “Marvel is moving forward with a new stand alone film” and that it has been confirmed that “the studio” has met recently with several “A list writers” about a spin-off film. I am so glad. I was disappointed with Spider-Man 3’s Venom. Come on…Topher Grace. Are you serious? I don’t know who they’ll get to play Venom. Maybe Vin Diesel? You never know. I just hope I’m not let down again.

OK so they made an Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. It has done very good in the box office, so you can bet they will make a another. That’s not what this post is about. This is about the beating David Cross has been taking for being in the movie. Mr. Cross is a fine comedian. I’ve enjoyed his work, most notably his work as Dr. Tobias Funke on Arrested Development. That show being canceled was one of the worst things to ever happen. Anyway David Cross has been building up his indie cred for years, but in just one movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks, he seems to have lost his cred.

David fired back in his blog with this statement:

“It was a little more than I had budgeted for [ a new home] but it was definitely worth it. I asked the owner if he’d take some of my credibility as payment. He looked at me as if I was an alien with A.I.D.S. speaking some intergalactic gobbledy-goo. I had to patiently explain to this country bumpkin about my indie hipster cred, and I would now like to cash it in. This rural rube was so backwards and ignorant that he couldn’t even conceive of how financial markets work and simple free market capitalism. I tried again to explain the concept of the value of “credibility” and “artistic integrity” but he refused to take it in exchange for the house. This guy was a f***ing idiot! But what could I do? He wouldn’t take no for an answer. If I wanted that cottage I would have to pay him money. Sigh. So I used my “Alvin and the Chipmunks” money to pay for the down payment.”

Unfortunately though he rips on his Alvin co-star Jason Lee a bit, who I also enjoy. Check out the whole blog entry from David here.

This is something I have been thinking about lately even before this story hit the net. It stemmed from the DVD release of Underdog and the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. I admit Jason Lee has made 2 movies that I have to question but I still enjoy his work and when I saw that he and David Cross were in the Chipmunks movie I figured it would at least have a couple of good moments. What if Jason Lee decided to make those movies for his young children, is that wrong? Please remember folks that an actor like David Cross doesn’t have the luxury of picking and choosing only 5 star movies and golden TV shows. He states that he hadn’t worked in 6 months so he needed to work. I would love for David Cross to only do good movies because he is usually the best part of the movies he is in.

Even the biggest movie stars of today had to make some really crappy movies before they can choose only good roles. If you gotta rip on someone rip on the big movie stars that make crap. Not truly funny actors like David Cross.

Hello all, and welcome to what is and what will be SuperLame. It’s essentially what I’m going to call “Nerd Culture”. On this site we’ll be doing whatever we want to in the nerd/geek world of news and entertainment. On SuperLame we’ll be tackling the burning issues of the world. Stuff like: Movies, TV, Comics, Cartoons, Pop Culture, Art, Music, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Nerdliness, The Internets, Food & Drink, etc…

Oh, and SuperLame is part of the CounterAgent Network.

SuperLame!