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A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #4 (1998)

A Look Back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #4 (1998)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, video game enthusiasts and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the late-1990s to examine another issue of the magazine-sized comic book series titled Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine.

Having read the first three issues of the RE comic book magazine series, I can say that the quality has been mixed. While issue #2 had pretty bad Resident Evil 2 illustrated adaptation, issue #3 had a short story that functioned as a sequel to Resident Evil (1996) in the form of a polished fan fiction. There were other short stories that turned out serviceable to intriguing and surprisingly entertaining to read. How much creative freedom WildStorm had in its publishing deal with Capcom remains unclear.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #4, published by WildStorm/Image Comics in 1998 with short stories written by Ted Adams, Marc Mostman and Kris Oprisko, and drawn by Rafael Kayanan, Ryan Odagawa and Norman Felchie.

The cover.

Early stories

Night Stalkers – In a sleepy town in the southwestern part of America, two men suddenly got abducted by humanoid bats (referred to as “zombie bats” by the publisher) and were brought to a secret facility of Umbrella. The scientists of Umbrella have the technology to control the bats and they have already abducted many people who became helpless subjects of a transmutation process. Back in the sleepy town, the community is panicking and the son of the sheriff was rescued from a group of humanoid bats. In response to the town’s call for help, the United States government sends agent Leon Kennedy to solve their problem.

Special Delivery – Two helicopter operators working for Umbrella are tasked to lift special containers of their company’s bio-weapons. Their goal is to drop specific containers at different sites within and outside of Raccoon City. One by one, the monsters of Umbrella are dropped in some very unsuspecting laps from above.

Zombies Aboard – Inside the airplane, Chris Redfield, his sister Claire and Barry Burton realize the there is nobody left to pilot the aircraft. Using the flight training he had with S.T.A.R.S., Chris takes control of the airplane.

Quality

When Umbrella’s helicopter drops its biological weapons, chaos happens.

This early, I can say that I was entertained by this Resident Evil comic book.

The first short story Night Stalkers is WildStorm’s next attempt of making a sequel to Resident Evil following Leon Kennedy on his mission to take on Umbrella and the town it affected. There are no zombies but Umbrella’s scientists and the project leader are using man-sized bats to spread the G-virus and their methods clearly caused human rights violations on the victims. This short story, which was well written and had a good structure, is actually prophetic because it portrayed Leon Kennedy as an agent of the US government and this comic book was released many years before Resident Evil 4 (2005) came out. For context, Leon Kennedy in RE4 worked for the US government and his mission was to rescue the American President’s daughter. In the short story and in the said video game, both versions of Leon Kennedy showed him being very proficient with action and he has no fear going up against multiple enemies. One has to wonder if RE creator and RE4 game director Shinji Mikami ever read Night Stalkers for inspiration. Night Stalkers is entertaining.

The brave and dynamic Leon Kennedy springs into action against Umbrella.

The second short story Special Delivery is a really intriguing look at the personnel who operated the helicopter to transport Umbrella’s monsters. This is in reference to what happened in Resident Evil 2 as Mr. X got dropped down. There are no established characters here but that’s not a problem because the story made a lot of sense and fit in nicely with the Resident Evil universe. It also shows how unethical, cold-hearted and evil Umbrella really is not only towards its business rivals but also against humanity. This one is surprisingly entertaining.

The final short story Zombies Aboard follows Chris, Jill and Barry Burton on their high-risk mission to find Umbrella in Europe and stop them from causing danger on the world. This is the continuation of Dead Air in issue #3 and it was a serious attempt by WildStorm creators to function as a sequel to the RE games of the time. With regards to its quality, the short story was structured with action and horror in mind. While the three established RE characters search for Umbrella, the story lacked depth as there is way too little detective elements in it. Instead, you will see the S.T.A.R.S. members firing or stabbing or slashing zombies they encountered from England to Germany (the story never showed the authorities reacting to the collateral damage caused by the three), and it is at the very end of the tale when the suspense and horror came in. This short story is clearly less engaging compared to its predecessor. At least the art work is good and the artist did not hold back on the violence.

Conclusion

Chris Redfield, Jill Valentine and Barry Burton search for Umbrella in Europe.

With the three stories featured, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #4 (1998) is just as entertaining as issue #3. For me, the only letdown was the final short story. The highlight was actually the first short story as it turned out to be very prophetic as to how Leon Kennedy would eventually turn out in video games – the brave and dynamic action hero millions of fans and gamers today enjoy.

Overall, Resident Evil: The Official Comic Book Magazine #4 (1998) is recommended.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

USAID formally shut down and incorporated into State Department

USAID formally shut down and incorporated into State Department

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They finally did it! The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) –the independent agency of the American government responsible for administering civilian and foreign aid – was formally shut down by the Trump administration and has been incorporated into the State Department, according to a news report by Breitbart.

It should be remembered that USAID was heavily abused for a long time and a lot of taxpayers’ money was abused for questionable and wrongful purposes around the world such as funding LGBTQ projects, pushing abortion overseas, overseas tourism promotions, terrorist funding, creating a Sesame Street in Iraq, creating a mural in Parañaque City, and more.

As expected, there are high-profile figures who still want USAID to continue even though the abuses have been exposed. This new development with USAID is undeniably a major change decades in the making and United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued statements defending the move.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Breitbart news report. Some parts in boldface.

The US foreign aid agency formally closed down Tuesday, with President Donald Trump’s administration trumpeting the end of the “charity-based model” despite predictions that millions of lives will be lost.

Founded in 1961 as John F. Kennedy sought to leverage aid to win over the developing world in the Cold War, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) has now been incorporated into the State Department — after Secretary of State Marco Rubio slashed 85 percent of its programming.

In a farewell to remaining staff on Monday, former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama — as well as U2 frontman Bono — saluted their work and said it was still needed.

Bush pointed to PEPFAR, the massive US effort to fight HIV/AIDS that he considers one of the top achievements of his 2001-2009 Republican presidency.

“This program shows a fundamental question facing our country — is it in our nation’s interest that 25 million people who would have died now live? I think it is,” Bush said in a video message seen by AFP.

Obama, who like Bush has been sparing in openly criticizing Trump, said that ending USAID was “inexplicable” and “will go down as a colossal mistake.”

“Gutting USAID is a travesty and it is a tragedy because it’s some of the most important work happening anywhere in the world,” the Democrat said.

A study published in the medical journal The Lancet predicted that more than 14 million people would die, a third of them small children, by 2030 due to the foreign aid cuts.

‘Little to show’ –  Rubio painted a drastically different picture of USAID, which was an early target of a sweeping government cost-cutting drive led for Trump by billionaire Elon Musk.

Rubio said that USAID’s “charity-based model” fueled “addiction” by developing nations’ leaders and that trade was more effective.

“Beyond creating a globe-spanning NGO industrial complex at taxpayer expense, USAID has little to show since the end of the Cold War,” Rubio wrote in an essay.

He also complained that many recipients of US aid do not vote with the United States at the United Nations and that rival China often enjoys higher favorability among the public.

A senior State Department official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that The Lancet study relied on “incorrect assumptions” and said the United States will continue aid but in a “more efficient” way.

He said that PEPFAR will remain, with a priority on stopping HIV transmission from mothers to children.

But he acknowledged the United States was no longer funding PrEP medication, which significantly reduces the rate of HIV transmission and has been encouraged by high-risk communities.

“No one is saying that gay men in Africa shouldn’t be on PrEP. That’s wonderful. It doesn’t mean that the United States has to pay for every single thing,” the official said.

He said the Trump administration was looking at “new and innovative solutions” and pointed to food deliveries in war-battered Gaza staffed by US military contractors and surrounded by Israeli troops.

Witnesses, the United Nations and local Gaza officials have reported that Israeli troops have repeatedly opened fire and killed Palestinians waiting for aid — although the US-backed initiative, the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, denies any deadly incidents.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Are you satisfied with the formal end of USAID and its incorporation into the State Department? Do you think a lot of people’s lives around the world will suffer from the shutdown of assistance from USAID?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Global scandal of USAID exposed!

Global scandal of USAID exposed!

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The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) – the independent agency of the American government responsible for administering civilian and foreign aid – was exposed big-time by the Trump administration revealing a growing list of overseas projects funded by American taxpayers’ money.

These projects were approved by the failed Biden-Harris administration and a lot of them are related with the toxic DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and woke principles of the Satanic Left which explains why the Democrats are angry and outraged now.

To put things into perspective, posted below is the Sky News Australia news video plus the related news report (some parts in boldface)…

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has blasted the United States Agency for International Development for having “insane priorities”.

USAID was formed in the early 1960s to administer humanitarian aid programmes on behalf of the United States government around the world.

The United States spent around $US68 billion on international aid in 2023, according to government data. Ms Leavitt publicly took aim at the agency’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion projects.

Some of the projects listed included $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia’s workplace, $70,000 for a production of a DEI Musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia and $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru.

For the newcomers reading this, USAID was founded in the 1960s which was the result of US Congress approving the Foreign Assistance Act in 1961 which mandated the agency’s creation and was followed with the executive order of then US President John F. Kennedy.

Going back to the USAID scandal, it is one thing for America to come up with taxpayer-funded overseas projects to help foreigners, it is completely another thing to have projects that emphasized the Satanic Leftist ideologies. Seriously, does the $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru and the $70,000 for a DEI musical production in Ireland have anything relevant with USAID’s traditional purposes of disaster relief, poverty relief, bilateral interests and socioeconomic development. USAID was also abused by the Democrats to fund Leftist news media outlets as well. For more insight, watch the videos below.

But there is still a lot more! The list of questionable overseas projects funded by USAID continues to grow and it includes funding for terrorism, contraception, opium growth, sex change and more. Posted below is the excerpt from the CBN News story (some parts in boldface).

Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) published another list of projects and programs she says the agency has funded over the years until DOGE stepped in.

“From funneling tax dollars to risky research in Wuhan to sending Ukrainians to Paris Fashion Week, USAID is one of the worst offenders of waste in Washington… all around the world,” Ernst posted to X this week.

The Iowa senator gave more detail in a thread noting the organization spent millions on wasteful projects including:

*    “A whopping $20 million to create a Sesame Street in Iraq

*    $2 million for Moroccan pottery classes and promotion

*    $2 million promoting tourism to Lebanon

*    More than $9 million of USAID’s ‘humanitarian aid’ intended to feed civilians in Syria ended up in the hands of violent terrorists, including an affiliate of Al Qaeda in Iraq.“

Ernst points out that millions of dollars were sent to farmers in Afghanistan to get them to grow food crops instead of opium.

“The results: opium poppy cultivation across the country nearly doubled, according to the U.N.,” Ernst wrote.

“USAID has long been a reckless, out-of-control, unaccountable rogue agency,” she concluded. “USAID has failed to put the American people first and routinely tried to cloak its actions in secrecy. Those days are over.“

A White House fact sheet also contends that American taxpayer dollars were inadvertently used to fund terrorism.

It notes:

*    As much as $10 million was used by an al Qaeda-linked group for meals.

*  $78,000 to a non-profit linked to designated terrorist organizations including Pakistan’s Falah-e-Insaniat Foundation — even after an inspector general launched an investigation.

*  $15 million in taxpayer funds to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to help distribute ‘oral contraceptives and condoms.’

The fact sheet lists millions of dollars in additional wasteful spending, including:

*    $6 million was used to fund tourism in Egypt

*    $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam

*   $1.5 million to ‘advance diversity equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities.’

Here in my native Philippines, there were several projects and recipients of USAID as reported by the Philippine Star. Environmental – check, health – check, assistance for LGBT – check, a mural painting event – check.

Thank the Lord for the return of US President Donald Trump whose administration has been working hard to restore dignity and meritocracy in America. The Trump administration is focused on wiping away the Democrats’ corruption and waste of taxpayers’ funds.

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to the USAID scandal? Did your local government participate in any USAID-related projects that were done locally in recent years? Are you tired of seeing wokeness, Leftist and DEI being emphasized in USAID projects that were launched during the years of the failed Biden-Harris administration? Do you think USAID should be abolished and the countries that benefited from it should move on and launch their own projects to help their respective people independently?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 15

What to watch on YouTube right now – Part 15

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Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?

I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.

#1 Movie reaction videos by You, Me and the Movies – When it comes to watching movie reaction videos, I enjoy what the YouTube channel You, Me and the Movies posted. Go watch the five videos of theirs that I selected for your enjoyment. I also encourage you to visit You, Me and the Movies’ YouTube channel.

#2 Minty Comedic Arts’ superhero trivia videos – In recent times, superhero movies from Hollywood became irrelevant and unexciting not because of the so-called superhero movie fatigue but because they are no longer made to be fun. That being said, now is a good time to look back at the enjoyable superhero movies from the past through Minty Comedic Arts’ trivia videos below. You will learn something new and do not forget to visit Minty Comedic Arts’ YouTube channel.

#3 Looking back at the Sega Dreamcast’s American launch and legacy – It has been almost 25 years since the Sega Dreamcast console launched in the United States. The American launch turned out highly successful with almost $100 million in sales revenue achieved during the first 24 hours. For the newcomers reading this, there was a time when Sega had consoles and the Dreamcast was the last one they had before going all-in with multiplatform publishing of games. That being said, watch these videos of the Dreamcast.

#4 Assorted videos of violations and reckless driving incidents of electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) in the Philippines – For the international readers and newcomers reading this, the amount of electric bikes (e-bikes) and electric tricycles (e-trikes) here in the Philippines grew dramatically over the past ten years. Because of the many incidents as well as cases of careless or reckless driving of e-bikes and e-trikes that took place, authorities in the National Capital Region (NCR) or Metro Manila took action to have such electric vehicles regulated as well as banned from traveling along major roads and highways. Hopefully in the future, e-bike and e-trike riders will be required to have their electric vehicles registered and get themselves licensed to drive. To see the incidents, watch the videos below…

#5 Rita Panahi and the Leftists who embarrassed themselves – We now move on to the more serious and real-world stuff. I can say that Rita Panahi and her segment titled “Lefties losing it” is easily the most engaging one to watch on Sky News Australia. Here you will see varied videos showing the recklessness, the shamelessness and craziness of the Leftists as captured on social media and news media. Watch and listen to the videos below…

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

A Look Back at X-Men #33 (1994)

A Look Back at X-Men #33 (1994)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, superhero enthusiasts, 1990s culture enthusiasts, X-Men fans and comic book collectors! Today we revisit the X-Men monthly series of the 1990s and look back into the past between Sabretooth and X-Men member Gambit which was hinted in X-Men #28 (1994). Within the context of that comic book I previously reviewed, Sabretooth was already living in a contained manner in the mansion of Professor X who views him as a patient who could be rehabilitated even though he has an established record of murder and damage. At that particular time, Gambit and Rogue were in a relationship but certain things from the Cajun’s past could negatively affect them both.

With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men #33, published by Marvel Comics in 1994 with a story written by Fabian Nicieza and drawn by Andy Kubert.

The cover.

Early story

The story begins in the past with a much younger Gambit (wearing a dark coat and holding a rod) traversing through the city of Paris in France. As he moves, Gambit spots a pretty lady in distress in the presence of a huge man with an unusual look. He kicks the man out of the way and tells him to back off. It turns out, the man was none other than Sabretooth (in his more classic comic book look) who responds saying that Gambit won’t score any points with the lady he just saved if he were dead and buried.

Gambit sticks close with the lady and says some words back to Sabretooth. He flashes a card and charges it, revealing his mutant power to the beastly man. Sabretooth leaves promising he will be back.

In the present day, it turns out the restrained Sabretooth has been recalling the past and sharing the details to Rogue standing some feet away from him inside the mansion. Using a highly advanced devise, images of Gambit and the lady from the past are displayed in the form of holograms right in the view of Rogue. She tells him to keep telling her more about what happened in Paris…

Quality

Andy Kubert’s own take on Sabretooth and his classic look remains impressive.

This comic book has a very rich script by Fabian Nicieza who smoothly transitions from the past to the present while succeeding in telling a very cohesive story. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that by reading this comic book as well as the earlier issues, you will question the state of the relationship of Gambit and Rogue, and you will also reflect about Sabretooth’s purpose in X-Men lore.

The tale from Gambit’s past was beautifully told and it really gave me a new look into the personality and mindset of the character. Long before he joined the X-Men, Gambit was an impulsive and cocky guy who became a member of a guild of thieves through adoption (meaning he has yet to earn his place). This version of the Cajun was undisciplined and did not take life seriously. Young Gambit also had a thing with ladies and he showed no signs of cleverly betraying a woman in favor of materialism.

Believe it or not, the most interesting character here is actually Sabretooth who appears in both the past and the present. The way he was portrayed here, young Sabretooth was cunning and knew how to be strategic and paced himself even though he had key physical advantages to overwhelm young Gambit. Sabretooth in the present day is more mature and more articulate, especially during his storytelling and interactions with Rogue. The way Sabretooth’s dialogue was structured in telling about the past was very engaging and you can see he clearly understood what happened between him and Gambit.

While the story is great, the art done by Andy Kubert is very good. However, I believe it was a missed opportunity for Kubert to redesign Gambit from the past because the famous X-Men member does not look any different from the other version. In the scenes about the past, Gambit does NOT look like a 17-year-old at all and his hair style and length are just the same! As for drawing the younger version of Sabretooth, Kubert made him more menacing and more detailed while sticking close to his original comic book look.

Conclusion

The 17-year-old Gambit with the pretty lady in France.

X-Men #33 (1994) is one of the most intriguing X-Men stories I read that took place after the Fatal Attractions storyline and the wedding of Jean Grey and Cyclops. In fact, it is also the most memorable X-Men comic book I ever read in 1994 all thanks to the great work by Fabian Nicieza whose script was finely visualized by Andy Kubert. This is one very engaging read and by the time I finished it, I really felt the impact it had on Gambit and Rogue’s relationship. More notably, it made rethink about Gambit and his place with the X-Men.

If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men #33 (1994) be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $30 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $90.

Overall, X-Men #33 (1994) is highly recommended!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/