Let’s Get Digital! – 2000AD via Clickwheel

A little while ago in Episode 91 of WFTT we reviewed Prog 1700 of 2000AD. Prog 1700 was a jumping on point for the venerable British weekly anthology, what that means is that all of the five stories within the issue were starting at #1 of a story arc. If I remember rightly they engineer this to happen every year and for the non-reader it means you’re not coming in part way through a story. My history with 2000AD goes back 30 yrs or so but I’ve not been an active reader in a while.

I enjoyed dipping my toe back in the 2000AD water but wasn’t enamoured with a couple of things. Firstly it’s a floppy comic, I just don’t do floppies any more, they take up too much space and generally get in the way. And secondly, the price was a little steep at £2.25/$3.50 a week. A possible answer presented itself and I thought I’d pursue it…

The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 5 – Wildfire

The Walking Dead Season 1 Episode 5 – Wildfire

In the immediate aftermath of the Walker attack on the camp, Rick and the gang have some unpleasant decisions to make.

The ending of last week’s episode was possibly one of the best moments of The Walking Dead so far. This week we get an intimate look at the grief and guilt that comes with a family member being bitten by a Walker. Andrea refuses to allow Amy to be destroyed until she reanimates and Andrea gets a chance to apologise. At the other end of the scale, Jim has been bitten and knows his time is limited. The gang of survivors decide to hit the road – their camp has been compromised and there may be a cure for Jim at the CDC.

Andrea’s interaction with her sister’s dead body and reanimated corpse gives us a better insight into how people deal with a loved one becoming the enemy. We saw Morgan dealing with his wife as a Walker and his inability to shoot her because he believes that the woman he loved may still be ‘in there’, but Andrea is simply holding on to say one last thing to her sister. Rick uses the CB radio to try and tell Morgan that Atlanta – and their camp – is not safe, and this serves as a diary for the episode. We get an insight into Rick’s thoughts and feelings on the crisis, as well as learning the decisions made by the group – a very clever plot device. As well as all of this, the gang decide to follow the dying Jim’s wishes and abandon him at the side of the road; another example of survivor’s guilt and the grief at leaving one of their own behind.

Perhaps the most interesting development in this episode, however, is the discovery that there is someone alive at the CDC. One man is working on a cure for Walkers, but is slowly losing his mind due to the solitude enforced on him by taking refuge underground. This man believes himself to be the Omega Man – the only survivor of the apocalypse – and the irony his working on a cure is not lost on him, after all, who would he share this cure with if he is the last human alive? Just as he decides to get drunk with the prospect of blowing his brains out the next day, Rick and the survivors knock on his door.

Another fantastic episode of The Walking Dead. The season lagged a little in the middle, especially with all the to-ing and fro-ing in Atlanta, but this new development in the CDC is bound to throw up some unpleasant choices for the gang, and also reminds the survivors – and the audience – that there is a whole world out there, who knows what else is going on…??

GS Reviewer: Brogen Hayes

Fallen Heroes Exclusive Artwork + Advertisement opportunities

As most of you are aware Geek Syndicates very own Barry “The Nuge” Nugent wrote a Book called Fallen Heroes, you might also be aware that the book is currently getting adapted into a comic book by writer Martin Conaghan, Artist Steve Penfold and colourist Gat Melvyn. The first issue will be officially launched at the upcoming Cardiff International Comic Expo on February 26th.

Today it was announced that there will be a Con exclusive copy of the first issue avalible with lots of extra artwork from lots of great artisits! 

Thought Bubble 2010 Video Interview – Villainous

Has the TV series Dexter messed with your head and made you want more stories where the main protagonist isn’t the good guy.  Then check out Villainous from Obscure Reference Comics.

Here’s Gary Chudleigh to tell you more about it

GS Reporter: Monts

Thought Bubble 2010 video interview – Anthony Johnston talks Wasteland

If  like me your a fan of apocalyptic scenarios then there is a chance you will love Antony Johnston‘s Wasteland from Oni press.

Not sure?

We caught up with the man himself at Thought Bubble and gave him the chance to tell you about it himself

GS Reorter: Monts

Related Articles

• Antony Johnston (antonyjohnston.com)

Everything Comes Back To 2000AD – Episode 39

Flint is still MIA so Rich ropes in Iz to look at progs 1711 & 1712 and to announce an all new monthly 2000AD podcast.
As always expect language not suitable for the kiddies and spoilers throughout.
Direct Download: Episode 39

Listen to the podcast online

Subscribe now to get Everything Comes Back to 2000AD and the other fantastic podcasts on the Geek Syndicate Network!

“Undercovers” is K.I.A.- Here’s Why

It turned out to be a mission impossible.

News came down recently that Undercovers , a show about a married couple who are also spies, had been canceled. Being co-created by JJ Abrams was its major selling point, but having J.J. Abrams’ name on your series is not a guaranteed stamp of success. Why did it die? I think I know.

It’s Not a Black Thing- It’s a Wack Thing

So would a show fail on US TV if its stars were black? Maybe. However, the failure of Undercovers does not rest in people saying “this isn’t a show for someone like me” It’s mostly because this show is not really worth watching, plain and simple. I think people may have not watched it at all because they aren’t interested in a spy show. The others took one look at this show and figured they were better off without it in their life.

Good Setup, Bad Execution

Man, if I compiled the opening scene of each episode of Undercovers, people would go “Heeey, what show is that?”  I would then say “It’s Undercovers” causing them to lose all interest. To me, there is a delicate balance between light-hearted action-adventure and  dark violence. Undercovers could not find that balance. Oftentimes, the first scene of each episode is either brutal or startling. Then we go from that to characters who we are supposed to endearing, but instead prove to be bland.

The Running gags make me Gag

This show is supposed to make you laugh. No, really! Too bad that Undercovers‘ usual jokes fall flat. The Blooms usually have cute arguments concerning their life before they worked together, and when the yuks aren’t to be had there, Agent Hoyt is there to be wacky and awkward! Yech. No matter how many times he says it, calling Sam Bloom “Mrs Agent Bloom” or fawning over Steven Bloom’s previous missions isn’t going to make me laugh. Neither is a catering company subplot.

This is NOT a Cooking Show!

At first, seeing these two spies also balance their own catering business was alright, a novel civilian identity. Then it got boring, and useless, and confusing. Now I forget how the Blooms even excuse their absences from the business. Towards the end, they had actors added to the catering company to play off of Sam’s sister, but they did not make me love the b-plots either. Simply a waste.

I Hate because I Love

If Undercovers accomplished anything, it exposed Gugu Mbatha-Raw to an American audience who knew nothing of her beforehand. It may have also made the NBC crowd aware of Boris Kodjoe. I have listed a lot I found wrong with Undercovers, but There is one thing I will be dreading once this show is no longer on the air:  will we ever learn this mysterious “real reason” the Blooms were reactivated? With only 13 episodes to the season, it may stay a mystery.

Has NASA found Alien Life!

It might be time to get excited! NASA has put out a press release that strongly indicates that they might of found something.

MEDIA ADVISORY : M10-167NASA Sets News Conference on Astrobiology Discovery; Science Journal Has Embargoed Details Until 2 p.m. EST On Dec. 2WASHINGTON — NASA will hold a news conference at 2 p.m. EST on Thursday, Dec. 2, to discuss an astrobiology finding that will impact the search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. Astrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution and future of life in the universe.

The news conference will be held at the NASA Headquarters auditorium at 300 E St. SW, in Washington. It will be broadcast live on NASA Television and streamed on the agency’s website at http://www.nasa.gov.

Participants are:
-     Mary Voytek, director, Astrobiology Program, NASA Headquarters, Washington
-     Felisa Wolfe-Simon, NASA astrobiology research fellow, U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, Calif.
-     Pamela Conrad, astrobiologist, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
-     Steven Benner, distinguished fellow, Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Gainesville, Fla.
-     James Elser, professor, Arizona State University, Tempe

Media representatives may attend the conference or ask questions by phone or from participating NASA locations. To obtain dial-in information, journalists must send their name, affiliation and telephone number to Steve Cole at stephen.e.cole@nasa.gov or call 202-358-0918 by noon Dec. 2.

For NASA TV streaming video and downlink information, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ntv

For more information about NASA astrobiology activities, visit:

http://astrobiology.nasa.gov

ok so time for some more info! 

COMIC REVIEW: Kill Shakespeare Volume 1: A Sea of Troubles

Collects issues 1 – 6

Writers – Anthony Del Col and Conor McCreery

Artists – Andy Belanger, Ian Herring and Kagan McLeod

Vampire Diaries Creator Working on an X-Files meets Buffy the Vampire Style TV Show

It seems that not just content with taking on Vampires with his hit show Vampire Diaries it’s creator, Kevin Williamson is now developing a new show about a team of Paranormal Investigators which is being described as “The X-Files meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer”.

There is nothing in writing, at the moment, to say the show will be made so at the moment it’s a wait and see.

I’m always a little dubious of when I’m throw a tagline like ‘there’s this new show that I’m working that’s basically X-files meets Buffy’ personally I would rather wait and watch the show then come up with my own comparisons. However I understand that in land of all things TV and film that you have to be able to condense your idea down into a sentence/elevator pitch and throwing out that your idea is a mash-up of two of the most beloved genre shows is one way to raise interest. The downside of doing that is you’re already building up expectations in viewers minds of the sort of things they should expect from this type of show.

GS Reporter: Nuge

Source:Collider

Teaser Trailer for HBO’s “Game of Thrones”

A new trailer for yet another medieval-themed show! In addition to BBC’s Merlin and Starz’s Camelot, HBO has adapted George R.R. Martin’s best-selling series, Game of Thrones. The series chronicles the violent dynastic struggles among seven noble families fighting for control of the Iron Throne of Westeros.

There’s some familiar faces in the cast with Sean Bean as Lord Eddard Stark and Peter Dinklage as Tyrion Lannister. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau as Jamie Lannister who was seen in 20th Century Fox’s Kingdom of Heaven. As with other HBO series like True Blood and The Tudors, be prepared for lots of violence and sex; the cinematography looks amazing and I love almost anything with sword-fighting in it, so looking forward to checking this out when it begins airing in 2011.

Source: Entertainment Weekly
GS Reporter: Sharlene

Mark Millar’s KaPow Comic Con London announced

Well Mark Millar teased a few weeks back about his big plans for a Comic Convention over this side of the pond (he must not know about the other conventions we already have) and today he launched the website and details for KaPow Comic Con London.

Guests are going to John Romita Jr, Frankie Boyle, Leinil Yu, Dave Gibbons, Frank Quitely, Mark Millar, Bryan Hitch, Olivier Coipel, Stewart Lee, Kevin O’Neill, Paul Cornell, Noel Clarke, Steve Dillon, Mike McMahon, Brian Bolland, Andy Diggle, Jock, Brendan McCarthy, Brett Ewins, Eric Stephenson, David Lloyd, Matt Smith (not the Doctor), Pat Mills, Steve Yeowell, Kieron Gillen, Liam Sharp, John McCrea, Andrew MacDonald, Nick Landau, Sean Phillips, Duncan Fegredo, David Hine, Adi Granov, Simon Furman, Chris Weston and Al Ewing with others possibly to be announced.

Thats a lot of guest and there are some big names there too! John Romita is a good one for sure, i got to meet him at Thought Bubble (and got a Sketch). i’m pretty sure there is something there for everyone!

Tickets cost £25 for the full 2 days, or £15  for a one day pass, Or if you are feeling flush you can buy a VIP Ticket for £175 which will grant you full access to panels along with entry to an advanced screening of Mark Millar’s Miracle Park, access to VIP drinks areas, and a goodie bag full of rare merchandise and a signed Kick Ass #1 to top it all off!!

The Venue is going to be the Islington at the Business Design Centre in North london, Both Marvel and DC are being promoted as attending although rumours are that they are not going to “official” attend but there will be panels with current Marvel and DC creators. CLiNT Magazine will also have a big presence but that was to be expected. They are also holding the first Annual Stan Lee Awards (Stan isn’t confirmed as a guest!)

Many people are saying that this isn’t what they we’re expecting! since Mark Millar said this would be the San Diego Comic Con of the UK, well it’s Tiny in comparison! SDCC gets 130,000 people through it’s doors each year! But Mark Millar is good and pimping his stuff so I’m not surprised it hasn’t lived up to the hype (YET).

Obviously we have to hold of judgement till next April so we can see just what it’s like, Personally I’m not going! (unless Mr Millar wants to pay for my Hotel and Ticket) maybe i will next year if it’s a big success!

Let us know what you think!

Source: http://www.kapowcomiccon.com/

GS Reporter: Matt

Find me on twitter @matpease

 

 

Important News for Listeners of the Everything Comes Back to 2000Ad Podcast

I’ll let Rich McAuliffe, one of the hosts of Everything Comes Back to 2000Ad podcast, explain what’s happening.

For the last year or so, the guys over on the Geek Syndicate have been good enough to host our offensive little podcast on their feed and make it available through iTunes.

However episode 39, which I’ll hopefully be posting today or tomorrow, will be the last one available through them. After that you have to come find us yourselves as we’re going solo.

I will still be posting direct download links both on here and over on the 2000AD forums, but if you want to subscribe you need to either do a search for us in iTunes, or add the URL in manually from our libsyn page

http://ecbt2000ad.libsyn.com

The reason for this change is that we wanted to add in another monthly episode looking at the Megazine and also have the opportunity to put out interviews and one offs as and when we get the urge. Doing this before now would have eaten into too much of the GS bandwidth allowance.

Thanks again to Barry of the Geek Syndicate for his work till now and for kickstarting us in the first place.

If anyone does have trouble setting up any of the above, post a reply to this posting and I’ll look into it.

Posted by Richard McAuliffe

We wish the lads all the best with the new feed and new episodes. If you’ve not had the chance check out the new ECBT2000ad blog.

 

Empire Strikes Back Director Dies

Hot on the heels of the sad news about Leslie Nielsen Geekdom has suffered another great loss!

Irvin Kershner, director of  The Empire Strikes Bake, has died at 87 in LA. Kershner was also the man behind genre hits as Never Say Never Again and Robocop 2 and Seaquest DSV.

They say these things come in threes but lets hope this time they are wrong! i don’t think i could take another death in geekdom.

May the Force be with us!

GS Reporter: Matt

Find me on twitter @matpease

Dissecting Worlds Series 3 Episode 4: Rogue Trooper & Armies

Listen to the podcast online

Direct Download: Dissecting Worlds Series 3 Episode 4: Rogue Trooper & Armies