- Superman Themed Ohio License Plate One Step Closer to Reality May 18, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
State of Ohio seeks to honor Superman creators with official license plate
If you live in Ohio and are fan of the world’s oldest boyscout, then you’re in for a treat as the state seeks to honor Superman’s creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Superman who was created by Siegel and Shuster in the 1930′s and published in 1938, has become world famous for his fictional exploits and his unyielding commitment to truth and justice for all. The Siegel and Shuster Society, a group dedicated to preserving and honoring the work of the duo, began a petition in 2011 with the hopes that the State of Ohio would see the historical significance of Superman’s contributions and agree to honor not only the creators but the character as well.
Their wish so far has come true, as H.B. 339 was introduced in Ohio and has so far passed committee without issue and is currently winding its way through the state’s government. State Rep. Bill Patmon (D-Cleveland) said in a statement, “This legislation is, and always has been, about heroism, support, strength and caring for our fellow man, woman or child.” The new license plate once approved, is expected to cost between $25 and $35 above the normal license plate fees.
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- Facebook Game "Monster Galaxy" Coming To Graphic Novels May 17, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Press Release: San Jose, Calif., Gaia Interactive, the world-class social gaming publisher of Monster Galaxy, recently announced a partnership with Yen Press to bring the epic Monster Galaxy video game franchise to life through a new series of graphic novels. Monster Galaxy readers will experience all new adventures with their favorite characters while exploring new worlds, meeting new characters and discovering never before seen monsters.
Kurt Hassler, Publishing Director at Yen Press, said of the adaptation, “Monster Galaxy is a fantastically addictive game — as evidenced by the fact that I can hardly pry our editorial staff away from it since we began discussions of an adaptation! We look forward working with Gaia to introduce both existing fans and new readers to new stories set within this marvelously engaging world in an entirely new medium.”
Readers will be joining over 25 million other users in experiencing the iconic battles, intriguing characters and fantastical world of Monster Galaxy. More details regarding the Monster Galaxy Graphic Novel will be announced at Comic-Con 2012.
“Expanding the world of Monster Galaxy through graphic novels gives readers the unique opportunity to experience new and exciting adventures including new characters, worlds and monsters while still incorporating classic iconic moments from the games,” said Christopher Castagnetto, Senior Marketing Product Manager at Gaia Interactive.
The Monster Galaxy franchise recently achieved a major milestone, crossing 25 million players worldwide, making it among the most widely recognized brands in online gaming. In addition to the upcoming graphic novel, Gaia has teamed up with Radar Pictures to work on an upcoming Monster Galaxy Live Action Motion Picture. Gaia and Radar have partnered with writer Reinhard Denke to develop a unique, fun and action packed script. The Monster Galaxy Motion Picture promises to deliver Gaia’s unique characters and fantastic world while leveraging Radar Pictures’ vast experience in the movie industry to make the project massively appealing to audiences beyond fans of the game. More details regarding the Monster Galaxy Motion Picture will be announced in 2012.
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- "The Hulk" Set To Smash Back On Television By 2013 May 17, 2012
Krypton Radio Newsire
Ready or not – the raging green beast is coming back to television by 2013
It’s been confirmed that Marvel’s The Hulk will be returning to television as a live action series after more than thirty years off the air, which is probably no surprise to fans since the record breaking success of Joss Whedon‘s The Avengers this year. Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno starred in the first successful series which ran for ten-years from 1972-82, and the return of the Hulk is being planned by ABC television and Marvel, in an attempt to cash in on the box office ratings. Few details are known at this point, but The Hulk has beat out a slew of other proposed superhero shows, including a Punisher series and many others.
It’s also unknown if there will be a tie-in between the movie storyline and the series, or if ABC will attempt a fresh approach. It’s more than likely a safe bet that the TV series will feature a CGI Hulk to match the new accepted look of our hero, but to what extent is still unknown. Will The Hulk succeed where others failed? It’s too soon to know, as we saw the attempted Wonder Woman series fail to get out of the starting gate after the filming of the pilot episode. It’s also currently unknown if any other characters from The Avengers movie will be given consideration for a TV series, but there’s always hope.
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- "Argo" The Greatest Science Fiction Movie Never Made May 17, 2012
By Senior Editor, PK
They went to Iran to film a science fiction movie – instead they rescued six people from certain death
This is the best bad idea we have sir – “On November 4, 1979, as the Iranian revolution reaches its boiling point, militants storm the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 52 Americans hostage. But, in the midst of the chaos, six Americans manage to slip away and find refuge in the home of the Canadian ambassador. Knowing it is only a matter of time before the six are found out and likely killed, a CIA “exfiltration” specialist named Tony Mendez (Affleck) comes up with a risky plan to get them safely out of the country. A plan so incredible, it could only happen in the movies.”
I’m not into political movies, but I have to admit I’m actually excited to see Argo which is set to premiere in October. This is a wonderful moment in science fiction and comic book history, and while I understand this isn’t a real sci-fi movie, it’s fascinating to me that the pre-text of filming a real movie (especially a sci-fi one) was enough to allow a team of people into the middle of a civil war. It’s not like in World War 2 or Vietnam where reporters and camera-men would tag along with combat patrols, this was a team of fake movie-makers sent by the CIA to rescue American diplomats.
It wasn’t until fairly recently that this incredible tale was declassified by the American government, so for some you’re probably wondering why a CIA operation would involve the science fiction and comic book industries. CIA operative Tony Mendez cooked up what has to be one of the most brilliant plans in the spy trade, which ended up including people like Jack Kirby of X-Men fame, and John Chambers who is an award winning makeup effects artist who worked on the original Planet of the Apes movies. Through their associations, they contributed to the fake movie company that setup the believable back-story to allow Mendez and his team into Iran to begin their operation to liberate the six diplomats.
Wired Magazine did a truly wonderful writeup on this story in 2007, and I highly recommend reading it. So while some Hollywood studios are pumping out the latest “We’re going to blow your mind with this sci-fi story“, I think I’ll slip back into the past come this October and watch a story on one of the most amazing movies never made.
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- J.J. Abrams' New Sci-Fi Series "Revolution" Coming to NBC May 16, 2012
A look at new sci-fi, by Senior Editor, PK
It may be another in a long line of post-apocalyptic stories, can NBC pull it off?
I’m not always able to watch the latest shows and movies due to being so busy, but when something grabs my attention I’ll make time. And when I came across this, to say I’m skeptical is a bit of an understatement. I’m a huge fan of sci-fi science, grew up with the techno-babble of Star Trek and so many other shows, but Revolution may be falling a bit flat on the b.s. O’meter side of science fiction. Revolution follows the adventures of a group of survivors in a post-apocalyptic society, where for some unknown reason, everything electrical refuses to work. Including machine guns, which are actually not electric. 15 years after the worst brown-out in human history, humanity has reverted to a medieval-esque style society and all of the world governments have fallen. In its place, militias and dictators have risen to rule supreme over small communities who thrive in the ruins of technology and rusted out Chevrolets.
Post-apoc stories have been the in-thing for the last 10 year or so years, from video games to movies, to tv shows, we just can’t seem to get enough of what we went through during the 1980′s. It’s Mad Max minus the gaudy outfits and Aussie accents, and no souped up battle cars to race about in either. Just from watching the trailer, many questions come to mind. The most classic question that comes up whenever we encounter stories where electricity has been destroyed, is what’s causing it and why doesn’t it seem to effect certain things? Like any episode of any version of Star Trek, ship encounters dampening field, power goes out, but tricorders, hand held phasers and artificial gravity still seem to magically work. You’d think Geordie would lose power to his visor every single time they ran into some evil alien with a dampening field in his pocket, but no,our heroes save the day again through suspension of disbelief.
Admittedly, in Revolution they do tackle that interesting issue. Instead of just electrical in general not working, they make anything with power die. Including batteries and the like, but with this show, the most obvious question I have; is why would a super powerful dampening field (presumably the cause), capable of killing everything electric on the planet, affect machines that are primarily mechanical? When the bad guys show up wielding muskets, it makes me stop and wonder why something like a musket will work, but not a M-16? Both are mechanical in nature, and use chemically propelled objects to kill the target. Someone must have made the muskets, and the tech to build muskets is not too far away from making a simple machine gun. I know, I may be over thinking it, but as a fan of sci-fi, who has almost unlimited shows and movies to choose from, Revolution doesn’t really seem to grab me in the way that will make me take an hour out of my busy schedule to sit and watch it. Technology aside, the basic story is questionable in my mind. I have no doubt that society would grind to a halt if all electricity failed, there would be millions of deaths. But reverting to a medieval style society with barons and militias trying to run our post-apoc lives after only 15 years?I know it’s also the Hollywood effect, but when you have no access to electricity and presumably no real hygiene products, why do most of your characters still look like they’ve come straight from a photo-shoot for sexy teens and able-bodied older gentlemen? And as for new world order via small pockets of dictatorships, well, if I couldn’t log into Facebook or hangout at my local Starbucks to chug down a frapa-mocha-chino-thingy, then yeah I might go insane and try to overthrow my local government to. On a more technical side, the production values seem pretty typical of any big-budget science fiction series with huge names behind it. The music featured in the preview was of the typical dramatic “we’re gonna blow you’re nerdy mind” type, and overall the story just barely passes the yawn factor.
We’ve come to expect the extraordinary from TV/Hollywood, and when you’ve been blasted with cool and amazing for so many years, you start to wonder what’s left to dazzle us with. Revolution, you so far have failed to make me raise an eyebrow of interest beyond watching the show’s trailer. But you did manage to make me roll my eyes a bit, and wonder what else is on.
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Show description:
Our entire way of life depends on electricity. So what would happen if it just stopped working? Well, one day, like a switch turned off, the world is suddenly thrust back into the dark ages. Planes fall from the sky, hospitals shut down, and communication is impossible. And without any modern technology, who can tell us why?
Now, 15 years later, life is back to what it once was long before the industrial revolution: families living in quiet cul-de-sacs, and when the sun goes down, the lanterns and candles are lit. Life is slower and sweeter. Or is it?
On the fringes of small farming communities, danger lurks. And a young woman’s life is dramatically changed when a local militia arrives and kills her father, who mysteriously – and unbeknownst to her – had something to do with the blackout. This brutal encounter sets her and two unlikely companions off on a daring coming-of-age journey to find answers about the past in the hopes of reclaiming the future.
From director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2″) and the fertile imaginations of J.J. Abrams and Eric Kripke (“Supernatural”), comes a surprising “what if” action-adventure series, where an unlikely hero will lead the world out of the dark. Literally.
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- Space Command: Let's Light This Candle! May 15, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Official announcement made on Space Command movie series
SPACE COMMAND is a series of new and original feature films written, produced, directed by and starring some of the top science-fiction visionaries working today.
Marc Zicree here. As a kid I loved STAR TREK, TWILIGHT ZONE, OUTER LIMITS, FORBIDDEN PLANET and grew up to write for such great shows as STAR TREK – THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE, BABYLON 5, SLIDERS and more.
I often hear fans say, “Why are there so few good sci-fi shows on TV, and why do so many go south?” I can tell you – frankly, most of the network suits just don’t get it.
But you and I do.
So when I recently got the idea of creating a new show inspired by the sense of wonder and possibility science fiction gave me as a kid, I realized I didn’t need a network or studio to make my dream come true — just Kickstarter and you.
We have a great show we’re chomping at the bit to make – our video and website will tell you all about – and rewards that the geek in all of us would die for (especially the $250K rocket set).
Thanks for making it happen. Or I could just say, “Spacemen’s luck!”
Visions of the future and space travel have long been with us, from the novels of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, to such landmark films as Fritz Lang’s THE WOMAN IN THE MOON and METROPOLIS and William Cameron Menzies’ THINGS TO COME. But science fiction really hit its stride in the 1950s – there was a hopeful spirit of adventure, exploration and excitement, a feeling that the writers, actors, directors and producers were creating a future that we would all live to see.
Starting in 1950 and ‘51 with such great live TV shows as SPACE PATROL and TOM CORBETT, SPACE CADET, the film THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL and Ray Bradbury’s terrific novel THE MARTIAN CHRONICLES, the decade continued to build on its strengths, each year adding to a shared universe of man’s journey to the outer reaches of the solar system and beyond. Robert A. Heinlein penned such visionary works as FARMER IN THE SKY, CITIZEN OF THE GALAXY, STARMAN JONES and HAVE SPACESUIT – WILL TRAVEL. Isaac Asimov chimed in with the FOUNDATION TRILOGY, CAVES OF STEEL and I, ROBOT. Arthur C. Clarke provided remarkable flights of fancy including CHILDHOOD’S END, EARTHLIGHT and the short story “The Sentinel,” which proved the basis for 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY.
GALAXY, WORLDS OF IF, ASTOUNDING and THE MAGAZINE OF FANTASY AND SCIENCE FICTION provided top science fiction stories each month by the best writers working in the field. Even the medium of radio produced classic science fiction tales on such series as DIMENSION X, X MINUS ONE and ESCAPE – and Charles Chilton provided the BBC with the wonderful JOURNEY INTO SPACE, whose three storylines – OPERATION LUNA, THE RED PLANET and THE WORLD IN PERIL projected Man’s first trips to the Moon and Mars in marvelous, realistic and imaginative ways.
Having grown up immersed in and beguiled by these extraordinary dreams of the future, I was determined to write, produce and direct cutting-edge science fiction for film, TV and books. Over the last few decades on such shows as STAR TREK – THE NEXT GENERATION, DEEP SPACE NINE, BABYLON 5 and SLIDERS my dreams came true — now we’re committed to creating a thrilling new vision of the future inspired by those magic makers who first set us on this grand galaxy-spanning journey.
Marc Scott Zicree has written for virtually every major network and studio, with hundreds of hours of produced credits including Star Trek – The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Babylon 5 and Sliders, and bestsellers including The Twilight Zone Companion and Magic Time trilogy of novels. He has been nominated for the American Book Award, Hugo Award, Nebula Award, Humanitas Prize and Diane Thomas A ward, and won the Saturn Award, TV Guide Award, Rondo Award and prestigious Hamptons Prize.
Doug Drexler is an Oscar and Emmy award winner. His credits include Star Trek — The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Enterprise, four Star Trek feature films, Battlestar Galactica, and currently Defiance. He has also won the British Academy Award, a Saturn Award, a Visual Effects Society Award and is also a Peabody Award recipient.
Neil Johnson’s credits include eight Sci-Fi films including Alien Armageddon, Battlespace and Humanity’s End. He has directed over 500 music videos for such bands as U2 and Manowar. Neil’s feature film debut in 1997 is reputed to be the first digital film ever made.
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Kickstarter Donation @ Space Command
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- Doctor Who - The Anime May 15, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Fan projects are everywhere, fans of shows making their own scripts and even going so far as to create their own episodes. This has become very commonplace these days with studio grade computer software falling into the hands of many home media enthusiasts, so it’s not a shock when we see some of the incredible fan made shows and movies out there. We say that, but then we’re scraping our chins off the floor after watching this homemade anime tribute to Doctor Who, by Paul Otaking Johnson. A fellow Whovian, Paul took and animated one of the classic Doctor Who stories featuring John Pertwee, as the third doctor. If you’re a young die-hard fan of the revamped Doctor Who series, then you may not know that the Doctor used to be a butt-kicking Gallifreyan Kung-fu master via his third incarnation.
This incredible fan-work shows a classic Doctor Who battle against the Daleks, Cybermen and even The Master, in Japan, done in an 1980′s anime style. The animation was eventually taken down by the creator, but a fan was able to preserve it and has posted it on YouTube for all to see. We highly recommend to any Doctor Who fan to watch this, it’s not just a great short story adaptation, but it shows anyone with enough time and talent can produce something to rival that of a big studio.
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- Space Command: A Sizzling Retro Vision of the Future May 15, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Science fiction visionaries join forces to bring us the future of the past
Bucking the major Hollywood studios, famed television and movie magic makers Marc Scott Zicree, Doug Drexler, and Neil Johnson have united to bring us a new science fiction series called Space Command. It’s not unusual for big names such as these to join up for a tour-de-force of a movie or series, but what has been deemed a unique move is the trio deciding to gather funding for their ambitious project from the every day citizenry through donations.The project is still under wraps to some degree, as the major details along with a demo video of the movie will be released May 16th. The group seeks to bring us a 1950′s retro styled science fiction action series, without the fear and issues associated with big budget studios trying to control the movie making process. The independent production will get funding via the Kickstarter.com program, and even give the major contributors screen credits and possibly even a guest spot on camera.
Many Star Trek fans know the name Doug Drexler, from his makeup effects work on Star Trek: The Next Generation, all the way to his visual effects work and designing of the Enterprise NX-01. His heart belongs to the future, and his passion has brought us some of the most memorable moments in recent sci-fi history to life, including his breathtaking work on Battlestar Galactica.
Steven Neil a special effects artist, and good friend of Doug Drexler gives a shout out on the project and in his clipper-build video we see that he’s in the process of building a model of one of the famous retro ships to be used in the series.
In a press release, the group stated:
ATTENTION SCI-FI FANS: Sci-Fi Legends set to launch fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com for new Feature Film Franchise. SPACE COMMAND will be a series of new and original feature films by STAR TREK writer Marc Zicree, GALACTICA FX whiz Doug Drexler, director Neil Johnson and other Sci-Fi luminaries. Inspired by classic science fiction TV & Film of the 1950s, this dream team is set to bring to life “Bold Adventures in the Far Reaches of Space.” Beginning May 16th, the filmmakers will bypass the Studios and Networks, going straight to the fans for funding to greenlight their project. Since Kickstarter’s launch in April 2009, more than 20,000 creative projects have been successfully funded by more than 1.8 Million individual contributors. Fans who contribute to SPACE COMMAND’s Kickstarter campaign are eligible to receive exclusive rewards in exchange for individual pledges ranging from $5 to $10,000. Contributions of $5000 or greater include rewards of Associate Producer Credit and even an Appearance in the Film.
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Stay Tuned to Krypton Radio – As we’ll be updating this story as soon as the premiere information is released!
Links:
http://www.facebook.com/SpaceCommandMovie
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- Sony Continues Marketing Blitz, Unveils Four Minutes of 'The Amazing Spider-man' May 15, 2012
by Samantha Lowell
Andrew Garfield in the new suit.
In a development which has fandom abuzz, Sony Pictures has released four minutes of film from the most anticipated movie blockibuster of the summer, Marc Webb’s The Amazing Spider-Man.
The movie clip shows Andrew Garfield in action as the titular hero,displaying a riveting acrobatic style dramatically different form Tobey Maguire’s efortless aerobatics, yet still failthful to the comics. However, the most talked about part of the clip is the unmasking in front of the small child, a surpsingly faithful representation of Peter Parker’s fundamental humanity. In addition to the much ballyhooed change in the iconic character’s costume, the movie is said to do a partial reboot of Spider-Man’s iconic origin as well, adding to fan criticism and speculation.Additionally, Sony Pictures has unveiled a new viral website the film, this time focusing on the corporate front of Oscorp Industries, the workplace of Peter Parker’s father and Dr. Curt Connors (aka, The Lizard).
Fans can also enjoy a taste of the film’s villain, with a recently released a profile and interview with British actor Rhys Ifans, who plays Doctor Curtis Conners, aka the Lizard.
Marvel Comics hopes to ride the wave of success started by The Avengers, shunting aside lingering criticism for its fascination with reviving the silver age versions of iconic Marvel heroes from the editors’ youth at the expense of contemporary versions. Marvel head of creative development, Joe Quesada, has a lot riding on this film, which may partially account for the most aggressive marketing campaign in years.
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- Superman V The Elite: First Look May 14, 2012
Superman meets Manchester Black's force shield
Superman vs. The Elite, a DC Comics Premiere Movie, looks like it’s going to be a good addition to any collector’s shelf. It’s produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Home Video. The all-new, PG-13 rated film is scripted by award-winning comics writer Joe Kelly and the story is adapted from his original 2001 DC Comics release, “What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice and the American Way?” The single-issue comic, Action Comics #775, was lauded by Wizard Magazine as the “Greatest Superman Story of All Time,” and ranked the epic tale at No. 21 on its list of the “Top 100 Comics of the last 30 years.”
In Superman vs. The Elite, Superman’s effectiveness as a super hero comes into question when a new group of super powerful crusaders, known as “The Elite,” appear on the scene. As super heroes, the Elite know no bounds, and are more than willing to kill, even on a massive scale, to stop villainy — putting them on a collision course with the ever-ethical, yet preferably non-lethal Man of Steel.
Each one of these films has a different look to it, to set it apart from its predecessors as much as for any other reason. While we think the drawing style works for Manchester Black, leader of the Elite, we’re not so sure it works for Superman himself. The style pushes Superman’s visual design in an unaccustomed direction – yet, as a whole, the film still seems to work.
George Newbern (Father of the Bride) reprises his Justice League animated television role as Superman, and primetime television star Pauley Perrette (NCIS) provides the voice of Lois Lane. Downes steps in as Manchester Black. David Kaufman (Justice League: Doom) also reprises his Justice League TV series role as Jimmy Olsen.
The film is directed by Michael Chang (Batman: Brave and the Bold). Bruce Timm (Batman: Year One) is executive producer, and Alan Burnett (Green Lantern: Emerald Knights) is producer.
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- Kick-Ass Sequel Greenlit by Universal May 14, 2012
Universal hopes to have KICK-ASS 2 into production by this coming August.
Writer Mark Millar has confirmed that a deal with Universal has been signed to produce the sequel to the runaway hit film from 2010, Kick-Ass , with the previous film’s director Michael Vaughan returning as producer. He is unlikely to return to direct it since he is expected to be busy with a follow-up to X-Men: First Class. He has apparently chosen Never Back Down helmer Jeff Wadlow to direct in his stead.. Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Passe are both expected to return, and though Chloe Moretz has been announced as reprising her role as Hit Girl, there’s some doubt as to whether that will actually happen. Moretz is also going to be working on the Carrie remake, so there may be some scheduling conflicts. It’s a lot to take on, and Moretz is just fifteen years old.
Michael Vaughn wrote the script for the project, which adapts not only Kick-Ass 2, the recent comic miniseries, but also the spinoff Hit-Girl, which is due in stores next month. The Hit-Girl storyline will be the first act of the movie, according to sources.
Johnny Romita Jr., artist for the series, has indicated that he hopes to create an animated sequence for the film.
Vaughan self-financed the first film, which took $96 million on a budget of $30 million. . The new film is has a tentative release date sometime in May of 2013.
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- Video of the Day: Avengers, Disassemble! May 14, 2012
Because everybody – everybody – has a bad day once in a while.
This short film was created by Junaid Chundrigar, of imaJunation.com
This is pretty much just plain funny.
Links
Credits
A short by: JUNAID CHUNDRIGAR
Music by: JORIS HERMY
Sound design by: ERIK GRIEKSPOOR
Hulk explosion: THIJS VIEGERSThis animation was not made in collaboration with Marvel
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- Video of the Day: Vashta Narada [Doctor Who Theme] by Traffic Experiment May 12, 2012
Vashta Nerada [Doctor Who Theme] is Traffic Experiment’s reworking of Ron Grainer and Delia Derbyshire’s classic Doctor Who theme, featuring the vocals of the very lovely Harri Norris and recorded with producer George Shilling (of Bernard Butler, Blur, Porcupine Tree fame) at his Bank Cottage studio. TE’s very good friend and videographer Rich Wakefield of FX Media filmed the recording and produced this video.From the YouTube page for the song: “We’ve always been massive fans of the original piece of music and after debating ‘what if Pink Floyd actually covered the Doctor Who Theme’ (rather than just the One of These Days… references to it), and having watched the brilliant clip of Peter Howell recreating his version at the BBC, decided we’d do our own take on it. Vashta Nerada was the result and hopefully we’ve done Ron and Delia’s original track justice (with plenty of Floyd and Doctor Who references thrown in for good measure).”
The audio track is available to download for free as a high quality mp3 or FLAC file for their registered fans, and it’s free to sign up.
Special thanks to Krypton Radio fan and friend Cat Carter for pointing this one out to us.
TRAFFiC EXPERiMENT ARE:
- Stuart Chalmers: guitars/synths/vocals
- Simon James White: bass guitar
- Tom Vincent: drumsFEATURiNG:
- Harri Norris: vocals
Engineered, mixed and mastered by George Shilling at Bank Cottage Studio.
Produced by Stuart Chalmers and George Shilling.
Filmed and edited by Richard Wakefield (FX Media.
Vashta Nerada [Doctor Who Theme] is based on “Doctor Who” written by Ron Grainer and realized by Delia Derbyshire.
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- Krypton Radio Gets 2000TH FAN on Facebook!!!! May 12, 2012
Krypton Radio News….*faints*
A video to illustrate how we at Krypton Radio feel right now! This is a big deal for us for many reasons, we’ve worked hard to build a radio station that all can enjoy. Our fans on Facebook have been a wonderful way to gauge what people enjoy and what they dislike. Today marks a milestone in our development as we celebrate the addition of our 2000th fan on Facebook, it shows all we’ve done hasn’t been for nothing and that there are people who enjoy our work. This says to us, the staff of Krypton Radio: “You’re doing a damned good job, and we appreciate you bringing us quality music and content!”
Our message to the fans: “You guys rock, and you give us a reason to keep it all going. We look forward to bringing you many more years of incredible music and news from the worlds of Superhero, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, and Gaming.”
Stay tuned to Krypton Radio.. You’re going to be surprised by what we have planned.
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- The Massive Smile Project - My Little Pony Fans Unite to Build Medical Clinic in Uganda May 11, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Brony Musicians Join Forces to Raise Funds For Ugandan Medical Services
Story updated May 12, 2012 – Official Music Video Released for Project.
Over 150 professional and amateur musicians alike from around the world who are fans of the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic television show, have united to help raise funds to build a medical clinic in Uganda. Using their talents and creating music inspired by the wildly popular children’s show, the musicians are putting together an album named Seeds of Kindness which is being sold to raise the much needed money. Their rallying point is a character called Pinkie Pie, who in the show is an eternal optimist and always working tirelessly to bring smiles and friendship to all she meets. The song Smile (Come on Everypony Smile, Smile, Smile) sung by the character, is being recreated by the fans and sung in a We are the world style arrangement, made famous by the late Michael Jackson who along with other world famous musical talents, put together an album in 1985 to raise funds to benefit charities in Africa.
The Smile Song as it’s commonly known, was created by composer Daniel Ingram who was recently nominated for two Emmys for his work on the My Little Pony show, which has embraced Broadway style musical segments in many of its episodes. Seeds of Kindness features 41 tracks created by fans and is on sale now, with all proceeds going to the charity. To-date the impressive fan collaboration has raised well over $5,000 USD and is climbing as they seek to aid Mawanda John Bosco, the founder of Childneed Africa who is working to establish a self-sustaining medical clinic with a full time doctor and other aide workers who will be able to drive to more remote areas of Uganda to provide medical care.
Get more details and find out how to donate after the break:
Statement from Project’s Website:BronyDanceParty is going to be releasing the music video this Friday, May 11 on his channel! He is also being interviewed on Brony Talk on Thursday, and will be previewing the completed video there! Brony Talk starts at 9:00PM EST on Thursday, May 10. For more information, check out this video!
Donate to get the Seeds of Kindness charity album here!
Download The Massive Smile Project Here!
If you’d like to see who’s singing when, click on “Soloist Lyrics” under “Important Links” to the right! You can also see everyone who contributed to the Massive Chorus, by clicking on “The Massive Chorus List”!
The video is still in production, but will not be released until we reach our initial goal of funding the clinic in Uganda! So, be sure to donate by purchasing Seeds of Kindness!
What is the Massive Smile! Project?
The Massive Smile! Project is a version of Pinkie’s Smile! Song done in the style of “We Are The World”, featuring some of the best brony musicians, with solos from Cyril the Wolf, Decibelle, F3nning, Forest Rain, Glaze, Jenny Nicholson, Kryptage, The Living Tombstone, Mic the Microphone, Osoth, and Spectracle, as well as instrumental contributions from Ashfire, Equestria Dude, and Poni1Kenobi. The project was created, and the track produced by Forest Rain.
The Massive Smile! Project has partnered with Bronies for Good, and will be released alongside their upcoming charity album “Seeds of Kindness”. All proceeds from the sale of the album are going to the non-profit organization Your Siblings, in order to help build, supply, and operate a clinic in Uganda, where there is less than one doctor per 12,000 people.
A video is also in production, featuring the animating talents of Brony Dance Party and EnvyKitty, as well as contributions from several artists!
Original song from show:
Links:
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- LOSCON 39, LAX Marriott Hotel Nov 23-25, 2012 May 10, 2012
Mela Hoyt Hadyn, Costume Guest of Honor for the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society's 39th LOSCON
Save the date – it’s LOSCON in November!
Los Angeles, California – The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society (LASFS) will present Loscon 39, taking place at the LAX Marriott Hotel from November 23 – November 25, 2012 featuring Author Guest of Honor: Vernor Vinge, Artist Guest of Honor: Alan White, Fan Guests of Honor: Lloyd & Yvonne Penney, Costume Guest of Honor: Mela Hoyt-Heydon. This is the 39th year in a row this convention is being held.
Our Friday theme is zombies and other undead. Amongst other things, we will have panels about zombie makeup, a zombie survival lecture and a Friday night zombie dance. Bring your best shuffle.
Our Saturday theme is Steampunk, complete with a lecture on the Reality of Steampunk, and workshops on how to Steampunk your costume. Saturday night please join us in our annual costume contest followed by our first ever Steampunk Masquerade Ball.
Our Sunday Theme is the battle for supremacy: Steampunk vs. zombies. Join the Cosplay Chess Game or the Assassin style live game or just relax with Sunday afternoon tea.
All weekend, we will have panels highlighting the guests of honor, Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who and Hard Science. There will be an anime room, a movie screening, Make Room, LARPs, table top and electronic gaming.
The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society is proud to bring Loscon 39 to Los Angeles for the thirty-ninth year in a row. Loscon 39 takes place over Thanksgiving weekend, November 23 – 25, 2012. It opens at noon on Friday, and keeps going until closing ceremonies Sunday afternoon.
- 30 - Loscon 39: A Los Angeles Science Fiction Convention
A Non-profit 501 (c)3.
LAX Marriott Hotel
5855 West Century Boulevard
Los Angeles, California 90045
http://loscon.org/391/
https://www.facebook.com/LosconContact: Eylat Poliner; (818) 399-9097
Eylatpoliner0426@gmail.comPostal mail: 6012 Tyrone Ave, Van Nuys, CA 91401
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- Star Trek 2 Shooting Has Wrapped! May 10, 2012
Star Trek's Zachary Quinto
Filming for “Star Trek 2″ has ended after nearly four months of shooting, according to TrekMovie. Zachary Quinto tweeted “Picture wrap. holy s**t,” last Tuesday.
The film is set for release in May of 2013, which gives them about a year to coordinate and complete all the computer animated visuals for the film – so while we wait, we can piece together a few things from the various news outlets on exactly who’s going to be in the film and what’s going to be in it.
It’s been confirmed that Benedict Cumberbatch, most recently seen in the BBC’s new Sherlock Holmes series, plays Kirk’s arch nemesis, Kahn. This story won’t be a retelling of the old Kahn storyline, though widely reported rumours are telling us that Cumberbatch is indeed playing the genetically-enhanced human, with even IMDb crediting him as Khan. However, Abrams’s timeline begins too far back for it to be a reboot of William Shatner’s movie encounter with Ricardo Montalban. Chris Pine and Benedict Cumberbatch are clearly going to be playing a younger Kirk and Khan – so will the new movie cover Khan’s original exile by Kirk, as charted in the TV episode Space Seed? We’re guessing no.
Abrams is taking things in a different direction. He says he deliberately used time travel to create an alternative Star Trek reality so that he wasn’t forced to re-hash old stories. “The idea, now that we are in an independent timeline, allows us to use any of the ingredients from the past – or come up with brand-new ones – to make potential stories,” says the director.
All the main characters and actors from the original reboot return: Chris Pine as Captain James Tiberius Kirk, Zachary Quinto as first officer Spock, Zoe Saldana as communications officer Uhura, Simon Pegg as ship’s engineer Scotty, Karl Urban as Doctor Leonard McCoy, John Cho as helmsman Hikaru Sulu and Anton Yelchin as navigator Pavel Chekov. Peter Weller is involved in an as yet unspecified role, as are Noel Clarke (currently best known to sci-fi fans as Rose Tyler’s boyfriend Mickey in Doctor Who) and Alice Eve who previously starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch in Starter for 10. Bruce Greenwood returns as former Enterpise captain Christopher Pike and Leonard Nimoy is also set to reappear as “Spock Prime”, the elderly original incarnation of the Enterprise first officer, who traveled back in time in the 2009 movie.
“Star Trek 2″ is set for release May 17, 2013.
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Links
http://kryptonradio.com/2012/04/29/leonard-nimoys-spock-may-return-in-star-trek-2/
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- 2012 Steampunk World's Fair Comes to New Jersey May 10, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Press Release Piscataway, NJ:
Your adventure begins on May 18. Your objective: to cram as much merriment into one weekend as possible. You arrive at the 2012 Steampunk World’s Fair and are instantly thrust into a festival abundant with entertainers and members of “the friendliest subculture”. A delightful chap in a top hat greets you while accordion music can be heard in the distance. No longer tentative you join the joyful congregation. Come Sunday victory is yours.Steampunk is widely known as the “friendliest subculture” where all are invited to participate and exercise their imaginations. Appropriately the main goal of the 2012 Steampunk World’s Fair is to incorporate this value into the festival itself to provide the most fun for all. Ergo the label of “convention” has been released and replaced with “festival”.
The co-creator and chief organizer of Steampunk World’s Fair, Jeff Mach, is the driving force behind this “fun” initiative, “We chose to identify Steampunk World’s Fair as a festival for 2012 because this year is well…more festive!” says Mach. “This year we have made it our priority to provide more fun and entertainment for steampunks and steam-families than any other steampunk event in the world.” With the extensive lists of performers, guests, and attendees, this year will certainly be a joyous occasion for all.
Steampunk World’s Fair will run May 18-20 in Piscataway, NJ. Tickets and VIP passes are on sale now; get yours before they sell out!
About Steampunk
Steampunk is a subculture whose members celebrate the beauty of yesterday alongside the technology of tomorrow. Fanciful Victorian aesthetics blend seamlessly with ray guns and time machines to create a world where anything is possible. There are no rules, just your imagination, and all are welcome on this great adventure.
About Steampunk World’s Fair
Steampunk World’s Fair, currently in its third year, is the largest Steampunk event in the world hosting thousands of attendees, guests, and performers annually. This year will include new, fully immersive and interactive events to stir the imagination. The festival will run May 18-20 in Piscataway, NJ.
Special Attractions and Guests
This year includes Musical guests: V is for Villains, Victor Sierra, The Burlesque Poetess & Those No-Goodniks, Coghead, and many more!
Literary and Academic guests: Dr. Grymm, Thomas A. Crowell, Esq. Leanna Renee Hieber, PJ Schynder, and many more!
Get full details at SteampunkWorldsFair.com
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- Video Of the Day!: Trekkies And We Know It May 9, 2012
Video Of The Day:! Trekkies And We Know It
The amateur acting Troop at Scrimshank Records puts on a 23rd Century groove thing for us in their parody of LMFAO’s hit song, Sexy and I Know it.
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- One Step Closer To Real Lightsabers With Wicked Lasers' LASERSABER May 7, 2012
Wicked Lasers has taken its insanely powerful Spyder III series of lasers and applied them to fannish pursuits - they’ve made a lightsaber that uses a real laser. We can’t really recommend you buy one, though. Special protective eyewear is required just to use it, and any actual swordplay may land you in the hospital. These lasers can set your skin on fire, or more problematically, your retinae – of which most people only get two to last their entire lives, and so far those aren’t replaceable.
What they’ve created is a US$100 addon to their $US300 Spyder light sword. It’s a 32-inch polycarbonate blade with an aircraft-grade aluminium hilt and a magnetic piston that travels the length of the tube when activated, growing and shrinking the sword blade just like the “real thing”. According to the promotional materials, the LaserSaber features “an ultrasmooth magnetic gravity system that can ‘power up’ and ‘power down’ the blade”.
This may sound like a Star Wars fan’s wet dream, but there are some serious, serious caveats involved. One is the following warning, which it annoyingly does not heed in its stuntman-enacted promo video: “Do not participate in any form of fencing or swordplay. Fencing or swordplay will cause serious damage to people, pets or property”, not to mention the standing warnings about wearing protective eyewear. The other problem is that it’s silent, it doesn’t make the signature “vhoom-kRSH!” noises a light saber is supposed to make.
But still, check out this video. Then imagine yourself in an epic battle with Darth Maul and add the sound effects yourself. If you can do that, you don’t actually need a laser that has the potential to blind you instantly. In fact, there’s a much, much less expensive model that features the blade light growth effect that you can get for under $40 from Amazon. At that price, much less lethal and replaceable in case you break it. If you somehow manage to break the LaserSaber, you’re now potentially looking down the business end of a real retina-punching energy beam.
WARNING: Do not look directly into laser beam with remaining eye.
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- Music And Friendship - Ballad Of The Brony: A Video Documentary May 6, 2012
A Krypton Radio Special Review by Producer, PK
Krypton Radio looks at new music additions and finds a surprise in the Brony fandom
My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
We’ve heard about the Brony culture before, but for the first time Krypton Radio takes an in-depth look at what we never knew about the show, the music, and the fans.
We’re always looking for new and interesting music that fits in the genres we cater to, primarily Superhero, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, and Gaming. But lately we’ve been getting suggestions for music based on a different fandom that was a little surprising. Some of the KR staffers had been bringing up songs from an animated children’s show called My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic which debuted in 2010, and admittedly an initial reaction to what looks like a little girls cartoon was that of skepticism. Although we’re hard pressed to turn down a good song, so when checking out some of the fan made music, it peaked our interest enough to look at the actual show music as well.
I agree, when someone comes to you and says I got some great music from a show featuring brightly colored talking ponies named Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Pinkie Pie; it’s a little hard to take seriously at first. But we gave it a chance, and yes not all of the music seems appropriate for the bulk of our audience (although we’re digging the Discord EuroChoas Mix like crazy). Though during our searches on YouTube and related fan sites, we’ve come to develop an appreciation for a fanbase that has many parallels to that of mainstream Science Fiction and Fantasy. Whose fanbase’s have also suffered from ridicule and misunderstandings among some media and the public. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic (MLP:FiM) while primarily aimed at young girls in the 7-10 year-old range, has drawn some attention and criticism for attracting many male adult fans, commonly known as Bronies.
Despite its origins and current target audience, the show has displayed that time and time again that it has interesting and engaging characters, humor that even adults can enjoy, and stories that help teach people of all ages important life lessons. From a musical standpoint, which is what attracted us initially, the show’s music is expertly crafted by composers Daniel Ingram and William Anderson. Rivaling and even surpassing some big-budget movie music productions for similar children’s content, with Broadway inspired musical segments of such joyful quality you can’t help but smile. The fan created music has truly blown us away on professionalism, with animated shorts, music videos, and original compositions that look as though they were from a major Hollywood studio.
During our search we came across a documentary on MLP:FiM by a YouTube user called Saberspark,which he created for a school project on the subject of deviant cultures. Saberspark does an excellent job of exploring aspects of the show’s history, characters, and fan culture. Although despite a slightly sarcasm laden fanboy defending his turf approach, the video covers important details to bring non-fans up to speed on why the show has become wildly popular and how it’s impacted pop-culture and people’s lives.
The video was published in December of 2011 and has been updated as of March 2012.
Watch the documentary after the break:
This documentary is a third-party fan production, as such some views expressed in the video are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the staff of Krypton Radio. Video is over one-hour long and contains some brief mild adult language with cartoonish violence from film clips used from works of parody – Parental Guidance is suggested for those under 10 years of age.
Changes since the video was published:
The character of Ditzy Doo/Derpy Hooves was the focus of a small group of people, some being parents of underage fans, who blasted the character as being discriminatory towards the handicap. The normally background character which featured misaligned eyes, eventually had a momentary speaking part in an episode of season-two of the show, and was shown talking in a slow-witted fashion along with being extremely clumsy in a comical way in relation to being called Derpy.
As it was stated in the documentary, the character was named Derpy in season-two as a nod to the fans who spotted the character during the first season and pointed out an animation mistake with the eyes, nicknaming her Derpy Hooves. The character was renamed despite being originally referenced in the first season as Ditzy Doo. The term Derpy traditionally refers to someone who is acting in an asinine or stupid manner, or being generally silly in a dimwitted way.
However some parents and others took the name to be derogatory in nature combined with the character’s antics, and accused the show of depicting mentally handicap people in a negative light. The show’s creators stated this was never the intention and the character was not considered to be handicapped, just silly and slow-witted. A response from the episode’s writer was posted on Equestria Daily, a fan site operated by a member of the show’s production team. Amy Keating Rogers, who wrote the episode, indicated that she received overwhelmingly positive reviews of the way Derpy was depicted, but ultimately it was not her call to make on what was done with her.
Hasbro, the owners of the My Little Pony franchise along with The Hub, the television network the show is carried on, took the unusual approach of pulling the episode from the lineup and re-casting Derpy’s voice. The brief line in the episode where the character’s name is mentioned was edited out for rebroadcast, this lead to many outraged fans calling for the restoration of the character’s season-two name and voice actor. Through various blog posts and other commentary, many fans stated that it was hypocritical to sensor a character that was perceived as handicap, since the premise of the show is friendship and being understanding of others differences.
As a side note, KR staff writers reviewed the entire episode in question, (the unedited version) and we as educated adults who are open minded did not feel offended by the name and the character’s actions. Some pointed out that popular cartoon characters such as Spongebob Squarepants, are much more graphic and potentially offensive than Ditzy/Derpy. It was also pointed out that as a way to restore continuity, the character could be called Ditzy Derpy Doo, since the wording of the name by general acceptance is not offensive and it would allow for the use of both names. Interestingly enough, the character has developed such a fan following, that she has her own music, fan-art, and fiction where she’s many times depicted as being a loving mother to a female foal character created by fans named Dinky.
Saberspark‘s documentary additionally mentioned that Hasbro was not taking action against videos of episodes posted online of the show, however this was proven to be incorrect as Hasbro has been in the process of filing copyright claims against some users on YouTube, to have MLP:FiM videos taken offline. In December of 2011, the same month as the documentary was published, Hasbro initiated a copyright take down of a Sweden based website called PonyArchive, which hosted fully downloadable copies of the MLP:FiM episodes. Many episodes of the show are still available on YouTube, with the recent season-two finale being posted online within hours of its broadcast.
Based on commentary from different fan sites, it is unclear what decision making process Hasbro uses to determine what content they will file a copyright claim on. As some fans seemed to believe they are at times leaving YouTube episodes alone, we have however sent a request for information to the Hasbro/MLP Team to get clarification on what they are targeting with the copyright claims. We’ll update this section as information is made available.
Controversy over the fandom
Like any fanbase, there will always be controversy over its members. This is one unique culture as its movement began primarily online, and has rapidly grown into real life conventions that show creators and stars have attended. It’s also interesting to see how fast the creators and executives of the show embraced feedback from fans, which is not particularly unheard of, but what made this unusual was the fanbase being comprised of a large number of adults. The show makers have even gone so far as to include fan interests in the show from time to time. Some may disagree, but looking at the fandom as a whole, it’s hard to say that the Bronies are any different than a bunch of geeks dressed up as Klingons or a group of fantasy lovers obsessing over elves and warlocks. It comes down to a group of people embracing their love of certain characters or particular storyline, and our being obsessed comic loving geeks ourselves we can’t find fault with that.
So why have Bronies drawn so much criticism from some groups when others go largely untouched? The fandom is looked at from many different points of view, some remember the early days of the fans online movement starting in 4Chan and the site’s dubious reputation. And while I didn’t pay much attention originally, I was introduced to the culture via popular media and those who openly bashed and parodied it. The most vocal detractors of the fandom have associated it with homosexuality, gender identity issues and similar fandoms such as furries, who are fans of anthropomorphic animals and are incorrectly associated with a minority group of people interested in having sexual relations with animals. These stereotypes have been perpetuated by those who haven’t taken the time to sit down and actually explore the back-story to the fandom, and resort to publicly denouncing what they don’t understand.
It’s true that adding an adult element to any kids cartoon risks the wrath of the more prudish, although I see this as being common in any fan-culture. Furries which are arguably related to Bronies in ways, for example are looked down upon by many due to a large segment of their culture embracing a sexualized version of the fandom. It’s just an evolution of natural human desires and well, rule #34 of the internet. The same can be said with some of the, well, overly adult artwork I’ve come across when looking for information on MLP:FiM. A segment of the fanbase does embrace an adult version of the content, but there’s also a significant number of fans who enjoy the show as is and keep their fan contributions family friendly. Those who oppose the fandom are quick to latch on to the adult element and use that as part of the hate speech against adult fans, claiming it shows proof of deviance and a desire to corrupt our youth in some cases. I feel my response to those who bash any fandom without doing some unbiased research first is: As far as I’m concerned, abnormality is the normality around this locality.
What’s the appeal?
Lauren Faust who was the driving force behind the modern adaptation of the show, brought together a talented team which has worked tirelessly to create stories, characters, music, and animation that anyone of any age or gender can appreciate and connect with. And while she may have initially helped create a show that was aimed at the young, regardless of gender, MLP:FiM with its rich storyline and colorful characters (slight pun intended), is followed by a devoted fanbase that embraces the ideals of the show. The ideals of friendship, understanding, and mutual respect.
For me in particular, my first exposure was getting sent some links to the show’s music. I was deeply intrigued by the melodic sounds of the singing, and what appeared to be a distinct Broadway feel to it. I haven’t seen a musical performance in a cartoon like that in a long time, so I decided to check out the show even further. I watched episodes and looked up more music from the show, and was amazed by the quality of it. But then I started to really pay attention to the messages of the episodes, and it made me sit back and think about old friends and how situations could have been handled differently. My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, has turned out to be much more than what they intended it to be, it’s a show that can truly speak to people of all ages and demographics. And sometimes in a messed up world like we live in, it’s nice to turn on a show about characters trying to find common ground and solve problems without bloodshed, excessive violence (cartoon or otherwise), or having to swear every other word.
And thanks to the brilliant writers and voice actors used in the show’s production, they’re able convey serious issues with a sometimes twisted but somehow truly innocent sense of humor. I know what some men will think – but liking the show doesn’t mean one is gay or feminine, it means you’re enjoying a quality show and you don’t care what others think of you. Although the show is no longer the single point of inspiration anymore, it’s also the incredible fanbase that has sprung up around it. People from all walks of life coming together not just to share their admiration for a wonderful piece of animation, but also coming together as artists themselves. The show inspires me on many levels, but the fans and their work are what pushed me to really believe in embracing it all. I came for the documentary, but stayed for the music and friends, and if liking the show makes me a Brony, then so be it.
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As lovers of rocking music, we’re proud to play some of the incredible fan-work that has come out of the Pony/Brony community. Stay tuned to Krypton Radio’s stream as we’ll be playing selections from the Brony music community, in addition to our regular and never ending lineup of Superhero, Comic Book, Science Fiction, Steampunk, Fantasy, and Gaming hits.
We do want to caution readers, that if you are not familiar with the Pony fandom, as with any fandom there is adult and sometimes graphic content associated with it. If you decide to explore the fandom on artistic and social sites not endorsed by the show’s creators, you may encounter content that you may find objectionable. Keep in mind that this happens with any fandom, and is not exclusive to the Pony/Brony culture.
Some of the amazing fan made music we’ve come across for My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
The following videos are safe for all ages (other videos not listed on this site by these and other artists may contain objectionable content and have not been reviewed by Krypton Radio) Not all of the music listed below will be added to our station playlist, we just wanted to share some of the creative selections we found.
Links:
Updates
As of April 29, 2012 – Saberspark is in the process of raising funds to create an updated documentary, and if you’re willing to aide him you can get more information here, link.
PS: From a few of the KR Staffers: Long story short, show is awesome, music is unbelievably good, and we’re happy to play some of the best selections. Brohoof!
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- Joss Whedon's The AVENGERS Takes In $80.5M On Opening Day May 5, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Hawkeye, Captain America, Black Widow: Jeremy Renner, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson
We’ve been waiting patiently for months for The Avengers, Joss Whedon’s culmination of the grand Marvel Comics movie story arc that threaded through The Incredible Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America and Thor. We’re very very pleased to be able to say that the movie lived up to being one of the most highly anticipated films of the year – and that it did an amazing $80.5 million in its domestic debut Friday, the second-best haul ever on opening day, trailing only last year’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 which took in $91.1 million in its first day on the way to a record weekend of $169.2 million. The huge opening day seems to be the overture for what the movie industry expects to be a colossal summer, and revenues were already 14 percent ahead of last year’s going into the weekend.
The Avengers already is more than halfway toward beating the opening weekends of the second and third films on the debut charts.
At No. 2 is The Dark Knight with $158.4 million in its first three days, while this spring’s blockbuster The Hunger Games is No. 3 with $152.5 million.
The Avengers opened a week earlier in overseas markets where it did blockbuster cash in a matter of days. The film added $30.3 million internationally Friday, bringing its overseas haul to $334.3 million. If you add the domestic receipts to that, The Avengers has pulled in an astounding worldwide total of $414.8 million during its first week in release, and the U.S. weekend isn’t even over yet.
And it’s not hard to see why the movie is doing so well. Whedon is clearly in touch with his inner geek, because everything that makes the six heroes who and what they are is all there in plain sight. The other problem Whedon could have had was what to do with all these characters in one film. It could easily have been a disastrous mish-mash of disconnected dissonant sub plots – but it wasn’t. The team itself becomes the seventh “character” of the film and goes through its own character arc, with all the team members going through similar arcs that echo that of the team’s story as a whole. It’s a very clever bit of screenwriting leg-ere-de-main, and Whedon’s directing comes together with the actor’s portrayals to pull it all together into a remarkable whole.
Not everyone agrees with our critical assessment – but to the critics who didn’t like it, we’ll offer this bit of advice: if you don’t understand the genre, don’t review it. We’re the fans – we know what we like.
Directed by Joss Whedon (“Buffy the Vampire Slayer”), “The Avengers” stars Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man, Mark Ruffalo as the Incredible Hulk, Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow, Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Samuel L. Jackson plays Nick Fury, the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the recruiter who teams them up to fight off an invasion of Earth plotted by Thor’s wicked brother Loki, played by Tom Hiddleston.
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- Free Comic Book Day Is This Saturday May 5 May 5, 2012
Free Comic Book Day Is This Saturday May 5th
by Brittany Gamboa
Free Comic Book Day is amongst us, and the celebration of old school ink and calligraphy on that fine print paper is in the air. With this phenomenon spanning North America and even across the globe in select locations, hardcore comic book buyers recognize this day as if it were a religious holiday – although, for some newer fans, we are just beginning to get a feel for what this day is going to be like. In trying to find out more about FCBD, I was able to speak with various comic book store owners throughout Southern California. I was told what this day means to not only them, but for why they are in the business in the first place. What it means to their loyal, current, and reborn comic book fans. Once my investigation began, I started down at Meltdown Comics, located on Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, inquiring within. Francisco, the clerk working at the time, was more than happy to aid me in my quest. Brittany Gamboa for Krypton Radio: What is your goal in executing FCBD?
Francisco (Meltdown Comics): Getting more customers (chuckles). But no, it’s to hopefully spread the interest of comic books into people again and to keep it alive. And to bring people together.
BG: What does FCBD mean to you as well as old and new fans of comic books?
Francisco: It means a bundle because we want to get comic books into people’s hands. Old or new fans. Especially new people because it’s new readers and it will spark an interest in comic books. We also want to spread the word that comic books are still alive and out there.
BG: What has been the impact of the new distribution media on your store and on comic book artists and writers?
Francisco: It’s good. It brings people in wanting to learn more about the movie or the show they just watched or the game they just played. They want to learn more. They want to see things that they can’t find online, like rare comics. Like the new Avengers movie that is coming out. Sparks interest into new fans and that interest leads them to my store.
Down at Emerald Knights in Burbank, I spoke with the the owner, Jason Enright, and he was able to clue me in a little further on FCBD.
BG: What is your goal with FCBD?
Jason Enright (Emerald Knights): The goal is to remind people that comic books are still being sold and they have been around for a very long time, and are still great to read! Even attracting people who used to read comic books, we want to bring them from the media’s attention back to comics and of course get new readers.
BG: What does this day mean to you, as well as your old and new fans of comic books?
Jason Enright: It means a lot, it means a great deal. You see, nowadays comics may be getting higher in price and people may be hesitant towards purchasing them. But with FCBD, it brings people together, in every comic book store. It doesn’t matter which one, and it’s a chance for people to hang out and meet new friends with the same interests and talk about them. Most importantly, it’s meant to spread the word, to meet people, and to just have a great time.
BG: What do you see has been the most significant impact of the new distribution media?
Jason Enright: Well…comic books are obviously not as popular as before and the media helps out a lot. Writers feel more motivated to keep it up. And when the Iron Man films and THOR came out, it created a new fan base and people wanted to learn more. They wanted to see rare merchandise. And it also helps the comic book industry a lot actually.
I ended the Q&A with Earth World Comics in Albany, New York to give me the final scoop on the subject.
BG: What will happen with comic books in their printed form?
(Earthworld): Probably nothing. Comic books are priceless and there is nothing like holding a book, rather than an electronic device. The battery can always run out, unlike a book.
BG: On that note, where do you see this event taking comic books?
(Earthworld): If anywhere, this is heading towards the longevity of comics books and them having more value than ever before!
It’s all seen differently in everyone’s eyes; as to why it is celebrated, where we see it headed with this plethora of technology, and what exactly is the deal with people giving out FREE comic books in the first place. But hey, who’s complaining right? We all come together to share the great legacy comic books have provided us as well as influencing those movies we see on Friday nights with friends. When Free Comic Book Day continues into the years to come, you and your children, along with your lifelong friends, will always have this day to pull you closer together. There will be memories to last a lifetime. Just like always.
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Krypton Radio Writer Brittany GamboaBrittany Gamboa writes about tech, video games and all things geeky relating to past, current, and future influences on modern society. Incoming search terms:
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- Warner Bros. DARK KNIGHT RISES Trailer Debuts May 1, 2012
Warner Bros. Studios The Dark Knight Rises is part of the rapid fire battering ram of comic book movies due out this summer. Knowing they’re going up against The Amazing Spider-Man and The Avengers, Warner Bros. has some new eye candy for us for the new Christopher Nolan Batman film. Heralded as “the epic conclusion to the Dark Knight legend”, it receives its theatrical debut Friday with Marvel’s The Avengers.
The trailer is epic, filled with portent, large-scale collateral damage, an “adaptable” Selina Kyle and a surprisingly intelligible Bane (“I’m Gotham’s reckoning,” Tom Hardy says, clear as day, through his character’s mask – Nolan had gone back and done a remix after preliminary screenings pointed out the fact that nobody could understand a damn thing he said).
Opening July 20, The Dark Knight Rises stars Christian Bale as Batman, Anne Hathaway as Selina Kyle, Marion Cotillard as Miranda Tale, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake, Michael Caine as Alfred, Gary Oldman as Commissioner Gordon and Morgan Freeman as Lucius Fox.
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- Comic Book Stores Are Stronger Than Ever! April 30, 2012
by Krypton Radio Staff Writer "Cobranoag"
Ted Petrilli, General Manager of Dreamworld Comics in Simi Valley, California. Dreamworld not only features comics, but the best in toys and collectibles. They also host Yu-Gi-Oh, Magic the Gathering and Hero Clix games each week.
With the economic decline in the United States many small businesses (like comic book stores) have been forced to go out of business. That being said, according to General Manager, Ted Petrilli, of Dream World in Simi Valley, CA, collectable comic books are making a huge comeback. DC Comics has recently released first prints of “The New 52 Reboot” which has ignited a huge interest in the comic book world and fans are rushing back for their classics. This buzz has created a new drive for business in comic book stores, and has brought old fans back along with new ones.Even though DC Comics has made electronic versions of these issues available for purchase, fans are still going into the stores to buy the collectable editions.
Not only is this a great boost for the economy, but it keeps local comic book stores new and exciting. However, comic book “reboots” are not the only reason why fans are running back into the stores. New movies such as The Avengers and The Amazing Spider-man are appealing to new generations and bring new fans into the genre. The comic book world is constantly changing and with the release of new online versions, these reboots are a reminder of why comics are collectables and valuable. They bring people out of their homes and into the stores to experience trading and collecting comics. Whether it is a re-launch of classic comics, or bringing them to life in movies, keeping our favorite characters in the media has brought fans back into local comic book stores.
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- Live Near Edinburgh? Buy Your Own TARDIS April 30, 2012
by Jennifer Sawyer
An Edinburgh police box stands outside the Shakespeare pub in Edinburgh.
Every fan of the popular television show Doctor Who has at one time or another dreamed of owning their own TARDIS. Some have gone so far as to build their own from plans found on the internet – but what’s a Whovian without a workshop or a certain finesse with power tools to do? The city of Edinburgh has the answer. This week they’re putting up 22 of their blue police boxes up for auction. Now’s your chance to own a real police box, and help the city of Edinburgh fight crime at the same time. City architect Ebenezer MacRae designed the boxes between 1931 and 1933, and they could be seen on many street corners throughout the 1930’s.
The now obsolete blue boxes were once uses as police kiosks, newspaper stands and small businesses. The Edinburgh police consider the boxes to be surplus and rising maintenance costs have led to at least 22 of them being sold at auction beginning later this week.
Bids will be accepted until May 31, 2012 at 12 noon. The auction has no set starting price and the highest bidder wins. Winners will have two weeks to either paint their prize some color other than the popular police blue or move it – not an easy task considering that the Edinburgh police kiosks are actually made of metal, not wood, and having a rectangular footprint rather than the square one of the Glasgow style more familiar to Doctor Who fans, weighs nearly two tons. Edingurgh police remain optimistic about the auction and its profits. A successful outcome could pave the way for more boxes to be sold. Proceeds from the sale will be given to the Force Capital Investment Program.
You can view the for-sale boxes at the following locations: Cowgate, Cranston Street, Croal Place (Albert Street), Dalkeith Street, Joppa, Drumsheugh Gardens, Easter Road, Hunter Square, Lawnmarket, Magdala Crescent, Market Street, Marshal Street, Melville Drive, Newbattle Terrace, Newcraighall Road (Wisp), Princess Street (West End), Quality Street, Regent Road, Rutland Square, The Shore, Leith, Whitehouse Loan, West Register Street, Whitepark and Gorgie. Each box will be clearly marked with a FOR SALE sign.
The name TARDIS is a registered trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation, but paradoxically is also an official part of the English language and appears in the most recent edition of the Oxford Unabridged English dictionary, meaning specifically a Time And Relative Dimensions In Space time/space travel vehicle, or secondarily, anything that appears to be bigger on the inside than on the outside.
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- Leonard Nimoy's 'Spock' May Return In STAR TREK 2 April 29, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
The Space Shuttle Enterprise flew into New York City piggybacked on an 747 last Friday, traveling along the Hudson River, looping back down around the Tappan Zee Bridge to the Statue of Liberty, and then circling back towards Queens before making its descent into Kennedy airport. New York is the famous shuttle’s new home; it had been housed at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. prior to this.The Enterprise, while never actually venturing into space itself, did serve as an in-atmosphere test vehicle. It was visible from rooftops and shorelines as it made its tour of the city and final descent. Leonard Nimoyappeared on CNN during coverage of the Shuttle Enterprise heading into New York
On hand in 1976 for the unveiling and dedication of the shuttle were some major dignitaries, including Leonard Nimoy along with most of the rest of the cast of Star Trek, and the show’s creator Gene Roddenberry. Nimoy was once again called upon to speak before the cameras, but this time he let slip something about the upcoming and highly anticipated J.J. Abrams’ “Star Trek 2″
Nimoy was being interviewed by CNN reporter Jason Carroll, communicating with anchor Carol Costello in the cable channel’s studio in Atlanta. Carroll was listening to Costello through his earpiece, so anything the anchor said to Nimoy had to be relayed through Carroll.
Here’s the transcript of the part we find intriguing:
JASON CARROLL: You think about it’s [the Enterprise] going to a museum. but you can’t help but think about the future. When you watch Star Trek, it’s always about this vision of what the future might be. What do you think the future will be in terms of NASA …
LEONARD NIMOY: Well, Star Trek was always positive about the future, that was one of the great things audiences always enjoyed. It was always a very optimistic future, very positive. And I think one of the most important things Star Trek had to offer was to explain to young people what the possibilities of science were. To excite people about the idea of being scientists, engineers and so forth. We need those kind of people who have a vision for the future like that.
Carroll wrapped up the interview, but back in Atlanta, Costello kept going a little further.
CAROL COSTELLO: Could I just say that I admire you? And in the new Star Trek movie [the 2009 version] you had a very prominent role, Leonard Nimoy, and I enjoyed it very much. You’re fantastic.
CARROLL: In fact, Carol, we were talking about that … [to Nimoy] Carol, Carol Costello, the anchor … remember we were talking about the new Star Trek movie. It was great, you did a great job in it. And we were just about talking about that just before … will you be in another Star Trek movie?
NIMOY: Uhh, we’re talking. We’re talking.
CARROLL: Talking, Carol. [laughs] Hopefully.
The script for Star Trek 2 is done, and so is most of the shooting – but just the same, will Nimoy make a return for “Star Trek 2″? It may not be a pivotal role like the first time, but we think there’s a good chance.
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- Krypton Radio First Look: 'Amazing Spider-Man' Web Shooters April 28, 2012
by Samantha Lowell
Columbia Ramps Up PR Campaign For Upcoming Movie
Columbia’s Pictures’ viral marketing campaign for the upcoming film The Amazing Spider-Man seems to have the internet abuzz these days and the surprises just keep on coming.
A new viral site, Parker’s POV , the eponymous character’s blog,has emerged that reveals blueprints and a video of Peter Parker’s webshooter designs for the reboot.
The clever, word-of-mouth viral campaign-aimed at the coveted youth demographic-has shifted into high gear in the past months and includes a site called Mark of the Spider-Man, representing pro-Spider-Man views in Marvel’s Comics’New York and an anti-vigilante themed site called webbedmenace.com. Both sites invite reader participation and contain hidden clues about the upcoming film.
Sam Raimi’s movie trilogy had Peter Parker’s webshooters as an organic mutation. Raimi felt it was unrealistic for a teenager, however gifted, to be able to invent such a device, though early takes of the film revealed Maguire’s Peter Parker using a mechanical webshooter-like device to augment his organic webshooters, though these scenes were edited out of the finished film.
Amazing Spider-Man director Mark Webb’s reboot of the franchise has taken a more traditional approach, portraying mechanical devices to create Spiider-Man’s webbing. The newly revealed diagrams show the webshooters as cannibalized from discarded wrist watch parts.
The Amazing Spider-Man opens on July 3rd and stars Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, and Dennis Leary.
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- DIY Phasers and More From KipKay April 27, 2012
Krypton Radio Laboratory
How you can build a working Star Trek Phaser and other cool gadgets
Many of us have dreamed of having the weapons from science fiction shows, blasting the Borg with a Phaser, or taking down a Sith Lord with a Light Saber. And while the Light Saber may be a few more years away, we came across site that helps show you how you can take modern lasers and build them into toys for a slight touch of realism. KipKay runs a site which features videos and tips on how you can build a wide variety of gadgets for relatively low cost most times, and it grabbed our attention when we found a how-to video on building a working Star Trek Phaser. KipKay shows us that by using some salvaged parts from a toy Star Trek Phaser, and a Sony Play Station 3, you to can build a Blu-Ray Laser Phaser.
As you’ll see in the video, you’ll need a toy Phaser and this demonstration was done using an Original Series toy Phaser. You will need soldering tools and access to a electronics store, many Radioshacks still carry the parts you’ll need. If you’re not comfortable with performing this kind of work, we strongly advise against attempting to modify the toy yourself as you will risk injuring yourself if you’re not clear on the safe uses of certain tools.
If you’re unsure where to locate a laser diode for a Playstation 3, you might be able to pick up a used Playstation from a garage sale or second hand store – or failing that, you can probably get one by buying it as a raw component from Deal Extreme for around $20 or so. And while this video does not specifically show it, this same modification is strong enough to pop balloons (if they’re black so that they’ll absorb the maximum possible energy from the beam), so please keep in mind that after installing the laser, this should not be considered a regular toy anymore. It’ll definitely burn a permanent hole in your retina. You might also want to invest in a pair of protective goggles. You only get one set of eyes.
Keep in mind that modern lasers are NOT TOYS and can cause injury to your vision or possibly burn you if handled improperly. DO NOT LOOK INTO LASER WITH REMAINING EYE.
Links
- KipKay.com
- A second tutorial that produces a much more powerful working phaser at LaserPointerForums.com
- Krypton Radio: Dr. Peter Jensen Debuts Open Source Tricorder
- Krypton Radio: Microsoft Makes Star Trek’s Universal Translator A Reality
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- UNCHARTED Games Edited To Create Three Motion Pictures April 27, 2012
by Gene Turnbow
Uncharted characters Nathan 'Nate' Drake and Elena Fisher
Games and motion pictures have long walked similar paths. Much of the development cycle for a game and for a movie is the same. You need a story; you write a script, you have a cast of characters, a beginning, a middle and and end, just like a movie. You have to create the pieces that will appear on screen (called “assets”) and you have to rig them, paint them and animate them, and a sound track with a soaring musical score and dialog and sound effects. The only part that’s different for a game is – well, that you play it, and there can be multiple paths through the game to get to the end.
The Uncharted series of games from developer Naughty Dog in Santa Monica, California is without doubt one of the most cinematic ever done. This fact was not lost on Sony Pictures who had been working to develop the games into theatrical motion pictures. The last anyone heard of the project was in February of 2012, when director David O. Russell, who had backed out of the project in 2010, was replaced by Neil Burger in February of 2012, and writers Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer began working on the screenplay. The film, “Drake’s Journal”, is still technically “under development”, but a lot of projects never leave development.
One Reddit user identifying himself only as ‘morphinapg’ decided he couldn’t wait for Sony Pictures to get off their collective backsides and did it himself, editing the cutscenes and game play of all three Uncharted games into feature films, using as little actual gameplay footage as he could get away with to stitch the scenes together. The results are very watchable.
The experience of playing these games gives the player the sense that they are the central figure in a sweeping story line, and it’s already a remarkable experience both in terms of gaming and cinema. But if you’re more interested in the story than playing the game, you’ll enjoy watching these. Be warned – they’re full length feature films, each one of them, with the longest of them having a whopping 195 minutes running time.
(Videos after the break)
If Sony creates feature films from these on their own, it wouldn’t be the first time. Konami did it first with Metal Gear Solid 3: Subsistence on the PlayStation 2. The special edition of the game came with all the game’s cut scenes edited into a feature film.
Sony’s Uncharted franchise is getting a giant free shot in the arm from these motion pictures – and yes, that’s what they are, despite the venue. They’re motion pictures. We hope Sony recognizes their intrinsic value and lets them remain where they are.
Here’s what morphinapg had to say about his own work:
Considering this is the best game series I’ve ever played, and certainly the most cinematic, I decided to make them into movies. I decided that I would include every cinematic, and link them by the minimum gameplay needed to connect the cinematics without creating any plot holes. Obviously to do this I had to take out certain sections of gameplay, but doing so does not have any effect on story. As I was trying to make these as close to a real movie experience as I could, there were a few guidelines I decided to follow:
1. I would try to remove as many on screen references to this being a game as possible, such as chapter titles and button or new ammo prompts. Some of these would either be impossible or would too much negatively impact the quality of the film, such as the near constant ammo OSD, or the occasional “select” prompt for drake’s journal during puzzles.
2. I would try to include as much of the puzzles, in game cinematics and cinematic gameplay elements as I could. Some areas still needed to be cut to keep the movie flowing properly or, in the case of Uncharted 2 and 3, to keep the run length shorter than it would have been otherwise.
3. I tried to keep as much in game dialogue as I could, as I believe those really help develop the characters. However, as I said, I also had to keep an eye on how much gameplay I was using to make sure it didn’t make things too boring or make the movie too long.
In the end, my goal was to make a movie that would be watchable whether the viewer was a fan of Uncharted or not, and whether the viewer was a video game player or not. My initial reason was to find a way to show the story of these games to people in my family who don’t play video games. I think I succeeded.
Here are the movies for your enjoyment. If you have the tools to do so, you may wish to download them from YouTube so you can play them locally. Putting them on a thumb drive and running them on your big screen TV via your PS3 would absolutely rock.
Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune – 113 minutes
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves – 177 minutes
Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception – 195 minutes
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- Krypton Radio looks at Foto Marvellini April 27, 2012
Krypton Radio Newsire
Art Studio Takes Vintage Photos And Adds A Pop-Culture Touch
Marvellini Brothers
We weren’t sure if we should file this story under silly or just plain cool, but when we came across these Italian comic loving brothers with a talent for photo manipulation, we couldn’t turn away. The Marvellini brothers who operate out of The Saint Mariner Tattoo Parlor in Milan-Italy, use their impressive abilities to take vintage photographs and meld them with varying flavors of Marvel, DC Comics, and other pop-culture sources such as The Nightmare Before Christmas and Freddy Kruger.
While many others have been created photos and paintings based on what they thought superheroes would look like in olden times, the Marvellinis can take photos and add that special masked hero touch with a true touch of artistry.
Find more of the Brother’s photos at: Foto Marvellini
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- Karuna Tanahashi's LIFELINE Debuts At Cannes Film Festival April 26, 2012
Actress, singer and filmmaker Karuna Tanahashi. Image appears courtesy of ObsidianProductions.com.
If you’re a dyed-in-the-wool Kryptic, you may remember one of our featured artists Karuna Tanahashi, the remarkable torch singer whose Ballads to the Buffy Big Bads were introduced on Krypton Radio last September. What you might not have known is that Karuna is also an actress, and a filmmaker. Her latest work, Lifeline debuts next month at the Cannes Short Film Corner. The Short Film Corner is part of the renowned Festival de Cannes, May 16-27, 2012 in Cannes, France.
Lifeline is the story of Eve, a technophobic social worker who can barely stand the sight of a cell phone. After much cajoling from her peers, Eve reluctantly accepts the gift of a bright pink, uber-adorable, eerily human smartphone named Muffy. Faster than you can say “Text me,” Eve falls under Muffy’s spell– abandoning her job and loved ones. Will Eve come to her senses and salvage her humanity or give in to the tantalizing technological underworld?
“The title and story came to me on my way back from shooting Sagar, a music video with Pakistani rock star Salman Ahmad,” says Tanahashi. “I’d left the trunk of my car open, and all the contents of my backpack – including my cell phone – flew out. It was just a little flip phone with no fancy features. At the time, I hadn’t even written a single text! I’ve never pegged myself for a cell phone addict, yet I felt completely helpless without my phone; like I was stranded on a desert island with no lifeline. And if I, a virtual Luddite, felt this way, how would technophiles feel? The addictive potential of the device flashed before me. I wrote the script long before the iPhone 4S. Now with Siri, it seems more relevant than ever.”
The 18-minute film was written, produced, and directed by Tanahashi, who also plays the leading role. It was shot and edited in the San Francisco Bay Area as a part of the indie film co-op, Scary Cow Productions. Tanahashi continued working on the film after moving to Los Angeles. It has taken several years to complete. As she looked for a suitable venue for its debut, a closed door led to an open door. Attending a film festival that had not accepted the film, she met a director who told her about the Short Film Corner at Cannes. Submitting the film there led to success.
The completion of Lifeline feels very momentous to the indie filmmaker Norcal native. “When I started the project, I was in a totally different place in my life and artistic development. Although part of me wishes it were done sooner, it wouldn’t be what it is today without all of the experiences I’ve had, not to mention the people I’ve met who have offered invaluable feedback and help. I’ve come a long way; the film has come a long way; and now we are both going to France!”
Lifeline is Karuna Tanahashi’s first narrative short film, released under the auspices of Hot Nerd Productions. She previously directed and produced the music video for Sagar, by Pakistani artist Salman Ahmad of Junoon with Scary Cow Productions. Tanahashi continues to release videos on YouTube for her musical Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan piece, Ballads to the Buffy Big Bads. She also makes regular appearances on the webisode Move Damn You! - and her music plays regularly here on Krypton Radio. For more information, visit: karunatanahashi.com.
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- The Sagar Video on Vimeo
- Karuna Tanahashi’s Ballads to the Buffy Big Bads on YouTube
- The Page of Possibility
- Scary Cow Productions
- The Official Karuna Tanahashi Web Site
- The Move Damn You! Official Web Site
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- Game Maker Cryptic Studios Discovers Breach of Servers From 2010 April 26, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Cryptic Studios, maker of the popular MMO’s Star Trek Online, Champions Online, Neverwinter, City of Heroes, and City of Villians; has issued a press release indicating that they have just recently discovered a serious breach of their security systems from 2010.
IMPORTANT CUSTOMER SERVICE NOTIFICATION REGARDING UNAUTHORIZED ACCESSAt Cryptic Studios, your privacy and security is important. As part of our ongoing efforts to monitor and enhance security, we recently detected evidence of an unauthorized access to one of our user databases. The unauthorized access occurred in December 2010, and evidence of this has just been uncovered due to increased security analysis.
The unauthorized access included user account names, handles, and encrypted passwords for those accounts. Even though the passwords were encrypted, it is apparent that the intruder has been able to crack some portion of the passwords in this database. All accounts that we believe were present in the database have had the passwords reset, and customers registered to these accounts have been notified via e-mail of this incident.
While we have no evidence that any other information was taken by the intruder, it is possible that the intruder was able to access additional account information. If they did so, the first and last name, e-mail address, date of birth (if provided to Cryptic Studios), billing address, and the first six digits and the last four digits of credit cards registered on the site may have been accessed. We have no evidence at this time that any data other than the account name, handle, and encrypted password were accessed for any user.
We are continuing to investigate this incident, and are taking even further action to strengthen our systems and redouble our security vigilance and protections. For your own security, we encourage you to be especially aware of e-mail and postal mail scams that ask for personal or sensitive information. Cryptic will not contact you in any way, including by e-mail, asking for your credit card number, social security number, or any other personally identifiable information. If you use the same password for other accounts, especially financial accounts or accounts with personal information, we strongly recommend that you change them.
While we have no evidence of unauthorized use of personal information as a result of this incident, to protect against any possible identity theft, we encourage you to remain vigilant, to review your account statements and to monitor your credit reports. Further information regarding the prevention of identity theft can be found at the Federal Trade Commission’s website here.
We apologize for any inconvenience this unauthorized access may have caused our customers. Customers with questions about this incident and how it may affect them can contact customer service by submitting a support ticket at https://support.perfectworld.com/app/cs_cryptic/iss/log.
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Stay Tuned to Krypton Radio as we will bring you the latest details as they become available.
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- MTV Voices Showcases New Superhero Web Series Created by American & Syrian Students April 25, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
The Hope and Goodwill Superheroes Bring Helps Unite Cultures in Real World
Silver Scorpion
NEW YORK – (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX Press Release) — The Open Hands Initiative, in partnership with Liquid Comics and MTV Voices, announced today the newest rendition of the Silver Scorpion comic book character – an animated web series featuring the world’s first disabled cross-cultural superhero. Silver Scorpion is the brainchild of a group of American and Syrian youths with disabilities who gathered in Damascus a little more than a year ago. The hero they envisioned, an Arab teen that loses his legs in a tragic accident, has the power to not only bend metal with his mind but — the creators hope — to transform his world… and ours.
Created by 26 talented youths with disabilities who convened for a Youth Ability Summit in Syria, the Silver Scorpion will come to life on the web in an animated 4-part series on the MTV Voices global websites, bringing this unique story of courage and perseverance to young people all across Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia. The series is intended to build bridges among the youths of the world while promoting inclusion and equality for people living with disabilities.
Jay T Snyder, American businessman and Co-Founder and Chairman of the Open Hands Initiative, calls the Silver Scorpion comic book “a gift from youths with disabilities from America and Syria to
Cultures Uniting
the world that reflects what can be achieved when the people of our two countries are provided a platform to engage. The story of Silver Scorpion will now be accessible in more places than ever, helping to empower youth with disabilities and encourage cross-cultural understanding.”
He added, “This is not just a comic book; it’s a breakthrough effort in public diplomacy that helps forge lasting bonds and understanding between the youth of the United States and the Middle East.” Despite the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria, Mr. Snyder emphasized the importance of cross-cultural exchange and of shining a light on the issue of disability rights despite Syria’s current challenges: “This type of people-to-people diplomacy is as important now as it was a year ago when we brought these creative young people together, and it will be even more important in the years ahead.”
The Silver Scorpion character was developed by participants in the Youth Ability Summit, a meeting of disabled youth that took place in Damascus, Syria. In workshops led by Open Hands and Liquid Comics, the children were asked to work together to create an original superhero that reflected their cross-cultural values and ideals as well as the challenges of living with a disability. By the end of the summit, the wheelchair-bound character of the Silver Scorpion was born. The participants created a character that transcends our differences and emphasizes our common humanity.
As recognition of the students work, at the 2010 Clinton Global Initiative, President Bill Clinton highlighted the Silver Scorpion project, stating that the comic book, ” …will help to establish trust and understanding between cultures, to empower young people with disabilities.”
Silver Scorpion
“This project is unique in the way it empowered students from across the world to be the architects of a new superhero that embodies their worldviews and the role models they would like to see. MTV Voices is the perfect platform to share their character with the world,” added Liquid Comics Co-Founder & CEO Sharad Devarajan. “Great superheroes have always been allegories to larger societal issues and the story of our generation is globalization and our ability to overcome regional and cultural differences to find our common humanity. These students and their experience together speak to the very best of that globalization in the years ahead.”
The Silver Scorpion tells the story of an Arab teenager, Bashir Bari, who loses his legs in a tragic accident. Consumed with anger and grief, Bashir retreats into a world of isolation, resentful of the pitiful looks and whispers of strangers. When he accidentally witnesses the murder of Tarek, a mysterious local metalsmith, Bashir is unwittingly chosen as the new guardian of an ancient power that has remained hidden for centuries. With new abilities allowing him to manipulate the metal around him, Bashir must rise above his personal grief and use this newfound gift to protect the world, while learning firsthand to embrace the values of tolerance and cooperation.
“MTV Voices is all about giving young people a platform to express ideas, aspirations, concerns about the world in a creative manner,” said John Jackson, VP of Social Responsibility, Viacom International Media Networks. “The Silver Scorpion project and how its super hero was conceived absolutely reflects that core value and is a natural fit for MTV Voices. Through the story of the super hero, the young Americans and Syrians involved with the project have found a way of sharing their values with the world, and MTV Voices is delighted to bring that to our audience, encouraging them to engage with us on the narrative, the ideas and the vision.”
The Open Hands Initiative hopes that this project will serve to help American citizens reach out to the Arab world and build connections during what has become a period of dramatic change. The Open Hands Initiative worked with many young people and their families in Syria on the project before the current period of unrest. The Silver Scorpion web series on MTV Voices will also be promoted globally through iEARN (International Education and Resource Network), which reaches 45,000 schools and youth organizations in over 130 countries.
Hamza Jaka, one of the youth participants who helped create the Silver Scorpion, added, “Working on the Silver Scorpion comic taught me a lot of things, the most important of which was that people change can the world. As young people, we often don’t realize the power of our actions, but, no matter how young we are, or where we’re from, if we work together, we can change the world.”
“There is no better time to extend a hand of friendship and compassion to the people of Syria,” said Mr. Snyder.
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ABOUT THE OPEN HANDS INITIATIVE:
The Open Hands Initiative is a US-based non-profit organization by Jay. T and Tracy Snyder, dedicated to improving people-to-people understanding and friendship throughout the world through exchanges and other projects that emphasize our basic shared values and common humanity. It specializes in diplomacy that is by and for ordinary people, emphasizing dialogue and mutual respect between the people of the United States and the rest of the world.
ABOUT LIQUID COMICS:
Liquid Comics is a digital entertainment company focused on creating cinematic and mythic graphic novel stories with filmmakers, creators and storytellers. The company was founded by entrepreneurs, Sharad Devarajan, Gotham Chopra and Suresh Seetharaman and uses the medium of digital graphic novel publishing to develop properties for theatrical live-action films, animation and video games. The Company currently has a number of film and television projects in development based on their properties.
ABOUT MTV VOICES:
MTV Voices is MTV’s new international pro-social platform designed to be the exclusive online space for passionate and thought-provoking content produced by young writers, photographers, and filmmakers around the world. It will also engage viewers around key MTV shows that explore critical issues for the millennial generation: from bullying to sexual health, from personal confidence to breaking down social barriers. Created for the international MTV millennial audience, MTV Voices will inspire young people to share their ideas and engage in stimulating conversation amongst their peers.
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- Marvel Introduces the Marvel Digital Comics Shop April 24, 2012
Marvel Comic's digital store lets you buy your comics once, then read them on anything you own.
(from a Marvel Comics press release:) “The Marvel ReEvolution grows even bigger this month as Marvel is proud to unveil the Marvel Digital Comics Shop, the newest place to find and read Marvel digital comics. This convenient online destination gives fans the chance to purchase all their favorite Marvel comics in one location and have it sync to the Marvel Comics app for Apple® iOS and Android devices. Not only can you read your comics anytime and anywhere – but now you can read them on your desktop or laptop! With all Marvel Universe and Ultimate Comics Universe titles available the same day they hit comic shops, there’s no better time to jump into comics!
“Then, come June – all Marvel super hero comics priced at $3.99 at your local comic shop will include codes for free digital copies of those same issues on the Marvel Comics app for Apple iOS and Android devices, the Marvel Digital Comics Shop and the Comics by comiXology app and web store all at no extra cost! That’s right, the most-talked-about comics in the industry—including Avengers, Captain America, Invincible Iron Man, Mighty Thor, Amazing Spider-Man. Wolverine & The X-Men and more—will come packed with a code to ensure fans have the most critically acclaimed stories with them anytime, anywhere.”
Between the Marvel Comics app and the Marvel Digital Comics Shop, it’s pretty easy to read and enjoy Marvel Comics now. What we observe, though, is that while Marvel may be an early adopter of this business model, they didn’t create the technology. Comixology did. And DC Comics uses them too – so Marvel doesn’t actually have a marketing edge here. The playing field is pretty level.
The shift is going to be towards all digital publication, with only select titles being available as paper, hold-in-your-hand books. The lesser titles will eventually have to go away because it’s getting too expensive for the big publishers to print them. The smaller labels will be running their businesses on a print-on-demand basis, which the big boys simply cannot do. Paper comics won’t go away completely, but there are going to be a lot less of the ones from the big press distributors, leaving more room for the independent publishers. The transformation of the industry has already begun.
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- Video of the Day - STATIC SHOCK: BLACKOUT April 24, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Stefan Denzil as "Static"
It’s hard to ignore the lure of making your own superhero movie if you have the talent, the time, the resources and the team of friends who can help you make it happen. Stefan Dezil, a drama major at Carnegie Mellon University, is in the sweet spot. With some funding provided by friends and family, he’s made a web short based on the Milestone Comics character Static Shock. Dezil jokingly explains “I really wanted to see a superhero who looked like me, and since I didn’t have enough time to buff up to do Black Panther, I thought Static was a good choice.”
Shot for just $5,000 on the RED camera system, Static Shock: Blackout is a truly impressive Static Shock fan film created by Stefan Dezil. The short was created to be released just before the late Static co-creator Dwayne McDuffie’s 50th birthday and follows a version of Daisy Watkins, the comic book love interest of Static Shock, as she seeks to discover the teenage superhero who fights crime in the dangerous Dakota City.
The costume is raw and unfinished. Dezil’s character is more serious and a bit less effusive than Phil LaMarr’s portrayal of him in the Static Shock cartoons done by Warner Brothers. And yet, the acting is solid, the basic production values are very good – and while the effects are understandably limited, they work within the story and move things forward nicely. The end result is very watchable and very pleasing. Diehard fans will quibble with the creative choices, but we think Dezil has made some good choices with the treatment of the material.
A year and a half in the making, the web short has gone viral since hitting the web, racking up nearly 26,000 views and has been featured on the Topless Robot channel on YouTube. Fans of “Static Shock” are now campaigning for a movie adaptation. It was more than just Stefan Dezil working on it, of course – he had a whole team of students from Carnegie Mellon University, The Art Institute, Syracuse University and University of Central Florida. The best news is that episode 2 is already in preproduction.
Enjoy.
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Links
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- Heroes for Heroes: The Badass Celebrity Smackdown at Houston's COMICPALOOZA April 23, 2012
“The next best thing to being a sci-fi or action hero has to be shooting a sci-fi or action hero with a gun. Or maybe being shot by one”Contact: John Simons Jim Hoelker Chairman, Comicpalooza Impact a Hero www.comicpalooza.com www.impactahero.org Comicpalooza@gmail.com jhoelker@impactahero.org 832-398-3193 April 23, 2012
(Houston, TX) – “The next best thing to being a sci-fi or action hero has to be shooting a sci-fi or action hero with a gun. Or maybe being shot by one,” says John Simons, founder and Chairman of Comicpalooza, the Texas International Comic Con. At least that’s the premise that led to the Badass Celebrity Smackdown, in which fans attending Comicpalooza May 25 – 27 will get their chance to pit themselves against stars of some of the biggest sci-fi and action franchises in Hollywood while helping US veterans at the same time.
Heroes for Heroes: The Badass Celebrity Smackdown is a charity event held at Comicpalooza that benefits Impact a Hero, a non-profit organization that provides emotional and financial support to severely wounded veterans from post 911 conflicts. In addition to the heroes event, there will be a villain event as well. Celebrities participating in the charity events are:
- Michael Biehn (Terminator, Aliens)
- Claudia Christian (Babylon 5)
- David Della Rocco (Boondock Saints)
- Sean Patrick Flanery (Boondock Saints)
- Richard Hatch (Battlestar Galactica)
- Christopher Judge (Stargate SG-1)
- Richard LeParmentier (Star Wars)
- Rachel Lutrell (Stargate Atlantis)
- Kevin Sorbo (Hercules, Andromeda)
In the heroes event, fans will have the chance to shoot or be shot by their favorite heroes in a once-in-a-lifetime game of laser tag. There will be two heroes games of laser tag. To qualify for one of the fan teams, a fan may either make a $300 donation to Impact a Hero to reserve one of the fixed spots, or win one of several open spots that will be raffled off at the Impact a Hero booth from among all the fans making donations over the convention weekend.
Richard LeParmentier will be featured in the villains event where he will lead a team of the 501st Stormtroopers against fans. There will be one villain game on Friday and one on Saturday, while the heroes games will both take place on Sunday, May 27. Fans will be able to register for the villain game on site immediately before it takes place. Registration for the Heroes event will be on the Comicpalooza website.
For information about registering for Comicpalooza, go to www.comicpalooza.com. For more information on Impact a Hero go to impactahero.org.
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- Video of the Day: Happy Birthday, George Takei! April 20, 2012
George Takei with his husband, Brad Altman
There’s no way to express how happy we are that you’re a part of all our lives, and how thankful we are for the contributions you’ve made to the popular culture. You’ve inspired us, you’ve made made us laugh, you’ve kept us on the edge of our seats, you’ve made us think, and you’ve been a champion for gay and lesbian rights. You celebrate life every day – so today we’d like to celebrate yours.
This video was created by a Trekkie band called “Five Year Mission”, and we think it’s pretty amazing. And thus suitable for our own shout out to you.
Happy birthday, George Takei!
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- Sony Corporation Files For Patent On Gamers Meeting In Public April 20, 2012
An Editorial by Managing Editor, Gene Turnbow and Senior Editor, PK
Could Sony Be Pulling a Fast One On the Patent Office And Its Competitors? We Think So…
This story caused a few choice words to be bandied about the office in regards to Sony and patent trolling, which is all the rage with some corporations these days.Patent trolling is a term coined in the mid 1990′s, which more commonly refers to companies of any size filing usually very expensive yet frivolous lawsuits against other companies over patent infringement. Normally a company filing a lawsuit for patent infringement is not a big deal, companies have the right to protect their creations, but some companies have gone so far to make this part of their business model. They either look for technology and make some flimsy claim over it for violating one of their patents, or buy up patents in bulk from failing or bankrupt companies and then try to sue others for infringing on the newly purchased patents.
We caught wind of this patent application by Sony regarding online worlds, and our first thought was patent trolling. Back in 2010, Sony filed a patent application for what it calls: COORDINATING REAL-WORLD GATHERINGS TO PROMOTE ONLINE COMMUNITY. This idea is little more than a marketing scheme that involves promising special online and offline rewards for participating in real-world meet ups of users of massively multiplayer online games (MMOs or MMORPGs). If you’ve been using the internet for the past 10 years or more, you’ll know that isn’t the most novel idea. Even before the deluge of online worlds such as World Of Warcraft, Eve Online, Second Life, et cetera, companies have been using websites and other digital promotions to encourage large events that provided awards for participation.
So what is it that Sony is trying to patent, exactly?
Patent abstract:
Coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community, the method including: encouraging participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promoting familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering; and providing online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering. Keywords include socializing in the real world, community building and bridging the gap between the game world and the real world.
After reading over the application itself and doing a little digging on applicable laws, it looks very much as though Sony is trying to file a patent on the method or process of coordinating in-game promotions with real world events and meet-ups. For a patent to be valid, it has to describe either a machine, or a transformative process. Sony’s application does neither. They do seem to be trying to imply that user’s computers qualify as the “machine” part, because the whole patent is about offline interactions with online games. We think this won’t fly, and here’s why:
What if the entire game were played by mail? There once were (and still are) play-by-mail games, and until the advent of the internet, some were very popular indeed. If one staged real world meet-ups of participants in play by mail games, and offered prizes for participation, you would have essentially the same process as described in the Sony application, but without any machines at all. It would still work. Therefore, the fact that the game requires technologically based tools is not relevant to the concept described in the patent application itself – and that means there’s no “machine” in the concept.
What about being transformative? Unless you count player dollars being “transformed” into Sony dollars, what transformation is taking place? We can’t figure this one out. Can you?
And the last reason we think this stinks and that it is nothing more than patent trolling is that there’s a ton of prior art. One word: BlizzCon. So what is Sony trying to pull here?
We think it’s something called “a fast one”.
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Links
- The Sony patent application
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Ruling on Marketing and Patents
- “Signals” Not Patentable Subject Matter
Text of Patent Application: (Due to warnings on the Patent Office’s website of bandwidth restrictions, we’re going to post the text of the patent in the article)
United States Patent Application 20120094763 Kind Code A1 Khan; Mohammed April 19, 2012
COORDINATING REAL-WORLD GATHERINGS TO PROMOTE ONLINE COMMUNITY
Abstract Coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community, the method including: encouraging participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promoting familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering; and providing online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering. Keywords include socializing in the real world, community building and bridging the gap between the game world and the real world.
Inventors: Khan; Mohammed; (San Diego, CA) Assignee: SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA INC.
Foster City
CASerial No.: 904077 Series Code: 12 Filed: October 13, 2010 Current U.S. Class: 463/42 Class at Publication: 463/42 International Class: A63F 9/24 20060101 A63F009/24
Claims
1. A method of coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community, the method comprising: encouraging participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promoting familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering; and providing online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the online community is a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) and the participants are players of the MMOG.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the incentives include allowing the participants at the real-world gathering to form a clan within the online community.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising encouraging the participants to physically participate in a social interaction with other participants at the real-world gathering, wherein the social interaction includes a game to introduce each other.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the participants can physically participate in the social interaction using a mobile device.
6. The method of claim 4, wherein the game includes an assignment to find a certain number of different character types of an online community at the real-world gathering.
7. The method of claim 4, wherein a reward for those participants physically participating in the social interaction includes a power up buff in the online community.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising: enabling online participants of an online community to track the real-world gatherings on a map; and allowing the online participants to send and receive messages or tips to and from the participants at the real-world gatherings.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein the participants can participate in the real-world gathering using a mobile device; and allowing the participants to provide the positional data of the gatherings and the participants to the online participants.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising leveraging a current game network system to: allow the online participants to monitor the real-world gathering; and allow communications between the participants at the real-world gathering and the online participants.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering are provided from data collected within the online community by a promoter.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising: encouraging online participants of an online community to organize and host the real-world gathering by providing additional perks or points based on a number of people who participate in the real-world gathering.
13. A non-transitory tangible storage medium storing a computer program for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community, the computer program comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to: encourage participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promote familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering through a mobile device used by each participant; and provide online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering.
14. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 13, wherein the online community is a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) and the participants are players of the MMOG.
15. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 13, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to communicate with the mobile device to encourage the participants to physically participate in a social interaction with other participants at the real-world gathering.
16. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 15, wherein the social interaction includes an assignment to find a certain number of different character types of an online community at the real-world gathering.
17. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 16, wherein a reward for those participants physically participating in the social interaction includes a power up buff in the online community.
18. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 13, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to: enable online participants of an online community to track the real-world gatherings on a map; and allow the online participants to send and receive messages or tips to and from the participants at the real-world gatherings.
19. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 18, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to leverage a current game network system to: allow the online participants to monitor the real-world gathering; and allow communications between the participants at the real-world gathering and the online participants.
20. The non-transitory tangible storage medium of claim 13, further comprising executable instructions that cause a computer to encourage online participants of au online community to organize and host the real-world gathering by providing additional perks or points based on a number of people who participate in the real-world gathering.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to promoting social interaction, and more specifically, to coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community.
[0003] 2. Background
[0004] The Internet influences our lives to cause tremendous changes in our behavior. For example, online social networks have become the new meeting grounds and have caused many aspects of our everyday lives to change. The Internet is providing instant access to people of similar mindsets, and is enabling us to form partnerships with more people in more ways than ever before.
SUMMARY
[0005] The present invention provides for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community.
[0006] In one implementation, a method of coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community is disclosed. The method includes: encouraging participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promoting familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering; and providing online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering.
[0007] In another implementation, a non-transitory tangible storage medium storing a computer program for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community is disclosed. The computer program includes executable instructions that cause a computer to: encourage participants of the online community to participate in a real-world gathering by providing incentives for the participants; promote familiarity among the participants by providing and introducing online community titles of the participants at the real-world gathering through a mobile device used by each participant; and provide online benefits or rewards to the participants for participating in the real-world gathering.
[0008] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewing the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] FIG. 1 is a flowchart illustrating a process for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community in accordance with one implementation of the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 2A shows a detailed description of the benefit/reward for the participant who checks in at the real-world gathering.
[0011] FIG. 2B shows a detailed description of the reward for the participants who play a game at the real-world gathering.
[0012] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community in accordance with one implementation of the present invention.
[0013] FIG. 4A illustrates a representation of a computer system and a user.
[0014] FIG. 4B is a functional block diagram illustrating the computer system hosting the event coordinator.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0015] Certain implementations as disclosed herein provide for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community including massively multiplayer online games (MMOG). In one implementation, a system can be created which allows players to organize or attend local rally points or gatherings for online players who live in a certain area. The players can be provided with incentives to host and join these gatherings using in-game rewards. After reading this description it will become apparent how to implement the invention in various implementations and applications. However, although various implementations of the present invention will be described herein, it is understood that these implementations are presented by way of example only, and not limitation. As such, this detailed description of various implementations should not be construed to limit the scope or breadth of the present invention.
[0016] The game providers are always working to expand the user community of their online games because a strong community leads to increased customers for downloadable contents provided or promoted by the game providers, franchise loyalty, and a rich user experience of their online games. However, making friends through traditional online games is currently limited to people already known to the player in the real world and a few strangers online. This is because it is difficult to form deep connections online with strangers due to anonymity and the lack of real-world connection.
[0017] In one implementation, coordinating a real-world gathering involves encouraging players of online game(s) to come to the real-world gathering, and promoting familiarity among the players by introducing titles, characters, and/or guild memberships of the players within the common online game(s) at the real-world gathering. For example, a promoter (e.g., a game service provider) can use the data collected within the online game(s) to introduce a player by identifying an online character of the player using communications with a mobile device carried by each player. Although the participants at the real-world gatherings are referred to as “players,” they can be users, consumers, or participants of online social networks other than games.
[0018] In another implementation, each player checks in at the real-world gathering and obtains some benefit within online game(s) as a reward. The reward can be tied to a specific online game action, such as forming a clan with other players who were at the real-world gathering. Thus, the player can organize and host event(s) and gain additional perks or points based on the number of people who participate in the event(s). This type of reward system promotes growth in size and interest of the online community and enables expansion of social networking to the real-world. That is, when the players are able to network and meet other players in person and actually become real-world friends, the game will be a common bond and the friendship will increase the loyalty of the players to the online community as well.
[0019] In yet another implementation, GPS enabled mini-games can be created for the mobile devices used by the players at the real-world gathering. In one example, once the players are in a same location of the real-world gathering, they are encouraged through the mobile device to find a certain number of different character types (e.g., find all the craft guilders who are at the real-world gathering) within the common online game(s). The game provider can reward those players who accept the assignment (of finding online character types at the real-world gathering) by rewarding them, for example, with a power up buff in the online game. This will encourage the players at the real-world gathering to mingle and meet other players of the online game.
[0020] In another example, players playing games at home are encouraged to track gatherings on a map and to send/receive messages/tips to and from the players at the gatherings. Mobile devices with GPS and 3-G functionality can be used by the players at the gatherings to communicate with a server side service that tracks the locations and details of the gathering and provide the positional data of the gatherings and the players. The current game network system (e.g., PlayStation Network System) can be leveraged to allow communications between the players playing the game at home and the players at the real-world gathering.
[0021] In yet another example, a group of players attending a real-world gathering can be encouraged to play a game in the real-world at the gathering or event. The game to be played can be based on similar actions or occurrences as those in an online game. Thus, a player can play out the virtual game in the real-world by teaming up with other players who are in the same team in the online game. In a slight variation, the real-world interactions at a gathering can be tied back into the online game in which players at home can join.
[0022] FIG. 1 is a flowchart 100 illustrating a process for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community in accordance with one implementation of the present invention. The process for coordinating a real-world gathering involves encouraging online participants such as players of online game(s) to come to the real-world gathering by providing incentives, at box 110, for the online participants to participate. At box 120, familiarity is promoted among online participants by providing and introducing titles, characters, and/or guild memberships of other participants (e.g., players within common online game(s)) at the real-world gathering. For example, a promoter (e.g., a game service provider) can use the data collected within the online game(s) to introduce the participant/player by identifying an online character of the participant/player using communications with a mobile device carried by each participant/player.
[0023] At the real-world gathering, each participant checks in, at box 130, to obtain some online benefits or rewards, at box 140. The reward can be tied to a specific online game action, such as forming a clan with other players who were at the real-world gathering. Thus, the participant can organize and host event(s) and gain additional perks or points based on the number of people who participate in the event(s). This type of reward system promotes growth in size and interest of the online community and enables expansion of social networking to the real-world. That is, when the participants are able to network and meet other participants in person and actually become real-world friends, the game will be a common bond and the friendship will increase the loyalty of the participants to the online community as well.
[0024] At the real-world gathering, the participants are encouraged to join and play games or other social interactions with other participants physically participating at the gathering or online at home, at box 150. The games or social interactions can be created for mobile devices used by the participants at the real-world gathering. In one example, once the participants are in a same location of the real-world gathering, they are encouraged through the mobile device to find a certain number of different character types (e.g., find all the craft guilders who are at the real-world gathering within common online game(s)) of an online community. The game provider can reward those participants who accept the assignment (of finding online character types at the real-world gathering) by rewarding them, for example, with a power up buff in the online community. This will encourage the participants at the real-world gathering to mingle and meet other participants from the online community.
[0025] Further, at box 160, participants participating in an online community at home are enabled to track the real-world gatherings on a map and to send/receive messages/tips to and from the participants at the gatherings. Mobile devices with GPS and 3-G functionality can be used by the participants at the gatherings to communicate with a server side service that tracks the locations and details of the gathering and provide the positional data of the gatherings and the participants. The current game network system (e.g., PlayStation Network System) can be leveraged to allow communications between the participants playing the game at home and the participants at the real-world gathering.
[0026] FIG. 2A shows a detailed description of the benefit/reward for the participant who checks in at the real-world gathering. In one implementation, shown in box 200, the reward for participating by checking in at the real-world gathering is to allow the participants of the gathering to form a clan within the online community. FIG. 2B shows a detailed description of the reward for the participants who play a game at the real-world gathering. In one implementation, shown in box 210, the reward for the participants who play a game at the real-world gathering is power-up buffs in the online community.
[0027] FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system 300 for coordinating real-world gatherings to promote an online community in accordance with one implementation of the present invention. The system 300 for coordinating a real-world gathering includes a game provider/promoter 310, an event server 320, a game server 330, and a plurality of mobile devices 340, 342, 344, 346 representing participants in the gathering. In the system 300, the game provider 310 encourages online participants such as players of online game(s) to come to the real-world gathering by providing incentives for the online participants to participate in the gathering. The event server 320 promotes familiarity among online participants by providing and introducing titles, characters, and/or guild memberships of other participants (e.g., players within common online game(s)) at the real-world gathering. For example, the data collected within online game(s) is used to introduce the participants/players by identifying online characters of the participants/players using communications with mobile devices 340, 342, 344, 346 carried by the participants/players.
[0028] At the real-world gathering, each participant checks in using the mobile device 340, 342, 344, 346 to verify the participant’s presence at the gathering by communicating with the event server 320 through a check-in device physically located at the gathering. In one implementation, the check-in device is configured as yet another mobile device similar to the mobile devices 340, 342, 344, 346. When the mobile device 340, 342, 344, 346 checks in at the gathering, it is allowed to obtain some online benefits or rewards. The reward can be tied to a specific online game action, such as forming a clan with other players who were at the real-world gathering. Thus, the participant can organize and host event(s) and gain additional perks or points based on the number of people who participate in the event(s).
[0029] At the real-world gathering, the participants are encouraged to join and play games or other social interactions with other participants physically participating at the gathering or online at home. The games or social interactions can be created for mobile devices 340, 342, 344, 346 used by the participants at the real-world gathering. In one example, once the participants are in a same location of the real-world gathering, they are encouraged through the mobile device 340, 342, 344, 346 to find a certain number of different character types (e.g., find all the craft guilders who are at the real-world gathering within common online game(s)) of an online community. The game provider 310 can reward those participants who accept the assignment (of finding online character types at the real-world gathering) by rewarding them, for example, with a power up buff in the online community. This will encourage the participants at the real-world gathering to mingle and meet other participants from the online community.
[0030] Further, participants participating in an online community such as an online game tied to the massively multiplayer online game (MMOG) server 330 at home are enabled to track the real-world gatherings on a map and to send/receive messages/tips to and from the participants at the gatherings. Mobile devices 340, 342, 344, 346 with GPS and 3-G functionality can be used by the participants at the gatherings to communicate with a server side service 320 that tracks the locations and details of the gathering and provide the positional data of the gatherings and the participants. The current game network system (e.g., PlayStation Network System) can be leveraged to allow communications between the participants playing the game at home and the participants at the real-world gathering.
[0031] FIG. 4A illustrates a representation of a computer system 400 and a user 402. The user 402 uses the computer system 400 to coordinate real-world gatherings to promote an online community. The computer system 400 stores and executes an event coordinator 490.
[0032] FIG. 4B is a functional block diagram illustrating the computer system 400 hosting the event coordinator 490. The controller 410 is a programmable processor and controls the operation of the computer system 400 and its components. The controller 410 loads instructions (e.g., in the form of a computer program) from the memory 420 or an embedded controller memory (not shown) and executes these instructions to control the system. In its execution, the controller 410 provides the event coordinator 490 as a software system. Alternatively, this service can be implemented as separate hardware components in the controller 410 or the computer system 400.
[0033] Memory 420 stores data temporarily for use by the other components of the computer system 400. In one implementation, memory 420 is implemented as RAM. In one implementation, memory 420 also includes long-term or permanent memory, such as flash memory and/or ROM.
[0034] Storage 430 stores data temporarily or long term for use by other components of the computer system 400, such as for storing data used by the event coordinator 490. In one implementation, storage 430 is a hard disk drive.
[0035] The media device 440 receives removable media and reads and/or writes data to the inserted media. In one implementation, for example, the media device 440 is an optical disc drive.
[0036] The user interface 450 includes components for accepting user input from the user of the computer system 400 and presenting information to the user. In one implementation, the user interface 450 includes a keyboard, a mouse, audio speakers, and a display. The controller 410 uses input from the user to adjust the operation of the computer system 400.
[0037] The I/O interface 460 includes one or more I/O ports to connect to corresponding I/O devices, such as external storage or supplemental devices (e.g., a printer or a PDA). In one implementation, the ports of the I/O interface 460 include ports such as: USB ports, PCMCIA ports, serial ports, and/or parallel ports. In another implementation, the I/O interface 460 includes a wireless interface for communication with external devices wirelessly.
[0038] The network interface 470 includes a wired and/or wireless network connection, such as an RJ-45 or “Wi-Fi” interface (including, but not limited to 802.11) supporting an Ethernet connection.
[0039] The computer system 400 includes additional hardware and software typical of computer systems (e.g., power, cooling, operating system), though these components are not specifically shown in FIG. 4B for simplicity. In other implementations, different configurations of the computer system can be used (e.g., different bus or storage configurations or a multi-processor configuration).
[0040] The above description of the disclosed implementations is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Various modifications to these implementations will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can be applied to other implementations without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Accordingly, additional implementations and variations are also within the scope of the invention. Further, it is to be understood that the description and drawings presented herein are representative of the subject matter which is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is further understood that the scope of the present invention fully encompasses other implementations that may become obvious to those skilled in the art and that the scope of the present invention is accordingly limited by nothing other than the appended claims.
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- Celebrate City of Heroes' 8th Anniversary with a Free Respec! April 20, 2012
City of Heroes is approaching its eighth anniversary, and to help its players celebrate, developer NCSoft is offering a free Respec token to all characters in City of Heroes Freedom on April 24th, 2012. The token doesn’t stack with previous free Respec tokens you might have piled up, so if you’re on the fence about using one, now’s your chance. You won’t get another one until you’ve used the one you have.City of Heroes is widely regarded as the best superhero MMO, and NCSoft says they have a lot planned for the 8th Anniversary – and like so many MMO’s nowadays, it’s free to play if you want to try it out and get your feet wet before you pay for premium items to make your game play more enjoyable.
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Links
- City of Heroes account creation
- City of Heroes Official Web Site
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- City of Heroes Twitter
- City of Heroes Google+ Page
- City of Heroes Forums
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- DARK SHADOWS Star Jonathan Frid Dead At 87 April 19, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
An Acting Legend Passes Away
Jonathan Frid
I have always thought of myself, frankly, as a sort of dilettante actor. That is to say, an actor that considers himself reasonably successful but hardly ever sparked by the urge to make big bucks or even a modest living from his profession. Consequently some of my early or even opening night performances have been appallingly bad and yet by the end of their runs have been as good as any other actor in the business. I repeat, “as good as any other actor in the business” – Jonathon Frid (December 2, 1924 – April 13, 2012)
If you’re not into Gothic stories, then you may not have heard of Jonathan Frid. But Mr. Frid through his work did for Gothic stories and vampires what Star Trek did for sci-fi and race relations, they both changed television history forever. In 1965 Dan Curtis created a first of its kind drama for ABC Television, he created a Gothic Drama Soap-Opera, called Dark Shadows. Premiering in 1966, Dark Shadows had moderate success and stunned audiences by introducing a serious supernatural element with ghosts after six months of running. By 1967 the show’s ratings were fluctuating and a new character was introduced, a vampire named Barnabas Collins played by Jonathon Frid, graced the screen and turned the Dark Shadows world on it’s ear with a new storyline.
Jonathan Frid born John Herbert Frid, a Canadian National who spent over thirty years in live theater, was best known to American audiences as his Vampire character Barnabas. But Mr. Frid who was an accomplished actor also starred in productions such as Dial “M” for Murder and Oliver Stone’s movie Seizure. There have been a few reports of his death on different dates, but one source claiming to have received the news directly from his survivors indicates that Mr. Frid passed away from natural causes on April Friday the 13th, 2012 at a Canadian hospital.
Jonathon Frid was by all accounts not a fan of the horror genre, and generally had retired from any televised work to perform theater in Canada after his run in the United States. He emerged from his retirement in to appear at conventions for the Dark Shadows show, as a way to raise money for charities. Mr. Frid operated a website where he shared his personal musings and feelings on various subjects, it’s an ability for fans to see a long time actor’s point of view on how he interacted with fans and what he saw as a sometimes troublesome stigma of being associated with Barnabas.
Much to the dismay and horror of many Dark Shadows fans, a modern day adaptation starring Johnny Depp is in production and is going to be made into a comedy, rather than staying true to the show’s dramatic roots which brought it so much fame. Months before his death, Jonathon had filmed a brief cameo in the new film, and adding to his legendary mystery, some question his death being on Friday the 13th, as a sign that he may rise once again.
Barnabas’s back-story from the original show(from wiki):
Barnabas Collins was a member of the late 18th century-era Collins family, from the fictional town of Collinsport, Maine. He was the son of Joshua Collins (Louis Edmonds) and Naomi Collins (Joan Bennett). Barnabas has many cousins during his mortal lifetime: Millicent Collins and Daniel Collins. He also had another cousin named Alakuz Collins, who died sometime before the start of 1795. In later life, Barnabas intended to marry an heiress from Martinique named Josette du Pres (Kathryn Leigh Scott), although he had a brief affair with Angelique Bouchard (Lara Parker), Josette’s maidservant.
Upon Angelique’s arrival in Collinsport for the wedding, Barnabas was determined not to resume his affair. Spurned, Angelique, a practitioner of witchcraft, used a number of spells to manipulate Barnabas and his family, culminating in his agreement to marry her.
When Barnabas discovered Angelique’s duplicity, he shot her. With what she believed to be her dying words, she took revenge on Barnabas by summoning a vampire bat from hell to attack him. Barnabas fell extremely ill and died. Angelique survived and attempted to rescind the curse, but was unsuccessful.
Shortly thereafter, Barnabas rose as a vampire. He immediately strangled Angelique to death, the only witness to his rising from his coffin. (In death she became a succubus[citation needed].) Later, he frightened his aunt Abigail Collins (Clarice Blackburn) to death, and entombed alive the hatefully fanatic witch-hunter Reverend Trask (Jerry Lacy) in the Old House basement. Sarah saw her deceased brother roaming Collinwood and hid from him in the cold dark woods all night; because of this she contracted pneumonia and died. To add to Barnabas’s grief, his mother Naomi Collins committed suicide after discovering her son’s secret. Barnabas blamed Angelique for the deaths of both his sister and his mother. He also blamed Lt. Nathan Forbes (Joel Crothers) because he told Naomi about him. Barnabas strangled Forbes to death. Barnabas also attempted to transform Josette into a vampire. At first, she was willing, if not quite fully cognizant of what this would entail. But then Angelique (who had become far more powerful after her death) revealed to her a vision of what she would become. Fleeing from Barnabas, Josette leapt to her death off the cliffs of Widow’s Hill (in a later episode in the series where Barnabas confronted Angelique, he told her he would never forgive her for bringing about the deaths of Sarah, Josette and Naomi).
Unable to bear what he had become, Barnabas asked his father, Joshua Collins, to destroy him. However, Joshua was unable to slay his son, and so he ordered Barnabas’ devoted servant, Ben Stokes (Thayer David) to nail a cross to the inside lid of Barnabas’s coffin and to wrap chains on its outside, forever imprisoning the vampire in the secret room of the family mausoleum at Eagle’s Hill Cemetery.
In 1967, Willie Loomis (John Karlen) was foraging in the Collins family crypt at the cemetery for the family’s rumored “lost jewels.” He stumbled upon the chained coffin in which Barnabas slept. Believing the coffin to contain the lost riches of the Collins family, Willie accidentally released the vampire. Barnabas attacked Willie and turned him into his unwilling servant.
Barnabas introduced himself to the modern Collins family as a cousin from England—a hard-working businessman never seen during the day. The family accepted this story, (even though they’d never heard of him before), because of his “uncanny resemblance” to the portrait of the ancestral Barnabas (although they were really one and the same) which hung in the foyer near the front door in Collinwood. Thirsty for new blood, Barnabas made victims of several Collinsport residents. He was particularly taken with waitress Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott), who resembled his long-lost love, Josette. Barnabas was told by Victoria Winters (Alexandra Moltke), that Josette’s spirit still haunted the Collinwood estate, where it periodically helped and protected others (such as young David Collins (David Henesy), to whom Vicki was governess). Barnabas kidnapped Maggie, and hypnotized her into believing she really was Josette, and planned to make her his vampire bride. Maggie escaped (with help from the ghost of little Sarah Collins), but not unscathed. The emotional distress of being kidnapped caused Maggie to regress to a child-like mentality and to forget all that happened to her. Barnabas then targeted Vicki as his next potential vampire consort. He opted to use alternate methods though, first trying to seduce her away from her fiancé Burke Devlin (Anthony George) before biting her. While this was happening, the ghost of Sarah appeared repeatedly, tormenting Barnabas (who felt indirectly responsible for her death) and warning him not to do evil deeds.
Meanwhile, Maggie was sent to Wyndcliff Sanitarium, where Dr. Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) tried to make her remember what happened, as well as to identify her kidnapper. Dr. Hoffman soon found out that the answer lay somewhere at Collinwood. She then discovered who and what Barnabas was. Julia fell in love with him, however, and attempted to cure him (as well as protect him by hypnotizing Maggie again, this time into forgetting everything Barnabas had tried to do to her). Barnabas initially distrusted Julia, and when her medical cure failed, he viewed her as a risk—she would be able to expose his true nature. He attempted to kill her, or drive her mad so that no one would believe accusations of vampirism from her. Ultimately, though, Barnabas realized he needed an ally and eventually became rehabilitated to the point that they became friends. Even though the romantic relationship Julia desired never happened on-screen, she became Barnabas’s chief confidante and helped him many times, even risking time travel to aid her afflicted friend over the next several years. Barnabas, too, became genuinely devoted to Julia and would often go to extraordinary lengths to protect her or to rescue her when she ran afoul of his enemies, such as Angelique (who often treated Julia as a romantic rival because she could not understand the connection between Barnabas and Julia).
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- Scientists At Dundee University Create Real Sonic Screwdriver April 19, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Doctor Who’s Sonic Screwdriver becomes reality, can lift and spin objects using sound alone
The team said the beam carries momentum that can push an object in its path and can cause the object to rotate when shaped like a helix or vortex.
Usually we report on how Star Trek inspires real world inventions. This time, however, researchers at Dundee University, inspired by Doctor Who’s famous ‘Sonic Screwdriver’ have figured out how to make an ultrasound-powered machine which can lift, spin and manipulate objects using sound alone. While this is more a proof of concept that ultrasound can be used in novel new ways, it’s a step closer to the Doctor’s multi-purpose device. It looks more like a high tech coffee press than the familiar hand-held do-anything tool, but the team that developed it says that the beam it generates carries momentum that can push an object in its path and can cause the object to rotate when shaped like a helix or vortex. The technology was originally designed for MRI-guided ultrasound surgery, and can lift and spin a 10cm rubber disk with an ultrasound beam.
Mike MacDonald, of the university’s Institute for Medical Science and Technology, said: ‘This experiment not only confirms a fundamental physics theory but also demonstrates a new level of control over ultrasound beams which can also be applied to non-invasive ultrasound surgery, targeted drug delivery and ultrasonic manipulation of cells. ‘The ‘sonic screwdriver’ device is also part of the EU-funded Nanoporation project where we are already starting to push the boundaries of what ultrasound can do in terms of targeted drug delivery and targeted cellular surgery. ‘It is an area that has great potential for developing new surgical techniques, among other applications, something which Dundee is very much at the forefront of.’
Doctor Who uses his screwdriver to open locks and doors and control other devices, but the Dundee team believes its study could help make surgery using ultrasound techniques more precise and effective by giving doctors the ability to steer ultrasound waves to the precise spot where they are needed. Ultrasound waves already allow surgeons to treat a range of conditions without having to cut a patient open.
Dr MacDonald added: ‘Like Doctor Who’s own device, our sonic screwdriver is capable of much more than just spinning things around.’
The results of the research are published in the American Physical Society’s journal Physical Review Letters.
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- All Five Star Trek Captains Coming to London In October 2012 April 19, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
British Trek Fans Get Special Treat
Yes, we noticed Picard's rank is on the wrong side.
Ok, we admit it. We yank fans of Star Trek are a bit jealous. Maybe a little more than jealous, would you believe we’re setting our phasers higher than stun? Coming this October to London on the 19th to the 21st, the Captains of the legendary Five Star Trek series will be on stage to wow the fans in a first ever meet-up. As part of the celebration of the 25th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation, William Shatner, Patrick Stewart, Avery Brookes, Kate Mulgrew, and Scott Bakula will be coming to London’s Excel Exhibition Centre.
The event is being billed as “taking the best elements of a convention and signing event to create a bit of something in-between.”
This isn’t a standard Star Trek Convention, but fans are allowed to dress up if they want. The organizers ask that fans use common sense on any toy weapons they bring, or to be safe to refer to the weapons policy. Other guest stars are expected to attend, but have not been publicly confirmed yet. Tickets go on sale April 30 and prices range from £29.00 to £2,999.00 and come with varying benefits; exact details are subject to change without notice.
Stay tuned to Krypton Radio as we’ll update with details as they’re released – Check out http://www.startreklondon.com for ticket information.
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- The Tale of the Legal Battle For Superman Takes A Strange Twist April 18, 2012
by Gene Turnbow
Happy birthday, Superman! Today marks the 74th anniversary of the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics #1. The now famous cover of the Man of Steel lifting that green car over his head and people running in panic debuted on newsstands on this day in 1938. But the day is marred by more in-fighting over his parentage, between DC Comics (now owned by Time Warner) and the descendents of the original creators of Superman, Jerry Seigel and Joe Schuster. This time it’s the attorney representing the creator’s families who’s in trouble.This law suit has been running for years, and we hear bits and pieces of it. It’s really confusing – but it looks like the familys’ lawyer and business partner, Marc Toberoff, may have been trying to take the rights for Superman for himself.
Around 2006, David Michaels, a lawyer working for Toberoff, “abscond[ed] with copies of several documents from the Siegel and Shuster files,” sending them to D.C. Comics, including “a cover letter, written in the form of a timeline, outlining in detail Toberoff’s alleged master plan”. D.C. Comics gave the allegedly stolen documents over to an outside attorney and began a quest to obtain them through discovery. Toberoff refused to hand them over, saying the documents were protected by attorney-client privilege
because they involved communication with the heirs. A magistrate judge eventually ordered production of some of the documents — including the timeline – and D.C. Comics received them in 2008. Relying on the timeline-cover letter, D.C. Comics filed a 2010 complaint against Toberoff, the heirs and others.Since then, “Toberoff has continued to resist the use of any of the documents taken from his offices, including those already disclosed to D.C. Comics and especially Michaels’ letter,” according to the 9th Circuit.
This basically means that he’s trying to deny that they have any bearing at all. Does it mean he really was trying to do this and he’s trying to bury the fact? Or that the papers are really pointless?
Toberoff asked the U.S. Attorney’s office in Los Angeles to subpoena the documents as part of the investigation into the theft – and then DC Comics asked for the same access to clear the path to use the documents since they weren’t supposed to have had them in the first place (since they were stolen in the first place). A judge agreed with DC Comics and gave them the access they wanted. Now Toberoff has lost his attorney-client privilege with respect to the stolen papers, undermining his work with the heir families to protect their interests in the Superman properties, but mostly simply exposing himself to scrutiny about his alleged plot to take the Superman legacy for himself. He had also approached the families to let him manage their preexisting litigation over rights they’d ceded to DC Comics. He formed a joint venture with the families but acted as that partnerships legal representation at the same time. This is legal skunkduggery, and roughly analogous to being your own surgeon. You know, like doing a hernia transplant. From one side to the other. On yourself.
The observation of how wonky this business idea was was made by Judge Diarmuid O’Scannlain of three-judge appelate panel reviewing the case as well: “Having set his sights on Superman, Toberoff approached the heirs with an offer to manage preexisting litigation over the rights Siegel and Shuster had ceded to D.C. Comics. He also claimed that he would arrange for a new Superman film to be produced. To pursue these goals, Toberoff created a joint venture between the heirs and an entity he owned. Toberoff served as both a business advisor and an attorney for that venture. The ethical and professional concerns raised by Toberoff’s actions will likely occur to many readers, but they are not before this court.”
The panel, which included Chief Judge Alex Kozinski, found that “voluntarily disclosing privileged documents to third parties will generally destroy the privilege,” and that this does not change just because the third party is the government.
The film currently in production was launched in a hurry, before the script was finished. This is usually a bad sign, but Casablanca was done that way too, and look how well that one did. The long strange tale of the battle for Superman is nowhere near over. We hope that eventually some sanity is restored, and that the Man of Tomorrow lives on to have many more birthdays. And what if the fight results in the fragmentation of the rights to Superman? We could see a world without a Superman. It’s not especially likely, admittedly. But it’s possible.
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- R.I.P. Dick Clark: "America's Oldest Teenager" Dies at 82 April 18, 2012
by Samantha Lowell
Richard Wagstaff "Dick" Clark (November 30, 1929 – April 18, 2012)
Dick Clark, a fixture on American TV and radio for half a century, has died at 82. The TV icon succumbed to a heart attack following an outpatient procedure in St. John’s hospital in Los Angeles. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful his representative said in a press release.
Richard Wagstaff “Dick” Clark was born November 30, 1929 and got his start in radio in the 1950s. Clark was long known for his departing catch phrase, “For now, Dick Clark…so long,” delivered with a military salute, and for his youthful appearance, earning the moniker “America’s Oldest Teenager.”
Clark got his first big break in 1956, hosting what was then called “Bob Horn’s Bandstand”, later to be renamed “American Bandstand.” Clark continued to host and produce “American Bandstand” until 1989, introducing audiences to acts who would become some of the most legendary in pop music. Clark built a small empire for himself in the entertainment industry and was uniquitous on American tv screens for decades, hosting game shows such as Pyramid and Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
In 2004 he suffered a severe stroke which significantly affected his speech. Though he never recovered, visibly impaired but smiling Clark appeared at the Emmy Awards in 2006, and returned to his New Year’s Rockin’ Eve show in cameo appearances in 2005, though by then he had been largely replaced by Ryan Seacrest as co-host.
The gregarious Clark was well liked by his peers, but even more respected as an enterpreneur. “Music is the soundtrack of your life,” he was quoted as saying, and yet, he was always far more interested in the smooth running of the production than the joy of music. “I don’t make culture,” he once said. “I sell it.” It was typical of Clark’s drive that he only missed one broadcast of his New Year’s Eve show from 1974 until his death. Clark ran a chain of restaurants and produced various shows until he finally sold Dick Clark Productions for $137 million in 2001, though he remained as chairman and chief executive.
Clark had been in failing health for the past several years. He is survived by his third wife, Kari Wigton Clark, and three children. No funeral or memorial plans have been announced at press time.
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- 'Amazing Spider-Man' Japanese Trailer Teases With A Bit More Footage April 17, 2012
The Amazing Spider-Man, in theaters July 3
If you’re like us, you’ve been pouring over early Amazing Spider-Man trailers to get a better sense of the origin story reboot director Marc Webb will be serving up when the film hits the theaters July 3. A new trailer for the Japanese market gives fans a few new images, and longer cuts of scenes we’ve already seen, so you can geek out a little more.
Peter Parker is played by Andrew Garfield of The Social Network. “We all have secrets,” Parker says. “The ones we keep, and the ones that are kept from us.” The webslinger will be dealing with both in this retelling of the familiar story, as he not only protects his secret identity from loved ones but also looks for answers to the riddle of what happened to his late parents, Mary and Richard Parker.
Most of the trailer is the same as the one for American audiences, but with a little extra footage spotlighting the origin of Rhys Ifans’ the Lizard, the villian of the film. “Ready to play God?” asks the scientist, before injecting himself with a mysterious green potion that turns him into a homicidal reptile. “If you want the truth, Peter, come and get it.”
The film comes just five years after the last successful “Spider-Man” trilogy by director Sam Raimi, in between two superhero heavyweight rivals, “The Avengers” (May 4) and “The Dark Knight Rises” (July 20).
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- Police & Firefighters Grant Wish of 7-Year Old With Leukemia to Be Batman April 15, 2012
The Everyday Heroes of A City Pull Together To Help A Superhero
By Staff Editor, PK
Courtesy: City of Arlington
The greatest battle that any man will face, is his own mortality. For a 7-Year old Arlington-Texas boy named Kye who is suffering from leukemia, that must be the greatest battle he could possibly imagine facing. But thanks to some wonderful volunteer efforts and the a Wish with Wings organization; Kye was able to live out a dream of his, and for one day in his young life, he became the legendary Dark Knight and helped fight evil in the city of
GothamArlington, Texas.Members of the Arlington Police and Fire Departments, along with the Mayor’s Office and several others setup an elaborate day of crime fighting events for Kye. Starring as a Little Batman, he joined forces with the caped crusader himself and helped defeat volunteers dressed as the Joker and the Riddler who were engaged in nefarious plots. With Batman and the Police, Kye stopped the Joker who tried to rob a bank, and with the Fire Department he outsmarted the infamous Riddler who tried to blow up city hall.
After a day of intense crime fighting, a catered chicken lunch and some quality time with Arlington’s men and women in uniform; Kye met with the
CommissionerAssistant Chief of Police who presented him with the Key to the City.
Video after the break.The Texas based a Wish with Wings, is similar to the Make A Wish Foundation, where terminally ill children can get help in making a special wish come true. And in Kye’s case, his wish was to star in a Batman movie, and while the organization couldn’t quite pull off the multimillion dollar budget that a movie requires, they did manage to make his wish come true in a even more special way.
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- 2012 Eisner Awards Nominations Announced April 15, 2012
Nominees Announced for 2012 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards
Selections Reflect Wide Diversity in Industry
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The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards are considered the “Oscars” of the comic book industry. They are handed out each year in a gala ceremony at Comic-Con International: San Diego, the largest and oldest comics convention in the United States.
The Eisner Awards are named for renowned cartoonist Will Eisner (creator of “The Spirit” and several award-winning graphic novels), who, until his death in 2005, always attended the ceremony to personally congratulate the winners. The Awards are given out in more than two dozen categories covering the best publications and creators of the previous year (such as Best Short Story, Best Graphic Album, Best Writer, and so on). The finalists on the ballot are selected by a blue-ribbon committee that considers thousands of entries submitted by publishers and creators. The nominees are then voted on by all parts of the comic book industry: writers, artists, and other creators; publishers; editors; and retailers and distributors.
Comic-Con International (Comic-Con) is proud to announce the nominations for the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards 2012. The nominees, chosen by a blue-ribbon panel of judges, reflect the wide range of material being published in comics and graphic novel form today, from nursery rhymes and World War II battles to high school angst and pulp fiction.
Topping the 2012 list with 6 nominations is Marvel’s Daredevil, with nods for Best Continuing Series, Best Single Issue, Best Writer (Mark Waid), Best Cover Artist (Marcos Martin), and Best Penciller/Inker Team (two nominations: Marcos Martin, and Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera). Close behind with 5 nominations is Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, an original graphic novel of an unproduced, feature-length screenplay written by Jim Henson and Jerry Juhl, adapted by artist Ramón K. Pérez, published by Archaia. The book is up for Best Graphic Album-New, Best Penciller/Inker, Best Coloring, Best Lettering, and Best Publication Design.
Three titles have 3 nominations: Vertigo/DC’s iZombie (Best Penciller/Inker and Best Cover Artist for Michael Allred, Best Coloring for Laura Allred) and The Unwritten (Best Single Issue, Best Writer for Mike Carey, Best Cover Artist for Yuko Shimizu), and IDW’s Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, by Darwyn Cooke (Best Short Story, Best Graphic Album-Reprint, Best Publication Design). Sixteen titles had 2 nominations, and the remaining nominations were spread among nearly 100 books and comics in 27 categories.
Joining Tale of Sand in the Graphic Album-New category are Bubbles & Gondola by French cartoonist Renaud Dillies (NBM), the animation-industry-based Freeway by Mark Kalesniko (Fantagraphics), the critically acclaimed Habibi by Craig Thompson (Pantheon), Ivy by newcomer Sarah Oleksyk (Oni), and the experimental One Soul by Ray Fawkes (Oni).
DC and Marvel tied for the most nominations for a publisher, each having 11 nominations plus 2 shared. For DC, Vertigo had the lion’s share of nominations, led by iZombie and The Unwritten. In addition to the Daredevil nods, Marvel had 2 nominations for Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Criminal: The Last of the Innocents under the Icon imprint. IDW also had 11 nominations, dominating the Best Archival Collection, Comics-Related Book, and Publication Design categories. Close behind with 10 nominations (plus 1 shared) is Dark Horse, including 2 each for Dark Horse Presents, Jeff Jensen’s Green River Killer, and Stan Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo. Next, with 9 (plus 1 shared) is Fantagraphics, including 3 nominations each in the Archival and International categories.
Other publishers with multiple nominations include First Second and NBM (6); Abrams ComicArts, Archaia, Drawn & Quarterly, and Oni (5); Image (4 plus 2 shared); Candlewick (4); and Pantheon (3). Eleven publishers had 2 nominations: Abstract Studio, Action Lab, Archie, Atheneum, Bongo, BOOM!, Chronicle, Top Shelf, the University of Mississippi Press, VIZ Media, and Yen Press. Another 15 publishers have 1 nomination each.
For more detailed information, see the San Diego Comic-Con Eisner Awards information web page.
List of nominees after the break.
EISNER AWARD NOMINEES 2012
Best Short Story
“A Brief History of the Art Form Known as Hortisculpture,” by Adrian Tomine, in Optic Nerve #12 (Drawn & Quarterly)
“Harvest of Fear,” by Jim Woodring, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #17 (Bongo)
“The Seventh,” by Darwyn Cooke, in Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition (IDW)
“The Speaker,” by Brandon Graham, in Dark Horse Presents #7 (Dark Horse)Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
Daredevil #7, by Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)
Ganges #4, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
Locke & Key: Guide to the Known Keys, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
Princeless #3, by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)
The Unwritten #24: “Stairway to Heaven” by Mike Carey, Peter Gross, and Al Davison (Vertigo/DC)Best Continuing Series
Daredevil, by Mark Waid, Marcos Martin, Paolo Rivera, and Joe Rivera (Marvel)
Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
Rachel Rising, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)
Ultimate Comics Spider-Man, by Brian Michael Bendis and Sara Pichelli (Marvel)
Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)Best Limited Series
Atomic Robo and the Ghost of Station X, by Brian Clevinger and Scott Wegener (Red 5)
Criminal: The Last of the Innocent, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
Flashpoint: Batman – Knight of Vengeance, by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso (Vertigo/DC)
The New York Five, by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly (Vertigo/DC)
Who Is Jake Ellis? by Nathan Edmondson & Tonci Zonjic (Image)Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7)
Beauty and the Squat Bears, by Émile Bravo (Yen Press)
Benjamin Bear in Fuzzy Thinking, by Philippe Coudray (Candlewick/Toon Books)
Dragon Puncher Island, by James Kochalka (Top Shelf)
Nursery Rhyme Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)
Patrick in a Teddy Bear’s Picnic, by Geoffrey Hayes (Candlewick/Toon Books)Best Publication for Kids (ages 8-12)
The All-New Batman: The Brave and the Bold, by Sholly Fisch, Rick Burchett, and Dan Davis (DC)
Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life … And Other Stuff, by Jimmy Gownley (Atheneum)
The Ferret’s a Foot, by Colleen AF Venable and Stephanie Yue (Graphic Universe/Lerner)
Princeless, by Jeremy Whitley and M. Goodwin (Action Lab)
Snarked, by Roger Langridge (kaboom!)
Zita the Space Girl, by Ben Hatke (First Second)Best Publication for Young Adults (Ages 12-17)
Anya’s Ghost, by Vera Brosgol (First Second)
Around the World, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
Level Up, by Gene Yang and Thien Pham (First Second)
Life with Archie, by Paul Kupperberg, Fernando Ruiz, Pat & Tim Kennedy, Norm Breyfogle et al. (Archie)
Mystic, by G. Willow Wilson and David Lopez (Marvel)Best Anthology
Dark Horse Presents, edited by Mike Richardson (Dark Horse)
Nelson, edited by Rob Davis and Woodrow Phoenix (Blank Slate)
Nursery Rhyme Comics, edited by Chris Duffy (First Second)
The Someday Funnies, edited by Michel Choquette (Abrams ComicArts)
Yiddishkeit: Jewish Vernacular and the New Land, edited by Harvey Pekar and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)Best Humor Publication
The Art of Doug Sneyd: A Collection of Playboy Cartoons (Dark Horse Books)
Chimichanga, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
Coffee: It’s What’s for Dinner, by Dave Kellett (Small Fish)
Kinky & Cosy, by Nix (NBM)
Milk & Cheese: Dairy Products Gone Bad, by Evan Dorkin (Dark Horse Books)Best Digital Comic
Bahrain, by Josh Neufeld, www.cartoonmovement.com/comic/24
Battlepug, by Mike Norton, www.battlepug.com
Delilah Dirk and the Turkish Lieutenant, by Tony Cliff, www.delilahdirk.com
Outfoxed, by Dylan Meconis, www.dylanmeconis.com/outfoxed
Sarah and the Seed, by Ryan Andrews, www.ryan-a.com/comics/sarahandtheseed01.htmBest Reality-Based Work
Around the World, by Matt Phelan (Candlewick)
Green River Killer: A True Detective Story, by Jeff Jensen and Jonathan Case (Dark Horse Books)
Marzi: A Memoir, by Marzena Sowa and Sylvain Savoia (Vertigo/DC)
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Vietnamerica, by GB Tran (Villard)Best Graphic Album – New
Bubbles & Gondola, by Renaud Dillies (NBM)
Freeway, by Mark Kalesniko (Fantagraphics)
Habibi, by Craig Thompson (Pantheon)
Ivy, by Sarah Olekysk (Oni)
Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, adapted by Ramón K. Pérez (Archaia)
One Soul, by Ray Fawkes (Oni)Best Graphic Album – Reprint
Big Questions, by Anders Nilsen (Drawn & Quarterly)
The Death Ray, by Dan Clowes (Drawn & Quarterly)
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
WE3: The Deluxe Edition, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (Vertigo/DC)
Zahra’s Paradise, by Amir and Khalil (First Second)Best Archival Collection/Project – Strips
Flash Gordon and Jungle Jim, by Alex Raymond and Don Moore, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
Forgotten Fantasy: Sunday Comics 1900-1915, edited by Peter Maresca (Sunday Press)
Prince Valiant vols. 3-4, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim Thompson (Fantagraphics)
Tarpé Mills’s Miss Fury Sensational Sundays, 1944-1949, edited by Trina Robbins (IDW/Library of American Comics)
Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse vols. 1-2, by Floyd Gottfredson, edited by David Gerstein and Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)Best Archival Collection/Project – Comic Books
Government Issue: Comics for the People: 1940s-2000s, edited by Richard L. Graham (Abrams ComicArts)
The MAD Fold-In Collection, by Al Jaffee (Chronicle)
PS Magazine: The Best of Preventive Maintenance Monthly, by Will Eisner (Abrams ComicArts)
The Sugar and Spike Archives, vol. 1, by Sheldon Mayer (DC)
Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Artist’s Edition (IDW)Best U.S. Edition of International Material
Bubbles & Gondola, by Renaud Dillies (NBM)
Isle of 100,000 Graves, by Fabien Vehlmann and Jason (Fantagraphics)
Like a Sniper Lining Up His Shot, by Jacques Tardi and Jean-Patrick Manchette (Fantagraphics)
The Manara Library, vol. 1: Indian Summer and Other Stories, by Milo Manara with Hugo Pratt (Dark Horse Books)
Night Animals: A Diptych About What Rushes Through the Bushes, by Brecht Evens (Top Shelf)Best U.S. Edition of International Material – Asia
A Bride’s Story, by Kaoru Mori (Yen Press)
Drops of God, by Tadashi Agi and Shu Okimoto (Vertical)
Onward Towards Our Noble Deaths, by Shigeru Mizuki (Drawn & Quarterly)
Saturn Apartments, vols. 3-4, by Hisae Iwaoka (VIZ Media)
Stargazing Dog, by Takashi Murakami (NBM)
Wandering Son, vol. 1, by Shimura Takako (Fantagraphics)Best Writer
Cullen Bunn, The Sixth Gun (Oni)
Mike Carey, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)
Jeff Jensen, Green River Killer: A True Detective Story (Dark Horse Books)
Jeff Lemire, Animal Man, Flashpoint: Frankenstein and the Creatures of the Unknown, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (DC); Sweet Tooth (Vertigo/DC)
Mark Waid, Irredeemable, Incorruptible (BOOM!); Daredevil (Marvel)Best Writer/Artist
Rick Geary, The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti (NBM)
Terry Moore, Rachel Rising (Abstract Studio)
Sarah Oleksyk, Ivy (Oni)
Craig Thompson, Habibi (Pantheon)
Jim Woodring, Congress of the Animals (Fantagraphics), “Harvest of Fear,” in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #17 (Bongo)Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
Michael Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special (Image)
Ramón K. Pérez, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (Archaia)
Chris Samnee, Captain America and Bucky, Ultimate Spider-Man #155 (Marvel)
Marcos Martin, Daredevil (Marvel)
Paolo Rivera/Joe Rivera, Daredevil (Marvel)Best Cover Artist
Michael Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC)
Francesco Francavilla, Black Panther (Marvel); Lone Ranger, Lone Ranger/Zorro, Dark Shadows, Warlord of Mars (Dynamite); Archie Meets Kiss (Archie)
Victor Kalvachev, Blue Estate (Image)
Marcos Martin, Daredevil, Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel)
Sean Phillips, Criminal: The Last of the Innocent (Marvel Icon)
Yuko Shimizu, The Unwritten (Vertigo/DC)Best Coloring
Laura Allred, iZombie (Vertigo/DC); Madman All-New Giant-Size Super-Ginchy Special (Image)
Bill Crabtree, The Sixth Gun (Oni)
Ian Herring and Ramón K. Pérez, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand (Archaia)
Victor Kalvachev, Blue Estate (Image)
Cris Peter, Casanova: Avaritia, Casanova: Gula (Marvel Icon)Best Lettering
Deron Bennett, Billy Fog, Jim Henson’s Dark Crystal, Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, Mr. Murder Is Dead (Archaia); Helldorado, Puss N Boots, Richie Rich (APE Entertainment)
Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! The Meaning of Life … And Other Stuff (Atheneum)
Laura Lee Gulledge, Page by Paige (Amulet Books/Abrams)
Tom Orzechowski, Manara Library, with L. Lois Buholis(Dark Horse); Manga Man (Houghton Mifflin); Savage Dragon (Image)
Stan Sakai, Usagi Yojimbo (Dark Horse)Best Comics-Related Journalism
The AV Club Comics Panel, by Noel Murray, Oliver Sava et al., www.avclub.com/features/comics-panel/
The Beat, produced by Heidi MacDonald et al., www.comicsbeat.com
The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, and The Comics Journal website, www.tcj.com, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (Fantagraphics)
The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon, www.comicsreporter.com
TwoMorrows Publications: Alter Ego edited by Roy Thomas, Back Issue edited by Michael Eury, Draw edited by Mike Manley, and Jack Kirby Collector edited by John MorrowBest Educational/Academic Work
Alan Moore: Conversations, ed. by Eric Berlatsky (University Press of Mississippi)
Cartooning: Philosophy & Practice, by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)
Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods, edited by Matthew J. Smith and Randy Duncan (Routledge)
Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby, by Charles Hatfield (University Press of Mississippi)
Projections: Comics and the History of 21st Century Storytelling, by Jared Gardner (Stanford University Press)Best Comics-Related Book
Archie: A Celebration of America’s Favorite Teenagers, edited by Craig Yoe (IDW/Yoe Books)
Caniff: A Visual Biography, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
Drawing Power: A Compendium of Cartoon Advertising, edited by Rick Marschall and Warren Bernard (Fantagraphics/Marschall Books)
Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
MetaMaus, by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)Best Publication Design
Genius Isolated: The Life and Art of Alex Toth, designed by Dean Mullaney (IDW/Library of American Comics)
Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand, designed by Eric Skillman (Archaia)
Kinky & Cosy, designed by Nix (NBM)
The MAD Fold-In Collection, designed by Michael Morris (Chronicle)
Richard Stark’s Parker: The Martini Edition, designed by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)Incoming search terms:
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- Dark Legends, Vampire-Themed MMORPG, Declared A No-Sparkle Zone April 14, 2012
"You're just my type! O-negative, isn't it?"
Vampires are driving the entertainment economy faster than anything. Well, except superheroes. And zombies. But for those who simply can’t get enough of blood suckers, Spacetime Studios is releasing on Android for two weeks only a new MMO called Dark Legends. This is definitely a no-sparkle zone. The tone is definitely on the adult side. In the game, you assume the role of a vampire (you can select your gender and appearance) and then do battle against countless supernatural foes. Developers Spacetime Studios have promised that the Android version of Dark Legends will deliver the exact same gaming experience you’d expect if you played it on your Windows, Linux or OSX machine. Players not on an Android tablet or smart phone can play using the Google Chrome Web Store and play it right in the browser. Spacetime’s games are the only 3D MMOs in the world that allow people to play the same game together on desktop computers, smart phones and tablets.
“Google Play and the Chrome Web Store allow us to upload and update our online, multiplayer games instantly. Their immediate and unified environment fits perfectly with Spacetime’s ability to push global content to our suite of games on-the-fly across mobile and desktop,” said Gary Gattis, CEO of Spacetime Studios. “We’re both at the forefront of creating cross-platform gameplay that connects players in a much deeper online experience, anywhere and on any device.”
Dark Legends is the third title in the highly popular Legends franchise of mobile and desktop games. The first two titles, Pocket Legends and Star Legends: The Blackstar Chronicles, are the world’s largest mobile MMOs with more than seven million downloads.
Dark Legends is free to download and play. The game features optional microtransactions and virtual currency that enhance the play experience with vanity items, health packs and premium revives. After the exclusive period the game will also be available for iOS devices.
For more details visit http://www.darklegends.com .
About Spacetime Studios
Spacetime Studios is an independent game development studio located in Austin, Texas. The company was founded in late 2005 by online game veterans Cinco Barnes, Gary Gattis, Jake Rodgers and Anthony L. Sommers.
Spacetime has been recognized by Develop as one of the world’s 100 most successful game studios. The company continues to expand its content and technology lead in the mobile multiplayer market. To learn more about Spacetime Studios, please visit www.spacetimestudios.com .
SOURCE: Spacetime Studios
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- Sabrina the Teenage Witch To Be A Live Action Film April 14, 2012
Krypton Radio Newswire
Melissa Joan Hart starred as Sabrina the Teenage Witch in the popular ABC TV series in the '90's.
‘Sabrina the Teenage Witch’ is being turned into a live-action film. Writers Andrew Berrer and Gabriel Ferrari have written a screenplay for Sony Pictures for the big screen debut of the good natured witch from the The TV series – which featured Melissa Joan Hart as a young witch learning about her magical powers. This new motion picture will put a new spin on Sabrina, making her more of a magic-based superhero.
Sony seeks to give Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, originally a comic from the 1960?s Archie universe, a makeover that will see her as a teenage superhero in the same vein as Spider-Man, about a teenager coming to terms with awesome powers that they’ve been granted. Producers attached to the project include Don Murphy and Susan Montford, who worked on the Hugh Jackman fim Real Steel.
The character of Sabrina originally came from a spin-off of Archie Comics in the 1960′s, which gained enough popularity to be turned into two animated series, and then finally a sitcom starring Melissa Joan Hart on ABC Television Network. Archie Comics’ Jon Goldwater will act as executive producer for the film – but executive producer is one of those party favor titles that are handed out in Hollywood as a bargaining chip. It probably had something to do with the rights acquisition deal Sony had to cut with Archie Comics. It was director Mark Waters, who previously directed Lindsay Lohan in Mean Girls, who made the initial pitch to Sony and convinced them to do the project.
The film will retain Sabrina’s familiar, a black cat named Salem – but the film version will have him not as comedy relief (comedy relief in a sitcom, there’s a whole separate topic right there). Instead, he will be given a backstory involving his transformation from a prince who will set up “unique love stories for Sabrina.” There is no word yet on other plans for casting, and the reader is cautioned that just because there’s a script written doesn’t mean for certain that it will actually go before the lens. There’s no budget for this thing yet.
No actress has yet been identified for the role of Sabrina, and it is not known if Melissa will have any part in the motion picture.
The Melissa Joan Hart sitcom ran for seven seasons, from 1996 to 2003, when it was axed after waning viewing figures.
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