Jonathan | Geekscape

Geekscape 331: Talking Games With ‘Console Wars’ Author Blake Harris!

by JonathanJune 12, 2014

Blake Harris is the author of ‘Console Wars’, the story about Sega VS Nintendo and the battle that defined a generation! Who doesn’t remember Sonic vs Mario or the arguments they had about the Sega Genesis being better than the Super Nintendo? Blake spent three years interviewing and researching the behind the scenes events that brought these moments to life. On this episode, we talk about the Mortal Kombat Blood Code, Sonic Tuesday, what were the best video game moments of the early 90s and whether or not there really were any other console wars? This is a great episode, whether or not you’re a video game fan!

Read out ‘Console Wars’ review!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:10 — 36.1MB)

Geekscape 330: The 2014 E3 Preview With Malik Forté!

by JonathanJune 8, 2014

E3 is upon us and we’ve got a whole bunch of rumors and predictions swirling around! To help us pick through them, Nerdist video game specialist Malik Forté joins on this video game heavy episode! What is Mario Maker and will we get a Majora’s Mask 3D? Will we ever see The Last Guardian? Will Microsoft actually make any original programming for their XboxOne channel? Will we see Fallout 4? It’s all in this episode as we set our sites on a week of gaming news, both expected and unexpected!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:15 — 28.8MB)

Geekscape Comics: ‘Buffalo Speedway – The Deep Dish Omnibus’ Is Worth Ordering!

by JonathanJune 5, 2014

The comics industry has gone through a pretty big resurgence in the past few years. Sure, big budget superhero films like The Dark Knight and The Avengers has led to an increased popularity in comics merchandizing and previously smaller events like the San Diego Comic Con. And that’s just talking about the Big 2. But what about the smaller indie publishers? Image Comics leads the pack, with the explosion of all things Walking Dead, and Dark Horse, BOOM! and IDW aren’t far behind with their mix of licensed books and creator owned titles.

But does all this explosive growth in ideas trickle down to actual sales or are publishers finding themselves fighting each other over increasingly divided slices of the same sized pie? Or does the influx of new fans from the TV and big screen just mean that new people are buying The Walking Dead and Spider-Man while smaller titles are left promising something new to the older comic fans who’ve grown tired of the same old books?

And now that the indie comics publishers are shaking hands and making deals with Hollywood… are they still perceived as indie? More importantly, where does that leave truly indie creators? The ones who paid for their own books to be made with their own money or crowd funding campaigns? These are the writers and artists who toil in thankless jobs during the day just to create comics at night and on weekends in the hopes of breaking out! Does the popularity and sales of The Walking Dead and Avengers ever trickle down to them? Or do they find themselves further buried under the noise and attention that those properties generate, working even harder to find readers than they would have a decade ago, when indie creators like Robert Kirkman and Brian Michael Bendis were using their indie ideas to launch mainstream careers?

I’d like to highlight a book that reminds me of the days of discovering Powers or Scott Pilgrim early on in the comic shop shelves. It’s called Buffalo Speedway and is the creation of Yehudi Mercado, an artist and fellow writer that I recently befriended (because we’re both from Austin) who gave me his book at WonderCon with the stipulation ‘it takes place in Texas so just let me know what you think.’ And on a recent visit back to Texas, I brought Buffalo Speedway with me so I could tell Yehudi exactly that, you know, creator to creator. And I think is that Buffalo Speedway is fucking great.

This is a fun and surprising 6 part series that really charms the hell you in the same way that Scott Pilgrim did as a sincere love letter to video games and young love. With Buffalo Speedway however, the love letter is being written and delivered to those times in our lives that we’d probably rather forget: the hours spent wiling away at our first jobs. For some of us it was a Blockbuster video, a fast food restaurant or a receptionists desk. Buffalo Speedway revolves around a similar mundane location, a pizza restaurant and it’s team of unique pizza delivery drivers. But this just happens to be THE BIGGEST PIZZA DELIVERY DAY OF ALL TIME!

If I compare Buffalo Speedway to Scott Pilgrim it’s with good reason. It definitely has the same charm, manic energy and loud, unique characters that Scott Pilgrim did. Here, however, you get a story about being stuck in your mid-20s, on the fence between moving on from the safety of adolescence to the uncertain responsibility of adulthood… and you’re already in your mid-20s. This adds a level to desperation to Buffalo Speedway’s main character Figgs that isn’t present in books like early Spider-Man (or again, Scott Pilgrim). When the events of the book unfold, they really feel larger than life and with huge consequences. The fact that the book all takes place in one day, like a hyperactive, action packed version of Clerks, makes it all the more important.And the book is funny, really damn funny. I found myself laughing out loud a ton as the story bounces from character to character and through ridiculous situations like sabotaging rival pizza restaurant drivers, banging the hungry housewife before the husband comes home and escaping a high speed police chase. The events all take place back on June 17th, 1994 in Houston, while the Rockets face the Knicks in the Finals and OJ Simpson makes his high speed chase down the 5 in California. Yehudi does a really good job of laying these events into the backdrop but then having them resonate with each of the characters. Not only does having a home team in the NBA Finals mean that the pizzas will be flying out the door, but the pressure cooker situation on the freeway results in complete insanity for our team of drivers.

Most of the characters are loud and exaggerated, just like Yehudi’s style. If you’re familiar with his children’s book Pantalones Tex (and you don’t need to be an actual child to enjoy it) then you’ll know what I’m talking about. A talented cartoonist, the book reminds me of similarly bold and hilarious stories like Samurai Jack and (again) Scott Pilgrim. And even though the characters range widely in ethnicity (its as actually as diverse a cast of characters as I’ve ever seen in a book), they’re never drawn like insulting stereotypes. That’s not to say that race doesn’t play an issue here. One of the best things about the writing is how race is an issue and how the issues it creates resolve themselves, or don’t, through the course of the story. There definitely is a character who models his delivery car off of the General Lee and a Mexican character that’s more similar to a violent Luchador than a delivery guy. But all of this is just basis for some pretty smart Boondocks-style observations and celebrations of our differences.

This really is a book I hope you guys pick up. Again, it’s easy for titles like Buffalo Speedway to get lost in the hustle and bustle of the comics industry, where newer and exciting titles are released each week to big fanfare only to fade within the year after they suffer through the next crossover, event or retcon (or even worse: bad Hollywood mangling). Here, Yehudi has made something that is hilarious and exaggerated but never feels like it isn’t coming from the heart. We all remember those first jobs that we had and the issues of whether to stay or move on. But what we don’t always remember are those fun moments where dicking around at those directionless jobs could turn into a crazy adventure, a first love or a life changing event. Buffalo Speedway has all of those moments and more and celebrates them in a way that deserves a much bigger spotlight. Please take my advice and pick this up before… or have it delivered!

The ‘Buffalo Speedway Deep Dish Omnibus‘ is available for ordering now. If you live in LA, 5 lucky orders will be personally driven to you by Yehudi himself, complete with a pizza! Check it out!

Geekscape 329: Talking Sci-Fi Movies With Director Neil Johnson!

by JonathanJune 4, 2014

Indie Sci Fi director Neil Johnson has been a friend for a few years and an avid Geekscape listener for the same amount of time! One of the first directors to make a fully digital film, and science fiction film at that, Neil and I sat down to talk about the challenge of making low budget science fiction movies and indie filmmaking. Neil also justifies the Star Wars prequels better than anyone ever has before and talks about his upcoming film ‘Starship Rising’. Things get very personal on this episode as we talk about our approaches and inspirations. This is easily one of my favorite Geekscape’s yet!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:26:28 — 49.5MB)

Geekscape 328: Visiting ‘X-Men: Days Of Future Past’ With Ian Kerner!

by JonathanMay 25, 2014

’X-Men: Days of Future Past’ is upon us and here is our spoiler-filled review and breakdown of the latest Marvel Mutant Epic! Ian Kerner, the Encyclopedia of all things four color funny, joins me to discuss what this movie fixes in the X-Men cinematic universe, what it establishes and what might still be up in the air! How does the movie differ from the comic book storyline and what can we expect in X-Men: Apocalypse? If you haven’t seen the movie, you’re gonna want to steer clear… but if you have you should dive right in with all six claws swinging!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:45 — 34.8MB)

The First Trailer For Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’ Deploys!

by JonathanMay 20, 2014

We got our first sneak peak at WonderCon last month and now we have an even bigger look. Today, Yahoo Movies! has released the first trailer for Matthew Vaughn’s ‘Kingsman: The Secret Service’, based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and Dave Gibbons (which is definitely worth seeking out if you haven’t already)!

The film stars Colin Firth as a British secret service agent and newcomer Taron Egerton as his fresh-faced recruit. No telling from the trailer if they’re going to keep the estranged uncle/nephew storyline from the comics that was a big part of the comic (but let’s hope so). They’re up against Samuel L. Jackson’s villain and Michael Caine also appears. It’s set in Britain and is an action movie… so of course Michael Caine’s gotta be in there!

We’ve been looking forward to this one since it was announced and can’t wait for its release in October. Take a look at the trailer:

Geekscape Movie Reviews: ‘Godzilla’

by JonathanMay 15, 2014

Right off the bat, let’s put your monster sized worries to rest. Legendary Pictures’ brand new Godzilla film is really, really good, and a great time at the movies. Obviously, after the last attempt at bringing Japan’s number one monster stateside imploded faster than a Madison Square Garden full of Godzilla eggs, fans had reason to be concerned. And the fact that most people (but obviously not you Geekscapists!) missed young director Gareth Edwards’ previous film Monsters meant that there wasn’t a whole lot to ride on other than a strong cast, a strong viral marketing campaign, and the hope that this wouldn’t be a repeat of 1998.

And it’s not. Godzilla 2014 is a completely different beast (both figuratively and literally) and the most fun I’ve had in a theater in a long time (and yes, I saw and enjoyed Cap 2). The 3D version, which some of my friends will no doubt skip because the film wasn’t shot in native 3D but converted to 3D and IMAX later, is the best way to experience a movie in which size isn’t necessarily everything… but definitely plays a big part in the enjoyment.

Unlike the previous Americanized Godzilla and many of the ‘Godzilla VS’ films made by Toho in Japan, the 2014 Godzilla does a great job of staying loyal to the tone and message of the 1954 original. Whereas that story took place in a Japan still recovering from the nuclear end of World War 2, this Godzilla exists in a post 9-11 world that has experienced recent catastrophes like the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster and the tsunami in the Philippines. Both Edwards and screenwriter Max Borenstein (who we just published a heartening interview with) are not shy about using scenes and imagery that reflect those events and the movie resonates louder because of it. This is not a T-rex shaped Godzilla floppily running past product placement signs in New York City while chasing down Matthew Broderick. Legendary’s Godzilla feels important, a commentary on the modern military’s role in the world and how as much as mankind tries to control it, nature ultimately wins. This message resonates today just as the original must have 50 years ago.

All of this weightiness isn’t to say that Godzilla isn’t fun. It’s actually a lot of fun, and a lot of this is because of the fact that you will find yourself rooting for Godzilla. Sure, he can barely move a muscle without toppling a skyscraper over like The Man of Steel, but this is a force of nature. This is a monster that is equal to the worst that the world can throw at us. He’s not the main character of your film. He’s the misunderstood monster that your main characters are trying to survive! Even if they are working alongside him to defeat the movie’s ultimate threat (which I won’t spoil for you here… just please, avoid any and all clips and trailers until you’re sitting in the theater), they have to be careful to not be crushed underfoot. This Godzilla reminds me a lot of a family’s favorite, oversized pet. He means well, but in trying to do the right thing a valuable table ornament might get destroyed in spectacular fashion. And the movie’s giant sequences are spectacular, from a battle in downtown San Francisco to a giant set piece in Hawaii. This is a movie with big moments and Evans does a great job of framing them through the brief, fleeting viewpoints of the human characters as they witness them through a helicopter window or as Godzilla passes between two falling buildings. No major event is held on in a wide master shot and the result is the feeling that you’re right in the middle of everything. It also gives the slower, lumbering Godzilla a sense of power that was missing from the 1998 version. Sure, Godzilla is slow… but he is powerful, and he moves in deliberate, sweeping waves of destruction.

Which brings me to Godzilla’s equally memorable cast. Sure, we paid to see the big, irradiated lizard, but without the human element you’re basically watching a really gorgeous version of the video game Rampage. And a cast made up of Aaron Taylor-Johnston, Ken Watanabe, Elizabeth Olsen, Juliette Binoche, David Strathairn and Bryan Cranston does a great job of making sure that every time the big fella isn’t on screen you’re not just counting down the moments to his next appearance, an argument that can be made about last summer’s Kaiju offering Pacific Rim. Every time there wasn’t a monster or giant robot on screen the audience might have been caught checking their watch. In fact, it’s the well rounded and believable characters that make this version of Godzilla a success. You know when you buy the ticket that you’re going to see some spectacular monster action. But the cast, and a script that gives them as many engagingly dramatic moments as it does periods of running for their lives, help this movie succeed. The events of Godzilla take place over a span of about twenty years and across several continents. The through line of Ken Watanabe’s scientific researcher character and the personal involvement of the Brody family give the movie a human pulse. After the horrific tragedy that befalls Bryan Cranston’s family in the early moments of the movie you want to see them make it through unscathed. And because this is monster-sized drama but set against a realistic, modern day world where real disasters exist, it’s not a given they they will make it. I implore you again to avoid as many spoilers as you can because this script does some surprising things to its characters and you want them to hit with all the weight that the filmmakers intended. Even if there’s a giant lizard stomping around, everyone works hard for it to seem like Godzilla is just one eerie government radar blink away from actually stepping out of the Pacific Ocean and happening in our real world.

In the few places where Godzilla stutters, it’s because it contradicts the heightened realism that it works so hard to convey. Most of Dr. Ichiro Serizawa’s lines read like old Japanese proverbs in the majority of his scenes. Ken Watanabe does a great job of making his character relatable but you can’t help but wonder why a respected scientist working with a team of international staff of experts (British Sally Hawkins plays his right hand staff member) still talks like Mr. Miyagi. The other aspect that threatens to take you out from time to time is what I call the “Forrest Gump effect”. Even though Godzilla’s path of destruction (not necessarily his fault!) spans from one end of the Pacific to the other and lands on a few major cities, the film’s main characters, who for the most part are trying to get away from the action, seem to end up right back in the middle of it and with just the right skill necessary to do the one job needed while hundreds of people die and get eaten or crushed around them. Of course, this is a giant monster movie so if these small annoyances keep you from having fun then you may not have bought the right ticket. The story does attempt to justify at least some of these contrivances while the others quickly get pushed aside to make way for another fantastic sequence. One involving an airport monorail is especially a lot of fun.

So as I said at the beginning, Godzilla is a really, really good movie, and a great time. The material is finally treated as seriously as the legacy of the original film deserves but never to the extent to which the fun goes out the window. You will find yourself cheering through a lot of it. And keep your eyes open for some cool easter eggs to the series’ rich canon as well as light hints that some of the events in the earlier Godzilla films might have occurred in this movie’s past history. This is not a reboot of the series or a Hollywood reimagining. This is just pure Godzilla, placed in a modern context for the new members of his fan club and faithfully executed for the rest of us who’ve been waiting patiently for his return. And it does feel great to have him back.

Godzilla scores a monstrous 4/5.

Geekscape Books Reviews: Console Wars

by JonathanMay 9, 2014

This past March, my wife and I were in Austin and the subject came up of how my step-mother Alice had met my father and joined our family, inheriting 3 step-sons in the process. In 1991, I was 12 years old and obsessed with video games. It was a period of major transitions in my life and looking back I now recognize just how large a role video games played as a coping mechanism for everything going on around me. Divorce isn’t easy for any child and I remember feeling a profound lack of control. For the first time in my life, I was rarely the center of attention. There were more important, more adult, things going on and I had no ability to stop the quick changes going on around me (and probably within me)! For the long time Geekscapists keeping score, this was around the time in my life that my father drove me to Dallas to play in the Nintendo Championships.

He recognized, probably more than I did, how valuable a tool video games played in giving me back that sense of control that important in building a kid’s self confidence. It was a difficult period in my life and I remember spending countless hours playing on my Gameboy, my NES, my PC 386 and then one day my Sega Genesis. Writing this story now, I don’t think I’m exaggerating the importance of those games in seeing me through the anger, sadness and frustration that I felt. I’ve always recognized it their importance or I wouldn’t be playing games today.

Me... circa 1990. — My 1990 school photo. Note the Nintendo Championships shirt.

That’s why it hit like a bomb, listening to my step-mom Alice tell us the story of how she had first met my father and moved into our home, when she said these words: “one of the most difficult things was constantly hearing that Sonic the Hedgehog music playing on the TV. Jack and I thought that I was going to go nuts.”

My 35 year old jaw dropped. I couldn’t believe it… but then again, how could I not believe it? The moment that Sonic the Hedgehog entered our home, it had immediately replaced Altered Beast, my Gameboy, the Kings Quest saga and multiple other games as the constant soundtrack to my adolescence. Looking back, of course I understand how the constant barrage of music would drive anyone insane. It had temporarily driven me insane during the summer of 1999 when I caught Pokémon fever while playing Pokémon Red to the point where I couldn’t tell if my Gameboy Color was switched off anymore because I would still constantly hear the music in my head! Gameplay Music Insanity was real and looking back at that time and the frequency with which I played there was no way to avoid it.

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny bit betrayed at my step-mom’s revelation. I mean, this was the woman who, while she was still my father’s girlfriend, had taken me to video game arcades in order to spend time with me and get to know me. She had used video games as a bonding mechanism, as a way of understanding me (even going so far as to buy a Game Boy and master Tetris), and now it was revealed that I had almost driven her crazy with my constant video game playing? No. That’s not right at all. She did everything right and out of love (and still continues to). So maybe it was my own self that I truly felt betrayed by, as if I should have realized at my younger age just how addicted I had become to the 16-bit Hedgehog and that this addiction, like any addiction, had an effect on those around me as well! How selfish had I been? Or was it just my self preservation in a time in my life where I needed something, anything, to see me through what I was experiencing?

I don’t know. That all happened over two decades ago and the answers aren’t easy to extract.

But today, I do know one thing. I better understand to a great degree the exterior mechanisms that brought all of those emotions and actions into play, set in motion by rival executives at Sega and Nintendo half a continent away during that period of my life. And I know this because I have read my friend Blake J. Harris’ book Console Wars, about the battle between Sega and Nintendo during the early 90s and the birth of the modern video game industry. And it’s an incredible read.

4. 1989_CES Nintendo booth — Nintendo’s 1989 CES Booth

If David Halberstam’s The Breaks of the Game is the greatest sports book ever written then Console Wars is possibly poised to become the greatest book on video games ever written. It is just that illuminating and engaging. And it is already one of my favorite pieces of narrative non-fiction.

Writing a true events book like this isn’t easy. As research, Blake undertook over two hundred hours of interviews with the people involved, both from Nintendo and Sega, in addition to multiple individuals who were also involved and could recall the events in person. And the events told in the book read like a laundry list of our favorite childhood moments: the release of the NES system in the U.S. in 1985, the slow decay of the video arcade, the release of the Gameboy and the Sega Genesis, the creation of Sonic the Hedgehog and Echo the Dolphin. It’s all in here in fine detail and from multiple perspectives, each moment brought to life as vividly as if you were there. And not just the well known, broad strokes either but personal recollections of the dinner meetings and all nighters that would lead to major events like the first global release of any video game ever, the birth of the Sony Playstation, the creation of the Sega CD and the erosion of Nintendo’s dominant 90% marketshare within just a few months. This book puts voices and faces to the men and women that helped shape our childhoods and will no doubt answer many lingering questions about events that are still playing out today.

One chapter I thought fascinating regarded Nintendo’s debacle of the 1992 Super Mario Brothers movie, considering that it followed in the footsteps of recent and successful kids films like Home Alone, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Dick Tracy and that Nintendo’s plumber brothers held a popularity greater than any of them at the time, what could have possibly gone wrong? Well, as Console Wars illustrates… what didn’t? From passing on interested actors like Dustin Hoffman and Tom Hanks to a revolving door of writers and directors, this particular chapter is a horror story of Hollywood production at a time in which Nintendo couldn’t risk having egg on its face. No doubt Console Wars, which was recently optioned to be adapted into a feature film by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (who are about to see a $40 million dollar weekend with Neighbors) won’t suffer the same fate. It’s narrative pace is constant and clear, sometimes retelling events in the order that they happened and at others jumping decades back for an individual or company’s specific backstory. And every angle that Harris chooses to explore is an interesting and appropriate one. I never found myself skimming through portions of the book or wanting to jump forward to certain individuals or events. In addition to Rogen and Goldberg’s Hollywood take, Blake is co-directing a documentary based on his book.

Console Wars does a careful job of not playing favorites either. It’s easy to pitch this book as a dramatic underdog story, and surely the story of Sega of America’s fresh behind the video game ears CEO Tom Kalinske and his team of upstarts is an engaging one. You absolutely find yourself rooting for Sega to kick and scratch and make a name for itself in the face of impossible odds. But Blake does an equally good job of letting you see things from Nintendo’s perspective (and eventually Sony’s), even as the market leader uses tactics like shorting retailer orders and demanding store and publisher exclusivity in order to protect it’s market share. In some instances, it’s pretty clear that Nintendo used their dominance to further bully retailers and game developers. Still, Console Wars does a painstaking job of making you understand why these things happened (in this case, because Nintendo was justifiably concerned with repeating the Atari’s market over-saturation, poor quality standards and eventual demise).

And that’s probably Console Wars’ greatest success. It doesn’t just give you a retelling of what happened behind the closed doors of one of the most important periods of video game history. It goes to great lengths to let you understand why these events happened and why they played out the way they did, both from a business and a human perspective. Reading it, I couldn’t help but feel a personal connection with all of the parties involved as reading through the events in this book helped me reconnect with a major time in my life, one in which I was just too young to be fully cognizant of.

But even if you don’t find yourself hooked by the subject matter, which you should considering this is Geekscape, Console Wars is a fantastic read because it covers so many bases, on multiple sides of the events in question, and does so in an accessible, personal and engaging way. Yes, this is the story of how video games, after a rocky gestation period, finally entered our homes for good and helped to define an entire generation (face it, you were either a Nintendo person or a Sega person back in the day). But it’s also a story about people and progress and how individuals, their interpersonal relationships and their rivalries, can shape an industry and the world around them. And just like the media they helped created, it stays with us on a personal level. I can’t recommend this book enough (and I’ll no doubt be getting my step-mom Alice a copy of Console Wars soon… I think she’ll love it).

Console Wars will be released May, 13th. You can order your copy here.

Geekscape 327: Ian Kerner VS The Amazing Spider-Man 2!

by JonathanMay 5, 2014

Ian Kerner wasn’t shy about his dislike of The Amazing Spider-Man… in fact, I don’t think either of us were. So what drew us back to the theaters for The Amazing Spider-Man 2, a movie that has received the worst reviews of any movie in the Spider-Man franchise? Well, it’s Spider-Man, that’s why! But could we be surprised by the outcome? Is it possible that we will dislike this movie more than the last… or could it possibly surprise us? Prepare yourself for one of the most surprising and insightful Geekscape episodes yet!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:06:29 — 38.0MB)

Geekscape 326: Nerdist’s Brian Walton Returns For A Visit!

by JonathanApril 16, 2014

Brian Walton is the current Editor in Chief of Nerdist.com and Nerdist News… but more importantly, Brian is a beloved Geekscape alumnus! Not since he left Geekscape all those years ago for greener pastures has Brian been a Geekscape guest and now he returns to talk WonderCon, Coachella and the April Fool’s Nerdist acquisition of Geekscape! But that’s not all. We have an incredibly candid heart to heart that helps make this Geekscape episode one of my personal favorites of all time. Oh, and we discuss horse fucking. Really. And when horses fuck… they fuck to kill.

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:20:14 — 45.9MB)

Geekscape 325: Ian Kerner Breaks Down ‘Captain America: The Winter Soldier’!

by JonathanApril 7, 2014

It’s time! Captain America: The Winter Soldier has arrived so it’s time for Ian Kerner to tell us everything there is to know about both the movie and the comic book origins! Is this the strongest Marvel movie yet? How faithful did they stick to the source material and where might things go from here? And do the events of the film mean you should go back to watching Agents of SHIELD? And can Ian convince me that all of the monologuing in the movie is justified? Just know one thing… THERE WILL BE SPOILERS!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:32 — 34.1MB)

Geekscape 324: Maxxin’ Out With Tom Pinchuk!

by JonathanMarch 23, 2014

It’s been a while since comic book writer Tom Pinchuk has been on Geekscape! Luckily, we correct that oversight in this episode in which Tom drops by to talk to us about his new comic book Max Steel: Haywire, coming soon from Viz Media! Tom also educates us on the differences in some of the various conventions as Con Season starts up and also about the cultural and narrative differences between Manga and traditional US comic books! Also, when is a character’s internal dialogue too much…?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 59:34 — 34.1MB)

Geekscape Talks To ‘Enormous’ Producer Adrian Askarieh!

by JonathanMarch 20, 2014

Today marks the launch of Machinima’s latest internet-breaking video Enormous, based on the comic book series by Tim Daniel and Mehdi Cheggour. The story, based in a world where giant kaiju-like monsters have devastated modern civilization, takes it’s cues more from human survival stories like The Walking Dead than big monster spectacles like Godzilla or Pacific Rim.

That’s not to say that Enormous isn’t without its huge monsters, as you’ll see if you watch the first video based on the series right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eq3tCdal2M

One of the people behind bringing Enormous to the online space is Geekscape friend and past guest Adrian Askarieh, Producer of the series and the man responsible for discovering the property while walking a Con floor! We had ourselves a little chat about Enormous (and the upcoming Hitman film Agent 47) and here’s what he had to say about everything:

Okay, I know the story, but why don’t you tell the Geekscapists: how did you get involved in Enormous? How’d you discover it?

I was walking the floor at Comic-Con in 2012 on Preview Night and ran right up onto the Image Comics booth which had this wonderfully unique looking large format graphic novel. After 5 minutes of thumbing through it, I had promised its creator, Tim Daniel, that I would be making it into a high-end digital series within two years. Who says that deals don’t happen at Comic-Con anymore?!

At what point did Machinima get involved?

As for Machinima, I was a big fan of what they were doing and how they were branding themselves with the “Lost Boys” generation of males 16-34. They were my one-and-only choice to partner with. To their credit, they backed us all the way even though this fell a bit outside of their branded video game adaptations.

Why is the web space the right place to launch something like this? What advantages does it give you over traditional media like TV or film?

The upside is incredibly high if you stick with the model. More people have immediate access to content on the Web than on any other format. We felt that the Web was a great launching point for something as ambitious as Enormous simply because it would stand out because if its scope, and hopefully find a life of it’s own.

Creatively, how do you separate a property like this from Godzilla? How are they different and where do you see Enormous going?

Other than having giant monsters in it, Enormous is as different from Godzilla as Superman is from Thor. It spiritually shares more attributes with shows like Lost and The Walking Dead.

So what are some of your favorite post-pocalyptic or kaiju stories? Were you a fan of those kinds of properties before discovering Enormous?

Yes and no. I loved the original Godzilla and King Kong Vs Godzilla but never really had the opportunity to delve fully into the whole Kaiju genre. But in a way I think that gives Enormous an advantage in terms of incorporating an outsider’s perspective. In terms of “post-apocalyptic” fare, the original Mad Max and Road Warrior are among my favorites.

Well, don’t leave us hanging after this first one! How many episodes do you guys have prepped, shot or written?

We have the rough outline for 9 more. But it will grow from there.

As video game fans, what can you tell us about Agent 47? Is this going to make Rupert Friend a household name?

We are only in our 4th week of production here in Berlin and it is way too early for me to talk about it. All I will say is that we all believe that we are making a good movie. As for Rupert, we could not be happier with what he is doing with the character.

Thanks, Adrian. Come back on Geekscape when you return from filming! In the meantime, we’ll make sure everyone here keeps watching Enormous (and why not!?! It has a giant monster in it)!

Geekscape 323: Non-Stop Action With André BlackNerd!

by JonathanMarch 2, 2014

I’ve been friends with André Meadows, aka BlackNerd, for a few years, since running into him at SDCC while he was wearing a giant Scooby costume! Finally, I have him on Geekscape to talk about online comedy, his Youtube channel BlackNerd Comedy and his love of video games… which sometimes gets confused as Nintendo fanboyism! I tell André about ‘Non-Stop’ and Miyazaki’ ‘The Wind Rises’ and we both share our excitement on the new Godzilla trailer! Oh yeah… and what about Michael Bay’s Ninja Turtles movie?!?

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:01:20 — 35.1MB)

‘Paul London: Hero Of The Prophecy’ Is The Most Important Thing You’ll Ever Watch

by JonathanFebruary 27, 2014

If you’ve been following Geekscape on Twitter and Facebook (and now on Youtube with GeekscapeTV!), then you’ve no doubt watched the sizzle reel for our Geekscape original series ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’. The idea came from my brother Paul, who thought it would be fun to do something Buck Rogers-ish for one of his wrestling photo shoots. He, Graham Douglas and his former tag partner Brian Kendrick went up to Griffith Park one day and shot some ridiculous promotional photos. When I saw them I thought he had lost his mind. Wrestling fans would never go for this… but geeks just might (I’m pretty sure I was wrong about the wrestling fans, who so far love it, but was right about the geeks!).

Paul London_groupshot_cropped — That’s Graham on the left… as ‘Finnegan’ for the first time!

I suggested to Paul that he get together with William Bibbiani and write up an idea for a webisode script. What William wrote is still one of the favorite things I’ve ever read… but it was too expensive. There was no way we could shoot it. Part of that was my fault. I told them to just go nuts, but as my producing partner Georg Kallert and I started to meet with people about what was now called ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’ it became clear that to make this series properly, with great wrestling and semi-passable 80s effects, it was going to take some money. Several doors were closed in our faces. It was a depressing time.

Ultimately, we decided to shoot the sizzle that you now see below on GeekscapeTV. Georg, William, Paul and I wrote something that we could afford from scratch, something that we could present to TV Networks and show them in a modest way what the show could be, especially the 80s nostalgic tone (and of course… the wrestling!). It wasn’t easy, as William had some hilarious ideas and I had trouble figuring out what we could afford to shoot in 3 days. Finally Paul, Georg, Graham, William and some of our friends (Brian Gilmore, Marisha Ray, Yuri Lowenthal, Nick Gregorio, Jason Trost, Kari Lane and Mr. Doug Jones) spent a few days shooting it after the dungeon/castle set was built and we had found a place in sunny Simi Valley that would work for the exteriors. We had to delay one day from the shoot for a few months due to Doug’s Falling Skies schedule but Doug is literally the sweetest man I’ve ever met in Hollywood (and one of the most talented) so it was definitely worth the wait! And of course, seeing him vaporize Gilmore wasn’t something I was going to compromise! I’d been waiting to see Gilmore killed on screen for years!

Mr. Doug Jones... the sweetest man in Hollywood! — Mr. Doug Jones… the sweetest man in Hollywood!

The days were fun and our love for 80s sci fi and fantasy films helped power us through the long hours (and the summer heat). Finally, after a few months of off and on editing, we arrived at the sizzle trailer that you see below. It’s a pitch piece that we can show people in order to tell them what ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’ could be, a celebration of nostalgia, wrestling and sword & sorcery (which is more popular today with Game of the Thrones and Lord of the Rings as it’s ever been) rolled up into a love letter to my brother Paul, a boy who grew up loving wrestling and achieved his dream of wrestling in the WWE at the age of 22. Now that those years are behind him and he’s off on life’s next adventure, I thought it would be a fun and sincere basis for a big, hilarious space and fantasy opera.

Please, if you enjoyed what you saw here, share ‘Paul London: Hero of the Prophecy’ with your friends, family… and even enemies! We want everyone to see what we’ve created in the hopes of keeping all of our childhood dreams and loves alive. That is why it’s so important to us here at Geekscape! And maybe, just maybe, with enough fan support or if it lands on the right set of eyes, the adventure will continue some more!

‘Girls’ Star Adam Driver To Play The Villain In ‘Star Wars Episode VII’?

by JonathanFebruary 26, 2014

About a month ago, it was widely rumored that ‘Girls’ star Adam Driver was being circled by Warner Bros. as a casting choice for Dick Grayson/Robin in Zack Snyder’s ‘Man of Steel’ sequel. That rumor has since fizzled out but it did put Driver on many geeks radar (unless they were already ‘Girls’ fans like our very own Shane “Rarity” O’Hare).

Well, now geeks have reason to reintroduce themselves to the actor as Variety reports Driver is close to signing on to play the villain in ‘Star Wars Episode VII’. Other actors rumored for a villain role (if not the villain role) include Michael Fassbender and Hugo Weaving so some powerful people are really swinging hard for the 30 year old actor. I’m all for the casting of a relative unknown (hey, Hayden Christensen was not one of the problems with with the Prequels) and look forward to seeing this new iteration of the Star Wars sage come together. Hopefully, Driver, J.J. and the rest of the Disney crew can make things right in the Star Wars cinematic universe again for all Star Wars geeks!

‘Star Wars Episode VII’ is scheduled for release on Dec. 18, 2015. For more information on the potential deal, click through to the full Variety article.

Source: Variety

Geekscape 322: Taking On The RoboCop Reboot With Miami Vice Artist Carl Reed!

by JonathanFebruary 13, 2014

As promised, one of my Miami Vice artists, Mr. Carl Reed, was in town this week to shoot some promotional videos with me for our upcoming book… so why not have him on an episode of Geekscape to talk comics!?! In this episode, we not only talk about and review the ‘RoboCop’ remake but Carl also talks about his creative process, how deep his love of comic books really goes and what properties he would like to see adapted into a comic. Plus! Is there a way to expand the comic book market through female readers? Will they ever buy comics? And we also give some hints on an upcoming Miami Vice project that we have yet to reveal!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 52:59 — 30.3MB)

Geekscape 321: Building Up The LEGO Movie With Marie Jamora!

by JonathanFebruary 10, 2014

After a mini hiatus we are back with my friend and fellow filmmaker Marie Jamora! Not only do I catch you up on the 1,001 things Geekscape has been working on recently, but we talk a lot of news! Marie tells us about studying under the late Philip Seymour Hoffman at Columbia as we say goodbye. The two of us tell you why ‘The LEGO Movie’ is the feel good movie of the 2014s and why Paul Bettany is going to make an awesome Vision. Plus, Marie tells us why her film ‘Ang Nawawala’ has yet to be released… and pirated!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 45:51 — 26.2MB)

Geekscape 320: Breaking Down The Oscar Race With Witney Siebold!

by JonathanJanuary 20, 2014

Last week the Oscar nominations were announced! There were surprises, snubs and favorites but what’s what? Luckily, I have friends who are smarter than me and have better taste! One such friend is Witney Siebold, former Geekscape writer and current movie critic for Crave Online… as well as co-host with William Bibbiani of the B-Movies Podcast! So after recording a sister episode of the B-Movies Podcast, we sat down to talk Oscars as well as Michael Douglas being cast as Hank Pym in ‘Ant-Man’, more Star Wars talk (as if there’s ever enough) and Geekscape’s very own ‘Doc of the Dead’ premiering at SXSW 2014!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 57:10 — 32.7MB)

The 8 Star Wars Expanded Universe Stories Worth Saving

by JonathanJanuary 16, 2014

Recently, the big news (that should have come to no one’s surprise) was that Marvel would officially start publishing Star Wars comics in 2015, just in time to coincide with Episode VII’s release and the end of Dark Horse Comics’ license that began in 1991. Shortly after the news was made official, fans began speculating about the statuses of their favorite Star Wars Expanded Universe stories from both the comics, video games and books and whether or not they’d just be thrown out. Zack Haddad and I even speculated a bit ourselves on last week’s podcast. Well, yes. The majority of them will be thrown out, especially because they’ve got to make room in the canon for new Star Wars movies… and because if anyone’s going to be printing money on an existing Expanded Universe you can sure bet it’s going to be Disney. They do own it after all.

And don’t be surprised if Disney’s expanded universe ends up becoming just as big, if not bigger, than the one we’ve had for the past three plus decades that’s about to be scrapped and replaced.

That being said, it is a sad time for many Star Wars fans as these stories meant a lot to them. And for the majority of my life (i.e. pre-Prequels) I counted myself as one of them. I read every book and comic and played every video game that had a Star Wars logo on it (you know, like Star Wars: Yoda Stories back in 1997). So I’m a bit sad as well because a lot of those stories were great, and in a time before the post-Prequels explosion, they were our only chance to visit that galaxy far, far away.

So without further ado, I present to you the Star Wars Expanded Universe stories that I believe should be preserved. May the Force Be With Them.

Tales of the Jedi
In a perfect galaxy, this Dark Horse Comics series would be safe from being scrapped to make room for future films and Disney’s Expanded Universe. These stories (all 8 story arcs) took place during the Old Republic era and catalogued the Great Sith War and older Jedi Order. That was an entire 5,000 years before the Battle of Yavin (or BBY to the Star Wars faithful) so they shouldn’t tread on anything Disney plans to do in Episode’s VII, VIII and IX. If anything, they laid the ground work, along with the video game Knight of the Old Republic, for a strong history to both the Jedi and the Sith. Written by Tom Veitch and Kevin J. Anderson (two of my favorite Star Wars comic writers), I hope these stories survive the purge somehow… but it doesn’t look good.

The Thrawn Trilogy
This one is an obvious choice. In 1991, when the first book Heir to the Empire was published, the Star Wars brand was barely on any fan’s radars. Combined with Dark Horse Comics’ first title Dark Empire, these three books were instrumental in not only bringing Star Wars back to life but also establishing a strong sequel of sorts to the original trilogy of films. Following the campaign of Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn, who got a pretty good promotion I guess after the explosion of the second Death Star, this series remains the bench mark for any of the Expanded Universe novels that came afterwards. I remember reading them in middle school and feeling like I was back in the theater watching the next series of Star Wars stories. Throwing these three books out of canon will hurt more than pretty much anything else on this list.

Dark Empire
This one’s another biggie, especially for me, and is about on par with The Thrawn Trilogy. If it wasn’t for a younger me spying Dave Dorman’s gorgeous cover to issue #1 from across the street while on vacation with my father, I’d probably never have gotten back into comic books, much less be writing comics today. Written by Tom Veitch with incredible, striking art by Cam Kennedy, Dark Empire told the story of a resurgent Empire that has retaken Coruscant and is in the midst of it’s own uprising. Luke travels to a Dark Side world called Byss and discovers that Emperor Palpatine is being reborn through younger clones (oh, and Luke almost goes to the Dark Side). Not only does Dark Empire have the pace and tone of a great Star Wars story but it also introduced some great locations to canon, like Nar Shaddaa, the smuggler’s moon, the setting for the already jettisoned Star Wars 1313 game. While major scenes in the Prequels took place on familiar places like Tatooine, Dark Empire did what any good Expanded Universe properties are supposed to in making the Star Wars galaxy seem as limitless and awe-inspiring as the original films.

The Star Wars Newspaper Strips (1979-1984)
These are enormously overlooked gems… but they shouldn’t be. In fact, these might be the purest forms of Expanded Universe stories out there, released concurrently with the original film trilogy. From 1979 to 1984, The Star Wars Comic Strip was published in newspapers. Really, though, what you’re looking for is the run that Archie Goodwin wrote with art by Al Williamson that literally took place between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Dark Horse collected and rereleased them years ago in a title simply called Classic Star Wars and did a great job of them. Seek these issues out if you can because unlike Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (the 1978 novel that at the time was the “sequel” to A New Hope), the Goodwin/Williamson stories felt like classic 70s and 80s Star Wars. Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the crew planet hopped from planet to planet looking for a new home for the Rebellion after the Battle of Yavin, the entire time trying to avoid Imperials and a vengeful Vader (who was not yet revealed to be Luke’s father of course). And Han continues to try and resolve his debt with Jabba the Hutt while escaping his bounty hunters as seen in the fantastic storyline The Bounty Hunter of Ord Mantell. These stories were fantastic and much better than the Star Wars comics that Marvel was printing at the time. Sadly, they may have already been thrown out of canon as this is the same point in the Star Wars timeline that Dark Horse’s current Brian Wood series takes place during. That being said, these stories are as pure original Star Wars as it gets on this list and they deserve their pace in the canon.

The Han Solo Adventures Trilogy
If the rumors are true and Disney really wants to make films based on a younger Han Solo’s adventures, then they should look no further for a basis to them than this series of books released between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. These three novels, Han Solo At Star’s End (1979), Han Solo’s Revenge (1979) and Han Solo and the Lost Legacy (1980), were not only chock full of swashbuckling space adventure but also shed light on questions left unanswered by the Star Wars films, like “what exactly were the circumstances of Han and Chewie meeting?” and “how did Han Solo get that scar on his chin (you know, the Harrison Ford scar!)?” Well, this trilogy of books answered all of them in classic 70s science fiction fashion! Like the Goodwin/Williamson comic strips, these stories were flush and consistent canon long before the Prequels started contradicting things (like how come Han doesn’t believe in the Force when his best bud die Chewie fought with Yoda in the Battle of Kashyyyk?). Lando did have his own mid-80s book series, The Lando Calrissian Adventures (made up of 3 books), but they needed some retconning to make them fit the Expanded Universe and are really only memorable because they cover the period of time Lando flew the Millennium Falcon before losing it to Han and because they introduced the Star Wars card game of Sabacc seen in other parts of the Expanded Universe.

Dark Forces and Dark Forces: Jedi Knight
Aww, the good old days of PC gaming, when most games wanted to be Doom clones… but some of them were actually really, really good! Remember the giant jet-packed Stormtrooper mech suits you had to fight in Dark Forces? And the live action cut scenes from Jedi Knight (not to mention the incredible Boba Fett battle on the lava refinery planet)? Those were the days! Unlike in the X-Wing and Tie Fighter games which were incredible but basically stuck to the backdrop of the Star Wars rebellion we were already familiar with, the Dark Forces games took off on their own and placed you in new unfamiliar planets battling against brand new villains and characters (like the evil Sith Lord Jerec from Jedi Knight). For the first time, this felt like the Star Wars universe being expanded on, from the first mission in Dark Forces to steal the Death Star plans for Leia (just before A New Hope) to the final battle in the Valley of the Jedi in Jedi Knight. And your character of Kyle Katarn was the catalyst, giving you first person freedom to explore the Star Wars universe, moreso than you had ever had to that point. Heck, you could even turn to the Dark Side in Jedi Knight, which took place a year after the Battle of Endor. As great as these stories were, I have to give a shout out to Rebel Assault II: The Hidden Empire, the semi rail based shooter that employed the first live action footage filmed in the Star Wars universe since Return of the Jedi. I loved that game to death (mainly for the excitement of the cut scenes)… but like the first Rebel Assault, its not really something that needs protecting from continuity scrubbing (in fact, the trench run in the first Rebel Assault already contradicts Luke’s run in A New Hope so get rid of it!).

Kyle-Katarn-Jedi-Knight — This guy will probably not be in Episode VII

The X-Wing Novels
If you read one series of non-Timothy Zahn Star Wars novels in the 90s Expanded Universe, it should be these four books, X-Wing: Rogue Squadron, X-Wing: Wedge’s Gamble, X-Wing: The Krytos Trap and X-Wing: The Bacta War, written by Michael A. Stackpole. Yes, they might be pretty safe from the continuity scrubbing due to how well they mirror the events of the original trilogy but who knows what’s up for reinterpretation! Regardless, these books followed Wedge Antilles and Rogue Squadron from adventure to adventure across the galaxy as they fought for the Rebel Alliance (and then the New Republic). I preferred the Michael A. Stackpole books but you can’t go wrong with the Aaron Allston written X-Wing: Wraith Squadron, X-Wing: Iron Fist and X-Wing Solo Command either. Dark Horse Comics even did a few comic book adaptations of these books that weren’t bad as well (but the novels are preferred). Also worth mentioning, and probably continuity scrubbing proof, would be the Tales books Tales From The Mos Eisley Cantina, Tales From Jabba’s Palace and Tales of the Bounty Hunters… you know, because you just had to know what Max Rebo was up to before ending up on Jabba’s ill-fated sail barge that fine desert day. There are two more books, Tales From The Empire and Tales From the New Republic, that offer a bit more Expanded Universe stories in them and veer away from the films but their placement in the Star Wars timeline grant them a giant target on their heads. Welcome to retcon city, guys.

Shadows Of The Empire
This one’s big, as it was one of the first major multimedia releases within the Star Wars brand that did not involve a film’s release. Concurrently with the novel of the same name was the release of a Shadows of the Empire video game on Nintendo 64 (and later PC), comic book and even a soundtrack (which was pretty bad ass… as we didn’t think we’d be getting any new John Williams music anytime soon)! The storyline bridges the gap between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi (so it might be safe from destruction!) and surrounded the planned rescue of Han on Tatooine and a new challenge to Vader’s place in the Empire at the hands of the crime lord Prince Xixor (who kind of looks like a Scarran from Farscape). In the game, you played as Dash Rendar, who is a bit of a scoundrel himself and tasked with tracking Han Solo’s capture as it passes hands Boba Fett to Jabba with some other bounty hunters thrown in for good measure. I don’t remember the game being that bad, and you do end up having to save Leia again, and the comics and the book were good if not pretty entertaining (although I told you before, the X-Wing and Zahn novels are really all you need). The comics might be the most solid version of the story (since the game has not aged well), mainly because of Kilian Plunkett’s dynamic artwork and because writer John Wagner (writer of A History of Violence and co-creator of Judge Dredd!) can write a great mega city chase sequence with tons and tons of your favorite Empire Strikes Back bounty hunters thrown into the story to boot!

The booming soundtrack to my highschool summers... — The booming soundtrack to my highschool summers…

It's best that we don't show you the graphics. — It’s best that we don’t show you the graphics.

The Shadows of the Empire comics were the best. — The Shadows of the Empire comics were the best versions of the story.

So there you have it, my list of the Star Wars stories that I don’t think should be scrubbed in lieu of a new Expanded Universe. Yes, you will notice two things: I removed the storyline in which Chewbacca dies saving Han and Leia’s kids (and I’m pretty sure Disney will too) and that I didn’t pay much attention to Star Wars and the Expanded Universe post-Prequels. The truth is… it just hurt too much! Clearly, from what you just read, I consumed and was passionate about all things Star Wars right up to May 1999 (which made dating in high school and college kind of hard) but then let my passion slide.

And that’s where you come in. If there are any other Expanded Universe story lines that you love and think should be protected from the Disney erasers, tell me about them in the comments below (you know, like the two Ewok movies…)! I am looking forward to the new Star Wars movies quite a bit and with fresh new eyes, knowing that all things must come to pass. But of course, as a fan running a fan site, I needed to take this time to earmark my favorites for you and invite you to share yours as well. May the Force be with you.

The Geekscape Co-Produced ‘Doc of the Dead’ Is Premiering At SXSW 2014!

by JonathanJanuary 10, 2014

Yesterday was a big day for Geekscape. I’ve been sitting on the news for a while now, letting you guys know that an announcement was forthcoming, and yesterday SXSW spilled the beans by revealing the first films in their 2014 lineup. Included along with the ‘Veronica Mars’ movie and ‘Chef’ by John Favreau is our Alexandre Philippe directed ‘Doc of the Dead’, which we started shooting way back when in 2012!

As you can see from the below trailer from last year, Geekscape is one of the producers on the film, along with Alexandre’s Exhibit A and the popular Red Letter Media. Epix, the US cable company, is producing the film (and releasing it in the US… details to come). I wrote and directed the ‘Geekscape segments’ in the movie, which you’ll know ’em when you see ’em, and my Geekscape business partner Georg Kallert produced them. Who knows, you might even see a Geekscape character or two pop up in the film!

http://youtu.be/gZHLS2PwMKs

Regardless, I’m excited for all of you loyal Geekscapists to finally see the film over the coming months. I can’t reveal any of our US or foreign distribution plans yet but suffice to say, if you want to see the film you will definitely get your chance. We’ve worked hard on it, interviewing people like George Romero, Max Brooks, Greg Nicotero, Bruce Campbell and Robert Kirkman and I think you guys will be proud to have helped be a part of it just by continuing to support Geekscape with your visits, word of mouth, listening to the podcast and visiting with us at the various Cons. We’ll see some of you in Austin and the rest of you we’ll see along the way! More to come!

At SDCC 2012 with director Alexandre Philippe and Walking Dead artist Charlie Adlard

Geekscape 319: Talking Star Wars Comics, CES And More With Zack Haddad

by JonathanJanuary 9, 2014

Longtime Geeskcapist Zack Haddad returns to the show to talk news, both personal and pop culture! We talk about his recent surprise marriage and whether or not Shane O’Hare is allowed to stay this summer for Comic Con Tuesday after almost falling on his cat. We also talk about Star Wars comics leaving Dark Horse for Marvel and what it means to the Star Wars Extended Universe! CES is going on and the big news is Michael Bay bombing and the Steam Machines impressing! Plus, Matt Reeves is directing the third Planet of the Apes movie and the Robocop reboot gets not so impressive video game trailer! Also, Agents of Shield steps up but Arrow is still the show to watch!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 50:41 — 29.0MB)

Geekscape 318: Wrapping Up 2013 At The Movies With Jon Schnepp!

by JonathanDecember 31, 2013

On the final day of 2013, Jon Schnepp joins me to talk about our favorite movies of 2013… and some of our not so favourites! Will ’12 Years a Slave’ be a shoe in at the Oscars or ‘American Hustle’? Will people forget movies like ‘Gravity’ or ‘Prisoners’? What about ‘Her’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’? As great as ‘Pacific Rim’ was… is it as much geek fun as ‘Man of Steel’ and ‘Thor 2’? Really, this is a super long episode because there’s just so much to talk about! As great as movies were in 2013, we help you navigate your thoughts, our thoughts and everybody’s thoughts!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:21:58 — 46.9MB)

Geekscape 317: Jon Hotchkiss Discusses The ‘This VS That’ Controversy!

by JonathanDecember 18, 2013

Jon Hotchkiss is a TV show creator with extensive credits for shows like ‘Penn and Teller’s Bullshit!’ and ‘Politically Incorrect’. Last week I discovered Jon Hotchikiss’ ‘This VS That’ website through a friend and read a story about his TV show ‘This VS That’, a science test show that has never aired in the US and that Jon distributes independently through his website. The blog post talked about how his show was “taken” by Discovery Channel and Mythbusters. Wow. I know there are a lot of Mythbusters fans on Geekscape so I thought I’d sit down with Jon and get his side of the story… and here it is!

As a bonus, Jon has offered Geekscape listeners a discount code for all 6 episodes of ‘This VS That’.

1. Go to: ThisvsThatshow.com
2. Click: see the series
3. Launch player
4. Enter your info
5. Add promo code: geekscape

Subscribe to the Geekscape podcast on iTunes!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:07:25 — 38.6MB)

Hell Yes! Image Comics Is Bringing Back David Lapham’s ‘Stray Bullets’ In A Big Way!

by JonathanDecember 17, 2013

Wow. This is great news. One of my favorite comic book series of all time, David Lapham’s Stray Bullets is returning to shelves from Image Comics. For those unfamiliar with the Eisner Award winning series, Stray Bullets ran for 40 issues (and one or two Amy Racecar specials) and a few years after it’s first issue’s release in 1995. Then… that was it. Years went by. The series passed on into legend and legend into myth (at least around my house).

But today Image Comics sent out notice that the series is returning, not just with a brand new Issue #41, but also with a massive collection of Issues #1-41 and a brand new first issue of a new series entitled Stray Bullets: The Killers. And they all hit on the same day: March 12th, 2013!

David Lapham has been one of my favorite writer/creators for years, ever since reading Stray Bullets #1, which I still consider my favorite single issue of any comic book I have ever read. It’s worth picking up the new collection alone (or The Innocence of Nihilism trade that was put into print years ago). You might know his work from books like Daredevil VS Punisher: Means and Ends, Detective Comics or Damaged (which has yet to be finished, dammit!). But now, his major work as a unique voice returns. You have no idea how good it feels to finally see this cover to Issue #41! This is a great series that you’re not going to want to miss!

Press release after the break!

STRAY BULLETS, by award-winning creator David Lapham, has found a new home: Image Comics. The critically-acclaimed cult classic that left readers in heart-stopping suspense at the end of issue #40 will pick up where it left off and make up for lost time.

Image Comics is proud to announce that STRAY BULLETS #41 (Diamond Code: JAN140528), a definitive collection of issues #1-41 entitled STRAY BULLETS: THE ÜBER ALLES EDITION (Diamond Code JAN140530), and the first issue of STRAY BULLETS: THE KILLERS #1 (Diamond Code JAN140529), the beginning of a new story arc that will continue as an ongoing monthly series, will all hit store shelves simultaneously on 3/12.

And for the first time ever, every issue of STRAY BULLETS and all forthcoming digital issues will be available immediately on the Image Comics website (imagecomics.com) and the official Image Comics iOS app, as well as on Comixology on the web (comixology.com), iOS, Android, and Google Play. To help readers jump in on the excitement, the first four digital issues will be offered for free.

“I couldn’t be more excited to be back,” said Lapham. “Stray Bullets is home to me. To the fans who have been asking, and asking about it for years…I finally have good news for you.”

STRAY BULLETS won the 1996 Eisner Award for Best Writer/Artist, and the trade paperback collection STRAY BULLETS: Innocence of Nihilism won the 1997 Eisner Award for Best Graphic Album-Reprint. Its trademark dark, neo-noir themes and nonlinear storytelling have been likened to the storytelling styles of Quentin Tarantino and David Lynch.

“I’ve been a fan of Stray Bullets since the book first debuted back in 1995, and working with David and Maria Lapham to bring the book back at Image is hands down one of the most exciting things I’ve done since becoming Publisher,” said Eric Stephenson, Publisher at Image Comics. “Stray Bullets is one of comics’ towering achievements, and I could not be more proud to be publishing it through Image!”

Geekscape 316: Ian Kerner Talks ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’!

by JonathanDecember 16, 2013

Every time Ian Kerner guests on a new Geekscape episode, it’s like a major event… just like the release of ‘The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug’! Ian and I sit down, break down Peter Jackson’s second film in The Hobbit trilogy and how it just feels good to be back among old (and new friends) in Middle Earth! Spoilers abound, obviously, as we get right to the thick of it, just like journeying into the wilds of Mirkwood! Also, we get Ian’s take on Sony’s announcement of ‘Venom’ and ‘Sinister Six’ films and we also talk about the Wachowski’s ‘Jupiter Ascending’ and Tom Cruise in ‘Edge of Tomorrow’!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 58:19 — 33.4MB)

Geekscape 315: Boom! Studios’ Mel Caylo Talks Comics!

by JonathanDecember 6, 2013

Mel Caylo is a longtime friend of Geekscape so it’s surprising that this is his first appearance! Don’t worry, because the popular comic book everyman has a lot to say! From his work at Boom! Studios to his previous gig at Archaia (now a part of Boom!), Mel knows the indie comics industry backwards and forwards. He takes this opportunity to give you the latest on what Boom! is putting out and what to pick up for the Holidays! Plus! We talk some news, like Paul Walker’s tragic death, the casting of Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman in ‘Man of Steel 2’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man 2’ trailer and Bryan Singer and Fox announcing ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ for 2016! Oh! And we also get to the bottom as to whether or not Mel tortures his interns! This is one not to miss!

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Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:00:21 — 34.5MB)

Bryan Singer Says ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’ Is Coming In 2016?

by JonathanDecember 5, 2013

Even though we haven’t seen this summer’s ‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ yet, Bryan Singer took to Twitter today to tease that a new X-Men movie is on it’s way… in 2016!

#Xmen #Apocalypse 2016!

— Bryan Singer (@BryanSinger) December 5, 2013

And the proposed title of the film has us all stoked: ‘X-Men: Apocalypse’. That’s either a reference to one of the X-Men’s biggest villains (um, Apocalypse, duh) or just the fact that things are going to get straight up apocalyptic for Marvel’s band of merry mutants.

Fox confirmed that the movie will be released Memorial Day weekend on May 27, 2016 even though Disney’s ‘Alice in Wonderland 2’ will arrive that same day. Seeing as both of the previous movies in those franchises made big money, look for one of them to shift dates. Disney VS Fox… who’s going to flinch?

‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’, out this summer, features stars from his original X-Men films and Matthew Vaughn’s ‘X-Men: First Class’, ideally for fans in a move that will streamline the universe in order to move forward towards the previously announced ‘X-Factor’ and ‘Deadpool’ films (and let’s not count out a possible ‘Fantastic 4’ crossover… like that time in the comics where both teams went to Latveria and duked it out with Doom… remember that!?!).

‘X-Men: Days of Future Past’ is arriving May 23, 204.

Apocalypse feature art by Dave Wilkins.

Geekscape 314: The Final Toadhop Show (For Now?)!

by JonathanNovember 27, 2013

Not all good things can last and while the live shows at Toadhop have been a blast, the studio is closing up and it’s time to go another way. Geekscape will always keep trucking, as you know, but this is the last Toadhop episode for the time being. Matt Raub and Ben Dunn join Kenny and I on a classic Geekscape episode in which we review ‘Hunger Games: Catching Fire’ and ‘The Dallas Buyers Club’, talk about how you shouldn’t be missing ‘Arrow’ and that The Governor has completely reinvigorated ‘The Walking Dead’! Also, Ben talks about his love for ‘Zelda: A Link Between Worlds’, I enthusiastically support ‘Super Mario 3D World’ and Matt chooses the XBox One over the PS4… and tells us why!

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And listen to the full conversation here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 1:03:10 — 25.3MB)

Geekscape 313: Jeff Grace Really Wants To Direct!

by JonathanNovember 22, 2013

Jeff Grace makes his return to the show to talk about his brand new film ‘Folk Hero And Funny Guy’ that he’s currently raising funds for, starring ‘Girls’ actor Alex Karpovsky! Plus, he’s got a one hour Hulu comedy special coming out in January that he can only tell us a little bit about (what’s the fun in that!?!)! Also, Jeff talks about releasing his movie ‘It’s a Disaster’ on the same weekend as the Boston Bombing. How did that effect things? PLUS! ‘Fangasm’s Andrew Duval guest co-hosts and I drop some big news about the future of Geekscape!

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And listen to the full conversation here:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 56:05 — 22.5MB)