On Saturday's Next Afronerd Radio Show: David Walker's Shaft Comix, More on Panther-Grindhouse Mixtape, Sat@6pm EST

Hey peeps!  Welcome to the Grindhouse Mixtape (Comic Shoppe+Afronerd Radio=Blerd info) edition of Afronerd Radio airing this Saturday at 6pm EST).  Join Daryll B., Dburt and Capt. Kirk as they gas up Scooby's (or is that Mike Tyson's) "Mystery Machine" in hopes of highlighting these pop, pulp and politcal conundrums: filmmaker, author and graphic novelist, David Walker stops by to discuss his new Dynamite comic project, Shaft; the crew shed more light on last week's Marvel cinematic bombshell-e.g. Avengers Infinity Wars, Cap 3, Black Panther, etc; Bradley Cooper heralds his 2011 Limitless movie toward a small screen TV series; Dburt finally gets around to discussing the Finding Your Roots special with Nas and Angela Bassett; HBO releases the Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Browndoc; an actress films what it's like to experience cat calling as street harassment;  a teacher tentatively remains on the job after telling a student that her "bucket list" would contain a pledge to "kill Black people" ; more tidbits on DC's forthcoming Wonder Woman film (1920s period setting; need for a woman director)  and lastly, is it important for MCU ( and WB/DC supporters) to have some working knowledge of the print comics that the movies come from?  Call the hosts live at 646-915-9620.

There is no right or wrong in this debate. It is simply a matter of perspective, and it is not my place to influence the evolution of the superhuman role- Dr. Stephen Strange

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/afronerd/2014/11/01/david-walkers-shaft-comix-more-on-panther-grindhouse-mixtape-sat6pm-est

Finally! Marvel's Black Panther Gets An Actor Attached & A Release Date!

After years of speculation and numerous Black actors of note that were purportedly attached to an
unconfirmed Black Panther film, Marvel Entertainment finally ponied up with some very definitive answers. Actor, Chad Boseman of 42 and Get On Up fame, has been tapped to portray the King of Wakanda with a tentative release date of November 3rd, 2017.   This film, in the geek community, has essentially been the African elephant in the room as it pertains to a dynamic Black character within the Marvel mythos that had not yet received the silver screen treatment.  And you honestly thought that the Guardians of the Galaxy film would be the property that would test Marvel's hit making prowess? Nope...let's see if Marvel can make a Black...oops, African themed film that will produce big national and international box office.  And will a Black director be chosen to helm this film (or at the very least a duet employing the stewardship abilities of Quentin Tarantino and Reginald Hudlin, a la Django-an Afronerd recommendation)?  Team Django was able to make close to a half a billion dollars with a film about slavery and a Black protagonist who killed White folks with equal aplomb.  Certainly, a film about a monied, sophisticated and super powered African king should be a walk in the park.  At the very least, the folks at Afronerd are overjoyed!  BUT IT BETTER BE EXCELLENT.   Nuff said!

For more info, check out this article, courtesy of friends at Shadow and Act:  

Apparently, Marvel is currently hosting some *secret* press conference, as I type this. I learned this because my Twitter feed just exploded with posts from people who are attending the conference, with news of project announcements that the studio is making.

You'll recall, a few weeks ago, they revealed a slate of about 11 or so upcoming feature films based on characters from the Marvel universe, that will be released between 2015 and 2020. The announcement didn't come with what characters would be getting their own movies - just dates for what were, at the time, "untitled" projects.

Of course speculation began as to what each of those "untitled" projects would be, with Black Panther's name at the top of that list (specifically on this blog).

We can now confirm, based on reports from the press conference, that a Black Panther movie finally has an official release date, set for November 3, 2017! So, you've got almost exactly 3 years to wait for it. But that's not all...

Confirming what we already had been speculating for months, Chadwick Boseman has been cast to play Black Panther! 

So the speculation can officially come to an end now.

Rumors that the busy Boseman was Marvel's top choice to play the character have been circulating for months now. Marvel never did confirm those rumors (until today). It certainly didn't reject them either. And neither did Boseman, who had been quite coy whenever asked about the possibility, which only helped fuel the rumors.

Talk of a potential Black Panther introduction in next year's 'Avengers: Age of Ultron' don't seem so impossible now.

Of course, fans of the superhero will know that he and Storm of the X-Men have a history together, so I can only assume that speculation will soon begin on whether she'll make an appearance in the Black Panther movie, even if it's just a cameo, and what actress will be cast to play her. Although 20th Century Fox owns the rights to the character, not Disney, so I'm not sure how that would be worked out, if it were indeed to happen.

Black Panther concept art, also revealed this afternoon, at the bottom of this post.

Today's project press announcements include:

• Captain America 3: Civil War on May 6th, 2016 

• Doctor Strange on November 4th, 2016

• Guardians of the Galaxy 2 on May 5th, 2017

• Thor 3: Ragnarok on July 28th, 2017

• Black Panther on November 3rd, 2017

• Captain Marvel on July 6th, 2018

• Inhumans on November 2nd, 2018

• Avengers: Infinity War Part One in May 2018

• Avengers: Infinity War Part Two in May 2019

Check out the Black Panther concept art that was also released at the press conference today:

    

Daryll B.'s Freshly Baked Comic Book Reviews! Right From Afronerd's Easy Bake Oven

A whole lot of reviews.....

  

As you can see, I have been busy the last 3 weeks and this isn't even all of it because Age of Ultron, Miles Morales 6, Justice League Throne of Atlantis, Rachel Rising 26 and Earth 2 World's End 1 are all being borrowed/read by others. So yeah business as usual... Next Week I finally get my hands on Concrete Park and both books of Superman: The Black Ring but now let me dive in...

I have been telling you about Ed Piskor's Hip-Hop Family Tree and we did a segment on it a couple of shows ago. This is literally a visual early history book with book one following the notable players from the 1970's and book two hitting the years of 1979-1983. What stood out for me was the almost monopolistic methods Sugarhill Records used to stay in control over the scene and how much of a debt hip-hop owes Debbie Harry of Blondie. Definitely a must get for hip-hop diehards.

With SpiderVerse on the horizon, I managed to get Spider-Men which was the first crossover meeting between our Peter Parker and Miles Morales from the Ultimate Universe. The plot is almost secondary in nature to the reactions of Peter to this universe and his Ultimate Family to him. Brian Michael Bendis does a great job here of scripting this and it truly can be seen as the inspiration of the upcoming multi-Spidey event.

I can't believe that the end is coming soon for Fables and Camelot is the latest chapter of the modern fairytale meets real world story. This one follows Rose Red as she tries to organize her own Knights of the Round Table to combat future threats. And as with other ideas in this book previous, the road to hell is paved with good intentions because we see the trouble building up around on all sides. Bill Willingham certainly has everyone set up for an action-filled, dramatic rollercoaster final couple of trades.

The completist in me needed to pick up IDW's GI Joe/Transformers Volume 3 just for the final story Black Horizon which includes Cobra-La, Unicron, and Joe Colton. The intertwining of the 2 universe in this company's iteration has been quite well done. And I could say the same about Superman: Return To Krypton, which is a collection of the Superman stories from the late 90s-early 2000s that saw Superman returning to Krypton and meeting his folks. First place I read the stylings of Joe Kelly and saw Ed McGuiness' artistic talent was through this period of Superman books. I have followed both ever since....

I saw the second trade for the Nu52 version of the Justice League and the 2nd Valentino collection of the 90's Version of Guardians of the Galaxy for half price, so I snapped them up quick. The JL trade entitled "The Villain's Journey" chronicles a character named David Graves and his descent from fan to deadly enemy of the team. Longtime fans will catch the villain that he HAS to be based on right away. Of particular interest are the seeds that Geoff Johns plants here for Throne of Atlantis, the Justice League of America, Trinity War, and Forever Evil. I have my criticisms of his style at times, but there is no denying that Johns plays the long game better than most in the business... Meanwhile with Guardians, fans get 30th Century payoffs to what happened to the mutants of this alternate reality; or Ghost Rider for than matter; and can you say "Punishers"? Yeah, being the legacy fan I am, I enjoyed the hell out of this volume......

Issue Quick Hits:

New Warriors 11: If you heard the show on Saturday, you already know my feelings about Marvel cancelling the series. This Warriors vs the Eternals issue was good but it hard to read knowing that I have only one more issue left....

Q2 The Return of Quantum & Woody 1: This marks a return to the cult favorite timeline and fan-favorite writer Christopher Priest. What else? C'mon! This is Quantum and Woody...and Woody...and Woody.... This is the type of craziness that made it possible for a "Deadpool" to exist successfully over at Marvel....

Fantastic Four 11: Another book of mine living on borrowed time for reasons that are beyond me. James Robinson is writing an interesting examination of superheroics and family. How does one maintain the safety of their children when surrounded by craziness 24/7? When does said craziness fracture the family dynamic permanently? And what about psyches of all involved? I know a lot of comic fans don't read that much into it but I am loving it!

Ms. Marvel 9: One of the worst kept secrets in comics is that Kamala Khan got her powers as a result of the Infinity Event and than she is an inhuman. Still the incredulous look on her face as she meets Medusa and the other Inhumans is priceless. Ah youth... she gonna learn soon enough how big of a weird world she is now involved in.....

Earth 2 World's End 1-3: Book acts as a prequel to the events we see playing out in the Futures End series. Apokolips is on a collision course with Earth, their forces are laying waste to the planet and the heroes are already fractured. Yup this book is beautifully bleak as reinterpretations of the Trinity and Justice Society fight in vain against an end approaching sooner than anyone thinks...

This leaves me with Avengers/X-Men Axis 1-3 "The Red Supremacy". Essentially, The Red Skull has the brain of the deceased Charles Xavier and when "incorporating" it for use, gains the tremendous power of Onslaught. So essentially he has the power to bend reality along with awesome telepathic abilities. We are dealing with House of M combined with Heroes Reborn here but it falls flat to me. Sure there are awesome mark out moments but as a fan who has been, self-admittedly, evented out by Marvel, I need more here. The second book better bolster the plot more than Havok, a "new" Thunderbolts team, and a restored Apocalypse... Yeah I greedy....

OK that does it for me now. Comic and Sci-Fi Fans, Enjoy your week. A reminder than this week's ComicShoppe can be found here:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/afronerd/2014/10/25/latest-pop-culture-news-author-taleeb-starkes-the-grindhouse-sat-6pm

Until next time, Keep Fantasizing!

Mark Your Calendars for the 28th, Nas & Angela Bassett Discover Their Roots, Thanks to Dr. Henry L. Gates

At a time when cognitive dissonance reigns supreme, shows like Dr. Henry Louis Gates' Finding Your Roots remind us that the past is inextricably connected to our present day lives.  As much as our current society can applaud the conveniences of modern technology (e.g. email, the internet, TV, texting), it appears that a type of sociopathy has become the cultural standard.  Popular Hip Hop artists like, Lil Wayne and his labelmate, Nicki Minaj have rapped or used derogatory imagery that defamed Black historical figures (specif. Emmett Till, Malcolm X) without real consequences or derision from their Generation Y fanbase.  In plain speak, history does not resonate or feel authentic to them.  Perhaps a visit from Dr. Gates coupled with documents, pictures and slave sale receipts might help to make the historical record more personal and/or tactile to them.  Maybe.  Just to witness the reaction of such notables as Nas, Derek Jeter, Courtney Vance, Anna Deavere Smith and others confronted with their antecedents' ownership is worth the price of admission.  The history is no longer murky (shouting out Raven-Symone) or fantasy-based, it's real and extremely painful.  So mark your calendars for this Tuesday, October 28th on PBS, to check out the latest episode of the series. Here are a few clips featuring famed actress, Angela Bassett and Hip Hop legend, Nasir Jones:

After Viewing Mike Tyson Mysteries, A Scooby Doo Crossover Absolutely Must Happen!

I think it's safe to say in the modern era, a once wealthy and now downtrodden athlete can actually muster a type of "brand" renaissance when at one time such a feat would have been inconceivable.  At the height of Mike Tyson's athletic prowess, his personal fortune was estimated to be somewhere north of 300 million dollars. Unfortunately, after years of dubious mental stability, personal tragedies, incarceration, bad marriages and financial mismanagement-Team Tyson returns via the magic of creative branding.  Tyson bears the fortunate distinction of existing in a world where name recognition, social media content and sponsorship with the assistance of a shrewd marketing machine can rehabilitate just about anyone that has fallen from grace (just ask Paula Deen).  After viewing Adult Swim's Mike Tyson Mysteries (the titular character voiced by Tyson himself), I must admit that I was thoroughly amused and wondering if a Scooby-Doo crossover is in the works (despite the adult content, it definitely channels the 70s legendary Hanna Barbera series).  For additional thoughts on Tyson Mysteries, check out The Hollywood Reporter's review and better yet, the first episode is available for viewing, courtesy of Youtube (below):

 

Halo: Nightfall Survives the Xbox Entertainment Studios' Downfall & Debuts Nov.11-Agent Locke's Origin Tale

On a major level, the Xbox Live series, Halo: Nightfall exemplifies the very need and premise for a site entitled, Afronerd.  Why this series isn't getting enough attention in urban media boggles the mind.  In a entertainment landscape that is somewhat lacking when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy minority representation, Nightfall not only has a Black protagonist in Agent Jameson Locke (portrayed by actor, Mike Colter) but also allows for his origin story to be told.  I guess the Locke character doesn't jibe well with the often seen Love and Hip Hop archetype.  Here's a bit more info, courtesy of  Spinoff Online:

Ridley Scott Shines Light On ‘Halo: Nightfall’ With New Trailer

by TJ Dietsch

In a few short weeks Halo fans will finally feast their eyes on the long-awaited Halo: Nightfall from producer Ridley Scott. Debuting Nov. 11 on Xbox Live, the five-episode series bridges the gap between Halo 4 and the 2015-shipping Halo 5: Guardians.

Nightfall introduces new character Agent Locke, portrayed by Mike Colter (The Good Wife), who will play a huge role in Halo 5: Guardians. He and his crew must stop a plot by the alien conglomeration known as Covenant from unleashing a concoction that will kill only humans.

Halo: Nightfall, which also stars Christina Chong, Luke Neal and Steve Waddington, was penned by Prison Break creator Paul Scheuring and directed by Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (Battlestar Galactica).

New Episode of The Grindhouse at AfronerdRadio.com: Latest Pop Culture News & Author, Taleeb Starkes-Saturday @6pm!

Hey Hey Hey Hey....welcome to the latest episode of Afronerd Radio's Grindhouse broadcasting live this Saturday at 6pm.  For the first segment (better known as The Comic Shoppe), join Dburt, Capt. Kirk and Daryll B. as they unwrap the following pulp flavored issues:  the cyberwebs get a 2 min. trailer for the Avengers 2: Age of Ultron film; Warner Bros. digital (along with director, Reginald Hudlin) is producing a live action Static Shock series; Archie and Co. are going to Fox TV for the tentatively titled Riverdale series; a Frankenstein TV series is also coming to Fox; more on the distinctions between Marvel and DC on race/ethnicity in print, TV and film and lastly, Ridley Scott's Halo:Nightfall Xbox series makes it debut early November centering around the new Jameson Locke character (proving once again that you can have a Black lead for a sci-fi series without the world falling apart...we're just sayin').   

Next up, we have Afronerd Radio (featuring Capt.Kirk and Dburt) starting at 7pm. Controversial author, Taleeb Starkes stops by to discuss his book, Uncivil War: Blacks vs Niggers.  We will also get his insight relating to a number of hot button issues-e.g. Ferguson unrest, stop and frisk, political correct culture, neo-minstrelsy/hip hop and the fallacy of the Black monolith.  NOT THE SHOW TO MISS.  Call live at 646-915-9620.

How do you do it, Namor? How do you bury the part of you that was good and noble so deep that all that remains is this? Some shell of the man you used to be.-T'Challa the Black Panther

Look at them, T'Challa-- flying off to save the unsaveable. The good and noble, warring against the inevitable. Is that us? Is that what you think we are? You mighty have been right at one time. Maybe I was that man once. Maybe you were as well. But then we both lost our people, and our kingdoms crumbled. Even now, while we do what we must to keep the things we love alive, we become everything they hate. Do you know what you bury deep, my friend? Things that have died. Who is this Namor, good and noble? No man I know.-Namor McKenzie, The Submariner  

In the Avengers 2 Trailer, Mr. Serkis Looks A Lot Like Ulysses Klaw. Is a Black Panther Appearance Probable?

Well, to channel the immortal words of The Comic Shoppe's Daryll B., "I'll believe it, when I see it."  Word has it in cyberspace that motion capture actor, Andy Serkis may have been tapped to portray the Black Panther villain, Klaw in the second installment of the Avengers franchise.  If that's the case, are audiences to expect an appearance from the Wakandan king in this next iteration?  It would behoove Marvel to consider going in this cinematic direction if their ethereal competition with rival comic movie company, Warner Brothers is to have any "teeth."  Just last week Warner/DC announced no less than ten movies slated for release in the next six years with a few films centered around minority themed characters.  To date, Marvel Entertainment (no, Blade doesn't count....that film came before ME's creation) has not produced any films where a woman or minority is the actual star of the production.  The irony is that after the success of The Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel has gained the reputation that their brand can make a successful film out of anything, considering the obscurity GOG was as an intellectual property.  If you need further evidence of Marvel's growing teflon status, check out this recent SNL skit that pokes fun of their current hit making abilities (starring Chris Pratt, no less):

Here's more theorizing for your edification from Cinenemablend.com:

Black Panther May Be In Avengers 2, Here's The Evidence

BY ERIC EISENBERG

We’ve been hearing whispers about Black Panther’s arrival in the Marvel Cinematic Universe for years and years now, and while he hasn’t shown up yet, it may not be long before the character makes his live-action feature debut. After all, the brand newAvengers: Age of Ultron trailer has what appear to be some rather big hints that Black Panther is coming sooner rather than later.

At this point we’ve analyzed practically every frame of the breathtaking preview of next year’s blockbuster, but there are two moments in particular that suggest Black Panther’s imminent arrival. The first clue to look at is actually the reveal of one of the most popular character actors working today:

In case you don’t recognize him outside of a performance capture leotard, that’s Dawn of the Planet of the Apes’ Andy Serkis, sporting a mop top and a pretty interesting looking beard. We’ve known that the actor has a role in The Avengers: Age of Ultronfor a few months now, the official identity being kept a secret, but his appearance here is reminiscent of one comic book character in particular: the Black Panther villain Ulysses Klaw.

In the comics, Klaw is a supervillain and physicist who specializes in the field of sound. A key element to his work is the metal vibranium – a.k.a. the stuff Captain America’s shield is made out of – and as a result he often finds himself in the only place in the world where the metal can be found: Wakanda (Black Panther’s home). We’ve already heard rumors that part of The Avengers: Age of Ultron would be set in the African nation, and the appearance of a character that looks a whole lot like Ulysses Klaw only supports that idea.

That brings us to our second clue featured in the Avengers 2 trailer, which is featured about 18 seconds into the spot:

This scene may seem rather innocuous given that the image of forging metal isn’t really out of place in a film with a robot villain, but it’s very possible that there is more going on here than meets the eye. I’d be willing to put some money down now saying that what we are looking at here is Ultron visiting Wakanda and essentially making himself indestructible by coating his entire body in Vibranium. The idea simply fits too well with all of the other information we’ve gotten.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron featuring scenes in Black Panther’s home country and one of
his key adversaries isn’t necessarily proof that the hero will actually be appearing in the film, 
but it certainly does seem like a lot of set up. And why set it up unless you are going to let it 
pay off. Even if Black Panther isn’t in Avengers 2, it’s hard to imagine that he won’t be a part
of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Phase Three.        

Mid Week Musings From The Comic Shoppe's Daryll B: The Flash; Haven; SHIELD, etc

*Check out Third Coast Comics (perhaps the only Black owned comic book store in the US...still verifying that claim)-http://www.jetmag.com/life/jet-interviews-comic-shop-owner-terry-gant-for-nanowrimo/


Now.....on to Daryll B.'s Musings!

Howdy AfroNerds and Fantasy Fans! Once again let's delve into the news, views and reviews of our quaint little universe.

-I been loving The Flash...until the final scene in episode 2. This is the perfect place for someone to come out from around a corner saying "Too Soon?!?!?" Not going to spoil it but wow. Just wow... I have to give kudos to Jesse L. Martin also. He steals every scene he has been in....

-Meanwhile, Arrow couldn't have begun better for me in setting up the drama. And I don't care what some fans gripe about him,  Brandon Routh is damn good in superhero type fare, and makes me crave for him to do a little size changing. And it obvious that Mr. Routh LOVES acting in our type projects.....

-Agents of SHIELD also has been a rollercoaster for most of their existence but the darker tone of this season to start has me hooked already. And the fact that they have also worked in humor to balance the darkness creates a tone that not many shows on American TV are touching...in any genre...

-Again DC Fans... I not hating but I'll believe this little schedule of Warner Bros when I'm in the theater watching Cyborg, meaning that I have already gone through 7 of the movies on this list. #ProveItWarnerBros #QualityPaysInTheEnd

I want to see it because it means that DC would have finally convinced Warner Bros honchos to have seen the light and that a larger, all-inclusive, connected universe would be beneficial as well as profitable. Knock on wood now....

-Just saw the first episode of Black Dynamite Season Two... and all I have to say is whoa... Someone will DEFINITELY get upset watching this as their writers turned quite a few stereotypes on their ears.....

-I still laughing at The Family Guy/Simpsons crossover but I have to admit, South Park's Lorde Saga had me rolling in laughter more....

-I also have to admit that the Web Warriors direction for Ultimate Spider-Man has been well played this season to date. It seems that the writers have toned down the over the top slapstick, wink-wink-nudge-nudge aspect and have crafted a good underlying plot. I hope it continues at this pace for the rest of the season....

-C'Mon Haven... You're losing me. You can bounce back but it seems that you are spinning your wheels here....

Okies a brief link excursion to begin the week.....

-With Justice League Dark/Shadowpact seemingly stalled yet again, you would think Guillermo Del Toro would be deterred slightly but....

http://collider.com/pacific-rim-3-details-guillermo-del-toro/

Not just one sequel movie. Not just a possible animated series. But throw in a third Pacific Rim?!?!?! Whoa... And I told you folks that international audiences LOVED the bezjeebus out of this movie....

-Remember that Tony Hawk awesome prank involving a hoverboard over the Summer? Well...

http://www.nerdist.com/2014/10/its-finally-here-a-hoverboard-you-might-actually-buy/

Only problem is that I don't see metal streets being universally made anytime soon....

-Greg Pak once again drops knowledge to the masses, along with a few self-learning lessons...

http://gregpak.com/things-i-finally-did-right-in-the-nycc-artists-alley/

This serves as a great how-to guide for not only setting up your booths, artists, but also how to direct potential customers to fellow collaborators and friends. A win-win!

-We at AfroNerd talk about Milestone all the time but The Mission focuses this week on a little more background along with analysis....

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=56461

22nd Anniversary of Milestone Media is upcoming. I feeling old now. And I definitely am pulling out my Static Shock episodes to binge watch.

OK so that begins my week on a little optimistic hope with not much venom. I know. Not the usual Daryll bent but I'm feeling good folks... Later this week, I have a whole stack of books and trades from the past month that I need to read, so get ready for some reviews. Thanks once again for reading Fantasy Fans. Until Next Time, Keep Fantasizing!

SHHH! Be VERY Quiet! Avengers 2 Trailer Leaks Online.....Allegedly

SHHH! Quiet!!

Dwayne McDuffie's Static Shock Finally Gets the Live Action Treatment!

According to IGN.com, Static Shock, Mortal Kombat and Critters are all getting live action iterations under Warner Brothers' Blue Ribbon Content, a newly developed "short-form" digital division.  More specifically, the Static Shock series will be helmed by director and former BET Entertainment Pres., Reginald Hudlin. Check out this list of proposed and forthcoming Blue Ribbon shows, courtesy of Variety.com:

• “Justice League: Gods and Monsters Chronicles” (Machinima) — Animated short-form series from Bruce Timm and Alan Burnett (producers of “Batman: The Animated Series”), which takes place in a DC universe where Justice League members Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman are much darker versions of the superheroes most people know. Set to debut on Machinima in 2015, series is based on “Justice League: Gods & Monsters,” an original animated film executive produced by Timm and co-produced by Burnett that will be released by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment later in 2015.
• An untitled “Mortal Kombat” series — The next generation in the Mortal Kombat franchise to be released in association with the upcoming “Mortal Kombat X” videogame, slated to bow April 14, 2015. Blue Ribbon Content and Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment are teaming on the series, which will showcase some of the franchise’s popular characters and introduce a new generation of fighters.
• “Play It Again, Dick” (CW Seed) — Co-written and executive produced by “Veronica Mars” creator-executive producer Rob Thomas for CW Seed, the digital studio of The CW Television Network. “Play It Again, Dick,” Blue Ribbon Content’s first original production, stars Ryan Hansen as himself as he begs and pleads with his former “Veronica Mars” castmates (some of whom make guest appearances) and friends to help him get his character, Dick Casablancas, his own spinoff show.
• “RejecTED” — Original satirical comedy from Rachel Ramras, Larry Dorf and Hugh Davidson (each of “Mike Tyson Mysteries”) that covers fictional technology, entertainment and design presentations that never made it to the TED stage.
• “Ginger Snaps” — Comedy series from writer Sonali Patel (NBC’s “A to Z”) following a troop of young girls as they backstab, manipulate and sabotage their way through the seedy underworld of the Ginger Snaps. The series emerged from the Warner Bros. Television Workshop’s Fresh Ink initiative, aimed at developing projects from women and minorities.
• “Golden Revenge” — Series about a pair of house pets — a cat and dog — that look to strike back at their owners who tried to abandon them. From Tom Stern and Josh Gardner (“Saul of the Mole Men,” “Gerhard Reinke’s Wanderlust”), produced by Conan O’Brien’s Conaco.
• “Ouroboros” — Original horror-thriller from WB’s Weed Road Pictures producer Akiva Goldsman (exec producer of the “Paranormal Activity” franchise) and writer-director-producer Damon Santostefano. Series follows two police officers over the course of one night in a remote part of Wisconsin as they are overwhelmed by a series of mysterious attacks and an epidemic of possession.
• “Critters” — Series based on the New Line Cinema cult classic movie franchise, with a new batch of alien pests descending on the planet. Written by Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath (“Teen Titans Go!”).
• “Batman: The Animated Series Experience” — As previously announced, Blue Ribbon, DC Entertainment and Otoy are jointly creating an immersive virtual-reality entertainment experience in which the Batcave brought to life via interactive holographic video for virtual-reality displays. Otoy is collaborating with series producer Bruce Timm on the interactive narrative experience, which will be available on devices including the Samsung Galaxy Gear VR and the Oculus Rift.

For the rest of the Variety article, click below:

http://variety.com/2014/digital/news/warner-bros-unveils-digital-short-form-studio-blue-ribbon-content-1201335504/ 

And also the IGN piece:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2014/10/21/mortal-kombat-static-shock-and-critters-getting-new-digital-series

Oh...and then there's always the Static Shock: Blackout fan film to tide you over while you literally wait for Blue Ribbon Content:

Is It Live or Memorex? Ok, This Time (Thanks to Kickstarter) There is a REAL Hoverboard video! The Hendo!

We're pleased to announce that there really is a working hoverboard (perhaps a bit more grounded than the Back to the Future version) that is at the center of a current Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign.  Check out the video evidence below:

And then there's the infamous video from last year (starring Doc Brown himself, actor Christopher Lloyd) that had tongues wagging but alas it was chicanery thanks to CGI surrealism.

Here's more on the Hendo's specs courtesy of Yahoo Tech:

The Hendo was about as loud as your average machine shop, and the vibration was fairly intense. When I climbed off, I felt like I’d gotten a great foot massage.

It’s also bulky. Built mostly of plywood and high-impact plastics, the prototype measures 19 by 38 inches and weighs just under 100 pounds. It uses eight lithium-ion polymer batteries, which run roughly seven minutes on a charge and can carry 300 pounds with ease, Henderson says.

Right now, the hover engines require a conductive but nonferrous surface like copper or aluminum. Henderson says the company plans to bring in materials experts to expand the number of surfaces compatible with the board.

In addition to the hoverboards, Arx Pax plans to sell an undetermined number of hover engine development kits for $300 apiece, hoping to crowdsource other innovative applications of MFA technology.

The company also demonstrated a prototype hover device code-named Manta Ray, which looks like a denuded Roomba and contains more sophisticated algorithms for controlling motion. Those algorithms will go into the hoverboards Arx Pax plans to distribute next year.

For the remainder of the Yahoo piece, click on the link below:

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/ever-wanted-to-soar-on-a-board-like-marty-mcfly-100566560479.html

New Comic Day Link-Blog or Who Knew They Had Straitjackets In My Size!

Recovery still going slow so before I get into the links, I want to thank everyone again who gives me a minute or 2 of their time to check out my little directory of comic news and idiotic musings each week. It may be necessary venting for me but I hope they entertain and enlighten you slightly. Now onto the links....

-NYCC was a haven of new frontiers and ideas to push our minds to place they never....

http://www.newsarama.com/22426-marvel-teases-2015-s-civil-war-1.html

Come on Marvel!!! Didn't we have enough of this the first time? Remember how Captain America didn't know the 'net or when he gave up AFTER the city was rubble w/o a classic confrontation? How about the senseless death of Bill Foster by "Clor"? Can we just let this one lie a little longer? I mean, at least they aren't recycling more.....

http://www.newsarama.com/22373-marvel-comics-teases-no-more-mutants-to-retailers.html

What. The. %@@#?!?!?! Ok this must be totally different from House of M, and that whole three ring circus that followed. At least they aren't....

http://www.newsarama.com/22432-marvel-teases-age-of-ultron-vs-marvel-zombies-summer-2015.html

*sigh* Stop the world...I want to get off. Time to admit you have a problem Marvel. You are event addicted. Face it. FACE IT!

-Kelly Thompson gives her top ten news stories to come out of NYCC:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/13/she-has-no-head-top-ten-of-nycc-2014/

Out of her choices I love Wonder Woman '77 (anyone who reads Batman '66 knows why), the Gamora ongoing being given a green light (pun intended), the Silk and SpiderGwen series (somewhere in fictionland MayDay Parker must be smiling!) and come on! GAIL SIMONE DOING SECRET SIX AGAIN!!! *drools*

-I didn't get a chance to actually go inside NYCC on Saturday but Augie De Blieck Jr did and his Pipeline this week is all about that:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=56288

Hmmm an all cosplay NY Convention? Does he know what he just suggested?!?!?! Holy extravagant mind crash!

-Someone finally follows my line of thinking:

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/can-you-really-argue-that-batman-is-good-for-gotham/

I may not like most of the stuff that John Green does but on this we agree. Aspects of Batman are quite troubling when you use common sense.... but at the same time, any hero can be similarly dissected as to the actual good they end up doing.

-Get well Soon Harlan Ellison!

http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2014/10/harlan-ellison-recovering-in-hospital-following-stroke/

I find hilarious that even after a stroke, Mr. Ellison still has the sharpest mind in the room. Just how smart/talented is this man???

-I kind of figured that the moviemakers were going in this direction but...

http://comicsalliance.com/wonder-woman-origin-batman-vs-superman/

...I REALLY don't like the Wonder Woman is the daughter of Zeus thing....

-Another day closer to fruition...

http://comicsalliance.com/watch-the-first-trailer-for-sonys-powers-tv-show-nycc/

I'm going to be way behind on this one since I tend to avoid video game systems these days but the fact it exists....WooHoo!!!!

-I haven't featured any articles by 4th Letter's David Brothers in a minute so today, I got two for you. First up, for my anime/manga heads, Brothers goes through an EXTENSIVE review/interest list of projects he's following:

http://4thletter.net/2014/10/tumblr-mailbag-all-the-anime-fit-to-watch/

I really don't have time to catch up on all of these but I know that there's at least two or three properties in here that will stoke interest. Secondly, Mr. Brothers looks into cosplay from a unique perspective...

http://4thletter.net/2014/10/color-cosplay/

My rule has been that as long as it shows the character proper respect, then I have no problem going with it. I go back to the multi-cultural Fantastic Four family and the female Cable and Deadpool team I met. My inner geek is going "that's wrong! All wrong!" However, this is where the balance of life lessons comes in and their love of the medium is like mine. Accept it in all its glory!!!

-I been stumping for this off and on for weeks now but it happens this Saturday! 24 hours. Adam WarRock is shooting to beat his mark of 16 songs created and released. He donating funds to RAINN. Geeky fun will be had!!!

www.adamwarrock.com

Kudos also to the folks over at ladygeekgirl for the retrospective on Mr. WarRock as a preview for the chaos that will be forth coming...

http://ladygeekgirl.wordpress.com/2014/10/15/web-crush-wednesdays-adam-warrock-pop-culture-hip-hop/

Did I say chaos? I meant fun.. FUN....lol

-Let's leave this link-blog with something to make you think. Mr. Joseph Illidge? Please take the stage...

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=56057

If you haven't seen The Equalizer yet and you say that you're a Denzel fan, what is wrong with you??? Bonus Illidge article:

http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=56275

And that was the best thing about NYCC for me, at least in interviewing and talking to fans: diversity is here to stay, up and down the fanbase. Little steps are being made within the industry itself and we are striving forward but talented people? Don't be content! Keep on pushing through those barriers, external and internal.

Coming up later this week: movie and TV news and we finally discover what happens when Daryll's mind crashes from information overload...(yes I did have an episode...it wasn't pretty) So thanks for reading and until next time fantasy and sci-fi fans, Keep Fantasizing!