Countdown to SDCC: T-Minus 6 days – Cartoon Network News

Here is a fun little tidbit as well. Cartoon Network has announced it is hosting an Adventure Time “Comic-Con Quest!” Stop by the Cartoon Network booth at #3735 to pick up your costume map that will lead you to all the locations you must visit.  Complete the quest in time and you will receive “exclusive” rewards. While we don’t know what this is, if you are a fan of Cartoon Network we have no doubt you will love it.

Countdown to SDCC: T-Minus 14 Days!

Comic Con is now officially TWO WEEKS away (counting preview night), and while we have had some coverage lately we are now starting are award winning series, Count Down to Comic-Con!

T-Minus 14 Days

One thing I really like about Comic-Con is that they have really expanded into the Gas Lamp district now. In fact, besides just people watching there is enough going on outside and after-hours that even if you don’t have a SDCC pass, you can still have plenty of fun. The last couple of years have seen the Gas Lamp host events like: Flynn’s Arcade Tron Promo, Conan O’Brian’s Coco Moca Café, The Southpark Experience, Nerd HQ, Trickster, The Scott Pilgrim Promo and some other great events I can’t remember now. If you are a zombie fan you are in luck this year because there are not one but two zombie themed events. Here they are.

The Zombie Walk:San Diego.

The zombie walk, started in 2007 with 120 zombies, is now in its fifth year and has become one of SDCC most popular events. Now several hundred zombies overrun the Gas Lamp district, sending the living fleeing for their precious lives. Seriously, I saw them last year, it was an endless stream of undead of all ages. While this is their biggest event they have planned other events as well, including zombie Christmas caroling, zombie kick ball and they are listed as one of the “ten essential Comic-con must-sees.”  They have also appeared in music video and featured in numerous newspapers. In addition to all of this they raise money for local charities! Who said the undead were heartless?

Correction! I said I don’t know where they are meeting but they let me know.Here is info.

When: Friday July 13th

Where: Meet at the corner of 4th and Broadway between 5:00 and 5:20. Please no earlier then 4:30. The walk begins promptly at 5:30.

www.sdzombiewalk.com

or follow them on Twitter @sdzombiewalk

Oh @Fearnet or www.fearnet.com is hosting an exclusive after hour’s zombie party for 300 lucky walkers. Follow them for information. Which brings us to…

The Walking Dead Escape:

This COULD be you!

If you ever wanted to know how you would fair in a real zombie apocalypse now is your chance.

This has to be up there with Flynn’s Arcade for creative marketing. If you are a Walking Dead fan this is a must see. They have rented out part of Petco Park and are converting into zombie apocalypse that you must “climb, crawl, hide and slide your way to safety.”

Zones include an FEMA resupply depot, overrun highway, zombie infestation area and finally the EVAC zone. Cost to play is $80 and signups are still open. Get this though, you can also pay $19 or $39 dollars to be one of the zombies or even a horde master or horde hero. Oh Greg Nicotero & KNB EFX will be providing all zombie makeup effects (full day walkers can get a partial refund.) These are the same guys who do the TV show! If don’t want to dress up or pay they need volunteers to escort waves of survivors through the course. Lots of opportunities here!  Check them out.

www.thewalkingdeadescape.com

If you can’t make the Escape, you can find a detailed report as your very own Babblers Aileen and I will be there in full survival mode. Follow us @babbleon5 or @nerdy_something or   @A1L33N  

Babble Bites…

Hello Dear Babblers, I thought today we would engage in some light reading that I like to call Babble Bites. Enjoy.

They have to be thinking R.I.P.

Killing Community:  One of our favorite shows, Community, more or less just got the death sentence. First Sony fires the creator/producer Dan Harmon for unexplained reasons. I don’t know if  Harmon is a little hard to get along with, or maybe TV execs are hard to get along with, or maybe both are. Whatever, the reason he was released (screwed over) from the show this weekend. Even with keeping the same writers, I have to think he is still the heart and soul of the show and it sucks to see his creativity get crapped on.  Equally as bad, Community is now being moved to Friday night, alongside the flailing Whitney.  Weirdly enough, this all comes on the heels of Community just having been renewed for a fourth season. One wonders why it would be renewed at all if they see such little potential in it. It’s a shame too, because it’s a great show and this season has had some of the best episodes yet (The Civil War documentary spoof, the Law and Order episode and the 8-bit video game episode.) Here is his blog about what happened.

SNL – This weekend’s SNL was definitely one of the best this season. Mick Jagger was the host and performed with the Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters and Jeff Beck (or rather they performed with him!) I have to admit, Mick looked good considering he is in his 60’s. As a host his acting was great and he never flinched or faltered. As a singer he can still rock it.  This is Kristen Wiigs last season and they did a really nice tribute to her at the end as well. Here is a link to it.

“We WILL make more money.”

Awesome Avengers – The Avengers continues to dominate the box office, garnering another $50 million this weekend and beating out two new releases in The Dictator (which I do want to see) and Battleship (which I do not want to see.) That puts The Avengers at a staggering $457 million domestically in 17 days! To give you an idea of how crazy this is, it took Dark Knight 27 days to reach that mark. It is now Disney’s biggest release ever and is fourth on the all-time world chart, behind only Avatar, Titanic and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 2, once again affirming the adage “in Joss we trust.:  Come on Avengers you can take them down, we are rooting for you!

Game of Thrones – Not that anyone needs to rave more about this show, but it continues to be the best show on television. This season is even better than last year’s and the politics and intrigue just keeping building. I can’t wait for the Comic-Con panel!

Blood and Chrome trailer

Blood and Chrome, the much anticipated prequel to the highly successful series Battlestar Galactica, is still stuck wandering the galaxy in search of home. Deadline reports that Syfy has scrapped the idea for the series and, unless things change, plans to air the already-filmed 90-minute pilot as a movie on the Syfy Channel and to continue the story as a web series. The story follows a young Commander Adama during his viper pilot days as ‘Husker’ during the first Cylon war. Sounds like a winner to me- and the trailer looks to promise everything that Caprica could not deliver. Let’s hope we get to see it before Cylons take over our planet.

It stars Luke Pasqualino, Ben Cotton, and Lili Bordán. Michael Taylor wrote the teleplay from a story by Taylor, David Eick, Bradley Thompson and David Weddle, with Jonas Pate set to direct

NBC yanked the Youtube post but you can view the trailer at BUZZFEED

Happy Groundhog’s Day!

Okay, I wish I could take credit for this but can’t. Thanks God of Nerds, whoever you are!

"Happy Groundhogs Day!"

You can be a hero!

Some of you may not be aware, but there is a huge famine in the Horn of Africa and they are facing what is being called the worst hunger crisis of the last 60 years. Approximately 13 million people are suffering without food. It doesn’t help that much of the area, like Somalia, doesn’t have a functioning government and local leaders are making distribution difficult. I read a story about one women who had to walk 100 miles to find food. On the way she had to stop and bury her infant son who had died during her travels. Terrible, heart-breaking stuff, but you can help.

DC is launching the We Can Be Hero’s campaign. For every donation you make to raise food for Africa, they will match it 100%, they are also selling super cool gear with the slick We Can Be Hero’s logo, 50% of those proceeds go to help raise food as well. I have had the privilege of visiting Africa (not this part though) it is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I can honestly say the people are the most kind and joyous I have ever met. Here in America, where we have so much, let’s help those who have so little. The world is in need of a few hero’s, what are you waiting for?

Is The New Girl Old Hat?

Totally Adorkable

The amazing Zooey Deschanel, loved by all men and equally despised by all women, has a TV show of her very own on FOX called, “The New Girl.” (For information on why women hate her read  the article in Cracked.)  The basic plot involves a girl (Zooey) who finds her boyfriend cheating on her, and in a quarter life crises, packs up her stuff and moves to New York where she finds a place to live with three other guys.  She of course, is nerdy, clumsy, and completely clueless about love and life. The three guys, each representing some different view point, decided to help her along.

Zooey has her very own adjective to describe her: Adorkable. The pretty yet hopelessly lost girl who manages to look cute regardless of whatever socially awkward position she is in. The problem is this girl, often called the manic pixie dream girl in film lore, can’t possibly exist in reality, and yet Zooey embodies her. (See the song Margaret vs. Pauline by Neko Case.)

So here is the summation of the show. Zooey Deschanel being Zooey Deschanel, and it more or less works, for now. Zooey is surprisingly fresh and funny in the show.  If Chuck was a girl it would be her.

The show isn’t hysterical, it’s overly cute and contrived at times, but it has its funny moments. Here is my main problem with it. How long can it last? How long can Zooey being Zooey go on before it gets old? In order for the show to succeed, the other characters must develop into their own funny personas and so far I haven’t been impressed with the rest of the cast.

Think of it this way. The Office was carried by Michael Scott, but not alone. They developed great characters like Dwight, Pam and Jim along the way. If it was just 6 years of Steve Carell how long would it have lasted? This is true of any great sitcom. Sometimes it takes a season or two to get the other characters rolling, like Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, but even then, early on you could see the potential, whereas The New Girl seems to be lacking. If The New Girl is just the Zoo girl, then it’s a one trick pony, a pretty good trick, but one that won’t last for several seasons. So enjoy it while it lasts.

Oh, it is also one giant advertisement for Apple. Justin Long stars as her potential love interest and an Apple product is featured pretty heavily in every episode, just an observation for those who are curious. I’m not sure how I would rate this yet, because there have only been a few episodes

I would probably give it a happy medium of 3 Babbles. Not ground breaking or Emmy winning, but better then  ^%$* My Dad Says.

Dark Horse and HBO Partner Up for Game of Thrones

Season 2 of Game of Thrones doesn’t kick of til 2012, but fans of the show and collectors will have something else to look forward to next year, as Dark Horse Deluxe and HBO are teaming up to debut a product line of Game of Thrones merchandise that will launch March 2012.  The product line will include a large variety of items including: statues, busts, and action figures; prop and jewelry replicas; and barware, stationery, and other collectibles.

Here’s a bit of the official press release from Dark Horse:

Dark Horse Deluxe is proud to announce, in partnership with HBO, a vast Game of Thrones product line debuting in the spring of 2012, leading up to the show’s second-season premiere in April. Licensed product categories derived from the series will span a large range, including statues, busts, and action figures; prop and jewelry replicas; and barware, stationery, and other collectibles. This exciting new line of products debuts with a range of branded magnets, patches, playing cards, coaster sets, and more.

“We are delighted to be part of HBO’s licensing roster for Game of Thrones. We are big fans of the television adaptation,” said Dark Horse’s VP of Product Development, David Scroggy. “We are working closely with HBO to develop a line of products inspired by the series that will delight the fan base.”

I wonder if a full sized throne replica will be made.  I need one to sit upon regally while hosting a Season 2 Premiere Game of Thrones viewing party. What sort of Game of Thrones Merchandise would you like to see produced?

Behind the Scenes of NYCC #1: Under Construction

Hey there Babblers. I’m Aileen, BabbleOn 5′s brand-spanking-new staff writer. I’m here at NYCC, helping out at the Dark Horse Comics booth for the duration of the con, so I’ll be updating and posting as much as possible on all of its happenings.Tonight I met up with some of the Dark Horse crew to help set up the booth at the convention center. It was less than 24 hours to the exhibit floor opening, and most of the booths, even the big name ones, were still in a dire state of under construction.

"...and nerds."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From a marketing and event planning standpoint, the entire process of putting such a large scale event like the NYCC is fascinating. It’s months of scheduling and planning in the making, and set up the night before the opening is that one last push to make everything come together. Last minute decisions are being made, and for awhile it seems like everything is either empty, or one giant mess.

Set up resumes tomorrow at 9 am. Will everything be ready in time? You’ll have to come see for yourself. The show floor opens at 4! I hope to see you there, make sure to stop by the Dark Horse booth and say hi!

October Fest…

Here is the October calender, delivered to you as promised to your virtual doorstep! Created by staff writer Aileen Cacayorin (@A1l33n)  and sponsored by ZICO Coconut Water.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note: If you feel we left something appropriately nerdy off let me know. We probably did it on purpose just to start an online debate with you.

NBC Announces American Doctor Who?

With the crossover success they had with the BBC hit The Office, NBC has announced they are working with Joss Whedon to develop an American version of the BBC hit show Doctor Who.  The show will launch this fall and star Sean Maher (from Firefly) as the first incarnation of the Doctor. Incidentally, the Doctors first traveling companion will be none other than the great Summer Glau ( The Cape.)

Sean Maher plays a Cajun Doctor from the future (yes they will still be around in the future) whose Tardis is stuck in the shape of a double wide trailer home. The show will be titled Doctor Who Dat? And is expected to last 3 episodes.

thundercats – whoa!

By Guest Writer, Patrick Haney

Follow him @prhaney

Last April, Tony brought you the trailer for the new ThunderCats series, and last Friday it finally aired on Cartoon Network.  The series is a complete reboot of the 80s classic, and while all of your favorite ThunderCats are present, the premise and backdrop have changed significantly.  (Don’t worry; Cheetara is still oddly attractive for a character covered in fur.)

If you don’t remember, the original ThunderCats were space travelling felines fleeing the dying world of Thundera for a fresh start on Third Earth.  The new incarnation removes all of their knowledge of technology and makes Thundera a country on Third Earth, a world that doesn’t appear to be dying any time soon.  Instead of stumbling upon Mumm-Ra on a new planet, he is a legendary evil being of Third Earth, and unfortunately for the Thunderans, he knows a thing or two about robots and lasers.  This new take on the ThunderCats seems to be making a nod to Avatar and hoping that you’ll root for the noble natives with spears one more time.

Yeah she is strangly hot...

One of the upsides of this new starting point is the ability to bring in new characters without having to make us believe that everybody in the galaxy just happens to crash land their broken spaceships into the same distant planet.  There are also different species of animals living in communities all over Third Earth, and they each will have their own relationship with the dominant Cats that will be interesting to explore.  While purists will not take kindly to this drastic deviation from the original, I think that it will make the ThunderCats’ quest for the Book of Omens a more interesting and dynamic journey.

In homage to the original, Larry Kenny, the original voice of Lion-O, makes an appearance.  This time he is Claudius, the original Lord of the ThunderCats and father to Lion-O and Tygra (yeah, they’re brothers in this one).  We get one good, “ThunderCats, Ho!” out ofhim before the pilot is done, and as a fan of both ThunderCats and SilverHawks, it was nice to hear the voice again.

So where does this new take compare to the classic?  Honestly, it may be a bit early to tell.  The new edition has the potential to be a great cartoon, and the characters seem a bit more complex than the original.  The pilot was superbly drawn with great battle sequences, and the voice acting was well done.  I’m definitely in for now.  My recommendation: set your DVR for Friday night, wake up Saturday morning, pour yourself a large bowl of Fruity Pebbles and judge for yourself.

I give it 3 Babbles out of 5.

New Episodes of Thundercats Every Friday at 8:30/7:30 Central on Cartoon Network