theskinnerbox

I just read this article from Superherohype.com about Heroes and its got me all worked up about this year's Con. In case you don't want to or have the time to read the article, here's the really cool part:

Q: Speaking of Comic-Con, can you tell us what you have planned?
Kring: Comic-Con for us has got a very soft spot in our hearts because last year we premiered there. We launched our sort of press of the show. We went there with basically very little to show. We had a pilot and some high hopes. They embraced us and took to the Internet and really helped launch the show so this year we're going back with kind of a big thank you. We're going to try to bring everybody involved with the show, the entire cast and all of us writers and producers. We're going to be doing a much bigger venue and a bigger room with some behind the scenes and some clips and some announcements that we're saving just for them.

Q: Have you started shooting season two?
Kring: Yeah, we started production two days ago.

Q: Will there be any footage at Comic-Con like a little thank you for being so supportive?
Kring: We'll see what we can put together between now and then. It could still be wet by then.
Panettiere: There's also a Comic-Con in London and I think some of us will be there for that as well.
Grunberg: Also at Comic-Con you showed the 73 minute version of the pilot that's a huge plus on the DVD.
Kring: Comic-Con was the only place that the uncut version of the pilot was aired. But, now with the release of the DVD and the HD DVD, fans will get to see it.

Q: Can you talk a little about "Heroes: Origins," the series you're working on to sort of fill the gap with the regular series? Have you started scripting it yet?
Kring: No, not yet. We are now in the process of talking about who is going to be writing and directing them.

Q: Would it be fair to describe the show as an anthology series?
Kring: Yes. Right now that's the idea. It will not be a continuing cast or storyline.

Q: Do you see a lot of the current cast members being in it?
Kring: Right now, no. This cast has 24 episodes which is a giant mountain of work to do already. The idea is that these are the stories of other people. The show has deposited this idea that this is happening all over the world and so this is an opportunity for us to tell some stories about some of these other people out there.

Q: Do you think all six episodes will run in one six week block between a break in the regular series?
Kring: Right now that's the idea, yes.

Q: Can you tell us about any of the new characters we might meet?
Kring: I don't know if that's something I'm supposed to be talking about or not. There are a couple of new characters that will fold in and a couple of them have already been announced in the press.

Sweet! With Heroes, Lost, Battlestar Galactica, and Neil Gaiman panels this year, I'm going to be one busy little fanboy.

Every morning I take the commuter train to work. It's a pleasant ride, most of the time I take a nap but when I'm not feeling like such a lazy bastard I'll read or write or work on my laptop. But this is not about the ride on the train. This is about the ride on the way to the train station.

Each and every morning, without exception, there is always some idiot with the mental capacity of an unsharpened pencil driving in front of me. Let me restate that, there are a bunch of idiots. It seems without fail that the Hordes of Stupidity awaken each day with a single thought at the forefront of their teeny-tiny brains: lets fuck with this guy. Who are these people? Where do they come from? Why do they insist on driving 10 mph in a 45 mph zone? They're not even putting on make-up or on the phone. They're just driving like they're trying to give themselves an enema at the same time. Its unpleasant for them and much more so for me because I have a train to catch. And time and the train wait for no one.

Its like driving behind a herd of snails, I swear. Drive like you have a purpose people! And the people I truly love the most? The people that sit at the green light completely oblivious to the fact that the little box that has pretty lights has indeed changed colors. Go, Motherfucker, Go! Cripes, its maddening. If only it were legal to carry a bazooka on your person. There would be a swath of destruction in the wake of my 2 mile morning drive to the train station, I can guarantee you that.

I'm going to write my Congressman to pass a law that says that I'm the only allowed to drive between 6:45 a.m. and 7:00 a.m., Monday through Friday. I think that solves my problem quite perfectly.

One of my favorite websites, Consumerist.com, posted an article titled "22 Confessions of a Former Dell Manager" last week. Looks like it got the attention of Dell's in house counsel and they sent an email to the owner of the blog to remove the post. Congrats to the Consumerist for not backing down.

Read it all here:

http://consumerist.com/consumer/backend/dell-demands-takedown-of-our-22-confessions-of-a-former-dell-sales-manager-269127.php

I want one just to take it through the drive-thru at some fast food joint.

I found this really cool website that displays some art in a very interesting way. Wait for the page to finish loading then follow the instructions. Cool to show your kids (I would recommend older than 5 though because some of the imagery is a little creepy for the wee ones)

Way Wicked Art

Then I found a really cool website where you can watch TV shows on demand and for free even! Good quality and shows as recent as this spring season's finales for The Office, Lost, and Heroes.

TV Links

And finally, what you've all been waiting for...Giant Dicks!



From the article:

An amusement park in China has built what it claims is the world's largest penis.

The 30ft erection, named Sky Pillar, has been built at Longwan Shaman Amusement Park in Changchun city.

Builders wrapped more than 6,500ft of straw around the steel structure which stands on an altar atop 1,250ft high Qinlong Hill.

"It is a totem of Shamanistic culture, which originated in this city," says the president of the park, Cheng Weiguang.

Legend says a Shaman hero named Ewenki vanquished a cruel female ruler and gave her a penis totem, telling her to respect males and not kill them at will.

After this, the ruler set a penis totem on top of the hill, reports East Asia Economic and Trade News.

Shi Lixue, director of the China Folk Culture Association, backed the project, saying: "It symbolizes our ancestors' pursuit of happiness and prosperity."

And, although some tourists said they felt uncomfortable about the statue, others were unmoved.

"It's just a pillar. I don't care. It can be a symbol of the park," said one mother who was visiting the park with her child.

From ananova, click here for the original article.

A guy was seated next to a 10-year-old girl on an airplane. Being bored, he turned to the girl and said, "Let's talk. I''ve heard that flights go quicker if you strike up a conversation with your fellow passenger."

The girl, who was reading a book, closed it slowly and said to the guy, "What would you like to talk about?"

Oh, I don't know," said the guy. "How about nuclear power?"

"OK," she said. "That could be an interesting topic. But let me ask you a question first. A horse, a cow and a deer all eat the same stuff... grass. Yet a deer excretes little pellets, while a cow turns out a flat patty, and a horse produces clumps of dried grass. Why do you suppose that is?"

The guy thought about it and said, "Hmmm, I have no idea."

To which the girl replied, "Do you really feel qualified to discuss nuclear power when you don''t know shit?"

NBC Studios has put up an eBay auction for The Office. What's being auctioned off? The winner and three guests gets to visit the set of The Office and meet the cast.

The Office eBay Auction

I just read this brief description of media events at this year's Con:

Comic-Con is currently talking to the major Hollywood studios and the following films are under consideration for presentations at this year's event. It's important to note that this part of Comic-Con programming is worked on up to the last possible minute, so expect changes and plenty of surprises.

Please note this is only a preliminary list and definitely subject to change.

Alien vs. Predator 2: No Peace On Earth, American Gangster, Babylon AD, Balls of Fury, Beowulf, The Bourne Ultimatum, Coraline, Fred Claus, Get Smart, The Golden Compass, Hellboy 2: The Golden Army, I Am Legend, The Incredible Hulk, Indiana Jones 4, Invasion, Iron Man, National Treasure 2, Resident Evil: Extinction, Speed Racer, The Strangers, Stardust, Star Trek XI, Sunshine, Sweeney Todd, 30 Days of Night, Trick 'r Treat, Wanted, Where The Wild Things Are, White Out

As always, Comic-Con's attendees will be treated to panels and, in some cases, sneak peeks at exclusive footage from these films months before they debut on neighborhood theater screens.

In addition to the major motion picture studios, Comic-Con is once again talking with the major TV networks about their most popular shows appearing at this year's event. The hit TV series Heroes returns (click here for exclusive expanded interviews), but another Comic-Con favorite, Lost, returns in its traditional Saturday morning slot in Ballroom 20. In addition, we've just learned that SCI FI will once again feature Battlestar Galactica as part of their programming. And Comic-Con has a proud tradition of premiering brand new shows, months before they debut on TV. We did it with Lost, Heroes and Jericho. Who knows what new shows will debut this year?

Animation is another perennial favorite for our attendees, and this year will be no exception. You can look forward to panels from Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Disney, Fox, and many more, along with more breaking news and sneak peeks from the major studios on their new animated films on our informal Thursday "Animation Day" program, a big hit last year.

Plus, we'll have the world premiere of the eagerly awaited, first "DC Universe" DVD animated film, Superman Doomsday.

Sweet! I will definitely attend the Heroes and Lost panels. Hopefully they are at different times. I imagine they would be because a majority of the fanbase is identical, and there would be lots of upset fanboys and fangirls if they couldn't attend both. And of course, I have to uber-dork-it-out and see Doomsday.

A month or so back it was announced that a Harry Potter themed park was in the process of being negotiated between all interested parties. Namely J.K. and Universal.

Now its official, in 2010 at Universal Studios Orlando they will be opening the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Here are some artist conceptualizations:



Hogsmeade:


Hogwarts Castle:


You can read the article here (same place I got the pics). There is a link to the hi-res version of the same photos at the beginning of the article.

Ahhhh....hardcore fans. You gotta love 'em. They are so entertaining in so many ways that you can't even begin to count the number of ways.

Admittedly, I get a guilty sort of pleasure looking at these pictures.  I mean,  who doesn't want to wear a metal bikini?

The Cult of Princess Leia's Metal Bikini-Fans in costumes

It sounds dirty but its actually not a bad idea.

The Landing Strip

While looking around the Net for other collectible stuff to put on my Comic Con shopping list I happened across these:


Ha! Nightmare Before Christmas salt and pepper shakers. Pretty cool! Its one of my favorite movies of all time so it goes without saying that I definitely think these would be a great addition to my NB4C collection. You don't have to go to the Comic Con to get these, you can order them online from here.

I sure does love me RSS feeds. I don't know what I'd do without them. So, today I got an update from the Comic Con website about this year's exclusive collectors items. There weren't a lot of things that I found as must-haves but there were a couple of things that I would love to get my paws on. Here are some of them:

Wolverine Adamantium Skeleton Bust



That is one freakin' sweet collectible. Wolverine has always been one of my favorite superheroes ever since I was a kid. Too bad its already sold out. However, I'm going to put myself on the wait list and hope that someone doesn't show up to pick theirs up.


My fiance is a huge Wonder Woman fan so I'm sure she's going to want to pick this Wonder Woman paperweight up:




Another cool looking paperweight of Venom, the ultimate villain.




If you loved the Goonies then you'll recognize this replica prop:



Battlestar Galactica Die Cast set:




I definitely want to pick up this Jack and Sally paperweight:




I don't think I'm going to get this Luna Lovegood bust because I'm not too impressed by the picture. However, it may look totally different in person. We'll see.




And of course I'll be visiting several discussion panels, two of which are for Heroes and Lost. I can't wait. This year's Con is shaping up to be one very cool 4 day weekend.

Jenna Fischer on the April 2007 cover of Wired magazine. Yummy!