Free Comic Book Day, Twitter Gamers, WoW Pod

By: Jill Rayburn
04/23/2009

Thursday's Thoughts About This and That...It's time for more news and information from the worlds of comics, gaming, the internet, movies and TV...heck, just about anything is fair game here!

We all know that many fast food places offer a variety of tie-in promotions, including stuff for kids. Currently, Taco Bell is offering a free specially produced comic in their kid's meals. There are four available titles: Avengers, Captain America, Thor, and Fantastic Four (looking at the covers, it looks as if Avengers and Cap are pre-Invasion and that Cap is Steve). I had an opportunity to look at the FF comic, and it was a nicely done story featuring the Hulk. The artwork style and writing were suitable for young readers, and at the end there was a one-page Mini Marvels FF story. If all of the comics Taco Bell are offering are this quality, then job well done. Perhaps this promotion will bring more kids into the world of comics.

Speaking of getting more folks interested in comics, the annual Free Comic Book Day is coming up on May 2nd. Many publishers, including major players DC, Marvel, DarkHorse, and IDW are offering special books for this day. Visit FreeComicBookDay.com for more info, but more importantly, visit your local comic shop, as each one may have different policies on how many books a person can get, and all shops may not carry all books. Come back here tomorrow, and I'll have a first look at three of the books that are part of the promotion.



Neil Gaiman's Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader #2 (of 2) came out this week. I'll have a review here tomorrow, but until then, you may want to check out this interview Gaiman granted to Wired.com. In the interview, Gaiman not only talks about Caped Crusader, but he also discusses the possibility of a Sandman movie, his thoughts on the Watchmen movie, and much more.

Now, let's look at some gaming tidbits. I ran across a video that is a trailer for some of this spring's XBox 360 games. While some are already out, and the trailer was apparently originally done for Japanese viewers (not all titles are even translated), the video is definitely enjoyable. With game action from a number of games, including H.A.W.X., The King of Fighters XII, 5 Empires, and MLB 2009, gamers may be able to use this video to find some titles that interest you.

If you use Twitter and you are a gamer, then this list is for you. GameKicker.com is putting together “The Definitive Twitter Gamer List” that is a listing of website, manufacturers and games, and people from the world of gaming that are using Twitter. You may not want to follow everyone on this list, but you may find some of interest to you. I know I am adding some from this list. You can see the list as it exists now here and as suggested, you can contribute to the list.

Ok, time for the obligatory Warcraft piece of news. I was actually going to avoid WoW news today, but this one is just too good to pass. There have been times when I have wished I did not have to get up from the computer in the middle of a raid to get a drink or take a bio break, and I'm not the only one. Artists Cati Vaucelle, Steve Shada, and Marisa Jahn have created the WoW Pod. Described as an “immersive architectural solution for the advanced World of Warcraft player that provides and anticipates all of life's needs”, this player habitat is made to resemble an Orc hut, and provides a toilet, kitchen, and of course the computer. Now gamers will not have to go afk to attend to some of the basics of life. You can see pictures of the WoW Pod, as well as a video by clicking here.  If you are near MIT, it will be on display until September at their museum.

In movie news, it may be possible that the phrase “I'll be back” could come into play again. Ain't It Cool News is reporting that Arnold Schwarzenegger has said in an interview that while he will not be filming new material for Terminator Salvation that opens next month, he may be appearing in the film if the technology can be used to create an appearance. You can read their full story here.

Yesterday, I mentioned Pilot Season at mydamnchannel.com. But what about the real pilot season that is happening right now? Sci Fi Wire is looking at some of what we may be seeing in the fall. In a two-part article (part one appeared on the site Wednesday, and part two is set to appear today), the site takes a look at some of the pilots for sci-fi shows that they have information about, and project which ones may make it to the schedule. One that reportedly already has a commitment with ABC is entitled Flash Forward. This show is about what happens when everyone in the world blacks out for just over 2 minutes and sees visions of their future. Another pilot that has been getting buzz is V, based on the miniseries from the 80s. This show is being presented to ABC, but no commitment has yet been made. A number of other pilots are mentioned, but to be honest, it looks like it may be a lean year for new sci-fi on the major networks. For the full article, click here.

Come back tomorrow for my weekly comics entry. In addition to the teasers mentioned earlier, I will be looking at Eureka, Battlestar Galactica, Buck Rogers, and of course I'll have my DC and Marvel Picks of the Week. See you then!

Photos:  FreeComicBookDay.com, Wikipedia.org, architectradure.blogspot.com
Video:  Diamond Comics via YouTube.com

Author: Jill Rayburn

Jill Rayburn is a columnist for Roddenberry.com. Her column "Artistic License" is published every Tuesday thru Saturday.
Contact: jrayburn@roddenberry.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Jazdan

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