overbite
NO, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR AGE. IT’S...
UP FRONT 3 MEANWHILE... Our favorite indy female writers, new Doctor Who toys, who should take over the new “Wolverine” movie and so much more…
FEATURES 8 Another Dimension Nintendo’s 3DS doesn’t disappoint and Wizard World has your guide to get the most out of the new handheld. 11 Beam Us Back Up It’s time for Trek to blast back onto TV and we have a few ideas on how it should return!
AT THE BACK
EAD R O T HOW a story This never happened on 'smallville' but it might as well have.
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14 PLANET ILLOGICA’S GAMES GIRLS AND GADGETS This week PI delves into a hidden indy gem from one of comics’ greatest masters and dives into the history of a forgotten video classic. 16 TWISTED TOY THEATER The story of Captain Kirk’s session from the Federation wraps up in this issue! 17 ART ATTACK Check out the amazing art our readers had commissioned. 18 COSPLAYGROUND Your costumes and outfits from Wizard World Toronto!
Wizard World Issue 1.4 • March 23, 2011 page 2 of 20
20 BACK DOOR We loved “Mars Needs Moms” and we’re not ashamed to admit it.
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MEANWHILE... The XXFactor
We run down our five favorite up-and-coming literary ladies
Too busy hating on the new Wonder Woman outfit? Here's the news!
We often get a bad rap around these parts that we’re just a bunch of dudes who are only into superheroes and fart jokes, and while that may be partly true (…all right, mostly true), never let it be said we discriminate against a comic creator just because they were born with a pair of ovaries or lack of a Y chromosome. In fact, some of our favorite comic folks rep the fairer sex—Gail Simone, Jill Thompson and Jo Chen, just to name a few—and we think these five female up-andcomers are some of the most exciting talents making comics today.
• KATE BEATON
While definitely not a newcomer to comics (her web series Hark! A Vagrant has attracted a huge fan following), if you’ve never heard of Beaton, now’s the time to get caught up on her work, which mixes history, side-splitting humor and, well, just about anything else she feels like taking on. Her new book (aptly titled Hark! A Vagrant) is due out from Drawn & Quarterly this fall.
• JESS FINK
Proving that girls can indeed have just as dirty minds as guys, Fink’s erotic comics—such as Chester 5000—have given many dudes ample reasons to stay seated, and likewise, have ushered in a sexual revolution the likes of which alt comix hasn’t seen since the days of R. Crumb.
• NIKKI COOK
While you may recognize Cook’s name from fillins on Vertigo’s DMZ and Image’s Memoir, the Brookynite has only just begun to shine with her naturally gritty style and punk rock sensibilities. Watch this space, because it’s only a matter of time until Cook breaks through with her own project, sure to give readers a visual punch in the eye.
• PIZZA ISLAND
An artists collective operating out of the Greenpoint neighborhood of Brooklyn, Pizza Island consists of Domitille Collardey, Karen Sneider, Sarah Glidden, Julia Wertz and Lisa Hanawalt, whose creative output is just as delectable as their namesake. Visit their blog at pizzaisland.wordpress.com to learn more.
• MING DOYLE
Doyle straddles the line between Steve Ditko and Paul Pope—in other words, homegirl can draw. Since getting her first mainstream recognition in Marvel’s Girl Comics anthology, we’ve been anxiously waiting Doyle’s first breakout work—which can’t possibly come soon enough! • Casey Seijas
page 3 of 20
MEANWHILE...
THEY SAID IT: “We have a great outline for a very strong character driven take on Mr. Matt Murdock. It will bear no relation to the previous Daredevil movie in any way.”
New “Daredevil” director David Slade via Twitter.
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FOLLOW THE LEADERS Five pop culture Twitter feeds you should follow, now!
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@Nhedmondson Follow Who is Jake Ellis? writer Nathan Edmondson, who answers questions right from fans and offers updates on his work.
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@mrmarkmillar The bombastic Kick-Ass and Superior writer Mark Millar tweets from movie sets and offers insidery tidbits about the comic and movie biz.
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@DamonLindelof “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof offers insight into pop culture and teases what he’s doing next, as he writes the new “Star Trek” film.
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@MyGeekTime Follow Sirius satellite radio’s GEEKTIME! co-host Ralph Cirella for tech news and fanboy takes on breaking pop culture happenings.
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@RobertKirkman Whether its updates on The Walking Dead comics or television series, Robert Kirkman’s Twitter is the first place he breaks news or answers rumors. •Mike Cotton
"Ironically, Ben Affleck would make a great DD now."
THE BIG NUMBER
$151,000
FOR A Near perfect copy of Wolverine’s first full appearance available at comiclink.com
The 9.9 CGC graded copy of Incredible Hulk #181, which contains Wolverine’s first full appearance—is the highest graded and only known copy in this condition. Record keepers say this is the highest amount ever paid for a Bronze Age comic book! • MC
page 4 of 20
MEANWHILE...
THE LIST:
So you're the bastard who wrote the "friday" song.
Three movies that should absolutely have a prequel!
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HARRY POTTER Sure, Daniel Radcliffe ain’t gettin’ any younger. But there’s a whole backstory to Harry’s parents, Lily and James. Their story gets fleshed out in the books but it's largely absent from the movies. We’d watch a whole film about how James overcame Lily’s initial hatred of him, tormented poor Snape and learned to form his Patronus. Because we are nerds, and nerds would eat this $#@% up with a wand carved into a spoon.
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THE OTHER GUYS The title referenced the fact that Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrel’s characters weren’t your typical action film super-cops, like the ones played early in the film by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson. That said, The Rock and Sam were a friggin’ blast to watch on screen together, living up to every action movie cop stereotype. We’d easily watch them do that for two hours. We even have a title: “The Guys.”
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THE ADJUSTMENT BUREAU Matt Damon’s story seemed to come to a pretty tidy end in this recent mind-bending thriller, but hey, we’re suckers for John Slattery in natty hats. The film suggests that the Adjustment Bureau have been around and doing their thing for a really, really long time. Considering the film is based on a Philip K. Dick short story, why not use that as a departure point to tell a whole new story? • Justin Aclin
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Got a movie you'd like to see get a prequel? You could end up in an issue! E-mail us at bullpen@wizardworld.com.
TK
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MEANWHILE...
Where's your o-ther hand lord dav-ros?
This is my finishing move: the who driver.
'Who' dunnit
New figures and busts from our favorite British export He may be controversial these days (see below), but we still love us some Davros. Luckily we'll be getting our fill of him with these new Classic Who 4-packs from Underground Toys, based on Genesis of the Daleks (April, top) and Destiny of the Daleks (May, above). Then in September, grab this 9-inch bust of 10th Doctor David Tennant from Titan Merchandise. Allons-y!• JA
WIZARD WORLD LEGAL BEAT INTERNATIONAL EDITION
THE GENESIS OF THE GENESIS OF THE DALEKS?
In the seminal 1975 "Doctor Who" story Genesis of the Daleks by Terry Nation, we meet the metal monsters' creator, Davros. But now a legal debate puts the creator of Davros himself in question. The Daily Mail reports Steven Clark, 51, has filed suit against the BBC, claiming he submitted the evil one to a competition in TV Action Magazine in 1972, and he has a pencil sketch that proves it. Hogwash?
Possibly not, since the high court proceedings are currently underway. Clark is suing for breach of copyright, and he's after the profits generated by his "created" character over the past 36 years. Davros, a part of all classic Dalek stories since his creation, was also brought back in the wildly popular new series. With the show riding high, Clark's "share" could be worth thousands of pounds. • James Walker
page 6 of 20
MEANWHILE...
FAMILY AFFAIR
Simpsons did it! 'Family Guy' to get talking action figures from Playmates Remember Playmates' World of Springfield figures? The company is hoping lightning strikes twice with their brand new Family Guy figures, which take the same concept—figures that speak when connected to environment bases—and
applying it to Seth McFarlane's hit series. Wrap your mind around this: "Family Guy" has now been around longer than "The Simpsons" was when World of Springfield started in 1999. Could this line run for 200 characters, too? • JA
THE REPLACEMENTS
With director Darren Aronofsky dropping out of ‘Wolverine,’ we list who should take over.
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Bryan Singer Losing Aronofsky and his “Black Swan” cred is tough for the flick, but also offers the perfect place to reinsert “X-Men” and “X2” director Singer into the mix. Matthew Vaughn Vaughan’s “X-Men First Class” is getting good buzz due to the most recent trailer. Plus, his over-the-top violence in “Kick-Ass” would be perfect for Logan. Hugh Jackman No one loves Wolverine more than Jackman. After playing the character four times already, maybe it’s time for him to step behind the camera as well. Luc Besson “The Professional” and “Fifth Element” director could up both the sci-fi and real-world elements on Weapon X’s Japanese adventure. Nimröd Antal The visceral story and stunning visuals from “Predators” make Antal a perfect candidate to take on the Ol' Canucklehead’s war against the Japanese mob. Pierre Morel After giving Liam Neeson his franchise role in “Taken,” Morel would be amazing as the man behind the film based on Chris Claremont and Frank Miller’s classic Wolverine mini-series. • MC
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6
Another
Dimension HOW Nintendo’s new handheld system takes 3-D gaming to a whole new level
by Tracey John
page 8 of 20
s cool as 3-D video games can be, who wants to wear those dorky, high-priced glasses while they play? The 3DS, Nintendo’s new handheld gaming system, produces a stereoscopic three-dimensional effect without the use of those bothersome bifocals. If you’re going to make the upgrade, here are the essential things you need to know about Nintendo’s powerful, innovative new doodad.
Activity Log
Xbox 360 Achievement whores will love this: The 3DS activity log tracks how long you play your games. But in the interest of encouraging us gamers to move extremities other than our thumbs, the device will also track every step taken while carrying it. So the more you walk, the more “Play Coins” you can earn to use in certain games to unlock extra content.
Cameras
The 3DS comes with three 0.3 megapixel cameras— one 2-D front-facing camera and two rear-facing cameras that allow you to take 3-D pictures! There’s also the packed-in “Face Raiders” game, a shooting title where you can superimpose faces onto enemy characters in-game using the 3DS camera, then blast them away.
Backwards Compatibility
All DS and DSi software is compatible with the 3DS, but DS and DSi games won’t display 3D visuals on the 3DS. Plus, because DS and DSi titles have a lower screen resolution than 3DS games, they’re stretched to fit the 3DS screen (but there’s an option to display the games at their original screen size ratio as well).
3D Depth Slider
If you’re worried about eyestrain, the device has a depth slider that lets users adjust the 3-D effect all the way back to 2-D—so it’s the best of both worlds! Note that onlookers won’t be able to see the 3-D effects because it’s meant to be viewed straight on. (Also, if you wear glasses, don’t worry: the 3-D effect still works, Four Eyes!)
Augmented Reality Games
The 3DS comes with several AR Games built in. To play, simply "look" at one of the included AR cards with the 3DS, which then introduces virtual objects into the real-life environment. The games are archery, fishing, graffiti and Mii Pics (you take virtual photos of your Mii). It's the most impressive thing the 3DS can do right out of the box.
Music
In addition to playing music from your SD card, you can also use the Nintendo 3DS Sound application to record sounds with the built-in microphone, or alter your already-existing music and sounds.
Avatar Creation
The beloved avatar creator from the Wii makes its way onto the 3DS with the Mii Maker. You can import your already-existing Mii avatars from your Wii, or you can create brand-new ones using photos taken by the 3DS camera. Miis can also be uploaded to the device with QR codes scanned by the camera. Miis can also be sent to friends and show up in games.
Wi-Fi Connectivity
The “SpotPass” feature allows the system to automatically connect with a nearby wireless LAN access point. Even when the device is not being used (i.e. in Sleep Mode), it stays on in the background, automatically seeking Wi-Fi signals and downloading content. With the “StreetPass” feature, the system automatically searches for and communicates with other 3DS systems, even exchanging info with them if you simply walk by another person’s 3DS, whether you’re playing a game or in Sleep Mode. Players can also connect with players using Friend Codes!
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GAMES
Forget Nintendogs: these are the 3DS games that remind us that Nintendo handheld systems aren’t just for little kids!
Madden NFL Football 3D
Pilotwings Resort 3D
Pro Evolution Soccer 2011 3D
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Hike! Madden games usually come once a year, but this new off-season 3DS version takes your favorite teams and players and lets you aim for the Superbowl with traditional 11-on-11 games, or breakneck 5-on-5 action. You can even use the touchscreen to draw up your own plays!
Lego Star Wars III: The Clone Wars 3D Star Wars enters the third dimension with a new Lego title. Taking the iconic characters, story and setting from the animated “Clone Wars” TV series, players will battle, explore, build bricks and solve puzzles in a galaxy far, far away—and that includes epic space flights in 3-D. And thanks to the StreetPass feature and Play Coins, you can unlock new characters and acquire exclusive bonus content for this game.
The soccer series uses the 3DS’ capabilities to depict “distance” between the player, the goal and other athletes. It also uses the StreetPass feature to match your team data up against other 3DS players’ stats, unlocking classic players and teams.
The 3DS reboot of the classic flight simulator franchise lets you import your Mii characters from the Mii Maker to explore Wuhu Island by plane, hang glider and rocket belt. There are 40 missions as well as various collectibles; unlock interactive 3-D dioramas and take in-game photos.
The 3DS version of the acclaimed console game known for its epic online fighting matches lets players start WiFi fights with online or local multiplayer. There are also special 3-D modes that add depth and perspective for a whole new way to play!
UPCOMING FEATURES AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots (May)
Some of the coolest features for the 3DS won't be available this month, but it's still worth looking ahead to. For instance, partnering with AT&T, Nintendo will provide automatic and free access to over 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots across the U.S. That means you’ll be able to use the StreetPass and SpotPass features, as well as Netflix and the Nintendo eShop (see right), nearly everywhere.
Nintendo eShop (May)
Nintendo’s digital store promises a plethora of 3-D movie trailers, video game trailers, screenshots and, of course, downloadable games. The store’s virtual console will initially include classic titles from the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Gear and TurboGrafx 16, with some of them remade in 3-D. There will also be a short-form video service that will offer a variety of content curated by Nintendo.
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Netflix (Summer)
Instant Netflix streaming comes to the 3DS, allowing Netflix subscribers to be able to watch content from their queues on their portable device. Not many details have been revealed yet, but we’re hoping we can watch flicks like James Cameron’s "Avatar," "Saw 3D" and "Piranha 3D" in 3-D right on the device. (Hey, we can hope, can’t we?)
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BONNIE PIESSE
How many more Stardates do we have to wait for another ‘Star Trek’ television series? by Jon Lewin page 11 of 20
t’s been six long years since we’ve boldly gone where no one has gone before. Since the demise of UPN’s “Enterprise” in 2005, television has been without a new “Star Trek” series. With the success of J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot of the movie franchise— which hauled in $385 million worldwide at the box office—that could change, the same way the success of the original batch of franchise movies jump-started “Star Trek: The Next Generation” in the late ’80s. Add in the prospect of its hotly anticipated 2012 film sequel, and it’s highly illogical that the drought will last much longer. (CBS, which owns the television rights to “Star Trek,” declined to comment.) “‘Hawaii Five-O’ is doing great business, even though many of its viewers don’t remember the old one. ‘Star Trek’ still has brand value,” Prof. Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University, told Wizard World. “‘Star Trek’ is kind of like ‘Superman’—it keeps coming back.” One stumbling block for show creators is that a TV revisit alongside the film reboot will run into new challenges. “It is doubtful that Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and others will ever sign on for a weekly series,” says Russ Haslage,
I
The Captains Corrageous: clockwise from left Kirk, Archer, Picard, Janeway and Sisko
president of the International Federation of Trekkers. In Haslage’s view, “the realistic thing to do is find a sister ship to the Enterprise and develop a diverse crew and show us what is happening in the galaxy between big-screen epics.”
Regardless, it’s likely any potential new weekly “Star Trek” series would be set in the rebooted universe of the 2009 film. “It would just be too confusing for a mass audience to have a ‘Trek’ movie series and a ‘Trek’ TV series set in competing universes,” said Christian
FINAL FRONTIERSMEN
Wizard World Staffers run down their favorite Star Trek episodes of all time!
THE MENAGERIE
Mike Cotton • Pop Culture Chief Mr. Spock steals the Enterprise as we're shown an early mission under the command of Captain Pike—original Trek lead Jeffrey Hunter—and his science officer Mr. Spock. They race back to a planet quarantined by the Federation as Spock is put on trial for his crimes.
ARENA
Justin Aclin • Pop Culture Chief Kirk's not just beefcake, as he proves in this episode when he has to save the entire ship by defeating an unstoppable enemy... with science! The Gorn is definitely one of the best looking Trek villains, which explains why they cheaped out on every other possible visual effect in the episode.
ASSIGNMENT: EARTH
James Walker • Creative Director Meant to be a backdoor pilot to a Trek spinoff, this ep, set on '60s Earth, is quite obviously a rip-off of classic "Doctor Who." Filled with 'Who' tropes (Gary Seven has a sonic pen, a female assistant, etc.) it's the closest you'll ever get to a Doctor/Kirk team-up outside of fan fiction.
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THE CORBOMITE MANUEVER
Carlos Mejia • Senior Associate Producer The episode, which mainly consists of the crew speculating about a gigantic ship that's following them, doesn’t pick up until they board the ship and meet Balok—who is played by a very young Clint Howard, with a bald head, creepy real-life mannish hands and over-the-top dubbed voice.
“You in the cube! Pull over!”
Höhne Sparborth, the founder of TrekToday.com. As Anthony Pascale, editor of TrekMovie.com, points out, former “Trek” producer Ronald Moore (“Caprica”) once explained that a reboot was necessary when the canon became too complicated after 700 TV episodes. Pascale points to this quote from a 2008 interview Moore did with syfy-wire.com (now blastr.com): “I just think that Star Trek had gone on for so long and had developed such a complicated backstory and so much continuity that it really wasn’t possible
“It’S doubtful that Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and others will ever sign on for a weekly series,” —Russ haslage, TREK INSIDER
for any one writer or any one group of writers, really, to keep it all straight anymore. And that meant there was a whole legion of people out there that weren’t even going to make the effort because it was just too much work. This really gives it a chance to start over and bring everybody back to what made it so great to begin with." The decision to pull the plug on “Enterprise” was far less complicated: Its ratings were hardly out of this world, with just an average of 2.8 million viewers tuning in each week, according to the Hollywood Reporter. That’s
daunting numbers for any network executive looking at green-lighting an expensive new series. For his part, Sparborth wonders if a new TV series is even a good idea: “I’m not sure a weekly TV show would be the best way to go forward for ‘Star Trek.’ There’d be a huge danger of them falling into the same ‘alien of the week’ trap that plagued a lot of ‘Voyager’ and ‘Enterprise.’” And that’s not the only danger, says Sparborth: “For God’s sake, please, not a funny cameo role by William Shatner as James T. Kirk’s cranky grandpa!”
TREK TELEVISION
The enterprising sci-fi series we wanna see! You wanna beam a new “Star Trek” show into your living room? Here’s how we’d get a new installment of the venerable sci-fi franchise off the launch pad: MOORE IS MORE D. Moore blew fans 1 Ronald away with his updating of the “Battlestar Galactica” franchise, a heady mix of sci-fi action and insightful social commentary; that was the basis of Gene Roddenberry’s work on the original TV series. Moore also boasts plenty of Trek TV credits, including showrunning “Deep Space Nine.” Combine J.J. Abrams—who should come aboard as an executive producer—and Moore as showrunner, that’s enough Trek juice to power the warp engines. HEAD BACK TO SCHOOL 2 There were rumors a few years back about a potential “Starfleet Academy” TV series focusing on the students training to go into space. Bring that setting out of mothballs, but tie it into the new continuity: Captain
Pike (Bruce Greenwood) retires from active service to train a new class of space cadets who must come to grips with their deadly new reality following the Vulcan disaster. You save money on the Earth setting, you tie it into the movie storyline and you bring in young viewers with a cast of twentysomethings. FORGET THE PAST, THE FUTURE 3 FORGE Don’t worry about Kirk cameos, Spock surprises or those tired old aliens like Klingons and Romulans. This new Star Trek universe is a blank slate, so make it a space opera worth watching: Can we get a Starfleet that’s more Empire than U.N.? What lengths will Starfleet go to protect the galaxy and its interests? Can the students handle the training, course work and military academy life? What new threats does this deadly new Trek universe house? And what’s the balance of power like in the universe with no Vulcans? It’s time to go where no Trek show has gone before! • THE WIZARD STAFF
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Maybe Pike can end up in a wheelchair? Easter egg!
presented by
in case you missed it:
Asterios Polyp
E
able to n e e b is n’t "I havemy mind off th take gem.”
very once in a while you stumble upon a graphic novel so brilliant, so moving, so read-it-twicein-a-week-then-tell-everyone-and-their-catabout-it, that it immediately raises the bar of what the medium can accomplish. My most recent discovery, now my obsession, is Asterios Polyp by David Mazzuchelli (Batman: Year One), which is nothing short of a modern masterpiece. Asterios Polyp is a man obsessed with the concept of dualism, at once lovable, egotistical and self-righteous. A 50-year-old “paper architect,” Polyp—who, at the book’s start has lost his comfy New York apartment to a fire and the love of his life, Hana, to a divorce—takes a train as far as the money in his wallet will take him. The plot is an examination of a relationship soured, and how our own perception of reality is almost never the same as the next man’s. Asterios Polyp explores complex themes with heavy references to Greek mythology, nods to significant modern artists and winks to popular culture without alienating the reader. The story is heartbreakingly funny, the characters wonderfully flawed, and the writing is dripping with wordplay. Polyp’s inability to relate to the emotional and random, and his obsession with all things logical and abstract are tightly woven into the greater themes of the novel. In Asterios’ mind, “Anything that is not functional is merely decorative.” Asterios himself is halved in many ways; the story is narrated by Asterios’ twin brother, who died in the womb, yet appears through dream sequences throughout the novel. His head is illustrated as a half circle with one eye, a nod to both Aristophanes’ Symposium (“Originally, humans were spherical, with four arms, four legs, and two faces on either side of a single head.”) and his last name (“An exasperated Ellis Island official had cut the family name in half, leaving only the first five letters”—the full name would have been Polyphemus, as in Cyclops.) But what really makes reading Asterios Polyp a standout experience is Mazzucchelli’s attention to detail in every facet of the novel. Each character is assigned his own “reality” —his own text, speech bubble, even coloring is significant and helps to give each character richness and depth. I haven’t been able to take my mind off this gem since I read it. If you haven’t caught Asterios Polyp yet, check it out. Whether you’re the type who reads independent comics or you prefer the classic superhero genre, it’s a great story with the art to back it up. Mazzucchelli received two Eisner awards for Asterios Polyp in 2010, one for Best New Graphic Novel and the other for Best Lettering. • Whitney Moore
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presented by
MOUTH, MEET FOOT
T
his week I was asked to cover the one year anniversary of the mobile platform game We Rule by ngmoco. My first reaction was, “I am absolutely the wrong guy for this.” Whereas I’ve worked for years in the real world to curb my judgmental nature, in the gaming world I’m the most judgmental bastard on any platform. Bottom line, I’m a console gamer who needs to feel, taste, see, smell and experience virtual bloodshed and adventure in games with compelling stories, incredible and immersive graphics and instinctual and innovative game-play. As far as I’ve seen, and I’ve really not been looking, mobile games meet none of the criteria for what gets my attention and interest. All this being said, I am trying to become nonjudgmental on all fronts, so I put a call in to Caryl Shaw, the Executive Producer on We Rule. “Before I came to ngmoco, I was at EA working on games like The Sims, Spore and Sin City.” Shaw tells me. “I came here because I wanted to make a different kind of game, one that was engaging while always being on and ready for me to play whenever, wherever” About this time in the interview, I started checking out We Rule, and then, to my surprise, signing up. “I’m totally with you about immersive environments and life-like experience,” she continues, “but the big platform games, for the most part, lack the kind of connectivity of the mobile platform and social network games offer. Plus, I just don’t have the time to invest in a big-budget console games these days, but I still need a Thoughts on the game industry by daily escape from reality, if even for a few minutes. I get Planet Illogica co-founder Ken Goldstein lost in We Rule for a moment, then I’m back to the real world” I’ve just started finished the sign up, and have been taken to an empty plot of land surrounding what is apparently my new castle. I’m being asked to plant and harvest corn. With each new crop, a new little avatar guy appears and my empire grows! “Social games are in their infancy, and we’re constantly developing new features” says Shaw. “From a developer’s stand point it’s an incredible experience to have instant analytics to see what’s working and what isn’t and to make changes that instantly improve the gamer’s experience. Social networks and mobile phone systems give you so many detailed analytics that we can see at any time how users are playing the game, what works and what doesn’t and make a change on the fly” I’m planting wheat now. Apparently soon I’ll be able to plant trees, build houses and towns, attract more people who’ll come and service my land and businesses, and then I can go visit other people’s kingdoms, and… damn it! Now I’m into this! We Rule. Come visit my Kingdom—“officialwizardworld” —we’ll stroll a troll bridge together!
STATE OF THE GAME
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TWISTED
they’re toys, and they’re twisted...
TOY THEATER
presents
Previously...to avoid getting downsized, captain kirk declares civil war on starfleet, which doesn't sit well with spock. now, the final attack has begun...
the
WRATH
…NOW!
Fire! Fire everything! Shoot! shoot! shoot! shoot!!!
Wait a minute…what direction is THIS?
of
CONF EDERACY Finalé BY: ACLIN AND GUTIERREZ
! PYEW
All right, men. Execute evasive maneuvers…
Good lord…this ‘up’ direction of space seems New planets to go on infinitely! to discover… new aliens to bed…this war is over!
WITH: BRICKEN DIETSCH AND MEJIA PHOTOS: REILLY You’re in my world now, Ensign Kirk.
PYEW PY EW
And THIS 5-year mission is going to be VERY different!
AND SO... }
You saved Starfleet, Kirk. But I’m a man of my word, so I have to Please demote you for report seceding. immediately to Captain Spock. What?!? YES!
If only we knew about this before Federation troops burned down my holodeck plantation. 45 years later… Well, alien babe, we’ve gone as far up as we can…guess it’s time to go DOWN!
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Tee hee! | get it!
ART ATTACK
The place for never-before-seen original art, commissioned from today’s top artists!
CHARLIE ADLARD
Z
ombies are freakin' everywhere! Reader Douglas Hurley from the "great" state of New Jersey emailed us this incredible sketch from artist Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead). Here, Hurley brags about his original artwork which shows Dead's Rick Grimes being attacked by one of those heartless braindead bastards. "Here is one of my favorite pieces in my original artwork collection. Adlard (pictured above) hand sketch this." Pretty cool, Hurley. You're a triple threat: Walking Dead fan, comic nerd and you share a name with the fat guy from "Lost." • CM
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COSPLAYGROUND You dress up like your favorite character, we send the pictures out into the world.
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ans excited about "Sucker Punch"—opening this weekend—from upcoming "Superman" director Zack Snyder showed up in mass to compete in our huge costume contest sponsored by Warner Bros.' "Sucker Punch" at Wizard World Toronto Comic Con. Kicked off with a special martial arts demonstration and preview of the movie, the contest fetured everything from steam punk-styled gear to kid-sized Deadpool to our special Sucker Punch catagory. Lucky winners walked away with Sucker Punch prize packs including advance tickets and tons of other swag!
MAGIC MISSLE!
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emad ld.com to m o h r u r o Send y en@wizardwo round. You g to bullp ed in CosPlay showing ile ur be feat win prizes wh o knows, could ur skills. Wh xt great o f f yo h t b e t h e n e n a yo u m i g m e d e s i g n e r o costu g movie! bi
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BACK DOOR
Five reasons why the biggest bomb of 2011, “Mars Needs Moms,” isn’t that terrible after all.
H
ere are the facts: "Mars Needs Moms" (distributed by Disney) cost roughly $150 million to make, and to date its domestic gross is $15 million. Hollywood calls that a bomb. We call it a reason to go to the movies (in 3-D no less)! Here are five reasons why everyone should back off “Mars” and just enjoy it for what it’s worth.
1
The Cast Let’s get this out of the way: “Mars” is an entertaining movie with a solid, funny cast. Seth Green (“Robot Chicken”) and Dan Fogler (“Balls of Fury”) provided enough amusing banter to get us through the 88-minute film. Plus, there’s even a reference to Smurf Berry Crunch cereal and “He-Man,” and that’s enough for us!
2
Now 75% Less Creepy “The Polar Express,” “Beowulf ” and “A Christmas Carol” were all made by digital film studio Image Movers Digital, and they chocked up creepy points with its human animation. “Mars” was by far the least creepy human CGI animated film by Movers. That’s probably because the Creep-O-Meter was hogged up by the Rastafarian-looking male Martians.
3
The End of MoCap? “Mars” was shot using motion capture (MoCap) technology, which is fancy speak for recording every move an actor makes and translating that into a digital model. It’s been used on “Avatar,” and “Tron: Legacy.” “Mars” used the tech extensively, but considering how Image Movers Digital closed its doors in January, should we consider fully MoCap films to be a thing of the past?
How is this safe? They've only covered their heads!
5
Everyone Has A Price Today, a movie’s success is based purely on how much money it makes, and the quality of the film seems to be an afterthought. But hey, what do we know about money? We’re a free weekly magazine. • Carlos Mejia
Mars Has Munchies.
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Spaceballs of Fury. Get it, guys?
PHOTOS Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures
4
“Two Thumbs Up” On RottenTomatoes.com, “Mars” holds a 39% rotten ratings review from nearly 100 critics. But critics are dicks! On Tomatoes, 54% of the audience enjoyed the film, and let’s face it—kids are not voicing their opinions on the Internet.
COMING NEXT WEEK IN
It’s time to reboot the Empire...
OUR GUIDE TO THE BEST APPS TO PRODUCE COMICS and MORE WITH the wizard world girls
PLUS
Rainn Wilson from 'The Office' gets heroic in 'Super'!
AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD MARCH 30