Welcome to the latest installment of Week of the Geek! We had a few cool news stories crop up this week, and down at the bottom we have our first Geek Maker feature with indie comic creator and podcaster Gene Hoyle.

Television

Doctor Who made headlines this week with the announcement that Bill Potts, the new companion played by Pearl Mackie, will be openly gay. Bill will be the first openly gay full-time companion on the show, though fans were quick to point out that Captain Jack Harkness, a part-time companion to the 9th and 10th doctors’ runs, was open to humans and aliens of any gender. Mackie seemed excited about the announcement. “That representation is important, especially on a mainstream show,” she told the BBC.

HBO released a new teaser trailer for the next, and last, season of Game of Thrones. The trailer shows Jon Snow, Daenerys Targaryen, and Cersei Lannister each ascending to a throne, set to modern music. The season debuts in July of this year.

Movies

This Thursday, the internet was set alight with rumors that Joss Whedon is nearing a deal to direct the upcoming Batgirl movie. The news was broken by Variety. The article offered no hint of a source, but that didn’t stop the internet from immediately running with the news, with fans and critics of Whedon entering into debates and fans producing lists of preferred castings.

The clown that terrified a generation is back in the first full trailer for IT. The movie is based on a Stephen King novel of the same name, which had previously been adapted into a miniseries in 1990. The movie stars Bill Skarsgard as the titular character, a clown that lures children into the sewer system below a small town.

Fathom Events has teamed up with Studio Ghibli to bring some of its most popular animated films back to theaters for very limited-time runs. My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa Valley of the Wind, Spirited Away, and Howl’s Moving Castle will each have a two-day run in theaters once a month starting in June. Both subbed and dubbed versions will be offered.

Marvel released the second trailer for the new Spiderman: Homecoming, giving the first real look into what the story will be like. There’s plenty of action, as well as more of a look into the role Robert Downey Jr. will be playing as Tony Stark in the film. While most fans seem to be excited by the look into the film, it is catching some criticism for once again seeming to use Tony Stark as a whipping boy of bad decisions.

Video Games

Destiny 2 released its first trailer this week, exciting fans by showcasing Nathan Fillion’s role in the game. The developers also announced that the game will be available on PC, while the first was only initially available on consoles.

While perhaps only tangentially related to video games, it’s worth mentioning: Google’s April Fools event this year allows you to play Ms. Pac-Man on streets around the world in the Google Maps app.

Geek Makers

For this week’s Geek Maker, the first in what I hope to be a weekly occurrence, I spoke with Gene Hoyle, a comic book author and podcast host. Enjoy!

Can you tell us a little about what you make?

Comic wise, Nerd Nation Publishing is my dream come true. I have always wanted to write comic books and get them out there to the world . Doing it myself (with the help of several talented artists) allows me to do that.

Nerd Nation Radio is our podcast. I have been been doing that for years now and hope for other r ok keep going as long as possible. It’s a great outlet for all the nerdy crap that builds up in my head.

How did you get started writing comics?

I have always written but never felt confident enough to follow through with sharing those stories. In 2012 I was given an opportunity to edit a charity comic book called Solestar. That project showed me that I had what it took to make an impact on the indy comics scene.

What’s your favorite thing about the geek communities you’re a part of?

As an introvert, the community helps me come out of my shell and make new friends. Conventions and comic shops are my very favorite places to be. There is a real sense of community in Fandom that can not be matched.

Have you had any experiences as a ‘geek maker’ that were especially exciting or moving?

Nerd Nation had a panel at a con in 2012. We hoped for a dozen attendees and got almost 110. It was great to see that we mattered and people wanted to hear what we had to say.

What’s something you’re planning or working on now that you’d like to share?

We are working on a one shot comic called Labyrinth Of Bones that I am very excited about.
It’s being drawn by David Johnson Jr and colored and lettered by Michael Waggoner. It’s a dark fantasy that I feel will help me make my mark on the industry.

In addition to this great interview, Gene also is allowing us to share this exclusive first look at some of the fantastic art we can expect from Labyrinth of Bones:

Find Gene with Nerd Nation on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.

Thanks for joining us for this issue of Week of the Geek. If you or someone you know if a geek maker you’d like to see featured, post a comment below! We’d also love to hear what everyone is thinking of the newsletter. To receive an email when each week’s WOTG is posted, sign up for email alerts at the top right of this page. Have a great week!