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Week of the Geek: April 22, 2017

Posted on by Courtney

The Truth is Out There Once Again

Time for Week of the Geek! Nothing huge this week, but definitely a lot of little things to make note of. Read to the end for a giveaway announcement and another fun fandom playlist!

Movies

Captain Marvel

Marvel hosted an open house, allowing media to get a first look at some of the exciting upcoming things in the MCU, including the first footage from the Black Panther movie and early concept art of Captain Marvel’s costume. While the media has not been allowed to share photos, the biggest takeaways from the descriptions seem to be that Lupita Nyong’o is going to be a badass in Black Panther, and so far it looks like Brie Larson may not be sporting a mohawk in her movie.

Deadpool

Fox’s X-Men Universe is about to get a lot bigger. Fox announced today the release dates for three new movies in 2018: New Mutants(4/13/18), Deadpool 2 (6/1/18), and Dark Phoenix(11/2/18).

Television

In a move that surprises no one that watched the most recent season, a new season of X-Files will begin filming this summer, with ten episodes in the pipeline starring Gillian Anderson and David Duchovny. The series’ creator, Chris Carter, is also expected to return for the new season. The announcement was accompanied by a new poster, though it doesn’t give any information beyond “coming soon”.

Cloak and Dagger, the new Freeform series based on the Marvel comic, debuted its first trailer today. Freeform is geared toward a teenage and young adult audience, but Marvel fans of all demographics seem pretty excited about the new show.

David Tennant as the Doctor with a sonic screwdriver

Doctor Who fans received some well-earned legitimacy this week when sonic screwdriver was added to the Oxford English Dictonary. The dictionary defines the science fiction device as a noun that is “a (hand-held) electronic device which uses sound waves to perform various mechanical and technical functions,” with the addendum that it is “Originally and chiefly in (or with reference to) the British television series Doctor Who.”

Sansa and Littlefinger

Game of Thrones continues to leak out bits of news to rabid fans — this week’s release were some photos from the upcoming season 7 that give some hints as to what sort of team-ups we might expect. See the rest of the photos here.

Other

Ready for another fandom playlist? This week’s is an homage to my love for Scarlet Witch and Vision: Scarlet Vision.

Do you make cool fandom things? Art, crafts, or media? Let me know in the comments! I love featuring geek makers and want to talk to you about what you do.

On the flip side, do you like having cool fandom things? Me too! I also like giving things away. To facilitate that, when Week of the Geek hits 100 subscribers, I’ll be giving away an awesome Fandom Finery gift set. All you have to do to be eligible is be subscribed, which you can do from the top left of this page. Share with your friends to help us hit that magic number!

Thanks for joining me for Week of the Geek. See you next week!

Busy Brolin, the End of Orphan Black, and That Trailer

Posted on by Courtney

Thanks for popping in for this Week of the Geek! If you want to stay up to date on the latest happenings in the geek and pop culture world, use the box on the right to subscribe.

First Things First…

In case you’ve spent the last 24 hours under a rock (hey, no judgement here! Rocks are cool!), you should probably take a couple minutes to watch the first trailer for The Last Jedi that just released yesterday. Go ahead, we’ll wait.

Movies

Jareth in Labyrinth

TriStar and The Jim Henson Company are producing another Labyrinth movie, though it’s not evident yet whether it will be a reboot or a sequel. The script is being written by Guardians of the Galaxy co-writer Nicole Perlman and produced by Lisa Henson. Many fans of the cult classic seem skeptical about the new movie, especially so soon after David Bowie’s passing last year.

Full Disclosure: I’m one of those skeptical fans. I even own a drama-queen of a cat named Jareth.

The first Thor: Ragnarok trailer was released this week to mixed feelings from fans. The trailer features Chris Hemsworth as Thor, though he loses his long hair partway through, and Cate Blanchett as Hela. The biggest sticking point the fans seem to have with it is the Guardians-of-the-Galaxy-like atmosphere, with classic rock, retro-style title cards, and pointed humor — a definite departure from the rest of the Thor series, which has taken itself much more seriously.

Josh Brolin

Josh Brolin will be pulling double-duty in the Marvel universe — it was announced this week that he is set to play Cable in Deadpool 2. His other Marvel role is in the MCU as Thanos, which is not connected to the Deadpool series.

Carrie Fisher in The Force Awakens

Despite reports to the contrary last week from Carrie Fisher’s brother, Lucasfilm announced today that she will not be in the final Star Wars film. She will, however, still appear in The Last Jedi.

Television

Orphan Black released the first teaser trailer for season 5, the last season of the sci-fi show starring Tatiana Maslany as a bevy of clones. The trailer seems packed with action without giving too much away, but with a focus on the “sestras” defending each other and fighting for their freedom.

Other Stuff

One of my time-wasting nerdy hobbies is creating playlists themed after fandoms, characters, and pairings I enjoy, so I thought I’d share some of those over the course of WOTG. This week, in honor of the soon-to-be-returning series, I’m sharing my Doctor Who/Torchwood playlist. Fair warning — I’m a Rose Tyler fangirl, so an inordinate number of these songs may have to do with her! You can find the playlist here on Spotify.

Week of the Geek: April 8, 2017

Posted on by Courtney

Winter is Dressed, and Leia’s Back

Thanks for joining us for Week of the Geek! In WOTG we break down the big news in the geek and entertainment worlds, compiling it in quick, easy to read summaries so you can stay up to date with little effort. To receive an alert when each week’s newsletter goes up, submit your email in the bar on the right. If you like what we’re doing here, share us with your friends!

Television

Daenerys costume

HBO released preview images of each major character in Game of Thrones season 7, including new costumes. Each costume seems to reflect the season’s slogan: Winter is Here. Warm furs and layers are a recurring theme, even for Daenerys, who in the past has worn flowy, loose dresses. Also drawing attention is the inclusion of Hodor, who appeared to die last season. See all of the costumes here

John Simm as the Master

The BBC announced this week that John Simm would be returning to the next season of Doctor Who. Simm will be reprising his role as the Master “thanks to the power of time travel”. Also returning this season is Michelle Gomez, who plays a later regeneration of the Master.

Movies

The remake of The Mummy released its first full trailer this week. The movie stars Tom Cruise as a treasure hunter and Sofia Boutella as the titular mummy, and the trailer showcases a lot of action alongside some downright creepy moments. The movie reboot is set to be the first in Universal’s “classic monsters” series, which the company has indicated may include cross-overs later on.

Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell

The new Ghost in the Shell movie, starring Scarlett Johansson, tanked this past weekend, finding itself overrun by the animated comedy Boss Baby. Industry experts expect the movie to lose between $60 and $100 million overall, which many blame on the public’s poor reception of a mostly-white cast being used for a movie based on a Japanese anime. Fans of the anime still have something to look forward too, though, with the announcement of a new Ghost in the Shell anime series.

The first full trailers for the Fullmetal Alchemist movie were released yesterday, announcing a release date of December 1st. That date, however, is for the Japanese release, where the movie is being produced. There has been no announcement of a US distribution for the film, but much of its large fan following in the states hope for a limited release.

Carrie Fisher in The Force Awakens

Despite Lucasfilm confirming that they had no plans to digitally recreate the late Carrie Fisher in Star Wars Episode IX, it would appear that she will be in the movie after all. Fisher’s brother, Todd Fisher, and her daughter, Billie Lourd, both gave Disney their permission to include Carrie Fisher in the movie using recent footage of Fisher to create Leia’s last scenes. “I think her presence now is even more powerful than it was,” said Todd Fisher in an interview with the NEw York Daily News. “I think the legacy should continue.”

Other Stuff

Need a laugh? Check out The Force Awakens: A Bad Lip Reading, which guest stars Mark Hamill, showing off his voice-acting skills with an impressive impression of Han Solo.

Week of the Geek: April 1st, 2017

Posted on by Courtney

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

Peter Capaldi and Pearl Mackie as their Doctor Who characters.

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.

studio ghibli logo

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!

Nerd Nation Radio logo

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:

Labyrinth of Bones preview

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!

Week of the Geek: March 25th, 2017

Posted on by Courtney

Welcome to week 3 of Week of the Geek! It’s been a pretty quiet week overall (you know, if we ignore politics) so this week is a short issue, but there’s definitely some interesting things to learn about.

Television

Fear the Walking Dead logo

Fear the Walking Dead, the Walking Dead spinoff that launched in 2015, will be losing a big piece of the behind-the-scenes leadership as it heads into Season 3. Showrunner Dave Erickson is moving on to develop a new series at AMC, though he will remain as the show’s Executive Producer. In other Fear the Walking Dead news, it was recently announced that Daniel Sharman of Teen Wolf fame will be joining the cast.

Naruto Shippuden

In a show ending that has been a long (long, long) time coming, Naruto wed Hinata in Naruto Shippuden’s 500th and final episode. The original Naruto anime premiered in 2002, giving us 15 years of entertainment. Fans mourning the loss of the will be able to cope a little easier, though, with a spin-off named Boruto that starts next month, following the next generation of ninjas in Konoha.

Fans of classic television show Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) got a glimpse this week of the reboot’s first trailer. The reboot, starring Felicia Day and Patton Oswalt, was funded by one of the most successful Kickstarters in history, in which fans raised almost $6 million to see the show made. So far, fans seem pleased with what they’ve seen from the trailer, which promises a show as campy and ridiculous as the original. The show premieres April 14th on Netflix.

Movies

Power Rangers Movie

The new Power Rangers movie debuted in theaters yesterday amongst shaky reviews from critics. While the movie certainly appeals to those of us who spent countless hours watching the hokey original, complete with laughably poor special effects, critics were disappointed by the wavering between loyalty to that background and halfhearted updating to explore more adult themes and character development. The numbers aren’t in quite yet, but I expect it will lead at the box office this weekend, unless the Disney contingent is enough to keep Beauty and the Beast at the top.

Spiderman laying down

Marvel made waves this week by releasing the first two Spiderman:Homecoming posters in quick succession. One of the posters shows Peter in action, while the other plays up his youth as he lounges in costume with a ‘Midtown School of Science and Technology’ jacket over the top. The movie, starring Tom Holland and Robert Downey Jr. is set to come out July 7th of this year.

DC wasn’t to be outdone, though — the release of the first full Justice League trailer came out just in time to make it into this week’s newsletter! The trailer combines a lot of action with some classic rock. The initial response from fans seems to be hopeful, but many are wary after some recent lackluster movies from DC. Justice League comes out in November of this year.

Other Stuff

That’s it for this week! If you have suggestions on stories to cover or crafters to include in the upcoming Geek Makers section (even if it’s you!), let me know in the comments! If you like what we’re doing here, take a moment go subscribe in the bar on the right, and maybe even share this with some friends. Hope everyone has a great week!

Week of the Geek

Posted on by Courtney

Thanks for joining us for the second installment of Week of the Geek! Here’s what’s new in the world of geekdom.

Television

After a long break (with a brief return during the holidays), there is a light at the end of the tunnel for Doctor Who fans. Earlier this week, the BBC premiered the first trailer of the upcoming season. This will be Peter Capaldi’s last season as the doctor, during which it appears he will face some of his traditional enemies, including daleks and cybermen.

Another long-anticipated television event is airing this week — the musical crossover of The Flash and Supergirl. The episode will air this upcoming Tuesday at 8/7c.

Movies


By the time this newsletter is posted, Beauty and the Beast will have been out for a day and a half (and I’ll probably have seen it twice, if I’m being honest). The Disney movie is a live-action remake of the animated classic starring Emma Watson, Ewan McGregor, Luke Evans, Kevin Kline, and Ian McKellen. The movie has received good reviews so far, and has spawned a craze for merchandise, like the rose cup fans are waiting for hours in line to obtain.

While no potential directors or actors have been mentioned yet, it would appear that Sony is moving forward with a Venom movie despite The Amazing Spiderman 2 having somewhat disappointing reviews, resulting in Sony handing Spiderman over to Disney to join the Avengers. The Venom movie wouldn’t be connected at all to the current Spiderman storyline.

Extending the franchise’s worldwide comeback, it would appear there is another installation of Godzilla is on the way. A new animated film has been announced. It will be released in Japanese theaters before being streamed worldwide on Netflix, but not much information on the plot or release date is known yet. More information will be released at AnimeJapan 2017 about the movie, which will be the 32nd in the Godzilla franchise.


DC pushed the release date of Aquaman back to December 21st 2018. The date change seems to suggest that the production company thinks it can compete against the tougher Christmas market.

Games


The only game anyone is talking about right now is the new shooter from Bioware, Mass Effect: Andromeda. This is the fourth game in the Mass Effect franchise, but takes place long after where Mass Effect 3 left off, with humanity searching for a new homeworld. The game has drawn criticisms for early animations, and reviews from those with early access run the gamut from terrible to ecstatic. Either way, the game is expected to have a huge release next Tuesday.


Xbox One, Playstation 4, and PC have a blast to the past coming in the form of The Disney Afternoon Collection. Capcom has remastered these popular games from the late 80s and early 90s for re-release, including new in-game features and an animated museum with trivia and images from the original releases. The games will be sold as a set for $19.99.

Other Stuff

Next week we’ll be including our first Geek Maker interview. Look over in the bar on the right to subscribe so you dont miss it!

Week of the Geek

Posted on by Courtney

Geek Happenings This Week

Welcome to the first installment of Week of the Geek! There will likely be some format changes here and there as I learn what works and what doesn’t, so have some patience with me, and of course feel free to make suggestions. For now, here’s this week’s news!

Gaming

The obvious frontrunner in gaming news this week is the Nintendo Switch. The new console was released Friday, March 3rd, and most retailers sold out immediately. Reviews for the Switch were mostly positive, and Nintendo executives were quick to respond to the most common complaints, namely the lack of streaming media availability and the shortage of games upon release. If you do find yourself in possession of a Nintendo Switch game cartridge, be sure not to lick them, as Nintendo took an extra safety step with pets and children in mind and coated each game in a bitter-tasting finish.

Horizon Zero Dawn was also released last week, and has been met with overwhelmingly positive reviews. The game takes place in the distant future when machine-based animals dominate the landscape. The game’s protagonist, Aloy, is voiced by Ashly Burch, known by some as the voice of Tiny Tina in Borderlands 2 and to others as the namesake of the YouTube series Hey Ash Whatcha Playin?.

Cartoon Network announced Thursday that they will be following up Steven Universe’s successful mobile game, Attack the Light, with a console game, Save the Light. The game is being made with Grumpyface, the same developer that created the mobile game, with show creator Rebecca Sugar also contributing. It is slated for release this summer, and should make it’s gameplay debut this weekend at PAX East.

Steven Universe game image

Speaking of — if you like to keep up with what’s going on in the gaming world, it’s a big weekend! Follow PAX East this weekend to see new information on upcoming releases.

Television

In what is considered by many to be non-news thanks to its vagueness, HBO has released the first poster for Game of Thrones Season 7:

Game of Thrones season 7 poster

While some are frustrated by the poster’s lack of characters, locations, or really anything at all, others are pointing out that the fire and ice mingling could be a tease about some fan-favorite characters finally meeting each other. Soon after the poster was released, HBO also released a teaser trailer to announce the season premiere date we’ll all be looking forward to: July 16th.

Coming up much sooner is Netflix’s release of Marvel’s Iron Fist. Despite its predecessors (Daredevil, Jessica Jones, and Luke Cage) doing well, Iron Fist seems to be struggling to live up to its potential. It doesn’t seem to be receiving as much pre-release coverage as the previous Marvel offerings from Netflix, and the reviews coming in from press members who have been able to preview the series are not complimentary. The series will be released on Netflix on March 17th.

In television history this week, Buffy the Vampire Slayer turned 20, prompting actors, writers, producers, and fans of the show to pay tribute to the impact it had on pop culture.

Movies

Entertainment Weekly cover with Thor: Ragnarok characters

Entertainment Weekly released the first photos from Thor: Ragnarok, revealing several new characters, including Cate Blanchett looking quite unlike herself as Hela, the franchise’s first female villain. What most people seem to be focused on, however, is Thor’s surprising new ‘do. Click here to see the full set of photos.

If that’s not enough Marvel for you, you can also check out the new Deadpool 2 trailer that dropped this week:

In animated movie news, Disney excited a lot of fans Thursday night when they announced that Wreck-It Ralph will have a sequel, coming next March.

Other Stuff

Thanks for checking out the first issue of Week of the Geek! We certainly have more exciting things on the way — for example, I plan to have a Geek Maker highlight each week in the future. As a purveyor of geeky crafts myself, I firmly believe that crafters should support each other. If you or someone you know sells geeky crafts you’d like to see featured, comment below to let me know! Comments are also a great place to tell me what you like about the newsletter and to pass along any suggestions you might have.

If you like what you’re seeing here, look to the right where you can subscribe for email updates when each week’s newsletter goes up.

Also, to end this on a happy note, enjoy this video of Sir Patrick Stewart not-swimming with his new pit bull foster, Ginger.

Coming Soon: Week of the Geek

Posted on by Courtney

If you want an easy way to keep up with pop-culture happenings in film, TV, games, and more, Week of the Geek is exactly what you need. Each week we’ll cover news items, rising trends, and fandom movers and shakers, making it simple to catch up on each week’s trailers, news, and cool happenings all in one place.

Subscribe in the bar to the right to get an email alert when each week’s post is ready!

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