If you’re reading this article, chances are good you’ve heard of xkcd, the thrice-weekly stick figure webcomic by Randall Munroe. I’ve been reading (and loving) it for over three years now because of science strips like this one, computer strips like this one, and all-around awesome strips like this one. I own an xkcd T-shirt and a signed xkcd print.
You see, I’m biased.
I’ve been pondering, though. With many things I enjoy (The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Matrix trilogy) I’m well aware of the sizable minority (or even majority) who dislikes it. After all, LotR has no shortage of detractors, and if you haven’t seen a Harry Potter hate site, you haven’t been on the Internet. But somehow, I’d always assumed that xkcd was different; I guess I just figured it was one of those things, like sunshine, Earthbound,… … Does xkcd suck?
We haven’t heard much in the way of reboot/reimagining news since the recent Spider-Man debacle. Today, though, we’re in luck. It looks like Regency Entertainment is currently in the early stages of planning a Brangelina-less prequel to 2005’s Mr. & Mrs. Smith entitled Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
According to Vulture, the studio hopes to save some dough by casting lesser-known thespians in the lead roles. Whether or not the audience the first film found will return for a second film without Pitt or Jolie is anyone’s guess.
If you managed to miss the Super Bowl yesterday, we’ve got your back. Disney premiered a new spot for their upcoming Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time film during the big game. They mercifully uploaded it to the internet for those that don’t care about sports.
Last week we received multiple teaser images for Avengers #1 from Marvel Comics. This week, the company is teasing another Avengers project – Secret Avengers #1. The book, from Ed Brubaker and Mike Deodato, will be in stores this May. You’ll find the promotional image below the jump.
If you’ve ever bought something through Gamestop online, you might want to check your credit card bills. On Firday, Game Politics reported that the company (along with several others) has been subpoenaed as part of the ongoing fight against Webloyalty scams.
The scam, for those who’ve managed to miss it, involves a business adding a checkbox to their online check-out process that will enroll you in offers from third parties if left checked. This offer appears to be free, however, there’s generally a $1.00-2.00 fee added to your credit card statement each month. Given that the fees are so small, the average consumer doesn’t notice them and fails to take action.
The same post on GP mentions that the VP of Gamestop has agreed to cooperate fully in the case.
Comedian Nick Thune is quickly making himself known as one of today’s premier up and comers on the scene. Excluding the fact that he had a recurring segment on The Jay Leno Show, he’s been quite busy the past few years. On February 23rd, he’ll release a CD and DVD entitled Thick Noon. To preview this, check out the player below.
This weekend, TribalGames unleashed their App, The Mighty Decider. It seems like a collection of Mighty Boosh-themed randomizers: spin the bottle, magic-8 ball, etc. This is an outrage!
Actually, it’s not: this weekend it’s only 99 cents. And all that sweet Mighty Boosh artwork is surely worth that petty fee. Checked it out? Post a review in the comments!
SyFy’s Haven, an adaptation of Stephen King’s The Colorado Kid, now has a lead actress. Emily Rose, formerly of NBC’s ER, officially joined the cast of the series as FBI Agent Audrey Parker.
Haven tells the story of a town populated by people with supernatural abilities. Agent Parker discovers the town’s secret after being called in to investigate a murder that occurred there. It sounds a bit like Heroes meets Eureka meets King’s warped imagination, which actually sounds promising. Let’s hope that doesn’t mean weak acting and writing will plague it starting with the second season.
We first ran across a teaser for Luc Besson’s film adaptation of French comic The Extraordinary Adventures of Adele Blanc-Sec a few months back. A second trailer debuted today that gives a bit more insight into the plot. Adele, an investigative reporter/adventure, takes it upon herself to save France after a pterodactyl hatched in the basement of a museum begins wreaking havoc upon the countryside. Exciting!
We often receive e-mail from PR folk promoting the latest and greatest movies, games, and music. We don’t, however, recieve them from veteran game writers looking for work.
Today, Broken Sword scribe Steven Ince issued a press release letting the world know that he’s available for any “story, character or dialogue requirements that need to be fulfilled by an experienced game writer.” It included both his email address (steve@steve-ince.co.uk) and telephone number (+44 (0)7941 527463).
So, if you’re looking for someone to take your creations and place them into a script for a point-and-click adventure game, don’t hestitate to give him a ring.
