I guess I'm out of the book club.

Is there anything greater than this? I don't think so.

Get your very own Benjamin Linus bobblehead at this years Comic Con International. Created by Bif Bang Pow! this is just the first in a line of collectables based on the characters from Lost. Michael Emerson's head kind of lends itself to being a bobblehead already doesn't it? It will be available exclusively at the Entertainment Earth booth (#2343) at SDCC and retails for $17. I can't get enough of the description from the press release: "Based on recent storylines from the show, he comes bruised and bloodied with his arm in a sling...but you wouldn't want him any other way!"

"The twists, turns and multiple threads that characterize Lost give rise to a host of distinctive and unforgettable characters. These characters lend themselves to the creation of unique figures and accessories that have terrific fan appeal and serve to memorialize this exceptional TV series," said Jason Lenzi, CEO of Bif Bam Pow! Accessories?? Oh please tell me they're making a four-toed statue!!

I love that it's presented as a Dharma product. Who do you think would have been the biggest collector in the Dharma Initiative? I say Mikhail. Or maybe Horace. I kind of hope they don't make bobbleheads out of ALL of the characters though. I mean, really, who actually needs or wants a lame Kate bobblehead? Not me.

Comic Book Review: The Veil #1

She sees dead people. I don't want to see dead people. Please don't make me see dead people!

In this tough economy you take work where you can get it right? One can’t be very picky when it comes to being able to pay the rent but I have to admit - if making a living meant talking to creepy dead people every day, I might just be out on the street.

Check out my review of The Veil #1 from IDW at the Girls Entertainment Network.

Frightening Friday

Having the distinction of being my favorite holiday, talk of Halloween can never come early enough for me. I was at a bit of a loss as to what to blog about today. Then I happened upon two truely frightening things and thought, "Hey, why not scare the crap out of everyone else!" Maybe I'm just a wuss, that's for you to decide.

Firstly, I'm not going anywhere near Hollywood or Orlando come this October. Universal Studios has made a deal with Lionsgate to incorporate their Saw franchise into the parks annual "Halloween Horror Nights" event. Last year a Saw haunted house backed by Lionsgate saw 20,000 visitors alone. "The theme park should guarantee not only a bigger budget to build the planned horror maze that will promote the sixth film, but also a considerably larger audience, considering the 'Saw' attractions will appear at U's parks in Hollywood and Orlando," reports Variety,"Universal plans to incorporate the 'Saw' franchise's characters and grisly traps in a maze and in the parks' dedicated "scare zones," as well as on the 'Terror Tram,' a revamped version of its studio tram tour."

I'm actually not a huge fan of the Saw films, I only saw the second one a few weeks ago, but I think they're good. Combining their twisted games with something I've never been fond of to begin with though means this is not for me. There was a whole mix-up when I was younger. I thought the haunted house was the fun house and made my father take me in (I don't know what he was thinking) which resulted in the first "ghost" telling a then 8-year-old Jill that he'd find me wherever I was and us going out the way we came in. It was a whole big thing. Granted "Terror Tram" does sound very lame.

Now the other, far more frightening thing I came across was this trailer for the new Richard Kelly film, The Box, starring Cameron Diaz, James Marsden and Frank Langella. Take a gander and tell me 1:17 doesn't make you want to pee your pants.

The film is based on Richard Matheson's short story "Button, Button" which I've never read so don't spoil anything for me if you have. Apparently Arcade Fire and Final Fantasy’s Owen Pallett have collaborated on the score, which should be really interesting. The Box opens October 30, 2009. Hey, I know someone who wants to push the button!

Holy Batman, Batman!

Is there such a thing as too much Batman? Haha, no. But seriously there is a sudden flood of Batman comic books lately. Detective Comics, Batman, Nightwing, Robin and the Birds of Prey all went on hiatus for a few months during Battle for the Cowl. Now that they've started up again the list goes: Detective Comics, Batman, Batman and Robin, Red Robin, Batman: Streets of Gotham and Gotham City Sirens. Granted, that's only one more than before and not all of the new titles actually have Batman in them but it got me thinking. What other new titles came up during that brainstorming session for new books? Here's a few possibilities that never saw the light of day.

Dentist Comics - Because fighting tooth decay is just as important as fighting crime.

Dratman - A senior citizen sets out to fight crime in Gotham but is always five minutes too late. Drat!

Batman and Batman - Why have one Batman when you can have TWO?!

Red Rollins - Singer Henry Rollins is tired of all these pussies running around Gotham. He's here to kick ass and take names. In jean shorts.

Batman: Street Sweeper - Batman spends his nights doing the kind of cleanup Gotham REALLY needs.

Gotham City Pimps - Will prove pimpin' in fact, ain't easy.

Speedo Comics - All speedos, all the time.

Batband - Friday and Saturday nights at Club Jam. Ladies in costume get in free.

Batman and the Penguin - Can the Dark Knight tame another wild bird?

Green Robin - Tim Drake takes it on himself to make Gotham more eco-friendly. Second Feature: Poison Ivy

Batman: Libraries of Gotham - Every book must be catalogued into the Batcomputer. Can it be done?!

Gotham City Goliaths - Follow Gotham's baseball team on the road, at the stadium and in the showers.

Detective Dick - Because Dick is the detective now. Get it?

Scatman - Ski bi di bi di do bap do Do bam do Bada bwi ba ba bada bo...

Batman and Captain America - Batman: "Aren't you supposed to be dead?" Cap: "Aren't you?"

Red Robin Williams - "My first day as Red Robin and I'm already having hot flashes!"

Batman: Sesame Street - "Greetings! I am the Batman. They call me the Batman because I love to bat things."

Gotham City Police Sirens - weeeoooo wwweeeeeooooo WWWEEEEEEEOOOO!

DoubleDCoverage #13

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

I love Batman as much as the next girl (actually, more) but do we really need another book to tell us what happens on the streets of Gotham? Plus everything you’ve always wanted to know about the Ultra-Humanite and one thing you wish you didn’t. Reviews for Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 and Power Girl #2 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #13.

10 Women Who Need to Start Kicking Ass Again

I'm a Doll. An honorary Heartless Doll to be precise. At least for today. My first (and hopefully not my last) article has been posted on Heartless Doll. "What is Heartless Doll," you say? Well it's the sister blog to Topless Robot and it is full of spunk and hilarity. "Jill, when do you find time to sleep," you say? Stop asking so many questions.

When it comes to kicking ass, no one does it better than a woman. I mean really. As much as I love him, the Bruce Willises of the world are a dime a dozen and there’s always going to be some hot up-and-coming male action star to keep the terrorists or aliens at bay. Wouldn’t you prefer to watch someone like Kate Beckinsale or Angelina Jolie roundhouse kick well, anyone, in the face? I know I would, but for me it’s not just the eye-candy factor, it’s watching the “fairer sex” do something I’ve wanted to do for years now – beat the men of this world to a bloody pulp. Here are a few experts wasting their potential elsewhere who need to get back in the game immediately.

Check out who the "10 Women Who Need to Start Kicking Ass Again" are at Heartless Doll. Don't forget to leave lots and LOTS of comments there too. :)

The Nerdy Bird Strikes Again!

It was my second time attending Wizard World Philly this past weekend. It turned out to be way better than the first as you can easily tell from this picture.

Wizard World Philadelphia – The calm before the storm. San Diego’s Comic-Con International is just a little over a month away and while the comic book crowd is gearing up for the madness that will ensue, it seems like WW Philly has been forgotten. It almost makes me want to start singing, “Where Have All the Cowboys Gone?” by Paula Cole, but then I remember...that song sucks. Almost as much as me leaving my sketchbook at home, but we’ll get to that in a minute. Barring that, I did manage to have a lot of fun at my second WW Philly convention. I saw some great costumes, attended four very entertaining panels, got a sweet kiss from Doug Jones, a hug from Edward James Olmos and made a new best friend in Ted Raimi. Oh and I told Colonel Saul Tigh he was a “handsome devil.” Beat that!

Check out my complete convention coverage (with LOTS of pictures!) now up at Comic Book Resources!

Graphic Novel Review: The Good Neighbor - Kin

Think happy thoughts. This isn’t your friendly neighborhood Tinker Bell.

Do you believe in faeries? What first comes to mind? Is it the tiny little Disney gals with the pretty wings or is it the mischievous devils that will lead travelers astray or possibly even steal your baby? Holly Black (Tithe, The Spiderwick Chronicles) and Ted Naifeh (Courtney Crumrin, Polly and the Pirates) would have you believe there is only room for one. Better find that happy memory and hold on tight.

Rue is a regular teenager. She lives at home with her parents, goes to school and dates the lead singer of a rock band. Rue, her boyfriend Dale, friend Lucy and Lucy’s boyfriend Justin spend most of their time drinking lots and lots of coffee and breaking into abandoned buildings to take pictures. She likes to act like nothing bothers her but when her mother up and goes missing for three weeks she starts to crack at the seams. Not that she hasn’t always been a little cracked to begin with mind you. Rue sees and hears things that can’t be real. It used to just be out of the corner of her eye but with her mom gone it’s been happening right out in the open. What would you think if a woman with a goat head walked by you? Disturbing doesn’t even begin to cover it.

Read the rest of my review at the Girls Entertainment Network.

When Geek Girls Attack!

The LA Times' "Girls' Guide to Comic Con 2009." You've read it. Or at least read about it. Yes, they did make gross generilizations about the geek girl community. Yes, they really did tell us we'd be rushing to wash laundry on Jake Gyllenhaal's stomach. They also said, "Pixar can do no wrong by anyone." ORLY? Oddly enough, in the same photo gallery they write the line, "Get your female empowerment right here," but that just makes me laugh and lauuugh.

"Angry Little Girls" by Lela Lee

Anyway, I'm not here to beleaguer the point. Many other lovely geeky ladies have written well on the subject already. I'm here to give you my very own Logical Girls' Guide to Comic Con. This will be my first year attending SDCC but I have attended other cons so this will be a general guide with a few specifics thrown in that I've heard from others. It may be snarky at times, it will be realistic and it also may make the boys want to vomit. You are forewarned.

• Wear comfortable shoes. I use a scooter to get around and even I know this. Unless you are in costume, don't wear anything with heels. You will be walking A LOT.

• Get to Hall H, mmmm right about now. Yeah, it's insanity on the worst level. If you're going with a large group taking turns holding the place in line might be a good idea too. Pick what's most important to you and camp.

• Bring a decent sized bookbag/purse. You'll likely be picking up lots of free swag, not to mention all the fun things you'll purchase. You can always get a plastic bag there but why fill up your arms more than you have to?

• Check your balance before you go. Bank balance and credit card balance. How much can you really afford to spend at Comic Con? Trust me, it's like walking into a candy store. Everywhere you look there will be something you love and MUST HAVE! Be realistic and set yourself a budget, no one should go into bankruptcy over action figures. As much as we may want to.

• Batteries. The LA Times lead us to believe we'd need them for our mid-panel sex toy breaks but you'll really be cursing yourself if you forget them for your camera. Even if the ones in there now are BRAND NEW, buy a whole new package to take with just in case! If nothing else you might turn out to be the savior of another fan who needs to capture a memorable moment.

• DO NOT attack the celebrities. Speaking of memorable moments, you might just run into a creator or actor you love walking around on the show floor. It happens. When it does be respectful. If they look like they're trying to avoid making eye contact you probably shouldn't approach them. Remember, they're fans too and it sucks that they don't get to enjoy Comic Con like everyone else.

• Bring your school supplies. Pens, pencils, sharpies, paper and a sketchbook are all good ideas. Getting sketches from your favorite artists can be a lot of fun but make sure to get to them early, their commission lists fill up fast. That's not to say some won't doodle a quick sketch for you inbetween but that doesn't go for everyone. Use other paper or a notebook to keep track of the panels you want to attend or tables you want to hit instead of having to flip through the program guide 20 times a day. Not to mention you can exchange info with all the other geek girls you meet! There are TONS of us and we're forming an army.

• Bring your own food and drinks. It's just like attending any other "event," they charge and arm and a leg. If you are being leisurely you can head outside to eat at a restaurant but if timing is tight for panels you'll be glad you brought a sandwich. Or some chocolate. You know how us girls are.

• Don't eat. "Huh," you say? This only pertains to those of you going in costume. Most cosplay costumes are tight/revealing/hard to get in and out of. The less bathroom breaks, the better. Eat a hearty breakfast but then eat as little as possible during the day. You know what makes you bloat, don't eat it. You will be getting pictures taken of you constantly. Don't starve or hurt yourself for fashion though. I suggest keeping a few granola bars handy and definitely water. The last thing you need at Comic Con is a UTI.

• Extra tampons. We can't all be lucky and not have our periods during Comic Con. Hey, maybe you'll be extra cursed and get it mid-con! Ugh. Don't rely on those machines or friends to have your back, er, front. You'll want to punch them in the face when they say, "Why would I have one, I don't have MY period." Same idea as above with the batteries, you might wind up helping someone else out big time.

• Sunscreen. You will be in San Diego after all. I hear it's sunny there sometimes.

• Condoms. Cuz hey, you never know when Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Eric Bana, Alex O'Loughlin, Gabriel Macht, Benicio del Toro, Johnny Depp,Stephen Moyer, Alexander Skarsgard, Sam Trammel, Ryan Kwanten, Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Denzel Washington, Paul Wesley, Ian Somerhalder, Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Morris Chestnut, Scott Wolf Jensen Ackles, Jared Padalecki, Tom Welling or Channing Tatum is gonna walk up to you and say, "WANNA FUCK?"

DoubleDCoverage #12

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

We’ve got a new Batman and a new Red Robin but they both need their costumes taken in a little at the seams. Reviews for Batman #687 and Red Robin #1 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #12.

Perchance to Dean

Jackson Publick has once again updated his Livejournal with some fun Venture Bros. news.

"How's the soup?"

Publick says this is the first time they aren't making any huge stylistic changes but "we took a new approach to the inking style of the characters, who are looking more satisfactorily (and consistently) comic book-y than ever now, to my delight," he wrote. According to teases on Adult Swim, season 4 is set to start in November. "So far we've received four 'first take' rough cuts back from Korea, and a new one arrives every two weeks. They're looking really good so far," writes Publick, "The quality on the whole is very high--higher even than last season which, for my money (or adultswim's to be exact) is pretty damn good."

Currently Publick and Doc Hammer are in the midst of editing the first few episodes of the season, at least one of which features the voice talent of the best Batman ever, Kevin Conroy. They are also busy writing the episodes for the second half of the season so they don't fall behind. "We even finally caved in to Hollywood style writer's room protocol and purchased a giant Dry-Erase 'Big Board' for the Astrobase, upon which we work out our ideas and storylines for many episodes to come. It's already paid for itself in Post-Its savings alone," wrote Publick. It seems things are coming along nicely.

I don't know what this is but it's f-ing sweet!

He also listed a few working titles for the upcoming season, "Blood of the Father, Heart of Steel," "The Revenge Society," and "Perchance to Dean" just to name a few. "And yes... I've been wanting to use that last one for years," he wrote. The fellas will be attending San Diego Comic Con and he says the Season 3 DVD's have been selling even better than 1 or 2. Don't forget, the Venture Bros. soundtrack by JG Thirlwell (or should I say, "The Venture Bros.: The Music of JG Thirlwell") is finally for sale. It originally came with the Blu-Ray version of Season 3 but it's also available on their site, iTunes and a bunch of other places.

A bonus metaphorical cookie goes to the first person to correctly identify my reference quote under the first picture. And no using the internet to figure it out!

If it ain't Baroque, don't fix it.

It was a long weekend, so here's a thinking-lite post. Apparently the folks at Worth1000.com periodically hold really fun contests, putting superheroes and other nerd-related characters into famous works of art. Some on the site aren't showing up anymore but here's a few of my favorites I was able to pull.

SOOKIE

Sigh. I am such a sucker.

I have fallen hard for HBO's True Blood. It was a love affair that started less than two weeks ago. When the show first aired I didn't have HBO but I also thought the premise was kind of weird. A synthetic blood drink has been created so vampires can "come out of the coffin" and stop feeding off of humans? And they're attempting to get equal rights? Six Feet Under is one of my favorite shows but I thought creator of both, Alan Ball, was being a bit too on-the-nose with the allegory there. Regardless, when talk started up about the second season I figured I'd give the first a shot seeing as how nothing is on tv now anyway.

Here's the gist for anyone who's never watched or couldn't make it past the first episode (which I can understand). Sookie Stackhouse (Anna Paquin) is a telepath working as a waitress in the tiny town of Bon Temps, Louisiana. Soon after they announced themselves to the world, a vampire named Bill Compton (Stephen Moyer) finds himself in her establishment. He gets into trouble with some vampire haters but Sookie winds up saving his life. She realizes she can't read his mind, which is a huge relief for her as she's suffered through the worst of humanity's thoughts during the course of her life. Obviously, this makes her fall head over heels in love with him. I don't blame her.

And really, that's basically it. There are a host of other fantastic characters involved in the show who each get their chance to shine at one point or another and the first season is tied up in one giant murder mystery but it really is a simple show. It has a much smaller scope than what I first imagined. It's based almost entirely in Bon Temps with short detours to the surrounding towns now and then and the overarching plot of vampire rights and equality is handled mostly in short news clips the characters happen to catch.

It's hard for me to give an actual description of the show. It's listed as a drama but it's a lot more than that. I'd throw dark comedy and B-movie horror in as well. Oh and porn. I'd have to throw porn into the mix as well. There's a LOT of sex in True Blood. Characters are naked for a large percentage of the show. And apparently having sex with a vampire will be the best you've ever had, hence the term "fang bangers." Oh and I forgot to mention, vampire blood is used by humans as a new kind of drug.

I realize I haven't really gushed about why I like the show so much yet. I said I fell hard, and I did, but it has that Twilight quality for me (although Paquin doesn't think so). Deep down I know it's terrible - when I first saw the fangs I thought of bunnies and Bill has sex with Sookie straight out of the dirt at one point - but I can't get enough of it. Every time he says her name I swoon. It's uncontrollable. Truthfully it's not even a show I would recommend to someone unless I already knew they had similar tastes as me but the new season starts this Sunday and I, for one, am ready for some more sucking.

Museum of Modern...Burton?

What's this? What's this? There's color everywhere. What's this? Tim Burton is exhibiting at New York's Museum of Modern Art?! I can't believe my eyes.

It's true. The master of joyous macabre is set to exhibit at the famous MoMA. "The show will include more than 700 pieces: paintings, drawings, storyboards, maquettes, puppets and other work created or designed by Burton," reports Variety. MoMA's assistant curator, Ron Magliozzi; the department of film's curatorial assistant, Jenny He; and chief curator of film Rajendra Roy are responsible for gathering and cataloguing Burton's vast artistic endeavors. "I have so many drawings. I never look at the stuff -- I just keep doing it," said Burton.

The exhibition, sponsored by the Sci Fi Channel, will run November 22, 2009 - April 26, 2010. "There is no other living filmmaker possessing Tim Burton's level of accomplishment and reputation whose full body of work has been so well hidden from public view," Maggliozi said.

Film buffs will be happy to hear MoMA plans to screen Burton's 14 films throughout the show as well as some of his earliest non-professional attempts at the moving picture. "In addition, MoMA will present a series of films that influenced or inspired the helmer, including James Whale's 1931 'Frankenstein,' Robert Wiene's silent 1920 horror film 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari' and Roger Corman's 1961 'The Pit and the Pendulum,'" says Variety.

No one was more surprised than the director himself when he first heard the news,"I thought it was an elaborate joke of some sort," he said, "I feel like it's a real honor and all, but I'm a bit nervous about it, too." Known for being extremely quirky, Burton feels he's not too far apart from the rest of the world when it comes to his art, "Everybody draws, I just never stopped when the teachers told me to."

Sounds like this exhibit is going to be a veritable feast for the eyes. What's your favorite Tim Burton creation? My top two are Edward Scissorhands and Family Dog from Amazing Stories.

DoubleDCoverage #11

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

Batman and Robin feels like Mr. Toads Wild Ride and exactly how has the Earth not gone spiraling out of orbit thanks to New Krypton? Reviews for Batman and Robin #1 and Superman: World of New Krypton #4 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #11.

I love it when a plan comes together.

One year from now, on June 11, 2010, we will be getting a big-screen adaptation of The A-Team. As of yesterday it seems two of the four main roles have finally been cast. And all I can say is, "Oh god, YES."

Variety is reporting Liam Neeson is in negotiations to play George Peppard's role, Col. John "Hannibal" Smith. "Neeson and Fox are working out money issues. He is coming off the global hit 'Taken' and most recently completed 'Chloe' and 'Clash of the Titans,' playing Zeus in the latter," says Variety. Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces) is set to direct, brothers Ridley and Tony Scott will produce along with Jules Daly and original series creator Stephen J. Cannell.

Bradley Cooper, who's been rumored to be playing "Faceman" for quite some time now, seems to have cemented his chances by hitting it big at the box office this past weekend with The Hangover. The Hollywood Reporter says, "Cooper is in official talks to step into the role of Face for Fox's feature adaptation of 'The A-Team.'" 

Michael Brandt and Derek Haas, writers of both 3:10 to Yuma and Wanted, have already written the screenplay. Fox has, "kept the series premise -- four war vets wrongly convicted of armed robbery escape from a military prison to become do-gooder mercenaries -- but they've replaced the campy nature of the series with a tone closer to those of 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Ocean's Eleven,'" according to Variety.

With these two talents for all intents and purposes cast, who do you think should play B.A. Baracus and Mad Murdock? I'm almost of the mind they should keep Mr. T as B.A. just for the hell of it. Not sure about Murdock though, Dwight Schultz has such a specific quality about him that's not easy to replicate.

Elevenses and a show?

Some girls like ballet, some girls like fancy dinners. Take me to see The Lord of the Rings in concert and I'll be puddy in your hands.

I was handed a flyer while heading into the MoCCA Festival yesterday. Usually I'm a rigid, "no thank you" kind of gal, but once I saw it was about LOTR I decided to take it. Boy was I glad I did.

On October 9 and 10 be ready to experience The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring like never before. Beneath an immense projection of Peter Jackson's film, the 21st Century Orchestra, under the direction of Maestro Ludwig Wicki, will perform Howard Shore's entire Academy Award®-winning score. Joining them will be the acclaimed voices of The Collegiate Chorale, The Brooklyn Youth Chorus, and soprano Kaitlyn Lusk.

LOTR. In concert. At Radio City. I just about fainted. As if that wasn't enough to make me go, composer Howard Shore himself will be there for a pre-concert talk and signing! Doug Adams, author of "The Music of the Lord of the Rings Films," will be speaking as well. 

I'm getting chills just thinking about it. It's going to be the theatrical release and not the extended edition but hey, you can't have it all I guess. This is the official site if you want to check it all out. New events continue to be added to the concert itself making it definitely a night to remember. If you are at all interested I suggest getting your tickets soon. I have a feeling they'll sell out quickly. I'm absolutely going. Now all I have to decide is, will I go the ultra-dorky route and dress up...

The hero formerly known as Batgirl.

Once again, I am astounded by Cliff Chiang's level of awesomeness.

This is just one of three illustrations of retro 80's album goodness Cliff recently posted on his website. I chose my favorite of the bunch to represent, and remind everyone of, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) Art Festival being held this Saturday and Sunday in New York of which Cliff and lots of other talented artists/creators will be a appearing. You may remember the story of me meeting him there last year and getting my first official sketch from him. Good times.

Anyway, I have a concert to go to on Saturday so I'm hoping to make it to the festival on Sunday instead. This year it's being held at the Regent Armory at Lexington Ave, which I've yet to scope out as far as accessibility, from 11am-6pm. You can check out all the exhibitors here and this years programming here. I'm sure I'll run into lots of people from online so please do say hello if you see me. I'm thinking about putting my old crappy NYCC sign back on my scooter. Maybe some of the wonderful artists will take pity on me and enter my contest! 

New Heroes Cast Members

The next season of NBC's Heroes is still a ways off but two new actors have been cast in recurring roles. One is a college student, the other, a villain - guess which is which.

Ok, so that wasn't very hard. "The undestructable[sic] high school cheerleader will soon be hitting the books on a college campus where she will cross paths with a quirky student played by Madeline Zima," says The Hollywood Reporter. Nowadays Zima is known best for her role opposite David Duchovny on Showtime's Californication, but it wasn't that long ago she was known as Grace Sheffield from The Nanny. Scary, I know. "In a multi-episode arc she will play Gretchen, an edgy outsider and college roommate to Claire," says THR.

The new "lead villain" stirring things up for our favorite (or not-so-favorite) heroes is Robert Knepper, formerly of Fox's Prison Break, where he also played a villain. Named T-Bag. Seriously? They got away with that on network TV? Anyway, Knepper will be in at least six episodes as, "Samuel, a Jim Jones type -- charismatic but evil, with a twisted sense of humor -- who will veer into the lives of all heroes. The character had been referred to as 'Carnival Barker' in the series breakdown released last month," says THR.

Will Zima turn out to be just another throw-away friend of Claire's or will she make a deeper impression? Have you noticed, super powered or not, Claire can't seem to keep any friends? Of course, that doesn't surprise me, it's just an observation. 

Knepper on the other hand, marks yet another Star Trek actor to make an appearance on the show - he's been on both The Next Generation and Voyager. I previously thought that would make him number six after George Takei, Nichelle Nichols, Malcolm McDowell, Michael Dorn and Clint Howard but turns out there's been a slew more.

DoubleDCoverage #10

I'm back with this week's installment of DoubleDCoverage at the Girls Entertainment Network!

Wow, already ten weeks into my newly revamped reviews column. The time has just flown by. Too bad I can’t say the same for Trinity. In other news, anyone still reading JLA? Reviews for Justice League of America #33 and Trinity #52 are ahead, also, check out my star ratings for my other pulls from last Wednesday!

Click here to check out DoubleDCoverage #10.

Calling all artists!

At the New York Comic Con this year I made a sign last minute to stick on my scooter to advertise the blog. It read "Has Boobs, Reads Comics TheNerdyBird.com" and it was completely lame. However it did get me a lot of attention, not to mention allow my internet buddies to spot me in the crowds (like the scooter is easy to miss). I've decided I want something better for San Diego Comic Con and I want YOUR help because frankly, I draw like an 8 year old.

Art by Me

To make things fun I'm going to hold a contest. It's open to anyone but obviously I'm looking for those of you who are artistically inclined. I'd like for you to design me a sign I can put on my scooter at SDCC. Here are my requirements:

• Sign must read "Has Boobs, Reads Comics" (quotes included)
  
• Sign must read TheNerdyBird.com
  
• Sign must have the dimensions of a 8 1/2 x 11 sheet of paper 
  

Pretty much everything else is open to interpretation. The sign can be horizontal or vertical. You can stick with just those two phrases and make them pop or you can add art/images along with it. Color designs are appreciated. Feel free to use any medium you like whether it's straight up art, comic art, photography, computer graphics, etc. You can draw an actual "Nerdy Bird" or a depiction of myself if you want, above all, BE CREATIVE!

Now here's what you get if you win:

• Not much. (Sorry, I don't have any actual "prize" to give away)
  
• The winner's image will be displayed on the front AND back of my scooter at SDCC. In the event of a tie or several awesome entries the images will be rotated during the convention. Your praises will be sung (not literally sung) by me whenever anyone asks about who created the image.
  
• The winner(s) image(s) will be displayed in a future post on TheNerdyBird.com and credit given where credit is due. (i.e. winner's website address, myspace, etc will be published)
• All entries will be posted in a separate photo album on my Myspace specifically for this contest.
• The contest will be publicized on all social networking tools I use; Myspace, Facebook, Twitter, Digg.

Contestants should email their entries to me at nerdybirdblog [at] gmail [dot] com. Please use the subject line: Nerdy Bird SDCC Entry. Give your full name, online alias (if applicable) and any of your websites/online portfolios. By entering, creators agree to let me use their images in TheNerdyBird.com promotional items or displays now and in the future with no further compensation than already listed above. The deadline for the contest is July 3, 2009. 

Feel free to upload your images and link to them in the comments here for others to see. Otherwise I will be posting the images on my Myspace for others to view and comment on. I will be taking votes and opinions into consideration but the final decision comes down to me, myself and I.

Oh and if anyone would like to purchase the fantastic original art made by me specifically for this post (from above) feel free to make a lucrative offer. :)