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NOV. 2012

NERD NEWS AND CULTURE THROUGH FEMALE PERSPECTIVE

NERD WORDS: SEAN BEAN

Fallen Brother

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IPAD SAGA CONTINUES MINI REVIEW

RETURN

OF THE JEDI....AGAIN

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RETURN OF THE JEDI...

AGAIN

FROM NERD TO MANLY: G4’S CHANGING FACE.

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SAGA CONTINUES TEAM UNICORN: WOMEN IN COSPLAY SKYFALL: Q’S DEBUT SONOS PLAY 3 AND MORE......

NERD WO RDS: SEAN BEA N

IPAD MINI FEATURES AND REVIEW

Dear Fellow Nerds, I started out with a dinky Turbo Graphix 16 and an obsession to Bomberman that was a bit unhealthy; I always did have a thing for the blue one. My daily interactions where taking my gameboy to school and talking to close friends about my latest catch in Pokemon Red or making extremely crude drawings of chibis that resembled aliens instead of overly cute people. Together with my four closest friends, I spent the last 16 years surrounded by over buff superheroes and crime-solving puzzle masters. I read everything from EGM to Wizard and watched the world of Nerd go from a reclusive lifestyle to an expanding world culture.

But even with the increase of fellow nerds, the content and standards of Nerdom pretty much stayed Male heavy. Every comic book I flipped through had women with overly compensated proportions and cheesy, horribly designed ads. I began to realize that, as a woman and artist, I wished for a point of view that would focus on content and the beautiful art that goes into this lifestyle.

My goal in all of this is to hopefully spread the word that women have now become a large part of the nerd culture. I am not saying that we need dripping hot men in every issue with the panty dropping pick-up lines, but we need to find a balance of equality in this culture. Its great if a man or woman want to read something that is purely about the physical body, but when we take our fantasies and push it on others in reality, that is when it goes to far.

This magazine showcases all our hard work towards finding that balance and supporting nerd culture. Usually, we will talk about heart stopping articles that either make us scream “Huzzah� or makes us into the next group of Daleks. Our handsome writers and designers will dazzle you with quirky point of views, and represent your voices. Together with our readers, we hope to alter the strictly, male point of view opinions in this culture and create equilibrium to allow both genders to feel like they have a say.

Live Long and Prosper,

Kat Downing

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“Lu wit cas g e bu h a sw ts to yh r is o eet p ide in a wn to ga ckage the lax s y n : He c unset ow an .”

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he announcement last week that the Walt Disney Co. is spending $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm from its retiring founder-visionary George Lucas came as a surprise only in its timing.

This is entertainment mega-corp business as usual — the purchasing of vast swaths of pre-sold intellectual property — and it’s what Disney chief executive Bob Iger does perhaps better than any other suit in the industry. He buys not things but story lines and characters and creative brain trusts. Pixar in 2006. Marvel in 2009. (The latter deal looks especially brilliant in the wake of $1.5 billion in worldwide grosses for this summer’s “The Avengers.”) Now Lucasfilm, a deal including the pioneering special-effects house Industrial Light and Magic, rights to “Star Wars” and its many iterations, and all the other properties Lucashas created or owned.

What does it all mean? Lucas gets to ride into the sunset with a sweet package: He can buy his own galaxy now. And the “Star Wars” saga, which began as a private fantasy about space warriors and princesses that a shy young man doodled on the margins of his homework, is now part of the most efficient content factory on the planet.

So, yes, we’ll be seeing more “Star Wars” movies — lots of them. The first, which Disney says will be an all-new story with no ties to existing films, TV shows, video games, or Boba Fett key rings, is slated for release in 2015. Oddsmakers are already placing bets on which characters will return: Paddy Power, Ireland’s largest bookmaker, announced that C-3PO and R2-D2 have a 33-to-1 shot at turning up in Episode VII. The line at your local googolplex may be already forming.

Disney will probably find a way to spin out fractal variations on “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” too. Don’t hold your breath waiting for a “Howard the Duck” sequel.

More to the point, the new “Star Wars” sequels will almost certainly be safer and less personal — less tied to the artistic vision and limitations of the singular man who dreamed them up. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s doubtful that a Jar Jar Binks would survive the corporate team vetting and focus-group mind-set of the Mouse House.

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Wars w and so, as mad in their e by ha wonky n as well w ay, wer d and made w as ever e the ot ith love ything L he , ucas pu t his min r five episode s d to.”

At the same time, how often in our franchises, with Disney’s unique and modern entertainment machine unparalleled creativity across multiple does one man get to shepherd platforms, businesses, and markets to his private vision directly to generate sustained growth and drive an audience of billions? With significant long-term value.” There the “Star Wars” in 1977, Lucas are certain things missing from that ushered in the age of blockbuster sentence, words like movie and story movie rides and endless tie-in and characters. George Lucas might profiteering; this is where the have put them in, but he’s no longer notion of a money-spinning running the show. “franchise” that today’s major media behemoths rely on for their daily oxygen had its start.

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“Yet Star

Lucas’s most glaring weaknesses as a writer- Yet “Star Wars” was made by hand and director — drably declamatory dialogue and made with love, and so, in their wonky a remarkable inability to spark certain actors way, were the other five episodes as well into life (*cough* Natalie Portman *cough*) as everything Lucas put his mind to. The — might be overhauled by a new creative craftsman puttering around in the attic of team with greater skills in these areas. his mind and the grounds of his personal Yes, without George Lucas “Star Wars” ranch has been replaced by a company wouldn’t exist as the source of eternal that knows exactly how to spit these pop memories and immense corporate things out so you’ll be begging for more. profits, but it’s still worth noting that The new “Star Wars” will come in 3-D, the best movie of the six, 1980’s “The IMAX, and someday — who knows? — Empire Strikes Back,” was directed holo-vision and jack-in-brain cinema.

by Irvin Kershner, and that its richest But Disney CEO Iger’s announcement dialogue exchange (Leia: “I love you.” of the Lucasfilm acquisition is telling.

Han: “I know.”) was improvised by “This transaction combines a worldHarrison Ford. (Lucas’s original line: class portfolio of content including ‘Star “I love you too.”)

Wars,’ one of the greatest entertainment

ore m m. g e n i h t e e f be s ots o l l l ’ e — ies s, w v e o y , m So rs” a W “Star

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007 (Daniel Craig) becomes M’s only ally as MI6 comes under attack, and a mysterious new villain emerges with a diabolical plan. James Bond’s latest mission has gone horribly awry, resulting in the exposure of several undercover agents, and an all-out attack on M16. Meanwhile, as M (Judi Dench) plans to relocate the agency, emerging Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) raises concerns about her competence while attempting to usurp her position, and Q (Ben Whishaw) becomes a crucial ally.

Now the only person who can restore M’s reputation is 007. Operating in the dark with only field agent Eve (Naomie Harris) to guide him, the world’s top secret agent works to root out an enigmatic criminal mastermind named Silva (Javier Bardem) as a major storm brews on the horizon. Albert Finney also stars in the 23rd installment of the long-running spy series. The film was directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road) and shot by acclaimed cinematographer Roger Deakins (True Grit, The Reader, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford).

~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Yann Martel’s ponderous adventure novel gets the big-screen treatment with this Fox 2000 adaptation helmed by director Ang Lee. The coming-of-age story surrounds the son of a zookeeper who survives a shipwreck by stowing away on a lifeboat with a zebra, an orangutan, a hyena, and a Bengal tiger by the name of Richard Parker.

Suraj Sharma heads up the cast as the young boy, with Gérard Depardieu, Adil Hussain, Irrfan Khan, Rafe Spall, and Bollywood actress Tabu also starring.

~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

When the population of a village in rural China must defend themselves against a formidable enemy, a local blacksmith(director/ star/co-writer RZA) forges the weapons they need to emerge victorious from the bloody battle to come. Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu co-star in this period action thriller co-written by famed horror director Eli Roth.

~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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An 8-bit video-game character attempts to shed his bad-guy image by escaping into a popular first-person shooter, but inadvertently wreaks havoc in the video-game universe by freeing a digital villain who can only be contained with the help of a most unlikely ally in this colorful animated adventure.

Wreck-It Ralph (voice of John C. Reilly) is the arch nemesis of Fix-It Felix (voice of Jack McBrayer), one of the most beloved video-game icons of all time. In a noble bid to prove he is more than the sum of his programming, Ralph sneaks from his cozy retro home into a highly advanced combat game featuring battle-hardened soldier Sergeant Calhoun (voice of Jane Lynch), and strives to prove his bravery by winning a medal. In the process, however, Ralph accidentally frees the greatest threat the video-game world has ever seen. But all hope is not lost, because if Ralph can just convince unpredictable cart racer Vanellope von Schweetz (voice of Sarah Silverman) to help set things right, perhaps he can finally unleash his inner hero and save the arcade from certain destruction.

~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

TV ONCE UPON A TIME

BIG BAN T G

ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” HEO RY has become a smash hit, drawing an enthusiastic audience despite its small budget and unconventional story line.

The show is set in the fictional town of Storybrooke, where the residents are fairy-tale characters who don’t remember their true identities after being cursed by the Evil Queen, now Storybrooke’s Mayor Regina Mills. Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming, moves to Storybrooke after her biological son Henry Mills (Jared Gilmore), given up for adoption at birth, finds her and tells her she is the key to breaking the curse.

Each episode is comprised of Storybrooke conflicts between Regina, Emma and others, interspersed with flashbacks to characters’ pasts, revealing their fairytale counterparts.

Season 1 ended with a curse-breaking kiss and an ominous purple cloud of magic entering the world. Though characters suddenly remembered their fairy-tale pasts, they did not magically revert to their former identities — a twist that surprised many fans. Kitsis and Horowitz said that Season 2 will follow characters as they grapple with their identities in light of their recovered memories.

~ Noelene Clark

SUP NAT ER URA L

Bernadette may have her work cut out for her when new husband Howard returns to Earth on the upcoming sixth season of CBS’ The Big Bang Theory, while Penny also spend time mulling just what her relationship with Leonard represents.

Following a Season 5 finale that saw Wolowitz tie the knot and blast off to space, with Amy and Sheldon making one giant leap toward coupledom with a very poignant hand-holding scene, the boys of The Big Bang Theory will boldly go where they’ve only dreamed of before: adulthood.

~ Lesley Goldberg

Season Eight begins with Dean’s seemingly impossible escape from Purgatory, though Castiel is nowhere to be found.

However, Dean isn’t alone. He’s returned with a mysterious comrade-in-arms whose reason for escape is perhaps more than Dean bargained for. Meanwhile, Sam finds himself reconciling the life he discovered while Dean was gone with Dean’s sudden reappearance.

As the boys struggle with their unexpected reunion, they make a shocking discovery that could lead them on a deeply personal mission to settle old scores. If only they could agree – is this a “family business” or isn’t it?.

~ Matt Richenthal

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After a violent shipwreck, billionaire playboy Oliver Queen was missing and presumed dead for five years before being discovered alive on a remote island in the Pacific. When he returns home to Starling City, his devoted mother Moira, much-beloved sister Thea, and best friend Tommy welcome him home, but they sense Oliver has been changed by his ordeal on the island. While Oliver hides the truth about the man he’s become, he desperately wants to make amends for the actions he took as the boy he was. Most particularly, he seeks reconciliation with his former girlfriend, Laurel Lance. As Oliver reconnects with those closest to him, he secretly creates the persona of Arrow – a vigilante – to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. However, Laurel’s father, Detective Quentin Lance, is determined to arrest the vigilante operating in his city. Meanwhile, Oliver’s own mother, Moira, knows much more about the deadly shipwreck than she has let on – and is more ruthless than he could ever imagine.

~ Sarah Moran

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Nerd Words: Sean Bean By: Duncan Bo wles

It frightens me how quickly time passes. The last time I had the pleasure of interviewing the mighty Sean Bean (or The Bean as some commenters have noted he should be addressed) was nearly two years ago, when a freak snow storm had brought most of the country to a standstill. As we sat down for the interview to talk about Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, I reminded him of that day, which with such odd circumstances came back to him. “I remember we were in that funny place, the library and hall in that compound and it was just really bad, the snow. Bit miserable wasn’t it!”

Yet despite the bad weather, that previous interview had been fantastic, as he had proved to be incredibly humble, down to earth and an absolute joy to talk to.This time around was no less great, though I was still amazed by how lovely the man is, something that always makes for such a strong contrast against the vast amount of screen villains he’s portrayed.

The Bean seemed utterly relaxed and gracious enough to answer any questions, no matter how random. He was full of laughs while attentively leaning forward - he spoke so softly I was aware that even my voice seemed to be getting lower and quieter during the course of the interview.

So without further ado, Mr. Sean Bean.

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What drew you back to Silent Hill, having done the first film?

Well, I had a good time on it the first time around and it was a good set up there, good production. Samuel Hadida, he was the one that kind of drove it along, drove it through and he was very enthusiastic about the prospect of a Silent Hill follow up. But as I said, I had a good time on the first one, so I thought well why not? I’ve enjoyed it, I like the premise of it, I like the character, it’s exciting, it’s unusual and you so I just went over and got on with it and that was about six years since the last one.

I’m not very familiar with the games…

I am now, with the following that the game has got, quite a cult following it seems.

I thought the first Silent Hill was very faithful to the spirit of the games, so has that remained for the sequel?

Yes it has, you know as I say I’m not that familiar with the games, but I think that they wanted to keep the authenticity and the spirit of Silent Hill the game, so it kind of runs along parallel with that, so I think the fans and anyone for that matter, but particularly fans, will be pleased with that. I think they were pleased with the last one and this one is really gonna squeeze everything it can out of it, this time director has got some really juicy, shocking, jump out your seat moments.

I thought it was [at the same time we both say] Christopher…

Christopher, yeah that’s right! [a deep throaty laugh] I just did about 15 interviews, telling everyone it was Paul or Anton! I’m now called… oh come on..

And it’s a bit more of proactive part in this one?

Yeah to some extent, he’s a man that’s already been through the experience with his wife being drawn into Silent Hill and the obsession and all the horror of that. His priority now is to keep his daughter on the straight and narrow and try and bring her up as a relatively normal, well-adjusted child and so that’s his driving force. They have to keep moving along every now and then because of the danger that still exists and then we realise that she’s also got this obsession and draws diagrams and writing that are quite disturbing and then the next thing you know, she’s trying to get to Silent Hill [chuckles].

I’ve been following Michael J Bassett’s career for some years now and he really knows his genre work, especially his horror…

Spot on, he’s really spot on with it.

And your character is the same one from And how was he to the first film but… work with?

With a different name! Everybody has got a different name and I’m just getting confused! [laughs] I think I was Anton Da Silva, or was it Paul?

He’s really good, very friendly, full of enthusiasm, really kind of laid back. A laid back guy from the UK, we had a good time, some laughs, I mean it was all horror and stuff but ironically you tend to have more laughter making those sorts of films.

It’s only at the end when you actually see it, how disturbing it all is! [laughs] We got on fine, he’s the sort of guy you’d like to work with again if he does the next one.

He’s good, he knows his onions as it were.

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When I spoke you last time it was before Game Of Thrones had come out and no one really had any concept of how big it was going to be, it must have been really gratifying to see how successful it’s become?

Yeah, that’s right. It was successful and it took off and is still going, I mean it’s like Lord Of The Rings, you don’t realise it’s going to be as epic and as popular - I mean you’ve got the Lord Of The Rings books, so you know it’s going to have some impact, but it was bigger than we thought. It was the same with Game Of Thrones you know, I read the book and it describes what would happen, but didn’t realise it would take off so successfully.

Changing pace, It caught me by surprise even though I had friends that loved the books and wanted me to ask you about Game Of Thrones last time, but I had no real concept of what to ask!

I’d not read them until I actually started doing it, I thought ‘oh I’m getting into it now’ and then there’s so many more of them, he’s just been writing them all the time! [laughs]

And it’s a bit of a shame because obviously you can’t be involved anymore…

I enjoyed working on it and working with the directors and the cast, they were great, the crew, We were over in Belfast but it was freezing over there working at the Harland and Wolff shipyard,

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It was pretty bleak! [chuckles] And so I don’t miss the weather so much, But I do miss being there and working with them, but it was good [for me] to have a story and it was an arc, My character went from the beginning to the end and that was it. It’s good to be able to complete something and be proud of it and then to move on to something else.

And it was such an impact as well when your end came…

And it was a surprise as well, quite shocking…

With it being 50 years of James Bond, I wondered if you remember any pressure on you and Pierce Brosnan?

Pierce Brosnan had played Bond, and obviously he had a lot of pressure on him, but he coped very well with it and turned out to be a great Bond.

At the same time I felt a certain pressure playing a baddie, a Bond baddie, alongside him the first time, but he was quite cool about it and I think that kind of rubbed off on me. I think we just thought let’s approach it like a job, we won’t let the pressure or anything get to us, any pre-conceptions or expectations and get on with it and that’s what we did and it was great. I have fond memories of that.

Any memory that stands out in particular?

I suppose the first time, the first scene that we did, when we’re in that chemical factory, an armaments factory and just being there and playing alongside Bond, saying “James, I’ll see you in five minutes!” [laughs] It’s quite hard to believe you’re actually doing it, you finish, they say cut, you sit down and talk and think, “That’s it, I’ve started, it’s the start of the film, I’m really playing a bad guy and Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond” - it’s just quite thrilling.

I was writing about seeing GoldenEye for the first time the other day, and all the excitement a new Bond brings, and there seems to have been a Bond for every stage in my life…

There is isn’t there? And it was Timothy Dalton before him, wasn’t it? I think Pierce kind of brought it back to the zippy, funny…

Slightly odd question – there’s a Lego figure of Boromir.

Is it strange to see yourself as a Lego figure?

[Laughs] I’ve not seen the Lego one, no.

I’ve seen some other ones from a few years ago, models that moved their arms and things, but I haven’t seen the Lego one!

It just came out this year…

[Shocked] Really? Made out of Lego? That must be difficult [to make], it must be tiny pieces! Wow, I’ll have to have a look for it in a toyshop!

You’ve worked in so many genres in your career, is there still one you haven’t done that you’d like to?

In [the script] it’s actually happened and so everyone goes around on a horse, like you used to, and they’re cowboys, and my character’s a bounty hunter. That’s something that I’d like to do. It’s a great story, as is the script I’ve read, so they’re hoping to get that together by early next year – so maybe I’ll play a cowboy…

Also, has anyone approached you about The Expendables 3, talking of genre movies?

No, I don’t know why.

I thought you’d be a natural fit as you’ve done your fair share of action and it’s an ensemble piece…

Yeah, yeah… I wonder when they’re doing that?

I’m not sure when they’re planning on it… and according to IMDB you’ve also got a film called The 4th Reich in the pipeline?

[Slightly despairing] Oh, I don’t know what’s happening with that! [chuckles] I mean that’s been going on for a couple of years, so I don’t know where they are with that at the moment, but that’s okay, it’s just I’m not quite sure if it’s going ahead or not. It’s like a lot of things, you know, they say they’re going ahead and then I suppose they have to get the finance and investors. So a lot these days, you tend look at things and think it would be good if it goes ahead, but don’t bank on it.

I’d like to do a cowboy film I suppose, I’ve come close to it on occasion, but not really to a classic cowboy film. But there’s a film I’m looking at which might be going ahead next year, in Vancouver, called Scorched Earth and it’s set in the future. I don’t know if you’ve ever seen that Doomsday Preppers where they prepare for the end of the world.

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SPIDERMAN #697

HOPELESS MAINE Tom Brown’s cover for “Hopeless, Maine” is a gorgeous blend of the macabre and the everyday. Brown throws in some pretty disturbing supernatural stuff -- tentacles, water bugs, Cthulhu eyes, bones coming up from the water -- but it’s his depiction of the normal objects that really set this cover apart. The waves, lighthouse, cliffs and rolling hills ground the image and pull it all together, despite the supernatural elements. The detail on the central figure’s clothing is phenomenal and the coloring really pushes Brown’s cover over the edge.

The red dress and blue eyes of the central figure are a stark contrast of browns and greens of the background, making the supernatural elements that much more subtle by comparison. -- Steve Sunu

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Skottie Young has been doing some really cute work on the baby variants for Marvel NOW!, but it’s easy to say his cover for “All-New X-Men” #1 is his best yet. Young’s signature style is always a pleasure, and he brings the same dedication to detail that he does to Marvel’s “Oz” adaptations -- but this is far funnier. At first glance, it seems to be just the four original X-Men with a broken Iceman in the center, but a closer examination reveals Wolverine’s shadow looming over the babified first class as they exhibit guilty looks on their faces, attempting to shift the blame of “Who Broke Baby Iceman” to one another. Not only is it Young’s best variant so far, it’s the standout cover of the week.

-- Steve Sunu

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It feels as if this is a funhouse-mirror version of a classic Spider-Man cover, but if it is, I can’t find the original. Maybe it’s just that we’ve seen Green Goblin and Hobgoblin from this angle so many times, that when Steve McNiven puts Spider-Man in their place, complete with “Spider-Glider” and “Spider-Bombs,” it comes across as both familiar and delightfully off-kilter. I particularly like the split reflections of Spider-Man and Hobgoblin in the globes.

-- Kevin Melrose

Hardly a month goes by that one of Fiona Staples’ covers for “Saga” doesn’t appear on this list -- they’re just that good, and Issue 7 is a perfect example of why. It’s a study in contrasts as a blood-soaked Marko stands serene, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned, against the soft pink background -- it’s a color that would typically convey innocence or life -- with his sword still stuck in the owners of those wings. It’s both gorgeous and gruesome.

-- Kevin Melrose

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The SONOS PLAY:3 is the versatile, all-in-one music player that packs big sound into a compact size. With 3 integrated speakers powered by 3 digital amps, PLAY:3 wirelessly streams all the music on earth to any room with wall-to-wall sound. Place it vertically or horizontally, mount it on a wall or hide on a shelf. Set up simply, and expand until every room is filled with tunes. Play a different song in every room or blast the same song all over, in perfect sync. Control it all with free apps for your Android smartphone, iPhone, or iPad.

Product Highlights: Digital Music Player with HiFi Sound Three Driver Speaker System Three Dedicated Digital Amps Two Mid-Range Drivers Single Tweeter & Bass Radiator Stream Music from Internet Radio Play Your Entire Music Library Stream Music from Internet Services Controller App for Android/iOS Devices Add Wireless Players All Over Your House

Wii U is the next great gaming console from Nintendo and it redefines how you will play next. With its innovative new Wii U GamePad controller, it will not only introduce entirely new ways to play games, it will also transform how you connect with friends and enjoy entertainment.

Play Games - Discover new ways to play together with the innovative Wii U GamePad controller - Enjoy brand new games from your favorite gaming franchises - Experience up to full 1080p HD for the first-time ever on a Nintendo gaming console - Play almost all of your favorite Wii games on the Wii U console - Compatible with Wii Remote Plus and Nunchuks

Product Highlights:

Data Storage Capacity: 32GB Hard Drive Capacity Bundled Components: Nintendo Land Game, Wii U GamePad Cradle, Wii U Console Stand, Wii U Console, Wii U GamePad Controller Includes: HDMI Cable, 2 AC Adaptors, Sensor Bar Wired Connectivity: Wireless Model Compatibility: Nintendo Wii U

GOPRO HERO 3 Smaller, lighter and Wi-Fi enabled.

GoPro’s new HERO3 White Edition camera makes it easy to capture and share your world.

Product Highlights:

Camcorder Features: Data Storage Zoom: 1.0 X Digital HD Compatibility: HD-Built In Media Type Compatibility: MicroSD Card Built-In Camera Megapixels: 5.0 Megapixels Display Size: 0.5 “ Input Type: USB 2.0 Output Type: Wireless File Formats Supported: JPEG Operating System Compatibility: Windows Vista Protective Qualities: Waterproof Includes: Waterproof Housing, Batteries Not Included: SD Memory Card Warranty Description: 1 Year Limited Warranty

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Fallen Brother.

G4 Tv’s New Look!

By: Josh Gener

G4 is undergoing a more “modern male”

approach to programming, NBC/Universal is perhaps aiming at a more high-caliber demographic. The current iteration of G4 puts the emphasis on males, ages 12-34. The rebranding will be taking place early next year. G4’s most popular program is “Attack of The Show” which has seen the exodus of its hosts Kevin Pereira and Olivia Munn in recent years.

While video games and tech may still have a home with the new G4, it’s too soon to tell whether or not the transition will actually retain its current scheduling. Cinema Blend is quick to point out that a guy-centric channel already exists in the form of Spike, not to mention The History Channel and The Discovery Channel.

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While “X-Play” and “Attack of The Show” are not strictly male-oriented programs, they do, in fact, highlight geek culture and technology, popular topics among male consumers and viewers.

What NBC/Universal have planned to set the new G4 apart from rival channels like Spike or The Discovery Channel is anyone’s guess.

In Forbes’ post-mortem for the channel, it is mentioned that G4 was, itself, the result of rebranding when it transitioned from TechTV to G4. The daytime time slots of the current G4 channel are populated by shows like “Cops,” “Campus PD” and “Cheaters,” shows that have nothing to do with geek culture, the channel’s admitted and established demographic.

The channel also has featured solid coverage of the E3 convention, as well as ComicCon.

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COMPETING CHANNELS

78 84 89 96 103 107 There are many different ways the rebranded G4 can go. Some exciting ideas for programming such as: - Increase gamer-centric programming to include narratively-driven shows based on popular franchises. “Dragon Age” already exists in an animated universe, perhaps greenlight a short series on various titles that replace one-another in a certain timeslot, similar to what AMC does with its rotating series.

- Host TED-inspired forums for various concepts and ideas. From technology to gaming to media, these forums could then be livestreamed to the internet or placed on YouTube to spread virally, further boosting the profile of the channel.

- Adult-themed cartoons in the vein of “Archer” or “Family Guy,” shows that are cheap to animate but also appeal to a wider, more mature audience. By taking the Adult Swim approach to late-night entertainment, G4’s more “mature” animated series could work.

Even if those changes don’t happen, someone is going to take over the tech reigns and only time will tell who.

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1. Arrive Early Parking fills up fast - if you are going on Friday or Saturday and you are planning to park your car - try to get there by 7:30AM - park and go eat breakfast and then get in line to get in - doors open at 10AM - but you will be allowed to go upstairs in the Sails Area at 9AM where you can use the restrooms and check out the Freebie Table. This will also give you time to check out the schedule to see what you would want to do for the day.

2. Know the Lineup Rules The most massive lines are for the panels in Hall H. People wait for days to vie for seats for those high demand panels.

So, that being said, there are rules for lineups: Camping is not allowed. No tents, canopies, inflatables, cots, beds, furniture, large coolers, heaters, large fans, large umbrellas, chaise lounges, open flames, or anything of similar size of any kind as determined by the Convention Center. You are allowed to have one chair per person of relatively normal size. You may use a sleeping bag or blanket as well, provided it is only taking up the space of one person. No “saving” a spot in line unless it is only temporary, such as a restroom break.

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3. Get a Program When you check in and get your badge make sure you receive a program schedule.

4. Go For Comfort Wear Comfortable shoes and clothing you will be doing a lot of walking and standing.

5. BYO - Bring Your Own Bring water and snacks with you Suggestions: Small botted water that you can refill from the drinking fountains, fruit and/or nuts, cookies. If you buy food on site - the best bargains are the Pizza Slices sold in the Mezzanine, the individual Pizzas sold in the exhibit hall, or the Greek Gyros sold by one of the carts - the prices are more than outside - but not to bad for these items avoid the hamburgers and hot dogs.

6. Backpack It Bring a small backpack for your snacks and freebies - also, a lot of the booths hand out carry bags to put stuff in that you pick up for free or purchase.

7. Take a Break If you get tired, there are tables to sit at, but the best place to take a break, if you can find a seat is up on the Mezzanine - there are a bank of windows that give you a panaroma view of the entire convention floor - it is a great photo spot.

8. Strategize The most important thing to make your time at Comic-Con enjoyable is to plan out a strategy on how to spend your day. Check out the program and mark what programs you really want to go to and an alternate in case you can’t get in or don’t want to wait in a long line. If you are going on one day only - check the programs and find the booths you would be most interested in and check those out first, then check out the nearby booths for other fun stuff.

9. Can You Hear Me Now? Take your cell phone - this is the best way to communicate with others in your party if you get separated or want to do different things.

10. Take Cash Take Cash - ($5s and $10s are best) even if you don’t think you will buy much take some money to cover unexpected expenses - especially for parking or food. i

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The origins of Team Unicorn remain a mystery… …Many believe the Team was formed by an intergalactic senate set to keep peace across the galaxy. Others claim that they were born from the four elements and just like the lions of Voltron, have been hidden away under the Earth waiting to be called into action. There are even some that say it was a mysterious glowing goo that altered their DNA to create the superheroes they are today. No matter what one believes, the truth remains: In the brightest day or the blackest night, Team Unicorn is a beacon of light for everyone in the universe, multiverse, and negaverse.

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But really folks…

Representing the idea that “like unicorns, geek girls aren’t supposed to exist”, Team Unicorn is a multi-media production team formed in Los Angeles, California in 2010. Its members are Michele Boyd, Clare Grant, Milynn Sarley, and Rileah Vanderbilt. The group was first created when the four girls came together to create their debut online video, “G33K & G4M3R Girls” in September 2010. Spoofing Katy Perry’s “California Gurls“, the video is filled with geek cultural references and pays tribute to women who love gaming, manga, sci-fi and many other genre related topics. Reaching over one million views in its first week online, the video stirred controversy over its sexy portrayal of geek girls. Since then, Team Unicorn has continued to create videos in various genre-centric worlds that they so passionately love themselves. Such as, their 1950′s industrial spoof “A Very Zombie Holiday“, a comedic eHarmony commercial parody, “superHarmony“, and an homage to the 1960’s summer beach movies called “Alien Beach Crashers“.

The team is always looking to help out a fellow gamer. Catch up with them at the lastest cons or events.

For more info check out: http://www.facebook.com/TeamUnicornFTW http://www.youtube.com/user/TeamUnicornFTW https://twitter.com/TeamUnicornFTW http://teamunicornftw.com/

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IPAD MINI Review by: John Pope

Review on the Newest Apple Family Member!

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’ve been quite busy the past few days playing with the iPad Mini and the iPad 4, two tablets announced by Apple in Q4 2012, which we’ve talked about already here.

In this article I’m not going to insist on the new iPad 4, essentially an upgrade from the iPad 3 announced a little bit earlier this year (I’ll do so in a future article) and focus on telling you about the smallest Apple tablet, the 7.9 inch iPad Mini.

7.9 in

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s you all know the first impression is very important, and I have to tell you that out of the box, the iPad Mini does not disappoint at all.

Its build quality is on par with all other Apple tablet, plus you get the benefit of a much smaller footprint, which translates in a very very light tablet that’s comfortable to hold in hand for prolonged periods of time. Visually it’s different than a regular iPad on the front, thanks to its narrower left and right screen bezel (when viewed in portrait mode), plus there’s a pretty sharp metal strip surrounding the outer edge, while on the back there are two speaker grills which actually cover stereo speakers. Also as a sidenote, the edges of the back are rounder than on the iPad.

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isually I like the iPad Mini more than the regular iPad, but that’s not what matters most. What matters is performance right now, as we all know that the insides of the iPad Mini are basically the same as the ones on the already 18 months old iPad 2. You’ll see that in every day tasks the iPad Mini is very fast, being just a tad slower than what you’ve already experienced with the older iPads (gen 3 and 4). That’s because the A5 processor has to push four times less pixels on the screen than a typical Retina Display (1024 x 768 vs 2048 x 1536 pixels).

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ou’ll find the iPad 2 lagging behind in demanding 3D games and even web browsing of complex pages, but it’s far from saying the iPad Mini is slow. What I did experience is deja vu on some of the wireless issues I’ve experiences back in the days of the iPad 2. Suffice to say I’ll have to investigate on this matter more, but right now it seems like the iPad Mini ‘likes’ to lose signal from time to time and you’ll have to revisit that Settings page to turn the WiFi connecting Off and On again once in a while.

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attery life is at least as good as the one on the iPad 3 and 4, so you can expect 10 hours of actual use out of this thing. The display is probably the biggest annoyance if you’re coming from the Retina Display. Text is not as sharp, but the other general characteristics of the IPS display (brightness, contrast, viewing angles) are actually very good, so watching movies on this thing will not be a problem. It’s just that not everything looks as smooth as it does on the higher resolution tablets.

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hen there’s the price: I think Apple should make the iPad Mini cheaper. It should start at $200 and the 4G LTE model should cost somewhere around the $250 figure, just to match the Google Nexus 7, a slightly smaller tablet with a higher resolution screen. The 7.9 inch screen size is perfect and the 4:3 aspect ratio screen also helps a lot when dealing with reading and browsing, so on the size front Apple has a winner, but it has to improve that display next year and work more on the price. That’s my take on the new iPad Mini…

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striking from a hidden base, have won their first victory against the evil Galactic Empire

the battle, Rebel spies managed to steal

cret plans to the Empire timate weapon, the DEATH STAR armored space station with eno power to destroy an entire planet. Pu

the Empire’s sinister agents, Princess Leia race aboard her starship, custodian of the stolen plans that c

save her people and rest freedom to the galaxy‌.