Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 1855

ShortBox is the Uniquely Curated Comics Box of Your Dreams

It’s hard to find great independent comics. In a world filled with capes and cowls, it can often be difficult to discover new books that don’t fall under the Big Two banner. Fear not though, as Zainab Akhtar—a fantastic critic and curator—has you covered with ShortBox, a curated mail order comics box.

In Akhtar’s own words: “Each box contains five comics and an exclusive A4 print (and sweets!), with a new box releasing every three months. It’s not a subscription; there’s no signing up or commitment to multiple boxes. Instead, the box runs on a pre-order system. When a box is ready, pre-orders go live for 10 days within which period you can buy the box. You order a box, you get one posted out to you. That’s it.”

The order listing provides covers, preview pages, blurbs, and further information on each item in the box. That means you know exactly what you’re getting, which is a big deal for Akhtar. “It’s important to me, both because as a customer I want to know what I’m buying and because I feel confident about the work we’re producing that showing it off is what helps get people excited for it,” Akhtar explained.

You may have come across Zainab’s critical work under the name Comics and Cola. But with ShortBox, she’s branched out into publishing, with an incredibly ambitious release slate and fantastic content. “What really makes ShortBox unique is that I publish the comics within the box. I approach artists whose work I find interesting and good, and ask them to create a new comic for the box. So all the comics within the box are brand new books you won’t find anywhere else. Once the box has been released, books are then available to purchase individually in the online store and at cons, etc. We’re essentially putting out a slate of new comics every quarter!” Akhtar exclaimed.

Creating ShortBox came naturally to Zainab. When she realized that her time writing about comics was probably coming to an end, she began directing her passion for the medium in a completely new direction. “I’m lucky in that through my writing I was able to build a small community and their encouragement was instrumental in making this a viable option,” she explained. “I read a lot of comics and I love getting things in the post, so the mail order box combination seemed tailor-made made for me. Yet, despite looking, there wasn’t a comics box out there offering what I wanted: a focus on comics rather than a single comic being part of a larger package of t-shirts, toys, etc. I wanted someone whose taste I trusted to pull together a box of four or five comics that show me a range of fresh, diverse work—stuff that I wouldn’t necessarily come across on my own. And that’s how ShortBox came into being.”

There’s something in ShortBox for everyone, with comics spanning different genres, art styles, and themes. From the political to the personal, to sports and sci-fi. “I’ve published sci-fi, comic food recipes, silent comics, fantasy, books on sports and friendship, old Hollywood’s relationship with gay actors, veganism, more abstract work, strips on what it’s like to be a young Muslim woman, and beyond. I have broad tastes and a good eye, and I think those serve me well. As a publisher, I’m not looking to publish a fully formed work of genius. I’m looking for work that has a strength to it, that speaks to me in some way, whether that’s via style, writing, humor, voice, subject, execution, and so forth. If all those elements exist together, fantastic. But for me, a work can be–and the ‘can’ is important!–of value even if it is doing one of those things well,” Akhtar said.

With ShortBox, Zainab is creating something truly necessary. From the 28 or so books ShortBox has put out so far, 13 have been by people of color and 24 have been by women. “In general, one of my hopes with ShortBox is to bring lesser known work to people’s attention. And very often, work that is overlooked; artists who get less exposure and fewer opportunities are those with marginalized identities. I want to do even better. Publishers will often say their first priority is the work itself—the merit argument, you know? Which is a massive cop-out, because there’s an endless supply of white men who have had every advantage, access to every resource, been given platforms, etc, whose work has benefited from all that to reach a decent level. Does this mean that no-one else is producing merit-worthy work that fits whatever you’re looking for? Absolutely not. The onus is on you as a publisher to learn about and find artists who are doing the kind of work you’re looking for who instead of churning out the same old perspectives, the same old stories from straight white men,” Akhtar stated thoughtfully.

“I’m genuinely passionate about all the books I publish. I’m not in a position yet where I can afford to publish work I feel lukewarm about!”

You can pre-order ShortBox #7 right here!

Need More Comics Stories?

Here’s this week’s best books courtesy of The Pull List.
Meet Jen Bartel in this new video—an amazing comic book artist!
And finally, an Infinity War prelude comic is coming!

Images: ShortBox 

First Look at Brie Larson as CAPTAIN MARVEL

Last year, Marvel lined up Brie Larson to headline its Captain Marvel movie and step into the role of a lifetime. Since then, we’ve been eagerly awaiting our first glimpse of Larson’s Carol Danvers in her fan-favorite red, blue, and gold Captain Marvel costume. This week, Larson was finally spotted on set…and her costume wasn’t quite what we expected. Today’s Nerdist News is examining Larson’s green Captain Marvel outfit and what it could mean for the MCU.

See the first photos of Brie Larson as Captain Marvel https://t.co/M5PysAdUR7 pic.twitter.com/4FWoU8lTMX

— Page Six (@PageSix) January 25, 2018

Join host and the Kree Empire’s next Supreme Intelligence, Jessica Chobot, as she pours over the set photo from Page Six. At first glance, the outfit appears to be a fairly faithful recreation of a Kree uniform, and that’s an alien race that loves using a lot of green. For comparison’s sake, this is what Carol’s Captain Marvel costume looks like in the comic book realm.

Don’t worry, comic book fans. We had a glimpse at the MCU’s version of this outfit several months ago, and we’re fairly certain that Larson will be wearing it in Captain Marvel. It’s also likely that Larson was filming her scenes for Avengers 4, since Captain Marvel won’t be going in front of the cameras until March. But that doesn’t answer our biggest question: what’s up with all of the green?

We’ve got a few theories on that front. Larson’s Avengers appearance could be a flashback, and the costume itself could be Kree issue or a way for Carol to honor her mentor, Mar-Vell, who will be portrayed by Jude Law within her solo film. Alternately, Larson’s costume could indicate that we’ll finally see the debut of S.W.O.R.D., the sister organization of S.H.I.E.L.D. that focuses on interplanetary threats. Carol’s green outfit seems to fit in nicely with the aesthetic of  S.W.O.R.D., and introducing that group could be a way to link the upcoming Marvel cosmic movies together.

What do you think about the first look at Larson’s Captain Marvel costume? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!

More Nerdist News!

Explain net neutrality with, of all things, this Burger King ad
The upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi novelization will feature Han Solo’s funeral
Everything you missed in the newest Pacific Rim Uprising trailer

Wiggly Microbots Will Behave Just Like Fry’s Worms from FUTURAMA

Researchers in Stuttgart, Germany, have been working on small-scale robots for some time now, and the latest iteration of their efforts is quite impressive; and also quite wiggly. They made tiny undulating pieces of silicon rubber that can theoretically execute all kinds of tasks inside of a living body, like delivering medicine, building tissues, and even manipulating single cells. Which we think basically makes them the worms that invade Fry’s gut in Futurama‘s “Parasites Lost.”

The small-scale worm robots, which come via The Wall Street Journal, have their jigglin’ and wigglin’ bodies infused with magnetic particles, allowing the researchers to make them move using external magnetic fields. And although they’re not wiggling their way through any human tissue — or even mouse or monkey tissue for that matter — quite yet, that is the ultimate goal here.

The researchers, led by Metin Sitti at the Department of Physical Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute, published a paper in the journal Nature on the robo-worms, and in the abstract they note that these “soft-bodied robot[s] with multimodal locomotion” are able to execute all kinds of maneuvers across multiple mediums, resulting in a big step forward in the realm of small-scale biotechnology.

“Existing small-scale robots… have very limited mobility because they are unable to negotiate obstacles and changes in texture or material in unstructured environments,” the paper notes, but these new little wiggle-bots are able to swim, crawl through tiny plastic tubes, and even pick up little pieces of cargo and then roll away.

There’s still a lot of progress that needs to be made before the little small-scale silicon rubber worms are able to be injected into an animal or human body, however. These wiggle-bots measure four-by-one-millimeters, making them way too big to fit inside of all the crawly spaces inside a body. For that, they’ll need to be on the micrometer scale, which for reference is one thousand times, or three orders of magnitude, smaller. It can be done though, apparently. And then it will only be a matter of time before somebody has a bunch of little worms hanging out in their body jazzercising their muscles.

What do you think about these wiggly worm-bots? Will they ever achieve the required smallness to be effective? Let us know in the comments below!

Images: Nature 

More from the weird nerd world!

Explain net neutrality to your family and friends with this Burger King ad!
Our picks for the 7 most essential Batman comics of all time!
This week’s The X-Files was weird, funny, and timely all at once !

Explain Net Neutrality to Your Family and Friends with Burgers

Late last year, the FCC voted to end Net Neutrality protections in the name of “restoring internet freedom.” But simply saying that doesn’t make it true. The Net Neutrality rules were originally put in place to ensure that the internet would remain free and open. But it’s an issue that remains widely misunderstood by the general public. To raise awareness about the topic, Burger King has emerged with an unlikely PSA that explains the downside of Net Neutrality’s repeal in a way that’s deliciously easy to understand.



Although Burger King’s YouTube channel states that the people portrayed in this video were “actual guests,” the level of anger that they display doesn’t quite seem angry enough. How would you feel if you suddenly discovered that you had to pay $25.99 to get a Whopper now, or $12.99 to get a Whopper slightly faster than usual? Under those terms, everyone who paid $4.99 for a Whopper would have to wait longer to get the same burger.

It’s ridiculous, but that’s exactly the point. Without Net Neutrality protections, ISP providers can’t be stopped from creating internet fast lanes for people willing to pay more, or slowing down service for anyone who refuses. The ISP representatives have also claimed that they would never do this, but they’ve previously throttled speeds for Netflix users until Netflix agreed to pay extra to make them stop. Now, there’s nothing that can prevent that from happening again unless Net Neutrality is restored.

What did you think about Burger King’s Whopper Neutrality video? Have it your way in the comment section below!

Want To Know More About Net Neutrality?

Here are the details on the FCC vote.
Check out who else supports a free and open internet.
And finally, John Oliver’s breakdown on its importance to society is really helpful.

Images: Burger King

A WRINKLE IN TIME Releases Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which Barbie Dolls

When Disney’s highly anticipated A Wrinkle in Time live-action film arrives in just a few months, fans will get to see author Madeleine L’Engle’s three ladies—Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which—come to life in the form of Mindy Kaling, Reese Witherspoon, and the incomparable Oprah Winfrey. As if that weren’t exciting enough, this week, the film’s director Ava DuVernay revealed on Twitter that Mattel will be creating Barbies of the three ethereal beings, each one a reflection of the amazing actress playing her.

After a deep dive into the Barbie message boards (you’re welcome), we’ve found that the A Wrinkle in Time doll collection will debut in March or April 2018 to coincide with the the film’s release. The dolls are sculpted to each actress’ likeness and look darn close, as seen in DuVernay’s tweet.

When Disney makes Barbies of your movie’s characters and you just want to stare at them all day in disbelief because you loved Barbies as a girl but never had any like these. #WrinkleinTime pic.twitter.com/7PzQsiNoyG

— Ava DuVernay (@ava) January 25, 2018

The gowns and hairstyles match each character’s look as seen in the trailer, and the dolls are designed to echo the actresses’ different skin tones, facial features, and heights. The beauty of these dolls are in the details, down to Mrs. Whatsit’s lip color, Mrs. Which’s face gems, and Mrs. Who’s spectacles. An even closer look seems to reveal that Mrs. Who’s arms are covered in symbols, perhaps a code written in mehndi—a henna tattoo body art—since Mrs. Who’s words are never her own. What could this mean? We’ll take all the clues we can get as anticipation grows for this modern adaptation.

The dolls are part of the Barbie Black Label collection which is normally for adult collectors only, mostly because of the price point and the collectibility factor. But who’s to say that you can’t give one of these gossamer goddesses to your child to play with?

Previous Black Label Barbies based on movies include a 1980s Flashdance doll, a The Hunger Games Katniss doll, and the incredible Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds Barbie, which features—you guessed it—Barbie getting horrifically attacked by plastic crows. While there seems to be no current plans for a Meg Murry doll, you can probably find a good Chris Pine-as-James T. Kirk-from-Star Trek doll to stand in for Dr. Alex Murry.

Will you be picking up one of these A Wrinkle in Time Barbies? You’ll need all three, obviously. Let us know in the comments!

Featured image: Disney

Relive Ewan McGregor and Rian Johnson’s Visit to Our STAR WARS: THE LAST JEDI Marathon

We here at Nerdist could have prepared to see The Last Jedi by simply re-watching the first seven movies at home, but we had so much fun throwing a huge marathon viewing party at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood for The Force Awakens two years ago, we just had to do it again. Especially because we somehow convinced Ewan McGregor, Rian Johnson, Ray Park, and other members of the Star Wars family—including a couple of our favorite droids—to stop by.

Starting with The Phantom Menace, we hunkered down for 36 hours to watch the first seven entries into the Skywalker family saga before screening The Last Jedi on opening night. But because even the most dedicated fans of the galaxy far, far away need a break between films, a bunch of amazing guests stopped by to help us celebrate. And you better believe we freaked out when Obi-Wan himself, Ewan McGregor, made a surprise visit.

But he wasn’t the only big name who made an appearance, as The Last Jedi‘s writer and director Rian Johnson popped in with producer Ram Bergman and our very own Chris Hardwick to help introduce the newest entry in the franchise.

We also got a visit by Daniel Logan who played young Boba Fett in the prequels, as well as both R2-D2 and BB-8. And as if that wasn’t enough, the amazing Ray Park who played Darth Maul didn’t just show up, he showed off his fighting moves with Kylo Ren’s lightsaber. That’s also how we learned that while a stage can be a Sith’s most dangerous enemy, it’s also an opportunity to show off another amazing skill.

Honestly, even if Ray Park offered to come by our house and do that we don’t have the room. Besides, it’s way more fun getting to celebrate our shared loved of Star Wars with all of you.

So what do you say we do it again for Episode IX?

Who would you have been most excited to see? Who would you love to stop by at our next marathon? Tell us in the comments below.

Get More Star News!

Things are looking bleak in the ominous new trailer for Star Wars Rebels!
Rian Johnson reveals the REAL history of Rey’s parents!
Joseph Gordon-Levitt offers a detailed (very long) defense of Luke Skywalker in The Last Jedi!

Images: Nerdist

THE X-FILES Was Weird, Funny, and Timely All At Once

The following contains major plot spoilers for The X-Files episode “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat.” If you have not yet seen this episode, we encourage you to do so before reading the below. If you have, then proceed, because the truth is out there…or below!

The six episodes that made up The X-Files‘ revived 10th season were a mixed bag of terrible, fine, and pretty good, but the one truly standout episode was “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster” written and directed by Darin Morgan. Morgan’s episodes were the highlights of the series’ third season back in 1996, and his episode “Clyde Bruckman’s Final Repose” won him and guest star Peter Boyle an Emmy. “Were-Monster” was a hilarious and weird episode, but Morgan’s episode in season 11, “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat,” hearkened back to episodes like “Bruckman” and “Jose Chung’s From Outer Space,” meaning it was damn near perfect.

Morgan–brother of X-Files producer/writer/director Glen Morgan–has always taken the Mickey out of The X-Files and Mulder as a character. The show certainly had a tendency to be hyper-serious at times, and Mulder could be a huge doofus. “Forehead Sweat” called everything we thought we knew about about The X-Files into question in the best way possible using conspiracy theorist nut Reggie, played perfectly by Brian Huskey. What bigger conspiracy is there right now than whether things we think are true are really true? Can we even really trust the collective memory? The “Mandela Effect” (or is it the Mengele Effect?) makes us all question what we truly remember…and maybe we don’t remember anything.

This season has mentioned what’s really going on in the country a fair amount, especially as it pertains to the president’s vendetta against the FBI. “The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” tackles the idea of what is or is not “truth” in the age of accusations of “Fake News.” Morgan brings in versions of the simple collective misremembering of things like KaZam vs. Shazam, and BerenSTEIN vs. BerenSTAIN and mixes it with larger-scale perpetration of incorrect information and the show’s usual brand of paranoia and government cover-up. What if the government is trying to make people forget stuff? Or what if it’s a parallel universe?

The show’s centerpiece moment comes at the introduction of a mysterious scientist named, appropriately, “Dr. They” (played by special guest star Stuart Margolin). The internet video about Dr. They comes across like the best Douglas Adams-y short film ever made. Morgan layers real events with their fictitious counterparts–They makes astronauts believe they’re chimpanzees; he was last seen at the last presidential inauguration amid “hundreds of millions of people”–to create the perfect conspiracy theory video you might find on YouTube. This becomes even more outstanding once Mulder actually has a meeting with the doctor himself…or did he?

While the end of the episode makes us realize the Occam’s Razor truth of the matter–that Reggie is just a lunatic with knowledge of the X-Files through paper-pushing jobs–we’re still never sure if Dr. They is real or just another crazy person who seems credible through coincidence. Reggie’s extreme knowledge of Mulder and Scully’s history, to the point that he’s inserted hilariously into some of the show’s most famous episodes, comes not from firsthand knowledge but third; he, like us, has nostalgia for The X-Files‘ good ol’ days, and maybe he remembers them differently than we do.

Tying all of these shared delusions to the show itself is a genius touch, as is making the titular alien from the never-was-a-Twilight Zone episode “The Lost Martian” look exactly like the alien Dr. They found and the alien Reggie saw in Granada. Childhood memories are the most powerful (Scully’s not-Jello memory is the same way) and yet are the most likely to be remembered inaccurately. On the best of days our memories are questionable, and nostalgia clouds that even further. What we feel like we remember is usually not what actually happened.

“The Lost Art of Forehead Sweat” is a sci-fi farce for the ages, and will go down as one of the best episodes of a show that many (including me, I admit) thought had passed its prime 18 years ago. But maybe it didn’t. Skinner seemed to remember Reggie, so maybe The X-Files never passed its prime and never dipped in quality, and Mulder never left the show for the last two seasons, and there was never a gap between seasons nine and 10, and aliens exist and the president isn’t a lying bigot. Only Dr. They and Darin Morgan know for sure.

Images: Fox

Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Twitter!

More of the Truth, which is Out There!

A look at Darin Morgan’s past The X-Files episodes!
Why “Mulder and Scully Meet the Were-Monster” was last season’s best !
Last week’s episode, “Plus One,” was one for the shippers !

Does STRANGER THINGS’ Will Byers Deserve a Break Next Season?

The latest Pacific Rim Uprising trailer has Jaegers fighting Jaegers, and we have our first info about Stranger Things season three. We broke down both on today’s Nerdist News Talks Back, along with the most exciting topic of them all: new ice cream flavors!

Jessica Chobot was joined today by editor Amy Vorpahl, producer Derek Johnson, as well as editor Alicia Lutes, whose show Fangirling returned today at Project Alpha. She told us what we can expect from the second season before they broke down the new Pacific Rim Uprising trailer that just dropped. What do we make of it? Did we like the original? Why are the Jaegers fighting each other this time? And could this sequel be one of the rare ones that outdoes the first?

We also got our first insights into what to expect from the third season of Stranger Things, with producer Shawn Levy saying the show will be introducing new evils and letting poor Will Byers off the hook this time. Do we want them to move away from the Shadow Monster so quickly? Are we bummed Will might not get as much to do after both everything he’s been through and how great the performance has been? And is it a good or bad thing the season could be on the shorter side?

Finally, in the only topic that ever really matters, Ben & Jerry’s has announced new flavors, an expansion of their almond milk line, and more ice cream sandwich options. Which delicious development are we most excited to bite into?

Remember Nerdist News Talks Back airs live at 1:00 p.m. PT on our YouTube and Alpha channels every weekday, so you can always be a part of the show. And we promise the only monster you ever have to worry about here is Jessica when the store runs out of her favorite ice cream flavor.

We still want to hear from you, so tell us what you think about today’s topics in the comments below.

Images: Netflix, Paramount

Catch up on more of the latest nerd news!

Did the Infinity War directors spoil Thanos’ fate?
Where were the Knights of Ren in The Last Jedi?
What does Captain Marvel’s Avengers cameo mean for the MCU?

There’s a HARRY POTTER Cruise and It’s Coming For Your Galleons

Have you ever wanted to immerse yourself in the world of Harry Potter? The attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando have amazingly fun recreations of J.K. Rowling‘s characters and settings, but there’s now a way to take your love for all things Potter even further than before. The British cruise company, The Barge Ladies, is now offering a new Harry Potter Magic Cruise that will bring fans to many of the iconic locations used in the movie adaptations.

Via Entertainment Weekly, the Harry Potter cruise will take place on a ship called the Magna Carta and it will set sail from the United Kingdom’s Hampton Court and travel down the River Thames while making a few stops along the way. The places lined up include Virginia Water, where Harry met Buckbeak in The Prisoner of Azkaban; Picket Post Close, a location used for the home of the Dursley family; and Oxford’s Christ Church College, where the Great Hall was used as a model for Hogwarts’ Great Hall.

While traveling on the cruise, fans will be able to take part in Harry Potter-themed activities and dine on “Hogwarts-friendly cuisine.” The cruise will also include a visit to Warner Bros. Studios, which has a Harry Potter tour that includes props, costumes, and sets from the eight feature films.

There will be two separate week-long Harry Potter cruises, with the first taking place from August 5 to the 11th, and the second running from August 19 to the 25th. Fair warning, this is not going to be cheap. The rate is approximately $4,190 per person. But if you can swing that and you love Harry Potter, then you might want to visit the official Barge Ladies cruise site and await further information.

Will you be setting up a trip on the Harry Potter cruise? Cast your spells in the comment section below!

Wave your wand for more Harry Potter stories!

The first look at Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery.
Watch a fan film all about a young Voldemort.
Predictive keyboard writes insane new Harry Potter chapter.

Images: Warner Bros. Pictures

Everything You Missed in the New PACIFIC RIM UPRISING Trailer

Has it really been five years since Idris Elba canceled the apocalypse in Pacific Rim? Well Legendary Pictures is reintroducing chaos later this year with Pacific Rim Uprising! The new trailer dropped this week, and it gave us more intel about the next generation of giant robot and kaiju battles. Today’s Nerdist News is about all of the things that you may have missed in the new footage and what they may mean for the sequel.

There are spoilers ahead for Pacific Rim Uprising, so if that matters to you then it’s time to turn back…unless you’re secretly drift compatible. If so, go forth!

Join host and kaiju connoisseur, Jessica Chobot, as she runs down the important details of the new footage. The first film hinted that there were some kaiju worshiping cults, and their influence has apparently grown in the decade between the original movie and its sequel. More alarmingly, it appears that the return of the kaiju was a deliberate act of rogue jaegers. It also seems like the public has turned against the jaegers, possibly because they’ve been used as weapons against other people in the absence of giant monsters.

The new trailer also gives us a more complete introduction to John Boyega‘s Jake Pentecost (the son of Elba’s Stacker Pentecost), as well as Jake’s 15-year old co-pilot, Amara Namani (Cailee Spaeny). Jake and Amara are both seen in a prison cell here, which may indicate their criminal past. Amara also created her own single pilot jaeger, which was something that was thought to be impossible during the events of the first film.

There’s also evidence in this footage that the jaeger super weapons could be interchangeable, which may be good news for the pilots who have been called upon to save humanity once again. And now we know that the rogue jaeger fighting the Gypsy Avenger is called the Obsidian Fury. Presumably that jaeger is being piloted or remotely controlled by the same people who reopened the rift and let the kaiju back into our world. But we may have to wait for more answers until Pacific Rim Uprising hits theaters on Friday, March 23.

What do you think about the newest trailer for Pacific Rim Uprising? Plug into our comment section and share your thoughts below!

Images: Legendary Pictures

Editor’s note: Nerdist Industries is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.