Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2051

ALIENS, STAR WARS, and More Fan Art by Derek Laufman

I smile every time I see Derek Laufman’s work pop up while I’m floating around Instagram. His cute illustrations of characters from comics, games, and movies are done in a distinct and delightful style. With 18 years of professional experience, it’s no surprise Derek knows how to make art magic happen. He shared some of his favorite examples of his work with me to showcase in Fan Art Friday.

We’ll start with Ripley, because any fan art that features Ripley being her badass self is the best fan art. Derek kills it with this Aliens–inspired illustration.

Derek created this Star Wars piece in honor of May the 4th:

You can take a trip to the gallery just below to see more of Derek’s work. There’s a cute Boba Fett, Super Mario Bros. art, and more. To view his entire portfolio, visit Derek’s website and/or follow him on Instagram. Derek also has two new Marvel kids’ books available, and you can pick them up at Amazon.

Do you create any sort of fan art? If so, I want to see it. Whether you focus on a specific fandom or pull inspiration from multiple stories and mediums, I’d like to highlight what you do. If you’re interested in being featured in a future edition of Fan Art Friday, get in touch with me at alratcliffe@yahoo.com with examples of your work. If you’re not an artist, feel free to email me with recommendations for Fan Art Friday!

Images: Derek Laufman

Short Film Uses Thousands of NASA Photos to Recreate the Moon Landing

There is a ton of evidence that suggests the moon landing wasn’t faked; that much is something that most reasonable people understand. One of the main concerns is that film and special effects technology just wasn’t good enough to make an observant viewer believe that a fictional moon landing video is real. We’re just thankful that the moon landing didn’t happen in modern times, because now that’s something that could be faked pretty convincingly. Take, for example, this new short film, LUNAR, which was animated from thousands of photos from NASA’s Apollo archives (via Sploid).

“I was fascinated by the amount and the quality of the pictures,” motion designer Christian Stangl told PetaPixel. “They were thousands of that beautiful high-res photographies made by the famous Hasselblad-Moon camera.
 When I looked at the archive, I knew immediately that I want to make a film with these photos!”

The seven-minute video is a collaboration between Stangl and his brother, composer Wolfgang Stangl, and it’s based on photos released in 2015 that were taken by astronauts during the Apollo missions. As you might imagine, making a video as stunning as this from still images was no easy task. It took 18 months to finish, and was created using two primary techniques: panoramic stitching, which involved combining photos to create more easily animated shots, and stop motion sequences, which involved taking photos shot in short sequence and creating transitions between them.

The video is truly an adventure in both space exploration and creative filmmaking and video editing, so check it out above and let us know in the comments if it blew you away as much as it did us.

Featured image: Christian Stangl/Vimeo

WONDER WOMAN Sequel Update from Patty Jenkins

Director Patty Jenkins has single handedly saved the DCEU, thanks to the spectacular work she and Gal Gadot did on Wonder Woman. No shade at any of the other DCEU movies, I rather like Man of Steel myself, flaws and all, but none of the previous three films have been both commercial and critical home runs, until Jenkins came in and saved the day. Now, thanks to her efforts, we have a legit classic in Wonder Woman, and proof that a DC Comics based film can be just as good as anything that the Marvel Cinematic Universe has to offer.

But now the question on everyone’s minds is “Will Patty Jenkins return for a Wonder Woman sequel?” With the film raking in the box office dough, it’s not a question now of whether there will be a sequel or not, but simply when. Can Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot make magic together again, or will Warner Brothers replace her?

While appearing on Conan O’Brien’s show this week, the director seemed pretty optimistic about her return to the world of the Amazons, telling Conan “We’re working on it. I hope to, I love it, I love the world, and we’re all really excited about it.”

More deets about Wonder Woman 2

Hopefully, the folks at Warner Brothers realize what an incredible asset Jenkins has been for them, and give her the raise (and creative control) she deserves for her second go round with Diana Prince. And hopefully, Jenkins can find a way to fit in some more classic Wonder Woman villains into the story. I know I’m dying to see Diana take on the likes of foes like Cheetah and Circe for the sequel, and maybe get a little invisible plane action in there while we’re at it. If anyone can make those things work on film and not seem silly, it’ll be Patty Jenkins.

What are your thoughts on Jenkins returning for a Wonder Woman sequel? Chime in with your thoughts in the comments down below.

Images: Warner Brothers

Zendaya’s Shocking SPIDER-MAN Role Finally Revealed (MAJOR SPOILERS!)

MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD. MASSIVE.

For months, comic book fans have wondered about the identity of Zendaya‘s character in Spider-Man: Homecoming. There were even rumors that “Michelle” was simply a new take on a very recognizable young woman from Peter Parker’s life. But the truth is a bit more complicated than that. Today, the word is out about exactly who Michelle really is and today’s Nerdist News will tell you why she’s even more important to the story of Homecoming than we initially knew.

There are massive spoilers ahead for Spider-Man: Homecoming. Not even kidding, people. If you don’t want to know the new intel on Michelle, then now would be a good time to stop reading.

Join host, and the other man bitten by a radioactive spider, Dan Casey, as he pulls back the curtain on Michelle. Is she Michele Gonzalez, the sister of Spider-Man’s one-time roommate, Vin? Or is she Mary Jane Watson? Nope! Neither of those theories turned out to be true. Instead, Michelle is simply Michelle, a character who was created for this film. You see, her first name isn’t the spoiler. It’s her last name: Toomes. As in Michelle Toomes, the daughter of Michael Keaton’s Adrian Toomes a.k.a. the Vulture. Marvel has only itself to blame for this leak: it came directly from the junior novelization of the film!

The Vulture actually does have a daughter named Valeria in the comics, but Michelle appears to be a completely separate character. It’s an interesting gender switch on the gimmick of Peter Parker being close to the child of one of his supervillains, like Harry Osborn. Will Michelle follow the wingspan of her father and become a supervillain herself? Or will she reject her father’s legacy and join forces with Peter? Either way, we don’t expect Homecoming to be the last time we see her.

How do you feel about the identity of Zendaya’s Spider-Man: Homecoming character? Face it, tiger, you just hit the jackpot in the comment section below!

Watch a Live-Action SUPER MARIO RUN Performance

The recently released trailer for Universal Studios Japan’s Super Nintendo World theme park attraction has really hyped us up for the inevitable real world trek into the Mushroom Kingdom… complete with real-life Mario Kart. Making matters more exciting, Shigeru Miyamoto and some Universal executives gave a presentation about the new endeavor at its groundbreaking ceremony just yesterday. The reason this matters to you at home, though, is because they were introduced by a live-action Super Mario Run performance that you can watch below (via Kotaku).

How it worked: A guy in a Mario costume ran in place on a stage as the Super Mario Run environment whizzed by him. He hurtled over Goombas, collected coins, and, pretty hilariously, messed up and punched a floating block way too early, seconds before it actually exploded. Darn lag. (Understandably, a video uploaded by Universal Studios Japan actually cut that part out.)

We rib in good fun, though, because we actually can’t wait for Super Nintendo World, although it looks like we’re going to have to. The attraction is set to open in Japan in 2020, and we’re not sure if we can expect a similar time frame for the U.S. version of it. As Kotaku observed, constructions isn’t very far along just yet, but when this thing finally happens, color us excited.

What did you think of the IRL Super Mario Run? What features do you most want to see in Super Nintendo World? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image: ユニバーサル・スタジオ・ジャパン(USJ)公式チャンネル/YouTube

Diamond Select’s STAR TREK Starship Enterprise is so Hot It’s on Fire

“My God, Bones…What have I done?”

Once upon a time, readers, there were movies in which we actually believed that big, bold, seemingly irreparable moves like destroying the signature starship of a franchise wasn’t something that would just be undone by the next sequel. James T. Kirk’s initial movie Enterprise may have been the first to crash, but it sure wasn’t the last. There’ll probably never be a last.

It went where no Enterprise had gone before, you might say. And that deserves commemoration.

This exclusive translucent orange Enterprise measures 14 inches long, and is designed to imitate this quick shot in Star Trek III, of the self-destructing Enterprise plummeting through the atmosphere of the Genesis planet:

Since exploding Enterprises are still relatively rare, this Comic-Con collectible will be limited to 400 pieces and cost $65. But once it’s yours, it always shall be your friend. Diamond Select has many more exclusives, including some Bruce Timm-style DC statues, Ghostbusters vinylmates, and variant cover comics featuring Minimates. You can check them all out here.

But it’s the orange Enterprise that has us aglow with excitement, in part because The Search for Spock does not get enough love. I mean, Christopher Lloyd as the Klingon Captain? C’mon! William Shatner’s increasingly overacted repetition of the line, “Klingon…bastard…you’ve…killedmyson!”? Perfection.

Diamond Select exclusives usually aren’t that hard to come by, so odds are that if you want this burning ship, you “KHAAAAAAAAAN” snap it up more easily than some others at their booth. But “Klingon” to it afterward…it’s sure to become a prized possession.

Let us…know…in…comments…Ifyouagree.

Images: Diamond Select, Paramount

New WONDER WOMAN Print Captures Iconic Movie Moment

It’s one of the coolest, most bad ass moments in not just this year’s crop of superhero movies, but in the history of superhero movies, period. I’m talking about Princess Diana’s defiant march through the battlefields of No-Man’s Land in Wonder Woman, and her subsequent saving of a tiny, besieged European village from German forces.

You might have seen clips of said scene in the trailers and commercials for the movie, but I promise you, in the actual context of the film, it’s that much better. And you don’t have to hear the annoying “Warriors” song by Imagine Dragons that they used in all the ads as music for this scene in the actual final film. That’s a bonus.

Now the folks at Bottleneck Gallery have an awesome new print commemorating this scene, from designer and illustrator Doaly, who has previously made incredible prints for Doctor Strange, Batman, Guardians of the Galaxy and many other beloved pop culture properties. The new illustrations has Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman jumping out of an ancient Greek vase, in a similar pose to when she jumped out of a building kicking a German soldiers in the head. You can see the image of Doaly’s new print below:

“Wonder Woman” by @Doaly on sale info! https://t.co/aLjP7RqiTd pic.twitter.com/pfV87D7yDG

— Bottleneck Gallery (@BottleneckNYC) June 9, 2017

The Wonder Woman inspired screen print, which is a hand-numbered limited edition, comes with iridescent shimmer overlay, and is 18 x 24 inches. The edition size will be determined by the number of prints sold between Friday, June 9th @ 12PM ET and Sunday, June 11th @ 11:59PM ET. There is no limit to the number of prints that you are allowed to purchase. 5% of sales will be donated to the charitable Girls On The Run organization.  You can pre-order the print by clicking here.

What do you think about this latest piece of art featuring the Amazing Amazon? Be sure to chime in with your thoughts in the comments down below.

Images: Warner Brothers

What about Wonder Woman 2?

Marvel’s ASTONISHING X-MEN to Use Vintage Jim Lee Art as Variant Covers

In the early ’90s, Jim Lee‘s run as the artist of Uncanny X-Men drove the title to even greater heights than before, and he was given the opportunity to headline a second X-Men comic book series which debuted with record setting numbers. Lee has long since left Marvel behind to co-found Image Comics and step into the role of co-publisher at DC Comics, but his take on the X-Men is unmatched. And this summer, Marvel is turning some of Lee’s trading card images into variant covers.

Starting in July, 30 Marvel titles will feature alternate cover images that were drawn by Lee and his longtime inker Scott Williams for an X-Men trading card set. Every cover has reportedly been digitally remastered, with new colors by Jesus Aburtov, Israel Silva, Chris Sotomayor, and more.

As part of his X-Men # 1 relaunch in 1992, Lee was given free reign to redesign almost every costume for the team. And unsurprisingly, the outfits he created went on to become iconic. For example, Cyclops wore this outfit for the better part of a decade before he “died” and merged with Apocalypse. It’s a long story, and then Cyclops got better. But for a generation of readers, this is the outfit that defined him.

Look at that overly bulky belt and those useless straps on his legs. Does it get any more ’90s than that? Why, yes it does. Feast your eyes on Lee’s take on Cable, the militant mentor of the New Mutants/X-Force. Of course, this is based upon a Rob Liefeld design, so there are big pouches and even bigger guns.

Although Lee never got to include the classic White Queen in his run as the Uncanny X-Men artist, he revisited her John Byrne designed Hellfire Club outfit in this image.

You can find the rest of the currently revealed Jim Lee trading card variant covers in our gallery below.

What did you think about the newly remastered artwork by Lee? Let us know in the comment section below!

Images: Marvel Comics 

Twitch D&D Show CRITICAL ROLE Celebrates 100 Episodes with New Podcast

On March 3, 2015, a group of professional voice actors rolled for initiative with a livestreamed broadcast of their ongoing Dungeons & Dragons campaign on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel. The show was called Critical Role and like a natural 20 after a called shot to the head, it was a critical hit. The weekly D&D series–which stars popular voice actors Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Taliesin Jaffe, Travis Willingham, Sam Riegel, Laura Bailey, Ashley Johnson, and Liam O’Brien–amassed a massive cult following in the days and weeks that followed, and now some two years later, Critical Role is about to celebrate its 100th episode. While 100 episodes of anything isn’t something to sneeze at, it is particularly momentous for Critical Role considering that it has produced enough video to fill 19 seasons worth of television.

The visceral pleasure of Dungeons & Dragons can be difficult to explain to the uninitiated, but few do a better job at communicating its thrills than Critical Role. Set in the world of Exandria, a fantasy setting created by Dungeon Master Matthew Mercer, the show attracts hundreds of thousands of weekly viewers, both on its live broadcast and for on-demand video. In addition to its talented cast, the show has featured guest stars like Chris Hardwick, Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, Mary McGlynn, and many more. To celebrate it’s 100th episode, Critical Role is welcoming special guest Jon Heder (Napoleon Dynamite) for a role-playing extravaganza filled with special announcements, news about the newly launched (and oft-requested) Critical Role podcast, a collectible poster by artist David Mack, and much more.

To help get yourself psyched up for tonight’s episode, as well as give you a sense of its epic scope, let’s break down Critical Role by the numbers.

You can catch Critical Role every Thursday night at 7PM PDT on Geek & Sundry’s Twitch channel and Alpha. Are you a Critical Role fan? What’s your favorite moment from the show? Let us know in the comments below.

Images: Geek & Sundry

What is STRANGER THINGS Season 2’s New “Shadow Monster”?

It’s been almost a year since Netflix’s Stranger Things crawled into our collective hearts with its mix of ’80s nostalgia and horror. But we still have a few months to wait before we can revisit the kids of Hawkins, Indiana. Last season, the Demogorgon was a monster that threatened lives in this world and in the dark alternate world. But Mike, Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Eleven might wish for the Demogorgon’s return when they see what’s coming. Today’s Nerdist News is going upside down to give you the details.

There are potential spoilers ahead for Stranger Things season 2! We are not even kidding, so if you don’t want to know the difference between a regular monster and a Poliwag then it may be time to turn back!

Join host, and “Justice for Barb” chairwoman, Jessica Chobot, as she walks us through the occasionally conflicting words of the Duffer brothers to extract details about season 2’s multiple monsters. That’s right, we believe that there’s more than one threat crossing over from the Upside Down. And once again, Dungeons and Dragons is going to play a role in allowing the kids to understand and name the threat. You may recall that the Thessalhydra was mentioned in the D&D game at the end of the first season. That’s probably not a coincidence.

You may have noticed the huge monster glimpsed in the Stranger Things Super Bowl Big Game ad last February. The natural inclination would be to assume that it is the Thessalhydra…except it doesn’t resemble that creature at all. Look, these kids know their monsters. They wouldn’t just assign the Thessalhydra name to a creature unless it resembled the one in the game. This may mean that the Thessalhydra and the other monster are two separate threats. And the cast already has a nickname for the other one: the Shadow Monster.

Even two monsters may not be enough for this season. We’ve known for some time now that Dustin is getting a cute sidekick from the Upside Down, which he calls a Poliwag. However, given the Duffer bros’ love of all things ’80s, including Gremlins, we wouldn’t be surprised to see the Poliwag go from cute to threat. So, it may be a bad idea to feed him after midnight or get him wet!

Which creatures are you most looking forward to seeing in the new season of Stranger Things? Let’s discuss in the comment section below!