Welcome to "Nerd News You Can Use," a semi-regular (probably more like occasional) feature where I round up some news for nerds and those who are maybe just a little nerdy. Join me as I throw the spotlight on some stories making waves on the geekosphere.
-- According to a recent poll, Helena Bonham Carter is the fan favorite to play the first female Doctor Who. (Will Tim Burton direct? They rarely do anything apart these days. Do you think Johnny Depp is jealous? Or maybe Helena gets jealous of Depp and Burton's bromance? These are the things I think about, people...) It's about time we had a female Doctor. In fact, it's kind of sad that it's taken this long. I also agree with the io9 commenters that Tilda Swinton was born to play the Doctor. (FYI, the new Who season features an episode written by geek god Neil Gaiman.)
-- We previously discussed the pros and cons of Wonder Woman's new TV costume. Luckily, new photos and video confirm that the team behind the upcoming NBC TV series has actually listened to fans and given the Amazonian princess red boots and darker, less shiny pants. So far so good, guys. Now let's hope those rumors about Wonder Woman using a "syringe of truth" instead of her famous lasso prove to be hearsay.
-- The excellent geek girl blog The Mary Sue has news that Brett McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame will reprise the role of the elf Figwit in The Hobbit. Don't remember Figwit in The Lord of the Rings trilogy? You're not alone. While New Zealander Brett only made a fleeting cameo in the trilogy, his character developed a strong online following. (Fans even coined his name.) Now that Brett's star has risen, one can assume Figwit will get a few more lines in the much-anticipated Rings prequel.
-- Cheers to video game developer Bioware for including gay characters in Dragon Age 2. Jeers to the homophobe who started a petition claiming that Bioware has stopped catering to the straight male gamer. Because if there's one segment of the gaming population that is constantly neglected, it's the straight male. It's not like you can find scantily clad females in video games anymore. What's that you say? Literally every other game features a female heroine with absurdly porn-y body proportions? I stand corrected.
-- The latest trailer for the new ThunderCats cartoon has reignited my awkward attraction to Cheetara. What? Like you didn't have a crush on Tygra.
-- What could fix the disastrous Spider-Man musical, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark? How about casting George Takei, Star Trek's Sulu, as Peter Parker?
-- And, finally, in the most important nerd news of the week, a hilarious new late-night show that your favorite Chic Geek is writing for premieres this Friday at 11pm on the Hallmark Channel. Check it out, won't you?
Any nerd news getting your Spidey sense tingling?
-- According to a recent poll, Helena Bonham Carter is the fan favorite to play the first female Doctor Who. (Will Tim Burton direct? They rarely do anything apart these days. Do you think Johnny Depp is jealous? Or maybe Helena gets jealous of Depp and Burton's bromance? These are the things I think about, people...) It's about time we had a female Doctor. In fact, it's kind of sad that it's taken this long. I also agree with the io9 commenters that Tilda Swinton was born to play the Doctor. (FYI, the new Who season features an episode written by geek god Neil Gaiman.)
-- We previously discussed the pros and cons of Wonder Woman's new TV costume. Luckily, new photos and video confirm that the team behind the upcoming NBC TV series has actually listened to fans and given the Amazonian princess red boots and darker, less shiny pants. So far so good, guys. Now let's hope those rumors about Wonder Woman using a "syringe of truth" instead of her famous lasso prove to be hearsay.
-- The excellent geek girl blog The Mary Sue has news that Brett McKenzie of Flight of the Conchords fame will reprise the role of the elf Figwit in The Hobbit. Don't remember Figwit in The Lord of the Rings trilogy? You're not alone. While New Zealander Brett only made a fleeting cameo in the trilogy, his character developed a strong online following. (Fans even coined his name.) Now that Brett's star has risen, one can assume Figwit will get a few more lines in the much-anticipated Rings prequel.
-- Cheers to video game developer Bioware for including gay characters in Dragon Age 2. Jeers to the homophobe who started a petition claiming that Bioware has stopped catering to the straight male gamer. Because if there's one segment of the gaming population that is constantly neglected, it's the straight male. It's not like you can find scantily clad females in video games anymore. What's that you say? Literally every other game features a female heroine with absurdly porn-y body proportions? I stand corrected.
-- The latest trailer for the new ThunderCats cartoon has reignited my awkward attraction to Cheetara. What? Like you didn't have a crush on Tygra.
-- What could fix the disastrous Spider-Man musical, Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark? How about casting George Takei, Star Trek's Sulu, as Peter Parker?
-- And, finally, in the most important nerd news of the week, a hilarious new late-night show that your favorite Chic Geek is writing for premieres this Friday at 11pm on the Hallmark Channel. Check it out, won't you?
Any nerd news getting your Spidey sense tingling?
I'm not so sure about having a female Doctor, but Tilda Swinton would be a pretty awesome choice. Plus, we already have River Song, I don't know if a female Doctor could top her...
Despite being a lady, I'd be less than enthusiastic about a female Doctor. And if it was Helena Bonham Carter, I would cry tears of blood.
Not really, but it'd be lame.
I had a feeling you'd mention Dragon Age. Good job, Bioware. They haven't forgetton the "straight male gamers," they just remembered to include everyone else!
Wonder Woman's costume is infinitely better- looks much more practical and less cheap-Hallowe'en costume. That actress gives scary running-face, though.
I used to love Thundercats. Makes me wish we had Cartoon Network.