Wile E. Coyote & The RoadRunner

Wile E. Coyote (also known simply as “The Coyote”) and The Road Runner are a duo of cartoon characters from a series of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies cartoons. The characters (a coyote and a roadrunner) were created by animation director Chuck Jones in 1948 for Warner Bros., while the template for their adventures was the work of writer Michael Maltese. The characters star in a long-running series of theatrical cartoon shorts (the first 16 of which were written by Maltese) and occasional made-for-television cartoons.

In each episode, instead of animal senses and cunning, Wile E. Coyote uses absurdly complex contraptions (sometimes in the manner of Rube Goldberg) and elaborate plans to pursue his quarry.

Wile E. Coyote & Bugs Bunny

The Coyote appears separately as an occasional antagonist of Bugs Bunny in five shorts from 1952 to 1963: Operation: Rabbit, To Hare Is Human, Rabbit’s Feat, Compressed Hare, and Hare-Breadth Hurry. While he is generally silent in the Coyote-Road Runner shorts, he speaks with a refined accent in these solo outings (except for Hare-Breadth Hurry), introducing himself as “Wile E. Coyote — super genius”, voiced with an upper-class, cultured English accent by Mel Blanc.^[1] The Road Runner vocalizes only with a signature sound, “Beep, Beep”, recorded by Paul Julian, and an occasional tongue noise.^[2]

To date, 48 cartoons have been made featuring these characters (including the three CGI shorts), the majority by Chuck Jones.

Starving Coyote

Creation

Jones based the Coyote on Mark Twain’s book Roughing It, in which Twain described the coyote as “a long, slim, sick and sorry-looking skeleton” that is “a living, breathing allegory of Want. He is always hungry.” Jones said he created the Coyote-Road Runner cartoons as a parody of traditional “cat and mouse” cartoons such as Tom and Jerry, which series Jones would work on as a director later in his career.

The Coyote’s name of Wile E. is obviously a play on the word “wily.” The “E” was said to stand for Ethelbert in one issue of a Looney Tunes comic book, but its writer hadn’t intended it to be canon.The Coyote’s surname is routinely pronounced with a long “e” (/kaɪˈoʊtiː/ ky-OH-tee), but in one cartoon short, To Hare Is Human, Wile is heard pronouncing it with a diphthong (/kaɪˈoʊteɪ/ ky-OH-tay). Early model sheets for the character prior to his initial appearance (in Fast and Furry-ous) identified him as “Don Coyote”, a play on Don Quixote.

Another ACME product

Acme Corporation

Wile E. Coyote often obtains complex and ludicrous devices from a mail-order company, the fictitious Acme Corporation, which he hopes will help him catch the Road Runner. The devices invariably fail in improbable and spectacular ways. Whether this is result of operator error or faulty merchandise is debatable. The coyote usually ends up burnt to a crisp, squashed flat, or at the bottom of a canyon (some shorts show him suffering a combination of these fates). Occasionally Acme products do work quite well (e.g. the Dehydrated Boulders, Bat-Man Outfit, Rocket Sled, Jet Powered Roller Skates, or Earthquake Pills). In this case their success often works against the coyote. For example, the Dehydrated Boulder, upon hydration, becomes so large when it crushes him, or the Coyote finding out that the Earthquake Pills bottle label’s fine print states that the pills aren’t effective on road runners, right after he swallows the whole bottle, thinking they’re ineffective. Other times he uses items that are implausible, such as a superhero outfit, thinking he could fly wearing it (he cannot).

RoadRunner, Beeper, Wile E., and Calamity in Tiny Toon Adventures

How the coyote acquires these products without money is not explained until the 2003 movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action, in which he is shown to be an employee of Acme. In a Tiny Toon Adventures episode, Wile E. makes mention of his protege Calamity Coyote possessing an unlimited Acme credit card account, which might serve as another possible explanation. Wile E. being a “beta tester” for Acme has been another suggested explanation. Wile E. also uses war equipment such as cannons, rocket launchers, grenades, and bayonets which are “generic”, not Acme products. In a Cartoon Network commercial promoting Looney Tunes, they ask the Coyote why does he insist on purchasing products from the Acme Corporation when all previous contraptions have backfired on him, to which the Coyote responds with a wooden sign (right after another item blows up in his face): “Good line of Credit.”

The company name was likely chosen for its irony (acme means the highest point, as of achievement or development). Also, a company named ACME would have shown up in the first part of a telephone directory. Some people have said ACME comes from the common expansion A (or American) Company that Makes (or Making) Everything, a backronym of the word. The origin of the name might also be related to the Acme company that built a fine line of animation stands and optical printers; however, the most likely explanation is the Sears house brand called Acme that appeared in their ubiquitous early 1900s mail-order catalogues.

In one Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote short film, “Ajax” was used instead of Acme. In another short, the names “A-1″ and “Ace” are used.

Anyone have an Excedrin?

Laws and rules

As in other cartoons, the Road Runner and the coyote follow the laws of cartoon physics. For example, the Road Runner has the ability to enter the painted image of a cave, while the coyote cannot (unless there is an opening through which he can fall). Sometimes, however, this is reversed, and the Road Runner can burst through a painting of a broken bridge and continue on his way, while the Coyote will instead enter the mirage painting and fall down the precipice of the cliff where the bridge is out. Sometimes the coyote is allowed to hang in midair until he realizes that he is about to plummet into a chasm (a process occasionally referred to elsewhere as Road-Runnering or Wile E. Coyote moment).

The coyote can overtake rocks (or cannons) which fall before he does, and end up being squashed by them. If a chase sequence happens upon a cliff, the Road Runner is not affected by gravity, whereas the Coyote will realize his error eventually and fall to the ground below. A chase sequence that happens upon railroad tracks will always result in the Coyote being run over by a train. Its Formula. If the Coyote uses an explosive (for instance, dynamite) that is triggered by a mechanism that is supposed to force the explosive in a forward motion toward its target, the actual mechanism itself will always shoot forward, leaving the explosive behind to detonate in the Coyote’s face.

Too bad they can't read.

Similarly, a complex apparatus that is supposed to propel an object like a boulder or steel ball forward, or trigger a trap, will not work on the Road Runner, but always will on the Coyote. For instance, the Road Runner can jump up and down on the trigger of a large animal trap and eat bird seed off from it, going completely unharmed and not setting off the trap; when the Coyote places the tiniest droplet of oil on the trigger, the trap snaps shut on him without fail. At certain times, the Coyote may don an exquisite Acme costume or propulsion device that briefly allows him to catch up to the Road Runner. This will always result in him losing track of his proximity to large cliffs or walls, and the Road Runner will dart around an extremely sharp turn on a cliff, but the Coyote will rocket right over the edge and fall to the ground.

Good Book

In Chuck Amuck: The Life and Times Of An Animated Cartoonist, it is claimed that Chuck Jones and the artists behind the Road Runner and Wile E. cartoons adhered to some simple but strict rules:

1. The Road Runner cannot harm the Coyote except by going “meep, meep.”
2. No outside force can harm the Coyote — only his own ineptitude or the failure of Acme products. Trains and trucks were the exception from time to time.
3. The Coyote could stop anytime — if he were not a fanatic. (Repeat: “A fanatic is one who redoubles his effort when he has forgotten his aim.” — George Santayana).
4. No dialogue ever, except “meep, meep” and yowling in pain.
5. The Road Runner must stay on the road — for no other reason than that he’s a roadrunner.
6. All action must be confined to the natural environment of the two characters — the southwest American desert.
7. All tools, weapons, or mechanical conveniences must be obtained from the Acme Corporation.
8. Whenever possible, make gravity the Coyote’s greatest enemy.
9. The Coyote is always more humiliated than harmed by his failures.
10. The audience’s sympathy must remain with the Coyote.
11. The Coyote is not allowed to catch or eat the Road Runner. (The robot that the Coyote created in The Solid Tin Coyote caught the Road Runner so this does not break this rule. The Coyote does catch the Road Runner in Soup or Sonic but is too small to eat him.)

In an interview years after the series was made, writer Michael Maltese said he had never heard of the “Rules.”

In popular culture

Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner have been frequently referenced in popular culture. The Villain (directed by Hal Needham) is a parody of these animated shorts as well as being a spoof of westerns. In The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie!, Road Runner gets run down and dies, after which Coyote commits suicide by shooting himself in the head with a prop gun.

In a sketch on In Living Color (Season 5, Episode 10), Wile E. Coyote (played by Jamie Foxx) is put on trial by Congress for displaying excessive violence in his cartoons; Elmer Fudd (played by Jay Leggett) is his lawyer. In the film UHF, “Weird Al” Yankovic’s character introduces a Road Runner cartoon as a sad, depressing story of a “pathetic coyote” futilely chasing a “sadistic roadrunner”. The characters were referenced in The Simpsons, The Cleveland Show, Bounty Hamster, Kick Buttowski, What’s New, Scooby-Doo?, Robot Chicken, and South Park.

On Family Guy

In an episode of Cheers, some bar patrons discuss the Road Runner cartoons. The discussion continues and builds in intensity as a minor subplot throughout the entire episode until at the end of the show some of the bar patrons are boisterously declaring that the Coyote character is meant to be symbolic of the Antichrist. Wile E. Coyote appeared briefly in an episode of the live-action show Night Court, where he was admonished by Judge Harry Stone for chasing a bird. Wile E. Coyote has appeared two times in Family Guy (voiced by Seth MacFarlane): his first episode, I Never Met the Dead Man, depicts him riding in a car with Peter Griffin; when Peter runs over the Road Runner and asks if he hit “that ostritch”, Wile E. tells him to keep going.^[13] In PTV, Wile E. appears in a flashback when Peter offers a store credit when Wile E. claims a refund for a giant sling shot that “slammed me into a mountain”. In the Dexter’s Laboratory episode “Road Rash” Dee-Dee does an impression of the Road Runner after Dexter falls down a man hole.

Humorist Ian Frazier created the mock-legal prose piece “Coyote v. Acme”, which is included in a book of the same name. Karen Salmansohn wrote an article on The Huffington Post centering on the characters. Guitarist Mark Knopfler created a song called “Coyote” in homage to the cartoon shows of Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, on the 2002 album The Ragpicker’s Dream.

These days you can see new Wile E. Coyote & RoadRunner cartoons on Cartoon Network’s The Looney Tunes Show.

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Miss Alexandra Chase, VT drag queen & BFF

Do you miss a certain drag queen in your life? I know that I do. We used to co-DJ at a gay club that is now closed, shop for her gowns together (the ladies at Fashion Bug loved us.), and even did drag together the year I won my first drag contest singing Billy Joel‘s “Piano Man”. Over 10 years later, we are still good friends. She doesn’t do drag anymore because she doesn’t fit into her old gowns, but that is a different story.

–BUT if you are missing the queens from seasons past of RuPaul’s Drag Race, then have no fear my lovelies! They will be back as guest professors of RuPaul’s Drag U!!!

Check out the promo for it from LogoTV.com.

That’s right, if you love the drag queens from RuPaul‘s Drag Race, then have no worries darlings! You can watch them on the upcoming season of RuPaul’s Drag U, where they are drag professors helping ordinary women became absolutely fab! It’s basically “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy“, but with drag queens instead of gay men and women instead of straight men.

I know I’ll be watching because I can’t wait to see Sharon Needles, Chad Michaels, Raja Gemini, Latrice Royale, and others as teachers of their fabulous aesthetic craft. I hope you tune in as well. June 18th on LOGO. It will also be available for free online.

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Barry toking a Joint

New insight into the early life of Barack Obama has been recently made available in the form of excerpts from his forthcoming biography, “Barack Obama: The Story.” Apparently young Barry Obama, like countless of his contemporaries, enjoyed partaking in the use of marijuana. The president even was a trendsetter amongst his peers:

As a member of the Choom* Gang, Barry Obama was known for starting a few pot-smoking trends. The first was called “TA,” short for “total absorption.”

Roof Hits w/ Cheech & Chong

Along with TA, Barry popularized the concept of “roof hits”: when they were chooming in the car all the windows had to be rolled up so no smoke blew out and went to waste; when the pot was gone, they tilted their heads back and sucked in the last bit of smoke from the ceiling.

He also was unafraid to go against proper smoking protocol:

Barry also had a knack for interceptions. When a joint was making the rounds, he often elbowed his way in, out of turn, shouted “Intercepted!,” and took an extra hit. No one seemed to mind

Barry giving a speech

What is clear from these anecdotes is that not only did Barry Obama try cannabis, but he was what many would refer to as a recreational user, a “stoner” if you will. Which begs the question, when exactly did Barry Obama, who participated in three foot bong hitting contests, become President Barack Obama, who laughs off the issue at town hall meetings and ramps up the war against medical marijuana to new heights?

It is time the President says publicly what he already knows personally: Responsible marijuana use should not be a crime and it is time we put an end to the war on cannabis consumers.

(Personally I’m all for a president that smoked pot over one that smoked crack. Just sayin’…)

*Choom is Hawaiian slang for smoking marijuana.

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Towel Day is celebrated every year on the 25th of May as a tribute by fans of the late author Douglas Adams. On this day, fans carry a towel with them to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author, as referred to in Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The commemoration was first held in 2001, two weeks after Adams’ death on 11 May 2001.

He never got to see his books make it to the big screen. He died right before HGttG made its big screen debut.

Author Douglas Adams

I first read Adams’ books when I was a sophomore in high school. I fell in love with the characters and the vision of Space that I’d never imagined before with 2-headed politicians, book researchers from far off planets, and meals that sold themselves to you. By the time the movie came out in 2001 I had read every book of Adams’ that I could get my hands on. I read the whole Hitchikers “trilogy”, in addition to his other works like “Dirk Gentley’s Holistic Detective Agency”, “The Meaning of Liff“, and “The Deeper Meaning of Liff“. The man knew how to write and how to enrapture the mind in ways no other man could. His work meant the world to me and when he died…I cried.

So to commemorate this man’s great, silly, wonderous works, don’t forget your towel.

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Actors Mike O'Malley (L) and Chris Colfer

If you are a fan of Glee and saw the finale, you know what Kurt‘s father, Burt, gave him for his graduation gift. When I first saw it, I laughed my ass off so hard. It was beautiful and funny and sweet. So awesome it is, that I’m sharing it with you. This is how every father with a gay son should show the pride he has for his son. So now, Senator Burt Hummel (Mike O’Malley) performing “All the single Ladies” with the help of 2 Glee members.

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Painting of 11th Dr.

Like most people I know who Dr. Who is. I also grew up on the show back when it was a very different doctor, one that was not making the audience swoon. Long scarf, afro hair, and a very British goofiness about him. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I found out who that silly man was on the tv travelling the universe in his telephone booth actually was. That man was…The Doctor. As an adult I’m a rather huge fan of the show. So let’[s have a look at how others have interpreted the on-going show.

Life of Dr. Who

Port-o-Tardis

Simpsons does Dr. Who

Baby Dr.

Dr. Whoess?

Rory the Roman

The Last 4 Companions

Dalek & Tardis COSPlay

Amy Pond

Who would win?

Nesting Who dolls

Amy & Rory dolls

River Song doll

The Dr., Amy & Rory

Yes, he had a cartoon.

Amy plays with self

River Song

Simpsonised

anime

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Elton John

Elton John is in a Los Angles hospital being treated for a serious respiratory infection, CNN reports.

The 65-year-old entertainer became ill last weekend in Las Vegas while performing his “Million Dollar Piano” show at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. John returned to Los Angeles to undergo testing at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Wednesday.

“Those tests resulted in the attending Cedars-Sinai physician recommending that Elton not perform any concerts for approximately seven days with complete rest and antibiotic treatment to cure his respiratory infection and prevent any damage,” a statement from the publicist says.

We hope he recovers quickly.

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Dylan in 2011

Today we wish a very happy 71st birthday to a musical legend, Mr. Bob Dylan.

Born Robert Allen Zimmerman on May 24, 1941, Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician and artist. He has been an influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly reluctant figurehead of social unrest. A number of Dylan’s early songs, such as “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, became anthems for the US civil rightsand anti-war movements.

Leaving his initial base in the culture of folk music behind, Dylan’s six-minute single “Like a Rolling Stone” has been described as radically altering the parameters of popular music in 1965. However, his recordings employing electric instruments attracted denunciation and criticism from others in the folk movement.

Dylan age 19

Dylan’s lyrics incorporated a variety of political, social, philosophical, and literary influences. They defied existing pop music conventions and appealed hugely to the then burgeoning counterculture. Initially inspired by the songs of Woody Guthrie, Robert Johnson, and Hank Williams, as well as the music and performance styles of Buddy Holly and Little Richard,Dylan has both amplified and personalized musical genres. His recording career, spanning fifty years, has explored numerous distinct traditions in American song—from folk, blues and country to gospel, rock and roll, and rockabilly to English, Scottish, and Irish folk music, embracing even jazz and swing.

Dylan with guitar

Dylan performs with guitar, keyboards, and harmonica. Backed by a changing line-up of musicians, he has toured steadily since the late 1980s on what has been dubbed the Never Ending Tour. His accomplishments as a recording artist and performer have been central to his career, but his greatest contribution is generally considered to be his songwriting.

Since 1994, Dylan has published three books of drawings and paintings, and his work has been exhibited in major art galleries.As a songwriter and musician, Dylan has received numerous awards over the years including Grammy, Golden Globe, and Academy Awards; he has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Pulitzer Prize jury in 2008 awarded him a special citation for “his profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.“  In April 2012, President Barack Obama named Dylan as a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Let’s listen to some Dylan together with one of my personal favorites, Tangled Up in Blue from 1974.

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Actor Parsons

Award-winning actor Jim Parsons reveals he’s gay and in a 10-year relationship, according to a New York Times profile.

Parsons, best-known as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory, discusses his work in last year’s production of The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer‘s searing chronicle of the AIDS epidemic in New York City during the early 1980s. The Times‘ Patrick Healy writes, “The Normal Heart resonated with him on a few levels: Mr. Parsons is gay and in a 10-year relationship…”

Parsons & Spiewak

The 39-year-old (really?) actor publicly thanked his partner Todd Spiewak from the podium of the Golden Globe awards ceremony while accepting the trophy for best actor in a comedy series.

Parsons is currently headlining the revival of the classic comedy Harvey as Elwood P. Dowd which will open June 14 at New York’s Studio 54 theatre.

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Eugene Polley

Eugene Polley, an inventor whose best-known creation has fostered blissful sloth, caused decades of domestic discord and forever altered the way consumers watch television, died on Sunday in Downers Grove, Ill. Mr. Polley, the inventor of the wireless television remote control, was 96.

His death was announced by the Zenith Electronics Corporation, where Mr. Polley began his career in the stockroom before rising through the engineering ranks to invent the device, called the Flash-Matic, in 1955.

An ad for Zenith’s Flash-Matic. Zenith sold 30,000 televisions with the remote control.

“Just think!,” an advertisement breathlessly proclaimed that year. “Without budging from your easy chair you can turn your new Zenith Flash-Matic set on, off, or change channels. You can even shut off annoying commercials while the picture remains on the screen.”

The Flash-Matic remote, which worked like a flashlight, was shaped like a snub-nosed revolver. The shape was a considered choice on Mr. Polley’s part, as he explained in 2000, letting viewers in the age of ubiquitous TV westerns “shoot out” commercials.

Flash-Matic made the TV audience less captive, though also less active. For the first time, viewers could comfortably exercise dominion over sound and image without simultaneously exercising the body on the march between couch and dial.

B&W TV w/ Dials

(The “dial” was a round thing with numbers on it — all the way up to 13 — by which viewers changed the channel through the direct application of fingers and wrist. One did not so much surf channels in those days as ride their gentle swells with all due deliberateness.)

As Mr. Polley, by then 86, proudly told an interviewer in 2002: “The flush toilet may have been the most civilized invention ever devised, but the remote control is the next most important. It’s almost as important as sex.”

For his invention, Mr. Polley received a thousand-dollar bonus. But his device was soon supplanted by a more efficient, more enduring and far better-selling one, developed by a Zenith colleague, Robert Adler.

News accounts over the years have often described Mr. Adler erroneously as the TV remote’s sole inventor. Mr. Polley, a plain-spoken man who seemed to avail himself of his own internal mute button only rarely, was largely relegated to the margins of history, a condition that rankled.

“Not only did I not get credit for doing anything,” he told The Chicago Tribune in 2006, “I got a kick in the rear end.”

BIOGRAPHY

Eugene Theodore Polley was born in Chicago on Nov. 29, 1915. (He disliked the name Theodore and adopted his confirmation name, Joseph, as his middle name.) His father, a bootlegger, abandoned the family when Gene was about 10.

A Zenith Radio

The young Mr. Polley studied at the City Colleges of Chicago and the Armour Institute of Technology (now the Illinois Institute of Technology), but lacked the money to complete a degree. At 20 he joined the Zenith Radio Company, as it was then known, as a stock boy earning 40 cents an hour.

Mechanically adept, he worked his way into the engineering department. During World War II Mr. Polley, on loan from Zenith, worked for the United States military on bomb fuses and ship-detecting radar.

After the war, as TV sets began to colonize American homes, Zenith’s president, Eugene F. McDonald, faced a quandary. Mr. McDonald, who held a utopian view of the new medium, was certain that viewers would revolt en masse against television commercials, by his lights a growing scourge.

But until that halcyon day arrived, Mr. McDonald knew, he needed to offer consumers a stopgap, and he enlisted the company’s engineers to make it.

Ad of Lazybones remote

The first TV remote, called Lazy Bones, was introduced by Zenith in 1950. It had one profound drawback, however: a cable snaking from the remote to the set, over which users were inclined to trip.

Mr. McDonald enlisted Mr. Polley to build a wireless remote, and the Flash-Matic was born. The hand-held device emitted a visible beam of light, which consumers could point at a compatible TV set.

The new, purpose-built sets had a photo cell embedded in each corner of the screen; the viewer activated the cell by “shooting” it with the remote. One cell changed the channel up, another changed the channel down, a third muted the sound, and the fourth turned the set on and off.

A 1955 Flash-matic remote

The device proved popular: during its first and only year of existence, 30,000 Flash-Matic sets were sold.

But there were difficulties. Because the system was light-activated, sunlight hitting the TV screen could cause the channels to change in spontaneous roulette. Viewers also had trouble remembering which corner of the screen controlled which function.

Mr. Adler improved Mr. Polley’s device by making it responsive to sound instead of light. His remote, called Space Command, used inaudible, high-frequency sound waves to control the set. It, too, had problems — it could be set off by the sound of jangling keys or rattling coins — but was deemed enough of an improvement on its predecessor to be brought to market in 1956.

A Space Command Remote

From that year to the early 1980s, when infrared remotes became standard, more than nine million sets controlled by Space Command technology were sold.

Mr. Polley, a longtime resident of Lombard, Ill., had lived most recently in Glen Ellyn, Ill. He is survived by a son, Eugene Jr., and a grandson. His wife, the former Blanche Wiley, died before him, as did a daughter, Joan Polley.

With other colleagues, Mr. Adler and Mr. Polley represented Zenith when it was given a special Emmy Award in 1997 for its development of wireless remotes.

Mr. Adler died in 2007. Zenith has said publicly that it considers him and Mr. Polley the joint inventors of the device. Mr. Polley begged to differ. “A father has to be present at conception,” he said in a 2002 interview. “And if you’re not, you’re not that father.”

From one lazybones who spend a lot of time in front of the tv, Thank you Mr. Polley. I’d be much more active if it were not for you.

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Season 1 Promo

I’m a fan of Glee and have been since Season 2. I was in the choir when I was in high school and have bonded with the storyline in many ways. I was a geek. (Still am, but much more confident about it.) I spend my Tuesday evenings with my partner, our baby and our gay friend, Paul (a trained singer) watching and singing along. (Our baby screeches to the songs with us.)

After last night’s finale we had some unanswered questions about the individual futures of the characters we’ve grown to love. The Advocate reported that Fox Entertainment president Kevin Reilly has apparently shed some light on what viewers can expect from Glee season 4 this fall.

Recognize anyone?

According to TVoverMind.com, Glee will go the “show-within-a-show route and have a handful of the graduating seniors move to New York to attend a performing arts school.”  That means the main cast will still be in Ohio, with new incoming high school students filling the cast (from The Glee Project), while several of the show’s current stars will be shown moving to New York and building lives there. From last night’s finale we know that Rachel made it to NY, whilst Finn and Kurt stayed behind. What will happen to the boys left behind? Will Rachel make her dreams come true, or she bound for the night shift wait staff?

And what of the “les-bi-sexual” couple Santana and Britney? Britnay will be repeating her senior year, whilst Santana , with the help of her mother, will be going to NY to be a star, whatever that means for a cheerleader. The question to be asked is, what will happen to their relationship?

Sarah Jessica Parker

Kate Hudson

SPOILER!!! –As for season 4, actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Kate Hudson have both signed on for multi-episode arcs.

What I want to know is, what will happen to Puckerman, Artie, Finn, Mike, Quinn, Mercedes, Blaine & Kurt, and the others graduating? Will they return for cameos as well? I sure hope so. I’m crossing my fingers now. You should too. ;D

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Singer Adam Lambert

With the album Trespassing, Adam Lambert confirms his superstar status and makes history as the first openly LGBT vocalist to have an album debut at the #1 position of the Billboard album charts. When a woman first debuted an album at the #1 position, it was Whitney Houston with her album, Whitney. The torch for equality in music has been passed.

Released May 15, Trespassing premiered at the top of both Billboard’s Top 200 chart and digital albums chart. With a mix of dance songs and ballads, including the equality anthem “Outlaws of Love,” the album has also received exceptionally strong notices from music critics.

Lambert’s first album, For Your Entertainment, debuted at number 3 in 2009. Other LGBT recording artists, including Elton John and George Michael, have had number 1 albums, but prior to coming out.

Watch a teaser for the soon-to-be-released video for Lambert’s single “Never Close Our Eyes” below.

To Mr. Lambert, Congratulations!

Related articles

• Adam Lambert Daily Update – May 23, 2012 (onthemeaningofadamlambert.wordpress.com)
• Adam Lambert Music Video Tease: “Never Close Our Eyes” (thehollywoodgossip.com)
• Trespassing Opens #1! What happens next? Radio Show (onthemeaningofadamlambert.wordpress.com)

Doohan as Scotty

The Dragon has breathed fire – and James Doohan’s ashes are in orbit.

Yes, at long last and after a last-second scuttling over the weekend, the SpaceX Falcon 9 blasted off at 3:44 a.m. this morning from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket, owned/funded by the privately held company Space Exploration Technologies, a/k/a SpaceX, is headed toward the International Space Station, carrying 1,000-plus pounds of supplies for the station’s crew, as well as the ashes of more than 300 people, among them Doohan, Star Trek’s beloved Scotty, who passed away in 2005, and Mercury program astronaut Gordon Cooper.

“Feels like a giant weight just came off my back,” tweeted SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk. He posted that tweet once Dragon deployed its solar panels, which, according to the Reuters news service, is the first of several major milestones that must be met before the spacecraft is cleared to dock at the station. If all goes as planned, that will occur on Friday. This mission is actually the last test flight for SpaceX under NASA’s COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) initiative, which finances the development of private vehicles that can launch cargo to the ISS.

Doohan’s ashes – which also were launched to space in 2008 as part of an unsuccessful mission — were part of a secondary payload included on the second stage of the rocket, not on the Dragon itself. That payload separated from the capsule at the 9-minute, 49-second mark and is now orbiting, on its own, above the Earth. It’s expected to stay in orbit for approximately a year before descending back to Earth and disintegrating during re-entry.

Doohan's Daughter

Wende Doohan, James Doohan’s widow, was on hand for the launch with the couple’s daughter, Sarah, now 12. Doohan posted a photo on Twitter and tweeted the following comment early today. “Sarah and I enjoyed watching a beautiful rocket launch this morning – certainly a first for her.” Also, on May 18, Doohan tweeted the attached photo of Sarah at Cape Canaveral with a caption that read “Following Daddy’s footsteps?”.

Related articles

• Trying to Shoot James Doohan’s Ashes into Space . . . Again (nationalreview.com)
• Beam me up Scotty: Star Trek actor’s ashes blasted into space (itv.com)
• Celebrities’ Ashes Launched on SpaceX Falcon Rocket – ABC News (abcnews.go.com)

Needles in his hearse

Drag Queen Sharon Needles made news this week with her biggest purchase so far with her prize money from RuPaul‘s Drag Race.

Ru posted about it today on her Facebook, whilst Sharon’s friend, Marsha Mellow Monster, posted a pic of her yesterday in it; her brand new Hearse. Now the queen of spook now has her very own hearse to drive around in. As Ru said herself “THATs f&%king fierce.”

Her fans are not at all surprised, but rather delighted that the reigning queen is treating herself to the best things in life that a queen of spook deserves, like a hearse to carry all her drag gear in!

The news of her hearse purchase sparked conversations amongst fans. I caught myself in one.

Me: Did you hear about Sharon Needles new car?

Friend: Yeah, Thats awesome. I want a hearse.

Me: Me too! I want a bright orange one.

Friend: Mine would be bright purple.

Drive safe, Sharon. Wouldn’t want you riding in the back. ;D

Related articles

• RuPaul’s Queens Sell Out (lezgetreal.com)
• Sharon Needles Wants to Cruise with YOU (lezgetreal.com)
• Drag Race Down to Final 3 for Season 4 (lezgetreal.com)

Moretz as Hit Girl

A sequel to the cult superhero adventure Kick-Ass had long seemed a fevered dream of the comic’s creator Mark Millar, who has developed a notoriety for leaking “news” that is either conjecture or wishful thinking. So when Millar declared that Kick-Ass 2 would go into production this summer, we were a bit leery.

However, with The Avengers showing there’s still a serious love of superhero features among moviegoers, all the studios are looking to capitalize, and so Universal is moving forward on Kick-Ass 2 with Cry_Wolf helmer Jeff Wadlow usurping Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn, who is too busy developing X-Men: First Class 2 to return. Nonetheless, Vaughn will help produce the sequel, which is slated to shoot in London this September.

Hit Girl & Kick Ass from comic

Wadlow revealed to the press recently that he penned the screenplay over the holidays, and sought to find a place where the first movie and the second graphic novel intersect. Like its precursor, Kick-Ass 2will take some departures from its source material, Millar’s comic of the same name, as Wadlow explains:

“I think the most important thing that’s gonna’ change from the Kick-Ass 2 comic to Kick-Ass 2 the movie was just really finding an emotional story to tell. Because what I certainly loved about the first film, and what I think elevated it above most comic book adaptations, is the heart and the emotion in the film. It was sort of my challenge as the filmmaker and storyteller to find something as emotional in the second film and I think we have some stuff that people are gonna’ really respond to.”

Actress Moretz

As to specifics, he hopes to play up Hit Girl’s part, despite the fact that her story is “sidelined” in Millar’s second book. As she gives up her superhero alter-ego in the comic, its story instead focuses on Kick-Ass and Red Mist’s evolution to the Motherf–ker, a more vicious villainous incarnation. However, this approach may be problematic, as Moretz hasn’t yet signed on to the sequel, though Wadlow says the two have met, she’s read the script and is by his estimation, “very excited about what we’re doing with Hit-Girl.”

Kick-Ass stars Aaron Johnson and Christopher Mintz-Plasse are also said to be in talks, but it seems far more likely they’d be game to reprise their roles as their careers haven’t exactly blown up as Moretz’s has. Since her brazen breakthrough with pint-sized and foul-mouthed Hit Girl, the starlet delighted horror fans with Let Me In, and dazzled critics with Hugo. However, her most recent efforts aren’t faring so well. Dark Shadows tanked its opening weekend, accruing only $29 million, which smarts with a bloated budget of $150 mil. Plus this batty comedy—as well as the gritty coming-of-age tale Hick—were generally panned by critics. Could this urge her to return to the role that first won her such good will? Let’s hope so, both because her upcoming Carrie remake is a risky venture, and because Kick-Ass 2 wouldn’t be nearly as hard-hitting without her.

WonderWoman & LeopardGirl

Your favorite DC Comics character might be gay.

In an interview at the Kapow Comics Convention, DC Comics Co-Publisher Dan DiDio said that a “prominent” DC Comics character will soon come out of the closet, reversing an earlier statement where he had said DC was more likely to insert a new LGBT character than “out” an existing one.

Aquaman & Aqualad

Twitter users have cited Aquaman and Wonder Woman as the most likely candidates. They won’t be the first gay characters in comics, though. “It’s sad when DC is playing catch-up to Archie. And the entire comics industries of Japan and Europe,” tweeted @Joe_Hunter. Once they start catching up, though, it could happen in a Flash.

Related articles

• Major DC Comics Character To Come Out Of The Closet (towleroad.com)
• The First Gay DC Character – Except all the Ones That Came (Out) Before (graphicpolicy.com)
• Gay Super Hero? DC Comics Says Yes (revolutioninmedia.com)

Coach Sue Sylvester

Teacher Will Schuster

Councilor Emma

Rebel Puck

Footballer Finn

Diva Rachel

Token Gay Kurt

Boy Band Blaine

Musical Feet Mike

Lil Lost Tina

Wheelchair-Bound Artie

Ballsy Becky

Sultry Santana

Airhead Brittany

Stripper Sam

Soul sister Mercedes

Cheerleader Quinn

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• ‘Glee’ says ‘Goodbye’ with season 3 finale preview–Old flames reunite (examiner.com)
• Ryan Murphy Confirms Who’s Leaving and Staying On Glee For Season 4 (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Spoiler Chat Daily: Glee Season Finale Scoop! Plus, Grey’s Anatomy, White Collar and More! (eonline.com)

Fan imagined costuming

So what is the latest in comic book movie news? Well, famous wrestlers are!

ForeverGeek.com has reported that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is currently developing the big screen “Shazam” adaptation along with director Pete Segal, and of course, comic book fanboys are quite thrilled about this.

While the project is not listed on his IMDB.com profile yet, fans are a-twitter about the idea.

Black Adam

The great thing about the casting though is Johnson’s decision to let fans dictate which character they wanted him to play. As a big star, it would have been a given for him to play Captain Marvel. But the fans are clamoring for him to play another character — none other than Black Adam himself, and he has announced that he will, indeed go for that role.

Fans even made a mock-up of the costume they want him to be in.

Related articles

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• Is Dwayne Johnson Involved with a DC Comics Movie? (geektyrant.com)
• Do You Smell What The Rock Is Cookin’? (jsheskier.wordpress.com)

Robin Gibb on 1st March 2008

Bee Gee Robin Gibb lost his two year battle with colon and liver cancer on Sunday, a spokesperson confirmed. The Rock & Roll Hall of Famer was 62.

A statement read: “The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery. The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time.”

Fans first realized that Gibb was perhaps losing his battle with cancer when he was unable to attend the premiere of his first classical work, Titanic Requiem, in London on April 10. A few days after that work’s bittersweet debut, family members revealed that he had contracted pneumonia and was “fighting for his life.” He slipped into a coma that doctors did not expect him to wake from… but he did.

“Robin has confounded his doctors by waking up from the coma he had slipped into after contracting pneumonia,” a statement on his website read. “He remains in intensive care but is now fully conscious, able to speak to his loved ones and breathing on his own with an oxygen mask.” He had nearly a month with his family before taking his final journey.

Titanic Requiem was his first classical work, and his last. He’d written the classical piece in conjunction with his son, Robin-John, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, joining together original vocal and orchestral themes with excerpts from the Latin Mass for the Dead. Gibb had been intending to sing one vocal number at the premiere, but instead, “Don’t Cry Alone” was offered via a recording.

Wind to thy wings, Robin.

Related articles

• Showbiz: Bee Gees star Robin Gibb dies aged 62 after battle with cancer (dailyrecord.co.uk)
• R.I.P. Robin Gibb (pitchfork.com)
• Robin Gibb, Member of the Bee Gees, Has Died [Rip] (jezebel.com)

Murray's head

You can always tell it’s Oscar season when films featuring big-name actors portraying famous historical figures start rolling into theaters. Focus Features has gone ahead and released a trailer for one such production on the horizon, titled Hyde Park on Hudson.

The Hyde Park on Hudson cast is headed by Bill Murray as Franklin D. Roosevelt – who is joined by his Rushmore costar, Olivia Williams, as the First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, Samuel West as King George VI, and Olivia Colman  as Queen Elizabeth.

However, similar to My Week with Marilyn, the film unfolds from the perspective of a more obscure name: Daisy (Laura Linney), FDR’s distant cousin, who also becomes a good friend and confidante to the famous U.S. president – not to mention, partly serves as the audience’s eyes and ears as the film’s major players collide over the course of a colorful weekend gathering.

Judging by this early footage, Murray looks to do a spot-on job channeling the mannerisms and personality of the late FDR; in short, his performance is pure Oscar bait. That also goes for the lovely period production design, old-fashioned musical soundtrack and storyline about the messiness of human emotions – all within the context of a get-together between British royalty and the U.S. First Couple (set against a WW II backdrop). Make no mistake, Hyde Park on Hudson appears to be for the period drama crowd what, say, Battleship is for those who love summer popcorn blockbuster fare. (And there’s nothing wrong with that.)

Actor Murray as FDR

Many Murray fans should be pleased to see the actor continue his trend of working on more artsy and independent fare. Hyde Park on Hudson also looks to have a bit more mainstream appeal than some of Murray’s most recent work, such as his collaborations with Wes Anderson (including, this year’s Moonrise Kingdom) or Jim Jarmusch (Broken Flowers, The Limits of Control). After all, the film was directed by Roger Michell – whose credits include frothy flicks like Morning Glory and Notting Hill, along with more serious dramas, such as Enduring Love and Venus – with a screenplay by Tony Award-winner Richard Nelson.

Focus Features was also wise to settle on the early December date for Hyde Park on Hudson. That will allow it to start building momentum for the big award shows in early 2013, while also serving as counter-programming to the big blockbusters due to hit theaters that month (The Hobbit, One Shot, etc.).

Hyde Park on Hudson begins a limited theatrical release in the U.S. on December 7th, 2012.

Related articles

• Bill Murray Plays FDR in the ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ Trailer (screenrant.com)
• ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ Trailer: Bill Murray Gets Delightfully Presidential (slashfilm.com)
• Bill Murray Is Awesome In Trailer For ‘Hyde Park on Hudson’ (cosbysweaters.com)

Ned Flanders meets Lady Gaga & her flaming tits of fury.

Tonight is another season finale for the long-running The Simpsons, but its an episode that has been causing a bit of a stir in the geek/freak fan groups. Simpsons and Gaga fans alike are thrilled to see this mash-up and her effect on the almost-normal world of Springfield. Lady Gaga will be doing the voicing of herself as she visits the famous town and encounters the infamous family of …The Simpsons. Don’t miss the season finale featuring Lady Gaga!!! SUN 5/20 at 8/7c on FOX! THAT IS TONIGHT!!!

Jean Grey is on fire!

The Ladies of the X-Men never truly get the credit they deserve. They are just as strong, mutated and awesome as their male counterparts, but rarely are given the screen time or comic pages to show them off. The great thing about X-men is that it opens fans up to create their own characters that would fit into the X-men universe. For today I’m going to share with you some fan art and show you how their fans see them. ;D

Storm in a white outfit

Rogue in green outfit

Shadowcat in Anime

Mystique mid-shape shift

Black Queen Cosplay

a spikey character

Emma Frost

Storm in black outfit

Rogue in Anime

Shadowcat Emerging

Mystique Bobblehead Design?

Jean Gray

Lady Deathstrike

Psylocke

Storm in blue outfit

Rogue in form-fit costume

Kitty Pryde w/ her dragon

Storm in punk attire

Emma Frost Fashion

Mystique cartoonified

Related articles

• The Best X-Men Rosters Ever (comics.ign.com)
• The 10 Most Depressing Alternate Realities From Marvel Comics [Daily 10] (io9.com)

Actor Stahl

“Terminator 3” actor Nick Stahl was reported missing by his estranged wife earlier this week. We have just learned that the actor has made contact with friends via email.

Stahl’s wife, Roseann, filed court papers in February after she believed his alleged drug abuse had escalated, causing her to ask a judge for limited visitation rights to their 2-year-old daughter.

TMZ learned that he sent a note to his pals on Friday, apologizing for scaring them. He added that he is seeking treatment and would be out of contact for the next 30 days.

Stahl’s wife, Roseannn, reportedly was not on the email.

We wish him the best of luck with his recovery and are very glad that he is safe.

Related articles

• Actor Nick Stahl Reported Missing By Wife (inquisitr.com)
• Nick Stahl: Missing Actor’s Wife Fears Drug Use (thehollywoodgossip.com)
• Film: Newswire: Nick Stahl, star of Carnivale and Terminator 3, is missing (avclub.com)

Cast cover

Bluewater Comic’s unauthorized The Cast Of Doctor Who takes a glance into the backgrounds of a few of the actors who have taken on the role of The Doctor through the years. Without a standard comic storyline, the book serves more as an introduction to the series, specifically designed for newer fans that are interested about the Classic Doctor Who series.

The comic book oddly only looks at four official Doctors (plus a fifth outside canon which we will get to later). This limited examination was restricted based on space available for the publication of the comic. Overall, the comic examines William Hartnell as the First Doctor, Tom Baker as the Fourth Doctor, Paul McGann as the Eighth Doctor, and Matt Smith as the current Eleventh Doctor.

The Cast Of Doctor Who functions mainly to provide some background information on the history of the actors who took on this role, giving you a quick glance at their biographical information and highlighting some of their key film, television, and theatrical roles prior to and after Who. Despite its succinct short summary fashion, the details are (for the most part) surprisingly accurate in places.

Tennant as the 1st Doctor

Having said that, it puzzles me as to why the publishers opted to focus only on a few actors instead of all main eleven Doctors. While the space factor may have provided more room to focus on four, I found myself somewhat disappointed that Patrick Troughton, Jon Pertwee, Peter Davison, Colin Baker, and Sylvester McCoy were not given a shot in the book (although Troughton and Pertwee do briefly appear). On top of that, Nu Who fans would be horror-struck at the exclusion of Christopher Eccleston and David Tennant.

The artwork in The Cast Of Doctor Who is adequate for the purpose of the book and the interpretations and likenesses of the featured actors are actually pretty well done. It does, however, take a bit of a morbid turn in the death of William Hartnell, with the artwork becoming not so much non-figurative, but creepily darkened and beyond interpretation.

Cushing as 1st Doctor

A main criticism of the comic, however, is the inclusion of Peter Cushing as the Doctor from the non-canon films made during the 1960s. Cushing’s work in the two Doctor Who films is not part of the overall mythos of the current series. Considering the book seems to be designed as a gateway media to encourage newer fans to discover the classic series, the inclusion of Cushing detracts from this. Furthermore, the writers misspell Tarkin when they get to his Star Wars role – a HUGE no-no!

Newer fans to Doctor Who will notice the biographical pages to be informative, and hopefully it does encourage them to check out the classic series. However, dedicated longtime fans will be disappointed with the book, with the lack of other Doctors, and particularly the manner in which Cushing’s Doctor is upheld in the pages. This one is just for newer fans.

Related articles

• It’s a Triple Threat with ‘Doctor Who: The Three Doctors’ (Review) (popmatters.com)
• Dr. Who Montage – Past to Present (reginajeffers.wordpress.com)
• The Other Doctors of Doctor Who (mentalfloss.com)

StarFire in DC comics

Starfire is the name of several fictional comic book characters published by DC Comics, but the most prominent Starfire is Koriand’r, the fourth character to use that name. She debuted in a preview story inserted within DC Comics Presents #26 (October 1980) and was created by Marv Wolfman and George Pérez. Starfire was ranked 20th in Comics Buyer’s Guide‘s “100 Sexiest Women in Comics” list and you can see why. Meee-ow!

Koriand’r, Starfire’s real name, is a princess of the fictional planet Tamaran in the Vegan System, and was in line to rule the planet as Queen.

Like all Tamaraneans, Starfire’s alien physiology constantly absorbs ultraviolet radiation and converts it to energy for flight. The solar absorption experiments performed on her by the alien Psions granted her the ability to channel and project that same energy into destructive blasts called “starbolts”.  As shown in the “Insiders” crossover story arc (Teen Titans and Outsiders),Starfire can also release nearly all of her stored energy as a powerful omni-directional explosive burst, many times more powerful than her standard blasts. The released energy leaves her in a weakened state.

Starfire possesses superhuman strength, which combined with her superior fighting-skills has enabled her to win about two out of three times against the much stronger Donna Troy (as the latter was in the early 1980s) during purely hand-to-hand training matches.

Learning English from Robin in Episode "Go!"

Starfire is also capable of assimilating other languages through physical contact with another person. When she attempts to do so with males, she usually kisses them because it is “more fun” for her. She is proficient in armed and unarmed combat, having been trained in those arts by the Warlords of Okaara.

Starfire appears in the Teen Titans animated series, voiced by Hynden Walch. Elements of her storyline appear in different episodes spread across the show’s five seasons, in which she deals with her arch-foe and sister, Blackfire (also voiced by Walch), the responsibilities of being a princess, and her insecurities about being an alien on Earth.

Tamaranean Race

Starfire was born and raised on the distant planet Tamaran before arriving on Earth and joining the Teen Titans. Her race, the Tamaraneans, are an emotional race who see feelings as the force that drives their very livelihood. Their emotions fuel their natural abilities of flight and superhuman strength, as well as  Starfire’s starbolts. Her race is also highly resilient to radiation and the cold (though the longer she is outside, and the more exhausted she is, the more susceptible she is to sub-zero temperatures). The animated Starfire also has the ability to travel faster-than-light without a ship, as well as the ability to survive in the vacuum of outer space for long periods of time. However, she cannot breathe underwater. Sometimes her powers act beyond her control, such as releasing explosive energy blasts when she sneezes, as well as her strength accidentally bending a street light down to the ground.

Character Design for Teen Titans

Starfire’s Titans character bears some similarities with her comic version. In the flashback episode “Go!”, which tells of the founding of the Titans in their animated continuity, just before meeting the Titans, Starfire is shown being held prisoner as a “prize” by a group of Gordanian slave masters, working for an interstellar power known as the Citadel. Eventually, she manages to escape and flees to the closest planet, which happens to be Earth. Starfire runs into Robin and the other soon-to-be Titans, but after being mistreated for so long, she is aggressive, antagonistic and does not trust the Titans or any one else for that matter. After Robin aids her in taking off the “space cuffs” that bind her wrists, the Gordanians whom she escaped from show up looking for her and the Titans help her fight them off. After winning and driving off her jailers, Starfire elects to stay on Earth with the four heroes and quickly develops feelings for Robin.

Close-up of Starfire's face

Starfire is inherently the most sensitive of the Titans. This kid-friendly version of Starfire is naive, innocent, and somewhat insecure, but it is this trait that endears her to others, especially to Robin. An alien and an outsider, she is still new to Earth and its customs, which serves as a recurring source of comic relief. She also insists on sharing her own customs with other members of the team. Presumably because English is not her first language, Starfire speaks without contractions and misuses idioms. Additionally, she uses several Tamaranean nouns.

Raven & Starfire

Starfire has a pet giant moth larva named “Silkie” in the series, given to her by Beast Boy. Starfire takes friendship very seriously, and is easily distressed when others, especially her friends, argue or fight. Although her naive and slightly overly friendly yet kind nature can sometimes clash with Raven’s more secretive one, she has shown a closeness to her.

First Kiss in Trouble in Tokyo

Reflecting the comic books, the series hints at a potential relationship between Starfire and Robin. In the season 5 episode “Go!”, Robin and Starfire’s first kiss is shown; however (as in the comics), this was for the purpose of assimilating the English language. In the movie Teen Titans: Trouble in Tokyo, moments are shared between the two. Finally, Robin and Starfire share the “actual” kiss after Brushogun is defeated.

Starfire’s run on the Teen Titans animated series, as well as her Anime-type cuteness, gained her a huge fan following. If you are interested in seeing reruns of the show you can find them online or weeknights on Boomerang at 11pm.

Related articles

• Cartoons Reimagined: Teen Titans (lezgetreal.com)
• Starfire Meets Her Nieces And Nephews in ‘New Teen Titans’ Clip [Video] (comicsalliance.com)
• Starfire Babysits In New DC Nation Clips (comicbookresources.com)

Art by Jettila Lewis 2012

Ever wanted to party with Sharon Needles? Who doesn’t?! Well, now may be your chance of a lifetime to party with the drag superstar. Today Drag Race winner, Queen Sharon Needles posted this to her fans on her Facebook page and we thought you might want in on it.

Sharon Needles is going on a AMAZING trip through America’s #1 Gay Travel Specialists, ALandCHUCK.travel, and She wants you to come too!
Go together and you can have even more fun as a group. If you use her GROUP HOST Code (1437737) to book your trip, they’ll put you in her VIP group. You’re gonna have a great time!
EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS: This Deluxe 8 Day CARIBBEAN CRUISE travels from MIAMI to NASSAU, PARADISE ISLAND, ST THOMAS, ST JOHN, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO, GRAND TURK, TURKS & CAICOS ! This is the first event of its kind in the world… Exclusively from ALandCHUCK.travel! FREE Two (2) Open Bar Cocktail Parties & Show with the largest collection of LOGO TV & RuPaul’s Drag Race stars in history! Including Celebrity Judge Michelle Visage!
• PRIVATE FREE Cocktail Reception With her!
• PRIVATE FREE Specialty Gourmet Dinner With her! Cover Charge Included!
• FREE Souvenir Professional Photo With her!
• FREE Bon Voyage Bottle of Wine!
XOXO
Sharon Needles
MAKE SURE YOU GIVE MY GROUP HOST CODE (1437737) WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR RESERVATION!
CALL NOW – 1-866-949-1429

Related articles

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Budding Author Emer

EMER is a new gay author and is looking for an audience. While I’ve known him as a friend and artist for years, this is his first trip into the world of professional writing. You can find a collection of his short stories (some in process, some completed) on his web page; http://emer420.hubpages.com/.  He is a fabulous young gay man (yes boys, he’s single!) writing from the view of a small town American. When you go to his page you will be greeted by;

Hello world,

I have many interests.  However my main interest is obviously writing.  I love writing horror and sci-fi, but will sometimes dabble in romance, mystery, and comedy.  I am a student at Castleton State College and am very close to achieving a bachelors degree in World Literature and Communications.  I plan on writing books and working behind the camera on film productions after I graduate.

I am currently working on a compilation of short stories that I would like to get published after, or before, I graduate.  It will consist of 18 stories that all take place the same small ocean town.  Some of which will be posted here as a preview.

I hope you enjoy my stories, and I greatly appreciate critiques.  So leave all the coments you can.  My pen name when I write anything is Emer.  Don’t ask why, Haha, it’s a long story.  Just kinda stuck with me a while ago.

So thanks for visiting my page, and I hope you enjoy.

A screenshot from Dracula

Emer writes for many different genres of literature while also being a huge film buff. His faves are Horror and Fantasy. We have watched many a horror movie together that has scarred me for life. (I still can’t look at sheep the same way ever again.) While I’m not a big horror movie fan, Emer has managed to turn his love of the film genre into a writing style filled with intrigue and humor. Here’s an example of one of his stories, A Letter From Count Dracula.

Related articles

• New Dracula 3D Trailer Heavy on CG and Light on Bite (dreadcentral.com)
• Book Review: Dracula by Bram Stoker (ermiliablog.wordpress.com)
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cover of 30 Queens

It’s true. If you are a fan of RuPaul’s Drag Race: Season 4 then you can now own a very artistic part of it. http://www.chadsellcomics.com/rupauls-drag-race/

Chad Sell is an artist who has made books featuring the contestants of seasons 3 & 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race. He seems to be a fan of winner, Sharon Needles as he has done prints of every outfit she wore, which she has shared on her Facebook page when they have come out.

The images of drag queens that he portrays are amazing in that they are not only aesthetically pleasing (pretty), but they also include humor, beauty, and grace in it’s many forms shown through the art of Drag. Here are a few previews of some of the queens featured from his new book 30 Queens. (You can also buy prints of individual queens at the website.)

Queen Sharon Needles

Finalist Chad Michaels

Finalist Phi-Phi O'Hara

Latrice Royale

Dita Ritz

Fan fave Willam

Wigless Milan

Lil' Kenya Michaels

The Princess

Can you name them?

Actress Harmon as Carmichael

Angie Harmon currently stars as Detective Jane Rizzoli in the TNT crime-drama, Rizzoli & Isles, but you may remember her from the long stint she did on NBC’s Law & Order as Assistant District Attorney Abbie Carmichael.

As it turns out, Harmon is itching to get back into law. Superhero law to be more specific. Harmon wants to play Jennifer Walters, a.k.a. She-Hulk. Harmon posted a picture on her twitter feed showing what she’d look like smashing some concrete. Then, one of her followers did a bit of photoshop on the picture to make Harmon look more like the character she’s aiming for. Harmon posted the photo to Instagram but the story doesn’t end there.

Harmon as She-Hulk

Harmon recently did an interview with Entertainment Weekly and couldn’t wait to show off the picture, as well as a few others from the comics, and the research she’s already done into the role.

If you aren’t familiar with She-Hulk from Marvel Comics, she’s the cousin of the more famous Hulk, Bruce Banner. So if they are cousins, how did she become a hulk? Well its simple, but doesn’t make a lot of sense. She got her powers thanks to a blood transfusion from him. (You’d think as a scientist he would have thought of this before giving her blood, but whatever…) She doesn’t get as large as Hulk and can control her transformations. She uses her powers as a criminal attorney to defend super-humans in court and has been a member of The Avengers, S.H.I.E.L.D., and the Fantastic Four among other groups.

During the interview, Harmon mentioned how much she enjoyed The Avengers movie and then let the reporter know just  how much she wants to play She-Hulk and why.

She-Hulk comic cover

“I have to be her,” Harmon said. “You don’t understand. I have to be her. It’s the best quote ever when The Hulk turns around and goes ‘I’m always angry.’ I was like, Ohmygod! I stood up in the theater and literally cheered. I did.”

And she’d be fine wearing She-Hulk’s skimpy costume? ”I would rock that like there is no tomorrow. I would kill that outfit. I’d put these 36Cs on display. Boom!” she said. “And what about her libido? That’s my favorite part. She-Hulk, bed! She-Hulk, screw! Can you imagine? Then she just picks him up and throws him around the room like the Hulk did with the bad guy. [Makes smashing noises.] But apparently, she’s normal size.”

…ROFL!!! (Now, I really want to see Harmon play her.)

She-Hulk comic

I could see myself getting behind this, especially considering how enthusiastic she is about the role. Could Harmon join the ranks of the Avengers in its sequel or perhaps the next Hulk film? It would be an easy introduction for sure. We also know ABC is still planning a Hulk television show so there’s always a chance of her ending up there as well. Stay tuned…

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Born LaDonna Adrian Gaines on December 31, 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts, the incredibly talented singer/songwriter Donna Summer passed away today at the age of 63, another iconic victim of anal cancer.

First U.S. #1 Hit

She was a part of my early adulthood. Her first U.S. release, Love To Love You, Baby, hit the charts in 1975, when I was 20. Within a year, Rutland had a full scale dance club, and I was a devoted attendee… complete with skintight bell-bottoms and platform heels. Summer provided the soundtrack to our loves and the rhythm of our lives.

The Queen of Disco

That is the image I retain of her – absolutely gorgeous with an imp’s smile.

The mezzo-soprano voice that carried her from rock to musical theatre to disco and beyond never left her. With a career spanning four decades, Summer has the distinction of being the only U.S. artist to have a number one hit single on the Billboard Dance charts in every decade since the 1970’s. Her last album, Crayons, was released in 2008 and contained 17 all new tracks.

Promo for "Crayons"

After bouts with depression, anxiety and a prescription drug addiction in the late 70’s that culminated in a nervous breakdown in 1979, Summer became a born again Christian. In the mid-80’s she was accused of making anti-gay remarks in the early days of the AIDS epidemic, which caused a severe backlash against her career. She steadfastly denied making any such remarks, and over the years performed in concerts benefiting several LGBT & AIDS organizations. She was one of the divas of American music beloved by the gay community.

I found the following on a tribute site:

Disco being declared “dead” was an assault on both the gay and black communities. Disco music was devalued by the dominant, white, heterosexual male, heavy metal/country western culture. Donna was stigmatized along with all of it. I believe that she is truly one of the most talented and gifted singers/songwriters ever. While she was ostracized by the gay community in the 80′s for apparently making anti-gay remarks (which she denies) she did recently perform a benefit concert in New York for the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. I hope that will help put some of the ugly rumors to rest. I see Donna’s triumphs as triumphs for minorities of all types, whether they be people of color, gay people or people who have voices made to soar with synthesizers, or, for that matter, “talented Christian Divas who have a primarily gay audience.” Donna set the stage for techno-synth and electronic music, and the dominant culture is trying to erase her from the history books by ignoring her contributions, devaluing them and devaluing her audience. In 1979, she sold over 4 million copies of a double-album (“Bad Girls”). At the time, a black-female artist having a multi-platinum-selling album was practically unheard of. She had the first extended play single. She was brilliantly blending her tracks together more than a decade before Janet’s “Rhythm Nation” hit the air waves. –SHE HAS THE MAGIC!!!!

So, step aside KISS, your former-fellow Casablanca recording artist is staged for a comeback. And if only a small one, it will be a great victory for all of “us.” (How odd that all of the boys who tortured me in school for being gay and for loving Donna Summer could not see the irony in their own worship of a band called “AC/DC.”).

- Troy M. Burnett February, 1999

I hope you have a good sound card on your computer, because here she is singing her hit song “Last Dance”, which is the one song I can’t get out of my head today.

She is survived by her husband, songwriter Bruce Sudano; three daughters, Mimi Sommer Dohler from her first marriage, and Brooklyn and Amanda Grace Sudano; and two granddaughters, Vienna Lynn Adrianna and Savannah Grace Dohler.

Wind to thy wings, Donna. Thank you for everything.

LINKS FOR MORE ON DONNA SUMMER

Biography, Wikipedia
Tribute Site
Donna Summer website 

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from Thats So Raven

Some of you may remember Raven Symone as the adorable Olivia on The Cosby Show. You may know her from Disney’s The Cheetah Girls, or even watched her shows Thats So Raven or 2011′s State of Georgia. She may have just joined Broadway’s Sister Act as a faux-nun, but now it seems the actress Raven-Symoné (the way she’s currently spelling it) is being outed as something else entirely: a lesbian.

According to an excerpt of a report obtained by MediaTakeOut: “Sources close to Raven say she’s GAY and has shacked up with AzMarie Livingston, the androgynous beauty seen on America’s Next Top Model. The two are living together in Raven’s luxury $11,00-a-month New York City condo. She’s at a point now where she doesn’t care what her family thinks, and she’s in love with AzMarie. She’s a lesbian and wants to live that way.”

Symone as nun

In a March interview, when the 26-year-old joined Sister Act, the actress seemed to want to keep her personal life out of the spotlight when she answered an interviewer with “The best advice that I can give is: It’s about the work. It’s really about you putting yourself into your work and your career and focusing on that, and not going for the shiny, fake gold teeth that you find out later are not real gold. Go for the long haul. And hopefully it works. I don’t talk about anything else but my work, and that’s what I’m doing and that’s what I portray.“

While it all could be rumors and tabloid fodder at this point, but the angle they’re going with this is that “She’s at a point now where she doesn’t care what her family thinks, and she’s in love with AzMarie. She’s a lesbian and wants to live that way.” And if that’s the case, we say: Good for her!

(Editor’s Note: This is being reported in both the National Enquirer and OUT Magazine)

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Teen Titans Grown up

Movie for TT

Costume Swap

Titans Prom Pix

Gender Bent Titans

PowerPuff Titans

Civilian StarFire & Raven

StarFire Grown

Victorian Raven

Costume swap

BeastBoy

Cyborg cosplay

KND's # 5 as Robin

Raven & BeastBoy Grown

Cyborg Pencil

Sexy StarFire

Titan Lesbians

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Lohan on Glee

Linsey Lohan is trying to rebrand her image for anyone willing to hire her. After her trouble in courts and on the road, she’s a commodity that no one wants to touch…except Glee.

Appearing as a Nationals judge on Tuesday’s episode of FOX‘s Glee, the 25-year-old actress pledged her love for McKinley High’s New Directions when deliberating with judges Perez Hilton and Rex Lee as to which team should win the coveted competition title.

Lohan — appearing as herself — favored the Lea Michele and Cory Monteith-fronted group not just for their vocals, but for their heart. “They weren’t the best singers and dancers, but they were likable,” she reasoned to blogger Hilton, who played himself, and Entourage‘s Lee, who appeared as Alderman Martin Fong.

Said Lohan, who declared she was “robbed” of critical acclaim for 2003′s Freaky Friday: “I’m here because I care about young artists chasing their dreams. And who doesn’t like someone making a comeback?!”, making a little plug for herself.

Diva Lohan

During her deliberations, Lohan — who was reportedly a “diva” on set during the three-day filming session (she showed up 2 hours late for filming with no excuse, leaving the cast and crew to use a stand-in until she showed up.) — was miffed when she found out her appearance at Nationals wouldn’t be televised like other popular music competitions.

“I am in full image rebranding mode,” she said. “I come here and there’s not even a chair that can spin me around…I can’t point at a kid on stage and yell ‘I want to work with you!’ I am so firing my manager.”

In the end, Lohan’s instincts were spot-on, and she was able to convince her colleagues that New Directions should take the title, upsetting last season’s champs Vocal Adrenaline. Personally I found the choirs’ performances and Tina’s body swap dream faaar more interesting than Lohan’s attempt to save her career.

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B&W Cartoon Mario

Kill Mario

The Union will hear this!

Epic Bowser Battle

Turtle Vengence

Egg-cellant!

Royally Snubbed

Oops!

Objects in the Rearview...

Peach's Playboy Pic

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If a Smurf were real

Dr. Who & Amy Pond as Peter Pan & Wendy Darling

Magneto Baby

Scooby-Doo Anime

Danger Mouse CGI

Buzz & Woody Action Figures

Captain Planet & his Eco-Terrorists

Holmes as Gadget

Lucky Thundercats Totem

Carmen San Diego was Found

Pooh as Buddah

PowerPuff Ladies

Slow-Poke Rodriguez

War Smurf

A dark Darkwing Duck

Max & Roxanne from A Goofy Movie if they were human

He-Man & Teela

TMNT Vs. Zombies

Hanna Barbara characters as The Justice League

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Avengers Cast

In a very unexpected move, Disney has sent out a press release announcing that Marvel’s The Avengers will make $200.3 million in its opening weekend, absolutely SHATTERING the previous record.

Before the release of the new superhero film, the record was held by last year’s Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, which pulled in $169 million in its first three days of release. Earlier this weekend it was predicted that the movie would only make $175 million in its opening, but apparently more people have been rushing to buy tickets than expected.

It goes without saying (but I will anyway…) that The Avengers is the first film in history to have a weekend opening total over $200 million, and it has managed to maintain its sterling A+ CinemaScore.

Movie Poster

But it’s not just domestically that the movie is kicking serious ass, as one could argue that the movie is doing even better overseas. The movie first debuted internationally on April 25th and has already crossed the $600 million mark in just 12 days. Highlights of these numbers include a $17.9 million debut in Russia, $17.4 million in China, and records set in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Central America, Bolivia, Hong Kong, Malaysia, New Zealand, and the Philippines.

This is an absolutely extraordinary turn of events and I personally couldn’t be more ecstatic. The Avengers is Marvel’s best film yet, one of the best comic book movies ever produced, and (my personal favorite) finally delivers Joss Whedon the attention that he so deserves. Success of The Avengers can only mean good things for Hollywood and continues what has already been an amazing 2012.

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Wonder Woman

BatGirl

Super Girl

HawkGirl

Poison Ivy

Harley Quinn

Raven

StarFire

Storm

Rogue

CatWoman

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Muttley

Every month the tv channel, Boomerang, crowns a new king or queen of cartoons for the month (They call them “Boomer-royalty”). For May, its Muttley the dog.

Muttley first appeared in Wacky Races in 1968 as the sidekick of the accident-prone villain Dick Dastardly. While Dick was created as the equivalent of Professor Fate from the 1960s movie The Great Race, Muttley mirrored the film’s character of Max Meen. Dick and Muttley were paired together in various later Hanna-Barbera series as bumbling villains. He is a mixed breed dog, identified in the Wacky Races segment “Dash to Delaware” as a mix of bloodhound, pointer, and hunting dog.

Dastardly & Muttley

Muttley does not really talk; his main examples of speech are his trademark “wheezy snicker” (usually at Dick’s expense) and a mushy grumble against an unsympathetic or harsh Dick (usually along the lines of “Sassafrassarassum Rick Rastardly!”). Don Messick had previously used Muttley’s distinctive laugh for the character of Griswold in an episode of Top Cat, then for an embryonic version of Muttley (called ‘Mugger’) appearing in the 1964 movie Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear, as well as for another Hanna-Barbera canine, Precious Pupp, in 1966. He also repurposed it for Alexandra Cabot’s cat Sebastian on Josie and the Pussycats in 1970.

Muttley

Muttley (who turned from a “bluish hue” to a “dusty brown”) wore only a collar in Wacky Races, but in Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines he donned a World War I style aviator’s cap and scarf, and served as a flying ace along with Dastardly and two other pilots as members of the “Vulture Squadron”. In this spinoff, he also sported many medals and constantly demanded new ones from Dastardly for following his commands. Similarly, Dastardly frequently ripped medals off Muttley’s chest as punishment for his incompetence.

Also in Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, Muttley gained the ability to fly for a brief period by spinning his tail like a propeller. Muttley also enjoyed his own short segment in the series The Magnificent Muttley, where he would engage in Walter Mitty-style fantasies.

Mumbly

Muttley is sometimes confused with the crime-fighting dog Mumbly from The Mumbly Cartoon Show. Mumbly looked similar to Muttley. They had a similar laugh. But, their ears were different and Mumbly had blue fur and wore a trenchcoat. Mumbly later showed up as the captain of the villainous Really Rottens in Laff-a-Lympics along with his accomplice, “The Dread Baron,” who resembles Dick Dastardly. The Dread Baron and Mumbly later appeared in the TV movie Yogi Bear and the Magical Flight of the Spruce Goose. It is not certain why Mumbly was used as a villain, neither is it certain why he and Dread Baron were apparently used as substitutes for Dastardly and Muttley, especially in the Yogi Bear movie where Paul Winchell voiced the Baron instead of Dastardly (and in the scene where the Baron’s crashed plane is shown, it’s Dick’s plane from Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, complete with the “D” on the side). Not to mention that in that story Mumbly had once utilized his tail to fly just like Muttley does in Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines. The reason most suggested is that the Wacky Races characters (including Dastardly and Muttley) were not fully owned by Hanna-Barbera as the show was a co-production with Heatter-Quigley Productions.

Precious Pupp

An early version of the Muttley/Mumbly character appears in the 1964 Hanna-Barbera feature film Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear! This prototype Muttley (“Mugger”) is a mean-spirited dog with a traveling circus who has a penchant for biting his owners on the leg.

The character may also have been inspired by the Atom Ant show’s “Precious Pupp” who was known for laughing the same way. Muttley and his master returned in the Wacky Races video game with Billy West voicing the dog in early 2000s.

Other appearances

• Muttley and Dick Dastardly also starred as the villains in Yogi’s Treasure Hunt in their submarine the SS. Dirty Tricks.
• In the “Fender Bender 500″ segment of Wake, Rattle, and Roll, he and Dick Dastardly are paired up as they were in the “Wacky Races.”
• Muttley appeared as a teenager in Yo Yogi! alongside Dick Dastardly
• Muttley was in the movie Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!.
• In the Duck Dodgers episode “MMORPD,” one of the forms that Duck Dodgers turns himself into is Muttley. In this brief appearance, Muttley’s vocal effects are done by Joe Alaskey.
• Muttley has made at least one brief appearance in Dynomutt.

Brian from Family Guy

Cultural references

• In the Family Guy episode “April in Quahog” Brian (with the hat and shawl of Muttley) imitates the laugh of Muttley after Peter says: “It sucks. Even the vending machines are out of order”.

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Samuel L. Jackson

Samuel L. Jackson was the subject of a pretty extensive New York Times Magazine cover story last weekend, but that didn’t stop him from expressing disdain about the paper’s review of his new movie, “Marvel’s The Avengers. The actor, who plays Nick Fury in the Marvel universe, took to Twitter on Thursday to call for venerable Times critic A.O. Scott’s job.

Whether Jackson is unhappy with the moderately negative review Scott gave the film or because the critic offers up a few minor spoilers is unclear.

“The secret of ‘The Avengers’ is that it is a snappy little dialogue comedy dressed up as something else, that something else being a giant A.T.M. for Marvel and its new studio overlords, the Walt Disney Company,” Scott wrote.

Joss Whedon

While Scott praises the witticism that director Joss Whedon brings to “The Avengers,” the critic found major fault in the overwhelmingly large and effects-driven set pieces, specifically in the third act.

“The light, amusing bits cannot overcome the grinding, hectic emptiness, the bloated cynicism that is less a shortcoming of this particular film than a feature of the genre,” he wrote. “Mr. Whedon’s playful, democratic pop sensibility is no match for the glowering authoritarianism that now defines Hollywood’s comic-book universe.”

While Scott didn’t respond directly to Jackson’s Twitter slam, he did address the comment in a tweet back to New Yorker music critic Alex Ross, who had noted that Jackson’s sling was its own form of “glowering authoritarianism.”

Scott also tweeted this gem a little later on:

So far, reviews for “Marvel’s The Avengers” have been strong. The film has a 93 percent Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes; Scott is one of 11 critics to rate the film as “rotten.”

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I was lucky enough to be born at the beginning of this cultural phenom. I spent my first Halloween dressed as a Star Wars character and I can’t wait for my son to dress as his first (I hope its going to be Chewie!) I have grown up in a family of geeks; both Star Trek & Star Wars (we see no reason to argue about the greatness of both). I have many friends that have also grown up with the franchise in their lives. Normally we geeks celebrate by having a movie marathon of the originals (Cosplay optional!), but to celebrate this geek holiday Amazon.com is giving their customers Star Wars merchandise in their little gold boxes. For the rest of us, here is some Star Wars funnies to get your day going. Enjoy!

Enjoy your day and May the 4th be with you!

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Her Royal Spookiness

In New York, NY on April 30, 2012  the Winner of RuPaul’s Drag Race” Season 4, Sharon Needles attended the RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 4 Finale Viewing Party at XL Nightclub.

After a season full of drama, rushed designer fashions and yards upon yards of duct tape, RuPaul has crowned Drag Race season 4′s top queen & America’s Next Drag Superstar – Sharon Needles! Sharon came into the competition with a spooky style and an edgy sense of humor, wowed RuPaul, the judges and America with her perfect combination of charisma, uniqueness, nerve, talent – and plenty of freaky contact lenses!

Fresh from Monday night’s coronation, Sharon took time out of her busy schedule to chat with the media about her Drag Race experience and her quest for the title. Sharon was sweet, gracious and, of course, funny. Read on and you’ll be able to rest assured that RuPaul chose a true champion to follow in the footsteps of Bebe, Tyra and Raja!

REPORTER: Congratulations on being named “America’s Next Drag Superstar”!
Sharon: I’m sorry, can you say that again?

REPORTER: Congratulations on being named “America’s Next Drag Superstar”!
Sharon: I’m sorry, I can’t hear you…can you say it just a little louder so that everyone in the room can just hear that one more time?

Looking very "spook-tacular"

REPORTER: How does it feel to be America’s Next Drag Superstar?
Sharon: Oh, America’s Next Drag Superstar…thanks for reminding me, Christine! It’s embarrassing, it’s humbling, it’s terrifying, it’s gratifying and it makes you wonder “Has RuPaul lost her goddamned mind?” (Laughs)

REPORTER: I think she definitely made the right decision.
Sharon: Well, I’m a little partial because I’m such a fan of Sharon Needles – having been a character I’ve created, it’s so great to watch her excel. But I must admit the embarrassing part of this crown is looking Chad Michaels in the eye – because not only has she been a great friend to me throughout this entire competition, but an idol to me for several years and has really been the industry standard.

REPORTER: With Raja winning last season and now you winning season 4, do you think RuPaul’s really embracing this new style of drag and the queens that are putting out something truly unique?
Sharon: You know, the oddest thing is that RuPaul’s Drag Race is my favorite show on the air and I never considered Sharon Needles to be polished or ready for America or for television. And I remember watching last season, when Raja was crowned, I thought “Well, God, if I ever got on that show, which I probably won’t, I’ll never win now because finally a freak has won this competition” and you would have to bitch slap me to make me not only think I would I be considered for this program but that I would actually taking home the crown and representing a new generation of outside gay/bisexual/transgender and just all-around weirdos in general. (And) I’m so proud of my fans because they come from all over the board.

Top Trio: Chad, Sharon & Phi-Phi

REPORTER: Well, when RuPaul first started out, he had that androgynous, “gender f–k” look – do you think that may have influenced his decision in some way?
Sharon: That’s so great that you know that. I think what RuPaul saw in me is that I’m a historian of the “her-story”…most people know RuPaul as “Supermodel of the World” but I know better. I own “Starbooty”, 1986, Funtone Records on vinyl and I’m very aware of her films with Nelson Sullivan and her work with the New York club scene and Suzanne Bartsch and so on. I think she saw a little bit of herself in all of us in the top three. I think she saw the beginning and the vulnerability and the honesty of her career in me. I think she saw the cutthroat, “I’ll step on anyone to get where I need to be and make my place in this industry” in Phi Phi O’Hara and I think she saw the warmth and almost psychological, guiding concept in Chad Michaels. No wonder it was such a hard season for her to pick the winner because all three of us really embodied a piece of RuPaul – and, fortunately, I think I embodied the coolest part of RuPaul and that’s the “I don’t give a fuck, let’s go out and make a big old mess and try and change minds one freak show at a time.”

REPORTER: I’m glad that you’re representing that part of RuPaul. I loved her drag during those Atlanta years and I’m glad to see it come back in such a big way.
Sharon: Right. RuPaul, Lady Bunny and Lahoma (Van Zandt) stared such a great scene in Atlanta drag and I think they outgrew Atlanta and took it to New York and it was RuPaul and Lady Bunny who really exposed it to the entire world and I’m so thankful to be working with them. I wouldn’t call them my contemporaries, I’d call them my heroes.

Posing with 2 of the Pit Crew from RDG:S4

REPORTER: What was your favorite Drag Race experience?
Sharon: The whole experience was a real “trick or treat” for me. I would say the most beneficial thing to come out of the show was the forever lasting friendships I made with people like Chad Michaels and Willam Belli and DiDa Ritz. The temporary fun, insane stuff with the whole competition was all great – but to know that I have these legendary performers who have my back for the rest of my life is like being embraced by an entirely new family. (And) I’m so privileged and I just feel so loved by all 12 of the other girls.

REPORTER: You revealed a lot about your personal life on the show. Was it hard to share so much with total strangers?
Sharon: You know, when I walked onto the set for the first day, I had devoted the first 9 hours to never breaking character. Sharon is not me, she’s an irreverent dumb-ass who is very…shall we say…she’s a f–king idiot. She likes to act like she doesn’t know what’s going on for the sake of entertainment for others. That character can only be held up for so long before you start slowly losing your mind. It was about 9 hours into taping that I decided that, “Let’s use RuPaul’s Drag Race as a personal diary for myself and as much vulnerability and as much pain and lack of confidence that I felt that I was purposefully going to mislead America and make them feel like I didn’t have; I decided to let the camera just document the absolute truth. If you’re going to call this reality TV, I wanted to make it as real as possible.

REPORTER: Did you do anything on the show that surprised yourself?
Sharon: (I was) not surprised by what I’ve done, I’m surprised how America has embraced Sharon Needles. I mean, my name alone is enough to make people take a step back – and for people just to embrace a comedic, irreverent, transgressional artist whose name is about sharing needles for the sake of drugs and essentially spreading viruses….I’m not surprised at what I’ve done – I can no longer shock myself – but for the American people to give me a big warm hug, that’s the most surprising and shocking part of this entire experience.

REPORTER: What’s the coolest thing that’s happened to you since appearing on Drag Race?
Sharon: Other than meeting all of my fans and meeting these kids from around the world who identify with Sharon Needles, I’ve also gotten to work with some of my biggest idols growing up. I’ve gotten to work with the glamorous Monique, I’ve gotten to work with Suzanne Bartsch, I’ve gotten to work with Amanda Lepore. I’m working with such great fashion designers like odd-style.com and Brian Bustos, the fashion designer for Priscilla, Queen of the Desert on Broadway. I’m working with Peaches Christ on a play in July. I’m doing a photo shoot with Jayne County – who’s such a punk rock idol to me. The fact that I get to work with people who have inspired me so much and have really aided in the creation of Sharon Needles – that’s the biggest treat to me – because before I was famous, I was obsessed with fame and these were the people that were the “bees knees” and really gave me a buzzy feeling of fame and now I’m working with them. And…ta da! (Laughs)

Full Vamp

REPORTER: Speaking of Amanda Lepore, I heard that at the reunion party in New York on Monday, you staged a mock funeral for yourself (with Amanda and Raja as pallbearers). What did that signify exactly?
Sharon: The theme for this season (of Drag Race) was “This is the beginning of the rest of your life” and I just wanted to close the chapter on something that has dominated my life for an whole year, which is this campy, cheesy show mocking reality TV by taking men and putting them in dresses and mocking the reality TV formula. It has been such a dominating thing in my life that I just wanted a night to let it go and give it to the world and spin it back into outer space and the satellite it was sent from and embrace what is about to come into my life and to own my life a little bit more and to separate myself a bit from the phenomenon that is RuPaul’s Drag Race. I walked into the workroom wearing a witch hat saying “I wish I was Amanda Lepore” and I ended it in a $4,000 witch hat with Amanda Lepore – so it was a great, full circle way of showing my growth and showing my progress and also burying this pop sensation that is season 4 of RuPaul’s Drag Race and allowing me personally to move on – and to work my f–king ass off to stay relevant and to stay important to pop culture. I’ve had a taste…pop culture to me is like blood to vampire – you get a taste and you must have more. And I have a feeling I’ll be sucking on the neck of pop culture for quite some time.

REPORTER: With season 5 on the horizon, what advice do you have for aspiring drag superstars?
Sharon: You know, my only advice is to listen to your own intuition. At the time, you feel like the judges hate you and they demand change from you, but really what the judges are there to do is just to give you their opinion – but what they will value the most is that you remained yourself in the face of adversity. So, always listen to yourself and don’t aim to please America, don’t aim to please the judges, aim to demonstrate exactly who you are – because if you stay true to your own personal creation the world will eat you up. EAT IT!

Finally wearing the crown fit for a queen

REPORTER: I’m just curious, do you think there was any divine intervention in play – do you think Tammy Faye (tattooed on Sharon’s arm) had anything to do with your victory?
Sharon: Umm…no. I play stupid on TV but I consider myself pretty smart. I don’t believe in God and I don’t believe in Satan or hell, but throughout this process I’ve learned to definitely believe in myself – and if there was a church where we worshiped fans, I’d be front row every Sunday morning because the faith I have in the people who have faith in me is so strong and so true. But, do I love Tammy Faye? Of course. Did I love her for her religious views? Absolutely not. I loved her for the reasons people hated her – and that was for the lack of realistic expectations, her compulsive obsession with beauty products and her naive sense of humanity. I love Tammy Faye not for her strength, but most definitely for her flaws because I find beauty to be strongest in flawed areas.

REPORTER: Do you have a special message for your fans?
Sharon: Absolutely! Any boy out there or any girl out there who wants to be an exaggerated, feminine clown, I applaud you. And, just to let you know, I am America’s Drag Superstar so what I say has some f–king punch – at least for one calendar year, starting today. I just want everyone to know that I love beginner drag. I love all facets of drag, but I especially love bad drag. Bad drag is the most inspirational drag and it’s the most entertaining drag to me because it’s terrible. And remember, children, if you get booed off stage, it’s simply applause from ghosts! Happy Halloween!

Con-drag-ulations, Sharon!

You can stay in touch with this drag superstar on Twitter, Facebook and SharonNeedles.com!

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Kutcher as Indian Sterotype

Gather round, friends, and let’s have ourselves a chitchat about Ashton Kutcher’s ad campaign for Pop Chips snacks, where he plays different characters of different nationalities and ethnicities — notably, an Indian character. It’s so very funny…

Wait, not funny. Discomfitingly racist. This was not the take-home message from many news outlets, mind you: The New York Times didn’t mention it; the New York Daily News didn’t mention it; the New York Post says that his “skin is darkened by makeup;” E! doesn’t care; the Seattle PI doesn’t care; Us Weekly posted a beefcake shot of Kutcher getting done up in brownface; People didn’t mention it. And yet, yikes.

But he was joking; but he makes fun of other accents, too; but it’s not racist, it’s just silly; you are too sensitive; not everything is about race — nope! Not acceptable! Jokes can still be racist! It’s 2012, folks. Does this ad use imagery that is primarily seen elsewhere as a means to degrade and marginalize people? It sure does.

“I can’t imagine I have to explain this to anyone in 2012, but if you find yourself putting brown makeup on a white person in 2012 so they can do a bad ‘funny’ accent in order to sell potato chips, you are on the wrong course,” writes tech hero Anil Dash in a terrific and forward-looking analysis of the ad. “Make some different decisions.”

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Goody Two-Shoes Emma

Looking to rock the goody two-shoes image she has solidified in the course of a decade playing Hermione Granger, Harry Potter star Emma Watson signed on to front Sophia Coppola‘s upcoming Bling Ring, which tells the shocking, true story of teen girls who robbed Hollywood celebs of millions in cash and jewelry.

Now the chic starlet has revealed a sneak peek of her character to her Twitter following:

The caption for this make-up room shot reads “Twitterers meet Nicki, Nicki meet twitterers : ) @blingringmovie.”

While it’s hard to imagine the oft-flawless fashionista being caught on camera in a such a tacky pink track suit and battered UGGS, it seems that style statement suits Nicki just fine. And from the look on her face, she doesn’t care what you think about it.

Watson as Nicki

While this shot does hint once more to the attitude and questionable fashion sense of Watson’s Bling Ring member, another eye-catching similarity to the previous shots (Watson shared earlier) are the applied tattoos. Apparently, Nicki likes ink, not just on her lower back but also on her hip, left forearm and right bicep. It’s too soon to know what Coppola’s Bling Ring will have in store, but its clear from these shots that Watson will be showing some range in this one.

Bling Ring has recently wrapped, and Watson has moved on to duck in on the production of Seth Rogen‘s directorial debut The End of the World, which he helms with his Superbadcollaborator Evan Goldberg. The action-comedy is set in Hollywood during the apocalypse, and will feature a number of the Apatow mafia (including Rogen, James Franco, and Jay Baruchel) playing themselves. Watson is rumored to also make a self-mocking cameo, which immediately makes me wonder how she’d handle the end of the world. My bet is with an enviably regal poise.

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Actor Elijah Wood

Pop quiz, hotshot. We have your wife and you’re about to start playing Rachmaninoff’s 3rd Concerto from a stage in front of hundreds of people. You play one false note — just one — and you can kiss her goodbye. What do you do? What. Do. You. Do.

That’s a tired over-dramatization of how the Hollywood Reporter characterized the recently announced film, Grand Piano, which will star Elijah Wood as an emotionally fragile pianist returning to the concert hall for the first time after a five-year layoff, only to discover a violent threat scribbled on his sheet music. “Speed at a piano,” blared the trade.

Well, sort of. Wood chuckled when he heard that description of the project, to be directed by Spanish filmmaker Eugenia Mira and filmed mostly in the director’s native country later this summer.

“We always need some kind of tagline for a point of reference, don’t we?” he said from the set of the second season of Wilfred. “It’s extremely Hitchcockian. It’s essentially a heist over the course of a classical piano performance in a concert hall. The pianist that I play is essentially being held hostage and being told to play and not to miss a note, or he’ll be shot or his wife will be shot. The script is exhilarating. I really never read anything quite like it. It’s incredibly suspenseful in a really classical way.”

Most all the action takes place during the concert performance, so Wood is prepping himself for a lot of time seated at the piano. “I used to play when I was younger,” said the Lord of the Rings star. “My character is supposed to be a genius, so it is a little bit daunting and I think we have some work ahead of us to make sure that it comes across.”

Wood as Frodo

Speaking of Lord of the Rings, the actor who plays the beloved hobbit Frodo addressed the mixed reception that footage of The Hobbit received last week at CinemaCon, where some members of the audience complained about the glossy “TV soap opera” feel that is related to Peter Jackson’s decision to film his prequels at 48 frames a second, twice the industry standard.

“What people saw, from what I understand, is an ungraded piece of footage, and I doubt if there was any film grain added. I think the coloring was probably off. It probably was still in its infancy in regards to actually being able to tell what it’s really going to be like. And I think it will take a period of adjustment. We’re not used to seeing a lack of motion blur,” said Wood. “But I think it could be exhilarating and fascinating. It’s interesting as an experiment. Look, I think people will get to see the movie in regular 24 and have a completely unhindered experience that won’t be challenging. But I think it’s also intriguing to play with technology and there are many that think it’s sort of a trailblazing move forward. I mean, I have yet to really see it, so it’s difficult for me to comment. But it will be interesting to see once it’s finally put together. It could be incredible, and it could also point us to the point where we feel like that’s not a place that we have to take cinema. It’s unknown territory, and I think that’s fascinating.”

There is no known release date for Grand Piano as of yet.

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Queen Latifah

Actress-singer Queen Latifah will participate as a performer at a gay pride celebration for the first time with a concert at Long Beach, California‘s annual LGBT Pride festival later this month.

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Fig. 1 - The IT

“Imagine being able to travel safely at incredibly fast speeds and not having to go to the stupid fart-faced airports!” implored South Park‘s Mr. Garrison before unveiling his innovation in personal travel, IT.

The device (seen in Fig. 1) boasted incredible benefits, including 300 miles to the gallon, and being able to travel safely at speeds of over 200 miles per hour. It was cutting edge technology, but its fatal flaw was the invasive flexi grips.

Ultimately, IT was an invention ahead of its time, but what time? Men in Black 3–like a number of blockbuster offerings of late–is rewriting a bit of history, and bringing Garrison’s design back in the 1960s.

In the clip below—courtesy of Yahoo—Will Smith’s Agent J has traveled back in time, and after his car gets crushed by Jemaine Clement‘s Easy Rider-looking alien menace Boris, young Agent K (Josh Brolin doing a pretty solid Tommy Lee Jones impersonation) calmly busts out a pair of IT—minus the penetrating flexi-grips—from the bottom of the busted ride. Then, these men in black are off in hot pursuit!

Racing through New York City, J is in familiar territory—trying to prevent the total annihilation of planet earth once more—but is back to being a fish out of water as he swerves through traffic on the wily IT while Clement’s baddie fires something vile out of his wrists. The action’s fast-paced and dynamic with plenty of collisions and some solid CGI composition work. Unfortunately, the clip cuts off before things can get really interesting. But with Men in Black 3 opening May 25th, this clip comes off as a well-timed tease.

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Naturally, he will play Riddick in the self-titled sequel currently in development, as well as Xander Cage in the recently announced xXx: The Return of Xander Cage.

Diesel took to Facebook recently and posted that we may be seeing Riddick - the latest installment of the Pitch Black franchise – as early as January 2013.  Diesel had this to say;

“The studio said the earliest they could release the new “Riddick” is in January… was hoping for 2012… but, it’s on the horizon. P.s. I think they are liking what they are seeing… haha, cause they asked when both Underverse and Furya would be ready to make and release… haha… now that’s a ways in the future but it is exciting.”

The popular Pitch Black was released in 2000 and was followed up with a sequel in 2004 called The Chronicles of Riddick.  Assuming this new Riddick is a success, the studio hopes to cash in with future sequels (as stated by Diesel). For those who know absolutely nothing about the franchise’s history, Diesel plays Riddick, an escaped convict who is wanted by just about every bounty hunter in the galaxy not named Boba Fett. The official synopsis reads as follows:

“The infamous Riddick has been left for dead on a sun-scorched planet  that appears to be lifeless. Soon, however, he finds himself fighting  for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s  encountered. The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency  beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search  of their bounty.

The first ship to arrive carries a new breed of merc, more lethal and  violent, while the second is captained by a man whose pursuit of  Riddick is more personal. With time running out and a storm on the  horizon that no one could survive, his hunters won’t leave the planet  without Riddick’s head as their trophy.”

Others casted in the film – which is written and directed by franchise alum David Twohy – include Karl Urban (Red, Priest), Katee Sackhoff (24) and former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar David Bautista.  Diesel now has acted beside WWE stars The Rock (Dwayne Johnson) and David Bautista in consecutive movies – let’s just hope that Vin stays on the action track and doesn’t consider teaming up with Hulk Hogan for a hypothetical Mr. Nanny meets The Pacifier film.

Riddick, as stated, could be in theaters as soon as January 2013.

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Selena in her perfume ad

Selena Gomez may still be a teenager, but she is growing up fast.

In the ad for her brand-new eponymous fragrance, the Disney starlet is leaving little to the imagination. The 19-year-old is wearing a cleavage-baring purple gown with the straps pulled down and is submerged in water with her hair slicked back. Although Gomez describes the ad as “simple and pretty,” a few other words come to mind, like “sexy” and “suggestive.”

The ad is a play on the purple perfume bottle, which is supposed to represent the tall and willowy Gomez on the red carpet in a long, flowing gown. Springing out from the top of it is a cluster of gold and purple lips, which she says are “fun” and make it “more youthful and you can play with it.”

Gomez

When she created the scent — a “yummy, rich, classic, and refreshing” mix of Raspberry, Vanilla, and Purple Freesia — Gomez says she relied on the feedback of her female fans and even flew a few lucky ones to New York City to give it a smell before she put her final stamp of approval on it. “They’re the ones wearing it, so I trust them — their opinions and everything that they’ve done for me,” she said.

Selena Gomez — the perfume — will make its debut next month, starting in Macy’s stores nationwide and on macys.com. Come August, fans will be able to get their hands on it in other stores, including Nordstrom and Ulta.

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