DVR watch: Mark Hamill will guest-star on Criminal Minds

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TV Guide at Yahoo! is reporting that Mark Hamill will be guest-starring in the two-part season 8 finale of CBS’ procedural drama Criminal Minds. While there’s no word yet on exactly who Hamill will play, TV Guide speculates that he may be following more in the footsteps of the Joker than Luke Skywalker:

Details about Hamill’s role are being kept under wraps, but could he be the BAU’s season-long unsub/stalker The Replicator? In the two-hour episode, the team’s pursuit of The Replicator will come to a head when one of them becomes a victim. Executive producer Erica Messer also previously told TVGuide.com that the BAU won’t come face-to-face with The Replicator until the season’s final two episodes.

The Criminal Minds two-part season finale airs May 22nd, 9e/8c.

More Entertainment Industry Layoffs: Disney Eliminates Studio Jobs

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Not even the Mouse House is immune, unfortunately. According to Variety, Disney has begun the process of laying off at least 150 workers at Walt Disney Studios. Some of the affected employees are part of the animation division, marking yet another company that has been forced to downsize their entertainment arms.

At this point, it appears to be an industry-wide thing. The powerhouse Tippett Studios underwent layoffs a few weeks ago. Last week noted game developer and publisher Square Enix announced that they were eliminating a number of jobs from their Los Angeles studio as part of a corporate re-organization. This is just a sample of the hard times the entertainment industry has found themselves in lately.

While it’s easy for many fans to get angry with Disney for they layoffs at both Lucasfilm Animation and LucasArts, we have to understand that there simply wasn’t any malice involved with those decisions. The entertainment industry is in a state of upheaval right now and that’s forcing these studios to make some uncomfortable choices that lead to re-orgs and layoffs. Given the state of the industry right now, some of this restructuring could have happened even if George Lucas still owned the company.

So You Want To Read Marvel NOW!

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So you’ve heard about the Marvel NOW! initiative and now you’re curious about the books and want to start reading.  We’re a couple of months into the initiative and it has been an overwhelmingly great ride.  Unlike DC’s New 52, Marvel hasn’t rebooted their continuity.  It’s better described as a shift in the universe.  Creative teams have moved around and characters and teams have changed after the events of Avengers vs. X-Men.  In short, it’s been a good jumping on point for new readers without tossing years of continuity out the window.

With the relaunch of Marvel and Comixology’s promotion that will offer 700+ #1 digital titles for free, now seems as good of a time as any to sample the comic book world.  If you haven’t yet, go sign up for the promotion now as sign ups end April 9th at 11:59 EDT.  Over 700 titles is a lot to choose from.  In the past, I’ve written about some good jumping on points for the Marvel universe.  Many of those books’ #1s will be a part of the promotion and I definitely recommend snagging them along with any one-shots, especially the character focused ones.  However, if the current Marvel universe is something that you’d rather dive head first into, the Marvel NOW! movement is definitely perfect for that.  Here are some of my personal recommendations about what books you should give a shot.

Avengers
Avengers_1_CoverAvengers and New Avengers  [CMX – CMX]
I’m writing about these two titles together because they are the opposite sides of the same coin.  To quote the writer himself, Avengers is about life and New Avengers is about death.  Jonathan Hickman pens both and has thus far been doing a masterful job of it.  Both are books that I’d recommend to someone who is already familiar with the universe especially New Avengers since it features the Illuminati group.  Regardless, they’ve been fantastic so far.  Hickman is the master of the long game writing style but it always pays off.  If you like the Avengers, give these books a try.  You’ll get to see some of your favorite characters along side some new ones.  It’s all about making the Avengers bigger (and hopefully better) then they’ve ever been before.

Uncanny Avengers  [CMX]
Spinning directly out of the Avengers versus X-men event of last summer, the two groups have joined together to create one team.  The first arc of the book was a “the team assembles” story, making it ideal for newer readers.  It’s also something that readers haven’t really seen before which makes it intriguing.  (Captain America taking orders from Havoc? That still has me blinking in surprise some issues.)  Some of the characters definitely have some history but it’s nothing that a quick Wikipedia search won’t solve for you.  Alternatively, you can think of this as the book to read if you can’t decide between the Avengers of the X-men as your favorite team.

Secret Avengers  [CMX]
This is definitely a title that’s a bit off the typical Avengers path but it’s one that could easily be accessible for newer readers especially those only familiar with the film.  It features well known badasses like Black Widow and Hawkeye and other SHIELD agents and a black Nick Fury and Phil Coulson.  616 fans might be scratching their heads at those last two but film fans will be just fine.  It’s all about SHIELD and its missions and looks like it’s going to be a fun book.

Continue reading →

ComiXology, Marvel team up to give away first issues

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Kate sassWant a bunch of free gateway drugs comics? Good news! Marvel and ComiXology are giving away the first issues to over 700 comics. All you have to do is go over to the ComiXology promotion page and sign up to get a promo code.

Once you’ve signed up, what should you get? Well I’ve got a pair of suggestions.

  • Hawkeye by Matt Fraction – This might be my favorite series out there right now. Follow the misadventures of Clint Barton while he’s not doing Avengers-y things. 
  • Captain Marvel by Kelly Sue DeConnick – Looking for a well-developed, kickass female lead? Carol Danvers is right up your alley.

The site is getting slammed, so you might need to refresh your browser a couple of times to get it to resolve. Once you’ve signed up, ComiXology will send you a date when you can start downloading your comics. From that date you’ll have 48 hour window to get them.

Cosplay Monday: Jurassic Park

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Welcome back to another edition of Cosplay Monday where we find some awesome costumes to help cheer you up as you start your work week.  This week, we’re going with a bit of a theme because as you might be aware, a little film called Jurassic Park celebrated its 20th anniversary this weekend with a 3D theatrical release.  So today, we’re highlighting this great costume by Rachel Williams!  Her Jurassic Park ranger costume is spot on and awesome looking!  Plus, check out that rad car!

jurassicpark2 jurassicpark1

Bake It So: Ryshcate (aka Bourbon Pecan Cake Bars)

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PicardWhatIsThisShit Yeah, we know. Captain Picard has been asking us what’s been taking so long to get another installment of Bake It So back to Tosche Station too. Truthfully, it’s because I decided to tackle the ultimate Star Wars recipe: ryshcate. It’s the dish that started off Corran Horn and Mirax Terrik’s courtship, and the dish that celebrates Corellia and all it stands for. It contains the very best of Corellian whiskey. The question has been, though–what exactly is it?

I’ve tried various recipes. I’ve made pies. I’ve considered coffee cakes. I’ve worked my way through probably three pounds of pecans, and I’ve tried to figure out how to put genuine Kentucky bourbon into all of it (because what else could be closer to Whyren’s?). My friends have happily celebrated the bounty of my experiments. But it wasn’t until today that I finally found the happy medium–the pastry between a cake and a pie that would bring everything together. Ladies and gentlemen, Tosche Station’s Ryshcate recipe Continue reading →

Doctor Who 50th anniversary, One Potential Doctor Lighter

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ecclestonOn the tail of last week’s statement concerning Billie Piper and David Tennant signing on for the big 50th anniversary of Doctor Who this year, we can now confirm that the only other Doctor of the recent series will not be returning. The BBC announced today that, after speaking with Steven Moffat several times concerning the plans regarding the big show, Christopher Eccleston will not be returning to the mantle of the longest running TV, Sci-Fi protagonist.

Personally, I’m disappointed, but not surprised. Eccleston was ‘my’ Doctor. I picked up on Who in the last year of Tennant’s run, but started with Eccleston. At first I really preferred Tennant, but as I got further and further both through Tennant’s run and then into Smith’s, I’ve come to realize that Eccleston is likely my favorite actor to portray the most famous time traveler this side of Emmet Brown. After seeing how goofy, frankly, the tenth Doctor could get, the seriousness of the role and the drama that Eccleston brought to it really helped me to appreciate the series and its range. I could always believe Tennant’s elation and his sorrow but not quite ever his anger. Eccleston had real rage, and, to be honest, he was often not terribly pleasant. In a way, that’s something that I’ve missed since his departure.

No matter how you feel about Christopher Eccleston, I think most of us can agree that we’ll be a bit worse off for not having his foil against the much brighter personalities of Smith and Tennant. That leaves us with the possibilities of the other surviving Doctors that are of… how shall we say, appropriate age. I hate to say it, but Tom and Colin Baker are both a bit old, at 79 and 69 respectively. Peter Davison is distinctly possibile, and I might venture likely, considering he’s Tennant’s father in law. Sylvester McCoy is also possible, considering his recent high profile role in the Hobbit. Paul McGann is possible, but I really wouldn’t bet on him. He’s the only Doctor with less connection to the series than Eccleston and he’s had a very similar attitude.

If you have an opinion about this or any of the older companions you might like to see come back in the big anniversary this year, tell us in the comments, or tweet it to us at @Tosche_Station.

Once More With Feeling… Cosplay=/=Consent

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Warning: There will be strong language in this post.  Read no further if some f-bombs are not to your taste.

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly people on the Internet can take a positive project and stomp all over it.

Two days ago, Sushi Killer over at 16-Bit Sirens started a new photo project.  Inspired by the #INeedFeminismBecause project, it is titled “CONsent: The Importance of Treating Cosplayers with Respect.”  The premise is simple: costumers take pictures holding a sign that says ‘Cosplay=/= Consent’ and their own additional message if they are so inclined.  I, like many other people, thought it was a great campaign that spread a very positive message.

Guess how long it took some people to ruin it and make it all about them.  Let’s start with an example.  Think it was limited to just that shared Facebook thread?  Look at some of the comments on the article that cosplayer Ana Aesthetic wrote.

Disgusted yet?  Me too. Continue reading →

EU Retrospective: The New Jedi Order Part 1

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Welcome back to the Waru Express, dear readers, after a bit of a break.  We’re diving right into the New Jedi Order which requires an entire shelf all on its own.  19 books?  Let’s go!  Before we dive into the book reviews, I figured I’d let you all in on a secret: I don’t hate the NJO.  In fact, I like a fair bit of it.  There are certainly some books and occurrences that I strongly dislike and I think it could’ve been shorter but I enjoy the vast majority of it.  Spoiler Alert: I love the Stackpole, Allston, and Stover books but does that surprise any of you?  My point is that I’m not a hater when it comes to these books but neither do I blindly love them so while my thoughts are on these books are likely to be a fair bit more positive than most of the blogosphere, you’re still going to get a decent dose of snark.  Starting with this post.

With that out of the way, let’s dive into the first lengthy review post as I discuss the books from Vector Prime to Jedi Eclipse.

Vector Prime
Ah yes.  The infamous “Chewbacca is Dead!” book.  I feel nothing but pity for R.A. Salvatore having to be the one to pull the trigger on this given how the fandom can be at times.  Let’s get the giant wookiee in the corner out of the way.  Yeah, Chewbacca dying sucks.  Reading through the book knowing what was coming made all the scenes with Chewie that much more painful.  He’s a big part of our group of heroes and it is sad that he dies.  HOWEVER.  His death certainly does signify to the readers that this oncoming threat isn’t going to be easily defeated and that no one will escape unscathed.  Also?  If you’re going to go out, this is certainly one of the more badass ways to do it.  Chewbacca rejects your notion of death by blasterfire and goes down shaking his fist at a freaking moon.

I’d really like to know what the heck happened to Jacen Solo between the end of Crisis of Crystal Reef and the start of this book.  It feels like I’m reading about two completely different characters and I’m not even counting the lack of bad jokes because that’s something a person could reasonably grow out of.

Overall, I actually think the book functions quite well in its role.  It sets up the Vong invasion, lets us get to see our favorite characters again, and tells us that this isn’t going to be an easy ride.  I also find it to be an enjoyable book on its own.  It’s nice getting to see the Solo kids have some fun before the galaxy goes to hell even if it’s only for the first half of the book.

The final line of the book sums it up the best: “But to Han Solo, the galaxy suddenly seemed a more dangerous place by far.”

Continue reading →