This morning, DC Comics officially unveiled their upcoming slate of Watchmen prequel comics. The series/graphic novel, originally created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, remains one of the most successful and acclaimed works of comic book fiction in history. Fan reaction to the notion of anything new not being created by the original team is pretty well documented: They do not want it unless it was written by Alan Moore. So DC, being clever, has decided to do what they did with Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Characters not so long ago and release new content that will not directly affect the tone or the message of the original masterpiece… or “cash cow” as it has become known as of late. To quote Alan Moore from the New York Times, “I tend to take this latest development as a kind of eager confirmation that they are still apparently dependent on ideas that I had 25 years ago…I don’t want money,” he said. “What I want is for this not to happen. As far as I know, there weren’t that many prequels or sequels to ‘Moby Dick.’”

Hilariously ironic comments from Moore aside, let’s look at these Watchmen prequels as a chance to get some truly awesome work from great creators. While I agree to a degree with Moore’s statement about the company being dependent on 25 year old ideas, I also remember the idea of playing in your friend’s sandbox. They have all the cool toys and you can use them while you’re there, but at the end of the day they have to go back into your friend’s house. Unless they sell those toys at a garage sale, your awesome adventures are solely in their hands. Which is why comic fans shouldn’t be upset about what happens to any of their beloved characters. DC owns the characters, not Alan Moore. And given the success of Zack Snyder’s movie, this move should come as no surprise.

We get to see some of the best creators on the planet (and J. Michael Stracynski) work on one of the most cherished comic properties out there. Darwyn Cooke, Amanda Conner, Jae Lee, and JG Jones are all amazing, but when was the last time you saw them complete regular series work that lasted more than three issues? Everyone wins. These are not just challenging works for the creators, but challenging works for fans, which makes Before Watchmen an exciting project to be around for.

Do I like that DC had to pull from a 25 year old story? Not really, but that’s the nature of the business. Success sells, and while yes I would love those creators to be creating new and original content for the company, I am happy that I get to see them flex their muscles with interesting characters like the Watchmen. I just hope that this does not turn out to be like the disaster that was the All-Star Line.

What say you? Leave a comment below or share this in the social media realm.

BEFORE WATCHMEN includes:

RORSCHACH (4 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: Lee Bermejo
MINUTEMEN (6 issues) – Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
COMEDIAN (6 issues) – Writer: Brian Azzarello. Artist: J.G. Jones
DR. MANHATTAN (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artist: Adam Hughes
NITE OWL (4 issues) – Writer: J. Michael Straczynski. Artists: Andy and Joe Kubert
OZYMANDIAS (6 issues) – Writer: Len Wein. Artist: Jae Lee
SILK SPECTRE (4 issues) – Writer: Darwyn Cooke. Artist: Amanda Conner

With the second season premiere of the sword & sandals epic Spartacus just around the corner, we had the opportunity to talk with Australian actress Viva Bianca, who plays the manipulative Roman aristocrat Ilithyia on the Starz series.

We discussed the untimely passing of Spartacus star Andy Whitfield, the show’s second season, its depictions of sex and violence, and even had a little time to talk about Punky Brewster.

Dork Shelf: First we’d like to express our sincere condolences on the passing of Andy Whitfield. He was insanely talented and a huge part of the show obviously, part of what made it such a big hit. He seemed like a hell of a guy.

Viva Bianca: Thank you. Andy is an exceptional person and quite clearly a highly talented and charismatic actor. It’s a great loss personally and also a great loss for the industry.

DS: Agreed. So you character, Ilithyia, is one of my personal favourites on Spartacus. Tell me a little bit about how you joined the show. What drew you to the role initially?

VB: Aw… thank you. Of course, that was a little while back now when we first started making the show it was 2009. I was cast from Australia and it was the biggest production I had ever been on. It was very exciting, but at that stage we didn’t even really know what the show was going to be. I’m told that that’s often the case with new series, particularly cable series on a network like Starz. So it was really kind of falling into the unknown.

With regards to Ilithyia , I had no idea that she would emerge as the villain that she did emerge as. As you might recall she began as this bratty princess on the show, but the part just kept growing and twisting and unravelling. The great thing about season two is that audiences can expect to see even more complexity in the character, and even some vulnerability.

DS: Watching Ilithyia in the second season so far, I’m reminded of some of the great TV villainesses of the 80s and 90s. That clear villainess who is always making power plays and scheming in the background. Have you drawn any inspiration from some of those classic archetypal characters?

VB: No, I haven’t conciously at least. But I watch film,TV, and go to the theatre a lot, so I think subliminally you’re bound to draw inspiriation from various past performances. I think I’m always drawn to complex, strong women, but with any kind of character like that I would want to explore vulnerability, fragility, and softness. On the contrary, if I were to be playing a more vulnerable, fragile character, I’d always be looking for the strength or the dark side. So to me, it’s about creating the most well-rounded, realized, and complex human being.

DS: Well you’re certainly achieving that in season two. What can you tell us about the new season? What can viewers expect?

VB: In season three the stakes have risen across the board. Every single character wants something desperately and every single character is seeking vengeance. It’s highly dramatic. For Ilithyia in particular, it’s a seriously epic rollercoaster. She’s fallen from grace, and she’s grappling for her very livelyhood and survival. So she’s a woman on the edge.

DS: Okay, we’re going to talk about some spoilers here, so reader beware. Ilithyia is pregnant, is it safe to say that Spartacus be the daddy?

VB: That’s a cheeky suggestion! We don’t know that yet, but that’s obviously a big question and a big secret to be revealed in season two, so stay tuned.

DS: You and Lucy Lawless’ character are growing much closer this season. The roles have almost flipped, now Ilithyia has become the manipulator. There’s a great scene in episode two where Lucretia sacrifices the goat and you’ve got the knife, and there’s that palpable tension. Are we going to see more of this new dynamic?

VB: The relationship dynamic between those two women just becomes more co-dependant and complex. The writers gave us so much material to work with, so we were very fortunate. In addition to that, Lucy and I really took full advantage of one another, we had a great chemistry together and have become great friends off-screen. So it was a real delight playing through the drama in that relationship.

I think what’s really fundamental here is that Ilithyia becomes the doma of the house, of assiartus, and Lucretia has lost all of her power in that situation. Both characters find themselves in totally new territory.

DS: You seem like you’re constantly surrounded by burly fighting men on the show, do you ever get the desire to get in on that action? Duck into the writer’s room and ask if Ilithyia could maybe take up a sword every once in a while?

VB: Oh no, I love being princess-y and pretty! Sitting on the lovely Persian cloth-covered loungers, sipping on wine and eating cherries. I’m quite happy with the decadence in which my character dwells, thank you very much. But not to spoil anything too major, there is a little bit of crossing of worlds for Ilithyia in the upcoming season. She doesn’t stay entirely clean, but that’s all I can say.

DS: Right on, that’s something to look forward to! Not related to that, but obviously at the forefront of the show is the nudity. It almost always helps drive the story forward, but what’s your take on how it’s handled on the show?

VB: First and foremost, whenever the prospect of nudity arises on the show in a particular scene or episode, there will always be a meeting about it with the director or the producers. What’s always discussed is the relevence of that scene to the story. The nudity and the sex scenes have to be driving the story forward in order for them to be appropriate and justified. I think that for all of the actors in the cast, that’s kind of the unanimous philosophy.

But doing sex scenes and doing nudity is never easy and never comfortable. It must be dealt with in the most clinical, professional, and respectful manner. And on this show it absolutely is, we’re really protected.

DS: The nudity never feels excessive or just there to be there. It’s also very balanced. I’ve seen far more male genitalia in that season alone than I’d seen in my life up to that point.

VB: That’s a really good way of looking at it. You could never say that the show is objectifying women for the male gaze, because it certainly goes both ways. And another thing, the female characters on this show are ballsy and empowered and scheming. They’re often the ones who are manipulating their husbands to get what they want. Ilithyia is a perfect example of that. She’s an incredibly empowered and sophisticated lady in a world where women really didn’t have much power.

DS: Behind every strong man is a strong woman. Ilithyia is the powerhouse in that relationship. The Praetor may strut around puffing his chest, but you can tell that Ilithyia is the one scheming and pulling the strings. As did Lucy Lawless’ character when the roles were reversed.

VB: That’s correct. The fun thing for me in season two is that I have my husband around. Glaber, played by the great Craig Parker, becomes the man of the house. I get to explore a wonderful character dynamic with Craig. The marriage between Ilithyia and Glaber is extraordinarily complex; passionate, but also manipulative and destructive. It goes down a really dark path in season two.

DS: Oenomaus looks like he’s going to play a big role in the return of the House of Batiatus. Can you tell us a little bit about what’s going on there?

VB: Oenomaus is one of my favourite characters, he is so noble and stoic. Of course, played by the great Peter Mensah, one of my dear friends from the cast. He brings such a sophistication to the show that we’re all so grateful for. He plays a note that none of us provide. His storyline stands apart from everyone elses, he’s a solitary man that doesn’t take easily to the rebellion and Spartacus’ cause.

DS: It’s certainly nice to see him return to the House of Batiatus. So we have to wrap up here, but we have to ask what is on your Dork Shelf?

VB: This is a really hard question! Well, I must say that I’m gypsy so I don’t have a home as such right now. I have a series of collectible dolls from my childhood that I’ve never thrown away. I’ve got an array of Barbie dolls and antique dolls, but I’ve recently started collecting little figurines of characters. For instance, I have a Punky Brewster doll that I’ve had since the late-80s when I was a little girl. For some reason I think it’s very cool.

DS: Punky was of course the first true independant woman for a generation.

VB: Punky rocked! The different coloured shoes, the pigtails, the freckles, the thing around her knee. She also had the phone that was a hamburger.

DS: Thank you for your time, Viva. It has been wonderful chatting with you.

VB: Really nice to meet you. Ciao!

You can find more Viva at VivaBianca.org and her official Twitter and Facebook pages.

Spartacus: Vengeance premieres at 10 PM on tonight on Starz in the United States and January 29th on The Movie Network in Canada.

Like all good things, Fan Expo 2011 eventually had to come to an end. The four day extravaganza featured everything a dork could possibly want: horror and sci-fiction, comics, video games, anime and even nerd speed dating (more on that later)! The whole team had a blast at this year’s convention, coming away with tons of swag, a unhealthy dose of con flu and some great interviews for your viewing pleasure.

In honour of DC Comics’ much touted Fall relaunch, we figured it would be best to kick off our post-Fan Expo coverage with some interviews related to storied publisher, namely, artists Shane Davis and Wes Craig.

Davis has been with DC Comics since 2005 with his most recent work being the penciller for the divisive Superman: Earth One.

Fan Expo 2011 Interview – Shane Davis

We also had a chance to speak with artist Wes Craig, known for his work on DC’s WildStorm line and on the upcoming T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents relaunch due out in November.

Fan Expo 2011 Interview – Wes Craig

Stay tuned for more interviews in the coming days, including newly minted Marvel Editor-in-chief Axel Alonso, writer Matt Fraction and more.

This week’s episode sees an end to season one of the show. Yes, we’ve pulled a TV card and are taking a break. That said, we will still be online for you to connect and share hilarious or random tales with.

In this episode we are joined by Deborah Etta Robinson, who shares her love of bad television, while Gavin helps probe the mind of a modern comic and shares his telephone tales of woe. Jeff brings us up to speed on the recent comic news, and provides what can only be described as the best questions for a grown persons slumber party.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 28 (60.61 MB, MP3, 1;20:02)
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Listen:

Make sure you check out Nerdy Little Secret

Join us on the 22nd for the Peanut Gallery at the Toronto Underground.

Share us with your friends and let us know who introduced you to the show.

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

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Gavin and Jeff discuss the future of science fiction, proper nerd classification, and the invisible stripper pole in Gavin’s office.

Share us with your friends and let us know who introduced you to the show.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 27 (60.61 MB, MP3, 1;20:02)
Subscribe on iTunes: GeekNerdDork

Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

Like GND on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @G33KN3RDD0RK, and be sure to check us out over at GeekNerdDork.com

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Gavin and Jeff are back and discuss the plight of the Playstation Network outage, the outcome of comic book event fatigue, and a quick recap of death in the fantasy genre.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 26 (26.4 MB, MP3, 57:01)
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Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

Like GND on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @G33KN3RDD0RK, and be sure to check us out over at GeekNerdDork.com

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Gavin and Jeff return with Thor highlights, a discussion on events in comicdom, and highlight some recent events that happened in Toronto.

Gavin then takes some time to address the emails he received in response to his Fortress of Baller-tude Steampunk video.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 25 (26.4 MB, MP3, 57:01)
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Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

Like GND on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @G33KN3RDD0RK, and be sure to check us out over at GeekNerdDork.com

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In this exciting new episode of the Fortress, Gavin illustrates the potential diversity of Ray Parker Junior’s classic Ghostbusters theme song, and more importantly how to tie it into your day to day life.

This week Gavin and Jeff are joined by Todd Van Allen, host of the Comedy Above The Pub Podcast. The three men share their thoughts on comedy and politics in Canada, and wax poetic about upcoming blockbusters. Todd also reveals his die hard love for a particular football club.

We are taking a break next week but will return the following week with a brand spanking new episode.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 24 (31.4 MB, MP3, 1:07:30)
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Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

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This week Gavin and Jeff are left alone to discuss the upcoming election and politics in Canada. We also review event fatigue, and the overall lack of memorable events happening in mainstream comics.

We encourage everyone to do their part and vote on May 2, we do not care who you vote for, but we all need to vote. With that said we have something exciting coming soon, and much like our live show, we know your going to love it, so stay tuned.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 23 (43.3 MB, MP3, 1:34:30)
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Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

Like GND on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @G33KN3RDD0RK, and be sure to check us out over at GeekNerdDork.com

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This week Gavin and Jeff are joined by Arda Ocal and Brent Furtney, co-hosts of The Score’s Right After Wrestling, as well as hilarious comedian Deborah Etta Robinson.

Deborah joins us for the opening, we talk The Ghost Whisperer, the massive confusion that ensues when a person does not clarify their Twitter name – revealing just how important that underscore truly is.

The gang goes on to discuss the concept behind Right After Wrestling, how it came about, what makes the two perfect for the show, and how much they truly know about the events going on in the wrestling universe.

Download: GeekNerdDork Episode 22(61.1 MB, MP3, 1:24:00)
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Listen:

Check out Right After Wrestling, Tuesdays @ 6pm on The Score.

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

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Recorded live at Clandestiny on March 6th. This is a condensed version of the show: one song, and a few jokes from each comics set. Then we give you some choice cuts of one of the funniest shows we have ever done.

Were you there? Comment below and let everyone know how you enjoyed the show, and make sure you share it with your friends.

We open the show with the fantastic Nerds with Guitars, followed by comedians Kathleen Corrigan, Deborah Etta Robinson and our own Gavin Stephens.

Then your heroes, along with special guests Katherine Curtis and Rob Mailloux discuss the finer points of cosplay and the glory days of wrestling.

We want to thank everyone who came out, our contest winners (that’s right we had prizes!), the performers and of course The Toronto Underground Comedy Club. Enjoy the show!

Download: GeekNerdDork Cast – Live (59.3 MB, MP3, 1:14:00)
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Listen:

Send any and all feedback, questions, suggestions and/or complaints to our email address: g33k.n3rd.d0rk@gmail.com

Big thanks to our friend DJ FINISH HIM for providing the title track to the podcast.
You can hear more of his music here.

Like GND on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @G33KN3RDD0RK, and be sure to check us out over at GeekNerdDork.com

Check out our sponsors Lucky You (lucky-you.ca)
Tell them Geek Nerd Dork sent you and get a surprise!