by Daniel Robert Epstein

Talking to William Hurt ended up being near to what I expected. I totally counted on him being a total intellectual willing to talk about anything especially the dynamics of acting. But what I didn’’t realize was how nice, cool and friendly a guy he would be. But I suppose it’’s easy to be gracious when promoting a brilliant piece of work like A History of Violence. I won’’t give away what his role is in the flick but he plays it masterfully.

Read our exclusive interview with William Hurt on SuicideGirls.com.

by Nicole Powers

“I like the challenge of making something that is risqué, sophisticated, beautiful, and elegant.” – Dita Von Teese

In May of this year Dita Von Teese will embark on an 18-month major North American tour that is the culmination of her 20-year career as a burlesque artist. In line with her passion for presenting the art in its purest form, her “Burlesque: Strip Strip Hooray!” shows will feature a diverse cast of authentic characters alongside four of Dita’s most dazzling sets.

SuicideGirls caught up with the Queen of Teese to talk about her show, her inspirations, and her philosophy on glamour and self-invention.

Read our exclusive interview with Dita Von Teese on SuicideGirls.com.

by Steven-Elliot Altman (SG Member: Steven_Altman)

Our Fiction Friday serialized novel, The Killswitch Review, is a futuristic murder mystery with killer sociopolitical commentary (and some of the best sex scenes we’ve ever read!). Written by bestselling sci-fi author Steven-Elliot Altman (with Diane DeKelb-Rittenhouse), it offers a terrifying postmodern vision in the tradition of Blade Runner and Brave New World…

By the year 2156, stem cell therapy has triumphed over aging and disease, extending the human lifespan indefinitely. But only for those who have achieved Conscientious Citizen Status. To combat overpopulation, the U.S. has sealed its borders, instituted compulsory contraception and a strict one child per couple policy for those who are permitted to breed, and made technology-assisted suicide readily available. But in a world where the old can remain vital forever, America’s youth have little hope of prosperity.

Jason Haggerty is an investigator for Black Buttons Inc, the government agency responsible for dispensing personal handheld Kevorkian devices, which afford the only legal form of suicide. An armed “Killswitch” monitors and records a citizen’s final moments — up to the point where they press a button and peacefully die. Post-press review agents — “button collectors” — are dispatched to review and judge these final recordings to rule out foul play.

When three teens stage an illegal public suicide, Haggerty suspects their deaths may have been murders. Now his race is on to uncover proof and prevent a nationwide epidemic of copycat suicides. Trouble is, for the first time in history, an entire generation might just decide they’re better off dead.

(Catch up with the previous installments of Killswitch – see links below – then continue reading after the jump…)

[..]

by A.J. Focht

This last week at StarFest 2012 in Denver, I had a chance to sit down with some amazing comic writers including Tony Bedard. Bedard has been writing comics since the ‘90s and is the current writer on Blue Beetle and Green Lantern New Guardians.

A.J. Focht: How do you like working with Kyle Rayner in the Green Lantern New Guardians comic?

Tony Bedard: Credit where credits due, Geoff Johns had the idea to end the first issue by sending a ring of every color to Kyle. We were talking about what I wanted to do with this series, and he was the one at some point that said, ‘Why don’t you end the first issue with a ring of every color coming to him.’ It was the thing that broke open the whole story, and set up this great mystery that we’ve been trying to follow up ever since. We’re going to finish that off by issue twelve, let you know why that happened, and the significance of it.

A.J.: In New Guardians you use rings of most every color. Do you have any plans to do anything with the Black or White Lanterns in New Guardian?

TB: It’s not so much about White Lanterns, but there is a character, the Weaponer, that was in my Green Lantern Core run. He had picked up some of that white energy and put it in his shield and hammer. It’s become this morphing weapon so that whatever he is up against he can change that hammer to meet the situation. He’s going to be in issue #8. He was only going to be in for about one issue, but it has kind of snowballed into a thing where he’s going to stick around for a few more issues and play a big role.

A.J.: That’s good to hear. Since a lot was retconned during the change to the New 52, it was unclear what events from Blackest Night and Brightest Day have actually taken place.

TB: I’m still personally trying to figure out what had changed and what hasn’t. I would say generally that Green Lantern was not revised as much.

A.J.: Do you have any other projects, or are you just sticking with these two?

TB: These are the two right now. We’ve discussed a few other things, but they really haven’t got any traction yet. I’ve been plenty busy and quite happy with what I have right now. We have big plans for Green Lantern. Geoff always has a long term plan, and New Guardians is a big part of that, this whole third army thing that’s coming together. When you look back, you’ll be able to see a lot of what happens in New Guardians is building towards that. We’ve tried to keep the books separate so they each have their own identity, but the Green Lantern books will be intertwining a little bit here in the year to come.

A.J.: Your other book, Blue Beetle is a new take on an old hero. What’s it been like working with that book?

TB: When we started this [the New 52] we wanted to have a comic for everyone.

A.J.: Yeah, there are many niche comics.

TB: Yes. Well I use a lot of Spanglish in the comic, because I am of Puerto Rican decent that’s what it sounded like growing up. It surprised me the responses I got to that. The response from the Hispanic fans who read it was, ‘Yeah, that’s right’ But a lot of other folks who weren’t used to that were like, ‘Okay, we know he’s Mexican, don’t beat us over the head with it.’

A.J.: Do you have any plans to do a crossover with Blue Beetle?

TB: There’s a little crossover in Blue Beetle #9 and New Guardians #9. In Blue Beetle #9, Blue Beetle meets Kyle, and Red Lantern Bleez, and Orange Lantern Globulus on Earth. At the same time in New Guardians #9, the Reach who created Blue Beetles armor will actually be invading the Blue Lantern’s home world, trying to wipe them out and take their power battery. That story actually became so big that it was rolled into two issues. There is a mystery there too as to how Reach found the Blue Lantern home world, because it’s cloaked. Somebody tipped them off. A lot of that stuff, as you look around the lantern verse, happens to all the different cores. It could just be a coincidence, but you start to see a pattern.

A.J.: Do you have plans to expand the reach of Blue Beetle to reach other demographics?

TB: I think mostly we try to keep that as a personal book, to focus on that character. We do have the Green Lantern thing, and actually in issue #10 he is going to meet Booster Gold. But in a way that you would not expect, it’s not the happy meeting everyone will expect. It’s not the same relationship he had with Ted at all.

Related Posts:
SG Interview: J.T. Krul – Captain Atom, Superman Beyond, Soulfire, and Green Arrow

by Tita Suicide

Vancouver experienced it’s first Fan Expo April 21st thru 22nd, giving local comic book fans, gamers, pop culture enthusiasts, and SuicideGirls the chance to experience a Comic Con first hand. In the past year, a whole new crop of VanCity SuicideGirls went pink, and they were stoked to join the other BCSG’s at our booth over the weekend.

It was such fun to see the look on everyone’s faces when R2D2 and Darth Vader arrived! The sight of Aadie, Alkaline, Ceres, Cruella, Femme, Harajuku, Peatrie, Rydell, and Yulia posing with their Star Wars heroes caused quite a stir.

The ensuing pictures illustrate the excitement, cosplay, fun, and silliness that went on at the Vancouver Convention Centre, inside the SuicideGirls booth, and at the #SGTAKESVANCITY after party.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to share in the fun!! Be sure to catch the SuicideGirls at the Philadelphia Comic Con May 31st, to June 3, 2012.

[..]

by Daniel Robert Epstein

Joss Whedon’s television series Firefly was cancelled before it’s time by the FOX network. Now the company that’ owns NBC, Universal Studios, is continuing the adventures of Captain Mal Reynolds and his band of outlaws in the movie, Serenity. It has all the elements that made Whedon’s television works great, such as hot asskicking females, humor with a sly wink, and well thought out scripts, but now it’’s backed by a $40 million budget.

Read our exclusive interview with Joss Whedon on SuicideGirls.com.

by A.J. Focht

I got the opportunity to interview some excellent comic writers at StarFest 2012 in Denver. I sat down with J.T. Krul and we talked about his current projects: Captain Atom, Superman Beyond, and Soulfire, as well as his run on Green Arrow.

A.J. Focht: What’s happening with the New 52 Superman Beyond?

J.T. Krul: They approached me…I’ve never done Superman before, and it’s Superman, so… And the Beyond Universe is a real fun universe to play in, because it’s tied into everything else, but it’s also kind of its own beast. You have a little more leeway to play around with things. It’s not really an alternate setting, but a future setting. You can have a little more fun, and it’s a little outside the box.

A.J.: That’s great. I’ve always been a fan of the Batman Beyond series; it will be great to see what is done with Superman Beyond and Justice League Beyond.

J.T.: Yeah, it’s a lot of fun. The first issue just came out last week, digitally, but also as part of Batman Beyond Unlimited #3. Superman is really at a crossroads in his life, because he really doesn’t know where he fits in anymore. Most all the people he knows are dead and gone.

A.J.: So it’s still Clark Kent, right?

J.T.: Still Clark Kent, but everyone he knows is dead. Bruce Wayne is the only other person he knows who is still alive. Lois Lane is dead. Lex Luthor is dead. He is not a reporter anymore. He is living in the Fortress of Solitude, but it is less of a home and more of a mausoleum. He is really struggling with trying to figure out what the next phase of his life will be, and how connected he is to Metropolis now that everyone he knows is gone.

A.J.: You’ve sold me already. I’ve always wanted to see how Superman would respond in the future since he is immortal and his loved ones aren’t.

J.T.: We actually have a great bit. When the first issue opens up, Superman has created a mausoleum to all things Kryptonian in the Fortress of Solitude. He has all those relics and artifacts from his home world that he has amassed over the years to kind of preserve his past. He is always about preserving his past because he never had one. And now with everybody gone, he has actually coordinated a part of the Fortress of Solitude that seems to be a relic of what Metropolis used to be for him. There is a section where there is a newsstand, a phone booth, and the globe from the Daily Planet. And, that’s just the opening scene.

A.J.: You did the first three issues of Green Arrow. Did you do the full storyline for all of those?

J.T.: Yes.

A.J.: So were you the one who decided to take Oliver Queen the way of a superhero Steve Jobs?

J.T.: That was a big discussion as part of the New 52. When the New 52 was getting established and DC knew that’s what they were going to do, they approached me and Dan Jurgens, for me to continue and for Dan to come on board. We had a lot of discussions about what is the essence of Green Arrow and what direction do we want to go. We talked about a lot of different avenues, and at the core what is he about and what could he be. It’s definitely different than what I was doing with the character in Brightest Day, and I’m really proud of that run. This is just kind of a different direction. Making him younger, giving his super identity back, and kind of going Steve Jobs with him.

A.J.: After you left, they have since switched the creative team on Green Arrow again. It feels like they are catering a little more to the female audience now with both the art style and the writing. While it’s good, I’m still sad you were taken off because you were doing a fantastic job with Green Arrow there for a while.

J.T.: I really like it. I mean, Oliver Queen is one of my favorite characters. It was a hard decision to leave him and go to something else. You know, I think the whole thing with the book going in a different direction is kind of cool. The greatest thing about the New 52 is that there is really a book for everybody.

A.J.: There really is a niche for everyone. I never saw it going over as well as it did.

J.T.: It’s cool because you’ve got your big super heroes. You’ve got your Justice League, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Batman.

A.J.: And the fact we can say Aquaman is a big super hero now, that’s something.

J.T.: I know. Aquaman is a top selling book right now. Then Wonder Woman and Action Comics. Then you have your dark universe where it is kind of like Vertigo coming to DC. You’ve got JLA Dark, Animal, and Swamp Thing. Then Demon Knights, kind of has that fantasy feeling.

A.J.: And then you’ve got your sci-fi section with Firestorm and your own, Captain Atom. Captain Atom has turned out really good. Before now, every time I saw Captain Atom, I couldn’t help thinking of Dr. Manhattan. And, if I’m right, he was originally going to be Dr. Manhattan before they decided to let Allen Moore create the heroes. Still, you’ve managed to start gaining popularity for a hero that had been all but forgotten about.

J.T.: Yeah, it had been twenty years or so since Captain Atom had his own book. I mean, Judd Winnick did a great job with him in Generation Lost. But when moving forward, there is definitely the Dr. Manhattan vibe is there by design. And, you’re absolutely right, in its original incarnation, Allen Moore was going to use the Charlton characters, and it was Captain Atom they were going to use for Manhattan. When DC decided they wanted to keep those characters; that’s when he changed them to all the alternate versions.

What we did was, we liked the power set that Dr. Manhattan possessed and what that brought to the table. But we wanted to keep Captain Atom as who he was, Nathaniel Adams an Airforce pilot. So the powers were there, and the looks a little bit too, in a way. We really wanted to focus on the story of a relatively ordinary person, an Airforce pilot, who gets godlike powers. A lot of the story is really about him dealing with those powers. We are not really what I would call a straight forward superhero comic book. We’re more of a science fiction story about a guy grappling with amazing abilities. What he can do, and what he can’t do. And most importantly, what he should do.

Working with Freddie Williams has been probably one of the best parts of the New 52 for me. We just really click together. Collaboration on the book has been one of the closest collaborations I have had since working with Michael Turner on Soulfire. The book has just come together really well. We find some really different types of stories, definitely outside the box and outside the mainstream.

A.J.: You are working on Captain Atom right now, and Superman Beyond is starting. Do you have any plans to pick up any other books?

J.T.: Right now I’m doing The War That Time Forgot, in the pages of G.I. Combat which is one of the new six coming out.

A.J.: Isn’t that going to be like All Star Western, where it’s going to feature a main story and then an off story, but with combat stories instead of Westerns?

J.T.: Kind of, yeah. My first story is a four-parter, and we are piggy-backing with The Unknown Soldier. And I know there are plans to bring in other combat stories as well.

A.J.: Any other projects?

J.T.: I am actually still working with Aspen Comics, who I’ve been working with pretty much since I first started. We are finishing up Soulfire Volume 3. We have a big event coming this summer called The Search for the Light. It’s going to run weekly starting in June and into July. Its five one shot issues that tie together that all lead into Volume 4 of Soulfire which is going to be the biggest one yet. We just announced that Mike DeBalfo is actually going to be the artist on it. It’s really going to be the story of Soulfire like you’ve never seen before. We will see a lot of characters returning, and almost the biggest threat we’ve ever seen before in the book.

A.J.: That’s four projects you’re working on. Are you insane?

J.T.: [After a good chuckle and some contemplation] They actually stagger pretty good so it doesn’t really bottle up. There are times it gets a little crowded, but luckily, if I schedule my time, I can make sure I get through it. But I like it. I mean, they’re all fun projects to do so as long as I can work them into my life and not make my life to unbearable, I’ll keep doing it. They are all great stories to tell, and any chance to do a comic is a great opportunity.