by Tarion Suicide

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.

This week, in preparation for the coming apocalypse, Tarion Suicide gives us the 411 on SG’s Zombie Hunters Group.

Members: 2,824 / Comments: 20,073

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: This group has threads covering everything you need to know about zombies and the impending apocalypse. It ensures that every member has a “zombie plan” and the best possible chance of survival. Members discuss everything from the best choice of weapons to the most effective safe house. If you’re into zombies you will find info on the best books, games, movies, and TV shows right here!
• DISCUSSION TIP: This is a fun group, so don’t be too serious.
• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: “Do not set zombies on fire! They will run around and catch everything else on fire!”
• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: The Walking Dead! Official TV Thread – everyone has an opinion on this show!
• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: All those who want to survive the zombie apocalypse.

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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…)

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by Damon Martin

2011 was 12-months of non-stop action in the comic book industry. More and more movies are being adapted from comics, while genre TV shows are seeing their ratings go through the roof. For example a whopping 6.6 million viewers tuned in for the mid-season finale of the AMC adapted series The Walking Dead.

DC launched the New 52, which essentially scrapped every single comic they had going and restarted all the titles back at issue one with new storylines and new origins. Marvel killed a Spider-Man (although it was in their alternate ‘Ultimate’ universe) and re-launched popular characters like Daredevil, while still trying to build back The Avengers.

Though it was a long and crazy year for comic books, these are the titles, artists, and writers that I felt stood head and shoulders above the crowd.

Best New Series: The DC 52

I know, I know, it seems like a cop out to choose 52 comics as the best new comic of 2011, but what DC did by rebooting their entire catalog of comics was a brave and dangerous move. They risked alienating long time readers with their attempt to lure new fans. But judging by the millions of issues sold in just the first few months, the brain trust at DC are currently look like geniuses.

Headed up by the marquee series Justice League, written by DC wunderkind Geoff Johns and art legend Jim Lee, the DC 52 series has content that appeals to the everyday fan, as well as edgier, darker material for those looking for a little bit more blood between the pages.

The stand-outs for the new 52 include Gail Simone’s take on Batgirl, which has been a fantastic read thus far, as well as Jeff Lemire’s Animal Man, which has become one of the best ongoing series in the DC universe. In addition to the successful re-booting of the Green Lantern, with the evil Sinestro wearing the green ring of will once again and Hal Jordan trying to earn his way back into the corp, Geoff Johns has managed to make Aquaman a character people can follow again.

Overall the DC 52 has been a great success for the comic giant, and they deserve this award for having the guts to risk it all. Fortunately, the gamble paid off, and they came up big winners.

Honorable Mentions: Green Wake, Ultimate Spider-Man

Best Writer: Joe Hill

A few years ago Joe Hill may have been best known as the son of legendary horror author Stephen King. Fast forward to 2011, and though he may have got off to a faster start by standing on the shoulders of a giant, with his work on Locke & Key, Hill’s now setting the standard for writing in comics entirely on his own merit.

A labyrinth of characters are interwoven into this book about a family that moves into a house with an elaborate set of doors and keys that open into different worlds, while an evil spirit continues to haunt them.

The biggest crime perpetrated against Hill may be that Fox bought the rights to Locke & Key as a new ongoing series. After a pilot was made, Fox decided to scrap the project in favor of other shows. I had the pleasure of watching the pilot at San Diego Comic Con 2011, and I can say with certainty that Fox made a huge mistake not picking this up. Hill has continued to make Locke & Key one of the most enjoyable series on the market today – his storytelling is nothing short of brilliant.

Honorable Mentions: Nick Spencer, Robert Kirkman, Jason Aaron, Mark Waid

Best Artist: J.H. Williams III

For the second year in a row no less! J.H. Williams III really has set the bar for comic book art in recent times. His stunning art is beautiful on page after page of DC’s reboot of Batwoman, and his work continues to excel in every issue. He pushes the envelope in everything he does – so much so that comic book artists all over the world are paying attention to what he is doing. Williams captures the spirit of his characters with every picture and frame within a book, and truly knows how to showcase emotion so no explanatory words are necessary. It might be hard to move on from Williams in 2012 if his work continues along this same stellar path.

Honorable Mentions: Francis Manapul, Gabriel Rodriguez, Jim Lee, Joe Eisma

Best Ongoing Series: Morning Glories

The knockout winner for the 2012 Book Of The Year goes to Nick Spencer and Joe Eisma’s creation Morning Glories, which was an honorable mention for best new series in 2011. It’s been hailed as the Lost of comic books – there’s a whirlwind in every issue leaving you absolutely begging for more. It’s a series that has an ending in sight as Spencer has said the run will go around 100 issues, putting it in line with another classic book, Y the Last Man.

Most believe Morning Glories will be headed to television within the next couple of years, and there’s no doubt why. Spencer’s story about a group of special teenagers sent to a prestigious high school where the teachers are actually abusive overlords, hiding a deep secret within the walls, is captivating, mind-boggling, and awe inspiring.

From one issue to the next, Spencer leaves your eyes widened and your jaw dropped, and when accompanied by Joe Eisma’s perfectly placed art, Morning Glories is a tour de force that quickly draws you in and never slows down.

When my comic pull is given to me at my local store, nothing hits my eyes faster when I get home than Morning Glories. It’s the first ongoing series that has captivated me this way since Robert Kirkman began writing The Walking Dead several years ago. If you pick up no other book in 2011, Morning Glories is the one to try out.

Honorable Mentions: The Walking Dead, Locke & Key, Uncanny X-Force.

So there you have it loyal readers, the best of the best in comic books for 2011. I expect 2012 to be even bigger because The Dark Knight Rises will hit movie theaters and I’m sure it will be a huge hit. A new Daredevil comic will hit stores in 2012 as well, with an all-star cast on board for the writing and art, including longtime scribe Brian Michael Bendis and artist David Mack. And with the digital age upon us, the comic book industry is entering a whole new world in 2012, and bigger things are sure to be on the horizon.

by A.J. Focht

Possible SPOILERS from the Dark Knight Rises have hit the web. The spoilers revolve around the films prologue. If they are correct, there may be some major changes to Bane’s background story. The leak is unconfirmed and, therefore, it’s best to file this one under rumors.

Adding on to the series of disastrous events to befall The Wolverine, the film is being delayed again, and this time there is no speculation to when it may release. Maybe this should be a sign to scrap the project and let the series rest for a while.

Some big news for Ender’s Game fans, Asa Butterfield, star of the new box office hit Hugo, confirmed via Twitter that he will be playing the role of Ender. There had been reports he was offered the role, and he is very excited to take it. The movie is being directed by Wolverine Origins director Gavin Hood, and is scheduled to release in March of 2013.

Men in Black III is officially a go. The first teaser posters for the film have been released. Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones have returned as Agents ‘J’ and ‘K’. The posters don’t tell us much more than the fact the project has hit the marketing stage.

Star Trek 2 has received a new release date for May 2013. But that’s not all. Oscar winning composer, Michael Giacchino, is back on for the second film. And finally, it is confirmed the film will be shooting in 3D.

One last note about the movies, if you didn’t already think Twilight is hazardous to your health, it’s now been confirmed. Cases have been reported of viewers going into epileptic seizures during the birthing scene. Anyone susceptible to seizures should therefore avoid seeing Breaking Dawn.

Some great news for Bluntman & Chronic, Neil Gaiman has confirmed he’s agreed to voice Alfred in the cartoon via Twitter. The news of a cartoon is exciting enough, but to know that Neil Gaiman is on the project is just fantastic.

MTV Geek has released their Top 10 Comic Book Writers of 2011. It’s no surprise that many of the DC New 52 writers have made the list as well as a handful of independent comics. Deservingly, Animal Man writer Jeff Lemire has taken the top spot.

Before you go, enjoy David Tennant reading a bedtime story with penguins on CBeebies, courtesy of Geek Mom.

by Susannah Bresll

Xeni Jardin is a journalist, a blogger, and a TV pundit. As a co-editor of BoingBoing, one of the most popular blogs on the Web, Jardin serves as an Internet-based coolhunter for the futuristic, or, as Defamer puts it, a “sexpot Wired reporter sent from 15 minutes in the future to send back information about our inferior technology to some alien race.” In addition to writing for Wired, Jardin files reports on subjects ranging from robot battles to zero gravity flight for NPR’s “Xeni Tech” and opines regularly on the latest high tech gadgetry for CNN and Fox News. Part Fritz Lang’s Maria in “Metropolis,” part Marilyn Monroe on a cellphone, in Jardin, as the LA Times advises, we may behold the wizard of blogs.

Read our exclusive interview with Xeni Jardin on SuicideGirls.com.

by Blogbot

Since its launch in 2004, Facebook’s genius has been its ability to express complex relationships between people and things in a simplified graphical form in a way that is easy to grasp with just a couple of minutes browsing at any one time. Thus, its storytelling format is clearly ideal for condensing convoluted shit like life, the universe, and everything into an easy to read feed. A new book, authored by Wylie Overstreet, rather successfully does just that, telling the entire history of the world in just 153 not-too-dense pages. Here, in this excerpted first chapter, we breeze through the pertinent points of a few billion years, learning more-or-less everything we need to know about a period of time bookended by the birth of the universe and the birth of man.

In August 2010, Wylie Overstreet published a satirical article called “If Historical Events Had Facebook Statuses” on CoolMaterial.com. Within a month, it had received 3 million views and had been “liked” by 120,000 Facebook users. In The History Of The World According To Facebook (published by It Books), Overstreet expands this concept into a full-length history of the world, from its creation up to the present day, as if Facebook had existed all along and Abraham Lincoln had written a status update about “taking the missus to the theater” on April 15, 1865 and Ben Franklin had done the same alerting his network that he′d signed the Declaration of Independence (“Bring it,” replied John Adams). Filled with hundreds of real-life historical figures and thousands of not-at-all-real Facebook statuses, comments, and actions, and parodying Facebook users′ proclivity to over-share and use lazy jargon (“lol,” “rofl,” “fml,” etc.), this is the definitive humor book for those who spend too much time online.

Excerpt from The History Of The World According To Facebook by Wylie Overstreet reprinted by kind permission of It Books. Copyright © 2011 Wylie Overstreet.

by Damon Martin

In today’s America, I could easily say I was a Catholic, a Baptist, a Mormon, or a Muslim and likely get less criticism and hatred spewed at me than simply saying I don’t believe in any god or book that talks about a god. It’s for that reason that today I ‘come out of the closet’ and proudly say that I’m an atheist. I won’t apologize for that and hopefully more atheists will do the same.

At the University of Kansas recently, a group of students launched a campaign called ‘We Are Atheists‘ modeled after the famous ‘It Gets Better’ campaign focused around gays and lesbians.

The ‘We Are Atheists’ ideal is simply a way for more non-believers to come out and not be afraid to speak about their lack of belief in a god, or their belief in science or evolution, or whatever it is that brought them to decree that they are an atheist.

Co-founder Amanda Brown put together a five-minute video that’s being circulated around YouTube speaking about why she is an atheist and encouraging others to speak out as well.

It’s a similar ideal to that of famed evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins who started the ‘Out Campaign’ a few years ago. Dawkins created the movement with the exact same thought in mind:

“The Out Campaign allows individuals to let others know they are not alone. It can also be a nice way of opening a conversation and help to demolish the negative stereotypes of atheists. Let the world know that we are not about to go away and that we are not going to allow those that would condemn us to push us into the shadows”

Atheism is almost like a dirty word in American culture. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in May 2011 asked voters what potential traits would sway them negatively away from a political candidate. 7% said that a political candidate being a woman could sway them away, 33 % said a candidate being gay could push their vote the other way, while 46% said that a candidate who had an extra marital affair wouldn’t get their vote. As for atheists, well a whopping 61% said that that was a negative trait that would keep them from receiving a vote.

The fact is, not believing in god scares the general public because believing in god, any god, is something that’s so widely accepted, that society by default dictates that you have to believe in something to be accepted. It’s not enough that the Bible, Koran, or any other religious texts all disagree on where the world came from or how to get to heaven, that ultimately religious folks all believe in some magical spaceman in the sky – believing in anything rather than nothing is preferential when it comes to creating camaraderie.

The fact is I’m an atheist. I don’t believe in a higher deity, I don’t believe in the Bible, the Koran, the Book of Mormon or any other religious text. I went to church as a kid and I thought I believed in god the same as everyone else around me. I had an aunt and uncle that took me to church with them and I felt accepted, and I felt like this was what I was supposed to do.

As time went on however, I realized that I never felt a ‘divine presence’ and when I read the Bible cover to cover, it literally scared the hell out of me. How could a god that was supposed to be so loving and forgiving be so selfish as to ask you to literally love him above everything else? How could this same god kill, murder, and have horrible acts done in his name on page after page after page?

I always joke with people that the easiest way to make an atheist is to have them read the Bible, but the reality is that it was a shock of reality for me as much as reading any book about science or even Charles Darwin’s Origin of Species. There is however just as much wonder and amazing things in science as there will ever be in a book like the Bible, conversely there’s a lot less rape, murder, and genocide in a science text than a book talking about god.

I do have morals and none of them are based on the Ten Commandments or other religious beliefs that have been passed along. I know I shouldn’t kill a person because it’s simply wrong, not because god told me it was wrong.

With the holiday season just around the corner, I’m sure to have friends ask me about how I’ll celebrate Christmas, and I usually respond with the same thing every year: “It’s a day off from work.” But pushed deeper, I’ll happily explain that I don’t celebrate Christmas the same way that I don’t celebrate Easter or any other religious holiday.

Sure, Christmas is more about gift giving and seeing family now than anything to do with the supposed birth of Christ, but it’s something I’d rather not acknowledge and that’s my choice. The same way I don’t expect all of my friends to read the God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, or follow the speeches given by Christopher Hitchens.

The fact is I’m an atheist and that doesn’t make me any better or worse of a person than anybody reading this article. But I refuse to be afraid to talk about why I don’t believe a god exists the same way so many Christians happily thank god when something good goes right in their life.

If that makes me a lightning rod for criticism, so be it. I know I’m not alone and I’m happy to stand up and make the statement.

I am an atheist.