by A.J. Focht

When we left off last week, Gamescom 2011 was just starting over in Germany. Most of the major publishers were present to show off what they’ve done since their last junket (E3 for most them). Some favored highlights include updates on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, with developers Bethesda offering up details on a whole new crafting concept for the game. Blizzard was also on the scene with information on upcoming Cataclysm patches and the announcement of a new “Inferno” difficulty mode being added to Diablo III.

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For more details from the event, check out Kotaku’s Gamescom 2011 recap.

Gamescom was just the start of a round of gaming conventions. This weekend the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) takes place in Seattle, Washington. Any games that weren’t showcased at Gamescom are bound to show up here, including the debut of the next game from Portal developers. For a full PAX schedule check here.

One last bit of news from the gaming world; apparently Nintendo shareholders are impressed with the company’s plans for the 3DS. The night after Nintendo revealed its plans for a 3DS-focused closed-to-public event at the Tokyo Game Show, their stocks jumped 9%. Let’s hope that the fans who are actually going to be playing the updated system are just as impressed.

Video games didn’t hold all the convention news last week, as D23 2011 (the Disney expo) took place last weekend as well. This meant more Avengers teasers, and lots of them. Early footage of the film was shown where Loki has been captured by S.H.I.E.L.D. While I am pretty sure this will be part of the start of the movie and ultimately inconsequential, I was more intrigued to hear about his “army.” He could be referring to the Ice Giants, but I’ve got an odd feeling (maybe more of a desire) that it’s the Skrulls. MTV has cast interviews you can check out here.

Other superhero related news this week includes the iTunes-released trailer for the forthcoming Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance film. Nicolas Cage is back as Johnny Blaze, and the new CGI is looking wicked.



There have also been reports coming out about Iron Man 3. President of Robert Downey Jr’s production company, Schmoes Know, had a lot to say on the matter, including the transition from Jon Favreau to new director Shane Black. The third movie in a trilogy is always tricky, and Downey recently mentioned there are still element of the movie he is not satisfied with.

Marvel also unveiled its next big thing: Shattered Heroes. Once Fear Itself has ended (most likely coinciding with the ends of Spider Island and Schism), we’re told the Marvel world will see its heroes trying to pick up the pieces of their lives post-catastrophe.

A last bit of comic news; ComiXology digital storefronts launched Tuesday, with over 100 comic book retailers participating in the program. The digital storefront allows you to purchase your digital copies, and support local stores. It’s not the most practical thing –– since you can purchase exactly the same content direct from the publishers –– but I’m all for helping out mom and pop comic shops.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

My father-in-law’s cookies aren’t as dry as John Hodgman’s wit. Currently Hodgman is best known as the bespectacled correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, and as the PC to Justin Long’’s Mac in a recent series of Apple commercials. But before his television work, Hodgman enjoyed a career as a well respected print humorist for publications like New York Times Magazine and McSweeney’s –a stint which culminated in the hysterical book of lies, The Areas of My Expertise. Hodgman is also a contributor to This American Life, a radio show played nationally. This American Life has now collected some of their best segments onto a CD called This American Life: Stories Of Hope And Fear.

Read our exclusive interview with John Hodgman on SuicideGirls.com.

Discordia Suicide in Sunday Blues

• INTO: Sunny days, foam baths, piercings and tattoos, photography, art, long hair and silky skin, bondage, forests, strange dreams, dirty jokes, horror movies, asphyxiation, androgyny, traveling, flirting, and Sega Mega Drive Diablo II.
• NOT INTO: Sickness, envy, and meat.
• MAKES ME HAPPY: Summer, making love with someone you really care for, beer, butterflies in stomach, bites, being home by dawn, chocolate, loud music, Jägermeister, and Dark-Hunter novels.
• MAKES ME SAD: Animal cruelty, when the bad guy dies at the end of a movie, feeling powerless, lies, delayed flights, distances, and people with closed minds.
• HOBBIES: Dancing, reading, drinking, trashing around, and sleeping with my cat.
• 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Emotions, music, hygiene, friends, and imagination.
• VICES: Cigarettes, but I’m quiting – since 2005.
• I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: With the ones that make me happy.

Get to know Discordia better over at SuicideGirls.com!

by Blogbot

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by Damon Martin

On September 13, Anthrax will return with a new studio album Worship Music, the band’s first release of new material in 8 years. While it may seem like the band has been away for a few years, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Constant touring as well as some mega shows where Anthrax co-headlined along with Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer, means the band has been busy and have never stopped playing music. The new album however welcomes back original vocalist Joey Belladonna, who makes his first appearance on an Anthrax studio album since the 1990 album Persistence of Time.

I caught up with the man most responsible for Anthrax over all these years, Scott Ian, for a phone to preview the new record and to talk about everything that led into its creation.

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by Daniel Robert Epstein

We don’t do much New York City theatre coverage on SuicideGirls but an exception must be made for the daring brilliance of Neil LaBute. Wrecks, written and directed by LaBute, is currently up at the world famous Public Theater in Manhattan. It’s a very powerful and disturbing work, which is par for the course for LaBute. Harris plays Ed Carr a man at the funeral for his wife talking directly to the audience. Carr is a wonderful character who at times stalks the stage like a panther smoking cigarettes. When memories of his wife flow through his mind he exhibits contemplation, but never regret. Harris does an amazing job of making a man that would be considered insane in any other context feel as human as the rest of us.

Read our exclusive interview with Neil LaBute on SuicideGirls.com.

Prism Suicide in Devil’s Claw

• INTO: Spiritual stuff of nature, arts, and surroundings. I’m a pure hippy when it comes to those kinds of things. Manly art boy stuff, pretty much anything.
• NOT INTO: People who talk down about others for no good reason!
• MAKES ME HAPPY: Friends, family, and that special someone.
• MAKES ME SAD: Losing that other half of me.
• HOBBIES: Art, laser tag, swimming, shooting, riding horses, and walking.
• 5 THINGS I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT: Family, friends, animals, love, art.
• I SPEND MOST OF MY FREE TIME: At home and sleeping lol.

Get to know Prism better over at SuicideGirls.com!