by Damon Martin

The Walking Dead will begin principle photography again this May in Georgia, with Season 3 set to debut most likely in October 2012, but that doesn’t mean fans aren’t already clamoring for more information. The Season 2 finale left a lot of jaws hitting the floor after Herschel’s farm and house were stormed by walkers, and the group fled for cover hoping to stay together and find refuge from the zombie apocalypse.

The Walking Dead‘s executive producer and show runner Glen Mazzara has let a few secrets out of the bag surrounding the next season of the popular AMC drama. One of the most anticipated aspects will be the continuation of the close of the final episode of last season in which a cloaked and hooded figure carrying a sword and two armless, jawless zombies came out from nowhere to lop the head off an attacker, and save Andrea, who was left behind amidst the madness at the farm.

Fans of the comic book realized pretty quickly that this katana wielding badass was Michonne, a pivotal character in creator Robert Kirkman’s zombie opus. Now Mazzara, who revealed the casting behind Michonne just after the season finale, lets a little bit more information slip about a character that he says will be extremely important to The Walking Dead:

“Michonne is one of the lead characters in the graphic novel, so we’re excited to finally introduce her. She is a loner. She’s a kick ass character. She’s very dynamic and we really see her as a very, very important addition to the cast. She’s a significant character and she’ll be carrying a lot of story, so we’re excited about her…

“We’re also excited about (Denai Guerrera) who is the young actress who is going to play this role, so we’re lucky to have her and look forward to seeing what she does with it.”

While the show has deviated from Kirkman’s source material on several occasions, as well as introduced new characters that were never actually in the comic books, Mazzara looks at Michonne as a piece that comes from the page straight to the screen. From her shadowy entrance cloaked in darkness to what they have planned for her in season three, Michonne will be a pivotal part of the group when they pick up later this year. Mazzara explains:

“She comes from the comic book. She feels like she stepped off those pages into the show. I think that’s exciting. That’s a challenge for us but, you know, knowing me as a writer, I think I’m going to keep it real, keep it grounded because if it doesn’t feel real I think the audience will not be able to put themselves in the immediate circumstances of the story…

“I think our show is successful because people watching say, oh, I’d be dead now or I’d kill that guy or I’d shoot him in the leg and get away. I think that’s what’s fun about the show. We’re very consciously trying not to keep the show too serialized, not have an overdeveloped mythology so that it’s accessible to people in the way that a good horror movie is. I find the best horror movies to be very simple and that’s something that’s important and so I think overall my entire intention of the show is to keep the show grounded, real and Michonne is going to be a great challenge.”

Another major character that will be introduced in Season 3 is the brutal villain known only The Governor. Portrayed by veteran British actor David Morrissey, The Governor is the leader of the town of Woodbury in the comic books, and was rated No. 86 by IGN in the greatest villains in comic book history. Mazzara says that The Governor and his town of Woodbury will be a big part of Season 3, but the prison that was introduced in the closing scenes of Season 2 will also be a major player this year and it will roll into Season 4 as well. Mazzara said:

“I do see that prison as a significant storyline for Season 3 and Season 4. I do think that’s a major story line. I know we were on the farm for longer than perhaps people wanted. There were reasons for that. I think what we want to do is make sure that that prison does not become claustrophobic. I think the farm played a little claustrophobic for people. The farm — now that the entire landscape has fallen to the zombie apocalypse and zombies are literally at the gate of the prison — if you see the graphic novel, that prison is really, you know, a very, very small, safe corner and there’s a lot of danger around. So it won’t feel like we are bottled up in the same way that we were in — on the farm in Season 3 let’s say…

“So I do think that prison is a significant storyline. But we’re interested also in opening up the world. You know, the governor has a world of (Woodbury). There are other factors out there in the world, other groups. So I think that Rick’s group is really stumbling into a much larger world.”

As a whole, The Walking Dead has tackled some tough subjects head on thus far through two seasons, but readers of the comic books know that The Governor gets his wickedly evil reputation through his deeds and heinous self-serving behavior. There are some extremely brutal scenes therefore played out in the comic book, but would the show runners at The Walking Dead on AMC be able to work those particular aspects into the show, or are some things just taboo?

“I know what you’re referring to and we have to put our own spin…I would say this, there’s no place we won’t go…Everything is on the table. This is a cutting edge cable drama. I’m comfortable with that material and we answered a lot of these questions on The Shield when I worked there, so I’m comfortable dealing with very, very edgy material.”

Some other interesting plot points that Mazzara revealed about possible Season 3 moments include the introduction of more characters from the comic books such as Tyrese. We’re also likely to discover what happened to Morgan and Duane (the characters introduced in the first episode that helped to save Rick). The re-introduction of Michael Rooker’s character Merle Dixon (Rooker also confirmed his role previously for Season 3) is also much anticipated.

Season 3 may still be a month out from shooting, and several months away from debuting on AMC, but it looks like there are plenty of surprises in store for fans when the show returns later this year.

Related Posts:

NEW SG Interview: The Walking Dead’s Michael Rooker – Merle Is Back
NEW SG Interview: The Walking Dead’s Irone Singleton aka T-Dog
The Walking Dead Season 2 Finale Recap: And Hell Followed Them

by Fred Topel

One of the most impressive aspects of San Diego Comic-Con is the annual masquerade, where cosplayers show off their creative designs. Everyday people create the images of comic book, movie and video game characters with costumes rivaling big Hollywood productions. For his documentary on Comic-Con, Morgan Spurlock chose one cosplay artist to follow for a portion of the film.

Holly Conrad designed an entire ensemble of Mass Effect costumes for the 2010 masquerade. Comic-Con: Episode IV – A Fan’s Hope follows Conrad from designing the costumes in her garage through assembling them on stage, as one of four stories surrounding the convention. Spurlock also follows a group of artists seeking mentorship, a comic book shop owner and a couple of geeks in love.

Conrad is one of the film’s breakout stars. Simply from the ingenuity of her Mass Effect costumes, producers of the Mass Effect movie offered her a job as a consultant on the film. Everywhere she goes in her Shepard costume, she stands out and gets compliments from impressed onlookers. That includes driving to the film’s Los Angeles press junket. Conrad planned to give all her interviews in costume, so she was suited up as she drove to Beverly Hills one Thursday morning. We spoke with her by phone, her very first interview of the day, to celebrate the glory of cosplay. She also wore her costume to the film’s Hollywood premiere.

Read our exclusive interview with Holly Conrad on SuicideGirls.com.

by Alex Dueben

Christopher Moore is one of America’s funniest novelists and his new book, Sacré Bleu, a novel subtitled “A Comedy d’Art,” makes the case for him also being one of the smartest and most inventive. Arguably his best work, the book is set in the Belle Epoque era and involves the impressionist and post-impressionist painters who lived primarily in the Montmartre district of Paris. Starring Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who is so colorful and entertaining a character that it’s hard to believe that Moore didn’t create him, it’s a strange and fascinating novel that is about, among other things, the color blue.

Moore is fascinated by what made the impressionists so radical that they created unconventional work and lived in unconventional ways. If this novel is less laugh out loud than some of his previous books, it’s because Moore is trying for a different tone. While there are plenty of hilarious moments – try looking at a Renoir after reading this without cracking a smile – the book details the murder of Vincent Van Gogh and how his friends try to discover what really happened. Along the way you’ll learn the best way to test a baguette, how color is made, and learn a lot about art (although admittedly, some of what we learn is fictional). Moore is currently on book tour and we spoke to him about his just-released novel.


Read our exclusive interview with Christopher Moore on SuicideGirls.com.

by A.J. Focht

A month out from release and AMC has already sold out advanced tickets for The Ultimate Marvel Marathon which promises to show all of the movies leading up to The Avengers before the midnight release. But if you didn’t get your tickets to the nine hour movie marathon there is no need to worry as AMC will be adding more locations. Cinemark theatres have also joined the party hosting the marathons at half the price. While AMC is charging $40 a seat for the marathon, Cinemark is charging $20. Although, it is unclear if the midnight showing of The Avengers is part of the Cinemark package.

The Iron Man 3 release date is scheduled for May 3, 2013, just a year after The Avengers. Now it looks like Ben Kingsley is in talks to play the villain for the third movie. Insiders at Marvel have debunked the rumor that he will play Mandarin, without giving any hints as to what his role might be.

DC Comics is launching a new round of comic titles this July. The titles in the mix so far are National Comics and Masters of the Universe. National Comics will feature obscure and offbeat heroes, starting with Jeff Lemire’s Kid Eternity. Masters of the Universe will follow the adventures of He-Man against the evil Skeletor. Don’t be expecting the classic He-Man story as it looks like his origins have changed, and as the series starts, Skeletor has already won.

Do you want to bring a little piece of The Hunger Games home with you? Well now you can since Katniss Everdeen has been transformed into a Barbie. I don’t know when Barbie started idolizing child warfare, but this Katniss Everdeen doll is equipped with a bow and arrows nonetheless. If that isn’t good enough for you, you could always buy District 12. Henry River Mill Village, the location for District 12 in the film, is now on sale and can be yours for only $1.4 million.

The Hugo Awards, one of the most prestigious awards in science-fiction, has listed this year’s nominees. Among the top contenders are all the big players: Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Captain America, and…Community? That’s right. In what can only be described as the best nomination ever, the Community episode ‘Remedial Chaos Theory’ has been nominated for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. While it is up against some excellent Doctor Who episodes, this episode stands a good chance of winning thanks to its excellent use of alternate and parallel universes.

The Doctor is getting wrapped up in some legal issues of his own. David Tennant starred in a new Virgin Media commercial that has upset the BBC. The commercial played off time travel, and for BBC anything time travel with David Tennant is their jurisdiction. They sent a takedown request to Virgin Media saying they do not want to be perceived as endorsing any organization.

Facebook has paid $1 billion for the purchase of Instagram. While the purchase has had many Instagram fans nervous, Mark Zuckerberg announced they plan to let Instagram grow free from the Facebook brand. Is that enough though for Instagram fans or do you still worry that Facebook ownership will taint it?

by Daniel Robert Epstein

Jared Leto is a super fine hottie, plus he makes damn cool movies. He’’s chill and he knows about SuicideGirls too. He thinks he’’s seen some of you sweet ladies at some of his 30 Seconds to Mars shows. His latest flick is Lord of War, in which he plays the junkie brother to Nicolas Cage’s’ Uri Orlov, a major international gun runner.

Read our exclusive interview with Jared Leto on SuicideGirls.com.

by Daniel Robert Epstein

SuicideGirls got a chance to talk Ralph Fiennes about his lead role in The Constant Gardener, his vocal histrionics in Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit and his upcoming villainous turn as Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Read our exclusive interview with Ralph Fiennes on SuicideGirls.com.

by Blogbot

Earlier this year, SG radio presenters Nicole Powers (SG’s Managing Ed), Lacey Conner (all round rockstar and recovering VH1 reality TV star), and Darrah de jour (SG’s Red, White & Femme post-feminist sex and sensuality columnist) were joined in studio by actress turned lifestyle guru Mariel Hemingway and her partner, stuntman and fitness expert Bobby Williams. Together they have developed a holistic regimen, which they call The Willing Way.

The pair spent a full two hours in the SG Radio studio explaining their all-encompassing mind, body, and soul philosophy. Going from yin to yang, we discussed the importance of getting enough sunlight in your life (Mariel and Bobby like to watch the sun rise and set each day, though they avoid the burning midday rays), and how to keep darkness at bay. With her life having been touched by several suicides, Mariel spoke about how she battled her own depressive tendencies, and how she has empowered herself to find a sense of wellbeing.

This being SG Radio, there was also plenty of laughter, and lots of conversation on our favorite subject – sex. Thus, the first hour of our show was devoted to talk of orgasms – and the importance of having a healthy diet of them, in order to achieve a truly balanced life.

Whatch the video above to see edited highlights from this very special SG Radio show!

For more information follow Mariel and Bobby / The Willing Way on Twitter.