Book Review: 'Sorry Please Thank You' By Charles Yu

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  15 Jan. 2013.

How do you follow a debut novel that was named one of Time magazine’s best books of the year? For Charles Yu the answer is Sorry Please Thank You, a breezy but fascinating collection of short stories.

In an interview during San Diego Comic-Con 2012, Yu revealed that the transition from writing his popular and widely praised book, How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, to the short story format of Sorry Please Thank You was challenging. The author also admitted that not all of the stories turned out the way he had planned.

“Sometimes you write something and it’s just not what you thought it was going to be,” he said. Even so, Yu is pleased with the final product and readers will be too.

The collection of stories transports readers from futuristic earth to virtual reality and even into space. In every time and location the characters are searching for the same things: happiness and love. The fundamental nature of these desires helps keep Yu’s stories grounded even as some of them veer off into the more obscure and strange (an alien’s guide to Earth families, for example).

'Y: The Last Man' Finds a Director at Last

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  14 Jan. 2013.

It has been a long road for the film adaptation of the critically acclaimed comic series Y: The Last Man, but it finally looks like things are starting to progress. Dan Trachtenberg has been announced as the director of New Line Cinema’s feature film version of the award winning series by Brian K. Vaughan and Pia Guerra.

A commercial director, Trachtenberg was the co-host of The Totally Rad Show alongside Jeff Cannata and the Nerdist Channel’s Alex Albrecht. He also gained viral fame for his fan-made trailer for Portal: No Escape, which has more than 11.6 million hits on YouTube. You can check that out after the break.

For anyone who hasn’t experienced this fantastic comic, Y: The Last Man takes place in a not too distant future where a mysterious plague has killed every male mammal on Earth except for a snarky amateur magician, Yorick, and his pet monkey, Ampersand. The series won five Eisner awards and has been become beloved among the comic and literature communities alike.

In addition to Trachtenberg behind the camera, the movie adaptation has a script by Matthew Federman & Stephen Scaia. We can only hope everyone involved can do this epic story justice on the big screen.

Geek & Sundry's Newest Nerdy Additions: 'Space Janitors' and 'On The Table'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  9 Nov. 2012.

YouTube channel Geek & Sundry has announced two new shows premiering next week. On Tuesday, November 13^th, the satirical sci-fi comedy Space Janitors begins. The show follows two custodians, Mike and Darby, who do their best to keep things neat and tidy aboard an evil space station that’s in the middle of an intergalactic war.

Then on Thursday, November 15th On The Table will fill the tabletop gaming void left by Geek & Sundry’s TableTop, which is going on hiatus until January. Hosted by Warren Johnston, On The Table offers gaming fans the latest news and gives them a chance to submit their own tips, videos and more.

Check out teasers for both shows after the break and be sure to visit Geek and Sundry’s channel for more nerdy goodness.

Aspen Comics Announces 2013 Line-up: Lady Mechanika, Soulfire, and '10 for 10'

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  7 Nov. 2012.

Fans of Aspen Comics will be excited to hear what the publisher has in store for 2013. At Long Beach Comic & Horror Con, Aspen announced new volumes for its popular titles Lady Mechanika and Soulfire are set to come out in the New Year. However, the biggest news is that in celebration of their 10th anniversary, Aspen will release a new comic every month starting in February and each comic will only cost a dollar. Yes, a single dollar.

First up in what Aspen is calling “10 for 10” is a new title, Legend of the Shadow Clan, which is a modern ninja tale. Other titles to follow include Shrugged Vol. 2, a new issue of Awaken Skies, Overtaken, and more. New volumes of Aspen’s series Executive Assistant: Assassins, Idolized, Homecoming, Broken Pieces, Fathom Kiani, Dead Man’s Run, and Zooniverse are also in the works. Last but not least, the company’s first novel, The Lost Spark by J.T. Krull (the creator of Soulfire), will be in stores this January.

Check out the cover for two of the “10 for 10” comics, Legend of the Shadow Clan and Shrugged Vol. 2 below and see what Aspen Comics already has available at http://aspencomics.com/books.html.

Check Out ‘Save the Supers’ From Sandeep Parikh and My Damn Channel

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  4 Nov. 2012.

If you crossed the superhero drama and action of The Justice League with the comedy and style of The Office it’s a good bet you’d have a hit. That’s exactly what actor/writer/director Sandeep Parikh has created in his latest web series Save the Supers.

Parikh and the cast and creators of Save the Supers were on hand at Long Beach Comic & Horror Con to talk about how the show came together. Known for writing and directing the popular Comedy Central web series Legend of Neil and for his role as Zaboo on The Guild, Parikh initially created Save the Supers in 2004. It took until 2012 for his idea to truly come to life but now Parikh’s creation is pulling in 50,000 – 75,000 views per episode and it’s easy to see why. With satirical but creative characters and smart, snappy dialogue, the show will resonate not just with comic book lovers but also with anyone who enjoys being entertained.

Save the Supers follows the Super Force as they face down super villains, navigate office romances, and battle their ever-shrinking budget. Check out the season premiere after the break and see more of Save the Supers on My Damn Channel.

'Doctor Who' Episode of 'All-Star Celebrity Bowling' Finally Premieres on Nerdist Channel

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  31 Aug. 2012.

Today Nerdist Industries kicked off it's Doctor Who-eekend with an episode of All-Star Celebrity Bowling featuring Team Nerdist vs. Team Doctor Who. It is the best showdown of geekiness in all of Time and Space. There are fezzes. There are TARDIS bowling balls. There's Wil Wheaton! This is the episode whose preview brought down the house at San Diego Comic-Con. See for yourself it is lives up to its hype.

The rest of Doctor Who-eekend includes the series premiere of Dork Fork with Alton Brown where he'll be cooking up Time and Space themed dishes. Later on Saturday, the Nerdist Channel will feature Chris Hardwick's Q&A with Smith, Gillan, and Executive Producer Carole Skinner from the New York Doctor Who premiere. The Who-eekend concludes with cosplay coverage from Gallifrey One on Just Cos.

Of course you need no more prompts from us to watch the season premiere this Saturday, we have beat that info well into your head. Stay peeled to The Flickcast for any more slivers of Doctor Who info in the coming weeks while part one of the new season gets underway.

Also watch the full episode of All-Star Celebrity Bowling after the jump. The Nerdist really knows how to appeal to the Whovian in us all, enjoy!

First Look at Daniel Day-Lewis In Spielberg’s ‘Abraham Lincoln’

Originally published on TheFlickcast.com.  10 Aug. 2012.

Can British actor Daniel-Day Lewis pull of a convincing Abraham Lincoln? Check out the first officially released image from the upcoming biopic Lincoln after the break and judge for yourself. We've included a previous snapshot of the actor (above) for comparison.

There's no question that Day-Lewis is one of the most versatile actors in Hollywood, but playing the iconic and beloved 16th President of the United States may prove to be his most scrutinized role to date. That being said, the new picture with Lewis in full costume and make-up is incredibly good. Even without the stovepipe hat, Day-Lewis looks very convincing. Let's hope he's just as good on screen as he is in a photo.

Lincoln follows the president in his final four months as the Union comes closer to victory in the Civil War and slavery is abolished. The Dreamworks/Disney film is directed by Steven Spielberg and is due out November 9.