SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2014

WALKING DEAD NEWS
Get your survival kits ready and start scrounging for food — The Walking Dead’s TV universe is officially getting bigger.

In a move that surprises absolutely no one, AMC has officially placed a pilot order for that Walking Dead spinoff series that has been in development since last year. Nothing is known about the plot other than the fact that it won’t be set in Georgia like the main series, and that hasn’t really changed.

But AMC President Charlie Collier did offer a few tantalizing hints about the project, noting that one goal of the pilot is to offer fans a look at what’s happening in other parts of the world:

“Almost from the beginning of The Walking Dead on AMC, fans have been curious about what is going on in the zombie apocalypse in other parts of the world. In fact, beyond requests for zombie cameos, it’s the question I get asked the most. Obviously, we all take our stewardship of the original franchise incredibly seriously and we, along with Robert, Gale, David and now Dave, are all proceeding with extreme care in order to ensure that we are offering fans something truly compelling, engaging and distinct. We’re thrilled to be taking this next step with these remarkable partners.”

The Walking Dead creator Robert Kirkman, along with producers Gale Anne Hurd and David Alpert, are all contributing behind the scenes to bring the spinoff series to life. The network has also hired Dave Erickson (Sons of Anarchy) to serve as showrunner. Ericsson and Kirkman teamed up to write the pilot script, which Entertainment Weekly notes “really impressed” the AMC higher-ups.

As for Kirkman, he’s made the act of being cryptic an absolute art over the past few years, and dropped this shadowy comment about the status of development for the pilot:

“There are many corners of The Walking Dead universe that remain unseen in the shadows. Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill. I know the fans are anxious to hear what Dave and I have been cooking up for this new universe of The Walking Dead, and I’m happy to be one step closer to sharing it with them.”

The new season of The Walking Dead is set to premiere Oct. 12, and the spinoff will likely arrive at some point next year, assuming AMC picks it up. Considering the network practically prints money with the zombie franchise, we think it’s a safe bet we’ll see a lot more from this mystery project next year.

BATMAN BEYOND
It's Bat to the future with Chapter 32 of Batman Beyond 2.0. In the new story arc of the digital first comic, Rewire is out of Arkham and Ghoul is back on the streets and selling modified Joker toxin. Can things get any worse? You can bet on it, because Inque is back and more powerful than ever.

Written by Kyle Higgins and Alec Siegel, with art by Thony Silas, color by Guy Major and cover by Matteo Scalea and Moreno Dinisio, Batman Beyond 2.0 Chapter 32 is available for download tomorrow, Sept. 6. But Blastr has an exclusive look at it today. Check it out and download the comic tomorrow via the DC Comics App, Readdcentertainment.com, iBooks, comiXology.com, Google Play, Kindle Store and Nook Store. If you're more a print fan, Chapter 32 will be collected in Batman Beyond Universe 14, which contains digital comic chapters 29-32 and will hit stands Sept. 24.

GOOD OMENS
Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s fantasy novel Good Omens will finally get a well-deserved adaptation. But there’s a tiny catch.

The geektastic collaboration between two fantasy greats left a strong impression on fans everywhere, establishing Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch as something of a cult favorite and sparking questions as to when, if ever, we might get to see it in another form. So what’s the catch about this adaptation?

It seems Good Omens is NOT going to be adapted for TV or film ... but for radio.

The six-part audio series, which will air on Radio 4, will feature talents from cult TV shows including Sherlock, Merlin, Game of Thrones, Being Human, Shaun of the Dead, Spaced and Peep Show. It's in the very capable hands of Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (the BBC4 radio adaptation, not the 2005 movie) director Dirk Maggs, who also dramatized Gaiman’s novel Neverwhere, featuring a stellar cast including Benedict Cumberbatch, James McAvoy and Natalie Dormer, to critical acclaim.

Mark Heap and Peter Serafinowicz will take centre stage as the angel Aziraphale and demon Crowley respectively. Other actors on board the Radio 4 adaptation include Colin Morgan, Louise Brealey, Clive Russell, Julia Deakin, Simon Jones, Arsher Ali, Phil Davis and Mark Benton. Gaiman and Pratchett will also make cameo appearances.

Good Omens basically tells the story of a fast-approaching apocalypse and the unlikely duo of Aziraphale and Crowley, who are keen to prevent it by killing the Antichrist. But unfortunately, they seem to have mislaid him.

Released in 1990, Good Omens was listed among the BBC’s Big Read Nation’s 100 favorite books, and this is the first time the story has been dramatized, with Maggs adapting the novel with the help of Gaiman.

Good Omens is scheduled to air in December. It will broadcast across a week in five half-hour episodes, culminating in an hourlong final apocalyptic showdown in time for Christmas.

Radio 4 boss Gwyneth Williams said of the project: “I’m delighted to have Neil Gaiman back on Radio 4 -- and this time with Terry Pratchett. I can’t wait to hear what they will do with the apocalypse. The Radio 4 audience loved Neverwhere and Good Omens will be a splendid Christmas treat.”

IRON MAN
Alex Ross has been cranking out some truly stunning artwork to celebrate Marvel's 75th anniversary, with vivid variant covers for Captain America, Daredevil, Savage Hulk, Guardians of the Galaxy and more. This painterly prodigy has been able to distill the extreme essence of the character into each of these engaging artworks. Here's the master's take on Tony Stark and all the iterations of Iron Man, capturing the humanity, anguish and elation of the crimson-and-gold crusader and his alliance with the Avengers for November's Superior Iron Man #1.

Written by Tom Taylor with art by Yildiray Cinar, Superior Iron Man #1 hits the shelves this fall.

THE AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON
A new piece of promotional art for the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron has popped up online (thanks to forum member 'marvel_freshman') and not only gives us a new look at the team in action but a better look at Paul Bettany's The Vision!

Opening in theaters on May 1, 2015, the highly-anticipated sequel also stars Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, James Spader, Cobie Smulders, and Thomas Kretschmann.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2014

Instead, the Doctor pilots the TARDIS to come kind of theme park on another planet. He's angry, Alice is confused, and someone with a green mohawk is about to get in trouble for vandalizing the park. To see more, go to http://www.zap2it.com/blogs/doctor_who_the_eleventh_doctor_no_2_comic_covers_pages-2014-09.

The issue is written by Al Ewing, with art by Simon Fraser. "Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor" number two is in stores Wednesday, Sept. 10.

CONSTANTINE
"Constantine" is adding a character DC comic book fans know very well. "In The Flesh" star Emmett Scanlan has been cast as New Orleans detective Jim Corrigan in a recurring guest role.

IGN is reporting the news, adding that Corrigan would become immersed in John Constantine's supernatural world and be willing to do anything to bring evil to justice. In the comics, Corrigan is eventually murdered and with his avenging spirit returns to Earth as The Spectre.

There's no word on when Corrigan will first appear on the series. "Constantine" premieres Friday, Oct. 24, at 10 p.m. ET/PT on NBC.

THE FLASH
The marketing blitz for Arrow and its spinoff series The Flash is ramping up, and now The CW has released two excellent new trailers to promo the DC superhero projects. The Flash trailer works more to set the tone of the new Arrow spinoff, focusing on the setup of young Barry Allen (Grant Gustin) and his character. We get to see more of his mother’s mysterious, super speed-related death, plus some nice shots of Gustin getting used to his powers and embracing his inner hero. We’ve seen the pilot, and it’s well worth a watch.

Flash premieres Oct. 7, while Arrow returns Oct. 8, to The CW.

THE ZOCALO TODAY

Facebook as well as at ISN News: The Zocalo Today on Yahoo Groups.

Did you miss the news from yesterday -- or earlier in the week. Catch up by going to the August News Archive. I have broken up the huge file into months to make it easier to scan through. It will bring you up to date for all that has been going on in the world of science fiction. Go to:
August News.
July News.
June News.
May News.

ON THE TUBE TONIGHT

8:00pm on FX
Chronicle
Andrew (Dane DeHaan) is a socially awkward, introverted teen whose main form of escape and expression is a video camera. But things begin to change when Andrew, his cousin Matt (Alex Russell) and popular classmate Steve (Michael B. Jordan) discover a mysterious substance that leaves them with incredible powers. As their abilities become more powerful, the teens' lives spin out of control when their darker sides begin to emerge. Andrew's camera captures the unfolding events.

8:00pm on Syfy
Terminator 2: Judgment Day
In this sequel set eleven years after "The Terminator," young John Connor (Edward Furlong), the key to civilization's victory over a future robot uprising, is the target of the shape-shifting T-1000 (Robert Patrick), a Terminator sent from the future to kill him. Another Terminator, the revamped T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger), has been sent back to protect the boy. As John and his mother (Linda Hamilton) go on the run with the T-800, the boy forms an unexpected bond with the robot.

9:00pm on CBS
Unforgettable
Season 3, Episode 11: True Identity
Carrie and Al investigate the murder of a matchmaking service employee.

KEEPING UP WITH CAST AND CREW

SPECIAL EFFECTS FROM BABYLON 5
Leo Laporte's "Triangulation" video podcast this week has a very interesting interview with Jeoffrey Mark, who got his CGI start on Babylon 5, and has gone on to major motion pictures including Spiderman and Serenity, among many others. They talk about his experience on B5, including numerous clips from his B5 demo reel, throughout the interview, and of course also talk about his other projects. This would be of great interest to the B5 community. He even lets slip that he still has digital models of many of the B5 ships backed up at home, and then jokingly tries to backtrack, as if he's not supposed to have them. Pretty funny. The link to the video is http://twit.tv/show/triangulation/165.

TERMINATOR SALVATION: THE FINAL BATTLE #9
The killer Thomas Parnell's control over the Terminator army has brought both Skynet and the human resistance to their knees. With all of John Connor's other allies fallen or displaced in time, only he and the resurrected Marcus Wright remain to stand against this psychotic oppressor!

SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE
Just released: the cover for Superman: Earth One volume 3, which comes out February/March. This volume ties both of the previous books together, answering such questions as who pulled the trigger on Krypton, how the aliens who attacked him in book one were recruited, and deals with the consequences of his decision to knock over (for the greater good) a tyrant running a small island nation. In my admittedly subjective view, this volume is the best of the three.

Here is a quote from J. Michael Straczynski about emotions.
I had this theory that the more important and intimate the emotion, the fewer words are required to express it.

First it's in dating: "Will you go out with me?" Six words.
"Honey, I care for you." Five words.
"You matter to me." Four words.
"I love you." Three words.
"Marry me." Two words.
But what's left? What's the one most important and intimate word you can ever say to somebody? It's "goodbye."

While Michael O'Hare (Sinclair), Andreas Katsulas (G'Kar), Rick Biggs (Dr. Franklin), Tim Choate (Zathras) and Jeff Conoway (Zach Allen) are no longer with us, we will not forget their wonderful personalities and talent -- as well as their significant contributions to the BABYLON 5 universe. Be sure to visit In Memory Of for more information about memorial efforts.
Until we met again, in a place where no shadows fall.

BABYLON 5 BIRTHDAYS

SEPTEMBER
Judy Levitt (Mrs. Walter Koenig) - September 1 (Unnamed Psi Cop in "A Race Through Dark Places" and "Dust to Dust")
Pat Tallman - September 4
Cinzia Zanetti - September 5
Robin Atkin Downes - September 6
Mira Furlan - September 7
Walter Koenig - September 14
Paul Williams - September 19
Robert Rusler - September 20
Gary Cole - September 20
Bear Burge - September 23
Jason Carter - September 23
Manny Case - September 23

Have I missed anyone? If you know the birthday of someone connected with Babylon 5, pass the information along. We want to include everyone in our Happy Birthday Wishes.

THE HOLLYWOOD SCI-FI MUSEUM
Here's a project you may want to get involved with!
About the Project:
New Starship Foundation, the nonprofit behind the Enterprise-D Bridge Restoration, with board members including the greatest talents in science fiction, presents THE HOLLYWOOD SCIENCE FICTION MUSEUM. This will be the first museum in the world to exclusively show the history of sci-fi films, TV, art and literature through props, sets and costumes, as well as show advancements in space travel and teach Real Science through Science Fiction. It will be an interactive museum with fully immersive environments and touch screens that will incorporate old and new footage from actors, filmmakers and NASA astronauts and scientists, and will present both the fact and fiction of sci-fi. This will eventually teach Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) based education in a fun new way to all ages. The museum will include exhibits from: Star Trek, Star Wars, Doctor Who, 2001, Alien, Metropolis, Thunderbirds, Firefly, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Stargate, Blake's 7, Ghostbusters, Farscape, The Time Machine, Godzilla, X-Men, Avengers, Superman, Planet of the Apes, Back to the Future, Day the Earth Stood Still, V, Batman, Six Million Dollar Man, Bionic Woman, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, as well as Fantasy like Lord of the Rings, Labyrinth, Legend, Munsters, Herbie the Love Bug, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Dark Crystal, Game of Thrones, Anime like Akira and Speed Racer, and anything else we can fit within our walls.

This Kickstarter is to acquire the funds to develop our 2015 Hollywood Sci Fi Museum, which will be smaller than the future museum, but still significant and unique. This "concept art" of the giant Millennium Falcon and Enterprise-D is for our 2018 Hollywood Sci Fi Museum.

Go to http://www.hollywoodscifi.org/ for more information.

BABYLON 5 MUSIC VIDEOS AND TRIBUTES

John Hudgens has created many Babylon 5 videos, but I believe this is the most moving. It was first shown at the Phoenix Comic Con 20th Anniversary and honors many of the Babylon 5 family who have passed on.

Here is a link to John's Babylon 5 videos:
https://www.youtube.com/user/Babylon5MusicVideos?feature=watch

Richard Biggs memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyD4L8yNtsA

Andreas Katsulas memorial: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2UQ2l9NPIg

- This is the extended version that I did for Andreas' widow ater the original cut was released on the net. It's never been seen online until now.

For those of you who've never seen these, I hope you enjoy them - and for those that have (and emailed me many times over the years about releasing them), I hope they're as good as you remember. Working with Joe on these videos was one of the highlights of my career, and I'll be forever grateful to him for the doors these have opened for me. I'm proud to have them on my resume.

John Hudgens
www.zteamproductions.com

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HAWAII CON
Dates: September 12-14, 2014
Place: Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, Hawaii
Babylon 5 Guests: Pat Tallman, Claudia Christian, Walter Koenig
Other Guests from Stargate Atlantis, Battlestar Galactica, Games of Thrones and more
For more information, go to www.hawaiicon.com.

CRYSTAL COAST CON
Date: October 18, 2014
Place: Mac Daddys Family Entertainment Facility, Cape Carteret, NC
B5 Guests: Pat Tallman and Bill Blair
Pat will be a media signing guest. The facility located at 130 Golfin Dolphin Dr., Cape Carteret, NC 28584
For more information, go to http://www.crystalcoastcon.com/.

LONDON FILM AND COMIC CON WINTER
Dates: October 18-19, 2014
Place: Earls Court 2, Old Brompton Road, SW5 9TA
Guests: Katee Sackhoff, Nicola Bryant, Ralph Macchio, Christopher Cousins, Colin Baker, David Prowse and many more
For more information, go to http://www.londonfilmandcomiccon.com/

Spooky's Ultimate Horror Weekend
Dates: Oct. 24-26, 2014
Place: Doubletree Universal Studios, Orlando, FL 32819
Guests:
Michael Rooker - Walking Dead & Jeremiah; Stephen Pearcy - Ratt; Dee Wallace Stone - ET & Cuju; Tyler Mane - Halloween & X Men, and Tobin Bell - Dexter
For more information, go to http://www.spookyempire.com/.

MALTA COMIC EXPO
Dates: October 31-November 2, 2014
Place: Mediterranean Conference Center, Valletta, Malta
Guests: Richard Piccardo, Dirk Benedict,Silvester McCoy and many more
For more information, go to http://maltacomicsexpo.com/.

MAGIC CITY COMIC CON
Dates: January 16-18, 2015 Place: Miami Airport Convention Center
Comic Guests: John Romita, Jr., Allen Bellman, Adelso Corona, Greg Kirkpatrick, Dan Scott
For more information, go to http://www.magiccitycomiccon.com/.

STEEL CITY CON
Dates: December 5-7, 2014
Place: Monroeville Convention Center, Monroeville, PA
Guests: Linda Blair, Henry Winkler, Michael Dorn, Peter Mayhew, Terry Farrell, John Wesley Shippe, and more.
For more information, go to http://www.steelcitycon.com/.

FED-CON 24
Dates: May 21-24, 2015
Place: Maritim Hotel, Dusseldorf, Germany
Guests: Sam Jones, Aaron Douglas, Grant Bowler and more to come
For more information, go to http://www.fedcon.de/en/.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS!
Wizard World Conventions has a large number of events planned for the year. Be sure to visit the page to see if there is a convention of interest near you.

Creation Entertainment has a large number of conventions planned for the next several months. They include stars from TWILIGHT, SUPERNATURAL, STARGATE, FARSCAPE, XENA, SERENITY, STAR TREK, etc. Check out their calendar to see if one will be in your neighborhood soon. Don't miss their Videos page as well. It is full of some priceless video from a number of conventions.

Be sure to visit the referenced sites to see if there have been changes in dates/guests attending. Visit our Convention Calendar for a full listing of upcoming conventions.

BACK ISSUES OF THE ZOCALO TODAY

The front page of the The Zocalo Today changes daily, so be sure to check the back issues to make sure that you haven't missed anything IMPORTANT! I hope you will become a regular visitor to The Zocalo Today!

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Take care and I look forward to hearing from you.
Sandra Bruckner (sgbruckner@aol.com)
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net
Copyright - SBruckner, 1999-2014