Your Linc at Lunch: "Magnitude" Ackbar Mini-Bust, Life in the Whedonverse, Zelda Fan Film, and More!

Rainy days are perfect for sitting in, kicking back, and finding out what's going on around the internet. Let's dive in to your Linc at Lunch:

1. "Magnitude" Admiral Ackbar Mini-Bust is....Simply....Amazing

Gentle Giant has revealed their exclusive mini-bust for San Diego Comic Con. And it...is....epic:

It's a trap! A fancy, fancy trap.

Based on the artwork of Steven Daily, "Magnitude" shows Admiral Ackbar in his finest regalia, ready to lead the Rebellion to victory...and then perhaps a fancy dress party. It also comes with a beautiful wooden case.

Perfect for storing some Mon Cal Brandy!

The mini-bust will be on sale for $175 but Premiere Guild members can pre-order it now!

2. Much Ado About Everyone: Joss Whedon Assembles His All-Star Friends for Shakespeare

Joss Whedon might have some of the coolest friends around. His actors from current and former shows and movies are fiercely loyal to him and are often seen in more than one of his productions. Today, his latest film, Much Ado About Nothing brings many of the familiar faces from Buffy, Firefly, The Avengers and more to the big screen in a black-and-white adaptation of Shakespeare's classic tale. Buzzfeed has an incredible and in-depth interview with many of the actors, and the man himself, detailing their fondness for each other and their absolute faith in Joss.

He also, apparently, had the power to insert them all into the opening credits for Doctor Who.

I think the most amazing part of all of this is that the movie was based on semi-regular Shakespeare read-throughs at Whedon's home, where the movie was adapted, shot, and produced in only 12 days! Only the sheer awesome power of the Whe-Don could get that done!

You can also check a SXSW 2013 Panel on the film here:




3. It's Dangerous To Go Alone...But It Might Be More Dangerous If Someone Was With You

YouTube user CorridorDigital has released an incredible video featuring Link as he battles his dark side. Incredibly shot, edited, and coreographed, I would shell out a few rupees to see a longer version of this in theaters.



4. Going My Way? Poster Details All The Famous Cars in Geekdom

"Star Cars", by artist Scott Park is an incredible compilation of 77 of the most famous rides around Can you name them all? Larger version here.

Your Evening Linc: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., KOTOR On the iPad, Doctor Who Twelfth Doctor & Series 8, and Red Wedding Reactions

Evenin' all. What better way to spend a cool summer night than reading up on the latest from the 'net?

1. Joss Whedon Talks "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." 

Who needs the Avengers?

The Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss his new, upcoming series "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Among other things, Joss teased about the gravity of Agent Coulson's resurrection:

“Well, it’s a very interesting explanation… We’re gonna earn it, that’s not something you take lightly.”

He also stressed the importance that the show stand on its own, so as not to alienate new viewers or cheapen the show by over-referencing the movies. The Whe-Don (to continue the Godfather analogies) was also asked about the identity of actor J. August Richards, who will appear as the first new baddie of the series.

“I’m not going to say who he’s playing, but he’s certainly cranky as you can tell from the trailer. It’s great, he came in to guest star and he tears it up. He’s got that kind of energy, he’s so much fun, and such a lovely guy.”

 We'll see just how lovely (or not) he is when "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D" (I am getting way too good at typing that fast) hits the small screen in September.

2. liGht Side vs Dark: Knights of the Old Republic Comes to the iPad

In 2003, Knights of the Old Republic revolutionized gaming and paved the way for RPG's like World of Warcraft and Mass Effect where your choices had consequences for your character and the story. Now, to celebrate its 10th Anniversary, StarWars.com has announced that KOTOR is now available on the iPad. In a statement on the offical site, Aspyr VP of Publishing Elizabeth Howard said:

"Being able to bring one of the most beloved Star Wars games to iPad for such a momentous event is an incredible honor....We have a long history at Aspyr of bringing the best games to Apple platforms, and as bona fide fans of the original release, we've worked to ensure that Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic for iPad lives up to its prodigious reputation."

Set 4,000 years before the time of the Rebellion against the Empire, Knights of the Old Republic pits the armies of the Jedi and Sith in an epic struggle for the fate of the galaxy. It also introduced the immensely popular characters Darth Malak, Darth Revan, and Jedi Bastila Shan. So hop on your iPad (because who are we kidding, if you're reading this odds are you have one), download the game, and prepare to take control of your customizable character in an effort to save (or conquer) that galaxy far far away, a much much longer time ago.

3. Doctor Who Series 8 Confirmed for August 2014

Amid all the hubub regarding the departure of Matt Smith, the BBC has announced that Series 8 of Doctor Who will premiere in August of 2014. According to recent reports there will be twelve episodes the will run without interruption, giving fans the opportunity to become comfortable with the incoming Twelfth Doctor.

And speaking of Number Twelve, Radio Times has reported that we will know the name of the next Time Lord as early as next month!

"The new Doctor could be handed the keys to the TARDIS as early as next month, BBC sources have confirmed – with insiders suggesting Matt Smith’s replacement needs to be announced before the Doctor Who Christmas special begins filming next month.

It would be virtually impossible to keep the identity of the new doctor a secret even if the entire set went into lockdown during filming of the Christmas special, a BBC source told RadioTimes.com.

“The search has begun in earnest and is active now,” the source said, adding that the BBC has not ruled out hiring a woman to replace Matt Smith."

Series 8 begins filming this fall. Now, let's get ready to speculaaaaate!

 4. Nice Day For A....Red Wedding: The World Reacts

If you're like me and haven't read any of the books on which Game of Thrones is based, you are still trying to get over the horrific and deeply upsetting events of last Sunday's episode "The Rains of Castamere" which featured the plot-toppling event known as "The Red Wedding". No spoilers here if you haven't seen it, but this clip of various viewers' reactions should be a clue that you're in for something truly mind-bending, gut-wrenching, and scream-inducing:


I'm still trying to close my mouth. What a fantastic, bloody episode!


And that's all the news that's fit to blog for tonight. Til' next time.

- Joe

Linc for Your Commute: Yoda Wins Star Wars Madness, Dark Horse's Future, Doctor Who News, and S.H.I.E.L.D

Good morning, one and all! It seems like Spring has finally sprung in the Big Apple. And there's plenty of buzz in the air about this morning's geek-related news.

1. Yoda Wins Star Wars Madness, Does Several Hundred Backflips in a Row

Size matters not....punk.

Everyone's favorite Jedi Master turned swamp-dweller is the winner of this year's first Star Wars Madness! He handily beat Darth Vader by a margin of 60%-40%, a whooping decades in the making. And so, for the next 365 days, His Greenness has been declared the most popular Star Wars character. Check out the full bracket and stats, as well as Vader's lament, over at StarWars.com

2. Dark Horse Comics Founder and Editor Talk "The Star Wars" and the Fate of the Franchise At Dark Horse

With the acquisition of Lucasfilm by Disney, many have been wondering whether or not future Star Wars comic titles will continue to be published by Dark Horse Comics, or return to their ancestral homeland of Marvel. Dark Horse founder Mike Richardson and editor Randy Stradley recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to discuss that as well as the latest (and yet oldest) outing into the GFFA. In terms of future titles, Richardson had this to say:

"We have it for the foreseeable future, though, so we’re just going about business as usual. It is what it is. Look, from day-one we always knew it was a possibility that someday we might not have the license. We’re prepared for it. We have other franchises to move into that space, but we got involved with publishing in part because we loved Star Wars and so sure it’ll be disappointing on a business level, but probably more disappointing on a personal level."

And while a decision seems to be a bit of a ways off (Stradley says they'll hear by next year), we know that this summer we will see a comic book adaptation of George Lucas' original draft of "The Star Wars". 

The Starkiller Family

The story is familiar yet different all at the same time. We'll see an older General Luke Skywalker, the hero Annikin Starkiller, the planet Utapau, a decidedly un-Sithly Darth Vader, a lizard-like alien named Han Solo, and the epic struggle between the Jedi Bendu and the Knights of Sith. I read the original script a while back and it really took hold of my imagination, but it was a little hard to follow simply on the page. I can't wait to read this come September.

3. Doctor Who 50th News and "Cold War" Trailer

New cast members keep cropping up for the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special. Jemma Redgrave will reprise her role as Kate Stewart, the daughter of longtime ally Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (played by the late, incomparable Nicholas Courtney), and current head of UNIT. Also cast as a UNIT scientist (and apparent in-universe fan), Ingrid Oliver will be playing a character called Osgood (any link to Oswald?). Here she is walking with the Doctor wearing a pretty familiar-looking scarf:

Tom Baker's looking good these days

More pictures from the set show Matt Smith hanging on for dear life to the underside of the TARDIS as Jenna-Louise Coleman looks on. UNIT forces have converged by the Tower of London (apparently their new base of operations)...but are they there to help or arrest the Doctor?

It stinks when you can't have fun at work...

"Heyyy guys....what's up?"

You can also check out a behind the scenes video of Jemma, Ingrid, and Jenna-Louise and some impressive Tower guards on location here:



And one more video for you to feast your eyes upon. Check out the latest trailer for this Saturday's episode "Cold War". The Doctor seems to have overshot Las Vegas and landed on a nuclear submarine that is being attacked by an Ice Warrior (or, more politically correctly, a native Martian).



 In the classic series they spoke in creepy whispers, but this one seems to be imitating Dr. Claw from Inspector Gadget. "I'll get you next time Doctor, next time!"

4. Joss Whedon's S.H.I.E.L.D. TV Series Gets New Title and Description

The self-proclaimed Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe, Joss Whedon, has been pretty busy as of late. His latest project, a TV series following the adventures of Agent Coulson (Clak Gregg) and his team has a new name and description. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D has yet to be picked up by ABC, but it seems extremely likely that the deal will be done in the near future. Here is the new synopsis:

"Joss Whedon shows us not all heroes are super with “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. 

Fresh from his role in the summer’s box office smash, Marvel’s The Avengers, Agent Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) returns to the worldwide law enforcement organization S.H.I.E.L.D. He puts together a small, highly trained, team of Agents to tackle the cases that haven’t been classified yet, the new, the strange and the unknown. That team consists of straight arrow Agent Grant Ward (Brett Dalton), an expert in combat and espionage; pilot and martial artist Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen); and brilliant if socially awkward scientists Agent Leo Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) and Agent Jemma Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge). They’ll be joined by civilian new recruit and computer hacker Skye (Chloe Bennet). 

Prepare for an epic adventure that showcases the hope and wonder of the human spirit. This is a world of Super Heroes, aliens and the unusual – of action, spectacle and world spanning stories. The show will speak to the human condition through the lens of our very human, non-powered S.H.I.E.L.D agents – that together we are greater than we are apart, and that we can make a difference in the world.
Executive Produced and co-written by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen (“Dollhouse,” “Dr.Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog”), Jeffrey Bell (“Angel,” “Alias”) and Jeph Loeb (“Smallville,” “Lost,” “Heroes”) comes Marvel’s first live-action TV series, “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”

As reported in an earlier post, Coulson has gotten a full-on resurrection and I can't wait to see how the sharp-tongued world-policing agent will use his second chance at life.

Just lots and lots of sass. 

And that's it for now, friends. Hope you all have a safe trip home!

-Joe

Linc-prechaun: New Doctor Who Trailer, Star Wars books, Whedon Talks Firefly, Jurassic Park 4, and More!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Thanks for coming to my side of the rainbow. I've got some cool stuff for you today:

1. New Doctor Who Trailers, Clips, and Posters

As we count down the days until Doctor Who returns (Literally. Look to your right), the folks at the BBC are treating us to a whole bucketload of a new trailers, clips, and posters. The trailers show a lot of the people and places we'll see as the Doctor tries to answer the question (no, not that Question) of just who exactly Clara is. And it looks like a lot of old and new villains will be out to get the Time Lord and his new companion. The first trailer is below, the second is over at Entertainment Weekly and can't be embedded.

 

And next up is a preview clip from the first new episode, The Bells of St. John. And frankly, I've had it with these Dalek-fightin Time Lords on this Gallifreyan plane!

Is it just me or is Eleven's sonic screwdriver look a little more blue than green this time around? And finally, we have the posters for the upcoming episodes, which look like they could be movies in that episode's genre (the Rings of Alkhaten, in particular, looks like an Indiana Jones poster!)

"I am a Doctor Who fan......and I am excited!"

2. New Star Wars books feature Maul, Old Ben, nd Shakespearian Droids!

It promises to be a big year for Star Wars novels. Sith Lords, Crazy Old Wizards, R2-D2 doing soliloquies, and a whole lot more. Here's a glimpse at what's coming up:

Maul: Lockdown

Because this worked so well with Hannibal Lecter

Joe Schreiber is penning a novel that ties in directly with James Luceno's groundbreaking Darth Plagueis novel. That's all we know for now, but since the Clone Wars series ended, fans will be clamoring for more Maul. 

Star Wars: Kenobi

He's thinking "Why couldn't the Lars' live on Naboo?"

I'm just going to let the blurb say it all.

"In this original novel set between the events of Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi comes to the aid of the residents of Tatooine during his exile. But he struggles with his new mission when he realizes that protecting Luke Skywalker-the last hope of the galaxy-means setting aside his compassion and his Jedi warrior training, for the future of the galaxy lies not with Obi-Wan Kenobi, but with a mystical recluse known only by the name of Crazy Old Ben."

Star Wars: Shakespeare

Search-eth thine feelings, thou wilst know it to be sooth!

Verily! Head on over to TheForce.net for more on this book that combines the vision of the Maker with the words of the Bard!

3. When Joss Whedon Talks Firefly, You Listen

Joss Whedon is over the moon at the prospect of a Kickstarter funded Veronica Mars movie. But he knows that the next question will be: "萤火虫呢?"  (For those of you not from the 'verse, that means "What about Firefly?") His answer is as brilliant as the man himself:

"Couple years from now, when Nathan [Fillion]'s no longer [on] Castle and I'm no longer the Tom Hagen of the Marvel Universe and making a giant movie, we might look and see where the market is then. But right now, it's a complete non-Kickstarter for me."

"You motivation is: You're still canceled."

Now see if we had hired a war-time director, a Sicilian....Anyway, read more of the interview here at Buzzfeed.

4. Jurassic Park 4 Gets A New Director

You can't stop it. Jurassic Park 4 is happening and the man behind the camera will be Colin Trevorrow. Trevorrow is the director of the award-winning indie movie Safety Not Guaranteed, and was a rumored contender to direct Episode VII. The film is set to hit theaters in June 2014.

Jurassic Park 4: How T-Rex Got Her Groove Back

That's all for now, guys! Stay tuned to the Missing Linc for more geekery as it comes out. But before you go, a blessing for you on this St. Patrick's Day:

May the Jedi protect you
May the light side keep you
May the dark side not tempt you
May the Force Be With You

-Joe