RECAP/REVIEW: ‘The Walking Dead’ – S04E02 – ‘Infected’

The prison awakens to the fallout of Patrick's zombification in what is one of the most gruesome episodes of The Walking Dead we've seen in quite some time. 'Infected,' written by Angela Kang, shows that this season will live up to the high standard set by the premiere episode. In fact, season 4 might be better and more terrifying than season 3. (Spoilers ahead)

(I repeat here there be SPOILERS.)

Guys. Guys. We need to talk about the opening of this episode because, dear Cthulhu, was it masterful.

'Infected' opened with the perfect homage to traditional horror movies.

Karen leaves Tyrese's cell, after declining to have sex with him, and heads back to her own room. She wandering in the dark with only a flashlight when she hears a noise. The audience know it's Zombie!Patrick (Vincent Martella) and we're yelling at our TVs "Don't go that way, Karen! Run Karen!" as she searches through a dark and creepy prison bathroom to find the source of the noise.

She doesn't find anything though and goes to her room. Zombie!Patrick is awake now and hungry for brains. We think this is the moment Karen bites it (or gets bitten), but that doesn't happen for one very specific reason. Karen and Tyrese didn't have sex, so of course she can't die now. She's still "pure!"

I loved this opening. It was clever and gave the audience a little bit of levity before the horror that was to come.

And what horror it was. We get lingering close-ups of Patrick chowing down on intestines and in a terrifying chain reaction one zombie rises after the other. The attack was frenetic and intense. You couldn't tell what was going on, who was alive, who was dead.

This was the kind of episode where you hold your breath the entire time and even when it's done, you still aren't sure if it's safe to breathe.

Even the quieter moments of this episode are rife with tension.

Carol (Melissa McBride) tends to the wounds of Ryan, who was bitten on the arm. As she prepares to amputate, she discovers that he was also bitten on the neck. Her interaction with a dying Ryan is so moving. Her compassion mixed with his fear makes the tragedy palpable.

Sometimes with this show the situations are so over the top that you lose the human element. This scene was quiet. This scene let you feel their reality. It got even more emotional when Carol brings his children in to say goodbye. One of his daughters offers to be the one to kill her father. She panics at the last minute and falls apart and Carol follows through.

This scene affected me more than Carl killing Lori. Perhaps because it was a quieter and simpler scene. As with Carl, the death of a parent sets these children up for a new path in life. They are no longer children. Later in the episode, these girls embrace Carol's teachings and take ownership of their roles as zombie slayers.

The true horror of this episode isn't in who died, it's in the cause of the infection. The zombie virus hasn't gone airborne. It's something else. It's a flu-like virus that spreads and kills fast.

Nearly everyone has been exposed.

To contain the virus, the council quarantines everyone who might be infected. This separates Carl and Rick from Judith. The show doesn't focus much on Judith, because Little Ass Kicker's still too small to slay zombies, but she's not too small to bring more layers to Michonne's character.

When Big Ass Kicker meets Little Ass Kicker it doesn't go so well at first. Michonne appears disgusted by the baby. She refuses to hold her or even to look at her. Beth, as a member of the ever intuitive Greene family, knows that Michonne needs to let go of whatever emotional weight she is carrying. She thrusts Judith into Michonne's arms and walks out of the room. It takes a moment, but Michonne puts down her guard, nuzzles the child and begins to weep. Judith, who was in the midst of a tantrum, stops crying in Michonne's arms.

We know that "guarded" is Michonne's (Danai Gurira) middle name, but she has softened throughout the show. She has a warm relationship with Rick and Carl, so why was she so resistant to Judith? Will we be subjected the trope of "the emotionally guarded woman who lost a child" or is the story more complex?

I'm hoping for the more complex answer.

Speaking of complex, let's talk about Rick. Sheriff Rick became Farmer Rick after the events of last season. Farmer Rick has hope. Farmer Rick isn't a dick. Farmer Rick loves pigs, cucumbers and protecting his son. He walls himself off from tragedy (aka reality).

The walls literally come crashing down on Farmer Rick when the zombies attack the fence. The attack is so forceful that the fence nearly collapses. Much like the outbreak scene in the beginning of this episode, this one is chaotic.

We do learn one key piece of information during the chaos. Someone is feeding the zombies rats.

There is no holding back the zombies at this point. The only thing left is to distract them. Rick must sacrifice something he loves - his hope for a new beginning - his pig farm.

On paper, I imagine a scene where a farmer feeds his pigs to zombies wouldn't read as emotional, but on screen, it was a punch to the gut. The anguish on Andrew Lincoln's face was so visceral. His sacrifice pays off and the zombies move away from the fence long enough for them to repair it. The fix is temporary, of course. The zombies are back at the fence at the end of the episode.

The prison dwellers have three things to worry about now: An impending zombie invasion, a spreading infection and a traitor in their midst. The episode ends with the double murder of Karen and another of the group. They were both burned alive, but by whom? Had they succumbed to the virus before they were killed? Was it a mercy killing or is someone tormenting our band of survivors?

I'm more inclined to believe it's the latter. But is it one person or a group of people?

With all of these variables out there, one thing is clear - there is no saving the prison. It's doomed.

Here's another thing to think about before next week: Farmer Rick dies in this episode and the ghost of Sheriff Rick is also put to rest. So which incarnation of Rick will we get next week? He will undoubtedly be back to a leadership role, but to what extent? How different will it be from past seasons?

So many questions. How do you think they will be answered?

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9 on AMC.

The Top Ten Mistakes People Make Introducing Others to Their Favorite Fandom

We've all been there, loving a television show, video or role-playing game, book or comic book series so much that we just want to share the joy we've found with others. Often, this leaves us standing on the cliffs edge, possibly even putting our relationships with family and friends in jeopardy. How can you avoid the perils and pitfalls of introducing your friends and family to your fandom?

Nobody wants to be that guy or gal who can't handle his or her own fandom intensity, so it's important to take the following things into consideration before you simply throw them into the deep end of the fandom pool.

1. Incorrectly Matching Their Interests With One of Your Fandoms:

Sometimes, things just are not destined to go together. Not every accidental collision is as successful a meet-up as the peanut butter and chocolate in a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. You'll probably have a feeling in your gut about whether or not the person you are thinking of introducing your fandom to will be receptive. Follow that feeling, continuously pounding a square peg in a round hole will only bring you and your soon to be ex-friend misery.

Remember, just because your friend likes cars, doesn't mean they're going to want to watch four seasons of Knight Rider with you. Now if your friend likes cars, and owns a David Hasselhoff album, you've probably discovered a new Knight Rider fandom member.

Timing is another consideration. For those who love cosplaying, Halloween is a great time of the year to be an ambassador of your fandom. What better way to introduce your friend or family member to cosplay than by helping them build a kick ass Halloween costume for that party or day at the office?

2. Too Much at Once:

This usually results in the person you're introducing your fandom to feeling like a trapped animal, ready to gnaw their own foot off to get out off the bear trap you've thrown them in. Consider yourself the doctor of your fandom, you've got to be careful in the beginning not to overdose your patient.

Sitting down to watch an entire season in one sitting might just be too much, spread it out, enjoy the periods between so everyone can digest what they've seen and learned. Don't forget that one huge part of fandom is that period between episodes, movies, or books where everyone talks about what they think will happen next. Don't capriciously remove that part of the experience.

3. Not Preparing Before Hand:

You want their first experiences to be trouble and care free. If you want someone to enjoy grilling steaks, you shouldn't make them start with the hard and dirty work of butchering the cow.

The best example of this type of problem is in gaming, D&D to be specific. Not having things set up to help keep the game moving, taking too long to help them create a character from scratch instead of giving them a partially completed character, not having the material needed at hand and wasting time digging in your game closet for that one book you MUST have, can easily push the one person you want to enjoy the experience into a coma like state in which they may never recover.

4. Assuming They Know Things/Treating Them Like They Know Nothing:

Unless their name is Jon Snow, you can't treat them like they know nothing, even if they don't know anything, people don't like that.

(Click picture for link to artist)

There's a fine line between teaching and condescension, if you're not careful, you can cross that line. You can never be sure what other knowledge they might bring to the table, sure they may have never seen an episode of Doctor Who, but that doesn't mean they have no clue about the theoretical perils of time travel. Encourage questions, don't stifle them by jumping the gun and telling them everything. The thrill of discovery is a powerful motivating force. Don't be the person that reminds them of that awful nun with a ruler.

5. Trouncing Them Repeatedly Before They Get a Chance to Learn:

This one is more about gaming than anything else. You've finally gotten someone you care about to play that video, board, or collectible card game with you and you proceed to beat the crap out of them at each and every opportunity, using all the skills you've learned from countless hours of play time.

The same goes for any gaming situation. Loading your Magic the Gathering deck with all the special cards and tricks, while your friend or family member new to the game uses a starter deck that has no chance against yours, will not be fun for them. On the other hand, if you both use starter decks, you can teach not only the mechanics of the game and some of the strategies behind winning moves, but you can both have a good time. Just remember that smile on Master Po's face when Kwai Chang grasped the pebble from his hand. That was the pay off for countless hours of teaching, not lording his skills over his pupil.

6. Inadvertently Spoiling the Big Events in the Fandom:

This one can be one of the easiest rules to break and the hardest to prevent. Your friend or family member is talking about how bad a character is and you unintentionally tell them not to worry, and proceed to spill the beans on how that bad character gets their just deserts in the end, ruining what could be a defining moment in your friend of family member's entry into your favorite fandom.

Just be aware of the danger and remind yourself of what possible spoilers are ahead, preparing yourself will help you preserve the surprise. Imagine your ready to let the child of your loins watch Star Wars. You know you're going to start with Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope because that's what good Star Wars parents do. Now imagine accidentally robbing your child of the experience of seeing that scene in Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back when Luke learns who his father is. You're the one whose going to scream right after you ruin it.

*One quick side note. If you intentionally spoil a big event in the fandom. You're a Grade-A-Douchebag, and deserve a metaphorical kick in the genitals. Hell, you deserve an actual kick in the genitals. I'm available to deliver you said kick at your friend or family member's convenience.

7. Making Everything About the Relationship About the Fandom:

If the only thing you have to talk about with that friend or family member is something about the fandom, there's something wrong with that relationship. Fandom should be about sharing, not just the things about that fandom you love, but about yourself and other interests. It's basic human relations, if you only want to talk about one thing, they'll quickly grow bored with your company.

8. Making it More About Hating Other Fandoms Than Loving Your Fandom:

If you love this, you can't like that. You'd be surprised how often this kind of thing crops up, at least those of you who've never been on the Internet at any time in the last 20 years will be surprised. Too often these days fandoms devolve into groups bent on destroying or mocking other fandoms, all because they can't get over the fact that someone can like something different, or in addition, to what they like. It's one of the generally known dirty little secrets of the Nerd and Geek community.

9. Not Being Open or Receptive to Their Fandom:

Once you've gotten them started, their going to want to return the favor. It's natural, how many times does someone recommend something to you and your response is to offer your own favorite thing right back at them? Now I'm not saying you have to like whatever fandom they're pushing at you, just be as open to their fandom as you hope they are to yours.

10. Not Seeing, or Accepting the Signs That They Don't Like Your Fandom:

This last one dovetails with the first, Incorrectly Matching Their Interests With One of Your Fandoms. You've gotten past the first hurdle and introduced your friend or family member to your fandom, but you don't see the signs right in front of you. You've blinded yourself to the possibility that they won't like it. Now your just pounding that square peg into that round hole. Sometimes it's more important to know when to stop, because no fandom is worth a good friendship or family relationship. Fandoms should bring you together, not drive you apart.

Editorial: Is ‘Firefly’ Dark Horse’s ‘Star Wars’ Back-Up Plan?

Last month, we told you about the return of Firefly - in comic book form - to the known verse, but we didn't know when the book would touch down, or who would be piloting it. Thanks to the deluge of info coming out of this weekend's New York Comic Con, now we do, but beyond a continuation of Firefly's legacy, is this project the perfect back-up plan to guard against the defection of Star Wars?

Dark Horse Comics has announced that Zach Whedon has been tabbed to take the reigns as writer on the (as of now) six issue series, teaming up with Buffy Season 8 & 9 artist Georges Jeanty. This isn't just a case of nepotism, though. Zach, like Whedon's other, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. co-showrunning brother Jed, is an accomplished writer in his own right, scripting three episodes of Fringe, co-creating Dr. Horrible, and writing Terminator and Firefly comics (co-writing The Shepherd's Tale) previously.

In an interview with Nerdist, Whedon talked about building on the existing story, brother Joss' involvement (it doesn't sound like he's heavily involved, at all), the abandonment of the once planned Inara deathly illness, and the absence - in this new series - of both the Blue Sun corporation, and more crushingly, Hoban Washburne (so, that gaping chest wound is insurmountable, but Phil Coulson's can be healed with a band-aid?) - who, according to Whedon, will not really appear in flashbacks.

Here's Whedon on the absence of Wash:

"I called it that (Serenity: Leaves on the Wind) because I felt like it was a way to honor Wash and the effect his death had on the crew. They are still reeling from that event in many ways, and beyond that they are drifting a bit, pushed all over the verse by forces out of their control."

Whedon also indicates that there won't be many hi-jinks in the new book as the crew deals with the aftermath of the events that occurred at the end of Serenity, the cinematic follow-up to the Firefly TV series - namely, their outing of the Alliance's wrong doing and the origin of the Reavers.

Here's the synopsis for the book:

"As the series begins, Mal and the crew are recouping from their recent strike against the sinister interplanetary government, The Alliance, in which they exposed government agencies as those responsible for the creation of the Reavers - the scourge of the universe. With River Tam in the co-pilot chair and a very pregnant Zoe reeling from the death of her husband, Wash, Mal is finding himself and his ship in greater danger than ever."

So, can this work?

That depends on your perspective, but Dark Horse and Whedon don't seem to be charting a course that goes right through the fan service sweet spot.

It would have been so much easier and more certainly successful if they had, drenching this thing with Wash flashbacks, given us a familiar and unresolved villain like Blue Sun, and gone more toward the familiar tone of the show, allowing Browncoats to be greasy chinned, fat, and happy from their fast food meal. But in putting the crew on the run, with a series of fractures running right through them, Whedon flies closer to where the show would have likely gone had the dear and fluffy lord answered all of our prayers and delivered a new series unto us after the film - and that makes them mighty. It also makes me more interested in where this is going - assuming it goes beyond these first six issues, though the possibility of this becoming a monthly series flies in the face of Dark Horse's previous views on the idea.

When I spoke to Dark Horse editor Scott Allie two years ago at New York Comic Con I asked him about making a monthly Firefly comic, and he told me:

"Not a monthly title. We don't have any interest. It'd be great to do commercially, but creatively that's not where we're headed."

So, why the change of heart?

Two things have happened since I spoke with Allie: the Firefly tenth anniversary celebration generated a lot of buzz and interest in the brand's beautiful corpse, and Disney (owners of Marvel Comics and all of their fiefdom) bought Star Wars, prompting fears that Dark Horse could lose their Star Wars license to Marvel (the initial home of Star Wars comics).

Back in December, there was a rumor that the transfer was set in stone, but since then, Dark Horse has launched two high profile Star Wars projects - Brian Wood's Star Wars film continuation and The Star Wars, an adaptation of George Lucas' original concept - with little news on the future of the license.

When asked about the possibility of Marvel re-absorbing Star Wars by EW in April, though, Dark Horse President Mike Richardson said:

"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."

Is Firefly one of those franchises and did the potentially looming need for something to fill the Star Wars void help push past any concerns, bringing this project into life? Maybe yes, maybe Star Wars has nothing to do with the re-birth of Firefly - we may never know, but it could be an interesting prologue to the next chapter in the long ignored Firefly saga.

Serenity: Leaves on the Wind hits comic shop shelves on January 29th.

Source: EW, Nerdist, Very Aware

NYCC 2013: Day Two in Pictures — Cosplay, Toys, and More!

New York Comic Con has come to a close but that doesn't mean that the fun has to stop. If you were tied to your couch or some other place that was not the Jacob Javitz Center this weekend, then we have the perfect consolation prize for you: more cosplay, toy, and floor pics from the convention.

Cosplay

Look at that pic... we thought Jewel Staite was in reverse-incognito, walking the show floor, but instead it was this amazing cosplayer. Other favorites from day two of the show included the Beauty and the Beast couple and Harley Quinn, who brandished her big damn hammer and then jacked the Rick Grimes' dream zombie killing machine.

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Floor

The cosplay is the main course in today's article, but there were still some cool sights from the show floor left un-displayed. Sadly, we didn't get a chance to capture a pic of the freshly revealed Nick Fury wax stature from Madame Tussauds', but if you close your eyes real tight and think of Sam Jackson, you already knows what it looks like, because according to Jason Tabrys, "damn, that is an amazing likeness".

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Toys

We showed off a ton of toy pics from Masters of the Universe Classics, some crazy statues, and more, but this gallery focuses more on Play Imaginative's diecast line of Iron Man mega-figures that look primed to give Hot Toys a run for their money in terms of attention to detail.

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So, that's all we have from the floor at New York Comic Con. Still keep an eye out on the site for a bit more coverage, including exclusive interviews with Kieron Gillen and Tim Seeley.

The BastardCast vs Grand Theft Podcast

This time on The BastardCast, the boys return to get creeped out by clowns, root for GWAR to play the Super Bowl, get drunk on Hello Kitty near-beer, and assure you that your vagina's are not haunted.

They're also discussing the ways in which BatFleck handles his shit, horrifying puppet hug time with Superman, Jason's newborn GTA V addiction, and we Trailergasm with Zero Charisma... and we also discuss the movie Zero Charisma.
Do you require more? You son of a bitch! Fine! The Expendables newest badass could be Frasier Crane (Kick), Schwarzenegger may lay waste to the smurf colored cat-elves in Avatar 2, The Hoff strikes out against Marvel and that guy who directed The Avengers because he was the best Nick Fury, and the rare Ned Beatty nickel!All that and a shocking amount German porn references on THE BASTARDCAST!

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The BastardCast: This is what shame sounds like. (oh, here is where you can Spot Northampton's Clown!)

VIDEO GAME REVIEW: Grand Theft Auto V

It's a bit unfair to judge something fully after experiencing it partially. So keep in mind that I have an open mind about GTA going forward and that I'm simply relaying to you my initial thoughts. So far, I've played Grand Theft Auto V for about 25 hours over the last few days (for work!) and I've only completed 4% of the missions.

I've only just met Michael, mid-midlife crisis. I just stole a boat for him and met his wannabe gangsta of a son. We've only just begun, and yet I don't really care.

Franklin is a begrudging hooligan. I've spent most of my time playing as him. He has a dog that gets easily distracted during the thrill of the hunt by the thrill of the hump (worst POV porn E-V-E-R). I have given Franklin a full beard and a lo fro... just because.

I rather enjoy that we can switch back and forth between each main character's lives, but I do it out of boredom more than anything else. Will that change as I play more missions? Perhaps, and I am going to keep playing this, but so far, the missions have failed to grab my attention.The best part of this game is the make your own adventure feel of a truly enormous open world. Do you want to sail the ocean just to see if it ever ends? Go nuts. Use the cheat codes to fly/fall through the sky, to run fast, or to cause explosions with your melee attacks? Feel free.

You can just drive and drive and drive, or go to the strip club to experience a topless lapdance (but only one for novelties sake, because after that = sad).

You can do almost anything in this game, but really, I imagine that this is what it would be like to be Superman, but only Superman is a dick and nothing that he does matters.

That's not to say that this isn't fun. It most certainly is. I'm having a ball driving around and exploring the world, but eventually, this will all get old.

I'd feel better about this game's replay potential and the chorus of hype that accompanied it if the interiors of this world weren't so closed off - the exploration and the detail are amazing, but I feel like I'm driving around at 4AM and everything is closed.

At the end of the day, this is a popcorn movie with a bunch of thrills and explosions, but there isn't a lot of nuance, and from an evolutionary standpoint, it really doesn't do much to build on its predecessors, though again, it's extremely unfair to sum up this deep of a game this early in its existence.

A new massive map, some new cars, some new toys, and some new tricks. Right now, that's what you get for $60. Not a bad deal, but it's not a great one, either.

Stay tuned to NerdBastards for continuing coverage on Grand Theft Auto V, including a review on GTA V: Online, where we'll look at what that enhancement does for this game and this series.

Sexy Cosplay of the Week: Nana Kuronoma

Kick off the weekend with a healthy helping of this week's Sexy Cosplay of the Week with Austria's own Nana Kuronoma.

Underneath her exceptional talent as a cosplayer and model lies the heart of a true nerd with a passion for manga and gaming. Nana's been heavily into cosplay for the past few years and has rose to the forefront of fandom. Her outstanding catalogue of costumes includes the hard-rocking Nana Osaki from Nana to the hard-hitting style of Street Fighter Chun-Li to the sweet and innocent Kairi from Kingdom Hearts . Check out more in the gallery below.

For more on Nana be sure to head over to her Deviant Art, Facebook fan page, and World Cosplay page for more.

The BastardCast vs. ‘Moth City’ Creator/Writer/Artist, Tim Gibson

This time on The BastardCast, Jeremy and Jason welcome Moth City comic book creator Tim Gibson to discuss his innovative and fun neo-noir digital comic, being a part of Thrillbent.com, whether he prefers digital or print, and whether interacting with the audience is a necessity for an indie comic creator.

More? Mr. Gibson gives us his take on the whole DRM Free issue, what drove him to base his story within the Chinese civil war, and we ask the WETA veteran and computer animator, whether we are all too obsessed with box office.

Unfamiliar with Moth City? Shame on you, but as a treat, we've got the latest issue of the book embedded below for you to thumb through while listening to the podcast.

Isn't that rad? We know! We are the raddest dudes!

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Interview: Michael Troy on His Indiegogo Project ‘The Stonewall Riots’

44 years ago last month, the gay liberation movement began in earnest with the Stonewall riots, when patrons of Greenwich Village's Stonewall Inn refused to stand down to police during one of their frequent raids on gay bars. The riots had a galvanizing effect on the fledgling gay rights movement in the U.S. In his inaugural address earlier this year, President Obama listed it as a significant moment in the history of civil rights.

To share the story with today's audience, writer Michael Troy has launched an Indiegogo campaign to finance the comic book The Stonewall Riots for Bluewater Productions. We had the opportunity to ask Troy about Stonewall's impact, Indiegogo, and how the comics industry can be more inclusive to readers of all sexual orientations.

For those who might not know about the Stonewall riots, why do they hold an important place in the history of gay rights?

Michael Troy: The Stonewall riots are what people largely credit as the beginning of the modern gay rights movement, although there were certainly others before it. But as Stonewall is the most well-known, it seemed like the place to start in order to get people's attention. It certainly had a lot of fascinating aspects.

Over the decades, the riots have been featured in numerous films and TV documentaries. What advantage is there to telling the story through comics?

Troy: The advantage to comics is always an "unlimited budget." There's a chance to educate a young LGBTQ audience that may not know "where they came from." Comics are a great wealth of entertainment, as apparently Hollywood has discovered.

There are certainly exceptions, but American comics largely tend to portray white heteronormative experiences. Do you think there's anything the industry can do to be more inclusive?

Troy: I think that's hard to answer. You would like to say Hollywood is story-driven, gay or not - but sadly, recent years have proved them to be even more money-driven. Brokeback Mountain was a good story that happened to be about two gay cowboys; now, the major studios wouldn't touch Soderbergh's Behind the Candelabra as it was deemed "too gay." I suppose they could be more inclusive by not using that phrase, for starters.

With the Supreme Court's recent decision to strike down a key section of the Defense of Marriage Act, the public's acceptance of the gay community seems to be at a record high. Did that play a role in your decision to crowdfound the project via Indiegogo?

Troy: I wish we were calculated enough to use the death of DOMA as a huge P.R. advantage, but our campaign was already in place when the ruling was announced. I don't think it could hurt.

What has the reaction to the Indiegogo campaign been like?

Troy: I think it's been mostly positive. People seem to not know that much about Stonewall, which makes it seem more important [that] we're doing it. Stonewall strikes a nerve with people and it should.

I think I'd enjoy the project more if people who don't really need it weren't jumping on the bandwagon-like known celebrities-and watering down the concept and edging out the smaller guys like us. HELP! We still really need it!

What do you want readers to take away from the book?

Troy: I want people to know being gay isn't just "my two moms." It's been an American struggle. Not just an LGBTQ one. I want it to be part of American history because it is.

The Indiegogo campaign for The Stonewall Riots runs through August 2. You can check it out here.

The Bastardcast vs. An Unemployed Superman and A Topless Robot

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This time on The Bastardcast, Jason and Jeremy team up with Topless Robot overlord Rob Bricken to talk about the Elba/Bond rumors, the Evil Dead and Iron Man 3 trailers, Clark Kent becoming a blogger, the King of the Nerds depressing the shit out of us, the future of Nintendo, and the great action figure scaling wars.

After making the week’s headlines their bitch, Jason and Jeremy free Rob from their spell and then take on the greatest debate of all time (until next week) in VERSUS, when they ask who would win in an epic battle: JASON VOORHEES or A BOX FULL OF KITTENS!!! Can you dig it? I said CAN YOU DIG IT?!?!

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Sexy Cosplay of the Week: KO Cosplay

It’s time for another edition of the Sexy Cosplay of the week with KO Cosplay from New York, New York.

This American cosplayer has been quite busy in the three years since she started, ramping up her convention appearances year after year. With a great imagination and gorgeous good looks, this perky New Yorker has captured many poor souls in a one-two combination of brains and beauty.

Working hard on everything she does KO Cosplay has put together some banging costumes in the last few years, from Selena of the Underworld franchise and Marvel’s Black Widow to gender-flipped Link of the Zelda series. Making her own costumes and building her own props KO Cosplay delivers a KO to cosplayers everywhere, just check out the gallery below.

For more of KO Cosplay be sure to head to Facebook, Deviant Art, Cosplay.com and ACParadise for more.

Fashionably Geek Reader Halloween Cosplay Gallery [Round 2]

As promised, we’ve collected more of your Halloween cosplay submissions into a second gallery! See the rest of our favorites after the break. And don’t forget—you can always submit your cosplay photos to tips@fashionablygeek.com.

Game of Thrones Khaleesi cosplay submitted by Laura Pliskin.

Adventure Time spider attack by Grant J.

Steampunk Hawk Man and Hawk girl cosplayed by Matt and Sam Winn.

“Combat ready” Mario and Peach submitted by Tracy O”Bannon.

Adventure Time and Slender Man cosplay by Catherine and Alexander.

Chewbacca Dog submitted by Kevin Foran.

Kermit the Fett submitted by Emma J Pearce.

Homemade Bane mask by Joslyn Taylor.

Adventure Time family submitted by Amy Allison.

Star Wars cosplay by Kevin Pacheco and Melina Mon.

Check out the first round of our reader cosplay gallery right here.