Paradigm Hybrid Dalek

The design of the Dalek has been an icon of science fiction since the creatures debuted in 1963. No one has ever been able to put their finger on what quality the Daleks possess that makes them so successful, but Raymond Cusick’s model has been a knock out ever since.

The 2010 New Paradigm Dalek by Peter McKinstry (http://www.petermckinstry.com/) ruffled the feathers of many a devoted Doctor Who fan. I can understand why fans are divided on the New Daleks and this short video by TheMindRobber (please visit his site for his many amazing videos and designs) solves many of those problems.

Via http://tardisnewsroom.blogspot.com/

What happens if you cross the shape of the original Cusick Daleks with the design features of the new McKinstry Daleks? Here is my hybrid.

I never disliked any specific design change of the 2010 Daleks, it was really all about the shape. The fixtures and fittings on the Daleks have been altered repeatedly down the years so I don’t mind new eye-stalks, lights, gun, etc. I like the raised skirt panels – and the the new rear hatch is interesting as it harks back to Cusick’s original unused plans.

For me, it’s the shape which makes the New Dalek Paradigm so disagreeable. Their tops are not in scale to the skirts, and they lean forward. So, I thought it would be interesting to give them a straight spine once again and return them to their small stature and original proportions. They are, after all, supposed to be small, compact travel machines – not massive, cumbersome, immovable tanks.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/crp8

Who’s scared of monsters?

Check out this great Doctor Who-themed Halloween event taking place in the U.K.! Don’t be outdone, American fans, get cracking on those Doctor Who haunted houses!!

Via http://tardisnewsroom.blogspot.com/:

Dr Who faces some extra spooky monsters and scary creatures over the October half term.

Dr Who faces some extra spooky monsters and scary creatures over the October half term.

Prepare to be afraid and Venture through creepy cobwebbed corridors to dodge a host of Dr Who enemies including Daleks, Cybermen, Clockworkman, Werewolf, Scarecrow, Davros and many others!

They will be joining forces with Werewolves, Skeletons, Zombies and other frightening creatures from the underworld to scare and surprise you.

The 1st 2nd 3rd & 4th Doctors from the original series & 9th 10th & 11th Doctors from the new series will be there prepared to protect you!

All this as well as the nostalgic collection related to your favourite TV programmes will make it a week of terrifyingly good fun to visit the TV Radio Toy Museum.

Try some ghoulish goodies from the Halloween/Dr Who menu including Lunches, Teas & Snacks.

Adult £5.99, Child £3.99, Family £17.99

Tel 01935 823024 info@montacutemuseum.co.uk

23 Oct 2010 – 31 Oct 2010 Weekdays & Sats 11am-5pm. Sundays 12noon-5pm.

Montacute TV Radio Toy Museum
1, South St,
Montacute .
Near Yeovil

Date: Saturday, October 23, 2010

Read more at http://www.yeovilpeople.co.uk

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/crm7

X-Men #4 quick review from Inside Pulse

By far the best X-Men book on the stands, X-Men by Victor Gischler and Paco Medina (both from Deadpool Merc With A Mouth and Deadpool monthly) is outshining Uncanny X-Men and X-Men Legacy which appear to be spinning wheels after the Second Coming event.

The 4th issue hit the stands this week. Here’s another reviewer’s thoughts:

Via:http://insidepulse.com/2010/10/14/10-thoughts-on-x-men-4-by-victor-gischler-and-paco-medina-review/

X-Men #4

Written by Victor Gischler

Art by Paco Medina

1. Gischler and Medina have the mutants putting a band-aid on a sword wound while they get their acts together with thousands of vampires attacking on the streets of San Fransisco.

2. This strongly echoes the Utopia X crossover with Dark Avengers in the X-Men beginning on the defensive, then getting more deadly with their backs to the wall.

3. Gischler is keeping the Morrison/Fraction characterization of Cyclops with which he’s among my favorite  characters- this is a guy with a plan who is deadly when backed into a corner.

4.  Other characters are complaining of nothing coming of Dracula’s resurrection, but Cyclops assures us, the game isn’t up yet.

5. Wolverine, a vampire here and not elsewhere, is pretty clearly part of the plan.

6. X-Men killing vampires in teams of two is a good start to get a feel  for the threat without giving too much away to their enemies.  Only issue really is why Angel and not Archangel?  The latter certainly seems like he’d be more effective against vampires.

7. Cyclops speech to the vampire leader is awesome, as is Logan showing up to try and get him to join.  Again, Xarus commanding someone (here Wolvy) to get Cyclops head echoes the Dark X-Men crossover, as well as the planned assault on Utopia.

8. The art is mostly good, although a few of the action scenes are a bit rough, I’ll happily trade that for the good facial expressions throughout.

9. Grey Scherl Guest Thought: I am ridiculously underwhelmed by Vampire Wolverine and don’t see him posing even the most minor of threats, in fact, I would not be surprised if he winds up being the one to stake Xarus just to pull a “Haha, I was under cover!”, and then his healing factor makes him normal again.

10. Rating: 6/10– This is a good issue with Cyclops especially well-handled, although no one else gets much to do and this is a calm before the storm issue.  Let’s get this plot in motion now- it was set up in issue one and we’ll be on to issue five without anything but Wolverine turning and Dracula’s resurrection occurring, and really, the latter was accomplished in other books.

Marvel Comics’ Incredible Hulk is on his way back to TV

Via SlashFilm: http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/10/14/marvel-and-abc-developing-live-action-incredible-hulk-series/

Upon hearing the news of the recasting of Mark Ruffalo in the role of Bruce Banner/The Hulk for Marvel’s Avengers movie, I recall thinking about how strange it is that there are going to be three different incarnations of the character within ten years of each other. Little did I know at the time that there are actually going to be four.

That’s right; The Incredible Hulk is heading back to television.

Deadline and The Live Feed have the news, announcing that Marvel and ABC are currently in very early stages of development of a live-action (most likely hour-long) series adaptation of the comic book character. The project is part of a push from Marvel to enter the TV realm, kicked off last summer with the launch of Marvel Television. Heroes exec producer Jeph Loeb is the head of the operation, and The Hulk was among two high priority projects they settled on.

(Marvel Television’s other priority project is Cloak and Dagger, based on the superhero duo. That’s being developed for ABC Family.)

‘The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes’ Review From Screen Rant

While at the 2010 New York Comic-Con I had a chance to attend a screening of Marvel Animation’s two-part premiere episode of the new animated series The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, which is set to premiere next week on Disney XD.

The two-part episode, entitled “Breakout”, was a fairly entertaining experience that should appeal to Marvel fans and cartoon fans alike, be they young or old. For all the positive things about it, however, Earth’s Mightiest Heroes still doesn’t quite reach the acclaimed status of DC Universe and their animated projects.

Written by acclaimed comic book/cartoon scribe Christopher Yost, “Breakout” is a wonderfully simple and effective setup for this Avengers cartoon. In a version of the Marvel Universe that not-so-subtly mirrors the Marvel Movie Universe, S.H.I.E.L.D. is a policing force that takes on the baddest terrorists and super villains from around the world. Led by Nick Fury (who here appears as an amalgamation of the Sam Jackson and classic versions of Fury – i.e., black but with hair), S.H.I.E.L.D. operates four key prison facilities that house the world’s worst offenders: The Cube, The Raft, The Vault and The Big House.

All four prisons are stocked with baddies that have been defeated at the hands of heroes like Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, Wasp and Nick Fury himself. All of sudden, without warning, a mysterious force strikes all four prisons at once, effectively shutting them down. Of all the villains to escape, there is one that S.H.I.E.L.D. has been keeping under tight lock and key for a long time: Graviton, the evil master of gravity. When Graviton awakens and breaks free of his shackles, all of Manhattan is put in danger. Our heroes must band together as a team to defeat this Omega-level threat, and must even turn to the most unlikely of allies to get the job done: Dr. Bruce Banner, a.k.a. The Hulk.

All in all, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes is a a step forward for Marvel Animation. I’ll actually stick with this show, and it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to say that about a Marvel cartoon. For one thing, I’m very curious about how tightly this animated Avengers world will tie into the live-action Avengers movie we’ll be getting in 2012. If “Breakout” were the basis for Joss Whedon’s Avengers script, I certainly wouldn’t be mad about it.

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has its one-hour premiere @ 8:30 on Disney XD. Full episodes will be available a day later on iTunes, Xbox Live, Playstation and Disney XD Mobile VOD.

Read the whole review here: http://screenrant.com/avengers-earths-mightiest-heroes-reviews-kofi-82876/

Missed out on the Avengers microsodes? Click here to watch them all!