C2E2 Special! Marvel X-Men Updates!

Marvel put on a great X-Men panel at C2E2 this year. The panel included notorious artist Camo, Peter David, plus two ravishing and very talented ladies Marjorie Liu and Jeanine Schaefer.

So where to begin with all the juicy news. I'd like to start with X-23, Marjorie Liu will be writing a new book for X-23 who will be striking out on her own and will no longer just be weapon. From the sounds of it she will be attempting to find a little identity and of course run into a few obstacles along the way and there will be some NYX appearances for those who are curious. I'm personally excited to see her become something more than just a hot bod with some claws.

Okay next up is our old friend Wolverine who is going to hell while something else inhabits his body on the other side. Well, it sounds better than Frankencastle, yes I'm still a little miffed about that one. Although the interaction with his father may be interesting enough for me to take a quick look but also because I know for a fact the art will be show stopping with a top secret artist in the mix.

Also on the docket for Wolverine is X-Force which has taken over and plans on completely restaffing, hooray! However, the X-Men are not entirely thrilled with X-Forces presence and so let the games begin as they are targeted by Mutant Response. But I have a feeling X-Force won't care too much as they have to deal with something way worse than an X-Men hissy fit. APOCALYPSE! That's right! X-force will be working hard to take him down, I wonder if perhaps X-Men will take a chill pill and help out.

Next up, X-Factor, the Mutant detective agency who will take on any job, and that includes villains as long as they can throw down the cash. The panel clued us in by telling us a notorious "femme fatal" lady villain will hire them for a search and recovery mission. Now, be weary of a last page shocker in #207, as a matter of fact Peter David strongly recommended reserving a copy with your local retailer now.

And now I'm gonna go over a few quick news blurbs:

1. Good news if you're lovin' X-Men Legacy prepare for more

2. Bad news if you loved Dark X-Men, there is no reunion in sight.

3. There is more Ice Man to come

Okay, Second Coming was practically the buttress of the entire panel, almost every other question was answered with "Read Second Coming." So I'm gonna do another list.

1. Second Coming will set the stage for a new direction for the X-Men. A direction that promises to integrate the X-Men more fluidly into the Marvel Universe, this makes me happy.

2. Layla Miller returns from her holiday with Dr. Doom. Obviously a lot of the team members are suspicious of her and do not welcome her with open arms. However, she really doesn't give a shit. As Peter David put it "So? I'm Layla Miller and I know things." And there may be more making out with Jamie if you play your cards right.

3. For those of you who desperately miss Night Crawler, he will be back in action and actually has a heavy handed role in Second Coming.

4. Bitch alert! Scarlet Witch is back!

5. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Basically it all comes down to Hope, you'll find out how she fits into this whole crazy thing.

I would like to end this article by saying to Mr. Steve Wacker that I'm glad you love our city and and don't hate the Cubs 'cuz they're beautiful.

Ultimate Gear Heads: Interview with Drew Seldin of Triforce (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to Drew Seldin, Vice President of Triforce. His company makes drop gorgeous, accurate replicas of Gears of War characters and weapons. Feast your eyes upon these...

Good lookin' right? Here's the chat I had with Drew.

Bonks: How old is Triforce? Could you describe it's conception?

Drew: TRIFORCE WAS OFFICALLY LAUNCHED IN APRIL 2008. A COUPLE OF REALLY HUGE GEARS FANS GOT TOGETHER AND STARTED TO MAKE PRODUCTS WE AS FANS WOULD WANT TO HAVE.

Bonks: Has anyone ever told you there are better things you could do with

your time or talent?

Drew: HA! I HAVE NO TALENT BUT I CAN RECOGNIZE IT IN OTHERS AND THE INCREDIBLE TALENTS OF OUR ART TEAM ARE NOT HARD TO SEE. WHEN YOU COMBINE THE SKILLED HANDS OF OUR ART DIRECTOR AND LEAD SCULPTOR EXTROIDNAIRE ERICK SOSA WITH OUR PAINTERS PAUL KOMODA AND JORDU SCHELL THE END RESULT IS A PIECE THAT IS REALLY BROUGHT TO LIFE! ONE THING WE REALLY STRIVE TO ACHIEVE IS TO ACCURATLEY CREATE THAT WHICH HAS ONLY EVER BEEN SEEN IN A VIDEOGAME ON YOUR TELEVISION SCREEN!

Bonks: How do you decide what you want to replicate?

Drew: WE LOOK AT THE GEARS UNIVERSE AND DECIDE WHAT WE AS HARDCORE FANS WANT FOR OURSELVES AND GO FROM THERE. THERE ARE SO MANY CHARACTERS AND WEAPONS WE LOVE SOMETIMES WE FEEL CHOOSING WHO OR WHAT TO CREATE NEXT IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF THE JOB!

Bonks: Are you a gamer? What do you like to play?

Drew: I AM A GAMER AND OBVIOULSY LOVE GEARS OF WAR! I THOUGHT THAT THE RECENTLY RELEASED BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM WAS HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE BEST GAMES I HAVE EVER PLAYED. POWERED BY THE UNREAL ENGINE OF COURSE, SORRY HAD TO PLUG EPIC AND GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT IS DESERVED! I REALLY LOVED THE LOOK OF ARKHAM, THE CONTROLS, AND THE STORY. IT IS THE DEFINITIVE BATMAN GAME! AT THE MOMENT I AM WORKING HARD AT SLAYING ALL OF THE GODS OF OLYMPUS IN GOD OF WAR 3!

Bonks: Any other geeky vices such as comic books or anime?

Drew: I AM A HUGE SUPERHERO FAN...SUPERMAN IS MY FAVORITE! I DON'T READ COMICS BUT LOVE SMALLVILLE! I ALSO GREW UP ON STAR WARS AND COULD SIT AND WATCH THOSE MOVIES AT ANYTIME.

Bonks: What do you think makes your products worth the investment?

Drew: BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER. IF YOU LOVE SOMETHING AND WANT IT THEN IT BECOMES WORTH IT TO YOU. MY MOM ALWAYS USED TO SAY TO ME, "BEFORE YOU BUY SOMETHING ASK YOURSELF IF YOU REALLY HAVE TO HAVE IT. IF THE ANSWER IS YES, THEN IT IS WORTH IT." ALL THE HARDWORK AND PAINSTACKING DETAILS THAT WE POUR INTO EACH PIECE MAKES THEM AS ACCURATE AS CAN BE AND I HOPE THAT REALLY SHINES THROUGH IN THE FINAL PRODUCT! PERFECTION IS IN THE DETAILS AND I MUST SAY WE LOVE US SOME DETAILS!

Bonks: Any shout outs or events coming up you wanna plug? Now would be

the time :)

Drew: WE JUST RETURNED FROM A TRIP TO EPIC GAMES! THEY SHOWED OUR PRODUCTS LOTS OF LOVE AND IT HAS GOTTEN EVERYONE IN THE TEAM PUMPED UP TO WORK ON NEW AND EXCITING PRODUCTS! THEY ARE AN AWESOME GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ARE SUPER SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE WITH OUR PRODUCTS. OUR MARCUS FENIX PIECE IS GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER AT SOME POINT IN MID-MAY OR EARLY JUNE SO BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR THE FATHER OF ALL BAD ASSERY!

AS A TREAT FOR YOUR LOYAL READERS WE WANT TO EXTEND AN OFFER TO THEM WITH THIS 30% DISCOUNT CODE Sugar Drone OFF OF OUR LOCUST DRONE DESIGN MAQUETTE AVAILABLE AT WWW.PROJECTTRIFORCE.COM. THIS CODE IS GOOD THROUGH APRIL 30. THE DRONES ARE READY TO SHIP AND THE LANCER IS EXPECTED TO SHIP IN JUNE.

Thank you Drew Seldin for letting me pick your brain and a double thank you for the generous discount. We heart you and we heart Triforce.

Geek Chic Lifestyle Exclusive: Stephanie Sack of Vive La Femme (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Vive La Femme is a deliciously kitch Bucktown boutique specializing in what I like to call curvalicious women, aka sizes 12-24. Stephanie Sack is the owner with a great sense of style and personality. She has been so kind to let me bug with her with questions. I'll tell you right now, she is a prime example of how to live the geek chic lifestyle so pay attention. Here are some of the adorable and flirty looks courtesy of Vive La Femme:

Bonks: Can you describe for me how Vive La Femme came to be?

Stephanie: "Vive la femme's concept came to me in totality when I was 18. I was very frustrated as I was shopping for clothes to take to college and wanted the ease of a store with plus sizes but the glamourous experience of a chic boutique. Even at that age, I could not understand why that was such a radical combination and decided right then and there that one day I would do it myself. Over the next few years I worked at boutiques for smaller gals and learned how to work with customers, create a sense of fun and frivolity, and some general aspects to running a boutique. Ten years later, I was jobless and sick of working for other people, so I decided to take a chance and go fot it! Entreprenerialsm is in my blood -- my mother and both grandfathers worked for themselves so I had great examples and lots of encouragement. I knew the shop had to be in swanky neighborhood, so I lucked into a small space in Bucktown and that was that!"

Bonks: What is your personal, favorite part about Vive La Femme?

Stephanie: "My absolute favorite part of vive la femme is the fact that we positively affect so many women! I have met literally thousands of gorgeous, sexy, kickass women and I am proud to say my staff is the most gorgeous, most sexy, and most kickass of them all! We empower women of size to actualize into the movement, embrace where they are and who they are RIGHT NOW, and to honor themselves through curve-friendly and confident adornment. We have dressed women for interviews, vacations, weddings, and dates; we have become part of their lives as they live in the world. The next best part is the CLOTHES! We have fabulous clothes and I get first crack at them all!"

Bonks: What is your history with Chicago?

Stephanie: "Chicago is my hometown and playground! I grew up in Lakeview, was educated in Old Town and Evanston, lived in Andersonville, Wicker Park, and Humboldlt Park, opened a business in Bucktown, got engaged in Logan Square, was married at the Chicago Cultural center, and currently reside in Lincoln Square. My folks are on the Gold Coast and my sister is in the West Loop. A few years ago I decided to become more engaged and active in my city, and have since explored the many cutural opportunities at which Chicago excels, including cinema, cuisine, art, music, performance, nightlife, and commerce. I LOVE Chicago and am a diehard Chicagoan!"

Bonks: Do you have goals for Vive La Femme yet to be achieved?

Stephanie: I would love for vive la femme to expand into a range of products and options for stylish women of size! I am currently working on a new concept that will be an excellent counterpart to vive la femme, and can see the vive la femme lifestyle translating to a number of other opportunities. Nothing makes me happier than working with plus-size women, so it's something I plan to do for a long time!

Bonks: So, can I get some nerd credentials?

Stephanie: "NERD CREDENTIALS! LOL!!! I love it! Hmmmm....as a child I wanted to be kidnapped by UFOs so I wrote "Take Me" on a sheet of paper and taped it to the top if my head...I rang handbells in junior high and high school which was a ticket to total teenage geekdom...was and still am a rabid Twin Peaks fan......major theatre nerd as a teenager....diehard X-Phile...I once went to buy a new pair of glasses and told the salesgal to "show me the nerdiest pair of black frames you have"...went to opening night of Interview with the Vampire...was a practicing Gothgirl for fifteen years and exclusively wore all-black, black hair, combat boots, the whole bit...I know all sorts of weird trivia about Elvis...I went to Burning Man a few years ago...how's that for you?

See what I mean?! How can you not love this woman?! You guys should check out what this lady has in stock at Vive La Femme. Check it out at www.vivelafemme.com or stop for a visit at 2048 N Damen. Again big thanks to Stephanie Sack, our newest honorary Sugar Gamer.

Geek Chic Lifestyle #6 Makeup (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Oh you thought I forgot about this one? HELL NO! Look, I have no problem with you all wanting to express yourselves or look a certain way. By all means go ahead and do whatever you want. Go ahead and do the sparkles and 300 billion colors on your eyelids to go to the grocery store, I will not judge you, BUT there may be some ramifications. For example, if you want to be taken seriously as an adult by someone who doesn't know you personally, you'll have a hard time with electric blue, eye shadow mousse caked on like frosting. Mainly because they'll be too busy staring at your eyes to really pay attention to anything you're saying.

Remember this look? Sure she had a job, but that was T.V. No one in their right mind would hire anyone walking into an interview looking like this unless they had one insanely impressive resume, I mean untouchable resume. Keep this image in mind as exactly what not to do.

So, tip number one for this segement: TONE IT DOWN!!! There is a right place and a right time to go bat shit insane with your makeup, work, thanksgiving and first dates are not really ideal times. Now let's break this down.

Foundation, the name says it all. It lays down the foundation for your look, evens the skin and helps hold eye shadow and blush in place. Rules I will not let you break are as follows:

1. FOUNDATION MUST MATCH YOUR SKIN TONE!!! IF YOU CAN'T FIND A MATCH, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING HARD ENOUGH. Use the underside of your wrist as a guide to help you find a good match. If you put the foundation on your wrist, it should blend really well, that's how you know you have a winner.

2. YOU ARE NOT A CAKE! How many layers of foundation do you ladies think you need? Piling it on does not cover more flaws, it's makes them more noticeable.

* For those who have the dark circles and require concealer, I strongly recommend going to see a professional about how to apply it. It can get a little technical and typically requires some practice.

Blush, oh boy, there are so many ways ladies go wrong with this one.

Let's start off with what I like to call clown cheeks. If you have applied the blush in a why that gives you two little rose colored circles, you need to spread it around a little. If you look like you've got a sunburn, you've put on too much.

Always apply blush with a brush, that should be easy enough to remember, blush with a brush, blush with a brush. Say that three times fast. Yes, there should be no hands for initial applications, you can use your hand to blend a little bit and that's it. Also, there shouldn't be clumps of blush in the brush when you go to apply it. If you see them, just tap the brush a little bit to get rid of them before applying to your face. Start at the apples of your cheeks then spread and blend upward a little bit toward your hairline.

There are many shades to choose from. Well, let me put it this way; Work and Thanksgiving, you'll want that color to be more subtle, stick to the more pastel lookin' stuff. If you've got a hot date or wanna hit the clubs, you can put something on with more punch to it.

Oh yes, those are some seriously awesome looking eyes, great for the club and cosplay, NOT for the everyday. These kind of looks take a lot of time and effort, you don't have to do it everyday. I know you geeky ladies love your eyeshadows and glitter and everything in between, and when the occasion calls for it, go nuts! But this is something that should not be seen at most work places for sure. All you'd be saying to your employer is, "I spend way too much time to make myself look this garish, maybe my priorities are out of whack." I think you'd be amazed how much time you'll save just by going with something more simple, I guarantee you'll still look great.

*Mascara note: Yes, mascara comes in really fun colors now like electric blue and magenta, again, great for the clubs. When it comes to more practical stuff stick to black or brown please.

*Quick note on eye liner, the raccoon eyes is such a tired look. There's a new set of trick out there to try, wow me.

I know there are a ton of you out there saying, "I don't care what people think, I don't care if they judge me, this is how I want to look." And that's fine, more than fine, that's your right. I'd still love you no matter what, I put this out there for those who might want to make themselves more professional or more approachable. There have been a ton of surveys and studies done to determine people's reaction to heavy or very flamboyant makeup. Here are some of things to keep in mind.

1. Lots of men stated it puts them off, to some it even makes you appear deceiving or materialistic. Men also feel it makes you like immature and childish and even crazy.

2. Having so much makeup on all day everyday does not allow the skin to breathe, skin needs to breathe, period.

3. Women say it is a clear cry for attention and smaller groups say it makes you look like you have low self-esteem.

Well, whatever the masses say, I love all my geeky sisters, even the ones with the liquid paper faces.

MOS (Myouterspace.com) (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Nerdy mac daddy himself, William Shatner has a new brainchild on the loose. No more spoken word albums for this Sci-Fi stud. Say hello to myouterspace.com:

Shatner said he wanted to create a social network for those passionate about the arts, sci-fi, horror and more. He is also paying special attention to writers and directors. I personally took the time to register Sugar Gamers for the site, how could I not? The site appears to still be in it's early stages as the term "beta" is underneath the header on the homepage. Groups are represented as planets, for example, Sugar Gamers is a member of the planet Sirius which is all about gaming. Could you just die? How deliciously geeky!

Some of the other features include the standards such as:

-Twitter feeds

-RSS

-Chat

-Blog

Very easy to use, post up all your photos and videos with little hassle and discuss any and all nerdy topics on the boards. I imagine all hardcore Shatner fans will sign up with out a second thought. I personally think it's fantastic to have a networking site specifically for the Sci-Fi inclined. Mr. Shatner has also vowed to monitor all projects. And of course there's always room for video messages from the "Adminral" himself. I say this is way better than a wine label or energy drink, well done Billy boy, stay fabulous.

God of War Preview @ Gamestop (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

Once again, Gamestop was kind enough to allow us in for an exclusive look at the latest God of War installment. As always, I would like to extend my gratitude.

GOW was really taken to new levels in this game without straying away from the fan favorite formula of hack n' slash, blood n' guts, and a dash of drama. Meanwhile Kratos is back looking more fierce than ever with a dive attitude to boot. Stomping around in his new threads like he already owns Olympus.

This may sound a bit rude, but it is a compliment. Upon my first look at the screen, the first thought to cross my mind was, "this does not look like a PS3 game." Meaning the graphics are stellar. The shading and light play are seamless, and the textures are distinct.

Controls are familiar and without any complaint from me or anyone else in the room. The game utilizes the trendy technique of navigating your way through a cut away battle scene with the push of a singular button to trigger an action to continue. And the action tends to take you by surprise keeping you on your toes and engaged. You won't go too long looking for where to go next either.

If you've never picked up a God of War game before, now would be the time. If you're a fan of the mythology behind it as I am, I would strongly recommend it. Considering the tumultuous relationship the Olympians have with each other as well as the the titans and their predecessors the storyline fits very well. Development of each character was clearly taken very seriously, the essence of each god or creature is captured with a great sense of imagination as well adherence to legend.

The battles, in typical God of War fashion are out of control epic. You will never see more crazy creatures going at it this wild at once. Pulling hair, kicking in teeth, calling each other all sorts of nasty names. If you insist on a certain level of brutality and blood, have no fear, the levels or more than par for all tastes.

Now normally I like to bitch and moan about cheesy dialog, but for this game, it fits perfectly. Nothing choppy or cheesy sounding. That's one of the joys of doing a game in this mythical time period, you can big, have your characters say overly obvious, declarative statements, and it's just bad ass.

So here's where I tip my hat to PS3 and say welcome back to the game. *Good luck.

Infinity Ward vs. Activision: What a Clusterf**k (By Rebecca "Bonks" Rothschild)

March 1st, Vince Zampella and Jason West, co-heads of Infinity Ward for eight years are terminated. For those unaware, these two are responsible for Call of Duty Modern Warfare and it's ravishing, cash cow follow up, CODMW2. Fun fact about the termination: Activision was a week away from paying Infinity Ward substantial royalties when the two were fired. So, the two have filed suit for several claims including breach of contract.

Apprently there has been friction between the two for a while now. Claims were made that Activision did not want COD to go modern, instead they were opting for more WWII. At first it seemed like mere creative differences, but with the recent success of COD it would now appear to be a hostile takeover. The COD franchise has generated something to the tune of three billion dollars, I can't help but feel like the core of this battle is nothing more than money. However at the press release after the suit was filed attorney Robert Schwartz had the following to say about the claims:

"Activision hired lawyers to conduct a pretextual 'investigation' into unstated and unsubstantiated charges of insubordination and breach of fiduciary duty, which became the grounds for their termination on Monday, March 1st."

Okay, so that's a fancy way of saying "we hired attorneys to quietly investigate Infinity Ward for a reason to fire them." Doesn't speak well of Activision, their attorney is a moron and was better off not saying shit.

Now I've done my best to dig for crucial statements from both sides and have turned up with very little from the Activision side of the fence. So far I've heard what the moron lawyer has had to say. Activision only continues to boast about the new direction and genres and plans it has for the COD 'brand.' So, I've laid out what I've found and now I get to say my parting words and in typical "Bonks" fashion, it's gonna be a list.

1. Get a new attorney.

2. Video gamers are not simple minded, uninformed dead beats. Stoners, layabouts...yeah okay, there are a few but we love the internet and the internet loves to inform us. You f*ck with two very accomplished developers who have shown nothing but passion for their craft and we will revolt.

3. You have brought your bullshit, CEO, money grubbing politics into our gaming world. Not that is hasn't been there before but now because of your greed you're going to ruin a brilliant franchise, so that makes it OUR business. And when you f*ck with thousands of nerds who have great taste and high expectations for their video games, we will f*ck you right back, where it hurts, your f*cking wallets. Bad move, you better pray you find someone damn near immortal to develop your next game.

4. Man up and pay up.