One of our favorite editors, Swank-mo-tron, was inducted into the 501st as an honorary friend during Dragon*Con and now we finally have the pictures to prove it.  Click over to his Examiner page to see the rest of the pictures.

From Swank’s article about it:

Albin Johnson, founder of the 501st, told me that he thought it was important that Star Wars fans had a voice like mine in the media and, to be quite honest, he made me blush a little when he said that.

I had an exceptional opportunity to do an interview with one of the fan favorites from The Colony John Cohn about his experiences on the TV show.  He’s just as funny and charming outside of the show as he was on it, here is the interview:

What was your experience like being on The Colony?

It was life changing. I’ve had a corporate desk job for the last 28 years. I like my job, but it’s been a long time since I’ve actually worked with my hands. THE COLONY was a wonderful opportunity to see what it was like to build things again.

It was both exciting and humbling.  Exciting because most of what we tried actually worked; humbling because it wasn’t as easy as I expected. I don’t mean the deprivation of food, water, sleep, security, etc. – I was okay with all that. But it was hard to invent in that kind of environment. With old, broken-down tools, few usable components, no internet or reference guides, it was harder than I thought it might be.

The other thing that was cool about THE COLONY was the opportunity to go “off-line” for two months: no cell phones, Blackberry’s, computers, newspapers, etc. I’m a communications junky – I have a 3,000 min/month cell phone usage plan! – so I thought that going without all my gadgets would be truly hard. It wasn’t. I loved it! And I’ve tried to be more careful about getting hooked again. Check with me in a few months to see how I’m doing!

On one episode you seemed like you had fun making weapons in case your group was attacked again. Were any of those builds that you did, like being a kid and not having your parents to tell you “No. You can’t do that, its dangerous?”

A little bit. You have to understand, I LOVE building gadgets. I have a whole lab at home with chemicals, electronics equipment, tools, etc. I have bins marked “somewhat safe,” “somewhat unsafe,” and “Ask Dad!”’ to keep my kids out of some of the more dangerous stuff.

In some sense, I think our culture has had to “dumb down” science a bit too much in the interest of safety. Don’t get me wrong: I think safety is very important, but it’s also important to be able to experiment. If my parents had been stricter about keeping me away from chemicals and electricity when I was a kid, I don’t think I’d be as good an engineer.

I think we need to strike a balance that lets kids explore their world but at the same time we need enough intelligent supervision to keep folks safe. As much as I loved appearing on TV with the title “Don’t try this at home” under me, I’m hoping kids are responsibly trying some stuff at home – of course with their parents/guardians/teachers paying close attention!

I think that most viewers, like myself, found ourselves learning about things that we had no clue about, and now are glad for that little piece of knowledge (Mine was the simple water filter system). Was there something that you were able to learn from the other Colonists that you didn’t know before that really stuck with you?

Oh, many things! Here’s a quick list of some of my favorites:

• My favorite invention was the wood gasifier from episode two. Even though it was my idea, and I had heard it would work, no one was more surprised than me when it actually did!
• One thing that also really impressed me, but which didn’t make it into episode three, was the outdoor bread oven Morgan made. I never knew you could bake with wood heat that easily
• I learned from Mike how to use a piece of rubber garden hose to make a flexible rotary coupling
• I learned some cool tricks to disarm someone with a gun from Leilani
• I learned to make “bannock,” a utility pancake that became our staple food from Vladimir
• I learned how to make a simple personal baton weapon from Joey, and also how to make “prison vodka,” though that didn’t make the show!
• I learned a bunch of tricks about how to make shoes from John Valencia
• And so much more!

People have been ranting about the lack of reality in the situation with the lack of guns as weaponry, do you think it would have changed how the experiment was conducted?

Sure it would have. Remember that just because we didn’t have guns doesn’t mean that no one had guns, as episode four demonstrated. I think adding guns would have made it more violent. That might be more realistic, but it wouldn’t have been as much fun for me. I was there to invent and survive. That said, the whole marauder thing made the show more interesting to watch.

What was the hardest adjustment that you had to make while on the show, were you craving anything to eat, or a piece of technology in particular?

Oh man, in terms of missing things…I missed my family, Mexican food and beer – in that order. In terms of equipment I would have liked to have a better soldering iron and an old electronics catalog/handbook. Believe it or not, though, it was cool living within the constraints of the experiment.

Seriously, what was it like sharing essentially one large bed with 8 to 9 other people on it?

We had five in ours! It was hilarious. We all talked and told stupid jokes until way too late at night. Some of us snored. We all smelled funky. It was like being in a dorm room again.

How hard was it to change your mindset while you were on a TV show, that even though everything going on around you suggested differently, that it was just a show, and not real life. Did you know in the back of your mind that this wasn’t real and no big harm would come to you?

I never lost site that it was an experiment, but we were all totally immersed. We didn’t have to pretend that we were thirsty, hungry, dirty or tired, because we really were. The marauders were a bit harder for me to get into, but even then I didn’t need to pretend to be angry. I was. While I knew they weren’t supposed to hurt us, they did break and steal our stuff. Given how hard-up we were, it was easy to get mad!

You’ve talked about how you hated feeling angry when you guys were attacked by marauders. Do you think that you understand better why some people get so upset and violent about what they feel makes them unsafe or something was taken from them?

Yes. I really did gain some personal insights from those experiences. My take is that it’s really easy being a pacifist when no one is out to get you. I became practical in a hurry. There’s no question that during the real deal, you’d need to be prepared to protect yourselves. I still think the first approach needs to be diplomatic, but if that fails, you need to be able to fight back, if that’s what it takes. In the end, it’s either you or them. And that was such a different place for me to be.

If you could go back and do something differently than how you guys did on the show, or maybe would have been more vocal about, what would that have been?

I have dozens of ideas that I would have liked to try, but we just ran out of time. I tried to do projects with every Colonist. I think I would have liked working a bit more with the women. They were really easy to work with.

I think I could have been more vocal too. Though, the first three weeks with Mike was tough. I finally talked to him after hours and told him I liked working with him, and really respected him, but that sometimes I found it hard because of his temper. That worked! We figured out a way to communicate that worked for both of us and from then on I really loved working with the guy. He is wicked smart and a great designer (and a really nice guy…just don’t tell anyone ). I only wish I’d had that conversation earlier with him. I think we actually made a really good team.

Was there anything that you think you learned about yourself that you never knew before because you were on The Colony?
I realized that I really enjoyed working within constraints. At home and work, I always have everything I need to do a project. On THE COLONY we never had the right parts, tools, books etc. I learned that I like doing it that way better. Maybe because it’s more like a game.

When everything was over, did any of the producers or filming crew tell you exactly how they planned everything or tried to mess with your heads in certain ways?

After the show we were able to compare notes on what the TV folks had thought we’d do versus what we did do. It was amazing to see home much stuff we actually did on their list, without any prompting whatsoever. It was also very cool to see the stuff we did that they hadn’t thought of themselves.

You guy seem to have really bonded. Has any of those relationships kept going after the show was over?

Actually we all got to be very close. And we talk all the time through email and on the phone. I think we’ll remain very close after what we all went through together.

Would you do it all again, if they ran the show with a different apocalyptic scenario?

Absolutely!

We’ve chosen the winners in the X-Men Animated Series contest by randomized numbers.

Now, could Lucas and Christopher Kamto shoot us an email and give me an address I can ship these to.

I wanted to thank all of you who participated and hope that you all spread the word about Big Shiny Robot!  We’ll have more contests soon, so please keep reading.

This is what I had to say about the X-Men DVDs in my regular DVD roundup (the links go to Amazon if you want to order it.):

Animated X-Men Volume 3 and 4 comes out on DVD today and I have to say I love watching this show all over again. Sure it’s cheesy, but this is how a lot of us were given our first real taste of the X-Men. Don’t forget that we’re giving away a set of these and the contest ends today (click here for details). These X-Men cartoons are perfect for a week or two of nights watching with the kids

The latest in DC’s animated films isSuperman/Batman: Public Enemies which comes out on nationwide September 29. (You can preorder it on Amazon).

The film is loosely based on the Jeph Loeb and Ed McGuinness story arc that took place in proper DCU continuity. ( You can pick up it up here) Both it and the film sees President Lex Luthor using the pretense of a giant Kryptonite asteroid hurtling toward Earth to place a $1,000,000,000 bounty on the heads of Batman and Superman, bringing every villain in the DCU as well as the JSA and other heroes after them.

All the while the asteroid is still on a collision course with the planet and billions of lives are at stake. Will Batman and Superman thwart Lex Luthor and save the world? Of course, but will it be rad on the way? Generally.

The film version of this story was very fun to watch and looked crystal clear in the Blu-ray format in a way that I’m happy about. In fact, the animation and picture quality looked pretty close to flawless. It packed quite a bit of fun and adventure into its paltry 67 minute running time, but had moments that made my spine tingle in all the right ways.

Let’s get this straight: I very much enjoyed this movie, but I don’t think it was the best DCU movie that’s been made. Pretty far from it. I think New Frontier, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, Mask of the Phantasm and maybe a few others belong on a list far above this entry into the mythos, but that doesn’t mean it’s without merit.

The things it did right, the action, adventure, and animation, were all turned up to 11. The problem was with the screenplay. They excised too much story for brevity and the film didn’t have as much of an emotional impact as it should have. I don’t know if this happened in post, or before the film started, but it just didn’t have an emotional climax as good as any of the DCU films I mentioned above. There were a few standout moments, but you were just rushed from one encounter to another to serve the plot without much time to breathe in between. Perhaps this comes from comparing books to movies in adaptations a little too much, but there were moments in the book that were tailor made for film adaptation that were left out for no apparent reason. (Like all of the suspense during and after Batman and Superman’s fight with Hawkman and Captain Marvel, for example.)

There were more examples of that. And it seems like a few things were done for express purpose of getting a PG-13 rating, even though I wouldn’t hesitate to show this to a 7 year old. At one point, Lex Luthor shouts “Bitch!” even though he could have easily said a thousand things that would have made more sense to the story.

At the end of the day, though, the movie had a lot of great fighting. Bats and Supes against Metallo was great, them fighting with what felt like every B list villain in the DCU was fantastic, and the fight with Captain Marvel and Hawkman was amazing. But in the suspense department, the movie didn’t hold me.

My only other real problem with the movie was all of the over-hyping involvement of people. We ran an interview with LeVar Burton about his role as Black Lightning in the film and he literally has one line. And the line (“I think I could create a force field”) probably could have been chopped out of an episode of The Next Generation. Did they need him out promoting the movie? I simply don’t know. I suppose if it gets more people to watch it, then the answer is yes.

Aside from that, the Blu-ray also has 6 episodes of Justice League Unlimited that make the disc a must buy.

Like I said, to get it on Amazon click here. You probably won’t regret it.

Baltimore Magazine had the opportunity to ask Dan Aykroyd a few questions while he was on a promotional tour for the Crystal Head Vodka:

What makes this particular vodka unique?
Well it has no additives commonly associated with a lot of vodka manufacturing. A lot of vodkas today try to achieve a smoothness, a satiny, velvety feel by adding fusel oils, like raw sugar. What we did was go to the government distillery in New Foundland and said we wanted to go back to an old style country or moonshine. What you have here is the cleanest vodka in the world. We really have something to talk about here. We wanted to make a pure spirit, started out with a bottle, started out with a fading celebrity endorsement, and now I have a real thing to talk about because we really do have taste in the bottle.

Any particular cocktails you recommend for your vodka?
I like it with freshly squeezed orange juice for a Crystal Driver. I like it with 7-Up for a Heads Up. I like a Cranium, with cranberry and soda. But you know what, it’s great just in a shot glass with a little squeeze of lime. Or just in a shot glass cold. When you freeze the heads and pour it, it comes out as if it was liquid platinum, it comes out in dollops. I’m just so pleased with the result.

Your two major passions in life seem to be blues and comedy. They seem like opposites, but to you, they’re probably not so different.
Well there’s a lot of humor in blues. Willie Dixon wrote that song “Dead Presidents” and it was about money. Johnny Taylor, “Who’s making love to your old lady, while you‘re out making love?” The blues is full of humor, all the lyrics, they’re double entendres.

Will Slimer be making a cameo in the upcoming Ghostbusters movie?
I’m going to see the script in the next few hours, I’m about to read the third script, I’ve been submitted it and we’ll see what happens.

As you can see, not a lot was said about the script, but he has it. And that’s a big step in the right direction. Hopefully we’ll here soon what he thought of it.

These are all games I downloaded for the Wii and didn’t end up regretting. I don’t know how many of you with Wii’s out there actually buy the online games, but this is where I get most of my games now a days. I buy at least three virtual console and Wii ware games for every disc I purchase. I get many hours of entertainment from these games, whether old or new, and at a fraction of the cost.

So if you are interested in saving a little bit of money, and getting hundreds of hours of gameplay, this list might be of some aid to you.

#10: ActRaiser

While this game is far from perfect, it is revolutionary. Mixing  action side-scroller and city simulation genres with a simple, but cool story. I didn’t think I would like it as much as I do, but it’s pretty awesome. I would say you have to enjoy the simulation part more than the side-scroller to make this a solid buy, but in my opinion its worth trying for 800 Wii points.

#9: My Life As A Darklord

If you like tower defense this is one of the most expansive ones I’ve played. It’s actually pretty difficult at times and enemies are very unforgiving. The thing I like about all tower defense games is the ability to play at short bursts and still enjoy yourself. This game does that wonderfully and with how much there is to do in it, you shouldn’t get bored any time soon. (Although replaying the beginning might drag quite a bit.) The best part about this game is just how unique the battle system is, be sure to give it a try.  It’s 1000 Wii points.

#8 The Legend of Zelda

Pretty much this entire series is worth buying, the only one that I didn’t buy was Majora’s Mask. (Not because it wasn’t good, but because I would shoot myself in the head if I had to play it again.) The top of the Zelda list for re-playability in my eyes would be the first one (I have played through it no less than 12 times since it was brought to the virtual console.) Then I would say A Link to the Past which is one of my favorites, but even if I take five years off from playing it, it still takes less than five hours to beat with every heart piece. Next Zelda 2: Link’s Adventure, which is one of the worst Zelda games, and one of the funnest. Finally we have Ocarina of Time which is worth an occasional play through.

They vary in price from 500 -1000 Wii points, but they are worth every cent.

#7 Golden Axe

I just love how crappy these games are. I debated putting Altered Beast in this spot, but I decided this is the better crappy game of the two. What I like especially about this game is the ability to attack your second player,making it almost impossible for any normal siblings to get out of the first screen without wasting a continue or two. (Plus the cover art is wonderful.)  This is a steal at 800 Wii points.

#6 Castlevania

This is another entire series that is worth playing over and over again, I couldn’t recommend them in any order because they are all exactly as good as each other, all for different reasons. Castlevania 1, because it is spoofing b-horror movies, and it takes twenty minutes to get to Dracula, and 6 hours to beat him. Castlevania 2, because it is similar to an RPG and I’ve never seen Dracula get a single attack off. Castlevania 3, because it actually has a story and is a real challenge (almost too much of a challenge.), and Castlevania 4, because it’s a perfect balance of the good elements of all of these games.  They vary in price from 500-800 Wii points.

#5 Super Metroid

Super Metroid is just one of those games that you can think of a hundred different ways to play and never get bored of it. Beating it with every single item, Beating it under 3 hours, beating it with every single item in under 3 hours. I actually don’t really know what it is, but I love this game and never tire of it. For my money I think  its one of the greatest games ever made. (The first one is good too, but I don’t think it deserves to be on the list because it is so aggravating. But if you get used to it, it is amazing.) This game is 800 Wii points.

#4 Crystal Defenders

This is a very standard Tower Defense game with very simple easy to grasp controls, if you’re looking for a game to beat, this isn’t the game for you, but if you like getting high scores, and pitting your score against a leader board this game has an indefinite amount of fun in store. It’s great how you can fill gaps of time you know you would waste with a game like this. For example: if you woke up ten minutes early for work. It is really easy to pick up, or put down and is worth 800 Wii points, easy.

#3 Kid Icarus

Kid Icarus doesn’t deserve to be in the number 3 spot because it’s the best game on the list, but I just assume everyone stopped reading by now anyway. In either case I love this game, I just don’t think its as good as The Legend of Zelda. The reason I put it on the list so high is because it was really cool to replay it on the Wii, and when you take the time to play through it, it feels like you accomplished something.

What really pushed this game over the edge for me was when I saw my seven year old nephew try it and then give up after five minutes. It’s really frustrating for me to watch this new generation with dumbed down video games for children. These NES games are what I was playing since I was five years old. And now because of  games like Lego Star Wars, Batman, Indiana Jones, and (my personal favorite) Rock Band, kids are taught to press one button over and over again without consequences, leaving me saying, “They don’t make games like they used to.” 500 Wii points

#2 Secret of Mana

The best part of buying this game for the Wii  is more or less, the fact that this is better than the original release by far, because it is so easy to get three players. A fair portion of my childhood was spent begging my parents for a multi-tap for the Super Nintendo for this game alone. They didn’t get me one, and so I was never able to play it three player until its Wii release (unless you count a rom computer download where three  people share a single keyboard), and it was worth the wait. This game is simply brilliant and worth at least twice the 800 Wii points it goes for.

#1 Mega-Man 9

What a good Idea. Mega Man 9 ruled and I think it was even better than the original three Mega Man games. It was so fun and it was so intentionally cheesy. It had a hard first play through, and then once figuring it out, hours of extra play time figuring out what every one was weak against, and what order to fight everyone in. I so highly recommend this game, that if you trusted me at all you would just buy it right this second for 1000 Wii points.

Warner Brothers was kind enough to offer us a clip of the forthcoming Superman/Batman: Public Enemies (which can be pre-ordered from Amazon here). I have to say, they seem to have done an excellent job in bringing Ed McGuinness drawings to life.

It comes out September 29th on DVD and Blu-ray.  We should have a review up sometime before then.

Official Press Release from Warner Bros.:

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (WBEI) has created DC Entertainment Inc., a new company founded to fully realize the power and value of the DC Comics brand and characters across all media and platforms, to be run by Diane Nelson, it was announced today by Barry Meyer, Chairman & CEO, and Alan Horn, President & COO, Warner Bros.

DC Entertainment, a separate division of WBEI, will be charged with strategically integrating the DC Comics business, brand and characters deeply into Warner Bros. Entertainment and all its content and distribution businesses. DC Entertainment, which will work with each of the Warner Bros. divisions, will also tap into the tremendous expertise the Studio has in building and sustaining franchises and prioritize DC properties as key titles and growth drivers across all of the Studio, including feature films, television, interactive entertainment, direct-to-consumer platforms and consumer products. The DC Comics publishing business will remain the cornerstone of DC Entertainment, releasing approximately 90 comic books through its various imprints and 30 graphic novels a month and continuing to build on its creative leadership in the comic book industry.

In her new role, Nelson will report to Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group, in order to best capitalize on DC Entertainment’s theatrical development and production activities and their importance to drive its overall business with each of the divisions of Warner Bros.

Nelson will bring her expertise and more than 20 years’ experience in creative brand management, strategic marketing and content development and production to ensuring DC Entertainment’s dual mission of marshalling Warner Bros.’ resources to maximize the potential of the DC brand while remaining respectful of and collaborative with creators, talent, fans and source material. Additionally, Nelson will continue to oversee the franchise management of the Harry Potter property, which she has done since 2000, and also continue to represent the Studio’s interests with the author of the Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling. Nelson will segue from her post as President, Warner Premiere but maintain oversight responsibilities of that division. (An executive succession plan for Warner Premiere will be announced shortly.)

Paul Levitz, who has served as President & Publisher of DC Comics since 2002, will segue from that role to return to his roots as a writer for DC and become a contributing editor and overall consultant to DCE. This transition will take place as expeditiously as possible without disrupting DC’s business operations.

In his new role, Levitz will be called upon for his deep knowledge and more than three-decade history with DC Comics, both as a comic creator and an executive. Besides serving as a writer on a number of DC Comics titles, he will be a contributing editor and consultant to DC Entertainment on projects in various media. Additionally, he will consult as needed on the transition and integration of the DC Comics organization into DC Entertainment and will utilize his unique experience, knowledge and relationships with the comics industry’s creative community to help achieve DC Entertainment’s goal of maximizing the value of DC properties. Further, Levitz will advise DC Entertainment on creative and rights-holder relationships, in particular regarding the legacy relationships that have been a part of DC Comics for decades.

Widely recognized and respected for his support of writers, artists and creators in the comics industry, Levitz is best known creatively for his work with DC Comics, having written most of the classic DC characters, including Batman, Wonder Woman and the Superman newspaper strip. At Comicon International in 2008, Levitz was awarded the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award as part of the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, the only industry executive ever so honored.

“DC Comics and its super hero characters are truly touchstones of popular culture, and the formation of DC Entertainment is a major step in our company’s efforts to realize the full potential of this incredible wellspring of creative properties,” said Meyer. “Diane knows our studio as a creative executive, a marketer and a senior manager, and this varied background will help her effectively and creatively integrate the DC brand and properties across all our businesses. We’re also thrilled that Paul will remain involved with DC and we’ll be able to tap his expertise to help us reach our goals for this new business.”

“It’s no secret that DC has myriad rich and untapped possibilities from its deep library of iconic and lesser-known characters,” said Horn. “While we’ve had great success in films and television, the formation of DC Entertainment will help us to bring more DC properties across additional platforms to fans around the world, while maintaining brand integrity and authenticity. Diane is a terrific choice to lead DC Entertainment, and with Paul in his new role as a valued consultant and contributing editor, both our company and comic fans win.”

“Based on the great success we’ve had working with DC Comics to create some of the most popular and successful super hero films of all time, I’ve long believed that there was much more we could do across all of Warner Bros.’ businesses with this great body of characters and stories,” said Robinov. “The prioritization of DC and the creation of DC Entertainment is a great opportunity that reaches far beyond the film group. There are endless creative possibilities to build upon the many significant successes already achieved by my colleagues Kevin Tsujihara and the Home Entertainment Group in the videogame, home video and direct-to-platform arenas and Bruce Rosenblum and the Television Group in live-action, animated and digital series. Collectively, we have the ability to grow a body of properties highlighting the iconic characters and the diversity of the creative output of DC Comics.”

“The founding of DC Entertainment fully recognizes our desire to provide both the DC properties and fans the type of content that is only possible through a concerted cross-company, multi-platform effort,” said Nelson. “DC Entertainment will help us to formally take the great working relationships between DC Comics and various Warner Bros. businesses to the next level in order to maximize every opportunity to bring DC’s unrivalled collection of titles and characters to life.”

“After so many roles at DC, it’s exciting to look forward to focusing on my writing and being able to remain a part of the company I love as it grows into its next stage,” said Levitz. “It’s a new golden age for comics and DC’s great characters, and I hope my new position will allow me to contribute to that magic time.”

DC Comics will celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2010 (NEW FUN COMICS #1, the first DC comic, began publishing in 1935), at which time more explicit details regarding DC Entertainment’s corporate and management structure, film and content release slate, creative roster and business objectives will be unveiled at a multi-faceted anniversary celebration and press conference in the first quarter of the year.

Current DC properties in development and/or production at Warner Bros. Entertainment include:

— “Human Target” is being produced by Warner Bros. Television for a mid-season debut on Fox.

— “Midnight Mass” is in series development at Warner Bros. Television for consideration for the 2010-11 season.

— “Jonah Hex,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ supernatural Western starring Josh Brolin, Megan Fox and John Malkovich, recently wrapped production in Louisiana.

— “The Losers,” Dark Castle/Warner Bros. Pictures’ action-adventure drama starring Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Zoe Saldana and Chris Evans, began principal photography mid-July in Puerto Rico.

— “The Green Lantern,” Warner Bros. Pictures’ next big superhero tentpole release, recently cast Ryan Reynolds as the titular character. The film has a projected second quarter 2011 release date.

— “Lobo,” based on the DC Comics anti-hero, has Guy Ritchie attached as a director; Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman and Andrew Rona are producing for Silver Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.

— Warner Premiere’s direct-to-platform DVD animated release of “Green Lantern: First Flight” debuted July 28.

— Warner Bros. Animation currently produces “Batman: The Brave and the Bold,” which airs on Cartoon Network.

— Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment released “Batman: Arkham Asylum” on August 25, a dark, action packed videogame adventure for Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment system, PlayStation3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows.

Prior to being named President, DC Entertainment, Nelson most recently served as President, Warner Premiere since its founding in 2006. Warner Premiere is a Studio-based production company which develops and produces high-quality, direct-to-DVD and short-form digital content, including the highly successful line of DC Universe animated DVD titles, and also pioneered the development of the motion comics category. Under Nelson’s leadership, Warner Premiere functions as a full-service production entity with its own resources and release schedule, furthering the Studio’s mandate of being a destination for both established and up-and-coming talent to create stand-alone properties as well as experiment in new media.

Before that, Nelson served as Executive Vice President, Global Brand Management, Warner Bros. Entertainment, with the primary responsibility of working cross-divisionally and throughout Time Warner to maximize and optimize all the various windows and outlets available to the Studio’s signature franchises, brands and event properties on a global basis. In this post, Nelson’s primary focus was the management of the Harry Potter brand, which she has overseen since the brand’s launch at the Studio in 1999. These efforts have helped drive the success of the brand to become the most successful film franchise of all time, as well as a respected consumer property that has generated billions of dollars for the Studio.

At Global Brand Management, Nelson and her team of more than 15 employees worked in all media and platforms to support a number of other key franchise properties, including “The Matrix Reloaded,” “The Matrix Revolutions,” “Batman Begins,” “The Dark Knight,” “Happy Feet,” “Polar Express” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” among others.

Prior to overseeing Global Brand Management, Nelson had served as Executive Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures. Nelson rose quickly through the ranks, having also served as Senior Vice President, Domestic Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures and prior to that, Senior Vice President, Family Entertainment, Warner Bros. Corporate Worldwide Marketing and Planning. She was also Vice President, Worldwide Corporate Promotions, a post to which she was promoted in March 1998, after joining the Studio in September 1996 as Director of Worldwide Corporate Promotions.

Nelson came to the Studio from Walt Disney Records, where she served as Director of National Promotions. She is a graduate of Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Communications.

I was able to attend the “Future of Star Wars” panel at Dragon*Con presented by Steve Sansweet.  Although it was largely a rehash of things I’ve reported on in San Diego (and a large chunk of the presentation was a filmed segment of the Clone Wars table read from San Diego), there were a couple of interesting tidbits.

Steve Sansweet officially acknowledged the Live Action TV series and gave a rough timetable and hinted strongly at a bit of casting news (though the hint will make it constitute as rumour at best).

First: Pre-production on the show will be starting soon and go through until the new year.  The writers have been working for a while and, according to Sansweet, no one knows anything about the story for sure except George Lucas, Rick McCallum and the writers.

He also gave 2012 as a reasonably firm date for seeing the project on the air.  It is a one hour format drama show and will air weekly.

As far as the casting news.  An audience member asked about Daniel Logan (who portrayed Boba Fett in Attack of the Clones) and his possible participation in the show reprising his role.  Sansweet remained cryptic, reminded everyone that no major casting deals have been made with anyone but said (and I quote), “A couple of years ago Rick McCallum said that he would consider it, and I would expect news from Daniel’s camp in the not-too-distant future.”  He didn’t say what that news would be, but it seemed to me to insinuate that he was the front runner for the part.  Which would please me.

He also reminded the audience that anything other than what he told us today that anyone read on the Internet was probably not true.

So, here we are with the straight dope, right from the horses mouth.

To support me in getting this news, please visit my Examiner page.

(Be sure to come back later today, tomorrow, and the rest of the week for news about Clone Wars Season 2 and to check out my interviews with Star Wars authors and my report about my honorary induction into the 501st.)

This article originally appeared on the Huffington Post.

For those who don’t know, The Unknown Soldier was a comic book based war hero from the late 60s. War comics were popular and through the 60s and 70s, and The Unknown Soldier, a bandaged and scarred master of disguises, bedeviled the Nazi’s during World War II for close to a hundred issues. His run ended in 1982.

Last October, DC’s Vertigo imprint (known for its less mainstream, but generally more literary, comics) decided to turn to writer Joshua Dysart to revive the character and now, instead of a Guns of Navarone-style action book, we have a very mature look into a conflict under-reported by the media and a story that offers a complex look at the cognitive dissonance of a war.

Set during the 2002 conflict in Uganda, Joshua Dysart and artist Alberto Ponticelli paint a vivid picture of a civilization coming undone by the indignities of war. Dr. Moses Lwanga stars as the modern version of the titular character. He’s a pacifist and an African-born, American doctor who goes back to Uganda in the middle of the conflict for humanitarian purposes. Haunted by dreams and visions, he’s soon disfigured in an encounter with a pair of child soldiers, goes missing and crazy, and soon declares a bloody personal war with the local rebels. The Unknown Soldier is permeated by that ambiguous tug of war between getting results through conflict or non-violence and makes for a very engaging read. The book serves both as an entertainment, (it is a highly enjoyable read) and an historical document, shedding light on Joseph Kony’s Lord’s Resistance Army and the under-reported travesties in that time and place.

I was able to talk to Dysart recently about the book, comics and the politics of the Ugandan conflict. He brings an unparalleled level of realism to the conflict, and part of his ability to do that came from an extended stay in Africa. “Once I visited the place, and lived with the people, and ate at their table, and spent time at the [internally displaced person] camps, and I rode with the World Food Program trucks, and I interviewed child soldiers and UPDF soldiers, and you don’t just walk away from that and think, ‘Man, I’m going to write this totally exploitative, careless book.’ You’re suddenly obligated. You suddenly carry the weight of the conflict on your shoulders.”

The book is raw and violent and captures the essence of brutality inherent in African conflicts that utilize child soldiers, but Dysart was quick to point out that the book isn’t exactly a social justice awareness piece (though some like myself might mistake it for that), “What we’re going for is a more meta-education about the world in general, just getting people interested in pursuing the details of these conflicts that happen in the continent of Africa or in Southeast Asia. Since the details [of the conflict in the current Unknown Soldier comic] are no longer pertinent, I hope the reader takes a larger look at the issue of child soldiers, which I think will be the social justice issue of the future, a larger look at how we integrate with the world, and how we ignore conflicts that are happening all around us. So, if it does anything, other than entertain as a comic book, I hope it does those things.”

Though the war depicted in the book is over, Kony is still a threat in the region and there is still quite a bit to do to help prop the continent up. Since he’s been there and is tapped into the pulse of the region more than most, I asked Dysart what he thinks people who read the book and are concerned can do to help. He explained that if you find a region that you’re interested in, investigate it further and do your research, because each region is unique and has different solutions, “But one thing I would like to see,” he went on, “is everyone invest in micro-loan companies that are operating in Northern Uganda right now. Micro-loans will get the Acholi economy on its feet. Also, I’d like to see people investigate the options there are in getting these [child soldiers] treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder.”

In order to help keep readers (and any passing members of the public) involved in the current situation, Dysart has created a blog (http://joshuadysart.com/unknownsoldier/) where he updates periodically with information and essays about the region.

At the end of the day, I felt this book was very, very good. The art was well rendered, the story well told, and reading it made me feel like I’d been somewhere I hadn’t been before. The first trade paperback (collecting issues 1-6) is available now, and I would highly recommend reading it.

During our interview, we talked much more in depth about the issues raised in the comic book and a little bit about other work he’s done in the field (particularly his work on Mike Mignola’s B.P.R.D. which is a spin-off of the immensely popular Hellboy franchise.) The Geek Show Podcast has been kind enough to host the audio of the full interview on their iTunes feed and you can download it in its entirety here.