Game of Thrones S02E03 “What Is Dead May Never Die”

By Bobot Fett

Warning! Spoilers for S02E03 and Book #2 (A Clash of Kings) included!

If the “Song of Ice and Fire” is anything it is large. Season one of Game of Thrones’ most impressive accomplishment may have been how much information they packed into so few episodes and hours. Season two continues this tradition with episode three as dense as any yet.

We wake from the break between episodes with Jon Snow as he wakes from the blow Craster gave him to close episode two. This scene is obviously needed to resolve the aforementioned cliffhanger but unfortunately it plays like the half dozen other scenes just like it; Jon: ignorant, naïve, good. Mormont: seasoned, patient, forgiving. Almost the same scene just occurred between the two men in the same physical spot in the episode before. (S02E02)

We round out our time in the north for this episode with Bran in Winterfell. Bran’s dreams continue and he associates them with Old Nan’s tales of people who could inhabit the bodies of other creatures. Issac Hempstead Wright (Bran) continues to be one of the highlights of the cast as does Donald Sumpter as Maester Luwin. Their scenes together feel genuine and natural. Maester Luwin’s subtle and casual acceptance of the historical fact of all manner of magical beings should not be over looked. Magic and the mystery of the “old world” is what makes the north so fun. Game of Thrones often feels more like the Borgias than Lord of the Rings so any chance to put the fantasy back in is a welcome distraction from the political intrigue that dominates the south.

In the far south, at Storm’s End, sits Renly Baratheon gathering his troops. The list of names and faces to remember grows as we meet his queen, Margarey Tyrell played by Natalie Dormer. Natalie has very captivating eyes and neck line and her morals would make a Lannister or Targaryen proud. With Jamie imprisoned and Viserys dead I feared that HBO would lose its incest cred but then came Margarey Tyrell and totally redeemed the show. We also meet the female knight Brienne ‘the beautiful’ of Tarth. Gwendoline Christi (Brienne) dominates every scene she is in with her 6’3” frame. The exploration of the look of something broken behind her eyes could be one of the surprise treats of season two.

Over on the Iron Isles Theon Greyjoy struggles to reconcile nature vs. nurture. Is he his father’s son, iron born, or is he the man that he was raised to be by Eddard Stark? In a story/show that revolves around questions of family, power, and honor Theon’s journey is one of the most interesting the story/show has to offer. Balon Greyjoy plans to reconquer the north with a fleet led by Yara and Theon must choose between families. Ultimately siding with salt over snow Theon’s story arc will be a major component as the season continues.

In King’s Landing Tyrion plays the game of thrones masterfully. The star of the show baits his opponents with ease and by episode’s end has played Cersei, Varys, Littlefinger, Grande Maester Pycelle like children. This week Maester Pycelle follows Commander Slynt out the door as Tyrion cleans house. Tyrion, like any good Lannister, knows you must eliminate your enemies to stay in power. The show continues its “featured whore”’ of the episode with Shae. She is unattractive, and her voice is grating, but I digress… This subplot moves too slowly especially given that Varys knows she is there and the eventuality of tragedy is almost assured.

The episode closes with Lannister troops aiding the Kingsguard in taking Gendry from Yoren and the Night’s Watch. In the calm before the storm Arya asks Yoren how he sleeps after having seen so many terrible things. Arya’s eyes tell the story of a girl casting off the last vestiges of her childhood and committing to the fight and vengeance, a Stark of Winterfell, and Winter is Coming.

There is one thing that can be said about the current regime at Archie Comics, they are definitely not afraid to throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks. The great thing is that even the most off the wall ideas like Archie/KISS are pretty consistently great. The next big idea comes in the form of Reversedale! That is to say, thanks to the help (read: meddling) of Sabrina’s cat Salem, Archie and pals are having their genders reversed! Have a look at the solicitation, and then I’ll share my own thoughts.

This might be one of the most fascinating viral videos for a movie I’ve ever seen. And I love how they’ve been packaged. First, we had Guy Pearce’s TED talk, now we’ve got this. This video is just stunning. Artificial persons have had a long and wonderful history in the Aliens franchise, from Ash to Bishop to Call, and now we have David.

That Fassbender is playing the part thrills me to no end. The guy is a geek and a fantastic actor.

Prometheus comes out June 8, 2012, which is not soon enough.

The name sounds more than a little creepy to me but Barnes and Noble is releasing the Nook Glowlight, and like Swank said I’d toss my Kindle for one in a second if the price was right. I love my Kindle but being able to read in the dark without an accessory or bedside lamp would be wonderful. In this article at the Huffington Post the author says the testing area was a queen bed in a dark room. That is the exact environment I want this for. I know it’s a first world problem but I hate getting out of bed to turn the light off after I’ve been reading in bed. Also having the lamp on disturbs my girlfriend, so having my own small light emanating from the device, but not bright enough to be distracting sounds perfect. My Ipad is impossible to read sitting outside and there are few things more relaxing for me than sitting out on the patio or poolside reading. I think the Glowlight might be nice in those situations as well. When the clouds hit a little extra light could help a whole lot.

At $139 I think B &N is pushing it. You’re creeping into low end tablet territory and the light isn’t enough to make me want to spend that much. The Nook Color is $169 and the Nook Tablet is $199 the same price as the Kindle Fire. If you want the standard Nook its $100 so I can see where it fits in their lineup but I still think its a bit much. What do you folks think? Is this feature enough to make you want the Nook Glowlight or to switch from Amazon?

Hey there readers! Sorry for the long absence. I have now successfully re-located to the Los Angeles area and can resume writing the Anime Updates!

This week we’ve got some awesome Studio Ghibli releases on the way!

Press Release info: 4/13/2012

Avengers is nothing short of amazing, but that’s still selling this movie short. It is the perfect summer movie– wall to wall action, huge characters, and tons of fun. I have never heard an audience break into applause so many times in any movie as this. I personally had at least 5 “F@#$ YEAH!!!” moments of sheer joy. I say “at least” because I stopped counting I was having so much fun.

I was able to get into a sneak Fan Screening Disney put on in Houston, so this morning I got up at 4am and drove 3 hours to the AMC Gulf Pointe, where I got in line with hundreds of other various geeks, nerds, and Avengers fans of all ages and races. Yeah, driving to Houston and back for this screening? STILL worth it. We saw it on their IMAX screen in 3D and guess what? The 3D didn’t suck! There were parts it was actually quite enjoyable. But by the end, I was so engrossed with the film I stopped noticing it was in 3D or not. It was just The Avengers, and that’s all it had to be.

(Plot spoilers for the first act of the movie follow so be warned) Our film’s prologue opens with SHIELD at a secret base experimenting with the cosmic cube tesseract we last saw in Captain America that he tried to crash into the ocean to destroy, and they’ve got a problem—it’s malfunctioning. They’re going to evacuate, but only after first securing some suspicious sounding mega-tech (what is it, I wonder? And does it have more to do with later plot developments? Hmmmm…) The tesseract opens a door to another dimension, where we see Thor’s brother Loki plotting with members of an alien race (and yes, like in The Ultimates, the aliens are, in fact, the Chitauri. Happy now– everyone who was sooooo sure it was Skrulls or Atlanteans or some such nonsense?) Their plan is to invade and subjugate Earth. As Loki materializes through the tesseract, he is different. This is not sitting back, pulling strings Loki—this Loki gets his hands dirty, kicks some major ass, then using his magicks to turn several key SHIELD personnel, including super-archer and spy Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) and scientist/Thor expert Dr. Erik Selvig into his slaves, stealing the tesseract. They escape after a prolonged and awesome chase sequence of Nick Fury and Maria Hill pursuing Loki, Hawkeye, and the others. Loki and co.  begin to work on a design to open a stable doorway to allow the Chitauri army loose on Earth.

Nick Fury sends out the alert, and they begin bringing in key personnel to help them find and track the tesseract and Loki. Avengers Assemble? Not quite. It seems no one believes in the Avengers Initiative. Its members are too unstable, too different to ever form a cohesive team. So Bruce Banner is there as an expert on the tesseract’s unusual gamma radiation emissions, Captain Steve Rogers is there for some moral support and to be a good soldier, Black Widow is doing her SHIELD Agent thing trying to hunt down her partner Hawkeye, and so on. And Tony Stark is off in his tower, not even necessarily invited to this particular party but asked to look over some of the scientific data. When they finally get a lead on Loki, some teamwork is needed to bring him in.

However, on the way back they’re waylaid by Thor, intent on bringing his brother home to Asgard. Egos and agendas clash, there’s some awesome fights between Cap, Thor, and Iron Man, but they finally get him into custody, at which point Loki reverts to type as he begins working on each of our heroes to try to turn them against each other. And. . . that’s all in the first 30-45 minutes or so of the film. The rest of it. . . .it only gets better from there. Hijinks ensure, Avengers final Assemble, and they have to thwart a Loki-led invasion of earth. LOTS of fights and action. I mean, even those parts I described in the first hour have more action sequences in them than the first halves of Captain America, Thor, and Iron Man 2 combined. You’ve seen a lot of the best pieces in the trailer so far, but you haven’t seen all of them.

Stuff to look forward to? Without revealing any spoilers, here’s some cool stuff: The Mark VII Iron Man Suit, Hawkeye’s abilities with a bow, Loki’s fighting skills, Tony Stark being a dick, Tony Stark  being selfless and heroic, Cap admitting how dumb his outfit is, how much of fanboy Agent Colson is, seeing what Quinjets can do in action, seeing Nick Fury take stuff down with his gun, with a bazooka, oh, and Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill is awesome, too.

In the final act of the film, each character gets their due. Each and every one of our heroes gets several, and I mean several not just one or two, major, jaw-dropping moments to show off their stuff. And a lot of them are in combination with their various teammates. It is just awesome. Again, tons of cheering, applause, and squeals of joy from the audience as this all unfolds.

The movie not only sets the bar for summer superhero movies, it may have knocked it so out of the park that it may be a mark that everyone else is constantly chasing. Spider-Man is going to have a really tough time topping this. Dark Knight, as a sequel and final chapter, may be able to, but Nolan will have to deliver one hell of a movie to do it.

All of this is to say it is not a perfect film. Compared to its action-packed second half, the first half spends a lot of time on plot and exposition. But that’s only by comparison, so take that criticism with a grain of salt. It’s like complaining that a delicious cheesecake’s crust isn’t as moist as its cheesy custardy goodness. Without the added plot and character development we just have a big, dumb action movie with no coherent plot or characters (I’m looking at you, Transformers sequels!!), so it’s still worth it.

But beyond that, what’s it get right?

Damn near everything.

First, Whedon’s script and direction. This script is funny. There are tons of little throwaway bits that you’ll miss if you blink. And Whedon masterfully handles…

The actors. Each of these people have anchored their own summer blockbusters, but in this they all share the stage so well with one another. Everyone intuitively understand what they’re doing, what their particular part to play is, and they do it. And it’s beautiful. This could’ve been a clusterf@#$ of an ensemble piece, but instead it works like a finely tuned Shakespearean Company—so used to inhabiting each others’ space and elevating each others’ performances.

The film’s running time clocks in at almost 2 and a half hours, but it never feels it. In the same way you wouldn’t complain that a roller coaster ride is too long or has too many dips and turns and falls, you don’t complain here either. While I complain about plot and character, there are genuine great moments in unexpected places—specifically from Scarlett Johanssen? A scene she has interrogating Loki and another later scene with Hawkeye were beyond unexpected and pleasant.

The Hulk. I think this is the first film where they really got him right. I think it helped that Mark Ruffalo’s Bruce Banner is far more nerdy, awkward, and vulnerable. In the other Hulk films, I loved the Hulk parts and tolerated the Bruce Banner parts. Also, I think the digital effects have progressed enough to make a more believable-looking Hulk who fits in with human characters. But right before the ultimate battle when Bruce Banner reveals his “secret” about how he controls The Hulk. . .the theater erupted. A beautiful little moment.

Also, f@#$ YOU, Joss Whedon. First for being so damn good. Second, (minor spoiler alert ahead—skip to end of paragraph if you don’t want to know any more) you’re known for being willing to kill major characters that everyone loves (still haven’t forgiven you for Wash’s death in Serenity) but you are a bad, bad boy. How dare you take a character that we fanboys love so much—and sacrifice him to the greater good?!?!?!!

Oh, and final spoiler alert: stick around after the main credit sequence for a sneak peak of what we might get in an Avengers sequel. Hint: If you’re playing along with our Avengers vs X-Men Tournament, it’s fairly likely that six of our #1 and #2 seeds will likely be in Avengers 2. Figure it out by process of elimination.

If you don’t already have your tickets, get them. And get one for Friday, one for Saturday, one for Sunday. If I had the option, I would walked right out of that theater and gotten in line for another showing.

I’m happy to answer any other questions people may have– hit me up on Twitter @CitizenAndy and I’ll answer anything you throw at me. You want spoilers? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE SPOILERS!!!

7 stars. Out of 4. That’s right. 7.

1 for Cap, 1 for Iron Man, 1 for Thor, 1 for The Hulk/Bruce Banner, 1 for Nick Fury, Black Widow, and Hawkeye, 1 for Loki, and 1big one for Joss Whedon.

This movie is two 3 and 1/2  movies put together– THAT’S how good it is.

I’ve been a great fan of Wallace and Gromit for close to two decades and when I heard they were doing a new TV show, I was pretty thrilled. When I heard the show would be part reality show, I was a little disappointed, but then when I found out they’d be showcasing real life-scientists and their inventions, I was once again thrilled.

Aardman and crew didn’t fail to disappoint. The show is like a high-tech, all ages Sesame Street and my kids and I completely ate it up.

My daughter has, for as long as she’s been able to understand the concept of wanting to be something when she grows up, has wanted to build robots. The very first episode addresses this very issue and the brightness in her face couldn’t be measured. The show gave her all kinds of ideas and she went right to her drawing board to draw out new ideas for robots she had.

It’s exactly the sort of show I think kids need and don’t get enough of on American television. (It’s no wonder this show hails from across the pond.) It tackles science in fascinating ways, shows the tinkerers and inventors failing time and again with their inventions, improving them constantly, and then finally reaching success. It seems like the average American kid doesn’t have that same fascination with science that sent us to the moon, and I think shows like this could help reignite that spark.

On the technical side, this show is put together well. Sure, there’s some dodgy bits of archive footage, but other than that it looks great.

There’s a tendency for live action shows framed with animation to have a sub-standard animation style, or lip synching that’s not exactly right, but it’s not a problem this show had. Wallace and Gromit, renowned for their own tinkering, were brought beautifully back to life in a way that was indistinguishable from their previous on-screen outings. And they were up to their old hijinks like no time had been missed between now and then.

For the price (Less than $12 on Amazon) it’s something that should be in the collection of any would-be tinkerer or inventor, young or old. And I think fans of Wallace and Gromit are hip to this sort of show, even if they are expecting full length episodes of Wallace and Gromit comedy.

It reminds me quite a bit of the documentary shows and movies that the Monty Pythoners put together after the dissolution of the Flying Circus.

It’s funny, charming, and enlightening.

Pick it up. You’re really not going to regret it.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been able to manage five years on this Earth without the wit, wisdom, and moral compass of Kurt Vonnegut.

The man influenced me more than most have. Reading his work is like visiting an old friend, his writing is warm and inviting, sharp, funny, and any of a hundred other positive adjectives.

When I learned of his death, five years ago today, I felt as though I lost a friend. The idea that I’d never read another biting essay by the man, or another new book, was not an easy one to come to terms to.

Over the years I’ve written a number of stories and essays that I felt were directly inspired by Vonnegut and I published them in a book called “God Bless You, Mr. Vonnegut.” In it, I gave background material about my personal and one-sided artistic relationship with Vonnegut and how he influenced me over the years.

To commemorate Vonnegut on the fifth anniversary of his passing, I want to give some copies of the book away in a way that honors the man in some small, probably insignificant way.

In order to win one of the three copies I’m giving away (though that number might go up depending on how much response this gets) all you need to do is hit up your twitter account and tweet about what Vonnegut’s influence was on you and tag it with #GodBlessYouMrVonnegut.

If you don’t have a twitter, hit me up here on facebook and tell me how Vonnegut inspired or shaped you.

If you’re not on facebook OR twitter, leave a comment below.

Universal Pictures announced today that Jaws has been undergoing a full restoration for it’s upcoming Blu-ray release.

This is great news for uber-Jaws nerds like myself. I can’t tell you how much I love this movie. If it’s playing anywhere within 50 miles on the big screen, I will make the trek. It just bowls me over no matter how many times I see it. The filmmaking on display in this picture is to be admired, studied under a microscope, and admired even more.

I would order the Blu-ray right now, but if you’re not convinced, check out the features:

From the Universal Press Release.

JAWS: on august 14th, own the blu-rayTM combo pack with dvd, digital copy, ultraviolet & over 4 hours of bonus features including an all-new documentary “The Shark is Still Working”

JAWS – the landmark motion picture that still makes audiences afraid to go in the water – comes to Blu-rayTM for the first time ever on August 14th, 2012. Featuring an all-new, digitally remastered and fully restored picture, as well as 7.1 surround sound, the JAWS Blu-rayTM Combo Pack with DVD, Digital Copy and UltraVioletTM gives fans the ultimate way to watch the breathtaking and terrifying action-thriller.

One of the most influential motion pictures of all time and nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award®, JAWS stars Oscar® winner Richard Dreyfuss and Oscar® nominees Roy Scheider and Robert Shaw. Produced by legendary filmmakers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown, the film earned an Oscar® for composer John Williams’ instantly recognizable minimalist score, as well as Oscars® for Best Editing and Best Sound. When it was first released in 1975, JAWS smashed box-office records and became the highest-grossing film of its era, earning Spielberg a reputation as a Hollywood visionary. Today, it remains one of the highest-grossing films in motion-picture history[1] and is largely considered the film that launched the summer blockbuster.

JAWS is one of 13 classic Universal films to be digitally remastered and fully restored from 35mm original film elements as part of Universal’s ongoing 100th Anniversary celebration. The JAWS restoration began with researching and evaluating the existing film elements to determine the best means to restore the film. Over the course of several months, skilled technicians at Universal Studios Digital Services meticulously balanced color, removed dirt and scratches, and repaired any damage to the film elements shot by shot and frame by frame. Following the picture restoration, Universal Studios Sound team up-mixed the iconic JAWS soundtrack to DTS-HD Master 7.1, optimizing the sound on the Blu-rayTM for the latest home theater technology. The entire restoration process was conducted in conjunction with Steven Spielberg and Amblin Entertainment’s post-production team to ensure the integrity of Spielberg’s original vision remained intact.

“JAWS holds a unique place, not just in Universal Pictures’ history, but in global pop culture,” said Craig Kornblau, President of Universal Studios Home Entertainment. “It is only fitting that this phenomenal film should be given the extensive restoration needed to ensure that long-time fans as well as newcomers can enjoy this unforgettable cinematic achievement for generations to come.”

The JAWS Blu-ray™ Combo Pack is available in collectible Universal 100thAnniversary packaging for a limited time. The Combo Pack also contains a Digital Copy of the film for a limited time, compatible with iTunes®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod™ touch, Android or online retail partners, as well as an UltraViolet™ copy. UltraViolet is the revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows in the cloud to download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones. Consumers can now truly enjoy their movies anytime, anywhere on the platform of their choice.
Blu-ray™ Bonus Features:
· The Shark is Still Working: The Impact & Legacy of JAWS: All-new feature-length documentary featuring never-before-seen footage and interviews with cast and crew including Steven Spielberg, Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider.

· JAWS: The Restoration: An all-new, in-depth look at the intricate process of restoring the movie.

· The Making of JAWS: A two-hour documentary featuring interviews with key cast and crew.

· From the Set: An insider’s look at life on the set of JAWS, featuring an interview with Steven Spielberg.

· Deleted Scenes & Outtakes

· JAWS Archives: Take a peek inside the JAWS archives, including storyboards, production photos and marketing materials, as well as a special segment on the JAWS phenomenon.

· Original Theatrical Trailer

· UltraViolet™: The revolutionary new way for consumers to collect movies and TV shows, store them in the cloud, and download and stream instantly to computers, tablets and smartphones. Currently available in the United States only.

· Digital Copy: Viewers can redeem a digital version of the full-length movie from a choice of retail partners to watch on an array of electronic and portable devices.

· pocket BLU™ App: The popular free pocket BLU™ app for smartphones is now even better with newly updated versions for iPad®, Android™ tablets, PC and Macintosh computers, with features made especially to take advantage of the devices’ larger screens and high resolution displays.

Advanced Remote Control: A sleek, elegant new way to operate your Blu-ray™ player. Users can navigate through menus, playback and BD-Live™ functions with ease.
Video Timeline: Users can easily bring up the video timeline, allowing them to instantly access any point in the film.
Mobile-To-Go: Users can unlock a selection of bonus content with their Blu-ray™ discs to save to their device or to stream from anywhere there is a Wi-Fi network, enabling them to enjoy content on the go, anytime, anywhere.
Browse Titles: Users will have access to a complete list of pocket BLU™-enabled titles available and coming to Blu-ray™. They can view free previews and see what additional content is available to unlock on their device.
Keyboard: Entering data is fast and easy with your device’s intuitive keyboard.
· BD-LIVE™: Access the BD-Live™ Center through your Internet-connected player to access the latest trailers, exclusive content and more!
DVD Bonus Features:

· Spotlight on Location: The Making of JAWS: Highlights from the full-length documentary featuring interviews with key cast and crew.

I’m literally dying to see “The Shark is Still Working.” The Behind the Scenes stories for this film have always excited me more than you’d ever believe.

You can pre-order the best version for less than $21.00 at Amazon right now.

This first appeared on The Huffington Post…

The usual gang of idiots at MAD Magazine have set their sights on the worst things in America and they do it with their usual, hilarious aplomb. (Aplomb… Isn’t that just a great word that doesn’t get used enough?)

The issue containing all 50 Worst Things About America hits newsstands later this week, but they wanted to give readers of The Huffington Post a sneak peak.

I balked, and then held out for an interview with the Executive Editor of MAD, John Ficarra. They granted me the interview after much arm twisting. And possibly black mail.

Either way, here’s my conversation with John Ficarra:

Bryan Young: First, I want to ask what the process is like when the MAD staff comes up with a list like this, is there a process? Or are there just monkeys at typewriters and with drawing pads in a large room?

John Ficarra: First off, our monkeys have computers, not typewriters! It’s the 21st century. Seriously, most days at MAD begin with me and my staff sitting in my office throwing around ideas. (The monkeys tend to throw something else, which is why we don’t invite them to the meetings.) We’ll see what’s in the news, what makes us laugh and if the comments we’re making are valid. (Even if the comments aren’t valid but make us laugh, they’re in.) At that point we turn our notes over to our freelance writers and see what they come up with. From there, it’s a back and forth process until we arrive at something hilarious that we love or the deadline arrives and then we just run it anyway.

BY: What does MAD look for when it sets its sights on an issue or a topic? Why The Worst Things About America?

JF: The 50 Worst is a great vehicle for us to comment from many different directions about things that piss us off. It’s a franchise we’ve featured many times over the years. We’ve done the 50 Worst about Movies, TV, Video Games, Comedy, Sports and even the Internet. (Luckily for you, we didn’t know about your blog when we wrote that one!)

BY: What is MAD’s target audience these days and how does MAD compete with the copycats that have stolen your schtick’s over the years, from The Onion to The Daily Show?

JF: MAD’s target audience is well-informed, highly educated, culturally savvy, media consumers. We’ve yet to hit that target. Contrary to your point, we do not view The Onion and The Daily Show as “copycats”, but rather equals…colleagues…brothers-in-arms in the world of comedy. They do no share this view.

BY: As a professional satirist, why do you think it’s important to not lose that tool in the discourse of our country? What role does MAD play in that discourse?

JF: Satire is very important! Historically, ridicule is one of the most important checks and balances available against the rich and powerful. Imagine a world where Kim Kardashian is a celebrity and you’re not allowed to make fun of her. That’s not a world I want to live in.

BY: Am I taking MAD or this interview far too seriously? Because I see MAD as a relevant and important mirror for society… Am I reading too much into that?

JF: I’m sorry. Could you repeat that question? Whenever interviews become too serious, I tend to doze off, as I suspect many of your readers are doing right about now.

BY: Never Mind. Moving on. What’s your favorite part of coming to work at MAD?

JF: The elevator ride. Whee! MAD’s on the 7th floor. If I had to make those stairs several times every day, day after day, week after week, that would be a real deal-breaker.

BY: How has the MAD app invigorated the magazine? Tell me about the app… Is it a place just to read the magazine, will it have bonus content?

JF: The MAD app is terrific! It allows readers to experience the magazine on a whole new level, with interactive features such as the MAD Fold-In that you now swipe to “fold” and solve. Also, articles such as “Make Your Own Twilight Movie” are much more fun and interactive. There is a second classic MAD Fold-In with every issue and other bonus content available exclusively on the app. Plus, you can buy digital back issues of the magazine through the app. I’m pretty sure having ridiculous humor clogging up the 4G networks is just what Steve Jobs envisioned when he invented the iPad.

The one thing I’m not happy about is management’s decision to give a FREE digital subscription to anyone who subscribes to the print edition of MAD! I’m NEVER going to get a raise if they continue with this kind of wrong-headed generosity!

BY: With the upcoming election cycle, can we expect to see more cutting political satire than we did in the last election? I thought you guys were on the top of your game for ’08…

JF: Political satire has always been one of the hallmarks of MAD (along with movie satires and tasteful fart gags). These days more and more people of all ages seem to follow politics like they do sports teams. Who’s up, who’s down? The public is much more informed. So it’s only gotten better for MAD. In fact, our political covers are generally our best sellers. The great thing about politicians, especially in a Presidential election year, is that you can always count on them to do something exceptionally stupid. 2012 will be no exception and MAD will be there ready to pounce and write some exceptionally stupid political humor. It’s a win-win.

BY: What’s the most entertaining bit of backlash you’ve received from running a political piece? I mean… a list like “The Worst Things About America” is going to piss somebody off

JF: One of my favorite “backlashes” was several years ago when we ran a scathing piece on the NRA. They promptly ran an article about it in their magazine, urging their members to boycott our advertisers. Unfortunately for them, this was back at a point when MAD wasn’t taking ads, so it turned out to be one of the NRA’s less-effective boycotts. Now that we are accepting ads, I hope the NRA will consider advertising with us!

See? Proof the National Rifle Association has no sense of humour.

For those who read this entire interview just for the preview, I might as well give you what you came for:

Message from the shameless self-promotion department: Bryan Young is the editor of the geek news website Big Shiny Robot! and the author of the hilarious, critically acclaimed novel you should totally buy, Lost at the Con.