Geek of Oz

Today I have the pleasure of speaking to writer Tom Taylor and artist James Brouwer, creators of my favourite book of recent time , The Deep: Here be Dragons.  In case you haven't heard, The Deep: Here be Dragons is the Aurealis award winning graphic novel from Aussie duo, Tom Taylor and James Brouwer, and the patriotic streak doesn't end there. This book is beautifully presented by the good folks at the independent Aussie comics company, Gestalt. Follow on after the jump and not only will you get an interview with some of Australia's best and brightest but you will get a look at some interior art and an EXCLUSIVE look at an all new piece of art from the forthcoming VOLUME 2, The Vanishing Island. Intriguing?

Forget Harry Potter . Move over Lord of the Rings . The definitive book-to-film adaptation of our generation has finally arrived. Okay, so perhaps I’m a bit heavy-on with the sarcasm, but the concept of transmuting a self-help book, no less, into a fictional, montage-style, feel good comedy leaves me a little bewildered. Sharon Mazel and Heidi Murkoff’s self help book What to Expect When You’re Expecting which has no doubt guided millions of women through the minefield which is pregnancy, its longevity is testimony to this fact. This does not mean that it will necessarily make for an entertaining film.

We don't often post news on blanket GEEK news, unless of course it is regarding the release of a new range of Star Wars or Spider-Man blankets. But, in this case we make a special dispensation to announce the official International Geek Pride Day launch of Curicon, a brand new social media network just for us, geeks. An extra special bonus feature is that it is the brainchild of AUSSIES! Follow on after the jump for the official press release. Don't forget to register for your own account and look me up!

Well folks, it’s that magical time of the year once again – when Hollywood rolls out its biggest and noisiest films. The blockbuster season is always a fun time to see which films live up to the hype and which ones disappoint. To date, the Men in Black franchise has been a mixed bag. The first film was novel and charming whereas the second instalment felt laboured and bogged down by endless exposition. With Men in Black 3, the franchise returns to its glory days, offering a heart-felt story filled with genuine laughs and well-defined characters.

Nana is a rather girly anime series which is based on a rather girly, smash hit manga series by Ai Yazawa. So what is it about this series that had me, a somewhat manly geek so enthralled? "Two girls with the same name leave their old lives behind and come to Tokyo to start fresh. What adventures await these two hopeful young women under the bright lights of the big city? Nana Osaki wants nothing more than to make it big as the singer of a rock 'n' roll band, while Nana Komatsu wants to put her life in motion and get her new relationship off to a good start. When the two Nanas fall in love with the same apartment, they become roommates and then best friends, and the party has just begun!"

The competitions just keep coming here at Geek of Oz! This time you can get your hands on one of five copies of Bleach: Fade to Black which have all been signed by the voice of Ichigo, Masakazu Morita, and and film director, Noriyuki Abe. Not only this but there is a very special little sketch of Kon on each cover! The third movie in the Bleach series steps up the action and the animation quality is a fantastic as ever! Follow on after the jump for details on how to win!

Curiouser and curiouser. The Eldritch Kid by Christian Read and Michael Maier started off like Robert Rodriguez' From Dusk Til Dawn , at first I thought that it would be a straight laced Western adventure but within a few short pages, zombies attack. I instantly knew that this was going to be a crazy ride. "An old West where every myth and monster and magic is real. Ten Shoes Dancing is a shaman of the Lakota people and an Oxford scholar. Riding shotgun on a group of pilgrims heading West, he encounters the dime novel hero known only as the Eldritch Kid. Famed as a hero and champion, sadly, the Kid isn’t all he seems. But there’s bad times coming for the convoy, sour ground to cross, and the price Ten Shoes will pay for the Kid’s help might be too damn high."

The original Voltron "Lion Force" series holds a special place in my heart. I have so many fond memories of weekday mornings before school, eating my Weet Bix and watching Voltron. Along with Transformers, Voltron figures littered my toy box. I had nearly the entire range of Panosh Place figures, each pilot and their respective lions as well as a plastic lunch box and a set of erasers that I refused to use for erasing. Released in 2011, Voltron Force: The Defenders Trilogy is the first 3 episodes of the series edited into a feature length pilot. Taking place a few years after the events of the original series, Voltron Force feels entirely different to the source material, which is expected considering that over 25 years have elapsed since its release. One thing that is immediately obvious is that this is an American production unlike the original series which was based upon the Japanese series, Beast King GoLion.

It is unreasonable and entirely unfair to review an independent comic book under the same conditions as one that was published by the big guys. Sure, the indie book will be less polished and probably of a lower quality in terms of packaging, but what you do get is so much more valuable. In an independent, creator-owned comic book, you get the true story that the creator wishes to tell, the story that has been mulling around in their head for years before finally oozing out of the nearest orifice, transforming into a beginning, middle and an end. Eric Orchard is Marrowbones and Marrowbones he. He is the man who does the scratchy drawings that are cute and a tad spooky, until you look at them for too long and they become menacing, threatening. On the surface of it, Eric Orchard's Marrowbones is a simple story about a young girl who works in a strange inn. Of course, in having the story introduced by a mechanical skeleton we are given fair warning as to what lunacy lies ben...

Every now and then I receive an email out of the blue asking if I would like to review a comic, generally independent comics, and generally titles that are brimming with heart. Not heart in the sense that they are touchy feely but heart in the sense that you can almost feel the blood, sweat and sleepless nights that these creators have put on the page, so is the feeling that I get from Killeroo: Gangwar.

ARIA the Animation is a strange beast. It is very much a series with a cult status while still exhibiting many hallmarks of a mainstream title. So what is it about this series specifically that makes it so appealing? "In the early 24th century, Mars has been terraformed by mankind into a sparkling planet covered in water... Akari Mizunashi, at the age of 15, has left everything behind to travel to that reborn world, now known as Aqua. More than anything, Akari wants to be an "undine" - a female gondolier who navigates the canals of the Aquan city of Neo-Venezia As she begins her training with the prestigious Aria Company, will she be up to the challenges that await her on the path to achieve her dream?"

Ever since Borat burst onto the big screen in 2006, Sacha Baron Cohen has best been known for his offensive characters and shocking situational comedy. Borat was one of his many television personalities which he brought to a much broader audience with hilarious results. Few films have made me laugh as hard as the first time I saw Borat in the cinema. Sadly his latest film The Dictator does not have the charm or wit of his past efforts although is still an entertaining film.

If you count yourself as an anime fan, you are almost certainly aware of the PHENOMENON that is Puella Magi Madoka Magica. If you're an Aussie anime fan, you'd be aware that Madman have just released volume 1 of the smash hit series with volume 2 coming soon. Well here's your chance to win an absolute hot ticket item. We have 2 copies of PMMM volume 1 on DVD and 2 on Blu Ray, all in a limited edition collectors box and all AUTOGRAPHED by voice actors Cristina Vee and Christine Marie Cabanos. Follow on after the jump for your chance to win!

Not long ago, on this very site, we were positively GUSHING about how wonderful The Deep: Here be Dragons was. Well, it looks as though we have pretty good taste because overnight, Tom Taylor and James Brouwer were awarded with an Aurealis Award for the best Graphic Novel of 2012. We, the Geek of Oz, would like to congratulate Mr Taylor, Mr Brouwer, Gestalt Publishing and everyone else involved not only for the big win, but also for creating such a fantastic and beautiful story. Bravo and as always, have faith in the fish.

Back in March Australia's number 1 anime distributor, Madman, started taking votes for Australia's top 20 anime series of all time. Well Australia, your votes have been counted and the results are in.  As a thank you, Madman have also announced that all of the top 20 titles will be on sale so there's no reason to see what all the fuss if about! Check out the official press release after the jump!

Look, I'm not the hippest kid around so I wasn't even sure what the hell a Penny Time was until I received a mysterious email in my inbox. Is it something to do with the Facebook? Inspector Gadget's niece? A defunct form of Australian currency? To wrap my head around it I jumped on my iPhone and downloaded the free lite version of what turned out to be a fantastic side scrolling skateboard/rhythm game with beautiful graphics, exceptional physics and a brilliant soundtrack. Needless to say, I forked out the whole 99 cents for the full version and have been playing ever since. I'd be lying if I said that no bonus points were earned by having Aussies involved in the production of this game and Penny Skateboards... Some call it bias, I call it patriotism. Follow on after the jump for more info and a promo trailer!

Teen Wolf was such a memorable film from my childhood, a time when An American Werewolf in London was off limits. Well, just as all things seem to do, it was reborn into a TV series which seems barely recognisable from the source material. So in the week post-SUPER MOON it seems only fitting that Teen Wolf Season 1 prepares to hit Australian DVD shelves. Follow on after the jump for everything you need to know including special feature inclusions, trailers, behind the scenes footage and more!

On June the 21st I will be in a cinema, somewhere, giddy like a child waiting for the all new Pixar film, Brave. Let's face facts, Pixar have never made a bad film. Not only is the animation consistently beautiful and increasingly detailed but the stories, the stories are where Pixar put all else to shame. Even without the technical brilliance and animated artistry, a story magical story will shine through. Check out the all new Brave trailer after the jump and don't forget to mark your calendar for June 21st!

For an entire generation of cinephiles, Sam Raimi's EVIL DEAD was the first foray into the world of horror while simultaneously ruining trips into the bush (woods).  For a generation of budding film makers it proved that with some motivated friends, a handful of tenacity and a hell of a lot of talent even the most incredible dreams (or nightmares) could be made.  1981's EVIL DEAD catapulted a young director by the name of Sam Raimi and a square jawed hunk-a-spunk by the name of Bruce Campbell into the spotlight. Reunited again, Raimi, Campbell and Rob Tapert have come together to recreate the terror. Evil Dead has begun filming in New Zealand. Check out the full press release after the jump!

The 4th of July might be Independence Day for our American friends but for me, perhaps for the rest of my life, the 4th of July will be The Amazing Spider-Man day. Okay, that may be a little bit of an  overreaction but honestly, I'm really jazzed to see Spidey back in action. This new trailer gives us a better look at Doc Connors, The Lizard and of course our friendly neighbourhood Spider-Man. While you're at it, click on the poster to the left to see it in all of its glory. Check out the all new trailer after the jump!

The Five Year Engagement is the latest film by Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get him to the Greek) about Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) and Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt) who meet one fateful new year’s eve and are destined to be married or so it seems. The couple’s wedding plans are continuously interrupted by other weddings, career opportunities and circumstances in their relationship. Set initially in San Francisco where Tom has established himself as a prominent chef and Violet yearns to be involved in psychology at Berkeley University. The couple quickly move to Michigan where the majority of the film takes place. For the most part this is a charming film although it does have its faults.

Just in time to celebrate its 25th anniversary, legendary sci-fi series Star Trek: The Next Generation flies onto Blu Ray. On the 1st of August 2012, Aussie Trekkers will have their chance to own first season on HD Blu Ray about a month after our American counterparts.On about the 3rd of August, we will be watching it for the second time. A friendly reminder to all geeks out there that to prepare for this monumental release you should ensure to make July a non-stop housework and/or socialising month. By doing so your parents, friends, work colleagues or significant others will be more lenient to your minimum 1183.86 minutes (that's only if you watch it once... and you won't) spent watch the glorious HD adventures of Picard, Riker, Gordi, Data, Troi and the gang. Follow on after the jump for more info, all of the technical specs and most importantly, the price. Make it so!

Studio Ghibli has been described as Disney of the East but let's face facts... Ghibli rules! Australia's leading anime distributor, Madman , is bringing us more and more Ghibli all the time! To celebrate the release of the newest Ghibli title, Arrietty, Geek Of Oz and Madman are giving you the chance to win a copy of Arrietty , Ponyo AND Howl's Moving Castle on your choice of Blu Ray or DVD.  Follow on after the jump for your chance to win!

We all know that Arrietty is coming, right? One of Ghibli's biggest releases in recent times is to be released by Madman on May 23rd. Arrietty was beautiful to see at the cinema  but I can't wait to see it on Blu Ray, the opportunity to sit at home and pore over every minute detail of Ghibli's always beautiful artwork. Any and every Ghibli release gives cause for celebration. Madman have announced everything that you need to know about their release including the basic storyline, UK voice over line up and of course, the price. Check out the official press release after the jump!

We geeks are a funny lot. We swear loyalty to one of two properties and rarely sway from one to the other. Are you a Star Trek fan or a Star Wars fan? Marvel or DC? Mario or Sonic?  I have a tendency to sit on the fence in every area except when it comes to Sonic. I'm a Sonic fan, through and through. Sure, I can see the similarities between Mario Kart and Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed but Mario Kart never looked this cool! Follow on after the jump for a look at the official announcement and trailer from our friends at Sega!

I tried to explain the basic plot of Yamada's First Time: B Gata H Kei to a friend, an endeavour that didn't end all that well.  "You see, it's about this 15 year old high school girl who wants to lose her 'v card' before doing it with another 99 guys..." (cue worried look) o_0 Sure, I tried to assure him that it was hilarious and tongue in cheek but he just walked away and reported me to the police (not really).