Doctor Who-themed Murder Mystery to be Performed in Lexington

 

Local theater is something that has always interested me and I was delighted that director Kathy Hobbs contacted me about a production that is being launched here in Lexington at the end of July. Doctor! WHO is the Murderer? is a murder mystery set at a Doctor Who convention. Performed by Lexington-based theater troupe Fantastical Theatricals, this WHO-dunnit features The Doctor, The Master, and a zany cast of characters that will sure to be a crowd-pleaser for both Whovians and non-fans alike. In addition to their performances in Lexington, the group travels to many Kentucky state parks.

CONversations: Interview with Mo Lightning of Wizard World Louisville Comic Con

New to the Kentucky convention circuit this year is Wizard World Louisville Comic Con. It's no secret that Wizard World is one of the national leaders in convention promotion and, to be quite honest, it was just a matter of time until a convention of its magnitude was established in The Bluegrass State. I'm thrilled to say that I'll be at the convention this Friday and Saturday, specifically Saturday when I'll be presenting "To Boldly Go: Star Trek The Next Generation and Anthropology" at 11AM at the Kentucky International Convention Center.

It's bound to be an exciting weekend in the Derby City. In addition to vendors and comic creators, Louisville Comic Con has a bevy of celebrities including Doctor Who alums Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, Sean Astin, James Marsters, Jason Momoa, Dean Cain, and Jason David Frank. The line-up looks great and I look forward to being in the same vicinity as Matt Smith. I can't guarantee that I wouldn't fangirl all over the place if given the chance to meet him.

I was approached by Mo Lightning, a member of the Wizard World staff, and was invited to become involved with the convention and I am absolutely thrilled to be given the spotlight for about 45 minutes. He took the time to answer a few of my questions about the convention and his experiences working in pop culture programming.

SNEAK PEEK: Two new DOCTOR WHO series from TITAN COMICS!

Thanks to my friends at Titan Comics, I'm sharing a sneak peek of the #1 issues from the new Doctor Who series which debuts this Summer! New adventures with Ten and Eleven?! Sign me up! Hit the jump for the gorgeous covers and descriptions of the series!

Doctor Who Regenerates with Titan Comics

A new day dawns for Doctor Who with the regeneration of Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor into Peter Capaldi's Twelfth Doctor. Production is already underway on Series 8 and excitement is building for a possible Autumn 2014 premiere. In addition, production is underway on a new line of comics to help round out the Whoniverse. As a Whovian and casual comic book reader, I'm excited to announce a partnership between BBC Worldwide and Titan Comics. The deal between BBC and Titan will "open up the world of Doctor Who and provide fans with new stand alone adventures featuring the Tenth Doctor, Eleventh Doctor and after the new series launch, the Twelfth Doctor."  New Tenth Doctor adventures?! Sign me up!

My Favorite Things: Doctor Puppet - A Timelord Christmas

While raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens are splendid in their own right, there is a multitude of awesome things out in the world. As Christmas approaches, I thought I'd take a look at some of these in a series I'm calling My Favorite Things.

I've written about The Doctor Puppet before, Leila featured it on The Fandomonium, and we've talked about it on The Eclectic Geek Podcast. It's safe to say that Doctor Puppet is most certainly one of My Favorite Things. Created by Alisa Stern, The Doctor Puppet takes a stop-motion look at Doctor Who and adds an interesting element to the fandom. While there is now an on-going story, I fell in love with How the Doctor Puppet Saved Christmas when it premiered last year in time for The Snowmen.

Around the Web: The Doctor Games

When The Master makes all 14(!) faces of The Doctor fight in a battle royale, who will win?

*Warning: If you are waiting until the Christmas episode of Doctor Who to find out who the 12th Doctor is, do not watch this video. While he is not named explicitly, there is a reference to him within.*

In addition to the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, this weekend marks the release of The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, the follow-up to last year's YA hit, The Hunger Games. Now, the two have been merged into an amazing homage to 50 years of Doctor Who. There are elements from The Hunger Games and Catching Fire within the parody, but it definitely has more of a focus on Doctor Who. And that's fine, it hits the cultural notes of THG while focusing on the minutia of Doctor Who.

Stuff That Doesn't Suck 15

Stuff That Doesn’t Suck is a meme where I graciously share with you the things that I come across in a week that do not suck. This includes a variety of things from books to music to YouTube and even more. Feel free to join in on the comments or on your own blog.

This week certainly has been a busy one. As I prepare to move, I've been packing like a mad woman, cleaning, and trying not to freak out. So, I'm very happy that I found some things this week that brought me joy and a bit of an escape from the stress of moving. Speaking of bringing joy, Leila and I recorded a nre episode of The Eclectic Geek Podcast this week and we had a lot of fun with it, so be sure to have a listen.

Night Falls for the Doctor in this Prequel from BBC

The Moment is coming. The moment when The Doctor will face his darkest day. The moment when everything changes. The moment when The Doctor returns to the Time War. With Daleks, Zygons, and his own past to face, he must enlist the help of one of his previous regenerations. (Video after the break!)

The Eclectic Geek Podcast Episode 2 - Hero Hype

We are back for another episode of The Eclectic Geek Podcast, the podcast for the geek who loves everything. On this week's show we are talking comic book movies. We share our favorites, Leila dishes about movies that are almost 10 years old and we both blubber through terrible pronunciations of names and calling people by the wrong name. This episode is full of silly and awesome all at the same time!

Stuff That Doesn't Suck 11

Stuff That Doesn’t Suck is a meme where I graciously share with you the things that I come across in a week that do not suck. This includes a variety of things from books to music to YouTube and even more. Feel free to join in on the comments or on your own blog.

Portions of this edition of Stuff That Doesn't Suck have been sitting in my draft folder for a month or so, so they've been making their way around the Interwebs. I still wanted to share them because reasons.

Who's Next? New Doctor to be Announced Tomorrow + My Picks

The announcement is coming people. I mean, it's tomorrow and in less than twenty four hours we'll know the identity of the next Doctor. The BBC plans a special for Sunday August 4 which will not only be a retrospective of the half-century of Doctor Who, but will also unveil the actor or actress who has been cast in the role of the Twelfth Doctor. At San Diego Comic Con a few weeks ago, Steven Moffat joked that he was currently writing the script for the Christmas Episode, in which the Doctor will regenerate, and that he wasn't on the page in which he killed the Doctor... yet. It's reported that the casting process for Twelve has been underway and was given code-name Whodini.

According to a press release from the BBC, with breaking news on Thursday from Bleeding Cool, the special will air on Sunday, but recent updates included an updated webite. Hopefully there will be no information leaks as to the identity of the new Doctor in the next 23 hours. At SDCC, Moffat threatened to discontinue any Comic Con exclusives if the trailer for the 50th Anniversary special was leaked online. Doctor Who fans for the most part have been pretty great about that sort of thing, considering Season 7.2 shipped early, allowing buyers the ability to see "The Name of the Doctor" before it aired.

But who will be the person to take over for Matt Smith when he makes his departure in December? Since the debut of Doctor Who in 1963, eleven men have officially portrayed The Doctor, with a host of others who have filled the role unofficially and alternatively on television, in audio books, and on stage. I, for one, was shocked to see that they were making this announcement more than four months before the Christmas Special is to air, but I'm super excited for Sunday.

People have asked me my opinion on the subject. I had tweeted previously that I had a post planned with a list and I started out with about twenty potential Doctors. This included Rupert Grint and Simon Pegg, which I have seen show up on the lists of others. I also had initially considered Matthew Lewis and Henry Cavill as well, but I quickly realized that I was going to have to make some decisions and narrow my picks down. There has been a lot of interest in Dame Helen Mirren as well. But here are my top twelve potential Doctors. My thoughts after the break!

Stuff That Doesn't Suck 10: An Unexpected All YouTube Edition

There are a lot of things going on in America that I'd like to be a part of this. First, Derby City Comic Con is happening in Louisville and this is the first year since its inception that I haven't been able to attend. Sucks. UtopYA Con is a literary convention with focus on the Young Adult genre happening in Nashville. There's FitBloggin which is in Portland this year and LeakyCon, which is also in Portland. Dang. So much. But, alas, I am not in Louisville, Nashville, or Portland, but instead I am in the hamlet of Southgate. So, to get past the fact that me not being in fun places really sucks, I thought I'd comb through some things I saw on the web this week to bring you Stuff That Doesn't Suck.

I hadn't started out with a particular theme, but it ended up being an All YouTube Edition!

Around the Web: Dalek Relaxation Tape

In the past, I've used tapes to relax and help clear my head. I find that no matter your religion affiliation, meditation helps you to center and become a more relaxed and better you. That's why, when I found out about the Dalek Relaxation Tape, I jumped at the chance to learn some basic principles from our Dalek masters.

The Dalek Relaxation Tape has everything you need to helpe EXTERMINATE your tension. You're left with such a feeling of contentment that you're able to OBEY any command. I was surprised that Daleks had a concept of relaxation, but through the Dalek Relaxation Tape, all of my concerns have been allayed. Just take a listen, I know that you will be able to ACCOMMODATE this tape into your own meditation program.

The audio for this was also posted on Tumblr several weeks ago. Here is the original post!

The Dalek Relaxation Tape will definitely ABATE any feelings of stress that you might have. Enjoy!

(H/T to Victoria and Kerry)

She Said, He Said: Prequel to 'The Name of the Doctor'

"On the fields of Trenzalore, at the fall of the eleventh, when no living creature can speak falsely or fail to answer, a Question will be asked, a question that must never, ever be answered."

Terrible Mothers of Popular Culture

Today's Geeky Question of the Day in the Kentucky Geek Girl community on Facebook asked, "Who is the best mom of Popular Culture?" The more I thought about it, the more I realized that there are some pretty terrible moms in Pop Culture as well, even specifically in Science Fiction. Folks in the ?otD thread included some great moms such as Molly Weasley, Catelyn Tully, and even *shudder* Lori Grimes, but I thought that there has to be a flip side to this. So, I put on my Thinking Fedora and came up with a sampling of terrible mothers of sci-fi, fantasy, and horror.

Jackie Tyler is one of the best moms in pop culture

These are by no means in-depth character analyses.This is more just a fun look at the way people perceive characters, not a true character study. I don't necessarily agree with all of these points 100%, but I think that there some pretty obvious points. Also, there will be spoilers, which I am sorry is a bit unavoidable. If you haven't seen these TV shows or watched these movies, then either don't read or prepared to have some details spoiled. List after the break.

Doctor Who - The Bells of St. John Reactions and Review

SPOILERS, SWEETIE! This post contains spoilers for Doctor Who Season 7 Episode 7 "The Bells of St. John." If you haven't seen it, don't read!

Not having cable sucks sometimes, y'all. I've grown accustomed to watching things on Hulu, though, so you get used to it. I'm home this weekend at my family's house in Flatwoods for the Easter holiday and while they have cable, they have not subscribed to BBC America. I think my mom would love it, honestly. She watches Copper and Ripper Street on On Demand, but it's been terribly unreliable as of late. I think they should just bite the bullet and add BBC America to their package.

'Bells of St. John' Prequel Hits the Web

With only one week to go until the premiere of Season 7.2, Doctor Who fans were treated to a prequel video, written by none other than Steven Moffat. In the video, the Doctor is "despondent" as he has searched all over for Clara Oswin Oswald, the mysterious woman with whom he's now had two encounters, first in Asylum of the Daleks and most recently in The Snowmen, the Christmas Special 2012. She's mysterious, she's alluring, she's clever, and seems like she will make a great companion, once he finds her at least. Video after the break.

Around the Web: BBC Sherlock Theme Goes Metal

This weekend, my friend Becky shared the link to an amazing video over on the Twitter, but I wasn't able to watch it until this afternoon. As a now die-hard Sherlockian (I think that's what the fandom is calling itself nowadays) and devoted Cumberfan, I wanted to share it as well. YouTuber 331Erock has taken done metal covers of many favorites, including the James Bond theme. Here, he's adapted the score from Michael Price and David Arnold of the BBC series Sherlock. As a fan of people taking something and turning it into something even more awesome, I totally approve. Bonus video after the jump.

Apparently 331Erock is no stranger to BBC series, having adapted the Doctor Who theme to a metal version last year. It's ... cool.

Cookbooks Are Cool: Dining With The Doctor

So, I'm kind of obsessed with cookbooks. I love to collect them and if I had a bigger budget I would own a lot more. I like taking recipes and figuring out how to make them more healthy. Specifically, I like cookbooks with a theme. I have a vampire themed cookbook called Love at First Bite: The Complete Vampire Lover's Cookbook and the wonderful folks from Inn at the Crossroads sent me A Feast of Ice and Fire: The Official Game of Thrones Companion Cookbook, which I will be reviewing soon. I want to pick up Alan Kistler's Unofficial Game of Thrones Cookbook as well, among countless others.

Today, I stumbled upon a cookbook that is FREE on Kindle! Dining With the Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook features recipes that relate to every episode of the first six seasons of the new Doctor Who series. Yes, every. single. episode and even the specials. That's definitely some dedication. The cookbook's author, Chris-Rachael Osland, is dedicated to her craft, as she not only provides recipes for each episode, but includes interesting prose within the cookbook.

Hello, Doctor. It’s been awhile. You’re looking very modern in your black t-shirt and leather jacket - and if you don’t mind me saying so, kind of sexy with those high cheekbones and that sparkle in your eye. You’re trouble. I like it.
Oseland, Chris-Rachael (2012-12-01). Dining With The Doctor: The Unauthorized Whovian Cookbook (p. 9). Kindle Edition.

Because each recipe is centered around a specific episode, there will be spoilers included. The author notes that she doesn't think that anyone who would be reading the cookbook wouldn't already have watched all of the episodes. The cookbook stops with the Christmas episode from Season 6. I hope that she may do a follow up for Season 7 and beyond. I'm thinking sno-cones for The Snowmen or something related to a governess in a pond.

To be honest, some of the recipes really do not sound appealing at all. River Song (S4E10 - Forest of the Dead) incorporates a hard-boiled egg on a bed of angel hair pasta. Sure, it looks like River, but who wants to eat eggs and pasta? It looks like a lot of the recipes are all about the presentation. Sontaran Soldiers (S4E5 - The Sontaran Stratagem) instructs you affix small blueberries and almonds to a peeled potato. This is obviously for aesthetics rather than taste, but there's something offputting to me about blueberries and potatoes. I do however, like the idea of Weeping Angel Wings (S3E11 - Blink), which are essentially chicken wings.

It looks like this is a neat cookbook for any Doctor Who themed get-together. I hope to whip up some of these treats when Doctor Who returns in April!

Dining With the Doctor is free today for Amazon Kindle, but is also available in print.

Pandoracon Goes Gangnam - "Oppa Docta Style"

Pandoracon is a brand new multi-genre convention held in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Which sadly I did not get to attend, though my thoughts were there!) Though it is focused on science fiction, fantasy, anime, LARP, cosplay, and gaming, there is also a definite Steampunk element. And also: Doctor Who. There was a lot of Doctor Who going at Pandoracon. In fact, one of the guests was Travis Richey, who portrayed Inspector Spacetime on Community and has also started his own web series based on the Doctor Who parody character.

So what does this have to do with Gangnam Style? I thought I'd seen it all. Really. The Gangnam Style parodies have abounded in the last few weeks and I really thought that I'd seen all there was. But no. Not until I saw a video straight out of Cincinnati from this past weekend. Team Con-Doc is a Doctor Who improvisational group who put together this parody video and it's absolutely brilliant. With Ten leading the charge, Pandoracon went Gangnam Style. The coolest moment from the video in my opinion is when Richey, Inspector Spacetime himself, begins to do the Gangnam Style dance with Ten. Fantastic.

I had every plan to make it up to Cincinnati this weekend for the convention, but was unable. Seeing this video and the level of commitment that people have to the genre definitely makes me want to attend next year. Especially now that I've become a Whovian!

Huge kudos to the folks from Team Con-Doc and the organizers of Pandoracon.