Klaw on The League of Extremely Ordinary Gentlemen

I'm one of the special guests for the Alan Moore episode of the geek podcast The League of Extremely Ordinary Gentlemen.

It began with a discussion about Watchmen and devolved into many other subjects. Lots of comics, movies, Alan Moore, and other geek shit within. You can hear me diss the movie, Lord of the Rings, and Neil Gaiman.

I'm now putting a moratorium on my discussions about Watchmen for the foreseeable future. After three articles and countless talks about it, I'm so tired of the subject. Time to devote my energies on other far more interesting things.

Forthcoming selections

At our previous meeting (and shame on you for not being there), we determined the selections through March.

• December 10 The Horror Stories of Robert E. Howard
• January 14 The Anubis Gates
  by Tim Powers

As documented in my essay "What if We Had a Book Group And No One Came?", Peggy and I were the only attendees of the Dark Forces' initial meeting where we were to discuss The Anubis Gates. So it seemed fitting to make the first selection our 100th. Hopefully, it will be more than me and Peggy this time.

• February 11 Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
• March 11 Beloved by Toni Morrison

New Frontier Animated Preview

This looks great. New Frontier ranks up there with Watchmen and Dark Knight in the pantheon of great superhero graphic novels. This sneak really gives me hope for the animated version.

Marion Ravenwood Returns!

Okay, we know about the Watchmen cast. We know that Michael will be returning to Lost (I'm going to start practicing my cry of Waaaaaaaaaaallt! right now!). We even know that Sylar has joined the cast of the upcoming Star Trek movie as Young Spock. But the coolest news to come out of San Diego so far is the announcement that Karen Allen will be returning to the new Indiana Jones movie to reprise her role as Marion Ravenwood. Allen and Harrison Ford struck sparks aplenty in Raiders of the Lost Ark ("Well goddammit, Indy, where doesn't it hurt?"), and all of the other movies in the series have struggled to find someone capable of standing toe to toe with Indy (Sean Connery had the knack, but not romantically. That we know of. Ewww.).

Watchmen casting announced

Watchmen Powering Up With Castings
by Borys Kit

"Watchmen," the long-gestating big-screen adaptation of the seminal DC Comics limited series, has finally found its superheroes.

Patrick Wilson, Jackie Earle Haley, Matthew Goode, Billy Crudup, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Malin Akerman have been cast in the Warner Bros. movie, which Zack Snyder is directing. Larry Gordon, Lloyd Levin and Deborah Snyder are producing.

Set in an alternate America, "Watchmen" follows costumed hero Rorschach, who is living a vigilante lifestyle because most masked heroes have retired or been outlawed. While investigating a murder, Rorschach learns that a former masked-hero colleague has been killed, prompting him to begin investigating a possible conspiracy.

Haley will play Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach, who ignores the ban on costumed vigilantes. Crudup will play Dr. Manhattan, a superpowered being with godlike powers and temperament.

Akerman will play Laurie Juspeczyk/the Silk Spectre, who is involved with Dr. Manhattan -- but that relationship begins to fall apart as he becomes more disconnected from humanity.

Goode will play Adrian Veidt/Ozymandias, a costume adventurer who retired voluntarily, disclosed his identity and built a large fortune. He hatches a plot to avert a global catastrophe he believes will be caused by Dr. Manhattan.

Wilson will play the Nite-Owl, a crime-figher who uses technical wizardry and has an owl-shaped flying vehicle.

Morgan will play the Comedian, a cigar-chomping, gun-toting vigilante-turned-paramilitary agent.

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