Veggies a 'perversion of nature'

We know how you lot like your scientific analysis: adequately researched, well-balanced and backed with solid evidence.

You'll doubtless enjoy this piece down at Pravda, then, which confirms what the nutritionally-savvy among us have known all along: that vegetarianism isn't actually an informed lifestyle choice, but rather a 'perversion of nature' pursued by protein-starved fanatics whose self-deception will surely drive them to an early grave.

Dwarves hidden in sports bags target Swedish coaches

Swedish police are quizzing 'people of limited stature' with criminal records following a spate of robberies from the cargo holds of coaches - possibly carried out by dwarves smuggled onboard in sports bags.

According to the Sun, the gang responsible pack their vertically-challenged accomplices into bags and stick them in with other passengers' luggage. The undercover operatives then rifle the hold for valuables before resealing themselves in their hiding place, to be extracted later by another gang member at the coach's final destination.

Denny O'Neil To Teach Comic Writing Course At NYU

Dennis O’Neil, prize-winning comics writer and editor, will offer a 10 week course in writing comic books and graphic novels at New York University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies. The course will begin on February 13th and end on April 23rd. Classes start at 6:20 in the evening and end about two and a half hours later.

For more information, see the university’s home page.

For over 30 years, editor and writer Dennis O'Neil put the 'dark' in the Dark Knight and was the guiding force behind the Batman mythos. He has been called a living legend, a master of the comics form, a visionary, the thinking man’s superhero writer, the dean of American comics writers, and--his favorite--an erudite hippie. He prefers to think of himself as, simply, 'a working professional storyteller.'

Dennis, a native St. Louisan and graduate of St. Louis University, began his writing career as a newspaper reporter in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, over forty years ago. Intrigued by the creative revival of comics in the mid-60s, he came to New York as Stan Lee's editorial assistant at Marvel Comics. Next, he did freelance writing at Charlton Comics under editor Dick Giordano. When Giordano moved to DC Comics in 1967, he brought Dennis with him. There, Dennis scripted such titles as Wonder Woman, The Justice League of America and, notably, 13 issues of Superman, a run some aficionados say is a high point in the character's long history. In 1968, following the cancellation of the Batman television show, editor Julius Schwartz asked Dennis to revamp DC's Dark Knight. Dennis and artist Neal Adams took the character back to his roots and, adding sophistication and their own unique vision, created the version of Batman which has been an inspiration for the Emmy-winning Fox cartoon series, the mega-budget Warners movies and, of course, the current comics. In 1970, Dennis again collaborated with Neal Adams and Julius Schwartz to produce the Green Lantern-Green Arrow series that first brought him into national prominence. This series earned praise, awards and media attention for its ground-breaking combination of flamboyant fantasy with genuine social concerns such as racism, drug addiction, environmental dangers and Native Americans' problems.

Figures: Steampunk Justice League Modded Action Figures

Inspired by the comic book, Gotham by Gaslight by Mike Mignola and Brian Augustyn (Batman vs. Jack the Ripper set in the late 19th century), the modder behind these action figures sought to place the members of the Justice League in the Victorian era.

Inside the Monkeysphere

What do monkeys have to do with war, oppression, crime, racism and even e-mail spam?

Brian Wood - Comics Graphic Novels / Downloads

Brian Wood has released the design chapbook for Channel Zero as a PDF on his website. Channel Zero is a pretty incredible work, and if you have been reading Wood's DMZ comic without having checked out Channel Zero you need to fix that right now.

This is where the sensibility developed.

Public Domain is a 145-page collection of Channel Zero 'extras'... test pages, character sketches, short stories, unused artwork, photography... all material I generated while creating the Channel Zero world but that never saw print in the graphic novel. It was created, deliberately, very old school and low fi, using mostly a photocopier and a glue stick, the results being grainy and choppy and, in my mind, an accurate representation of how I used to work when I first started making comics.

Marvel Signs Interim Deal With WGA

Lionsgate and Marvel studios have signed interim deals with the striking Writers Guild of America, the union said.

The deals announced Thursday followed separate guild pacts with other independent production companies such as United Artists, The Weinstein Co. and David Letterman's Worldwide Pants.

The guild said such agreements confirm it is possible for writers to be compensated fairly and for companies to operate profitably.

Lionsgate's new projects include Sylvester Stallone's ``Rambo'' sequel, ``Saw 5'' and the TV show ``Mad Men.''

Upcoming comic-book film projects from Marvel Studios, a subsidiary of Marvel Entertainment Inc., include 'Iron Man' and 'The Incredible Hulk.'

The writers guild, on strike since Nov. 5, is in informal talks with studio bosses to reach a contract agreement and end the costly 11-week walkout that has idled much of the entertainment industry.

Bound for glory? Kroll knows his work's explicit, so please don't call it porn

Eric Kroll has no interest in photographing nudes. But show him a woman in fur-lined panties and extreme heels bound to a chair -- with her consent, of course -- and he's all eyes.

Video Captured of Local Superhero

True20 Licensing Fee To Go Away

From the True20 website:

We’ve decided to change the terms of True20 licensing by removing the fees. Starting in May anyone can publish True20 material for free using the current Open Game License. We will be posting information on how that is going to work in a couple of months. This should be good news for True20 fans, as it’ll mean even more settings, adventures, and source material for the game.

and then there's this little tidbit about a new printing. It sounds like they've been listening to the fans:

We’ve decided to release a revised edition of the core rulebook in April. Let me be clear that is not a new edition. The plan is this: The rules content of the book will be unchanged. We will, however, be replacing the sample settings with the entire content of the True20 Companion. This will make the core rulebook a terrific toolkit and a great base for moving forward. The revised rulebook will also incorporate all the errata of both previous books. True20 Adventure Roleplaying, Revised Edition will be a softcover book that retails for only $29.95.