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20 Twenty Things Every Sci-Fi Nerd Should Own Physically and Emotionally

by Hef on March 24, 2012 at 9:33 am

So you think you’re a NERD. Not the kind of nerd that would hang out with Lamar and Booger and the other Tri-Lams–BUT a REAL Sci-Fi NERD. Whell let’s just how how nerdy you really are. Below is a little checklist of 20 Things Every Sci-Fi Nerd Should Own To Earn, physically as well as emotionally. If you “own” at least twelve of these twenty things, you are entitled to your SCI-FI Nerd Badge.

My name is Hal Hefner, I am a Sci-Fi nerd. I create Sci-Fi nerd dreams with my comic Gates, the flagship product of an epic science fiction franchise. How nerdy are you?

Go for it. I dare ya…

1) Conan The Barbarian Soundtrack:
If you are a fan of the movie, Conan the Barbarian then you know how awesome the soundtrack is as well. Great music by Basil Poledouris set the tone of the movie and is an epic score to kick ass to.

2) Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep:
This is the book by Phillip K. Dick that inspired Ridley Scott’s Bladerunner. It’s good, real good and in fills in lots of holes in the movie and also gives you a different twist on it. Great, easy read even for you folks out there who haven’t read a book since college.

3) The Twilight Zone Collection:
The Twilight Zone is one of if not the greatest TV show ever. For any aspiring Sci-Fi geek and or creator, it is essential guide to storytelling, RIP Rod Serling, a genius way ahead of his time.

4) The Original Star Wars Trilogy – WITHOUT ANY ADDED CRAP
We didn’t need Boba Fett and Jabba to show up in the a New Hope. We didn’t need anymore crappy creatures that added no value and we all certainly know: HAN SHOT FIRST.

5) A Profound Hatred for Star Trek Enterprise:
Need I say more? Okay, I will. Brannon Braga’s take on the Star Trek universe was crap.

6) The Lord of The Rings Extended Edition, The Soundtracks and all of the books;
You’ve gotta own it all. Own it. Live it. Love it.

7) A Profound Sadness for the Way Battlestar Galactica Ended:
There’s a lot of us that feel we got hosed with that ending. I can still hear Jim Hendrix’s, All Along the Watchtower playing in my head and I’m thinking WTF is this?

8 ) A Passionately Favorite Version of the REAL Doctor Who:
Tom Baker. Period. And I will gladly meet you in an alley to fight about it.
9) A Fear That Will Smith Will Someday Star in The Movie Adaptation of Your Favorite Book:
Every character is the same, that wise cracking boy from Philadelphia living with his cousin Carlton and Uncle Phil.

10) Toys from Your Childhood That You Refuse To Part With:
I still have my original Kermit the Frog from when I was three and my first Boba Fett. Trump that.

11) The Belief that the Word Midichlorian Was Just from a Nightmare and NOT a real Star Wars Movie:
This is just a dream. Metachlorians are not real. Seriously. It’s just a bad joke and it will be over when I wake up. AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

12) The Original Tron Movie:
You own it. You love it. It loves you.

13) An affection for the TV show Firefly:
Every Sci-Fi nerd loves this show. If you don’t you are a loser.

14) A Hatred for Chris O’Donnell:
As Robin, he was the harbinger of death for the original Batman movie franchise.

15) You Know Asimov’s Three Laws of Robotics:
Learn it now if you don’t know it.

16) You think Cheetara is HOT!
The star of two version of Thundercats cartoons was also the star of your wet dream. Admit it, you’d love to let her claw your back and bite your neck. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

17) You Believe Aliens are our REAL Gods:
If you read enough science fiction, and of the right kind, all of those books questioning are existence in the universe, finally open up some possibilities for you. BUT depending on where you live, who your parents are and who you are sleeping with, you may not admit this in public.

18) You Have a Favorite Animated Cult Sci-Fi Movie:
There are so many to pick from. Many will choose Heavy Metal.

19) You Blame Hot Rod for Optimus Prime’s Death:
Well, it was his fault. And after Optimus rose form the grave Rodimus got hosed. AND DESERVEDLY SO!

20) You DESPISE Michael Bay for Masturbating on your Childhood.
The king of explosions, inexplicably keeps making million dollar movies and in the process he has destroyed the Transformers and has now decided to shit on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles by making the aliens in his new adaptation. Someone needs to destroy the people at Paramount for allowing him to live. Michael Bay is the fucking anti-Christ.

17 Comments

Remembering Moebius, Comic Artist and Creative Storyteller – Au reviour!

by Hef on March 10, 2012 at 10:14 am

It is with great sadness that I write this article.

One of my favorite artists and someone who was a direct inspiration for me in EVERYTHING that I do has passed on to become one with the great consciousness of the universe. French comic-book artist, designer and creative innovator, Jean Giraud, (Moebius), died overnight at the age of 74 after a long illness, an associate and work colleague reported from Paris, France.

Moebius was a legend. An artist yes but at heart Moebius was an amazing storyteller. He used his art to tell stories. Without Moebius, there would be no Heavy Metal. There would be no me.

Jean Henri Gaston Giraud was one of the world’s leading cartoonists, artists and thinkers, who also found a large and loyal following in Japan and the United States. Moebius was the modern day Shaman shared his tales of science fiction and fantasy around the international fires of the independent comic book industry.

As well as being published in top French magazines, and being one of the co founders of Metal Hurlant, which in the US became Heavy Metal, Moebius worked with Japanese manga artists and co-produced and illustrated, Marvel’s, The Silver Surfer with Stan Lee.

Giraud also contributed to a number of blockbuster movies all over the world. In the early 80′s he and famous French Animator, Rene Laloux, creator of the movie Fantastic Planet, co-piloted the movie, Time Masters. It was a great film and visually stunning with a very interesting take on time. Laloux is to animation as Moebius is to comics and this pairing was incredible.

Back in 2001, I met Moebius at a screening of Time Masters, at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. I actually showed him my tattoo that I have of Fantastic Planet on my arm and he loved it, ” OHHH, I will tell Rene when I get back to France. It is the most beautiful tattoo I have seen of this, Rene will be pleased.” I also discussed my initial concepts for the Gates comic book with him for a second and he encouraged me to keep going and not to ever get discouraged.

Moebius was an inspiration to me…not only because of the work he did, but the work he didn’t do.

There was the ill fated Dune movie by Alejandro Jodorowsky, that Moebius did some amazing character designs for. Below are his conceptions of some of the characters. They are pretty awesome.

Paul Atreides concept art by Moebius for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune

Baron Harkonnen concept art by Moebius for Alejandro Jodorowsky’s Dune

In 2010 France’s Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art produced a far out, retrospective of Moebius’ work that was so uniquely designed and constructed that it was a desire of mine to see–but I never did.

But I did meet Moebius and his work has inspired me since I was a teenager.

Below are some links to some articles I’ve written about him over the years.

Moebius: one of my favorite Heavy Metal comic book artists.

Moebius animated series Arzak.

Au revoir Moebius, My dear shamanistic inspiration. May your travels into the next stage of consciousness be as creative as those wonderful days you spent on planet Earth.

2 Comments

A Tribute to Star Wars Artist Ralph McQuarrie

by Hef on March 8, 2012 at 12:00 am

The wold lost a legend this past weekend when famed artist and conceptual master, Ralph McQuarrie passed away.

McQuarrie was an artist who defined an era of science fiction and brought the visions to life of people like Isaac Asimov and George Lucas. Technically McQuarrie was a master of color theory, perspective and landscapes. He was someone so skilled that he could make a typical Earth environment look so very foreign and alien with just a slight color shift or an addition of a strange rock formation. Ralph McQuarrie was a master of conceptual movie art and his black and white illustrations for Isaac Asimov’s books are just as incredible as his Star Wars art.

To me Ralph McQuarrie was my Yoda. I fell in love with his work early on as a child. I remember being captivated by his concept art for the Empire Strikes Back, especially Cloud City. Then later on I began reading books like Robot Dreams and sure enough, there was McQuarrie again. But when I really felt his power was once I was in college studying art and illustration. It was then that I realized that I didn’t want to be the next Norman Rockwell, I wanted to be the next Ralph McQuarrie. After I graduated from college at RIT in Rochester NY, I bought every book with McQuarrie’s art that I could find and afford. I studied everything about his work, from his color use to his landscape design. He made me better. He taught me when school was over forever. McQuarrie taught me the ways of the force and how to wield a paint brush like a lightsaber.

I will forever be indebted to Ralph McQuarrie for everything he did for me as an artist.

RIP my master. May the force be with you.

Below you’ll find a short video I made in homage to some of my favorite Star Wars paintings y Ralph McQuarrie. They are accompanies by the music of Kevin Bryce.

0 A Tribute to Star Wars Artist Ralph McQuarrie

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The Webcomic Beacon Podcast with Hal Hefner Heavy Metal Magazine

by Hef on February 18, 2012 at 12:00 am

Heavy Metal Magazine, Hal Hefner and Kevin Bryce…a pretty great combo when mixed in with Fes and his webcomic focused podcast, the Webcomic Beacon!

Hal Hefner (me) creator of the webcomic Gates, joins musical artist Kevin Bryce, Fes Works and Melissa Kaercher of the GeekLife podcast, talk about HEAVY METAL Magazine

This podcast was an in depth look at the movie, the history of Heavy Metal Magazine and the future of the new movie. It also includes a discussion of the magazine and the original Heavy Metal movie, the Gates soundtrack and more.

We also talk about Hal’s science fiction webcomic, presented by Heavy Metal, Gates. The Gates webcomic has an eclectic musical soundtrack for it, and Kevin Bryce is on the soundtrack. Kevin also performed two live digital, musical interludes for this episode of The Webcomic Beacon!

Hal goes in depth discussing the future of Gates and how the evolving multi-platform story narrative will continue to grow in 2012 as new projects begin to arise in the Gates universe. Very exciting stuff, exclusively dicussed on the BEACON!

Check it out!

http://www.webcastbeacon.com/webcomic-220/

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The Geeks of Doom Reviewed the Gates Comic Book Soundtrack!

by Hef on February 16, 2012 at 12:00 am

The Geeks of Doom website is a very fun pop culture menagerie of nerd stuff in the world of music, comics, art and anything and everything fanboy geeky.

In mid January, the Geeks of Doom Website did a review of the Gates soundtrack that was released to accompany the epic science fiction comic book back in August of 2011.

They had some nice things to say about teh soundtrack and really seemed to get the

GatesSoundtrackVolume1 The Geeks of Doom Reviewed the Gates Comic Book Soundtrack!

“vibe” we were going for. One of the things I really appreciated is how they mentioned that Gates is dedicated to the art of Frank Frazetta and the music of Ronnie James Dio as well as an homage to the original soundtrack of the 1981 Heavy Metal film.

So Special thanks to Dan Bond (Obi Dan) for taking the time to review the soundtrack and give us some props. Much appreciated!

You can also

BUY THE SOUNDTRACK TO GATES: The webcomic presented by Heavy Metal and created by Hal Hefner – NOW!!!

…AND MAKE A SMALL DONATION TO THE RONNIE JAMES DIO STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND.

100% of the proceeds go to the cancer fund in Dio’s name.

It is available for download on iTunes and AmazonMP3

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A Great Cyberpunk Webcomic: The Concrete World

by Hef on February 11, 2012 at 12:32 am

I recently was introduced to a very well done webcomic called The Concrete World.

Written by Gavin Hignight, The Concrete World is a science fiction comic book, telling the story of three kindred spirits, Felix, Sera and Paulie. They are brought together in a cyberpunk world drawn by up and coming artist, Jettila Lewis. In Hignight’s epic world, these three characters are linked by their addiction to the VR technology called DREAMtech, which is altogether wonderful, powerful…and very dangerous. DREAMtech can give them everything they’ve always desired, but it could also take everything they have, including their very lives!

Felix, Sera and Paulie traipse the forever-night of this neon, smoke filled virtual world in search for the mythical program called the Black Ivory. In this world, freedom is the new drug.

The comic itself is installed in (6 page) updates monthly. It’s a pretty fun read and the art is really cool. It’s definitely one of the best webcomics out there in my opinion. It explores the realities we could be facing in the very near future, in the same vein as Gates, the comic I write and illustrate and is currently being presented online by Heavy Metal Magazine. This is very much a Heavy Metal like comic and I could envision this story in the magazine some day as well.

I highly recommend the Concrete World. Check it out!

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Luis Royo Fantasy Artist Extraordinaire

by Hef on February 2, 2012 at 12:01 am

Luis Royo is a man of fantasy, sci-fi and horror and he interprets these things in a painterly style of elegance, mystery and sensuality. For all of you Heavy Metal fans out there, you must know Royo. He is a highly accomplished painter who was born in 1954 in Olalla, Spain, a small town near Teruel. Royo is a very respected artist well known for his darkly sensual, moody paintings of women and the fantastic. Recently Royo has started doing sculptures of some of his earlier artwork.

With and without Heavy Metal Magazine, he has produced many paintings for his own books, exhibitions, as well as various other media: videogames, CD album covers, comic book covers, and Tarot cards. His rise to popularity in the United States was mostly through Heavy Metal Magazine, where he is most famous for doing illustrations of Julie Strain for the animated movie Heavy Metal.

As stated previously, American magazines such as Heavy Metal often turn to Luis Royo for their cover illustrations, as well European magazines like Cimoc, Comic Art, Ere Comprime, Total Metal and others.

Here is a pretty cool video someone made on Youtube, showing Royo’s work.

0 Luis Royo Fantasy Artist Extraordinaire

And here is a quick video of Luis Royo drawing a beautiful woman.

Here are some images of Royo’s Work. As you can see his style is very recognizable and his command of the human figure is pretty amazing. He is a master of traditional paints in a time of digital art that really stands out. Some of his affects people with mad Photoshop skills cannot even achieve to this day.

Starting here are two of my favorite Royo images, These are amazing pieces of concept work for Planet of the Apes.

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DYSTOPIA NOW: Obama Signs the NDAA Into Law and Betrays Our Constitutional Rights

by Hef on January 20, 2012 at 12:01 am

On December 31st, 2011 everyone in the United States was celebrating the coming of the New Year. While vacationing in Hawaii, President Barack Obama, who once promised us “hope” –delivered in a fashion that none of us who once supported him and believed his promises, could have anticipated.

S. 1867, the National Defense Authorization Act is a law that is extremely controversial and very scary in a totalitarian way that makes the world of George Orwell’s 1984, eerily real in modern times. With little to no coverage in the news arena, especially the likes of CNN, this bill takes the Patriot Act one step further. ABC News did a piece on it and mentioned how Obama “regretfully signed the NDAA bill.” Other than that, try searching for it online and all you get are discussions about how Ron Paul started discussing how awful it is and was censored by CNN. And indeed he was if you watch this video on Youtube. Just as Paul starts attacking at at minute 5:00, he is then cutoff by the CNN correspondent.

Coincidence? I think not.

WHAT IS S.1867 NDAA and HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOU?

Well imagine this, let’s say you are a hardcore Republican and you cannot stand the policies of our Democratic President and you voice your opinion on Facebook. Well with little to no definition on what a terrorist is in this bill, essentially you could be considered a terrorist. In turn you can be taken from your home and thrown into a jail. A jail that is not run by your local police department, yet new branch of the military currently being created before our eyes by the Obama administration. Once you are in prison you can rot there until they decide if you even deserve to get some sort of trial, basically allowing them to detain people, indefinitely.

You think I’m making this up right? WRONG. Read the law, even read the ABC article. This law basically throws out the window, our due process of law. It’s essentially like being guilty before proven innocent if you even get a chance to be proven innocent.

WTF OBAMA WHY ARE YOU TAKING AWAY OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS WITH S.1867?

Does that sound like Communism? Does this sound like Nazism? Does this sound like the laws made by Hitler that preceded his roundup of the Jews before burning them alive? YES!

Many Americans I discuss this law with shrug it off astonishingly. “They’d never round up innocent civilians like that and They’d never abuse the laws like that.” Sure maybe followers of Hitler once uttered the same words.

America is becoming a militaristic police state and anyone that is willing to give up some freedom for a false sense of protection from terrorists is either in denial, just plain naive, stupid or all three.

Why would they do this? Why would our Government want to do this to people, without due process?

That’s a great question. You could point to two things; 1) The Patriot Act 2) The Occupy Movement.

The Occupy movement has its critics, but culturally it is an enigmatic climax of the disgust at the corruption of our political and economic systems. This scares those in power. An unorganized organization of intellectuals, degenerates and those in between with a bone to pick with greedy American elitists. This scares the crap out of them. So this is their response…and it has been in progress even before the movement arose but those in power now use this as their shield against the occupiers.

CNN would rather focus on Newt Gingrich and his rumored “open marriage” request, than discuss this awful act of treason by our government. WHY? Well you put 2 and 2 together…

2+2=5

Welcome to 1984. We now live in it. With this new law in place, the potential for those in power, to abuse this power–are there. They will tell us to jump and we must ask how high. If we don’t jump, can we be considered terrorists? Welcome to our Dystopian present.

WAR IS PEACE

FREEDOM IS SLAVERY

IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH

If you haven’t read George Orwell’s 1984, I highly suggest it is time.

Beware the savage door of 1984, I mean 2012.

THE CONGENEMENT IS COMING:

I write science fiction. I draw science fiction. Science fiction is my life. I write about reflections of our past and projections of our future as decided by the events of modern times. Never before in my life have I seen something so scary and so relative to my work occur. Gates, the online science fiction comic book, that I write and illustrate, that is currently being presented on this website is that direct reflection. It’s about a corrupt totalitarian government called the ConGenement, that is formed when science and technology create their own religion to rule the masses with. With the passing of S.1867, my Dystopian vision for our distant future is increasingly clearer and one stop closer.

This is a scary time and I feel as humans and as Americans we must do all that we can to get rid of this law. It is unconstitutional and very very un-american. This is not what our ancestors fought and died for in various wars. This is not what our forefathers envisioned for us when they risked their lives to break away from Great Britain and forge a new country in the name of freedom.

President Obama, the bringer of change has brought us tyrannic like injustice and it must be stopped or we will end up like some beaten protagonist in a Dystopian science fiction story.

Is our Government now the evil-doers? You better decide fast.

4 Comments

Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvel’s 15 Hottest Babes

by Hef on January 19, 2012 at 12:01 am

As person who was born with the last name Hefner, what can I say except that I LOVE women! It was my destiny to draw and write about hot girls…as well as science fiction when you factor in the first name (Hal) as well. And since I do write and illustrate Gates, Heavy Metal’s first online comic, in my own head all of these delusions of grandeur make me the perfect outsider to rank Marvel’s blistering babes of beauty.

So I took it upon my opinionated self to sit back, relax and rank the hotties of the Marvel Universe. Since the new 52 arrived for DC I have really not payed attention to what is going on there, so it was best that I chose to look at Marvel and their lineup of super sexy hot villains and super heroines. I know them well having grown up with them and in all honesty my loyalties rest more-so with Marvel than DC…even though Marvel supports SOPA. So at this point in time I am boycotting both Marvel and DC comics and my only way to discuss them is through an online beauty pageant.

As for this beauty pageant list of Marvel’s hottest chicks, the qualifications were pretty simple. Hot bodies, hot faces, hot powers and sexiness.

It was a difficult process narrowing down who should be included on this list of Marvel’s beauty queens. However I HAD to make a choice. Unfortunately some of Marvel’s girls had to be left off, like Polaris and Namora to name a couple. And it was a difficult decision ranking these hotties as well.

But I managed to do it…So without further delay, here are my choices for Marvel’s 15 Hottest Women.

15) Psylocke = Betsy Braddock
Purple hair, an amazing body and enchanted by Merlin, imagine the things she could do to a man.

Psylocke 04 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

14) Rogue = Anna Marie (full name unknown)
A southern girl with lots of spunk, Rogue is so hot you can’t even touch her…or you’ll get your life sucked out of you.

ROGUE001 medium 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

13) Dagger = Tandy Bowen
The girl is sexy in that whitey tighty outfit and can throw light daggers that do everything from cure drug addiction to forcing people to confront their own demons.

dagger1 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

12) Tigra = Greer Nelson
What man would not want to get nasty with a cat woman? Grrrrr

tigra1 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

11) Mystique = Raven Darkholme
Blue skin, amazing body and to top it off can shape-shift into anything. She would make an interesting one night stand

Mystique Vol 1 12 Textless 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

10) She-Hulk = Jennifer Walters
Big green and sexy, what man wouldn’t wanted to be dominated by this hot hero?

she hulk 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

9) Scarlet Witch = Wanda Maximoff
A crazy sorceress who is into sex with androids. She might make for a fun night that only Clive Barker could dream about.

scarlet witch 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

8 ) Black Widow = Natasha Romanova
Sleek, sexy and dressed in skin tight black leather, this is one Russian babe who could paint your town red very quickly.

widow060606 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

7) Ms. Marvel = Carol Danvers
Ms. Marvel is one sexy alcoholic who looks to be a real warrior in the bedroom.

Ms Marvel by JPRart 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

6) Black Cat = Felicia Hardy
She is a sleek and sexy ex-catburgler with a body to die for but Spider Man chose Lindsey Lohan like Mary Jane Watson instead? WTF?

black cat Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

5) Elektra = Elektra Natchios
Elektra is one Greek Goddess Assassin who can rock your world with her ass kicking moves.

Elektra 07 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

4) Storm = Ororo Munro
An African priestess with a bangin’ body, a beautiful booty, white hair and can rock a mohawk better than Grace Jones, Storm is a “thunderous” babe.

Stormcivilwar 150x150 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

3) Phoenix = Jean Grey
As Marvel Girl, Jean Grey was cute. But as Phoenix she was diabolically delicious, especially the darker she got.

JeanGrey442 Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

2) Spider Woman = Jessica Drew
This curvaceous black haired she-arachnid is ass-kickingly beautiful in a Jaclyn Smith in her prime type of way.

spider woman Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

1) The White Queen = Emma Frost
Emma frost is as sexy and sultry as any comic book seductress can get. Her cold chill cannot does nothing to defrost her hotness. Her inner battle with good and evil only makes her hotter.

emmafrost Marvel Comics Hotlist: Marvels 15 Hottest Babes

All characters are Copyright of the Marvel Universe. Their images and information are found on the official Marvel Web Page, that has character bios and anything and everything you desire to know about the Marvel Universe.

Thank you Marvel for creating these hot babes! BUT I’m very disappointed in YOU for supporting SOPA. Maybe if you were a little quicker at embracing understanding and innovating the digital space, you wouldn’t have to support SOPA. Blame yourself not others.

2 Comments

STOP SOPA AND PIPA THEY WILL DESTROY THE FREEDOM OF THE INTERNET

by Hef on January 17, 2012 at 12:01 am

THIS WEEK’S REGULARLY SCHEDULED PAGE OF GATES

WILL BE DISRUPTED DUE TO A BOYCOTT OF TWO BILLS

THAT ARE ANTI-FREEDOM AND ANTI-INTELLIGENT!!!!!

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261):

The Protect IP Act (PIPA, S. 968)

The Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA, H.R. 3261) is on the surface a “HAPPY” bill that claims to attempt to curb the online piracy of copyrighted media content. As a creator of an IP myself in Gates the comic book, I myself believe that it would be nice to have something in place that could protect my hard work more. However as sadly as this may be, the proposed way SOPA goes about attempting to do this would devastate the online economy and the overall freedom of the internet that all of us enjoy today. In particular this bill will affect sites with heavy user generated content, for example like Youtube, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, and many other sites may cease to exist in their current form if this bill is passed and enforced with a heavy hand of censorship, ignorance and laziness.

Basically we will all pay for the laziness and stupidity of companies such as Marvel comics, who support the bill yet were not intelligent enough to embrace and capitalize on the growing internet opportunities before the were pirated to the point of online in effectiveness. The music industry and companies like BMG, were also ravaged by the laziness of their executives who moved too little too late to embrace the internet and how it could benefit their artists. Instead of work on new technologies to protect their IP’s or new business models to promote and distribute their content, these multi-billion dollar babies, have cowardly banded together to create an asinine “Patriot Act”-like abuse of power that will ravage the internet if employed.

The Protect IP Act (PIPA, S. 968) is SOPA’s twin in the Senate. Under current DMCA law, if a user uploads a copyrighted movie to sites like Youtube, the site isn’t held accountable so long as they provide a way to report user infringement. The user who uploaded the movie is held accountable for their actions, not the site. PIPA would change that – it would place the blame on the site itself, and would also provide a way for copyright holders to seize the site’s domain in extreme circumstances.

The Protect IP Act (PIPA, S. 968) is SOPA’s twin in the Senate and just as harmful and ridiculous. Under the current DMCA law, if a user uploads a copyrighted movie to a sites like Vimeo or Youtube, that particular site isn’t held accountable, as long as they provide a way to report user infringement and the company being infringed upon can block the content. Youtube is very good about this and is policed very well. It is the user who uploaded the video, that is held accountable for their actions, not the site that is hosting the content. PIPA would change that and it would place the blame on the site itself, which is bad enough, but to make matters worse, it would also provide a way for these copyright holders to seize the site’s domain in extreme circumstances and shut it down in true communistic, Big Brother like fashion.

Here are some links to learn more about SOPA & PIPA and for you to take a stand against it, like I have.

America was built on a cry of freedom to stop the evil’s of empires form ruling society, holding it back and crushing the ability for the common man to survive and make a living. This heavy handed act of cowardly ignorance is ant0-freedom, anti-American and is another way for governments, lobbyists and multi-billion dollar corporations of greed to control our lives and keep the economy in their control.

This is the 1% that the Occupy movement discusses.

This is the 1% being backed into a corner and being afraid.

WE MUST FIGHT THEM! OR BIG BROTHER WILL SURELY WIN!

war is peace

freedom is slavery

ignorance is strength..BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU!

On Jan 24th, Congress will vote to pass internet censorship in the Senate…Even though the a gigantic population of intelligent, tax paying Americans are opposed to this act of cowardliness. We need to kill the bills, specifically PIPA in the Senate and SOPA in the House. We must protect our rights to free speech, privacy, and economic and intellectual prosperity.

“THIS AGGRESSION WILL NOT STAND” – JEFFERY LABOWSKI

0 STOP SOPA AND PIPA THEY WILL DESTROY THE FREEDOM OF THE INTERNET

List of Supporters: H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act

60 Plus Association

ABC

Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies (ASOP)

American Federation of Musicians (AFM)

American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)

American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP)

Americans for Tax Reform

Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States

Association of American Publishers (AAP)

Association of State Criminal Investigative Agencies

Association of Talent Agents (ATA)

Baker & Hostetler LLP

Beachbody, LLC

BMI

BMG Chrysalis

Building and Construction Trades Department

Capitol Records Nashville

CBS

Cengage Learning

Christian Music Trade Association

Church Music Publishers’ Association

Coalition Against Online Video Piracy (CAOVP)

Comcast/NBCUniversal

Concerned Women for America (CWA)

Congressional Fire Services Institute

Copyhype

Coty, Inc.

Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB)

Council of State Governments

Country Music Association

Country Music Television

Covington & Burling LLP

Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard LLP

Cowan, Liebowitz & Latman, P.C.

Creative America

Davis Wright Tremaine LLP

Deluxe

Directors Guild of America (DGA)

Disney Publishing Worldwide, Inc.

Elsevier

EMI Christian Music Group

EMI Music Publishing

ESPN

Estée Lauder Companies

Fraternal Order of Police (FOP)

Gospel Music Association

Graphic Artists Guild

Hachette Book Group

HarperCollins Publishers Worldwide, Inc.

Hyperion

Independent Film & Television Alliance (IFTA)

International Alliance of Theatrical and Stage Employees (IATSE)

International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)

International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT)

International Trademark Association (INTA)

International Union of Police Associations

Irell & Manella LLP

Jenner & Block LLP

Kelley Drye & Warren LLP

Kendall Brill & Klieger LLP

Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP

L’Oreal

Lathrop & Gage LLP

Loeb & Loeb LLP

Lost Highway Records

Macmillan

Major County Sheriffs

Major League Baseball

Majority City Chiefs

Marvel Entertainment, LLC

MasterCard Worldwide

MCA Records

McGraw-Hill Education

Mercury Nashville

Minor League Baseball (MiLB)

Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC)

Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP

Morrison & Foerster LLP

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

Moving Picture Technicians

MPA

The Association of Magazine Media

National Association of Manufacturers (NAM)

National Association of Prosecutor Coordinators

National Association of State Chief Information Officers

National Cable & Telecommunications Association (NCTA)

National Center for Victims of Crime

National Crime Justice Association

National District Attorneys Association

National Domestic Preparedness Coalition

National Football League

National Governors Association, Economic Development and Commerce Committee

National League of Cities

National Narcotics Offers’ Associations’ Coalition

National Sheriffs

Association (NSA)

National Songwriters Association

National Troopers Coalition

News Corporation

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP

Pearson Education

Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA)

Phillips Nizer, LLP

Pfizer, Inc.

Proskauer Rose LLP

Provident Music Group

Random House

Raulet Property Partners

Republic Nashville

Revlon

Robins, Kaplan, Miller & Ciresi LLP

Scholastic, Inc.

Screen Actors Guild (SAG)

Shearman & Sterling LLP

Showdog Universal Music

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP

Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP

Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Sony Music Entertainment

Sony Music Nashville

State International Development Organization (SIDO)

The National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO)

The Perseus Books Groups

The United States Conference of Mayors

Tiffany & Co.

Time Warner

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Giorgio Tsoukalos and Season 4 of Ancient Aliens , Comic Books, Soundtracks to benefit Cancer

by Hef on January 14, 2012 at 12:01 am

Giorgio Tsoukalos has arisen to mythical status with his participation on the show Ancient Aliens, that is produced by and airs on the History Channel. Currently in production is the much awaited Season 4 of the show, Ancient Aliens. Giorgio Tsoukalos is again starring as an ancient theoritical expert discussing his ideas on Gods, human history and the possibilities of extra terrestrial or advanced species intervention with our past.

Tsoukalos is a pretty fun guy who sports a wonderful quaff of hair and tends to look very tanned. With the popularity of Ancient Aliens and the fun demeanor of Giorgio Tsoukalos, we decided to have a little fun with a promotional video for the comic book, Gates. In August we launched a soundtrack of up and coming bands from multiple genres, to accompany the comic book. This soundtrack is dedicated to the Ronnie James Dio, Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund. 100% of the proceeds are dedicated to this cause. And in October of 2011, we created a fun video, spoofing Giorgio Tsoukalos and Ancient Aliens in an effort to have some fun with a dark subject such as cancer and in hopes, to promote the soundtrack so we can donate a ton of money in the name of Ronnie James Dio, Hal Hefner, Gates the comic book and Heavy Metal Magazine.

It made sense to utilize this show and this man because Gates has some ancient alien theories that for the foundation of some of its themes, such as the Vril and the underground society of Vril.

Please enjoy the video below and share it. Please share it with Giorgio himself as he has yet to notice it and or recognize it. His and your support would make a HUGE difference for a great cause.

0 Giorgio Tsoukalos and Season 4 of Ancient Aliens , Comic Books, Soundtracks to benefit Cancer

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The Historic Ominous Doom of Friday The 13th on Friday January 13th 2012

by Hef on January 13, 2012 at 8:57 am

13 = A historically ominous number

loki avengers hefner 300x257 The Historic Ominous Doom of Friday The 13th on Friday January 13th 2012

So how and why did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day? And how does Loki fit into it?

The affect it has on people’s psyche is real. Donald Dossey, co-founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute, residing Asheville, North Carolina has been done much research on the subject. He claims that in the US, an estimated $800 or $900 million is lost in business on any Friday the 13th, because people are afraid to fly or do business they would normally do.

Dossey, who is also a folklore junkie and historian wrote a book called Holiday Folklore, Phobias and Fun. He claims that the fear of Friday the 13th is rooted in old, bad-luck associations with the number 13 and Friday, the day of the week. At some point in history, the two unlucky entities joined forces to unite into one super unlucky day.

Dossey has traced the association of fear and the number 13 to an ancient Norse myth. Apparently, 12 gods were having a dinner party at Valhalla, the Norse heaven, when Loki, the mischievous, God showed up as the uninvited 13th guest. While at the party, Loki tricked Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, who was the god of joy and happiness, with a deadly mistletoe-tipped arrow. When Balder died, the whole Earth got dark, in morning of his loss. It was a bad, unlucky day,and it now brought the night in on a daily basis. From that mythical moment on, the number 13 has been considered evil and unlucky.

Maybe Loki will also have the same, ominous and foreboding affect on the Avengers movie too? He will make it suck. I recently gave my thoughts on the upcoming Avengers movie and this ironically fits right into my “fear” and “ominous foreboding” of the movie.

0 The Historic Ominous Doom of Friday The 13th on Friday January 13th 2012

Or are you more inclined to relate Friday the 13th to Jason Voorhees?

Friday the 13th information was derived from National Geographic

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4 Sci-Fi Movies That Will Rock in 2012 and 4 That Will Suck

by Hef on January 12, 2012 at 12:01 am

4 Movies That Will Rock in 2012:

1) The Hobbit: (yes I know it’s more Fantasy than Sci-fi but needs to be on here)

In a hole in the ground there lived a Hobbit… Oh man, I am so excited about this movie. Of all of Tolkien’s books about Middle Earth, this was always my favorite. The trailer and the cast are absolutely stunning. Jackson has already delivered us the magic three times so why not a fourth? This movie looks like a surefire hit from beginning to end and is one I have been waiting for since I was a child. I cannot wait to see Smog and here the word, ” my preciousssssssss,” one more time!

0 4 Sci Fi Movies That Will Rock in 2012 and 4 That Will Suck

2) Prometheus:

This trailer is a nerdgasmic plunge into dark, creepy science fiction and I think this may be the best film of 2012. I am coming into the Alien prequal with lofty expectations and I think it will deliver. Ridley Scott has put together a nostalgic piece of sci-fi that should be one hell of a horrific ride. The creatures and the set design and animation look incredibly real and evil. This is the kind of stuff I have been missing from the anus of Hollywood for a long time. There have been too many pieces of crap from Michael Bay’s exploding vagina as of late. “Step aside Butch,” the Aliens are in the house.

3) Batman, The Dark Knight Rises:

Christopher Nolan will deliver. The bits and pieces we’ve seen so far all say so. I love Batman and I love HIS Batman. Though I was never a fan of Bane, I think Nolan’s version will be WAY better than the comic. My only reservations are Anne Hathaway as Catwoman. I’m not a fan of hers and I don’t think she has the sex appeal that Catwoman needs. BUT, Nolan is amazing so I expect this to be her best performance.

4) Snow White and The Huntsman:

Hate on Kristen Stewart all you want but this movie looks like a very dark and evil retelling of the Snow White story. It seems much more exciting than Abe Lincoln hunting vampires. Stewart stars alongside Thor’s Chris Hemsworth in this new version of an old fairy tale. Charlize Theron as the evil queen looks like it could be a deliciously wicked bite of an apple.

(yes I know it’s more Fantasy than Sci-fi but needs to be on here)

4 Movies That Will Suck in 2012

1) The Avengers:

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I’m going to take some crap from all of you fan boys out there but this movie feels much more like Iron Man 2 to me than Iron Man 1. From the posters to the trailer, I just see a lack of chemistry between characters and I question Loki as an impressive villain in this one. To me Loki feels better suited for a Los Angeles Rave than the main villain in the Avengers. Maybe it’s just me but I am getting tired of Super Hero movies and this one just looks like an over hyped explosion fest that is waiting to disappoint. One main concern Marvel’s inability to correctly render the Hulk without making him look like a CGI cartoon. Lou Ferrigno is a better choice it might seem. If the Avengers opens up and the reviews are awful, it will crush the comic book to movie landslide that has been happening over the last decade plus. In all honesty though, I will see this film and I hope it will be better than I think it’s going to be. Thor was better than I thought but not by much. Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, there is a lot riding on the Avengers franchise–much more than studio executives or our pals at Marvel-Mouse want to own up to.

2) John Carter of Mars:

The book was awesome. The movie leaves much to be desired from the trailer. From the cast to the decision to change the scale and concepts of some of the book’s most fun characters. One of my friends suggested that it might make a better animated film and with that I don’t disagree. I’m afraid of this movie that it’s one of those that I will walk out of all pissed off of because of my love for the book. This will be the antithesis of Peter Jackson’s Hobbit film.

3) The Lorax:

The book was amazing, but like other Dr. Seuss movies, once they are elongated for the big screen, they lose their magic. This one certainly feels that way too. Very disappointed from what I’ve seen so far from the trailer of the Lorax. Way to go 1%!

4) Men in Black III:

Will Smith plays the same character in every movie and the last Men in Black film sucked worse than the first one. This is a franchise that just should have quit while it was ahead. It’s a pathetic grasp at something that originally sucked ass. If I was you, I’d stay away from this giant piece of crap at all costs.

ONE MOVIE I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT BUT I WISH I DID…

The Amazing Spider Man:

Meh. That’s all I have to say. In the last year or so Marvel has killed him in the comics so I guess I am just not interested in seeing them doing anything else to him. I will not see this movie. I do not care. Spider Man is and will always be one of my favorite super heroes. I know his origin and I know who he is to me. I don’t need more movie masturbation about him. Especially a retelling of his origin again with an actor who I don’t think feels like Peter Parker.

Now remember, opinions are like… You know what I mean. These are just mine. I’m open for debating these so please take your best shot. Especially all you people that love Marvel. Go for it…I dare ya.

Hal Hefner

creator of Gates, the science fiction comic book

halhefner@gmail.com

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Top 11 List of Science Fiction Books, Movies and Music for Creative Inspiration

by Hef on January 5, 2012 at 12:23 pm

This is a list of the 11 inspirational science fiction novels, movies, books, comic books, music albums and animation – that have inspired me, Hal Hefner, the artist, writer and creator of Gates, an epic science fiction comic book. I’m a huge fan of science fiction and I tried to pick eleven of my favorite pieces of sc-fi entertainment, that maybe aren’t as commercially known as Star Wars or Dune or Watchmen.

As the creator of Gates an epic science fiction comic book, I have relied heavily on inspiration from many areas of the realm of science fiction. Robots, scientific experiments, war, apocalypse, animal human hybrids, politics, monsters, super computers, astronauts, the universe and oh so many things have crept in to my brain to inspire Gates.

So fasten your seat belts for a ride through the cosmos of creativity and if for some reason, not one thing on this list excites you, then you might be a zombie. And yes, as you can probably guess…no zombies made this list.

11. The Island of Doctor Moreau: A Science Fiction Novel By HG Wells

The Island of Doctor Moreau has gotten a bad rap in recent years because of the awful movie adaptations attempted by Hollywood. The last disastrous try starred a fat, bloated Marlan Brando and Val Kilmer in a poorly written screenplay with special affects that were definitely not helped by that screenplay. The original book was a groundbreaking piece of writing that clearly relates to modern times. The book follows the story of Edward Prendick, a shipwrecked man rescued by a passing boat. He washes up on the exotic island home of Doctor Moreau, a “mad scientist”, who creates sentient humanoid beings from live animals (via vivisection). The book deals with a number of philosophical themes that face humanity in the 21st century on large levels like pain and cruelty, the meaning of compassion, human vs. animal existence, human interference with nature and the repercussions of unchecked scientific experiments.

10. Lady Mechanika: Steam Punk Science Fiction Comic

This was one of my favorite new titles to pop onto the scene in 2010. It’s a well drawn, spectacularly colored piece of art. Artist Joe Benitiz and Colorist Peter Steigerwald are two of the most talented people in the comic business. They are actually, two very nice guys as well. Aspen has produced a wonderful steampunk science fiction comic.

“Lady Mechanika”, is a tale about the sole survivor of a serial killer’s rampage through England. The police found her locked in an abandoned lab that was filled with corpses and body parts. Her own limbs were amputated and replaced with mechanical components. Hence the name. This is her story as she strives to find the answers to her past. Lady Mechanika is a beautiful marriage of sci-fi and the supernatural, set in Victorian England.

9. Moon: A Science Fiction Movie

Moon is a well written, wonderfully directed and brilliantly acted, 2009 British science fiction drama film. The film is about a man named Sam Bell, played by Sam Rockwell, who experiences a personal crisis as he nears the end of a three-year solitary mission, mining helium-3 on the far side of the Earth’s moon. It was the feature film debut of director Duncan Jones, the son of David Bowie. Sam Rockwell is amazing in this emotional ride and Kevin Spacey voices his robot companion, GERTY. If you like the Twilight Zone or Outer Limits, this is right up your alley and is loaded with deep philosophical questions about science vs. nature, big business, corporate greed and the effects all these things will have on the future of outer space colonization.

0 Top 11 List of Science Fiction Books, Movies and Music for Creative Inspiration

8. Kraftwerk , Computer World: A Science Fiction Album

Computer World is an album of epic ground breaking proportions. It is the eighth studio album by the German electronic band Kraftwerk and was released in May 1981 in German and English. When you listen to this album you have to keep reminding yourself that it was made in 1981. This really cool album that deals with the philosophical theme of the rise of computers within society and how they relate to each other and to us. Many music critics see this album as a peak in the career of Kraftwerk and a never ending inspirational album for hundreds of musicians for years to come.

Computer Love is one of my favorite songs on the Album Computer World. This is science fiction music from 1981 for your viewing and listening pleasure.

7. I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream: a Short Story by Harlan Ellison

I Have No Mouth and I must Scream is a short story written by Harlan Ellison in 1968, that takes you on a dark psychological journey of science fiction and the macabre. This story is also very much in the feel of a Twilight Zone episode or Outer Limits episode, but goes much, much further into the uncomfortable side of science fiction. It’s a post apocalyptic tale focusing on the philosophical ramifications of war and the reliance on computers. The book takes place 109 years after the complete destruction of human civilization at the hands of greed and a world war. As the war progressed, the three warring nations (US, China, & Russia) each created a super-computer capable of running the war more efficiently than humans. The machines are each referred to as “AM,” which originally stood for “Allied Mastercomputer,”. One day, one of the three computers becomes sentient, and promptly cannibalizes the other two. Upon taking control of the entire war and the world, AM carries out campaigns of mass genocide against humanity, killing off all but four men and one woman that AM has trapped inside an endless, underground complex. AM, the master computer carries an immeasurable hatred for humanity and spends every available moment torturing them. AM has not only managed to keep the humans from taking their own lives, but has made them virtually immortal inside of his bunker of pain.

There is a version of the story someone posted online that you can read here for free, but I recommend getting the story in book form.

6. Twilight Zone : Episode 7, Season 5 THE OLD MAN IN THE CAVE – Science Fiction Television Show

Rod Serling was brilliant and the Twilight Zone was a wonderful science fiction television show that can never be topped for its groundbreaking messages, stories and thought provoking look at mankind. Serling had a fantastic way of making you think about the present while watching your future. This was exactly on display in the episode, Old Man in the Cave. It stars a young James Colburn as a hardened, and soulless man trying to bully his way to survive a nuclear apocalypse. It has one of those epic Twilight Zone, twist endings as well and is a hell of a ride that explores the stupidity of mankind and brings into question the human liability to follow blindly without questioning.

5. Lunapolis: A Conspiracy Theory Focused Science Fiction Movie (Mockumentary)

Lunapolis is awesomeness that is like taking all of the conspiracy theories that callers on the late night radio show, Coast to Coast AM, sit and stress over.

This movie focuses on two documentary filmmakers who find evidence of a hidden base on the moon. In a plot to uncover the truth, they quickly become entangled in finding a secret history of earth that was meant to be long forgotten. After they have a near deadly, threatening encounter with the dangerous and occultist ‘Church of Lunology’, they flee their lives only to encounter an enigmatic man named David James. When David unravels the truth behind almost every conspiracy theory known to man, from ufo’s and the occult to time travel, immortality and a secret base on the moon.

It’s a fun ride of ufology and exhilarating science fiction and a movie that’ll get you thinking and give you a Blair Witch Project kind of feel.

4. Children of Men: A Science Fiction Movie

Children of Men is a 2006 brilliantly written and directed science fiction film that was loosely adapted from P. D. James’s 1992 novel The Children of Men. The movie was directed by Alfonso Cuarón and at first I wasn’t that excited about seeing this film. Then I watched it, was blown away and couldn’t stop thinking about it. The film takes place in 2027,where two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of a doomsday like collapse. Illegal immigrants (normal people trying to live) seek sanctuary in England, where the last capably functioning world government resides…BUT imposes oppressive immigration laws on refugees. Clive Owen plays the hero, civil servant named Theo Faron, who must help a pregnant West African refugee (Claire-Hope Ashitey) escape the chaos, to deliver her baby and give birth to a new human race. Children of Men also stars Julianne Moore and Michael Caine, who both turn in tragically epic performances alongside Owen’s brilliance. This is a great movie and a wild ride on a very realistic future.

3. Pink Floyd, Animals: A Science Fiction Musical Masterpiece

Before their was goth, techno, new wave and industrial techno–there was only Pink Floyd. If you have never heard Pink Floyd, please stop what you are doing and do so. Below I have pasted a Youtube link for what is the entire album, Animals, played to the image of the iconic album cover. I first heard the entire Animals album in high school on a record in my friend Mike’s attic. I was mesmerized by the cover, an evil looking factory with a flying pig in the sky and from here on out, I was obsessed with the history, music and creative influences of Pink Floyd. Animals was dark, Dystopian musical concept of Roger Waters, loosely based on George Orwell’s political satire story, Animal Farm. The album lyrics describe various classes of society as dogs, pigs, and sheep and the music is menacing and powerful. Completed in December 1976, Animals is a masterpiece of science fiction music and social commentary. Apart from its harsh critique of society, the album was also in part a response to the punk rock movement, which in itself was a nihilistic statement against the prevailing social and political conditions. Animals is one of my favorite albums of all time both eloquent and disturbing all in one.

2. The Animatrix: An amazing animated science fiction movie anthology

The Animatrix is a series of animated vignettes, pieced together brilliantly to each tell a tale of back-story between the 2nd and 3rd and final installments of the Matrix trilogy film series. To me, the Animatrix is the best piece of entertainment to appear from the mythos of the trilogy. Each piece is drawn, directed and has the feel of the iconic creators uniquely used for the vignette. The 2003 The Animatrix was a 2003 direct-to-video anthology film that is a compilation of nine, very strong, animated short films. If you like the Matrix, you will LOVE the Animatrix as it doesn’t have the limitations that the film has and each story has a different style of Anime or computer enhancement that is extremely well done and inspiring to anyone who loves science fiction. While in Japan, the series’ writers and directors, the Wachowski brothers, visited some of the creators of the anime films that had been a strong influence on their work. They decided to collaborate with them on a very cool piece of Transmedia storytelling which is revered by animation buffs to this day still. Most of the project’s technical production was overseen by notable figures from the world of Japanese Anime. It was a great way to explain many facets of the Matrix that time didn’t allow the movies. I give two thumbs up to this anime anthology.

1. Deus Irae: A science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny

Deus Irae is a brilliantly written, extremly dark, post-apocalyptic science fiction novel by Philip K. Dick and Roger Zelazny. The book was first published in 1976 and to mean is one of my favorite books of all time. Deus irae means God of wrath in Latin and the name is a play on another phrase, Dies Irae, meaning Day of Wrath or Judgment Day. The book was actually based on one of Dick’s short stories, The Great C.

Dick initally began the book but realized he didn’t know enough about Christianity to finish it so he teamed up with Roger Zelazny.

Deus Irae is about the years following World War III, in which a new and powerful faith has arisen from a scorched and toxic Earth. It is a faith that embraces the architect of world wide devastation and is based on old world religion. The religious sect, (SOW) Servants of Wrath, have deified Carlton Lufteufel and re-christened him the Deus Irae (God of Wrath). In this small war torn community of what is left of Charlottesville, Utah, our story takes place. Our hero, Tibor McMasters,is an artist, ironically born without arms or legs. Through an array of prostheses, Tibor has established a far-reaching reputation as an inspired painter and “Renaissance man”. Tibor is summoned when the church commissions a grand painting depicting the Deus Irae. It then falls upon Tibor, to make a treacherous journey to find the mythical man and capture his likeness for the church. Tibor then embarks on a treacherous journey filled with strange mutants, and cannibalistic computers. The novel calls into question many things philosophically with an emphasis on examining those things we treasure as religious artifacts and their authenticity.

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Gates The Webcomic Presented By Heavy Metal Magazine Celebrates One Year Today

by Hef on January 1, 2012 at 11:33 am

Gates, a dark, science fiction webcomic, presented by Heavy Metal Magazine celebrates a birthday today!

THANK YOU…

As the writer, creator, designer, HTML editor, production artist, letterer, article writer and all around one stop shop creative whackjob and brain trust behind the Gates, science fiction comic, presented by Heavy Metal Magazine…I humbly do a Kung Fu bow to you all.

Thank you to all of my new, wonderful friends I have met this year who have become fans and supported Gates on social networks, the official website and so much more.

Thank you to all of my old friends who saw this coming and helped me in so many ways spiritually, emotionally, physically and more.

Thank you to my family and friends that are as close as family (you know who you are), without you guys, I’d be in big trouble.

Thank you to everyone who has given me hand here and there to help with little intricacies of Gates such as marketing, production, web dev, moral support and more. You guys rock!

Thank you to all of the bands and musical talents that participated in Volume 1 of the Gates soundtrack.

Thank you to everyone who has ever doubted me, dissed more or told me I couldn’t do something. You all fuel the fire in my belly.

I am very grateful for all of you. Thank you. Cheers to you in 2012~

A RECAP OF GATES THE SCIENCE FICTION COMIC BOOK IN 2011

One year ago today on 1/1/11 , Gates launched to much fanfare from such places as Wired Magazine and MTVGeek!

A trailer was launched…

0 Gates The Webcomic Presented By Heavy Metal Magazine Celebrates One Year Today

Then a few videos about the story were released…

Then the first 5 pages, popped up online! The negative Dystopian science fiction comic book was born! Heavy Metal Magazine then had its first online comic book, and history was made. Every Tuesday of every week a new page of Gates has been added to the website.

In May we created a fun video that serves as back-story juiciness involving the ConGenement, the villainous oppressors of our main character Gates.

THE SOUNDTRACK TO BENEFIT THE RONNIE JAMES DIO STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND FOR GATES THE COMIC BOOK

In August we launched a soundtrack to the comic that is available for download on iTunes and AmazonMP3, benefiting the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.” This soundtrack was created to memorialize Dio for his contribution to the original 1981 Heavy Metal Movie, while in the band Black Sabbath, in the last and most epic short form the movie, Taarna. The song the Mob Rules will forever inspire Heavy Metal Magazine artists forever!

And in the summer, in support of the Gates soundtrack to support the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, your fun and self mocking creator, ME (Hal Hefner) dressed up as Girogio Tsoukalos, the Ancient Aliens TV show star from the History Channel, and ancient astronaut theorist. Know for his over inflated locks of hair and his passionately delivered speeches, we had a little fun with him, his theories and…his hair and orange skin.

THE ART, DESIGN and MESSAGE OF GATES: “FIGHT THE POWER AND QUESTION AUTHORITY – THINK FOR YOURSELF”

And Gates, continued to chug along…New Page after new page. Here are a few of my personal favorite pages from the year, from the science fiction webcomic, Gates.