Geek hosts Blair Herter and Jessica Chobot took their relationship to the next step over the weekend and got engaged with a little help from Wonder Woman and Jim Lee.

The pair simultaneously made the announcement via their Twitter feeds with Herter tweeting, “In a lifetime of affirmation, this was the best “Yes” I’ve heard. Luckiest guy alive.” With his statement, the X-Play host also posted this picture…

Herter, knowing his girlfriend was a huge Wonder Woman fan, had DC artist and co-publisher Jim Lee create this piece specifically to ask for her hand in marriage. Chobot retweeted the picture with this note, “YES!!!!! @blairherter and a ginormous thank you to @JimLee00 for the incredible art! We’ll treasure it always!” And Herter echoed her sentiments on the one-of-a-kind piece, “Massive massive thanks to @jimlee00 for the art. It will always be our most treasured piece.”

The IGN Strategize host then tweeted a picture of her unique engagement ring.

As you can see, the ring is Wonder Woman inspired, and was designed by Herter himself according to Chobot. You can see the lasso/star detail on the left but I can’t quite make out the details on the other side. Either way, it’s gorgeous.

No word on whether or not the proposal was a surprise but Chobot’s last tweet before the announcement was that her and Herter were going on a mini-vacation to San Diego for “sunshine and tattoos,” so it may well have been. Herter thanked everyone for their heartfelt congratulations on the engagement and said, “I promise our future Intergalactic Space Ninja offspring will protect your families against the robots.”

Congratulations to Herter and Chobot and here’s to a comic-themed wedding!

Fans of the hit AMC television adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead were surprised to hear showrunner Frank Darabont would be exiting the series. Apparently, so were the cast and crew.

The Hollywood Reporter gathered this information from an insider on the show, writing:

“In hot, sticky Atlanta, where production on the second season had been under way since June, the cast was summoned to a lunch meeting with AMC vp scripted programming Ben Davis, who confirmed that Darabont was out. The crew was briefed separately. One insider says those gathered were stunned at “the duplicity of AMC” for having used Darabont to promote the show at Comic-Con before firing him. And they were angry about the lack of explanation; they were simply told, cryptically, “This isn’t working.” Above all, they were disheartened. “It’s a crushing blow,” says the insider. “Even when you have a hit, they can still destroy you.”

Yikes. “Insiders” always seem to dramatize any situation under the condition of anonymity but it seems at least that the firing of Darabont was an unpopular decision all around. THR reports that Darabont returned to Los Angeles after the news to finish some notes and send out cordial goodbye emails but that he and his representatives are maintaining a “steady silence” on the topic.

“There also have been no public comments from the cast,” writes THR, “and a source with knowledge of the situation says AMC has been ‘terrorizing’ them and their representatives to discourage them from speaking out on Darabont’s behalf. ‘They’re scared,’ confirms another insider. ‘They’re on a zombie show. They are all really easy to kill off.’”

Again, very dramatic but whatever the case, not even AMC is opening up about the decision. “AMC issued a statement after Darabont was dismissed, expressing gratitude for his ‘innumerable’ contributions to the show,” writes THR. “Asked to comment on criticism for the handling of his departure, a spokesperson said, ‘We have nothing further to add.’”

However, it has previously been reported that Glen Mazzara, Darabont’s former second-in-command, will be taking over as showrunner of The Walking Dead. Season 2 is currently in production.

Blog@Newsarama reported yesterday that The Walking Dead showrunner, Frank Darabont, was leaving that coveted position. Today his number two, Glen Mazzara, has been announced as his replacement.

Deadline writes “Mazzara, who joined the show at the beginning of Season 2 as No. 2 to Darabont, will now indeed be the series’ new showrunner. He remains an executive producer alongside Robert Kirkman, on whose comic the series is based, and Gale Anne Hurd.” The news of Darabont’s departure, although we don’t know if it’s from the show completely, was a huge shock considering he sat on The Walking Dead panel at San Diego Comic-Con last Friday.

Yesterday, Deadline had this to say, “Darabont, who spent five years trying to get a TV version of the zombie saga off the ground and wrote and directed the AMC pilot, hails from the feature world, and I hear that he never quite adjusted to the daily grind of producing a TV series.”

“Production on Season 2 of Walking Dead has not been interrupted by the showrunner change, and the series remains on target for an Oct. 16 premiere,” writes Deadline, “Mazzara has been part of The Walking Dead since Season 1 when he wrote one of the six episodes as a freelancer.” The writer/producers has previously worked on Starz’s Crash, The Shield and Hawthorne.

Just four days after appearing at the show’s panel at Comic-Con International: San Diego, Frank Darabont has left his position of The Walking Dead showrunner, Deadline reports.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s leaving the show entirely, Deadline says: “talks are still ongoing” for Darabont to remain on the show in some capacity. The second season is currently in production.

Darabont directed the pilot episode of the series, and wrote the first two. Last December, news circulated that Darabont had fired the show’s writing staff, and was considering switching to an all-freelance model for the future, though that didn’t end up happening. This past Friday at Comic-Con, Darabont appeared at the show’s panel with fellow executive producers Gale Anne Hurd and Robert Kirkman, creator of The Walking Dead comic. This was Darabont’s first stint as a TV showrunner, as most of his experience is in the film world, directing movies including The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile.

Last week, the premiere of The Walking Dead‘s 13-episode season was set for October 16 on AMC. Watch the trailer here.

So it’s late Thursday night and I’m spending my free time searching online for X-Men board games (don’t you judge me), and I happen to come across this segment on Cartoon Network’s Mad, a parody mashup of the X-Men and The Office:

It’s surprisingly current (reflecting the departure of Steve Carell from the show), and it’s rather impressive how they manage to work in almost all of The Office‘s extended cast in two-and-a-half minutes. It’s also fairly fascinating that Wolverine is in his ’80s look and Cyclops has the ’90s visible hair thing going on — well, fascinating at least to someone searching the Internet for an intact copy of X-Men: Alert.

EDIT: Wow, both Robert Kirkman and producer Gale Anne Hurd have confirmed on Twitter that this is NOT an official The Walking Dead teaser but fan made. I’m floored. Watch it and see why both I and The Hollywood Reporter were fooled.

[Original story] I’d like to say the wait is almost over, but it isn’t. We’ve still got four months to go until The Walking Dead Season 2 premieres on AMC. But thankfully we’ve got our first teaser trailer to drool over.

Guh.

The trailer comes via The Hollywood Reporter who spoke with Robert Kirkman a short time ago and told them Season 2 will pick up right where Season 1 left off. “The last time we saw our characters, they were loaded up into the RV and they were driving away from the CDC,” Kirkman said. “We will definitely see where that caravan is going and follow them on their journey. So, pretty much where we get blown up.”

Meanwhile, showrunner Frank Darabont spoke with Deadline about the new season not too long ago either. “It’s fair to say that the first six episodes were teeing up a lot of conflicts that will be more fully explored in our second season,” said Darabont, “We find a growing conflict with our two main guys, Rick [Andrew Lincoln] and Shane [Jon Bernthal]. We’re really excited about putting all of the characters on a chessboard and seeing how wonderfully and effectively we can toss conflict into the game.”

Personally, after last year’s booth, I can’t wait to see what they pull out for San Diego Comic-Con in two weeks.

It was bound to happen and I have to say I’m damn excited for it. George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series is being adapted to comics and there’s a very big name attached to the books.

The hugely popular book series was recently adapted to television on HBO and has created a whole new set of fans. Now Bantam Books, an imprint of the Random House, have announced that artists Alex Ross and Mike S. Miller will act as the cover artists for the comic adaptation which was revealed to be in the works earlier this year. Dynamite Entertainment is planning on publishing the monthly title come September and the books will be adapted and scripted for the comic page by writer Daniel Abraham will art by Tommy Patterson.

The issues will be collected in graphic novel format under the Bantam imprint. Senior Editor at Random House Anne Groell had this to say about the project in a press release sent out today, “It has been fifteen years since I first edited A Game of Thrones, and it is a genuine joy to be revisiting and adapting this landmark novel into a format that suits it so perfectly. George’s writing has always been highly visual, painting rich, detailed and striking images in the reader’s minds and hearts. And now seeing such a talented group of artists bringing that so vividly to life is truly exciting. I couldn’t be more pleased with everything I have seen so far–and I can’t wait for what is yet to come!”

“It’s a real privilege and a treat to be involved with reinterpreting Game of Thrones,” says writer Daniel Abraham. “It’s a brilliant piece of work, and watching the strength of that story come into a visual medium is fantastic.”

“George R. R. Martin’s Game of Thrones is the best book series I’ve ever read,” says cover artist Mike Miller. “Not just in the fantasy genre, but in ANY genre. Just as I hear people saying Game of Thrones is the best series on TV, I’m sure they’ll be saying the same about the comic book. You can’t find a better writer anywhere than George, and I was very excited to get the opportunity to draw covers for the comic book adaptation.”

The television show was picked up for a second season after the first episode aired back in April. No word yet on the official air date of season two but you can bet fans of both the book series and television show will be seeking this comic out to help tide them over.

Let’s just get this out of the way. I’m a Voltron girl. All the way. Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers and last time I showcased some Game of Thrones items from the crafting website. Since yet another Transformers movie is being released this week I figured it was only appropriate I find some Autobot and Decepticon crafty bits.

Why not start off with the basics? This Transformer Stainless Steel Pendant is simple and classy. User Youyousupply has this for just $3, not including the chain.

I find this Transformers DIY tube top dress absolutely adorable. Created by user cupcakeninja69 out of two different shirts for $25. Do yourself a favor and take a peek at her other dresses/tops as well. If you’re looking for something more casual, try this Decepticon Halter Top from user FishnetApparel for $24.

For the Transformer pimp in you, I suggest this Transformer Gold Brass Ring (which is actually just brass). It’s a size small/medium, whatever that could mean, from user Vampclothingct for $26.

I bet you never thought you’d see a Autobot Warpath Pendant. Neither did I but here it is and I have to say, I think it’s pretty snazzy. From user hlconrad for just $5. Make sure to check out all their other Transformers necklaces in their shop, including Nightbeat and Hound.

This is kind of a throw away entry into the column because I’m pretty sure none of you could actually buy this for yourselves but how could I not include an actual Transformer? It’s a gigantic Optimus Prime statue from user Kreatworks. And it’s going for $6,990. Optimus is made out of recycled metal, auto and machine parts. Shipping isn’t listed by maybe he can just walk to your house…

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

You’ve seen the ads (and if you’re like several of my friends, swooned over them). And now Carly Foulkes, the actress appearing in a string of recent T-Mobile commercials, is playing Retro Girl in the Powers FX pilot. The news was confirmed this past Friday by comic book co-creator/TV show executive producer Brian Michael Bendis during an appearance on Sirius XM’s “Geektime” radio program. This would be Foulkes’ first major non-commercial acting experience; her IMDb page lists only Powers and a short film titled The Blanket.

Retro Girl is the doomed superhero whose murder sets the initial arc of the comic book series in motion (not really a spoiler, since the story is titled “Who Killed Retro Girl?”). Foulke joins a cast including stars Jason Patric (Christian Walker) and Lucy Punch (Deena Pilgrim), plus Charles S. Dutton (Captain Cross) and Bailee Madison (Callista).

Frank Darabont shocked fans of AMC’s The Walking Dead last November when he fired the entire writing staff of the successful show. Turns out, Darabont wrote most of the episodes himself anyway but it still raised some eyebrows. The director is finally speaking out about the decision.

Speaking with Deadline, Darabont said the whole thing was “pretty overblown.” “It left the impression that I walked in one day and murdered 12 people. Would you like to know how many writers we were talking about? Two,” he said, “My thought had been that they’d under-delivered, and a change was necessary. I had to do too much of it by myself last year, and that was only six episodes.”

Season 2 is slated for thirteen episodes and the director is not going to be sitting in a room by himself to write all of them. “We hired Glen Mazzara as our Number Two in the room. We consider him our head writer and he’s just a fantastic asset,” he said, “We’ve also got three other staff writers in Scott Gimple, Evan Reilly from Rescue Me, and Angela Kang. Plus Executive Producer Robert Kirkman, who wrote the original comic book, is also writing for us.”

So what’s on tap for Season 2? “It’s fair to say that the first six episodes were teeing up a lot of conflicts that will be more fully explored in our second season,” said Darabont, “We find a growing conflict with our two main guys, Rick [Andrew Lincoln] and Shane [Jon Bernthal]. We’re really excited about putting all of the characters on a chessboard and seeing how wonderfully and effectively we can toss conflict into the game.”

Darabont also mentioned how grateful he is to Kirkman for his understanding when it comes to transferring his beloved comic to the small screen. “He realizes how different the mediums of comics and television are from one another,” he said, “One of the things that really attracted me to this material in the first place was how smartly Kirkman incorporated the characters and their journey in trying to survive and better themselves in this world. It was a really adult approach. And because we’re a TV series, we’ve hopefully got years to flesh out that story and all of the aspects of who they are.”

The director also said he worked for five years to get The Walking Dead on television before AMC picked it up but that the network has been good to them. “We certainly get notes, but nothing that we believe doesn’t make sense. We feel very much in partnership with AMC,” he said, “Sometimes we have to compromise, sometimes they do. But we have to admit that a lot of the stuff they’re telling us is sensible, and none of it’s dumb. Believe me, I’ve gotten a lot of dumb notes in my time, and after 25 years in the business I can tell the difference.”

Asked if he’d given much thought to the upcoming Emmy Awards Darabont said, “You know, a little bit. And it’s awesome to be a part of that chatter. We were just blown away to get nominated for a Golden Globe, a DGA award, and a WGA award in our first year. But that stuff is out of our control.”

Update: Whoops, unsurprisingly, the video’s been taken down by Warner.

Original story: And, well, here it is, and note the classic “shorts” look on Wonder Woman instead of the longer pants that were originally introduced:

OK, so those dudes look like they were cast out of a hired goon catalogue, but there’s nothing so awful in that 36 second clip, right? NBC aired nine episodes of The Cape, after all. Also: how long before the whole thing surfaces? Seems kind of inevitable.

Monday brought news of Lucy Punch starring in the Powers pilot for FX as Deena Pilgrim, and it looks like now we have a Christian Walker: Deadline is reporting that actor Jason Patric is set to star in the male lead role.

Patric, who just turned 45 this past Friday, was last seen on screen in another comic book adaptation, the 2010 feature film version of Vertigo title The Losers. As Deadline notes, this would be his first regular TV series gig if Powers gets picked up, but last year he starred in an HBO comedy pilot called Tilda.

Christian Walker has been the main focus of the Powers series since the beginning, a homicide detective with a long (very, very long) and colorful past. Patric joins Punch, plus Bailee Madison (Calista) and Charles S. Dutton (Captain Cross) in the cast. Powers co-creator Brian Michael Bendis recently told Newsarama that the pilot should be filming in a few weeks.

What I really wanted to title this column was, Etsy Made Me Do It: Game of Mother F’n Thrones. Because, well, that’s how good it is. Once a week I sift through the millions of Etsy listings to find the best in geek chic for Blog@ readers. Last week, in honor of the film, I shined the Emerald light on you with Green Lantern crafts. This week I’m busting with Game of Thrones giddyness post-finale (don’t worry,  no spoilers). In all honesty, for a show/book series with such a devoted following I thought I’d find a lot more items then I did. Anyway, I still found some fun ones, here they are for your sword-wielding, armor-wearing pleasure.

What girl wouldn’t want to be Khaleesi after watching Game of Thrones Jason Momoa for more than five minutes? Unfortunately that title belongs to Daenerys Targaryen and not myself but I can fantasize all I want while wearing this Khaleesi Copper Pendant. Also available in aluminum or brass from user spiffingjewelry for $24.

So, I’ve yet to read the George. R.R. Martin books the HBO series is based on but…apparently winter is coming…sometime…eventually. That’s why I got a kick out of this Winter Is Coming shirt from user CutItUp. Available in several colors and sizes, $15. Or perhaps you are ready to swear your loyalty to the Night’s Watch. In that case, you might want this seller’s Night’s Watch Oath shirt for $20.

Show your house allegiance by flying the House Targaryen banner! User valchiria created this gorgeous piece with brocades and red gems. Other houses to come but this one will cost you a pretty penny, $150.

Somehow I always manage to find these. It’s a Daenerys Targaryan fleece doll! Eight inches tall from user SKULLbunz for $25. A perfect likeness to actress Emilia Clarke, don’t you think?

I can’t even believe this exists. It’s a Severed Horse Head Catnip Toy. I love cats and I love horses, this is hysterical but I couldn’t bring myself to buy it. User bixbies writes, “Your cat will love waking up next to this horse head.” One of my top 5 least favorite parts of the HBO series thankyouverymuch! If you’re so inclined, it’s $7.

In all fairness, while these were fun to find and look at, HBO has done a pretty good job at creating merchandise for the show themselves. Check it out. I’ll take one dragon egg necklace, please. (Seriously Etsy users, get crackin’ on more GoT stuff!)

As always, bear in mind, since Etsy is a craft website and not a commercial, mass-market dealer, items are almost always one-of-a-kind or in very limited availability. When you see something you like, buy it. It may not be there the next time you surf round. (Yes, it’s a very dangerous site for your wallet.) Also, since most items are created individually, many sellers are willing to customize something specifically to suit your needs. Just ask!

Warner Bros. isn’t letting a not-so-successful weekend at the box office hold them back from promoting their next big Green Lantern project. Here’s our first promo trailer for the new animated series.

The official website is now up as well. The series is centered around, who else? Hal Jordan. But in the clip we get looks at Salaak, the Guardians, Kilowog and…I couldn’t make out who the last one was. Regardless I’m really wondering how the series is going to do now that the film didn’t hit as big as they would have liked. Although, this show is obviously aimed at a entirely different demographic so you never know.

I saw a preview of the series at New York Comic Con last year and it’s definitely different than any of the other Warner Bros. animated series. It’s 3-D computer generated animation which puts me off a bit because I’m such a fan of their classic techniques but I’ll watch it regardless because there’s going to be Red Lanterns. Bruce Timm also mentioned the inspiration for the animation on the series was from Pixar’s The Incredibles and that he wasn’t worried about the success or failure of the film affecting the television show. You can read more details from the panel here.

The series will premiere on Cartoon Network later this year and stars Josh Keaton as Hal, Michael Clark Duncan as Kilowog (same as in the live-action film), Richard Green as Sinestro and Robert Englund as Hector Hammond.

One of the most successful “genre” screenwriters is looking to adapt one of the most critically acclaimed series of the past decade to TV, Deadline reports.

David S. Goyer, who has credits from Dark City to Blade to The Dark Knight, is attached to write and produce a 100 Bullets series for Showtime. Goyer’s most recent TV work was ABC’s FlashForward, which ran for one season. Given the series’ status as a Vertigo/DC property, Warner Bros. TV is producing.

100 Bullets spanned 100 issues from 1999 to 2009, all by writer Brian Azzarello and artist Eduardo Risso (currently working on the Flashpoint tie-in Batman: Knight of Vengeance). There have been light rumors of a 100 Bullets TV series in the past, and work had started on a video game adaptation, which has been stalled in development hell for years.

The Powers casting news keeps coming, with Deadline revealing Monday that British actress Lucy Punch has been cast as female lead Deena Pilgrim in the FX pilot.

Punch, 33, is probably best known to genre fans from her role in Edgar Wright’s 2007 film Hot Fuzz. Mostly seen in comedic roles, Punch has past US TV experience as part of the ensemble cast of the short-lived CBS sitcom The Class, and is co-starring in Bad Teacher, out this coming Friday. In February, Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff made her interest in the role public via Twitter; a month later she was announced as the female lead in the A&E pilot Longmire.

Punch joins Bailee Madison, cast as Calista last week, and Charles S. Dutton as Captain Cross — the first cast announcement, made back in May. The role of male lead Christian Walker, Pilgrim’s homicide detective partner, has yet to be cast, though it was reported in March that FX was interested in Friday Night Lights and Super 8 star Kyle Chandler for the role.

Last week, Brian Michael Bendis, co-creator of the Powers comic book series and an executive producer on the television series, told Newsarama that the pilot should be filming in a few weeks.

How’s this for timing? Earlier today, we posted an article with Brian Michael Bendis telling Newsarama to expect Powers casting announcements soon, and this afternoon, Deadline reports that 11-year-old Bailee Madison has been cast as Calista, a young girl introduced in the very first Powers comic book story arc, Who Killed Retro Girl?. This is the second confirmed casting, joining Charles S. Dutton as Captain Cross. Surely more announcements are soon to follow.

The Amazon Princess may not be splashing back into live-action anytime soon but Wonder Woman is back on television once more thanks to the animated series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold.

TV Guide has acquired the clip of Diana making her entrance into the series by rescuing Batman, her significant other, Steve Trevor and deflecting a whole lotta bullets. In the episode, airing this Friday on the Cartoon Network, Wonder Woman is voiced by Vicki Lewis of NewsRadio fame. The actress previously voiced Persephone in the Wonder Woman animated film from Warner Bros. starring Kerri Russell.

In the episode, titled “Scorn of the Star Sapphire,” Batman teams up with Green Lantern for the main storyline in which they fight against Carol Ferris and the Zamarons (watch a clip of the fight on IMDB) so it’s not clear how much screen-time Wonder Woman will actually have. Either way, using the Invisible Jet and Lynda Carter’s 1970s Wonder Woman theme song sounds like Warner Bros. saying, “Sorry about that other thing…”

The Wonder Woman TV pilot has long (more than a week!) been officially dead, so now it’s time for the well-kept secrets of the show to be revealed, such as what the old-school hot pants costume looked like. Turns out, pretty consistent with the classic star-spangled underwear look of the character, as seen in this picture from WonderWoman.tv (a site surely as bummed as anyone that the show wasn’t picked up), depicting Adrianne Palicki posing with what appears to be either a wax dummy or Bond movie henchman:

Yep. It’s definitely a Wonder Woman costume. Better/worse than the other looks? Comment away!

Tonight’s television highlights feature the end of Smallville, after ten long years as television’s premiere dose of superheroics. It’s outlasted Heroes and No Ordinary Family (Actually, is No Ordinary Family still on? I have developed a protective amnesia about the show, I admit) and set the bar impressively high for superpowered shows wanting to set themselves up as long-running in the future. While never a ratings powerhouse, it’s definitely a established a faithful fanbase over the last decade, which leads me to wonder: How long until we see DC Comics spin off a “Season 11″ series?

Unless tonight’s finale definitively ends Clark’s story – and I think we can all agree that’s not going to happen as much as it’s fun to think otherwise – the idea of continuing the show’s continuity must have occurred to DC at some point over the last year: We’ve seen DC successfully launch a Batman Beyond series (successful enough that we’re also getting a Superman Beyond spin-off, even though it won’t be connected to Grant Morrison and Doug Mahnke’s Final Crisis series of the same name) recently, and “official” comic book follow-ups to Buffy, Angel and Jericho, amongst others (DC is even getting in on the action, albeit slowly, with the long-promised Pushing Daisies continuation, if it ever appears).

Not only that, it’s not as if DC doesn’t know the characters involved, or that Smallville doesn’t offer up the possibility of an entirely new line if the series is successful (Think of all the guest stars the show has had). We’ve even had Smallville comics before, and if they weren’t exactly sales smashes, any continuation would probably be more likely to entice the fanbase into the stores this time around. So… what’s to stand in the way, exactly? Come on, DC: Won’t somebody saaaaaaaaaave Smallville?