Webcomic Wednesday finds us feeling divided on the issues of the day. We turn to the Web to distract us — or inform us — with satire and amusing cartooning.
During a several-week period when Uncle Sam has revealed itself to be delving into some nasty business (two IRS scandals, the NSA spying stuff, etc.), we submit that the time is right for some biting socio-political satire. And since we’re on letter “L,” this means we have to cheat (just a little) and recommend Lucky Ducky — which is not exactly its own comic, but a recurring comic under the vaster heading of Tom the Dancing Bug, the wonderful full-pager by Ruben Bolling, hosted online by Boing Boing. (We did tease this last week in the intro; check it out, it’s true.)
Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida just got even more amazing with the inclusion of a new Simpson area. Moe’s Tavern opened on June the 1st and is a working pub where you can purchase your very own Flaming Moe’s. Not only that you can buy a Krusty Burger, Cletus Chicken and pizza from Luigi’s pizza all from The Simpsons Fast Food Blvd.
This is just the first part of numerous Simpson related rides and attractions, a few of which we have images of here. For more information as it arrives check out the Universal Orlando website to see how the expansion is going. Here is the concept art for the theme park.
The estimated opening for all the areas is June 2014 so if you are a Simpsons fan and you have the money then set this date in your diary. Some of the more cynical readers will no doubt think this is just a not-so-subtle ploy to sell more Simpsons tat (and for the most part they would be right)[Note – tat: British English informal, things that are cheap and badly made], but the detail on everything looks so incredible that most Simpsons fans will be off like a rocket to see all that Universal has to offer. Heck, I am saving up right now and I live in the UK so I am guessing come June next year this place will be heaving with fans from far and wide. To keep you going until opening, here is a gallery of the up and coming attractions so you can see how great it looks. As you can see no expense has been spared in bringing Springfield to life.
Finally the teaser trailer for The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug is out! Set to run before Man of Steel in theaters this week, the next chapter of the Hobbit trilogy is available now online. The story continues as the company of Thorin Oakenshield continues their quest to reclaim their homeland of Erabor from the menace of Smaug the dragon. Along the way the company will encounter not only the wood elves who Thorin believes betrayed him during the fall of Erabor but the men of Laketown as well as they near the Lonely Mountain. And lets not forget the pale Orc Azog is still hot on their trail. Check out all of the action in the trailer below
Lots of exciting stuff going on, whether it’s from the book itself or added in for the movie. The movie looks just as gorgeous and eye popping as the first one, which also featured a good amount added to the film. We get to see more Elves, including Evangeline Lilly as Tauriel and the return of everyone’s favorite pointy-eared archer, Legolas! There’s also a quick glimpse of Luke Evans as Bard the Bowman and more of Bilbo and company, but honestly, let’s get to the elephant in the room… or dragon, as it were.
“I… Am…. Kahn! Err… Smaug!”
Smaug the Terrible doesn’t look very terrible, visually. He actually looks breathtakingly awesome in the last seconds of the trailer as he finds our lead Hobbit in his treasure horde. I was surprised they show Smaug in his full glory onscreen instead of saving it as a surprise for when the movie is released. At this point the extra bonus will be hearing Smaug speak in the voice of actor Benedict Cumberbatch. I doubt they really could have hired a better actor for the role of the ancient and angry dragon. Cumberbatch has a very baritone and intimidating voice more than equipped for the likes of Smaug. Did you hear this guy in Star Trek: Into Darkness? I’ll walk over your cold corpses?! Can’t wait till December!
“Who you calling pointy-eared?”
What did everyone think of the trailer, and Smaug in particular? Sound off in the comments section below!
Grizzly Bomb 