Tag Archive: Danny Pudi


Six seasons and (almost) a movie–Community cast reunites with surprise episode table read

Filed under: Con Culture, Retro Fix, TV — Leave a comment
May 15, 2020

When my wife bought me the six seasons of Community I secretly wondered if she was trying to kill me–because I’d laughed so hard watching episodes of the show before I frequently thought I was going to pass out.  I hadn’t seen an episode when I watched their big panel at Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con in 2012, but since became a fan.  “Six seasons and a movie” was their mantra, and they almost made it.  We’ve seen no sign of a movie yet, especially with the success of Donald Glover (Solo: A Star Wars Story, Spider-Man: Homecoming), and ongoing rise in the careers and clashing schedules of Alison Brie (GLOW, BoJack Horseman), Ken Jeong (Magnum, PI, Scoob!), Jim Rash (The Descendants, Harley Quinn), Yvette Nicole Brown (Avengers: Endgame, Mom), Joel McHale (The X-Files, Stargirl), Gillian Jacobs (Love, Come Play), and Danny Pudi (Powerless, The Argument).  But then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived and now many of our favorite creators and performers are bringing a full-on assault against isolation via podcasts and other online videos.  And it’s not a movie, but it is a welcome surprise: A table read of a classic episode of Community with the main cast is coming your way–with The Mandalorian himself, Pedro Pascal, as a guest.

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First look–New Star Trek makeup book available for preorder discount for two more days only

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Movies, Sci-Fi Café — Leave a comment
October 1, 2017

Luckily for fans of Star Trek, the 50th anniversary of the franchise coincided with last year’s release of Star Trek Beyond, one of the most exciting films in the movie series.  That was thanks in part to makeup artist Joel Harlow taking the new alien creatures where no one had gone before.  Nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Star Trek Beyond, Harlow took on the daunting challenge of creating more than 50 new alien races for the film–one in honor of each year since the first episode aired on television back in 1966.  Those designs will be featured in a giant chronicle published this week by Titan Books.  Star Trek Beyond: The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow by Joe Nazzaro is surprisingly the first book to focus exclusively on the makeup artistry for Star Trek.

The closest prior work on creating makeup for aliens from beyond the Final Frontier, Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts by Michael Westmore and Alan Sims (still available at Amazon here) was a shorter, trade paperback overview of Star Trek makeup and props, and Westmore’s recent book, Makeup Man by Michael Westmore (reviewed here at borg.com) focuses more on the pre-Star Trek work of Westmore.  Star Trek Beyond: The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow author Joe Nazzaro also co-wrote a magazine-length overview of Westmore’s makeup work for Starlog, still available from time to time here.

Sofia Boutella shown with Joel Harlow’s makeup for Star Trek Beyond’s new heroine Jaylah.

Together with a staff of artists, Harlow embarked on the unprecedented scope of the project, while documenting the entire creative process for each of the 50 new alien types in exhaustive detail, from preliminary sketches to final make-up application.  Below is a preview of Star Trek Beyond: The Makeup Artistry of Joel Harlow courtesy of the publisher.  The new hardcover book is available for pre-order here at Amazon for only two more days at more than $15 off the cover price (price listed as of October 1).

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SDCC 2017–29th Eisner Awards ceremony honors Liew, Saga, Staples, Thompson and more

Filed under: Backstage Pass, Comics & Books, Con Culture — Leave a comment
July 22, 2017

    

Named for legendary comics creator Will Eisner, the Eisner Awards saw their 29th presentation last night.  Celebrities including Community star Danny Pudi, Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Heroes’ star Greg Grunberg, and game show host Wayne Brady among several comic books greats were on hand to present awards for the past year’s best works in comics at San Diego Comic-Con 2017.

We previewed the nominees earlier this year here at borg.com.  One of our favorites, artist Jill Thompson, took all three categories she was nominated in this year–for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist for her Wonder Woman: The True Amazon and Beasts of Burden: What the Cat Dragged In, for Best Graphic Album-New for Wonder Woman: The True Amazon, and for her Beasts of Burden: What the Cat Dragged In for Best Single Issue/One-Shot (with Evan Dorkin and Sarah Dyer).

    

Sonny Liew and his The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye (Pantheon), was the big individual winner, for Best U.S. Edition of International Material–Asia, Best Writer/Artist, and Best Publication Design.  Saga also took multiple awards, earning its creators four awards.  Archie Comics received multiple wins for Erica Henderson and Ryan North for Best Publication for Teens for The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, and Best Humor Publication for Jughead.

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First look–TBS launching new anthology comedy “The Guest Book”

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July 5, 2017

Funny is in the eye of the beholder.  How often do you ever agree with anyone as to what comedy is truly funny?  We each only know what makes us laugh out loud and what doesn’t.  TBS nailed it with its new series Angie Tribeca last year.  TBS’s next half-hour comedy also could be laugh-out-loud funny.  It’s The Guest Book, and on paper it sounds like Newhart, only without Bob, and focused on the guests instead.  Replacing Bob is Night Court co-star and funnyman Charles Robinson, which could be just as fun.  The Guest Book sprouts from Emmy winner and series creator Greg Garcia (My Name is Earl) and his habit of writing fictitious stories in the guest books of various rental cabins while on vacation, in an effort to “freak out” the next vacationers.

Each week we meet new guests, but the townies will be the same, including Robinson as the cabin owner.  The Guest Book is notable for getting Kellie Martin out of the normal roles she’s played (always brilliantly) on the Hallmark Channel, straight arrow roles like those she’s done on Mystery Woman and Hailey Dean Mystery (why hasn’t Hollywood tapped her for film roles?).  Here she will be the local sheriff.  Regulars also include Carly Jibson as Vivian, and Frank, played by Lou Wilson.  Other cast members from the town include everyone’s favorite guest villain Garret Dillahunt (Burn Notice, White Collar, Life, The X-Files), plus Laura Bell Bundy (Angie Tribeca, How I Met Your Mother, Veronica Mars, Guiding Light), Margo Martindale (New Girl, Orphan, The Riches, Medium, The Firm), John Ortiz (Medium, Law & Order), and Jenna Fischer (The Office). 

As with Angie Tribeca, it will be an opportunity each week to focus on guest stars, so it could be a great platform to meet old friends in an anthology environment.  These include fan favorite Danny Pudi (Community, Powerless), Stockard Channing (Batman Beyond, Grease, Sesame Street), Michael Rapaport (Chuck, The 6th Day, Cop Land), Jaime Pressly (My Name is Earl, The Twilight Zone, Charmed), Lauren Lapkus (Adventure Time, Jurassic World), and Michaela Watkins (Angie Tribeca, New Girl, Saturday Night Live, Medium, Without a Trace, Charmed).

Check out these previews for The Guest Book:

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Powerless–NBC’s silly, fun, new comedy we all need

Filed under: Comics & Books, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment
February 4, 2017

pudi

Not every new television series needs to be the next five-time Emmy winner.  NBC’s new comedy series Powerless doesn’t take itself seriously at all, and the content is as lighthearted as you’ll find anywhere today.  And unless you’re a Scrooge, prepare for a fun half hour every week of positive, clean, silly humor.  The kind we all could use more of.

Lead actress Vanessa Hudgens (Sucker Punch, High School Musical) plays Emily, and in the week’s season opener she was energetic and expressive.  You believe she’s trying to bring together a group of R&D workers in her new job for Wayne Security, because Hudgens looks like she believes in what she’s doing.  Alan Tudyk, star of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Firefly–plays the office boss for all it’s worth.  Fan favorite Community’s beloved Danny Pudi is one of Emily’s new employees and he and the rest of the cast (Christina Kirk, Ron Funches, and Jenny Pierson) are like a sketch comedy troupe ready to dish out the next laugh.  It’s not a riot, but it’s all good-natured fun–a show with a little bit of heart, and something appropriate and accessible to all ages.

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The DC Comics tie-ins are sprinkled across the half hour of humor, and the clever bits produced some out-loud laughs, especially the last line of the first episode.  And the opening credits clue viewers in upfront that this is not a show featuring the superheroes, but those civilians in the background of key superhero scenes across time.

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First look–Hudgens, Tudyk and Pudi star in superhero series “Powerless”

Filed under: Comics & Books, Superheroes, TV — Leave a comment
January 7, 2017

pudi

No doubt loads of fans from different areas of interest will be all over a new NBC series coming in February.  First and foremost, each of the lead actors of the new superhero series Powerless have their own following.  One of Hollywood’s highest paid young actresses, Vanessa Hudgens (Sucker Punch, High School Musical) has the lead role of Emily, who works in Research and Development for Wayne Enterprises as the Bruce Wayne company develops products to protect regular citizens from the kind of havoc wreaked by Superman in Man of Steel. 

Then there’s Alan Tudyk, star of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and Firefly–two of the most outspoken and loyal fanbases of any franchises in any genre–who plays the office boss.  Fan favorite Community’s beloved Danny Pudi is a co-worker on the show.  And securing yet another fanbase, Powerless is a DC Comics tie-in, featuring plenty of references to the pantheon of superheroes.

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If it can only deliver some good humor and have some solid writing that is up to the quality of the cast, the series should be a hit.  But don’t confuse this Powerless with the Marvel Comics mini-series from more than a decade ago.  Also, don’t confuse this series with the Powerless previewed this past summer.  Same actors, similar roles, but the storyline has obviously been significantly reworked.  Check out a preview for Powerless followed by the preview for the series before it was reworked:

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NBC lends assist with “six seasons and a movie” signing Community to fifth season

Filed under: Con Culture, TV — 1 Comment
May 11, 2013

Community cast

It may be a sign that fans of much-loved TV series are finally having a say in determining what stays on TV.  With fans voting with their wallets last month to bring Veronica Mars to the silver screen via an unprecedented Kickstarter campaign, someone savvy at NBC programming must have realized the loyal fan following of Community was worth keeping by saving the half-hour comedy series.   Last night NBC announced Community will be back for a fifth season, moving it ever closer to the series not-so secret mantra “six seasons and a movie”.

The roars of thousands of series fans who chanted along with the montage of key scenes from the past three seasons at Comic-Con last summer said it all.  And it didn’t matter that Chevy Chase wasn’t returning to the series or the much liked show creator Dan Harmon was cast away, as show regulars Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs, Danny Pudi, Yvette Nicole Brown, Alison Brie, and Donald Glover continued to provide all the fans want and more over the past 84 episodes.

Community McHale

Why do fans like the show?  The humor?  The characters?  The actors?  All of the above?  Watch the series cast talk about the show last year at Comic-Con:

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