John Carter, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ science-fiction action hero who is set to rock the big screen this March, has been feeding the fantasies of fanboys since...
2011
The usual suspects are there -- Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter -- but there are some interesting surprises as well.
Full-event memberships for Phoenix Comicon go up in price from $35 to $40 starting Jan. 1. The Memorial Day Weekend convention also has single-day passes...
As the year comes to a close, it's worth nothing that 2011 was a tough one for many fan-favorite businesses in Arizona, and the East Valley in particular.
For many, 2012 holds the threat of doomsday. But pop culture fans in Arizona are determined that if this is the end, they will go out with a bang rather than a...
A new Los Angeles Times article is the first in-depth look at Anne Hathaway’s Selina Kyle (Catwoman) in the upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises” film.
How did Zombie Santa spend Christmas? This strip explains! (Click to enlarge.)
At least one of the defunct Atomic Comics chain’s four Valley sites has found a new lease on life. The small store on Metrocenter’s outer loop...
At long last comes the first official trailer for Peter Jackson's adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien story that started it all.
No allegory here. I promise.
Fantasy Flight Games thought it was resurrecting a board game classic with plans to release a new edition of Milton Bradley’s "Fortress America," but instead...
The six minutes of footage that is allegedly the first scene in the upcoming Batman film is a stunning action-packed sequence that shows the craziest airplane...
The first official trailer for Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of The Hobbit will be attached to screenings of The Adventures of Tintin starting Dec. 21...
Co-stars Karen Gillan and Arthur Darvill will depart the series sometime during the upcoming seventh season, when the story of married couple Amy Pond and Rory...
What do Donald Trump and a legion of geeks have in common? Last week, their hearts sank, thanks to events right here in the East Valley.
One “Leather UK” thought he’d be clever and write a detailed, insightful comment that would elude the Nerdvana spam patrol bots. The result, though hardly...
I'm sure you're all familiar by now with this little tiff between William Shatner and Carrie Fischer, both arguing why their beloved sci-fi franchise is better...
Two missing episodes from the British sci-fi series' early years have turned up.
Tip of my affected stovepipe hat to Topless Robot.
Recently Wired magazine’s GeekDad blog unveiled a curated page on Kickstarter to highlight crowdfunded projects worthy of their attention. Among them I...
Hey, if Al Gore can invent the Internet, why can't Dan Quayle clone people? The question is, WILL QUAYLE SUCCEED?
Related: The Time Lord’s wives: Sex, love and marriage in Doctor Who | TRAILER: Doctor Who Christmas special
This coming Sunday, December 11, at 2 p.m., The Poisoned Pen bookstore in Scottsdale is hosting a Yuletide Universe event with eight local authors who write in...
The Minibosses, the Valley’s own Nintendo tune cover band, have released the follow-up to their much-acclaimed 2005 album Brass.
You know, sometimes, when people have too much time on their hands, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The Vul-Con strategy gaming convention isn’t until Feb. 25-26 at the Phoenix Convention Center, but you can get a taste of what to expect at a preview event...
I'm now getting word that Friday's auction at the former Mesa location of Atomic Comics has been scrubbed, possibly due to intervention from the Arizona...
Sex, love and marriage in Doctor Who? As audiences have matured, so have the venerable sci-fi series' themes.
You may have attended (or wish you had attended) the Star Wars vs. Star Trek debate by the NERDS meet-up group (N. iche E. nthusiasts R. eally D. oing S. tuff)...
The Occupy Phoenix movement peppered the news this week, and with Rev. Jesse Jackson slated to join the group this weekend, more headlines will undoubtedly...
The hype machine is building for March 9’s release of John Carter, with a new full-length trailer hitting the Web on the heels of several images and a...
As Bob Leeper relayed just last week, the prologue to Christopher Nolan’s Bat-finale The Dark Knight Rises will indeed be shown before IMAX screenings of...
Saints Row: The Third review ‘Star Wars’ cartoon to reunite Luke Skywalker & Co. (April 2010) Downtown Mesa’s eclectic Evermore Nevermore...
'Batman' relaunch artist Greg Capullo will be a guest at the Amazing Arizona Comic Con, Jan. 6-8 at the Mesa Convention Center.
While you’re scratching absentmindedly at the violin waiting for mid-December to bring the new Sherlock Holmes movie starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude...
Poor Speed Cameron. He slept in until 4 a.m. Now he’ll never score that $3 coffee pot — but he did discover the secret, supernatural reason for...
Phoenix Comicon guest announcements are coming fast and furious.
William Shatner, who warped to eternal stardom as Capt. James T. Kirk, will headline the next Phoenix Comicon this Memorial Day Weekend at the Phoenix...
Quoth the raven: Evermore Nevermore, downtown Mesa’s art, clothing and collectibles shop, will be closing in December. The last day the store will be open for...
Tygra and Lion-O enter the Astral Plane to retrieve the relic they seek, but encounter Mumm-Ra — and face haunting memories — in the process...
Turkey fryers beware: Don't make the same mistake that Shatner made. Learn from his short, and hilarious, public service announcement from StateFarm.
One of the most popular attractions at downtown Mesa’s recent Steampunk Street extravaganza was a fun, up-and-coming band called Jellied Brainz! The trio’s...
In case you missed it, on Friday Nerdvana welcomed to its ranks Russ Kazmierczak Jr. of Amazing Arizona Comics fame with an exclusive strip for readers of this...
“The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe”? UPDATE: BBC America’s Anglophenia blog has added some more images and an official synopsis of this...
Today Nerdvana welcomes guest contributor Russ Kazmierczak Jr. with an exclusive "Amazing Arizona Comics" strip!
In tonight’s episode of ThunderCats, Lion-O and entourage return to the Elephant Village to find the stone they seek — but traitor Grune has...
One of the oldest fandoms around is that of fans of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes, and Leslie Klinger and Laurie R. King have gathered together...
Holy we-hardly-knew-you, Batman! In Friday’s series finale, Bat-Mite decides to cancel Batman: The Brave and the Bold when he becomes bored with his...
By Stephen Carpenter On Sunday, November 20th, Warmachine players will gather at Gamers’ Inn and play in the seasonal “Foodmachine”...
By Stephen Carpenter On Nov. 2, Wizards of the Coast announced that they would be changing the format of their World Championships from a huge event, to an...
NBC announced it has ordered a pilot episode for a reboot of The Munsters after receiving a script from Pushing Daisies creator Bryan Fuller. According to...
Holy Scottish accents, Batman! This Brave trailer has rekindled my faith in Pixar since I turned off Cars 2 immediately after Mater sings the State Farm jingle...
Aaw, Michael J. Fox, you have the heart of a champion. Watch as the Back to the Future star recreates the Johnny B. Goode scene at his annual “A Funny...
Saint’s Row the Third doesn't take itself too seriously.
Earlier this week I announced I am leaving the East Valley Tribune to take another job out of state, and while I intend to continue supporting this blog I...
It’s Second Friday, and that means once again Evermore Nevermore will be exerting its eldritch influence over downtown Mesa. This time, “Steampunk...
From robotic teddy bears to forgetful elephants, and now paper warriors — the new ThunderCats certainly has no shortage of intriguing characters...
A message from Nerdvana's founder, Jayson Peters.
Mesa Community College is exploring how the virtual playground can enhance student learning in “Video Games as a Force and Art Form: Teaching, Learning...
Make your own TARDIS journal Monsterland joins the East Valley fright club What is Minecraft? ‘Real Steel’ lands punch after punch CNN contributor questions...
CopperCon 32? Didn’t CopperCon 31 just happen? Yes, but next year’s Arizona celebration of science fiction and fantasy is already brewing...
Friday’s new episode of ThunderCats on Cartoon Network explores the concept of “sight beyond sight” as young Lion-O learns that his brash...
East Valley Tribune photographer Tim Hacker stopped by Samurai Comics in Mesa today to get some fresh shots of the new store, which has come a long way since...
GeekDad Matt Blum has a review of The Secret World of Arrietty, the latest Miyazaki import. It opens Feb. 17 in the U.S. Residing quietly beneath the...
Remember when fantasy roleplaying was a more social experience that relied on imagination, and there was more gold stretched across the hairy exposed chest of...
Local geek mom blogger Sari was the second and final winner in our Scooby-Doo plush Halloween toy giveaway. She and her meddling kids came into the Tribune...
ThunderCats resumes Friday with “Berbils,” which reintroduces the robot teddy bears that featured as recurring characters in the original 1980s...
Kim is the first winner in our Scooby-Doo Halloween toy giveaway. You’ll be contacted offline to arrange pickup or shipment, Kim. Thanks for commenting...
It’s mystery time. Earlier this week I posed the first trivia question in our Halloween Scooby-Doo plush toy giveaway. This time the theme will be Warner...
Being touted as a "found-footage" movie mixed with superheroes, 'Chronicle' actually looks pretty decent - check out the new trailer!
To promote "Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated," Warner Bros. has graciously provided Nerdvana with two Scooby-Doo plush toys that we're giving away in a trivia...
A couple weeks back, I reported that Tucson’s Lulubell Toy Bodega, a store specializing in designer vinyl collectibles and gallery pieces, was setting up shop...
On the heels of New York Comic Con, Cartoon Network has released the complete first scene from Warner Bros. Animation’s Green Lantern: The Animated...
George Lucas on Saturday presented Darth Vader with the Spike TV Scream Award for Ultimate Villain. Doctor Who’s Matt Smith won the award for best sci-fi...
The hype has begun for spring’s Clone Wars event bringing Darth Maul back from the dead and roaring back into the Star Wars universe. And — oh...
A movie with robots beating the bolts out of each other? And it has a decent plot too? Count me in!
Angela Lansbury turns 86 on Sunday. What more fitting tribute for such a grande dame of stage and screen than a team-up between her iconic television sleuth...
“Zombies Versus” is the theme of this month’s Second Friday block party in downtown Mesa. Dress like a zombie for a zombie walk, or dress...
Downtown Mesa is kind of a scary place to begin with. I should know — I worked there for more than 12 years, until the Tribune moved its main office to...
The owner of the now-shuttered Atomic Comics chain has a new gig. Mike Malve has been named a partner at Epic Digital and also will serve as president of the...
Call it the ultimate game of “Riddles in the Dark.” Friend of the blog Jonathan Simon, who runs the awesome (and Best of East Valley-winning)...
Gamers rejoice: Devastation is coming to the Phoenix Convention Center. The annual video game tournament and convention will kick off Thursday with an...
Last week marked the end of September and the first wave of DC’s 52 new books. The bold idea of restarting all of their super-hero books seems to have...
Did you know there’s a calendar right here on Nerdvana where you can scope out the local convention scene and find other geeky events going on in the...
A designer toy store in Tucson plans to open a downtown Mesa location this fall. Lulubell Toy Bodega specializes in vinyl collectibles and gallery pieces, and...
The last days of Borders The music of Middle-earth comes to town Clone Wars: You can’t miss a season premiere of this magnitude! Mesa geek haven Gamer’s Inn no...
Samurai Comics’ new Mesa location back in August when it opened and resembled, in owner Mike Banks’ words, a “comic book yard sale.”...
Gotham City Comics & Coffee in downtown Mesa has quietly come under new ownership: Tom Price, who worked as a manager for the now-defunct Atomic Comics from...
Mesa geek spot Gamer’s Inn — 1232 E. Southern Ave., No. 14 — has been known for its 24/7 access to gaming tables and LAN terminals, but starting Saturday the...
After three full weeks (and one teaser week) of DC’s New 52, it’s safe to say that it’s a rousing success. Titles are selling out all over...
Several Valley comic book shops will be taking part in Saturday’s 24 Hour Comics Day Challenge. Cartoonists of all ages can participate — but they’ll have to...
This week you can meet two of the mechanical boxers from Hugh Jackman’s robot fighting movie "Real Steel," opening Oct. 7.
Spoilers may follow for the "Doctor Who" episode "Closing Time."
Last week the winners of the Saboten Con badge art contest were announced — and you can take a peek at their work below. The annual anime convention will...
You can geek out with fellow Eight Arizona PBS enthusiasts Oct. 29 at the inaugural Arizona PBS Nerd Walk, in conjunction with ASU homecoming in Tempe.
"The God Complex" is a remarkably compelling Doctor Who episode, one which takes us away from all the emotional baggage of the Doctor's date with destiny and...
