How Steven Universe Became This Decade’s Avatar: The Last Airbender
Massive mega-armies to oppose the heroes. A rich, ever-expanding lore. A warm, delightfully silly sense of humor rooted in character. A forward-thinking approach to inclusion and equality. Meaty, progressive themes. A strong message of love. Avatar: The Last Airbender ran just three seasons from 2005 to 2008 on Nickelodeon, but the DNA of its storytelling and heart effortlessly wove these qualities together to create something that, for the kids and adults alike who absorbed it, became a saga worthy of standing next to Star Wars and Harry Potter.
Less than two weeks out from the ten-year anniversary of The Last Airbender’s series finale (the epic “Sozin’s Comet” aired July 19, 2008), another animated series that’s just as talented at weaving those qualities together broke boundaries with a collection of episodes that will surely go on to define the series. Not only did last week’s group of Steven Universe episodes change the direction of its epic, sprawling saga, it aired both same-sex proposal and wedding episodes, something unheard of in animated television. Bursting with dynamic action and raw emotion, it’s become clear that Cartoon Network's Steven Universe has filled the space that Avatar: The Last Airbender left vacant a decade ago.
Tom Holland Pays Tribute to Spider-Man Co-Creator Steve Ditko
Tom Holland has paid an emotional tribute to comic book legend and Spider-Man co-creator Steve Ditko, who recently passed away at age 90.
Holland honored Ditko on Twitter with a brief message thanking him for changing so many people's lives, including Holland's.
Tom Holland's tribute to Steve Ditko, via Twitter.
Build Your Tiny Gaming Computers Today With These Compact Cases
Now that processors and graphics cards have gotten more powerful—while running cooler too—and most people can get by with just a single SSD, a lot of gamers are ditching the big and unnecessarily bulky mid-tower for something smaller; a Mini ITX build.
These mini-PCs have exploded in popularity recently, and it’s easy to see why: if you pick your parts carefully, you can fit everything you need into something barely larger than an Xbox One X or PS4 Pro...but with a lot more horsepower. I've already listed the best Mini ITX motherboards, so now I'm going to break down the best Mini ITX cases to consider for your next gaming build.
Heavy Metal Battles Evil in ‘Murder Falcon’ From Extremity’s Daniel Warren Johnson
Murder Falcon, a new comic series where heavy metal takes on the forces of evil, was announced by Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics today.
According to CBR, Murder Falcon "finds Earth in peril" as protagonist Jake’s life is falling apart. His prospects are low, as he has no band or girlfriend. But then he meets Murder Falcon - a massive anthropomorphic falcon with a deadly robotic arm. The two work together to save the world, as Jake's guitar playing fuels Murder Falcon's powers.
Credit: Image Comics
Sacha Baron Cohen’s New TV Show Announced
Showtime has officially announced Sacha Baron Cohen's new satirical series, Who Is America?, which will debut on Sunday, July 15 at midnight ET (9 p.m. PT on July 14) on the network, and will also premiere again on that Sunday night at 10 p.m, with subsequent episodes airing Sundays at 10 p.m. ET/PT.
The series will consist of seven episodes filmed over the past year, which will explore individuals from diverse backgrounds, both infamous and unknown across the political and cultural spectrum who represent America. The show is created and executive produced by Baron Cohen and is also executive produced by Anthony Hines, Todd Schulman, Andrew Newman, Dan Mazer and Adam Lowitt.
Tencent Plans to Release its Steam Competitor Worldwide
Chinese games giant Tencent is planning to launch its PC games platform worldwide.
Per the South China Morning Post, Tencent announced this past Friday a global version of WeGame is officially in the works in Hong Kong. The platform first launched back in September of last year, replacing the Tencent Games Platform.
"The Hong Kong version of WeGame is now under development," a Tencent spokesperson said. "This version will be available for overseas users, and we will use this platform to bring more Chinese games to the global market."
Update: Four More Llamas Discovered in Europe Ahead of Fortnite: Season 5
Update (July 10): Four more llamas have been spotted throughout Europe, continuing the Fortnite: Season 5 craze.
The fourth llama was found hanging around an ice cream shop in Warsaw, Poland while a fifth llama was witnessed poking its head out of a moving taxi in London, the second llama in the city.
Source: Richt3r_scale on Reddit
Miyamoto Comments on Universal Studios’ Nintendo Theme Parks
During an official Nintendo shareholder's meeting, Shigeru Miyamoto addressed the synergy between Nintendo's games and the upcoming Universal Studios Super Nintendo World area.
In the Q&A, Miyamoto fielded a question about the synergy between the Nintendo attractions and its current software and hardware products, addressing how Nintendo's presence in a theme park will boost video game sales.
"A lot of people who are mothers and fathers today are from a generation that grew up playing Super Mario, and they are now playing products like Nintendo Labo together with their own children," Miyamoto said. "When families visit these theme parks to experience Nintendo’s worlds that have been carefully crafted and to interact with our characters, I think we can expect to see synergy with our dedicated video game platform business."
Dark Horse Comics Will Now Make High-End Collectibles
Dark Hose Comics is now making high-end limited-edition collectibles.
The company has launched Dark Horse Direct, which is focused on offering these collectibles via its online store. Two of the three new upcoming releases will be focused on Game of Thrones, while the third comes from the Dark Horse Comics title, The Umbrella Academy.
The first Game of Thrones collectible is a Tormund Giantsbane figure, which will be released in August for $40 USD. It will make its debut at San Diego Comic-Con, with 300 figures available at Dark Horse’s retail booth (#2615).
Starbucks Will No Longer Use Plastic Straws by 2020
Starbucks wasn't looking for a solution to the plastic straw problem, but it found one when it began developing a new lid for its Nitro Cold Brew in 2016. Now, Starbucks will stop using plastic straws entirely at all 30,000 of its international locations by 2020, reports Fast Company.
The Nitro Cold Brew's biggest selling point would be its creamy, frothy top, but cold brews are typically drunk through straws, meaning they're consumed from the bottom up. The solution was a strawless lid that Starbucks tested at its Seattle locations. A lightbulb went on when the company realized this disposable sippy cup-looking lid also solved another problem that went well beyond the needs of a new brew.