Rob Bricken, Author at Gizmodo

The BBC has canceled the original Being Human

The BBC has staked, exorcized, shot with a silver bullet and otherwise destroyed the original Being Human TV series, announcing its cancelation after the upcoming fifth season earlier today. Here’s part of the BBC’s press release: Rob Pursey, the show’s executive producer, Touchpaper says: “Working on Being Human has been a truly great experience. From…

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R.I.P. Stuart Freeborn, the creature creator who brought Yoda to life

CNN is reporting that Stuart Freeborn, the legendary movie creature effects artist who brought Yoda, Chewbacca, the Ewoks and countless other Star Wars aliens to life, died yesterday at the age of 98. As you can see from the picture above, he used himself as the model for Yoda’s face. Additionally, Freeborn and his team…

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The fractured X-Men fairy tale that turned Wolverine into a troll and Jubilee into… a badass?

We all know Marvel’s merry mutants are “sworn to protect a world that fears and hates them.” But has anybody ever asked if maybe that fear and hate is at all justified? I’m not talking about evil mutants like Magneto or Apocalypse, and I’m not talking about when mutants use their powers and accidentally hurt…

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The Axe Cop action figures will be, without question, the greatest toys of all time

Mezco’s gotten the right to make Axe Cop action figures! They’re technically based on the cartoon that will air on Fox’s answer to Adult Swim, the Animation Domination HD block, but since that appears to be a nigh-perfect adaptation of the amazing webcomic, these should please all Axe Cop enthusiasts. The 3-3/4-inch line-up will include…

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HBO hires George R.R. Martin to make all the shows

Perhaps ebullient over the phenomenal ratings Game of Thrones has received over the course of its two seasons (and anticipating more of the same when the show returns on March 31st), HBO has signed George R.R. Martin to a two-year deal which will allow him to continue as co-producer on Game of Thrones, but also…

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The Standalone Star Wars Movies: Young Han Solo and Boba Fett?

The best thing about the plethora of Star Wars movie rumors that keep popping up? If you don’t like one — like yesterday’s hint that one would be about Yoda — just wait a day, and there’ll be another. Or more, actually, since Entertainment Weekly just posted that they heard two of the stand-alone SW…

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Why the @#$% hasn’t there been a live-action Batman TV show since the ‘60s?

In this week’s “Postal Apocalypse,” I explain why a Yoda-centric Star Wars movie is a terrible idea, why rebooting ’80s properties is a terrible idea, and why making a new Batman TV show is a good idea, but one that will never, ever happen. As always, email your questions to [email protected]. Now, on with your…

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Equality in sexy book reading achieved with “Naked Dudes Reading Lovecraft”

It was three whole years ago we told you about the “Naked Girls Reading Science Fiction” event held by The Pinchbottom Burlesque, but now we’re happy to report those who prefer people of the penis-ed variety reading genre fiction aloud to them will finally have their chance, courtesy of Ham Pants Productions and Stage Werx…

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Parks and Rec’s Chris Pratt is officially Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel just announced that Chris Pratt of Parks and Recreation and Zero Dark Thirty fame has won the role of Peter Quill, the astronaut who becomes the intergalactic superhero Starlord, in the James Gunn-directed Guardians of the Galaxy movie. This is weird. It’s not bad, necessarily, and it’s possibly quite good, but it’s definitely very,…

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Futurama‘s seventh season may ret-con the series’ saddest moment

There’s a hell of a lot for Futurama fans to get excited about in this three-minute premiere of the second half of the seventh season, debuting this summer on Comedy Central — a planet of apes, a Thing parody, tentacle-monster Leela, a war with a Cobra-esque evil organization, some mild robo-Satanism — but nothing, and…

Television Rob Bricken

10 Educationally Insane Superhero PSA Comics

For most of their existence, comic books have been perceived as two things: 1) entertainment for children, and 2) terrible, morality-eroding entertainment for children. In order to strike back against these perceived problems, Marvel and DC have frequently produced public-service announcement comics, generally referred to as PSAs, using their superheroes to promote awareness of things…

Books & Comics Rob Bricken

Jon Snow explains exactly how cold it is beyond the wall (Hint: It’s freakin’ cold

Game of Thrones season 2 doesn’t come out in Blu-ray and DVD until February 19th, but here’s another quick look at one of the set’s extras: A roundtable discussion, starring at least actor Kit Harrington and producer/director David Benioff, who discuss what it was like filming the scenes in Iceland that serve as the lands…

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Another reason why nothing beats an astronaut

While I struggle with the moral implications of having laughed out loud at Axe Body Spray’s Super Bowl commercial, I can’t deny its essential truth: Nothing beats an astronaut. And here’s yet another reason why — because as ISS Commander Chris Hadfield demonstrates, astronauts even wash their hands in a completely badass way.

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This G.I. Joe movie ad is the best Super Bowl commercial that didn’t air during the Super Bowl

There were a few gems in the morass of movie trailers and commercials that premiered during the Super Bowl last night, but I can guarantee you that if this incredibly fantastic stealth trailer for G.I. Joe: Retaliation had aired, it’s all we would be talking about today. I don’t know who’s in charge of Cobra’s…

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Ghibli’s new movie features blistering coming-of-age-in-tranquil-1960s-Japan action

WARNING: The above trailer for Studio Ghibli’s next film, From Up on Poppy Hill, may not be suitable for all viewers. Specifically, if you have a fussy 2-year-old who does not like the vivid, flashing colors that virtually any animated video contains, or maybe if you have a racist grandfather who fought in WWII or…

Trailers Rob Bricken

Gemma Arterton trades hunting witches for vacationing with vampires in Byzantium

We’ve already talked about Byzantium as one of the most promising flicks of the year, thanks to the lovely Gemma Arterton, who takes a more dramatic look at the world of the supernatural than she did in Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters, as well as director Neil Jordan, who returns to the world of sexy…

Trailers Rob Bricken

Denmark’s newest sci fi franchise stars shimmering killer cyber-giants, obviously

Director Tommy Ibsen has plans… big plans. This is the first trailer for Exodus, a sci fi movie that he hopes will be the first entry in a massive multimedia franchise that will include an Exodus TV series, video games, books and more. It depends on getting a few more backers at the European Film…

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Batman and his Sexy, Steampunk and Occasionally Gender-Swapped DC Bat-Family

It’s picture day in steampunk Gotham City, and Batman brought his whole family to get their photos taken! He even took along his pals Zatanna and Wonder Woman, and also a few members of his rogue’s gallery (Steampunk Batman is very polite). These incredible cosplayers were photographed at last year’s SDCC by Mike Rollerson; check…

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The Marvel Movie-verse may be taking a trip to Planet Hulk

The folks over at Latino Review claim they have yet another insight into the future of the Marvel movie-verse. Their sources say that after the Hulk stars in Avengers 2, he’ll be back to his own movies, which will supposedly be adaptations of the fan-favorite Planet Hulk and World War Hulk storylines. But let’s break…

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Zach Quinto in “The Search for (Someone Who Gives a Crap about) Spock”

I would have thought that between the Star Trek movies and Heroes, Zachary Quinto would be recognized pretty quickly if he walked down a crowded street. I also would have thought that if you went down that street and asked people if they liked Star Trek, there’d be at least one in 10 who did.…

io9 Rob Bricken

Rob Bricken

The BBC has canceled the original Being Human

R.I.P. Stuart Freeborn, the creature creator who brought Yoda to life

The fractured X-Men fairy tale that turned Wolverine into a troll and Jubilee into… a badass?

The Axe Cop action figures will be, without question, the greatest toys of all time

HBO hires George R.R. Martin to make all the shows

The Standalone Star Wars Movies: Young Han Solo and Boba Fett?

Why the @#$% hasn’t there been a live-action Batman TV show since the ‘60s?

Equality in sexy book reading achieved with “Naked Dudes Reading Lovecraft”

Parks and Rec’s Chris Pratt is officially Starlord in Guardians of the Galaxy

Futurama‘s seventh season may ret-con the series’ saddest moment

10 Educationally Insane Superhero PSA Comics

Jon Snow explains exactly how cold it is beyond the wall (Hint: It’s freakin’ cold

Another reason why nothing beats an astronaut

This G.I. Joe movie ad is the best Super Bowl commercial that didn’t air during the Super Bowl

Ghibli’s new movie features blistering coming-of-age-in-tranquil-1960s-Japan action

Gemma Arterton trades hunting witches for vacationing with vampires in Byzantium

Denmark’s newest sci fi franchise stars shimmering killer cyber-giants, obviously

Batman and his Sexy, Steampunk and Occasionally Gender-Swapped DC Bat-Family

The Marvel Movie-verse may be taking a trip to Planet Hulk

Zach Quinto in “The Search for (Someone Who Gives a Crap about) Spock”

Anker Nano Travel Adapter Now Under $20 After a Sudden Price Drop, 5 Ports With Smart Temperature Control

Now Even A24 Is Clowning on Netflix’s Handling of ‘Steel Ball Run’

RAM Prices Are Killing Small Gaming Devices

An Embarrassing Mistake May Have Skewed Microplastics Research All Along

Samsung Galaxy Tab A11+ Drops to All-Time Low as Amazon Shifts Into Clearance Mode After Spring Sale

You Can Watch the Two Recovered Missing Episodes of ‘Doctor Who’ Right Now

Shokz OpenRun Pro 2 Holds a Record Low Price as Bone Conduction Headphones Stock Quietly Clears Out on Amazon

Avast Premium Isn’t Flashy — But It Might Be the Smartest Cheap Antivirus Right Now

Data Centers Create Heat Islands Stretching 6 Miles, Study Finds

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire Edition Smartwatch at 41% Off Is Flying Off the Shelves on Amazon

AirPods Max 2 vs. Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen): Which ANC Headphones Win?

The Best Gadgets of March 2026

AirPods Max 2 Review: Still Ridiculously Expensive and Ridiculously Nice

DJI Osmo 360 Review: The Best 360 Camera for the DJI-Pilled

Aqara Smart Lock U400 Review: Hands-free Unlocking at Its Best

MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Review: A Solid 2-in-1 Laptop With Some Glaring Flaws

Sonos Play Review: Call It a Comeback

Sonos Era 100 SL Review: The Cheapest Way Into Wired Sonos Sound

Asus ROG’s Massive Swift OLED Gaming Monitor Epitomizes Excess in the Best Way

The Ikea Varmblixt Smart Lamp Fills a Donut Hole in My Life