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It's begun! Marvel has released the first official photo from the set of their upcoming super-film, The Avengers, and never before have seen such an impressive collection of truly powerful...chairs.
Glass House
Transparent concept home was designed to showcase a series of modern glass furniture from Italian company Santambrogiomilano.
Reality TV villains
From “American Idol” to the latest season of “Celebrity Apprentice” (who’s the villain?) viewers can’t get enough of reality TV, and every show has its villain. Millions tune in to watch their heinous behavior and to see what damage they will do next. Take a look at the best of the worst stars of reality television.
Simon Cowell spent nine seasons on “American Idol” crushing the dreams of contestants with his blunt and uncensored criticisms. When he wasn’t slinging verbal abuse at the singers, he was bickering with the nice judge.
Most “Bachelors” break one heart at the end of the season. Brad Womack devastated two women when he became the first contestant to reject both finalists in the rose ceremony.
Matt Hoffman’s strategy on “Big Brother 12” was to gain sympathy when he told his fellow houseguests that his wife had a medical development and that he needed the prize money to save her life. Was she even sick? He was voted off the show.
Omarosa’s ice-cold demeanor and relentless ambition on the first season of “The Apprentice” made her one of the original bad girls of reality TV. Though she was fired, Omarosa was given a second chance on a spinoff
As a frequent shedder of clothes, Richard Hatch was the first winner and villain on “Survivor.” Find out why he was sentenced to prison after he won the million-dollar prize.
Spencer Pratt began his oversaturated celebrity career on a hit MTV show where he fueled his rivalry with his co-star with allegations of a sex tape, and has tortured viewers by documenting every move he makes on camera. Who is his infamous wife?
“The Real World” is known for its controversial housemates, but David “Puck” Rainey from the San Francisco house was the show’s original bad boy. His horrific hygiene and verbal abuse of this roommate got him evicted from the house.
Bianca Golden was the bully-in-residence for Cycle 9 of “America’s Next Top Model.” Her favorite victims were Heather, a model with Asperger's syndrome, and Lisa, an exotic dancer.
Danielle Staub is best known for her tussles on “Real Housewives of New Jersey.” Her controversial past became fuel for fiery arguments on the show.
Contestants feel the burn in “Hell’s Kitchen” with Gordon Ramsay’s temper tantrums. His encouragement comes in the form of insults and foul language. Dishes that are not up to his standards end up in the garbage, or on the chefs.
Who says romance is dead? Jonathan Baker’s performance on “Amazing Race” included yelling at his wife.
The self-proclaimed “world’s first supermodel,” Janice Dickinson has had her share of villainous roles on reality shows. In her own show, she hurled abrasive comments at the models, and she was fired as a judge on another reality program.
Tiffany “New York” Pollard fought with every contestant on a romantic reality show where she vied for the attention of an iconic rapper. Though most feuds were just harsh words, New York’s violent threats came to fruition on the reunion show.
On Season 5 of “The Bachelor,” Trish Schneider set things straight with the other bachelorettes when she said, "I'm here to find love, not to make friends." Her T-shirt with a telling slogan didn’t earn her any friends, but she didn’t find love with the former pro football player, either.
“Rock of Love” contestant Lacey Conner was more interested in winning than finding love with this rocker. She allegedly attempted to sabotage the others but, ultimately, she was eliminated.
Russell Hantz
Russell Hantz
Russell Hantzspent most of his time on “Survivor: Samoa” lying and manipulating his way to the top. He laid the groundwork by lying about losing everything in a natural disaster.
The original “Project Runway” villain, Wendy Pepper’s attitude annoyed the other designers, who gave her an unflattering description. She confessed to exploiting her mothering role to survive on the show.
Any man nicknamed “Evel” deserves to be on a list of villains. On “Big Brother 8,” “Evel Dick” Donato abused other houseguests with his foul-mouthed insults against their sexualities, religious beliefs and ethnicities. But did he get the top prize?
Jade Cole
Jade Cole wanted to be “America’s Next Top Model” during her cycle, but she thought she could do a better job as a judge. She told host Tyra Banks that she was the “undiscovered supermodel” and made no secret that she thought she was better than the other contestants.
Unlike his name, Johnny Fairplay did not play fair on “Survivor: Pearl Islands” He schemed to have a visiting friend break the news that his grandmother, who was very much alive, had died.
You're damn well old enough to have earned the right to start reading picture books again.
Chew
Written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, Chew is one of the best comics Image (The Walking Dead) is currently publishing. The concept is way bizarro, but it makes for one of the best reads of the decade (never mind that it's only 2011). Chew is about FBI agent Tony Chu, a cibopath (I know, +10 made-up vocab), which means that he can gather psychic information by eating things, including people (they're usually dead). Frankly, he's the most lovable crime-fighting cannibal in picture books. Chew is currently in development at Showtime as a half-hour television series.
Sweet Tooth
There are plenty of books currently in publication that are simply too weirdly beautiful for popular tastes. Sweet Tooth is one such book, and it's a damn shame more people are mindlessly buying recognizable superhero rags instead of reading this. Sweet Tooth is written and drawn by dreamy Canadian Jeff Lemire, whom you might remember from the Essex County Trilogy and The Nobody. The sweet tooth in question is little Gus, an innocent, chocolate bar-loving fellow and one of the rare animal hybrid children born in a world ravaged by virus. Unfortunately, the rarity of these kids (and the belief that they might be the cure to the plague) makes them a hunted, endangered species. It's a heart-breaking, bizarro post-apocalypse that'll make you barf and cry at the same time.
The Unwritten
Lit freaks and Harry Potter fanatics, just read this already. The Unwritten focuses on Tom Taylor, inspiration for his father's Harry Potter-style, uber-popular fictional wizard, Tommy Taylor. Except the lines between who the adult Tom Taylor thought he was and the fictional Tommy Taylor start blurring, hard. Is Tom really Tommy Taylor, boy wizard? Or is his fame and his father's disappearance messing with his head? I won't tell you, so pick up the first three trades and start buying this book monthly.
Irredeemable
When the amazing Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, The Flash, Superman: Birthright) left DC Comics to become Editor-in-Chief of BOOM! Studios, I thought I was going to throw up and die. Then he started putting out stuff like Irredeemable, which focuses on a Superman-type mega superhero who turns into the world's greatest supervillain, and I became thankful that he joined a house where he'd have the freedom to do that kind of storyline. Sorry, Superman is never going to turn evil for more than a few throwaway issues, and he'll never do really evil things. Amazon is currently selling Irredeemable, Volume 1 for a batshit insane $3.90--less than the cost of a single issue. Get that, then Volume 2 from them for a slightly less insane, but still crazy, $6. Today's my birthday, but I'm the one handing out all the presents today.
Echo
Echo has actually been around since 2008, but you might not have heard about it because he's self-publishing under his own Abstract Studio label. You know Terry Moore--or you should know Terry Moore--from the seminal Strangers in Paradise. If you haven't read that, drop everything and find the collected works somewhere, somehow. Echo is awesome, too, telling the story of a young woman named Julie who stumbles upon a kickass battle suit while taking photographs of the desert. It's currently on the second-to-last issue, so get to gettin'!
Locke & Key
If you want to know who the biggest powerhouse in comics is about to be, look no further than Joe Hill, son of none other than Stephen King. Yeah, you have reason to be skeptical, but that's probably why he doesn't use the same last name. Trust me, the guy can make a name for himself just fine. Locke & Key is a creepy, Lovecraft-ian book about three kids who relocate with their mother to their family estate after their father's murder. The kids begin finding keys stashed in odd places around the house, keys that don't open doors in the way you might think. A television series based on Locke & Key is currently in development at 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks. We hope it makes it past the pilot, but I can't say I feel great about Jesse McCartney (yes, that Jesse McCartney) playing male lead Ty Locke.
Xombi
Alright, so Xombi is only in its first issue, but you need to be reading this, man! It's a new series tied to the original 90s Xombi series, which reportedly blew comic god Alan Moore's mind. It's being written by the same dude (John Rozum) and illustrated by Batman and Robin artist Frazer Irving. Xombi starts with the beginning of series protagonist David Kim's story and explains how he got his immortal nanotech powers, so don't worry if you missed the first run. The first issue introduces a few intriguing characters, including convent hardcore Nun of the Above. This is THE book to watch in 2011.
Scalped
Somebody called Scalped the Rez version of HBO's The Wire, and I'm inclined to agree with that bitchin' assessment. Currently published by Vertigo, written by Jason Aaron, and illustrated by R.M. Guera, Scalped mixes organized crime with daily life on an Oglala Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The dirty sepia motif should give you some idea of the gritty stories you're in for. If and only if you are 18 years old and up (it says the eff!), go to the DC site to read the first issue in its entirety for free.
Morning Glories
Image rarely publishes bad stuff, do they? Morning Glories is a peek inside one of the fanciest prep schools in the country, where six teens are involved in a big crazy mystery. Check out a preview at CBR to find out why you need to be picking these up at your local comic book shop. At least do yourself a solid and get the 200-page Vol. 1 trade for a measly $9.99.
Superboy
Who gives a shit about Superboy? The same people who give a shit about Batgirl and Superman's pet monkey, Beppo, I guess. But check this out: now that DC has the amazing Jeff Lemire (whose Sweet Tooth also shows up on this list), Superboy is suddenly one of the best titles they've got going. I cannot get enough of the Canuck's take on the boy of steel, and you won't be able to, either.
iZombie
I know you want to mistake iZombie for a really shitty $0.99 iPhone game, but don't. This is a total class act, as evidenced by supercute superstar married artist couple Michael and Laura Allred. iZombie is written from the perspective of a female zombie (finally, we have reached the final feminist frontier), who is gainfully employed as a gravedigger in order to quench her brainlust. Along with her best gal pal (a ghost) and a were-pup buddy, Gwen forms a Scooby-Doo type murder-solving mystery crew. All that and it's actually well-written. No wonder it nabbed an Eisner nomination for best new series.
Written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, Chew is one of the best comics Image (The Walking Dead) is currently publishing. The concept is way bizarro, but it makes for one of the best reads of the decade (never mind that it's only 2011). Chew is about FBI agent Tony Chu, a cibopath (I know, +10 made-up vocab), which means that he can gather psychic information by eating things, including people (they're usually dead). Frankly, he's the most lovable crime-fighting cannibal in picture books. Chew is currently in development at Showtime as a half-hour television series.
There are plenty of books currently in publication that are simply too weirdly beautiful for popular tastes. Sweet Tooth is one such book, and it's a damn shame more people are mindlessly buying recognizable superhero rags instead of reading this. Sweet Tooth is written and drawn by dreamy Canadian Jeff Lemire, whom you might remember from the Essex County Trilogy and The Nobody. The sweet tooth in question is little Gus, an innocent, chocolate bar-loving fellow and one of the rare animal hybrid children born in a world ravaged by virus. Unfortunately, the rarity of these kids (and the belief that they might be the cure to the plague) makes them a hunted, endangered species. It's a heart-breaking, bizarro post-apocalypse that'll make you barf and cry at the same time.
The Unwritten
Lit freaks and Harry Potter fanatics, just read this already. The Unwritten focuses on Tom Taylor, inspiration for his father's Harry Potter-style, uber-popular fictional wizard, Tommy Taylor. Except the lines between who the adult Tom Taylor thought he was and the fictional Tommy Taylor start blurring, hard. Is Tom really Tommy Taylor, boy wizard? Or is his fame and his father's disappearance messing with his head? I won't tell you, so pick up the first three trades and start buying this book monthly.
Irredeemable
When the amazing Mark Waid (Kingdom Come, The Flash, Superman: Birthright) left DC Comics to become Editor-in-Chief of BOOM! Studios, I thought I was going to throw up and die. Then he started putting out stuff like Irredeemable, which focuses on a Superman-type mega superhero who turns into the world's greatest supervillain, and I became thankful that he joined a house where he'd have the freedom to do that kind of storyline. Sorry, Superman is never going to turn evil for more than a few throwaway issues, and he'll never do really evil things. Amazon is currently selling Irredeemable, Volume 1 for a batshit insane $3.90--less than the cost of a single issue. Get that, then Volume 2 from them for a slightly less insane, but still crazy, $6. Today's my birthday, but I'm the one handing out all the presents today.
Echo
Echo has actually been around since 2008, but you might not have heard about it because he's self-publishing under his own Abstract Studio label. You know Terry Moore--or you should know Terry Moore--from the seminal Strangers in Paradise. If you haven't read that, drop everything and find the collected works somewhere, somehow. Echo is awesome, too, telling the story of a young woman named Julie who stumbles upon a kickass battle suit while taking photographs of the desert. It's currently on the second-to-last issue, so get to gettin'!
Locke & Key
If you want to know who the biggest powerhouse in comics is about to be, look no further than Joe Hill, son of none other than Stephen King. Yeah, you have reason to be skeptical, but that's probably why he doesn't use the same last name. Trust me, the guy can make a name for himself just fine. Locke & Key is a creepy, Lovecraft-ian book about three kids who relocate with their mother to their family estate after their father's murder. The kids begin finding keys stashed in odd places around the house, keys that don't open doors in the way you might think. A television series based on Locke & Key is currently in development at 20th Century Fox and Dreamworks. We hope it makes it past the pilot, but I can't say I feel great about Jesse McCartney (yes, that Jesse McCartney) playing male lead Ty Locke.
Alright, so Xombi is only in its first issue, but you need to be reading this, man! It's a new series tied to the original 90s Xombi series, which reportedly blew comic god Alan Moore's mind. It's being written by the same dude (John Rozum) and illustrated by Batman and Robin artist Frazer Irving. Xombi starts with the beginning of series protagonist David Kim's story and explains how he got his immortal nanotech powers, so don't worry if you missed the first run. The first issue introduces a few intriguing characters, including convent hardcore Nun of the Above. This is THE book to watch in 2011.
Scalped
Somebody called Scalped the Rez version of HBO's The Wire, and I'm inclined to agree with that bitchin' assessment. Currently published by Vertigo, written by Jason Aaron, and illustrated by R.M. Guera, Scalped mixes organized crime with daily life on an Oglala Lakota Indian Reservation in South Dakota. The dirty sepia motif should give you some idea of the gritty stories you're in for. If and only if you are 18 years old and up (it says the eff!), go to the DC site to read the first issue in its entirety for free.
Image rarely publishes bad stuff, do they? Morning Glories is a peek inside one of the fanciest prep schools in the country, where six teens are involved in a big crazy mystery. Check out a preview at CBR to find out why you need to be picking these up at your local comic book shop. At least do yourself a solid and get the 200-page Vol. 1 trade for a measly $9.99.
Superboy
Who gives a shit about Superboy? The same people who give a shit about Batgirl and Superman's pet monkey, Beppo, I guess. But check this out: now that DC has the amazing Jeff Lemire (whose Sweet Tooth also shows up on this list), Superboy is suddenly one of the best titles they've got going. I cannot get enough of the Canuck's take on the boy of steel, and you won't be able to, either.
iZombie
I know you want to mistake iZombie for a really shitty $0.99 iPhone game, but don't. This is a total class act, as evidenced by supercute superstar married artist couple Michael and Laura Allred. iZombie is written from the perspective of a female zombie (finally, we have reached the final feminist frontier), who is gainfully employed as a gravedigger in order to quench her brainlust. Along with her best gal pal (a ghost) and a were-pup buddy, Gwen forms a Scooby-Doo type murder-solving mystery crew. All that and it's actually well-written. No wonder it nabbed an Eisner nomination for best new series.
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