Gareth David-Lloyd (photo credit: Jackson Gee)

Gareth David-Lloyd, much beloved for his work as Ianto Jones on the hit series Torchwood, is in town attending for the 2013 Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo. He took the time to chat with us and reflect about his time on Torchwood, latest projects including fatherhood and his hard rock blues band Blue Gillespie, as well as his love of Canada.

Please hit play on the audio file below to hear my interview with Gareth David-Lloyd. Feel free to leave a comment after and even share this with your friends.

Gareth David-Lloyd and I (aka Comic Canuck)

Comic Canuck, Torchwood’s Gareth David-Lloyd Speaks With CBT At Calgary Expo

Actor John Barrowman (photo credit: Jackson Gee)

While attending the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo, actor John Barrowman dishes about his character Malcom Merlyn on the hit show Arrow and upcoming projects. Plus, he also gives his thoughts on how he would love to play a superhero one day – with a twist. 

*Confession: I am a huge fan of the TV series Torchwood and when I sat dawn with John I was extremely nervous. I completely messed up the opening (we’ll call it take one) and he was extremely nice about it, responding with: “It’s okay, I used to flub my lines all the time.” He was also very forgiving with how I worded one of my questions. So thank you for a great interview, John.

Please hit play on the audio file below to hear my interview with John Barrowman. Feel free to leave a comment after and even share this with your friends.

John Barrowman and I (aka Comic Canuck)

Photo-bombed by actor Casper van Dien! HAHAHA!

Comic Canuck, John Barrowman Speaks With CBT At The Calgary Expo

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

__________

UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Welcome to the Weekly Dose Of Awesome, where I talk about a piece of media that I consider to be overlooked or just plain awesome. Today I take a look at the underground rapper: Masta Artisan.

ZenithWillRule, Weekly Dose Of Awesome: Masta Artisan

The car has been the talk of the auction world this week as some experts predicted the ride would go for a few million dollars. When the gavel finally landed, the car sold for an astounding $4.2 million.The car was brought out and followed by what can only be described as a mob trying to get close to the famous auto. Bidding hit a million as soon as it started, with the action going on for several minutes. George Barris was on hand to help entice bidders as well. Before the final bid was placed Barris took the Batman jacket off of his back and offered it to the winning bidder as an added incentive. The man who won the auction was Rick Champagne from Arizona. He said he would put the Batmobile in his living room and display it proudly.

The winner, his lady friend, and George Barris posed with the car shortly after the auction ended (via Barrett On Speed’s Twitter page). The Speed channel also posted a video chat with Barris about the famous car earlier today. Check out pictures from the auction and the video below. I was watching on TV and the whole thing was a pretty amazing sight. What do you think? Is the Batmobile worth $4.2 million to you?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Holy Car Auction Batman! Original Batmobile Fetches High Price

Work on Marc Webb’s Spider-Man sequel is coming along nicely. It seems the majority of the cast is in place and filming will start soon. Two of the new additions to the movie were out and about promoting their movies at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Shailene Woodley, who will be playing Mary Jane Watson, and Dane DeHaan, Harry Osborn, talked a little about the upcoming Spidey movie.

Woodley spoke with MTV about joining the cast and how excited she was about the film. The actress couldn’t reveal too much, but she said she’s a fan of the character and really enjoyed the reboot:

Spider-Man has always been my favorite super hero dude, since I was a little girl. I think there’s something really special about flying. When I watched the previous Spider-Man with Andrew Garfield, he made me feel invincible. I think Marc Webb is amazing. I’m so stoked to work with Andrew and Emma [Stone], they’re the best of the best.

She went on to say that she didn’t know any real details about the film, but she assumes she’ll be part of a love triangle if the comics are anything to go by. Woodley also hinted that she’d be making the transition and become a redhead soon. You can watch the full video interview by clicking here.

Chronicle break-out star Dane DeHaan also chatted about The Amazing Spider-Man sequel while on the red carpet for his film with Daniel “Harry Potter” Radcliffe called Kill Your Darlings. The actor remained tight lipped on what he knows, but he did confirm that he will be involved in a love triangle. Is it with Gwen Stacy, Mary Jane, Aunt May? We’ll have to wait and find out. The director of Darlings may have spoiled a big plot point for the film though. HitFix reports an incident that occured during the cast introductions:

[Director] Krokidas introduced the cast of “Darlings” which includes Daniel Radcliffe, Ben Foster and Michael C. Hall. When he got to DeHaan he said “He’s the Green Goblin.” DeHaan just smiled, but it didn’t seem like Krokidas was kidding.

Is this a case of a director who doesn’t know a lot about comics or is Webb planning on skipping Norman and having Harry don the Green Goblin gear? I would say it’s the first, but it wouldn’t be a huge surprise if the second happened. The Green Goblin was used in Sam Raimi’s first film, so it would be a little too soon to simply rehash the character. What do you think? Would you be pleased if Harry is the first Green Goblin?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Amazing Spider-Man 2: Shailene Woodley, Dane DeHaan, And A Possible Villain Spoiler

IDW is releasing a comic book prequel for Star Trek Into Darkness, called Countdown to Darkness, written by Mike Johnson with a story by Roberto Orci. It is an official prequel comic to the movie and works to bridge the gap between the first film and the second. The cover to #4, the final in the miniseries, shows a Klingon warrior with the much debated helmet. The comic comes out in April and the film in May. Could it be setting the Klingons up for a big role for Into Darkness? Time will tell. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, IDW Seems To Hint At Klingon Involvement In Star Trek Into Darkness

Now that Smallville has come to an end on the youth-oriented CW network, execs have been scrambling to find a replacement for the hero oriented series. Earlier this year, the CW introduced Arrow, a gritty and darker take on the Green Arrow, who played a major role in Smallville, though the two series are not connected. With that series proving to be successful, the network is looking to add one more DC character in Wonder Woman.

The new series, which has yet to be green lit for a pilot is said to be centered on a younger Diana, currently being called Isis, before she becomes the famed hero. CW President Mark Pedowitz recently stated that Amazon would be  “an origination story in the sense that Smallville was an origination story.” take that for what it’s worth.

Casting for the series has been underway for a few weeks now, despite not having a pilot ordered. But the fact they are moving forward with casting shows they are fairly confident in the project. Today, STV have learned that Amy Manson is being eyed for the lead role in the series. Manson has had roles in several “geek” shows, including Torchwood, Being Human and Misfits.

I think most would agree that this series is fighting an uphill battle with fans of the character and casting will play a major part in whether this show is successful. Is Manson right for the role? Is she enough to keep this series from collapsing like the most recent failed attempt with Adrienne Palicki? Only time will tell.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Torchwood’s Amy Manson Up for CW’s Amazon

Now, I understand this isn’t the most geeky thing to be highlighting, but when I’m not slaving away for the militant owner of this site, I’m slobbering and drooling over vehicles that I wish to someday own. Not to mention, some of these vehicles have graced the pages of our beloved comics in the past. As with many of the lists you’ll see me post, these are in no particular order. How do you put a level of awesomeness on these things, really?

A-Team G15 Van
1983 GMC Vandura
Van/Minibus
5.2 Liter V-8
When you think of a group of bad-asses, the A-Team should be at the top of your list. If it isn’t, please leave your man-card on the table as you escort yourself out of the building. This team, which consisted of H.M. Murdock, B.A. Baracas, Hannibal Smith and Templeton “Faceman” Peck, used this van for many things, anything from an every day vehicle to a battering ram to a  full-on assault vehicle. But no matter what, this beast made it through everything. The van was revived for Joe Carnahan’s film adaptation and fans couldn’t help but giggle a little bit when the van made its appearance.

Supernatural “Baby”
1967 Chevy Impala
Sedan
V8 427 4 Barrel
While my opinion of Supernatural  has changed over the years, one thing that remains the same is my love for this classic American car. This vehicle makes me happy in ways an inanimate object should. The sound of the metal doors creaking as they open and close, the rumble of the exhaust and the simplistic back paint, what’s not to love? At the end of season five, Chuck sums things up nicely by  calling the Impala “the most important object in the universe.” The classic rock soundtrack that is always present on the show never hurts either. This is a classic car for a pair of brothers that do what “Murica” does best: kick ass!

Starsky & Hutch Torino
1975-1976 Ford Gran Torino
Coupe
351 Windsor V-8 4 Barrel
The paint job is just as iconic as the car itself. When one sees this classic look on a car, only one show (or movie for the younger crowd) comes to mind: Starsky & Hutch. While the car may not have been the biggest and baddest muscle car ever made, you wouldn’t know by looking back at the series. Originally, a Chevy Camaro was to be the car of choice, as show creator William Blinn fondly remembered his convertible he owned. But being that the leasing program was through Ford, they opted for a Ford Gran Torino, which featured the famed 351 Windsor V8 engine and the now iconic red and white paint theme. The rest, as they say, is history. Talk about a good move!

Classic Batmobile
1955 Lincoln Futura Concept
Modified
351 V8
You didn’t think I’d make a list like this and not include this car, right? Despite it being over 50 years old, this car is still considered to be among the top Batman vehicles ever, movies, TV or comics; not to mention of any famous vehicles…ever. Hence its inclusion here. The car cost a whopping $125,000, which doesn’t sound like much for a fully custom vehicle, but if you factor in inflation, you’d be looking at a vehicle with a value of about $2 million today. Everything about this car is custom made, including the “bing bong” warning bell and the sender/receiver computer in the trunk.

Dukes of Hazzard General Lee
1969 Dodge Charger
Coupe
318, 383, & 440 CID V8 big block (Varied depending on use)
When I was a kid, nothing impressed me more than seeing Bo and Luke Duke racing to the General Lee, sliding across the hood and climbing through the window to head off on a back-country, high speed chase. I wanted to be a Duke more than anything. To this day, whenever I see an old Charger, I can’t help but smile. Fun fact: anywhere from 250 to 300 Dodge Chargers were used- and wrecked- during the taping of The Dukes of Hazzard. They often times would recycle parts to fix some of the cars up to reuse them. Even more cop cars were damaged during film. Sadly, whenever this car makes appearances now, the Confederate flag that is featured on the roof will no longer be used.

Green Hornet Black Beauty
1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial
Sedan
440-C.I. V8
You want to talk assault vehicle? The Chrysler Imperial that was used for Black Beauty not only had a drastically modified exterior, but the gizmos and weapons that were included make the Batmobile look like a Barbie Power Wheel. The car was able to launch rockets via tubes below the headlights, a concealed-when-not-in-use, drop-down knock-out gas nozzle in the center of the front grill, and the capabilities to launch a video surveillance device- or scanner- from a hidden compartment. Just to name a few things. The car featured a one-of-a-kind paint job that included 30 layers of black paint. For the 2011 remake, the car kept to the same concept, but upped the ante and was easily the highlight of the film.

Knight Rider KITT
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
Coupe
5.0L V8
Before David Hasselhoff was running around in little red shorts, he was behind the wheel of this super smart, ultra computerized Trans Am. KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), has literally dozens of high-tech upgrades: turbo boost, Etymotic Equalizer (he could hear), Olfactory Sensor (he could smell), Silent Mode, Oil Jets/Smoke Screen, Flame Thrower and Ultramagnesium Charges. That list could go on for some time, but I’ll hold off on the awesomeness. Take all that and drop it into one of the most iconic cars of the 80′s (it’s still quite popular among folks with a mullet and have a hankerin’ for pork rinds) and you have yourself a pretty bad-ass whip.

Magnum, PI Ferrari
1977 Ferrari 308 GTS
Targa Coupe
2.9 L FI V8
When you mention the classic series Magnum, PI, most people will remember Tom Selleck’s luscious push-broom mustache or his ridiculously short shorts. But not me. What I remember most is that bright red, targa-topped Ferrari 308, a car that some enthusiasts to be among the most beautiful cars that the Italian automaker has ever produced. I couldn’t agree more. This care was able to bring down the fastest of getaway cars and looked damn good doing it. This thing is about 14 levels of pure awesomeness.

I have to list a few honorable mentions, as they are just too cool to leave off, so I have to at least give them a bit of love:
19986 Ferrari Testarossas from Miami Vice
1976 Austin Mini from Mr. Bean
1980 GMC Pick-up from The Fall Guy
Th Munster Koach from The Munsters
The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

What are your favorite cars from television? I know there are some that I missed, but the important ones are here and I’d be more than happy to take anyone of these home. Now if I only had someone to buy them for me…

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Top 8 Vehicles of Television

It’s quite likely that a new Heroes for Hire comic is headed our way this year, with the classic duo of Luke Cage and Danny Rand- Power Man and Iron Fist-, which will be written by Brian Bendis. However, this run will also feature Jessica Jones and her child, who is fathered by Luke Cage. But what about a film based on the duo? It’s been rumored for some time now that a Luke Cage film may be in production, with several actors throwing their names in the hat to play the lead role. There have also been some very minor rumblings of a movie based on Iron Fist as well, but nothing that has really gained much traction.

While talking with BuzzFeed, Marvel’s TV head honcho, Jeph Loeb, talked about the the Ultimate Spider-Man series and the different characters involved with that show, including Luke Cage and Danny Rand. Loeb had this to say:

“Just like we just announced Guardians of the Galaxy, we are certainly looking at the Heroes for Hire franchise which is Luke Cage and Iron Fist…”

Does this mean we are getting a movie centered on the Heroes for Hire? Possibly, but at least we know that Marvel is certainly considering the concept, and maybe more so that we all originally thought. Obviously, I’d suggest a bit of salt to go with this news. Would you rather see a Heroes for Hire film or introduce each of the character individually first and team them in a later film? I have to say, it may be a better option to combine the two and get a kick-ass action flick from this odd, but awesome pairing.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, A Heroes for Hire Movie from Marvel?

Chronicles female superhero’s life as a young Amazonian, before she becomes a warrior princess with super powers. Iris, comes from a remote, secluded country and until now has spent most of her life as a soldier and a leader on the battlefield. Because of relentless brutality of her life at home, Iris looks at our world with absolute awe and astonishment. She’s delighted -and just as often horrified – by the aspects of everyday life that we take for granted: skyscrapers, traffic, ice cream. It’s all new and fascinating and sometimes slightly troubling – to her. Iris is completely unschooled in our world, our culture, our customs. And she’s completely inexperienced at interpersonal relationships. She has no social filter, does not suffer fools, and tends to do and say exactly what’s on her mind at all times. She’s bluntly, refreshingly honest. She can tell when you’re lying to her. And she doesn’t have time or patience for politics or tact because she’s too busy trying to experience everything our world has to offer. There are too many sights to see – and things to learn – and people to care for. Hers is a true, noble, and generous heart. And she will fight and die for the people she loves. Iris is a fierce warrior with the innocent heart of a romantic – and she will fight to the death to make the world safe for innocents and true romantics everywhere.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, New Synopsis For CW’s Amazon Emerges

Cheadle knows that expectations are extremely high for the first post-Avengers film, but it sounds like he and the cast are ready for the challenge:

I hope that it performs to those levels. We did a little piece of it at Comic-Con and people went crazy. It looked great. The script is good. We’re doing a couple re-shoots next week, but I’m encouraged.

Iron Man 2 was directed by Jon Favreau whereas 3 will be handled by the aforementioned Shane Black. Cheadle praises the new director saying he had a good time with a really good cast. He said the director came up with “an interesting script” that was “a lot of fun.” When asked how he would shake things up in Iron Man 3, the actor may have let a spoiler out of the bag:

I’m not supposed to say that he kills Robert Downey Jr.’s character.  Is that a spoiler?  That would be a spoiler.  You knew that was coming.  You read the comic books.  No.  I will just say that the buddy relationship that these guys have gets tighter.  The third act set piece for the big finale is bigger and badder.  It’s just a lot more.

OK that wasn’t really a spoiler. It would be an incredible shock though you have to admit. The actor did confirm what we had only heard rumors of, that some re-shoots will take place next week in Manhattan Beach. With the stills and clips we’ve seen from the film it does look like the Rhodes/Stark relationship will be explored even further than the second film. To read the rest of the interview where Cheadle talks about his TV show, production company, and family click right here. Everything he said about Iron Man 3 and the third act set piece being “bigger and badder” sounds incredibly promising. What do you think?

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Don Cheadle Says Iron Man 3 Is “Bigger and Badder”

For about US$7.99 a month, Netflix members can instantly watch movies and TV programs streamed over the internet to PCs, Macs and TVs. Among the large and expanding base of devices streaming from Netflix are the Microsoft Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii and Sony PS3 consoles; an array of Blu-ray disc players, internet-connected TVs, home theatre systems, digital video recorders and internet video players; Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, as well as Apple TV and Google TV. In all, more than 800 devices that stream from Netflix are available. For additional information, visit www.netflix.com.

· Netflix is gift of unlimited entertainment – offers great movies and TV shows for everyone in the family

· Netflix is anytime/anywhere – works on over 800 different devices ie iPads/tablets, smart phones, game consoles, etc

· Netflix is launching its own Original programming – including bringing back Arrested Development

· Netflix is affordable – streaming memberships are $7.99 mos – half the price of one movie ticket in NY!

The Prizes

Six (6) winners will each receive one (1) Netflix gift card redeemable for 6 months of Unlimited Streaming service

The Rules

- Follow us on Twitter and post the following text to your page:

- Leave a comment in the comment section below with a link to your Twitter page to verify your entry

* Sweepstakes begins today, Saturday, December 30th, and ends Friday, January 11th, 2013. Winners will be contacted immediately after the Sweepstakes ends. If a winner fails to claim their prize within three days of notification it will be awarded to a randomly selected entry.

* Only one entry per registered account holder over the age of eighteen (18) will be accepted.

* Open to members from the United States and United Kingdom.

* Gift cards are valid for 6 months of Netflix Unlimited Streaming membership for either new or existing customers. Internet access and valid payment method are required, however you will not be charged during your complimentary membership period.

 

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

wolverinept, NEW YEAR GIVEAWAY: Netflix Unlimited Streaming Memberships

AMC released the following statement:

“Glen guided the series creatively for Seasons 2 and 3. [We're] grateful for his hard work. We are both proud of our shared success. Both parties acknowledge that there is a difference of opinion about where the show should go moving forward, and conclude that it is best to part ways. This decision is amicable and Glen will remain on for post-production on Season 3B as showrunner and executive producer.”

“My time as showrunner on The Walking Dead has been an amazing experience, but after I finish season 3, it’s time to move on. I have told the stories I wanted to tell and connected with our fans on a level that I never imagined. It doesn’t get much better than that. Thank you to everyone who has been a part of this journey.” – Glen Mazzara

Robert Kirkman also commented on the departure : “I am in full support of both AMC and Glen Mazzara in the decision they have come to and believe the parties came to this decision in the best interest of the future of the show. I thank Glen for his hard work and appreciate his many contributions to The Walking Dead and look forward to working with him as we complete post production on Season 3. I am also excited to begin work on another spectacular season of this show that I know means so much to so many people. This show has always been the result of a wide range of extremely talented men and women working tirelessly to produce their best work collectively. I believe the future is bright for The Walking Dead. Thank you to the fans for your continued support.”

Well there you have it boys and girls. Once again an internal shake up has happened. What are your thought about this situation? Who will AMC bring in as a show-runner? Sound off

Agent Burgos, The Walking Dead Renewed For A Fourth Season, Glen Mazzera To Step Down

SPOILER WARNING FOR THE SEASON PREMIERE OF The Walking Dead AND The Walking Dead #100

You put a stamp on the new season by having a wordless opening.  Were the small bits written out, or did they come natural?  Was there any resistance from the powers that be at AMC to this style of opening?

Glenn Mazzara:  Everything you saw was scripted.  I think Curtis Dickerson (the director) did a great job shooting the cast.  The last time we saw this group, they were around the campfire.  There was a lot of questioning and anxiety, and since we were doing a time jump, I wanted to fuel that this group had come together.  They could read each other’s body cues.  AMC embraced and loved it.  They thought it was a cinematic opening, and everyone got on board.  It just felt right.

Steven Yeun: It was just right.  I think we hit it.  I can’t really say it in more words than that (laughs).

Steven, I know the actors don’t necessarily follow the comics books, but I can’t help wonder what your reaction was to The Walking Dead #100.

SY: When that happened, people made a bigger deal out of it than I did.  For [Robert] Kirkman to do that was both brutal and amazing.  He just took him away from everyone, and I thought that was ballsy, seriously grotesque, and awesome.  For me now, I wonder how I’m going to live up to what Kirkman established in the comics.

What I’ve notice from the premier was the disconnect from the characters, like how easily they kill Walkers now.  Maggie for instance, is almost gleeful when killing these Walkers.  Can you talk about how the process?

GM: Part of the process as writers, as we approach the season, we put together a reading least.  One of hte works was Sebastian Younger’s War.  It’s really an incredible book.  It’s about a group of soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.  And the idea that the people in the armed forces bond together, and they want to protect each other at all costs, it’s really inspiring.  They have a responsibility to keep their fellow service men/women alive.  That was something that we really thought about.  If you were in a zombie apocalypse, you care about the rest of your family or group of survivors.  So when Maggie is excited about that, yes, there is an adrenaline rush, but she has also solved a problem that she can share with the group.  And everybody immediately catches up and dispatches the rest of the Walkers.  One of the residual themes you’ll see this year is that they are a tight knit group, and what they will do when they meet friends and foes.  They don’t care about anyone else.  That’s something we are getting too, and it was also importnat to show that they get wins.  The show can be very bleak, and when she is happy about the Walker, or Rick is on the tower smiling, it makes it important they get wins.  It’s a bleak show.  And it’s important that the audience see them win, so that when they see the group lose, it’s much more devastating.

SY: I personally think we created this whole backstory before and talked about what these people have been through.  Where have they come from?  Do they have contingency plans?  They are clearly weathered.  There is one particular moment early on that shows where they are at, when Glenn pins a Walker against a fence, and Maggie finishes it off.  To me that was very indicative of “they have done this before.”  There are risks, but they have now figured out how to deal with Walkers.

GM: I must say that Glenn might have grown the most over these three seasons.  He wasn’t a mature character in the beginning, and now he is very confident and a together person. A zombie apocalypse isn’t good for anyone, but it has brought out some good characteristics for him.

SY: I love playing Glenn, and I’m very blessed to play a character that is so loved.  First season he was the kid that had good ideas and had the abilities, but he was drowned out by the bigger egos and characters.  But now he has learned that everyone is vital.  Maggie really hits that home.  Now he doesn’t just cover his own ass, he wants to cover hers as well.  That quickly asks of him to grow up.  But the problem is that growing up quickly isn’t necessarily good.

Glenn (Steven Yeun) and Maggie (Lauren Cohan)

Glen, what kind of challenges did you face writing the first episode, and getting it shot?

GM: Writing it was pretty easy.  I was just lucky (laughs).  I had it shot for shot in my head already.  I really did get the sense of the story we wanted to tell and where we wanted to advance the characters, and what I wanted to hit.  We had done a lot of work as writers discussing where our starting point was, so there was an extensive amount of prep work for the writing.  It was actually some of the most fun I’ve had writing a script.  I really just loved writing that script. It read like a battle, and that was not something that hadn’t been done on AMC before.  Some were afraid we were ramping up the violence like a video game, but when it all came together everyone understood.  AMC has been incredibly supportive for what we have laid out for the show.  They are very happy with the show creatively.  We had nine days to shoot that episode.  We had a few things that were cut or didn’t have time to shoot.  There is actually a deleted scene that is very funny, that sadly had to be cut for running time.  It was all there I think, we just needed to figure it out how to shoot it.  Like how many Walkers we needed for each scene.

SY: The shooting is a lot of work.  But everyone mans up and gets the job done.  I think that has been a general theme for the show.

At this point, Steven Yeun had a flight to catch, so he had to exit the interview

Are you afraid about the fan blacklash? Many weren’t happy with the group staying in one spot, and they seem to be going to another place for an extended period.

GM: That’s a great question.  That was a concern. If you notice in the premiere that the prison is occupied.  They even point out that there is damage and civilians are getting in.  That’s something that is always going to be an issue.  Last season, I think we were playing with that the outbreak originated in the urban environments and swept the countryside, so it took a while to get places.  Now the landscape is different.  The Walkers are omnipresent, and also within the prison itself are unsecured areas.  I always want a sense of danger.  The idea that this prison could be too safe like the farm isn’t an issue.

What do you think it says about our culture where we can get off on this kind of mayhem?

GM: I don’t know. I see the show as entertainment.  I think it’s exciting.  The zombies are the perfect victims, as they’re monsters.  They are trying to kill innocent people.  There is a certain amount of gore and violence, but it’s ok since they aren’t humans.  They don’t feel pain, so it’s hard to sympathize with the Walkers.  I look at it as good old Hollywood entertainment.

Are fans going to get any answers about the group and how they are all infected with the virus?

GM: I’d have to say no.  That was a unique set of circumstances, talking to the scientist at the CDC.  The story we are telling is more in line with the comic, where every day people have very limited information.  We won’t have characters trying to figure out the nature of the virus.  We do introduce a character named Milton who is part of the Governor’s crew who is trying to solve the Walker problem, but he is not a scientist.  It’s really about people trying to make due.

The group seems to be thinking more tactically instead of guns a blazing. Was that intentional?

GM: Yes it was.  We wanted to show this group being smarter than when we left them.  They approached the courtyard slowly, thinking every move out.  We thought of it as a police force invading a drug den.  We wanted it to seem as if they had done this before.  They have a tag team type of mentality.  It made sense that they are literally getting each other’s back.

Can you explain the reason for the time jump?  And will we see anything that happened during that time jump?

GM:  The time jump was necessary for two reasons.  We wanted to advance the story to the point where Lori is about to give birth.  We wanted to give a tremendous amount of stress onto the group, and we felt this put on maximum pressure.  The other reason was that we picked up shooting in the summer, and we didn’t want to fake winter (laughs).  I am interested in shooting a winter scene.  Maybe we could change the production schedule in the future.  But we are not interested in doing a flashback episode.

Do you think not having a leg is going to keep Hershel from looking out for Lori’s baby?

GM: That is a great question.  We definitely want to explore that.  Have they thought of contingencies if he can’t help.  We have thought about one of the women as his assistant when the time comes.  My brother is an orthopedic surgeon, so I was asking him how we would cut someones leg off (laughs).  He didn’t like that (laughs).  I asked him how to care for it after it was cut off.

Why did you decide to focus just on the prison the first two episodes instead giving a balance of Woodbury and the prison?

GM: What was important was to get the character development of the group first.  We need to see what that prison means for them.  The first two episodes show the amount of sacrifice the group makes for this place.  Once that has been established, then we can jump off of them.  Then we can introduce other characters, but we needed that foundation first and what our characters are willing to do for this place.  It’s a very thought out plan.  I hope the audience is ready to go along for the ride (laughs).

Is each episode going to balance the two scenes once everything has been introduced?

GM:  No.  There will be some episodes that are only at the prison, while some will only be at Woodbury.  There are some where Rick doesn’t even appear.  It’s about telling the best story every week, and making sure that each chapter adds up to a great whole.  I think there is so much exciting new stuff coming every week I don’t think everyone will be afraid of the change.  We really tried to pack as much story into every episode.

If you need to catch up with the first episode, “Seed,” click here to watch it.

MrComicBook, Glen Mazzara and Steven Yeun talk about “The Walking Dead”