Ssssshhhh! Still Much Mystery Surrounds NBC's "Heroes Reborn"

There's no better time to discuss about rebirth than the start of a New Year.

As the Goat leaps in to take over the lunar calendar year, Red Dot Diva has been wondering what's up with the mini-series "Heroes Reborn", NBC's reboot of the popular TV show that ran for four seasons from 2006. Since the series was announced early last year, news about the project has been scarce.

Then, suddenly, a surprise piece of news emerged in January 2015 that caused Red Dot Diva to squee with glee. Zachary Levi, star of another well-loved NBC series "Chuck", will be taking up a key role in "Heroes Reborn". W00t! This was very good news indeed. To have Zac working together with Jack Coleman (who incidentally was the first cast member to be confirmed for "Heroes Reborn"), the project seems set to a positive start. 

For one thing, Zac has a horde of fans who adore him as Chuck Bartowski as well as real life in person. For the many who have met him in the flesh, either at the Nerd HQ or outside the Broadway theatre after his performance for "First Date", the man has been nothing but warm and friendly to his fans.

Zac looking super-serious in the "Heroes Reborn" teaser

Zac has also mentioned that he is no stranger to Tim Kring's works either, having confessed that he is a follower of the earlier "Heroes" series. That kind of familiarity to the original show's mythology and its fandom can certainly help an actor bring a respectable level of commitment to the table. Having the experience of dealing with the "Chuck" fandom, Red Dot Diva is also confident Zac is capable of handling the hardcore "Heroes" fans with his usual brand of charm.

NBC has stated that the show will be based mainly on new characters, around the timeline before the first season when some people are realizing that they have super-abilities. It is set to premiere in summer 2015 (probably around September??) and Jack Coleman will definitely be reprising his role as the ambiguous HRG in "Heroes Reborn". But other than that, no other casting news or details have been announced. 

The producers are not ruling out the original characters making a return, but we do know that Zachary Quinto, who as Sylar, stirred up evil intentions and was the main villain for many episodes, will not be returning to the franchise. This was not a surprise for Red Dot Diva, as Zach's choice of projects has always been eclectic. He had quite a few of them lined up in the last year as well. That included the drama about gay activist Michael Glatze "I Am Michael", which was screened at Sundance Film Festival last month, NBC's adaptation of the Australian series "The Slap", and an upcoming movie about Edward Snowden.

As for the rest of the cast members, Red Dot Diva managed to pose the question to Robert Knepper, who played villain Samuel Sullivan in the last season of "Heroes", and this was what he tweeted:

The short teaser featuring Zachary Levi and Jack Coleman that was released during Superbowl had "Heroes" fans craving for more. All it hinted was that something is about to happen in the cold north during the sighting of an Aurora Borealis that is swirling around another astronomical event, an Eclipse. The Eclipse, if one can remember, features strongly in the original series. Hmmmmmm........

Here's a look at that teaser again:



Generally, things seem to be so very hush-hush. While some networks are glad to toot their horns about their upcoming series, NBC has stayed tight-lipped about "Heroes Reborn". Red Dot Diva finds the lack of news disturbing, and she wonders if the ardent and vocal fanbase has anything to do with that. If keeping an air of mystery around the show is the intended marketing strategy, will there would be more tidbits leaked before and around San Diego Comic-Con? (That would be only about 3 months before September 2015, when most Fall Shows are beginning to air.)

Red Dot Diva and the rest of the "Heroes" fans await with bated breath.....

Heroes Reborn: Jack Coleman Set To Return As HRG!

This is the special day for "Heroes" fans around the world.

It has just been officially announced that Jack Coleman will be returning to NBC's "Heroes Reborn" as morally ambiguous Noah Bennett aka HRG (or Horn Rimmed Glasses)!

Jack Coleman has been seen in quite a few TV shows recently. He had a recurring role as the menacing Senator William H. Bracken in "Castle", and played CIA handler Andrew Strong in the last season of "Burn Notice". Although, he has not been away from the TV screens for too long, many "Heroes" fans still sorely miss dangerously sexy HRG.

"Heroes Reborn", a re-imagined 13-episode mini-series of the popular "Heroes" TV show, has been scheduled to premiere in 2015. The show is expected to have new characters and continues to be produced by the original series' creator Tim Kring.

There will also be a digital series that is currently angled as a prequel to "Heroes Reborn", and this will premiere before the show goes on air on NBC.com.

SDCC 2014: Where Da Parties At?

Comic-Con is not just about exhibition halls, panels and long lines. Once the events wrap up in the evening, that is when some of the real festivities begin at the many cool, fun parties held around the town. These parties range from the elaborately themed, to the more casual and cosy fan hangouts.

If you are not intending to inflict more mental and physical torture by camping out for either Hall H or Ballroom 20, why not head to a party, grab a drink (or two) and gather some respite before madly charging on for another convention day?

Plus, there could be a bonus where you might meet or bump into someone cool at one of these parties!

So where are Da Cool Parties at this year's Comic-Con?

Red Dot Diva says to check this list out:

Heroes Reborn!! NBC Revives Show With Mini-Series To Air in 2015!

By all accounts, it was going to be a lazy Sunday with Red Dot Diva expecting to be peacefully Home Alone, enjoying her braincells turning into mush before another hectic work week begins.

But it was not meant to be.

Around noon Red Dot Island time, her Twitter feed exploded with news of "Heroes Reborn". NBC has decided to use the Winter Olympics coverage to air a special teaser. The network was going to reboot the popular TV series "Heroes" with a 13-episode mini-series 2015 produced by creator Tim Kring, complete with a new set of characters and very possibly, some of the fan faves from the original series.

SDCC 2013: Catching Up with "Devil Inside" WebComic Creators Todd Stashwick and Dennis Calero!

Demons, a cannibalistic-fanboy, a Philistine giant with an infamous name and why not, the Devil himself.

Put them altogether and what you get is a free action-horror webcomic called "Devil Inside".

The good vs evil drama that come in full technicolour is the result from the vibrant imaginations of actor Todd Stashwick ("The Riches", "Heroes", "Revolution", "Supernatural", "Justified") and comic book artist, he-with-the-awesome-hair Dennis Calero ("X-Men Noir", Stephen King's "The Little Green God of Agony", digital "Legends of the Dark Knight: Riddler in the Dark" with writer Charles Soule).

SDCC 2013: Where Da Parties At??

Not only does San Diego transform into geek nirvana during Comic-Con, her nightlife gets as vibrant, with a slew of party venues for the geek and famous.

After the endless waiting in lines, jostling around with thousands of people, and craning one's necks to have a glimpse of your favourite celeb, almost anyone would feel in need of a drink (or two), or to let loose at a party before repeating the same thing again the next day.

So where are Da Cool Parties at for this year's Comic-Con?

Check this list out:

STGCC Day 2 Recap - Operation Red Dot Biceps Continues

Bah. *sniffle*

Late night of Day 1 and con crud has already infected poor Red Dot Diva.

There's still Day 2 of STGCC to go.

So, she rigorously self-medicated with a stash of drugs, fell asleep for a few meagre hours... then, gamely made her way to that far away neverland of Marina Bay Sands late Sunday morning.

The crowd has yet to descend on the exhibition hall. Probably because most people do not like waking up early on Sundays, and many folks were still in their houses of worship.

Comikaze Expo 2011: Some Quick, Precious Moments with Actor Francis Capra

Francis Capra at Comikaze Expo

Here's something-something for those who love "Veronica Mars" and doggedly keep track of alumni from the cancelled NBC TV series, "Heroes"!

Red Dot Diva's LA-based friend @theReal_Rebel has done it again by helping her to perv actor Francis Capra at the recent ComikazeExpo!

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The hills and valleys of an actor's life can come so quickly that it could give an average person a nosebleed.  You can be on a hit show one minute and out of work in the next. The amount of rejection that an actor needs to handle is enough to induce night sweats.  Getting and keeping an acting job requires talent, skill, courage, street-smarts and the physical and emotional stamina to endure such vicissitudes of fortune. 

So, actors who play tough guys like Humphrey Bogart, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Chiklis and Edward G. Robinson must be pretty tough guys, right?  I imagined it should be somewhat daunting to get an interview from someone like that.

Or so I thought.

Special STGCC Greetings From TV Lala Land

Many fans wish that our local conventions were more like what they see in the USA, with more celebrities and well-known guests. They crave to get close to the Hollywood stardust, but most of the time, acquiring such guests to events held on Red Dot Island simply hard to come by.

So, since many local fans miss the chance of meeting their favourite celebrities in person, Red Dot Diva endeavoured to digitally bring geeky STGCC-goers some greetings from a few popular personalities:

Todd Stashwick - Springing Into Devil Inside's Next Chapter

It has been about a year since the free web-comic "Devil Inside" was launched at SDCC 2010 by the very handsome, very bromance-y team consisting of actor Todd Stashwick and artist Dennis Calero.

Red Dot Diva remembers visiting the duo at their booth at Artists' Alley in 2010, and was deviously hooked by the first couple of panels and the concept of the web-comic.

Released every Wednesday, "Devil Inside" faithfully took the readers through many twists and turns about a chief demon's journey to find himself on Earth. Starting from a place called Paradise Valley.

With its sometimes macabre visuals, mysterious characters (who can ever forget snarky Raven Corvus?) and cryptic hints, "Devil Inside" Chapter 1 has been a helluva ride!

SlamCon 2011 - An Inclusive Con Party!

Todd and the beautiful SArmy ladies!

Tired of not getting invited for all those hoity-toity exclusive con-parties during SDCC??

Then, there's always SlamCon!

"Heroes" actors and comic geeks Todd Stashwick, Brea Grant, comic artist Dennis Calero kick-started a casual party at the Hyatt Hotel, mezzanine bar at 9 pm last night! Together with them was "Warehouse 13" writer, Deric A. Hughes.

Many of Red Dot Diva's Twitter buddies like @Mabetini, @doubleshiny, @TsarMaxii, @beckyb731, @wikkibird, @TheReal_Rebel and @ebrown2112 joined in the geeky carousing, kicking it back with drinks and having a swell time with the crowd. Todd even called @Giddy4Gideon on the phone to say hi!

And there was even a great view of the fireworks at the marina! View Todd's twitvid where he and Brea say hi!

Other folks like "Heroes" producer Foz McDermott and writer Jose Molina ("Firefly", "Terra Nova") joined in later to party up with the rest too.

With such a laid back, easy-going mix of creators, celebs, well-known geeks and just down-to-earth fans, it's already becoming one of the best SDCC 2011 party ever. ;)

Red Dot Diva thinks that Todd, Brea, Dennis and the crew should try to do this for every convention they are at and get it to be is Devilish as possible.

After all, conventions are about having fun, meeting new people and making friends!!

PS: Don't forget to say hello to Todd and Dennis at their "Devil Inside" booth #FF-05 at Artist Alley. "Devil Inside" the webcomic was launched at SDCC last year, which makes this their 1st year anniversary!

Brea Grant will also be signing on Sunday with brother Zane Grant, Missy Suicide, David Hahn and Cameron Stewart for Suicide Girls at IDW's Booth #2643 at 12 pm!

Have an all-out geek-style FUN for Red Dot Diva, y'all!! *MWAH*!!

About Robots and Vikings with Ivan Brandon - Part 1

It all began with a harmless online sideswipe on Twitter relating to the sticky topic of chewing gum which Red Dot Island is internationally notorious for. And that was how Red Dot Diva had her first brush with well-known graphic novels writer/ editor, Ivan Brandon. Digital-style.

Ivan Brandon made his name as one of the creators for the robotic-"NYC Mech" world. So, Red Dot Diva thought that was rather apt.

She sure did not expect to bump into him and his pretty wife at GnB Comic's pre-convention event. Ivan happened to be there together with a host of other STGCC guests. They were also there at the shop for David Lloyd's special appearance. Towards the back of the crowded shop, Ivan had settled himself on a cream-coloured sofa; his dark observant eyes quietly surveying the crowd.

Their eyes met and Red Dot Diva promptly introduced herself. Shaking hands, Ivan insisted that he does not chew gum, but pointed out that his wife had a pack of gum hidden in her bag. Red Dot Diva impishly noted that this was most unfortunate, for as a responsible citizen of this island, she now had to call and report the matter to the authorities immediately.

There wasn't much of an opportunity to chat more as some fans swooped in eagerly upon Ivan with comics for him to sign - which he gladly obliged.

Speedy Encounters at Austin CC

It was late last Sunday that Red Dot Diva saw a tweet from my Texan SDCC-roomie @RealFastTlkr. She had suddenly decided to head to the Austin Comic Convention the next day! And she said she was going to try to catch one of Red Dot Diva's favourite stunt guys (and ex-"Heroes" Season 4 actors) - Ray Park.

For those who are more familiar with Ray Park when he's not without make up, he's the person behind "Star Wars"' facially-tattooed villain, Darth Maul and "X-Men's" Toad, amongst many other movie characters (usually nasty, bad guys).

Red Dot Diva's other good friend @eserei27 had met Ray before at an Ohio convention and she mentioned that he was very personable and friendly to his fans. She got Red Dot Diva a Ray-autograph pic during that convention - on which, he had written her a very sweet personalized message. So Red Dot Diva heart-hearts Ray Park. ;)

Here is @RealFastTlkr's account of her Ray Park meet-up at the Austin CC!