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“They were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think If they should.” Those were the immortal words of Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) in the classic blockbuster Jurassic Park. Well, we would usually agree with the good doctor, except in this case. Because Wizards of the Coast making Jurassic Park-themed Magic: The Gathering cards? We’re of the opinion if you can make them, then you totally should. Because the newly revealed Jurassic Park cards, part of their Universes Beyond crossovers, are pretty darn cool. They’ll be a part of The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan, revealed at the 2023 Las Vegas MagicCon. You can check out images of the new cards below:

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Among the cards included within the Lost Caverns Of Ixalan packs are ones featuring characters and creatures from the beloved ’90s film and its many sequels. These arrive just in time for the Steven Spielberg classic’s 30th anniversary. At a MagicCon panel, Wizards revealed three new cards from the Jurassic Park line, together with a new “stamped” variant with the Jurassic World logo embossed over the card. The three revealed cards were Dr. Ian Malcom/Chaotician, listed as a “Legendary Creature.” (We agree, he’s a pretty legendary creature). Then there’s the Indominus Rex/Alpha from Jurassic World, and a “Welcome To…/Jurassic Park” double-sided Saga card.

These Jurassic Park/Jurassic World cards are the beginning of an overall partnership between Wizards of the Coast and NBC Universal. Does this mean we’ve got Fast & Furious and Minions cards coming our way too? Who knows, who ever saw these Jurassic Park cards coming? Stranger things have happened. The Lost Caverns Of Ixalan launches November 17, with the Jurassic World cards contained in booster packs, collectors booster packs, and bundles.

The post JURASSIC PARK Cards Bite Into MAGIC: THE GATHERING appeared first on Nerdist.

The St. Louis Independent Comics Expo (SLICE) has happily invited Bulgilhan Press, Bianca Xunise, and Cassi Mothwin as special guests to headline the 2023 show. Bulgilhan, Xunise, and Mothwin will participate in a panel discussion, exhibit their work, and lead lectures as part of SLICE’s programming lineup on the day of the expo.

The expo weekend kicks off with an opening night panel discussion featuring Bulgilhan, Xunise, and Mothwin on Friday, October 13, 6–8 p.m., at the Hi-Pointe Theatre. SLICE president Steenz will moderate the conversation. The event is free to attend and open to the public.

The expo takes place the following day, October 14, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., at the Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries. Programming for the day includes screen printing, poetry writing, button making, and live figure drawing. Bulgilhan, Xunise, and Mothwin will also lead lectures on small press publishing, BIPOC punks in comics, and solo role-playing games, respectively. SLICE is seeking volunteers to help out on the day of the expo, and those who are interested may sign up on SLICE’s volunteer form.

Bulgilhan Press is a small press comics publisher making new and self-indulgent comics by excellent artists with unique visions and voices. Bulgilhan is owned by Zachary Clemente, who previously worked on the organizational committee for the Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) and currently serves on the Board of Directors for an arts nonprofit organization—the Boston Comic Arts Foundation—as the President and Chair. Bulgilhan’s recent publications include Far Distant by A Liang Chan, Die Horny by Rebecca Mock, and Stray by Molly Mendoza.

Bianca Xunise is an illustrator, writer, and educator based out of Chicago, Illinois. With two Ignatz Awards under their belt, Bianca’s storytelling primarily focuses on the joys and plights of being Black in the 21st century. Bianca enjoys being a voice for those who march to the beat of their own drum and hopes that their comics are comforting to those who feel like they don’t fit in. In 2020, Bianca became the first nationally syndicated nonbinary cartoonist (and the second Black woman) when they joined the comic strip Six Chix in 2020 as their first Black creator. Xunise has also collaborated with Vogue, The Washington Post, The Nib, and Believer Magazine.

Cassi Mothwin is an award-winning tabletop RPG designer, writer, and illustrator. Her game designs include Tangled Blessings, a journaling-based magic academy horror adventure; What Crooked Roots, a collection of folk-horror roleplay encounters for 5e systems; Clean Spirit, a standalone game that helps players deepen their connections with existing characters; and her award-winning output, The Sticker Game, a science fiction interactive audio drama that engages your unused sticker collections. Her game designs span genre but are united by a throughline of emotional depth and a focus on player introspection.

SLICE is St. Louis’s premier annual indie-print showcase, bringing together writers, artists, poets, and printmakers from St. Louis and beyond to showcase their self-published books, comics, zines, magazines, poetry, and more. As a nonprofit organization, SLICE supports St. Louis’s small press community through workshops, artist meetups, and expositions to foster independent print culture in St. Louis. SLICE, formerly the St. Louis Small Press Expo (STL SPEX), returns after a three-year hiatus and has led a variety of community-focused programming in 2023 in the lead-up to the expo.

For more information and announcements on upcoming workshops, the SLICE 2023 exhibitor list, and more, visit SLICE’s website and follow SLICE on Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter.

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The post SLICE Announces Special Guests & Programming for 2023 Expo appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.

Jay Cameron is dedicated to introducing Americans to the rich culture and history of Africa.

Through his travel company, Maximum Impact Travel, Cameron does just that. The company hosts group trips for travelers to experience the authenticity of the continent beyond what Cameron said is the misconstrued portrayal in Western media.

“Our commitment to anticipating the needs of every traveler, regardless of their age or background, has earned us a remarkable rate of repeat clients,” Cameron said, according to Black News. “We ensure they are taken care of and nurtured during their new adventures exploring African nations.”

Maximum Impact Travel takes its customers’ travel worries off their hands. According to the website, the company makes sure customers are well-prepared to take part in the curated African Adventure Tours. The company will design the itinerary, arrange ground transportation and reserve accommodations. Cameron also offers pre-destination services for travelers to obtain their passports, travel visas, and travel insurance. The company conducts research to inform travelers about local customs, regulations, events, and other travel concerns, including potential scams and medical facilities’ locations.

Cameron told Black News that he is thrilled to “venture into new destinations” along the African diaspora. Upcoming trips hosted by the company include Tanzania in December 2023, followed by Ghana, Tanzania, and Zanzibar in April 2024. The new year will also introduce tours to key destinations in Europe, Central, and South America.

“With our expertise in hand-holding first-time visitors, from booking to homecoming, and our dedication to exposing travelers to local African experiences, our exponential growth since 2019 comes as no surprise,” he added.

Cameron details the ways Africa has changed his life in ways he said “America never could,” on his “Maximum Impact with Jay Cameron” YouTube channel. Cameron narrates how his perspective of the continent shifted from the misconceptions to his own view after indulging in its culture.

RELATED CONTENT: Africa Business Travel Do’s and Don’ts Amid COVID-19

Those still trying to fill The Midnight Club-sized hole left by its unceremonious cancellation can pause their rewatch cycle because Mike Flanagan season is upon us. Netflix has another delectable horror-drama to devour. And this one won’t leave you in a puddle of tears!

This fall, the writer-director and his longtime producing partner Trevor Macy (Midnight Mass) deliver the next Flana-verse installment with their highly-anticipated The Fall of the House of Usher. The master storyteller’s latest literary adaptation is inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, including the 1839 short story of the same name. 

The Fall of the House of Usher is framed by wealthy businessman and CEO of Fortunato Pharmaceuticals Roderick Usher (Bruce Greenwood) having a tense face-to-face meeting with attorney C. Auguste Dupin (Carl Lumbly). Naturally, they have their sitdown in a creaky old house on a rainy night, an appropriately dreary Poe-like atmosphere. While Roderick’s being his charismatic, assertive self, it’s clear to Dupin (and the audience) that something, or someone, is haunting him. Understandable, considering all six of his children are dead. 

As the Usher patriarch recounts the shocking fatalities of his offspring, the episodes jump between timelines going back weeks or sometimes decades. Even though we already know their ultimate fates, like Dupin, we’re hanging onto Roderick’s every word.

In flashbacks, we’re introduced to the multiracial Usher family — six adult children from five different mothers. His first love Annabel Lee (Katie Parker) is the mother of the two oldest siblings Frederick (Henry Thomas), the first in line to inherit Fortunato, and his sister Tamerlane (Samantha Sloyan), who is more accomplished and strategic. And yes, this does give them a superiority complex. 

Victorine LaFourcade (T’Nia Miller) might be the most complicated of the bunch because her work in the medical field seems to come from a genuine motivation to help people, in the beginning at least. She can be sweet with her partner/colleague Dr. Alessandra Ruiz (Paola Nuñez). But that Usher blood prevents her from being an objectively good person. 

Camille L’Espanaye (Kate Siegel, rocking killer makeup and gorgeous locks) has the taxing job of handling her family’s public image and endless controversies, which is unfortunate for her overworked and not-at-all-appreciated assistants Toby (Igby Rigney) and Tina (Aya Furukawa). 

Napoleon “Leo” Usher’s (Rahul Kohli) thing is video games. He’s not an actual designer but more of an investor/socialite with a drug habit. His poor boyfriend Julius (Daniel Jun) has to put up with a lot. The youngest is Prospero “Perry” Usher (Sauriyan Sapkota) whom Frederick aptly calls “Gucci Caligula” at one point. He lacks the Usher ingenuity and is only interested in a hedonistic lifestyle.

Roderick’s twin sister Madeline Usher (Mary McDonnell) is seemingly more ruthless than her brother when it comes to their family business — and just about everything else. Their upbringing was less than ideal, and as they grew up, they became consumed by their ambition. Willa Fitzgerald and Flana-verse favorite Zach Gilford play the siblings during their younger years when they cross paths with the stranger who will return decades later to watch as the Usher empire quickly crumbles.

The mysterious Verna (Carla Gugino) is front and center to the death of each heir. In the trailer, she calls herself “Consequence” and tells Roderick, “Your family is a collection of stunted hearts whose time has come.” During production, Gugino described Verna to Tudum, “You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.” Whether she’s killing them herself or somehow causing their deaths is unclear for most of the 8-episode run, so no spoilers here. 

Mike Flanagan has plenty of death in his past work but nothing I would ever call gory. The same can’t be said for House of Usher, though. The deaths are horrific in the best way, and watching how the surreal scenarios play out is a major part of what makes this a fun series. Imagine the roaming specters from The Haunting of Hill House if they died in a Jigsaw trap or freaky Final Destination “accident.” 

In the trailer, there’s a noticeably comedic tone to the series, with most of the dark humor stemming from the family dynamics of the heartless, self-centered Ushers. Viewers will also realize there’s a significant amount of sex, which isn’t usually prominent in other Flanagan projects. But it makes sense that characters living in opulence would be insatiable, or at least expectant, in all areas of life including sex. 

One familiar element in a Flana-verse production is a star-studded cast of actors, the majority of whom have worked with the filmmaker before. Doctor Sleep’s Kyleigh Curran joined the cast as Lenore Usher, the daughter of Frederick and Morella “Morrie” (Crystal Balint), and the only family member who isn’t allergic to empathy.

New additions (that we hope to see in future projects) include the remarkable Mark Hamill as Arthur Pym, the Ushers’ intimidating attorney and all-around “fixer.” Both Mary McDonnell and Willa Fitzgerald perfectly embody the icy and highly intelligent Madeline Usher at different ages, delivering her biting dialogue with a chilling and amusing tone. 

Flanagan’s consistently brilliant writing adds depth to unlikable characters that could easily come off as stereotypical, especially with all the (real and fictional) examples of wealthy narcissists we see on TV. He shares credit with his team of established and emerging writers — Emmy Grinwis (Snowfall), Justina Ireland (Dread Nation), Matt Johnson, Dani Parker (Midnight Mass), Rebecca Klingel (The Haunting of Bly Manor), James Flanagan (Midnight Mass), and Kiele Sanchez. 

Bruce Greenwood performs a monologue about the phrase “when life gives you lemons,” made all the more captivating as the camera slowly zooms in on a closeup. It’s another signature of Flanagan who directed four episodes with Michael Fimognari (The Midnight Club), who also acts as the series cinematographer, at the helm of the other four. 

As he did with authors Shirley Jackson in The Haunting of Hill House, Henry James in The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Christopher Pike in The Midnight Club, Flanagan interprets their elegant words, adds his signature style, and creates a stunning series. You’ll want to brush up on the poet if you hope to catch all of the references. Episodes are titled after other Poe stories but don’t necessarily follow the same narrative. 

The Fall of the House of Usher is a character-driven exploration of family, karma, greed, corruption, and privilege told through a uniquely satirical and supernatural lens. Though the series falls outside of the Flana-verse emotional repertoire — terminally ill teens, heartbreaking queer love stories, the tragic Eleanor Crain — the gore and dark humor are an unexpected treat. Mike Flanagan never fails to hit the mark.

The first two episodes of The Fall of the House of Usher premiere at Fantastic Fest in September 2023. All 8 episodes begin streaming October 12 on Netflix.