Next year is the 30th anniversary of James Cameron's Aliens and in the film's honor Dark Horse and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products are re-releasing the Aliens comic. Also: a Q&A with Jax Menez Atwell, a new Night People clip, and a trailer for Scarred.
Aliens 30th Anniversary: Press Release: "MILWAUKIE, OR—In 1988, Dark Horse’s Aliens comic debuted, with stunning art by Mark A. Nelson and a script by Mark Verheiden, taking the comics market by storm. For the thirtieth anniversary of the Aliens film, Dark Horse and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products are releasing an oversized hardcover edition of the unabridged and unadulterated series!
This must-have collector’s edition delivers 184 pages of original black-and-white art, each panel more horrifying than the last.
In deep space, a salvage crew is attacked by seemingly unstoppable monsters. The marines are called in, but they need someone with experience. Soon Hicks (the horribly scarred survivor from Aliens) and Newt (now almost eighteen) find themselves on a mission to locate and destroy the aliens’ homeworld!
This collection also marks the first major comics work by Mark Verheiden, who went on to write The Mask, Timecop, Battlestar Galactica, Daredevil, and many other films and television shows.
Aliens 30th Anniversary: The Original Comics Series (978-1-50670-078-6) is in stores April 26th, 2016. Pre-order your copy today at your local comic shop or through these fine retailers:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
IndieBound"
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Q&A with Jax Menez Atwell: "The Alaska Triangle, a region in northwest Alaska, has more unsolved missing person cases than anywhere else in the world. Over 20,000 people have vanished in the past 50 years alone. Who or what’s behind these cases is unknown. Some believe it’s the work of local predators or simply the rugged, dangerous terrain, but legends thrive in Alaska, and the ominous history of disappearances in the area has drawn comparisons to the Bermuda Triangle. Working together with local experts and eyewitnesses, our team of investigators will go case-by-case to gather evidence, conduct tests, examine history and explore local myths to determine the most viable explanation for the disappearances, all while trying to understand the sinister mystery that is the Alaska Triangle."
Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us today, Jax. In your new show, Missing in Alaska, you and fellow team members Ken Gerhard and Tommy Joseph investigate the Alaska Triangle. Can you talk a little bit about this region of Alaska and why it seems to be so dangerous and mysterious?
Jax Menez Atwell: People don't understand Alaska. This adds to the mystery surrounding this beautiful part of the world. Two things contribute heavily to its mystery. The first being the massive size of the state. The states of Texas and California can fit into the land mass comfortably if that helps give you a perspective. Alaska is very different regionally with wildly varying climates, terrains, wildlife, etc. The second thing that adds to the mystery is that this huge land mass has only around 700,000 humans inhabiting it. When you’re away from the few cities, there is no 911. It is just you and Mother Nature... and whatever else is lurking about.
You have an extensive background in law enforcement that gives you a unique perspective on the series’ cases. What type of approach do you take to the investigations and how does it differ from your partners’ ways of thinking on the show?
Jax Menez Atwell: I approach every case the same. The basics of any investigation are always the same. You’re always looking for the “who, what, where, when, why” and of course “how.” That being said, what differs in every investigation is what evidence you are given to disseminate your case from. You have to look at what evidence you have been given and go from there.
When you’re investigating cases such as ours in Missing in Alaska it is really important to stay level-headed. Ken and Tommy had a wealth of knowledge of folklore and cryptid creatures and it is just human nature to want to discover something unheard of or some mystery that's been stewed over for centuries. It was really important to just stick with the evidence and not jump to conclusions. If you let your emotion cloud your judgment you’re going to take your case way off course and potentially miss some big pieces of evidence.
Have you ever experienced anything on the series or elsewhere that has made you believe in the supernatural and otherworldly, or do you see yourself as more of a skeptic?
Jax Menez Atwell: Oh, I am definitely a skeptic. I am definitely the guy who wants anyone to "show me the evidence" before I stake myself to anything. Do I believe in demonic and angelic presences? Absolutely. Do I believe that some of these legends could be true... of course! There is a plausible explanation that some of them could be true or some could be exceptional variations of known animals or just undiscovered animals.
Look at the Thunderbird, for instance. Just like the ocean, they are always discovering previously unknown species from the air. This bird very plausibly could be alive and well. Bird skeletons are tough to find regardless, but you’re also talking about a bird that lives in solitude and far away from people. The bottom line is any good investigator will never rule anything out until there is 100% proof that explanation is off the boards.
I understand you’re no stranger to Alaska or Native American folklore. How have the unforgiving environment and its rich history impacted your work?
Jax Menez Atwell: The opportunity to work cases in Alaska and to learn directly from Tommy Joseph about the deep history and traditions of Alaskan natives was a dream come true. Their passions and love for their people are steadfast. They live their lives in the ways of their people yet integrated uniquely with the rest of Alaskans. The strain between races doesn't seem to be there with residents of Alaska and the natural tribes of Alaskan natives. Please don't get me wrong, there has been wrong done to the Alaskan tribes by our government, but I don't feel the racial strain you see in the lower 48. I think Alaska's unique and harsh environment creates camaraderie between people no matter what race or belief system.
On Missing in Alaska, you guys investigate a wide range of potentially intimidating figures, including mermaids, the Otterman, and violent warrior tribes from the past. Out of your experiences so far on the series, which situation has unsettled you the most?
Jax Menez Atwell: You use the term unsettled instead of maybe something that caused fear or worry over life and limb. Immediately that word brought to the front of my mind our investigation into HAARP. As we have previously established, many of our investigations, even to a skeptic, have a plausible explanation. This investigation was different and left all of us very unsettled. The fact that governments have been and are tinkering with things that can control weather, and even more unnerving, tinkering with our minds, is extremely unsettling. I don't even care if it has never worked; it is unsettling if not Babylonian to attempt to play God. Did man not learn from the tower of Babel? Do I believe the facility in northeastern Alaska is currently operational? No. Do I believe it can be at the flip of a switch? Yes. Do I think that something the size of the HAARP facility with the technological advances in the past decades probably could be inside a van or maybe inside of a suitcase now? Yes. Now, that my friends, is unsettling.
What would you tell someone who is usually skeptical of watching investigative documentary shows? What sets Missing in Alaska apart from the pack?
Jax Menez Atwell: This question is very important to me because I am a professional investigator. I don't work on silly things. My case work and clients are very important, very real, and nothing to jest over. The importance to investigating something that some may dismiss is just always to do your best to stay grounded in your investigation, to not get too up and not get too down.
I am proud of the work the three of us did in being part of a show that didn't have us running around the woods chasing our shadows. To the best of our abilities we explored the possibility and gave the viewer an opportunity to make their own decision. I always go back to the scenario of two people on a couch watching our show, one dismisses it and the other believes it, but after watching our show the two talk and have great conversation over what we presented.
To learn more about Jax Menez Atwell, visit:
"ABOUT HISTORY'S "MISSING IN ALASKA"
The Alaska Triangle, a region in northwest Alaska, has more unsolved missing person cases than anywhere else in the world. Over 20,000 people have vanished in the past 50 years alone. Who or what’s behind these cases is unknown. Some believe it’s the work of local predators or simply the rugged, dangerous terrain, but legends thrive in Alaska, and the ominous history of disappearances in the area has drawn comparisons to the Bermuda Triangle. Working together with local experts and eyewitnesses, our team of investigators will go case-by-case to gather evidence, conduct tests, examine history and explore local myths to determine the most viable explanation for the disappearances, all while trying to understand the sinister mystery that is the Alaska Triangle.
HISTORY CHANNEL LINKS
Main page: http://www.history.com/shows/missing-in-alaska
Schedule: http://www.history.com/schedule
Pilgrim Studios: http://www.pilgrimstudios.com/shows/missing-in-alaska/"
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Night People: Press Release: "Night People will be released in cinemas in Ireland on November 13th 2015.
Night People is an Irish Horror / Science Fiction story which marks the feature film debut of director Gerard Lough and stars Michael Parle, Jack Dean-Shepherd and Claire Blennerhassett. The film was shot on location in Donegal and Dublin and features a large cast made up of some of the country's most exciting new acting talent. The film tries to breathe new life into genre cinema with striking visuals, provocative themes with an ambitious intertwining narrative that has plenty of twists and turns.
A pair of professional but badly mismatched criminals break into a vacant house to carry out an insurance scam. Awkwardly thrown together with an hour to kill, they reluctantly start telling each other tall tales. One concerns two friends who discover a mysterious device that may be of alien origin. The more they learn about it, the closer to breaking point their friendship is pushed. The other is about an ambitious business woman who provides a dating agency for wealthy fetishists. She attempts to escape this shady line of work by taking on a new client who's habits may be of the vampiric variety."
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Scarred: "Scarred is a throwback to the ‘80s Horror Genre with its “in your face kills” provided by its six foot Jason’esk type killer, Jonah Kandie. The story takes place in modern day, with the owner of a modeling agency, Faye Ambler (played by Justine Greenwald) has been propositioned by a wealthy upper echelon, George Sanders, whose son is a nature photographer and is looking for his dad to give him a break in the fashion world.
Faye sends four of her girls to Wolf Ledges for the shoot, since it is known for its quiet and rural nature. Faye feels this remote resort would be perfect for a newbie nature photographer to practice his new craft. As the story unfolds, the models, their chaperone “Bo” (who happens to be Faye’s nephew), and Brodie the photographer, have a run-in with a couple of townies and are ultimately warned of the Kandies. Needless to say the group is not buying it and they go along with a blatant disregard to the warning, finally succumbing to their fate one by one as expected by the wrath of no other than Jonah Kandie.
Scarred features the “First Jason Vorhees” Ari Lehman, Playboy Model Lisa Neeld along with Janine Bowles Sarnowski, Carl Ferrara, Don Kilrain and an aspiring cast that really put forth a solid effort in their performances in this film written and directed by Eddie Lengyel."
To learn more about Scarred on DVD and VOD, visit: http://www.scarredthemovie.com/
Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.
The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).
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