• Fascinating.  Science writer Lee Billings has been guest blogging for BoingBoing this week, dissecting NASA’s big Kepler news and exploring other exoplanetary pursuits.

• Have ya heard the one about Bill Murray at a Bears playoff game?

• A Song of Ice and Fire comics coming from Dynamite and Bantam.

• Man this is gonna suck, OR, All my dreams torn asunder… The first images from the forthcoming feature film of Kerouac’s classic On the Road have been released.  It stars such noted thespians as Twilght’s Kristen Stewart and TRON Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund as Dean Moriarty/Neal Cassady.  Egads.  I’ve not seen Control, the Ian Curtis biopic, nor anything else Sam Riley’s been in so I’ll reserve judgment on the casting of the Kerouac stand-in Sal Paradise for now.

• Is Russell T. Davies turning his back on SF after the next Torchwood series “Miracle Day?”

• Here’s hoping Gareth Edwards handles Godzilla more like the giant monster movie we’re clamoring for than his previous foray, Monsters, which was overrated to say the least.  Lost in Translation meets Cloverfield, posing as brainy SF and blind to both films’ strengths.

Mars rover Spirit’s tracks on its way to “Columbia Hills” in 2004

• Video: The movie may be a steaming pile of poop, but The making of Tron Legacy (or how to make Jeff Bridges 28 years younger) compiles and dissects some of the few things the filmmakers got right.

• Over the Top: Jason Aaron vs. Alan Moore

• Comic Book Resources has an exclusive preview of Daredevil Reborn #1

• Orson Scott Card has suffered a mild stroke and will not make any public appearances for the forseeable future, but is still working.  Regardless of your your opinion on his worldview, you’ve got to respect talented folk who take a lickin and keep on tickin’.

• These gorgeous prints from Mondo went on sale today, but were sold out in mere minutes.

• FP still has some stock left on what’s sure to be a hot-ticket item this weekend- Deluxe Identity Discs.

• Make your own TRON paraphernalia on the cheap with these papercraft models of BIT. (Thanks for the heads up, Live for Films.)

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If you find yourself needing a fix in that time I suggest you pick up a copy of the TRON The Betrayal TP.

Yes, I’m well aware that I have been known to rail against the formulaic, cliched, now-requisite prequel comic before (see: Inception for example).  However, Betrayal has enough interesting moments and relevant plot details to make it at least worth a read.

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• The Art of TRON Legacy is available as of TODAY.
• The movie has received a PG rating from the MPAA
• You can now insert yourself into the teaser trailer on the movie’s Facebook page.

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Redemption:  The sequel to one of the most ambitious SF cinema flops of all time is expected to become one of the biggest films of all time.

What’s happening to my special purpose?  Action Flick Chick as The Baroness NYCC

Vanity: Jeff Ayers on Jeff Ayers’ job. 26 minutes of me pontificating upon the vagaries of NYC comic retail on the hottest day in recorded NYC history. In reality I know the difference between Detective Comics #27 and #37 and tensile and tactile.  Saw a doctor and got rid of it.

Lord loves a workin’ man:  Grant Morrison on Twitter.

When you’re rich and famous you’ll send me a postcard:  Thank you, Messrs. Gaiman and McKean for all the conversation pieces you’ve provided me throughout the years.  Thank you DC for changing The Sandman’s trade dress all old-timey and shit.

Don’t trust whitey:  Comics cover price = $2.99?

In other TRON Legacy news I picked up a neat-o Identity Disc slash frisbee at the shop yesterday.  Looks great, flies like poop… but who cares about functionality when you’ve got something so badass (and relatively cheap!) in your eager paws.

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Been a helluva day but I’m dogged and relentless (LET ME AT ‘EM!).

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• Actor Peter Jurasik, who played a compound interest program named Crom in the original film, showed up in an article in the Star News (North Carolina) over the weekend chatting about his experience while shooting the original classic film.

“Steve Lisberger who created it, first of all, he hired all of us for almost the entire run of the thing. So people became almost like a little family,” Jurasik said. “He put all those TRON video games right on the set, they served us breakfast, lunch and dinner right on the set. … I remember Jeff Bridges bringing his guitar and plugging in. It was a really nice set to be on because we were like … science fiction outlaws.”

Jurasik is a veteran bit player and SF television icon who co-starred with Tron himself,  Bruce Boxleitner, in the superlative Babylon 5.

• A new Hungarian poster reveals Jem, a character played by Beau Garrett (below).

• Similarly, there’s also a new poster depicting Jeff Bridges as Flynn, though I’m not so keen on this one for some reason.  Maybe I’m just waiting for a de-aged Bridges as CLU in some badass pose or something.  This one strikes me as something out of The Big Tronbowski, and I keep mentally replacing the Identity Disc with a bowling ball… comma dude.

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Pretty rad, huh? More footage was reportedly shown at the panel, but this represents what’s officially been released to the web. It’s enough, though, as there’s plenty for any fan’s tongue to wag at. Recognizers, Identity Disc battles, a rather nifty de-res shot, a de-aged Bridges as CLU looking reasonably seamless, Light Cycle races, and some kind of Light Jet contraption (looks like an X-Wing fighter, actually) to cap things off… Oh my, have I got the vapors!

I’ve watched this video… um… let’s just say more than once.

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