tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18615408420042057592012-01-25T13:48:03.419-08:00The life and times of a rock/metal journalist, Horror/SF author and bacon addict.Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.comBlogger3031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-23466774775612351722012-01-25T13:48:00.001-08:002012-01-25T13:48:03.428-08:00

I went to see UNDERWORLD: AWAKENING on Monday (my review is over at Diary of a Genre Addict), and now I can't get this song from the soundtrack out of my head. It's the perfect sort of song to go with the movie. Looking forward to picking up the soundtrack CD once it's out over here!

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-30087736153806383602012-01-25T03:02:00.001-08:002012-01-25T03:02:52.237-08:00

The Crow remake has yet another writer and director attached to it. Look, Hollywood, put the remake down and walk away from it. We know you can't stop messing about with things that are already fine and dandy as they are, but seriously, this remake of The Crow that you seem to be obsessed with making, no matter how many people quit the project and how many people deride it and cry out against

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-36427581716511756102012-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:002012-01-20T15:01:30.899-08:00

I'm currently finishing up my reviews batch for an upcoming issue of the magazine, and something has been bugging me. There are a lot of new bands out there who are trying their hardest to get some recognition, which is admirable in the current musical and financial climate, but who are going about one key aspect all wrong. The bio sheet, or Press Release, depending on how seriously you take

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-41431908945476166372012-01-19T02:13:00.000-08:002012-01-19T02:13:02.705-08:00

I've had this 2007 film on my radar for a while. The premise appeals to the film geek in me, and I can always use something to fill the void left by there only being one High Fidelity and one Clerks 2 in the world. Cillian Murphy plays the owner of a video store (remember those? I certainly do, and I miss them lots) who lives his life through the films he watches (this is kinda too close to

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-44642073334789528002012-01-18T15:05:00.001-08:002012-01-18T15:05:08.628-08:00

I've had this song stuck in my head for almost a week now. Sister Sin are a superb band with no bullshit to their sound - just raw, mean and melodic hard rock with a metal edge. This is from the album 'True Sound of the Underground', which rocks just as hard as this the whole way through. Buy it.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-11415820470243087932012-01-11T13:09:00.000-08:002012-01-11T13:09:25.118-08:00

I'm currently reading Simon Pegg's awesome autobiography (awesomography?), Nerd Do Well, and am kicking myself for not reading it sooner. I've been having a bit of a geek-life crisis of late, after being unable to indulge my inner nerd much lately due to free time and money issues (i.e. not much of either), but now the chaos of the Christmas period has been reduced to flickering embers (like

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-33597799863346096062012-01-04T02:47:00.000-08:002012-01-04T02:47:11.231-08:00

I'm a big fan of the Morse novels by Colin Dexter, and of course the iconic TV version starring John Thaw in the lead role as our Wagner-loving, ale-supping hero, and thus it was with a little trepidation that I approached watching Endeavour the other night on ITV1. Prequels are rarely much good, no matter how wonderful the source material is, but while this initial story for the young Morse

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-37962949420454290132012-01-03T14:20:00.000-08:002012-01-03T14:20:34.501-08:00

On New Year's Day, the BBC gave us a late Christmas present with the first episode of Sherlock's second series of three feature-length stories. “A Scandal In Belgravia”, the episode in question, was a joy to behold on every level for myself and my lady, not to mention millions of other people. It warms the heart that such an intelligent, sumptuously made piece of television drama is able to

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-59122962294816467712011-12-30T15:55:00.000-08:002011-12-30T15:55:43.617-08:00

(Considering the number of music reviews by me that see the light of day in the press, I thought I should start posting more of them here. Let's get started) Visions of Atlantis have been gaining something of a notable following this past year or so, and I'm not quite sure why, to be honest. I'd heard them a few years back, when they were still cloning Nightwish note-for-note, and hadn't

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-82774066837050584302011-12-29T14:54:00.001-08:002011-12-29T15:04:23.248-08:00

Every year as long as I can remember, I've ended December with 'Next year will be MY year', or 'Next year is the year everything changes at last', or some such vague nonsense. The thing is, this year stuff DID change, and change in ways that I couldn't have dreamed of. My career as a writer has finally started to gain momentum, with the release of three books this year (DEAD THING, DIARY OF

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-79277830676838328102011-12-23T10:09:00.000-08:002011-12-23T10:09:13.055-08:00

This had been sat on my shelves for a while, mixed in with the hundreds of other vintage SF paperbacks I am working my way through, and I thought it was about time I gave it a go. I am most glad that I did so, as the book is thoroughly engrossing and rather different to a great many other books I have read from the late 1960s. It tells the tale of Mr. Ryan, a man alone in his duties on a

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-82817015112477531852011-12-18T13:51:00.000-08:002011-12-18T13:51:05.426-08:00

I wasn't holding my breath for this film to do much for me, to be honest. I loved BATMAN BEGINS, but openly despised THE DARK KNIGHT. It just didn't work for me at all. However, this just-released trailer for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES looks amazing. I'm sold. I'm not sure how long the video below will be visible before Warners have it taken down from YouTube, so do check it out. Bane looks like

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-74660491823320489382011-12-17T17:57:00.001-08:002011-12-17T17:57:55.394-08:00

An excellent song from an excellent new arrival on the global scene. Think a more gothic Evanescence or a more metallic Within Temptation. I need to check out their album, and so do you.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-9678238011941294932011-12-10T16:08:00.001-08:002011-12-10T16:09:33.259-08:00

These are the end times. Leona Lewis, the personification of sugar and fluff, has recorded a cover version of “Hurt” by Nine Inch Nails. This fact alone should be enough to warrant several thousand nuclear warheads being aimed at the Earth's core. I not only don't want to live on this planet any more, I'd rather like the entire planet to be reduced to nothing but ashes. It's the only sensible

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-31978507373520183782011-12-06T13:09:00.001-08:002011-12-06T13:35:16.925-08:00

FOR THE FALLEN, the sequel to DEAD THING and the second novella in THE OTHERSIDE TRILOGY, is available NOW!!! You can download it immediately from Amazon for the Kindle device and Kindle apps on your smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop, or you can order the paperback edition!!! FOR THE FALLEN: THE OTHERSIDE TRILOGY BOOK II Lisa, a young woman whose flatmates are butchered by a demon,

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-89317233092049118972011-11-29T12:39:00.001-08:002011-11-29T12:39:37.235-08:00

Simply a brilliant song from one of the best melodic rock albums I have ever had the pleasure of reviewing. I still play this album all the time. Superb.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-35039151540245181332011-11-25T14:11:00.001-08:002011-11-25T14:12:49.416-08:00

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I am able to reveal the finished cover to my new book, FOR THE FALLEN! Featuring cover model Kelly Purdy, this is the cover that will be adorning both the print version and the Kindle version of the book. FOR THE FALLEN is a direct sequel to my earlier book, DEAD THING, but it can also be read as a standalone story! The book will be released

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-70841193533144859072011-11-20T15:17:00.001-08:002011-11-20T15:19:07.023-08:00

I have recently become a convert to the glorious televisual feast that is Man Vs. Food. This simple but beautiful series follows a gent called Adam as he goes around the US stuffing his face. This is a beautiful thing, despite the drooling that it inspires. My friends have loved it for ages, but I've only had limited TV viewing time for several years now with work and life, but an episode

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-20080524629165889752011-11-15T13:53:00.001-08:002011-11-15T14:12:39.451-08:00

I am a massive fan of Doctor Who. Twenty-three years ago I saw my first episode at the age of ten, and nobody can have been as pleased as me when the show returned to TV in 2005. Since then I've watched with pride as this battered old TV series not only came back stronger than ever, it became a respected part of the entertainment industry, the toy industry and the hearts and minds of millions

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-75833998743930693942011-11-12T13:03:00.001-08:002011-11-12T13:07:43.271-08:00

Look, I'm sick of this shit. I really am. The X-Factor is controlling you. You're zombies. This staged, fake, pitiful excuse for entertainment is clearly flashing subliminal messages at you in order to make you watch it more, buy the tabloids, buy the celebrity magazines and the autobiographies of children, in order to make up for revenue lost from you stealing MP3s. That's all this is. It's

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-17335408751204711482011-11-11T12:46:00.001-08:002011-11-11T12:46:30.140-08:00

hey all, apologies for the lack of posts this past week or so. I'm in the middle of doing NaNoWriMo for the fourth year in a row, but will make sure I post new content here for you too. How the hell are you all?

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-17556352148209174862011-11-11T12:42:00.001-08:002011-11-11T12:42:20.946-08:00

Tony Macalpine is an amazing musician an no mistake. This track is from his current self-titled instrumental CD and as well as being an amazing tune, it's got a guitar tone I would die for.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-12568398771706479122011-10-31T12:51:00.000-07:002011-10-31T12:52:06.023-07:00

There's only so much vacant-eyed preening I can deal with before I really want to stuff people face-first into a giant cannon and aim them at the moon. Celebs, hereafter referred to as 'Slebs', are rife with candidates for being sent on a one-way moon mission sans oxygen, and here are an initial ten suggestions (of many thousands of contenders) so I can make plans for early acts of my New World

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-71120338934716098232011-10-30T14:05:00.000-07:002011-10-30T14:05:38.747-07:00

Seriously, why don't film posters look this brilliant any more? While the days of painted artwork for most forms of popular media is seen as seriously old-hat now (or worse still, 'retro'), we do seem to be stuck in a rut of being offered nothing but Photoshop rush-jobs. Even on great posters from recent times there doesn't seem to have been much of an effort to come up with something iconic.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-55956623835428836662011-10-29T12:09:00.000-07:002011-10-29T12:09:57.062-07:00

Jimmy Saville may not be a name that means much to people under the age of thirty right now, but to those of us who remember the eighties clearly, and indeed those that remember the seventies (hello you lot), he was a big part of British culture. His legendary series 'Jim'll Fix It' was much loved by millions, who would watch each week as he made the dreams of viewers young and old come true.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-9599779076152023732011-10-28T16:39:00.000-07:002011-10-28T16:39:54.663-07:00

A new FREE horror story will be released everywhere in December.  More on this soon, but for now, be teased:

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-4411675603616733632011-10-27T12:13:00.000-07:002011-10-27T12:13:38.094-07:00

It's almost that time of year again folks, when it suddenly becomes easy to spot writers in the street by the bags under their eyes, the manic, caffeine-induced stare, the smoke coming from their laptops in coffee shops or the reams of paper under their arms. It is, my friends, time to write 50,000 words in 30 days again. This will be the fourth time I have attempted to hit the 50k mark as

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-55670086268169265772011-10-24T13:03:00.000-07:002011-10-24T13:03:30.624-07:00

I'm still coming down from the amazing weekend of music that was FireFest 2011. After last year's incredible event I thought it would be impossible to have a better time, but I was even more thrilled this time around. There is more to the festival than just listening to a bunch of bands, though. Much more. A massive part of the magic of FireFest is the atmosphere – The crowd, the artists and

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-6594858147726296982011-10-20T14:51:00.000-07:002011-10-20T14:52:05.060-07:00

FIREFEST 2011 kicks off on Friday night, and I'm thrilled to be attending as part of the POWERPLAY ROCK AND METAL MAGAZINE contingent of hacks. The bill looks amazing again, and even though  Saturday's headliners WARRANT pulled out (for no clear reason that I can find) it's going to be an amazing weekend of melodic rock. Last year's event was one of the greatest musical experiences of my life

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-86899571571408862672011-10-15T15:36:00.000-07:002011-10-15T15:36:37.584-07:00

I don't often write personal posts here, but... It's late. My girlfriend is asleep. I was out cold earlier, but now I'm awake and typing nonsense. I'm listening to the songs that defined me 5-10 years ago (and a few from a bit further back), and these tunes are bringing back a flood of memories that are at once infuriating and fascinating. I was a mess a few years ago. Several very bad

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-86711142203119970952011-10-14T07:00:00.000-07:002011-10-13T23:02:07.700-07:00

For the run up to Halloween, I decided to write a new short story to give away for free as an ebook, and here it is. Think of it as an early Halloween treat. The story is called UNDEAD AND BURIED and is available to down load for FREE by right-clicking on the cover image below and saving the file. The story is a fun little horror tale which is ideal for this season, but I hope it can be read at

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-5890131985452340272011-10-11T12:31:00.000-07:002011-10-11T12:31:28.312-07:00

I just watched the new, proper first trailer for Marvel Studios' THE AVENGERS, the team-up movie that geeks have been waiting years for, and am absolutely thrilled. From the characters, the snippets of dialogue, the action and everything else up to the use of a Nine Inch Nails track as the trailer music, it's all falling into place to be the greatest superhero movie ever made, and certainly the

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-75792657787708889962011-10-09T03:46:00.000-07:002011-10-09T03:47:56.513-07:00

I've waited a few days to write about the passing of Steve Jobs for a couple of reasons. Firstly I wanted the frenzy of content regarding this sad loss to pass a little, and secondly I wasn't sure exactly what to write about a man that has indirectly had such an effect on my life, as he did with so many others. I wrote a quick post when the news of his death was released, but I never posted it

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-14107084825560663922011-10-03T14:14:00.000-07:002011-10-03T14:14:21.494-07:00

Tonight I had the pleasure of interviewing vocalist extraordinaire Amanda Somerville regarding the debut from her TRILLIUM project. Her voice has been heard the world over with acts such as Avantasia, Kamelot, Kiske/Somerville and her hugely popular stint fronting EPICA while Simone was sick a while back. Amanda was an absolute delight to talk to and was wonderfully enthusiastic and friendly.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-237666331430408892011-10-01T13:34:00.000-07:002011-10-01T13:34:38.162-07:00

So the moment we Whovians have been craving since April has finally arrived. Questions are answered, jaws are left agape, the show is transformed again and fans are left with the task of mopping up their own minds after having them well and truly blown. What a way to end a series. As with the finale to series 5 ('The Big Bang'), this final twist in a very twisty series of Doctor Who is again

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-64672141802287570082011-09-30T12:51:00.000-07:002011-09-30T12:51:14.382-07:00

This short story is available as a free download from the iBooks store via your IOS devices, and features the two characters that Tess is known for the best, namely Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles. Freaks is a fun read for existing fans, but it's not perfect. There are glimmers of the characters we know and love, but the limited length of the piece doesn't leave room for more than broad strokes.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-50131046757198021272011-09-28T12:27:00.000-07:002011-09-28T12:27:27.967-07:00

Amazon have unveiled their four (yup, FOUR) new versions of their hit e-reader the Amazon Kindle, and each model is remarkably attractive. The regular Kindle has had a makeover and is now a much more sleek device, while the new Touch and Touch 3G offer Multitouch and the best e-ink displays yet. The Kindle Fire is the device that a lot of people have been waiting for the most, with its colour

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-26977720495927960422011-09-28T01:46:00.000-07:002011-09-28T01:46:06.378-07:00

Powerplay 136, my 40th published issue as a writer for the magazine, is out this week! Featuring my interview with Amy Lee of Evanescence and my best reviews yet, I'm thrilled that's it's heading towards the shelves. Here's to another forty issues! To whet your appetite for my interview with Amy, here's the latest Evanescence video from their new self-titled album!

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-9132353276182961232011-09-27T13:25:00.000-07:002011-09-27T13:25:56.996-07:00

The cover shoot for my next book, FOR THE FALLEN, happened on Monday here in Nottingham. Featuring cover model Kelly Purdy in costume as Lisa, the character whose physical description I based on her, the cover photos were shot by the creative powerhouse that is Christopher Dowson, who is now editing and sorting through the forty photos that were shot in order to pick the final two for the

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-29771803170691129102011-09-23T16:06:00.000-07:002011-09-23T16:09:18.732-07:00

Aw man, now I have even less reason to go and see the pointless David Fincher-helmed remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Billed as an adaptation of the book rather than a remake of the original Swedish film adaptation, it somehow manages to show off pretty much the whole film in a needlessly lengthy three and a half minutes of running time. Where are the enticing slivers of

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-7371624298869787982011-09-23T13:04:00.000-07:002011-09-23T13:10:44.403-07:00

I'm addicted to Facebook, this is common knowledge, but the latest batch of changes is sending even me up the bloody wall in paroxysms of apoplectic rage. The changes, which (as ever) you can't opt-out of, have turned our already botched feeds into the social media version of the Bloomberg TV channel. Information overload ahoy! These changes have certainly angered a lot of people, and confused

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-59046529095434131322011-09-18T12:33:00.000-07:002011-09-18T12:33:32.052-07:00

"Is this the ON switch?" Hear my cry, dear reader. I am introducing my mum to the internet, bit by bit. My dear old mum has always maintained that she's not used much else other than her TV ever since I moved out of home back in the mists of time, and thus getting her used to the online world is proving to be something of an adventure and a challenge. She is hugely intelligent and eager

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-79237734873029455532011-09-15T12:15:00.000-07:002011-09-15T12:15:02.721-07:00

The series that began with my novella 'DEAD THING' and which will continue soon with the sequel, 'FOR THE FALLEN', will now be known as THE OTHERSIDE TRILOGY. These three stories all stand alone as individual books, but together they form the OTHERSIDE TRILOGY, which will end with the epic third part, the title of which will be announced with the release of 'FOR THE FALLEN'. Encompassing

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-51238886335330075702011-09-13T15:10:00.001-07:002011-09-13T15:11:00.410-07:00

Look, I am fully aware that the latest cheapo Hellraiser sequel, HELLRAISER: REVELATIONS is an atrociously bad film, that Doug Bradley refused to be a part of, that Clive Barker has ranted about, that the horror community has torn to pieces, but... I still want to see it. I can't help it. I've liked seven of the nine there have been so far, disliked one and haven't seen the new one, and

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-76781052706725813952011-09-07T14:13:00.000-07:002011-09-07T14:13:31.346-07:00

Okay, I've bitched about bad TV plenty on here and elsewhere in my time as a pop culture hack for many years, but there is one bit of reality TV that never fails to hold my attention, and I need help with my addiction. It's simple. 'Come Dine With Me' is televisual crack. From the man who stuck a fat guy in a pig mask to the girl who filled a trifle with sausages (both of which are REAL, and

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-20275995572481836102011-09-03T11:21:00.000-07:002011-09-03T11:21:02.360-07:00

A new short story of mine, 'And With That Breath, I Was Gone', is to be featured in the forthcoming twelfth and final issue of Ethereal Tales Magazine. Way back in 2008 it was Ethereal Tales that first published my story 'The Last Mage', for which I remain extremely grateful. The theme of this final issue is 'Endings' and as such I wrote and submitted a story that is very ethereal indeed, and

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-21408649260015734612011-09-03T02:06:00.000-07:002011-09-03T02:10:35.818-07:00

So TechCrunch have reported (and have also supplied a mock-up)that a new Amazon tablet is on the way. It'll apparently be called... the Amazon Kindle. Immediately this makes me wonder two things: What will happen for users of the countless Kindles that are already in existence, and also what changes people like me will have to make when formatting content for the device. As a couple of rather

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-65182521110323647242011-08-28T03:23:00.000-07:002011-08-28T03:31:31.346-07:00

The fast-rising film and film culture site LOST IN THE MULTPLEX now has a new addition to their growing team of geeks who hit keys- me! I'm thrilled to be back in the realm of pop culture journalism, especially for such an awesome site. My first three pieces for the site have gone live this week. You can find them at the links below. The Perfect Seat In The Perfect Row Marvel Confirms Doctor

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-42506999802455755852011-08-27T13:26:00.001-07:002011-08-27T13:27:49.669-07:00

This evening I, along with millions of others, watched the return of Doctor Who to our screens after the show's mid-series break. I loved the episode, maybe not as much as Neil Gaiman's immaculate episode 'The Doctor's Wife', but I still loved it massively. The problem was that as it ended, I was left with a sense of horror and realisation. It was then that I realised there are levels of writing,

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-9246397428253872922011-08-14T12:34:00.000-07:002011-08-14T12:41:59.764-07:00

I'm currently writing material for my 40th issue as a part of the team behind POWERPLAY ROCK AND METAL MAGAZINE, and am still having just as much fun (if not even more) than I always have while working for such a great magazine. Making this landmark issue even more special for me, I have been lucky enough to conduct my biggest interview yet, with one of the most famous rock vocalists in the world

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-64895838077987962862011-08-13T13:09:00.000-07:002011-08-13T13:12:40.005-07:00

I'm pretty frank when it comes to my online presence. I'm on several major social networking sites and participate in a great deal of social media's addictive methods of wasting my days on this planet, but while traditional media (and indeed a considerable proportion of the populace) are convinced that we have lost our privacy, I feel like I personally have gained more. A few years ago (It might

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-6727669816967385972011-08-07T11:17:00.000-07:002011-08-07T11:46:32.120-07:00

It's been a while since I visited the Corporation nightclub back in my home town of Sheffield, and it was pleasant to revisit the sticky floor and the lack of oxygen for a night of mayhem. After catching up with old friends from my days hanging around the Sheffield dark alternative scene, the lights went down and the stomping began.DIRTY KRight, I don't generally like this brand of Industrial

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-68284210858968613762011-08-07T10:39:00.001-07:002011-08-07T10:43:44.414-07:00

The guys behind Nottingham's infamous DirtyFilthySexy club night laid on a great night's entertainment as part of this year's Pride celebrations, and onstage entertainment came in the form of Huddersfield four-piece Bad Pollyanna. With little room on the Salutation's miniscule stage for the band to move around, they put in a valiant effort to entertain the portion of the attendees that was

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-28682482151642851642011-08-05T17:11:00.000-07:002011-08-05T17:15:32.567-07:00

My new book, For The Fallen, has hit a snag in recent weeks, resulting in its release being pushed back a while. The thing is, this has given me ample opportunity to think the ending over. I wasn't happy with it before, and have thus cut most of the third act entirely.I'm now writing a whole new one, which is a massive improvement over the original ending. I felt that the original was too much of

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-48050259674163067912011-07-25T09:41:00.000-07:002011-07-25T09:43:48.637-07:00

Geeks all over the world are rejoicing at the sight of this awesome photo taken during the SDCC festivities, and with good reason. Click the link to BEHOLD THE WONDER!!!NATHAN FILLION, FELICIA DAY AND WIL WHEATON IN THE SAME PICTURE. THIS IS THE GREATEST THING EVER.Aaaaand relax.Damn I want to go to SDCC one day.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-83319661569018998642011-07-23T13:31:00.001-07:002011-07-23T13:34:15.221-07:00

Gah! What fresh hell is this? I've just seen the trailer for THE AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (see the embed below), the needless big screen reboot of Marvel's friendly neighbourhood wall-crawling smart-arse, and I want to scrape it out of my head as soon as possible. The Tobey Maguire Spider-man movies weren't perfect (well, apart from the awe-inspiring Spider-Man 2), but they felt much more like Spidey

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-45821686484706015152011-07-17T07:34:00.000-07:002011-07-17T07:39:43.294-07:00

WebBeat TV is one online show that is really going from strength to strength. With early editions of the increasingly popular show that covers online lifestyle and advances in web technology, I felt that the format was too similar to its sister show, GeekBeat. Thankfully it has now carved out a very clear identity of its own. It's a fun show, and always an uplifting watch. Here's episode 139 for

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-13989460022249556632011-07-15T13:55:00.000-07:002011-07-15T14:07:24.888-07:00

Folks, I implore you to check out the wonderful podcast Adventures in Sci-Fi Publishing, one of the finest genre podcasts in the business, and something I have been an avid listener of for a very long time indeed.It has changed a little over the years, but it continues to offer content that is fascinating and addictive. With superb interviews with industry luminaries, publishing news, writing

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-52365892361720729862011-07-14T11:44:00.000-07:002011-07-14T11:49:39.425-07:00

In light of the recent News of the World scandal and the subsequent controversy that has been enveloping News International and now News Corp itself, isn't it time that the world started to turn to its own public more for the news that it consumes and shares? The practices carried out by the now-defunct tabloid News of the World have brought one of the most commonly accepted stereotypes, that

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-36719166895758262922011-07-11T13:50:00.000-07:002011-07-11T13:53:14.421-07:00

Yeah, his music is very much an acquired taste, but lately I've been spinning a lot of King Diamond stuff. Whether it's his early material with Mercyful Fate, his solo stuff such as the godlike 'Sleepless Nights' below, or more recent albums like "Give Me Your Soul... Please", there is something creepy and wonderful about this particular metal god. This song is one of my favourites. The guitars,

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-64134085256980540422011-07-06T05:23:00.000-07:002011-07-06T05:26:31.458-07:00

The DC Comics reboot of their whole universe has been causing a lot of controversy and speculation since its announcement. The comics giant is completely erasing the last seventy years of pop culture history from their line of superhero comics and is starting everything over again from issue 1. Thus, none of the greatest stories ever told in the comic book medium ever happened, and nothing is

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-49769772948251968272011-07-03T12:21:00.000-07:002011-07-03T12:32:29.202-07:00

Rock City gets some fantastic bills stomping its boards, and as modern Industrial goes, this one’s pretty damn strong. Four bands, including three huge names and one local treasure that are sure to have garnered a lot of new fans after this show. While Rock City was never in danger of being anywhere near full, there was a good turnout of varied people ready for a night of stomping. I’m a bit out

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-63668830080029127512011-07-03T03:15:00.000-07:002011-07-03T03:16:43.827-07:00

There will be three new releases from me in the remainder of 2011 alongside the stuff from me monthly in Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine and my work for HorrorNews.Net. Three further novellas are on their way to you, and here are the release dates for each one! There will be other new releases featuring my work this year, but these are the three longer pieces I'll be releasing myself.FOR THE

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-38512414267933551512011-06-28T13:37:00.000-07:002011-06-28T14:28:27.468-07:00

Hey all, apologies for a quiet week from me- I've been hard at work getting some great new material done for Powerplay which I think you're going to love. As well as interviewing guitar legend GEORGE LYNCH, I just spent two days writing a heck of a lot of stuff about a certain metal band called ANVIL.If you know me at all, you know how uch I love this band and what they do, and I was priveliged

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-21077029343696268662011-06-19T07:32:00.000-07:002011-06-19T07:39:35.059-07:00

I was keeping this quiet for the time being, but seeing as a bunch of other authors have already annnounced it, I figured I'd so the same and bring you some happy news.My story "Beneath an Orange Sky" has been picked up for the Science Fiction and fantasy anthology Explorers: Beyond The Horizon from the Dead Robots Society.This is a very proud moment for me in that this is my first legit fiction

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-7301960723665134712011-06-16T14:47:00.000-07:002011-06-16T14:50:20.987-07:00

Don't mention it to my girlfriend, but I think I am falling in love with Terry Moore, or at least his talents as an artist and storyteller. After having read the final issues of ECHO at last, it seems timely to mention just how very talented the man is. Oh how I envy that talent and drive. I started reading Stranger In Paradise properly in recent weeks.For years I'd heard great things about this

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-88218274456821592102011-06-14T02:11:00.000-07:002011-06-14T02:22:20.104-07:00

Last night I was writing new material for the magazine, and then immediately switched to continuing work on the follow-up to Dead Thing, and struggled at first. It’s sometimes a little difficult to switch between the voices I need to use in my work. Music journalism and fiction require two very different disciplines, but they also draw from the same pool of experience. The trick is to use your

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-75548177275523617992011-06-10T12:14:00.000-07:002011-06-10T12:17:58.982-07:00

One of the most entertaining things I’ve seen online in some time has been the recent incident of a guy getting his MacBook stolen and eventually getting it back thanks to the ‘Hidden’ app (which is dirt cheap when you think about what it does).The app helped him trace his laptop down with the help of local police (and some media intervention), and enabled his MacBook to take photos and

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-31814428819275621422011-06-05T03:26:00.000-07:002011-06-05T03:33:01.267-07:00

My new horror novella DEAD THING and my science fiction collection ACROSS THE SEAS OF MIND are now available to download and read on your Kindle, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android devices. Both are available at bargain prices.These are my first forays into the world of Kindle publishing, and I hope you enjoy going on this adventure with me. More fiction will be arriving on the Kindle from me

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-20953334722295160982011-06-05T01:45:00.000-07:002011-06-05T01:49:03.768-07:00

So here we are, the needless US remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is coming, and we have now seen the first teaser poster, and I have flown into paroxysms of rage. Why the f**k is Lisbeth topless? It goes against the character. It’s cheap. It doesn’t fit with the story, and Rooney Mara looks freezing. It makes Daniel Craig look like a dirty old man. Granted, that’s pretty much how

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-62011950015267387052011-06-01T13:56:00.000-07:002011-06-01T14:00:25.628-07:00

A brilliant slice of dirty rock/metal from a hugely underrated band. These guys had so much potential, then came grunge and everything went downhill for a few years (until the current awesome rock resurgence).

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-49629516012979564202011-05-29T02:29:00.000-07:002011-05-29T02:36:04.845-07:00

The new Night Ranger album, "Somewhere In California" is out in June from Frontiers Records, and it's sounding pretty spectacular. The band have kicked out some classic melodic rock that evokes their 80s heyday while still looking to the future.Check out the EPK for the new album below, and then check out first single 'Growing up in california' after that for a taste of good old fashioned rock

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-65971590037609175322011-05-27T12:04:00.001-07:002011-05-27T12:12:01.700-07:00

My new novella, DEAD THING, is now available to order online! This brutal horror story is the first in a new series from me, and introduces you to the eccentric and ludicrously powerful psychic Patrick Lambert, who you'll be seeing again in more stories.The novella is available NOW as a 6x9 paperback with a full colour cover created by artist extraordinaire Richard Woollatt!Click here to order

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-89318954570756227562011-05-23T11:38:00.000-07:002011-05-23T11:39:47.007-07:00

I'm going to start sharing some tunes that shaped me and directed me towards becoming a music journalist. First up it the first video released from Richie Sambora's sublime 1991 solo album 'Stranger in this town'.Awesome song.

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-89121933298573089102011-05-14T12:02:00.000-07:002011-05-14T12:05:58.643-07:00

After all the build-up and excitement surrounding Neil Gaiman (aka @neilhimself)’s episode of Doctor Who, “The Doctor’s Wife”, fandom can breathe a collective, satisfied sigh. That was quite possibly one of the most special and uplifting examples of genre TV that has been on our screens in many years.I watched it next to a 5 year old and my lady, which is a heck of a test for anything I want to

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-38477425884914143502011-05-10T14:10:00.000-07:002011-05-10T14:17:17.784-07:00

I, along with a room full of similarly minded folks, just spent the evening in the company of a certain China Mieville, the man behind such contemporary speculative classics as Perdido Street Station, Un Lun Dun, The City & The City and others. He’s currently touring in support of his latest novel, Embassytown, and visited the events room on the top floor of the city’s huge branch of Waterstone’s

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-47438823617669383812011-05-07T16:03:00.000-07:002011-05-07T16:10:58.331-07:00

I had the pleasure of a very interesting conversation with Arch Enemy vocalist Angela Gossow recently, and the text of that conversation will be available in full in the next issue of Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine!My chat with Angela was kindly set up by the good folks at Century Media Records, and as a huge Arch Enemy fan I jumped at the chance. Angela was fascinating to talk to, as you'll

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-81649255805360074502011-05-04T15:32:00.000-07:002011-05-04T15:35:35.379-07:00

I've been quiet on the blogging front this week folks, due to trying to get DEAD THING, my new horror novella, completed for you! The book has now been finished and after one final revision/edit/check, it will be on its way to be formatted and made available!DEAD THING is intended as a horror movie in prose form, a fast-paced and brutal supernatural shocker that I hope will give you some bad

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-4479557976194753752011-04-23T09:20:00.000-07:002011-04-23T09:29:50.543-07:00

This superb blog post over at Comic Book Resources tackles the issue of mainstream comics taking few chances in terms of artwork, layout and colouring right now.It’s something that I have noticed whilst browsing the racks at my local comics emporiums (Hello there Forbidden Planet Nottingham, Page 45 and Mondo Comico!) and also during the nine years I spent selling comics at Starstore and The Last

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-29114502512921290282011-04-22T09:52:00.001-07:002011-04-22T09:53:42.542-07:00

My girlfriend, the wit-machine that she is (no really, she gets paid for being witty in the press), just can’t resist telling me at every opportunity that Chris Hemsworth, aka the lead in the new Marvel movie adaptation of THOR, was in Home and Away.As I typed that, my lady was looking over my shoulder and started singing the Home and away theme tune. Now, while my patience is being tried on a

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-88369134163900718092011-04-16T14:07:00.000-07:002011-04-16T14:14:35.831-07:00

(Photo taken by Chris Dowson)The new Robin Hood exhibition at the Galleries of Justice Museum here in nottingham is now open to the public! Featuring illustrations drawn by me and coloured digitally by Dowson Creative, the exhibition was creative in conjunction wwith Nottingham Trent University and the museum themselves, and takes up two fantastic rooms. It's free to check out, so please do pop

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-82632024514561863252011-04-07T03:26:00.000-07:002011-04-07T03:36:55.473-07:00

ROBIN HOOD: RISE OF A REBEL is the title of the new exhibition at the Galleries of Justice Museum here in Nottingham, for which I was commisioned to create a series of character portraits (and more) of the legendary Robin Hood, his merry men (and lady), and the villainous Sheriff of Nottingham.Featuring artwork drawn by myself and coloured by Dowson Creative, the pieces help to tell the story of

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-30842517934817523972011-04-02T16:59:00.000-07:002011-04-02T17:04:30.428-07:00

In a few short months, I'll be hitting 40 issues as part of the Powerplay Rock and Metal Magazine gang, and I'm still enjoying it just as much as when I was first offered the gig. It's a huge amount of fun, even when deadlines loom, to be able to talk about new music for our readers to check out.I still find it a little daunting when interviewing rock stars old and new, but the knowledge that I

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-65825068066543192152011-03-28T14:00:00.000-07:002011-03-28T14:14:55.408-07:00

Gah, here we go again. I spent a while today eyeing up new guitars (mine are battered), amps and effects (mine are long gone) and daydreaming of getting back into a band. For those of you that are not aware, once upon a time I was part of a band called RED20, for which I played guitar on three CDs and live. Those days ended, and ever since then I have occasionally succumbed to the Curse Of The

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-58957455779694723702011-03-27T13:23:00.001-07:002011-03-27T13:24:18.313-07:00

With everything I see about the new Captain America movie starring Chris Evans and Hugo weaving, I'm getting genuinely more excited. When the project was first announced I pretty much shrugged. I'm English, and thus Cap has nowhere near as much interest to me than he perhaps does to a US based fan, but with the trailers, photos and word of mouth building towards a crescendo now, I think I'm sold

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-45019402299609808712011-03-21T12:34:00.000-07:002011-03-21T12:36:32.163-07:00

Get off your bloody phone. Seriously. The next person who gets in my way in the street while paying more attention to the screen of their expensive Smartphone is going to get it snatched out of their hand, smothered in bleach, set on fire and rammed violently into their anus. Sideways. There is an entire world of stuff going on around you, and your furious thumb-swiping is making you miss out on

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-28988074500456605722011-03-16T14:09:00.000-07:002011-03-16T14:21:14.215-07:00

Very soon I'll be able to tell you all about the Robin Hood project I was commisioned to draw. What I can say now is that the art is some of the best I have ever created, and the colours (by the massive talents of Dowson Creative) have put a brilliant modern spin on the classic notions of the legendary characters involved in the stories of the famous outlaw.The image you see here will not be part

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-75324650625742194562011-03-05T14:06:00.000-08:002011-03-05T14:14:04.206-08:00

It is with great pleasure that I reveal the cover of my new book, DEAD THING, in all its gory glory. I was unhappy with the previous cover for the book and as such approached a brilliant artist and good friend, Richard Woollatt, with a layout sketch. The finished cover, featuring his amazing artwork, is presented below with a watermark.The book, a brutal (and rather English) horror novella will

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-49328379979060698272011-02-21T13:48:00.000-08:002011-02-21T13:51:37.914-08:00

The latest blight upon our delicate British eyes is a travesty of an advert from Virgin, who have taken the lyrics to 'Our House' by Madness and used them as a painful spoken word piece that takes all the joy out of those delightfully arranged words.While it's nice that Madness will be getting some cash every time the thing is shown, it adds yet another example of a classic song being shafted

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-21100354052709623672011-02-19T17:52:00.001-08:002011-02-19T17:59:11.233-08:00

Hey all, apologies for the lack of posts this week. I've been in meetings about an awesome new project that is now underway and will be announced shortly. It would seem that my old hobby of comic art has garnered me some very cool work indeed, and I'll be telling you all the details about it very soon.It has to do with the city I'm living in now- Nottingham - and a certain legendary outlaw. My

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-3480030398333838452011-02-10T14:56:00.001-08:002011-02-10T15:00:53.763-08:00

Fox have revealed the first trailer for X-Men: First Class via their Facebook page and YouTube, giving us our first real look at how this film will play out. See it below!My initial reaction is one of huge relief, as this looks much better than previously expected, and I'm very pleased that it looks like Fox still see the other X-Men films as canon (going by the structure of this trailer). I look

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-72762897614714728722011-02-08T14:45:00.000-08:002011-02-08T15:38:25.163-08:00

There are some wonderful things around right now in the world. Wonderful technological advances, delightful foods from around the world and all manner of cultural morsels that perfectly capture the here and now. Then there are the other things, aspects of the modern age that make me cringe, that encourage me to seethe and fume, swear and flail in incoherent rage.These things really shouldn't bug

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-75246433506735248982011-02-04T13:55:00.000-08:002011-02-04T13:58:14.565-08:00

So here's the first official image poster for the Captain America movie (aka Captain America: The First Avenger or The First Avenger: Captain America, depending where you are and what you read). After not being all that excited by what I'd seen about the film thus far, this poster and the growing reports that director Joe Johnston has worked his magic (Rocketeer FTW!!!) are getting me stoked.I

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-45047882272617662622011-02-02T11:57:00.000-08:002011-02-02T12:06:11.153-08:00

(Photo by Lan Bui)Something that evokes a sense of longing whenever I update my Podcast list in iTunes is that there is yet to be any new episodes of 'A Comicbook Orange', the marvellous show all about comics, the creators and the industry, hosted by the always entertaining Casey McKinnon.Casey certainly knows her stuff and has a passion for the medium, and the show features some truly astounding

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-13836962806467612152011-02-02T10:49:00.001-08:002011-02-02T10:51:05.702-08:00

Marketing and advertising is changing thanks to the shifting tastes of social media, and the term that is big right now is Social Commerce.This is basically advertising to individuals based on what their friends and family have bought, displayed via a widget or suchlike linked to various social media entities such as Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare.While stuff like Blippy still scares the

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-30222989001460914272011-01-24T15:38:00.000-08:002011-01-24T16:39:51.610-08:00

Wizard magazine, the comics industry bible, and its sister publication Toyfare are to cease production immediately, according to reports circulated today. They are to be incorporated onto an online magazine under the banner of Wizard World, so the content will continue, but no longer in the print medium.On the one hand this is devastating news, as Wizard has been THE comics industry magazine

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-21758743483395798752011-01-23T10:11:00.001-08:002011-01-23T10:12:23.095-08:00

A weekend away beckoned for a family birthday visit, and thus two lengthy train journeys stretched out ahead of me. Travelling light was essential, so I couldn't laden myself down with stuff to keep me amused during the lengthy trips across the English countryside. Yes, I could have just appreciated the scenery as we passed it, but I've spent most of my life looking at it, so entertainment was

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-79530863473215607132011-01-18T22:45:00.000-08:002011-01-18T22:51:54.905-08:00

So finally the first official cast image from X-Men: First Class has arrived online, and my initial reaction is a resounding 'Meh'. There's something about this project that says either 'TV Pilot' or simply 'Huge flop' all over it.Of course, I have no basis for that, but the image just looks kinda like a cosplay photo and the concept of the film just feels rather weak. It'll be great for comics

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-27730280121373259732011-01-11T03:07:00.000-08:002011-01-11T03:10:02.725-08:00

An article over at The Guardian is stating that we are witnessing the death of rock and roll as an art form. The piece goes on to explain that rock is accounting for a very small percentage of mainstream sales, and that these are the final days of the genre.Quite frankly; No.Rock music may well account for very little airplay on mainstream radio and next to no portion of mainstream charts, but to

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1861540842004205759.post-13249945351892733042011-01-08T11:24:00.001-08:002011-01-08T11:27:21.599-08:00

iFanboy, the comic book discussion and review site that spawned the hugely popular iFanboy video and audio podcasts, is officially ten years old today. That's ten years of bringing comics fans news on new and upcoming titles as well as countless reviews and opinion pieces, interviews and features on the industry and the creators behind it.The guys behind iFanboy do a sterling job, and their

Andrew Hawnthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16222296246882937031noreply@blogger.com1