Here’s two quick somewhat kind-of, sort-of related comic-book/TV related trade news stories: First up, Ben Affleck — who was recently cast as a Batman described as “tired and weary” in Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel sequel — will also be directing his first televison pilot (quick aside: How awesome would it have been if Affleck were Batman, and Jon Hamm were Superman, as had been rumored before Henry Cavill took the role?) The pilot is for a Fox drama (boo! Why not cable, Ben?) It’s called The Middle Man, and it’s a crime drama set in 1960′s Boston, so it’s right up Affleck’s alley. According to the press release: “The Middle Man focuses on the relationship between the FBI agent responsible for taking down the Italian-American mafia and his confidential informant, an Irish-American gangster. Throughout the relationship, ‘the duo’s actions inadvertently give rise to the Irish-American mob in this timeless Boston crime saga.’” So, it’s the precursor to the Whitey Bulger/Stephen Flemmi gang? The Middle Man will be vying for a slot on the Fall 2014 schedule over on Fox. Meanwhile, in news more directly related to comic books, the CW has cast the lead for its planned Flash series. The character will be introduced in The CW’s Arrow during the second season, and if the CW likes it (they will), the network will roll out a Flash series. Who will play the Barry Allen, aka, The Flash? A kid named Grant Gustin, who some may know from Glee. What can we expect?

After DC announced a new Harley Quinn series with writers Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti, they held a contest to let a fan draw a page for Harley Quinn #0. Unfortunately, one of the things they asked contestants to draw on spec was a scene depicting a naked Harley Quinn committing suicide: "Harley sitting naked in a bathtub with toasters, blow dryers, blenders, appliances all dangling above the bathtub and she has a cord that will release them all. We are watching the moment before the inevitable death. Her expression is one of “oh well, guess that’s it for me” and she has resigned herself to the moment that is going to happen." [DC's Open Talent Search] That artists were expected to draw sexualized violence of a woman before they could be considered for a job at DC caused just a wee bit of a kerfuffle, especially among people not familiar with the usual cartoon violence of the Harley Quinn character. This came to our attention last week when an epic rant about the contest went viral as f*ck with over 43,000 notes on Tumblr. Oh yeah, and this contest was announced right before National Suicide Prevention Week. The Mary Sue has an excellent recap of the blowout, but we’ll attempt to summarize. Jimmy Palmiotti responded that he should have included a “description of tone and dialogue” with the scene, adding that “it was supposed to be a dream sequence with Amanda and I talking to Harley and giving her a hard time. I should have also mentioned we were thinking a Mad magazine / Looney Tunes approach was what we were looking for.” He also said the fault didn’t lie with DC Comics for the lack of context with the suicide scene. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, American Psychiatric Association, and National Alliance on Mental Illness sent a statement to The Huffington Post stating their disappointment. Now DC Comics has responded to that statement, telling HuffPo: "The purpose of the talent search was to allow new artists an opportunity to draw a single page of a 20-page story. True to the nature of the character, the entire story is cartoony and over-the-top in tone, as Harley Quinn breaks the 4th Wall and satirizes the very scenes she appears in. DC Entertainment sincerely apologizes to anyone who may have found the page synopsis offensive and for not clearly providing the entire context of the scene within the full scope of the story." I’m still surprised that the backlash surprised DC. Did they not know that asking hopeful artists to depict a suicide, particularly the suicide of a naked woman, could piss people off? This should be a reminder that a diversity of backgrounds is something every workplace should have. Case in point, before the New 52 relaunch, 12% of DC’s creators were female. And after the relaunch? Only one percent female creators. Generally speaking, you’re going to have some serious blind spots and find yourself scrambling to make apologies after the fact if your creators are limited to 99% one gender or one race or one socioeconomic or geographic background, etc. And don’t be that guy who comments, “but women don’t read comics DURRRR” because they do and that guy sucks.

Grand Theft Auto V has seen nearly three million preorders in the United States alone. But not everybody preorders, or some of us have just scraped together the money to pick up the game. So the question becomes… how should you buy it? We break out the pros and cons of each choice. And, of course, if you’ve got others, let us know.

Well, you just knew it was coming; some bone-headed corporation would — in an impossibly misguided attempt to promote their brand by invoking 9/11, or something — would cross the line and spark an outrage. And AT&T has laid claim to the prize. Yes, in what will surely go down as one of the more ill-conceived bits of product placement in the history of advertising, AT&T tweeted “Never Forget” along with photo of an AT&T phone held up in place of the Twin Towers from it’s official account this afternoon. Naturally, a few folks are outraged about this…

AMC, which cancelled The Killing last week, is losing Breaking Bad at the end of this month, and Mad Men next year, and still hasn’t found a viable replacement for either series (Low Winter Sun, sure as hell isn’t it), looks to be doing for The Walking Dead what the Saul Goodman spin-off is doing for Breaking Bad, which is to say: If you can’t succeed with new properties, just spin off the old. Indeed, AMC announced today that it is in the early stages of developing a spin-off to The Walking Dead, set for 2015. Details are scarce. Here’s what AMC had to say, according to TVLine. “Building on the success of the most popular show on television for adults 18-49 is literally a no-brainer,” said AMC prez Charlie Collier in a statement. “We look forward to working with Robert, Gale and Dave again as we develop an entirely new story and cast of characters. It’s a big world and we can’t wait to give fans another unforgettable view of the zombie apocalypse.” I wouldn’t call it a “no brainer,” since you’ll be diluting the power of the strongest series on the network, but for financial reasons, I see what they mean. Series creator Robert Kirkman added this: “After 10 years of writing the comic book series and being so close to the debut of our fourth, and in my opinion, best season of the TV series, I couldn’t be more thrilled about getting the chance to create a new corner of The Walking Dead universe. The opportunity to make a show that isn’t tethered by the events of the comic book, and is truly a blank page, has set my creativity racing.” We’ll bring you more details when they’re announced.

Two things that I love unconditionally: 1) Stories about eccentric musicians, as told and/or reenacted by Dave Chappelle; and 2) Stories about Kanye West, as told or reenacted by anyone. In the first category, we have the famous Rick James and Prince sketches from Chappelle’s Show. In the second, we have lots, most notably Aziz Ansari’s story about the time he hung out at Kanye’s house and walked in to find him silently bumping along on the couch to his own album. (Posted below.) But today is a great day because now those two things have been welded together by the gods and presented to us as a gift. At a recent stop in Illinois on the much-discussed Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, Chappelle told this story about the time Kanye performed on Chappelle’s Show just as he was starting to blow up, and it is just perfect. Enjoy.

Deviant Art user Nabhan has created a series of illustrations in which many of these objects double up as puns. For instance, one of the illustrations shows a man who has taken away the “control” button on the keyboard, alluding to the more figurative idea of “taking contol” of one’s life. While some drawings are silly, others are quite creative and will brighten up your day. View the rest of these illustrations below.

To many, being a photographer is a glorified profession. How hard could it be? You get to travel the world, shoot babies or weddings, and you might even be your own boss! Sounds like a pretty sweet deal, right? Over the past year, The Shoppe Design studio has started to dispel those myths, revealing the true life of a photographer. Dripping with sarcasm, the posters, under the series name Shoppe Satire, are mostly all lines photographers hear from their clients or ones they say to them (often with a sarcastic undertone). They're lines that make photographers sigh in disbelief like, "Your camera takes really nice pictures," or "Of course you are invited to our wedding. You're bringing your camera, right?" Whether you're just entering the profession or are a seasoned photographer, we'll guarantee you'll get a kick out of these posters!

Dads are notorious for being caught ‘just resting their eyes,’ but I think this guy’s dad is the sleepiest dad of them all…

If these pictures don’t put a smile on your face, then you’re cold and heartless and clearly don’t like to be in a good mood. And if that’s the case, I have no idea why you’re visiting this website because literally everything on here is supposed to put you in a good mood.

Kids are way too sheltered these days. With 24 hours of children’s television available, they aren’t forced to watch Unsolved Mysteries and America’s Most Wanted like I was. Stir things up a bit. Get a Zombie Pet Plush. The huggable undead might bring them some sweet–yet still a little scary–cuddles by day, but turn the lights out and wait for the screams! Look at these things…they’re pretty gross looking. Choose from Bitey – a possibly rabid baby werewolf, Deadington Ruxworth – a stuffed bear, or Frostbite – an undead penguin.

Milan-based Italian illustrator and graphic designer Marcello Barenghi creates hyperrealistic drawings of ordinary objects that boggle the mind. It's hard to believe that the artist uses a standard set of art supplies to reproduce the likeness of everyday items, including anything from a bag of chips or bottle of whiskey to a crumpled up banknote. Each mixed media illustration in the artist's growing collection of works goes beyond just seeming realistic. They give the illusion of three-dimensionality, leaving one to question what they're actually looking at. Every wrinkle and glossy reflection is illusively reproduced, taking approximately 4 to 6 hours to complete. Barenghi also records his meticulous process, compressing the hours of work into 3-4 minute videos. Check out a time lapse view of the artist drawing a disheveled stack of playing cards, below.

At quick glance, one might believe that these landscapes are far-off shots of travelers enjoying outdoor expeditions. However, upon closer inspection, the truth reveals itself in the form of miniature figures perfectly placed within the majestic landscapes of the southwestern United States. The series, entitled Southwest, is a photo project by husband and wife team Kurt and Edwige Moses. Known for their wide variety of adventures in a miniature world, the artist duo focuses on blending the one-inch tall figures into real life situations. Although the moments are fairly ordinary—enjoying a bike ride, taking a photograph, or going for a hike—the toy people add a bit of playfulness to the naturally illuminated, everyday scenes. The artists explain that their collective project, Un Petit Monde, "combines the challenges of capturing an evocative, aesthetically pleasing image while documenting a scene in the real world environment using only available light and existing conditions. Ultimately, it is our mission to share some of the fun and joy for life with you through our project."

Redditor ccp_manifest posted these pictures of a friend’s daughter’s birthday party where the little girl DESTROYS her Cookie Monster cake. It’s pretty cute. You know, in a severely morbid way. It’s the kind of cute that makes a grown ass adult back away slowly and say “No — NO! Hey look, you can take whatever you want. Just please… please don’t eat my face.” See the gory sequence of events below. WARNING: Very graphic.

Richard Schaefer is a costume design student at Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Here he is dressed up as different Disney princes and their respective princess in a series called Prince to Princess Transformation. If I may say so, he makes a handsome dude AND a pretty lady. If I may not say so, then who the hell makes the rules around here? Whatever, I’ll just keep it to myself. But I’ll be thinking it in my head! I’ll be thinking it in my head so hard. So hard in fact, that I probably won’t be able to help but blurt it out loud. What? You can’t fault me for speaking my mind! I want pizza. What’s that smell? Ooh, Fraiser marathon at 6! God, that man looks good as a man and as a lady. How does he do it? See? I can’t help it!

Anyone interested in typography will be in complete awe of these realistic portraits by artist Sean Williams. Based in Edmonton, Alberta, the designer, photographer, and art director certainly has a great eye for conceptual designs. To create the series, entitled Hip Hop Type, Williams took the lyrics from popular songs by each subject, including Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, Rihanna, and Kanye West. Relying on both positive and negative space, the artist then warped, curved, and resized the letters to fit perfectly together, forming instantly recognizable faces. The absolutely mind-blowing illustrations are an impressive combination of typography and illustration. Featuring just one simple color, the handful of well-organized words can be regarded in two ways. First, from up close, viewers can read the lyrics and visualize the artist at work on stage. Then, from a bit farther away, the color blends together to form the distinct facial details of each pop star.

He’s played some of Hollywood’s most unique (and often challenging) roles. From the neurotic, villainous & psychopathic (The Shining, The Witches Of Eastwick, Batman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest) to the grumpy and downtrodden (The Bucket List, About Schimidt) and everything in between – Jack Nicholson is a true legend of the screen.

Paris, France-based designer Andry "Shango" Rajoelina has created an incredibly adorable set of illustrations called Super Families that show superheroes and their families on their way to school. The first part of his series, Justice Families, debuted back in May and in July he released part two, Marvel Families. Each of the illustrations shows superheroes we all know and love as either young children or as grown-up parents with children of their own. With their backs turned, we don't see their faces. Each character is easily identified, however, with their unmistakable outfits.

This woman's dorm room from 1898 isn't much different from modern day dorms: Pennants, books, and a chair for studying.

Prostitution is illegal in Indonesia but because it is one of the main tourist attractions, the local police doesn't care much about it. The girls, 30% of whom are underage, are working in terrible conditions. A photographer Ed Wray visited Jakarta's red light district.

Given the millions of different shades of color that we see in nature, it’s no wonder that, once in a while, nature might simply run out of paint. Perhaps this is why pure-white animals leave such a strong impression on us. Some of them look like ghostly spirit animals. Others, like albino whales or moose, are lonely one-in-a-million albinos with striking, unexpected appearances. Albinism (with its root in the Latin word albus, or white) is a form of hypopigmentary congenital disorder, characterized by a partial lack or total absence of melanin pigment in the eyes, skin and hair, or more rarely in the eyes alone. Due to this, animals (and humans too) with albinism are unusually pale. The eyes of an animal with albinism occasionally appear red because of the underlying retinal blood vessels showing through where there is not enough pigment to cover them. Some of the animals on this list are albinos, while others are simply members of rare white species. Whatever the case, mankind has been fascinated by such animals for ages. Some consider them to be sacred, and others – demonic. Whether you find them strange, beautiful, ghostly or freakish, we hope you enjoy this collection of animals that nature simply forgot to color in.

There was no Photoshop in the 19th century but people already knew how to manipulate their photos. Headless portraits was a trend.

This house was built during the Cold War. The half of it is built under the ground to protect its owners during the nuclear apocalypse. The house has an undeground lawn with a BBQ grill, pool, etc. The house is located in Las Vegas. It's on sale for 1.7 million USD.

China has 122 billionaires, a large number of millionaires, but 13% of the population live in extreme poverty (less than $1.25 a day). These photos illustrate the country's massive gap between rich and poor.

Jason Statham and James Franco have teamed up for a new thriller called Homefront, which is based on the best-selling novel by Chuck Logan. Sylvester Stallone wrote the script. We have our first look at the two actors today in a few photos that were released on USA Today. The story follows a DEA agent who moves to a small town after he's finished with his life fighting crime. As you might expect, once he moves to the small town he ends up fighting crime again. Director Gary Fleder talked about the film a little, explaining,

FX has released another trailer for American Horror Story: Coven and it's the first to feature the main cast of the series. It's called "Initiation," and it includes Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Taissa Farmiga, and Evan Peters. I've always had a fascination with the supernatural history of witches, and this is sure to be a really great third season. Enjoy the latest trailer! Coven features a great cast of actors that includes Jessica Lange, Kathy Bates, Angela Bassett, Sarah Paulson, Frances Conroy, Gabourey Sidibe, Denis O'Hare, Patti LuPone, Evans Peters, Taissa Farmiga, Lily Rabe, and Emma Roberts.

Comic artist J. Scott Campbell loves to draw the Disney Princesses, and here's a nice little set that features Ariel The Little Mermaid & Ursula the Sea Witch, Snow White & The Evil Queen, and Princess Aurora & Maleficent the Sorceress. The series was created for the 'Good vs. Evil' Exhibit at the Downtown Disney WonderGround art Gallery.

Sony Pictures Animation has released a new funny clip for Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2! The clip features the entertaining introduction of a new character named Barry, the talking strawberry. The first movie was surprisingly hilarious. I love the wackiness of the concept, and the sequel should end up being just as fun. The sequel was directed by Cody Cameron (story artist on Shrek, Surf’s Up, and Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and Kris Pearn (head of story on Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) and stars the voices of Bill Hader, Anna Faris, Will Forte, Andy Samberg, and Kristen Schaal. It's set to be released on September 27th, 2013. Enjoy the clip!

Here's an amazing piece of fan art that features Isaac from Dead Space wearing his advanced suit from from the sequel and riding a siberian tiger in the snow! The illustration was created by CGHUB artist Kekai.

Ben Affleck has fallen victim to another Batman parody. This one inserts Batman as Affleck's character in his Oscar-winning film, Good Will Hunting. The short comes from comedian Pete Holmes, and it's pretty entertaining, so enjoy!

Between Star Wars: Episode VII, the Star Trek movie franchise and even the video game that he’s working on with Valve, as well as his possible involvement in the production of Portal and Half-Life movies, it’s very easy to become confused when it comes to JJ Abrams news. That’s why Abrams didn’t help anything last month when he also released a mysterious trailer simply entitled, “Stranger.” And while I was under the impression that it was for a movie about a guy who sits on his right hand, Abrams cleared everything up with a new trailer on Monday that explains that this is all about the book “S.” which Abrams helped developed and was written by Doug Dorst. Aw, a book? But that means reading.

Earlier this year, during my morning routine of looking for hilarious pictures and GIFs in these here cat tubes, I came across a Tumblr page that instantly became my favorite thing of 2013. That page, of course, is Baseball Card Vandals, which is still going strong, pumping out the most absurdly humorous desecrations of “worthless cards” on all the interwebs. But like any good meme, even the simplest alteration can breathe some fresh air into these lungs, and that happened on Sunday with the introduction of some new football cards in honor of the start of the 2013 NFL season. I don’t care how old I am, whether I’m living in an old folks home or accepting my nomination to be the next pope, or if the world is on the brink of a nuclear Armageddon at the hands of our cyborg cockroach overlords – if I ever don’t find the very last card in this gallery hilarious, I’m going to exile myself to the moon. Check out the rest of the football cards and the latest baseball cards at Baseball Card Vandals, follow them on Tumblr and Twitter, and check out their new shop as well.