• Whew…That was scary. We thought the damage was a lot worse but, as you can see, we’re back in full force once again after about a day of downtime. Sorry about that. What happened, if you’re curious, was that the server that houses News Askew totally filled up with data (there are other sites here as well as ours) and boom went all of our interactive data. Unlike the old site, the new site is constantly changing due to new news posts, votes, and talkbacks, which means less control from the webmaster’s end. Still, looks like everything’s been restored except the last poll topic results were lost. We’ll revisit the poll at a later time so we’ve got it for the archives.

Anyone else been watching more TV than usual this summer? It’s a couch potato’s dream, especially if you’re a reality TV lover…Survivor and Big Brother are huge hits for CBS (By the way, the Big Brother website is pretty addictive, stay away if you’re a fan of the show, that’s a warning), not to mention MTV’s new Real World and Road Rules, new South Parks on Comedy Central (the current 2-parter makes anything in Dogma look like a G-rated flick)…And more. The fall TV season’s gonna roll around and it won’t ever seem like new TV even left. Of course, it’s still recommended that you get outside at least once in a while. Can’t let all the good weather go to waste.

On the film front, caught “What Lies Beneath” this week. It was okay, ya gotta hand it to Zemeckis for making a modern Hitchcock flick without falling back on tons of digital effects or supernatural elements to tell the story. Still, I dunno how much fun that one would be to watch again. Worth a watch, though. Not much else to look forward to theatrically until Hollow Man in 2 weeks — Ya gotta love Verhoeven‘s tenacity and the look of all his stuff, he hasn’t made a movie not worth watching since he came to the U.S. (Come on, admit it, you’re watched “Showgirls”, at least). And it’s got an R-rating now, too, which means a lot more of that over the edge stuff he does so well.

But enough about all that stuff…You’re here for View Askew news, aren’t ya? Sure ya are. Since we had some downtime yesterday, a day there’s usually an update, we’ve got quite a bit going on for ya today. Let’s take a look at the happenings from the San Diego con, Green Arrow news, and some other intersting tidbits. Here we go…

• Two new stories online at the Comic websites today for your perusal: First off, a new piece on Kevin and Green Arrow at the Comics Continuum website:

SMITH TALKS GREEN ARROW

Filmmaker Kevin Smith announced that he is officially on board as writer for a re-launch of DC Comics’ Green Arrow.

At the DC Universe slide show at the Comic-Con International in San Diego, Smith said will be joined for the book by artists Phil Hester and Ande Park. DC provided a first image of a Silver Age-looking Green Arrow.

“I know we’ve been talking about this book for six years, and we’re finally ready,” Smith said.

Smith said he is writing 12 issues of Green Arrow.

“Some people say this is a maxi-series,” Smith said, “but hopefully when I leave, the next issue will be #13 with a better writer than me.”

Smith said the first issue will include Conner Hawke, Roy Harper and Black Canary and that eight issues will center around what exactly happened to Oliver Queen. He also said that Green Arrow will be using trick arrows.

“I don’t think this arc is about re-inventing Green Arrow,” Smith said. “It’s about doing a good Green Arrow book.

“If you were a fan of Green Arrow before the (Mike) Grell revamp, during the Grell revamp or the post-Grell revamp, there’s something for everybody – including some Conner.”

Green Arrow will be edited by Bob Schreck. “Everybody’s been very supportive,” Smith said. “DC’s been very cool.”

Smith said that he has requested Green Arrow not appear in any other DC books until he’s explained what has happened to him. Asked about a possible Green Arrow/Green Lantern team-up, Smith said, “It depends – who’s your Green Lantern? There’s stuff in there.”

Smith said Green Arrow is his only super-hero project, and that includes movies.

“No movies. I tried super-hero movies. Forget about it,” he said. “I’m like Kryptonite to super-hero movies.”

Also today, a new piece that appears HERE at the Another Universe website reveals that Joe Quesada will leave his Iron Man writing duties to focus more on Daredevil. We know he and Kev get along really well, so you can assume the two will team up again sometime in the future, though with Kev busy with Green Arrow, it’ll be awhile!

• Looks like Kevin’s View Askew panel is scheduled for a 2 hour panel starting at 3:00 PM on Saturday. That’s all we’ve got so far. Check this site for schedules and more. We’ll have full coverage of the event and as much more info as we can dig up.

• Wanna know what the San Diego Con was like? Here’s one man’s report:

Man, they didn’t even ask US to sit in on that webmasters panel! Damn! We’re hurt and stuff!

• We missed a couple parodies from the Penny Arcade site we mentioned the other day…Here’s a Clerks sendoff and another one from the Askewniverse as a whole.
• X-Men has set off a HUGE interest in comic book flicks, so it’s no surprise that New Regency Pictures has picked up the option to make a film about Daredevil, the blind Marvel superhero, and Mark Steven Johnson who directed “Simon Birch is scheduled to take the helm. And the answer to the question you’re all asking: Nope, Kev’s not involved. Shame.
• According to ZENtertainmment & The HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, Cuba Gooding Jr., and James Caan have joined Matthew Modine and Joey Lauren Adams in the dramatic thriller “IN THE SHADOWS”. The film is described as “GET SHORTY” meets “THE GODFATHER”, with its story about a hit man sent to take out a veteran stuntman who decides to become a stuntman himself.
• Kev got quoted in a recent USA TODAY, chatting about the power of the internet when it comes to net surfers spilling the dirt after they attend private movie screenings: “THANKS TO THE INTERNET, EVERYONE’S VERY POWERFUL NOW…THE FAMOUS-FOR-15-MINUTES THING HAS TAKEN ON A WHOLE NEW MEANING. PEOPLE CAN REALLY FLEX THEIR MUSCLES DURING THESE TEST SCREENINGS AND AFTERWARD”.
• We’re not usually ones to push stuff on the auction sites, but this fan has made a pretty damn cool engraved case in which to store ALL your View Askew DVDs. Check out the finished auction HERE, the dude may have some more up there soon. Nice work!
• Those in the Sommerdale, NJ area might liek to know that there’s going to be a Kevin Smith Movie Marathon later this week, from July 26-29, at the Cinemark Theater in Sommerdale. Call them for more details on shows & showtimes.
• Finally today, a scooper found a quote from Randal in an online sex survey. Enjoy.