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Kumail Nanjiani's "Night Thoughts" Special is a Fantastic Return To Form. (No, It's not a Muscle Joke)
Of all the muscled glow-ups there are to talk about, his was my favorite - because not only did it reflect a change we as fans knew was important to that scrawny kid, it was also for a Marvel movie.
Still, you can’t help but wonder, when someone gets super buff, has a hit film that wins multiple awards, and lives in LA, if they can still pull off that same colander headed, “house full of betas” vulnerability.
And the answer is a resounding yes, much to my absolute delight

Marielle Bokor
Dec 20, 20255 min read


Death Cannot Stop True Love: The Princess Bride Cast Pays Tribute to Rob Reiner
You can tell a lot by the way people orbit a person, and Reiner’s casts oftentimes became like family, or at the very least dear lifelong friends. This was certainly true of the amazing cast of The Princess Bride, who spoke so intensely fondly of him throughout the years.

Marielle Bokor
Dec 15, 20254 min read


BREAKING: Rob Reiner and Wife Michele Singer Found Dead in Los Angeles Home, Homicide Suspected
Reiner led with laughter and kindness that he wove into his work and "IRL" persona, and we can't help but feel a light go off in that little corner of our childhoods with him leaving so soon.

Marielle Bokor
Dec 14, 20251 min read


Federal Judges Issue Restraining Orders Prohibiting National Guard From Deploying in Illinois and Protecting First Amendment Rights as Protests Continue in Chicago
Judge Perry said that deploying the National Guard on the streets of Chicago would only make an already volatile situation worse. She said that troops are “not trained in de-escalation or other extremely important law enforcement functions that would help to quell these problems,” and mobilizing them would “only add fuel to the fire that the defendants themselves have started.”
aaroncynic
Oct 10, 20254 min read


Trump Calls for Arrest of Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in Truth Social Post
Photo: Chris Riha ( @superbia454 ) The ongoing feud between the sitting president, the Chicagoland area and State of Illinois continues...

Marielle Bokor
Oct 8, 20253 min read


Illinois Sues to Block Hundreds of Guard Troops that Could Deploy in Chicagoland as Feds Continue to Wage War on Residents
“What kind of a country are we living in? And this raid at this building is emblematic of what ICE and CBP and the president of the United States, Kristi Noem and Greg Bovino, are trying to do,” said Pritzker. “They want mayhem on the ground. They want to create the war zone, so that they can send in even more troops.”
aaroncynic
Oct 6, 20255 min read


Trump Threatens Chicago Occupation in Tuesday's Press Conference, Illinois Governor Pritzker Responds
Chicagoans pack the streets of the West Loop for a rally and march on Labor Day. Photo : Aaron Cynic In a press conference that was...

Marielle Bokor
Sep 3, 20253 min read


That Katseye Ad Brings All The Views to the Gap and They're Like, 'Let's Celebrate Diversity.' Damn Right, Let's Celebrate Diversity.
Gap's been doing creative, choreographed ads for quite some time, and has often pulled off some rather elaborate, amusing stuff, from the swing dancing khakis ads of the 90s to spots with Audrey Hepburn, Madonna and more -- and who could forget the iconic West Side Story inspired jeans vs khakis ad from 2000?
Collabs are all the rage this...decade, really, so teaming up with someone like Katseye was a foregone conclusion.
But was it also a calculated effort?

Marielle Bokor
Sep 3, 20252 min read


Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025
Gamescom Opening Night Live was just foisted upon us, and with it, Geoff Keighley has again made himself the figurehead for all things gaming events. He uses these events to have mini-E3 Summer Game Fest type announcements and this three hour show was no exception. As such, here are our favorite big announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live.
Alex Orona
Aug 23, 20253 min read


Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen take Fan Expo Chicago!
Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen at Fan Expo Chicago 2025. Photo: Marielle Bokor We got to catch Ewan McGregor on his Fan Expo...
Antal Bokor
Aug 22, 20253 min read


John Cena Packs a Punch at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
By the end of the panel, Cena had cemented himself as one of the most straightforward Hollywood/WWE superstars out there. From his modest start at the All State Arena with WWE to being in some of the biggest action and comic book IP on the planet, even if you weren’t initially a fan, he will make you a fan
Alex Orona
Aug 22, 20252 min read


INTERVIEW: Mark Rolston talks Aliens, Shawshank, and Spider-Man 3 at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
Fan Expo Chicago 2025 was one for the record books, with a fantastic guest list and a lot of exciting things to do.
One of the highlights of the con came when we had a chance to interview some of the cast of Aliens, who we'd had the pleasure of seeing together in their Friday panel.
For this task, we enlisted Antal Bokor, our managing editor, a combat veteran, and a lifelong fan of Aliens, to take on the task of interviewing people who quite literally influenced all of ou
Antal Bokor
Aug 21, 202512 min read


‘Aliens’ Cast at Fan Expo: Without ‘Terminator’ There Would Be No 'Aliens’ and Why ‘Aliens’ Endures and the Newer Films Don’t Work
I write about video games, and without Aliens, early video game history would look much different. Games like Contra, Halo, Half-Life and many more wouldn’t exist or would look a whole lot different without Aliens. And it's not just video games.
I’m not trying to discount Ridley Scott’s contribution with Alien, which introduces us to the seemingly unstoppable and terrifying xenomorph. But James Cameron saw this creature, and had a vision that has yet to find a worthy su
Antal Bokor
Aug 21, 20253 min read


The Tea from Fan Expo Chicago 2025's Avatar the Last Airbender Panel
Photo: Marielle Bokor Ok, so to start off - there was an inordinate amount of tea talk that actually happened in the panel we attended...

Marielle Bokor
Aug 19, 20253 min read


Rainn Wilson at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
While there are 40 rules for the Schrute boys to follow, Wilson said the most important rule was to “be kind.”
“Be like 20 percent nicer than you think you need to be,” he said. “Going out into the world, I’m a pretty decent, reasonable pretty nice person. Give that extra 20 percent. How’s that? And if you don’t you get eaten in your sleep.”
aaroncynic
Aug 19, 20254 min read


GALLERY: Saturday Cosplay at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
Next time you attend a convention, we encourage you to stop for just a little bit and watch all the wonderful cosplay pass you by.
If you see something incredible, give them a compliment or two, take some pictures of their hard work, and trade insta handles. It's a welcoming world full of fun creative folks, and one of the best ways to bond with other people who like the things you do or find new things to love.
Here's some of the best things we saw on Saturday at Fan

Marielle Bokor
Aug 18, 20251 min read


Guardians of the Galaxy Panel: Fan Expo Chicago 2025
Fan Expo is known for its packed schedule full of A-list celebrity appearances but one of the major highlights this year was Saturday's Guardians of the Galaxy panel.
Alex Orona
Aug 18, 20252 min read


The Flash at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
It’s been two years since the series finale of The Flash on the CW. After 184 episodes and nine seasons, it’s a good time to reflect. Some of the cast reunited at Fan Expo Chicago to discuss their experiences on set as members of Team Flash.
Alex Orona
Aug 17, 20251 min read


GALLERY: Friday at Fan Expo Chicago 2025
Fan Expo Chicago 2025 is FIRE. And not just because it's "hotter than we thought it would be" but also because, Chicago comes to (cos)play!
Enjoy this gallery and come back tomorrow for more!

Culture Combine Staff
Aug 16, 20251 min read


Fan Expo Chicago 2025 Choose Your Own Adventure PREVIEW!
Just off the heels of Lolla, with Riot Fest on the horizon, it’s time to roll out the nerd carpet in Rosemont for Fan Expo Chicago!
Back when the Wiz was in town, we’d already be on the floor, but tonight we’re hard at work crafting our traditional Choose Your Own Adventure preview so you can craft your own unique con experience based on your personal preferences.
And, if you’re new to conventions, or just want a little sage advice, we’re here for you.

Marielle Bokor
Aug 14, 202512 min read
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