The Female Characters of Hannibal, and their Previous Incarnations

NBC's show Hannibal, now in it's second season, is doing a lot of things right. In my opinion, it has constructed a highly intriguing a prequel to the Hannibal Lecter movie franchise. It has also given us some kick-ass female characters, partly due to the fact that this show has gender swapped TWO of it's characters who were male in the original books and movies.

The Hannibal franchise has never been shy of tough female characters. Clarice Starling, played by Jodie Foster in the 1991 movie Silence of the Lambs, is an immensely powerful female role model. Now in the form of a TV series, Hannibal Lecter once more deals with challenging female characters.

Anyone who's seen the movie Manhunter, or it's remake Red Dragon, knows the name Freddy Lounds. Both in the original novel, and it's film version, Freddy is a sleazy reporter for the national tabloid The Tattler. He's offensive, he's morally bankrupt, and he weasels his way into police business, all in the name of his trashy publication. Played by the late, great Phillip Seymour Hoffman in Red Dragon, Freddy Lounds may be the most obnoxious character ever to grace the Hannibal universe. In Bryan Fuller's show, we get female Freddie Lounds, a Tabloid blogger for TattleCrimes.com. This incarnation is just as weasel-like, but much more likable. I see Bryan Fuller's Freddie as an ambitious journalist who genuinely believes she is reporting important news. She is not greedy like her former version, but she still obstructs police business and has it out for Will Graham. I don't hate her, but knowing what happens to Freddy Lounds, traditionally, I almost wish I did. I'm interested to see where Bryan Fuller takes Freddie.

Alana Bloom is another character who was originally a male. This one took me longer to realize because male psychiatrist Alan Bloom is not a major character, but merely mentioned in more than one Thomas Harris book. He is a colleague of Will Graham and Jack Crawford, and they ask for his expertise on at least two high-profile cases. In the TV series, Alana fills the same role, but proves to be a supportive friend to Crawford with a complex relationship to Will Graham. She is a female character I relish on-screen; she's real. Her walk is a confident swagger, verging on masculine. She refuses all wine Hannibal offers, asking instead for beer. Though she and Will Graham have feelings for each other, her role is far beyond that of "love-interest".

Beverly Katz, first seen in Red Dragon, is a crime scene investigator who, in the TV series, proves to be somewhat of a friend to Will Graham. She's pretty snarky, but keeps it professional. She ends up getting more screen time than the rest of the forensics team, and is called upon by Will more than once when he needs support. She's not warm and comforting like Alana, but she's definitely got Will's back. 

Bella Crawford is Jack Crawford's wife, played by Gina Torres. Bella is mentioned in the book Silence of the Lambs, as being the reason Crawford is distracted during the Buffalo Bill case. In the Hannibal series, she struggles with how much Jack puts into his work vs. how much time he focuses on her. She deals with her personal issues with a quiet strength, refusing to involve her husband, and letting him devote his energy to catching killers. Gina Torres is also known for playing another kind of strong woman as ex-soldier Zoe Washburne in the series Firefly. 

Bedelia Du Maurier is Hannibal Lecter's psychiatrist. Their relationship is professional, but highly complex. After a patient he referred to her attacked her, she has retired from practice. She now only treats Hannibal, who remains her patient because he feels responsible for her.
She is the only character I believe to be more intelligent than Hannibal himself. 
Dr. Maurier is played by Gillian Anderson who played FBI agent Dana Scully in The X-Files. This is extremely significant because X-Files creator Chris Carter based FBI woman Dana Scully on another fictional FBI woman; Clarice Starling. Full circle. Gillian Anderson is a powerful actress, and during her decade-long stint on The X-Files, Dana Scully became what is considered by many to be one of the best female television characters of all time.

The show is about serial killers, so it's likely that we may lose some of these awesome characters to less-than-savory ends. 
You better start watching Hannibal, if you haven't already, and enjoy them before they're gone.

Things I saw on my Google Street View tour of London

If you know me, you know that I'm a big fan of anything British. Most of my favorite books, music, and television shows come out of the UK, I drink a few cups of English tea a day, and I've got Union Jacks galore (jewelry, posters, tea mugs, bags, you name it). I guess you could say I'm an anglophile. 

My desk at work. I have a bit of a problem.

While London is, and has been my favorite city to learn about for years, I have never been. I'm currently saving up for a trip, right now I just spend a lot of time watching any British show I can that takes place in London.

I've been using Google Street View lately to check out the area I just moved to, and it hit me that there was nothing stopping me from typing in London, and using street view. I can't believe I haven't done this until now! I spent three hours total (and two cups of tea) clicking through the streets of London, and it was eye opening. I took screenshots of the E-trip, the way a tourist would snap photos, and I think I found some fun stuff.

This guy was one of the first people I saw. The long coat, the umbrella (brolly), the long pointy shoes, I just found it kind of picturesque.

Looks a little like a shorter Michael Sheen.

 This guy just chilling by the Thames. Maybe he's on his lunch break, or maybe he just got fired. (Or 'made redundant' as they say in the UK) I once went and sat by a river when I got let go from a job. It's going to be ok dude, we've all been there.

This couple being all in love and stuff by the Thames. Maybe one day I'll get kissed by the river in London.

It's ok, Londoners are used to being recorded 24/7

Now some instances where Google blurred the faces of things...that didn't really need blurring.

Yo dawg, I heard you like getting your dawg-face blurred.

"I sure hope they blur my face. NO ONE MUST KNOW I WAS HERE."

Mmm. Good thing they protected the identities of Will Smith, Josh Brolin, and Tommy Lee Jones.

Little restaurant near the Waterloo station. Under a bridge. I'm sure places like this are common, but I thought it was really cute.

In three hours of perusing the city, I only saw ONE person sleeping on the street. In NYC, it would have been more than one. Also what's with this weird Old El Paso ad?

AHA! I finally found a person wearing an actual Union Jack! Not sure if patriotic English girl, or zealous foreign girl visiting England.

This REALLY sad looking guy in the park. Not sure what he's doing but he looks very forlorn.

"Dad want's me to take over the firm...but ohhh the dream I have of being a professional cake decorator."

  This guy knows he's about to be immortalized on Google Maps. Cheers dude! I loved anytime someone waved or smiled at the Google car, I felt like they were smiling and waving at me.

 Lingerie shop. That is all.

 YES! Another someone excited to see the google car!

I like to think it's Sir Elton John.

    Knitting shop!  "A club, shop, and sanctuary for knitters"

Some dudes. (behind a bin)

Some Westminster Abbey.

Hey, I've seen your Kennel Club dog show. Haha kidding. 

   AS IT TURNS OUT, and yes, I looked for it, there is NO 221 B Baker St. I knew Sherlock Holmes was fictional, but I didn't know the apartment was as well. If you type it into google maps or a GPS, it takes you to 236 A41 Baker St, which is home of the Sherlock Holmes museum, and Hudson's restaurant. I must go.

"Mrs. Hudson! A cup of tea please thank you."

And then I strolled through a park? I completely forgot to check and see what park it was. It's gorgeous though, and people are just LAYING AND SLEEPING everywhere!

    I like to imagine that this kid on the left is writing poetry. Probably just texting.

            I wonder if this girl knows that she's on Google street view. She looks like a work of art.

Blue tree.

 I love these guys.

"Look! The Google car! Come here! Cheeeeeese."

And then I ventured into Soho. Ahhhh the famous (and sometimes infamous) Soho. I remember in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Mr. Hyde lived in Soho. It used to be pretty sleazy so I hear, but now, as I rolled through the streets, it seems to me to be very similar to NYC's Soho, which was named after London's.

    Whether London or NYC, Soho is where you really start to see the sleek fashion trends of young artsy kids.

I don't know who this punk-lite guy is, but I like him ad his David Bowie shirt.

Do they know each other? Or... this looks awkward.

I'm not certain, but this place might be gay.

 The Hobbit! It's a little smoke shop.

I saw the shadow of the Google car!

So...Ned's Noodle Box actually lets you go inside.

  The Google camera guy must take the camera on foot sometimes.

THIS. I accidentally zoomed down while inside of Ned's Noodle Box, and saw this. It's the tripod that the camera is on. Trippy.

I had to look up the Eye. I just had to.

And Big Ben is REALLY close to the Eye. It was around both of these attractions that I saw the heaviest population of tourists, whereas the rest of the city, I didn't see many that I could tell were tourists.

By now, I'd been browsing for about three hours. I hit Charlotte street and lo and behold, I just stumble across Mennula. I had a mini-freakout, as if I'd seen a celebrity. 

The day before my internet-romp through London, I watched a show called Gordon Ramsay's Best Restaurant. In it, he pits London's best restaurants against each other, trying to see which restaurant has the best food and service. Mennula was one of two Italian restaurants he put to the test. It was when I found Mennula, and say "Oh hey, I know this place." that I felt I'd given my E-trip a good go, and it was time to stop stalking London for the night.

So that was a nice mini-trip through London, sponsored by Google. I know there are some drawbacks with the way we've allowed technology to infiltrate our lives, but I think it's just amazing that you can sit in the comfort of your own home, in your pajamas, and see somewhere you've never been. Granted you can get the sounds, smells, or tastes of a city through google, but you really can get all the sights.

I highly recommend it! 

(All photos are property of Google)

The comic book idea that I pitched to STAN LEE

In episode three of Fangasm, my fellow interns and myself were given the opportunity to pitch original comic book ideas to Stan Lee. 

STAN. LEE. The man who invented the X-men. The intensity of this gift was not lost on any of us.

Going into his office one by one to present was nerve-racking. It also really felt intimidating to try to present my little comic idea when there are giant portraits of Superman and the Silver Surfer on the walls. As if. Stan himself was SO nice though, though he misheard my name when I said it, and thought my name was Daley, not Dani. I knew I only had 5 minutes, and I tried to get through it quickly. I know you can't see it on the show, but we weren't in the room alone with him, there were multiple producers, camera operators, and audio guys in the room watching us. ADDED PRESSURE.

I thought every one of my house mates did an outstanding job, and I happen to be very proud of my own character. I noticed though that our pitches were all edited due to time constraints. There were a few facts about my character and story that did not make it on the show, so I'd like to put them all here for anyone who is interested. This is my FULL pitch, and a few extra explanations. I'm pretty proud of it. It's not the greatest idea out there, obviously, but I would read it if it were a real comic!

"Cadence Cassina is a rare case of a young person with debilitating arthritis.

At 27 years old, she is an entomologist in grad school, helping study insects and their medical uses. While studying the medical benefits of the cicada, she learns that the Chinese drink powdered cicada skins as an arthritis treatment. Inspired by this idea, she utilizes the cicadas in the lab, creating a serum from their enzymes. She believes the cicada serum could cure her arthritis, and begins injecting herself with it under the medical supervision of friend and med-student Miles Landry.

She keeps the injections pretty routine, partially to have an excuse to see Miles, but mostly to see if the serum improves her condition. She'd been upping her dosage in small increments, but once Miles go on a date with a healthy, attractive girl, Cadence gives herself an unusually large dose, wanting nothing more than to rid herself of her arthritis and her crutches.

The next day in the lab, a strange gas begins to pour through vents, filling the room. Cadence watches her lab partners all succumb to the gas, coughing and choking on it's poison. They die quickly. The unknown attacker who gassed them, then sets the lab on fire, and she sustains a burn to her face as she pull herself out of the smoke and flames.

Realizing that the attack on the lab was meant to kill her and the other scientists, she goes to Miles' apartment instead of her own. He sends his date home and bandages her burned face before they even realize she's standing and walking without her crutches. Her arthritis appears to be gone.The deadly gas meant to kill her reacted to the cicada serum in her blood, backfiring and making her strong and fast.

With her newfound strength, and concern about the attempt on her life, she begins investigating, trying to get to the bottom of who killed her lab partners, and why their research was being covered up. Inspired by the insect cicada's three eyes on the top of it's head, Miles helps her build a pair of goggles that equip her with X-ray vision, telescopic vision, and night vision.

She's ready to begin a no-mercy investigation, but her crime-fighting has one weakness; Like the cicada's 17 year long hibernation underground, every 17 days her strength wanes and she reverts back to her weakened, crutches-reliant self for 24 hours. This gives her a huge window of opportunity for enemies to attack her, so she and Miles build an impenetrable case to reside in on her weakened days. They call this case, of course, the cicada shell. When she emerges, she is strong again and ready to continue her fight for answers and vengeance. "

I would like to add now, that I worked so hard in the days leading up to our meeting with Stan. There was a night Molly begged Kristin and I to go to a bar, but Kristin and I just wanted to stay home and finish writing our pitches. I was researching like mad, because if I'm going to present an idea, I want it to be thorough, and I want my info correct. I researched arthritis, I made sure a girl as young as Cadence could have such crippling arthritis, and it turns out, while it's rare, it's possible. I researched cicadas. They are laid as eggs, hatch and stay underground for 13-17 years feeding on sap from tree roots, come up out of the ground, make a shit-ton of noise, mate, then go back underground and lay eggs. These new eggs hatch and the new brood stays underground for 17 years before they come up. It's fascinating.

I got my inspiration for Cicada because I wanted to utilize what I had costume-wise. I had a shiny green dress, and I had a pair of welding goggles I'd painted silver. The dress reminded me of a shiny beetle, and the googles I felt could serve as the vision of some insect. Thats when I started researching and decided upon the cicada. I really liked the idea of a hero who's powers completely LEFT now and then, giving her a major complication as far as fighting crime.

I also liked the idea of her going from plain and feeble, to strong and beautiful when she got her powers. If this were an actual comic, when she wasn't fighting crime, she'd be learning how to deal with her new 'normal' body and her sudden good looks.

I myself felt very plain growing up, and it wasn't until a few years ago, when I was 23, that I started to receive noticeable attention for my appearance. I still think I'm pretty average looking (leaning towards cute) and I have a hard time accepting compliments about my looks. It always makes me feel uncomfortable to be told I'm attractive, I am not used to it, and I never know if I should respond with a confident "thank you" or respond with severe humility and self-depricating humor. It's a weird place for a girl to be, and I think it would be interesting played out in a comic.

I would love to write out more of Cicada's story. I want her to find her confidence, I want her to find out who killed the other grad students, and I want Cadence and Miles to go through the dance of not really knowing what their relationship is. I see his character as being her Alfred Pennyworth, assisting her crime-fighting endeavors, always checking her health during her weak times, and one of the few people to know about her secret. Unlike Bruce Wayne though, when she's not fighting crime, she's not strutting around confidently, she's pretending she still needs her crutches. I think this would be interesting.

Thanks for reading it through, if you did, I wish my thoughts and writing were more organized, but oh well :)

Fangasm! That time I was on a Syfy reality series.

Syfy is a week away from premiering a new reality show called Fangasm, which features a group of geeks living in a house together as they get to know each other and intern for Stan Lee. 

I personally have a lot to say about this show because I was one of the seven geeks. I applied for the show online over a year and a half before filming even began, and it's been a long, exhausting, but truly rewarding ride. 
While my friends, family, and coworkers are all very excited for the show, I am not blind to the amount of online hate this show is getting.
  I have tried not to delve deeply into the barrage of premature criticism, but a quick visit to the Syfy page on Facebook is all you need to get the full effect.


Of the comments in negative favor of Fangasm, most of them reiterate the same thing over and over. 
 
1. That it's being called the "real" Big Bang Theory    
2.  That it's done by the same producers behind Jersey Shore.
3. That the cast of Fangasm are "fake nerds" 
 

Now, these are random stranger's comments on the internet, and I know, from years of putting content on YouTube, that stranger's internet comments on ANYTHING should not be taken too seriously. 
I'm not writing this article because I really took to heart anything negative said about Fangasm on facebook. A thing like that wouldn't deserve my time or worry.

I'm writing this for anyone who isn't happy with what they see of Fangasm so far. I can give a little insight into what the show was like, and why I think people should watch an episode or two before hating it. (Don't worry Syfy/495 Productions and Krista the magnificent, I won't be giving away any spoilers)

 First off, The Real Big Bang is what Fangasm's promos call it.
I for one, know that while the sitcom The Big Bang Theory is doing well in ratings, it's VERY NOT popular with a lot of real geeks and nerds. Most nerds, and nearly every nerd I know HATES that show. They have even referred to it as "nerd blackface". While a TV show's portrayal of stereotypical nerds is not NEARLY offensive as a white actor dressing and acting in racial slurs, it is an interesting term (even if not very PC).
 Fangasm is being called the 'reality' version of a show a lot of real geeks do not like so I understand the backlash here. I think once people watch our show, they'll see how very non-stereotypical we all are, and the fact that one of our shows themes is that anyone can be a nerd about anything.
 

  Secondly, I'd like to address the complaint that Fangasm is produced by the company who did Jersey Shore. 
 I can see how this might look promising to your average nerd. The lifestyle of the stars of Jersey Shore is not usually something that would interest people who like watching epic space battles in a galaxy far away or the fight to reclaim King's Landing. (Mom, that's a Game of Thrones reference.)
I too was wary of this when I was applying/auditioning for the show and almost didn't agree to do it once I was cast.

HOWEVER, 495 Productions has ALL my confidence and respect, now that I've worked with them. These producers and crew were all incredibly professional and good to work with. Yes, their number one priority was shooting an interesting show, but along the way they did a great job of taking care of myself and my fellow cast mates. 

The producers, those of them that weren't already familiar with comics, video games, and sci-fi classics, really did their research on geek/nerd-culture. They set out to celebrate uber-fans, not make fun of geeks, which is why I resent any geek-exploitation claims. 
At times, half the crew was walking around wearing superhero shirts, and when we visited a comic shop, one of our producers let us help him pick out some reading material.
 
495 productions, yes, the very company that brought you Jersey Shore, has it's own geeks working among the ranks and is run by people who really do give a damn about what they're trying to portray. What they didn't know about the things that were important to us, they were completely willing to learn about. You have to respect that.

The third thing I'm addressing is the claim that the cast of Fangasm is "a bunch of fake nerds"

It took 495 almost 2 years to cast for the show. They watched thousands of audition videos, narrowed their favorites down to hundreds, then flew MANY of us out to LA for the in-person auditions/interviews before they eliminated and eliminated until they got down to their favorite seven.

They weren't looking for perfect-looking eye-candy to visually please an audience; I saw a lot of REALLY good looking geeks on the casting day that didn't end up on the show. At the same time there were some stereotypical-nerd-looking guys and girls that weren't picked either. 

Yes, they picked kids that they thought would be entertaining and stir-up a bit of drama, but THEY PICKED HONEST TO GOD NERDS.

Kristin may just know more about comics than anyone I know, and that includes slews of men who've been reading comics since the 80's.
Sal, has played every video game ever and like me, crushes hard on anything Tolkien wrote. 
Paul owns every movie ever made and has his favorite comic issues framed on his wall.
Mike loves Superman more than anyone on Earth.
Molly cosplays at every convention she can get to and wants to marry Boba Fett.
Andrew IS STAR TREK.
As for me, I am not the leading fan in any category, I just love anything that is an escape from reality, so sci-fi and fantasy are my havens. 

I grew up watching Star Wars, obsessed over The Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter movies, and have the biggest Martian Manhunter collection of any comic fan I know, so I feel worthy to stand toe-to-toe with the biggest super-fans. Oh, and I also used to tour conventions across the US with a geek-comedy troupe called The Damsels of Dorkington. 

My intention here is not to brag about my nerd-cred, or try to convince you that we, the seven cast members of Fangasm are the only kids out there who know a thing or two.
But each cast member legitimately adores the things we say we love. The claim that any of us are 'fake nerds' is just not true.

If you've read this far, congrats! I can be long-winded and a little unorganized in my thoughts and my putting them into text.
If you were wary of Fangasm's intentions, hopefully I've cleared some things up.

I DO think that the haters may change their tunes once they see an episode of the show, but it's a fact that some people will simply not like it. 
I just know that I'm glad I took the leap and decided to go on the show, and I'm pretty proud of what we made. 

I'm Dani Snow, I'm a geek, and I hope you enjoy the six episodes of my journey there and back again :)

The 5 most ridiculous messages I received on a dating website

Let me start out by saying that I would never want to ridicule or mock anyone for putting themselves out there and sending a genuine message of interest to someone they liked on a dating website. Nor would I mock anyone for using online dating, I do it myself.
I just happened to receive a few very unusual messages that either so perplexing or shit-stirring enough to win a public posting on my blog! Congrats gents! (I've covered their faces and usernames)
Woah Woah wee-wow let's go.


1.   U interested?

 I found it kind of hilarious that he thinks I'd be better suited for his brother, and asked if I was interested in said brother without knowing ANYTHING AT ALL about the guy. It's certainly not an offensive message in any way, but it definitely didn't strike my interest.



2.   Twizzler Commercial

 I'm not even saying anything about how random that is.



3.   Shark Cactus Bear Spaghetti Webcam Date

 Now that I look at this, it's actually pretty sweet. I'm still maintaining that this message was ridiculous, but in a positive way.



4.  If You Know What I mean...

 THIS guy seemed to really have some nerve. Of course, upon receiving it I immediately wondered which picture of mine he could be referring to, but I got the feeling he just uses this as some kind of opening line that is more guaranteed to get a response than most. I almost responded with some snarky comment, but decided just to ignore it.
I have a friend who is also on this dating site and she also received the same message from the same guy, it's obviously his weird line he sends to everyone.



5.  To Be Honest

 DING DING DING This one is THE WINNER, the most ridiculous message OF ALL TIME.
I have no doubt in my mind that this guy copies and pastes this into many messages. I'm just SO confused as to why this is his approach. 
Ooo I want this girl to message me back, I'm going to tell her that I'm sleeping with one girl but more interested in HER, that will work!
No. 

The hidden spoilers in The World's End pub signs

                                       This article will contain spoilers. You've been warned. 

Being a fan of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, I'd been eagerly awaiting The World's End's release for a long time. I work for a company whose work revolves very closely around movies, so when the first official trailer for The World's End was released, I was notified instantly and watched it within two minutes of it's hitting the web.
I later stared, in awe, at the 12 glorious pub signs that make up Newton Haven's Golden Mile, wondering how each pub got it's name and if there was a story behind each one. It turns out that instead of a story behind each pub, each one tells of events to come.
As pointed out by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg at the Arclight cinema's Cornetto Trilogy screening, each pub sign holds a clue as to what is going to happen to our heroes at each pub.



1. The First Post

When Gary King and his four buddies reach the first pub on the mile, Gary subjects them to a quick history lesson about the pub's origins, furthering my mistaken idea that we'd learn some cool fact about each of the 12 pubs.
The First Post is named so for the fact that it used to be a post office. It is also the first stop on our protagonists journey.


2. The Old Familiar

When Gary and his crew enter the second pub, it is oddly familiar, or, blatantly and painfully identical to the first one. It gives the characters Steven and Oliver a reason to quip about "corporate chains" taking over, and "Starbucking", which alludes to the Network's takeover of Newton Haven.


3. The Famous Cock

The third pub on the mile, is The Famous Cock, and here is where the real clues start to show up in the signs. Gary tries to order a drink, but is instead kicked out because of an altercation he had there back when he was 17. Gary got barred all those years ago for acting like a complete cock, earning himself fame on the wall of barred patrons. Gary King is the famous cock. Now when I look at this sign, I don't see a simple rooster, I see the rooster's boots and the lapels of a coat, two things Gary famously sports.


4. The Cross Hands

 Gary and his crew hit up The Cross Hands, and here is where shit gets real. This is when Gary and the rest discover that the inhabitants of Newton Haven have been replaced by robots-not-robots. The Cross Hands refers to the epic confrontation between our five heroes and the robots in the bathroom. The tile on the bathroom floor matches that of the pub sign. Notice the five hands on the sign, one of them wearing a wedding ring. Both Andy and Peter are married, but in my mind, the ring here foreshadows Andy's triumphant retrieval of his wedding ring from "a robot's tummy".
Also note that this is the first fight, first time we see the blue 'blood' from the robots, and this is the first sign "splattered" with blue paint. It turns out that each pub where robot-juice is spilled has blue paint splattered on it.


5. The Good Companions

This is the first pub the buddies visit after deciding that carrying on with the mile is their only hope of not alerting the Network that they know what's going on. I honestly can't remember what it was that Simon Pegg said about this sign's symbolism, if you were there and can enlighten me, I'd be grateful.
The parallels that I draw are the fact that this is really the first moment of the night that they've all been close to being on the same page. That, and while four of the men are scared and unhappy about the night's circumstances, one of them is just delighted to be back with his friends reliving old times. Guess which mask is Gary King...


6. The Trusty Servant

Here at the Trusty Servant, Gary spots their old drug dealer, the Reverend Green. They get him to divulge information about what the robots are, and why some of the town is still human, much to the annoyance of his two still-human friends. It is here we learn that the humans still left in the town are the slaves or servants of the Network. The men on the sign strongly resemble Reverend Green and his friends.
Note that this is also where the Reverend Green is ordered to go and get replaced by a robot-version of himself, and he walks to the men's room right as Oliver walks out. This indicates that this is where the real Oliver has been switched with the Blank. From this moment on, you can see the birthmark on his head, though it's well hidden through lighting and the positioning of Martin Freeman's head until Andy discovers it. Now Simon and Edgar explained that the Trusty Servant refers to the Reverend Green, but I think it might also refer to Oliver's replacement robot. This promotional poster for the movie helps with this theory.


7. The Two Headed Dog

At The Two Headed Dog, Gary, Steven, and Sam battle the Twins, two of Sam's friends who have been replaced by robots. This is the second showdown in which our heroes spill blue robot-blood, and the second sign to have blue paint smudges.


8. The Mermaid

Before our boys even get to The Mermaid, there are flyers and posters in multiple shots and scenes advertising a "School Disco" which is what the boys walk into when they get to this seventh pub. This is where the Network tries it's hand at luring our heroes into submission rather than fighting them. After all, what man can resist the siren call of the Marmalade Sandwich? The blonde/redhead/blonde trio of mermaid on the sign are the trio of girls they used to drool over back in the day.


9. The Beehive

Gary and the guys meet their old teacher Mr. Shephard here, and it's pretty clear he's been replaced by a robot. "Pretty cool eh guys?"
He reveals the Network's plans to them and tries to convince them that they're in no danger. This reunion with a man they used to look up to and trust is yet another attempt by the Network to 'shepherd' our guys into willingly joining the hive-mind and becoming one of them. A third fight ensues, hence this is the third blue-splattered sign.
 

10. The King's Head

I completely forgot what Simon and Pegg said about this one, so I won't even begin to tell you what the real symbolism is here. (Again, if you remember, let me know and I'll update this) I have some good guesses, but I could be making things up:
1. The King here looks a hell of a lot like Simon Pegg, therefore The King's Head is literally Gary King's head.
2. This is where Gary, Steven, and Andy have the chance to get in the car and escape, but Gary gets it into his head that he'd rather finish the Golden Mile alone than run away.
3. It could refer to the head on a beer. Gary pours himself a beer after recovering being hit on the head.
This is the first time during the pub crawl that not all 5 men are drinking, and it is in fact, only Gary who is still participating.


11. The Hole in the Wall

When Gary runs away from The King's Head, he sprints here, to the The Hole in the Wall, followed by a devoted Andy. They are attacked by robots and are saved when Steven drives Gary's car straight through the wall of the pub.



12. The World's End

It's no revelation (Get it? Revelations = end times) that this sign is depicting the world's end. What I think is cool about it is the fact that it's showing the spread of fire across the globe in the manner that our loss of electronics and communication spread across our world when the Network decided to take Gary's advice and "Fuck off back to Legoland"
Something to listen for when you watch next is that when the Network first greets Gary it calls him "Gary King, of the humans" and after it's listened to Gary's absolute inability to lose and argument, it calls him "Gary, King of the humans."
Edgar Wright, after the film wrapped, explained that instead of destroying Earth, it decided to just cut off all our technology, hopefully keeping us from going out into the galaxy and infecting other planets with our stupidity.
Unfortunately for them, the Network's muttering of "Fuck it" right before it beams up out of Earth indicates that it's already picked up on our crude apathy and it's taking some of that back to where it came from.

Our world wasn't destroyed, but the world as we knew it did end. We lost all of our technology, but we did indeed live. So thank you Gary King for annoying the invading force SO MUCH that it decided to let us err as humans. "So... err... ?"