Monthly Archive: April 2008

Sci-Fi Summit Report: More on ‘Star Trek’ and a Tale of Two Spocks

  • News
  • April 16, 2008

[EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re about to read our special ComicMix report on the Star Trek panel and Q&A at this year’s Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank, CA. If you’d like to know more about the convention, we also have a general roundup of the Sci-Fi Summit and a special report on the James Marsters panel and Q&A session with the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor. -RM]

2-spocks-3-tm-6878406Last Sunday, Sci-Fi Summit attendees were treated to one half of the writing team behind the upcoming Star Trek film and the recent live-action Transformers movie, as writer Roberto Orci kicked off the grand finale of the show. After the writer apologized for the absence of Alex Kurtzman, his associate of 17 years, the fans were treated to a screening of the Star Trek trailer and some photos that Orci took on set.

The trailer didn’t feature any new footage, and included shots of the U.S.S. Enterprise’s construction, apparently on Earth. When a fan expressed his displeasure at this, Orci assured him, “Just because they start building it on Earth, doesn’t mean that it can’t be finished in space.”

Orci’s slideshow also failed to reveal any spoilers, with the possible exception of a photo of an inedible-looking craft service table marked “Romulan’s Only,” confirming the appearance of the alien race in the film

When the recent writer’s strike ended, Orci said he and Kurtzman spent nine weeks writing Transformers 2 and handed in their first draft this past Friday. When asked what new Transformers fans could look forward to in the film, the writer answered, “Maybe Soundwave.”

Orci also hinted that there are Star Trek references in both of his previous films, The Island and Transformers, and there will be more references in Transformers 2. He also confirmed that the writing team did a polish on the script for Watchmen.

According to Orci, famed director Steven Spielberg played a large role in J.J. Abrams’ decision to direct Star Trek. Abrams had agreed to produce the film, but was not sure if he wanted to direct. Spielberg read the script and convinced Abrams to helm the project. Orci also recalled a set visit where the Close Encounters of the Third Kind director sat on the bridge of the Enterprise and helped block out an action sequence. (more…)

Sci-Fi Summit Report: James Marsters on ‘Spike’ Movie and ‘Buffy’ Reunion

  • News
  • April 16, 2008

[EDITOR’S NOTE: You’re about to read our special ComicMix report on the James Marsters panel and Q&A session at this year’s Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit in Burbank, CA. If you’d like to know more about the convention, we also have a general roundup of the Sci-Fi Summit and a special report on the Star Trek panel and Q&A session, featuring "A Tale of Two Spocks." -RM]

Saturday at last weekend’s Sci-Fi Summit featured an appearance by popular Buffy the Vampire Slayer actor James Marsters (Spike), who also appears as Braniac on the television series Smallville, and is featured in a recurring role on the hit series Torchwood. Marsters will also be playing the role of villain Piccolo in the upcoming live-action adaptation of the anime classic Dragonball.

The actor began the panel by talking about his disappointment over the recent Buffy reunion at the Paily Center in New York.

“From my side, it was kind of a letdown, really. There were a lot of smart people on that show and really good questions being asked by the audience, but I felt like nobody really talked about anything interesting," said Marsters. "We didn’t say anything or bring anything nearly dangerous. I felt like we weren’t trying to prove something anymore, but trying to protect something — and I thought that was total bull. I left the stage thinking, ‘We didn’t get it, we didn’t give it to them. The audience was ready and we weren’t.’”

When asked about the possibility of a Spike film, he described his pitch for the film. It involved Spike falling in love with a woman but never telling her about his vampire origins for fear of her leaving him.

“She discovers he’s a vampire, is disgusted by it and kicks him out forever,” the actor explained. He went on to explain that later a monster would appear, and thinking that he could win her back by being the hero, Spike hunts the monster. However, once he gets into the fight, the monster grows to six times its original size and Spike runs away in fear. (more…)

‘Voltron’ Episodes Go Online

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  • April 16, 2008

Maybe it was the recent interview with Voltron: A Legend Forged writer Josh Blaylock here on ComicMix that got them psyched-up to do it, but Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace has added the first two seasons of Voltron: Defender of the Universe to its list of downloadable videos.

If you already have an Xbox 360, then don’t hesitate to get the very first episode, "Space Explorers Captured," because it’s free. Other episodes will cost 160 MS Points (roughly $2 in the U.S.).

Travel to Planet Arus and uncover the secret of a weapon from ancient times — Voltron! Keith, Lance, Sven, Hunk and Pidge arrive too late, the planet has already been completely devastated by the evil forces of King Zarkon. They engage in battle with Zarkon’s general, Yurak, only to be captured and thrown into the dungeons on Planet Doom.

Like all cartoons from your childhood, they might not hold up to your memories. (Space mice? Really?) But the nostalgia’s worth the initial price. After that, you’re hooked. Darn animation pushers.

grace-park-tm-9906577

Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit Report – BSG, James Marsters, Smallville and Star Trek

  • Uncategorized
  • April 16, 2008

2-spocks-3-tm-4439241It was an important weekend for science-fiction fans this past April 11-13 in Burbank, CA,  as past, present and future celebrities of the genre gathered for the Grand Slam: Sci-Fi Summit, an annual, weekend-long convention for fans of science-fiction movies and television that attracts some of sci-fi’s most beloved creators and celebrities.

The guest list at this year’s summit included Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Leonard Nimoy (Star Trek), Brent Spiner (Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation), Thomas Dekker (John Conner on Terminator: The Sara Conner Chronicles), Grace Park (Battlestar Galactica) and James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Torchwood), as well as the reunion of Hercules stars Kevin Sorbo and Michael Hurst, and a panel featuring members of the cast of Smallville.

ComicMix was there throughout the weekend’s festivities and has the following breakdown of the highlights, featuring images from the events and a pair of comprehensive reports from the James Marsters and Star Trek panels. A gallery of full-size images from the show is posted at the end of each article.

On Saturday, actress Grace Park, who plays Lt. Sharon “Boomer” Valerii on Battlestar Galactica, answered some questions from fans about the fourth and final season of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series.

“We only have seven episodes left to shoot,” the actress explained. She went on to say that for legal reasons, a Battlestar Galactica movie with this cast of actors and characters would not be possible. “I don’t think there is going to be anything else that we do together, this is the end.”

(more…)

Review: Three Pieces of Middle

These three books have almost nothing in common – they’re from three different publishers, in entirely different genres, and by very different creators. But they all are middle chapters in long-running series, so they raise similar questions about maintaining interest in a serialized story – when the beginning was years ago, and there’s no real end in sight, either, what makes this piece of the story special? (Besides the fact that it’s printed on nice paper and shoved between cardboard covers.)

exmachina-621-7885143Ex Machina, Vol. 6: Power Down
By Brian K. Vaughan, Tony Harris, Jim Clark, and JD Mettler
DC Comics/Wildstorm, 2008, $12.99

Ex Machina gets to go first, since it’s the shortest and it’s also the closest to the beginning of the series. (Both in that it’s volume 6 and because all of the [[[Ex Machina]]] collections are so short – this one collects issues 26 to 29 of the series, so we’re only into the third year of publication.) The premise is still the same – an unknown artifact/item gave then-civil engineer Mitchell Hundred the power to hear and command all kinds of machines, which he used to first become a costumed superhero (stopping the second plane on 9-11, among other things) and then successfully ran for mayor in the delayed election of 2001-2002.

This storyline begins in the summer of 2003, and provides a secret-historical reason for the blackout of that year. (This is too cute a touch for my taste – Hundred’s world is different enough from our own that this “explanation” couldn’t be true in our real world, and so the fact that both worlds had identical-seeming massive blackouts, on the same day, from different causes, stretches suspension of disbelief much too far.)

(more…)

The Bronx is Up and My Battery’s Down, by Elayne Riggs

  • News
  • April 16, 2008

As you probably know, except for the LA-based Michael Davis, every ComicMix columnist lives in the NY-NJ-CT metropolitan area. The famous magazine cover at right chides our perspective as somewhat skewed, but in reality I think New York City and its surrounding suburbs offer a pretty good microcosm of modern civilization. Not for nothing are we the melting pot of the world.

The thing is, for a relatively small island, Manhattan is so much bigger than most people can cover, either on foot or in the media. Leaving aside for a moment the vast array of cultures inhabiting the "outer" boroughs (our northeast Bronx neighborhood seems to be a mix of mostly Jews and Irish but it appears to be diversifying at last), there’s just so much within NYC (the way many of us in the boroughs abbreviate New York, New York) itself that you can hardly take it all in. Manhattan never ceases to fascinate me, and I’ve been lucky enough to see a lot of it these past few months while searching for a job.

Job search hours tend to be peculiar, because you’re usually coming into or leaving The City while other people around you are either on holiday or working. So I see the passing parade in a different way than I would if I were cooped up in an office for the better part of eight ours, only coming out to commute with the masses. And I’ve been able to pretend I’m sightseeing at the same time, revisiting old haunts as well as traveling to areas I never had the time or inclination to check out when I actually worked in NYC. (more…)

ComicMix Radio: Uncle Sam Says Pay Up Or Else!

It’s Tax Day – like no one else has reminded you of that. After the pain of filing, drown your sorrows with an amazing stack of new comics and DVDs, which we preview, then get set to go with us to The Big Apple for the New York Comic Con – all weekend and all FREE here at ComicMix, plus:

— Adams draws Ali – but it isn’t Neal

— Tori Amos picks her comic favorites

— Batman:Gotham Knight to premiere at Wizard World Chicago

—  It’s your LAST chance to win  an exclusive Graham Crackers Comics variant  by e-mailing us at: podcast [at] comicmix.com …then great ready for our GRAND PRIZE drawing this week!

Just like filing online –  Press The Button and your pop culture refund comes right back at you!

 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-4404397 or RSS!

‘Batman: Gotham Knight’ Trailer Posted

  • News
  • April 15, 2008

A trailer just came online for this summer’s Batman: Gotham Knight, the animated DVD accompanying the Dark Knight release. It’ll be released on July 8.

In short, it looks amazing, with some intense action and very slick animation. But don’t take my word for it, watch for yourself.


(via Blog@)

Happy Birthday: Leonardo da Vinci

  • News
  • April 15, 2008

Born in Vinci, Florence, Italy in 1452, Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci was the illegitimate son of a local notary and a peasant girl. He showed an early talent for art, and at the age of 14 he was apprenticed to the renowned Florentine painter Verrocchio.

In 1472, at the age of 20, Leonardo qualified as a master with the Guild of St. Luke and his father set him up in his own workshop. Lorenzo de Medici was so impressed by the young artist that in 1482 he sent Leonardo to serve Ludovico il Moro, the Duke of Milan.

Leonardo remained there until 1499, when he fled to Venice to escape a French invasion. He returned to Florence the following year, and continued to travel between and work among those three cities and more for the rest of his life.

Leonardo da Vinci is considered the examplar of the Renaissance man: a brilliant painter and sculptor but also a talented mathematician and scientist and a renowned scholar. Several of his works, like the Mona Lisa, are still considered among the greatest masterpieces of all time.

Going Graphic: Jon Evans on ‘The Executor’

  • Uncategorized
  • April 15, 2008

The list of novelists jumping into the graphic novel game continues to grow, and Vertigo is leading the recruiting effort. Jonathan Ames’ comics debut, The Alcoholic, is due out this fall from DC’s imprint, and now comes word that Jon Evans is scripting a Vertigo book titled The Executor.

Evans (also a well known journalist) writes about the transition from prose to comics in a Guardian blog, explaining how he finally entered into comics, which were once considered "a squalid literary ghetto."

But the prospect of experimenting with a whole new kind of storytelling, immediate and visceral, was exciting … And an idea that had nagged at me for years, but never seemed quite right for a novel, was perfect for a graphic one: The Executor, a tale of dark secrets and racial tensions in a small town by a Native American reservation. …

Authors are accustomed to being dictators, but comics are a terrible medium for control freaks. Artists know more about visual storytelling than most authors ever will, and tend to interpret even detailed scripts as suggestions, not commands. I couldn’t be happier with The Executor’s artist, Andrea Mutti, but a lot of negotiation and letting go of ego was required on both sides for the book to work.

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