Author: Mike Gold

Heath Ledger – Evening Update

  • Uncategorized
  • January 23, 2008

The New York City police department has released a statement saying there is no reason to suspect Heath Ledger’s death this afternoon was a suicide. His body, while naked, was found on the bed and not on the floor. Whereas there were perscription drug bottles found, Ledger had been suffering from pneumonia.

The police have not ruled out suicide or any other cause. As in all unfolding stories, details will continue come out as the investigation procedes.

FURTHER UPDATE – 10:00 PM: Alan Horn, President and COO of Warner Bros. and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group have issued the following statement to TMZ. The studio is producing the next Batman film, The Dark Knight.

"The studio is stunned and devastated by this tragic news. The entertainment community has lost an enormous talent. Heath was a brilliant actor and an exceptional person. Our hearts go out to his family and friends."

Magneto and Who Lear On TeeVee

  • News
  • January 22, 2008

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s production of King Lear starring Ian McKellen (X-Men, Lord of the Rings, The Shadow) and Sylvester McCoy (the seventh Doctor) has been videotaped and will be broadcast this fall in America on PBS, according to theatermania.com.

Directed by Trevor Nunn (Les Misérables, Nicholas Nickleby, Cats), the production was taped in HD TV and will be broadcast throughout the world. It will also be available on DVD.  

The production debuted last April at The Courtyard Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon and travelled throughout the world, ending its tour on London’s West End. McCoy played The Fool, McKellen the King.

 

 

I Am Not Running For President, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • January 21, 2008

I was in Manhattan last week, joining Martha Thomases and Glenn Hauman for a ComicMix mini-staff meeting. We were at a nice little diner in Greenwich Village, which is always a pleasantly nostalgic experience. I had to meet my wife and daughter in Newark for the Devils / Islanders game; I, of course, am a Blackhawks fan but it’s always swell to see Martin Brodeur in action. 

I had a bit of time to get to the new stadium, so I took the E train down to the connecting PATH train to Newark. This happens at the World Trade Center station, and I wanted to go there.

Yep. The station’s still called “World Trade Center,” despite the fact that the World Trade Center (stop me if you heard this one) was blowed up on September 11, 2001. Sadly, the site is still a big ugly hole in the ground. The subway stations were in a deep structurally-protected basement and have been shorn up to allow tens of thousands of commuters to continue to get to work. Sadly – and to our national embarrassment – it is six and one-third years later and the World Trade Center is still a big hole in the ground. (more…)

Roger Price Retires From Mid-Ohio Con

  • News
  • January 20, 2008

The man who founded the Mid-Ohio-Con, one of the best run and most entertaining of the hundreds of comic book conventions held each year, is retiring after 27 years.

Roger A. Price issued an announcement today that essentially said it was time for a change. Having helped run a large convention (the Chicago Comicon) for merely 10 years, I can certainly sympathize. The man is leaving while on top.

He is entertaining offers from those who might be interested in taking over this classic show. Roger can be contacted at info@midohiocon.com, or at R.A.P. Promotions at P.O. Box 3831, Mansfield Ohio 44907.

Speaking for both my family and for ComicMix, Roger, thanks for all the great fun. We wish you well.

Editing Comics In The 21st Century, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • January 14, 2008

As you may know, as part of the ComicMix ruling triumvirate I spend my spare time editing comics published on, and soon by, ComicMix. It’s the most fun part of the job, and I really enjoy the catalytic experience. I’ve been editing for a million years, much of that time editing comics, and I try really hard not to get set in my ways. Having a short attention span helps.

So does working on the Internet. Case in point:

I’ve been working with John Ostrander and/or Timothy Truman since the week before fish crawled out of the ocean. It’s one of my happiest experiences; it’s great fun to work with talented people with whom you share culture, worldview and personal history. But I’m always concerned that creatively we’ll fall into a rut and take things for granted. So far, so good.

Our process (and this differs for each creative team as well as on each project) is simple. Either John or Tim comes up with an idea and we kick it around in an endless series of witty and self-referential e-mails. Eventually Tim decides he’s read enough. John and I continue for a bit just to make sure Tim didn’t change his mind (or maybe just to annoy him; I can’t tell anymore). Then John writes up a plot for the first chunk of story. Before the Internet, that would usually be a 22 – 24 page segment; now, it’s whatever John feels like. We kick it around a tiny bit, and Tim takes it away and draws whatever he feels like drawing. John dialogues it. At each step of the way, I make snarky notes and cultural references that would confound Dennis Miller.  (more…)

Solomon Kane Cast Members Announced

  • News
  • January 10, 2008

The cast of Robert E. Howard’s classic redemption-seeking-warrior Soloman Kane is expanding. Joining lead James Purefoy (Rome) will be Max Von Sydow (The Exorcist, Diary of Anne Frank, Flash Gordon), Pete Postlethwaite (Aeon Flux, The Omen remake), Alice Krige (The 4400, Deadwood) and Mackenzie Crook (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End). Michael J. Bassett (Deathwatch) is directing from his own script.

The movie is supposed to be the first of a trilogy. Hmmm… I wonder where they got that idea?

Turok, Son Of Video

  • Uncategorized
  • January 10, 2008

51m4jgindzl-_ss500_-9598820Former Dell / Gold Key / Valiant star Turok Son of Stone will be making his direct-to-DVD debut on February 5.  

Written by veteran comics writer Tony Bedard and Invader Zim’s Evan Baily, the Turok D2DVD was directed by Curt Geda (the animated Superman) , Dan Riba (the animated Batmans) and Frank Squillace (the animated X-Men) under the supervision of Tad Stones (the animated Hellboy). So the show has quite a pedigree.

Rights to the character are now controlled by Classic Media, which also handles Casper The Friendly Ghost and Terry and the Pirates… which would make for a great crossover.

Doctor Who Turns 100

  • News
  • January 8, 2008

Not to encroach on Glenn Hauman’s turf, but, hey, happy 100th birthday, William Hartnell!

The man who created the role of Doctor Who – his first broadcast was transmitted immediately after the BBC announced the death of President Kennedy – and stayed with the role for three years had been performing on stage and in movies for 40 years by the time he was cast, including the classic British comedy Carry On Sergeant.  

Retiring due to ill health, Hartnell returned to the role to film a few scenes in the groundbreaking 10th anniversary episode "The Three Doctors." His role, in which he helped save the Doctor’s next two incarnations, was curtailed somewhat due to his poor health. It was Hartnell’s final performance; he died two years after the show was broadcast.

One More Day Too Many, by Mike Gold

  • News
  • January 7, 2008
Damn. They blew it.
 
Pulling off those universe-shattering “everything you knew yesterday will be wrong tomorrow” budget-busting bookshelf-breaking crossovers is a bitch. Few of them prove to be worth anybody’s effort, most of them are contradicted within a few weeks of their conclusion, and there have been way, way too many such “events” for any of them to be actual events. 
 
Marvel’s Civil War was different. For one thing, it was actually about something – it took on issues and concerns that were metaphors for what has been going on in the so-called real world. For another, it had at least three really, really interesting story-threads: the devolution of Tony Stark’s humanity, the death of Steve Rogers (as opposed to the death of Captain America, which didn’t happen), and the outing of Spider-Man and the resultant impact it had on Peter Parker, his career and his family.
 
I was left with a degree of personal involvement that had been much greater than previously. Marvel had instituted real change, and while we all know change is a constant and that at some point some of it would be contradicted eventually – somebody, at some point in the future, will probably resurrect Steve Rogers, although I hope not – the “event” ended with my being more curious about what would follow than any other such mega-crossover. Silly me.
 
O.K. Now we get to the spoilers, so if you haven’t read the last few Spiders-Man, and you haven’t seen any of the covers or house ads, and you haven’t listened to the hubbub at your friendly neighborhood comics shop, and you’d temporarily gone deaf and blind after seeing Alvin and the Chipmunks, you might want to stop right here. Or you can view this as a public service. And now, back to our regularly scheduled rant.
 

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Disney World Hates Kids!

  • News
  • January 5, 2008

According to the Associated Press, if you go down to Walt Disney World and want to cop a meal at Victoria and Albert’s, the five-diamond rated restaurant in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, you better leave your pre-tens at the hotel. They are not welcome. Or tolerated.

The restaurant manager said that banning young children makes for a better dining experience for adults. Probably so; in fact, I’ll bet banning kiddies from Walt Disney World would make for a better experience for adults. Shorten the lines, too, although they’d have to keep those "you must be THIS tall" signs.

Having never been to Victoria and Albert’s, I don’t know if they have topless dancers in the lounge.

 

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