Author: Mike Gold

Galactica plots its new course

  • News
  • March 27, 2007

Now that the third season is behind him and he’s got a full commitment from the SciFi Network for a third, Battlestar Galactica developer and executive producer Ron Moore decided to spill a few beans about what’s ahead for the series.

Moore revealed Katee Sackhoff will be back as Starbuck throughout the upcoming season, although he did not reveal if she was the final Cylon. Despite her previous public comments regarding her getting new work on other series, Moore told the trade magazine TVWeek "She was very careful how she phrased it. We wanted people to feel the loss. We didn’t want to put Katee in the position of lying to people. She did look for other work and is getting other work — just other work that won’t interfere with her "Battlestar" commitments."

He also disclosed the upcoming two-hour Galactica made-for-teevee movie that will be airing this fall (and available on DVD shortly thereafter) will not pick up from the point where season three left off, providing a convenient "jumping in" point for new viewers. "It didn’t feel right to try and resolve the cliffhanger with a single airing and DVD release. It didn’t make any sense. We told a story that takes place in the past in the "Galactica" universe but relates to events in the fourth season."

As has been widely rumored, Moore confirmed the possibility of a prequel series called Caprica. It’s "still in development," Moore said. "They’re not picking it up as a pilot right now. They’ve talked about doing a two-hour version of it, or a DVD. The longer it goes on, the less likely it seems that anything will happen."

Of course, if this fall’s stand-alone movie does well – or if the Star Trek theatrical prequel does extremely well (a longer shot, IMHO) – don’t be surprised if SciFi gets a lot more interested.

Prepare for Spidey-3

  • News
  • March 27, 2007

If, while waiting for the release of Spider-Man 3 in about five weeks, you feel you need a recap of the first two movies but you just don’t have the time,you might want to check out 30 Second Bunnies Theatre.

This Starz / Anrgy Alien animated production is a nice, convenient way to remind yourself of the complete cinema saga to date. Like virtually all Marvel-related productions, it even has a Stan Lee cameo.

Oh, yeah. And all the parts are played by cute li’l bunny rabbits.

http://www.starz.com/features/bunnyclub/spiderman/index.html

Super-Wolf?

  • Uncategorized
  • March 27, 2007

There’s a stroy going around (DarkHorizon.com.) that Tom Welling, Clark Kent himself, will be the next teen wolf.

Whereas one would think he’s a bit gray in the pelt, Welling would be following a trio of actors who used the part to launch major careers. It all started in1957 with Michael Landon (Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie) in the classic motion picture I Was A Teenage Werewolf. 28 years later, Michael J. Fox used the Teen Wolf role to help in the transition from teevee to the big screen, and Jason Bateman followed in the sequel two years later with somewhat less success.

Personally, I’m holding out for another return of Quentin Collins.

Marshall Rogers dies

  • Uncategorized
  • March 26, 2007

detective474-1397857Marshall Rogers, the legendary artist of such diverse characters as Batman, Mr. Miracle,  Doctor Strange, the Silver Surfer,  and Green Lantern, died this weekend at the age of 57. Details have yet to be disclosed.

Marshall co-created and drew a veriety of creator-owned projects such as Detectives, Inc., Captain Quick and the Foozle, Scorpio Rose, and Coyote. He is best known for his collaborations with writer Steve Englehart. Marshall was also part of Neal Adams’ "Crusty Bunkers" crew at Continuity Studios.

A personal friend, I fondly remember Marshall telling me about the time he was working at Continuity Studios when the ceiling literally fell in. He was finishing a project for Neal, and did not want to leave his drawing table until it was finished. Folks had to work around him, as he wouldn’t budge. He was a great guy, with an awesome sense of humor and a broad smile to match.

Artwork copyright 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved.

Mike Grell and Green Arrow invade Pittsburgh

  • Uncategorized
  • March 26, 2007

green-arrow-illo-small-3485422

 

Our pal Mike Grell did this awesome history of Green Arrow montage for the cover of the Pittsburgh Comicon program book. Mike, along with ComicMixers Timothy Truman and yours truly (and about a thousand other guests, including Mike Oeming and George Pérez, will be appearing at the show, April 27th  through 29th at the Pittsburgh ExpoMart.

Mike has donated the painting and it will be auctioned off for the benefit of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. If you haven’t seen Mike Grell’s work as an auctioneer, you’ve been missing something.

By the way, this piece will also be used in the special features section of the upcoming Smallville season 6 DVD set – the season featuring Green Arrow, of course.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Comicon: http://www.pittsburghcomicon.com/

(Artwork copyright 2007 DC Comics. All Rights Reserved, so you better watch it!)

Tex Avery’s Droopy is coming

  • Uncategorized
  • March 26, 2007

7377951-6995685

Many animation fans believe Tex Avery to be the greatest – and, arguably, wackiest – American cartoon director. On May 15, Droopy, his best-known creation, will be released on DVD in all his complete glory.

          

Tex Avery’s Droopy: The Complete Theatrical Collection will also contain the eight Droopy cartoons produced in letterbox ratio, which have been rarely seen on television. Many of the shorts feature the ultimate slick bad-guy Wolfie, another of Avery’s best-known creations. Episodes include Dumb-Hounded, The Shooting Of Dan McGoo, Wild And Woolfy, Northwest Hounded Police, Señor Droopy, Wags To Riches, Out-Foxed, The Chump Champ, Daredevil Droopy, Droopy’s Good Deed, Droopy’s Double Trouble, Caballero Droopy,  The Three Little Pups, Drag-A-Long Droopy, Homesteader Droopy, Dixieland Droopy, Deputy Droopy, Millionaire Droopy, Grin And Share It, Blackboard Jumble, One Droopy Knight, Sheep Wrecked, Mutts About Racing, and Droopy Leprechaun. Extras include Droopy and Friends: A Laugh Back and an ersatz gag reel.

Droopy’s more recent guest-appearances with Roger Rabbit and The Simpsons are not expected to find their way onto this Warner Bros. two-DVD box set; of course, they were tributes to Tex produced after his death.

MIKE GOLD: The secret Luddite?

  • News
  • March 26, 2007

mikegold100-6701130Yesterday, I turned on my cell phone for the first time in about two weeks. I was at I-Con in Long Island New York and was waiting to meet up with some friends. I only turn on my cell when I’m out of town or at a convention, and the fact that I didn’t have to have it on in two weeks had made me happy.

First among my 19 voicemails was a message from Harlan Ellison, admonishing me for misspelling Edgar Allan Poe’s name in a ComicMix news story back when. He’s right, and I should have caught it. I’ve been a fan of Poe’s longer than anybody except maybe Jack Kirby. The problem is, when I’m under deadline pressure (and with the Internet that’s 24/7) I over rely upon my spellchecker. Sadly, those suckers ignore words that are misspelled into other real words. I let it do my thinking for me; my bad.

Mr. Ellison often refers to himself as a Luddite, disparaging our computer-communications society. I sympathize. Coincidentally, the very night before my wife and I had watched the first half of a Doctor Who serial, "The Mark of the Rani", which was set in 1811 at the birthplace of the British Luddite movement. They did a good job of disclosing the reasons behind the movement, except that I don’t think a pair of Gallefreyan Time Lords encouraged the Luddite movement.

For the history-challenged out there, the Luddites were members of a movement of English workers at the dawn of the Industrial Age who destroyed the machinery that they thought was taking their jobs. It is believed the media named the participants after Ned Lud, one of their ilk, although that might be apocryphal.

You can hardly blame them. The ruling classes always instill such fears in their workers as a means of keeping wages low and discipline high. There are always all sorts of odd ramifications to this philosophy – for example, our marijuana laws were imposed under the belief that they would deter Mexican immigration and take jobs away from the “common man.” If this sounds like our current immigration attitudes, well, that’s no coincidence.

(more…)

Zombies with good attitude

zero-3945251

Zombie movies are nothing new. Nor are zombie movies with attitude. But there’s been a preview making the rounds of a movie about a bunch of zombie "eliminators" called Z•E•R•O, or Zombie Emergeny Response Operations for long. Possible another section of the Department of Homeland Security that isn’t being talked about.

Unlike most such pre-distribution movie previews, War of the Dead: Z•E•R•O is very character-based. We know there’s a lot of icky monsters around, but the preview focuses on Z•E•R•O and its team-members: a group of ick-fighters that are probably slightly too good for Reno 911 and certainly too good for their patronizing shrink.

What happens to War of the Dead: Z•E•R•O is up to the usual Hollywood forces, but the preview is fun and worth checking out. Kudos to creator / Executive producer Joe Sena and writer / director Michael Disario for jumping into the shark pool; we wish them the best of luck.

Check ’em out at warofthedead.com.

Comic books still rule the movies

  • News
  • March 25, 2007

Comic books continue to lead Hollywood box office business as TMNT, based upon the comics books of the same letters beat out 300 $25,400,000 to a mere $20,500,000 in estimated weekend North American box office receipts.

It was the first weekend for the Turtles’ latest movie venture, and the third for the Frank Miller property. Thus far, 300 has earned nearly a quarter-billion dollars worldwide. Then again, box office totals in Iran are expected to be rather low.

Whereas both movies were released by Warner Bros., neither one is based upon a DC Comics property. DC is a unit of Warner Bros.

Next up: Spider-Man 3, in just a few weeks. ComicMix carried the link to the final movie trailer; scroll down and you’ll find it.

More Heroes all summer long

  • News
  • March 23, 2007

If you were planning on pining away the summer lusting for new episodes of Heroes, well, we’ve got good news for you. NBC will be continuing its online graphic novel with new material right up until (and after) the second season starts this fall. The graphic novel extends the storylines of the series’ characters, giving added depth and information. Click through to http://www.nbc.com/Heroes/novels/, just as seven million other folks have been doing since the series went up last September.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks