Category: News

Perhaps you’ve heard that Twitter has now added Twitter Lists to its offerings, as an easier way to negotiate your way around. Well, we’d like for you to see us there, so we’re throwing in a little extra incentive.

Every person who adds ComicMix to a Twitter List will be entered in a random drawing. The winner will get their choice of:

The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born hardcover

or

EZ Street: Limited Baltimore Edition. Only 100 of these were printed.

Just include ComicMix on your Twitter List by November 15th. We’ll announce the winner on the 16th.

And don’t forget to follow ComicMix or the ComicMix team list!

IGN has four character posters for the Matthew Vaughn-directed comic book adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.’s Kick-Ass, opening in theaters on April 16. Go look.

On this day
in 1605, Sir Thomas Knyvet, a justice of the peace, found Guy Fawkes in
a cellar below the English Parliament building, involved in a plot to
blow up Parliament itself. The day was later known as “Guy Fawkes Day”
and served as an inspiration for Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s graphic
novel, V for Vendetta.

Today the folks across the pond remember, remember the fifth of
November in honor of a sense of independence and a shaking of fists at
British authority. While we reserve fireworks for summery July 4th,
today is their excuse to blow things up and set things on fire. Really,
every country should follow some such tradition of blowing things up in
good spirits, but in light of recent world politics, let’s not go
there. 

Or if we do, let’s wear an awesome mask while we’re at it.

Neil Gaiman, an ex-pat Brit, held an annual Guy Fawkes party at his home for many years. The late great John M. Ford, Neil’s favorite writer and good friend, once decided to write directions to that party, with great wit and style…

AMERICAN GUY
(C’mon. You know the tune, whether or not you
remember all the words.)

A long, long time ago
But it should be remembered
How it fell out on November five
Some nobles and a guy named Guy
Thought they’d make their oppressors fly
And there’d be revolution, by and by . . .
The commissary must have shivered
When all those herrings were delivered
Barrels in the basement
For Parliament’s effacement
It was a bold, quixotic dream
(Though some say Salisbury’s scheme)
Explosive treason was the theme
The day the fuse went out

They started singing:
Remember, remember, the fifth of November
It was a night full of gunpowder, treason and plot
I see no reason
Why a gunpowder treason
Ever, ever should be forgot
Ever, ever should be forgot

One day with Lord Monteagle’s bacon
A note says, bangers have been laid on
Take a powder, signed, A Friend
The sort of hint that starts you thinking
With leaks like this, we’ll soon be sinking
Knot the rope that marks the end
They thought rebellion had a chance
But no one got up for the dance
Guy bent but didn’t break
Until Salisbury’s stake
The bottom line could not be plainer
A round of trials and attainder
Divide by four with no remainder
The day the fuse went out
They started singing. . . .

I miss Mr. Ford’s writing a lot. Go visit Elise’s LiveJournal for the last verse and say hi.

Nikki Finke points to a piece by Financial Times‘ Matthew Garrahan which tells us the Terminator franchise is going to be auctioned off this month. All the big studios, with Sony leading the way, as well as Summit
Entertainment and Media Rights Capital, are interested in bidding. The rights auction is for new Terminator films, TV programs, comics and any other spin-offs that build on the popularity of the franchise. The sale is being conducted by FTI Capital Advisors for Halcyon which
bought the Terminator rights two years ago for $25 million from Mario
Kassar. Halcyon recently filed for Chapter 11 after a dispute with
Pacificor, a Santa Barbara-based hedge fund that lent Halcyon the sum
to buy the Terminator rights.

And who’s the opening bidder? Why, none other than Joss Whedon:

I have heard through the ‘grapevine’ that the Terminator
franchise is for sale, and I am prepared to make a pre-emptive bid
RIGHT NOW to wrap this dealio up. This is not a joke, this is not a
scam, this is not available on TV. I will write a check TODAY for
$10,000, and viola! Terminator off your hands.

No, you didn’t miscount. That’s four — FOUR! — zeroes after that
one. That’s to show you I mean business. And I mean show business.
Nikki Finke says the Terminator concept is played. Well,
here’s what I have to say to Nikki Finke: you are a fine journalist and
please don’t ever notice me. The Terminator story is as
formative and important in our culture — and my pretend play — as any
I can think of. It’s far from over. And before you Terminator-Owners
(I have trouble remembering names) rush to cash that sweet cheque, let
me give you a taste of what I could do with that franchise…

My theory: he wants to make sure The Sarah Connor Chronicles is well and truly dead and no threat to Dollhouse: