Category: News

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O’Neil, Uslan, Foglios, DeFalco Go Public

  • News
  • October 12, 2007

batmanbegins-3026568People really are taking this comics stuff seriously. This Saturday, October 13, at 7 p.m. at the Montclair Art Museum as part of their "Reflecting Culture: The Evolution of American Comic Book Superheroes exhibition," there will be a lecture on "Superheroes and Society," moderated by Michael Uslan, executive producer of Batman and Batman Begins; with Danny Fingeroth, author of Superman On the Couch: What Superheroes Really Tell Us About Ourselves; ComicMix columnist Dennis O’Neil, and Tom DeFalco, former editor in chief of Marvel Comics. $12 for memebers, $16 for non-members.

Meanwhile, the Association for Computing Machinery at the University of Illinois is hosting its 13th annual computing conference on October 12–14, with guests Phil and Kaja Foglio speaking on a panel entitled: "I can haz money now? Successfully Reengineering Traditional Comic Publishing For The Web," where they will be discussing, what else, Girl Genius.

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Michael Davis: The Fanboy Guide to Girls • Part 2

  • News
  • October 12, 2007

527_4_0022-6169816Welcome to the first Fanboy Guide To Girls Dating Review And Quiz! Judging from the comments and dirty looks I’ve been getting since last week’s column I see that there is a need for this type of high quality help for many of our Fanboy Nation!

Fanboy Nation trademark and copyright Michael Davis. You never know when something will catch on!

So, young Fanboy, you have your sights set on a young lady. She’s cute and you are trying to work up the nerve ask her out. Great! So here is a step-by-step guide to get her to say YES and begin your loving relationship…with a girl!

Step 1: Say hello to the lady in question and after she says hello to you… leave! That’s right, just give a taste of your coolness and walk away. Chicks dig a man of mystery!

Step 2: A day or so later walk up to her again, look her in the eyes and say,  “I would like to have lunch with you.” Don’t forget to smile – unless you have gold teeth like those idiot rappers. When she says yes, you tell her where to meet you and walk away. If she says no, you calmly look at her and say “Oh I’m sorry I wasn’t talking to you.”

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Lead paint found in Marvel toys

  • News
  • October 11, 2007

curiousgeorge-8894088They’re finding it in everything, including Cub Scout badges, so why should Marvel be exempt? Via ICv2: Reuters is reporting that the non-profit Center for Environmental Health has detected levels of lead 10 times the legally allowed limit in a Curious George doll manufactured by Marvel (the old ToyBiz operation) and sold at Toys ‘R Us. Within hours of the announcement of the discovery of the lead-tainted toy, Marvel halted shipments of its Curious George toys from China and is pulling various samples from the factory for rush lead testing.

Marvel has not yet recalled the toys, but is working with CEH to determine the extent of the problem.

Big Broadcast: Return to Wonderland…

Being a successful indy comics publisher is tough today, but getting there is even tougher. Today The Big ComicMix Broadcast shares the story of Luke Smarto, creator of Fan Girl, who has created and published more titles than some of the "big" guys and is still reaching for that golden ring. Plus we tip you on a run of very limited Return To Wonderland variants from the UK, a source to download new versions of Candyland and Monopoly and news on more reworking of classic Jack Kirby artwork.

Stop staring at the girl on the cover and PRESS THE BUTTON!

Happy 32nd birthday, Saturday Night Live!

  • News
  • October 11, 2007

Thirty-two years ago, at 11:30 PM Eastern Time, the National Broadcasting Company aired this live:

…and with that, a revolution was born. NBC’s Saturday Night premiered with George Carlin as the host, Janis Ian and Billy Preston as musical guests, Jim Henson’s Muppets, and Not Ready For Prime Time Players Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, George Coe (remember him?), Jane Curtin, Garrett Morris, Laraine Newman, Michael O’Donoghue, and Gilda Radner. A few years later, it would be renamed to what we know it as today, Saturday Night Live.

Del Close, subject of last Friday’s Munden’s Bar story, was acting coach and rehearsal director of SNL in 1981 and 1982.

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John Ostrander: Obit the Living

  • News
  • October 11, 2007

tp1902-5593800Obits – obituaries – are tough things to write. Their purpose is to commemorate the life of someone recently deceased, to list their accomplishments and achievements, to take note that someone has passed out of our lives. A last fanfare to the life of someone who is gone. Generally speaking, they are valedictory and complimentary.

Why do we wait until after a person has passed away to stand up and say these things? Okay, it might embarrass the person we’re talking about to hear the nice things we might say – and mean – about them but they’ll get over it. And they might like to hear them.

All of which is prelude to the fact that I am about to embarrass someone – a fellow member of ComicMix. Ladies and germs, let’s talk about Mr. Dennis O’Neil.

ComicMix readers tend to be a pretty knowledgeable lot, I’ve discovered. Unlike some comic book fans, they know their comic book history and know it extends prior to Marvel’s Civil War or DC’s Infinite Crisis. If you already know most of what I’m about to tell you, sorry – but I’m speaking for the record and for people who may not know Denny as well as they might or should.

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Happy birthday, Pac-Man!

  • News
  • October 10, 2007

On this day in 1979, a ravenous beast was released in Japan, devouring all that got in its way. No, not Godzilla: Pac-Man. It rapidly crossed the ocean to the US (a year later to the day, ironically) spawning multiple sequels, an animated Saturday morning show, and a top 40 single called "Pac-Man Fever" that I’m exceptionally embarassed to say that I owned.

Like all 80s culture, of course, it probably means that there’s going to be a big screen movie…

Supreme Court Justice Lex Luthor?

  • News
  • October 10, 2007

lex-8477428According to the Los Angeles Times, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia referenced Lex Luthor during a recent oral argument at the nation’s "highest" court.

While considering the case of Gall v. U.S., a judge sentenced a drug dealer to probation rather than the prison term. According to the Times: "Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg suggested to the defendant’s lawyer that jail time might have been appropriate because, while his client had left the drug conspiracy, he hadn’t blown the whistle on his co-conspirators.

"The lawyer replied: “Justice Ginsburg, when someone leaves the conspiracy and blows the whistle, typically that individual is not charged…

"’I’m sure that’s not always true,’ Chief Justice John Roberts interjected. ‘I mean, if the leader of some vast conspiracy is the one who blows the whistle, I suspect he may well be charged anyway.’

“’Lex Luthor might,’ added Justice Antonin Scalia."

It is not known if Scalia, a noted right-wing advocate, referenced Luthor out of nostalgia or respect. It is known, however, that Scalia is indeed known for his sense of humor.

Tip o’ the hat to our pal Mike Catron for the lead.

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Abrams Shoots Hulk into Space…

  • News
  • October 10, 2007

sfondo1-2207222Now that I’ve got your attention, No: J.J. Abrams is not doing a line of Hulk books. Rather, he’s just announced that former Hulk star Eric Bana will be facing off against the new Captain James T. Kirk in 2008’s remake/reboot/re-imagining/re-whatever of Star Trek. Bana is signed to play Nero, the newest/oldest baddie who has a plan to take down Kirk and probably the whole enterprise.

So far, Abrams has been pretty good on keeping a lid on casting rumors and things we, the fans, don’t really need to know just yet. Back at ComiCon, he announced that Heroes‘ star Zachary Quinto would be playing our new Spock.. along side Nimoy, who will ALSO be portraying the role. This brings up theories that it could be a parallel universe, or alternate timelines, or they could all be lost on an island that has mystical powers… let’s hope it’s not that last one.

Also set star is Anton Yelchin (Huff) as young Chekov, Zoe Saldana (Pirates Trilogy) as the young Uhura, and it is rumored that Mike Vogel (from the new giant monster/alien/who knows movie Cloverfield/1-18-08) will take the helm as our new, less bloated James T. Kirk.

The film is currently set for a Christmas 2008 release.

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Unrealistic body types ain’t just for superheroines

  • News
  • October 10, 2007

annarexia1-4706914If you worry about the unwholesome imagery and unhealthy body types being portrayed in comics — corsetted Wonder Woman, bare belly Supergirl, fishnet clad Zatanna and Black Canary, leather wearing Storm, and so on — and are worried that it could provoke problems when people try to squeeze into outfits like that for Halloween this year, just know: it could be worse.

There’s this number to our right, which the seller labels as “Anna Rexia.” And yes, those are tape measures for a belt and choker.

Guess she won’t be having much candy… or she’ll be throwing it up right afterwards.

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