The Mix : What are people talking about today?

Plenty To Do At This Year’s MoCCA Festival!

Today and tomorrow, you and your loved ones can have a mighty good time at the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art’s annual festival! This year’s festivities include an amazing array of panels and programs to tickle the fancy of plenty of comic, sci-fi, and cartoon fans alike. With a gaggle of exhibitors, and professionals there to sign all your ebay-able wares, there’s plenty for you to do! Highlights include:

Saturday, April 10th
11:30 AM Titans of Comics: Living Cartooning Legends with Al Jaffee, Arnold Roth, Gahan Wilson and Danny Fingeroth!

2:00  PM The Art of the Superhero: When Singular Vision Meets Popular Mythology with Paul Pope, Jaime Hernandez, Frank Miller, Kyle Baker and Dean Haspiel!

5:15  PM The MoCCA Live Strip Show: Actors Perform Indie Funnies Featuring the art of: R. Sikoryak, Michael Kupperman, Kim Deitch, Gabrielle Bell, and Emily Flake with the voice talents of Sam Seder, Sara Benincasa and Jon Glaser!

Sunday, April 11th
10:30 AM  How To Create A Cartoon Character with Rick Parker
In this workshop for kids of all ages, Rick Parker (Pekar Project, Beavis & Butthead, Dead Boy) will show you how to create your own cartoon character from scratch, in one hour and that if you can draw one character, you can draw them all!

11:30 AM James Sturm and Paul Karasik in Conversation

3:15 PM A Scandinavian Comics Primer with Johannes Klennell (Sweden, Galago), Mats (Sweden, Galago), Espen Holtestaul (Norway), Ville Hänninen (Finland) and Henrik Rehr (Denmark) moderated by Shannon O’Leary.

For complete show listings, admission and ticket info, and more… click here to visit the MoCCA Festival Homepage!

Saturday Morning Cartoons: WMAC Masters

Normally I have some coy and cute way to setup these little clips. I use some alliterations, and a few turns of phrases to make you giggle a gaggle at the you-tubery I trot out (see what I did there!?). But really, there’s not much I need to do here other than allow you to press play. ComicMixers, I proudly present to you the best contractually-obligated ninja warrirors stunt men and women of the World Martial Arts Council Univerval Studios! One of my favorite little gems to pop up Saturday mornings during my childhood. It’s no cartoon, but it’s darn amazing. I present to you…The WMAC Masters!

The Point Radio: Still Charmed By Alyssa Milano

ALYSSA MILANO is headed back to TV with a new ABC sitcom. She shares the details here plus her take on the upcoming CHARMED comics, Plus The 2010 Eisner Nominations and Harrison Ford takes on another comic book role.

And be sure to stay on The Point via iTunes - ComicMix, RSS, MyPodcast.Comor Podbean!

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Gene Colan Hospitalized, Artwork Missing

gene-colan-5738904Gene Colan, who just received an Eisner nomination for Best Single Story, was injured last week and is now being cared for by his son and
daughter. In addition, it appears that some of Gene’s artwork has
disappeared, including pages from Nathaniel Dusk and a Star Wars-related
piece. The police are involved in the matter.

Clifford Meth reports: “If Gene Colan art
is currently circulating in the marketplace, it is possible that these
pieces were stolen. Collectors and fans of Gene are encouraged to email
me
if you see artwork circulating that is the least bit questionable.”

He adds: “I
spoke with Gene early this evening and he is in good spirits, as
always. Unfortunately, he is also in pain and unable to use his right
arm at this time due to a serious shoulder injury.”

Well-wishers should
feel free to use the comments section here and we will make certain
that Gene sees your notes.

2010 Eisner Award Nominations

The list is out. Pretty straightforward, with a few surprises (No Todd Klein or John Workman for lettering? And was Whatever Happened To The Caped Crusader not eligible?)

Our congratulations to all the nominees. We’ll be starting the betting pools in 3… 2…

Best Short Story
•  “Because I Love You So Much,” by Nikoline Werdelin, in From
Wonderland with Love: Danish Comics in the 3rd Millennium
(Fantagraphics/Aben malen)
•  “Gentleman John,” by Nathan Greno, in What Is Torch Tiger? (Torch
Tiger)
• “How and Why to Bale Hay,” by Nick Bertozzi, in Syncopated (Villard)
• “Hurricane,” interpreted by Gradimir Smudja, in Bob Dylan Revisited
(Norton)
•  “Urgent Request,” by Gene Luen Yang and Derek Kirk Kim, in The
Eternal Smile (First Second) 

Best Single Issue (or One-Shot)
•  Brave & the Bold #28: “Blackhawk and the Flash: Firing Line,” by
J. Michael Straczynski and Jesus Saiz (DC)
•  Captain America #601: “Red, White, and Blue-Blood,” by Ed Brubaker
and Gene Colan (Marvel)
•  Ganges #3, by Kevin Huizenga (Fantagraphics)
•  The Unwritten #5: “How the Whale Became,” by Mike Carey and Peter
Gross (Vertigo/DC)
•  Usagi Yojimbo #123: “The Death of Lord Hikiji” by Stan Sakai (Dark
Horse) 

Best Continuing Series
• Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Andrew
Pepoy et al. (Vertigo/DC)
• Irredeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
• Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media)
• The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)
• The Walking Dead, by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image) 

Best Limited Series or Story Arc
• Blackest Night, by Geoff Johns, Ivan Reis, and Oclair Albert (DC)
• Incognito, by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (Marvel Icon)
• Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ
Media)
• Wolverine #66–72 and Wolverine Giant-Size Special: “Old Man Logan,”
by Mark Millar, Steve McNiven, and Dexter Vines (Marvel)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Eric Shanower and Skottie Young
(Marvel) 

Best New Series
• Chew, by John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image)
• Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K. Dick, art by Tony
Parker (BOOM!)
• Ireedeemable, by Mark Waid and Peter Krause (BOOM!)
• Sweet Tooth, by Jeff Lemire (Vertigo/DC)
• The Unwritten, by Mike Carey and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC) 

Best Publication for Kids
• Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute, by Jarrett J. Krosoczeka
(Knopf)
• The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook, by Eleanor Davis
(Bloomsbury)
• Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and
Fabrice Parme (First Second)
• The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics, edited by Art
Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon)
• The Wonderful Wizard of Oz hc, by L. Frank Baum, Eric Shanower, and
Skottie Young (Marvel) 

Best Publication for Teens
• Angora Napkin, by Troy Little (IDW)
• Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
• A Family Secret, by Eric Heuvel (Farrar Straus Giroux/Anne Frank
House)
• Far Arden, by Kevin Cannon (Top Shelf)
• I Kill Giants tpb, by Joe Kelly and JM Ken Niimura (Image) 

Best Humor Publication
•  Drinky Crow’s Maakies Treasury, by Tony Millionaire (Fantagraphics)
•  Everybody Is Stupid Except for Me, And Other Astute Observations, by
Peter Bagge (Fantagraphics)
• Little Lulu, vols. 19–21, by John Stanley and Irving Tripp (Dark
Horse Books)
•  The Muppet Show Comic Book: Meet the Muppets, by Roger Langridge
(BOOM Kids!)
•  Scott Pilgrim vol. 5: Scott Pilgrm vs. the Universe, by Brian Lee
O’Malley (Oni) 

Best Anthology
•  Abstract Comics, edited by Andrei Molotiu (Fantagraphics)
•  Bob Dylan Revisited, edited by Bob Weill (Norton)
•  Flight 6, edited by Kazu Kibuishi (Villard)
•  Popgun vol. 3, edited by Mark Andrew Smith, D. J. Kirkbride, and Joe
Keatinge (Image)
•  Syncopated: An Anthology of Nonfiction Picto-Essays, edited by
Brendan Burford (Villard)
•  What Is Torch Tiger? edited by Paul Briggs (Torch Tiger) 

Best Digital Comic
• The Abominable Charles Christopher, by Karl Kerschl, www.abominable.cc
• Bayou, by Jeremy Love, http://zudacomics.com/bayou
• The Guns of Shadow Valley, by David Wachter and James Andrew Clark,
www.gunsofshadowvalley.com
•  Power Out, by Nathan Schreiber, www.act-i-vate.com/67.comic
•  Sin Titulo, by Cameron Stewart, www.sintitulocomic.com/ 

Best Reality-Based Work
• A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Footnotes in Gaza, by Joe Sacco (Metropolitan/Holt)
• The Imposter’s Daughter, by Laurie Sandell (Little, Brown)
• Monsters, by Ken Dahl (Secret Acres)
• The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric
Lemerier (First Second)
• Stitches, by David Small (Norton) 

Best Adaptation from Another Work
•  The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
• Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation,
adapted by Michael Keller and Nicolle Rager Fuller (Rodale)
•  Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury, adapted by Tim Hamilton (Hill &
Wang)
•  Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
• West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi
(Fantagraphics) 

Best Graphic Album—New
• Asterios Polyp, by David Mazzuccheilli (Pantheon)
• A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent
Mon)
• The Book of Genesis Illustrated, by R. Crumb (Norton)
• My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and
Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
• The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric
Lemerier (First Second)
• Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter, adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW) 

Best Graphic Album—Reprint
•  Absolute Justice, by Alex Ross, Jim Krueger, and Doug Braithewaite
(DC)
•  A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge, by Josh Neufeld (Pantheon)
•  Alec: The Years Have Pants, by Eddie Campbell (Top Shelf)
• Essex County Collected, by Jeff Lemire (Top Shelf)
•  Map of My Heart: The Best of King-Cat Comics & Stories,
1996–2002, by John Porcellino (Drawn & Quarterly) 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Strips
• Bloom County: The Complete Library, vol. 1, by Berkeley Breathed,
edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• Bringing Up Father, vol. 1: From Sea to Shining Sea, by George
McManus and Zeke Zekley, edited by Dean Mullaney (IDW)
• The Brinkley Girls: The Best of Nell Brinkley’s Cartoons 1913–1940,
edited by Trina Robbins (Fantagraphics)
• Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, by Gahan Wilson, edited
by Gary Groth (Fantagraphics)
• Prince Valiant, vol. 1: 1937–1938, by Hal Foster, edited by Kim
Thompson (Fantagraphics)
• Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, by L. Frank Baum, Walt
McDougall, and W. W. Denslow (Sunday Press) 

Best Archival Collection/Project—Comic Books
• The Best of Simon & Kirby, by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, edited by
Steve Saffel (Titan Books)
• Blazing Combat, by Archie Goodwin et al., edited by Gary Groth
(Fantagraphics)
• Humbug, by Harvey Kurtzman et al., edited by Gary Groth
(Fantagraphics)
• The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures deluxe edition, by Dave
Stevens, edited by Scott Dunbier (IDW)
• The TOON Treasury of Classic Children’s Comics, edited by Art
Spiegelman and Francoise Mouly (Abrams ComicArts/Toon) 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material
• My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill, by Jean Regnaud and
Émile Bravo (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
• The Photographer, by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefèvre, and Frédéric
Lemerier (First Second)
• Tiny Tyrant vol. 1: The Ethelbertosaurus, by Lewis Trondheim and
Fabrice Parme (First Second)
• West Coast Blues, by Jean-Patrick Manchette, adapted by Jacques Tardi
(Fantagraphics)
• Years of the Elephant, by Willy Linthout (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) 

Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia
• The Color Trilogy, by Kim Dong Haw (First Second) 
• A Distant Neighborhood (2 vols.), by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent
Mon)
• A Drifting Life, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)
• Oishinbo a la Carte, written by Tetsu Kariya and illustrated by Akira
Hanasaki (VIZ Media)
• Pluto: Urasawa X Tezuka, by Naoki Urasawa and Takashi Nagasaki (VIZ
Media)
• Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, by Naoki Urasawa (VIZ Media) 

Best Writer
• Ed Brubaker, Captain America, Daredevil, Marvels Project (Marvel)
Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)
• Geoff Johns, Adventure Comics, Blackest Night, The Flash: Rebirth,
Superman: Secret Origin (DC)
• James Robinson, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
• Mark Waid, Irredeemable, The Incredibles (BOOM!)
• Bill Willingham, Fables (Vertigo/DC) 

Best Writer/Artist
• Darwyn Cooke, Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter (IDW)
• R. Crumb, The Book of Genesis Illustrated (Norton)
• David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
• Terry Moore, Echo (Abstract Books)
• Naoki Urasawa, Naoki Urasawa’s 20th Century Boys, Pluto: Urasawa X
Tezuka (VIZ Media) 

Best Writer/Artist–Nonfiction
• Reinhard Kleist, Johnny Cash: I See a Darkness (Abrams ComicArts)
• Willy Linthout, Years of the Elephant (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
• Joe Sacco, Footnotes in Gaza (Metropolitan/Holt)
• David Small, Stitches (Norton)
• Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man
(Fantagraphics) 

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team
• Michael Kaluta, Madame Xanadu #11–15: “Exodus Noir” (Vertigo/DC)
• Steve McNiven/Dexter Vines, Wolverine: Old Man Logan (Marvel)
• Fiona Staples, North 40 (WildStorm)
• J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC)
• Danijel Zezelj, Luna Park (Vertigo/DC) 

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist (interior art)
• Émile Bravo, My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill
(Fanfare/Ponent Mon)
• Mauro Cascioli, Justice League: Cry for Justice (DC)
• Nicolle Rager Fuller, Charles Darwin on the Origin of Species: A
Graphic Adaptation (Rodale Books)
• Jill Thompson, Beasts of Burden (Dark Horse); Magic Trixie and the
Dragon (HarperCollins Children’s Books)
• Carol Tyler, You’ll Never Know: A Good and Decent Man
(Fantagraphics) 

Best Cover Artist
• John Cassaday, Irredeemable (BOOM!); Lone Ranger (Dynamite)
• Salvador Larocca, Invincible Iron Man (Marvel)
• Sean Phillips, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon); 28 Days Later
(BOOM!)
• Alex Ross, Astro City: The Dark Age (WildStorm/DC); Project
Superpowers  (Dynamite)
• J. H. Williams III, Detective Comics (DC) 

Best Coloring
• Steve Hamaker, Bone: Crown of Thorns (Scholastic); Little Mouse Gets
Ready (Toon)
• Laura Martin, The Rocketeer: The Complete Adventures (IDW); Thor, The
Stand: American Nightmares (Marvel)
• David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
• Alex Sinclair, Blackest Night, Batman and Robin (DC)
• Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane,
Umbrella Academy, Zero Killer (Dark Horse); Detective Comics (DC);
Northlanders, Luna Park (Vertigo) 

Best Lettering
• Brian Fies, Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? (Abrams
ComicArts)
• David Mazzuccheilli, Asterios Polyp (Pantheon)
• Tom Orzechowski, Savage Dragon (Image); X-Men Forever (Marvel)
• Richard Sala, Cat Burglar Black (First Second); Delphine
(Fantagraphics)
• Adrian Tomine, A Drifting Life (Drawn & Quarterly) 

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism
• Alter Ego, edited by Roy Thomas (TwoMorrows)
• ComicsAlliance, www.comicsalliance.com
• Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel
(www.comicscomicsmag.com) (PictureBox)
• The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy
Valenti (Fantagraphics)
• The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon
(www.comicsreporter.com) 

Best Comics-Related Book
• Alan Moore: Comics as Performance, Fiction as Scalpel, by Annalisa Di
Liddo (University Press of Mississippi)
• The Art of Harvey Kurtzman: The Mad Genius of Comics, by Denis
Kitchen and Paul Buhle (Abrams ComicArts)
• The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga, by Helen McCarthy (Abrams
ComicArts)
• Manga Kamishibai: The Art of Japanese Paper Theater, by Eric P. Nash
(Abrams ComicArts)
• Will Eisner and PS Magazine, by Paul E. Fitzgerald (Fitzworld.US) 

Best Publication Design
• Absolute Justice, designed by Curtis King and Josh Beatman (DC)
• The Brinkley Girls, designed by Adam Grano (Fantagraphics)
• Gahan Wilson: 50 Years of Playboy Cartoons, designed by Jacob Covey
(Fantagraphics)
• Life and Times of Martha Washington, designed by David Nestelle (Dark
Horse Books)
• Queer Visitors from the Marvelous Land of Oz, designed by Philippe
Ghielmetti (Sunday Press)
• Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? designed by Neil Egan and
Brian Fies (Abrams ComicArts) (more…)

rsz-thomas-crown-8420147

Review: ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’

rsz-thomas-crown-8420147Forget about whether or not this is a good remake of the beloved Steve McQueen. This is a smart, stylish drama that treats its characters like adults as it also respects its audience. The Thomas Crown Affair was released in 1999 and remains one of Pierce Brosnan’s most popular films because of his nuanced interpretation of Crown, a wealthy businessman who steals because the challenge keeps him alive.

When he steals from an art museum, insurance investigator Catherine Banning (Rene Russo) assists Detective Michael McCann (Denis Leary) in the investigation. Banning, an American based in Europe, pretty quickly targets Crown as her man. As she lays her sexy trap, we see them toy with one another, leading to a sexually charged sequence that continues to smolder on the Blu-ray release, out this week from MGM Home Entertainment.

The film is based on the 1968 McQueen box office hit which had Crown portrayed as a bank robber, committing two crimes before the story reached its climax.  The film’s original downbeat ending was tweaked for something more satisfying as you find yourselves rooting for Brosnan and Russo. Faye Dunaway, McQueen’s love interest, returns as Brosnan’s psychiatrist for a handful of scenes that don’t really move things along. In fact, we never really get into Crown’s head; never really get to understand why he needs to break the law to feel alive. Nor do we understand why he never married or had family, great challenges themselves.

Still, the film has interesting twists and while the stakes are high. No one is dead serious, they allow themselves to live and even be humorous.

The climax, as Brosnan honors his commitment to restore the painting without being caught, remains a delight to watch again.

Brosnan’s suave demeanor made him perfect for the remake but he held out for director John McTiernan to come aboard and make sure this was done right. The director insisted on numerous story changes, distancing itself further from the original and keeping it more in line with modern day sensibilities.

No one was happy with the video transfer when the DVD was initially released and people were leery of the Blu-ray’s release given MGM’s spotty reputation. The good news is that this is a superior image compared to the DVD. Not the sharpest Blu-ray release, but certainly an improvement. Additionally, Bill Conti’s excellent score and soundtrack sounds fabulous. Even his choice of songs, such as Nina Simone’s “Sinnerman” shows a decision to appeal to the older viewers, rather than filling it with soft rock or pop numbers. The soundtrack stands out on its own.

Oddly, the only extra is McTiernan’s 1999 commentary, which can be found on the Standard DVD disc. Yes, this is released in the combo pack so Blu-ray, standard and digital discs for a reasonable price of $24.95.

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Review: ‘A Home for Mr. Easter’

A Home for Mr. Easter

By Brooke A. Allen
NBM, 197 pages, $13.99

What’s nice about the graphic novel format is that is can take great children’s book ideas and let them breathe rather than truncate them to fit the slimmer requirements of the genre. Brooke A. Allen is a SCAD student making a splash with her fist book and it’s a fast-paced, somewhat madcap but tender-hearted tale.

Tesana is an oversize adolescent, never fitting in with her peers, which has resulted in her moving from school to school. Whatever is the cause of her physical and emotional issues, she’s clearly a Special Ed student with anger management problems. Her loving mother seems somewhat clueless about getting her proper school supervision and is at her wit’s end regarding her only child. We don’t know where Dad is and what their circumstances, and frankly, little of it matters.

Our heroine is special and despite her best intentions, things always seem to be spiraling out control. When her guidance counselor suggests she try an extra curricular activity in order to make friends, she tries to assist the pep rally club. They don’t want her and her good intentions backfire, resulting in live rabbits being accidentally released. The story really takes off when Tesana discovers one bunny has stayed by her side and she becomes determined to return the animal to its home.

Just one thing. The rabbit is magical and may well be the proverbial Easter Rabbit, especially since it appears to be laying brightly colored Easter eggs that contain special gifts. Oh yeah, and it talks to Tesana. As she attempts to find the rabbit’s habitat, she encounters a crooked stage magician, animal rights’ activists and a lab using animals as test subjects. With Tesana missing, her mother and the police are also part of the chase, sort of bookending the comical procession.

The evolving relationship between the girl and the rabbit, dubbed Mr. Easter, forms the emotional core of the story. Allen’s storytelling propels the pair from place to place in a somewhat breathless manner but never forgetting to fill each encounter with detail. Her black and white artwork is unqiue and comical, with enough realistic touches to ground the story in our world, without telling us when or where this story takes place. That in itself makes it both magical and timeless.

Her characters are not terribly deep and we don’t stop to learn much about any of them, even Tesana, but they have specific speech patterns and appearances giving the book a nice variety. We’re given pretty much exactly what we need to see and read before moving towards the inevitable and most satisfying conclusion.

This is a terrific first effort and I look forward to more from Ms. Allen. This book is good for early graphic novel readers right on up. 

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In Stores Now: ‘EZ Street’ trade paperback

It had completely slipped our mind to tell people that the print collection of EZ Street came out in stores last Wednesday, but then we saw this rave review from Scoop:

Both Tinnell and Wheatley are at the top of their game in EZ Street.
They neither pull their punches nor strike out at things in an
unwarranted fashion. Instead they pull back the curtains and offer
rather unvarnished look into the world of entertainment creators who are
also brothers….

This one has been a long time coming, but we are very glad to finally
see the Harvey Award-nominated graphic novel by Robert Tinnell and Mark
Wheatley finally in print in a regular edition. EZ Street, which
is hands down one of the most insightful and honest works we’ve read
about the frustration that comes with life as a creator,  is the story
of two brothers and their struggles, ambitions, and dreams.

While Wheatley has touched on elements in this story previously in a
very different way with Radical Dreamer, this reads like it was
both new ground and familiar territory to both of them at the same
time. It was one of the best stories we read the year they finished it
online, and now that it’s in print we’re willing to that it’s one of the
best graphic novels we’ve read this year, too… if not the
best.

If you didn’t pick it up in stores last week, you can do it this week, or you can always pick it up at Amazon. And don’t forget about the sideways sequel, Lone Justice.

Review: ‘Steel’ on DVD

Less than five years after his introduction in comics, [[[Steel]]] made it to the feature film pantheon of super-heroes. At one point, Warner Bros. was intending to produce a film adaptation of the best-selling [[[Death of Superman]]] storyline and it was decided that a Steel spinoff movie made sense. When it became clear that major [[[Superman]]] buff Shaquille O’Neal was serious about an acting career and that the Death movie was not going to happen, Warners decided to go for a modestly budgeted film anyway.

The $16 million project was handed to science fiction television veteran Kenneth Johnson whose only previous feature experience was directing [[[Short Circuit 2]]]. They were betting that he would bring the same magic here as he did with the[[[ Incredible Hulk]]]. He wrote and directed a film that was lambasted upon its August opening, earning a meager $1,686,429.

Now, as a part of the Warner Archive series, Steel comes to DVD this Tuesday. You have to love the basketball superstar or the character to put up with this poorly conceived adaptation.

Here’s the official synopsis: When evil scientist Judd Nelson ([[[Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back]]], [[[The Breakfast Club]]]) begins selling top-secret weapons to LA’s street gangs, former military researcher Shaq joins forces with a brilliant electronics expert to build an invincible suit of armor. Layered in his magnetic metal sheath and armed with his own hi-tech weaponry, Shaq transforms into his mythic alter-ego, Steel. From a secret command center, Steel sets out on a high-powered silver motorcycle to confront Nelson and rid the city of crime.

As you can see, it has no bearing on the Steel spinoff comic book that at least had Steel taking on a company did that him wrong. Instead, you have Nelson as an unconvincing evil genius who lacks any sense of threat.

Shaq is physically fine as John Henry Irons but the man can’t act and once he donned the armor, couldn’t move with the grace we saw for over a decade on the basketball court. His armor looked fake and the hammer just didn’t have that menacing feel.

The best thing about the film was Annabeth Gish as Susan Sparks, a wheelchair bound ally who evokes thoughts of the comics’ Oracle. Her performance was the most convincing in the largely flawed film which was shot like a TV movie, not a big screen feature. You would have thought[[[ Quincy Jones]]], who co-produced the movie, would have insisted on a little more gravitas or at least made some connection between Steel and his namesake, the American folklore hero John Henry. Instead, they drag in Richard Roundtree to lend the movie some street cred (audiences could see him and think, “ooh, Shaq and Shaft, this could be good” then get disappointed).

As an Archive film, you get an adequate transfer and zero extras. If you are a DC super-hero completist, then this film’s for you. For people looking for action and adventure, look elsewhere.

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star-trek-the-experience-9443087

You can buy a piece of ‘Star Trek: The Experience’ this Saturday

star-trek-the-experience-9443087If you were looking for that little special something for your own bridge recreation, here’s your chance.

The Las Vegas Sun reports that unneeded, unwanted and/or unnecessary items and effects from the old “Star Trek Experience” at the Las Vegas Hilton are being put up for sale this Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at a storage facility at 66 Spectrum Blvd. in Las Vegas

High on the list are chairs, stools and tables from the city’s greatest outer-galaxy tavern, Quark’s. Also being made available are segments of bridges, the transporter room and halls from the replica Enterprise, and seats from the Klingon Encounter ride. Prices are set between $50 and $500. Propworx, which specializes in selling assets of movie and film productions, is handling the sale.