All your base are belong to Calvin
Ah, Internet. You always know how to make each day a bit more surreal. (Found here.)
The Mix : What are people talking about today?
‘Keep Fox On’ is a ‘Lie To Me’ campaign
You may have seen the ads on your local Fox station: the big meanies at Time Warner Cable might keep you from watching Fox networks. The problem is that the ads are filled with fibs and fertilizer.
The negotiations have nothing to do with the main Fox broadcast network, which actually airs all the shows mentioned in the ads (House, American Idol, The Simpsons, Family Guy and the NFL broadcasts). What’s being renegotiated are what Time Warner Cable is actually paying for Fox’s cable channels, such as FX, SPEED, FUEL TV, Fox
Movie Channel, Fox Reality Channel, Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports en
Español, and FS Arizona, Florida, Houston, Indiana, Kansas City,
Midwest, Southwest, West, and Prime Ticket, SportSouth, and Sun Sports.
In fact, Time Warner Cable CAN’T lose the Fox broadcast channel, that channel has must-carry status– a status that Fox has lobbied very hard to get for Fox News, by the way.
Fox is attempting to raise the prices they’re charging cable companies to carry their networks and are bundling the networks together so you have to carry all of them or none of them, and they’re not telling you that’s what it’s about. I’m sure that if Fox kept their rates constant, TWC would have no problem paying the same rate– but Fox appears to be tripling the rate.
Ah, and I now see notes that indicate that if no deal is reached, Fox will pull all of their programming, broadcast and cable both. That should be fun when their licenses come up for renewal.
Observant folks will note that this is the same strategy Rupert Murdoch talks about when he says that he’s going to pull all of News Corporation content from Google unless they pay him. To which we say: go ahead.
It gives that Fox show Lie To Me an interesting double meaning, no?
Review: ‘Malefic’ by Luis Royo
Malefic
By Luis Royo
NBM, 96 pages, $32.99
Reviewing what is essentially an art book is tough if you’re not an artist since so many of the proper words and phrases can prove elusive. Also, if you have only a passing familiarity with the artist, you might lack the experience to judge the work. Still, if you like art, like fantasy and science fiction, the hope is that the package is compelling enough for you to buy it and learn more.
The 59 year old artist Luis Royo is perhaps best known in America for his work in the 1980s in [[[Heavy Metal]]]. His popularity there led to countless paperback cover paintings and then his work in trading cards, culminating in several sets from Comic Images to spotlight him.
In 1994, Royo’s first collection of work, [[[Malefic]]], was released and has since gone on to be an international best seller. Now, coming in February from NBM, a new edition will be unveiled. The hardcover book, measuring 8.5” x 10.5”, has is the first in a newly remastered set of Royo’s collections. Beginning here and to be carried on through subsequent volumes, Royo will redesign and reorganize his paintings, adding to the complete works.
Under a new cover, which shows the painter has not seen his talent diminish, the book is a collection of sketches and finished works with scant text that attempts to evoke a mood for each portrait. Maybe it’s the translation from the original Spanish, but the prose is poor at provoking a feeling or conveying information. In some ways, the book would have been better without it or Royo should have hired a writer to flesh things out.
Regardless, his art speaks volumes without a single letter. In the introduction, Miguelanxo Prado notes, “He fills his airbrush with darkness and spreads it left and right with virtuous accuracy. He paints thick, Lovecraftian fogs, the kind that wrap everything in gloom, like vapors from cheesy special effects.”
Royo’s work is somber, using a limited color palette to work with, keeping all his settings filled with dread or despair. Even his warriors at repose are bathed in muted tones, indicating danger is merely at bay, not at all defeated. He works predominantly with acrylic and oil on paper and the work is moving and imaginative.
Examining the occasional preliminary sketch with the finished product shows the detail and twisted thinking that makes his work distinctive. While the outfits his men, and especially his women, wear isn’t always practical, they are always memorable. What’s really interesting is that the feeling one gets from his pencil work and his painted work can be entirely different. Both are good, and always engaging.
The women are full-figured without exaggeration and varied in physical type. His men avoid the bodybuilder template while his creatures – organic or mechanical – never feel out of place. There’s an undercurrent of sensuality in his compositions regardless of setting or impending doom.
In this book alone, there are few recurring characters, although the title figure, Malefic, can be found in multiple images. Overall, this is a handsomely packaged, albeit expensive, art book. Royo fans will certainly rejoice in having new material and a unified library. More casual art fans are encouraged to check this out and see other worlds and ideas conjured up in a compelling way.
Post-Christmas Sales: Superman DVD Box Set 75% off
Now that you got your Amazon gift certificates, you could do a lot wore than get the Superman Ultimate Collector’s Edition DVD set (Superman – The Movie, Superman II, Superman II – The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III, Superman IV – The Quest for Peace, and Superman Returns)
for only $25– that’s $75 off list. (And yes, if you click through and order here, you help keep the lights on here another day. :)
Joyeux Noel
Then he heard a sound rising over the snow.
It started in low… then it started to grow.
But the sound wasn’t sad…
Why, this sounded merry.
It couldn’t be so… but it was merry. Very.
A very merry to you and yours.
The Point Radio: David Tennant On Ending ‘Doctor Who’
In just a few days, BBC America premieres the first part of “End Of Time” which will see the final appearance of David Tennant as DOCTOR WHO. We sit down, not only with David, but also key creators Russell T. Davies and Julie Gardner in the first part of our exclusive interview. Plus it’s OUR FIRST ANNIVERSARY and we end the season with a rumor about a SUPERGIRL movie…with Taylor Swift??
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‘Prep & Landing’: Pixar DNA in a Disney project
If you didn’t catch this new production, you can really see the Pixar folks adding their sensibilities to Disney stuff. Enjoy.
Last Minute Video Considerations – Family Edition
The Blu-ray conversion process continued throughout the year and there’s something for everyone. As the hours dwindle towards Santa’s arrival, here’s a trio of family-friendly Blu-ray offerings that are perfect – as long as you don’t have these on standard DVD. Warner Home Video wisely released A Charlie Brown Christmas and Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas some weeks back, completing the hat trick with the Blu-ray debut of Horton Hears a Who!
These are basically the standard DVDs upgraded to Blu-ray so everything looks and sounds marvelous. All the standard DVD extras are still here so there’s little to compel you to upgrade, especially since the prices treat these like the full-length feature films when the reality is, these were thirty minute television specials.
None of the above robs the trio from their power to entertain. The Charlie Brown special, which has been collected in multiple DVD sets, remains the king of them all as it pokes fun at the commercialization of the holiday and Linus’ speech at the end refocuses attention to the spiritual side of the holiday. With Vince Guaraldi’s amazing jazz score, this remains the gold standard.
Also earning the gold is Chuck Jones, who brilliantly adapted Dr. Seuss Grinch. He buried his own art style in favor of bringing the book to life, adding all the right touches. Having Boris Karloff narrate was a stroke of genius and the original score and songs only added to the surreal qualities that we adore about Seuss.
This Horton is the 1970 version, which is a pretty fair adaptation. Also from Chuck Jones, it shows how cheap animation had gotten in the four years between his Grinch and Horton, as the cartoon looks more limited. The adaptation boasts the usual voice actors of the era including the wonderful Hans Conreid as Horton and the narrator; June Foray and Ravenscroft.
As Blu-rays, they all look pretty fine, notably The Grinch. The extras contain making of featurettes across the thee along with biographical notes on the cast and crew, and other bits and pieces. Best are the extra animated fare such as It’s Christmastime Again, Charlie Brown, the lesser known 1992 follow-up Peanuts Christmas special or the other animated Seuss tales Daisy-Head Mayzie and. Butter Battle Book. The Grinch has the annoying Phil Hartman history from TNT but makes up for it with a nice spotlight on singer Thurl Ravenscroft and composer Albert Hague. Horton also contains the 1994 special, In Search of Dr. Seuss, which is a loving portrait of the genius.
It should be noted that the specials come as combo sets complete with standard DVD and digital copy (Windows only). If you don’t own any version, this clearly is the one to get – just find the right sale.
In stores today: ‘The Original Johnson: Book 1’
One hundred and one years ago this Saturday, a black man shook the world and did what many believed to be impossible.
Today, his story is available in finer comic book retailers across America.
The Original Johnson, Book 1 is Trevor Von Eeden’s personal and heartfelt graphic
novel biography of Jack Johnson, the first African-American heavyweight
champion of the world, international celebrity, and the most
controversial American of his time. This is the artistic achievement of
Trevor’s career,
more than four years in the making and worth every moment. We are proud to be able to make this book available to you.
For those of you who have been following it online, the printed edition is actually ahead of where the online edition is, so there’s additional incentive for you.
And yes, this makes an excellent gift for Christmas, Boxing Day (sorry) or the second day of Kwanzaa– because if there was ever a black man who embodied the principles of self-determination, it was John Arthur Johnson.
Copyright expirations in comics.
This was prompted by a Slashdot post, but consider:
It’s nearly the end of 2009.
If the original 1790 copyright
maximum term of 28 years was still in effect, everything that had been
published by 1981 would be now be in the public domain — which means most of the Marvel Universe up to Dazzler and the She-Hulk, The Omega Men, The Far Side, Bloom County, Captain Victory and The Greatest American Hero would be available for remixing and mashing up.
If the 1909 copyright
maximum term of 56 years (if renewed) were still in force, everything
published by 1953 would now be in the public domain, freeing the Phantom Stranger, Captain Comet, Peanuts, Frontline Combat, Forbidden Worlds and Tales From The Crypt. (Marvelman would kick free in 2010, as would Mad magazine.)
If the 1976 copyright act
term of 75 years still applied, everything
published by 1934 would now be in the public domain, including Doc Savage, Mandrake the Magician, Dick Tracy and Terry and the Pirates.
But thanks to the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act, nothing in the US will go free until 2018, when 1923 works expire. (Assuming Congress doesn’t step in with a Copyright Extension Act of 2017. What are the odds?)
Now, this doesn’t mean that rights don’t revert to somebody– as we’ve discovered, rights to Superman and the like can revert to the original creators. But it’s fascinating to consider a world where anyone could write a story about Batman as easily as one can write a story about Dracula.
