Last week we told you about two upcoming collections of Don McGregor and Thomas Yeates’ Zorro newspaper strips as part of a broader profile of Tom’s recent work. As it happens, this week will see the rerelease of Zorro – The Dailies and Sundays (The Second Year) Collector’s Edition, reprinting all the daily and Sunday strips from the 1999 newspaper comic strips’ second year… and, through the website below, autographed by Tom Yeates.
Also for the first time, the entire two years of their Zorro newspaper strip are collected in Zorro – The Complete Dailies and Sundays. This latter hardcover edition will be limited to only 50 copies and will be signed by all Don McGregor, Tod Smith and Thomas Yeates.
Zorro was introduced as a revolutionary character for old California in pulp adventures by Johnston McCulley. Following a critically acclaimed comic series from Topps, the Zorro newspaper strip debuted in 1999 and was written by Don McGregor and drawn by Tod Smith, Thomas Yeates and Rick Magyar. The strip appeared in major newspapers across North America. The series was clearly a labor of love for these creators, all the while paying homage to past creators while still offering fresh and exciting new adventures.
These days the one genre that rules the box office consistently are animated family films (even more than super hero flicks). John Cohen came from projects like ICE AGE and DESPICABLE ME to convert the smash phone game, ANGRY BIRDS, into an even bigger movie hit. He talks about that journey plus his love for animation in general. Plus Mark Geist was among the brave men who lived the real life story of Michael Bay’s film, 13 HOURS:THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI . We find out what really happened that dark night in 2012.
Have you ever wondered what could have been? What if Key West seceded from the mainland? If the state of Wyoming ended up in the middle of Pennsylvania? If freed slaves were given the state of Mississippi after the Civil War? Perhaps you would like a Brief Explanation as to how Budapest became the Taco Capital of the World? Or, if you prefer, there is one story that is a fight to the death between the governor of North Alaska, Sarah Palin, and the billionaire orange haired governor of South Alaska…
You can wonder all of these no longer with ‘Altered States of the Union: What America Could Be’; An American alternate history anthology (say that five times fast) that features a varied and fantastic line up of first time authors, New York Times best selling authors, and Hugo and Nebula award winning authors, coming all together with their own stories of alternate American history and describing what could have been if circumstances were just a little different. (And a little more crazy.)
It will be making its debut on July 15th/2016 at the Shore Leave Convention – aptly, the weekend before the Republican convention. For anyone that grabs it on Indiegogo, copies of the book will be mailed out shortly thereafter, if you’re not at the show to pick it up and get autographs in person.
This anthology wants to show you how we could have gone other ways, how we could have been very different than what we are– yet still be America. For anyone wondering how the Indiegogo will be spread out, they’re taking pre-orders to finance printing costs and generally passing along more money to the contributors— all proceeds after production and distribution costs go to the people whose work drew you to the book in the first place— which, after all, is how it should be.
The array of authors that are in this collection of historic proportions are:
A mixture of NY Times best sellers, Hugo and Nebula winners, WGA award winners, president of American Atheists, and an editor of the Sandman comics is a sure win. Any anthology that includes the writer of “The Trouble With Tribbles”, a writer of “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries”, and the president of American Atheists is an interesting mix that shouldn’t be missed out on.
We are tasked here at ComicMix to opine on all that is going around the world of pop culture. Maybe a bit more of a bend towards the comics side of things (it is in the name, right?). But as it stands this week… I don’t care about pop culture. I’ve been catching up on Legends of Tomorrow, but it seems trivial at best. I picked up comics from the shop, a feat I haven’t done on a regular basis in over two years.
I was going to wax poetic on all things Rebirth, but really, why would I? Heck. I could even stretch so far as to discuss my pending excitement of the announcement of Injustice 2, coming out next year on the Playstation and XBOX. I could, but I’m not going to.
I know you arrive at my column each and every week awaiting some poignant snark to set your weekend off to a grand start. Sorry to say that this week the well of said snark is bone dry.
A week ago, a savage man took 49 lives and injured a nation. It doesn’t matter to me his reasons. While I personally loathe guns and gun owners, my opinion carries minuscule weight in comparison to wealthy lobbies and angry gun-toters. This sub-human felt it necessary to end the lives of 49 people. It is assumed had he the time or the wherewithal, he would have taken more.
In the wake of this atrocity, no superheroes emerged. Pundits and politicians create continual chaos in an effort to quell some, and rile others. 24 hour news networks leech ratings over every inconsequential factoid gleaned. It’s sickening that we move so fast when we need to stop what we’re doing and really absorb what occurred.
I am sorry. I cannot do what I’m tasked to do. There are no more words I can use to communicate how I feel. In their place, I leave you with what you truly need to read:
BURBANK, CA (June 9, 2016) – Where can you find the most powerful and prominent Super Teens in the galaxy? Super Hero High of course! Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy and Katana band together to navigate the twists and turns of high school in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) on August 9 on Digital HD and August 23, 2016 on DVD (SRP $19.98).
These young Super Heroes discover unique abilities, develop powers, and combat an abundance of overwhelming, exciting and awkward moments to master the fundamentals of being a hero – one day at a time! The group includes:
Wonder Woman was raised on Themyscira, a paradise island overflowing with female leaders. This natural born leader has super strength, the power of flight and a magic lasso that forces anyone to tell the truth.
Batgirl is crazy smart – she was accepted to Super Hero High based on her brainpower alone (she wasn’t born with super powers). But this crime-fighting sleuth may be the most influential of all! Her unparalleled intellect, expert martial arts skills, photographic memory and legendary detective skills are a formula for an incredible Super Hero.
Supergirl is the most powerful teen on earth, but also incredibly clumsy. She has super strength, super hearing and super speed but will need to be sure she doesn’t trip over her own two feet en route to saving the world.
Harley Quinn is the resident class clown who lives for jokes and over-the-top pranks. Nonetheless, this quick-witted gymnast is sneaky and full of surprises.
Bumblebee has the ability to shrink, allowing her to sneak around without being spotted. She makes sure her team is never surprised by any villains or enemies up to no good.
Poison Ivy, got caught up in a botched lab experiment, and now has the ability to control and summon plants. She’s gradually adapting to her amazing new powers and blossoming into her new life.
Katana is an artist with an edge – this fearless martial arts fashionista is up for any crime-fighting test and is never without her sword.
Together, these seven fearless Super Heroes prove that we all have the power to make the world a better place – even while school is in session!
Girls around the world now have their very own Super Hero world to play, watch, read and be inspired! To further bring this all-new universe to life, DC Super Hero Girls animated shorts and TV specials will continue to release over the next year, allowing girls 6-12 to continue reaching their full potential alongside these superstars. Additionally, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, in partnership with Mattel, have brought the DC Super Hero Girls to life, beyond the animated shorts and website, with the first-ever line of 12-inch Action Dolls, 6-inch Action Figures, as well as role play and playsets now available exclusively at Target in the U.S., along with other product, including apparel, accessories, publishing and more. The DC Super Hero Girls global merchandise program will hit retail worldwide, beginning in July 2016, offering a wide range of product to fans around the world. Random House and DC Comics are also releasing an exciting array of DC Super Hero Girls books and graphic novels. Fans can discover more at DCSuperHeroGirls.com and through dedicated social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year features some of the top voice actors in the industry. Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman), Anais Fairweather (Supergirl), Mae Whitman (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon), Tara Strong (Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy) Teala Dunn (Bumblebee), and Stephanie Sheh (Katana) join forces to portray some of the newest students to attend Super Hero High.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to team with DC Entertainment to release DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year on DVD,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “We’re excited to bring DC Super Hero Girls to life and create an immersive world to help inspire young women like never before. These characters were developed with girls 6-12 in mind and will deliver epic story lines featuring strong females. It truly embraces and celebrates girls as they discover their own unique abilities.”
SPECIAL FEATURES
Six Animated Shorts:
Hero of the Month: Wonder Woman
Fall into Super Hero High
Hero of the Month: Bumblebee
Hero of the Month: Poison Ivy
Clubbing
Saving the Day
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting August 9, DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
Street Date: August 23, 2016
Run Time: 72 minutes (approx.)
Universal City, California, June 14, 2016 âIf itâs the Snow White tale youâre looking for, discover the story that came before in The Huntsman: Winterâs War, coming to Digital HD on August 2, 2016 and 4K Ultra HDTM, Blu-rayâ¢, DVD and On Demand on August 23, 2016, from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. The Huntsman: Winterâs War on Blu-ray⢠and DVD includes an all-new extended edition of the epic action-adventure, plus exclusive bonus features that reveal the movieâs behind-the-scenes secrets.
The Huntsman: Winterâs War stars Charlize Theron (Mad Max: Fury Road, Monster) as the evil Queen Ravenna, who betrays her good sister Freya (Emily Blunt: Sicario, Edge of Tomorrow) with an unforgivable act, freezing Freyaâs heart to love and unleashing in her an icy power she never knew she possessed. Retreating to a kingdom far to the north, Freya raises an army of Huntsmen as her protectors, with the only rule that no two of them should ever fall in love. As a war for domination escalates between the two queens, the hero standing between good and evil is Freyaâs most elite Huntsman, Eric (Chris Hemsworth: Thor, Star Trek Into Darkness). Alongside fellow warrior Sara (Jessica Chastain: The Martian, The Help) â the only woman who has ever captured his heart â Eric must help Freya vanquish her sister or Ravennaâs wickedness will rule for eternity.
The film will also be available on 4K Ultra HD⢠in a combo pack which includes 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, Blu-ray⢠and Digital HD with UltraViolet. The 4K Ultra HDTM will include all bonus features on the Blu-ray disc.
4K Ultra HD⢠is the ultimate movie watching experience. 4K Ultra HDTM features the combination of 4K resolution for four times sharper picture than HD, the color brilliance of High Dynamic Range (HDR) with immersive audio delivering a multidimensional sound experience.
Blu-ray⢠features high definition picture, theater quality surround sound and exclusive extras.
DIGITAL HD with UltraViolet⢠lets you watch movies anywhere, on any device. Users can instantly stream or download movies to watch on iPad®, iPhone®, Androidâ¢, smart TVs, connected Blu-ray⢠players, game consoles and more.
BLU-RAYTM DISC EXCLUSIVES
Two Queens and Two Warriors â The true heart of The Huntsman:Winterâs War is found in its three powerful women, Ravenna, Freya, and Ericâs lost wife, Sara. Learn how the strength and complexity of the filmâs female roles drew potent new star power in Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain, as well as convincing Charlize Theron to reprise her role as Ravenna.
Meet the Dwarfs â Nick Frostâs Nion and Rob Brydonâs Gryff brought a sense of levity and fun to the adventure â especially once they met their female counterparts. Explore the importance of all four dwarf characters in the film and on set, where the actors who portrayed them earn a reputation for keeping the fun rolling, even when the cameras stopped.
Magic All Around â Rooted in history, but inhabited by magic, the world of The Huntsman: Winterâs War is a true visual spectacle. Follow along and see how the magic made it to the screen. From Freyaâs icy freeze to the gold-laden goblins of the forest, explore the visual effects at work with an exclusive peek behind the curtain.
BLU-RAYTM and DVD BONUS FEATURES
Deleted Scenes with Commentary
Gag Reel
Dressed To Kill â Academy Award®-winning costumer Colleen Atwood returns to help reignite the splendor she brought to Snow White and The Huntsman. A visual feast, her costumes often border on the supernatural in their beauty while helping bring the characters to life.
Love Conquers All â From the infectious enthusiasm of director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan to the sisterly bond shared by Emily Blunt and Charlize Theron, the set of The Huntsman: Winterâs War was filled with laughter and life. Actors and artists came together to help create a fairy tale about the pure power of love â and had a blast along the way.
Feature Commentary by director Cedric Nicolas-Troyan
FILMMAKERS: Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt, Jessica Chastain, Sam Claflin, Nick Frost, Rob Brydon, Sheridan Smith, Alexandra Roach Directed By: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Written By: Evan Spiliotopoulos, Craig Mazin Characters By: Evan Daughert Produced By: Joe Roth Executive Produced By: Sarah Bradshaw, Palak Patel Director of Photography: Phedon Papamichael Production Designer: Dominic Watkins Edited By: Conrad Buff IV Composer: James Newton Howard Costume Designer: Colleen Atwood
TECHNICAL INFORMATION 4K DISC:
Street Date: August 23, 2016 Copyright: 2016 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 61180130 (US)/ 61180183 (CDN) Layers: BD-66 Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1 Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality Languages/Subtitles: English/English SDH, Spanish and French Subtitles Sound: DTS:X Immersive Audio/ DTS Digital Surround 5.1 Spanish and French (Canadian) Run Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes / 2 Hours
TECHNICAL INFORMATION BLU-RAYâ¢: Street Date: August 23, 2016 Copyright: 2016 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 61168742 (US)/ 61168751 (CDN) Layers: BD-50 Aspect Ratio: Widescreen 2.40:1 Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality/N/A Languages/Subtitles: English/English SDH, Spanish and French (Canadian) Subtitles Sound: DTS:X Immersive Audio/  DTS Digital Surround 5.1 Spanish and French (Canadian) Run Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes / 2 Hours
TECHNICAL INFORMATION DVD Street Date: August 23, 2016 Copyright: 2016 Universal Pictures Home Entertainment Selection Number: 61168748 (US)/ 61168752 (CDN) Layers: Dual Aspect Ratio: Anamorphic Widescreen 2.40:1 Rating: PG-13 for fantasy action violence and some sensuality/N/A Languages/Subtitles: English/English SDH, Spanish and French (Canadian) Subtitles Sound: English Dolby Digital 5.1/ Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish and French (Canadian) Run Time: 1 Hour 54 Minutes / 2 Hours
The X-Files – The Event Series arrives on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD today and to celebrate, 20th Century Home Entertainment has released two of the bonus features to whet your appetite. Also, the Complete Series Blu-ray Boxset featuring every season is also available today.
Bonus Clip: The Making Of A Struggle – Cigarette Smoking Man
Bonus Clip: The Making Of A Struggle – Crashed Saucer
It may have been almost half a century since she landed on that island, but Mary Ann is as delightful as ever! GILLIGAN ISLAND’s Dawn Welles talks about her time as a castaway and how the show almost never made it on the air. Plus actress Tracey Birdsall shares some peeks into her busy career including her latest film, WHO’S JENNA?
Any worries that Lego Dimensions might not go big with their second year were unfounded— LEGODimensions packs based on 16 new entertainment properties will begin launching on September 27, 2016, including the new Ghostbusters film, both Harry Potter and the new spin-off film Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them, and a certain fleet footed spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae.
The new properties come from all forms of media, including many newcomers to the building toy line:
THERE’s one ring Sonic won’t drop!
The Goonies
Gremlins
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial
Sonic The Hedgehog
Knight Rider
The A-Team
Mission: Impossible
Ghostbusters
Beetlejuice
Teen Titans Go!
The Powerpuff Girls
Adventure Time
Harry Potter
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Lego also supports its own properties with The LEGO Batman Movie and their own original videogame and kit line LEGO® City Undercover.
The gameplay will be expanding as well. All-new Battle Arenas will offer first-to-LEGO videogames competitive split-screen local gameplay for up to four players. LEGO minifigures included in the wave 6 through 9 expansion packs will come with special, golden Toy Tags which unlock a Battle Arena within the Free Play Adventure World of the corresponding entertainment brand. Each Battle Arena has four different gameplay modes and comes with its own traps, special powers and interactive environments that make every battle arena unique.
The new Ghostbusters Story Pack, based on the upcoming film, will provide a complete movie-based gameplay experience with six puzzle-packed levels and new LEGO Gateway bricks that allow players to build Zhu’s Chinese Restaurant atop the LEGO Toy Pad. It will also come with a buildable Abby Yates LEGO minifigure with Proton Blaster, and a 3-in-1 buildable Ecto-1 which can be rebuilt into the Ectozer and The PerfEcto.
The pack unlocks “Rip,” a new Toy Pad mode allowing players to tear open an alternate universe. In this mirror world, players have the ability to solve puzzles and affect objects and other items in the primary universe. And like all gold-tag minifigures purchased, Abby Yates provides access to a new themed Adventure World with its own unique Battle Arena.
The Ghostbusters Story Pack is just the first of this new exciting pack type, with Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, based on the highly anticipated theatrical release, still to come later this year. The LEGO DIMENSIONS packs will be the exclusive construction toy offering this holiday for the exciting expansion of J.K Rowling’s Wizarding World.
Last of the Mohicans, by James Feinmore Cooper, is a great American classic. My parents had a Book-of-the-Month copy in their bookcase with illustrations by Newell Wyeth, Andrew’s father, and I first read it at about age 8. Today (Sunday), I watched the 1992 Last of the Mohicans, the one starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Madeline Stowe, and Wes Studi. Great, great movie, also a favorite of my buddy and fellow columnist Johnny O’s; in fact, it was John and Kim who turned me on to this particular cinema adaption, oh, those so many years ago at their home in Norfolk, Connecticut. I was familiar with the 1936 version, which starred Randolph Scott, Bruce Cabot, and Binnie Barnes, which was pretty good, but director Michael Mann’s adaptation is a gothic work of art, boasting beautiful cinematography and a romantic and haunting soundtrack.
I’ve also been blissfully gorging on Season 2 of Outlander, Ronald D. Moore’s magnificent – im-not-so-ho – adaptation of the second book of Diana Gabaldon’s Scottish time-traveling romance and adventure series. As the season continues to build to the 1745 tragic and final confrontation between King George II’s British troops and the Jacobite rebels who followed “Bonnie” Prince Charles Stuart in the failed attempt to restore the Stuart monarchy, Claire is suffering from what we call today Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Jamie is taking on more than a veneer of the hated British army’s discipline and attitude, going so far as to flog his troops.
Thanks to the oversight of Moore and his team, including his wife, costume designer Terry Dresbach, and the lush cinematography of Neville Kid, not to mention the remarkable cast, Outlander is far more than a variation of the “bodice ripper” genre; it is a gripping tale of a culture that now exists only in books, films, television shows, Renaissance Fairs, and museums.
I know that my buddy Marc Alan Fishman is demonstrating the mature side of the argument, taking a “wait-and-see” attitude, but as for me – well, there is so much that is wrong about Captain America: Hydra Agent that all I can say is:
No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! No! But I do have a better candidate for Hydra membership.
Donald Trump Suggests Muslim Judge Might Also Be Unfair. Candace Smith, ABC News, June 5, 2016: “Donald Trump, already facing bi-partisan backlash for his comments suggesting a judge of Mexican descent is unfit to preside over a lawsuit filed against Trump University because of ‘bias,’ has gone further, suggesting that a Muslim judge would also not be able to treat him fairly…”
Trump Plays GOP for Suckers – Calls Climate Change ‘Bullshit,’ Then Submits Plan For A Wall To Protect His Golf Course From Global Warming. Page 4-5. New York Daily News, front page, May 24, 2016: “The notoriously fickle Republican huckster, who at various times has labeled climate change a ‘con job,’ a ‘hoax’ and ‘bullshit,’ has reportedly applied to build a wall along a luxury golf course that he owns in Ireland that is threatened by rising seas caused by climate change.
Perhaps it is Donald Trump who is the Hydra agent.
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Last week we told you about two upcoming collections of Don McGregor and Thomas Yeates’ Zorro newspaper strips as part of a broader profile of Tom’s recent work. As it happens, this week will see the rerelease of Zorro – The Dailies and Sundays (The Second Year) Collector’s Edition, reprinting all the daily and Sunday strips from the 1999 newspaper comic strips’ second year… and, through the website below, autographed by Tom Yeates.
