Comics Kingdom is the latest web initiative for traditional comic strips. Launching today, the site is from King Features Syndicate and is designed as a portal for newspapers to include comic strips as part of their online presence while tapping advertising and KFS’s deep archives.

“The premise behind this new type of comic delivery is to offer the newspaper a product that better helps the paper monetize their comic page online,” according to a release.

King Features Syndicate President T.R. “Rocky” Shepard, said, “for almost 100 years, King Features Syndicate has assisted newspapers in attracting new readers and incremental ad revenue by providing appealing, premium content. As our newspaper partners face new challenges in the ever-changing media landscape, we are continually looking to develop innovative ways to help them reach their business goals – which still remain the same as ever: attracting new readers and driving ad sales.”

The Albany Times Union, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Oklahoman/ NewsOK are the first three papers to use the new feature. During beta testing, the Times Union’s General Manager said the feature “almost doubled the traffic to the comic section and increased the average amount of time spent on the site — a key metric to increasing advertising revenue.”

Last month, United Media rebranded its comics.com website switching from a pay model to an advertiser-supported model allowing people to read their archives for free.
 

ICv2 reports that the slowing economy has led Upper Deck Company to lay off around 40 people last week. The cuts came from both its entertainment and sports divisions.  Coming days after the sudden closure of WizKids, the moves signal a contracting within the collectible cards field.  ICv2 also notes that “Sports card sales have reportedly been down substantially this fall, and mass market sales of trading card games have also been affected.”

While things may be tightening, others see opportunity. Alliance Game Distributors announced the other day that it will exclusively distribute Illusio, from French game publisher Funforge.  The game, with art by Julien Delval (Ticket to Ride, Witches Brew, and Pirate’s Cove), is set in 1896.  Players take the roles of magicians in competition for the title “Master of Illusion.” 
 
Illusio is for three to six players of all ages, and plays in 30-45 minutes.  The box includes 10 magician cards, 26 action cards, 64 component cards, and 32 objective cards for $24.99.
 

Aaron Eckhart moves up from district attorney and supporting player to platoon leader and star of the original SF tale, Battle: Los Angeles.

Columbia Pictures optioned Chris Bertolini (The General’s Daughter)’s screenplay back in April. The story spotlights a Marine platoon’s attempts to repel invaders from the stars. “I love the idea, and I love the script. I like it all,” Producer Neal Moritz of Original Films told The Hollywood Reporter. “We are going to be in production within six months. What’s attractive to me is that it’s a huge event movie that can be done at a modest scale.”

Production is gaining momentum with shooting eyed for early next year and a 2010 release date. No other casting has been announced.

Eckhart has appeared in The Dark Knight, of course, but also gained notice for his work in In the Company of Men and Thank You for Smoking.
 

Last week, we told you that director Guillermo del Toro wanted to produce a new version of Pinocchio.

Today, Variety adds details and says the Jim Henson Co. will be on board for the darker interpretation of the classic Italian children’s tale. The film will be produced by JHC presidents Brian Henson and Lisa Henson along with senior VP Jason Lust. Del Toro will exec produce since he’s busy until 2017.

The busy director is already working on the screenplay with Gris Grimly, who previously illustrated a version in 2002. Grimly and Adam Parrish King will co-direct the film which is estimated to require three years to produce using stop-motion techniques.

Michael Ferris and John Brancato, the men behind the Terminator Salvation script, are negotiating to write the third XXX film, The Return of Ander Cage. Vin Diesel is on board as is director Rob Cohen, according to Variety. Once Columbia had the principals of the first film in place back in September, they got a quick approval from Revolution Studios.

Both Diesel and Cohen skipped XXX: State of the Union which flamed out with Ice Cube as the extreme sports star turned espionage agent. Similarly, after missing the second and third films, Diesel will be back behind the wheel for the fourth Fast and the Furious film, due out next June 12.
 

When Dick Tracy writer/artist Dick Locher told Dubuque’s Telegraph Herald that he was likely to retire, rumors spread quickly that the legendary detective was likely to be retired as well.

Tribune Media Service’s Mary Elson stated “there are no plans to shutdown the comic.” She also said she knew of no formal retirement plans for Locher, who not only does the strip but produces editorial cartoons for the syndicate.

The 77 year old police strip was created by Chester Gould who handled the feature until his retirement in 1977.  Max Allan Collins and Gould’s longtime assistant Rick Fletcher then produced the feature, taking the status quo back to its earliest days.  Locher, who previously assisted Gould, stepped when Fletcher passed away in 1983. Mike Kilian replaced Collins as writer in 1992 until his death in 2005 when Locher took the writing reins as well.

Legal rights stemming from the 1990 Disney film which was directed by star Warren Beatty, have held up any additional media exploitation of the character, one of the longest running adventure strips still being published.

USA Network will air the eighth and final season of Monk during the summer of 2009. The beloved series’ concluding season will include 16 episodes. With luck, he will continue to live on in Lee Goldberg’s delightful novels.

CBS’s Gary Unmarried was blessed with a full-season order while the network ordered three additional episodes of Worst Week.

NBC has given Medium an order for a total of 19 episodes, six more than previously ordered and less than a full season. With the recent cancellations, the peacock network may be short of inventory.  A timeslot for the series’ return has not yet been selected although Monday’s at 10 p.m. following Heroes is most likely.