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Review: ‘Popeye’ on DVD

Next January, E.C. Segar’s cartoon creation Popeye turns 80. That’s a good run, especially for a character who still wasn’t showing many signs of his age in the 2004 TV special Popeye’s Voyage: The Quest for Pappy.

While Popeye might not have aged over the years, he certainly has changed, which is clearly evident in the contrast between two new DVD collections of [[[Popeye]]] cartoons recently released from Warner Bros. Video.

The first, as mentioned in Michael H. Price’s latest column here at ComicMix is Popeye the Sailor 1938-1940 Vol. 2 ($34.98), which contains 31 remastered theater shorts. Created by the Fleischer family’s studio, these are some of the earliest animated Popeye adventures.

One can quickly see why the shorts became a phenomenon, as big or bigger than Disney’s toons (pointed out in an excellent documentary on the Fleischers that’s included). Popeye and the gang are essentially Vaudevillians, pinwheeling through one pratfall after another.

While that means there’s not much narrative richness and little language-based humor (most the characters are unintelligible), the Fleischers were masters of the gags, setting them up as curvaceous rows of dominoes, one slapping down another in orchestrated patterns.

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New ‘Twilight Zone’ Graphic Novels Announced

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  • June 10, 2008

Earlier this year, publisher Walker Books announced that they would be adapting episodes from the classic television series The Twilight Zone into a series of graphic novels. When the announcement was first made in April, the plan was to release two episodes this September and six more in the future. Today, the publisher released the names of the rest of the  episodes they’ll be adapting.

According to ICv2:

In December, The Monsters are Due on Maple St. from Season 1 and The Odyssey of Flight 33 from Season 2 will be released.

Spring 2009 will see The Midnight Sun and Deaths-Head Revisited, both from Season 3.

And in Fall 2009, Walker will release The Big Tall Wish from Season 1 and Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up from Season 2. 

For those who might have missed the initial announcement, Mark Kneece will be adapting the books from original scripts written by Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling. The 72-page, full-color projects will be illustrated by students from the Savannah College of Art and Design’s Sequential Arts Program. The books will retail for $9.99, which seems like a good deal if the projects turn out well.

The first two episodes hitting shelves will be "Walking Distance" and "The After Hours" — with the former holding a special significance in Serling’s life, according to ICv2:

Walking Distance, which is illustrated by Dove McHargue, is one of the most personal of all Serling’s scripts for The Twilight Zone.  It revolves around Martin Sloan, a successful middle-aged man who attempts to re-enter the world of his childhood, (which is based on Serling’s hometown of Binghampton, New York).

(Yes, I know they mispelled "Binghamton." But the books look pretty interesting, eh?)

‘Incredible Hulk’ Countdown Roundup

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  • June 10, 2008

With the release of The Incredible Hulk looming, there have been a few items of note hitting the ‘Net that might be worth, well… noting. While I could probably re-write that sentence to make it read a little better, I think it fits in well with the overall Hulk vibe, which seems to go something like this:

HULK SMASH YOUR PUNY GRAMMAR!

Over at Marvel.com, The Incredible Hulk Smash game is a free, online game in which you play as the Hulk and try to smash everything in sight — which consists of buildings, taxis and military vehicles. Apparently, Hulk really hates taxis. While I understand the whole "power-up" and "super smash" abilities, I’m not quite sure I understand why Hulk is also able to freeze time in this game. But anyways…

Did anyone catch the "Hulk Up" episode of American Gladiators last night? I missed it, but I’d love to hear how that cross-promotion turned out. It was a nice idea, so I’m curious about viewer reaction. At least one reviewer wasn’t impressed. Anyone else have an opinion? Is anyone who reads ComicMix watching American Gladiators?

Feeling a bit nostalgic for the old Hulk television series? SciFi Channel is currently running a marathon of the series, with 10 episodes airing each day until Friday’s film release.

Oh, and on a completely unrelated-to-the-movie but Hulk-related all the same, I wonder if the Elias Hulk album "Unchained" is feeling the effects of all the Hulk mania. Just check out that excellent, semi-NSFW album cover!

Be sure to keep an eye on ComicMix this week for our special ComicMix TV video interviews with the people behind The Incredible Hulk, as well as our review of the film later this week.

R.I.P. Erick Wujcik, Game Designer

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  • June 10, 2008

Sad news from Kevin Siembieda at Palladium Books:

Beloved role-playing game designer, Erick Wujcik, passed away Saturday evening, June 7, 2008. He died from complications related to pancreatic and liver cancer. Kathryn Kozora, his sweetheart of more than 30 years, and other loved ones were at his side.

Erick was diagnosed with cancer in late November, 2007 and given 6-8 weeks to live. True to Erick’s indomitable spirit and zest for life, he proved the doctors wrong by lasting more than six months. Most of that time was spent with friends and loved ones.

Erick Wujcik’s accomplishments are many.

To the role-playing game community, Erick is best known for his many RPG games and contributions to Palladium Books®, including The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles® RPG, several TMNT® sourcebooks, After the Bomb® RPG and sourcebooks for it, Ninjas & Superspies™, Mystic China™, Rifts® China One and Two, Revised RECON®, Wolfen Empire™ and many others. He is also famous for Amber® Diceless, the first truly “diceless” role-playing game, published under Erick’s own label, Phage Press. Erick also published Amberzine® and founded Ambercon™, a series of conventions celebrating gaming, friendship and the world of Amber, hosted at numerous locations around the world.

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White Viper: Father’s Day!

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  • June 10, 2008

In today’s brand-new episode of White Viper, by Dick Giordano, Frank McLaughlin and Erin Holroyd, the monk, Ta Moa, awakes to find himself without one eye — but with a new, adopted daughter.

They saved each others’ lives. Will they need to again?

Credits: Erin Holroyd (Writer), Dick Giordano (Penciller), Frank McLaughlin (Inker), Lovern Kindzierski (Colorist), John Workman (Letterer), Mike Gold (Editor)

More: White Viper

 

Happy Birthday: Charles Vess

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  • June 10, 2008

Born in Lynchburg, Virginia in 1951, Charles Dana Vess fell in love with comic books and art while still a child—he drew his first full-length comic when he was ten years old.

He attended Virginia Commonwealth University and graduated with a BFA in 1974, then went to work as a commercial animator for Candy Apple Productions in Richmond. In 1976, Vess moved to New York City to try his hand as a freelance illustrator. In 1980, he joined Parsons School of Design as an art instructor.

He was getting regular comic book work, and drew books for Dark Horse, Marvel, Epic, and DC, but it was in 1989 that Vess became truly well-known in the field. He collaborated with Neil Gaiman on one of the issues of the original Books of Magic mini-series and also drew three issues of Gaiman’s Sandman series for Vertigo. One of those issues, #19 (“A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) won the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story.

In 1994, Vess moved back to Virginia and organized The Dreamweavers, a traveling exhibition of 15 fantasy artists. Since then he has had many other showings and worked on many other comic books.

Another Vess-Gaiman collaboration, Stardust, won an Alex Award from the American Library Association, a Mythopoeic Award, and a World Fantasy Award for Best Artist. Vess has won a Will Eisner Comics Industry Award three times. He has also won a Comic Creators’ Guild award, a Silver Award, and an Ink Pot. He has won numerous children’s book awards as well, primarily for his collaborations with Charles de Lint.

ComicMix Radio: Todd McFarlane and Spawn, Together Again!

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  • June 10, 2008

Todd McFarlane recently announced that he’s returning to Spawn, the comic that helped build his empire. In a few months he, along with Image co-founder Whilce Portacio, return to the series and we’ve got the details, plus:

— Viper brings back The Killer Tomatoes

— Patsy Walker gets her soot in the Marvel Universe

— This week’s stellar list of new comics and DVDs

Just press the button and cool off!

 

 

 And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via badgeitunes61x15dark-3245277 or RSS!

Iron Man, Hurley and a Gay Dalek

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  • June 10, 2008

Michael Pinto at Fanboy.com recently directed me to this Flickr set posted by artist Daryl Cunningham. There’s some great use of color in Cunningham’s work, and I can’t help but love the pop culture inspiration. Heck, there’s a bit of DC, a bit of Doctor Who and even some Lost mixed in there.

Here’s one example, with a few more after the jump:

Iron Man: War Zone

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Battlestar Galactica Interview: Jane Espenson on Episode #9, ‘The Hub’

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  • June 10, 2008

Welcome to the latest installment of Battlestar Galactica Weekly, our recurring Q&A with Mark Verheiden, co-executive producer of the hit Sci-Fi Channel series Battlestar Galactica. Each week, we’ll interview Verheiden about the events of the week’s episode, what those events might mean for both the season and the series, and hopefully unearth some clues about what to expect as the final season of Battlestar Galactica nears its conclusion.

Along with posing our own questions to Verheiden, we’re also taking questions from fans — so be sure to send your questions to me, your official BSG Weekly interviewer, after each episode airs at chris [at] comicmix dot com. New episodes of Battlestar Galactica can be seen every Friday at 10 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel. You can read previous interviews via our BSG Weekly Archive or the links at the end of this article.

This week we have a special treat for fans of BSG, as well as those of you who love Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel. Answering our questions this time around is the writer of this week’s episode, co-executive producer Jane Espenson.

She’s answering questions about Episode #9 of Season Four, “The Hub,” which aired June 6, 2008. Note: These answers may contain spoilers, so read at your own risk.

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COMICMIX (from reader Shannon): Was there a kiss between Adama and Roslin in the last scene? If so, why was it edited out? Or, if not, why not? That seemed like a moment when they would kiss.

JANE ESPENSON: It is scripted as a “fierce hug,” but with moments like that, the script doesn’t really matter.  If you’re lucky enough to have amazing actors like Eddy and Mary, you don’t even want them to rely on the script in a moment like that.

You want them to just do.  And personally, I love the choice they made.  It played perfectly for me.  I want to see their faces on screen — easier in a hug than a kiss.

CMix (from reader Solonia): Do you consider Elosha to be Laura’s subconscious in this episode?

You mean, as opposed to being a Head Being like Baltar’s Six?  Yes.  I thought of her much more as Laura’s subconscious.

CMix (From reader Tommy): What was the purpose of the scene between Baltar and the Centurion? It seemed it was mostly there to put Baltar in a place where he could become injured so Roslin could save him? Or perhaps the scene is there to serve a larger purpose? Maybe Baltar is planting the seeds of another Cylon revolt?

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Interview: John Arcudi Talks ‘B.P.R.D.’ Summer Series

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  • June 10, 2008

bprdwofcover-5628985This summer is a big one for Hellboy fans, and not just because Hellboy II: The Golden Army hits theaters on July 11. Dark Horse is releasing several comics from Mike Mignola’s Hellboy world.

The co-author on several Hellboy and B.P.R.D. books, John Arcudi recently chatted with me and gave some sneak peaks at B.P.R.D.: War on Frogs, B.P.R.D.: The Warning and the B.P.R.D.: Ectoplasmic Man one shot.

Dire times are coming to the B.P.R.D. crew, Arcudi warned, and no one is safe.

COMICMIX: What can you tell me about these new series, War on Frogs and The Warning? They take place before and after Killing Ground, respectively, right?

JOHN ARCUDI: WoF takes place in the past, back in 2005 during the era of the Black Flame, while The Warning picks up about a week after the end of Killing Ground and will kick off the large three-part arc that brings the Memnan Saa storyline to its conclusion.

CMix: The Warning sounds like it’ll be focusing on Liz quite a lot. What can we expect for her? What are the big issues she’s facing?

JA: Well, she thinks she’s finally free of Memnan Saa’s control and so she’s in a hurry to kick some butt. His butt. Liz is interesting in that she seems to always be looking for an authority figure, for someone to point out the direction in life she should follow – due, undoubtedly to the premature deaths of her parents (at her hands, no less). If you go back to Hollow Earth, you see Liz leaving the B.P.R.D. to find herself in some temple at the top of the world. She doesn’t go and ride a motorcycle across the country, she goes and asks somebody else for help. This may be what made her susceptible to Saa’s thrall in the first place. And that is the personal story nugget at the core of this very far-reaching, cataclysmic epic tale.

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