That’s right, two of DC Comics’s most powerful mortals, Superman and Captain Marvel, have their birthday today! Of course, for the Man of Steel it’s just the Earth equivalent to his Kryptonian birthday, while Captain Marvel dates his “birth” to the night young Billy Batson uttered the name “Shazam!” and was transformed into the World’s Mightiest Mortal.
Still, those are some powerful candles…
Earlier in the week I told you that a brand new trailer for Iron Man would premiere during ABC’s Lost this week. In case you missed it or, for some reason don’t happen to watch Lost, here you go:
This latest trailer provided a first look at many elements of Iron Man, including Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, much more of Robert Downey, Jr. as Tony Stark and some new armor test sequences as Stark is trying out his jet boots and learning to fly.
Since seeing the first footage of Iron Man at Comic-Con last July, I’ve always been pretty sure Robert Downey, Jr. was going to be a great Tony Stark. Now, after watching this new trailer where we get to see a lot more of him in action, I’m convinced. Robert Downey, Jr. is Tony Stark.
Up to now I was on the fence about whom I was going to vote for in the Presidential election. All I knew for sure is that I was going to vote for whatever Democrat won the nomination. If Charles Barkley won the nomination I would have voted for him. So, yes, no matter what Democrat wins I’m casting my ballot his or her way.
Even though I am running for President myself (I announced that a few columns ago) I am realistic enough to know that I may not win. I am going to take a stand like Ralph Nader. I’m in it to make a point like Nader. I’m in it to be a huge pain in the ass with no godly chance of winning… like Nader. If you ask me It’s just as much Nader’s fault we are in a war in Iraq as it is Bush’s. If he did not take votes away from Gore then we would be worried about a sex scandal right about now not fighting a war we have no business waging.
I like Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama and would have been happy to vote for either.
Until last week. Last week I decided whom not to vote for.
Before I give my endorsement (which will surely decide the nominee as I carry so much weight) let me share a bit about each candidate. There is a real chance that Barack Obama will come to Comic Con International this summer. His campaign contacted me last year about setting that up and it still may happen.
Why me? Let’s just say that’s how I roll.
I like Obama but did not know if I was ready to vote for him. I was very impressed that his campaign thinks that Comic Con is a smart place to reach young people. That move earned him serious points in my book.
To be frank I was a huge fan of the Clintons and was leaning in Hillary’s direction, mainly because I loved Bill Clinton. I have met quite a few notable people in my life. From heads of state to rock, hip-hop and movie stars to world leaders. When I say meet I’m not talking about some random street meeting or autograph signing I’m talking about being in business with them or being invited to their home or inviting them to mine. Most of these well known people I meet are impressive but three impressed me to a point where I was speechless. (more…)
With all the recent talk of creators getting ripped off, here’s another one for the old "Things That Make Me Shake My Fist Angrily" pile.
According to the ever-vigilant mightygodking.com, Y: The Last Man, Transmetropolitan, Fables and various other fan-favorite titles were all based on old Silver Age comics — and the site is chock full o’ proof!
Unsurprisingly, the writer of Yorick, The Last Man On Earth was a woman: Sally Polenti, a trailblazer in the comics field and almost totally unknown today. Her work on Yorick is more soap-opera-ish, perhaps, than Brian K. Vaughan’s – but then again, she also doesn’t have any of those Trivial Pursuit factoids Vaughan seems compelled to insert into any and all narratives he writes. And if you thought Vaughan’s depiction of the longing between 355 and Yorick was hot – well, Polenti’s positively smolders. Plus, mad scientists in just about every issue.
Seriously, though, the Photoshop skills are strong with this one. Color me impressed.
(via TheBeat)
When the people of the future are in trouble, they turn to one thing to save them from the forces of evil -a tiny robot that doesn’t own a pair of pants and can deploy guns from his rear.
Astro Boy is being adapted into a big budget CG movie by Warner Bros. and The Weinstein Company and the titular character has already been cast. The voice of Astro Boy will be provided by Freddie Highmore.
Highmore is familiar to most film fans as Charlie Bucket from Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He’s no stranger to voice work either, as he recently provided the voice of Pantalaimon in The Golden Compass.
Astro Boy debuted as a manga in 1952 and became a television series in 1963. The character was created by Osamu Tezuka, considered the "god of manga" by some, and the television series was one of the first cartoons to use the anime asthetic.
The film version is slated for release in 2009 and is being scripted by Timothy Harris, the man responsible for Space Jam – the greatest movie to ever involve Michael Jordan and Bill Murray teaming up with cartoons to fight monsters from space. Astro Boy is in good hands.
(via CHUD)
Oh where, oh, where, could Simone & Ajax be? They’re taking a quick one-week breather so that they can thrill you and chill you with their next exciting all new adventure: "The Case Of The Maltese Duck!"
Action! Adventure! Amazing Fantasy! All in color for less than a dime! All starting next week!
The Jess Fink / Hot Topic rip-off scandal continues to evolve, and recently spilled over into the world of Fleen, where the popular webcomic blog’s mustachioed marksman, Gary Tyrrell, took aim at the clothing company and provided some helpful information for those looking to pepper Hot Topic with bullets of justice and, well… I think this metaphor has pretty much run its course.
First, Tyrrell provides a handy little example of history repeating itself when it comes to comic creators getting ripped off by t-shirt sellers.
For “Shmorky”, substitute “Jess Fink“. For “Todd Goldman”, substitute “Hot Topic“. For my take on the whole situation, allow me to quote Kris Straub on one of the past iterations of Wikimesses:
That’s pretty goddamn weak.
In a subsequent post, Tyrrell offers up some suggestions for resolution that, unlike many suggestions offered up by the online masses, do not involve burning each and every store to the ground and dancing a celebratory jig in the ashes. Tyrrell later updates his call to action and coverage of the whole mess with additional, more appropriate contact information for Hot Topic and even a few talking points.
The last of these posts prompted quite a bit of discussion, including one comment from an alleged buyer for Hot Topic who claimed that the situation "is being handled." Over on Fink’s site, however, [WARNING: NSFW Content Featuring Soaps and Butts and Elijah Wood] the situation certainly doesn’t sound like it’s "being handled."
Tales of the Black Freighter, the story-within-a-story found in the original issues of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ Watchmen, will indeed make it into the film adaptation of the groundbreaking graphic novel.
Actor Gerard Butler (300) confirmed to Empire today that not only will an animated version of Black Freighter be produced for the Watchmen DVD, but he will voice the main character of the tale.
“I actually read the script before reading the comic book and I thought it was awesome,” continued the 38 year-old. “Then I read the comic book and it’s great. The little bits that have been added define it so much more. It’s very dark and there’s just something so descriptive and scary. It’s this descent into madness but explained in such a sane way that you totally feel it yourself. By the end, my heart was pumping!”
According to Butler, the project will use anime-style animation.
Watchmen hits theaters in March 2009.
(via SHH)
Over at the official site for Frank Miller’s upcoming film The Spirit, the director has posted a new entry on the site’s production blog. Among the topics Miller discusses in the entry are more details about the film itself, the filmmaking process and his feelings towards actors.
At the blog, Miller describes the filmmaking process as "fun, thrilling and glamours as all hell. It’s also as hard a line of work as you can find." He also counts himself lucky to be working on the film and with so many talented actors, referring to himself as "one lucky S.O.B." He also goes on to thank "all the people who dragged me into this crazy business."
Having worked on a few film sets in my time as well I can tell you Miller’s observations about the process are pretty much spot-on. Making movies is often grueling, arduous, time-consuming, soul-sucking work that demands more of you than you ever thought you could give. Still, it can sure be fun much of the time.
There’s a saying in Hollywood that i’ve alway thought was appropriate: "The worst day on a movie set is still better than the best day working at a bank." I’m sure Miller would agree.
The Spirit hits theaters January 19th, 2009.
With the recent and much heralded conclusion to Y: The Last Man
In Batman: False Faces
As Vaughan writes in his introduction: “[A]nyone who thinks that pitting a character made of magical clay against friggin’ Clayface isn’t a totally awesome idea is a dirty communist.” True enough. But while the setup is golden, the execution isn’t. What could have been a deeply introspective story is more cursory and trivial, while also moving a bit too slowly in places.
The Batman stories (which Vaughan wrote later) show the expected improvement. Further exploring issues of identity, Vaughan takes a thoughtful look at Batman’s two-bit-criminal alter ego Matches Malone in one story, and then he explores the diseased mind of the Mad Hatter. When Hatter says, “The only way you shall ever comprehend insanity is by ducking the shallow gerund,” Vaughan reveals the savvy and linguistic dexterity that would go on to make him a star.
[[[False Faces]]] isn’t for everyone, but for Vaughan devotees or those interested in the development of a talented creator, it’s a must-have collection.
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