‘Doctor Who’ Dalek For Sale

News
January 31, 2008

Inmates at the Woodford Correctional Centre in Queensland, Australia, recently put the finishing touches on a full-size Dalek replica complete with wheels, voice changer and space for a ride-in occupant.

The "Doctor Who" villain took six months to build, and the finished product is currently being auctioned on eBay. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Brisbane.

Bidding starts at $3,000 and the auction ends on Feb. 8.

A reporter who recently took the Dalek out for a spin had the following to say about her experience:

You climb underneath, and in the back of the Dalek there’s a seat. You lift the seat up. I’m inside the Dalek. And then you look up and it’s got this voice-altering mechanism.

Ex-ter-min-ate! Ex-ter-min-ate!

If you’re tempted to place a bid, keep in mind that you’ll have to travel to Brisbane to pick up your prize. Imagine all the fun you’ll have getting it through airport security, though!

Previewing ‘Dark Tower: The Long Road Home’

News
January 31, 2008

For those readers who enjoyed Marvel’s first foray into Stephen King’s Dark Tower mythos, Marvel.com has posted a peek at the upcoming sequel to Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born, titled Dark Tower: The Long Road Home.

Plot-wise, The Long Road Home appears to pick up where The Gunslinger Born left off, and writers Robin Furth and Peter David continue to script the miniseries along with artists Jae Lee and Richard Isanove. Marvel Editor-In-Chief Joe Quesada will once again provide the occasional cover.

The plot, according to Marvel.com:

With the Big Coffin Hunters on the trail of Roland and his ka-tet Cuthbert and Alain, plus visions of Susan’s death dancing in Roland’s head, what else could go wrong? Well…Roland’s in a coma and the people who burned Susan are determined to make him their next victim!

The first series, Gunslinger Born, remains one of the few projects I would recommmend picking up for the art alone, as it includes some gorgeous work by Lee and Isanove. The fact that it also contains an interesting, compelling story by David and Furth is just a bonus.

According to Marvel PR, The Long Road Home hits shelves at "12:01 AM, March 5" – so expect a midnight release event on March 4, much like the one that occurred when the first series was launched.

Studio Tour: Pia Guerra of Y: The Last Man

News
January 31, 2008

It’s been a busy month for Y: The Last Man artist Pia Guerra. Wait, scratch that… It’s been a busy five years.

Now that The Last Man has concluded and Guerra has solidified her reputation as one of the industry’s most popular (and dedicated) modern-day artists, she can finally have some breathing room. Or can she?

In this feature at CBR, Guerra takes readers through a tour of her Vancouver studio, showing off all of the little bits and pieces of her workspace that have contributed to her success.

The whole area is like the Block of Requirement: there’s an artist’s supply store, a comic shop, mailbox outlet, coffee shop, a fabulous bistro, and even an MP’s office just downstairs. The caretaker is the coolest guy in the universe, he’s okay with us being there after hours (our usual work times) and from time to time he brings over fruit to share from his trips to the small market down the street. I really don’t know how we lucked out so well. It’s a great place to work.

Oh, and apparently she’s somewhat of a Doctor Who aficianado.

Suicide Girls Talk To ComicMix!

News
January 31, 2008

With the hope of finally something good on TV tonite, ComicMix Radio helps you fill up the rest of the day with a few pop culture tidbits that include:

The Suicide Girls weigh in on our Who’s Your Favorite Hero survey — and Meow seems to have a thing for the guy with Bat-Ears
New Exiles and Freddy vs Jason vs Ash both go up on the Sold Out List … with variants on the way!
Even more American Gladiators invade the airwaves
Saturday matinees maybe making a comeback!

There are mere hours left until we go back to the island – fill a bit by Pressing The Button!

Or subscribe to our podcasts via or RSS!

They Need More Blood in Black Lamb #5

News
January 31, 2008

In today’s episode of Timothy Truman’s Black Lamb, there will be blood. That’s what happens when you get a bunch of vampires together. Add some politics, religion and space travel, and you’ve got yourself a party.

Time-Hopping with Star Wars: Vector

News
January 31, 2008

Whether your interests lie in the Old Republic or the New Jedi Order, it’s a good time to be a Star Wars fan. With the kickoff of Star Wars: Vector, Dark Horse Comics’ big Star Wars crossover event, the good times might be getting even better.

The crew at IGN Comics are jumping into the Star Wars mix with this interview of one of the Vector writers, John Jackson Miller. In the interview, Miller provides some explanation as to how the event will touch each of the four Star Wars series in the Dark Horse line, from Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic to Star Wars: Legacy – especially without the use of time travel:

It’s been the subject of many, many different theories out in fandom. But I can say this: There is no time travel in the Star Wars universe — not in most of the conventional science-fiction senses — and that remains the case even in light of "Vector." You won’t see Luke hopping in the Tardis to go visit the Old Republic!

Well, I guess that answers my question about the potential for a Doctor Who/Star Wars crossover. sigh

With 4,100 years separating KotOR and Legacy, it looks to be an interesting storyline. As I can personally attest, these series are a great read for even the least Star Wars-savvy comics fan. Here’s hoping The Force is strong with Vector.

Video: Joe Quesada on The Colbert Report

News
January 31, 2008

As you might have already heard, Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada was a guest on Comedy Central’s The Colbert Report this week.

Just as many readers predicted, the topic of discussion was the ascension of former Captain America sidekick Bucky Barnes to official superhero status – and the new wielder of Cap’s red, white and blue shield. Apparently, Stephen Colbert was under the impression he was next in line to be Captain America.

Holy awkward situation, Bat-… Wait, wrong publisher…

Anyways, here’s a video of the segment, just in case you missed it:

Ed Brubaker, Criminal hit MySpace

News
January 31, 2008

Criminal, the award-winning series by Captain America writer Ed Brubaker and Sleeper artist Sean Phillips, will be the focus of a weeklong promotion on MySpace, according to a recent Marvel Comics press release.

Here are the details:

During each day of this event, at http://www.myspace.com/comicbooks, readers will be treated to excerpts from the first two Criminal trade paperbacks and previews of the new Criminal Vol.2 #1 (arriving in stores this February. But that’s not all—look for behind the scenes extras that include a Criminal noir art talk interview between Eisner-winners Sean Phillips and fan-favorite Daredevil artist Michael Lark, a “Week in the Life” writer’s diary by Ed Brubaker; and a special Artist-to-Artist video featuring Ed Brubaker and Bill Hader (Superbad, Saturday Night Live).

And, of course, the obligatory statement by Brubaker:

“The chance to reach the vast network of MySpace Comic Books readers presented us with such a great opportunity, to not just promote Criminal, but to peel back the curtain a bit in a sort of DVD extras kind of way, which is something I think a lot of people will enjoy,” said Brubaker. “The fact that Bill Hader was willing to help us do this was completely overwhelming, too, and is something that I think will make an even more memorable event.”

Issue #1 of the second volume of Criminal hits shelves at the end of February.

Rant-O-Rama, by John Ostrander

News
January 31, 2008

Lots of different things pissing me off this week so let’s just make this one a grab bag of rant.

The Flordia Primary, Part One. Some time ago, Will Rogers, the noted American humorist, said, “I belong to no organized party. I am a Democrat.” Still true. Given the state of the country today – mired in a war that we shouldn’t have gotten into, edging into recession, a housing shortage that bids fair to upend our financial apple cart – the Democratic nominee for President should be a shoo-in. I think the DNC – the Democratic National Committee – assumes that. Not me. I still trust them to find a way to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. It’s a time tested Democratic tradition.

Cases in point – the Florida and the Michigan primaries. You’ve heard a lot this week about the Florida Republican primary but not so much the Democratic one. Why is that? Because the DNC has decided to punish those two states for moving their primaries ahead despite what the DNC told them. Furthermore, the DNC says they won’t be seating those states’ delegates at the Convention later this year. That’ll show ‘em! Naughty locals!

Question: what state lost the Dems the election in 2000? That’s right – Florida. There’s also plenty of votes to be had in Michigan. Mary’s family comes from Michigan and she knows some of them who have voted Democratic regularly before. This time they’ll sit it out or will vote Republican. Why? They’re pissed that the Dems have told them their delegates won’t be seated; that their votes in the primary don’t mean anything. If some people told me my vote didn’t matter, I’d find others who thought it did.

(more…)

Happy 75th Anniversary to the Lone Ranger!

News
January 31, 2008

On this day in 1933, to the strains of the William Tell Overture, the first of 2,956 episodes of The Lone Ranger premiered on WXYZ radio in Detroit, Michigan and later on the Mutual Broadcasting System radio network and then on NBC’s Blue Network (which became ABC).

We hope we don’t have to tell you who that masked man is, but just in case, return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear… when a Texas Ranger named Reid, who, as the series begins, was ambushed along with five other Texas Rangers by by Butch Cavendish, leader of the "Hole in the Wall Gang" and a man named Collins, who has infiltrated the Rangers for the gang as a scout, leaving almost every ranger dead.

Reid, the sole survivor, vowed to bring the killers and others like them to justice. So while he recovers, he asks his companion Tonto to make a sixth grave to make people think that he had died as well.

The Lone Ranger has gone on to appear on TV (both animated and the famous series starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels), in movies and serials, and (of course) comic books, most recently in publications from Dynamite Entertainment.

Hi-yo Silver! Away!

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