Pop links
CNN does a pretty decent writeup on comic book genius Jack Kirby.
...more than a decade after Kirby's death, the name still fits: He is "The King."
Consider some of the heroes Kirby helped create, many of which now pervade pop culture: The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America.
---------
Speaking of Kirby: The online Jack Kirby Museum shares some costume designs Kirby did for a college production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."
--------
BBC Radio 4 is celebrating the centennial of James Bond creator Ian Fleming with special programming.
BBC Radio 4 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Bond creator Ian Fleming with the first full-length radio adaptation of Dr No, starring Toby Stephens and David Suchet.
The drama, which will air on Saturday May 24, will also star Samuel West, John Standing, Martin Jarvis and Peter Capaldi.
It is part of a season of Radio 4 programmes about the author, including a documentary, The Bond Correspondence, following Fleming's niece Lucy on a journey to find out more about her uncle, and James Bond, The Last Englishman, an exploration of what Bond tells us about post-imperial Britain.
You can hear Radio 4 programs on the BBC's audio-on-demand site.
---------
The Cleveland home where writer Jerry Siegel created Superman is being restored, Newsarama reports.
Tracey Kirksey, Executive Director of the Glenville Neighborhood Development Corporation, is spearheading the effort, and expects that the home will be restored this summer, in compliance with historic preservation standards. Upgrades will include a new roof, siding repair, new exterior paint and fresh landscaping. In addition, an historic plaque will be placed in front of the home.
...the Cleveland City Council has agreed to issue a proclamation honoring Siegel, [artist Joe] Shuster and Superman and the street signs on Kimberly and Amor (where Joe Shuster lived) will be given ceremonial names on the street signs to honor the two famous signs. And trust me, those suckers will be welded onto the pole to discourage souvenir seekers.
There will be block parties on the street where Superman was created in August, dates to be determined.
---------
A couple of fascinating revelations from Fred Hembeck today.
#1 Fred noticed that in the story I reported on about the Library of Congress receiving the original Steve Ditko art to Spider-Man's first appearance, some of the ink work is definitely not Ditko's. Looks like some other artist gave Liz Allan a slight tweaking in one panel.
#2 Altpop singer April March was once an art assistant for the reclusive Mr. Ditko. (I think I knew this at some point, but forgot. I dig April's music, though).
...more than a decade after Kirby's death, the name still fits: He is "The King."
Consider some of the heroes Kirby helped create, many of which now pervade pop culture: The Fantastic Four, the X-Men, the Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America.
---------
Speaking of Kirby: The online Jack Kirby Museum shares some costume designs Kirby did for a college production of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar."
--------
BBC Radio 4 is celebrating the centennial of James Bond creator Ian Fleming with special programming.
BBC Radio 4 will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of James Bond creator Ian Fleming with the first full-length radio adaptation of Dr No, starring Toby Stephens and David Suchet.
The drama, which will air on Saturday May 24, will also star Samuel West, John Standing, Martin Jarvis and Peter Capaldi.
It is part of a season of Radio 4 programmes about the author, including a documentary, The Bond Correspondence, following Fleming's niece Lucy on a journey to find out more about her uncle, and James Bond, The Last Englishman, an exploration of what Bond tells us about post-imperial Britain.
You can hear Radio 4 programs on the BBC's audio-on-demand site.
---------
The Cleveland home where writer Jerry Siegel created Superman is being restored, Newsarama reports.
Tracey Kirksey, Executive Director of the Glenville Neighborhood Development Corporation, is spearheading the effort, and expects that the home will be restored this summer, in compliance with historic preservation standards. Upgrades will include a new roof, siding repair, new exterior paint and fresh landscaping. In addition, an historic plaque will be placed in front of the home.
...the Cleveland City Council has agreed to issue a proclamation honoring Siegel, [artist Joe] Shuster and Superman and the street signs on Kimberly and Amor (where Joe Shuster lived) will be given ceremonial names on the street signs to honor the two famous signs. And trust me, those suckers will be welded onto the pole to discourage souvenir seekers.
There will be block parties on the street where Superman was created in August, dates to be determined.
---------
A couple of fascinating revelations from Fred Hembeck today.
#1 Fred noticed that in the story I reported on about the Library of Congress receiving the original Steve Ditko art to Spider-Man's first appearance, some of the ink work is definitely not Ditko's. Looks like some other artist gave Liz Allan a slight tweaking in one panel.
#2 Altpop singer April March was once an art assistant for the reclusive Mr. Ditko. (I think I knew this at some point, but forgot. I dig April's music, though).
Don't forget Free Comic Book Day!
Tomorrow, May 3, is Free Comic Book Day. Visit your local shop and pick up some freebie comics. A variety of publishers--large to small--will be providing sample titles. You can check out the lineup here.
And don't forget to buy a comic or two, as well!
And don't forget to buy a comic or two, as well!
Lost clues: Something Nice Back Home
Episode summary:
In flash forward: Jack is living with Kate and they are raising Aaron. Jack is back at work as a surgeon, Kate is a happy mom. Jack even asks Kate to marry him. Things seem to be going well.
But then Jack has a vision of his dead father. He shakes this off, but then, after a visit with Hurley in the mental hospital--during which Hurley tells Jack about his visit with Charlie (also dead)--Jack is freaked out.
Hurley has a message for Jack from Charlie. It says: "". And Charlie said that Jack also would be receiving a visit.
Hurley tells Jack he thinks all of the Oceanic 6 are dead. They didn't really make it off the island.
That night at the hospital, Jack again sees his father. He asks a fellow doctor for a prescription for some stress-relieving meds. Back at home, Jack is drinking and mixed up emotionally. He's angry at Kate who--it turns out--was doing some sort of favor for Sawyer. Jack says Sawyer chose to stay behind and Kate shouldn't be doing anything for him.
Back in island time: Jack is ill. Turns out it's his appendix and Juliet says it needs to come out stat.
Juliet sends Jin, Sun, Daniel and Charlotte to the medical hatch to retrieve supplies. During the trip, Jin becomes suspicious at the attention that Charlotte is paying to him and Sun as they speak Korean. He discovers she knows the language and tells her--in Korean--that he will harm Daniel unless Charlotte ensures that Sun gets off the island. Charlotte agrees to this.
Juliet performs the operation, which is evidently successful. However, Rose wonders aloud to Bernard why is Jack getting ill when so many people, including herself, have been healed by the island? Is the island somehow telling Jack it doesn't want him to leave?
In the jungle: Sawyer, Claire, Baby Aaron and Miles are on their way back to the beach. They discover the shallowly buried bodies of Danielle and Karl and, a little later, encounter Frank Lapidus, the helicopter pilot. Franks says they need to hide, or the freighter troops will find and kill them, so they do.
That night, sleeping around a campfire, Claire awakes to find Aaron missing. He's nearby, being cradled by Christian Shepherd, the ostensibly dead father of both her and Jack. In the morning, Sawyer wakes up and finds that both Claire and Aaron are gone. Miles says they wandered off into the jungle with someone Claire called "Dad." He didn't bother to stop them, as Sawyer had earlier warned Miles to keep away from Claire.
Sawyer follows their trail into the jungle and discovers Aaron, but there's no sign of Claire.
Questions/clues/observations:
* Was Kate talking on the phone to Cassidy, the mother of Sawyer's daughter, Clementine? What did Kate promise Sawyer she'd do?
* Or was Kate really doing something for Ben? Could be he recruited her, like he did Sayid, to help him out against Widmore.
* Is the ghost of Christian Shepherd really visiting folks, or is it a manifestation of Jacob or the Island (or both)? Perhaps Jacob is inhabiting Shepherd's body.
* Where the heck did Claire go? And why did she leave Aaron behind?
* Jack, when he's drunk and angry, tells Kate that Aaron isn't "even related" to her? Does he realize that he's Aaron's uncle?
* Miles' psychic powers go off and he hears weird sounds and whispers when he, Sawyer and Claire discover the bodies of Danielle and Karl. Are the whispers heard occasionally on the island those of the dead, i.e. the Dharma Initiative people Ben killed?
* Jack is reading "Alice in Wonderland" to Aaron.
"Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: `Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!' And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them."
* There's a Dharma Initiative-looking object on Aaron's bed.
* Daniel wonders where all the electrical power on the island comes from. Good question!
Also see:
Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know
Preview for next week's show:
In flash forward: Jack is living with Kate and they are raising Aaron. Jack is back at work as a surgeon, Kate is a happy mom. Jack even asks Kate to marry him. Things seem to be going well.
But then Jack has a vision of his dead father. He shakes this off, but then, after a visit with Hurley in the mental hospital--during which Hurley tells Jack about his visit with Charlie (also dead)--Jack is freaked out.
Hurley has a message for Jack from Charlie. It says: "". And Charlie said that Jack also would be receiving a visit.
Hurley tells Jack he thinks all of the Oceanic 6 are dead. They didn't really make it off the island.
That night at the hospital, Jack again sees his father. He asks a fellow doctor for a prescription for some stress-relieving meds. Back at home, Jack is drinking and mixed up emotionally. He's angry at Kate who--it turns out--was doing some sort of favor for Sawyer. Jack says Sawyer chose to stay behind and Kate shouldn't be doing anything for him.
Back in island time: Jack is ill. Turns out it's his appendix and Juliet says it needs to come out stat.
Juliet sends Jin, Sun, Daniel and Charlotte to the medical hatch to retrieve supplies. During the trip, Jin becomes suspicious at the attention that Charlotte is paying to him and Sun as they speak Korean. He discovers she knows the language and tells her--in Korean--that he will harm Daniel unless Charlotte ensures that Sun gets off the island. Charlotte agrees to this.
Juliet performs the operation, which is evidently successful. However, Rose wonders aloud to Bernard why is Jack getting ill when so many people, including herself, have been healed by the island? Is the island somehow telling Jack it doesn't want him to leave?
In the jungle: Sawyer, Claire, Baby Aaron and Miles are on their way back to the beach. They discover the shallowly buried bodies of Danielle and Karl and, a little later, encounter Frank Lapidus, the helicopter pilot. Franks says they need to hide, or the freighter troops will find and kill them, so they do.
That night, sleeping around a campfire, Claire awakes to find Aaron missing. He's nearby, being cradled by Christian Shepherd, the ostensibly dead father of both her and Jack. In the morning, Sawyer wakes up and finds that both Claire and Aaron are gone. Miles says they wandered off into the jungle with someone Claire called "Dad." He didn't bother to stop them, as Sawyer had earlier warned Miles to keep away from Claire.
Sawyer follows their trail into the jungle and discovers Aaron, but there's no sign of Claire.
Questions/clues/observations:
* Was Kate talking on the phone to Cassidy, the mother of Sawyer's daughter, Clementine? What did Kate promise Sawyer she'd do?
* Or was Kate really doing something for Ben? Could be he recruited her, like he did Sayid, to help him out against Widmore.
* Is the ghost of Christian Shepherd really visiting folks, or is it a manifestation of Jacob or the Island (or both)? Perhaps Jacob is inhabiting Shepherd's body.
* Where the heck did Claire go? And why did she leave Aaron behind?
* Jack, when he's drunk and angry, tells Kate that Aaron isn't "even related" to her? Does he realize that he's Aaron's uncle?
* Miles' psychic powers go off and he hears weird sounds and whispers when he, Sawyer and Claire discover the bodies of Danielle and Karl. Are the whispers heard occasionally on the island those of the dead, i.e. the Dharma Initiative people Ben killed?
* Jack is reading "Alice in Wonderland" to Aaron.
"Alice took up the fan and gloves, and, as the hall was very hot, she kept fanning herself all the time she went on talking: `Dear, dear! How queer everything is to-day! And yesterday things went on just as usual. I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think: was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is, Who in the world am I? Ah, that's the great puzzle!' And she began thinking over all the children she knew that were of the same age as herself, to see if she could have been changed for any of them."
* There's a Dharma Initiative-looking object on Aaron's bed.
* Daniel wonders where all the electrical power on the island comes from. Good question!
Also see:
Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know
Preview for next week's show:
Up for auction: Original Captain Marvel comic book art
These two Captain Marvel pages from 1941--both attributed to artist George Tuska--are up for bid on eBay. Nice stuff!
Pop links
Comics Oughtta Be Fun gives us a look at "The Spirit's Casebook of True Haunted Houses & Ghosts," a 1976 collection of "true" ghost stories, heavily illustrated with the art of Will Eisner and narrated by his most famous creation: The Spirit. Nice pics!
You can check Amazon for availability of the book here. They had some copies via used book dealers when I checked--one less copy now that I've ordered mine!
----------
An anonymous (and very lucky) comic book collector has donated Steve Ditko's original art for Amazing Fantasy #15--which featured the debut of Spider-Man--to the Library of Congress. Details and pics are here.
----------
Variety reviews a new documentary about the Wrecking Crew, the famed L.A. session musicians who played on a zillion hit records in the 1960s.
"The Wrecking Crew" is a well-nigh irresistible treat for aficionados of music from the era when acts like the Beach Boys, the Association and the Monkees were topping the charts. Pic celebrates a loose-knit group of largely unknown (except by industry insiders) session musicians, many of whom supplied the defining licks and backbeats -- and in some cases, actually played instruments for band members -- on legendary recordings.
You can check Amazon for availability of the book here. They had some copies via used book dealers when I checked--one less copy now that I've ordered mine!
----------
An anonymous (and very lucky) comic book collector has donated Steve Ditko's original art for Amazing Fantasy #15--which featured the debut of Spider-Man--to the Library of Congress. Details and pics are here.
----------
Variety reviews a new documentary about the Wrecking Crew, the famed L.A. session musicians who played on a zillion hit records in the 1960s.
"The Wrecking Crew" is a well-nigh irresistible treat for aficionados of music from the era when acts like the Beach Boys, the Association and the Monkees were topping the charts. Pic celebrates a loose-knit group of largely unknown (except by industry insiders) session musicians, many of whom supplied the defining licks and backbeats -- and in some cases, actually played instruments for band members -- on legendary recordings.
Review roundup: Iron Man
It sounds like Shellhead's big screen debut may be pretty decent.
International Herald-Tribune:
"Iron Man," directed by Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Zathura"), has the advantage of being an unusually good superhero picture. Or at least - since it certainly has its problems - a superhero movie that's good in unusual ways. The film benefits from a script (credited to Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway) that generally chooses clever dialogue over manufactured catch-phrases and lumbering exposition, and also from a crackerjack cast that accepts the filmmakers' invitation to do some real acting, rather than just flex and glower and shriek for a paycheck.
Orlando Sentinel:
...darned if "Iron Man" isn't everything a summer movie should be, and more. The first big popcorn movie of the season is also the best Marvel movie since "Spider-Man," a silly-serious pedal-to-the-metal (ahem) E-ticket ride with, now get this, a message.
Chicago Sun-Times:
The well-crafted "Iron Man" is one of the smartest superhero films to come down the pike in some time.
Robert Downey Jr. again reveals why he is one of the best actors of his generation -- allowing himself simultaneously to be playful and poignant as he adds enormous depth to the title role. Downey has carved out his own interpretation of Tony Stark/Iron Man, and yet he delivers on the established premise of the Marvel Comics character -- so not to disappoint Iron Man's legions of fans.
Toronto Star:
There's no rust on the first blockbuster of summer '08: Iron Man is an ironclad cinch to be a hit.
It's everything you want from a superhero flick – lots of action, great characters and a really cool suit – and it smartly vaults a lesser Marvel Comics hero into the same stratosphere as Spider-Man.
But as spectacular as the hardware is in Iron Man, and that includes the best robot sidekick since C-3PO, it's the human software that really drives this macho machinery. The casting represents a risk that paid off handsomely.
USA Today:
Jon Favreau (Elf, Swingers) directs a strong ensemble cast, including Jeff Bridges, who cleverly plays Stark's right-hand man; Terrence Howard, Stark's nicely underplayed military pal; and Gwyneth Paltrow, just right as Stark's assistant, Pepper Potts.
The extra heft brought to their cartoonish characters and the special-effects action make Iron Man entertaining and fun — though the second half has less snap, and a pivotal fight sequence between Iron Man and a nemesis is predictable.
International Herald-Tribune:
"Iron Man," directed by Jon Favreau ("Elf," "Zathura"), has the advantage of being an unusually good superhero picture. Or at least - since it certainly has its problems - a superhero movie that's good in unusual ways. The film benefits from a script (credited to Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Art Marcum and Matt Holloway) that generally chooses clever dialogue over manufactured catch-phrases and lumbering exposition, and also from a crackerjack cast that accepts the filmmakers' invitation to do some real acting, rather than just flex and glower and shriek for a paycheck.
Orlando Sentinel:
...darned if "Iron Man" isn't everything a summer movie should be, and more. The first big popcorn movie of the season is also the best Marvel movie since "Spider-Man," a silly-serious pedal-to-the-metal (ahem) E-ticket ride with, now get this, a message.
Chicago Sun-Times:
The well-crafted "Iron Man" is one of the smartest superhero films to come down the pike in some time.
Robert Downey Jr. again reveals why he is one of the best actors of his generation -- allowing himself simultaneously to be playful and poignant as he adds enormous depth to the title role. Downey has carved out his own interpretation of Tony Stark/Iron Man, and yet he delivers on the established premise of the Marvel Comics character -- so not to disappoint Iron Man's legions of fans.
Toronto Star:
There's no rust on the first blockbuster of summer '08: Iron Man is an ironclad cinch to be a hit.
It's everything you want from a superhero flick – lots of action, great characters and a really cool suit – and it smartly vaults a lesser Marvel Comics hero into the same stratosphere as Spider-Man.
But as spectacular as the hardware is in Iron Man, and that includes the best robot sidekick since C-3PO, it's the human software that really drives this macho machinery. The casting represents a risk that paid off handsomely.
USA Today:
Jon Favreau (Elf, Swingers) directs a strong ensemble cast, including Jeff Bridges, who cleverly plays Stark's right-hand man; Terrence Howard, Stark's nicely underplayed military pal; and Gwyneth Paltrow, just right as Stark's assistant, Pepper Potts.
The extra heft brought to their cartoonish characters and the special-effects action make Iron Man entertaining and fun — though the second half has less snap, and a pivotal fight sequence between Iron Man and a nemesis is predictable.
Doctor Who classic figures revealed
Here's a look at the first wave of Doctor Who classic action figures. They look pretty darn good! Apparently the Tom Baker figure comes with both "happy" and "grumpy" faces.
You can order Doctor Who figures via Amazon
.
You can order Doctor Who figures via Amazon
.
Stay through the credits! Nick Fury cameo in Iron Man film
It was thought that Samuel L. Jackson's cameo as Nick Fury in the Iron Man film was cut out. And it was--from the main part of the film. But Dark Horizons reports that the scene was added back in as an after-the-credits teaser. You can take a rough look at it below.
Lost tonight!
Read a teaser and see the preview for tonight's episode. Then come back here tomorrow for a full rundown on what happened, plus clues and observations.
Also see:
Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know
Also see:
Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know
Eccleston still on for Prisoner remake? Plus McGoohan to guest!
Sounds like former Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston is still the leading candidate to play Number 6 on a British remake of "The Prisoner" TV series.
And--even bigger news--the star of the original show, Patrick McGoohan, may make a guest appearance.
The programme will be filmed in the village of Portmeirion, north Wales, where the original series was shot. A spokesman for Portmeirion said it was "very good news" adding: "The Prisoner is an important part of Portmeirion's heritage."
The drama will be brought up to date by the makers ITV, who want to emulate the science fiction success of the BBC's Dr Who. But the white "Rover" balloons which hold the prisoners captive will still be part of the show.
And--even bigger news--the star of the original show, Patrick McGoohan, may make a guest appearance.
The programme will be filmed in the village of Portmeirion, north Wales, where the original series was shot. A spokesman for Portmeirion said it was "very good news" adding: "The Prisoner is an important part of Portmeirion's heritage."
The drama will be brought up to date by the makers ITV, who want to emulate the science fiction success of the BBC's Dr Who. But the white "Rover" balloons which hold the prisoners captive will still be part of the show.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)