Pop focus: Jim Steranko - Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D.

This week saw the TV debut of "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." and I thought it was not so bad. Nice to hear some zippy Joss Whedon dialogue on the small screen again, and -- at least so far, the show seems much better-realized than Whedon's what-the-hell-were-you-thinking "Dollhouse." Hopefully, S.H.I.E.L.D. will last for a bit.

But we're not here to talk about Joss Whedon, but the man who made his mark on the original Marvel Comics Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. strip: cartoonist, writer, escape artist, raconteur and blower-of-minds, Mr. Jim Steranko.

Steranko took over art chores on the Nick Fury strip in 1966, initially penciling over Jack Kirby's layouts, but he was soon adding his own touches to the strip -- innovative stuff in comics for the days, with lots of op-art experimentation that really added to the title's 1960 spy movie feel. The images below will give you a feel for what an impact this comic had back in its day. Even now, it's a lot more imaginative and fun-to-look-at most new comics.

Along with S.H.I.E.L.D., Steranko is noted for his excellent two-part, tabloid-size "Steranko's History of Comics" books, which were great early examples of American comic book history, documenting the medium's most influential creators and characters. A real-life escape artist and magician in his younger years, Steranko was also the model for Kirby's "super escape artist" Mister Miracle, who, in turn, inspired the Escapist character in Michael Chabon's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay."

Steranko also has a very engaging Twitter feed and is reviewing episodes of the new S.H.I.E.L.D. series (he didn't like the first ep).

Let's celebrate his impact and art, below.




























Coming soon: Mego-style Teen Titans figures

A flashback for those of us who grew up in the 70s: Figures Toys is coming out with a line-up of Teen Titans figs based on the original Mego toys.





Preview of upcoming PBS Jimi Hendix documentary



Details:

Hear My Train A Comin’ unveils previously unseen performance footage and home movies taken by Hendrix and drummer Mitch Mitchell while sourcing an extensive archive of photographs, drawings, family letters and more to provide new insight into the musician’s personality and genius.
A pioneering electric guitarist, Hendrix (Nov. 27, 1942 — Sept. 18, 1970) had only four years of mainstream exposure and recognition, but his influential music and riveting stage presence left an enduring legacy. Hear My Train A Comin’ traces the guitarist’s remarkable journey from his hardscrabble beginnings in Seattle, through his stint as a US Army paratrooper, unknown sideman to R&B stars such as Little Richard, Joey Dee and the Isley Brothers and his discovery and ultimate international stardom.
Presented as part of a year-long celebration around his 70th birthday year, the two-hour Hear My Train A Comin’ uses Hendrix’s own words to tell his story, illustrated through archival interviews and illuminated with commentary from family, well-known friends and musicians including Paul McCartney, band members Noel Redding, Mitch Mitchell, Billy Cox, long-time sound engineer Eddie Kramer; Steve Winwood, Vernon Reid, Billy Gibbons, Dweezil Zappa and Dave Mason.
The film also features revealing glimpses into Jimi and his era from the three women closest to him: Linda Keith (the girlfriend who introduced Jimi to future manager Chas Chandler), Faye Pridgon (who befriended Hendrix in Harlem in the early 1960s) and Colette Mimram (one of the era’s most influential fashion trendsetters who provided inspiration for Hendrix’s signature look and created such memorable stage costumes as the beaded jacket Hendrix famously wore at Woodstock). The film details the meteoric rise of the Experience, the creation of his groundbreaking music, the building of Electric Lady Studios, his state-of-the-art recording facility in Greenwich Village and concludes with poignant footage from his final performance in Germany in September 1970, just 12 days before his death at age 27.
Among the previously unseen treasures in Hear My Train A Comin’ is recently uncovered film footage of Hendrix at the 1968 Miami Pop Festival. The first-ever major rock festival staged on the East Coast, the May 1968 Miami Pop Festival at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale, Fla., was the first event promoted by Woodstock organizer Michael Lang and Ric O’Barry (dolphin trainer for Flipper TV series), who were inspired by the June 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, where Hendrix made his U.S. debut and famously set fire to his guitar.
Two-time Grammy-winning director Bob Smeaton, whose credits include Jimi Hendrix: Voodoo Child, Hendrix: Band of Gypsys, Hendrix 70: Live at Woodstock, Festival Express and The Beatles Anthology, shows a side of Hendrix less frequently explored in Hear My Train A Comin’. Smeaton explains, “Jimi loved two things: women and playing guitar and that’s what Linda, Faye and Colette all told us. These women shed a totally different light on him than the guys who saw him onstage.”
On the same day as the film’s premiere, Experience Hendrix LLC and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release the expanded home video edition of the American Masters documentary, with never-before-released special performance features, on DVD and Blu-ray.
American Masters: Jimi Hendrix – Hear My Train A Comin’ is a production of Fuse Films and THIRTEEN’s American Masters in association with WNET. Bob Smeaton is director. Susan Lacy is American Masters series creator and executive producer.


Pop culture roundup: Woody Allen! George Harrison! Paul McCartney! Wolverton's Eye of Doom! Jack Kirby's S.H.I.E.L.D.! more!

Woody Allen has recorded audio versions of four of his books. Check out this sample.

-----

Check out George Harrison's fisheye selfies from India 1966.


-----

Here's the cover of Paul McCartney's upcoming LP, New, out Oct. 15.




-----

Watch out for the Eye of Doom! (via Diversions of the Groovy Kind)

-----

Check out this great gallery of Jack Kirby's spy gadgets from the early Nick Fury: Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. comics.

-----

Rolling Stone catches up with former Kinks guitarist Dave Davies, who talks about his recovering from smoke and his still-contentious relationship with brother Ray. I'll believe this talk about a Kinks tour once I see tickets on sale.
Months after the stroke, Ray told the British press that he was teaching Dave how to play guitar again. Dave roars with laugher when reminded of this. "Oh God!" he says. "My cat was more helpful in teaching me guitar. It loved me. It didn't try to dominate me. It nurtured me."


Fab Friday: Vintage Beatles pics!

Beatlefans.











BBC Radio this week: Agatha Christie; H.G. Wells; Kate Bush; Stephen Fry!

Click the links to hear the following shows:

Agatha Christie: Crooked House Joy Wilkinson's four-part adaptation of Agatha Christie's novel.

Brian Aldiss Presents The favourite stories of Britain's leading sci-fi exponent.

Fantastic Journeys: The Door in the Wall By HG Wells. Is daydreamer Lionel Wallace brave enough to turn his back on the world he knows for a better life? Read by Anton Lesser.

Saturday Night Fry Comedy sketch series, parodying television and radio programmes. Hosted by Stephen Fry.

Classic Albums: Kate Bush - Hounds of Love  Kate talks about her best-selling 1985 album.

Haunted Chilling tales by a variety of authors

The Goon Show. Classic material from one of the all-time radio comedy greats.

The Man in Black. A creepy raconteur, played by Mark Gatiss, introduces spooky tales.

Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. Strange and unusual sounds in music both old and new.