Pop links return April 6!
New comics April 1, 2009: Buffy! Billy Batson! Spidey! Cap! Franklin Richards!
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #24
Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam #4
Amazing Spider-Man #590
Captain America Comics 70th Anniversary Special
Franklin Richards: April Fools
Pop links: Lois Lane blogs! Dylan download! Ditko! Comic book prices on the rise!
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For a limited time only, get an official download from Bob Dylan's new album.
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See the Steve Ditko-illustrated "Quote the Raven" from Charlton's Haunted #28, 1976.
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Sharity:
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The New York Times reports on rising comic book prices. Old fart voice: "Why, when I started reading funny books, they only cost 20 cents!"
CD new releases March 31, 2009: Dylan and Band remasters! Chuck Berry! More!
Leonard Cohen Live in London
It's Blitz by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs
The Basement Tapes (remastered) by Bob Dylan and the Band
Before the Flood by Bob Dylan and the Band
New Morning by Bob Dylan
Living Thing by Peter Bjorn and John
Hills and Valleys by the Flatlanders
You Are Here by the newno2
You Never Can Tell: The Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966 by Chuck Berry
DVD new releases March 31, 2009: Slumdog Millionaire! Leonard Cohen! Jeff Beck! Matrix! Fugitive! Ricky Gervais! More!
Slumdog Millionaire
Leonard Cohen Live in London
Jeff Beck Performing this Week Live at Ronnie Scott's
The Matrix 10th Anniversary Blu-Ray Book
The Fugitive Season 2 Vol. 2
Voyage to the Bottom of the Season 4 Vol. 1
Ricky Gervais Out of England
Schoolhouse Rock Earth
Adventures of Robin Hood Complete Third Season
Hercules Collection
Pop link: Flash Gordon!
TV documentary to celebrates Monty Python's 40th anniversary.
The six-part documentary Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyer's Cut) airs Oct. 4-10 and features John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin, who, along with founding member Graham Chapman created groundbreaking humor with such sketches as "The Ministry of Silly Walks" and "The Upper Class Twit of the Year."
IFC's Python Week also will include airings of the films Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Monty Python's Life of Brian and Monty Python Live at the Hollywood Bowl.
Pop links: Hembeck Watchmen! Bernard Baily!
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Pappy presents a Bernard Baily-drawn monster tale.
Pop links: More Jack Cole! Ginger sings! Jim Aparo!
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Today in sharity.
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It's Davy Jones and Yvonne Craig on "Ben Casey"!
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Diversions of the Groovy Kind checks out Charlton Comics' The Prankster, illustrated by the great Jim Aparo!
Official Simon and Kirby Library details and pics
Here's the skinny on this much-anticipated (by me, anyway) reprint series.
Titan Books has expanded its publishing agreement with comic book pioneer Joe Simon, co-creator of Captain America, to launch The Official Simon and Kirby Library beginning in 2009. In addition to the previously announced volumes The Best of Simon and Kirby and The Simon and Kirby Superheroes, the library will include volumes collecting the greatest horror, detective, and romance stories ever produced by the legendary Dream Team of comics.
Joe Simon and Jack Kirby first joined forces on the superhero character Blue Bolt in 1940, and later that year created the seminal hero Captain America (soon to be featured in a major motion picture by Marvel Studios). “When Jack and I created Captain America, it sent a shock across the nation even before America had entered World War II,” Simon noted. “But that was only the beginning, and we followed it up with titles like Boy Commandos and Young Romance. They weren’t superhero books, but each one sold millions of copies.”
Beginning in summer 2009 with The Best of Simon and Kirby, Titan Books will release full-color hardcover editions featuring some of the greatest stories ever told in the graphic medium, painstakingly restored by Simon and Kirby historian Harry Mendryk. Simon himself will oversee the process, and will offer original insights and secrets from behind the scenes.
The volume will feature the team’s most famous characters, including Fighting American, Stuntman, and The Fly, as well as genre adventures from such legendary titles as Black Magic, Justice Traps the Guilty, and the industry’s first romance title, Young Romance. Through the generous support of Marvel Comics and DC Comics, The Best of Simon and Kirby will include stories featuring Captain America, The Vision, Sandman, and The Boy Commandos.
“It’s simply astonishing, the materials Joe has kept over the years,” Titan owner and publisher Nick Landau said. “It shows uncanny foresight that he retained so many rights, and preserved those wonderful stories so that today’s readers will be able to enjoy some of the finest comics ever produced.” Details on the contents and format of the books are still being determined, as Landau added, “We want to come up with editions that are as perfect as they can be.”
Simon will attend the February 2009 New York ComicCon to celebrate the launch of The Official Simon and Kirby Library, and will sign exclusive limited edition lithographs. Titan plans to release two books a year, and these will be the only editions authorized by both Joe Simon and the estate of Jack Kirby. In addition to The Official Simon and Kirby Library, Titan will publish the autobiography of Joe Simon in 2010.
Mojo mag celebrates John and Yoko's 40th wedding anniversary
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr concert to be streamed on Web
Performers will include Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr along with Donovan, Sheryl Crow and others. Check out the link above for more details.
Pop links: Wolverton! Kubert! Tom Hanks as Major Matt Mason?!! Jack Cole! Ditko! More!
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Read a profile of cartoonist Joe Kubert.
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Motown session drummer Uriel Jones has passed away, the BBC reports.
He was the last surviving drummer in the Motown session band known as the Funk Brothers.
He was a key component of the "psychedelic soul" foray by the Temptations, including Cloud Nine and I Can't Get Next To You.
"Uriel's drum sound was the most open and laid back and he was the funkiest of the three guys we had," said Motown arranger Paul Riser.
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Tom Hanks is set to play Major Matt Mason??!!!!
the actor...has signed on to star in Major Matt Mason, a big-budget Universal actioner based on a vintage US action figure.
How vintage? Well, Major Matt – an astronaut who worked on the moon – was launched in 1966, three years before man even set foot on his home, before the line was kyboshed in the ‘70s.
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Jon's Random Acts of Geekery leafs through Famous Monsters #147.
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The Horrors of it All shares another Jack Cole-illustrated suspense tale.
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And here's one from Steve Ditko.
New comics March 25, 2009: Flash Archives! Ambush Bug Showcase! Way ugly JLA figures! Muppet Show! Incredibles! Phantom! More!
FLASH ARCHIVES HC VOL 05 More Silver Age Flash in color!
BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #3 I want to like this kid-oriented spin-off of the Caped Crusader's latest TV toon, but it's been pretty impressive on the plot front, so far. Great, lively art, though.
JLA CLASSIFIED CLASSIC ACTION FIGURES
Batman
Flash
Superman
Wonder Woman Possibly the ugliest action figures I've ever seen.
SHOWCASE PRESENTS AMBUSH BUG TP VOL 01 Does this stuff hold up? I kinda doubt it. Some folks are excited, though. Me, I also found Giffen's art on this title a bit hard to "read" (i.e. figure out what the heck's going on the pictures). I doubt it'll be easier in black-and-white.
MUPPET SHOW #1 The preview art on this looks cool. But comics? About the Muppets? I don't know if I could get into that.
INCREDIBLES: FAMILY MATTERS #1 On the other hand, an Incredible comic maybe I could get into. I'll give it a skim. Maybe my kids would dig it.
PHANTOM GHOST WHO WALKS #1 The Phantom is cool! Is this series? I have no idea. I hope so. We could use a cool super comic. BTW, somebody needs to reprint all Jim Aparo's Phantom comics. Please?
STAR TREK COUNTDOWN A prequel to the upcoming movie. I'm not a big Star Trek fan, and less so the further you get away from the original series and cast. I like cheesy acting. And sets. And costumes. And cheesy everything, basically. I may check out the new movie, though, since it's Spock and Kirk and the rest.