Comic Book Art: Gene Colan and Tom Palmer art from Doctor Strange #180


Entertainment Weekly publishes special Stan Lee tribute magazine

Out today.

Stan Lee: A Life of Marvel tells the story of “Stan the Man” from multiple perspectives — including classic interviews with him detailing how he and the Marvel braintrust of artists and writers created Spider-Man, The Hulk, Fantastic Four, and other heroes and villains.

This collector’s issue spans the Silver Age of comic books, which Lee helped define, and explores how that Big Bang is still expanding into television and movies today.

Accompanied by galleries of photos and illustrations, A Life of Marvel includes:

• Exclusive interviews with other comic book and movie greats about Stan Lee’s influence (and influences).
• A breakdown of his most famous characters — as well as a rundown of Lee’s own many pop culture cameos and appearances.
• Tributes and remembrances of fans as well as the actors that brought his characters to life, including a first-person account from Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige about the last time he met with Lee.

New Music Friday: Bryan Ferry; Jeff Tweedy; The Fall; Neil Young; Elvis; Peter Cook

Bryan Ferry and His Orchestra - Bitter-Sweet

Jeff Tweedy - Warm

The Fall - 58 Golden Greats
 
 
Neil Young - Songs for Judy

Elvis Presley - '68 Comeback Special 50th Anniversary
 
Peter Cook - The Misty Mr. Wisty


Pop Culture Roundup: BBC's Dracula; the politics of Doctor Who; Roald Dahl on Netflix, more!

Danish actor Claes Bang will star as Dracula in a new BBC mini-series from "Sherlock" co-creators Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

Following the Sherlock formula of three feature-length episodes, the new take on Bram Stoker’s blood-sucking anti-hero promises to “re-introduce the world to Dracula, the vampire who made evil sexy.”

The synopsis continues, “in Transylvania in 1897, the blood-drinking Count is drawing his plans against Victorian London. And be warned: the dead travel fast.”

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Social consciousness and politics on "Doctor Who" is nothing new.

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More "Doctor Who": Fourth Doctor Tom Baker has penned a novel featuring his version of the character.


Called Scratchman, the book began life in the 1970s during Baker’s tenure as the beloved Fourth Doctor, when between scenes he kicked around ideas for a new story for the series alongside Ian Marter (who played Harry Sullivan in Doctor Who), later writing them up into a script.


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Netflix is rolling out animated adaptations of several Roald Dahl books, including "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," "Matilda" and "The BFG."

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Longtime comic book writer/editor Dennny O'Neill will be honored for his “lifetime of achievements in pursuing causes of peace and justice” during an appearance at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library in Atlanta next week.

O'Neill is known for bringing social and political themes to superhero comics in the early 1970s, mainly during his legendary run on the Green Lantern title with artist Neal Adams.

“I have people come up to me and tell me that sometimes reading those stories did influence them,” O’Neil told Newsarama. “That’s good news, because I never intended to change people’s minds about things. I don’t think you can do that. But one thing I did want to do was get young people thinking about these things. Maybe if people start thinking about it young enough and grow up with the problems, they will have a better shot at coming up with answers.”


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Dick Van Dyke says he paid Walt Disney in order to play a second role in the original "Mary Poppins."


He said: “I had to go to Walt and ask him for the part. He wouldn’t give it to me. I said, ‘I’ll do it for nothing’.

“Actually, I had to give him $4,000 — I paid him to do the part.”