Rolling Stones' "Rock and Roll Circus" coming in new video/audio editions


Via ABKCO:

The 4K Dolby Vision restoration of the famed concert film The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus will be released by ABKCO Films and ABKCO Music & Records in June. The newly-expanded, star-laden special will be available on Blu-ray for the first time ever, as well as on DVD and for digital download (TVOD). Among many new treats, it includes an unseen version of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution’ that features John Lennon, Eric Clapton and Keith Richards.

Filmed over two days in December 1968, the show starred the 1960s line-up of the Stones, complete with Brian Jones. They were joined on screen by The Who, Jethro Tull, Taj Mahal, Marianne Faithfull, Yoko Ono and the remarkable, impromptu supergroup known as The Dirty Mac, comprising John Lennon, Keith Richards, Mitch Mitchell of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and Eric Clapton. The lead release, the Stones’ Rock and Roll Circus version of ‘Parachute Woman,’ is available now.      


The limited deluxe edition of the release is a multi-format package featuring the Blu-Ray, DVD, 2CD soundtrack and a perfect-bound 44-page book. This includes the original 1969 Rolling Stone essay by David Dalton and photographs by Michael Randolf.
The soundtrack to The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus has undergone a new mix and 192k 24 bit HD restoration, and has been expanded to 28 tracks for the new editions. Bonus material features music by the late American concert pianist Julius Katchen, introduced in the expanded audio edition by Brian Jones; three additional songs by blues titan Taj Mahal; and previously unheard recordings by The Dirty Mac of The Beatles’ ‘Revolution’ as well as ‘Warmup Jam.’ The soundtrack will be available as a 3LP vinyl package for the first time and is due on CD and all digital formats.
The film, originally intended as a BBC special and shot in north London by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg and cinematographer Tony Richmond, used a Felliniesque circus backdrop for a unique live happening. The Stones were seen performing six songs (Jumpin’ Jack Flash,’ ‘Parachute Woman,’ ‘No Expectations,’ ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want,’ ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ and ‘Salt of The Earth’) in front of an audience for the first time.'

The lucky witnesses to the event were fan club members, contest winners and friends; plans for the film to air to promote the band’s Beggars Banquet album, released in the week it was shot, were abandoned in the wake of Jones’ departure and subsequent death. It was not officially released until 1996.

“It was an incredible shoot, I think, 36 hours or something,” says Keith Richards “I remember not remembering everything towards the end…but it was fun…we went through two audiences…wore one out…it was great!”

The new edition of Rock and Roll Circus has been produced by the Grammy-winning team at ABKCO, using immersive Dolby Atmos Technology and Dolby Vision for the first time on an archival concert film. The enhanced viewing experience can be enjoyed by viewers in their own homes in both original 4×3 and widescreen 16:9 aspect ratios. There are commentary tracks by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tony Richmond, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Yoko Ono and Marianne Faithfull as well as an on-camera interview with The Who’s Pete Townshend and many other extras.

The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus (4K FILM) THE FILM
Song For Jeffrey – Jethro Tull
A Quick One While He’s Away – The Who
Ain’t That A Lot Of Love – Taj Mahal
Something Better – Marianne Faithfull
Yer Blues – The Dirty Mac
Whole Lotta Yoko – Yoko Ono & Ivry Gitlis, and The Dirty Mac
Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones
Parachute Woman – The Rolling Stones
No Expectations – The Rolling Stones
You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
Salt Of The Earth – The Rolling Stones

FILM COMMENTARY TRACKS:
Life Under The Big Top (Artists) Featuring: Mick Jagger, Ian Anderson, Taj Mahal, Yoko Ono, Bill Wyman, Keith Richards (65 min)
Framing The Show (Director & Cinematographer) Featuring: Michael Lindsay Hogg, Tony Richmond (65 min)
Musings (artists, writer, fan who was there) Featuring: Marianne Faithfull, David Dalton, David Stark (50 min)


The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus Expanded Audio Edition
1. Mick Jagger’s Introduction Of Rock And Roll Circus – Mick Jagger
2. Entry Of The Gladiators – Circus Band
3. Mick Jagger’s Introduction Of Jethro Tull – Mick Jagger
4. Song For Jeffrey – Jethro Tull
5. Keith Richards’ Introduction Of The Who – Keith Richards
6. A Quick One While He’s Away – The Who
7. Over The Waves – Circus Band
8. Ain’t That A Lot Of Love – Taj Mahal
9. Charlie Watts’ Introduction Of Marianne Faithfull – Charlie Watts
10. Something Better – Marianne Faithfull
11. Mick Jagger’s and John Lennon’s Introduction Of The Dirty Mac
12. Yer Blues – The Dirty Mac
13. Whole Lotta Yoko – Yoko Ono & Ivry Gitlis with The Dirty Mac
14. John Lennon’s Introduction Of The Rolling Stones + Jumpin’ Jack Flash – The Rolling Stones

15. Parachute Woman – The Rolling Stones
16. No Expectations – The Rolling Stones
17. You Can’t Always Get What You Want – The Rolling Stones
18. Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
19. Salt Of The Earth – The Rolling Stones
BONUS TRACKS
20. Checkin’ Up On My Baby – Taj Mahal
21. Leaving Trunk – Taj Mahal
22. Corinna – Taj Mahal
23. Revolution (rehearsal) – The Dirty Mac
24. Warmup Jam – The Dirty Mac
25. Yer Blues (take 2) – The Dirty Mac
26. Brian Jones’ Introduction of Julius Katchen – Brian Jones
27. de Falla: Ritual Fire Dance – Julius Katchen
28. Mozart: Sonata In C Major- 1st Movement – Julius Katchen

New on Video: Never-Ending Man: Hayao Miyazaki

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Bob Dylan teases "Rolling Thunder Revue" box with unreleased tune

Listen to "One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below) (Seacreast Motel Rehearsal)" from Bob Dylan's upcoming The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings, out June 7.



Details:

Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, will release Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings on June 7, 2019.
A comprehensive anthology of music from the mythic first leg of Bob Dylan’s groundbreaking Rolling Thunder Revue, this 14CD box set includes all five of Dylan’s full sets from that tour that were professionally recorded. The collection also provides the listener with an intimate insider’s seat for recently unearthed rehearsals at New York’s S.I.R. studios and the Seacrest Motel in Falmouth, MA plus a bonus disc showcasing one-of-a-kind performances from the tour. 
The collection features 148 tracks in all, with more than 100 of those never previously released. Included in the box set is a 52-page booklet featuring rare and never-before-seen Rolling Thunder Revue photos and a revelatory essay by novelist/musician Wesley Stace. Concurrent with the release of the 14CD box set will be a reissue of The Bootleg Series Volume 5 on vinyl, back in print for the first time since 2002 as a 3LP set with a 64-page booklet.
Launched in the fall of 1975, Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue flouted the touring conventions of the time by featuring an eclectic cast of characters and playing small and unusual venues with little advance notice. The shows would often stretch to more than four hours long, generating some of the artist’s most dramatic and dynamic on-stage performances ever. Dylan debuted the new songs he’d written for his forthcoming Desirealbum (which became one of the most acclaimed and popular in his canon) with a fire and intensity that Dylan had reached ten years earlier with his incendiary tours with musicians who became The Band. He also took wild, interpretative rides through his back catalog and broke out some unexpected covers.
Dylan gathered amazing friends and collaborators for his ensemble – dubbed Guam for the tour – that included T Bone Burnett, Mick Ronson, Joan Baez, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Bobby Neuwirth, Scarlett Rivera, Ronee Blakely, Steven Soles, David Mansfield, Rob Stoner, Howie Wyeth and Luther Rix. Poet Allen Ginsberg and Joni Mitchell also brought their talents to the show’s encores. Dylan, the consummate band leader, managed to take these musicians from various backgrounds and sensibilities and mold them into a tight musical unit on stage. 
Bob Dylan – The Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings serves as a companion piece to the new film, “Rolling Thunder Revue – A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese,” premiering on Netflix on June 12. Every one of Bob Dylan’s performances in the movie can be found in this boxed set.

DISC 1: S.I.R. Rehearsals, New York, NY – October 19, 1975
DISC 2: S.I.R. Rehearsals, New York, NY – October 21, 1975
DISC 3: Seacrest Motel Rehearsals, Falmouth, MA – October 29, 1975
DISC 4-5: Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, MA – November 19, 1975
DISC 6-7: Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA – November 20, 1975
DISC 8-9: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA – November 21, 1975 (afternoon)
DISC 10-11: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA – November 21, 1975 (evening)
DISC 12-13: Forum de Montreal, Quebec, Canada – December 4, 1975
DISC 14: Rare Performances
Bob Dylan – Rolling Thunder Revue: The 1975 Live Recordings
DISC 1
October 19, 1975 – S.I.R. Rehearsals, New York, NY
1. Rake and Ramblin’ Boy* [incomplete]
2. Romance in Durango* [incomplete]
3. Rita May*
4. I Want You# [incomplete]
5. Love Minus Zero/No Limit* [incomplete]
6. She Belongs to Me* [incomplete]
7. Joey [incomplete]
8. Isis
9. Hollywood Angel [incomplete]
10. People Get Ready#~
11. What Will You Do When Jesus Comes?#
12. Spanish Is the Loving Tongue
13. The Ballad of Ira Hayes
14. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)*
15. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You
16. This Land Is Your Land
17. Dark as a Dungeon* 
DISC 2
October 21, 1975 – S.I.R. Rehearsals, New York, NY
1. She Belongs to Me#
2. A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
3. Isis
4. This Wheel’s on Fire/Hurricane/All Along the Watchtower
5. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
6. If You See Her, Say Hello
7. One Too Many Mornings#
8. Gwenevere [incomplete]
9. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts [incomplete]
10. Patty’s Gone to Laredo#
11. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding) 
DISC 3
October 29, 1975 – Seacrest Motel Rehearsals, Falmouth, MA
1. Tears of Rage
2. I Shall Be Released
3. Easy and Slow
4. Ballad of a Thin Man
5. Hurricane
6. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
7. Just Like a Woman
8. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door 
DISC 4
November 19, 1975 – Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, MA
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece
2. It Ain’t Me, Babe
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
4. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
5. Romance in Durango
6. Isis
7. Blowin’ in the Wind
8. Wild Mountain Thyme
9. Mama, You Been on My Mind
10. Dark as a Dungeon
11. I Shall Be Released 
DISC 5
November 19, 1975 – Memorial Auditorium, Worcester, MA
1. Tangled Up in Blue
2. Oh, Sister
3. Hurricane^*
4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
5. Sara
6. Just Like a Woman
7. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
8. This Land Is Your Land 
DISC 6
November 20, 1975 – Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece
2. It Ain’t Me, Babe#~^
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
4. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry*
5. Romance in Durango^*
6. Isis
7. Blowin’ in the Wind*
8. Wild Mountain Thyme
9. Mama, You Been on My Mind^
10. Dark as a Dungeon
11. I Shall Be Released 
DISC 7
November 20, 1975 – Harvard Square Theater, Cambridge, MA
1. Simple Twist of Fate^*
2. Oh, Sister
3. Hurricane
4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
5. Sara
6. Just Like a Woman#
7. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door#^
8. This Land Is Your Land 
DISC 8
November 21, 1975 – Afternoon – Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece
2. It Ain’t Me, Babe
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
4. A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall
5. Romance in Durango
6. Isis
7. The Times They Are a-Changin’
8. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine
9. Mama, You Been on My Mind
10. Never Let Me Go
11. I Shall Be Released^ 
DISC 9
November 21, 1975 – Afternoon – Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
1. Mr. Tambourine Man^
2. Oh, Sister
3. Hurricane
4. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)
5. Sara^
6. Just Like a Woman
7. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
8. This Land Is Your Land 
DISC 10
November 21, 1975 – Evening – Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece
2. It Ain’t Me, Babe
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll^
4. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry#^
5. Romance in Durango
6. Isis^
7. Blowin’ in the Wind^
8. The Water Is Wide^
9. Mama, You Been on My Mind
10. Dark as a Dungeon
11. I Shall Be Released 
DISC 11
November 21, 1975 – Evening – Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
1. I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
2. Tangled Up in Blue#^
3. Oh, Sister^
4. Hurricane
5. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)^
6. Sara
7. Just Like a Woman^
8. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
9. This Land Is Your Land 
DISC 12
December 4, 1975 – Forum de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
1. When I Paint My Masterpiece
2. It Ain’t Me, Babe
3. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll*
4. Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here with You^
5. A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall#^*
6. Romance in Durango#
7. Isis#~
8. Blowin’ in the Wind
9. Dark as a Dungeon
10. Mama, You Been on My Mind
11. Never Let Me Go#~
12. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine*
13. I Shall Be Released 
DISC 13
December 4, 1975 – Forum de Montreal, Montreal, Canada
1. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue^
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit^
3. Tangled Up in Blue
4. Oh, Sister
5. Hurricane
6. One More Cup of Coffee (Valley Below)#*
7. Sara#
8. Just Like a Woman
9. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
10. This Land Is Your Land 
DISC 14
BONUS DISC – RARE PERFORMANCES 
1. One Too Many Mornings*
October 24 – Gerdes Folk City, New York City, New York
2. Simple Twist of Fate*
October 28 – Mahjong Parlor, Falmouth, MA
3. Isis
November 2 – Technical University, Lowell, MA
4. With God on Our Side
November 4 – Afternoon – Civic Center, Providence, RI
5. It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
November 4 – Evening – Civic Center, Providence, RI
6. Radio advertisement for Niagara Falls shows
Niagara Falls, NY
7. The Ballad of Ira Hayes*
November 16 – Tuscarora Reservation, NY
8. Your Cheatin’ Heart*
November 23
9. Fourth Time Around
November 26 – Civic Center, Augusta, Maine
10. The Tracks of My Tears
December 3 – Chateau Champlain, Montreal Canada
11. Jesse James
December 5 – Montreal Stables, Montreal, Canada
12. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry
December 8 – “Night of the Hurricane,” Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 
# included in the film Renaldo and Clara (1978 film)
~ released on 4 Songs From “Renaldo And Clara” E.P. (1978 album)
^ released on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975 (2002 album)
* included in Rolling Thunder Revue (2019 film) 
On DISCS 1-13:
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Joan Baez – vocals and guitar on “Tears of Rage,” “I Shall Be Released,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “Wild Mountain Thyme,” “Mama, You Been on My Mind,” “Dark as a Dungeon,” “The Times They Are a-Changin’,” “I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine,” “Never Let Me Go,” “The Water Is Wide,” and “This Land Is Your Land”
Roger McGuinn – guitar and vocals on “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and
“This Land Is Your Land”
Guam:
Bobby Neuwirth – guitar, vocals
Scarlet Rivera – violin
T Bone J. Henry Burnett – guitar, vocals
Steven Soles – guitar, vocals
Mick Ronson – guitar
David Mansfield – steel guitar, mandolin, violin, dobro
Rob Stoner – bass, vocals
Howie Wyeth – drums, piano
Luther Rix – drums, percussion, congas
Ronee Blakley – vocals
and
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott – vocals, guitar
Allen Ginsberg – vocals, finger cymbals
Joni Mitchell – vocals 
On DISC 14:
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica with
Joan Baez – vocals (2)
Rob Stoner – bass (2)
Eric Andersen, Arlen Roth – guitars (2) Guam (3, 10, 12)
Larry Keegan – vocals (8)
Robbie Robertson – guitar (12) 
All songs by Bob Dylan except:
“Romance in Durango,” “Rita May,” “Joey,” Isis,” “Hurricane,” “Oh, Sister” by Bob Dylan and Jacques Levy; “This Wheel’s on Fire” by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko; “Tears of Rage” by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel; “Rake and Ramblin’ Boy,” “Spanish Is the Loving Tongue,” “Easy and Slow,” “Wild Mountain Thyme,” “The Water Is Wide,” and “Jesse James” traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan; “People Get Ready” by Curtis Mayfield; “The Ballad of Ira Hayes” by Peter LaFarge; “This Land Is Your Land” by Woody Guthrie; “Dark as a Dungeon” by Merle Travis; “Never Let Me Go” by Joseph Scott; “Your Cheatin’ Heart” by Hank Williams; “The Tracks of My Tears” by William Robinson, Jr., Pete Moore, and William Tarplin.

New comics for July 2019: Fantastic Four; Marvel Poster Book; All Star Comics; Savage Sword Of Conan; Star Wars; Simon & Kirby

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Stan Lee and Jack Kirby unveil yet another unmatched Marvel milestone: the first appearance of the world's fi rst African super hero, the Black Panther and his kingdom of Wakanda! And that's just the start! The Thing goes toe-to-toe with the Silver Surfer, the Human Torch faces his 1940s namesake, and the FF must face Doctor Doom - when he's armed with the Silver Surfer's Power Cosmic! Next, it's another instant classic with the first appearances of Blastaar, the alien Kree and Ronan the Accuser, Sentry 456, and that spaghetti-headed wonder, the Supreme Intelligence. If that wasn't enough, the utopian scientists of the Enclave unleash a golden being known as "Him" (A.K.A. Adam Warlock) upon the Marvel Universe.
COLLECTING: VOL. 4: FANTASTIC FOUR (1961) 52-67, ANNUAL (1963) 4-5; MATERIAL FROM NOT BRAND ECHH (1967) 1, 5 

Celebrate eight decades of Marvel Comics by building an instant poster collection of some of the finest covers in the history of the House of Ideas - in all their oversized glory! Artistic greats from every era of comics history deliver the defi ning images of Marvel's greatest heroes, curated from a catalog of thousands! They are the iconic illustrations that are indelibly burned in your mind's eye - and now you can hang them in your home! We just hope you've got enough space on your walls!

SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN, the cornerstone of Marvel's black-and-white magazine line, offered up stories of fiction's most famous barbarian unencumbered by the Comics Code. With the rules of civilized publishing cast off , SAVAGE SWORD presented ferocious, untamed tales the likes of which Conan himself would approve. Writer Roy Thomas and artistic greats, including John Buscema and Neal Adams, took full advantage, and the results were a sensation. Multipart sagas like "The People of the Black Circle" luxuriate in extended tellings, while a Buscema take on "The Tower of the Elephant" explores the nuance of an all-time Robert E. Howard classic. And we're topping it off with MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL #2, a tale of vengeance lavished with fully painted coloring.
COLLECTING: SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN (1974) 13-28, MARVEL COMICS SUPER SPECIAL (1977) 2 

The search for Solo! The loveable rogue, frozen in carbonite, has been taken to Jabba the Hutt - and our favorite rebels want Han back! But as Lando Calrissian returns to fi nd Cloud City a death trap, R2-D2 and C-3PO face a dangerous spacewalk! Elsewhere, Luke Skywalker braves a beast on Bazarre - and joins Chewbacca inside a Mind Spider! Leia undertakes an explosive mission! Shira Brie shares the story of her people! And in the wake of tragedy, Luke becomes a pariah! Screams in the void and threats like the Darker unsettle our heroes - but the hunt for Han soon leads the crew to bounty hunters Dengar, Bossk and IG-88! And the bizarre discovery of a golden statue of their lost friend leads to revelations from Han and Chewie's past!
COLLECTING: STAR WARS (1977) 56-73, STAR WARS ANNUAL (1979) 2

Marvel proudly presents TIMELY'S GREATEST, a series of once-in-a-lifetime volumes presenting the greatest stories of the Golden Age, when Marvel was known as Timely Comics! Joe Simon and Jack Kirby entered the comic book field separately, and undoubtedly would have made major impacts on their own - but when their talents came together, it wasn't an impact, it was an earthquake. The Simon & Kirby team immediately became synonymous with innovative storytelling, powerful artwork and hit characters. They would birth some of the 1940s' most enduring creations, including the embodiment of a nation's fighting spirit: Captain America! This Omnibus collects Simon & Kirby's Timely Comics stories and covers, from the Vision to the Fiery Mask - and the rare Red Raven!
Collecting: Daring Mystery Comics 1-3, 6-8; Red Raven Comics 1; Marvel Mystery Comics 12-25; Human Torch 2 (1); Captain America Comics 1-10; USA Comics 1-3; All-Winners Comics 1-2; Young Allies Comics 1; Mystic Comics 7

Witness the continuing adventures of the Flash, Green Lantern, Hawkman, Doctor Fate and Wildcat as they're joined by younger heroes Robin, Power Girl and Star-Spangled Kid to battle the Psycho-Pirate, the immortal Vandal Savage, the Injustice Society and more. The classic 1970s run of the Justice Society of America is now collected in a single volume from the pages of ALL-STAR COMICS #58-74, ADVENTURE COMICS #461-466 and DC SPECIAL #29.

The Justice League of America welcomed the start of the 1970s with these tales from issues #77-84, #86-92, #94 and #95! In these stories that reflected the social issues of the day, the World's Greatest Heroes are betrayed by Snapper Carr, who's being manipulated by The Joker. Plus, the Vigilante comes out of retirement to help the team learn the truth behind a pollution-blasting factory; the team faces a Thanagarian arch-villain; the Red Tornado fights for his freedom; the survivors of a sunken continent that abandoned Earth return to wipe out humanity and much more!

In these classic adventures from January 27, 1963 until the series conclusion on May 1, 1966, the impish Mr. Mxyzptlk from the Fifth Dimension returns to exasperate the Man of Steel; Superman becomes Super-Cop to outwit a master spy when Metropolis's entire police force is disabled; tries to help a planet of blind people regain their sight, but loses his own powers in the process; fights it out with his arch enemy Lex Luthor on an alien planet where Luthor is the hero and Superman a villain; competes in the Interplanetary Olympics against a field in which everyone has super-powers; travels back in time with Lois Lane; and is reunited with the mermaid Lori Lemaris; plus more!

Comic Art: Original Marvel Heroes art by Marie Severin


New Music Friday: Hard to Find Jukebox Hits; Marvin Gaye; Wes Montgomery; King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard; Guided by Voices; Prince; Bill Evans; Art Ensemble fo Chicago; James Brown; Cheap Trick

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Pop Culture Roundup: The Spirit; The Shadow; Joss Whedon; Jack Kirby and the Hulk

ITEM! A new, Kickstarter-funded, trading card series spotlights Will Eisner's "The Spirit."



ITEM! The Shadow in the funny papers, 1940.


ITEM! Joss Whedon, who doesn't have a great track record with me lately TV-wise, has a new series coming to HBO. Hope it's good!

"The Nevers" follows a group of Victorian women who "find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world"...Whedon will write and direct [the series] with long-time collaborators Jane Espenson and Doug Petrie onboard as co-writers. 

ITEM! Comics artist and archivist Greg Theakson, publisher of the Pure Imagination series of rare work by Jack Kirby, Wally Wood and Steve Dikto and others, died this week at age 65. I have several of his books in my collection.

I know that Theakston and the Jack Kirby Museum folks had some very public differences a few years back, but I certainly appreciate his having made hard-do-find Kirby work more widely available. I have several of his collections in my collection. He'll be missed.



ITEM! Speaking of Jack Kirby, here he is, desribing how he created the Incredible Hulk.


Time Capsule: "Let's Make A Deal," April 25, 1969


Pop Life: Aretha Franklin; Corto Maltese

Stuff I'm watching, reading, hearing.


"Amazing Grace." What a perfect way to spend Easter weekend - watching the Queen of Soul belt out gospel tunes before a small, live audience in a Los Angeles church. The experience is rapturous, even if you're not terribly, or traditionally, religious. Filmed in 1972 by director Sydney Pollack and a small crew, this wasn't released at the time due to technical issues (they didn't manage to syn the image and sound!), but is now beautifully restored. Filmed over two nights, the first is the best. The second seems more self-conscious and aware - as Mick Jagger and Charlie Watts from the Rolling Stones are spotted by the camera seated in the back pew - and Aretha's too-slick and creepy dad taks the mic. But when she sings, man. Even the folks in the choir, no slouches themselves in the vocal department, can't help but gasp. In good theaters now.


"Corto Maltese: The Secret Rose." I'm only now getting into this series of remarkable graphic novels ("albums," they've called 'em for decades in Europe) by the amazing cartoonist Hugo Pratt. Corto Maltese is a rogueish, sea-faring adventurer. And, from what I've seen he does have real adventures. But in this one, the adventure takes place within his mind, as he contemplates alchemy, good and evil and the Holy Grail while under the mental/spiritual influence of author Hermann Hesse, who he meets up with while in Switzerland. Pratt's art - simple and in black and white - is a great example of what's so wonderful, and achievable in the comics medium as Corto travels through the surreal landscapes of his own consciousness. I need to take a deep dive into Pratt's work - this one moved and inspired me as only the best literature, graphic or otherwise, can. Order it here.

Watch: "Bond 25 Reveal"

Info from the cast of the next James Bond film.

Comic Art: Original Jack Kirby page from "Fantastic Four" #66


New "Spider-Man: Far From Home" Marvel Legends action figures

Each figure in the series comes with a chunk of a build-a-figure Molten Man.
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Complete series:
  • Spider-Man (Hero Suit) figure
    • Alternate hands
  • Spider-Man (Stealth Suit) figure
    • Alternate hands
    • Alternate head
    • Molten Man arm
    • Molten Man effect
  • Doppelganger Spider-Man figure
    • Molten Man arm
  • Spider-Woman figure
    • Web effect
    • 2 Molten Man torso pieces
  • Marvel's Scorpion figure
    • Molten Man leg
  • Marvel's Mysterio figure
    • Alternate hands
    • Molten Man leg
  • Hydro-Man figure
    • Molten Man head