New CD releases of note
June 7
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Going Places, SRO and What Now My Love
The Decemberists The Tain EP
Graham Parker Songs of No Consequence
Ringo Starr Choose Love
White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan
DVD Marc Bolan and T. Rex Born to Boogie
June 14
The 101'ers (Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band) Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Revisited)
Ry Cooder Chavez Ravine
Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight: Legacy Edition
Ian Dury New Boots & Panties
Brian Eno Another Day on Earth
The Everly Brothers Too Good to Be True: 18 Unreleased 1950s Sessions
Connie Francis Gold
Stevie Wonder A Time 2 Love
OST Batman Begins
OST Bewitched
DVD Paul McCartney in Red Square
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Going Places, SRO and What Now My Love
The Decemberists The Tain EP
Graham Parker Songs of No Consequence
Ringo Starr Choose Love
White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan
DVD Marc Bolan and T. Rex Born to Boogie
June 14
The 101'ers (Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band) Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Revisited)
Ry Cooder Chavez Ravine
Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight: Legacy Edition
Ian Dury New Boots & Panties
Brian Eno Another Day on Earth
The Everly Brothers Too Good to Be True: 18 Unreleased 1950s Sessions
Connie Francis Gold
Stevie Wonder A Time 2 Love
OST Batman Begins
OST Bewitched
DVD Paul McCartney in Red Square
DC's "Justice" previewed
Newsarama has a 12-page preview of August's "Justice" JLA mini-series by writer Jim Krueger, penciler Doug Braithwaite and painter (working over Braithwaite's pencils) Alex Ross.
More Disney-based comic books
Gemstone is doing a grand job reprinting classic and more-recent Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse comics, but now it looks like there'll be another player in the mix.
According to ICv2, SLG Publishing has been awarded a license to produce comics based on Disney attractions/films such as "The Haunted Mansion," "Gargoyles" and "Wonderland."
Haunted Mansion, which is due out in the fall, will be the first of the new SLG/Disney comics. The bi-monthly black-and-white comic anthology will feature stories about the various characters from the Haunted Mansion thrill rides at Disneyland and Disney World and will have a cover price of $2.95.
The SLG Gargoyles comic series will feature contributions from the creators of the 36-episode Gargoyles animated series, who came to Disney with the idea of creating a Gargoyles comic book and were referred to SLG. The bi-monthly Gargoyles comic series will launch in December or January as a full color comic with a 3.50 cover price.
The Wonderland comic book will take place after the events created by Lewis Carroll in his immortal Alice in Wonderland children's classic and will feature the colorful, sumptuous and smooth renderings of the characters used in the Disney animated Alice in Wonderland feature film from 1951. The full color Wonderland comic should debut in the spring of 2006.
SLG's full color Tron comic series, which is based on the Tron feature film from 1982, is also due out in the spring of 2006 and will follow the further adventures of a game designer who is sucked into a giant mainframe computer and has to navigate through the strange digital world.
According to ICv2, SLG Publishing has been awarded a license to produce comics based on Disney attractions/films such as "The Haunted Mansion," "Gargoyles" and "Wonderland."
Haunted Mansion, which is due out in the fall, will be the first of the new SLG/Disney comics. The bi-monthly black-and-white comic anthology will feature stories about the various characters from the Haunted Mansion thrill rides at Disneyland and Disney World and will have a cover price of $2.95.
The SLG Gargoyles comic series will feature contributions from the creators of the 36-episode Gargoyles animated series, who came to Disney with the idea of creating a Gargoyles comic book and were referred to SLG. The bi-monthly Gargoyles comic series will launch in December or January as a full color comic with a 3.50 cover price.
The Wonderland comic book will take place after the events created by Lewis Carroll in his immortal Alice in Wonderland children's classic and will feature the colorful, sumptuous and smooth renderings of the characters used in the Disney animated Alice in Wonderland feature film from 1951. The full color Wonderland comic should debut in the spring of 2006.
SLG's full color Tron comic series, which is based on the Tron feature film from 1982, is also due out in the spring of 2006 and will follow the further adventures of a game designer who is sucked into a giant mainframe computer and has to navigate through the strange digital world.
All the titles will be collected into graphic novel compilations for sale in book stores and at Disney's theme parks.
Early "Batman Begins" review
From the Arizona Reporter:
..."Batman Begins" offers everything its targed audience of young men could want: explosions, car chases, gas attacks, a James Bond-like weapon that current managers of the axis of evil would like to get their hands on, a masked man who could swing across buildings like Spiderman and yet unlike Superman, threatened only by kryptonite, a mortal fellow counting on his bat suit to ward off his enemies' bullets.
...With editor Lee Smith's sharp cuts during the fight scenes (a technique we've seen too often in martial arts films); Wally Pfister's lensing to give Gotham the needed noir ambience; and James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's loud and sometimes intrusive music, "Batman Begins," which was filmed in Iceland, England and Chicago, stands up ahead of its predecessors by subordinating campiness and production design to an exploration of the mind of the titled figure.
...The movie does take itself too seriously, yielding only four of five laughs, the best one being when Wayne, inviting good cop Lt. Gordon to take over the controls of the batmobile, asks: "Can you drive a stick?"
More news on early reviews.
More Batman.
..."Batman Begins" offers everything its targed audience of young men could want: explosions, car chases, gas attacks, a James Bond-like weapon that current managers of the axis of evil would like to get their hands on, a masked man who could swing across buildings like Spiderman and yet unlike Superman, threatened only by kryptonite, a mortal fellow counting on his bat suit to ward off his enemies' bullets.
...With editor Lee Smith's sharp cuts during the fight scenes (a technique we've seen too often in martial arts films); Wally Pfister's lensing to give Gotham the needed noir ambience; and James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's loud and sometimes intrusive music, "Batman Begins," which was filmed in Iceland, England and Chicago, stands up ahead of its predecessors by subordinating campiness and production design to an exploration of the mind of the titled figure.
...The movie does take itself too seriously, yielding only four of five laughs, the best one being when Wayne, inviting good cop Lt. Gordon to take over the controls of the batmobile, asks: "Can you drive a stick?"
More news on early reviews.
More Batman.
More Corgi Bat-vehicles
Corgi's line of Batman-inspired vehicles continues. Dropping by the company's official Web site, I saw that there's a new Catwoman car coming out in October.
There are also fresh pictures of the Two-Face car, out in August, and the Batsubmersible, out in October. Previously, only artist-conception paintings of those vehicles were posted.
You can order the vehicles direct via Corgi or elsewhere on the Web.
More on Corgi Batmobiles.
There are also fresh pictures of the Two-Face car, out in August, and the Batsubmersible, out in October. Previously, only artist-conception paintings of those vehicles were posted.
You can order the vehicles direct via Corgi or elsewhere on the Web.
More on Corgi Batmobiles.
Fisher-Price to do "Krypto" toys
Warner Bros. Consumer Products named Fisher-Price the master toy licensee for Warner Bros. Animation's newest animated television series, Krypto the Superdog. Fisher-Price will manufacture, market and sell an all-inclusive line of pre-school toys featuring the daring canine and his pack of crime-fighting comrades.
Fisher-Price's new toy line-up will feature a broad range of toys for three to six-year-olds, including action figures, play sets, plush, vehicles, learning toys, and more. Mattel, the parent company to Fisher-Price, will also launch games and puzzles based on Krypto, as well as his cool gadgets and friends. The initial product line will launch at a major retailer this fall.
Fisher-Price's new toy line-up will feature a broad range of toys for three to six-year-olds, including action figures, play sets, plush, vehicles, learning toys, and more. Mattel, the parent company to Fisher-Price, will also launch games and puzzles based on Krypto, as well as his cool gadgets and friends. The initial product line will launch at a major retailer this fall.
Eisner documentary to debut
A three-part documentary on late cartoonist Will Eisner, creator of the "The Spirit" and an early innovator of the graphic novel, will debut at this July's Comic Con International in San Diego.
From Scoop:
Will Eisner Profession Cartoonist by Brazilian filmmaker Marisa Furtado, has been aired on cable TV in 36 countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Brazil. But, ironically, it has never been shown in America, even though the bulk of the film is in English and the remainder has been newly-dubbed in English.
...The documentary consists of 3 episodes, each fifty minutes in length:
Part 1: “The Spirit” focuses on Eisner's most famous character, created in1940 and syndicated as a comic book insert in newspapers until 1952. His masked detective has subsequently been published around the world, almost continuously, for over fifty years.
Part 2: “The Dream.” Eisner had a “dream” early in his career of being recognized as an Artist through the comics media. Such a notion was considered foolhardy in the 1930s, but his ongoing achievements were instrumental in the wide respect the genre enjoys today. Eisner established much of the medium's storytelling cornerstones. He also pioneered educational comics in the military, the corporate world and in schools. And after having contacted the underground cartoonists, in 1978 he created the modern graphic novel, (“ Contract with God”) which revolutionized the field.
Part 3: “Master Class.” The final segment is based on Will Eisner's instructional books, “Comics and Sequential Art” and “Graphic Storytelling.” The artist is shown talking about techniques related to sequential art, scripts, storyboards, much with Eisner's live demonstrations at his drawing board.
You can see some clips from the film here:
http://www.prodigital.tv
Go to “area exclusiva / entrar “
Log in - will
Password - eisner
From Scoop:
Will Eisner Profession Cartoonist by Brazilian filmmaker Marisa Furtado, has been aired on cable TV in 36 countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Brazil. But, ironically, it has never been shown in America, even though the bulk of the film is in English and the remainder has been newly-dubbed in English.
...The documentary consists of 3 episodes, each fifty minutes in length:
Part 1: “The Spirit” focuses on Eisner's most famous character, created in1940 and syndicated as a comic book insert in newspapers until 1952. His masked detective has subsequently been published around the world, almost continuously, for over fifty years.
Part 2: “The Dream.” Eisner had a “dream” early in his career of being recognized as an Artist through the comics media. Such a notion was considered foolhardy in the 1930s, but his ongoing achievements were instrumental in the wide respect the genre enjoys today. Eisner established much of the medium's storytelling cornerstones. He also pioneered educational comics in the military, the corporate world and in schools. And after having contacted the underground cartoonists, in 1978 he created the modern graphic novel, (“ Contract with God”) which revolutionized the field.
Part 3: “Master Class.” The final segment is based on Will Eisner's instructional books, “Comics and Sequential Art” and “Graphic Storytelling.” The artist is shown talking about techniques related to sequential art, scripts, storyboards, much with Eisner's live demonstrations at his drawing board.
You can see some clips from the film here:
http://www.prodigital.tv
Go to “area exclusiva / entrar “
Log in - will
Password - eisner
DC Comics "Essentials"
This is grand news: DC Comics will finally doing big, thick, black-and-white reprints ala the Marvel Comics Essentials series.
Sure, the collector in me prefers the hardcover, full-color DC Archives reprints, but the reader in me is very excited about this announcement. It's a way to quickly, and inexpensively, make available lots of comics we might not see Archived for years. And, much as I like to think the opposite, I'm not gonna live forever.
Plus, the highlight of my childhood comics reading career was delving into those great Superman and Batman "From the 30s to the 70s" books, most of which were in black and white. I don't mind missing out on the color, or even reading the stuff on newsprint (which these new DC books will be on) if it gives me the chance to actually see the stuff.
The DC Showcase books start off with Silver Age reprints of Superman and the Green Lantern and who know what we'll see down the road. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to see that isn't a likely candidate for near-future Archiving: those crazy Batman in space stories, Captain Marvel comics from the mid to late 40s (the Archives are still doing the early issues), Brave and Bold comics from the 70s, reprints from DC's sci-fi, romance and humor lines...
Anyway, here's what DC officially has to say about the project.
Sure, the collector in me prefers the hardcover, full-color DC Archives reprints, but the reader in me is very excited about this announcement. It's a way to quickly, and inexpensively, make available lots of comics we might not see Archived for years. And, much as I like to think the opposite, I'm not gonna live forever.
Plus, the highlight of my childhood comics reading career was delving into those great Superman and Batman "From the 30s to the 70s" books, most of which were in black and white. I don't mind missing out on the color, or even reading the stuff on newsprint (which these new DC books will be on) if it gives me the chance to actually see the stuff.
The DC Showcase books start off with Silver Age reprints of Superman and the Green Lantern and who know what we'll see down the road. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to see that isn't a likely candidate for near-future Archiving: those crazy Batman in space stories, Captain Marvel comics from the mid to late 40s (the Archives are still doing the early issues), Brave and Bold comics from the 70s, reprints from DC's sci-fi, romance and humor lines...
Anyway, here's what DC officially has to say about the project.
DVD new releases for June
June 7
Be Cool
Beyond the Sea
Dragnet '67 Complete First Season
Frasier Complete Fifth Season
Lois & Clark Complete First Season
MacGyver Complete Second Season
The Naked Truth
The Sopranos Complete Fifth Season
What's New Pussycat?
Wonder Woman Complete Third Season
June 14
The Joan Crawford Collection (Humoresque; Mildred Pierce; Possessed; Women; The Damned Don't Cry)
The Bette Davis Collection (Dark Victory; The Letter; Mr. Skeffington; Now, Voyager; The Star)
Casino Special Edition
Northern Exposure Complete Third Season
June 21
Bewitched Complete First Season (Black and White or Colorized)
Josephine Baker (Zou Zou, La Sirene Des Tropiques, and Princess Tam Tam)
June 28
The Daily Show: Indecision 2004
The Doris Day Show Complete First Season
Homicide Life on the Street Complete Seventh Season
The Twilight Zone Complete Third Season
La Femme Nikita Complete Third Season
Ultimate Billy Jack Collection
Be Cool
Beyond the Sea
Dragnet '67 Complete First Season
Frasier Complete Fifth Season
Lois & Clark Complete First Season
MacGyver Complete Second Season
The Naked Truth
The Sopranos Complete Fifth Season
What's New Pussycat?
Wonder Woman Complete Third Season
June 14
The Joan Crawford Collection (Humoresque; Mildred Pierce; Possessed; Women; The Damned Don't Cry)
The Bette Davis Collection (Dark Victory; The Letter; Mr. Skeffington; Now, Voyager; The Star)
Casino Special Edition
Northern Exposure Complete Third Season
June 21
Bewitched Complete First Season (Black and White or Colorized)
Josephine Baker (Zou Zou, La Sirene Des Tropiques, and Princess Tam Tam)
June 28
The Daily Show: Indecision 2004
The Doris Day Show Complete First Season
Homicide Life on the Street Complete Seventh Season
The Twilight Zone Complete Third Season
La Femme Nikita Complete Third Season
Ultimate Billy Jack Collection
Forthcoming goodies from Twomorrows Publishing
ALTER EGO #51
This issue features LEW SWAYRE SCHWARTZ, the Golden Age artist who
bore "THE MARK OF (BOB) KANE", plus THE GOLDEN & SILVER AGES-DOWN UNDER!
Behind primo 1950s cover art, LEW SAYRE SCHWARTZ-the artist who was BOB
KANE's ghost from 1946-1953-is interviewed by JON B. COOKE about his
Batman and other stellar work! Plus there's Batman art by JERRY
ROBINSON, DICK SPRANG, SHELDON MOLDOFF, WIN MORTIMER, JIM MOONEY, &
others! Then, it's "The Life and Death of the Australian Comics Industry
- 1940-1962!" See Dr. Mansana-Molo the Mighty-Captain Atom (no lie!)-Sir
Falcon-The Panther-The Shadow-Catman-The Lone Avenger-Air Hawk-not to
mention the astonishing "down under" career of The Phantom-examined by
MICHAEL BAULDERSTONE, with tons of super-hero art rarely seen in the
Northern Hemisphere! Also, DAVE BERG talks about Timely/Marvel, Fawcett,
& Quality to JIM AMASH-with art from Death Patrol, Uncle Sam, et.
al.-ALEX TOTH on some comic book greats-MICHAEL T. GILBERT on the legacy
of WILL EISNER-BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom-FCA with MARC SWAYZE, et
al.-& MORE!! Edited by Roy Thomas.
The 100 page (plus cover), saddle-stitched 8 1/2" x 11" magazine with a
full color cover and black-and-white interiors retails for $5.95 in the
U.S. and ships 10 August 2005.
MODERN MASTERS DVD: IN THE STUDIO WITH GEORGE PEREZ
Have you ever wondered what the life of a comic book artist is like?
Find out as Modern Masters takes you into the studio of fan-favorite
artist George Pérez! This 120-minute documentary-style DVD companion to
the popular Modern Masters book series begins with a tour of George's
studio, and takes you through a typical day at work for the artist as he
illustrates a special issue of Top Cow's Witchblade. Also included is a
look at another aspect of the comic book artist's life: comic
conventions! Join George as he meets and sketches for his legion of fans
at one of his many yearly appearances, while many of George's peers and
colleagues-such as Marv Wolfman and Ron Marz-share their anecdotes and
personal insight along the way. Modern Masters: In the Studio with
George Pérez will make you feel like you're there!
The 120 minute, standard format DVD retails for $29.95 in the U.S. and
ships 10 August 2005.
This issue features LEW SWAYRE SCHWARTZ, the Golden Age artist who
bore "THE MARK OF (BOB) KANE", plus THE GOLDEN & SILVER AGES-DOWN UNDER!
Behind primo 1950s cover art, LEW SAYRE SCHWARTZ-the artist who was BOB
KANE's ghost from 1946-1953-is interviewed by JON B. COOKE about his
Batman and other stellar work! Plus there's Batman art by JERRY
ROBINSON, DICK SPRANG, SHELDON MOLDOFF, WIN MORTIMER, JIM MOONEY, &
others! Then, it's "The Life and Death of the Australian Comics Industry
- 1940-1962!" See Dr. Mansana-Molo the Mighty-Captain Atom (no lie!)-Sir
Falcon-The Panther-The Shadow-Catman-The Lone Avenger-Air Hawk-not to
mention the astonishing "down under" career of The Phantom-examined by
MICHAEL BAULDERSTONE, with tons of super-hero art rarely seen in the
Northern Hemisphere! Also, DAVE BERG talks about Timely/Marvel, Fawcett,
& Quality to JIM AMASH-with art from Death Patrol, Uncle Sam, et.
al.-ALEX TOTH on some comic book greats-MICHAEL T. GILBERT on the legacy
of WILL EISNER-BILL SCHELLY on comics fandom-FCA with MARC SWAYZE, et
al.-& MORE!! Edited by Roy Thomas.
The 100 page (plus cover), saddle-stitched 8 1/2" x 11" magazine with a
full color cover and black-and-white interiors retails for $5.95 in the
U.S. and ships 10 August 2005.
MODERN MASTERS DVD: IN THE STUDIO WITH GEORGE PEREZ
Have you ever wondered what the life of a comic book artist is like?
Find out as Modern Masters takes you into the studio of fan-favorite
artist George Pérez! This 120-minute documentary-style DVD companion to
the popular Modern Masters book series begins with a tour of George's
studio, and takes you through a typical day at work for the artist as he
illustrates a special issue of Top Cow's Witchblade. Also included is a
look at another aspect of the comic book artist's life: comic
conventions! Join George as he meets and sketches for his legion of fans
at one of his many yearly appearances, while many of George's peers and
colleagues-such as Marv Wolfman and Ron Marz-share their anecdotes and
personal insight along the way. Modern Masters: In the Studio with
George Pérez will make you feel like you're there!
The 120 minute, standard format DVD retails for $29.95 in the U.S. and
ships 10 August 2005.
Wind up the Victrola...
...there are lots and lots of MP3s transferred from vintage 78s here. (via BoingBoing).
The new Jack Flanders adventure
Anyone who's a fan of radio drama/comedy, or sci-fi, or fantasy or cool genre stuff in general is really missing out if he or she isn't hip to ZBS Media and its continuing audio adventures featuring adventurer Jack Flanders and others.
Since the early 70s, with "The Fourth Tower of Inverness," "Moon Over Morocco" and into the 80s and 90s with "The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders" and the "Traveling Jack" series, the Flanders stories by author "Meatball" Fulton (a.k.a. Tom Lopez) are filled with humor, mysticism and action. Some of the most original stuff I've ever heard. And the acting, sound effects (many recorded on location in various exotic locales) and overall production are all amazing.
So, it's exciting news to hear there's another Jack story coming: "Orchids & Moonbeams," which ZBS describes this way:
Somewhere in the tropics, yet another beach resort is being built. The developers are planning to put a road through a valley the locals consider sacred, they believe a powerful Nature Spirit dwells there. As the developers bulldoze into the jungle, and the warm tropical rains continue, the jungle is sprouting up everywhere.At Maria's Café, chairs are sprouting leaves, tables are growing roots, vines are creeping over the counter, and orchids are clinging to the walls. One morning, Mojo finds a snake coiled up on his chair, "Oops, looks like this seat's been taken."
Jaguars are seen strolling through town, while spiders, iguanas, tree frogs, etc., are hopping and crawling everywhere. There's even a parrot infestation. In the local bars, scarlet macaws snatch pretzels out of patron's fingers. Meanwhile, Jack, Mojo, and Claudine are attempting to prove the Nature Spirit not only exists, she may have just begun to "even the score."
Since the early 70s, with "The Fourth Tower of Inverness," "Moon Over Morocco" and into the 80s and 90s with "The Incredible Adventures of Jack Flanders" and the "Traveling Jack" series, the Flanders stories by author "Meatball" Fulton (a.k.a. Tom Lopez) are filled with humor, mysticism and action. Some of the most original stuff I've ever heard. And the acting, sound effects (many recorded on location in various exotic locales) and overall production are all amazing.
So, it's exciting news to hear there's another Jack story coming: "Orchids & Moonbeams," which ZBS describes this way:
Somewhere in the tropics, yet another beach resort is being built. The developers are planning to put a road through a valley the locals consider sacred, they believe a powerful Nature Spirit dwells there. As the developers bulldoze into the jungle, and the warm tropical rains continue, the jungle is sprouting up everywhere.At Maria's Café, chairs are sprouting leaves, tables are growing roots, vines are creeping over the counter, and orchids are clinging to the walls. One morning, Mojo finds a snake coiled up on his chair, "Oops, looks like this seat's been taken."
Jaguars are seen strolling through town, while spiders, iguanas, tree frogs, etc., are hopping and crawling everywhere. There's even a parrot infestation. In the local bars, scarlet macaws snatch pretzels out of patron's fingers. Meanwhile, Jack, Mojo, and Claudine are attempting to prove the Nature Spirit not only exists, she may have just begun to "even the score."
You can order it, and other ZBS product, here. Links above are to Amazon, which stocks many of the ZBS adventures as well.
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