Marvel Legends series 12 and 13 pics!

Here's a couple of teaser sheets giving us a peek at what's in store for the next two waves of Marvel Legends figures:

Series 12



Featuring:
* Bishop (and variant)
* Astonishing X-Men Wolverine (and unmasked variant)
* X-23
* Sasquatch
* Maestro Hulk
* Iron Fist (and red costume variant)
* Apocalypse (build-a-figure with pieces included with other figures)

Series 13



Featuring:
* Lady Death Strike
* Abomination
* Loki
* Crimson Dynamo
* Green Goblin
* Blackheart

The Fatback Band: "(Are You Ready) Do the Bus Stop" -- Today's Best Song Ever

Waiting for mass transportation was never so danceable. With an infectiously groovy bassline, tight drums and spiky keyboards, this is pre-disco funk at its finest.

Still around today, the Fatbacks had their start in 1973 and lay claim to fame for recording the first rap single ever ("King Tim III (Personality Jock)," which came out a week or so ahead of the Sugarhill Gang's "Rapper's Delight."

Availabile: Raising Hell or 21 Karat Fatback.

Comic book previews

Mile High Comics has sneak peeks of 100 Bullets #65, Action Comics #832, Fables #42, Green Arrow #55, Wildcats: Nemesis #2, Cable/Deadpool #21, Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #1, Gravity #5, Marvel Adventures Fantastic Four #5, Marvel Knights 4 #23, Marvel Monsters: Where Monsters Dwell, Marvel Nemesis: Imperfects #6, Mutopia X #4 and Wolverine #34.

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Great Comic Book Database.

Quick hits

Some cool LP sharity:

(Thanks PCL LinkDump and Bubblegumfink)

Comics Continuum has pics and an update on the "Smallville" version of Aquaman.

Electronic Arts will do a "Return of Superman" video game.

Dial B for Blog is gettin' Halloweeny this week.

The San Francisco Gate takes a good look at comics retailer Brian Hibbs' lawsuit against Marvel Comics.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer checks out Harvey Pekar's "The Quitter."

Peter Jackson will produce a film based on the "Halo" video game.

Will there be a comic based on "Lost"?

New Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys graphic novels

Out from Papercutz in December:

NANCY DREW GRAPHIC NOVEL #4
"The Girl Who Wasn't There"
Stefan Petrucha, writer
Sho Murase, artist
Nancy gets a call for help late one night from a girl she befriended
over the phone when getting technical support to help fix her
computer. When the line goes dead, Nancy is determined to get to the
bottom of things. Soon, Nancy, her Dad, and friends George and Bess
are on their way to India to find Kalpana, the girl who wasn¹t there!
It's only a matter of time before Nancy is captured by Sahadev the
crime lord and is being sacrificed to Kali!
Available in paperback or collector's hardcover.

THE HARDY BOYS GRAPHIC NOVEL #4
"Malled"
Scott Lobdell, writer
Daniel Rendon, artist
Frank and Joe Hardy finish up a case helping a fellow ATAC (American
Teens Against Crime) agent, who sharp-eyed fans may recognize despite
her Alias. Things seem to quiet down when ATAC sends Frank and Joe
undercover to investigate a new Mall opening in Bayport, due to
several suspicious accidents there. But things get exciting when the
night before the big opening, Joe, Frank, and seven others are
mysteriously locked in the mall -with a murderer on the loose. If
that wasn't enough, everything that could go horribly wrong in a
mall, does. A flood caused by water beds. An electrocution at an
electronics shop. A bow and arrow used to kill in the Sporting Goods
store. A runaway elevator. A damsel in distress in the dress shop.
Fire in the food court. And much, much more.
Available in paperback or collector's hardcover.

The Velvet Underground: "Who Loves the Sun" -- Today's Best Song Ever

Sunshine pop from these dark-glasses and leather-clad refugees from Warhol's Factory? Yup.

The opening track of the band's final studio album, some fans at the time probably thought they'd picked up an album by the wrong group. But "Sun" is indeed the post-John Cale Velvets in an especially tuneful mood.

The song is marked by lovely, chiming guitar and cheerful group harmonies that bely the heartbroken lyrics ("Who Loves the Sun / Who loves the sun / Who cares that it makes plants grow / Who cares what it does / Since you broke my heart"). It even goes into Fifth Dimension-esqe "ba ba bas" on the chorus.

It coulda/shoulda been a hit. Instead, it serves as the first of several excellent tunes on Loaded, which also includes the Lou Reed classics "Rock And Roll" and "Sweet Jane."

Available: via iTunes and the remastered, expanded version of Loaded.

Out now!

Available now at yer local comics shop or via This is Pop!-supporting links:

Arkham Asylum Anniversary Ed SC

Batman Gotham County Line #1

Batman Strikes Vol 2 In Darkest Knight TP

Conan Volume 2: The God In The Bowl And Other Stories HC

Daredevil Redemption TP

Elfquest Archives Vol 3 HC

Jingle Belle TP

King Kong - King Of Skull Island TP

Krazy and Ignatz 1935-1936 A Wild Warmth Of Chromatic Gravy

Magnus Robot Fighter Vol 1 GN

Marvel Monsters Devil Dinosaur

Mary Jane Vol 2 Homecoming Digest TP

New X-Men Hellions TP

Quitter HC

Showcase Presents Metamorpho Vol 1 TP

Spectacular Spider-Man Vol 6 Final Curtain TP

Spies Vixens and Masters Of Kung Fu Art Of Paul Gulacy Dlx HC

Uncle Scrooge #346

Vertigo First Offenses TP

Watchmen The Absolute Edition HC

Zorro Vol 1 SC

CD new releases of note

Oct. 4

Solomon Burke That's Heavy Baby 1971-1973
Booker Ervin Tex Book Tenor
The Fall Heads Roll
Franz Ferdinand You Could Have It So Much Better...with
Andrew Hill Andrew!
Elmo Hope Trio & Quintet
The Magic Numbers The Magic Numbers
Jackie McLean Consequence
My Morning Jacket Z
Liz Phair Somebody's Miracle
Ike Quebec The Complete 1945 Sessions
Ravi Shankar The Essential
VA One Kiss Can Lead to Another: Girl Group Sounds, Lost & Found
VA These Ghoulish Things: Horror Hits for Hallowe'en
DVD Cream The Farewell Concert: Extended Edition

Oct. 11

John Cale, Tony Conrad, Angus Maclise, La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela Day of Niagara: Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol. 1
John Coltrane One Down, One Up: Live at the Half Note
Gang of Four Return the Gift
Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto Getz & Gilberto #2
King Crimson 21st Century Guide to, Volume Two, 1981-2003
Paul Weller As Is Now
Robert Wyatt Theatre Royal Drury Lane

"Krypto" cartoon spawns toys

Here's a roundup of nifty lookin' toys based on the Cartoon Network "Krypto the Super Dog" series.

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Grand Comic Book Database.

Quick hits

Upcoming from Sideshow Toys: 1:1 scale busts of Boris Karloff's Ardeth Bey from 1932's "The Mummy" and the comic book version of "The Thing." The busts are the first in line in a series of Univeral Studios and Marvel Comics busts.

Hey, it's Batman vs. Wolverine! Hugh Jackman and Christian Bale are set to play rival magicians in "The Prestige", a new film from "Batman Begins" director Christopher Nolan.

USA Today reviews the "platinum edition" of Disney's "Cinderella."

Nicholas Cage is a huge comic book geek.

JoBlo has a peek at the new, animated "Curious George."

Eliza Dushku has thrown her tiara in the ring. She wants to be Wonder Woman.

Sony has posted an official villains gallery in antipation of "Spider-Man 3."

Love: "My Little Red Book" -- Today's Best Song Ever

A punked-up take on Burt Bacharach's "What's New Pussycat" soundtrack tune (the composer reportedly wasn't pleased), this was an early single for the L.A.-based Love.

The original version, by Manfred Mann, was light with jazz touches. But this is all relentlessly pounding drums and bass. The vocals are pure aggression, not resignation.

Fronted by the charismatic Arthur Lee, Love is one of the 60s' lost treasures.

Never given much attention in its prime, the band has taken on cult status, particularly its 1967 masterwork "Forever Changes," which seamlessly blends standard rock band instrumentation with strings and horns--all topped off with Lee's oddball lyrics. If you're a fan of "Pet Sounds" or "Sgt. Pepper," it's one you've gotta hear.

Available: Via iTunes, on Love's eponymous debut album, and on the Rhino compilation "Love Story," which includes all the band's best albums tracks, singles and "Forever Changes" in its entirety.

DVD new releases for Oct. 4

The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Second Season

Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

Cream - Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005

Cream - Farewell Concert (1968)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Star Trek - Nemesis (Special Collector's Edition)

The Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)

"High in the Clouds," Paul McCartney's children's book

He's garnering decent reviews on his new LP so, what the hell, he might as well write a book too, eh?

Despite the title, which might lead you to believe it's an autobiography, the tome is for kids. Here's the publisher's description:

Forced to leave his woodland home, destroyed by the expansion plans of the evil Gretsch, Wirral the squirrel vows to find the fabled land of Animalia, where all the animals are said to live in freedom and without fear. Aided and abetted by Froggo the hot-air-ballooning frog, Wilhamina the plucky red squirrel, and Ratsy the streetwise rodent, Wirral's personal quest turns into a full-blown plan to save enslaved animals Everywhere -- a plan that is fraught with danger. Exciting, poignant, and funny, this lavishly illustrated epic tale will delight children of all ages.

I wonder if Fender and Rickenbacker turn up as well?



See the Best Beatles Sites on the Web.

"King Kong" production diaries to hit DVD

In what amounts to a bonus disk released before the actual film hits theaters, Universal will release director Peter Jackson's video production diaries of "King Kong" Dec. 13. The film opens in theaters Dec. 14.

The two-disk set includes three and a half hours of material.

According to DVD Exclusive:

The DVD collection, expected to be priced at $39.98, features the journals from the first eight months of production ending with principal photography as well as original footage produced specifically for the DVD and a 50-page four-color book.

The set is available for pre-order at $27.99 from Amazon now.

More "Lost" season 2 cast pictures

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Grand Comic Book Database.

DC Direct JLA gift set

Out for the holidays, this set boxes up modern-look versions of the Justice League of America.

Along with the figures, it comes with 48-page comic book featuring material from JLA 80-Page Giant #1, JLA Secret Files #3, JLA #77, and JLA Gallery #1.

New comics previews

Check out Mile High Comics for advance looks at Albion #3, Batman: Gotham County Line #1, Outsiders #29, Robotech: The Shadow Chronicles #1, Swamp Thing #20, Amazing Fantasy #13, Incredible Hulk #87, Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #8, Marvel Monsters: Devil Dinosaur, Marvel Team-Up #13, New Thunderbolts #13, Spider-Girl #91, Spider-Man: The Other Sketchbook, Uncanny X-Men #465 and X-Men Unlimited #11.

More upcoming comics.

Quick hits

Checking in with Neil Gaimin.

Not much to see, but the official "Superman Returns" site is up.

Another animated "Lucky Luke" feature is planned in France.

31 free Van Morrison MP3s. And worth every penny!

Booksteve joins the Johnny West Club.

Via Bubblegumfink: a site dedicated to British TV annuals.

Dial B looks in his crystal ball.

Pop Artifacts! Doctor Who vintage TARDIS and K-9 toys

Vintage comic book ad

Quick hits

I want this for Christmas.

Mark Evanier on Muppet stamps!

Today in exotica!


JoBlo has an interview with "Serenity" director Joss Whedon.

And TV Guide has an interview with "Serenity" star Nathan Fillion.

Mike Myers is set to play the late Who drummer Keith Moon.

An "Emily the Strange" movie is in the works.

Newsarama has an 8-page preview of Grant Morrison's upcoming "All-Star Superman".

Yahoo! Movies previews "Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit".

DVD new releases for October 2005

Oct. 4

The Bob Newhart Show - The Complete Second Season

Cinderella (Disney Special Platinum Edition)

Cream - Royal Albert Hall - London May 2-3-5-6 2005

Cream - Farewell Concert (1968)

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)

Star Trek - Nemesis (Special Collector's Edition)

The Val Lewton Horror Collection (Cat People / The Curse of the Cat People / I Walked with a Zombie / The Body Snatcher / Isle of the Dead / Bedlam / The Leopard Man / The Ghost Ship / The Seventh Victim / Shadows in the Dark)

Oct. 11

Arrested Development - Season Two

Soap - The Complete Fourth Season

South Park - The Complete Sixth Season

Veronica Mars - The Complete First Season

Oct. 18

Batman Begins (Widescreen Edition)

Batman Forever (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Batman Returns (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Batman Vs Dracula

Dark Shadows:Complete Revival Series 1991

Twilight Zone Season 4

Oct. 25

Alias - The Complete Fourth Season

Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (colorized)

Bewitched - The Complete Second Season (B&W)

Looney Tunes - Golden Collection, Volume Three

Tales From the Crypt - The Complete Second Season

Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection:V2

The Wizard of Oz (Three-Disc Collector's Edition)

"Serenity" review roundup

South Florida.com: While Serenity will play like a masterpiece to devoted fans of Firefly, outsiders are likely to have a few problems with it. Most glaring is the dialogue, which tries a little too hard to be Old West. But in its own unassuming, self-effacing way, Serenity is the epic sci-fi adventure that the latter years of Star Wars could only dream of being.

Associated Press:...a spirited mix of the familiar and the futuristic, of fast-paced chase scenes and butt-kicking brawls, of witty banter and well-drawn characters.

Ohio State University Lantern: The adaptation of the TV show "Firefly" written and directed by Joss Whedon tries to cover all bases. The action/sci-fi/drama/adventure/comedy is much like a track star trying to run a 400, a relay, and poll vault all at once - it is just too much.

...a majority of the movie the audience is left wondering what exactly is the purpose.

Knight Ridder...sharp writing and well-drawn characters mean you can enjoy it even if you don't like those genres. And even if, like me, you don't have a history with the characters.

...There's lots of other stuff floating around in "Serenity," including an anti-mood-altering drug theme that is either an indictment of Prozac or a shout-out to Tom Cruise, a "Rime of the Ancient Mariner" joke and a speech about how one country shouldn't meddle in another country's business.

There's snappy dialogue, and the performances are sharp (Chiwetel Ejiofor, so magnetic in "Four Brothers," brings another villain to life), but Whedon is a better writer than director. Although he shapes individual moments well, he hasn't assembled them into a movie that will satisfy anyone who comes to "Serenity" without having seen "Firefly."

Pop Artifact! Doctor Who vintage Giant Robot toy

Vintage comic book ad

Quick hits

Mark Evanier joins the EC-Fan Addict Club.

New "Night Stalker" not so hot.

A visit with comic book and CD cover artist Tara McPherson.

Mike Sterling reads Previews again. Pity him. Pity him.

Tom Baker definitely was the Doctor Who with the best scarves.