Super vans!
Bat-Blog's posting of Mego's Batman and Joker vans yesterday inspired me to put these up: Spider-Man's Mobile Crime Lab and the Hulk Van. It seemed like, in the 70s, every hero had a van! The idea of the Hulk driving one, though, cracks me up.
Pop links
"Asterix at the Olympic Games," the third live-action film based on the popular series of French comic albums, is one of the most-expensive movies ever produced in Europe, reports Variety. It premieres Jan. 13 overseas. How come none of these films are available in the U.S.?
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Via Bat-Blog: Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah Batvan!
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From Booksteve: What is the Penguin's sinister plot?
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Today in sharity:
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British actress Gemma Arterton is the latest Bond Girl.
Arterton will play Fields in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which is still known only as ''Bond 22'' and is currently filming in London for Columbia and MGM for a Nov. 7 release.
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Thanks Fred Hembeck for the kind words about this here blog! As a teaser: Fred has promised me an interview about his upcoming new book. Look for it here in coming weeks!
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Via Bat-Blog: Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah Batvan!
------------------
From Booksteve: What is the Penguin's sinister plot?
-------------------
Today in sharity:
-------------------
British actress Gemma Arterton is the latest Bond Girl.
Arterton will play Fields in the Marc Forster-directed movie, which is still known only as ''Bond 22'' and is currently filming in London for Columbia and MGM for a Nov. 7 release.
--------------------
Thanks Fred Hembeck for the kind words about this here blog! As a teaser: Fred has promised me an interview about his upcoming new book. Look for it here in coming weeks!
Mighty Marvel merchandise!
Ads for various Marvel Comics products from the company's glory era. I had that cool "Here Comes the Hulk" t-shirt...
When Marvel mattered--in defense of Stan Lee
I spent the past weekend reading and enjoying immensely the latest issue of Alter Ego, one of my favorite mags and one I wholeheartedly recommend for anyone fascinated by comic book history.
I enjoy pretty much every issue of this Roy Thomas-edited mag a lot, but this issue was special, being a tribute to Marvel Comics' publisher/editor/scribe Stan Lee, who celebrated his 85th birthday a few weeks back.
Now Stan, somewhat rightly, gets criticized for being a shameless huckster and self-promoter and most new interviews with him reveal essentially nothing--he trots out the same old stories and anecdotes time and time again.
But, perhaps realizing all that, this Alter Ego yields some fascinating interviews with Stan--the difference being that these are all vintage chats from the late 1960s and early 70s when he and Marvel were at their peak.
Stan, with the considerable and too frequently overlooked contributions of artists Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others, had helped revitalize the superhero genre.
The new approach--dynamic, powerful art, superheroes that argued with one another and who had "real" problems--plus Stan's hyping of such was generating lots of outside-the-genre interest, yielding coverage in the mainstream media. These more sophisticated comics were attracting not just young kids, but college-age readers, too. And Stan was getting invitations to speak on campuses nationwide.
It was a pretty remarkable time, and these interviews--mostly from comics fanzine and hippieish alternative mags of the period--do a great job of capturing it.
I'm an instinctive defender of underdogs so, typically, I'm one of those people who immediately starts touting the contributions of Kirby, Ditko, et. al., any time Stan's name comes up. Too often, he gets sole credit for the creation of multi-million dollar-generating characters others had an equal share in creating--the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Hulk, etc. And it's important that people speak up to put the record straight.
But that said, Marvel wouldn't have been Marvel without Stan. Just as much as Kirby or Ditko's art, his dialogue and over-the-top narration and cover blurbs made those comics come alive. His Bullpen Bulletins and Stan's Soapbox columns and Marvel's fan clubs--first the Merry Marvel Marching Society and later F.O.O.M.--made readers feel like they were part of a movement to make comics more meaningful and fun.
While Stan may have not solely created the Marvel characters, I believe he should get credit for creating the Marvel Universe.
Sure, it was on one level shrewd cross-promotion with the aim of selling more comics, but by establishing that all the Marvel heroes inhabited a shared world and that they regularly encountered one another in each other's titles and were living out a shared history was pretty cool.
For many years, that imaginary, imaginative world was a pretty special place to visit. Unfortunately, like the real world, it's lately become over-populated, chaotic and confusing, but it was great while it lasted. And Stan deserves the credit for creating it.
So, happy late birthday Stan! And thanks!
I enjoy pretty much every issue of this Roy Thomas-edited mag a lot, but this issue was special, being a tribute to Marvel Comics' publisher/editor/scribe Stan Lee, who celebrated his 85th birthday a few weeks back.
Now Stan, somewhat rightly, gets criticized for being a shameless huckster and self-promoter and most new interviews with him reveal essentially nothing--he trots out the same old stories and anecdotes time and time again.
But, perhaps realizing all that, this Alter Ego yields some fascinating interviews with Stan--the difference being that these are all vintage chats from the late 1960s and early 70s when he and Marvel were at their peak.
Stan, with the considerable and too frequently overlooked contributions of artists Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others, had helped revitalize the superhero genre.
The new approach--dynamic, powerful art, superheroes that argued with one another and who had "real" problems--plus Stan's hyping of such was generating lots of outside-the-genre interest, yielding coverage in the mainstream media. These more sophisticated comics were attracting not just young kids, but college-age readers, too. And Stan was getting invitations to speak on campuses nationwide.
It was a pretty remarkable time, and these interviews--mostly from comics fanzine and hippieish alternative mags of the period--do a great job of capturing it.
I'm an instinctive defender of underdogs so, typically, I'm one of those people who immediately starts touting the contributions of Kirby, Ditko, et. al., any time Stan's name comes up. Too often, he gets sole credit for the creation of multi-million dollar-generating characters others had an equal share in creating--the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, Spider-Man, the Hulk, etc. And it's important that people speak up to put the record straight.
But that said, Marvel wouldn't have been Marvel without Stan. Just as much as Kirby or Ditko's art, his dialogue and over-the-top narration and cover blurbs made those comics come alive. His Bullpen Bulletins and Stan's Soapbox columns and Marvel's fan clubs--first the Merry Marvel Marching Society and later F.O.O.M.--made readers feel like they were part of a movement to make comics more meaningful and fun.
While Stan may have not solely created the Marvel characters, I believe he should get credit for creating the Marvel Universe.
Sure, it was on one level shrewd cross-promotion with the aim of selling more comics, but by establishing that all the Marvel heroes inhabited a shared world and that they regularly encountered one another in each other's titles and were living out a shared history was pretty cool.
For many years, that imaginary, imaginative world was a pretty special place to visit. Unfortunately, like the real world, it's lately become over-populated, chaotic and confusing, but it was great while it lasted. And Stan deserves the credit for creating it.
So, happy late birthday Stan! And thanks!
Underrated pop groups of the 60s: The Move
Born in Birmingham, UK, in the 1966, The Move started out mod, drifted into psychedelia and eventually became a forerunner to power pop. There was also some prog and chamber pop mixed in there as well.
Led by vocalist/songwriter Roy Wood, other members of the band included vocalist Carl Wayne, bassist Chris "Ace" Kefford, guitarist Trevor Burton and drummer Bev Bevan. Former Idle Race singer/guitarist Jeff Lynne joined the band in the early 1970s, following a personnel shakeup.
Notable tunes included the 1812 Overture-quoting "Night of Fear," a #2 UK hit in 1967; the mod/psych "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" (#5 UK hit 1967); the lovely "Flowers in the Rain," (#2 UK hit 1967) and the Beatlesque "Blackberry Way" (#1 UK hit, 1969).
Later on, the band charted with the rocking pop of "California Man" (#7 UK hit, 1972), which was eventually covered by Cheap Trick.
Right around the time that song was released, however, the band split up, with Wood, Lynne and Bevans leaving to form the Electric Light Orchestra.
ELO fans may be interested to know that band's hit "Do Ya," was originally recorded during the Move years and then remade in 1976 by Lynne and company, becoming a major hit.
The Move's original UK albums were recently remastered and expanded and are well worth checking out.
The Move CDs
The Move
Something Else...Plus
Shazam
Looking On
Message from the Country
The Move on YouTube
The Move - California Man
THE MOVE - Night Of Fear
THE MOVE - I Can Hear The Grass Grow
the move - blackberry way
Move - Flowers in the rain
The move - Tonight (German TV 1971)
The Move - Down On The Bay
Led by vocalist/songwriter Roy Wood, other members of the band included vocalist Carl Wayne, bassist Chris "Ace" Kefford, guitarist Trevor Burton and drummer Bev Bevan. Former Idle Race singer/guitarist Jeff Lynne joined the band in the early 1970s, following a personnel shakeup.
Notable tunes included the 1812 Overture-quoting "Night of Fear," a #2 UK hit in 1967; the mod/psych "I Can Hear the Grass Grow" (#5 UK hit 1967); the lovely "Flowers in the Rain," (#2 UK hit 1967) and the Beatlesque "Blackberry Way" (#1 UK hit, 1969).
Later on, the band charted with the rocking pop of "California Man" (#7 UK hit, 1972), which was eventually covered by Cheap Trick.
Right around the time that song was released, however, the band split up, with Wood, Lynne and Bevans leaving to form the Electric Light Orchestra.
ELO fans may be interested to know that band's hit "Do Ya," was originally recorded during the Move years and then remade in 1976 by Lynne and company, becoming a major hit.
The Move's original UK albums were recently remastered and expanded and are well worth checking out.
The Move CDs
The Move
Something Else...Plus
Shazam
Looking On
Message from the Country
The Move on YouTube
The Move - California Man
THE MOVE - Night Of Fear
THE MOVE - I Can Hear The Grass Grow
the move - blackberry way
Move - Flowers in the rain
The move - Tonight (German TV 1971)
The Move - Down On The Bay
Pop links
Cartoonist John Byrne is doing a couple of Star Trek comics for IDW Publishing. Newsarama has pics and an interview.
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Golden Age Comic Book Stories presents a whole buncha beautiful Tarzan comics pages by Burne Hogarth.
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The Guardian profiles "Doctor Who" companion Billie Piper.
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The Associated Press spotlights the new (and last) season of the best TV show in the history of mankind, "The Wire." Really, if you haven't seen it, you need to...
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Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Ringo Starr played a secret charity gig together on New Year's Eve.
---------------------
Deal alert: Amazon
is doing a "buy-one, get-one-free" deal TV on DVD box sets, including "Seinfeld," "Bewitched," "I Dream of Jeannie" and more.
-----------------
Golden Age Comic Book Stories presents a whole buncha beautiful Tarzan comics pages by Burne Hogarth.
------------------
The Guardian profiles "Doctor Who" companion Billie Piper.
-------------------
The Associated Press spotlights the new (and last) season of the best TV show in the history of mankind, "The Wire." Really, if you haven't seen it, you need to...
--------------------
Eric Clapton, Pete Townshend and Ringo Starr played a secret charity gig together on New Year's Eve.
---------------------
Deal alert: Amazon
is doing a "buy-one, get-one-free" deal TV on DVD box sets, including "Seinfeld," "Bewitched," "I Dream of Jeannie" and more.
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