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.
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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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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.
Upcoming DVDs of interest
Here are some items of interest to pop culture fans with as much info as I could scrape up.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection
Out Feb. 12
3 DVDs
The Best of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Award Winning and Nominated theatrical animated shorts.
Franchises include Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, MGM, Max Fleischer etc. 41 of the most celebrated cartoons of their time, including 15 award winners...plus over 60 minutes of special features! This collection has something for everyone with characters such as the Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Superman, Popeye, Dot, Line & Squiggle, Tex Avery's Little Johnny Jet, Chuck Jones' High Note, and Nelly's Folly (the singing Giraffe) and Hubie Bertie & Cat Claude.
Disc 1:
Academy Award® winning shorts featured on the DVDs:
1) The Milky Way (MGM),
2) Yankee Doodle Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
3) Mouse Trouble (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
4) Quiet Please (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
5) The Cat Concerto (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
6) Tweetie Pie (WB),
7) The Little Orphan (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
8) For Scent-Imental Reasons (WB, Pepe Le Pew),
9) So Much for so Little (a special educational Warner Brothers short),
10) Two Mouseketeers (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
11) Johann Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
12) Speedy Gonzales (WB),
13) Birds Anonymous (WB, Tweety & Sylvester),
14) Knighty-Knight Bugs (WB, Bugs Bunny)
15) The Dot and the Line (Chuck Jones classic MGM cartoon, first time on DVD).
Discs 2 & 3:
Academy Award nominated shorts featured on the DVDs include
1) Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (Paramount/Fleischer)
2) Superman (Paramount/Fleischer)
3) Walky Talky Hawky (WB, Foghorn Leghorn)
4) One Droopy Knight (MGM, Droopy)
plus 12 more un-announced titles.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection 15 winners
Out Feb. 12
Same as disk 1 above.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show - The Complete Series
Out March 18
2 DVDs
Invisible Man: The Complete Series
Out Feb. 26
4 DVDs
H.G. Wells' classic tale of suspense and intrigue from the 1950s. A highly secret laboratory experiment that goes awry turns Dr. Peter Brady into the Invisible Man! Unable to return to a visible state, Brady is enlisted as the ultimate British secret agent.
For years, the identity of the Invisible Man was a well-kept secret. More than one actor portrayed the physical character, while another supplied the voice. The special effects (advanced for their time) ran the gamut from making objects float gracefully through the air to creating a riderless motorcycle.
Invisible Man Ultimate Collection includes 26 remastered episodes.
Steve Canyon (Special Edition)
Out March 18
1 DVD
4 full half-hour television episodes featuring the famed comic strip hero created by Milton Caniff, complete with original commercials, network promos and more! Not seen in the U.S. in more than 45 years -- episodes of STEVE CANYON are so rare they have been highly sought after and prized by film collectors the world over! In glorious black and white, remastered from the original 35mm broadcast materials!
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection
Out Feb. 12
3 DVDs
The Best of Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Award Winning and Nominated theatrical animated shorts.
Franchises include Warner Bros., Hanna-Barbera, MGM, Max Fleischer etc. 41 of the most celebrated cartoons of their time, including 15 award winners...plus over 60 minutes of special features! This collection has something for everyone with characters such as the Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, Droopy, Superman, Popeye, Dot, Line & Squiggle, Tex Avery's Little Johnny Jet, Chuck Jones' High Note, and Nelly's Folly (the singing Giraffe) and Hubie Bertie & Cat Claude.
Disc 1:
Academy Award® winning shorts featured on the DVDs:
1) The Milky Way (MGM),
2) Yankee Doodle Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
3) Mouse Trouble (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
4) Quiet Please (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
5) The Cat Concerto (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
6) Tweetie Pie (WB),
7) The Little Orphan (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
8) For Scent-Imental Reasons (WB, Pepe Le Pew),
9) So Much for so Little (a special educational Warner Brothers short),
10) Two Mouseketeers (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
11) Johann Mouse (MGM, Tom & Jerry),
12) Speedy Gonzales (WB),
13) Birds Anonymous (WB, Tweety & Sylvester),
14) Knighty-Knight Bugs (WB, Bugs Bunny)
15) The Dot and the Line (Chuck Jones classic MGM cartoon, first time on DVD).
Discs 2 & 3:
Academy Award nominated shorts featured on the DVDs include
1) Popeye The Sailor Meets Sinbad The Sailor (Paramount/Fleischer)
2) Superman (Paramount/Fleischer)
3) Walky Talky Hawky (WB, Foghorn Leghorn)
4) One Droopy Knight (MGM, Droopy)
plus 12 more un-announced titles.
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Academy Awards Animation Collection 15 winners
Out Feb. 12
Same as disk 1 above.
The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show - The Complete Series
Out March 18
2 DVDs
Invisible Man: The Complete Series
Out Feb. 26
4 DVDs
H.G. Wells' classic tale of suspense and intrigue from the 1950s. A highly secret laboratory experiment that goes awry turns Dr. Peter Brady into the Invisible Man! Unable to return to a visible state, Brady is enlisted as the ultimate British secret agent.
For years, the identity of the Invisible Man was a well-kept secret. More than one actor portrayed the physical character, while another supplied the voice. The special effects (advanced for their time) ran the gamut from making objects float gracefully through the air to creating a riderless motorcycle.
Invisible Man Ultimate Collection includes 26 remastered episodes.
Steve Canyon (Special Edition)
Out March 18
1 DVD
4 full half-hour television episodes featuring the famed comic strip hero created by Milton Caniff, complete with original commercials, network promos and more! Not seen in the U.S. in more than 45 years -- episodes of STEVE CANYON are so rare they have been highly sought after and prized by film collectors the world over! In glorious black and white, remastered from the original 35mm broadcast materials!
Unhinged! Wild Captain America comic book covers!
The first issue of Captain America famously shows the superhero giving Adolf Hitler a much-deserved sock on the chin.
Art by Jack Kirby
It's a classic, iconic image. But, when the comic first hit the stands back in December 1940, the cover caused a stir. After all, Pearl Harbor was still a year away and the United States was keeping very intentionally to the sidelines as the Nazis rolled through Europe. Cap's creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby even got some threatening mail from isolationists and Nazi sympathizers who said the cover was over the top.
Ha!
If anything, Kirby and his fellow artists upped the ante with all the covers that followed. The earliest issues of the series feature some of the wildest, most manic imagery ever to grace a comic book cover. Each cover was crowded from corner to corner with hyper-exaggerated action and the most devilish Nazis imaginable. On nearly every cover, there's a woman in bondage or peril or both. Oftentimes, Cap's young sidekick, Bucky, is in trouble too.
This is pure propaganda, and Simon and Kirby--both proud Jewish Americans--made no bones about it. Unfortunate stereotypes, particularly of Japanese people, on the covers became more and more extreme as the war progressed. But this was a much different, more fearful time.
I'm taking a less serious take on the covers here, which are presented for their sheer over-the-topness. Enjoy--if that's the right word for it.
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Al Avison
Art by Al Avison
Art by Syd Shores
Art by Alex Schomburg
Art by Jack Kirby
It's a classic, iconic image. But, when the comic first hit the stands back in December 1940, the cover caused a stir. After all, Pearl Harbor was still a year away and the United States was keeping very intentionally to the sidelines as the Nazis rolled through Europe. Cap's creators Joe Simon and Jack Kirby even got some threatening mail from isolationists and Nazi sympathizers who said the cover was over the top.
Ha!
If anything, Kirby and his fellow artists upped the ante with all the covers that followed. The earliest issues of the series feature some of the wildest, most manic imagery ever to grace a comic book cover. Each cover was crowded from corner to corner with hyper-exaggerated action and the most devilish Nazis imaginable. On nearly every cover, there's a woman in bondage or peril or both. Oftentimes, Cap's young sidekick, Bucky, is in trouble too.
This is pure propaganda, and Simon and Kirby--both proud Jewish Americans--made no bones about it. Unfortunate stereotypes, particularly of Japanese people, on the covers became more and more extreme as the war progressed. But this was a much different, more fearful time.
I'm taking a less serious take on the covers here, which are presented for their sheer over-the-topness. Enjoy--if that's the right word for it.
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Jack Kirby
Art by Al AvisonArt by Al Avison
Art by Syd Shores
Art by Alex Schomburg
Lost season 4: The teasing has begun
ABC is pretty good with the viral marketing campaigns, particularly re: "Lost," which begins its fourth season Jan. 31.
To help get everyone back interested, and mystified by, the show there's a new press release and Web site touting the relaunch of Oceanic Air--the fictional airline that operated flight 815, the plane that crashed on that freaky island we're all wondering and theorizing about.
The Web site starts off as a mock ad for Oceanic featuring pretty flight attendants with Aussie accents, but this is soon interrupted by a bearded guy in a tie. His name is Sam and he says his partner, Sonja, was a flight attendant on flight 815, which--as we know--went missing. Now, he says Oceanic is calling off the search for the plane and will declare all the passengers dead. He says he wants answers.
During this message the address for another Web site flashes across the screen. Here, you can click around until you see "Sam's desk." This is the guy from the video on the previous site and if you click at his computer, phone, etc., you'll get little tidbits of info such as e-mails and videos that tease the show.
Being an old guy, I don't have much patience for such things, so I checked out a few bulletin boards for posts detailing what all sorts of things are revealed on the site. Here's a pretty good overview.
There's a game you can play that's supposed to yield more clues and the site will be updated while we wait for the new season to begin. I'll be scouring the fan boards for anything interesting and will pass it along.
Here's the content of the Oceanic press release:
Flights Begin December 31 To Nine Markets
Oceanic Airlines announced today their return to the airways. Beginning December 31, operations and flights to nine markets will resume, “Taking You Places You Never Imagined.” Destinations include:
Los Angeles, CA
Tustin, CA
Ames, IA
Miami, FL
New York, NY
Portland, OR
Knoxville, TN
Seoul, South Korea
Sydney, Australia
“We are very eager to resume flying and apologize for any inconvenience our temporary closure may have caused our loyal customers,” said Michael Orteig, President, Oceanic Airlines. “Oceanic Airlines is proud to be a top tier flight provider and looks forward to providing travelers with many more years of unparalleled service.”
About Oceanic Airlines
In business for over 25 years, Oceanic Airlines is a major airline carrier and offers the highest caliber of service for international and domestic flights. Destinations include Los Angeles, London, Sydney and South Korea.
Oceanic Airlines Contact:
Georgia Cavanagh (818) 460-5520
To help get everyone back interested, and mystified by, the show there's a new press release and Web site touting the relaunch of Oceanic Air--the fictional airline that operated flight 815, the plane that crashed on that freaky island we're all wondering and theorizing about.
The Web site starts off as a mock ad for Oceanic featuring pretty flight attendants with Aussie accents, but this is soon interrupted by a bearded guy in a tie. His name is Sam and he says his partner, Sonja, was a flight attendant on flight 815, which--as we know--went missing. Now, he says Oceanic is calling off the search for the plane and will declare all the passengers dead. He says he wants answers.
During this message the address for another Web site flashes across the screen. Here, you can click around until you see "Sam's desk." This is the guy from the video on the previous site and if you click at his computer, phone, etc., you'll get little tidbits of info such as e-mails and videos that tease the show.
Being an old guy, I don't have much patience for such things, so I checked out a few bulletin boards for posts detailing what all sorts of things are revealed on the site. Here's a pretty good overview.
There's a game you can play that's supposed to yield more clues and the site will be updated while we wait for the new season to begin. I'll be scouring the fan boards for anything interesting and will pass it along.
Here's the content of the Oceanic press release:
Flights Begin December 31 To Nine Markets
Oceanic Airlines announced today their return to the airways. Beginning December 31, operations and flights to nine markets will resume, “Taking You Places You Never Imagined.” Destinations include:
Los Angeles, CA
Tustin, CA
Ames, IA
Miami, FL
New York, NY
Portland, OR
Knoxville, TN
Seoul, South Korea
Sydney, Australia
“We are very eager to resume flying and apologize for any inconvenience our temporary closure may have caused our loyal customers,” said Michael Orteig, President, Oceanic Airlines. “Oceanic Airlines is proud to be a top tier flight provider and looks forward to providing travelers with many more years of unparalleled service.”
About Oceanic Airlines
In business for over 25 years, Oceanic Airlines is a major airline carrier and offers the highest caliber of service for international and domestic flights. Destinations include Los Angeles, London, Sydney and South Korea.
Oceanic Airlines Contact:
Georgia Cavanagh (818) 460-5520
Take a look! The ugliest DC Direct action figures of all time--choose your favorites!
I've got lots of records, loads of CDs and far too many comic books. But when it comes to geeked-out collections, I'm pretty light on action figures.
I have a few in the home office and a batch in the rec room. As far as my wife is concerned, that's embarassingly too many. But they're not one of my obsessions.
The figures I have, I picked up because I think they look cool--they're nice represenations of comic book characters I like. I have a batch of Marvel Legends figures, including the big honkin' build-yer-own Galactus. And they're nice. But they're a little too muscley for my tastes.
The figures I admire most are made by DC Direct. I have the Silver Age Batman and Superman series and I really like how faithfully they capture the 1960s incarnations of some of my favorite comics characters. They look good standing atop a couple book cases crammed with DC Archives, Showcase Presents, Marvel Masterworks and Essentials volumes.
When it comes to figures, DC Direct is usually top-notch. But when they manufacture the odd ugly action figure, they go to town.
Here are some examples:
Check out the freaky muscle ripples on "Hush" Superman's forearms. And that face!
And here is, perhaps, the most hideous rendition of the Dynamic Duo ever: The "Dark Victory" Batman and (the particularly nightmarish bighead) Robin.
And here are a couple of really bad Catwomen. The first "Long Halloween" Catwoman is just an ugly sculpt in terms of mask, costume and body while the preposterousness of the "Knightfall" Catwoman is right there jutting in your face.
Catwoman looked silly enough when Jim Balent drew her this way in the comics. But when you translate those images into three absurd dimensions, it gets even more ridiculous.
There are a number of hideous figures in the "Identity Crisis" line but Batman and Black Canary are especially bad.
What is wrong with her face?!!
I'm not a fan of his art, but Ed McGuiness' super-muscley, cartoony depictions of Batman and Superman never really bugged me on paper. They're over-the-top, but at least they have a style of their own.
But when you translate McGuiness' art into plastic, you get entire display racks of ugly. Hideous faces, ridiculous anatomy (look at those thighs!). It's hard to believe that DC Direct has made at least three series of McGuiness figures. And that people buy them. It was hard narrowing things down to just a few examples:
This "Return of Supergirl" figure, based on the art of Michael Turner, stands out as one of the sickliest, disturbing figures DC Direct has released (absurd waistline, creepy expression and eyes).
But, sometimes, you can take great art as a model and still turn out an incredibly--almost absurdly--ugly figure. Witness Superman and, especially, Wonder Woman based on Darwyn Cooke's "New Frontier" mini-series.
Most of the figures in this series look pretty decent (I especially like Green Arrow and Dr. Fate), but the faces on these two are horrendous. What was DC Direct thinking? Cooke's faces are stylized and cartoony in a fun retro way. But the too-squinty Superman and "I don't know what's wrong with her face" Wonder Woman just don't work in plastic:
--------------------
What are your picks for ugliest action figure? Let us know in the comments section. Or send me pics and I'll post them here.
I have a few in the home office and a batch in the rec room. As far as my wife is concerned, that's embarassingly too many. But they're not one of my obsessions.
The figures I have, I picked up because I think they look cool--they're nice represenations of comic book characters I like. I have a batch of Marvel Legends figures, including the big honkin' build-yer-own Galactus. And they're nice. But they're a little too muscley for my tastes.
The figures I admire most are made by DC Direct. I have the Silver Age Batman and Superman series and I really like how faithfully they capture the 1960s incarnations of some of my favorite comics characters. They look good standing atop a couple book cases crammed with DC Archives, Showcase Presents, Marvel Masterworks and Essentials volumes.
When it comes to figures, DC Direct is usually top-notch. But when they manufacture the odd ugly action figure, they go to town.
Here are some examples:
Check out the freaky muscle ripples on "Hush" Superman's forearms. And that face!
And here is, perhaps, the most hideous rendition of the Dynamic Duo ever: The "Dark Victory" Batman and (the particularly nightmarish bighead) Robin.
And here are a couple of really bad Catwomen. The first "Long Halloween" Catwoman is just an ugly sculpt in terms of mask, costume and body while the preposterousness of the "Knightfall" Catwoman is right there jutting in your face.
Catwoman looked silly enough when Jim Balent drew her this way in the comics. But when you translate those images into three absurd dimensions, it gets even more ridiculous.
There are a number of hideous figures in the "Identity Crisis" line but Batman and Black Canary are especially bad.
What is wrong with her face?!!
I'm not a fan of his art, but Ed McGuiness' super-muscley, cartoony depictions of Batman and Superman never really bugged me on paper. They're over-the-top, but at least they have a style of their own.
But when you translate McGuiness' art into plastic, you get entire display racks of ugly. Hideous faces, ridiculous anatomy (look at those thighs!). It's hard to believe that DC Direct has made at least three series of McGuiness figures. And that people buy them. It was hard narrowing things down to just a few examples:
This "Return of Supergirl" figure, based on the art of Michael Turner, stands out as one of the sickliest, disturbing figures DC Direct has released (absurd waistline, creepy expression and eyes).
But, sometimes, you can take great art as a model and still turn out an incredibly--almost absurdly--ugly figure. Witness Superman and, especially, Wonder Woman based on Darwyn Cooke's "New Frontier" mini-series.
Most of the figures in this series look pretty decent (I especially like Green Arrow and Dr. Fate), but the faces on these two are horrendous. What was DC Direct thinking? Cooke's faces are stylized and cartoony in a fun retro way. But the too-squinty Superman and "I don't know what's wrong with her face" Wonder Woman just don't work in plastic:
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What are your picks for ugliest action figure? Let us know in the comments section. Or send me pics and I'll post them here.
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