Alex Toth: Western comics covers

Girl from U.N.C.L.E. on DVD from Warner Archives

The Warner Archive is now offering the complete run of "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E." More info:

The United Network Command for Law and Enforcement has a new agent in its struggle with THRUSH: The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. The girl is April Dancer (Stefanie Powers) who, assisted by partner Mark Slate (Noel Harrison) and guided by chief Alexander Waverly (Leo G. Carroll), travels the globe on assignments, using her martial-arts and espionage prowess to combat foes. This spoofy 29-Episode Spy Series in a 8-Disc Set includes a dossier of top-level guest stars – Gladys Cooper, Wally Cox, Dom DeLuise, Boris Karloff, Peggy Lee, Pernell Roberts, Gena Rowlands and Leslie Uggams among them. April Dancer (with Mary Ann Mobley playing the role) was first introduced to fans in The Moonglow Affair episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

Download Brian Wilson's Buddy Holly tribute track

Rolling Stone is offering a free download of a lovely cover version of Buddy Holly's "Listen to Me" by Brian Wilson and band. The track appears on a Holly tribute collection of the same name. This is the second recent Buddy Holly tribute compilation. Other tracks on this one feature Stevie Nicks, Jackson Browne, Ringo Starr, Zooey Deschanel and others.

Music new releases Aug. 23, 2011

Click the links to order discounted releases from Amazon:


Muppets: The Green Album


Mirror Traffic Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

 
Outside Society  Patti Smith



An American Trilogy Mickey Newbury



Hits Are for Squares Sonic Youth

DVD new releases Aug. 23, 2011

Roger Corman's Cult Classics Sword And Sorcery Collection (Deathstalker, Deathstalker II, The Warrior And The Sorceress & Barbarian Queen)


Best of Jack Benny


Trollhunter


The Event: The Complete Series


The Women In Cages Collection (Roger Corman's Cult Classics) (Big Doll House / Women in Cages / The Big Bird)

Alex Toth: Johnny Hazard comic book covers

Alex Toth Zorro comic book covers

Alex Toth: Johnny Quest character designs

Cover of Brian Wilson's In the Key of Disney

The album is due out Oct. 25, USA Today reports.

I enjoyed Brian's Gershwin album quite a bit. Disney tunes seem like an even better pairing and I'm looking forward to hearing the arrangements. At the same time, I hope he'll follow this up with an album of original tunes. That Lucky Old Sun, his last collection of originals, was very strong.

"The Beach Boys sound and the Disney people make a fantastic collaboration," says Wilson, 69. "I tried to do justice to all their songs."


The tracks include songs from Disney's early animated classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs all the way to last year's Toy Story 3. Working with co-arranger Paul Von Mertens, Wilson imbues the songs with complex falsettos and an innocence associated with the Beach Boys sound.


Dumbo lullaby Baby Mine features harmonies that might have fit on Wilson's In My Room. An instrumental medley of Snow White's Heigh-Ho and Whistle While You Work also incorporates a line from Yo Ho (A Pirate's Life for Me), the theme song of Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean attractions.

Alex Toth Space Angel character sketches

Dynamite Entertainment to publish Shadow comics

From the press release:

Dynamite Entertainment has signed a comprehensive licensing agreement with Conde Nast for comic books based on one of the most popular cultural icons in comics - The Shadow! Arguably the most famous pulp hero of the 20th century, The Shadow has been featured in comic books, comic strips, television, video games, and at least five motion pictures!

"We are pleased and excited to entrust The Shadow to the capable, creative hands of Dynamite Entertainment," said Jerry Birenz, licensing attorney for Conde Nast. "We look forward to a continuation of the long tradition of The Shadow in comic books, and the enjoying of the new adventures and experiences Dynamite Entertainment will bring us."

Introduced as a mysterious radio narrator by David Chrisman, William Sweets, and Harry Engman Charlot for Street and Smith Publications, The Shadow was fully developed and transformed into a pop culture icon by pulp writer Walter B. Gibson.

The Shadow debuted on July 31, 1930, as the mysterious narrator of the Street and Smith radio program Detective Story Hour. After gaining popularity among the show's listeners, the narrator became the star of The Shadow Magazine on April 1, 1931, a pulp series created and primarily written by the prolific Gibson.

"Pursuing The Shadow has been a life time quest," says Dynamite Entertainment President and Publisher Nick Barrucci. "Dynamite is working to launch the Shadow with some of the comic industries leading talent including John Cassaday, Alex Ross, Ryan Sook and Jae Lee, with more to be announced - creators who will bring justice to The Shadow. We will be releasing more exciting news about The Shadow series soon!"