New and upcoming pop culture books: Batman; Dylan; Elvis Costello; The Who; Beach Boys; Star Wars; Monsters; Kubrick; Disney; Lego, more

Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon.
































Original comic book art: Jack Kirby's Captain America from 1976

Via Heritage Auctions: Jack Kirby and Barry Smith art for Captain America's Bicentennial Battles #1.

New Doctor Who season 9 trailer



Christmas comes early: Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings announce holiday album

I like to pick up a new holiday album once a year if there's anything good, and here's a no brainer: It’s a Holiday Soul Party out this October (yes, you can never be too early with such things) by Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings.

Looking forward to Jones and crew do their retro soul thing on the track list below. There's also a documentary focusing on Jones out soon.

Track list:

1. "8 Days (Of Hanukkah)"
2. "Ain’t No Chimneys in the Projects"
3. "White Christmas"
4. "Just Another Christmas Song"
5. "Silent Night"
6. "Big Bulbs"
7. "Please Come Home For Christmas"
8. "Funky Little Drummer Boy"
9. "Silver Bells"
10. "World Of Love"
11. "God Rest Ye Merry Gents"

They made this: Marvel Comics Play-Doh "can heads"

Available here.


New: Batman "morphing mugs"

These black mugs reveal images inspired by the 1960s Batman TV show when you add hot water. Available here.




Squeeze releases first album in 20 years

Squeeze has played numerous shows led by co-songwriters Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook in recent years, but hasn't issued an album of new material in more than two decades.

That changes now, with the announcement of From the Cradle the Grave, available Aug. 24 in a limited edition, but more widely in October. You can get the early edition here.

Details:

The fan edition is limited to 1000 copies, all individually numbered, with a one time collector’s insert – a replica of a train ticket that appears on tour artwork, numbered from 1-1000.

Many of you who have seen Squeeze live over the last few years will have heard “Cradle To The Grave” and “Top Of The Form” featured in the set – alongside these are another 10 new songs recorded over the least 3 years at 45 RPM Studios in South East London (where else?!)

As if that wasn’t enough, the album includes new song “Happy Days” which is now receiving great airplay on Radio 2, as well as a few songs that will be familiar from the demo stage where they were available on the true to its word “Arse About Face” CD.

Full Tracklisting:
1. Cradle To The Grave
2. Nirvana
3. Beautiful Game
4. Happy Days
5. Open
6. Only 15
7. Top Of The Form
8. Sunny
9. Haywire
10. Honeytrap
11. Everything
12. Snap, Crackle And Pop

Kirby 4 Heroes helps comics creators in need

Jack Kirby's granddaughter Jillian has posted a video launching the 2015 campaign for her Kirby 4 Heroes organization, which helps raise funds to help comic book creators without health benefits and who are otherwise in financial need.


California museum launches Jack Kirby exhibit

"Comic Book Apocalypse: The Graphic World of Jack Kirby" is an exhibit of the famed artist's work opening Aug. 24 at California State University.
English professor Charles Hatfield, curator of the exhibition, said he wanted to show Kirby’s works because of their graphic power and great historical impact on American popular culture. Hatfield said when it comes to Kirby, you either “go big or don’t bother at all.”
“We call the show ‘Comic Book Apocalypse’ because when you’re dealing with Kirby, nothing less than the end of everything is at stake,” said Hatfield, author of the book “Hand of Fire: The Comics Art of Jack Kirby” and winner of a 2012 Will Eisner Comics Industry Award for Best Educational/Academic Work.
... Hatfield said the exhibition will be the largest gallery show in the United States to feature Kirby’s art and the first held at a university.
Kirby is the co-creator of numerous Marvel Comics characters, ranging from the Fantastic Four, Avengers and X-Men, to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Silver Surfer, the Inhumans and Black Panther.


New comics and more this week: Star Wars; Hellboy; Green Arrow; Superman; Daredevil; Agent Carter; Archie; Jeffrey Jones

Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.









Out now: Original "Invasion of the Body Snatchers" soundtrack by Carmen Dragon

A new one from the folks at La La Land Records:
La-La Land Records, Paramount Pictures and The Carmen Dragon Music Library present the world premiere release of composer Carmen Dragon’s (COVER GIRL, WHEN IN ROME, KISS TOMORROW GOODBYE) original motion picture score to the classic 1956 sci-fi chiller INVASION OF THE BODY SNATCHERS, starring Kevin McCarthy, Dana Wynter and Larry Gates, and directed by Don Siegel.
Renowned composer/conductor/arranger Carmen Dragon creates an astoundingly complex and groundbreaking work, (his inventive use of low, staccato piano notes for suspense would inspire many composers to do the same) that perfectly emboldens the film’s sci-fi terror and paranoia, while never neglecting the story’s human emotions or its psychological and sociological underpinnings.
Produced for La-La Land Records by Carmen Dragon’s son-in-law, Richard “Rick” Henn and Neil S. Bulk, and restored and mastered by Stephen Marsh and Fernando Lee, this limited edition release of 2,000 units includes source music bonus tracks and features exclusive, in-depth liner notes by film music Jeff Bond, with a special note from album co-producer Henn. Dan Goldwasser’s sharp art design completes a must-have score release that will take over your entire being.

Cool! Batman "to the Batcave!" set from Mattel

A new set from Mattel provides a Batman figure (with Bruce Wayne head) and cool props inspired by the 1960s TV show, such as the Bat Computer, Bat Phone, Shakespeare bust and more.





Comic Art: Batman turns the page