More Mary Blair Disney design art
Wrapping up this latest series of Mary Blair art, here's a grab-bag of her work for various Disney projects, including art for "Dumbo," "Song of the South" and more. I'm sure we'll have more to show in the future. Images via Heritage Auctions.
New comics collections out this week: The Eternals by Jack Kirby Monster-Size; Moonlight Omnibus; Savage Sword of Conan Omnibus; Robin, The Boy Wonder
Stuff that looks good to me. Click the links to order from Amazon. Info from the publishers.
The limitless imagination of Jack "King" Kirby unleashed countless creations into the world of comics. Captain America. The Fantastic Four. The Avengers. The X-Men. Each timeless creation was imbued with Kirby's inescapable graphic power, his boundless capacity for capturing the human condition and his eternal search for meaning in the cosmos. And Kirby's Eternals revealed an entire new realm of heroes! Once worshipped as gods, this fantastic group left Earth to explore the stars after warring with the Greek, Roman and Norse pantheons for supremacy over humankind. But the Eternals are just one part of a cosmic mythology. Their opposites - the Deviants - also secretly populate Earth, and the towering cosmic entities that created both - the Celestials - are fated to return and judge us all!
COLLECTING: ETERNALS (1976) 1-19, ETERNALS ANNUAL (1977) 1
COLLECTING: ETERNALS (1976) 1-19, ETERNALS ANNUAL (1977) 1
Discover the many faces of the Moon Knight! Mercenary. Werewolf hunter. Millionaire playboy. Cab driver. Super hero? Moon Knight is many things to many people, and he has the multiple personalities to match! Follow Marc Spector, the earthly Fist of Khonshu, as he battles to fi nd his place in the Marvel Universe - and builds the strangest rogues' gallery in all of comics. Prepare yourself for the deadly Bushmaster! Arsenal, the one-man army! Stained Glass Scarlet, the nun with a crossbow! And more! Featuring iconic stories by Doug Moench and Bill Sienkiewicz!
COLLECTING: Werewolf By Night (1972) 32-33; Marvel Spotlight (1971) 28-29; Defenders (1972) 47-50; Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man (1976) 22-23; Marvel Two-In-One (1974) 52; Moon Knight (1980) 1-20; Marvel Team-Up Annual (1976) 4; Amazing Spider-Man (1963) 220; material from Defenders (1972) 51; Hulk Magazine (1978) 11-15, 17-18, 20; Marvel Preview (1975) 21
Conan returns for another massive Omnibus collection! The barbarian wields his savage sword against a massive winged monster that guards a tower holding a weather-controlling gem - then fi nds himself surrounded by an army of Picts with their own witch-doctor protector! In THE TREASURE OF TRANICOS, Conan matches wits with a band of pirates who'd rather kill each other than share any of the loot - all while the wicked Thoth-Amon stalks them from the shadows. And the four-part epic CONAN THE LIBERATOR sees Conan realize his destiny as he raises an army to overthrow the mad king Numedides! Featuring the stories by Roy Thomas with stunning art by John Buscema, Gil Kane and more!
COLLECTING: SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN (1974) 45-60
With Batman and Robin looking out for Gotham--villains don't stand a chance!
But what happens when Robin is confronted by a villain that sees past the mask? One that...recognizes him as Tim Drake! Will the Boy Wonder be able to continue crime fighting? And if he can continue on...will he be the same? Being disillusioned to the realities of crime-fighting...will the bad guys of Gotham finally get their chance? Or will our Boy Wonder be able to snap himself out of it and get back to work!
Follow along in this incredible collection of Batman and Robin as they battle against some of your love-to-hate villains like Harley Quinn, Rupert Thorne, Dagger Dixon, and more!
Collects Batman: Gotham Adventures #7, Batman: Gotham Adventures #19, Batman: Gotham Adventures #29, Batman: Gotham Adventures #42, Batman: Gotham Adventures #54, Batman Adventures #9
In the latest volume collecting George Pérez's landmark run on Wonder Woman, Diana and Donna Troy team up, thanks to the manipulations of Circe! Plus, classic Wonder Woman villain Dr. Psycho returns, and Diana is wanted... for murder?
Collects Wonder Woman #46-57 and Who's Who #3-4, #7-8, #13, and #16.
The Hulk is back and ready to smash his way through more villains than you can throw a tank at! Watch out, Sandman and Leader, you're in the path of the Green Goliath and his journey into the subatomic world of the Psyklop. There he will meet his true love, Jarella, for the first time. Then comes the debut of long-time enemy and ally, Doc Samson. In the aftermath of a battle with another doctor (Doom, that is), the Hulk finds himself in the sights of the military's Project Greenskin. Objective? Destroy the Hulk! Finally, with the help of Ant-Man, Hulk will reunite with Jarella, but not before he's put on trial by the heroes of the Marvel Universe.
Collects: Vol. 5: Incredible Hulk (1968) 138-156, Avengers (1963) 88
See a page from the new Asterix adventure - out in October
The "new" Asterix team of writer Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrator Didier Conrad is back with their fourth installment in the long-running comics series this year with a new adventure for Asterix, Obelix and friends. You can see a page from the upcoming book below. The title hasn't been revealed.
Details:
Following Asterix and the Picts in 2013, Asterix and the Missing Scroll in 2015, Asterix and the Chariot Race in 2017 and Asterix and the Chieftain's Daughter in 2019, the double-act of writer Jean-Yves Ferri and illustrator Didier Conrad will start 2021 perfecting their fifth collaboration, continuing the series that the sorely missed René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo started 60 years ago.
And even now the creators can give us a peek at one page as an appetiser before the banquet they'll be serving us in October!
New "Batwoman" TV series poster - season starts Jan. 17 on the CW
Here's another pic of Javicia Leslie, who's taking on the title role in the CW's "Batwoman," which starts its second season on Jan. 17.
Pop Life: Wonder Woman 1984; Aubrey-Maturin novels; Cut Worms
What I've been reading, watching hearing, etc.
After witnessing all the hubbub about the new Wonder Woman movie going straight to TV, along with screening in theaters, due to COVID-19, and then watching that actual film, I came away thinking this thing belongs on TV.
"Wonder Woman 1984" is a small picture: Lacking in vision and execution, and failing to meet its potential. The first WW film, I thought, was great. The direction was ambitious and the story was inspiring. Gal Gadot is a charismatic star born to play this role.
The movie presented us with a true super heroine—unlike her male counterparts who are motivated by revenge and/or a compulsion to fight for truth and justice, Diana wants to help people because she likes... people. Her approach to superhero-ing is based on compassion. The scenes of her in the first film, coming to the aid of families displaced and victimized by war were genuinely moving in a way that's extremely rare for films of this genre.
The follow-up film, sadly, pales in comparison. The plot, about a magic rock that grants wishes (for real, that's it) could've come from an episode of the actual 1970s/80s Wonder Woman TV series. Or from the 1960s Batman series. Or "Gilligan's Island." It's a dumb TV episode plot extended to two and a half hours.
And rather than pit Diana against a female villain worthy of her, the main baddie is a stereotypical businessman, Maxwell Lord (played by the should've-been-given-something-better-to-do Pedro Pascal) who simply wants to be rich and famous. Kristin Wiig is on hand as the Cheetah, but on the sidelines. In the style of the 1990s Batman films, she's the prep-villain who's given an origin story here and likely to reappear later, maybe, as the major villain of a follow-up film. In my view, it's a misstep. The Cheetah should've, could've been built up as the major foe of the film, creating a more interesting story that featured two female characters in the lead roles.
Chris Pine, who's back from the dead (magic rock—that's not spoiler, it's utterly predictable) and provides a few chuckles as a displaced dude from the Forties who gets into wearing 1980s fashions. This joke is the only reason I could figure for why this film was even sent in the 80s.
What a bummer. But at least I got to see it on HBO Max, which I already pay for, rather than spending a bunch of money on it at the theater (and maybe catching the virus).
I hope you all had some time off over the holidays to relax and read. I took an extended staycation and thoroughly enjoyed it, although I did miss time with family and friends. I'm glad, at least, that I have my wife and daughter here to keep me company!
For me, the break was a great time to dive into the utterly transportive world of Patrick O'Brian and "Treason's Harbour," the ninth entry in his series about British Naval Captain Jack Aubrey and his friend, surgeon-spy Stephen Maturin, and their adventures during the Napoleonic Wars.
I've been making my way, very slowly, through these books for many years now. I'm pacing myself, because O'Brian only (only!) complete 20, and when I'm done, there ain't no more. Although, I'm hanging onto them in anticipation of simply starting over once I reach the end. In fact, I'm really looking forward to re-reading books I haven't even read, yet! That's how good they are.
If you haven't (do!), the books, of course, are full of exciting Naval battles and shipboard life and missions that mix fiction with history. But what I love most about them are the characters, who are so richly developed and real. Aubrey-Maturin are good men, but with flaws and minor foibles that amuse, disappoint and sadden us as we read about them, because they are true to life. Their friendship also is utterly real. I've never read a truer depiction of two, very different, people and the mutual respect, and necessary tolerance, that binds them together.
O'Brian's story are full of action, emotion, humor and wisdom. Reading them makes me a better, fuller, person, I think.
And this one was a real cliffhanger! I don't know that I'll be able to retain my slow pace of reading, now.
I was fortunate to get a lot of new music for Christmas. I'm sure I'll be writing about more of it. But one album I wanted to flag is Cut Worms' "Nobody Lives Here Anymore." I discovered this music via Spotify and immediately fell in love with its blending of Brill Building pop and touches of country. I didn't know anything about the creators and figured the Cut Worms were a band. Turns out there's no "the" and Cut Worms is a guy named Max Clarke, a very talented singer and songwriter from Ohio. This is a very strong LP that holds together well, and I've enjoyed earlier Cut Worms tunes that have popped up on my Spotify playlist, too. Check him/them out. It's good stuff.
"Crime Comics Confidential" features Toth, Buscema, Cole, Krigstein and others illustrating tales of true mobsters
A lineup of comics greats are featured in this compendium out later this year from IDW. Available for pre-order now from Amazon.
Details:
True life criminals Al Capone, Legs Diamond, Pretty Boy Floyd, Dutch Schultz, Lucky Luciano, and John Dillinger are featured alongside colorful pulp fiction characters with rods ablaze. These mobsters flaunted their sexy gun molls and ill-gotten gains of big cars and fancy suits, living outside the law until getting their just deserts in the end.
Features masterful creators Charles Biro, Dick Briefer, John Buscema, Gene Colan, Jack Cole, Reed Crandall, Fred Guardineer, Everett Raymond Kinstler, Bernie Krigstein, Mort Meskin, Bob Powell, John Prentice, Mike Sekowsky, Leonard Starr, Marvin Stein, Alex Toth, and many others. These Senate-investigated stories are fully restored--over 20 full-comic stories in all!
There are over 200 pages of action-packed comics plus an in-depth essay by editor and designer Steven Brower. Brower's comics-related books include From Shadow to Light: The Life and Art of Mort Meskin and Golden Age Western Comics.
"Bob Dylan - 1970" captures sessions with George Harrison and more
Having heard the bootlegs, the stuff with George is more tantalizing to the eyes than ears. But I've enjoyed all of Bob's outtake collections and anticipate finding a few gems in this one, too.
Out Feb. 26 and you can order it from Amazon now.
Details:
Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, announce the forthcoming release of Bob Dylan – 1970, the first widely available pressing of a three-disc collection of long-sought-after studio recordings, on Friday, February 26.
The recordings on Bob Dylan – 1970 were first released in a limited edition on December 4 as part of the Bob Dylan – 50th Anniversary Collection copyright extension series (which began in 2012). The buzz surrounding the 1970 performances, notably Dylan’s studio sit-down with George Harrison on May 1, created a demand for a broader release of these historic tracks.
Bob Dylan – 1970 includes previously unreleased outtakes from the sessions that produced Self Portrait and New Morning as well as the complete May 1, 1970 studio recordings with George Harrison, which capture the pair performing together on nine tracks, including Dylan originals (“One Too Many Mornings,” “Gates of Eden,” “Mama, You Been On My Mind”), covers (the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have to Do Is Dream,” Carl Perkins’ “Matchbox”) and more.
Bob Dylan – 1970 comes housed in an 8-panel digipack featuring new cover art and liner notes by Michael Simmons.
Bob Dylan – 1970 (50th Anniversary Collection)
Disc 1Disc 2
- I Can’t Help but Wonder Where I’m Bound
- Universal Soldier – Take 1
- Spanish Is the Loving Tongue – Take 1
- Went to See the Gypsy – Take 2
- Went to See the Gypsy – Take 3
- Woogie Boogie
- Went to See the Gypsy – Take 4
- Thirsty Boots – Take 1
- Little Moses – Take 1
- Alberta – Take 2
- Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies – Take 1
- Things About Comin’ My Way – Takes 2 & 3
- Went to See the Gypsy – Take 6
- Untitled 1970 Instrumental #1
- Come a Little Bit Closer – Take 2
- Alberta – Take 5
- Sign on the Window – Take 2
- Sign on the Window – Takes 3-5
- If Not for You – Take 1
- Time Passes Slowly – Rehearsal
- If Not for You – Take 2
- If Not for You – Take 3
- Song to Woody – Take 1
- Mama, You Been on My Mind – Take 1
- Yesterday – Take 1
Disc 3
- Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – Take 1
- Medley: I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)/Da Doo Ron Ron – Take 1
- One Too Many Mornings – Take 1
- Ghost Riders in the Sky – Take 1
- Cupid – Take 1
- All I Have to Do Is Dream – Take 1
- Gates of Eden – Take 1
- I Threw It All Away – Take 1
- I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) – Take 1
- Matchbox – Take 1
- Your True Love – Take 1
- Telephone Wire – Take 1
- Fishing Blues – Take 1
- Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance – Take 1
- Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Take 1
- It Ain’t Me Babe
- If Not for You
- Sign on the Window – Take 1
- Sign on the Window – Take 2
- Sign on the Window – Take 3
- Alligator Man
- Alligator Man [rock version]
- Alligator Man [country version]
- Sarah Jane 1
- Sign on the Window
- Sarah Jane 2
- If Not for You – Take 1
- If Not for You – Take 2
- Jamaica Farewell
- Can’t Help Falling in Love
- Long Black Veil
- One More Weekend
- Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie – Take 1
- Three Angels
- Tomorrow Is a Long Time – Take 1
- Tomorrow Is a Long Time – Take 2
- New Morning
- Untitled 1970 Instrumental #2
- Went to See the Gypsy
- Sign on the Window – stereo mix
- Winterlude
- I Forgot to Remember to Forget 1
- I Forgot to Remember to Forget 2
- Lily of the West – Take 2
- Father of Night – rehearsal
- Lily of the West
- If Not for You – Take 1
- If Not for You – Take 2
- Day of the Locusts – Take 2
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