More on Golden-gate

Yes, I've come up with that one first. I think. It's such an obvious reference that I can't believe someone else hasn't quipped it yet. I'd ask for a fee, but I would be afraid I'd have to pay if I didn't think it up first. And, if I was FOX News, this would have a theme song and a catchy graphic.

The Michael Golden commission controversy I spoke of here has oozed it's way into and even bigger mess. Not only did I have to go on Byrne Robotics, but I also had to go on the Comics Journal boards to follow the story. Ick.

Most notable is this page from the Journal Boards where Golden's agent tries to defend her client. I'll let you read that and come back. He post is towards the bottom of the page with another a couple of posts after.

I love fresh spin! Especially when it doesn't work!

I especially like the last one where she sis-boom-bah's Golden's career resurgence, say the offending, mistake-laden sketch Golden did for the fan will go up in value.

Another funny is the fact she says the guy got a discount. That sketch wasn't even worth $500, let alone more than that.

And this blog lists even more high-quality Golden sketches that fetched $100+.

 

Sad News: Bill Walsh R.I.P.

Five people of different levels of fame all dying on the same day, two from the same cause. That's spooky.

The passing of Bill Walsh really hit me, which was strange because I was never a 49ers fan. But, as I thought about it, the way football is nowadays kind of all traces back to him. The innovations he brought to the game have been transfered throughout the league by his assistants and their assistants until they're just about everywhere you look.

There are few geniuses these days but Walsh was one of them. And I'll miss him for all he's done for a sport I love.

This week's box office: How did I do?

Another bad week for Bill. This is what I predicted:

1. The Simpsons Movie
   
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
   
3. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
   
4. No Reservations
   
5. Hairspray

This is how it turned out.

1. The Simpsons Movie
2. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
3. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
4. Hairspray
5. No Reservations

I guess the rest of America doesn't share my wish that Chuck and Larry would just go away.

I am now 38 for 70 with an average of .542

SDCC'07: G4's coverage of the show.

And this should be the last San Diego post for this year.

I had a chance to see some of G4's coverage of the Comic Con. I have to say I was impressed by some of what I saw, not so much by other stuff I saw.

Both hosts appeared to be knowledgeable about comics. Whether this is because of personal knowledge or well-written patter by someone else who knows comics is unknown to me.

But they had to put digs in at comic fans. Yeah, I have been at a convention where some attendees did not shower as often as they should. I usually beat thme with a garden hose and then hose them down with it. But not all comic fans have the hygene habits of Jabba the Hut. So stop it with the jokes.

And Olivia Munn's interview with Neil Gaiman was painful. I was looking forward to it through most of the 2-hour show. She seemed like she was a small bunny trying to cross busy six-lane highway. She would ask Neil a question. Neil would answer the question with thought and in a somewhat slow manner. When they switched to a two-shot of her and Neil, she was almost bouncing up and down in her chair. You could almost read her mind: "Why is he taking so much time answering question A! I have question B to ask! Then question C! Oh, I wish he'd hurry up! If he's not done soon, I'm jumping in and asking question B anyway!"

I could be misinterpreting her body language. She might have been nervous interviewing Gaiman because she is a big fan of his. But it seemed the other way.

But I have to say one thing, it is good to see a network devote some much time and money to covering the convention.

SDCC '07: The Spider-Man Creative teams.

I think I have enough snarky things to say about this topic to give it it's own blog post.

Marvel announced who the creators are on their new, three-times a month Amazing Spider-Man. They are:

Dan Slott, Steve McNiven, Dexter Vines and Morry Hollowell
Marc Guggenheim, Salvador Larrocca and Jason Keith
Bob Gale, Phil Jimenez, Andy Lanning and Jeromy Cox
Zeb Wells, Chris Bachalo, Tim Townshend and Antonio Fabela

CBR exclaims this about the group in an interview with editor Steve "I can do any comic that is scheduled more often than monthly" Wacker:

"Steve, the line-up that's been announced is fantastic – it's like an all-star team of creators!"

Hey! CBR! PSST! You lack of journalistic integrity is showing.

I will agree that the artistic line-up is worthy of the term "all-star", but the writing team, and I like stuff each and everyone of them has done, isn't quite at the all-star level in the realm of comics yet. I mean, Slott has been getting close but outside of their Hollywood pedigrees, Guggenheim, Gale and Wells are not even close.

This is what I think of the writer and artist tandems:

• Dan Slott, Steve McNiven: I love both of these guys: Slott from GLX and McNiven beck to his CrossGen days, but this tandem is essentially a recipe for lateness. And more on Slott's end that McNiven's.
• Marc Guggenheim, Salvador Larrocca: I love Guggenheim, but I am becoming progressively more annoyed with Larroca's artwork. He is one of the worst offenders in the area of using artistic swipes of famous people in his art. Take a look at newuniversal. In any issue, you can spot Leonard Nimoy, the cast of the Sopranos, James Cromwell and other actors I can quite place just yet.
• Bob Gale, Phil Jimenez: Bob Gale wrote Back to the Future, one of my favorite movies of all time. He also did a half decent arc on Daredevil. And Phil Jimenez is a great artist as long as he's not rushed.
• Zeb Wells, Chris Bachalo: I have been a fan of Chris Bachalo since Shade: The Changing Man. And I don't mind, as some other critics do, the way his style has changed since then. And Zeb Wells wrote a few good Spider-Man's towards the end of the Peter Parker: Sider-Man series.

Of course, this is only for the first time through. The teams will switch as the year goes on.

And what will these stories entail? Well, that depends on how "One More Day" ends. A popular rumor is that the series will reset it's continuity. No marriage to Mary Jane, Aunt May is alive, etc. Normally, I don't like these "reset button" stories that come out of nowhere, but if it gets rid of "Sins of the Past", I'll will be happy.

SDCC'07: Even More Kibbles, and some more bits too.

• Weird and Wacky Convention anecdotes!: Transvestites! Hotel rooms that smell like stink feet! Cases of mistaken identities! All this and more recounted here.
• Hawkman and Hawkgirl series coming in 2008: If at first you don't succeed, try as many time as it take for you to do so.
• Messiah CompleX: The capitalized X makes it the goofiest crossover title ever.
• The Dark Knight viral marketing campaign: It's amazing what a gaggle of comics fans could be made due for a Joker mask.

Sad News: R.I.P. Tom Snyder

It's a rough day for obituaries. Ingmar Bergman and now, Tom Snyder.

I am too young to remember his heyday of the Tomorrow show, but I used to watch his Late Late Show when it came on after David Letterman on CBS. His interviews were always interesting no matter who the subject was. They were intelligent and he applied, where appropriate, a healthy dose of humor.

You can read his obituary here.

Buyer Beware: Michael Golden commissions.

The internet is abuzz with talk of a post over at Byrne Robotics message boards, and reading about it has taken up most of my morning.

To sum up, a forum member commissioned a piece from Michael Golden. It cost $500 and he was told that it would take about a month and a half to complete. It took about 4 months and when the guy got his sketch, it was a simple figure drawing which mocked him with a misspelled Dr. Strange incantation (you can see the sketch in the above link).

This story has been covered here and here but the issues with Golden and commissions goes all the way back to June. 

My take? Let's look at both sides of this.

First of all, Golden might be inundated with sketch requests and totally not realizing the amount of time it will take to get through them. That could happen. And Golden is not the only artist who takes longer than promised on delivering commissons to fans.

That being said, I too would be pissed if a sketch I paid that amount of money for took about 3 times as long as they promised and ended up looking like that. All the sketch is is cape. I could do a sketch just as good if I had 4 months (probably less) and I am in no way a professional artist. Add to that the insult to injury that is Golden's adding "Patience is a virue(sic)" to the art.

Sure, Golden might thing that that art is well worth $500. Some fans might agree. I would have preferred to hit the back issues with that money and I probably would have left the convention much happier.

But this should serve as a lesson to all comic fans. If you are going to buy a commission off a favorite artist, take some steps to protect yourself:

• If he/she gives you a time frame of a month and a half, put a date to it. Say "So I should see this around September 15th, right?"
• Ask them what their commission backlog is.
• Ask them exactly what you with be getting for your money before you hand the money over. If what they offer doesn't seem worth the money you are spending, walk away.

If they are treating drawing sketches for fans as a business, you have every right to do so as well.

Movie: The Simpsons Movie and the trailers before it.

Simpsons

"Spider-Pig, Spider Pig,

Does whatever a Spider-Pig does.

Can he swing from a web?

No, he can't cuz he's a pig."

 

That song, and the section of the movie it appears in, along made me love this movie and pretty much sums up why I love the Simpsons so much. The combination of satiric parody, esoteric comedy and downright silliness is what you get when the Simpsons are firing on all cylinders. And they are firing on all of them in this movie.

I was concerned how the Movie would be different than the TV show. Would it be just a longer version of what we can see each week?

In a way, yes it was. But it was definitely a solid film in and of itself.

It had all the elements that make the show great. One innocuous incident leads to another and eventually snowballs into a big calamity.

I was also impressed by how the cast went through character changing arcs yest still maintained the status quo. Homer grew as a person in this movie, but not so much that he changed who he is.

If you like the Simpsons, go see this. If the Simpsons have fell out favor with you, go see this movie. If you want to know what all your friends will be quoting (or in my case, singing) go see this movie. You'll be glad you did.

Now, the trailers:

• Bee Movie: A newer version of the trailer. It looks like it could be funny, but that will depend on how much you like Jerry Seinfeld.
• Fred Claus: The same trailer I saw before. My opinion of it hasn't changed.
• Rush Hour 3: This is the first time I saw a trailer for this movie. It seems like more of the same. If you loved either of the two previous Rush Hours, you should like this one.
• Horton Hears a Who: I could be just me, but I think the movie makers have taken liberties with the original text. Yes, the latest Dr. Suess adaptation get the computer animation treatment. This movie is notable if you have read any magazine in the last seven months because it features the voices of, according to a number of articles, the previous King of movie comedy, Jim Carrey, and the current, Steve Carell. It is something to see that Jim Carrey is still able to chew scenery while only providing a voice.  

SDCC'07 More Kibbles, More Bits

More commentary on news coming out of San Diego.

• Grant Morrison and JG Jones on Final Night: See, Rich? I'm talking about this now. Yeah, I guess you can say I'm excited. But I heard rumors that Kurt Busiek was going to write it and he's a lot closer to Marv Wolfman than Grant is,
• Salvation Run: A planet where all the bad guys go is an intriguing idea. But wouldn't every DC book be quite boring if the heroes had no bad guys to fight?
• BOOM! Studios is going to do a Godfather comic: This could possibly be the weirdest book/ movie to comic adaptation yet. What's next? Flowers in the Attic? Bridget Jones' Diary?
• New Unknown Soldier comic coming from Vertigo written by Joshua Dysart: At first I was worried that I might have to pick up a new comic. Then I saw who was writing it and I remembred his nigh unreadable arc on Swamp Thing and my wallet smiled.
• Groo movie in the works: Woo hoo!

Friday Night Fights: The Goon Fights Rough.

You know what? I really don't want to mess with the Goon:

 

Goon FNF 1

 

Goon FNF 2

I bet that cold, hard concrete felt like sweet relief after facing the Goon's fists!

Remember, in this world, there are winners, there are losers, and then there's Bahlactus. Always bet on Bahlactus.

SDCC'07: Kibbles N Bits

Here is my various and sundry opinions on the news coming out of San Diego:

• The Twelve from JMS and Chris Weston: Could be good, but it still strikes me as Marvel going through its Golden Age remainder bins before someone else does.
• Brian Reed and Lee Weeks on a new Captain Marvel series: Only makes sense because Reed is writing Ms. Marvel. I have no complaints with either Reed as a writer nor Weeks as an artist.
• Jon Favreau writing Iron Man: Viva Las Vegas: This was supposed to be the big announcement of the Mondo Marvel panel. It wasn't, really. All I know is that Happy Hogan had better say to Tony at one point in the series: "You're money! You're so money and you don't even know it!"
• Darwyn Cooke and J. Bone off the Spirit: Very depressing news. You could make the argument that no one should do the Spirit now that Will Eisner is gone. But Cooke and Bone did a great job updating the character while still keeping with the, pardon the pun, spirit of the piece. I am hesitant anyone else could do as good a job. And if Judd Winick is involved I might just have to kill something.
• The original seven founders of Image reunite: That's it! Cash in your IRA's! Sell your dog! The End is Nigh!
• Dr. Who Coming to IDW: Yay!
• Marc Guggenheim and Phil Jimenez sign exclusives with Marvel: Good for Marvel. Guggenheim is one of my current favorite writers. And Jimenez is a great artist when he's not rushed.
• Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise) to take over Runaways: Yes! I love that Runaways is getting special treatment from Marvel. I am a big SiP fan so I am happy to see Moore get work. I'm slightly less thrilled about Humberto Ramos on art, but I'll survive.
• Daniel and Charlie Knauf to write an Eternals ongoing: Yeah, not too excited. Don't get me wrong, they are doing an okay job on Iron Man. But they are also taking over for Neil Gaiman. Bigger shoes than they would be able to fill.
• Warren Ellis and Simone Bianchi take over Astonishing X-Men: I'm really not as excited about this news as Marvel wants me to be. They are replacing Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, you know.
• Mark Waid to become Editor -in -Chief at Boom! Studios: My knee-jerk reaction? It's like Derek Jeter leaving the New York Yankees to become General Manager of the Toledo Mud Hens. (although Waid is still supposed to keep his other writing commitments.

 

SDCC'07: DC's Countdown Panel

Or should we call it "Let's bail the water out of the ship before it sinks" panel.

Dan Didio announced something quite revelatory with this quote:

“If 52 is the Academy Award-winning movie, then Countdown is the big summer blockbuster.”

So, in other words, if 52 was a well written piece of art, Countdown is some quickly thrown together piece of crap put together for a quick buck. The honesty is quite refreshing actually.

Is there any wonder why people are giving up on the series, as seen here, here, here and here, to name a few.

I get my books on a monthly basis so I have only read about a month of the book. But all of the above have a point. The story goes nowhere. Most of the stuff that actually moves the main plot along happens in other books. We have very little idea what is going to happen.

My opinion on this? Dini is writing this like a TV series. In TV, you can have one big event in the first episode and slowly build suspense from there, eventually leading to the big finale.

Problem is, comics are different than TV series. First off, fans have to pay for comics. And in a weekly, they want some payoff for their investment each and every week. They aren't going to shell out $3 a week on faith in the hopes that eventually something will happen.

Also, if killing off Duela Dent was supposed to be the explosive opening to the series, it failed miserable. She was a seldom used and virtually unknown character. Her death had no "wow" factor, but rather an "eh" factor.

But the Countdown panel did very little to address the issues raised by the series' deserters. Basically, the only series info we got was that title will be changed to "Countdown to Final Crisis" with #26.

They did mention that there is an All-Star Squadron project in the works, which piques my interest.

But I guess sales are still good enough that DC doesn't feel the need to circle the wagons yet. But by the time they do, it might be too late.

SDCC'07: Mark Verheiden agrees with me.

This is the first in a line of commentary about this years San Diego Comic Con. I'll be writing snarky comments about all the news releases coming out of the con.

This quote comes from the DC: Crossing Over panel. Mark Verheiden was speaking on a panel about people from other medium writing for comics:

"Verheiden did have one gripe, though. "It still irritates me when they refer to this as the nerd con," he said. "This is the mainstream con. I hope Entertainment Weekly never uses that phrase ...""

You know my feelings on this if you read this post.

Good going Mark!

Comics Movie Update

There have been a number of comic related news articles in the recent weeks. I have decided to comment on them now:

Seth Rogen tapped to write and possibly co-star in Green Hornet: Variety reports that he is in line to write and/or star in the pulp/comic adaptation.

Let me personally say, I like Seth Rogen. But this leads me to believe that the powers that be are leaning towards a comedic adaptation of the Green Hornet. I mean, Rogen follows Kevin Smith on the project. While Smith's approach was to be more serious than his comedic works, he wasn't know for drama before he was picked. 

I suppose that it would only be a matter of time before one comic property would be treated as a campy. Better it be the Green Hornet than Green Lantern or something like that. And at least with Seth Rogen at the helm, it will be smartly funny.

Another quote from John August cause concern from me about the new "Shazam!" movie; I already blogged  about another instance of when something Shazam writer John August caused me concern. Well, he's spoke out again:

"Screen writer John August talked to the Los Angeles Times about some of the conundrums present in creating the character. "Billy doesn't want to turn back, that's central to the story. And a lot of the movie hinges upon that and Billy's relationship with his best friend and that disparity. They are two teen friends and then suddenly one of them is 30 and a hero. So it creates tension. You know, as a screenwriter, that's the thing, to take what seems to be a problem and make it a key element of the story. But Michael hit it on the head, that's one of the emotional cores of this story. So to me it's a great problem to have.""

Wait a minute? A kid becoming an adult causes tension with his still teenage friend? That sounds awfully familiar? Where might have seen that before?

 

Big

At least he's ripping off plot points from the best.

Jonah Hex set to become a film: The Hollywood Reporter states that the people who brought us Crank will be bringing DC's Western anti-hero to the screen.

As for casting? How about a young Clint Eastwood?

 

Hex1b

 

Clint-eastwood-n1

I kid! I kid! I'm sure Luke Ross didn't use Clint as a photo reference. Not!

This film should be interesting. I wonder how much of the facial scarring they will be keeping and if they will find an actor who is not too vain as to have a problem with it.

Watchmen cast set: I have ranted about a propsed Watchmen cast before, now, according to the Hollywood Reporter, the big six are set in stone. They are:

Patrick Wilson as Night Owl

Jackie Earle Haley as Rorshach

Matthew Goode as Ozymandias

Billy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan

Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the Comedian

Malin Akerman as Silk Spectre

So, no Kate Winslet, no Jude Law, no John Cusack (although Law, as well as Keanu Reeves and Tom Cruise were supposedly interested but budget constraints took them out of the running.). It seems like the are going for quality and value over big names and big salaries. And that's okay with me. The less money the studio puts in the movie, the less they feel the need to meddle. I trust Zach Snyder to deliver a good Watchmen, but not if he has studio suits breathing down his neck.

Tim Blake Nelson joins Hulk cast as the Leader:  According to the Hollywood Reporter, that is. The cast is shaping up pretty good. Edward Norton as Banner/The Hulk, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky, William Hurt as General Ross, and now Nelson as The Leader makes it a pretty strong cast. The only "weak link" is Liv Tyler as Betty Ross. And for a weak ling, that's a pretty strong one.

Gates Picks: This week's new releases

Simpsons

1. The Simpsons Movie (3,922 Theaters): I am of mixed opinions on this. I love the Simpsons. Love love love the Simpsons. I have yet to jump on the "the Simpsons have been going downhill for the last several years" bandwagon. All I know is that when I tune in, I get a chuckle or two out of the show.

That being said, I have my doubts about the movie. Like, how will it be different than the TV show? From what I heard, there will be some Bart nudity. And, frankly, that will not be enough for me.

It not like other TV to Movie adaptations where you have a bigger budget which means bigger sets, special effects and locations. The Simpsons is animated. Drawing France on the big screen costs no more or less than drawing France on the little screen.

I will probably go to see it. And it has recieved a 81% fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.   Which is a good thing.

The plot has been kept secret and none of the previews that I saw have given much a hint. The IMDB page for the movie says that the plot involves Homer dumping nuclear waste into Springfield's river, causing the town to possibly have to relocate. Oh, and that Tom Hanks plays himself in the movie.

 

No reservations

2. No Reservations (2,425 Theaters): This is weird. An Oscar Winner (Zeta-Jones), an Oscar nomineee (Abigail Breslin) and a Golden Globe Nominee (Eckhart) in a little piffle of a romantic comedy.

Not only is this film a remake of a German film (Mostly Martha) but the entire concept is not original. A high-powered business woman is forced to take care of a child, and love develops while she struggles in her guardianship role? Wasn't this essentially the plot of Baby Boom?

But I do like the actors involved. Zeta-Jones hasn't done much since winning the Oscar, but I think that she's a good actress. Eckhart has been good in everything I've seen him in so far (can't wait to see him in The Dark Knight). And Breslin held her own in Little Miss Sunshine.

Unfortunately, reviewers have not been kind to the flick. Rotten Tomatoes has it at only 44% positive. And even the good reviews don't gush over it. They call it "nice" and "simple". Not a ringing endorsement by any means.

 

I know who killed me

3. I Know Who Killed Me (1,200+ Theaters): And then there's this one. Poor Lindsay Lohan. If getting pulled over chasing the mother of your personal assistant while drunk and having cocaine in your pocket wasn't bad enough, your latest movie, which opens the same week, wasn't even submitted to be reviewed. That is a very, very bad sign.

You know, I have a little bit more sympathy for Lindsay than I do for Paris. Because Lindsay has a modicum of talent and a boatload of potential, which she is just throwing away.

That doesn't mean that her antics this week will in anyway help her movie at all. Not that we really know all that much about it.

All I know is that she plays a stripper in the film. Which, if she wasn't a total wreck, might have been enough to draw the horny frat boys in. The confusing story deals with her escaping from a serial killer, presumed to be another person, but the real person is still in danger.

If that sentence didn't make sense to you, sorry. But I really can't be bother trying to explain it more.

 

Who's your caddy

 4. Who's Your Caddy? (1, 019 Theaters): Here's something that might tragically become a trend. Let's take a classic 1980's comedy (say, like, Caddyshack) insert an ethic group (say, like, African-Americans) and rerelease it as a new movie with a slightly sterotypical name (say, like, Who's Your Caddy?).

I mean, basically, what this film is, with Big Boi playing the Rodney Dangerfield part.

I mean, the spirit is the same, the underdog dealing with prejudice from the rich elite and overcoming, only this time with poor upbringing being replaced by skin color. But that doesn't excuse the lack of originality.

 What's next? Will "Meatballs" turn into "Crunk Camp"? "Police Academy" into "Fuzz-izzle for Shizzile"? "Ghostbusters" into "I Ain't Afraid of No Ghosts?"

People criticize Hollywood for a lack of originality, with all the adaptations from novels, TV shows and comics. Not to mention the trend for sequels and remakes, which Who's Your Caddy essentially is. This movie makes me think those critics might have a point.

So, how do I think the top five will look like?

1. The Simpsons Movie
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.
4. No Reservations
5. Hairspray

I think the Simpsons will be on top when it's all said and done. I think Harry will sneak past Chuck and Larry. I think No Reservations will have enough to make the top five and I Know Who Killed Me and Who's Your Caddy? will be way out of the top 5, if not out of the top 10.

 

 

 

 

What has new Moon Knight writer Mike Benson really done?

Comic Book Resources has announced that a man named Mike Benson will be joining Charlie Huston on writing duties for Moon Knight. As for prior writing experience, they say Mr. Benson is a television writer.

Usually, when they say something like this, they offer a list of credits. The only thing CBR gives us as a clue is this:

"If you glance at Benson's profile on the Internet Movie Database, you'll see that his television writing work has been primarily in the field of comedy..."

Being curious on what this new writer did, I pulled up IMDB. For "Mike Benson" I got 8 responses. The only one with any writing experience is this one. The only writing credit he had was on an episode of "X-Play", the videogame review program on the G4 network. Let me just say this, I hope this is not the Mike Benson they are talking about. Because writing one episode of X-Play does not make you a TV writer.

Trying to give Marvel the benefit of the doubt, I decided to put in "Michael Benson". This search brough 17 results. The only different writer is this one. This Michael Benson has written 3 episodes of Entourage and 12 episodes of The Bernie Mac show. That is a little better. I never saw Bernie Mac but I am a huge fan of Entourage. This makes me happier that he's joining the comic writing ranks.

But how could I be sure? Well, I entered Mike Benson and Moon Knight into MSN Search. I got my confirmation from, of all places, Wizard Universe. In this interview, we find out that the Michael Benson who worked on Bernie Mac and Entourage IS the one taking over Moon Knight. If you asked me which website would have had the better journalism, I would have picked CBR over Wizard anyday.

Now, this might not be all that annying to anyone else but me. But one of the selling points in the CBR article was that Benson is coming from writing for TV. It is only natural that fans would like to know what he has done. CBR pointed us to IMDB, a search which was of the needle and haystack variety. It would have been just as easy to list Benson's credits.  

Funniest. Comic Company Press Release. Ever!

According to this article, Jenna Jameson is set to star in a new comic book from Virgin Comics.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is comedy gold. It is funny on so many levels. Funny? Funny how? Let me count the ways:

1. Jenna Jameson, porn star, is doing a book for a comic company named Virgin. I haven't seen a creator be as an antithesis of the name of the company they worked for since Rob Liefeld started up Awesome comics.

2. It is also funny that Virgin has gone directly from B-level celebrities to create their books straight to Z-level. Sure, be the guy who used to be in the Eurythmics is pretty low, but it doesn't get much lower than a porn star who is losing her looks.

3. Read this little gem from the press release:

"The story, while provocative and sexy, contains no nudity and is intended for a mainstream audience."

Doesn't this kind of defeat the purpose of having a porn star write your books? I mean, when one thinks of Jenna Jameson, they don't think "top notch writer". They think of her, in the cleanest sense, as being nude. I mean, William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Jenna Jameson: which does not belong?

If they weren't just selling out all their morals and publishing a porn comics, they should have tried to go after Jessica Alba or Scarlett Johansson. They're hotter and and probably better writers.

4. This is how they describe the book:

"Shadow Hunter is the story of a provocative superheroine who survives a brush with death only to find herself fighting the legions of hell for her very soul."

Funny, I thought she would go with a more autobiographical route: a story of a woman who slowly finds her self turning into plastic.

Box Office Totals: How did I do?

Horrible. This is what I predicted:

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
   
2. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
   
3. Transformers
   
4. Ratatouille
   
5. Hairspray

And this is how it turned out:

1. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
2. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
3. Hairspray
4. Transformers
5. Ratatouille

0 for 5. That's...that's just pathetic. I just all the Harry Potter fans decided to stay home and read.

This makes me 37 for 65, with an average of .569.

Scranton Comic-Con

Jen and I went back to Northeastern Pennsylvania for a birthday party this weekend. As luck would have it, there was a comic book convention in Scranton, which was right on the way back.

I have been to a number of comic conventions all around the country. But I will say this, seldom have been to one as enjoyable as Scranton's.

First of all, I got to spend some time with Dave Romeo, who owns Comics on the Green, a great comic book store in Scranton. He's a good guy and I always like talking to him.

And the guests for the show were Walter and Louise Simonson. I was a fan of both growing up. I got a chance to talk to them at length. We covered everything from property prices in the NYC area to Harry Potter. They were two of the nicest people you could ever meet.

Walt was giving out head sketches for free, allowing me to get a sketch of one of my favorite characters, the Beast. Here it is:

 

Simonson Beast Sketch

The aforementioned Dave made the suggestion to have Louise add some dialogue to the sketch. The Oh, my stars and garters is courtesy of her. The sketch is going into a frame and up on the wall soon.

Top it off, they were giving away door prizes. I won a Thor Marvel Masterworks.

So, if you notice the Scranton Comic Con coming up, give it a shot. I'm sure you'll have as good a time as I did.

Entertainment Weekly ticks me off...

Ew simpsons cover

The latest issue of Entertainment Weekly really ticked me off. No, not because it had four variant covers. I have a subscription, so the variant cover thing didn't really affect me that much.

No, it's the coverage of the forthcoming San Diego Comic-Con that did it.

It started with the title "Geek Revival". EW has been covering Comic-Con for several years now and has alway found a way to work the word "geek" into its articles somewhere.

Geek is a word, like certain other epithets, that I could refer to myself as one and it would be fine, I could refer to my like minded friends as such and it would be okay, but if the uninitiated says it, it is insulting and offensive.

The repeated use of the word by EW when it covers Comic-Con and other comic related news items strikes me that they think covering Comic-Con is beneath them. That they would wish anything but to associated with those freaky, costume wearing weirdos who like comics, anime and sci-fi.

But then, I rethought. Maybe I was being too harsh. EW does give comics a lot of page space. As a matter of fact, the Books section in this very issue leds off with a full page review of comic writer Warren Ellis' new novel.

But then, I read the first paragraph:

"Cannes has Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie on the Croisette. Sundance has Robert Redford on the slopes. And Comic-Con? It's got Klingons in Renaissance costumes running around downtown San Diego."

 This is especially annoying when the list, later in the article, that Clive Owen, Jessica Alba, Edward Norton and Judd Apatow will be there. Sure, those guys aren't Bradgelina-type famous or as legendary as Redford, but they are nothing to sneeze at either. Yes, there will be Klingons and Stormtroopers. But there are some freaky people at Cannes too. Usually, they are brought over by Troma or Porn companies, but still. The point EW was trying to make is that Cannes and Sundance are classy and cool, Comic-Con is dorky and silly.

Let's talk about the title of the print article, by looking up the meaning of the word "revival" as it appears on Encarta.

re·viv·al [ ri vv'l ] (plural re·viv·als)

noun

Definition:

1. renewal of interest: a renewal of interest in something that results in its becoming popular once more

2. new production: a new production of a play or opera that has not been performed recently

3. process of reviving somebody: the process of bringing somebody back to life, consciousness, or full strength

4. recovery: the recovering of life, consciousness, or full strength

5. religion renewed religious interest: a new interest in religion, or the reawakening of such interest

6. christianity evangelical Christian meeting: a meeting or a series of meetings of evangelical Christians intended to awaken religious fervor in those who attend

7. law reestablishing of legal validity: the renewal of the validity of a contract or the effect of a judicial decision

Now, I don't know which definition EW is working under. Some might say number 6, which doesn't really apply but kinda sorta fits. But the tagline to the print article leads me to believe that it means definition number one:

"EW scopes out Comic-Con, the convention that's suddenly bringing Hollywood to its knees."

Suddenly? Suddenly? You've been covering the convention in one form or another for at least 5 years? What is the statute of limitations on the word "suddenly"? It's got to be under five years.

Pop culture has been taken over by the "geeks" for years and years. They haven't gone away and come back. And it doesn't need to awaken any sort of fervor.  They have been responsible for the movie success of Kevin Smith and Judd Apatow, the popularity of sci-fi and superhero fare in the movies and TV and made Harry Potter a worldwide phenomenon.

Don't believe me? Look at this year's spate of movie releases. You have Transformers for the toy "geeks", Spider-Man 3, Ghost Rider, 300, and Fantastic Four: The Rise of the Silver Surfer for comic "geeks", Shrek the Third and Ratatouille for the Animation "geeks" and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix for the Harry Potter "geeks". And so on and so on. This year could be the biggest grossing year in the history of movies, thanks mainly to "geek" films.

But EW is trying to make it seem like it just happened and it is just a temporary stage. The latter might be true, but the previous isn't.

They quote Brad Meltzer, who shall now be referred to as the self-hating geek, to put a negative spin on it:

''It's the golden age of geekdom,'' says frequent Comic-Con conventioneer Brad Meltzer, a novelist and comics writer. ''Hollywood has figured out the location of the supergeek clubhouse. They've jimmied the locks, moved in, and spruced the place up. And we're sort of sadly and pathetically okay with it, because they bring lots of hot actresses and nice film clips.''

On the surface, that seems to be some strained wit and fairly innocuous. But what is Meltzer really saying? He's saying that Hollywood is the dominant form of art and comic fans are submissive and at the whim of Hollywood bigwigs. When, really, it's closer to the other way around. Hollywood is coming to Comic-Con because of the power genre fans have to make or break a movie. Therefore, Hollywood is coming to the "supergeek clubhouse" humbly and submissively, presenting offerings that they hope the genre fans will like and enjoy and tell their friends about.

While EW seems clueless to this, Hollywood producers and directors are not:

"''We premiered a special trailer we had prepared,'' says director Zack Snyder. ''The crowd demanded that we reshow it — three times. After Comic-Con, 300 changed its place in the collective consciousness and in geekdom in general.'' Says Murphy, ''You go to Comic-Con, tell a roomful of fans what your movie is going to be, and you end up not only reaching them but 500 Internet reporters as well.'' Adds a studio exec, ''I'd much rather spend money on Comic-Con than on a splashy premiere the day before my movie opens.''"

EW seems to think that San Diego Comic-Con is a small fringe of geeks and is amazed that Hollywood will kowtow to it. But Comic-Con is a small microcasm representing a real, large and valid sub-culture. One that EW will one day be forced to respect. After all, their coverage has grown from a small blurb to a one page article to two pages leading off the "News and Notes" section. In a few years, the Comic-Con will probably be a cover story in a few years. But EW will probably still call us geeks.  

To read the article online, click here. 

My Guiding Lines column from last week.

Due to an upheaval at Broken Frontier, my Guiding Line column from last week was never published. Since I spent so much time writing it, I thought I'd post it here.

Column: Guiding Lines

 

Column Author: William Gatevackes

 

Column Title: Wally and Waid come back.

 

Introduction:

Wally West is back as the Flash and Mark Waid is back writing him. But rumors of how this change came about—and how long it will last—cast a shadow on the series. 

  

Text of Column:

It should be The Flash: Fastest Man Alive #14. It was solicited as such, with a bare bones description of what would be inside. We knew something big was going to happen in issue #13, but we couldn’t quite tell exactly what.

 

It turns out the Flash: Fastest Man Alive #13 featured the death of the latest Flash, Bart Allen, and would be the last issue of the series. Issue #14 would be replaced by All-Flash #1. The Flash who stars in the comic would be Wally West, who had returned to the DC Universe in Justice League of #10. And the issue, and the restarted series that follows after, would be written by longtime Flash scribe, Mark Waid.

 

To fans, this was great news. Wally West had a long and successful run in his last title—230 issues and almost 20 years, 7 of which Mark Waid had a hand in writing. Some consider Waid the definitive writer on the Wally West Flash, so his return to the character was thought of as a return to the glory days of the title. DC is selling this idea by returning the series back to its original numbering. Therefore, what was solicited as Flash: Fastest Man Alive #15 will now be Flash #231.

 

But the excitement of Wally and Waid returning to the Flash title is tempered by rumors and controversy about how this change came about—and how long Waid will last on the book.

 

First of all, the death of Bart Allen caused a stir, as all comic book deaths do. Bart Allen had developed a rather large fan base over the years. Readers followed him from his own Impulse book to Young Justice to the Teen Titans. These people were understandably upset to have their favorite character killed off.

 

Fans of Young Justice were even more upset, considering Bart’s death came so soon after Superboy’s death in Infinite Crisis. This started internet postings that the cast of Young Justice was marked for extinction much like the cast of Giffen and DeMatteis’ Justice League supposedly are.

 

Another topic of conversation amongst the fans and retailers was how long this change was in effect. There are two schools of thought on this. One states that DC was unhappy with how the revamp was going and decided to make a change, the other states that this was DC’s plan all along, that Flash: Fastest Man Alive was only set for 13 issues and then Wally and Waid would both be back soon after.

 

The first scenario is a little hard to believe. Sure, the sales on the title plummeted around 60% between issue #1 and issue #12. But issue #12 sold 47,794 copies, a respectable number this day and age and better than the last couple of issues of the previous Flash series. And the sales decline leveled out and even showed signs of rebounding when new writer Marc Guggenheim took over. And the writing of the title marked a significant improvement in quality when Guggenheim came on board. So, on both sides of the board, Flash: Fastest Man Alive might have been a disappointment, but showed signs of getting better.

 

If that state of affairs seems unlikely, the second scenario is even harder to believe. If DC intended for Flash: Fastest Man Alive to only be a 13 issue miniseries, it sums up everything I dislike about comics today. Let me count it down.  It would mean that DC cancelled a long running if moderately successful series (1), rebooted it with a new number one (2), a writing team famous from another media with little or no comic writing experience (3), and with a new person taking over the role of the main character (4). Then, finally, killed off said character, one with a loyal legion of followers and real potential for great stories in the right hands (5), and once again rebooted the title (6), going back to the original numbering (7).

 

On top of all of this, Rich Johnston in his July 2^nd edition of Lying in the Gutters column said that rumor has it that Waid will only be writing four issues of the Flash series. Only four issues! 

 

I’ll say this, I was a fan of the last Flash series and the work of Mark Waid was a major part of the reason. I have gone on the record  in saying that I would have preferred that the series wasn’t cancelled. That being said, no matter how you look at it, the way DC has dealt with the Flash titles is a fiasco. I might not have wanted a new Flash series, but it deserved more of a chance than the one DC gave it. And while Waid is one of the best writers in comics, a four issue run just doesn’t excite me.

 

Also out this week:

Ultimate Spider-Man #111: Finally, the historic moment that everyone has been waiting for. Some will celebrate, some will be completely sad. But this issue is bound to elict all kinds of emotions from fans around the world. Of course, I am talking about the debut of Ultimate Spot.

 

No! Just kidding! This is the issue where the torch is passed. This will be the last issue of Mark Bagley’s near-record setting run and the begin of Stuart Immonen’s tenure on the title. To say Immonen has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. Bagley has defined the look and feel of Ultimate Spider-Man throughout all of it’s 6+ years of existence. It will take fans a while to get used to the change in styles. But the real question is, will Immonen last as long?

 

Brian Michael Bendis (W), Mark Bagley & Stuart Immonen (A), Marvel Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.

 

The Programme #1: Peter Milligan has been one of the most inventive creators of the modern era. His work on Shade the Changing Man, X-Force and X-Statix showed an overall weirdness of storyline, a reluctance to shy away from controversy, and deconstruction of the conventions of comics as a whole.

 

He’s back with a new series which seems like an inspired take on Captain . A Russian soldier is given super-powers and then put into a deep stasis which lasts decades. When he awakens, 16 years after the end of the Cold War, he is ready to fight. is once again ’s enemy, at least in this weapon’s mind. The balance of power has changed, and the has to find a solution to this “Programme”. 

 

Peter Milligan (W), C.P. Smith (A), DC/Wildstorm Comics, $2.99. Twelve-Issue Miniseries.

 

The Order #1: Or should we call this “The Series Formerly Known as the Champions”? When the series was announced as the Champions, independent publisher Heroic Publishing stated that it owned the trademark for the word “Champions” on the basis of it’s comic book adaptation of the popular role-playing game of the 80s.

 

But wait, I know what you are thinking. “Didn’t Marvel publish a comic in the 1970’s called The Champions?” Yes, but their trademark on the name expired after they stopped using it. The same thing happened when Marvel picked up the trademark of “Captain Marvel” after Fawcett lost it. This is why any DC book that features the Big Red Cheese has to be published using the word “Shazam”. You can consider this a form of karmic payback for Marvel.

 

Matt Fraction (W), Barry Kitson (A), Marvel Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.

 

The Goon #19: It’s been a long time since we saw an issue of The Goon on the stands. Well over a year as a matter of fact. The title went on hiatus to allow creator Eric Powell to work on his original Goon graphic novel, (which is due to arrive in stores in November). Since that time, fans had to be satisfied with a Goon Noir series written by other creators and the controversial Satan’s ****** Baby one-shot.

 

But that is all over now. The main Goon series returns to comic shop shelves on a bimonthly basis starting tomorrow. And Powell has picked up right where he left off. The Goon and Franky have to fight off a legion of the worst monsters they have ever faced, sent after them by the now insane Zombie Priest. 

 

Eric Powell (W/A),Dark Horse Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.  

 

Black Cherry: You can tell things about this book just by looking at the cover. It is a homage to the EC comics of 1950s. This alone tells you that the book isn’t lying when it promises “A Lurid Tale of Sex, Violence, and The Supernatural.”

 

Eddie Paretti, in need of cash, has taken on a dangerous assignment—to steal a dead body from his Mafia boss. Why would a Mafioso keep a dead human body lying around? Well, because it isn’t human, for one thing. What mysteries does this strange corpse hold? In what way is the Church involved? Is that woman Eddie sees really his long-lost paramour, Black Cherry? And will Paretti live long enough to find out all the answers he is looking for?   

 

Doug Tennapel (W/A), Image Comics, $17.99. Graphic Novel.

 

Marvel Adventures The Hulk #1: What do you do if you are a parent who grew up loving the Hulk? Your kids are of the age where they are starting to discover comics. This would be the perfect time to turn them on to the character you loved when you were their age. But the regular Hulk book has him engrossed in a storyline over a year in the making and features him beating the snot out of other Marvel heroes. Where can you turn for a more kid friendly Hulk?

 

Marvel Adventures, that’s where! The Hulk is the latest of Marvel’s movie stars to make his way into the all-ages approved line.  Now, you have a perfect opportunity to expose your young ones to the joy that is the Hulk. Just don’t be surprised if they keep saying “Hulk Smash!” for weeks after reading it.

 

Paul Benjamin (W), David Nakayama (A), Marvel Comics, $2.99. Ongoing Series.

 

Zero Killer #1: The post-apocalyptic epic is a genre that strikes a chord in many people. It has proven popular in a variety of genres and some of the examples of it have reached legendary status—I am Legend, Escape from New York, The Walking Dead, just to name a few.  Even the recent TV show, , which deals with similar themes, has had its fans create a grass roots effort to stave off cancellation.

 

Comics are getting a new entry into this story type, courtesy of Rex Mundi creator Arvid Nelson. We are taken to a devastated by a nuclear war. Gangs and paramilitary units rule the streets, and the ordinary survivors are suffering. There is one man who rises above the fray, a bounty hunter named Zero.

 

Arvid Nelson (W), Matt Camp (A), Dark Horse Comics, $2.99. Six-Issue Miniseries.

 

Full Color: Boom is a woman on the edge. She is sick and tired of dealing with one tin tyrant of a boss after another. Year after year of abuse and torment has caused her to snap. In anger, she quits her job, and walks away from it like her girlfriend just walked away from her last week.

 

Boom has given herself one day, and one day only. One day to make it all right or she will kill herself. But when an old friend shows up on her doorstep, on the run from a drug dealer he stabbed in the back, will this be a speed bump in Boom’s road to rediscovery or the start of a brand new life?

 

Mark Haven Britt (W/A), Image Comics, $15.99. Graphic Novel.

 

Bio:

William Gatevackes is a professional writer living in with his wife Jennifer. He also writes periodic comic reviews for PopMatters and writes title descriptions for Human Computing’s Comicbase collection management software. Links to his writing can be found at his website, www.williamgatevackes.com.

This blog was mentioned on CNN.com!

Yes, and the proof is right here! I didn't think my ramblings here would really get noticed, but there it is, this blog as the first post in the section that looks at the biggest stories on the web! See! Rant about Paris Hilton and you get results!

QotD: [is this good?] - Posh & Becks

Posh and Becks have moved to Los Angeles: [is this good?]

 

 Let me try to go Zen with this:

 

It is neither good nor bad. It simply is.

Gates Picks: This week's new releases

My wife said I should retitle this that. Blame her.

 

Hairspray

1. Hairspray (3,121 Theaters): I saw the new TV ad for the movie and when I saw John Travolta doing his little drag song and dance number, I temporarily went blind. Only for a few seconds. Luckily I turned away from the screen before any permanent damage was done.

Let that be a hint as to whether or not I will be going to see this movie.

This is the latest entry in the whole "movie to Broadway musical to movie musical" thing, following in "The Producers" footsteps.

It does have an interesting cast, I'll give it that. It has Christopher Walken in it, and who doesn't like Christopher Walken. And it also has James "Cyclops" Marsden too.

But Travolta in drag is a bit much for me. He has always been hit or miss for me as an actor. And from what I've seen in previews, his perfomance here might fall into the miss category.

 

Inowpronounceyouchuckandlarry

2. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry (3,495 Theaters): And then there's this one.

Apparently, the movie has been screened by GLAAD and the organization has given it a passing grade. They say the movie uses humor to address and bring attention to some of the problems same sex couples face.

But the review from Time Out New York, written, if the first sentence of the review is to believed, by a gay woman, is a little less kind. Here's a quote: "What’s worse: a film that engages in fag jokes for two hours or one that does it only for the first half, devoting its remaining time to promoting the limpest liberalism?"

So, which is it? Could it be both? Is Sandler hoping to bring in homophobic frat boys with the promise of seeing Jessica Biel in her skivvies, soften them up with gay jokes for an hour, and then hit them with an eye-opening dose of awareness and compassion for those who are different? I don't know.

It might be worthy of a viewing just to see how they explain why a single father couldn't name his kids as the reciepient of his death benfits if he dies. I can wrap my head around why he has to get married at all.

So, what do I think the top 5 will look like?

1. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
2. I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry
3. Transformers
4. Ratatouille
5. Hairspray

I think the Deathly Hallows will cause enough buzz to keep Order on the top spot. I think people will be curious enough to make Chuck and Larry number two. But I think people just aren't up for seeing movie musicals nowadays, making it lucky if Hairspray gets to number five. Of course, this week of all weeks, I could be wrong.   

My thoughts on Final Crisis...

FinalCrisis_t

The Final Crisis teaser has been released and already people have been talking. Most common comment? "Final Crisis? Shyeah right!" Next most common? "Where is ________? I don't see him in the poster?" (They may have a point with the Ollie Queen Green Arrow. He isn't on the cover of the new Green Arrow/Black Canary series either.)

My two cents? I am sick and tired with comic companies using deaths to promote their books, and this poster teases that deaths are coming. Heroes Die? Please.

I hope that there is a little pay off for this teasing. No, I don't want Batman or Wonder Woman to die. I want Batman AND Wonder Woman to die. And Superman (Again) and Hal Jordan, Green Lantern (Again) and Hawkman (Again). I want them all to die. And not be replaced by different characters with the same name. Cancel all their books, too. And then I want them to try to create entirely new characters that will have the same impact and longevity as these ones. I guarantee if they do that, it will be a failure. That's why they should never kill these characters.

That's my opinion.