I mock the June 2008 Marvel solicitations (and one from Image too)

Yes, today, instead of reading for my classes tomorrow, I am doing a little blogging. I'll mock Image first because it is shorter:

WAR HEROES #1 (OF 6) GEM OF THE MONTH
story MARK MILLAR
art & cover TONY HARRIS

THE WRITER OF CIVIL WAR, THE ULTIMATES, KICK ASS AND WANTED! THE ARTIST OF STAR MAN, EX MACHINA AND SPIDER-MAN: GREAT POWER! TOGETHER AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME! If you've been wondering what MARK MILLAR had planned for ULTIMATES 3, then wonder no more this is it! The mind that reinvented superheroes for the 21st Century joins forces with one of comicdom's best artists to chart new courses for superhero action in a series that will definitely be one of the most talked about of the year!

JUNE 25 32 PAGES FC $2.99

• Several questions about this series: 1) Why isn't this at Icon? 2) If Mark Millar had a storyline planned for Ultimates 3, why didn't he do Ultimates 3? Because, you know, it would have been better that way. 3) So, Millar planned to replace Hitch with Harris for the third series? Really?

Now, Marvel:

SKAAR: SON OF HULK #1
Written by Greg Pak
Pencils & 50/50 Cover by RON GARNEY
50/50 Variant Cover by Carlo Pagulayan
Variant Cover by BORIS VALLEJO AND JULIE BELL
Born in fire. Raised by monsters. Destined to destroy. On an alien planet shattered by war, no one is stronger than Skaar, the savage Son of Hulk. But as a Fillian warlord, an Imperial princess, and a mysterious Earthman spread chaos through the wastelands, will Skaar save the puny survivors -- or smash them? Another epic fever dream from Greg Pak, writer of "Planet Hulk" and World War Hulk" -- featuring the return of legendary Hulk artist Ron Garney!

32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Is it just me, or does this seem like a sci-fi Mad Libs verion of a solicitation? (Action)__________ in (force of destruction)__________. Points for Vallejo and Bell on covers, though.

MARVEL ILLUSTRATED: THE THREE MUSKETEERS #1 (of 6)
Written by ROY THOMAS (BASED ON THE NOVEL BY ALEXANDRE DUMAS)
Penciled by HUGO PETRUS
Cover by GERALD PAREL
Paris, 1625. A young man called d'Artagnan, after a series of misadventures, attempts to join the King's elite fighting force-The Musketeers! Joined by Porthos, Aramis and Athos, the four make short work of the Crown's adversaries. But little do they know, the evil Cardinal Richelieu is creating a counter force to the Musketeers, one which may soon challenge the power of the French throne itself! The latest title in the Illustrated line reunites the creative team which brought you the much-lauded adaptation of The Man in the Iron Mask. All for one and one for all!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

• Ah, Marvel's Illustrated line! Keeping Roy Thomas a working member of society!

ULTIMATE ORIGINS #1 (of 5)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by BUTCH GUICE
Cover by SIMONE BIANCHI
Variant Cover by MICHAEL TURNER
This is it! The story that finally reveals the conspiracies behind the entire Ultimate Universe! When they first met, Bruce Banner mysteriously warned Spider-Man that "Everything is connected." Now it's time to discover the jaw-dropping secrets that men have fought and died to protect. From the dark days of World War II to the frightening present, journey through history to learn what's really behind the Super Soldier and Weapon X programs-and how heroes such as Captain America, Nick Fury and Wolverine have more in common than codenames and costumes. The dream team of Brian Michael Bendis and Butch Guice (CAPTAIN AMERICA, IRON MAN) unite for the first time for the Ultimate series of the year that is a must-read lead-in to ULTIMATUM!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• "This is it" is right. This series was supposed to come out months ago

ULTIMATE X-MEN #95
Written by ARON COLEITE
Penciled by MARK BROOKS
Cover by GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
HEROES writer Aron Eli Coleite continues his run - and introduces a team of X-Men like you've never seen before! Who are Ultimate Alpha Flight? What do they want with Northstar? What is Colossus willing to do to get him back? And just wait until you see that last-page shocker!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99  

• It's come to this? Ultimate Alpha Flight? Really?

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #561
Written by "Dandy'" DAN SLOTT
Pencils & Cover by "Many Fingered" MARCOS MARTIN
Peter Parker: Paparazzi! Part 3 of 3
"Photo Finished"
They say a picture's worth a thousand words... Well, for Peter Parker, the right picture is worth a million bucks! And what he does with it is really gonna change his life! This is a big one, Spidey Fans! We've got shake ups and break ups! Fake outs and freak outs! And a fight to the finish with one of Spider-Man's strangest foes: the fiendishly foldable PAPER DOLL! Miss this one, Marvelite, and you'll miss out on the BEST mystery guest of the YEAR! Here's a hint...she's a redhead!
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

• One thing I give Brand New Day credit for, it certainly is introducing new villains to the Spidey mythos. And some are kind of interesting, on paper at least. Oh, and any guesses who that redhead is? Not all at once!!!

SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #9
Written by PAUL TOBIN
Art by DEREC AUCOIN
Cover by SALVA ESPIN
Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood…chaperone? When the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier races off to fight a hostile UFO, Nick Fury asks (okay, tells) Spider-Man that he needs to watch after Bruce Banner. Now all Spidey needs to do is convince a city full of assorted thieves and felons (and…DANG…Dr. Octopus!) to KEEP IT DOWN for the day, cuz, you know, this is the guy that turns into the Hulk. PLUS: the story no one thought they would see, the debut of all-new backup feature "Mr. & Mrs. Spider-Man"! In this first installment, using their individual talents, Peter and Mary Jane Parker join forces to prevent the Lizard from destroying his own family.
104 PGS./Rated A …$4.99

• Mr & Mrs. Spider-Man?I guess too many people started buying Amazing Spider-Girl so they had to create a spill over for all the married Spidey lovers out there.

AMAZING SPIDER-GIRL #21
Written by TOM DEFALCO
Pencils & Cover by RON FRENZ
"A Brand New MAY!"
Part 2 of 5
As Peter Parker and Normie Osborn try to learn the identity of the brand new May, Spider-Girl investigates Humanity First and battles a brand new super-foe.
32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

• And the original recommendation for married Spidey fans plays up to its new found audience.

CAPTAIN AMERICA #39
Written by ED BRUBAKER
Pencils & Cover by STEVE EPTING
Okay, what the heck is going on here? Is that two guys in Captain America outfits? Yeah, it is.
More than that, we cannot say.
The epic Death of Captain America continues in Part Three of "The Man Who Bought America" by the acclaimed team of Brubaker and Epting.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

 

CAP_AM_39

• Part of me hopes this isn't some sort of a serve, but even if it is, I probably won't be too mad because it will probably be well written.

ETERNALS #1
Written by CHARLES KNAUF & DANIEL KNAUF
Art & 50/50 Cover by DANIEL ACU„A
50/50 Variant cover by OLIVIER COIPEL
The Gods Walk the Earth! In ancient times, the Celestials, a race of cosmic giants, came to Earth and created a race of powerful immortal beings: The Eternals! For a time, primitive man worshiped them as gods, but eventually they disappeared. Now, they have returned! One of the Celestials now towers over Golden Gate Park, standing in judgment over the Earth… but does he bring the end of the world? Following up on Neil Gaiman's best-selling series (and a recent appearance in the Incredible Hercules), join writers Charles and Daniel Knauf and rising superstar artist Daniel Acu–a, as Jack Kirby's Eternals return to walk among us!
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Do you want to know how I know this will not be as good as Neil Gaiman's Eternals? Because Neil Gaiman is not writing it. Neil Gaiman's Eternals=Whole milk, this series=Skim Milk.

FANTASTIC FOUR #558
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Cover by BRYAN HITCH
Who are the New Defenders, and why does their appearance on Earth foretell the eventual extinction of mankind? Who has liberated Doctor Doom from his incarceration awaiting trial, and why? And what's up with Valeria? (Oh, and the Fantastic Four are in it too...)
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• So, we have a New Defenders, who appear to be different than any Defenders that came before them, even the most recent "Last Defenders" and Doctor Doom awaiting trial, even though he is a soverign monarch and, therefore, has diplomatic immunity. Continuity? Sensible plot points? Feh! This is stuff for lesser creatures than Millar and Hitch!  

HULK: RAGING THUNDER
Written by JEFF PARKER
Art by MITCH BREITWEISER
Cover by GREG LAND
She will be the mightiest champion of her time. He was the mightiest monster of his. What happens when these legends clash will change the course of history for the warrior known as THUNDRA! PLUS, a classic Thundra tale!
48 PGS./Rated A …$3.99

• Wait a minute? Such a thing as "a classic Thundra tale" exists!?! Well, shave my back and call me Betty!

MARVEL ADVENTURES HULK #12
Written by PAUL BENJAMIN
Penciled by STEVE SCOTT
Cover by DAVID NAKAYAMA
Get ready, fight fans! The ultimate warrior is coming at you live from the Milky Way: the Champion of the Universe! He'll take on Earth's greatest gladiators with the planet itself hanging in the balance. In Earth's corner: the jaw-breaking Juggernaut, daring Doc Samson, the ever-lovin', blue-eyed Thing, and that jade giant, that green goliath...the Incredible Hulk! Are you ready to ruuuumble?!
32 PGS./All Ages …$2.99  

• Or, in other words, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #7, if the series starred the Hulk instead of the Thing.

SPIDER-MAN MAGAZINE #1
Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ
It's Spider-Man from cover to cover as the wall-crawler leaps into his very own ongoing magazine! In addition to full-length comic-book stories, this premiere issue features puzzles and games, pinups, a letters page, and a pull-out poster!
96 PGS./All Ages …$6.99

• Yeah, I give it two years, tops. Less if there isn't a Spider-Man 4 before then.

MYTHOS: CAPTAIN AMERICA
Written by PAUL JENKINS
Art and Cover by PAOLO RIVERA
He may be dead, but now you can find out how the man became the legend! Mythos revisits Steve Rogers'
transformation from a weakling with a heart of steel to the Sentinel of Liberty! From the mind of Paul Jenkins and the stunning art of Paolo Rivera comes the origin of CAPTAIN AMERICA!
32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Rated A …$3.99

• Hey, everybody! It's relist month!

NOVA #14
Written by ANDY LANNING & DAN ABNETT
Penciled by WELLINTON ALVES
Cover by ALEX MALEEV
Continuing one of the wildest Galactus and Silver Surfer stories ever! He's got the power of the entire Nova Force. He's faced down the likes of Sphinx and Annihilus. But is the Human Rocket even in the same league as the Devourer of Worlds and his most famous herald? And what the blue blazes can Nova do when he finds himself the only thing standing between the big G and his next super-sized mega-meal? So, c'mon all you Silver Surfer & Galactus fans, take a chance on this book and find out why IGN.com says "NOVA has become one of Marvel's best new series."
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Man, you're in trouble when you are appealing to Silver Surfer fans. Granted, one assumes that it is Nova's target audience, but Surfer fans haven't done too well with keeping that character's books afloat. Like they will help Nova stay in publication?

SECRET INVASION #3 (of 8)
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Penciled by LEINIL FRANCIS YU
Cover by GABRIELE DELL'OTTO
Variant Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Sketch Variant Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
THE BLOCKBUSTER EVENT continues. Its Avenger versus Avenger. Hero versus hero! Norman Osborn versus Captain
Marvel?? The Initiative versus an army of Super-Skrulls? Is Tony Stark really a- -? And who's that guy with an eye patch coming to save the day?? And, oh man, who did he bring with him?
32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Rated T+ …$3.99

• Oh, Marvel! You are such a tease!

AVENGERS: THE INITIATIVE #14

AVN_THEINT_14

Written by DAN SLOTT & CHRISTOS GAGE
Pencils by STEFANO CASELLI
Cover by MARK BROOKS
SECRET INVASION TIE-IN
"We Have Met the Enemy and He Is Us!"
During the INFILTRATION, a Skrull at the heart of the Camp Hammond said these words: "It won't be long until we have a Skrull in every state! "Now that Skrull stands revealed and the fate of The Initiative, the United States, and Planet Earth hang in the balance. Plus: Former Avenger, Delroy Garret, assumes the mantle and arsenal of Earth's greatest Skrull-Hunter, THE 3-D MAN. He's here to chew bubblegum and kick some Skrull-@$$. And he's all out of bubblegum.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Yellowjacket being a Skrull makes perfect sense, which is why this cover is possibly a swerve. Also, love those two last sentences, all the way from respect for continuity to the return of one of my favorite characters (and coolest looking, IMHO) to the quote from "They Live".

SECRET INVASION: RUNAWAYS/YOUNG AVENGERS #1 (of 3)
Written by CHRISTOPHER YOST
Penciled by TAKESHI MIYAZAWA
Cover by MICHAEL RYAN
The Skrulls are invading and the Runaways and the Young Avengers both have a Skrull on their team. Coincidence? We think not. You two favorite teen teams come together again as the Marvel U is pushed to the brink.
32 PGS./Rated T+ …$2.99

• Yes, it's the annual "Let's keep the properties alive until a new issue comes out by creating a separate event tie in series" series.

PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #20
Written by MATT FRACTION & RICK REMENDER
Art by HOWARD CHAYKIN
Cover by ALEX MALEEV
G.W. Bridge's heartbreakers and lifetakers--Domino, Silver Sable and Contessa Valentina Allegra di Fontaine of S.H.I.E.L.D.-- come gunning for The Punisher. Kid Punisher goes on another major rampage. And Jigsaw's noose tightens around Frank's neck as he puts a 100 million dollar bounty on Frank's head. Every bounty hunter in the Marvel U is gonna come gunning for the Punisher and there's only one place for him to run...underground. By Matt Fraction (IMMORTAL IRON FIST, INVINCIBLE IRON MAN) and Rick Remender (Fear Agent, The End League), with art by Howard Chaykin (WOLVERINE, WAR IS HELL: THE E FIRST FLIGHT OF THE PHANTOM EAGLE).
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

• Okay, this solicitation lists about 50 reasons why I like Matt Fraction so much.

WOLVERINE #66
Written by MARK MILLAR
Pencils & Wraparound Cover by STEVE MCNIVEN
Variant Cover by MICHAEL TURNER
"OLD MAN LOGAN" Part 1 (of 8)
MARK MILLAR and STEVE MCNIVEN-who last teamed for the monumental CIVIL WAR-bring us the most important WOLVERINE story of the 21st Century. Nobody knows what happened on the night the heroes fell. All we know is that they disappeared and evil triumphed and the bad guys have been calling the shots ever since. What happened to Wolverine is the biggest mystery of all. For 50 years, no one has heard hide nor hair from him…and in his place stands an old man called Logan. A man concerned only about his family. A man pushed to the brink by the HULK GANG. A man forced to help an old friend-the blind archer, HAWKEYE-to drive three thousand miles to secure his family's safety. Get ready for the ride of your life, Logan.
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

• Otherwise known as "What If "Dark Knight Returns" starred Wolverine instead of Batman. Not to be confused with "Spider-Man Reign" which was "What If "Dark Knight Returns" starred Spider-Man instead of Batman.

X-FORCE: AIN'T NO DOG
Written by CHARLIE HUSTON & JASON AARON
Penciled by JEFTE PALO & WERTHER DELL'EDERA
Cover by BRYAN HITCH
"Ain't No Dog": There will be blood. Gallons of it. Because Cyclops needs only one scalpel for a surgical strike mission and Logan's the ideal man for the job. Tonight, Wolverine flies solo-dressed in black and operating off the grid. And when the night is through, there will be mountains of corpses, and no one to answer to. What could be better? PLUS, this one-shot features a solo Warpath story, as he learns what it really means to go home again.
48 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

• The new X-Force title has been around for, what, three months? And they already need a pseudo-fill-in special? That is problematic.

WOLVERINE: DANGEROUS GAME
Written by SIMON SPURRIER & RICK REMENDER
Art by BEN OLIVER & JEROME OPENA
Cover by BOO COOK
With bloodsports banned in the UK, a group of overfed Brit Aristos have relocated to the Louisiana forests. Their aim? To pit themselves (aided only by a vast pack of slavering hounds and their own copious wealth) against a truly worthy foe: a single, terrified fox. Sadly for them, there's more than one furry little critter in the woods tonight…Writer Simon Spurrier (GUTSVILLE, SILVER SURFER: IN THY NAME) and superstar artist Ben Oliver (ULTIMATE X-MEN, GHOST RIDER ANNUAL) present a brandy-swigging one-shot huntfest: 1-part ethical dilemma, 2-parts nationalistic clichŽ, 659 parts insane slice'n'dice-o-rama. Snikt! Also, includes a special back-up story written by Fear Agents' Rick Remender and Jerome Opena!
48 PGS./Parental Advisory …$3.99

• So, not only is this another variation of "The Most Dangerous Game", it's the second one Wolverine starred in( The last was Palmiotti & Gray's Claws from a year or two back.) Can we pick another story to ripof--err, I mean pay tribute to? May I suggest 10 Little Indians? It's British too!

WOLVERINE: ORIGINS #26
Written by DANIEL WAY
Penciled by STEPHEN SEGOVIA
Cover by GREG LAND
"SON OF X" Part 1 (of 2)
The origin of Daken, the son of Wolverine! Decades ago, during his time in Jasmine Falls, Wolverine fathered a child…a child whom he thought died with its mother. But Wolverine was mistaken-the child grew into a man. And that man just may be the deadliest being on the face of the Earth. How did that happen? Find out here!
32 PGS./Parental Advisory …$2.99

• This is how I think the origin of Daken should start: "You see, Daken, when a feral man with razor sharp claws and a healing factor loves a Japanese woman who was a retroactive continuity implant..."

PUNISHER MAX: LITTLE BLACK BOOK
Written by VICTOR GISCHLER
Penciled by JEFTE PALO
Cover by DAVE JOHNSON
Celebrated crime novelist Victor Gischler (Gun Monkeys, Pistol Poets) delivers a blistering one-shot tale of Marvel's greatest vigilante! Vette's little black book is a treasure chest of dark secrets. Movie stars, politicians, gangsters -- they all pay to play. Tonight, she is making a house call…and the Punisher is riding shotgun. Because one of the names in that book is Carlos Ramirez, a powerful Miami drug lord who hides in an impenetrable fortress, and Vette is the Punisher's best ticket inside. Before the night is through, Vette will learn a thing or two about what really lurks in the hearts of men, about the difference between dogs and wolves.
32 PGS./Cardstock Cover/Explicit Content …$3.99

• Yet another "crime novelist" who is celebrated, yet, I have never heard of gets to write a Punisher one-shot. If it follows to the pre-existing schedule, he should be writing an ongoing featuring one of Marvel most popular, yet cult, characters before the year is out.

PUNISHER #58
Written by GARTH ENNIS
Penciled by GORAN PARLOV
Cover by TIM BRADSTREET
"VALLEY FORGE, VALLEY FORGE," PART 4
Garth Ennis concludes his seminal run on PUNISHER -- in style. An eight-man Special Forces Squad has been tasked to bring down the Punisher, by all means necessary -- honorable men who will be the ultimate test of Frank Castle's skills and his personal code. If anyone deserves Frank's vengeance, it's the men who gave the kill order. Men who'll do anything to destroy the proof of their war crimes. Men who underestimated their target.
32 PGS./Explicit Content …$2.99

• This is a sad day, one that I never thought would come. Man, whoever comes in next has got their work cut out for them.

POWERS #31
Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS
Art & Cover by MICHAEL AVON OEMING
"Z"
BRAND NEW STORY ARC! NEW FORMAT! HOP ON THE POWERS TRAIN! Who were the Rat Pack of the Powers universe? And was Detective Christian Walker one of them? When the controversial crime fighter only known as Z meets his maker, the investigation reveals a secret chapter of Walker's past. Will Walker's true origin reveal itself to those closest to him? And can they handle it?! Plus: Deena Pilgrim faces her future.
40 PGS./Mature…$3.95
POWERS is TM & © 2008 Jinxworld Inc. All Rights Reserved

• Yeah, hop aboard the Powers train. A new train leaves the station once every six months.

 

My opinions on the recent Siegel court victory regarding Action #1

 

EBay Action 1

Everyone else has talked about it, so why can't I?

In case you haven't heard, the family of Jerry Siegel have won a victory against DC/Time Warner. The judgment came down that they are now co-owners of the Superman story in Action Comics #1.

What does this mean (outside of the strictly obvious)? We're not really sure. Explanations are all over the Internet. It seems every website has a comic book reading lawyer they can call on to try an explain it. Here's one here.

The decision, being the definition of legalese, is up for interpretation. Does DC owe the Siegel family money for all Superman appearances since that date, since every Superman story from 1938 to now was derived from that story? Or, since the powers and costume have changed considerably since then, can DC use this as an out? Does this mean Superman with have to cease publication? This will most definitely be settled in the courts for decades to come.

This uncertainty has cause the comic fans of the internet, as skittish bunch to begin with, to lash out. Fears that other creators will follow suit, the above will act as a precident and they will win, the pie will be cut to thin. It won't be cost effective to publish comics anymore. The comic industry will dry up. There ill be no more comics. A plague of frogs will be upon us. The rivers will run red. Dogs and cats will live together. The world will end.

Val over at Occasional Superheroine has done the research and has theorized the negitivity falls, mostly, into 4 basic categories:

1) The Siegels are "greedy"
2) It was Siegel & Schuster's own fault for losing the rights
3) Time Warner is being victimized
4) The Siegels are "stealing" Superman

I'm going to go through these, one by one, to prove that it just isn't that simple.

1) The Siegels are "greedy": Let's be honest. The Siegels are suing for financial gain. I don't think they were reading the Superman titles for the last 70 years and saying that "Gosh, DC has totally ruined the character! Something must be done! We must get him back!"

But the Siegel's wanting a cut of the money generated from a character their husband/father created from whole cloth is not necessary being greedy. DC/Warners has made hundreds of billions of dollars off of Superman since 1938. Yes, hundreds of billions, if you count all form the character has appeared in (TV, Movies, Merchandise). What DC paid the Siegels over the many agreements that they had over the years was a pittance in comparison to what they earned. .

But I do think there was a bit of bitterness involved too. While executives at National/DC/Warners spent the decades having six martini lunches with the profits Superman generated, the Siegels were pinching pennies and were darn close to poverty. If DC was just a little more generous earlier, this all might have been avoided.

2) It was Siegel & Schuster's own fault for losing the rights: I believe this to be at least partially true. but with midigating circumstances.

Consider the time when Siegel and Shuster first sold the rights over to National, back in 1938. The country was still reeling from the Great Depression. Both men were only 24. It could be safe to say that both were young and naive and were either in desperate financial straits or close enough to people who were not to pass up what was then a sizable amount of money.

Of course, when they first sold the rights to DC, they had no idea how big Superman was to become. When they found out, they sued DC for the rights in 1947 and 1973. They lost both times, although they got the rights for Superboy back in 1947. The promptly sold them back to DC and in the agreement made a statement stating they'd never contest the rights again. In 1973, they said that was just for the length of a copyright. After losing, they raged a public relations war which made DC give them a pension (anywhere from $20,000 to $35,000 a year) and health benefits.

Changes to copyright law made this recent attempt successful. But the fact remains that on more than one occasion they have sold the rights to DC for their characters, and made statements that DC owned the characters.

I guess the argument could be made that DC took advantage of the pair. But look at the deal Bob Kane made with the company when he created Batman. He sold all the rights over, but garnered the credit as sole creator (even though Bill Finger had a great deal to do with the creation) and made quite a bit of money for himself. He, like Siegel and Shuster, was 24 when he created Batman. So, they could have possibly negotiated a similar deal for themselves.

3) Time Warner is being victimized: I find it hard to believe that an multi-national, multi-billion dollar company can ever be victimized. The most I would give them that they were on the business end of a potentially unfair change in the copyright law. Trust me, if the Siegels didn't have a lawyer who knew how much the property was worth, and, therefore, know how much could possibly be coming to their firm, then Time Warner would have employed endless legal tactics to prolong the proceedings so the Siegel's could have possibly run out of money.

4) The Siegels are "stealing" Superman: No one doubts that Jerry Siegel co-created Superman. So, I guess this might refer to the fact it is his wife and daughter suing instead of him (Siegel died in 1996). Perhaps they think that Jerry wouldn't approve if he was alive (although, history shows us differently).

Or maybe they think Jerry's heirs should not be the ones to benefit because they had little or nothing to do with creating Superman. True, that does seem unfair. Siegel's daughter wasn't even born when Action Comics #1 came out. But if Jerry Siegel had a bigger piece of the pie before they died, surely they would have benefited from that.

So, this is not a case of black and white. And all this discussion might be moot. Of course DC will appeal. This case might take years and the Supreme Court to settle. Everyone getting so upset now might end up finding out that they have nothing to be upset about.

  

Book: Comedy At The Edge by Richard Zoglin

Comedy at the Edge: How Stand-up in the 1970s Changed America

Richard Zoglin

I had been inspired after reading Steve Martin's memoir to further read about stand up comedy in the 1970's. Lucky for me, Richard Zoglin decided to write a book about it.

This book is pretty comprehensive for any fans of comedy. It starts with the metamorphosis of both George Carlin and Richard Pryor and the effect on the generation of comedians that started after them.

Zoglin talks to almost all the major players: Robin Williams, Carlin, Albert Brooks, and even the recluse, and hard to interview David Letterman.

The story spans both coasts and traces the rise of the comedy clubs and the importance of Johnny Carson and the Tonight Show on many a career.

The one flaw about the book, and it is a minor one, is that Zoglin is a bit repetitive with his anecdotes. Say, the same story by Jerry Seinfeld speaking on how Robert Klein influenced him appears when Zoglin talks about Klein and about Seinfeld. And it is repeated almost word for word. That is a bit distracting.

But, like I said, that was relatively minor. This book is an excellent history of a unique artform. If you like comedy, you'll like this one.  

Baltimore: The Aftermath!!!!

DSC00704

Yes, over a week since I got back, and I am finally posting the rest of my photos from Baltimore. What can I say? Sleep and school took precedence.

But don't I look damn good in that picture? Mad sexay!

No? Erm..well. Moving on.

Thursday was the day we went to National Aquarium. You might not think looking at fish is all that exciting. But, really, it was.

I took a bunch of pictures from the aquarium, but VOX is not leting me post any of them, so the point of this blog post is moot. I guess that picture above broke the site. Sorry. But I do have a video. 

 

Shark at the National Aquarium

I hope this comes out well. It was taken with my camera at the shark tank. The shark happened to turn just as I was filming it. Man, there was about a foot of glass between us, but that was still spooky. 

Oh, and that is me giggling at the end. Yeah, I am not proud.

All in all, we had a great time in Baltimore. I'd like to go back some day.  

 

 

Fight! Fight! Fight!

I hate it when Mommy and Daddy fight.

That is, if the Mommy is Valerie D'Orazio and Daddy is Kevin Church.

There is a bit of a feud going on, well, if you can call Kevin's sniping at Valerie in his blog here and in the blind item here a "feud".

Why can't we all get along? I mean, seriously, why can't we all get along? Is there some reason why, Kevin, that out of the blue, twice in the same week, you make snippy posts concerning Val's website? Is there some reason why Chris "I loves me some kicks to the face in my comics" Sims comes of sounding like a humorless anger monger in the comments? Or that Mike Sterling tells another commenter to "piss off"? Is there some insidious secret about Val that these folks know that I, the casual reader of her blog, don't?  

I'm serious about this. I read each of the above bloggers daily, and enjoy all of what I read. So, I really can't understand the sniping. I think it is more than a bit unwarranted, which leads me to believe that there is a story behind the story.

Granted, Val's locking down her comments after a a rugby scrum with a poster, which Church mentioned in the blind item, was a bit harsh. I mean, the guy didn't seem overly trollish. I wondered at the time if there wasn't a history between Val and the poster. But Church's response was equally as harsh. He essentially called her a glory hog (which was a bit of a pot/kettle situation.)

And the latest, where Church points out the similarities between a post of hers about getting better hits for your website from search engines and a post of his about getting better hits for your website from search engines. I think this is ticky tacky. Because, trust me, no one would want to plagarize a post about getting better hits for your website from search engines. And, I'd imagine, that there are only a limited amount of ways to get better hits for your websites from search engine, so there would be carry over in any post.

But seriously, I want to know why three bloggers I enjoy reading have a beef with a fourth blogger I enjoy reading. Can't someone get to the bottom of this?

Baltimore, Day 2

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So, Jen and I went to Pittsburgh, and it rained. Our second day here in Baltimore. It rained. I think I should hire myself out. Having a drought? Invite Bill to your town! The rain will be coming a day after I get there.

Today was the day that we went to go Geppi's Museum. On the way out of our hotel, we encountered some viral marketing for a certain summer blockbuster...

 

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See! For all you people who thought Gotham City was supposed to be New York, you were wrong! Here, in the sign for our very hotel, a sticker proves that Gotham is actually Baltimore!

What can I say about the Geppi Museum? It was awesome. I be writing an article about it for Broken Frontier, so I'll be brief here.

First off, from a historical perspective, it was amazing, If something was played with from the 19th century to today, it is represented here. The room devoted to comics was huge!

 

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They had a representatitve of pretty much the entire history of comics, including pulps and little big books.

But it didn't stop there. They also had toys from the past century and a half, comic strips, movie posters and such. The hallway between exhibits had their walls filled with old posters and artwork.

 

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Seriously, you will want to take some of the exhibits home with you. And if you don't say "I had that when I was a kid" at least five times while walking through the museum, then you really had a crappy childhood.

 

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 The only problem is that there was this one guy there who was giving me the stink eye. We almost came to blows.

 

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You're lucky that my chick was there! And, by the way, nice tights!

The only other problem I might have had was that the gift shop was a little light on comics. It had a lot of toys and other doodads, but they had little or no floppies, and a selection of trades that you would find in a smaller bookstore. They did, for some reason, have a bunch of EC Archives, Disney comics and Overstreet Price Guides.

Whil we were in the museum, it had started to rain. We made the wet trek past Camden Yards (The Museum is right on the same block as the stadium) and went to Pickles Pub for some lunch. From there, we went to the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum.

 

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Since I am a generaql overall baseball fan, and more than just a little fond of The Babe, and my wife is a Yankee fan, we decided to give this museum a shot.

It was okay. It's a small museum, but it makes good use of its space. They pack a lot of information in there. Pretty much everything you ever wanted or need to know about Babe Ruth.

 

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 Jen and I had intended to visit the Edgar Allan Poe museum and gravesite, but by the time we got out of the Babe Ruth museum, it was pouring rain. We decided to go back to the hotel and got drenched. Maybe tomorrow.

I am in Baltimore!

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I am spending my first spring break not in Fort Lauderdale, flashing co-ed's. But in Baltimore. I wanted to come down here to see the Geppi. Museum of Pop Culture. It is big on comics, so I am very excited by going there tomorrow.

Jen and I took the train down, and had a relatively uneventful ride. I, being a Steeler fan, insisted on wearing my Steeler jersey, causing the wife to fear for my life. One of the first people I saw was a man wearing a Steelers Jacket. So I felt better.

But that didn't mean I wasn't accosted by, oh, a whole bunch of people. Man, don't the people who live her know the Ravens suck?

 

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See! 2000! Seven years since they won their only Super Bowl!

The wife and I did a little exploring in Inner harbor, near where our hotel is. We went and got something to eat at the Hard Rock Cafe in the Power Plant building.

 

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 We are definitely going to come back here tomorrow or Thursday.

We have a very cool hotel room. We don't have a harbor view, but we do have a view of M&T Bank Park, home to the hated Ravens...

 

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But we also can see the beautiful Camden Yards, home to the Orioles.

 

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Tonight, we had dinner ar a great seafood place called Luna Del Sea. Before we went in, I snapped a picture of a awesome looking building.

 

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 I don't know what it is yet, But if I find out, I'll let you know.

I don't know if I'll be blogging during the rest of my trip. This entrance onto the Internet cost me $10. But if I don't, I'll catch you up when I get back home.

Sad News: R.I.P. Arthur C. Clarke

Arthur c clarke

Three obituaries in the same day. Sad. Anthony Minghella and Vicky Van Meter, who flew across the US when she was 11, also died today, but I don't know them enough to speak about them. I do pass on my condolences to any who knew them.

Sci-Fi Legend Arthur C. Clarke has passed away. He was 90. Know most for "2001: A Space Odyssey", his writings have spurred developments in real life scientific ventures.

I mock the June 2008 DC Solicitations.

It's that time again. I start with DC

TRINITY #1-4
Written by Kurt Busiek and Fabian Nicieza
Art by Mark Bagley & Art Thibert, Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens, Tom Derenick & Wayne Faucher and Mike Norton & Jerry Ordway
Covers by Carlos Pacheco

DC's new weekly series TRINITY explodes in an extra-sized debut issue featuring art by fan-favorite Mark Bagley (Ultimate Spider-Man) & Art Thibert with lead stories and dialogue by Kurt Busiek (SUPERMAN, ASTRO CITY)!
The lead feature explores the unusual bond - and importance - of DC's top three characters, Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman, as a mysterious dream links them together and may prophesy important changes in their trinity!
Plus, a co-feature in issue #1 explores the mysterious connection between several villains who are watching the Trinity -as well as the near future for these characters and their surrounding world! Co-features in issues #2-4 fill in back-story on some of the other important players in this major storyline. These stories are written by Busiek & Fabian Nicieza with art by Scott McDaniel & Andy Owens (NIGHTWING, GREEN ARROW), Tom Derenick & Wayne Faucher and Mike Norton & Jerry Ordway (ALL-NEW ATOM, INFINITE CRISIS).
Issue #1 on sale June 4; issue #2 on sale June 11; issue #3 on sale June 18; issue #4 on sale June 25 o Issue #1 40 pg, issues #2-4 32 pg, FC, All $2.99 US

• You know, I am going to have to say no to this. I love Busiek and Bagley, but I really can't afford another $12 a week. Sorry DC.

FINAL CRISIS #2
Written by Grant Morrison
Art and covers by J.G. Jones

Meet Japan's number one pop culture heroes, the Super Young Team and their languid leader, Most Excellent Superbat! Join legendary wrestler Sonny Sumo and super escape artist Mister Miracle as they team to face the offspring of the Anti-Life Equation! See Earth's superheroes mourn one of their oldest allies! Witness costumed criminals sinking to new depths of cowardice and depravity as Libra takes things too far! Uncover the doomsday secrets of the poisoned city of BlŸdhaven! Learn the shocking identity of the prime suspect in the murder of a god! And read on if you dare as Batman becomes the first of Earth's champions to face the Fallen of Apokolips. All this and a spectacular return from the dead...
Grant Morrison and J.G. Jones' multiverse-spanning epic continues with bombshell after bombshell in FINAL CRISIS #2 - "Ticket to BlŸdhaven"!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers by J.G. Jones that will ship in approximately 50/50 ratio. Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale June 25 o 2 of 7 o 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US

•  I love Grant Morrison. I do. But if the second issue of a major DC event miniseres, one that is supposed to shake up DC as we know it, starts off by introducing us to "The Super Young Team and their languid leader, Most Excellent Superbat", then I think that maybe, maybe, Grant is not the guy to write something like this. I mean, creating an Asian superteam with a funny name might have been okay for 52, but there are only 7 issues here. Fans want changes and want them fast. Indulge your quirkiness on your own time.

TITANS #3
Written by Judd Winick
Art and cover by Joe Benitez & Victor Llamas

Random hook-ups, internal fighting, envy…what's going on with Nightwing, Starfire, Flash, Beast Boy, Raven, Donna and Red Arrow? Can this team get their act together before their mysterious foes reveal themselves?
On sale June 11 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Random hook-ups!?! In a Judd Winick book!?! How could this be!!!!????!!!! Hey Judd, one of your weakest traits as a writer is having your characters bump uglies for no good reason. It is not realistic character development, because friends just hooking up doesn't happen all that often in the real world. At least not without some serious complications to their friendships, which you seldom bother to write. And who is hooking up with whom? I mean, who has already dated or isn't married?

BATMAN #678
Written by Grant Morrison
Art by Tony Daniel & Sandu Florea
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant cover by Daniel

Part 3 of "Batman R.I.P."! Batman's mysterious adversary has won. All is lost for the Dark Knight. Bruce Wayne is now deranged and dissociated, wandering homeless in the alleys of Gotham City. Is there a chance that Bruce can rebuild his Batman identity from scratch, or is this truly the end for one of the world's finest heroes?
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Tony Daniel). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale June 25 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• I'll repeat, in the vain hopes it might actually do some good--do not kill Batman. Even if you bring him back later on during the year. That is lame for so many reasons. If you don't know why, DC, then you shouldn't be publishing comics. And Batman should be taken away from you.

SUPERMAN #677
Written by James Robinson
Art by Renato Guedes & José Wilson Magalh‡es
Cover by Alex Ross
Variant Cover by Renato Guedes

James Robinson (Starman, The Golden Age) arrives as the new ongoing writer of SUPERMAN as changes abound in the life of the Man of Steel! A frighteningly powerful new presence declares Metropolis his, a monster strikes the harbor of the City of Tomorrow, Green Lantern guest-stars for a unique game of fetch, and the Science Police arrive on the scene. And this is only issue one of the new run!
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Alex Ross), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Renato Guedes). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale June 25 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Yes! James Robinson writing Superman (or any book for that matter) is a good thing!

ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN, THE BOY WONDER #11
Written by Frank Miller
Art and cover by Jim Lee & Scott Williams

Frank Miller and Jim Lee gun the All Star engine into the red! The Dark Knight's hand exacts a heavy price from the trash of Gotham - and now, with the Boy Wonder by his side, fines will be doubled!
On sale June 25 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• This is the "Oh, why bother" school of solicitation writing. "Do we know anything about this issue?" "No." "What do we write in the solicitation?" "Does it matter? The people who love it are going to buy it anyway. The people who hate it will complain about it. It doesn't make a difference what we say."

ROBIN #175
Written by Chuck Dixon
Art by Chris Batista & Cam Smith
Cover by Freddie Williams II

The events of "Batman R.I.P." carve a path of destruction through Tim's life, threatening to rip apart the entire foundation of what made him choose to take on the role of Robin in the first place.
Tim's on the run and, with Batman's life at stake, he can't afford to make one misstep. Don't miss Part 1 of a shocking 2-part story that will irrevocably change Tim Drake's present as Robin…and his hard-won future as Batman.
On sale June 18 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Again, don't kill Batman DC. Seriously.

THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #14
Written by Mark Waid
Art and cover by Scott Kolins

Nanda Parbat is under siege, and to keep his mystical realm from being overtaken by insurgents, Deadman must find a champion to protect it! Boston Brand elects Green Arrow! Can two heroes so similar in temperament but so different in ability pool their resources to survive - let alone triumph?
On sale June 18 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Okay, DC. I could forgive you not telling us Jerry Ordway has replaced George Perez on the title. I mean, comic companies used to inform us of that kind of stuff, but I'll let that slide. But are we really supposed to believe Jerry Ordway really needs a fill in issue? And is Scott Kolins thye best you could do?

CHECKMATE #27
Written by Bruce Jones
Art and cover by Manuel Garcia

Resurrected as the monstrous Chimera, PFC Adam Sharp is sent on a deadly mission to the loneliest corner of the world even as his bereaved fiancée vows to find him…and just as Whiteside's analysts belatedly realize the full extent of his new powers!
On sale June 18 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Is it just me, or does it seem that Jones is going in a completely opposite direction from Rucka, and one that doesn't seem that all that appealing?

MANHUNTER #31
Written by Marc Andreyko
Art by Michael Gaydos
Cover by Liam Sharp

The fan-favorite series returns! New series artist Michael Gaydos (New Avengers, Alias, Nightmare Factory) and cover artist Liam Sharp (COUNTDOWN PRESENTS: LORD HAVOK AND THE EXTREMISTS) deliver a stunning new look for the continuing adventures of the DCU's most human hero!
Los Angeles is Manhunter's town - so when Kate Spencer learns of the disappearance of hundreds of women along the Mexican border, she's on the case both as law-breaking D.A. and costumed vigilante.
Meanwhile, Kate's bloodline tie to the JSA returns to haunt her - and it looks like her sidekick's most notorious supervillain ex-boss is doing the same to him.
On sale June 4 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Yay! Manhunter is back!

JSA CLASSIFIED #39
Written by Mike W. Barr
Art by Shawn Martinbrough
Cover by Doug Mahnke

Concluding the 2-part "Body and Soul"! Wildcat's fighting abilities have been stolen from him and will be sold on the black market to the highest bidder. In order to get back into the ring, Wildcat will have to rely on a little help from his friends - the Justice Society of America!
On sale June 25 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US o Final Issue

• Sure, DC. This is the final issue. That's what you said two issues ago.

THE SPIRIT #18
Written by Sergio Aragones & Mark Evanier
Art by Paul Smith & Walden Wong
Cover by Joe Kubert

The Spirit must escort a shipment of mummies from Egypt to Central City . . . and then his troubles begin!
On sale June 18 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Not that I'm complaining, because I love Paul Smith, but isn't it a bit early for Mike Ploog to be needing a fill-in? I mean, how much time does doing this series take up? If he can't do five issues in a row, then give it to someone else. Give it to Paul Smith!

CHUCK #1
Written by Peter Johnson & Zev Barow
Art by Jeremy Haun & Phil Noto
Cover by Phil Noto
The hit NBC television series comes to comics as Chuck Bartowski and his friends are about to take the world by storm-literally! From series co-executive producer Peter Johnson (Supernatural: Rising Son) and series writer Zev Borow joined with artists Jeremy Haun (The Leading Man) and Phil Noto (Jonah Hex) comes an adventure too big for television!
In this globe-trotting, action-packed adventure, Chuck will see many exotic locales, dodge numerous bullets, and be tortured by the world's greatest...tickler?
On sale June 11 o 1 of 6 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

• Wow. This is unexpected. I love Chuck! I just might have to pick this one up!

THE NEW YORK FOUR
Written by Brian Wood
Art and cover by Ryan Kelly

A new Minx graphic novel from acclaimed writer Brian Wood (DEMO, DMZ)!
Just starting her freshman year at NYU, Riley is about to find out what an adventure - and a mystery - living in New York City can be.
The ultimate insider's guide to NYC is seen through the eyes of Brooklyn-born Riley. Raised by stuffy, literati parents, Riley's a shy, straight-A student who convinces three other NYU brainiacs to join a research group for fast cash. What Riley doesn't bank on is accidentally falling in love with arty older sister's boyfriend.
Advance-solicited; on sale July 23 o 176 pg, B&W, $9.99 US

• Brian Wood, doing a MINX book? Intriguing.

MADAME XANADU #1
Written by Matt Wagner
Art and cover by Amy Reeder Hadley
Variant cover by Wagner
Legendary creator Matt Wagner (MAGE, GRENDEL, SUPERMAN/BATMAN/WONDER WOMAN: TRINITY) and rising star artist Amy Reeder Hadley present Vertigo's newest ongoing fantasy epic. Centuries long and around the globe her tale winds before the ageless fortuneteller arrives in modern era New York. Her powers of sight can change the course of human events, but how does the seer see herself? Wagner and Hadley answer with painstakingly elegant story and breathtakingly innovative art that is sure to make Madame Xanadu a classic!
Issue #1 opens into a medieval kingdom beset by intrigue and foul sorcery. A fair sylph with magic of her own is thrown into the world of war and men - where she encounters a dark stranger who knows not only her past, but her most intimate future as well.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Hadley), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Wagner). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
FC / 32 pgs / Monthly / $2.99 US / On sale June 25 / MATURE READERS

• Man, I really want to pick this one up. I just don't know if I'll have the money.

THE EXTERMINATORS #30
Written by Simon Oliver
Art by Tony Moore & John Lucas
Cover by Philip Bond

Vertigo's most skin-crawling series crashes to an apocalyptic conclusion as the boys (and girls) of Bug Bee Gone fight the battle they always knew was coming: humanity's last stand against the chaos of nature. There's no guarantee that anyone will survive, but if Henry, Stretch, Nils and the rest can't make a last stand against the killer cockroaches, no one else will. Don't miss the ending of this cult-classic comic never to be duplicated.
On sale June 4 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US o MATURE READERS o Final issue

• Another Vertigo casualty. I love Vertigo books, but there are too many books out there to pick them all up. This means good books sometime go unread.

HELLBLAZER #245
Written by Jason Aaron
Art by Sean Murphy
Cover by Lee Bermejo

"Newcastle Calling" Part 1 of 2, written by Jason Aaron (SCALPED, Ghost Rider) with art by Sean Murphy (Batman/Scarecrow: Year One). A group of na•ve documentary filmmakers try to find out what happened to Mucous Membrane - an up-and-coming punk outfit (led by John Constantine) that met a mysterious end.
On sale June 18 o 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US o MATURE READERS

• Jesse Aaron + John Constantine=Good. It just has to be good.

JLA TROPHY ROOM: BAT-SIGNAL PROP REPLICA

The JLA Trophy Room prop replica program continues for 2008 with the Bat-Signal! A must-have on any wall or ceiling for the ultimate Batman fan!

With the flick of a switch, this metal-encased device projects a light-up Bat-Signal an impressive 16 feet! Powered by a plug-in, UL adapter and two ultra-bright bulbs, the piece also includes a fan to keep it cool. With a swivel feature enabling the Bat-Signal to pan across the room, Batman is sure to come to the rescue no matter where he is when he's beckoned.

This prop replica measures approximately 12" tall x 2.25" wide x 9" deep and is packaged in a 4/C box. Also included are a 4/C Certificate of Authenticity, a "Guide to the Trophy Room" brochure written by best-selling author Brad Meltzer, and one replacement bulb.

• Wow. They don't even list a price. That can't be good.

VERTIGO TAROT DECK SET
20th Anniversary Edition

Art: Dave McKean
Text: Rachel Pollack
Introduction: Neil Gaiman

What does YOUR future hold? Find out with the re-release of one of the most-requested and sought-after VERTIGO products of all time: The VERTIGO TAROT DECK SET, in a special gold foil-stamped Sandman 20th Anniversary Edition!

With evocative card images and illustrations by award-winning artist Dave McKean, the 78 tarot cards in the set are designed to be utilized by any practitioner of tarot. The Major Arcana of the set features an array of Vertigo characters, including:

The Fool o John Constantine
The Magician o Tim Hunter
The High Priestess o Titania, Queen of Faerie
The Hierophan o Morpheus
The Wheel of Fortune oDestiny of the Endless
Death o Death of the Endless
The Devil o Lucifer
The World o Swamp Thing

This new anniversary edition features:

Seventy-eight cards with art by Dave McKean, a softcover 128-page book (with a four-color cover by McKean, black and white interior text by tarot expert Rachel Pollack, and an introduction by New York Times best-selling SANDMAN author Neil Gaiman), plus a black velvet-like drawstring bag to hold the tarot cards. The book cover, box front, spines and velvet-quality bag are gold foil-stamped with a special Sandman 20th Anniversary logo.

The set is manufactured to order.
Advance-solicited; on sale November 5, 2008 * Tarot Deck Set * $39.99

• This is a product that I really don't understand why it ever went out of production. It is such a cool idea, that there should always be a set availiable.

WONDER WOMAN 1:4 SCALE MUSEUM QUALITY STATUE
Sculpted by Andy Bergholtz

Standing atop battle-damaged Grecian ruins, this stunning 18" Wonder Woman mixed-media statue shows the Amazon Princess in all her fury. This 1:4 scale museum quality figure is composed of resin, metal, and an expertly crafted fabric outfit, including briefs with a star pattern, a faux-leather bodice, and a flowing cape. She is armed for battle with a shield, sword, eagle-shaped axe, and a lasso. The full piece measures approximately 16.5" high x 11" wide x 14" deep.

This exclusive, limited edition statue includes a 4/color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4/color box.

Advance-solicited;
in stores November 5, 2008 * Statue * $295.00 US

• I like the fact that these are supposed to be "museum quality". Like this statue would be seen in the Louvre or the Met. "Ladies and gentlemen, to your left, the Mona Lisa. To Your right, Wonder Woman holding a big freakin' axe."

 

Movie: The Other Boleyn Girl

Other Boleyn Girl

So, my wife, her friend and I went to see a movie today. Guess which one? Yes, The Other Boleyn Girl! I get to see two of my Hollywood crushes in the same movie and not get in trouble for it! So, how was it?

Well, Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman were cute. And the costumes were nice.

This movie is a rear bird--a film which rushes the plot along but yet still seems to drag.

To say this film is flawed would be an understatement. Not much time is given to character development. We are supposed to naturally understand the bond between Natalie, playing Anne Boleyn, and Scarlett, playing Mary Boleyn, just because they're sisters. We get little evidence of said bond. The results are that the betrayals and supposed betrayals are weak and ineffective.

There are other holes in characterization. I mean, are we suppose to believe Anne was angry at Mary for "stealing" the King when she herself was tricked into going after him in the first place? The fundamental driving point of Henry the VIII was that he desparately wanted a male heir, yet, when Mary gives him one, he walks away from it. Why? Because he was hot and heavy for her because she returned his gifts.

There are also other plot holes. Mary has as husband that is "sent away on Royal business", yet marries another man without us ever finding out what happened to the first hubby. It seems that we are missing major parts of the movie, parts that were imortant, parts that would have made the movie better.

Johansson and Portman do well with what it given them. Eric Bana, however, is a dead fish. he shows such little charm and passion in the beginning of the film, when his temper flares up in the second half, it seems fake.

It could be not all his fault. The fault may lie with the script and directing. Basically. we have a melodrama that mistakenly believes it is closer to Shakespeare. The result, what could be a fun soap opera is buried under the weight of its own seriousness.

Oh, and for those of you who are interested, Johansson has three sex scenes. Two of which, she is wearing more clothing than she did in all of The Island. And the third is shot is soft focus to preserve the rating. So, know that going in.

TRAILERS:

• Stop Loss: I think they added a line in this trailer, one that says "Since there is no draft, enlisted men have to keep going back to Iraq". If that wasn't clear from the rest of the trailer, and it was (to me at least), then your film is in serious trouble.
• The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2: Interesting in the way that when the first one came out that the most famous pair of the four were Amber Tamblyn (from Joan of Arcadia) and Alexis Bleidel (from Gilmore Girls). Now, it's America Ferrara (from Ugly Betty) and Blake Lively (from Gossip Girl). What a difference a couple years make.
• Under the Same Moon: I don't care how well this movie has been received critically, I'm not buying a five year old boy crossing the border to search for his mom.    
• Mamma Mia: Yes, this one.
• 21: Every time I see this trailer, I am distracted by Jim Sturgess' fake American accent. Seriously, is this how American's sound when they try to do a British accent?
• Made of Honor: Patrick Dempsey trying to see if he can regain success as a movie lead. This film if it were made ten years ago would have been a vehicle for Julia Roberts, on with a gender switch.

Sad News: R.I.P. Dave Stevens

Dave stevens

The news hitting the Internet is that comic artist Dave Stevens has passed away yesterday after a long battle with Leukemia. He was 52.

Usually, I would leave the kind words about the deceased to other, more eloquent writers. And, in this case, there are plenty to go around: Mark Evanier, Heidi MacDonald (who I copped the picture to the left from) , and Valerie D'Orazio.  But this time, I'll think I'll make an exception.

Those of you who who do not follow comics might know of a movie from a few years ago called The Rocketeer. This was adapted from a comic book created by Dave Stevens.

The Rocketeer was a great concept. It was a classic Golden Age book that came out thirty years too late.

And, in my opinion, Dave Stevens was one of the best comics artists of all time. The best way I can explain his style is Norman Rockwell by way of Alberto Vargas. His art was beautiful. His characters were realistic looking but with a glow to them.

And he could draw a gorgeous woman too. It is through his artwork that I first found out about pin-up model Betty Page. I'm sure I'm not the only teenage boy who did.

He was an underrated artist and by all accounts a very nice guy to boot. He will be missed.

 

Amazing heroes rocketeer

I obsess about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, 2008 edition.

Another Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony has come and gone, and just like I did last year, I am going to list the performers who are first eligible to be nominated for next year's ceremony, as per this site. It is a really diverse list, one full of bands who I though came around much later than 1983.

1. Anthrax
2. Art of Noise
3. Billy Bragg
4. Bon Jovi
5. Butthole Surfers
6. Corey Hart
7. Corrosion of Conformity
8. Cyndi Lauper
9. D.R.I.
10. Dio
11. Europe
12. Frankie Goes to Hollywood
13. Howard Jones
14. James
15. K.D. Lang
16. Katrina and the Waves
17. Naked Raygun
18. New Edition
19. NOFX
20. Pantera
21. Paul Rogers
22. Pulp
23. Queensryche
24. Ratt
25. Run DMC
26. Slayer
27. The Smiths
28. Social Distortion
29. Stevie Ray Vaughn
30. The Style Council
31. Suicidal Tendencies

I never thought Pulp or James were THAT old.

Again, like last year, I will offer my top five choices for who will be on the nomination list. Not the five that will get in. Because five first year eligible artists never get in (and this might be a year were no first year nominees get inducted). Just five who will be on the 9 artist nomination list. In alphabetical order:

• Bon Jovi: Bon Jovi might fall into the "KISS" category of uber-popular bands who get no love from the journalists. I can very well see Bon Jovi fans on message board bemoaning the fact that their band was snubbed. But I think they are influential enough (From a whole bunch of hair bands that immediately followed to the country artists of today)  and innovative enough ( combining metal and pop and a bit of country into something new) that they may make the nomination list at least. And the fact that they are still working today might help.
• Cyndi Lauper: You might think that she is as rock and roll as a turnip, but she is more rock and roll than Madonna and she's in. And she is a survivor who has influence artists as varied as Celine Dion and Nelly McKay.
• Run DMC: The rap pioneers seem to be a lock to get on the nomination list. But there are a lot of other rap artists who have been eligible for years ahead of them. So they might not get in. But they derseve to, if only for bridging the worlds of rap and rock.
• The Smiths: I'm sure there are people who like rock music who have never heard of the Smiths. However, they are one of the best bands to come out of England in the 80s. This is my sentimental favorite to get on the list. I hope they do.
• Stevie Ray Vaughan: He is a guitar legend who has influenced a wide variety of other axemen. And he revolutionized blues as we know. Anything with a blues twang you hear today most likely came from him. So he should be another lock for nomination.

  There are a lot of legendary names in heavy metal (Anthrax), punk (NOFX), and alternative (Butthole Surfers, Social Distortion) on the eligibility list that I'm sure many people think are worthy (and they probably are) but the HOF doesn't really lend itself to those genres. Don't get me wrong, they should. But they don't.

K.D.Lang might also have a shot. I am a closet Howard Jones fan, but I think he's too poppy. He has less of a chance than Duran Duran and they are still waiting for their first nomination.

I guess we'll see later on this year.

Gates Ombudsman: 03/11/08

Ombudsman,-header

Some more rantable news items:

• NY Governor Elliot Spitzer linked to prostitution ring: Or, the "get tough on crime" candidate lets his position on prostitution be known. You know, one of the more odious comments political wags make about the possibility of women being in power is that the fact they are hormonal once a month inhibits their ability to lead.Yet, how many men in leadership positions had their careers destroyed by their not being able to keep their pesky in their pants?
• Obama states he will not accept the vice-presidency if he loses: I guess he's only all about change only if he is the one controlling the change. If offered to be a high-ranking part of an administration also looking for change, he will stamp his feet and go home. I understand why he said this, after all, he is running for president and his eyes should be on that prize, but it still comes out as being selfish.
• John Rogers off of Blue Beetle: Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!
• Being replaced by Will Pfeiffer: Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!
• But only for a limited time: Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! 
• My review of "Left on a Mission" is up at Popmatters: Go read it!
• New Guiding Lines column up at Broken Frontier: A big day for my writing on the internet. This week, I cover Serenity: Better Days #1, The Last Defenders #1, JLA Classified #54, Pogrom #1, Screamland #1, Superman #674, Astounding Wolf-Man #5, and Avengers Fairy Tales #1.
• Valerie D'Orazio puts the clamps down over at Occasional Superheroine: A combative round of commenting causes Val to approve all comments. Honestly, it doesn't seem from what I see here that the posts were even close to flamewar worthy, but perhaps she has a history with that fellow. Either way, as long as she continues to blog, I am fine with that! 

Recent Spate of False Memoirs Troubles Me.

It all started with James Frey, who gained national infamy when his some of his claims in his memoir, "A Million Little Pieces" were shown to be untrue. You'd think that after that, authors and publishers would wise up and that sort of thing would never happen again. But in the last two weeks, now less than two other memoirs were exposed to be factually challenged. More so than even Frey's book.

Last week, it was revealed Misha Defonseca's book, "Misha: A Memoire of the Holocaust Years," in which she claims that, as a Jewish child, she lived with a pack of wolves in the woods during the Holocaust, was untrue. She didn't live with wolves, nor in the woods. She wasn't even Jewish. Her parents were killed, but not because they were Jews, but rather because they were resistance fighters.

You'd think that the publishers might have been a little suspicious about the fact she claimed to live in the woods, being protected by wolves. But I guess they didn't doubt her truthiness because she mentioned the Holocaust. I mean, who would be a scuzzy enough to lie about the Holocaust for personal gain.

If that wasn't bad enough. this week it was revealed that Margaret B. Jones lied in her memoir "Love and Consequences". In it, she claimed she, a white woman, was raised in poverty by a black foster mother and sold drugs for a gang in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood. Turns out she grew up in an affluent suburb with her biological parents. Never lived with a foster family, never lived in the Hood, never sold drugs for the Bloods.

Luckily, this trend in fake true stories is not going to change the way book publishers do business. Which is good because I have been shopping my memoir around. And unlike these others, my memoir is 100% true (wholly depending on your definition of the word "true". And "is". )

What's more, I have decided to print an excerpt from the first chapter here in my blog. I figure, what better way to get the bidding war started. The title, you impatiently ask?

RAISED BY POODLES, The Bill Gatevackes Story. A Memoir

Chapter one

Fleas are the bane of my existence.

 

Mom

Some might have called Sally a bitch. I called her mom.

She stood about 15 inches high at her highest point. She had intelligent eyes and grey fur which came to puffs at her ankles. She was the poodle, and she helped make me the man I am today.

How did I come to find myself in Sally's "pack". Well, I only heard this information second hand. So, I cannot verify the accuracy of this account.

My biological father is unknown to me. He could have been the lifeguard at the local pool. He could have been Englebert Humperdick. Or he could have been a member of the 1970 New York Football Giants. I just don't know. But I do know who my birth mom was.

My biological mother, I would later find out, was named Bambi Barbie, a teenage girl who found herself pregnant after sleeping with one of those 27 men. I like to think that she, freaked out by the thought of having a child at 17, gave me up to adoption and that is how I found myself in Sally's happy home. But the truth was far worse.

My mother was a Tabsca addict. You might be unfamiliar with "Tabsca", a hallucinogen with a cult popularity in the 1970s. It was a dangerous cocktail of "Tab" and "Fresca". Separately, they were refreshing carbonated beverages. Combined, they formed a highly powerful psychotropic drug 10 times as potent as LSD.  

One November, my birth mother went shopping for Thanksgiving after a six day Tabsca bender. She says the last thing she remembers is freebasing a dose of the "Tan Demon" in the car right before going into the supermarket. The next thing she remembers is arriving back at her apartment and seeing a 13 lb. turkey the car seat. She assumes that while in the store, she put switched me out with the poultry. She put my jumper on the bird and left the store with it, leaving me in the refrigerated bin with the other turkeys. Such is the horrific effects of Tabsca.

When I related this tale of abandonment, people expect me more upset than I am about the event. "She got you confused with a frozen turkey!" they ask. "Doesn't that piss you off?"

I guess I should be angrier. But I take a rather zen approach to it. This is what fate had in store for me. It was supposed to happen. This is the way my life was supposed to go.

That, and I'm glad my birth mother mistook me for a turkey while we were still in the supermarket and not when she was preparing Thanksgiving dinner.

###

That's all for now. Agents and publishers, contact me if you want more. As to what to expect from future chapters, here is a little taste:

"Sally named me Wrrrraowrrr, which translates into human as "Fluffy". I guess this is an ironic reference to my being completely devoid of fur. Kind of like calling a bald man "Curly", a tall man "Tiny" or a dumb man "President of the United States""

"I remember getting that first, simple, black leather collar. I knew then that I finally belonged."

"The family cat didn't like me. I still have the scars to prove it. But I gave as good as I got."

"I remember to this day exactly what I said when social services took me away from Sally. I said, "Aaaaooorrrrrroooo!!!""

"He said "Try these man, you'll taste the raaaaiiiinnnnbooow!" That was the day my Skittles addiction began."