DVD new releases for July
July 5
The Film Noir Classic Collection 2: (Born to Kill / Clash by Night / Crossfire / Dillinger (1945) / The Narrow Margin (1952)
Monk Complete Third Season
Fantastic Four Complete 1995 Animated Series
July 12
July 19
Earth 2 the Complete Series
Constantine
Sliders the Complete Third Season
Lost in Space Season 3, Vol. 2
Dead Like Me Complete Second Season
July 26
The Brady Bunch Complete Second Season
The Return of the Pink Panther
Gilligan's Island The Complete Third Season
Silk Stalkings The Complete Third Season
The Jerk
Star Trek Enterprise Complete Second Season
The Mary Tyler Moore Show Complete Second Season
Third Rock from the Sun Complete First Season
Remington Steele The Complete First Season
Profiling Joe Simon
The Philadelphia Daily News has a feature story on the 91-year-old comics pioneer and co-creator of Captain America:
"We were just trying out new superheroes at the time," said Simon. "We were at war, and Adolf Hitler, of course, was the villain of the world. Villains seemed to be in fashion at the time, and we had one ready-made for us, even if he wasn't a figment of someone's imagination."
..."We just caught on immediately," he said. "I gave Jack Kirby the scripts. It was both of us that came up with it. We were both responsible."
"We were just trying out new superheroes at the time," said Simon. "We were at war, and Adolf Hitler, of course, was the villain of the world. Villains seemed to be in fashion at the time, and we had one ready-made for us, even if he wasn't a figment of someone's imagination."
..."We just caught on immediately," he said. "I gave Jack Kirby the scripts. It was both of us that came up with it. We were both responsible."
Comics Buyers Guide launches Web site, forums
Yeah! A new place to fight and argue about comic books!
The Comics Buyers Guide--one of the longest-running magazines devoted to comic book news and collectors info around--has announced a new Web site with several discussion areas:
They include ones to talk about recent features (including this month’s Battle of the Ages among its columnists and editors about when the Golden, Silver, Bronze and Mylar Ages began) and one for each columnist. The Mr. Silver Age one is the only on-line message board he runs (as opposed to columnists like Peter David, Tony Isabella and Captain Comics, who have their own long-time boards elsewhere). The Mr. Silver Age board already has several features, including a full table of contents for his book, Baby Boomer Comics, and several long-gone features from 1990s issues of CBG.
Check it out here.
The Comics Buyers Guide--one of the longest-running magazines devoted to comic book news and collectors info around--has announced a new Web site with several discussion areas:
They include ones to talk about recent features (including this month’s Battle of the Ages among its columnists and editors about when the Golden, Silver, Bronze and Mylar Ages began) and one for each columnist. The Mr. Silver Age one is the only on-line message board he runs (as opposed to columnists like Peter David, Tony Isabella and Captain Comics, who have their own long-time boards elsewhere). The Mr. Silver Age board already has several features, including a full table of contents for his book, Baby Boomer Comics, and several long-gone features from 1990s issues of CBG.
Check it out here.
San Diego Comicon gets sneak preview of new Eisner documentary film
A 45-minute preview of "Will Eisner: The Spirit of an Artistic Pioneer" will be shown at this month's Comicon International in San Diego.
According to a press release from filmmaker Andrew Cooke:
WILL EISNER: THE SPIRIT OF AN ARTISTIC PIONEER chronicles the brilliant innovator's astonishingly prolific life, beginning with his modest upbringing in Depression-era New York City, into his burgeoning career at the birth of comics in the mid-1930s, and all the way up to the completion of his final graphic novel, The Plot, shortly before his passing in January.
In interviews with such luminaries as Stan Lee, Denis Kitchen, Kurt Vonnegut, Art Spiegelman, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Gil Kane, and with as yet unseen home movies, audio tapes (with Jack Kirby, Milton Caniff, Gil Fox), and newly uncovered archival photographs, the documentary honors the true master of sequential art as never before.
A 45 minute preview of Andrew and Jon Cooke's documentary will premiere on Thursday, July 14 at 1:00pm in Room 8.
There's an official site for the film here.
According to a press release from filmmaker Andrew Cooke:
WILL EISNER: THE SPIRIT OF AN ARTISTIC PIONEER chronicles the brilliant innovator's astonishingly prolific life, beginning with his modest upbringing in Depression-era New York City, into his burgeoning career at the birth of comics in the mid-1930s, and all the way up to the completion of his final graphic novel, The Plot, shortly before his passing in January.
In interviews with such luminaries as Stan Lee, Denis Kitchen, Kurt Vonnegut, Art Spiegelman, Michael Chabon, Neil Gaiman, Gil Kane, and with as yet unseen home movies, audio tapes (with Jack Kirby, Milton Caniff, Gil Fox), and newly uncovered archival photographs, the documentary honors the true master of sequential art as never before.
A 45 minute preview of Andrew and Jon Cooke's documentary will premiere on Thursday, July 14 at 1:00pm in Room 8.
There's an official site for the film here.
New CD releases of note
June 28
The Adverts Anthology and Cast of Thousands (two CDs each) and Crossing the Red Sea
Electric Light Orchestra All Over the World: The Very Best of
Fountains of Wayne Out-of-State Plates
The Posies Every Kind of Light
Teenage Fanclub Catholic Education and Deep Fried Fanclub
Television Personalities And Don't the Kids Just Love It, Closer to God, Mummy You're Not Watching Me, Priviledge, The Painted Word and They Could Have Been Bigger Than the Beatles
DVD Jimi Hendrix Deluxe Edition
July 5
OST Dark Water (score by Angelo Badalamenti)
OST Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: The Album
SACD Jeff Wayne Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds
VA Hal Lifson Presents Music for Lonely Housewives
The Adverts Anthology and Cast of Thousands (two CDs each) and Crossing the Red Sea
Electric Light Orchestra All Over the World: The Very Best of
Fountains of Wayne Out-of-State Plates
The Posies Every Kind of Light
Teenage Fanclub Catholic Education and Deep Fried Fanclub
Television Personalities And Don't the Kids Just Love It, Closer to God, Mummy You're Not Watching Me, Priviledge, The Painted Word and They Could Have Been Bigger Than the Beatles
DVD Jimi Hendrix Deluxe Edition
July 5
OST Dark Water (score by Angelo Badalamenti)
OST Fantastic Four and Fantastic Four: The Album
SACD Jeff Wayne Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of the War of the Worlds
VA Hal Lifson Presents Music for Lonely Housewives
Out now: Japanese Batman figures
The latest batch of DC Direct/Yamato Toy Batman figures are out this week. You can get 'em via comics shops or CMDstore.
Conan 'toon planned
An animated film based on Robert E. Howard's "Red Nails" is in the works, according to the official Conan site:
Sherman Oaks, California-based Swordplay Entertainment Inc., has begun principal production on the animated feature film, CONAN: RED NAILS, based on the classic story by the best-selling fantasy author Robert E. Howard, a new 2D/3D animated feature film, targeting a 2006 release on video/DVD. New Line Home Entertainment has acquired all North American distribution rights to the animated feature film.
Cinema Management Group (CMG), an international sales company based in West Hollywood, headed by sales veteran Edward Noeltner, will be taking CONAN: RED NAILS to the Cannes Film Festival where it will be looking to set-up international pre-sales on the feature.
CONAN has previously been adapted into feature films, and television, but this is the first full-length animated feature film based on Conan the Cimmerian, a character Howard created in 1932.
The feature film is being directed by animation veteran Victor Dal Chele, (SPIDER-MAN, GHOSTBUSTERS, THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY QUEST, BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS and ROBOCOP: ALPHA COMMANDO). Comics, animation and superheroes expert Steve Gold is onboard as the film’s writer/producer while Larry Houston (THE X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, HBO'S SPAWN and DISNEY'S GARGOYLES) is animation director.
CONAN: RED NAILS, one of Howard’s most famous stories, is both a sprawling epic and an equally engaging love story. When Conan and the female warrior Valeria, are betrayed in battle, they flee across harsh desert and trackless jungle only to confront the mystery and horror of a fabulous lost city. Conan becomes embroiled in a feud between the city’s factions, and must triumph over dragons, demons and a host of human and magical foes to end the war and win Valeria’s love.
“Steve Gold is an incredible cinematic storyteller, and renown Conan expert,” said producer Jonathan Bogner. “We’re all thrilled at this opportunity to bring his vision of Conan to life and work with some of the best artists in the world.”
Gold and Dal Chele have assembled an impressive team of award-winning visual artists and tapped legendary illustrator Michael Kaluta as the key concept designer for the film.
“Michael has been associated with CONAN and the works of Robert E. Howard for more than 30 years. He brings an amazing scope and pedigree to the film,” said Dal Chele.
Mark Schultz (CADILLACS & DINOSAURS) who recently illustrated THE COMING OF CONAN THE CIMMERIAN: VOLUME 1 for publishing house Ballentine and Del Ray, will add additional concept designs, as will leading fantasy painter and book cover artist, Donato Giancola. Greg Horn, a longtime Conan fan, and a hot young artist for comics and videogames will also be contributing artwork for the project.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the creative and business teams we’ve assembled for this film. We all feel a tremendous respect and responsibility to the Conan franchise and Conan’s legions of fans around the world,” said Gold. “This is going to be an incredible ride!” he added.
Sherman Oaks, California-based Swordplay Entertainment Inc., has begun principal production on the animated feature film, CONAN: RED NAILS, based on the classic story by the best-selling fantasy author Robert E. Howard, a new 2D/3D animated feature film, targeting a 2006 release on video/DVD. New Line Home Entertainment has acquired all North American distribution rights to the animated feature film.
Cinema Management Group (CMG), an international sales company based in West Hollywood, headed by sales veteran Edward Noeltner, will be taking CONAN: RED NAILS to the Cannes Film Festival where it will be looking to set-up international pre-sales on the feature.
CONAN has previously been adapted into feature films, and television, but this is the first full-length animated feature film based on Conan the Cimmerian, a character Howard created in 1932.
The feature film is being directed by animation veteran Victor Dal Chele, (SPIDER-MAN, GHOSTBUSTERS, THE REAL ADVENTURES OF JOHNNY QUEST, BUTT-UGLY MARTIANS and ROBOCOP: ALPHA COMMANDO). Comics, animation and superheroes expert Steve Gold is onboard as the film’s writer/producer while Larry Houston (THE X-MEN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, BATMAN: THE ANIMATED SERIES, HBO'S SPAWN and DISNEY'S GARGOYLES) is animation director.
CONAN: RED NAILS, one of Howard’s most famous stories, is both a sprawling epic and an equally engaging love story. When Conan and the female warrior Valeria, are betrayed in battle, they flee across harsh desert and trackless jungle only to confront the mystery and horror of a fabulous lost city. Conan becomes embroiled in a feud between the city’s factions, and must triumph over dragons, demons and a host of human and magical foes to end the war and win Valeria’s love.
“Steve Gold is an incredible cinematic storyteller, and renown Conan expert,” said producer Jonathan Bogner. “We’re all thrilled at this opportunity to bring his vision of Conan to life and work with some of the best artists in the world.”
Gold and Dal Chele have assembled an impressive team of award-winning visual artists and tapped legendary illustrator Michael Kaluta as the key concept designer for the film.
“Michael has been associated with CONAN and the works of Robert E. Howard for more than 30 years. He brings an amazing scope and pedigree to the film,” said Dal Chele.
Mark Schultz (CADILLACS & DINOSAURS) who recently illustrated THE COMING OF CONAN THE CIMMERIAN: VOLUME 1 for publishing house Ballentine and Del Ray, will add additional concept designs, as will leading fantasy painter and book cover artist, Donato Giancola. Greg Horn, a longtime Conan fan, and a hot young artist for comics and videogames will also be contributing artwork for the project.
“I couldn’t be more pleased with the creative and business teams we’ve assembled for this film. We all feel a tremendous respect and responsibility to the Conan franchise and Conan’s legions of fans around the world,” said Gold. “This is going to be an incredible ride!” he added.
Woohoo! Here comes "The Aventures of Superman" to DVD
The complete first season of the 1950s TV series, plus bonuses, will be out Oct. 18, reports TV Shows on DVD.
According to the site, extras on the five-disk set include:
- Superman and the Mole Men theatrical movie (Reeves and Coates' first team-up)
- Featurette: "From Inkwell to Backlot" retrospective
- Vintage George Reeves short
- Original Kellogg's Cereal TV spots
- Commentary Tracks by Super-Experts (details to be announced)
And here's the official spiel from Warner Home Video:
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman! The legendary Man of Steel, last survivor of the doomed planet Krypton lives on earth, assuming the secret identity of Clark Kent, mild-mannered reporter for the Metropolis Daily Planet. But with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men, he battles for truth and justice as Superman. This is the first Superman TV series! Originally aired in the 1950's, it featured George Reeves as Superman and enjoyed tremendous success during its broadcast. The TV series premise was established a year before its broadcast via the theatrical release of "Superman and The Mole Men" in 1951.
Disc 1
"Superman on Earth"
"The Haunted Lighthouse"
"The Case of the Talkative Dummy"
"The Mystery of the Broken Statues"
"The Monkey Mystery"
"A Night of Terror"
Disc 2
"The Birthday Letter"
"The Mind Machine"
"Rescue"
"The Secret of Superman"
"No Holds Barred"
"The Deserted Village"
Disc 3
"The Stolen Costume"
"Treasure of the Incas"
"Double Trouble"
"Mystery in Wax"
"The Runaway Robot"
"Drums of Death"
Disc 4
"The Evil Three"
"Riddle of the Chinese Jade"
"The Human Bomb"
"Czar of the Underworld"
"The Ghost Wolf"
"Crime Wave"
Disc 5
"Unknown People, Part 1"
"Unknown People, Part 2"
This makes me very, very happy.
You can pre-order the set now from Amazon.
For more on the original TV Superman, George Reeves, see Dial B for Blog's excellent post today.
Starbucks to release Dylan bootleg
First it sucked the bohemia out of coffee shops. Now in its quest for complete ubiquity, Starbucks is hi-jacking the coolness of music bootlegs.
According to Newsday:
Starbucks Coffee Co. has reached a deal to produce and exclusively release a CD of 10 Dylan recordings from New York's Gaslight Cafe in 1962, when he was just finding himself as a songwriter. The Gaslight, in Greenwich Village, was a focal point of the folk revival in the early '60s.
"Bob Dylan: Live at the Gaslight 1962" will be available at Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada on Aug. 30. It includes the earliest known recordings of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," as well as folk standards "Barbara Allen" and "The Cuckoo."
According to Newsday:
Starbucks Coffee Co. has reached a deal to produce and exclusively release a CD of 10 Dylan recordings from New York's Gaslight Cafe in 1962, when he was just finding himself as a songwriter. The Gaslight, in Greenwich Village, was a focal point of the folk revival in the early '60s.
"Bob Dylan: Live at the Gaslight 1962" will be available at Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada on Aug. 30. It includes the earliest known recordings of "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right," as well as folk standards "Barbara Allen" and "The Cuckoo."
Marvel Visionaries book celebrates Romita
From The Comics Continuum, here's the cover art for Marvel Visionaries: John Romita Sr.
The book is out Aug. 10 and features classic Romita-illustrated tales. Here's Marvel's description:
From the fabulous fifties to the future of the Femizons! The coming of the communist-hunting Captain America! Peter Parker's parents in perilous predicaments! The first of the final face-offs between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin! The debut of the Devil's Daughter! Also featuring the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Nick Fury, Wolverine, the Kingpin, and more! Includes rarely seen horror tales from the pre-Marvel era! Collects Strange Tales #4; Menace #11; Young Men #24, 26; Tales to Astonish #77; Tales of Suspense #77; Daredevil #16 and 17; Amazing Spider-Man #39, #40, #42, #50, #108, #109 and #365; Fantastic Four #105 and 106; Vampire Tales #2; and Untold Tales of Spider-Man Minus 1.
You can pre-order it now from Amazon.
The book is out Aug. 10 and features classic Romita-illustrated tales. Here's Marvel's description:
From the fabulous fifties to the future of the Femizons! The coming of the communist-hunting Captain America! Peter Parker's parents in perilous predicaments! The first of the final face-offs between Spider-Man and the Green Goblin! The debut of the Devil's Daughter! Also featuring the Fantastic Four, Daredevil, Nick Fury, Wolverine, the Kingpin, and more! Includes rarely seen horror tales from the pre-Marvel era! Collects Strange Tales #4; Menace #11; Young Men #24, 26; Tales to Astonish #77; Tales of Suspense #77; Daredevil #16 and 17; Amazing Spider-Man #39, #40, #42, #50, #108, #109 and #365; Fantastic Four #105 and 106; Vampire Tales #2; and Untold Tales of Spider-Man Minus 1.
You can pre-order it now from Amazon.
Podcasting Duck comics
A note from Bill Jourdain, man behind the excellent and entertaining Golden Age of Comics Podcast:
Golden Age of Comics Podcast #4 uploaded June 27, 2005! In this
installment we talk about the great Carl Barks and his wonderful work
on Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge. We are also thrilled to have an
interview with Don Rosa, who has captivated all “duck fans” with his
storytelling and with his series, “The Life and Times of Scrooge
McDuck.” We have a short market report where we discuss some very
high dollar sales, and we talk about the happenings last weekend at
the Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Check it out here.
Golden Age of Comics Podcast #4 uploaded June 27, 2005! In this
installment we talk about the great Carl Barks and his wonderful work
on Donald Duck and Uncle Scrooge. We are also thrilled to have an
interview with Don Rosa, who has captivated all “duck fans” with his
storytelling and with his series, “The Life and Times of Scrooge
McDuck.” We have a short market report where we discuss some very
high dollar sales, and we talk about the happenings last weekend at
the Heroes Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Check it out here.
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