DVD: Tex Avery's Droopy - The Complete Theatrical Collection

Here's the cover art for this double DVD out May 15. You can pre-order it now for $20.19 from Amazon.

Pop Artifacts! Man from U.N.C.L.E. buttons

Vintage comic book ad

Pop Culture Roundup April 6, 2007

Who drummer Keith Moon may've been a drunken lout, but he had good taste in comic books. Fred Hembeck investigates.

----------------

Australia's Courier-Mail examines the long, long, long history of comics hero The Phantom.

Pre-dating both the Batman and Superman comic book heroes, The Phantom was the brainchild of Missouri-born writer Lee Falk in 1936, who had already, as a young man conceived of his other great comic character, Mandrake the Magician, two years earlier before coming up with the brilliantly simple idea of having a multi-skilled, physically impressive and well-educated crime fighter living in the mysterious deep woods of a jungle from where he could freely come and go while pursuing justice.

---------------------

The work of late cartoonist and character designer Alex Toth will be examined in the extras that go along with the upcoming Space Ghost DVD set, Earl Kress reports.

----------------------

Oasis, The Killers, Razorlite, James Morrison, The Fratellis and Travis are among current artists re-recording songs from the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper album. The songs will air on BBC 2 radio on June 2, celebrating the original LP's 40th anniversary, and may crop up as downloads or a CD.

New Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer poster



See the Best Fantastic Four sites on the Web.

DVD: "Rawhide" the second season, vol. 1

Here's cover art for the four-disk set collecting more of the classic TV Western featuring a young Clint Eastwood.

You can pre-order it now for $29.99 from Amazon.

DVD: "Flipper" season one out April 24

Here's cover art for the four-disk set collecting the series' 1964-65 season. You can pre-order it now for $27.99 from Amazon.



See a complete list of TV series on DVD.

Doctor Who "Keeper of the Traken," "Logopolis" and "Castrovalva due on DVD in June

A trio of Doctor Who adventures that mark the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison in the lead role will be out June 5.

Click the links to pre-order any the DVD sets from Amazon. All three also are available together as a box set: "Doctor Who: New Beginnings."


Keeper of the Traken

Traken is a planet ruled by the all-powerful Keeper, who reigns for a thousand years and ensures that his subjects live a life of tranquillity and harmony. Now the Keeper is dying. Summoned by the ailing Keeper, the Doctor and Adric discover that all uis not well on Traken. An evil presence threatens the future of the planet - an evil that knows all about the Doctor. (Episodes 1-4, 98 mins)
Extras:
--Audio Commentary by actors Anthony Ainley, Sarah Sutton and Matthew Waterhouse and writer Johnny Byrne
--DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
--Documentary: Being Nice to Each Other: A new 30-minute "making of" documentary that includes contributions from Sarah Sutton, Sheila Ruskin, Geoffrey Beevers, John Black, Johnny Byrne, Christopher H. Bidmead
--Interviews: The Return of the Master: Geoffrey Beevers, Christopher H. Bidmead and John Black talk about the return of the Doctors arch-enemy (8 mins) Swap Shop: Noel Edmond interviews Sarah Sutton (11 mins)
--Music Only Track
--Photo gallery
--Production Notes
--TV Spot:Trailers and Continuity Announcements (6 mins)


Logopolis

The Doctor and Andric head to Earth to fix the TARDIS's chameleon circuit. Once there they face danger involving a newly regenerated Master and a feisty young air hostess named Tegan Jovanka. How can the people of the distant and mysterious planet Logopolis help? And just who is the strange, ghostly figure watching the Doctor's every move? (Episodes 1-4, 98 mins)
Extras:
--Audio Commentary by actors Tom Baker and Janet Fielding and writer Christopher H. Bidmead
--DVD ROM Features:1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
--Documentary: A New Body at Last: A new 50-minute documentary on the transition from Tom Baker to Peter Davison, featuring many of the actors and production team involved, plus exclusive behind the scenes footage of the regeneration
--Interviews with Tom Baker and Peter Davison (8 mins) Pebble Mill at One: Peter Davison interview (12 mins)
--Music Only Track
--BBC News Reports on Tom Baker's wedding, the announcement of Tom Baker's departure and Peter Davison's arrival (1 min)
--Photo gallery
--Trailers and Continuity Announcements (2 mins)


Castrovalva

After plummeting from the Pharos Project telescope, the Doctor regenerates. The time travelers escape the Master's clutches, but the Doctor's regeneration is failing, and Adric goes missing in the depths of the TARDIS. Only Nyssa and Tegan can save the day by steering the TARDIS to the city of Castrovalva, renowned for its healing powers. But evil lurks at the heart of this simple paradise. (Episodes 1-4, 96 mins)
Extras:
--Audio Commentary by actors Peter Davison and Janet Fielding, writer Christopher H. Bidmead and director Fiona Cumming
--DVD ROM Features: 1982 Doctor Who Annual, Radio Times and BBC Enterprises literature PDFs
--Deleted Scenes
--Featurette: The Crowded TARDIS: 11-minute featurette with Tom Baker, Peter Davison, Sarah Sutton, John Black and Christopher H. Bidmead
--Interviews:Being Doctor Who: Peter Davison discusses how he approached this iconic role (13 mins) Directing Castrovalva: 11-minute interview with Fiona Cumming Swap Shop, Blue Peter: Peter Davison interviews (29 mins)
--Music Only Track
--Music Video:New remix of Peter Howell's Doctor Who theme music for 1980 in stereo or Dolby 5.1 surround
--Photo gallery
--Production Notes
--TV Spot:Trailers and Continuity Announcements (5 mins)

See a Complete List of Doctor Who DVDs.

Popeye Artifact!

Vintage comic book ad

Pop Culture Roundup April 5, 2007

Comics historian Mark Evanier has an update on Jack Kirby-related books, including one of this two upcoming tomes about the great artist.

---------------

Waffyjon has been posting some great catalog images of old G.I. Joe toys (I had that jeep!)

Lost clues: "Left Behind" ep. 15, season 3

Synopsis:

As Hurley tries to turn Sawyer into a nicer human, Kate and Juliet find they've been abandoned by the Others, who apparently have abandoned their village as well, putting on backpacks and heading for who know where.

Before this, however, Locke tells Kate he's going with the Others. He says he made a case for Kate coming along but was informed about her past history (presumably her having killed her stepfather). The Others, Locke says, "aren't very forgiving."

Kate and Juliet soon learn Sayid and Jack also have been left behind and meet up with them. Although Kate and Sayid are suspicious, Jack is adamant that Juliet be able to join them on their trek back to the beach and their fellow crash survivors.



Clues, observations, speculation:

* Where the heck did the Others go? Their submarine was destroyed and the electromagnetic disturbance caused by the Hatch explosion has supposedly made the island unfindable from the outside world so, presumably, they're stuck on the main island or their smaller, nearby island (if they go by boat, not sub).

* Has Locke really transformed into an Other or is he faking?



* What happened with Locke and his father, who apparently was captured by the Others and was being held in their village?

* Did Locke in someway make up for past faults by confronting his father? And is that why he's now viewed as hunky-dory by the Others and good enough to go on their backpacking trip?

* Is the whole scenario of the show--the crash, the island, the connections between people--all some self-improvement thing? Redemption and addressing past wrongs seems to crop up all the time. If Locke somehow put his conflict with his father to rest and is now viewed as ok by the Others, there may be something to the theory.

* Cassidy Phillips, the woman who helps Kate make contact with her mother, was swindled out of her life savings by Sawyer in the episode "The Long Con." Sawyer is also the father of her child.



* Has Juliet really been left behind or is she just foolin'? What about Jack: Is he trustworthy at this point or not?

* Juliet says she doesn't know what the smoke monster is, but the force field thingy around the Others' village can apparently keep it out.

* Again, Juliet reveals she knows tons of information about Jack. Where do the Others get such info and what do they hope to do with it?



* Where'd Juliet learn all those kung-fu moves? Do Others recruits receive martial arts training and, if so, why? What are they training to defend themselves against?

New and upcoming action figures April 5, 2007

Complete List of Marvel Legends Action Figures
Complete List of DC Direct Action Figures


Hasbro Series 3 Marvel Legends action figures--see below

Here's a look at action figures available via your local comics shop or via the TIP!-supporting links below:

DC Direct Action Figures

Justice League of America Series 1
Superman
Black Lightning
Black Canary
Vixen
Red Arrow

Superman Vs. Doomsday
Doomsday
Lex Luthor and Robot
Solar Suit Superman
Superman

Batman and Son
Batman
Ninja Man-Bat
Robin and Daimin
The Joker

52 Weeks
Animal Man
Batwoman
Booster Gold
Supernova

Batman Through the Ages
--Box Set

Batman/Superman Series 4
--Batzarro
--Bizarro
--Superwoman
--Batwoman
--Batman Beyond
--Kryptonite Batman

DC Direct Reactivated Action Figures
--Batman
--Wonder Woman
--Lobo
--Superman

DC 13-inch Figures
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Green Lantern
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Lex Luthor
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Two-Face
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Superman
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Shazam
Deluxe Edition 13-inch Flash

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2
--Red Son Batman
--Red Son President Superman
--Kingdom Come Jade
--Kingdom Come Spectre and Norman McKay
--Gotham By Gaslight Batman

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 3
--Supergirl
--Batgirl
--Nightstar
--Kingdom Come Aquaman
--Red Son Green Lantern

First Appearance Series 4
--Blue Beetle translucent
--Blue Beetle
--Brave New World Atom
--Warlord
--Brave New World Martian Manhunter
--Brave New World Aquaman

Infinite Crisis Action Figures Series 1
--Powergirl
--Omac
--Mongul
--Earth Prime Superboy
--Alexander Luthor

JSA Action Figures
--Mr. Terrific
--Hawkgirl
--Dr. Midnite
--Hourman
--Golden Age Atom 2-pack

Fantastic Four Rise of the Silver Surfer action figures
Battle Stretch Mr. Fantastic
Fire Blast Human Torch
Raging Thing
Silver Surfer

Hanna Barbera Series 2 Action Figures
--Captain Caveman
--Fred Flintstone and Dino
--Johnny Quest
--Magilla Gorilla
--Penelope Pitstop and Muttley
--Tom and Jerry
--Yogi Bear
--Flintstones at the Drive-In

Hanna Barbera Series 3 Action Figures
--Fred Flintstone Quittin' Time
--Twinkle Toes Fred Flintstone
--Great Grape Ape
--Huckleberry Hound
--The Jetsons
--Secret Squirrel
--Snagglepuss

McFarlane Lost series 2 action figures
--Crash site box set
--Sawyer
--Jin
--Sayid
--Desmond
--Sun
--Mr. Eko

Marvel Figure Factory Sets
--Angel
--Beast
--Black Costume Spider-Man
--Deadpool
--Invisible Woman
--Silver Surfer

Marvel Legends Action Figures

Hasbro Marvel Legends Figures Series 1
--Emma Frost
--Ultimate Iron Man
--Movie Beast
--Planet Hulk
--Banshee
--Hercules

Hasbro Marvel Legends Action Figures Series 2
--Wolverine
--She-Hulk
--Yellow Jacket
--Quick Silver
--Lord Asgard Thor
--Magneto Xorn
--X3 Jean Grey
--First Appearance Storm

Hasbro Marvel Legends Figures Series 3
--Bucky Barnes
--First appearance Captain America
--Marvel Girl Rachel Grey
--Heroes for Hire Black Knight
--Hydra Soldier
--X-3 Colossus
--Astonishing X-Men Cyclops
--Danger

Marvel Legends Icons 13-inch Action Figures Series 3 Action Figures
--Spider-Man
--Spider-Man Variant
--Beast
--Beast Variant

Hasbro Marvel Legends Icons 13-inch Series 1 Action Figures
--Wolverine
--Thor

Marvel Legends Masterworks Sets
--Spider-Man Vs. Green Goblin
--Fantastic Four Vs. Mole Man
--Hulk Vs. The Thing
--Galactus Vs. Everybody

Marvel Select Figures

Best of Marvel Select Figures
--Grey Hulk
--Thanos
--Ultimate Spider-Man
--Green Goblin
--Mephisto

NECA 7-inch John Lennon action figures
--Color
--Black and white

NECA Grindhouse action figures--Quentin Tarantino as soldier
--Dakota
--Cherry

Popeye Artifacts!

Vintage comic book ad

Pop Culture Roundup Aug. 4, 2007

A film based on DC Comics' "Metal Men" series is in the works.

Warner Bros. Pictures is hoping to strike gold with the robotic superhero team "Metal Men," setting up the project with producer Lauren Shuler Donner. Eric Champnella has been brought on board to write.

...Geoff Johns, who was an assistant to Richard Donner before becoming one of the comic world's renowned writers, helped develop the take and will executive produce.


---------------

"Lost" producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse and actor Terry O'Quinn discuss the character of Locke with the Buffalo News.

As the creators dreamed up Locke, Lindelof couldn’t help but think of the Charles Atlas comic book ads he used to see when he was a child: the scrawny kid on the beach who gets sand kicked in his face by a bully, then starts weightlifting and whacks the bully in the face when he returns.

“I think that’s basically who John Locke is,” Lindelof said. “We keep showing you stories about him making bad decisions and being abused and conned and suckered, all because he wants to be loved. Now, he’s on the island, he’s not preoccupied with needing to be loved anymore.”

Lost preview April 4 episode

Scroll over the hidden text for a slightly spoilerish teaser for tonight's show. Then come back here tomorrow for a full roundup of observations and clues from the episode.

KATE IS FORCED TO FEND FOR HERSELF IN THE JUNGLE WITH JULIET,
AND HURLEY WARNS SAWYER THAT HE FACES BANISHMENT IF HE
DOESN'T CHANGE HIS SELFISH WAYS, ON ABC'S "LOST"

"Left Behind" - After discovering that one of her own has betrayed her to "The Others," Kate is left to fend for herself in the jungle with Juliet. Meanwhile, Hurley warns Sawyer to change his selfish ways and make amends with his fellow survivors or he may face a vote of banishment, on "Lost," WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4 (10:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.

"Lost" stars Naveen Andrews as Sayid, Henry Ian Cusick as Desmond, Emilie de Ravin as Claire, Michael Emerson as Ben, Matthew Fox as Jack, Jorge Garcia as Hurley, Josh Holloway as Sawyer, Daniel Dae Kim as Jin, Yunjin Kim as Sun, Evangeline Lilly as Kate, Elizabeth Mitchell as Juliet, Dominic Monaghan as Charlie and Terry O'Quinn as Locke.

Guest starring are Kim Dickens as Cassidy, Beth Broderick as Diane, Fredric Lane as the Marshall, Andrew Meader as Johnny, Bill Ogilvie as man and Shawn Lathrop as federal agent.

"Left Behind" was written by Damon Lindelof & Elizabeth Sarnoff and directed by Karen Gaviola.


Also see:
The Best "Lost" Sites on the Web.
"Lost" Season 3 episode guide.
"Lost": Things we still don't know.

New batch of Walt Disney Treasures DVDs announced

The latest limited-edition double disks in this series will be out Dec. 11 this year.

Details from Disney:

Walt Disney Home Entertainment continues the popular Walt Disney Treasures series with three new 2-Disc DVD sets featuring rarely seen footage presented with amazing color and sound. The seventh installment of Walt Disney Treasures will be available December 11, 2007 in a limited supply just in time for the holidays.

Predating even Mickey Mouse, the legendary and rarely-seen "Oswald The Lucky Rabbit" was Walt Disney's first big animated star, and having recently returned to the Disney fold, comes out of the vault for the first time ever on DVD. The silent shorts made from 1926 to 1927 with Walt's personal touch, are revitalized with a brand-new score specifically made for Walt Disney Treasures, Wave VII.

"Chronological Donald, Volume 3" features the most prolific of "Walt's Fab Five," the short-tempered but hilarious Donald Duck in rarely seen solo shorts dating 1947 through 1950.

"Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic" is a comprehensive look at the "Happiest Place on Earth." The centerpiece of this volume is a new documentary with archival footage, including Walt's own words, as well as new interviews that reveal the magic and manpower behind one of the world's most famous destinations.

Each volume features noted film historian, author, and critic Leonard Maltin. Each volume is individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate, and an exclusive lithograph in the collectible, unique packaging tins and available just in time for the holidays, in a limited supply only.

Hasbro Marvel Legends series 3 pictures, pre-order info

Each figure in Hasbro's third Marvel Legends series comes with a chunk of the Brood, which you can assemble yourself.



Click links to pre-order:
--Bucky Barnes
--First appearance Captain America
--Marvel Girl Rachel Grey
--Heroes for Hire Black Knight
--Hydra Soldier
--X-3 Colossus
--Astonishing X-Men Cyclops
--Danger

See a complete list of Marvel Legends action figures.

Filmation Superman and Batman DVD sets cover art, pre-order info

Warner Bros. will release Filmation's 1960s "New Adventures of Superman" and 1970s "New Adventures of Batman" animated series on June 26.

Release details
In 1966, Superman, Lois Lane and Perry White were animated into 36 action packed 6-minute episodes that were the forerunner shows leading into subsequent animated hero programming on CBS. In 1977, CBS aired an animation series featuring the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward as DC Comics' Super Heroes, Batman and Robin. Now, Warner Home Video will bring the animation back to life when they release "The New Adventures of Superman" and "The New Adventures of Batman" as two separate 2-Disc Collector sets on June 26, 2007.

Click the links to order either set.


"The New Adventures of Superman"
The 6-minute vignettes that comprise The New Adventures of Superman depict Superman and Lois Lane in animated form for the first time since they were immortalized in the iconic Superman live-action short films of the 1940s. The series also marked the animation debut of Jimmy Olsen and classic Superman villains like Lex Luthor and Brainiac. The 2-Disc Collector set features 36 action-packed episodes with the legendary super heroes and great bonus features.

Extras include:
  • Superman in 66 - In 1966 the comics industry was booming. This was also a hallmark year for Superman and an amazing year for the country. It was also the year The New Adventures of Superman debuted on CBS. This piece will explore how the 60's era influenced the character of Superman and led to his Filmation debut on this groundbreaking show.


Pre-order New Adventures of Superman for $20.19 at Amazon.


"The New Adventures of Batman"
This show featured the voices of Adam West and Burt Ward, who starred in the live-action show Batman. Voicing the animated versions of Batman and Robin was the first time the two had reprised their famous roles since the live-action show was cancelled in 1968. In The New Adventures of Batman, Batman, Robin and Batgirl battle various villains in Gotham City and gain fandom for their heroic actions. One fan of the Dynamic Duo is Batmite, a dimensional imp who insists on helping Batman & Robin, regardless of their wishes. The 2-Disc Collector set features 16 action-packed episodes with the dynamic-duo and great bonus features.

Extras include:
  • Dark Versus Light - Filmation and the Batman - 1977 marked Batman's return to television in Filmation's New Adventures of Batman. With interviews ranging from the President & Publisher of DC Comics to the President of Warner Bros. Animation, the legacy of Filmation, will be examined from animation style to how this core DC character was depicted in the series. Among the themes explored will be the unique split between the lighter, comedic version of Batman made popular by Filmation and the darker, brooding character seen in Detective Comics at the time.
  • Bat-Commentary - An audio commentary from Filmation historian Michael Swanigan and Filmation founder Lou Schiemer on two of the episodes from the series. The special feature will be denoted with a selectable button indicating the respective episode from which the commentary is derived.


Pre-order New Adventures of Batman for $20.19 from Amazon.