Upcoming books for pop culture fans

Here are new and upcoming books of possible interest to pop culture fans. Click the titles to order them from Amazon.


Scorchy Smith And The Art Of Noel Sickles

Noel Sickles drew comics for three brief years, yet his groundbreaking work on the 1930s aviation adventure series Scorchy Smith is a milestone in the history of newspaper comic strips. Over the past 70 years, however, readers have seen only occasional excerpts of this seminal work. Now, IDW's Library of American Comics presents Scorchy Smith and The Art of Noel Sickles, a comprehensive, oversized volume that collects, for the first time, every Sickles Scorchy strip, from December 1933 through November 1936.


The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America

“Every once in a while, moral panic, innuendo, and fear bubble up from the depths of our culture to create waves of destructive indignation and accusation. David Hajdu's fascinating new book tracks one of the stranger and most significant of these episodes, now forgotten, with exactness, clarity, and serious wit, which is the best kind. He illuminates the lives of his protagonists -- from pompous, on-the-make censors to cracked comic book geniuses -- with his own graphic powers, as well as his intense intellectual curiosity. The book is a rarity, vividly depicting a noirish 1950's America but without a trace of irony or nostalgia.” --Sean Wilentz, Professor of History, Princeton University


Betsy and Me by Jack Cole

For Betsy and Me, featuring city dweller Chet Tibbit's day-to-day stuggles and achievements, Cole stripped his style down to its bare essentials, creating a strip that sparkles with economy, wit, and charm. What gave the strip its edge, however, was Cole's innovative storytelling. As R.C. Harvey writes in his introduction, "Cole's storytelling manner was unique: the comedy arose from the pictures' contradicting the narrative prose. Cole's fatuous protagonist and narrator would say one thing in the captions accompanying the drawings, but the pictures of his actions showed the opposite, revealing [him] to be a trifle pretentious and wholly delusional." Harvey's intro also serves as a biographical sketch and sheds light on the circumstances surrounding Cole's suicide.


Alex Raymond: His Life And Art

Complete with a foreword by George Lucas and an introduction by famed artist James Bama, Alex Raymond: His Life and Art delves deep into the history and work of this internationally famous artist, showcasing never-before-known facts and art that transcended the confines of a comic strip page and make him more than the renowned artist of Flash Gordon.


Men's Adventure Magazines

Paying homage to the American periodicals of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s that documented outrageous exploits, this hefty, comprehensive guide is packed full of colorful cover art, sumptuous sample spreads, and enlightening essays.


The Official Batman Batbook: The Revised Bat Edition

The Official Batman Batbook Revised Bat-Edition is the only official guide to the 1966 television series.(The original edition sold over 100,000 copies worldwide) Containing a detailed guide to every episode and the feature film. Obsecure batfacts, trivia, a complete list of Holy Words, Batfight words, BatEquipment. Interviews with cast and crew members. This newly updated edition contains hundreds of new photos, additional facts (like cast salaries), trivia and interviews with guest stars, henchmen, crew members and the producers.


The Avengers: The Inside Story

Patrick Macnee tells all! The secrets of the hit TV series The Avengers are laid bare by the man who was John Steed.

Lavishly illustrated, with many unpublished stills, behind-the-scenes photos, and snaps from Macnee's private collection, this is a very personal portrait of the world's best-loved cult action-adventure series, and its classic sequel, The New Avengers.

In unflinching detail, Macnee reveals the true story behind the show, including his relationships with all four Avengers girls — Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Linda Thorson and Joanna Lumley — on and off the set!



LOST Ultimate Guide Season III: The Unauthorized Guide to the ABC Hit Series Show LOST Season Three

Oceanic Flight 815 out of Sydney, Australia is mysteriously brought down out of the sky, crashing on an uncharted island somewhere out in the Pacific Ocean. The survivors quickly learn they must band together in order to have any hope of rescue, because the island is treacherous and holds many secrets. As they are about to learn, the survivors also have many secrets of their own! It's clear that ABC's LOST has captivated the minds of TV viewers all around the world. What isn't clear is what it actually means. This guide answers many of the questions you've been asking about ABC's series: LOST. From a complete analysis of the plot and its symbolism to hidden clues within the show, this book provides inside analysis and news that can't be found anywhere else. The book includes a complete summary, interpretation, and analysis for Season Three and unauthorized news. This is quite simply the Ultimate Unofficial Guide to ABC's Hit Series LOST. THIS BOOK INCLUDES: Analysis and Interpretation Predictions Hidden Messages Signs & Symbols Before they were LOST. DISCLAIMER: This book is unofficial and unauthorized. It is not authorized, approved, licensed, or endorsed by ABC, Lost, it's producers, writers, distributors, publishers, or licensors. Any use of the trademarks and character names is strictly for the purpose of analysis and news reporting.


The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo Vol. 2

For more than 40 years, Dan DeCarlo was best known for his definitive rendition of Archie Comics' Betty and Veronica, two of comics' most beloved icons.

But before joining Archie in the late 1950s and unbeknownst to many, DeCarlo was already honing his skills as a good girl artist for the Humorama line of digest magazines. Beginning in 1956, DeCarlo created hundreds of pin-up cartoons for titles such as Comedy, Jest, and Laugh Riot, where his line drawings and his exquisite ink-wash paintings shared the pages with pin-ups by Jack Cole, Bill Ward and Bill Wenzel, and photos featuring Bettie Page.

In contrast to the innocence that was Archie's Riverdale, DeCarlo's Humorama pin-ups portrayed a world populated by strippers, gold diggers, buxom secretaries, lecherous bosses, cheating spouses, and even the occasional "spanking daddy." These characters, who often bore an uncanny resemblance to Archie's snooty socialite and perennial girl next door, were clearly having sex and plenty of it.

Following the immensely popular The Pin-Up Art of Dan DeCarlo (which was featured in Playboy magazine and quickly sold out its first printing), this second volume once again displays DeCarlo's sexiest Humorama pin-up cartoons, and continues Fantagraphics' dedication to showcasing the best of the classic pin-up cartoonists.



Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats

Like most Americans, Steve Ettlinger eats processed foods. And, like most consumers, he didn’t have a clue as to what most of the ingredients on the labels mean. So when his young daughter asked, “Daddy, what’s polysorbate 60?” he was at a loss—and determined to find out.

From the phosphate mines in Idaho to the oil fields in China, Twinkie, Deconstructed demystifies some of the most common processed food ingredients— where they come from, how they are made, how they are used—and why. Beginning at the source (hint: they’re often more closely linked to rock and petroleum than any of the four food groups), we follow each Twinkie ingredient through the process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder—all for the sake of creating a simple snack cake.

An insightful exploration of the modern food industry, if you’ve ever wondered what you’re eating when you consume foods containing mono- and diglycerides or calcium sulfate (the latter a food-grade equivalent of plaster of paris), this book is for you.



Q Guide to Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Go behind the scenes of the smash hit television show that just won't die! From its origins as a reviled movie to its seven-year reign on the WB and UPN, Buffy spawned a new generation of vampire lovers.


Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films

"There are two kinds of academic texts: the kind that contains photographs of Ursula Andress wearing a bikini, and the kind that do not. Licence to Thrill falls, fortunately, into the first category." -- Giles Coren, The Times (London)


Instamatic Karma: Photographs of John Lennon

John Lennon is the most famously photographed Beatle—everyone from Iain MacMillian to Annie Lebowitz took iconic images of him—but there have never been pictures of him like these taken by May Pang, Lennon’s girlfriend from 1973 to 1975. In INSTAMATIC KARMA, they’re collected for the first time. With very few exceptions, these photos are that rare thing: never-before-seen images of an icon. The photos here show Lennon in a variety of settings: at work, at play, at home, and away. They show a playful Lennon, a casual, unguarded Lennon; they’re the kind of photos one lover takes of another. May has written rich captions to accompany her photos--taken together, they tell a simple story of the time May and Lennon spent together; a time, according to legend, when Lennon was unhappy and unproductive, estranged from his family and bandmates. Pang’s photos clearly tell another story—they show Lennon clowning around, working on his hit album “Walls and Bridges”, embracing old friends and family, hanging out in their apartment on Manhattan’s East 52nd Street, relaxing in the country in upstate New York or spending peaceful days swimming in the waters of Long Island.


Cosmic Motors: Spaceships, Cars and Pilots of Another Galaxy

Come explore the vehicle designs of a far away galaxy called Galaxion where futuristic concepts exist in everyday life. Nine different spaceships, pods, race cars, giant trains, warships and balloons from various planets of the Galaxion system are shown from concept to completion. Daniel Simon is an established senior car designer who has spent the last several years focusing his talents on futuristic concepts for such automakers as Bugatti and Lamborghini. In his first book, Cosmic Motors, each chapter shows the design process of a unique vehicle, from the first ideation sketches to the stunningly detailed 3-D models to the final photorealistic full spread renderings. Join Daniel in this virtual world of visionary vehicles!

TV alert: PBS profiles Pete Seeger

The pioneering and courageous folk singer Pete Seeger will be profiled on PBS' "American Masters" program this week. You can check your local listings for the show here.

The Los Angeles has a review of the show:

Seeger co-wrote "If I Had a Hammer" with Lee Hays, a fellow member of the folk group the Weavers, and he had a hand as well in "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes) and "The Bells of Rhymney" (a setting of a Welsh poem) and had some part in "We Shall Overcome" becoming the anthem of the civil rights movement. "I get too much credit for this song," he says. "I added a few verses, but everybody adds verses."

He's paid tribute here by, among others, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines (another musician who's caught flak for speaking her mind), Bruce Springsteen (who recorded an album of songs associated with Seeger), former New York Gov. George Pataki (who applauds Seeger's spearheading the movement to clean up the Hudson River) and Bob Dylan, who says of Seeger's fondness for audience participation, "Whether you wanted to or not you'd find yourself singing a part, and it would be beautiful."

...As well as laying out the facts of a life, "The Power of Song" amounts to a brief history of 20th century American moments and movements -- the Depression-era labor movement, the Second World War (Seeger went off banjo in hand), the Red Scare, the civil rights movement, the antiwar movement and finally the environmental movement. He joined and later "drifted out" of the Communist Party ("I was against race discrimination and the communists were against race discrimination; I was in favor of unions and the communists were in favor of unions"), which led him in due course to the House Un-American Activities Committee, where he simply said that his politics were none of their business. And he quit the Weavers, with whom he had known success, because he did not want to sing in a cigarette ad.

Pop links

Comics writer (and anthropologist!) Michael L. Fleischer talks to Comics Bulletin about his career and those great Batman/Superman/Wonder Woman encyclopedias he wrote, and which are now back in print.

----------

Kleefield on Comics presents some jaw-dropping images of newsstands of the 1940s. Who wouldn't want a time machine to go back and scoop up all those Golden Age comics?



-----------

From No Smoking in the Skull Cave: Smokin' celebs!



-----------

The big-screen Justice League movie is on again, Variety

Now that the writers strike has been resolved, Warner Bros. is pushing ahead with its plans to make "Justice League" in time for a 2009 debut.

.....Adam Brody, cast as the Flash, is the biggest star in the superhero lineup. Rapper Common nabbed the Green Lantern role; other roles went to lesser-known thesps such as Armie Hammer Jr. (Batman) and Megan Gale (Wonder Woman).

Dark Horse plans Spirit merchandise

Dark Horse Comics plans to release a range of products based on Will Eisner's "The Spirit."

Two lines are planned. One will feature products based on Eisner's original comic, while the other will be based on the upcoming film adaptation of the series, directed by Frank Miller, which comes out in 2009.

Items will include statues, busts, PVC sets and sculpted magnets and more.

Lost season 4 episode schedule revealed

ABC has announced the schedule of "Lost" episodes for the remainder of the series' fourth season.

The current run of available, pre-writers' strike episodes will end with March 20. Then, there will be a break (yeah, I know, ugh) and fresh eps will resume April 24.

Here's how it breaks down:

Episode 5: Feb. 28
Episode 6: March 6
Episode 7: March 13
Episode 8: March 20
............
BREAK
............
Episode 9: April 24
Episode 10: May 1
Episode 11: May 8
Episode 12: May 15
Episode 13: May 22 (Season Finale)

Also see:

Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know

More Spectacular Spider-Man 'toon pics

Artist Sean Galloway posted these character designs from the upcoming "Spectacular Spider-Man" cartoon on his blog.




New comics Feb. 26, 2008

DARK HORSE COMICS

SEP070073 DEADRIDER #2 (OF 4) $2.99
OCT070029 SAVAGE SWORD OF CONAN TP VOL 02 $17.95
OCT070057 SHAMAN WARRIOR TP VOL 06 $12.95
NOV070011 STAR WARS LEGACY #20 $2.99

DC COMICS

DEC070215 ACTION COMICS #862 $2.99
DEC070204 ALL STAR BATMAN AND ROBIN THE BOY WONDER #9 $2.99
DEC070278 AUTHORITY PRIME #5 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC070206 BATMAN #674 $2.99
NOV070223 BIRDS OF PREY DEAD OF WINTER TP $17.99
DEC070223 BLUE BEETLE #24 $2.99
NOV070224 BLUE BEETLE TP VOL 03 REACH FOR THE STARS $14.99
DEC070269 CARTOON NETWORK BLOCK PARTY #42 $2.25
DEC070186 COUNTDOWN TO FINAL CRISIS 9 $2.99
DEC070190 CRIME BIBLE THE FIVE LESSONS OF BLOOD #5 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC070279 DEATHBLOW #9 $2.99
DEC078060 FREDDY VS JASON VS ASH #3 (OF 6) 2ND PTG $2.99
OCT070197 INFINITE CRISIS TP $14.99
DEC070234 JLA CLASSIFIED #53 $2.99
JUL070311 JLA TROPHY ROOM MULTI COLORED KRYPTONITE REPLICA $250.00
DEC070235 JSA CLASSIFIED #35 $2.99
DEC070231 JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA #13 $2.99
NOV070257 KEY TO THE KINGDOM VOL 03 $9.99
DEC070238 LEGION OF SUPER HEROES #39 $2.99
NOV070244 SHOWCASE PRESENTS SUPERMAN FAMILY TP VOL 02 $16.99
OCT070202 SUPERMAN HC VOL 02 CAMELOT FALLS $19.99
DEC070196 TEEN TITANS #56 $2.99
DEC070263 TEEN TITANS GO #52 $2.25
DEC070202 UNCLE SAM AND THE FREEDOM FIGHTERS #6 (OF 8) $2.99
DEC078146 WORLD OF WARCRAFT #3 2ND PTG $2.99

IMAGE COMICS

DEC072085 CIRCLE #4 $2.99
JUL071950 ELEPHANTMEN WAR TOYS #2 (OF 3) $2.99
DEC072088 FEARLESS #4 (OF 4) $2.99
DEC072054 KRASH BASTARDS GN $9.99
OCT072014 LAZARUS #3 (OF 3) $3.50
DEC072058 MIXTAPE HC VOL 01 JIM MAHFOOD ART $24.99
DEC072059 MIXTAPE HC VOL 01 JIM MAHFOOD ART LTD S&N ED $39.99
DEC072100 SHARK-MAN #2 $3.50
DEC072051 URBAN MONSTERS #1 $3.50
DEC072130 WITCHBLADE TP VOL 02 $14.99

MARVEL COMICS

DEC078175 BEST SELLING AUTHORS SAMPLER PI
DEC072176 BLACK PANTHER ANNUAL #1 $3.99
DEC072177 CAPTAIN AMERICA #35 $2.99
DEC072180 DAREDEVIL #105 $2.99
DEC072267 FRANKLIN RICHARDS TP COLLECTED CHAOS DIGEST $8.99
DEC072184 HOUSE OF M AVENGERS #5 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC072193 MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #33 $2.99
DEC072196 MARVEL ADVENTURES IRON MAN #10 $2.99
DEC072156 MARVEL ILLUSTRATED PICTURE DORIAN GRAY #3 (OF 6) $2.99
DEC072202 MARVEL ZOMBIES 2 #5 (OF 5) $2.99
DEC072245 MMW ATLAS ERA HEROES HC VOL 02 $59.99
DEC072246 MMW ATLAS ERA HEROES HC VOL 02 VAR ED VOL 92 $59.99
DEC078103 NEW EXILES #0 (PP #802) $4.99
DEC078102 NEW EXILES #1 2ND PTG VAR (PP #802) $2.99
DEC072211 NEW WARRIORS #9 $2.99
DEC072261 OFF HB MARVEL UNIV A TO Z PREM HC VOL 01 $24.99
NOV072221 ONSLAUGHT REBORN HC $19.99
DEC072281 ORSON SCOTT CARDS WYRMS TP $14.99
DEC072278 SHANNA SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST TP $10.99
DEC072213 SHE-HULK 2 #26 $2.99
DEC072168 SPIDER-MAN WITH GREAT POWER #2 (OF 5) $3.99
OCT072128 THOR #6 $2.99
DEC072208 THUNDERBOLTS INTERNATIONAL INCIDENT $2.99
DEC078098 TWELVE #1 (OF 12) 2ND PTG VAR (PP #802) $2.99
DEC072162 ULTIMATE FANTASTIC FOUR #51 $2.99
DEC072165 ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #119 $2.99
DEC072188 WORLD WAR HULK AFTERSMASH DAMAGE CONTROL #2 (OF 3) $2.99
DEC072227 X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #9 $2.99
DEC072220 X-MEN LEGACY #208 DWS $2.99
DEC072276 X-MEN TP SUPERNOVAS $29.99
DEC072207 YOUNG AVENGERS PRESENTS #2 (OF 6) $2.99

WIZARD ENTERTAINMENT

SEP073265 THOR #1 NEW PTG OLIVIER COIPEL CVR CGC 9.8 PI
JAN083263 WIZARD MAGAZINE #198 JOLIE WANTED PHOTO CVR $5.99
JAN083262 WIZARD MAGAZINE #198 RED HULK CVR $5.99

**********

COMICS

NOV073781 2000 AD #1571 $4.50
DEC073854 2000 AD #1572 $4.50
DEC073534 AGE OF INSECTS VOL 01 NOT HUMAN $5.99
DEC073883 ALL ACTION CLASSICS TOM SAWYER GN (RES) $6.95
DEC073591 ALL NIPPON AIRLINE PARADISE 3000 FEET GN $12.95
JAN083863 AMULET HC VOL 01 STONEKEEPER (O/A) $21.99
DEC073784 ANGST BEST OF NORWEGIAN COMICS TP $12.00
JAN083302 AZUMANGA DAIOH OMNIBUS GN VOL 01 $24.99
SEP073684 BARKS ROSA COLL TP VOL 02 DONALDS ATOM BOMB $8.99
DEC073482 BART SIMPSON COMICS #40 $2.99
OCT073401 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ORIGINS FOIL CVR #2 (NOTE PRICE) PI
JAN083521 BATTLESTAR GALACTICA ZAREK TP VOL 01 PX ED (RES) (OCT073415) $14.99
DEC073403 BETTY #172 $2.25
NOV073401 BLACKBEARD LEGACY #1 (OF 4) $3.99
NOV073519 BLOODRAYNE PRIME CUTS #1 BILBAO CVR B $3.99
NOV073518 BLOODRAYNE PRIME CUTS #1 HARDIN CVR A $3.99
OCT073348 BLUEWATER PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS #1 $0.99
JAN083813 CLICK GN VOL 06 (OF 8) $9.99
NOV073310 CLOCKWORK GIRL #3 (OF 4) $1.99
DEC073964 DAN DARE #4 (OF 7) FABRY CVR $2.99
DEC073963 DAN DARE #4 (OF 7) LEACH CVR $2.99
JAN083587 DF HULK #1 DF EXC VAR CVR $14.99
JAN083812 DO WHATEVER YOU WANT GN VOL 01 (OF 7) $9.99
NOV073614 DOCTOR WHO #1 $3.99
NOV078200 DOCTOR WHO CLASSICS #1 2ND PTG (PP #800) $3.99
AUG073560 DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES VOL 3 GOPEZ CVR A #8 (OF 12) $3.50
AUG073561 DRAGONLANCE CHRONICLES VOL 3 WALPOLE CVR B #8 (OF 12) $5.50
NOV073311 ENGINEER #2 (OF 4) $3.95
DEC073488 FALL OF CTHULHU CVR A #10 $3.99
DEC073489 FALL OF CTHULHU CVR B #10 $3.99
JAN083928 HIERONYMUS B GN $14.95
JAN083525 HIGHLANDER TP VOL 01 PX CVR (RES) $19.99
JAN083524 HIGHLANDER TP VOL 01 REG CVR (RES) $19.99
NOV073473 HIGHLANDER WAY O/T SWORD #3 $3.50
DEC073970 INDIA AUTHENTIC #10 PARASHURAM $2.99
NOV073522 INFINITE RYVIUS TP VOL 01 COLLECTED ED $9.99
DEC073533 JFH JUSTICE FOR HIRE #2 (OF 12) W/ DVD $3.99
DEC073859 JUDGE DREDD MEGAZINE #268 $7.50
DEC073407 JUGHEAD AND FRIENDS DIGEST #27 $2.49
OCT073395 JUNGLE GIRL CHO FOIL CVR #4 PI
OCT073253 KADE SHIVAS SUN #2 (OF 4) $3.95
NOV073486 KITCHEN PRINCESS GN VOL 05 $10.95
JAN083526 LONE RANGER DIRECTORS CUT #1 (O/A) $4.99
JAN083313 MABURAHO MANGA TP VOL 01 (FEB052458) $9.99
DEC073385 MANY ADVENTURES OF MIRANDA MERCURY #295 (OF 300) $3.95
DEC073562 MINIMA GN VOL 01 $10.95
NOV073265 MITCH BYRD SCRIBBLES & SKETCHES SC VOL 01 (O/A) $24.99
SEP073357 MOUSE GUARD WINTER 1152 #3 (OF 6) $3.50
JAN083288 NEARLY INFAMOUS ZANGO #1 $3.50
DEC073886 NEMI VOL 01 GN (RES) $14.95
DEC073864 NEOZOIC #3 $2.95
NOV073792 NEXUS #100 SPACE OPERA ACT 2 OF 4 (RES) $4.99
NOV073297 NINJA HIGH SCHOOL #157 $2.99
JAN083583 OPTIC NERVE #8 (NEW PTG) (RES) $3.50
NOV073403 ORION THE HUNTER 48 PAGE GIANT $6.99
DEC073409 PALS N GALS DOUBLE DIGEST #119 $3.69
JAN083418 PLAGUE O/T LIVING DEAD SET $19.99
DEC073301 PROJECT EON TP (O/A) $14.95
NOV073448 PROJECT SUPERPOWERS #1 (OF 6) $3.50
NOV073521 PS238 #29 $2.99
DEC073519 RASL #1 $3.50
NOV073277 REX LIBRIS #10 $3.50
DEC073714 ROGUE ANGEL TELLER OF TALES #1 $3.99
JAN083810 ROMANCE PAPA GN VOL 01 (OF 8) $9.99
JAN083638 ROPEBURN #1 $4.95
JAN083286 SEDUCTIONS $3.99
DEC073717 SILENT HILL SINNERS REWARD #1 $3.99
DEC073412 SONIC X #30 $2.25
DEC073728 SPEED RACER TP VOL 01 $19.99
DEC073730 STAR TREK ALIENS SPOTLIGHT ROMULANS $3.99
DEC073300 STARSHIP TROOPERS #6 $3.50
DEC073861 STONE ISLAND GN $23.50
NOV073888 STRANDED #2 $2.99
JAN083464 TALENT TP VOL 01 (RES) (O/A) $14.99
DEC073808 TALES OF TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES #43 $3.25
DEC073809 TALES OF TMNT COLL BOOKS TP VOL 05 $13.00
DEC073707 TRANSFORMERS DEVASTATION #6 $3.99
OCT073536 UNCLE SCROOGE #373 $7.99
OCT073537 WALT DISNEYS COMICS & STORIES #688 $7.99
NOV073655 WORMWOOD CALAMARI RISING #2 $3.99
NOV073490 YOZAKURA QUARTET GN VOL 01 $10.95

MAGAZINES

DEC074065 BRICKJOURNAL #1 $8.95
DEC073641 COMICS JOURNAL #288 $11.95
AUG074131 DRAW #15 $6.95
DEC074096 FORTEAN TIMES #233 $11.25
JAN084809 GAME TRADE MAGAZINE #97 PI
NOV074059 HOBBY JAPAN FEB 2008 #50 $12.99
DEC074056 JUXTAPOZ VOL 15 #3 MARCH 2008 $4.99
OCT074084 KERA JAN 2008 $9.99
OCT074082 MEGAMI JAN 2008 $14.99
JAN084058 MONSTER BASH #7 $7.99
OCT074083 NEWTYPE JAN 2008 $10.99
DEC074082 NOSTALGIA DIGEST VOL 34 #2 $4.00
NOV073992 SFX #166 $9.70
DEC074090 STAR TREK MAGAZINE NEWSSTAND ED #10 $9.99
DEC074091 STAR TREK MAGAZINE PX ED #10 $9.99
DEC074088 STARGATE MAGAZINE #21 YEARBOOK $9.99
OCT073959 TOMARTS ACTION FIGURE DIGEST #163 $5.95

Underrated pop groups of the 60s: Chad and Jeremy

Often dismissed as a Peter and Gordon knock-off (which they were), the duo of Chad Stuart and Jermy Clyde recorded a number of nice singles and a few very worth-having albums.

Plus, they appeared on "Batman" and "The Dick Van Dyke Show" as, essentially, near-Beatles-type figures.



You've probably heard the big songs from 1964 : "A Summer Song" which hit #7 and Yesterday's Gone," which hit #21. "Willow Weep for Me," which hit #15 in 1965 also gets some oldies airplay.

Anyone who enjoys those--and gentler, folkish British Invasion sounds--will likely enjoy the duo's Before and After album. And you can even hear them getting a little psychedelic and far out--complete with sitar solos--on their 1967 LP Of Cabbages and Kings. The follow up to that was the pair's "concept album" The Ark.

The great Sundazed label has released those LPS and a few others in nicely remastered and expanded editions.

Chad and Jeremy CDs


Before & After


I Don't Want to Lose You Baby


Distant Shores


Of Cabbages & Kings


The Ark

Chad and Jeremy on YouTube:

Chad & Jeremy - Willow Weep For Me

Chad and Jeremy "Distant Shores"

Chad and Jeremy "The Truth Often Hurts The Heart"

Chad and Jeremy "Willow Weep For Me"

CD new release Feb. 26, 2008

Here's a look at upcoming CDs for Feb. 26, 2008. Click titles to order from Amazon.


Seventh Tree (Special Edition) by Goldfrapp



Another Country by Tift Merritt



Trinity Revisited [CD/DVD] by Cowboy Junkies



Not Fade Away: Buddy Holly 1957 Complete Recordings by Buddy Holly & the Crickets



Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds



Theme Time Radio Hour: With Your Host Bob Dylan by Various Artists



Fervor/Lost & Found by Jason & the Scorchers



Golden Age of American Popular Music - The Folk Hits From the Hot 100



Coolest Songs in the World, Vol. 4 by Various Artists



Stax Sings Motown by Various Artists

DVD new releases Feb. 26, 2008

Upcoming DVDs for Feb. 26, 2008. Click the titles to order from Amazon.


Beowulf (Unrated Director's Cut)



Justice League - The New Frontier (Two-Disc Special Edition)



The Fugitive - Season One, Vol. Two



Extras - The Extra Special Series Finale



Dark Shadows: The Beginning No. 3 Episodes 71-105



Family Affair Season 5



Invisible Man: The Complete Series



Led Zeppelin - The Song Remains the Same (Limited Collector's Edition)

Lost preview March 13, 2008 episode

Highlight the hidden text for info about the March 13, 2008, episode of "Lost."

Also see a trailer for the show and listen to the official "Lost" podcast from ABC.

JULIET REVEALS SOME STARTLING NEWS TO JIN ABOUT SUN,
AND SAYID AND DESMOND BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE FREIGHTER'S
MISSION WHEN THEY MEET THE SHIP'S CAPTAIN, ON ABC'S "LOST"

"Ji Yeon" - Juliet is forced to reveal some startling news to Jin when Sun threatens to move to Locke's camp. Meanwhile, Sayid and Desmond begin to get an idea of the freighter crew's mission when they meet the ship's Captain, on "Lost," THURSDAY, MARCH 13 (9:00-10:02 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, Terry O'Quinn as Locke and Harold Perrineau as Michael.

Guest starring are Sam Anderson as Bernard, Jeremy Davies as Daniel Faraday, Rebecca Mader as Charlotte Lewis, Jeff Fahey as Frank Lapidus, Kevin Durand as Keamy, Marc Vann as doctor, Grant Bowler as Captain Gault, Lanny Joon as Dr. Bae, Simon Rhee as shopkeeper, Zoe Bell as Regina, Christine Kim as admitting nurse, Lynette Garces as another nurse, David Yew as Chinese security agent and George Kee Cheung as Chinese ambassador.

"Ji Yeon" was written by Edward Kitsis & Adam Horowitz and directed by Stephen Semel.

Also see:

Lost Season 4 Episode Guide
The Best Lost Sites on the Web
Lost: What we STILL don't know

DC superheroine Barbies coming in 2008

Mattel will release new collector Barbies based on Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Supergirl and Black Canary in 2008.

Exclusive Green Lantern figure in New Frontier DVD

Best Buy is offering this exclusive Green Lantern figure with copies of the Justice League: New Frontier straight-to-DVD out now.

But, the thing is, it's not a very attractive figure at all, is it? Artist Darwyn Cooke's take on GL is cool. But this thing looks odd. What's up with his face? This is not good at all.

Great comic book art: Jack Kirby back cover for Fantastic Four Treasury 1976

Here's a nice example of Jack Kirby's later work: The original back cover art for Marvel Comics' tabloid-sized Fantastic Four Treasury, published in 1976.

It's up for auction now on eBay (and way, way beyond my price range).

Great comic book art: Another Jack Kirby photo collage

Along with the black-and-white piece I highlighted a few days back, here's a full-color photo collage the great Jack Kirby did for the ninth issue his Kamandi series from DC Comics--now up for auction on eBay.

2008 Oscar winners

Here's the list of 2008 Academy Award winners. Update your Netflix queue accordingly.

Best Motion Picture: "No Country for Old Men."

Lead Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis, "There Will Be Blood."

Lead Actress: Marion Cotillard, "La Vie en Rose."

Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem, "No Country for Old Men."

Supporting Actress: Tilda Swinton, "Michael Clayton."

Director: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Foreign Language Film: "The Counterfeiters," Austria.

Adapted Screenplay: Joel Coen and Ethan Coen, "No Country for Old Men."

Original Screenplay: Diablo Cody, "Juno."

Animated Feature Film: "Ratatouille."

Art Direction: "Sweeney Todd the Demon Barber of Fleet Street."

Cinematography: "There Will Be Blood."

Sound Mixing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Sound Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Original Score: "Atonement," Dario Marianelli.

Original Song: "Falling Slowly" from "Once," Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

Costume: "Elizabeth: The Golden Age."

Documentary Feature: "Taxi to the Dark Side."

Documentary Short Subject: "Freeheld."

Film Editing: "The Bourne Ultimatum."

Makeup: "La Vie en Rose."

Animated Short Film: "Peter & the Wolf."

Live Action Short Film: "Le Mozart des Pickpockets (`The Mozart of Pickpockets')."

Visual Effects: "The Golden Compass."