Pop Culture Safari!

DVD new releases Aug. 4, 2009: Flight of the Conchords! Scewball icons! Daffy Duck! Elvis!

New releases of note this week. If any of these items are of interest to you, please consider clicking the titles and ordering them from Amazon, as part of the proceeds help support this site!

Flight of the Conchords: The Complete Second Season

Harvard Beats Yale 29-29

The Wizard of Oz (Import - English - All Regions)

Icons of Screwball Comedy, Vol 1

Icons of Screwball Comedy Vol. 2

Daffy Duck's Quackbusters

Elvis Presley: The Ed Sullivan Shows: The Performances

Disneyland Main Gate ticket

Sun Records star Billy Lee Riley dies

1950s rockabilly star Billy Lee Riley died Sunday at age 75.

Riley is perhaps best remembered for his classic 1957 single, "Flying Saucers Rock and Roll" -- a novelty rockabilly rave-up inspired by the era's U.F.O. mania -- which proved a hit and prompted him to rename his band the Little Green Men.

Despite this promising start, Riley's commercial fate was sealed after Sun put its promotional efforts behind Jerry Lee Lewis' "Great Balls of Fire" -- a song Riley played on -- which zoomed up the charts and past his own follow-up single "Red Hot."

Despite his disappointment, Riley continued to record for Sun and Phillips for several years, before going on to cut sides for Mercury, Atlantic and Crown, as well as his own Nita and Mojo labels, creating a body of work that's been championed by rock critics and notable fans, including Bob Dylan.

Pop link: Jack Kirby Superman puzzle game

See a Superman puzzle game illustrated by the great Jack Kirby.

Film noir movie posters: The Postman Always Rings Twice

Disneyland 1964 main gate pass

Pop links: Pogo! Astroworld! Five Stairsteps! Foom! War comics!

Pappy presents a Pogo story from 1953.

-----

Visit Houston's Astroworld theme park via a 1960s Viewmaster packet.

-----

Via Bedazzled: The Five Stairsteps on Soul Train.

-----

Read the first issue of Marvel Comics' in-house Foom fanzine.

-----

From Golden Age Comic Book Stories: A few stories from Atlas Comics' War title, featuring work by Russ Heath, Joe Sinnott, Joe Maneely and others.

More pics from Disney's Rapunzel

Here's some more production art from Disney's upcoming "Rapunzel" animated film.

Cover art, Amazon listings for upcoming DC Comics collections

Amazon has posted cover art for a few upcoming DC Comics collection of note. Click the links to pre-order discounted books:

Showcase Presents: Dial H For Hero

The Superman Chronicles Vol. 8

Robin Archives Vol. 2

DC Comics Classic Library: Justice League of America By George Perez Vol. 2

Crisis on Multiple Earths Vol. 5

Batman & Robin Vol. 1: Batman Reborn Deluxe HC

The Newsboy Legion Vol. 1 Featuring Joe Simon & Jack Kirby

Showcase Presents World's Finest Vol. 3

The Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol. 1

The Batman Chronicles Vol. 9

The Creeper by Steve Ditko

Doc Savage: The Silver Pyramid

Flash vs. The Rogues

Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman Vol. 3

Pop links: Original Dalek dies; Rolf Armstrong pin-ups;

Michael Summerton, British actor and the last of the Dalek operators on the original Doctor Who series, has died.

His agent told him he would not need to learn any lines for the casting, and when he arrived at the BBC workshops he was asked to strip down to his underpants and sit in what appeared to be a tub on castors.

Summerton (who was one of the four original Daleks) was instructed in how to move this apparatus about, the director saying: "We want to test this prototype for manoeuvrability. We want you to move forwards, backwards, sideways. Quickly, slowly." Presently the director lowered a lid over him with a plunger sticking out of it. Summerton found himself in total darkness. He would later relate: "When the lid went on I knew my career as an actor was over."

-----

From Golden Age Comic Book Stories: A big selection of pin-up art by Rolf Armstrong.

Madness returns!

Madness chats about their new album on UK morning television:

The new one is great, by the way. A real return to form for this group that started out as a ska revival band and ended up being the most sophisticated and literate British band since the Kinks. I've listened to it via streaming preview. It's out in the States on Aug. 18.

Here's the band performing one of its new tunes:

New pics from Whiteout movie

Here are a few new pics of Kate Beckinsale in the film adaptation of Greg Rucka's "Whiteout" comics series.

Disneyland character buttons

Classic Disney comics return in October!

Boom! Studios is bringing Disney's classic comic book characters back to the stands in a big way this fall. Gemstone's license to publish comics featuring Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and the like ran out a while back, and Boom! is picking up where they left off.

Check out these solicitations for October. I don't know how much I'll enjoy the sci-fi/fantasy-themed Donald and Mickey comics. I'm more of a Carl Barks guy, myself. But it looks like there's plenty here for everyone to enjoy. I know my kids will enjoy seeing some of this stuff.

DONALD DUCK AND FRIENDS #347
Written by Bruno Enna, art by Donald Soffritti.
The Quack is back in this first BOOM! Kids issue! He's no double "o" seven, he's Double Duck! Donald shows us his dashing, adventurous side as a secret agent on a mission to stop a dangerous ice-melting machine and save the world from rising oceans! This is a Donald Duck like you've never seen! A brand-new start at a brand new company for one of the world's most iconic characters and longest-lived, most-published comic book series!
24 pages, $2.99.

THE LIFE AND TIMES OF SCROOGE MCDUCK HC
Written and art by Don Rosa.
Greed is good! BOOM! Kids proudly collects The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck in a gorgeous hardcover collection like nothing you've ever seen before. These stories, written and drawn by legendary cartoonist Don Rosa, chronicle Scrooge McDuck's fascinating life. See how Scrooge earned his "Number One Dime" and began to build his fortune!
112 pages, $24.99.

MICKEY MOUSE AND FRIENDS #297
Written by Stefano Ambrosio, art by Lorenzo Pastrovicchio.
The epic "Wizards of Mickey" tale continues! Student of the great wizard Grandalf, Mickey Mouse hails from the humble village of Miceland. Allying himself with Donald Duck (who has a pet dragon named Fafnir) and teammate Goofy, Mickey quests to find a magical crown that will give him mastery over all spells!
24 pages, $2.99.

UNCLE SCROOGE #384
Written and art by various.
You will feel the need for Greed! Follow the adventures of everyone's favorite feathered penny pincher! An all-new direction for icon Uncle Scrooge, as he comes to BOOM! Kids. Building on a tradition created by some of the greatest creators the comic book world has ever seen, like Carl Barks and Don Rosa, these issues of Uncle Scrooge will follow Scrooge on new adventures that North American audiences have never seen! Join us in a bold new era for Scrooge that pays tribute to the past but heads to a new future!
24 pages, $2.99.

WALT DISNEY'S CHRISTMAS CLASSICS VOLUME 1 HC
Written and art by various.
Don't be a Scrooge McDuck this Christmas season! It's the perfect present! BOOM! Kids has raided the Disney publishing archives and searched every nook and cranny this Christmas season to find the best and the greatest stories from Disney's vast comic book publishing history for this "best of" compilation. A timeless classic from the world's most iconic characters that should be on every shelf, Walt Disney's Christmas Classics are an essential this holiday season for family fun! Featuring artists such as Carl Barks, Walt Kelly, Daan Jippes, Floyd Gottfredson and more!
112 pages, $24.99.

WALT DISNEY'S COMICS & STORIES #700
Written by Riccardo Secchi, art by Stefano Turconi.
The third longest-running comic book series in Direct Market history hits its 700th issue! Right behind Detective and Action Comics, and logging more issues than Captain America, Amazing Spider-Man, or Thor, Walt Disney's Comics & Stories enters a bold new era at BOOM! Kids with a bang! Featuring a brand new team of super-heroes culled from Disney's Mickey and Donald universe come adventure with The Duck Avenger, Super Goofy, and the man Mickey himself!
24 pages, $2.99.