Pop links: Wally Wood times two


See Wally Wood's original artwork for a Fireball XL5 lunchbox.

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And here's some 1970s Wally Wood-illustrated jokebook covers.

Beatles' Yellow Submarine re-make in the works

According to EMI, a remake of the Beatles' 1968 animated "Yellow Submarine" is planned for 2012.

From the press release:
The Beatles' seminal 1968 animated film 'Yellow Submarine' is to be re-made by Back To the Future director Robert Zemeckis, Variety reports.

Just as the original was a visionary work, Zemeckis hopes that his revolutionary performance-capture 3d techniques (used in his recent Polar Express and Beowulf movies) will also make the new version similarly ahead of its time.

Release date is being tentatively pencilled in for Summer 2012 to coincide with the London Olympics.


Cast members announced for Disney's John Carter of Mars

English actors Samantha Morton, Dominic West ("The Wire") and Polly Walker ("Rome") has signed on for Disney's live-action adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's "John Carter of Mars."

Actor Taylor Kitsch will star as John Carter, a U.S. civil war veteran mysteriously transported to an inhabited red planet. According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Morton plays Sola, the daughter of Willem Dafoe's Tars Tarkas, who must hide her softer side from her warmongering race.

West plays Sab Than, prince of the Zodangans who believes he is entitled to rule Mars.

Walker plays Sarkoja, a merciless, tyrannical Thark.


Pulp Picture Parade: Infinity Science Fiction magazine covers









Upcoming Justice League Unlimited figures: Shazam Family! Crisis!

Here's a look at a couple of upcoming DC Comics-based figure sets:


Shazam Family Four-Pack
* "Shazam!" — the WORLD'S MIGHTIEST MORTAL
* Mary Batson — his heroic sister
* The Wizard — keeper of the magic word
* Black Adam — evil user of the magic word


DC Universe Infinite Heroes Crisis
* Dying Supergirl — inspired by the famous cover of Crisis on Infinite Earths Issue 7
* The Monitor — the mastermind of the Crisis
* Speed Force The Flash — capturing Barry Allen as he heroically sacrifices his life to save the Multiverse
* Psycho Pirate with Medusa Mask — servant of the evil Anti-Monitor

Video find: The Chantays perform Pipeline on the Lawrence Welk Show

There's some awesome choreography on display here.



New comics Aug. 18, 2009: Batgirl! Bizarro Super Friends! Marvel Team-Up! Spidey and Mary Jane!

Selected items in shops this week. Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon:


BATGIRL #1 DC is hinting there's someone new behind the mask. Will this issue reveal who? I'm slightly curious, but doubt that it's Babs Gordon--the only Batgirl for me.


BATMAN STREETS OF GOTHAM #3 This is a really basic Batbook to date. Solid, but not earth-shattering scripts and decent art. I'll likely hang in there for the remainder of this first storyline, as I enjoy a regular Batfix. But I don't know about after that. The backup feature, starring Manhunter, hasn't hooked me at all.


SUPER FRIENDS #18 My 6-year-old daughter is becoming a major comic book fan and loves this title. This ish features the Bizarro Super Friends. Great! My little girl will be Bizarro-talking just as she enters Kindergarten! That am good!

WEDNESDAY COMICS #7
Another ish of DC's fun weekly anthology.


ESSENTIAL MARVEL TEAM-UP TP VOL. 3 Spidey teams up with a whole bunch of folks in tales from MARVEL TEAM-UP #52-73, #75 and ANNUAL #1.


SPIDER-MAN AND MARY JANE: YOU JUST HIT THE JACKPOT Classic Spidey and MJ tales, including MJ's awesome "unveiling" as depicted on the cover. Features stories from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1963) #43, #259, #291-292, #309 and Annual #19; UNTOLD TALES OF SPIDER-MAN #16; the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN: PARALLEL LIVES Graphic Novel; and AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1999) #50.

Pop links: Billy Lee Riley! John Byrne's Emergency! Windsor-Smith's Medusa! Matt Baker! More!

Via Bedazzled: The late, great Billy Lee Riley sings "High-heeled Sneakers."



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Read a John Byrne-illustrated from Charlton Comics' Emergency!, based on the TV series.


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Virginia Davis, who starred in the silent "Alice" comedy shorts Walt Disney made early in his career, has died at age 90.



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From Grantbridge Street: A groovy pin-up of Marvel Comics' Medusa by Barry Windsor-Smith.


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Ailing comics artist Gene Colan, 82, is out of the hospital and feeling better.

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Read a (possibly) Matt Baker-illustrated Rulah: Jungle Goddess story.

Check out the Lost Complete Season 5 Dharma Initiation Kit

This cool special edition of the season 5 DVD set, now available for pre-order from Amazon:

The pack includes DVD/Blu-ray disc holders that look like floppy disks, pamphlets, stickers, recruitment material, maps and an authentic VHS of the Dharma Orientation Video. The set is contained in a box that will be distressed in order to have the feel that it is over thirty years old.

Included in the set are all 17 episodes of season five, never-before-seen bonus materials like cast interviews, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes features, and Blu-ray only exclusives.


Looks like it also include a CD featuring the Geronimo Jackson "Dharma Girl" song.





DC Comics solicitations November 2009

Here are highlights from DC's November offerings:


BATMAN/DOC SAVAGE SPECIAL #1
Written by Brian Azzarello
Art by Phil Noto
Sketchbook material and variant cover by Rags Morales
Cover by JG Jones
Doc Savage returns to DC Comics& and comes face-to-fist with the Batman! Superstar scribe Brian Azzarello (100 BULLETS, JOKER) and the breathtaking art of Phil Noto combine to shine the first light on a shadowy new version of the DC Universe, where the thugs run rampant, corruption runs deep, and even heroes can t be trusted! Doc Savage, the Man of Bronze, hates what he's heard about the connections between a grisly murder and Gotham City's violent new vigilante. But the Batman can t abide do-gooders getting in his way& and his .45 just won t stay in its holster!
Be here for this vital prologue to an upcoming 6-issue miniseries by Azzarello and Rags Morales (IDENTITY CRISIS), which will pull back the curtain to reveal the full width and breadth of DC's new pulp-influenced universe. This special issue also features sketchbook material by Rags Morales that will show you just what you re in for! You might think you re ready but you re very, very wrong&
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by JG Jones), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Rags Morales). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On Sale November 11 • 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US


GREEN LANTERN CHRONICLES VOL. 2 TP
Written by John Broome
Art by Gil Kane, Murphy Anderson, Mike Sekowsky, Ross Andru and others
Cover by Gil Kane and Joe Giella
The second volume collecting Green Lantern's original Silver Age adventures is here! Drawn from GREEN LANTERN #4-9, Hal Jordan battles the Weaponers of Qward, Sinestro, Hector Hammond and others, and introduces fellow Lantern Tomar Re!
Advance-solicited; on sale December 23 • 160 pg, FC, $14.99 US


SHOWCASE PRESENTS: WONDER WOMAN VOL. 3 TP
Written by Robert Kanigher
Art and cover by Ross Andru and Mike Esposito
Wonder Woman's Silver Age adventures continue in this value-priced collection of issues #138-156. Don t miss the amazing Amazon's battles with The Angle Man, The Phantom Sea-Beast, The Brain Pirate and so many more.
Advance-solicited; on sale December 16 • 496 pg, B&W, $17.99 US

SUPERGIRL: COSMIC ADVENTURES IN THE EIGHTH GRADE TP
Written by Landry Q. Walker
Art and cover by Eric Jones
It's an all-ages extravaganza as young Supergirl meets Belinda Zee, a new junior high adversary, in this title collecting the 6-issue miniseres. And that's just the start of the fun that includes super-powered pets and cosmic adventure!
Advance-solicited; on sale December 23 • 144 pg, FC, $12.99 US

CD new releases Aug. 18, 2009: Joe Henry! Mad Men! Stones!

New music of interest this week. Click the title links to order discounted CDs from Amazon.


Blood from Stars by Joe Henry


Mad Men: Music From The Series Vol. 2


Jump Back: The Best of the Rolling Stones 1971-1993 by The Rolling Stones

DVD new releases Aug. 18, 2009: Simpsons 12! Donald Mathmagic! Pete's Dragon! Tintin!

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!


The Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season (Limited Edition Comic Book Guy Head Packaging)


Simpsons: The Complete Twelfth Season


Donald in Mathmagic Land


Pete's Dragon (High-Flying Edition)


The Adventures of Tintin, Vols. 1-5

Disneyland TWA travel poster

Pop links: Fox and Crow! Dylan busted for being Dylan! BBC plans Beatles recording sessions series! Wally Wood! Wolverton! Jon Pertwee sings! More!

See a whole bunch of 1940s Fox and Crow cartoons.

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Like a complete unknown:

Bob Dylan was escorted by police in New Jersey last month after officers failed to recognise him, it has emerged.

Dylan was walking in the pouring rain in Long Branch when locals became suspicious of his behaviour and called the police. 24-year-old police officer Kristie Buble answered the call, and was told that an "eccentric-looking old man" was standing in a residents' yard.


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The BBC takes an in-depth look at the Beatles' recording sessions in a series that will include snippets of previously unheard outtakes, the network says.

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Check out some Wally Wood-illustrated flash cards.




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And here are some Basil Wolverton-illustrated trading cards.



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Today in sharity: A truly odd Doctor Who-related oddity featuring Jon Pertwee.



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Pappy presents a swell Golden Age Flash story, illustrated by the fabulous Lee Elias.