BBC Radio 2 profiles Pete Townshend

The Who songwriter/guitarist provides a frank account of his career in "Before I Get Old." The first episode will be available for streaming soon here.

Paul McCartney ballet score due out Oct. 4

Ocean's Kingdom, a ballet score composed by former Beatle will be out on CD and vinyl Oct. 4.

The piece will be performed by the New York City Ballet Sept. 22 and runs about 45 minutes. Composer John Wilson assisted Macca with the orchestration.

In a New York Times interview, McCartney described the ballet as:

“basically a romantic story” involving two worlds — the ocean kingdom, representing purity, and the earth kingdom, “the sort of baddies.” The daughter of the ocean king falls in love with the brother of the earth king, and “you’ll have to see whether the couple make it,there’s all sort of troubles along the way.”










Stream the Green Album - Muppet music tribute - free on NPR

Featured musicians include My Morning Jacket, Weezer, Andrew Bird and others. Listen here.

New comics and other merchandise Aug. 15, 2011

 Things I'll buy:

Tales of the Batman - Gene Colan Vol. 1
Tales of the Batman - Gene Colan Vol. 1

Avengers 16

SERGIO ARAGONES FUNNIES #2

Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954
Setting the Standard: Comics by Alex Toth 1952-1954

Other items of interest:

 Secret Society of Super-Villains
Secret Society of Super-Villains


Flashpoint Series 1 Action Figure Set
Flashpoint Series 1 Action Figure Set 

DC COMICS PRESENTS TEEN TITANS #1 

Little Lulu, Vol. 28: The Prize Winner and Other Stories
Little Lulu, Vol. 28: The Prize Winner and Other Stories

 The Complete Peanuts Boxed Set 1979-1982 (Vol. 15-16) (The Complete Peanuts)
The Complete Peanuts Boxed Set 1979-1982 (Vol. 15-16) (The Complete Peanuts)

The Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 (Vol. 16) (The Complete Peanuts)
The Complete Peanuts 1981-1982 (Vol. 16) (The Complete Peanuts)



Disney Traditions designed by Jim Shore for Enesco Marionette Goofy Figurine 7.25 IN
Disney Traditions designed by Jim Shore for Enesco Marionette Goofy Figurine 7.25 IN

Disney Traditions designed by Jim Shore for Enesco Marionette Donald Duck Figurine 7.25 IN
Disney Traditions designed by Jim Shore for Enesco Marionette Donald Duck Figurine 7.25 IN



DC Comics November 2011 solicitations

Items of interest from DC's November offerings:

The Batman Archives Vol. 8
The Batman Archives Vol. 8
Written by BILL FINGER, EDMOND HAMILTON and JOE SAMACHSON
Art by BOB KANE, LEW SAYRE SCHWARTZ, DICK SPRANG, WIN MORTIMER and others
Cover by BOB KANE


The Caped Crusader began his third decade of crimefighting with these tales from DETECTIVE COMICS #155-171, Batman introduces the new, updated Batmobile, has his secret identity revealed to the underworld, meets The Red Hood for the first time and much more!

 Spirit World
Jack Kirby's Spirit World 
Written by JACK KIRBY, MARK EVANIER, STEVE SHERMAN and SERGIO ARAGONES
Art by JACK KIRBY, VINCE COLLETTA, MIKE ROYER and SERGIO ARAGONES
Cover by JACK KIRBY and NEAL ADAMS


After leaving Marvel Comics at the end of the 1960s, Jack Kirby came to DC Comics, where he soon created the series of superhero comics known collectively as "The Fourth World." But before that came SPIRIT WORLD, a magazine that delved into the occult and the supernatural.
Now, DC reprints that hard-to-find title for the very first time in this new hardcover, including four stories completed for the second issue that appeared in WEIRD MYSTERY TALES 1-3 and FORBIDDEN TALES OF DARK MANSION #6, plus a pin-up version of the striking cover image by Kirby and Neal Adams!

Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman Vol. 4
Showcase Presents: Wonder Woman Vol. 4 
Written by BOB KANIGHER and BILL FINGER * Art by ROSS ANDRU, IRV NOVICK, WIN MORTIMER and MIKE ESPOSITO * Cover by ROSS ANDRU and MIKE ESPOSITO

It's another value-priced collection of Wonder Woman adventures from issues #157-177 featuring Supergirl, Cheetah, Egg Fu and many more!

Roots of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1
Roots of the Swamp Thing Vol. 1 
Written by LEN WEIN * Art by BERNIE WRIGHTSON and NESTOR REDONDO * Cover by BERNIE WRIGHTSON

The tales that made Swamp Thing a fan-favorite are collected in trade paperback! Featuring the first appearance from HOUSE OF SECRETS #92, along with SWAMP THING #1-13 and moody art by legendary artist Bernie Wrightson.

Green Lantern the Animated Series #0

Written by ART BALTAZAR and FRANCO
Art by DARIO BRIZUELA
Series art cover
On sale NOVEMBER 30 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US * RATED E

The all-ages adventure begins in this issue that sets the stage for the upcoming monthly series! Green is the color of will power, and one of the most powerful lights in the universe. The Guardians have harnessed this power to create an intergalactic police force wielding green power rings. What happens when Hal Jordan and Kilowog find one of these rings abandoned in space? Has one of their comrades fallen, or is something even more sinister happening?

The MAD Archives Vol. 3
Written and illustrated by The Usual Gang of Idiots

This new hardcover collects MAD #13-18 from the 1950s, as originally published by E.C. Comics. In it, the Usual Gang of Idiots takes on:
* "Robinson Crusoe" * Sherlock Holmes * "Julius Caesar"
* The movie "The Wild Ones" * TV's Howdy Doody * Prince Valian