Coming up: Wally Wood's EC Comics Artistsan Edition

Out June 16, 2015.
The Wally Wood EC Comics Artist's Edition was a massive volume that collected some of the greatest Wally Wood stories from the classic glory days as one of the brightest stars in the EC pantheon of artists. Upon it's release it was a huge critical and commercial success, selling out two printings in record time. Now IDW Publishing, the industry originator and leader in producing original art scanned books, continues to blaze new trails by launching a new format within the Artist's Edition brand - the Artisan Edition. And we have chosen the immensely popular Wally Wood EC Comics Artist's Edition as the debut title in the line. Like an Artist's Edition, an Artisan Edition collects complete stories that are all painstakingly scanned from the original art. But this series will be reproduced at a much more manageable 8 x 12 inches, and in softcover format - making this much easier to peruse and store while all other aspects regarding quality remain the same. If you have been holding off exploring the wonderful world of Artist's Edition, this is the perfect place to begin! Featuring some of the most classic Wally Wood stories ever produced, including "My World," "Came the Dawn," "Mars is Heaven," and many others, as well as a gallery of Wood's breathtakingly beautiful covers.

Doctor Who-themed video promotes BBC National Orchestra of Wales


Pop culture roundup: Al Jaffee; Al Williamson; Spider-Man; Carmine Infantino

Many of us remember the back cover fold-ins Al Jaffee created for Mad Magazine. But before that, he did a cool newspaper strip called Tall Tales. Ger Alperdoorn takes a look.

-----

The Golden Age shares a few Atlas Comics stories illustrated by the great Al Williamson.

-----

"Kid" Robson remembers the Spider-Man Treasury Edition of 1974. Man, I loved those big comics!

-----

The Kid also remembers Carmine Infantino, and this special issue of DC Comics' "prozine" dedicated to the artist.

Fab Friday: Vintage Beatles pics

More Beatles posts at the Glass Onion Beatles Journal.





Coming up: Corto Maltese: Beyond The Windy Isles

Out June 16, 2015.
The second volume in the definitive English language edition of Hugo Pratt's masterpiece, Corto Maltese, presented in the original oversized B&W format and with new translations made from Pratt's original Italian scripts. "Mushroom Heads" begins in Maracaibo, Venezuela, where Corto Maltese and Professor Steiner lead an expedition on the trail of the legendary El Dorado, financed by the antiquarian Levi Colombia. In "Banana Conga," Corto has his first and nearly fatal encounter with the beautiful yet dangerous mercenary Venexiana Stevenson. Within this framework of adventure, Hugo Pratt weaves themes dealing with the exploitation of indigenous people, the noble struggle to gain freedom and independence, and how cowardice can poison men of all classes. The action, set in 1917, takes Corto Maltese from the Mosquito Coast to Barbados to a deadly struggle among Jivaro head-hunters in the Peruvian Amazon.

Coming up: The Amazing Spider-Man: The Ultimate Newspaper Comics Collection Volume 1 (1977-1978)

Out June 23, 2015.
The wondrous wall-crawler's long-running newspaper strip by Stan Lee, John Romita, and others is given the deluxe Library of American Comics treatment, with all Sundays in color and integrated with the dailies - just as they originally appeared in newspapers worldwide. Edited by Bruce Canwell, this first volume includes the complete strips from the series start in 1977 through January 1979.

Trailer for Wachowski siblings' new Netflix series "Sense8"


Pop artifacts: Vintage Jack Kirby Boy Commandos transfers



Coming up: TCM Spotlight: Charlie Chan Collection

Out Aug. 4, 2015.


Coming up: The Man from U.N.C.L.E: Season 1

Out Aug. 4, 2015.
In this hit spoof on the spy genre, Robert Vaughn and David McCallum star as a team of secret agents battling the global crime organization THRUSH. Under the aegis of the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement (U.N.C.L.E.), the dapper, suave Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and the equally dashing Illya Kuryakin (McCallum) jet to exotic locations, defending the world from evil, chaos and bad taste. Premiering in 1964, this successful series also starred Leo G. Carroll as Alexander Waverly and featured guest stars such as William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (of Star Trek fame), Kurt Russell as a young stowaway marked for murder, Ricardo Montelban and longtime comedy favorite Ken Murray. From trying to save the world from fear gas to trying to save themselves from a pack of bloodthirsty cheetahs, this spoof brings the spy game to life with vigor and vibrancy. You may even forget it's in black and white! Get your spy on with The Man from U.N.C.L.E!

Coming up: Orphan Black: Season Three

Out Aug. 4, 2015.
Golden Globe nominee Tatiana Maslany (Picture Day) electrifies once again in season two of the hit series Orphan Black. Sarah (Maslany) is in a desperate race to find her missing daughter, but her scorched earth tactics spark a war with Rachel (Maslany), dividing and imperiling all the clones (Maslany, Maslany, Maslany). As Sarah discovers more about her past, mysterious newcomers appear, but can they be trusted?

Hear the lost works of sound pioneer and "Doctor Who" theme co-creator Delia Derbyshire

Now streaming via BBC Radio 4:
The broadcaster and Doctor Who fan MATTHEW SWEET travels to The University of Manchester - home of Delia Derbyshire's private collection of audio recordings - to learn more about the wider career and working methods of the woman who realised Ron Grainer's original theme to Doctor Who.
 

Delia's collection of tapes was, until recently, in the safekeeping of MARK AYRES, archivist for the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. Matthew meets up at Manchester University with Mark, along with Delia's former colleagues from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, BRIAN HODGSON and DICK MILLS - plus former 'White Noise' band member DAVID VORHAUS - to hear extracts from the archive, discuss their memories of Delia and the creative process behind some of her material.
 

Her realisation of the Doctor Who theme is just one small example of her genius and we'll demonstrate how the music was originally created as well as hearing individual tracks from Delia's aborted 70's version. We'll also feature the make up tapes for her celebrated piece 'Blue Veils and Golden Sands', and hear Delia being interviewed on a previously 'lost' BBC recording from the 1960s. 
Matthew's journey of discovery will take in work with the influential poet Barry Bermange, as well as her 1971 piece marking the centenary of the Institution of Electrical Engineers.
 

This Archive on 4 is brought up to date with an individual track from 'The Dance' from the children's programme 'Noah'. Recorded in the late 1960s this remarkable tape sounds like a contemporary dance track which wouldn't be out of place in today's most 'happening' trance clubs.

Coming up: Walt Disney's Donald Duck: "Trick Or Treat"

Out Sept. 5, 2015
This volume kicks off with “Trick or Treat" ― a comic-book version of the classic Disney animated short, with nine pages restored ― and includes Barks’s favorite, “Omelet,” where Donald Duck becomes…a chicken farmer?!
Our lead-off story, “Trick or Treat,” is the master cartoonist’s adaptation of the Donald Duck cartoon of the same name ― with nine pages added back in from the originally truncated version! Then, Donald is convinced that Huey, Dewey, and Louie’s toy gun can really put people into a hypnotic spell ― so he tries it out on Uncle Scrooge! Hijinks abound as Uncle Scrooge plants pots of gold at the foot of a rainbow to see who will handle the money best ― Donald, Gladstone, or the nephews. Also, one of Barks’s own personal favorites, “Omelet” ― the story of Donald’s slapstick misadventures as a chicken farmer (?!). Nineteen stories, plus bonus features, each meticulously restored and newly colored. Insightful story notes by an international panel of Barks experts.

See Ian McKellan as Sherlock in a new "Mr. Holmes" trailer


New comics May 6, 2015: Doctor Strange Masterworks; EC; Archie!

Click the links to order discounted items from Amazon.



The EC Archives: Shock Suspenstories Volume 3


Original Jack Kirby storyboard for Fantastic Four cartoon

Via Heritage Auctions:


Coming up: Saved By The Bell: The Collected Works Of Robin Gibb 1968-1970

Out June 2, 2015.
The collection captures the entire musical output of Robin Gibb at 19 years old, over a 12 month period from 1969 and 1970. The extensive 3 disc set features the critically acclaimed hit solo album Robin s Reign, rebooted to include nine alternate takes and full-length versions, as well as the previously unreleased, and much sought-after Sing Slowly Sisters album, which comes exactly 45 years after it was recorded.