First pic of new "King Kong"
JoBlo posted this pic: the first look at director Peter Jackson's new "King Kong," as depicted in a Topps trading card.
New Ware book and other goodies coming from Pantheon
The publisher is shaping up as the premier publisher of alt comics artists. From ICv2:
Pantheon will release The ACME Novelty Library on September 20th, a new hardcover by superstar cartoonist Chris Ware. The 9" x 15" 108 page book, which will sport an oversized belly band, is a tabloid-sized collection of single page cartoons, along with a luminescent map of the heavens, assorted cut-out activities, a history of the ACME Novelty Company, rare photos, and more.
Craig Thompson has also signed to do a graphic novel for Pantheon. Habibi will be about his travels in Morocco; no publishing date is scheduled.
Pantheon will release Charles Burns' Black Hole on October 18th. The 352-page comic-sized hardcover will collect the ten issues of the comics published by Fantagraphics over the last ten years.
...the two-volume Persepolis series will get some new packaging for the holidays. A softcover edition of Persepolis 2 will be released. And on October 25th, a boxed set of both softcover volumes will street at the bargain price of $23.90.
Pantheon will release The ACME Novelty Library on September 20th, a new hardcover by superstar cartoonist Chris Ware. The 9" x 15" 108 page book, which will sport an oversized belly band, is a tabloid-sized collection of single page cartoons, along with a luminescent map of the heavens, assorted cut-out activities, a history of the ACME Novelty Company, rare photos, and more.
Craig Thompson has also signed to do a graphic novel for Pantheon. Habibi will be about his travels in Morocco; no publishing date is scheduled.
Pantheon will release Charles Burns' Black Hole on October 18th. The 352-page comic-sized hardcover will collect the ten issues of the comics published by Fantagraphics over the last ten years.
...the two-volume Persepolis series will get some new packaging for the holidays. A softcover edition of Persepolis 2 will be released. And on October 25th, a boxed set of both softcover volumes will street at the bargain price of $23.90.
"Sin City" DVD art revealed
Here are the different covers for the bare bones (just the movie, no extras) release of the movie, due out Aug. 16. A double, expanded, version comes out later on.
More "Doctor Who" updates
From the BBC:
Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, confirmed last night that a third series of Doctor Who - plus a second Christmas special - has been commissioned.
Tranter also confirmed that Billie Piper, who plays the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, would feature in every episode of series two including the Christmas special.
Filming of the Christmas special and second series with Casanova star David Tennant - who plays the tenth Doctor - is due to begin next month.
The current series concludes on BBC ONE on Saturday (18 June) at 7.00pm.
Jane Tranter, BBC Controller of Drama Commissioning, confirmed last night that a third series of Doctor Who - plus a second Christmas special - has been commissioned.
Tranter also confirmed that Billie Piper, who plays the Doctor's companion Rose Tyler, would feature in every episode of series two including the Christmas special.
Filming of the Christmas special and second series with Casanova star David Tennant - who plays the tenth Doctor - is due to begin next month.
The current series concludes on BBC ONE on Saturday (18 June) at 7.00pm.
Interview with new "Doctor Who" scribe
From the BBC:
The final episode of the current series of Doctor Who is on BBC ONE on Saturday (18 June) at 7.00pm.
Here, Russell T Davies - award-winning writer and executive producer of Doctor Who - gives an exclusive insight into the Christmas 2005 episode and reveals why 'pigeon-holing' in his early career as a writer in children's television made the transition into adult television difficult.
Q: Were you surprised by the reaction to the new series?
RTD: The honest to God truth is I was shocked. The weird thing is, it's everything we hoped for. In January we were all sitting there hoping millions of people would watch; hoping that people would love it.
It's such a rare thing for everything to fit into place especially when all the signs were there. Friends of mine would say to me this is such a risk, because it's niche and there's no science fiction in primetime plus it's an old show, its days have gone etc etc.
There were so many things mitigating against it. If we were in Los Angeles there would be 15 shows like it running at once. No-one's made anything like this in this country and we've pulled it off.
Science fiction can be very bland, homogenized and steeped in American culture, and to make this British has been fantastic.
I think as a kid watching the series you can feel a sense of ownership and that's made a massive difference.
Russell on his versatility as a writer
RTD: One of the things that makes me laugh is when I read something which says 'gay writer of Second Coming, Casanova and Queer as Folk has made family viewing an event'.
It just shows that anyone can write anything. All that pigeon-holing that goes on is nonsense. No writer should ever sit there and think – I'll only write gay things.
I used to work in children's television and it was harder to move from children's telly and break into adult television. I was a young writer and no-one knew my name. People would just sit there and say, but you’ve only done children's.
I knew I could write anything. I knew I could do adult drama, but everyone pigeon-holes everyone.
What I love about Doctor Who is that it has come full circle, it's for adults and children; it's doing everything I like doing.
Q: What's your view on the seeming lack of family drama on television?
RTD: Cinema leads the way with films like Toy Story – the script is full of intelligence, it's clever, witty and so much fun, and at the heart of it is a great plot.
I have sat with a group of 15 people watching Finding Nemo on a Sunday morning – one member of the group was five and another 55, and when you see things like that happening you know that the myth that family drama doesn't exist anymore is simply not true.
We were told, Julie (Gardner) and I, to be careful aiming for a family audience because it doesn't exist anymore.
I absolutely didn't believe it, that's why we built Doctor Who to be an event every single week.
There's something big and different so everyone can come together to watch it, not just kids, and not just adults – genuine family viewing really.
It sort of follows Hollywood's example, you might be cynical about Hollywood, but they tend to be ahead of the game.
Q: Is it true that the Daleks are coming back in the final episode?
RTD: Yes. It's true. Having given them a conscience in one episode, the Daleks are back as these great, murderous monsters they were created to be. It's like Doctor Who as it always was. And it’s exciting.
Q: What else can you reveal about the content of the final episode?
RTD: There are Dalek armies, a war, space ship and gun fire. For all the hardware and macho side of it, the final episode is the most emotional we have told yet.
The story we have been telling over the 12 weeks all comes to a head and it shows how much the Doctor means to Rose, Rose means to the Doctor and Captain Jack means to them both.
There's an army of 500,000 Daleks with six ordinary human beings left in the world to fight them off.
It tells my favourite story, which is about the heroism and bravery of ordinary people up against an almighty threat.
There's reference to almost every single previous episode, but anyone can watch it and still enjoy it even if they haven’t been following the whole series.
Q: Is there anything at all you can reveal about the Christmas episode?
RTD: Well it's an hour-long episode which is something we've never done before.
It will be a great, Christmas adventure that's really big in scale. It will be Christmassy, there's nothing I like more than a Christmas Special set at Christmas!
There's a big story in it for Rose as well as a massive threat to the Earth going on beneath the surface so Christmas as usual!
Q: Have you been inundated with celebrities wanting to be involved in the second series?
RTD: Yes, there have been a lot names coming through to our casting director. We're currently drawing up a list. But I couldn't possibly name names.
Q: How nervous or excited are you about the second series?
RTD: Very excited because David (Tennant) is like a whole new lease of life. I think one of dangers of success sometimes is that one can get too complacent.
Putting David at the helm means we're all reinvigorated because we have got to be just as good, if not better just for him.
So it's actually very exciting, but at the same time scary. It's back to square one for us so that's always a good place to be I think.
You have to put pressure on yourself really, because you have over seven million viewers who love this show, so you mustn't let them down now. We have got to deliver even more surprises for them, and I'm absolutely confident we can do it!
Q: Can you share anything about the content of the new series?
RTD: We have the Cybermen!
We're also going to alien planets which we didn't do in the first series because I wanted to be confident of the design and now I feel sure. We also have the best design and SFX team in the world.
The series will remain connected to the Earth because I think that's important.
There will be a couple of old faces, and lots of new faces.
Trips into history with us going back to the 1700s at one point... that's all I can say at this stage I am afraid.
The final episode of the current series of Doctor Who is on BBC ONE on Saturday (18 June) at 7.00pm.
Here, Russell T Davies - award-winning writer and executive producer of Doctor Who - gives an exclusive insight into the Christmas 2005 episode and reveals why 'pigeon-holing' in his early career as a writer in children's television made the transition into adult television difficult.
Q: Were you surprised by the reaction to the new series?
RTD: The honest to God truth is I was shocked. The weird thing is, it's everything we hoped for. In January we were all sitting there hoping millions of people would watch; hoping that people would love it.
It's such a rare thing for everything to fit into place especially when all the signs were there. Friends of mine would say to me this is such a risk, because it's niche and there's no science fiction in primetime plus it's an old show, its days have gone etc etc.
There were so many things mitigating against it. If we were in Los Angeles there would be 15 shows like it running at once. No-one's made anything like this in this country and we've pulled it off.
Science fiction can be very bland, homogenized and steeped in American culture, and to make this British has been fantastic.
I think as a kid watching the series you can feel a sense of ownership and that's made a massive difference.
Russell on his versatility as a writer
RTD: One of the things that makes me laugh is when I read something which says 'gay writer of Second Coming, Casanova and Queer as Folk has made family viewing an event'.
It just shows that anyone can write anything. All that pigeon-holing that goes on is nonsense. No writer should ever sit there and think – I'll only write gay things.
I used to work in children's television and it was harder to move from children's telly and break into adult television. I was a young writer and no-one knew my name. People would just sit there and say, but you’ve only done children's.
I knew I could write anything. I knew I could do adult drama, but everyone pigeon-holes everyone.
What I love about Doctor Who is that it has come full circle, it's for adults and children; it's doing everything I like doing.
Q: What's your view on the seeming lack of family drama on television?
RTD: Cinema leads the way with films like Toy Story – the script is full of intelligence, it's clever, witty and so much fun, and at the heart of it is a great plot.
I have sat with a group of 15 people watching Finding Nemo on a Sunday morning – one member of the group was five and another 55, and when you see things like that happening you know that the myth that family drama doesn't exist anymore is simply not true.
We were told, Julie (Gardner) and I, to be careful aiming for a family audience because it doesn't exist anymore.
I absolutely didn't believe it, that's why we built Doctor Who to be an event every single week.
There's something big and different so everyone can come together to watch it, not just kids, and not just adults – genuine family viewing really.
It sort of follows Hollywood's example, you might be cynical about Hollywood, but they tend to be ahead of the game.
Q: Is it true that the Daleks are coming back in the final episode?
RTD: Yes. It's true. Having given them a conscience in one episode, the Daleks are back as these great, murderous monsters they were created to be. It's like Doctor Who as it always was. And it’s exciting.
Q: What else can you reveal about the content of the final episode?
RTD: There are Dalek armies, a war, space ship and gun fire. For all the hardware and macho side of it, the final episode is the most emotional we have told yet.
The story we have been telling over the 12 weeks all comes to a head and it shows how much the Doctor means to Rose, Rose means to the Doctor and Captain Jack means to them both.
There's an army of 500,000 Daleks with six ordinary human beings left in the world to fight them off.
It tells my favourite story, which is about the heroism and bravery of ordinary people up against an almighty threat.
There's reference to almost every single previous episode, but anyone can watch it and still enjoy it even if they haven’t been following the whole series.
Q: Is there anything at all you can reveal about the Christmas episode?
RTD: Well it's an hour-long episode which is something we've never done before.
It will be a great, Christmas adventure that's really big in scale. It will be Christmassy, there's nothing I like more than a Christmas Special set at Christmas!
There's a big story in it for Rose as well as a massive threat to the Earth going on beneath the surface so Christmas as usual!
Q: Have you been inundated with celebrities wanting to be involved in the second series?
RTD: Yes, there have been a lot names coming through to our casting director. We're currently drawing up a list. But I couldn't possibly name names.
Q: How nervous or excited are you about the second series?
RTD: Very excited because David (Tennant) is like a whole new lease of life. I think one of dangers of success sometimes is that one can get too complacent.
Putting David at the helm means we're all reinvigorated because we have got to be just as good, if not better just for him.
So it's actually very exciting, but at the same time scary. It's back to square one for us so that's always a good place to be I think.
You have to put pressure on yourself really, because you have over seven million viewers who love this show, so you mustn't let them down now. We have got to deliver even more surprises for them, and I'm absolutely confident we can do it!
Q: Can you share anything about the content of the new series?
RTD: We have the Cybermen!
We're also going to alien planets which we didn't do in the first series because I wanted to be confident of the design and now I feel sure. We also have the best design and SFX team in the world.
The series will remain connected to the Earth because I think that's important.
There will be a couple of old faces, and lots of new faces.
Trips into history with us going back to the 1700s at one point... that's all I can say at this stage I am afraid.
Modern Arf!
News about this Fantagraphics book release somehow slipped by me. Sounds like fun:
Modern Arf
Modern Arf is the first in a series of volumes in which the award-winning artist and editor, Craig Yoe, explores the unholy marriage of Modern Art and the Funnies in a bombastic and entertaining way.
The first blast features material created just for this book as well as classic material by Rube Goldberg, Jack Kirby, Hy Mayer, Winsor McCay, and Patrick McDonnell at the zenith of their wacky, surreal, and innovative best.
Patrick McDonnell rarely draws outside popular daily strip Mutts, but for the first volume of Arf he has contributed an exclusive four page strip of of surreal comics. They're fun, they're cool, they're wordless, and they're sublime.
Jack Kirby's story, "The Fourth Dimension is a Many Splattered Thing," reprinted from the original art, is Kirby at his most surreal, surely informed by cubism and certainly the inspiration for Steve Ditko's later work on the exotic 1960s comic, Dr. Strange. It is published here for the first time since its original publication in the mid 1950s.
Hy Mayer, a forgotten cartoon surrealist, is represented with an astonishing series of mind-blowing "worm's eye views." It's M.C. Escher meets Charles Schulz! Antonio Rubino is an early 20th century Italian cartooning master, whose breathtaking work was infused by cubism, futurism and art deco. Modern Arf will present a rich sampling of his work, including bookplates, paintings, and comics.
Did you know Salvador Dalí drew comics? You'll be able to see them in this first volume of Modern Arf accompanying an essay exploring his influence on comics, his animated cartoon, and examples of comic artists such as Steranko and Crepax who paid homage to the Spanish surrealist. Modern Arf is stunningly designed in an oversized format to give justice to the incredible art collected between its covers. The Arf series will delight both comic and fine art lovers. Both will be sure to exclaim, "I don't know much about Arf, but this is what I like!" 120 pages black-and-white illustrations throughout and 48 pages in full color, 9" x 12".
Modern Arf
Modern Arf is the first in a series of volumes in which the award-winning artist and editor, Craig Yoe, explores the unholy marriage of Modern Art and the Funnies in a bombastic and entertaining way.
The first blast features material created just for this book as well as classic material by Rube Goldberg, Jack Kirby, Hy Mayer, Winsor McCay, and Patrick McDonnell at the zenith of their wacky, surreal, and innovative best.
Patrick McDonnell rarely draws outside popular daily strip Mutts, but for the first volume of Arf he has contributed an exclusive four page strip of of surreal comics. They're fun, they're cool, they're wordless, and they're sublime.
Jack Kirby's story, "The Fourth Dimension is a Many Splattered Thing," reprinted from the original art, is Kirby at his most surreal, surely informed by cubism and certainly the inspiration for Steve Ditko's later work on the exotic 1960s comic, Dr. Strange. It is published here for the first time since its original publication in the mid 1950s.
Hy Mayer, a forgotten cartoon surrealist, is represented with an astonishing series of mind-blowing "worm's eye views." It's M.C. Escher meets Charles Schulz! Antonio Rubino is an early 20th century Italian cartooning master, whose breathtaking work was infused by cubism, futurism and art deco. Modern Arf will present a rich sampling of his work, including bookplates, paintings, and comics.
Did you know Salvador Dalí drew comics? You'll be able to see them in this first volume of Modern Arf accompanying an essay exploring his influence on comics, his animated cartoon, and examples of comic artists such as Steranko and Crepax who paid homage to the Spanish surrealist. Modern Arf is stunningly designed in an oversized format to give justice to the incredible art collected between its covers. The Arf series will delight both comic and fine art lovers. Both will be sure to exclaim, "I don't know much about Arf, but this is what I like!" 120 pages black-and-white illustrations throughout and 48 pages in full color, 9" x 12".
.
RKO horror classics boxed up
Coming in a DVD set Oct. 4: The Val LawtonHorror Collection.
The five disk set includes the director's RKO films:
1. The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People.
2. I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher.
3. Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.
4. The Leopard Man/The Ghost Ship.
5. The Seventh Victim.
Separate disks will be available of The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.
According to the Digital Bits:
Extras will include audio commentary with Greg Mank and Simone Simon on Cat People and Curse of the Cat People, commentary with Kim Newman and Steve Jones on I Walked With a Zombie, commentary with Steve Haberman and Robert Wise on The Body Snatcher, commentary with Tom Weaver on Bedlam and commentary with Steve Haberman on The Seventh Victim, along with the Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy documentary (on the life and films of the famous RKO Radio Pictures producer - the documentary is exclusive to the box set) and theatrical trailers.
The five disk set includes the director's RKO films:
1. The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People.
2. I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher.
3. Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.
4. The Leopard Man/The Ghost Ship.
5. The Seventh Victim.
Separate disks will be available of The Cat People/Curse of the Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie/Body Snatcher and Isle of the Dead/Bedlam.
According to the Digital Bits:
Extras will include audio commentary with Greg Mank and Simone Simon on Cat People and Curse of the Cat People, commentary with Kim Newman and Steve Jones on I Walked With a Zombie, commentary with Steve Haberman and Robert Wise on The Body Snatcher, commentary with Tom Weaver on Bedlam and commentary with Steve Haberman on The Seventh Victim, along with the Shadows in the Dark: The Val Lewton Legacy documentary (on the life and films of the famous RKO Radio Pictures producer - the documentary is exclusive to the box set) and theatrical trailers.
"X-Men 3" teaser poster revealed
They haven't even started making the thing yet, but here's the first "X-Men 3"-related image.
Hey, kid! This ain't a library!!
ICv2 reports on the phenomenon of the "hidden manga reader." No, it's not a new super villain, but free-loading "browsers" who plop down and read entire books in the store:
The availability of comfortable reading space and easy access to big manga selections have long attracted readers to big box bookstores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble. The theory of these retailers is that consumers that come to sample will also buy, but there's definitely a subset of visitors to such stores that read the complete manga volume in the store and don't purchase it. Now there's at least some evidence that the problem has been recognized and is being addressed; Shojo Beat contributing editor Eric Searlemen told attendees at a BEA panel that a Borders store he frequented, on Union Square in San Francisco, had begun packaging all its manga titles in plastic, regardless of content.
The availability of comfortable reading space and easy access to big manga selections have long attracted readers to big box bookstores such as Borders and Barnes and Noble. The theory of these retailers is that consumers that come to sample will also buy, but there's definitely a subset of visitors to such stores that read the complete manga volume in the store and don't purchase it. Now there's at least some evidence that the problem has been recognized and is being addressed; Shojo Beat contributing editor Eric Searlemen told attendees at a BEA panel that a Borders store he frequented, on Union Square in San Francisco, had begun packaging all its manga titles in plastic, regardless of content.
The real Princess Leia
Actually, the kid's name is spelled Leah--but she's an actual princess. In Norway.
Reuters reports:
Norwegian Princess Leah's name was inspired by a character in a "Star Wars" movie, the mother of the infant princess was quoted as saying on Thursday.
"I must admit that I have always been a big 'Star Wars' fan, and Princess Leia has always been the most beautiful in the whole world," Princess Martha Louise said in an interview with the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.
Princess Leah, born on April 8 this year and fifth in line to the Norwegian throne, was due to be baptised on Thursday.
Reuters reports:
Norwegian Princess Leah's name was inspired by a character in a "Star Wars" movie, the mother of the infant princess was quoted as saying on Thursday.
"I must admit that I have always been a big 'Star Wars' fan, and Princess Leia has always been the most beautiful in the whole world," Princess Martha Louise said in an interview with the Norwegian daily Aftenposten.
Princess Leah, born on April 8 this year and fifth in line to the Norwegian throne, was due to be baptised on Thursday.
More new "Doctor Who" planned
From the BBC:
Dr Who fans will be delighted to hear
that the Time Lord will be returning for a third series.
Just days before the current run of the sci-fi show is due to end, its
makers have revealed that there are at least two more series to come.
On Saturday, Christopher Eccleston will make his final appearance as
the Doctor with David Tennant set to take over.
In addition to two more series, there will also be Christmas specials
for 2005 and 2006, the show's makers said.
That means Dr Who fans have a total of 28 more episodes to look forward
to when the current series ends.
Billie Piper will continue playing Rose until at least the end of
series two.
More Doctor Who.
Dr Who fans will be delighted to hear
that the Time Lord will be returning for a third series.
Just days before the current run of the sci-fi show is due to end, its
makers have revealed that there are at least two more series to come.
On Saturday, Christopher Eccleston will make his final appearance as
the Doctor with David Tennant set to take over.
In addition to two more series, there will also be Christmas specials
for 2005 and 2006, the show's makers said.
That means Dr Who fans have a total of 28 more episodes to look forward
to when the current series ends.
Billie Piper will continue playing Rose until at least the end of
series two.
More Doctor Who.
Batman #11 cover up for bid
Oh to be rich: Heritage Auctions is selling the great Jerry Robinson's cover to Batman #11, starting bid $100,000. The pic depicts the Caped Crusader socking Robinson's creation, The Joker.
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