This week's new DVD releases

June 14


The Joan Crawford Collection (Humoresque; Mildred Pierce; Possessed; Women; The Damned Don't Cry)


The Bette Davis Collection (Dark Victory; The Letter; Mr. Skeffington; Now, Voyager; The Star)


Casino Special Edition

Northern Exposure Complete Third Season

Another "Batman Begins" review

From USA Today:

...Batman 5 (* * ½ out of four) reverses the order of Mike Tyson's weekend bout: The early going - say, an hour - is spent in a fatigued daze. A few powerful jabs eventually punch things up.
...The movie finally improves (and starts showing a sense of humor) back home in Gotham. Bruce returns to don the duds and start going mobile in his famous wheels. It's all to fight a nefarious municipal scheme that, among other things, gives Gary Oldman, who is one of many welcome and familiar character actors, a rare chance to play a good guy.

Two more things to note: No fan of cult director Christopher Nolan is going to regard this respectable effort as anything but a comedown from 2001's Memento. And since the previous Batman movies, we've had the potent Spider-Man duo, which impressively gave us "lively" and "brooding" at the same time.

Pop Artifact! Batman movie serial poster

Vintage DC Comics house ad

And now this special message...

Early Dr. Seuss works coming

Checker Book Publishing Group is pleased to announce the launch of a new series… Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss)! These collections will reprint the good doctor’s illustrations from early in his career, before his children’s books became world famous.

Geisel’s short stories, essays, and cartoons appeared in national publications such as Judge, Liberty, and PM, and he also created a myriad of advertising illustrations for various companies. Geisel also illustrated a wide variety of other print publications, calendars, and joke books such as “The Pocket Book of Boners”. Geisel’s illustrations turned this book into a national bestseller, and one of his advertising campaigns even proved to be so popular with the public that in 1929, a book collecting some of his advertisement designs was published.

Checker has collected dozens upon dozens of Geisel’s illustrations and has undertaken to restore these iconic cartoons of this world-famous artist. Under the nom-de-plume “Dr. Seuss”, Geisel has sold over 500 million books worldwide and continues to inspire generations of fans both young and old.

Checker’s first volume of “Theodor Seuss Geisel: Early Works” is slated for August 2005 publication. Volume 2 is scheduled for November 2005, with Volume 3 following in Spring 2006. All of the books in the series will have a high-quality hardcover format, dust jacket and black and white illustrations.

Asterix smacks Mickey Mouse

That super-strength potion must work: An Asterix theme park is raking in the dough while Euro Disney struggles, says this report.

Whereas Euro Disney has struggled financially since its launch in the early 1990s despite attracting some 13-million visitors a year from all over the globe, the smaller Asterix park, opened in 1989, has turned in a profit since 1999 and that with a mainly French clientele.

..."We have the advantage of not being too in debt, and also of dealing with completely different volumes," the director of Asterix park, Alain Trouve, told AFP. With its two million visitors a year, 85 percent of which are French, the park registered almost €67-million in turnover in 2004 and again turned in a profit.

Euro Disney on the other hand has already had to restructure its finances twice as it struggles to service a €2.4-billion debt.

Trouve links the Asterix park's success to the Asterix comic book characters who are anchored in French popular culture and a rigorous management of the park which only opens for 160 days a year.

"The idea was to bring the characters on the page alive as well as their spirit. To find the humour, convivality and the strength of the characters and to put that all in a park," he said.

More on Parc Asterix.

Asterix books.

Batman and his "comic book roots"

The prevalent angle newspapers are using when reporting on "Batman Begins" is that the film "returns the hero to his comic book roots."

But what are those roots? Batman has been many things in comic books over the years: A grim-faced crimefighter (1930s), smiling adventurer (1940s), spacefarer and time traveler (1950s, 60s), back-to-basics crimefighter-man-of-the-people (1970s) and--currently--a humorless psychotic ninja.

Reports indicate the film lifts a lot of its inspiration from Frank Miller's "Batman Year One" with a dollop of Denny O'Neill and Neal Adams' bronze age run (it features Ras Al Ghul, after all).

I guess that's all fine. But the gist of these articles is that the comics offer the "real" Batman, whereas, current comics actually seem to be more confused than Hollywood about what to do with the poor guy.

For 20 years, the comics have been pretty much retreads of and variations on Frank Miller's "The Dark Knight Returns," itself originally a one-off "imaginary tale" that took a "what if" look at one of the Caped Crusader's possible futures. The take has gotten pretty old. Any shred of humanity or humor the character held is pretty much gone.

A recent bright spot, though, is the "Dark Detective" mini-series DC is currently running. Featuring script and art from the classic Steven Englehart-Marshall Rogers team of the late 1970s, it's the best-of-all-worlds take on the character. This Batman is tough, dark, but feeling. He cracks the occasional joke and smile. He has a love life.

Englehart draws much of his inspiration from the late 40s Batman, when the character was lightening up from his grim beginnings but not ready to blast off into space quite yet. O'Neill and Adams took much the same approach when they handled the character in the early 70s.

I don't know for sure which Batman "Batman Begins" features, but if he's anything close to this one, that's great. He's a Batman I'd like to see a lot more of.

Summer means Slurpees

The beverage (I guess you'd call it a beverage...) is celebrating its 40th anniversary says this press release:

7-Eleven, Inc. has launched a month-long celebration of Slurpee's 40th birthday on July 11, 2005. To celebrate this iconic brand, 7-Eleven is introducing retro Slurpee cups and flavors in participating 7-Eleven® stores nationwide, airing original Slurpee radio spots from the 1960s, and offering prizes and promotions as part of the Slurpee Summer Prize Fest, including free music downloads and the chance to win one of four MINI Cooper convertibles.
Today, Slurpee is one of America's most recognized brands, but when Slurpee was introduced in 1965 it was a groundbreaking concept that took America by storm. Still served at a chilling 28 degrees, Slurpee enjoys worldwide popularity and is available in 14 countries and U.S. territories.

"A lot has changed since 1965, but not Slurpee. It's the ultimate retro drink, still cool even after 40 years," said Kevin Cooper, 7-Eleven category manager for Slurpee and fountain. "That's why we decided to have some fun this summer with some of the crazy '60s Slurpee flavors like Blue Blunder Berry and Gully Washer."

"Slurpee is truly an iconic American brand," said Wendy Liebmann, founder and president, WSL Strategic Retail. "Slurpee was one of the defining icons of American pop culture in the 1960s. Forty years later, it still resonates with a broad base of consumers who see it as their big chilly drink of choice."

Starting today, 7-Eleven customers can slurp Blue Blunder Berry in June and Gully Washer during July, two retro flavors developed by The Coca- Cola Company. Four color-changing Slurpee mugs feature graphics representing the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Tinted bright blue, yellow, orange or green, the 38-ounce refillable mugs dramatically change colors when a cold Slurpee hits the mug, designed to fit any car cup holder. Retailing for $2.49, the price includes the mug, one Slurpee fill-up and free Wonka candy.

All Slurpee customers will be winners during the Slurpee Summer Prize Fest. Throughout June and July, 7-Eleven is giving away one free music download on all standard Slurpee cups. Last but not least, 7-Eleven is giving away four grand prize MINI Cooper convertibles, one for each decade of the Slurpee's 40 years of popularity and each painted a bright Slurpee color. Customers can register to win at participating 7-Eleven stores nationwide or online at http://www.slurpee.com .

"We decided to celebrate Slurpee's birthday by giving our customers a gift -- Slurpees, music and convertibles seemed like a natural fit," said Cooper. "Slurpee lovers can collect both music and cups during the celebration, and if they're really lucky, they might win a car!"

That's all very nice. But what we really want are Slurpee superhero cups!

The fine art of DVD tie-ins

It's summer blockbuster season and, since all summer blockbusters these days seem to be based on past movies and TV shows, that means it's also a big season for DVD releases.

The Hollywood Reporter provides a rundown of things we can expect:

"Batman Begins" yields the release of Volume 3 of "Batman -- The Animated Series" and the TV movie "Return to the Batcave," a look back at the Adam West-Burt Ward series. Notably, though, Universal (which owns the rights) has yet again blown an opportunity to release the 1960s Batman series on home video. They didn't do it on tape back when the Tim Burton flick came out, and they couldn't get it together for this new movie either.

As a tie-in to the upcoming Steven Spielberg adaptation, a couple of DVD documentaries focus on the hysteria provoked by the "War of the Worlds."

The original, Japanese version of "Dark Water" is coming out June 21, dovetailing with the release of the Jennifer Connelly version.

And the complete 1990s "Fantastic Four" cartoon is coming out July 5, to tie-in with the release of the quartet's new live-action feature, which opens the same day.

Pop Artifact! Tarzan ice cream packaging

Discovered at Hake's Auctions.

Vintage house ad

And now this special message...

More spookiness: 8 Hammer Horror flicks on DVD

Coming from Universal Sept. 6: The Hammer Horror Series featuring eight flicks on 2 DVDs.

Included: "Brides of Dracula," "The Curse of the Werewolf," "The Phantom of the Opera (1962)," "Paranoiac," "Kiss of the Vampire," "Nightmare," "Night Creatures" and "The Evil of Frankenstein."

DVD collects Bela Lugosi's best

Collected on just one disk from Universal: "Murders in the Rue Morgue," "The Black Cat (1934)," "The Raven," "The Invisible Ray" and "Black Friday." It's out Sept. 6.

Marvel Legends 10 variants

Here are fresh pics of the variant Cyclops and Angel figures that are part of the upcoming Marvel Legend series 10 action figures.

Dark Horse Comics September: Joe Kubert's Tarzan! New Dracula from Marv Wolfman/Gene Colan!

Great, great news!!!



TARZAN: THE JOE KUBERT YEARS VOLUME 1 HC
JOE KUBERT (W/A)
On sale October 26, HC, 200pg, FC, 6 1/4" x 10 1/4", $49.95

Few artists can capture visceral action sequences and the dynamic human
form like Joe Kubert, and his expressive talents are fully realized in
his 1970s Tarzan comics. This beautiful archive collection—with an
introduction by Kubert and color restoration based off of Tatjana Wood’s
original colors—is a must-have for fans of timeless adventure tales and
Joe Kubert’s undeniable intensity and skill. Beginning with this first
volume, Dark Horse’s hardcover series reprints Kubert’s entire Tarzan
work. Join us on these primal adventures, as Tarzan discovers the
pleasures and perils of the African wilds … and the many dangers posed by both
man and beast! Joe Kubert’s Tarzan, Volume One, reprints issues 207
through 214 of the 1970s run, featuring "Origin of the Ape Man" (a bold
adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ first Tarzan novel), "Jungle Tales of
Tarzan," and other stories inspired by Burroughs’ books—all written and
drawn by the legendary Joe Kubert!

THE CURSE OF DRACULA TPB
MARV WOLFMAN (W), GENE COLAN (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale October 12, SC, 80pg, FC, 7" x 10", $9.95

In the 1970s, writer Marv Wolfman and artist Gene Colan created seventy
issues of terrifying tales in the classic Marvel series The Tomb of
Dracula. Now, Wolfman and Colan are together again, offering a fresh take
on the most enduring character in horror fiction and catapulting the
Lord of the Dead back into comics stardom.

A mysterious and persuasive figure is moving amongst the circles of San
Francisco’s political elite. When Jonathan Van Helsing and his team of
vampire hunters come to town investigating a string of grisly murders
and stumble into a virtual pit of blood-soaked horrors, they know it’s
only a matter of time before they come face to face with the master of
the dark!

Other September offerings from Dark Horse:

AEON FLUX #2 of (4)
MIKE KENNEDY (W) and TIMOTHY GREEN II (A)
On sale September 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Family ties can prove useful, especially when Aeon Flux is pulling the
strings. Though she keeps her secret agent activity hidden from her
sister, Una Flux, Aeon is not above using her sister’s love-struck
infatuation with a government scientist to her advantage. A little
intervention and subtle matchmaking and everyone benefits, including Aeon’s eager
young protégé, Sithandra. While her drawn out acrobatic training may
seem to be a complete waste of time, there is much she can learn from
Aeon’s experience … and vice versa …

THE ART OF COMIC-BOOK INKING 2ND EDITION TPB
GARY MARTIN (W) and VARIOUS (A)
On sale October 26, SC, 192 plus 8 art boards, 8 1/2" x 11", $24.95

Gary Martin’s two volumes of The Art of Comic-Book Inking have become
the industry-standard manuals for aspiring inkers seeking to take their
work to the next level or for working professionals looking to broaden
their skills base. Now, these two textbooks have been combined into a
single value-priced volume and expanded with new material, including
three additional blue-lined art boards featuring pencil art by master
comics illustrators Jack Kirby, John Buscema, and Gil Kane. Gain insights
into the techniques, tools, and approaches of some of the finest
delineators in comics today, including Terry Austin, Mark Farmer, Scott
Williams, Alex Garner, and many more. When putting pen or brush to paper, no
tool is more helpful than The Art of Comic-Book Inking.

• Includes eight full-sized blue-lined art boards featuring pencil art
by some of the top illustrators in the comics industry, present and
past, to use for practice and/or to use as samples to show to editors and
publishers

BERSERK VOLUME 9 TPB
KENTARO MIURA (W/A)
On sale October 12, SC, 240pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $13.95

Griffith, charismatic leader of the elite mercenary Band of the Hawk,
has seen better days. His fearless champion, Guts, has left the Band,
defeating Griffith in personal combat as his ticket out. With his
judgment clouded by this unthinkable humiliation, Griffith eases his pain in
the arms of the daughter of Midland’s king. But the King doesn’t take
kindly to an employee picking the royal flowers, and the next stop for
Griffith is the dungeon and the torture rack! Without Griffith and Guts,
the Hawks become easy prey for Midland’s army, and the AWOL Guts may be
the only answer to the Hawks’—and Griffith’s—lethal problems.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #105: DUET (one-shot)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale September 14, b&w, 32pg, $2.99

The feud between the Ittö-ryü and the Mugai-ryü heats up as Anotsu
renews his quest for revenge. Still reeling from the Mugai-ryü surprise
attack that wiped out most of his troops, Anotsu rallies his surviving
followers and sets a new plan of attack in motion. Manji finally meets
with Habaki Kagamura, leader of the shadowy Mugai-ryü, and they sit down
to discuss Manji’s past, his connection to Habaki, and the kessen-chu
bloodworms that grant him immortality. Intrigue and surprises in another
tense installment from Hiroaki Samura!

B.P.R.D.: THE BLACK FLAME #2 (of 6)
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), JOHN ARCUDI (W), GUY DAVIS (P/I), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale Septmeber 28, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Abe Sapien tries to settle into a desk job as the Bureau for Paranormal
Research and Defense’s war against the frog monsters escalates. But
while Roger leads the Bureau’s military units from victory to victory, the
Nazi head of a major U.S. corporation puts his best scientists to work
harnessing the power of the frogmen, and preparing for the return of a
bizarre villain from the Bureau’s secret past—The Black Flame.

CHOSEN TPB
MARK MILLAR (W) and PETER GROSS (A)
On sale October 12, SC, 72pg, FC, 7" x 10", $9.95

Imagine you’re twelve years old and suddenly discover that you are the
returned Jesus Christ. You can turn water into wine, make the crippled
walk, and perhaps even raise the dead. What do you and your family do,
and how does it affect you knowing that you’re destined to grow up and
take part in a conflict that people have been waiting almost two
thousand years for? Chosen has been described in the British press as
Spider-Man meets The Book of Revelation. SFX magazine describes it as Harry
Potter for Christian fundamentalists.

CLASSIC COMIC BOOK CHARACTER: BONE
On sale October 12, 5" tall, fully-painted, packaged in a litho-printed
full-color tin box and included is a vintage-style pinback button, and
booklet about the character and his creator, limited to 750 pieces,
$49.95

Inspired by the "Syroco" statues of the 1940’s, Dark Horse’s series of
"Classic Comic" statues have been a huge success. Sculpted with flair
and grace at Yoe! Studios, nearly 50 statues have been produced thus
far, with many selling out.

CRAVAN HC
MIKE RICHARDSON (W) and RICK GEARY (W/A)

On sale October 26, HC, 72pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $14.95

This is a true story about the most interesting person you’ve never
heard of: Arthur Cravan, major figure in pre-WWI cutting-edge art circles,
was among the greatest mysterious figures of the Twentieth Century. A
self-confessed thief, forger, and con artist, he used a roster of
assumed names and false identities. He was known, at various times, as a
novelist, poet, painter, art critic, lecturer, publisher, and French Boxing
Champion. Always a rebellious, restless spirit, this dedicated
rule-breaker was a political radical whose friendship with Leon Trotsky earned
him the surveillance of the U.S. government—even through his
immigration to Mexico with his wife, the poet Mina Loy. In 1918, at the age of
thirty-one, the fascinating physical giant vanished without a trace,
and—despite several supposed sightings over the years—was never seen again.
Is it possible that he became the mysterious, reclusive novelist B.
Traven, who wrote The Treasure of the Sierra Madre?

CONAN #20
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (P), DAVE STEWART (C), and JOSÉ LADRONN (Cover)
On sale September 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

The critically acclaimed, best-selling Conan series begins its highly
anticipated adaptation of Robert E. Howard’s "The Tower of the
Elephant," one of the most popular Conan tales of all time.

A bar fight in the City of Thieves yields far more than expected when
Conan learns of the fabled and impregnable Tower of the Elephant.
Determined to rob it, Conan sets out on a quest that will involve new
comrades, sudden death, horrifying creatures, and gruesome unsettling fates
for both gods and men.

CONAN: THE GOD IN THE BOWL AND OTHER STORIES TPB
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (P) , THOMAS YEATES (I), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale September 28, SC, 124pg, FC, 7" x 10", $15.95

The critically acclaimed and award-winning creative team behind the
runaway hit revival are back with a brand new adaptation of one of Conan
creator Robert E. Howard’s best-known tales.

Award-winning writer Kurt Busiek and artists Cary Nord and Dave Stewart
render the glorious suspense of Howard’s beloved "The God in the Bowl"
in all its terrifying detail, as well as introducing not only Conan’s
most famed adversary, Thoth-amon, but a new female foil to Conan’s
exploits—Janissa, the Widowmaker, bound by a pact to a witch who has
sinister plans for Conan.

DAMN NATION TPB
ANDREW COSBY (W) and J. ALEXANDER (A)
On sale October 12, SC, 104pg, FC, 6" x 9", $12.95

From the creator of UPN’s Haunted and the Sci-Fi network original
series Eureka comes one of the most ambitious and horrifying tales ever
committed to the comics page!

Writer Andrew Cosby has imagined a United States shut off from the
world by concrete barricades and barbed wire—not because of what might get
in, but what might get out. A vampire plague has spread from sea to
shining sea and when a small holdout of scientists trapped outside of
Buffalo, N.Y. discover a cure, it’s up to a Special Ops team from the
President's current offices in London to go in and get it. Yet, not everyone
in the world wants to see America back in the saddle again …

DARK HORSE DELUXE STATIONERY SETS AND JOURNALS
On sale November 16

• Tara McPherson’s Lonely Heart Stationery Set, 8 letter sheets, 6
  envelopes, 5 3/4" x 8 3/4", $4.99
• Jim Flora Musick Shoppe Stationery Set, 8 letter sheets, 6 envelopes, 5
  3/4" x 8 3/4", $4.99
• Jim Flora Journal, 5 1/2 x 8 1/2" spiral bound journals, 128 pages,
  $9.99
  

FAVOLE: STONE TEARS BOOK 1 TPB
VICTORIA FRANCÉS (W/A)
On sale October 12, SC, 48pg, FC, 6 11/16" x 10 1/4", $12.95

Victoria Francés creates in her first book a gothic romantic fantasy
reminiscent of Anne Rice’s Vampire Chronicles, filled with tales of
vampires, magic, and the undying spirit of lovers which reaches across the
centuries.

Lushly illustrated, Favole: Stone Tears is the first book in an ongoing
series by an emerging new talent in the illustration field.

THE FOG TPB
SCOTT ALLIE (W) and TODD HERMAN (A)
On sale October 26, SC, 88pg, FC, 5 1/4" x 7 1/2", $6.95

This October, John Carpenter brings one of his most original nightmares
back to the big screen with a remake of The Fog, starring Smallville’s
Superboy Tom Welling. Carpenter and director Rupert Wainwright
(Stigmata) team with Dark Horse Comics to flesh out the story of doomed
travelers and the supernatural devastation of a small coastal town, in this
original graphic novel.

Scott Allie, writer of The Devil’s Footprints and Star Wars: Empire
worked with the director to craft a bizarre story about a Chinese curse
and a town plunged into a walking-dead nightmare. A group of Shanghai
traders have come to America hoping to escape a string of weird deaths at
the claws of unseen monsters. The arrival of a strange yet familiar fog
reveals that the curse has found them, but even they don’t know what
that has to do with a pyromaniac refugee from the Civil War, the
disappearance of one of their sons, or the terrible change coming over the
Americans in this small seaside town.

FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY LIBRARY I HC
FRANK MILLER (W/A/)
On sale October 26, 4 hardcovers w/slipcase, 840pg, b&w w/spot color,
9" x 12", $150.00

A collector’s dream! Sin City fans the world over are clamoring for
oversized archival editions of the legendary noir series from Frank
Miller, and Dark Horse is rising to the occasion! In the tradition of the EC
Library, these deluxe hardcovers measure 9" x 12", are printed on
high-quality paper stock, and collect each original series along with the
color series covers. The four hardcover volumes of set I are packaged in
a handsomely designed slipcase—a long-awaited addition to the
bookshelves of discriminating comics fans.

This slipcase holds volumes one through four of Sin City, the
hard-boiled stories that started it all! Never before seen at this size, the
now-infamous Marv, Dwight, Gail, Miho, Hartigan, Nancy, and the Yellow
Bastard will transport you to Sin City and show you the bloody lives they
lead … bloody by choice or by circumstance.

THE GOON: FANCY PANTS EDITION HCERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale October 12, HC, 184pg, FC, 7" x 10", $24.95

This volume collects the essential stories of the Eisner-Award winning
Goon, presenting his life in chronological order for the first
time—along with a boxcar-load of extras—all in a handsomely designed (and
handsomely priced) signed hardcover. Chronicling the histories of the Zombie
Priest, Buzzard, Labrazio, and of course, Goon and Franky, this
collection is the perfect introduction to the entire Goon mythos. Eric Powell
personally arranged the stories (spanning three publishers and nearly
ten years) so that the life of the Goon could be read as one complete
story. This hardcover is a must-have for every serious fan of the Goon,
containing a comprehensive sketchbook and a three-page,
never-before-seen Buzzard story.

THE GOON #14
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale September 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

It’s well known that a nameless man known to some as the Zombie Priest
came to the Goon’s burg to build a gang from the dead. But why? Who is
he? Where did he come from? What are the origins of his mysterious
power? Why has he set loose a plague of zombies? Could it be from emotional
problems? Was he breastfed for too long? Was he potty trained too
quickly? Would he be a nicer fella if a nice lady friend baked him a cake?
All this and more revealed in this startling tell-all issue!

HELLSING: IMPURE SOULS ANIME MANGA TPB
KOHTA HIRANO (W/A)
On sale October 26, SC, 160pg, FC, 5" x 7", $14.95

A secret war brews in the night—a war where humanity is only a pawn.
The Hellsing Organization deploys in the shadows to protect the mortal
world. But now, artificially spawned vampires have appeared, forcing
Hellsing to call in their ultimate weapon—the rogue vampire, Alucard!

We present Hellsing: Impure Souls Anime Manga, adapted from the popular
anime series, now in book form for your sustained joy and dread.

HOT STUFF KEYCHAINS
* On sale September 14, Hot Stuff "Heart" Keychain, $4.99
* On sale September 14, Hot Stuff "Mmmm!" Keychain, $4.99

Hot Stuff returns with more mischief! Imported from France and sculpted
of the highest quality by Demons and Merveilles, this Harvey Comics
character continues to bring praise from customers. Dark Horse is pleased
to offer two new Hot Stuff keychains to our line.

JACK HIGHTOWER TPB
WILL VINTON (W), ANDREW WIESE (W), and FABIO LAGUNA (A)
On sale October 12, SC, 136pg, FC, 7" x 10", $12.95

Secret agent Jack Hightower was at the height of his career when
something BIG happened. Now the world-class uber-operative and infamous
ladies man is seeing things from a whole new perspective … a very, very
different perspective, to say the least.

Tall, daring, and handsome, Jack had it all—a stellar career, beautiful
women, and more power and influence than he could shake a supermodel
at. But despite it all, Jack longed for one thing that eluded him—the
capture of his long-time archnemesis, Dr. Litigious Savant. On the fateful
night when Jack’s dream of cornering the elusive Savant is realized,
things go terribly, dreadfully wrong, and Jack gets cut down to size by
one of the doctor’s insidious inventions … the size of your average
action figure, to be exact.

JINGLE BELLE ORNAMENT
On sale November 16, 4 7/8" tall, fully painted polyresin, packaged in
full-color window box, $14.99


LITTLE LULU: LETTERS TO SANTA TPB
JOHN STANLEY (W) and IRVING TRIPP (A)
On sale October 12, SC, 200pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $9.95

For eight-year-old Lulu Moppet, nothing is impossible—even if the
results of her efforts are impossibly imperfect. Need to quell the fury of a
rambunctious two-year-old? Lulu’s got a hilarious fairy tale brewing in
her brain that'll do just the trick. Father needs his best suit taken
to the tailor? Lulu can handle it—so long as Pop doesn't mind if she
makes a few unplanned—and wholly unpredictable!—stops along the way. Have
a wayward ghost in your house who needs a new home? Lulu's your girl!

OH MY GODDESS VOLUME 1 TPB
KOSUKE FUJISHIMA (W/A)
On sale October 12, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $10.95

Alone in his dorm on a Saturday night, Nekomi Tech’s Keiichi Morisato
dials a wrong number that will change his life forever—reaching the
Goddess Technical Help Line. Granted one wish by the charming young goddess
Belldandy—a wish for anything in the world—Keiichi wishes she would
stay with him always! Complications are bound to ensue from this; the
immediate first being the new couple getting tossed out of the dorm—it’s
males only!

As the hapless student and his mysterious "foreign beauty" ride around
looking for a new place to stay—risking the different dangers of
seeking shelter with an otaku convinced Belldandy is an imaginary woman, and
a Zen priest convinced she’s a sinister witch—Keiichi’s still got his
classes on Monday morning! How is his new "exchange student" companion
going to be received on the N.I.T. campus? A little too well for normal
life to ever return …

REVELATIONS #2 (of 6)
PAUL JENKINS (W), HUMBERTO RAMOS (P/Cover), and LEONARDO OLEA (C)
On sale September 28, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Detective Charlie Northern delves deeper into the secret workings of
the Vatican as he tries to unravel the strange death of a highly
influential cardinal, only to discover that someone is trying to sabotage his
investigation. Luckily, Northern finds an ace up his sleeve—lawyer and
Vatican insider Lucille Pellicica who has taken an interest in him. Yet,
in underground catacombs, ancient rituals are being acted out, hidden
in the darkness from Northern’s prying eyes.

Don’t miss as one of the most original mysteries in comics takes shape
at the hands of fan-favorite creative team Paul Jenkins and Humberto
Ramos!

ROCCO VARGAS: WALKING WITH MONSTERS HC
DANIEL TORRES (W/A)
On sale September 7, HC, 48pg, FC, 8 3/4" x 11 3/4", $14.95

Shape-shifting robots! An interstellar conspiracy! Who can be trusted?
Rocco Vargas betrayed! In the world of the future, the solar-system’s
most renowned science-fiction writer is but the alter-ego of the
galaxy’s greatest adventurer, the suave swashbuckler Rocco Vargas. Coming to
the aid of embattled shape-changing "biomecs," Rocco finds himself at
the center of mayhem on Mars, with the fate of the mecs—and his own
freedom—hanging in the balance. Created by legendary cartoonist Daniel
Torres, Rocco Vargas is stylish, rousing graphic fiction that is sure to be
all the rage on the most exclusive space stations and off-world
colonies.

ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE ORNAMENT SET
On sale November 16, Rocky stands 3" tall, Bullwinkle is 4 7/8" tall,
fully painted polyresin, packaged in full-color window box, $19.99

RON ENGLISH’S RABBBIT SOFT VINYL FIGURE
On sale September 28, 9" tall,
soft vinyl figure, packaged in a full color window box, $17.99

SAMURAI: HEAVEN AND EARTH TPB
RON MARZ (W), LUKE ROSS (A), and JASON KEITH (C)
On sale October 26, SC, 120pg, FC, 6" x 9", $14.95

Beginning in feudal Japan of 1704, Samurai: Heaven & Earth follows
Shiro, a lone samurai warrior sworn to be reunited with the love of his
life who has been spirited away by his enemies. His pursuit of Yoshiko
will carry him farther than he could have imagined —-from his native Japan
to the sprawling empire of China, across Europe, and finally to Paris
itself. There, in the fabled halls of King Louis XIV’s Versailles, he
must cross blades with the greatest swordsmen ever known if he is to
reclaim his love.

Ron Marz and artist Luke Ross, fresh off their triumphant finale on
Green Lantern, have turned their skills to a historical epic in the
tradition of Lone Wolf and Cub and Alexandre Dumas’ The Three Musketeers.
Joined by Eisner-nominated colorist Jason Keith, they have produced a
lushly illustrated tale of devotion and high adventure.

SAMURAI EXECUTIONER VOLUME 8 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and GOSEKI KOJIMA (A)
On sale November 30, SC, 304pg, b&w, 4" x 6", $9.95

Spring is a season of rebirth, or new life springing forth, a time of
cherished blooming and delightful scents. But for Kubikira Asa, there is
no spring delight. The Edo-era samurai crime drama by Lone Wolf and Cub
creators Koike and Kojima continues down its path of heinous crime and
diligent, bloody justice.

Spring may come to the innocent, but to those condemned to lose their
heads to Asa’s sword, it will be their last.

SERENITY #3 (of 3)
JOSS WHEDON (W), BRETT MATTHEWS (W), WILL CONRAD (P), LAURA MARTIN (C),
LEINIL YU (Cover), JOSHUA MIDDLETON (Cover), and SEAN PHILLIPS (Cover)
On sale September 7, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Just looking to earn themselves a little bit of peace on the edges of
the galaxy, the crew of the ship Serenity have landed themselves in a
big, fat trap. Now, it’s up to this motley bunch of mercenaries and
fugitives to fight their way free from the grips of a nasty bunch of
covert-operatives known as the Blue Gloves. Get ready for hot action in the
cold reaches of space as Joss Whedon and Brett Matthews deliver the
brain-exploding conclusion to this comic prequel of Whedon’s Serenity
feature-film—the uber-anticipated follow-up to his cult-hit TV show Firefly.

SIN CITY PLAYING CARDS
On sale August 17, pack includes 52 plastic coated cards, plus two
jokers, $4.99

Comics legend Frank Miller lent his distinctive noir style to a deck of
cards that will prove a winner every time! The back of each card
features an illustration of Nancy in all her glory, and memorable images from
the town without pity decorate each and every card. Pack includes 52
plastic coated cards and two jokers.

STAR WARS: EMPIRE #37
"The Wrong Side of the War" part 2 (of 5)
WELLES HARTLEY (W), DAVIDÉ FABBRI (P), CHRISTIAN DALLA VECCHIA (I),
DAVIDÉ FABBRI (C), DAVID MICHAEL BECK (Cover)
On sale September 7, FC, 32pg, $2.99

In his new post as prison guard at the Imperial base on Kalist IV, Lt.
Janek Sunber is forced to weigh what he knows he should do against what
he can do when he comes up against the corrupt status quo.

But conflict with his fellow officers is just the tip of the iceberg
when it comes to challenges facing the young lieutenant. Unbeknownst to
the Empire, the Rebels have infiltrated the base!

STAR WARS: REPUBLIC #81
"The Hidden Enemy" part 1 (of 3)
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P/Cover), DAN PARSONS (I), and BRAD ANDERSON (C)
On sale September 28, FC, 32pg, $2.99

The first issue of a three-part story that begins during the events of
Revenge of the Sith, and reveals a battle that was not shown in that
film!

The Separatist attack on the Wookiee homeworld of Kashyyyyk demands a
strong response from the Republic, and Jedi Masters Luminara Unduli and
Quinlan Vos arrive with their clone armies. But there may be more
behind the Separatist attack—and more to the Wookiee’s defense—than the Jedi
know.

Old friends, new enemies, and lots of action!

STAR WARS: X-WING—ROGUE LEADER #1 (of 3)
HADEN BLACKMAN (W), TOMÁS GIORELLO (P), MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and GARY
ERSKINE (Cover)
On sale September 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

In the wake of the death of the Emperor and the destruction of the
Death Star II, a group of Rebel pilots are looking forward to some
well-deserved R & R. Instead, they run into a deadly attack by vengeful
Imperials that changes the course of all of their lives.

Rev up your engines—it’s time for the Rogue Squadron to fly again! Join
Luke Skywalker, Wedge Antilles, and the rest of the Rogues on a mission
that will define them as heroes not just of the Rebellion, but as
heroes for the whole galaxy!

SUPER MANGA BLAST! #56
MOHIRO KITOH (W/A), MAKOTO KOBAYASHI (W/A), KENICHI SONODA (W/A), and
HIROYUKI UTATANE (A) with TOSHIYA TAKEDA (W)
On sale September 28, b&w, 128pg, $5.99

Animals unbound! Makoto Kobayashi presents his first extended What’s
Michael? story line in a demented, Planet of the Apes-style send-up that
pits three astronauts against a world of fickle, feline captors! As
things get weirder in Shadow Star, a clandestine Japanese agency takes
further steps to secure control over powerful, teenage Dragon Bearers.
Androids attack in Cannon God Exaxxion! With the Exaxxion base defenses
breached, Kenichi Sonoda’s sci-fi heroes face a deadly Riofaldian
assault. Seraphic Feather’s meta-human heroes have their hands full, with
enigmatic aliens, super-powered terrorists, and a lunar shuttle that’s
falling apart around them!

USAGI YOJIMBO #87
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale September 28, FC, 32pg, $2.99

GOLD! The slaves laboring in Lord Sanada’s illegal mine—including
rabbit ronin Usagi Yojimbo and Geishu bodyguard Tomoe Ame—finally hit pay
dirt. But they are at the mercy of the vicious "blood princess" Noriko,
who has something horrible in store for them, and all of the other
slaves …

Meanwhile, the young page Motokazu arrives at the "plague-quarantined"
village. Even if he discovers Sanada’s illicit operation, what can one
child do against an army of deadly samurai? Will Geishu Lord Noriyuki
act on his misgivings before it is too late?! Find out in part five of
"The Treasure of the Mother of Mountains," the latest adventure from
world-renowned creator Stan Sakai!

WETA COLLECTIBLES: KONG
Weta Collectibles of New Zealand, a division of Weta Workshop and Dark
Horse Comics, Inc. continue Weta’s program of licensed consumer
products based on Universal Pictures’ December 14th release of King Kong.
* Kong: Jack & Denham’s Ravine Struggle statue, 11.5" long, 9.8" wide, 12.5" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $200.00
* Kong: Venatosaur Attack statue, 23.5" long, 8.5" wide, 12.5" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $200.00
* Kong: Skull Island Natives statue, 7.8" long, 8.6" wide, 11.8" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $200.00
* Kong: Venatosaur Bust, 15.5" long, 6" wide, 17" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $225.00
* Kong: Kong Skull, 6" long, 3" wide, 3.5" tall (excluding base), fully painted, limited edition, $30.00

WETA COLLECTIBLES: NARNIA
Weta Collectibles of New Zealand, a division of Weta Workshop and Dark
Horse Comics, Inc. continue Weta’s program of licensed consumer
products based on Disney's December 9th release of The Chronicles of Narnia:
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
* Narnia: White Witch’s Castle Environment statue, TBD, fully painted, limited edition, $150.00
* Narnia: General Otmin Statue, 7.5" long, 9" wide, 14" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $150.00
* Narnia: Orieus Statue, 11.5" long, 6" wide, 17" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $175.00
* Narnia: Satyr Design Maquette, 5.5" long, 7" wide, 12.5" tall, fully painted, limited edition, $150.00

YOU DESERVED IT TPB
BOB FINGERMAN (W/A)
On sale October 12, SC, 88pg, FC, 6" x 9", $9.95

Is Bob Fingerman a cynical misanthrope or a disappointed humanitarian?
Dare we suggest maybe both? In You Deserved It, the sensitive creator
of the acclaimed graphic novel Beg the Question accesses his darker
side, serving up this caustic collection of comical cautionary chronicles.
What Beg the Question was to sex and romance, You Deserved It is to
wanton violence and social wrongness.

From Otis Goes Hollywood, the epic saga of a homicidally puritanical
meat packer with dreams of making it big in Hollywood, to Missing Pieces,
a yarn about the extracurricular activities of paramedics, to Buying
Bologna, about a guy who just really, really loves his luncheon meat, to
Yiffy Situation, a fuzzy fable about fornicating Furries, You Deserved
It serves up enough yarns to make one hilariously misanthropic sweater,
all in living—and dying—color!

Pop Artifact! Major Matt Mason Space Ship Case

Vintage DC Comics house ad

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Third "Asterix" film planned

"Asterix and the Olympic Games" brings back Gerard Depardieu as Obelix and will feature Jean-Claude Van Damme as Roman athlete Cornedurus.

Here are details from the French site Allocine, translated rather amusingly using Babelfish:

Explosive casting for Astérix with the Olympic Games!

The third adapted cinematographic shutter of the famous comic strips of Albert Uderzo and Rene Goscinny will accomodate Alain Delon in the role of the Emperor Jules César.

Other taking part of size (and muscles) in the adventure: the Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, who will lend his silhouette bodybuildée to the Roman athlete Cornedurus.

The information collected by AFP this Wednesday June 8 near the editions Albert Rene. The contract to launch the project was signed by Albert Uderzo, Jerome Seydoux, owner of Pathé, and the company of production the Small Queen, directed by Thomas Langmann.

So, there you have it!

Katie Holmes as Wonder Woman

She can put up with Tom Cruise, so perhaps she has the heroic powers needed to pull off starring as the amazon princess on the big screen.

From The San Francisco Examiner:

"I was part of the majority of girls that loved ‘Wonder Woman,'" Katie told reporters. She's got some experience in reprising comic-book roles. Her latest film, "Batman Begins," in which she plays Bruce Wayne's "lady friend," opens next week.

Making of the EC Comics documentary

IGN Filmforce is featuring a production diary of Chip Selby's documentary film "Tales from the Crypt: From Comic Books to Television."

The film itself features interviews with Jack Davis, Al Williamson, Jack Kamen, Marie Severin and other EC greats. It's available here.

Papercutz plans Zorro comic, graphic novel

From the press release:

ZORRO Graphic Novel #1
Don MCGREGOR*Sidney LIMA

An epic Zorro adventure, featuring deadly battles with fierce new
foes and intense romance with a mysterious beauty, all set against
the savage landscape of the untamed wilds of the Old West. Zorro is
risking all to find safe haven for Eulalia Bandini, a woman who dared
defied the all-powerful Capitan Monasterio to save him. But no matter
how far north Zorro and Eulalia ride, Monasterio and his men are not
far behind. To complicate matters, Zorro stops to save Thierry and
Amelie Besson, a middle-aged mapmaker and his wife, from the clutches
of the cadaverous Ripklaw. But Ripklaw and his master, Lucifer Trapp,
are as relentless in their quest to kill Zorro's new friends, as
Monasterio is to capture Eulalia! Discover the shocking reason why
Trapp wants Besson dead! See the romantic tension increase between
Zorro and Eulalia when she discovers Zorro's most-guarded secret! See
Zorro battling all along the breath-taking yet deadly beauty of
Mother Nature! It all builds to a stunning climax in which Zorro
battles Ripklaw to the death on an ice bridge, while an earthquake
threatens to kill everyone! Plus: a preview of the next Zorro graphic
novel from Papercutz.

5x 7 ½", 96pp., full color graphic novel, paperback, $7.95.

Also in collector's edition hardcover: $12.95.

ZORRO #4
Don McGREGOR*Sidney LIMA
"Drownings!" Part One of Three

Perfect jumping on point for new readers with an all-new story!

Near the Yellowstone River, a young couple, Malena Fellini and Burt
Douglas, are on the run in a field of huge buffalo. A gunshot rips
the air and one of the gigantic bison they are running past spurts
blood! LOCKSPUR has taken aim, and the killing of the huge buffalo,
crashing at the young lovers' feet is only a taunting message that he
intends to take one of them alive! Meanwhile, Zorro and Eulalia
Bandini are BURIED ALIVE when they plunge into an icy chasm that
threatens to become their glacial coffin! It's non-stop action,
featuring one of the greatest heroes of all-time, in a special low-
priced issue! Be sure to have enough in stock for when "The Legend of
Zorro," starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones is
released!

Monthly comic book, 24 pp., full color, ONLY 99 CENTS.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

"Sopranos" not winding up?

According to E!:

Despite creator David Chase's claims that the upcoming sixth season of the show would be the last for his gang of merry mobsters, the Sopranos mastermind appears to have left the door open for a possible seventh season.

More Sopranos.

New "Bewitched" pics posted

Latino Review has a whole bunch of shots from the upcoming film.

Classics Illustrated "War of the Worlds" reprint planned

According to ICv2:

Jack Lake Productions, a Canadian publisher, is publishing a special 50th Anniversary Edition of Classics Illustrated #124 War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells. The 48-page full color book has been painstakingly recreated to do full justice to Lou Cameron's excellent artwork, which made this comic, first published in 1955, one of the favorites of the entire series.

A hardcover edition of the book will be available for $14.99 ($19.99 CDN), and a soft cover version will sell for $9.99 ($12.99 CDN).

"Emergency!," "Adam-12" DVD art revealed

The first seasons of each show are out Aug. 23.

Rhino boxes up the 90s

It's never too early to get nostalgic, I guess. Here's the track list for Rhino Records Whatever: The '90s Pop Culture Box, out July 26.

Disc one:
"U Can't Touch This," M.C. Hammer
"Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinead O'Connor
"No Myth," Michael Penn
"Ladies First," Queen Latifah featuring Monie Love
"Ball and Chain," Social Distortion
"Birdhouse in Your Soul," They Might Be Giants
"Chloe Dancer/Crown of Thorns," Mother Love Bone
"Here's Where the Story Ends," the Sundays
"Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)," C & C Music Factory
"Groove Is in the Heart," Deee-Lite
"Right Here, Right Now," Jesus Jones
"New Jack Hustler (Nino's Theme)," Ice-T
"I Touch Myself," Divinyls
"Unbelievable," EMF
"Hard To Handle," the Black Crowes
"O.P.P.," Naughty By Nature
"Walking in Memphis," Marc Cohn
"It's So Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday," Boyz II Men

Disc two:
"Silent Lucidity," Queensryche
"Into the Drink," Mudhoney
"Girlfriend," Matthew Sweet
"I'm Too Sexy," Right Said Fred (R*S*F*)
"Calling All Angels," Jane Siberry with k.d. lang
"Only Shallow," My Bloody Valentine
"It's a Shame About Ray," the Lemonheads
"Baby Got Back," Sir Mix-A-Lot
"They Want EFX," DAS EFX
"Jump," Kris Kross
"Walk," Pantera
"N.W.O.," Ministry
"S***list," L7
"Absynthe," the Gits
"Coattail Rider," Supersuckers
"Runaway Train," Soul Asylum
"Little Miss Can't Be Wrong," Spin Doctors
"Dizz Knee Land," dada
"Nearly Lost You," Screaming Trees

Disc three:
"Under the Bridge," Red Hot Chili Peppers
"Unsung," Helmet
"Jump Around," House Of Pain
"Free Your Mind," En Vogue
"Rump Shaker," Wreckx-N-Effect
"Informer," Snow
"Connected," Stereo MC's
"Detachable Penis," King Missile
"Freak Me," Silk
"Ordinary World," Duran Duran
"If I Can't Change Your Mind," Sugar
"Three Little Pigs," Green Jelly
"Start Choppin," Dinosaur Jr
"The Devil's Chasing Me," the Reverend Horton Heat
"Gone to the Moon," Fastbacks
"My Name Is Mud," Primus
"What's Up," 4 Non Blondes

Disc four:
"Thunder Kiss '65," White Zombie
"Whoomp! (There It Is)," Tag Team
"Broken Hearted Savior," Big Head Todd and the Monsters
"Trust Me," Guru with N'Dea Davenport
"Here Comes," Velocity Girl
"Gepetto," Belly
"Eye to Eye," the Muffs
"Gentlemen," Afghan Whigs
"Leafy Incline," Tad
"Dream All Day," the Posies
"Hey Jealousy," Gin Blossoms
"My Sister," the Juliana Hatfield Three
"Whatta Man," Salt-N-Pepa
"Back & Forth," Aaliyah
"If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)," Me'Shell NdegéOcello
"Freedom of '76," Ween
"Cut Your Hair," Pavement
"God," Tori Amos
"MMM MMM MMM MMM," Crash Test Dummies
"Possession," Sarah McLachlan

Disc five:
"Shine," Collective Soul
"Far Behind," Candlebox
"You Gotta Be," Des'ree
"Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon," Urge Overkill
"She Don't Use Jelly," the Flaming Lips
"m.i.a.," 7 Year Bitch
"21st Century (Digital Boy)," Bad Religion
"Sugar Free Jazz," Soul Coughing
"Mockingbirds," Grant Lee Buffalo
"What's the Frequency, Kenneth?," R.E.M.
"Revolve," Melvins
"Buddy Holly," Weezer
"Here and Now," Letters To Cleo
"Good," Better Than Ezra
"Run-Around," Blues Traveler
"I'll Be There for You (Theme From "Friends")," the Rembrandts
"Tomorrow," Silverchair
"Not a Pretty Girl," Ani DiFranco
"Carnival," Natalie Merchant

Disc six:
"Wonderwall," Oasis
"Birthday Cake," Cibo Matto
"Cumbersome," Seven Mary Three
"One of Us," Joan Osborne
"Caught by the Fuzz," Supergrass
"Sweet 69," Babes In Toyland
"Breakfast at Tiffany's," Deep Blue Something
"Photograph," the Verve Pipe
"In the Meantime," Spacehog
"Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check," Busta Rhymes featuring Rampage The Last Boy Scout
"Who Will Save Your Soul," Jewel
"Standing Outside a Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand," Primitive Radio Gods
"Cybele's Reverie," Stereolab
"Capri Pants," Bikini Kill
"What I Got," Sublime
"Kung Fu," Ash
"Virtual Insanity," Jamiroquai
"Naked Eye," Luscious Jackson
"Outtasite (Outta Mind)," Wilco

Disc seven:
"itszoweezee (hot)," De La Soul
"LoveFool," the Cardigans
"Radiation Vibe," Fountains Of Wayne
"The Impression That I Get," the Mighty Mighty Bosstones
"Turn It On," Sleater-Kinney
"Bitch," Meredith Brooks
"MMMBop," Hanson
"Brian Wilson" (live), Barenaked Ladies
"Brick," Ben Folds Five
"Sex and Candy," Marcy Playground
"Walking on the Sun," Smash Mouth
"Tubthumping," Chumbawamba
"6 Underground," Sneaker Pimps
"Lullaby," Shawn Mullins
"Slide," Goo Goo Dolls
"Kiss Me," Sixpence None The Richer
"Steal My Sunshine," LEN
"What It's Like," Everlast
"Natural Blues," Moby

According to Billboard:

The box -- which will be adorned with a bag of coffee beans and a thermal wrap sporting faux corporate logos -- will include an 84-page book with 1990s timeline, track-by-track commentary and photographs to put the music in context. Music critics Jim DeRogatis and Joel Stein contribute essays to the book, which also includes an interview with Sub Pop president/co-founder Jonathan Poneman.

Pop Artifacts! Batman and Superman club buttons

Vintage DC Comics house ad

And now this special message...

New CD releases of note

June 7
Herb Alpert & Tijuana Brass Going Places, SRO and What Now My Love
The Decemberists The Tain EP
Graham Parker Songs of No Consequence
Ringo Starr Choose Love
White Stripes Get Behind Me Satan
DVD Marc Bolan and T. Rex Born to Boogie


June 14

The 101'ers (Joe Strummer's pre-Clash band) Elgin Avenue Breakdown (Revisited)
Ry Cooder Chavez Ravine
Miles Davis 'Round About Midnight: Legacy Edition
Ian Dury New Boots & Panties
Brian Eno Another Day on Earth
The Everly Brothers Too Good to Be True: 18 Unreleased 1950s Sessions
Connie Francis Gold
Stevie Wonder A Time 2 Love
OST Batman Begins
OST Bewitched
DVD Paul McCartney in Red Square

DC's "Justice" previewed

Newsarama has a 12-page preview of August's "Justice" JLA mini-series by writer Jim Krueger, penciler Doug Braithwaite and painter (working over Braithwaite's pencils) Alex Ross.

Today's DVD new releases

June 7


Be Cool


Beyond the Sea

Dragnet '67 Complete First Season


Frasier Complete Fifth Season


Lois & Clark Complete First Season


MacGyver Complete Second Season


The Naked Truth


The Sopranos Complete Fifth Season

What's New Pussycat?


Wonder Woman Complete Third Season

More Disney-based comic books

Gemstone is doing a grand job reprinting classic and more-recent Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse comics, but now it looks like there'll be another player in the mix.

According to ICv2, SLG Publishing has been awarded a license to produce comics based on Disney attractions/films such as "The Haunted Mansion," "Gargoyles" and "Wonderland."

Haunted Mansion, which is due out in the fall, will be the first of the new SLG/Disney comics. The bi-monthly black-and-white comic anthology will feature stories about the various characters from the Haunted Mansion thrill rides at Disneyland and Disney World and will have a cover price of $2.95.

The SLG Gargoyles comic series will feature contributions from the creators of the 36-episode Gargoyles animated series, who came to Disney with the idea of creating a Gargoyles comic book and were referred to SLG. The bi-monthly Gargoyles comic series will launch in December or January as a full color comic with a 3.50 cover price.

The Wonderland comic book will take place after the events created by Lewis Carroll in his immortal Alice in Wonderland children's classic and will feature the colorful, sumptuous and smooth renderings of the characters used in the Disney animated Alice in Wonderland feature film from 1951. The full color Wonderland comic should debut in the spring of 2006.

SLG's full color Tron comic series, which is based on the Tron feature film from 1982, is also due out in the spring of 2006 and will follow the further adventures of a game designer who is sucked into a giant mainframe computer and has to navigate through the strange digital world.

All the titles will be collected into graphic novel compilations for sale in book stores and at Disney's theme parks.

Early "Batman Begins" review

From the Arizona Reporter:

..."Batman Begins" offers everything its targed audience of young men could want: explosions, car chases, gas attacks, a James Bond-like weapon that current managers of the axis of evil would like to get their hands on, a masked man who could swing across buildings like Spiderman and yet unlike Superman, threatened only by kryptonite, a mortal fellow counting on his bat suit to ward off his enemies' bullets.

...With editor Lee Smith's sharp cuts during the fight scenes (a technique we've seen too often in martial arts films); Wally Pfister's lensing to give Gotham the needed noir ambience; and James Newton Howard and Hans Zimmer's loud and sometimes intrusive music, "Batman Begins," which was filmed in Iceland, England and Chicago, stands up ahead of its predecessors by subordinating campiness and production design to an exploration of the mind of the titled figure.

...The movie does take itself too seriously, yielding only four of five laughs, the best one being when Wayne, inviting good cop Lt. Gordon to take over the controls of the batmobile, asks: "Can you drive a stick?"

More news on early reviews.

More Batman.

More Corgi Bat-vehicles

Corgi's line of Batman-inspired vehicles continues. Dropping by the company's official Web site, I saw that there's a new Catwoman car coming out in October.

There are also fresh pictures of the Two-Face car, out in August, and the Batsubmersible, out in October. Previously, only artist-conception paintings of those vehicles were posted.

You can order the vehicles direct via Corgi or elsewhere on the Web.







More on Corgi Batmobiles.

Pop Artifact! Sea Devils toy

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Vintage house ad

Fisher-Price to do "Krypto" toys

Warner Bros. Consumer Products named Fisher-Price the master toy licensee for Warner Bros. Animation's newest animated television series, Krypto the Superdog. Fisher-Price will manufacture, market and sell an all-inclusive line of pre-school toys featuring the daring canine and his pack of crime-fighting comrades.

Fisher-Price's new toy line-up will feature a broad range of toys for three to six-year-olds, including action figures, play sets, plush, vehicles, learning toys, and more. Mattel, the parent company to Fisher-Price, will also launch games and puzzles based on Krypto, as well as his cool gadgets and friends. The initial product line will launch at a major retailer this fall.

Eisner documentary to debut

A three-part documentary on late cartoonist Will Eisner, creator of the "The Spirit" and an early innovator of the graphic novel, will debut at this July's Comic Con International in San Diego.

From Scoop:

Will Eisner Profession Cartoonist by Brazilian filmmaker Marisa Furtado, has been aired on cable TV in 36 countries, including France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Belgium, Poland and Brazil. But, ironically, it has never been shown in America, even though the bulk of the film is in English and the remainder has been newly-dubbed in English.

...The documentary consists of 3 episodes, each fifty minutes in length:

Part 1: “The Spirit” focuses on Eisner's most famous character, created in1940 and syndicated as a comic book insert in newspapers until 1952. His masked detective has subsequently been published around the world, almost continuously, for over fifty years.

Part 2: “The Dream.” Eisner had a “dream” early in his career of being recognized as an Artist through the comics media. Such a notion was considered foolhardy in the 1930s, but his ongoing achievements were instrumental in the wide respect the genre enjoys today. Eisner established much of the medium's storytelling cornerstones. He also pioneered educational comics in the military, the corporate world and in schools. And after having contacted the underground cartoonists, in 1978 he created the modern graphic novel, (“ Contract with God”) which revolutionized the field.

Part 3: “Master Class.” The final segment is based on Will Eisner's instructional books, “Comics and Sequential Art” and “Graphic Storytelling.” The artist is shown talking about techniques related to sequential art, scripts, storyboards, much with Eisner's live demonstrations at his drawing board.

You can see some clips from the film here:

http://www.prodigital.tv

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DC Comics "Essentials"

This is grand news: DC Comics will finally doing big, thick, black-and-white reprints ala the Marvel Comics Essentials series.

Sure, the collector in me prefers the hardcover, full-color DC Archives reprints, but the reader in me is very excited about this announcement. It's a way to quickly, and inexpensively, make available lots of comics we might not see Archived for years. And, much as I like to think the opposite, I'm not gonna live forever.

Plus, the highlight of my childhood comics reading career was delving into those great Superman and Batman "From the 30s to the 70s" books, most of which were in black and white. I don't mind missing out on the color, or even reading the stuff on newsprint (which these new DC books will be on) if it gives me the chance to actually see the stuff.

The DC Showcase books start off with Silver Age reprints of Superman and the Green Lantern and who know what we'll see down the road. There's a lot of stuff I'd like to see that isn't a likely candidate for near-future Archiving: those crazy Batman in space stories, Captain Marvel comics from the mid to late 40s (the Archives are still doing the early issues), Brave and Bold comics from the 70s, reprints from DC's sci-fi, romance and humor lines...

Anyway, here's what DC officially has to say about the project.