Corgi plans metal Marvel figures

From the press release:

Corgi USA, the leading brand in the die-cast scale model collectible market, has acquired a license from Marvel Entertainment, Inc. to produce limited quantity, high end metal figurines of some of the hottest characters in the comic book world.

Initial products in the Marvel line, to be introduced at the American International Toy Fair in February, 2006, will include Spider-Man, Captain America, Hulk and Thor, as well as other heroes and villains made famous in Marvel comics.

Unlike the resin-only figures of these characters currently on the market, Corgi's 1/12th scale (approx. 6 in.) metal figures will be designed to stand the test of time. Produced in very limited quantities, these highly detailed metal miniatures will encourage consumers to collect the complete line.

Each Marvel character will be sculpted in 3D. Alter ego figures and adversarial characters will allow collectors to build a comprehensive collection.


See the Best Marvel Comics Sites on the Web.

Quick hits

Comics Continuum has some details on the "Justice League Unlimited" version of Supergirl.

The Bob Dylan documentary, "No Direction Home," is possibly Martin Scorsese's most current film and, possibly "the best film about anybody," critics say. The film is available on DVD and airs in two parts on PBS tonight and tomorrow evening.

Donate $100 to Hurricane Katrina relief, get a phone call from Brian Wilson.

Dial B for Blog celebrates Hour Man.

Electric Tiki's "Flash Gordon" statue

Nice lookin'.

From the press release:

Electric Tiki Presents the 3rd statue in its Classic Heroes Collection, the Interplanetary Space Adventurer, Flash Gordon. Throughout many years since his creation by the Legendary artist Alex Raymond, loyal fans have explored the stars with him and few comics have captured readers' imaginations like Flash Gordon, who helped set the standard for science fiction adventure. An all-american athlete, kidnapped from Earth and thrust into the middle of a raging war on the distant planet Mongo, where he battled wits with Ming the Merciless, self-proclaimed emperor of the universe.

At app. 12" tall here we have Flash in all his glory, eyes looking towards outer space, poised and ready with his laser gun. He is standing on asteroids which surround the planet Mongo. Authentically detailed and a must for all Flash Gordon fans young and old. Includes Certificate of Authenticity and comes in a special decorated collector box!

Designed and sculpted by Ruben Procopio. Strictly limited to 500 statues. SRP $150.


Top film scores of all time

The American Film Institute has done another of its polls, this one listing its choices for 25 best film score ever.

Here's the rundown:

1 STAR WARS EPISODE IV: A NEW HOPE 1977 John Williams
2 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939 Max Steiner
3 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962 Maurice Jarre
4 PSYCHO 1960 Bernard Herrmann
5 GODFATHER, THE 1972 Nino Rota
6 JAWS 1975 John Williams
7 LAURA 1944 David Raksin
8 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN 1960 Elmer Bernstein
9 CHINATOWN 1974 Jerry Goldsmith
10 HIGH NOON 1952 Dimitri Tiomkin
11 THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD 1938 Erich Wolfgang Korngold
12 VERTIGO 1958 Bernard Herrmann
13 KING KONG 1933 Max Steiner
14 E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL 1982 John Williams
15 OUT OF AFRICA 1985 John Barry
16 SUNSET BLVD. 1950 Franz Waxman
17 TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962 Elmer Bernstein
18 PLANET OF THE APES 1968 Jerry Goldsmith
19 A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE 1951 Alex North
20 THE PINK PANTHER 1964 Henry Mancini
21 BEN-HUR 1959 Miklos Rozsa
22 ON THE WATERFRONT 1954 Leonard Bernstein
23 THE MISSION 1986 Ennio Morricone
24 ON GOLDEN POND 1981 Dave Grusin
25 HOW THE WEST WAS WON 1962 Alfred Newman

I would've put "Vertigo" at number one, personally.

Pop Artifact! G.I. Joe space capsule


Vintage DC Comics house ad!

Details on "Concert for Bangladesh" DVD

The George Harrison-organized 1971 benefit concert comes out Oct. 26 on a remastered, expanded DVD and CD set, both from Rhino Records.

Along with Harrison, the show featured appearances by Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar, Billy Preston, Badfinger and Leon Russell.

According to Billboard:

Rhino's DVD restores the original 99-minute movie in 5.1 sound and tacks on a wealth of extras, including a rehearsal performance of "If Not for You" with Harrison and Dylan and a soundcheck take on "Come on in My Kitchen" with Harrison, Clapton and Russell, plus Dylan performing "Love Minus Zero/No Limit," an outtake from the theatrical release.

The DVD will also include a 45-minute documentary, "The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited 2005," which features interviews with Bob Geldof and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.


Also, Rhino is releasing a deluxe edition of the CD that will include a reproduction of Harrison's handwritten lyrics for "Bangla Desh," a postcard set, sticker and a print of the original show poster.

Here's the track list for both DVD and CD:

"Bangla Dhun"
"Wah-Wah"
"My Sweet Lord"
"Awaiting on You All"
"That's the Way God Planned It"
"It Don't Come Easy"
"Beware of Darkness"
Band Introduction
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
"Jumpin' Jack Flash"
"Youngblood"
"Here Comes the Sun"
"A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
"It Takes a Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train To Cry"
"Blowin' in the Wind"
"Just Like a Woman"
"Something"
"Bangla Desh"

Quick hits

A batch of musicians are getting together to cover the Buzzcocks' "Ever Fallen in Love," one of John Peel's favorite tunes as a tribute to the late DJ. Participating: Pete Shelley, Robert Plant, Roger Daltrey, David Gilmour, Peter Hook from New Order and Jeff Beck along with the Futureheads, El Presidente and the Datsuns. Should make for an interesting racket.

The Disney adaptation of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" is set to premiere in London.

The first Asterix book in four years is out Oct. 14.

A look at Neil Gaimin's new book.

Director Joss Whedon may squeeze in another film, a thriller titled "Goner," between "Serenity" and his take on "Wonder Woman".

Online promotion is underway for "Southland Tales," a sci-fi flick starring Sarah Michelle Gellar. A series of graphic novels tying into the film is also planned.

Mile High Comics has previews of DC's ABC A To Z: Tom Strong and Jack B Quick, Batman: Journey Into Knight #2, Jack Cross #2, Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere #4, Silent Dragon #3 and Vigilante #1 and Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man #524, Black Widow 2 #1, Cable/Deadpool #20, Daredevil #77, Defenders #3, Drax The Destroyer #1, Hulk: Destruction #3, New Warriors #4, Sentry #1 and Wolverine #33.

Via the Comics Reporter: This is the closest thing to an interview with "Calvin and Hobbes" creator Bill Watterson as you're likely to ever see. On the same front, Mark Evanier discusses one strip that was altered for the new "Complete Calvin and Hobbes" collection.

Dial B Blog proves you can't go wrong with evil twins.

Review: "Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 1"



The Fortress of Solitude! The Bottle City of Kandor! Super scavenger hunts and weird transformations! New super powers in every panel! Kryptonite of every hue everywhere!

All stuff you don't see in Superman comics anymore, but which you saw all the time back in the late 1950s when the tales in "Superman: Man of Tomorrow Archives Vol. 1" first appeared.

Barrel-chested, spit-curled and flying through the eternally pale blue skies of Metropolis, this is Superman at his most iconic--the incarnation many of us grew up with.

The character had been around 20 years already, but in many ways the legend begins here.

Starting with Action Comics 241, June 1958, Superman takes leave of any reality we might recognize and becomes enveloped in one that's uniquely his own--a Superverse.

This Superman rarely flies around catching bankrobbers and rescuing people from floods and earthquakes as he did back in the more "realistic" 40s. He deals with situations that could arise only in his own fictional world. The tales all hinge on aspects of this new reality--the antics of members of his supporting cast, including Lois Lane, Jimmie Olsen and Perry White; the wild surroundings of his arctic refuge, the Fortress of Solitude; adventures in Kandor, the shrunken city from native planet, kept in a bottle on his trophy shelf.



The first story reprinted here features Batman, who as a birthday present to Superman acts as an anonymous enemy, leaving messages in the Fortress of Solitude that threaten to expose Superman as Clark Kent. The idea is Superman will take pleasure in detecting who is to blame. An odd choice of gift!

In other stories, Jimmie Olsen dreams what might happen if Superman were president; the Man of Steel is transformed into a lion; aliens force him to live underwater; a criminal creates a city modeled after one on Krypton. And it gets weirder and weirder from there until all the causes and effects of this universe become completely self referential.



The Superverse has its own logic, which has nothing to do with the reality we inhabit. But once you get familiar with this weird world's dynamics it's fun to see and guess how the stories will play out. No doubt this is what made them such fun for children back in the 50s. Knowing the ins and outs of how things worked in Superman's world likely gave kids a feeling of mastery and power they couldn't experience in real life. They became young scholars of a new, emerging folklore.

It's said Mort Weisinger, editor of DC Comics' Superman titles, brainstormed all this stuff--the Fortress, Kandor, Superman robots, Brainiac, etc.--to tweak comic book sales following the end of the George Reeves' "Adventures of Superman" TV series. In the absence of regular promotion on television, the comics needed something "more" to give them a boost. Hence gimmick after gimmick. Not that it wasn't all a lot of fun.

But to give Weisinger sole credit--or even the majority of it--is unfair. Any number of books and articles on comic book history portray the editor as an ogre--a miserable guy to work for who consistently claimed credit for other people's ideas. Real credit should go to the writers of these tales, especially Otto Binder, who wrote most of the scripts in this Archive.

Before coming to DC, Binder was the most prolific of Fawcett's "Captain Marvel" writers. And the Superman stories reprinted here share much of the same whimsy and imagination displayed in Binder's "Marvel" tales. Without his contribution, the Silver Age Superman would have been considerably different.

Other creators featured on these Archive stories include scripter Jerry Coleman and a quartet of classic Superman artists: Wayne Boring, Al Plastino, Kurt Schaffenberger and (mainly on covers at this point in his career) Curt Swan. And while the book's index miscredits the story to Wayne Boring, "The Girl of Steel," from Superman #123, was drawn by Dick Sprang.

It all adds up to a lot of strange, strange fun and a reminder of the wild, imaginative potential of comics. For newcomers, nostalgic oldtimers or young readers, a trip to the Superverse is a uniquely entertaining experience.

A consumer note: The stories in this Archive (from Action Comics #241-247 and Superman #122-126) will all be included in the black-and-white collection "DC Showcase Presents Superman Vol. 1" out next week, which also includes Action #248-257 and Superman #127-133). While that collection lacks color, it'll be considerably cheaper and thicker.

Gretchen Mol as "The Notorious Bettie Page"

Here are some stills from the upcoming indie docu-drama about the 1950s pin-up queen.





Pop Artifact! G.I. Joe Adventure Team vehicle



Vintage DC Comics house ad!

Quick hits

MTV has info about an "Aeon Flux" comic.

Here's a teaser for the upcoming "Batman Vs. Dracula" straight-to-DVD film.

Here's Chris Ware's first cartoon for The New York Times Magazine.

The FBI reportedly thought John Lennon was too stoned to pose a security threat when it spied on him back in the early 70s.

"Lost" clues, season 2, episode 1

Offical recap from ABC:

Man of Science, Man of Faith
Air Date: 09/21/2005
Against Jack's better wishes, Locke and Kate rush to venture into the hatch. Jack follows to find no sign of Kate and Locke being held at gunpoint by a man whom he recognizes from his past.

In flashback, we see how Jack miraculously saved a woman named Sarah - the same Sarah he ends up marrying - and get a better understanding of his journey from man of science to man of faith.

Meanwhile, back on the island, while searching for Vincent, Shannon has an eerie encounter with Walt - who was last seen being taken by the Others out on the open ocean.


Things noticed--with added speculation!

Man, that was a pretty cool opener. We know a little bit more. But as usual, more questions have surfaced. Like: Who's that dude down in the Hatch? Why is he there? What's his connection with Jack? Why does he still listen to LPs?

A few observations on the season 2 opener culled from message boards and elsewhere:

--The SUV driver killed in the crash that injured Jack's future wife, Sara, was named "Adam Rutherford"--the same last name as Boone and Shannon. In season 1, there's a mention that their father had died, leaving their mother all his money.

--The man in the Hatch was seen getting up from a bunkbed. Are there, were there, more people down there?

--In their flashback, the Hatch man introduces himself to Jack as "Desmond."

--Desmond is very friendly and supportive when Jack explains his sadness over Sara's likely paralysis. Later, Sara miraculously regains feeling in her legs--much as Locke, after the crash, regains his ability to walk. Is Desmond somehow responsible for this healing effect?

--Is there any significance to the water Desmond shared with Jack?

--As Jack and Desmond part, Desmond says "See you again in another life, brother."

--Freeze-framed, the label on the drug Desmond administers to himself at the beginning of the episode reads:
CR 4-81516-23 42
FOR INJECTION
RX-1

The numbers, of course, are the same ones that keep popping up throughout the series.
Here's a shot:


--Some details about the painting Jack sees inside the hatch.
Here's a couple shots lifted from http://www.thetailsection.com/:

Note: 108 is the sum of the mysterious numbers: 4+8+15+16+23+42.

A reference to the sickness Danielle mentions in season 1?

--More numbers:
The last number Desmond turns the safe combination to is 42.
The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at 8:15AM.
It looks like Desmond typed in 4 8 15 16 23 and 42 and then hits the EXECUTE button on the keyboard right after he wakes up.
When Desmond gets on the bike, he cycles up to 16 mph.


--Here's a pic (also from http://www.thetailsection.com/) of the symbol shown on Desmond's medicine cabinet:


--The "quarantine" warning is on the inside of the Hatch door, leading one to believe the island itself, not the interior of the hatch, is what's under quarantine.

--"Make Your Own Kind of Music" was recorded by Mama Cass. Check out the lyrics here.

--There's some sort of large magnet in the Hatch that pulls at the key tied around Jack's neck. Did this magnet pull down the plane? Is it what caused the compass in season 1 to go wonky?

--Supposedly if you play Walt's whispering to Shannon backwards, he says "Dont push the button, the button is bad" or something having to do a with a "button."

--Given Walt's weird ties to animals shown last season, its seems he somehow used the dog, Vincent, to send a message to Shannon.

--Yahoo! has some clips from last night's episode.

--Just a hunch, but it seems like Jack's mysterious tattoo might figure into all this weirdness somehow.

--New theory: What if there never was a plane crash? The folks on the island were made to believe so, but are there for a completely different reason? The memories in their flashbacks were somehow implanted or imagined?

SPOILER WARNING!

Go to http://www.oceanicflight815.com/, look for the little bar code graphic at the bottom of the page and type in "theislandiswaiting."

Pop Artifact! G.I. Sea Wolf submarine





Vintage DC Comics house ad!

Girl group greats boxed up by Rhino

Along with "Children of Nuggets," Rhino has another promising set coming out soon (Oct. 4).

"One Kiss Can Lead To Another: Girl Group Sounds Lost & Found" is a four-disk set that includes the obvious, the rare and the sublime.

The writeup:

Rhino is pleased to present the first-ever boxed set to celebrate the girl groups of the 1960s. From soul and garage to Brill Building pop and countrypolitan, every possible girl group style is represented on these four discs, which gather 120 remastered tracks from 107 artists—The Supremes, The Ronettes, Dusty Springfield, Carole King, Petula Clark, plus a slew of artists less known but every bit as vital. Landmark packaging replicates a mod-style hat box and includes a diary-style booklet with essays, rare photos, track notes, and artist quotes.

And the tracks:

NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK - The Velvelettes

HE'S GOT THE POWER - The Exciters

NOBODY KNOWS WHAT'S GOIN' ON (IN MY MIND BUT ME) - The Chiffons

I'D MUCH RATHER BE WITH THE GIRLS - Donna Lynn

KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY BABY - Little Eva

NOTHING BUT A HEARTACHE - The Flirtations

YOU DON'T KNOW - Ellie Greenwich

BOYS - The Shirelles

BIG BAD WORLD - Cathy Saint

OUT IN THE STREETS - The Shangri-Las

IS IT TRUE - Brenda Lee

PLEASE DON'T WAKE ME - The Cinderellas

I'LL KEEP HOLDING ON - The Marvelettes

OH NO NOT MY BABY - Maxine Brown

MAY MY HEART BE CAST INTO STONE - The Toys

MAGIC GARDEN - Dusty Springfield

I NEVER DREAMED - The Cookies

HE'S A BAD BOY - Carole King

HAPPY, THAT'S ME - Little Frankie

DREAM BOY - Jackie DeShannon

TRY THE WORRYIN' WAY - The Fabulettes

I CAN'T LET GO - Evie Sands

GO NOW - Bessie Banks

YOU'RE NO GOOD - Dee Dee Warwick

OPPORTUNITY - The Jewels

LIFE AND SOUL OF THE PARTY - Mally Page

BREAK-A-WAY - Irma Thomas

WHAT AM I GONNA DO WITH YOU - Lesley Gore

HE DID IT - The Ronettes

BABY THAT'S ME - The Cake

I ADORE HIM - The Angels

THE TRAIN FROM KANSAS CITY - The Shangri-Las

PLEASE GO AWAY - The Shirelles

LET ME GET CLOSE TO YOU - Skeeter Davis

I HAVE A BOYFRIEND - The Chiffons

I'M INTO SOMETHIN' GOOD - Earl-Jean

I'LL COME RUNNING - Lulu

IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT (LET ME KNOW) - Roddie Joy

WHEN THE LOVELIGHT STARTS SHINING THROUGH HIS EYES - The Supremes

IT COMES AND GOES - Sadina

BABY, BABY (I STILL LOVE YOU) - The Cinderellas

GIRL DON'T COME - Sandie Shaw

THAT'S WHEN THE TEARS START - The Blossoms

WHAT A LONELY WAY TO START THE SUMMERTIME - The Bitter Sweets

DON'T DROP OUT - Dolly Parton

THE ONE YOU CAN'T HAVE - The Honeys

I'M NOBODY'S BABY NOW - Reparata & The Delrons

YOU'RE SO FINE - Dorothy Berry

WHEN YOU'RE YOUNG AND IN LOVE - Ruby & The Romantics

MY ONE AND ONLY, JIMMY BOY - The Girlfriends

A FRIEND OF MINE - The Geminis

CHICO'S GIRL - The Girls

CAUSE I LOVE HIM - Alder Ray

BYE BYE BABY - Mary Wells

THE FIRST CUT IS THE DEEPEST - P.P. Arnold

I WON'T TELL - Tracey Dey

EGYPTIAN SHUMBA - The Tammys

I SOLD MY HEART TO THE JUNKMAN - The Starlets

WALKING IN DIFFERENT CIRCLES - Goldie & The Gingerbreads

THE HIDEAWAY - The Young Generation

THE TROUBLE WITH BOYS - Little Eva

LOOKIN' FOR BOYS - The Pin-Ups

DREAM BABY - Cher

CONDITION RED - The Goodees

SHOULD I CRY (Alternate Take) - Jackie DeShannon

I'M BLUE (THE GONG-GONG SONG) - The Ikettes

I'VE BEEN WRONG BEFORE - Cilla Black

LOVE'S GONE BAD - Chris Clark

NIGHTMARE - The Whyte Boots

SHE DON'T DESERVE YOU - The Honey Bees

WILL YOU BE MY LOVE - The Four J's

TAKE ME FOR A LITTLE WHILE - Evie Sands

FUNNEL OF LOVE - Wanda Jackson

I'M GONNA DESTROY THAT BOY - The What Four

TERRY - Twinkle

UNTRUE UNFAITHFUL (THAT WAS YOU) - Nita Rossi

SOPHISTICATED BOOM BOOM - The Goodies

SATURDAY NIGHT DIDN'T HAPPEN - Reparata & The Delrons

DON'T EVER LEAVE ME - Connie Francis

DON'T FORGET ABOUT ME - Barbara Lewis

WANNA MAKE HIM MINE - The Emeralds

ONLY TO OTHER PEOPLE - The Cookies

BIG-TOWN BOY - Shirley Matthews

DADDY YOU GOTTA LET HIM IN - The Satisfactions

AFTER LAST NIGHT - The Rev-Lons

HOW CAN I TELL MY MOM & DAD - The Lovelites

TOO HURT TO CRY, TOO MUCH IN LOVE TO SAY GOODBYE - The Darnells

UP DOWN SUE - Luv'd Ones

WHEN I THINK OF YOU - Twiggy

GOOD, GOOD LOVIN' - The Blossoms

WHEN THE BOY'S HAPPY (THE GIRL'S HAPPY TOO) - The Four Pennies

DON'T DRAG NO MORE - Susan Lynne

I'M AFRAID THEY'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT ME - Dawn

THAT'S HOW IT GOES - The Breakaways

SOME OF YOUR LOVIN' - The Honey Bees

PEANUT DUCK - Marsha Gee

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE RAIN - Peanut

STEADY BOYFRIEND - April Young

HE WAS REALLY SAYIN' SOMETHIN' - The Velvelettes

I KNOW YOU LOVE ME NOT - Julie Driscoll

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO OUR LOVE - Maxine Brown

HEART - Petula Clark

I CAN'T GIVE BACK THE LOVE I FEEL FOR YOU - Syreeta Wright

HE MAKES ME SO MAD - Hollywood Jills

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL I SEE MY BABY'S FACE - Dusty Springfield

CRYING IN THE RAIN - Carole King

WE DON'T BELONG - Sylvan

YOU DON'T LOVE ME NO MORE - Madeline Bell

HEY, TELL ME BOY - Marie Knight

BRINK OF DISASTER - Lesley Gore

WHO DO YOU LOVE - The Sapphires

I'M 28 - Toni Basil

THEY NEVER TAUGHT THAT IN SCHOOL - Gayle Harris

DRESSED IN BLACK - The Pussycats

AIN'T GONNA KISS YA - The Ribbons

EVERY LITTLE BIT HURTS (Del-Fi Version) - Brenda Holloway

MISTER LOVEMAN - Yvonne Carroll

MAKE THE NIGHT A LITTLE LONGER - The Palisades

MIXED UP, SHOOK UP, GIRL (Live) - Patty & The Emblems

GOOD NIGHT BABY - The Butterflys

"Children of Nuggets" box details at last

This set from Rhino Records has sounded like a gem ever since we first heard about it. Now, the label has finally spilled the beans with an official track list and release date (next week! Sept. 27). You can order it now from Amazon.

Here's Rhino's spiel:

In keeping with the spirit of Lenny Kaye's original Nuggets, this four-disc box renews the tradition with a cornucopia of grassroots rock, retro revelations, and lush power pop from the next generation of like-minded bands. 100 songs, five hours of remastered music! A full-color booklet includes photos, liner notes by Little Steven Van Zandt, Nigel Cross, and co-producer Alec Palao, track-by-track commentary by Kieron Taylor, and closing comments by co-producer Gary Stewart.

And here are the tracks:

VANISHING GIRL - The Dukes Of Stratosphear

HELP YOU ANN - Lyres

THE REAL WORLD - Bangles

RE LIVING IN VIOLENT TIMES - The Barracudas

THE TRAINS - he Nashville Ramblers

SEVEN YEARS - Watermelon Men

STRANGERS WHEN WE MEET - The Smithereens

WADING THROUGH A VENTILATOR - The Soft Boys

I CAN'T HIDE - Flamin' Groovies

THE GIRL FROM BALTIMORE - The Fleshtones

IT'S A GOOD THING - That Petrol Emotion

SHE'S FINE - The Stems

ALL MY LIFE - The Point

DOWN AT THE NIGHTCLUB - The Creeps

(MY GIRL) MARYANNE - The Spongetones

SHE TURNS TO FLOWERS - Salvation Army

YOU ARE MY FRIEND - The Rain Parade

MR. UNRELIABLE - The Inmates

(I THOUGHT) YOU WANTED TO KNOW - Chris Stamey And The dB's

SHE DON'T KNOW WHY I'M HERE (Single Version) - The Last

THERE MUST BE A BETTER LIFE - Biff, Bang, Pow!

SLAVE GIRL - The Lime Spiders

I MAY HATE YOU SOMETIMES - The Posies

I HELPED PATRICK McGOOHAN ESCAPE - The Times

IT'S ABOUT TIME - The Pandoras

I LIVE FOR BUZZ - The Swingin' Neckbreakers

I WANT YOU BACK - The Hoodoo Gurus

THIS DAMN NATION - The Godfathers

TELL ME WHEN IT'S OVER - The Dream Syndicate

WHENEVER I'M GONE - The Prisoners

NEW KIND OF KICK - The Cramps

AND SHE RIDES - The Long Ryders

MOTORBIKE BEAT - Revillos

TEARS (ONLY DRY) - The Vipers

25 O'CLOCK - The Dukes Of Stratosphear

DON'T GIVE IT UP NOW - Lyres

IF AND WHEN - Chris Stamey And The dB's

PABST BLUE RIBBON - The Untamed Youth

THERE SHE GOES - The La's

KINGSLEY J. - Vibrasonic

I CAN NEVER TELL - The Crawdaddys

MAKE ME STAY - The Green Telescope

EVERYDAY THINGS - The Plimsouls

I WANNA DESTROY YOU - The Soft Boys

IT'S YOU - Mickey & The Milkshakes

APOLOGY - The Posies

LIGHTS ARE CHANGING - The Bevis Frond

AHEAD OF MY TIME - The Droogs

WELCOME TO MY LOVE - The Funseekers

FLOWERS IN THE SKY - The Revolving Paint Dream

METAL BABY - Teenage Fanclub

THE UNGUARDED MOMENT - The Church

I CAN'T PRETEND - The Barracudas

OUT OF THE UNKNOWN - Died Pretty

L.A. EXPLOSION - The Last

I'LL CRY ALONE - Flamin' Groovies

SUNSPOTS (Single Remix) - Julian Cope

HINDU GODS OF LOVE - Lipstick Killers

DEATH AND ANGELS - Green On Red

BARBED WIRE HEART - The Sinners

PINK FROST - The Chills

SHE TOLD ME LIES - The Chesterfield Kings

BEAUTY AND SADNESS - The Smithereens

TEST DRIVE - The Mummies

BUSY MAN (EP Version) - DMZ

LOVE WILL GROW - The Stems

SHE GOES OUT WITH EVERYBODY - The Spongetones

HYPNOTIZED - The Plimsouls

NO APOLOGY - The Unclaimed

GOD KNOWS IT'S TRUE - Teenage Fanclub

YOU KEEP ON LYIN' - The Hoods

DON'T BREAK DOWN - The Sting-Rays

THE WORLD HAS CHANGED - The Fleshtones

BABY WHAT'S WRONG - The Cynics

PSYCKO (THEMES FROM PSYCHO AND VERTIGO) - Laika & The Cosmonauts

MY NAME IS TOM - The Jigsaw Seen

GENTLE TUESDAY - Primal Scream

WITH A CANTALOUPE GIRLFRIEND - The Three O' Clock

LIKE WOW - WIPEOUT! - The Hoodoo Gurus

BAD NEWS TRAVELS FAST - The Fuzztones

PLAINS OF NAZCA (Single Version) - Sun Dial

GETTING OUT OF HAND - The Bangs

PLEASE DON'T TELL MY BABY - Mickey & The Milkshakes

ONE HALF HOUR AGO - The Rain Parade

YOU'RE MY LOVING WAY - The Aardvarks

TRANSFIGURATION - Screaming Trees

A SCANDAL IN BOHEMIA - United States Of Existence

WHERE THE WOLF BANE BLOOMS - The Nomads

CHEATED AND LIED - The Vipers

STRAWBERRIES ARE GROWING IN MY GARDEN (AND IT'S WINTERTIME) - The Dentists

WON'T NEED YOURS - Tell-Tale Hearts

WEAKNESS - Inspiral Carpets

YOU'LL KNOW WHY - The Miracle Workers

NOT MY MEMORY - The Unknowns

FAR AWAY - The Prisoners

AIN'T THAT A MAN - The Optic Nerve

MINK DRESS - Plasticland

TIGHT TURN (Album Version) - The Raybeats

ONE WAY TICKET - The Nerves

TRACY HIDE (Cover Version) - The Wondermints

"Gunsmoke" finally DVD bound

TV Shows on DVD reports 29 episodes of the TV Western classic will be out Jan. 3 on two three-DVD sets.

The editions mark the 50th anniversary of the long-running (20 years!) show's first season.

Extras include:

  • A special John Wayne introduction to the pilot, "Matt Gets It."
  • A special introduction on select episodes by James Arness
  • Audio Commentaries on 11 episodes
  • Rare Home Movies
  • Bloopers and Gag Reels
  • Guest Appearances on TV Talk Shows
  • Promos
  • Photo Galleries
  • Western Channel Gunsmoke Memories
  • Emmy Award's Footage


Quick hits

Billboard interviews legendary New Orleans musician Allen Touissant about his Hurricane Katrina experiences.

A review of ABC's new sci-fi thriller "Invasion." Here's another. Did you know the show was scripted/directed by Shaun Cassidy?!

A review of Martin Scorsese's Bob Dylandocumentary "No Direction Home."

TV Guide has an interview with Harold Perrineau, Michael of "Lost." Potential spoilers may apply.

Meanwhile, "Lost" producers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse tell SciFi Wire that season 2 will provide some answers to all the mysteries introduced during the show's first season. Really. They promise. Again, spoilers likley apply. I don't know. I'm not reading it. I'm gonna watch the season debut tonight!

Also in TV Guide, an interview with "Invasion" star Kari Matchett.

Newsarama has sneak peeks of Marvel Comics'debut issue of Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, Ghost Rider #2, and the Marvel Monsters: Where Monster's Dwell one-shot.

An ad for "Sin City" has been banned in the U.K. Meanwhile, Quentin Tarantino says he's up for directing a scene in the film's sequel.

The October issue of National Geographic Traveler features an article on travel comics, including Josh Neufeld's "A Few Perfect Hours," Heather Roberson's "Macedonia," Peter Kuper's "Comics Trips" and more.

Mike Sterlings tells you everything you need to know about Lex Luthor.

Today in hubris.

Basic Hip has a fun LP to share: