Pop Culture Safari!

"Superman Returns" pictures

As mentioned in "Quick Hits," the "Superman Returns" site is up-and-running with fresh content, including these fresh wallpaper pics:

See the Best Superman Sites on the Web.

Fresh "Aeon Flux" photos

Here's are a few new ones from the upcoming Charlize Theron sci-fi pic:

Pop Artifact! Superman TV Guide cover

"Lost" preview Nov. 9: "Abandoned"

After a three-week break, a new episode airs tonight. Spoilers apply:

* ABC's official synopsis.
* Pictures from the episode.
* Preview for tonight's show.

Come back here tomorrow for a recap of the show.

See the Best "Lost" Sites on the Web.

Quick hits

The New York Times visits uber-designer and comics geek Chip Kidd.

Dial B posts some cool DC Comics house ads (just as we do here quite regularly).

John Lennon tunes are now available for digital download via Napster, Yahoo! Unlimited, Rhapsody and MSN. There's also a new official Lennon site up here.

Elton John has selected a batch of his favorite Christmas tunes for a Starbucks compilation. Included are a remix of Kate Bush's "December Will Be Magic Again," The Flaming Lips' "A Change at Christmas (Say It Isn't So)," John's own "Step Into Christmas," along with predictable fare from the Beach Boys, Phil Spector's Chrismas Album and more. Part of the proceeds benefit John's AIDS charity. You can order here starting tomorrow.

A 3-D version of Peter Jackson's "King Kong" is a possibility.

ABC is beginning "Lost" podcasts.

More "Lost": The New York Times talks re: all the speculation on tonight's ep.

Upcoming Marvel Comics graphic novels and trade paperbacks

Taking a gander at Amazon's listings, we see:

March (note: These dates are according to Amazon. Books may actually come out sooner or later)

Punisher MAX Volume 5: The Slavers TPB

Drax The Destroyer: Earth Fall TPB

Runaways Volume 5: Escape To New York Digest

Supreme Power: Hyperion TPB

Thor: Blood Oath TPB

Young Avengers Volume 2: Family Matters HC

Captain America: Winter Soldier, Vol. 1

Incredible Hulk: Peace In Our Time TPB

New X-Men: Childhood's End Volume 1 TPB

Spider-Girl Secrets & Lies Digest

Defenders: Indefensible TPB

Fantastic Four/Iron Man: Big In Japan TPB

House of M: Wolverine

Silver Surfer: Rebirth Of Thanos TPB

Spider-Man: The Other Volume 1 TPB

Squadron Supreme: Death Of A Universe TPB

Ultimate Iron Man Volume 1 Premiere HC

Wolverine Classic Volume 3 TPB

X-Men: Colossus Bloodline TPB

X-Men: The Complete Age Of Apocalypse Epic Book 3 TPB

Arana Volume 3: Night Of The Hunter Digest

House of M: Spider-Man

House of M: World of M

New Warriors: Reality Check TPB

Secret War (Spider-Man)

Essential Moon Knight Volume 1 TPB

House of M: Mutopia X

House of M: New X-Men

Ultimate X-Men Volume 13: Magnetic North TPB

See upcoming Marvel Comics from December 2005 through February 2007.

Pop Artifact! Batman board game

Vintage DC Comics house ad

Quick hits

Dial B visits the Justice League of America Mail Room.

Ephemera Now launches a great page of Christmas graphics (geeze, though, couldn't you wait until after Thanksgiving?)

Great stuff from Lady, That's My Skull today. First, he posts an article on DC Comics-based movie serials and alerts us to fresh Joe Kubert art in the U.S. Army's preventive services magazine. There's a love letter to Hayley Mills, too.

Planet Xtabay recovers from technical difficulties and shares a whole load of music files: Vintage action TV themes, spy jazz, library music and more.

Dark Horse Comics is getting into the film biz.

Vintage DC Comics house ad

"Spider-Man 3": Enter Sandman

Here's the first shot of Thomas Hayden Church as the Sandman in "Spider-Man 3":

Comic book previews

Mile High Comics has first looks at: 100 Bullets #66; ABC: A-Z Greyshirt and Cobweb; DMZ #1; Hawkman #46; Wildcats: Nemesis #3; Cable Deadpool #22; Decimation: House of M - The Day After; Drax The Destroyer #3; Exiles #72; Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #2; Incredible Hulk #88; Marvel Knights 4 #24; New Excalibur #1; New Thunderbolts #15 and Pulse #12.

More Upcoming Comics.

Beach Boys: More bad vibrations from Mike Love

Any fan of the Beach Boys and Brian Wilson will tell you one of the key reasons Wilson's much mythologized Smile album never came out back in the 60s is because the fellow Beach Boys, particularly singer Mike Love, disparaged the project and thought it uncommercial.

But now that Wilson has released his own version of Smile and launched a critically lauded tour behind it, guess who's trying to get a piece of the pie?

According to the Associated Press:

Mike Love is suing his cousin and former Beach Boys bandmate Brian Wilson, but Love's lawyer hopes the lawsuit won't mar their good vibrations.

Love filed the lawsuit in Los Angeles federal court yesterday (Nov. 3) accusing Wilson of promoting his 2004 album, "Smile," in a manner that "shamelessly misappropriated Mike Love's songs, likeness and the Beach Boys trademark, as well as the 'Smile' album itself."

Sideshow Toys' Princess Leia figure unveiled

Here she is:

Available for pre-order now.

Quick hits

Via BoingBoing: Get out yer Crayolas for this 1976 Marvel Comics coloring book.

Bubblegumfink shares a cool bubblegum pop comp.

Dial B audio blogs a Batman Power Records release. More Power Records.

Via Drawn: A nice gallery of children's book covers.

The Perfumed Garden has a rare compilation of Peel Sessions up for sharing.

Superfrankenstein helpfully explains the news with comic book covers again.

Hollywood apparently feels it's necessary to do a bio-doc on the man who killed John Lennon. Lindsay Lohan and Jared Leto have been cast.

Here's some pics of "Metropolis" as featured in the upcoming "Superman Returns."

Dark Horse Comics solicitations for February 2006

ALIENS/PREDATOR PANEL TO PANEL TPB
VARIOUS (A)
On sale March 22, SC, 192pg, FC, 9" x 12", $19.95
Two extraterrestrial species have haunted—and hunted—mankind throughout
history: one a parasitic killing machine that uses humans as unwilling
hosts for its lethal offspring, the other a relentless stalker that
uses otherworldly stealth technology and weaponry to take men as grisly
trophy kills. For over two decades, Dark Horse Comics has catalogued
these terrifying contacts, harnessing the talents of a virtual who’s who
list of comics, science-fiction, and fantasy illustrators to bring these
tales to life. And now, one deluxe volume gathers all the best of these
visual horrors into one arena.
Aliens/Predator Panel to Panel showcases page after page of some of the
most compelling artworks ever seen in graphic fiction, stunning visions
by John Bolton, Dave Dorman, Mark Schultz, Richard Corben, Mike
Mignola, Doug Wheatley, Arthur Suydam, Mark A. Nelson, Alex Maleev, Den
Beauvais, Glenn Fabry, Jon Foster, David Michael Beck, Sam Keith, Doug
Mahnke, and many, many more.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #109: SHORTCUT part 3 (of 5)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale February 8, b&w, 32pg, $2.99
Hiroaki Samura takes his readers on a stroll down a dark, disturbing
pathway in the “Shortcut” story arc! Mozen’s recently botched
“exploratory operation” on Manji brings unexpected results. Backstabbing Burando,
Kagimura’s most deranged medical examiner, is about to have his chance
to cut into Manji to explore the secrets of the kessen-chu, the
mystical bloodworms that heal Manji’s wounds and grant him near-immortality.
Enraged and in chains in Kagimura’s prison, Manji befriends his
dim-witted cellmate, Dewanosuke, and begins to formulate an escape plan.

CHRONICLES OF CONAN VOLUME 10: WHEN GIANTS WALK THE EARTH AND OTHER
STORIES TPB
ROY THOMAS (W), JOHN BUSCEMA (A), HOWARD CHAYKIN (A), and others
On sale March 8, SC, 168pg, FC, 7" x 10", $16.95
Treading the long and winding path toward his eventual monarchy, Conan
becomes witness to the corruption and devastation of many a fantastic
kingdom along the way. Not the least of which being the marvelous, and
equally dangerous, lands of Harakht—home to the fearsome Hawk-Riders
and their enormous avian beasts. Despite the overwhelming odds and the
presence of a mysterious, earthbound space rock, it will take more than
a flock of giant and savage birds to strike fear in the Barbarian’s
heart. With his lover Bêlit—the Queen of the Black Coast—at his side, no
threats, terrestrial or otherwise, will prevent Conan from fulfilling
his destiny.

CONAN #25
KURT BUSIEK (W), CARY NORD (A), DAVE STEWART (C), and TONY HARRIS
(Cover)
On sale February 8, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Conan crossed the wrong people, and now he’s got the entire Zamorian
Army on his tail, led by a rogue who may be even more cunning than Conan.
But Conan’s not running, and he’s not hiding—if they want a fight,
he’ll give it to them. Yet, even if he can take on an entire army and win,
there are worse things in Zamora than swords, and worse sorcerers to
unleash them. Will they succeed in destroying the daring Cimmerian . . .
or will they just make him mad?

CONCRETE VOLUME 4: KILLER SMILE TPB
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
On sale March 15, SC, 184pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $12.95
Standing in the shadow of celebrity has its ups and downs, as
Concrete’s personal assistant, Larry Munro, knows all too well. But there are
darker places than any shadow, as Larry learns the hard way when he is
taken hostage by a psychotic gunman who forces Larry to be his chauffeur
on a road trip destined to end in disaster . . . unless Larry can
muster the courage to act.
The return of Paul Chadwick’s award-winning Concrete has ushered in a
resurgence of interest in the acclaimed series, and Killer Smile is
Chadwick’s darkest Concrete work, a harrowing tale Frank Miller called
“edge-of-your-seat suspense, full of unpredictable twists and turns.” This
value-priced volume collects Killer Smile plus bonus short stories.

CRYING FREEMAN VOLUME 1 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and RYOICHI IKEGAMI (A)
On sale March 8, SC, 408pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $14.95
He is Yo Himomura, deadly assassin for the 108 Dragons, the Chinese
Mafia. But to the criminal underworld who fear him, he is known as Crying
Freeman, the killer who sheds tears at the fate of his victims. Young,
handsome, sensitive, an artist, Yo has been hypnotically programmed by
his Dragon masters to kill on command: he cannot resist his masters’
commands to kill, his masters cannot stop his tears of remorse.
Written by the legendary Kazuo Koike, creator of Lone Wolf and Cub, and
illustrated by the incomparable Ryoichi Ikegami, Crying Freeman is
adult manga at its most challenging: dark, violent, morally complex,
erotically charged, and regarded worldwide as one of the classics of adult
graphic fiction. Dark Horse Manga is proud to present Crying Freeman, yet
another of the jewels in the crown of manga classics, presented in its
original right-to-left reading orientation.

THE GOON #16
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale February 15, FC, 32pg, $2.99
The tide has turned in Goon’s war against the undead hordes of the
Zombie Priest—or has it? With Buzzard now preventing the harvest of any
fresh corpses from the cemetery, the Priest grows desperate. So desperate
that he unleashes incantations of previously unseen power to create a
whole new breed of minion—one that may be beyond even the strength of
the Goon to contain. But one pays a price for conjuring such evil into
the world, and the Zombie Priest quickly discovers that the cost of such
power may be far more than he bargained for.

HARLEQUIN PINK: IDOL DREAMS TPB
CHARLOTTE LAMB (W) and TOKO HANABUSA (A)
On sale March 1, SC, 160pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $9.95
Quincy wouldn’t have seen this coming in her wildest dreams. What
ordinary girl-next-door would? One minute you’re sitting down to tea in your
kitchen, talking with a friend, and the next—the man of your dreams
comes knocking at your door, and he’s looking for YOU.
Quincy never expected to be swept off her feet by a gorgeous,
world-famous pop star, but now that it’s happening, she’s not sure she’s the
right one for him. Swept up in the glamorous thrill of it all, Quincy is
worried that it’s all happening a little too fast, not to mention her
concerns that she’s really not the right girl to call a sexy superstar
her boyfriend. It’s a good thing for Joe that his desire to be with her
is as strong as his star appeal!

HARLEQUIN VIOLET: HOLDING ON TO ALEX TPB
MARGARET WAY (W) and MISAO HOSHIAI (A)
On sale March 1, SC, 120pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $9.95
Alex’s life was moving in a dream direction. A beautiful prima
ballerina with a promising career, she had long ago sacrificed many
things—including her first love—to pursue her dream of dancing on the world’s most
prestigious stages.
When fate strikes Alex a terrible blow, and a devastating injury leaves
her unable to dance. As if the loss of her hard-earned career wasn’t
enough, Alex is shocked when the first visitor to call on her in the
hospital is Scott—the man whose love she denied to pursue her dream to
dance. Will fate strike another devastating blow to the fallen ballerina,
or does Scott have something more to offer her than a regretful look at
a long-lost love?

HELLBOY: MAKOMA, or, A TALE TOLD BY A MUMMY IN THE NEW YORK CITY
EXPLORERS’ CLUB ON AUGUST 16, 1993 #1 (of 2)
MIKE MIGNOLA (W/A), RICHARD CORBEN (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale February 1, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Award-winning Hellboy creator Mike Mignola teams with comics legend
Richard Corben. Corben has been creating bizarre and beautiful comics
since the 1970s, working on the most notable horror and sci-fi titles of
the original small-press boom. His work was brought to the big screen in
the film Heavy Metal, and he achieved mainstream stardom finally with
recent collaborations with Brian Azzarello and Garth Ennis, bringing a
fresh perspective to such characters as the Hulk and the Punisher, among
others.
Set long before the life-changing events of this year's The Island,
this two-parter reveals Hellboy's earlier encounter with the powerful
mythology of Africa. Mignola writes and provides the cover, as well as
drawing part of the story, with the lion's share drawn by Corben, in the
collaboration which promises to be the horror-comics event of the year.

JU-ON: VIDEO SIDE TPB
MIKI RINNO (W/A)
On sale March 15, SC, 232pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $9.95
Ju-On: Video Side is the manga adaptation of the Japanese horror movie
that spawned an enormous franchise in Japan … and inspired a
blockbuster Hollywood remake!
This chilling tale of murder, secrets, and revenge centers on a home
and the ugly events that transpired there. The place now has new owners,
but there is a vile presence that permeates the building and pollutes
every surface.
What wickedness set off this unstoppable angry spirit? Why has its
bloody grudge infected the home and its inhabitants? In the spirit of The
Ring, Ju-On delivers a dark warning of a cursed spirit and the
corrupting influence it has on the living.

KONG, THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD™ MOVIE ADAPTATION #3 (of 3)
CHRISTIAN GOSSETT (W), DUSTIN WEAVER (A), and DAVE DORMAN (Cover)
On sale February 22, FC, 40pg, $3.99
This is it—the eye-popping conclusion to the comic adapting the most
anticipated motion picture event of the year, Peter Jackson’s King Kong!
The ancient power of the awe-inspiring Kong collides with the modern
age in the ultimate showdown between civilization and Nature—with the
actress Ann Darrow caught in the middle! Man and beast rage in an epic
struggle that extends beyond the feeble reaches of time, as each tries to
prove once and for all its right to live, and more importantly, to
reign.

LADY SNOWBLOOD VOLUME 3: RETRIBUTION PART 1 TPB
KAZUO KOIKE (W) and KAZUO KAMIMURA (A)
On sale March 22, SC, 224pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $14.95
Lady Snowblood is a woman born with a singular purpose, revenge.
Revenge for the death of her father at the hands of greedy criminals. Revenge
for the life of her mother, who birthed her in a prison to continue
this demon’s path of death. Sometimes this path is odd, sometimes sexy,
often painful, and always violent. By means of a world’s worth of skills,
Lady Snowblood will find her revenge. But who knows what lies at the
end of this path.

MAGNUS, ROBOT FIGHTER 4000 A.D. VOLUME 3 HC
RUSS MANNING (W/A), ROBERT SCHAEFER (W), and ERIC FREIWALD (W)
On sale March 15, HC, 176pg, FC, 7" x 10 1/2", $49.95
In the year 4000, when the human race is threatened by robots that
would enslave mankind, one man alone has the power to fight back: Magnus,
Robot Fighter!
Dark Horse delivers another fantastic collection of rare classics from
a comics legend! Russ Manning, famous for his spectacular work on the
Tarzan newspaper strips of the late sixties, brought fans his “Tarzan of
the future” in Magnus, Robot Fighter. While his work on the original
comic series lasted only twenty-one issues, Manning’s creation has
survived generations, influencing countless science fiction artists and
writers to this day. Fans of Alex Raymond, Mac Raboy, or Wally Wood should
not miss this beautifully bound hardcover—the third Magnus archival
collection and the latest addition to Dark Horse’s line of science fiction
classics.

OCTOPUS GIRL VOLUME 1 TPB
TORU YAMAZAKI (W/A)
On sale March 22, SC, 192pg, b&w, 4 1/2" x 7", $12.95
Toru Yamazaki made a big, bloody splash in the mid-1990s when his
outrageous Octopus Girl horror stories debuted. This talented and twisted
manga artist has found recent popularity in different fields, as a major
Japanese television personality and a recording artist. Be prepared to
be mind-boggled with his first insane manga collection, as the
delightfully disturbing Octopus Girl is finally presented in English.
Teenage monsters lose their hearts and heads in a relentlessly gory
collection of dark humor and horror! Carving a comical niche in modern
horror manga, Toru Yamazaki’s Octopus Girl serves up the most disgusting
dishes of heartbreak and revenge found on land or at sea. Have a side
order of nervous laughter with your main course of bloodcurdling fear,
some gore with your teen angst, and some killer instincts with your
kawaii! These shocking vignettes will hypnotize fans of the macabre and the
absurd, as intestines, eyeballs, and fluids of all sorts shoot
enthusiastically across Yamazaki’s pages!

REIKO THE ZOMBIE SHOP VOLUME 2 TPB
REI MIKAMOTO (W/A)
On sale March 8, SC, 200pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
The last time we saw Reiko, the beautiful, young necromancer, she had
her head sliced off! But you can’t keep a bad girl down. Our Miss Reiko
has got a few friends in dark places who’ll make sure she hasn’t
shuffled off this motal coil just yet, even if she has to borrow a body or
two.
Part Sixth Sense and part Evil Dead—the ultra-violent, comical, and
disturbing manga Reiko the Zombie Shop has been resurrected Stateside and
translated into English in its original format for the first time.

SCARFACE NOVEL
L.A. BANKS (W)
On sale March 8, SC, 300pg, 4" x 6", $6.99
In the politically charged years of the early 1980s many immigrants
escaped a nightmarish existence under Castro’s rule and fled Cuba for
America. One immigrant would cut a bloody path of destruction across the
Florida landscape in a rampage fueled by drugs, rage, and paranoia. In a
dark vision of the American Dream gone wrong, Oliver Stone and Brian De
Palma created a classic character in Tony Montana in their
re-envisioning of the mobster tale Scarface. But Tony Montana’s story didn’t begin
there. In these two new novels from DH Press we will take you inside
the life of Montana, going back to the years before his arrival in
America to see what events shaped him into the man he became and what dire
choices set him on the course of madness that would lead to a
carnage-filled conclusion in the streets of Miami.
But Tony Montana’s story didn’t begin there. In two new novels from DH
Press we will take you inside the life of Montana, going back to the
years before his arrival in America to see what events shaped him into
the man he became and what dire choices set him on the course of madness
that would lead to a carnage-filled conclusion in the streets of Miami.

SCHOOL ZONE VOLUME 1 TPB
KANAKO INUKI (W/A)
On sale March 29, SC, 192pg, b&w, 5" x 7", $12.95
The Queen of Horror Manga, Kanako Inuki, brings you School Zone, a
series about ordinary children who encounter the strange and terrifying at
their very own school, and discover that many ghost stories, urban
legends, and superstitions are truly and horribly real.

SPACE PINCHY: THE PINCH OF THE ILLEGAL BRAIN INTRUSION
TONY TAKEZAKI (W/A)
On sale February 22, FC, 32pg, $3.99
It’s hilarious! It’s sexy! And it’s completely different.
From the crazy mind of Japan’s freakiest manga creator comes Space
Pinchy, a fantastically rendered. 3-D comics odyssey that defies logic,
decency, and...gravity!
In space unfathomable, adventure awaits! Especially when you’re the
last of a lost tribe in search of relics. And super-especially if you’re
Pinchy Pink!
A sexy vixen with a skintight suit and a no-nonsense attitude, Pinchy
cannot be stopped by even the nastiest of alien perverts.
Brought to you in lush full color and carefully adapted to the western
format, Space Pinchy will commandeer your funny bone and probably make
you squirm a little.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS VOLUME 8—THE LAST SIEGE, THE FINAL TRUTH TPB
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P), DAN PARSONS (I), BRAD ANDERSON
(C), and TOMÁS GIORELLO (Cover)
On sale March 22, SC, 144pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95
While both the Republic and the Separatists have suffered staggering
losses during the Clone Wars, nothing could have prepared them for the
battle they face on the desert world of Saleucami. Beneath the surface of
this Outer Rim planet, the Dark Jedi Sora Bulq has begun cloning an
army of Morgukai assassins. Unwilling to leave this grave new threat
unchecked, the Jedi and their armies soon find themselves entrenched in a
five-month siege. Now, time and resources have run out, and it’s up to a
crack team of Jedi, led by Quinlan Vos and Aayla Secura, to infiltrate
the Separatist base.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #2
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), BRIAN CHING (P), MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and
TRAVIS CHAREST (Cover)
On sale February 22, FC, 32pg, $2.99
Life in the Jedi Order isn’t supposed to be easy. It’s a culture of
strict discipline, hard work, and self-control, and only the galaxy’s
brightest and most gifted graduate to the Order’s upper echelon of Knights
and Masters. This is a dilemma padawan Zayne Carrick has faced most of
his life, knowing that he might not possess the smarts or abilities
needed to rise above his station—it’s a problem further compounded by his
being accused of murder and put on the run, his former friends and
allies out to get him, and the alien con man he’s chained to doing
everything he can to shake the young Jedi. But there are greater forces at
work and Zayne’s about to learn that the will of the Force moves in
mysterious ways.

STAR WARS: KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC/REBELLION 25 CENT FLIP BOOK
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), THOMAS ANDREWS (W), BRIAN CHING (P/Cover),
MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and BRANDON BADEAUX (Cover)
On sale February 1, FC, 24pg, .25 ¢
A primer for the first new series in Dark Horse’s exciting relaunch of
the Star Wars line, this flip book features two brand new stories (one
on each side) and never-before-seen concept designs for both Rebellion
and Knights of the Old Republic. The Knights of the Old Republic side
presents a world four thousand years before the birth of Anakin
Skywalker, where the Jedi Order flourishes, the Sith are at their most deadly,
and the legendary Mandalorian army are on the verge of a devastating
march across the galaxy. It’s here that Zayne, a young Jedi with a grand
destiny, takes his first steps into a larger and more dangerous world.
Set prior to the event of The Empire Strikes Back, the Rebellion half
gives a glimpse into the lives of Luke Skywalker, Rebel Jorin Sol, and
Imperial Officer Janek Sunber, just before the events of the new series.
All this and more for only twenty-five cents!

THE TERRITORY TPB
JAMIE DELANO (W) and DAVID LLOYD (A)
On sale March 8, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $13.95
Mysteriously marooned in an unnamed ocean, a man named Ishmael is
rescued by pirates and sold into slavery. His past is a blank. Equipped only
with courage, a talent for action heroics and the inspiration of a
half-remembered love, he must flirt with the sinister tentacles of
Hydracorp to win his freedom. The Territory is a land of wonder and fear;
hidden in its dark heart, a haunting truth that Ishmael is driven to
discover. But there are no maps to The Territory. Those who would explore it
must draw their own.

USAGI YOJIMBO #91
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale February 22, b&w, 32pg. $2.99
The hauntings continue! Last issue the rabbit ronin, Usagi Yojimbo, was
faced with a mysterious and grisly murder at Geishu Castle, but the
leading suspect was a woman who has been dead for ten years! Now, after
another murder attempt, Usagi himself is believed to be the ruthless
assassin! The long-eared wanderer must team with Tomoe and a distrustful
bodyguard to solve the mystery of the Geishu ghost—before its razor-sharp
claws carve into another victim. Catch the conclusion to the two-part
“The Ghost in the Well,” this month from world-renowned storyteller Stan
Sakai!

YOSHITAKA AMANO: FAIRIES HC
YOSHITAKA AMANO (W/A)
On sale February 8, HC, 80pg, FC, 8 7/16" x 11 15/16", $24.95
Yoshitaka Amano’s lush ethereal paintings of magical creatures,
spirits, goblins, and apparitions have been praised and admired all over the
world. In Fairies he turns his considerable talent to capturing in
breathtaking images characters from such beloved stories as Shakespeare’s A
Midsummer Night’s Dream, the wizard Merlin and his muse the
intoxicating Nimue, mermaids of the deep as well as his interpretation of fairies
from Celtic and Japanese mythology.

Pop Artifact! Fisher-Price Play Family

Vintage DC Comics house ad

"Serenity" DVD details, cover art

The disk will be out Dec. 20 and is available for pre-order from Amazon now.

Extras include:

* Commentary by writer/director Joss Whedon.
* A director introduction.
* Deleted scenes.
* Outtakes.
* "Future History: The Story of Earth That Was" featurette.
* "What's in a Firefly" featurette.
* "Re-Lighting the Firefly" featurette.

Marvel Legends series 14 and 15 announced

In a mailing to retailers, Toybiz says we can expect the following:

Marvel Legends Series 14 due in August 2006
* 1st Appearance Iron Man
* Longshot
* Baron Zemo
* Luke Cage
* Falcon
* Psylocke
* Classic Falcon (Variant)
* Unmasked Baron Zemo (Variant)
* Gold Iron Man (Variant)

Marvel Legends Series 15 due in November 2006
* Mandarin
* Beta Ray Bill
* Moon Knight
* Spider-Woman
* Quicksilver
* Thor-Buster Iron Man
* Wasp
* Captain Marvel
* Spider-Woman (Variant)
* Wasp (Variant)
* Quicksilver (Variant)
* Captain Marvel (Variant)

More Marvel Legends.

Happy Birthday Steve Ditko!

Details on "Peter Jackson's King Kong Production Diaries"

Here's a press release from Universal detailing the unusual DVD set:

For the first time in the history of cinema, film fans will have the opportunity to experience the production of a major motion picture from the unique perspective of a master filmmaker with KING KONG Peter Jackson's Production Diaries. The three-time Academy Award(R) winning director (the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy) personally invites viewers to immerse themselves in this unprecedented project, which combines a full-color book with more than 50 pages, four stunning production conceptual art prints and two DVDs to create a step-by-step, first-hand account of the film's eight-month production process. In another first, KING KONG Peter Jackson's Production Diaries will be released December 13, 2005, a day before KING KONG opens in theaters.

Available for a limited time only, this handsomely packaged gift set is a must-own for every Peter Jackson and KING KONG fan. KING KONG Peter Jackson's Production Diaries is a beautifully crafted, limited edition work of art that comes with a collector's letter of authenticity. Introduced by Jackson himself, the package's 54 intriguing production diaries provide an unparalleled opportunity to see stars Naomi Watts (Oscar(R) nominated for "21 Grams"), Jack Black ("School of Rock") and Adrien Brody (Academy Award(R) winner for "The Pianist") in action as they bring this thrilling tale to the screen. As a special bonus, the set includes a fascinating, detailed look at the creation of one of the film's most exciting action sequences -- the fierce battle between Kong and the three T-Rex.

The set is available for pre-order from Amazon now.

Quick hits

Via Boing Boing: John Peel's favorite records: list, article about the list: "There’s a lot of old-school soul there, such as Eddie & Ernie, OV Wright, Johnnie Taylor and Ann Peebles, and plenty of reggae: Lee Perry, Andy Capp, Blood Fire Posse and Izzy Royal. Indeed, if a theme emerges, it’s that he truly loved music that was simple."

Via PCL LinkDump: The Best Horror Film Soundtracks of All Time.

Sabadabada, regular sharer of cool, old Brazilian pop records, has an update.

Sales of the DVD version of George Harrison's "Concert for Bangladesh" will benefit a UNICEF fund.

New comics releases for Nov. 2

Available now at yer local comics shop or via This is Pop!-supporting links:

Avengers Ultimate Guide HC

Batman Batmobile Maquette

Captain Universe Power Unimaginable

Catwoman When In Rome HC

Donald Duck And Uncle Scrooge Vol 1 Somewhere In Nowhere TP

Essential Marvel Two In One Vol 1

Excalibur Classic Vol 1 The Sword Is Drawn TP

JLU Black Canary Maquette

Marvel Knights Spider-Man Vol 1 HC

Marvel Nemesis Imperfects Digest TP

Mickey Mouse Adventures Vol 6 TP

Omac Project TP

Originals SC

Showcase Presents Jonah Hex Vol 1

Star Trek: The Next Generation Comics Classics Vol 1 Hero Factor TP

Young Avengers Volume 1 Sidekicks HC

SPIDER-MAN'S FEARSOME FOES 5-Figure Boxed Set Marvel Legends

See the complete list of new and upcoming comics.

Pop Artifact! Beany and Cecil toys

Vintage comic book house ad

Quick hits

A new featurette on director Peter Jackson's upcoming "King Kong" is online.

A novel spinning out of events featured on "Lost" is in the works. According to Sci Fi Wire, the book will be presented as a "'found manuscript' by a character who didn't survive the crash of Oceanic flight 815."

TV Shows on DVD has some details on extras for the second season set of "The Adventures of Superman," due out Jan. 17.

Kate Bush will be featured in a BBC Radio 4 interview Friday. If you're not in the U.K., you can probably listen later via the Beeb's audio-on-demand page.

EP on the way from Ray Davies

Kinks leader Ray Davies has a solo album due out Feb. 7, but first comes the Thanksgiving Day EP, suitably enough, on Nov. 24 (turkey day). The mini-album features A portion of sales benefits music education in New Orleans. More from Billboard:

The title track, which will premiere Nov. 15 via iTunes, was inspired by a 1999 Thanksgiving dinner experience with a New England family.

The EP is rounded out by an alternate mix of the title cut, "Yours Truly, Confused N10" (first recorded in 2002 with Jools Holland and his Rhythm & Blues Orchestra) and two selections from Davies' 1998 album "The Storyteller": the title track and "London Song."

DVD new releases for Nov. 1, 2005

The Dick Cavett Show - John Lennon & Yoko Ono

Brady Bunch:Complete Fourth Season

Fox Film Noir Collection (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Fox Studio Classics Collection (Amazon.com Exclusive)

Star Trek Enterprise - The Complete Fourth Season

Star Wars, Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (Widescreen Edition)

Steve Mcqueen Box Set

More Upcoming DVDs.

New CD releases for Nov. 1, 2005

Miles Davis The Cellar Door Sessions 1970
Nirvana Sliver: The Best of the Box
Wilco Kicking Television - Live in Chicago

New DVD cover art

Pop Artifact! Halloween!

Vintage Halloween comic book cover

Found at the Grand Comic Book Database.

Quick hits

Author Gerard Jones says the paperback edition of his excellent history of the American comic book history, "Men of Tomorrow," will be updated to include new information he gleaned from Michael Siegel, son of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel. Michael declined to be interviewed when Jones was at work on the previous edition of the book but has since agreed to talk.

Dial B pays tribute to Neal Adams' "Dead Man."

Here's a nice gallery of Tiki mugs (via PCL LinkDump).

Also via PCL, a visual history of Superman's shield symbol.

Filming on "Fantastic Four 2" is set to begin in June.

The Batusi Incident

Last week TIP! posted several different cover designs artist Mike Allred did for his issue of DC Comics' "Solo" title, including the fun, Adam West-ish "Batman doing the Batusi" version shown again here.

Well, as anyone picking up "Solo" last Wednesday knows, we got Wonder Girl doing the Batusi instead. Today, blogger Heidi MacDonald points to Allred telling us why the original cover got spiked:

Until this week I wasn't even completely sure that my SOLO book would come out (it would have been strike three for DC after ELSEWORLDS TEEN TITANS and METAL MEN) since I eventually realized the tension between DC and anything relating to the 60's TV show. And my BATMAN A-GO-Go story makes up 18 of the 48 page book.

I have to say that Mark Chiarello,our editor on the project, is one of the best and most inspiring editors I've ever worked with --and with the exception of the cover and a few minor details this comic is everything I was hoping for. It's one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of.

After "Batusi Batman" was taken from me by (overly?) cautious higher ups, I struggled with a replacement--An impossible task given that the "Batusi" cover is among my top favorite covers I've ever done and, arguably, received the most enthusiastic reaction ever, when released with the soliciation.

So, I did several alternatives hoping I'd come close to an equal replacement.

No such luck. But Wonder Girl was ultimately MY choice--and she comes second only to Batman to represent my "childhood to adolescence" affection for DC comics which my SOLO book largely signifies.

And Heidi points further to this interesting missive from cartoonist Jay Stephens, whose retro-take on the Teen Titans (featuring a script by the late Bob Haney) got spiked last year:

This confirms the not-so-secret policy at Dan Didio's DC. Campy, funny, playful, all-ages or accessable versions of DC Universe characters are forbidden. Didio hates that stuff (I hear he literally HATES Metamorpho and Metal Men), and only wants to push grim & gritty superhero work. I also have it on good authority that clean-line, 'cartoony' art is definately OUT. No more Darwyn Cooke/ Mike Allred-ish stuff for Dan Didio, no siree. Call me when his ass is out the door, thanks.

Interesting. Given the awful grim'n'gritty stuff DC is churning out these days, this seems pretty accurate. But, as Heidi also notes, Darwyn Cooke did get the go-ahead to do a revived version of Will Eisner's "Spirit," so maybe Didio's attitude isn't as hard and fast as Stephens thinks.

My theory is that playful takes on DC's core superhero characters probably are discouraged, but that there's more room for experimentation with other, licensed characters such as the Spirit.

Which is why Cooke's "Spirit" is likely to be a lot more fun and creative than anything we see coming out in DC's mainline superhero titles any time soon.

Lennon titles due for remastering

Two John Lennon solo albums, Walls and Bridges and the much-maligned Sometime in New York City are due out in remastered form Nov. 22.

Sometime... features Lennon in full-on topical songwriting mode and the creativity and listenability of the music suffers for it. Still, it's John Lennon and if you're a fan/completist, you'll probably want these tunes in their remixed/remastered form.

Walls and Bridges, on the other hand, is a pretty decent record, featuring the hit single with Elton John "Whatever Gets Your Through the Night." The remaster features a live version of that tune as a bonus track.

ZBS offers audio stories for cellphones

ZBS Media, creator of the wildly entertaining (and just plain wild) audio adventures of Jack Flanders, Ruby and others is now offering 90-second "short stories" for cellphone.

The titles are all penned by Flanders and Ruby creator Meatball Fulton and can be downloaded from the ZBS site. Free sound samples are available there too.

Stories include: "The Okey Dokey Swamp Thingie," "Revenge of the Tooth Fairy," "Hotel Catatonia," "The Sweet Scent of a Succubus," "Frankenstein's Finger," "Don't Eat on Twilight Street," "Zombie Al's Big Night Out," "Doctor Borneo Bob, Head Shrinker," "All My Cells Have Phones!" "Don't Eat at Igor's" and "The X Fillings, Dental Case #122, 'An Odious Extraction'."