Pop Culture Safari!

on March 11, 2006

on March 09, 2006

on March 09, 2006

on March 09, 2006

Booksteve presents an odd, and amusing, comic book ad from Bullwinkle creator Jay Ward.

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Via PCL Linkdump: A look at Aurora Models' twisted "Monster Scenes" lineup.

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Bargain Alert: Amazon has a Big DVD Sale with prices starting at $5.97 and good deals on TV show season sets.

on March 09, 2006

Great stuff. Here are the official details:

Sundazed presents a thunderous batch of exact-album CD reissues chronicling the big ’60s roar of West Coast surf ’n hot rod! Original copies of these albums have skyrocketed in value in recent years, and Sundazed has been granted the rare opportunity to liberate the original masters from the vaults of Capitol Records (and its incredible family of labels) and give this groundbreaking music the royal treatment!

The three original Super Stocks albums — Surf Route 101, Thunder Road and School Is a Drag — feature legendary record producer Gary Usher and his posse of talented studio buddies, while the two Richie Allen albums (Surfer's Slide, The Rising Surf) kill with the reverbed guitar crunch of storied studio engineer/producer Richie Podolor. Jan & Dean’s incredible Popsicle album represents the last great meeting of that duo’s wit and talent with the chart-topping songwriting prowess of Phil Sloan and Steve Barri.

Restoring the vintage album artwork, featuring meticulous mastering from the original analog reels, and sporting new liner notes by West Coast music authority Stephen McParland.

on March 09, 2006

Out April 4, this 5-DVD set collects an unspecified number of episodes from the 1950s sci-fi TV series starring Richard Crane.

According to Epguides.com, the show only had one season in 1954 with 15 episodes. So maybe this is the whole works.

on March 09, 2006

MCA home video is paying tribute to a trio of leading ladies with these multi-disk sets collecting some of the most famous films starring Carole Lombard, Mae West and Marlene Dietrich. The release date for all three is April 4.

The Lombard set includes:
* Hands Across the Table
* Love Before Breakfast
* Man of the World
* The Princess Comes Across
* True Confession
* We're Not Dressing

The West set includes:
* Go West Young Man
* Goin' To Town
* I'm No Angel
* My Little Chickadee
* Night After Night)

And the Dietrich set includes:
* Morocco
* Blonde Venus
* The Devil Is a Woman
* Flame of New Orleans
* Golden Earrings

on March 09, 2006

If you're nutty enough about the "Planet of the Apes" to shell out for the "ultimate" collection, you might as well go for the limited edition package that includes a big ol' ape head.

Along with said simian noggin, the 14-disk (!) set includes all the original "Apes" movies, the Tim Burton-directed remake, the live-action TV series and the animated TV series.

on March 09, 2006

Here's a look at figures available for pre-order now via your local comics shop or via the TIP!-supporting links below:

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Set of 6 (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Air Strike Wolverine (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Angel (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Stealth Cyclops (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Tech Gear Beast (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Juggernaut (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 2: Phoenix (Pre-Order Ships May 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Set of 6 (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Colossus (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Nightcrawler (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Iceman (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Rogue (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Avalanche (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

X-Men 3 Movie Action Figures Series 3: Sabretooth (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

Marvel Select Action Figures: Watcher (Pre-Order Ships March 2006)

Marvel Select 7" Figure: Spider-Woman (Pre-order Ships in April 2006)

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Action Figures Exclusive: Dawn and Glory (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

DC Direct Deluxe Collection 13" Figure: Lex Luthor (Pre-order Ships in July 2006)

Marvel Select Action Figures: Moon Knight (Pre-Order Ships July 2006)

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Set Of 5 (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Red Son Batman (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Red Son President Superman (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)
Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Kingdom Come Jade (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Kingdom Come Spectre & Norman McKay Set (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)

Elseworlds Action Figures Series 2: Gotham By Gaslight Batman (Pre-Order Ships Sept. 2006)

Deluxe Collector Action Figures: Two Face (Pre-Order Ships Sep. 2006)

on March 08, 2006

on March 08, 2006

on March 08, 2006

New to me, anyhow. Here's another shot of Gretchen Mol in the Bettie Page bio-pic:

on March 08, 2006

Essential Hulk Volume 4

It's the original trial of the Incredible Hulk, but not even Doc Samson and Matt Murdock can get the Hulk free of charges... from the Rhino, the Abomination and the Bi-Beast! Foes from the sewers, the seas, the stars and a shrunken realm gone mad! And Betty Ross gives a new twist to becoming a Harpy after the wedding! Monsters, mindswaps and Niagara Falls! Plus: For the X-Fans, the birth of the Wendigo and the death of the Mimic! Collects Incredible Hulk #143-170

Essential Luke Cage/Power Man Volume 2

Luke Cage wraps up his early solo career against the likes of Zzzax, Chemistro and Gideon Mace - then launches a new era with Iron Fist, forming one of Marvel's oddest and most enduring partnerships! Garish gangsters, sexy scientists, monolithic mutants...no job was too big for Heroes for Hire! Guest-starring the X-Men and the Daughters of the Dragon! See some of the most startling super-villains of the seventies! Re-telling the origin of Power Man! Collects Power Man #28-49, Annual #1, Power Man & Iron Fist #50-57.

Essential Official Handbook Of The Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition Volume 3

How many rooms in the X-Mansion? What makes web-shooters work? Find out as Spider-Man and the X-Men join forces to highlight the third volume of this Guide to the Greats! Featuring full profiles on Rogue, Shadowcat, Storm, the White Queen, Wolverine and more! The Scarlet Witch, the Silver Surfer and so many more in glorious color! The secrets of S.H.I.E.L.D.! The schematics of the Sentinels! The story of Subterranea and the wonders of Wakanda! Plus: details on more than a hundred alien races! Collects Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Deluxe Edition (3 of 3)

Essential Marvel Team-Up Volume 2

Horrific heroism, kung fu crimefighting, courtroom chaos: Spider-Man's up for anything in this selection of shared sagas! Co-starring Daredevil, the Incredible Hulk, the Thing, the Beast and the Frankenstein Monster! Join Spidey on a titanic trip through the timeline in one of his most incredible epics yet, followed by the trial of the Wraith and the debut of Jean DeWolff! Plus: guest-stars from the Avengers and the Defenders! Also featuring the Human Torch's team-ups with Iron Man, Doctor Strange and more! Collects Marvel Team-Up #25-51 and Marvel 2-in-1 #17

More Marvel Essentials.

on March 08, 2006

It's the 100th birthday of beat-era poet/comic/recantour Lord Buckley.

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Everybody talks about the Beatles' "Let it Be"/"Get Back" sessions being absolutely miserable, but check out the smiling moptops in this picture thread. Numerous books have made a big thing, especially, of John Lennon being disengaged during the sessions due to his use of heroin at the time. But having seen lots of bootleg footage from the "Let it Be" film and listening to bootleg sessions tapes, I just don't think that's entirely true. The pictures in the thread, too, indicate John--at least some of the time--was very much into things and having fun.

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Booksteve watches Hitchcock's "Family Plot" and likes it. I'm embarrassed to see it's one of the few Hitch films I haven't seen. I need to. Oh, and give Booksteve a tip.

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Datajunkie presents some more great Virgil Finlay art plus a look at the Green Llama. Don't forget to tell DJ what you think!

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Action-Figure.com has images of the Series 17 Spider-Man Classics action figures.

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Brian Wilson's "Smile" documentary won top spot in this year's Music DVD Awards, Billboard reports. If you haven't seen it, do. It's a very well-done look at how Wilson finally finished the legendary "lost" album he abandoned in the 1960s and features a wonderul live performance of all the "Smile" songs.

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NPR presents a live concert by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah.

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Here's some cool Martin Denny sharity.

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Heads up Power Records fans: Scar stuff presents all the company's Marvel Comics "monsters" adaptations: Man-Thing, Curse of the Werewolf, Monster of Frankenstien and Dracula. More Power Records.

on March 08, 2006

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

Authority Revolution Book Two TP

Birds Of Prey Between Dark And Dawn

Brownsville

Chronicles Of Conan Vol 10 Giants Walk The Earth

Crying Freeman Vol 1

Daniel

Luba The Book Of Ofelia

Tomorrow Stories Special #2

Ultimate Iron Man Vol 1 Premiere

Ultimate Iron Man Vol 1 Premiere HC Bookstore Var Ed

Buffy The Vampire Slayer Buffy Becoming Bust

Marvel Universe Capt Britain Bust

Marvel Universe Snowbird Bust

See a Complete List of New Comics Shipping This Week.

on March 08, 2006

Dark Horse Comics March 2006 solicitations
Dark Horse Comics April 2006 Solicitations
Dark Horse Comics May 2006 Solicitations

13TH SON: WORSE THING WAITING TPB
KELLEY JONES (W/A)
On sale July 26, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $12.95

Born to a young woman driven to insanity and black magic by the deaths of her previous children, the 13th Son is a creature like nothing this world has seen before. Humans are not his target. It's the other monsters who walk this worldâ€”the wendigo, werewolves, ghouls, zombies, and vampires who live in fear of his enormous and terrifying powers. And what those powers are setting into motion is a horror beyond your deepest, darkest nightmares.

AMANO: THE TALE OF GENJI HC ILLUSTRATED NOVEL
YOSHITAKA AMANO (W/A)
On sale 26, FC & b&w, 80pg, 8 7/16" x 11 15/16", 46 color illustrations, $24.95

Yoshitaka Amano has been praised around the world for his lush watercolors and evocative work dealing with myth and legend. In The Tale of Genji Mr. Amano brings his considerable talent to retelling one of the most famous of Japanese myths: written by Murasaki Shikibu shortly after 1000 AD and considered by most scholars to be the first novel ever written, The Tale of Genji is the story of the romantic adventures of Genji, the amazingly handsome prince and his many romantic conquests. Told through stunning paintings, Mr. Amano brings this classic story to life for a new generation.

ARCHENEMIES #3 (of 4)
DREW MELBOURNE (W), YVEL GUICHET (P), JOE RUBINSTEIN (I), RICK HILTBRUNNER (C), and JIM KEPLINGER (L)
On sale June 7, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Roommates Ethan Baxter and Vincent Darko still don't realize that they're archenemies in their super-powered guises. They just know that they hate each other! But when tragedy strikes, comicdom's ultimate odd couple must set aside their differences to hit the road and . . . move into a mansion?? PLUS: Vincent has a cute sister, Ethan has a nightmare, and Star Fighter and the Underlord go head-to-head in the middle of an impromptu gang war. If you like fights, laughing, or stories about people, you MUST read this comic!

THE ARTIST WITHIN TPB
GREG PRESTON (W)
On sale July 12, SC, 216pg, b&w, 100 photographs, 100 illustrations, 12 1/2" x 11 1/2", $39.95

The culmination of more than fifteen years of photography by renowned photographer Greg Preston, this book is a living history of the men and women who have shaped the imaginations of countless millions of people around the world through their work in the fields of animated cartoons, comic books, comic strips, and editorial cartooning. The list of artists includes such luminaries as Frank Miller, Al Hirschfeld, Joe Barbera, Jack Kirby, Joe Simon, Moebius, Walter and Louise Simonson, and many more, all in photographs exclusive and shot expressly for this book.

BERSERK VOLUME 12 TPB
KENTARO MIURA (W/A)
On sale July 12, SC, 232pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $13.95

The Band of the Hawks rescue of their leader, Griffith, has brought them no ease. Broken beyond healing, a frail ghost of his former glory, Griffith is now more an object of pity than a man, and the Hawks, who've grimly hung together under duress and death during his absence, are now on the verge of splintering to the winds. But Griffith's dreams and ambitions, built on the bodies of his troops and the countless enemies they have slain, have not gone unnoticed in the spirit realm, and though Griffith has nowhere to go as a man, he may yet have a future . . . a future borne on jet-black wings in the company of the demon lords of the Godhand!

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL #114: ON THE PERFECTION OF ANATOMY part 3 (of 6)
HIROAKI SAMURA (W/A)
On sale June 14, b&w, 32pg, $2.99

It's time for Manji's dimwitted-yet-likeable cellmate, Dewanosuke, to shine . . . or die! Searching for the key to immortality, the twisted doctor Burando finally feels that his experiments are leading towards success. However, the Shogun's bangashira, Habaki Kagimura, grows impatient and decides to up the ante in the tests on Dewanosuke's regenerative abilities. Also, while all of the Itto-ry warriors are supposed to be keeping a low profile, one cute sparkplug is about to threaten everything. Yes, it's the return of D, the feisty Itto-ry renegade who's been causing so much trouble for Rin! This time, however, D's headstrong attitude may turn up something very essential to Rin's search for her beloved, missing Manji.

B.P.R.D.: THE BLACK FLAME TPB
MIKE MIGNOLA (W/Cover), JOHN ARCUDI (W), and GUY DAVIS (A)
On sale July 12, SC, 168pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95

The Bureau for Paranormal Research and Defense faces its worst tragedy ever as the war against the plague of frogs reaches a devastating new level. Heralded by a bizarre villain from the B.P.R.D.â€™s past, an ancient monster-god marches across the American heartland portending an end to the reign of men, and leaving a permanent mark on the Bureau.

B.P.R.D.: THE UNIVERSAL MACHINE #3 (of 5)
MIKE MIGNOLA (W/Cover), JOHN ARCUDI (W), GUY DAVIS (A), and DAVE STEWART (C)
On sale June 7, FC, 32pg, $2.99

While searching for an arcane text that could hold the secret to bringing Roger back to life, Dr. Kate Corrigan is trapped in a mysterious French village where a collector of occult objects has terrible plans for one of the B.P.R.D.'s most valuable assets.

CHINESE HELLBOY AND ABE SAPIEN TOYS
On sale September 13, Hellboy Toy, 2 1/2", articulated figures, $7.99
On sale September 13, Abe Sapien Toy, 2 1/2", articulated figures, $7.99

Dark Horse has the extraordinary opportunity to offer these great little Chinese Hellboy toys. Originally packaged exclusively with the Chinese editions of the Hellboy graphic novels, we are now offering the 2 1/2 inch, articulated figures in a unique blister pack, including a keychain attachment and collectorâ€™s postcard designed specially for this product.

THE COMICS: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF COMIC STRIP ART TPB
JERRY ROBINSON (W)
On sale July 12, SC, 296pg, b&w, 9" x 12", $24.95

While there are many debates about when the medium of words married with pictures first evolved into what we know today as comics--be it in nascent prehistoric paintings in the caves of France or the more traditional illustrated adventures of such characters as the Katzenjammer Kids which first appeared at the end of the nineteenth century--virtually everyone born in the last one hundred years has read or seen a comic strip at one time in their lives. In an exhaustive historical overview that captures the magic and innovation of this incredibly vibrant art form Jerry Robinson, comics historian, award-winning comics artist, and co-creator of the popular Batman villain The Joker, takes us on a journey from the beginning of the comic strip industry to the present day in The Comics. Originally published in the early 1970s, this volume has been revised and updated to include commentary on the last thirty years of comics history: from Mutt & Jeff to Calvin & Hobbes, from George Herrimann's Krazy and Ignatz to Patrick McDonnell's Mutts, Jerry Robinson brings the history of this great industry alive for a new generation.

CONAN #29
MIKE MIGNOLA (W), CARY NORD (P), DAVE STEWART (C), and TONY HARRIS (Cover)
On sale June 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Hellboy creator Mike Mignola takes over writing duties on Conan for a three-part story adapting one of Robert E. Howard's legendary lost story fragments,
The Hall of the Dead"!
Pursued by a small army, Conan heads for shelter in the ancient ruins of a forgotten city, lured by a flimsy rumor of treasure. Instead, he finds the fallen idols of twisted gods and a lot of croaking creatures. Luckily, frogs are no match for a Cimmerian . . . right?

CONAN: BOOK OF THOTH #4 (of 4)
KURT BUSIEK (W), LEN WEIN (W), KELLEY JONES (A), and MICHELLE MADSEN (C)
On sale June 21, FC, 48pg, $4.99

Ancient evil dawns upon the land of Stygia in this horrifying conclusion to the origin of Conan's greatest adversary, Thoth-amon!
After a lifetime of scheming plots, bloody rituals, and murderous betrayals, Thoth-amon achieves his dark destiny as a dreaded sorcerer of the snake-god Set, and his ultimate display of power will devastate a nation and test the will of those dedicated to protecting a world lost and broken. It is the birth of a darkness beyond reckoning, and an unexpected finale to a story that has permanent ramifications for the Conan mythos!

CONAN AND THE DEMONS OF KHITAI TPB
AKIRA YOSHIDA (W), PAUL LEE (P), and PAT LEE (Cover)
On sale July 12, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $12.95

King Conan travels to the far-eastern land of Khitai, only to run afoul of an evil sorcerer and his demonic retainers in this tale of silent shadow-warriors and ghostly monsters.
Set many years in the future from the award-winning ongoing series, Conan and the Demons of Khitai marks Conan's first appearance as King in Dark Horse's best-selling comics revival of the legendary fantasy hero. When King Conan receives an invitation from the Eastern kingdom of Khitai to open trade in precious jewels and spices, he leads a small army into this long-mysterious land. Yet to do so is perilous, as those who have requested his company may have far more devious intentions, and beasts unseen by Western eyes lurk amidst the shadows.

CONCRETE VOLUME 6: STRANGE ARMOR TPB
PAUL CHADWICK (W/A)
On sale July 26, SC, 192pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $12.95

A troubled man seeking spiritual renewal in the wilderness experiences a wholly unexpected rebirthâ€”as a walking monolith, half a ton of animate stone able to perform astonishing feats of strength and endurance but forever denied many of life's fundamental pleasures. As Concrete, Ronald Lithgow becomes an overnight celebrity and the focus of dark government operatives desperate to keep the secret of his metamorphosis from the public. Concrete must struggle with the loss of his humanity while discovering, perhaps for the first time, what it truly means to be human.

FRANKENSTEIN: THE SHADOW OF FRANKENSTEIN NOVEL
STEFAN PETRUCHA (W)
On sale July 26, 275pg, 4 1/8" x 6 7/8", $6.99

Following his lab's explosion, Henry and Elizabeth Frankenstein head to London for a rest (and to avoid possible criminal charges). The monster, still alive, follows, but winds up in the Whitechapel district. There, he's mistaken for a disfigured, mentally disabled man and befriended by local prostitutes. When one of the whores is horribly murdered, the creature roams the area, hoping to protect the survivors.
This brings him in contact with the real killer--Jack the Ripper. After 47 years, he's back in action. His 1887 slayings (sacrifices) extended his life. Now he's aging again and desperate to remain alive, and sees in the reanimated corpse of the Frankenstein monster a possible new way to live forever. Henry, the monster and Jack the Ripper's fates become entwined as Jack the Ripper hatches a plan to frame the monster for the killings, to force Henry to reveal his secrets of life and death.

GHOST IN THE SHELL: STAND ALONE COMPLEX REVENGE OF THE COLD MACHINES NOVEL
JUNICHI FUJISAKU (W)
On sale July 12, 275pg, 5" x 7", $8.95

2030 Tokyo: While patrolling Tokyo's post-World War Three refugee zones Togusa, the newest member of Section 9, discovers that one of the most powerful cyber-criminals his squad has ever faced has plans to kill their leader, Section 9 Chief Daisuke Aramaki, in one of three stories in this collection, and it will take all of the members of Section 9 to stop him. The action heats up in the stories Double Targets, First Love, Last Love, and Revenge of the Cold Machines.

GOON #18
ERIC POWELL (W/A)
On sale June 21, FC, 32pg, $2.99

As chaos erupts in the streets from the unnamed Priest's growing power, the Goon is faced with an even deadlier foe . . . A darker evil from the depths of Hell itself. Now it's up to Goon and Franky to save their berg from this outlandish beast, this harbinger of total destruction, this . . . this . . . really BAD, uh, thing!

JOHN LANDIS BIOGRAPHY
GIULIA D'AGNOLO VALLAN (W)
On sale July 26, 250pg, FC & b&w photographs, 8" x 11", $29.95

An exhaustive career retrospective about the groundbreaking revolutionary filmmaker, told through exclusive interviews with Landis as well as through essays, interviews and remembrances by his colleagues, contemporaries and members of the film industry and reviewers. Contributors include Joe Dante, Jack Arnold, Wes Craven, Rick Baker, Frank Oz, Jim Abrahams and others. Illustrated with many exclusive photographs from Mr. Landis; many films, some reproduced here for the first time from the director's personal collection of photographs taken on the set by Mr. Landis during production of his movies.

THE KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE VOLUME 1 TPB
EIJI OHTSUKA (W) and HOUSUI YAMAZAKI (A)
On sale July 19, SC, 208, b&w, 5" x 7", $10.95

Your body is their business! Five young students at a Buddhist university, three guys and two girls, find little call for their job skills in today's Tokyo . . . among the living, that is! But all that stuff in college they were told would never pay off--you know, channeling, dowsing, ESP--gives them a direct line to the dead . . the dead who are still trapped in their corpses and can't move on to the next reincarnation.

MOVIE ICONS
On sale April 19, Charles Chaplin, 7" tall, packaged in a movie reel tin, $24.99
On sale April 19, Oliver Hardy, 7" tall, packaged in a movie reel tin, $24.99
On sale April 19, Stan Laurel, 7" tall, packaged in a movie reel tin, $24.99
On sale April 19, Steve McQueen, 7" tall, packaged in a movie reel tin, $24.99

SD Toys is bringing the past to life with a new series of collectible film figures. Distributed exclusively in North America by Dark Horse Comics, Movie Icons will launch Spring 2006 with Charles Chaplin, Oliver Hardy, Stan Laurel, and Steve McQueen.

Each 7" tall figure comes packaged in an attractive metal movie reel box. Included with each figure is a plastic "movie reel" base, clapboard, and actor appropriate accessories: Steve McQueen's baseball, Chaplin's walking stick, Oliver with removeable hat, and Stan with thrown cake and alternate hands - one scratching his head, one holding his hat.

MUSEUM OF TERROR VOLUME 1 TPB
JUNJI ITO (W/A)
On sale July 5, SC, 376pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $13.95

Dark Horse Comics is very proud to present Museum of Terror, a series of horror stories by Japan's foremost creator of horror manga. Full of compelling and charming characters and relationships, and featuring some of the finest comics art available, Junji Ito has seen his works translated into successful films in Japan.

OLD BOY VOLUME 1 TPB
GARON TSUCHIYA (W) and NOBUAKI MINEGISHI (A)
On sale July 5, SC, 208pg, b&w, 5 1/8" x 7 1/4", $10.95

Ten years ago, they took him. He doesn;t know who. For ten years he has been confined in a private prison. He doesn't know why. For ten years his only contact with the outside world has been a television set and the voices of his jailers. In time, he lost himself. He changed . . . transformed himself into something else . . . something hard . . . something lethal. Suddenly one day, his incarceration ends, again without explanation. He is sedated, stuffed inside a trunk, and dumped in a park. When he awakes, he is free to reclaim what's left of his life . . . and what's left is revenge.

PENNY ARCADE VOLUME 2: EPIC LEGENDS OF THE MAGIC SWORD KINGS TPB
JERRY HOLKINS (W) and MIKE KRAHULIK (A)
On sale July 26, SC, 120pg, FC, 7" x 9", $12.95

Verily, the heroes of Penny Arcade return in the second volume of valiant chivalric deeds of brave heroism, heroic gallantry, and gallant bravery! Forsooth! Sir Gabe and Sir Tycho return in Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings!
Collecting all the Penny Arcade strips posted online in the year 2001, Volume 2 includes creator commentary, an introduction from somebody sort of famous, and a gallery of artwork from the Penny Arcade card game!

PETE VON SHOLLY'S EXTREMELY WEIRD STORIES TPB
PETE VON SHOLLY (W/A)
On sale July 12, SC, 96pg, FC, 7" x 10", $14.95

Experience horror, babes, and laughs! See monsters from beyond the grave and before the dawn of history! See Scottish Lakes, black magic, and psychotic pseudo-scientists! Musty museums, virtual video vermin, and foul fables! See things that crawl and claw from the pages of putrid pulps and under the covers of creepy comics! See stuff you'll hope never sees you!

REVELATIONS TPB
PAUL JENKINS (W) and HUMBERTO RAMOS (A)
On sale July 26, SC, 168pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95

From Paul Jenkins and Humberto Ramos, the best-selling creative team behind Marvel's Spectacular Spider-Man, comes an occult murder mystery set in the unlikeliest of places--The Vatican.
When the Cardinal next in line to succeed the ailing Pope turns up dead, Scotland Yard's finest detective, Charlie Northern, finds himself on a plane to Rome with little more than a full pack of cigarettes. With the help of a priest, a coroner, and one beautiful lawyer, Northern must uncover the facts in a place legendary for keeping its secrets. There are forces at work in The Holy See that would see the truth remain hidden--forces ancient and dark, with a power not seen in this world for millennia, and an agenda that will leave Northern's world more shattered than he could have ever foreseen.

SAIYUKI RELOAD ANIME MANGA VOLUME 1 TPB
Based on the manga created by KAZUYA MINEKURA
On sale July 26, SC, 160pg, FC, 5" x 7", $14.95

Humans and ghosts live together peacefully in the world of Saiyuki Reload, but that peace has suddenly been shattered. The ghosts have lost their selves and started to attack humans. It all seems related to an evil experiment aimed at reviving Gyumao, a powerful ghost who has been sealed for 500 years. Now itâ€™s up to the Sanzo group, powerful fighting priests, to stop the experiment, traveling through a world gone crazy.

STAR WARS: CLONE WARS VOLUME 9: ENDGAME TPB
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), WELLES HARTLEY (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P), DOUG WHEATLEY (P), DAN PARSONS (I), BRAD ANDERSON (C), CHRIS CHUCKRY (C)
On sale July 26, SC, 144pg, FC, 7" x 10", $17.95

Witness the untold stories of the Jedi who took a last stand against Emperor Palpatine in the moments during, and immediately after, the events in Revenge of the Sith! Watch Darth Vader undertake a Jedi purge of his own in the hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi!
In the jungles of the Wookiee homeworld Kashyyyk, Quinlan Vos wages a battle of impossible odds against his own troops to protect his loved ones. On the icy Outer Rim world of Toola, Jedi Master Kai Huddora takes a terrified Padawan into his charge after her own master falls to Order 66. Amidst the forests of New Plymto, Das Jennir finds himself in league with a band of rebels he'd led attacks against only days before. Not all Jedi are scattered across the galaxy however, and soon, a brave few will plot to topple Sith ruleâ€”by setting a trap for the newly unveiled Darth Vader!

STAR WARS KNIGHTS OF THE OLD REPUBLIC #6
JOHN JACKSON MILLER (W), BRIAN CHING (P), MICHAEL ATIYEH (C), and TRAVIS CHAREST (Cover)
On sale June 28, FC, 32pg, $2.99

Padawan Zayne Carrick faces off against the Jedi Masters hunting him in this shocking finale to the Commencement storyline! Something is rotten in the Jedi Council on Taris, but the only ones closest to the truth are a vagabond, a criminal, a droid, and Zayneâ€”now in the custody of the same Jedi falsely accusing him of murdering his fellow Padawan. It's going to take more than foolish bravery to get Zayne out of this one. Too bad that's all he's got!

STAR WARS: LEGACY #1
JOHN OSTRANDER (W), JAN DUURSEMA (P), DAN PARSONS (I), BRAD ANDERSON (C), and ADAM HUGHES (Cover)
On sale June 7, FC, 32pg, $2.99

The future of Star Wars is here in an all-new series set more than a century after Return of the Jedi and the New Jedi Order!
The Jedi Temple is attacked, an Emperor is betrayed, and the Sith are born anew! A lot can happen in a hundred years, but all of the above happens just in this first issue! Not since Luke Skywalker first stepped aboard the Millennium Falcon has the galaxy seemed like such a vast, exciting, dangerous place!

STAR WARS OMNIBUS: X-WING ROGUE SQUADRON VOLUME 1 TPB
HADEN BLACKMAN (W), MICHAEL STACKPOLE (W), MIKE BARON (W), DARKO MACAN (W), PEET JANES (W), TOMAS GIORELLO, (A), EDVIN BIUKOVIC (A), GARY ERSKINE (A), ARTHUR ADAMS (A), STEVE CRESPO (A), DOUG MAHNKE (A), STAN (A) AND VINCE (A), and more
On sale June 00, SC, 296pg, FC, 6" x 9", $24.95

The greatest starfighters of the Rebel Alliance become the defenders of a New Republic in this massive collection of stories featuring Wedge Antilles, hero of the Battle of Endor, and his team of ace pilots known throughout the galaxy as Rogue Squadron!
Meet the Rogues for the first time and learn the fate of the galaxy immediately after the events of Return of the Jedi as the Rebellion's best pilots battle remnants of the Empire wherever its ugly agenda of fear and domination appears. Along with the critically acclaimed X-Wing Rogue Squadron: The Phantom Affair this jam-packed volume contains tons of material never-before-collected!

STAR WARS: REBELLION: MY BROTHER, MY ENEMY #3ROB WILLIAMS (W), BRANDON BADEAUX (P), and WIL GLASS (C)
On sale June 14, FC, 32pg, $2.99

The Empire has infiltrated the command ship of the Rebel fleet with a sleeper agent and he's just woken up! Now, the lives of everyone onboard are in jeopardy, along with the entire Alliance cause. Too bad the young hero Luke Skywalker is nowhere to be found. Having received a coded message from Imperial officer Janek Tank Sunber, Luke's hijacked a shuttle against orders, determined to find his old friend--even if it means delivering himself straight into an Imperial trap!

SUDDEN GRAVITY TPB
GREG RUTH (W/A)
On sale July 12, SC, 144pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $10.95

Built on a site of great and forgotten power, the mammoth Bentham International Hospital was to be the very definition of modern medical science at its best. But over the years, the spectres and dark secrets of the Hospital began to bore away at its heart, leaving its foundations cracked and vulnerable to the oldest of horrors and nightmares. When a prominent Commissioner of the City's Housing and Urban Development Department is brought in for evaluation after murdering her family, the haunted secrets of the hospital begin to unravel, leaving no one untouched. Julius, the prosthetic boy in room 13 is waking up. The black eggs are found. The lines between the patients and the doctors is blurring. This is where the end begins. Every cure is paid with a curse and every sin is birthed anew as the once brilliant light of modern medicine forsakes the world for the shadows it can no longer hide.

UNDERDOG VINYL FIGURE
On sale September 13, 9" vinyl figure, $17.99

Dark Horse is continuing our line of vintage cartoon characters presented as high-quality roto-cast vinyl figures with none other than the intrepid toon canine, Underdog.
This powerhouse of a pooch burst onto the animation scene in 1964, and continued for a decade in a well-remembered NBC television show. Disguised as the wimpy Shoeshine Boy, our hero would emerge from a telephone booth as the mighty Underdog.
He was most often saving his true love, Sweet Polly Purebred, from the dastardly clutches of villains led by Simon Bar Sinister. A hero for the ages!
Packaged in a full-color window box, Underdog stands nearly 9" tall.

USAGI YOJIMBO #94
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale June 28, b&w, 24pg, $2.99

The deadly Koroshi League of Assassins is back and its longstanding grudge against our favorite rabbit ronin is far from forgotten! This is especially true for Saiko, the swift and beautiful young murderer whose father and partners were killed by Usagi, Katsuichi-sensei, and Jotaro in the landmark issue #75. Usagi, fresh from his stay in the friendly Geishu Province, again runs afoul of Saiko by attempting to prevent her latest contract. But when he tries to protect the life of a prominent local merchant, Saiko takes the man's young daughter hostage! It's a life-and-death standoff . . . will the long-eared samurai prevail by sacrificing an innocent, or will he allow this homicidal up-and-comer to escape, free to continue carving her bloody path through feudal Japan? Find out this month, in Usagi Yojmbo!

USAGI YOJIMBO VOLUME 20: GLIMPSES OF DEATH TPB & LTD HC
STAN SAKAI (W/A)
On sale July 12, SC, 184pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $15.95
On sale August 2, HC w/dust jacket, 184pg, b&w, 6" x 9", $59.95

Wandering ronin Usagi Yojimbo is alone once again, having emerged from his travels with young Jotaro. His brief respite from danger was not destined to last long, for adventure in feudal Japan waits for no one! In this volume of the internationally acclaimed series, master storyteller Stan Sakai treats readers to intriguing tales of Usagi on his own and catches up with a bevy of fan-favorite characters whodunit maestro Inspector Ishida has another puzzling mystery to solve, bounty hunters Gen and Stray Dog are each on the tail of the possessed swordswoman Inazuma, bodyguard Tomoe has a new political rival in Lord Noriyuki's court, and Priest Sanshobo's temple is plagued by a vile demon! Throughout these stories we follow Usagi as he is roped into a covert smuggling operation, escorts a cantankerous old woman through dangerous territory, assists an inventor with a visionary flying machine, and once again encounters a vengeful young samurai.

VAMPIRE HUNTER D VOLUME 4: TALE OF THE DEAD TOWN NOVEL
HIDEYUKI KIKUCHI (W)
On sale May 17, SC, 300pg, 5" x 7", $8.95

When a floating city becomes the target of a rash of vampire attacks, only one man can restore the oasis.

The City, a tiny metropolis of a few hundred sheltered citizens floating serenely on a seemingly random course a few feet above the ground, has long been thought safe from the predation of marauding monsters. It seemed like a paradise.

A paradise shattered when an invasion of apparent vampires threatens the small haven. While the Vampire Hunter known only as D struggles to exterminate the scourge, a former denizen of the city, the attractive Raleigh Knight, and the brash John M. Brassalli Pluto VIII seize control of the city lurching it onto a new and deadly course. D's travails are just beginning.

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Vintage James Bond posters

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DC Comics public service announcement

Pop Culture Roundup March 9, 2006

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"Glamour Collections" showcase Lombard, West and Dietrich

"Planet of the Apes Ultimate DVD Collection" -- with big ape head!

Order action figures March 9, 2006

Pop Artifact! Prince Valiant board game

DC Comics public service announcement

New "Notorious Bettie Page" pic

Upcoming Marvel Essentials details

Pop Culture Roundup March 8, 2006

New comics March 8, 2006

Dark Horse Comics June 2006 solicitations