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Circuit City has reversed its decision to yank Mad Magazine from its shelves after the mag parodied the retailer's sales flyers.

"I became aware of this 'situation' only this morning, and I have sent a note today to the editors of Mad Magazine," said Jim Babb, spokesman for Circuit City. "Speaking as 'an embarrassed corporate PR Guy,' I apologized for the fact that some overly-sensitive souls at our corporate headquarters ordered the removal of the August issue of MAD Magazine from our stores.

"The parody of our newspaper ad in the August MAD was very clever," he continued. "Most of us at Circuit City share a rich sense of humor and irony... but there are occasional temporary lapses. We apologize for the knee-jerk reaction, and have issued a retraction order; the affected stores are being directed to put the magazines back on sale."

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See a trailer for DC Comics' straight-to-DVD animated Wonder Woman film.

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Read "Mantoka: Master of Magic" by the great Jack Cole.

Join the Lost Book Club

From ABC:

Do you need a "Lost" fix? Beginning today, ABC.com is launching the "Lost Book Club" which will give fans new insight on books that have been either seen or referenced throughout the dynamic four seasons of "Lost." The book list will be added to regularly on ABC.com, with a list also available for audio download on the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com).

Also available on ABC.com will be a message board to discuss the titles, a synopsis of each book, along with when and how it was referenced in the show, and an introduction by co-creator/executive producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer Carlton Cuse. Book examples include Sawyer reading Watership Down, Juliet's book club reading Carrie and an orientation film hidden behind The Turn of the Screw.

How the anthrax attacks killed Cracked magazine

Well, the anthrax attacks didn't actually kill the old Mad knock-off mag, but they did throw a major wrench into the possibility of reprinting some of Cracked's best stories.

For details, check out this wild tale posted by former Cracked Editor-in-Chief Mort Todd on the Comics Journal message board:

The guy who is alleged to have sent anthrax-laced letters to many media outlets soon after 09/11/01, infecting and killing some, has killed himself. Quoted from the 08/02/08 NY Post: Scientist Bruce Ivins, "a top Army bioweapons expert who killed himself this week as investigators closed in on him for the deadly 2001 wave of anthrax letters had a history of murderous tendencies that dates back decades, according to documents disclosed yesterday... Television-news anchors Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather, along with Sens. Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy, were among the recipients of the missives."

What it doesn't say is that he also is suspected of sending a letter to American Media Inc., publishers of The Star, The Globe, National Examiner, and The Sun and, for a short time, Cracked magazine (way after my reign). This lead to the death of a photo editor and since all the film to print the magazine, from 1958 to 2000, was stored there, it had to be destroyed because of contamination.

Now this may be cheered by some, but there was some great art by John Severin, Jack Davis, Will Elder, All Jaffee, Bill Ward, Steve Ditko, Gene Colan and many other titans of the comics industry!

This means that any future reprint collections of Cracked (and it is warranted) will have to be shot from the actual magazines and resultant loss of quality.

CD new releases Aug. 5, 2008

Click links to order CDs from Amazon.

I Got the Feelin' James Brown
Buy New: $31.97

Complete '68 Comeback Special 4oth anniversary edition Elvis Presley
Buy New: $39.97

The Complete BBC Sessions Squeeze
Buy New: $22.98

The Disappearing Act 1987-1998 Sam Phillips
Buy New: $18.99

Hard Travelling Pete Seeger
Buy New: $13.98

DVD new releases Aug. 5, 2008

Click links to order DVDs from Amazon.

Get Smart - Season 1
Buy New: $16.99

Starship Troopers 3
Buy New: $16.99

Doctor Who - The Time Meddler
Buy New: $16.99

Doctor Who - The Five Doctors
Buy New: $23.99

Pete Seeger
Buy New: $18.99

Star Trek The Original Series - The Complete Second Season remastered
Buy New: $59.99

Love Story
Buy New: $26.99

Pop links

Check out the latest additions to Fred Hembeck's nifty across-the-page gallery.

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Circuit City doesn't want its customers to see the latest issue of Mad Magazine, which parodies the retailer's sales flyers.



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Further memoirs by the late, great John Peel are set for publication.

'The Olivetti Chronicles: Notes On Life, Music And Facial Hair' will include previously unpublished articles, and hits bookshelves on October 23.

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On YouTube: A preview for the sadly never-produced "Buffy" animated series.

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As per usual, lot's of good stuff at Golden Age Comic Book Stories:
A look at Larry Ivie's early 70s 'zine Monsters and Heroes, featuring artwork by Jeff Jones, Berni Wrightson and others. Part one, two, three.
And artwork from late 1960s, early '70s programs from the New York Comicon: Part one, two, three, four , five.

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Today in How Marvel Comics has Completely Lost the Plot.

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The UK's Mojo and Uncut review Brian Wilson's new album.

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See Boyce and Hart and Phil Spector on "I Dream of Jeannie."

Pop links

Much of the music on the much-reported "giggling Beatles" tape up for auction isn't the Beatles at all, Fabs expert Doug Sulpy reports.

The song Don’t Let Me Down Like This was not the Beatles at all, but rather, Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers. Sulpy also identified Too Much Monkey Business, Nitty Gritty, Somethings Got A Hold On Me, and I Shall Not Be Moved as all being performed by The Hollies, though the Beatles did in fact cover Too Much Monkey Business.

So, the only actual “new” items on this tape, according to Sulpy, are the breakdowns between songs and a different version of I’ll Follow The Sun. The other tracks have appeared elsewhere.

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From On My Mind: "I Spy" paperbacks!

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Today in sharity:

Lots of Batman: Brave and Bold 'toon pics

Now HERE'S the Batman I like! To heck with the "Dark Knight." This show looks like a lot of fun.

"Tales of Beedle the Bard," new J.K. Rowling book up for pre-order

Amazon is offering J.K. Rowling's new short story collection in two editions.

Here's info:

The Standard Edition features all five fairy tales from the original "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," a new introduction by J.K. Rowling, illustrations reproduced from the original handcrafted book, and commentary on each of the tales by Professor Albus Dumbledore.

The Collector's Edition is designed to evoke the spirit of the handcrafted original.It includes a reproduction of J.K. Rowling's handwritten introduction, as well as 10 additional illustrations not found in the Standard Edition. Opening the cover of the case reveals a velvet bag embroidered with J.K. Rowling's signature, in which sits the piece de resistance: your very own copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard , complete with metal skull, corners, and clasp; replica gemstones; and emerald ribbon.

Here's more info:
Standard Edition
Collector's Edition

Man from U.N.C.L.E. paperbacks