Pop links: Wolverine sucks? McCartney meets King Kirby!

Early reviews of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" aren't looking too good, reports Newsarama.

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The Beatle photo blog has pics of Paul McCartney's 1976 meeting with comic book genius Jack Kirby. Kirby gave Paul and Linda specially drawn illustration after learning of Macca's tune "Magneto and Titanium Man," which was inspired by Kirby's Marvel Comics creations.

Hanna-Barbera character rings
















Video find: Harry Nilsson on the Smothers Brothers Show

Here's a great segment of Harry introduced by Tommy. Harry goes on to sing several of his best-known songs and even provides a brief songwriting tutorial.



Pop links: Plastic Ono Band redux; Batcave garage sale; Flash Gordon comics; Hammer horror comics; Everett Raymond Kinstler

Yoko Ono is convening a new Plastic Ono Band to back her performance at the upcoming Meltdown Festival in London. Jazz legend Ornette Coleman, who Ono collaborated with back in her pre-John Lennon days, has selected those to perform, who also include Sean Lennon, Patti Smith and Robert Wyatt.

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Adam West holds a Batcave garage sale:



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Geek Orthodox shares some vintage Flash Gordon comic book covers.



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Harry Green Eyeball presents a Brian Bolland-illustrated adaptation of Hammer Studio's "Vampire Circus" from 1978.



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Golden Age Comic Book Stories pays tribute to pulp illustrator and comic book artist Everett Raymond Kinstler.

Gilligan's Island trading cards pt. 4







Video find: Badfinger - "Day After Day"




Watch Lost tonight!

See a preview for tonight's episode. Read spoilers here! Visit the Lost Season 5 blog for a full roundup of everything that happened.

New comics April 29, 2009: Little Lulu; Green Lantern power battery; Mad hits 500; Avengers Masterworks in paperback; Muppets; Sherlock Holmes

Releases of interest this week. Click the links to order discounted titles from Amazon. Proceeds help support this site! Thanks!


LITTLE LULU VOL 19 ALAMO & OTHER STORIES This is one of those "I don't read it, but I'm glad it exists titles for me." Successful reprint series of one title means more reprint series of other titles, some of which I love, so I'm glad this one is doing so well for Dark Horse.


JLA TROPHY ROOM GREEN LANTERN BATTERY PROP For when you need a charge...

MAD MAGAZINE #500 I don't read Mad anymore, but 500 issues of ruining young minds is something to celebrate!

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN FAMILY #5
I've browsed through previous issues of this and it looks like a cool anthology title. Maybe a good buy for younger readers. And Fred Hembeck says he has some strips set to appear in upcoming issues. I'll definitely be watching for that. Speaking of such anthologies, though, I wish there were more of them. I have fond memories of DC's Batman Family title and the "Dollar Comics" World's Finest. Bring 'em back!


MARVEL MASTERWORKS AVENGERS TP VOL. 1 An affordable reprint of the first 10 issues of the Avengers in color.

MUPPET SHOW #2 The first issue of this title got good reviews from various Web comic reviewers. Looks like fun.

SHERLOCK HOLMES #1 I'm a Holmes fan, so I'll definitely give this one a look-see.

Pop links: Kaluta! The Specials! Fun Boy Three! Dick Tracy! Bronze Age Marvel Comics!

The Pictorial Arts is in the midst of a series of posts celebrating the fabulous artwork of Michael Kaluta. Today's entry: A nicely illustrated adaptation of one of Edgar Rice Burrough's "Carson of Venus" tales. Check out the rest of the blog for more great Kaluta art.



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From Bedazzled, a vintage video of The Specials performing (more miming, actually. But it's still cool) their classic "Ghost Town" on Britain's "Top of the Pops" in 1981. I remember well getting that EP when it came out.

And in another Specials-related post: The Fun Boy Three performs "Our Lips Are Sealed," a tune co-written by Specials/Fun Boy Three singer Terry Hall and the Go-Gos' Jane Wiedlin.

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Fred Hembeck continues his YouTube explorations (hey, he's on a pop culture safari!) and turns up 1947's "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome," featuring Boris Karloff in the villain's role.

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Diversions of the Groovy Kind shares some stunning Marvel Comics' splash pages from the height of the Bronze Age, right about the time a young me was getting into funny books.

Gilligan's Island trading cards pt. 3








CD new releases April 29, 2009: Dylan; Corea/McLaughlin; Donovan; Yardbirds

Releases of note this week. Click the titles to order discounted CDs from Amazon.


Together Through Life (Deluxe Edition) by Bob Dylan


Together Through Life by Bob Dylan


Five Peace Band Live by Chick Corea and John McLaughlin


Action: The Sweet Anthology by Sweet


Castles In The Sand by Quicksilver Messenger Service


Live Troubadour by Donovan


Roger the Engineer by Yardbirds

DVD new releases April28, 2009: Blu-Ray Star Trek; animated X-Men; Mission Impossible; Wilco; Jetsons; Bugs

Releases of interest this week. Click the titles to order discounted DVDs from Amazon. Proceeds help support this site!


Star Trek: The Original Series - Season 1 [Blu-ray]


X-Men, Volume 1 (Marvel DVD Comic Book Collection)


Marvel X-Men Volume 2 (2-Disc)


Mission Impossible: The Sixth TV Season


Wilco: Ashes of American Flags


Jetsons: The Movie


The Looney, Looney, Looney Bugs Bunny Movie


Spectacular Spider-Man Vol. 4

Paul Pope previews his Adam Strange

Artist Paul Pope is sharing a page from his "Adam Strange" feature for DC's upcoming Wednesday Comics tabloid series.

Pop links: Star Wars comic covers! Full of Pryde! Wally Wood!

Geek Orthodox shares some cover images from Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" series.



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Art for a worthy cause: Check out the Full of Pryde blog for depictions of the X-Men's Kitty Pryde by a variety of different artists, including Bryan Lee O’Malley, Farel Dalrymple, Nathan Fox, Vasilis Lolos and Jeffrey Brown. The works will be on sale starting May 7 at a benefit exhibit for the Oregon Hemophilia Treatment Center in Portland, Ore.



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From Booksteve's Hooray for Wally Wood blog: Some superhero parody art from the master artist.

Gilligan's Island trading cards pt. 2