Disneyland Submarine Voyage attraction poster

Upcoming DC Direct items

Here are pics of some upcoming action figures and more from DC Direct:


1:2 Scale Two-Face Bust


Blackest Night Series 04
Black Hand
Black Lantern Firestorm
Kyle Rayner
Wonder Woman


Green Lantern Legacies Statue Part 1 - Hal Jordan


Wonder Woman Lynda Carter 13" Statue (2010 Reissue)


Ame-Comi Wonder Woman Version 2 PVC Figure


Ame-Comi Wonder Girl PVC Figure


DC Chronicles Batman Statue


Women of the DC Universe 3: Batgirl Bust


Blammoids Series 02

Justice League Complete Series DVD set announced

The entire Justice League animated series is coming out in a DVD box set on Nov. 10, 2009.


Details:

In this action-packed adventure series, the world's greatest superheroes, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, The Flash, Hawkgirl and Martian Manhunter, join forces as the Justice League to battle powerful villains, supernatural creatures and evil entities determined to take over the world and destroy the League.

All 91 episodes from the Justice League Animated Series will now be available for the first time in a complete 15-disc collection, with special collectible packaging.

The bonus disc will include a new featurette, Unlimited Reserve: Exploring The Depths Of The DC Universe.



Episodes:
Secret Origins, Part 1
Secret Origins, Part 2
Secret Origins, Part 3
In Blackest Night, Part 1
In Blackest Night, Part 2
The Enemy Below, Part 1
The Enemy Below, Part 2
Injustice for All, Part 1
Injustice for All, Part 2
Paradise Lost, Part 1
Paradise Lost, Part 2
War World, Part 1
War World, Part 2
The Brave and the Bold, Part 1
The Brave and the Bold, Part 2
Fury, Part 1
Fury, Part 2
Legends, Part 1
Legends, Part 2
A Knight of Shadows, Part 2
Metamorphosis, Part 1
Metamorphosis, Part 2
The Savage Time, Part 1
The Savage Time, Part 2
The Savage Time, Part 3
Twilight, Part 1
Twilight, Part 2
Tabula Rasa, Part 1
Tabula Rasa, Part 2
Only a Dream, Part 1
Only a Dream, Part 2
Maid of Honor, Part 1
Maid of Honor, Part 2
Hearts and Minds, Part 1
Hearts and Minds, Part 2
A Better World, Part 1
A Better World, Part 2
The Terror Beyond, Part 1
The Terror Beyond, Part 2
Eclipsed, Part 1
Eclipsed, Part 2
Hearafter, Part 1
Hearafter, Part 2
The Secret Society, Part 1
The Secret Society, Part 2
Comfort and Joy
Wild Cards, Part 1
Wild Cards, Part 2
Starcrossed, Part 1
Starcrossed, Part 2
Starcrossed, Part 3

Disneyland Skyway poster

Pop links: Frazetta Westerns! Beatles mini-doc preview! Les Paul on Piano Jazz!

Read a big batch of vintage Westerns illustrated by Frank Frazetta.



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Hear the late, great guitarist Les Paul's 1999 session on NPR's "Piano Jazz."

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Clips from the making-of mini-documentary to be included with the upcoming remaster of The Beatles For Sale album are now up on the band's official site.

Who owns Superman?

Variety drops this interesting tidbit in a story about the legal ruling this week that granted partial rights to Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, to the heirs of Jerry Siegel, who co-created the Man of Steel with artist Joe Shuster (Variety spells his name wrong) back in the 1930s:

The Schuster(sic) estate originally did not participate with the Siegels' case because Schuster has no spouse or children. But his estate later won a ruling of a recapture identical to the Siegels, which will be effective in 2013. At that point, the Siegels and Schusters will own the entire copyright to Action Comics No. 1. That will give them the chance to set up Superman pics, TV shows and other projects at another studio.

If they want to get a new "Superman" or even "Justice League" pic featuring the superhero, Warner Bros. and DC will be forced to go into production by 2011.


DC spins the latest decision this way:

DC owns other elements like Superman's ability to fly, the term kryptonite, the Lex Luthor and Jimmy Olsen characters, Superman's powers and expanded origins.

In a statement, Warner Bros. and DC said, "Warner and DC Comics are pleased that the court has affirmed that the vast majority of key elements associated with the Superman character that were developed after Action Comics No. 1 are not part of the copyrights that the plaintiffs have recaptured and therefore remain solely owned by DC Comics."


But, of course, it can (and probably will) be argued that some of those elements also were created by Siegel and/or Shuster as well. Somebody who's more up on their Superman lore can help me out, please.

But even if you look at just Action #1, it depicts Superman's origins as a baby rocketed to earth (although Krypton isn't referenced by name) and his super strength. It also shows him leaping into the air and staying up there for a long time, over great distances. Is this flying or not? That's subject to debate.

Also introduced in Action #1: A little lady named Lois Lane. If you're going to tell a decent Superman story--in any medium--you need to include his famed female foil.

And, oh yeah, Action #1 introduces CLARK KENT. Would this mean DC couldn't use Superman's alter ego, either?

Perhaps most significantly, the comic depicts Superman in his iconic costume. Does this mean, come 2011, Superman is going to wear something else? And, if so, is he still Superman?

(also, it looks like Siegel and Shuster created the Superman logo, too)

TV alert: repeat of McCartney on Letterman tonight

If you missed it a few weeks back, you can see Paul McCartney's performance atop the Ed Sullivan Theater tonight on "Late Show with David Letterman." Check yer local listings.

Disneyland On the Air Golden Book

And one more...

Man, I'm gonna miss this guy...

A little more Les

Here's an awesome video in which Les Paul and Mary Ford demonstrate their pioneering use of multi-track recording:

So long Les Paul

Sad news: Guitarist and music innovator/inventor Les Paul has died at 94.

The guy was seriously the Tom Swift boy genius of popular music, inventing not only the solid body electric guitar, but also multi-track recording. A brilliant, brilliant man. And a damned good guitarist, as is seen in this vintage video with his then-wife Mary Ford (granted, he's miming here).

Pop links: Siegels score another Superman victory; Tim Sale covers Captain America; Star Wars chopsticks!

A judge in the ongoing lawsuit between DC Comics and the estate of Superman co-creator Jerry Siegel has ruled that the Siegel family has partial rights to Action Comics No. 1; Action Comics No. 4; Superman No. 1, pages three through six, and the initial two weeks’ worth of Superman daily newspaper strips. Newsarama's Jeff Trexler wades through the legalese and explains the basis of the decision.

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I haven't read a Captain America comic in probably more than 20 years. But I love this Tim Sale cover for an upcoming issue of Captain America Reborn. It's got a cool Frank Robbins vibe to it.




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Handy!

Film noir movie posters: Dark Passage




Disneyland It's a Small World attraction poster

Pop links: Lego movie! New Brian Wilson single charts! Classic TV stamps! More!

Warner Bros. is working on a Lego movie.

The live-action/CG-animated movie project is described as being set in the world of Lego. It will centre on the idea of a child-like imagination and examine themes of creativity and teamwork in the manner of "Toy Story." The picture will have elements for children, but the studio is hoping it also will play to adults.

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A new collaboration between Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach is a hit on the adult-contemporary charts. "What Love Can Do" appears on an album of the same name featuring various artists singing tunes produced by Phil Ramone. The album also features Wilson singing a new version of his Beach Boys classic "God Only Knows."

According to a press release:

"What Love Can Do" was the # 1 Most Added song at adult contemporary radio in late July, setting off a march up the charts in tandem with the release last week of the album of the same name.



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Veteran comics artist Gene Colan is in the hospital with pneumonia, Clifford Meth reports.

Gene Colan is back in the hospital, which is always serious for someone his age. He was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital yesterday morning and may be home by late Wednesday-early Thursday. He has pneumonia in his right lung behind his heart and there's the possibility of infection.

I am announcing this so you can add your prayers to ours, but I must insist that his wife Adrienne NOT be inundated with emails and phone calls right now. Post messages to the Gene Colan board at Yahoo but do NOT start calling her now--she is exhausted and has enough to deal with.

Well-wishes can be sent to Gene Colan, 2240 Burnett Street, #5D, Brooklyn, NY 11229.


Get well soon, Gene!

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If there's one thing Americans are great at, it's watching TV! And the U.S. Postal Service is honoring our great national pastime with a new series of stamps.

Available nationwide today, all 50 million stamps, available in sheets of 20, commemorate Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet; Alfred Hitchcock Presents; The Dinah Shore Show; Dragnet; The Ed Sullivan Show; The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show; Hopalong Cassidy; The Honeymooners; Howdy Doody; I Love Lucy; Kukla, Fran and Ollie; Lassie; The Lone Ranger; Perry Mason; The Phil Silvers Show; The Red Skelton Show; Texaco Star Theater; The Tonight Show; The Twilight Zone; and, You Bet Your Life.

Dark Horse Comics November 2009 solicitations

Here are highlights from Dark Horse's November offerings:


THE BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH CONAN ARCHIVES VOLUME 1
Written by Roy Thomas, art by Barry Windsor-Smith.
In 1970, Barry Windsor-Smith burst onto the comic-book scene with his dynamic portrayal of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, altering the course of the blue-eyed Cimmerian forever, and cementing himself as one of the greatest artists to touch pencil to paper. Nearly forty years later, Dark Horse Comics, in the tradition of the Dark Horse Archives collections, reprints Barry Windsor-Smith's entire run on Marvel's Conan the Barbarian in two fine hardcover volumes!
The first volume of The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives includes such classic tales as Rogues in the House and The Tower of the Elephant, written by Roy Thomas and fully illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith -- now presented as they were intended, remastered using the original color palette!
This volume reprints the first half of Barry Windsor-Smith's run on Conan the Barbarian.
200 pages, $49.95, in stores on Jan. 20.


BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #30
Written by Jane Espenson, penciled by Georges Jeanty, inked by Andy Owens, colored by Michelle Madsen, covers by Jeanty and Adam Hughes.
"Retreat," part 5 of 5. The war between Twilight's minions and Buffy's army rages in the Tibetan mountains. Bereft of their magic, the girls‹Wiccans and Slayers‹face an epic battle in which they have no hope of victory. Buffy has already done the retreat thing once, plus also put herself and her army into hiding . . . What can she do now that there is no magic to help them escape from another losing battle?
40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 4.


CREEPY TRADING CARDS
Kicking open the crypt door with the archival hardcover collections of macabre and unusual stories from Creepy, where the only "shaggy dog tale" to be found involves a werewolf or two.
Long esteemed by comics and horror fans for their deft art and twist endings, perhaps the single most stunning element of any issue of Creepy was its cover. Starting out with a memorable first-issue cover by Jack Davis, the magazine quickly found itself with none other than Frank Frazetta as its main cover artist, which was a move everyone found exciting. But Frazetta wasn't the only great cover painter -- he was followed by a host of others, such as Richard Corben and Ken Kelly, to name just two.
Another fun component to any issue of Creepy was the mail-order ads for odd merchandise from a variety of sources. These goofy ads still give one a nostalgic chuckle.
Boxed in a set of 50 cards (42 cover cards and 8 ad cards), $14.95, in stores on Jan. 27


DR. HORRIBLE
Written by Zack Whedon, penciled by Joelle Jones, colored by Dan Jackson, covers by Kristian Donaldson.
From the Joss Whedon-helmed webmovie Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog comes the origin story of the next greatest supervillain of all time . . . Dr. Horrible!
In this one-shot comic, Zack Whedon and artist Joëlle Jones (Token) establish how a young, impressionable, but brilliant Dr. Horrible was drawn into a world of crime. Readers are reacquainted with the charming, brawny, crime-fighting superhero extraordinaire Captain Hammer when Dr. Horrible crosses paths with his greatest enemy in an all-out showdown of immeasurable proportions. Special guest appearances include Dr. Horrible's love interest, Penny; his sidekick, Moist; and a meter man.
40 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 18.


UNCLE SCROOGE CLASSIC CHARACTER #6: BEAGLE BOY
Giving one of the comic-book medium's most revered casts of characters the Syroco-style treatment in this series of statuettes based on the classic Uncle Scrooge comics. Our sixth and final character in this series is Beagle Boy. The Beagle Boys were a gang of buffoonish criminals, only identifiable by the prison number plates on their chests. They were a constant threat to Scrooge's riches, and are probably still trying to pull the perfect heist to this very day.
Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet, limited edition of 650 numbered pieces, $49.95, in stores on Jan. 20

Film noir movie posters: Dead Reckoning




New comics Aug. 12, 2009: Eerie! Turok! Superboy! Sandman! Flash! Spidey! More!

Releases of note this week. Click highlighted titles to order discounted books from Amazon.


EERIE ARCHIVES VOL 2
TUROK SON OF STONE ARCHIVES VOL 3
Two more classic collections from Dark Horse.


ADVENTURE COMICS #1 The Conner Kent Superboy returns. I'm not really a fan of this incarnation of Superboy or of scripter Geoff Johns, but I'm glad to see DC reviving the Adventure Comics name. It was always one of my favorites, no matter who was starring--the real Superboy, the Spectre, Aquaman...


SANDMAN BY JOE SIMON AND JACK KIRBY If DC manages to get this looking right and puts it on decent paper, it'll be a real gem. The book features Simon and Kirby's Golden Age Sandman stories from, ahem, Adventure Comics and elsewhere, plus their 1970s reunion 1974's Sandman #1.


SHOWCASE PRESENTS THE FLASH VOL 3 Another slab of Silver Age Flash. This one collects THE FLASH #141-161. Good stuff from John Broome, Gardner Fox, Carmine Infantino and co.


WEDNESDAY COMICS #6 DC's cool, tabloid-format anthology reaches its mid-point. I'm loving slightly more than half of it. The Kamandi and Metamorpho strips are my favorites. Kubert and son's Sgt. Rock is swell, as are Adam Strange and Green Lantern. The Flash and Batman strips are fun, as is the lighthearted Supergirl tale. Dead Man looks spectacular, but the story seems pretty routine so far. I enjoy the art on Catwoman and the Demon and the pairing of the characters is interesting. I just don't know if the story will end up being anything special. Kyle Baker's Hawkman is leaving me cold and I can't figure out how to read Wonder Woman, although it looks really nice. What's left? Metal Men has awesome art by Jose Garcia Lopez, but the script by DC Publisher Dan DiDio is lackluster. Teen Titans has awfully tiny ideas for such big pages. And the Superman story is likewise routine, plus I don't like the "shiny" look of the art/coloring. But that's the point of an anthology right? Some stuff you'll like, other stuff not so much.



AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #602 The Mary Jane returns storyline continues. I enjoyed the first installment last ish. I'm a little embarrassed by the cheesecake covers, though.

Disneyland Golden Horseshoe Revue poster