Undertones singer Feargal Sharkey headed for the House of Lords

Cool!
If the Daily Mirror is to be believed, Sharkey is in line to receive a life peerage from David Cameron. The former Undertones frontman has been intensely involved in the debate over copyright policy and the proposed "three strikes" rule. He was also a key player in the successful campaign to save BBC 6 Music.

Cameron was "deeply impressed", the Mirror claims, "[and feels] he would be a welcome addition to the House of Lords or in a role advising the government, although nothing has been finalised". Labour is purportedly just as enthusiastic about Sharkey's nomination. "If the Tories don't nominate him I'm sure our side would," said an unnamed MP. "One way or another, it's going to happen."

And now, John Peel's favorite song:

DC Comics October 2010 solicitations

Highlights from DC's offerings. What's up with the last issues of the kid-oriented Shazam and Brave and the Bold titles? I hope this means they'll replaced by new kid-oriented fare and that DC isn't giving up on young readers entirely:

BATMAN HIDDEN TREASURES #1
Written by RON MARZ and LEN WEIN
Art by BERNIE WRIGHTSON & KEVIN NOWLAN
Cover by BERNIE WRIGHTSON

At long last, the legendary "lost" Bernie Wrightson story starring The Dark Knight comes to life! Written by Ron Marz (GREEN LANTERN) and inked by Kevin Nowlan (SUPERMAN VS. ALIENS, Doctor Strange), this astonishing Batman/Solomon Grundy story features full-page illustrations on every page!

Also included in this can't-miss issue is the newly colored, classic Bernie Wrightson/Len Wein Batman story "Night of the Bat," which originally appeared in SWAMP THING #7! Both stories feature colors by acclaimed artist Alex Sinclair (BATMAN: HUSH, 52) and both present particularly startling looks at The Caped Crusader as only Wrightson could present!
On sale OCTOBER 6 * 56 pg, FC, $4.99 US

GREEN LANTERN OMNIBUS VOLUME 1 HC
Written by JOHN BROOME and GARDNER FOX
Art by GIL KANE, MURPHY ANDERSON and others
Cover by GIL KANE & KEVIN NOWLAN

Collecting SHOWCASE #22-24 and GREEN LANTERN #1-21 in a massive new hardcover! These are the tales that introduced Hal Jordan and feature his induction into the Green Lantern Corps. Also included are the intros of the Guardians of the Universe, Star Sapphire, Sinestro and more!
On sale NOVEMBER 24 * 640 pg, FC $75.00 US


TINY TITANS LITTLE ARCHIE #1 (OF 3)
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by ART BALTAZAR

Did you know that Sidekick City and Riverdale share the same downtown area? Did you know they also share the same school buses, playgrounds and dry cleaners? Well, the Tiny Titans and Little Archie's gang didn't know, either! What would happen if suddenly their two worlds collided? Would Archie and his pals start wearing costumes? Would the Titans start wearing sweater sets? Talk about your crossover crisis! Join us for this historical event, as two of the most awesome 2-D teams ever meet for the first time! Aw yeah, Archie Titans!
On sale OCTOBER 13 * 1 of 3 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

BILLY BATSON AND THE MAGIC OF SHAZAM #21 (FINAL ISSUE)
Written by ART BALTAZAR & FRANCO
Art and cover by MIKE NORTON

Black Adam has become the most powerful he's ever been. It'll take everything Captain Marvel has if he wants to defeat him. Will the combined might of the Wizard, Mary Marvel, Captain Marvel Junior and Captain Marvel be enough to overcome Black Adam's power? Find out in the action-packed series conclusion!
FINAL ISSUE * On sale OCTOBER 20 * 32 pg, FC $2.99 US


BATMAN THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD #22 (FINAL ISSUE)
Written by J. TORRES
Art and cover by ANDY SURIANO

Aquaman's kingdom is under attack...from his own brother, the Ocean Master! Can The Dark Knight lend a hand in this underwater family matter? Batman will have to do something fast, or he'll be trapped in Davy Jones's Locker forever.
FINAL ISSUE * On sale OCTOBER 27 * 32 pg, FC, $2.99 US

Discounted new DVD releases July 20, 2010: The Runaways, The Losers, The Red Shoes, Super Friends, Galaxy of Terror, Prodigal Sons

Click the pics to order discounted new DVDs from Amazon:

The RunawaysThe LosersThe Red Shoes (The Criterion Collection) [Blu-ray]Super Friends!: Season One, Vol. TwoGalaxy Of Terror (Roger Corman's Cult Classics)Prodigal Sons

Awesome new Disneyland attractions poster from 1962

Via Things from the Park:



New Thor movie picture

Another peek at Asgard.

Video find: Small Faces Itchycoo Park promo film

Deal alert: Complete Man from U.N.C.L.E. on DVD for $85.49

 ....regularly $199.92. Today only:

Pop links: Harvey Pekar, Carl Barks, Bronze Age Marvel Comics

The Comics Journal presents the first installment of  a lengthy 1984 interview of cartoonist/writer Harvey Pekar, who passed away earlier this week.


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How Carl Barks was identified as the "good duck artist."

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See  a collection of mind-shattering splash pages from Marvel Comics titles published this month in 1975. I miss the Bronze Age.

Dark Horse to collect Frazetta's White Indian

The artist's longest-running comic book work will be out in hardcover in December:

THE CLASSIC COMICS ARCHIVES VOLUME 1: WHITE INDIAN

Art by Frank Frazetta.

The longest comic-book run of Frank Frazetta's career! First appearing as a backup feature in Durango Kid in 1949, Dan BrandÑknown as the "White Indian"Ñis a colonial-era city boy whose life is marred by tragedy. When the death of his fiancŽe sends Brand through the wilderness on a trek to kill her murderer, he also begins a journey that will transform him into a hardened pioneer survivalist. The powerful sequential work of Frank Frazetta is in the spotlight in this collection, with all interior pages scanned from original comic-book issues and digitally cleaned. This collection reprints all of Frank Frazetta's White Indian work in an affordable hardcover format!

200 pages, $49.99, in stores on Dec. 1.

Elizabeth Banks to star in live-action Tinkerbell film

...says Variety:

Concept for the project, for which the deals are being wrapped up, plays with the mischievous nature of the Tinkerbell character.

First Archie Comics "archive" out in December

...from Dark Horse Comics, of all people. Here's the solicit info:


Archie Firsts

Archie Andrews, Betty Cooper, Veronica Lodge, Jughead Jones, Reggie Mantle, and all the other kids at Riverdale High -- they're more than zany teenagers. They're the flagship characters for one of the most beloved and long-running series in comics history!

This first-ever Archie archive edition is a survey of the first appearance of each major character in the Archie universe, made available at a special low price to appeal to readers from every corner of fandom. Whether you found your Archies at the supermarket checkout or at the first "real" comic-book shop in your hometown, everyone reads and loves Archie comics!

Archie's first issues, first appearances, and other milestones, collected for the first time in one hardcover volume!

Collects the first Archie story from Pep Comics #1, all of the Archie stories from Archie #1, all the Betty and Veronica stories from Betty and Veronica #1, the first Reggie story from Jackpot Comics #5, all the Reggie stories from Reggie #1, and all the Jughead stories from Jughead #1.

160 pages, $24.99, in stores on Dec. 1.

Picture: Burt Ward and Adam West