Pop Culture Safari!

Photoplay magazine covers: Janet Leigh and Tony Curtis

Avengers Week: George Perez covers

A peek at the Stan Lee Archives

Marvel Comics scribe Stan Lee several years ago donated his papers to the American Heritage Center at, of all places, the University of Wyoming.

There's nearly 100 boxes of stuff, including script pages, art proofs and memorabilia. It could prove fertile ground for knowledgeable comics historians seeking out new details regarding Marvel's early days and Lee's contributions to the characters he co-created with Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and others. I'd like to poke around that stuff, myself, actually.

In the meantime, here's a teaser of what's in all those boxes from the Casper Star-Tribune.

Those who look inside Lee's boxes will find manuscripts and notes on Lee's Soapbox column, character outlines for the Fantastic Four and Silver Surfer proof sheets.
Photocopies of proofs for the Spider-Man comic strip show notes written in the margins.
"Not too dramatic a pointing gesture," is written to the artist in one panel.

"Make more imaginative," appears on a Silver Surfer pencil sketch.

Lee kept boxes of fan mail: drawings of the X-Men done in red marker by young boys, letters written on lined school paper.

There are some written by the famous, like one sent to Lee and his wife by Linda McCartney: "Just a note to say that our 4 year old son James thinks he's Spider-Man at the moment, and loves Hulk and a few of the others as well -- so ‘keep rocking'!"

Photos: Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger

Poster for latest Asterix live action film

Here's the poster for the new Asterix film, the fourth, starring Edouard Baer and Gerard Deparidieu as Asterix and Obelix.

The Asterix comics are beloved worldwide, so this is the German language version of the film, which in its native French, is titled "Astérix et Obélix: Au Service de Sa Majesté" and seems to draw on the "Asterix in Britain" volume of the diminutive-but-strong Gaul's adventures.

It's a pity the U.S. just doesn't seem to get Asterix, although if you try and look hard enough, you can find these films. I've watched only "Asterix: Mission Cleopatra," which was a blast.

New trailers for Amazing Spider-Man film

Saturday is Free Comic Book Day!

Be sure to visit you local comic book store and pick up some free comics! More information here.

Here are some highlights from this year's offerings:

PEANUTS ADVENTURE TIME FLIPBOOK

Publisher: BOOM ENTERTAINMENT

(W/A/CA) Charles M. Schulz & Various

(W) Charles Schulz, Vicki Scott, Ryan North
(A) Charles Schulz, Ron Zorman,Vicki Scott, Paige Braddock, Shelli Paroline, Braden Lamb
(C) Charles Schulz, Shelli Paroline and Braden Lamb
Two stories of two boys and their dogs -- on one side, Charlie Brown and Snoopy, along with the entire Peanuts gang, come to Free Comic Book Day! On the other side -- boy Finn and his dog Jake, along with the entire cast of the hot new Cartoon Network series Adventure Time, adventure in the Land of Ooo for Free Comic Book Day! Get your full KABOOM! dose of "Good Griefs" and "Algebraics" all in one book!

BARNABY

Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

(W/A/CA) Crockett Johnson

(W/A) Crockett Johnson
Before Harold and the Purple Crayon there was Barnaby. Created by Crockett Johnson Barnaby ran in newspapers for over ten years (1942-52). Its subtle ironies and playful allusions won many passionate readers as they followed the adventures of 5-year-old Barnaby Baxter and his cigar-chomping fairy godfather Jackeen J. O'Malley.

BUFFY: THE GUILD

Publisher: DARK HORSE

(W) Andrew Chambliss, Felicia Day (A) Jonathan Case, Dexter Vines (CA) Georges Jeanty & Various

(W) Andrew Chambliss, Felicia Day
(A) Georges Jeanty, Jonathan Case, Dexter Vines
Buffy has never needed a vacation so badly as she does now - with the world overrun with zompires and other fallout from Season 8. Luckily, Spike has got the perfect solution: a "spacecation"!
Having lost their regular real-life meeting place, the Guildies are having a little trouble finding a new location they can all agree on. A little in-game battle becomes the deciding factor, and the circle follows the decree of the winner: the beach?!

DC NATION SUPERMAN FAMILY FLIP BOOK

Publisher: DC

(W) Art Baltazar & Various (A) Dario Brizuela, Christopher Jones

(W) Art Baltazar, Franco, Various
(A) Dario Brizuela, Art Baltazar, Various
This super sampler is the place to check out Green Lantern Adventures and Young Justice, two sensational new comic series from the DC Kids line based on Warner Bros. Animation's popular Green Lantern: The Animated Series and Young Justice, featured on the upcoming DC Nation programming block on Cartoon Network in 2012. The sampler includes two exciting, all-new stories that readers of all ages will enjoy. Plus, get a sneak-peek at the brand-new Superman Family Adventures monthly series from the Tiny Titans creative team!

MOOMIN COLOR SPECIAL

Publisher: DRAWN & QUARTERLY

(W/A/CA) Tove Jansson

(W/A/CA) Tove Jansson
Drawn & Quarterly offers a second FCBD title for the first time this year and it will feature one of our most beloved and popular characters, MOOMIN! The Moomin Color Special will offer a sneak peak at the brand new Moomin books, in color for the first time, that D+Q will publish in Fall 2012. The Moomin characters were created by Tove Jansson and have developed a dedicated fan base of both children and adults for over six decades. The comics presented here were originally published in b/w and have now been re-colored by Drawn & Quarterly, with careful consideration of Tove's palette. This will be the perfect All Ages comic book, ideal for developing a new readership of kids in the 6 to 12 age set. As a special bonus, this FCBD will also feature a 2nd preview of a new D+Q book, Anna & Froga, by Anouk Ricard.

MY FAVORITE MARTIAN SPECIAL EDITION

Publisher: HERMES PRESS

(A) Dan Spiegle (CA) Photo

(A) Dan Spiegle
Uncle Martin (our favorite Martian) is a stow away on a rocket to Mars! Art by Silver Age great Dan Spiegle; supplementary artwork by Mike Arens; photographs from the original 1963-66 TV show.

TOP SHELF KIDS CLUB

Publisher: TOP SHELF PRODUCTIONS

(W/A) Andy Runton & Various (CA) Chris Eliopoulos

(W/A) Andy Runton & Various
(CA) Chris Eliopoulos
Top Shelf is proud to join the 2012 FREE COMIC BOOK DAY celebration with not one, but six all-ages tales. In this FCBD edition, we present adventures from our kid-favorite titles: Owly by Andy Runton, Johnny Boo by James Kochalka, Korgi by Christian Slade, Okie Dokie Donuts by Chris Eliopoulos, Pirate Penguin Vs Ninja Chicken by Ray Friesen, and Upside Down by Jess Smart Smiley. Perfect for everyone in the family. With a great cover by Ray Friesen this time around to boot!

WALT DISNEY'S DONALD DUCK FAMILY COMICS

Publisher: FANTAGRAPHICS BOOKS

(W/A/CA) Carl Barks

(W/A) Carl Barks
Three amazingly adventurous, thrillingly stupendous, wonderfully wonderous comics by one of the greatest cartoonists of all time! Carl Barks! CARL BARKS! The biggest name in cartoons, second to only Walt Disney! Find out what happens to Donald, Daisy, Uncle Scrooge, Gyro Gearloose, and Huey, Duey in these extremely entertaining and wonderfully told FULL COLOR comics!

Avengers Week: Neal Adams covers

Ringo loves rhinos

Ringo Starr is using his website to promote aid to protecting rhinos. Here's his message:

This is a crucial time for the Rhino, with many species facing extinction having been on the Endangered Species list for over 10 years. So when Ringo considered changing the image on his homepage - formerly his cat - he wanted it to be a Rhino.

“I’ve always loved Rhino’s. They were close to my and Keith Moons heart. In fact in I had two huge one’s made and gave one to Keith. Mine is still here out on the grass here in England."

A handful of wonderful organizations are working towards Rhino preservation including The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. Established in 1977, by Dr Dame Daphne Sheldrick in Kenya, they have hands-on practical experience and extensive knowledge of the black rhino which is unmatched. They have pioneered a hand –rearing approach for the rehabilitation of rescued orphaned Rhinos and their approach to protect and preserve the Black Rhino from extinction, as well as the increasingly threatened Elephant, has been emulated elsewhere in Africa.

For more information The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust please visit http://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/