On Gear Live: Samsung S95C: The OLED TV You Can’t Afford (to Ignore!)

Latest Gear Live Videos

Weekend Reading: Star Wars, James Bond, Nick Fury & Walking Dead

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,

Han SoloBig weekend: there's a new James Bond out in theaters and no matter if it's good or bad, the arguments over how it stacks up against all the other Bonds has already begun.

So in honor of the new Bond movie, Skyfall, Life shows off pix of the very first Bond girl you don’t remember: Linda Christian, from 1954’s Casino Royale with Barry Nelson.

One of the artists who worked on Wreck-It Ralph, Joe Pitt, has put some of his fantastic conceptual art up on his Tumblr.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Star Wars, James Bond, Nick Fury & Walking Dead


Advertisement

Top 10: Arrow On The CW

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Television, DC Comics,

ArrowAre you looking forward to Arrow as much as any other comic book or archery fan?

It debuts October 10 on the CW. Arrow is loosely-based on Green Arrow, the venerable and outspoken liberal DC Comics' super-hero blessed with the powers of a longbow.

The mark of any successful show is whether or not fans can start quoting favorite lines like they do for Monty Python, The Simpsons and, of course, Mike And Molly.

Our spies at Comix 411 were able to get a copy of the script for the first episode and gave it an immediate reading to see what dialogue gems lurked inside. What we found are 10 sample dialogue snippets from Arrow that we’re hoping will catch on as easily as Monty Python’s “It’s just a flesh wound,” The Simpsons’ “Batman was a scientist” and Mike And Molly’s “You gonna eat that?”

Click to continue reading Top 10: Arrow On The CW

Read More | Arrow

James Leary & Mitch Byrd @ IndieGoGo

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics, Independent,

House Of Screams 1Mitch Byrd is one of my favorite artists. We worked together for many issues of my comic book, Dinosaurs For Hire and he also illustrated a comic I edited, Planet of the Apes: Sins of the Father, that was written by a friend of mine, Mike Valerio.

Later on, he moved over to DC and worked with Beau Smith on the very manly Green Lantern spin-off, Guy Gardner: Warrior series.

Now, in conjuction with writer and actor James Leary (he played Clem on Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Mitch is working on a new title called James Leary’s House Of Screams.

James and Mitch, along with cover artist Steve Scott, are working through IndieGoGo  to try to raise the necessary money to make it all happen.

Take a look and see if you’d like to help. I love Mitch’s work (I was a fan long before we worked together) and I can’t wait to see his new work in print. So go make it happen.

[Artwork: James Leary's House Of Screams #1, cover pencils by Steve Scott, © Alarm Comics]


Top 10 Surprises In Captain America

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Marvel Comics,

Captain AmericaTo some people’s surprise (that would be me, if you’re asking), Marvel Comics made an excellent movie about Captain America.

Who’d’ve thought that the shield-slinging WWII hero would translate so well to the screen? It’s so good, that they may wait at least 8 years before rebooting it.

But for those that watch the movie a second or third time (that would be me, if you’re asking), there are some surprises lurking in the margins.

Here then, are the Top 10 Surprises In The New Captain America Movie:

10: His shield is made out of Reb Brown’s career

9. It’s not just the skull that’s red

8. The Falcon calls the studio every day. "I'm in the sequel right?"

Click to continue reading Top 10 Surprises In Captain America


Box Office Breakdown: Green Lantern Fights Off Super 8

Ryan Reynolds as the Green Lantern

Even though the buzz for Green Lantern fizzled at the reveal of its rather disappointing full-length trailer, Ryan Reynold's abs the superhero flick managed to fight off last week's box office winner, Super 8.

The DC comic book adaptation scored $53 million at the box office in its first week, while the J.J. Abrams and Steven Spielberg project Super 8 managed to finish second -- down from last week's top spot -- at $21.2 million . Jim Carrey's family comedy Mr. Popper's Penguins debuted in third place raking in $18.2 million, pushing last week's second place film X-Men: First Class  -- the X-Men prequel starring James Mcavoy and Michael Fassbender -- to fourth with $11.5 million.

Click to continue reading Box Office Breakdown: Green Lantern Fights Off Super 8

Read More | Box Office Mojo

Top 10 Surprises in Green Lantern

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, DC Comics,

Green LanternAdmit it, ever since Warner Bros. announced the possibility that Jack Black was going to take DC Comics Green Lantern and give it that Nacho Libre feel, you've wanted to see a green man fly.

I did too, but I was a little surprised by what was in the film once Jack dropped out and muscular heartthrob Ryan Reynolds jumped into the CG tights. Here then are the Top 10 Surprises awaiting you in Green Lantern.

10. Due to product placement deal, Green Lantern now referred to as “Coleman Green Lantern”

9. Green makes everyone's ass look big

8. Oa has a Starbucks and a McDonald's

7. Next Green Lantern chosen by internet vote

6. Did anyone tell Hal that most of his new friends are CGI?

Click to continue reading Top 10 Surprises in Green Lantern


Weekend Reading: Superman, Archie, Talbot, Niles & Scrooge

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, DC Comics,

Superman NewIs this a superhero-free weekend at the movies? X-Men First Class was last week, next week is Green Lantern. Are we mask-free for a few days?

No, because the powers in Hollywood have decided there can be no nerd gap in the relatively short summer season and have given us Super 8.

Go see it right now, and then come back and click some links:

Superman: If you’re at all interested in the new DC reboot coming up, legal eagle Jeff Trexler at Comics Beat has a fascinating post about the wrangling that’s gone on between the Superman creators and DC’s corporate parent over the years and how it’s affected publishing decisions.

Superman II: And Daniel Best at 20th Century Danny Boy unearths a great selection of early correspondence between various DC Comics people and Jerry Siegel. It’s great reading.

Superman III: Comedy writer Ken Levine (M*A*S*H; Almost Perfect; Volunteers) weighs in on the new Superman.

Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Superman, Archie, Talbot, Niles & Scrooge


Blake Lively Expects to Be in Future Green Lantern Films

Blake Lively in The Green LanternGossip Girl Blake Lively is "confident" she will appear in more Green Lantern movies.

The 23-year-old actress portrays Carol Ferris in the forthcoming comic book film and is hopeful to get the chance to play the character, and her villainous alter ego Star Sapphire again in the future.

"Carol is a very strong woman. I really appreciated not being the damsel in distress. She has this relationship with Hal Jordan (Ryan Reynolds), they're each other's first love. "If we did a few more films, I'm pretty confident Star Sapphire would show up."

Blake was asked to audition for the movie after impressing studio bosses with her performance in The Town and she was pleased to be recognized for her acting abilities rather than her appearance. "I made The Town with Warner Bros. and they said to me, 'We want you to look at Green Lantern.' It was really nice that this was a studio that wasn't looking for some girl to have her legs greased up and her boobs out and that's all that mattered."


Comic Book Colorist Moose Baumann Could Use A Hand

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics,

Green Lantern 177Years ago, I worked in the same office at comic book colorist Moose Baumann.

I used to watch him color Malibu Comics' Ultraverse titles the old-fashioned way before computers took over.

He was a great colorist then and he's kicked it up a notch or four in the years since.

Like many freelancers recently, he's run afoul of the health care system and could use a helping hand related to medical bills from his wife's recent illness.

Moose is selling off some nifty prints and such to stay afloat. Blog @ Newsarama has the details.

If you can help out, please do, and if you want to buy some cool coloring for yourself or as a gift, do that too.

[Artwork: Green Lantern #177, with its innards colored by Moose and © DC Comics]


Top 10 Surprises in Thor

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, Movies, Reviews, Marvel Comics,

Marvel Spotlight #30Have you seen the new Thor movie yet? And if not, why not?

Of the summer's four big comic book movies - Thor, Green Lantern, Captain America and X-Men: First Class – it's the one with the distinguished pedigree (Kenneth Branagh! Sir Anthony Hopkins! Natalie Portman!) and one of the least likely super-hero movies besides Ant-Man or Metamorpho.

Curiosity alone makes it worth $10.

Having said all that, there were still a number of things about Thor that surprised me. Here's my Top 10.

10. It's not just his hammer that's called Mjolnir

9. Cameo by Stan Lee Media

8. His real name is "Sore"; he has a speech impediment

7. Shout out to Kirby; that's Kirby Carruthers, the assistant lighting director

6. Natalie Portman should be in every movie. Just sayin'.

Click to continue reading Top 10 Surprises in Thor


Advertisement