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Weekend Reading: Jack Kirby, Arnold Drake, James Bond and Star Wars

Ben GrimmLast weekend in January, last weekend before the Super Bowl, which means there’s really nothing on TV this weekend. Fortunately, the internets provide:

Neal Adams is gunning for Marvel on behalf of Jack Kirby.

The Comic Book Insider is the new podcast from comic book writer and former DC Comics editor Brian Augustyn.

James Bond vs. Batman: Now there’s a team-up I’d really like to see. The HMSS blog looks at how both heroes have had to adapt to changing times.

One of my favorite movie blogs, Flick Attack, looks at an old film written by veteran DC writer Arnold Drake (Deadman; The Doom Patrol): The Flesh Eaters.


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Weekend Reading: Green Lantern, Joss Whedon, Jack Kirby And James Bond

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

Green Lantern I spent Thanksgiving outside the US this year so I’m stuffed with stir-fried shrimp and chocolate ice cream, which made for an excellent breakfast of leftovers, because that's just how I roll.

If you’re out and about shopping now for the holidays, here’s the best Holiday Shopping Gift Guide you’re ever going to need for the 2010 credit card season, courtesy of Tom Spurgeon at The Comics Reporter.

Let’s see what else is going on:

Green Lantern: If you’ve been in awe of the new Ryan Reynolds trailer for Green Lantern, there’s at least one person with an alternate view worth reading: Ricky Sprague at Project Child Murdering Robot. “The Green Lantern Corps is their ‘muscle,’ enforcing their rules of righteousness. They take creatures from various parts of the universe and have them fight 'evil.' There are lots of different GLs, made up of different species from different planets. You can see where this is starting to get lame.”


Weekend Reading: Scott Pilgrim, Captain Action, Dick Tracy and Mel Gibson

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Conventions, Editorials, Movies

Michael Cera is literally just around the corner and no one’s got time for long-winded intros. Let’s get right to it:

Scott Pilgrim: Adam Sternbergh writes about Michael Cera, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World and ties it all in to his fancrush on Alpha Flight. Yes, you read that right. It all takes place in The Walrus, the Canadian magazine of, oh yeah, you read that right, too. Canada has a magazine.

Captain Action: He’s not a “doll,” he’s an “action figure,” and he’s back in action courtesy of Beau Smith and Eduardo Baretto in the upcoming Captain Action Winter Special from Moonstone. Beau talks about the issue with First Comics News.

Dick Tracy: The plainclothes detective’s self-titled comic strip may soon go the way of Little Orphan Annie, but at least there’s a website devoted to his work. And it’s packed with goodies for Tracy fans to enjoy, including some never-before-published material by Max Allan Collins and Joe Staton. Click fast because the site is referred to as a “limited time tribute website.”


Weekend Reading: James Bond, Wally Wood, Stan Lee and Frank Frazetta

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

FrazettaIt’s old-school comic book week for the past several days as Wally Wood, Frank Frazetta, Stan Lee and that crazy caveman Alley Oop pop up. If that’s not all, Evan Dorkin opened up an excellent thread on health insurance and freelance artists that’s must read for anyone who’s ever seen a 1099 form.

Wally Wood: Gold Key Stories posts a complete issue of M.A.R.S. Patrol Total War, with art by the great Wally Wood. Fanboys drool over this kind of stuff, and I’m not ashamed to say I’m one of them.

Frank Frazetta: A backhoe, a museum and millions of dollars worth of original art add up to a very sad family tragedy for the great artist. Heidi MacDonald over at The Beat has been on top of the story here and here and that’ll get you started. Be sure to follow through and read all the comments and updates.

Free Content: Xark has a great take on why newspapers complain so much about the online readership who wants it for free, but it’s really diners and coffee-sippers who are the real content thieves who don’t pay for what they read.


Weekend Reading: Atlas/Seaboard, Gene Deitch and Jonny Quest

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

Scorpion #1Lots of great stuff all over the internet this week, including a nice piece on Martin Goodman’s Atlas/Seaboard comics of the mid-1970s, a lost cartoon by Gene Deitch and a little piece of Jonny Quest/James Bond trivia. Let’s click:

Atlas/Seaboard: If you remember Howard Chaykin’s The Scorpion, Larry Hama’s Wulf The Barbarian or Steve Ditko’s Tarantula, then you’re old. And that means you remember the Atlas/Seaboard comics that Martin Goodman published after Cadence bought him out from Marvel back in the 1970s. What you may not know is that their comics were also published in Australia. Oh Danny Boy has a detailed and well-illustrated account of their adventure down under.

Gene Deitch: Over at Cartoon Brew, Jerry Beck posts a note from acclaimed animation director Gene Deitch about his first (and lost) animated cartoon. It starred Howdy Doody, and the cartoon so enraged Buffalo Bob Smith that he had it destroyed.

John Kricfalusi: Over at John K Stuff, the animator has a hilarious post about amateur artwork and some ideas about how not-yet-professionals can still find outlets for their art.

Tom Richmond: The great MAD Magazine artist and caricaturist recently remodeled his studio and put up before and after pictures. We should all work in such a great environment. Warning: safe-for-work shelf porn ahead.


Gray Morrow’s Batman as James Bond

Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, DC Comics

GrayMorrow

I love looking at concept art, pencil drawings, and preliminary sketches. I find the best ones can make the gears in my overly-caffeinated brain go: Yeah, I’d totally buy something that looked like that.

I like Gray Morrow’s art a lot. I thought he was an excellent draftsman who never really got the credit that a lot of his contemporaries did. He also did a lot of work for relatively low-profile companies, which while it paid the bills probably didn’t contribute to his fanboy cred. You don’t hear fans going “Man, I loved that Morrow run on Superman/Conan/Avengers!” like you do about other artists of his generation because he didn’t have long runs on the bigger titles of his day. Since he was also an in-demand commercial artist who painted tons of book covers, worked on newspaper strips like Tarzan, and did other illustration work, I assume he was too busy to do three years on Thor.


Ian Fleming Reader Digital Book

Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Misc. Tech

Fleming ReaderWhile Kindle 2 is finding its niche, Sony has released a special edition Reader for James Bond fans. The Ian Fleming bundle was created to mark the release of Quantum of Solace and the centenary of the author’s birth. This includes a download code which will give you Casino Royale and For Your Eyes Only, which includes the short story QOS. A special 007 embossed cover is included in the $299.99 price.

 

Read More | Sony Style

Sony Quantum of Solace Flash Drive

QOS Flash DriveWe told you about the Quantum of Solace Laptop last month, but if that is too extreme for your budget and you want something to remember 007, how about the USB flash drive? The limited edition 8GB Micro Vault Click Drive has a hidden USB connector and includes a virtual expander to store 3 times the data. There is the nifty logo on the side and the device comes pre-loaded with a movie trailer, behind the scenes footage and images. We guess that that there may not have been enough initial interest, as the price has dropped from $49.99 to $29.99.

Read More | Sony Style

Automatic martini shaker comes to your rescue

Posted by Sparky Categories: Accessories, Household

Martini shaker

Ever been too tired (or too drunk) to shake a martini, but wanted just one more fine shaken drink in the spirit of everyones espionage hero James Bond? The Perfect Temperature Martini Maker comes to the rescue. The automatic martini shaker features a temperature gauge to shake your martini to a perfect 34F without over shaking (and thus diluting the delightful concoction within.) The dream of drinks at the push of a button might finally be here.

Does it take some of the showmanship out of crafting the perfect drink? Yes! Does it add a touch of techno-gadget perfection to an otherwise gadget barren wet bar? HECK yes! Pick one up today for about $100.

Read More | Hammacher Schlemmer via Shiny Shiny


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