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Forgotten Comics: Howard Chaykin’s Cody Starbuck
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Reviews, Independent,
Mike Friedrich was one of the talents of the 1970s and 1980s who changed the comic book business for the better. Dean Mullaney, Phil Seuling, Bud Plant and several others belong on that list as well as several people I’m forgetting. Mike started out as a comic book fan, became a freelance writer for DC and Marvel, transitioned to publishing with his own company (Star*Reach) and later became an agent, turning Star*Reach into an agency representing artists and writers. As a freelancer, he knew well the contracts (and contractual problems) at the major companies. As a publisher he provided an alternative venue for creators to pursue projects DC and Marvel either didn’t want or wouldn’t let the creators own. That may not sound like a big deal, but back in the day if you wanted to tell stories outside of the standard Marvel-DC superhero template, or found yourself on the outs with those two companies, you had almost no alternatives until Star*Reach and Eclipse came along.
When Friedrich became an agent he was able to turn his experience loose on behalf of other creators to negotiate better deals. I’ve read comics Mike wrote, I’ve read comics that he published, and a couple of times I’ve been across the virtual negotiating table from him. [I won’t name names, but at the initial Ultraverse Founders conference in Scottsdale AZ, he quite rightly had his client wait in the hall while he finished negotiating via phone his client’s UV contract. My job at the time was to nod sycophantically and supervise the snack trays for the conference; Dave Olbrich did the actual nuts and bolts negotiating.]
Click to continue reading Forgotten Comics: Howard Chaykin’s Cody Starbuck
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Weekend Reading: Iron Man, Geek Chic, Chip and Dale and I Love Lucey
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials, DC Comics, Marvel Comics,
Lots of good stuff going on as we slide into the weekend. We’ve got Iron Man, Archie Comics, Douglas Adams’ Monty Python connection, Chip and Dale and tons more.
Let’s start with my pal Bob Greenberger, the noted comic book writer, novelist, tie-in writer, and a guy who actually knows how to make a physical comic book/graphic novel (all that production/printing/binding/press run/distribution stuff). He has a new book out. Iron Man: Femme Fatales has just been published by Del Rey and it should keep fans happy post-Iron Man I movie and pre-Iron Man II movie. Bob happily blogs about it at his website where he reposts this nice review. I haven’t read the book yet, but I snapped up a copy off the rack at Wal-Mart to feed a little royalty money Bob’s way. I also reshelved the remaining copies to give Bob a better display. That’s how I roll, people.
Harry Lucey: The animator John Kricfalusi has a nice gallery of great Lucey covers from assorted Archie titles at his blog. The covers are absolutely stunning in their simplicity. There’s a “Get Off My Lawn!” part of my brain that wishes the books still looked like this.
Geek Chic Daily: Nikki Finke has a few details about the Hollywood playas lining up behind Gareb Shamus’ new online presence.
George Tuska: Marvel and DC artist George Tuska, so prominent in the comics of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s has passed away at 93. Mark Evanier has a nice look at Tuska’s career. Here’s a real nice original art page by Tuska—no superheroes, just guns, gangsters, street scenes and a hot girl in a bikini. He was from the generation of comic artists who all knew how to draw people, horses, cars, the folds of clothing, and characters in hats who could still make a guy in an iron suit seem believable.
Click to continue reading Weekend Reading: Iron Man, Geek Chic, Chip and Dale and I Love Lucey
Learn to Speak R2D2!
Posted by Kris Madden Categories: Movies, Reviews,
R2D2 Translator assists in commanding your astromech droid in its native tongue. Unfortunately, the online application cannot translate your R2’s language into English. For that, Comix 411 recommends purchasing a protocol droid, well versed in the “doots” and “beeps” of astro-droids. C-3PO’s and TC-14’s are excellent droids for language translation, with their encyclopedic knowledge of more than six million galactic languages. However, if you are without a protocol droid, this translator helps direct your R2-unit on the cheap.
Read on for helpful phrases and info on setting up a custom R2 ring-tone for your cell phone.
Click to continue reading Learn to Speak R2D2!
WEEKEND READING: SpongeBob, Wally Wood, Philip K. Dick, Star Wars and Harry Potter!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Gather ‘round, internet pals. There’s a lot of great stuff all over the internets this week and not all of it has to do with Comic Con International. For example, there’s George Orwell, Philip K. Dick, Joe Murray and Wally Wood, Doug Mahnke and a whole lot more out there. Let’s roll some of it out:
DOUG MAHNKE: You might know Doug Mahnke as the original artist on The Mask with writer John Arcudi. Maybe you know him from Major Bummer or Stormwatch, or even the new Green Lantern series with Geoff Johns. But Tom Richmond knows Doug as one of the inventors of live airbrushed caricatures, and he tells all over at The Mad Blog.
RED ROBIN: Todd Klein is not only a great letterer and logo designer, he’s also a blogger. Over at his blog, Klein Letters, he breaks down the step-by-step process he used to design the logo for DC’s new Red Robin comic book.
WALT DISNEY: With Disney’s new The Princess And The Frog animated film due later this year, expect all kinds of blogposts about the Disney empire. Here’s a good one: Over at Bookforum, writer Hannah Frank revels in the ubiquity of the Disney brand by looking at five Walt-themed books that are not the usual “Disney is God” hagiography. One of the books even has Walt’s HUAC testimony where he outs one of his employees as a communist. Fascinating!
(h/t Galleycat)
WEEKEND READING: WATCHMEN’S MALIN AKERMAN, WAYNE BORING, WOLVERINE, and MEGAN FOX
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
How can it be anything other than a great week when the internets are packed with Malin Akerman swimsuit pictures, an appreciation of classic Superman artist Wayne Boring, a look at best and worst futuristic cop cars, British comics legend Leo Baxendale talking about himself and Bash Street, and Shaolin Robots? Well, it just doesn’t get any better. Read and click your weekend away!
WATCHMEN’S MALIN AKERMAN: The boys (and girls) over at Short List know exactly what fanboys want. They’ve put up a five-click gallery of Malin Akerman (you might know her as Silk Spectre from Watchmen) in the latest swimwear. She looks like she eats right, gets her precious eight hours of sleep, and exercises. It’s the next best thing to Watchmen 2.
Funko Star Wars Flash Drives
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Movies, Storage, Toys, USB,
Watch out, mimobots. Funko has their own 2GB flash drives based on the Star Wars characters Darth Vader, Yoda, Stormtrooper and Boba Fett. Decapitate your fave to get to the connector. While mimico’s designs are limited edition art, come in differing storage amounts and pre-loaded with content, Funkos have a little more detail and look more like the originals. The quartet will be available this October for $24.99 each.
Read More | Entertainment Earth
E3 2009: Top 10 best games of E3 2009
Posted by Drea Avellan Categories: Bungie, Casual, E3, Electronic Arts, First Person Shooters, Microsoft, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 3, Puzzle, Sony, Square Enix,
E3 2009 was a complete overload of news, games and people. But even in the mists of information overload, there were those group of selected games that stood out and kept everyone talking. Regardless if it was a trailer, teaser or an actually playable demo on the show floor, here are some of the game that were so good—they made you want to smack your mother.
APB
All Points Bulletin (APB) is real time worlds new third-person action game for the PC. Equipped with amazing customization and online play make this game stand out from any other PC game announced.
Splinter Cell: Conviction
Sam Fisher makes a comeback with less emo hair and more kick-ass action. The game is looking amazing and after the only wait, I am extremely excited to play this game.
Click to continue reading E3 2009: Top 10 best games of E3 2009
Mimico Phantom Menace mimobots
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Movies, Storage, USB,
Mimico is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace with a new collection of mimobots. The first will be Darth Maul, which will be released June 10, as the 13th Star Wars flash drive. Sign up for a chance to win one that will include extras such as icons, avatars, screensaver, wallpapers and audio clips. No prices have been announced as yet, but mimico’s other drives from the Star Wars series generally run from $19.95 for 1GB up to $49.95 for 8GB.
Read More | mimico
LOST Review 4/15/09
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, Television,
In the past few reviews I’ve posted, I’ve failed to mention something: LOST ROCKS!!! I know. I know you all know this, but it has to be said every so often. Tonight’s episode was great. We had answers to questions, more mysteries, and Star Wars. What more do you want? This week’s episode is entitled “Some Like it Hoth”. An obvious reference to Star Wars. As this week’s episode progressed, I said to myself where is the Star Wars connection? When it was finally revealed, I burst out laughing. I tip my hat to the writers of this week’s episode. However, I do have to disagree with Hurley on the Ewoks; they do not suck. Now Jar-Jar Binks? He sucks! Big time! Although the Ewoks were never my all time favorite, I never had the hatred that some people feel for the Ewoks. They were comic relief similar to C-3PO and R2. What does this all have to do with “LOST”? I’ll mention that later. The episode “Some Like it Hoth” was an episode that was Miles centric and it revealed more about his past. Lets begin.
Spoilers….......................
Click to continue reading LOST Review 4/15/09
Starlog Logs Off
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
The magazine Starlog came along when fans of sci-fi movies and TV shows were split into two camps: those still trying to figure out whether or not Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was actually any good, and Star Trek fans still waiting for Paramount to revive what was not yet “the franchise.” Star Wars was just about to hit and bust open the genre’s wallet.
If you’ve been living on Io for the past few days, you might not have heard that the print version of Starlog is no more. Like so many other magazines, it has ceased to be and is moving to the internets, temporarily they say, though permanently is more like it. It’s a tough climate for print, though I hear trees have never been happier.
I have long-standing connections to the Starlog Universe and I’ll miss it mightily. Editor Dave McDonnell and I have been acquainted with one another since college –
Click to continue reading Starlog Logs Off
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