Facebook | 1 Million to save WOLVERINE AND THE X-MEN

via facebook.com

Wolverine and the X-Men's future is in danger?!?

That's surprising and upsetting, that's a damn good show! I'd be surprised if, in the final analysis, it's not a heck of a lot better than the forthcoming X-Men: First Class movie.

In any case, let's not let this be yet another great show that we don't take action to save, and then three years later all post about how great it was and "ohhh we loved it so much, why didn't anyone save it??" on Tumblr or Twitter or, I dunno - social media chip implants (you know they're working on 'em)?

Anyway, I encourage all y'all to check out this page - and of course the show, if you haven't seen it yet - and keep mutants on the air before they all go extinct! Or become vampires or something!

Captain America Gets (Back) In on the Patriot Act

Marvel Comics’ nationalistic supersoldier storms back in Captain America: Patriot.

Wait, does Marvel’s time machine have a forward button? I suppose we’ll find out when the first issue of Captain America: Patriot, by writer Karl Kesel and artist Mitch Breitweiser, arrives Sept. 15. In the series, reporter Jeff Mace is inspired by Cap to don his own jingoistic costume and call himself the Patriot. Of course, Mace already did that during World War II, before getting retconned as Captain America in 1976. Which, for those of you counting, was the United States bicentennial. God bless America!

Whether it’s because of a subconscious reaction to a perceptibly faltering American empire or because Marvel is simply softening up the entertainment landscape ahead of next year’s movie Captain America: The First Avenger, Mace evidently has to do it all over again.

via wired.com 

Not sure about that outfit - kinda reminds me of the JSA's Citizen Steel.

Still, whatever the motivation behind the series - be it generating hype for the Cap film, or just trying to boost the sagging spirits of our sorry-ass country - I'm confident that, with the creative team of Kesel and Breitwieser running the show, it's gonna be awesome.

Blagojevich, 'Batman' stars will guest at Comic Con

Move over Adam West, Burt Ward and Julie Newmar.

Rod Blagojevich is the special guest star today at the big comic book convention in Rosemont.

Burt Ward and Adam West in the "Batman" TV series.

"Get your photo taken with the stars!" promises the website for the show.

Blagojevich plans to appear for photos and autographs at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

Blagojevich's appearance lasts from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m..

"Gov. Blagojevich has evolved into a pop culture phenomenon," Glenn Selig, the former governor's publicist, said in an e-mail. "He will be there to take pictures and sign autographs -- something the has become a regular part of his life nowadays as he walks down any street in America -- and something he quite enjoys doing."

Holy f------ golden opportunity, Batman!

Also on tap at the four-day convention is a Saturday reunion of TV's Dynamic Duo, "Batman" actors West and Ward.

The stars of the 1960s series are participating in several events. Newmar, who played Catwoman, joins them for a panel discussion.

Besides comic book artists and writers, showing up to appear on panels and sign autographs will be William Shatner, Avery Brooks and other Star Trek franchise actors; "Terminator" hero Linda Hamilton; "The Bionic Woman" Lindsay Wagner and "Incredible Hulk" Lou Ferrigno.

via suntimes.com

So Ex Machina ends, and a fictional super-Mayor is replaced with a possibly delusional thinks-hes-super ex-Governor.

Like the unbelievably lazy psychologist who wrote a paper on the dangers of superheroes and "slackers" as role models, this guy's just riding the coattails of comics and their ever-growing popularity and prominence in pop culture. And hey - that's politics. It's his prerogative to show up at cons, if cons will have him.

All I know is he better not cock-block me with Julie Newmar or I might have to choke a Gov!

Neil Gaiman's Doctor Who yuckfood scene - lost to time and space

Bleeding Cool points to this link on Neil Gaiman's blog in which he discusses a scene from his episode of Doctor Who that didn't make the final cut, for one reason or another.  In the context of Gaiman's post, it seems to be just one more unnecessary change in what he paints as a somewhat exasperating series of rewrites.  

From Gaiman's Website:

The Doctor has just been given a bowl of something to eat. Something...possibly... alien...

AMY

Is it something people can eat?

(to Doctor)

Shouldn’t you scan it with your screwdriver or something?

THE DOCTOR

Why would I scan food with my screwdriver?

AMY

See if it’s safe?

The Doctor leans over, dips his finger into his bowl, tastes it.

THE DOCTOR

Some unusual trace elements, smidge too much background radiation, but, yeah, very yummy.

Amy is about to try some of his food... he stops her.

THE DOCTOR (cont’d)

No. Don’t put it in your mouth.

AMY

Not for humans?

THE DOCTOR

Not for you. Tastes like Marmite on socks.

Hey, Chris Claremont said it at the MoCCA Comics Writers' Master Class: "The only medium with any kind of creative control is prose fiction.  And even then, you might want to self-publish."  

I'm paraphrasing, but that was the essential message.  

As for  the food scene, I can't imagine why it was cut; it's nowhere near as offensive as the average Chinese take-out in NYC.  Oh, the stories I could tell... but you'd totally hurl, so I won't.

Variance: Ex Machina No. 50 Jim Lee Sketch Cover

Mayor Hundred goes out with a bang, as Ex Machina #50 concludes one of the most underrated ongoing series of the last decade.  Sadly, our real New York Mayor isn't nearly so classy as to craft an end to his story - he's used his eighth-richest-American billions and his very inappropriate media holdings (Government officials aren't supposed to control mass media in democracies) to change the laws and pretty much establish himself in office for life.

On the other hand, he doesn't get this sweet-ass Jim Lee sketch variant cover.  Comics = 2, real life = 0.

Farewell, Great Machine - you'll be missed.  And thanks to Brian K. Vaughan and Tony Harris for a great ride.

Star Wars: Uncut!

I like this so much better than the Lucas "re-masters", it's actually kinda sad.



You can watch the entire movie - or just more excellent clips - here.

Preview: Valkyrie #1

Marvel is pleased to present your first look at Valkyrie #1, spotlighting one of the most powerful Secret Avengers and her mysterious rebirth.
After Ragnarok claimed her life, the world never expected to see Valkyrie again, but Harvey Award-winning writer Bryan J.L. Glass and rising-star artist Phil Winslade brings readers a new inside look at the life and trials of the misunderstood heroine.  This September, witness the heroic transformation of one of Marvel’s greatest champions as she goes from a myth, to a Defender and finally an Avenger in Valkyrie #1!

VALKYRIE #1 (JUL100508)
Written by BRYAN J.L. GLASS
Penciled by PHIL WINSLADE
Cover by JAY ANACLETO
Rated T+ …$3.99
FOC - 9/9/10, On Sale - 9/29/10

Well, this does look several kinds of awesome.

I've gotta admit, I'd like to see Val spending more time getting the female students of Avengers Academy drunk on mead as she prepares them for a sexually fulfilling life without men, but this also looks quite excellent.

New Ani-Statues From Kotobukiya

Taiga Aisaka

Kotobukiya has unveiled three sexy hyper cute Ani-Statues from the smash hit Toradora! and Bakemonogatori anime series and the popular Mizuiro game.  The first to be released in North America in December is the Toradora! Taiga Aisaka Ani Statue (MSRP $69.99).  The ten-inch (1/6th scale) figure of the beautiful but antisocial Taiga Aisaka is dressed in a black school girl uniform with thigh high black stockings and blue shoes.  Sculpted by former garage kit dealer and star of the Wonder Festival 2010 Okamoto Dou Noa Sakura, this figure has the tsundere face that moe fans will adore along with the ample zettai ryoiki, the “absolute territory” between her skirt and stockings.   Seven Seas is publishing the first volume of the Toradora! manga in March of 2011, and the 25-episode anime series is being released this summer by anime newcomer NIS.

Mayoi Hachikuji

The other anime-inspired statue is Bakemonogatori: Mayoi Hachikuji Ani Statue (MSRP $69.99), which is due in North America in January.  Sculpted by Koei Matsumoto, the ghost girl Mayoi statue stands 7.5 inches tall (1/8th scale) and features lots of great details including a band-aid on her knee, embroidered flowers on her skirt, a bracelet, headband, and leafy hair decorations.

Yuki Katase

The third figure unveiled this week is Mizuiro: Yuki Katase Ani-Statue ($79.99), a 6.5 inch (1/7th scale) figure of Yuki Katase, the heroine of the popular game Mizuiro and the mascot of the Nekoneko brand.  The figure includes removable cat ears, a tail, and cat’s paw shoes along with a 40 mm scale Mecha Shindo mini figure.  The sexy Yuki Katase figure will be released in December.

via icv2.com

Wow, first the crazy-hot new statues of Batgirl, Emma Frost and Psylocke are announced, and now this?
Kotobukiya is so bringin' back the sexy!

Brevoort explains 'Daredevil' cancelling

Marvel Comics has clarified the decision to end ongoing series Daredevil later this year.
When asked about the series's cancellation, Vice President Executive Editor Tom Brevoort expressed surprised at the backlash that had followed the announcement.
"We've been promoting "Who is the new Man Without Fear?" for three weeks now and yet everybody is surprised that Daredevil is ending," Brevoort told Comic Book Resources. "I was sort of taken aback by the response."
He went on to explain that the new 'Man Without Fear' was a natural continuation to follow the repercussions of current event Shadowland, in which Matt Murdock a.k.a Daredevil appears to become the Marvel Universe's newest supervillain.
"Taking a character like Daredevil off the canvas for a little while may make the heart grow fonder," Brevoort continued, citing as an example the return of Thor in 2007 following a three year absence.
Brevoort confirmed that Marvel always tries to have its major events result in significant changes, and teased that both Daredevil and the supporting players in his title would be severely impacted by the end of the Shadowland series.
The current volume of Daredevil comes to an end in November with issue #512

via digitalspy.com

Well, I just hope that they handle DD's inevitable, sudden return - coinciding, if I were to guess, with the end of the upcoming Chaos War and the transition into the next big Marvel event - a lot smoother than they did Steve Rogers' return to the Marvel Universe.

'Cause that kinda sucked big-time.

I have faith that they've learned from that snafu.  Plus there aren't mega-events with Norman Osborn and like way too much Sentry and Ares cluttering up the production schedule.

Also, Kraven the Hunter taking over, even temporarily, as the new guardian of Hell's Kitchen would be a pretty tough pill to swallow. I'm really, really hoping that his appearances in the promos are a red herring.

As a New York City resident, I take umbrage with being being watched over by an undead nutbar with cats-eyes covering his man-teets.

'Iron Man' writers nab 'TMNT' gig

Art Marcum and Matt Holloway have signed on to pen the new feature film installment of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” which Platinum Dunes is producing for Paramount.

Paramount and Nickelodeon picked up the rights to the comic book characters for around $60 million last year. The companies plan to push out the characters not only in movie form but via a TV show and other mediums.

The turtles have already been seen in movie and cartoon form since being first published in 1984 and starting out as a parody of  Frank Miller’s ninja-filled “Daredevil” run, Chris Claremont’s angst-filled “Uncanny X-Men” run and Dave Sim’s anthropomorphic “Cerebus.” At its height in the late 1980s and early 1990’s, the characters became a worldwide phenomenon.

Depending on the strength of the script, the studio hopes to pin a director ASAP and be into production next year.

Marcum and Holloway established their comic book movie cred by working on the first “Iron Man” movie. They also worked on 2008’s “Punisher: War Zone.” The duo wrote the remake of “Highlander,” set up at Summit, as well as a new iteration of “Buck Rogers

via heatvision.hollywoodreporter.com

Spidey to Have New Love Interest?

Heat Vision Blog is reporting that the narrowing down of the female lead for Mark Webb’s Spider-Man reboot is underway and they are also stating that the role is not going to be Mary Jane.

Starting today and heading into the weekend, select actresses are meeting with Webb and new Spidey actor Andrew Garfield. In a departure from the Tobey Maguire-Kirsten Dunst movies, the love-interest character is not Mary Jane. What isn’t clear is whether the actresses are auditioning to play Gwen Stacy, Parker’s other love interest in the comics (played by Bryce Dallas Howard in 2007′s “Spider-Man 3″) or some other new character. The script pages being given to the actresses have no name listed for the character.

I actually really like the idea of them going with Gwen Stacy as opposed to Mary Jane. I love the Gwen Stacy/Peter Parker romance in the comics and I think it’s one of Peter’s defining relationships (along with Uncle Ben) that propel him into the man/superhero that he becomes. That being said, I also really hope they don’t just make up some love interest character for the film - especially when Peter has so many love interests giving the writers so many existing avenues to go down.

As far as Heat Vision’s list of actresses up for the part, you can visit their story for the full break down, but some highlights are Lily Collins (The Blind Side), Teresa Palmer (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice), and Imogen Poots (HAA! (The upcoming Fright Night remake)).

via Big Shiny Robot!

Viewtiful Joe Destroys the Marvel Universe!

Wow.

I recently reported on the addition of Viewtiful Joe and Dormammu to the ever-growing roster of Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds.

Well, lest you think that Joe's small stature is a handicap, check out this awesome clip of him in action, laying the smack down on Hulk, Wolverine, Super-Skrull, Spider-Man and Deadpool!



Damn, but that little guy's tough.  Also - check out that sweet gameplay footage!  Man, I  cannot wait for MvC3 to hit stores in Spring 2011.

In the meantime, I'll be watching for more character announcements, gameplay art and sweet videoclips like this one, and I promise I'll post 'em here on the Cavern as soon as I find them.

(Hint, hint, Marvel and Capcom PR people - free publicity, right here! Send me some stuff to plug!)

Doctor Who finally gives us what we've been clamoring for: the chance to explore the TARDIS!

Ever since Doctor Who redesigned the interior of the Doctor's time machine, the TARDIS, we've all been dying to see more of the inside. And next week, a new game will let us explore every inch, including a never-before-mentioned drawing-room!

The third Doctor Who adventure game comes out next week, on August 27, and it's entitled simple "TARDIS." According to Eurogamer, you have to explore every "nook and cranny" of the TARDIS to restore normality to the time machine. (Maybe after the events of the season finale?) And this includes exploring a previously unmentioned room, the Doctor's drawing room. According to the press release:

The game allows players to explore the Doctor's wondrous drawing room, featuring treasures and artefacts from his many adventures - a location specially created for the game, which will go on to form part of the Doctor Who canon....

With the TARDIS stuck in a riptide, and the Doctor sucked into space, Amy Pond must explore the secrets of the time machine in order to restore normality. The adventure will uncover the secrets of the TARDIS, unveil two brand new monsters - and allow players to pilot the TARDIS themselves.

Adds producer Steven Moffat:

Since 1963, kids have wondered what it would be like to control the TARDIS. Now we're handing complete control of the most powerful ship in all of space and time to a generation of children. Everybody duck!' ... 'TARDIS is a brilliant, brilliant adventure. It's funny, touching, terrifying, amazing - everything a Doctor Who episode should be.

The game will be available as a free download next Friday, and simultaneously will be available for purchase outside the UK.

via io9.com

'Bout damn time! I'm so ready to check out a Tardis!

Gonna show it off to my "companion" too - "Come on in luv, it's bigger on the inside!"

6 things Bryan Singer just revealed about X-Men: First Class

So Harry Knowles over at Ain't It Cool News got a call from Bryan Singer with all kinds of juicy news about X-Men: First Class, the upcoming prequel/reboot (take your pick) that explores the early friendship of Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr before they became better known as Professor X and Magneto and found themselves on opposite sides of the mutant debate.

Of course, Harry is all excited now about the movie (which is how he usually gets when a filmmaker calls him personally), but Singer did drop some tantalizing info about the film, which begins shooting on Aug. 31 in London and will come out next June. By the way, he's just producing this time, while Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn is actually the man behind the camera.

Here's some of the things we learned:

It's the '60s, baby!

The movie is set in the 1960s. John F. Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr. are still alive and on the national stage. We'll see Xavier (James McAvoy) and Lensherr (Michael Fassbender) when they first meet and make plans for a happy, healthy relationship between humans and mutants. Xavier will have a full head of hair and be standing on his own two feet, although we will apparently see how he lands in his wheelchair.

This not the REAL First Class

We won't see the first class of X-Men from the comics—Cyclops, Iceman, Angel, Jean Grey and Beast—at least not all of them. A young Beast is in the movie (played by Nicholas Hoult), as is Cyclops' brother Alex Summers, aka Havoc (Jacob Till). But Cyclops himself and Jean are nowhere to be found.

The Hellfire Club will be open for business

As hinted by the inclusion of characters Emma Frost (January Jones) and Sebastian Shaw (Kevin Bacon), the Hellfire Club—longtime antagonists of the X-Men—will play a major role in the story.

So who else will be in the movie?

Singer confirmed that most of the cast and characters listed so far are accurate, which means we've got Moira MacTaggert (Rose Byrne), Darwin (Edi Gathegi), Banshee (Caleb Landry Jones), Mystique (Jennifer Lawrence) and Azazel (Jason Flemyng) in addition to the ones already mentioned. But Singer says to expect a few more characters they haven't announced yet.

The look is Bond, James Bond

In conjunction with the '60s setting, Singer says that Vaughn has been inspired by the James Bond movies for the technology of the film. The costumes will also have a far more "comic-book" style than we've seen before, probably in line with the groovy fashions of the time.

The mutants will go global

The story kicks off at Oxford, where Xavier is attending school, and most of it takes place in the U.K. and the United States. But the movie will visit the Soviet Union along with several other locations...

Put it all together and Knowles concludes that we'll be getting a Silver Age Marvel story on the screen for the first time. One thing's for sure: First Class is abandoning the continuity of the first three movies (hell, that already went out the window with X-Men Origins: Wolverine), but we'll either get something either very cool or even more muddled in return.

What do you think? Will X-Men: First Class return the mutants to glory when it arrives on June 3, 2011?

via blastr

Huh. Would this be the same Matthew Vauhghn who's been preaching the gospel that superhero movies are dead?

Thought so.

 Not crazy optimistic about this one, if I'm being honest.  Let's just say I'm cautiously optimistic, with the emphasis on cautious.

I'd love to be proven wrong, though - few franchises are more deserving of a great movie than the X-Men.

Dr. Who 2010 Xmas Special: First Promotional Picture - UPDATED

This pretty much speaks for itself.

And what it says is “Christmas”.

It was premiered on The One Show tonight (which explains the ’1′ on the right hand side, but not necessarily in the way you’d think). UK viewers can watch the show via iPlayer. Matt Smith and Karen Gillan are guests and you’ll also see a report from The London Film Museum and (say the Daily Mail) one host staring deep into the cleavage of the other. Like so:



UPDATE 1: And here’s an excerpt that will play outside of the UK.

via bleedingcool.com

Just remember - it's not a Doctor Who Christmas special unless we hear some Slade! Doctors come and go, but some traditions are sacred! Don't let me down, Steven Moffat!

Acme Novelty Library Vol. 20 Due In November

The landmark 20th volume in Chris Ware’s multiple Eisner Award-winning Acme Novelty Library series will be published in November and released by Drawn & Quarterly. The 72-page, full color, 9.25” x 7” hardcover (cover price $23.95) chronicles the life and times of Jordan Wellington Lint, 51, the Chief Executive Officer of Lint Financial Products.

Lint is the latest quintessential American archetype to be examined under Ware’s graphic microscope. Ware’s precise highly graphic style isolates his characters in a consistently designed world where typography and architecture mirror and reinforce the geometric elements in his precisely rendered figures. The ultimately disquieting overall effect that Ware is able to achieve is the pure graphic representation of the anomie, isolation, and depression that lurks just beneath the surface of our technologically advanced consumerist culture.

via ICv2

ABCs of Mediocre Marvel Villiany

B is for Batroc

Batroc is high on my list of favorite villains right now. And he, also, rocks the purple and orange...and fights captain america. There's a theme, going on here.

Batroc, The Leaper, is french. And he really isn't all that villainous - sure he takes place in the occasional heist, and is always doing mercenary work, but really? He just wants to fight. doing my research I found several appearances where he started HELPING Captain America out. What a dude.

Batroc is the master of Savate - French Kickboxing - which is as obscure as he is.

Batroc has sort of become a punchline for the Marvel Universe - but, honestly, he's a Kirby character. He's not all that bad.

I really like him. HE'S A FRENCH KICK BOXER.

Batroc the Leaper and other Marvel D-listers finally get their moment in the spotlight to strut their evil stuff in this excellent flickr image set.

David Slade to Direct Wolverine Sequel

via bigshinyrobot.com

NY Mag is reporting that FOX has narrowed down their choices of director for the sequel to X-Men Origins: Wolverine to two men: David Slade (Eclipse, 30 Days of Night), and Robert Schwentke (RED). Apparently, Hugh Jackman who is also a producer on the film get the final say of who will take the helm and all signs point to that he will be selecting the former.

Slade doesn’t have a terribly long resume, and looks pretty hit and miss. I quite enjoyed 30 Days of Night for the most part, but then The Twilight Saga: Eclipse just stares at me right in the face as a giant negative. As most of you already know, the script takes Logan to Japan and supposedly is based on the Miller/Claremont story line, but, if history has taught us anything it’s that FOX will most likely deviate quite a bit from the source material - for the worse. In all honesty, I didn’t HATE the Wolverine prequel as much as most, but I certainly didn’t like it and I don’t feel that it’s deserving of a sequel. But, there are a lot of fan boys out there right now that have been wanting to see the Wolverine-in-Japan story line in movie form for a long time, and it looks like they are about to get their wish - for better or worse.

In any case, you know we will all go see it if nothing else out of morbid curiosity.

Sigh - Slade's the best he is at what he does.

And what he does is make horrible, horrible movies for tweens. Ah well. Not like I had super-high hopes for this one anyway, but still. Ick.

Ex Machina Leaves Office

There was a time when Brian K. Vaughan's name was all over Marvel and DC's publishing catalogs. Vaughan has written many of the industry's most popular superhero characters, and created a few new ones of his own. But in recent years, Vaughan has devoted himself much more to creator-owned works like Y: The Last Man, Pride of Baghdad, and Ex Machina.


That last series drew to a close this week with issue #50. And with it, Vaughan's last current comic book work has ended. We had the opportunity to speak with Vaughan on the phone recently. Our conversation was heavily focused on Ex Machina's final issue and Vaughan's general reflections on he series and its protagonist, Mitchell Hundred. We discussed how writing Ex Machina's ending compared to Y. We also inquired about the future, asking about both Vaughan's future comic book projects and the status of the Ex Machina and Y movies. It may be a while yet until Vaughan's next major comic series is announced, but fans can rest easy knowing Ex Machina was given a proper send-off.

Click here for the spoiler-ific interview with Brian K. Vaughan at IGN.

So sad to see another great Vaughan book pass away. Y: The Last Man was a spectacular comic, and garnered more critical and commercial attention then Ex Machina, but the latter was always my favorite - possibly because of how deeply it connected to me as a lifelong New Yorker.

Similarly, the irony breaks my heart that Vaughan has the grace to have written a story about the super-mayor of NYC with a beginning, middle and end out of love and respect for his readers, while in the real world our real-life mayor, eighth-richest man and world's biggest dillweed Michael Bloomberg, spent billions and used his conflict-of-interest media mogul influence to rewrite the laws, essentially making him Mayor-for-Life.

Once again, comics prove to be better than real life. Goodbye, Great Machine - you will be missed.

Anime-Style Marvel Toons to Premiere on G4

Iron Man, X-Men, Wolverine and Blade will get new anime treatments through Japan’s Madhouse studio and premiere on cable station G4 in 2011. Variety reports that the four new Marvel animated shows will have Asian-centric themes and will be produced through a deal with Sony Pictures TV Japan. Each series has a 12 half-hour initial order.

"We are excited to partner with Sony Pictures and Marvel to bring these incredible icons to G4," says G4 president Neil Tiles. "Combine (Marvel's box-office success) with the passionate following the world of anime brings with it, and we believe this project has incredible potential for the network."

G4 also announced that it will launch a 10-episode second season of American Ninja Warrior, produced by A. Smith & Co. in December.

via animationmagazine.net

Bang! Pow! Could Digital Comic Books Pack Advertising Punch?

Charles Atlas can make you a man! Sea Monkeys live, work and play in an undersea kingdom. Scare your friends with a life-sized Frankenstein Monster or get your own set of 100 army men for only a buck. In the past, comic book advertising was a lot like a circus sideshow. Lots of hype, lots of promise, but mostly a scam. These days, comic book advertising is the realm of the entertainment companies as they use the latest releases to hawk new movies, video games and music but still comic books themselves are pretty old school.

What’s new school, are digital comics that allow the user to flip through the pages on a website, tablet or smartphone and don’t think it’s just the men who are willing to buy. In a recent article at ClickZ, Jeff Webber, head of ePublishing at IDW, noted that the audience for their big seller True Blood, is 30-50 year old women.  Wildstorm publishes comics based on the CW series Supernatural, which also has a predominately female audience. All of this is good news because it’s been shown that women are the leader when it comes to online sales, so connecting with that audience is a good thing.

What digital comics offer that you can’t get with the paper variety is a chance to hook the consumer directly to additional products and information online. A Batman comic can lead you to Batman The Animated Series on iTunes. The Supernatural comic can connect you to the show’s forum on the network website. A pre-release comic for a new movie can lead to Fandango where you can buy tickets.

Right now, most of the advertising related to digital comics is entertainment related but it doesn’t have to be. Like the old fashioned kind, comics can be used to sell anything from cereal to digital sea monkeys. Advertisers and publishers need to start thinking outside of the box in order to make a good fit. The latest energy drink might sponsor a free issue of a Superman comic or imagine if The Red Cross took over one month of True Blood in order to promote a blood drive? Since digital comics can be downloaded to a phone, why not attach a coupon on the back page for a free small drink at a fast food restaurant? Like comic books themselves, the possibilities are limited only by a lack of imagination.

via marketingpilgrim.com

Sigh - no sooner than we finally stop seeing those tiresome "Bif! Zap! Comics Aren't Just For Kids Anymore!" headlines, than the digital comics revolution begins and the lazy journalists have replaced it with "Bang! Zowie! Digital Advertising!".

Sigh - there will never be a shortage of lowest-common-denominator headline writers, certainly not on the subject of comics.

No less than the LA Times recently chimed in on the digital comics phenomenon, with an article sporting the cringeworthy subtitle "It's a book! It's a cartoon! It's ... digital comics!"

60 years of these condescending, lazy puns and it just doesn't get old, does it? And they wonder why print journalism is losing relevance so quickly.

On the plus side, its nice to see increased coverage of digital comics, as the proper implementation of a digital funnybook platform is poised to be the single most important behind-the-scenes comics story of the coming decade, so - cloying headlines aside - bravo, I suppose. But really, it's enough with the '60s-era Batman TV show "Bang! Pow!"s, ok?

Comics fans really, really are turned off by that stuff.

Jubilee takes the X-Men down (?!?)

Marvel Comics has teased the X-Men's defeat at the hands of Jubilee. 

The latest preview of Victor Gischler and Paco Medina's X-Men #3 shows the former mutant and X-Man taking Wolverine by surprise. 

Jubilee has been infected with vampirism as a part of the 'Curse of the Mutants' storyline.
X-Men #3 is out on September 9. 

via digitalspy.co.uk

Yeah, Jubes is soooo the one to take out the entire team, with her badass de-powered paffage.

I'm so sure she'll kill Wolvie where the Hulk, Romulus, his kid, the Brood, Alpha Flight, Sabretooth, and - if the films are to be believed - the Civil War (the actual historical war, not the Marvel crossover event) failed.

Still, this looks like fun readin', so you know I'll be checking it out.

11 best commercials featuring Darth Vader

via Blastr

Although you may not agree with every decision George Lucas has made over the years, nobody can deny the guy has a pretty good idea how to run a successful marketing campaign. Hey, if selling toys hadn't been been part of the picture, we might have even seen a different ending to Return of the Jedi!

Read More >>

Valkyrie: Everything I Know About Teaching I Learned on Cinemax

By Odin's eye, of course we get skinemax in Valhalla!  It's an eternal viking bar, we get all the kinky stuff.

And if there's one thing I know, it's that ye must imbibe your students with lots 'n' lots of mead before commencing the tutorial on Ye Olde Dildo.

Still loving Valkyrie as a guest speaker at Avengers Academy in Issue No. 3!

Scott Pilgrim vs. The Venture Bros.

When we first saw this mash-up of Scott Pilgrim and The Venture Bros. floating around on Twitter, it made our day. The piece was created by Annie Wu, a Baltimore-based artist and recent graduate of Maryland Institute College of Art, as part of a contest Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O'Malley held. She didn't win, but her work has traveled amongst fans of both series.

via blogs.laweekly.com

Go Team Pilgrim!

Choose Your Own Adventure Books Get An App

The classic Choose Your Own Adventure novel series, that lets readers decide the fate of their story, is coming back digitally in the form of an iPhone and iPad app. Uventures, a start-up in Sweden, is working on the app.

NPR reports: "Edward Packard, one of the authors of the interactive Choose Your Own Adventure series, has helped create U-Ventures, an application for the iPhone and iPad. It incorporates sounds, lights and special effects into the traditional Choose Your Own Adventure format. The first U-Venture is a sort of a sequel to a classic title, The Cave of Time. In 'Return to the Cave of Time,' the U-Venture, 'you go back in the cave - you don't have a choice on that,' Packard tells NPR's Neal Conan. But from that point on, the reader chooses her own course."

This iPhone app is not the only way that readers can choose their own adventures digitally. We recently reported on a website called Unknown Tales in which readers and writers interact to help create the genre and story line.

via mediabistro.com

Turn left at the dragon's cave? Yup - there's an app for that.

Cast complete for 'Spider-Man' musical

Broadway stars Isabel Keating (The Boy From Oz), Michael Mulheren (Kiss Me Kate), and Gideon Glick (Spring Awakening) will round out the large cast of the highly anticipated Spider-Man, Turn off the Dark, according to Variety. They join lead actor Reeve Carney who will play Spidey. Previews are scheduled for November 14, with a December 21 opening at Manhattan’s Foxwoods Theater. The stage version of Spider-Man springs from the minds of Julie Taymor, Bono, and the Edge.

via news-briefs.ew.com

You know, I was all set to opine about this, but the first commenter to this piece, one "mark in nyc" pretty much summed my feelings up perfectly, so - take it away mark!

not even spider-man will be able to diffuse this bomb.
@Karen Valby…plying a little lose with the term “highly anticipated” aren’t you? who is highly anticipating this besides the show producers and publicist?

OK, granted, my opinion would have been an eensy bit more eloquent - and I would have checked for typos - but, essentially, "mark" and I are in total agreement. Whooo boy and as you read further down the comments the love for this latest Disney-ness coming to Times Square is nowhere to be found! This, my friends, is looking to be a disaster of epic proportions!

Professor Valkyrie: Don't Stand So Close To Me

Christos Gage continues to make this title feel like a real, live, crazypants school run by dysfunctional spazoids who think they're somehow qualified to mold the next generation (trust me on this, I came up through the New York City public school system).

Valkyrie's cameo appearance in Avengers Academy No. 3 as the quintessential gym teacher from Hell that every woman I know had at one time in their lives is pretty awesome casting.  Well done.  And, uh - if you wanna release a "director's cut" that includes locker room scenes, I might just shell out the $4.99 or whatever outrageous price tag Marvel decides to stick on it.

Bloody Tease: Three Clips From This Sunday's Episode of True Blood

Ep. 34: Clip - Tara helps Jason clean up

Ep. 34: Clip - Pam questions Eric

Ep. 34: Clip - Jessica confronts Arlene

via televisionaryblog.com

HBO's episode synopsis:

A reluctant Bill warns Sookie about the dangers she will face; Jesus is intrigued by the mysterious qualities of V; Samʼs recent fit of rage triggers dark memories; Eric takes precautions and fulfills a wish; Arlene turns to Holly for help with a pressing problem; Jason deals with the unexpected, both with Tara and Crystal; Jessica is torn between Tommy and Hoyt; after communing with Talbot, Russell promises to extract vengeance on his enemies.

Mega Man Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That

The weird thing is, I totally remember thinking that the music from this scene (Dr. Willy's castle) from Mega Man 2 was reminiscent of the Elton John song.

Clearly, I wasn't alone. I was never tempted to make an eerie mash-up, however;  but I'm so glad that Kotaku reader Andrew G. was!

VIDEO: Neil Gaiman Reading At The Sydney Opera House Excerpts

Here are five minutes worth of short excerpts from Neil Gaiman’s ninety-minute reading of The Truth Is A Cave In The Black Mountains in the Sydney Opera House with music by FourPlay String Quartet, and Eddie Campbell on art. Naturally, spoilers but you can read the whole story first here. The video is courtesy of the Sydney Morning Herald.

via bleedingcool.com

Nicholas Brendan launches webcomic

Buffy the Vampire Slayer co-star Nicholas Brendan is to launch a webcomic.

The actor, who played Xander Harris in the television show, will be at Wizard World Chicago Comic Con promoting Very Bad Koalas.

Collaborating with animation director and producer Steve Loter and illustrator Rafael Santiago, the comic follows the adventures of Avery and Irving, two koalas on the run from the authorities in their 1958 Cadillac El Dorado.

It charts the strange encounters they have along the way and their struggle with addiction.

"If you follow the news at all you probably know - it's not really a secret - I have a little addiction problem that I get arrested for from time to time," Brendan told Chicago Now. "God bless sobriety!

"But I think Avery is going to have a problem with his eucalyptus intake. Because the whole thing about koalas is that they're fierce creatures, and what keeps them mellow is the eucalyptus, that acts like a catnip for them."

via digitalspy.co.uk

Out of rehab and on the web; good show, Nic! Stay out of trouble and right what ya know!

Psychologist Claims Today’s Superheroes Are Bad Influences On Children

via Geekosystem

Psychologist Sharon Lamb thinks that todays superheroes send the wrong messages to young boys.

There is a big difference in the movie superhero of today and the comic book superhero of yesterday… Today’s superhero is too much like an action hero who participates in non-stop violence; he’s aggressive, sarcastic and rarely speaks to the virtue of doing good for humanity. When not in superhero costume, these men, like Ironman[sic], exploit women, flaunt bling and convey their manhood with high-powered guns.

The comic book heroes of the past did fight criminals, she said, “but these were heroes boys could look up to and learn from because outside of their costumes, they were real people with real problems and many vulnerabilities,” she said.

Read More >>

Finally, Something on Chatroulette Besides Wangs!

While I'm not exactly chomping at the bit to see the movie, the viral marketing campaign for The Last Exorcism - freaking people right the f**k out via Chatroulette - is pretty damn cool.  Check out the "best-of-reactions clip" below - a word of warning, you might want to turn your speakers down a hair, as the viewers' mics get kinda crunchy when the chick's eyes roll back in her head.

Joss Whedon Discusses His Contributions to The First Avenger: Captain America

Although Joss Whedon will be writing and directing The Avengers, his first foray into the Marvel movie universe has been as a script doctor on The First Avenger: Captain America, and in this exclusive interview he discusses his contribution to that project.

"I just got to make some character connections," explains Whedon. "The structure of the thing was really tight and I loved it, but there were a couple of opportunities to find his voice a little bit — and some of the other characters — and make the connections so that you understood exactly why he wanted to be who he wanted to be. And progressing through the script to flesh it out a little bit."

Serving as a script doctor is nothing new to Whedon, who performed the same bedside manner to the screenplays for Speed (the patient lived) and Waterworld (not so much). As such, it was an enjoyable exercise of a creative muscle that he hasn't used in quite some time.

"It's fun in this case," offers Whedon, "because, A, they'll actually use the things I wrote, which is rare; and, B, it's a fun puzzle to go in and say, 'Okay, this is what works, this is what needs to be connected, and here are some key moments.' Then the third thing is that it takes place in the '40s, so I got to write '40s dialogue, and that's never not fun!"

via earthsmightiest.com

Joss speaks! About his writing technique! On Cap!

Splooosh.

IDW, Dark Horse Clarify "Angel" Publishing Plans

Following yesterday's news that "Angel" will return to Dark Horse after a five year stint at IDW, Dark Horse and IDW Publishing have issued separate press releases regarding the future of the "Angel" publishing license. We've reprinted both releases in their entirety below.

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Official Press Release from IDW

IDW Publishing today confirmed that it will launch the company’s final ANGEL story arc in November. IDW has published ANGEL comics since 2005, and this closing six-issue arc will serve as a bridge to Dark Horse Publishing, which will pick up the series in late 2011. Under the direction of BUFFY and ANGEL creator Joss Whedon, all parties are working together for as seamless a transition as possible. The companies have been coordinating storylines in both Dark Horse’s BUFFY and IDW’s ANGEL, creating a greater sense of cohesion and cooperation to ensure that this transition is true to both ongoing storylines and to the faithful fans of both series.

News of the upcoming change was recently revealed by Dark Horse Publishing, without coordination with IDW. “Dark Horse really regrets that this news was released before a joint statement from both companies was issued,” said Dark Horse Senior Editor Scott Allie. “Behind the scenes, we’d been working closely with IDW to ensure that the hand-off went smoothly. It was never our intent to catch ANGEL or IDW readers unaware. We've been working directly with Chris, Mariah and Brian on the interaction and the overlap between the storylines, and we think it's gonna be a lot of fun for everyone.”

IDW’s ANGEL #39 is the first step in this closer co-existence. The issue introduces new series writers David Tischman ( ANGEL: BARBARY COAST ) and his TRUE BLOOD co-writer, Mariah Huehner, who kick off IDW’s final six-part storyline entitled “The Wolf, The Ram & The Heart,” which should give fans a good indication of just who the final tale’s “big bad” will be. Longtime ANGEL readers know just how big and how bad Wolfram & Hart can be. Issue #39 is also an excellent jumping on point for new readers, as it begins a new storyline for Angel and his crew.

Chris Ryall, IDW’s Chief Creative Officer said, “We’ve loved the half-decade of publishing the exploits of both ANGEL, and the fan support has been truly inspiring and appreciated. The fact that steps are being taken by both companies to tie the books more closely together is something I’ve long wanted to do. This will not only ensure a smooth hand-off back to Dark Horse, it will also give the fans a cohesive storyline and explain some of the lingering questions they might have. While I hate to see Angel go, I know Joss has a vision for where things are headed and I’m excited to be a part of that.”

Starting in October, Brian Lynch and Franco Urru’s ongoing SPIKE series furthers the coordinated storylines. Not only does BUFFY “Scooby Team” member Willow appear in an upcoming issue of SPIKE, but the series will also explain how Spike appeared in BUFFY in a spaceship accompanied by giant alien bugs.

In addition to the storylines being told in ANGEL and SPIKE, November’s ILLYRIA miniseries by Scott Tipton and ongoing ANGEL artist Elena Casagrande will offer further ties with the two ongoing series, even as it vastly complicates the life of its title character.

Added Ryall, “I have nothing but good memories of our time managing Angel’s affairs. ANGEL was one of the first series I worked on upon joining IDW, and it introduced me to the great David Messina, who’s gone on to tackle the sexy vampires of TRUE BLOOD for us. David, Franco, [ANGEL artist] Elena Casagrande, along with Stephen Mooney, John Byrne and writers like Jeff Mariotte, Lynch, Tipton, Tischman, Juliet Landau and so many other talented folk… it’s truly been one of the most rewarding rides I’ve had at IDW. I trust that the license will be in good hands with Dark Horse.

“I know change is hard for fans - and us publishers, too,” Ryall continued, “but I want to remind everyone that we’re still going strong and have big plans for ANGEL well into 2011. Another point in our favor here is that the reversion nevertheless allows us to keep all of our Angel books in print long after we’ve stopped releasing new ANGEL comics. So the news might be surprising but the fact is, the stories you’ve loved aren’t going away any time soon. We’ve still got one last, big year to come, and we’ll fight the good fight until the end. Angel wouldn’t have it any other way.”

ANGEL #39 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in November. Diamond order code SEP10 0373.

SPIKE #1 ($3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores on October 13th. Diamond order code AUG10 0331.

ILLYRIA #1 (of 4, $3.99, 32 pages, full color) will be available in stores in November. Diamond order code SEP10 0368.

Visit IDWPublishing.com to learn more about the company and its top-selling books.

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Official Press Release from Dark Horse

Dark Horse Comics is thrilled to announce that Joss Whedon’s Angel will return to the Dark Horse stable in 2011. Dark Horse’s Angel will bring the beloved characters from Whedon’s longest-running shows under one roof, allowing for new and exciting explorations of the Buffyverse featuring favorites from the casts of both series.

“I’ve always regretted letting Angel go in the first place,” Dark Horse senior managing editor Scott Allie said. “So we’re really excited about getting him back, as well as all his supporting cast. It’s necessary for how Joss wants to handle season nine, details of which will start spilling out in the months to come. Right now, we’ve got to wrap up season eight, and IDW still has a good long run of books before season nine starts.”

IDW Publishing confirmed today that it will launch the company’s final Angel story arc in November. This closing six-issue arc will serve as a bridge to Dark Horse Comics, which will pick up the series in late 2011. Under the direction of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel creator Joss Whedon, all parties are working together for as seamless a transition as possible. The companies have been coordinating story lines in both Dark Horse’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight and IDW’s Angel, creating a greater sense of cohesion and cooperation to ensure that this transition is true to both ongoing story lines and to the faithful fans of both series.

via comicbookresources.com

The 10 Most Screwed-Over Children of Superheroes in Comics

​Being the child of a superhero seems like it would be a great deal on paper. Your parents can't give you a lot of shit for being hard to get a hold of because they're always out doing God-knows-what, you might get super powers of your own (or at least some cool gear if your folks don't have powers) and they've got to have some pretty rad stories to tell when they've had a few too many cocktails at the next family get together. But, what happens instead? Usually the kids get brutally killed. Or blinked out of existence. Or ditched because mom or dad can't give up the thrill of the chase. Or it turns out your children never existed because your husband's a robot. Or your parents never knew you existed in the first place. Here's a rundown of the top kids of superheroes who've had it the hardest over the years.

via toplessrobot.com

A decent list, and with only 10 to choose from you're gonna have some unfortunate omissions, and I saw some glaring ones, such as Jericho and Quicksilver, as noted in the comments.

Still, a good piece all in all, and a little bit of "damn, I'm glad that's not me" fun, or as Big Words would put it, schadenfreude.

Yo Quiero the Goddamn Batman - Caped Crusader Robs Taco Bell!

Times are tough for the Dark Knight. But hey, even caped crimefighters need to eat.

This below video -- while pretty damn funny -- is obviously a prank, and we really hope the guy at the drive-thru (assuming he wasn't in on it) got his food back.

And please, now that it's been done, don't film yourself doing the same or something similar in a Superman costume.

via The Consumerist

I dunno - The Consumerist says that this is "obviously a prank", but their source for the video makes no such claim, and - while it does look pretty damn funny - it doesn't look staged to me.

And it would hardly be a first; in recent months we've seen cosplayers robbing banks dressed as Spider-Man and Darth Vader.