Articles by rick-marshall
Fri Jun 20, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Leaked 'Iron Man' Photo Now Subject of Lawsuit
Bad photo becomes good photo becomes lawsuit photo
When movie site IESB.net posted one of the first images of the Iron Man suit last May, to say that the leaked photo from the set of Iron Man created a bit of a buzz might be the understatement of the year.
It didn't take long, however, for the studios involved with the film to direct their full legal attention to the movie news site, forcing it to shut down for a period of time and generating an entirely different kind of buzz.
Well, it seems like the legal tussle over the photo will have yet another chapter, as attentive members of the Iron Man audience might have noticed a familiar image on the front page of a newspaper Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) is reading in a scene near the end of the film. Photographer Ronnie Adams, who shot the initial "leaked" Iron Man photo that started all of the hub-bub, is now alledging that the movie studios used his infamous photo in a "pivotal scene" during Iron Man, and is asking for unspecified monetary damages.
Adams filed a lawsuit regarding the photo last week against Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment, and also asked that the photo be removed from any future DVDs or videogames related to Iron Man.
Full-size versions of the original, "leaked" image and the offending Iron Man scene (according to Adams' lawsuit) are posted after the jump for comparison.
(via pdnonline)
Continue reading Leaked 'Iron Man' Photo Now Subject of Lawsuit ›
Fri Jun 20, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Webcomic News Roundup: Penny Arcade, EZ Street and Election '08
It's campaign season in the webcomics scene, apparently...
It's that day of the week again, folks -- the one where I hastily cobble together a bunch of posts to run this weekend while hoping no one notices that I kicked off my own "Happy Hour" several hours earlier. Oh, and it's also the day when I wrangle a few items of note for you to take notice of from the online side of the comics scene, too.
This week, the Penny Arcade duo notified readers that their corner of the InterWebs was recently named one of Time magazine's "50 Greatest Websites of 2008." You can also vote for which of the 50 sites is ranked #1 -- so consider this some encouragement to stuff the holy heck out of that ballot. Go ahead and make your webcomic-reading vote count, choose or die, or just rock the vote. Whatever works.
Since it's an Election Year here in the U.S., another item of note on the voting side of things: Not only did our very own EZ Street series wrap up its 38-issue run this week, but it was also nominated for a Harvey Award as "Best Online Comic." Congratulations to creators Robert Tinnell and Mark Wheatley, who were recently interviewed by Scoop about the finale of the series and their future plans. Keep an eye out this week for a Q&A with the EZ Street team here on ComicMix.
Continue reading Webcomic News Roundup: Penny Arcade, EZ Street and Election '08 ›
Fri Jun 20, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Adam West Discusses Current 'Dark Knight' Franchise
Batman on the state of Batman
While I'm not a big fan of the way this conversation was framed, it's worth noting that the crew at ComicBookMovie.com recently chatted with actor Adam West, the Batman of the campy 1960s television series, about the current state of the character's TV and movie franchise.
Sure, it's no surprise to anyone that West views Batman Begins and its upcoming sequel, The Dark Knight, as a far darker, grittier take on the character he portrayed in the groovy TV series and subsequent (even more campy) film, Batman: The Movie, but his take on the original series provides some interesting food for thought.
"It was silly and funny. With the villains, especially, it was almost Shakespearian because of the bizarre costuming and makeup," he recalls. "In those days we didn't rely on special effects as much so everyone was challenged to use their imaginations."
West also provides an update of sorts as to the state of the TV series availability on DVD:
"They only thing I've heard is that for some time they've been trying to cut a deal as far as ownership and return -- basically who gets what slice of the pie. When that is worked out, then I guess you'll be able to get it."
The full chat (which is actually pretty sparse and framed sort of, well... rudely) is available over at ComicBookMovie.com.
Fri Jun 20, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Bill Watterson on Richard Thompson and 'Cul De Sac'
'Calvin and Hobbes' creator provides foreword for new collection
I already knew that Richard Thompson's Cul De Sac was a damn fine comic, but it's nice to have someone like Bill Watterson, creator of Calvin and Hobbes, confirm that assessment.
Watterson has provided the foreword for the upcoming collection of Thompson's popular series, titled Cul De Sac: This Exit. According to Thompson, Watterson's words "made me blush so hard I got a nosebleed."
Here's an excerpt from the foreword:
I also like the nightmarish suburb that the Otterloop ("outer loop") family inhabits: the identical houses crammed in endless rows, the relentless highway traffic strangling the soulless development, the ugly shopping malls, the oppressive parking garages, and sticky-floored restaurants. Like most of us, the family negotiates this modern awfulness as a simple matter of course; the critique appears only in the drawings, where the strip suddenly works on another level.
The full text is available at amazon.com. The collection is scheduled for release this September.
(via TheDailyCartoonist)
Fri Jun 20, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
'Dark Knight' Interviews and Set Visit Report
It's bat-tastic!
As The Dark Knight's release date looms ever closer, studio-arranged embargoes on coverage of the film appear to be lifting and the set visits, interviews and other coverage that have been kept out of the public eye for the last year or so are arriving on the 'Net.
Over the last few years, some of my favorite "official" coverage of comics-themed films has arrived via the crew at SuperHeroHype and ComingSoon.net. Their recent Dark Knight package is no exception.
Along with a comprehensive report on their visit to the set of the film, there are also interviews with actors Christian Bale, Aaron Eckhart and Gary Oldman, as well as director Christopher Nolan and the film's production and costume designers.
From their analysis of the Bat Suit:
Also notable was the neck. Rather than being big and bulky like the "Begins" costume, it was very thin and made of several pieces. As the costumer would later tell us, they actually had to scale down the Bat mask so it wouldn't look so huge on the smaller neck. Also noteworthy was the bat logo being significantly smaller and split in two pieces. When I asked the costumer about it later, he said there was actually some debate for a time whether to even have the logo or not.
. . .
I also got to see what was under the cape. It was laced up in the back and there was no bat butt. (I knew you were wondering.) All in all, the costume looked great, and very functional, in person.
So there you have it: There will be no "bat butt" in the sequel.
Head over to SuperHeroHype for the rest of the Dark Knight set visit, as well as other items from their on-location coverage.
The Dark Knight hits theaters July 18.
Thu Jun 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
The Buzz on Brian K. Vaughan's 'Roundtable' Script
The next big thing for one of comics' best?
Over at AICN, Moriarty has posted a very long analysis of Y: The Last Man creator Brian K. Vaughan's script for a feature film currently titled Roundtable, which Dreamworks recently won after a long bidding war.
Apparently, the man behind Runaways and Ex Machina (and now a writer for the comic-posing-as-a-television-series Lost) has turned in a script that's being celebrated as one of the best to hit Hollywood in quite some time, earning comparisons to classic science-fiction comedies such as Ghostbusters and Back to the Future by even the most jaded readers.
So when my friend sent over ROUNDTABLE and suggested I read it, I was surprised by his enthusiasm. That’s not the way it normally goes. Keep in mind, there’s a sport in LA that’s very popular. Writers get hold of a script that just sold for a ton of money. And then they read it so that they can reassure theselves that it’s terrible and if that piece of shit sold for a lot of money, then that masterpiece they’re tinkering with in the off-hours is going to be set a new record for how much money someone can make on a script. It’s only fair. It’s a bitter, angry game, but it’s been going on since at least when I moved here in the early ‘90s, and it hasn’t changed in that entire time. Almost any script can be torn apart by the determined and the bitter if they try, but I’m guessing that they’ll find themselves tied in knots as soon as they all get hold of this script, because it is indeed a tightly-constructed and hilarious commercial script that is most probably going to make DreamWorks a small fortune when they finally release the film.
Moriarty goes on to describe some of the casting Vaughan seems to have had in mind for characters, as well as a basic synopsis of the story.
(via PopCandy)
Thu Jun 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Comic Artists Sketch David Bowie
Ground control to this crazy sketchbook...
My buddy Sean T. Collins received a lot of attention late last year when he posted a gallery of sketches from his David Bowie-themed sketchbook, and rightly so. Over the last year or so, Collins has been collecting some outstanding sketches of ol' Ziggy Stardust himself by some of the industry's most popular creators in print and webcomics (as well as some of its rising stars), and the results have been endlessly amusing, to say the least.
Collins recently posted the Bowie sketches he garnered at this year's MoCCA Art Festival (you can read our ComicMix coverage of MoCCA here), and the art continues to not only be amazing on its own, but also spark some great discussion of Bowie and the various artists' impressions of him.
The art I've posted here is by Jason, a favorite of mine, and his depiction of "Bowie as an anthropomorphized doggie version of The Little Prince." You can view the full gallery of Collins' MoCCA sketches of David Bowie here, then be sure to go back and view the first Bowie sketch gallery, The Thin White Sketchbook, and its sequel, The Return of the Thin White Sketchbook.
The list of artists featured in Collins' sketchbook reads like a Who's Who of cartoon and comic celebrity, so no matter where your interests lie, there's a good chance you'll see one of your favorites' renditions of David Bowie.
Thu Jun 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
New Website, Two-Face Clip From 'The Dark Knight'
Gotham City Pizzeria hides clue to new villain...
With just under a month until The Dark Knight hits theaters, it's not surprising to see more viral marketing for the film popping up around the 'Net. Previously, we ran down the long list of other Dark Knight online marketing campaigns, but this one has a special treat for Batman fans.
For example, feel free to surf over to the recently launched website for Gotham City Pizzeria. Along with reading up on the pizzeria's history, you can also read their pledge to customers that includes a few elements you don't normally find in a pizzeria chain -- including a pledge to "support Batman."
I know this is controversial, but sometimes you have to take a stand. One day, when we were first expanding to lots of neighborhoods in Gotham, I picked up the day's receipts from our shop in East End. The street lamps were out, and the sidewalk was deserted. Two thugs approached me and demanded money. I was too slow - and one of them pulled out a shotgun. Suddenly, they were gone. I looked up, and Batman had snatched them in his arms and was giving them a little dose of Gotham City Justice. From that moment on, we put special emphasis on making the streets around our locations safe - and business skyrocketed. Batman is an inspiration to all of us who want to take control of our own lives and fight back against the criminals of Gotham City. GCP supports Batman.
Oh, and pay close attention to the cursor when you drift over the letters "HA" in "GOTHAM" ... Notice anything? Click on "HA" to view a clip from the film that provides your first look at Harvey Dent, a.k.a. Two-Face.
Why so serious, indeed?
(via SHH)
Thu Jun 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Jon Rosenberg on 'Goats' and the Art of the Reboot
Woody Allen and Space Hitler... 'nuff said.
There aren't many people who have been in the webcomics business longer than Goats creator Jon Rosenberg.
After more than a decade creating comics in the online scene (and doing so as his sole source of income for the last few years), the popular creator has certainly earned "veteran" status -- especially by the "here one day, gone the next" standards of Internet fame. In the time that countless other comics have enjoyed celebrated beginnings, mediocre runs and quiet dismissals into digital limbo, Goats has persevered, evolved and gone so far as to develop a rich, complex history that continues to develop to this day.
Yet, as both the series and its creator have grown, so have the elements providing the series' foundation from the start. Minor and major characters have come into their own and prompted various spin-offs and memes that carve out an even greater niche for the series in webcomic history. Whether experimenting with subscription-based content or new hardware for illustrators, Rosenberg's longtime readers have been privy to an ongoing experiment with the Internet's ability to support webcomics. Heck, one might even go so far as to say that the evolution of Goats is a pretty darn good model of the evolution of webcomics as a whole, with many of the trends, pitfalls and successes of the online model represented by different points in the series' history.
And to think it all began with a couple of guys in a bar.
For this week's webcomic interview, I spoke with Rosenberg about Goats, his creative process, the art of the relaunch and the big announcement he has planned for Comic-Con International in San Diego next month.
Oh, and we also found some time to talk about beer, too.
COMICMIX: What are you up today, Jon?
JON ROSENBERG: Today was one of those rare non-comicking days where I did a couple hundred small businessy-type tasks. "Taskettes," really. Customer service email, product design, paying bills, that sort of thing. From the sorts of things I've heard lately, print cartoonists all have assistants and butlers to do that sort of thing for them since they're all so rich, but us webcomics folk sometimes have to get our hands dirty.
Lately I've been working on banging out as good a story as possible and learning to use my new Cintiq at peak efficiency. Electrons is where it's at, I'm never going back to ink on paper. Most of my mental bandwidth has been taken up by a large project which I can't talk about until July, unfortunately.
Continue reading Interview: Jon Rosenberg on 'Goats' and the Art of the Reboot ›
Wed Jun 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Heroes Con Roundup, Spurgeon-Style
That eye... it just keeps following me around...
As he often does with conventions of note, Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter has posted a great, comprehensive roundup of information related to this weekend's Heroes Convention in Charlotte, NC.
Spurgeon is moderating what appears to be every single panel at the show... which should get more interesting as the weekend progresses. Will he end up confusing the "Religion & Philosophy" panel with the "Webcomics Roundup?" Witness the madness for yourself!
Oh, and Spurgeon gets extra "good guy" points for the creepy animated-eye promo image I've included here, as well as posting the press release he received from Jim Rugg that was addressed to The Beat.
Heroes Con is happening this weekend, June 20-22, in Charlotte, NC.
Wed Jun 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Vasilis Lolos 'Last Call' Headed to Theaters?
Latest comic-to-screen Oni project announced...
Last year's excellent Vasilis Lolos story Last Call looks to be the latest comic-to-movie acquisition, as Variety reports that Universal Pictures has bought up the rights to the Oni Press project.
"The Last Call," written and illustrated by Vasilis Lolos, centers on two teens on a joyride who get hit by a train -- an interdimensional soul carrier -- and find themselves on a quest to solve a mystery that will allow them to return to their regular lives. Series debuted last year.
Evan Spiliotopoulos, who most recently penned "The Box" for Fox, is adapting the series for the screen.
Last Call is the fourth Oni project to receive such attention from Hollywood, with Scott Pilgrim, Leading Man and Resurrection also optioned over the last few years.
(via The Beat)
Wed Jun 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Exploring Creators' Rights With 'The Incredible Hulk'
What about Ant-Man's discussion of micropayments and licensing agreements?
As a footnote of sorts to his recent review of The Incredible Hulk
According to Spurgeon, one particular element in the relationship between the characters of Dr. Bruce Banner and Gen. "Thunderbolt" Ross might be worth a little more exploration -- but don't expect the House of Ideas to lead the discussion:
* in case you were wondering, Incredible Hulk continues Marvel's weird Summer 2008 conversational subtext on creators' rights issues, as General Thunderbolt Ross demands ownership of Bruce Banner's body of work and licensing rights, and turns the Super-Soldier formula over to another work-for-hire creator. I can hardly wait for Thor's exegesis on trademarks and public domain.
Good eye (or ear, in this case), Tom!
Wed Jun 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Bill Willingham on New 'Fables' Graphic Novel and Rudyard Kipling
What do Mowgli and Little Boy Blue have in common?
While Fables creator Bill Willingham is keeping mum about the details surrounding his next original graphic novel set in the Fables universe, he recently mentioned that the first half of the mysterious project was written in the shadow of another famous fantasy scribe: Rudyard Kipling.
According to ReadExpress.com:
"I wrote the first half of it ... in the same room, on the same desk, that Kipling invented Mowgli and 'The Jungle Book.' I stayed at the Kipling mansion in Vermont, which might have been the two most wonderful weeks of my life," said Willingham. "I think the greatest problem of my time there was the time lost when I just sat there like a dumb idiot saying to myself, 'Woah, look at where I am.'"
Willingham cautioned not to expect too much of that Kipling inspiration to bleed into the storyline, however.
"The book was outlined pretty rigidly before I got there, so I couldn't really deviate much, but I definitely wrote one scene in there as a nod to where I was and what my circumstances were."
Willingham goes on to describe his storytelling approach toward many of the characters in his Fables universe, as well as his approach to creating stories with the full collection in mind rather than single issues.
Finally, the writer had this to say about his dealings with the movie industry and Fables' long-rumored turn on the big screen:
"My brushes with Hollywood have all been so completely surreal," he said. "I have no idea how anything, even the smallest possible thing, can get made in that town. There has been a growing realization that anything makes it to become a TV show or a movie is some sort of bizarre miracle. Boy, do those people love taking meetings!"
(via Journalista)
Tue Jun 17, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Interview: Adam Freeman on 'Genius' and Top Cow's Pilot Season
The future of duo's new series will lie in the hands of fans
Marc Bernardin and Adam Freeman's first big comics project, last year's five-issue miniseries The Highwaymen
Despite a massive marketing push by the series' publisher, Wildstorm, as well as fairly positive reviews of the first issue, in the end the series was widely regarded as a commercial disappointment. After all was said and done, the series' performance left many figures in and around the industry, including Bernardin himself, wondering what the difficulties experienced by The Highwaymen say about the industry as a whole.
Nevertheless, the pair has persevered, and this week marks the release of Genius, their original story about a 17-year-old girl in South Central Los Angeles who unites the region's gangs in a war against the L.A. Police Department.
From the Top Cow solicit for the project:
Alexander, Hannibal, Napoleon, Patton. What if the greatest military mind of OUR generation was born in strife, surrounded by violence and combat since birth? When the gauntlet is dropped, the question isn't "How did 17-year-old Destiny Ajaye unite the gangs of South Central into a killer army and declare war on the LAPD?" No, the question is, "Can anyone stop her?"
This Wednesday, Genius will hit shelves as one of the titles in Top Cow's "Pilot Season" program, and readers will eventually be able to vote on which of the "Pilot Season" projects becomes an ongoing series with the publisher.
I spoke with Adam Freeman about Genius, where the idea for the story originated and the Top Cow program that once again puts a story he co-created with Bernardin at the mercy of comics fans everywhere.
COMICMIX: Can you tell me about the genesis of Genius? What was the spark that developed into this story?
ADAM FREEMAN: It was an idea that Marc had swimming in his head for a while, but I responded to instantly. I have always been fascinated with prodigies and savants. I am not a religious or spiritual person by any means, but the idea that someone -- regardless of their walk of life -- could be "chosen" to be the best at something is incredibly cool to me.
Continue reading Interview: Adam Freeman on 'Genius' and Top Cow's Pilot Season ›
Mon Jun 16, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
'Sarah Connor Chronicles' Marathon on FOX
Summer Glau
With the second season of the Terminator spin-off television series The Sarah Connor Chronicles kicking off in September on FOX, the crew over at TV Squad tells us that the network will be airing all of the first season episodes this August to get viewers ready for Season Two.
According to TV Squad:
The network is going to run a marathon of the first season of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles starting on Sunday, August 10 at 9pm. Then the other episodes from the first season, in order, will air at 9pm on August 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 24.
The two-hour second season premiere then airs on September 8 at 8pm.
I caught the first episode of this series and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. It appears as if FOX is really banking on this series , so it could be worth the catch-up time before the second season's premiere. Heck, the more we can do to convince networks that there are alternatives to "Reality" TV programming, the better -- and the more we get to see of Serenity star Summer Glau, well, that's pretty decent, too.
