Articles by rick-marshall
Tue Jun 24, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
The Fragile Nature of 'Geek Cred'
I liked these types of columns before they were cool...
Beware the power of words, folks. Over at Cinematical, the movie news site's resident "geek beat" contributor Elisabeth Rappe has taken a comment I left on one of her recent posts and turned it into a full-blown column, titled "The Touchiness of Geek Cred."
In the column, Rappe discusses the Survivor-esque mentality of geekery and the first time she realized that niche-culture gatherings like comic and science-fiction conventions weren't the friendly grounds she expected them to be. The ever-present drive to cull the herd and create a higher place on the social ladder is in full effect just as much inside the niche cultures as outside, she observes.
For geeks of the feminine persuasion, the environment is even more cut-throat, according to Rappe:
As a female, I find I have to prove myself even more. The first time I went to ComicCon, I fell into a casual conversation with a guy about the comic book movie spin-offs. I mentioned that I really wanted to see the eventual Wolverine, and he sneered: "You just want to see it because you're a girl, and Hugh Jackman is hot!"
"Hey," I replied tartly. "Wolverine is the best at what he does, and what he does isn't very nice."
"You know the catchphrase. I take that back."
Well, thanks. This is something a geeky girl runs up against often, and it is useless to fight it. Men can see Catwoman for Halle Berry, girls cannot see 300 for Gerard Butler. Frankly, I do it too. One woman I was friends with joined my online movie community solely to talk about Butler. She was horrified when the fanboys called her on it. But I too was aghast. "You can't just go in and talk about hot guys – you have to talk about Frank Miller first! You have to prove yourself a geek!"
Head over to Cinematical for the rest of the column.
Rappe's observations reminded me of a recent post here on ComicMix, in which I mentioned that I have yet to read any of the Harry Potter books and narrowly escaped a nasty tar-and-feathering by readers.
Tue Jun 24, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Bob Greenberger on 'The Essential Batman Encyclopedia'
New Batman project finds ComicMix contributor at the helm...
I've directed you to Tom Spurgeon's "Sunday Interview" series before, but this time around, the ol' Comics Reporter has posted a special treat for ComicMix readers. Our very own Bob Greenberger, who most recently interviewed Bob Rozakis about his alternate-history project with Alter Ego and Back Issue magazines here on ComicMix, spoke with Spurgeon about his work on The Essential Batman Encyclopedia.
While Spurgeon and Greenberger chat at length about many interesting aspects of the Batman project that's currently being hyped heavily in the lead-up to the release of The Dark Knight, I'll admit that Greenberger's discussion of life at the Weekly World News office was one of my favorite elements of the interview.
SPURGEON: I've always wanted to ask someone who worked there -- what was your Weekly World News experience like?
GREENBERGER: Wild and chaotic and even more seat-of-your pants than Marvel under Bill Jemas. Our editor-in-chief Jeff Rovin would have us shoehorn in new stories the day before we were due on press. Our publishers sometimes changed their minds and wanted an entirely new cover story produced in two or three days. Yet, we got it down to a system where four of managed to edit, proof, layout and design the 48-pages every week without break too much of a sweat. The articles and columns rolled in, got scheduled and printed and we never had to stay late -- okay, maybe once or twice. We were all incredibly optimistic at the newspaper fortunes as licensing deals were getting signed and we were reshaping the magazine for new audiences and then we got canceled, largely because I don't think AMI ever understood the value of the brand until the week the news broke. It was an incredible delight and a heck of a lot of fun.
Head over to The Comics Reporter for the full interview.
On a side note, one has to wonder if Greenberger has ever tired of writing "Bat Boy" stories.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Heroes Con: Elsewhere On The Grid
All the news that's news... and then some other random stuff, too.
Ah, convention season... when the wind-down from one show overlaps with the preparation for the next.
In case you missed our two-part report on last weekend's Heroes Con in Charlotte, NC, Van Jensen provided ComicMix readers with a great summary of all the important happenings from the the convention, including some interesting thoughts on DC's dilemma from the publisher's rumor-plagued Executive Editor, Dan DiDio, as well as the unfortunate overshadowing of the sizeable small-press crowd.
There are some great roundups of the show to be found elsewhere on the 'Tubes, too. Here are a few links to checkout if you want to read up on the show a bit more:
The Beat's Heidi MacDonald has a great wrap-up of Heroes Con: Day Two, including a few more quotes related to all of the DiDio madness that has swept the industry press.
DiDio described DC’s audience as a “collector market” but defended DC’s use of character deaths and upheavals at the same time by saying these plot devices always new for some one.
Mon Jun 23, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #8 - Silence in the Library
Stay out of the shadows!
The hit BBC series Doctor Who
Every week, I'll do my best to go through the most recent episode with a fine-tooth comb (or whatever the "sonic screwdriver" equivalent might be) and call out the highlights, low points, continuity checks and storyline hints I can find to keep in mind for future episodes. I'll post the review each Monday, so you have ample time to check out the episode once it airs each Friday at 9 PM EST on Sci-Fi Channel before I spoil anything.
Missed a week? Check out the "Doctor Who in Review" archive or check out any of the past editions of this column via the links at the end of this article.
Keep in mind, I'm going to assume readers have already watched the episode when I put fingers to keyboard and come up with the roundup of important plot points. In other words, SPOILER ALERT!
Let's begin now, shall we?
Season Four, Episode #8: "Silence in the Library"
Continue reading Doctor Who in Review: Season Four, Episode #8 - Silence in the Library ›
Mon Jun 23, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
K9 To Receive New Look and 'Doctor Who' Spin-Off Series
I can haz new series, master?
Confirming rumors regarding the new spin-off series for K9, the much-loved robotic dog from Doctor Who, recent reports indicate that filming for the series will begin next month in Australia.
Bob Baker, who originally co-created K9, will write for the 26-part series, which will combine live action with computer-generated imaging for the half-hour episodes. There is no scheduled date for the series to begin airing.
Images of K9's new look were also released, showcasing the redesign Baker gave the popular character.
For more details, visit GallifreyOne.
Sun Jun 22, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Original Hulk Concept Art, Character Designer Interviewed
Hulk smash puny design preconceptions!
The Incredible Hulk is still smashing away in theaters, but that doesn't mean we can't keep playing the "What If?" game with the Green Goliath's latest big-screen rampage.
Over at XSI Base, Incredible Hulk character designer Aaron Sims discusses some of the creative decisions made while conceiving the look of the latest Hulk -- as well as his nemesis, Abomination. Here, Sims addresses the difference between Abomination of the comics world and his big-screen counterpart:
The Abomination went many different directions. Some at the beginning were closer to the comic, but everyone felt it didn't make sense to what happening in the movie. They wanting it to look like it was growing from within and the bones and muscle would break through the skin.
While it's a fun read, the real treat in this article is the gallery of early designs for both characters, including the frightening Hulk seen here:
Head over to XSI Base for more design images and the rest of the interview.
(via Cinematical)
Sun Jun 22, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Random Video: Dalek Masterpiece Theatre - Much Ado About Nothing
Poetry? Exterminate!
Sure, the secret's out that the Daleks will be making a return to Doctor Who at the end of the current season of the hit science-fiction series, but what have they been doing for the last dozen episodes or so?
According to this video, they've been on the Shakespeare circuit:
Sun Jun 22, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
'Punisher: War Zone' Director Discusses Film Trailer
How did they get rid of the violence?
Punisher: War Zone director Lexi Alexander recently weighed in on the trailer for the film that was released last week, and she was surprisingly frank about her assessment of the final cut.
She wrote on her website:
I’m not sure what kind of impression I would get from this trailer if I didn’t actually know the film. I am utterly impressed, though, they managed to find that much PG rated action footage at all. It had to be a challenge to cut a trailer from our action stuff without showing any gore and blood.
I’ve been told that you can’t even show heads blowing up in red-band trailers. I hope that’s not true because that would suck. It’s weird to see Castle shoot all those bullets and not see the thugs who are catching them. That’s the best fucking part about it!!!
Alexander also admitted that she was as surprised as anyone else to see the trailer, and addressed some of the Punisher faithful's cricisims of the peek they received into the film.
Real crime stories and comic books are two different worlds for me. It was my first priority to please The Punisher comic book fans and with all the respect to two wonderful actors, I wasn’t trying to become a member of the Dolph Lundgren or Thomas Jane fan club.
Read the rest of her thoughts on the trailer and fans' response to it over on her website. Punisher: War Zone is scheduled for a December 5 release.
(via Cinematical)
Sat Jun 21, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Matt Keeslar, Mexican Wrestlers and the 'Middleman' Interview
The Middleman himself answers some questions about the new series
Previously, I told you about the first episode of The Middleman that was available as a free download on iTunes. For those who didn't take advantage of the offer, you're missing out -- the series premiere lived up to my lofty expectations, and now I can hardly wait until Monday for the second episode.
As part of the marketing push for the series, "Middleman" Matt Keeslar recently participated in a conference call with various news outlets about the series. While the interview provides a great behind-the-scenes look at the series and its move from comics to screen, the best part just might be the final response from Keeslar.
"In one of the episodes we battle trout craving zombies, people who have been bitten by Peruvian flying pike and have turned into zombies who crave the flesh of trout. Natalie and I were covered in fish gore and then tracked down by these trout zombies, so that was an odd thing.
"I had a scene where I had to fight 100 Mexican wrestlers in a sandy Aztec pyramid set, which was a lot of fun, kind of hard work, but also pretty silly. The fighting styles ranged everywhere from WWF to Kung Fu. In general, The Middleman's naiveté also beats him to make a lot of unintentional double entendre about sex, sexuality, and his own lifestyle choices, and those have been probably some of my sillier utterances throughout the show."
Not only does this response confirm fans' hopes that a certain scene from the comic involving Mexican wrestlers will indeed be included in the TV series, but it just sounds, well... excellent.
Head over to The Deadbolt for other highlights from the conference call, and be sure to check out the Middleman Monday on ABC Family.
Sat Jun 21, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
New 'Wanted' Clips and Interviews Hit the 'Net
It's all about curving the bullet, buddy...
Wanted, the film based on Mark Millar and J.G. Jones' six-issue 2003 miniseries, will hit theaters at the end of this month, and the Universal Pictures marketing machine is chugging along in anticipation of the big day.
Just in case you lost track of this one in all of the Iron Man
Yahoo Movies has collected all of the various trailers and previews for the film on a single page, including the latest: a a wild scene that takes place aboard a train in mid-derailment.
Comics2Film has put together a pretty decent list of interviews with the cast of the film, including star James McAvoy, director Timur Bekmambetov and hip-hop musician Common.
For the audiophiles, you can view samples of music from the Wanted soundtrack over at CineMusic.
Finally, we posted links to a Wanted "Making Of" featurette a while back that's available online, as well as the Wanted viral marketing website that inducts users into the film's mysterious "Fraternity." (Note: I submitted my email address to the site when I posted that article and haven't heard anything thus far.)
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.
