Articles by rick-marshall
Tue Aug 19, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Punisher: War Zone" Buzz: Ratings and More...
More carnage behind the camera than in front of it?
It seems as if there's as much chaos going on behind the scenes of the upcoming Punisher: War Zone film as a typical Frank Castle firefight these days. Earlier this year, various sites reported that the Lionsgate Studios project had its release date pushed back to December, but now that change appears to be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to problems with the highly anticipated film.
Over on the website for the film's director, Lexi Alexander, all references to Punisher have been deleted -- including her praise for the ultra-violent "red band" trailer release that we linked to back in June. Beyond that, the Latino Review recently reported that the studio is pushing for a PG-13 rating for the film due to the success of the The Dark Knight, igniting a massive backlash among fans of the character, the trailer and, well... just about everything related to the project. Luckily, that rumor was later semi-squashed in a follow-up report on Latino Review.
Meanwhile, Heidi MacDonald points us to even more rumor-mill chatter about the film, its potential rating and whether Alexander still has a role in it.
So what's the real story? No one really seems to know anymore -- but everyone seems to have a source "close to the project" with an opinion.
Heck, my source tells me that they might scrap the project entirely and bring back Dolph Lundgren to play the character. After all, he did tell one of the villains in the 1989 Punisher film, "I'm Batman." Coincidence... or a return to the character almost a decade in the making?
Oh, and if you have a chance, be sure to check out the "Punisher vs. Punisher" video I came across on YouTube, comparing the 1989 and 2004 films.
Mon Aug 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Wildstorm's "World's End" Relaunch Examined
Will Wildstorm finally find its niche with new dynamic?
Over at io9, the website's resident comics expert Graeme McMillan has put together a nice analysis of the events leading up to the current "World's End" relaunch of DC's Wildstorm line. I was pleasantly surprised by the recent issues #1 of Wildcats and The Authority -- mainly because I've been a fan of both these series for quite a while and been both terribly excited and subsequently disappointed by prior attempts at re-establishing the universe around each series.
The new Wildstorm status quo places its superheroes in a world ravaged by events that they share much of the blame for, and this dynamic provides the opportunity for stories that have always been relegated to one-shot or "What If?" status elsewhere. So, I guess you can color me intrigued.
Here, McMillan provides a quick assessment of recent Wildstorm history:
This isn't the first time that the Wildstorm line has gone all out for change; in 2003, their Coup D'Tat series had the Authority depose the US Government and set themselves up as dictators of the United States, before they realized that they couldn't be bothered with all the paperwork. But with fans still hurting about 2006's failed Worldstorm relaunch (which died when Grant Morrison's core two series Wildcats and The Authority disappeared after one and two issues, respectively), will even the end of the world get them interested in checking out the series again?
Like McMillan, I'm impressed with the decision to change the Wildstorm Universe so dramatically -- and I'm also hoping there isn't a deus ex machina in the works at this point. For more on the new Wildstorm U and some thoughts from creators on why it was necessary, head over to io9.
Mon Aug 18, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Final Crisis and the Supergirl Cover Critique
Supergirl image prompts debate over at The Beat
Over at The Beat, Heidi MacDonald ignited quite the debate (to the tune of more than 50 comments, last I checked) when she posted a cover image from the third issue of Final Crisis, featuring a midriff-and-miniskirt Supergirl looking very uncertain about something, and headlined "Math is hard."
The post has prompted readers to weigh in on everything from Barbie dolls and Olympic uniforms to what the popularity of the post might mean for the industry and its fans. In fact, there's all sorts of meta-analysis going on over there, folks -- so if that's your thing, hop on over and check it out.
Here are some of my favorite comments from the thread, though:
stan p. Says:
hey Beat—do you really find this cover problematic as opposed to, say, the grotesquely ultra-violent KICK ASS, which you promote below with none of your snark? just curious how this works with you…
Kate Willaert Says:
“not half as hard as superheroing with an exposed midriff.”
I’d say, not half as hard as superheroing in a skirt, when one of your main powers is flight. ;-)
Lea Hernandez Says:
Will you guys be quiet? Can’t you see the nice girl is ordering pizza using Wonder Woman’s invisible phone? She’ll never decide on a crust with all the racket around here.
Head over to The Beat to add your own thoughts to the discussion... IF YOU DARE!
Sun Aug 17, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Random Video: "Batman Begins" Keyski Fighting Demo
Reason #1,375 why you don't want to get on Batman's bad side
While this video was posted a year ago, I'm fairly certain I'm not the only one who didn't pick up on it until now. It's a short promotional clip featuring the Keysi Fighting Method used in the current Batman film franchise by ol' Dark Knight himself.
From what I gather around the 'Tubes, KFM is a fairly controversial fighting style, with many arguing that it doesn't hold up off the movie set. All I know for sure is that it looks pretty dangerous in this clip, and I'm not sure I want to test its "usefulness" in any way, shape or form.
In fact, I'm content just checking out this video:
Sun Aug 17, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" Release Delayed
Writers strike forces WB to push back release date
ICv2 reports that Warner Bros. has pushed back the release of the sixth film in the Harry Potter franchise, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, due to fallout from the recent Writers Guild strike. Instead of being released on November 21, 2008, the next Harry Potter film will appear in theaters on July 17, 2009. The move is the result of the studio not having any "tentpole" blockbusters scheduled for release during the all-important summer season, as such films' production would have normally begun during the time period in which the strike occurred.
Harry Potter fans can take heart, however, as it's also reported that the move shouldn't have any effect whatsoever on the release of subsequent films in the series.
The shift of The Half-Blood Prince will have no effect on the scheduling of the next Potter film, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will be released in two parts, the first of which will debut in the fall of 2010 followed by the eighth and final Harry Potter film in the summer of 2011.
Two of the previous five Harry Potter films have opened during the summer, but the young magician’s rabid fan base will flock to the theaters in any season, which has allowed Warners to schedule the films effectively during either the summer or the winter holiday season.
More on the other films that Half-Blood Prince will now be competing with, as well as the moves made by other studios in the wake of this announcement, can be found over at ICv2.
In case you missed the recently released trailer for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Cinematical has a nice version of it posted on their website.
Sun Aug 17, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Kick-Ass" and Matthew Vaughn Go Indie
Gritty series turns away studios, so filmmaker goes solo
Filmmaker Matthew Vaughn recently announced plans to go the independent route with an adaptation of Mark Millar and John Romita Jr.'s gritty series Kick-Ass after studios balked at the ages of the characters and the level of violence in the story.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Vaughn has managed to raise $30 million on his own, with many crediting his fundraising success to the recent fortunes raised by another adaptation of a Millar project, Wanted. Thus far, the cast of the film is likely to include Christopher Mintz-Plasse ("McLovin" in Superbad), who is in negotiations for the role of the film's villain, and Chloe Moretz (The Amityville Horror) who has signed on to play another pre-teen vigilante. The series' main character has not been cast at this point.
From THR:
Vaughn first brought the project to Sony, which distributed his "Layer Cake," but the studio balked at the violence, which he refused to tone down. Several other studios expressed interest but demanded that the protagonists' ages be upped. Vaughn, who most recently co-wrote and directed the international hit "Stardust," now is going it alone.
Production on the film is expected to begin next fall.
Sat Aug 16, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Nickelodeon Announces "Best Kids' Graphic Novel Awards"
Think you've got what it takes (in graphic novel form)?
Nickelodeon Magazine recently announced their first-ever awards for kids' graphic novels, and creators should take note of the open call for submissions. The awards, which will be given out in in spring 2009, are intended to honor "the best comic books and animated novels for kids published across the U.S."
Also worth noting is the pedigree of judges who will be evaluating submissions. Dave Roman, co-creator of one of my favroite webcomics, Teen Boat, will be joined by former DC associate editor Chris Duffy in determining the best of best in kids' graphic novels.
Here are some details about the awards:
All graphic novel submissions must be submitted before Sept. 30, 2008. A list of books for kids to vote on, pre-selected by the Nickelodeon Magazine editorial staff, will be available in the December issue and online. The results will be announced in print and online in spring 2009 in conjunction with the release of Nickelodeon Magazine’s popular annual cartoon-themed issue.
Publishers interested in submitting graphic novels should send two copies of each title no later than Sept. 30, 2008. Submissions should be mailed to:
Chris Duffy or Dave Roman
Graphic Novel Award
Nickelodeon Magazine
1515 Broadway 37th Floor
New York, NY 10036.
Before you get your hopes up, however, keep in mind some words of advice from Gary Tyrrell of Fleen.com, who I assure you is not advocating murder in pursuit of childrens' literature glory:
Got something that’s appropriate for the 7 to 13 crowd? Send it in and get yerself a little publicity. You probably won’t win unless you kill Kean Soo. Please note that this is not a suggestion that you kill Kean to improve your chances, ’cause he’ll just get the sympathy vote.
Check out the Nickelodeon Magazine website for more information.
Sat Aug 16, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Bigfoot Found, Cryptozoo Crew on the Way... Coincidence?
It's like we planned it!
With all of the recent chatter about Bigfoot being discovered in Georgia, it seems appropriate to mention some big news regarding one of the upcoming series you'll be seeing here on ComicMix -- because if anyone can determine whether that's a real Bigfoot in the cooler, it's the Cryptozoo Crew.
Previously published by NBM, writer Allan Gross and artist Jerry Carr's Cryptozoo Crew is headed to ComicMix for an all-new online series exploring the facts, fables and funny business surrounding mysterious creatures like, for example, Bigfoot. In fact, Gross has promised that the first storyline in the series will involve our ol' buddy from Georgia -- so the timing couldn't be better, eh?
In case you haven't been keeping up to snuff with the goings-on of the 'Crew, here's a quick synopsis of the series, according to Gross:
The story of CRYPTOZOO CREW is the story of Tork Darwyn and his wife Tara. Tork is a Cryptozoologist. He can understand all the "unknown" animals he discovers, but can never figure out his wife (or wife to be in this origin story). It is a mix of Indiana Jones adventure and Moonlighting/Romancing the Stone type male-female (mars/venus) relationship interaction. All ages appropriate.
What's more, Gross tells me that Cryptozoo Crew was recently optioned for film adaptation by Alcon Entertainment -- so it might be a good idea to get to know Tork and Tara real soon. (Well, before all that fame goes to their heads, that is.)
You can find out more about Cryptozoo Crew on the series' official website, www.cryptozoocrewonline.com.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Skrull Marketing Department Invades Twitter
Embrace Change... or embrace the newest Twitter spammer? You make the call.
You have to hand it to Marvel Comics' online marketing crew. From the viral success of their MySpace "Home Invasion" video series to a Twitter presence that seems to grow exponentially every day, the Merry Marvel Marketing team seems to be firing on all cylinders (or whatever the digital equivalent might be) these days. Their latest foray into the online world is a Twitter user going by the name of "Embrace Change" -- a very green user, with some distinguishing features around the chin area.
Here are some of the observations offered up by Embrace Change today:
We have traveled across the universe to save you from yourselves.
We're not here to hurt you. We're here to save you.
While I applaud the original art that Marvel seems to have created for the Twitter profile of Embrace Change (I've posted the user image here), thus far the account doesn't appear to be much different from the multitude of Twitter-spam marketing 'bots out there. It features random cryptic remarks about the Skrull's mission on Earth, and appears to be following every Twitter user whose profile it comes across. Heck, if you substitute the whole "Skrull's mission on Earth" part of that last sentence with "profitability of an ambiguous moneymaking scheme," you've got a pretty good description of the last dozen-or-so spammers I've blocked on my own Twitter account.
An "A" for effort, though, Marvel crew... consider my interest piqued.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"FreakAngels: Book One" Concludes, Collection Teased
Covers and collections for popular webcomic
Fan-favorite writer Warren Ellis and artist Paul Duffield concluded the first chapter of their grand experiment in the webcomics world today, posting the final six pages of FreakAngels: Book One were earlier this morning. Ellis and Duffield aren't wasting any time, either, as Book Two of the series begins next week.
In addition to posting the final pages of the first chapter of FreakAngels, Ellis also pointed readers of his "Bad Signal" mailing list to some new images and information related to the upcoming FreakAngels collection due out in November 2008 from Avatar Press. Here's a quick roundup of where to find out more about what's planned for the FreakAngels project:
- Covers for the hardcover and standard paperback editions of the first FreakAngels collection (I've posted the hardcover edition cover here)
- Cover for the signed, limited-edition collection of Book One
- The FreakAngels FAQ
Fri Aug 15, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
"Watchmen" Trailer Prompts 1 Million Sales in '08?
Movie pushes book sales like never before...
The New York Times is reporting that DC has ordered around 900,000 additional copies of Watchmen printed since the trailer for the film adaptation of the graphic novel debuted last month. Only 100,000 copies of the Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons project sold last year, but DC's president and publisher, Paul Levitz, says he expects to sell more than a million by the end of 2008.
“As far as we can tell from our conversations with the book industry people, there has never been a trailer that did this,” said Paul Levitz.
As we reported late last month, Watchmen has occupied a prominent spot on various bestseller lists for the last few months due to anticipation of next year's feature film adaptation of the project, due out March 6, 2009.
Click here for information about where you can view the trailer, or you can view a gallery of images from the Watchmen trailer here on ComicMix.
Fri Aug 15, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Robert Kirkman's Creator-Owned Call-Out?
Image creator posts call to arms for creator-owned projects
Reaction to Robert Kirkman's recent "mission statement" video has been creating quite the buzz around the comics industry lately, and rather than surfing every message board, column and blog in the comics world to find out what everyone's saying, there are a few good places to go for roundups.
First off, here's the video that started all of the hub-bub:
While the banjo music used in the video has actually prompted a discussion of its own on some sites, JK Parkin over at Blog@ has put together an exceptionally comprehensive roundup of who's saying what and where it's being said around the 'Tubes. Naturally, one of the busiest (and awesomely snarky) chats about the video is currently underway over at The Bendis Board, including this bit from Bendis himself: " ... coming soon from image comics: MASSIVE GENERALIZATIONS!!" More can be found at the sites Parkin lists in the roundup, with others poppingup here and there on various other sites. (Or possibly, this one?)
Thu Aug 14, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Make Yourself Manga
New website offers up manga-fied avatars
As anyone who follows the Twitter feeds, Facebook profiles and various other online extensions of comic creators has probably noticed today, the newest meme circulating through the comics scene is Face Your Manga -- a website that allows you to create your own "manga" avatar.
As Michael Pinto points out over on Fanboy.com, the art actually isn't very manga-like... but it's still a fun little diversion. I've posted the manga-fied version of myself here. What do you think?
The website has caught on particularly well with the webcomics set, with manga versions of many well-known creators popping up around the 'Tubes. Here are a few I've come across:
- Jon Rosenberg of Goats
- Rene Engström of Anders Loves Maria
- Scott Kurtz of PvP
- David Malki of Wondermark
- Paul Southworth of Ugly Hill
- Jeph Jacques of Questionable Content (who also remarked "I'm not sure what's more sad, that I really do look like that or that it didn't have enough piercing options for me.")
- Brad Guigar of Evil Inc.
There are lots more out there, so just look around and see what you can turn up.
The most interesting thing about this to me is that so many talented creators who are capable artists on their own have become enamored with the site. As Rich Stevens of Diesel Sweeties remarked earlier today: "Draw your own darn icons, you incredibly capable people. Those B.S. generators are for kids..."
... but then again, maybe that's why we enjoy 'em so much.
Thu Aug 14, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Marvel's Michael Turner "Hulk" Tribute Covers
New covers debut from recently deceased creator
In an announcement released earlier today, Marvel Comics has released the variant cover images for Hulk issues #6 and #7 featuring the art of recently deceased, fan-favorite artist Michael Turner. Turner passed away on June 27 due to complications in his battle with cancer.
Hulk writer Jeph Loeb had this to say about the covers:
“Living in a world without Mike is something I could never imagine,” said Hulk scribe Jeph Loeb. “He was the greatest guy. The. Greatest. I wanted some way to share my love of his artwork and at the same time give something to the fans -- who were more important to Mike than anyone can imagine -- and spoke to Marvel about doing these covers. They are pieces Mike did of the Green Hulk (one as a gift to Frank Mastromauro)and Peter Steigerwald of Aspen Comics did the recoloring and remastering. It was terribly important to me that Peter and Aspen got to be part of this as well. They are a celebration of Mike's enormous talent and in turn, his life. Enjoy.”
Hulk #6 is scheduled for release September 24, while Hulk #7 is scheduled for an October 22 release.
So, ComicMix readers, what are your thoughts on the use of Turner's art in these covers? Is it a respectable tribute to a beloved creator or something a bit more... suspect? Either way, the art is as impressive as always, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on the decision to release these covers.
Full-size versions of both cover images are posted after the jump.
Continue reading Marvel's Michael Turner "Hulk" Tribute Covers ›
Thu Aug 14, 2008 — by Rick Marshall
Canadians in Comics: An A-Z Guide
Creators that hail from the Great White North, eh!
Over at Hypergeek, newly citizen-ized Edward Kaye has decided to celebrate his Canadian residency by profiling comic book creators who also hail from areas north of U.S. border. That in itself is an ambitious project fur sure, but he's doing it in A-Z form. He kicked it off yesterday with a look at the career of Adrian Alphona, co-creator of Marvel's teen superteam Runaways.
Adrian Alphona is known for his intricate linework, incredible grasp of the human figure, as well as a good understanding of teen fashion. Many fans of Runaways have commented that the characters actually look like people you could find in Los Angeles, the city which provides the primary setting for the title.
A-Z of Canadian Comic Book Creators looks to continue with 25 more profiles of north-of-the-border comics people, so now it's time to start taking bets on whether he'll be able to find that many Canadian creators with the appropriate letters in their names.
No pressure, Edward, no pressure...
