Mon Nov 16, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Review: I'm disappointed by Mark Waid's 'Strange' #1...

Oh, not by the comic itself. The book reads well, is entertaining, puts our boy Stephen in a different place than he was, and the art by Emma Rios is fun and quirky, calling to Ditko without ever calling to Ditko.

It's just that Mark didn't do what clearly needed to be done... the tale should have been titled "Strange Sports Stories".

Really, guy, you're slipping.

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Mon Nov 16, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

'The Looking Glass Wars' movie adaptation in the works

A movie adaptation of author/producer Frank Beddor's young adult book trilogy The Looking Glass Wars is in the works.  During an appearance to promote the third book in the series, ArchEnemy, on Good Morning America on Friday, Beddor said he was working with producer Charles Roven (The Dark Knight, Rex Libris) to bring The Looking Glass Wars to the big screen.

The series has already spun off a graphic novel version and the spinoff series Hatter M, written by Beddor and Liz Cavalier with art by Ben Templesmith in volume 1 and Sami Makkonen in volume 2. A lengthy preview of the series can be found at HatterM.com.

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Sat Nov 14, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Mark Wheatley at Towson University on graphic novels

Today's 18th Annual Baltimore Writers' Conference will feature Mark Wheatley writer-artist of Lone Justice, Frankenstein Mobster and EZ Street, as well as Mark Bowden, author of Black Hawk Down and The Best Game Ever: Giants vs. Colts, 1958 and others.

Now in its 18th year, the one-day conference at Towson University in Towson, Maryland will bring together aspiring writers from around the mid-Atlantic to learn about writing from published authors, agents and editors. Panel sessions will cover a variety of topics including screenplays, poetry, creative nonfiction, blogging, children's books, thrillers and travel writing.

The conference is sponsored by Towson University’s Graduate Program in Professional Writing, TU's College of Liberal Arts, Johns Hopkins Master of Arts in Writing, and the City Lit Project.

Registration includes all panels, lunch and the closing wine-and-cheese reception. Admission for the general public is $95, and for students (with identification) the price is $50.

For more information, visit the Baltimore Writer's Conference online, email prwr@towson.edu or contact Geoffrey Becker at (410) 704-5196.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

Captain Action and The Phantom to finally meet

2 Issue Mini due in March

We missed posting something about this the other day but it’s still cool enough for us to talk about. The revival of Captain Action now means he can begin meeting the super-heroes his action figure incarnation transformed into. This begin in March with Moonstone’s release of Phantom Action, a crossover between King Feature’s classic comic strip hero, and Captain Action.

According to the official release, the Ghost Who Walks is captured and his wife Diana pleads with Captain Action to help. “It turns out the young Captain Action has had a crush on Diana since his teenage years, so that makes for an interesting dynamic”, said series writer Mike Bullock. The two-issue mini-series is pencilled by Reno and will offer a variety of covers by artists Art Thibert, Mark Sparacio and Michael T. Gilbert.

The Phantom was one of the original set of heroes the figure could become when introduced in the 1960s. When Playing Mantis had the license in the 1990s, they included Lee Falk’s jungle hero as one of the revival figures. Currently, Cast-A-Way has announced plans to release an 8” Mego-sized Captain Action as the Phantom figure complete with long slide Colt .45s, as well as the Phantom's signature rings. 

 “My dad has always been a big Phantom fan. As a boy, he just loved the Witman 1944 Phantom book and the weekly Sunday strip. I know I was reading too much into it, but as a child I felt there was some sort of father-son legacy when I dressed my original Captain Action as the Phantom”, said Captain Action Enterprises’ Retropreneur, Ed Catto.

“The Phantom set was one I always wished I had for my Captain Action, so it’s fitting we’re able to bring the characters back together again,” said Joe Ahearn of Captain Action Enterprises, LLC. “Recently, Cast-A-Way toys created new Mego-sized Captain Action and Phantom figures. We might soon have some additional announcements about these toys as well.”

Captain Action was revived in comics last year and has been met with mixed reaction, prompting Catto and Ahearn to consider some form of revamp in the coming year. They’ve already introduced a Lady Action to interact with the hero, who is currently portrayed as the son of the original.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

'The Dark Tower': J.J. Abrams out, new novel coming

J.J, Abrams has left The Dark Tower according to comments made on MTV. During an interview, the producer said,” You’ll be hard-pressed to find a huger fan of The Dark Tower than me, but that's probably the reason that I shouldn't be the one to adapt it. After working six years on Lost, the last thing I want to do is spend the next seven years adapting one of my favorite books of all time. I'm such a massive Stephen King fan that I'm terrified of screwing it up. I'd do anything to see those movies written by someone else. My guess is they will get made because they're so incredible. But not by me."

King, now on the road in support of the well-received Under the Dome, has said he wishes to write one more book set between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla. Over at his message board, the moderator posted, “Stephen has given me permission to pass along that he has an idea for a new Dark Tower book, the working title of which will be The Wind Through the Keyhole. He has not yet started this book and anticipates that it will be a minimum of eight months before he is able to begin writing it.”

The author continues to oversee the adaptations of The Dark Tower cycle at Marvel Comics and will be writing an original vampire tale for Vertigo in 2010.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

Ray Bradbury's Return to Television

Six Hour Miniseries to Adapt Works

The Award-winning author Ray Bradbury will be returning to television with the announcement yesterday of The Bradbury Chronicles, which will be a six hour miniseries based on his works. White Oak Films announced the deal although no network has picked up the project for broadcast.

White Oak's John Philip Dayton will executive produce with Merrill Capps, Todd Klick, Cory Travalena and Dale Olson doing the actual production chores. Bradbury will be an executive producer with input over stories selected and overseeing the adaptations themselves. Dayton previously partnered with Bradbury on Showtime’s The Ray Bradbury Theater, which ran from 1985-1992.

The author, now 89, remains largely confined to his home given declining health, but continues to write with Summer Morning, Summer Night his most recent work, due out in paperback next June.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Mike Raub

The Point Radio: Bringing A Fresh Eye To 'The Prisoner'

And Now It's A JSA Movie Event!

As amazing as it sounds, actor Jim Caviezel had never been exposed to THE PRISONER before the script landed at his door. In our exclusive interview, Jim talks about how coming at the project from a new perspective gave him an edge few other actors had. Plus, now those JSA episodes of SMALLVILLE are becoming a movie event, Fox yanks DOLLHOUSE from life support and how about DARK KNIGHT on DVD for $3.99.




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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

'Red' Adds McMahon, Borgnine to Cast

WidlStorm miniseries to be 2010 Film

The adaptation of Warren Ellis and Cully Hamner’s Red miniseries has moved ahead and added Julian McMahon (Nip/Tuck, Fantastic Four), Richard Dreyfuss, Brian Cox, and the great Ernest Borgnine, who will play the keeper of the CIA’s darkest secrets.  The film, scheduled for November 19, 2010 release, already stars Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, Morgan Freeman, John C. Reilly and Mary Louise Parker.

Summit Entertainment, flush with Twilight cash, is producing this film based on the 2003 WildStorm miniseries about a former black-ops CIA agent whose a quiet, retired life is shattered when a high-tech assassin shows up at his home. Willis is the spy with McMahon portraying the Vice President who heads up a shadow conspiracy. The 92-year-old Borgnine will play the man who knows the dirty secrets and Dreyfuss is a wealthy industrialist who benefitted from Government contracts. Cox is a former Cold War-era spy with an axe to grind against Willis.

Jon and Erich Hoeber wrote the script for director Robert Schwentke (Flightplan) and shooting should commence early in 2010.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

Moorcock to fly the TARDIS

Author to Write Original 'Who' Tale

Acclaimed novelist Michael Moorcock posted the following statement on his message board yesterday:

"Looks like it's official. I'll be doing a new Dr. Who novel (not a tie-in) for appearance, I understand, by next Christmas. Still have to have talks etc. with producers and publishers but we should be signing shortly. Should be fun."

By “not a tie-in” we presume he means he will pen an original novel featuring one of the Doctors. We find this very exciting news.

While there have been novelizations of television story arcs for decades, the first original novel dates back to just 1986. Led by the prolific Terrence Dicks, who has written adaptations and original prose, the line has seen many top-notch authors write adventures including a number well-regarded series of anthologies.

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Fri Nov 13, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

'The Prisoner' online graphic novel

To promote the reimagining of The Prisoner premiering this Sunday on AMC, they've created an online graphic novel to go along with it, written by M. Scott Veach and drawn by Mitch Breitweiser.

The first chapter is up now, with some motion comics stuff, because everybody's doing motion comics nowadays...

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Thu Nov 12, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Swipe File: Simone & Ajax and... Sesame Street?

First, we have Simone and Ajax as detectives trying to find... the Maltese Duck:

and then we have Bert and Ernie (or some bizarre clay figures that sorta look and sound like them) as detectives trying to find... the Maltese Duck!

Coincidence, you say? Hah! Then how do you explain that the person hiring Bert and Ernie is a sheep... just like a sheep hired Simone and Ajax in the story the case files call On The Lamb (or the Case of the Felonious Fleece)?!?

But don't take our word for it (as if you would), find out for yourself! Purchase The Adventures of Simone & Ajax, available for pre-order now at Amazon or available in this month's Diamond catalog from IDW.

And check out the newest Simone and Ajax adventure, A Christmas Caper, serialized weekly here on ComicMix!

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Wed Nov 11, 2009 — by Robert Greenberger

Fox Cancels 'Dollhouse'

All 13 Episodes Will Air

The mixed reviews and poor ratings have led Fox to formally cancel Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse.

The second season show, starring and co-produced by Eliza Dushku, is currently on a planned hiatus, keeping it from the harsh glare of the November Sweeps ratings period.

The announced plan has the final episodes broadcast on these dates: two episodes each will air December 4, 11 and 18, from 8 pm to 10 p.m. The last three episodes will air on January 8, 15 and 22 at 9 p.m.

Whedon has been given sufficient notice so the final episodes will wrap up the existing storylines. Summer Glau was recently added to the cast and will play a pivotal role with her knowledge of someone’s past life.

A second season DVD set is expected but no date has been announced.

This marks the second failed series Whedon has produced for Fox, after Firefly. He has yet to issue a formal statement but no doubt it will be heartfelt and entertaining. Meantime, Whedon is also prepping to direct at least one episode of the network’s hit series Glee.

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Wed Nov 11, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Happy Armistice Day 2009

Today we solemnly observe the 91st anniversary of the end of the Great War, and the veterans of all wars, great and small.

Take a moment to pause and remember for those in Flanders Fields who cannot.

Making Light remembers better than most.

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Tue Nov 10, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Can you pass this supervillian test?

Came across this brainteaser on BoingBoing from [wu:riddles] --

You're a super-villain and you want to prepare a transparency (the kind that goes on an overhead projector) with the key points of your plan for world domination so you can present them to the hero/superagent before you attempt to kill him in some ridiculously novel way. You don't want this information to fall into the wrong hands before you're ready. Smart villain that you are, you know you can share the information across several slides so that if the enemy agents capture any two of your slides, they won't learn even the tiniest bit of information about your plan. How?

Super-villain transparencies

Give us your answers in comments. Note that your plan should be strong enough to thwart the accursed Richards.

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Tue Nov 10, 2009 — by Glenn Hauman

Happy 40th birthday, Sesame Street!

Brought to you by the letters C, M, and the number 40

On this day in 1969, the National Educational Television network premiered a show from the Children's Television Workshop, with songs, animation, Bob McGrath, Loretta Long, Caroll Spinney, Carol Burnett, and Muppets.

Forty years later, Sesame Street has become the longest running American children's program, having helped educate generations of children worldwide. And Bob McGrath, Loretta Long (Susan) and Caroll Spinney (Big Bird and Oscar) are still there. (Think of it-- 40 years as an 8 foot tall bird.)

The effect of the show is so powerful and widespread, this song made it up to #16 on the Billboard charts in 1970:

Make sure you catch the season premiere today, with special guest Michelle Obama. Check your local PBS station for times and listings-- or (sign of the times) get the Sesame Street podcast on .

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