Author: Glenn Hauman

Dying to get on television?

Dying to get on television?

The SCI FI Channel is hosting a national casting call/contest for entrants for its "SCI FI Saturday: The Most Dangerous Night of Television". One viewer will win a Die-On role in a future SCI FI original movie which will debut within the Saturday 9pm time period. The winning entrant will be selected at random and receive a trip for two to the filming location of the SCI FI original movie. The deadline to enter is May 26, 2007.

With any luck, you’ll be cast in Mansquito 2: The Itchening. But personally, I wouldn’t be caught dead in one of those films.

Ellison, Groth sign historic peace accord

Ellison, Groth sign historic peace accord

In what is being widely heralded as the only diplomatic success during the Bush Administration, today a treaty was signed between Gary Groth, publisher of Fantagraphics, and Harlan Ellison, professional Harlan Ellison impersonater, at the Portland, OR headquarters of Dark Horse Comics.

"We were glad we could finally bring this conflict to an end," said Mike Richardson, Dark Horse’s publisher. "We found ourselves in the crossfire between the Fantagraphics army to the north and the Ellison guerillas to the south. And even though we were widely perceived as Ellison sympathizers due to our publishing Dream Corridor, we were able to convince Gary that since we had published Harlan’s work in the past, we wanted to throttle him as badly as anybody else. Gary understood that, and that led to our first breakthrough in talks."

Details of the treaty have not been made fully public, but we understand that as Ellison’s forces will be returning prisoners to Fantagraphics on the condition that they also take two of Ellison’s ex-wives and "some big creepy guy who’s been following me around ever since I stopped doing the Hour 25 radio show. Joe Stranucci, or Syzygy, or Sienkiewicz, or something… I never know how to pronounce it."

Dirk Deppey, Fantagraphics spokesperson, has announced now that conflicts have ended there will be a multi-volume set of The Complete Ellison Lawsuits coming out, with the first volume due next April and new volumes coming out every six weeks after. The entire series should be out by 2017.

Leonidas at the Gates

Leonidas at the Gates

From the warped mind of Jim Macdonald (with, one presumes, apologies to Ernest Thayer):

It looked extremely rocky for the Theban Band that day

The odds were one to fifty with more Persians on the way.

So when Themist’cles fumbled, and Euanetus too,

An air of sadness fell upon that bare-assed hoplite crew.

A scattered few got up to go attend the Olympic Games

Another few decided that they’d try their luck with dames.

When to that Attic army came the news that cured dismay:

King Leonidas’ Spartans had come to join the fray.

They had no place for cowards and they had no use for c***:

Three hundred Spartan willies were advancing to the front.

Dr. Who 3rd season previews

Dr. Who 3rd season previews

Admit it, you’re jonesing for "Smith and Jones", the first episode of the next season. Or if you aren’t, Gold and Ostrander sure are. And we’re good little enablers over here. With that in mind, we point you to FreemaAgyeman.com, where the Doctor Who BBCi Red Button Preview Video is appearing.

Will that hold you for a while?

Marshall Rogers obituaries

Marshall Rogers obituaries

The untimely passing of Marshall Rogers has not gone unnoticed by the mainstream media, as there have been obituaries from both the  New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. Both laud his landmark work on Detective Comics as being a touchstone for many later artists’ interpretation of the Batman.

David Honigsberg: 1958-2007

David Honigsberg: 1958-2007

David Honigsberg, the only science fiction and country music writing rabbi (and as such, the epitome of the sort of cross-culture we cover at ComicMix), died suddenly at his home yesterday. He was 48.

Honigsberg contributed a story, "Sambatyon", to the 1994 anthology The Ultimate Silver Surfer. He wrote other science fiction stories over the years, and contributed knowledge of Jewish religion, history, and Kaballah as a consultant to numerous science fiction writers over the years, and was instrumental in writing the first Klingon Jewish wedding ceremony in the Star Trek story, Creative Couplings. He was also active in the science fiction community, both as a speaker on panels and also presiding over numerous weddings of fans.

He is survived by his wife, Alexandra, who has our deepest sympathies. Funds are being raised for his funeral expenses here, and services information will be posted when we have it.

Get your Gatchaman

Get your Gatchaman

Imagi, the Hong Kong based animation house, has had a heck of a weekend, with TMNT opening at #1 in America.

But, as the saying goes, that was yesterday. What have they done for us today?

Wonder no further. Via IESB, we learn that Imagi’s next film project is a full length version of Gatchaman, or as we called it when we watched it on television in the 70’s, Battle of the Planets. Yes, Battle of the Planets! G-Force, five incredible young people with superpowers! And watching over them from Center Neptune, 7-Zark-7! Watching, warning against surprise attacks by alien galaxies from beyond space! G-Force! Fearless young orphans, protecting Earth’s entire galaxy! Always five, acting as one. Dedicated! Inseparable! Invincible!

Ahem. Sorry.

Some images at the link. No word on voice casting yet (hey, Casey Kasim’s still around) or whether we’re going to see 1-Rover-1.

It’s raining 300 men

It’s raining 300 men

Via Tom Galloway, we have this little display of… well… oh, just watch, it’s quick and dirty:

Words fail me.