Author: Rick Marshall

New ‘Incredible Hulk’ Film Footage

New ‘Incredible Hulk’ Film Footage

MTV Movies Blog recently posted a new clip from The Incredible Hulk, featuring a meeting between Betty Ros (Liv Tyler) and Hulk interrupted by a trigger-happy attack helicopter.

 

 

So, my question: Do the Hulk effects look better or worse this time around? I’ve posted some screenshots from the high-definition version of the trailer after the jump.

You can watch the high-definition version of the clip here.

The Incredible Hulk hits theaters June 13.

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‘Snoopy For President’ Gallery

‘Snoopy For President’ Gallery

Campaign season always brings me down. Rather than choosing the lesser of evils, just once I’d like to be presented with a candidate I can really support. Just once I’d like a candidate who embodies the ideals of… Snoopy?

Over at Fanboy.com, Michael Pinto directs readers’ attention to the old Peanuts premiums issued decades ago as incentives to purchase certain brands of bread and other products. Several of the premiums feature Snoopy in full campaign mode, trumpeting the famous beagle’s  candidacy and providing illustrated proof that he is "loyal," "fearless" and "prepared."

Now if only we could get a real candidate who has all those qualities, right?

For the full gallery of premiums, check out Dan Goodsell’s blog, sampler of things.

‘Wanted’ Making-Of Video, Viral Marketing Debut

‘Wanted’ Making-Of Video, Viral Marketing Debut

Universal Pictures recently stepped up the promotional efforts for their upcoming adaptation of Wanted, the creator-owned Mark Millar/J.G. Jones miniseries published by Top Cow, with a pair of online items worth noting.

In addition to a behind-the-scenes video that premiered on Empire Online this week and features some interesting thoughts from Millar about the project, a new "Fraternity of Weavers" website has also popped up on the ‘Net. According to reports regarding the film, the "Fraternity of Weavers" is the name of an organization of assassins into which the main character is inducted.

In order to access the website, users must enter a "secret phrase" (last we checked, "every life hangs by a thread" seems to work nicely). The site then features a "fraternity bible" that readers can page through, revealing the tricks and tools of the trade, among other elements. There have been reports of other tie-in elements to the online marketing push, but after signing up a few days ago I haven’t seen a sign of anything else related to the campaign.

Wanted hits theaters June 27.

 

Wil Wheaton Goes Webcomic With ‘1981’

Wil Wheaton Goes Webcomic With ‘1981’

Actor and InterWebs celebrity Wil Wheaton informed fans today that "Blue Light Special," a story he wrote in 2006, has been adapted into an episode of the collaborative webcomic BlogJam.

In the strip, Wheaton relates a story about the toy that "defined his childhood" — in this case, Star Wars action figures. Wheaton helped write the strip, titled "1981," and BlogJam’s Greg Williams provided the art.

There’s a stable link to "1981" accessible via Flickr, while the BlogJam submission guidelines and archive of past webcomics are available on the BlogJam website. BlogJam takes submissions for story ideas from readers, and selected stories are adapted into webcomic form by Williams.

‘Iron Man’ Easter Eggs, ‘Captain America’ and ‘Thor’ Movie Details

‘Iron Man’ Easter Eggs, ‘Captain America’ and ‘Thor’ Movie Details

Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige was full of details about current and future projects during a recent screening of new footage from The Incredible Hulk, according to various reports from the event.

Among the juiciest of the news was info related to two highly anticipated Marvel Studios films, The First Avenger: Captain America (When did this film get slapped with the "First Avenger" portion of the title, by the way? Did I miss something?) and the big-screen debut of Marvel’s favorite Norse god, Thor.

According to Feige, Captain America will be a period piece, with a story that occurs during World War II, while the plot of Thor will rely heavily on scenes occurring in Asgard, the mythic Norse realm where the gods go about their godly business.

From Sci Fi Wire:

"The film is not all Asgard, but it will be a big chunk in Asgard, yeah," Feige said.

Feige promised an announcement about a director for Thor "later this summer." Mark Protosevich (The Cell) is drafting a script, which should be submitted in a couple of weeks, he added.

Feige also confirmed that a familiar object in the background of a scene in Iron Man was indeed Captain America’s shield. As the sleuths over at io9 report, the object was absent in the film’s trailer, which happened to include the very same scene — making me that much more impressed with Marvel Studios’ willingness to include these types of Easter Egg elements.

Head over to SciFi Wire for more on Marvel Studios’ slate of films and information from the Hulk screening, and check out the before-and-after screenshots from Iron Man (featuring a glimpse of Cap’s shield) posted over at io9.

Webcomic News Roundup: Anders Loves Maria, Wigu, Octopus Pie…

Webcomic News Roundup: Anders Loves Maria, Wigu, Octopus Pie…

Confession time: I’ve been remiss in my attention to the webcomics scene lately, as evidenced by my failure to note a few news items from the world of digital comics. In no meaningful order, you should be aware of the following:

After a brief hiatus, Rene Engström resumed work on her wonderful webcomic Anders Loves Maria last week. From the first batch of episodes following the break, I think it’s safe to assume that Engström spent some portion of her time off reacquainting herself with Mario, Princess Peach and the Nintendo family.

Yesterday marked the return of Wigu, Jeffrey Rowland’s fantasy webcomic that provides a great complement to Overcompensating, the personal journal-style webcomic he’s produced for quite some time now. Rowland mentioned that he’d be returning to Wigu in my interview with him a few months back, so it’s nice to see the plan come together. Oh, and it was also Rowland’s birthday yesterday, so belated wishes from the crew here at ComicMix, Jeffrey.

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More Gene Colan Fundraisers and Announcements

More Gene Colan Fundraisers and Announcements

Updating our earlier coverage of efforts to raise money for industry legend Gene Colan, Marvel and Hero Initiative recently announced plans for a series of limited print sales and auctions of Colan’s Iron Man art, among other offerings.

From the Hero Initiative announcement:

The Hero Initiative in conjunction with Marvel Comics is launching a series of Gene Colan-themed products, starting with a limited edition print of Gene’s cover art to Invincible Iron Man #1, available at Wizard World Philadelphia, May 30-June 1. Only 200 prints will be available at the show at a cost of $25 each. Net proceeds from sales of these prints by The Hero Initiative will benefit Gene Colan. Another 50 prints will be available at a later date, with plans to have them autographed by both Gene Colan and Stan Lee.

Also at Wizard World Philadelphia, guest writers and artists at the Marvel Comics booth will be signing and sketching two large poster-sized boards, which Hero will auction benefiting Gene at a later date.

And that’s just the start. Wizard World Chicago, June 26-29, will see the release of a second print featuring the cover art to Daredevil #47, the legendary “Brother, Take My Hand” story by Stan Lee and Gene Colan. A third print will be available later in the year, along with other products.

For August, a Gene Colan Tomb of Dracula poster will be available for order via Marvel Previews with proceeds routed to Gene; and in September, a special book reprinting some of Gene’s greatest stories will be made available. In addition to these items, The Hero Initiative will take additional steps to help Gene in his convalescence.

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‘Hobbit’ Talk With Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro

‘Hobbit’ Talk With Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro

Chip the glasses, crack the plates… and if you want a chance to chat with directors Peter Jackson and Guillermo del Toro about the live-action adaptation of The Hobbit, make sure to sign up and join the "Unexpected Party" on May 24!

Okay, okay, I realize that was a weak attempt at showing some Hobbit cred, but you get the idea. The point here is that the noted directors will be participating in a chatroom-style Q&A with fans this Saturday, May 24. They’ll be talking all-things Hobbit, but anyone hoping to get their questions answered will need to sign up ahead of time.

I’m not entirely certain how the process is going to work, but the prospect of finding out more information about the upcoming live-action adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel to The Lord of the Rings has piqued my interest, to put it mildly.

Anyone wishing to join the "Unexpected Party" with Jackson and del Toro can do so on the Weta website at: www.wetanz.com/party/register/.

Hunter S. Thompson: The Comic Book?

Hunter S. Thompson: The Comic Book?

Journalista recently directed me to a quartet of illustrations based on gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson found on Hey Oscar Wilde! It’s Clobberin’ Time!!!, a website featuring work from artists’ personal collections, focusing on interpretations of their favorite literary figures.

Confession time: I’m one of those people who has read everything ever written by or about Thompson, and he remains one of my favorite writers of the last few decades. Needless to say, this illustration of Thompson by Ben Templesmith, who also happens to be one of my favorite artists in the comics industry, caused me to have a minor heart palpitation.

The four pieces of Thompson-inspired art featured on the site include work by Scott Morse, John Kricfalusi and Jim Mahfood in addition to the piece by Templesmith pictured here.

 

Bizarro Am Not On Sports Illustrated Cover

Bizarro Am Not On Sports Illustrated Cover

 I knew I wasn’t the only person looking at this year’s baseball season and wondering if something unnatural was to blame for the state of the league. Of course, the best indicator of something amiss with the sport is probably the fact that my fantasy baseball team is actually doing well this season… which never happens.

Nevertheless, the strange state of affairs in pro baseball works to the benefit of the comics community as DC announced today that an upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated will feature Superman’s  negative-image nemesis, Bizarro, on the cover.

From the press release:

Superman has appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine. Wonder Woman graced the debut issue of MS. MAGAZINE. And Batman has appeared on a number of magazine covers, most notably LIFE MAGAZINE. Now, classic Superman villain Bizarro, smashes his way onto the newsstands with the latest issue #2263 of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, which reaches newsstands on May 26. The cover, by comic book superstar Mark Bagley, takes a look at the “Bizarro Baseball Season” and features a member of the Tampa Bay Rays knockin’ the stuffing out of everyone’s favorite Yankee, Derek Jeter.

And now I feel obligated to share with you the great headline DC’s PR crew came up with for the announcement:

FOR NOT IMMEDIATE RELEASE: BIZARRO NOT MAKE COMIC BOOK HISTORY WITH APPEARANCE ON SPORTS ILLUSTRATED COVER

It’s no secret that I hate hate hate parroting press releases on the site here, but I couldn’t resist passing this one along. You win this round, DC.

A larger version of the image is posted after the jump.

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