Let me tell you about how you generate clickbait. You start off by making the story about either a celebrity, TV show, or popular topic that will attract people’s attention. Then you string together enough facts and quotes vaguely connected to the idea that you can make the article more than three paragraphs long. THEN, (and this one is key) you make the headline a question. So you’re not saying “This is a fact”, or even the increasingly popular “Sources report this as a fact”, but merely “Could this possibly be a fact?” Because then in the story, you can say that it’s probably just flummery.
To summarize: if a news report, especially one on the electric type Internet, has a question as the headline, the answer to said question is almost certainly…
I’m going to get a lot of use of this graphic, I can tell you. (Thanks to Frinkiac)
In the article, they reference several quotes from Matt Smith where he says he’s sometimes sorry he left the show, and hopes to come back to it some day, and one from Moffat where he says he misses his collaborator.
Add in the rumor that Capaldi is touted to leave at the end of the next season (ANOTHER story with no basis in fact, mind) and somehow, that means Matt is coming back.
This is another example of nobody being willing to say “No” to a story, because that ends the buzz. As soon as someone denies something categorically, that’s the end of them being on everyone’s lips. So when Joe Thespian gets rumored for a role in a Marvel film, he doesn’t say “that’s not true, there’s been to talks at all”, he says “Well, I can’t say anything more definitive about it, but it’d certainly be nice.”
OK, yes, they dropped the idea in the 50th anniversary episode, with the appearance of “The Curator” that the Doctor might someday “re-visit” his past incarnations in the future.
Yes, we’ve seen past Doctors return to the show, but as “themselves”, not somehow returning to their past forms in the current timeline. And yes, the idea of a regeneration into a past form is a tantalizing idea for a story.
But there is one, VERY important thing to remember.
If there is one thing that is nearly universally named as the show’s perfect idea, it is the idea that Regeneration is the most innovative concept ever. It allows the show to renew itself every few years, more than simply a change in producers or show-runners ever could. By putting a new lead actor (yes, or actress, let’s not get distracted here) in the title role (look at me, I’m so incensed I’ve even passed up a chance to use the word “titular”) it give the show a chance to become something utterly new. Don’t care for the current guy? No worries, there’ll be another one along in a few years, come back and check him out.
Circling back to a past actor, in any permanent fashion, would be the ultimate admission that the show has run out of ideas. People get upset when the Daleks or Cybermen come back again, imagine the reaction if they rolled the clock back to an old Doctor.
It’s why the Big Finish audio plays are such a hit. Want more Peter Davison as the Doctor? Here’s dozens of them. We’ve seen Paul McGann, David Tennant, and even Tom Baker return. Matt will almost certain do some. There’s your “more Matt” stories.
But on the TV show? In any permanent way? No.
Right?
Please tell me I’m right.
Dammit, you you’ve got me thinking about it…
(Writer’s note – the headline of this article was originally submitted as “UK Mirror floats Doctor Who rumor so stupid I’m not even putting it in the headline, clicks-through or no”)
BURBANK, Calif., July 1, 2016 — Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War has conquered both audiences and critics, debuting to $179.1 million—the fifth-biggest domestic opening of all time—and earning a 90% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. “Captain America: Civil War” is the highest-grossing film of 2016 domestically, internationally and globally, earning more than $1.14 billion at the worldwide box office. It also continues Marvel Studios’ winning streak as the 13th consecutive film from the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) to debut at #1 at the domestic box office.
When Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War arrives early on Digital HD, Digital 3D and Disney Movies Anywhere on Sept. 2 and on Blu-ray™ 3D, Blu-ray, DVD and On-Demand on Sept. 13, viewers can join the nonstop action and pick their side—Team Cap, commanded by Steve Rogers (Chris Evans), or Team Iron Man, led by Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.).
Rogers and Stark are joined by a star-studded lineup of beloved Marvel Super Heroes, including Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), Bucky Barnes aka Winter Soldier (Sebastian Stan), Sam Wilson aka Falcon (Anthony Mackie) Colonel James “Rhodey” Rhodes aka War Machine (Don Cheadle), Clint Barton aka Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner), Vision (Paul Bettany) and Wanda Maximoff aka Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), along with new recruit Scott Lang aka Ant-Man (Paul Rudd) and joined by two new additions to the MCU: T’Challa aka Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) and Peter Parker aka Spider-Man (Tom Holland).
More than 60-minutes of thrilling, exclusive bonus material includes: an inside look at the evolution of lead characters Steve Rogers and Tony Stark, a behind-the-scenes exclusive on the making of Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War, never-before-seen deleted scenes and hilarious outtakes. Plus, home audiences can learn more about the latest additions to the MCU and get an exclusive, first look at Marvel’s “Doctor Strange,” starring Benedict Cumberbatch, coming to theaters Nov. 4, 2016.
Bonus features include*:
DIGITAL HD/3D & BLU-RAY:
United We Stand, Divided We Fall – The Making of Captain America: Civil War Part 1 & Part 2 – As the tension mounts, sides are chosen and lines drawn. Learn more about the characters on each side—from Captain America and Iron Man to the latest recruits. In this complete behind-the-scenes look at a landmark in the Marvel saga, we’ll examine their stories through exclusive footage and interviews and discover just what went into selecting the Super Hero teams, filming the epic action sequences and introducing Black Panther and Spider-Man to the MCU.
Captain America: The Road to Civil War – Explore the First Avenger’s fascinating evolution from loyal soldier to seasoned, conflicted hero who questions authority.
Iron Man: The Road to Civil War – From Gulmira to Sokovia, delve into the development and evolution of one of the most iconic characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Gag Reel – Break the tension of this high-stakes conflict with some hilarious outtakes featuring the lighter side of your favorite Super Heroes.
Deleted & Extended Scenes – Check out never-before-seen footage that didn’t make the final cut of “Captain America: Civil War.”
Audio Commentary – Directors Anthony and Joe Russo and screenwriters Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely deliver scene-by-scene insight and explain the storytelling challenges they faced creating the third installment of the Captain America franchise.
Open Your Mind: Marvel’s Doctor Strange – Exclusive Sneak Peek – Go behind and beyond the scenes as Doctor Strange makes his journey to the big screen.
*Bonus features may vary by retailer. The DVD does not include any bonus materials.
The most explosive clash to ever rock the Marvel Cinematic Universe ignites a firestorm of conflict in the game-changing epic, Captain America: Civil War. In the wake of collateral damage, government pressure to rein in the Avengers drives a deep wedge between Captain America (Chris Evans) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), causing a catastrophic rift that escalates into an all-out feud. Against a backdrop of divided loyalties, their fellow Avengers must deal with the fallout. Pick a side in this spectacular adventure, packed with mind-blowing action, suspense and exclusive bonus content!
Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War is directed by Emmy® Award-winning directors Anthony and Joe Russo from a screenplay by Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely. Kevin Feige, p.g.a. is the producer of the film, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Patricia Whitcher, Nate Moore and Stan Lee serving as executive producers.
DISC SPECIFICATIONS (applies to film content only):
Product SKUs: Disney Movies Anywhere, Digital HD/3D/SD, Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray 3D+Blu-ray+Digital HD), Blu-ray, DVD (no bonus) and On-Demand
Feature Run Time: Approximately 147 minutes
Rating: PG in U.S.; PG in CE; G in CF
Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray & Blu-ray 3D = 1080p High Definition Widescreen (2.39:1)
DVD = 2.39:1
Audio: Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks
DVD = English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks, English 2.0 Descriptive Audio
Languages/Subtitles: English SDH, French & Spanish
BURBANK, CA (July 6, 2016) — Batman will need the help from several of his Super Hero pals — Green Arrow, Nightwing, The Flash and Robin – to take down a crew of Super-Villains on a scale he’s never seen before in Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants. Produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, this thrilling new addition to the Batman Unlimited animated film trilogy comes to DVD ($19.98 SRP) via Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on September 13, 2016 and on Digital HD on August 30, 2016 via purchase from digital retailers.
The Dark Knight is back doing what he does best – protecting the citizens of Gotham City – in the third installment of the Batman Unlimited series, Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants. When evil scientist Mr. Freeze activates his latest invention on two of Gotham City’s most formidable criminals – Killer Croc and Bane – things go from bad to worse. Turning them into super-sized mutant monsters, the Super-Villains start bashing through the streets of Gotham City with no end in sight. It’s up to the Caped Crusader and his Super Hero team to save the day by putting the giant robot mechs in their place – but it will be an uphill battle as they face off against enormous foes.
The heroic voice cast features Roger Craig Smith (Batman: Arkham Origins, Assassin’s Creed games) as Batman, Chris Diamantopoulos (Episodes, Silicon Valley) as Green Arrow, Will Friedle (Batman Beyond, Boy Meets World) as Nightwing, Charlie Schlatter (Diagnosis Murder, Kick Buttkowski) as The Flash, and Lucien Dodge (Pokemon, Bleach) as Robin.
The villainous voices are led by Oded Fehr (The Mummy, Resident Evil: Apocalypse) as Mr. Freeze, Dana Snyder (Aqua Teen Hunger Force) as The Penguin, Carlos Alazraqui (Reno 911, Handy Manny, The Fairly Oddparents) as Bane, John DiMaggio (Futurama, Batman: Under the Red Hood) as Killer Croc, Dave B. Mitchell (World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor) as Clayface and Troy Baker (Batman: Assault on Arkham) as Joker. Phil LaMarr (MAD TV, Futurama) joins the Batman Unlimited series as Dr. Langstrom.
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants is produced and directed by Curt Ceda from a script written by Kevin Burke & Chris “Doc” Wyatt. Executive Producer is Sam Register. Benjamin Melniker and Michael Uslan are Executive Producers.
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants follows Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts and Batman Unlimited: Monster Mayhem as the third release in a series of films rooted in Mattel’s popular Batman Unlimited merchandise line. The films feature characters, vehicles, designs and color schemes brought to life within this enthralling toy collection.
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants will be available to viewers for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting August 30, 2016, Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
Street Date: September 13, 2016
Run Time: 72 minutes (approx.)
For those who came in late, a bunch of fans crowdsourced the funds to make a Star Trek fan film, Axanar. The funding campaign was outrageously successful, earning over 1.1 million dollars. That large an amount of money set off Paramount’s sensor array, and they quickly filed suit against said fans for unauthorized use of trademarked items. The folks behind Axanar counter-sued, claiming Paramount didn’t have hold of all the items they claimed. It was going to get testy (and potentially untenable for Paramount if any of the points made in the counter-suit were deemed valid) until J.J. Abrams stepped in and convinced Paramount to calm down.
In response to said events, this week Paramount released a series of guidelines that fan films must follow in order to stay on the right side of the law, or at least on the right side of Paramount’s battery of white-lipped attorneys. Some of those rules are quite reasonable – the producers of the films can’t make merchandise of their property, and Paramount wrote up a paragraph of verbiage the producers must include in the film’s credits. Some of the rules are a bit more stringent – the films can’t be more than 15 minutes long, and nobody in the production can have any “professional credits”. That second one is drawing a number of eyes – some are arguing that it could mean you’re not allowed to use union workers for the production crew, something the unions will likely have something to say about.
Now, the real problem here is that for years there was an unspoken “line” to determine what was considered acceptable by fans’ creations. The exact details were never set in stone, but centered around basic ideas like “don’t make too much money, don’t do anything particularly untoward with the property,” and so on. While the exact location and cartography of the line may not be known, it’s pretty obvious that Axanar crossed it miles back. This was no simple pack of fan on cardboard sets and an eight-millimeter camera – the film (and its short prequel) had professional actors, some who had not only appeared on Trek before, but ones like Gary Graham who were actually portraying characters they had played on the actual shows. The producers of Axanar had stated that in addition to making this film, they were effectively setting up a movie studio, dedicated to making more features in the same vein. So basically, they broke the “don’t make too much money” rule before they even stepped on the set.
These new “guidelines” are far stricter than what was allowed before, and are clearly in response (Retaliation? Perhaps…) to the liberties taken by the Axanar team. To make an example, an apartment house has a tacit agreement that nobody can play their stereos above six, and even though people were playing them at seven or eight, nobody was complaining. But one guy threw a party and turned his stereo to ten, and the landlord had to step in and put his foot down, so now everyone has to keep their stereo at four.
There have been many conversations about the new rules online – many saw it as a potential death-blow to the staggeringly popular Star Trek Continues series, an acclaimed web series which was likewise inspired by another fan production, Starship Farragut. Another fan production, Renegades, simply announced they planned to excise all Trek references in its new production and become a completely new franchise.
But it was a conversation with an online friend that I found the most interesting. He described fans who wanted to make amateur films as “entitled”. That they somehow thought they had the right to make their own versions of other people’s IP and share them with the world. To say that I disagreed with him is an understatement.
First off, let’s look at the history of fandom… starting with the Epic of Gilgamesh.
You heard me.
The classic epic poems could arguably be described as the first fan fiction. The stories were created by persons (largely) unknown, re-told and embellished by countless other creators. The versions we know were assembled from various bits and bobs by people who usually ended up getting credit for “writing” them, though you could make a case that “editor” was a better description.
Jumping ahead centuries, Sherlock Holmes had its share of fan fiction. When Arthur Conan Doyle decided to stop writing about Holmes (because apparently he got tired of money) the fans rose to the cause. Doctor Who fans kept the flame alive during The Dark Years with fan productions like PROBE and the audio plays of BBV, which eventually became the official audio plays by Big Finish. Indeed, many of the people who worked on those fan productions went on to create for the new series.
The big change between the fan films of past decades and those of today is technology. Thirty years ago, such films were only seen at conventions, often in people’s hotel rooms. Save for a copy of a copy of a VHS tape, there was no way to obtain one for yourself. So too for fanzines – stories and art got a hundred or so copies made, which were hawked at conventions, eventually selling through their single print run, never to be heard of again. Now, literally anyone can film an adventure in 4K quality, with cinema-quality effects, and make it available globally with the click of a button. This makes these fans no more “entitled” than the fans of yore, it just makes them a lot easier to get recognition. Indeed, many times these fan productions catch the eyes of the official producers in a positive way. A fan-made opening for Doctor Who was considered such a good idea, they got a hold of him and used the idea for the series’ new opening titles.
But at the core is that Line. It was virtually impossible to make money on fan material back in the day – it’s almost difficult NOT to now. But still, for the most part, the desire of the fan is not to make money, but to share their love for the property, and show off their own ideas and jokes. We’ve seen entire video games created by fans based on their favorite shows and movies. The sheer breadth of creativity by the fans of the world’s various popular properties likely outstrips the original works by an order of magnitude.
But I don’t know of many fans who think they have a “right” to do so.
When a company steps up and points out a fan project that crosses the line, there is usually a hue and/or cry to some degree. People will claim the company has “gotten greedy”, and there will be some muted mumblings of boycotts, but in almost all cases, the item in question has simply stepped past that Line, and pretty much deserved to get hit with the ban-hammer. And in the cases where they weren’t, so far, cooler heads have prevailed. I’ve talked in the past about the Harry Potter Website scare. When the HP books (and especially the films) became popular, fan websites proliferated, with various names that used terms and phrases from the series. And someone in the Warner Brothers legal department thought these sites would cause the downfall of the franchise, and the Cease and Desist orders went out like the exact opposite of Hogwarts acceptance letters. And the news articles began to appear about ten-year-olds getting threatening legal letters, and there was much clicking of tongues, and Warner Brothers quietly waved their hand and the complaints were cancelled.
It’s always been a dance between creator and fandom. The creators know they owe their fans for the money they’ve paid into the property, and respect their desire to want to play in their garden. The challenge has been in making sure nobody goes too far with their work, and have it potentially become a challenge to the original. In the age of the electric-type internet, that’s becoming more possible.
We’re starting to see amazing new ways that fans and originators can co-operate. Cartoon Network just announced a program where they’d work with fan artists to turn their creations into limited run officially licensed items. The fans get both major recognition for their work, and a few dollars to boot, and the creators get to wet their beak, and maintain control of the property.
In a very real way, these rules set forth by Paramount are a GOOD thing. Strict tho they may be, they set up an actual set of rules that fan creations can follow. The Line is now LITERALLY drawn, which means there’s less chance of stepping over it in error.
“Chicago is not the most corrupt American city, it’s the most theatrically corrupt.” Studs Terkel.
With due respect (and a lot of it) for the late, great Studs Terkel, I think the Chicago city council has been supplanted by the Congress of the United States for political theater and corruption. As an old Chicago boy and fan of political theater, I was fascinated this week as the Democrats in the House of Representatives staged a sit-in in the well of the House, led by the venerable civil rights leader (and graphic novel author) John Lewis, to protest the refusal of the Republican leadership to even permit a vote on two very small and very specific gun control issues.
House Speaker Paul Ryan dismissed the sit-in as a “publicity stunt.” Well, duh. That’s what a sit-in is, a publicity stunt to draw attention to a specific problem. Ryan himself has done a fair share of publicity stunts so I don’t know what his problem is. It’s all part of political theater.
I think there was more to the Democrats’ ploy that a mere desire to shine C-Span’s cameras on themselves. It was triggered by the shooting in Orlando at the gay nightclub that left 49 dead and 52 wounded. The House had its moment of silence to honor the dead for the 16th time of these type of events and that was going to be it. No gun control legislation was going to be even brought up for a vote, let alone passed, and the Dems snapped. They protested, they staged a sit-in to dramatize the situation and they got attention.
Why didn’t the GOP leadership simply allow a vote? I have my own theories. I doubt that the Dems would have allowed a simple voice vote; it would be a roll call and each representative would have to be tagged as they voted. For the GOP, atsa no good. Estimates say that 90% of the electorate are in favor of simple gun control measures so the representatives who voted against it would have to justify that vote to displeased voters.
They also don’t want to vote for any gun control measures. The National Rifle Association gives good money to Congresspersons to keep that from happening and they have issued stern warnings of what they would do to any Congressperson who did vote for gun control legislation – any gun control legislation. Translation: we’ll pour money into the campaign of someone to unseat you. We will make sure you lose your job. This is more important to them than doing their job. More than ever, Mel Brooks’ line in Blazing Saddles as the governor of the state resonates: “Gentlemen, we must protect our phony baloney jobs.”
Not to say that the Dems were completely in the right. One of the simple measures was “no fly, no buy” – meaning that if you are or were on a no-fly list (and thus, presumably, suspected of terrorist ties) at any time, you should not be allowed to buy a gun. However, I watched Larry Wilmore on The Nightly Show voice his problems with that. He has some of the same problems that the ACLU has – it’s too easy to get on the list, too little evidence has to be shown, it’s too hard to clear yourself and get off the list, it appears to unfairly target people of color, and it violates Constitutional freedoms including the right to due process.
It’s too bad because “No fly, no buy” is the sort of simplistic jingoistic catch phrase that works so well with the American public. We don’t do well with more nuanced declarations. Easy to say, easy to remember, and you don’t have to think. That’s ‘Murrica right there, that’s what that is.
To my mind, however, the real issue is not the specific legislation but the larger issue of how no meaningful gun regulation is possible because the NRA won’t hear of it. That’s the underlying frustration that led to the sit-in. Even though 90% of Americans want some kind of laws passed (according to many polls), they can’t even get discussed in the House and they sure won’t get passed in the Senate.
Just keep in mind that this Congressional version of Big Brother has one thing in common with the TV show – in the fall, they can get voted out.
Last week we told you about two upcoming collections of Don McGregor and Thomas Yeates’ Zorro newspaper strips as part of a broader profile of Tom’s recent work. As it happens, this week will see the rerelease of Zorro – The Dailies and Sundays (The Second Year) Collector’s Edition, reprinting all the daily and Sunday strips from the 1999 newspaper comic strips’ second year… and, through the website below, autographed by Tom Yeates.
Also for the first time, the entire two years of their Zorro newspaper strip are collected in Zorro – The Complete Dailies and Sundays. This latter hardcover edition will be limited to only 50 copies and will be signed by all Don McGregor, Tod Smith and Thomas Yeates.
Zorro was introduced as a revolutionary character for old California in pulp adventures by Johnston McCulley. Following a critically acclaimed comic series from Topps, the Zorro newspaper strip debuted in 1999 and was written by Don McGregor and drawn by Tod Smith, Thomas Yeates and Rick Magyar. The strip appeared in major newspapers across North America. The series was clearly a labor of love for these creators, all the while paying homage to past creators while still offering fresh and exciting new adventures.
These days the one genre that rules the box office consistently are animated family films (even more than super hero flicks). John Cohen came from projects like ICE AGE and DESPICABLE ME to convert the smash phone game, ANGRY BIRDS, into an even bigger movie hit. He talks about that journey plus his love for animation in general. Plus Mark Geist was among the brave men who lived the real life story of Michael Bay’s film, 13 HOURS:THE SECRET SOLDIERS OF BENGHAZI . We find out what really happened that dark night in 2012.
Have you ever wondered what could have been? What if Key West seceded from the mainland? If the state of Wyoming ended up in the middle of Pennsylvania? If freed slaves were given the state of Mississippi after the Civil War? Perhaps you would like a Brief Explanation as to how Budapest became the Taco Capital of the World? Or, if you prefer, there is one story that is a fight to the death between the governor of North Alaska, Sarah Palin, and the billionaire orange haired governor of South Alaska…
You can wonder all of these no longer with ‘Altered States of the Union: What America Could Be’; An American alternate history anthology (say that five times fast) that features a varied and fantastic line up of first time authors, New York Times best selling authors, and Hugo and Nebula award winning authors, coming all together with their own stories of alternate American history and describing what could have been if circumstances were just a little different. (And a little more crazy.)
It will be making its debut on July 15th/2016 at the Shore Leave Convention – aptly, the weekend before the Republican convention. For anyone that grabs it on Indiegogo, copies of the book will be mailed out shortly thereafter, if you’re not at the show to pick it up and get autographs in person.
This anthology wants to show you how we could have gone other ways, how we could have been very different than what we are– yet still be America. For anyone wondering how the Indiegogo will be spread out, they’re taking pre-orders to finance printing costs and generally passing along more money to the contributors— all proceeds after production and distribution costs go to the people whose work drew you to the book in the first place— which, after all, is how it should be.
The array of authors that are in this collection of historic proportions are:
A mixture of NY Times best sellers, Hugo and Nebula winners, WGA award winners, president of American Atheists, and an editor of the Sandman comics is a sure win. Any anthology that includes the writer of “The Trouble With Tribbles”, a writer of “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries”, and the president of American Atheists is an interesting mix that shouldn’t be missed out on.
We are tasked here at ComicMix to opine on all that is going around the world of pop culture. Maybe a bit more of a bend towards the comics side of things (it is in the name, right?). But as it stands this week… I don’t care about pop culture. I’ve been catching up on Legends of Tomorrow, but it seems trivial at best. I picked up comics from the shop, a feat I haven’t done on a regular basis in over two years.
I was going to wax poetic on all things Rebirth, but really, why would I? Heck. I could even stretch so far as to discuss my pending excitement of the announcement of Injustice 2, coming out next year on the Playstation and XBOX. I could, but I’m not going to.
I know you arrive at my column each and every week awaiting some poignant snark to set your weekend off to a grand start. Sorry to say that this week the well of said snark is bone dry.
A week ago, a savage man took 49 lives and injured a nation. It doesn’t matter to me his reasons. While I personally loathe guns and gun owners, my opinion carries minuscule weight in comparison to wealthy lobbies and angry gun-toters. This sub-human felt it necessary to end the lives of 49 people. It is assumed had he the time or the wherewithal, he would have taken more.
In the wake of this atrocity, no superheroes emerged. Pundits and politicians create continual chaos in an effort to quell some, and rile others. 24 hour news networks leech ratings over every inconsequential factoid gleaned. It’s sickening that we move so fast when we need to stop what we’re doing and really absorb what occurred.
I am sorry. I cannot do what I’m tasked to do. There are no more words I can use to communicate how I feel. In their place, I leave you with what you truly need to read:
BURBANK, CA (June 9, 2016) – Where can you find the most powerful and prominent Super Teens in the galaxy? Super Hero High of course! Wonder Woman, Supergirl, Batgirl, Harley Quinn, Bumblebee, Poison Ivy and Katana band together to navigate the twists and turns of high school in DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year. Produced by Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment, the film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) on August 9 on Digital HD and August 23, 2016 on DVD (SRP $19.98).
These young Super Heroes discover unique abilities, develop powers, and combat an abundance of overwhelming, exciting and awkward moments to master the fundamentals of being a hero – one day at a time! The group includes:
Wonder Woman was raised on Themyscira, a paradise island overflowing with female leaders. This natural born leader has super strength, the power of flight and a magic lasso that forces anyone to tell the truth.
Batgirl is crazy smart – she was accepted to Super Hero High based on her brainpower alone (she wasn’t born with super powers). But this crime-fighting sleuth may be the most influential of all! Her unparalleled intellect, expert martial arts skills, photographic memory and legendary detective skills are a formula for an incredible Super Hero.
Supergirl is the most powerful teen on earth, but also incredibly clumsy. She has super strength, super hearing and super speed but will need to be sure she doesn’t trip over her own two feet en route to saving the world.
Harley Quinn is the resident class clown who lives for jokes and over-the-top pranks. Nonetheless, this quick-witted gymnast is sneaky and full of surprises.
Bumblebee has the ability to shrink, allowing her to sneak around without being spotted. She makes sure her team is never surprised by any villains or enemies up to no good.
Poison Ivy, got caught up in a botched lab experiment, and now has the ability to control and summon plants. She’s gradually adapting to her amazing new powers and blossoming into her new life.
Katana is an artist with an edge – this fearless martial arts fashionista is up for any crime-fighting test and is never without her sword.
Together, these seven fearless Super Heroes prove that we all have the power to make the world a better place – even while school is in session!
Girls around the world now have their very own Super Hero world to play, watch, read and be inspired! To further bring this all-new universe to life, DC Super Hero Girls animated shorts and TV specials will continue to release over the next year, allowing girls 6-12 to continue reaching their full potential alongside these superstars. Additionally, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, in partnership with Mattel, have brought the DC Super Hero Girls to life, beyond the animated shorts and website, with the first-ever line of 12-inch Action Dolls, 6-inch Action Figures, as well as role play and playsets now available exclusively at Target in the U.S., along with other product, including apparel, accessories, publishing and more. The DC Super Hero Girls global merchandise program will hit retail worldwide, beginning in July 2016, offering a wide range of product to fans around the world. Random House and DC Comics are also releasing an exciting array of DC Super Hero Girls books and graphic novels. Fans can discover more at DCSuperHeroGirls.com and through dedicated social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year features some of the top voice actors in the industry. Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman), Anais Fairweather (Supergirl), Mae Whitman (Batgirl/Barbara Gordon), Tara Strong (Harley Quinn/Poison Ivy) Teala Dunn (Bumblebee), and Stephanie Sheh (Katana) join forces to portray some of the newest students to attend Super Hero High.
“Warner Bros. Home Entertainment is thrilled to team with DC Entertainment to release DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year on DVD,” said Mary Ellen Thomas, WBHE Vice President, Family & Animation Marketing. “We’re excited to bring DC Super Hero Girls to life and create an immersive world to help inspire young women like never before. These characters were developed with girls 6-12 in mind and will deliver epic story lines featuring strong females. It truly embraces and celebrates girls as they discover their own unique abilities.”
SPECIAL FEATURES
Six Animated Shorts:
Hero of the Month: Wonder Woman
Fall into Super Hero High
Hero of the Month: Bumblebee
Hero of the Month: Poison Ivy
Clubbing
Saving the Day
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Vudu, Xbox and others. Starting August 9, DC Super Hero Girls: Hero of the Year will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
BASICS
Street Date: August 23, 2016
Run Time: 72 minutes (approx.)
