Tagged: Avengers

MOONSTONE AND AUDIOCOMICS-TAKING NEW PULP FURTHER!!

  • News
  • September 11, 2011
Moonstone Entertainment and THE AudioComics COMPANY Announce CollaboratiON

The AudioComics Company to produce adaptations of Moonstone titles beginning with Honey West and The Battle for Los Angeles

For immediate release:

The AudioComics Company is pleased to announce that it will act as the official audio theatre production arm for Moonstone Entertainment, Inc., producing full-cast adaptations of its licensed and original comic books and graphic novels, as well as selections from their line of short story anthologies. These pieces will be available on compact disc and pay-per-Mp3 digital download through a variety of outlets, including Moonstone’s online store, at comic book conventions, the iTunes store, and community audio drama showcases.

 

Their first collaboration will be Honey West, adapted by Elaine (Starstruck) Lee from her mini-series “Murder on Mars.” Hollywood’s toughest and sexiest private eye has gone undercover as an extra on a low-budget science fiction flick to find the murderer of sex symbol Zu Zu Varga, only to find that (shock and surprise) everyone’s got a motive. And then there’s that killer robot… Also slated for production is the team-up special The Battle for Los Angeles, which is a part of Moonstone’s “Return of the Originals” line. Starring The Black Bat, Domino Lady, G-8, Secret Agent X, and The Phantom Detective, these avengers pit their wits (and guns) against a menace from another world in 1945 Los Angeles in a story actually inspired by true events.

 

Moonstone EIC Joe Gentile: “Moonstone is super excited to hear our stories done in this dramatic fashion! AudioComics brings a very professional quality sound, as well as great voice actors to the table, and the final result is the best we have heard! It’s not a plain ol’ audio book, it’s an audio play, like a private performance in your living room!” AudioComics co-founder Lance Roger Axt echoes Joe’s sentiments: “Audio theatre is simply one of the most exciting and accessible forms of entertainment available. This is not lost on Joe and the good folks at Moonstone Entertainment, and we’re very excited to be working with them and their roster of properties. Actually, ‘very excited’ may be an understatement! I mean have you seen their roster of properties lately?”

Honey West records this fall for a winter, 2012 release, directed by William Dufris. This first production will also mark the beginning of an ongoing series of HW projects with Moonstone. The Battle for Los Angeles will record in winter of 2012, adapted by CJ Henderson and Lance Roger Axt (from Henderson’s script), and directed by Mr. Axt, with a planned spring of 2012 release.

Moonstone Entertainment Inc. publishes comics and illustrated fiction designed to “awaken your sense of adventure”, featuring classic and new heroes including Kolchak the Night Stalker, Buckaroo Banzai, The Green Hornet, The Avenger, Captain Midnight, The Domino Lady, Zorro, Honey West, and Airboy in thrilling tales of adventure, mystery, and horror. For more than a decade, Moonstone Entertainment Inc. has created fine and distinct comic books, graphic novels and prose…books that are meant to be read. Awaken your sense of adventure at www.moonstonebooks.com

 

The AudioComics Company, under the guidance of producers Lance Roger Axt, William Dufris, and Elaine Lee, provides superior audio entertainment with its professional full-cast audio theatre productions of both licensed properties and original works from the world of comic books, graphic novels, and related media, accessible in today’s market with today’s sound. Their debut production of the original play script of Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta’s Starstruck has received critical acclaim from comics and audio professionals alike; forthcoming productions include Titanium Rain and The Batsons. www.audiocomicscompany.com

Contact: Joe Gentile, EIC (contact_us@moonstonebooks.com)

                        Lance Roger Axt, Co-Producer/Director (info@audiocomicscompany.com)

THE REMIX: The Strange Case Of Michael Davis

I get it.

Mike Gold is the boss.

I entitled my return to ComicMix; “The Remix” thinking it was a devilishly clever way to return. Since I’ve been back I have not once seen that title grace this column.

So I get it, Mike Gold is the boss.

Wait a sec. Mike has a weekly blog on my website, michaeldavisworld.com (MDW). I wonder how he would feel if his next piece for MDW was under the title “Gold’s Balls” or “The Golden Balls’ or “The Golden Balls Forum?”

Don’t ask me why I feel the need to add “balls” to every title I come up with. It could be because I’m stir crazy! As of this writing, Saturday, evening August 27, I’m stuck in my electricity dead hotel room in Connecticut (CT) and I have no idea when I’ll be able to get back to L.A. because of hurricane Irene.

I once dated a girl named Irene. She was a bitch also.

So since it’s dark and there is no power in the hotel my choices are to read a book by flashlight, go to sleep or play or read with my iPad.

Or, I can just be alone with my thoughts.

Er…nope.

I do not like being along with my thoughts. Never have. I tend to go to real dark places when I’m alone with my thoughts. I am absolutely positive one of the reasons I’m a workaholic is because it gives me something to do so I am never alone with my thoughts.

I’m in CT for my cousin’s Nila’s wedding.  I love Nila from the bottom of my heart. She is the only reason I would have gotten on a plane (I H A T E T O F L Y ) and came to CT with the knowledge that Irene was on the way.  At the wedding, I gave a speech in which I spoke directly to Nila recounting our journey together as family and reminded her of some of our adventures together. She’s more like a little sister than a cousin and my trip down memory lane made us both cry.

When I said I cried what I meant is I…I…shit. You got me.

When I got back to my room after the reception I became a bit misty eyed again as I continued to recall the days when Nila was a little girl and I was still her cool cousin Michael. I decided that I would be alone with my thoughts this evening because my thoughts were filled with such happiness. Then I remembered I had a ComicMix piece do.

So here I sit typing my Remix…no, my Michael Davis ComicMix article at 2 in the morning wondering just what comic related memory could I write about that would continue my happy trip down memory lane.

Like a shot to the head it came to me.

DC Comics.

It’s no secret that I’m had a love and hate relationship with DC Comics. It’s also no secret that no matter the relationship I’ve been an unweaving fan of the DC comic book universe.

Given how things have been between DC and me you would think that I would have sworn off DC like Antony Weiner swore off tweeting.

It’s even more baffling when you consider that my very first comic book was Avengers # 43.  My second comic was Fantastic Four #73. I loved those books! They were great and I was a die-hard Marvel fan until my mother brought me home a Flash comic book. I don’t remember what issue it was but I was hooked like an addict on all things Flash. THEN I saw Superman #199 in which he raced The Flash!

Since then I’d been a solid. no joke. DC Comics fan. Don’t get me wrong, I love Marvel Comics. I still get goose bumps when I think of Silver Surfer #4 when he pimp slapped Thor or when the Hulk beat down of Sub-Mariner as drawn by Herb Trimpe.

I stopped reading comics for a long time. It was Frank Miller’s Daredevil that pulled me back in.

This is really strange. Marvel brought me in and Marvel brought me back when I left but DC remains my number one comic book universe.

I have no idea why it’s DC but I know that memory has something to do with it.

I could go on but my iPad is down to 50% and I don’t know when I’ll be able to charge it again and I simply cannot fall asleep without reading so I’m going to use some of that 50% to read some old silver age comics. I’ll read a few DC and a few Marvels.

Why?

Because that way I can be alone with my thoughts and memories and the hotel room will be the only dark place I visit tonight.

WEDNESDAY: Mike Gold 

TV’s Funniest 15 Minutes – CHILDRENS HOSPITAL


It’s wild, funny and it’s coming back for a new season. The best fifteen minutes n TV might very well be CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL. We talk to Rob Corddry, Ken Marino and Megan Mullally about pacing a show in so short a time slot. Plus WONDER WOMAN as a horror comic and more Cap & Thor footage leaked from THE AVENGERS.

The Point Radio is on the air right now – 24 hours a day of pop culture fun for FREE. GO HERE and LISTEN FREE on any computer or mobile device– and please check us out on Facebook right here & toss us a “like” or follow us on Twitter @ThePointRadio.

Official D23 Announcements Focus Mainly on Pixar

  • News
  • August 21, 2011

121543352_ae_6447_5d35477db6385687b17058f1f58245b5-300x201-4377421For those of you who missed out on Disney’s fan fest, D23, the studio provided us with a recap which we will run intact below. But we know what you really care about is what was said and shown about next year’s The Avengers. Well, there were some clips, another blindingly fast set of clips. According to a report over at Newsrama these included “a conversation between Tony Stark and Loki — with Tony Stark notably appearing behind a bar. Stark details the Avengers lineup — ‘a couple of master assassins, a demigod, and a living legend that actually lives up a legend’ — and Loki retorts back, ‘I have an army.’ ‘We have a Hulk,’ Stark replies.

“The montage sequence also included a monologue from Fury, detailing the purpose behind the Avengers — that they were organized to take on the threats that S.H.I.E.L.D. can’t.”

121543352_ae_6354a_5c434f0cb1f223cf95e6cbd59835890f-300x215-3394201Bleeding Cool added, “In the clip, Loki is shown trapped in a cage on the helicarrier. It’s a cage built to hold The Hulk, and he’s told that if he’s too much trouble, they’ll just drop it out of the botttom of the helicarrier, 30,000 feet to the ground below. Maria Hill and Steve Rogers watch from the bridge on a monitor while Tony Stark and Nick Fury step up to Loki and have a little threatening banter with him.”

“At the start of Feige’s presentation,” Newsarama continued, “a reel was shown of the five previous Marvel Studios films — Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk (no Edward Norton footage was shown), Iron Man 2, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger. The clips focused on the interconnectivity of the movies, scenes like Tony Stark appearing at the end of Incredible Hulk and Johann Schmidt discovering the Tesseract at the beginning of Cap. That vignette ending with the tagline ‘assembly begins next summer’.”

Here’s the formal release: (more…)

JOHN OSTRANDER: Brave-ish New Worlds

JOHN OSTRANDER: Brave-ish New Worlds

In last week’s column, I talked about target audiences and how, in comics, there has been a primary and a secondary audience – the retailers and distributors being the primary audience and the readers being the secondary audience. If you don’t get the product on the shelves, you can’t sell it. I surmised that could change as comics go to same digital sale as the comic shops; that could mean the readers become the primary audience.

So – what does that mean? What might it mean? Let’s do a little idle speculation and what I would like it to mean. Maybe you would, too. Let’s compare note.

More readers. Actually, this isn’t just a wish, it’s a necessity. Not that there’s anything wrong with the readers that we got; you guys is swell. But we need more in sheer numbers and that’s the point of going digital: comics need to go where the eyeballs are and that’s on the web. Nor is it enough to just preserve the status quo. We need to increase the readership, meaning new readers, and that involves some of trick below.

Lower prices. I think this mandatory. The jury is still out as to whether folks on the web will pay anything – lots of folks online are used to and defend downloading for free – but I don’t think they’re going to pay $2.99 for 22 pages of story. Also, the costs of producing the product is less: no printing, no shipping, no cost of paper. Yes, the companies have to pay for access to whatever reader they’re using, but I’m betting it’s less than the cuts taken by retailers and distributors.

(more…)

MARC ALAN FISHMAN: The First Comic That Mattered… To Me

MARC ALAN FISHMAN: The First Comic That Mattered… To Me

Strangers (Malibu Comics)

Image via Wikipedia

Welcome back, friends. After the hate-spew I delivered in the first few weeks, and the near love-in I had over the last two… I asked myself what was the obvious next step.

Self?
Yes, Marc?
What’s the obvious next step?
Hell if I know. I still hate Flashpoint. And about half of the DC reboot. And the X-Men. And walnuts.
Well, that’s no help.
Sorry. Why don’t you talk about Malibu?

Seems simple enough. Let me set the scene. It was 6th grade. 1993. I’d just met this crazy kid named Matt who drew better than me, and loved comics. I was insanely jealous of his talent, and unlike my other friends at the time, he wasn’t a brilliant mathematician well on his way to being our eventual class valedictorian. He invited me to a sleepover birthday party, which pretty much meant by the next week, we were hyper-awesome bestest friends.

27 days after his birthday party, he showed up at my house, in the frigid December air. He handed me a box. “Happy Birthday, dude.” Paper rips, bow is tossed to the stoop. Before my 12 year old eyes, bagged and boarded, were copies of UltraForce #1 and The Strangers #1. Matt had remembered that I’d seen the short-lived UltraForce cartoon show, and loved it. Especially the episode featuring The Strangers. Excuse me for a second… I need to go wipe my eyes. It’s dusty down here. Dusty!

Suffice to say, I read those two books near instantaneously. And then reread them. Looked over every nook and cranny, too. Something about these books spoke to me in a way no other sequential literature had.

(more…)

NEED MORE PULPFEST? THEN JUST LISTEN…

  • News
  • August 6, 2011

For those who couldn’t make the grand trek to PULPFEST, The Book Cave, the premiere podcast of Ric Croxton and Art Sippo, makes it possible to almost be there via your very own ears!  Listen to the Pulpfests specials live from Summer’s Best Pulp Con as well as a pre con episode and several other recent pulpy type offerings from THE BOOK CAVE!

Fri, 5 August 2011
Credit and thanks go to Art Sippo for this episode. Ron Fotier, SteamPunk and the Shadow star in this episode.
http://www.pulpfest.com/
Thu, 4 August 2011
Credit and thanks go to Art Sippo for recording this episode. New Pulp, Bill Craig and Anthony Tollin are the stars of this episode.
http://www.pulpfest.com
Thu, 4 August 2011
Joel Jenkins joins Art and Ric to discuss his latest epic novel in the Dire Planet series.
Joel Jenkins’ blog: http://www.joeljenkins.com
Strange Gods of the Dire Planet preview: http://www.pulpwork.com/2011/08/strange-gods-of-dire-planet-sneak.html
Punch in the discount code of ZUEEWBQV to purchase Strange Gods of the Dire Planet with a 20% discount (until August 10th) at http://www.pulpwork.com/p/available-titles.html
PulpWork Press: http://www.pulpwork.com
Strange Gods on Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Strange-Gods-Dire-Planet-ebook/dp/B005CDDE5S/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1312294899&sr=8-2
Strange God for all electronic readers: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/73278
RJCroxton1@yahoo.com
Wed, 3 August 2011
Credit and thanks go to Jason Aiken for recording this epiaode. C.L. Moore, Steampunk, Walter Gibson and the Shadow are on this episode.
http://www.pulpfest.com/
Tue, 2 August 2011
Credit and thanks goes to Jason Aiken for recording this episode. Included in this episode are PulpFest welcome, Shadow Radio, Pulp artists born in 1911 and granddaughters of Pulp.
http://www.pulpfest.com/
Mon, 1 August 2011
Credit and thanks go to Art Sippo for recording this episode at PulpFest. This episode has Wayne Reinagel and Win Scott Eckert reading from their books. This week will feature several more recordings from PulpFest. If you weren’t able to attend, this is the next best thing.
http://www.pulpfest.com/
Thu, 28 July 2011
Ron Fortier, Aaron Smith and andrew Salmon join Ric and Art to discuss the latest Sherlock Holmes anthology from Airship27.
http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html
Amazon store: http://www.amazon.com/Andrew-Salmon/e/B002NS5KR0/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2
iPulp: http://ipulpfiction.com/books/SecretAgentX-Vol1-IcarusTerror/jacketNotes.php
Thu, 21 July 2011
Ed Hulse of Blood -N- Thunder magazine joins Ric and Art to discuss this year’s upcoming PulpFest.
http://www.pulpfest.com/
bnteditor@yahoo.com
Thu, 14 July 2011
Jeff Deischer returns to the Book Cave to discuss his newest book The Way They Were.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&fiel
d-keywords=westerntainment&x=19&y=21
Thu, 7 July 2011
Van Plexico drops by The Book Cave to talk about his Sentinels books.
Van Allen Plexico
http://www.plexico.net
Links to all of my books, info, and other sites can be found there,
including to my Amazon author’s page.
The SENTINELS site: Info, images, and links to buy any of the books in
paperback or for e-reader.
http://www.whiterocketbooks.com/sentinels
White Rocket Books
http://www.whiterocketbooks.com
Includes the Sentinels plus the Avengers ASSEMBLED! books and more.
My Airship 27 books:
LUCIAN: DARK GOD’S HOMECOMING
http://www.amazon.com/Lucian-Homecoming-Van-Allen-Plexico/dp/1934935441
GIDEON CAIN: DEMON HUNTER
http://www.amazon.com/Gideon-Cain-Van-Allen-Plexico/dp/1934935743
LANCE STAR: SKY RANGER Vol. 2
http://www.amazon.com/Lance-Star-Sky-Ranger-2/dp/1934935611
PDF copies of any of my Airship 27 books for just $3:
http://homepage.mac.com/robmdavis/Airship27Hangar/index.html

—
Van Allen Plexico
Writer, Editor, Publisher, Educator
www.plexico.net
“Nobody—not even Abnett and Lanning—is doing cosmic superheroes as
well as Van Plexico is doing them. Period.”
–Barry Reese, award-winning author of Rabbit Heart and creator of the Rook
“His gift of storytelling is razor sharp and he captures the reader’s
interest from the first chapter to the last.”
–Ron Fortier, award-winning author of Boston Bombers and the Captain
Hazzard novels
Thu, 30 June 2011
Will Murray, Roger Ritner and Michael McConnohie join the Book Cave crew to discuss Python Isle and future audio books.
Will Murray – www.adventuresinbronze.com
On Facebook: The Wild Adventures of Doc Savage.
Radioarchives.com
Michael McConnohie
Credits: www.imdb.com
Web Site: www.michaelmcconnohie.com
Thu, 23 June 2011
Shelby Vick of the online Pulp magazine Planetary joins the Book Cave crew to talk about his site.
http://www.planetarystories.com/
After the first one — www.planetarystories.com/wonerlust.htm — the other links are www.planetarystories.com/W2.htm — www.planetarystories.com/W3.htm — www.planetarystories.com/W4.htm — www.planetarystories.com/W5.htm — www.planetarystories.com/W6.htm
Also, I left out someone really important: Ron N Butler, of the Atlanta Radio group, turned up by Jerry Page. Ron has developed Rory Rammer, Space Marshal as, for instance, in www.planetarystories.com/rammer.htm and www.planetarystories.com/planetoid.htm for instance. Rory Rammer is PERFECT for Planetary Stories.
our Associate Editor is Robert Kennedy
Marvel Wins Summary Judgments In Jack Kirby Estate Rights Lawsuits

Marvel Wins Summary Judgments In Jack Kirby Estate Rights Lawsuits

  • News
  • July 28, 2011
Photo of Jack Kirby at the San Diego Comic Con...

Jack Kirby. Image via Wikipedia

Deadline reports that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has delivered a summary judgment for Disney/Marvel and other studios Sony, Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures against the Jack Kirby Estate in the matter of notice of copyright termination.

The estate of Jack Kirby, co-creator of Captain America, Fantastic Four, X-Men, The Avengers, Iron Man, Hulk, Silver Surfer and Thor, sent notices terminating copyright to publishers Marvel and Disney, as well as film studios that have made movies and TV shows based on characters he created or co-created, including Sony, Universal, 20th Century Fox and Paramount Pictures.

The federal judge not only granted the studios’ motions for summary judgment but also denied the Kirby cross-motion for summary judgment.

The Kirby estate is represented by Marc Toberoff, who is also currently representing the Jerry Siegel estate against DC Comics in the copyright termination case regarding Superman and Smallville.

More information as we get it.

Captain America

Joe Johnston knows how to direct adventure films but watching his growth as a director has been a pleasure. His first offering, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was a visual effects feast, thanks to his training at Industrial Light & Magic. He followed up in 1991 with his first comic book adaptation, Dave Stevens’ Rocketeer and while the movie is far better than the critical reaction or box office would indicate, it still lacked that certain spark of delight for a summer blockbuster. Over the intervening years, Joe has continued to direct films that has shown steady growth as he has more subtly integrated effects with characterization with the family friendly Jumanji and the heart-warming October Sky. It was all good training as he took on what has become his highest profile project yet, Captain America: The First Avenger.

Clearly, he has learned his lessons as the critics – both mainstream and geek alike – have raved over the film while the $65 million it earned over the weekend proves he delivered a film people wanted to see. There were many obstacles challenging Johnston so that he managed to overcome them with aplomb is quite impressive. First of all, he had to turn a brief origin story from Captain America Comics #1 into a story that was plausible for modern day audiences. He had to fill it with winks and nods to the comics continuity that has been built around that Joe Simon & Jack Kirby tale of a man being turned into a super-solider. Then there was all the spadework that was required to prime audiences for the next installment in the Marvel Film Universe, next summer’s The Avengers.

Joining me for the Saturday matinee were two neighbors who only knew the character by name so while I sat there geeking out like the rest of you over the little touches, they were thoroughly satisfied with the story from beginning to end. (I had to spend dinner annotating it for them which was a fun test of memory.) (more…)

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