Tagged: Blade Runner

Forrest J Ackerman estate auction begins today

Forrest J Ackerman estate auction begins today

  • News
  • April 30, 2009

The most impressive science fiction collection in the world— and yes, I say it’s even more impressive than the one at Skywalker Ranch– will be going on the auction block today starting at 12 noon Pacific time, and continuing tomorrow, May 1st, at 11am Pacific time.

How impressive is it? Look at that photo to the right, which is lot #660 in the auction..

That’s a first edition of Dracula. Not impressed? It’s a first edition signed by the author, Bram Stoker.

That would be enough for most people– but not Forry. He went farther and got it autographed by Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, Bill Obbagy, Ingrid Pitt, Karl Freund, Donald A. Reed, Barry Atwater, Maila Nurmi a.k.a. “Vampira”, Carla Laemmle, Carroll Borland, John Carradine, Raymond McNally, Ferdy Mayne, Paul Naschy, Barbara Leigh… and Bela Lugosi.

Take a look.

You can bid by phone or online. Or you can just download the catalogs and drool over…

  • The dress Rita Hayworth wore in Gilda.
  • The original art for Vampirella #1.
  • Darth Maul’s lightsaber.
  • The original head of the Creature from the Black Lagoon. 
  • Dracula’s cape and signet ring.
  • Cylons. Full size.
  • Adam West’s Batman uniform and Lee Meriwether’s Catwoman outfit.
  • Paintings from Rod Serling’s Night Galllery.
  • Inspector Clouseau’s trenchcoat.
  • The Voight-Kampff test manual from Blade Runner.
  • Rambo’s bow and arrows.
  • The hero crystal shard from The Dark Crystal.
  • Ferris Bueller’s leather jacket.
  • Swimsuits from Baywatch.
  • The Shadow’s cloak, scarf, and fedora.
  • Judge Dredd’s helmet.
  • Lara Croft’s pistols.
  • The Jumanji game.
  • Terminators of all shapes and sizes.
  • Batman’s cowl and cape.
  • Riddler’s cane.
  • Mr. Freeze’s armor.
  • The Green Goblin’s trident.
  • Zorro’s mask, cape, and whip.
  • D’Artagnan and the Musketeer’s swords.
  • Uncle Junior Soprano’s revolver.
  • Alien eggs. 
  • Wolverine’s dogtags– hell, Wolverine’s claws.
  • Autographs and photos and title cards from everybody.
  • And yes– even a Golden Ticket.

Download the Catalog here as a .zip file, or download the PDFs individually.
Lots 1-166 | 167-349 | 350-522 | 523-753 | 754-939 | 940-1114 | 1114-1174

Happy silver anniversary, Macintosh!

Happy silver anniversary, Macintosh!

  • News
  • January 24, 2009

Twenty-five years ago today, on January 24, 1984, two days after the famous "1984" Super Bowl commercial directed by Ridley Scott right after Blade Runner, the first Apple Macintosh– the Macintosh 128– first went on sale.

From this humble beginning, the comics industry would never be the same. From the earliest experiements in MacPaint to the first comic created completely in a computer, Shatter (and First comic, for that matter) Macintoshes have evolved and are now used in every single aspect of comics today– and most times, you don’t even know it.

So if you still remember doing everything on a 400k 3.5" disk, black and white screen, no hard drive, no modem, no MS Word– man, don’t you feel old.

Here’s that original commercial:

Judge Dredd Returning to the Big Screen

Judge Dredd Returning to the Big Screen

  • News
  • December 23, 2008

Judge Dredd, England’s long-running weekly comic feature, is returning to the screen.   At 2000 AD’s website, they had the following short announcement:

“Rebellion and 2000 AD are proud to announce that Judge Dredd is coming to a cinema near you soon!

“Together with DNA Films, the movie production company behind such great sci-fi movies such as Sunshine and 28 Weeks Later, Judge Dredd will go into production in 2009.

“Jason Kingsley, CEO and Creative Director said, ‘We can’t give away too many details at this point, but we’re looking forward to working with DNA Films to bring Judge Dredd back to the big screen’.”

The British-based DNA Films was founded by Duncan Kenworthy and Andrew Macdonald (The Beach). The company has a production partnership with Fox Searchlight Pictures, which owns 50% of DNA Films in addition to backing from the UK Film Council.

Last seen in the ill-timed 1995 release, the Sylvester Stallone movie tanked both commercially and critically. The problem was that the inventive visual world of Mega City One, first seen in 1979, was partially co-opted for the look of Blade Runner and its knockoffs.  By the time this original made it to the screen, it looked redundant rather than trendsetting. That the story and performances were lackluster didn’t help either.
 

Pitt Embarks on ‘Odyssey’

Pitt Embarks on ‘Odyssey’

  • News
  • October 18, 2008

Warner Bros. is quietly setting up The Odyssey with Brad Pitt’s Plan B producing and George Miller (Mad Max) attached to direct. The hope is that Brad Pitt will also star as Odysseus, who embarks on his long journey home from the Trojan War after declining to become a god.

WB previously released Troy, which was essentially a retelling of Homer’s The Illiad. While The Odyssey would continue the translation of Homer’s poems to the big screen, there’s a big difference between the two versions: Warner Bros. wants to put Odysseus in space.

Variety reports: "[The WB’s] intention is to transfer the tale [of The Odyssey] to a futuristic setting in outer space."

The announcement of a science fiction twist on The Odyssey comes shortly after Ridley Scott’s recently announced The Forever War. Scott describes that flick, which is based on the Joe Haldeman novel of the same name, as "a science-fiction epic, a bit of The Odyssey by way of Blade Runner." Forever War is being set up by Fox 2000, a rival company of the WB’s.

Brad Pitt will next be seen in David Fincher’s The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, a reverse aging epic with much rumored Oscar buzz. George Miller is currently most known for Justice League Mortal, the controversial adaptation of the beloved DC Comics property. It’s still unclear as to whether the film is being made, as several executives and journalists call the project "dead in the water," but others attached to the film, such as would-be Batman Armie Hammer, continue to speak as though the movie is still on track. Personally, a George Miller directed sci-fi version of The Odyssey sounds a lot better than his proposed Justice League film.

Ridley Scott Goes to ‘War’

Ridley Scott Goes to ‘War’

  • News
  • October 13, 2008

Variety reports that director Ridley Scott will helm The Forever War, based on Joe Haldeman’s 1974 novel of the same name. The film will be Scott’s first foray into science fiction since Alien and Blade Runner.

Scott admits that he intended to film The Forever War nearly, well, forever ago.

"I first pursued Forever War 25 years ago, and the book has only grown more timely and relevant since," said Scott.

"It’s a science-fiction epic," he continued, "a bit of The Odyssey by way of Blade Runner, built upon a brilliant, disorienting premise."

The novel’s plot centers on "a soldier who battles an enemy in deep space for only a few months, only to return home to a planet he doesn’t recognize some 20 years later." Forever Free and Forever Peace were two other novels set in the the same reality in addition to the novella A Separate War. The novel has also been adapted into a three-volume graphic novel by the Belgian comics creator Marvano which saw an English edition years ago.

The Forever War has been in development for, you guessed it, forever. Shortly after the novel’s publication, Richard Edlund picked up the rights to the film with the intention of making it his directorial debut. When the film never entered production, the Sci Fi Channel attempted a miniseries that also hit a stalemate. Scott eventually secured the rights, and the film will now be produced by Scott Free with executive producers Vince Gerardis and Ralph Vicinanza, whose company Created By represents Haldeman.

Ridley Scott himself has a project slate that extends from now until, that’s right, forever. The director is set to helm Nottingham starring Russell Crowe as both Robin Hood and the Sheriff of Nottingham. He also was recently attached to an adaptation of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, which would have marked his first science fiction film in over three decades had The Forever War fallen through. Scott is also circling Child 44 and Gucci. His latest film, Body of Lies, debuted last Friday to unexpectedly poor box office numbers.

On a side note, check out the cover to The Forever War. Doesn’t that look exactly like Benicio Del Toro? While it’s too early to talk about casting, who wouldn’t want to see good ol’ BDT in a space odyssey?

‘New Scientist’ Polls Readers About Best SF

‘New Scientist’ Polls Readers About Best SF

  • News
  • October 5, 2008

Even scientists like to have fun every now and then.  England’s New Scientist magazine will be exploring the SF world in their November issue and along the way want to get reader input on the best and worst to date.

“We plan to explore this question in a special edition of New Scientist out on 15 November – as well as reviewing the best new science fiction books and talking to some of the world’s leading writers,” they write at the magazine’s website.

To engage readers prior to the issue’s release, they ask for people to vote on their favorite science fiction books and films.  In order to kick start the debate, they polled themselves and named Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy the best book. “Hitchhiker’s Guide as the out-and-out best sci-fi book by several dead whales and one bowl of petunias. Anyone who disagrees with me is clearly a crass Golgafrinchan who should be forced to listen to Vogon poetry for as long as it takes," wrote one of their editors.

We applaud their choice of L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics as the worst science fiction novel.

Blade Runner was the clear favorite film among the magazine staff, noting "It’s a great story, emotionally involving and well acted – and still has a mystery. Was Harrison Ford’s cop really a cyborg?"

Steve McQueen’s The Blob took the worst film title. "I saw The Blob when I was about seven years old and haven’t eaten jelly since," said one of the staff.
 

Science Fiction Sequel Talk

Science Fiction Sequel Talk

  • News
  • October 1, 2008

If they had their way, the folks at Amblin Entertainment would enjoy nothing more than to use that memory-scrubbing flash doohickey to make you forget all about Men in Black II.

"There’s been some conversations, just recently actually, because I don’t think we did the best possible job on the second one," producer Walter F. Parkes once told Cinema Confidential. "It would be great to pull the franchise back."

Apparently, now might be that time. A source close to Parkes tells Parade Magazine that Parkes is looking to get the gang back together for another round.

"The challenge is getting the script right and finding a time when our busy stars are available," the source says. "But everyone, including Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones, wants to do another."

Those aren’t the only Men making a possible comeback. Slash Film reports that Eagle Eye co-writer Travis Wright is developing a sequel to Blade Runner. The script is being written independently without any sort of studio involvement. At this point, Blade Runner 2 is a pet project without major backing, and is likely to be shut down faster than a blade runner dispatches a replicant. Which, on second thought, isn’t necessarily that fast…

Potential Men in Black and Blade Runner sequels join the increasing list of follow-ups to long gestating franchises such as Ghostbusters and Tron, both of which announced development on new installments over the past few months.

Special thanks to Moviehole for the report.

Drew Struzan Retires

Drew Struzan Retires

  • News
  • September 5, 2008

Legendary movie poster artist Drew Struzan announced his retirement earlier this week. According to a post at The Raider, Struzan made the announcement this way on September 3:

"Having been working at not working has produced a guy who could never return to illustration again. It took a lot to attempt the idea of retiring from my 40 years of effort and sacrifice but now that I have, I am delighting in life as never before. I had forgotten how to rest, to smell the proverbial roses and to see the future as opportunity. I am grateful and honored to have had the opportunity to do all the work I did. I am well pleased to have been able to give a gift of beauty and peace through my artwork to so many throughout the world. Now I have laid down the burden and have peace and happiness as the reward for my day’s labor."

Struzan, of course, is best known for his paintings for George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, notably Raiders of the Lost Ark.  His film credits also include E.T., Back to the Future, Blade Runner, The Goonies, the Muppet movies, Harry Potter, and Hellboy.

He’s done countless science fiction and adventure book covers including a rare foray into comics for Action Comics #800.

His album art has stretched from Black Sabbath to Alice Cooper, Dean Martin to Roy Orbison.

His contributions to the field are much appreciated and his efforts will be missed.

Interview: Wil Wheaton on Writing, Movies and Comics (Part 1)

  • News
  • July 14, 2008

Writer, actor and soon-to-be publishing mogul Wil Wheaton has come a long way since his days as a child actor in such breakout roles as Gordie LaChance in Stand By Me and Joey Trotta in Toy Soldiers. But even with those popular and well-known performances, Wheaton was really thrust into the limelight as a cast member of the the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, where he played Wesley Crusher for several seasons.

However, in the years since Star Trek, Wheaton has managed to mostly put acting and Wesley Crusher behind him and reinvent himself as a writer through his website, his work in various magazines and other publications, writing gigs on several comic books and work on manga titles from publishers such as TokyoPop.

Wheaton has also managed to launch a very successful publishing company, and is still a fan favorite at conventions and appearances all over the country. I caught up with the multi-talented Wheaton recently at a non-trendy eatery in Pasadena, CA, to talk comics, his career and his love of writing.

COMICMIX:  Okay Wil, what people really want to know is what you order for lunch.

WIL WHEATON: The ricotta with mission fig here is awesome. I love that, but I get it so much…

CMix: Before you arrived, someone’s cellphone rang and it was the bridge alert from the Enterprise.I looked around and thought you were already here, but realized that you probably wouldn’t have that as your ringtone.

WW: No, my phone plays "Good Times, Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin.

CMix:  That’s a good one. So, you just came back from a convention, right?

WW: Yes, the Emerald City Comicon.

CMix: Are you wearing an Emerald City Con shirt?

WW: You know what, I didn’t have time to get one. This is a "Hanners" t-shirt from Questionable Content, which is one of my all-time favorite webcomics ever.

CMix: Nice. At the convention you seem kind of surprised at the amount of books you were selling. Does that happen a lot?

WW: I never know what to anticipate when I go to a new show.  And I have these internal metrics that I set — sort of like an average sales figure that’s kind of the line for whether or not it’s a successful show, and there are all these different means by which I measure success. 

Is it fun? Are the people cool? Did I stumble across a cool new t-shirt? Did I meet new artists?

(more…)

Paramount Snaps Up ‘Harbinger’ Comic Book Series

Paramount Snaps Up ‘Harbinger’ Comic Book Series

  • News
  • March 11, 2008

According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the Valiant comic book series Harbinger, which will be made into a live-action feature. The feature, which is being developed as a possible vehicle for director Brett Ratner, will be produced by Alexandra Milchan, Jay Stern and Ratner and may go under the MTV Films banner.

Harbinger, created in the ’90s by Jim Shooter, was a hit when it was first released and concerns humans with extraordinary powers and abilities that can be unlocked by so-called "Omega" harbingers. One of these humans, teenager Pete Stancheck (aka "Sting"), is able to realize this potential under the instructiion of his mentor, Toyo Harada.

But once Harada starts down an evil path and Pete learns it was his mentor who was responsible for a friend’s death, Pete is determined to bring his former teacher to justice. So, with the help of friends Kris, Zephyr, Flamingo and Torque, Pete begins his quest to take down Harada and the evil Harbinger Foundation.

According to the article, after directing X-Men: The Last Stand, Ratner was looking for a superhero franchise to start from scratch and found it with Harbinger. Producer Milchan was also very pleased to find Harbinger and be able to bring it to Ratner:

"The movie is in the vein of a young ‘Blade Runner,’ as this 17-year- old gifted kid helps other kids tap into these parts of their brains," Milchan said.

No word yet on potential casting for the film or a start date. But when there is, we’ll bring it to you.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks