Tagged: fan

The Dark Knight Project

What do you do when you desperately want to make a Batman movie, except you have little film-making experience and Warner Bros. doesn’t know you exist?

Well, you just go right ahead and make a Batman movie. At least that’s the thought of Jerry Vasilatos, a Chicago director. He decided to create The Dark Knight Project, essentially a fan movie set between the two new Batman films.

The story follows some Gotham students who try to get video footage of their city’s new vigilante. The expected trouble ensues, as Joker’s gang starts to cause problems.

You can watch the film right here. You can also read quite a bit on the background of the project at Vasilatos’ blog, which is right here.

That "other" Batman movie opened this weekend.

(via Doomkopf)

Comic Books You Can Hear

Comic Books You Can Hear

You make no excuses that you’re a superhero fan. You buy your weekly stack of comics. You watch the blockbuster movies. You tune in to the TV shows. How can you possibly cram more superhero adventure in your life? Audiobooks. You can listen to comics while commuting, driving, or walking. (We’re not going to list exercising. We’re talking about fanboys here, after all.)

I just happened on GraphicAudio.net and figured it was worth mentioning here, as the company offers DC Comics based audio adventures and the tagline “A movie in your mind.” The recordings feature full cast, special effects, and musical score. They’re available as an audio CD, an MP3 CD, or as a digital download. They even adapt massive events like 52 and Infinite Crisis.

There are currently seven recordings available:

  • 52: Part 1
  • 52: Part 2
  • Batman: The Stone King
  • Infinite Crisis: Part 1
  • Infinite Crisis: Part 2
  • JLA: Exterminators
  • Superman: The Never Ending Battle

While I lightly mocked fans who buy these, I have to confess, I own the BBC audio adaptations of Batman: Knightfall and The Death and Life of Superman. And I loved them. Anyone know how to convert cassettes into MP3s?

Alan Moore Talks About ‘League,’ ‘Watchmen’

Alan Moore talks movies over at Entertainment Weekly, and — surprise, surprise — he remains not so thrilled about the adaptations of his work.

Here’s a particularly good exchange on his falling-out with DC:

Has Warner Bros. tried to contact you about Watchmen?
No, they’ve all been told not to. They get the message…. I don’t want anyone who works for DC comic books to contact me ever again, or I’ll change my number…. And I only started to get upset when I found out they [DC Comics] were trying to rob me of a couple thousand pounds. It was over the Watchmen merchandising back in the ’80s, and they kind of eventually said, Oh, yeah, I suppose you do deserve this money. But by that time the damage was done. The only reason I ended up working for them again, during the ABC period from ’99-’04, [was because] I had already signed the contracts. [Editor’s note: DC Comics President and Publisher Paul Levitz responds: ”We’ve had our disagreements with Alan over the years, but we remain great fans of his talent and would be happy to work with him in the future if he’s ever inclined.”]

It’s a massive interview, five pages, and covers an array of other topics as well film properties. Here’s some background on his upcoming League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century, which will be published next year by Top Shelf:

The first book surrounds the coronation of King George, which was also the time The Threepenny Opera was set, a comet was passing overhead, and there was a general feeling of dread in the air. We’re also focusing on the occult fictions written around the time…[like] Aleister Crowley’s [1917] book, Moonchild, where the protagonists are attempting to create a magically produced child that is going to usher in a new era. [Protagonist] Mina and her associates are trying to stop this from happening. The second book [revolves around] that sort of peculiar 1960s melding of pop-star psychedelic lifestyles, fashionable interest in occultism, and to some degree, at least in London, crime. We’ve got it all centered around a big rock concert at Hyde Park. Running all the way through this is the continuing threat of the production of a magical child who, by this time, we are fairly certain, is the Antichrist. That second book ends very badly. And they’re not having a lot of luck. The third part is set in 2008 when, basically, the League is in pieces — barely exists anymore — and this turns out to be the time at which the Antichrist project finally pays off, and this magical child finally manifests in quite a terrifying form.

 

E3 2008: PS2 ‘LEGO Batman’ Bundle Announced

E3 2008: PS2 ‘LEGO Batman’ Bundle Announced

Is there anyone who wants a PlayStation 2 that hasn’t gotten one at this point? Well, the answer must be "yes" because, to the embarrassment of the next-gen game systems, people are still buying the PS2 in greater numbers than its online, Blu-Ray PlayStation 3 brethren. Not surprising when you consider the latter is a $400-500 purchase.

If you’re not billionaire Bruce Wayne, and you’re quite happy with regular DVDs and keeping your gaming largely offline, then you might want to consider Sony’s upcoming LEGO Batman bundle for the PlayStation 2, announced at the recent E3 technology convention. For $149.99 you get the latest model of the PS2, LEGO Batman, and a DVD of Justice League: The New Frontier. It’s a package that seems geared specifically for the comic fan.

Even LEGO Catwoman would consider that a steal.
 

ComicMix TV: The ‘Hellboy II’ Ron Perlman Interview

ComicMix TV: The ‘Hellboy II’ Ron Perlman Interview

No Hellboy interviews are complete without talking to the titular character himself. Ron Perlman’s name has been on the lips of just about any comic book or television fan since the mid ’80s. In a fun interview with Perlman, we got to ask him about his evolution as Hellboy, his interest in comic books, and his thoughts on returning to the 1980s TV show Beauty and the Beast (at this interviewer’s expense).

Hellboy II: The Golden Army opens today, July 11.

 

 

Missed one of our Hellboy II: The Golden Army interviews this week? Here are links to all of the recent ComicMix TV interviews with the Hellboy II cast and crew:

 

The Real Day Evil Won

Comic books usually fall back on stories of good versus evil, superheroes battling against villains with the fate of the world on the line.

DC Comics is taking a new spin on that with their big summer event, Final Crisis, which posits that the dark side of Darkseid has triumphed, and the heroes are left scrambling. Grant Morrison, the writer of that incoherent mess, would be well served to take a few lessons from an all too true story of evil defeating good.

In the not so recent past, a wealthy Oklahoma businessman swooped in to buy the Seattle Supersonics (my favorite team in my favorite league, the NBA). The new owner, Clay Bennett, agreed to keep the team in Seattle, where the Sonics had won a championship and built a legion of fans.

Gradually, it became clear Bennett wanted all along to steal the team away to Oklahoma City, spurning his supposed "good faith effort" to remain in Seattle. The man who’s supposed to oversee the NBA and prevent things like entire fan bases from being ripped off is commissioner David Stern, at right.

Unfortunately for Sonics fans, Stern and Bennett are old chums, so the commish managed to actually speed along the move, even telling Seattle it was the city’s fault.

The city did all it could to fight back, but ended up not having the muscle, and the Sonics are now history.

We’ll see if Superman, Batman and company end up victorious in Final Crisis. But in the real world, the good guys don’t always win.

Dash Shaw’s ‘Bottomless Belly Button’ Trailer

I’m usually not a fan of comic book trailers — ooh, a collection of still images shown in quick succession, how dramatic! — but the newly unveiled one by Dash Shaw for his graphic novel Bottomless Belly Button is worth a watch.

It’s at Fantagraphics’ Web site, right here.

Shaw created the animated trailer through a sort of rough series of drawings that interweave elements of the book. While it would work better with music, it’s a beautiful-if-simple video.

I reviewed Bottomless Belly Button earlier this summer. You can read that right here.

Interview: Brian Bendis on ‘Secret Invasion,’ TV and Marvel’s MMO

Interview: Brian Bendis on ‘Secret Invasion,’ TV and Marvel’s MMO

Among comic book fans, Brian Bendis has become a household name as the architect of Marvel Comics’ "Ultimate" universe, the writer of countless stories involving just about every character in the publisher’s stable and the author of a long list of well-regarded, creator-owned projects such as Powers, Torso and Jinx.

Credited with making a host of third-tier characters relevant and merging the many worlds of the Marvel Universe into a more manageable landscape, Bendis is currently scripting Secret Invasion, Marvel’s latest, massively marketed crossover event that has readers guessing which of their favorite characters are actually shape-changing Skrulls in disguise.

I spoke with Bendis during a signing event at the recent Wizard World Chicago convention. The long line of fans that curled around the Marvel booth, through the aisles and around several other booths was a testament to both the massive list of projects Bendis has authored, as well as his genre-spanning appeal among fans. Those in line offered up everything from issues of Bendis’ long-running, creator-owned series Powers to issues of Daredevil and Secret Invasion, and many identified themselves as members of Bendis’ popular message board community, Jinxworld.

COMICMIX: It’s been a while since we’ve talked, Brian… I’m glad I could catch you for a few minutes.

BRIAN BENDIS: Yeah, this is our inaugural ComicMix interview. I’ve never been on the site before.

CMix: Well, let’s get right to it, then, as I don’t want to take up too much of your time with everyone in line here. First off, with the recent Secret Invasion reveal of Spider-Woman, Jessica Drew, as a Skrull, how does that reflect on all of the Spider-Woman stories you’ve been telling for the last few years? You’ve been building a fairly complicated history for the character, after all…

BB: It reflects perfectly, because I was writing her knowing this. It wasn’t like someone surprised me with it. I knew from the first issue of New Avengers that she was a Skrull. But the reveal and the reaction to the reveal, it was so genuine and it was a real relief. I did feel bad, though. There were a few Spider-Woman fans on my boards, one of whom had spent thousands of dollars on original art from the issues I had written. They showed me the art, and they were amazing, but the whole time I was like… Oh, no…

But the whole point is surprising people. You can’t start whispering to one person or another. Only about four people in Marvel knew that was the way things were going to play out.

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ComicMix Radio: Wind Down at Wizard World

ComicMix Radio: Wind Down at Wizard World

We put the wrap on this year’s show with some fan comments on the event, a quick tidbit from Marvel on a new Young Avengers one shot and the story of one group of guys who turned this years trek to Chicago into a new publishing venture.

Come on, one more time – just for us? Press the button!

 

 

And remember, you can always subscribe to ComicMix Radio podcasts via iTunes - ComicMix or RSS!

Wizard World Chicago 2008: Photo Gallery – Part 1

Wizard World Chicago 2008: Photo Gallery – Part 1

As ComicMix online managing editor Rick Marshall pointed out earlier today, the team is currently in Chicago at Wizard World, neck deep in panels, festivities and events.

So far, the show has been chock-full of photo opportunities. From comic book artists and writers to the Joker, harem girls, Imperial Stormtroopers and professional wrestlers, the show has got a little something for everyone — as long as you happen to be a fan of the Joker, harem girls, Imperial Stormtroopers and professional wrestlers.

Be sure to check back throughout the weekend for more galleries featuring costumes, celebrities and creators.

 

 

 

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