Tagged: Marvel Comics

Jason Isaacs Muses on being the eternal Ra’s al Ghul

Jason Isaacs Muses on being the eternal Ra’s al Ghul

Jason Isaacs, renowned for his villainous turn as Lucius Malfoy in the Harry Potter films, assumes another dark iconic role as the voice of Ra’s al Ghul in Batman: Under the Red Hood, the latest entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies coming July 27, 2010 to Blu-ray, DVD, OnDemand and for Download.

Isaacs, who portrays Malfoy in five Harry Potter films, is well known for his lead role on the Showtime series Brotherhood, as well as starring opposite Mel Gibson in the revolutionary war adventure, The Patriot. The British actor has also racked up credits in films like Armageddon, Black Hawk Down, Peter Pan, Grindhouse, DragonHeart and Green Zone; TV series including The West Wing, Entourage and The State Within (for which he received a Golden Globe nomination); and in the voiceover realm in everything from documentary narration and commercial advertisements to video games and the popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender,

In Batman: Under the Red Hood, Isaacs gives Batman’s nemesis Ra’s al Ghul a sympathetic twist as the villain attempts to right his own wrongs and help Batman in his efforts against both Red Hood and the Joker. Isaacs is an integral part of an all-star cast that includes Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), Jensen Ackles (Supernatural), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) and John DiMaggio (Futurama).

Produced by Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: Under the Red Hood will be distributed by Warner Home Video as a Special Edition version on Blu-Ray™ and 2-disc DVD, as well as being available on single disc DVD, On Demand and for Download.

Isaacs splits his time between the UK and the US, but still found a few moments to chat about his latest animation voiceover role, his yearning for an actual super power, and his childhood addiction to comic books.

QUESTION: This isn’t really the Ra’s al Ghul we’re accustomed to seeing – what’s the nutshell synopsis of his part in Batman: Under the Red Hood?

JASON ISAACS: This role is a bit unusual for Ra’s al Ghul as he’s been Batman’s nemesis a lot in the past.  But this time he is actually full of regret for a mistake that he has made, and his inability to control the Joker.  A lot of what happens for Ra’s in this story is him explaining to Batman how things went so badly awry, and how Robin ended up quite so dead.

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Classic Comics Press Adds ‘Big Ben Bolt’ and ‘Cisco Kid’

Classic Comics Press Adds ‘Big Ben Bolt’ and ‘Cisco Kid’

  • News
  • June 30, 2010

Classic Comics Press is the little engine that could, a small operation that has produced lovely editions of many series, including The Heart of Juliet Jones and Mary Perkins On Stage. Publisher Charles Pelto and collections editor James Gauthier yesterday talked about those books and today, we continue to examine their plans. 

ComicMix: Irwin Hasen’s Dondi is quite unlike the others and is a forgotten gem. What’s the appeal for you?

Charles Pelto: I did it because of Irwin Hasen. Roy Thomas suggested I talk to Irwin and we instantly hit it off. Irwin is a hell-of-a-guy and after meeting him I wanted to do it for no other reason than to honor Irwin’s work. I would have liked to continue past Volume 2 but the sales just don’t justify it. But I was able to do two volumes, people seemed to enjoy it. And it’s too bad; the storylines in what would have been the third volume are some of Irwin’s best work.

James Gauthier: I remember growing up and reading it in the New York Daily News. Dondi was always a favorite. Since it has never been reprinted before I never had the opportunity to see the early strips from the 1950’s and so putting the books together helped answer many questions that I had. I always wondered how Dondi got to this country, how he came to be adopted and what his relationship was with Mrs. McGowan.

CMix: Irwin’s a terrific guy and quite the character. What’s his take on seeing these in print?

Pelto:  Irwin loves it. I happened to be there when Irwin saw the first copy and the look on his face was well worth the price of admission.

Gauthier: He was thrilled that people are able to experience the strip again, and it was great to be able to reprint the strip and see his reaction to it. So many of the great comic strip artists have passed away before they could see their work reprinted and preserved for future generations to enjoy. It’s nice that Irwin is still around to see them get reprinted.

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Jeph Loeb Named EVP, Head of Television at Marvel

Jeph Loeb Named EVP, Head of Television at Marvel

  • News
  • June 28, 2010

New York, NY – June 28,  2010 – Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has appointed Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President, Head of Television, a newly created division of Marvel Entertainment.  In this new role, Mr. Loeb will work alongside Dan Buckley, Publisher & President of the Print, Animation & Digital Divisions, Marvel Worldwide, Inc., to translate Marvel’s popular characters and stories to the television medium, in both live-action and animation formats. In addition to these responsibilities, Mr. Loeb will oversee the development and distribution of live-action, animated and direct-to-DVD series. Mr. Loeb was previously a Marvel-exclusive Eisner-Award-winning comic book writer and an Emmy-nominated writer for his work on NBC’s Heroes. The announcement was made today by Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios’ Creative Committee, and by Mr. Buckley, to whom Mr. Loeb will report.

Mr. Fine stated, “It’s with tremendous pride that I announce the creation of our Marvel Television division and the appointment of Jeph Loeb as Executive Vice President. His work in the comic book field is in a class of its own, showing his passion and talent for bringing Marvel’s finest characters to life in an innovative manner. Jeph’s work on multiple award-winning television series and popular films has shown fans worldwide his ability to deliver thrilling entertainment in a number of media. With Jeph as our EVP, fans will experience the highest quality and most exciting television projects featuring their favorite Marvel characters.”

“I couldn’t be happier to accept this new position at Marvel Entertainment, working with both Dan and Alan to deliver exciting, cutting edge television projects,” said Mr. Loeb. “Marvel continues to break new ground in storytelling in both their comic book and film ventures, so, along with everyone here, I’m excited to bring the same brand of excitement into homes across the globe.”

Mr. Loeb has written acclaimed stories featuring every major super hero in comics, including Iron Man, Captain America, Hulk, Daredevil, Spider-Man, the X-Men and more. Multiple-time winner of the prestigious Eisner Award for his writing, Mr. Loeb quickly established himself as one of the most sought after writers in the comic industry. Mr. Loeb also served as writer/producer on television series Smallville and Lost; writer/co-executive producer on Heroes; and writer of hit films Commando and Teen Wolf.

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Happy Birthday: Warren Kremer

Happy Birthday: Warren Kremer

  • News
  • June 26, 2010

Born in the Bronx in 1921, Warren Kremer had art in his blood—his father was a sign painter. After graduating from the High School of Music and Art and the School of Industrial Arts, Kremer got work with various pulp and aviation magazines. His first comic book work was on Hap Hazard for Ace Publications.

In 1948 Kremer began doing work for Harvey Comics—working with publisher Alfred Harvey and editor Sid Jacobson, Kremer was responsible for creating Richie Rich, Stumbo the Giant, Hot Stuff, and others, and for revising Casper the Friendly Ghost into the character everyone knows today. Kremer worked for Harvey for thirty-five years, many of them as Art Editor but he always contributed art as well.

After Harvey closed in 1982 Kremer did some work for Marvel Comics, creating and drawing characters like Count Duckula, Planet Terry, and Top Dog for their Star Comics imprint.

Sadly, in 1989 a stroke paralyzed his left side, including his dominant hand, and though he managed to train his right hand Kremer wasn’t happy with the results and soon stopped drawing. He died in 2003.

Women Is NOT Losers

Women Is NOT Losers

  • News
  • June 15, 2010

 

 

Marvel Comics is a couple months into their “Women of Marvel” promotion, and that raises an issue or two. The whole idea is fine – honor… well… promote the several hundred female characters that toil in the Marvel Universe. Remind the readers
that many are among Marvel’s best. After all, women-starring superhero comics generally don’t sell very well and women-starring superhero movies are, without fail, failures.

I realize there’s a reason why the movies flop. Most of them really suck. Supergirl, Elektra, and Catwoman deserved better. But they stunk up the box office so badly I doubt they’d make a Black Widow solo movie
right now even if Scarlett Johansson had a half-dozen nude scenes.

Well… I could be wrong about that last point.

But the fact is, these are just made-up characters. It is
not intrinsically harder to write, draw, direct and/or act as a woman superhero as it is a man. I understand avoiding crappy movies, but a lot of the women superhero comics are as good as anything on the racks. Given the growing percentage of women readers, you’d think there would be a chance here.

So kudos to Marvel for their promotion. And go to your friendly neighborhood comic book shop and take a super-heroine out to lunch.

ComicMix
editor-in-Chief Mike
Gold performs a weekly two-hour Weird
Sounds Inside The Gold Mind ass-kicking music and blather radio show on The Point every Sunday at 7:00 PM Eastern,
replayed three times during the week (check the website for times). Likewise,
his Weird Scenes Inside The Gold Mind political
and cultural rants pop up each and
every day at the same
venue. Thanks to Janis Joplin for the headline.

 

Marvel Ups Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer

Marvel Ups Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer

ComicMix congratulates Joe Quesada on his justly deserved promotion, recognizing the strides he has made in salvaging Marvel as a creative entity in the years since the company emerged from bankruptcy.

Here’s the official release:

New York, NY – June 2, 2010 – Marvel Entertainment, LLC announced today that it has promoted Joe Quesada to Chief Creative Officer of Marvel Entertainment.  In this new role, Mr. Quesada will work alongside Alan Fine, Executive Vice President, Office of the President and Chairman of Marvel Studios’ Creative Committee, to ensure that all portrayals of Marvel’s characters and storytelling remain true to the essence of Marvel’s rich history. Additionally, Mr. Quesada will provide creative oversight of all areas of Marvel’s business including theatrical, television, publishing, animation and games, while also actively participating in all story and script development for Marvel’s films and animation. Prior to this promotion, Mr. Quesada held the role of Chief Creative Officer & Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Animation & Publishing and oversaw the creative aspects of Marvel Comics and Marvel Animation. The announcement was made today by Mr. Fine, to whom Mr. Quesada will report.

Mr. Fine stated, “I am excited to have Joe join me as Marvel Entertainment enters the next chapter in our history. Joe has already played an instrumental role as Editor-in-Chief in changing the face of the comic book industry with bold new ventures and an unprecedented penetration of the mainstream consciousness. His love and passion for Marvel, along with his experience guiding publishing for the last decade, will be invaluable as we bring our characters to life in new media.”

“I am honored to take this new position at Marvel Entertainment and work with Alan to bring the rich history of Marvel to a brand new audience” said Mr. Quesada.  “Together with the incredible talent here at Marvel, in all our divisions, I look forward to making Marvel an even bigger part of the entertainment industry and showing why we’ve been an industry leader for over 70 years.”

Mr. Quesada will also continue to serve as Editor-In-Chief, Marvel Publishing, where over the past decade he has helped usher in bold new imprints such as Marvel Knights, the Ultimate Universe and Marvel MAX. During his tenure, Marvel received acclaim for its Heroes special to commemorate the events of September 11, 2001; the groundbreaking Death of Captain America storyline; and President Obama’s historic team up with Spider-Man. Mr. Quesada is also one of the industry’s most popular artists, providing cover and interior art to blockbusters such as Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Invincible Iron Man and more.

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Howie Post: 1926 – 2010

Howie Post: 1926 – 2010

Howard “Howie” Post, one of America’s premiere cartoonists, passed away last Friday.

At Harvey Comics, Howie worked on Hot Stuff, Casper the Friendly Ghost, Wendy the Good Little Witch, Richie Rich and his own creation, Spooky The Tuff Li’l Ghost. He produced literally hundreds of stories for the company during his tenure. He is best known among comics fans for his creation Anthro at DC Comics, where he also produced The Adventures of Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis (both with and without Dean Martin) Doodles Duck, J. Rufus Lion and numerous romance stories. He did The Monkey and the Bear, Stawberry Shortcake, Heathcliff, and other features for Marvel Comics as well as their Star Comics imprint.

In the mid-60s Howie succeeded Sy Kneitel as head of Paramount’s animation studio. He was fired for producing a cartoon called Two By Two, which lampooned a story
from the bible. This was very much in keeping with Post’s unconventional lifestyle – called “bohemian” in the days before the beatniks and the hippies. He played a variety of musical instruments and spoke numerous languages. Howie also did television animation for Hanna-Barbara, including their Richie Rich series.

Howie’s greatest exposure under his own name came from his syndicated strip The Dropouts, shortly after Anthro was canceled. It ran from 1968 to 1982 in hundreds of newspapers and enjoyed a short tenure as a Saturday morning animated feature.

In recent years Howie supplemented his retirement income by giving training sessions to budding young cartoonists in the general New York / Connecticut / New Jersey area.

Personally speaking, Howie Post was one of the most outrageous and interesting people I had ever met; I was always in awe of his sharp wit and his unique worldview.

(Thanks to Craig Yoe and Linda Gold for the lead.)

‘Marvel VS Capcom 3’ A Reality

‘Marvel VS Capcom 3’ A Reality

  • News
  • April 20, 2010

At Capcom’s CAPTIVATE media event in Hawaii last week, they announced what some fighting game and comic book fans have been dreaming of for the past decade: A return to the most successful 2D fighting franchise of all time.  Featuring fighters from Marvel comic in battle against the popular characters from video games published by Capcom, what started as “Street Fighter VS X-men” has gone on to be one of the largest and innovative fighting game franchises ever.  Now, after 10 long years of waiting, we finally get our wish.

Check out the press release after you whet your appetite on the trailer.

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Kick-Ass Goes Digital

Kick-Ass Goes Digital

  • News
  • April 15, 2010

In a release from Marvel Comics, just in time for tomorrow’s premier of the Kick-Ass movie:

Kick-Ass fever is sweeping the nation and now you can discover the hit series on your favorite mobile device! The complete Kick-Ass limited series is now available in single issue format for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch users through the Comixology, Iverse and Panefly applications, while PSP users can download directly to their device!

“I have an ancient cell phone given to me by a relative that’s so old it can’t take pictures so this tech is so far away from me it might as well be science fiction,” said Kick-Ass writer and co-creator Mark Millar. “But I read about it on Comic Book Resources and Marvel.com– the guys seemed excited so consider me excited by osmosis. More readers and new readers is always a good thing.”

John Romita Jr, artist and co-creator of Kick-Ass, said, “I’m excited about these advances in technology that I have been hearing about for, what seems like ten years. Now it has arrived, and all I can think of is that it advances the state of ‘comic books’ in that it will direct people to the source material. I believe this will cement the tangible material, the comics themselves, into the hands and minds of future ‘young’ generations! It always comes down to the quality of writing and the sequential art. Holding a comic and turning the page for more will forever be a novelty, even with advanced technology as an option.”

Joss Whedon to direct the ‘Avengers’ movie?

Joss Whedon to direct the ‘Avengers’ movie?

  • News
  • April 14, 2010

That’s what Entertainment Weekly is hinting at.

As usual, I’ll believe it when I see much more confirmation, as I’m still old enough to remember when Joss was supposed to direct Wonder Woman.

On the other hand, I’m sure he’d pass muster with Marvel’s crew pretty quickly, and Joss is known for doing well with keeping things under budget, which is always important, particularly with Marvel Studios known tendencies towards penny pinching.

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