Tagged: Sci-Fi

Triad Toys Signs ‘John Carter of Mars’

Triad Toys Signs ‘John Carter of Mars’

  • News
  • December 14, 2008

Triad Toys has announced it has acquired the rights to manufacture action figures based on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars Saga.

Their press release stated:

Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars Saga is hailed as one of the most influential works to define modern sci-fi and fantasy literature. Written almost a century ago, the epic 11 volume series chronicling John Carter’s adventures have thrilled many, many generations of readers. Triad Toys is proud to announce that it has entered into a two-year licensing agreement with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. to produce a range of collectibles, including 12-inch action figures and statues of all the central characters from the beloved novels. The collectibles will consist of both modernized concepts developed by Triad Toys as well as the classic Burroughs vision of the Mars saga with the first series of figures releasing early 2009.

Pixar’s Andrew Stanton is already at work on a script for a feature film based on the first novel and its visuals are not a part of this licensed.

Triad also announced it will produce a series of toys and collectible products based on Wanted:  Dead or Alive, the TV series starring Steve McQueen that ran from 1958-1961. 

Jane Espenson Discusses ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Webisodes

Jane Espenson Discusses ‘Battlestar Galactica’ Webisodes

  • News
  • December 12, 2008

With today’s debut of the Battlestar Galactica webisodes, writer Jane Espenson talked with SyFy Portal about the ten-episode focus on Felix Gaeta including the revelation that he is gay.

"Give Gaeta a boyfriend and everything kind of gets richer and more interesting,” she said. “And we don’t have that sense that we are taking away a character that people embraced.

"I knew that fans has seized on that dynamic and were sort of already identifying Gaeta as a gay character. I mentioned to [showrunner Ronald D. Moore] the possibility of addressing the issue head on, and he told me to check with the actor. Alessandro [Juliani ]was fine with it, and I wrote it in. It works very, very well, and I’m really glad that we did it."

The revelation was not a last minute decision but an expression of something the writers had decided on some time in the past. "It had never been consciously written in by the writers, but Battlestar is an extremely collaborative show," Espenson said. "I didn’t feel that I was adding something to that character," she said. "I feel that I was making something explicit that the character already had."

The webisodes do not focus on this revelation but is just one small element of the overall arc that also spotlights Grace Park (No. 8 Cylon).

Meantime, Sci Fi also released a new poster to promote the final episodes which we happily share with you.

‘Farscape’ #1 Finally Coming Christmas Eve

‘Farscape’ #1 Finally Coming Christmas Eve

  • News
  • December 10, 2008

BOOM! Studios has announced a December 24 in store date for its Farscape miniseries. 

"We originally solicited this for November, but we pushed back the release because we had to make sure the book was the best product possible for fans awaiting Farscape‘s return,"Chip Mosher, BOOM!’s Marketing and Sales Director in a release. "And let me tell you, it will be worth the wait!"

Farscape #1 is written by television series creator Rockne O’Bannon with script by Keith R.A. DeCandido, interior art by Tommy Patterson and cover art by fan-favorites Dennis Calero and Joseph Corroney!

Picking up directly where the television miniseries Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars left off, fans can look forward to show creator O’Bannon steering their favorite characters into new and original stories, keeping with the existing canon – and then extending it!

Debuting on the Sci-Fi Channel in 1998, Farscape follows the adventures of astronaut John Crichton, who has a freak accident during an experimental space mission that catapults him across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield. Suddenly, he’s trapped among alien creatures wielding deadly technology – a battle that 20th century sci-fi pop culture never prepared him for. Hunted by a merciless military race, Crichton begins his quest for home from a distant galaxy.

A groundbreaking award-winning sci-fi production, Farscape from The Jim Henson Company and [Hallmark] has become a global favorite. Named by TV Guide as one of television’s "Best Cult Shows Ever" and most recently named by Empire Magazine as one of the "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time," Farscape is known for the overwhelming fan-based campaign that led to its miniseries production.  The show has continued to find new audiences as it airs in syndication and is available on iTunes and DVD.

Look for a conversation with DeCandido closer to release.

Showtime Developing Sci Fi series

Showtime Developing Sci Fi series

  • News
  • December 9, 2008

Syns, a project initially developed for the BBC is now being shaped at Showtime as a new cable drama. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series is about “a world in which humanlike synthetic organisms, known as Syns, are used for various purposes.”

John McNamara, who was a consulting producer on CBS’ Jericho, is developing the project with Supernatural supervising producer/writer Sera Gamble, who is writing the pilot. The original series was developed under the title Dolls’ Hospital by Stephen Volk (Afterlife) for the BBC before they abandoned the concept.

Clerkenwell Films is producing with Pangea, the scripted arm of RDF USA. Chris Coelen, CEO of RDF USA, said the project will have "light sci-fi elements, but it’s really meant to be rooted in the real world."

"They have taken an option to develop a US show based on the UK version. It’s still in the early stages, but hopefully it will go to series," is all a spokesman for Clerkenwell would say.

‘Gattaca’ Streams for Free

‘Gattaca’ Streams for Free

  • News
  • December 8, 2008

Crackle, a video clip website, has posted the entire film of Gattaca for free streaming.  The movie was ahead of its time dealing with genetics and cloning.  It failed at the box office but has gained critical acceptance through the years and is now considered an underrated feature.

The site notes, “Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman star in this futuristic sci-fi thriller about a world where genetic engineering is used to perfect the human species.”

Andrew Niccol wrote and directed the film which was released in fall 1997.

 

IDW Expands Reach with Uclick Deal

IDW Expands Reach with Uclick Deal

  • News
  • December 4, 2008

Uclick has added IDW’s graphic novel version of Clive Barker’s The Thief of Always to its rapidly growing line of comic book titles optimized for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Like the children lured to Mister Hood’s Holiday House in the novel, once fans begin reading this engrossing tale, presented in vibrant color and rich detail on their iPhone screens, they too will find it impossible to leave.

Creator of the well-known horror films Hellraiser, Nightbreed and Lord of Illusions, and author of more than a dozen horror novels and short story collections, Clive Barker has long been considered a master of the horror genre. Barker originally published The Thief of Always in 1992 as a fable for young readers. The novel was serialized as a graphic novel in 2005 by IDW Publishing, with story adaptation by Kris Oprisko and art by Gabriel Hernandez. All three installments of The Thief of Always are now available on the iPhone App Store for only 99 cents each.

“We feel very fortunate to once again be working with IDW and now Clive Barker,” said Uclick CEO Douglas Edwards in a release.  “Mr. Barker is a legend and literary genius. We are honored to bring his masterpiece to millions of fans on the iPhone through the Uclick graphic story player.”

“The Thief of Always graphic novel is based on one of Clive Barker’s most popular stories,” IDW’s CEO Ted Adams said. “We’re very excited that this critically acclaimed title is now available for readers to download on the iPhone through the App Store. This is a great new way for fans to experience some of the best work in comics.”

The Thief of Always is the tale of Harvey Swick, an average boy bored with school until he receives a visit from an otherworldly stranger. Mister Rictus invites Harvey to Mr. Hood’s Holiday House, a child’s paradise where, Rictus declares, Harvey will find everything his heart desires. The Holiday House proves to be all Rictus promised, but Harvey soon discovers that its pleasures come at a heavy price.

Uclick continues to add to its already diverse collection of popular graphic novels and webcomics available on the iPhone App Store. IDW Publishing’s adaptation of the beloved Clive Barker fable joins Jeff Smith’s Bone, the cosmic sci-fi superhero series GODLAND, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles anthology series Tales of the TMNT, and webcomics Pibgorn and Basic Instructions.
 

The Stories That Informed ‘Batman R.I.P.’

The Stories That Informed ‘Batman R.I.P.’

  • News
  • November 26, 2008

“Criminals are a superstitious cowardly lot. So my disguise must be able to strike terror into their hearts. I must be a creature of the night, black, terrible …a…a…”
 
As if in answer, a huge image of a Caped Crusader flashed across a movie screen. Across monitors throughout space and time and other dimensions.
 
“It’s an omen!” each man, alien and other-dimensional imp declared. “I shall become a Batman!”
 
One of the attractions of Batman was, it’s often been said, the fact that a kid could actually imagine growing up to be the Caped Crusader. No one was ever going to grow up to be Superman but with an extensive training regimen (and a hefty bank account) …well, anything’s possible. Overlay that with the spirit of mainstreaming and conformity of the 1950s and you end up with a universe where there seemed to be a Batman knock-off on every corner and planet.
 
In 1964, editor Julius Schwartz found his arm twisted into taking over the flagging Batman titles. He immediately ditched the extended Batman family and the increasingly prevalent space alien stories for a more contemporary angle grounded in the real world. And as the years rolled on, Schwartz and company refined their approach and gradually, permanently put the Dark back in their Knight.
 

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Bryan Singer and Warner Premiere to Work Together

Bryan Singer and Warner Premiere to Work Together

  • News
  • November 26, 2008

Warner Premiere is known to ComicMix readers as the source for the cool direct-to-DVD movies featuring the DC heroes but they also produce original fare as well.  This morning, they announced a deal with director Bryan Singer to create a “cyberpunk sci-fi thriller” H+, “which picks up after a terrorist fries the brains of a segment of the population ‘jacking’ into the net”

The series will be written by John Cabrera (Gilmore Girls) and Cosimo De Tommaso, who will also serve as executive producers. They conceived of H+ as a television series but  Warner Premiere’s Head of Digital Content, Lydia Antonini, persuaded them to convert it to a web-based series.

The new series, to debut sometime in mid-2009, will be produced by Singer’s Bad Hat Harry Productions, the outfit that already gives us House.

Warner Premiere is dipping its toe into live action after working on numerous animated efforts including the recently unveiled Peanuts, a full animated comic web series. They have 20 original web series in development, some of which will go to video, some to the recently relaunched TheWB.com.

Interview: Tim Pilcher Talks Erotica, Part 2

Interview: Tim Pilcher Talks Erotica, Part 2

  • News
  • November 23, 2008

Yesterday, Tim Pilcher, author of Erotic Comics, talked about the research into the second volume, coming out  here in March. Now we focus on the evolution. Speaking of sex, given the subject matter, we advise you that the art does the subject justice.

ComicMix: How different is erotica in America, Asia and Europe?

Tim Pilcher: Well, obviously Europe and Asia have had a more mature approach to comics for adult readers far longer than America or Britain, and consequently their erotica tends to be more prolific and explicit, and there is a greater acceptance of it, it’s no big deal there. I was in Spain and went in a shop to see the erotic monthly anthology, Kiss, racked alongside Asterix! Everybody there knows that the kids aren’t interested in Kiss and will pick up the Asterix instead. There’s a common sense which seems to have disappeared from US and UK cultures, where everybody is overly cautious and litigious. So there’s a more relaxed attitude to sex in general on the continent, particularly in France, Spain and Italy.

A small minority of Japanese Manga, I have to say, left me feeling uncomfortable as it was quite pernicious. But having said that, if it feeds a market that gets a release through reading the comics—rather than enacting their dubious fantasies — then all well and good. After all — unlike photography or video — there’s no models or actors being coerced or exploited. It’s simply an artist, a pen and their thoughts. And if you don’t agree with their thoughts, don’t buy or look at the Manga, it’s as simple as that.

CMix: Did any of that change through the years?

TP: I think, if anything, sadly the old maxim of “less is more” is well and truly dead when it comes to erotic comics. I would much rather artists were more sophisticated and subtle in their storytelling and less graphic with today’s trend of extreme genealogical close-ups. Having said that, there are some women who are doing great things with erotic sequential art, like Melinda Gebbie, Jess Fink, Lynn Paula Russell and Giovanna Casotto, who are creating very mature works. In fact the more I think about it, it’s more of the women’s work that I’m attracted to, and theirs tends to be a more cerebral approach.

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Interview: Tim Pilcher Talks Erotica, Part 1

Interview: Tim Pilcher Talks Erotica, Part 1

  • News
  • November 22, 2008

Tim Pilcher has made a fine career for himself writing and editing in the pop culture world. His most recent project is the second volume in his heavily-illustrated survey of Erotic Comics, coming to the UK in January and America in March. We decided to find out how one covers the subject without getting arrested or losing interest in sex. Speaking of which, given the subject matter, we advise you that the art does the subject justice.

ComicMix: Hey Tim, nice to speak with you again. A  So tell me, what qualifies you to write about sex?

Tim Pilcher: Well I’m not a virgin! I can prove it, I’ve got kids!

CMix: Seriously, what prompted the two volume critical look at the subject?

TP: It was a series of disparate events over many years. I remember Melinda Gebbie showing me the original artwork for the first few pages of Lost Girls, when I worked in a comic shop (Comic Showcase in London), back around 1990, and being impressed. Then some friends bought me a copy of L’Enfer des Bulles by Jacques Sadoul, which basically highlighted “saucy moments” in regular and erotic comics. I also read Maurice Horn’s Sex in The Comics, which came out in 1985 and it suddenly dawned on me that no one had done a critical, comprehensive, English language, study on the history of erotic comics for over 20 years! I thought that was bizarre, particularly as Eros Comix, and the erotic comic explosion of the late 80s/early 90s happened just after Horn’s book came out, so there was a huge amount of material that hadn’t been explored, such as Howard Chaykin’s Black Kiss. I think the final part of the jigsaw was reading an article by Alan Moore in Arthur magazine about the history of pornography ("Bog Venus Versus Nazi Cock-Ring: Some Thoughts Concerning Pornography", Vol 1, No 25, November 2006) and that got me thinking about how sex had been portrayed in comics. So Alan and Melinda were the real catalyst for the whole project, and that made getting Alan to write the foreword for volume 2 a really significant honor for me.

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