Tagged: Stan Lee

A Sneak Peek at ‘Thor’ #600

A Sneak Peek at ‘Thor’ #600

  • News
  • November 30, 2008

Marko Djurdjevic and Gabriele Dell’Otto have drawn a variant cover to Thor #600 which fronts a special issue containing a story by Stan Lee and illustrated by penciller David Aja (Immortal Iron Fist).  The regular team of J. Michael Straczynski and Olivier Coipel kick off the anniversary  with a story pitting Thor against a new opponent. The 100-page super-spectacular has the lead story, the Lee-Aja a tale and a special story by Chris Giarrusso, along with reprints.

 

THOR #600

Written by J. MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI, STAN LEE & CHRIS GIARRUSS

Penciled by OLIVIER COIPEL, CHRIS GIARRUSSO & DAVID AJA

Wraparound Cover by OLIVIER COIPEL

Variant Wraparound Cover by MARKO DJURDJEVIC

Variant Cover by GABRIELE DELL’OTTO

Rated T+ …$4.99 ON SALE – 1/21/08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(more…)

Stan Lee to Produce ‘Hero’ for Showtime

Stan Lee to Produce ‘Hero’ for Showtime

  • News
  • November 13, 2008

Stan Lee will executive produce a television adaptation of Hero for Showtime according to Variety. The novel was written by Perry Moore and was released in 2007, telling the story of an “up-and-coming super-hero who struggles to hide his secret identities.”

Moore is writing the script for the hour long series and will also serve as an executive producer along with Hunter Hill.

Hero joins a growing list of pilots announced by the premium cable network, including yesterday’s Camelot.

Lee last worked in television, producing and hosting two seasons of Who Wants to Be a Superhero? for the Sci Fi Channel.
 

Review: ‘Incredible Hulk’ DVD

Review: ‘Incredible Hulk’ DVD

Ang Lee’s [[[Hulk]]] film failed because he spent too much time on the Jekyll/Hyde aspects, the very ones that inspired Stan Lee.  After all these years, people wanted to see the Hulk leap and smash things.  When he leapt, we cheered, but there just wasn’t enough of it.

Director Louis Leterrier achieved a far better balance in this year’s [[[Incredible Hulk]]] which builds on the mythos while firmly settling into the new Marvel Cinema Universe. He wisely covers the obligatory origin materials during the title sequence and then gives us a story.

Unfortunately, the story just wasn’t as gripping as we had hoped.  The film, arriving Tuesday on DVD, is largely the Army hunting the Hulk as Bruce Banner searches for a cure.  While that worked fine in the 12-page [[[Tales to Astonish]]] stories, it’s not nearly enough for a feature film.  The biggest problem with Zak Snyder’s story is that the Super Soldier formula that is now linked to the Hulk and the Abomination is clearly able to turn people into weapons of mass destruction and all the military sees is a weapon.  Not a single person in uniform saw it as anything else and frankly, we’ve seen this theme before and done better elsewhere.

The notion that Emil Blonsky is a soldier towards the end of his career, with nothing to lose, and therefore more than willing to become the Abomination is a nice way to integrate the character from the comics to the film.  But, he’s as single-minded as everyone else in the story, which is a shame.

Penn’s script lifts the Mr. Blue character from Bruce Jones’ celebrated run on the title but reveals him to be Dr. Samuel Sterns, and frankly, I just didn’t buy their connection or the way Sterns suddenly switches from dedicated scientist to Colin Clive in [[[Frankenstein]]]. The fact that in the comics Stearns evolves into the Leader complete with big green head means he’s around should the movie franchise continue so hopefully he’ll be rounded out.

As presented, Leterrier’s film is pretty much A to B to C with pauses for Hulking out and destroying things until the climactic fight in Harlem.  I’ve certainly seen worse, but had hoped for something better considering [[[Iron Man]]], released just weeks prior, showed that serious issues could be addressed through fantastic means.
 

(more…)

Stan Lee and Hioryuki Takei’s “ULTIMO” Manga

Stan Lee and Hioryuki Takei’s “ULTIMO” Manga

  • News
  • August 6, 2008

Attention, true believers! Next month’s issue of manga magazine Shonen Jump will feature the premiere of Stan Lee and Hioryuki Takei’s Ultimo, which was announced back in April during New York Comic Con.

While the series is old news for readers in Japan (the issue has already been out for a few months over there), North American readers will get their chance to pick up a copy of the debut story in September.

Here’s what to expect from the series, according to the press release (which is posted after the jump):

High above Farmless City, citizens are stunned by the sudden appearance of two floating figures. Are they human boys, monolithic robots, or something much more strange? As the battle ensues between them, destruction and devastation falls on the hapless city. One figure is Vice, and seems to be as evil as his name implies. The other is Ultimo, intent on trying to stop Vice from wreaking more havoc. But who are Vice and Ultimo really? Where did they come from? A new mystery begins with the fate of the world possibly hanging in the balance!

My favorite part of the PR? The quote from Stan Lee about the project that is so very, well… Stan Lee. Check it out:

“Wow! This is just what I’ve been waiting for!” says an excited Stan Lee. “For the very first time I’m able to create superheroes in the fantastic Japanese manga style thanks to my lucky partnership with the great Hiroyuki Takei. What a kick it’ll be to join Hiroyuki-san in offering brand new, action packed stories to an army of readers in both the Eastern and Western worlds!”

Can’t you just hear him saying it in your head? Keep an eye out for the September 2008 issue of Shonen Jump for the first chapter of Ultimo.

(more…)

SDCC: Stan Lee and Grant Morrison Panel

  • News
  • July 26, 2008

Thursday morning at San Diego Comic Con, the marquee comics panel was Virgin Comics’  discussion featuring Stan Lee and Grant Morrison.

Before the discussion started, a brief video was screened showcasing Morrison’s MBX, a new motion capture cartoon that retells an ancient Indian Myth.

“I think today there’s an obsession with war,” Morrison said, as he explained that although MBX is a 10,000 year old Indian Myth, it will function as a lens through which to explore many of today’s pressing global issues.

The discussion was moderated by Sharad Devarajan, the CEO and publisher of Virgin Comics.

Morrison is known for being charismatic and engaging during discussions like this, but it was almost startling the degree to which Stan Lee’s presence overshadowed Morrison’s. Throughout  the panel Morrison gave due deference to the gravity of Lee’s body of work.

(more…)

The Knows Have It, by Dennis O’Neil

The Knows Have It, by Dennis O’Neil

  • News
  • July 15, 2008

Right up front this week, let’s publish our (forgive me for shouting) RECOMMENDED READING: Danny Fingeroth’s Write Now Magazine from TwoMorrows.

The issue I’m touting, number 18, dated Summer, 2008, is devoted to Stan Lee on his eighty-fifth birthday and it’s full of tributes and reminiscences about the Smilin’ One, who is without doubt the most influential guy in comics. After dozens of pages by others, writers and artists mostly, there is a special treat, headlined: Stan Lee’s Top Ten Tips For Writers. Well, who among us is going to pass that up?

I won’t presume to reproduce all ten of Stan’s tips, but I will give you a condensed version of the first. Herewith:

Write about things you know. If you don’t know, Google the stuff and start learning. Or else be so vague that no one can pin you down…So, to summarize – be totally factual or else be so vague that you can get away with knowing nothing about your subject.

Okay, we can all accord that an amen. It hearkens back to a subject we explored a few weeks ago, that of the uses of science in science fiction. We agreed, I think, that if a writer is using factual science in a story, said writer should bother to get it right. If the science is not factual, why slow down your pacing by explaining something that doesn’t exist anyway?

Don’t lie – Google! Or hold your peace.

Now, allow me to add a modest postscript to Mr. Lee’s wisdom.

(more…)

Stan Lee Media Central to Case Against Clinton

Stan Lee Media Central to Case Against Clinton

Some diligent journalist needs to jump in and write a book about the ongoing fight for the rights to Stan Lee’s Marvel creations, because it becomes a little more bizarre every day.

The case is essentially between Stan Lee Media and its shareholders, who are collectively filing suit against Marvel and Stan Lee, saying they conspired to keep the rights to Lee’s creations from Stan Lee Media.

Sound confusing? Barron’s has a good breakdown of how this all came to be.

In short, Lee assigned his rights to Stan Lee Media, the failed dotcom that’s now run by Peter Paul, who wants the company to assert those rights over the many characters that have boosted Marvel’s fortunes through comics and movies.

Paul is saying that Lee left Stan Lee Media, and conspired with Bill Clinton (yes, that Bill Clinton) to break business promises made to Paul.

Paul is throwing corruption allegations against Clinton in a California suit, which is ongoing. For what it’s worth, Paul recently ran afoul of the SEC, which is also covered in that last link, from World Net Daily.

Review: ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ Animated Series

Review: ‘The Spectacular Spider-Man’ Animated Series

Seriously, folks — [[[The Spectacular Spider-Man]]] animated television series on the “Kids WB” network is one of the best superhero adaptations I’ve ever seen (and trust me, I’ve watched more than anyone will probably consider reasonable). It’s fun, it’s smart, it’s mature, it’s witty and every episode leaves me wanting more.

Supervising Producer and Story Editor Greg Weisman brings the same level of intelligence to the program that made his acclaimed Gargoyles cartoon series so succesful. Teamed up with him in developing the series for television is Producer and Supervising Director Victor Cook, whose resume includes working on the Hellboy animated film Blood and Iron, Darkwing Duck and producing the animated series based on the popular [[[Lilo and Stitch]]] animated feature film. Together, they have brought us a series that is updated for the modern-day audience but is completely faithful to the spirit and atmosphere of the first several years of [[[The Amazing Spider-Man]]] comics.

How does it compare to Sam Raimi’s interpretation of [[[Spider-Man]]] as someone who whines, mopes and cries a little more often than I’m comfortable with? Forget him. This animated incarnation of Peter Parker is a true New York teenager, cracking jokes on instinct — even when it’s not necessarily the wisest move.

For example, let’s talk about a brief scene from the first episode. The high-flying villain known as the Vulture grabs businessman Norman Osborn and tosses him to his death from a great height. Spider-Man shows up, catches Osborn in mid-air and remarks, “You guys play hot potato hardcore!” The Vulture screams that the skies belong to him, forcing Spider-Man to concede, “He may be right. I only rent.”

Now that’s the kind of dialogue and Bugs Bunny-like attitude I wish I’d seen out of Tobey Maguire.

(more…)

Wrath, by Dennis O’Neil

Wrath, by Dennis O’Neil

Don’t stop me if you’ve heard this one…

Harry is homeless. Once, he was a successful venture capitalist with three lavish homes, a beautiful wife and a charming daughter, but then he lost his money in a bad real estate deal, his wife ran away with a televangelist, and his daughter started living with a crack dealer and not answering her phone. While panhandling near his old office, Harry met an friend who knew of a deal that would restore Harry’s fortune – hundred percent, guaranteed – and with his bank account restored, Harry was sure he could reclaim his family and his lifestyle. The problem was, Harry needed a thousand dollars to get in on the deal and he had no way to get it; his credit was maxed out and no one he knew would lend him another cent. He’s now passing a church, his head bowed in misery, when he sees a thousand dollar bill laying in the gutter. He can’t believe it! He is saved! He bends over to pick up the bill and…he’s hit by a truck. Laying there alone in the filth, Harry knows he’s breathing his last. He looks up at the sky and cries, “Why?” And a voice booms from beyond the clouds, “Because you piss me off.”

One of my favorite jokes and one I’ve been thinking of this weekend because, somehow, I’ve run afoul, again, of my old foe Crankus, the spiteful god of technology. Ol’ Mr. Macintosh in front of me has been acting up and the gentleman, polite but not terribly helpful, at the Mac store wasn’t exactly sure why. Larry and his friend Perri graciously offered to reinstall the Microsoft Word program, because I don’t trust myself with even elementary technological tasks, and so far, so good.

(more…)

Mahalo Daily Interviews Stan Lee

Mahalo Daily Interviews Stan Lee

I have often been told that Stan Lee is the easiest interview subject in the world. You put him on stage or on camera, do a quick introduction and then stand back and let him talk.

Mahalo Daily featured an interview with Stan Lee today. One of the highlights? Stan Lee explaining how the first X-Men movie could have made twice what it did if they had given him a speaking role.

Of course, the Mahalo team has to be thrilled with Lee’s endorsement of Mahalo after the credits at the end of the video.

Categories

Archives

Everything you need to make great comics!

comicmix-pro-300x69-2

Nucleus X

Bookshop Zaks