Tagged: Variety

Happy Birthday: Jack Kamen

Happy Birthday: Jack Kamen

Born in Brooklyn, New York in 1920, Jack Kamen studied at the Art Students League and the Grand Central Art School and actually got his start in sculpture—his first professional job was on the Texas Centenniel.

His illustration career was just beginning when he was called up to the Army in 1942. After World War II, Kamen began drawing comics for Fiction House and Iger Associates, then started working for EC Comics in 1950. He quickly became one of their most prolific artists, particularly on their horror lines though he also worked on crime/suspense and weird science/fantasy books.

Kamen left comics in 1954 and did advertising art and supplemental illustrations for a wide variety of other clients—when Stephen King and George Romero created the horror anthology film Creepshow, an homage to EC’s horror comics, they tapped Kamen to do the artwork. He also illustrated the cover of the graphic novel adaptation.

 

When Superheroes Get Old

When Superheroes Get Old

Geriatric superheroes appear to be all the rage these days, as a number of sites are linking to Italian artist Donald Soffritti’s illustrations of Superman, Spider-Man and a variety of other super-types in their Golden Years. Soffritti’s work is great, and I can’t help but giggle every time I look at his take on DC speedster The Flash.

(And please, for everyone’s sake, don’t tell DC/Warner Bros. about this stuff.)

(via ComicNerd.com)

 

Along the same lines, BoingBoing points us to a similar piece that fast-forwards the age of popular cartoon characters, including Popeye, Felix the Cat and Dennis the Menace (my personal favorite).

 

M.O.D.O.K. and Genocide = M.O.D.O.G.?

M.O.D.O.K. and Genocide = M.O.D.O.G.?

Marvel.com, which recently cleaned up in the Eagle Awards as "Favorite Comics Related Website," has posted some new art today featuring one of my favorite characters in the Marvel Universe: M.O.D.O.K.

Or, more accurately, M.O.D.O.G.

Yes, everyone’s favorite Mental Organism Designed Only for Killing seems to have found himself a new hobby, as well as a new home, in Invincible Iron Man. The new version of the big-headed bugger has taken a shine to genocide instead of just garden-variety killing, according to information released about the villain’s upcoming appearance in the second issue of the Matt Fraction/Salvador Larroca series.

Marvel.com has posted samples of Larroca’s new M.O.D.O.G. art, including this great image of Iron Man dragging the ever-creepy creature around by his hair.

The thing is, I’m not sure if the decision to shift his focus from "Killing" to "Genocide" makes him more or less dangerous. With a M.O.D.O.G., at least you have a good idea of who’s on his hit list, right? But a M.O.D.O.K. – that’s a different story. He wants to kill everybody.

Unless, of course, he’s discovered the sweet serenity of regular meditation.

Happy Birthday: Nat Gertler

Happy Birthday: Nat Gertler

  • News
  • April 30, 2008

Born in 1965, Nat Gertler started in comics as a translation writer, working on the English language adaptation of Speed Racer for Now Comics back in 1988.

He wrote contributions to Warp Graphics’ ElfQuest and to Calibur Comics’ Negative Burn in the 1990s, and then founded About Comics, a small comic book publishing company whose focus has been on quality rather than quantity.

Gertler published his own miniseries, The Factor, through About, and garnered an Eisner Award nomination for it in 1999.

He also created the 24 Hour Comics Day event, edited a variety of comic books and nonfiction books, and has written not only comic books but fiction, nonfiction, television scripts, and video games.

Happy Birthday: Mr. Mxyzptlk

Happy Birthday: Mr. Mxyzptlk

An imp from the 5th dimension, Mr. Mxyztplk is an inveterate troublemaker and jester. Because he’s from another dimension, Mxyzptlk is not bound by our universe’s laws and can produce a variety of magical effects with a single thought.

Shortly after arriving on our world, Mxyzptlk encountered Superman, and the the imp has delighted in tormenting the Man of Steel ever since that first meeting. The only way to get rid of Mxyzptlk is to trick him into saying his own name backwards—this sends the imp back to the 5th dimension for at least 90 days.

It never lasts long, though, and soon Mxyztplk is back to tease and confuse Superman yet again.

 

Black History Month: Calling the Heroes

  • News
  • March 3, 2008

Wired.com’s blog recently posted this entry on the Online Museum of Black Superheroes, a Web site that compiles a fairly comprehensive list of black superheroes (as well as non-superhero characters).

The museum, which you can find right here, also contains a lengthy collection of articles on black characters in comics. The articles come from a variety of sources (from the Washington Post to Comic Book Resources) and while they don’t represent an end-all-be-all dissertation on black superheroes, they do offer a wealth of interesting discussion.

Simply reading through the character lists (they’re divided by publisher) offers plenty of opportunities for analysis. For instance, you can separate the characters by when they were introduced and look for trends. One thing I noticed was that while there were disproportionately more male characters than female ones, the division didn’t seem to be any more lopsided than the gender divide among white characters.

The site also documents some of the blatant racism evident in comics with characters such as Whitewash Jones (he appeared in the 1940s war comic Young Allies), and the unintentionally offensive, such as Marvel’s creation of Man Ape (he was a Black Panther villain).

‘Superhero Movie’ Poster Revealed

‘Superhero Movie’ Poster Revealed

  • News
  • February 28, 2008

It was only  a matter of time. After spoofing horror films, teen films, date films, epic films and Spartans, the satire train has finally set its sights on the highly profitable world of superhero movies. Some of the comedic "talent" responsible for bringing you Scary Movie are releasing Superhero Movie on March 28.

If the film is anything like its spoof brethren, most of the jokes will undoubtedly be ripped wholesale from other films and be of the "Hey, I remember that movie!" variety. It will also probably do huge business at the box office, ensuring more films of its like.

Superhero Hype has posted a large image of the film’s movie poster, which includes Tracy Morgan as Dr. Xavier, Regina Hall as the Storm-like Mrs. Xavier, Simon Rex as the Human Torch, Pamela Anderson as The Invisible Girl, Craig Bierko as Wolverine and Leslie Neilsen as, uh, Uncle Albert. With a cast this star- studded, there’s no way this film can’t rock!

Marvel Releases New Hawkeye Skrull Promo

  • News
  • February 22, 2008

Building up to the summer’s Skrull-a-palooza, Marvel has been sending out a variety of variant covers and promo images featuring heroes depicted as Skrulls. As part of its "Who do you trust?" marketing blitz, Marvel has tried to raise suspicion on most major characters, including the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and, most recently, Wolverine.

Today came the image at right, and for once we have a candidate who actually makes sense as a Skrull: Hawkeye.

While most heroes have good alibis for the looming Secret Invasion, the purple-wearing, bow-and-arrow toting Clint Barton was killed off in House of M by Brian Michael Bendis, who also is writing Secret Invasion and has said he’s been laying the groundwork for this event for years. And since Hawkeye’s return from the dead was never fully explained, he’s a prime suspect.

Of course, this could just be more misdirection, which adds a whole metatextual layer to the slogan "Who do you trust?"

Tolkien Estate, Publisher Sue New Line Over ‘Lord of the Rings’

Tolkien Estate, Publisher Sue New Line Over ‘Lord of the Rings’

  • News
  • February 11, 2008

Variety reports that publisher HarperCollins and the British charity that oversees the estate of Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien have filed a lawsuit against New Line Cinema, the studio responsible for the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy.

The suit was filed today in Los Angeles Superior Court and alledges that New Line Cinema neglected to provide either plaintiff with contractually obligated "gross profit participation" payment for the phenomenally successful films. The claim seeks $150 million from New Line, as well as a variety of other damages, including the right to terminate New Line’s license to the Tolkien properties.

If the studio loses the Tolkien license, it could end fans’ hopes for a Guillermo del Toro-helmed film based on The Hobbit, a widely speculated possibility.

 

‘Chick Tracts’ Documentary to Chronicle Religious Pocket-Comics

‘Chick Tracts’ Documentary to Chronicle Religious Pocket-Comics

  • News
  • February 8, 2008

The Tallahassee Democrat reports that a documentary on the life and work of Jack T. Chick, the creator and publisher of pocket-sized "Chick Tracts" comics, will begin screening tonight in Tallahassee, FL.

The tiny comics, published since the 1960s and now collectors’ items around the underground comics scene, contain religious-themed criticisms of homosexuality, Judaism, Harry Potter, Dungeons & Dragons and a variety of other topics.

Why does any of that merit a documentary, you might ask? Here’s your answer:

Chick tracts are free, handed out in bus stations, flea markets, college campuses and malls. He has published more than 1 billion, making him the most widely distributed underground cartoonist on the planet. Yet, Chick himself remains a reclusive, shadowy and controversial figure who exists on the fringes of popular culture and organized religion.

Yup. This could be an interesting one, folks.

By the way, the accompanying image is from "Doom Town," a Chick Tract that explains the horrors of homosexuality and the carnage God will unleash if mankind tolerates same-sex relationships. Fun stuff!

Oh, and if you’re in the mood to pile on some ol’ fashioned religious guilt, there are links to full Chick Tracts on Jack Chick’s wikipedia page.

 

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