The Mix : What are people talking about today?

Pop Gun War, Vol. 2: Chain Letter by Farel Dalrymple

Pop Gun War, Vol. 2: Chain Letter by Farel Dalrymple

What’s important here, I think, is that it’s a delayed sequel. One that came a decade later, after other stories. Everything else flows out from there: this is not the next thing, but a later thing.

Pop Gun War, Vol. 2: Chain Letter  was collected in 2017, from material that mostly appeared in ISLAND magazine the previous three years. I was confused by the notation in the app where I read it (Hoopla) that it collected issues 4, 5, 10, 14, and 15, as if those were the issues of Pop Gun War – those are the places this appeared in ISLAND.

It’s more Farel Dalrymple, vague drifting stories that take SFF adventure story tropes – often deliberately as if conceptualized by children – and mix them with a vaguely existential strew of ennui, angst, and confusion. There are plots, sort of, of a kind, but they start aimlessly, run for a while, and then get abandoned. There are characters, and we hear their interior concerns and worries, but they’re not all that rounded: each one is a fragment or facet or avatar. There are places, striking and strange and weird, but we don’t learn how they connect to each other, or any serious background details – they are creepy or shiny or bland places where things happen, nothing more.

I could link back to my post on the first Pop Gun War collection , but this is only loosely related. This is, maybe, what happened to Sinclair’s sister Emily at some point during the events of the first book. Or maybe not: Dalrymple is rarely all that definitive.

Anyway, Emily – who here seems to be smaller and younger than I thought she was in the first book, a prepubescent girl barely older than Sinclair and not the teenager I thought she was – is on tour with her band, which is otherwise all young men, of the typical kind that form bands. Their van has broken down in some random town. She goes out for a walk, sees mysterious figures sneaking into a sewer, follows them.

There’s a confrontation, eventually, with those creepy men and their boss, but more important is that Emily finds a room, in those comic-booky high-tech underground corridors, where screens show her visions of the past, present, and future. Most of this book are those visions: other characters doing other things other places, which Emily witnesses and is the frame story for.

She sees Sinclair and Addison, from the first book, briefly, but they don’t do much. She sees private detective Ben Able, who tries to free a group of kids – maybe kidnapped, maybe just playing, maybe something else? – from a creepy haunted house. She sees a cyborg astronaut battling, gladiator-pit-style, in what seems to be Proxima Centauri (maybe connected to that Dalrymple book ), managed by a girl of her age, Gwen Noiritch, who has a cyborg/magic eye. Oh, and there’s a fat kid in a super-suit, Hollis, who bounces into their plot and get the three of them chased around for a while.

None of those framed stories really end, but none of them started cleanly, either – Emily tunes into them at a particular moment, watches for a while, and then something else gets her attention.

Dalrymple’s material often seems like the ideas of a hyperactive kid, someone who’s read masses of SFF and is mix-and-matching all the stuff he loves best with silly names and crazy ideas and not all that much worry about consistency and plot. But the style is more contemplative and adult, looking back at those silly names and superpowers with a wry, forgiving but distanced eye, as if wondering if he ever were that young. I think it’s meant to drive specific emotions, to evoke complex feelings of nostalgia and regret and discomfort. I still couldn’t tell you the why of any of that. But it’s what I think he’s trying to do, and he’s pretty successful at that quirky, counterintuitive thing.

Reposted from The Antick Musings of G.B.H. Hornswoggler, Gent.

REVIEW: Soldier: From Script to Screen

REVIEW: Soldier: From Script to Screen

Soldier: From Script to Screen

By Danny Stewart

144 pages/BearManor Media/$32 (hardcover) $22 (softcover)

Everyone has their passion, whether it is universally acclaimed or not. Thankfully, BearManor Media provides an outlet for their authors to share that unique passion with those who also find the subject matter of interest.          

Here, Danny Stewart delves into the 1998 film Solider, which came and went with little notice when Universe released it. Despite some marquee names making the film, it opened to poor reviews (in addition to 15% at Rotten Tomatoes) and dismal box office, earning a mere $14.6 million against a $60 million budget.

It’s justifiable if you don’t recall or never heard of the film. It was based on a script by the noted screenwriter David Webb Peoples, best known for Blade Runner. Some even call the film a “sidequel” to that classic. Directed by Paul W. S. Anderson (best known for the Resident Evil series), with the familiar cast of  Kurt Russell, Jason Scott Lee, Jason Isaacs, Connie Nielsen, Sean Pertwee, and Gary Busey.

Set in 2036, Sgt. Todd 3465 (Russell) is the last survivor of a clutch of children raised entirely by military routine. The next generation is ready, and it becomes a new versus old story, with Russell making the most of his 104 words of dialogue.

The organization of the book is a bit of a head-scratcher. After opening with an analysis of Western tropes being used in SF films, Stewart acknowledges Solider’s spiritual connection to the far superior Shane. Then we get a prose version of Russell’s IMDB page, followed by an in-depth piece with Peoples. One would expect something about Anderson, who was not interviewed, but instead, we go right into the filming personnel ahead of the film designers. That said, it’s fascinating to hear from the Second Assistant Director and the Key Makeup Artist, etc. These unsung heroes of filmmaking never get enough credit, and here, they reveal their influences and techniques brought to the making of the film. A special treat is the write-up done to convince the Academy of Motion Picture Aerts and Sciences to consider the film for a makeup nomination.

Stewart then gives us a piecemeal analysis of the film’s story, theme, and characters before running a series of essays and reviews from others. Closing out the book is an essay by Cinefantastique veteran Paul Sammon, whose making of books should have been used as a template.

Most script to screen books give us a better sense of the context from Peeples’ script to release. We have no real idea of how the various jobs intersected or overlapped. A production diary or calendar would have been interesting, as would have an analysis of why Stewart loves the film while the majority of moviegoers gave it the cold shoulder. At 144 pages, there was certainly more room to explore these issues.

The book needed more careful attention to proofreading, especially for style and consistency.

Marvel’s Sentry Returns in Dec. Miniseries

Marvel’s Sentry Returns in Dec. Miniseries

New York, NY— August 9, 2023 — This December, the SENTRY is back in an all-new limited series by two of Marvel’s most promising new creators, writer Jason Loo (X-Men Unlimited) and artist Luigi Zagaria (Midnight Suns). The saga of Bob Reynolds and the Sentry was one of the defining Marvel Comics mysteries of the 2000s, and now, it’s time to reveal a whole new layer behind Marvel’s Golden Guardian! Bob Reynolds may be gone but the power of the Sentry can never be destroyed, and if he doesn’t return to claim it, others will…

WHO WILL BE THE NEW SENTRY? The Sentry is dead, but ordinary people all over the world are suddenly manifesting his powers and experiencing snippets of Bob Reynolds’ memories. But not everyone can be trusted with such responsibility, sparking a violent conflict to control the Sentry’s legacy. Will one of them survive long enough to emerge as the new Sentry? Or will their newfound power destroy them? When Misty Knight and Jessica Jones cross paths in search of answers, they open an investigation that will change everything you think you know about the Sentry!

“This new chapter of the Sentry has an intriguing concept: on top of all the responsibilities and struggles a single person has to deal with in their everyday life, can one also handle the power of a MILLION EXPLODING SUNS?” Loo said. “It’s a fun opportunity for me to create new characters that readers can see themselves in and bestow them these earth-shaking powers.”

Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings his Digital & Disc in August

Jennifer Lawrence’s No Hard Feelings his Digital & Disc in August

Jennifer Lawrence, who won the Academy Award® in 2012 for Best Actress, Silver Linings Playbook, starred in the summer’s biggest comedy. It currently has a worldwide box office gross of $84,981,563 and is 70% fresh at Rotten Tomatoes.

SYNOPSIS
Maddie thinks she’s found the answer to her financial troubles when she discovers an intriguing job listing: wealthy helicopter parents looking for someone to “date” their introverted 19-year-old son, Percy, and bring him out of his shell before he leaves for college. But awkward Percy proves to be a real challenge, and time is running out. She has one summer to make him a man or lose it all.

BLU-RAY™, DIGITAL, AND DVD
• Special Features
o Outtakes & Bloopers
o A Motley Crew: Meet the Characters
o A Little Wrong: Making No Hard Feelings
Blu-ray™ and DVD include a digital code for the movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com for terms and conditions.

CAST AND CREW
Directed by: Gene Stupnitsky
Written by: Gene Stupnitksky & John Phillips
Produced by: Alex Saks, Naomi Odenkirk, Marc Provissiero, Jennifer Lawrence, Justin Ciarrocch
Executive Producers: Kerry Orent, John Phillip
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Andrew Barth Feldman, Laura Benanti, Natalie Morales, Matthew Broderick

SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 103 Mins.
Rating: R: Sexual content, language, some graphic nudity, and brief drug use
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1 • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 DTS-HD MA, English- Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.
DVD: 1.85:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec) – English – Audio Description Track 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color • Some of the information in the above listing may not apply to Special Features.

Babylon 5: The Road Home – Never-Before-Seen Clip & Photo

Babylon 5: The Road Home – Never-Before-Seen Clip & Photo

Babylon 5: The Road Home is the continuation of the epic interstellar saga, being released by Warner Home Entertainment next week. Travel across the galaxy with John Sheridan as he unexpectedly finds himself transported through multiple timelines and alternate realities in a quest to find his way back home. Along the way, he reunites with some familiar faces while discovering cosmic new revelations about the history, purpose, and meaning of the Universe.

In anticipation of the all-new original animated movie, a never-before-seen clip from the film titled “Standing In The Shadows” has just been released. John Sheridan (voiced by Bruce Boxleitner) expresses his second thoughts about leaving Babylon 5 to his wife, Delenn (voiced by Rebecca Reidy).

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE:

Babylon 5 Forever (New Featurette) – join the cast and filmmakers as they reveal the process behind creating the first state-of-the-art, animated adaption of Babylon 5.

Audio Commentary with creator/writer/executive producer J. Michael Straczynski, actor Bruce Boxleitner and supervising producer Rick Morales.

Babylon 5 celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and returning to voice their characters from the original series are Bruce Boxleitner as John Sheridan, Claudia Christian as Susan Ivanova, Peter Jurasik as Londo Mollari, Bill Mumy as Lennier, Tracy Scoggins as Elizabeth Lochley, and Patricia Tallman as Lyta Alexander.

The film also stars Paul Guyet (World of Warcraft) as Zathras and Jeffery Sinclair, Anthony Hansen (God of War) as Michael Garibaldi, Mara Junot (Green Lantern: Beware My Power) as Reporter and Computer Voice, Phil LaMarr (Futurama) as Dr. Stephen Franklin, Piotr Michael (Hogwart’s Legacy) as David Sheridan, Andrew Morgado (Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness) as G’Kar, and Rebecca Riedy (Magic: The Gathering Arena) as Delenn.

Babylon 5: The Road Home was written and Executive Produced by series creator J. Michael Straczynski. The film was directed by Matt Peters (Batman and Superman: Battle of the Super Sons), Supervising Producer is Rick Morales (Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind) and Executive Producer is Sam Register.

The Exorcist Arrives on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 19

The Exorcist Arrives on Ultra HD Blu-ray and Digital on September 19

Burbank, Calif. – As part of the year-long centennial celebration for the 100th anniversary of Warner Bros. Studio, the iconic supernatural film The Exorcist from Academy Award-winning director William Friedkin (The French Connection) will be available for purchase on 4K Ultra HD Disc and Digital for the first time this September.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of its 1973 release, on September 19, The Exorcist will be available to purchase on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc from online and in-store at major retailers and available for purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu, and more.

The Ultra HD Blu-ray Discs include both the 1973 theatrical version of the film and the 2000 Extended Director’s Cut of the film, which features eleven additional minutes of footage not seen in theaters.

Directed by Friedkin, who died today at age 89, from a screenplay by Academy Award winner William Peter Blatty, the film is based on Blatty’s 1971 novel of the same name. The Exorcist stars Academy Award winner Ellen Burstyn (Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore), Academy Award nominee Max von Sydow (Pelle the Conqueror, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close), Academy Award nominee Lee J. Cobb (On the Waterfront, The Brothers Karamazov), Kitty Winn, Jack MacGowan, Academy Award nominee Jason Miller, and Academy Award nominee Linda Blair.

Widely regarded as a supernatural masterpiece, the film was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, as well as acting nominations for Burstyn, Miller, and Blair. The film won two Academy Awards, including Best Adapted Screenplay for Blatty.
In 2010, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”

The Exorcist will be available on Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc for $33.99 SRP and includes an Ultra HD Blu-ray disc with the theatrical version of the feature film in 4K with HDR, an Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc with the Extended Director’s Cut of the film in 4K with HDR, and a Digital download of both versions of the film. Fans can also own The Exorcist in 4K Ultra HD via purchase from select digital retailers beginning on September 19.

About the Film
The Exorcist tells the now-famous story of a girl’s demonic possession and a gripping fight between good and evil. Linda Blair, in a breakout role, plays Regan, a young girl who starts to exhibit strange, arcane behavior. Her mother (Burstyn) calls upon a priest, Father Karras (Miller), to investigate. But Karras, who has a spiritual crisis of his own, is suddenly confronted with the unimaginable evil of Regan’s possession. Father Lankester Merrin (Von Sydow), an archeologist-priest, is called to help, and a horrific battle for her soul begins.

The Exorcist Ultra HD Blu-ray disc (theatrical version) contains the following previously released special features:
• Introduction by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects
The Exorcist Digital release (theatrical version) the following previously released special features:
• Commentary by William Friedkin
• Commentary by William Peter Blatty with Special Sound Effects Tests
• Introduction by William Friedkin
• “The Fear of God: 25 Years of The Exorcist”
• Original Ending
• William Peter Blatty Interviews
o “The Original Cut”
o “Stairway to Heaven”
o “The Final Reckoning”
• “Sketches & Storyboards”
• TV Spots
o “Beyond Comprehension”
o “You Too Can See The Exorcist
o “Between Science & Superstition”
o “The Movie You’ve Been Waiting For”
o “Nobody Expected It”
o “Life Had Been Good”
• Trailers
o “Nobody Expected It”
o “Beyond Comprehension”
o “Flash Image”

The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut Ultra HD Blu-ray disc contains the following previously released special features:
• Commentary by William Friedkin
The Exorcist Extended Director’s Cut Digital release contains the following previously released special features:
• Commentary by William Friedkin
• “Beyond Comprehension: William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist”
• “Talk of the Devil”
• “Raising Hell: Filming The Exorcist”
• “The Exorcist Locations: Georgetown Then and Now”
• “Faces of Evil: The Different Versions of The Exorcist”
• Radio Spots
o “The Devil Himself”
o “Our Deepest Fears”
• TV Spots
o “Most Electrifying”
o “Scariest Ever”
o “Returns”
o “Never Seen”
• Trailers
o “The Version You’ve Never Seen”
o “Our Deepest Fears”

BASICS
PRODUCT ERP
The Exorcist Ultra HD $33.99

The Exorcist
Ultra HD Blu-ray Languages: English, Spanish, French
Ultra HD Blu-ray Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, Parisian French
Theatrical Version Run Time: 122 minutes
Extended Director’s Cut Run Time: 132 minutes
Rating: R for strong language and disturbing images
Physical Street Date: September 19, 2023
Digital Street Date: September 19, 2023

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits Digital Aug. 8, Disc Sept. 5

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse hits Digital Aug. 8, Disc Sept. 5

SYNOPSIS
Miles Morales returns for the next chapter of the Oscar®-winning Spider-Verse saga (2018, Best Animated Feature Film, Spider-Man™: Into the Spider-Verse), SPIDER-MAN™: ACROSS THE SPIDER-VERSE. After reuniting with Gwen Stacy, Brooklyn’s full-time, friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is catapulted across the Multiverse, where he encounters a team of Spider-People charged with protecting its very existence. But when the heroes clash on how to handle a new threat, Miles finds himself pitted against the other Spiders, and must redefine what it means to be a hero so he can save the people he loves most.

BONUS MATERIALS
4K UHD, BLU-RAY™, AND DIGITAL
• Blu-ray™, 4K UHD and Digital Exclusives:
o Obscure Spiders and Easter Eggs
o Deleted Scene: Miguel Calling
o “I’mma Do My Own Thing” Interdimensional Destiny
o Across the Worlds: Designing New Dimensions
o Designing Spiders and Spots
o Scratches, Score and The Music of the Multiverse
o Escape from Spider-Society
o Across the Comics-Verse
o Lyric Videos
o Filmmaker Commentary
• Also Includes:
o Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
o Raising a Hero
o Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast

DVD
• Creating the Ultimate Spider-Man Movie
• Raising a Hero
• Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Cast

Blu-ray™ and DVD include a digital code for movie and bonus materials as listed above, redeemable via Movies Anywhere for a limited time. Movies Anywhere is open to U.S. residents age 13+. Visit MoviesAnywhere.com for terms and conditions.

CAST AND CREW
Directed By: Joaquim Dos Santos, Kemp Powers, Justin K. Thompson
Written By: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller & David Callaham
Based on the Marvel Comics
Produced By: Avi Arad, Amy Pascal, Phil Lord, Christopher Miller, Christina Steinberg
Executive Producers: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman, Aditya Sood, Brian Michael Bendis
Cast: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld, Brian Tyree Henry, Luna Lauren Velez, Jake Johnson, Jason Schwartzman, Issa Rae, Karan Soni, with Daniel Kaluuya with Mahershala Ali and Oscar Isaac

SPECS
Run Time: Approx. 140 Mins.
Rating: PG: Sequences of Animated Action Violence, Some Language and Thematic Elements
4K UHD: 2160p Ultra High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 compatible), French (Doublé au Québec) & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Tracks 2.0 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color
Blu-ray™: 1080p High Definition / 2.39:1 • Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, French (Doublé au Québec) & Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English – Audio Description Tracks 2.0 Dolby Digital Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Mastered in High Definition • Color
DVD: 2.39:1 Anamorphic Widescreen • Audio: English, French (Doublé au Québec), Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, English & French (Doublé au Québec) – Audio Description Tracks Stereo • Subtitles: English, English SDH, French, Spanish • Color

The Inevitable Meeting Between Scooby-Doo & Krypto is Coming in Sept.

The Inevitable Meeting Between Scooby-Doo & Krypto is Coming in Sept.

BURBANK, CA – Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo have to solve what may be their greatest mystery yet in Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too!, which will be available in the US to purchase Digitally at retailers everywhere, and on DVD only at Walmart on September 26, 2023 The all-new, feature-length film brings together the Scooby gang and DC for the first time.

In Canada Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! will be available to purchase Digitally on September 26, 2023 and on DVD October 24, 2023 at retailers everywhere.

The world’s greatest heroes, DC’s Justice League, have mysteriously vanished and a terrifying phantom has taken up residence in The Hall of Justice. Now it’s up to the world’s greatest super sleuths, Scooby and the gang, to solve the mystery and save our heroes…with a little help from their new pal Krypto the Superdog!

Returning as the voices of the Scooby gang are Frank Welker as Scooby-Doo and Fred Jones, Matthew Lillard as Shaggy Rogers, Kate Micucci as Velma Dinkley and Grey Delisle as Daphne Blake as well as Wonder Woman. Also featured in the voice cast are P.J. Byrne as J.B., Victoria Grace as Mercy, Charles Halford as Lex Luthor, Nolan North as the Joker and Superman, Tara Strong as Helen, Lois Lane and Harley Quinn, Fred Tatasciore as Solomon Grundy and Perry White, James Arnold Taylor as Jimmy Olsen and Rex Ruthor and Niccole Thurman as Mayor Fleming.

Cecilia Aranovich Hamilton directs Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! from a script by T.K. O’Brian. Producers are Rick Morales and Jim Krieg (The Death and Return of Superman) and Sam Register is Executive Producer.

Scooby-Doo! and Krypto, Too! will be available on September 26, 2023 to purchase Digitally from Amazon Prime Video, AppleTV, Google Play, Vudu and more. In the US, DVD will be available to purchase on September 26, 2023 in store and online only at Walmart, and in Canada DVD will be available on October 24, 2023 in store and online at retailers everywhere.

SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE THREE BONUS SCOOBY-DOO EPISODES

  • The Scooby of a Thousand Faces!
  • What a Night, for a Dark Knight!
  • One Minute Mysteries! Guest Starring The Flash

Pricing and film information:

PRODUCT                                                                 SRP

Digital purchase                                                          $14.99 SRP

DVD                                                                            $19.98 SRP US ($24.98 Canada)

Languages: English, Spanish, French

Subtitles: English, Spanish, French

Running Time: approx. 78 minutes

Rated: Not Rated

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars: Battle World from Defalco & Oliffe Arrives in Nov.

Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars: Battle World from Defalco & Oliffe Arrives in Nov.

New York, NY— In 1984, Marvel’s greatest heroes and deadliest villains were pit against each other on Battleworld by the unbelievably powerful Beyonder in Jim Shooter, Mike Zeck, and Bob Layton’s SECRET WARS! Regarded as the pioneer Marvel Comics crossover event, Secret Wars had an undeniable impact on comic book storytelling and to celebrate this landmark series’ 40th anniversary, Marvel will return to Battleworld this November in an all-new four-issue limited series: MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD!

Announced this past weekend at San Diego Comic-Con, MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD is written by industry icon Tom DeFalco, former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief and the editor of the original Secret Wars. Joined by acclaimed artist Pat Olliffe, DeFalco will expose never-before-told secrets behind one of the significant conflicts in Marvel history. Fans can expect revelations beyond the Beyonder’s true motives, shocking appearances by characters that you didn’t even know fought in the Secret Wars, and more. Starring iconic super hero best friend duo Spider-Man and the Human Torch, MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD will fit seamlessly between the pages of the beloved original series and hold the answers to questions you never knew you had!

The mysteries of the Secret Wars deepen! Get ready for an all-new cataclysmic battle from when Spider-Man first got his alien costume and a mysterious being called the Beyonder assembled super heroes and villains from Earth to do battle on a patchwork planet. Witness now an untold adventure set during the original Secret Wars!

Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars set the standard for Marvel Comics events (as well as action figures and the characters existing at the forefront of pop culture), and this new story will at last reveal some secret connections and missing characters going back to the original series! What secret test are the Beyonders conducting…and how will Spider-Man, the Human Torch and the whole cast determine the fate of the universe? (PLUS: Surprise super villain appearances inside!)

“Pat Olliffe and I were handed a daunting creative challenge,” DeFalco said. “We were asked to do a sequel/new tale of a classic Marvel story that first saw print 40 years ago and created ripples that are still felt throughout the universe today. Since we share a kinship with a certain web-swinger (and his family), we were also compelled to do a story that ripped to his core and defined his unique place in the Marvel Universe while examining the budding relationship with his new black costume. With the aid of editors Mark Basso and Drew Baumgartner, Pat and I constructed a tale that we believe has repercussions for today’s readers and creative ripples that we hope will still be felt 40 years from now.”

“The original Secret Wars was so multi-dimensional, it’s been thrilling to add new dimensions to the saga!” Editor Mark Basso added. “While the new story fully stands alone, I can tease that the connection to the original Secret Wars goes even further than just the comics pages…Old-school fans will know what I’m talking about…!”

Don’t miss Tom DeFalco and Pat Olliffe’s all-new, in-continuity tale packed with exciting surprises when MARVEL SUPER HEROES SECRET WARS: BATTLEWORLD #1 arrives on November 22! In the meantime, check out a slew of new covers including an homage variant cover by Ryan Stegman, the first part of a connecting cover series by Todd Nauck, a cover by series artist Olliffe, and more!

REVIEW: Popeye the Sailor: The 1960s TV Cartoons

REVIEW: Popeye the Sailor: The 1960s TV Cartoons

Popeye the Sailor: The 1960s TV Cartoons

By Fred M. Grandinetti

230 pages/$30 hardcover $20 softcover/Bear Manor Media

Like author Fred M. Grandinetti, I was a child of the 60s and was exposed to all the Popeye cartoons, and it took time for me to understand that some were excellent, some were good, and some were outright bad. It slowly became clear to me that the best was the theatrical shorts made in the 1930s by the Fleischer Studio. What was less clear was who made the others of varying quality.

Thankfully, Grandinetti provides us with a handy guide, breaking down which animation house did what, all in an attempt to corner the syndicated cartoon market when there were hours upon hours of time to fill.

Elzie Segar’s Thimble Theater featured the Oyl family, with new characters coming and going as needed for each serialized adventure. On January 17, 1929, readers met Popeye, who caught their imagination, and he never left. (That same month, they were also introduced to Tarzan and Buck Rogers, quite an exciting time to read the newspapers.)

Grandinetti has written many other works on animation with a focus on Popeye so he’s the acknowledged expert. The problem with being the expert on something is that so much is in your head that sometimes you presume everyone knows this too. There’s an awful lot of context missing from the narrative.

We open with a brief background on the strip, although the current creator, R.K. Milholland, is not listed. Then we get into his screen adaptation (here, David Fleischer is not credited at all. From here, we get the handoff from Fleischer to Paramount’s Famous Studios, and then Associated Artists Productions acquired the library of 234 shorts dating back to 1933.

As children’s television programming arrived in 1949 (Crusader Rabbit), more followed with limited animation used for cost purposes. The made-for-television shorts could never compete with the hand-drawn work for features. However, by the late 1950s, cartoons vanished from movie screens and could only be found on the small black and white screens at home.

AAP’s package of cartoons was a ratings hit for countless stations and a financial bonanza for them. King Features, which owned the character, decided to get in on the act and formed King Features Syndicate Special Service, which went on to make the comic strip characters and turn them into animated fare with very mixed results.

Hired to oversee the Popeye cartoons was Al Brodax, best known today for his work on Yellow Submarine (which featured a Popeye cameo). To get 220 new cartoons made, he divided the work over six animation houses worldwide, hence the uneven quality and clear lack of quality control.

The book has an odd order, so we get info on these studios before we do the characters. Additionally, Grandietti and the book’s editor don’t like using paragraphs, so there are long blocks of type that really needed to be broken up.

Thankfully, when he does get to the characters, he clears up, once and for all, the confusion between Bluto and Brutus, so thanks for that.

Jack Mercer, Mae Questal, and Jackson Beck. The voices of Popeye, Olive Oyl, and Bluto.

We also get nice thumbnails of the key voice performers, including Jack Mercer (whom Grandinetti wrote a bio about) who was an animator that got discovered. He also wen ton to write some of the cartoons.

Grandinetti includes sections on spinoffs inspired by the cartoon, including related merchandise.

By page 77, he seems to run out of things to say about the character and the animated history. The remainder of the book is very detailed episode guides divided by the production house. Some contain additional credits; some contain one or two lines of opinion on the quality. As a result, you really have to be a fan of the character or an animation aficionado to appreciate this book.

The designer oddly clustered all the images at the end of text sections rather than intersperse them for a better overlook loo; It would have been nice to see examples from each studio as we’re reading their history or about their output.

Ultimately, this is an uneven valentine to the lesser known and appreciated animated saga of everyone’s favorite Sailor Man.