The title says its all, but check out these mostly awesome looks at what could have been. Some of these seem so obvious (Jabba beanbag) and some seem weird (Han Solo in Carbonite popsicle), but they all point to the creativity of the marketing team around the time of Episode 1.
Plenty more pics here and if you think there’s far too much Star Wars branded merchandise already, well, be thankful that there isn’t more, although I would like a Death Star basketball.
It’s a good time to be a fan of Burroughs’ non-Tarzan creation, with the film on its way, and various related comics from Dynamite. Now, here’s Marvel’s latest series based on the pulp adventurer, with a text free preview below.
Your First Look At JOHN CARTER: THE GODS OF MARS #1!
Marvel is pleased to present your first look at, John Carter: The Gods Of Mars #1, hitting comic shops everywhere March 2012! From the creative team of rising stars Sam Humphries (Sacrifice) & Ramon Perez (Jim Henson’s Tale Of Sand), the heroic John Carter makes his return to Barsoom not to save it from Martian beasts…but Martian GODS! This new series, in collaboration with the Edgar Rice Burroughs estate, is an all-new graphic fiction adaptation of the legendary John Carter novels AND considered part of the official canon set by Burroughs. No fan looking for added depth to the rich John Carter mythos can miss this.
As our hero finds himself in the land of the dead, all hope looks lost. But nothing will stop John Carter from saving Mars from the terror of those looking to destroy it and this March, the next chapter of one of the greatest action stories ever told begins in John Carter: The Gods Of Mars #1!
JOHN CARTER: THE GODS OF MARS #1 (of 5) (JAN120655)
Based on the Novel by EDGAR RICE BURROUGHS
Adaptation by SAM HUMPHRIES
Art by RAMON PEREZ
Cover by JULIAN TOTINO TEDESCO
All Ages …$2.99
FOC – 2/27/12, ON SALE – 3/21/12
I rarely watch TV these days. Well, I do watch Top Gear, Mythbusters and sometimes The Big Bang Theory and Whose Line Is It Anyway? but most of my TV watching is done on DVD now, such as The Office, 30 Rock and Community.
However two new shows on Australian screens caught my eye.
Woodley is an 8 part series that debuted on ABC this week. Frank Woodley plays an accident prone man attempting to bond with his daughter, and reconnect with his ex-wife. I was disappointed by the first episode, which you can watch here. Largely silent, and filled with Mr Bean like antics, it had some good moments, but nothing like what I experienced while watching Woodley’s previous sit-com, the hilarious The Adventures of Lano and Woodley. It starred Colin Lane along with Woodley and ran for two seasons from 1997-1999, as two housemates who always got fired, and was filled with superb moments of physical comedy. If you can grab it on DVD, do so. It never fails to crack me up. Here are just two clips from different episodes, but just check any of their videos out on YouTube.
If you remember the spoof Italian Spiderman web series from a few years ago, you’ll be happy to know that the Aussie duo behind it have a new project, which is also a parody and looks just as madcap. Danger 5 is well, check out the trailer below. It begins on Monday Feb 27 at 9:30 pm on SBS here in Australia.
46 mins. These days there are more people writing comics from other disciplines than ever before. We discuss the whos and the whys, including examples of playwrights, TV and film writers, as well as novelists who spend their time writing comics too. Also, Darth Maul and why he was never cloned, and when celebrities embarrass themselves by thinking they know how to write comics.
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You can email us at kris (at)extrasequential(dot)com and befriend us on the NEW ES Facebook page.
WHAT WE’VE BEEN READING/WATCHING
The Grey. Despite it’s minimal amount of wolf punching, it’s a good film.
Chronicle.
Archeologists of Shadows. A dazzling digital comic.
Road to Perdition, which became the film with a balding Jude Law.
4:57 NEWS
Bart Simpson’s pal Milhouse gets his own comic in April
The new, and free, Rations magazine
Trailer for the upcoming Comic-Con documentary
Nate Simpson’s Nonplayer goes to Hollywood
11:25 FEATURE TOPIC – MULTI-DISCIPLINE WRITERS
Michael Green and Marc Guggenheim
Kevin Smith
Joss Whedon
Jane Espenson
Writers of TV’s Lost – Bran K Vaughan, Damon Lindelof, Drew Goddard and Jeph Loeb
Robert Aguirre-Sacasa
Celebrities behind comics such as Rosario Dawson, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Mark Hamill and Tyrese Gibson and good examples like Rashida Jones and Gerard Way
Brad Meltzer
David Liss
Stephen King and Joe Hill
Peter David
Clive Barker
As an added bonus here’s an ad for Admiral Ackbar’s cereal from Robot Chicken.
Two violent video games, and 100 issues is a great achievement for an indie horror title. Press release below about the landmark issue, plus the variant covers from Jeremy Haun, Todd McFarlane, Michael Golden and Michael Broussard.
Top Cow Productions and Image Comics proudly announced today that Darkness 100, the landmark anniversary issue, will land in stores February 29th, 2012.
The over-sized 100th issue follows hot on the heels of the release of The Darkness II video game from 2K Games and Digital Extremes. Long time writer PHIL HESTER (Wonder Woman, Green Hornet) concludes his epic run on the series with artists ROMANO MOLENAAR (THE DARKNESS II : CONFESSION), LEANDRO OLIVEIRA (Superman), and JOSE LUIS (PILOT SEASON: SERAPH). The landmark 100th issue will set the stage for David Hine (THE DARKNESS: FOUR HORSEMEN, BULLETPROOF COFFIN) and Jeremy Haun (ARTIFACTS, DETECTIVE COMICS) as they bring THE DARKNESS into Top Cow’s REBIRTH initiative.
“Why couldn’t they have hired someone else? Anyone else? I’ve been successfully pulling the wool over Darkness readers’ eyes for years now, and the second they get a look at what David Hine is up to they’re going to forget all about my dog and pony show,” Hester commented. “Don’t believe me? Crack open Hine and Kane’s BULLETPROOF COFFIN and see one of tomorrow’s classics while it’s fresh, then get in line behind me for The Darkness #101.”
As Darkness bearer, Jackie Estacado is on a collision course with the source of his power and misery — the Darkness itself! Estacado has traveled through numerous levels of the Darkness’ home dimension in his quest to confront his patron, all the while the Darkness has sought to bind him, distract him and prevent him from reaching it. Now only one of them will walk away from this momentous battle that has been building for years!
Featuring covers by Image luminaries TODD McFARLANE (SPAWN) and MICHAEL GOLDEN (The ‘Nam, SPAWN), alongside THE DARKNESS series artists JEREMY HAUN (Detective Comics) and MICHAEL BROUSSARD (ARTIFACTS).
The over-sized 48-page The Darkness #100 issue will be on sale in stores and digital platforms on March 21st, 2012 andwill carry a cover price of $4.99. To commemorate this achievement, the issue will also feature a complete series cover gallery, a Darkness timeline, the winners of the Darkness II deviantART contest and a special preview of Darkness #101.
Comics artist Bryan Hitch (The Ultimates, the April releasing America’s Got Superpowers) recently spoke at a screening of my fave film, Superman: The Movie. Most of his speech won’t be new to fans of the classic movie, but the transcript is a good read.
It was to be a fee of a million dollars for two movies and star Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman and Nick Nolte.
The first problem Donner tackled was the script, bringing in Tom Mankiewicz to do a complete rewrite. Though they both stated that nothing had been used from the Puzo-Newman script, Mankiewicz was denied a writing credit by the Writers Guild of America and so appears on the film only as “Creative Consultant.”
It was Mankiewicz who suggested the individual Kryptonian Crests on each of the council members to justify the “S” emblem on Superman. It was he who created the whole Judeo-Christian aspect of the Superman mythology, with Jor-El as God who, after casting out Lucifer/General Zod’s evil, sends his only son to earth; extending the metaphor further in the second movie as Superman gives up his power, dies, for Lois only to be resurrected three days later.
Donner was determined that though the film could and should be fun, it should also be serious. It should feel real. The production’s buzz word was verisimilitude; the appearance of truth or reality and with Mank’s new script and Production designer John Barry extraordinary sets, the film was in good hands.
Despite the occasional rumour, DC’s long running imprint Vertigo is still alive. If you didn’t grab a free copy of the Vertigo Preview 2012 sampler from your local comic shop last week, then you can check out the contents at the Vertigo blog.
There’s previews of the Fables spinoff Fairest, Dominique Laveau: Voodoo Child, The New Deadwardians, and Saucer Country. All 4 series debut in March.
Starting on February 21 and running for 4 days is a great sale on heaps of DC Comics’ video game tie-ins. Details below and start shopping here.
Prepare to level up your video game comic book reading experience.
DC Digital Comics is offering a sensational sale on all titles based on some of the best-selling video game franchises of all time.
Journey deeper into madhouse with special tie-in limited series that sets the stage for the critically acclaimed, award-winning sequel to BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM, BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY—including exclusive digital chapters.
Discover the secret history of Ghost from MODERN WARFARE 2; head to battle with Marcus Fenix and Delta Squad in GEARS OF WAR; unleash Hell with the six-issue DANTE’S INFERNO; fight against infection with BSAA Agents Gere and Sugarman in RESIDENT EVIL; and much, much more.
We’ve got 100 video game comic issues to stock your inventory with—all for only .99 cents each! Grab them while you can before we hit the reset button and this sale disappears!
The 4-Day Video Game Comics Sale begins 2/21!
Play the game! Read the comics!
I interviewed the talented creative duo of Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford a while back in the Extra Sequential magazine (pages 74-79 here) and, like many others, have been impressed by their Robot 13 series. Now to get all those issues collected as a Trade Paperback, the guys are looking to Kickstarter.
Find out more about how you can help, and get incentives like groovy buttons, t-shirts and mini-figures right here. This is a great series and I’ve been looking forward to what the guys would come up with next, so here’s hoping this project gives them the opportunity to make that happen, so more people can see how cool Robot 13 is.
My interview with Aussie comics creator Pat Grant is now up at Broken Frontier. Our chat is mainly about his new OGN, Blue which will be released next month. It’s a funny, honest and visually impressive look at xenophobia and youth and is definitely worth picking up.
51 mins. Advertised, but never released, or completed projects is this show’s focus, and there’s quite a few of them! We also present an unpopular viewpoint on the legal battles of Ghost Rider co-creator Gary Friedrich, and Mladen rails against Kevin Smith’s popular public persona. Also Oasis, Dolly Parton and Doctor Who.
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You can email us at kris (at)extrasequential(dot)com and befriend us on the NEW ES Facebook page.
A brief return to What We’ve Been Reading including Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, B.P.R.D: Hell on Earth-The Long Death, and Love and Rockets.
4:45 NEWS
The legal case between Ghost Rider co-creator Gary Friedrich and Marvel, and The Walking Dead battle
DC relaunch sales figures
Kevin Smith’s new Comic Book Men reality TV show
21:05 FEATURE TOPIC – UNFINISHED AND UNRELEASED PROJECTS
Barry Windsor-Smith’s Superman
All Star Wonder Woman by Adam Hughes
Batman: Europa
Kevin Smith’s mass of titles
Image United
Captain America: White by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, and Astonishing Captain America
Loeb’s and J. Scott Campbell’s Spider-Man
Bryan Singer’s Ultimate X-Men
Daredevil: End of Days
Up now at Christian site, Sight is my interview with writer Jason Boyett about his latest book, Pocket Guide to 2012, which is focused on all the crazy end of the world scenarios and prophets from the last few centuries.
It’s a great book, which you can get here and here is my interview with Boyett.
On Feb 16 the West Coast Premiere at the Paley Centre takes place, but on Feb 28, Justice League: Doom, the latest animated DC Comics film, will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray. Below is an interview conducted by Warner Bros. with regular Superman voice actor Tim Daly.
The quintessential voice of the Man of Steel – primetime television star Tim Daly – once again returns to his original animated role of Superman in JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM, the next entry in the popular, ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movies.
Daly set the standard as the voice behind the world’s ultimate super hero for Superman: The Animated Series as well as in several animated movies and video games. While fanboys hail his vocal performance as their point of recognition, the Emmy nominated actor is known well throughout the world for his primetime television series roles, including eight seasons on Wings, an intense recurring role on The Sopranos, a memorable turn on HBO’s landmark mini-series From The Earth To The Moon, and his current ABC hit series, Private Practice.
QUESTION: What’s the crux of JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM from Superman’s perspective?
TIM DALY: Well, as usual, it’s all about saving the planet. But first, the Justice League has to save the Justice League. Batman disappoints his colleagues in the Justice League by having a plan to stop any rogue Justice League member, and by allowing those plans to be stolen. Superman understands Batman, though – he really has created these contingency plans for a pretty noble reason. He’s trying to protect the world by inserting some checks and balances into this system, realizing that the Justice League has an incredible amount of power, and he wants to make sure that they always use that power in a way that’s not destructive.
QUESTION: Are you able to turn on and off the Superman voice without hesitation, or is there some sort of warm-up involved – mentally or vocally?
TIM DALY: There’s just a lot of technical things to keep in mind. You get warmed up like you do with anything and, after a little rehearsing, it’s all second nature. That doesn’t mean I didn’t want to go back and do a few lines over again – you want these things to be just right. But you don’t necessarily jump straight back in. I mean, it’s not like I walk around being Superman in real life. But when you read the script and put yourself in the position that Superman is in – I mean, he’s always saving the planet, for God’s sake. When you realize that, it’s not difficult to take the gravitas of the situation and make your voice do what it needs to do.
QUESTION: As well as you know this character after all of these years, are you ever shy to offer suggestions about how certain dialogue might be presented or altered?
TIM DALY: Usually the writing is pretty great, but then again, I can’t keep my mouth shut. If I think something can be better, I’ll speak up and say so. But I will explain why I’m making the suggestion. I actually find that writers respond very well to being asked questions. “Why would Superman say that?” “Would it be better if I said it this way?” You don’t just want to be critical – that doesn’t benefit anyone. The best creative work usually comes from a collaboration.
QUESTION: Have you ever found yourself using the Superman attitude or voice in real life?
TIM DALY: I did a little bit when my kids were young. And I found that it worked much better on my daughter than my son. I would say to her, (beefs up his voice), “Stop that right now.” And she would be suitably taken aback. But my son, he didn’t really care.
QUESTION: Has providing the voice of Superman helped you learn anything about yourself or changed you in any way?
TIM DALY: Maybe a little bit. Maybe some of what gets you through your walks in the world is attitude. Certainly Superman has a lot of power and he doesn’t have to be showy, rather he carries that confidence quietly. He knows what he can do. I certainly am not capable of pulling that off in my own life. But knowing that, I can fake that attitude to help me out now and then.
QUESTION: What Superman memorabilia have you collected over the years?
TIM DALY: I have a beautiful wooden Superman statue with a removable cape – I really love that piece. I have a cel from the original Superman series cartoons. And I have a gold Superman “S” pin. And then there’s my tights, uh, but don’t tell anymore.
QUESTION: TV and film is usually a one-way experience for you. You don’t really get to see the final product with an audience very often. But you’re coming back to the Paley Center in Los Angeles for the premiere of JUSTICE LEAGUE: DOOM – and this will be your second time seeing one of the DC Universe animated movies alongside the fans. What was your experience like watching Superman/Batman: Apocalypse last time?
TIM DALY: It was really great because the fans were so into it. Fan reaction is really wonderful to experience in person, especially fans of this genre. They’re so passionate. And it was also fun because it was just my voice and Superman’s image. Usually when I see myself in a film or on television, there’s about a six-month period where I can’t look at it because all I’ll see are the mistakes. I’m just appalled by the person that I see. The camera sees me from angles that I’ve never seen myself, so I never think it’s me. I look at that and I think, “My God, that’s me.” But with these films, I can look up and it is Superman on the screen. So I don’t have to go through all that. He has no flaws.
QUESTION: What’s the magic of working with dialogue director Andrea Romano?
TIM DALY: The great thing about working with Andrea is that she loves it so much, and she’s so positive about it. You can’t fake that. Even after all this time, doing 41 shows at a time, all the series and films, she’s right there with the same enthusiasm and love for the material. I don’t know how she keeps it all straight. Plus, she really loves actors – you always feel like she’s rooting for you. And that makes it very easy.
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