| December 4, 2006 09:34 - More on Hollywood and Comic Books!
Personally, I really enjoy a lot of the superhero stories that Hollywood has been pumping out in the last few years. But has Hollywood helped or hindered the comic book industry? Here is a run down of some of the writers, artists and producers that have been involved in the Hollywood/Comic Industry mega force in the last few years:
"Hollywood Invades the Comic Book Industry
Have directors and writers like Richard Donner, Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith been good to comics?
by Richard George
November 30, 2006 - One of the hottest topics in the comic book community isn't DC's weekly 52 series or Marvel's Civil War, it's Hollywood. Ever since Kevin Smith nudged open the doors with his work on Daredevil, movie and television writers have been clamoring to be involved with the books they read as children. We have the creator of Serenity, Firefly and Buffy plotting Astonishing X-Men and Runaways. Smith himself moved on to Green Arrow and a Spider-Man mini-series. Lost producers take time to work on books like Super Skrull or Ultimate Wolverine. Even Richard Donner, director of the first Superman movie (and responsible for a cut of the second film), is co-plotting an arc of Action Comics.
But are these creators really making a difference in the industry? Does their involvement mean we have better books? If Damon Lindelof is writing Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk and then fails to deliver beyond issue two, should we get excited?
The short answers to the above questions are: yes, yes/no and we shouldn't. What? You want us to elaborate? We'll indulge. Rather than prattle endlessly about all the writers involved in the industry (there are many), we're going to highlight some of these writers and note their accomplishments and failures..." More on Hollywood & Comics here!
I will continue to enjoy what Hollywood does with comic book stories. If they screw things up, I will not purchase DVDs or go to the movies. If they give a good performance, then I am that much more entertained. What do you think? I just ordered the new Superman collection of DVDs with Chris Reeve & Chris Noth. Can't wait until they get here. Later.
Dave
December 6, 2006 09:38 - TV Superheroes, any of these Your Favorites?
Comic book superheroes have invaded the TV genre for decades. I, for one, have seen most of these classic examples over the years. Here is a quick rundown of the most propionate TV comic book characters whose TV persona have survived:
CHUCK BARNEY: AS SEEN ON TV
"TV superheroes through the decades
From caped crusaders and dynamic duos to demon slayers and a geek named Hiro, television long has had a thing for those do-gooders who possess superpowers. With a focus limited to notable live-action shows, here's a quick rundown of the genre's colorful history:
1950s
o "The Adventures of Superman" (syndicated 1952-57): It's "truth, justice and the American way" -- albeit with a tight budget and cheesy effects.
o "Flash Gordon" (syndicated 1953-54): The Mad Witch of Neptune never had a chance against our intergalactic butt-kicker.
1960s
o "Batman" (ABC 1966-68): Holy purple leotards -- what a campy delight! (And Adam West is typecast forever.)
o "The Green Hornet" (ABC 1966-67): We loved Bruce Lee as Kato, along with that souped-up car, the Black Beauty.
1970s
o "The Six Million Dollar Man" (ABC 1974-78): Part human, part machine, Col. Steve Austin (Lee Majors) could have whupped even Chuck Norris.
o "The Bionic Woman" (ABC/NBC 1976-78): Popular spinoff gave Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner) a chance to clobber the bad guys.
o "Wonder Woman" (ABC/CBS 1976-79): With those go-go boots, her magic lasso and a bodacious bod, Lynda Carter truly was a wonder.
o "The Incredible Hulk" (CBS 1978-82): Grrrr! Tick off Bill Bixby and he instantly turned into a not-so-jolly green giant who looked a lot like Lou Ferrigno.
o "The Amazing Spider-Man" (CBS 1978): Let's just say that Nicholas Hammond was no Tobey Maguire.
1980s
o "The Greatest American Hero" (ABC 1981-83): Believe it or not, this spoof revolved around a schoolteacher and an incredible red flying suit.
1990s
o "Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman" (ABC 1993-97): Teri Hatcher and Dean Cain heat things up and give the Superman legend a romantic makeover.
o "The Flash" (CBS 1990-91): Mild-mannered chemist gains superpowers after a fluke lab accident, but never could defeat the Nielsen gods.
o "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (the WB/UPN 1997-2003): This killer show made a star of Sarah Michelle Gellar and put the fledgling WB on the map.
2000s
o "Smallville" (The WB/CW 2001- ): "No tights, no flights" was the early mantra of this young and fresh approach to Superman.
o "Heroes" (NBC 2006- ): Save the cheerleader, save NBC! Successful serial saga boosts fortunes of slumping network.
Not so super TV
Heroes sometimes fail at their missions. Here are three recent disappointments:
o "The Tick" (Fox 2001): Too hip for the room, this hilarious spoof lasted only eight episodes.
o "Birds of Prey" (The WB 2002-2003): Female crusaders of Gotham City had their wings clipped after 13 airings.
o "Aquaman" (The CW): This rejected pilot sank into a watery grave, but it's available for purchase on iTunes.
-- Chuck Barney"
Of this quick and dirty list, I guess my favorite was Flash Gordon. These serials were produced back in the 1930s for the movie going public. But I was introduced to them on Saturday morning TV. Had to get up early to watch, but Buster Crabbe became one of my childhood heroes.
Of course in later years, they started running the series after school which at times, were great. Buster also played as Buck Rogers, which, many these days, don't realize. But now that I am grown up and face the real world, my childhood hero has faded. But if I were to see a re-run of Buster in action, I guess I would have to take some time out and watch. How about you?
Dave
December 8, 2006 15:33 - Superman Abounds this Christmas!
Everything Superman has been coming out this month to get ready for Christmas. The latest Superman DVD "Superman Begins" was released. As well as the original Chris
Reeve movies, George Reeves series and everything in between. Here is a review of the Richard Donner version of Superman II:
" 'Superman II' gets redone for DVD
By Scott E. Williams
The Daily News
Published December 8, 2006
Editor's Note: Scott E. Williams' pop culture column usually runs on Sundays, but makes a temporary switch to today's Entertainment section this week.
Cinema and comic books - two, uniquely American art forms whose unions have usually spelled disaster.
Throughout the 20th century, film adaptations of comic-book favorites have been almost uniformly wretched. For every gem - think "Superman The Movie" - moviegoers were exposed to a dozen clods - think "Howard the Duck."
The filmmakers' dilemma was understandable - the super-heroes who dominate American comics do not translate well to the silver screen. Colorful costumes that look good on the printed page easily become silly when seen on a real person.
However, something strange has been going on in the past five years. Movies based on comic books have gotten good. Some of it has been advances in special effects - thanks to computerized effects, seeing metal claws sprout out of Wolverine's knuckles looks kind of cool.
While its visual effects may not be as impressive to modern viewers, in 1978, "Superman The Movie" was an evolutionary leap for movie superheroes. The film truly lived up to its tagline, "You will believe a man can fly."
Director Richard Donner filmed much of the footage for "Superman II" during the original's filming. However, Donner had creative and financial disputes with the producers, peaking after a studio decision to remove Marlon Brando (as Superman's Kryptonian father, Jor-El) from the sequel.
Richard Lester replaced Donner as director of "Superman II," resulting in a creative overhaul that left plot holes you could drive a powerful locomotive through.
For a quarter-century, Lester's version was the only "Superman II." The film franchise itself died out after its third and fourth installments, dismal movies that embodied the cheesy camp that the first movie avoided totally.
However, the Nov. 28 DVD release of the summer film "Superman Returns" also saw a bevy of titles featuring the original superhero. From the 1950s black-and-white "The Adventures of Superman" to the romance-heavy, 1990s "Lois & Clark," suddenly, every version of Superman was available on DVD.
Among the releases was "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut." Donner himself arranged footage he had shot that never made the theatrical release, combining it with new footage made with the help of computerized effects for as close a facsimile of Donner's vision as you'll get.
Gone are the goofy "Super-amnesia kiss" that Christopher Reeve lays on Margot Kidder and scenes in which Susannah York (playing Supes' mother) advises him. Instead, Brando is back in the adviser's role, and Donner offers a bittersweet ending.
You can pick up the "Superman II: The Donner Cut" DVD (for yourself, or for that Superman-fan on your Christmas list) on its own, or as part of a box set that also contains the original four, plus "Superman Returns" and a documentary on the character's history.
Scott E. Williams is a Daily News reporter who still has the red, nylon cape his mother made him so he could run around the yard, arms outstretched. Of all his college graduation presents, that was his favorite. Tell him to grow up with an e-mail to scott.williams(at)galvnews.com."
Well, I have received my DVD Superman package from Amazon. Boy did I receive it quick. Among the 14 DVDs is Richard Donner's cut. Now I can't wait to see it. Of course, Superman Begins will be my first viewing. But with 14 discs to watch, I am sure my DVD viewing time will last quite a while.
Dave
December 14, 2006 11:55 - Comic Books and Christmas; are you Ready!
With a merry ho ho, have you filled your Christmas list yet? Why not let your friends and family know why you love the comic book genre so much! Here is an article to start you on your way:
"Comic books make wham-bang gifts
From Superman to the Perhapanauts, there's lots for your list
By WILLIAM J. DOWLDING
bdowlding@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Dec. 8, 2006
What's better than words for the person on your gift list who likes to read fiction?
Easy: words and pictures.
Take us up on our suggestions for a graphic novel or comic book from this year's collection and you, too, could be a superhero (these books can be found at area comic book stores):
Heroes are super
Superhero comics still dominate the industry - they have the biggest sales for their books and the biggest grosses for their movies.
DC is in the midst of publishing an ambitious interconnected yearlong weekly comic - appropriately titled "52" ($2.50) - that focuses mostly on six obscure heroes.
DC's main heroes, like Superman and Batman, have had many of their own collections, including Greatest Stories Ever Told trade paperbacks, which are particularly fun because they make comparisons possible between stories from the 1940s and the present. A second volume for Superman will be released Wednesday.
Paranormal reality
The Perhapanauts' "First Blood" (DH, $15.95) introduces a group of weirdos that protect us from monsters that enter our reality by combining action and horror elements with a large dose of humor. A follow-up miniseries, "Second Chances," has begun ($2.99 each)..." To finish the article check out Comic Books for Christmas.
Hope this article help spur your creative juices. Maybe you can entice some of your loved ones into the same fascination you have for comic books. Good luck.
Dave
December 26, 2006 09:21 - Where Have the Superman Writers Gone?
As 2006 winds down and Superman DVDs have been prevalent this month, I came across an article about one of the past Superman writers. It makes one wonder where some of the past superhero creators and writers are these days, if they happen to still be in existence. Here is an interesting article:
"One-time writer of Superman comic books finds his own fortress of solitude in rural Eastern Ontario
By TOM VAN DUSEN
CHESTERVILLE -- Back in the 1950s, before DVDs and Nintendo, low-tech but hugely popular comic books were often in the pile of presents under the Christmas tree.
Superman and Batman were among the most coveted titles, many of them written -- but not illustrated -- by Alvin Schwartz, a Greenwich Village-based freelancer who was part of the DC Comics stable.
Surprisingly, in the tradition of the Man of Steel, Schwartz at 90 is alive and well and still writing. And -- another surprise -- he isn't in New York or somewhere else in the U.S.
He's living quietly with his wife of 50 years in this Eastern Ontario agricultural centre where he's just published another book about the complex relationship between himself and the globally known superheroes he helped define.
Where he consorted with the likes of rebel artist Jackson Pollock and writer Saul Bellow, Schwartz now toils -- as one Internet commentator put it -- "in the backwoods of Ottawa, Canada, in a small farm cottage where his only neighbours are cows. One might call it a fortress of solitude."
He may be away from the action but Schwartz is far from forgotten. Just last summer, he was the recipient of a major comics industry award for excellence in writing.
In addition to Superman and Batman, Schwartz also worked on Aquaman, Wonder Woman, The Flash and the Green Lantern. And he's credited with creating the comic book character Bizarro.
Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster invented Superman when Schwartz was in his 20s. As the popularity of the character grew, Siegel and Shuster began handing off the writing duties..." Click on over to finish the superman writer article!
Well, it is amazingly interesting to see where some of the comic book greats have ended up in their later lives. I have been trekking through my Superman DVD pack from Amazon and the history behind Richard Donner, initial director of Chris Reeves in the 1970s rendition of Superman is very enlightening. With his dismissal from the project, I can now understand why this franchise lost steam and went downhill with follow on movies. Hope everyone had a great Christmas and received all their comic book products that they wished for (ha ha). Later.
Dave
December 28, 2006 11:37 - 2006 Comic Book Related Tidbits!
Well, as 2006 comes to a close there were definitely many comic book genre related events this year. Here is a list of some of the items that transpired this year:
"Tim's 2006 Review
Thursday, December 28, 2006
by tim clodfelter
relish staff writer
2006 was a good year for geeks. There was plenty to enjoy, and plenty to complain about ... and one thing about geeks, we love to complain about things. Just witness The Simpsons' Comic Book Guy and his catchphrase "Worst _____ ever."
ACTION FIGURES: It's hard to keep track of all the action figures coming out these days. Some of the most notable this year were ones based on popular TV shows and movies.
NECA Toys put out four waves of its "Cult Classics" figures, highly detailed figures of characters from horror films, including Army of Darkness, Shaun of the Dead, Phantasm, Bubba Ho-Tep, Dawn of the Dead and Silence of the Lambs. McFarlane Toys released a phenomenal set of Lost figures, each packaged with a replica prop and a stand with audio clips. Art Asylum returned to its line of Star Trek action figures after a long absence, offering characters from Star Trek: The Next Generation and a line of "Mirror Universe" versions of the original Enterprise crew.
Perhaps the oddest action figures of the year were the Rocky toys from JAKKS Pacific. Sure, the line includes such obvious choices as Rocky Balboa, Apollo Creed and other boxers from the movie series. But it also includes such oddballs as grizzled trainer Mickey Goldmill (finally, a Burgess Meredith action figure!), dowdy girlfriend Adrian, and ... perhaps the oddest of all ... a plastic slab of meat like the ones Rocky boxed in a meat locker in the 1976 film.
TV: Heroes - NBC's sole hit of the season - wasn't just a great show for comicbook fans, it was a great show for darned near anybody. Smartly written characters? Check. A well-thought-out plot? Check. Granted, the fact that this small group of characters keeps bumping into one another is a bit silly, but it's been a fun ride so far..." To finish 2006 comic book review, click on!
I believe an event that turned my crank was NBC's "Heroes". Quite honestly, I can't wait for the second season to begin. The Sci Fi channel's "So you want to be a Superhero?" was interesting, but I sure won't loose sleep if I don't catch the second season. And I also look forward to continued work on my site. This site will always be an ongoing effort to add more and more content. So what was your most memorable comic book event of 2006? I'd love to hear about it!
Dave
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