by Jeff Ayers Mar 11 2010
- Coming soon: Battlestar Galactica MMO. Slated to be a browser-based space strategy game, offered exclusively on syfy.com for its first 30 days, this is being developed by obscure (and relatively unproven) Norwegian developer Artplant- which leads one to assume their app (or bid) wowed the Bigs behind such a high-profile and expensive license.
If you’re under 19 and want a free early look at the book for review on your blog/paper/whatever, send a note with your address to torpublicity@tor.com with “FTW” for the subject-line. Also include the name of your blog or school paper. For fun, also share a game you enjoyed recently and why.
We did this with Little Brother a couple years back, on the grounds that books for young people should be available for young reviewers to write about, rather than just adult reviewers who try to figure out whether young people will enjoy them. It was a real success and I’m happy to be repeating it.
Filed In: Jeff Ayers, Marvel Comics, Science Fiction, TV, Video Games, movies
Tags: Battlestar Galactica, CBR, Cory Doctorow, For the Win, MMO, Siege, Tor, Tron, Tron Legacy
by Jeff Ayers Mar 10 2010
Well, sir, there’s nothing on Earth
Like a genuine,
Bonafide,
Electrified,
Six-car
Tronorail!
Greetings, Programs! Personally, it’s been a tough week, so please forgive me my second Tron Legacy related post in four days. Gotta go with what brought a smile to my face today.
First, the new teaser trailer for the film released earlier in the week. It features Bruce “The Box” Boxleitner returning to the role of Alan Bradley/TRON, a return to Flynn’s Arcade, a classic Tron stand-up featuring the ENCOM logo, a Recognizer, Light Cycles, and Oscar-Winner Jeff Bridges as CLU (the purported villain of the film and CG-enhanced to look like Bridges ca.1990) and as Kevin Flynn ca.2011.
Let’s take a look:
…And second, Disney World is emblazoning Epcot’s monorail with Light Cycles and jet walls.
“Is there a chance the track could bend?”
“Not on your life my Hindu friend!”
by Jeff Ayers Mar 09 2010
FP Transmissions, now featuring Emma Larson and Lindsay Johnson, having lost they damn minds and talking Manga.
by Jeff Ayers Mar 08 2010
A second trailer for Iron Man 2 has landed. Check it out:
Most impressive.
by Jeff Ayers Mar 07 2010
Jeff Bridges, El Duderino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing, has finally won an Oscar, man. Between you and me The Dude should have been given a lifetime achievment award years ago, and presented multiple statues for “The Fabulous Baker Boys,” “Fearless,” and one of the great fantasy films of all time, “The Fisher King.”
Fuckin A, man!
In the parlance of our time, of course.
by Jeff Ayers Mar 06 2010
How does one break into the House of Ideas? Well, this week the landlord’s gonna show you how.
Breaking Into Comics the Marvel Way is many things:
- A two-part (56 pgs each) showcase-cum-audition for newly recruited artists.
- An anthology featuring some of Marvel’s most prolific and high profile writers (Brian Michael Bendis, Marc Guggenheim, Peter David, Stuart Moore, Jonathan Hickman, etc.).
- A guide by Marvel editor, writer and talent scout as to how these newbs got their work seen and why their stuff is worthy of publication.
I dig this idea immensely. Inaugural gigs for potentially professional pencillers/inkers/painters are traditionally the worst assignments imaginable, and the chance of breaking out- let alone being seen by anyone other than your editor and your doting mother- are minimal at best.
This project turns that tradition on its ass. “Sure I’ll give you a shot, kid. I need a fill-in artist on a two-page backup story in Cloak and Dagger Annual #15… Nah. I think I’ll team you up with Jonathan Hickman in this other thing I got.” What a fantastic opportunity! Here’s hoping the rookies knock it out of the park.
What’s more is the comic includes step by step submission information, and a sample script for the aspiring professional to manipulate the Marvel way.
Anyone remember the Marvel Try-Out book?
by Jeff Ayers Mar 04 2010
Let’s explore some corners of Geekdom from the last few days through pictures, shall we?
- HBO Picks up A Game of Thrones (pilot + 9 episodes)
- Mr. Spidderman at the Wailing Wall during Purim.
- Nick Simmons, son of KISS frontman Gene, plagiarizes Bleach manga, among others, in Incarnate #1, his comic from Radical Publishing. Amidst the uproar he released a gem of a statement: “This was simply meant as an homage to artists I respect… certain fundamental imagery is common to all Manga… I am certainly sorry if anyone was offended or upset by what they perceive to be the similarity between my work and the work of artists that I admire.” What a maroon.
- Don’t call it a comeback. That guy’s been here for years. DC’s Just Imagine Stan Lee, anyone? SHUDDER.
- J.H. Williams III signing at FPNYC 2/28. Great guy. Great day.
- Marvel published a hardcover of their superlative Strange Tales anthology comics from Summer 2009. Featuring original work from the likes of Peter Bagge, Paul Pope, Junko Mizuno, Stan Sakai, Dash Shaw, Matt Kindt and more, the book design is as sexy as the creator lineup is unbelievably talented.
Filed In: Boom! Studios, Events, Good People, Jeff Ayers, Marvel Comics, Stuff We Like, TV
Tags: A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin, Nick Simmons, Purim, spider-man, Stan Lee, Strange Tales
by Jeff Ayers Mar 03 2010
Davide Gianfelice, the Italian artist whose fantastic work fills the pages of DC Vertigo’s Greek Street each month and splashed onto the American comics scene with his work on Northlanders, will be signing at FPNYC on Friday March 19th at 6:30pm.
That’s just one week after the 1st Greek Street TP (ONLY $9.99!) releases!
Read more ›
by Jeff Ayers Mar 02 2010
As any fan of Forbidden Planet NYC can attest, the store and Uglydoll have gone together like Vulcans and Pon Farr for a number of years now. This week Travis Fowler and Andrew Greer felt the need to illustrate that further by shooting an Uglydoll promo… Beware the horrors of the FP storage area. There really are that many full long white comic boxes. Along one wall. And about twenty times that in total. The horror. The horror.
by Jeff Ayers Feb 27 2010
Cartoonist and former employee Austin English (Christina and Charles, Windy Corner) is producing a series of nifty paper mache hand puppets as he freezes his ass off in Stockholm, Sweden.
Largely an attempt to pay off his exorbitant gambling debts, he’s offering them for a mere thirty bucks (plus $7 shipping). They’re hand made and painted with watercolors and acrylic, so that’s not a bad price. He’ll also be bringing them to the MoCCA Art Fest (coming up soon- April 10th and 11th here in NYC).
You can find them, along with more of Austin’s art at his blog WindyCornerMagazine.
by Jeff Ayers Feb 26 2010
Now a copy of Batman’s 1st appearance has sold for over $1,000,000. One million, seventy-five thousand, five hundred dollars to be exact, through Heritage Auctions.
Same M.O. as last week’s Action #1 sale (only this buyer has spent more- sounds like a classic case of super-hero envy, if ya pick up what I’m laying down): Anonymous seller, anonymous buyer, high CGC grading, well over DOUBLE what anyone had ever paid for a single comic up until two weeks ago.
In other news your copies of Turok #1 ain’t worth nothin. But they do make good birdcage liners!
by Jeff Ayers
Totally meant to publish this yesterday at the height of its relevancy, but congratulations and happy 5th anniversary to Joe Gordon and the rest of our colleagues at the Forbidden Planet International Blog!!!
It’s hard for me to believe but today marks the fifth birthday of the Forbidden Planet blog. It’s a peculiar feeling because in one way it doesn’t really feel like it’s been five years since I posted that first blog item but on the other hand it also feels like we’ve been a part of the comics and SF scene for years. Good god – we have! Five years back as we were fading from winter into early spring we were waiting for the UK release of Sin City, rumours were rife Joss Whedon was about to announce he was doing a Wonder Woman film and Christopher Eccleston was the Doctor as the world’s longest running science fiction show returned triumphantly to our screens. Now it’s five years and two regeneration later and here we are; the blog has regenerated a bit itself, changing format and design and new cast members have walked into the console room to join us for our travels through time, space and sequential art (or comics, as normally call them) and add their very welcome voices.
The folks across the pond put a lot of time and energy into what was recently ranked by media company Cision high in the top 50 of all UK blogs. They really do a crackin good job and feature many an interesting morsel. I encourage you to check them out often. Personally, I’ve got them on my RSS toolbar.
Many returns, folks.
by Jeff Ayers Feb 25 2010
Our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends on his passing.
by Jeff Ayers
Because it seems I love to post vids, today may you enjoy Marvel’s latest Twisted Toyfare Theater/Robot Chicken-esque What The–?! offering- featuring Matt Fraction! Not really my thing, normally, but a special appearance by one of my favorite comic writers hooked me. The kids’ll love it. MODOK and Fraction, kids.
Alright, you’ve been granted your dalliance, Fraction. Back to work.
For those of you not familiar with Matt’s prodigious output I highly recommend his fantastically whacked out SF spyfest Casanova, or the last two years of Invincible Iron Man. You can thank me later.
by Jeff Ayers Feb 23 2010
A copy of Superman’s first appearance has sold for…
ONE MILLION DOLLARS!!!
The rare comic was sold by an anonymous party to an anonymous buyer (Shaq? Apparently not, as the sucker buyer is purported to be a “well known individual” here in New York whose impressive collection already includes a copy of the classic issue, albeit at a lesser condition grade) and conducted through auction site ComicConnect.com.
The ludicrous sale price is more than double any previously reported tendered for a copy, “justified” by the book’s 8.0 CGC grading.
In other news, your copies of Spawn #1 ain’t worth nothin’.
