Archive for "Jul 20 2009"

The Monday Wrap-up.

Little tidbits of news popped up over the course of the day, including more photographs from the first episode of Matt Smith as the new Doctor Who.  Probably my favorite line of the day regarding the outfit change is from Tom Peyer, saying he’s the new Tucker Carlson. I was rolling on the floor laughing at that one, but Tom’s a pro at that stuff. I laugh like an idiot when anything comes out of his mouth. Other news surfacing today:

• “High Moon” writer David Gallaher brought to my attention the Top 5 Comics that get magic right.This is an incredibly intriguing article.
• I guess Jason Aaron just got signed onto to write Punisher Max.  I could have sworn this happened when Garth Ennis left, or, at least, it should have happened. Regardless, I’m all over this book like a cheap suit.
• “Torchwood” star John Barrowman talks with Whitney Matheson over at Pop Candy about tonight’s premiere of the five-night “Torchwood” event “Children  of Earth.” Reviews are through the roof about this mini-series, and I was really pumped to check it out unfortunately this afternoon I found out that somehow BBC America is no longer in my cable package. Everyone, boo Time Warner with me!

Tomorrow, look for some San Diego Comic Con coverage.

“Jennifer’s Body” Graphic Novel announced.

Shocktillyoudrop.com has an exclusive preview of the comic adaptation of Diablo Cody’s next film starring Megan Fox, “Jennifer’s Body.” Published by Boom! Studios, the book will be written by Rick Spears (Black Metal) and drawn by an all-star cast including Jim Mahfood, Nikki Cook, Tim Seely, and Ming Doyle.

I kind of roll my eyes in general at the movie, but considering the level of talent involved, (any book with Nikki Cook art is a win for me) I simply must buy this book.

The book will be on stands in August

Happy Anniversary, Moon Landing!

“Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon. I am the first man to piss his pants on the moon.” — Buzz Aldrin

And to Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the original Moonwalk Dancers.  And to Mankind.

If you’ve ever visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum you’ll have seen artifacts from Apollo 11, and come to the absolutely insane conclusion that, “Hey, they shot these dudes to the moon in the best space age polymers the could find in the 60s:  Some SCUBA gear, some plastic, a garbage can,  and a little tinfoil.”  Nevertheless, one of the most important, inspiring events in human history is 40 years old today, and it should stand as a stark  reminder to us all that we, the human race, are capable of incredible feats of ingenuity and imagination that soar well beyond the dictates of otherwise ugly nature.  And that one  must never underestimate the United States’, nor MTV’s, desire to plant their flags wherever they go.

All snark aside, people throw around the word “awesome” as lightly as the article “the.” And that includes myself.  The moon landing was truly awesome… whether you believe man has ever truly set foot on the moon or not, you crackpot.

I’ll be celebrating the occasion flipping through my copy of Spacesuits, a wild art book from powerHouse Books that photographically chronicles nearly five decades worth of suit design and testing (can an astronaut play Baseball in the suit?).  It’s absolutely one of my favorite books on the FP racks right now, and appeals to the part of me that wanted to grow up to be some combination of Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, and uh… um…  Boshek.

DC Comics Writers Consulting on Warner Films.

An interesting piece from the Hollywood Reporter creeped up yesterday, and it seems like no one has written a thing about it.  Apparently, Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison, and Marv Wolfman have been hired by Warner studios to consult on the film properties of DC characters they’ve written.

Levitz and DC’s Los Angeles-based film exec Gregory Noveck have overseen a reorganization of the development slate. While Warners execs still drive the creative side, DC now has more input, making it an actual participant in the shaping of material.

“The creative process is by and large a true partnership,” Noveck said. “They’ll ask us a ton of questions, and we’ll give a ton of answers. We will talk back and forth. We’ll discuss writers and talent, but ultimately it’s their decision.”

This past fall, Warners quietly hired three of DC’s biggest writers — Geoff Johns, Grant Morrison and Marv Wolfman — to act as consultants and writers for its superhero line of movies. The move involved taking back the reins on projects being handled by such producers as Charles Roven (“The Flash”) and Akiva Goldsman (“Teen Titans”).

Hollywood insider types have grumbled about working with Johns, Morrison and Wolfman, according to the THR story.  Even though all have film experience.  Though, apparently, the situation has already paid off, because Johns wrote a treatment for “The Flash” movie with screenwriter Dan Mazeau and will be a producer.

This is most certainly welcome news to this “Flash” fanboy, and also fills my heart that Warners is taking this approach.  By hiring these writers, you almost certainly have the trust of the fans who love these writers. It also gives fans a security blanket knowing that people like Johns, Morrison and Wolfman care about what we like, and want to bring that to the big-screen version of characters they love just as much as we do.

The studio is taking pitches on sci-fi hero Adam Strange and the underwater-breathing hero “Aquaman,” to be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and his Appian Way shingle.

Also in the pipeline: “Bizarro Superman” being written by “Galaxy Quest” scribes David Howard and Robert Gordon; a sequel to “Constantine,” with Goldsman and Erwin Stoff producing; two concurrent Green Arrow projects, an origin story and a prison-set one titled “Super Max”; and “Shazam,” which was set up at New Line but has moved to Warners, with Pete Segal attached to direct.

The projects Morrison and Wolfman are working on are currently in-development, which is Hollywood-speak for “still writing” and “none of your business.”

New “Doctor Who” outfit revealed.

Like I’ve mentioned before I’m a huge fan of “Doctor Who.” So when they announced that someone two years younger than me will be taking over the role from David Tennant, I was curiously cautious. I found this story via “Phonogram” artist Jamie McKelvie, who twittered the BBC News story that included the above photograph.

Matt Smith, the new Doctor, will be the 11th Doctor and the first image of him left me grimacing slightly.  I think it had something to do with his reject-from-Flock of Seagulls-haircut, but considering new “Doctor Who” head writer and executive producer Steven Moffat rejected writing the Tintin script for Steven Spielberg for this show, I kind of trusted him in that “Are you INSANE?!” way. That whole situation gave me a “harumph” moment, because clearly it shows his commitment to the show and also the state of his sanity.

I don’t know why this is a big deal, but since the new series started five years ago people have made a big deal out of what the Doctor wears.  I remember the number of stories that came out when the first image of David Tennant came out commenting on his nerdy style with glasses, long coat, skinny tie and Converses.

This just kind of looks like they’re moving backward with the outfits rather than forward.  The outfit looks more like something William Hartnell and Patrick Troughton (the first two Doctors) would have worn.  And, honestly, the picture just kind of exudes this sense that Smith is dressing up in his parent’s clothes.  In a similar manner to that dude who plays Chuck Bass on “Gossip Girl” looks ridiculously embarrassed in pretty much everything he wears like he’s dressing in a style that he himself wouldn’t be caught dead in.