abbracadabbling

MARINA BAY SANDS SKYPARK OPENS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION

2010-06-28T12:38:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, we're blown away architecture that's so fantastic and future-forward that it's like something out of a comic book -- like Dubai's Burj Khalifa, a rival for even Metropolis' elegant super skyscrapers. Marina Bay Sands, however, is more like something we'd expect to find on Risa, Star Trek The Next Generation's pleasure planet. Built by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation to be the launchpad for Singapore's budding tourism industry, Marina Bay opened the doors to its three towers Strip-style hotel in early April -- but it's main attraction saw guests for the first time just last week.

Resting 200 meters in the air and size-equivalent to three football fields laid end to end, the Sands' Skypark is a 380 meter-long roof top playground that spans across the length of the complex's three skyscraper structures. With an observation deck capable of holding 900 people alone, the Skypark itself hits it max capacity near 4 thousand; a 150 meter-long infinity swimming pool, bar, restaurant and spa, and a botanical garden with 250 species of trees and 650 plants keep visitors entertained if the view fails to impress.

Spending even one night at the Sands would come with a price tag well near $1,000; thankfully, $20 gets you into Skypark. No reservations are required, but we hear the para-gliding insurance is sky-high. More info on Marina Bay Sands on the hotel's new website - here.

SUPER DELICIOUS INGREDIENT FORCE

2010-06-26T20:31:00.000-07:00

Need more proof that superheroes are taking America by storm -- and not just at the box office? Now, they'll be protecting all of us at the drive thru, too. Taco Bell, our favorite purveyor of la comida rapida has launched their latest ad campaign - and the nation's newest band of superheroes: Super Delicious Ingredient Force.

In true team-up fashion, the 'Bell joined forces with advertising giant DraftFCB Chicago and legendary comics artist Neal Adams to develop a Taco team of Super Friends-esque heroes that would have their own online cartoon and appear on Taco Bell menus and signage - very similar to the use of the Hamburgler and Ronald for McDonalds. The result: Super Delicious Ingredient Force (or SDIF), a nine-member team that includes heroes like the blatantly gay Fantastic Rice and Flex Tortilla - a definite in-joke and spoof on Grant Morrison's own inside spoof-ish creation, Flex Mentallo - and a buzz-worthy video that succeeds at hitching Taco Bell to the superhero choo-choo.

The first of a planned trio of videos hit the internet this month; in over three minutes, the short's more mini-cartoon than commercial, and surprisingly as subversive as it is funny - or ridiculous, depending on your point of view. With a mission to rid the world of "minuscule meals of mediocrity," an El Camino that stands-in for the Batmobile, and a scene with a pickle that pushes into Family Guy territory, the humor and super hero shout-outs actually over-power the actual product. But that's likely the intention anyway: establish the brand - especially if the likes of Chicken Woman and Crunch Boy will soon be filling Taco lobbies as super standees.

Super Delicious Ingredient Force - pure awesome, for one reason or another. But after the enchirito was invented, who really needed another reason to love Taco Bell anyway?

HIATUS: ABBRACADABBLING BACK TO YOU 27 JUNE!

2010-06-23T22:21:00.000-07:00

Coming Attractions: IRON MAN 2 DVD EXPECTED THIS OCTOBER

2010-06-21T13:50:00.000-07:00

Although Iron Man 2's world premiere in late April had to be moved from London to Los Angeles thanks to travel complications caused by the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajokull, the sequel did make it into European theaters a good week before its North American debut. So in a way it makes sense that while no official word on an Iron Man 2 DVD has come from Paramount or Marvel Studios, the movie is already up on Amazon Germany for pre-order with a 7th October release date.

In addition to a single DVD release, Amazon Germany also lists a Blu-ray as well as a limited edition Iron Man 2 Steelbook for the 07 October date - and with details like those, it's a date we find difficult to doubt. The only questions remaining are what extra fans can expect to find when Iron Man 2 does hit, and if American fans will have to wait a bit longer for a heavy metal fix than their European counterparts. Considering the film made Europe first, it's altogether reasonable the DVD might, too.

As far the extras, the only clues fans have so far came from Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau, who noted just before the Los Angeles premiere that behind the scenes cameras 'were always running' and the future DVD should include several featurettes and a robust commentary.

Abbracadabbling will keep dabblers up to date with Iron Man 2 DVD news as it hits, so stick around...!

OUR THANKS TO DEN OF GEEK FOR THE TIP.

SUPERHERO SLEEPOVER: The Girls

2010-06-21T12:58:00.000-07:00

SUPERHERO SLEEPOVER: The Boys

2010-06-21T12:57:00.000-07:00

COMICS INSIGHT: Finishing JACK KIRBY's HAWKMAN

2010-06-21T12:53:00.000-07:00

New York-based comics illustrator and designer Brendan Tobin provides some quick insight into the creative process of comic book creation here by completing a rough sketch of DC Comics' Hawkman by legendary artist, the late Jack Kirby. Kirby originally penciled the work as a presentation piece for an unrealized Hawkman cartoon, presumably dating his initial sketch back to the late 60's or early 1970's.

[Interestingly, Kirby left New York and the comics industry behind in the late 1970's, disillusioned with both Marvel and DC Comics for not giving him fair payment or enough credit for his creations. He went to California and began a new career in animation, working briefly for Hanna-Barbera before winding up at Ruby-Spears in 1980. There, he designed characters and backgrounds for the Saturday morning action series Thundarr the Barbarian as well as created presentation boards for potential new projects. Although none of Kirby's concepts were produced before he died in 1994, the Ruby-Spears company (in tandem with Sid and Marty Krofft) announced in April they plan to revisit his ideas for production. ]

Working from the original pencils, Tobin completes what Kirby began, first by inking the Hawkman, then finally coloring and lettering. What he ends up with is an amazing piece of comics art and history. Tobin also posts this process on his own blog, which you can find [here].

Hawkman - Jack Kirby's original pencilsTobin inks Kirby's line work, then adds the lettering

Hawkman completed, Kirby -style - by Brendan Tobin

MORE TO SEE

The New York Times recently compiled an online slide-show of Jack Kirby's yet-to-be-produced cartoon characters and concepts, found [here].

Figures In Action! On The First Day of Summer, VICTOR FREEZE Is NOT Pleased

2010-06-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

MISTER FREEZE

DC Superheroes, Mattel (2007) [via]

TEN FUN SUNDAY: CLIFF CHIANG'S PRETTY IN PINK ...HEROES MOST UNSUNG...And More!

2010-06-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

One last round of great graphics for you before the weekend's officially over, with comics artist Cliff Chiang's latest mash-up at the head of the (brat) pack. Chiang's been turning out 12-inch Remixes, as he calls them, for the past couple years, merging famous comics characters with classic 80's album covers. His latest with the X-Men was auctioned at Heroes Con earlier this month, and its his second Remixed nod to the late director of Pretty In Pink, John Hughes. Chiang's first tribute casts the classic Teen Titans as The Breakfast Club -- and you can check it out [here]!

Iron R2 by Mike Verta

[via]

[via]

[via]

Spock, Esquire by Norma Bar

Heroes' Mister Muggles Wallpaper [via]

Hulk Hyde by 'Book Eats The Art'[via]

THE POWER OF ONE: THE DAYS, ISSUES, & DOLLARS OF AN AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

2010-06-20T16:31:00.000-07:00

The major players, the triple-A Big Two characters that top each publisher's 'A-Lists' of characters, are impossible to control completely, even by the companies that own them. Fan-films like Batman: City of Scars clearly illustrate this point: some superheroes -- Batman, Superman, Iron Man, Green Lantern, Captain America, and Spider-Man, for example -- have 'lives' of their own, their destinies often beyond the reach of the editors, writers, and artists whose job it is to forge them. From both a creative and a business standpoint, then, it's interesting to observe the machinations of Marvel's and DC's respective A-List business units and watch them exert the control they do have.

Marvel Comics' Spider-Man group under the direction of Executive Editor Tom Brevoort and Editor Stephen Wacker may be one's best bet to observe the editorial in action process. Wacker, who made an abrupt departure from DC Comics as editor of the experimental weekly comics title 52, in September 2006 to join Marvel and fell in with the Spider-office soon after, is the guy in charge of Spidey's day to day and as such, he deserves much of the credit for reigning in - even salvaging - Marvel's flagship wall-crawler. But How Wacker pulled that feat off must wait until we explore the one big Why.

THE TERRIBLE TREE

As a creative property, Spider-Man is unique among his fellow A-Listers as the only character not to have the privilege of being killed and inevitably resurrected. A-list superhero deaths, from Superman to Green Lantern, and Wolverine to Captain America, may have served to make a statement now and again, but in nearly every case, their main function has been to reign in a property that's spun completely out of editorial control. In dramatic storytelling, readers' interests are raised (as are sales) anytime a writer pushes the protagonist higher up the metaphorical tree and sometimes, there's no way to get them back down other than putting them six-feet under.

Marvel and writer Mark Millar sent Spider-Man up into that tree in 2006-2007, when the hero publicly revealed his Peter Parker secret identity during the company's Civil War mega-event. Spider-Man's unmasking achieved its goal of gaining major exposure and drove Civil War's sales -and those of the three Spider-Man titles being published at the time - even higher. But it also sent Spider-Man higher into the terrible tree, the same tree that would claim the fictional life of Marvel's Captain America just mere months later.

NOT DEAD...YET

To necessarily undo the genre-disabling damage that Millar's Spider-Man unmasking caused, Marvel's 'brain trust' took, upon editorial mandate, a more novel if not completely dissimilar approach to recreating their character: they - or Spider-Man - made a deal (literally and figuratively, it seems) with the Devil, the longtime Marvel character and demon, Mephisto. In the 2007 storyline One More Day, Mephisto agrees to undo all the harm Spider-Man's unmasking caused (including Aunt May being mortally wounded as a result) by making everyone forget whose face was under the Spider mask. The caveat was he'd only do so in exchange not for Peter's soul, but for his marriage to Mary Jane Watson. Peter Parker made his secret ID known to Mary Jane and married her in 'The Wedding' - a seminal comics event (and one of the most important in Peter Parker's life) that occurred in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21 in 1987.

Spider-Man's - and perhaps Marvel's - deal with the Devil set Peter Parker's life - and the stability of his fictional world - back to normal, though in true tragic Spider-Man form, Peter alone would remember what he sacrificed. Beyond the comic book pages, however, the story was different. Then head Spider-Man scribe and screenwriter Michael J. Straczynski, who wrote the events of One More Day, dismissed the editorial directive as "infuriating and downright disrespectful to anyone who has come to love Spider-Man comics over the years " and resigned as a result. His sentiments were shared by, we'd daresay, the majority of Spider-Man's fan followers, perhaps one of the most loyal - if not the most loyal - fan base in all of comics.

For a great many Spider-Man loyalists, the character they'd grown up with had died; for Marvel, the publisher had found the one way to rejuvenate Spider-Man and Peter Parker, which according to Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada, was necessary for the longevity of the Spider-Man franchise. While one single, all-important, life-changing decision by a character is the basis of all great drama, Spider-Man's pact with Mephisto was more than many readers could handle, and the unenviable duty of damage control has belonged to Stephen Wacker's group ever since.

BACK TO WACKER

It would be incorrect to assume Marvel's plans to ret-con Spider-Man were reactionary in the least; indeed, Stephen Wacker's move to Marvel from DC Comics weekly 52 project is just one indication that Marvel editorial had been planning to un-marry Peter Parker for quite some time. Immediately following the conclusion of One More Day, both Sensational Spider-Man and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man were canceled, and Wacker became the editor of the one remaining title and the franchise's flagship, Amazing Spider-Man. The move was a consolidation of control and a concentration of creativity. It was also a gamble; along with its price point increasing by one dollar - from $2.99 to $3.99 an issue -- Amazing Spider-Man would now be published three times a month instead of just one.

To find the tomorrow after One More Day, Spider-Man would make yet another ambitious move into his future.

Cinema Popular: BATMAN: CITY OF SCARS And The NEW GENRE OF FAN-FILM

2010-06-20T00:27:00.000-07:00

Ray Zablocki's quick video history of The Man of Steel is impressive enough to those of us out of the digital video loop, but guys like Aaron Schoenke take the bar of amateur production to an entirely different level. An incredible investment of time, talent, film, and financial resources (the film short cost roughly $27,000) on the one hand, Aaron Schoenke's Batman: City of Scars is, on the other, a testament comic books' enduring ability to inspire and compel their readers to create.

Fan-made films and videos based on comic book characters, popular Hollywood movies, and now even video game characters, are nothing new. (Hell, even our beloved Dabbler still talks about the GI JOE: A Real American Hero fan flick he made back in eighth grade! ) Ranging from the ridiculous and uninspired to productions worthy of discussion and merit like Schoenke's Scars, fan-made shorts - if anything - provide insight into what resonates.

Not surprisingly, Star Wars fan-flicks out-number those of any other character or franchise around; Fan Films, an online registry website, currently counts 312 fan-made Star Wars shorts. The BBC's Doctor Who comes in at second place with 128 fan works to its credit, with Star Trek placing in third with 84. Rounding out the Hollywood-spawned Top Five are (surprisingly) Friday The 13th (64) and Indiana Jones (50).

While Batman can't beat Darth Vader on that same list, the Dark Knight does land in second place overall with 144 fan-films made. Appropriately enough, Superman ranks as the second most popular superhero for amateur interpretation: he counts 71 to his name. Spider-Man is third with 51, and relative newcomer Green Lantern asserts himself as an up-and-coming challenger with 34 -- and rising. Interestingly, despite their broad longtime popularity, only 12 fan-films on Fan Films are credited to Marvel's uncanny mutants, the X-Men.

If 'Fan Cinema' or maybe Cinema Popular could be considered a genre unto itself, City of Scars, currently in the midst of much comicsblogosphere debate following its debut at Daily Motion yesterday, can already count itself among the cream of the fan-made crop.

Schoenke draws much of his inspiration from the recent blockbuster Batman Arkham Asylum video game, crafting his thirty-minutes to mesh quite well with the game's grisly, Gothic milieu. Scars is, in fact, the first fan-made film to be set in Arkham, and Schoenke 's camera captures the setting vividly.

It's the camera work - the mark of a good cinematographer and director - that sets City of Scars apart from the vast majority of fan film; Schoenke knows his tech and his skill using a light meter is beyond reproach. The film, like so many 'professional' movies do, relies on its look to convince and distract, and its more than enough to capture the interest of any wide-eyed fan boy.

But that's also the film's flaw, and Schoenke's piece - like the great majority of amateur, student, and fan-films - doesn't transcend it's fan niche for want of a story. While better looking and better crafted than most, Batman: City of Scars isn't really better told. The demands of production and editing being what they are, Schoenke's desire to conquer the mechanics of film make him and his story victims of their own fan-boy special effects.

Don't get us wrong: even criticism like that - if it's warranted - shouldn't truly detract from City of Scars. Although its creator may have more lofty ambitions, City of Scars does succeed at being what is: a fan-film tribute to the medium of comic books, to superheroes, and their innate ability to convince us all that yes, a man can fly.

SYNOPSIS:

When the Joker escapes from Arkham and murders the parents of a young boy, Batman recalls the pain of losing his own parents as a child. He is pushed past his limits to the point where his focus becomes revenge on all who stand in his way, including many of Gotham’s underworld. Finally, Batman is forced to look at the psychological profile of his own mind and accept the consequences of his life to find resolve.

Check out more short films by Aaron Schoenke and Bat In The Sun Productions on their website [here]. And if you're curious about City of Scars fan-filmed Bat-competition, swing over to Batman Fan Films, an entire website devoted to the amateur Bat-genre -- [here].

The Dark Knight by Bill Sienkiewicz

MORE ON MR SIENKIEWICZ [here]

DYNAMIC DUO: A HALF-DENARY

2010-06-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Family

Colored by qBatmanp [via]

Batman & Beaker [via]

Batman & Robin

by Dryponder [via]

Rite of Passage

by Eiko Chan [via]

Strings (revisited)

By Eiko Chan [via]

VIDEO: SUPERMAN OF THE MEDIA...And What Became Of Our SMALLVILLE Marathon

2010-06-19T02:06:00.000-07:00

If you were following our blog (and if not, shame, dabbler!) yesterday, you'll be happy to know that we're half-way through the Smallville marathon. Not everything went according to plan, but ah, they seldom do. Probably my fault, if you really want to get honest about it. My crazy notion just 33 minutes into the pilot episode, and by Hour Two, the gang had decided to turn our observance into a drinking game. Bottles appeared from nowhere, the keg came not twenty minutes later. And now....now, the night has become blasphemy, with half the crew either passed out or trying to get into the other half's pants -- and it's approaching two in the morning here. Cool, clammy Springfield, Oregon. This place...this spinning, hazy room...it never seemed so naughty as it does right now...

Where were we...where was I? I. Where am I? Yes. Superman. See, all those hours with Tom Welling and a bottle of Grey Goose made me realize just how pervasive Superman's presence has been, in literally every form of media these last 72 or 73 years; from stage to screens large and small, novels, newspapers, coloring books, and of course, the comics books... too much to dive into this late. Or when you're only blogging in boxer briefs. But for a quick - and animated, no less - survey of the media super, Vimeo contributor Ray Zablocki [link] does a bang-up job in less than two minutes. Check it out; one helluva hang-over and lots more for JONAH HEX and DC Comics 75th Anniversary coming at you this weekend.

KIRBY IS THE HERO OF DREAMLAND

2010-06-19T01:23:00.000-07:00

LMFAO. Ape Lad's a Southern California professional illustrator with Disney Interactive with a penchant, he says, for drawing hobos. He's also an amazing - and rather prolific - cartoonist with a flare for caricatures. His Jack Kirby is perfect; if the 'King' were alive today, he'd be laughing along with the rest of us. Check Mark Evanier's weblog [here] for a thorough and straight-forward Jack Kirby primer, and Ape Lad's Flickr stream is full of talent and goodness you'll spend hours with [here].

Figures In Action! AQUAMAN Hates HydroTherapy

2010-06-19T00:58:00.000-07:00

[via]

GRAPH-ITTI: The PAC-MAN Percentile

2010-06-19T00:48:00.000-07:00

Not Comics: RED CAT AND THE WINNER

2010-06-19T00:34:00.000-07:00

Red Cat and The Winner are about a famous idea of Deng Xiao Ping that changed China’s modern history.

In the late 70's, after the Cultural Revolution, Deng Xiao Ping expressed this idea: no matter what color a cat is, if it can catch a mouse, it is a good cat. Thus he confronted those who argued against his new policy as being more capitalist than socialist.

(On left) Jiang Peng, The Winner, acrylic on canvas, 200 x 150 cm

[via]

JONAH HEX: DEZUNIGA's Chosen One

2010-06-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

-- Tony Dezuniga, comic book artist and co-creator of JONAH HEX, when asked his thoughts on Hex getting the feature film treatment [via]

THE JOY OF 'HEX': GET IT HERE

2010-06-18T16:50:00.000-07:00

Abbracadabbling's second day of JONAH HEX continues! The film's already opened nationwide - and if you're feeling a bit ornery, it's probably just the thing for your Friday night. Undecided? We've got the our synopsis of the new DC Entertainment flick here to help you make up your mind:

Jonah Hex (Josh Brolin) is a scarred drifter and bounty hunter of last resort, a tough and stoic gunslinger who can track down anyone… and anything. Having survived death, Jonah’s violent history is steeped in myth and legend, and has left him with one foot in the natural world and one on the “other side.”

His only human connection is with Lilah (Megan Fox), whose life in a brothel has left her with scars of her own. But Jonah’s past is about to catch up with him when the U.S. military makes him an offer he can’t refuse: in exchange for his freedom from the warrants on his head, he must track down and stop the dangerous terrorist Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich). But Turnbull, who is gathering an army and preparing to unleash Hell, is also Jonah’s oldest enemy and will stop at nothing until Jonah is dead.

Fandango is the official superhero cinema online ticket vendor of abbracadabbling. Before you mosey on down to your local cineplex, get your HEX in advance - here.

TODAY IN COMICS HISTORY: SUPERMAN and 18 JUNE

2010-06-18T16:23:00.000-07:00

Don't be surprised if relatives in Kansas don't return your phone calls this weekend, or if half the folks you know are seen spotted running around town trailing a red cape. In fact, we'd suggest you fit yourself with a cape of your own and join them. It's a holiday, after all.

June 18th has long been observed as the day Kal-El's rocket ship, sent forth into the cosmos from the planet Krypton to save his life and in turn, for him to save ours, landed on Earth. As for the year of the occurrence, there's much speculation. Some say it happened in June of 1938, when Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster chronicled Kal-El's arrival in the pages of Action Comics #1. Others claim Krypton's Last Son crashed even before then; some say that it hasn't happened yet.

As with politics and religion - and one could argue that Superman is, indeed, a bit of both - polite conversation should make every attempt to steer clear of controversial matters of personal import. If conversationally unavoidable, we'd advise that in lieu of joining the debate, you excuse yourself with an appropriate "Up, up, and awaaaayyyy!" and seek your converts, if you must, in a less public forum.

Thankfully, comicsblogging is definitely not polite conversation, and its liberating platform allows us to present our views on the matter of Kal-El's crash-landing with (near) impunity. As the traditional of corn on the cob dinner is even now being prepared, the DVR already readied for tonight's 13-hour Smallville marathon and the final readings (a difficult choice between For The Man Who Has Everything and Issue #2 of Birthright) selected, let us say briefly that Kal-El's landing didn't happen in 1938 - although it did - and it won't happen in the future -- although it will. The space ship that carried baby Superman to our planet has, is, and will happen -- it will always happen, or be happening, no matter what the time or year or era.

Such is the way of the very best of stories, and the reason why 18 June is a truly important date not just in comics history, but in yours -- and ours.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

You already know the story. So, how would you tell it? If you're Grant Morrison, the answer would be '8 words.' Morrison and artist Frank Quitely's All-Star Superman is undoubtedly the greatest contribution to Superman's mythos of the last decade; for dabblers needing a refresher on this June 18th, there could be none better.

JONAH HEX Meets The JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA ...And So Did We

2010-06-16T18:52:00.000-07:00

When four members of the Justice League of America - Green Lantern, The Flash, Elongated Man, and Zatanna - become stranded in Southern Arizona circa 1878, JONAH HEX and several other DC Comics Western heroes come face to face with DC's modern heroes- and mainstream comics storytelling - for the very first time**. Published in 1982, JLA #198 and 199 were titled "Once Upon a Time in the Wild Wild West..." and while they maintain a certain importance within the fictional annals of DC comics history, the comics also hold personal significance for our main man and yours, The Dabbler.

While The Dabbler was no stranger to the heroes, the League's time-twisting adventure will forever be Dabbler's first Justice League of America comic books -- as well as where he first met Jonah Hex and his heroic posse (as pictured above), the characters Scalphunter, Bat Lash, and Cinnamon. Those two comics, and the amazingly-drawn double-sized Justice League of America #200 that followed, established the foundation of Dabbler's life-long love of all things JLA. After one look at George Perez' astounding Issue #200 wraparound cover art, we can only ask: how could they not?

The early 80's brought the world a lot of comics magic, and paved the way for Alan Moore's Watchmen, Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns, and The Dabbler's Abbracadabbling. As far as his relationship with comics stands, we're happy to report that it continues even today, as strong - and as expensive - as ever.

** We should note that while neither character remembers the encounter, Jonah Hex actually met an earlier version of the Justice League - and the still-active member Elongated Man - when both he and the JLA were thrown forward in time (Justice League of America #159 & 160) **

What Were You Like, BATMAN?

2010-06-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

JONAH HEX: MEGAN FOX On A Mannequin For 'Interview'

2010-06-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

We came out of the closet as Megan Fox fans weeks ago, and her co-starring role in Jonah Hex has got us pumped. Not super-pumped like a Justice League movie, mind you, but we won't say we're not happy campers, either. Considering she'll be playing Hex's hooker Lilah, we wouldn't gamble against Fox getting down and dirty with Josh Brolin's bad-ass. And if that turns you on even a little, Fox's photo shoot for this month's Interview magazine may make you electrocute yourself. She looks sleek and dangerous in black - especially with the black bob - and the poses she strikes while crawling across a naked alabaster mannequin are deadly. Check them all - and read what she said to writer Zach Galifanakis - on Interview [here].

DC Comics 75th Anniversary: Our JONAH HEX Mini-Primer

2010-06-16T17:34:00.000-07:00

Abbracadabbling begins our comicsblog look at DC Comics 75th Anniversary with JONAH HEX, the anti-heroic bounty hunter of the Wild West whose adventures sometimes border on the supernatural but always end in blood. Rumored to having killed 336 people in his lifetime, Hex's trademark is the result of a traumatic disfigurement he suffered during an Apache punishment ritual -- his right eye is enlarged with a cataract, and a scar runs down the right side of his face and across his mouth.

The character itself was created by writer John Albano and illustrator Tony Dezuniga, and debuted in the pages of All-Star Western comics, Issue #10 in March, 1972. Since then, Hex has remained the most popular - and most ubiquitous - of DC's Old West stable, and has starred in several of his own series while making appearances in even more. Yes, despite having lived 100 years before a rocket ship would ever deliver Krypton's Last Son to a cornfield in Smallville, Kansas, Hex's adventures have been told even within the main DC Comics Universe. How? Well, thanks to the benefits of time-travel - and quite likely the approval of the Justice League of America, whom Hex first met in the 199th issue of that team's book.

While not all comics fans - or folks in general - will be familiar with Jonah Hex, DC's done a good job of making the squarely B-list character more accessible. Tamed-for-TV versions of Hex have co-starred in episodes of the popular Cartoon Network series Justice League and Justice League Unlimited and, much more recently, on the hit animated show Batman Brave and The Bold (see right).

Tomorrow, the spaghetti-Western stylings of Jonah Hex gallop into theaters nationwide; it's the end of a journey that was often perilous and at risk far more than it ever was of being a success. That's typical for Hex, but not for a superhero screen adaptation. How the film stacks up we'll know before high noon on Friday; however, the movie has already accomplished a feat, at least within the halls of superhero cinema. Hex will be the first Old West comic book character to see itself on the Silver Screen. Old timers, don't buy a ticket and expect The Lone Ranger, because Hex is nothing if not different; from the Ranger's pulp and radio roots to the core of the character, The Lone Ranger is who Jonah Hex has for breakfast. Yee-haw!

Running Red: TRUE BLOOD SEASON 3 BEGINS WITH A BITE

2010-06-16T15:33:00.000-07:00

In case you forgot -- because we did -- the much blood-lusted third season of HBO's TRUE BLOOD began last Sunday, June 13th - and the series kicked off Year Three with all the vampires, nudity, and campy dialogue that fans had been dying to see during the show's downtime. Just like it did for season two, Sunday's premiere episode — titled “Bad Blood” — picked up just minutes after the events of last summer’s finale. But where True Blood takes us from here on out will be uncharted territory, even as the show - and its producer Alan Ball - continues to more or less follow the plot of Charlaine Harris’ Sookie Stackhouse books. With so many new characters teased at during the hiatus, True Blood will run quite thick this summer. For more True Blood - and the new IDW comic book series tie-in beginning next month - check abbracadabbling [here] and HBO's website [here].

PANEL LAUGHS FINALE: JONAH HEX TEASER

2010-06-15T19:28:00.000-07:00

By decree of The Dabbler, abbracadabbling signs off early with the Panel Laughs sweet 16th comicsblog JONAH HEX, the next film from the new DC Entertainment!

Directed by Jimmy Hayward and based on the DC Comics character Jonah Hex created by Tony Dezuniga and John Albano, Josh Brolin stars as the titular Hex, a bounty hunter with an unnatural ability to track down anyone -- or any thing.

The movie co-stars Megan Fox as Lilah, the hooker who doesn't miss her mark. And we'd be off ours if we missed Fox playing this saloon slut. She may not be into robots anymore, but we hear she's gotten really tight with the corset crowd -- and a certain surly 'n dirty bounty hunter from DC's Old West!

JONAH HEX opens Friday and on abbracadabbling tomorrow! See ya then!

Panel Laughs: Comic Book Cover History of THE X-MEN (15)

2010-06-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

(Right click to enlarge, then save)

Panel Laughs: Laugh With ABBRACADABBLING... And WIN!

2010-06-15T18:03:00.000-07:00

Don't play your cards too close to the chest, dabblers. Lay 'em all on the table by telling us which of our two day Panel Laughs is your favorite -- via comments or the always appropriate Back Issues! AND if you've got something extra special or plain superhero silly - let us know! If we use your submission in the next Panel Laughs, you'll win a a prize! Details coming up this week on abbracadabbling!

Batman's Card Game

[via]

Panel Laughs: Battle of The Bulges, MARVEL SWIMSUIT Style -- But They Only Nailed The Ads (13 & 14)

2010-06-15T17:41:00.000-07:00

[via]

In the 90's, comics were a runaway train racing South even before the 'bubble burst,' and Marvel's Sports Illustrated impersonation only greased the industrial track - and probably more poles than Nielsen. From 1991 to 1995, Marvel Comics' annual Illustrated Swimsuit Specials presented page after page of big boys with bulges and more superheroine T&A than a Rob Liefeld comic. Fittingly, the first Special featured members of the publisher's premier and woefully under-clad super-team, the Avengers -- and several of the Avengers' members to boot. For the money, our favorite shot has to be Adam Hughes' Janet Van Dyne aka the size-shrinking Wasp, pictured ironically here between the unmistakable manhood (manhoods? men-hood?) of Wonder Man (truth in advertising for days) and mister stars and stripes forever himself, Captain America, two dudes who suffer not from any shrinkage.

To be fair, the Specials didn't take themselves completely seriously, a fact especially evidenced by the slightly subversive phony advertisements and tongue-in-cheek articles peppered between their pin-ups. We think they're rather clever -- fake ads augmenting the illusion that the fictional Specials are real, while making valid, real world points on issues usually over-looked for fictional characters. Thanks (or no thanks) to Mike Zeck's ability to draw Canadians dripping sweat, it's a challenge not to imagine how a stanky wet Wolverine smells. (And you gotta love the “deoderant” -- import, maybe?) Thor's hammer ad is a whole 'nother horse, of course. Marvel's golden boy gets one page full of double entendres and a look that leaves little doubt this is one Thunder God who's more bent than the nails his hammer fails to, well, nail.

ART BY ADAM HUGHES

(To enlarge, click Right)

Even twenty years later, Marvel's faux marketing succeeds with the satire -- which, by the way, was also more the Swimsuit Specials goal than lending their hand to a monkey-punching fan base. But the proof's in the pandering, and Marvel's messages were mixed. In the battle of their Swimsuit bulges, Marvel Comics got cock-blocked -- by themselves.

Wolverine & Thor [via]

Panel Laughs: Seven Rounds For Seven Dwarves (12)

2010-06-15T15:26:00.000-07:00

Fairy With Guns IV

Panel Laughs: SPIDER-MAN's AUNT MAY Not Be Getting Any (11)

2010-06-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Poor Aunt May. Uncle Ben' been dead a long time, hasn't he? This could totally be a deleted scene from the first Spider-Man movie, we think. Peter Parker / Tobey Maguire's pubescent transformation after the spider bite does subtly suggest a certain metaphor where his webbing is concerned and besides being a laugh riot unto itself, May's sticky situation would certainly serve the plot well. By the time Mary Jane coughs up a web-ball for the big finale, we'd all be on the same page of ... [via]

Panel Laughs: ONE MORE DAY TO LAUGH YOUR COMICSBLOG A** OFF --- Tomorrow on Abbracadabbling

2010-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Pay absolutely no attention to the lies we dished earlier, dabblers. Panel Laughs has been way, way, way, way too much fun to disappear so quickly -- so we're gonna keep it around for one more day. Abbracadabbling tomorrow tackles PLNs (Panel Laugh Number, natch) #11 thru #20, and somewhere along there, the comicsblog will venture NSFW. Fair warning, and lots of f***-ing fun comin' atcha tomorrow -- we can't wait. But while you are - get back at us with your vote for today's favorite Panel Laugh. How? Back Issues, baby. It's all about who's got Back, and we're sure you've got plenty -- to say, that is. Faves, raves, rants, or pants - it's all good. And tomorrow, it's all Panel Laughs.

Panel Laughs: DONUT BACON CHEESEBURGER Is The Harbinger of Deliciousness. We Swear To God. (10)

2010-06-14T16:01:00.000-07:00

We've reached Panel Laughs' half-way and life demands we take a break from the blog. Duty calls, and Mother Nature's already standing in line. But break time means snack time in at least seventeen languages we know, and there ain't no break like the Donut Bacon Cheeseburger. Word's getting out on this bitch; what was once urban legend, the DBC Classic has now become synonymous with Springfield -- and more stretched-out elastic waistlines than could fill six local bingo halls, two double-wides, and a garage sale. We learned months ago - months - that in some parts of the country, donuts and bacon are considered health food. They're not just for cops anymore, no sir. This irresistibly yummy grease-stack is a testament to temptation, and who doesn't love giving to sin? So go on, hit your glutton button, we dare you. Bypass was invented for foods like this, and one heavenly bite of a DBC won't kill you...much. Indulge your deepest and darkest-- [here]

Panel Laughs: ROBIN Paints The Town Red (9)

2010-06-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

[via]

Panel Laughs: For Once, HELLO KITTY Isn't Completely Stupid (8)

2010-06-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Hello Kitty's popularity hinges on the fact that she's (it's?) a corporate symbol that symbolizes absolutely nothing. Seriously, we kid you not. The kitten's a blank slate: add meaning, and stir to your heart's content. Artist Joseph Senior apparently got that, and turned out a whole litter of the best mods we've ever seen. Hello Wolverine cracks our crack up - and you haven't even seen a third of the felines Senior fabricated. Normally, we'd never even think of bringing Hello Kitty home, but if we ran across one of these...we, umm..might say 'Hi'. For a whole new bunch of Hello Hilarity and to find your pick of the litter, go [here].

Panel Laughs: GREEN LANTERN: Not A Snowball's Chance In Hal (7)

2010-06-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

Arisia and Hal Jordan, the Green Lantern

[via]

Panel Laughs: BATMAN Loves Him Some Peeps (6)

2010-06-14T14:50:00.000-07:00

[via]

Panel Laughs: CALVIN and HOBBES, The Other Dynamic Duo (5)

2010-06-14T14:16:00.000-07:00

Panel Laughs: Surprised By SUPERMAN, Little Johnny Wet Himself and Lowered The Water Pistol... (4)

2010-06-14T14:13:00.000-07:00

Panel Laughs: X-MEN 3 Could Have Been Better IF...Solution #4278 of 5000 (3)

2010-06-14T14:07:00.000-07:00

Panel Laughs: Suddenly, AQUAMAN Isn't The Only Dude Who Can Talk With Fish (2)

2010-06-14T14:02:00.000-07:00

By Evan Yarbrough [via]

Panel Laughs: Wesley Snipes Hunting A Vamp Tramp

2010-06-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

[via]

WARNING: Today's Comicsblog May Cause PANEL LAUGHING

2010-06-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

Whatever we might have planned for today -- screw it! We're turning comicsblog FUN-- ON! You'll chuckle, you'll wonder, you'll be amused. You'll think, you'll ponder, and surely grow enthused -- to Vote - TODAY! (hurray!) - when Panel Laughs ends, for that favorite pic or panel, you must email to friends!

Oh, and that reminds us: Spontaneous Blog-rhyming - don't try it at home. Not even if you're supervised by an adult. Especially not then. Okay? Good. Panel Laughs x20 begins...NOW!

POW! ZAP! PUNCH! Super Heroes And The Abstract Icons Of BOB KESSEL

2010-06-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

BIG CHIN-CHIN

Crazy-fresh back from her guest-lecturing gig at gay Paris' Musée du Louvre, our super quirky Superhero Artisan is back -- and she's already mixing it up like mad. Check back with her last two turns on the comicsblog and you'll see what we mean: Michael Myer's 'super minimalism' collides with Rodolforever's deco distillations in a colorful explosion of angular abstractions, and the result is the work of commercial artist and illustrator Bob Kessel.

Kessel has been in front of an easel for over thirty years. His many series include works inspired by masters from Matisse to Michelangelo and themes as exotic as Japanese erotica, but comic books' (and anime) inescapable iconography is one area in which he clearly revels. And he approaches those heroic subjects from the outside in: begin with Kessel's Mythology or Minotaur, proceed past the somewhat muted colorings of his Pulp Art to the Picasso-esque abstractions of his Roy Lichtenstein homages, and ZAP! WHAM! POW! you've arrived where the real fun begins.
Err, make that POW! WHAM! ZAP!, Kessel's newest art series to celebrate American super heroes. Combined with the many pieces of his other super series, POP unintentional, and his timely tilt to IRONMAN2 (see also below), it's relatively quite incredible how numerous his comics-inspired works are.

But they might not be for everybody. Geometric and linear - Euclidean Geometry or Invisible Plane being just two great examples (not to mention puns) - Kessel's particular subjects should stand out to comics fans, a group more skilled in art theory than some may think and who are more than familiar with abstract symbolism. Because that's what superheroes are - symbols. Comics are filled with the rectangular frames and active lines that also restrain and mobilize Kessel's work, and the colors of both function to identify as well as clarify (see Gossip below).

The similarities to minimalism - our Superhero Artisan's favorite genre - are present throughout here, and Kessel works toward - and arguably reaches - the same goals of representation we've seen before on the comicsblog. But each canvas in Kessel's comics collection is comparably busier, edgier, louder, and way more in your face. (Yes, that is a technical term from the Louvre, if you must know.) In Kessel's art, Hans Hofmann's simplification is working overtime, its principles evident in Kessel's emphasis on color and line and the spatial relationships created as a result. In those last points, theoretically and visually, abstract expressionism - appropriately also referred to as action painting - and minimalism diverge.

But screw the art criticism! Art is a personal and subjective experience like sex or appreciating Grant Morrison, so we're turning you loose to form your own opinion. Superhero Artisan's inclined to think that Kessel's a closet comic geek, though other critics across the comicsblogosphere have stated the artist simply appropriated comics' geeky goodness for his own purposes. What say you dabblers? abbracadabbling wants to know all, so get at us once you get down the page and let us know what you're thinking. Deal?

EUCLIDEAN GEOMETRY

[define it!]

HEAT VISION

INVISIBLE PLANE

GOSSIP

ALL-SEEING EYE

IRONMAN2

DIAMOND POP MARTIAN

COSMIC CRACKLE

PUNCH!

Artwork on today's comicsblog can all be found in the artist's online gallery - here.

Loving the abstract stuff? Follow Bob Kessel's art-centric blog - here.

DANK METALLO KRYPTONIJUANA

2010-06-13T11:32:00.000-07:00

[via]

Boy, It's Vintage! The Many Faces - and New Possibilities - Of SUPERMAN

2010-06-12T18:54:00.000-07:00

(Right click to enlarge)

It's odd to say, but before comics artist Curt Swan came aboard Superman in 1957, a page filled with drawings of Superman at his most expressive wouldn't have even been considered. Although he had a penchant for drawing action, Superman's former penciller, Wayne Boring, in many ways lived up to his own name; assisted by the far-seeing vision of editor Mort Weisinger, the man who assigned him to the book, Swan defined the look and feel of Superman for the duration of the Silver Age -- and beyond it. Indeed, from 1957 and for the next 30 years, Superman was Swan's character. The squared jaw was gone; so, too, Superman's single-plane flying style. All of this was replaced by Swan's realistic, strong, expressive human faces and scenes of flying that were at once both fluid and graceful. Swan didn't retire from Superman until 1986, and it was his characterizations of The Man of Steel - of Superman's humanity- that Christopher Reeve emulated for the classic role which he, too, lent his signature. Superman's Many Faces from The DC Vault [via].

Gone, Gone, The Form of Man...Arise 'DEMONS IN ACTION' - ETRIGAN!

2010-06-12T17:59:00.000-07:00

Etrigan The Demon

Inspired by the comic strip Prince Valiant, Etrigan (and his human tether, Jason Blood) was created by the late great Jack Kirby for DC in 1972. As a demon, Etrigan's used to the heat and is looking forward to the summer -- as well as the 75th Anniversary of DC Comics celebration on abbracadabbling, his favorite comicsblog. In 2007, Mattel's DC Universe Classics Wave 1 cast Etrigan in six-inch effigy, and now small replicates of his unholy Demon-soul now dwell dispersed across America in households unaware.....rhyming, and waiting (but mostly rhyming), for terrible beautiful Apocalypse to begin. Photo by Tenzo

WE"RE CELEBRATING 75 YEARS OF DC COMICS... ALL NEXT WEEK!

2010-06-12T17:32:00.000-07:00

DC Comics has had their publishing pedal to the metal the past several weeks in honor (and in preparation) of their 75th Anniversary --- and rightly so. The company that introduced Superman and Batman and Wonder Woman, not to mention the actual concepts of superhero and comic book, celebrates three-quarters (!) of a century this year, and we promised them that we'd keep pace. Running at super speed is nothing new for your favorite comicsblog, but what we've been working on to share with all of you in the coming week most definitely will be! So stick around for a FULL 7 1/2 DAYS of abbracadabbling's Anniversary coverage of DC Comics' 75th!!

OL' DR. BILL MOULTON MARSTON: He Had No Choice But To Pen The Truth

2010-06-12T17:25:00.000-07:00

[Source]

SUPERMAN Vs AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (1976) NM ...NOW ON SALE @ PRESENT MAGIC COMICS! [UPDATED]

2010-06-12T15:09:00.000-07:00

You can probably tell by our embarrassing lack of new posts that your buddies here at the Home Office have had quite the week, can't you? (You can, huh? Drats!) Well, we weren't planning on keeping it a secret, anyway; seriously, how could we? We've spent our waking weekday hours inside the Present Magic Comics Shop on eBay - which, as dabblers know, is the place where abbracadabbling makes magic happen!

Here's just a few of the amazing new items currently posted:

[UPDATE 13 JUNE 2010
Strike the Paul Levitz signed Legion of Superheroes #1, dabblers! We're pleased as punch to report that the very collectible comic has found a new home. An abbracadabbling congratulatory shout-out to Kevin from Tampa, Florida - thanks, dude!]

Did we mention that our Blackest Night action figures from DC Direct are also on sale? Check 'em out here:

The store's packed with so many incredible comics collectibles, we'd never believe it if it wasn't ours. But it is - and because we're the boss, we're gonna get your Saturday off to a great start! abbracadabbling is stoked to offer all dabblers who follow our daily blog an additional 10% off the sale price of one item at the Present Magic Comics Shop -- just be sure to mention this sweet little dealeo at your time of checkout and we'll have ya covered!

So take a few and go strolling where the prices are low and it doesn't take magic to get a great deal -- the Present Magic Comics Shop, on eBay. Members, sign in to eBay [here] and visitors to the Comics Shop, welcome. Please enter [here]. Thanks, dabblers!

10% abbracadabbling discount good thru 15 June 2o10

QuotA: HANS HOFMANN, 20th Century Infusion

2010-06-10T03:17:00.000-07:00

The comicsblog quotA is filled today by German-born American abstract expressionist painter, Hans Hofmann. Primarily concerned with pictorial structure, spatial illusion, and color relationships, Hofmann believed that abstract art was the way to get at what was really important. (Unless you're eating a Twinkie, then not so much.) Read more about Hans [here] and on the abstract expressionist artistic movement [here].

NOW The Secret's Out...(damn)

2010-06-10T02:24:00.000-07:00

Figures In Action! GRANT MORRISON'S NEW X-MEN - MINI-MATE STYLIN'

2010-06-10T02:15:00.000-07:00

YES YOU CAN...In A Single Bound

2010-06-08T18:21:00.000-07:00

The ISSUE Is...TITANS: VILLAINS FOR HIRE SPECIAL #1 - FINALE!!! (Part FOUR)

2010-06-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

The weekend is here, and so is the FINALE that most have been dreading while others of you just couldn't wait for! The Titans Villains For Hire Special reaches its conclusion today... but as you'll find out, the comics' story doesn't end on the last page. But that's not the issue for us today; for you, us, and a very troubled Ryan Choi, THE ISSUE IS...

...Deathstroke! The Terminator doesn't just invite himself into the home of Ryan Choi, The Atom; he's brought friends. Jade, who's angry, troubled, and quite homicidal. The Tattooed Man, fresh from a funeral and looking to whip our hero's ass but good. And then a naked flaming chick Choi's never met. Thankfully, neither will his girlfriend, as Deathstroke allows her to walk away from the other other hottie in Ryan's home -- Cynder. Cynder, or Osiris, a studly Middle-Eastern dude The Atom can't help but fall for...

Need a re-read, not a re-cap? Go HERE for PART I of the Titans: Villains For Hire Special; for PART II, go HERE, and if you dare, PART III, HERE.

UP NEXT: Villains For Hire - Under Fire!

Story and all characters are TM and copyright DC Comics 2010. Full solicitations for DC Comics' Titans:Villains For Hire Special #1 can be found on their website [here].

Figures In Action! PETER PARKS IT AT MIDNIGHT

2010-06-06T16:10:00.000-07:00

Spidey & The City

Photograph: Linda Barbosa

Boy, It's Vintage! GOTHAM CITY, MID-SIXTIES

2010-06-06T16:04:00.000-07:00

Yvonne Craig aka Batgirl

Catches Up to TV's Dynamic Duo (1966) [via]

Figures In Action! THE FASTEST MAN ALIVE

2010-06-05T22:30:00.000-07:00

[via]

FABLES Find Their Way To TV -- Thanks To The BBC (America)

2010-06-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

We haven't tuned in faithfully to BBC America since Absolutely Fabulous ended, but any anglophile (with a taste for fine comics fare) who has recently may now have bragging rights for witnessing first-hand a veritable moment in comics history. Late last month, the network began airing an advertisement for Bill Willingham's Fables, one of Vertigo Comics' most popular, innovative, and longest running series.

We've never seen nor heard of comics being advertised on television, much less in a campaign initiated by the network itself. Truly a comics' first, dabblers, and if you're familiar or have read Fables, we're certain you'll agree the BBC couldn't have picked a better book to broadcast. If you don't know Fables, you should; in fact, Fables might very well be THE comic that gets you hooked on the medium itself.

The series, which began in 2002 and is quickly approaching its landmark 100th issue, tells the real tale of Snow White, Little Boy Blue, Cinderella, Bigby, the Big Bad Wolf and many other characters from fairy tales and folklore who collectively refer to themselves not as human, but as 'Fables.' At one time, the Fables lived in their magical Homelands far separated from humanity. But a war with The Adversary forced many of them to flee to the our world, the world of the 'Mundies,' and live clandestinely among us in a small New York City burrow called Fabletown.

If you're thinking Fables sounds too much like a Walt Disney cartoon, think again. While a few of Willingham's characters -- like Babe the Blue Ox and the other non-human Fables that would be noticed in the City and live instead Upstate at 'The Farm'-- talk and are cute enough to be cast in a Mouse movie, Fables is more aligned with Aesop or the Brothers Grimm than anything Disney.

But enough from us. Check out BBC America's Fables spot and we'll meet ya down below.

Short, but damn it looks sexy! Could we be more right? If it's Disney at all (which it ain't), Fables is the one that got the triple-R stamp for loads of violence, sex, and mystery -- and that's from just the bit with the Old Woman Who Lived In A Shoe.

That said, ABC was actually interested in turning Fables into a series, and in December 2008 ordered a pilot from TV mega-director David Semel. But not much has been said since that time, and we'll be interested to see what effect, if any, the BBC spot has on Fables' mass appeal.

Or, for that matter, if Fables' ad leads to more comics going commercial on TV -- a medium publishers have never before directly utilized to promote or sell their monthly magazines. Unless, of course, you count cartoons or live action shows like Wonder Woman or The Incredible Hulk. We did say, directly.

By now, we'd bet all the goose's golden eggs that the uninitiated have gotten mighty curious by now and are dying to find out what Fables is all about. If that describes you, take BBC America's advice and go now to check out Fables' first issue. You can download and read it for free from the Vertigo Comics website- HERE.

Two Uniquely BATMAN and ROBIN

2010-06-04T20:25:00.000-07:00

Batman? Robin? Batman AND Robin?? We don't have to be the world's greatest detectives to know a clue when we see one. We'll keep digging. But if we're right -- and we just might be -- a comicsblog fan-favorite is about to return...and nothing will ever be the same again...

Artistic Credits

(Top) The Bat-Signal by sneed

(Bottom) Robin Tim Drake by Iantoy [via]

CALVIN and HOBBES: Straight To The Point

2010-06-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

DC, Service Me: The Perks & Quirks Of Summertime Works

2010-06-04T13:06:00.000-07:00

The Public Service Ads or PSA's we've come across in the pages of modern comic books have really changed in both appearance and content over the years, yet they continue to provide valuable insight into the behavior, culture, and important issues facing youth of the time. A quick flip of any comic from the last ten to fifteen years would indicate that young people today are faced with many serious choices, like whether or not they should smoke marijuana while judging the merits of a Nintendo Game Boy over a Sony PSP. That's rough stuff. Woo. (You can't see it, but we're shuddering.)

It's comforting to know that kids didn't have it much easier fifty, even sixty years ago. Comic book PSA's of yesteryear were every bit as serious as today's, and surprisingly, many of them are just as relevant now as they were then. From the 1940's through the 1970's, DC Comics often ran single-page comic strips that contained social and health-related messages directed to young readers; 'Earn While You Learn' being just one of many terrific examples.

Our DC, Service Me PSA of the Day appeared way back in August of 1957, in Issue #39 of the popular science fiction title, Mystery in Space. Although the ad contains implied substance use by a minor, and the kinds of drugs young guys deliver today may no longer be prescription, the argument it presents for seeking summertime work is laudable and far outweighs any risks in our opinion. Job descriptions come and go, but the benefits of gainful employment have, quite thankfully, endured for decades.

(Right click to enlarge)

Special thanks to Mike and his amazing research of DC Comics Indexes [link], as without either today's blog would not have been possible.

THE ISSUE IS...TITANS: VILLAINS FOR HIRE SPECIAL #1 (Part THREE)

2010-06-03T18:59:00.000-07:00

Talk about being tardy! Okay, okay, we've heard the whispers and read your Back Issues and we assure you, we haven't been completely lazy. Sometimes a little suspense is good for the soul. Nevertheless, the Home Office has listened. We know that you know what THE ISSUE IS...! It's Part III of Titans: Villains for Hire Special, courtesy of Eric Wallace, Fabrizio Fiorentino, Mike Mayhew, Hi-Fi, Travis Lanham, and of course, DC Comics!

In PART I of Villains, Ryan Choi aka The Atom doesn't get a moment's rest after he confronts The Floronic Man. He returns home only to find super-assassin Deathstroke The Terminator sitting in his living room. He knows he's out-matched; what he doesn't know is that Deathstroke brought friends. Jade's in the house - and lucky for The Atom, she's off her game. But Atom's luck doesn't hold in PART II when The Tattooed Man joins the fray. So much for turning over a new leaf! Things are about to get worse, too: Ryan's got the hots for Amanda, and she's on her way over a nightcap. Little do either of them know their relationship is about to go up in flames...

Need a re-read, not a re-cap? Go HERE for Part One of the Titans: Villains For Hire Special; for Part II, go HERE.

THIS WEEKEND: Part Four - FINALE!!

Story and all characters are TM and copyright DC Comics 2010. Full solicitations for DC Comics' Titans:Villains For Hire Special #1 can be found on their website [here].

What Would MARTHA STEWART Do?

2010-06-03T18:41:00.000-07:00

[via]

Pug tastes like chicken. And now you know.

No Need For New Plates: James Bond's Finest Drive Is Up For Sale

2010-06-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

If you're a dabbler in need of new wheels, look no further. James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 from the original Goldfinger movie is now up for sale to the highest bidder. And it's already been outfitted with everything an abbracadabbling spy guy would need: hidden machine guns that pop out from the side, revolving license plates that actually work, oil slickers and smokescreen makers and even a bullet proof windshield. The car's original ejector seat comes standard, too; it just doesn't work. Still, when it comes to automotive safety, there's not a car out there that could hold a candle -- or a sub machine gun - to this baby. Of course, this is 007 we're talking about, and the Aston won't come cheap. The estimated final sale price -- over five million. [via]

BOOSTER GOLD Is An ABBRACADABBLER....Are You??? (No Pictures, Please)

2010-06-03T16:47:00.000-07:00

Figures In Action! Danny Rand, The IRON FIST

2010-06-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Total Flamer: IRON FIST (Marvel Legends Series 12)

Photo by Tenzo, via Flickr

Boy, It's Vintage! Wonder Bread BOY WONDER...Among Others

2010-06-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

The seventies were the last decade to have just one 'Boy Wonder', the original Robin, Dick Grayson. Dick was definitely a busy little beaver in those days; no wonder that DC Comics saw fit to introduce successors and replacements for him, beginning in 1983 when Jason Todd assumed his duties as Batman's brightly-clad sidekick. But who knows? Maybe Dick should never have agreed to that Wonder Bread gig back in 1974. In all fairness, no teenage boy we've ever known would turn down a sweet opportunity like that, either. And when role-models like Superman or upstanding Gotham businessmen like The Penguin (ahem) agree to bare it all on trading card, you can't really blame the kid.

Then again, maybe Robin didn't have much of a choice. Wonder Bread's the best selling bread in America, and probably was in 1974, too. Dick must have gotten some major exposure, but so would have DC Comics and their parent company - Warner Bros - that just happens to share the same initials as the bread bakery in question. Coincidence? Perhaps. Unless you know that Wonder Bread's owned by Hostess, whose relationship with the comics industry back in the day was tighter than a pair of the Boy Wonder's briefs. We'll let you draw your own conclusion.

Robin [via]

The Penguin & Superman [via]

Boy, It's Vintage! FLASH GORDON...Or 'Why We Wanted Hotpants For Christmas'

2010-06-02T11:55:00.000-07:00

Today, Camp remains King, but Starling Film's Flash Gordon bombed when it debuted back in December 1980, a sci-fi treat that couldn't compete with the expectations set the summer before when The Empire Strikes Back. A big helping hand (voice?) from Freddie Mercury and the progressive love for 'Retro' (not to mention the evolving sophistication of movie audiences and an aging Generation X) have transformed Flash Gordon into a cult fave and a yet-enduring testament to Alex Raymond's comic strip creation.

If sticking around for the new wave of classic sci-fi revamps is good enough for Buck Rogers and Dan Dare, then don't count Flash out, either. Sony Pictures and director Breck Eisner (Michael Eisner's kid) have epic plans for the space jockey, promising 3-D but no Queen when the character returns to the silver screen. Whether we'll see Flash in tight leather -- which would be soft-core porn in 3-D, not such a bad thing at the box office -- is debatable, but definitely not out of the question.

Though Eisner's made it quite clear his Flash won't be another Clash of the Titans disaster, his flick is still searching for its script and its tentative 2012 release will likely be rescheduled. That would put Flash Gordon in a place more dangerous and far more competitive than Mongo -- Earth, early 21st century, where it's not camp but costumed superhero cinema that reigns supreme. If Flash gets clad in ass-less chaps, few people will probably even notice.

Technicolor 'MARVELS'

2010-06-02T10:24:00.000-07:00

[via]

'Forced' Perspective: Too Soon STAR WARS?

2010-06-02T10:20:00.000-07:00

RIP, Gary Coleman. But -- damn! Who knew Yoda had height!? ... Still too soon? [via]

Forget What You Know: The Real REAL Origin of WOLVERINE

2010-06-02T10:11:00.000-07:00

Be sure to watch out for those glowing radioactive wolverine animals when you're in Canada, eh?. They're like everywhere, dude.

Our JUNE 2010 Monthly Contest: Abbracadabbling's Off-The-Cuff MEME CHALLENGE!

2010-06-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

[via]

Fucking brilliant piece, absolutely. But we want in on the meme thing. So --- four words, turn it into a comic strip. This is the only dialogue, and let's say, eight (8) panels minimum...to sixteen (16) maximum. Keep it to a single page, black and white only. One other rule: be sure to tell a story. Then do a quick scan and send it into the comicsblog. We'll tell you where soon. We'll also post all entries, best one wins a nifty cool prize. C'mon, dabblers - you got all month. Put those noggins to work and get creative on our ass.

Jim Woodring's TREEHUGGER Is Freaky Funny Phantasmagoria

2010-06-01T14:42:00.000-07:00

Treehugger

It's like Wednesday Addams and Winsor McCay's love child drawing black-and-white old skool Disney on a bad acid trip , isn't it? Strangely freaky, surreal stuff is the style of Jim Woodring, who's been Seeing Things his entire life and even dropped out of college after hallucinating a cartoon frog during an art class. Since then, he's designed for Mr. T, mentored with Jack Kirby, and even penciled for Harvey Pekar. Jim, and then Frank, are his best known works, but Weathercraft is his most recent, which according to Woodring is best described as an "unholy hybrid of human ambivalence." If you dig dream art, comics sans words that take you places you didn't think possible without popping a pill, check him out. You'll find his blog [here].

DC Comics Hits A 'Homer' With NEAL ADAMS' BATMAN ODYSSEY

2010-06-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

SuperComputer: SGT ROCK On A Smoke Break

2010-05-31T16:11:00.000-07:00

Sgt. Rock

Wallpaper by Vamak [via]

Right-click to enlarge, then save

The ISSUE Is...TITANS: VILLAINS Part III Online --- TOMORROW!

2010-05-31T16:01:00.000-07:00

Due to a spontaneous decision at the highest echelon, abbracadabbling's The ISSUE Is... will be rescheduling Part III of our Titans: Villains For Hire online comics presentation from today until tomorrow, in observance of the Memorial Day Holiday. Check down the comicsblog for Part I and Part II of the very controversial storyline, then get back with us tomorrow for all the Part III action. We'll see ya soon, dabblers!

Aussie Cosplayers Set New World Record In Honor Of DC Comics 75th Anniversary

2010-05-31T15:52:00.000-07:00

Avengers assemble! No, wait...how about, Superhero dragsters and comic-con cosplayers unite! And that they did, too -- in the land Down Under (Underoos?) over the weekend. According to the Australian, 1,245 people dressed as Superman, the Hulk and plenty of other superheroes gathered in Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia, earning their rightful place in Guinness' Book by breaking the previous UK-held record of 1,091 for the most people wearing superhero costumes in one place. Of all the costumed attendees, Superman was the most popular costume, followed closely by Batman, Robin, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman. Warner Bros sponsored the event in honor DC Comics' 75th Anniversary this year. For an entire online photo gallery from the event, go [here].

Get Ready For EXPLORING GRANT MORRISON --- Coming Soon To ABBRACADABBLING!

2010-05-31T15:23:00.000-07:00