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

MISTER FREEZE 

DC Superheroes, Mattel (2007) [via]

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

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]

What Were You Like, BATMAN?

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

Yvonne Craig aka Batgirl 

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

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

Who The Hell IS He? Let's Have Dick Ask.

 All-Star Batman and Robin The Boy Wonder by Frank Miller and Jim Lee (DC Comics)

Thanks, Dick. 

Put Your JOKER FACE On

[via]

The Most Wonderful Toys: Our TOP 2 JOKER Collectibles for 2010 (so far!)

April Fool's Day is nearly over - and thank God it is, because the body count is rising here at the Springfield Home Office. Luckily, in a college town like ours, interns are a dime a dozen.  As it turns out, so are body bags at Wal-Mart. Doing good business always comes with a price tag, and sometimes, even a toe tag (or three). But we digress. 

Before the laughing died (and we literally mean, died) down around here and Joker got (carjacked) a ride back to Gotham,  the conversation invariably turned to toys and what wonderful ones Batman always has.  That conversational detour started to get Mister J a bit hot under the collar, until we reminded him that there's some great toys out there that really are all about him. Joker's got plenty of fans, and if you're one of 'em, you'll want to pay attention to our Top 2 Joker Toys of 2010.

DC Direct fashions their individual toy lines after DC Comics' fan-favorite comics and stories, and their figures come to life looking like they just leaped off the page and onto your shelf.  The Joker's no exception to this rule, and our cute Clown Prince has found himself cast as plastic fantasy several times over the last decade, including the three smiling sociopaths we've got pictured for you above.  The Joker  as he appeared in Grant Morrison's landmark story-arc Batman & Son,  Joker from Vengeance (or Superman/Batman: Series V), and what we like to call the 'Liberace Joker' from Frank Miller's The Dark Knight Returns are just three of the Joker action figures that could be in your collection right now.  

In fact, DC Direct has sixteen other Jokers for you to choose from, too. Among our favorites: The Joker as he appeared in Alex Ross' Justice League (Series 3) and the ultra-cool (and bit more expensive) 13-inch Joker collector's figure in DC Direct's 1:6 Series of heroes and villains.  

The next Joker to hit the shelves of your local comics store with much ensuing homicidal hilarity will be the DC Origins: (Series 1)  Joker, a two-figure box set with both a Mister J then and Mister J now tucked criminally inside. It's priced at a steal, too - around the $22 mark, and you'll find it after 05 May 2010. Check out the entire DC Direct line - HERE.

DC Direct's best Joker of the year is due this November, and as you'd expect, it's also the most pricey. The MSRP is $325,  but it's a hell of a lot less expensive than training another trio of interns, that's for sure. (Sorry, we're venting now that Mister J's stepped out). Ah, well.

We think this is one dy-na-mite if not classic rendition of the Clown Prince of Crime, and well worth saving some pennies for over the summer.  At long last, DC Direct will be adding The Joker to their made-to-order, exclusive 1:4 scale museum quality statue series. Manufactured from a variety of mixed media elements from resin to fabric, Joker stands 19" high x 11" wide x 7.25" deep, and will be packaged in a 4-color box with a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity.  For more info and a 180-degree look at Joker 1:4, go HERE.

* * * * * * 

We had even more cool Joker toys lined up for tonight's blog, but  sadly we've run out of time. The clock's about to strike midnight, and another April Fool's Day will be behind us all. What can we say: we had fun, we had laughs, and, on behalf of the Office staff that's still breathing, we'd like to thank Mister J for co-hosting Make Me Laugh: April Fool's with The Joker with the blog today. 

Now if you'll excuse us, we've got another body to identify...

Quote: The JOKER On Why We Laugh

The Joker by Shawn Van Briesen [via]; Quote by abbracadabbling

AN 8-BALL OF LAUGHS: Eight Great JOKER Pics for The April Fool

abbracadabblers are natural jokers - it seems to go with the territory.  But we're not like The Joker, Gotham City's 'Clown Prince of Crime' and the most popular, best-known bad guy in the world. Most of us aren't, anyway. Joker doesn't mind having tricks played on him (just ask Batman), because in his world, payback's a bitch and he knows he'll always have the last laugh. So it took a few dozen roses (plastic ones of the acid-spitting variety) and a box of chocolates (See's Candies, insertable razor blades by Gillette), as well as one very gullible Springfield Home Office intern to make the delivery, but 'Mister J' accepted our invitation to guest host April Fool's Day on the comicsblog.   

Yeah, we figured that would make you smile! And since nothing gets Joker grinning wider than seeing himself in pictures (unless its seeing Batman in pieces), getting things off to a good start with comics art seemed liked a bright idea. In honor of Mister J, and in fond memory of our former intern we hope you get a laugh enjoying these eight really great takes of The Joker himself...

Joker & Harley by Alex Ross [via]

Joker (or Giving Batman a Little Prick) by J. Chin [via]

Joker by Cinar [via]

The Joker V3.0 by pungang [via]

The Joker (Dark Knight)

by Crump3t [via]

Steampunk Joker by Odingraphics [via]

Joker's The Bomb

by Strongstuff [via]

Blog masthead Joker art courtesy of sound addict  

via his deviant art website here.

Join The JOKER for an abbracadabbling APRIL FOOL'S DAY

YGI Meets The Artisan: Superheroes Done Art Deco

To sate Your Graphic Imagination and its voracious appetite, we're serving up some delicious Art Deco tonight - and it's superhero style, just the way you like it.  Art Deco was big in the United States between 1925 and 1940, making the very popular movement a contemporary of comic books and superheroes, both of which grew up during the same period. Interestingly, Art Deco later became a major influence on the works of Andy Warhol and his fellow Pop Artists, many of whom also drew inspiration from the conventions of comic art and comic book storytelling.

Twenty-four year old Rodolforever is a Mexico-based illustrator and graphic designer who says he's got a passion for comic books. His latest designs - this Art Deco set of superhero movie posters - really capture the look of the Deco movement while portraying their heroes with a modern sensibility. We can't imagine that anyone wouldn't want one of these pieces on their tallest wall; Art Deco Superheroes - or, superheroes for decoration - is aesthetic common sense, plain and simple.  

Find the time to visit Rodolforever on deviant art HERE, where you'll be able to view the rest of his awesome Art Deco series. Among the other designs, the balance of the Batman feature films plus a new one for Iron Man 2. Take a look: your graphic imagination will be pleased!

BAT-MITE and FOUR MORE FANTASTIC PORTRAITS OF BATMAN'S FAMILY

Batman by Fernando Lucas [via]

Artists Fernando Lucas and Daniel Cox are the highlights of our Monday morning blog. Lucas captures  his subject much like Fritz Lang might once have done, but  he throws a very contrary wrench into his portrait and in doing so, tells a story of very different Batman.  Cox's painting (below) takes us from the boundaries of the 'frozen moment' and frames a story like a panel plucked from the pages of a comic book featuring the Batman Family's most elusive member, Bat-Mite. Modeled after Superman's impish nemesis from another dimension, Mister Mxyzptlk, residents of Bat-Mite's otherworldly home idolize the heroes of DC Comics, dress like them, and, it seems, use their magical powers to drive them batty. For a very serious superhero like Batman, Bat-Mite's an odd element in a dark world. Which, in the long and sometimes difficult history of the Caped Crusader, is exactly the reason why the diminutive nuisance pops in from time to time.

 

Covering The Caped Crusader continues today with our third series of fantastic portraits of Batman and those he knows best... and we're not even close to being done!

Damian - Robin V by 89g [via]

Batgirl (negative space) [via]

Nightwing & Outsiders by 89g [via]

Bat-Mite by Daniel J. Cox [via]

Something About Superheroes: Five Compelling Portraits of THE BATMAN FAMILY - Part II

The Batman by DJ Cox [via]

Something about superheroes - and in particular, the Batman - is extraordinarily compelling to artists. It doesn't matter the age of the artist, or whether they're professionals or amateurs; similarly, they do so without regard to their chosen medium or preferred subject matter. They don't need to be fans or read comic books - indeed, many of them aren't, and don't.  Nevertheless, when they create, sometimes these artist create superheroes. 

Maybe it's the fact that superheroes were born of an illustrated medium, making them prime candidates for continuing artistic exploration. Just as the comic book's drawn pages tell a story,  the creations of the artist do as well -- one frame in place of many, static instead of sequential, but a story is framed and told nonetheless.  Yet unlike most comic book stories , where the single panels on a page collectively flow together to illustrate motion - action,  the creations of the artist focus instead on the story that can be found within the single moment - a frozen action, where a comic's words and sound effects are replaced by color, mood, and line. 

 

It's here, we think, that we're beginning to get closer to what that 'Something' about superheroes may be.  By capturing the superhero in the single moment, the artist's creation does not so much emphasize what their subject is doing, but rather what he is being.  Effectively, the super aspect of the character disappears, leaving only the hero to portray. Despite their costumes - and also because of them - there's something about superheroes  that suggests that they are us, and we are them. Many superheroes have the power of gods, but unlike history's abundant imagery of similar begins - for example, Jesus Christ or the Olympian Gods -- we find ourselves relating to their likenesses,  and their humanity.

 

Sunday night food for thought, dabblers. Keep your eyes peeled, because abbracadabbling will be exploring Something About Superheroes a whole lot more as the comicsblog continues...

 

Last month's Five Fantastic Portraits of the Batman Family blog received tons of great responses, and when our dabblers talk, we listen and respond in kind.  Covering The Caped Crusader  returns with our second set of Batman family portraits, and they're some of the most compelling we've ever seen.  We're especially loving the sweet black-and white re-imagining of Batgirl by comics artist Pia Guerra. Guerra's one of the few women illustrators in the business, and although some might have said the odds were against her, she won two Eisner Awards while working with superstar writer Brian K. Vaughan on Vertigo's Y: The Last Man - one of the very best comic series of the last decade, hands down. 

 

Without further ado...

If You Meet Batman by Lubomir Arsov [via]

Pia Guerra's Batgirl [via]

Joker by Fernando Lucas [via]

Batgirl (rough) by 89g [via]

Boy, It's Vintage! 1964 Batman SILLY-PUTTY Ad

Yeah. "Buy me where you bought this comic so I can destroy it". Makes sense to us...

[via]