SUPER DELICIOUS INGREDIENT FORCE

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?

SUPERHERO SLEEPOVER: The Girls

SUPERHERO SLEEPOVER: The Boys

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]

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

   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.

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

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].  

Weekend T: Rock Unique With TONY STARK and The THUNDERKITTYS

Some are already calling The WEEKEND T(Shirt) 'the Home of comics couture', but we pay little attention to the time-traveling contingent.  Our attentive peepers are instead focused on finding the  hot internet T-spots with the coolest comics on cotton that make sure everybody will see what you body is saying.  After all, Dabblers don't roll to "I'm With Stupid" when "I understand the cryptic nature of Shimizu's Kitty and can masterfully utilize current retro-fadtrending  and Thundercats so as to create a pop-cultural dichotomy that's at once pan-temporal and funny as hell" really just says it better -- and in a fashion-forward sort of way.  To put it simply: from the emphatic to the sublime, tees are personal statements that must equally be said well and wear well. And when dapple dabblers wanna wear awesome, they comicsblog  The WEEKEND T.

Spun Dry - $20 - Glennz [get spun Spidey]

Emerald Warrior - $30 - 80s Tees [vintage green is keen]

Stark Ironworks (Iron Man 2) - $24 - UberTorso  

[always lovin' logos]

Batman Rock - $25 - RedBubble [rad bat]

Designed by SevenHundred [more700]

And as theorized and scrutinized up top and also from SevenHundred,this week's Model T:

Hello Thunderkittys (Custom)  - $50 - RedBubble [meow]

Designed by SevenHundred [more700]

Get Back IN CHARACTER With Our DEATHSTROKE Desktop

Apologies to everybody waiting for the Titans: Villains For Hire Special to appear on yesterday's comicsblog. Obligations beyond the comics realm demanded our attention, as so often happens in the lives of heroes and dabblers alike, but we promise to pull double-duty and give y'all what we've got on tap today. Since a day can sometimes be a very, very long time-- especially if you've already been up for three (at least, that's what we hear) -- we thought we'd slide some Slade your way.  If you did your homework the other day, skip the bio and make this bad boy new Deathstroke desktop.  Everyone else, get crackalackin'. You know who you are, slacker. (Yeah , you!) Our Titans coverage returns in two...

Get Ready To Play: The ATOM Logo Tee Tops Off Our Day

For fans of DC Comics' tiniest titan, The Atom, and to celebrate this diminutive hero who - despite the flurry of recent comicsblogosphere controversy (that we are, for the moment, keeping clear of) - stood tall and proudly proclaimed, "I Am An Abbracadabbler!" the new Atom Logo Tee at SuperheroStuff.com is a perfect fit. We're all over those colors, and once payday rolls around, we'll have our order in lickety-split. In light of today's Aquaman humor, that sounds a little dirty, but when you imagine all day like we've been, your graphic imagination just can't help but go South.

That's it for us - and imagine all day - on the comicsblog for this late May Saturday, but you better be here tomorrow and then next week, when we've got another new surprise for dabblers near and far. One day next week - hell, maybe even two - we'll be taking another special time-out. Why? So we can play all day, silly.  Much more to come....always!

Buy your size of The Atom [here].

COMING SOON!

Who Will Help Us Watch The MR MEN?

Illustrator Steven Anderson adds some superhero style when he boldly takes Roger Hargreaves’ Mr Men and Little Miss series to a place its never been before.  Our favorite Hargreaves is Mr. Bump by far, but our top Anderson is still a really tough call. We're liking his Watchmen Mr Men a lot -- especially since Mr. Smiley Face and even Mr. Moore are right there along with the rest.  Still, Anderson and prolific artistry have created plenty of tough choices and we've yet to decide. Hmmm... Maybe you can help us name a favorite? You'll find all Steve Anderson's designs on his Flickr page [here]. Pick one or two, and get back to us via  Back Issues below!

Seattle's ELECTRON BOY Saves Sounders On The "Best Day" Of His Life

Junior Vasquez taught us back in 1996  to just disconnect Madonna if she ever called, and we took that advice to heart because, you know, it could happen. We're just happy he didn't feel the same about our wall-crawling bud, Spider-Man.   Because unlike a virgin, Spidey's quite accustomed to letting his fingers do the walking, whether it be up the side of the Empire State or through the pages of a phone book in Washington State. 

Last week in Bellevue, with some help from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Spider-Man himself gave a call to Erik Martin, a thirteen-year-old from the Seattle area who's living with terminal cancer. Erik, an obviously smart kid and a big fan of comic books,  gets creative by dressing up as Electron Boy, his superhero alter-ego -- and Spidey called to enlist his aid.

Spidey relayed to Erik that Seattle's Major League Soccer team, the Seattle Sounders, had been abducted by  the villains Dr. Dark and Blackout Boy, from their in the locker room at Qwest Field.  We figure Spidey may have been calling long distance, as he told Erik that only Electron Boy would be able to save the captive ball-kickers.

What followed was one of the largest volunteer-recruited events ever staged by the Foundation, as freeways throughout the area were closed down and over 20 motorcycle officers escorted Electron Boy and other local superheroes (who assisted with the scenario) to Qwest field and elsewhere, in an afternoon involving hundreds of volunteers in-the-know.

Just a super-cool story -- and one that must have been incredibly well-orchestrated, as by all accounts Erik aka Electron Boy was totally immersed in the illusion.  Not that he should have been suspect of the well-meaning shenanigans: when Spider-Man calls, by damn-it,  you answer, and you don't ask questions.  Junior...

The Seattle Times reports Erik's entire adventure [here], while his friends and family have created a Fans of Electron Boy page on Facebook, which you can find - and join - [here].

  Big Blue Jam by Chriss2D

NSFW: Two Sexy Superheroines For Your Manic Monday

Hmmm...let's see...Supergirl, or Wonder Woman?  Supergirl....or Wonder Woman? Supergirl.  Wonder Woman.  We doubt Moses could decide.  And if ever you need proof that two wrongs don't make a right, well, that's why God put Bookmarks on internet browsers.

Wonder Woman [via]

Boy, It's Vintage! Super Hero Sleepwear

Even Superheroes Need to Sleep

JC Penny Department Store catalog, page 39 (1976)

Twelve Guys Succeeding At The Super Hero Game

The 48th Annual Springfield Easter Egg Hunt begins in just over an hour, so, in an unexpected twist and turn of events, the Home Office has decided to dabble-down the comicsblog early.  Our (surviving) staff was aces with The Joker last week, and 'sides, even the most intrepid Springfield abbracadabblers deserves a treat every now and then.  But before we  hop along to the festivities, hoopla, and all-around holiday hi-jinx -- and the never-ending quest for a sugar high -- we're bringing a bit of spice to the blog.

Chris Evans, Ryan Reynolds, Chris Hemsworth, Justin Hartley... The names go on, but it's a short list of Hollywood's hottest. And they're not just hot; they're super. Why? Because we've all harbored the deep-down secret desire to be a super hero - and the twelve actors on the blog today count among the select few that succeeded.  Aside from their undeniable good looks, does this dozen have more in common than meets the eye? Are the heroes they play on TV or the silver screen simply parts to our boys, or do they feel they're a part of something bigger? If they have what it takes, do you? And are your chances even better if your name is 'Chris'?

All food for thought...Which reminds us, we're running late for a very important date. We hope your Easter is a basket of fun, too; we've got you off to a good start with twelve right here.  Sure, these dudes may not be as tasty as chocolate bunnies, but they are most definitely eye candy. Indulge your sweet tooth.

Chris Evans - Captain America [IMDb]
Steve Rogers (First Avenger: Captain America, Avengers)

Lucas Lee (Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World)

Jensen (The Losers)

Johnny Storm (Fantastic Four films)

Christian Bale - Batman III (untitled) [IMDb]

Bruce Wayne/Batman (The Dark Knight)

Bruce Wayne  (Batman Begins)

Chris O'Donnell - Robin, The Boy Wonder [IMDb]

Dick Grayson (Batman & Robin)

Dick Grayson (Batman Forever)

David Boreanaz - Angel [IMDb]

Hal Jordan / Green Lantern (Justice League: New Frontier)

Angel (Angel)

Angel (Buffy The Vampire Slayer)

Chris Hemsworth - The Mighty Thor [IMDb]

Donald Blake/Thor (Thor)

George Kirk (Star Trek 2009)

James McAvoy - 'World's Greatest Assassin' [IMDb]

Wesley Gibson (Wanted 2)

Wesley Gibson (Wanted)

James Franco - Harry Osborne [IMDb]

Harry Osborne/New Goblin (Spider-Man 3)

Harry Osborne (Spider-Man 2)

Harry Osborne (Spider-Man )

Ryan Reynolds - Green Lantern [IMDb]
 Hal Jordan (Green Lantern)
Wade Wilson (Deadpool)
Deadpool (X-Men Origins: Wolverine)
Blade: Trinity (Hannibal King)

Jude Law - Doctor John Watson [IMDb]
Dr. Watson (Sherlock Holmes)

Justin Hartley - Green Arrow [IMDb]
 Oliver Queen (Smallville)
Arthur Curry (Aquaman)

Brent Spiner - Lieutenant Commander Data [IMDb]
 Data (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
B-4 (Star Trek: Nemesis)
Lore (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
Dr. Arik Soong (Enterprise)
Dr. Noonian Soong (Star Trek: The Next Generation)

James Marsden - Cyclops [IMDb]
Techotl (Conan: Red Nails)
Richard White (Superman Returns)
Scott Summers / Cyclops (X-Men 3: The Last Stand)
Scott Summers (X2)
Scott Summers (X-Men)

 All photos (above) except as noted [via]

Brent Spiner  [via]