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Showing posts from 2012

The Promo for the failed animated Buffy the Vampire Slayer series

Despite being the hottest director on the planet, Joss Whedon still has regrets associated with the Buffyverse.  This animated series never got off the ground, no network would produce it.  It is a sore spot for Whedon and for fans of the Buffy television series.  Still, if you can't get enough of Buffy, the in-continuity comic book has been very successful.  They are up to season nine!!

Hugh Jackman

Great interview with Hugh Jackman

You gotta love it: AvengersTrailer

Disney to Acquire Lucasfilm

The view from Vista conference room @ PCA/ACA in Nashville

Studies in American Culture current issue.

PCA /ACA is in the Hutton Hotel. I'm liking the space.

PCA /ACA in the South Meeting in Nashville

Alan Moore Revisit the creative conflict over Jack Kirby and Stan Lee in Q&A

A Commentary on Dark Deeds

REBOOT DAREDEVIL

Answers, and Questions: Clarifying Creator Rights with Chris Roberson

Answers, and Questions: Clarifying Creator Rights with Chris Roberson   In April of this year writer Chris Roberson announced, via Twitter, his decision to terminate his working relationship with DC Comics. Citing “ethical concerns” linked to publisher’s treatment of creators his actions sparked widespread commentary in the comic world.  At some level, the decision shouldn’t come as a surprise. Roberson’s career highlights the opportunities and obstacles facing the contemporary writer and foreshadowed this decision.

Pacific Rim

The first official photo of Idris Elba in Pacific Rim has hit the next. I'm looking forward to it.  http://twitchfilm.com/news/2012/06/check-out-idris-elba-in-first-official-still-from-del-toros-pacific-rim.php http://collider.com/pacific-rim-guillermo-del-toro/171858/

We Will Avenge Them Or… Be Avenged?: The Individual in the US Experience

Rethinking Marvel's Avengers in a bigger sociocultural context We Will Avenge Them Or… Be Avenged?: The Individual in the US Experience

CW - Arrow: The Core Symbolism of Superhero

The trailer for CW's Arrow is pretty good. The production team cut its teeth on Smallville, so that is not a surprise. Still, the meta-narrative of Arrow, based on DC Comics Green Arrow is a very interesting choice with a big election looming in 2012. As any (some? a few?) fan of comic books knows, the Silver Age story of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow started out as a Batman replica (instead of a Batcave, you have an Arrow cave...you get the idea). The character did not inspire a rabid following:-) All that changed in the 1970s when writer Denny O'Neil rebooted the character and paired him with Green Lantern. The legendary Green Arrow/Green Lantern run featured a Green Arrow re-imagined as a socially conscious activist who challenged Green Lantern's simplistic "law and order" worldview. Since that transformation, Green Arrow has kept a focus on challenging authority and fighting for the "have nots" in society. In an era of uncertainty a hero out to ta

Avengers: The Benchmark for the Marvel Cinematic Universe

The Avengers was a great movie. While excessive descriptors are sure to come, this essential truth might be loss. The Avengers is an action movie, thus it suffers from its summer movie mass audience mission.  Yes, the Avengers has massive special effects, and unlike some recent 3D efforts, I think the Avengers used the 3D for the benefit of the film, not simply to drive up ticket prices. Yes, the film has great cast.  The actors did an excellent job, Robert Downey, Jr. has found his stride as Tony Stark/Iron Man, and I think Scarlett Johansson really evolved the Black Widow as a character. Mark Ruffalo' Bruce Banner/ Hulk provide a nice counterpoint to Tony Stark/Iron Man and Whedon smartly put the two together.  Jeremy Renner did a great job as Agent Barton (never really got called Hawkeye...exactly. Like much of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, his take on Hawkeye has more to do with Marvel Ultimate Comics than the classic Silver Age Marvel, but that point is more for c

The Avengers TV Spot

The Avengers New Tv Spot Hulk Smash

STATIC SHOCK #8 Trailer--The Final Issue

I'm sorry that Static Shock isn't going to continue within the New 52 .  While diversity has been one of the themes of DC Comics relaunch event, it hasn't been successful on all fronts.  Should we dismissed the overall focus on expanding the narrative universe?  I don't think that would be fair. While Scott McDaniel has spoken of classic problems associated with Static Shock's overall placement within the New 52, there is no question the editorial mandate at DC has been to broaden representation. Even with criticism associated with sexism and lack of female creators , in a medium heavily dependent on the visual, there are more characters of color and greater emphasis on diverse sexual orientation for the audience, which remains primarily male and white, to see and reconcile within their worldview. The disappointment in the failure of Static Shock has everything to do with the historic nature of the character. One of Milestone Media's original titles

Supercrooks Movie Teaser Trailer

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Left of Black, Season 2, Episode 24

neo Jonathan Gayles' White Scripts and Black Supermen: Black Masculinities in American Comic Books has been picked up for distribution by California Newsreel. I'm flattered to get a mention in this interview on Left of Black.

Starship Troopers: Invasion - Exclusive Trailer

California Newsreel - WHITE SCRIPTS AND BLACK SUPERMEN: BLACK MASCULINITIES IN COMIC BOOKS

California Newsreel - WHITE SCRIPTS AND BLACK SUPERMEN: BLACK MASCULINITIES IN COMIC BOOKS

Fearful Symmetry: John Carter and the Struggle of the Individual

Fearful Symmetry: John Carter and the Struggle of the Individual

ICv2 - 'AVX' Marketing Biggest Ever--Comics and the Crossroad of Commerce

ICv2 - 'AVX' Marketing Biggest Ever Is Avengers vs. X-Men "the" summer event for Marvel? Is this the response to the New 52 everyone is expecting? In truth, I don't think Marvel needs to respond to the New 52. They benefit through the pop cultural associative ether. Moreover, DC's efforts have not had the broad sales impact they hoped. While lapse fans have returned, long term growth comes from new (hopefully young) fans. Recent reports suggest the New 52 is not attracting fresh eyes. So, what exactly would Marvel be doing if it rushed to react? There is not a clear answer, so the question become what to do, if anything in response. To me, the answer is to do exactly what the are doing. Marvel is continuing down the path to develop stories and characters across multiple platforms and bring them to audiences utilizing Disney 's distribution channels. This was the pattern they had before the New 52 and it has not changed. We wonder if digital