Kick-Ass 2 Redband Trailer

I’ve been a huge fan of the comic, so it’s great to finally see Kick-Ass resurface after disappearing from my radar.

Check out the trailer here: http://www.mtv.com/videos/movie-trailers/887615/kick-ass-2.jhtml

Marvel releases alternate opening to The Avengers

The blu-ray/dvd release of Marvel’s The Avengers is just under a month away (Sept. 25th) and Marvel has wasted no time in getting us excited by steadily giving us bits and pieces of what’s sure to be countless hours of special features. While many blu-ray/dvd bonuses include alternate endings, The Avengers will also include an alternate opening. Check it out below:

This might-have-been opening to The Avengers definitely sets a much darker and somber tone compared to the rest of Whedon’s quippy, light hearted action film. It also paints  a different picture of Mariah Hill’s character and hints at a what could be a plot thread that was dropped from this installment of The Avengers and and even its sequels. Thoughts?

Count Down to Comic-con: T-Minus 1 Day – SDCC Pick Up Lines

San Diego Comic Con has a lot of potential for meeting that special someone, but let’s face it, it ain’t always easy, especially for us geeks and nerds. While you may think you look great in your killer Batman costume you might still feel more like the Dork Knight. The point is, when it comes to dating, even heroes get the jitters. Remember Sam Gamgee at the end of the Return of the King? After everything he had been through, hitting on Rosie was still the worst of it all. Breaking the ice is often the hardest part. But never fear, us Babblers have compiled this list to help you along.  I proudly give you: Comic Con pick-up lines:

10. “Let’s boldly go where I have never been before.”

9. “Want to SPOOON!”

8. “My secret base or yours?”

7. “Don’t worry, while they call me the Flash, I like to take things slow.”

6. “You’re lucky you don’t have telekinesis or you’d slap me right now.”

5. “Flame on!”

4. “Let’s make a Game of Moans panel .”

3. “Look, just because I’m dressed as a Predator doesn’t mean I am one.”

2. “Do you play Call of Booty?”

1. “Want to have a Thor-gasm?”

Count Down to SDCC: T-Minus 2-Days! – Tr!ckster 2

As if you didn’t have enough to attend already, you can check out Trickster. Initiated last year, Trickster focuses more on comics and art and less on big time movies and television. It also focuses more on indie and artist owned creations and makes the creators far more accessible to fans. Don’t count them out though as many big names have been spotted hanging out there including Steve Niles and Mike Mignola. Oh apparently Tom Morello from Rage Against the Machine is expected to stop by for a free show. Here is their website: Trickster

Dark Horse Announces Full SDCC Booth Schedule

Aaaah! SDCC is right around the corner! You’ve got your panel line up planned, but what about your the exhibit hall? Amidst all the chaos, your favorite exhibitors also have some great events, giveaways, and creator signings scheduled at their booths. Dark Horse announced their booth schedule today and they’ve got some pretty exciting stuff lined up, including signings with The Goon creator, Eric Powell, Angel and Faith writer, Christos Gage, Felicia Day, and . . . . . Joss Whedon!!!

Here’s the full Dark Horse line up. They’re booth number #2615.

Countdown to SDCC: T-Minus 6 days – Cartoon Network News

Here is a fun little tidbit as well. Cartoon Network has announced it is hosting an Adventure Time “Comic-Con Quest!” Stop by the Cartoon Network booth at #3735 to pick up your costume map that will lead you to all the locations you must visit.  Complete the quest in time and you will receive “exclusive” rewards. While we don’t know what this is, if you are a fan of Cartoon Network we have no doubt you will love it.

Countdown to SDCC: T-Minus 13 Days

In our award winning series we continue to countdown to SDCC 2012!

Here is something interesting I stumbled upon yesterday that you may want to check out while at SDCC. While you and I both know that the comic book world has some amazing artists, it is generally not considered a “high society” or “artsy” genre. So who says you can’t get a little cultural while at San Diego Comic Con this year?

Hopefully you are aware by now that the Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya) is suffering from one of the worst famines in decades. Somalia in particular is in trouble as they have had no functioning government since the mid 1990’s. There are literally millions of people  at risk. Africa is a place I have come to care greatly about and so I was thrilled when DC Comics launched the “We Can Be Heroes,” two-year, multimillion dollar campaign to raise money for humanitarian groups working to provide relief in the famine struck area (as reported by B5’s Tony Kim.)

Okay. so, what does this have to do with the SDCC? There is a touring art exhibition called Darkness and Light: Art Inspired by Heroes and Villains, Hope and Heroism that will be viewable by fans attending Comic-Con this year. Various artist, most notably Jim Lee, have donated pieces of art work to the tour that will be mixed with photography’s of the real heroes, humanitarian aid workers, fighting hunger in Ethiopia. At the end of the tour the pieces will be auctioned off to support relief efforts. Proceeds from sales of variant cover comics also went to the cause. They had a pretty cool shirt you could get for making a donation to the cause as well and I can only assume it is still available since this is a 2- year drive.

I won’t get on my high-horse here, but I do think in our 21^st century world where we have so much, it is sad that people still go without food and clean water. I would expect the DC booth to have some info on this as well. I plan on checking out the art show whatever the case may be. Here is the info of where to find it.

www.wecanbeheroes.org

Michael J. Wolf Fine Arts

363 5^th Ave. #102

San Diego, CA 92101

This is literally 2 or 3 blocks away from the convention on the corners of J St. and 5^th.  We can only

assume that Michael J. Wolf is distant evolutionary cousin of Michael J. Fox.

Diablo 3, Walking Dead, and Comics Podcast

 

podcast104(diablo3:walkingdead)

Deep thoughts on the Avengers…

 

Congratulations to the Avengers for setting back-to-back weekend records! I have to admit this is really, really cool. Growing up, there were two types of nerd, DC Comic and Marvel Fans (or Star Trek vs. Star Wars). I was a Marvel fan (with the exception of Batman, who is universally loved.) The old Marvel G.I. Joes written by Larry Hama were the first comic books I ever got into and it wasn’t before long that it spiraled into X-Men, Wolverine and other random assortment of Marvel properties.

Not only that, I loved watching the Marvel themed TV shows. I loved the old 1960’s Spiderman cartoon with the hit song, “spiderman, spiderman, does whatever a spider can…”, the old Incredible Hulk TV show with Lou Ferrigno, and of course, Spiderman and His Amazing Friends, with Iceman and Firestar. Spiderman and his Amazing Friends was one of the more popular 80’s cartoons and for its time featured good animation and decent plots.  We used to play like we were these characters all of the time.

But there was one Marvel property I wanted desperately to like, but just couldn’t do it because they were well, just too cheesy (even by my 80’s elementary school standards) and that would be the Avengers.  You can’t deny their place and history in the comic book world, but by the time I was a kid they were pretty second rate. I wanted to like them, I wanted them to be good, but they just weren’t.  That is, until now.

It really started with the Ultimate series, where Marvel reworked them into a tougher, grittier and more realistic series of characters. Then the movies starting coming out, and the characters became popular again.

There has never been a movie like the Avengers. They have been building up to this movie with a series of FIVE other movies for years now.  The stakes for Marvel, Disney, and director Joss Whedon were huge and many questions were raised as to whether or not they could pull it off, and they did, with amazing results.

Think of it this way, Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, Captain America, and The Incredible Hulk were all on some level, decent movies that did well. Sure Iron Man 2 wasn’t nearly as good as the first one,  and Hulk wasn’t as good as Captain America, but for all intents and purposes, all of those movies were decent, if not great, on one level of another. If you are a movie production company, say DC, wouldn’t you take those results any day? Look at Superman, Catwoman and the Green Lantern.  (Dark Knight is all they have had.)

“Spider-stan, Spider-stan…”

It’s great to see these old, classic characters be given a chance to shine.  Did you ever think the Avengers would outsell X-Men comics?  As a Joss Whedon fan I am thrilled to see him finally cement his place as one of the new talented directors. More importantly, as a Stan Lee fan I am thrilled to see the Avengers do so well.

I have to think the ole’ Generalismo has got to have a grin on his face. These last few years have seen the smash success of his greatest creations, from Spiderman, to the X-Men and now the Avengers.  I hate to say it, but he is getting up there in age, and we don’t know how much longer he will be with us.

I have to think that as a writer and creator these films and comics will go down as a lasting tribute to his legacy. That when his time does finally come, he can rest in peace knowing he will always be remembered. Not just by comic fans and nerds, but by the greater population of movie going America, and the millions he inspired.  And of course, by a young, red headed kid with whom it all started by staying up late at night and reading G.I. Joes. Here’s to you Stan, Excelsior! And we salute you.

Superman

New Superman banner releases. Thoughts? Leave your comments below.

Wondercon 2012

Welcome to Wondercon 2012!

Chewbacca (left) Co-Pilot of the Millennium Falcon and Joe Hill (right) Creator/Writer of ‘Locke and Key’

My buddy Jeremy opening ‘The Guild’ cards with the lovely Felicia Day!

Can you say, Time Paradox? Whovians Unite!

Lou Ferrigno (left) Sad ‘Hulk’ song plays.. Yoda (right) He celebrates St. Patties day too!

I think the Avengers lost a few things…

 

Fiona Staples (left) artist of ‘Saga’. Scott Snyder (right) writer for Batman, Swamp Thing, and American Vampire (creator)

Samara (left) from Mass Effect 2, Faye (right) from Cowboy Bebop

Fantomex and Archangel (left), Katniss Everdeen (right) from District 12.

Game of Thrones promo. Only 1 more week away from the Season 2 premiere!

Overall, Wondercon was great this year. Artists and Writers are more accessible at a smaller Con (like this one) in comparison to the Mother Con- SDCC. It was so great getting to meet Joe Hill, Scott Snyder, Fiona Staples, Felicia Day, and Joss Whedon. But, shaking hands with the Legendary STAN LEE, was a dream come true. IT. WAS. AWESOME. I think I could die happy now. Next trip- San Diego Comic Con!

Wondering about WonderCon?

If you weren’t fortunate enough to acquire passes for Comic-Con 2012, then you should really consider WonderCon March 16-18. Held for the first time in Anaheim (across from Disney), WonderCon has much of the feel of Comic-Con with less of the hassle. With an impressive programming line-up, it is sure to fill your nerd tank to full. We are most looking forward the panels for Amazing Spiderman, Prometheus, Fringe, DC, Marvel, Once Upon A Time, and Community. Best part is that its a very affordable convention! Buy tickets ahead of time to save money! Hope to see you in Orange County!