More Teen Titans

Just a couple more comments, after getting a few e-mails and digesting some comments elsewhere:

1) I'm not sure why so many folks are assuming we won't be using the "top tier" Titans. I'm not ready to list the characters we ARE using (other than Nightwing), but you won't be disappointed. There's also a lot of discussion about possible "rights issues." There were internal conversations re: which characters we'll be using, but last time I checked, Time/Warner still owned DC Comics, meaning it's all in the family.

2) The Hollywood Reporter article says I wrote the TIMECOP and MASK comics. I did do some TIMECOP comic book stories, but also wrote the movie and created the television series. I did not, however, write any MASK comics, just worked on the movie. I realize these details are insignificant to most readers, but what the heck, it's my blog.

More as news develops...

Teen Titans - The Movie

As pointed out in today's Hollywood Reporter, yours truly will be writing a live action Teen Titans movie for Warner Brothers and Aviva Goldsman's company, Weed Road. And I wish there were an emoticon big enough to express how thrilled I am to be involved in the project! I'm not a fan of super-early spoilers, but I will say the script involves the Nightwing character and will be exploring the Titans at an interesting (and universal) crossroads in their lives...

Sorry for the brevity, things are (as might be expected) pretty busy at the moment, but I'll keep posting as developments ensue...

My Name Is Bruce - Las Vegas Style

Cinevegas, a Las Vegas based film festival, will be showing a cut (probably not final) of MY NAME IS BRUCE. Chances are I'll be there, incognito, checking out the audience reaction. It's all happening at the Palms Casino in Vegas, and Bruce plays June 9 at 11:00 PM. Google Cinevegas for the details -- be there or be not there...

San Diego ComiCon And Me

The annual San Diego ComicCon/pop culture blow out is coming up fast (7/26-7/29), and as I mentioned a few months ago on this very blog, I'm a guest of the convention this year. Not quite sure what that entails yet, though I suspect I'll be doing a few panels, buying some old comics and saying hello to a lot of friends.

Tom Spurgeon at http://www.comicsreporter.com has an exhaustive guide to attending the show, and it's worth a quick look. Last year's attendance was well over 100,000, so simply getting into the hall can be an experience. I can recall seeing a line at least a half-mile long of people trying to buy tickets on a Saturday. Also, virtually every hotel in the city is sold out (though rooms do pop up as people cancel/change plans), so casually driving down for the weekend sans reservations is pretty much no longer an option.

Some ask if the show is more exhausting that enthralling these days. I think it depends on your expectations. If you're looking for a sedate four days to relax and rejuvenate, then you have come to exactly the WRONG place. But if you have an interest in pop culture, then prepare to be overwhelmed. Me, I still enjoy it. I've been to every show since 1983 and there have been a LOT of changes, but for fans of comics/anime/science fiction/television/movies/toys and much much more, it's mecca...

Paul Chadwick, Apa Five, Talent

My friend Paul Chadwick, creator of the comic character CONCRETE and erstwhile roommate back in the 80's, has posted a great cover from an early issue of Apa-Five. "Apa" stands for amatuer press association, and A-5 was a group I started when I was... in Junior High School. A demonstration that Paul "had it" way back when...

http://concrete.blogs.com/paul_chadwicks_weblog/
2007/05/humble_beginnin.html#comment-70865440

Misery Love Comedy - Ivan Brunetti

MISERY LOVE COMEDY is a beautifully designed hardcover collecting the first three issues of Ivan Brunetti's legendary SCHIZO comic book, with some extra added bonus material tossed in. For those requiring an introduction to the wonderful world of Brunetti, this is the place.

But if you're the type who hears "comic book" and thinks ARCHIE or SUPERMAN, then this is definitely NOT for you. Brunetti's compiled some of the darkest, nastiest and yet somehow funny semi-biographical material to ever come out of the independent comic movement. This guy makes Robert Crumb look like a puritan prude. The cruel self-annihilation is punctuated with pages of scatalogical comic strip "parodies" that will either make you choke with laughter or seek psychological help. And when I say "nasty," I don't mean in the "poo-poo" potty mouth sense. We're talking heavy duty, raunchy, busted-at-the-Canadian-border type material. The indicia says the book should be filed under "erotica/hate literature", and I'm not sure if that's supposed to be a joke or a genuine recommendation.

Now SCHIZO #4, released a few months ago, is a whole 'nother story. Published in giant Life Magazine size, the long awaited next chapter in Ivan's comics ouvre is practically family friendly (well, practically...), and offers some beautifully illustrated strips owing more to PEANUTS than DeSade. It's also worth seeking out...

Both are available from Fantagraphics Books, or at liberated comic shops...

Cartoons? Who Doesn't Like Cartoons?

Just added another blog to my recommended list. Jerry Beck's informational and entertaining cartoon page is an amazing resource, packed with obscure (and not so obscure) info on cartoons far and wide. Beck is involved in the upcoming, long waited POPEYE release (the early, wonderful, black and white Fleischer cartoons), a noble effort if there ever was one! Check it out --

http://www.cartoonbrew.com/

Who Woulda Thought?

Headline from "The Programming Insider", an online newsletter that appraises television ratings:

"Slow Start for National Bingo Night"

I understand viewership is down on the "Watching Paint Dry" channel as well...

The Last Ten Seconds Of Every Star Trek TNG

Looks like somebody had a little time on their hands. Here's a compendium of the last ten seconds of every episode of Star Trek The Next Generation.

Copy, paste and "engage." (You'll get it after you watch a few of these.)

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/05/18/last-10-seconds-of-every-sttng-episode

Thanks to Heidi at PW's "The Beat."

More New Stuff... Pat DiNizio & The Knack!

Pat DiNizio, lead singer of the Smithereens and a friend, has just put out a limited edition, 2 CD + 1 DVD set called REVOLUTIONS. This long (long!) in the making solo effort is another great rocker from Pat, with one CD of full band songs, a second with acoustic versions of the same tunes, and finally a DVD on the entire music-making process.

Unfortunately, this baby's limited to 300 signed copies and I believe Pat sold out the run months ago, but check out Pat's site (www.patdinizio.com) for more info and insights. I'm hoping that an enterprising label steps up and put out the full-band tracks anyhow, like what happened with Pat's last 3CD self-produced effort, "This Is Pat DiNizio". The limited edition 3 CD set was cut down to one disc and released by the fine folks at Fuel Records...

For that matter, it would be nice if some enterprising label culled the best tracks from Pat's self-released 21 CD (that's right, twenty-one CDs!) Smithereens box set from a few years back. Featuring demos, live shows and acoustic tracks, now THAT was a compilation for you!

In other news, THE KNACK has a new live performance DVD out, part of a series of DVDs from the World Cafe Live folks. This one's a recent show with great sound and a nice, if limited, selection of songs. There's also an interview with the band. Coming up from World Cafe is a DVD performance by another MV fave, Marshall Crenshaw. Always great to have more of this stuff find its way to market...

No News Is...

Haven't posted for awhile, I've been in hunker-down mode writing "my" first BSG ep for season four, along with attending all the varied/sundry other duties that erupt when prodution kicks in.

CD and DVD wise, there's nothing much to report. Jason Falkner, of JELLYFISH renown, has a new CD out in Japan (!) called "I'm Okay, You're Okay" that on first sampling appears to be in the garoovy power pop mode of previous Falkner ventures. (Incidentally, the tunes he produced for PUFFY AMIYUMI are well worth seeking out, especially "Planet Tokyo").

And on the SQUEEZE front, there is yet another single-disc greatest hits CD collection, "Essential Squeeze", this time with a couple of previously unreleased tracks. And (just in the UK so far, so it's region 2) there's a new Squeeze DVD, also "Essential", with 24 videos and a complete concert from the early 80's. I'd offer a review, but I haven't had a chance to sample the wares quite yet...

Also, I'm told somebody threw a bottle at Neil Finn (!) during CROWDED HOUSE'S first concert since reuniting, this at the Coachilla festival in California. Wow. Nice crowd. As a lifetime member of the CROWDED HOUSE fanclub I have it on good authority that a series of less volatile venues have been chosen for the rest of the tour, coming this Summer.

Finally, umm, wassup with Elvis Costello doing Lexus ads?!

BSG Season Four - The Last?

Here's some official reaction to the hurly-burly over whether or not season four will be the end of Battlestar Galactica. Straight from executive producer David Eick:

http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=41457

Bruce Campbell's Next Old Spice Ad - "Hungry Like The Wolf!"

Thanks to "anonymous" for the link, here's a sneak preview of Bruce Campbell's next Old Spice ad, which evidently debuts this weekend. It's just as insane as the last one!

http://bruce-campbell.blogspot.com/2007/05/
site-exclusive-new-bruce-campbell-old.html

Rrrrowf!

Battlestar Galactica - Season Four

Couple of people have written asking me to comment on Edward James Olmos' interview at last night's Saturn Awards re: this being BSG's last season.

First, I'm presently in Vancouver B.C. attending to the pre-production on the first episodes of next season, so as far as I'm concerned, we're just gearing UP. And the stories we have so far for the season are really, really interesting/fun/dark/exciting/cool. As far as anything else goes, I'm just trying to make the best show(s) possible and I'll leave it to others discuss "the future." I got enough on my hands with the present!

MY NAME IS BRUCE - New Review!

A nice piece from the Corvallis (Oregon) Gazette Times on the movie, with a new interview with Mr. Campbell himself. The piece includes a fresh photo of Bruce slugging down hooch in his dilapidated trailer. Poor guy, you'd think a big movie star like him would have swankier digs!

http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/2007/05/10/entertainment/
cover/cov04_bruce.txt

Squeeze The Demos

As in, demo recordings by the British pop band Squeeze. Lead singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook's website (www.glenntilbrook.com) is offering the first of five promised CDs featuring the original four-track demos for their best albums. First up, 18 songs that were pared down and eventually became "East Side Story", Squeeze's best effort in my opinion.

In his liner notes, Tilbrook says "wanna hear my demos?" is one of the scariest phrases in the musical lexicon, but these are actually pretty good, and for fans, it's intriguing to hear how a song like "Someone Else's Bed" morphed from a semi-acoustic tune into the much harder version on the studio release.

Tilbrook and his writing partner Chris Difford have both released several solo CDs since Squeeze broke up, and they're all worth getting. In better news, the band has reunited for some dates this Summer, which I hope implies a new Squeeze release "soon."

Battlestar Only SECOND Best?!

Nice piece in this week's Entertainment Weekly ranking the 25 best sci-fi movies/TV shows of the last 25 years. BSG comes in second only to the first MATRIX movie. Me, I would have swapped THE MATRIX with BLADERUNNER, but they're both great and either way, it's nice to see BSG get a hat tip three seasons in!

EW's cover features HEROES, another great show. Check it out!

ELVIS COSTELLO - Live! And Not Live!

If you get a chance to catch Elvis Costello and the Imposters on their current tour, and you're a fan of his earlier work, prepare yourself for two hours of bliss. Touring to promote a couple of greatest hits compilations on Universal, Elvis has dipped back into the catalog and is delivering a hardcore rock and roll show that reminds me of seeing him in 1979... except he's got a lot more songs now. With virtually no between-song patter, his 5/2 show at the L.A. House Of Blues was a non-stop onslaught of hits, semi-hits and fantastic album tracks. High points: one of the best versions of "Riot Act" ever, a great "Uncomplicated", and a funky rendition of "Alison" (the one acoustic performance in the whole show) where he obviously forgot the words and sang the same section twice.

The two new comps are nicely put together, but with the exception of a couple alternate/live tracks, if you have his albums, you've got all this music. FWIW, Amazon is selling a boxed brick with every Costello album from "My Aim Is True" through "Blood and Chocolate", with the "Rock And Roll Music" comp tossed in as an extra bonus. No new music, but the packaging is nice and it's supposedly a "limited to Amazon" edition, whatever that means. My ears are shot so I have no idea if these are remastered yet again.

Let's see, how many times have I bought these albums? Just on CD, I have the original Columbia releases, then Rykodisc, then Rhino's double CD editions, the Japanese "mini-LP sleeve" discs, and now Universal's release. That doesn't count oddball stuff (audiophile gold discs, anyone?), all the vinyl versions (domestic + import), 100 + vinyl/cassette/CD singles, cassette tapes for the car, DVDs and that eight-track of "My Aim Is True." I'm sure I'll be buying the direct download to the brain that's coming in the year 2525... because he's JUST THAT GOOD.

ARK the motion picture

Well, it's out in a official press release, so I guess I can finally start talking about this. The fine folks at Columbia, along with producers Neal Moritz and Mike Richardson, have picked up the rights to my comic series ARK, which did indeed see print (you cynics!) in four consecutive issues of DARK HORSE PRESENTS. Don't bother to dig up those issues, though, if you're looking for some clue toward the project itself, since it's morphed a bit since those early days. I've been asked to keep a lid on the details, but suffice to say it's a big science fiction story.

There are more MV surprises to come, but this one is big enough for the time being, I think. Check out the article for more info!

http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117964154.html?categoryid=13&cs=1

New Stuff? Keep Watching The Trades!

Keep your eyes peeled on the trades (i.e., Hollywood Reporter, Variety, Cat Lover, High Times) over the next couple days for word of a new, exciting MV project. That has NOTHING to do with Bruce Campbell, Fletcher Hanks or the Rubinoos, but it's still pretty cool in my obviously biased opinion. Since I don't intend to scoop myself, there will be more info blog-wise once word hits the streets...

Vince Colletta - Inker Not So Extraordinary

This is real inside baseball stuff for only the most devoted of comic book fans, but... Vince Colletta was a fairly famous inker who worked mostly for Marvel from the 60's to the late 80's. Colletta did occasional good work, mostly (to my eye) on THOR and some romance titles, but he was far better known for being... not so good. In fact, there are many cases where Colletta erased or skipped over some of the detail provided by the penciller (often the great Jack Kirby) to make his life easier.

He was also an "interesting" (those quotes are intentional) guy. For those curious about the legendary Jim Shooter years at Marvel Comics and Mr. Colletta's view on Shooter's dismissal, check out the piece below...

http://ohdannyboy.blogspot.com/2007/04/vinnie-collettas-exit-interview.html