52 years ago in Fantastic Four #52, Black Panther debuted as the first black superhero in mainstream American comic books. His alter ego is T’Challa, head of the Panther Tribe and king of Wakanda, a fictional African nation in the Marvel Comics universe. T’Challa was married to Storm of the X-Men for six years and, as Black Panther, fought alongside the Fantastic Four and the Avengers. The character was never as well-known as these Marvel Comics heavyweights, but that appears to be changing. Actor Chadwick Boseman was lauded for his performance as T’Challa in Captain America: Civil War, and the Black Panther solo movie is setting records for advance ticket sales.

Which makes this the perfect time to look back at how Black Panther has evolved, starting with his genesis in 1965 and debut the following year. We’ve included every major costume within the mainstream Marvel Comics continuity except for designs worn for only a short time. We also look at his Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances plus three other superheroes who briefly took up the mantle as Black Panther.

Image Created by HalloweenCostumes.com

Infographic Designed and Illustrated by Kate Willaert

On a stretch of highway just outside the most magical place on earth, six-year-old Moonee and her ragtag band of playmates spend an unforgettable summer at The Magic Castle, a budget motel managed by Bobby. Bobby’s stern exterior hides a deep reservoir of kindness and compassion as he watches over the kids’ adventures, protecting them from some of the harsher realities of life.

Earning a 2018 Academy Award nomination for Willem Dafoe’s performance (Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture), the warm, winning, and gloriously alive drama, The Florida Project, arrives on Blu-ray (plus Digital) and DVD February 20 from Lionsgate. Directed by Sean Baker (Tangerine) and featuring Brooklynn Prince and Bria Vinaite in breakout performances, The Florida Project follows a precocious 6-year-old whose summer break is filled with childhood wonder amidst hard times. Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, see what the A.V. Club calls “one of Willem Dafoe’s most moving performances”. Co-written by Sean Baker and Chris Bergoch, The Florida Project Blu-ray and DVD will be available for the suggested retail price of $24.99 and $19.98, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• “Under the Rainbow: Making The Florida Project” Featurette
• Bloopers and Outtakes
• Cast and Crew Interviews

Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and The Paley Center for Media invite Los Angeles area fans to attend the World Premiere of LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash at a family-friendly event on Saturday, February 10, 2018.

The screening will commence at Noon (12:00pm) at The Paley Center for Media (465 North Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills). The event will include a post-screening interactive panel discussion, photo opportunities with LEGO DC Super Heroes standees, an autograph signing on collectible posters, and special LEGO prizes for all kids in attendance.

Confirmed to attend the event are popular voice actors James Arnold Taylor (voice of Flash), Troy Baker (Batman), Grey Griffin (Wonder Woman, Lois Lane), Phil LaMarr (Firestorm) and Eric Bauza (The Atom, B’dg, Jimmy Olsen) alongside filmmakers executive producer Brandon Vietti, and writers Jim Krieg & Jeremy Adams. Additional talent will be announced as confirmed.

A limited number of free tickets are still available to the general public, and families are encouraged to come enjoy the film and festivities. Fans wishing to receive free tickets to the Los Angeles event on February 10 must RSVP via email to LEGOFlashLA@gmail.com.

The body of all fan RSVP emails need ONLY include the (1) name of the entrant, (2) valid email address, and (3) the number of tickets being requested (limit four per entry). Fans should keep their entry simple – here’s an example of exactly how the body of the RSVP email should appear:

Barry Allen
2 tickets
BarryAllen@gmail.com

Tickets to the event will be distributed on a “first come, first served” basis, and fans will be notified via email. Please do not submit more than one request.

In LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash, Reverse-Flash manipulates the Speed Force to put The Flash into a time loop that forces him to relive the same day over and over again – with progressively disastrous results, including losing his powers and being fired by the Justice League. The Flash must find a way to restore time to its original path and finally apprehend his worst enemy before all is lost for The Flash … and the world!

Along the route, The Flash encounters numerous new characters being introduced to the popular DC Super Heroes series, including The Atom; B’dg, a squirrel-esque Green Lantern; a pair of legendary super pets in Ace the Bat-Hound and Krypto the Super-Dog, Batman and Superman’s faithful canine pals; as well as Aquaman’s trusted seahorse, Storm.

Other voices featured in the film are provided by actors Kate Micucci (Zatanna), Doctor Fate (Kevin Michael Richardson), Nolan North (Superman, Killer Croc), Dwight Schultz (Reverse-Flash), Tom Kenny (Plastic Man, The Penguin), Khary Payton (Cyborg), Vanessa Marshall (Poison Ivy), Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Boomerang, Aquaman) and Jason Spisak (The Joker).

Produced by Warner Bros. Animation, DC Entertainment and the LEGO Group, LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash will be available from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment on Digital starting February 13. WBHE will distribute the film on March 13, 2016 on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD.

There is no doubt that this year’s round of Oscar nominations are perhaps some of the weirdest on record. Despite the obvious snubs (*cough*Franco*cough), there were surprises a plenty for this year’s group of honorees.

Kobe Bryant nabs an Oscar nom? A horror movie is up for Best Pic? Spielberg AND Wonder Woman are MIA? Boss Baby gets a nomination?

I mean, come on…Boss Baby?

But regardless how bizarre this year’s nominees might be, at least they are all real people. The Academy has a long and storied history when it comes to honoring non-real folks. To be clear, this is not a jab at Hollywood phonies, but cooked-up counterfeits for folks looking to hide their real identity…and in one case, to never exist at all.

Oh, there was also a dog that was nominated.

On that note, here is a look at past honorees and winners who live in the land of make-believe:

1935: Gregory Rogers

Writer, G Men
Status: Nominated, Best Story
The Story: A write-in nomination for the alter ego of producer and studio exec Darryl F. Zanuck, who took penning duties upon himself with this action caper.

1953: Ian McLellan Hunter

Writer, Roman Holiday
Status: Winner, Best Story
The Story: The delightful story of a runaway princess was actually cooked up by scribe Dalton Trumbo, who was blacklisted along with half of Hollywood during the McCarthy era.

In 1992, the Academy and Board of Governors opted to right the wrong and honor Trumbo with his own Oscar.

1956: Robert Rich

Writer, The Brave One
Status: Winner, Best Story
The Story: Dalton Trumbo yet again.

1957: Pierre Boulle

Writer, Bridge on the River Kwai
Status: Winner, Best Screenplay
The Story: Boulle can thank McCarthyism for his win, even though he barely spoke a word of English. The real writers Carl Foreman and Michael Wilson were both blacklisted due to “Communist ties.”

In 1984, the wrong was righted when the duo were finally given a golden guy for their efforts.

1958: Nathan E. Douglas

Writer, The Defiant Ones
Status: Winner, Best Original Screenplay
The Story: Well, it’s the 1950s, so you can probably guess what happened? Clue: It involved a loud-mouthed bully with a fake list and need for attention.

Writers Nedrick Young and Harold Jacob Smith were the co-writers on The Defiant Ones, but Young was blacklisted and had to use a pseudonym.

His name was restored in 1993.

1997 & 2007: Roderick Jaynes

Editor, Fargo & No Country For Old Men
Status: Nominated, Best Editing
The Story: A creation of the brothers Coen for when they split chopping duties in the editing bay. “Roderick” has been the editor of every Coen brother film.

1985: P.H. Vazak

Writer, Greystoke The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes
Status: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay
The Story: Chinatown scribe Robert Towne also penned this box office flop, but his original script was heavy rewritten. Because of this, Towne yanked his name off the final script and used the name of his dog instead. Thus, his furry friend nabbed an Oscar nom.

Good boy.

2003: Donald Kaufman

Writer, Adaptation
Status: Nominated, Best Adapted Screenplay (and a special thanks at the end of the film)
The Story: In the Adaptation, Nicolas Cage plays twins “Donald” and Charlie Kaufman. Charlie, of course, is based on the very-real trippy writer who also penned Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Donald is his non-existent brother that only lives within the constructs of the pages of Adaptation. As a joke, both were nominated.

This is the only example of a nominee to not be either a writer or filmmaker hiding their true identity.

2013: John Mac McMurphy

Editor, Dallas Buyers Club
Status: Nominated, Best Film Editing
The Story: Helmer Jean-Marc Vallée used a pseudonym when he added the finishing touches to the pic. The name was inspired by the 1975 Best Pic winner, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

Comedians, writers, and humorists Jonathan Ames, Kurt Braunohler, Josh Gondelman, Jeanne Darst along with musician Open Mike Eagle are the first performers confirmed to appear at the third Fun Lovers Unite!  An Evening of Music, Comedy, And Gun Sense event at The Regent Theater in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday May 24. Doors open at 7PM EST and this is an all ages event. More fantastic performers will be announced soon.

Fun Lovers Unite! An Evening of Music, Comedy, And Gun Sense will benefit Women Against Gun Violence who have been working to reduce gun violence for twenty-five years, offering free educational programs and helping to pass some of the nation’s toughest gun laws. This event also celebrates and is happening on the day gun-violence victim Asher Montandon would’ve turned 50 years old. Tickets can be purchased starting this Friday at noon EST here: http://ticketf.ly/2rTHArU. We will also be offering a limited amount of free tickets for gun violence survivors via the WAGV.org website.

“The continued government inaction in the face of this series of ongoing tragedies is brutal and dispiriting, and I’m glad for any opportunity to help fight that injustice,” says Comedian Josh Gondelman. “In this case, it will be by getting onstage and talking to a room full of strangers about how cute my dog is.”

“Fun Lovers Unite is just one example of the grassroots momentum across this country calling for gun sense,” says Maccabee Montandon, co-founder of Fun Lovers Unite! “The vast majority of Americans are in favor of common sense gun laws like expanded background checks. Music and comedy are powerful ways to reach people—and my brother Asher was an obsessive fan of both art forms, so this seems like the perfect way to celebrate his 50th birthday. We are incredibly grateful to the performers who will use their talents to bring people together.”

“Many gun violence survivors spend their time testifying in support of gun laws, lobbying in DC, sharing their painful stories in the hopes it will save a life — it’s emotional and difficult work,” says Hollye Dexter, Board Member, Women Against Gun Violence. “Being able to sponsor survivors to an evening of laughter and music will be a welcome relief. We are so grateful to all the comedians and artists who have agreed to perform.”

Each performer on the bill is donating their time to this life-saving cause and is proud to stand with other fellow comedians, artists, and musicians in solidarity to raise awareness for common sense gun violence prevention efforts and the elected officials who stand up for the safety of our communities.

WHAT: Fun Lovers Unite! An Evening of Music, Comedy, And Gun Sense
WHO: Comedians and artists Jonathan Ames, Kurt Braunohler, Jeanne Darst, Josh Gondelman & musician Open Mike Eagle are confirmed to appear with more great performers to be announced in the coming months. Show page info here: http://www.funloversunite.com/events/
WHEN: Thursday, May 24. Doors Open at 7:00pm
WHERE: The Regent Theater 448 S. Main St. Los Angeles, CA
INFO: Proceeds from Fun Lovers Unite! will benefit Women Against Gun Violence

General Admission tickets are $25 in advance and $30 day of the event;
VIP tickets are $100 and can be purchased here: http://ticketf.ly/2rTHArU

Follow Fun Lovers Unite! on Facebook and Twitter.

Nintendo is the company of nostalgia, the company and its fans absolutely revel in it. From the longevity of characters like Mario and Link to Nintendo’s habit of looking to the past for inspiration. Folded cardboard toys were something Nintendo were making 40 years ago and even those were seeped in history as paper toys in Japan were common during the Edo period.

If you’ve ever wondered what your Nintendo Switch would be like if it had the ability to transform into a piano, a dollhouse, a robot or even a fishing rod, then Labo is definitely for you. These interactive kits are the latest contribution to the gaming community from Nintendo and are due for release in April 2018.

The kits themselves are comprised of cardboard cut-outs and various other materials that can be assembled and are intended to incorporate the Nintendo Switch console as well as the Joy-Con controllers. The end result is the creation of what Nintendo is touting as ‘Toy-Cons’ that will interact with various software and Nintendo games.

In fact, the robot seen in the trailer for Labo is actually a mini mech suit, with a visor that holds the left Joy-Con for motion sensing, leaving the right Joy-Con in the backpack so that it can read hand and feet movements. This means the player can actually move through a virtual world on-screen as if they were a giant, stompy robot!

However, many people are dubious of Nintendo’s newest offering precisely because Labo components are made of cardboard. Yet, once you get over the initial shock of paying extortionate prices for corrugated, foldable card what remains is something truly different, revolutionary even.

Hyperbolic as that may sound, when you consider how much plastic is condemned to landfill and how the games industry contributes to this (look at cases for game consoles and plastic toys, figures and peripherals) this is a better alternative. Sure, Nintendo has always been notorious for the latter but Labo suggests a more environmentally responsible way to play.

Plus, it is a well known and documented fact that kids love cardboard boxes and often get more joy from packaging than the gifts inside (the same can also be said for cats, but you catch my drift) and Nintendo are a company capitalising on this, after all they’re a business and one which has endured since 1889.

Image via Wikipedia

Nintendo is known for taking risks, going against the fold and dare I say…thinking outside of the box. At its core, it has always been a toy company. One which seeks to spark the imagination of children. Nintendo has long focused on family and co-operative play and is always the innovator within the games industry.

Motion control wouldn’t have become the hit that it was, if not for the Wii and Nintendo revolutionised the handheld market (despite not being the first to try), both of which are now integral parts of newer technology such as VR. They have consistently taken risks and sought to be different and although it doesn’t always work in their favour, you have to admire their tenacity and passion.

Image via

Sure, it might just seem like glorified origami to most adults but it’s important to remember, this is aimed at children. We’ve grown up around video games our entire lives and they too have grown alongside us. They feel like part of us but it’s easy to forget that younger gamers also exist.

If we’d all owned Nintendo Labo kits as children, we’d have gone crazy for them. I’d certainly have enjoyed the piano or backpack and visor that controls the in-game robot! Come on, you can’t deny that your younger self would enjoy this. The innocence, creativity and simplicity of Labo speaks to the natural curiosity of kids and their need to explore and interact with the world.

Some Labo kits look more complex than others and will appeal to kids (and certain young-at-heart adults) who enjoy building Lego, Meccano or K’Nex. This sort of engagement with simple engineering techniques could inspire children to forge career paths in science, robotics or engineering and I am all for that.

In fact, the Nintendo Labo was designed as a way to teach young children about the basic fundamental principles of engineering and physics. Creatively speaking, these kits can be decorated too, blending art and design with science and technology.

Another thing to note, regardless of your age, is that building things is fun and there is something incredibly rewarding about building models or kits. As someone who has recently found an interest in building Gundam models, I can’t express how wonderful it feels when you complete and display a final finished model. And if you can’t relate to building Gunpla kits, what about brand new board games? Have you ever felt the immense satisfaction of pushing the game pieces out of their cardboard casings for the first time? That’s how I imagine putting together a Labo will feel.

But let’s not forget, these kits aren’t just pieces of cardboard, Labo will come with software that will allow users to create and program their own Toy-Cons and they can do so with their own materials, not just the kits Nintendo will be selling. The tagline for Labo encapsulates all of this, “Make, Play, Discover”. Incorporating learning into gaming is a hard thing to attempt, few games companies have achieved this aim (unless they specialise in educational games) therefore I applaud Nintendo for this. I’m not going to jump on the hater bandwagon that arrives every single time Nintendo announces something new.

So screw all the nay-sayers. I get it, you don’t want to pay $60 on cardboard. Well, I have a solution for you, don’t. I think it is safe to say, this is not for you. Not everything needs to be catered to your tastes or sensibilities.

My only concern is the lifespan of each Labo, I can’t imagine picking any of these up second-hand or pre-owned. Additionally, if you’ve ever taken the time to get rid of the gunk that builds up in the crevices of your console controller or keyboard, it’s unlikely Labo will stay clean for very long. That said, the fact you could potentially rifle through your recycling and find components to rebuild your Labo counters that criticism.

I praise Nintendo for having the ingenuity and courage to do something as bold as this. After all, it began as a toy company that wanted to inspire play in 1889 and this new venture proves that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten it’s roots.

Experience this year’s biggest and best family fun adventure starring some of Hollywood’s most popular actors when JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE debuts on digital March 6 and on 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray, Blu-ray and DVD March 20 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. In addition, the physical skus will also include digital versions of the movie, redeemable via the all-new Movies Anywhere App. Explore the vast and exciting world of Jumanji with Dwayne Johnson (Fast and the Furious franchise), Jack Black (Goosebumps), Kevin Hart (Ride Along) and Karen Gillan (Guardians of the Galaxy franchise) as they work together to beat the mysterious game they were drawn into so they can return to the real world. JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE also stars Nick Jonas (“Scream Queens”) and Bobby Cannavale (Ant-Man).

When four high-school kids discover an old video game console with a game they’ve never heard of–Jumanji–they are immediately drawn into the game’s jungle setting, literally becoming the avatars they chose: gamer Spencer becomes a brawny adventurer (Dwayne Johnson); football jock Fridge loses (in his words) “the top two feet of his body” and becomes an Einstein (Kevin Hart); popular girl Bethany becomes a middle-aged male professor (Jack Black); and wallflower Martha becomes a badass warrior (Karen Gillan). What they discover is that you don’t just play Jumanji–you must survive it. To beat the game and return to the real world, they’ll have to go on the most dangerous adventure of their lives, discover what Alan Parrish left 20 years ago, and change the way they think about themselves–or they’ll be stuck in the game forever …

Now fans can experience what it’s like to be transported into the world of JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE. For the first time ever, the home entertainment packaging will feature a Snapchat Snapcode that unlocks an augmented reality experience. When fans pick up a copy of the film on Blu-ray or DVD at any retailer and scan the Snapcode with their Snapchat app, they will find the jungle brought to life right in front of them. Once there, they can record their experience and share it with their friends. There will be an additional Snapcode on an insert inside the package, exclusively for consumers who purchase the disc, that will trigger a second first-of-its-kind AR experience that will bring the characters from Jumanji into your living room.

With the Digital, Blu-ray and DVD releases of JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE, fans can delve even deeper into Jumanji with the amazing bonus materials packed with more laughs, more action and more fun, including a hilarious gag reel, a music video and three behind-the-scenes featurettes. Prepare to be rocked when Jack Black and Nick Jonas share their mind-blowing take on an original theme song for the film in the epic music video “Jumanji Jumanji.” Fans can follow the intrepid guide, Nigel, as he leads them through a behind-the-scenes journey showcasing how this epic adventure came to life in “Journey Through The Jungle: The Making of Jumanji.” In “Meet the Players: A Heroic Cast,” Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan discuss the fun they had diving into character and working with each other. Fans will also hear from the team of talented visual effects artists on how they created one of the film’s most exciting scenes in “Attack of the Rhinos!” The Blu-ray and digital releases contain two additional exclusive featurettes, including “Surviving the Jungle: Spectacular Stunts!” a firsthand look of how the most eye-popping stunts were conceived and executed. “Book to Board Game to Big Screen & Beyond! Celebrating The Legacy of Jumanji” is a loving and nostalgic look at the enduring legacy of Jumanji as the cast and filmmakers reflect on the beloved original 1995 film and how the new film honors the original’s exciting history.

Based on the book by Chris Van Allsburg, JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE was directed by Jake Kasdan from a screen story by Chris McKenna and screenplay by Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers and Scott Rosenberg & Jeff Pinkner. The film was produced by Matt Tolmach and William Teitler and executive produced by David Householter, Jake Kasdan, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Ted Field and Mike Weber.

Blu-ray and Digital Bonus Materials Include:

• Gag Reel
• “Jumanji, Jumanji” Music Video by Jack Black and Nick Jonas
• Five Featurettes:
  • “Journey Through The Jungle: The Making of Jumanji”
  • “Meet the Players: A Heroic Cast”
  • “Attack of the Rhinos!”
  • “Surviving the Jungle: Spectacular Stunts!”
  • “Book to Board Game to Big Screen & Beyond! Celebrating The Legacy of Jumanji”

DVD Bonus Materials Include:

• Gag Reel
• “Jumanji, Jumanji” Music Video by Jack Black and Nick Jonas
• Three Featurettes:
  • “Journey Through The Jungle: The Making of Jumanji”
  • “Meet the Players: A Heroic Cast”
  • “Attack of the Rhinos!”

4K Ultra HD Bonus Materials Include:

• Feature film presented with Dolby Vision high dynamic range and Dolby Atmos sound
• Also includes the film and special features on the included high-def Blu-ray

Welcome back to Graphic Breakdown, the Friday edition!

Let’s talk about some alternative comics to get your weekend going.

Days of Hate #1
Written by Ales Kot
Illustrated by Danijel Zezelj
Published by Image Comics

I love it when I read a comic book written by Ales Kot. I know I am in for a well written and well constructed comic book.

That is certainly the case here. This is the first part of a twelve issue series and I cannot wait to see where it goes.

The series takes place four years from now, in the year 2022.

Things have gotten worse in the world if you can imagine that. They are being described as catatonic.

We meet two women from a marriage that didn’t work out. One of the women is bombing roadhouses in L.A. The other one has been contacted by the government to find her.

And so we are off.

The writing is sharp and strong. It’s relevant to today’s times. The art isn’t my favorite. For some reasons I can never get into Zezelj’s art. The story shines through here however and I can recommend it for that reason.

RATING: B+

Death of Love #1
Written by Justin Jordan
Illustrated by Donal Delay
Published by Image Comics

This crazy comic comes down the line just in time for Valentines Day! It’s written by Justin Jordan so you know it’s going to be very different and fun. It’s a five part series and this is the first part.

And it starts off great! Philo Harris realizes love sucks! And he’s off to do something about it! So he gets drunk and can suddenly see Cupidae. They are the creatures responsible for love in the world.

And he decides to kill these goddamn creatures with a chainsaw.

The story is nuts. But a good nuts. Jordan always brings something entertaining to the table. The art is good too. I enjoyed this very much. Give it a shot. It’s a good start to a unique title.

RATING: B+

Ice Cream Man #1
Written by W. Maxwell Prince
Illustrated by Martin Morazzo
Published by Image Comics

This is a comic book where every issue is a one shot. It deals with variety of emotions and stories.

The first issue was actually pretty damn good and I’m interested in seeing where this comic book goes.

This first issue reminds me of an old Twilight Zone or Black Mirror episode.

The stories are linked by a 1950s looking Ice Cream Man. He’s creepy and made me feel quite icky looking at him.

Artist Martin Morazzo may be the perfect artist for this world as he can do it all: drama, humor, horror. He makes it look easy.

The real question will be if the team can keep up the quality? I’m hoping they can. This first issue is promising.

RATING: B+

Clandestino Complete Collection
Written and Illustrated by Amancay Nahuelpan
Published by Black Mask Comics

This was a fairly good read.

Black Mask puts out some quality books. This is one of the better ones to come down the pipeline from them. I read this from cover to cover and I quite enjoyed it.

There is a military coup in the country of Tairona. It’s become a no man’s land. There is a rebellion that is forming against the dictator and his regime.

The rebellion puts their hopes in Clandestino, who barely escaped the military’s attacks as a child. It becomes up to him to lead the rebellion against the regime.

The book has an incredible energy to it you cannot ignore. Amancay Nahuelpan writes a hell of a story.

The art is strong too and it just flies off off the page. Pick this up. It’s quite excellent.

RATING: A-

The Beef #1
Written by Richard Starkings and Tyler Shainline
Illustrated by Shaky Kane
Published by Image Comics

I love the comic book Elephantmen. I love the comic book A-Men. If you get two of the creators together to write a comic book? I’m there in a heartbeat. Oh? What’s that? You brought along Shaky Kane to draw it? Well, then this comic book is now a must read!

Chuck is a mild mannered meat factory worker. Mary Lynn is a strawberry picker. Chuck is in love with Mary Lynn. But when Mary Lynn gets into trouble, Chuck turns into the Beef to help her out. Okay, you really need to just read this.

The story is crazy. I love it. The art is pretty amazing. Shaky Kane is just pure awesomeness. Pick this up. It was delight to read and to review.

RATING: A

Twisted Romance #1
Written by Alex de Campi
Illustrated by Katie Skelly
Published by Image Comics

This is another kind of anthology book coming out from Image Comics. Alex de Campi and a fine writer and this debut issue is quite well done. I got into it right away.

This issue starts off in 1978 in New York City.

People are trying to get together. But there is an agency that is tearing them apart. It’s called Heartbreak Inc. Who is the guy running it? And what is he hiding?

de Campi keeps the reader guessing and it’s fun.

There are two other backups here and both are equally good. The art for all is great. The main story is the best one though. Give this a shot. It’s pretty good overall.

RATING: B+

VS #1
Written by Ivan Brandon
Illustrated by Esad Ribic
Published by Image Comics

A lot of press is coming out for this title as it is Esad Ribic’s first creator owned comic book. And man, it’s damn good. The story by Brandon is great and the art is gorgeous. Buy this immediately and savor it.

Satta Flynn is a soldier armed with some crazy weapons. He’s in a gonzo war. It has sponsorships and even commercial breaks. Flynn then loses. What follows after that is a Robocop like twist.

I was sad the first issue ended. I wanted to read that whole thing. The story is creative and excellent. I can’t stop thinking about where this might be going. It’s an interesting satire and you need to read it immediately.

RATING: A

Aliens: Dead Orbit TPB
Written and Illustrated by James Stokoe
Published by Dark Horse Comics

I know I’m supposed to like this book. I keep seeing reviews of it saying how it’s groundbreaking. I have to be honest in saying I found it a bit boring and contrived. I like James Stokoe. But it really didn’t work for me.

There is an accident on a space station.

And there is death by the Alien!

And there is an engineering officer who must use basic tools to try to beat the alien.

On top of that, they’ve got to survive the terror of space as well!

The art is very good. The writing is a bit much for me. It should have been exciting. I actually prefer the early Dark Horse Aliens books to these. At least those were a guilty but exciting pleasure. This is just okay at best.

RATING: C

Based on the making of the cult-classic The Room (“The Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made”), the critically acclaimed The Disaster Artist arrives on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital), DVD, and Digital HD March 13 from Lionsgate.

Nominated for a Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh, The Disaster Artist is being hailed as one of the funniest comedies of the year. Directed by and starring Golden Globe winner and Academy Award nominee James Franco (2018, Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, The Disaster Artist;2011, Best Actor, 127 Hours), the film also has an all-star cast including Dave Franco (Now You See Me, 21 Jump Street), Emmy nominee Seth Rogen (2005, Outstanding Writing for a Variety, Music or Comedy Program, “Da Ali G Show”), Golden Globe nominee Alison Brie (2018, Best Actress – Television Series Musical or Comedy, “GLOW”), Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games, The Kids Are All Right), Paul Scheer (“Veep,” “The League”), Zac Efron (Neighbors, High School Musical), Megan Mullally (“Will & Grace”), as well as countless surprise cameos.

Based on the best-selling tell-all book about the making of the cult-classic disasterpiece The Room, “The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made”, by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell, and written for the screen by Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber, The Disaster Artist tells the hilarious true story of aspiring filmmaker and infamous Hollywood outsider Tommy Wiseau – an artist whose passion was as sincere as his methods were questionable – into a celebration of friendship, artistic expression, and dreams pursued against insurmountable odds.

Enter the room of The Disaster Artist with the release’s extensive Special Features, including audio commentary with director James Franco, Dave Franco, Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero, and more; a gag reel; as well as three featurettes. The Disaster Artist will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD for the suggested retail price of $39.99 and $29.95, respectively.

BLU-RAY/DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

• Gag Reel
• Audio Commentary with James Franco, Dave Franco, Tommy Wiseau, Greg Sestero, and More
• “Oh, Hi Mark!: Making a Disaster” Featurette
• “Directing a Disaster” Featurette
• “Just a Guy Leaning on a Wall: Getting to Know Tommy” Featurette
• Theatrical Trailer

Facebook.com/DisasterArtistMovie

Archie Comics

The bloody battle for the fate of Riverdale
begins in this early preview of VAMPIRONICA #1!

NEW ONGOING SERIES! When Veronica is bitten by a centuries-old vampire, her thirst for blood threatens to turn Riverdale into a haven for the undead. Will she put an end to the vampire threat or give in to her blood lust?

Script: Greg and Megan Smallwood
Art: Greg Smallwood, Jack Morelli
Cover: Greg SmallwoodVariant Covers: Francesco Francavilla, Audrey Mok, Djibril Morrissette-Phan, Marguerite Sauvage
On Sale Date: 3/14
32-page, full color comic
$3.99 U.S.

Classic Archie Returns to Comic Shops with
BETTY & VERONICA: FRIENDS FOREVER by Golliher & Parent

The fan-favorite classic Archie Comics style is heading back to comics in BETTY & VERONICA FRIENDS FOREVER, a new monthly series for all ages written by Archie veteran Bill Golliher with art by Archie legend Dan Parent. The new series spotlights the timeless best friend duo in themed issues of five-page stories, starting with “At the Movies” in issue #1 this May.

“I’m thrilled to be working on my favorite girls, Betty and Veronica, in the style I grew up with,” said artist Dan Parent. “While I love how the characters lend themselves to so many genres, this is the way I love to draw the characters! I’m very excited!”

Parent and writer Bill Golliher have a long history with Riverdale going back to their seminal 1990s storyline, “Love Showdown” that reintroduced Cheryl Blossom to modern Archie Comics.

“BETTY & VERONICA: FRIENDS FOREVER is classic B&V at its finest – loaded with friendship and fun,” said Archie Comics Co-President Alex Segura. “We’re excited to have legendary Archie artist Dan Parent and the book’s all-star creative team bring these top-notch stories to comic shops for readers of all ages.”

FRIENDS FOREVER will feature the return of the classic style, known across the world for its family-friendly stories and rich history, to the comic shop market to meet growing demand for a classic-style publication in the traditional comic book format. The stories spotlighted in the new series, geared toward comic shops, will also be seen in select B&V digests on the newsstand to maximize the reach of these new classic tales.

BETTY & VERONICA FRIENDS FOREVER launches on May 2 in comic book stores and digital platforms.

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse To Publish Geof Darrow’s SHAOLIN COWBOY: START TREK

Featuring a New Cover by Darrow and Dave Stewart, The Collection Presents the Classic, Eisner Award-Winning Seven Issue Series Shaolin Cowboy: The Burlyman Series in Hardcover For the First Time

Having won the Inkpot Award, won (and lost) multiple Eisner Awards and created the iconic  and blood-soaked character the Shaolin Cowboy, cartoonist Geof Darrow is one of the most influential and revered cartoonists. As VULTURE says, “no one draws violence quite like Geof Darrow.”  This summer Dark Horse Books will boldly go where they have never gone before when they publish Geof Darrow’s SHAOLIN COWBOY: START TREK and bring a classic, hard-to-find masterpiece back into print. Originally published as a seven issue comic book series by Burlyman Entertainment, the story garnered Darrow the Eisner Award in 2006 for Best Writer/ Artist. The Dark Horse Books edition marks the story’s first ever hardcover publication and features a new cover by Darrow and award-winning colorist Dave Stewart and the complete seven-issue saga written and illustrated by Darrow and colored by Pete Doherty, Alex Wald, and Lovern Kindzierski, as well as classic Shaolin Cowboy illustrations by Moebius (Jean Giraud), Richard Delgado, Mike Mignola, Kevin Nowlan and John Severin.

“My friend Geof Darrow is a comics visionary,” said Dark Horse Comics Publisher Mike Richardson. “He is truly an independent spirit with an outrageous sense of humor and an unparalleled level of craftsmanship. I’m thrilled for Dark Horse to bring this story back into print, alongside the other Shaolin Cowboy hardcover collections, as well as his iconic collaborations with Frank Miller—Hard Boiled and Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot—and Lead Poisoning: The Pencil Art of Geof Darrow.”

In SHAOLIN COWBOY: START TREK, the Shaolin Cowboy walks the action-packed path of three enemies. Those from the past, who still pursue him, those from the future who are waiting for him, and those from the present who find killing him isn’t going to be as easy as he looks.

“I’d like to say this book is akin to Eugene O’Neill’s “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” with guns, swords, and Kung Fu,” said Darrow, “But only the guns, swords, and kung fu would be accurate.”

In addition to the chainsaw-fueled adventures of the Shaolin Cowboy, Darrow is renowned for his early work with Moebius, his designs for television (including Super Friends, Richie Rich, and Pac-Man) and films (including The Matrix and Speed Racer), his collaborations with Frank Miller and Andrew Vachss, and his iconic and detailed comic book covers. Darrow originally hails from Cedar Rapids, IA and now resides in Chicago IL.

SHAOLIN COWBOY: START TREK will be published by Dark Horse Comics in comic book stores on July 11 and in bookstores on July 17, 2018 as an 8X 10 hardcover retailing for $24.00.

Enroll in a Crash Course in The Occult in All-New Series Blackwood
Courtesy of Multi-Eisner Winner Evan Dorkin and Veronica Fish

From six-time Eisner Award winner Evan Dorkin (Beasts of Burden, Milk and Cheese, Dork) and artist Veronica Fish (Archie, Slam!, Spider-Gwen) comes Blackwood, a supernatural murder mystery set in a school of sorcery.

Blackwood College is far from your average university. Instead of meeting your general education requirements and rushing Kappa Kappa Whatever, you’ll instead find yourself trained in the occult and dealing with an undead dean’s curse, a mischievous two-headed mummy-chimp, and a plague of mutant insects. At least, that’s what happens when four teens with haunted pasts enroll at Blackwood to enhance their supernatural abilities. On top of the pressures of college life, they discover an ancient evil that forces them to undergo a crash course in the occult for the sake of the world!

The first issue of Blackwood features a beautiful variant cover by Becky Cloonan with subsequent variant covers by Tyler Crook, Declan Shalvey, and Jordie Bellaire.

Blackwood #1 (of four) goes on sale May 30, 2018, and look for a new hardcover edition of Dorkin’s insanely popular Dork July 31, 2018.

Gaumont Options Stan Sakai’s Iconic Comic Book Series, Usagi Yojimbo

Gaumont has optioned the iconic, multi-generational comic book series Usagi Yojimbo from the series creator, writer, and illustrator Stan Sakai, to be developed into an animated TV series.  First published in 1984, the multiple award-winning Usagi Yojimbo is to be co-produced by Gaumont, Sakai, James Wan’s Atomic Monster, and Dark Horse Entertainment’s Mike Richardson and Keith Goldberg who will serve as executive producers, with Chris Tongue as co-executive producer. The announcement was made today by Gaumont’s President of Animation, Nicolas Atlan.

“Usagi Yojimbo has been much sought after for many years, and we are honored to work with Stan Sakai to translate his multi-generational stories into the first ever TV series,” commented Atlan. “Usagi Yojimbo’s blend of history and mythology, clever balance between action and comedy, and real-world touchpoints combined with the supernatural, together with the passionate fan base that Stan has already amassed, makes this an incredibly exciting property to develop with our partners Atomic Monster and Dark Horse Entertainment.”

“We get fan mail from readers of all ages across the globe who have been asking to see Usagi Yojimbo in his own TV series,” added Sakai. “With Gaumont, James Wan and his team at Atomic Monster, and Dark Horse Entertainment, we have the best creative talent on board to bring the adventures I have been creating for over 30 years to life.”

“I’ve been an admirer of Stan’s comic series for a long time and it’s an honor to have the opportunity to bring this character and the rich world that Stan’s created to life for a new generation,” said James Wan.

“I’ve long admired Stan Sakai and his storytelling abilities,” said Mike Richardson, Dark Horse Entertainment President. “Stan built an amazing world that Dark Horse has enjoyed exploring in comic book form. We’re thrilled to be part of further exploration in a new, exciting medium.”

Sakai’s Usagi Yojimbo takes place amidst a rich fantasy setting in 17th century Japan and features a diverse world of anthropomorphic characters. Miyamoto Usagi, otherwise known as Usagi Yojimbo, is a ronin warrior with the heart of a hero. A skilled swordsrabbit, and one-time bodyguard for a Japanese War Lord, he’s now masterless, and explores his world of immense castles and humble villages, encountering dinosaurs, Yokai (ghosts/monsters), cats, bats, bounty hunters, giant snakes, and even aliens, facing exciting adventures at every turn, always ready to help.

Usagi Yojimbo is no stranger to the TV screen having appeared in all three Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated series. Usagi debuted in TMNT in 1987 and he most recently appeared in Nickelodeon’s three-episode arc in the summer of 2017.

Usagi Yojimbo has amassed numerous awards and recognition over the past three decades.  In the kid’s arena, the comics books have received a Parents’ Choice Award, an American Library Association Award, and the YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) award.  Other accolades and awards include Usagi Yojimbo being named among the Top 50 comic book characters of all time by Empire Magazine, the top 100 comic book characters of all time by IGN, and the top 50 best non-superhero graphic novels by Rolling Stone magazine.  Mr. Sakai is a five-time Eisner Award-winner and multiple Haxter (Spain) Award-winner, and he earned the “Best Cartoonist” Harvey Award in 2016.  The Usagi Yojimbo comics have been translated into 15 languages and are available in 21 countries in English.

Brian Wood and Justin Giampaoli Tell an Alternative History of The Americas in Rome West

From best-selling writers Brian Wood (Aliens: Defiance, The Massive, Briggs Land) and Justin Giampaoli (DMZ, Starship Down, The Mercy Killing) and artist Andrea Mutti (Rebels, Prometheus: Life and Death) comes an exploration of an alternative history of the Americas.

When a lost armada of Roman soldiers arrives a thousand years before Columbus, they don’t seek to conquer and exterminate, but instead set up a cooperative society with the indigenous peoples that radically alters the timeline of the Americas… and the rest of the world.

Fans of history, alt-history, and politically-relevant stories will be fascinated at the depth of detail and classic ‘what-if’ narrative.

Originally published by Stela, Dark Horse is thrilled to bring this exciting new project to print for the first time.

Rome West TPB goes on sale July 4, 2018.

A Letter From Chris Roberson About The Upcoming Witchfinder Series

The world of Mike Mignola’s Hellboy is full of fantastic characters, from pulp adventurers like Lobster Johnson to the agents of the B.P.R.D., to the big red guy himself, but of them all my personal favorite has always been Sir Edward Grey, Queen Victoria’s personal Witchfinder. I’ve always been a sucker for stories set in Victorian England, and in particular Victorian-era stories with science-fictional or supernatural elements, and so when Mike first mentioned that there had been a Victorian-era occult detective in Hellboy’s world in the pages of Wake the Devil, I was immediately intrigued. When I read Witchfinder: In The Service of Angels, it felt like Mike and his collaborator Ben Stenbeck had created a comic specifically for me. It had everything that I was obsessed with: occult detectives, secret societies, steampunk technology, ancient mysteries and cursed artifacts, ghosts and monsters and demons and on and on and on. Each new volume of Witchfinder only served to make Sir Edward’s era richer and more compelling, and each time it seemed like the books were being created expressly for my personal enjoyment. When I was first given the opportunity to pitch a story set in Hellboy’s world a few years ago, I jumped at the chance to propose a Witchfinder story, and was lucky enough to work with Mike and Ben Stenbeck on City of The Dead, and to fill it with all of the things I love about Sir Edward and his world.

When we started discussing the story that would ultimately become Witchfinder: The Gates of Heaven, I immediately suggested that D’Israeli would be the perfect artist to draw the book, and was thrilled when he agreed to take the project on. Like all of the previous volumes of Witchfinder, The Gates of Heaven is a stand-alone story with a beginning, middle, and end, but there are connections throughout to both Sir Edward’s earlier adventures and also to other stories that have featured Hellboy, the B.P.R.D., and other players in that world. We learn that the world that Sir Edward inhabits is bigger and stranger than we ever knew, and that there are far more things going on in the shadows than Sir Edward himself has ever suspected, both abroad and close to home. There is a killer stalking the fog-wrapped streets of London, and inexplicable artifacts are going missing from museums and private collections all over the city. Sir Edward must discover if the sinister Heliopic Brotherhood of Ra is behind it all, and if not, then who? And who or what is the secretive Foundry?

Best,

Chris Roberson

Witchfinder: The Gates of Heaven #1 (of 5)
Mike Mignola (W), Chris Roberson (W), D’Israeli (A/Cover), and Michelle Madsen (C)
On sale May 23

A series of occult events mystifies the man known as the Witchfinder, but even more surprising is the revelation that he is not alone in exploring the paranormal in London. When a personal invitation arrives from the palace, Sir Edward Grey is pulled even deeper into underground supernatural exploration alongside new allies in the race to stop a mad scientist from destroying London in his pursuit of mystical power.

BOOM! Studios

Simon Spurrier & Matías Bergara Unleash “Coda” At BOOM! Studios

Discover The Epic New Twelve-Issue Broken Fantasy Series in May 2018

BOOM! Studios is proud to announce CODA, a new twelve-issue series from Eisner-nominated writer Simon Spurrier (The Spire, Godshaper) and Matías Bergara (Cannibal, Supergirl). In the aftermath of an apocalypse which wiped out nearly all magic from a once-wondrous fantasy world, an antisocial former bard named Hum seeks a way to save the soul of his wife with nothing but a foul-tempered mutant unicorn and his wits to protect him…but is unwillingly drawn into a brutal power struggle which will decide forever who rules the weird wasteland.

CODA #1 will be an oversized debut issue, with 40 pages of story content and additional backmatter at the same $3.99 price point as each issue of this twelve-issue series. This first issue also features a stunning wraparound main cover by Matías Bergara, along with variants by superstars Jae Lee (Superman/Batman, Uncanny X-Men) and Jeff Stokely (The Spire, Six-Gun Gorilla).

“CODA is the sort of post-apocalyptic story which thumbs its nose at miserable grimhook sensibilities and launches itself, cackling, into fields of weird growth and springtime ideas,” said Simon Spurrier. “It’s the sort of relentless kaleidoscope of visual wonders and worries that only Matías could provide. Yes, it’s a survivalist story. Yes, it’s about saddle bandits and dragon-corpses and endless wasteland chases with hexed steeds and pedigree ogres instead of cars. Yes, it’s about a curmudgeonly loner trying to find his lost love, with only a foul tempered mutant pentacorn to keep him company. But most of all it’s about making the most of the morning after the night before, and knowing that with every death — in this case the mercy killing of the entire exhausted High Fantasy genre — comes wondrous new life.”

“CODA is the window we’re opening for you, dear reader, to gaze into a world of strange and post-magical fantasy – a story unlike anything you and I have read before,” said Matías Bergara. “My most insane and colorful ideas are flowing out of my hands as I read what Si has been creating in his mind and I can’t wait for you to see what this is.”

CODA #1 is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ eponymous imprint, home to a world-class group of licensed comic book series and ambitious original series, including Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Planet of the Apes, WWE, Abbott, Mech Cadet Yu, Grass Kings, and Klaus.

“From Six-Gun Gorilla to The Spire to Weavers to Godshaper, Si has consistently delivered some of the most visceral, forward-thinking original ideas in comics, and I’m thrilled to see him truly unleash on a longform series,” said Eric Harburn, Editor, BOOM! Studios. “Paired up with revelatory work from Matías, CODA is a broken fantasy epic the likes of which the genre’s never seen before.”

Print copies of CODA #1 will be available for sale in May 2018

Image Comics

New Story Arc of THE WICKED + THE DIVINE Will Provide
Key Answers to Mysteries Surrounding The Gods

Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie are back at it with an all-new mind-blowing story arc of the bestselling series THE WICKED + THE DIVINE which kicks off in issue #34. It will be available in stores on Wednesday, March 7th.

This penultimate story arc to THE WICKED + THE DIVINE series will answer long-asked questions about the gods and will unveil key events from Ananke’s history in the past.

“Like all the years, we take a new direction. In the final year, it’s a lot of answers,” teased Gillen. “The whole book has been a mystery. Now we start to actually show the various pieces of it. We’ve planned the whole story, and this is our crescendo before we mike-drop with issue 45.”

The end approaches, but it’s not too late.

THE WICKED + THE DIVINE #34 Cover A by McKelvie & Wilson (Diamond Code JAN180652), Cover B by Johnson & Spicer (Diamond JAN180653), Cover C virgin wraparound cover (Diamond JAN180654) will be available on Wednesday, March 7th.

IDW Publishing

TOKYOPOP Engages IDW International as Global Sales Agent

IDW International to Represent TOKYOPOP’s Vast Catalogue of Manga IP

IDW Publishing and TOKYOPOP have announced that IDW’s international arm will be managing the TOKYOPOP foreign rights catalogue for non-English language markets. IDW International oversees all international licensing of the diverse IDW catalogue and its partners, which continues to grow year after year. TOKYOPOP’s foreign rights catalogue consists of over 100 manga and graphic novel IPs featuring a diverse range of characters and stories from talented creators worldwide.

Founded in 1997 by media entrepreneur Stu Levy, TOKYOPOP, part of POP Media Holdings, established the market for manga in North America, introducing the term to the English language in the process. Over its history, TOKYOPOP has published thousands of books, distributed anime and Asian films on home video and television, licensed merchandise to consumer goods companies, created graphic novels of major brands, and led the way digitally in social media, e-commerce, and user-generated content.

“We’re excited to be working with IDW to bring TOKYOPOP titles to audiences worldwide,” said Levy. “Manga has become an international phenomenon and as an ever-evolving pioneer in the space, we’re thrilled to reach fans across the globe.”

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome TOKYOPOP to our growing catalog of titles represented by IDW International abroad,” said IDW President and Publisher Greg Goldstein. “Our mission with IDW International has always been to be a worldwide content distributor and this cements that goal even further.”

As a welcome addition to the rapidly growing division representing a wide range of publishers and brands, TOKYOPOP joins Oni Press and Archie Comics in working alongside IDW International.

FEMME MAGNIFIQUE Coming to IDW’s Black Crown Imprint

The Comic Book Anthology Curated by Shelly Bond Boasts
A-List Talent Telling Stories About History-Making Women

Femme Magnifique, the wildly successful Kickstarter comic book anthology, is headed back to print for a beautiful softcover edition this September. It is a celebration of 50 iconic women who shattered glass ceilings and changed the course of history in the process.

Told by over 100 of the most talented creators in comics from around the world, Femme Magnifique features 3-page short stories about women from the world of music, art, politics, and science. Explored from a personal angle, the subjects of these mini-biopics include Kate Bush, Octavia Butler, Rumiko Takahashi, Ada Lovelace, Misty Copeland, Margaret Sanger, Michelle Obama, Ursula K. Le Guin, Sally Ride, Harriet Tubman and more!

Femme Magnifique was conceived and co-curated by Shelly Bond and Kristy Miller & Brian Miller of Hi-Fi Colour Design. It features contributions from such comic book luminaries as Cecil Castellucci, Marguerite Bennett, Bill Sienkiewicz, Jen Bartel, Mike Carey, Kelly Sue DeConnick, Tini Howard, Elsa Charretier, Tess Fowler, Rafael Albuquerque, Tee Franklin, Gilbert Hernandez, Ming Doyle, Matt Wagner, Jim Rugg, Gail Simone, Mags Visaggio, Marguerite Sauvage, Gerard Way, Philip Bond, Hope Nicholson, Sanford Greene, Sonny Liew, Jen Hickman, Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Tyler Crook, Dan Parent, and Kieron Gillen, among many others.

Maxing out at nearly $100,000 raised for the Kickstarter edition, earning over 240% of its initial goal, Femme Magnifique found its audience swiftly. Now, those who missed out on the first go-round can add this collection to their library packed with new bonus material including a foreword, behind-the-scenes process pages, and more.

“On behalf of my co-curators Brian and Kristy Miller of Hi-Fi Colour Design, I’m honored to bring an important book like FEMME MAGNIFIQUE to the masses,” said editor/co-curator Shelly Bond. “Thanks to IDW for agreeing to release a softcover edition through BLACK CROWN. Tremendous thanks to over 100 artists and writers, and the thousands of Kickstarter backers from around the world, who made the original hardcover possible.  In an age when many of our civil liberties are in jeopardy, I hope this anthology will resonate and inspire.  Here’s to 50 magnificent women — and future legends — in pop, politics, art and scence who crack ceilings in the name of equality.”

The new paperback edition of Femme Magnifique will become available on September 4, 2018 and can now be pre-ordered using ISBN: 978-1684053209

Marvel Comics

Captain Marvel, Daredevil and Darkhawk Control The Stones?!

Announcing the INFINITY COUNTDOWN TIE-IN titles

The race to wield infinite power kicks into high gear across the Marvel Universe with INFINITY COUNTDOWN (PRIME and ADAM WARLOCK) from mastermind writer Gerry Duggan! And starting in May, you cannot miss the newly announced INFINITY COUNTDOWN TIE-IN titles: brand new, can’t-miss one-shots and limited series from all-star creative teams that will reveal the fate of the stones —  and who possesses them!

First up, Gerry Duggan and Black Panther artist Chris Sprouse bring their streetwise expertise to Hell’s Kitchen in DAREDEVIL #1, as Matt Murdock encounters the Mind Stone in the New York underworld. Of course, the stone is bound to fall into mysterious yet unlikely hands…but can Daredevil keep an Infinity Stone’s power from wreaking havoc on the city?

In CAPTAIN MARVEL #1, don’t miss the story from Jim McCann (New Avengers: The Reunion) and Diego Olortegui (Ms. Marvel) as they help Carol Danvers cross the borders of reality for a mind-bending, cross-time adventure into Infinity Stone lore! Continuing the journey that’s taken her to another dimension into the clutches of Thanos and Nebula, Captain Marvel – in the possession of the Reality Stone – returns to Earth, having contacted the Marvels of many worlds along the way…

And finally, following the event of DARKHAWK #51, we see the return of DARKHAWK in a four-issue series from Chris Sims, Chad Bowers and Gang Hyuk Lim! Spinning out of the war with the Fraternity of Raptors for the Power Stone, “The Hawk” is back to fight for justice for both New York and the world!

Don’t miss the first wave of INFINITY COUNTDOWN TIE-INS coming to comic shops in May!

INFINITY COUNTDOWN: DAREDEVIL #1
Written by GERRY DUGGAN
Art by CHRIS SPROUSE
Cover by CLAYTON CRAIN

INFINITY COUNTDOWN: CAPTAIN MARVEL #1
Written by JIM MCCANN
Art by DIEGO OLORTEGUI
Cover by INHYUK LEE

INFINITY COUNTDOWN: DARKHAWK #1 (of 4)
Written by CHRIS SIMS & CHAD BOWERS
Art by GANG HYUK LIM
Cover by SKAN

Dynamite Entertainment

Dynamite Debuts Frakking Awesome Battlestar Galactica Bundle

The Dynamite’s Battlestar Galactica Bundle will be available for a limited time, so make the jump to Groupees today: http://www.groupees.com/BSG.

Produced by Michael Miller,
Daniel Green, Christopher Malseed
Written and Directed by Michael Miller
Starring Jesse Richardson, Ellen Williams,
Michael Thomson, James Storer,
Leigh Walker, Darrell Plumridge,
Sam Peacock, Katie Anderson,

I have been a film fan for as long as I can remember. The one question I find myself asking over and over again is, “Who said yes to this?”

Battalion put that question back into the forefront of my mind.

The IMDB description of the film tells you all you need to know. After a war against an enemy from another world breaks out in the South Pacific, a group of freshly recruited U.S. Marines are sent to the front lines.

One of the things I want out of a plot is consistency and with the many flaws this film has the overarching problem is inconsistency.

In one scene the Marines make a point of telling each other that the bad guys can smell them 5 miles away and in the very next scene, while on a patrol, the Marines are singing loudly. One shot to the head of an enemy drone can kill it, but 500 shots to an enemy drone ship won’t bring it down. Incongruity is death in a science fiction movie. This one has incongruity all over the place.

There is nothing unique in this film. The alien invaders are robots. The humanoid ones look like amateur renditions of Chappie. The non-humanoid aliens look like mechanized rip offs of Starship Troopers. The big ships look like something out of Star Wars and ALL of them are CGI.

This brings us to another massive issue with this film. The aspirations were incredibly high and the budget was incredibly low. The CGI rendering of everything from the ships, the aliens and actual gun fire is so shoddily done it is difficult to describe. It’s some of the worst CGI I’ve seen since the plane crash in Air Force One. That was 1997 and the technology was relatively new. This was shot in 2017. There is no excuse.

It’s not that this film has a bad premise. It isn’t a unique one, but it doesn’t have to be if you have good writing, great effects and passable acting performances. This film has none of those. The acting is wooden, there is no explanation why a lot of the U.S. military personnel have foreign accents and the script is totally disjointed. There is a Tarantino inspired fragmented timeline and all it does is confuse the viewer.

Generally I look for something positive in a film, but I unfortunately i can’t find anything in Battalion. Pass.

Rating: .5 out of 5 stars

Battalion is now available On-Demand.

Manji, a highly skilled samurai, becomes cursed with immortality after a legendary battle. Haunted by the brutal murder of his sister, Manji knows that only fighting evil will regain his soul. He promises to help a young girl named Rin avenge her parents, who were killed by a group of master swordsmen led by ruthless warrior Anotsu. The mission will change Manji in ways he could never imagine… the 100th film by master director Takashi Miike.

And we’re giving away 5 copies on Blu-ray!

To enter, send an email with the subject header “BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

Blade of The Immortal is based on the manga of the same name by this writer/artist?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 25th, 2018.

Produced by Jonathan Cavendish,
Richard Holmes, Andy Serkis
Screenplay by Joe Barton
Based on The Ritual by Adam Nevill
Directed by David Bruckner
Starring Rafe Spall, Arsher Ali,
Robert James-Collier, Sam Troughton

Many, many horror film starts out with a group of people hopelessly lost in the woods, but David Bruckner’s The Ritual wrings every drop of terror out of the premise, making for a tense, eerie film that will likely stay with you.

Much like The Descent, the outing begins as a way for four friends Luke (Rafe Spall), Phil (Arsher Ali), Hutch (Robert James-Collier), and Dom (Sam Troughton) to regroup after a tragic loss. The British foursome plan to hike through Sweden as tribute to their friend Rob, who was tragically killed in a convenience store hold-up.

All is well until Dom, who’s the least fit to begin with, injures his knee in the middle of nowhere. Facing an arduous 14-hour hike to their destination, they opt instead to take a shortcut through the woods.

The signs are evident almost immediately that they should never have gone into these particular woods in the first place. When they find a slaughtered animal — possibly a moose or an elk— hanging 15 feet up in a tree, they’re horrified, but only Luke insists they need to leave the woods right now. The other three shrug it off and keep going.

Even the strange pagan symbols in the trees, and the disturbing nightmares they have, don’t convince them they should turn back.

Luke flashes back to seeing Rob die in the convenience store, and the fact that he didn’t do anything to save his friend. The tension between the four men, and the fact that some of them blame Luke for Rob’s death, only heightens as the forest begins to take its toll.

Whatever killed the elk seems to be stalking them too, only we don’t see it. We only hear some unearthly howls, which makes the men’s terror all the more realistic. The sound design here is excellent, as is (what I assumed to be) the mostly practical special effects.

I was never a fan of The Blair Witch Project, to which this has inevitably been compared): It seemed like a really tedious episode of Road Rules with only a few moments of terror. While The Ritual occasionally stumbles (and its ending takes a weird left turn on par with The Witch), the fact it’s not another found-footage film is a major strength.

As the guilt-ridden Luke, Spall is terrific. So many horror films are about people coming to terms with death that it’s become a rather tiresome cliché. But here, it works. The whole trek becomes a test for Luke: Will he fight back this time or will he give in to cowardice again?

Without giving too much of the plot away, The Ritual fits in nicely with the recent crop of folk horror films like The Witch, Kill List and Corin Hardy’s underrated The Hallow.

I haven’t seen Bruckner’s previous film The Signal, in which he directed the first segment, “Crazy in Love” or his “Amateur Night” portion of V/H/S. But I was a big fan of his deeply disturbing segment “The Accident” in the 2015 horror anthology Southbound.

You may be debating whether the ending of The Ritual works, but its bare-bones horror is well worth seeing.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The Ritual debuted on Netflix on February 9.

Written by J. M. DeMatteis
Art/Cover by Mike Ploog
New Edition Published by Archaia
ISBN-13: 978-1684150441
Released 12/20/17 / $$24.99

The Stardust Kid is the latest collaboration from the team of J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Ploog, the team that created the impressive and unique Abadazad series of semi-graphic novels more than a decade ago.  Like those books, which both my then-young son and I enjoyed very much, there is a lovely, magical warmth to The Stardust Kid.

Having written some classic comic book stories in the past (“Kraven’s Last Hunt,” anyone?), DeMatteis, first and foremost, has always been a storyteller to be reckoned with and he’s clearly anxious to tell this one.

He tells you so in his absolutely delightful introduction which tells a story unto itself!  The story behind the story, if you will.

And it, too, has its surprisingly magic moments!

Our main character is Cody and Cody is your typical teenage boy hanging around with a friend his mother doesn’t like, a stereotype found in so many stories. What makes Cody different here is that his friend, Paul, happens to be, in reality, “a three-dimensional mirage—woven out of stray dreams and stardust.”

Although normally looking like another human boy, when they’re alone, Paul can be himself and himself might be a giant, talking caterpillar, a cloud, a dog or anything else.

Paul’s there to help protect Cody from monsters—monsters like puberty as well as the creeping shadows in the park. Puberty is at the heart of this story in many ways, in fact, such as when Cody gets encased inside a very phallic looking mushroom and emerges as the Pan-like title character. As such he has to protect his friend Alana along with her brother and his own little sister. Oh, and the bunch of them have to save the world!

Mike Ploog seemed to come to comic books out of nowhere with Marvel’s Werewolf by Night more than four decades ago now, and has career in comics has been sporadic. From his early Eisner-inspired beginnings, though, it’s safe to say that Ploog has long since progressed to become a master illustrator himself. More than just his artwork, though, his storytelling skills are equal to or perhaps now better than—dare I say it? —those of Eisner himself!

And they’re all on display here. One can easily keep up with the basic story even if all the text is ignored. But, please, don’t ignore it. DeMatteis comes from the school of comics writing that goes beyond the basics. In the tradition of Steve Gerber and Alan Moore, his prose and his dialogue are a joy to actually read, adding atmosphere and nuance to Ploog’s images so that the two symbiotically work together to form just plain good comics. Each creator is equally important.

Also very important here is the coloring, credited to Sumi Pak and Nick Bell. The color choices for Ploog’s art—reproduced from pencil work throughout—are about as perfect as possible. The colors are muted for rain-drenched streets, bright and shiny for the phantasmagoric scenes, realistic for the household bits, and gloomy without being dull for the darker parts.

In fact, the only real problem I have with the entire book is the lettering, and that’s mainly because the font chosen for the narrative captions is difficult to decipher at times (although I did also spot a couple of typos). And the narrative captions need to be readable for they represent a secret character that the reader only discovers at the very end. Plus, they’re amusing as all get out!

The back of the book gives you more than enough behind the scenes info to keep you revisiting scenes long after you’ve finished the story. The Stardust Kid is a fine modern fairy tale, an engrossing story with some great recognizable human characters and some original anthropomorphic creatures. There are surprises throughout and, as with all good fairy tales, a happy ending.

Like the Harry Potter books, The Stardust Kid deserves to be read and re-read by readers of all ages from now on. A beautiful modern classic.

Booksteve—as if you couldn’t guess—recommends!

I know, I know—I cannot stop geeking out over Blade Runner 2049. My admiration for it grows with each subsequent viewing.

As is the case with its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 is a tough nut to crack. I know from in-depth field work that too many audiences were subliminally detached from the picture due to dim projection, ultimately nonplussed with a movie that is deemed by some to be overlong but that, upon repeated viewings, wholly justifies its deliberate pace.

Now that the film is widely available on home/portable video, it can begin its gradual seep into the cultural consciousness—just like the slow-burn cult appeal of the original Blade Runner that began to take root once the movie became a staple of VHS and cable TV in the mid-1980s. I have no doubt naysayers who harp about the sequel’s reputation as a financial bomb will eventually come around and align with the mostly favorable critical reviews.

Who knows? Enticing chatter of a third Blade Runner movie just might come to fruition.

Meanwhile, let’s talk Blade Runner 2049’s Easter eggs—those strategically placed images and sound-bytes that reference key elements from the earlier film. While the term “Easter egg” typically refers to something subtle or even concealed, many of the callbacks in Blade Runner 2049 that harken back to the first movie are front and center, right smack in our faces; these bits are not so much Easter eggs as they are counterpoints to and refracted mirror images of signature moments from the previous movie. Collectively, I will refer to them herein as “kisses,” so named because these wink-nudge moments feel like tiny love letters to fans, intended by the filmmakers to tickle and tweak our memories and adoration of the original film.

Following the running time clock, here are a dozen of the more prominent “kisses” in Blade Runner 2049.

00:00 – The first “kiss” is blown immediately, as the familiar Warner Bros. logo ignites into a fiery neon shield above a futuristic studio backlot, followed by stylized logos for Alcon Entertainment and Sony/Columbia Pictures—each clip given a computer-glitch/blackout motif that ties in with the backstory of a 2022 EMP blast that crashed computer systems and corrupted digital files. Whenever a film begins with tricked out company logos, it’s a sure sign the studio and filmmakers consider the movie to be a cut above their standard-issue fare. The customized logos also manage in mere seconds to plunge us right back into the world of Blade Runner and set the proper mood for what we’re about to experience.

2:05 – Like its predecessor, Blade Runner 2049 is full of ocular imagery and symbolism. In fact, the movie is up to its eyeballs in peepers, both organic and electronic. After the introductory text—seven succinct stanzas that encapsulate what’s happened in the thirty-year timespan since the events of the original movie—the first image of the film proper is an extreme close-up view of a shut right eye opening wide, its green iris and inky pupil match-cut to the concentric circles of a massive solar farm.

We never know for sure whose eye it is—Agent K’s? Rachel’s? Deckard’s?—but the arresting image of the giant green lens staring back at us instantly recalls the opening moments of the original film. (Likewise, it is never confirmed in the original Blade Runner whose left eye it is that we see staring over Los Angeles in 2019—Holden’s? Tyrell’s? Rachel’s?)

Early on, when K retires a hulking Nexus 8 (Dave Bautista), the dead Replicant’s carved out bloody orb is rinsed off and bagged as evidence. Later, when K meets the female leader of the Replicant uprising face to face, she has an empty socket where her right eye used to be (presumably removed because it was embedded with her serial number).

Finally, when we’re introduced to the film’s shadowy Tyrell surrogate Niander Wallace (Jared Leto), we learn the creepy industrialist is blind, but can “see” with the aid of a fleet of six roving camera drones.

In a film series replete with images of eyes, here’s a character with eight of them.

12:25 – Just as depicted in the original 1982 film, climate change wreaks meteorological havoc over futuristic Los Angeles and makes for smog-choked skies and nearly constant acid rain and snow. The sun rarely shines, but when we’re inside Agent K’s spinner, look closely at the monitor of K’s police boss (Robin Wright) on video chat—it shows a clear blue sky outside the window behind her, a nod to the sunny getaway ending of the original 1982 theatrical version of Blade Runner.

14:30 – The baseline test Agent K must undergo after any field trauma is this film’s inverted answer to the original movie’s Voight-Kampff test.

20:35 – At several moments during Blade Runner 2049 we see a distinctive digital advertisement featuring a pale faced lady with a red Wallace Corporation logo painted on her forehead, a shout-out to the giddy geisha we see on the giant skyscraper-sized billboard throughout the original Blade Runner.

26:00 – Agent K intently studies a puzzling image on a computer screen, peering closer and deeper into it to discover a significant hidden clue, a callback to the 3D photo analyzer sequence from the original movie.

29:15 – Vital bits of a dialogue from the first scene are played back during a travel montage, echoes of the first movie when Deckard is driving his spinner while replaying an audio recording of Leon’s Voight-Kampff test.

29:30 – The twin Tyrell Corp pyramids, which in the first Blade Runner loom large over the twinkling, fire-belching cityscape, now sit darkened and are utterly dwarfed by the colossal towers of the Wallace Corporation.

37:10 – Agent K’s mission leads him to a retirement home to interview former Blade Runner Gaff (Edward James Olmos), who recalls about his former partner Deckard a certain “something in his eyes” that hinted he was not long for this world. Here lies one of the screenplay’s two nods to the unresolved mystery over Deckard’s true nature. The brief scene closes on a view of an origami cow Gaff has furtively folded—a callback to the tiny totems Gaff crafts throughout the original Blade Runner. Agent K’s implanted memory of a carved wooden horse etched with an important date is a further nod to the origami critters and spirit animals in the original Blade Runner (Rachel = unicorn; Zhora = snake; Batty = dove, Deckard = cold fish; etc.).

1:40:45 – Three pivotal sequences are wordless montages abundant with crucial imagery. The first two sequences unfold with varied degrees of musical accompaniment, but the third sequence—when K finally tracks down Deckard (Harrison Ford, at last) to the post-apocalyptic wasteland of Las Vegas—is mostly silent, with only the buzzing of bees, a single lingering piano note emanating from a distance, and a certain signature percussive thunderclap that sends a mighty musical salute to the very first sonic note heard in the original Blade Runner.

The sequence runs for four minutes before somebody utters a word—an eternity in this unfortunate era of rapid-fire sensory assaults that are seemingly designed foremost for attention-deficit viewers and toy store shelf space.

1:57:30 – During a brief transitional scene in Las Vegas, we’re treated to a double Blade Runner “kiss.” Agent K’s holographic companion Joi (Ana de Armas) is seen wearing a transparent vinyl jacket, a tip of the hat to Zhora’s final wardrobe choice in the original film. Prick up your ears during this moment and you’ll also hear the same undulating ambient hum that underscores the scenes set in young Deckard’s 97th floor apartment.

2:12:10 – Is he or isn’t he? Thankfully, the fan debate as to whether or not Deckard is secretly a Replicant is one that remains unresolved, and the screenwriters deserve major kudos for rekindling the mystery and suggesting both possibilities without ever offering a concrete answer.

One more moment warrants mention, though it doesn’t really qualify as an Easter egg or a “kiss.”

Jumping back to the movie’s midsection, at the 1:03:20 mark, there is a chilling turn of events that makes for the single most horrifying scene of any film in 2017: Wallace’s “best angel” Luv (Sylvia Hoeks) orders a satellite drone strike on Agent K’s human assailants, coolly monitoring the live video feed through her stylish glasses while she’s receiving an animated electronic manicure. The moral implications of the remote drone strikes are compounded by the notion that it’s a Replicant who is issuing the kill orders.

In closing, I offer a tip for virgin viewers of Blade Runner 2049: if you’re not pumping the audio through a capable surround system—or at the very least listening with a fierce set of headphones—then you’re doing yourself and the film a disservice, for its densely textured sound design is among the richest and most ever-present aural treats in what feels like forever.

Featuring Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes that were among the first to be released on DVD, at the dawn of the 21st century, and which are now long out of print, Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Singles Collection showcases episodes that were only released individually (or, in one case, paired) and not included in the numbered volumes that would house episodes for nearly two decades.

Available on DVD May 22nd, 2018 from Shout! Factory, MST3K: The Singles Collection includes the episodes The Crawling Hand, The Hellcats, Santa Claus Conquers The Martians, Eegah, I Accuse My Parents, and Shorts Volume 3. The set also includes new episode intros by series creator Joel Hodgson, Man On Poverty Row: The Films Of Sam Newfield featurette, Don’t Knock The Strock featurette (portrait of the director of The Crawling Hand) and MST Hour wraps. Fans can pre-order their copies by visiting ShoutFactory.com

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Singles Collection Episodes

• The Crawling Hand
• The Hellcats
• Santa Claus Conquers The Martians
• Eegah
• I Accuse My Parents
• Shorts Volume 3

Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Singles Collection Bonus Features

• New episode intros by series creator Joel Hodgson
• Man On Poverty Row: The Films Of Sam Newfield featurette
• Don’t Knock The Strock featurette (portrait of the director of The Crawling Hand)
• MST Hour wraps

For more on Shout! Factory, visit shoutfactory.com.

Lately in this column I have been talking about series that may be obscure to those of you younger than thirty and I have used the term “First Run Syndication” quite a bit. Being that First Run Syndication is more or less a dead method of watching television I should inform you on what it was and just why it was so innovative not to mention the two huge (but separate) booms that were caused due to First Run Syndication.

In the late 1970’s and throughout the 1980’s the cable market was really starting to make inroads into local television ratings with cables’ ability to show boobs, blood and not run commercials; this was a serious issue that local television had to deal with but if you were a small (read not network affiliate) you were mostly out of luck.

First Run Syndication was a bypass of the traditional way that a television program got on the air. First Run Syndication sold a program, not to a network, but to each station itself. You had ABC, NBC and CBS as the networks and then in just about every market you had one or two small independent stations which mostly ran old shows and perhaps some local sports.

The old shows were Second Run Syndication.

After a successful show (usually one with over 100 episodes) was off the air all of those old episodes would be sold into syndication. With syndication a station could show them when they wanted, on what days they wanted and at what time they wanted.

Many (now) classic series only became those classics due to syndication.

Star Trek for example did not blow up into the massive franchise it became until it was syndicated to your local stations five days a week.

If you are over thirty I bet you grew up watching old 1960’s sitcoms and 1970’s cop shows on some small UHF station in your area.

This was syndication.

Cable was just coming into it’s own with HBO making original content but a viable cable programming market was still a good half decade away and FOX would not exist as the 4th major network for another few years but there was this underground movement in television that was gaining ground all the while the networks laughed it off… First Run Syndication.

With First Run Syndication and the bypass of the networks an independent station could have original, first run, programming they could use to battle the network affiliates with.

In the beginning the First Run Syndication market was small with mostly fishing shows, sports programming and talk shows eating up the runtime but there were some standout originals such as the innovative Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and the sequel to the 1950’s One Step Beyond; The Next Step Beyond alongside British imports the likes of Space 1999 and The Prisoner. These made small dents in the networks with The Muppet Show being the strongest standout of First Run Syndication but everything changed on Halloween weekend 1983.

On Halloween weekend 1983 the pilot episode of Tales From The Darkside aired.

Nothing was the same after this. With the freedom that First Run Syndication allowed in scheduling different stations aired this pilot at different times and nights but they all aired it on the weekend of Halloween (Halloween being on a Monday that year allowed for the build up over that weekend). The ratings for the Darkside pilot astounded EVERYONE.

Beating 2 of the 3 networks in ratings and with only %40 coverage of the country contrasted to the network 100% coverage caused even the heads of the Big Three to take notice. This First Run Syndication thing might have some legs.

The following Halloween Tales From The Darkside would begin it’s first season with amazing ratings and stations begging to run the program. After this the flood gates were open. Within the next few years First Run Syndicated programming would routinely give a good ratings dent to the networks and then when FOX came on the air in 1987 this actually helped First Run Syndication even more as for that first year FOX only ran original programming two hours a night, six nights a week. Most FOX stations (formally indie channels) gobbled up the First Run Syndication shows.

There was a new wave of TV shows made without a network that followed in the wake of Tales From The Darkside. Friday The 13th The Series, Freddys Nightmares, War Of The Worlds, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Fame, The Munsters Today and Superboy were just part of a long list of TV series made to be sold direct to independent TV stations.

First Run Syndication had it’s downsides to be sure (being cheaper than networks series sometimes showed on the screen), though but it also had major upsides such as less studio interference, looser standards and practices and a much freer style. That style is what gave First Run Syndication it’s unique feel, these didn’t FEEL like network shows, they didn’t FEEL like anything else on at the time. Star Trek: The Next Generation is credited with creating such an impact that the networks which had previously turned down the series while in development were now clamoring for it.

These “off network series” as they were called were amazing in the ratings to the point of scaring some of the networks permanently.

Obviously, Star Trek: The Next Generation made it’s numbers, but I bet many would be surprised that Friday The 13th The Series actually BEAT Star Trek: The Next Generation in each shows second seasons. With these kinds of numbers it seemed like a new era was on the brink of exploding onto the scene… but then FOX (once the friend to the First Run Syndication market) became too large of a player.

Once FOX became a viable channel in it’s second year of broadcast the market just became too crowded. Many of the independent stations that would run the First Run Syndication programming now became FOX affiliates and with FOX programming taking over the time periods formally given to the First Run Syndication shows they were pushed into the late night slots that movies used to fill and the ratings dropped precipitously. Eventually most of these shows were cancelled after this with a few notable exceptions (Star Trek: The Next Generation being a prime example). This was the end of the first First Run Syndication boom but this idea of off network channels was too good to just let it die.

UPN would officially launch in 1995 with the premiere of Star Trek: Voyager but did you know it was attempted as early as 1990, by Universal though and not Paramount?

Universal tested the waters of a mini-network of 3 shows meant to see if this kind of thing could operate as a kind of floating channel during this period. She-Wolf Of London (later retitled to Love And Curses), They Came From Outer Space and Shades Of LA were sold as a package to stations under the banner of “Hollywood Premiere Network” with custom graphics and everything. All 3 shows failed to make it into a second season and this little experiment seemingly failed until Baywatch was cancelled by NBC and rather than take that the producers went the First Run Syndication route… and a legend was born.

Baywatch killed it in the ratings and soon other network cast-offs rolled in (21 Jumpstreet and Punky Brewster finished out their runs in First Run Syndication after being canceled by their networks) but also Forever Knight and the short lived female cop series Sirens found new life with seasons created exclusively for First Run Syndication. A second wave of First Run Syndication was born and this one would make just as large of an impact but in a different way.

With this second boom coming in under Baywatch it seemed that those floodgates opened anew with hit series Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Xena: Warrior Princess, Highlander: The Series and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine giving the networks a severe threatening glance.

Hell, at one point Baywatch was literally THE MOST POPULAR TV SHOW IN THE WORLD being syndicated in over 40 countries and breaking records internationally… until a paint by numbers PI/Bounty Hunter show called Renegade came along and actually dethroned Baywatch for a short time.

This bolstered the money-men into trying stranger and even more niche First Run Syndicated programming. Soldier Of Fortune Inc/Special Ops Force (same show but the title changed between seasons), Viper, Space Precinct, F/X: The Series, V.I.P., Cobra, Relic Hunter, Robocop: The Series, The New WKRP In Cincinnati, Harry And The Hendersons, Time Trax, Babylon 5, Beastmaster, Earth: Final Conflict, Conan The Barbarian and even Stacy Keach returning as Mike Hammer all ran for a season or more to sate any taste, from sci-fi to action to comedy to adventure.

You even had the shows that no one remembers from this era such as Cleopatra 2525 and Jack Of All Trades plus pilot movies such as the incredibly fun Adventures Of Captain Zoom In Outer Space which never got picked up.

This second boom would come to an abrupt end when UPN hit the scene though… as the WB had already hurt the First Run Syndication market in the same manner as FOX a few years earlier the landing of UPN left many of these shows no place to run. Sure, the WB, UPN and FOX stations still ran some of shows, but again, late at night and the audience did not show up. It was now too crowded of a market to remain viable and then Infomercials came in and put First Run Syndication down.

If you grew up in the 1980’s or the 1990’s you will remember many of the series mentioned here but you most likely associated them with the FOX or WB affiliate you saw them on and likely didn’t notice them as First Run Syndication but First Run Syndication literally changed the face of television allowing for the cable channels to come in and pick up the pieces later on… but that is a story for another time.

This week, the much anticipated film, Black Panther, hits theaters.

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

Black Panther stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Martin Freeman, Daniel Kaluuya, Letitia Wright, Winston Duke, with Angela Bassett, with Forest Whitaker, and Andy Serkis. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler and produced by Kevin Feige with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. Ryan Coogler & Joe Robert Cole wrote the screenplay.

And to celebrate, FOG! has teamed-up with our friends at Fandango give away $25 Black Panther-themed special edition Fandango gift cards (good for any movie through Fandango).

Fandango is offering limited edition Black Panther gift cards here and Black Panther gear here.

Also, fans buying Black Panther tickets on Fandango will receive a complimentary Black Panther movie poster with every purchase, while supplies last.

To enter, send an email with the subject header “BLACK PANTHER FANDANGO” to geekcontest @ gmail dot com and answer the following question:

In which comic did Black Panther make his first appearance?

Please include your name, and address (U.S. only. You must be 18 years old).

Only one entry per person and a winner will be chosen at random.

Contest ends at 11:59 PM EST on February 25th, 2018.

The best in comic book and pop culture entertainment comes to Portsmouth on Saturday 5th & Sunday 6th May 2018, in the largest event of its kind to hit the South Coast!

The International Festival of Comics will feature some of the most important comic writers and artists in the industry, with many creators appearing in the UK for the very first time. This year’s inaugural Comic Con will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the first appearance of Superman in Action Comics and the 40th birthday of the classic Christopher Reeve Superman movie and will also showcase exclusive behind the scenes art from HBO’s Game of Thrones.

Portsmouth Comic Con, International Festival of Comics will celebrate the art of comics and illustration plus the worlds of TV and Film, providing fun for aficionados, lifelong fans and families alike. Glimpse behind the camera of Doctor Who, with one of its leading prosthetic makeup artists, Gary Pollard, and cosplay will be strongly encouraged with prizes awarded for the best costumes on the day.

The event is the brainchild of Portsmouth Guildhall and Tripwire Magazine. Tripwire has been, for over 25 years, the pre-eminent comic and genre publication read by some of the biggest names in the film, TV and comic industry.

With Portsmouth Comic Con now just three months away, its producers, Joel Meadows and Andrew Colman answer questions about this eagerly awaited new UK comic show.

* * * * *

What was the genesis of the show?

We were approached a little over a year ago by the CEO of the Guildhall with a view to organise a professionally run American-style convention focusing on pop culture and comic art. Once we visited the venue and spoke to its highly experienced staff, we immediately realised that this was a great opportunity to create a show.

How has your experience with 25 years of Tripwire helped you to shape and organise the show?

Two and a half decades of running the magazine and now the website has given us enormous insight and knowledge of the comic industry and pop culture in general. We have also been very lucky in cementing relationships with some of the most celebrated talent and movers and shakers in the business.

Why do you think that the Portsmouth Guildhall approached you to put the show together?

We believe that, thanks to our decades of expertise, knowledge and contacts plus our understanding of what makes a good show, that we were the right people for the task.

Why do you think the Guildhall is the perfect venue for this show?

The Guildhall is quite simply one of the best and most versatile venues in the country. It lends itself to many different sorts of live events and can cater to a cross-section of audiences. Also, the staff have vast experience in event planning and hosting, putting the venue firmly on the map.

Why do you think Portsmouth needs a show of this kind?

The north of England is well-served by the likes of Thought Bubble and The Lakes, but the south of England lacks a definitive comics and genre show that is immersive, international and professional to the level of the shows we mentioned. Additionally, because of its proximity to major metropolitan areas, it has a tremendous catchment area. Portsmouth, and the Guildhall also have their place in pop culture.

What is the general remit of the show?

The general remit is to provide a quality, interactive experience for dedicated aficionados and those with a passing interest. We hope to replicate the American style of convention with a more British twist.

What do you feel is unique about this show?

The quality of the guests and the attention to detail means that this will have all the hallmarks of a classic show but with a more relaxed flavour. Also, the involvement of the university, which happens to be on our doorstep, will add another dimension to the event.

What experience do you want to give every conventiongoer who attends the show?

We hope that the conventiongoer will get to experience all facets of the comics experience and will walk away having gained something from the show as well as being entertained.

What else will be on offer at the show for visitors who have interests that intersect with comics?

We have secured the Gosport Steampunk Society, who will be hosting various events in the basement of the venue and there will also be a cosplay competition with prizes for the winner.

Which guests are you most proud of attracting to this debut show?

We are proud of all of our guests but if we had to choose, we would pick Louise and Walter Simonson, as they haven’t crossed the water for a show in a decade.

We have tried to reflect the diversity of the current comics industry in our line-up. Other confirmed guests include Tommy Lee Edwards, Frank Quitely, Russell Walks, Rafael Albuquerque, Shawn Martinbrough, Tim Bradstreet, Chris Weston, Rob Williams, Dave Dorman, Declan Shalvey, John Paul Leon, Simon Fraser, Sean Phillips, Cully Hamner, Gene Ha, Shelly Bond, Dirk Wood, Eric Stephenson and more!

How much do you see this as setting out your stall for future shows?

Obviously we are ambitious and plans are already afoot for a second show where we can expand on this initial outing. We are starting as we mean to go in and we intend this to be a regular fixture in the UK convention calendar.

Tickets are available now from the show website www.portsmouthcomiccon.com

The Tribeca Film Festival, presented by AT&T, will open its 17th edition with the world premiere of LOVE, GILDA on Wednesday, April 18, 2018. CNN Films presents the feature length documentary – produced by 3 Faces Films in association with Motto Pictures – which opens a window into the world of celebrated Emmy and Grammy award-winning comedian Gilda Radner who became a cultural icon the moment audiences first laughed with her on Saturday Night Live’s debut episode. A trailblazer for female comedians, her impact on the entertainment industry has endured almost four decades. The film will premiere opening night of the Tribeca Film Festival at the Beacon Theatre in New York City, the city she called home when she catapulted to fame. Tickets for Opening Night go on sale on March 20 at www.tribecafilm.com/festival. The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival runs April 18-29.

LOVE, GILDA is directed and produced by Lisa D’Apolito with the support of the Gilda Radner estate. The film is a true autobiography of a pioneering woman, told in her own words and in her own voice. It weaves together audiotapes, rare home movies, diary entries, and interviews with her friends and those inspired by her including: Bill Hader, Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, and Cecily Strong; SNL original cast members Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, and Paul Shaffer; as well as Lorne Michaels (SNL creator and producer), Alan Zweibel (SNL writer), Stephen Schwartz (Broadway composer); Andrew Alexander (CEO of Second City), and long-time friend and actor Martin Short.

Gilda Radner captivated millions of television viewers as an original cast member of Saturday Night Live from 1975-1980. The popularity of her now classic comedic characters Roseanne Roseannadanna, Emily Litella, and Lisa Loopner fueled the young talent to meteoric fame in television, movies, and on Broadway. After finding happiness in love with Gene Wilder she received the cruelest joke of all, cancer. Her fight against the disease served as an inspiration to people impacted by the illness to stay positive and to keep laughing no matter what challenges life brings you.

“As a Festival that has always supported women’s voices and is largely run by women we are incredibly proud to celebrate the inimitable voice of Gilda during the opening night of our Festival,” said Jane Rosenthal, Co-Founder and CEO of the Tribeca Film Festival. “Gilda Radner was a powerful comedic force of nature who opened doors and thrilled audiences while becoming one of the most prolific comedians of a generation. Her cutting edge humor was only second to her dedicated leadership in cancer care with her eponymous Gilda’s Club.”

“LOVE, GILDA is the right film at the right time and the perfect way to open our Festival,” said Paula Weinstein, EVP of Tribeca Enterprises. “Gilda is a woman for the ages, an extraordinary talent in film, television, and theater who overcame her personal struggles to make us laugh, to make us cry. She understood the healing power of laughter not simply for her audience but in her own life as she struggled with cancer and lead the way for all of us to make the world a better place.”

First time feature filmmaker Lisa D’Apolito commented, “I fell in love with Gilda Radner while doing pro bono work at Gilda’s Club, the cancer support organization Gene Wilder founded in honor of Gilda, in Greenwich Village where I grew up. This started my journey to discover who Gilda was as a person and as a performer. Gilda inspired me and many other women with her remarkable spirit and unique talent that changed the world of comedy. I’m grateful and honored to share the extraordinary legacy of Gilda Radner at the Tribeca Film Festival.”

LOVE, GILDA brings audiences into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer, whose greatest role was sharing her story. The film is produced by Bronwyn Berry, Meryl Goldsmith, and James Tumminia, with Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn (Motto Pictures), Alan and Robin Zweibel, Amy Entelis and Courtney Sexton (CNN Films) serving as executive producers.

Submarine is handling sales for the film.

The 2018 Tribeca Film Festival will announce its feature film slate on March 7.

For more details, visit Facebook.com/Tribeca