Friday, March 28, 2008

The World's Greatest Music Collection - eBay (item

Organized and cataloged, the collection is meticulously maintained and housed in a climate-controlled warehouse. Every recording in this amazing collection has been personally acquired by the collection’s owner over the past fifty years and represents a lifetime of work and his desire to see the music preserved for future generations. Deteriorating health and related financial concerns are forcing the owner to sell the collection at far less than its true value. The estimated value of the collection, on a per-item basis, is in excess of $50 million.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Writer Arthur C. Clarke Dies at 90

Arthur C. Clarke, a visionary science fiction writer who won worldwide acclaim with more than 100 books on space, science and the future, died Wednesday in his adopted home of Sri Lanka, an aide said. He was 90.

Clarke, who had battled debilitating post-polio syndrome since the 1960s and sometimes used a wheelchair, died at 1:30 a.m. after suffering breathing problems, aide Rohan De Silva said.

Co-author with Stanley Kubrick of Kubrick's film '2001: A Space Odyssey,' Clarke was regarded as far more than a science fiction writer.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

X-Factor Week: Larry Stroman Returns - Marvel.com News

Speak of the devil. GEO and I were just talking about him regarding the recent blowup from the Bonehead from Boneyard. Only tangentially related topics.

Come July, a familiar face returns to X-FACTOR as artist Larry Stroman reunites with Peter David with issue #33!

The two first collaborated in 1991 on X-FACTOR v1 #71, an issue which re-imagined the team for the 90's and beyond and kicked off a brief but fondly-remembered run by the duo. Stroman recently made his return to Marvel with WHAT IF? X-MEN: RISE AND FALL OF THE SHI'AR, and X-FACTOR marks his first regular gig at the House of Ideas in over 15 years.

Dave Stevens Passes Away

From Mark Evanier's webpage:

Illustrator Dave Stevens, best known for his 'good girl' art and The Rocketeer, died yesterday following a long, wrenching battle with Leukemia. Dave was born July 29, 1955 in Lynwood, California. He was raised in Portland, Oregon, then his family relocated to San Diego, where he attended San Diego City College and became involved in the early days of the San Diego Comic Book Convention, now known as the Comic-Con International. His skills as an artist were instantly evident to all, and he was encouraged by darn near every professional artist who attended the early cons, but especially by Jack Kirby and Russ Manning. In 1975, when Manning began editing a line of Tarzan comic books to be published in Europe, Dave got his first professional assignment, working on those comics and also assisting Russ with the Tarzan newspaper strip. Soon after, he worked on a few projects for Marvel (including the Star Wars comic book) and a number of underground comics. Later, he also worked with Russ on the Star Wars newspaper strip.

In 1977, Dave went to work for Hanna-Barbera where he drew storyboards and layouts, many of them for the Super Friends and Godzilla cartoon shows and bonded with veteran artist Doug Wildey, who produced the latter. Wildey and Stevens became close friends and in 1982, when Dave created his popular character, The Rocketeer, he modelled the character's sidekick, Peevy, on photos of Doug. Dave himself was Cliff Secord, who donned the mask of The Rocketeer, and other friends appeared in other guises.

The Rocketeer made Dave's reputation and also spawned a resurgence of interest in fifties' figure model Bettie Page, whose likeness Dave used for the strip's heroine. But the strip was not profitable for Dave, who was among the least prolific talents to ever attempt comic books. It wasn't so much that he was slow, as his friends joked, but that he was almost obsessively meticulous, doing days of study and sketching to create one panel, and doing many of them over and over. Even then, he was usually dissatisfied with what he produced and fiercely critical of the reproduction. Friends occasionally pitched in to help with the coloring but some begged off because they knew it was humanly impossible for anyone, including Dave himself, to produce coloring that he'd like. Eventually, he sold most of the rights to Disney for a Rocketeer movie that was produced in 1991. Dave served as a co-producer of the film and did a brief cameo, but the endeavor was not as lucrative for him as he'd hoped, and it pretty much ended Dave's interest in continuing the character.

Most of what Dave did after that fell into the general category of "glamour art," including portfolios and private commissions. Many of these were illustrations of Bettie Page who, though once thought deceased, turned out to be alive and living not all that far from Dave. They met and Dave became her friend and, though he was not wealthy, benefactor. Deciding that too many others had callously exploited her likeness, Dave voluntarily aided Ms. Page financially and even took to helping her in neighborly ways. One time, he told me — and without the slightest hint of resentment — 'It's amazing. After years of fantasizing about this woman, I'm now driving her to cash her Social Security checks.'


Dave Stevens was an incredibly talented artist who didn't have the fastest production schedule but he put out some incredible work. Plus he brought us back Bettie Page. :) Those two things alone are an accomplishment.

Tuesday, March 04, 2008

RIP: The Original Dungeon Master



Thank you, Gary, for nearly thirty years of fun and enjoyment. I wouldn't be doing any of this today without you.

I remember the first time that I received an email from Gary Gygax. It wasn't even directly to me, but instead to an industry mailing list that I am a member of. It felt like receiving a letter from a president.

All that I can say is that Gary had been sick for a while and that he is in a much, much better place now than he had been. To paraphrase my business partner, Aren, "I hope that he is received by the gods of his people in the manner that he deserves." It is both ironic and probably deeply appropriate that Gary passed away on GM's Day.

Gary Gygax is gone. You've probably never heard of the guy, but he changed how we play, every one of us, and he brought dwarves and goblins into the mainstream of pop culture. He was co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, author of classics such as The Monster Manual and Dungeon Masters Guide, and a legitimate 20th-level Nerd God.

He died this morning, at the age of 69, in his Lake Geneva, Wisconsin home, and nobody should turn on their XBOX or PS3 today without thinking of him, and thanking him.

Without Gary Gygax, we wouldn't have role playing games, period. Not just D&D, which has been played by more than 20 million people, but the bloated universe of questing elves and ravenous minotaurs that so many of us dwell in, everything from Zelda to World of Warcraft.

In 1974, Gygax and partner Dave Arneson took the fantasy realm best described by J.R.R. Tolkien, and unleashed it in a form that has proved immortal: a game. A game first played with graph paper, dice and most of all, friends and imagination.

Saturday, March 01, 2008

What Gritty No Nonsense Comic Book Character are You?

via Jonny

I am wondering if I should be shocked.







What Gritty No Nonsense Comic Book Character are You?




You are Spider Jerusalem.Spider is THE journalist of the future. He smokes, he does drugs, and he kicks ass. The drugs are going to eventually kill him but not before he gets his way. And his way is the demise of the failed American dream. Although full of hate, he cares about his city. All he wants to bring the world is truth. Spider Jerusalem, conscience of the City. Frightening thought, but he's the only one we've got.
Take this quiz!








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Thursday, February 28, 2008

On 60th Anniversary, Polaroid Discontinues All Instant Film

Wow. I'm kind of shocked that more people don't think that this is a pretty historic thing. Yeah, I know that digital photography has replaced Polaroids for a lot of things but there are still going to be places that need them.

A world without Polaroids is a pretty big deal.

That's one more product that technology has killed off completely: On the eve of the product's 60th anniversary, Polaroid is announcing that its namesake instant film is being discontinued. None of Polaroid's two dozen auto-developing products will be produced after 2008.

Depending on the type of film, Polaroid says you can expect to find it on store shelves until the first quarter of 2009, but most of its films will be gone well before then. And don't get too excited about 'stocking up' on Polaroid film, either: It will all expire before the end of 2009, after which it will begin to degrade considerably.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

You Know What's Stupid? Everything I Don't Understand

For far too long I've sat idly by, twiddling my thumbs and respecting the right of others to form thoughts and opinions independent of my own, and I can't take it anymore. I've got to speak up about the many things that annoy me or I'm going to go crazy. Take these new credit cards with the microchips in them, for instance. Man, those things really get my goat—trying to improve a device that was working perfectly fine as it was. Even worse are those wrappers on CDs that take forever to open. But you know what I hate the most? The one thing that makes my blood boil whenever I see it? Anything beyond my mental capacity, that's what.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Foo Fighters Sue Marvel Comics Over X-Men Cartoon

It seems like a bad idea to pick a fight with Spider-Man, Wolverine and the rest of the Marvel Universe, but that’s exactly what Dave Grohl and the Foo Fighters are doing, as the band is suing the comic book giant for copyright infringement. The band alleges that Marvel used 'substantial excerpts' of their songs 'Best of You' and 'Free Me' as the music for the trailer of the new animated series Wolverine and the X-Men. You can watch the trailer here, and it’s pretty obvious that the Foos are used to soundtrack the cartoon’s preview. The series’ producers First Serve International, Toonz Animation India and First Serve Toonz were also named on the lawsuit, with the Foos’ seeking unspecified damages. We’re guessing the Foo Fighters just blew their chances of being on the soundtrack to The Punisher 2.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Here He Comes....

Which Superhero Are You?

Your results:
You are Green Lantern
























Green Lantern
85%
Spider-Man
85%
Catwoman
70%
Iron Man
70%
Hulk
60%
The Flash
55%
Superman
50%
Supergirl
40%
Batman
40%
Wonder Woman
35%
Robin
30%
Hot-headed. You have strong
will power and a good imagination.


Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Pere Ubu Guitarist Jim Jones, R.I.P.

A blow to Cleveland music.

Jim Jones, Cleveland music scene stalwart and guitarist (and sometime keyboardist) for legendary art rockers Pere Ubu for some 15 years, died Monday (February 18) at his home after suffering a heart attack, according to Pere Ubu's Ubu Projex website.

Jones joined Pere Ubu in 1987, after serving as a roadie. Due to his declining health, he retired from the live band in August 1995, although he continued to record with Pere Ubu for some time after, playing on 1998's Pennsylvania and 2002's St Arkansas. Jones is particularly noted for his contributions to the more pop-oriented sound Pere Ubu embraced during his tenure with the band.

A life-long musician, Jones also played with Mirrors, the Styrenes, the Electric Eels, Foreign Bodies, Easter Monkeys, and Home & Garden.

According to a report in Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer, Jones was 57 at the time of his death.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Interview With Torchwood's Burn Gorman at Newsarama

Until a couple of years ago, you’ve probably seen Burn Gorman, but didn’t know him.

Then again, in barely a decade he appeared on sterling British TV shows and films as East Enders, Coronation Street and the film Penelope starring Christina Ricci and Reese Witherspoon (finally getting a true theatrical release in the U.S. this February).

Then, two years ago, he took the role of the hot-headed Owen Harper on the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood. There he co-stars with fan favorite Captain Jack Harkness (John Barrowman) and an equally talented ensemble cast protecting our planet from what’s to come in the 21st Century.

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Paramount shuffle delays 'Trek'

Dramatically underscoring the need for movie-side execs to review slates following the long writers strike, Paramount on Wednesday bounced six films to new dates and moved two unslotted films to next year's calendar.

Other distributors were scrambling to complete similar reviews of their upcoming productions to determine what can or can't be delivered on scheduled dates. In some cases, films will move because of talent issues, but many film projects have been frozen in time when script rewrites weren't completed before the 100-day scribe walkout.

'Star Trek' arguably was the biggest film moved, with the intended Christmas Day release now set for the first prime date in the following summer boxoffice season: May 8, 2009. But 'Trek' appears something of an exception in the mix of itinerant pics, with its shift unrelated to script or cast considerations.

''Star Trek' is moving to summer because its has so much boxoffice potential,' Par spokesman Michael Vollman said. 'It does not need any script tweaks. They're two-thirds of the way through shooting, and we would have delivered a great movie at Christmas.'

Warren Ellis' Freakangels


Tuesday, February 12, 2008

Marvel MMO Cancelled by Microsoft

'I don’t think it’s necessarily a case of what went wrong,' Kim told me. 'I don’t know that that’s the right way to put it. For us we look at our priorities and all of the things we have to do. It’s a tough space. It’s a very competitive space. And it’s a space that’s changing quite a bit. …When we first entered into the development and agreement of the development of ‘Marvel Universe Online,’ we thought we would create another subscription-based MMO. And if you really look at the data there’s basically one that’s successful and everything else wouldn’t meet our level or definition of commercial success. And then you have to look [and say]: ‘Can we change the business model for that? Is that really viable given how far we are in development? And so forth. Does Marvel want to do that?’ There’s a whole bunch of factors.'

Hm....Um....Well

Probably not safe for work. Mind you, I have no idea what any of it says, but it certainly does look like fun.

Tolkien Estate Sues New Line

LOS ANGELES (AP) The estate of 'Lord of the Rings' creator J.R.R. Tolkien is suing the film studio that released the trilogy based on his books, claiming the company failed to pay a cut of gross profits for the blockbuster films.

The writer's estate, a British charity dubbed The Tolkien Trust, and original 'Lord of the Rings' publisher HarperCollins filed the lawsuit against New Line Cinema on Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court.

Fox sues over 'Watchmen'

Well, now, isn't this fun...

20th Century Fox has initiated a legal battle against Warner Bros. over the rights to develop, produce and distribute a film based on the graphic novel 'Watchmen.'

On Friday, the studio sued Warners, claiming it holds the exclusive copyrights and contract rights to 'Watchmen.'

Warners plans to release next year a big-screen version of the popular comic book written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons. The cast includes Jackie Earle Haley, Billy Crudup, Patrick Wilson, Carla Gugino and Malin Akerman. It is the studio's policy to not comment on pending litigation.

Monday, February 11, 2008

Steve Gerber, 1947-2008

Steve Gerber, a leading light in 1970s American comic books, a singular writer of odd and affecting comics for mainstream publishers, an advocate for and icon of creators rights, and the creator and co-creator of several characters including Howard the Duck and Omega the Unknown, died Sunday in a Las Vegas hospital. The cause of death is believed to be pneumonia, although he had been suffering from a long-term illness, pulmonary fibrosis. He was 60 years old.

Gerber was born in St. Louis in September, 1947. A comics fan as a youth, he began to correspond with legendary fanzine figures Roy Thomas and Jerry Bails at an early age. He participated even more directly in the early fanzine movement, by creating the publication Headline as a young teen. He attended at school as the University of Missouri -- St. Louis and the University of Missouri, finishing his degree and doing some graduate work at St. Louis University. He found early employment as a copywriter for a St. Louis advertising agent and wrote short stories at night.

When Geeks Attack

George Lucas is claiming that a 'Star Wars' convention has moved over to the dark side.

In a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in nothern California, LucasFilm says that Gen Con, a company that puts on gaming conventions, failed to uphold a contract to deliver proceeds from a 'Star Wars' memorabilia auction to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

According to this complaint, Gen Con owes almost $1 million to the charity and to LucasArts for proceeds from an auction held at last May's Gen Con convention in Los Angeles. LucasFilm says it undertook expenses to advertise the auction to increase participation.

Thursday, February 07, 2008

Las Vegas Is The Second Life LARP


DSCN1110, originally uploaded by Cleveland Desolation.

I posted the pictures that I took while in Las Vegas for my birthday. All that I kept thinking was that the city was like a giant, open air, LARP version of Second Life.

Veggies a 'perversion of nature'

We know how you lot like your scientific analysis: adequately researched, well-balanced and backed with solid evidence.

You'll doubtless enjoy this piece down at Pravda, then, which confirms what the nutritionally-savvy among us have known all along: that vegetarianism isn't actually an informed lifestyle choice, but rather a 'perversion of nature' pursued by protein-starved fanatics whose self-deception will surely drive them to an early grave.

Dwarves hidden in sports bags target Swedish coaches

Swedish police are quizzing 'people of limited stature' with criminal records following a spate of robberies from the cargo holds of coaches - possibly carried out by dwarves smuggled onboard in sports bags.

According to the Sun, the gang responsible pack their vertically-challenged accomplices into bags and stick them in with other passengers' luggage. The undercover operatives then rifle the hold for valuables before resealing themselves in their hiding place, to be extracted later by another gang member at the coach's final destination.