Showing posts with label Spider-Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spider-Man. Show all posts

Monday, February 1, 2021

Monday Madness AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY in A Tale Twice-Told!

What do this comic...
...and this comic...
...have in common...besides both being published as a joint project by Marvel Comics and the American Cancer Society?
Here's the inside covers from both books...
1982
1998
Figure it out?
Here's one more comparison...the back covers from both books...
1982
1998
Isn't it odd Luke seems to have forgotten cigar-smoking Nick Fury and Ben (the Thing) Grimm?
The answer is...it's the exact same comic script (including word balloons and captions), just illustrated by two different art teams a decade apart!
(OK, to be fair, the text in the block Cage is lifting is different..but that's the only thing, and it's not story-related!)
You'll see both versions of this tale Tuesday through Friday at our "brother" RetroBlog

Sunday, January 31, 2021

Football + SuperHeroes = SuperPro!

30 years ago, Marvel and the NFL teamed up to produce...
...a football-themed superhero!
...who, despite meeting a couple of Marvel's best-known heroes...
...lasted only 13 issues, then disappeared into obscurity!
Due to licensing restrictions, NFL SuperPro will never be reprinted or offered as an e-book!
However, when you can find copies, they're usually pretty cheap, like the one below...
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Order...

Sunday, July 8, 2018

RIP Steve Ditko (1927-2018)

Easily one of the most eccentric and unique personalities in a rather eccentric and unique field...
...Steve Ditko was not only the co-creator or sole creator of some of pop culture's most enduring characters, but a fascinating person to be around.
I had the privilege of working with him on a number of projects at various companies, and while he disliked interacting with fans, when dealing with fellow pros, he was honest (if not entirely diplomatic), knowledgeable about an amazing array of subjects, and far more "professional" than many young hot-shot artists!
By that, I mean he always met deadlines and had no problems modifying artwork to suit the editor's/client's needs, which rankles many "creatives" who feel it would "impugn their vision".
I'll miss him.

BTW, check out a rarely-reprinted Mr A story with no captions or dialogue (or any mention of Objectivism) at all...HERE!
Please Support Atomic Kommie Comics
Visit Amazon and Order...

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Excelsior! Happy 91st Birthday to Stan Lee!

Co-Creator of the Marvel Comics universe...although "Catalyst" might be a better term to describe him.

Together with an astounding group of artists (some, like Jack Kirby, already legends in the field), he produced a memorable lineup of characters and stories which, to this day, form the backbone both of the comics line and various film and tv spinoffs.
Even the characters Lee didn't co-create (like Captain America and the Silver Surfer) were guided and shaped by Lee in his role as Editor into the versions we know and love today.

And credit where credit is due...Lee couldn't have done it without Kirby, Steve Ditko, Don Heck, Gene Colan, and the rest; while they, who had all done superb work without him, did their best work with him!
(C'mon, what post-Stan Lee Marvel characters have had any real success, outside of the 1975 revival of the X-Men, itself based on core characters created by Lee and Kirby?)

So, EXCELSIOR! to you, Stan the Man!

Saturday, January 5, 2013

Steve Ditko Cover FINALLY Published...51 Years Later!

Here's the unpublished version of Marvel's Amazing Fantasy #15 (1962)...
...the final issue of the title, and the introduction of some comic book character.
Now, here's an alternate cover of the current issue (#700) of Marvel's Amazing Spider-Man...
...and I have to ask, now that it's finally published, 51 years later, did Marvel ever pay Ditko for the cover art?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

3-D Controversy!

According to the LA Times...
The National Assn. of Theatre Owners, the country's largest group of exhibitors, has lashed out at Sony Pictures concerning its plans to stop footing the bill for 3-D glasses and pass the expense on to moviegoers!
Sony sent a letter to theater owners informing them that as of May 1, 2012, it will no longer pay 3-D technology companies such as RealD the average cost of 50 cents per ticket for 3-D glasses used by moviegoers. 
Sony has two big genre movies in 3-D coming out after May 1 next year: Men in Black III and The Amazing Spider-Man.
Fox tried a similar move, but was forced to back down after several theater chains threatened to take only 2-D versions of films.
NATO issued a statement that..."NATO believes Sony's suggestion is insensitive to our patrons, particularly in the midst of continuing economic distress..."
We agree!
Collectibles Store
 (where you don't need 3-D glasses!)

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Doc Savage and Spider-Man...the Team-Up that ISN'T a Team-Up!

Click on the art to enlarge
Currently-running over at our "brother" blog Hero & Heroine Histories™ is a never-reprinted Doc Savage comic story from 1975's Giant-Size Spider-Man #3.
Yes, Spider-Man and Doc Savage!
Together.
Sort of.
Want to know what we're talking about?
Click HERE!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

SyFy Silliness--"Rocket Robin Hood" Redux!

Among the new shows announced by SyFy...
Sherwood. In this "Robin Hood" story for the 23rd century, a young man of privilege teams up with a misfit spaceship crew to right the wrongs of his family.
Like this...?

It's an animated series from 1967 called Rocket Robin Hood, done by the many of the same creative personnel who did the first Spider-Man cartoon and The Marvel Super-Heroes anthology cartoon series.
The Canadian-produced series had limited distribution on US tv, but VHS and DVD releases have given it new life among both animation and Robin Hood aficionados!
Considering the "creators" Damian Kindler, Martin Wood, and Amanda Tapping of SyFy's new Sherwood are all Canadian (and, no doubt, saw RRR as kids), one can only hope they make their futuristic "re-imagining" of the Robin Hood legend different from the previous  futuristic re-imagining!
We'll see...

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Fantastic Femmes--Vanessa Ferlito

Note: this page has been updated with NEW info HERE!
Best known for her genre work in GrindHouse, 24, and the CSI franchise, Brooklyn-born Vanessa Ferlito has also done comedy (Madea Goes to Jail), and is currently in the new film drama Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps!
Trivia: though she's Italian-American, Vanessa often plays Hispanic-named or accented characters!
She's worked with fellow Fantastic Femme Rosario Dawson on three films: GrindHouse (She didn't have any scenes together with Rosario), 25th Hour, and Descent!
Genre appearances include...
24 (Claudia Hernandez)
(Arlene aka ButterFly)
(Detective Aiden Burn)
Spider-Man 2 (Louise)

Check out...

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Batman and...The Green Hornet!

When last we blogged, we commented on the fact that Batman, not Superman, would be the first DC character to interact with Doc Savage.
But, then, Batman was usually the first to meet up with other publishers' characters..
Almost a decade before Superman vs. Spider-Man, Batman met up with another company's character...The Green Hornet!
(Note: Most people disregard this as a legitimate cross-over since it was live-action and not a comic, but, AFAIC, characters are characters, and if it's not a pirate / illegal production, it's REAL and it counts!)

In the two-parter "A Piece of the Action" / "Batman's Satisfaction", The Hornet & Kato visit Gotham City while tracking counterfeit stamps.
Since The Hornet's M.O. is pretending to be a criminal, Batman naturally assumes the Vermilion Villain is there to cut himself in on...you guessed it, a piece of the action!
But, since The Hornet is, in fact, a hero, he has to find a way to a) put the counterfeiters out of business and b) avoid a confrontation with the Caped Crusader!
To add to the problem, it turns out that the characters' millionare alter-egos, Bruce Wayne and Britt Reid, have known each other since childhood, and have been competitors at almost everything from then to now!

It ain't a classic by any stretch, but it is fun, and the Big Finale Fight is more Bat-fistcuffs than Hornet-martial arts, but it does have it's moments.

It also provides the answer to the trivia question:
Who's the ONLY actor to play a villain opposite Batman, Captain Kirk, and The Green Hornet?*
(Most people say Frank Gorshin or Julie Newmar, who had memorable appearances on both Star Trek and Batman!)

If you haven't seen them, the episodes will pop up as both Batman and The Green Hornet are in syndication, and airing in a number of cities.
In one of the Great Crimes Against Art, neither show is available on DVD, but I suspect with the Seth Rogan Green Hornet film coming next year, at least Van Williams & Bruce Lee will finally be made available!

*Roger C. Carmel, who played Harcort Fenton "Harry" Mudd in three Star Trek (2 Classic, 1 Animated) eps and Colonel Gumm in the Batman / Green Hornet crossover on Batman!

Friday, May 8, 2009

Star Trek is here--Beam me up!

If you're willing to accept Crisis on Infinite Earths and it's aftermath (plus Batman Begins onward and the various other DC-related film / tv series), Ultimate Marvel Universe, "One More Day", and the various Marvel-based films and tv series (Hell, Punisher was rebooted twice!), the Godzilla Heisei and Millenium films, Battlestar Galactica [2003-09],or the Eon James Bond 007 films from Casino Royale [2006] on, then you'll go with this for what it is...a reboot / alternate universe with some interesting twists.

And unlike most of the other film /tv series, this one acknowledges the fact that it's an alternate universe!
(Comics on the other hand, enjoy pointing out when they reboot! Go figure!) ;-)

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Fantastic Femmes--Nichelle Nichols--Nyota Uhura I

Discovered by jazz great Duke Ellington, Nichelle toured with Duke and Lionel Hampton as their lead singer for several years.
Adding acting to her repitore, she appeared in a number of roles in films and on tv shows including The Lieutenant, produced by Gene Roddenberry, who remembered her when casting his next series...Star Trek!

Her role as Uhura ("Nyota" wasn't added until the 1980s) was ground-breaking in that she wasn't playing a servant or someone's wife / girlfriend / sister, but a fully-qualified officer equal to (or better) than anyone around her!
Due to a large volume of racist hate mail, Nichelle considered quitting during the first season, but Dr. Martin Luther King, jr interceded, convincing her to remain.
Several notables including NASA astronaut Mae Jemison and actress Whoopi Goldberg have directly-attributed their choice of careers to her appearance as Uhura on Star Trek.
On the animated sequel Star Trek [1973-74], besides performing as Uhura, Nichelle provided voices of numerous "guest characters" including Dr. Sarah April, the Enterprise's first Medical Officer and wife of Captain Robert April, the ship's first commander!

Nichelle has kept busy, acting both on-screen and voicing animated characters, releasing several albums of her jazz performances as well as turning to film producing!

Trivia:
During the last season of Star Trek, Nichelle was offered the role of Peggy Fair on Mannix, but turned it down.
In the 1970s and '80s, she was a spokesperson for NASA and aided in recruiting female and minority astronaut candidates.
Nichelle is one of the people Robert Heinlein dedicated the novel Friday to.
She's penned two books: a sci-fi novel; Saturn's Child (co-written with Mary Wander Bonanno), and an autobiography; Beyond Uhura.
Genre appearances include...
Lady Magdaline's (Lady Magdaline aka Maggie)
Heroes (Nana Dawson)
Futurama
"Where No Fan Has Gone Before" (as her head in a jar)
"Anthology of Interest I" (as herself)
Simpsons "Simple Simpson" (as herself)
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command "Yukari Imprint" (Chief)
G vs E aka Good vs Evil (Henry's Mother)
Spider-Man [1997] (Miriam the Vampire Queen)
Adventures of Captain Zoom in Outer Space (Sagan, High Priestess of Pangea)
Inside Space (Host)
[A Science FACT series on the Sci-Fi Channel, so it qualifies IMHO]
Batman: the Animated Series (Thoth Khepera)
ABC Weekend Specials "Commander Toad in Space" (SS Stella)
Gargoyles (Diane Maza)
Supenaturals (Sgt. Leona Hawkins)
Star Trek [1966-69] / Star Trek [1973-74] /
Star Trek: the Motion Picture /
Star Trek II: the Wrath of Khan /
Star Trek III: the Search for Spock /
Star Trek IV: the Voyage Home /
Star Trek V: the Final Frontier /
Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country
Star Trek: 25th Anniversary [VG]
Star Trek: Judgement Rites [VG]
(Lieutenant [later Commander] Nyota Uhura)
Tarzan [1966-68] (Ruana)

Check out...
Uhura.com (Nichelle's Official Site)
Nichelle Nichols (FanSite)
Other actresses to play Nyota Uhura include...
Zoe Saldana in Star Trek [2009]