Reading Room: BARBARELLA 4.2

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

After surviving the Excessive Machine, Barbarella ends up in the bedroom of the Queen of Sogo.
The pair manage to escape and free the blind angel, Pygar.
However, unskilled in piloting the alien craft they are traveling in, Barbarella crashes the ship, and in the ensuing confusion, the Queen escapes...

This multi-part comic strip was turned into a graphic album, and then adapted into a feature film starring Jane Fonda in the title role.

Barbarella wouldn't have a new adventure until 1974, when Wrath Of The Minute Eater was published in France.
Two more graphic novels, False Moon aka Moon Child (1977) and Storm Mirror (1982), have appeared since.
Of the three sequels, only Moon Child is available in English in a presently OOP graphic novel.
There are no current plans for any English-language reprints.

Nelvana Animation, proposed doing an animated series during the 1990s, but no network was willing to finance it.

Proposal art by Jean-Claude Forrest

Robert Rodriguez (Sin City, Machete) had a movie remake in development, but it died in 2009, and no one else seems interested...

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Barbarella Comic Collectibles Corner

Reading Room: BARBARELLA 4.1

It's been a couple of months since we checked up on Barbarella...

...so let's begin the final chapter of her 1960s adventures!

Tomorrow:

The Fantastic Finale!

Plus some fun facts!

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Cartoonists Pay Tribute to 9/11 on 10th Anniversary

The major comic syndicates have rallied their cartoonists to dedicate their strips on Sunday, September 11, 2011, to pay homage to those who lost their lives or were injured in the 9-11 terrorist attacks.
All of the nearly 100 participating strips, many of which appear on Sunday newspaper editions in color in their own special pullout section, will have an overarching September 11 remembrance theme.

In addition to the newspaper tribute, King Features Syndicate has partnered with several distinguished museums to host special exhibits featuring the cartoonists’ commemorative works, including:

• The Newseum in Washington, D.C.
• The Cartoon Art Museum in San Francisco
• The Toonseum in Pittsburgh
• The Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York City (MoCCA)
• The Society of Illustrators in New York City

More details HERE.

Welcome Back, Flash Gordon! We Missed You!

Besides doing the alternate covers for each issue of the new Flash Gordon comic from Dynamite, Francesco Francavilla is also doing a wraparound cover inspired by the work of Al Williamson for the first issue.
If that's not enough to make you put this on your pull-list...
The year is 1934, a time of two-fisted swashbuckling, of fearsome threats and wild adventure -- and of ever-growing threats on the horizon. Three valiant humans -- Flash Gordon, Dale Arden and Dr. Hans Zarkov -- are plucked from the Earth, traveling to the distant planet Mongo. Their exploits are legendary, battling the machinations and terror schemes of the dreaded emperor Ming the Merciless, the All-Seeing Ruler of Mongo. But they did not fight alone...
And, it's only 32 pages for $1!!

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YouTube Wednesday: MOON ZERO TWO

Before Cowboys & Aliens, there WERE "Space Westerns"...

Click on art to enlarge

...although this one is more "Space" than "Western"!

1969's Moon Zero Two was a weird combo of 40s-50s pulp sci-fi with its "Western transposed to outer space" motif, 2001: a Space Odyssey / UFO-influenced production design and fx, and some cool 60s psychedelic elements set in the "far future" of 2021.

We're going into more detail about the flick at our "brother" blog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™, presenting the rarely-seen comic adaptation (by Paul Neary) from House of Hammer, some background info, and links to related sites.

But, as long as you're here, why not watch the complete Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of MZ2?

Enjoy!
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and these HTF Moon Zero Two items on Amazon...

Flash! Ah-Ahhh...!

Dynamite Entertainment, who recently snagged The Shadow, has grabbed another classic...

...and is doing a revamped/updated look at Flash Gordon!

The initial 6-issue story arc will be an adaptation of the first two years of the original Alex Raymond comic strip.
Alex Ross plotted the series, handled character designs, and will contribute covers.
Erik Trautmann is scripting and Daniel Lindro is illustrating the series.
Francesco Francavilla will be doing alternate covers.
Overall, I'm interested, but Lindro may be a little too dark an artist for a bright action-adventure series.
But it couldn't be any worse than the recent manga-influenced Flash series from Ardden.

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YouTube Wednesday: Quatermass Xperiment

First it was a record-breaking BBC-tv mini-series broadcast live on six consecutive nights in 1953...(and no, that's not a typo in the blog title)

In 1955, it was the first horror film from the legendary Hammer Studios...

In 2005, it was redone in a new, live BBC broadcast starring David Tennant (Doctor Who) and Indira Varma (TorchWood, Human Target)!

We're covering it over at our "brother" blog Secret Sanctum of Captain Video™!
Stop by and have a look at the never-reprinted comic adaptation of the feature film version!

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Reading Room: BARBARELLA 3.2

When Last We Left Our Heroine...

Barbarella met a number of inhabitants of the labyrinth surrounding Lythion's capital city, Sogo, including Pygar the blind angel, and Earth scientist Durand.
With their help, Barbarella defeated the LeatherMen and is now en-route to the city itself.

While many elements were adapted into the feature film with minimal alteration, there's one startling difference...Durand, the main villain of the movie, is a good guy in the original comic strip!

More Barbarella soon.

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Reading Room: BARBARELLA 3.1

It's been a while since we last looked in on Barbarella...

You're about to encounter more plot elements and characters you saw in the 1960s movie, but in somewhat different form...

More adventures of Barbarella and Pygar tomorrow...

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Summer SpaceMen, SuperHeroes & Spies
Comic Collectibles Shop
featuring

Queen of Space

Queen of the Galaxy

Queen of the Universe