Deadman

BRAIN: After watching last weekend's Justice League Unlimited, I've been thinking about Deadman. Deadman is a character I've seen over the years but I've never bought or read any of his comics. I've always thought he seemed really cool. My brother had some Batman's with Deadman in them and they always kind of scared me. I'm going to pick up some back issues.

I've been looking around and found some really cool images.

ZED: I liked him in that episode too, I have that Kingdom Come figure, one of my favorites. I have a cool daredevil, deadman team up comic somewhere that was cool. When are they putting the JLU dvds out?

BRAIN: March 21. But the first set will be just the Justice League and not Justice League Unlimited...

John K's Blog

BRAIN: John Kricfalusi, creator of Ren and Stimpy, has a blog called all kinds of stuff. He posts some great sketches and things he is working on/pitching now. Pretty funny stuff. The characters of Tom and Katie are great.

Spider-man: The '67 Collection

BRAIN: I've done it. I've made it through all 6 DVDs in this collection of Spider-man cartoons from 1967 - 1970. This has been in my DVD stack since in came out in 2004 but it was recently that I started at the beginning and watched all 52 episodes. I was looking for something to watch with Jack (my year and a half old son) that didn't consist of songs sung by four Australian guys sporting primary colored, Star Trek looking outfits. It worked. He watched, or at least didn't mind having it on in the background. I love these. They bring back memories of spending Saturday mornings in front of the tube and sitting about six inches away from the screen. They are a little before my time, but I was lucky enough to see these in rerun. They did a great job restoring these. I've had bootlegs on VHS and they were pretty murky. They are now bright, crisp and sound great (but still mono). The animation looks really dated though, so I doubt most older kids will get into these. Me, I like the simple animation style. The buildings are painted different colors, Spidey swings the same way where ever he goes, the plots are simple. About half way through they start getting pretty bizarre though, Ralph Bakshi takes over. Spidey stops fighting guys like Electro and Scorpion and starts fighting monsters and mad scientists, the sky in the background goes from a light blue to an almost LSD-inspired wash of water color and the music even gets a little funkier. These stories play out a little more like Jonny Quest or Scooby-Doo. Something else I discovered, the voice of Peter Parker is the same guy who did Hermey on Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. I had a great time watching these.

At about buck an episode, you can't go wrong. I give this an A-.

M.M.M.S. part 2

BRAIN: I posted two weeks back about the Merry Marvel Marching Society and how I really love the 60's style Marvel look and feel of their fan club. Maybe I like them because they don't take themselves as serious as most comics do now. Here is another find. It's Marvel stickers from 1967. Their not really funny, but to me it has an innocent charm that brings back memories of reading comics when I was a kid.

It's Back And I Couldn't Be Happier!

BRAIN: Remember watching roller derby on tv back in the 70's? Well roller derby leagues are spring up all over the place again and we have a great one right here in Minneapolis. We have to go. Pabst Blue Ribbon is the only beer served. That pretty much sums it up right there. I've talked to a couple of people who have seen the Minnesota Rollergirls and they say it's excellent. I think there is only two more home events left; March 24 and April 15. Who's with me?

New Bond Girl :: Eva Green

BRAIN: The official Casino Royale website has announced the newest bond girl to be Eva Green. Above is the picture attached to the press release. My first impression was just mediocre, but we'll see I guess...

"After an extensive search we have found the perfect actress. Eva is one of France's most accomplished young actresses, now receiving international acclaim. She brings to the complex role of Vesper an exciting combination of enigmatic and seductive beauty."

I went to IMDB to see what she has been in:
1 :: Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
2 :: Arsène Lupin (2004)
3 :: The Dreamers (2003)

I looked around for some other pics and these were the best I could find.

Star Wars Read-Along Records

BRAIN: I've never been accused of spending my time on productive things... That being said, I've ripped these three Star Wars Read-Along records in and saved them out as mp3s. These bring me back to a time when Star Wars was fresh and new and pretty much consumed all of my time. They have authentic Star Wars sound effects for R2 and Chewie but use voice actors for Luke, Leia and Han. I think they actually hired Anthony Daniels for C3P0. They rush through the stories pretty fast because they have to fit on the front and back of 7 inch record, but that's alright. The simplicity of these are what make them great. I originally thought they were from Power Records, but they are actually from Buena Vista Records.

A NEW HOPE
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK
RETURN OF THE JEDI

Megaman *&$#*% Hard

ZED: Megaman X Maverick Hunter is awesome on the psp, gameplay is exactly like it was when I played the first Megaman on the NES. Better graphics and a not-too japanimationy look make this a must-have psp title. But damn is it hard, I've put in about 10 hours and I still haven't beat a boss, the levels themselves aren't too bad, but the bosses are tough.

Zim

ZED: Invader Zim is the present day animated version of Calvin & Hobbes, it is awesome if you haven't seen it.

Holy Terror, Batman!

BRAIN: Frank Miller is in the process of writing and drawing another Batman story called Holy Terror, Batman! Batman will be going after al-Qaeda in "a propaganda piece" that is "very pulpy" and "quite emotional." He went on to say that he feels that this is some of his best art ever.

"Superman punched out Hitler, and so did Captain America," Miller said. "It seemed kind of silly for Batman to chase around the Riddler, when you have al-Qaeda out there."

ZED: Sounds dumb, I see the comic universe as an alternate of ours, I hate it when they shamelessly sponge off dramatic current events, batman vs. terrorists I could see, but does it really need to be al-Qaeda? I am losing respect for Miller ever since DK2 (except for the part when the atom jumps around in Superman's ear and screws up his equilibrium, that was awesome). I'll reserve judgement until I see more but...

I Can't Decide

BRAIN: Do I like Alex Meleev's art? Sometimes I look at his work and I'm blown away and other times I wonder what he was thinking... I'm not sure what it is. Composition is nice. I think it's the way he draws faces maybe.

The sample page above is from The New Avengers: Illuminati. Illuminati is a secret team made up of Reed Richards, Professor X, Black Bolt, Iron Man, Namor and Dr. Strange that was formed after the Kree-Skrull War to watch over the Marvel Universe. I guess there is a rift in the group and this starts the Civil War in the Marvel Universe. It may be because they were responsible for sending the Hulk into space somewhere. I'm getting sucked in.

Going Back for More

ZED: Ok, I am late, but an official INVINCIBLE fan, I picked up the second trade, loved it, I'm going to pick up the rest soon. I love the shameless parallels to existing heroes, yet different.

BRAIN: Cool! I'm glad you liked it. It's a slow build. It keeps getting better.

Attack

ZED: This shirt is awesome, they have it at Penny Arcade I've seen it elsewhere too.

Just Don't Make Him Mad

BRAIN: CNN has reported that Lou Ferrigno has been sworn in as a Los Angeles county reserve deputy officer.

Zed and I met him at Wizard World in Chicago. We think he is ready for a comeback. How is that script coming Zed? He was in great shape, not that I
was looking...

Hopes Are Fading

BRAIN: Yikes. Here is a picture of Colossus from X3 that I grabbed from Ain't It Cool News. Now I'm getting scared. I was starting to get high hopes for this movie. A metal mask? He looks like Doom! His fingers look more like metal sausages. Also wondering about the Frankenstein pose and walking through a foggy wasteland? What was wrong with the way he looked in X2?

I Thought This Was A Joke...

BRAIN: It's real! Discover great movies with William Shatner. Let's try and predict the next crazy thing he will endorse.

Stamps

BRAIN: The post office will be releasing some DC stamps this year. It's unclear as to when exactly, some reports say around the San Diego Comic-Con and a different article says September. I think they look pretty dang cool. It's ten heroes with two stamps each, an action pose and a comic book cover. A cool mix of classic and current artists; Lee, Adams, Kirby, Perez, Kubert, more. I also read that we may get some Marvel stamps next year. I hope so.

ZED: Probably not, Marvel's a bit off the ball it seems lately.

Kelsey as Beast, part 2

BRAIN: These are promo posters that were handed out at WonderCon last weekend. I think they look pretty cool but Kelsey seems a little uncomfortable...

ZED: and the Angel shot looks like a Victoria's Secret for Men ad.

Star Wars Valentines

BRAIN: Something Awful has posted some really freakin' funny Star Wars valentines!

SIDE NOTE: The guy who played Uncle Owen just kicked the bucket yesterday.

Your Personal Kung Fu Soundtrack

BRAIN: Fun site. "I Know Where Bruce Lee Lives" lets you mix a soundtrack to your own kung fu movie starring Bruce Lee. The design is great and you can even record and playback your masterpiece.

War is Hell

BRAIN: OK Marvel. My interest is peaked. There is a Civil War coming and no corner of the Marvel Universe will be unaffected. "...when the greatest minds of the Marvel Universe can't agree, it can only mean one thing: WAR!"

Now please deliver. If you are going to show Captain America with a shield full of blood (below), you better show him pounding the living shit out of someone! How many comics have a bought with the promise of two heros duking it out only to find a Three's Company style misunderstanding? Some people will say that heroes should be heroes and live by a higher set of rules and standards. Me, I say they can snap every once in a while so let the punches fly. AND if you are calling it a civil war, someone better die or this is the last comic gimmick I'm falling for! (right...)

Separated at Birth?

ZED: I'm not so sure I'm excited about the way Kelsey Grammar looks in the upcoming X3 as the beast. I'm having a bit of deja vu here especially when I saw the fur hanging out of his suit at the wrists.

Hellboy: Makoma

ZED: New Hellboy story coming out. Wanderings of Big Red in Africa, art directed by Mignola, drawn by Richard Corben of Heavy Metal origins. Looks cool, more Hellboy is always cool.

Shipping February 1, 2006: Hellboy: Makoma, or, A Tale Told by a Mummy in the New York City Explorers' Club on August 16, 1993 #1 (of 2). Set long before the life-changing events of this year's The Island, this two-parter reveals Hellboy's earlier encounter with the powerful mythology of Africa. Mignola writes and provides the cover, as well as drawing part of the story, with the lion's share drawn by Corben, in the collaboration which promises to be the horror-comics event of the year. Written by Mike Mignola; Art by Richard Corben and Mike Mignola; Colors by Dave Stewart. Cover by Mike Mignola. Comicbook; Full-color art; $2.99 USD.

sheesh

ZED: don't need to say much on this one, other than I wish they would have left the dude out of the shot.

BRAIN: Something about this picture makes me feel all tingley...

Merry Marvel Marching Society

BRAIN: The Merry Marvel Marching Society, or MMMs, was the Marvel fan club started in the the 1960s sometime. I remember seeing adds for it in comics growing up and I always wanted to join. For a buck you got a membership card, a record, some stationary and other stuff. I've always loved their promo stuff and I am going to post it when I find it.

These decales were for sale a few months back on ebay. I wanted to put a bid in, but it's one of those things, what do you do with them when you get them?

ZED: Same thing we do with all of are other horded shit, sigh contently knowing we have it, tuck it away somewhere and begin thinking of something else to want.

Looking for Action? Michael Rooker—Actor Profile

ZED: As we disussed, we needed a tribute to the master of B action and small insignificant roles in the larger action movies: Michael Rooker. We know you'll recognize him and we dare you to pickup any title where he is the lead. If you like laugh your ass off action, he's your guy.

Brain—which was the movie where he is trapped by two guys on either side and he is holding out the shotgun to give it up. Then, as only Michael Rooker can do, he craftily pulls the trigger and lets go, shooting one guy and the kickback of the shotgun sends it right into the other guys chest, knocking him across the room, I couldn't breathe for 10 minutes.

Here is his Filmography:
Lenexa, 1 Mile (2006)
Slither (2006) (completed) .... Grant Grant
"Thief" (2005) TV Series
Chasing Ghosts (2005) .... Mark Spencer
Kinamand (2005) .... Damer... aka Chinaman (International: English title)
"JAG" - Heart of Darkness (2005) TV Episode .... Capt. Jack Ramsey
The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay (2004) (VG) (voice) .... Centurion, Jack
Skeleton Man (2004) (TV) .... Capt. Leary
The Eliminator (2004) .... Miles Dawson
Saving Jessica Lynch (2003) (TV) .... Colonel Curry
On Thin Ice (2003) (TV)
"CSI: Miami" - Dead Zone (2003) TV Episode .... Marty Jones
"Stargate SG-1"- Enemy Mine (2003) TV Episode .... Colonel Edwards
"Lucky" - Savant (2003) TV Episode .... Gibby
The Box (2003/I) .... Detective Stafford
"Tremors" - Episode #1.6 (2003) TV Episode .... Kinney
Undisputed (2002) .... A.J. Mercker
"Jeremiah" - Firewall (2002) TV Episode .... Major Quantrell
Replicant (2001) .... Jake Riley
"The Outer Limits" - Patient Zero (2001) TV Episode .... Colonel Beckett
HRT (2001) (TV) .... Special Agent Nicholas Roberts
The 6th Day (2000) .... Robert Marshall
NewsBreak (2000) .... John McNamara
Here on Earth (2000) .... Malcolm Arnold
Table One (2000) .... Rowdy
The Bone Collector (1999) .... Captain Howard Cheney
A Table for One (1999) .... Matt Draper
Renegade Force (1998) .... Matt Cooper...
Shadow Builder (1998) .... Jacob Vassey...
The Replacement Killers (1998) .... Stan 'Zeedo' Zedkov
Brown's Requiem (1998) .... Fritz Brown
Deceiver (1997) .... Detective Edward Kennesaw... aka Liar (UK)
Keys to Tulsa (1997) .... Keith Michaels
Rosewood (1997) .... Sheriff Walker
Meet Wally Sparks (1997) (uncredited)
Song of Hiawatha (1997) .... Bertrand
The Trigger Effect (1996) .... Gary
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996) .... Uncle Earle
Back to Back (1996) (TV) .... Bob Malone
Mallrats (1995) .... Mr. Jared Svenning
Johnny & Clyde (1995) (TV) .... Mr. Tennant
The Hard Truth (1994) .... Jonah Mantz
Suspicious (1994) .... Attendent
Tombstone (1993) .... Sherman McMasters
Cliffhanger (1993) .... Hal Tucker
The Dark Half (1993) .... Sheriff Alan Pangborn
Afterburn (1992) (TV) .... Casey 'Z' Zankowski
JFK (1991) .... Bill Broussard
Days of Thunder (1990) .... Rowdy Burns
Music Box (1989) .... Karchy Laszlo
Sea of Love (1989) .... Terry
L.A. Takedown (1989) (TV) .... Bosko
The Edge (1989) (TV)
Mississippi Burning (1988) .... Frank Bailey
Eight Men Out (1988) .... Arnold "Chick" Gandil
Above the Law (1988) .... Man in Bar
"The Equalizer" - No Place Like Home (1988) TV Episode .... Bill Whitaker
Retreads (1988)
Rent-a-Cop (1987) .... Joe
Light of Day (1987) .... Oogie
"Crime Story" - Crime Pays (1986) TV Episode (uncredited) .... Lieutenant
Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) .... Henry
Crime Story (1986) (TV) .... Lieutenant

BRAIN: HA HA! I think I found it. It's called Back to Back from 1996. Here is the trailer.
It has a glimpse of the shotgun-recoil move. Be patient, it takes a long time load. Remember the stunt he pulls when he's in a car between two guys holding guns to him? He pulls the emergency break causing them to slide forward and shoot each other. Classic!


ZED: Heh....I forgot about that, I'm going to netflix this and we have got to rewatch this

Grandpa Munster Dead

BRAIN: They are dropping like flies now. Actors from all of my favorite sitcoms are dying. I'm a big fan of sitcoms from the 1960's so all of these actors are getting up there in age. Al Lewis, Grandpa Munster, died on Friday. The Munsters is my all-time favorite tv show. It started in 1964 and only lasted 2 seasons. Color tv was available at the time but The Munsters was filmed in black and white to better capture the mood of the classic monster movies and look. Both seasons are now available on DVD. Coincidently, I met Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster) yesterday at an auto show that had the Munster's Coach and he was kind of a jag-off...


In the last couple of months a bunch of classic tv sitcom actors have died; Bob Denver (Gilligan - Gilligan's Island), Don Adams (Maxwell Smart - Get Smart) and Frank Gorshin (The Riddler - Batman).

Justice League Unlimited

BRAIN: Set the tivo. New episodes of Justice League Unlimited are starting this Saturday, February 11th. The ongoing theme last season with the secret government agency set up to watch them was great. One episode was a super cool fight between Superman and Shazam. I want it on DVD, now!

Side note: Have you seen the Cartoon Network show Kripto The Superdog? It's obviously aimed at the kiddies but I like the look of it.

Vegas Baby!

BRAIN: We came. We saw. We kick it's ass. OK. Maybe I'm exaggerating but the Vegas trip was great. Of course we can't reveal what happened, but here are a few events that happened to at least some of the 4 horsemen. Zed, add to the list if you can think of anything.

:: Botched tatoo effort
:: Getting hustled by cabbies
:: Watching Dennis Rodman rain dollar bills over strippers
:: $45 steaks
:: Karaoke at Dino's
:: Ass Juice at The Double Down Saloon
:: Making fun of Dealertainers

Anton Bogaty: Artist Profile

BRAIN: I recently stumbled onto this guys site, ACB3. I know nothing about him but I really like his stuff. It looks like he mostly works in marker. Great subject matter: monsters and hot chicks. I see a little of Bruce Timm in there. He has a sketch book for sale that I'd like to order.