Comic Book Therapy » Television

Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 07:33:58 +0000

Bet you didn’t see that one coming, did you? Ruben Fleischer’s Zombieland was a breath of fresh air in regards to bringing something new and unique to the horror-comedy genre. Aside from being a well written film, the cast of Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Jesse Eisenberg and Abigail Breslin were a cohesive group that only added to the greatness.

For a couple years now, there have been two rumors floating around concerning Zombieland, with the most logical being that a sequel was in the works, which is kind of has. Writers have been trying to come up with something, but it doesn’t look like anything will actually come of it. The second rumor is that a television series was being worked on for CBS and oddly enough, that’s the project that may be moving forward, as a casting call just went out.

According to I09, the call went out to cast the series main characters, which would carry over from the film. There are some minor spoilers ahead, so read on with caution. Below are some abbreviated descriptions for the characters, which also includes a couple of new characters. the series looks to delve into the back story of our four heroes.

Tallahassee is still kind of a snarky weirdo, but he seems to have a much less spiky relationship with Columbus. He and Columbus have a pretty amusing thing where they riff on the fact that Steven Seagal movies always have three-word titles like “Marked for Justice” or “May Cause Diarrhea.” But Tallahassee also dispenses homespun wisdom about how to feel happy with your life. He also tells a weird story about being in a trailer park with a perpetually nude Matthew McConaughey. He also has a somewhat heartwarming scene where he tells Columbus that he’s been wandering aimlessly for a long time, but maybe he’s been put here for a reason — to help Columbus and the others.

Columbus is much the same, except that he tracks down his grandma and grandpa (Bubbie and Peepaw) only to find them recently zombiefied. Also, Columbus is trying to deal with his new-found relationship with Wichita, after their first kiss. He has started calling her “Krista,” her real name — but there are some problems, especially after she finds him reading a book about fatherhood. He tries to organize a romantic scavenger hunt for her in the IKEA they’re camping out in, but it goes kind of horribly.

Wichita is still trying to look after Little Rock, trying to teach her math with problems about someone stealing from a liquor store and jumping on a train going 42 miles per hour, with a cop chasing in a car going 88 miles per hour. We also learn a lot more about Wichita’s backstory, including how she ran away from her father after he had her stealing people’s Christmas presents — and later, she found out she had a sister who was also being a grifter with her dad.

Little Rock seems actually kind of excited about meeting Columbus’ grandparents, before they turn out to be zombies. And she shares some of her own backstory, about how her dad parked her at a school while he went off grifting on his own — and then yanked her out of school right before a dance that she was looking forward to.

Fred and Ainsley are two office workers at the start of the zombie apocalypse, obliviously complaining about problems with their iPhones and getting the wrong order at Starbucks, which they admit are “first world problems” with a hashtag — while people are being disembowled just outside the window they’re not facing. Tallahassee shows up to bring them their lunch orders, wearing a green polo shirt.

As you can see, the writers plan to keep much of the same tone to the series that helped make the movie so enjoyable. Not unsurprisingly, they seem to be making the relationship between Columbus and Wichita the main focus, but also seem to be making a family out of the group. Not a terrible concept, especially considering they series will be a half-hour comedy. Things look promising!

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UPDATE! It’s been revealed by Broadcast that this series will actually end up streaming on Amazon, rather than be a traditional aired TV series, much like the resurgence of the cult favorite Arrested Development. No mention of time frame, but as with Netflix, it can be expected that Amazon won’t be restrained by the usual “seasons” as with traditional television series.

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Updated! Zombieland TV Series Begins Casting Process

Top 8 Vehicles of Television

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 06:07:26 +0000

There have been many teams and duos throughout television history and many of the significant ones have had a top notch vehicle to get them where they need to be and at times, act as a safe haven for their owners. Some, however, were just there to make them look good and that’s it. Often times, these vehicles are more recognizable than the people that drove them, especially if you’re David Hasselhoff outside of Germany (why do they love him so much?!). So, I thought it time we give these stand-out vehicles a nod and place them on the pedestal they deserve to be on.

Now, I understand this isn’t the most geeky thing to be highlighting, but when I’m not slaving away for the militant owner of this site, I’m slobbering and drooling over vehicles that I wish to someday own. Not to mention, some of these vehicles have graced the pages of our beloved comics in the past. As with many of the lists you’ll see me post, these are in no particular order. How do you put a level of awesomeness on these things, really?

A-Team G15 Van
1983 GMC Vandura
Van/Minibus
5.2 Liter V-8
When you think of a group of bad-asses, the A-Team should be at the top of your list. If it isn’t, please leave your man-card on the table as you escort yourself out of the building. This team, which consisted of H.M. Murdock, B.A. Baracas, Hannibal Smith and Templeton “Faceman” Peck, used this van for many things, anything from an every day vehicle to a battering ram to a full-on assault vehicle. But no matter what, this beast made it through everything. The van was revived for Joe Carnahan’s film adaptation and fans couldn’t help but giggle a little bit when the van made its appearance.

Supernatural “Baby”
1967 Chevy Impala
Sedan
V8 427 4 Barrel
While my opinion of Supernatural has changed over the years, one thing that remains the same is my love for this classic American car. This vehicle makes me happy in ways an inanimate object should. The sound of the metal doors creaking as they open and close, the rumble of the exhaust and the simplistic back paint, what’s not to love? At the end of season five, Chuck sums things up nicely by calling the Impala “the most important object in the universe.” The classic rock soundtrack that is always present on the show never hurts either. This is a classic car for a pair of brothers that do what “Murica” does best: kick ass!

Starsky & Hutch Torino
1975-1976 Ford Gran Torino
Coupe
351 Windsor V-8 4 Barrel
The paint job is just as iconic as the car itself. When one sees this classic look on a car, only one show (or movie for the younger crowd) comes to mind: Starsky & Hutch. While the car may not have been the biggest and baddest muscle car ever made, you wouldn’t know by looking back at the series. Originally, a Chevy Camaro was to be the car of choice, as show creator William Blinn fondly remembered his convertible he owned. But being that the leasing program was through Ford, they opted for a Ford Gran Torino, which featured the famed 351 Windsor V8 engine and the now iconic red and white paint theme. The rest, as they say, is history. Talk about a good move!

Classic Batmobile
1955 Lincoln Futura Concept
Modified
351 V8
You didn’t think I’d make a list like this and not include this car, right? Despite it being over 50 years old, this car is still considered to be among the top Batman vehicles ever, movies, TV or comics; not to mention of any famous vehicles…ever. Hence its inclusion here. The car cost a whopping $125,000, which doesn’t sound like much for a fully custom vehicle, but if you factor in inflation, you’d be looking at a vehicle with a value of about $2 million today. Everything about this car is custom made, including the “bing bong” warning bell and the sender/receiver computer in the trunk.

Dukes of Hazzard General Lee
1969 Dodge Charger
Coupe
318, 383, & 440 CID V8 big block (Varied depending on use)
When I was a kid, nothing impressed me more than seeing Bo and Luke Duke racing to the General Lee, sliding across the hood and climbing through the window to head off on a back-country, high speed chase. I wanted to be a Duke more than anything. To this day, whenever I see an old Charger, I can’t help but smile. Fun fact: anywhere from 250 to 300 Dodge Chargers were used- and wrecked- during the taping of The Dukes of Hazzard. They often times would recycle parts to fix some of the cars up to reuse them. Even more cop cars were damaged during film. Sadly, whenever this car makes appearances now, the Confederate flag that is featured on the roof will no longer be used.

Green Hornet Black Beauty
1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial
Sedan
440-C.I. V8
You want to talk assault vehicle? The Chrysler Imperial that was used for Black Beauty not only had a drastically modified exterior, but the gizmos and weapons that were included make the Batmobile look like a Barbie Power Wheel. The car was able to launch rockets via tubes below the headlights, a concealed-when-not-in-use, drop-down knock-out gas nozzle in the center of the front grill, and the capabilities to launch a video surveillance device- or scanner- from a hidden compartment. Just to name a few things. The car featured a one-of-a-kind paint job that included 30 layers of black paint. For the 2011 remake, the car kept to the same concept, but upped the ante and was easily the highlight of the film.

Knight Rider KITT
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
Coupe
5.0L V8
Before David Hasselhoff was running around in little red shorts, he was behind the wheel of this super smart, ultra computerized Trans Am. KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand), has literally dozens of high-tech upgrades: turbo boost, Etymotic Equalizer (he could hear), Olfactory Sensor (he could smell), Silent Mode, Oil Jets/Smoke Screen, Flame Thrower and Ultramagnesium Charges. That list could go on for some time, but I’ll hold off on the awesomeness. Take all that and drop it into one of the most iconic cars of the 80′s (it’s still quite popular among folks with a mullet and have a hankerin’ for pork rinds) and you have yourself a pretty bad-ass whip.

Magnum, PI Ferrari
1977 Ferrari 308 GTS
Targa Coupe
2.9 L FI V8
When you mention the classic series Magnum, PI, most people will remember Tom Selleck’s luscious push-broom mustache or his ridiculously short shorts. But not me. What I remember most is that bright red, targa-topped Ferrari 308, a car that some enthusiasts to be among the most beautiful cars that the Italian automaker has ever produced. I couldn’t agree more. This care was able to bring down the fastest of getaway cars and looked damn good doing it. This thing is about 14 levels of pure awesomeness.

I have to list a few honorable mentions, as they are just too cool to leave off, so I have to at least give them a bit of love:
19986 Ferrari Testarossas from Miami Vice
1976 Austin Mini from Mr. Bean
1980 GMC Pick-up from The Fall Guy
Th Munster Koach from The Munsters
The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

What are your favorite cars from television? I know there are some that I missed, but the important ones are here and I’d be more than happy to take anyone of these home. Now if I only had someone to buy them for me…

Josh "ecksmanfan" Johnson, Top 8 Vehicles of Television

A Moment with Bestselling Author Brent Weeks

Michael Worthan — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 18:39:59 +0000

Alright folks glad to be back and going, this is my interview with New York Times bestselling author Brent Weeks (the Night Angel Trilogy, The Lightbringer series). I am very happy he has interviewed with me again, and that I was able to talk to him about his newest book the Blinding Knife on sale September 11th 2012. So sit back, enjoy, and comment!

Also if you don’t want spoilers be wary of what you read on here!

First off beyond everything else I’d like to say thank you for not only taking the time to answer these questions, but for reaching out to me on Twitter after I had tweeted you about your books. It’s rare for people one admires to actually reach back out when a comment is made to them any where really. I know how busy things can get, and for you to take your time and do all of this for me, as well as my site is a huge privilege.

Hi Michael — Well, thanks for your interest! It’s always a pleasure to talk to you. And thank you for giving me this opportunity to virtually chat with your site’s visitors.

Alright on to the questions.

First off can you give us the synopsis of where things were left off at the end of the Black Prism and where the Blinding Knife takes off?

Ah, starting me off gently, are you? Well, everyone who hasn’t read The Black Prism consider this your spoiler tag. (No really, this will be a spoiler. I know you read really fast and you’ve already gone three lines past where I said this is your spoiler tag, but you need to stop. Don’t worry, I’ll have a little end tag in there too, so you know when it’s safe to come back.)

The Black Prism is a story of the Prism, Gavin Guile. The Prism is the religious head of religious power in the world and the figurehead of political power. (Analogous to the Japanese Emperors circa 1600.) The current Prism is still trying to mend his empire after a war 16 years ago that started between him and his brother. Early in The Black Prism, Gavin Guile finds out that he has a bastard named Kip in a backwater village. Kip is 15, chunky, and mouthy, the son of a single mom with a drug problem. In other words, he’s pretty much the opposite of the charming, educated, and always cool Gavin Guile. Some rebels determined to secede from the empire rise up against Gavin Guile — and, not coincidentally, this uprising begins in the same area where Kip lives. (You do realize that you’ve just asked an epic fantasy author to give a synopsis, right? We’re good at lots of things; brevity is not one of them.) Suffice it to say bad stuff happens and then gets worse. And not everybody’s who you think they are. (I did that for all the people who read past the spoiler tags, even though I told them not to.)

At the end of The Black Prism the rebel army has captured Garriston despite Gavin’s heroic defense of it. Gavin’s former fiancée has probably figured out his big secret and may well use it to destroy him. Kip has nearly gone crazy and managed to kill a king in a spectacularly gory fashion — the words “his head burst like a popping pimple” may or may not have been used there — and it seems that the heretics who use magic to transform themselves into monsters may actually have a point after all. (END SPOILER)

The Blinding Knife picks up about four days after the end of The Black Prism. This is actually technically a little bit more difficult than if I’d skipped forward, say, six months. Because when you skip forward you have good excuses to remind readers of all that happened in the first book while you’re telling them what’s happened in the last six months. However, I took on the expositional challenge because I like to give the reader the sense that they’re getting to experience every part of the story.

In the Black Prism you introduced us to Kip, who is one of the main characters in the story. In all honesty he was whiny, he angered me more often than I wanted him to, and yet near the end he was a little more mature and genuinely a brave yet heart breaking case. How does he grow in The Blinding Knife? What can we expect from him in book 3?

I found the reactions to Kip really interesting. In some ways I’ve come to the conclusion that Kip is a victim of my accuracy. I’ve had people tell me “Brent, it’s uncanny how well you’ve captured a 15-year-old.” And I’ve had people tell me, “Kip is so whiny, he pissed me off every time I read about him.” I don’t find any conflict between these two statements. I think how you view Kip depends a lot on how you view your own 15-year-old self. If you can look at that whiny, awkward with the opposite gender, hormonally-charged, sometimes smart and sometimes stupid person that you used to be with a healthy dose of grace, I think you can find a lot to love in Kip. However, if your 15-year-old self still mortifies you, then you don’t want to be reminded of that. Not even in your fiction.

Other people commented that they found Kip vacillated wildly between being a child and being a grownup. That, too, was by design. I like to tell a story of one of my friends in high school. He was one of the most brilliant people I’ve ever met to this day. I mean, we’re talking IQ in the 160+ range. He was incredibly intelligent, and because he was intelligent, even from a young age, he tried to parse things logically. And it gave him this kind of lopsided development as a human being. I remember him talking about his parents’ divorce in a perfectly level voice, emotionless and descriptive, while tears were rolling down his face. And he said quite frankly, “I have no idea why I’m crying.” Like it was a puzzle to him that he could figure out. I think most of us are like that, though to a much lesser extent. Especially in adolescence, we develop certain skills to a level of adult proficiency. And in other areas we’re complete newbs.

Without giving spoilers, I think it’s fair to say that when placed in a healthier environment with some people that care about him, Kip is going to do a lot of growing. However, as he does that, he’s also finding himself stepping onto an international stage and being asked to play games against the very best opponents in the world.

Book 3 is tentatively titled The Blood Mirror. However, I recently gave in to my inner editor and decided that the Lightbringer series is going to be four books, rather than three — as I had always feared. Thematically, The Blood Mirror is a better title for the last book, but I haven’t yet come up with a fourth title so Book 3 will be The Blood Mirror for now.

In the Black Prism we start to see the complicated lies that have been weaved by Gavin and why his relationships with everyone are the way they are. We start to see some resolutions in the Blinding Knife, and half of those reveals made me feel like I was watching a slow moving train wreck. How was it writing these twists and turns? How many more in book 3 do we have to look forward to?

I like to write books that have 2 1/2 twists with a Volshenko turn at the end. If they enter the water with little splash, so much the better.

No, of course I can’t tell you how many twists are left! By which I mean, actually, this is the last twist you will see in Brent Weeks’s writing. He’s grown tired of them and decided he does not want to be a one-trick pony, and additionally will now speak of himself in the third person.

Ok, honestly, I like to surprise readers. I’m told I do it well, but I also don’t want every book to be reducible to one big twist. I hope give people lots of reasons to read. And deep characters doing surprising things (that still make sense when you think about what the character knows) will probably always be part of my writing.

You invented a game in the Blinding Knife called Nine Kings that made even want a non-Magic the Gathering player such as I want to grab a deck and give it a go. Any possibility this becomes a real game?

Yeah, a funny thing happened to me when I finished writing The Black Prism. A math professor friend of mine came to me and asked if I’d played Magic the Gathering before, because he thought the magic seemed similar. I actually never had played the game before, but he taught it to me, and I found it really cool. Nine Kings has elements of Magic the Gathering, Shadow Era, and other trading card games as well as some strategy games like Catan and Carcassonne that I’ve loved for a long time.

At first I made up the game simply because I needed an excuse to put Kip and Andross Guile in a room for a long time — and to give Andross ways to torture Kip. I thought of chess first, and then poker, but they both seemed so boring and overdone. When I came up with Nine Kings and having the people depicted on the cards be real, and the history they’re in be knowable, I knew I’d stumbled upon plot device gold. With my friend, who handily enough has a Ph.D. in mathematics, I have begun developing a game based on Nine Kings. However, making a game and writing a novel require two almost completely disparate skill sets. I do hope to make it into a game someday, but I expect it will take years to develop. Novels are really my main thing, and I’m not going to stop writing for a year or two to make a game.

In the Blinding Knife you introduced me to one of my favorite characters (Teia), and a lot of amazing side characters. How do you flesh out so many characters? How many more do we have to look forward to in the third book?

First, thank you! I love Teia. She’s awesome. And she’s been really fun to write. I can’t wait for more people to meet her.

I don’t intend to introduce very many more characters. There are a few side characters that will have more of their stories told in Books 3 & 4, but at this point in the narrative, an author needs to be really careful about introducing new points of view or the whole series can just explode and become a 15 volume epic.

Is there any shot of seeing a Kylar from the Night Angel trilogy Kip from Lightbringer series crossover at any point? Purely a fan question.

At the point you see this book come out, you will know I have sold my soul. Please ask me at that time how much I was paid for it. If it’s more than six figures, you can make fun of me and I will cry on my way to the bank.

You’ve developed a magic system that really I haven’t seen any where else, as well as a meaning for all of the colors and how the effect the attitudes of those who wield them. How did this come about, how difficult is it to keep track of their abilities?

I think it came about from my fascination with science and with complicated systems that look simple on the surface. When you look at a color, you think you know what it is, but the more you delve into wavelengths of light and the science of perception, the more you realize it’s a lot harder than blue just being blue. I wanted my magic system to reflect that. It starts with something easy: different colors make for different magic. Each color’s magic has physical properties. Red is sticky and flammable, blue is smooth and breakable, green is rough and springy, etc. And then I layered onto that further physical properties like smell and weight and strength. I layered on that some break down after a certain amount of time. Yellow has a liquid and a solid state like water and ice that act differently. Then I tried to imagine a culture that uses these properties as if these physical substances were just another kind of stone or wood or glue or oil. The science and engineering of the world itself would be altered to take these new materials into account and use them in architecture and art and every form of human endeavor possible because humans are endlessly creative.

And then on top of the physical system, I layered a metaphysical system. That is, drafting each color has emotional and psychological effects on the drafter. Blue is harmonious, logical, structured, but cold. Red is passionate, fiery, emotional. Again, I tried to do this in ways that sort of make sense with the connotations we already have with colors.

And then, quite simply, I lit the fuse. Each person can use a finite amount of magic in their life. And then those metaphysical and physical properties overtake them. An otherwise logical person who uses vast quantities of red eventually becomes more passionate, more angry, and less able to reign in their emotions.

It wasn’t terribly difficult to keep track of. I have charts and things that I can look at when I need a cheat sheet. But because the system did sort of exactly what I’d hoped — started simple and got delightfully complex — it was a big challenge for me in The Black Prism to know how much I needed to keep cluing readers in and reminding them of how things work. I was recently listening to the audiobook for the first time, and I felt like I really over-explained some things. But then I still read blogposts from people who were still confused even at the end of the book, so it’s a hard balance to strike. In The Blinding Knife, I threw in some reminders, but mostly hit the ground running and actually even introduced some cool new complexities with spectra of light that are beyond the visual spectrum in both directions. (If you want to talk about complicated, think about how complicated the particle-wave theory of light is, or stuff about Schrödinger’s cat. And that’s to us, in the 21st century. I’m dealing with a 1600s Mediterranean level of technology — although their science of optics is more advanced than that — and I’m trying to explain stuff about millimeter wave radiation in ways that (1) are accurate, (2) make sense to the characters who don’t have the concept of a millimeter of light traveling in waves, or of radiation, and (3) in ways that don’t sound hopelessly anachronistic as you’re reading this book set in an alternate 1600 Mediterranean world.) Whew!

You leave the Blinding Knife with a lot of open ends and a lot of excitement and storylines that look to add so much to the third book? What can we expect from book 3?

I’m actually already more than halfway done with the first draft of The Blood Mirror and I’m having a great time with it. Like The Blinding Knife, Book 3 picks up only days after the climactic events at the end of the previous book and then flies. The pacing of my books is unrelenting and the stuff I have in Book 3 is really exciting. I get to spend time with at least one villain who’s just awesomely twisted. He makes me squirm every time I write one of his scenes. And we get to see some of the other characters we’ve been with for a while really come into their own (even as, remarkably, the world just gets worse and worse.) That’s as much as I can give away right now.

As a comic fan when I read your books I can vividly picture every character because your writing is so explanatory and you give such a clear view of who we’re watching do what. Is there any shot you make either of your series into a comic? If not a comic is there anything on the line you can talk about TV or movie wise?

Well, I do have the Night Angel graphic novel which is being developed right now by Yen Press, and I’m sure over the upcoming year I’ll be doing a fair amount of work with the artist/adapter to make that come to life. Right now they’re just contracted to do The Way of Shadows, but if that’s successful, then they will obviously continue with the series.

I haven’t publicized the fact, because sometimes fans get too excited when they hear about options and movie stuff, but I’ve been working with the producer of all of the X-Men movies to try to bring Night Angel to the small screen. She is really a top-notch pro, and she knows everybody in Hollywood and she’s interested in quality, which has made her a delight to work with. After talking about it, we agreed that Night Angel would do better as a series than as a movie or even three movies. There’s just so much content there that would have to be cut that we thought a TV series would be a better direction. This time I’ve actually held on to the option rights myself, which puts less money in my pocket but allows me to have a say in the direction of the project. And I’ve actually used that. I’ve said “No” to several parties that were interested. (Which, believe me, was kind of hard to do.)

The truth of the matter is that I could line up everything with the most talented people in the world and then sign over my rights and the personnel might end up changing and a crappy movie or TV series come out of it no matter what I do, but right now I’m doing all that I can to make sure that if a TV show happens, it’s the best it can possibly be. And if a project doesn’t happen because I’m being too picky? I’m fine with that. I love writing books and don’t feel that they’re inferior in any way. I’m making a living, and I’d sooner write a Night Angel/Lightbringer crossover than I would willingly sign on to some crappy movie!

Alright folks again I’d like to thank Brent for being so amazing and answering all of my question, as much as I show him gratitude you can as well by picking up his book here and visiting him on his book signing tour starting in September when the book comes out. The list of the book tour dates is here.

Michael Worthan, A Moment with Bestselling Author Brent Weeks

Another Hulk Movie Could Be Smashing Into Theaters By 2015

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:12:59 +0000

Mark Ruffalo has gotten nothing but rave reviews from his outing as Dr. Banner in The Avengers so far. Many saying the Hulk steals the show. Some of our CBT writers have seen the flick already, we have our first review up and have a few more coming up later this week. It seems like a no-brainer that the angry green giant would be getting his own film, but Marvel Studios President Kevin Feige has dismissed the idea saying there were no plans at the moment. Feige said that they wouldn’t do another Hulk just to do it, and that it Marvel would “play it smart.” Now we have Paul Gitter, President of Consumer Products for Marvel, talking about the Hulk’s success.

Gitter stated that Marvel Executives have been “pleasantly surprised” by the fans response and expect Hulk to gain momentum after the movie opens everywhere. Gitter says “His sales are up in a major way. We repositioned him from where he was always misunderstood to now depicting him in a more heroic and aspirational manner.” Gitter may be speaking out of turn, or revealing something Feige hasn’t wanted to announce yet, but take this next bit with a grain of salt.

If Hulk’s successful turnaround continues, [Marvel] will spin him off to a stand-alone program next year, supported by a big budget franchise movie in 2015.

It isn’t a surprise that Hulk will be coming to our TV screens, we heard that Guillermo del Toro have been working on featuring a Banner in his mid-20s. ABC is actively developing the live-action show. The news about a Hulk movie so soon is a bit of a surprise. Now Feige is control of the creative side of the studio, so Gitter may have misspoken or let the cat out of the bag too soon. Feige hasn’t said much at all about what Marvel has coming after 2014, so it is a possibility. For now, there is hope for Hulk fans.

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, Another Hulk Movie Could Be Smashing Into Theaters By 2015

Robert Kirkman's Latest Series Gets Multiple Reprints

Agent Burgos — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:46:21 +0000

The first issue sold out on the first day of release. A second printing (MAR128105) will be in stores on May 5, the same day as THIEF OF THIEVES #4.

More and more readers are snatching up this action-packed crime noir, so the first issue has also been returned to print yet again. The third printing of THIEF OF THIEVES #1 (MAR128105) is available for order immediately and will also be stores in stores on May 5.

“We are bringing heist stories to readers with a new twist by showing the humanity of all of the characters, including the criminals,” said THIEF OF THIEVES creator/writer Robert Kirkman, “and we couldn’t be happier that people seem to be enjoying it as much as we are.”

The new ongoing series, written by Robert Kirkman and Nick Spencer with art by Shawn Martinbrough, is a runaway hit, requiring multiple reprints for every issue thus far. Following the announcement last week that AMC will be adapting the series for TV with Kirkman and David Alpert in their same capacity as Executive Producers on THE WALKING DEAD, and Chic (DEXTER, THE SHIELD) Eglee as Executive Producer and showrunner, orders and anticipation are expected to continue to rise even higher.

THIEF OF THIEVES is about a master thief who leaves behind his life in the high-stakes world of crime to try to return to being a family man. Each 32-page full-color issue is available for purchase and reorder in comic book stores and on multiple digital platforms.

Agent Burgos, Robert Kirkman's Latest Series Gets Multiple Reprints

Victor Gischle To Write Spike Miniseries On Buffy

wolverinept — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:30:36 +0000

Remember when we said that Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Drusilla had been canceled? And that Dark Horse had said they would bring new series with other characters from the Buffy universe?

Well, today Victor Gischle announced on his blog that he will write a five issue belonging to the new arc of Buffy. The miniseries will be focused on the character Spike. Victor Gischley also said that Spike is his favorite character in the series.

wolverinept, Victor Gischle To Write Spike Miniseries On Buffy

The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Season Two Trailer Arrives

Agent Burgos — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 20:43:21 +0000

The Avengers Earths Mightiest Heroes is back in this 2nd season, which will be broadcast starting from April 1 by Disney XD in the U.S..

Assemble!! Marvel’s The Avengers hits the big screen May 4… But in the meantime, get your hero fix with Marvel TV’s trailer for season 2 of The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, premiering April 1 inside Marvel Universe on Disney XD! The Avengers have fought against some of the most powerful and dangerous super villains in the world. But just when the team thought they had things under control, new threats emerge… Caught in the crossfire between two warring alien empires – Earth’s Mightiest Heroes must make a stand. But whom can they trust when they learn not everyone is who they seem to be?

Tune in for The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes season two premiere, along with the series premiere of Ultimate Spider-Man inside Marvel Universe on Disney XD April 1 beginning at 11am/10c.

I am excited! There are a lot of new faces joining the show. I saw Ms. Marvel, Red Hulk, and the Invisible Woman of the Fantastic Four. Any others you spotted beyond those returning from the first season?

Agent Burgos, The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes Season Two Trailer Arrives

UPDATE: Full Info And Character Designs For Disney XD's Marvel Universe Programming Block

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:06:33 +0000

It’s not an April Fools Day joke, on Sunday morning April 1st Disney XD will launch a Marvel Universe block featuring Spider-Man, the Avengers, and many more heroes and villains.

Starting at 11am/10c the new series Ultimate Spider-Man (featuring Drake Bell as the voice of Spidey) will debut. The story puts a new spin on Spider-Man, recruited by Nick Fury to be trained as heroes along with the likes of Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Nova, and White Tiger. The team on this cartoon features Paul Dini from Batman Beyond, Brian Michael Bends (yes, the comic book writer), and the production team from Man of Action (known for Ben 10 and Generator Rex).

There will be two episodes of Ultimate Spider-Man that Sunday, followed by the return of the phenomenal Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes which will return to its regular 11:30am spot the following week (April 8). Entertainment Weekly has a short clip, unfortunately there is no embed so you can watch it by clicking here.

The programming block will also include shorts that spotlight Marvel superheroes. The official description of five in the series of shorts:

Fury Files: Top-secret access to S.H.I.E.L.D. video dossiers on key Marvel heroes, including Iron Fist, Power Man, Nova and White Tiger and the villains they face, are animated with mix of traditional animation and motion comic art.

Marvel Mash-Up: The Marvel Universe is turned upside down with these hilarious and unexpected takes on iconic Marvel heroes and villains, featuring classic animation edited with a comedic twist.

Animated Reality: Stunt and special effects experts showcase the epic moves of favorite Marvel superheroes including Captain America and Spider-Man.

What Would It Take? Get a glimpse into the science and modern technology required to create the heroes’ gadgets, abilities and tech in real life, ranging from Iron Man’s jet propulsion boots to Iron Fist’s power-packed punch.

Master Class: Marvel’s Chief Creative Officer, Joe Quesada, explains the artistic vision behind Marvel’s greatest superheroes and shows how artists bring them to life.

UPDATE: Now Marvel has released an official press release for Marvel Universe. Here are just a few snippets about the Spider-Man episodes and some quotes Jeph Loeb and Stan Lee:

The premiere episode (11:00 a.m., EST/PST) is entitled “Great Power,” and the second episode is “Great Responsibility” (11:30 a.m., EST). The premiere episodes will be available on DisneyXD.com and Comcast platforms via VOD and XfinityTV.com directly following the Sunday, April 1 premiere on Disney XD. On April 2, they will be available on Disney XD Mobile VOD available via AT&T, MetroPCS, MobiTV, Sprint and Verizon; along with iTunes, Xbox Live and Sony Playstation.

“The Marvel Universe, which is exploding in theaters, comic books, games and online, bursts onto your TV with the top talent in comics and animation, and the premiere titles Spider-Man and The Avengers! We are bringing the fun, action and adventure known to Marvel fans and families alike. In addition, the never-before-seen animated and live action shorts round out your Sunday morning of can’t miss shows in the Mighty Marvel Manner!” exclaimed Jeph Loeb, Marvel’s Head of TV.

Stan Lee, co-creator of Spider-Man (who also provides the voice of Stan the Janitor in “Ultimate Spider-Man”) said, “It’s a thrill to see that the highest standards in story telling are so perfectly exemplified by Spider-Man leaping from the pages of the comic book onto the screen to be enjoyed by a new generation.”

Cody "The Thorverine" Ferrell, UPDATE: Full Info And Character Designs For Disney XD's Marvel Universe Programming Block

Media Meltdown Interviews MLAndersen

ZenithWillRule — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:05:10 +0000

Welcome to a very special episode of the Media Meltdown where Blinus and I interview Austin Harris and Dylan Sindelar, creators of the popular web series MLAndersen. What did they have to say? Watch and find out.

ZenithWillRule, Media Meltdown Interviews MLAndersen

The Walking Dead SPOILERS: Shane's Possible Fate Revealed?

wolverinept — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:17:17 +0000

In January, it was reported that Jon Bernthal could leave to join the cast of “LA Noir“, the new project by Frank Darabont, former executive producer on The Walking Dead.

[Read the rest of the story at your own risk, MAY contain possible spoilers for those who have not read the comics.]

Claiming to be part of the production team of The Walking Dead, one of the Roamers and Lurkers forum members recently published an overview as what we can possible see happen with Shane when the second season comes back on Feb. 12 in the U.S..

“Shane will not reach the end of the season. Lori tells him that if Rick was not around, they [Shane and Lori] could still be together. [...] With the excuse that someone, who will be introduced in the episode ‘Nebraska‘, was lost in the forest, Shane leads Rick to a deserted area, with the intention of killing him. ”

“Realizing Shane’s intentions, Rick begins to try to dissuade him from his plan while slowly picking up a knife, killing his friend before Shane can kill him.”

Even if it is all just rumors, it looks like the fate of Shane will be the same as in the comic series. Still, nothing was officially confirmed by the AMC.

The Walking Dead returns to U.S. TV screens on February 12.

wolverinept, The Walking Dead SPOILERS: Shane's Possible Fate Revealed?

THE WALKING DEAD: SOMETHING TO FEAR

Agent Burgos — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:31:30 +0000

We just received the following teaser image with the title THE WALKING DEAD: SOMETHING TO FEAR

Dear Robert Kirkman, what do you have in mind this time?

Well Robert wrote the following on the Skybound website regarding this teaser:

“After Rick and the other survivors are brought into a larger world, they are given something to fear. Check back tomorrow for another glimpse of what’s in store for Rick and his people.” Robert Kirkman

Well seems like this is going to be good and we cant wait to hear more about it. We will keep you posted as soon as we have more info!

Agent Burgos, THE WALKING DEAD: SOMETHING TO FEAR

GET A CLUE! And Enter to Win a Copy of This New FAMILY GUY DVD Collection

Agent Burgos — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:18:24 +0000

It seems as though the 2 winners that we picked from all the entries don’t reply to our emails. While we notified them both of their winnings, it is up to them to claim the prizes. Being this the case, we are left with no choice but to run the contest again. This time you have 24h. After that, we will pick 2 winners and notified them so they can contact us with their address. MAKE NO MISTAKE: 24H. Come and grab yourself a copy before the end of the year!

As you know well know FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD arriving in stores on December 13th. The three-disc DVD set features 14 episodes from the hysterical eighth and ninth seasons including the popular 150th episode, an extended version of And Then There Were Fewer and never-before-seen extras consisting of:

Uncensored footage
Deleted scenes
Side-by-side animatics
3 Featurettes
An episode of The Cleveland Show with a special introduction from Mike Henry
Audio commentaries

America’s most dysfunctional family, the Griffins, return with another outrageous and hilarious, uncensored volume. Follow unconventional dad Peter Griffin (SETH MACFARLANE) as he gets up to plenty of antics with the reluctant help of his caring wife Lois (ALEX BORSTEIN), their awkward daughter Meg (MILA KUNIS), dorky son Chris (SETH GREEN), maniacal baby Stewie (MacFarlane) and Brian, the family dog who is both a ladies’ man and a heavy drinker.

So before we get into the contest, how about some memorable moments from everyone’s favorite Quagmire?

As creepy as this airline pilot is, we still love him regardless. Family Guy: Season 9 opens with “And Then There Were Fewer.” Here, Quagmire loses his girlfriend, making him appear more human than in previous seasons. In this feature we’ll highlight three of Quagmire’s best quotes and take a look back at our favorite moments from Volume 9, including Halloween pranks pulled on our skeezy buddy and the relationship advice he gives Brian when he’s given up on love.

“Wait a minute… something’s not right here. We’re short one vagina in this room!”

Quagmire spouts this hilarious line in “And Then There Were Fewer” after he notices that one of his female dinner companions is missing from James Woods’ Clue-like mansion and dinner party.

“Oh yeah, I’m very in touch with my Asian roots. You notice I take my shoes off whenever I enter my house? I do 5 hours of math homework every night even though I’m no longer in school. Sometimes, I drink out of a wood box. I was a very cute baby and now I’m a joyless adult.”

In Family Guy’s only Halloween episode to date “Halloween on Spooner Street”, Quagmire’s friends pull many cruel (albeit funny) pranks on him. To seek his revenge, Quagmire takes Peter and Joe on a terrifying flight in a Japanese Zero, emulating a kamikaze pilot (and channeling his partial Japanese heritage, as referenced in the hysterical quote above).

“These skills aren’t for women you care about, you idiot! This course is in getting laid, not finding love.”

In the episode “Tiegs for Two” Quagmire gives Brian some tips on picking up chicks. When Quagmire’s tricks don’t work on the woman Brian is interested in, Brian exacts his revenge on Quagmire by dating his one true love: Cheryl Tiegs.

Well there you have it. Now let’s give some DVD’s away!

To win a copy of the DVD, simply answer the following question:

Which actress does the voice acting for the character Meg?

• Mila Kunis
• Nicole Sullivan
• Chrstine Lakin

Post your response to this über-hard question in the comments section for your chance to win! Two winners will be picked, yes how awesome is that!?

RULES:

- ComicBookTherapy contributors and family are not eligible.

- One win per person.

- This contest is valid worldwide.

- Contest will run until midnight of the 31th of December 2011.

– 2 winners will be selected randomly from all the entries.

CLOSED!

Catch Family Guy when the show comes to your city during the Animation Celebration tour. For details check out the Facebook Page:
Fox Facebook Page
and
Follow Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment on Twitter @FoxHomeEnt and also follow me @theagentburgos and @comicbtherapy

Agent Burgos, GET A CLUE! And Enter to Win a Copy of This New FAMILY GUY DVD Collection

Winners: FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD Contest!

wolverinept — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:23:43 +0000

As you now well know, FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD arriving in stores on December 13th. The three-disc DVD set features 14 episodes from the hysterical eighth and ninth seasons!

Included in this collection are the popular 150th episode, an extended version of And Then There Were Fewer and never-before-seen extras consisting of:

Uncensored footage
Deleted scenes
Side-by-side animatics
3 Featurettes
An episode of The Cleveland Show with a special introduction from Mike Henry
Audio commentaries

This was the question?

Which actress does the voice acting for the character Meg?

• Mila Kunis
• Nicole Sullivan
• Christine Lakin

It seems as though the 2 winners that we picked from all the entries don’t reply to our emails. While we notified them both of their winnings, it is up to them to claim the prizes. Being this the case, we are left with no choice but to run the contest again. This time you have 24h. After that, we will pick 2 winners and notified them so they can contact us with their address. MAKE NO MISTAKE: 24H. Come and grab yourself a copy before the end of the year! HERE!!

Winners will be contacted shortly. Thank you to everyone who submitted and CONGRATULATIONS TO BOTH WINNERS!

We will be announcing another DVD giveaway very soon so be sure to keep checking the site!

wolverinept, Winners: FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD Contest!

Family Guy Volume 9 Arrives On DVD December 13!

Agent Burgos — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 20:43:44 +0000

I love this show, that’s why I must post this! Are you a fan?

Bring the Griffins home this holiday season with FAMILY GUY Volume 9 DVD arriving in stores on December 13th.

The three-disc DVD set features 14 episodes from the hysterical eighth and ninth seasons including the popular 150th episode, an extended version of And Then There Were Fewer and never-before-seen extras consisting of:

-Uncensored footage
-Deleted scenes
-Side-by-side animatics
-3 Featurettes
-An episode of The Cleveland Show with a special introduction from Mike Henry
-Audio commentaries

FAMILY GUY Volume 9 is available on a three-disc DVD set on December 13 and is perfectly priced for the holiday gift-giving season.

Did you enjoyed Season 9? Share your thoughts below.

Agent Burgos, Family Guy Volume 9 Arrives On DVD December 13!

Image Comics Announces Kirkman & Liefeld’s The Infinite #3 Variant Cover!

Comic Book Therapy — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:34:23 +0000

THE INFINITE J. SCOTT CAMPBELL
Kirkman & Liefeld’s The Infinite #3 to Feature New Variant Cover

Berkeley, CA – 8 September 2011 – THE INFINITE team has once again gotten one of the industry’s most celebrated talents to contribute a gorgeous variant cover to their action-packed science fiction hit. Now Image Comics has announced that next month the third issue of Robert Kirkman and Robert Liefeld‘s THE INFINITE will be available with a new J. Scott Campbell cover that stars the characters Em and Dual!

Besides the Campbell cover, a 48 page deluxe edition of THE INFINITE #3 will also be available, featuring mountains of behind the scenes sketches and illustrations by Liefeld and piles of notes and script pages by Kirkman, offering fans a glimpse behind the curtain to see all the usually unseen work that goes into the creation of a comic book.

“Like so many other fans, I absolutely love J. Scott Campbell!”

said Liefeld.

“He’s one of the most popular and influential artists of the modern age. His cover for THE INFINITE #3 exceeded all expectations. He perfectly captured the dynamic between Emily and Duel, both of whom are integral characters in the saga of THE INFINITE! Don’t miss out on Campbell’s fantastic contribution to THE INFINITE!”

THE INFINITE tells the story of an aging freedom fighter who must travel back in time to team up with his 20-year-old self in order to save the world. In the third issue, Bowen has traveled to the present to attack The Infinite at a time when no one is even aware of their steps toward world domination. But something is not right — they’re too organized, too prepared, and he begins to think he’s underestimated them.

THE INFINITE #3 (AUG110524), a 32-page full-color sci-fi action comic for $2.99, and several limited variant covers including the Campbell variant (JUL118191), two retailer incentive covers, and the $5.99 Deluxe Edition variant (AUG110525), will be on sale in stores October 5.

Comic Book Therapy, Image Comics Announces Kirkman & Liefeld’s The Infinite #3 Variant Cover!