Never give up. Never surrender.

Galaxy Quest.

Comic Book.

Very Excited.

"Sparkle And Fall" Video Debut!

Hey Everybody, today I released my new music video for my song "Sparkle And Fall". Part of it was filmed in February at THE COMIC STOP and I thought you might want to see...

Justice League Limited

Following up on a comment John made in an earlier post, it does seem that the Justice League movie has been ported to the Phantom Zone.

The Wonder Woman movie, put on the back burner to focus on the JLA flick, is still in limbo as well.

This is all well and good for me. I may not read Marvel's comics, but they sure as hell make better movies than DC does. In fact, they're only a Captain America movie away from being able to assemble the Avengers (and they'd probably be able to get most if not all of the stars involved).

DC Comics and Warner Bros. can do a lot better, and until they prove that they can handle their individual characters correctly when they put them on the big screen I'm okay with them letting the ensemble piece go.

Blade goes to the Big House!

By TRAVIS REED, Associated Press Writer

OCALA, Fla. - A federal judge has sentenced action star Wesley Snipes to the maximum three-year sentence on tax charges.
Prosecutors had requested three years, one year for each of Snipes' convictions of willfully failing to file a tax return.
Snipes' lawyers offered three dozen letters from family members, friends and even fellow actors Woody Harrelson and Denzel Washington attesting to his good character. They argued he should get only probation, because all three convictions were misdemeanors and the actor had no previous criminal record.

ECCC Sketches!

One of the things I look forward to the most about ECCC is the chance to have some of my favorite artists do some cool sketches. I think it's close enough to the con to start geeking out about it, so I thought I'd share some of the art I've had done for me there over the past couple of years...if anyone has any they'd like to share I'd love to see them!


Mark Bagley is one of the few guys I'd stand in line 3 hours for, and surprisingly I did. I was behind a giant who was talking the whole time about how his wife was on her death-bed in the hospital but really wanted him to be there to get a sketch from Bagley. Don't think he didn't tell Mark this (and everyone in line), but something just wasn't right about the story.
Still, I got what I wanted...."BATTLE DAMAGED ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN"!






I first came across Dustin Nguyen's work during his run on WILDC.A.T.S. a few years back, and I loved how he drew GRIFTER. When I was 11, I made a mask like his with the intent to sneak out of my parent's house and and fight crime. I'm not laughing.




I love Y: THE LAST MAN, and I do even more after artist Pia Guerra did this quick sketch for me when all I asked for was her autograph!





Besides getting a sketch from Mark Bagley, my goal for ECCC 2007 was to get something done by "THE BOYS" artist Darick Roberston. You can imagine my sadnes when after approaching him was told that he wouldn't be sketching at the con! He asked me my name and after hearing it went off about how "Kyle" was his nickname from a time in his life when he was squatting with a bunch of strippers. Weird story, but I guess it brought back good memories because he offered to draw something really quick for me on a comic backing board. Former intern Ian was pissed and that made it that much more of a score!

Holy Trailer Trash, Batman!

Here is the first trailer for the Mortal Kombat vs. DC game coming this fall.

I am going on record as saying that I will not buy this game (although I might rent it). There is quite a bit of "meh" around the webs, as gamers think that the crossover won't be able keep the spirit and mood of Mortal Kombat, mainly because of DC Comics' policies that prevent their properties to engage in Mortal Kombat-style gameplay (read: fatalities). Midway has nixed the fatalities due to said policy.

Which is so unfair! Everyone else gets to kill off The Flash...why can't I?

Gail Simone writing on-going Secret Six comic

Due to strong fan reaction (and many letters to DC) Gail Simone has been given the green light to do an on-going Secret Six series for DC. For those of you who haven't read the Secret Six mini or their semi-recent appearance in Bird of Prey, shame on you! This group of villians - the underdogs of the DC universe -- first came about in 2006. The writing and story telling of them was extremely strong and many a fan were left longing for more than a few issues telling their tales. Well now a monthly series will be coming out and I couldn't be happier. Gail loves the characters and writes them as the messed up misfits that they are. At times, you even feel pity for Catman.

I highly encourage you to seek out the Secret Six mini-series from 2006 and to add the new series to your pull list. You won't be disappointed.

And Now.... The Spirit Teaser

That poster for The Spirit rocks!
And here, I found a teaser trailer for it (if any of you have not seen it yet).

Frank Miller is writing and directing(?) it.
The teaser is hopefully a bit misleading, but it looks kind of... well, you decide.

Will Eisner's The Spirit Teaser Trailer

How cool is this Spirit poster?

It's a little "Sin City", but I love the tie.

Although Fox declined comment, multiple sources have told TV Guide exclusively that "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" has been renewed for a second season on FOX.

The series debut in January this year pulled in a stellar 18.4 million viewers and generally positive reviews. Interest however quickly slipped with subsequent episodes hovering around the much lower 7-8 million mark.

Despite the finale airing in late March, FOX still hasn't officially announced the fate of the series. The costs involved and loss of audience were not good signs, but the show was one of the few new series last season to score any traction - especially with the key demographic Murdoch's company covets - that its renewal is understandable.

Due to the writer's strike only nine episodes ended up being produced of the planned thirteen for the year. Producer Josh Friedman has previously said his plans are to incorporate the unfilmed storylines from the remaining four episodes into the start of next season.

Hell Spartan? Hell Yes!

Behold an exclusive McFarlane Toys "Hell Spartan" that will be available at this year's Comic-Con in San Diego!

Friday Night Fights: Linus vs. Lucy

Bahlactus is kickin' it Old Skool-style for the next few rounds of Friday Night Fights.

Every post has to be in black & white to celebrate our monochromatic (or is it duo-chromatic?) comic roots.

I thought since we're going back to our roots, what would be more Old Skool that a classic from Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.

And the winner by a long shot.... Lucy "The Haymaker" Van Pelt

But can even Lucy withstand the might of Bahlactus? I think not!

Excellent! Fatality...Carter Hall Win.

Mortal Kombat vs. DC, coming soon to a gaming console near you.

A Healing Factor Won't Bring Back Vinyl...

Check out images from a new line of T-Shirts to be released this spring!

One night at my house...

MARVEL REPRESENT.

It's about time...

JLI Action figures! Oh Happy Day.

Im in ur storz, buyin ur G'nortz.

Street Date is Dec. 10th, just in time for Christmas!

Steampunk Star Wars

Check out this guys site for some really amazing re-imaginings of Star Wars, the Justice League and the Avengers as well as original toys based on The Venture Brothers, League of Extrodinary Gentlemen and other cool stuff.

DCU #0 - Final Cover

Let the good times roll...

Aloha Friday!

Hello Everyone! My name is Kyle and I run the "365 Days Of Songs" blog you see under the social club list which chronicles my experience as an employed songwriter/artist and the psychosis that follows. I'm also a hardcore fanboy, which is why the guys were nice enough to let me post on here....that and the fact that I've been funding the vacations for the Meredith family since 2000.

My family is from Hawaii, and "Aloha Friday" is what you say as you say goodbye to the work week and settle down for the required Friday night pizza and beer fest. So...ALOHA FRIDAY!

Also, it's to be thankful that you don't have to wear this to work.....but would that be a bad thing?

Hmmmmmm.....


See you around,

KS

New Store Logo!

After being responsible for the shop's logo since the beginning, I've finally decided to pass the buck onto someone far more talented than myself. Don't get me wrong; I've liked making the various logos for the shop(s) over the years. But... with all of the other work I am doing for the shop, the con, and my own works (freelance and private), I have not had any time to really devote to upgrading our defining "brand", so to speak. To be perfectly honest, too, I've felt that I had designed myself into a bit of a corner. Being too close to the subject on a daily basis has not helped me start fresh, and like any artist, I'm never happy with what I come up with...

Enter Chris Bishop, an artist and designer from Washington D.C. that I came across a while ago. In fact, I'm sure some of you out there are familiar with his work... anyone remember the t-shirt with the two unicorns making sweet, sweet love under a rainbow? He did that.

Anyway, I've dug his simple style of work since day one, and figured it couldn't hurt to have someone completely removed from The Comic Stop to give it a go. Well, after a couple of months of back and forth and tweaking, here are the end results:

Introductions

For some suicidal reason, Brian gave me posting rights to this blog. I'm John Feil, a game designer at Amaze Entertainment in Kirkland, WA. I'm also a comic geek, sadly enough. How much of a comic geek? I've collected Countdown through its entire run. If that doesn't show how much of a problem I have, I don't know what does.

Anyway, on a weekly basis, I have a short column on my blog, Gamefeil (get it? I'm in the games industry, and my name is "Feil"? Clever, huh?) kinda going through the comics I bought that week and which I think is the best. Mostly, I write this just so I can feel like I'm doing better than my friends who post to their blogs somewhat...irregularly. :-)

I'm looking forward to visiting and contributing more in the future!

Quitely: All-Star

Doing a bit of a switchover, All-Star Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder #10 will feature a cover by All-Star Superman artist Frank Quitely. I dig Frank's stuff and I love the coloring on this cover:

R.I.P. Charlton Heston

Oscar-winning acting legend Charlton Heston has died at the age of 84.

Heston had been in poor health for several years related to Alzheimer's. He died on Saturday night at his Beverly Hills home with Lydia, his wife of 64 years, reportedly at his bedside.

Heston's resume reads like a list of many of the greatest films of all time. His most memorable performances include playing Moses in Cecil B. De Mille's "The Ten Commandments" in 1956, "Ben Hur" in 1959 for which he won an Oscar, and George Taylor in the original "Planet of the Apes".

His many other classic films include "El Cid," Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil," "The Agony and the Ecstasy," "The Omega Man," "Soylent Green," "The Greatest Show on Earth," "55 Days at Peking," "Diamond Head," "Major Dundee," "Airport 1975," "Earthquake," "Any Given Sunday," "True Lies," "Tombstone," "Midway" and "The Three Musketeers".

The Boldly Brave!

Cartoon Network has just announced Batman: The Brave and the Bold, a new animated series from Warner Bros. Animation that will debut next fall and feature Batman along with a number of other DC Superheroes including Green Arrow, Blue Beetle and Aquaman, to name a few. The series will be set in a new continuity unrelated to that of The Batman animated series that aired on the WB and CW. The new Batman: The Brave and the Bold series will air on Friday nights in a new adventure block anchored by the Star Wars: Clone Wars series.

Batman: The Brave and the Bold will be based in Gotham, but will frequently find the Dark Knight outside the city limits and facing new challenges on unfamiliar ground. James Tucker and Linda M. Steiner, who produced the Legion of Superheroes cartoon series that is currently airing on the CW network, will function in the same capacity on Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which will be broadcast in the standard 30-minute episode format.

Friday Night Fights: Flaming Carrot vs. The Alien

Unfortunately the Friday Nights Fights are not taking place over on Bahlactus's site this week.

They've been postponed until April 18th.

(That's why I'm getting this one done a little earlier in the day than normal)

In the meantime, while going through back issues of FC looking for some fights to post, I had this one saved up for this week. I'll still post it anyway, even though I'm a few days late for the 'joke'.

Hey Flaming Carrot! What do you wanna play?

Okay then, here we go!

----------------------------------------------------------

** SPECIAL BONUS **

Alien Biology 101 w/ Flaming Carrot

Enjoy your weekend!

Update: Birds of Prey

As reported a couple of days ago, the tv series adaptation of Birds of Prey is coming to DVD this summer. Originally slated for July 29th, the release date has been changed - and confirmed by the studio - as July 15th.

The Game

Haha! You just lost The Game! Oh, wait. Did I just lose? DAMN!!!

http://booboo7.deviantart.com/art/You-Lost-The-Game-50929779

I had very definite plans about my future. I was going to be a fighter pilot. Or possibly a grocer.

Or a medieval sorcerer?

Anthony Stewart Head - best known and loved as Giles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer - will return to US television next year as Uther Pendragon in the NBC (via BBC) series Merlin.

NBC's statement:

MERLIN - "Merlin" brings to life a new legend for a modern audience. "Merlin" is an exciting, hour-long fantasy series set in the mythic city of Camelot -- but inspired by 21st Century storytelling. Before Merlin (Colin Morgan, "Doctor Who") and Arthur (Bradley James, "Lewis") became legends, they were ambitious young men looking for adventure, hoping to live up to their family's expectations, discovering love and finding their own true destiny, making mistakes along the way. The innovative, action-packed drama has cross-generational appeal and paints a picture of Merlin and Arthur's early life that audiences have never witnessed before. Anthony Head ("Buffy the Vampire Slayer"), Richard Wilson ("A Passage to India"), Angel Coulby ("Magicians") and Katie McGrath ("The Tudors") also star. A FremantleMedia Enterprises distribution of a Shine production for BBC.

The show is currently slated to begin airing in early 2009. It's a shame that Giles spin-off never happened.

Why do we live inside a big clock?

Birds of Prey, the short-lived TV series based on the awesome comic book, will finally be released on DVD this summer.

While this show never gained the audience it should have, it did get better as the 13-episode run came to a close. I never liked the Jake Reese character, but understood the problems licensing-wise with bringing in Dick Grayson/Nightwing. I also had my doubts about the whole Earth-2 aspect of the show (Huntress being the daughter of Batman and Catwoman) but learned to go with it. It didn't need to be the comic book or stick to strict DC canon...other shows haven't.

It's too bad the show never caught on, because it would have been a far sight better than Lana Lang: Sponsored by Stride Gum (aka Smallville). That show defines suck, but I still watch every week. Damn you, CW.