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Thursday, August 30, 2007
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Remembering Lee Marvin
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Tuesday, August 28, 2007
The Shotgun Rule
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Monday, August 27, 2007
Living with the Dead
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It's a "hilariously funny" look at the life of two slackers who've, at least until now, survived a zombie plague. When they discover a beautiful young girl across the way things get really interesting.
I'm giving it a shot since I enjoyed "Shaun of the Dead."
Sunday, August 26, 2007
XXXombies
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Mix together Remender, Dwyer, Moore and zombies and I'm there. You can be too if you give your local comic shop owner a "heads-up."
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Aliens vs Predator: Requiem
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Friday, August 24, 2007
ZONE DVD Store
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Proof
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Thursday, August 23, 2007
Secret Dead Men
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…he isn’t just a dead guy.
See, Farmer has the ability to collect souls of the recently departed. In his quest to discover the secrets behind his own murder, Farmer has collected the souls of about a dozen others…
… and they live in his brain hotel.
See, the brain hotel is a mental construct, that appears like a typical hotel and allows the recently departed to have a semblance of life. People in the brain hotel go on about living [although it’s just their memories for the most part] but they can also interact with each other. Sometimes, if their skills are better suited to getting him out of whatever jam he’s in, Farmer even uses them to pilot the body that he currently inhabits…
…and if you’re still with me, then my guess is you’ll enjoy the novel.
I loved Swierczynski’s The Wheelman and The Blonde. And although Secret Dead Men falls a bit short of being as good, we should remember that Secret Dead Men was Swierczynski’s first novel. It’s definitely worth a look.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
What's in Your Bag?
This is a first for the ZONE. Usually I'm talking up a movie, a novel, a tv show or a comic. Today I want to tell you about a bookbag.
Yeah, a bookbag.
I've got one of the Jansport Big Student Packs and not only can it carry my planner, assorted files, pens, cell phones, glasses and other assorted items, but it can do so comfortably. The bag features extra wide and padded straps and comes in a variety of colors [although I went for the basic black].
We now return to our regularly scheduled programing.
Yeah, a bookbag.
I've got one of the Jansport Big Student Packs and not only can it carry my planner, assorted files, pens, cell phones, glasses and other assorted items, but it can do so comfortably. The bag features extra wide and padded straps and comes in a variety of colors [although I went for the basic black].
We now return to our regularly scheduled programing.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Where's Willie?
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My favorite Willie Blyberg ink job was over Paul Gulacy on the Valkyrie: Prisoner of the Past mini-series. I must not have been the only one to enjoy it, because Paul and Willie were nominated for the 1988 Best Art Team Eisner Award. Willie inked a lot of other comics, but then I lost touch with his career.
Tonight as I was looking through my copy of Willie's fanzine from 1978, I wondered where Willie is today. Perhaps someone reading this knows?
Sunday, August 19, 2007
Top 100 [25] TV Shows
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So here's my top 25:
Seinfeld (NBC, 1990-98)
Star Trek (NBC, 1966-69)
The Honeymooners (CBS, 1955-56)
The Twilight Zone (CBS, 1959-65)
I Love Lucy (CBS, 1951-61)
The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS, 1961-66)
Leave it to Beaver (CBS/ABC, 1957-63)
Frasier (NBC, 1993-Present)
Cheers (NBC, 1983-93)
The Andy Griffith Show (CBS, 1960-68)
The Cosby Show (NBC, 1984-92)
The Mary Tyler Moore Show (CBS, 1970-77)
Hill Street Blues (NBC, 1981-87)
Barney Miller (ABC, 1975-82)
The Bob Newhart Show (CBS, 1972-78)
The Carol Burnett Show (CBS, 1967-79)
The Monkees (NBC, 1966-68)
Miami Vice (NBC, 1984-89)
ER (NBC, 1994-Present)
Happy Days (ABC, 1974-84)
The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS, 1948-71)
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS/NBC, 1955-65)
Batman (ABC, 1966-68)
Lost in Space (CBS, 1965-68)
The Rockford Files (NBC, 1974-80)
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Friday, August 17, 2007
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Digger's Space
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"Oh – and by the way, there will be some exciting news about the future of McCrae's criminal career coming soon...."
I can hardly wait.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
A Hint of Why
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Blonde
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“I poisoned your drink.”
From there we are taken on a wild ride as Jack Eisley attempts to learn why he was poisoned by a beautiful blonde named Kelly White and why she is infected and on the run from a covert government agency’s hitman. The Blonde is fast paced, lean and will keep you on the edge of your seat as the pages fly by. Duane Swierczynski has another winner that left me excited to start on Secret Dead Men!
___
Update: Duane Swierczynski just posted up the paperback cover to The Blonde which will be available October 30th!
Monday, August 13, 2007
RIP: Mike Wieringo
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Mike was one of the most popular artists currently working in comics today. Fans loved him. Pros loved him. I never, ever, heard a single negative thing said about Mike or his art. My dealings with Mike were limited, but they were always positive. I first met Mike about 5 or 6 years ago. Mike was gracious and kind to both my son and me, but that's the way he was with ALL of his fans.
I became a regular visitor to Mike's blog and would often leave comments about his weekday posts. When Mike posted a sketch of Rocky Balboa along with his thoughts on the movie, I wrote to say that if he ever considered selling the sketch, I would be interested. Mike wrote me back to say that several of the fans who post on his site had already suggested that I might like to have it for my collection. Mike said that as he was drawing it, he thought the same and it was mine for the taking... gratis. Mike went on to say that he would be honored to have his work appear in my gallery. Can you imagine? That's the kind of guy Mike was. I suggested that if he wouldn't take money, since he liked the movie, I would be happy to purchase the dvd for him. He said that wasn't necessary, but did finally agree and acted like I was doing him the favor.
I knew that my blog today would be about Mike Wieringo. Mike positively touched so many lives that I knew that my voice would just be one of the many remembering him, but I knew that I had to mark his passing. I figured that I would probably post the Rocky sketch that he gave me. The when I checked my mail, I found a letter from my old friend Jim Ivey. Jim has always teased me about being a Sylvester Stallone fan. One of Jim's comments is that Sly has sad eyes... and Jim drew them on the envelope of his letter. Talk about appropriate.
Today Mike Wieringo's family, friends and fans are in mourning. Yes, there are tears in our eyes. We've lost not only a great artist, but a wonderful human being. My life was better for knowing Mike Wieringo. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Diary of the Dead Update
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RIP: Merv Griffin
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Saturday, August 11, 2007
America's Zombie Threat
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Friday, August 10, 2007
Dragons & Outlaw Bikers
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Kurt Sutter is an executive producer, writer and occasional actor on "The Shield." Sutter told Variety that he's...
'writing "Awaken the Dragon" as a contemporized drama about a lone FBI agent who pursues a rogue Shaolin monk into the bloody world of underground martial arts fight clubs.'
"Enter the Dragon" is one of my all-time favorite films. I love Sutter's work on "The Shield" and have no problems with him updating, re-making or re-imagining "Enter the Dragon." If his movie is great, then it will bring more awareness to the original. If his movie tanks, it doesn't change anything with the Bruce Lee classic. Sounds like a win-win situation for us action fans especially if Sutter's FX pilot "Forever Sam Crow" [a drama set in the "world of outlaw motorcycle clubs] is picked up.
Fraction & Walker Will Punish Us
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Thursday, August 09, 2007
Fem Noir Mini Coming!
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Mills describes what to expect when he says: "The Femme Noir series is my unabashed valentine to the crime fiction genre... All the conventions of the genre - and the cliches - are happily and enthusiastically embraced. It's an amalgamation of 40's Poverty Row B-movies, Golden and Silver Age comics, old radio shows, pulp stories... a little bit of everything I love in Pop Culture, old and new."
Check out the full story HERE! ... and BIG CONGRATS to Chris!
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
The Black Vault
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Tuesday, August 07, 2007
Sharing Personal Joy Buzzers
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"...the real purpose of these things we write about - to cause a sudden burst of happy emotion, a sudden rush to the head..."
King goes on to say that IT can be a movie, a song, or a book, but whatever IT is causes us to smile and become caught up in the moment. King said that it happened to him when he saw Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" and it happens every time he hears Van Halen's "Jump" or gets ready to watch the latest episode of "The Shield."
I know exactly where King is coming from. I felt the same rush the first time I saw "Rocky." I can't help but smile whenever I hear "Grooveline." I still dig the original "Star Trek" and not much is better than Byrne and Austin's run on "X-Men,"or Moench and Gulacy on "Master of Kung Fu." Charlie Huston, Barry Eisler, and David Morrell are just three authors who can bring about "the rush."
We all have things that give us the rush. King calls them our "personal joy buzzers." The great thing about blogging is that we get to share our personal joy buzzers and re-experience "the rush."
And that's why I enjoy daily blogging.
Monday, August 06, 2007
Conan, Indeed
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Jim wrote to tell me about the wonderful time he had in Washington, DC when he was recently honored at the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists 50th-anniversary convention. Jim is one of three surviving original members. Not only did Jim get to see them again, but also to meet many new artists for the first time. The highlight for Jim was meeting Ann Telnaes whose work he's admired for some time. Jim favorably compares to Herblock, Rube Goldberg and Roy Crane! Lofty company! [Jim's right, she is an amazing talent.] You can read more about Jim's trip HERE.
What's really amazing is that it's been 50 years since the first AAEC meeting. Jim is 82 and probably in as good of shape now as he was then! Conan, indeed!
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Time for Tampa
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You've heard me rave many times about what a great show Tim puts on. This one could be the best ever! In addition to John Beatty, guests will include Bill Black, Alex Saviuk, Herb Trimpe, Gary Friedrich, Chuck Dixon, Pablo Marcos, and many others. There will be something for everyone... artists sketching and signing autographs, a costume contest, a continuously running film room and more.
If you're able to make it, swing by Big Beatty's table and be sure to say, "Hi!"
Saturday, August 04, 2007
I Still Like the Trailer
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Well, I still like the trailer.
Friday, August 03, 2007
Thursday, August 02, 2007
Shoot 'Em Up Takes Another Step
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Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Hard to Believe... Jock Mahoney
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Hard to believe, but that's a photo of me that appeared in 1980 on the inside front cover of Bill Black's Fun Comics #1. Although it was 27 years ago, it seems like yesterday... ok, maybe not really yesterday, but definitely not 27 years ago.
OrlandoCon 1980. Bill Black, Jim Ivey, and Mike Kott were all friends of mine [still are in fact] and the main men behind OrlandoCon. That year Jock Mahoney was the media guest of honor.
Jock had a long, successful career in movies and on tv. He started out as a stuntman, but soon was playing the lead as The Range Rider, Yancy Derringer, Tarzan [in 3 movies], and in so many other roles. Jock was also Sally Field's stepfather!
Because of my connections with Bill, Jim and Mike, I was able to appear on stage with Jock when he did some demonstrations of how fights are filmed for movies. Jock was a great guest. He even posed with Bill and his wife Rebecca for the fumetti below. Hard to believe that it was done over 1/4 century ago...
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