Wow! What a cool time I had yesterday at the Megacon Convention in Orlando, Florida. I was able to spend a lot of time with some friends and met some people whose work I really admire. MegaCon is a convention which features celebrities, comic artists, novelists, dealers and more...

Walter Koenig, who played Chekov in the original Star Trek series was there. When I was a kid Star Trek was THE show, so it was really cool getting to meet Mr. Koenig and to shake his hand.

One of my favorite writers was there, Steve Niles. I was first in line to meet him. [And if that sounds like a geeky thing to say, well, I was geeking out yesterday. LOL!] I was able to speak with Steve for a few minutes and get him to autograph both of his novels [more are coming!]. Eric Powell, the creator of The Goon, was there. I got him to autograph his new graphic novel and do a Stallone sketch for me [the sketch will appear in the SZ Gallery soon]. Many, many more artists were there from Adam Hughes to Frank Cho to Mike Zeck to... well you get the idea. I picked up several new pieces for the SZ Gallery which will appear in the near future.

After the show John Beatty, Mike Zeck, Rik Levins, Howard Shum, Brad VanCata, Mike [my son] and I all went out for some Chinese. It was a great capper to a great day. I'll talk more about the show in future ZZone updates

Thunder Road Now Longer

If you were anticipating the release of MEL GIBSON'S return as The Road Warrior in "Mad Max: Fury Road," the wait is going to be a bit longer.

Believe it or not, the possibility of military action against Iraq has delayed the movie's start date. Filming was scheduled to begin in Namibia in July, but now will go into production sometime in the fall... which of course means the release date will also be pushed back.

Well... we've waited 18 years, I guess we can wait a bit longer.

Fred Rogers - RIP

"Won't you be my neighbor?"

FRED ROGERS, aka Mr. Rogers, died today at the age of 74 from stomach cancer. ROGERS was best known for his children's show, "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood." He first went on the air in 1954 and entertained and educated millions of children over the years. From all I've read, FRED ROGERS was truly a kind and gentle soul.

Our prayers go out to his friends and family.

I'd have been proud to have been his neighbor.

Don't Do the Crime

"Don't do the crime if you can't do the time..."

Even if you aren't a fan of ROBERT BLAKE or his tv show, "Baretta," you probably know that line from it's theme song. Well, the trial of ROBERT BLAKE for the murder of his wife has finally gotten underway. BLAKE has an interview with BARBARA WALTERS that will air tonight. While I think it's a bad idea for him to talk with the trial just starting, I'm sure I'll tune in.

I haven't read all of the facts of the case, but what I have read doesn't look good for BLAKE. And as Baretta used to say, "That's the name of that tune."

A Tat and a Win

I used to follow boxing. Of course I'd watch all the big fights, the pay-per-views, bouts on HBO and Showtime, but I'd also catch the fights on ESPN and USA so I could see the up-and-coming fighters. It was there that I first saw a teenage MIKE TYSON knocking out everyone.

The kid had so much potential. If he had continued his streak as it started, he'd have to be considered the best heavyweight of all time. Even better than ALI or MARCIANO. But that didn't happen.

After losing his mentor, CUS D'AMATO, MIKE TYSON lost fights, court cases... and some questioned, if maybe he'd lost his mind.

MIKE TYSON is no saint, but he's paid his dues. He seems to be at peace with himself. From what I saw he was gracious and humble with his 49 second knockout of CLIFFORD ETIENNE last night. Perhaps the MIKE TYSON story will have a happy ending after all.

At Least He'll Have the Tat

MIKE TYSON has a new tattoo.

It's the type that island warriors get. Which is fitting since TYSON is a boxer... a modern day warrior. At one time he was the most feared fighter in the world. And rightly so. He trained as hard as anyone. He had a devastating shot that could knockout anyone. Then CUS died, and he hooked up with DON KING. TYSON's life began to spiral out of control. It was a sad story... until now. Maybe. TYSON does seems more at peace with himself.

On Saturday night TYSON will fight CLIFFORD ETIENNE [24-1]. If TYSON wins, it could be the start of a comeback in the ring and with the public. If he loses...

well... at least he'll still have the tattoo.

X-Men 2 Trailer

I've been a fan of the X-Men for a long time... since the glory days of CLAREMONT, BYRNE and AUSTIN! If you have to ask who they are, then it means you either not a comic book fan, or the 1980's were just too long ago to matter.

At any rate, I found the first X-Men movie to be pretty well done. It wasn't an all-time favorite and it's not in my collection, but I did enjoy watching it on dvd when it came out. Soon the sequel will be hitting the theaters, and the new trailer makes it look to be even better than the first. So good, in fact, that I may have to catch it in a theater... as any long-time X-Men fan should!

"It is the greatest beast to walk the Earth, a beast without equal. A beast without fear. It has not ruled the world of men for six thousand years.

Until now."

Trapped on an island, a handful of people must find a way to kill the beast before it kills them... and to make matters worse, an atomic bomb is set to explode there in a just a few hours! James Byron Huggins has written another winner.

"Dude, You're NOT Getting a Cell!"

BENJAMIN CURTIS, 22, the wise-cracking "Steven" in Dell's "Dude, yer gettin' a Dell" commercials, was arrested for marijuana possession. He was charged with criminal and unlawful possession of marijuana, misdemeanor charges that carry possible jail sentences of up to three months.

At his arraignment on Monday afternoon, Judge Ellen Coin adjourned the case for one year. Charges could be dismissed if CURTIS stays out of trouble for the next 12 months.

MJ - It's No Longer About the Talent

Seems that everyone is talking or writing about MICHAEL JACKSON...

Everyone has an opinion of him. Some say he's a child molester, while others feel that he's totally innocent. Not just innocent of the molesting charge, but child-like innocent... trapped in a world that he's created for himself. I was a fan of MICHAEL JACKSON since his days with the Jackson 5. I was [and continue to be] in awe of his talent. When he dances, you can't help but become mesmerized by his moves -- he becomes the music. When he sings, you find yourself pulled in. And when he performs it's magical.] I saw MJ live on the Victory tour in Jacksonville [how appropriate, huh?]. I've never seen such a mixed crowd so into anything. Young, old, men, women, and kids of all races. It was a memorable, enjoyable evening.

That was the MJ of old... before the allegations and out of court settlement.

... but now the talk isn't about his dancing, or his music or his talent...

Sammy's Pleasant Nightmares!

Everybody loves SAMMY TERRY. Well, everybody that knows him.

If you're a longtime reader of this blog, then you probably remember that I wrote about SAMMY not quite a year ago. [Here's the link if you want to catch up.] SAMMY hosted "Nightmare Theater" on Friday nights at 11:00PM. SAMMY would rise from a coffin, introduce himself and after a brief monologue about many things [including the movie we were about to see, would invite us to watch - if we dared!

So there we'd be, huddled in the dark, with our popcorn waiting for the monster of the week to appear and scare us! SAMMY would return before the movie after commercial breaks with more of his dry humor... and then again, at the end of the movie, SAMMY would make his final appearance. Before returning to his coffin, he would always wish us "Pleasant nightmares!" followed by his manical laugh.

What's really cool is that Jerrald Hawkins has created a fan site and movie club dedicated to SAMMY TERRY. Jerrald has remastered old tapes of SAMMY presenting movies. On the last Friday of each month, club members start their tapes at 11PM. Not only are members watching the movies "together" but at the same time theyre also able to participate in a live chat via Jerrald's site!

What could make this even better? Well, the tapes are professionally produced. They come in plastic cases with labels giving details of the movie, pictures of SAMMY and his logo... plus Jerrald sends them to members for the cost of the mailing! He makes no profit.

If this sounds like something you'd like then check out Jerrald's site! Even if you've never heard of SAMMY TERRY, you're gonna love him because...

... Everybody loves SAMMY TERRY! ["Until next time... Pleasant Nightmares!]

Snake is Everywhere

Snake Plissken. Cool name. Cool character.

If you don't know who he is [or you thought he was dead... sorry but I couldn't resist], then check out "Escape from New York," starring KURT RUSSELL and written/directed by JOHN CARPENTER.

Don't buy the dvd -- even though you'll find it for less than ten bucks! Why, you ask? Because "Escape" will soon come out in a new edition with a lot of extras. See Snake Plissken is going to be showing up in a bunch of different places. New comics, video games and anime are gearing up all featuring Snake.

And how cool is that?

Phone Call for Colin

Some things are worth waiting for.

I hope that "Phone Booth" is one of them. COLIN FARRELL and FORREST WHITACKER are the stars of the film which was delayed due to the Washington sniper killings.

The trailer is now on-line and looks great.

If you're like me, you won't wait any longer to see it!

Art of the Raytrix

If you're a regular ZZ reader, then you know how much I enjoy the artwork of Bill Marimon. I like Bill's work enough to create a web presence for him. Have you checked it out yet? If not you should.

Perhaps if you take a peek at the thumbnail to Bill's latest painting you'll see what I mean about his art. If you can't see it, then maybe it's time for an eye exam.

Carpenter, Blade, Shade & More

• According to a post at Ain't It Cool News, one of my favorite John Carpenter movies, "Assault on Precienct 13" is being remade. I'd love to see Sly Stallone play Napoleon Wilson in a low budget remake.
• Ain't It Cool also has a post about "Blade III" with writer David Goyer set to direct. I didn't care for "Blade" but thought that "Blade II" was one of the best horror movies in years so I don't know what to expect with "III."
• Dark Horizons reports that "Shade" "the Stallone film will recieve its world premiere at the Cinevegas Film Festival on June 21st." Ah, life is good!
• "Finding Nemo" earned $70.6 million this weekend which is the best ever weekend haul for an animated movie. Look for "Nemo: Reloaded" coming to a theater near you!
• Mswati is Africa's last absolute monarch and he says that women wearing pants are the reason the world is in such a sad state and that human rights are an "abomination before God." And here I thought it was because of mimes.
• A German wanted for theft has been arrested after he reported his wallet stolen. Can you say "poetic justice?"
• Singapore plans to rate public toilets using a five-star system called "Happy Toilet" which is similar to that used to grade hotels. Although I think it's a pretty good idea, I'm sure there are those who think it is a load of crap.

Discovery Crew - RIP

Much of the time you'll find me talking about heroes here. Movie heroes... tv heroes... comic book heroes.. Today I want to remember some real life heroes. The pictures are of the Discovery's crew Top row from left are Navy Capt. David Brown, Pilot William McCool, Laurel Clark, Rick Husband, and bottomfrom left: Payload Commander Michael Anderson, Kalpana Chawla, Israeli Air Force Col. Ilan Ramon.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of these real life heroes.

Chow Yun-Fat Walks Like a Dragon

CHOW YUN-FAT ["Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"] is set to star in "Walk Like a Dragon." CHOW will play an Asian official who finds himself going against drug lords who have followed him to the US.

CHOW YUN-FAT was already a worldwide star before coming to the US in 1998 to make "The Replacement Killers." He next appears in "Bulletproof Monk," due out April 16th.

"Walk Like a Dragon" was originally developed to star DEWAYNE "The Rock" JOHNSON, who instead committed to the "Walking Tall" remake. [A "Walking Tall" remake?? I'd "Walk Like a Dragon" away from that project!]

Kurt Russell is Dark Blue

I hadn't heard a lot about "Dark Blue" until recently. Sure, I knew that KURT RUSSELL was in it. And yeah, I knew it was a cop movie.

Then I learned that VING RHAMES would co-star [another plus]. Next I saw the trailer... and discovered that this wouldn't be the normal "good cop" movie. From there I learned that JAMES ELROY was one of the screenwriters [still another plus]. After that I read the interview with KURT RUSSELL and I was sold.

Finally... well "finally" won't happen until the movie opens... and I'll finally get to see it.

Nolan Excited About Batman

CHRISTOPHER NOLAN ["Momento" "Insomnia"] has signed on to helm the next Batman movie. NOLAN was quoted as saying, "I grew up with Batman, I've been fascinated by him and I'm excited to contribute to the lore surrounding the character. He is the most credible and realistic of the superheroes and has the most complex human psychology. His superhero qualities come from within. He's not a magical character."

FRANK MILLER [writer/artist for the two classic Batman series: Year One and The Dark Knight Returns] is said to be working on a script. NOLAN directing from a script by MILLER would be a fan's dream... at least this fan's.

Alias Worth the Effort

I'm adding another show to my "Must See TV" list. It's not a new show, and it's one that I've regularly watched since it's premiere. It's called "Alias" and is on ABC Sunday nights at 9PM. You're probably wondering why I'm just now adding "Alias" since I watch it every week. Good question.

The reason is, "Alias" is not an easy show to get into. It's about a young woman who is a double agent for the CIA against an organization known as the Agency which has ties throughout the world and does really bad stuff [not quite world domination stuff but bad none the less]. The agent's father is also a double agent working toward the same goal... her mother was a double agent for the Russians but now may [or may not ] be working with the CIA. Her fiance was murdered when she told him about her connections but she now is getting involved with...

Did I loose you in there? Probably so... and therein lies the problem. The show is GREAT for fans who've been following from the start. The plot twists and character development have really worked. The action and production values are on par with most movies... but even given all that... for those unfortunate souls who've just tuned in for the first time, it probably was very confusing.

Well that's all about to change. The next few weeks will be a great jumping on point for anyone who wants to give the show a try. In addition to the regular cast [JENNIFER GARNER, VICTOR GARBER, LENA OLIN, RON RIFKIN, MICHAEL VARTAN] there will be guest stars such as RUTGAR HAUER, ETHAN HAWKE, and CHRISTIAN SLATER. So give it a shot. Who knows, maybe it'll make your "Must See TV" list.

Billy Joel Hospitalized

Less than 90 minutes ago it was reported that BILLY JOEL had been in a car wreck and was hospitalized in stable condition. JOEL apparently went off the road and hit a tree on Friday evening. Specific details are still sketchy and the hospital has not released details of JOEL's injuries.

As a longtime fan, I want to wish BILLY JOEL a speedy recovery.

Update January 26, 2003 10:07 AM EST - It has been reported that BILLY JOEL has been released from the hospital.

Meet Bill Marimon

Bill Marimon is one of the nicest guys that you'd ever meet. Bill's worked for AC, DC [not the band], and Marvel. He's now available for commissions. [His art is great and his prices are reasonable -- can you think of a better combo?]

I've put together a site to showcase some of Bill's work. Check it out!

FX

Can you imagine a party where the guests of honor included LINDA BLAIR, Insane Clown Posse, JIMMY "The Mouth of the South" Hart, JOHN BEATTY and other celebs in addition to THOUSANDS of fans? The FX show in Orlando was THAT party!

Over the years I've been to many conventions and the FX show was the biggest to be able to retain the feeling of a small show. FX was obviously well planned and had something for everyone. The Orlando Convention Center is huge but this worked to the advantage of the show. Dozens and dozens of dealers were located throughout the hall. Collect toys? Every kind from board games to action figures were available. Looking for original art? Not only were several artists on hand, but at least three comic companies also set up booths. Want to see the car from "Knightrider?" It was there. Maybe you want to meet and get autographs from celebrities. Remember the guest list? They were all there and signing.

If you're getting the idea that I liked the FX show you'd be wrong. I loved it and am looking forward to the next show. If it sounds like something that you'd like then maybe then maybe we'll see you there. [Thanks to BigBeatty.com for use of the great photos!]

The Hunted

Sometimes after seeing a trailer you think, "I've seen this movie before." It's not that you really have, it's just that you've seen so many like it that you know EXACTLY what's going to happen. The question then becomes, is it going to be worth my time? Most often the answer is "no."

In the case of "The Hunted," the answer, for me, is definitely, "yes."

Sure, it looks like "First Blood." And yeah, we've seen this kind of film many times before, but NOT with TOMMY LEE JONES and BENICIO DEL TORRO! They alone are worth the price of admission. I'm sure that The Hunted will take a lot of hits from critics for being derivative. I'm also sure that I'll be in the audience loving every minute of it!

Al Hirschfeld - RIP

AL HIRSCHFELD passed away today at the age of 99.

Mr. HIRSCHFELD, perhaps the best known caricaturist in the world, had captured the likeness of everyone who was anyone in show business from the 1920s until his passing.

AL HIRSCHFELD was known for hiding his daughter's name , NINA, in each of his pieces [sometimes more than once]. This tradition began in 1945. After about a month, Mr. HIRSCHFELD briefly stopped putting in the NINAs, but fans quickly complained and the NINAs were back to stay [along with a number indicating how many NINAs were hidden in each piece!].

Our thoughts and prayers go out to AL HIRSCHFELD's family and friends. [Thanks to John Beatty for the heads-up.]

The Shield Wins Two

I was really happy with the two wins yesterday. No, not the Bucs and the Raiders [although I was pulling for both of them]. I'm talking about "The Shield" winning a Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Series and for MICHAEL CHIKLIS picking up one for Best Dramatic Actor.

"The Shield" has been in my "Must See TV" category since it's premiere. I usually tell people that it's one of the two best shows going, but with yesterday's win, I'll drop the two.

Michael Jackson's Face

MICHAEL JACKSON's face has made the news again. Or at least it will when it is the subject of a special edition of NBC's "Dateline" set to air at 10 p.m. EST Feb. 17th. When I first heard about this, it struck me as funny that a "news" program would seriously cover such a silly subject... but I have to admit I was kind of intrigued.

No one can dispute that MICHAEL JACKSON is an extremely talented individual. But it would also be hard to argue that he's not getting more and more bizarre as the years go by. Thinking about the changes that have occurred in his behavior and his face, one could almost argue that as his actions get stranger his nose gets smaller. After MJ holding his baby over a fourth floor balcony, I might just have to tune to see if he still has one.

Richard Crenna - RIP

RICHARD CRENNA, the Emmy award-winning actor has died. He was 76.

Mr. CRENNA, whose credits included all three "Rambo" films, "Body Heat," the classic suspense film "Wait Until Dark," as well as many other roles, died of pancreatic cancer at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

RICHARD CRENNA is survived by wife and three adult children. A public service is to be held Jan. 25.

Basic Info

The movie is "Basic." Ok, then.

JOHN TRAVOLTA. SAMUEL JACKSON. GIOVANNI RIBISI. ANDY GARCIA. CHRISTIAN de la FUENTE. HARRY CONNICK JR. Directed by JOHN McTIERNAN of "Die Hard" and "Predator" fame.

The plot summary and the trailer make it look like it'll meet our best expectations. We'll find out when it opens on April 18th.

The Art of Sin City

FRANK MILLER is a genius. Although he's worked in both movies and comics, it is in the latter that he has really made his mark. In the early '80s, MILLER re-invented Daredevil taking him from a thrid rate hero to one of the most popular comics hitting the stands. After Daredevil came Ronin, and then Dark Knight Returns, the series that woke up mainstream America to the fact that comics were still around. MILLER went on to create Batman: Year One, Sin City and the groundbreaking 300.

But it is MILLER's SIN CITY series that remains my favorite. All of the stories are set in the same corrupt big city and quite often feature overlapping characters. Every tale is well worth the price of admission and now MILLER even has released a book dedicated to The Art of Sin City. My copy hasn't made it to the bookshelf yet, as I keep looking through and admiring the genius that is FRANK MILLER.

JOHN RIDLEY is best known for his "noir" novels. He wrote Stray Dogs which was turned into the cult classic movie "U-Turn" which starred SEAN PENN, JENNIFER LOPEZ [before she hit it big], and BILLY BOB THORTON. His other books have for the most part been in the same vein...

The Drift is unlike anything that RIDLEY has written before. Well, that's not exactly true. You see, RIDLEY's other book s have all been very good and The Drift is no exception. In fact The Drift may be RIDLEY's best book yet.

The Drift is the story of a man[Charles Hanson] who seems to have it all... a good job, a loving wife and a child on the way. Charles sees it differently. He sees his life becoming more and more repetitive. He feels confined... until he decides to leave it all behind for a life on the rails. That's right, he decides to become a modern day hobo. He meets many strange characters [most who wish to do him harm] and has many adventures in his effort to save a young girl from the life he has chosen for himself. The problem is, he has to find her before she is murdered. To say more would be to say too much.

Crowe's Roll

RUSSELL CROWE'S on a roll, and the trailer looks good. So it might be worth it to check out "Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World." [The title could use some help though...] Based on novels by PATRICK O'BRIAN, CROWE plays "Lucky" Jack Aubrey, Captain of the H.M.S. Surprise...

If the trailer is any indication, CROWE's roll will continue.

Last Samauri

I don't know. Maybe it's because the "Kill Bill" trailer rocked so hard.

Maybe it because TOM CRUISE has had such a great run in selecting projects. [OK... I do remember "Eyes Wide Shut"... but I didn't say perfect run, just a great one.]

At any rate I just saw this pic from CRUISE's "The Last Samurai" and after reading the synopsis, I have to say that it looks like it could be a winner.

Maurice Gibb - RIP

MAURICE GIBB of the Bee Gees has died. He suffered cardiac arrest before abdominal surgery last week and had been listed in critical but stable condition. He was 53.

I've always been a Bee Gees fan. I liked their music before the disco craze hit, loved the stuff that they did during it, and continued to enjoy their work even after it was no longer cool to do so. 53 is way to young to die.

We've lost another talent, but as cliche as it sounds, the music will live on. Our prayers go out to MAURICE GIBB's family, friends and fans.

Vin is a Man Apart

VIN DIESEL's next film, "A Man Apart," has VIN playing a narcotics cop whose wife is murdered when when drug dealers attempt to kill him. Man, if they think he was after them before...

Although the advance word has been mixed, the trailer looks pretty good and with VIN in the lead, ya gotta imagine that it'll do well.

Personally, I can't wait until DIESEL returns in "Pitch Black II: The Riddick Chronicles" but this will help get me through the wait.

Can You Dig It?

Dreamfield Entertainment announced today that it has reached a licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures to market action figures and accessories based on WALTER HILL's 1979 classic "The Warriors." The toys are expected to be released this summer.

I remember seeing "The Warriors" during it's initial theatrical release. I'm somewhat surprised that they're making aciton figures of it twenty years after its premiere. But then again, it is considered a cult classic and it does have characters that will make cool looking action figures.

Can you dig it? I knew you could.

Rucka & Robertson on Wolverine

GREG RUCKA is one of my favorite writers. Best known for his Atticus Kodiac novels, RUCKA has also written quite a few comics [including the very popular "White Out" series].

It has been announced that RUCKA is going to be the writer when Marvel unleashes a new Wolverine series next May. DARRICK ROBERTSON is going to provide the artwork and has this to say about RUCKA's take on Logan: "You will be getting a very, very different Wolverine... I think some fans aren't going to like it all. Greg sees Logan like the Hulk in that he shouldn't just go berserk all the time, but when he does, it's a big deal and there will be so much building up to his explosion, that we he does cut loose, it will be momentous."

The series seems to have a lot of potential. I know that I will be watching for the first issue.

Sometimes Wrong is Right?

There's been a lot of talk about "Joe Millionaire" the reality show on Fox. It scored high ratings with tons of people tuning in to see twenty single women competing for the attention of a bachelor that they are led to believe is a millionaire. The catch is that he isn't. He's a normal guy who brings down about $20,000 a year.

First of all, why anyone would care a bit about women fighting to "win" the attention of any guy is beyond me. I guess I'm alone in that respect though. There have been a bunch of shows just like it... "Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire"..."The Bachelor"... "The Bachelorette"... and now this... and I'm sure others to come.

What gets me is that if a guy was trying to pass himself off as a millionaire in order to get women, we'd call him a jerk. Yet a network does it and scores a ratings hit.

Bruce Willis's Tears

Anyone here like BRUCE WILLIS? Ok, hands down.

Anyone here enjoy "Training Day?" Good, good.

Anyone want to see BRUCE WILLIS team up with the director of "Training Day" for an action - adventure movie? I thought so.

Well then, click HERE to see the trailer and HERE to visit the official site. Class dismissed. See you tomorrow!

FX is Coming

This weekend JOHN "Big" BEATTY and I will be attending the FX Collector's Toy, Comic and Fantasy Convention at Orlando's Orange County Convention center. As if this weren't reason enough to go, other guests scheduled to appear include LINDA ["The Exorcist"] BLAIR, DOUG ["Hellraiser"] BRADLEY, The Insane Clown Posse, and a whole bunch of comic book artists such as MARTIN NODELL, ALEX SAVIUK, and BILL BLACK.

JOHN will be selling some of his newly designed T-Shirts and doing some sketches while I will be checking out the place with my son and helping with the booth if it gets crazy. If you're planning to attend, please make sure that you drop by and say, "Hi."

Big Beatty

JOHN BEATTY has been my best friend forever. So I'm really happy to say that he's starting to kick his personal web site into high gear. It's going to be a blast. Many of you probably know of JOHN through his work for Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc.

JOHN is still doing some work in comics [he's currently inking Birds of Prey over CASEY JONES] but is also expanding into T-Shirt Design and more. The business "stuff" will be available online at Big Shot Graphics and the fun stuff will be on his personal site and I can promise you that it's going to be a hoot. Be advised the humor and language will sometimes not be for kids.

Guns and Monsters

STEVE NILES writes a mean hard-boiled novel. He also writes a wicked horror novel. What makes NILES unique is that he does this in the same book! Guns, Drugs and Monsters is actually the second in a [hopefully long-running] series featuring Cal MacDonald. Cal is a human with the gift / curse that he knows that monsters walk among us. He knows this because he hunts them. Well, a guy has to make a living somehow, doesn't he?

NILES skillfully combines the best elements of CHANDLER and HAMMETT along with a dose of KING, plus a good bit of humor as well. I read through Guns, Drugs and Monsters in nearly one sitting [it's that much fun]. It also features spot illustrations by ASHLEY WOOD that are the icing on the cake. I've already ordered Savage Membrane [the book that started the series]. If it's just half as good as Guns then I'll still have a winner.

Kill Bill Trailer Party

I just saw the trailer to "Kill Bill." Four times. I'll watch it again after I post this. It's that good. Everything works... the colors, the heightened reality, the MUSIC, the editing, the action... oh baby, the ACTION!

If you're a fan of QUENTIN TARANTINO, UMMA THURMAN, kung fu, 70's revenge flicks or movies that rock then stop reading and watch this trailer! Then head over to the "KIll Bill" site. You'll be glad you did.

Talk to you later -- I'm heading back to check out the trailer again!

Narc's Buzz

It's been a while since there's been a movie that I've really looked forward to seeing as much as "Narc." The positive buzz on the film has been building, the trailer makes it look like the real deal and the web site made me want to see it even more.

"Narc" stars RAY LIOTTA, JASON PATRIC, and CHI McBRIDE. It's written and directed by JOE CARNAHAN [who may be a guy to watch], and produced by RAY LIOTTA and TOM CRUISE. I'm hoping to catch "Narc" the weekend that it opens. I hope it lives up to my expectations.

The Shield Scores

The second season of "The Shield" premieres January 7th at 10PM. If you've missed some episodes along the way then I'd suggest that you check out "The Shield" Marathon starting tonight. FX will run back to back episodes each night at 10PM January 1st - 6th. This will lead right into the new season. "The Shield" is widely considered to be one of the best shows on tv. And rightly so.

MICHAEL CHIKLIS [the lead actor] earned basic cable’s first ever Primetime Emmy® Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. CHIKLIS also captured the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Drama.

"The Shield" picked up Emmy nominations for Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series for creator SHAWN RYAN, and Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series for CLARK JOHNSON, both basic cable firsts. The series also received Television Critics Association Award nominations in the categories of New Program of the Year, Outstanding Achievement in Drama and Program of the Year.

Even without all the awards, I'd still recommend it as a "don't miss" show. Check out what I wrote way back on April 14, 2002! [Oh, and for you STALLONE fans reading this, CARL WEATHERS is set to appear in episodes later this season.]