This weekend in Japan, the Yakult Swallows baseball team wore throwback jerseys in their series against the Tokyo Giants. Back then, the Swallows were called the Yakult Atoms and had an Astro Boy logo on their jerseys.
Check it out here
Just a reminder: you can find my TUF Season 7 recaps over at UGO.
EW covers the rumored Ed Norton/Marvel feud over the upcoming Hulk movie, and scoops Norton’s own statement on the donnybrook, which he refers to by the Hollywood term: “healthy process.”
“Like so many people I’ve loved the story of The Hulk since I was a kid, so it was thrilling when Marvel asked me to write and help produce an altogether new screen incarnation, as well as play Bruce Banner. I grew up reading Marvel Comics and always loved the mythic dimension and contemporary themes in the stories, and I’m proud of the script I wrote. In every phase of production, including the editing, working with Louis Leterrier has been wonderful…I’ve never had a better partner, and the collaboration with all the rest of the creative team has been terrific. Every good movie gets forged through collaboration, and different ideas among people who are all committed and respect the validity of each other’s opinions is the heart of filmmaking. Regrettably, our healthy process, which is and should be a private matter, was misrepresented publicly as a ‘dispute,’ seized on by people looking for a good story, and has been distorted to such a degree that it risks distracting from the film itself, which Marvel, Universal and I refuse to let happen. It has always been my firm conviction that films should speak for themselves and that knowing too much about how they are made diminishes the magic of watching them. All of us believe The Incredible Hulk will excite old fans and create new ones and be a huge hit…our focus has always been to deliver the Hulk that people have been waiting for and keep the worldwide love affair with the big green guy going strong.'’
So you see? Nothing to see here. Just buy a ticket already.
Via his LJ:
As known, last night I was alone, and checking out today so I could check back in with Sean Dulaney later today. Before I did this however, I plugged my laptop into the wall to do some scripting. However, the socket was loose and the moment I did? I was blown back by a shock that had me land on the bed, expletives galore.
Did Tony go into a coma and give up? Or did he get upgraded into a suite and end up at the press box at Shea Stadium? Tune in for the next SHOCKING episode of TONY IN NEW YORK.
We’ve been trying to ween ourselves off the Vinacafe Vietnamese Instant Coffee here at SBM, but the other day we were at the Korean market and spotted some hazelnut instant coffee packs and thought we would give it a whirl. The difference between the brews is startling. The Korean mix is a pleasant, milky beverage, akin to Postum or Ovaltine. But it is weak–we have to put TWO packets into a large cup to get any kind of flavor momentum. And it does not have the visceral gut punch of caffeine excitement the Vietnamese stuff packs.
We’ve tried Japanses all-in-one instant coffee packs, as well, and they are not as strong either. Does this mirror local drinking patterns? We’ve had lots of Japanese coffee sodas and canned coffees but none of them packs what we’d call “that Code Red Punch.” Vietnam is known for its good quality robustica exports, so it may just be a matter of the local beans being higher quality.
Or else the Vietnamese are just excitement junkies.
Technorati Tags: Vietnamese Instant Coffee
For those of you who enjoyed our ULTIMATE FIGHTER Season 5 recaps we’ve moved them to a more fitting venue over at UGO, where we write under the name of Hooligan. Enjoy.
Ric Flair retired last night. Like Jack Kirby, Flair is so essential he gives his entire profession context.
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Actually we used Duane Reade’s “Multi Eraser” knock-off, but either way, when your light switches are clean, you are clean.
PS: Thursday is pretty anticlimactic without Lost. Sniff.
Disgruntled Marvel assistant or viral plant? U decide:
Oh, and as usual, Bendis continues to write bad fiction. Last night he claimed 10 people knew who I was already at Marvel. Well, no one came to escort me out and my key card works just fine. I’m not an idiot. I play the good soldier at work, smiles and GO TEAM attitude. But here I can say whatever I want and I will, until the day they catch me (which, the way things look here, will be a LOOOOOONG time if ever). It’s easy to cover tracks, anyone with half a brain and an internet connection can do this without anyone really getting to them. It’s so simple it’s almost pathetic! Don’t post at work and they can’t track you. I dumped my old LJ account with more personal, identifiable posts to start this new one. (I DID keep my favorite posts from the past because there are those of you out there who DO like me, and things you should know about me!) I’m not stupid enough to get caught. They never caught “Felicia” and they won’t catch me.
Kevin Melrose fills you in on the background.
UPDATE: Tom had an interesting comment which sums up my feelings entirely;
Now that Marvel and DC so greatly emphasize their books as vehicles for plot permutations — as opposed to peak experiences, say, or places to find this month’s great art — this heightens the value of that information as a kind of cultural currency, to the point where a once-novel pleasure, which probably had its greatest expression in the old Amazing Heroes Preview Specials, has become the unquestioned prize in a battle between fans and pros over what should be revealed and how. In other words, if the main selling point of your comic is a new and bold direction for Mucous Man, then anything surrendering for public consumption the details of that direction may work against sales. In contrast, if your emphasis is “another stellar effort from Claremont/Byrne” or “the latest babe drawings from Michael Turner,” plot reveals won’t devalue that experience as much.
But that ship sailed off to some summer place long ago.
What have things come to, when even the precocious and eternally cute Hello Kitty is willing to settle a grudge by stepping into the squared circle?
The presser:
Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, in conjunction with Gente California and SANRIO Co., LTD., will present the first ever professional wrestling match for the Kitty World Order (KWO). On April 5, 2008, the cheerful Hello Kitty® and mischievous Kuromi® will meet inside the wrestling ring in a classic battle of The Good vs. The Bad. This match between these two beloved characters has been sanctioned by SANRIO Co., LTD. and PWG, and will be part of a live event that will feature PWG World Championship and PWG World Tag Team Championship title matches. The event takes place on Saturday, April 5, 2008 at 8:00PM at American Legion Post #308, located at 7338 Canby Ave., Reseda, CA 91335. General Admission tickets for the event are $20. Please visit http://www.prowrestlingguerrilla.com or http://www. gentecal. com for more information.
Posted by Mark Coale
Because The Beat is weak, a new still from MY NAME IS BRUCE. Another one here.
Technorati Tags: Bruce Campbell
The comics industry was first shocked, then stunned and then just gobsmacked as news leaked out this week of the engagement of The Beat and writer Ben McCool, of Birmingham, UK.
“MacDonald’s constant posting about ‘DDGB’ always makes me chuckle,” said DC publisher Paul Levitz. “I hope that isn’t going to stop.”
“When The Beat runs all those beefcake pictures of Marvel movie stars, box office is guaranteed,” echoed Marvel e-i-c- Joe Quesada. “This could mean a real blow to our bottom line.”
Industry concerns over the removal of these and other popular Beat Fave Hotties regularly featured on the site were allayed somewhat when news of a prenup spread. “The Beat will not change,” a close friend of the couple revealed. “She will continue to post just as much silly crap as before.
“The only big change is that The Beat is now required by law to support Aston Villa,” the pal continued.
As for Beat regulars, Gerard Butler and Clive Owen, neither could be reached for comment.
Friends of Butler, say the 300 star has been in seclusion. “He’s completely gutted and has been driven to take a role as a widowed father of 7 who must chase a kitten through a zoo in order to win the heart of Sarah Jessica Parker,” said one insider.
Owen is said to be similarly distraught, and has vowed to devote his now-empty life to playing hard boiled tough guys who never smile or miss a shot.
McCool’s only comment was “Go Villa!”
We love chronicling all the crossovers between our two favorite popular culture mediums involving giant muscled-up people hitting each other repeatedly: superhero comics and pro wresting.
Today, it’s an interview at Marvel.com with Friend of the Beat Shane Helms aka The Hurricane. There’s talk about comics and sports entertainment, including Helms’ all-too-real neck injury, which has kept him out of action for quite a while now.
Posted by Mark Coale
If you’re looking for a girl wh can really kick some ass, Nicharee “Jeeja” Vismistananda, star of the new MA film CHOCOLATE is the girl. It’s directed by Prachya Pinkaew, who made Tony Jaa a star in ONG BAK.
Sure the trailer’s promise of “Real injuries!” is a little disturbing, but Jeeja is amazing.
For those so inclined, take a break today from reading those comics or watching DVDs for today’s annual Hockey Day in Canada. (Apparently, it’s also Hockey Day in Minnesota, according to the Islanders/Wild telecast.) The Detroit/Toronto game may be in the books already, but there are plenty of games left tonight (including the Battle of Alberta).
Some of the better-known hockey/comics/nerdverse connections:
* Although people always associate PEANUTS with baseball, St. Paul native Charles Schulz was a big hockey enthusiast, owning a rink in Southern California and was even inducted into the US Hockey Hall of Fame in 1993.
* Todd McFarlane used to a partial owner of the NHL Edmonton Oilers and even designed their one of their alternate logos. And there was the Tony Twist Lawsuit.
* James Kolchaka and the Zambonis’ song “Hockey Monkey.”
* Hockey is a big part of Kevin Smith’s View Askew Universe, from playing rooftop hockey in CLERKS to the skating demons in DOGMA.
We know there are more but it’s almost time for the prime-time games to start on CBC. Gotta go.
Posted by Mark Coale
If you’ve been spending a little much time surfing the net and reading comics (be they capes or non-capes) and feeling a little too nerdy, this is the weekend to change up the routine. There’s MMA and Super Bowl to get your juices flowing.
First up the third UFC event in recent weeks, a mega-show taking place in their traditional pre-Super Bowl Saturday timeslot. The main event is a contest for the Interim Heavyweight Championship between former champ Tim Sylvia and ex-PRIDE titleholder Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. But, to many casual fans, the fight to see this night is the UFC debut of former WWE champion Brock Lesnar, who is taking on yet another previous UFC Heavyweight Champion, Frank Mir.
But that’s really just a warm-up to the big event of the weekend, Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. To make yet another pro rasslin’ analogy, the New York Giants are the scrappy babyface looking to take down the swaggering, arrogant heel, being the New England Patriots. New England, penalized earlier in the year for stealing another team’s signals and full of players often accused of playing dirty, is shooting for a perfect season, something not done in over 25 years.
Oh yeah, for those of you going to a Super Bowl party but not really caring about the game, the early buzz on the Big Commercial during the game is a Pepsi spot revolving around a couple of hearing-impaired guys looking for a buddy’s house. You can see the commercial online already here.
And, as THE BEAT mentioned the other day, there will be an IRON MAN trailer shown during the game, one of many advertising summer blockbusters.
If you really don’t care, there’s always PUPPY BOWL or the MYTHBUSTERS marathon to watch on cable instead.
Posted by Mark Coale
Edmund Hillary © Royal Geographic Society
It’s called Glamourpuss. It comes with posters and instructions (like “right click to save”) because readers may be internet unsavvy.
TCJ readers sum up the bafflement. The below poster is part of the comic, not an editorial comment:
Nerve approaches famous Brooklynites for sex advice — including cartooners Dean Haspiel and Molly Crabapple!Sacre bleu! Is there nothing this new breed of cartooners does not know!
Here’s a sampling of Haspiel’s wisdom:
A friend has invited me to join her at sex parties a few times. I always make up an excuse about why I can’t go, and she keeps asking. How can I politely tell her I’m not interested without sounding judgmental?
There are some things you can just say no to. There’s a difference between someone asking, “Will you come to my birthday party?” and, “Will you come to my orgy?” An orgy is just not something everyone does, so hurting her feelings is not part of the equation — she’s asking you if you want peanut butter on your bagel, and you don’t.
And Crabapple:
I’m going on my third date with a guy whose birthday is this weekend. What can I plan that will be “birthday special,” but not inappropriately romantic?
Sleep with him. You shouldn’t really show your intense thoughtfulness or capacity for giving gifts so early in a relationship, but men always like sex.
Check out the he said/she said as the duo answer the same question — one a bit too racy to include in this family blog!
Spotted at Neil Gaiman’s blog. God I miss Colbert and Stewart.
BTW, was that the most boring season of THE ULTIMATE FIGHTER or what? No one had any charisma but the coaches. George was the only one who acted like a professional. And this was definitely the most, er, “mentally challenged” cast yet. The two guys who wouldn’t train with Hughes? Look, I know Serra is the most loved coach ever, and Hughes is a dick/bully but come on - the chance to train with a great fighter? Why would you pass up a chance to maybe learn something?
OTOH, these two also sat around the house giggling like drunk schoolgirls. And then there was the “upper decker.” Poop pranks…bleah! Losers!
I never thought I’d say this but I missed Gabe Ruediger.
Wizard Entertainment CEO Gareb Shamus has left his position at the IFL, the mixed martial arts league he co-founded in 2006. Jay Larkin, a former Showtime exec, takes over Shamus’s positions.
The International Fight League, the worlds number one team-based professional mixed martial arts league, today announced a change in its senior leadership, naming Jay Larkin acting Chief Executive Officer.
Larkin, who had joined the IFL as President and Chief Operating Officer on September 21, 2007, replaces IFL co-founder Gareb Shamus, who resigned his positions as chairman and chief executive officer, effective immediately. Shamus will remain available to the IFL as a consultant.
Taking a sports and entertainment entity from an idea to an established brand in 14 months is nothing short of amazing. Gareb should be commended for his vision and leadership during that period, Larkin said.
Not sure where this fits in with all the recent reshuffles at Wizard. Various Wizard entities, including the conventions, had spent many resources promoting the IFL.
Everyone wants in on this comic book gravy train, and now New York Jets running back Darian Barnes is coming to the line of scrimmage — he’s teamed with a studio to bring his idea for a comic book to…the Internet as an animated series. Two trends for the price of one!
“This is like a dream come true for me, so I’m trying to stay even-keeled,” Barnes told The Associated Press. “It’s going to be big. When this project gets started, we’re going to get a lot of room to really make this special.”
The action-packed “National Triumph League” is centered on 10 teams of crime-fighting super-powered athletes called Triumphants, all with varying levels of talent and based in the likes of New York, Miami and Denver.
If only these supernauts could be enlisted to help the Jets (1-8) stop the run. And the pass. Just a thought.
We’re late but heartbroken:
Mary Lillian Ellison, whose flying drop kicks, flying head scissors and hair-pulling “flying mare” body slams brought her renown as the professional wrestler the Fabulous Moolah, died Friday in Lexington, S.C., near her home in Columbia. She was 84.
She died at a hospital after shoulder replacement surgery and might have had a heart attack or a blood clot, said her daughter, Maryetta Austin.
Moolah was women’s wrestling champ for 28 years or so. A farmgirl who found wrestling a way to make a name for herself and find a place in the world, she was a champion in every sense of the word. She won the women’s championship for the last time at age 76. She did a job when she was 80 (above). Indisputably the greatest female wrestler of all time, she came up in the time when a woman in a singlet was expected to put on a show with grit, determination and fighting spirit, not just silicon, and held her own against anyone.
She was an inspiration. Some great pics and info here.
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