To celebrate the 500th episode of “The Simpsons,” which airs Feb. 19, Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., in partnership with Gracie Films and Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, is making the “Simpsons” Arcade Game available for home consoles.

The game is now available for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft. The game will also be available on the PlayStation®Network for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system beginning Feb. 7.

“Of all The Simpsons video games, this demented classic is my favorite,” said Matt Groening, The Simpsons Creator and Executive Producer, in a news release.

In The Simpsons Arcade Game, players take on the role of a Simpsons character to chase Smithers and Mr. Burns on an epic quest to save Maggie.

The game features four-player online and offline cooperative play as well as eight Springfield locations.

As an added bonus, fans can view classic posters made for the game back in 1991.

- Matt Price
From Monday’s The Oklahoman

The five-part miniseries that preceded the “Transformers Prime” computer-animated series is edited together and collected on the DVD “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising.” Less clanky than the feature films but more mature than the original 1980s cartoons, “Darkness Rising” is a hybrid that should appeal to both younger and older, nostalgic fans.

The “Transformers Prime” series features two voices well-known for their association with the characters. Frank Welker, who voices Decepticon leader Megatron, and Peter Cullen, who voices the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime, reprise their roles in this series. They first voiced the characters in the 1980s cartoon series, and Cullen also worked on the Michael Bay films as the voice of Optimus Prime.

Megatron leads the Decepticons, a cadre of sentient, evil alien robots who can transform into forms resembling Earth vehicles. They’re opposed by the Autobots, robots from the same planet who want to protect Earth’s inhabitants. Optimus Prime leads this group. Based on the toy line from Hasbro, the Transformers first appeared on television in a 1980s animated series and have since appeared in multiple animated incarnations and three live-action feature films.

In “Darkness Rising,” Megatron has discovered the energy source “Dark Energon,” which he uses to create robotic zombies.

Steve Blum, known for voicing Wolverine in multiple Marvel Comics projects, takes Megatron’s Lt. Starscream to a darker level than viewers have seen before from the character.

“Darkness Rising” is also more female-friendly, with Autobot Arcee and the female rocker Miko. Miko is one of the human cast members, along with computer geek Raf and the hardworking Jack Darby, who is something of this series’ Sam Witwicky stand-in.

Great battle scenes and a top-notch voice cast (including Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in a small role) make “Transformers Prime: Darkness Rising” a good bet for fans of action-packed animation.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Marvel Comics’ vampire hunter makes his way to animation with the new series “Blade,” debuting Friday on the G4 network.

Harold Perrineau (who played Michael Dawson on “Lost”) is the voice of Eric Brooks, also known as “Blade” in the anime series based on the Marvel Comics character.

Blade’s mother was bitten by a vampire while pregnant; this gave her son both vampire strength and a thirst for blood. Blade fights his inner desires while tracking vampires across the globe. His origins make him invulnerable to sunlight, unlike other vampires, who call him the “Daywalker.” In the new series, Blade tracks the vampire organization Existence across Asia while seeking the villain Deacon Frost.

Blade the vampire hunter was first introduced in 1973 in “Tomb of Dracula” No. 10, written by Marv Wolfman and drawn by Gene Colan. The “Tomb of Dracula” series remains one of the longest-running horror series in Marvel Comics’ history. The entire run of “Tomb of Dracula” as well as the stories from “Dracula Lives” and the black-and-white “Tomb of Dracula” magazine have been reprinted by Marvel in black and white as “The Essential Tomb of Dracula” Vols. 1-4 and in color as the “Tomb of Dracula” omnibus 1-4. Three paperback volumes in color collect the series through issue 31.

The character reached his greatest prominence in the late 1990s, when actor Wesley Snipes originated the role in live action.

Moore writer Mel Odom wrote the novelization of the 1998 “Blade” film.

“In the 1970s, when Marv Wolfman first created Blade … Blade was definitely from the streets — Afro, wraparound sunglasses, goatee, and militant – in dress and in speech, loud and threatening. He was the kind of guy an average person would see on the street and turn and walk away,” Odom said. “The idea of a street-smart black man changed between the 1970s and the 1990s, when the movie came out. Blade became more urbanized, more metrosexual, and his wardrobe definitely got an upgrade. Blade as presented by Wesley Snipes became a commanding figure, a hero with weight and presence and substance. The kind of guy that was a born leader, not an outsider.”

Odom says both versions of Blade were meant to be an ideal, and spoke for young people reshaping their destinies.

“In the 1970s, Blade was a survivor, a man who’d taken all the bad things that had happened to him and found the strength to keep going,” Odom said. “In the 1990s, that was played down and Blade was shown as ‘upwardly mobile,’ a man who could be anything he wanted to be.”

Following three films, “Blade” came to television for a single season on SPIKE, as the network’s first scripted drama. The show’s executive producer was David Goyer (“Blade: Trinity”). Popular comic-book writer Geoff Johns (“Green Lantern: Rebirth”) was a consulting producer on the show and wrote four of the series’ scripts. The series, which aired in 2006, saw rapper Kirk “Sticky Fingaz” Jones replace Snipes in the title role.

At the 2011 Comic-Con International, Marvel’s CEO Joe Quesada stated, as reported by Comic Book Resources, that the film rights to “Blade” had reverted to Marvel Studios.

In the comics, Blade was most recently seen in the X-Men storyline “Curse of the Mutants,” by Victor Gischler and Paco Medina. In “Curse,” now out in paperback, Blade teams with the X-Men to put a stop to Dracula’s successor.

“Blade” is the final of the four planned Marvel original anime series, following “Iron Man,” “Wolverine” and “X-Men.” G4 reports that since debuting in October, as a part of G4′s Friday night lineup, “X-Men” has reached more than 1.2 million total unique viewers.

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Comedian Kyle Kinane, one of Variety’s “Ten Comics to Watch” in 2010, comes to the City Arts Center, 3000 General Pershing, at 7 p.m. Sunday. Kinane, who has appeared on “Conan” and “Last Call with Carson Daly,” is bringing a world premiere with him.

The show will include the debut of the three-minute cartoon short “Bastard Road,” based on the comic created by writer Brian Winkeler, of Yukon, and artist Dave Curd, formerly of Edmond. Kinane and comedian Brian Posehn provide the voices.

The comic, about the post-apocalyptic wanderings of an amnesiac warrior, has appeared in the award-winning “Popgun” series of graphic novel anthologies from Image Comics. Eric Sandhop, of Oklahoma City, drew the comic in the most recent anthology, “Popgun” Vol. 4.

“It’s an ultraviolent, post-apocalyptic action/comedy: SpongeBob SquarePants meets ‘The Road Warrior,’” Winkeler told The Oklahoman in 2009.

Winkeler said he and Curd are currently pitching “Road” as an animated series and are at work on a 60-page graphic novel featuring the characters aimed at a summer release. Tickets for the Kyle Kinane show are $12 in advance or $15 at the door. Call 951-0000 or go to cityartscenter.org.

- Matt Price

Matt and Kyle take a look at the Kindle Fire’s options for comics; the Avengers release new posters; and Roy Thomas talks about Conan the Barbarian in this week’s comics podcast.

FIRE AWAY
The Kindle Fire offers comics via graphic novel sales on Amazon.com and the comiXology app that comes pre-installed on the tablet. The comiXology reader links to any existing comiXology account. Its reader is preferable to the Fire’s native browser for comics, which will feature several DC graphic novels.

NEW AVENGERS POSTER

A brand new banner featuring the core four members of “The Avengers” — Captain America, Bruce Banner, Iron Man and Thor, from left to right — has premiered over at Yahoo Movies.

http://movies.yahoo.com/photos/movie-stills/gallery/3403/the-avengers-stills#info

CONAN GIVEAWAY

Lionsgate Home Entertainment is  releasing  Conan the Barbarian on 3D/2D Blu-ray Combo Pack, 2D   Blu-ray Disc, and DVD this November 22nd. Starring Jason Momoa, Rachel   Nichols, Stephen Lang, Rose McGowan, and Ron Perlman, this 2011  re-make  includes audio commentaries, The Conan Legacy  featurette, a making-of  and more. Longtime “Conan” comics writer appears on the special features for the film.

We have a copy of the  Conan the Phenomenon: The Legacy  of Robert E. Howard Fantasy  Icon hardcover art history book as well as the Conan the Barbarian the Blu-ray Combo Pack to give away.  For a chance to win, answer our question of the day:  Which Conan is your favorite?  The character from the books?  Arnold from the films?  The Barry Windsor-Smith or John Buscema version from the comics?  The more recent version from the Dark Horse Comics?  Or Jason Momoa in the new film?

ROY THOMAS

Speaking of Conan, I talked to Roy Thomas, who brought Conan to Marvel Comics in the 1970s and has been writing “Road of Kings” for Dark Horse.  He talked about the early days of the Conan comic.

He said he was hoping to expand Marvel’s reach beyond superheroes into sword and sorcery, and licensing Conan was a home run. The new “Conan the Barbarian” is out on DVD and Blu-ray today. Look for more of the interview with Thomas in Friday’s Weekend Look.

WINNER WINNER ROBOT CHICKEN DINNER

We’ve chosen our winner for the Robot Chicken season 5 DVD  —  the DVD goes to MovieHunter1888.

REVIEW FILE: Justice League 3, Captain America #4, Fear Itself 7.3, Avengers #19, Batman #3
Comics read in 2011: 1,748. Still to go: 263

“Teen Titans” and “Tomb of Dracula” writer Marv Wolfman will appear at noon today in Room B of the Austin Comic Con, Austin Convention Center, 500 E Cesar Chavez.

Wolfman will discuss characters he’s created that have been adapted into TV shows, movies and animated series, including “Teen Titans” and “Smallville.”

Wolfman created the character Blade in “Tomb of Dracula,” which has been adapted into three movies starring Wesley Snipes, and a television series.

Also, Wolfman and artist John Romita Sr. created the “Daredevil” villain Bullseye.

- Matt Price

Young Justice Season One, Vol. 2 DVD

Superheroic proteges get top billing in “Young Justice,” the Cartoon Network animated series featuring Robin, Superboy, Aqualad, Kid Flash, Miss Martian and Artemis.

The second volume contains episodes 5-8 of season one. “Young Justice” focuses on teen superheroes who are trying to establish themselves to their mentors while at the same time dealing with some typical teen issues. They’re helped by the Justice League heroes, including Batman, Superman, Green Arrow, Red Tornado and Black Canary, who often provide insight or training to the young heroes.

In “Schooled,” Superman’s misunderstanding of Superboy (voiced by Nolan North) causes the Boy of Steel to try to take on a powerful villain alone.

Artemis (Stephanie Lemelin), whom Green Arrow introduces as his niece, makes her first appearance in “Infiltrator.”

Green Arrow’s former partner Red Arrow rescues a scientist building a high-tech hacking weapon for a group called the Shadows. He asks Young Justice to protect her so she can develop a virus to defeat her weapon.

Crispin Freeman brings a cool but serious vibe to Red Arrow, who has his suspicions about Artemis.

This episode provides some clever banter when the team is telepathically linked by Miss Martian (Danica McKellar), and each team member can overhear the others’ thoughts.

In “Denial,” the team is sent to rescue Kent Nelson, who in the past was mystic superhero Doctor Fate.

In the Aqualad-heavy episode “Downtime,” Batman (voiced by Bruce Greenwood) senses that Aqualad (Khary Payton) is distracted, and he fears his distraction could harm the team. He asks Aqualad to return to Atlantis, and determine whether he wants to stay there or to remain as the leader of Young Justice. Fans get information about Aqualad’s origins and find out about his reasons for wishing he had remained in Atlantis. Yuri Lowenthal voices Garth, who some will recognize as the original Aqualad in the comics.

The action is well-done, and the characters are developed well. Jason Spisak voices Wally West, aka Kid Flash, and Jesse McCartney provides the voice of Dick Grayson, aka Robin.

The release is bare bones, with the only extras being two trailers for other Warner products.

While you can argue with the release strategy of putting out the episodes on DVD four at a time, the content in “Season One, Vol. 2” is definitely worth watching for superhero fans.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Batman: Year One Two-Disc Special Edition DVD

Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli’s “Batman: Year One” is a comic-book classic, recounting the early adventures of Batman and police Lt. James Gordon in a corrupt, crime-infested Gotham City. The story was originally serialized in issues 404 through 407 of DC Comics’ “Batman” title in 1987.

“Year One” has been influential in nearly all the Batman adaptations in other media since, including “Mask of the Phantasm” and Christopher Nolan’s “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” Miller’s darker takes on Batman in “Year One” and the earlier “Dark Knight Returns” were influential on the 1989 “Batman” film as well.

With so much history hanging on this story, there’s a lot for the direct-to-video animated adaptation to hold up. The extremely faithful adaptation, produced by Bruce Timm and co-directed by Lauren Montgomery and Sam Liu, succeeds as the best direct-to-video DC Comics movie to date.

The cast includes Ben McKenzie as Bruce Wayne/Batman, Bryan Cranston as James Gordon, Eliza Dushku as Selina Kyle/Catwoman and Katee Sackhoff as Sarah Essen. Cranston, whom many know from “Breaking Bad,” is a fantastic Gordon. “Year One” is Gordon’s story as much as it is Batman’s, and Cranston hits every emotion needed to pull off the complex character. Gordon’s a good man and a good cop; but Gotham City will put both of those characterizations to the test, as corruption and double-dealing test his faith and resolve.

Extras include a “Catwoman” short, written by Paul Dini; two Catwoman-centric episodes of previous “Batman” animated series; and a documentary on the importance of Miller and the “Year One” story to the Batman mythos.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Marvel Comics’ top-tier team of superheroes stars in “The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes,” which features Thor, Iron Man and Captain America, among others.

With “The Avengers” set to come to theaters in 2012, it’s a nice bit of multimedia synergy — but it’s a well-done animated series, as well, culling bits from both the classic and “Ultimate” lines of Marvel Comics, as well as the cinematic universe, to create a hybrid that takes the best of all worlds.

In the third volume, the Avengers face the Masters of Evil, a group of Avengers foes gathered by Captain America’s enemy, Baron Zemo. Though the Avengers appear to be down for the count after Zemo attacks their mansion, Zemo hasn’t accounted for the bowman Hawkeye or the Wakandan king Black Panther, two Avengers who weren’t there at the time.

The second episode on the set, “459,” brings the Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell into the “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” continuity, as an alien sentry comes to Earth as a harbinger of interstellar war.

A three-part storyline features the time-traveling dictator Kang the Conqueror and is reminiscent of the great Kang storylines from the Avengers comics.

And in “Widow’s Sting,” Hawkeye and Mockingbird are on the trail of the apparent double-agent the Black Widow.

Eric Loomis brings a Robert Downey Jr.-esque flair to the brash, sarcastic Iron Man, and veteran voice actor Fred Tatasciore returns as the Hulk after playing the character in direct-to-DVD films and video games. Brian Bloom (“As the World Turns”) voices the heroic Captain America, while Rick Wasserman (“24”) plays the Norse god of thunder, Thor.

There’s some anime influence, but “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” animation style is probably somewhere between Marvel’s more traditional superhero style and a full-on anime production. It’s similar in look to the recent “Wolverine and the X-Men” as far as art style is concerned. Former “X-Force” comics writer Christopher Yost is the series’ head writer and story editor, and wrote the “Masters of Evil” episode included in this collection.

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

As reported by the Washington Post’s Comic Riffs blog, today is the 100th birthday of the late, Oklahoma-born artist Mary Blair.

Google is celebrating the artist with a homepage doodle today based on her art. Blair worked on Disney animated films including “Alice in Wonderland,” “Cinderella” and “Peter Pan.” She was known for bright colors and vibrant patterns.

She joined the Disney studio in 1940 and left in the mid-1950s. Later, she was hired by Walt Disney later to work on theme park attractions including “It’s A Small World.” She also worked on major advertising campaigns and on Simon and Schuster’s children’s line of “Golden Books.”

Blair died in 1978. She received a posthumous “Disney Legend” award in 1991.

Read more at Comic Riffs. Find out more about Mary Blair at The Magic of Mary Blair web site.

My Planet 46 Comics Podcast co-host Kyle Roberts has created this awesome music video for Norman-based band the Nghiems. Shot at Oklahoma City’s New World Comics, this mini-movie should appeal to those who love Scott Pilgrim, comics and of course classic Nintendo. Created using stop-motion animation techniques, the video took over 4 months to produce and over 8,000 individual photos. This weekend only, you can get a free download of the song at http://thenghiems.bandcamp.com/track/dum-dum-dah-dah

- Matt Price
Click past the cut for the “Making of” the video.

“Green Lantern: The Animated Series” will be among the properties promoted by Warner Bros. Television at New York Comic-Con next weekend.  Stars and producers of Nikita, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and MAD will appear on Saturday, October 15 and Sunday, October 16.

The world premiere of the first episode of “Green Lantern: The Animated Series” (coming soon to Cartoon Network) will be presented by Bruce Timm during the show’s panel session.

Click past the cut for the full Warner Bros. Television schedule at NYCC.

- Matt Price

Here is the complete WBTV and WBA New York Comic Con schedule:

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15

10:30–11:30 a.m. Green Lantern: The Animated Series World Premiere Screening and Conversation with Bruce Timm — World-renowned producer, artist, animator and Comic Con favorite Bruce Timm (Batman: The Animated Series) will be on hand to unveil Green Lantern: The Animated Series, his latest television project from Warner Bros. Animation, coming soon to Cartoon Network. New York Comic Con attendees will be treated to the world premiere screening of this all-new CG action-adventure animated series, and will take part in a moderated Q&A with an animation icon. Room 1A10

1:30–2:00 p.m. Green Lantern: The Animated Series Signing at the DC Comics booth #1254

2:45–3:45 p.m. Nikita Special Video Presentation and Q&A — Nikita returns to NYCC with series stars Maggie Q (Mission: Impossible 3), Shane West (ER) and Lyndsy Fonseca (Kick-Ass) joining producer Albert Kim to reveal classified video and information. The second season finds Nikita and Michael on the run with a black box containing the government’s darkest secrets. Leading the hunt for them is Alex … and she knows all of Nikita’s tricks. From Wonderland Sound and Vision in association with Warner Bros. Television, Nikita airs Fridays at 8/7c on The CW. Become a fan of the show on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nikita and follow The CW on Twitter @CW_network. IGN Theater

5:30–6:00 p.m. Nikita Signing at the DC Comics booth #1254

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 16

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. MAD Signing at the DC Comics booth #1254

12:15–1:15 p.m. MAD Special Video Presentation and Q&A — MAD is more than just the best-selling humor magazine in the nation — it’s also the inspiration for the hit animated series from Warner Bros. Animation, now in its second season on Cartoon Network. Find out what’s happening with the Usual Gang of Idiots in this panel featuring MAD Magazine editor John Ficarra, art director Sam Viviano and MAD series producer Kevin Shinick. MAD airs Mondays at 8:45/7:45c on Cartoon Network. Room 1A24

Mill Creek has announced a special edition of the second season of “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” will be available at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

It will be on sale at booth #4135, the FUNimation booth. This special Comic-Con release is available nearly two months before the regular edition release of the second season.

The complete 8-DVD, 65-episode second season, features exclusive artwork on collectible holographic foil packaging.  It will be on sale for $25, with bonus features including interviews, audio commentaries, character profiles and scripts.

The fantasy series features the hero, He-Man, who gets his powers from the mysterious Castle Grayskull.  He faces off against the evil Skeletor and protects the planet Eternia.    The cartoon series originally aired from 1983-1985.

The “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” program was based on the Mattel toy line, first launched in 1982.

- Matt Price

Warner Bros. has announced that fans at Comic-Con can enter to win a replica of the Thundercats’ Sword of Omens at next week’s Comic-Con International in San Diego.

Here’s more info, from Warner Bros:

• Handcrafted by the artisan Dragon of Renegade Effects Group, this replica Sword of Omens is forged of aircraft aluminum (1/3 of what steel weighs – but just as tough!) and features a hand-carved eyepiece and ThunderCats logo.

• For a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the sword, click here:

www.thewb.com/comiccon/swordofomens

• Sword design taken directly from the drawings of the Warner Bros. Animation artists.

• Visit the Warner Bros. booth (#4545) to find out how you could win the Sword of Omens.

• In addition to this special prize, the Warner Bros. booth (#4545) will also be giving away free foam replicas of the Sword of Omens to fans on Friday, July 22, and Sunday, July 24.

• A world premiere screening of ThunderCats at Comic-Con will take place on Friday, July 22, at 3:30 p.m. in Room 6A. After the screening, join Larry Kenney (voice of Claudus, voice of Lion-O in the original series), Emmanuelle Chriqui (voice of Cheetara), producers Michael Jelenic and Ethan Spaulding, and art director Dan Norton will for a panel discussion on the series.

• ThunderCats roars onto TV screens with an hour-long special premiere event on Friday, July 29, at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on Cartoon Network. Following the premiere, the show will air regularly on Cartoon Network Friday nights at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT, beginning August 5.

The official rules are available at TheWB.com.  You must be over 18 to enter.

Warner Bros. will update fans throughout Comic-Con at  www.thewb.com/comiccon and on Twitter @TheWBdotcom (hashtag #WBSDCC).

- Matt Price

The battling robot Voltron will have its first franchise panel at Comic-Con International in San Diego on Thursday, July 21.

The panel presentation at Comic-Con International will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, July 21, in the Indigo Ballroom at the Bayfront Hilton hotel.

The panel is scheduled to feature a mix of entertainment of new and classic Voltron content, including original graphic novels, comic books, video games, Nicktoons’ Voltron Force television series and more.

Carrie Keagan, host of VH1’s Big Morning Buzz Live, will moderate. Guests include:

· From THQ, Adam Affrunti, producer;

· From World Events Productions, Jeremy Corray, Voltron Force supervising producer, and Todd Garfield, Voltron Force story editor;

· From Nicktoons, Keith Dawkins, senior vice president and general manager of Nicktoons;

· From Mattel, Steed Sun, entertainment brands design director, Michael Montalvo, entertainment brands design manager, and Brandon Sopinsky, entertainment brands designer;

· From Dynamite Entertainment, Joe Rybrandt, editor, and Brandon Thomas, Voltron comic book writer;

· From VIZ Media, Traci Todd, senior editor, and Jacob Chabot, cartoonist and illustrator for VIZ Media graphic novels

“This is an epic year for Voltron fans and the Comic-Con panel is going to be a memorable event for them,” said Peter Armstrong, executive producer of THQ’s forthcoming video game, in a news release. “It’s the perfect time for us to present the first-ever Voltron panel since this legendary robot action franchise is back right now in a very big way. We can’t wait to talk about what’s next for Voltron, and to showcase some of the best and most exclusive Voltron content for the first time.”

An autograph session will follow the panel.  A giant Voltron figure will also be on-site.

Voltron: Defender of the Universe was a highly rated cartoon show in the 1980s, in which five brave explorers pilot five robotic lion ships, which combine to form Voltron, the robotic hero.

A new animated series, “Voltron Force,” recently debuted on Nicktoons.

- Matt Price

- Matt Price

Yuri Lowenthal

The cool-as-ice Yuri Lowenthal comes in at No. 9 on Nerdage’s list of actors with geek appeal.

The versatile live-action and voice actor Yuri Lowenthal voiced the animated Superman in “Legion of Super-Heroes.” Adding to his superhero resume, he portrayed Iceman in the recent “Wolverine and the X-Men” animated series and voices Mister Miracle on “Batman: The Brave and the Bold.”  Lowenthal voiced Ben Tennyson aka Ben 10 in “Ben 10: Alien Force” and “Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.”   He’s reprising his Iceman role in the upcoming “Ultimate Spider-Man” series, according to IMDB.

Lowenthal is a well-known anime voice over artist, with credits including “Naruto,” “Code Geass,” ”Gurren Lagann,” and “Naruto Shippuden.”

He voiced the Prince of Persia character in video games that inspired the Jake Gyllenhaal film.

In live-action television in 2009, he appeared in a two-part series of episodes in “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.”

With wife Tara Platt, he’s written a book on voice-over called “Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic.”

This weekend, you can catch Lowenthal and Platt at the Lillian Theatre in Hollywood in a performance of “A Streetcar Named Desire.”

You can follow Yuri Lowenthal on twitter or check out a recent audio interview with him at KPCC.

- Matt Price

Milo Ventimiglia (AP)

Perhaps best-known as Peter Petrelli on the now-cancelled NBC series “Heroes,” actor Milo Ventimiglia isn’t done being a superhero — he’s the voice of Logan on the new G4 animated series “Wolverine,” based on the Marvel comic.

Variety recently reported that Sony online viewing service Crackle was considering Ventimiglia’s ”Strand Street,” about a rookie  cop gone undercover in his hometown.

Ventimiglia’s The Divide recently played the Edinburgh Film Festival, and Ventimiglia also has roles in the upcoming “Static” and “Criminal Empire for Dummies.”

Ventimiglia’s partnership with publisher Top Cow, through his Divide Pictures, produced the miniseries “Berserker” and the collection of the comic-book series “Rest,” which at one point was under development from NBC.

- Matt Price

Mila Kunis (AP)

Mila Kunis had a breakout year with her well-regarded performance in “The Black Swan.”  She’s always been a nerd-friendly actress, doing voiceover work on “Family Guy” and “Robot Chicken,” and this year comes in at No. 15 on Nerdage’s list of actresses with geek appeal.

Her film “Friends with Benefits,” with actor/singer Justin Timberlake, is set to be released this summer.  In the works for her are “Ted,” directed by Seth MacFarlane of “Family Guy,” and “Oz: The Great and Powerful,” a prequel of sorts to “The Wizard of Oz.”

- Matt Price

Peter Cullen (AP)

The longtime voice of Optimus Prime, Peter Cullen, comes in at No. 16 on Nerdage’s top 25 actors with geek appeal.

Cullen will reprise the role of Optimus Prime in the third “Transformers” film, “Dark of the Moon,” set for release on June 29.   Cullen can also be heard in the animated series “Transformers Prime” on the Hub network.

Cullen originated the role of the heroic Autobot in the 1980s TV series.

I talked to Cullen in 2006 about voicing the character.

“The character breakdown for Optimus Prime was pretty straightforward,” Cullen said. “The writers were … excellent. I got a sense of Optimus Prime having integrity and honor and courage and conviction.”

That courage and conviction, as evidenced in Cullen’s vocal portrayal, was inspired by Cullen’s brother Larry, a former Marine captain who served in Vietnam.

“I think I got a lot of Optimus Prime from my brother. Certainly, the control and the honor and definitely the spirit of command. Soft-spoken, sensitive but willing to kick a- – like a Marine can do.” Cullen said. “I tried to keep him cool under all conditions, and authoritative and convincingly powerful.”

- Matt Price

Kyle Roberts’ stop-motion film “Battle of the Bonds” debuts tonight at IAO Gallery, 706 W Sheridan. Matt Price and Kyle Roberts will co-host the event. The short film will be released online Saturday.

Matt and Kyle talk to author Marc DiPaolo about his book, “War, Politics and Superheroes.”

And a graphic novel inspired by “Castle” is coming out this fall.

I’ll be co-hosting the IAO Presents: Can’t Stop This Motion stop-motion event at IAO Gallery at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday.   It will be the debut of Kyle Roberts’ new stop-motion film, “The Battle of the Bonds.”   Denver Duncan will perform, and Kyle and I will discuss his stop-motion work.   Fans can also get a look at Roberts’ previous stop-motion films, including the popular “Iron Man vs. Batman: Interactive Stop-Motion Parody.”

Have a question about stop-motion filmmaking or want to show off your knowledge of James Bond trivia?  You’ll have your chance.  There will also be cake provided by the outstanding Cupcakes and Mayhem.

The film was sponsored by Speeding Bullet Comics.

(For full disclosure, I will reiterate that my wife is the creative mind behind Cupcakes and Mayhem, and that we co-own Speeding Bullet Comics.  Kyle Roberts is the co-host of the Planet 46/NewsOK comics podcast and is a NewsOK videographer.  I feel like all of that should be read really fast, like in the pharmaceutical ads on TV.)

Find out more about the event here, here and here.

- Matt Price

Actress Tara Platt. (c) 2008 John Phillips.

Tara Platt, Nerdage’s #24 actress with geek appeal, got her start in the state of Oklahoma, where she lived from ages 7 to 11.   After seeing a performance of “Annie, Get Your Gun,” the young Tara turned to her mother and said, “I want to do that.”

And that’s just what she’s done; the actress is maybe best known as the voice of Temari on the anime hit “Naruto,” but she has also portrayed superheroes Dream Girl (on “Legion of Superheroes”) and Wonder Woman (on the “DC vs. Mortal Kombat” game).

She’s also provided voice work for “Ben 10: Alien Force” and “Monster.”

She’s appeared in many live-action projects as well, including “Charmed,” “Attack of the Show” and “Parenthood.”

With husband Yuri Lowenthal, she wrote the book “Voice-Over Voice Actor: What It’s Like Behind the Mic.”

She was the fan-vote winner for Nerdage’s top actress with geek appeal in 2010.

Click past the cut for a video of Tara and Yuri at Comic-Con 2009.

- Matt Price

Thor: Tales of Asgard

A young Thor stars in “Thor: Tales of Asgard,” a direct to DVD and Blu-ray Marvel animated film that explores the youth of the god of thunder. Before the days when he wields the powerful hammer Mjolnir, this young Thor (“Matthew Wolf”) is a brash young prince who bristles against control and craves praise.

Wrapped in a painted cover by Alex Ross (“Kingdom Come,” “Marvels”), the “Tales of Asgard” DVD explores a quest by Thor for the legendary Lost Sword of Surtur.

As Thor nears adulthood, he has never explored beyond the borders of Asgard. As the prince of the fantastic realm, he’s not had to challenge himself — everyone kowtows to his wishes. His worldview is challenged only by Sif (Tara Strong), a female friend who has had to battle the patriarchy of Asgard — and eventually leaves — to get her chance as a warrior.

The Warriors Three — Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg — embark on a journey along with Thor to find the sword, the quest for which Thor sees as a test of his burgeoning adulthood. The group is joined by Thor’s brother, Loki (Rick Gomez), who begins the film as Thor’s biggest fan.

The group expects a simple treasure hunt, but more danger is at hand than they realized. The heroes journey to Jotunheim, home of the Frost Giants, as they seek the sword. Their actions kindle hidden aggressions that threaten Asgard itself.

The fantasy tale has sharp animation and rollicking adventure, and should satisfy fans of the genre.

Extras include an audio commentary with supervising producer Craig Kyle and screenwriter Greg Johnson; a second audio commentary with supervising director Gary Hartle, animation director Sam Liu and character designer Phil Bourassa; a featurette on the making of the film; and a bonus episode of “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.”

— Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

A scene from "Transformers Prime."

Voice actor Steve Blum has voiced villains from Captain Cold to Fin Fang Foom, but he’s really gotten a chance to dig into his dark side for his current role as the scheming robot Starscream in “Transformers Prime.”

“It was really fun to make him darker,” Blum said in a recent phone interview. “He still has that megalomaniacal delusional thing about

Steve Blum

him, but he seems equally capable of causing a lot of havoc. So it was fun to dig a little bit deeper into that, into the emotional side of his psyche, too.”

Starscream is one of the Decepticons, a cadre of sentient, evil alien robots who can transform into forms resembling earth vehicles. They’re opposed by the Autobots, robots from the same planet who want to protect earth’s inhabitants. Based on the toy line from Hasbro, the Transformers first appeared on television in a 1980s animated series, and have since appeared in multiple animated incarnations and two live-action feature films, with a third set for this summer.

Blum got his start as a voice-actor doing English dubs of anime programs, and is perhaps best-known for voicing the Marvel Comics hero Wolverine in multiple animated incarnations. He said when working on a vocal performance, he goes first with instinct.

“I always go with the gut first, and then I let the directors and producers dial me in to what their vision of it is,” he said.

In the case of Starscream, his instinct was to take the deadly Decepticon to some dark places.

“And as he’s developing throughout the season, we get to go a little bit farther and farther with him each time,” Blum said. “They’re very open to suggestions, and they’re very open to what I’ve been thinking about him, but they also have a very clear idea of where the arc is going to be going, and how they want him to develop. It’s definitely a team effort.”

The new “Transformers Prime” series, which airs on the Hub network, features two voices well-known for their association with the characters. Frank Welker, who voices Decepticon leader Megatron, and Peter Cullen, who voices the heroic Autobot leader Optimus Prime, reprise their roles in this series. They first voiced the characters in the 1980s cartoon series, and Cullen also worked on the Michael Bay films as the voice of Optimus Prime.

The vocal performances of “Transformers Prime” are done in a “cast record,” so that Blum and the other voice actors are recording together at the same time.

“That is probably the greatest joy of the whole project for me, is seeing Frank and Peter working together,” Blum said. “Even just being a fly on the wall in that room is like a fanboy’s dream come true. These guys are so incredibly talented, and they have such a rich history together. … And when the two of them get together, they’re like little kids, or Abbott and Costello, depending on their mood.”

Blum said at times the pair can “take over the room and fill it up with greatness,” which impresses him and the rest of the cast.

“I think we’re all fans of the Transformers franchise, so for all of us it’s a great thrill just to be there, just to be a part of it,” he said.

- By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

The Hub Television network, which airs a variety of retro animation, has added two new programs to the lineup.

“Jem and the Holograms,” which originally aired in the late 1980s, will join The Hub’s schedule weekdays beginning Tuesday, May 31, at 7 p.m. ET (with encore performances throughout each day) and on Saturdays at 10 a.m. ET.

A marathon of the first 6 episodes will air Saturday, May 28, from 2-5 p.m. ET.

Here’s how the Hub describes the Jem series:

The series “Jem and the Holograms” ran from 1985-’88 in first-run syndication and still boasts a loyal and vocal fan base. It is frequently credited with influencing fashion in the late 1980s and beyond, and launching the careers of female pop-rock stars and music groups. The series follows Jerrica Benton, whose discovery of Synergy, a powerful computer companion, allows her to transform from co-owner of Starlight Music into rock star Jem. Teaming with her sister and best friends who form The Holograms, Jem sets out to make their musical dreams come true, even as she battles against the ruthless Eric Raymond and his musical protégés, The Misfits. The series was a joint collaboration of Hasbro Inc., Marvel Productions, as well as Sunbow Productions and was acquired from the Hasbro Studios library.

The half-hour animated show “Conan the Adventurer” will air this summer.  It will air weekdays, beginning Tuesday, May 31 at 7:00 a.m. ET with encore presentations on Sundays at 6:00 a.m. ET.

Here’s the Hub’s description of that series:

The series follows the mighty warrior’s quest to undo the spell cast upon his family by driving his enemies back into another dimension, and vanquishing their leader, the cruel wizard, Wrath-Amon. The series originally ran from 1992–‘94, and was produced by Jetlag Productions as well as Sunbow Productions and was acquired from the Hasbro Studios library.

- Matt Price

From Warner Bros:  The Looney Tunes Show stars and animation icons Bugs Bunny (left) and Daffy Duck (right) joined President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama in welcoming more than 30,000 guests to the 2011 White House Easter Egg Roll today, Monday, April 25, at The White House.

While in Washington, Bugs and Daffy adamantly denied persistent rumors that they are forming an exploratory committee to enter the 2012 presidential race. Pundits have noted that together they would form a balanced ticket: Bugs is an Independent, while Daffy is Highly Dependent.

The pair insist that they remain focused on next week’s launch of The Looney Tunes Show, an all-new animated comedy series from Warner Bros. Animation premiering May 3 and airing Tuesdays at 8/7c on Cartoon Network. (Photo Credit: © 2011 Warner Bros. Entertainment/Cartoon Network. All Rights Reserved.)

Eliza Dushku (AP)

The Hollywood Reporter indicates that Eliza Dushku (“Dollhouse”) has joined the voice cast of “Batman: Year One,” an animated film to be based on the Frank Miller-David Mazzucchelli graphic novel.

Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galactica”) will voice Sarah Essen; Bryan Cranston will voice Commissioner Gordon.   Ben McKenzie will voice Bruce Wayne and Batman.

Katee Sackhoff

Bruce Timm, an executive producer of the film, tells THR that the movie is very faithful to the comic.

“The source material is surprisingly cinematic; it’s a pretty straight forward literal retelling,” he says. “Mazzucchelli’s artwork is beautifully composed and we were able to refer to the comic for about 80 percent of the camera setups.”

“Batman: Year One,” will be released this fall direct to DVD and will be rated PG-13.

The film will get its world premiere at Comic-Con International in San Diego this summer.

Batman: Year One pictures from The Hollywood Reporter

Milo Ventimiglia (AP)

Update from Wondercon: Marvel Television Announces Adrian Pasdar and Milo Ventimiglia for Iron Man and Wolverine Anime Series To Air On G4 July 2011

Marvel’s Head of Television Jeph Loeb announced casting for two of the company’s much anticipated anime series, IRON MAN and WOLVERINE, at its WonderCon panel today in San Francisco to the delight of fans in attendance. Both series will premiere on G4 in July 2011.

Adrian Pasdar (Heroes, Castle, Profit) will lend his voice to the character of Tony Stark in IRON MAN, an all-new series which sees Stark travel to Japan and battle the evil Zodiac Organization.

Milo Ventimiglia (Gilmore Girls, Rocky Balboa, Heroes), takes on the title role in WOLVERINE, as Logan claws his way through Japan’s criminal underworld.

“Adrian and Milo are perfect as Iron Man and Wolverine,” said Loeb. “It’s extremely exciting to see these talented guys take on two of the most iconic Super Hero roles of all time.”

As the exclusive US TV home for the series, G4 will air IRON MAN and WOLVERINE along with the BLADE and X-MEN anime series later this year. The network will premiere an exclusive clip from WOLVERINE on Wednesday’s Attack of the Show at 7 pm ET/PT. For more information, check out g4tv.com/marvel

—

What do you think of the casting?

A lot of teenage boys have issues with their fathers. Duncan Rosenblatt’s issues go a little farther.

Duncan’s a half-human, half-dragon hybrid, and if being the new kid in school is tough with a bad complexion, imagine how hard it is when you have Duncan’s craggy half-dragon exterior.

“Firebreather” is an Image comic book by Phil Hester and Andy Kuhn, in which Belloc, the King of the Monsters, and Margaret Rosenblatt, regular human woman, gave birth to Duncan, who’s now facing everyday teen problems despite not being an everyday teen at all.

The idea, which has been adapted into a Cartoon Network computer-animated movie out on DVD this week, sprang from a pitch Hester and Kuhn prepared in the 1990s. The pair had an idea to do a book of teen versions of some of Marvel’s superheroes.

“We really wanted to do a teen hero book,” Hester said in an interview with The Oklahoman. “All of the heroes kind of wind up at this generic age of 29.”

Hester speculated that if it’s tough to be Ben Grimm, aka the Thing, as an adult, imagine how tough it would be to be orange and rocky as a teenager, when everyone’s concerned about image and looks.

When the book wasn’t picked up by Marvel, Hester and Kuhn continued to develop the idea.

“That idea stuck in my mind, what would it be like to be a teenage monster?” Hester said. “We kept working on it and refining it until it became ‘Firebreather.’”

Getting the film out

The series eventually launched with Image Comics as part of a superhero line that included Robert Kirkman’s “Invincible.”

The book, launched in 2003, has been in development since shortly after the comic book came out.

“One of the cool things about comics is, it seems like producers like to hang out in comic shops,” Hester said.

The “Firebreather” property was considered for a live-action adaptation and a 2-D animation before Cartoon Network decided on the 3-D CGI adaptation. Hester says he’s pleased with how the film turned out.

“They hired really talented people, and they just let them do their thing, so we didn’t have too much to worry about,” he said.

“Aeon Flux” creator Peter Chung (“The Animatrix — Matriculated”) directed the film, and James Kreig (“Ben 10: Alien Swarm”) wrote the screenplay.

“(They) just use our book as a springboard, and let those guys riff, and it turned out great,” Hester said.

What’s next?

A new printing of “Firebreather Volume 1: Growing Pains” includes the original miniseries and the 60 page one-shot “Firebreather: The Iron Saint” as well as an expanded sketch section.

The second issue of Firebreather’s third volume, “Holmgang,” is scheduled to ship in April.

“It’s a Norse term for a duel of honor,” Hester said. “It’s about Duncan dueling with some long-lost members of his family for the right to ascend to his father’s throne as King of the Monsters.”

Hester, who calls himself a “huge Godzilla fan” is currently drawing “Godzilla” for IDW and writing “Wonder Woman” for DC Comics, in addition to his work on “Firebreather.”

- By Matthew Price
WORD BALLOONS
From Friday’s The Oklahoman