Award-winning graphic novelist Neil Kleid is taking his Jewish gangster graphic novel, “Brownsville,” to the iPhone.

“The process is definitely exciting,” Kleid said in a recent interview. “Each and every day another smart phone comes to market — be it iPhone, Pre, Droid or Blackberry — and the comic book industry is matching them stride for stride. The only thing, as a cartoonist or graphic novelist you really need to do is change your point of view, understand that this is the limitless new horizon and get on board.”

“Brownsville,” from publisher NBM, is the story of Murder, Incorporated, the Jewish hit operation of the 1920s and ’30s.

“It’s a true story, following the intertwined lives of Allie “Tick Tock” Tannenbaum and Abe “Kid Twist” Reles as they immerse themselves in the gang-infested streets of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, work their way to the top and then rat everyone out,” Kleid said. “If you’re a sucker for a good mob movie, and you’d like to expand your Mafia horizons beyond Michael Corleone, ‘Goodfellas,’ Lucky Luciano and ‘The Sopranos,’ this is the book for you.”

Jake Allen is the artist for “Brownsville.” The graphic novel can be downloaded via the iPhone app Panelfly, found online at www.panelfly.com.

Kleid’s second book for NBM is “The Big Kahn,” set in modern-day New Jersey, as, at the funeral of esteemed Rabbi David Kahn, his family discovers he was never Jewish, but an Irish con man.

“The book explores the aftermath of the revelation, focusing in on the late Rabbi’s wife and children who are forced to examine their lives in the wake of the bombshell,” Kleid said. “It asks questions of faith, religion, legacy and lies, shining its light on a family secret so well-hidden even the family didn’t know about it until it was too late.”

The artist of “The Big Kahn” is Nicolas Cinquegrani, a Chilean artist who Kleid found via the Internet.

“I was blown away by Nico’s delicate yet grounded imagery, the subtle, stark appeal to his characters and the possibilities of that art applied to my stark tale of human failings,” Kleid said. “I don’t regret e-mailing him one bit. Not one bit.”

Referencing the Bernie Madoff scandal, Kleid said “The Big Kahn” should be of interest to those interested in the societal implications of a world where everyone lies.

The theme of fighting for a second chance had parallels in Kleid’s own life, as while he was writing the book, he faced his own identity crisis.

“I’d moved to New York from Detroit, having left the isolated womb of my family home and the Jewish community surrounding it,” Kleid said. “Here I was, outside the ghetto and in the World, where anything could happen and I could be whoever I wanted. Unfortunately, several circumstances and scenarios brought me through trials of my own — professional, creative, financial, romantic — and the only comfort and grounding I could find was back in the ghetto, the protective womb of the Jewish community I was fighting to escape.

“I wanted to find out who I was — as a Jew, as an artist, as a writer, as a son, friend, brother, boyfriend, son of G-d — and this introspection and the questions that arose found their way into ‘The Big Kahn.’”

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

Thanks to Ryan, Wyatt and Cody as well as the attendees at Ryan’s Halloween party for getting in on the fun and sending me some Halloween costume pictures!

Happy Halloween, Nerdage readers!  Hope you enjoy the spooky holiday.

As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Jack Kirby’s heirs have served  notices of copyright termination for 45 characters they believe Kirby to have created or co-created.   The companies named include Marvel Entertainment, Disney, Sony Pictures (owners of movie rights to Spider-Man), 20th Century Fox (owners of movie rights to X-Men and Fantastic Four), Paramount Pictures (distributor of Iron Man, Captain America, Thor and Avengers) and Universal Pictures (distributor of Hulk).

The Kirby children have hired Los Angeles law firm Toberoff & Associates, which represented Jerry Siegel’s heirs in a similar case involving Superman.

The LA Times explains:

Under copyright law, creators and co-creators can seek to regain copyrights they previously assigned to a company 56 years after first publication and can give notice of their intentions to do so up to 10 years before that.

Kirby’s children would be eligible to claim their father’s share of the copyright of the Fantastic Four in 2017, while the Hulk would come up in 2018 and X-Men in 2019. The copyrights would then run for 39 more years before expiring, after which the characters would enter the public domain under current law.

This is all interesting stuff, though ultimately what exactly will happen? Hard to say.  I know Kirby contended he was involved in the creation of Spider-Man, but I can’t really see  a court giving him creator or co-creator status, so you’d think Spider-Man would be in the clear. (Except in the event the reclusive co-creator Steve Ditko were to file suit.)   Marvel, I believe, owns Lee’s rights in perpetuity as part of the deal they signed with him not too many years ago.

Another question would be the X-Men. While Lee and Kirby created the original team, most of the breakout characters throughout the years were created by other writers and artists.   Could Marvel still field an X-Men film featuring Wolverine, Storm and Nightcrawler, for example, and call it “The X-Men”? Not sure if the name of the team is part of the deal.  That’s something else I guess we’ll have to see.  (And of course, Chris Claremont, Len Wein or Dave Cockrum’s estate could file down the line for other X-Men characters, I suppose.  But that would be another 12 or so years down the line.)

I’m also not sure how “work for hire” agreements would enter into this. Kirby’s status at the time of creating these characters may very well have been different than that of Siegel and Shuster at the time of creating Superman.

In any case, a court will likely work all this out.  I wonder if plans are afoot to file similar paperwork with DC over the Fourth World characters?

- Matt Price

Stacey Thunder

American Indian actress Stacey Thunder will join the cast of “Crash” in its second season, debuting this Friday, Sept. 18.  The actress will also be honored at the National Center for American Indian Enterprise at the black-tie Native American 40 Under 40 Recognition Reception to be held at the 2009 Indian Progress in Business Event (INPRO) in Tulsa on Friday.

Based on the motion picture “Crash,” the TV series stars Dennis Hopper and Jocko Sims.  Along with Thunder, who will play Judith Turandot, new cast members this season include Eric Roberts (”The Dark Knight”), Linda Park Dana Ashbrook and Jake McLaughlin (”In the Valley of Elah”).

Click past the cut for the full release.

September 17, 2009 (New York, NY) – Native American actress and host of PBS’ “Native Report” Stacey Thunder joins Dennis Hopper and the cast of Starz’s hit original series “Crash” for its second season, which premieres on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 10PM EST. Also on September 18, 2009, in celebration of their 40th anniversary year, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) will honor Thunder along with 39 other existing and emerging American Indian professionals under the age of 40 at the black-tie Native American 40 Under 40 Recognition Reception to be held at the 2009 Indian Progress in Business Event (INPRO) in Tulsa, OK.

New to INPRO this year, the Native American 40 Under 40 awards young American Indian professionals from across the nation who have demonstrated leadership, initiative, and dedication to achieve impressive and significant contributions in their businesses, communities, and to Indian Country. Thunders’ selection by the NCAIED into the Native American 40 Under 40 reflects and honors her leadership and dedication to the youth in Indian Country as well as her work in TV/Film and with Eagle Thunder Entertainment, the business she owns with her partner, musician Robby Romero.

Based off of the Academy Award®-winning Best Motion Picture of the same name, Thunder joins the “Crash” cast as “Judith Turandot.” The new season features a diverse mix of actors and characters representing the wide variety of individuals in Los Angeles. Along side Thunder, new cast members joining “Crash”-veterans Dennis Hopper, Jocko Sims, Ross McCall and Moran Atias include Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Linda Park Dana Ashbrook and Jake McLaughlin (In the Valley of Elah).

Also on September 18, 2009, the short film Magic Wands starring Thunder will premiere in Minneapolis, MN rounding out a trifecta of premieres and honors for the actress of Ojibwe descent.

Universal Orlando has revealed some of the details of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a destination inside the Orlando resort’s Islands of Adventure.   It’s set to open in spring 2010.

The land will include Hogwarts castle, the entrance to Hogsmeade station, and shops including Zonko’s and Three Broomsticks.  The Harry Potter films’ production designer, Stuart Craig and art director, Alan Gilmore are working with artisans from Universal to complete what is intended to be a very immersive Harry Potter experience.

Click past the cut for the full release.

ORLANDO, Fla. (September 15, 2009) – Universal Orlando Resort, together with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, today revealed first-ever details about the incredible scope of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Universal also announced that the highly anticipated land will open in spring 2010.

Inspired by J.K. Rowling’s compelling stories and characters – and faithful to the visual landscapes of the films – The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure will provide visitors with a one-of-a-kind experience complete with multiple attractions, shops and a signature eating establishment. This completely immersive environment will transcend generations and bring the wonder and magic of the amazingly detailed Harry Potter books and films to life.

The expectations of Harry Potter fans are high and Universal Orlando Resort is collaborating closely with J.K. Rowling, Warner Bros. Consumer Products and the Warner Bros. Harry Potter brand team to ensure that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be an experience of a lifetime. The Harry Potter films’ production designer, Stuart Craig and art director, Alan Gilmore, in cooperation with a corps of artisans from Universal Creative are working daily to construct the most authentic Harry Potter experience possible. Guests will be able to sip Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks, buy Extendable Ears at Zonko’s and experience a state-of-the-art attraction that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life in a way never before imagined.

“All of the action and adventures of Harry Potter’s world will come to life here at Universal Orlando Resort,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be unlike any other experience on earth and we can’t wait to see the looks on our guests’ faces as they enter this rich environment.”

“Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter,” added Brad Globe, President, Warner Bros. Consumer Products. “We are excited to share with fans a first glimpse into the truly enchanted world we are bringing to life with all of our partners at Universal Orlando Resort.”

From the front archway of Hogsmeade to the immensity of Hogwarts castle, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will feature the locations listed below:

At the entrance of Hogsmeade, billowing steam and an iconic whistle signal the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade station

Across the way is Zonko’s, a joke shop with a collection of tricks and jokes, including Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes

Honeydukes is next door and full of treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans

The Three Broomsticks and adjacent Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice

Across from the Three Broomsticks is The Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery

The Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Ollivanders wand shop is an incredible interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard

Completing Hogsmeade is Dervish and Banges, the magical instruments and equipment shop featuring Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel, Spectrespecs and Remembralls

The first attraction, Dragon Challenge, features a twin high-speed roller coaster with many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament

Next is Flight of the Hippogriff, a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle

Located in Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that uses entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced

Before exiting back into Hogsmeade, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches

“This Universal Creative and Warner Bros. team shares an incredible passion and commitment to making this destination an exceptionally immersive environment that will touch the lives of our guests,” said Mark Woodbury, President, Universal Creative.

“The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is yet another way that fans will be able to experience and enjoy Harry Potter for many years to come,” said Diane Nelson, President of Warner Premiere, who is also responsible for overseeing the Harry Potter brand team worldwide. “The power of this brand speaks for itself, as the enthusiasm of our dedicated fans around the world continues to grow even stronger as we move into the future.”

LOS ANGELES

At news conferences in Los Angeles, where it was ironically warmer than usual, Beckinsale said the weather gave the cast and crew something to bond over.

Gabriel Macht as Robert Pryce in Warner Bros. Pictures and Dark Castle Entertainment's action thriller "Whiteout," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

“There’s something about it being so extreme … there’s something very bonding about it,” Beckinsale said. “It turned out to be a mutual point of contact where everybody could complain about it.”

Beckinsale plays U.S. Marshal Carrie Stetko, stationed at the Amundsen-Scott base near the South Pole in Antarctica. She’s trying to track down a killer as six months of winter near at the station.

While the film couldn’t be shot in Antarctica, a frozen lake outside Gimli, Manitoba, doubled for the location. And temperatures there were below zero almost the entire time during filming.

Beckinsale said the level of cold outside Gimli was a shock to her system the first day of filming there.

“That very first day coming out of the trailer, I was worried that I wasn’t going to be able to speak at all, (or) say a line, ever,” she said. “Because my whole throat closed on that first breath.”

The South Pole was reconstructed on four feet of ice atop the lake.

“We really worked hard to make it feel like you were there,” producer Joel Silver said.

Kate Beckinsale as Carrie Stetko in Warner Bros. Pictures' and Dark Castle Entertainment's action thriller "Whiteout," a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

Beckinsale has done action before, in the “Underworld” series and in “Van Helsing.” But she said the cold made shooting the action sequences even more difficult.

“It was a lot more intense actually, because we were all worried we were going to die of hypothermia every other second,” she said. “It’s a woman in an extreme situation with

extreme weather.”

The film is based on the Oni Press graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber. Beckinsale said she’s not the comic-book reader of her family, but she respects the medium.

“I married a comic-book fan; I know what a comic-book fan is. So, I couldn’t say I was one. I used to get comics, but my husband … it’s a whole different world,” she said. “And my daughter’s into comic books. … They will go to the comic store together. I just can’t compete with their level of obsession. But I respect it, I marry it, and I live with it.”

Her husband, Len Wiseman, directed the first two of the three “Underworld” films. Rumors came out last month of a possible second trilogy, but Beckinsale denied she’d signed on.

“Three whole more?” she said. “I don’t think my daughter needs to see my bottom in rubber for another 10 years.”

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

In this July 24, 2008 file photo, Marvel Comics "Incredible Hulk" looms over attendees at the Comic-Con 2008 convention in San Diego. The Walt Disney Co. said Monday, Aug. 31, 2009, it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.(AP Photo/Denis Poroy, file)

This is coming straight from the wire today

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Walt Disney Co. said Monday it is buying Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing such characters as Iron Man and Spider-Man into the family of Mickey Mouse and WALL-E.

Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Many of them, including the Fantastic Four and the X-Men, were co-created by the comic book legend Stan Lee.

Analyst David Joyce of Miller Tabak & Co. said the acquisition will help Disney appeal to young men who have flocked to theaters to seeMarvel’s superhero fare in recent years. That contrasts with Disney’s recent successes among young women with such fare as “Hannah Montana” and the Jonas Brothers.

“It helps Disney add exposure to a young male demographic it had sort of lost some balance with,” Joyce said, noting the $4 billion offer was at “full price.”

Disney said Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash, plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. That values each Marvel share at $50 based on Friday’s closing stock prices.

Marvel shares jumped $10.17, or 26 percent, to $48.82 shortly after the market opened. Disney shares fell 47 cents, or 1.8 percent, to $26.37.

Disney said the boards of both companies have approved the transaction, but it will require an antitrust review and the approval of Marvelshareholders.

Disney last made a big purchase in 2006 when it acquired Pixar Animation Studios Inc., the creator of the “Toy Story” franchise, for $7.4 billion in stock.

Disney CEO Robert Iger said the latest acquisition combines Marvel’s ”strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters” with Disney’s “unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties” and ability to maximize value across multiple platforms and territories.

Marvel earned a net profit of $206 million last fiscal year, up 47 percent from a year earlier, on revenue of $676 million, as it took movie production in house instead of just cutting licensing deals.

LOS ANGELES — At the press conferences for “Whiteout,” producer Joel Silver talked briefly about another comic-book movie that has been long in development.   When asked what movies might work well in 3-D, he mentioned a new version of the DC Comics property “Swamp Thing.”

“I’ll hopefully do Swamp Thing, which is a movie we’ve had for a long time,” Silver said. “We think that would definitely be great to do in 3-D.”

Silver said some movies do work well in 3-D, and others might not, and it’s still early enough in the development of new 3-D technology that it’s important to pick and choose.

“Certain movies fit really well into that situation, and others don’t need it,” he said.

Len Wein said in 2004 he was working on a script to a “Swamp Thing” film.

“Swamp Thing” was created by Wein and Bernie Wrightson.  Alec Holland was transformed into a crusading force for the swamp in moody, atmospheric comics by Wein and Wrightson in the 1970s.  Writer Alan Moore turned the concept inside out during his influential run on the character in the 1980s.

The character inspired two films and a TV series, in which the muck monster was played by Dick Durock.

- Matt Price

Clark Duke and I are best friends

Posted using ShareThis

Or click past the cut for the video.

Famed teen-movie director John Hughes has died at the age of 59, according to Variety.

John Hughes, more than probably any other director, had an influence on my teenage years, with films including “The Breakfast Club,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” “Pretty in Pink” and “Sixteen Candles.”

He spoke to being an outsider as a teen more than anyone else of his generation, and today’s filmmakers including Judd Apatow and Seth Rogen owe him a debt of gratitude.  Anyone who makes a movie about teenagers can’t help but be influenced by Hughes’ redefinition of the genre.

Hughes’ collaborations with then-ingenue Molly Ringwald made her a star and put her on the cover of Time magazine.  His “Molly Trilogy” of films – “Sixteen Candles,” “The Breakfast Club” and “Pretty in Pink” – were a catalog of teen longing and tribulation.

I can blame Hughes, through Ferris Bueller, of my questionable decision to wear a beret, but also for my willingness to live for the day, each day.  At my high school graduation, I quoted Ferris Bueller, reminding graduates that life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.  Worth remembering today as we remember a writer and director who was truly in touch with what it was to be young.

- Matt Price

Rachel Nichols as Scarlett in GI Joe: Rise of Cobra

Ticket sales site Fandango.com reports that as of this morning, G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra makes up 39 percent of the advance ticket sales on the site.

G.I. Joe may be spurred on Fandango by a promo that saves ticket buyers $5 on the tie-in Electronic Arts video game.

Julie and Julia, starring Amy Adams and Meryl Streep, also opens Friday, and was selling the second-most tickets at Fandango as of 9 a.m. Pacific time.

- Matt Price

Del Rey Manga, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group and Nickelodeon/Viacom Consumer Products (NVCP) announced at Comic-Con International in San Diego, four new manga style releases – an artistic and storytelling stylized comic book set in black and white. Based on Nickelodeon’s international hit animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender and the upcoming feature film release “The Last Airbender,” directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this partnership marks the first manga tie-in for Nickelodeon.

The two original black-and-white manga will be written by Dave Roman (Jax Epoch and the Quicken Forbidden, Agnes Quill). The prequel manga, scheduled for publication in April 2009, will be illustrated by Nina Matsumoto (Yokaiden) and the movie adaptation, to be published in June 2010, will be illustrated by Joon Choi (This is Pop).

“We’re excited to partner with Del Rey on these upcoming manga releases,” said Paula Allen, SVP of Nickelodeon Global Publishing. “Recreating and adapting the layered storylines and incredible, animated martial arts of the Avatar series and upcoming feature film in the manga style will allow fans to experience their favorite moment from the show over and over again.”

The Avatar: The Last Airbender animated series and The Last Airbender live-action movie follow the epic journey of Aang, the Avatar. In an ancient world where armies of the four elements-fire, earth, water, and air-are constantly at war, the Avatar, a master of the elements, is meant to restore peace and order. Aang is the newest reincarnation of the Avatar, and is also the last airbender, harnessing the power of air and wind. Freed from a century-long sleep inside an iceberg, the 12-year-old is responsible for saving the world and finds both friends and hostile enemies on the path to his destiny.

“We’re excited to be working with Nickelodeon to bring these great stories to the manga audience,” says Dallas Middaugh, Associate Publisher of Del Rey Manga. “Avatar: The Last Airbender has shown incredible crossover appeal with manga fans. The release of The Last Airbender movie and original tie-in manga gives us the chance to share completely new stories with Avatar fans looking for more about Aang, Zuko, and their favorite characters.”

SAN DIEGO — Oni Press announced a new miniseries to be co-written by Rashida Jones (The Office, Parks and Recreation).  Frenemy of the State, co-written by Nunzio DeFilippis and Christina Weir, will follow an heiress who is working for the CIA.  Jones co-created the series and will co-write with  Nunzio DeFilippis (Past Lies), and Christina Weir (Past Lies).

Other Oni notes:

* Greg Rucka’s long-awaited “Stumptown” is scheduled to premiere in October.

* Polly & the Pirates will return, still written by Ted Naifeh, but with new artist Robbi Rodriguez (Stephen Colbert’s Tek Jansen, Maintenance)

* Jamie S. Rich is creating a new graphic novel, called “Spell Checkers,” described as “Mean Girls with Magic.”

* The “Damned” creative team of Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt will create a supernatural Western called “6th Gun.”

* A new historical fiction graphic novel called “Petrograd” will explore the death of Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin.

SAN DIEGO — An Oklahoma writer is hitting the fast lane.

Sterling Gates, an OU graduate who was born in Tulsa, was named the writer of a new Kid Flash ongoing series at Comic-Con International.  The series will star the character Bart Allen and will tie into Geoff Johns’ Flash series.

“It’s too early to talk about specifics, but I’m really psyched to be working closely with Geoff Johns. We want to make the two Flash universe books as exciting as possible,” Gates said, “and I think we can do it.”

Gates is the writer of “Supergirl” and is writing a “World’s Finest” miniseries featuring characters from the Superman and Batman families of characters.

- Matt Price

SAN DIEGO — Sam Rockwell said there’s some pressure coming into a high-profile project like “Iron Man 2,” but added that director Jon Favreau made the process very actor-friendly.

The actor, receiving great buzz for his role in the sci-fi film “Moon,” attended the “Iron Man 2″ presentation in Hall H of the San Diego Convention Center on Saturday and talked to reporters following the panel.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking; the first one was such a big success,” he said of the pressures of “Iron Man 2.”  “But you find a home and realize there’s a reason you’re there.”

Rockwell plays a rival arms dealer to Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, in “Iron Man 2.”

“He’s kind of a Tony Stark wannabe,” Hammer said. “I’m going to do whatever it takes to take Tony down.”

Rockwell said most of his scenes in the film are with Mickey Rourke’s Ivan, who becomes the Whiplash character.

“I’m sort of a patron of evil,” Rockwell said. “Mickey is the main adversary.  I come to his aid.”

The comic-book Justin Hammer is an older British man. So Rockwell obviously took some liberties from that version of the character.

“I looked at the comics, but they wanted me to create something a little different,” Rockwell said.  He also said he decided against playing the character with an accent due to the amount of improvisation “Iron Man 2″ required.

Meanwhile, the fan and critic accolades keep coming in for “Moon.”  Rockwell, who described himself as a sci-fi fan, was asked about his Oscar chances for the film.

“It’s very flattering,” he said. “From their lips to God’s ears.  It’s very early in the year for that sort of thing.”

- Matthew Price

SAN DIEGO — Cort Lane of Marvel Animation, Masao Maruyama of Madhouse, Alex Yeh of Madhouse and writer Warren Ellis were on hand at the Marvel Animation panel to discuss Marvel’s forays into the anime world.

Clips were shown of the upcoming “Wolverine” and “Iron Man” projects, which will be written by Ellis.  Ellis indicated “Blade” and “X-Men” would be the other two properties developed for this project.

Lane said the project was “a re-imagining of key Marvel characters in the anime format.”

Yeh, translating for Maruyama, said the company was aiming for “a perfect marriage of traditional anime with Marvel characters.”

Ellis said he enjoyed the freedom, and money, he’d been given in animation.

“You get to do visual narrative with very few hurdles between you and the audience,” he said.

The Iron Man story will be set in Tokyo, Ellis said, and is about an unexpected clash of cultures and the history of weapon design.

Wolverine has its basis in the 1980s miniseries by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller.

Blade, a character Ellis said he’d never written before, would have ties to London and a more novelistic approach.

The X-Men was the final anime mentioned as being in development at the panel.

- Matt Price

SAN DIEGO — Video game fans can get an up-close look at two MMORPGs from Sony Online Entertainment at Comic-Con: Free Realms, available now, and DC Universe Online, release date to be determined.

Margaret Krohn, apprentice game designer with SOE, said Free Realms took elements of lots of other kinds of games and melds them into a deep, immersive online game.  The game, which is free to play, lets gamers choose from a large list of jobs and tasks.  If you get bored of one particular kind of job, you aren’t stuck with it — you can switch.

SOE staff said Free Realms has close to 5 million users and is a family-friendly game.

DC Universe Online has been in development for a while, as I played a version of it at last year’s Comic-Con.  It continues to near completion, but it won’t come out until it’s ready, said Herb Ellwood, senior UI designer for the game.

The game will feature a fully built out Metropolis and Gotham City, and every item in the game comes from a DC Comic, except for the player-created characters.  However, those characters will still fit in the DC style, as every item that can be used to create a character was approved by artist Jim Lee.

- Matt Price

Archie Andrews is going high-tech.  The new Web site www.archiedigital.com will offer hundreds of Archie titles, including Archie No. 200 and No. 500.  Stories available include: the complete “World Tour”, “Comic Con Caper” and the “Cartoon Life of Chuck Clayton” series. Plus, “Josie and the Pussycats”, “Jughead” from the 90s and today and Archie Classics like “Jughead’s Fantasy”, Archie as “Pureheart the Powerful”, the complete run of “Cosmo the Merry Martian”, “Archie’s Madhouse” and more.

The service costs $9.95 per month, or $49.95 per year.  Annual subscribers during the beta test period will receive a print subscription to the “Archie Marries Veronica” storyline.

- Matt Price

Brian Winkeler at Comic-Con International: San Diego Preview Night 2009

SAN DIEGO — I caught up with the snazzily dressed Brian Winkeler at the Image Comics booth at Comic-Con’s preview night.   The Oklahoma native had Con-exclusive bookmarks promoting his comic series Bastard Road, which he creates with former Oklahoman Dave Curd.

Winkeler said two Bastard Road shorts are ready to go in the fourth volume of the “Popgun” anthology, which has housed the first two “Bastard Road” stories.   Eric Sanhop draws the second tale, which focuses on Bastard’s sidekick, Farel.  Curd returns for the 16-page story focusing on the title character.  Winkeler also said that there’s a chance for a “Bastard Road” standalone in the future.

Can’t get enough of Winkeler’s sense of humor?  He and artist Robert Wilson are working on an adventure-comedy that could see the light of day as soon as next year.

- Matt Price

Fans will be able to fill the gaps between Mass Effect and Mass Effect 2 with a Dark Horse Comic announced today.   The comic-book sequel to the popular video game is set for a January release. Dark Horse Comics, who has adapted sci-fi films to comics from Terminator to Aliens and Predator, will adapt the world of Mass Effect to comic books.

Dark Horse President and Publisher Mike Richardson says Dark Horse is a good fit for the Mass Effect universe.

“Those familiar with Mass Effect are aware that it offers one of the deepest and most compelling universes in the history of space adventure,” said Richardson in a release. “We have a long history of successfully adapting properties such as Aliens, Star Wars, and Serenity into comics, and we feel that Mass Effect has tremendous potential with regard to graphic storytelling.”

Mass Effect: Redemption will readers through the treacherous events leading up to Mass Effect 2 which opens with galactic hero Commander Shepard having mysteriously gone missing and left to fight for survival, according to the press release.

Mass Effect: Redemption is scheduled for a January 6, 2010, release.

The Mass Effect: Redemption story is written by Lead Writer Mac Walters at BioWare, who is the script writer of Mass Effect 2. “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic” writer John Jackson Miller, a longtime contributor to Comics Buyers Guide, is the comic-book scripter. Omar Francia is the artist.

Walters and Francia will autograph a special Mass Effect card at the Dark Horse booth (#2615) from 4-5 p.m. on Friday at Comic-Con International in San Diego.

“Fans of Mass Effect are going to be pleasantly shocked by the events in these comics,” said Walters in a release. “We worked very closely with Dark Horse to make sure this story was built in to the Mass Effect 2 arc, right from the ground up. Reading the series won’t just add to your experience of the universe, it will change the way you look at Mass Effect 2… and beyond.”

Mass Effect 2 is scheduled for release on Xbox 360 and PC in early 2010.

- Matt Price

Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead

There’s soon to be a new Doctor in the house, but fans can celebrate one of the final adventures of David Tennant’s Doctor Who with “Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead.”

The first of four Doctor Who upcoming DVD specials featuring Tennant as the 10th Doctor will be released July 28. “Doctor Who” features a 900-year-old human-looking alien who can travel through time and space, righting wrongs and saving the innocent.

Julie Gardner

Julie Gardner, who executive-produced “Doctor Who” until earlier this year, talked about the final days of the current Doctor, and the 2005 revamp that put the long-running British sci-fi program back on the map.

“‘Planet of the Dead’ is the last big adventure romp,” Gardner said. “It’s a great chase and a great kind of survivor story.”

In “Planet of the Dead,” the Doctor is on a bus that travels through a rip in space that deposits the bus and its passengers on a faraway, dangerous planet. He’s teamed with a jewel thief, played by Michelle Ryan, to figure out a way to safely return the bus through the rift.

Gardner says she thinks “Doctor Who” caught on in the U.K. again in 2005 as people were hungry for family drama.

“We were able to reach a family audience. A lot of research said the family is disjointed and people aren’t watching together – ‘Doctor Who’ in the U.K. proves that not to be the case,” Gardner said. “It’s got to be intelligent and witty and fun and engaging, and not always easy.”

Gardner has now passed the torch on “Doctor Who,” much as the Doctor himself is about to do. (The next Doctor will be played by Matt Smith, 26. Gardner works in Los Angeles at BBC America. She thinks change is key for “Doctor Who’s” appeal.

“It’s a show that, written into its very DNA, is regeneration,” she said. “I think it needs new vision every four, five, six years. Because as a show that has such a robust format, you could look at ‘Doctor Who’ and say this could still be on air in 20, 25 years. But I think in order to do that, it needs to be given the space to reinvent itself.”

By Matthew Price
From Tuesday’s The Oklahoman

“Harry is tracking to match last year’s juggernaut, The Dark Knight, in advance ticket sales,” said Rick Butler, Chief Operating Officer of Fandango, in a release. “Showtimes are selling out at a very fast pace, and it’s clear that the film’s wider blockbuster appeal, solid word-of-mouth and positive Internet buzz on Half-Blood Prince are helping fuel the demand.”

The sixth Harry Potter movie is on track to topple Twilight as Fandango’s third all-time film in advance ticket sales. (Star Wars Episdode III-Revenge of the Sith and The Dark Knight are #1 and #2.)   The film accounts for 96% of daily ticket sales on Fandango.

Harry Potter 6 represents a higher number of advance tickets sold than sold for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Iron Man or Sex and the City at the same point in the sales cycle on Fandango.

- Matt Price

NEW YORK — The stars of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have gathered at the Waldorf Astoria in New York to meet with American press about the film.

Stars Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson and Rupert Grint braved torrential rain at the show’s London premiere Tuesday before arriving in New York on Wednesday.

It seems even Voldemort couldn’t stop the juggernaut of the Harry Potter films; MovieTickets.com has reported 350 shows for the film sold out a week in advance of the movie’s release.    The site reports 216 midnight sellouts in the U.S.

As of Wednesday, “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince” accounted for 61 percent of ticket sales at MovieTickets.com, ahead of “Ice Age 3″ and “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen.”

- Matt Price

The best literal version music video I’ve seen since the Take On Me literal version, which I posted last year.

The original Captain America returns in “Captain America: Reborn,” out this week from Marvel Comics.  With the Fourth of July weekend upon us, here’s a look back at some of the greatest story lines featuring Steve Rogers, Marvel’s patriotic superhero.

“Secret Empire/Nomad”

These two story lines, written by Steve Englehart, are among the most famous adventures of Captain America.

Captain America discovers a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of the U.S. government. He’s disillusioned by what he’s discovered, and gives up the Captain America identity to become Nomad. This Watergate-era Captain America examined what happened to the country’s greatest super-heroic symbol when the government failed to live up to his trust. “Secret Empire” ran in issues 169-176 of “Captain America.” “Nomad” ran in issues 177-186.

Englehart said Captain America is a product of Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s rebuilding of the country’s spirit.

“He believes deeply in the ideals of America, the things they taught us all in school about why this is the greatest country on Earth,” Englehart said in “Marvel Spotlight” No. 18, the “Captain America” theme issue. “Which is why, when the actual America falls short of that, his first reaction is to try to set things right.”

Marvel Spotlight No. 18 currently is available to read for free at Marvel.com.

Captain America for president

Writer Roger Stern (”Avengers”) and artist John Byrne (”Uncanny X-Men”) had a brief but well-remembered run on Captain America, currently collected in the “War and Remembrance” trade paperback.

Perhaps their best-known story line featured a third party soliciting Captain America as a presidential candidate. Jim Shooter, then Marvel’s editor in chief, suggested Stern and Byrne should consider the story.

“I was still skeptical at first,” said Stern in “Marvel Spotlight” No. 18. “I didn’t think that Cap was the type who would be interested in running for office. But then Jim said that should be the whole point of the story – that we should make it about who Cap is and why he wouldn’t run.”

The story ran in “Captain America” No. 250; the Stern-Byrne run went from issues 247-255.

President fires Cap

In the space of a few years, Steve Rogers went from a chance at becoming president to being fired by the president. In “Captain America” No. 332, a government commission demands that Captain America answer solely to it. Rogers refuses, and gives up the costume of Captain America. Writer Mark Gruenwald, who wrote “Captain America” for a record 137 issues, talked to the magazine “Amazing Heroes” in 1988 about ways to create an attention-grabbing story line.

“No. 1, kill somebody important in the book, preferably the lead character. That’ll get the book looked at. Short of that, change the character dramatically. A new uniform might do it. Or get him out of uniform and replace him. Or change his life in some other major way: get him married off or whatever. So, I did three of the above,” Gruenwald said.

In the story line, the government hires its own Captain America, and Steve Rogers continues to fight for liberty while wearing a predominantly black costume and calling himself simply “The Captain.”

The story line ran from Captain America 332-350, and still is remembered fondly today. Gruenwald died in 1996 at age 43 after suffering a heart attack. These issues aren’t available in trade paperback, but can be found in the back issue bins of many comic-book stores.

By Matthew Price
From Friday’s The Oklahoman

If you’ve got chills, and they’re multiplying, it could be because a video game based on the classic musical Grease is in development. 505 Games announced today it has acquired global publishing rights for the game, working in collaboration with Paramount Digital Entertainment.

The game is slated for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS.  If another singing and dancing game is the one that you want, you’re in luck – the Grease game will allow players to sing and dance alongside Danny, Sandy, The Pink Ladies and the T-Birds.

There are worse things you could do than make use of the Nintendo Wii’s motion-sensing controls and microphone, and the DS’s touch screen, which according to the release, the game will do.

“The ‘Grease’ movie is a timeless pop culture icon, and 505 Games is eager to bring the first interactive experience based on the film to fans around the world,” said Adam Kline, president of 505 Games (U.S.), in a release.  “We’re looking forward to working with Paramount Digital Entertainment to put players in the middle of all the fun with this all-new video game.”

Tell me more, tell me more!

“Paramount Digital Entertainment is pleased to be working with 505 Games to develop Grease,” said John Kavanagh, Senior Vice President of Video Games for Paramount Digital Entertainment, in a release.  “Grease is the ideal opportunity to reach a broad gaming audience who love to sing, dance and have fun with a party-style game.”

Grease will be released on Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS and co-published by 505 Games and Paramount Digital Entertainment.

While Grease and video games might seem an odd fit, with the popularity of music-based games, you never know. They might go together  like ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong.

- Matt Price

After graduating from Edmond Memorial High School in 1993, Thomas attended the Art Institute of Dallas, focusing on computer graphics. Upon graduation, he found work in the video game industry, eventually working on the “Medal of Honor” and “Call of Duty” World War II franchises.

“I’ve been doing World War II games for longer than the U.S. was involved in the war, so I’ve got quite a bit of World War II knowledge rolling around up there,” Thomas said. “It was an absolutely incredible time. Some really great and heroic stories.”

Now living in Los Angeles, Thomas is the art director of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” based on the Michael Bay movie set for Friday release. The “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” video game will be released Tuesday. Thomas said several people working on the game were fans of the property and wanted to do it justice.

“The first and foremost thing that we concentrated on was getting the transformations right; really getting the feel of being one of those bots, one of those Transformers, this giant robot just kind of rumbling through the city,” he said. “The transformations are very fluid. … There’s lots of really quick activity. It’s almost like a parkour with these giant robots.”

Thomas visited the set of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen,” and pitched ideas to Hasbro for updating classic characters for the game.

“Who knows how much money my parents sunk into buying toys from them when I was a kid,” he said. “So, it’s kind of amazing. It feels like everything’s come full circle.”

By Matthew Price
From Monday’s The Oklahoman

According to the weekly MovieTickets.com poll, movie viewers want to see “He-Man and the Masters of the Universe” come to the big screen.

This summer is toy-heavy, with films based on action figure lines G.I. Joe and Transformers. Movietickets.com asked their users which 1980s property they would like to see next.

He-Man led the respondents with 58 percent of the vote.  M.A.S.K. (that’s Mobile Armored Strike … Kommand) finished second with 15 percent.  Rounding out the top five were She-Ra with 12 percent, Jem with 8 percent, and Dino-Riders with 7 percent.  Total votes cast were 4,595.

What, no Jayce and the Wheeled Warriors?  How about Pole Position?  What 1980s property would you most like to see come to film?

- Matt Price