February 2009 Grab Bag!


It’s that time of the month again! Let us celebrate by opening the grab of bagginess and see what spills out…


*   *   *   *


I don’t know about you, but this whole “hey, it’s February 25” is not sitting well with me at all. They say time flies when one is having fun, but apparently it also flies when you are working, commuting, sleeping, dreaming, showering, shaving and complaining about how fast time is slipping by. One of the nice things about comics that I like is that every time you open a book, you are part of a different timeline that takes you out of your normal times/space and back into the story. I’ll open a book and realize, “Oh wow, I haven’t read this story in awhile, and I was really excited about what was going to happen next! Yay comics!” It kind of forces you to pause and remember, just for a second, where you were just a few weeks ago.

*   *   *   *

 



Of course, the as we watch the calendar, many of us are just watching for March 6th, which is when the Watchmen movie comes out. I make it kind of a rule to never look at web videos before I see a film, but I’ve been bending the rules a bit because I’m so busy at work that I need something interesting to watch so my brow doesn’t furrow permanently. This “making of” spot on how they handled Rorscharch’s often changing mask is pretty interesting — they made sure to recreate Dave Gibbons’ artwork so the ink blots look as much like the book as possible. The video doesn’t show that much of the movie at all, so I don’t think it will spoil anything for you. I wanted to mention it because it is precisely this kind of attention to detail that makes me respect what Snyder and his production team is attempting to do here: do this thing right. Despite it all, I am not actively looking forward to the movie. That is not to say that I am not going to see it or that I will not be a million percent into it once I am sitting down in the theatre watching it, it’s just that I am finding it it less and less useful to get too worked up about these things. I learned a bitter, bitter lesson with The Phantom Menace… I think that movie actually killed my inner child, just a bit. The rest of my inner child is getting slowly dismembered as I watch the most recent Indiana Jones movie, 20 minutes at a time, every few weeks (I still haven’t been able to watch the whole thing and I bought the Blu-ray when it came out). I’m definitely going to see Watchmen, though, obviously.

*   *   *   *




When I was a kid, I would hear bad news on the radio or on TV and think, “Whew! Glad I don’t have to deal with that adult stuff.” I am a bit older now and sadly, I still feel the same way, but I am beginning to think that perhaps I should at least be paying a bit more attention — which is not doing my any favors, other than stressing me out. Comic book fans (and fans of good movies based on comic book characters) should be a little relieved, though — Marvel made a bunch of money in 2008. Obviously, Iron Man was a big part of it, but so was The Incredible Hulk, so even if everything completely falls apart, hopefully we’ll be able to get some more fun movies for our eyeballs… I wonder… like, I seem to remember the movie and comic book businesses being totally different, but wouldn’t it be nice if they took some of that money and worked to keep comic book prices down? Does even thinking that make me a commie? Or just drunk?

*   *   *   *


Speaking of drinking, rumors persist that Iron Man 2 will incorporate the classic “Demon In A Bottle” story, which will kind of make this thing full circle for me — my first Iron Man comic that I ever bought on my own opened with shot of Tony passed out next to a dumpster. Like, he wasn’t even the dude in the suit — it was this other guy wearing it while Tony tried to get his life back together. I was young when this was happening, and it really was how I learned that if you drank too much, you could have some serious problems, including losing your job and powered armor. For some reason, I never though that the book was overtly saying “don’t drink or you’ll end up like Stark,” it was more like, “Here’s this guy, and, well, he’s got a problem with alcohol and is in rough shape.” Definitely more effective in making me think about alcoholism than a story that rants, “Don’t drink! drink baaaaaaaaaad!”

 

*   *   *   *

 



It is with some discomfort that I mention this story about Universal talking to Glen A. Larson about a possible Battlestar Galactica moviewithout Ron Moores involvement! As you probably know, I am a big fan of the series, but I gotta say — I am not into this idea at all. Let the series be the series and let it stand on its own. No need to screw things up by trying to get all theatrical on us. Look at the failure of the Star Trek movies! Oh, sure, there were a few okay ones (I say this as a huge fan), but, for the most part, they never really succeeded in being good Star Trek stories. And this idea — if this is real — of actually relaunching the story and doing it all over again? Like… that’s a just a stupid idea.Teeth grindingly stupid… and I know me some teeth grinding.

*   *   *   *

 



*   *   *   *

And that, my friends, is the poster for the upcoming Spider-Man musical. It’s kind of crazy, the talent they have lined up for it… but still… I dunno. I wonder what the casting will be like. I didn’t think Lion King would make sense as a musical, but Julie Taymor was able to pull it off — I would love to see The Watcher come in at the end of the first act, just rising up from behind, looming, like he did in the last battle of Secret Invasion… except he would actually do something. What’s next? King Lear with an aging Thor playing the lead? (Actually, that would be rather awesome.) If I were back in New York, I would be working on an Off-Off Broadway production of Superman: The Musical that would open to offer an alternative choice to Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark… anyone up for it?


*   *   *   *

 

 

And finally, because I care, a story on a fish that you can see right through into his brain! His brain!! The barreleye can actually angle its eyes up to look through his head and see what’s above. How awesome is that? It’s very awesome. I know, nothing to do with comi — wait, Aquaman should use this guy as a guard dog or something… see? It’s related, dammit!

*   *   *   *

 

 

Oh, and for real finally, here’s a possible new feature for the Bag — Hot Cover of the Month! Above you see Marcos Martin’s amazing cover for Wonder Woman #29 (click the image above for the larger size). Wow. I am tempted to buy the issue just for the cover alone. Wait… wouldn’t it be great if you could order cover art from Marvel or DC? Like in poster size? How hard could that possibly be? If I can order prints using freaking iPhoto, you’d think they could do some kind of service like that… I would totally rock a poster of this.

So that’s it for this month! I am working hard on getting up to WonderCon this weekend, folks. I plan to make it — f I can swing it, I will be there for the Tiki Tour, but if I do go, I will definitely be at the Isotope party. The timing’s kind of rough but I’ll work it out. Hope to see you there!

 


Mike Romo is an actor in LA who is just vain enough to ask you to not judge him by his new and way-too-short haircut. He can be reached at mike@ifanboy.com and socially networked via facebook and twitter.



Comments

  1. That Wonder Woman cover is beautiful.

  2. I really, really like the Nova #22 cover (http://marvel.com/comics/onsale/lib/view2.htm?filename=/comics/onsale/covers/0209/NOVA022_cov.jpg).  Didn’t buy it because I already read Green Lantern and Green Lantern Corp (I get my space fix), but I was mighty tempted.

  3. That cover is fucking sweet.

  4. At first I thought it was a Tim Sale cover.  But yeah, crazy cool stuff.

    And I love when Marvel makes money >__<

  5. Maybe a BSG movie would be good? Wrath of Khan was, and First Contact was really good (imo).

    But I too fear for the sanity of my inner child. That’s why I’m trying to avoid any of the articles or excitement around Watchmen. I just don’t know if I can handle the disappointment.

  6. I always loved that pose Tony gave in Demon in a Bottle after he takes that swig.  He just looks so much like a mad scientist there.  "And now… we will construct… an artificial anus!"  Great early JRJR there.

  7. Man I want to go to New York next year to see the Spider-Man musical!

  8. Love that cover.  Marcos Martin is farkin’ awesome.

  9. Spider-Man the Broadway Musical? No thanks

    I love that panel with Tony being drunk. It’s suppose to be serious but it feels such like a cartoon…God I laugh every time I see it.

  10. I love that Tony Stark’s Rogues Gallery consists mainly of Tony Stark.

  11. That’s some coat hanger catastrophe…

  12. you’re totally right about the Phantom Manence. not only did that movie kill my inner child but imaginary homicide detective found Lucas’ semen in the body

  13. "Turn off the Dark?" What the hell does that even mean?

  14. As a possible confirmation of some drunkeness storyline in IM2, NPR interviewed a production designer on the movie last week and he said that one of the first things he had to design was a toilet for Tony to throw up into while wearing the suit.  It might not make the movie of course, but it comes from the horse’s mouth.

  15. @paulmontgomery – I just chortled, I think. I totally no idea what "Turn off the Dark" means–like, what could it mean? Turn off the lights, sure. Turn off the sound, okay. Turn off the dark? That doesn’t make any sense whatsoever!

     The BSG movie, without Moore and without the current cast, will not work.  The series, despite getting kinda lame in the third season, is still really, really good and I honestly think that the story is done. The Star Trek movies kinda worked because they were the ongoing adventures, not a total reboot. They worked because we could see the characters we loved from the Original Series back in action on the big screen…decades later.  To have a movie come out so soon after this series ends…well, I don’t think it’s going to happen. But if it does, it will be interesting to see what Larson thinks he can do to improve on the Moore production.

     I went and made the Marco Martin cover a quick and dirty desktop image. I would rather I got a "real" one from http://www.dccomics.com/dcu/downloads/ but whatever…

     I still think that DC and Marvel should allow readers to order frameable prints/posters of covers. It’s all digitized anyway, right?  There are quite a few Fables covers that I would love to put on my wall…

     

     

  16. @edward-uh…too much

  17. Shit.  I thought the Spider-Man musical was a joke.  God, I hope it still is…

  18. @josh: Nope, even in a bad economic time where musicals are shutting down like no one’s business….This musical is still gonna happen.

    I know someone is gonna come up and point out ‘but it’s by Julie Taymor! it’s gonna be good!’ Well you got exactely three seconds to show me what broadway musical about a superhero actually worked….time’s up…

  19. Ugh I really really really hate Bono. Another reason to not see the play. And wasn’t Spidey 3 almost a musical anyway? Or at least a So You Think You Can Dance?

  20. So let me get this straight. Someone saw the Spiderman 3 dance scene and yes Let’s make that  two hours longer and and quadruple the ticket price?

  21. @voodoo: Your gonna have to be more specific on what dance scene your refering too. 🙂

    Yeah cause when I think Spider-Man…..I think broadway

  22. I’ve never been to a Broadway musical so Spiderman sounds like a good way to lose my Broadway virginity…

  23. Some sort of cover art to poster business would be brilliant.

  24. Wrath of Khan was the best Star Trek episode up to that date, with the mountain lizard episode a close 2nd. But Star Trek V very nearly burned all my positive trek movie feelings away permanently. How many fingers am I holding up? Just one, Shatner. 

    I’m not up on the new BSG, so I don’t know, but as far as I’m concerned Starbuck is a man, and he’s not into Apollo in that way. 

  25. that cover is amazing!! nice article mike!!

  26. I’m with you on the poster think, Mike.  I’ve thought for a long time that comics publishers would probably clean up if they allowed people to make poster sized prints of covers on a by request basis.  They’d be expensive to create, but I know I’d be willing to pay for it for a lot of covers than I can think of.

  27.  hope someone makes abootleg of that spider-man play, it sounds epic

  28. Mike, you’re totally on to something with the poster suggestion. There are dozen’s of covers that I’d buy as posters. I think DC would pretty much get flooded with requests for Brian Bolland, Adam Hughes, and JG Jones covers though. Speaking of JG Jones, how about a 52 Covers poster book. I have the companion HC they did of the covers, but a nice poster folio would be nice too.