All Hallow's Eve

Enjoy the season...

Don't do anything stupid you can't walk away from laughing...

...or anyone else can too...

... All Hallow's Eve...

Take It Easy!

... Robots...

A lost survivor... ENJOY!!!

Insight emerges from the Iron Man 2 camp

The Iron Man 2 casting call has been launched, characters revealed, and a release date set... Now the wait begins...

http://www.marvel.com/ has uncovered information on their "Marvel Movie Hub" section about the upcoming Iron Man 2 movie with a standing release date of May 7, 2010.

The actors have already been listed and a vague description released...

Iron Man - Tony Stark: Robert Downey Jr.
Virginia Pepper Potts: Gwyneth Paltrow
James Rhodes: Don Cheadle
Black Widow: Scarlett Johansson
Whiplash: Mickey Rourke
John Slattery: Howard Stark
Justin Hammer: Sam Rockwell
Garry Shandling: Senator Stern

Sometimes the actors that Marvel finds for their characters are absolutely shocking... but most of the time they actually do a pretty good job... most of the time.

With the crew now in place and the Marvel Characters set, Marvel has already begun its "tie-in" campaign with the rest of the Marvel Universe. In stores, for November an Iron Man mini series will feature a story with the new movie villain Whiplash as the corner stone. Entitled "Iron Man VS. Whiplash", this four issue series will focus on further illustrating the "executive side" of Tony Stark and how the villain Whiplash is involved with Iron Man.

All in all... Looking forward to the movie!

-Our hearts go out to you Howard, you deserve better!!!

Funimation Acquires the rights to produce Initial D

On September 25, 2009 Funimation acquired the rights to produce the Japanese classic and underground North American favorite "Initial D." The best way to describe Initial D? Get rid of the "Family Ties" feel of "Speed Racer" and throw away the pop, Hollywood feel of the "Fast and Furious" movie series, and throw in the... well... its unlike anything you have ever seen. This really is an innovative and cutting edge series. When this story first came out it was among the first anime series to incorporate computer graphics into the classic anime drawings and uniquely bond the two into a very stylish, flowing saga.

Funimation is set to release "Initial D First Stage," Initial D Second Stage," "Initial D Extra Stage," "Initial D Third Stage." and "Initial D Fourth Stage." Although Funimation will re-dub the series using it own casting for voice actors, they have announced that the series will remain un-cut and orchestrated with the original Japanese music score.

Initial D is said to have been aired on "Adult Swim" in Australia, but with the growing strength of Funimation in North America, they will probably incorporate the series into their own Television station on cable and in their "sister" sites, like featured on http://www.veoh.com/ . For more information check out http://www.funimation.com/ .

Here's a little sample, just the opening for "Initial D Fourth Stage" ...

Japanese Street Racing at its very best.

-Take it easy.

Spider-Man, your friendly Japanese wall crawler...

When checking out the Japanese X-Men intros, I was also told to check out this little clip...



AHH HA!!! Now, the concept of the Scarlet Spider makes sense... but where the heck does Peter Parker get a Giant Robo? Darn I want to go to Japan and get a job as a photographer for a newspaper if they pay this well!!!

Kingdom Hearts 3!?!

Now that the press release is out... All is said and done... Disney now owns the giant Marvel... What exactly does that mean for Marvel?

Looking at what exactly Disney is... and more importantly what it does... Simply put, it's a business... What does that mean? It's a gigantic marketing Machine, A Juggernaut. BEHOLD!!!

Now, check this out, Disney not only sells its own "Dream," but, Disney has their mitts into almost anything that it can make a buck on... not that this is a bad thing, especially for the fans, but now what is in store for the world...

There is not a doubt in my mind, a "Marvel Land" will emerge in Walt Disney World. Toon Disney will create scores of T.V. series based on the likes of Spider-Girl, Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends, Invisible Woman and the Fantastic Four, The "Ravishing" She-Hulk and the "Sensational" Minnie Mouse, etc, etc. While Disney XD focuses on The Amazing Spider-Man, The Uncanny X-Men, The Incredible Hulk meets Goofy...

Now, Spider-Man meets Stan Lee will be replaced with Spider-Man meets Mickey Mouse...

Unfortunately, the obvious possibilities are endless... Now... Lets get down to the "Nitty Gritty." Disney has collaboratives galore. Amongst a few... Studio Ghibli, Square-Enix, Lucas Films, Hasbro, even the occasional Warner Bros. team-up, So...

...

When will the "sounds of the underground" be churned up and forced into the mix? Let's face it... it was a sad, cold day when the rumor of Final Fantasy characters meeting Disney characters came true...

But... Yeah... they pulled it off, in a very decent manner that really saved "face" to both companies... Besides, lets face it... unless you are a gamer, or a fan of this side of Disney you probably have never even heard of "Kingdom Hearts." Heck, there are still ALOT of people who can't put "Disney" and "Nightmare Before Christmas" together... There is a realm of Disney that is very discrete and commendable...

But, lets face the Cold

Hard.

Facts...

When will this...

Be FORCED into the likes of this...

I just hope that this isn't the beginning of the end...

-This is for the ones who keep it all alive. Peace.

RE: COOL Series: Take II

Here is another take on the Japanese opening to the X-Men Animated series. ENJOY!!!

Now THIS would have made a COOL cartoon!!!

Some one had me check this out and I was BLOWN AWAY!!! They introduced this to me as the X-Men: Animated Series opening, for the program that had aired in Japan. Then, as the story goes on, it turned out that this was just an opening... I could not believe that they played THIS and then expected an audience to actually enjoy watching the North American series... what the heck was everyone thinking... Take the animators and directors of this opening and put them on the payrole back in the ninties and Marvel would have probally had the BEST and probally longest running show on Saturday Mornings!





Don't get me wrong, the North American X Men Animated Series was still the BOMB!

Here's for the TMNT fans!

Image, Do Ye Walk Da Plank?

ARGHHH! Me Mateys!

What a great showing... It's about darn time that the guys, (and girls), of the long lost treasure trove of Image Comics pull their crap together and unite as a team and quit with the "I've got the most followers" attitude that has been the mainstay of this ghost ship.

Savage Dragon, Shadow Hawk, Spawn, Witchblade, Young Blood... Its like the good ol' "Conquest" of the ninties all over again... lets just hope that its not McFarlane locked in the cabin inking just one stinking page and Erik Larson the only Captain up on deck!

With a cast of new creators, writers, and artists hopefully there won't be the same mutiny that has ravaged all hands on deck like in the past...

X Marks the spot on this one... Lets just hope that these bloody land lubbers can draw up anchor, cast the sails, and not sleep with the ghost of ol' Davey Jones... ARGGHH!!!

Check out http://www.imagecomics.com/ for more info.

Superman: Secret Origins?

Coming across recent news of the famed DC Universe an article appeared several days ago commenting on the release of a mini-series entitled, "SUPERMAN: Secret Origins." At first I was skeptical, just as the article began with, a universal lack of surprise with how the "story" was coming out... then the article went on...

The full article which was actually linked outside of http://www.dccomics.com/ and into http://www.aintitcool.com/ ... If you are a fan... check it out...

It seems like the whole point of this new Superman mini-series is to show that there is no difference between the DC Universe and that of Marvel... In that, this mini-series is to prove that Super-Man had a "tough" origin just like that of any of the reigning Marvel Characters. It would seem that the angle of this mini-series is to "prove" to the world that the DC universe can "match" up to the Marvel Comics Universe and show off a renegade, outlaw side that has been characteristic of Marvel Comics...

Well...

So what?

Isn't the reason that which makes DC Universe stand on its own pedestal exactly the "sterner stuff" that gives Marvel its own platform. Yeah, for years now there has always been that inevitable debate about Marvel Vs. DC in the old comic book store, or at that comic book show... But to be honest, hasn't there always been a mutual respect for the two publishers?

Yeah, it could be true that its time for a new "Ultimate" Superman title, but then again, wouldn't DC just be following in line to Marvel, almost emulating, rather than staying the same course that has DC Comics been so renown for? True, this new angle is to "break" that image, but when did this "image" turn into a bad thing. Its almost as if DC Comics is ashamed of one of its greatest icons and perhaps one of the greatest worldly Super Heroes' to ever exist.

At the end of the day there has always been Marvel readers and there has always been DC readers. Now there are Anime readers, Star Wars readers, Dark Horse Readers, Image readers, Graphic Novel readers, "Indy" Readers... there has always been Comic Book readers... A Comic book reader, is a comic book reader. Comic book enthusiasts have always had that point, where in the end, its the story, the art, the heart, that really matters... that is what makes comic books so great!