*Warning: Probably Going to Offend Some People with this One

Ok, so I know I’m not the movie guy here (not trying to become one either…I like my little corner of the website here talking about comics and games), but I feel I have to take a break from my normal rantings and ravings to rage about a comic book movie issue that is driving me absolutely nuts (we’ll get back to the second half of my take on the independent comics reigning supreme over the current comicscape next time). All I have heard the last couple weeks is about how Guardians of the Galaxy is the best Marvel movie yet. Are you people out of your frakkin collective minds!!??!?!? Have you been fed media crack for so long that your short term memory is that completely and utterly useless??

I even went to go see it a second time, just to be sure I wasn’t the one who was hitting the bottle here (granted, I did sleep through half of it the first time, so I really did have to make sure for myself). I will admit two things and only two things, because they are the only two things that I can truly say in a positive light about Guardians of the Galaxy. #1…Groot rocked, seriously awesome, best character in the movie hands down. Vin Diesel has always been an amazing voice actor (If you haven’t seen Iron Giant, shame on you), but the fact that he was able to convey an array of emotions with only three words was incredible, while the way the character of Groot came to perceive and respond to the world around him was genius. I will give you all that. #2…the movie was fun. The problem, though, is that it was only fun in the way that every other ‘outlaw sci-fi’ movie or television show that has ever been done before was fun (Han Solo in Star Wars, Malcolm Reynolds in Firefly/Serenity, Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica etc). Thus, everyone’s ‘best Marvel movie yet’ was really just recycled, rehashed, retread special effects madness.

Also, there was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much wrong with it!!! The villains were completely and utterly flat and unbelievable with no motivation; the plot was completely (and almost insultingly) simple (good vs evil with ultimate/infinite power looming towards utter destruction), and the characters were just plain boring and rehashed (the ‘outlaw’ leader, the defector from the other side, the vengeance-seeking bruiser…ok, I will give on one more thing, Rocket did have a couple good one-liners – “Ok, so now we’re all standing…just a bunch of jackasses standing up.” That made me laugh). And don’t even get me started on the blatant sexism (the two female characters could have easily wiped the entire cast away in mere seconds. It’s what they were created/trained to do, yet they needed the males in the movie to repeatedly save/lead them..WTF?!?!?)

And need I say it…Howard the Duck?? Howard the frakkin Duck?? How in the frak can you even take that seriously?!?!?!?

Even if there weren’t all these problems with the movie, best Marvel movie yet?? Really?? Have you all really already forgotten Winter Soldier, where S.H.E.I.L.D. collapses and Cap’s best friend comes back as the villain?? Or Thor: Dark World, where Loki just straight up stole the show? Or even Avengers, where Joss Whedon actually raised the bar on comic book movies to challenge the entire world to make them better?? Even before that, Ed Norton just destroyed it as The Hulk. Even as far back as the first Iron Man, which raised questions about the morality of war and making profits of off it when we could be using the same technology for alternate energy sources, the Marvel movies that have come before have not just been ‘fun’, they raised awareness and asked questions; they made social statements. Even the ‘non-Marvel’ Marvel movies (those not done by Marvel studios) were far and above Guardians, or have you all also forgotten X-Men: First Class and The Amazing Spider-Man?

I’m sorry if I’ve offended you, folks. Sorry if I’ve challenged the status quo, but if you actually believe that Guardians of the Galaxy is the best Marvel movie, you are a simpleton who has been easily led astray by a talking raccoon and a dancing plant.

Photo Credit: Laura Marie Duncan

Peter Sachon is a classical cellist that is currently playing in the orchestra for Broadway shows like “Pippin”. He is becoming know as being one of the “go to” cellist for recording sessions in NY. He is also a producer of an upcoming concert called “Mythos”, which is a 70 minute continuous musical presentation played by a 15 piece classical ensemble performing live the music of composers for Film, TV and Video Games. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with Peter about the concert and what can we expect.

Mike Gencarelli: I am in love with the idea of “Mythos”, the 70 minute musical presentation featuring the all-star orchestra The Third Estate showcasing the music of composers for Film, TV and Video Games. Tell us how this came about?
Peter Sachon: Thank you! “Mythos” began as a blog about video game music. I imagined the New York Philharmonic seriously performing thoughtfully considered and adequately rehearsed video game music for all those people who love Comic Con here in New York City. It is easy to dream about what a great concert that would be, and the different sorts of people who might come — perhaps many for their first live orchestra concert. After all, millions of people love the music from games. However, the truth is orchestras like the New York Philharmonic won’t program video game music. The only music that passes artistic muster at major American orchestras is classical music — and those living composers approved by culturally conservative critics at The New York Times and The New Yorker Magazine. Unfortunately, video game music does not meet their conservative prerequisites. Contemporary composers are writing music that’s both good and popular, and that apparently breaks those critical rules. The fact is classical music these days exists in a kind of artistic terrarium. It continues to live, sort of, if you leave it alone. (And don’t you dare suggest it’s not alive!!). But if you let the air in…watch out! This is why it’s a terrific idea for MoMA to present Tim Burton. Seemingly no one there bats an eye at labeling Mr. Burton a serious artist who’s work is worthy of consideration. Yet, somehow Danny Elfman’s music has managed to get played everywhere in the world except at the New York Philharmonic. I realized that writing and proselytizing about orchestras wasn’t helping anyone, so I decided to take action.

MG: What was the process for which pieces of music were chosen for this concert?
PS: It’s still an ongoing process! At the very beginning, when Austin Wintory and I first started talking about putting a concert together, the conversation was shaped around the aspiration of presenting the spectrum of modern composers together, no matter their genre — something that no major orchestra is willing to do, so far. Austin has composed some of the music (after all, this all started with me wanting to hear Journey in NYC), and he has arranged and curated other music into a single-movement work. The programming is ongoing and collaborative. I would like “Mythos” to demonstrate to even the most conservative of musical minds that making a bigger tent for how orchestras program repertoire can both expand orchestras’ permanent audience base, and revitalize orchestral music.

MG: Tell us about your decision to not list which music will be presented?
PS: Well, Boulez and his ilk have done a lot of damage with decades of anti-audience music, and so much of the audience still reflexively braces itself whenever they see a new name in their program. After fifty years of being force fed really foul “modern” music, who can blame them? The new music scene has gotten so esoteric that often it is better categorized as performance art. But this bias goes the other way too — the audience has also been carefully taught that music with titles like “Final Fantasy”, or “Star Wars”, are not to be taken seriously. We don’t want to tell people what they should hate, or like, ahead of time. So we won’t distribute programs until the end of the concert.

MG: Tell us how you ended up working with conductor is Austin Wintory?
PS: I read about Austin shortly after his music to Journey was nominated for a Grammy award. The nomination was an especially big deal because this was the first time a video game score had had that distinction. I fell in love with his music. It is beautiful and evocative, and smart. It’s terrific modern orchestral music, and I couldn’t help noticing that video game music suffered from the same artistic discrimination as film music. I wrote to Austin, cold, and told him that I admired his music. We have a similar outlook about modern genres and also we got along, and he could not have been kinder. I asked him about doing a concert of music from Journey here in NYC. He said yes, and we began talking about how best to present game music as art. Our answer is “Mythos”. We still haven’t met!

MG: Will this be a one-time only performance or will their be additional dates planned?
PS: There are additional dates planned, but nothing I can share as of yet.

MG: If people are looking to get more information on this; where can they go?
PS: Of course! Go to the “Mythos” website, www.mythoslive.com

MG: How does it feel to be considered the “go to” cellist for recording sessions in NY?
PS: Well, first I am one among many great cellists in NYC. I’ve worked hard, and I’m grateful to get to make music for a living.

MG: You are currently playing in the orchestra of Broadway’s PIPPIN; tell us about that experience?
PS: I have been fortunate enough to work on Broadway for ten years, and I have been with a number of shows. Playing in the orchestra at Pippin is wonderful. I especially love Stephen Schwartz’s music, and he’s been kind enough to compose two pieces of chamber music for The Cello Project.

MG: What else do you have in the cards coming up next?
PS: I will continue to produce “Mythos”, and I hope to finish my album of new music by Broadway composers by the end of the year. I have also begun creating and producing several Broadway musicals.

Author: Brandon Seifert
Illustrators: Karl Moline, Filipe Andrade
Series: Disney Kingdoms
Hardcover: 136 pages
Publisher: Marvel
Release Date: August 12, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

I came across I was “Seekers of the Weird” one day when a friend brought over the first issue that was just released that morning and was so excited about it. He tell’s me that it was based off an abandoned concept envisioned by famous Walt Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump for Walt Disney in 1965 called, the Museum of the Weird, which that was to be built alongside the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland. A creepy unseen side of Disney? Where do I sign up? This 5- issue series personally didn’t really bring the creepy in my opinion as it was much more adventure based. It is still nice to see these designs out there and getting some love. I think this would actually make a great movie Disney/Marvel…hint hint!

Official Premise: An all-new adventure inspired by Disney’s legendary but never built Museum of the Weird! When their parents are kidnapped, teens Maxwell and Melody are thrust into a thrilling race through the world’s most strange and dangerous museum, as they unite with their swashbuckling uncle to save their family and the world from an evil secret society! What lurks within the Wardens’ Library…and what is the Walking Chair? Who is the Shadow Society, and why do they want the Coffin Clock? In a catacomb of Mushroom People and a Séance Room under glass, our teen heroes discover the truth about the Museum – and their own destinies!

If seeing these concepts come to life (literally) is enough, the famous Disney Imagineer Rolly Crump actually gives an introduction to this book, which is actually quite awesome! Overall, this series is a good thing. It shows that Marvel and Disney are working together on different projects. Disney is slightly…slightly stepping out of their comfort zone here and trying something new. I think this series would have even been much cooler if it did take a turn for the darker but the adventure aspect works and makes it a quite fun ride. I loved reading about all these crazy..weird items that were in this museum. I hope that isn’t the last time we see Maxwell and Melody since they definitely are a bad-ass couple of kids. Did I mention already that this would make an epic film….hmm.

 

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“Disney On Ice Presents: Frozen”
Feld Entertainment
Amway Center
Orlando, FL
September 4th-7th, 2014

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Feld Entertainment returns“Disney on Ice” to the Amway Center this month with the instant classic and record breaking film “Frozen” taking center stage. “Frozen” came out nearly a year ago and has not cooled down since. People really love this film. Everything about it from its characters to its music. What little girl doesn’t go crazy when “Let it Go” comes on the radio, including my own two year old daughter. Disney and Feld Entertainment really brought the magic again with this new show. It was truly one of the best Disney on Ice shows that I have seen in recent years and will leave every single “Frozen” fan 100% satisfied.

The show kicks off with our hosts Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and a few familiar faces such as Disney Princesses Snow White and Rapunzel as well as characters from favorites like Disney∙Pixar’s Toy Story, Finding Nemo and Disney’s The Lion King. The focus of the show is the celebration of love and friendship and it really hits home. What I really loved about this show is the fact that it was decided to focus on “Frozen” entirely. When I have seen past shows of Disney on Ice, they have split the bill between various different set but this one is almost a word for word adaption of “Frozen” but on ice. They changed a few things here and there and re-ordered a few of the songs but it works extremely well and the audience was going absolutely crazy for it.

Official Premise: Enter a fantastical winter wonderland beyond all imagination at Disney On Ice presents Frozen! The heartwarming, Academy Award-winning tale you love is now LIVE and skating into your town. You’ll be magically whisked away into the wintery world of Arendelle, where you will be dazzled by amazing special effects and astonishing skating. Sing and dance along to inspiring songs, including “Let It Go.” Join royal sisters Elsa and Anna, the hilarious snowman Olaf, Kristoff, his loyal reindeer Sven and the mystical trolls as they journey to discover that true love is ultimately the most magical power of all!

I have been to plenty of rock concerts and it is funny to say but when Anna and Else hit the ice, they were like rock stars. No joke, these girls were screaming like their lives depended on it. It really brought the energy up in the venue. I should also point out that this was only a preview night, the attendance was very exclusive and the audience was less than half capacity. But still, this event reached some very high decibels. Also one of the best feeling as a father is looking over and seeing my two year old daughter going crazy with her favorite songs, dancing and singing along! Disney and Feld Entertainment continue to bring the magic to their audience and if you have chance to see this show, I would highly recommend it. “Frozen” fan or not, it will melt and at the same time warm your heart right up.

Click here to purchase tickets to “Disney On Ice Presents: Frozen” during it’s visit to the Amway Center

 

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35th Anniversary of Epic Sondheim Musical

WINTER GARDEN, FL (August 22, 2014) – The Garden Theatre is proud to present TheatreWorks Florida’s production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street showing September 12 – October 5, 2014. Sweeney Todd kicks off the Garden Theatre’s 2014-2015 Season and is sponsored by Joe Worsham and Becky Worsham Farrant at Pacific Global Investment Management Company and by Insight Credit Union.

Sweeney Todd will be the first live play to use the Garden Theatre’s new state-of-the-art lighting system, which includes LED lights programmed on a cutting-edge console with the ability to make lightning-fast adjustments, as easy as from a mobile device. These new elements have been added to intensify the patron experience and immerse them deeper into the story.

The suspenseful, heart-pounding Stephen Sondheim masterpiece, currently in its 35th anniversary year, tells the infamous tale of revenge by an unjustly exiled barber returning to 19th century London. His thirst for blood soon includes his unfortunate customers, while a resourceful owner of a pie shop downstairs has the people of London lining up in droves for a mysterious new meat pie recipe.

Sweeney Todd is directed by Scott A. Cook, the artistic producer of TheatreWorks Florida. It is a definite departure from Cook’s most recent shows at the Garden Theatre – the musical comedies Nunsense and Legally Blonde. Cook has developed show designs and concepts for companies such as Universal Studios Florida and the Walt Disney World Company, and won numerous producers’ honors including the Pierrots Award, Best Musical for Cats at Theatre Winter Haven in 2006 and 10 awards including Best of Fest at the 2012 Orlando International Fringe Festival for Little Shop of Horrors.

As he prepared for Sweeney Todd, Cook researched the history of the character and discovered a debate as to whether a demented barber really existed. The character first appeared in an 1846 “penny dreadful,” a type of horror tale of the era published in serial form. Many of these publications were fictionalized accounts of real crimes, and allegedly the writer who first set down Sweeney Todd’s name in print was known to hunt regularly through newspapers for his story ideas.

“The 19th century London world of Sweeney Todd is a twisted, bizarre, nightmarish puzzle that resonates with the audience’s own senses and experiences, begging the question: what is evil and what is madness?” said Cook. “The message of Sweeney Todd is clear: there is evil and madness afoot and nothing will be served up plain. Be warned…”

The remarkable cast includes:
Sweeney Todd – Nick Kroger
Mrs. Lovett – Candy Heller
Anthony Hope – Robb Ross
Johanna – Jennica McCleary
Beggar Woman – Janine Papin
Judge Turpin – Alexander Mrazek
Beadle Bamford – Nathan Jessee
Adolfo Pirelli – Benjamin Ludwig
Tobias Ragg – Nick Rishel

Ensemble members include Eric Desnoyers, Tony Moreno, Matthew Johnson, Omar Montes, Kristy Barnes, Lindsey Gradwohl, Frida Söderdahl and Desiree Perez.

Those who have previously appeared on the Garden Theatre stage include Janine Papin (Nunsense, 33 Variations), Alexander Mrazek (A Christmas Survival Guide, Alice Lost in Wonderland), Matthew Johnson (Legally Blonde), and Desiree Perez (Hairspray, Nunsense, Little Shop of Horrors).

Tickets to Sweeney Todd are $25 for seniors and students, $29 for adults. Show times are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. There will be an Industry Night performance on Monday, September 29 at 8pm with $15 tickets for those in the theatre industry.

For tickets, visit gardentheatre.org or contact the Garden Theatre Box Office at 407-877-GRDN (4736). Groups of 10 or more are eligible for discounts of up to 25% by contacting group sales manager Jana Goupil at 407-877-4736 x208.

Now that we’ve addressed the big guns, it’s time to talk about what’s really going down in comics. Having owned, worked, and frequented comic shops for the better part of my life, I’ve seen a definite cycle in comics. The big guns get hot, coast for a while, turn to naught, rest on their laurels for a bit and then finally get their heads back outta their comfortable ostrich holes (some of which are in the southern regions of the anatomy) and get hot again. Independent comics, however, seem to remain fairly constant but only seem to get our attention when the big guns are misfiring. Funny enough, most of the times they get back on their hot tracks is when they farm the independents. When I was a kid in high school, I was enthralled with the indies, books like “Alien Legion,” “Badger,” “Violent Messiahs” and such. I’ll never forget the one that truly got me hooked on indies: “The Crow.” I find it to be amazing, intense, breathtaking and probably the best love story ever written.

Today, the same thing is happening. As the big guns wane, the independents are hitting with full force!

I suppose we should give the Vertigo line at least a nod, even though it is technically a DC project. It has always been their ‘indie’ side, propelled by Sandman. Currently they have a couple sweet things available. Coffin Hill is the sweet story of a backwoods family of witches and a daughter’s return to her truly haunted past after being a cop and an FBI agent. The art is stunning and the story is fun. Royals: Masters of War is an intriguing look into the royal families of the world (specifically during WW2) possessing super powers but still demanding the ‘peasants’ still fight their wars. One of them has rejected this idea and is now fighting alongside the ‘peasants’ and none of the super-powered royal families are very happy about that. Read the comic to find out the rest. Perhaps the sweetest of sweet that Vertigo has to offer currently is The Wake. Written by now famous Scott Snyder and brilliantly illustrated by Sean Murphy, one of the sleekest and most original artists out there, The Wake is a killer sci-fi/horror-thriller that grabs you by the gonads and propels you through a water-based monster adventure that makes “Jaws” look like “Spongebob Squarepants.”

Another leader in indies is Dark Horse. While they admittedly have done some fun things with licensed properties, like “Star Wars” and “Serenity,” the only original stuff they’ve come out with that’s really grabbed me are rehashed properties of earlier released titles: Ghost & X. Of the two, X is definitely superior, following the exploits of the underworld enforcer gone anti-hero, X, as he ‘cleans up’ Arcadia in his best Quentin Tarantino over-the-top violence kind of way.

One of my favorite indie companies is Avatar. They’ve collected some of the best writers of our time, including Garth Ennis, Warren Ellis, Kieron Gillen and Jonathan Hickman, and combined them with some of the most “in your face” brutal macabre artists around to create things of wonderment and beauty. The two that really stand forward above the others are Ennis’ Rover Red Charlie & Gillen’s Uber. Rover Red Charlie is one of the most unique end of the world scenarios I’ve seen, from the perspective of three dogs that pal around & can’t understand what happened to all the ‘feeders’ and why they’ve gone crazy. Their adventures lead them out of the city into a world they never even knew existed. I don’t know how he did it, but Ennis managed to make a most macabre and disturbing story into something also cute and fluffy…can’t get much more original than that. Gillen’s Uber is a killer version of the WW2 arms race using super-powered individuals as the weapons. Started by Nazis, the other countries counter with their own super-powers and what ensues is just what you would think, mass, mass killing and wanton destruction…and what about the casualties?

Join us next time as we finish off with the Kings of the indie comics, Valiant and Image.

Bear Wolf owns and operates the New Game in Town shops in DeKalb and Dixon, Illinois.

Published: July 02, 2014
Rating: All Ages
Writer: Jim Zub
Cover Artist: John Tyler Christopher

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

After reading the first issue of “Figment” from the Marvel line of Disney Kingdoms, I couldn’t wait to start reading the second issue. If you are familiar with name of the ride in Disney World’s Epcot, “Journey Into Imagination”, then you will appreciate this issue because it follows the Blarion Mercurial and Figment into the imagination world. In the end of the last issue, they were both being sucked into a portal and this one starts off with them ending up in a strange world with many different creatures including the extremely cute Chimera.

This world of imagination looks so amazing and I couldn’t help but race to the next page. Kudos need to go to acclaimed creators Jim Zub (Skullkickers) and Filipe Andrade (Captain Marvel) for really creating this wonderful new world for these classic characters. When I first read that they were making a comic book series about Figment and angling it as a steampunk fantasy, I didn’t know what to expect but this has been quite the ride so far. I felt like I wanted a little more out of this second issue but it still continued to setup the pace well for future issues. Only three more to go in this series, I wish it doesn’t have to end so soon.

 

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Chazz Palmenteri is known best for his roles in films like “The Usual Suspects”, “A Bronx Tale”, “Bullets Over Broadway”, in which he received an Oscar nomination. Chazz brought his one-man play “A Bronx Tale” back to Broadway in 2007 and since then he has been continuing to tour each year with this show. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with him about the show and what he has planned next.

Mike Gencarelli: “A Bronx Tale” hit Broadway in 2007 and hasn’t stopped since; tell us about your journey you are taking with this one-man show?
Chazz Palmenteri: I originally did this back in 1989 and I brought it back to Broadway in 2007 since there was a whole generation of people that didn’t get to see it. It was just going to be Broadway for six months and that’s it. It was such a huge success, they wanted to do a National Tour and I thought I would finish in Vegas. So I did it again in Las Vegas in 2009 after the tour and then it became show of the year and they just keep calling me back. Now I do the like two or three dates a month traveling it around. I want to keep doing it. I can’t stop because people keep wanting to see it.

MG: The show is a real physical workout; how do you prepare for it each night?
CP: I just stay in really good shape. I work out a lot. I am on the treadmill a lot. I watch my weight. I just take care of myself and that is the only way that you can prepare for this. You really just have to be in really great physical condition.

MG: How long do you see yourself touring with this show?
CP: I still am doing plenty of film and TV but I am going this in between gigs. I love doing it. I don’t know, I will continue to do it until I can’t physically or people don’t want to see it.

MG: Ever considered filming it and releasing it on Blu-ray/DVD?
CP: I have thought about that but I haven’t decided what I wanted to do with the show yet. But we will see.

MG: What else you got in the cards next?
CP: I do have a big film that I wanted to talk about. I will be in London this month shooting, “The Kray Brothers” with Tom Hardy. I am really looking forward to that.

Here are the rest of the upcoming show dates for the tour of “A Bronx Tale”:

July 12th – Atlantic City – The Golden Nugget
Oct 4th – Buffalo NY – Kleinhans Music Hall
Oct 10th & 11th – Huntington LI – The Paramount Theater
Oct 17th – Morristown NJ – Mayo Performing Arts Center

Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrator: Das Pastoras
Hardcover: 112 pages
Publisher: Humanoids, Inc.
Release Date: March 26, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Not only a few months ago, I discovered and got to dive into the comic series “The Metabarons Ultimate Collection” and fell in love with it. It is really a fantastic blend of amazing storytelling along science fiction. Well, of course as a fan I was hungry for more, well my prayers were answered with “Metabarons Genesis: Castaka”, which is a prequel the first series. Like “The Metabarons”, it is a not an easy series to just pick up and read, it is deep like the work that Jodorowsky is know for and that is what makes it exciting and very interesting read. A must if you are a fan of “The Metabaron”.

Official Premise: “The Metabarons” recounted the extraordinary saga of the genealogy of the galaxy’s ultimate warrior. But his ancestors also had ancestors. And far from being noble warriors with an inflexible code, one will discover they were in fact disloyal, vengeful pirates born out of brutality and war. From legendary creator Alexandro Jodorowsky and artist Das Pastoras, and for all of those who dreamt of a sequel to “The Metabarons,” comes instead the origin tale of their first ancestor, Dayal de Castaka.

One thing that I did some a small problem with was that this did feel a little shorter than Jodorowsky other comic series but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. I was not widely familiar with the work of Das Pastoras but I did really enjoy the illustrations from this book. The colors were vibrant and it was well drawn. I have to admit though, after reading this I did go back and re-read the Ultimate Collection of “The Metabarons” and “The Incal” Complete Collection again. I warn you though, this book is definitely relient on your having read both of those books previous to this to really get the full effect.

 

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Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrator: Georges Bess
Hardcover: 296 pages
Publisher: Humanoids, Inc.
Release: Date: May 7, 2014

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

So in case you follow this website at all, you should be started to think “Damn, this guy is reviewing a lot of Alexandro Jodorowsky’s comics. Well, that is thanks to the amazing people at Humanoids. They have been releasing his comics in complete hardback collection that really have been keeping me quite busy and being obsessed with this author’s work. “The White Lama” is one of the latest releases of Alexandro Jodorowsky’s work. This is a tale told taking place within a mystical adventure with martial arts and magic realism. If you enjoy this other work like “The Incal” and “The Metabarons“, this is another great series to check out.

Official Premise: Late 19th century Tibet. When the Grand Lama Mipam dies, the seeds of corruption are sown across the land. Raised by locals, Gabriel, the orphan of white explorers, is chosen as the reincarnation of the Grand Lama. Torn between two worlds, he must master the sacred ways, defeat his own personal demons, and battle a great evil. He will need to enlist the aid of warrior monks, yetis and the Lord of Cats if he is to save his adopted country from utter devastation.

If you aren’t familiar with Alexandro Jodorowsky as a comic book writer, you might be know him better as cult director of films like “Santa Sangre”, “El Top” and “Holy Mountain”. The illutration in this book are so unique and come from the award-winning team that created “Son of a Gun”. This series also travels a bit away from the world of sci-fi that Jodorowsky has conquered with his past comics but it does show his range and that he is able to show some great range. “The White Lama” is still a story that screams Alexandro Jodorowsky and I love that you can see that in his work. Can’t wait to see what Humanoids as planned next for Jodorowsky…keep them coming!!

 

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Photos by Liz Phillips
Note: There are spoilers for Captain America: The Winter Soldier within this article.

For New York City-bound Avengers fans looking to bridge the Marvel Cinematic Universe gap between April’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier and August’s Guardians of the Galaxy, they needn’t look any further than Discovery Times Square’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. Located in the heart of midtown, the exhibit replicates an actual SHIELD base with state of the art interactive exhibits and Marvel artifacts. We got the chance to tour this unique experience during its preview period in late May and were glad to return last week to see its completion and test whether we were worthy of our newly-issued SHIELD ID cards.

Upon entry into the exhibit, “probationary” level agents are scanned and welcomed with an official message from none other than Agent Felix Blake (Titus Welliver). After Blake’s message, the entry room gives way into the further secret headquarters of S.H.I.E.L.D. It should be noted for anyone reading this in confusion in light of what occurred in The Winter Soldier that this exhibit hails directly from Phase 1 in the MCU timeline, right after the events of the Avengers. Though it begs the question: How awesome would a HYDRA station be? Bring on the digitized Dr. Zola and his databanks brain, Marvel! But I digress.

After briefing, each Avenger gets highlighted starting with beautiful costume displays of the SHIELD agents Black Widow and Hawkeye (even if the mannequin’s arms don’t hold a candle to Mr. Renner’s). Beside them are the suits of SHIELD higher-ups Agent Phil Coulson and Director Nick Fury. Like most all of the props on view throughout the exhibit, the costumes are accompanied by touch screens giving in-depth info on the items on display. Other noteable props we encountered on our tour included Loki’s infamous helmet and scepter, the Tesseract portal device and of course, Captain America’s iconic shield.

What makes this exhibit special however, beyond its wealth of actual props and costumes, is that ID everyone was issued. As the station’s staff move recruits from the designated rooms of Captain America, The Hulk, Thor and Iron Man, would-be agents can scan into interactive exercises that test their skills versus the Avengers. Spoiler alert: None of us are stronger than Steve Rogers. It also allows users to share some of their results with Facebook if they chose to connect with the social network upon registering their ID.

Unsurprisingly, the most interactive room is that of Tony Stark himself where visitors can watch themselves get suited up on screen and maneuver Iron Man in his virtual garage or operate an actual robotic arm.*

The largest space belongs to Thor, whose costume from the first film is cleverly displayed as a gift from Asgard to Midgard. Beside it, S.T.A.T.I.O.N. boasts apparently the largest holographic projection in North America, that of Thor’s legendary hammer, Mjolnir. Across from these artifacts, agents can virtually manuever through stars in a program the center developed in collaboration with NASA. Jane Foster would be proud.

Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N.  at Discovery Times Square is now open and you can find ticketing information on their official website. 

(Special thanks to Heather for being our model agent!)

*Our team discovered an amusing Easter egg in regards to this arm, clearly the exhibitors know their NYC audience! Head on over to our TUMBLR page to enjoy our short video as well as additional photos from the exhibit.

Release Date: Jun 9, 2014 / Apr 7, 2014
Approximate Running Time: 5 / 6 Hours
Number of CDs: 5
Content Rating: Ages 13+

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Do you love comic books? Do you love audio books? Have you always wanted to hear your comics acted out like “a movie in your mind”? Well Graphic Audio now has your prayers answered. This year they have already released two fantastic comic books arcs for Marvel in audio book format. They have full casts, cinematic music and sound effects. While you are listening to these you literally can visualize the comic and you feel like you are right in the middle of the action. The most recent Marvel comic they released was the story of “Iron Man: Extremis”. This is a great choice for the character of Iron Man. The other earlier this year was “The Ultimates: Against All Enemies”, which is a very epic series for Marvel. Graphic Audio has tons of other great products as well and I hope that they will be doing much more Marvel and DC comics in the near future. Might I suggest the recent “Original Sin” series next?!

Here is the cast for “Iron Man: Extremis”: Richard Rohan, Richard Cutting, Sherry Berg, Andy Brownstein, Maboud Ebrahimzadeh, Kimberly Gilbert, Michael John Casey, Scott Graham, Nora Achrati, Jacob Yeh, Steve Wannall, David Harris, Christopher Graybill, Evan Casey, Drew Kopas, Gabriela Fernandez-Coffey, Sasha Olinick, Nanette Savard, Rex Anderson, Rebecca Sheir, Matthew Schleigh, Tim Pabon and James Lewis

“Iron Man: Extremis” Official Premise: Advanced technology has given Iron Man life, but now that same future tech threatens to become Stark’s death. A dangerous terrorist has ingested a new techno-organic virus, transforming him into a superhuman killing machine. Now immensely powerful, but driven mad by the virus’ effects, the terrorist is seemingly unstoppable. To halt this madman’s psychotic rampage, Iron Man must face this dangerous new virus head-on…in a life-or-death battle that will forever alter Stark’s calculated balance between man and machine. Experience Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s blockbuster re-imagining of the armored Avenger like never before in this new adaptation!

Here is the cast for “The Ultimates: Against All Enemies”: Richard Rohan, James Keegan, Richard Cutting, Jefferson Russell, Eric Messner, Laura C. Harris, Danny Gavigan, Christopher Scheeren, Andy Brownstein, Bradley Smith, Steve Wannall, Nanette Savard, Diedra Starnes, Rex Anderson, Andy Clemence, Joe Brack, Jonathon Church, Rebecca Sheir, Daniel Sonntag, Joel David Santner, Eric Singdahlsen, Jonathan Watkins, Matthew Keenan, David Harris and Thomas Keegan

“The Ultimates: Against All Enemies” Official Premise: Stark Industries has developed a technology to detect the alien Chitauri using on-the-spot DNA screening. The American defence department intends to make the technology widely available, but someone in the government puts a stop to it. Captain America sees the government’s suppression of the Stark technology as evidence that the people making such decisions are themselves compromised. Using as his model Franklin D. Roosevelt’s executive orders during World War II, he begins to gather power to himself and those Ultimates and government officials sympathetic to his authoritarian approach so that power can be concentrated in the hands of those capable of taking quick and decisive action. Hank Pym, who desperately wants back on the Ultimates team, has been feverishly working with his ants in the hopes of finding something that will help defeat the Chitauri. When his ants attack one of his research assistants, who turns out to be a Chitauri, Captain America resolves his differences with Pym and the new team begins work on what they call Operation High Hopes.

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Published: June 11, 2014
Rating: All Ages
Writer: Jim Zub
Cover Artist: John Tyler Christopher

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

When I was a kid visiting Walt Disney World’s Epcot, I would run as fast as I could to “Journey into Imagination” starring the lovable purple dragon Figment. The character has also inspired me and hopefully many others to use and embrace their own imaginations. Since Marvel and Disney joined forces the superhero movies that we all know and love weren’t the only great thing to come out of the merger. The Disney Kingdoms line comics that Marvel is putting out is really expanding the world such great characters and Disney properties.

“Figment” is actually the second title in the new Disney Kingdoms line following the equally amazing “Seekers of the Weird”, which is based off an idea that Walt Disney had that never came to be about a collection of “unique” items that were protected by a family. A few months ago when I heard about “Figment”, I just knew that this was going to be a real knock out of the park hit. I just knew it. Well, it is not only a great read but it is beautifully drawn with a great style that allows Disney to show a new side to these characters.

In the first issue we get introduced to the character we all know and love, Dreamfinder, under the name of Blarion Mercurial. We met him when he is a young inventor at a very prestigious scientific London institution but is rather scrutinized for his irrational inventions. Of course due to these inventions we find out how the dragon Figment came to be. This is really a neat story, one that has never been told before by Disney. So it is new ground for these characters and if you love them like I do, I couldn’t recommend checking out this new series.

There are also a tons of little Easter eggs too for those hardcore Disney fans, so keep an eye out when reading. Honestly, as good as this issue was, I see such potential in the series and I have a feeling that Disney is really going to have a lot of room to expand this story and really give fans a great look into the work of the Dreamfinder and his friend Figment. I cannot wait to see what they have in store for issue 2 and also what other properties are they going to develop next after this one becomes a big success. I would like to suggest “The Haunted Mansion”!

Author: Alexandro Jodorowsky
Illustrators: Zoran Janjetov, Fred Beltran
Hardcover: 408 pages
Publisher: Humanoids, Inc.
Release Date: December 11, 2012

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Over the last few months, I have been exposed to new world that consists of comics of Alexandro Jodorowsky. This includes his epic titles like “The Metabarons” and “The Incal”. This latest one, “The Technopriests” is yet another epic ride. This “Supreme Collection” consists of an eight-issue comic book limited series. It available in its entirety and in its original format. Humanoids has been releasing these not only cool but actually amazing hardcover collections of his work over the last few years and I simply cannot get enough of it.

Originally released from 1998 to 2006, this series follows five really interesting and strong characters. We have Albino, who is the main focus of the story and the future Supreme Technopriest. There is Tinigrifi, who is Albino’s lifelong friend. Panepha is the former priestess and mother of Albino and also his older brother Almagro and younger sister Onyx.  There are three different stories intertwined together in “The Technopriests”. The first follows Albino leading 500,000 other young technopriests as they try and find the promised galaxy.  The second plot follows his rise to become the Supreme Technopriest and the third follows his family during that same time period.

Like I said before that “The Technopriests: Supreme Collection” consists of the originally released in 8 issues, which are “The Technopriests #1: Techno Pre-School”; “The Technopriests #2: Nohope Penitentiary School”, ‘The Technopriests #3: Planeta Games”; “The Technopriests #4: Halkattraz”; “The Technopriests #5: The Sect of the Techno-Bishops”; “The Technopriests #6: The Secrets of the Techno-Vatican”; “The Technopriests #7: The Perfect Game” and “The Technopriests #8: The Promised Galaxy”. I have never read any of these comics before, so once I got started I dove deep and didn’t come up for air until I have completed the entire collection. This sci-fi epic tale is a little different than Jodorowsky’s past work but equally mind-blowing.

I loved the look and style of this comic. It was illustrated by Zoran Janjetov, who also worked with  Jodorowsky on “Before Incal” as well. Speaking of “Before Incal”, that was just re-released by Humanoids as well along with “The Final Incal” as well. If you have never read an Jodorowsky comic, then you are really in for a real treat. When you experience a  Jodorowsky comic, you mind is expanded and you are not able to go back to just reading regular comic book.  What I realized with reading Jodorowsky in the last few months is that his work really requires you to engage yourself in these comics and not just flip and look at the pretty pictures. I love that about this work. I can’t wait to see what Humanoids has planned next.

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More Than 50 Performers Prepare To Bring The Marvel Universe To Life In This Summer’s Live Action Arena Spectacular

Ellenton, FL, (June 12, 2014) – After scouring the country to find the best of the best in live action performers with an amazing array of disciplines and skills, Feld Entertainment, Inc., the worldwide leader in live touring family events, today reveals the final cast of more than 50 performers ready to bring its most ambitious live event experience to life in Marvel Universe LIVE!. Debuting this July in Tampa, FL, before having its world premiere at New York City’s Barclays Center on Wednesday, August 13, the show will be the most physically demanding in Feld Entertainment’s storied history and will stop in 85 cities nationwide.

Featuring the most Marvel characters ever in one production, Marvel Universe LIVE! will be headlined by a cast trained in everything from martial arts to motocross in order to bring the Marvel Universe to the live action arena. Supported by a unique blend of aerial stunts, pyrotechnics and state-of-the-art special effects, the performers will bring an epic live action experience right in front of audiences’ eyes every time.

After an intensive eight month cross-country casting process that took place in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Orlando and Ellenton, Florida, with hundreds of hopefuls representing the United States, Mexico, Hungary, France, United Kingdom, Russia, and Japan showing off their considerable skills, the final ensemble is set. When the spotlight finally shines, spectators will see some of the world’s most gifted athletes and performers including professional snow-skater and three-time X Games champ Phil Smage (Captain America), WMX Pro National champion and two-time X Games winner Ashley Fiolek (Hydra Agent), and 2012 X Games Silver Medalist Louise Forsley (Black Widow). To depict the superlative athleticism of some of Marvel’s most renowned heroes, Feld Entertainment also has signed martial arts expert and AAU Junior Olympics/National Champion Kirk Jenkins (Wolverine) and long-time American Ninja Warrior professional course tester Eric Foster (Hawkeye).

“From the beginning we knew that to pull off a show of this magnitude we had to have a cast that was the closest thing we could find to real life Super Heroes,” said Shanda Sawyer, director of Marvel Universe LIVE! “These are intense roles that require performers who are experts in their fields with the ability to take those skills and apply them to a number of meticulously crafted sequences, all designed to push the limits of anything the audience has ever seen in an arena show of this caliber – and they need to do this day in and day out.”

Marvel Universe LIVE! will captivate audiences with an authentic and original story that brings more than 25 Marvel characters together on one epic quest. The story is framed around the battle over the Cosmic Cube, the source of ultimate power and one of the most feared and coveted treasures in the Marvel Universe, that has been shattered into pieces by the mighty Thor in order to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands. With the pieces scattered across the globe, Thor’s villainous brother, Loki, devises a scheme to clone its powers, inciting a threat that could not only decimate Earth but also obliterate the Universe.

For an inside look at the audition process, see below:

For a complete cast list and more information, visit the Marvel Universe LIVE! website
(http://www.marveluniverselive.com) and stay current on the latest developments through social media, including:
• Facebook (www.facebook.com/MarvelOnTour)
• Twitter (@MarvelOnTour/@JulietteFeld (show’s producer twitter feed))
• YouTube (www.youtube.com/MarvelOnTour)
• Instagram (@MarvelOnTour)
• Google+ (http://gplus.to/MarvelOnTour)

About Feld Entertainment
Feld Entertainment is the worldwide leader in producing and presenting live touring family entertainment experiences that lift the human spirit and create indelible memories, with 30 million people in attendance at its shows each year. Feld Entertainment’s productions have appeared in more than 75 countries on six continents and include Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey®, Monster Jam®, Monster Energy Supercross, Nuclear Cowboyz®, AMSOIL Arenacross, Marvel Universe LIVE!, Disney On Ice and Disney Live! More information about Feld Entertainment is available online at www.feldentertainment.com.

More information on Marvel Universe LIVE! is available at www.marveluniverselive.com. About Marvel Entertainment, LLC Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world’s most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of more than 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. For more information, visit www.marvel.com. © MARVEL

 

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