Denny O’Neil died yesterday at his home after a long illness. Mr. O’Neil was 81. Denny O’Neil was a comic book writer, editor, teacher, novelist and screenwriter for television and movie projects.
Mr. O’Neil is often credited with steering Batman from the cartoonish character of earlier comics and the television series to a more serious creature of the night. It was also O’Neil who wrote the classic, award-winning Green Lantern / Green Arrow issues that proved comics could shine a spotlight on issues of the day and still entertain. He revitalized The Question for DC comics. He served as a mentor and editor to Frank Miller on Daredevil. He wrote the famous Superman vs Muhammad Ali comic. He did all of these things and so much more.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Denny O’Neil’s family, friends and fans.
I hope you did this Rambo drawing by Matthew Harrower as much as me.
Matthew is an freelance illustrator and character artist. He’s influenced by his love of comics, transformers, mechs, John Woo movies and most things from his childhood. Matthew is currently studying for his Master’s Degree in Character Animation.
Forever is harder than it looks. Led by a warrior named Andy (Charlize Theron), a covert group of tight-knit mercenaries with a mysterious inability to die have fought to protect the mortal world for centuries. But when the team is recruited to take on an emergency mission and their extraordinary abilities are suddenly exposed, it’s up to Andy and Nile (Kiki Layne), the newest soldier to join their ranks, to help the group eliminate the threat of those who seek to replicate and monetize their power by any means necessary. Based on the acclaimed graphic novel by Greg Rucka and directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood (LOVE & BASKETBALL, BEYOND THE LIGHTS), THE OLD GUARD is a gritty, grounded, action-packed story that shows living forever is harder than it looks. Coming to Netflix on July 10.
Below we have the trailer to The Last Days of American Crime. If the title sounds familiar it could be because I’ve been talking about The Last Days of American Crime for almost 17 years. Yep, 17 years. I’ll explain after the trailer.
As a final response to terrorism and crime, the U.S. government plans to broadcast a signal making it impossible for anyone to knowingly commit unlawful acts. Graham Bricke (Édgar Ramírez), a career criminal who was never able to hit the big score, teams up with famous gangster progeny Kevin Cash (Michael Pitt), and black market hacker Shelby Dupree (Anna Brewster), to commit the heist of the century and the last crime in American history before the signal goes off. Based on the Radical Publishing graphic novel created by Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini, The Last Days of American Crime is directed by Olivier Megaton, written by Karl Gajdusek, produced by Jesse Berger, p.g.a., Jason Michael Berman, p.g.a., and Barry Levine, with Sharlto Copley also co-starring.
Watch The Last Days of American Crime on Netflix June 5
Okay. Let me tell you about those 17 years…
Way back in November of 2003, I posted Meet Rick Remender. Rick was a comic writer and artist I met through my buddy, John Beatty. John was inking Rick’s pencils on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Rick also had an idea for a comic mini-series he called The Last Days of American Crime. I loved the art, title and idea for the story.
In 2007, I met Rick at HeroesCon. Not only did I get hang with him for a bit, Rick also did a Stallone sketch for my collection. Rick said that The Last Days of American Crime was still in the works. Rick had so many projects going (Fear Agent, Sea of Red, and Strange Girl just to name three) that I had started to think that he’d never get to it.
In March of 2009, I posted the art above and the news that “The Last Days of American Crime” would premiere later that year in a three issue [48 pages each] mini-series with art by Greg Tocchini. Yea! The wait was nearly over. And how about Greg Tocchini’s art!
In August 2009, CBR.com ran a 17 page preview of The Last Days of American Crime.
In September 2009, CBR.com gave us another preview. The anticipation was building…
In November 2009, the news was Sam Worthington had signed on to produce and star in a big screen adaptation of Rick Remender’s The Last Days of American Crime. Wow! We’d probably see The Last Days of American Crime movie in a year or so, right?
In December 2009, we got another preview of The Last Days of American Crime mini-series.
In September 2010, I posted The Not So Last Days of American Crime. Rick had announced that he had ideas for more tales set in the same The Last Days of American Crime universe!
And now nearly 17 years after that first post and almost ten years after my final post about The Last Days of American Crime we have a trailer for the movie. How long until someone starts calling Rick Remender and Greg Tocchini overnight sensations?
If you follow Patric Reynold’s Twitter, you’ve already seen the masterpiece above! If you don’t follow him, Reynold’s Sean Connery in From Russia with Love commission should give you enough reason to start!
Wow! What great memories this brings back. Artist portfolios were really popular back in the 70’s and into the 80’s. It was always a thrill when a new one was announced. And truth be told, I was thrilled to see The Bristol Board posting Chaykin’s Sherlock Holmes portfolio.
Remember when we talked about Stephan Franck’s new Kickstarter called PALOMINO? Well, Tommy Lee Edwards created the art above to support Franck’s comic.
I’ve been fortunate to get sketches from both Kelsey and Dave for my Stallone sketch collection. And of course I pre-ordered the EGtH graphic novel (Kelsey cover).
Speaking of the Kelsey Shannon cover, you can see a larger version by clicking on the art above.
Stephan Franck is back with a new Kickstarter called PALOMINO. Franc describes it as a Neo Noir Graphic Novel Set In LA’s Country Music Clubs.
The year is 1981. The American Century is running on fumes, but the end isn’t anywhere in sight.
At the center of PALOMINO is a unique father-daughter relationship. Eddie Lang’s an ex-cop turned working musician with big dreams, but dreams don’t pay the rent. So Eddie reluctantly works as a private investigator to provide for his teenage daughter, Lisette.
Eddie and Lisette share an unbreakable bond and a dry sense of humor. But they’re stuck.
They’re haunted by a terrible loss and an unsolved crime that looms large over their lives. They’re running out of time to fix their family.
And just as things seem at a stalemate, a new murder case upends their lives.
If this sounds like something you’d like check out Stephen Franc’s PalominoKickstarter. I’m in.
Mort Drucker, perhaps the world’s best and best known caricaturist has died at the age of 91. Odds are even if you don’t know Mr. Drucker’s name, you know his art. Starting in 1956 and for over fifty years after that Drucker’s art appeared in Mad Magazine’s wildly popular movie and tv satires.
Mr. Drucker’s work also appeared in comic books, movie posters and advertising. His distinctive style made his art recognizable often before you saw his signature. In 2014, Mort Drucker received the National Society of Cartoonists’ Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mort Drucker’s family, friends and fans.
Reading Now
ROBERT B. PARKER’S THE BRIDGE
(A COLE AND HITCH NOVEL)
