Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
This is an early version of a poster for Pulp Fiction. It’s hardly as iconic as the version that was ultimately chosen. I love it though when we get to see alternative posters… especially when the alternative isn’t as good as what was finally selected.
Thom Zahler is the creative powerhouse behind Love and Capes.
Zahler is just one of those guys who is multi-talented and fun to be around. Zahler’s humor and quick wit — not to mention his dead on impersonation of William Shatner can keep people entertained for hours. Someone should put this guy on tv.
Don’t believe me?
Judge for yourself. Recently Zahler did a running two-part commentary on a 1977 Star Trek coloring book. Here’s part one and part two.
Funny stuff, right? And you didn’t even hear it in Zahler’s Captain Kirk voice.
When I learned that Kyle Holtz was taking on some mail order commissions, I just knew I had to try to get on his list. I was able to and Kyle agreed to give me his take on Sly as Jack Carter.
The first piece that Kyle created can be seen here. I think Kyle did an amazing job on it. Unfortunately, it was lost in the mail. I have hope that it will eventually turn up. Thankfully, Kyle sent a scan before mailing the art. When Kyle learned that the piece never arrived, he agreed to redo it.
Knowing how much artists hate to redraw something, and because I thought Kyle totally nailed it, I asked if I could upgrade to a larger piece. Kyle agreed. So Kyle created the Jack Carter drawing posted today. I absolutely love it.
If you’d like to see more of Kyle’s art, click on over to his Facebook page. I give Kyle the highest recommendation to folks that collect commissions.
Just the other day we were talking about Steven Grant and Mike Zeck’s collaborations on Circle of Blood, Return to Big Nothing and Damned. Those are the most popular Grant/Zeck graphic stories.
Another very popular crime graphic novel written by Steven Grant (but this time with art by Mat Santolouco) is Two Guns.
If Two Guns sounds familiar, it could be because you’ve seen the trailer for the movie adaptation starring Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg. The movie premieres on August 2nd.
The first issue of a six issue comics sequel, titled appropriately enough, Three Guns (again by Grant, but this time with art by Emilio Laiso) is set to drop around the same time. You can learn more about Three Guns from this piece over at the Hollywood Reporter.
Christopher Moloney is the talent behind FILMography — “…an ongoing art project… that matches scenes from movies with their real-life, present-day locations” in photographs taken by Moloney.
Here are three examples…
First up we have John Travolta (above) in Staying Alive.
Next we have Samuel L. Jackson and Bruce Willis from Die Hard with a Vengeance.
Finally, we have Sylvester Stallone and Jack Lemon from The Prisoner of Second Avenue.
Thanks to Mark Evanier for his post pointing me in the right direction.
Circle of Blood. Return to Big Nothing.
These are the two graphic novels that fans refer to most when talking about Steven Grant and Mike Zeck’s best collaborations.
While I agree that Grant and Zeck’s Punisher stories should be the Bible for others wanting to chronicle the Punisher, I’ve always felt that their crime graphic novel Damned was on equal footing with Circle of Blood and Return to Big Nothing.
Unfortunately, many fans missed out on Damned when it was originally published. If you fall into the group, it’s still not to late to get on board.
There have been several teaser posters released for the new Superman movie. Most of these posters were just ok.
This new poster is by far the best in doing its job. This new poster makes me think, “Yeah, I want to see the Superman: Man of Steel movie.”
If you’d like to see a Superman-sized version of this poster, you can, thanks to the fine folks at IMPAwards.
This week we have Rocky by Cory Walker. Cory is an amazing artist and I got this sketch as a bonus for buying his sketchbook.
The Wicked West (written by Todd Livingston & Robert Tinnell, art by Neil Vokes) should be made into a tv series.
Cotton Coleridge is a loner. Quick with a gun and a man with a past. If the town folk don’t kill him the vampires might.
“Cowboys vs Vampires.” ‘Nuff said, right. Well, just in case it’s not…
Cotton Coleridge returns in The Wicked West 2: Abomination and Other Tales (written by Todd Livingston & Robert Tinnell, art by various)
The second volume of Cotton Coleridge tales contains 23 outings of the gunslinger facing supernatural horrors in the wild west.
Who doesn’t love a good western? Who doesn’t love a good monster? Throw ’em together and you’ve got the recipe for a fun tv series.
Nick Fury: Agent of Shield should be made into a tv series.
I am not talking about the Samuel L. Jackson movie Nick Fury.
What I am talking about is the 1960’s ultra-cool Steranko Nick Fury. That’s right, set the series in the 60’s. Make Fury the cigar-smoking, ex-war hero who is now America’s answer to James Bond.
The war is over, but Fury is fighting to keep the USA safe from Hydra, the Red Skull, Scorpio and other menaces out to destroy our way of life. No longer a soldier, Fury is now a secret agent working for S.H.I.E.L.D.
Think back to how awesome those stories were. Now imagine how cool they could be translated to a weekly series. I’d tune in. Wouldn’t you?
Marvel Comics Master of Kung Fu could make a great television series. Granted, they’d need to change the title. Even die-hard fans of the MOKF series realized that the silly sounding title probably kept more fans from reading the series, but those that gave it a try (especially the Doug Moench/Paul Gulacy issues) were in for some of the best comic stories being published.
Shang-Chi (the Master of Kung Fu from the title) was a young man who, well, let Shang-Chi tell you…
Since then I have learned that my father is Dr. Fu Manchu, the most insidiously evil man on earth…and that to honor him would bring nothing but dishonor to the spirit of my name.”
Shang-Chi reluctantly became an agent for the British government — think Bruce Lee working with James Bond — and found himself in adventures just as wild as in any 007 movie.
Marvel has never given the Moench/Gulacy MOKF run the hardback treatment it deserves since they no longer have the rights to Fu Manchu. This seems like a bit of a cop-out to me, since it would be easy to call Fu something else. I imagine the same thing would have to happen for a proposed tv series.
Tell you what, though. How about someone with clout getting it done in both arenas?
It’s hard to believe that I’ve been plugging Grave Digger by Chris Mills and Rick Burchett since 2004! That’s when the first issue of what could have been a one-shot comic was released.
So who is the professional thief known as “DIgger” McCrae? Here’s how Chris Mills describes him…
If you missed out, you’re in luck, because Mills and Burchett are running the original comic in the form of a free weekly web comic. Before you click over, keep in mind that there is occasionally adult language and violence.
After the original comic runs, Mills and Burchett plan to run a new adventure and then hopefully put out a print edition. I am hoping that they will kickstart a hardcover edition with extras. That’d make me very happy.
Of course a Grave Digger tv series would also be nice.
Gerardo Moreno is back with his version of a new Superman movie poster. I’ve always enjoyed Gerardo’s Stallone art, (he’s a regular at the StalloneZone). You can see more of Gerardo’s art here.
Mike Torrance aka The Krayola Kidd returns with his last (for a while) Rocky card.
You can see more of Mike’s art at The Daily Sketch with The Krayola Kidd (and if you’ve never checked out Mike’s site, you ought to if only to see his Walking Dead cards!) and his Deviant Art site. Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable.
