The Jaffee Project!

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Here’s a cool opportunity to make someone who probably brought you at least a smile or two over the years very happy.  Al Jaffee, award-winning cartoonist, inventor of Mad Magazine’s beloved fold-in page as well as Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions, turns 100 on March 13th.  Sam Vivano, former MAD Art Director and friend of Al’s is putting together a surprise to help Al celebrate…

…(T)he legendary Al Jaffee will celebrate his 100th birthday on March 13. You are invited to send him greetings at the post office box shown in the graphic (above).

Please be sure to put your full name and address on the envelope. This will help me keep track of everything that comes in.

The box is active for the next six months, so don’t worry if you think your greeting won’t arrive by the 13th. I’m sure Al will be happy to continue celebrating his birthday even after it’s passed!

Although the project will run even after Al’s birthday, it would be cool to have Al’s party flooded with messages from fans around the world on his birthday.  Please consider sending in a card.

Sources:

“Enforcement” – The Trailer is Here!

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The trailer for Enforcement looks great.  I especially appreciate the shout-out to Walter Hill and John Carpenter.  Yeah, deal me in.

The exact details of what took place while Talib Ben Hassi (19) was in police custody remain unclear. Police officers, Jens and Mike, are on routine patrol in Svalegården’s ghetto when news of Talib’s death comes in over the radio, igniting uncontrollable, pent-up rage in the ghetto’s youth, who lust for revenge. Suddenly, the two officers find themselves fair game and must fight tooth and claw to find a way out.

Universal Monsters Ultimate Frankenstein’s Monster

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Fans of Universal’s classic monster Frankenstein, as played by Boris Karloff, is coming to fans in June!  

To celebrate the 90th anniversary of the acclaimed silver-screen classic Frankenstein, NECA announces the triumphant debut of Universal Monsters in its Ultimate action figure line!

The sculpt captures Boris Karloff’s poignant portrayal of the misunderstood monster in authentic black-and-white.

Standing in 7″ scale, the figure comes in premium anniversary packaging with plenty of accessories: 3 interchangeable heads, 6 interchangeable hands, shackles and daisies.

Product Features
7 inches (17.78cm)
Made of plastic
Highly detailed
From the classic Frankenstein (1931) movie
Box Contents
Frankenstein’s monster figure
3 Head sculpts
3 Pairs of hands
Chains
2 Daisy accessories

Pre-orders as well as more information and photos are available now at the Big Bad Toy Store.

 

YUMI: SPY FATALE, BADDIE ROYALE by Doug Wagner & Hoyt Silva is Coming!

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Yumi is a 136 page graphic novel created by Doug Wagner and Hoyt Silva.  I’ll let them take it away…

Richard (MI-6’s greatest spy) has gone missing, and now Yumi will do anything to find him…burn down MI-6, send Paris into chaos, attack the city of Dubai, and even kill all his ex’s. Thinking about it, Yumi just might be the world’s greatest anti-spy.

It all started by chance, as Yumi met Richard at a coffee shop in Japan. It was love at first sight, and a storybook romance ensued. Yumi was head over heels in love. As the weeks went by, that love only grew stronger.

Until Richard disappeared without a trace.

Now, Yumi must find him at any cost, and that starts by taking matters into her own hands.

Did we mention that Yumi might be the most gifted hacker on the planet? And that she’s been trained by one of the world’s foremost experts in combat (that would be Ms. V.)? See, Yumi’s dad is the founder and owner of the Tanuki Corporation, one of Japan’s most prominent tech businesses, and he spared no expense training his daughter to be able to defend herself. The hacker part? Well, her dad was considered a tech-genius during his prime, so the apple didn’t fall far from the tree; and in reality, Yumi is way more gifted than even he knows.

Needless to say, things are about to get crazy.

If this sounds like something you’d like, then I encourage you to click over to their Yumi Kickstarter,  You’ll find all kinds of options from digital copies, softcovers, hardcovers, variant covers, and more.  I’ve jumped on board.  It’s going to be a fun ride.

“Concrete Plans” – The Poster and Trailer!

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How about the poster and trailer for Concrete Plans?  I like the poster and tagline: Some Debts Are Paid in Blood.  The trailer also left me wanting to see the movie, which is exactly what it was supposed to do.

Directed by William Jewell

When their employer tries to cheat them out of a job, a rugged crew of workmen turn first on him then each other, leading to a bloody confrontation.

“The Toll” Poster and Trailer!

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Here we have the poster and trailer for The Toll.  I like the poster and the trailer isn’t bad.

Supernatural terror and spine-tingling suspense highlight this gripping journey into fear. When Cami orders a taxi service to take her to her father’s country home, she’s hoping for a quiet and uneventful ride. But a wrong turn by Spencer, her chatty driver, results in the car stalling on a dark and remote road. After several threatening and inexplicable occurrences, Cami and Spencer realize they are being watched by an unseen presence — one that sees them as trespassers, and is ready to exact a deadly toll.

Steranko’s Nick Fury (in Living Color) and Two Suggestions!

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Check out this way cool Steranko Nick Fury art!  Someone should put together a sketchbook of Steranko’s Nick Fury drawings.  Not his Marvel Nick Fury stories, since that’s been done, but a nice sketchbook of Steranko’s Nick Fury art.  Trust me on this one.

Also, I’m still campaigning for a Nick Fury: Agent of SHIELD series set in the 1960s.  One of you Hollywood types should get on this!

If you’d like to see a bigger version of the art above (and who wouldn’t?), click over to I Can’t Stop Thinking About Comics.

“The Devil Below” Poster and Trailer are Here!

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Ignore the poster and check out the trailer for The Devil Below.

The poster is just bad.  The monster is too close to the people looking in the hole.  The creature isn’t scary enough on his own and with the people so close, showing no fear, the poster just doesn’t work.

The trailer for The Devil Below does its job though.  I’ll be tuning in.

A team of researchers come to Appalachian country to try to learn what caused a series of fires that shut down a network of coal mines. They soon discover what shuttered the mines, and what big teeth they have.
#Syfy​ #DevilBelow

“The Seventh Day” Starring Guy Pearce is Here!

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I’m a Guy Pearce fan and his latest is The Seventh Day.  The trailer is below.  This will be a view on streaming for me.

There has been a drastic increase in possessions across the country. Father Peter (#GuyPearce​) a renowned exorcist is serving the church by overseeing trainee priests while they take the last step in their on-the-job training – identifying possession and learning the rites of exorcism. Father Daniel Garcia is Father Peter’s latest trainee. As the priests plunge deeper into hell on earth, the lines between good and evil blur, and their own demons emerge. #TheSeventhDay​

Seung Eun Kim – Check Out This Artist’s Work!

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I can’t remember the last time I came across a new (to me) artist whose work excites me as much as Seung Eun Kim.  Check out Kim’s childhood heroes drawing above.  Not only does he have excellent taste in heroes, but man, that art!

Usually I will post one piece of art with a link to the artist’s site, but there were so many candidates for posting on Seung Eun Kim’s Instagram that I just had to post two… and which two to post was a tough decision.  Click over and you’ll see what I mean.

RIP: Leon Spinks

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Leon Spinks, Olympic Gold medal boxer and former Heavyweight Boxing Champ of the World, died yesterday at age 67 from prostrate cancer.

Leon Spinks won three consecutive national AAU light heavyweight boxing championships.  He was a light heavyweight bronze medalist in the 1974 World Championships, a light heavyweight silver medalist in the 1975 Pan Am games, and a light heavyweight gold medalist in the 1976 Olympics.

Spinks was best known for his upset victory of Mohammad Ali which catapulted him in the national spotlight.  Spinks got the opportunity to face Ali after just 8 professional fights.  Ali was looking at Spinks as a tune-up for a tougher rematch against Ken Norton.  Spinks was a relatively inexperienced pro who had fought most of his career as a light-heavyweight.  Surprisingly, Spinks out-boxed Ali over the course of 15 rounds and won a split-decision victory!

The boxing commission wanted Spinks to next face Ken Norton who was the number 1 contender for the title.  Spinks refused, instead opting to give Ali a rematch.  Spinks was striped of the title.  Ali came to the rematch in shape (no longer under-estimating Spinks) and easily won.  Spinks continued fighting in both the heavyweight and cruiserweight divisions,  In 1981, Spinks fought Larry Holmes for the Heavyweight Championship, losing by TKO in the 3rd.

I remember watching the first Spinks/Ali fight and being surprised at Leon’s performance.  As the fight wore on it became clear that history was being made.  I also was impressed that Spinks was willing to give up the title to give Ali a chance to avenge the loss.  He said he wanted to return the opportunity that Ali had given him.

Leon Spinks won three consecutive national AAU light heavyweight championships.  He was a light heavyweight bronze medalist in the 1974 World Championships, a light heavyweight silver medalist in the 1975 Pan Am games, and a light heavyweight gold medalist in the 1976 Olympics.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Leon Spinks’ family, friends and fans.

RIP: Mike Henry

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Mike Henry, best known for his roles as Tarzan in three feature films and Sheriff Bufford T. Justice’s son in three Smokey and the Bandit movies has died.  Henry died at age 84 on January 8th, from chronic traumatic encephalopathy after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.

Henry was a standout linebacker at USC and went on to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958 – 1961) and the Los Angeles Rams (1962 – 1964).  Henry had played a few minor roles prior to his retirement from football and in 1966 he got the lead as Tarzan in three feature films.  

After playing Tarzan, Henry alternated between guest spots on television and co-starring roles in feature films.  Mike Henry appeared in an episode of Burt Reynold’s series, Dan August and also had a role in Reynold’s feature film, The Longest Yard.  Henry also appeared twice in Charlton Heston films (Soylent Green and Skyjacked) and twice in John Wayne movies (The Green Berets and Rio Lobo).  Most fans may know Henry best as Jackie Gleason’s sidekick in three Smokey and the Bandit films where Henry played Sheriff Bufford T. Justice’s dimwit son, Junior Justice.

I first saw Henry in his Tarzan trilogy which was a new take on the King of the Jungle.  Now Tarzan was an educated, almost James Bond type character.  It was a shocking change, but one that was interesting.  Henry definitely had the physique to play Tarzan.  After the three films, Henry was offered the chance to play Tarzan in the television series that was being developed, but he declined.

In 1988, Henry was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and he retired from acting.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mike Henry’s family, friends and fans.