“The Expendables” Comic Prequel

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If you can’t wait for The Expendables to premiere in theaters later this year, then perhaps an Expendables comic prequel will help hold you over. CBR.com has an interview with Chuck Dixon, the writer of the project. Here’s a bit of what Dixon had to say:

“This is a movie that Sylvester Stallone has been trying to get together for years; an action movie packed with as many well-known action stars as possible…

“Sly’s not re-inventing the wheel here. He’s just built a really bad-ass, killer wheel of awesomeness…

“My job is to tell a story that takes place before the events of the movie without revealing anything that’s to come in the movie’s story…

To read the full interview as well as see some preliminary art for the comic, simply click here.

Dave Wachter’s Rocky

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It couldn’t be more appropriate [since there were several pieces about Rocky and the Oscars in this week’s update] that we have Rocky by Dave Wachter for this week’s Stallone art. Dave’s work has appeared on the SZ before with his riff on Sly from Paradise Alley.

After the recent earthquake in Haiti, Dave offered everyone who made a donation to Doctors Without Borders to aide earthquake victims in Haiti a free sketch. The piece about is what I got for my donation. You can see what others selected, and more of Dave’s art by heading over to his website.

Thanks to Dave for my great sketch as well as his efforts to help the people in Haiti.

Lost Has Lost It’s Way

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I’ve been a Lost fan since the first season premiere.  I’ve never missed an episode and was really looking forward to the final season.  I have to admit that I’ve been disappointed so far.  I still record new episodes, but there’s no longer the rush to watch ’em.

What’s been buggin’ me is the alternate timelines/universes.  Now what happens doesn’t seem to matter as much because it’s just one of who knows how many possible timelines.

Bah!

At least I’m not the only one who feels that way.

I’m still going to watch the final season and hope that it returns to old form.

Survival of the Dead

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FilmFilia scored a first look a the red band trailer and some new posters for George Romero’s Survival of the Dead.  Although I’m not feeling the poster or the trailer like I hoped I would, you know at some point I’m going to have to check out Survival of the Dead.  I mean, c’mon, it’s George Romero and zombies.  Which is, pardon the expression a No BRAINSer.

Jonah Hex #50 [Minor Spoilers]

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The Pitch: Darwyn Cooke [artist] teams with Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti [writers] for the 50th issue [a double-sized extravaganza] of Jonah Hex.

The Overview: Hex and a female bounty hunter named Tallulah have found that working together has benefits… their relationship has become more than just professional.  After a night spent together celebrating a huge reward, Hex wakes up alone.  Determined to find Tallulah and the reason she left, Hex accepts a bounty mission to bring in 50 criminals.  Fifty bounties is a huge burden, but it’ll be easier than accepting what he learns about Tallulah.

The Good: Darwyn Cooke’s art. The story by Justin Gray & Jimmy Palmiotti.  Tallulah is a cool character and the perfect love interest for Hex. The reason Tallulah left.  Fifty bounties for the 50th issue was a nice touch.

The Bad: What happens to those hunted by Hex or Tallulah.  Hex’s attitude after Tallulah leaves.  What happens along the way and when Hex finds her.

The Ugly: Jonah Hex.

The Summary: Jonah Hex #50 is a great read.  The story has twists that will surprise even the most jaded comic reader. It’s a double-sized issue and presents a complete story, so even the most casual comic reader can enjoy it. It’s definitely worth searching out.

Mike Torrance’s First Blood

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Mike Torrance pencils, inks and colors. Mike regular posts a sketchcard idea contest at Retro Cowboy Productions and his Deviant Art site. Here’s how it works, Mike posts a subject and the first one to make request which fits the theme is the winner! This is the second time I’ve won [the theme this time: 80’s Action Heroes — the first time I won: Detectives].

Mike is available for commissions and his prices are very reasonable. Check him out.

Mir’s Murder Comments Won’t Die

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Earlier in the week, Frank Mir made comments that caused a lot of controversy in the mixed martial arts world.  Of course saying…

I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries.

… is bound to stir things up.  It wasn’t too long before UFC President Dana White responded to Mir’s comments by calling Mir…

a [expletive] idiot!

White went on to say…

I have never heard something so unprofessional and idiotic in my life.

Of course when the guy who writes your paychecks is upset with something you’ve said, it’s probably a good idea to apologize.  Which is what Mir did…

“I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks…

So things should have died down, but then a reporter asked Shane Carwin [Mir’s next opponent] to comment on Mir’s tirade against Brock.  Carwin hadn’t seen or heard the interview, but had this to say…

…I can tell you that ANY athlete wishing death upon a competitor is either a terrible human being or mentally unfit to fight…”

After that things quieted down… until a Sports Illustrated reporter spoke to Mir about the controversy his comments caused.  Mir admitted he was surprised to be called to the carpet…

I’ve heard people say that this is to the death. I’ve heard people say about an opponent, ‘I’m going to kill him.’ I heard Brock say he was going to put his hand up my rear end to pull out a horseshoe. I didn’t hear anyone get too upset about that.”

The SI reporter went on to say that recently fighters like BJ Penn, Chuck Liddell and even Brock Lesnar have said that they wanted to kill or murder their opponents.  So why the continued fuss over Mir’s comments?

Even Brock Lesnar didn’t seem to understand the controversy and told a Sporting News Reporter…

“It was out of line, but in the fighter’s mentality, I don’t want to go in the Octagon and kill somebody but I want to do whatever I can to win. Maybe that’s what he was saying…

So now things will, uh, die down, right?  Oh, oh, maybe not because Brock added…

“I’d really like to fight Frank Mir again … Hopefully he gets past Shane Carwin so I can give him another beatdown. For a guy to take an ass-whipping like the last one I gave him and for him to keep running his mouth, I’ve just got laugh. … I don’t know what I’ll have to do to shut him up.”

Well, at least Brock didn’t say he’d have to kill him.

Carwin Comments on Mir’s Comments

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Two days ago I posted about Frank Mir saying he wanted to break Brock Lesnar’s neck and he hoped that Brock would be the first to die in the octagon.  I predicted that a Mir apology would be coming soon.  I was right.

Yesterday I posted that Mir had issued an apology.  I predicted that all would be forgiven until the time that Mir and Lesnar fought for a third time.  I was wrong.

When Shane Carwin was asked about Mir’s comments said the following:

“I did not see the interview so I can’t comment on what he [Mir] might have said.  I can tell you that ANY athlete wishing death upon a competitor is either a terrible human being or mentally unfit to fight…”

Considering that Mir is Carwin’s opponent next month at UFC 111, Carwin didn’t lay it on too thick.

Mir Issues Apology

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Yesterday I predicted that Frank Mir would say that he was sorry for his comments that he wanted to break Lesnar’s neck or for him to be killed in the octagon. Later that afternoon Mir released the following statement:

“I would like to apologize to Brock Lesnar, his family, the UFC and the UFC fans for my stupid remarks,” said Mir. “I respect Brock, all the other fighters, and the sport of mixed martial arts.  I’m sorry that I stepped out of line.”

Ok.  Nice apology.  All is forgiven… at least until Mir and Lesnar meet in the cage for a third time.  Then you know it will become a point of contention and another way to hype the fight.

Frank Mir Said What?

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Frank Mir is one of my favorite mixed martial arts fighters.  I like him because he’s talented, has a great work ethic, is intelligent, speaks his mind and came back from a devastating motorcycle injury that would have retired lesser men.  So it disappoints me to report that Mir said in an interview…

I want to fight Lesnar. I hate who he is as a person. I want to break his neck in the ring. I want him to be the first person that dies due to Octagon-related injuries.

Of course the comments Mir made were extreme.  I get that Mir doesn’t like Lesnar.  Without a doubt Lesnar’s antics after winning the second fight with Mir [getting in his face, yelling at him, etc.] fueled Mir’s dislike.  But did Lesnar’s childish taunts warrant Frank wanting to break his neck or hope that Lesnar becomes the first to die in the octagon?  Of course not.

As you can imagine, Mir’s comments didn’t go over well with most fans and definitely ticked off UFC president Dana White who responded to Mir’s comments with:

“Mir is a [expletive] idiot! I have never heard something so unprofessional and idiotic in my life.

While it’s true that Dana White has made his share of unprofessional comments, it doesn’t change the fact that Mir joined the club with his rant.  But Frank Mir is no idiot.  In fact, he comes off as a pretty intelligent guy.  He’s no thug.

It’s been announced that Mir will issue a statement later today.  My guess is that Mir will say that he’s sorry for the comments that he made and that he really doesn’t want to break Lesnar’s neck or for him to be killed in the octagon.  I have no doubt that is the truth.

I also have no doubt that Mir really wants to fight Lesnar for a third time.  And that’s just another reason that Frank Mir is one of my favorite fighters.