FX is a Week Away!

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We’re a week away from FX International.  My buddy, John Beatty will there as a guest along with other comic book artists, movie and tv celebs and thousands of fans.  I’ll be hanging out at Big John’s table on Friday and Saturday as he autographs and sketches.  [Oh, and if you plan to get a sketch from John be sure and print out his Big Beatty Stimulus Bucks Coupon!  It will get you five dollars off any sketch purchased!]

Speaking of sketches, I’ll be hoping to get a few more additions to my Stallone theme, as well as a couple of autographs.

Drop me a comment if you plan to attend.  A fun time will be had by all.

Darwyn Cooke’s Big Update

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Yesterday Darwyn Cooke wrote a guest article for Jimmy Palmiotti’s blog and gave us quite an update!  Here are a few highlights:

  • Darwyn is providing covers for The Last Resort which he describes as a “Horror/Comedy… kind of a cross between an Irwin Allen picture and some of the great serials that you’d get back in the day from Heavy Metal.”  It’s written by Jimmy Palmiotti and will be published by IDW this summer.
  • Darwyn is designing and contributing color for the dustjackets on The Complete Torpedo Collection, the five volume set which for the first time ever collects the entire Sanchez Abuli and Jordi Bernet classic series.
  • Our buddy, John Highashi got a shout out for his bowling prowess!
  • Darwyn’s friend Calum Johnston hosts “Almost Darwyn Cooke’s Blog” which provides updates on what the main man is working on.  Until yesterday I didn’t know this blog existed and now it’s on my must read list.

Speaking of must read — if you want to check out Darwyn’s entire guest article, then click here.

Maberry & Patient Zero

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I’m currently about halfway through Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry and I’m totally diggin’ it.  The story reminds me of something that you’d get if you combined the best of Charlie Huston, Lee Child, Steve Niles and Duane Swierczynski.  Yeah, it’s THAT good.

Maberry has a blog where you can learn more about him and Patient Zero [and it’s sequels — I can’t wait!], read interviews, reviews and more.

20 Before You Die

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Yahoo posted their list of 100 Movies to See Before You Die.  Using just their list I give you (in alphabetical order) my list of 20 Movies to See Before You Die:

  • Blazing Saddles (1974)
  • Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  • Casablanca (1942)
  • Die Hard (1988)
  • Double Indemnity (1944)
  • Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
  • Enter the Dragon (1973)
  • The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather II( 1974)
  • Goodfellas (1990)
  • Jaws (1975)
  • King Kong (1933)
  • The Maltese Falcon (1941)
  • The Matrix (1999)
  • Psycho (1960)
  • Pulp Fiction (1994)
  • Rocky (1976)
  • The Searchers(1956)
  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  • The Usual Suspects (1995)
  • The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Thanks to Control Central for the idea.

“The Wrestler” Wrestles

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Last night Mickey Rourke was ringside for Wrestlemania 25.  As you can imagine, Rourke got some ring time and even laid the smackdown on Chris Jericho.  Sounds like fun.

Of course some folks will probably bash or at least question Rourke’s participation in “rasslin’.”  Not me though.  I say if Mickey Rourke wants to get in the ring and have some fun, more power to him.  The only thing that would have made it better is if he’d have won the Oscar!

“28 days” Again

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I’m a fan of “28 days later” and its sequel “28 weeks later” so I was happy to read Boom Studios announce that a new comic series will premiere in July bridging the events between the two movies.  Although a creative team has yet to be announced, this project sounds like it could be a winner.  Especially if the art for the new series is as good as the cover above.

Gary McKee and Jeff Wamester

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Today I posted a quick sketch that I got from Gary McKee in 2007. Gary, Jason Walker and Mike Torrance were offering free head sketches to anyone who purchased their sketchbook. That’s always an enticing deal!

In fact Jeff Wamester just made the same offer and being a fan of his work, I couldn’t pass it up.  Here’s the link if you’re interested, but check to make sure he still has sketchbooks available! [link]

  • Mood:  Satisfied
  • Listening to: September by Earth, Wind and Fire
  • Reading: Patient Zero by Jonathon Mayberry
  • Watching: Apocalypto
  • Playing: with your emotions
  • Eating: Scallops & Artichoke-Mushroom Pasta
  • Drinking: Diet Coke

WWE Hall of Fame

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Although I loved professional wrestling when I was a kid back in the 60’s and early 70’s, I haven’t regularly watched it since my sons lost interest more than a few years ago.  Still, I enjoy seeing clips of old matches/interviews and reading biographies of professional wrestlers.  You wouldn’t believe some of the stories — and that’s just the ones that they’ll share!

Last night the WWE Hall of Fame Inductions included “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, Ricky “”The Dragon” Steamboat, “Cowboy” Bill Watts, Dory and Terry Funk, announcer Howard Finkle and the Von Erich family.

Here’s a bit of trivia:  Did you know that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin is set to co-star with Sly in The Expendables and Terry Funk had featured roles in Sly’s Paradise Alley and Over the Top?

Baseball Cheers

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My nephew, Josh Gonzaga, plays college baseball for the East Tennessee Buccaners.  Today they had a doubleheader against North Florida in Jacksonville.  Since Josh was starting pitcher in the second game, the family decided to drive up.  When I say family, I mean family.  In attendance were Josh’s mom, dad and brother Justin, my nephew Joey and his wife, my wife, my son Mike and his girlfriend Erin, and Grandma Peggy.

Now the one thing you have to know about Grandma Peggy is that she has little interest in sports and knows even less about them.  You could tell her that the pitcher just threw for three touchdowns and she’d not question it.  You could say that the batter just earned a TKO and she’d believe you.  Grandma Peggy was just there because Josh was playing and she loves being with her family.

As the game got underway there were the normal cheers.  “Go Bucs!”  “Give him your best pitch!”  “Great pitch, Josh!”  “Battle back, kid!”  “Come on blue, get in the game!”  There were also a few new [at least to me] cheers: “Hey Blue, I thought only cows slept standing up!”  “Hey Blue, don’t be chicken to call a foul (fowl)!” As the game tightened up and got down to the middle innings it seemed that everyone in the family was cheering something.  And that’s when Grandma Peggy yelled:

“That batter swings like a pole dancer!”

Everyone in the family suddenly got quiet and all eyes went to Grandma Peggy who was proudly smiling.  “Uh, mom, what does that mean?” I asked.  “I don’t know, I just thought it sounded right” came her response.  We all busted out laughing.  For the rest of the game, every so often, you’d hear someone yell, “That batter swings like a pole dancer!”

So if you’re ever at a baseball game and you hear that cheer… remember you read it here first at the ZONE!  [Take THAT, Joey!]

20 All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture

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Entertainment Weekly.com listed their choices for the 20 All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture. (Sadly the list is no longer available.) I decided to play along.  Just using their list, I came up with my top ten:

10.  Spider-Man: Who wouldn’t want spider-senses, be able to swing through the city, and girlfriends like Mary Jane Parker and Gwen Stacy?  I’m talking the comic book versions of course.

09.  Superman: When I was a kid I loved tv series.  The first movie with Christopher Reeves also rocked.  Everything after that — not so cool.

08.  Mad Max: If it wasn’t for Beyond Thunderdome, Max might have rated higher!

07.  Dirty Harry:  Who doesn’t love Clint as Harry Callahan?

06.  John McCane: Yippe-kiaaaaaa!

05.  Indiana Jones: Harrison Ford’s signature role is nerdy cool!

04.  Batman: So many versions [Neal Adams, Marshall Rogers, Frank Miller, Adam West, Tim Burton’s, Christopher Nolan’s, etc.] and each one works.

03.  Jack Bauer: No matter how bad things get, Bauer stays cool.

02.  James Bond: Like Batman, so many versions, but Connery and Craig are the coolest Bonds.

01.  Captain James T. Kirk: Star Fleet Captain and ladies man.  Now THAT is cool.

Okay,  I played fair and used EW’s list… but what about John Rambo, Riddick, Marv from Sin City, and James West to name just a few who didn’t make the cut?

Viking #1 Sells Out

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I can’t wait to pick up my copy of Ivan Brandon and Nic Klein’s first issue of Viking.   If you feel the same, I hope that you’ve already put your order in with your local comic retailer.  If you haven’t you could be out of luck — at least if you’re hoping for a first printing.

What’s crazy about this unprecedented situation is that the comic hasn’t even reached stores yet and won’t until April 22nd.  It’s sold out at from Image Comics and the distributor.   Stores will still get the copies that they’ve ordered, but once they’re gone, they’re gone.  The good news is there will be a second printing.