Search Results for: HEROES CON

THE LAST ACTION HEROES: THE TRIUMPHS, FLOPS, AND FEUDS OF HOLLYWOOD’S KINGS OF CARNAGE by Nick de Semlyen

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The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood’s Kings of Carnage by Nick de Semlyen

Hardback: ‎ 352 pages
Publisher: ‎ Crown (June 6, 2023)

First sentence…

They came from the sky.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

I was sent an advance copy of THE LAST ACTION HEROES: THE TRIUMPHS, FLOPS, AND FEUDS OF HOLLYWOOD’S KINGS OF CARNAGE by Nick de Semlyen.  I’d like to thank whoever put me on the list because THE LAST ACTION HEROES is a winner.

Nick de Semlyen takes us back to the time that action heroes ruled movie theaters around the world.  Fans eagerly waited for the next outing by Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis, Van Damme, Chan, Lundgren and Seagal.  The movies (and stars paychecks) kept getting bigger and bigger as each new outing had to outdo the last.  de Semlyen focuses on the careers of each of these super stars, taking us behind the scenes to reveal the truth behind the rumors and legends.

de Semlyen did extensive research to create a book that’s easy to read and feels like you’re listening to a conversation.  I’m old enough to remember when these action heroes ruled the box office.  de Semlyen took me back to that time.  He confirmed some stories I’d heard and presented many that were new to me.  I love that the book includes an index of sources that were used.  Fans will love the behind the scenes stories.

THE LAST ACTION HEROES: THE TRIUMPHS, FLOPS, AND FEUDS OF HOLLYWOOD’S KINGS OF CARNAGE by Nick de Semlyen rates 5 of 5 stars.

Rating:

George Perez and Svengoolie – The Fan Connection!

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The photo above is of George Perez (in the middle), George’s wife Carol, and Svengoolie.  If you don’t know who George Perez is, either do a search on my site or Google him.  I’ll wait.

Ok, now that we’re on the same page with the late George Perez, one of the most popular artists to ever draw a comic, let’s talk Svengoolie.

Svengoolie is a host of horror movies.  He’s been doing this gig for over 40 years.  For the last decade or so, Svengoolie’s show has been on Me-TV every Saturday at 8pm.  It’s a weekly ritual for many horror movie fans who Tweet along.

As it turns out, George Perez was a Svengoolie fan, and Svengoolie was a George Perez fan! George and/or his art had appeared on Svengoolie’s shows.  When George passed, Svengoolie paid tribute on his next episode.  Which brings us to the art below.  Svengoolie says George…

… once asked me about who some of my favorite superheroes were — and surprised me by sending a fantastic book about his artwork — in which he had actually drawn, on the inside cover, Batman and Captain America discovering a familiar artifact of our set! It is a cherished reminder tome of a friend who was not only a great artist, but a really good and generous man.

Svengoolie shared this in his latest newsletter.  You can learn about Svengoolie, his upcoming shows and more here.

“The French Connection” / Z-View

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The French Connection (1971)

Director: William Friedkin

Screenplay:  Ernest Tidyman (based on the book by Robin Moore)

Starring:  Gene Hackman, Roy Scheider, Fernando Ray and Tony Lo Bianco.

Tagline:  The time is just right for an out and out thriller like this.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Let me say from the start most folks like The French Connection much more than me.  The French Connection was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won five (Best Picture, Best Actor – Hackman; Best Director, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium and Best Film Editing – Gerald B. Greenberg).  When a movie gets that many awards, is the number three box office champ for the year and a reviewer only gives it 3 of 5 stars, your mileage will probably differ.

My biggest problem with The French Connection is the lead characters.  Detective Buddy Russo (Scheider) isn’t given much to do other than be Detective Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle’s reluctant sidekick.  ‘Popeye’ Doyle (Hackman) is a loud, unlikeable screw-up.

Let me count some of the ways Doyle irritates me.  When following the drug importing mastermind, Popeye gets made and played on the subway.  Doyle “commandeers” a citizen’s car to chase a sniper making a getaway on an El-train.  During the chase he causes multiple wrecks, nearly runs over a lady pushing a baby carriage, and destroys the car he “borrowed”.  When Doyle gets into a footrace with the sniper he ends up shooting the guy in the back.  The movie culminates with Doyle accidentally shooting an FBI agent and the drug importing mastermind getting away.

Despite the nits I picked, The French Connection has its moments.  It features one of the most popular car chases in movie history.  Friedkin’s documentary feel influenced filmmakers and it is an excellent example of 70s films (anti-heroes, gritty city settings, good guys don’t always win).

The French Connection rates 3 of 5 stars (but again I stress, your mileage may vary!).

Giant-Size Charlotte Mini-Con is Coming on November 6th and 7th!

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I was extremely happy to read that Shelton Drum, the man behind Heroes Aren’t Hard to Find and HeroesCon, announced that there would be a Giant-Size Charlotte Mini-Con on November 6th and 7th.  Here’s the lowdown:

Coming to the Charlotte Convention Center:

Saturday, November 6: 10AM-6PM and Sunday, November 7: 10AM-4PM.

This show will feature 80,000 Sq Ft of the BEST COMIC BOOK DEALERS in the country, as well as a curated Artist Alley hosting some of the industry’s greatest!

This event will be a Comic-Book Collector’s DREAM!! A room FILLED with comic books from every generation of the medium!

This show is a “GIANT-SIZE” version of our long-running CHARLOTTE MINI-CON, and we will not be hosting panels or additional programming during this event. We will return with incredible panels and additional programming for the 40th Anniversary Heroes Convention, returning next June 2022.

The GIANT-SIZE CHARLOTTE MINI-CON is all about the COMIC-BOOKS! We hope you will join us for this GIANT-SIZE “old-school” Comic-Convention!

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TICKETS:
There are TWO TICKET OPTIONS for the Giant-Size Charlotte Mini-Con:

$10.00* – SATURDAY (includes BONUS SUNDAY admission!)

$5.00* – SUNDAY ONLY

KIDS 18 & UNDER = FREE (must register for ticket)

*Tickets are non-refundable

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ATTENTION HEROESCON 2020 & 2021 TICKET HOLDERS!!
If you purchased a ticket for the 2020 or 2021 Heroes Convention before April of 2021, your HeroesCon ticket will automatically get you into both days of the GIANT-SIZE CHARLOTTE MINI-CON as an extra added bonus! You will NOT need to purchase an additional ticket for the Giant-Size Charlotte Mini-Con, this event is included with your existing HeroesCon 2022 ticket!

We appreciate your continued support over the past year and hope that you will come out and enjoy this exciting bonus event!

It is awesome that Shelton is giving free admission to those of us who had purchased tickets to HeroesCon 2020 or 2021 since those shows had to be cancelled due to Covid.

I’m looking forward to the GIANT-SIZE CHARLOTTE MINI-CON.  It will be great to see old friends and meet new ones.

“Hogan’s Heroes” Trivia

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To this day it’s hard for me to believe that anyone would greenlight a TV comedy about a World War II prisoner of war camp.  But that’s exactly what happened.  Hogan’s Heroes ran for 168 episodes, premiering in September 1965 and airing the last original episode in April 1971.  Hogan’s Heroes is the longest running American TV series inspired by World War II.  Who would’ve thunk it?

MeTV recently posted 12 Incredibly True Facts about Hogan’s Heroes.  Here are three of my favorites and my thoughts on each…

The actors playing the four main German roles were Jewish. Klemperer (Klink), Banner (Schultz), Leon Askin (Burkhalter) and Howard Caine (Hochstetter) were Jewish, and all but the latter had fled the Nazis during WWII. Additionally, Robert Clary, who played the cooking French corporal, LeBeau, had been interned at a concentration camp. Klemperer stated at the time, “I am an actor. If I can play Richard III, I can play a Nazi.” The actor insisted that Hogan always won out over his captors.

(I remember at the time there was a bit of controversy from World War II vets, and some who had been in POW camps, as well as those who felt nothing about WW2 was funny. – Craig)

The set was blown up during the making of Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS. What an ignominious fate. Hogan’s Heroes was filmed on Desilu Productions’ RKO Forty Acres backlot. In the making of the trashy 1974 exploitation film Ilsa, She Wolf of the SS, the set was destroyed for the final scene. Hogan’s producers were okay with it, as it saved the cost of having the set demolished.

(What a way to go! – Craig)

The show used the tagline If you liked World War II, you’ll love Hogan’s Heroes!  The tagline was sarcastically suggested by comedian and author Stan Freberg in an interview with Bob Crane in The Sunday Times, on September 15, 1965. “Shall we say, ‘If you liked World War II…you’ll love Hogan’s Heroes?'” Freberg dryly asks. “No, let’s not say that, no,” Crane responds. Nevertheless, it became the tagline.

(I wonder if in this age of political correctness, would Hogan’s Heroes ever make it to production? – Craig)

10 Huge Action Hollywood Action Heroes in Tiny Early Television Roles

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Heroes & Icons present 10 Huge Action Hollywood Action Heroes in Tiny Early Television Roles.  Here are three of my favorites…

SYLVESTER STALLONE ON ‘POLICE STORY’

Rocky and the Rifleman, together? Now that’s mucho macho. In “The Cutting Edge,” Chuck Connors plays veteran cop Sgt. Ed Peebles. Naturally, he is teamed with a young partner, Elmore Caddo, played by Sly Stallone in his first television role. Airing a year before Rocky hit screens, the episode included a prescient line of dialogue. “They actually call me ‘Rocky,'” his character says. “I prefer that.”

 

BRUCE WILLIS ON ‘MIAMI VICE’

Moonlighting made Willis an immediate star in 1985. His resume was light leading up to that breakout role. A year earlier, he earned his first television credit in a very early episode of Miami Vice, “No Exit.” With pleated pants, puffy blouses and wavy hair, he oozed ’80s style — and made a pretty sleazy arms dealer.

 

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER ON ‘STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO’

The cult film Hercules in New York introduced the Austrian strongman to American audiences in 1970, but Arnie mostly kept to flexing competitions the rest of the decade. In 1977, he bulged his way onto the boob tube making his TV debut on an episode of The Streets of San Francisco dubbed “Dead Lift.” It was not much of a stretch (though it was a significant flex) as he played a champion bodybuilder named Josef Schmidt.

The Overlooked Second Roles of TVs Greatest Western Stars

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The fine folks at Heroes & Icons present The Overlooked Second Roles of TVs Greatest Western Stars.  Here are three of my favorites and my thoughts…

JAMES ARNESS IN ‘HOW THE WEST WAS WON’

Twenty years is a long time to play a character. And that was just the beginning. Arness kept pinning on his Marshal badge in Gunsmoke TV movies up until the mid-1990s. Audiences could not get enough of Matt Dillon for four decades. In the middle there, from 1977–79, Arness headlined How the West Was Won, a loose adaptation of the 1962 film that began as a miniseries. The veteran cowboy actor played Zebulon “Zeb” Macahan, a rugged pioneer, tracker and Army scout who moves his family from Virginia to the frontier. Bruce Boxleitner and Eva Marie Saint rounded out the stellar cast.

I was a huge fan of How the West Was Won and Zeb Machan was my favorite character.  He was a no-nonsense frontiersman who seemed so different from the heroes on tv at that time.  I’d like to see the series again to check out if it holds up to my memory of how good it was.

CHUCK CONNORS IN ‘BRANDED’

Former three-sport professional athlete Chuck Connors cut an impressive figure as a TV cowboy. His imposing presence also made him suitable as an indomitable villain, as he so often portrayed later in his career. However, two years after The Rifleman star hung up his Winchester, he slid into a new uniform, portraying unjustly disgraced cavalry captain Jason McCord on Branded. McCord was a vagabond, wandering the country like the Fugitive or Incredible Hulk, seeking to prove himself. Connor’s broad shoulders wore the massive chip in it well. Alas, kicking off in 1965, the series lasted a mere two seasons. Perhaps it was doomed to be an outlier, as the show was a rare scripted drama from Goodson-Todman Productions, a studio best known for churning out hit game shows like The Price Is Right, Family Feud, Match Game and Password.

I was a huge fan of Branded.  It hit at a great time for me as I was really into the whole Custer legend.  The thought that a man survived the battle and was unjustly branded a coward made for good drama.

JAMES GARNER IN ‘NICHOLS’

Nichols was a reunion between James Garner and Warner Bros., his first work for the studio since his iconic role as Maverick. The two lead characters had much in common, from their black hats to their sharp wit to their similar adventures. However, Nichols took some unexpected turns. For starters, our hero rode a motorcycle, not a horse. Then, after shaky ratings, producers killed off Nichols — only to replace him with his twin brother, Nichols. This new Nichols had a mustache. The great Margot Kidder co-starred as the love interest, yet somehow audiences just did not click.

Nicols was a different spin on the western.  It was set at the turn-of-the-century and the hero drove a motorcycle!  I loved it… but you know the series is in trouble when they kill off the star’s character… even if he returns as his twin brother.

Around this same time there was another series set in the turn-of-the-century west called The Bearcats that I liked.  It didn’t last long either.

Cooke Ushers in King Features Greatest Heroes!

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The Phantom  art above is just one of five new Darwyn Cooke covers that appear on IDW’s first issues for the return of King Features greatest comic strip heroes.

Each hero will appear in his own five issue mini-series with the creative talent of…

  •  Flash Gordon will be written by Ben Acker and Ben Blacker, with art by Lee Ferguson.
  • Mandrake the Magician  will be written by Roger Langridge with art by Jeremy Treece. [Congrats Jeremy!]
  • Prince Valiant  will be written by Nate Cosby with art by Ron Salas. [Congrats Ron!]
  • The Phantom  will be written by Brian Clevenger with art by Brent Schoonover.
  • Jungle Jim  will be written by Paul Tobin with art by Sandy Jerrel.

 

Sources: ICV2 and Almost Darwyn Cooke.

Florida Super Con

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been a week since Heroes Con [and I haven’t even posted a con report or photos] and in just four days the 2010 Florida Super Con will kick off!  Last year was my first trip to the Florida Super Con and I had a blast!

I had every intention of attending again this year, but since my return from Heroes, my job responsibilities  have changed and I’m going to have a lot less time off this summer.  I’m going out of town the following week, so it may be pushing it to get to the FSC.  Still, with a great comic guest list, and an amazing media guest list, the temptation is still there.  Who knows?  Maybe, I’ll still get down for a day or two.  You should too, if you can.  A fun time is guaranteed!

Tampa Con Report

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I finally had some time to post a few pictures from Tim Gordon’s Tampa Comic and Toy Convention. Those two mugs above are John Beatty and I. We’re holding up copies of the Christmas Charity comic that Tim put together. Big J and I did a story for it. John says that since the last story we worked together on was about 30 years ago, we can look for our next team-up somewhere around 2039.

John did some sketches while at the show…

Some superheroes showed up…

And even one that looked like…

Heroes Here I Come!

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Tomorrow I’m heading to  Heroes Con in Charlotte, North Carolina. Most folks refer to it as the best comic convention on the East Coast.  Most folks would be right.  From Friday, June 19th to Sunday, the 21st I’ll see if the praise still holds true.  My guess is, it will.

I plan to tweet updates from the show and post a major con report next week.  Until then…

Heroes Once Again

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I missed out on Heroes Con last year.  Normally, we plan the family vacation so that we’re in Charlotte the weekend of the show.  It just couldn’t be worked out last year.  Up until a week ago, I thought I’d miss the convention again.  But thanks to some buddies who’ve invited me to join them, I’ll be there when the doors open on Friday, June 19th and plan to hang around until they throw us out on Sunday, the 21st.

I’m excited because I’ll get to hang with a group of friends I haven’t seen in a while – “The James”, Hal, Will, Matt, Jason, Gary,,, I’ll get to see some artists/writers whose work I love – Ed Brubaker, Otis Frampton, Chris Brunner, Eric Canate, Evan Bryce… aw, you can check out the guest list here for yourself.  Then if you get the urge, make plans to come to the show.  [ I’d hate for you to miss out.  Trust me, I know how that feels, and it ain’t fun.]

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.  So I decided to play along.  Just using their list, I’ve listed 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?

3 Real Life Heroes

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Comic book legends Neal Adams, Jack Kubert and Stan Lee have teamed in an effort to do what their creations are known for… to right a wrong. The only difference is this is not fiction.

Dina Gottliebova Babbitt is an 85 year old woman who survived Auschwitz due to her artistic talents. Sent to the camp at the age of 19, Ms. Gottliebova [she was not yet married] came to the attention of the infamous Nazi, Josef Mengele, after she painted a mural of Snow White in an effort to raise the spirits of young children being held there. When she was taken to meet Mengele, Ms. Gottliebova believed that he was about to order her execution. Instead he told her he wanted her to paint portraits of the gypsies he used in his experiments. She would also paint portraits of Nazi officers and their families and even Mengele himself. Ms. Gottliebova summoned up her courage and said that if her mother would be spared the gas chamber, she would agree to his demands. Her mother was spared and Ms. Gottliebova created the artwork. Ms. Gottliebova and her mother both survived until the camp was liberated.

After the war, Ms. Gottliebova met Arthur Babbitt, an American, who made his living as a cartoon animator. Coincidentally, he worked on the classic “Snow White!” Ms. Gottliebova became Mrs. Babbitt and moved to the United States where she became employed as a cartoon animator for Warner Bros., MGM and Jay Ward Productions. In 1973, Ms. Babbitt was contacted by officials at the Auschwitz State Museum. They had several of her portraits on display and wanted her to verify that she had created them. At her own expense she traveled to Poland and confirmed that they were hers. Ms. Babbitt believed the museum would give her the originals and keep prints for display… but that wasn’t to be.

To this day the museum continues to refuse to return her paintings to her. Over the years she has been given a number of excuses: the education value of the paintings outweighs her rights to them [despite the fact the high quality prints are usually on display instead of the originals], that returning her paintings might encourage other survivors to take back their objects on display [somehow this logic gives trump to the museum’s rights over the true owners], and even that the paintings were the legal property of Josef Mengele [despite receiving letters from over four dozen lawyers calling the claim “preposterous and offensive” and pointing out “a war criminal does not deserve to enjoy the fruits of his crime.”

The paintings still have not been returned to Ms. Babbitt. So Neal Adams, Joe Kubert and Stan Lee teamed up to create a six page summary of her story that was printed in the New York Times. They are attempting to get the word out to the world. You can view all six pages of the strip by following this link to the Times article. The “Multimedia” box in the left hand column of the Times page will take you to the story. After you’ve read it, if you’re so inclined you can send an email to the Museum director personally expressing your feelings.

Mr. Piotr Cywinski, Director
Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum
Oswiecim, Poland
muzeum@auschwitz.org.pl

It’s nice to know that Neal Adams, Joe Kubert and Stan Lee don’t just create heroes — they are heroes.

 

 

3 Less Heroes

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Shelton Drum’s Heroes Convention is without a doubt one of the best comic book – media shows anywhere. Over the years longtime ZONErs have read about my adventures at Heroes Con meeting favorite artists, writers, as well as friends old and new. It was always a blast seeing who was going to add their work to my Stallone Theme Gallery or who was going to join the crowd for dinner or whose room would become “the spot” for the evening. And that’s not even taking into account the art auction, book signings, costumes, etc.
Most years the convention would be held on a date that worked for the entire Zablo family vacation. Other times my oldest son, Mike [who is into conventions] and I would share a room with John Beatty. Unfortunately this year the show is being held on a date that doesn’t work out for either plan.

Still, if YOU are able to attend the show, you should. I can guarantee you’ll have a great time. Even if Beatty, Mike and I aren’t there to add to the fun.