Previews and Reviews that are Z's Views
Eddie Money has passed away at age 70. Money was a singer/songwriter best known for his hits Baby Hold On, Two Tickets to Paradise, Shakin’, Think I’m in Love, Take Me Home Tonight and my personal favorite, Maybe I’m a Fool. His hits bring back great memories of good times.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends and fans.
The new Treadway trailer is here!
The new Midway trailer is here. This screams to be seen on the big screen.
Sean Cubillas and CBR.com present 9 Things You Didn’t Know About Calvin & Hobbes. Calvin and Hobbes is my all-time favorite humor strip, and odds are it is yours too. Here are three of my favorites from Cubillas’ list, then click over and read the rest…
EVERYTHING STARTED OFF IN THE DOGHOUSE
Right before Watterson would finally receive syndication, he went through quite a bit of rejection. One rejection, in particular, showed the early designs of Calvin and Hobbes. Originally pitched as The Doghouse, a strip that would be described as a hard sell, “Marvin and Hobbes” were on-sided characters that the United Feature Syndicate caught and told Watterson were selling characters.The United Feature Syndicate, however, would go on to reject his next draft. The Universal Press Syndicate would, fortunately, be a little more welcoming. Despite telling Watterson after his first strip to not quit his day job, Calvin & Hobbes would soon become the best seller that the world knows today.
THE STRIP ENDED BECAUSE WATTERSON WAS FINISHED WITH IT
If anyone was wondering why there are no more Calvin & Hobbes strips after 1995 despite only having a decade run and Bill Watterson still being alive to this day, it’s because Watterson just got tired of it. Simple as that. He already had two long running sabbaticals preluding his departure in 1995, but Watterson has gone on to say that he achieved everything that he ever wanted to out of a comic strip and didn’t want to spoil anything by forcing any more out.It’s genuine and protective to the legacy that he already created, but also a little disappointing to the fans who may have wanted more. But, considering the decline of Garfield and even Peanuts, it’s hard to blame someone trying to go out on top.
BILL WATTERSON REFUSED MOVIE TALKS
Three years into Calvin & Hobbes’ run, Stephen Spielberg contacted the Universal Press Syndicate, wanting to talk about a movie deal. Universal Press would excitedly bring the deal to Watterson, who would anticlimactically definitively declare his disinterest. Learning from #6 on this list, Bill Watterson wholeheartedly believed that the magic of Calvin & Hobbes solely remained in its strip format, so much so that he would even turn down toys, animated series offers, and even a multimillion dollar movie deal with the guy who made the Indiana Jones movies.Despite having a net worth as of this writing of $100 million USD, Watterson is a man of artistic integrity through and through, proving that success is not always about the money but protecting the experience for the audience, which is something that one can’t exactly say for the guy who made Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.
It was just a little over a year ago when I posted about Jason Copland and his crime-scifi-noir graphic novel Full Tilt featuring Massimo Miller. I loved the look of the series and the synopsis pulled me in…
Massimo is the Consigliere for the Chessa Family, a position bestowed upon him by the syndicate’s boss, Russo Chessa. As Consigliere, Massimo acts as advisor and liaison in all matters that pertain to the family business giving him meaningful influence over syndicate affairs. Holding this position of power is all the more remarkable due to the fact that most of Massimo’s life was spent as a slave of a rival crime organization. Chosen for his loyalty and integrity, Massimo is no yes man. He is a heavy smoker, however, much to Russo’s chagrin. Massimo’s preferred brand is Marlboro XXV Kings.
After seeing some preview art for Full Tilt, I followed Jason on Twitter and signed up for his newsletter. At that time I suggested you do the same. I hope you did because then you’ve been able to see Full Tilt updates, have a chance to get a Full Tilt sketchbook and be entered into drawings for free art.
The art I’ve posted today is just three of the 21 original art covers that Jason created for fans who ordered his Full Tilt sketchbook. Folks, as you can see, these aren’t just quick head sketches. PLUS Jason had a drawing for a free sketch (congrats to winner Robin Morley).
As you can guess, I’m going to end this post by suggesting that you follow Jason Copland on Twitter and sign-up for Jason’s newsletter. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did.
These days zombies are the most popular of all monsters.
There was a time however when zombies were only in movies and zombie movies weren’t ever seen on tv, except for a late night showing on pay cable movie channels. Back then, NO ONE would have considered a tv show (let’s make that multiple tv shows) featuring zombies.
All of that changed with The Walking Dead. But before The Walking Dead, there was George Romero’s Night of the Living Dead. Romero forever changed the concept of zombies.
Surprisingly, zombies have only been around in popular culture for less than 100 years. Check out the video below and you’ll see how they entered popular culture, how Romero accidentally changed the concept of zombies and more.
How about a new Rambo: Last Blood poster?
Steve Foxe at Paste posted his list for The 10 Best Stephen King Novels and it is a good one. The only novel on the list that I haven’t read is Lisey’s Story, so I’ll have to check it out.
Foxe’s top three are: 1) The Stand 2) It and 3) The Shinning
My top three is pretty close to his: 1) The Stand 2) The Shinning and 3) Salem’s Lot.
The Dr. Sleep poster and trailer make it look an interesting sequel to The Shining.
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out – A Noir Tale of Mysteries, Vampires, Love, and Betrayal… If that doesn’t get your interest then you can stop reading right here. If it sounds like something you’d enjoy, then read on…
Criminal Macabre is back and bloodier than ever! Series creator Steve Niles (City of Others, 30 Days of Night) and newcomer artist Gyula Németh are teaming up to bring you the next chapter in the Cal McDonald saga: Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out.
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out starts when supernatural detective Cal McDonald, found wandering the streets as a disheveled vagrant, is ripped from his self-imposed retirement to resume his monster-killing career.
But Cal is reluctant to return to the fray. What has the hard-bitten investigator so shaken? It’s a long story that begins with a beautiful woman who happens to be a vampire … and ends with a bang.
“I’ve been writing Cal McDonald since I was in my 20’s and to this day he is the most fun to write. I couldn’t be happier to see him come back with Gyula Nemeth doing the art. I think fans of Cal will be pleasantly surprised and hopefully a little horrified.”—Steve Niles
Criminal Macabre: The Big Bleed Out #1 (of four) goes on sale December 11, 2019, and is available for pre-order at your local comic shop.
I’m a big fan of Steve Niles and his Cal McDonald stories. I’m on board. If you’ve read this far, you probably are as well.
Does it get any better than Tom Lovell’s The Secret Door?
Lovell was an American artist whose early work appeared in pulp magazines and then when the pulps faded out, he transitioned to slick magazines and advertising art. Lovell was inducted into the Society of Illustrators’ Hall of Fame in 1974.
Lovell said he considered himself a storyteller with a brush. The painting above is an excellent example of that. If this was a movie poster, I’d want to see it and if it was an illustration for a story, I’d want to read it.
If you’d like to see a larger version (and you should) click over to I Can’t Stop Thinking About Comics!
Today we have a trailer for Fritz Lang’s Indian Epic. Interestingly enough, Lang’s Indian Epic is actually two films, The Tiger of Eschnapur and The Indian Tomb that Lang directed at the end of his career. He was given a bigger budget and freedom long denied him in Hollywood. You can learn more about Lang’s Indian Epic here, here, and here.
I’d never seen these movies, but being a Lang fan and having seen the trailer below, I want to.
While I like the poster above for Ad Astra, the trailers that I’ve seen before today’s clip have left me thinking: Great cast, cool looking effects, but nothing that makes me want to head out to a theater.
That all changed today with the clip below. Save me a seat on September 20th!
Above is the poster and below is the trailer for Jack Ryan: Season 2 premiering on November 1st on Prime. The first season was not just good, but surprisingly good. Can’t wait for November 1st.
Max Allan Collins returns with a new Nate Heller novel, Do No Harm, in March!
Heller is Collins’ fictional detective who finds himself involved with famous murder cases. Heller has been in the mix on everything from the Lindbergh baby kidnapping/murder to the suspicious death of Marilyn Monroe and so much more. Along the way, Heller meets, fights and sometimes gets involved with famous and infamous celebrities. As the years go by Heller ages, creating a unique reading experience. Here’s an impressive timeline of Heller’s life and cases thus far.
Ah, but I digress; back to Do No Harm. Here’s the synopsis…
Do No Harm is the latest mystery in the Nathan Heller series by New York Times bestselling author Max Allan Collins.
It’s 1954 and Heller takes on the Sam Sheppard case―a young doctor is startled from sleep and discovers his wife brutally murdered. He claims that a mysterious intruder killed his wife. But all the evidence points to a disturbed husband who has grown tired of married life and yearned to be free at all costs. Sheppard is swiftly convicted and sent to rot in prison.
Just how firm was the evidence…and was it tampered with to fit a convenient narrative to settle scores and push political agendas? Nathan’s old friend Elliot Ness calls in a favor and as Nathan digs into the case he becomes convinced of Sheppard’s innocence. But Nate can’t prove it and has to let the case drop.
The road to justice is sometimes a long one. Heller’s given another chance years later and this time he’s determined to free the man…even if it brings his own death a bit closer.
Each new Nate Heller is like a visit with an old friend who takes me behind the scenes on real life murder mysteries. At the end of each Heller tale, Collins provides a detailed bibliography and explains where his novel deviated from the facts (if at all). I can’t wait for our next visit.
