Craig Hamilton Gets Carter [2006]

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I can’t tell you how excited I was to get this piece from Craig Hamilton. Craig is a true “artist’s artist.” I had the pleasure of spending most of a Heroes Con two years ago seated next to Craig as he was sketching and interacting with fans. It’s always cool when someone whose art you admire turns out to be as nice as the work they produce.

Craig did this reflective shot of Sly from “Get Carter.” You can see it here. Comments are always appreciated.

You can see more of Craig’s work here.

 

Winning By Losing

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Anyone watching VH1’s Celebrity Fit Club 4? I caught the first episode [after watching seasons 2 and 3] last night.

In case you haven’t heard of it, Celebrity Fit Club follows eight B and C list “celebrities” as they try to loose weight by dieting, exercise and friendly competitions. No one gets voted off the show, the competitions aren’t that dramatic [or competitive], and the prizes are usually things like weekends at a spa or exercise equipment. I usually tune out before the conclusion of each episode when they all get on a giant scale to see which team lost the most weight. The reason that I fade before the show does is that the giant scale weigh-in of all cast memebers is anti-climatic. We already know which team lost the most weight.

So… if the celebs aren’t that famous, the competitions aren’t all that competitive, the prizes aren’t all that grand and the conclusion of each show is anti-climatic, you’re probably wondering why I tune in.

I guess it’s because I know how hard it can be for many [most] folks to loose weight. I find myself pulling for most of them to loose enough weight to reach their goals… and maybe win that weekend at the spa.

Snake Plissken Trifecta?

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Several websites have picked up a rumor originally posted at Bloody-Disgusting.com from an anonymous source who says that:
“A major meeting was held at Paramount last week with both John Carpenter and Kurt Russell in attendance. The topic — preparing for a third entry in the Snake Plissken chronicles entitled “Escape from Earth.”
I find it interesting that this unconfirmed rumor is getting so much attention. It could be because:
[1] the rumor is true.
Or
[2] people really love the character of Snake Plissken THAT much.If the rumor is getting this much attention only for the second reason, then Paramount should reconsider the first.

 

Sketch Society

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My buddy, John Beatty is planning the first [of what he hopes will be a monthly] meeting of folks who like to sketch/draw and socialize. John’s calling the informal gathering Sketch Society and it looks like the first turnout will be pretty good. Of course we’re going to have local artists [and please note you do NOT have to be a professional artist to attend] and even some out of towners as well.

If you’re within driving distance of Daytona Beach, Florida and this sounds like something that you’d be interested in, then click here. The first meeting will be next Saturday at Barnes & Noble.

Mel Gibson: Deserving of Forgiveness?

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A week ago Mel Gibson was one of the most popular actors and directors in the world. Now many folks are saying that Gibson’s career is over. Others aren’t so sure. I tend to believe that he will come out of this ok.

Sure, his star will never shine as brightly. Some folks will completely turn their backs on him [showing the same kind of intolerance that Gibson did during his drunken rants]. Still, I believe that most people are forgiving to those who deserve forgiveness, and Gibson seems sincere in his efforts to earn his.

Here is a statement Gibson released earlier this week:

“There is no excuse, nor should there be any tolerance, for anyone who thinks or expresses any kind of anti-Semitic remark. I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge.

I am a public person, and when I say something, either articulated and thought out, or blurted out in a moment of insanity, my words carry weight in the public arena. As a result, I must assume personal responsibility for my words and apologize directly to those who have been hurt and offended by those words.

The tenets of what I profess to believe necessitate that I exercise charity and tolerance as a way of life. Every human being is God’s child, and if I wish to honor my God I have to honor his children. But please know from my heart that I am not an anti-Semite. I am not a bigot. Hatred of any kind goes against my faith.

I’m not just asking for forgiveness. I would like to take it one step further, and meet with leaders in the Jewish community, with whom I can have a one on one discussion to discern the appropriate path for healing.

I have begun an ongoing program of recovery and what I am now realizing is that I cannot do it alone. I am in the process of understanding where those vicious words came from during that drunken display, and I am asking the Jewish community, whom I have personally offended, to help me on my journey through recovery. Again, I am reaching out to the Jewish community for its help. I know there will be many in that community who will want nothing to do with me, and that would be understandable. But I pray that that door is not forever closed.

This is not about a film. Nor is it about artistic license. This is about real life and recognizing the consequences hurtful words can have. Its about existing in harmony in a world that seems to have gone mad.”

Mel Gibson has struggled with alcoholism for years. Does that excuse his behavior? Of course not. Gibson has admitted his problems and has asked for help in his road to recovery not only from the bottle, but also from whatever demons caused his narrow-minded anti-semitic outbursts. Gibson has even appealed to Jewish leaders across the country to meet with him so he can begin his healing.

While I have no tolerance for bigots, I have even less for those who drink and drive. Still, I believe in redemption and forgiveness for those who deserve it. Time will tell if Mel Gibson does.

 

Mel Gibson’s Apology Not Enough?

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As I reported here, Mel Gibson was arrested for DUI on Friday. On Saturday, Gibson issued an apology and described his behavior by stating:

“I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.”

When the original story broke, we weren’t told what Gibson had said. Today TMZ.com posted that Gibson‘s remarks included profanity-filled tirades against the police officer that pulled him over, as well as repeated anti-Semitic remarks. In addition TMZ.com posted what they claim to be are copies of the actual police report.

Unfortunately this is not the first time Gibson has faced accusations of anti-Semitism. In an interview before the release of “The Passion of Christ,” Gibson told ABC‘s Diane Sawyer, “To be anti-Semitic is a sin. It’s been condemned by one Papal Council after another. To be anti-Semitic is to be un-Christian, and I’m not.”

Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, called Gibson‘s apology “unremorseful and insufficient.” It remains to be seen how Hollywood and the rest of the nation will view Gibson‘s drunken remarks.

As for me, I do believe Mel Gibson is sorry for the inappropriate comments that he made. I just hope that he’s sorry not only because he made them, but also because they don’t represent his true feelings.

Mel Cleans Up His Mess

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Early Friday morning Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving. He was driving 87 in a 45 mph zone and his blood alcohol was well over the legal limit. Today Mel issued the following statement:

After drinking alcohol on Thursday night, I did a number of things that were very wrong and for which I am ashamed. I drove a car when I should not have, and was stopped by the L.A. County sheriffs. The arresting officer was just doing his job and I feel fortunate that I was apprehended before I caused injury to any other person.

“I acted like a person completely out of control when I was arrested, and said things that I do not believe to be true and which are despicable. I am deeply ashamed of everything I said.

“Also, I take this opportunity to apologize to the deputies involved for my belligerent behavior. They have always been there for me in my community and indeed probably saved me from myself. I disgraced myself and my family with my behavior and for that I am truly sorry.

“I have battled the disease of alcoholism for all of my adult life and profoundly regret my horrific relapse. I apologize for any behavior unbecoming of me in my inebriated state and have already taken necessary steps to ensure my return to health.”

 

Mel messed up. No doubt about it. It’s beyond stupid to drink and drive, but I do want to commend Mel for the way that he’s handling this. Someone with Mel Gibson‘s fame and wealth could have gone the route of so many other celebs when caught in a similar situation. That is of course to deny [I clearly wasn’t drunk…] or deflect [It wasn’t alcohol, it was cold medicine… I was overly tired, etc. etc. etc.].

I just hope that Mel‘s apology is sincere and that he truly is taking steps to “ensure his return to health.”

Brereton’s Nocturnals are Back!

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Dan Brereton has several projects coming out that I know will appeal to many ZONErs. You can bet that I’m going to be on the lookout for them.

This Halloween (and talk about perfect timing) all of Dan‘s Nocturnals stories will be collected in three oversized hardcovers. Each edition will contain a new story and new art in addition to the reprinted stories. The plan is to then continue with new Nocturnal adventures.

[For those of you who came in late, The Nocturnals is a horor/crime/sci-fi series featuring: Doc Horror, a scientist / adventurer; Eve (aka Halloween Girl) has supernatural powers and is Doc’s little daughter; Gunwitch is Eve‘s self-appointed bodyguard (who happens to be a scarecrow… a gunslinging scarecrow); Polychrome is a ghost; Starfish, an amphibian girl; Firelion, a pyrokinetic samurai; and the Raccoon, a infamous gangster).

 

I’m also hoping for a release of The Last Battle, a “gladiator” graphic novel that teamed Dan with Italian writer Tito Faraci. 

Zack Snyder Interview [2006]

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Zack Snyder is on a roll.

Snyder first came to my attention when it was announced that he would direct the “remake” of George Romero’s “Dawn of the Dead.”

There was a ton of pressure on Snyder, not only because he was a first time director, but also because he was treading on sacred ground [well, at least to zombie fans]. There were a ton of folks who whined that the movie would suck (even before a day of film had been shot). Snyder defied them all and turned in one of the best zombie films ever.

Snyder then turned his attention to translating Frank Miller‘s epic 300 to the big screen. Next to “Rocky Balboa,” “300” is the movie that I am most looking forward to seeing. Check out the official site and you’ll see why.

Next up for Snyder is Alan Moore’s “Watchmen.” You can tell from this interview that Snyder is having a blast. He must feel like a kid in the candy store… or maybe that should be a bakery.

After all, he is on a roll.

M. Knight and his Lady Take a Dive

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M. Knight Shyamalan’s “Lady in the Water” was getting a negative buzz well before it’s release this weekend. Now that it scored just $18.2 million [just?] and came in 3rd at the box office, many people will write off both Shyamalan and his movie.

And that’s too bad.

The biggest knock against M. Knight is that he creates glorified “Twilight Zone” episodes for the big screen. Sure, many of M. Knight‘s movies do have a big twist at the end, and his movies do have a reoccurring theme of faith, redemption, and that there are mysterious forces around us [like some of the better TZ episodes]. And while I can see where his critics get this complaint, my response is, “So what?” I love classic Twilight Zone episodes.

“Lady in the Water” is a modern day fairy tale. Perhaps we’re just too jaded to get it. But, and this is a big but, if you’re willing to go with the tale, you’ll have a good time. Paul Giamatti is amazing in this role. Academy Award amazing. The rest of the cast is splendid. The direction, special effects and music all add to the overall enjoyment of the film. But the bottom line is if you sit back and start to analyze the film as anything but a fairy tale [which it was meant to be], it falls apart. But then so would “Little Red Riding Hood,” “The Three Bears” and even a classic movie like “The Wizard of Oz.”

While “Lady in the Water” isn’t a classic movie [no, it’s not on par with “The Wizard of Oz”] that can be embraced by the masses, there is an audience for it. To be perfectly honest, I didn’t think that I was going to like “Lady in the Water” as much as I did and I’m a Shyamalan fan. And there’s the rub. If a fan like me wasn’t overly excited about the story, then how are you going to get non-fans into the theater? The answer appears to be that you’re not.

And that’s too bad. “Lady in the Water” rates a B.


Shawn Surface

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Shawn Surface is an independent comic book artist best known for his work at Bill Black’s AC comics and “Bubba the Redneck Werewolf.” I first met Shawn a few years ago at a TampaCon. We talked about comics, movies and art. I left the show thinking that I’d like to get Shawn to do a piece for my Stallone Gallery.Finally at this year’s Heroes Con things worked out. Shawn decided to draw Sly as The Punisher. Click HERE and you can see the result.

Shawn is available for commissions and is reasonably priced. Check out his website and tell him I sent you!

RIP Mickey Spillane

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Mickey Spillane died yesterday. He was 88 years old and had cancer, so the news shouldn’t come as quite a shock. It’s just that Mickey Spillane was one of those guys that seemed like he could live forever.

Although Mr. Spillane started his career as a comic book writer, it was his Mike Hammer novels that made him a superstar. The first, “I, the Jury” was a hit with readers everywhere, critics be damned. Spillane followed up with 12 other Mike Hammer books… 9 other novels… and a bunch of short stories. Most folks don’t realize that Mr. Spillane also wrote two young adult novels [one which won a prize from the Junior Literary Guild].

As much as I enjoyed Spillane‘s books, I liked his attitude even more. He considered himself a writer, not an author. Spillane was more concerned with royalty checks than reviews… and his fans dearly loved him.

I miss him already.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Mickey Spillane‘s family, friends and fans.

My Gallery is Moving!

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I’ve decided to move my Stallone themed art collection from my site to ComicArtFans.com. You can now see my gallery there. [Well, at least 1/2 of it… the rest is going up later this week.]

If you’ve never checked out the Comic Art Fans site, you should. But my advice is to go when you have some time to spare. There’s so much cool stuff there that you may even forget to check out my collection!