In trademark law, the more unusual a term, the more it qualifies for protection. We would have no quarrel with Marvel and DC had they called their superheroes "actosapiens," then trademarked that. But purely generic terms aren't entitled to protection, at least in theory. The reason is simple: Trademarks restrict speech, and to put widely used terms under private control is an assault on our language.
If I see one more article about Alan Moore being "swindled" by DC or how Hollywood has destroyed his graphic novel, I'm going to go on a vendetta of my own.
"Super-hero" isn't Marvel's property. They didn't invent the term. They aren't the only users of the term. It's a public-domain word that belongs to all of us. Adding a ™ to super-hero is a naked bid to steal "super-hero" from us and claim it for their own.
Dystopian visions of the future frequently have trouble finding an audience in theaters, from Blade Runner to The Island, Brazil to Equilibrium. Throw in a potentially off-putting protagonist in its always-masked freedom fighter, and V for Vendetta was a tough sell, rendering its opening a solid success despite industry speculation that it could bow to north of $30 million.
PR.com: And now with POW! Entertainment, you have 40 original projects that are currently in development?
Stan Lee: Well I haven't counted them but I think that's a good guess. Yeah, we have any number of things that are in some process or some stage of development or production.
PR.com: And this has nothing to do with comics, they're being produced strictly for television and for film?
Stan Lee: That's right. Television, films, DVD's, telephone-mobisodes (mini episodic television for mobile phones). Some of them may end up also being comic books. Very often a movie producer will say, "Can we do a comic book to promote this prospective movie?" or something like that. And certainly there's no reason not to do comics, but basically we're a film and animation company.
The book follows the story of a documentary maker putting together a film about life in New York City. ("Trapped by a STRUGGLE she didn't understand.... By day a FILM MAKER... By night she fought for FAIR USE!") As she's gone around and captured scenes for her film, she's also picked up incidental uses of other people's work - a saxophonist playing a song, a sign in the background with a company logo, public TV screens showing images of Bart Simpson. These scenes are a reality of modern life, yet they're a nightmare for documentary producers. As the comic book notes, one producer was forced to remove footage that featured someone whose mobile phone ringtone happened to be the theme to the movie Rocky because they couldn't afford to pay the song's publisher $10,000 for including it.
'We are thrilled at the chance to bring the excitement and universal appeal of Marvels' superheroes to the Middle East. This is our first step in establishing a new direction in children's media that will fill the void and provide quality entertainment for the Arab audience,' says Dr. Al-Mutawa, founder and CEO of Teshkeel Media Group.
Spider-Man was chosen as Teshkeel's first release because of the character's international following based on the success of the comic book series and the Hollywood blockbuster films.
The new film will revisit the origins of the Man of Steel. [Director Bryan] Singer is well aware he's treading on hallowed ground.
"This isn't just any comic book character. Superman is America. He's as iconic as it gets. That's a pretty awesome responsibility."
Finally, the BIG Warner news (or should I say... "super" news?). The studio has officially unveiled its complete Superman DVD release plans for the rest of 2006. In the 2nd Qtr, look for Look Up in the Sky!: The Amazing Story of Superman documentary (street date TBA), along with the newly (and/or recently) announced Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - Season Three, Adventures of Superman: The Complete Third and Fourth Seasons, The Adventures of Superboy: The Complete First Season, Krypto: The Superdog, Volume One - Cosmic Canine, Superman: Brainiac Attacks (an original animated movie), Justice League of America: Season Two and Superman: The Animated Series - Volume 3, all currently expected for release on 6/20. In the 3rd Qtr, look for Smallville: The Complete Fifth Season (street date TBA). Then in the 4th Qtr, watch for the DVD release of Superman Returns, Superman: The Movie - Special Edition, Superman II: Special Edition, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III: Deluxe Edition, Superman IV: Deluxe Edition, The Superman Collection, The Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition, Supergirl, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman - Season Four, Adventures of Superman: The Complete Fifth and Sixth Seasons, the Superman Serials (the 1948 and 1950 editions, starring Kirk Alyn), Krypto: The Superdog - Volume Two, Justice League Unlimited: Season One and Justice League of America: Season Three (street date for all is TBA, but likely November). Whew! That's a lot of super for one year.
"Religious beliefs are sacred to people, and at all times should be respected and honored," [Hayes] continued. "As a civil rights activist of the past 40 years, I cannot support a show that disrespects those beliefs and practices."
"South Park" co-creator Matt Stone responded sharply in an interview with The Associated Press Monday, saying, "This is 100 percent having to do with his faith of Scientology ... He has no problem -- and he's cashed plenty of checks -- with our show making fun of Christians."
"In the second movie, he is struggling with taking on the responsibility of protecting the city from villains," Pike explained. "I felt the same way because a bunch of my friends were coming to me for help for a lot of their problems. It was stressful for me. I was questioning whether it was worth it.
"He did the same thing. Then, he talked to his uncle (who died in the first movie) during a dream. His uncle told him it was his gift and his curse, then told him he is lucky to have it and needs to use it.
"That kind of refreshed me. I felt like I was Spider-Man because I was taking on all of these other people's problems and I had my own problems and it was interfering with my life, but it was worth it because those people are important to me and I wouldn't be me if I weren't helping them."
Original English-language manga might not be taking firm root just yet, but there's little doubt that another bold idea is: yaoi. That word, pronounced "yow-ee," is a Japanese acronym for a series of words that can be translated as "no peak, no climax, no meaning." What it refers to is a burgeoning subgenre of guy-guy romance comics, written by women for a female audience. The New York Comic-Con even held a yaoi panel called Brokeback Manga, hosted by Kai-Ming Cha of PW Comics Week, who wore an "I (Heart)Boys" T-shirt for the occasion.
It is in part the store's liberal use of green --— the color of the Incredible Hulk's skin -- that has the former world champion bodybuilder and television star seeing red.
The lawsuit, filed in January in U.S. District Court in New Jersey, points out the color of the store's awning, the color of much of the store's interior and the color of the store's business cards are green. Further, the lawsuit says the store -- named Ferrigno Fitness Equipment --— has a green wall of photos featuring Lou Ferrigno in various bodybuilding poses and appearing as the Incredible Hulk.
In addition to monetary compensation, Lou Ferrigno asks the court to bar his brother from using the name ''Ferrigno Fitness'' or from using the ''confusingly similar'' splashes of green inside and outside the store.
At the heart of the film is the problem of V's status. Is he a freedom fighter or a terrorist? And to what extent do these definitions depend on context, and who is doing the defining? Like the planners of 9/11, V knows that history can turn on the destruction of a symbolically significant building; unlike them, he is not interested in taking innocent life. Just mentioning al-Qaeda and V in the same sentence makes (director James) McTeigue wince. "That's dangerous ground," he says.
Mr. Lloyd, the illustrator of "V for Vendetta," also found it difficult to sympathize with Mr. Moore's protests. When he and Mr. Moore sold their film rights to the graphic novel, Mr. Lloyd said: "We didn't do it innocently. Neither myself nor Alan thought we were signing it over to a board of trustees who would look after it like it was the Dead Sea Scrolls."
DC ... said it would be inappropriate to take Mr. Moore's name off of any of his works. "This isn't an adaptation of the work, it's not a derivative work, it's not a work that's been changed in any fashion from how he was happy with it a minute ago," said Mr. Levitz.
During her brief career, she became the obsession of thousands of men -- a fact that mystifies her to this day: "I have no idea why I'm the only model who has had so much fame so long after quitting work."
Writer Harlan Ellison suggested an answer: "There are certain women, even certain men, in whose look there is a certain aesthetic that hits a golden mean. Bettie is that. Marilyn is that."
Richard Foster, one of her two biographers, called her "the trendsetter in American sexuality."
Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner put it another way.
"Exactly what captures the imagination of people in terms of pop culture is something hard to define," Hefner said.
"But in Bettie's case, I'd say it's a combination of wholesome innocence and fetish-oriented poses that is at once retro and very modern."
Narwain's line started by concentrating on science fiction and horror, but has also published all ages and crime books, and is increasingly focused on horror and noir titles. Most of the books are company owned; the soon-to-be released Zombie-Sama (created by Billy Tucci) is an exception.
LOS ANGELES, CA, March 8, 2006 -- Upstart manga publisher Go! Comi announced the acquisition of two new licenses this week: NIGHT OF THE BEASTS by Chika Shiomi and AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE by Setona Mizushiro -- the manga-ka of the hit manga X-DAY!
NIGHT OF THE BEASTS A tale of romance and supernatural action, NIGHT OF THE BEASTS is the story of high school tough girl Aria, notorious for taking on her school's worst bullies. But that's nothing compared to what happens when she finds herself inexplicably drawn to the demonically possessed Sakura, a guy who would as readily rip apart his own parents as seek her healing embrace. NIGHT OF THE BEASTS is the work of Chika Shiomi, whose series CANON and KEY JACK have been major hits in Japan. The series runs six volumes. (Rated Older Teen for scenes of intense violence; MSRP $10.99)
AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE Ichijo Mashiro must struggle to keep his life-long secret -- that he is not truly a "he" nor entirely a "she" -- when he's enlisted by a mysterious nurse at his elite prep school to enter into a nightmare world where his body and soul are put at the mercy of his worst enemies: his classmates! AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE is the latest manga from Setona Mizushiro, creator of the controversial X-DAY. The series is currently running in Japan, and has four volumes thus far. (Rated Older Teen for violence, mature themes and disturbing images.)
Go! Comi Creative Director Audry Taylor comments: "We are thrilled to present these two manga to the American public. The artwork in NIGHT OF THE BEASTS is some of the most gorgeous I'’ve ever seen, and the action sequences are breathtaking. AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE is Mizushiro-sensei's most beautiful, profound, and disturbing series yet."”
Adds Go! Editorial Director Jake Forbes: "“When we launched our first series last October, Go! Comi immediately gained a reputation among fans for having some of the finest production values in the industry, and we're continuing that tradition with these two new series. Rest assured that NIGHT OF THE BEASTS and AFTER SCHOOL NIGHTMARE will have the same impeccable image-reproduction, literate and accurate translations, and exciting extras that we'’re known for."
Both titles will be released in late August. In the meantime, fans can expect further information on the series, as well as previews, to be posted soon on Go! Comi's web site.
"Comic books would probably be the last thing on the list of what we'll do at this point," Lee said. "But wherever a comic book is warranted, we're more than capable of doing them."
[G]rowth in children'’s books was close to 20 percent in 2005. Also notable is the fact that the best selling title of the year was Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. I suggest Mr. Kahn attend one of the midnight release parties for the Potter books; he'’d learn a thing or two about kids and reading.
The comic book link is bizarre to say the least, and, in the words of one comic-book industry insider, 'truly disturbing."
Littlejohn, 41, a 5-foot-7-inch, 210-pound career convict from Queens, provided muscle for the Soho saloon The Falls, where St. Guillen, 24, a 1999 Boston Latin School honors graduate, was last seen alive on Feb. 25. According to New York City police sources, he was asked to escort her from the bar around the 4 a.m. closing time.
His alter ego "Jonathan Blaze" -- the name Littlejohn was imprisoned under until two years ago for helping knock over a Long Island bank at gunpoint -- is the true name of the Marvel Comics character "Ghost Rider," soon to be a film starring Nicholas Cage.
I think manga is a problem because we're in a culture that is not a reading culture. Kid's today don't read, they read less today. In every survey, we find that they're watching more television, they're on the Internet more, and that content, although being king, is very disposable. Because the way content gets put out now, it gets put out free. We're streaming most of our shows. The reason why we're streaming them is we want kids to watch them as much as they can, and get vested in the concept and go out and buy products. The products ain't free. The content is going to be free. And manga in my mind is trying to put a square peg in a round hole in the U.S. It will never be a big deal here, for the kids that are in the computer or the Internet generation, because they're not going to read. They haven't read, and they're not going to start now.
ATHENS --— A sweater that helped someone break into a comic-book store could help Athens police catch criminals.
Sgt. Trevor Harris said someone broke into All Star Comics on Jefferson Street in downtown Athens between 11 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. Saturday.
Harris said the thief wrapped the sweater around his hand to break a window and unlock the back door.
Investigators believe more than one person was involved, he said.
The thieves took thousands of dollars worth of merchandise but left the sweater at the back door.
The medium-size black sweater has a white stripe, and the brand name is Sonoma.
"Because of the size, we think it's someone younger," Harris said. "It's someone that's been in the store before. They went for something specific and knew the interior of the store."
Harris said they took comic books and collectors' magazines that cost hundreds of dollars each.
They stole about 100 Magic trading cards worth $4 to $12 each. Harris said Magic is a card game, "similar to Pokemon but for older kids."
The owner still was compiling a list of missing items Saturday evening, so Harris said he did not have an estimated value of the stolen merchandise.
"We figure they want to sell the items since they went to this much trouble," Harris said.
Anyone who recognizes the sweater, saw anyone around the store after hours, or has other information can call (256) 233-8700 and ask for an investigator.
In these edgy, post-9/11 times, how does a studio handle a movie featuring a terrorist-like hero who blows up the British Parliament building?
They call him a freedom fighter.
In the U.K., "Vendetta" has come into the spotlight in recent days thanks to a new measure passed by the House of Commons that would outlaw the "glorification" of terrorism.
There's no indication so far that the law could impact the release of "Vendetta," but studio execs must have been relieved when the House of Lords rejected the proposal late last week.
"It's a beautiful-looking movie," he told the DJs [Kevin & Bean]. "All these animators from studios like Disney came to work on it, and [they're thrilled because] they get to work on something filthy. It's probably rated XXX now, but we'll have to cut it back to an R."
The PTC study reviewed programming shown during three weeks from the summer of 2005. It examined shows on four broadcast and four cable networks: ABC, Fox, NBC, WB, ABC Family, Cartoon Network, Disney Channel and Nickelodeon.
The group's 2002 study of prime-time TV reviewed six broadcast networks.
The study found the Cartoon Network had the most violence overall, while the Disney Channel had the least.
It singled out the "Teen Titans" superhero cartoon, shown on the Cartoon Network and the WB, as the most violent show for children.
"I was in a rubber suit. I had rubber nipples. I could have played him straight but I didn't I made him gay."
Ware's work combines three disciplines: artist, graphic designer and writer. Taking them in order, it is hard to argue that his "art" -- the actual drawings inside the panels -- is anything better than competent. He draws in a monotone, with little of the variety, the sensitivity or wisdom of line, the composition, design, or the other qualities that have traditionally been the hallmark of great drawing. Ware would have made an excellent key liner, and that was an honorable profession, but anybody knowledgeable about sequential art or illustration should have no trouble identifying 500 superior artists. As an aside, Ware also hasn't discovered that an artist who wants to depict a repetitive and bleak life cannot simply resort to repetitive and bleak drawings. Important lesson.
[JPMorgan analyst Barton] Crockett said Marvel's 2007 movie slate is shaping up to be "unusually strong," with "Spider-Man 3" slated for May, "Fantastic Four 2" for July and "Ghost Rider" for February.
[T]he reason Smith doesn't want to direct a comic book movie, as he was once in line to do with "Green Hornet"? He thinks shooting action is boring, and it's better suited to those who love it. "Sam Raimi does more cool sh-- in two minutes in 'Spider-Man' than I've done in seven movies," he conceded.
