I was the guest cartoonist at the grand opening of “What’s Up Doc? The Animation Art of Chuck Jones” at the EMP Museum in Seattle this Saturday, June 13, 2015. My role there was primarily to draw. I was there to do what I know and love, draw comics. In this case, comics with a Chuck Jones theme. I was simply there to express as much as I could about what I know and love about the world of Chuck Jones. Yikes! Where to begin? Well, one rabbit ear at a time.
Wonder Woman can lead the way out, above and beyond our current state. Wonder Woman commands respect. That respect can carry over to other female characters. It can carry over to respecting all human beings.
That respect is the key to Wonder Woman’s success and popularity. You just don’t mess with Wonder Woman. She is bigger and more powerful than any one person or corporation. With that in mind, it is my pleasure to share with you my interview with Tim Hanley, author of “Wonder Woman Unbound: The Curious History of the World’s Most Famous Heroine.” You can read my recent review here. You can visit Tim Hanley’s site here. And you can definitely pick up his comprehensive study of Wonder Woman right here.
Emily Bett Rickards as Felicity on ARROW on The CW
Stephen Amell and Emily Bett Rickards on ARROW
“Arrow” is The CW’s #1 show and releases its first season on DVD and Blu-ray on September 17, 2013. For those completely new to the character of Oliver Queen, and his superhero role as Green Arrow, all the way to diehard fans, this is a show that will entertain. Some viewers will say, “Hey, enough with the ads for this show, you had me at hello.” And they would be correct.
Arrow (played by Stephen Amell) is an activist. You clearly see him refining his value system and acting on it. There’s a reason this show is simply called, “Arrow.” This places Oliver in his 20s, still finding his feet, and with a journey ahead of him before he becomes “The Green Arrow.” That’s what this show is all about, a journey. It is that specificity that should keep it running smoothly.
Arrow, while incredibly buff, definitely uses his brains quite a bit and is not afraid to be a geek. One of his crew, Felicity Smoak (played by Emily Bett Rickards) steals the show every time as a very capable hacker and great geek role model. I can tell you that, if you’re a “Buffy The Vampire Slayer” fan, then you may turn out to be an “Arrow” fan, although don’t expect too much in the way of classic snark.
The show takes a lot of its direction from two Green Arrow comics titles–and no, it’s not the Denny O’Neil/Neal Adams run from the ’60s, although there’s a clever nod made to it. The titles are Mike Gnell’s 1987 “The Longbow Hunters,” which provides gritty realism; and Andy Diggle and Jock’s 2007 “Green Arrow: Year One,” which provides the backstory of Arrow’s finding himself while lost on a deserted island for five years. Plus writers Greg Berlanti (“Dawson’s Creek,” “Green Lantern,” “Brothers & Sisters”), Marc Guggenheim (“Eli Stone”) and Andrew Kreisberg (“Fringe”) have brought in some intriguing new details like the mysterious role of Oliver’s mother; and Diggle, who finds himself becoming something of a sidekick to Arrow.
You don’t have to know a thing about comics to enjoy this show. There are relationships, rivalries, intrigue, all the timeless elements of power struggles and myth. And, if you are superhero fan, then this is a top tier show just for you. Visit The CW webiste for more details here. And you can get your copy of the first season of “Arrow” right here.
Writer/director Joss Whedon gave “Marvel LIVE!” the exclusive first interview after the announcement of Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” during Marvel Studios’ Hall H presentation. You can expect a new spin on the Ultron origin story and a global outlook.
“Machinima” provides a recap on the news coming out of Comic-Con about a Superman vs. Batman movie. The news is very brief amounting to a quote from a confrontation between Superman and Batman from Frank Miller’s “Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.” However, there is no indication that this story will be the basis for the new movie.
Prepare to see a lot more capes this year at Comic-Con. Those monster bags you get for free are now backpacks with capes. Warner Bros. Entertainment is once again the proud sponsor of the official Comic-Con bags and this year they’re very different. You could wear your Comic-Con swag like a backpack or just wear the cape by itself.
