Swan Song for Ten

It is official - David Tennant has announced that he will leave Doctor Who when he has completed the filming of four special episodes which will be screened in 2009 and 2010.

This comes as very sad news for me. I certainly do not wish to interfere with anyone wanting to grow as an actor, but I've seen a number of men portray The Doctor and David has been my favorite (or should that be "favourite") of them all. Tennant states, "I don't want to outstay my welcome." IMHO, he had a long way to go before that happened. The next four specials will be bittersweet to watch.

While I will miss David, I have little doubt that Doctor Who will continue to be worth watching. Newly appointed showrunner Steven Moffat will keep things interesting no matter who Doctor#11 will be. As far as that pool goes, my money is on Paterson Joseph.

Happy Halloween!!!

At last, All Hallows' Eve has arrived! The kids have come and gone, but there's still plenty of candy and comics in the house. We just finished watching "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" - my second favorite Peanuts special. As I leave y'all to begin my Monster Movie Mini Marathon, I wish you a safe and spooky Halloween and may you find a sincere pumpkin patch of your own.

Scary CBTs

Looking for some scary stuff this Halloween? Check out ComicBookTrailers.com for some creepy previews of some of the best horror comics available!

We just added some new trailers from the inmates at Asylum Press! Check out our Featured section to view the bloodcurdling videos for Warlash: Dark Noir, The Bomb, and Asylum of Horrors. But be warned! By watching them all, you may feel the need to sleep with the lights on!

And if you survive those CBTs, we've got plenty more to chill you to the bone...

Jazan Wild's Funhouse of Horrors and Carnival of Souls

Scarlet Veronica

Students of the Unusual

Immortal Kiss

The Rift

Blood Sentence

DeVoid of Life

Age of Insects

United Free Worlds

and many more!

Check out some the best horror comics around at ComicBookTrailers.com. If you dare!!!

Quotes of Legend - Nadaa Haidar

USA Today reports that heavy metal has returned to Iraq. Over 250 young headbangers gathered at a private dinner club in Baghdad for the first heavy metal concert in five years.

Sometimes it takes a village. Sometimes it takes a miracle. Sometimes all it takes is an 18-year old Iraqi girl to remind us of what we all too often take for granted.

Nadaa Haidar: "There's nothing wrong with wearing a veil and listening to metal."
Rock on Nadaa!

Ghost Rider vs Ghost Rider

Just in time for Halloween, Marvel has released this Ghost Rider vs Ghost Rider poster to comic stores everywhere. The art was done by Marc Silvestri and features the two hosts of the Spirit of Vengeance - Johnny Blaze and Danny Ketch squaring off. Check out the beautiful pencil work for this piece! Gorgeous stuff!

To see the actual battle, check out part one of "The Last Stand of the Spirits of Vengeance” in Ghost Rider #28 on sale now.

Congratulations Phillies!

The Philadelphia Phillies defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 4 games to 1. I had no invested interest in this series, but it was still fun to watch. I was leaning slightly for the Phillies for no other reason than I had predicted they would win it in 6 games (which they kind of did if you count the two-part rain delayed game separately). In any case, while it was enjoyable to watch a World Series stress-free, I do hope I'll be on the edge of my seat next year to see the BoSox or the Cubbies win it all.

Now that the World Series is over, let the off-season deals begin!

Fear(s) of the Dark

Fear(s) of the Dark is a black & white, animated, French horror film. Perhaps the only one in existence. It features the work of comic talents Blutch, Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Pierre Di Sciullo, Lorenzo Mattotti and Richard McGuire.





Check out the trailer and film clips at Apple.com.

I've Cast My Ballot

Rene Belloq: "Indiana, we are merely passing through history. But this...this is history."
As I completed my ballot today (GA allows early voting), this quote from Raiders of the Lost Ark hit me square in the jaw. Odd that something said by a fictional Frenchman should ring so true in my head. It could have been delirium setting in after waiting in line for 3 1/2 hours. It could be that I'm a total Indiana Jones fanboy. Or it could be that the choice made this year is one of the most important I've ever faced. This is the sixth time I've had the honor of voting for the President, but this time It really felt like I was part of something grand. It really felt good. I felt proud.

Go vote! It's worth the wait!

Halloween Shuffle

About time for some shufflin'! This time I will limit the tunes to my "Boo!" playlist - songs perfect for a Halloween bash.

Sisters of Mercy "Lights"
We begin on a somber gothic note. I was totally into this band in the 80's and finally got to see them perform a few years ago. And I really wish I hadn't. Probably the most disappointing show I've ever been to. Still love listening to them though.

U2 "Helter Skelter"
"This is a song Charles Manson stole from the Beatles and we're stealing it back!" cries Bono at the beginning of this track. U2 manages to do the cover justice, but it is not near enough to wash the blood away.

Rollins Band "Ghostrider"
Not only do I think The Crow is one of the best comic book movies ever, the soundtrack is one of my favorite non-score cds in my collection. Ghost Rider has appearing in my life a lot lately. Creepy serendipity?

Billy Idol "White Wedding"
I'm sure Billy thought it would be funny to release a Christmas album a couple of years ago, but I just thought it was sad.

White Zombie "I'm Your Boogie Man"
This playlist currently has 597 songs on it and 130 of them are White Zombie/Rob Zombie. That means I should hear a Zombie track every 5 or 6 songs. I like those odds!

"End Credits"
The end (for now)...

Monster Mash-Ups

Here's a collection of Halloween-themed mash-ups that's been catching on like a flash around the blog circuit and with good reason - it's good stuff! If you do not have it, you can get it for FREE all over the web (here's a link to CultureBelly.com to help you out). Tell 'em Boris sent you!

Disney's Haunted Mansion

One of my favorite rides at DisneyWorld is the Haunted Mansion. Sure, it is tame compared to Netherworld or Universal's Halloween Horror Nights, but then I prefer classic horror films to those of today. I recently found some pretty good videos of the experience on YouTube. If you haven't even been on the ride, the videos below do NOT do it justice. But if you have, these should bring back some spooky memories...

Sunday Funnies

So many choices this election season...

Monster Mike's Mini Marathon

For the last few years, I have followed a tradition of watching scary movies on Halloween night. Not just any scary movies, though. "Classic" scary movies. No J-horror, Saw sequels nor remakes for me. Give me the oldies but goodies! Turner Classic Movies is a great source to find some of the best, though until this year I only had time for one film since Halloween was on a week night (last year's was White Zombie). This year, I should be able to host a mini-marathon and looking at TCM's schedule I have decided on three (which I will record and watch Friday night).

This year's Monster Mike's Mini Marathon will be:

Vampyr (1932) German classic frequently overshadowed by Nosferatu. Based on Sheridan Le Fanu's haunting story "Carmilla."

Mark of the Vampire (1935) Director Tod Browning and Bela Lugosi attempt to recapture the spooky magic of 1931's Dracula costarring Lionel Barrymore and Carroll Borland (who plays one of the silver screen's first female vampires).

Die, Monster, Die! (1965) Roger Corman produced the first credited film adaptation of a story by H.P. Lovecraft. Starring Boris Karloff.

And of course, I'll be watching all of these with the lights out!

Future Previews Solicitations (I hope)

DARK HORSE


INDIANA JONES & THE MONKEY KING #1 (of 6)

Written by MICHAEL A. GORDON & WILLIAM KIELHORN

Art by FRANCESCO FRANCAVILLA

Indiana travels to eastern China on a quest to find the legendary Staff of Sun Wukong and once again crosses paths with gangster Lao Che. But is he a friend or foe?

Format: FC, 56 pages
Price: $5.99



STAR WARS: JEDI - KIT FISTO

Written by MICHAEL A. GORDON

Art by ART ADAMS (not shown)

A Double-Sized Clone Wars Special!

Having won the Battle of Mon Calamari, Master Fisto and his former Padawan Nahdarr Vebb are sent to Kamino to protect Senator Bail Organa from a group of assassin magnaguards sent by Count Dooku.

Format: FC, 48pg
Price: $4.99

MARVEL



BLAZE & STORM: FLAMES OF FURY 1 (of 4)

Written by MICHAEL A. GORDON

Art by JOHN ROMITA JR

The Toys are back in town! And their target is Johnny Storm! Comte de Saint Germain wants revenge, and he is ready and willing to go through the Spirit of Vengeance to get it! Will these two hotheads be able to stop him? And who is St. Germain's new master?

32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99


TIGRA: EYE OF THE TIGRA #1 (of 4)

Written by MICHAEL A. GORDON

Art by FRANK CHO

She's been an Avenger, a private investigator, a New York police officer, and galactic hero. But who is the real Tigra? Has this cat used up her 9 lives? Tigra embarks on a journey to explore some answers about her past and future and her first stop is the Savage Land!

32 PGS./Rated A …$2.99

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans Trailer

Two days ago, my Halloween blog entry featured Frankenstein. Yesterday, it was Dracula. So it only seems logical that today I should post about werewolves, or rather lycans. And it just so happens that the new trailer has just been released for Underworld: Rise of the Lycans.

I guess the only way the timing could have been better is if it had been a full moon tonight.

Ten Guys Who Are Not Me

I have a very popular name. When I first moved to the Atlanta area, a college friend wanted to get in contact with me and called directory assistance. The operator informed him that there were over 45 "Michael Gordon"s in the area! And not one of them was me, as the phone in my apartment was in my roommate's name. It is also a bit time-consuming Googling my name and trying to find an entry that is actually me. There are some interesting namesakes, though. Here are the Top Ten guys named Michael Gordon who are not me:

Wildlife advocate and owner of Critter Getters


Illustrator


Australian professional rugby league footballer


American composer and co-founder of the Bang on a Can festival


Hairdresser and founder and CEO of Bumble & Bumble salon


Screenwriter


Bass player (and friend to Wookies)


Chief Military Correspondent of The New York Times


Film director


Singer in a Chicago-based R&B quartet
Having a popular name isn't bad, and it could have been worse. My mom once told me that she wanted to name me "Corey," but my dad opposed. Just for that alone, my father has my eternal gratitude...

Gene Colan's Dracula

Last I read, legendary artist Gene Colan's condition has improved, but that doesn't mean the efforts to help support him are slowing down. This month, Marvel has released multiple products celebrating Gene's work with proceeds benefitting the ailing creator. The Gene Colan Tribute Book is a sampling of his diverse range as one of the greats at Marvel. Gene is the first artist I think of whenever I think of the comic book version of Dracula. Not only is Marvel issuing a timely poster this month, but Volume 1 of the Tomb of Dracula Omnibus should arrive in stores in time for Halloween. The price tag is too much for my wallet right now, but this collection will be on my shelf someday.

So do yourself and Gene a favor by stopping by your LCS and getting one or more of these items. Great art. Great cause. 'nuff said!

These Happy Days Are Yours And Mine

Bernie Wrightson's Frankenstein

Want to see how something can be both beautiful and creepy art the same time? Then I urge you to check out Bernie Wrightson's illustrated version of Frankenstein available this month in hardcover from Dark Horse. Along with the complete text of Mary Shelley's novel, the book features nearly fifty full-page illustrations by one of the best horror artists ever. I have not yet taken the time to read the original version of this classic, but I pre-ordered this hardcover and I hope it arrives in time for me to read it Halloween weekend!

World Series 2008

For the first time in quite a while, I do not have ties to either team in this year's World Series, but I am still interested to watch the games. I nearly forgot the Series started tonight, not because the Series does not look to be exciting, but because I have a lot of other stuff going down. I have no ill will toward either the Phillies nor the Rays and I wish them both luck. It will be nice to see a stress-free post season series!

These teams appear to be fairly evenly matched, IMHO, but if I had to pick a winner I lean towards Philadelphia. They really impressed me with how easily they dismissed L.A. in the NLCS.

So I'll say Phillies in 6 games.

Happy Belated 24 Hour Comics Day!

This past weekend, folks all around the world took part in 24 Hour Comics Day, a challenge to artists to create a 24-page comic book in 24 consecutive hours. It is not an easy thing to do, as I know from personal experience. I haven't attended one of these events in a while, but my first was in 2001 at Galactic Quest in Lawrenceville. I was an observer and managed to stay up all night with the artists involved. I even modeled for Brian Stelfreeze and appeared on the local FOX morning show the next day. Here's a shot of all of us who answered the call...

The following year, I decided to take part. My goal was small. Instead of 24-pages, I would try 24 panels. I did manage to complete a 6-page comic starring the cool Jedi that is Kit Fisto. (It was actually this night that the phrase "Kit Fisto Rules!" originates.) Below are the results. If anything, it is a fairly good example of how difficult the artist marathon can be.