cyrus.mortazavi

Don Jon and sex in the porn-on-demand age.

Oscar nominee Josh Brolin reveals at least one casting rumor was true: He was indeed considered to play Batman in Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel" sequel, a role that ultimately went to Ben Affleck.

In her latest column, CSBG's Kelly Thompson examines her concerns with J.H. Williams III & W. Haden Blackman's departure from DC Comics "Batwoman."

This month Brian Hibbs tackles the tricky subject of how to get rid of overstocked books, analyzing the many factors that lead to books not selling and how he stocks his store.

Stan Fedun largely blames the Kremlin for Russia’s history of alcohol abuse:

The Kremlin’s own addiction to liquor revenues has overturned many efforts to wean Russians from the snifter: Ivan the Terrible encouraged his subjects to drink their last kopecks away in state-owned taverns to help pad the emperor’s purse. Before Mikhail Gorbachev rose to power in the 1980s, Soviet leaders welcomed alcohol sales as a source of state revenue and did not view heavy drinking as a significant social problem. In 2010, Russia’s finance minister, Aleksei L. Kudrin, explained that the best thing Russians can do to help, “the country’s flaccid national economy was to smoke and drink more, thereby paying more in taxes.”

Sister Simone Campbell hopes so:

I must confess that I am a little nervous about what will happen. Currently there are no women in significant decisionmaking positions in the Vatican. There are few in dioceses around the world. Our church has lagged in the acknowledgment of the role of women in shaping faith traditions and as leaders of prayer. In that institutional lag, many of us in religious life and our nonvowed sisters have found ways of supporting each other. The fact is that women are leading by example and witness to the Gospel in their lives and not within the formalized power structure, and that power structure has lost out from not having significant contributions of women. It is difficult for me to believe that women in significant leadership roles would have tolerated the sexual-abuse cover-up.

The question becomes, Will Pope Francis follow through by actually including women in the decision-making as he moves ahead with reforms?

Of course I devoutly hope so, if Francis’s view of the “genius of women” reflects the actions of Jesus who, radically for his time, treated women as equals, outrageously consorted with women such as Mary Magdalen, former prostitute, sided with an adulteress over an all-male stoning squad, and even stayed overnight as a single man with his dear friends, Mary and Martha.

Women, remember, were the most loyal of all his followers. Women, not men, were at the foot of the Cross, as he died. The men were too afraid or too cowardly to be there. Women, not men, were the first to witness the resurrection. One woman, his mother, represents the apex of human acceptance of the divine in Catholic theology. No man comes close to her example.

It therefore pains me deeply that this half of humanity is still treated as some kind of second-class group in the church of Jesus. For me, the ban on female priests is simply absurd, as well as antithetical to the message of the Gospels.

Of course the tradition of a male-only priesthood is entirely a function of the social structures of the past. That’s clear when you hear the ludicrous theological argument in defense of this institutionalized sexism: the disciples were all men, therefore we cannot have women priests. Seriously, that’s it? Yep, that’s it.

The Church will not turn quickly – and it shouldn’t. But one of the great errors of the Ratzinger-Wojtila era was to insist that such matters cannot even be discussed in Catholic universities, seminaries and churches. What Francis should do first of all is allow that conversation to proceed, to explore explicit ways to include the “genius of women” in the Church that do not consign them to mere adjuncts. The Church will never treat men and women as identical – because they are not. But there must be a way to treat men and women as fundamentally equal in the eyes of God. Because

There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.

Know hope.

(Painting: Detail of Mary Magdalen kissing the feet of the crucified Jesus, Italian, early 14th century. Via Wiki.)

Posted to Facebook by Vin Diesel, this new photo from Fast & Furious 7 confirms the appearance in the film by one actor that has been rumoured for some time.

Yep, Kurt Russell.

I have to admit I’ve only seen three Fast and the Furious films – not counting the 1955 black and white picture – and I can’t say I’ve liked any of them. I really do love car chases and well choreographed action set pieces but I didn’t see much of that in the films that I saw –  the first, third and fifth.

I’m crossing my fingers that I’ll see more of what I like from this series soon. I’ll be watching the sixth as soon as I get around to renting it and I’m more than a little intrigued to see what Wan does with the seventh entry.

Fast & Furious 7 will be out in the UK and America in July 2014.

First Look At Kurt Russell In Fast & Furious 7

The Buccaneers are 0-3 and there’s no disputing that a good deal of that has to do with the poor play of Josh Freeman. He’s completing less than 50 percent of his passes and has other statistical failings that invoke horrible words like “JaMarcus”.

In Sunday’s loss to New England, Freeman completed 13 of 32 passes (40.6 percent) against four or fewer pass-rushers. Through three games, Freeman has completed a league-worst 40.7 percent of his passes in those situations.

Since the start of the 2006 season, which is as far back as current tracking data exists, the lowest completion percentage by a quarterback against four or fewer pass-rushers for a full season was 51 percent by JaMarcus Russell in 2009.

And that’s why Greg Schiano has benched Freeman in favor of this imposing rookie quarterback.

[via]

That’s Mike Glennon. I can’t confirm he has a milk allergy, but he does look the part.

Of course, it doesn’t help Freeman that Schiano has had it out for him since the end of last season. On the bright side, however, Schiano is getting fired soon, so that’s nice.

#FireDidio Must be continued until we can finally change it to #DidioFired

— Ted Bishop (@dFangX) September 10, 2013

Of late, there has been a semi-popular meme going round the net. It goes by the hashtag #FireDiDio. People so incensed that they are not getting a particular comic book in the particular way that they would like, rather than looking elsewhere for one they might prefer, are calling for the man to lose his job.

#FireDiDio Because he made me stop buying DC comics and he killed Batwoman’s social life. — Your Alternative Roo (@Alternative_Roo) September 9, 2013

It’s not the first time. A few years ago, there was such a similar groundswell of fan support for taking away the man’s livelihood, that Deadline printed that it was happening. Something I felt I had to correct.

Was going to compare Dan Didio to Walter White. Felt that’s not fare to Walt. #FireDiDio

— Brian Heinz (@InGeekWeTrust) September 9, 2013

But before we go through the whole game again, here are a few things to consider.

@InGeekWeTrust #FireDidio Because Superheroes deserve to be happy and be married! Not brooding and depressing!

— Matthew Rhodes (@AdmiralBlue5) September 9, 2013

Dan DiDio is a success story for both DC Comics and the comics industry as a whole. He had been trying to make the New 52 launch happen before, specifically after the conclusion of Final Crisis but was stymied by his then-boss, Paul Levitz. When Levitz was dropped and DiDio promoted, it was only a matter of time.  The New 52, entirely Dan DiDio’s pet project turned around a comic book market that was slipping away, losing sales month after month. It wasn’t just DC, everyone gained, especially Marvel. Then Marvel did their me-too event with Marvel Now and, in the last two years, we have seen rapid and repeated growth in the print market, not just bucking the national trend but kicking it in the nuts. Dan DiDio saved the comic book industry as we know it, if you read those kind of comics at all you owe him some fucking gratitude.

#FireDidio because he would rather have a woman get dismembered than martied to another woman. #RIPPantha — Prodigal (@snakebitcat) September 8, 2013

DC marketshare has slipped of late, it’s true. But in cold hard stats, look at what has happened. From January 2013 to August 2013, comic sales are up over 9% on the same period in 2012. And they are up over 20% on the same period in 2011, before the New 52. That period was down 4% on 2010. And the market had been falling for some time. The New 52 turned that around completely. And that was all Dan. DC has slightly more marketshare than they did back then, around 30%, but it’s of a market that has risen around a third in size from its nadir. And that’s without counting bookstore and digital sales, also on the rise.

#FireDiDio Because people actually want good stories and not 700 variant covers. — Jordan Miller (@PirateRam69) September 6, 2013

  Which is handy, because expectations from on high are… high. DiDio is under serious pressure to deliver on DC’s brands and IP, hence the existence of Before Watchmen,  and all the deals that had to be done to deliver Sandman: Overture. Every comic has to be seen for potential exploitation as a cartoon, a toy, a statue, a TV show, a film, a game.

I want an Editor in Chief who doesn’t treat me with contempt just because I like characters he does not or I disagree with him. #FireDiDIo — Shaun Kronenfeld (@bigred_13) September 6, 2013

And Dan DiDio is the one spinning those plates, keeping all fifty two in the air. And many people’s livelihoods in the process. For a while now, DC has been a Warners executive decision away from closing the company and just farming out the licenses. Dan DiDio is the man who has been holding it all together, and keeping the DC Universe in one place. And doing it all with good grace, good humour, while hundreds on Twitter call for his head.

#FireDiDio because he promotes regression and stagnation over progress and development.

— Stephanie (@Firefaerie81) September 6, 2013

Part of keeping the plates spinning, is maintaining a DC Universe for the future. So he’s keeping superheroes single, partly for story reasons, but also so the characters are kept unageing, preserving the “illusion of change”. And yes, he meddles, he changes his mind at the last minute and infuriates many a creator to the point that they walk off the book. But he has different priorities, his job is to look at the big picture – even if it looks often as if he’s obsessed with the detail.

#FireDidio because I’m now legitimately believing he’s trying to sabotage his own company.

— Alex Stritar (@AlexStritar) September 7, 2013

When DiDio ascended at DC, he was given the nickname Shooter (by people like Mike Carlin who really didn’t like Jim Shooter) for his micro-managing habits. After a series of unpopular decisions, that was changed to Jemas. It wasn’t meant to be an improvement.

#FireDidio needs to trend. I’m so tired of this prick ruining @DCComics with his bad business decisions…and just being an overall prick. — Cilla (@MsCilla11) July 22, 2012

He’s a showman, he’s a boss, he may on occasion verge on the bi-polar. But dammit, I like the man. The comics I like, I read. Those I don’t, I’m less likely to. Instead, I buy something else. Saga, Hawkeye, Soap Division, Verity Fair, there’s plenty to choose from.

And that’s a very valid way to voice your approval or disapproval of a comic. With your wallet. Expressing your views, loud and proud, it’s free speech at its best. But I’d spare a thought before you call for the man’s head, not for espousing racist views, not for sexually harassing staff, not for abusing gay workers, but for editing a comic book in a different way than it used to be.

@InGeekWeTrust No idea of getting rid of him would be enough, but #FireDiDio should send a message

— wiegeabo (@wiegeabo) September 6, 2013

Because DC Comics sales are still up. It appears that for all the sound and fury of #FireDiDio, people are still buying the books. More than ever before. And Warners are likely to listen to dollars more than they will hashtags.

Oh and as for Stephanie Brown? He has a plan…

In Praise Of: Dan DiDio

After last night’s BAFTA lecture from screenwriter David Goyer he sat down for a Q&A session. While the full lecture has been transcribed by the BAFTA elves, I’ve had to look elsewhere for content from Goyer’s chat with chair Mark Salisbury and the audience.

Let’s get the simple tease out of the way first. Goyer was apparently asked if he’s writing a Justice League movie and he said:

Might be, can’t say.

A non-denial’s as good as a confirmation on the internet. I’m sure he knows what he’s done.

And I’m sure he’s also fully aware of the response some of his comments on Superman will elicit. Here’s a quote transcribed by Digital Spy:

In the case of [Superman's controversial death match with] Zod, we wanted to put the character in an impossible situation and make an impossible choice.

This is one area, and I’ve written comic books as well and this is where I disagree with some of my fellow comic book writers – ‘Superman doesn’t kill’. It’s a rule that exists outside of the narrative and I just don’t believe in rules like that. I believe when you’re writing film or television, you can’t rely on a crutch or rule that exists outside of the narrative of the film.

So the situation was, Zod says ‘I’m not going to stop until you kill me or I kill you.’ The reality is no prison on the planet could hold him and in our film Superman can’t fly to the moon, and we didn’t want to come up with that crutch.

It’s not a mystery that Goyer was operating on these principles, and these aren’t the first questions he’s faced about this decision, but I do find this answer brilliantly clear and simple.

But I’d go further. Goyer is still expressing the idea, implicitly and without any kind of contradiction, that putting Superman in a situation with Zod where it had to end in death would therefore be “impossible” for the character.

And that’s fine, that’s great, they’re still operating with a Superman that doesn’t want to kill.

But what if somebody wrote a Superman who would gladly have snuffed out Zod like a candle?

It’s not the morality we’re used to seeing embodied by this character, but is his morality really a less flexible characteristic than, say, his height, or the design of the sigil on his chest?

There’s no rule – how could there be? – that every writer working with Superman has to give him the some moral code.

I’d be very interested to see him reinvented in this way as much as any other. He’d be different – arguably very, very different – but there’s no “that’s not Superman!” argument to be had. As long as he’s called Superman, then he’s Superman. It’s in the gift of the creator not the spectator to decide what a character is.

And then the audience just have to decide what it means to them, how it feels, and whether they like it or not.

There will be countless interesting stories to tell about a Superman who kills, and they’d be massively different from the decades of stories we’ve already had. That’s a plus point.

And in a world where huge numbers of people high five and post excited, congratulatory messages to social media after a SEAL team storm a house and shoot many of the people inside dead, surely we’re hungry for stories that look at this different moral code? Isn’t Superman a brilliant potent, relevant set of symbols to use as a way in to that context?

I’d like to see any writer who has something to say and thinks Superman is a way to say it to have the freedom. Sometimes it wouldn’t work, sometimes it would, but this success really doesn’t pivot on how familiar or preset Superman’s morality is.

It nags on the writer being a good writer, telling a good story, and understanding the implications of the choices they’re making. That’s all.

I Agree With David Goyer – There’s No Rule That Says Superman Can’t Be A Killer

Okay, no, it’s not actually happening. But Brian Bendis and Rob Liefeld’s exchange, after Bendis had reached out to both Kevin Maguire and JH Williams III after they left DC Comics…

@robertliefeld you and me, millie the model!! lets go!! :)

— BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS (@BRIANMBENDIS) September 7, 2013

Inspired Rob to create this little number today…

That’s what happens when you post on Twitter. You use live ammunition.

Brian Bendis And Rob Liefeld’s Millie The Model

I can reconfirm that Saoirse Ronan has had a meeting and read for one of the lead roles – to the best of my knowledge, the lead role – in Star Wars Episode VII.

This was first reported by Latino Review but, for what it’s worth, I’ve also had a rather telling, silent nod from one of my own sources near the casting of this project.

She’s likely to be some way from being cast, as yet, and there are many other actresses who could very easily take the part, including more names that you’d know just as well, but Ronan’s very talented, has a real fanbase and seems to fit the bill perfectly.

And as has often happened before, she may not be the filmmakers’ pick for this role but could well be matched with the other, high-profile part for a young woman in this film.

It’s wonderful to think that there are two such roles. Years of genre films living under a cloud on this front and Star Wars is coming back swinging with at least a pair of great leading roles for young ladies. It almost feels like a grand statement you wish nobody had to make. Will there actually be gender parity in the roster of characters? Well, we’ll have to see about that. We’ll also have to see if there’s any reason that it wouldn’t make sense.

And meanwhile, I don’t know anything about but this but Latino Review are also reporting  that some of the film will be shot in New Mexico’s Las Cruces, the City of Crosses. It’s a pretty barren place and could stand in for Tatooine or similar.

And then there’s a little comment on Benedict Cumberbatch‘s role in the film – or indeed films, as it’s apparently a role designed to span the whole upcoming trilogy. Latino Review are reporting that the part is “very small” in Episode VII but would be “much bigger” in VIII and IX.

I have no idea what the hold up in Cumberbatch’s deal making is but I still expect an official announcement from Lucasfilm sooner or later.

Star Wars Episode VII‘s sets are being built, right now, at Pinewood. I don’t believe the stories about sets already being finished – I’ve learned quite assuredly that there hasn’t been time – but soon enough, some will be ready and then, in the New Year, cameras will start rolling…

Saoirse Ronan Has Gone In To Read For The Lead Role In Star Wars Episode VII

Theatre-Con, part 5

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Theatre-Con, part 4

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inspired by me trying to untangle my earbuds for like 10 solid mins, then remembering i hate earbuds if this new set of earbuds gets tangled in the same way, you can just keep adding headphone splitters and other earbuds […] ↓ Read the rest of this entry...

Another round of your questions answered in the latest “Ask Style Girlfriend” video:

Questions in this – our fourth! – episode:

1. What’s one thing every guy could do to look a little better to women?

2. What are your thoughts on guys getting manicures? 

3. I’m turning 35 years old and feel like a “personal rebrand” is in order. Have any advice? 

How do you like the latest backdrop? I can’t decide if I want to bounce around for each video – maybe I could shoot the next one from the top of the Wonder Wheel! – or if you guys are just looking for a little stability in this relationship. I mean, I’d get that. Change is hard for me, too.

A big thanks to reader Jake for helping with the sound. His mixing, plus the lapel mic, and I’m really starting to get profressshhh up in here, right? That said, I am a little frustrated with a distinct lack of progress in my iMovie editing skills – it’s like trying to needlepoint with mittens on, I’m just so…fumbly – so if anyone has any tips or can offer any help there, get at me.

Got a question? Email me at megan (at) stylegirlfriend (dot) com, or tweet at me, using the hashtag #AskStyleGF

The post Video: Ask Style Girlfriend #004 appeared first on Style Girlfriend.

this of course is a reference to last night’s video music awards. i am so glad that most people in the audience looked bored, upset or embarrassed, so that i can feel like part of the majority, instead of in 10 years when the same thing will happen and it will be lauded as a […]

There’s been pretty regular teasing about some kind of Marvel movie appearance by Vin Diesel though, until now he’s been making it look as though he might be playing The Vision in Avengers: Age of Ultron by, quite bluntly, splashing around references to both of those things.

My feelings, though, is that he’d be the perfect match for Groot. One only has to witness his title performance in The Iron Giant to know how much pathos there is in Diesel’s slower, more lumbering tones.

And by posting the following picture on his Facebook page, Diesel gives me hope that, yes, this is the match-up that Marvel have made.

It could mean that Marvel Studios are about to make an official announcement. Or it could be that Diesel will swap over to teasing his casting as, say, Captain Marvel any day now.

Vin Diesel Changes Tune, Hints That He’s The Voice Of Groot

Earlier this week the news broke that Bruce Willis was out of Expendables 3 and that Harrison Ford had been recruited to join their gang.

Sylvester Stallone also Tweeted the following about Bruce Willis,

GREEDY AND LAZY …… A SURE FORMULA FOR CAREER FAILURE

— Sylvester Stallone (@TheSlyStallone) August 6, 2013

According to THR Stallone was referring to a demand by Willis for $1 million a day to appear in the film. Willis was reportedly negotiating over a four day shoot in Bulgaria and refused the offer from Stallone and co. of $3 million, demanding $4 million or he’d drop out.

Within seventy-two hours Willis was replaced with Harrison Ford.

The Wrap reported today that there is still a chance Willis could appear though, no matter how unlikely that now seems.

Lionsgate CEO Jon Feltheimer said that deals were being negotiated right up until the last minute and even though he didn’t name Willis his comments seemed to suggest that he was talking about him.

You just never know… Even on that part.

I’m sure if Willis did come back for Expendables 3 that would be a frosty 4 days filming.

It sounds like a lot of contracts are being finalized for the film though, as EW confirmed today that Mel Gibson will be playing a bad guy in Expendables 3. Gibson seems to be embracing playing villains right now, with the star also appearing as a pretty cartoonish bad guy in the upcoming sequel Machete Kills.

Also confirmed today for Expendables 3 was Antonio Banderas, who Stallone described in the announcement as “a consummate actor and a gentleman”.

That’s a consummate actor and a gentleman not greedy and lazy.

Expendables 3 is currently scheduled for release on the 15th of August 2014.

Mel Gibson And Antonio Banderas Confirmed For Expendables 3

Syfy have announced the title of the Sharknado sequel and it is…

Sharknado 2: The Second One.

Not exactly a hilarious title but it does raise a smile I suppose.

The title news was announced via EW and Thomas Vitale, executive VP of programming at Syfy, was also quoted there.

Since Twitter played such a huge role in the success of the original movie, we wanted to use that platform to ask our fans to name Sharknado 2… This response is another reminder of how Sharknado has become a pop culture phenomenon. We want to thank all our viewers for their wonderful contributions to keeping up the shark-mentum.

The title was reportedly plucked from 5,000 submissions on Twitter but nowhere in the report at EW does it say who came up with the winning suggestion. I did a search on Twitter and can’t find any reference to the that title before today.

Surely the winner should be rewarded in some way for picking the title. Or at least get some sort of recognition. Presumably they’ll come forward soon. Assuming it was a member of the public that actually picked the title.

By the way, you may have heard word that Jedward – if you have no idea who they are I suggest you remain ignorant – were set to appear in the Sharknado sequel.

Apparently that was just an “idea”,

It’s just an idea to have @planetjedward in #SharkNado2 but theres no script yet who else do u think should be in it? #ideas

— Tara Reid (@TaraReid) August 4, 2013

Sharknado 2: The Second One will produced by The Asylum and will arrive on Syfy in July, 2014.

Sharknado Sequel To Be Called Sharknado 2: The Second One

We’ve been chatting with artist Mike Mayhew about his new Dark Horse project The Star Wars based on George Lucas’ first draft for Star Wars back in 1974. The first two articles focused on the overall story and the characters. In this final installment we’ll be talking about the tech, the weapons, the ships… all the things that make science fiction look so damn cool.

BLEEDING COOL: Like with the character designs, you had some art to base your tech designs on. How close do you feel you got to the original concepts and how much freedom did you have to make changes?

MAYHEW: For the first two weeks, I immersed myself in the early concept designs and got in the “zone”.  I was very familiar with the concept art from STAR WARS, but hadn’t looked at it in like a decade!  I would not allow myself to watch EpIV: A NEW HOPE, or look at any post-STAR WARS designs. I tried to imagine that young George Lucas came to me in 1974 and that my influence and instinct would be informed by movies like ZARDOZ, PLANET OF THE APES, and 2001, and the comic art of CODY STARBUCK, IRON WOLF, FLASH GORDON, and METAL HURLANT, and sci-fi paperback and concept art by guys like John Berkey, Chris Foss, and Roger Dean.

I had several big volumes on my bookshelf that featured STAR WARS concept art.  At the same time, our scripter, Jonathan Rinzler, was flooding me all sorts of info, images and anecdotes he had straight from George or the Lucasfilm archives on the origins of characters, vehicles, and settings.

Wherever I could I represented the art that existed specifically pertaining to this “rough draft” of the script.  For example, Ralph McQuarrie’s “proto-Jedi” costume drawings represent the differences our characters would have from regular STAR WARS.  I actually consider those drawings to be some of the greatest super-hero costume designs ever made.  They are so functional yet dramatic, and classical yet progressive.  Really Jack Kirby-level character designs in my opinion.

But, I had a ton of freedom to do whatever I wanted.  It just all felt natural.  I was showing stuff they liked, I was working hard to find out what they wanted to see, and making sure I was putting up stuff I would want to see if I was a fan.

BC: Looking at the droids first, R2-D2 doesn’t seem to have changed all that much except for the paint job.  But, Threepio looks like he walked right out of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis. Was it difficult to separate yourself from the robot you’ve known from childhood to draw him this way? Did you ever find yourself drawing the wrong design?

MAYHEW: Well, R2 is different in that he doesn’t have to have a human operator inside, so he is smaller, as per the original designs.  Physically, R2 being smaller and having the arms (as well as a little beanie that was in early drawings) gives him a little more functionality and mobility than he had before.  This R2 talks too, so I think it really changes the relationship between the droids.  They are much more of an odd couple here that always put each other down, but can’t get away from each other.

There was a lot of design work in the making of STAR WARS, and on THE STAR WARS, on C3PO, especially the face.  In the Alex Tavoularis 1975 storyboards that show a scene from this draft, he has a “human” face with a voice box over his mouth.  But, there were paintings and drawings by Ralph McQuarrie that predated even this direct visual.  I very strongly felt C3PO needed to have a very stylized cartoony face that while static needed to be expressive and simple enough to work across several situations.  Like he needed to have that Mr. Bill, “OH, NOOOO!” look.  I ended up sculpting my own face in 3d for my C3PO, but it is loosely based on those early McQ drawings.

BC: Moving on to the ships, my first question has to be why exactly is there a guy on the wing of the Aquilae Fighter?  Was that ever called the Shatner seat?

MAYHEW: Well, the Aquilaen Fighter was designed by and modeled for me by artist Sean Cooke.  I think the concept was always that the pilots in the rough draft always had some co-pilot or wingman on board, a role that was later changed to an R2 unit.  The rough draft describes him in a bubble.  I figure he operates the main laser turret and other armaments.  I think Sean did a great job of creating a similar, yet very different ship for our story.

BC: You can see a lot of similarities between some of the ships like the Star Destroyer and the Death Star to what we ended up, where things like the Speeder is drastically different. Why did the designs get re-done? Do you think there was a conscious effort to put in a lot of asymmetrical design elements?

MAYHEW: Our “Death Star” (called the Space Fortress in the story) is actually modeled very closely on Colin Cantwell’s first proto model that was more shiny and had many more protrusions coming off of it.

The Star Destroyers are now two-pilot fighter jets, with a “hot rod” style engine in front.

The speeders are being redesigned mainly for usage.  In the beginning we see a lot of royal speeders, which are very sleek and clean, and more roomy to accommodate more passengers.  Then, later on we will see more battered, junky speeders when our heroes go undercover to get to the cantina and meet Han Solo.

BC: Did you have to design any tech from scratch? If so, how did you approach creating the design and what elements did you try to carry over from the existing art?

MAYHEW: With characters I had to design from scratch, I usually found some familiar-yet-all-new- spin.  Our Vader doesn’t wear a mask.  But, using that chest plate of Vader’s made him instantly recognizable as the character.  When I made parts of Vader’s costume chrome (a frequent motif in the story), it gave it a fresh look that seemed very cool. Then for Vader’s face I kept the scar’s that Anakin Skywalker has in the films, but gave him the face of 70’s character actor Robert Shaw, who to me would have been glorious casting for Vader if he had been unmasked.

BC: In the first series, the tech seemed rougher, jagged. Almost like lego ships flying through space. With the prequel trilogy the ships took on a sleeker, more aerodynamic feel. As a fan and an artist, do you feel the design change was a matter of new artists and the advancement of CGI or do you feel there is a story element that explains how the older ships appear to be higher-tech?

MAYHEW: The major inspiration for SW was FLASH GORDON, which had sleek, aerodynamic, and even art-deco designs to vehicles, settings, etc.

On the other hand, one of the fondest memories of the making of STAR WARS was when they explained that they made the ships from “found” model parts from WWII kits of battleships, tanks etc.

So, the combination of repurposing “found” objects with the concept that this universe could contain whatever your imagination could conceive became the “core” of my design philosophy.

BC: Finally, since were focused on the tech here, which one thing from the comic series would you love to see made into a toy? The one you wish you had sitting on the shelf behind you right now?

MAYHEW: Definitely my versions of the droids based on McQ’s first designs!

I want to thank Mike Mayhew for taking the time to do three articles with me. Also thanks to J W Rinzler and Randy Stadler for all their help and to Dark Horse Comics for supplying all the great art.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Star Wars – Mayhew Imagining Lucas Part III

The CW’s President Mark Pedowitz has this morning been fielding questions about DC Universe television shows during an “executive session” at the TCA Press Tour. This was live blogged by HitFix, amongst others, but here’s the story as we understand it.

The network would like an interlinked series of DC Comics TV shows. They already have Arrow, and they’re going to use that series to introduce Barry Allen and give him his Flash origin in an episode of the next season. If this doesn’t go badly wrong, they’ll then be spinning off The Flash into his own series.

They’re rather more cautious about Amazon, the Wonder Woman show they’ve been working on for a couple of years. Pedowitz said that the script isn’t in shape, but wasn’t really clear on what the next step is. They may well not be pushing ahead with development there. Once again – here’s a clear case of cold feet about a superhero show or movie with a female lead.

Pedowitz was also asked if the TV Flash would be the same as the proposed movie Flash or somehow they’d tie in together, and while he said this hadn’t yet been discussed, he was quite sure that the two can stand apart (read: will stand apart) and that the network are “good to go” with their series no matter what Warner Bros. have on the cards for theatrical.

There seems little chance of any kind of  big screen-small screen crossover, to be honest, but that’s all good and well in my book.

And so we’re likely to get a shared DC Universe on the small screen up and running – pun intended – before there’s a cinematic equivalent. And then we’ll have both. And they’ll be independent. That’s not a bad result, is it?

With Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD due to launch in September, isn’t it about time we heard something about their next TV project? They do like to keep us apprised of their long terms plans, typically. Well, it apparently won’t be too long until we do hear something… and it won’t be just the one show, either…

The Flash Joining Arrow Before Spinning Off Into His Own Series, Wonder Woman Series On Hold

Initially, from a couple of corroborating reports on the show floor of San Diego Comic Con yesterday… and then all over the bars last night, where no less than eight people took me aside to tell me this top secret news that only they knew…

John Romita Jr, son of the legendary Marvel artist John Romita Sr, and an A-list artist in his own right with critically acclaimed runs on Avengers, Captain America, Iron Man, hell, pretty much every Marvel property as well as being the co-creator and co-owner of Kick Ass with Mark Millar, is coming to the end of his Marvel contract.

As well as currently drawing Kick Ass 3 and Captain America for Marvel, he also plays a strong official role in educating and mentoring young artists at Marvel. Now, John Romita Jr has never worked outside of Marvel. Apart from The Gray Area, a creator owned series for Image, he’s been a Marvel artist his entire career. He’s almost a totem for the publisher.

But I understand that with contract concerns, he may be looking elsewhere. And that DC Comics have offered him the Superman comic, to both write and draw.

If DC were to win him over, that would be one hell of a scalp – far greater than when they grabbed David Finch. But, of course, this may just be a negotiating tactic. It’s a pretty good one though.

I wonder what he’s going to do?

DC Comics Offers Superman To John Romita Jr – And He Might Well Take It

Download a 1920×1080 hi-res JPG of the Two Iron Thrones Tour poster art by Randy Bishop! Here! Link here. Here. Oops, here.

watch for the following symptoms fastness furiousness (fury)

Sparked by a comment from "Wonder Woman: Earth One" artist Yanick Paquette, ROBOT 6's Michael May considers the reasoning behind Wonder Woman's red, white and blue costume.

The latest scandal-exposing machine in France is an online site unafraid to tackle secret government:

Mediapart operates from a newsroom in the Bastille area of Paris. It has 46 full-time investigative journalists and 75,000 subscribers who pay 90 euros ($117) for a one-year subscription. Mediapart cleared $1.5 million in profit last year. The feisty startup is beating the more established newspapers like Le Figaro and Liberation, which are limping along with the help of government subsidies but just half the number of subscribers.

Two very Dish-like features:

Plenel says that to his surprise, people read even lengthy pieces, and they comment on them. He says there is a dialogue between Mediapart and its community of subscribers. That flies in the face of the advice he was given at the outset: that the information had to be short, flashy and free, or nobody would bother reading it.

“Internet is a chance for journalism, not the death, a chance,” he says. “Because you can organize better journalism — more sources, more documented, deeper journalism.” Plenel says the site is shooting for 100,000 subscribers, but in its quest to get there, it will never accept advertising.

We haven’t taken such an absolutist stand, but we prefer being without ads. And it looks as if we may be able to finance ourselves without them – if you keep up the subscriptions. Subscribe!