Earthquakes, Crises and Wars, oh my! 10 Memorable Comic Book Disasters
Does there exist a more threatened group of people than those who inhabit the earths and universes of our beloved comic book heroes and villains? What other fictional population seems to live under the constant threat that at any given point their world could be turned into zombies, an earthquake may shut down the city, or that their universe may cease to exist altogether!? The past few decades have seen several major disasters, manmade, natural and perhaps supernatural, that have caused devastation and damage beyond the norm for several comic book universes. Here, in no particular order, are ten of the most memorable and, pardon the pun, earth-shaking disasters and crises to hit the comic book populace. Read more
Watchmen Director’s Cut Coming to Theaters!
In what some people would call a case of adding insult to injury, Warner Bros. has announced a director’s cut release of the adapted comic book series Watchmen, just in time for the industry’s big event in San Diego, Comic Con. With an additional 25 minutes added on, the rerelease promises extra scenes and the death of a supporting character. Read more
Box Office Woes Continue For Watchmen
Zack Snyder’s Watchmen movie took another huge nosedive this past weekend falling to 5th place. After cashing in with a whopping $55.7 million in opening weekend ticket sales two weeks ago, Watchmen brought in only $6.7 million in its third weekend at the box office.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Box office expert Paul Dergarabedian believes Watchmen’s box office woes are due to the film’s R-rating and unfair comparisons to more traditional comic book franchises such as Batman or Spider-man. Dergarabedian, who is president of Media By Numbers, a company that provides analysis and commentary based on box office sales and data, also believes that viewers aren’t flocking to Watchmen because all of the superheroes in the film are unfamiliar to the general public. He went on to say that “this is not a populist comic book movie.”
Saturday Morning Watchmen Parody Channels 80s Cartoons
Ever wonder what Saturday morning cartoons could have been like if Alan Moore didn’t have artistic integrity and instead sold out his mature opus to the sugary cereal corporations? The viral video Saturday Morning Watchmen is a glimpse into what that bizarre world could have looked like.
DC Lauches After Watchmen Compendium
In 1977, studio executives for the film Saturday Night Fever discovered that fans of the film were leaving theatres and rushing to the nearest record store. At the store, fans were buying the film’s soundtrack and disco records by the armload. Now that the Watchmen movie has conquered theatres, DC Comics is banking on that same principle with the launch of the web page After Watchmen, What’s Next?
Watchmen Movie DVD Animated Feature To Be Rated R
A segment to be featured on a companion DVD release to the Watchmen movie has apparently received an “R” rating. According to reports on MTV’s Splash Page, the MPAA has issued the rating for the Tales of the Black Freighter animated feature that is scheduled to be released on a forthcoming Watchmen companion DVD single.
Tales of the Black Freighter is a mini comic that’s plot plays out throughout the entire storyline of the Watchmen comic. In Tales of the Black Freighter, the hero, called The Mariner, is a shipwrecked swashbuckler, who desperately tries to return to his home port before a fleet of pirate ships arrives. The pirates are known for their bloodthirsty acts, many of which are gruesomely portrayed in the comic. For example, the Mariner disposes of the rotting corpses left behind by the villains. Since Watchmen director Zack Snyder has repeatedly promised to make a “true to the original” movie, those scenes are primarily responsible for the segments “R” rating.
Jack Black Announced As Host Of Spike TV’s 2008 Video Game Awards
Spike TV has announced that actor Jack Black has been tapped to host their 2008 Video Game Awards. This is the sixth year for the annual Video Game Awards show. The show will include the world premieres of God Of War III, Brütal Legend, Fight Night Round 4, Mafia II, Terminator Salvation, Uncharted 2, and Watchmen: The End is Nigh.
Of particular interest to comic book fans will be Terminator Salvation and Watchmen: The End is Nigh. Terminator Salvation is based on the upcoming Terminator movie that will star Christian Bale, who also plays Batman. Watchmen: The End is Nigh is based on Zach Snyder’s upcoming film, which is based on the groundbreaking comic book series.
In addition to premiering first-looks at upcoming games for 2009, Spike TV’s 2008 Video Game Awards show serve to recognize outstanding artistic and technical achievement in the gaming industry. Host Jack Black starred in “Tropic Thunder” and “Kung Fu Panda” in 2008 and will star in “The Year One” in 2009.
