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Planet Buzz 12-11-01
Comics:
Satan Just Asked Us To Turn Up The Heat A Little…
Joe Quesada has extended the Marvel olive branch to the last man anyone expected…Jim Shooter. The former controversial EIC has been asked to return to the Marvel Bullpen to write an 8-issue Avengers mini-series, a sequel to his classic Korvac Saga of the early '80's.
For the whippersnappers pondering who Shooter is, he has had a career of tremendous highs and lows, starting at the age of 13 (neglecting to tell DC editors his age) when he took over the writing of the Legion of Super-Heroes feature in the late Adventure Comics. Eventually he grew up and became editor-in-chief of Marvel, where after some really great work as both writer and editor, leading to Marvel's dominating market share, he wrote Secret Wars I and II. He followed those by launching Marvel's New Universe. And if you have no idea what that is, count yourself lucky. Some of us are still suffering night sweats as a result.
After the laughter died down, Shooter got booted from Marvel, going on to launch the Valiant line of comics, which was actually pretty good and launched the N64 Turok, Dinosaur Hunter franchise. Game developer Acclaim bought out Valiant and gave Shooter the boot. He moved on to start Defiant Comics, then Broadway Comics, two good lines undone by lack of funding.
Though it's hard to hide a guy as tall as Shooter (reportedly 6'7"), he has kept a low profile in the last couple of years. Bringing him back to the Marvel fold, according to Quesada, "…has ruffled all the right feathers," and should bring this talented guy some deserved attention.
Is That A Sinestro In Your Pocket Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?
Last week, DC Direct announced another insidious plan to separate you from your hard-earned cash. As if their line of finely sculpted, ultra-cool but perhaps over-priced action figures wasn't enough, next July they will be launching "Pocket Heroes."
Yes, heroes in your pocket. The name does actually hearken back to the days of Mego and their first experiments with the now-standard 3 ¾" figures, though these will be 3" tall. Retailing for $9.95, the figures will come in two-packs, likely in a hero/villain configuration, with tiny accessories.
Can't wait? Tomorrow will see the release of the regular DC Direct Solomon Grundy action figure, which will come with a bonus Golden Age Wonder Woman Pocket Hero figure.
So. Are they really cool, or really stupid-looking? If you can't make up your mind, take heart. Derek not know, either. Let him know your opinion.
Movies:
What Can We Say But "Crikey!"
The Crocodile Hunter will be hitting the big screen. After a fatal cameo in Dr. Dolittle 2, Steve Irwin gets to star in his own major motion picture, allegedly based on his life story.
MGM has ponied up the bucks for Crocodile Hunter - Collision Course, now shooting in and around Brisbane, Australia, according to Daily Variety. The film will also feature his American wife Terri, and a host of Australian actors.
Legend has it that Steve began handling crocodiles (or, as he would put it, "beauties") at the tender age of 9, starting a career in zoology that would lead to two concurrent series on Animal Planet (no relation to Fanboy Planet).
But Who Is Elektra?
The trades have reported this week that little-known but heavily-hyped actor Colin Farrell has been signed to play Bullseye in the upcoming Daredevil adaptation.
If you don't know who Farrell is, you can check him out in American Outlaws and Tigerland, two little seen films that have generated huge amounts of buzz around the young actor.
He Told You He'd Be Back
Terminator 3 now has all its ducks in a row. The most expensive movie ever to be green-lighted, the film has a starting budget of $170 million, $30 million of which will go to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Though the big guy once swore he would not make a third Terminator film without James Cameron, $30 mil buys a lot of schnitzel, and so he will star for director Jonathan Mostow (U-571).
Mostow himself will pocket $5 million.
Warner Brothers has won distribution rights to the film, slated for a summer 2003 release. To celebrate, Arnie went for a ride on his motorbike and cracked several ribs. But he still could not be stopped…
Television:
Who Was That Masked Teen?
Trying to duplicate the success of Smallville, the WB has been scrambling for other heroic properties to bring to its net. Rumored to be in the mill is a young Tarzan series (Teenzan?), but formally announced is a 2 hour telefilm reviving The Lone Ranger.
No word on if it will cover the masked man's teen years, but that would be stupid, so don't count it out.
Real Life:
Eww
Melvin Burkhardt, better known as The Human Blockhead, has died at the age of 94. His popular carnival side-show act consisted of his hammering spikes into a cavity behind his nostril.
A true artistic genius has passed, begging the question: how bored do you have to be to want to find out if you can hammer spikes into a cavity behind your nostril?
