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We will leave out the names of the comic book movie pundits. Most of you probably know who they are. They are related to the ancient Hellenic story teller pundit who told everyone "Yeah, Hercules has to go on 12 quests. 12 quests -you think people are going to sit around and listen to that? It'll be too long!" A week later people keep saying: "Wow! The 12 Labours of Hercules -did you see the crowd turned up to hear that??"
Movie pundits:
"People are fed up with super hero block-busters!"
"With Civil War Marvel saw that cramming a bunch of characters together in bright outfits did not work"
"Infinity War has too many characters, it will be an unmanageable mess and the result will make Batman V Superman look like a success!"
"Infinity War...watch Robert Downey Jnrs pay-check take a nose-dive"
Not seen the movie and there are no spoilers here (obviously). Box office record for Black Panther now for Infinity War? Marvel Studios must be crying.
But here is the thing: back in the 1970s and 1980s, at comic marts, I used to meet a lot of real (genuine) comic fans who were looking for Jungle Action of Black Panther comics. They were all 'white' fans. The Panther was always a great fan favourite and had nothing to do with 'black empowerment' -he was a great character in great stories and was gust starring in Captain Americam, Fantastic Four and the Avengers as well as other titles. That his movie got such huge audiences should not be surprising -especially after Civil War.
Why would so many people go to see an epic movie bringing together all of their favourite heroes to face what could be seen as the ultimate menace? Why was the Iliad so popular featuring all those great Hellenic (Greek) characters? Why did a film featuring Samson, Hercules and Ulysses so popular?
In fact, why are comics featuring groups of super heroes so popular?
Because you have the greatest and best heroes together fighting a major foe(s). Today we don't bother with stop-motion like in the movie Jason and the Argonauts and the famous skeleton battle -another film distinguished by featuring a group of famous heroes. When I saw the Fantastic Four movie (not the Corman one nor that last 'thing') and the truck hitting Ben Grimm it made me sit up. Now you can have New York attacked by aliens and it looks real.
People love epics even in this fast food entertainment era. Best review I've heard of the film?
"My friend watched it. He just can't explain it or talk about it. He almost cried. He went in expecting a "meh" movie but was just blown away. He cannot talk about it -but he has tickets to see it again."
So please do not loud in mockery at only $630 million being made in the first weekend. Allow Marvel and Disney to grieve.
BBC News online: Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionThe stars of the film turned up for the Los Angeles premiere
Avengers: Infinity War made history by earning an estimated $630m (£457m) worldwide on its opening weekend.
That's way ahead of the previous first weekend record of $542m set by The Fate of the Furious last year.
And the new Avengers movie, in which Marvel superheroes unite to battle Thanos, hasn't opened in China yet.
It is also likely to take the all-time North American opening weekend record after making an estimated $250m. Star Wars: The Force Awakens took $248m.
Industry tracker Exhibitor Relations made the estimates and official figures will come out later on Monday, but they rarely vary significantly from the estimates.
Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage captionScarlett Johansson stars in the film as Black Widow...Image copyrightGETTY IMAGESImage caption...while Robert Downey Jr stars as Iron Man
Infinity War, directed by brothers Joe and Anthony Russo, cost between $300m and $400m to make.
Actors including Robert Downey Jr, Scarlett Johansson, Benedict Cumberbatch, Chadwick Boseman and Chris Pratt, star in the sequel, the first of two parts. The conclusion is set to be released in May 2019.
The films with the all-time top five opening weekends are all sequels and spin-offs.
April is here, and it brings a parade of great books with it.
Let's start with one you've been clamouring for: volume four of The Complete Valerian. We can't thank you enough for your support with our first foray into hardback collections – except of course by continuing to deliver great books in great formats! This one contains perhaps the four best titles of the series, and certainly its pivotal moment: Châtelet Station, Brooklyn Line, The Ghosts of Inverloch and The Wrath of Hypsis. A volume that no true fan can miss, with some material not even found in the French extras!
Next we have the concluding volume of The Last Templar's second cycle, and the further adventures of FBI Agent Reilly and his archaeologist partner Tess Chaykin. A thrilling chase through Cappadocia, both today and in the 14th century, by one of the masters of the genre.
Lucky Luke is next, with the (almost) true story of how the first bridge over the Mississippi in St Louis was built. Adventure! Laughs! Alligators! Everything we love from the Lonesome Cowboy, with a sneaky dose of educational value too – how is that not perfect?
Finally, also building bridges albeit in a more metaphorical way, Yoko Tsunoreturns for an outer-space adventure to a literal frozen hell. Investigating strange lights on a distant moon where every chemical and radioactive waste the Vineans ever produced was stockpiled millions of years ago – what could possibly go wrong, hmm?
1874, President Grant authorises the construction of a bridge over the Mississippi. Until then, passage between St. Louis and East St. Louis was only possible on ferries. But the ferry company is owned by two brothers who have been getting rich by forcing passengers to wait in the hotels and restaurants they own on both sides of the river...Read more
Reilly has tracked down the fake Professor Sharafi to Turkey. But the man is crafty, and not only does he manage to escape, he also recaptures Tess along the way. A chase begins across the hills of Cappadocia, with the FBI agent hunting down his enemy while Tess, in order to survive, does her best to follow the trail of Knight Templar Conrad...Read more
This volume contains books 9 to 12 — two unmissable two-parters that represent a turning point in the story of our agents, and which are widely considered by critics and readers alike to be the pinnacle of the series. Characterised by a return to 20th century Earth, these two stories are suffused with incredible melancholy and poetic charm, and force Valerian, the action man, to face his limitations... Read more
On one of the moons of their stellar system, the Vineans have detected a mysterious light source that only appears every five years. Its point of origin matches the location of an ancient depot where every dangerous industrial, chemical and radioactive waste ever produced on Vinea was once stockpiled... Read more
Scuola Hamelin: Impariamo a leggere 21 - 23 settembre 2018
Scuola Hamelin è l'appuntamento autunnale dedicato alla formazione: un weekend sulle colline di Montesole per rispolverare la conoscenza della narrazione per immagini.
Impariamo a leggere è un laboratorio intensivo: si torna a casa con una cassetta degli attrezzi aggiornata e le competenze necessarie a leggere e interpretare romanzi, albi illustrati, fumetti e film.
Impariamo a leggere ha due formule: Le Bussole, per i principianti, e Le Rotte, per insegnanti, bibliotecari, professionisti del settore (ma anche appassionati che hanno già seguito i nostri corsi).
Un corso propedeutico su albo illustrato, fumetto e letteratura per ragazzi. Per chi vuole avvicinarsi a questi linguaggi e ha bisogno delle basi.
Ogni partecipante può seguire un solo modulo tra:
Albo illustrato
Fumetto e graphic novel
Letteratura per giovani adulti
venerdì 21 settembre 2018 Quanto costa: 70€
LE ROTTE: Icone d'infanzia
Un corso monografico lungo (da sabato mattina a domenica a pranzo) sulla rappresentazione dell’infanzia nella narrativa, nell’albo illustrato e nel fumetto. Per chi arriva con basi solide e vuole approfondire.
sabato 22 e domenica 23 settembre 2018 Quanto costa: 240 € (pernottamento, pranzo e cena inclusi)
Le Rotte: Icone d'infanzia: 240€ (vitto e alloggio inclusi)
Rotta + Bussola: 280€ (vitto e alloggio inclusi)
Se hai meno di 30 anni, hai il 30% di sconto.
Vuoi iscriverti o hai bisogno di più informazioni? Scrivici a info@hamelin.net
Creata a Bologna nel 1996, Hamelin è un’associazione culturale che mette in relazione promozione culturale evocazione pedagogica, lavorando in particolare con bambini e adolescenti attraverso la letteratura, il fumetto, l’illustrazione e il cinema.
New photo additions to the UK Comic Creators Photo Album at the Britcomics Yahoo Group (titled the Good and the Great) and contains many people whose guts I hate. Two (at least) I had to be pulled away from before I could get my hands on. But this is unprejudiced comic historian Terry.
Warren Ellis
Grant Morrison
Mark Millar Steve Yeowell Steve McManus Pat Mills Tommy Ross (Underground Comix) Richard Anthony Pester Paul Ashley Brown Ronald 'Carl' Giles -cartoonist Jon Haward (bless him) John A. Short Alan Grant
And others. Sadly none of artist Gabby Noble as none could be found and the site does not include drawn profile pics for obvious reasons.
Yahoo Groups BritComics like the Brit Comics Archive is designed to be an online historical comics resource with covers, art and much more.
PLEASE NOTE Although you can be anonymous on the group NO ANONYMOUS members are accepted. As Group Owner I need to know who you are. The group has an ABSOLUTE ZERO TOLERANCE regarding abuse toward members and spammers/flamers.
Created by William A. Ward for Swan Comics in the
1940s,Krakos was one of Ward’s supernatural anti-hero types. Used, with Swan’s
permission,in Black Tower Adventure strips in the 1980s/1990s, this is the
character’s first solo outing.
But will Krakos fulfill the Goddess Isis’ dream and become
the new pharaoh of a NewEgyptianKingdom
that will encompass all of the Middle East?
Did anyone actually ask Krakos?
The book contains information on Ward and his work plus
sample pages rescued after 60 years of neglect!
Yes, the book is STILL available. Also, I was surprised to find that the Art Wanted page had 5, 331 views and 14 comments -mostly from female artists who appreciated Maakika. What I didn't know at first was that over 3,000 views were from THIS year alone!
Here are some comments:
"i said in another post that these make me think of some hinted at mythology. you should do a book of these with just title s to hint at things so we can read them and let our mind run wild!"
"Seriously, these are the best things you do and you should concentrate making more or using them as a design project (T-shirts, posters whatever). Clean 'em up just a little and they'd be incredible."
"interesting.. kind of tribal... - the shapes down the left hand side, do they symbolise the moon phases, by any chance? :)"
"These Maakika pieces are wonderful Terry!! I find them really fasinating."
Whenever I try to explain to someone the origins of The Maakika I get odd looks. I have no idea why, unless the people I'm explaining this to have no artistic minds and have never known a fevered mind!
However, the story I told on the original Maakika Art site in 2008 is factual. These pieces have been called some of the best work I've done -my comic work getting swiftly dismissed! I'm also told, though I never saw it that way myself until I went through all the pieces again, that the pieces seem to form a type of mythology or at least hint at one. I'll let YOU decide.
The Origins
"What is Maakika Art?" I get asked that a great deal and to be honest it is a very brief story!
In 2006 I had a serious respiratory infection. It came and went but,in 2007,it came back with a vengeance over several months and with complications I thought it would see me shift this mortal coil -and I am NOT joking!
Around May, 2007, it got really bad. Then, suddenly,pouring with sweat, while seated on a bus, my mind started getting a rush of images -maybe 50-60. I got home exhausted but I sat down and began to draw. Honestly, at 50 years of age I had drawn many things but these new images were so out of my usual frame of image reference that I was stumped.
I drew a few, sat back and thought "What the bloody hell have I drawn?!" Almost instantly the word "Maakika" [pronounced "Mah-kee-kah"] came into my head. At the same time I got the definition "solid black and white art under guidance from the Maakika". Ahh, a fevered mind -and no drugs involved!
I've searched the word on the internet, in books and anywhere else I can but it seems not to exist. I cannot find anything similar.
And with each came a title or description.
So,a divine gift from the Maakika pantheon seems credible!
And lucky.
The original images are all 21x29cms and though I've not parted with the first "inspired" drawings which look crude to my eye, several were sold for between £150-£300 each.
I still have the original images in my mind [they won't shift!] but I've been inspired to work on larger images [60x42cms].
So,if you have any questions or comments get in touch!
And remember:only one person does Maakika art -me (and I have absolutely no idea what's coming next!)
"Unique and eye catching. It is equal parts disturbing and wonderful. I've cut a few out and put them in frames on the wall in my work room. They are, I tell you, really quite though provoking. Recommended to someone with an interest in primitive art or hypnosis-state painting. Look at these images deeply for a while, they will seep into your soul."
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