Wednesday, March 9, 2011

The Phantom

Last week was The Phantom’s 75th birthday. Considered by many to be “the first superhero” (his first publication predates Superman’s by two years and Batman’s by three) the Ghost Who Walks has had many incarnations and has served as inspiration and as a trailblazers for others to come. His birthdate indicates the beginning of the era of the modern masked vigilante.

Coca Cola vs. Daft Punk

Coke wil have limited edition Daft Punk bottles in gold and silver to be sold in clubs in Europe this summer.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Tim Burton

The Tim Burton Exhibit, curated by the New York Museum of Modern Art and at the Tiff’s Bell Lightbox in Toronto since November, offers a carefully arranged insight into the mind of one of the most deranged filmmakers in contemporary cinema.
From highly polished designs for his stop-motion movies to his high-school sketch books containing some of his earliest works, the exhibit brings a little something from each one of his movies, plus some rare and private productions.
The first thing that strikes you how many movies this guy has a made! One almost forgets that Willy Wonka and Beetlejuice are sons of the same father, or that Alice and Batman were reworked by the same man. And you almost forget that Johnny Depp is always there somehow.
The second thing is, wow, this guy has an incredibly wild (if forever fixated on the same themes) imagination! His designs are unique and his carnivalesque and macabre style has become such a trademark that people will pay money to see his high-school doodles.
But the chance to see the original costume of Edward Scissorhands, Catwoman and sketches for most of his characters is a treat in itself. Besides many of his rare animated, 16 mm short movies and videoclips are also exhibited. Scary fun.

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Only in Brazil

Michael Jackson is now a taxi driver in Brazil.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Super news

The new Superman.

Monday, January 24, 2011

New Wonder Woman TV show

So Ally McBeal's writer David E. Kelley ("the guy who killed feminism") is tackling Diana Prince for the small screen. Fingers crossed that he doesn't mess Diana's story up too much.

Mocca building proposal

Proposal by Reid Nystrom+Alessandro Ortiz for the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art in New York. The new facility will be "dedicated to the education and preservation of the graphic and literary medium."

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Monday, January 17, 2011

Only in Brazil

Images of the destruction that took place last week in the hill towns of Rio de Janeiro.
Even the house where Tom Jobim composed "Waters of March" (which this year came in February) was destroyed...

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Phoenix Jones

Speaking of superheroes, I'm a big fan of Seattle's new vigilante, Phoenix Jones (yes, he's even got a secret identity!) Unfortunately, he's probably going to get killed or injured again, but that comes with of the territory of keeping the city safe. Meanwhile it's pretty cool to watch the news and realize it could have come straight from a comic book or movie.
The "real life superhero" genre has already yielded a couple really good stories, such as Mark Millar's foulmouthed Kick-Ass and the incredibly grounded Defendor.
But of course, the original DIY superhero, the one who made good on the possibility of an ordinary citizen becoming something extraordinary, the one who proved that with an unlimited income source and proper training anyone could kick ass, is Bruce Wayne.
Yes, Batman comes from a tradition of masked, non-superpowered vigilantes, such as the Green Hornet, Zorro and The Shadow (Batman's truest inspiration), but the Dark Knight embodies and distills the best of them all.
Batman's popularity is a complex phenomenon, and the news from Seattle confirms its ingrained appeal. A regular man who decides that he doesn't have to see bad things and do nothing. Good luck to Phoenix Jones. He's gonna need it. Even though he's in good company...

Monday, January 10, 2011

Batmobile

Parts of a pretty cool infographic of the evolution of the Batmobile done by a car insurance company.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

My new favorite image

Banksy