Chris Hardwick's Blog, page 2358

BATMAN and SUPERMAN’s Sons New Comic Gets Delayed

Welcome to your weekend edition of Comics Relief, comics fans! Lots of news to cover this weekend, starting with a bit of delay for the World’s Finest duo’s offspring. Read on for all the details….

Superman and Batman’s kids will have to wait till next year for their own comic book

When DC Rebirth was announced this past spring, several titles were given release dates through to the fall. Two of them though, seemed to have disappeared off the schedule — Super Sons, which features Damian Wayne as Robin and Jon Kent, the new Superboy, in a team up book, and Justice League of America, presumably featuring a different team than the one in the current Justice League book. So does this mean those books cancelled?

Apparently they’re not canned, merely delayed. In an interview with ICV2, DC Entertainment co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, DiDio gave an update on those two books, and both are now scheduled for sometime in 2017. Considering they are just now introducing Superman’s young son Jonathen Kent as Superboy in the pages Superman and Action Comics, maybe it’s wise to give the character some room to grow and gain fans before teaming him up with Robin in an ongoing series. [Bleeding Cool]

Another Copy of Action Comics #1 sells for a staggering amount

Speaking of all things super, a fine copy of 1938’s Action Comics #1, which of course features the first appearance of Superman, sold at auction this past week for $956,000. The comic was graded 5.5 out of 10 by the Certified Guarantee Company. Matt Nelson, CGC’s primary grader, said in a statement “Having seen many Action #1’s over the years, I am deeply impressed with this copy’s eye appeal.” He added “this Action #1 is one of the best looking among the remarkably rare pool of unrestored copies in the world.”

$956,000 is of course not the record price for this particular comic. The most well preserved known copy of Action Comics #1 sold in 2014 on for $3.2 million, which blew past the $2.16 million paid in 2011 for a copy once owned by actor Nicolas Cage. There are only 100 or so known copies of Action Comics #1 in decent condition known to still be in existence in the world. [CBR]

Marvel takes somewhat confusing approach to their Marvel NOW! relaunch

Marvel NOW! is taking a different — and slightly confusing — approach to the relaunch. While some comics like the new Champions series are starting at issue #1, a lot books that have been running now for over a year or more are simply keeping their numbering…but with a twist.

For example, Sam Wilson: Captain America #13 will have a giant #1 on the cover indicating it’s the first issue in a new storyline (see the above image). The issue #13 indicator is small, and on the bottom right of the cover. It’s basically Marvel trying to have their cake and eat it too. We’ll see if this approach works with fans come the fall and doesn’t confuse everyone even more. [Bleeding Cool]

Watchmen to Receive Yet Another Hardcover Slipcase Collection

Over the past thirty years, DC Comics has milked just about every dime out of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ seminal series Watchmen that they possibly can, much to Alan Moore’s perpetual unhappiness. Now they’re about to do it again, as the publisher is releasing a new hardcover slipcase version of the series, but this time with each individual issue hardbound and held together in as a box set.

With so many collections of Watchmen out there already, I’m not entirely sure what the appeal or point is of having them presented as separate issues. It doesn’t appear that there will be any new material or the like with this set. The only way this could be worth it is if DC included the original ads from the 1986/87 issues as part of the deal for some retro flavor, but there are probably legal reasons that would prevent that. The box set, which you can view above, does look spiffy though. [Comics Beat]

R.I.P. Legendary Comics Letterer Gaspar Saladino

When talking talking about comics, people rarely (if ever) talk about the letterers. But it simply wouldn’t be comic books without them. The comics industry lost one of the lettering greats this week, as letterer/designer Gaspar Saladino passed away Wednesday, August 3, 2016, according to former DC Comics Publisher Paul Levitz.

The Brooklyn-born artist worked in the comic book industry for a whopping 62 years, and including Grant Morrison’s seminal Batman OGN Arkham Asylum, either designed or re-designed the logos for Avengers (including the one which is now known all over the world, which you can view above), Green Lantern, Swamp Thing, Metal Men, House of Mystery, and many others. Gaspar Saladino was 89 years old. [Newsarama]

Final Issue of Darth Vader Gets 12 Variant Covers

Last week we showed you Marvel CCO Joe Quesada’s artwork for Darth Vader #25, the series’ final issue (at least of this run). Now the publisher has revealed a whole lot more covers, a whopping 12 of them, from such well-known artists as Cliff Chiang, Chris Samnee, Sara Pichelli, Michael Cho, Adi Granov,  and more. You can see all twelve covers in our gallery below. [CBR]

Images: DC Comics / Marvel Comics 

Regina Spektor’s Cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” Is Beautiful

Living up to her last name, Regina Spektor has been a bit of a ghost since she released her 2012 record, What We Saw From the Cheap Seats. Aside from penning the theme song to Orange is the New Black and appearing on TV for a few stray performances, she has been pretty under the radar.

Thankfully, she’s no longer MIA, and in late July she announced her new album, Remember Us To Life, and a soundtrack contribution for LAIKA’s latest film Kubo and the Two Strings. And just as gorgeous as the stop-motion animation for that film is Spektor’s cover of the Beatles‘ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” for its soundtrack. Check it out below:

This cover is actually a surprisingly apt take on George Harrsion’s classic composition which originally took its inspiration from the Eastern philosophy book I Ching. Using non-western instruments to give the track new life within the context of the film, Regina and her golden voice breathe new life into this beloved classic. Given that Sia recently covered “Blackbird” for the new Netflix show Beats Bugs, I think it might behoove these two to make a Beatles cover album with each other. Imagine them duetting on “Two Of Us”! That would be too good.

What do you think of Regina Spektor’s cover of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”? Are you planning on catching Kubo and the Two Strings? You should, because it is great.

Image: Shervin Lainez

Matt Grosinger is the music editor of Nerdist and hopes Regina Spektor doesn’t wait another four years before putting out new music again.

 

Zack Snyder Directed One Scene in SUICIDE SQUAD

Suicide Squad has the distinction of being the first movie in the DC Extended Universe that wasn’t directed by Zack Snyder. However, that doesn’t mean that Synder had no role. According to director David Ayer, Synder actually directed one of the scenes in the final cut.

While speaking to Collider, Ayer confirmed Synder’s scene in the film. However, the scene itself is a minor surprise for the movie, so consider this your spoiler warning! In fact, you can actually see Synder’s contribution in the last trailer for Suicide Squad, as it featured Jai Courtney‘s Captain Boomerang surrounded by the lightning power signature of the Flash. As confirmed last week, Ezra Miller does make a cameo as the Flash in that scene, and he was the entire reason that Snyder shot that very brief segment.

“Flash was always in the movie,” Ayer told Collider. “We just got lucky because Justice League was happening and they had the uniform, they had the assets, so we were able to get that photography.”

That may be why Courtney reportedly expressed surprise that the Flash was in the movie, since his part of the scene was shot separately from Miller’s. There is actually a Captain Boomerang line later in the movie that backs up Ayer’s comment about the Flash, as the reluctant member of Task Force X recounted his very brief encounter with the speedster.

If you’ve seen Suicide Squad, tell us what you thought of Miller’s cameo as the Flash in the comment section below!

Image: Warner Bros. Pictures

GOTHAM’s Cast Drops Hints About the Court of Owls

When Scott Snyder took over writing the Batman comic, he introduced some fascinating new storylines for the Dark Knight, and they all looked particularly chilling with the gorgeous art by Greg Capullo. And right out the gate, the pair gave us the fabulous “Court of Owls” arc, giving Gotham City a brand new and terrifying bad guy sect. It’s a testament to the power of the Owls that they’ve been added to the fray of Gotham, and will play a major part in the upcoming third season. We spoke to the cast during San Diego Comic-Con about all the Owly goodness.

Naturally, they aren’t allowed to say too much, but the major talking point from many of the cast seems to be that the Court of Owls will be the unseen puppet masters working behind the scenes, pulling all the strings of the crime-ridden city. A secret, shadowy entity—like an avian-masked Illuminati. It seems to creep out many members of the cast, including Sean Pertwee (Alfred Pennyworth), Carmen Bicondova (Selina Kyle), and Robin Lord Taylor (Oswald Cobblepot). David Masouz (Bruce Wayne) is excited to see how Bruce—who was an early realizer of the Court’s clandestine goings-on—will get to deal with them, and make others believe.

Executive Producer John Stephens promises a bit of Owls in the early part of the year in season 3, but a lot more by the end. It’s going to be something really exciting for fans of the villain-heavy Gotham universe. We can’t wait to see more!

Image: Fox

X-Men, Black Widow, and More Cosplay Photography by Photosnxs

When I see cosplay photos making their way around the internet, they often feature one of a handful of photographer watermarks. I spot the one belonging to photosNXS, a.k.a. Jayce Williams, all the time. The prolific artist has been into photography for about seven years and has captured goodness knows how many cosplayers with his lens. He mostly attends conventions on the East coast; you can find him at Dragon Con, MegaCon, and Animazement, among others. He frames his images in such a way that they really emphasize the epic nature of the cosplayers and their work. For example, look at these X-Men:

Cosplayed by Jenna Say What? – Emma Frost, Smash Cosplay -Cyclops, SoniCat Cosplay – Dark Phoenix and Rogue

I think it’s important to get cosplayers away from crowded aisles in convention centers for pictures, and Jayce is all about location. And he’s talented at making less ideal backgrounds—like hotels or convention center rooms with garish carpets—work.

Cosplayed by Venomous Cosplay – Viking Assassin’s Creed

You’ll find more impressive photos and costumes in the gallery below. There’s a creepy Scissorwalker from Night Cry, Black Widow, Artorias from Dark Souls III, and more. To keep up with all of Jayce’s work, go give his Facebook page a like.

Are you a cosplayer or cosplay photographer? Get in touch with me so I can feature your work in an upcoming Cosplay Friday gallery. You can reach out to me by tagging or mentioning me on Instagram, sending pics to me on Twitter, leaving a link in the comments, or giving me a shout via email at alratcliffe at yahoo dot com.

Images: Photosnxs/Facebook

Skrillex and Jared Leto’s Joker Drop The Bass in New Music Video

It’s not every day films come to life, but this summer, the musicians and live-action cartoons are best buds. Skrillex and the Joker (as played by Jared Leto) hang out and chill in the music video for Suicide Squad soundtrack cut “Purple Lamborghini.” Not everything is a fun dream like that. Modest Mouse’s frontman fell asleep while driving and got in a car accident, Frank Ocean’s album isn’t out but his Snapchat filters are, ex-The Walkmen member teamed up with an ex-Vampire Weekend member, Netflix has an EDM film on the way, and now defunct music venue Death By Audio has an epic compilation album of live songs that you can stream for free.

The Suicide Squad soundtrack drops today, so naturally two of the biggest artists on the soundtrack, Skrillex and Rick Ross, shared a video for their contribution, “Purple Lamborghini.” Director Colin Tilley created a music video that sees The Joker walking around with a menacing stare, threatening strangers and the city at large, his creepy smile growing larger and larger. While Ross raps and Skrillex just kind of jumps on top of things, the song grows, eventually reaching a climax at the end that could send shivers down your spine. Check it out above. [Rolling Stone]

Image Credit: Ben Kaye/Consequence of Sound

Modest Mouse just finished a semi-extensive tour co-headlining with Brand New. Frontman Isaac Brock returned home to Portland, Oregon, but it seems he’s still on the exhausting tour schedule. Instead of getting enough sleep, he took to the road with Z’s floating around his head. Brock drove across the Morrison Bridge and failed to stop on the other side, hitting a city pick-up truck and others who were stopped in traffic. Brock saw some bruises and another driver got a concussion, but no one was hurt apart rom that. “I feel asleep at the wheel, nodded off and next thing I knew there was a car,” Brock told TMZ. Thank goodness no one fell off the bridge itself. [Consequence of Sound]

Image Credit: Snapchat

Frank Ocean is killing us. Supposedly his album was set to drop Friday the 5, but here we are, album-less and sad about not having the tearfully-titled Boys Don’t Cry. Instead, we do have new Snapchat filters. They aren’t super aesthetically pleasing, but they fit the long, drawn-out wait, suggesting the developers created them. Let’s hope this pushes him over the edge enough to finally, finally, drop his upcoming LP. [Pitchfork]

Several years ago, Vampire Weekend‘s Rostam Batmanglij lent his hands to help The Walkmen‘s Hamilton Leithauser churn out some new music. While he acted as a side songwriter there, Rostam took an equal chunk of the credit on “A 1000 Times,” their single from last month, and now they return with “In A Black Out.” The singles come from their upcoming album, I Had A Dream That You Were Mine, which drops September 23rd. Get excited. We’ve got a feeling you’ll want to dance around for a bit in a suit and tie. [Pitchfork]

Forget about Zach Ephron in giant headphones. There’s a new Netflix EDM movie on the way and it looks a little more true to life. XOXO is directed by Christopher Louie and sees six 20-somethings bumping into one another at a music festival. Oh yes, the ideal location for EDM to thrive. There’s a hopeless romantic, a jaded has-been, a budding DJ, and more; in other words, it’s the type of film to hold your attention but, we have yet to determine, may be cheesy in the process. The film’s debut trailer just came out, so check it out above and weigh in on how you think the full feature will pan out. [Pitchfork]

Start Your Own Fucking Show Space by FAMOUS CLASS RECORDS / LAMC 7″ SERIES

It’s no secret that DIY spaces open just as quickly as they close. That’s part of the struggle of being independent: finding a way to survive when time changes who you’re interacting with. Brooklyn’s now-defunct beloved venue Death By Audio closed in 2014 when VICE moved in to purchase the space (Oh, the irony) to expand their offices. Now, two years later, the community has gathered together to release a compilation album in remembrance. Start Your Own Fucking Show Space sees notable performances come to life again via individual songs. It’s a triple-LP full of goodies and gems, ranging from Dan Deacon to Deerhoof to Ty Segall. It goes without saying that you should purchase a copy if you like any of these bands, but for now, enjoy the ethos and sound by streaming the full record for free above. [Bandcamp]

Enjoy the weekend! See you back here on Monday for another Music Dispatch!

Image: Warner Bros.

9 HARRY POTTER Things to See and Do in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom is Harry Potter country. I’m not trying to undermine the rich history of the country with its grand cities with creaky and beautiful architecture, its rolling hills in the Highlands, and its many cultured offerings, but Harry Potter popped up again and again during my recent travels to London, Lacock, and Edinburgh. J.K. Rowling’s story about the Boy Who Lived is dear to my heart, so I sought out some destinations deliberately, but other times it was, “Oh hey, here’s another Harry Potter thing.” These are nine spots I recommend visiting if, like me, you’re a Muggle that longs to be a witch or wizard.

1. The Making of Harry Potter Studio Tour, London

Warner Bros. Studio in Leavesden is the home of an epic making of tour/exhibit for the Harry Potter films. Sets, costumes, prosthetics, and more are on display in this must-see experience. I shared over a hundred pics from my visit, but it’s really worth checking out in person.

2. House of MinaLima, London

The graphic designers behind all the Daily Prophet covers, potion labels, and everything else printed in the Harry Potter films have a pop-up shop in Central London. Miraphora Mina and Eduardo Lima’s designs are on display in a charming three-story shop called House of MinaLima. It’s worth visiting just to browse and admire the theming, but there is a ton of unique merchandise to choose from. The shop is open until February 2017.

3. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child , London

Even if you haven’t managed to score tickets to the two-part Harry Potter play happening at the Palace Theatre, you can stroll around the building to see the marquee and decor. Bonus: It’s near House of MinaLima.

4. Leadenhall Market, London

Visit the lovely Leadenhall Market to enjoy the aesthetic of the covered shopping center and to see exteriors used for Diagon Alley in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Most notably, you can see the door to the entrance of the Leaky Cauldron. The dark blue door in the film is actually bright blue and part of an optician’s storefront in the Bull’s Head Passage.

5. Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station, London

The best money I spent on my trip was on the photo op at Platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross station. The faux set with a trolley is in the station (they provide the house scarf and wand of your choosing), separate from the actual platforms. You can have a friend take a picture with your camera, but you can also purchase an official copy from the shop adjacent to the photo op. And incidentally, that shop had my favorite Harry Potter merchandise—it was different from offerings at the studio tour.

If you take a train out of King’s Cross, you can of course see where the Hogwarts attendees get to Platform 9 ¾ in the film.

6. Horace Slughorn’s “Home,” Lacock

Tucked away in Wiltshire, a couple hours away from London, you’ll find the village of Lacock. It’s mostly owned by the National Trust and maintains an eighteenth century aesthetic that makes it extra appealing as a filming location. On the north side of the village off Church Street, you can see the house Horace Slughorn uh, borrowed from vacationing Muggles in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

7. Lacock Abbey, Lacock

The thirteenth century Abbey on the outskirts of Lacock was used extensively in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. It served as the interior for several Hogwarts scenes, including the corridors, the courtyard, and some classrooms.

8. The Elephant House, Edinburgh

J.K. Rowling wrote Harry Potter in various locations around Edinburgh, including The Elephant House. The spot isn’t the “birthplace of Harry Potter” as they claim, but Rowling did pen chunks of the first few books from the restaurant. Its main seating area overlooks Edinburgh Castle and Greyfriars Kirkyard–both of which look magical and inspiring. The bathrooms in Elephant House are covered with graffiti from fans that the restaurant has given up trying to clean it off the walls. I wasn’t overly impressed with the food or the service at The Elephant House, but I enjoyed seeing the fandom touches. If you make a donation to the charity they support, you can have a look around without getting a meal (as long as you don’t disturb diners).

9. Greyfriars Kirkyard, Edinburgh

A sixteenth century cemetery can be seen from Elephant House; Greyfriars Kirkyard is overflowing with well-maintained tombstones with incredible carvings. It includes the grave for the poet William McGonagall and the grave for one Thomas Riddell. Both could have inspired names for characters in the Harry Potter story; Rowling has reportedly said that Riddell’s tombstone may have subconsciously inspired Voldemort’s name, but I can’t source the quote, so take it with a grain of salt.

This list includes the handful of locales I came across while exploring the UK, but it only scratches the surface; what Harry Potter filming locations would you recommending checking out?

Images: Amy Ratcliffe

Crazy Camera Zoom Takes You Right to the Moon

The moon is 238,855 miles from earth (or 384,400 km for the rest of the world), and only twelve human beings have ever walked on its surface (Tom Hanks got really close). Since it is very unlikely that you are a billionaire capable of building your own rocket to space, it is fair to say that your odds of traveling to the moon yourself are slim. The closest most of us can come to going there (for now — c’mon Elon do something about this!) is getting a real good, close-up look at our planet’s little friend.

Amazingly, it turns out you don’t even need a telescope to do that, you can just zoom in on it with this incredible camera.

Posted by Sci-Tech Universe and credited to Daniel Pelletier, the video shows off the powerful zoom of the Nikon P900 camera (with “83x optical zoom/166x Dynamic Fine Zoom super telephoto NIKKOR lens“). This clip shows the camera focusing in on the moon, and, although it doesn’t seem possible, it manages to give us a detailed look at the crater-pocked surface (the 83x zoom is equivalent to 2,000mm).

Crazy.

If you visit the Nikon page for the camera, they have a photo from a beach you can zoom in on that reveals a surfer, in great detail, that you can’t even find in its original form.

As you probably guessed, a camera with this capability isn’t cheap, but it also comes in at a price lower than what I predicted —  600 dollars. If you think about it as a ticket to the moon it seems reasonable.

What other, non-nefarious, things would you want to photograph using this camera? Tell us in the comments below.

Images: Sci-Tech Universe/Daniel Pelletier; Nikon

Nerdist Podcast: Mike Birbiglia #4

Mike Birbiglia (comedian, director, Sleepwalk with Me) returns to the Nerdist for a fourth time! He talks to Chris and Jonah about being successful in stand up comedy, how Madison Square Garden sucks for comedy, and what makes a great comedy show. They then talk about his new movie Don’t Think Twice, how the idea came about, and how to deal with jealousy!

Image: Mike Windle/Getty Images

TRANSFORMERS Fan Film Better Than TRANSFORMERS Real Film

There have been a number of Michael Bay-directed Transformers movies with big, splashy effects, the most recent being 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. They cost a lot of money and are certainly shiny and action-packed, but in terms of actual story, they leave a lot to be desired. They did well at the box office, but were critically panned. (What, no petition for that?) Want to see a version of your favorite vehicle robots in a film that’s far more fun? You have to check out this fan film made by Chisel Pixel. It’s called Generation 1 – Hero and it’s pretty great.

According to the YouTube description, “Generation:1 is a fan made live action transformers ‘costuming’ movie featuring the characters of the original Transformers G1 cartoon series from the 80’s [sic] using practical effects and in camera effects.”

You think that Transformer you saw wandering the floor at San Diego Comic-Con was cool? This is going to bring back the Transformers love you had when you watched the animated series. There is also a behind-the-scenes video (below), in which director Lior Molcho explains how he came upon a group of cosplayers called the Arizona Autobots at the Phoenix Comic-Con whose costumes were animated series-accurate. They agreed to do the film and shot in California. The result is fantastic, with chase scenes and cosplay to end all cosplay.

Do you have a favorite fan film? Are you a diehard Transformers fan? Do you have your own Transformers costume that you’re dying to share? We want to see it. Tweet me/us @JennaBusch/@Nerdist so we can see you in all your Autobot/Decepticon glory! Make sure you check out the film’s Facebook page as well!

Image credit: Chisel Pixel