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This year's annual South By South West film festival in Austin, Texas has picked up some heavy-hitting foreign science fiction, with the industrial Cargo, not to mention Star Wars finger-pointing, and vampires. Here are our top SXSW film picks.

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Ghost Hunters Celebrates 100 Episodes with a LIVE Event

February 14, 2010 by Cynthia

My house is haunted. I kid you not, but even when the ghosties and ghoulies are active, I myself no longer have to worry about going bump in the night because I have a Ghost Hunters nightlight!

Ghost Hunters returns with all new episodes on March 3 and they’ve got a live blow out planned for their 100th episode that you won’t want to miss.

Jason and Grant will team up with Barry and Dustin from Ghost Hunters International for their biggest hunt yet – a trip to Alcatraz. Forget the DVR. For this one, you have to tune in LIVE for this two-hour, interactive fan event on March 3.

Korean Robot Teaching Assistants

Korean classrooms will feature robotic teaching assistants for preschool and kindergarten classes. The Korean government will invest 1 billion KRW ($8.69 million USD) in 2011 to expand the system to 500 preschools.

These robotic teaching assistants can also be used by parents, who can connect to the robot wirelessly and exchange messages with their child and check on their child's progress.

The robots will be evaluated over the next two years and rolled out to other schools based on performance.

Teaching machines and caregiver robots have been present in science fiction for more than fifty years. In his 1951 story The Fun They Had, Isaac Asimov wrote about a mechanical teacher:

Parallel Lines Features Two Great Looking Sci-Fi Shorts

Back a bit, Adam Berg directed “Carousel”, an amazing piece of film, freeze framing in a 2 minute and 19 second tracking shot a robbery gone horribly wrong. It was epic and was chosen as the Film Grand Prix Winner at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.

To followup that success, Mr. Berg decided to ask the fine filmmakers within Ridley Scott Associates to follow in his footsteps for his “Parallel Lines” project. 45 films were made but only five made the cut, including some snappy little sci-fi numbers, one directed by commercial director Carl Erik Rinsch, who is a man that needs to be making features.

In Carl’s short, titled “The Gift” a droid manservant flees from the police. In the other Sci-Fi short, called “Darkroom”, directed by Johnny Hardstaff, we have a dark noir and Blade Runnerish theme. The rest of the films also look pretty nifty. See it all below. It’s coming out April 8th. Thanks Slashfilm.

Dark Horse is proud to introduce a stunning line of officially-licensed Buck Rogers accessories, produced by our friends at Retro-A-Go-Go for the modern space traveler! High quality stainless steel card cases to carry all your off world identification. Highlight the keys to your rocket car with our Art Deco inspired key chains. Or decorate your moon base with one of the stylish and functional photo frames! Buck Roger was ahead of his time, and guess what? He still is!

“It's a question that has exercised generations of schoolboys: Superman or Batman - who would win?” asked The Times of London. “Now, finally, we have the answer.”

The answer comes in the form of a record-breaking price realized for a CGC-certified 8.0 copy of Detective Comics #27, the first appearance of Batman, which sold at Heritage Auction Galleries for $1,075,500 (including the 19.5% buyer’s premium).

As records go, there were two. One of them will last. The other lasted less than four days.

On Monday, February 22, 2010, when ComicConnect.com sold a CGC-certified 8.0 copy of Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, it was the first comic to ever sell for $1 million. It also, naturally, became the highest price ever paid for a comic.

It will always be the first one to sell in that range, but on Thursday, February 25, Hertitage Auction Galleries sold a Detective Comics #27, also CGC-certified 8.0, for $75,500 more.

A limited edition Green Hornet promo card, designed exclusively for the Baltimore Non-Sports Card Convention and offered in conjunction with Martin Grams' and Terry Salomonsons' upcoming Green Hornet book, will be issued with each paid admission to the March 21, 2010 show while supplies last. Only 1,000 cards will be printed.

The convention will feature numerous tables of exhibitors from the non-sports hobby, including artists, authors, manufacturers, publishers, and dealers, according to the show’s promoter, USA Theaters.

Gareb Shamus, CEO of Wizard, has added another to his list of comic convention acquisitions with the purchase of the 10-year-old Nashville Comics & Horror Festival. The show, which will operate as the Nashville Comic Con Wizard World Convention, is the twelfth city in the Wizard line-up. Marc Ballard, owner of ComicCityTN, the show’s manager, will remain as a consultant.

The scheduled Wizard shows thus far are March 26-28, 2010 (Toronto), April 16-18, 2010 (Anaheim), June 11-13, 2010 (Philadelphia), August 19-22, 2010 (Chicago), October 1-3, 2010 (New England), October 7-10, 2010 (Big Apple), October 15-17, 2010 (New Jersey), and November 12-14, 2010 (Austin), with dates also to be announced for Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.

First announced as a project from his own Kitchen Sink Press two decades ago, The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen is the first collection of work by the underground cartoonist and acclaimed publishing pioneer. In addition to his comix, this book features a wealth of unpublished material: paintings, covers for underground newspapers and comix, rare strips and illustrations, and historic photos of Kitchen and many of his contemporaries.

The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen is a full-color, 200-page, 9” x 12” hardcover with an introduction by Neil Gaiman. It will carry a cover price of $34.99. It's scheduled for a June 2010 release.

Silver Age key Marvel Comics issues will get a spotlight in Pedigree Comics’ upcoming Grand Auction, scheduled to begin on Sunday night, April 18, 2010 at 8:00 PM. The auction will last for 10 days until the evening of Sunday, April 28, and will feature “a few hundred choice high grade and ultra high grade Silver and Bronze Age Marvels and DCs,” according to Schmell, President and CEO of Pedigree.

“The highlight of the auction is the second best known copy of Fantastic Four #1, a CGC-certified 9.4 with white pages. It is one of only four certified 9.4 copies in the world, trailing only one in 9.6, and represents only the second time a certified Near Mint example has been publicly offered for sale,” Schmell said.

From epics to comedies, from horror and science fiction to drama, in this week’s selection of 999 folded one-sheets, collectors will find all years and genres represented in the offerings from eMoviePoster.com this week.
If you’re a fan of this classic, it’s hard to beat the selection this week as the Teaser, Style A and Style B one-sheets for Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments featuring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner are all up for bid.

When you think of legendary sports photos, few tell a story quite as graphically as the October 8, 1956 shot of a euphoric Yogi Berra in a leaping bear hug with teammate Don Larsen, who’d just pitched a perfect World Series game. The rarity of such a moment is borne out by the very definition of a “perfect game” – it must be both a no-hitter and a shutout, with no hits, walks, batters struck or bases reached for any reason. This feat has been achieved only 18 times in the history of Major League Baseball – 16 times since the modern era began in 1900.

Fast forward to 2010, 54 years after that rapturous moment in New York Yankees history, and there’s a new postscript to add to the story: the uniform Yogi wore on that unforgettable day has surfaced and will be auctioned by Grey Flannel in a mid-April sale.

The owner of the uniform, former New York Yankees prospect Ron Stevenot, was given the uniform at age 17, on the day he reported to Yankee Stadium to begin the most memorable year of his life.

“It was 1959, and I had just graduated from Port Jefferson High School in Long Island (New York), where I had been the catcher on the school’s team,” Stevenot recalled. “Our team had won the county championship, and after graduation, the Yankees sent me a letter asking if I’d like to try out for the New York Yankees Rookie Team, which I did. When they selected me for the team, I felt like I was walking on air… Along with other promising high school prospects from the New York metro area who had been chosen, I reported to the Yankees locker room, where we were issued our uniforms.”

Each of the new prospects was given a uniform that had been worn by a Major League Yankee in a prior season. “I remember that I wanted Mickey Mantle’s uniform, but someone else had claimed it, so I took Yogi Berra’s old uniform. Those uniforms we were given were the ones we were going to wear for the whole summer as we toured New England.”

We’re always happy to tell you about whatever gems Russ Cochran has turned up for his auctions, but this time we’re just going to stand back and let the Old Professor himself tell you about them.

Well, there are three answers to that: Frank Frazetta, George Herriman, and Hal Foster.

Not only is Cochran a long acknowledged master on the subjects, he’s lined up six pieces (four great Edgar Rice Burroughs illustrations by Frazetta) to talk about.

“The first Frank Frazetta piece is the, original title page illustration for Land of Terror by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, signed lower left "Frazetta", matted and professionally framed. Breaking into paperback illustration for the first time, Frazetta wanted his covers and title page drawings to impress and also have a casual style. And he achieves both in this wonderful sabre-tooth and mastodon drawing. His quick lines give texture to the planar surfaces of the rocks and to the wooly hair of the mastodon,” Cochran said.

“The second is the original title page illustration for The Beasts of Tarzan by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Ace Books, 1963, initialed lower left "F.F.", matted and professionally framed. Although Tarzan and Sheeta the leopard were not all that friendly in the Burroughs novels, Frazetta created a lovely silhouette of them against a full moon,” he said.

Beautifully restored Hunneman hand-drawn hand tub-fire pumper, 1854 (est. $30,000-$40,000).

“The War Game” mermaid coin-op arcade machine by Matheson Mfg. (est. $200,000-$300,000).

Pre-World War II Japanese early race car tin toy with key wind, very rare (est. $2,000-$4,000).

Nearly 2,000 lots from several major collections in an array of categories – firefighting items from the Granite Handtub Museum in Newmarket, N.H., a private arcade machine collection, around 150 rare toys and banks and more – will be sold April 9-11, 2010 by Showtime Auction Services, at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The three-day Spring “Live” Auction will also feature advertising, country store, barber shop, coin-op, gambling, general store, soda fountain, Coca-Cola, breweriana, petroliana, automobilia, Western Americana, tobacciana, saloon, brothel, die cabinets, showcases, store fixtures, Black Americana, salesman’s samples, Native American items, trade signs and more.

Directed by Otto Preminger, Carmen Jones was one of the most elaborate and sophisticated representations of African Americans on the silver screen in the 1950s. Despite the use of heavy dialect in both the sung and spoken dialogue, the complexities and nuances of Bizet's original opera weren't lost in this newer version.

Most of the emotional heft was left to the two leads--Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte, both relatively new to starring roles at the time. Dandridge is said to have had to fight for her part, because Preminger considered her image too pristine to pull off the alley-cat brazenness and fire. She remedied his doubts by showing up in full costume and forcing him to allow her a second audition.

While Pam Grier emerges as the prominent actress of the "black exploitation era" in American film for her roles in films like Foxy Brown and Coffy, we would like to assert that none of Grier's roles were as empowering or classic as Tamara Dobson's turn as Cleopatra Jones.

Fully clothed and legitimately imposing, Cleopatra Jones is a U.S. special agent assigned to and personally invested in eradicating drug trafficking in the black community. Unlike Grier in many of her starring roles, Dobson's Jones never had to use sex appeal to take down a dealer or, as in the case of the film's main villain, a kingpin (played with creepy and campy relish by Shelley Winters). She used martial arts, firearms, verbal intimidation, and downright fist-fighting to get the job done.

Did you know that the first African-American member of the Barbie line was unveiled at the height of the U.S. civil rights movement? Mattel released the first brown-skinned addition to its all-American doll series, Barbie, in 1968--one year shy of its ten-year anniversary.

The doll, called Christie, was marketed as one of Barbie's close friends. Christie was not simply a brown-painted Barbie mold. She had a brunette bubble cut (with coarser synthetic hair than that used for Barbie), large, almond-shaped eyes, a slightly wider upturned nose, and subtly fuller lips.

Prior to Christie's introduction the availability of mainstream African-American dolls was quite scarce. Mattel's decision to unveil Christie, particularly when racial tensions and political strides to alleviate those tensions were at their height, was a bold and ultimately successful move.

Did you know that when Richard Outcault's Pore Li'l Mose debuted in 1901, it was considered revolutionary and nearly "sympathetic," despite the fact that its depiction of its African-American lead is considered uncomfortable in our contemporary age? The first ever newspaper strip to feature a Black protagonist, Pore Li'l Mose followed the exploits of the titutlar character--a young African American boy--as he migrated from his rural hometown "Cottonville," Georgia to the Northern, urban machine that is New York City.

The strip has its severe qualitites--including the afroementioned "Cottonville" reference; Mose's charcoal skin, bugged eyes and thick lips perpetually puckered into an expression of alarm or surprise and Mose's constant company of animals including a monkey. There are aslo frequent references to his "letters to Mammy."

But even so, Pore Li'l Mose tells the fish-out-of-water tale of a boy in awe of his new, foreign and fast-paced surroundings and we suppose that's not exactly uncommon comic fare. Not only that, but the Emanicipation Proclamation wasn't even 40 years old when Outcault debuted his strip. His portrayal of young Mose was rather consistent with public perception of Blacks in the early post-slavery era.

Zombies vs. Cheerleaders is, according to the publisher, “Morbid or funny, and sometimes morbidly funny,” this title springs from the trading card series from 5FINITY Productions. The 32-page color comic carries a $3.99 retail price and is set to go on sale in April 2010.

Readers who frequent our Off The Presses section know that we’re huge fans of the work that writers Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning have done on Nova. In fact, we recently asked if there was a better superhero monthly on the market today.

One of the reasons for that is that despite being involved in some very popular crossover events, there has been no sense of what many readers have started calling “event fatigue.” It’s not that there’s anything bad about the big events in comics, just that some of them seem to have forgotten the art of telling easily accessible stories and others seem to have forgotten the state of the national economy.

With Marvel’s cosmic titles that sprang from the Annihilation event, though, that’s never been the case. For instance, we’ve been able to just keep reading Nova without feeling like we’re being punished for just reading Nova. Our friends who a reading all of the titles get a bigger picture, but we don’t miss out just because we love the Human Rocket.

Now, though, Abnett and Lanning (along with editor Bill Rosemann and the rest of their crew) have finally cracked us. They’re bringing back one of the best bad guys to ever threaten the Marvel universe.

On Saturday, February 27, 2010, Michael Carbonaro’s New York Comic Book Marketplace comes to the Penn Plaza Pavilion, 401 7th Ave at 33rd Street, a shift in venues for the recently announced show. It was originally announced for another location, but mid-week this new-old facility was confirmed. Carbonaro is no stranger to the location, though, as it was home for many years to the Big Apple Con until he sold it to Wizard’s Gareb Shamus.

If you live in the Philadelphia area, on Saturday, June 12, 2010 Ash is coming to town. Actor Bruce Campbell (Army of Darkness, Burn Notice) will join Wizard World Philadelphia's line-up of guests for that day.

“It’s so much fun to bring Bruce Campbell to our Philadelphia fans. From Army of Darkness to his cameos in the Spider-Man [movies] to Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, he spans all the genres and he really knows how to have [fun] with his appearance,” said Wizard's Gareb Shamus.

The granddaddy of the superhero genre, the first appearance of Superman, is arguably the most important comic book of all time, and now a CGC-certified 3.0 copy of Action Comics #1 is up for auction.

"I've held this book in my hands outside of the CGC holder and it is remarkable. Great paper, supple pages, good color and completely unrestored," said Vincent Zurzolo, Chief Operating Officer of ComicConnect.com.

“If Action Comics #1 didn’t come along, we never would have had a Batman, a Spider-Man or any other superhero for that matter,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments. “Superman changed the world we live in and Action Comics #1 started it all.”

With only an estimated 100 copies in existence, very few collectors will ever have the opportunity to make this hallowed cornerstone comic book the centerpiece of their collection, they said. To provide as many collectors as possible a shot at ownership, ComicConnect.com is offering a six-month, interest-free payment plan for this issue. Contact ComicConnect.com before the auction begins on March 26, 2010 for bidding approval.

According to Pedigree Comics' Doug Schmell, “a fabulous run of Silver Age Strange Tales” will be available in his company's upcoming Grand Auction, which starts on Sunday night, April 18, 2010 and lasts for 10 days until Wednesday evening, April 28.

“This new Strange Tales group is mostly from the Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD run of the title and includes almost 20 issues, all (save for a 9.2 #135) in 9.4 or higher with most of the books in 9.6 and 9.8 CGC-certified condition,” Schmell said.

“We've got a very nice Frazetta preliminary of Kubla Khan, a Hal Foster Tarzan Sunday from 1936, a Little Nemo in Slumberland Sunday, three great Prince Valiant Sundays, a great variety of Dick Tracy dailies, several Broom-Hilda dailies and Sundays (proceeds to benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society) and much more,” Cochran said. “And we're not done yet! And still more lots are to be added later.”

Among the hidden gems in the auction is a Sunday page from what Cochran called “possibly the most under-rated of all newspaper comic art,” Right Around Home.

Tuesday evening, February 16, 2010 saw the start of a new auction slate from eMoviePoster.com, this one featuring 582 non-U.S. posters from 28 different countries. This is Part I of their Winter 2010 Special Non-U.S. Mini/Major Auction, the company’s first mini/major auction in 2010.

The second part of the auction started Thursday, February 18 and will run until the February 25.

“As usual with our mini/major auctions, we give a full-color T-shirt to every buyer, even if they only purchase one item,” eMoviePoster’s Bruce Hershenson told us.

Some of the best ones include Ocean's 11 (Japanese, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr.), Star Wars (Russian, 26” x 40”), Rio Bravo (Japanese, John Wayne, Ricky Nelson, and Dean Martin), Le Samourai (map style Japanese), Dimples (Belgian, Shirley Temple and Helen Westley), Le Mans (Japanese, Steve McQueen), Easy Rider (Italian photobusta, Peter Fonda), After The Thin Man (Belgian, William Powell and Myrna Loy), In The Mood For Love (Japanese), Them (Belgian), The Mole People (Belgian), Bullitt (Japanese, Steve McQueen), On Any Sunday (Japanese 2p, Steve McQueen), AMELIE (Japanese, Audrey Tautou), Thunderball (Japanese, Sean Connery as James Bond 007), Ordet (Danish), Eraserhead (Japanese), and Othello (Belgian, Orson Welles).

Painted zinc Indian brave tobacco figure cast in 1875 by Miller, Dubrul and Peters, 6 feet tall, featured in 1953 book Cigar Store Figures by Pendergast and Ware. Estimate $30,000-$50,000.

Dan Morphy Auctions will pack 2,100 quality lots into a big two-day sale, February 26 and 27, 2010, at the company’s state of the art gallery on the Adamstown antique strip. The main categories in the auction are historical antiques, firearms and militaria, jewelry, toys and antique advertising. All forms of bidding will be available, including live via the Internet.

The Friday session opens with more than 150 lots of fine jewelry and Bakelite from a single estate. All types of jewelry will be offered, including rings, necklaces, earrings, watches and brooches. Among the highlights are an 18K gold bracelet with turquoise stones, a 14K gold bracelet with diamonds, and many other gold Victorian-era fine jewelry designs.

Next up will be 100 general antique lots, featuring clocks, pottery, artwork and other Americana, followed by firearms primarily coming from two single-owner collections. The offering consists of 40 Kentucky rifles, a dozen early Springfield Civil War rifles known as “1903s,” an assortment of World War I and II M1 Girand rifles, and a collection of more than 60 double-barrel shotguns.

Standouts include a superb Kentucky rifle attributed to Charles Baum (upper Susquehanna region of Pennsylvania) that boasts 65 silver inlays. The buttstock is adorned by silver depictions of a flying eagle and Indian with a tomahawk. Another key gun lot is a scarce Winchester Model 1886 .45-.70 caliber bolt-action rifle.

A 50-lot selection of modern guns includes eight Winchester pre-1964 Model 70s. “These guns are highly sought after by collectors and hunters alike, due to their flawless bolt-action design,” said Morphy’s general manager Kris Lee.

The 170-lot historical and political section of the sale incorporates buttons, banners, flags, and ribbons. Notable entries are a U.S. Presidential campaign flag for Benjamin Harrison, and a William Taft banner. Photographica includes tintypes, ambrotypes, daguerreotypes and photographs, including desirable Abraham Lincoln photos and a ferrotype.

Nearly 300 lots of antique advertising will be auctioned, with 25+ tobacco tins topped by an extremely rare Shogun vertical pocket tin estimated at $8,000-$12,000. A handsome, painted-zinc Indian brave tobacco store figure made by Miller, Dubrul & Peters Mfg. Co. (Cincinnati and New York) and featured in the 1953 book Cigar Store Figures (Pendergast and Ware) is expected to make $30,000-$50,000. Other lots expected to finish well in the money include a large, illuminating shoe-form trade sign advertising Wahr Shoes ($8,000-$12,000); and a large wooden shotgun shell display for Kynoch & Co. ($6,000-$8,000).

As we've been recounting African-American superhero characters during Black History Month, it would be a major oversight not to mention Luke Cage. Whether you call him "Hero for Hire," "Powerman," "Avenger" or something else, he's been one seriously tough customer since he first showed up in 1972.

The old Marvel title page into put it like this: “Wrongly convicted and sentenced to prison - reborn in a freak experiment there that gave him steel-hard skin and strength beyond belief - a man who hides his identity as an escaped convict in the role of Hero For Hire!”

Luke Cage debuted in Hero For Hire #1 debuted in June 1972. Hero For Hire ran through #16 (December 1973), when the title changed to Powerman with #17. Powerman continued as a solo title through #49 (February 1978). The following issue, though, would bring a profound change, one that would propel Luke Cage into the permanent ranks of Marvel's superheroes.

We all know about the legendary 1897 Bram Stoker horror classic, Dracula, which spawned an entire literary vampiric movement at the turn of the 20th century. And we're very well acquainted with the famed 1931 Universal Pictures take on the tale, starring Bela Lugosi. These source materials and their prolific sequels shape a very important niche in our hobby.

But in conversations about Transylvania's deadliest and most debonair blood-sucker, we'd be remiss if we overlooked 1972's Blacula. A campy, creepy retelling of the classic story, Blacula originates in 1780 Transylvania where Prince Mamuwalde of Africa and his wife Luva are guests in Count Dracula's home. The visit soon turns sour when the Count refuses to support the Prince's campaign to end the trading of slaves. After a heated battle, Dracula prevails, biting the Prince and cursing him with a new title, Blacula, before sealing him in a coffin with his wife.

In 2007, Scoop's then-Editorial Coordinator Stacia Brown prepared this article with the help of Wayne Munson. For more on Classics Illustrated, please visit www.classicscentral.com. This is an incredible site that will enhance any readers understanding of the entire line.

The original run of Classics Illustrated lasted from 1941 until 1969. The title started while World War II raged, and they kept publishing different issues until the battle for civil rights moved into American streets. While many may not think of the series as a reflection of the times in which it appeared, there are some very subtle hints throughout its history that seem to show someone at the company was paying attention to the times they were living in.

The most obvious example would have to come from issue #15, Uncle Tom's Cabin. The adaptation of Harriet Beecher Stowe's incredibly influential novel first appeared in 1943, barely two years after Classics Illustrated started. The primary target audience for comics was young boys, and more than likely few of them probably had an understanding of slavery in American history. While the book has a clear and definite presence in American literature, there are a lot of other titles that the company could have adapted at the time. It would have been much easier to continue adapting other, easier to read classics in order to attract their target audience.

The presence of the title so early in the company's history indicates that they were, on some level, looking to truly challenge their readers. The creator of Classics Illustrated, Albert Kanter had that challenge in his original vision for the books. He saw the popularity of comics and felt that he could use this new medium to influence the reading habits of American children. However, even with an unstated desire to challenge readers, there is only so far they could go as publishers in 1943.

Last week, Archie Comics announced that have partnered with collaborate with A Squared Entertainment Group and Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment to launch a line of superhero comic properties under the banner of Stan Lee Comics.

The multi-media venture is also designed to bring Stan's first creations for this enterprise, Super Seven, to the world of cartoons as well. Merchandise should follow.

Super Seven tells the story of aliens whose spaceship crashes on Earth. They meet and become superheroes with the help of Stan himself.

Following up on the initial reports of this story, Scoop talked with Archie Comics Co-CEO Jon Goldwater about what they have planned.

Scoop: How did the alliance with Stan Lee and A Squared Entertainment come about?
Jon Goldwater (JG): It was [A Squared Entertainment's] Andy Heyward's idea, but as soon as I met with Stan I know this was the right deal of all of us. This is the start of one of the greatest moments in comic history.

Best-selling novelist James Patterson has entered into an exclusive partnership with IDW Publishing that will lead to the publication of original comic stories and graphic novel adaptations of his top-selling novels. The first fruits of the relationship will debut in May 2010 with a five-part story spinning out of the author’s acclaimed young adult novel Witch & Wizard.

“Graphic story-telling is a compelling and unique way to experience a story, and I look forward to working with IDW to introduce new stories and transform my existing novels into this medium,” said Patterson. “With the brand-new material, adaptations and related stories, we will offer fans of reading a whole new way to enjoy my books.”

Propworx will roll out a tour-wide display of costumes and props from fan favorite series Battlestar Galactica and Stargate SG-1, among others, at the Wizard World show in Anaheim. Additional props from a wide range of movie and TV properties will be added throughout the tour.

Propworx deals in collectibles from Hollywood blockbusters like Iron Man to long running properties like Star Trek. Props include costumes, set decorations, set pieces, models and other memorabilia.

Star Trek MMO Log, Stardate 2010.02

Welcome to the first weekly installment of the Star Trek Online MMO Log, a four-part weekly series, leading up to our review. In this first installment, I take my first steps, and lose a great deal of sleep.

Star Trek Online is the first MMO title to be a part of Kotaku's new MMO review process. Our standard reviews require that we complete the game we are playing. That doesn't work with an MMO title. Instead, we'll be posting new updates every week for four weeks, logging our play time and letting our readers follow us through the experience. After four weeks we review the game based on our experiences.

Friday, January 29th, 1:00PM Eastern
The early start program for Star Trek Online goes live, and so do I, becoming one of the first new starship captains inhabiting this new universe. My first task it to create a character. There are several classic Star Trek races to choose from when creating a Federation character, from the empathic Betazed to the blue-skinned Andorians, but I opt to create a custom alien, testing out Cryptic's character creation system.

And this is what I came up with. Having been programmed by years of the television show to expect humanoid aliens to have strange foreheads and nose ridges, I couldn't help myself. After a little fine-tuning I wound up with Mr. Qix Qbert, a joke name I chose as a placeholder, only to find I didn't have the ability to change my name after the fact. When I try, I am told I have to purchase the ability to change my name from Cryptic's C-Store in-game, and the ability isn't up for sale. Oh well, Qix isn't too bad.

Before I get command of my own vessel, I have to go through a multi-part tutorial mission. Having gone through the mission multiple times during beta, I opt to take a little break.

My work for the day is done, so I slip back online to take Qix through the tutorial. Set against the backdrop of a conflict between the Federation and the Borg, I learn how to interact with objects in my environment, target and fire upon my enemies, and most importantly, I learn how to roll. Does the rolling help? I can't really tell from a combat standpoint, but the immersion factor is immediately through the roof.

After my run-in with the Borg is completed, I am beamed back aboard my ship. With the captain and much of the crew conveniently killed during the battle, I am suddenly the highest ranking officer on the ship, and the only one fit for command. Starfleet must really be hurting for people if I am the only one fit for command.

DESPERATE MEASURES EMPTY PLEASURES
by Frank Kozik

Frank Kozik is one of the leading rock artists of his generation. His work has graced of hundreds of posters, flyers, and album covers, and his originals are held by some of the foremost collectors of contemporary rock art. His posters are colorfully ironic admixtures of pop permutations. He sold his soul for Rock and Roll. "This book is the third in a series showing my attempt to create. Some people call me an artist. I personally tend to disagree. There is no great, unifying message here. What I do is give myself a reason for living. If I cannot distract myself doing this every day, the reality of life would be a burden I, for one, could not bear." - Frank Kozik

HARDCOVER. 114 pages.

Cover Price $30

Many political bloggers are also nerds, so the controversy between comic-book icon Captain America and the Tea Party movement is a big deal in the blogosphere. In the latest issue, the Marvel superhero investigates an unnamed political protest for clues about a fictitious survivalist/white supremacist group. But that protest bears striking resemblance to photos of a real Tea Party protest that took place in Washington last February. Here's the comic in question, and here's the real thing, photographed by The Washington Independent's David Weigel. Marvel has apologized for the comic following pressure from conservative bloggers. All of which raises the question: are comic books political?

John Jackson Miller's current title, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, bows out with #50. The writer will then turn his attention to the new Star Wars: Knight Errant in both comic book and novel form.

Dark Horse Comics and Del Rey Books will collaborate on a new Star Wars series by fan favorite author John Jackson Miller (Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect: Redemption), which is set 1,000 years before Star Wars: A New Hope (the original film) during some of the darkest times of the Galactic Republic.

The series, Star Wars: Knight Errant, will arrive as an ongoing comic book series published by Dark Horse this fall. In 2011 Del Rey will publish a Knight Errant novel, also written by Miller.

Sometimes when folks say “limited edition” the size of the edition doesn’t exactly bring the word “limited” to mind. Other times, though, it really is limited.

In the case of Choice Collectibles’ new Spider-Man Limited Edition Giclee on Canvas by Alex Ross, though, only 15 pieces are available.

Dubbed “Spidey Spot Light,” the piece is reminiscent of the cover to 1968’s Spectacular Spider-Man magazine. With its black frame and red liner the 35” tall x 31” wide presentation comes signed in silver ink by Ross.

The ComicLink Featured Focused Auction now under way, closes February 16-19, 2010 and contains many great comic books and original comic artwork, ComicLink’s Josh Nathanson told Scoop.

“This first Featured Auction of the new year has over 2000 lots. That means there truly will be something for everyone among the many Golden, Silver, and Bronze Age comic book and original comic art lots from which to choose,” he said.

“We strongly recommend that you review all auction listings early considering the wealth of material offered. We are not blowing smoke when we say that there are so many highlights within this Featured Auction that it is impossible to come close to itemizing them all without reproducing the entire auction,” he said.

“The newest and biggest one day show ever is coming Saturday, February 27, 2010 and the world’s largest vintage comic book dealer will be there,” said Frank Cwiklik, Sales Executive. Metropolis Collectibles will set up at the show with a wide selection of Golden and Silver Age keys and rarities pulled from their inventory of over 120,000 vintage comics.

Mike Carbo’s NY Comic Book Marketplace happens at the New York Armory (Lexington Avenue between 25th and 26thStreets) from 11:00AM – 6:00PM.

Metropolis is taking requests for comics from their inventory. They strongly encourage their clients to take a look at the site, metropoliscomics.com, and call Frank Cwiklik at (212) 260-4147 ext. 10 or e-mail him at orders@metropoliscomics.com with any requests. Please do this no later than Monday, February 22.

Metropolis Collectibles is always buying. Stop by the booth for a free appraisal on your comics or original comic art.

A show of force from European steam toy buyers, several of whom flew in to bid in person, drove Morphy Auctions’ Winter sale beyond the $2 million mark (inclusive of 15% buyer’s premium) over the weekend of December 10-12, 2009. Part I of the extensive Pat and Lowell Wagner lifetime collection of antique steam engines and toys – abundantly stocked with examples by Marklin, Weeden, Doll et Cie., and Bing – proved an alluring drawcard, especially to German enthusiasts.

“There were at least 100 people specifically pursuing the steam toys, including three or four Germans who were very active bidders,” said Dan Morphy, owner and chief operating officer of Dan Morphy Auctions. “One thing I found surprising was that Europeans who collect steam toys also buy the full-size steam engines – they appreciate both categories. That’s not typically the case with American steam toy collectors.”

Morphy admitted he had been a bit concerned about the market’s ability to absorb 545 lots of steam engines and toys at one go. “But three or four days prior to the sale, I knew that section was going to ‘catch fire’ because of the unusually high number of absentee bids coming in via the Internet and by phone,” he said. “It wasn’t just the high end that was attracting bids, either. Marklin always tends to take care of itself and was very strong in this sale, but we were amazed at how much action there was in the low to mid range. Internet participation was substantial.”

Pedigree Comics is now accepting consignments for their eighth Grand Auction, which is slated to begin on Sunday, April 18, 2010. The auction will last for 10 days, ending in the evening of Wednesday, April 28.

The auction will feature only CGC-certified comics and magazines, with many brand new-to-market Silver Age and Bronze Age issues from Marvel and DC, including a high grade group of early 1960s Batman that Pedigree’s President and CEO Doug Schmell calls “a killer run from the Pacific Coast collection.”

The Batman offerings start at issue #129 and the PacificCoast run consists of 17 issues between #152 and #171, most in 9.4 and 9.6 condition. Almost every Batman in this new group is the highest graded CGC copy, Schmell said.

Also on the docket will be 11 issues of Green Lantern between #3 and #19 certified 9.2, 9.4 and 9.6, including five from the PacificCoast collection. Out of the 11 issues, nine are the top copies on the CGC census.

Marvel collectors will find high grade Silver Age key in the auction as well, he said.

Schulte Sports, Inc. announced that it has been retained by The National Sports Collectors Convention, the nation’s premier showcase event for the sports and entertainment collectibles industry, to spearhead marketing and public relations initiatives for their 2010 event.

The 31st annual National Sports Collectors Convention will be held, for the first time, in Baltimore, at the BaltimoreConvention Center August 4 -8, 2010. The five-day event is the largest collectibles show in the country, with dealers from all over the country exhibiting, including vintage and new cards, game-used and vintage memorabilia dealers, major trading card manufacturers, the top grading services companies and auction houses, not to mention Hall of Fame and current superstar athletes from every sport signing autographs at the TriStar Autograph Pavilion.

“Schulte Sports is very honored to be associated with of one of the greatest sports collectible events in the country, said Ray Schulte, President Schulte Sports /Auctions. “And we are very excited that The National Sports Collectors Convention will be coming to Baltimore, Maryland for the very first time.”

The National Sports Collectors Convention will bring to town, approximately 60 – 70 of the greatest Hall of Famers and current superstar athletes from every sport to sign autographs at the event’s TriStar Autograph Pavilion, including but not limited to; Brooks Robinson, Cal Ripken, Joe Montana, Willie Mays, Bart Starr and Tom Seaver, to mention a few. In addition, The National Sports Collectors Convention corporate sponsors will be handing out free giveaways and prizes throughout the five days.

ComicConnect.com will provide free scanning for all CGC- and PGX-certified comics shipped to them for inclusion in their March Event Auction at $1 start and no reserve. The company takes only a 10% seller’s commission and does not charge a buyer’s premium.

“If you want to be involved in this auction, I need a phone call right now,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments. “Auction slots are limited and our best consignors are already shipping their comics to me daily.”

If you’re interested in participating, call Reynolds at (212) 895-3999 or e-mail him at support@comicconnect.com. International clients may call 001-212-895-3999.

The legendary international music group Depeche Mode has joined forces with Swiss watchmakers Hublot, Geneva auction house Patrizzi & Co., and LiveAuctioneers.com to produce an unprecedented and never to be repeated auction fundraiser benefiting Britain’s Teenage Cancer Trust.

Online bidding is now in progress on a series of one dozen unique timepieces, each featuring the artwork from one of Depeche Mode’s 12 studio albums on its face. The Hublot watches are one-of-a-kind creations, packaged in exquisitely designed and individually themed presentation boxes. Each box contains not only the wristwatch but also a treasure trove of additional gifts personally chosen for inclusion by the members of Depeche Mode.

Each box contains a deluxe vinyl version of the album, aUSB Key containing a digital edition of the album and documentary about the making of the album, an original album artwork print and a framed gold CD, and a photograph signed by all members of the group who contributed to the album, including Vince Clarke and Alan Wilder, two of the band’s original members.

Bidding on the watches will conclude on February 24, 2010. All proceeds generated from the Internet-only auction will be presented to Teenage Cancer Trust on Feb. 26 at the penultimate concert of Depeche Mode’s “Sounds of the Universe” tour in Dusseldorf, Germany. The tour includes a special Depeche Mode charity performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Feb. 17 – remarkably, the band’s first-ever appearance at the iconic venue.

Created by Frank Miller (Sin City) and Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), Martha Washington first appeared as young freedom fighter in a near-future America in the pages of 1990's Eisner Award-winning Give Me Liberty #1.

A fearless African American teen from the hardened housing projects of "The Green" (Cabrini Greens), Martha found herself enlisting in PAX Corps after escaping the mean streets surrounding her home. Her ultimate goal was to take down the fascist corporate outfit, Aryan Thrust, who fought on behalf of a conglomerate called Fat Boy Burger corporate army.

Martha herself is depicted as a streetwise, very tough gun-toting soldier with either a blonde crew-cut or blonde cornrows. Though the series deals strongly in thinly veiled white vs. black racial themes, many readers have also pointed out its similarities to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged.

We all know that Bessie Coleman was a pioneering African American aviatrix, but did you know that she actually wasn't the first African American woman to receive her pilot's license in the U.S.?

Bessie Coleman, in fact, received her pilot's license in France, because no U.S. pilots' program would accept her. She attained her certification in 1921 after only seven months, becoming the very first African American woman in the world to be licensed to fly an aircraft.

But the first African American woman to achieve that distinction on U.S. soil was Willa Beatrice Brown.

After receiving her BA from Indiana Teachers College in 1927 and MBA from Northwestern University in 1937, Brown sought the assistance of Chicago Defender Publisher/Editor Robert Abbott, who had also helped Bessie Coleman to pursue her aviation goals. Brown enrolled in the Aeronautical University in Chicago, earning a Master Mechanic certificate in 1935. Under the tutelage of certified flight instructor and aviation mechanic Cornelius Coffey, she earned her private pilot's license in 1938, passing her exam with a near perfect score of 96 percent.

In 1941, she became the first African American officer in the Civil Air Patrol (CAP). The U.S. government also named her federal coordinator of the CAP Chicago unit. Two years later, she became the first woman in the United States who possessed both a mechanic's license and a commercial license in aviation.

Did you know that in 1951, Amos and Andy-first popularized in 1928 as a radio show starring two white men, Freeman Godsen and Charles Correll-playing black characters-debuted as a television show starring two black men in the title roles?

CBS bought the Amos and Andy rights from Godsen and Correll who, in addition to playing the farcical, bumbling characters on the radio, also played them in blackface in a series of popular 1930s films.

The TV series featured an all-black cast, which was unheard of in 1951, when the slim parts for black actors were usually for women playing maids. Many of the roles were carried over from the radio and film shows, including conman George “Kingfish” Stevens, outlandish attorney Algonquin J. Calhoun, a “lazy” janitor named Lightnin' and female costars Sapphire and Sapphire's mom (reprised by original radio actresses Ernestine Wade and Amanda Randolf, respectively).

Despite two somewhat successful seasons on CBS, the all-black cast and solidly acted scripts, the network eventually caved in to public outcry and canceled the series. It seemed that the lingering images of the original Amos and Andy in blackface was too unsettling a history to revise. Though the show was canceled in primetime, the series continued to air in syndication until 1966.

Fast Willie Jackson, published in 1976, was a Fitzgerald Periodicals title. The title character was an easy-going everyman in the Chuck Clayton vein (but without the basketball profiency) who had the hots for the neighborhood brickhouse, Dee Dee Wilson, and whose cronies included a JJ of Good Times fame look-alike named Jo-Jo, a militant named Jabar, Frankie Johnson, a jive-talkin' cool papa who falls just short of being identified as a pimp, and a weight-lifting strongman called Hannibal.

The events of the comic are set in Mo City USA, a predominantly black metropolis where "the bad, strong, fast, together brothers and sisters" are constantly throwing around terms like, "Can you dig it?" and "rock solid" and "sweet baby."

Only one recurring white character appears in the comic, a policeman called Officer Flagg, who Willie and the bunch refer to as "The Man." There's also a Latino bodega/soda shop owner, Jose Martinez, and an Asian man who owns a martial arts studio in Mo City.

For 36 years now, since The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #4 in 1974 (as shown in “Overstreet: The First 25 Years” in last week’s Scoop), the covers of the Guide have been, well, sort of a big deal. They have introduced modern audiences to great artists of the Golden Age and Silver Age, explored fun themes, reflected popular niches of collecting, and honored highly prized key issues.

For artists, even with the ups and downs of the market from year to year, the assignment to do the cover for the Guide means they are in the company of predecessors such as Joe Kubert, Will Eisner, Carl Barks, Joe Simon, C.C. Beck, Jerry Robinson, Wally Wood, Alex Schomburg, and others. Even for established professionals, that’s a pretty cool club to belong to, right?

Beginning with The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #27, two covers were offered in the comic book specialty market. Alex Ross was the first artist two do both covers the same year. Murphy Anderson, the most prolific Guide cover artist, followed with two on #28, and Ross returned for two on #29.

By the time John K. Snyder III did two in one year, on The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide #33, there were three covers instead of two. One was for the traditional bookstore market served by Random House, while the other two were aimed at comic shops. For Guide #32-38, the cover of the Random House edition also served as the cover for the limited edition, oversized version known as The Big, Big Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

Nikki Finke and Mike Flemming of Deadline Hollywood have reported that Warner Bros. does indeed plan another big screen version of Superman, and that they’re at least (sort of) handing the reins to The Dark Knight’s Chris Nolan.

Nolan’s job at this point, according to Deadline Hollywood, is to mentor the development of the movie and get it off the ground after a three and a half-year hiatus.

Following up on last week’s news that Mass Effect: Redemption #1 had sold out from Diamond Comic Distributors and Dark Horse Comics and would receive a second printing, Dark Horse and EA have announced that the series’ second issue will be reprinted as well.

It’s been an up-and-down few weeks for our favorite webbed wonder. First, director Sam Raimi bowed out, then director Mark Webb came aboard. Now comes word for Sony that the next Spider-Man film in the series will be released in 3D and released July 3, 2012.

The directing team of brothers Allen and Albert Hughes, who most recently brought Denzel Washington to the screen in The Book of Eli, are reportedly in talks to direct a live action feature film based on Katushito Otomo’s Akira for Warner Bros. and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions.

Star Trek Online's prime directive: have fun

The new game incorporates beloved lore such as Tribbles, Borg and 'red shirts.'

Reporting from Los Gatos - At the offices of video game developer Cryptic Studios in Northern California, certain rooms look like a Trekkie's nirvana: Posters from the television series "Deep Space 9" and movies "Generations" and "Nemesis" line the walls, along with original sketches of the Borg Queen and new designs for Federation ships.

Those who became Trekkies in the past year, however, might not be so dazzled. There are no posters, no sketches, and almost no trace of last year's J.J. Abrams-directed "Star Trek" movie that relaunched the dormant franchise.

In Star Trek Online, which Cryptic and publisher Atari will release Tuesday after more than two years of production, there's no evidence of the Abrams film that went back in time to tell the story of youthful Kirk and Spock at Starfleet Academy. Instead, the game is set in 2409, about 20 years after 2002's "Star Trek: Nemesis," the final movie starring the "Next Generation" cast.

Like the ultra-successful World of Warcraft, Cryptic's new title is a massive multi-player online (MMO) game, in which players pay $15 a month to interact in a virtual world. For Star Trek Online, that includes flying through space at warp 9 and beaming down to alien planets.

Sexy alien Zoe Saldana

Zoe Saldana thinks she is a "very sexy" alien.

The 31-year-old American actress who stars as Neytiri, a blue alien in 3-D animated blockbuster 'Avatar' - the first film from director James Cameron in 12 years - said she thought the filmmaker made her look a lot hotter than she was in real life.

She said: "I thought Jim did a really good job of putting Neytiri together. I thanked him for making her look hot. I mean, Neytiri is very sexy and lean with a really cut bod. I'm in pretty good shape, but I don't look that buff."

Despite looking like a sexy alien, Zoe said she struggled to kiss her love interest in the movie, Sam Worthington.

Suggested Retail $50

TO PREORDER THIS ITEM AT A 10% DISCOUNT CONTACT US AT: Swapsale@aol.com

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Larry "Buster" Crabbe as FLASH GORDON "Blue"
Ltd. Edition 1:6 Figure

In 1936 floating cities, rocket ships, and hawk men exploded off the screen in the greatest movie serials of all time! Starring Larry "Buster" Crabbe as the heroic earthman, Flash Gordon became the film standard of space adventures for children and adults the world over! Having the honor of being the only serial to receive top billing on movie theater marquees, the Flash Gordon serials changed the genre of science fiction forever. Audiences continue to be dazzled by the iconic imagery that remains influential to this day!

FROM GO HERO...for the first time in 1:6 scale figure format, Larry "Buster" Crabbe as Flash Gordon. Explore the strange world of Mongo! Protect the beautiful Dale Arden! Save the Earth from the evil death ray of Ming the Merciless!

This 1:6 Scale collectible figure will Conquer the Universe with:

- Zarkov's Mini Rocket - Die-cast
- Sword w/ Sheath
- Ray Gun Pistol
- Designer Packaging
- Shirt w/ Lightning Bolt
- 2 Sets of Hands
- Studded Collar
- Ray Gun Rifle
- ATOModel Body
- Boots
- Cape
- Officially Licensed

Suggested Retail $150

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A CREEPY SET OF CARDS!

Creepy magazines have been long esteemed by comics and horror fans for their deft art and twist endings, and perhaps the single most stunning element of any issue was its cover. Starting out with a memorable first-issue cover by Jack Davis, the magazine quickly found itself with none other than Frank Frazetta as its main cover artist, which was a move everyone found exciting. But Frazetta wasn't the only great cover painter--he was followed by a host of others, such as Richard Corben and Ken Kelly, to name just two.

Release Date: March 2010
Format: Boxed in a set of 50 cards (42 cover cards and 8 ad cards)
MSRP: $14.99
ITEM #: 16-442

Marvel’s (thus far) week long promotion of their new Avengers title, The Avengers, has been accompanied by daily press releases centered around images of individual characters under the banner "I Am An Avenger."

On Monday through Friday, we saw Captain America (Bucky Barnes), Spider-Woman, Iron Man, Hawkeye and Thor. Who will be next?

As part of their “Marvel: The Heroic Age,” the company said it will launch a new look and direction for the Marvel Universe beginning in May 2010, which they said will offer “a renewed sense of hope and optimism.”

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With sales topping $850,000, Pedigree Comics’ January Grand Auction, which closed January 28, 2010, was the second highest total for an event in the company’s history, Doug Schmell, the company’s President and CEO, told Scoop.

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The final hammer has fallen on The Ultimate Double Cover and Comic Book Rarities Auction, and ComicConnect passed along their thanks to bidders everywhere who supported the event. With over 1,700 multiple cover and rarity comics sold in six days, many collectors placed bids upwards of ten times Guide price for the opportunity to own these pieces of comic book history.

Now ComicConnect.com is gearing up for their March Event Auction and they’re continuing to seek consignments.

Already, the folks at ComicConnect.com are listing lots as they come in, which are available right now for preview on their site.

“One of the earliest gems to appear for preview is Suspense Comics #3 CGC 7.0. This classic comic with the unforgettable Alex Schomburg cover graces the want lists of comic collectors around the globe,”but there can be only one auction winner, so start budgeting accordingly!” said the company’s Rob Reynolds.

Bidding begins Friday, March 26, 2010, so sellers should get their listings posted online or mailed to ComicConnect as soon as possible to get the most exposure for their consignments.

Some of the best lobby cards and title cards among these Tuesday-closing items include two Alfred Hitchcock films, Notorious LC #8 (Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman), Psycho LC #3 (Anthony Perkins), William Wyler’s The Best Years Of Our Lives LC #6 (Fredric March and Myrna Loy, three Elvis Presley pictures, Love Me Tender LC #6 (Debra Paget, Richard Egan and Elvis), King Creole LC #5 (Dolores Hart and Elvis Presley), and Flaming Star TC (Elvis with Barbara Eden), four choices from The Prince & The Showgirl LC #2, 3, 6 and 7 (Marilyn Monroe and Laurence Olivier), A Hard Day's Night LC #8 (Paul McCartney and Wilfrid Brambell), Singin' In The Rain LC #6 (Gene Kelly and showgirls), and Fort Apache LC #2 (John Wayne).

LiveAuctioneers.com, the Manhattan-based company that provides real-time Internet bidding capability to more than 900 auction houses worldwide, has released a custom-designed live-bidding app for use with Googles revolutionary Android platform. The app, which is available free of charge, was created by LiveAuctioneers App Tehnologies to enable users to bid in auctions through mobile devices other than Apples iPhone and RIMs BlackBerry.

Group of three awards given to World War I German flying ace Adolf von Tutschek ($28,250)

An exceedingly rare group of three distinguished awards given to World War I German flying ace Adolf Ritter von Tutschek soared to $28,250 in an Internet and catalog auction that ended January 23-24, 2010 by SoldUSA.com, the premier hunting and fishing, militaria and collectibles site. The group was the top earner of the more than 1,000 lots sold.

In honor of Black History Month, we are happy to re-present this fantastic historical piece from our friend and frequent contributor, Professor William Foster, an invaluable resource for any character or event that's part of the African-American experience in comics.

Every fan of the Black Panther knows the superhero was introduced by Stan Lee in the Fantastic Four comic book back in 1966. But did you know there was another Black Panther fifteen years earlier? In fact, there was an an entire group of Black Panthers!

In 1951, these Black Panthers appeared in the Tarzan syndicated comic strip as members of an evil, panther-worshipping cult. Ultimately they were defeated by Tarzan and his African allies in their evil plans to conquer and destroy.

Since the much publicized "Death of Captain America" storyline and even a bit before it, Cap's former partner and longtime friend Sam Wilson, known as The Falcon, has seen a return to lofty heights he enjoyed previously as Steve Rogers' number one guy. In many issues of the current Captain America series, it's readily discernable how essential the character is to the storyline and to the mythos of his more celebrated partner.

The late 1960s and the 1970s were times of change in American culture, and this was
reflected in superhero comics, which had become much more in tune with contemporary youth during the early years of Marvel Comics.

One of the major areas of change during that period was race relations, and creators at the major comics publishers moved to include African-American characters. Black Panther joined the Marvel universe and very quickly become a member of the Avengers. Slowly, other characters like Black Lightning at DC and Black Goliath at Marvel joined the ranks. Many of them, at least at first, had the word “black” in their name, almost as if it was required. But did you know one know one of the most prominent African-American characters from this time was The Falcon?

First seen in Captain America #117, Sam Wilson was a street-savvy crime fighter on the neighborhood level. The Falcon quickly teamed up with Captain America, and by #134 the cover proclaimed a new title: Captain America & The Falcon. Much like the groundbreaking I Spy TV series casting Robert Kulp and Bill Cosby as equal partners in 1965, Captain America & The Falcon was the first black and white duo in superhero comics. It would run that way for just about 90 issues before the characters theoretically went their own ways.

After a rough childhood and adolescence in the slums of Metropolis, Jefferson Pierce found great success as an Olympian. But when he earned the coveted decathlon gold medal, Pierce decided to return to his hometown and to "give back to the community."

He taught high school in Metropolis and served as a mentor for many of his students, leading a fulfilling life. But he was still plagued by the crime overrunning Metropolis. In order to combat the intimidation of The 100, an organized crime syndicate in Suicide Slums, he sought out his friend Peter Gambi. Gambi, tailor by trade, tinkerer by hobby, outfitted Pierce in a disguising costume with a shock-inducing belt.

It was then that Pierce began to fight crime as Black Lightning.

Black Lightning #1 was published in 1977 by DC Comics. Tony Isabella created and wrote the new title, and it was illustrated by Trevor von Eden. Its initial run was 11 issues, published through 1978. The title re-emerged in 1995, with Isabella again at the helm as writer. He would pen eight of the 13 issues that would emerge as a part of that run.

SINBAD Ltd. Edition 1:6 Figure

"Fearless and foolish, I am compelled to leave my city of Baghad. I set sail once again...for adventure...to places unknown...to places where others would not dare."

The legend of Sinbad the sailor transcends centuries and nations. The stories of his voyages have been told and retold for 100s of years. Sinbad outwits, out fights, and often barely escapes monstrous danger!

Take up your swords and venture into uncharted pages of Bluewater Comics with Ray Harryhausen presents SINBAD: ROGUE OF MARS!

The all new voyages begin with:

- Humunculus Bat Creature
- Chart of the Secret Sea
- Persian Sword w/ Tassel
- Decorated Sheath w/ hanging Strap
- Telescoping Spyglass
- Compass
- Billowing Pants
- Vest w/ Lining and Griffin Design
- Curl Tipped Boots
- Golden Dagger
- Wrap Top Shirt
- Sash
- ATOM body
- Officially Licensed

Retail $110

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Could almost be an out take from a Disney film. Thanks to Mike Elmo for the heads up.

With the fabulous response we've received for our Serenity ships, we are happy to continue with this line of ornaments. Last month we offered Inara's Shuttle, and this month we are pleased to announce the Reaver Ship.

Fans of Firefly and Serenity will be familiar with the look of the Reaver ships, created from abandoned ships and spare parts, with their threatening red markings. In Serenity, the Reaver Ships emerge from an ion storm in the quest for Mal and his crew. We've based our ornament on one of the memorable, menacing ships in this scene.

* This item is limited to pre-orders only. After orders are taken, edition size will be set.

Pub. Date: May 2008
Format: 5 1/2" long, 2" wide, can be hung or placed on stand for display
RETAIL: $39.99

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DW Publishing’s Library of American Comics imprint has announced an April 2010 release of the first volume of The Complete Li'l Abner. The 288-page hardcover will collect Al Capp’s strip from its beginning on August 13, 1934 and run well into 1936, the company said.

The $49.99 hardcover will feature the daily and Sunday strips, including material not previously reprinted.

Writer Jim Shooter, the former Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief and VALIANT founder, will be appearing at Atlas Comics, 1750 Rio Hill Center, Charlottesville, VA 22901 on Friday, February 12, 2010 from 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM.

The Emerald City ComiCon (ECCC) has announced that it is bringing back its popular Monsters & Dames art book for the 2010 edition of the show. This year’s ECCC will take place March 13-14 at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center in Seattle, WA.

The book features almost fifty brand new pieces of art by some of the top illustrators in comics, as well as a cover by Jo Chen (Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8).

Metropolis Collectibles Chief Operating Officer Vincent Zurzolo recently attended a special screening of the blockbuster movie Avatar at the DGA theatre in Manhattan. The exclusive event was hosted by Variety and HSBC and it featured a question and answer session with the film’s writer-director James Cameron, producer Jon Landau and the actor who played Colonel Quaritch, Stephen Lang.

“What an amazing movie! I’ve never seen anything like it. I couldn’t help but to think Cameron had been influenced by comic books,” Zurzolo said.

Actor Samuel L. Jackson (Nick Fury in Iron Man, among other things) and Emmy nominated writer-producer Eric Calderon have teamed with artist Jeremy Rock for Cold Space, a four-issue mini-series from BOOM! Studios.

The title follows the adventures of Mullberym an on-the-run outlaw, as he crash-lands on a hostile planet on the brink of civil war. Caught in the crossfire between two warring factions, Mullbery realizes that in chaos lies opportunity: where there's war, there's money to be made.

“I'm a long time comic reader and big fan of many genres in graphic novels and manga - from crime thrillers, westerns, and super-hero books, to samurai dramas, science fiction and horror. So I actually do read the stuff, and lots of it,” Jackson said. “Now's my chance to put my stamp on the medium with something new, but with a classic taste of the stuff I already like.”

Jackson had previously partnered with Calderon to create Afro Samurai, but on this project he was actually serve as co-writer. The mini-series will feature covers by Dave Johnson and Jeffrey Spokes. The first issue is due in stores in April 2010.

The new auctions are underway at eMoviePoster.com and the Tuesday-closing items include 700 different lots comprised of three-sheets (41" x 81"), six-sheets (81" x 81"), British quads (30" x 40"), and Argentinean posters (29" x 43").

Some of the best three-sheets include Billy Wilder’s unforgettable comedy One, Two, Three (James Cagney’s last starring role), Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry, Mickey Spillane’s Kiss Me Deadly (Ralph Meeker as Mike Hammer), John Boorman’s Point Blank (Lee Marvin and Angie Dickinson), Trouble In Texas (Tex Ritter), The Sons Of Katie Elder (John Wayne and Dean Martin), Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton illustrated by Howard Terpning), Young & Wild, To Each His Own (Olivia de Havilland and John Lund), Escape Me Never (Errol Flynn, Ida Lupino and Eleanor Parker), a double feature of Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch A Thief and Vertigo (Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jimmy Stewart & Kim Novak), and Elvis On Tour.

A hand-colored Gasoline Alley Sunday by Frank King, autographed to Jimmy Hatlo, 1946

The next Russ Cochran Comic Art Auction has been reschedule for March 11, 2010 with online viewing beginning after February 7, Cochran told Scoop.

He said that he’s arranged a wide selection of classic items, including Frank Frazetta’s preliminary ink drawing for the Kubla Khan portfolio, a hand-colored 1946 Gasoline Alley Sunday by Frank King a beautiful 1936 Hal Foster Tarzan Sunday page, a selection of Dick Tracy dailies, and more.

“The biggest news, though, is that I got the Little Nemo original returned to me via my good friend Roger Reed of Illustration House. This original was stolen by a well-known collector who took it from a well-known New York restoration expert under false pretenses,” Cochran said.

Collectors of antique toy soldiers and figures have long known that good things come in small packages, and that ever-growing legion of enthusiasts helped push the total for Old Toy Soldier’s November 21, 2009 auction to $193,000 – the company’s highest sale total to date. Leading the charge in the 644-lot sale was an army of figures from the German manufacturer Heyde (pronounced “High-dee”).

“The Heyde lots really got the momentum going,” said Old Toy Soldier Auction USA’s owner, Ray Haradin. “There was a tremendous amount of interest in them, and in all the German-made figures, for that matter.”

Haradin explained that collectors are attracted to Heyde figures because they are highly realistic and do not look mass produced. “Their sets are very fanciful. They tend to have 20 pieces in them, with all 20 being different, so they display very nicely. Also, Heyde made their figures in a larger scale than Britains did, so they tend to cross over more with toy and train collectors.”

Currently running at MoviePosterBid.com is a great auction of one sheets, half sheets and insert posters. Part of a single collection, the owner collected classic titles and rarities. Included in this sale are posters for the Lone Ranger with Clayton Moore, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance with John Wayne and the classic High Noon with Gary Cooper.

There is a rare insert poster for Frank Capra's comedy classic, Arsenic and Old Lace (with Cary Grant) as well as rare inserts for Niagara with Marilyn Monroe and the infamous Howard Hughes production, the Outlaw with Jane Russell.

With a long awaited feature film incarnation finally in production, we thought we'd take a look at the roots of Edgar Rice Burroughs' favorite man-about-Mars. Despite plenty of novels featuring the maverick hero, did you know John Carter started as a pulp character?

It's true. John Carter of Mars first appeared in the pulp publication, All-Story magazine in 1912. And like the character himself, no one's quite sure how long Carter will live.

Here are few interesting facts about the sci-fi/adventure icon:

1. In the first John Carter of Mars novel, The Princess of Mars, Carter is described as a native Virginian who fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War before becoming a prospector in Arizona. Chased by Apaches into a cave, he asphyxiates on noxious gas and, while unconscious, moves toward a "bright red light" that turns out to be Mars.

His villainy dates back to Amazing Spider-Man #3. He is one of the longest running villains in Spider-Man history. As such, there's probably not much you don't know about him, but hey, it's worth a try:

1. Dr. Octopus, born Otto Octavius and known to some as "Master Planner" or "Bowrey Bum," is native to Schenectady, New York.

2. Unlike most Spider-Man villains, Doc Ock has quite the love life. He dated fellow villain/scientist, Stunner, as well as Peter Parker's Aunt May (to whom he was, quite bizarrely, engaged to marry).

For six years, Boston Blackie defended the common man across NBC, NBC Blue and CBS airwaves. Something of a vigilante, Boston Blackie garnered quite a bit of friendly opposition from his local police chief, Inspector Faraday. But with a tagline as cool as, "Boston Blackie! Enemy of those who make him an enemy, friend of those who have no friends," he was able to easily elude serious trouble in his crimefighting crusade.

Though he got his start in pulp magazines, Boston Blackie's radio run began in 1944 and lasted until 1950. The half-hour series proved far more popular than the magazines themselves, as listeners enjoyed the smooth-talking, rough hewn sophisticate's voice in a more two-dimensional way.

Some Westerns marked their frontier and lingered for decades. Others moseyed on up to the limelight and galloped off into the sunset, shunning fanfare.

We suppose Tennessee Jed was one of the latter. A madcap marksman and rancher who followed outlaws through the Western plain to ensure they got what was comin' to 'em, Tennessee Jed began his run on ABC radio in 1945. His 15-minute program aired Monday through Friday and was primarily marketed to children. Even so, he captured the interest of many a parent with his spot-on aim and craggy charm.

Over the seventeen years that the Chester Gould-Dick Tracy Museum has resided in Woodstock, Illinois, thousands of visitors from the United States and all over the world have passed through its doors, but did you know the museum also has an online presence?

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Robert Williams first came to the publics attention in the 1960s as a contributor to Zap comics. However, since then he has spearheaded a new art movement that shuns traditional, elitist art to explore the edges of art as a part of the American cultural scene. Most recently Williams has moved from painting to sculpting because, as he puts it "I can finally afford to." A man of many talents, Williams is also the driving force at Juxtapose, a magazine that covers ground breaking artists who have been ignored by the more traditional (and pretentious) art scene. For more on Williams and his art visit his website: http://www.robtwilliamsstudio.com/

The growth of sophistication of today's highly articulated, elaborately costumed figures is one reason why now is the golden age for action figure collectors. Upstart toy company Triad Toys is winning fans and turning heads with their fabulous attention to detail, and being the sophisticated and smart company they are, have turned to Dark Horse as a source for their latest new figures.

In Steel Harbor, a bombed-out wreck of a town, thrill -- junkie Barbara Kopetski -- better known as "Barb Wire" -- is proprietor of the Hammerhead bar and part-time bounty hunter. Barb Wire was one of the stars of Dark Horse's company -- created "universe", and she returns, courtesy of Triad, with a vengeance!

Triad has paid attention to every detail: from her fishnets to her gloves and armbands, buckles, to her blonde hair, this is the ultimate collector's item. Accessories include an arsenal's worth of weaponry -- even her handcuffs.
You can take this high-quality heroine home just don't call her "babe."

TO ADVANCE ORDER THIS ITEM AT A 10 % DISCOUNT CONTACT US AT: Swapsale@aol.com

The upcoming January 31, 2010 edition of The California ComicCon has sold out an extra room, they have reported.

The show, which will be held at the Yorba Linda Community Center 4501 Casa Loma Ave.Yorba Linda CA92886, will run from 9:30 AM to 5 PM.

The Smithsonian American Art Museum will host writer-artist Darwyn Cooke on Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 4 PM for a reading from his graphic novel The Hunter, which is based on the Richard Stark (Donald Westlake) novel of the same name.

One of the most acclaimed books of 2009, The Hunter has been included on over 50 “best of” lists, including NPR, Publisher’s Weekly, and Aint it Cool News.

Cooke will read from Stark’s novel while presenting images from his adaptation, demonstrating how he interpreted it.

A limited number of tickets are available for this exclusive event through the Museum.

On the heels of the X-Men #1 CGC 9.4 consignment announced last week, ComicLink announced that the Amazing Fantasy #15 CGC 9.0 Curator pedigree copy, one of the best examples of this key issue, has also been consigned to the ComicLink February Featured Auction.

The comic book is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $200,000. The last 9.0 was brought to market two years ago in February 2008, also within a ComicLink Featured Auction. That example did not have a pedigree, but it sold for $139,000.

The last-minute entries into Pedigree Comics’ Grand Auction include the Pacific Coast runs of early Silver Age DC Comic titles Aquaman and Metal Men.Both of the runs are the best existing and top certified copies according to the CGC census and, if combined, would easily make the number one CGC Comics Registry Set.

Almost every issue (21 out of 23) is the highest CGC-certified copy of its respective issue.

The auction started on Monday night, January 18, 2010 and ends in six days (from Scoop’s Friday, January 22 release date), on Thursday afternoon (after 4:00 PM), January 28.

Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments at ComicConnect.com, told Scoop he handled a call the other day from an interested bidder in this month’s Joe Desris Double Cover & Comic Book Rarities Event Auction.

“Rob, I know what a treasure it is to have all these double covers up for auction and just how hard it is to find even those,” he said the caller asked. “I also see the auction has a select number of triple and quadruple covers. How much harder is it to find them?”

“With over 60 triple covers, and just a handful of quadruple, quintuple, sextuple, and a single octuple cover up for auction, the opportunity to add something extraordinary to your collection is here. You don’t want to miss this chance,” he said.

Some of the best include Paul Neman in both Cool Hand Luke (with by James Bama) and Hud, director Otto Preminger’s Where The Sidewalk Ends (Dana Andrews and Gene Tierney), John Wayne’s epic last film The Shootist (Richard Amsel artwork), The Sign Of Zorro (Guy Williams), Call Northside 777 (James Stewart), The Man In The White Suit style A (Alec Guinness), Shaft (Richard Roundtree), Lust For Life (Kirk Douglas), Satchmo The Great (Louis Armstrong), West Side Story (1963 rerelease), and John Ford’s How The West Was Won (Debbie Reynolds and Gregory Peck).

On January 30, 2010, New Dimension Comics will open its vault - also known as its basement - and allow customers to shop it's huge warehouse selection for just $1.00 per comic book. There are over 400,000 comics, all sorted alphabetically. Any customer who fills a long box pays just $225 for an even better deal.

When Harold Gray debuted his comic strip, Little Orphan Annie, in 1924, it's unlikely he realized how relevant the themes of father-daughter relationships and parental absenteeism would become over the next 75+ years.

Though the strip is most remembered for its parallels to the times in which it was written, with emphasis shifting from the Great Depression to bureaucracy to labor relations and other political issues as the eras dictated, Little Orphan Annie also raised a few important familial questions. For instance, is financial support more important than presence and quality time? Does wealth have any bearing on how well you can raise a child? What are the long-term effects of absenteeism, even on the pluckiest of parentless children?

When Annie was "rescued" from her Dickensonian prison of an orphanage by a wealthy socialite, Mrs. Warbucks, readers presumably figured the girl's quality of life would infinitely improve. In many ways, those readers would've been right, especially when Mr. Warbucks returned from one of his many business trips and found Annie's busyness and bustle endearing, when it had already become an exasperation to his wife.

In 2004, we may consider Richard Outcault's Pore Li'l Mose rather wince-worthy. But in 1901, when the strip debuted, it was considered revolutionary and nearly "sympathetic." The first ever newspaper strip to feature a Black protagonist, Pore Li'l Mose followed the exploits of the titutlar character--a young African American boy--as he migrated from his rural hometown "Cottonville," Georgia to the Northern, urban machine that is New York City.

The strip has its severe qualitites--including the afroementioned "Cottonville" reference; Mose's charcoal skin, bugged eyes and thick lips perpetually puckered into an expression of alarm or surprise and Mose's constant company of animals including a monkey. There are aslo frequent references to his "letters to Mammy."

In 1975, when Star Trek was already iconic and Star Wars had yet to hit theatres, Space:1999 debuted as the story of the crew of the Moonbase Alpha, a group of astro-heroes who, as the result of the Moon's sudden disappearance from the Earth's orbit, were stranded too far away to return home. The Moon was previously being used as a radioactive waste storage facility and an explosion on the receptacle sent it hurtling into deep space.

The series starred real-life married couple, Martin Landau and Barbara Bain as Commander John Koenig and Dr. Helena Russell. Produced in the UK and distributed both there and in the U.S., Space:1999 hoped to build upon Star Trek's momentum to become a compelling space opera focusing more on the lives of the crew and less on their intergalactic missions.

There’s always been an element of mystery to Jonah Hex’s past, and now longtime Hex scribes Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti (Power Girl) are opening up a bit of it in the new original graphic novel Jonah Hex: No Way Back.

In the 136-page volume, original Hex artist Tony DeZuniga returns to illustrate Jonah’s rough family life and the story of how it transformed him into the justice-thirsty vigilante he became.

Scoop talked with Gray and Palmiotti about the project, which can be found in the pages of the January 2010 issue of Previews and is set to go on sale in March.

Scoop: You guys have put together a long, healthy run on the regular Jonah Hex title. When you started, did you think you’d have this many stores to tell with the character?
Justin Gray (JG): There’s no shortage of stories to explore the world and mind of Jonah Hex, but we weren’t certain how many we’d be able to tell given the fact that a western is a hard sell in the direct market. That said we’ve had the good fortune to continue telling stories and developing the book for a very loyal audience.

Disney has begun production on Edgar Rice Burroughs’ John Carter of Mars, a live action film directed by Wall-E director Andrew Stanton. The film, which stars Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins, Willem Dafoe, Thomas Haden Church, Polly Walker, Samantha Morton, Mark Strong, Claran Hinds, Dominic West, James Purefoy, Bryan Cranston, and Daryl Sabara, is filming in London, according to the company.

While son Jason Reitman garners praise for directing and co-writing Up in the Air, dad Ivan Reitman told MTV that he’ll be returning to the Ghostbusters franchise. In addition to Stripes, the senior Reitman directed the first two Ghostbusters films. While the second one was a dubious accomplishment at best, the first has remained a fan favorite for XX years.

Set for a 2011 release, Ghostbusters 3 has a screenplay by Lee Eisenberg and Gene Stupnitsky, and will reportedly star many of the original cast members. Will that include Bill Murray? Could it have even been Ghostbusters without him?

Picture of Elvis and Nixon is worth a thousand words

Behind the famous photo is a little-known story of an unlikely meeting in which the king of rock 'n' roll had his wish granted by the president.

Reporting from Washington - The National Archives is like a safe-deposit box for America's really important papers -- the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the $7.2-million canceled check for the purchase of Alaska, the picture of Richard Nixon and Elvis Presley shaking hands in the Oval Office.

Copies of that photo -- the president in his charcoal suit, the king of rock 'n' roll in his purple velvet cape -- are requested more than just about any of the archives' treasures, including the Constitution.

Yet the story that led to their improbable meeting on Dec. 21, 1970, is as little-known as the picture is famous. In honor of Elvis' 75th birthday last week, one of the president's men, Egil "Bud" Krogh, and one of the king's most trusted friends, Jerry Schilling, met for the first time in almost 40 years at the National Archives to recount the day Elvis came to Washington. A crowd waited in the frigid cold for a seat. (Even in the imperious capital, Elvis can still pack a house.)

This pic is making the email rounds. We're told it's a clever fake; the original has Nicholson as the Joker in the 8X10 pic. But then, why is Nicholson so pissed? Sent to us by Spider-Man writer Ted Newsome.

Don't forget the SG reunion in Williamsburg, Virginia this March 10 - 13, 2010 - http://www.solarguard.com/2010sgreunion/index.html Check out the Solar Guard Academy Web page for details. Register early with the hotel to get the convention discount. Drawings for door prizes will be part of the video sessions again this year and a special drawing for a Tom Corbett or Space Patrol collectible will be held for those attending the banquet.

2-Cadets will gather again at The Mid- Atlantic Nostalgia Convention in Hunt Valley Maryland September 23 – 25, 2010 – http://www.midatlanticnostalgiaconvention.com/

Julia, my 16 yo daughter, had to do a class presentation as Winged Victory. Since I had to get up at 4 am to get her to the bus stop for snowboarding pickup, I tinkered with it...

Attached is the original photo and the doctored version.

I stuck the Winged Victory WWII poster knockoff together in a few hours early this morning-- as I already mentioned, I had to get Julia to her 5am snowboarding bus connection and was up early. Swiped the B-17 from one site and cloned them in different sizes, the Nazi and Japanese flags came from another, and the background is a distorted piece of artwork that I think came from site that had an image from an old Disney propaganda flick. I lifted Julia from that class photo I sent last time, flipped her left wing, and then went into distort mode to give her the illusion of depth. Everything was done in Photoshop CS3.

Stan Lee will make his first appearance at The Emerald City ComiCon March 13-14, 2010 at the Washington State Convention & TradeCenter in Seattle, Washington.

With a legendary comic book career that has spanned over 60 years, he is the creator or co-creator of Iron Man, Spider-Man, Thor, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and many others.

"I've never had a chance to come up to Seattle for the Emerald City ComiCon, a show which I've heard great things about," Lee said, "so I am really looking forward to this opportunity to meet all of the great fans in the Northwest!"

Tommy Lee Edwards at the premiere of The Book of Eli, for which he provided the concept art.

It’s no secret to regular Scoop readers that we’re big fans of artist Tommy Lee Edwards, both his work and the artist himself. Whether in comics or film development, his art has a vivid, vibrant flare that captures as much feeling as it does character and setting.

We’ve known for a longtime that many in the film world felt the same way, but now we have some proof.

Edwards and artist Bernard Chang were among those who joined the celebrity-packed premiere of The Book of Eli earlier this week at Hollywood’s famous Grauman’s Chinese Theater in advance of the film’s Friday, January 15, 2010 release.

“It was great to see everyone again, Edwards told Scoop. “We all worked so hard on this film. Gary Whitta's script was great, and it was an honor working with Albert and Allen Hughes to bring this unique vision to the big screen. Being at the premiere and seeing our efforts and my paintings come to life was a proud moment.”

The Book of Eli stars Denzel Washington, Garry Oldman, Mila Kunis, Ray Stevenson, and Jennifer Beals.

One of the great things about a technology-based superhero like Iron Man is that improvements in technology bring about changes in the character’s look and powers. For Iron Man these changes started as soon as he painted the original gray armor yellow, and they haven’t stopped since.

Frequently the styles of the artists who have drawn the character were the biggest factors in driving small changes, but often story elements spurred new developments such as his stealth armor or the space armor.

Now Marvel has unveiled yet another new look for Iron Man. Writer writer Matt Fraction and designer Ryan Meinerding (from the Iron Man and Thor films) have collaboratd on what Marvel calls “…the most bleeding edge, out of this world armor you’ve ever seen!”

Writer Keith Champaign (Green Lantern Corps) and artist Andy Smith (Superman Confidential) will kick off Titan Publishing’s new comic book title spotlighting the stars of World Wrestling Entertainment. WWE Heroes #1, which features a 50/50 variant cover by Liam Sharp (Army of Darkness), debuts in March 2010 and is featured in the January issue of Previews.

What ComicLink’s Josh Nathansaon calls an “Xceptional, Xciting ane Xtremely desirable offering,” a CGC-certified 9.4 copy of X-Men #1, will be up for bid in the ComicLink February Featured Auction, which starts February 5, 2010.

“This issue is one of the most important key comic books ever introduced within our hobby, and in the offered condition it is scarce,” Nathanson said. “This is one of the best eight examples in the world ever graded by CGC, and this is the first time that ComicLink is ever offering one in this grade up for auction.”

“Though estimated to be worth over $100,000, this impressive example will be in the February auction and will go live with a start price of $1 and completely no seller reserve price,” he said. “How's that for seller confidence?”

In all their years dealing in the comic hobby, the owners and staff of ComicConnect.com have said they hear certain regrets time and again from collectors. According to them, these regrets usually sound a little something like this:

“Man, I missed my opportunity to buy these comic books years ago when they cost a fraction of the price they are now! I would be a millionaire today!”

“Just a few years ago, I never imagined such a common book as Hulk #181 would sell for over $1000, and now copies have sold for over $20,000! How did I miss the boat on that one?”

“Darn, I wish I started buying original comic art 10 years ago before it really became in vogue. I always miss my chance to get in on the ground floor of these things.”

Yes, it isn’t always easy to identify hot markets before they take off. If it was, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be doing it, and those markets would already be mature. But as the lottery’s tagline suggests, you “gotta’ be in it to win it”, and speculators don’t earn anything if they don’t invest. Starting at noon on Friday, January 15, 2010, ComicConnect opens bidding on over 1,700 lots with the Ultimate Double Cover and Rarities Event Auction, and wholeheartedly recommends the lots in this auction as a solid “buy”. Here are the reasons why:

“In late 2009, renowned collector Joe Desris approached a select number of venues about the prospect of auctioning his comic collection of multiple-covers and printing errors,” stated ComicConnect COO, Vincent Zurzolo. “We knew this would be something big, and an incredible opportunity for buyers in our hobby. We lobbied hard to get this collection, and bring it to market at auction on ComicConnect.com.”

They may be creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky, as well as all together ooky, but since their debut in a single-panel cartoon in The New Yorker magazine in 1938, The Addams Famil y has been raising nervous laughter from the masses.

Created by Charles Addams, the characters originally didn’t have names. At least, until The Addams Family television show hit the air on September 18, 1964. Then the entire country was finally formally introduced to Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Grandmama, Cousin Itt, Uncle Fester, Lurch and of course, Thing.

At the point during the 1960s when The Addams Family debuted, they were quickly followed by The Munsters, a similar type horror sitcom. Television audiences were treated to a veritable broadcast monster mash! The success of both shows spawned not generations of fans, but movies, later television shows and a wave of merchandise, much of which is considered collectible today.

In Hake’s Americana & Collectibles current auction, the offerings include a few great Addams Family collectibles.

Pedigree Comics’ Doug Schmell has told Scoop has his company will add what he calls “an incredible group of high grade early Silver Age Marvels and DCs from the Mound City Collection” to their Grand Auction this weekend.

The auction, which starts on January 18, 2010 at 8:00 PM and runs for 10 days until Thursday evening, January 28, starts just three days from this posting. It will now have over 400 high grade CGC-certified comics and magazines.

“The group of Mound City issues includes 34 amazing books all in 9.0 and higher, most of which (25) are in ultra high grade (CGC-certified 9.4 and higher), with a bunch of 9.6’s and a 9.8,” he said.

“For those of you who do not know, the Mound City Collection is an original owner accumulation of approximately 3,000 early Silver through early Bronze Age Marvels and DCs. The original owner, who lived with his mother, passed away several years ago and his treasured books remained carefully stored in boxes under the stairwell in his mother’s house. When his mother died just recently, the entire inheritance went to the closest living heir, a cousin, who in turn consigned the comic books to an auction house. The auction house had most of the books CGC graded and then sold the entire collection in a live auction event. That auction was recently held on November 1-2, 2009, in St. Louis, Missouri with unbelievable results,” he said.

The Yellow Kid was created by R.F. Outcault, debuting in a single panel cartoon called Hogan's Alley in 1895. While the cartoon may have been titled Hogan's Alley, it soon became obvious that the star of the strip was the Yellow Kid.

The strip portrayed the real life struggles many were forced to endure in city slums around the country at the turn of the century. Outcault used the strip to help make the plight of slum inhabitant known to the public.

Referring to his character, he remarked, "The Yellow Kid was not an individual but a type. When I used to go about the slums on newspaper assignments I would encounter him often, wandering out of doorways or sitting down on dirty doorsteps. I always loved the Kid. He had a sweet character and a sunny disposition, and was generous to a fault."

Outcault started lampooning situations dealing with New York tenements in June of 1894 for Truth magazine. In February of the following year, The New York World newspaper reprinted one of Outcault's cartoons, paving the way for the series which would serve as the genesis of The Yellow Kid, Hogan's Alley. Identifiable by his bald head, huge ears, and vivid yellow nightshirt (which went on to display his dialog in a manner similar to that of a sandwich board), The Yellow Kid became a hit.

The new auctions at eMoviePoster.com are underway and the theme is “The World of Movie Posters,” which spotlights 650 rolled non-U.S. posters from 15 different countries.

Among the top offerings in the truly diverse selection are Grandfather Of Cars (Polish, art of early car by Starowieyski), Deadly Mantis (Belgian, great art of giant insect on the Chrystler building), Batman (French, Adam West by Boris Grinsson), I Married A Monster From Outer Space (Belgian, Gloria Talbott), A Nun's Story (French, Audrey Hepburn by Mascii), Nevada Smith (French, Steve McQueen), Some Like It Hot (Belgian, Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon), Babette Goes To War (red style, French, Brigitte Bardot), Dracula (Spanish 1970 reissue, Bela Lugosi), and Goldfinger (French 1970 reissue, Sean Connery as James Bond 007 by Yves Thos & Bourduge).

Also offered are Dracula A.D. 1972 (Spanish '72 Hammer film with Christopher Lee), Chang & Fak-Hong Spanish and English magic poster from a 1920s magic show), Ulysses (Belgian, Kirk Douglas and Silvana Mangano), The Empire Strikes Back (Danish, cool artwork by Tom Jung), The Good, The Bad & The Ugly (French, 1970s reissue, Clint Eastwood and Lee Van Cleef, Sergio Leone), Two For The Road (French, Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney by Grinsson), Gorilla At Large (Belgian, Anne Bancroft), The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (Spanish, Christopher Lee) Abbott & Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (Belgian, Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, and Boris Karloff), and Vengeance Of She (French, Olinka Berova by Grinsson).

Steve Ditko art of the caliber being offered currently by ComicLink sellers in the Comic Art Exchange section is rarely seen.

Ditko, of course, is most widely known as being the premiere artist and co-creator of Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, and also for his detailed work on early Warren titles. All three of these Ditko genres are represented within the ComicLink offering, and each is especially desirable in its own right.

The first, and undoubtedly the most valuable piece, is the splash page to Amazing Spider-Man #35 from 1966, capturing Spidey in action against the Molten Man (the cover feature of this issue features the Molten Man's second appearance).

Next up is a 1965 Strange Tales page, featuring Doctor Strange in five panels, including an exceptionally detailed top right panel of the "Master of Mystic Arts" and a compelling head shot within the bottom middle panel.

The third piece is a splash page to Eerie #5, with phenomenal shots of the evil sorcerer in the large bottom two panels, images which are distinctively Ditko and which bear a striking resemblance to Doctor Strange.

While Christmas has passed us by, it we would be remiss not to mention this great holiday item being offered in Hake’s Americana & Collectibles current auction – a personal Christmas card signed and sent from Walt Disney himself to his second grade teacher, Ethel Fischer, a woman who inspired and encouraged the artist within.

This is truly one of the most exceptional Disney items Hake’s has offered in the company’s 43 year history. While the first Disney Studio Christmas card was printed in 1930, the card being offered is actually the second studio card from 1931. The front of the card features a small image of snow-covered house. The card opens to reveal "A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year" text with images of holly leaves and berries around a candle along with superb full color, tipped-in paper sheet. This sheet depicts a nighttime Christmas caroling scene featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow. Directly below this sheet are the bold and distinct black fountain pen signatures of Walt Disney and his wife Lilly (with Walt signing for both himself and his wife).

ComicConnect.com has announced the dates for their next Event Auction, which will start on March 26, 2010 and begin to close on Friday, April 9.

“Now is the time to consign your comics. Simply upload your comics on ComicConnect.com, and we will start promoting your listings and telling prospective buyers to bid on your items,” said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments.

ComicConnect.com holds dozens of records for comics sold including the highest ever paid for a comic book at auction, Action Comics #1 CGC 6.0 for $317,200. The company also holds the records for sales on Showcase #4, Green Lantern #76, Fantastic Four #72, Amazing Spider-Man #1, Journey into Mystery #83, and many more.

“Call me today so I can do the same for you and your comic collection,” Reynolds said.

No time in recent history was the need for escape through entertainment more necessary that that of the Great Depression. The harsh economic reality of the day caused a spike in entertainment revenues. People wanted temporary respite from their everyday worries and sought out several different mediums for escape. One of these mediums was pulp magazines.

“Pulps,” as they came to be known, were printed on cheap wood pulp paper and often featured sensational storylines and risqué content. Pulps paved the way for many modern comic books, as heroes like The Shadow, The Spider, Doc Savage and The Phantom Detective battled evil within their pages.

Another of these pulp heroes was "Operator No. 5." That was the United States Intelligence codename for Jimmy Christopher, a secret agent who pledged to protect America against its nefarious villains, who threatened democracy and vowed to destroy the country at every turn. The enemies were many, and often thinly veiled attempts pointing towards actual countries.

Operator No. 5 was known for two distinct items he carried with him at all times - a skull ring and a rapier which he kept concealed in his belt. Supporting characters included Diane Elliot, his girlfriend; Tim Donovan, a child sidekick who grew as the story progressed; Nan Christopher, his twin sister; John Christopher, his father and the retired secret agent Q-6; Chief of Intelligence Z-7; and his friend “Slips” McGuire. The magazine ran for 48 issues, published by Popular Publication from April, 1934 to November, 1939. Writing was credited to “Curtis Steele,” a penname used by the publisher for writers Frederick Davis, Emile Tepperman and Wayne Rogers.

As with many of the popular pulp characters of the time, a premium ring was issued. Produced in 1934 by noted ringmaker Uncas, the brilliant silver luster ring with its stark black and white enamel was an exact replica of the one worn by Operator No. 5 in his adventures.

In the current auction at Hake’s Americana & Collectibles, which closes January 19-21, 2010,. a beautiful mint condition example of this ring is offered by Hake’s Americana & Collectibles in their current auction.

Heritage Auction Galleries’ Noah Fleisher reported that an awed hush fell over the Platinum Night bidding floor of company’s Orlando FL FUN U.S. Coin Auction on Thursday, January 7, 2010as "The Olsen Specimen" 1913 Liberty Nickel, PR 64 NGC, lived up to its billing as the most famous American coin by bringing a jaw-dropping $3,737,500. This figure is tied for the third-largest sum ever paid at auction for a single U.S. coin.

With the 1913 nickel, Heritage sold three $1 million+ U.S. coins in the auction, only the third time this has ever been done in a single event, all by Heritage, and this auction is the first time that all three coins hammered above the $1,000,000 mark.

In Hake’s Americana & Collectibles’ current auction, which closes January 19-21, 2010, there’s one item that definitely links the two otherwise far afield areas of collecting, a concert poster with a decidedly “strange” choice of art.

The first and only printing of the poster for the July 21-22, 1967 concerts that took place at California Hall, a well-known musical venue in San Francisco, California, featured none other than Doctor Stephen Strange.

It's not easy having gills. Especially when you're being hunted by a chartered boat full of scientists who'd just as soon dissect you as look at you. But then, if you're a half-man, half-fish monster, with webbing between each finger and claws the size of Kansas, well, you can undoubtedly hold your own.

In 1954, that's exactly what Gill-Man did. The titular "creature" from the fabled and far away Black Lagoon, sparked a whole new niche in the Universal Monsters genre. Given just the faintest hint of humanity (the human male-sized hands, the ensuing infatuation with Kay, the woman on the scientists' boat), Gill-Man showed audiences how much more fun destruction could be when the monster is a guy you can almost root for.

Just about everyone knows that the 1931 film version of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein is one of the all-time horror classics. Not only was it a huge box office success in its own day, but it has been acknowledged as a favorite by subsequent generations of movie fans.

A bit less than five years ago avid horror poster collector Dennis Thomas paid for $235,000 purchased the stunning, stone-lithograph one-sheet (27” x 41”). Offered by long-time dealer William Hughes' company, Vintage Collectables, the purchase price was only $27,000 under the movie's entire $262,000 production budget.

The only known copy of the Style B one-sheet for the 1934 Universal classic horror movie The Black Cat brought $334,600 including the 19.5% buyer's premium at Heritage's November 12-13, 2009 Signature Vintage Movie Posters Auction.

The Black Cat was the first collaboration between actors Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, and the horror greats went on to define suspense for a generation of movie fans. In additition to the film itself and that particular dynamic duo, the film also produced at least two spectacular collectibles.

The only known copy of the Style B one-sheet for the 1934 Universal classic horror movie sold for $334,600 at Heritage Auction Galleries in November.

"The graphically spectacular red, black and white stone lithograph Black Cat movie poster is that rare collectible that transcends its genre," Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Posters at Heritage Auctions, said at the time. "Yes it's a gorgeous movie poster, but it also carries great appeal as a piece of art, as a piece of pop culture and as an important piece of cinematic history. There's no other movie poster like it in the world, as far as we know, and it's worth every cent paid for it."

Deadline Hollywood’s Mike Flemming has reported that director Marc Webb (500 Days Of Summer) is in the running to direct what would have been Spider-Man 4 now that Sam Raimi and company have parted ways with Sony.

Reports are floating that James Bond’s Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) may replace Robert Downey , Jr. in Cowboys & Aliens.

Sherlock Holmes and Iron Man 2 star Downey had been slated to play the lead in the film written by Iron Man writers Mark Fergus and Hank Ostby and directed by Iron Man’s Jon Favreau, but he recently backed out.

The oft-delayed big budget musical, Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark, may finally get its spot on the Great White Way, though it won’t open until this coming fall.

Writer Michael Riedel of The New York Post has reported that the off again – on again musical Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark may finally be underway for real. Bono and The Edge (from the group U2) have written the show’s music and Riedel noted that Bono’s business partner Michael Cole has helped straighten out the situation.

The play will reportedly star newcomer Reeve Carney as Spidey and Alan Cumming as The Green Goblin.

USA Theatres, organizers of the upcoming Baltimore Non-Sports Card Convention, have announced new guests and a name change for the hotel hosting their Sunday, March 21, 2010 show.

"The name of the hotel is being changed due to remodeling and new ownership," said Ronald M. Vastola, the company’s Outreach Coordinator.

The former Holiday Inn Baltimore-Towson will be called Towson Place Inn & Suites during renovation. The location, however, is unchanged, 1100 Cromwell Bridge Road, Towson, Maryland.

For guests the show has added Ted Dastick Jr. (a professional sketch card artist who has worked on a variety of cards and sets including licensed properties such as Indiana Jones), Sir Shadow (a unique 21st century artist who has internationally acclaimed works), Joseph and Ronda Havlock (two contemporary artists that combine state of the art technology with state of the art human dynamics), Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson (authors of the up-coming Green Hornet book due for publication January 2010), and Steven Miller (a professional sketch card artist who has worked for Rittenhouse Archives' Art and Images of Xena: Warrior Princess, Art and Image of Star Trek The Original Series, X-Men 3, and The Complete Avengers).

After three years the Boston Comic Con has outgrown its old venue and has announced its relocation to the Westin Waterfront in South Boston. With the new bigger, location, Boston Comic Con is bringing its biggest lineup of comic book creators ever on April 10-11, 2010.

Jim Lee is a superstar in the comic industry. He created a massive fan following in the 90s drawing X-Men before leaving Marvel to co-found Image Comics. His studio, Wildstorm, now falls under the DC Comics banner where he has worked on their flagship titles, Batman and Superman. He recently helped create the DC Universe Online MMORPG.

Mike Mignola is the creator of Hellboy, one of the most popular indie characters in comics. With two feature films, animated videos, toys, spinoff series, and more Hellboy is an international sensation. Mike has also done feature film work on Bram Stoker's Dracula, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and is currently working with frequent collaborator Guillermo del Toro on The Hobbit.

Eric Powell has worked on many title including Action Comics, Star Wars Tales, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But he found success with his critically acclaimed series The Goon. Eric is adapting the Goon into an animated feature film with director David Fincher.

Gene Colan has a long and illustrious career in comics starting in the Golden Age. He is best known for his long runs on Tomb of Dracula, Daredevil, and his collaboration with Steve Gerber on Howard the Duck. Now a resident of Vermont, Gene continues to draw comics recently having worked on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Blade (a character he co-created), and Captain America. Boston Comic Con is honored to host this living legend!

Since we're introducing our first volume of the Rocky Jones TV show on DVD, we thought this would be a good time to spotlight the Silvercup bread rocket used to promote the Rocky Jones TV show. For more pix and info go to: http://silvercup0.tripod.com/index.htm

Mamie tells us she is reinventing herself. Fine. But we are still quite happy with the original Mamie who is as hot as ever. Visitors to this site can be assured we will stay on top of this story. You'll be the first to know when the album is ready for release.

Retro-a-go-go! belt buckles are a great way to dial up any of your outfits or accent any pair of your favorite jeans. This must-have accessory let's you express your personal style in a fun and clever way. There are so many appealing designs to choose from you may need to select more than just one!

H.U.T.A. - Gun Metal Edition

This little figure pretty much speaks for himself! The 3" H.U.T.A. resin collectible makes the perfect accent to your desk, kitchen, bathroom or nightstand! He will act as a constant reminder to keep that positive outlook on life and keep your head in the right place! Designed and Sculpted by Doyle Trankina and manufactured by Atomic Monkey Inc. Bronze edition is sold out.

Gun Metal Edition - 250 pcs.

Suggested Retail $20

Diana Prince re-appears as an Ame-Comi heroine! Sure to be as popular as the first Ame-Comi version of Wonder Woman, this figure features the Amazon Princess emerging from battle, with an axe in one hand and a Gorgon's severed head in the other. As a special added feature, Wonder Woman's hair can be worn in two styles - up or down! The limited-edition, non-articulated, approximately 8.75' PVC statue comes with a base, is packaged in a 4-color window box with J-hook and is manufactured to order. Advance-solicited; on sale April 21, 2010 * Statue * $60 US

The Los Angeles Comic Book And Science Fiction Convention has its first show of 2010 with Sony Pictures hosting a special presentation on Legion, a new supernatural-themed movie with director Scott Stewart and stars Tyrese Gibson (Transformers), Adrianne Palacki (Friday Night Lights), and Doug Jones (Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer, Abe Sapien in Hellboy II). The Legion presentation starts at 12:00 PM.

Brian Pulido, the creator of Lady Death, Evil Ernie, and Purgatori, is now the writer-producer-director of his first full length horror movie, The Graves. He will appear on stage to preview scenes from The Graves at 2:00 P.M. with stars Tony Todd (Candyman series), Bill Moseley (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), Clare Grant and Jillian Murray (starring as The Graves sisters).

A desirable tinplate Harley-Davidson toy motorcycle was offered at a past show by dealer Gary Cenname.

On Saturday, February 6, 2010, Dan Morphy will host the 19th edition of the York Antique Toy, Doll & Advertising Show at the Memorial Hall, York Fairgrounds, in York, Pennsylvania. The semiannual show has developed into a must-do event on collectors’ calendars. Top-notch dealers from throughout North America are expected to participate in the upcoming show, which will feature around 150 tables of select antique and vintage toy-related merchandise.

The popular specialty event features wide aisles, excellent food service and ample, close-in parking. Some exhibitors drive long distances to sell at Morphy’s show because it’s not a long, drawn-out affair – it’s a one-day event with a seven-hour early buying session the day before.

The Orlando MegaCon, the largest comic book and multi-media event in the Southeast, has made its initial announcement of guests for its 2010 convention, March 12-14, 2010 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

Special media guests include Star Wars cast members such as Ray Park (Saturday & Sunday only), Billy Dee Williams, Dave Barclay, Jeremy Bulloch, Maria de Aragon, and Peter Mayhew.

Star Trek is represented by Nichelle Nichols, Levar Burton, and Jonathan Frakes

The United States Postal Service will immortalize the Archie Comics love triangle along with Beetle Bailey, Dennis the Menace, Garfield, and Calvin and Hobbes on official postage stamps in July 2010. Archie is the longest running series represented in the five-strip “Sunday Funnies” collection.

DC Comics has reported that artist David Finch (New Avengers, Moon Knight) has signed an exclusive agreement with the company. Finch broke on the scene at Image Comics’ Top Cow Productions and since then has worked on many high profile projects at Marvel.

They captured a ton of mainstream media interest with their “Archie Gets Married” storyline in Archie #600-605 and it looks like our friends at Archie Comics Publications are aiming to keep things stirred up.

The company has announced yet another wrinkle in the life of the perennial teen, a new love interest in the form of Valerie, the bassist-songwriter from Josie and the Pussycats. What will his usual flames, Betty and Veronica, have to say about this? It should be fun finding out. It starts in Archie #608.

The horror-themed website ComicMonsters.com has announced the winners of the “Best of 2009…” voting for comic books in the genre, and the big winners come from Dynamite, Image, DC Comics (from the DC, Wildstorm and Zuda imprints), Digital Manga Publishing, Devil’s Due Publishing, and Dark Horse.

Image’s The Walking Dead won for Best Ongoing Series, Best Scene (The Walking Dead #60), and Best Writer (Robert Kirkman).

Writer James Kuhoric notched two victories with Best Crossover for Freddy vs. Jason vs. Ash: Nightmare Warriors (DC/Wildstorm) and Best Mini-Series for Dead Irons.

According to Doug Schmell, CEO and President of Pedigree Comics, his company has brokered the sale of the world's finest existing and top certified copy of Tales to Astonish #27, a 9.4 with off-white to white pages, for a record price of $75,000.

The issue, famous for the first appearance of Ant-Man, is widely considered the toughest of all the Silver Age Marvel keys to obtain in high grade. Only to 9.4 copies are known to exist, with only one in 9.2 and three in 9.0.

To date, only Incredible Hulk #1 is close to Tales to Astonish #27 in terms of scarcity of high grade copies (one in 9.4, four in 9.2 and eight in 9.0) but due to its chocolate brown and black front cover and borders that easily show stress lines, color flecks, creases and surface impressions and its very low print run (only 139,167 copies were circulated), Tales ToAstonish #27 is easily the hardest early 1960's Marvel key to find in high grade. In CGC-certified 9.4, it is almost impossible to locate.

Josephine Baker was an entertainer extraordinaire, a sex symbol and a civil rights activist. Each of these roles was handled with style and class. Groundbreaking in her achievements, Josephine was the first African American female to star in a major motion picture, the first to integrate an American concert hall and the first to become a world-famous entertainer. Early in her career, her performances at the Folies Bergere established her as a superstar, highlighted by the Danse Sauvage, in which she performed while wearing a skirt made of a string of artificial bananas.

“Why is it so darn cold in New York City?” asked ComicConnect.com’s Vincent Zurzolo, Chief Operating Officer, upon his return this week from a much needed sun-filled vacation. While Zurzolo rested, his staff braved the deep freeze, blowtorched the frost off the front door, and worked day and night scanning and listing comics from the Joe Desris multiple cover and rarities collection.

“Nearly 1000 double covers and oddities can be previewed on ComicConnect.com, “said Rob Reynolds, Director of Consignments.

“This auction, there truly is a comic for every collector. From the earliest known example, Famous Funnies #40 CGC 9.2 on through to Frank Miller’s All Star Batman & Robin, the Boy Wonder #10 CGC 9.9, something can be found from every comic age or genre and for any budget,” he said.

Recently added Golden Age examples include Red Ryder Comics #90 CGC 9.6 with six covers, a copy of Sensation Comics #35 CGC 9.4 with a double cover, Shock SuspenStories #13 FN with a triple cover, Superman #27 graded 8.0 by CGC with a double cover, and a beautiful Robin double cover from Star Spangled Comics #71 CGC 9.4.

In this week’s auctions, eMoviePoster.com has a selection of 999 folded one-sheets spanning all years and genres. They include powerhouse pictures such as William Friedkin’s The Exorcist (Max Von Sydow), Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (Uma Thurman), Sam Peckinpah’s Straw Dogs style D (Dustin Hoffman), George A. Romero’s Dawn Of The Dead (signed), Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (Harrison Ford illustrated by John Alvin), Alfred Hitchcock’s The Wrong Man (Henry Fonda and Vera Miles), and Billy Wilder’s Love In The Afternoon (Gary Cooper and Audrey Hepburn).

Also offered are The Graduate (Dustin Hoffman and Anne Bancroft), The Edge Of Darkness (Errol Flynn and Ann Sheridan), Lost In Alaska (Bud Abbott and Lou Costello), Manpower (George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, and Marlene Dietrich), The Snows Of Kilimanjaro (Gregory Peck, Susan Hayward and Ava Gardner), Bagdad (Maureen O'Hara and Vincent Price), A View To A Kill advance (Roger Moore as James Bond, Grace Jones), Elvis Presley in three films (on two one-sheets), first with Fun In Acapulco/Girls Girls Girls (Ursula Andress and Stella Stevens), and then Love Me Tender (Debra Paget), as well as The Beatles in Let It Be, and Clint Eastwood in High Plains Drifter and Pale Rider.

In the newest Hake’s Americana & Collectibles auction, the company has begun offering items from The Richard Merkin Collection. They represent a wide array of vintage pop culture artifacts, superior quality, and eclectic taste. If there is a pattern other than “quality,” it’s hard to detect at first.

So, who was Richard Merkin, the man who put this collection together? Who was this collector who appeared on the cover of The Beatles’ album Sgt. Peppper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and in the 1974 film version of The Great Gatsby?

Upon his passing in September, 2009, his obituary in The New York Times described him with the words "Painter, Illustrator, and Fashion Plate." He was also an avid collector and personal friend of Hake’s Americana founder Ted Hake.

On January 21, 2010 in San Francisco, PBA Galleries, Auctioneers, Rare Books & Manuscripts will be offering at auction in their Americana Sale 420, Part One of the Gene Gammel Collection of Cowboy Toys and Collectibles, which includes a large portion of vintage Hopalong Cassidy as well as Roy Rogers and other western heroes memorabilia.

Highlights from the sale are a girls model Hopalong Cassidy Bicycle in very nice original, unrestored condition, movie posters, a Hoppy cookie jar, textiles, rugs, blankets, toys games, costumes, riding toys, chairs dishes and housewares and much more. Gene was a passionate collector for many years and passed away two years ago in Reno, Nevada.

On August 9, 1930, legendary animator Max Fleischer's studio created the now-iconic Betty Boop for a short called "Dizzy Dishes." Betty's part was tiny - in fact, she hadn't even been named yet - and featured her as a canine cabaret singer. But within two years, Betty would become human, and by 1933, the coquettish vamp with the big green eyes would be batting lashes and stealing hearts across the country.

In the grand tradition of time and space travelers, Brick Bradford emerged in 1933 to forge a path for good in galaxies far away. Originally distributed by Central Press Associate, a small subsidiary of King Features, Brick's beginnings were humble and his exploits only appeared in small town papers.

But writer William Ritt and artist Clarence Gray were undaunted by the patchiness of regional readership and continued producing their colorful, intelligent daily strip for a steady sci-fi fan base.

Their commitment to intelligent storylines involving robots, dinosaurs, seedy intergalactic villains and voyages to subatomic worlds quickly caught on with audiences in a little over a year. Weekend editions were added, and by 1935, Brick's adventures began to pop up in the Sunday pages of larger papers. Ritt moved Brick's plots along at an astoundingly rapid pace, further adding to the strips widespread appeal.

In 1937, Brick managed to happen upon a time machine called The Time Top. While the device had been previously featured in its own short-lived 1935 Sunday feature, its inclusion in the Brick Bradford series proved to be its real saving grace. The Time Top remained a staple in Brick's Sunday strip for years.

Who doesn't love Blondie? We mean, really. As comic strips and their franchises go, very few are as beloved and long-lasting as the one chronicling the exploits of and additions to the Bumstead family.

Quite frankly, just typing this article abou the conquering underdog brings a warm and fuzzy feeling to our hearts. We can only imagine that's what cartoonist Chic Young intended over 70 years ago when he drew the cowlicky character Dagwood and his bombshell wife Blondie for the first time in 1930.

But did you know that the strip was originally intended as a single, flirty gal vehicle in the vein of Rosie's Beau and Polly and Her Pals? It wasn't until three years after Blondie's first appearance that she was betrothed to the bumbling Bumstead and given a permanent home within the comics section, a home the Bumsteads continue to inhabit even today.

The Whitman Publishing Company of Racine, Wisconsin, gave birth to the Big Little Book in 1932. The term promised the consumer a great amount of reading material and entertainment in a small package. Bulky, but easily handled and read by young buyers, many children fell asleep clutching a thick little book that featured a favorite character.

Bright spines and colorful covers captured every child's attention and enticed them to read the tantalizing tales. For 10 cents, a child could buy a colorful hard cover book that held stories about their favorite radio, comic, and movie heroes. Indeed, the material for most of the Big Little Books came from radio, comic strips, and motion pictures. Captioned pictures opposite pages of text added visuals to the stories and many children learned how to read from these minute books. Most Whitman Big Little Books were 3 5/8" x 4 1/2" x 1 1/2" in size and approximately 320 to 432 pages in length. In addition to the hard cover, Big Little Books with soft covers were marketed as premiums for promoting products. Children would badger their parents to buy certain products simply to obtain a book for their collection.

The first Big Little Book, the Adventures of Dick Tracy, came off the presses just before Christmas in 1932. Other titles quickly followed suit, including Little Orphan Annie, Dick Tracy and Dick Tracy Junior, Little Orphan Annie and Sandy, and Mickey Mouse. Whitman's first licensing and rights agreement with the Walt Disney Studio, which gave Whitman exclusive rights to licensed Disney characters, jump started an integral component of the Big Little Books. Soon motion picture stars, radio program characters, and comic strip characters became the main focus that many stories revolved around.

Jon McClure is a noted writer on the subject of comics. By day he works as a Marketing Consultant, but by night he unravels the toughest mysteries in the history of the medium, and many of the solutions were published in Comic Book Marketplace, Gemstone’s fondly remembered periodical about comics history. McClure also serves as an advisor and contributor to The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

In addition, he and his wife, Dyan Wilder-McClure, collect turn of the century Vienna Bronze miniatures, mostly of cats, and quality examples of primitive furniture, as well as any antiques “that just have the right feel” for their home in Durango, Colorado, where they live with three cats and a dog, although they plan to return to Oregon in 2010.

He has written a detailed history of variant comic books that will appear in the 40th anniversary edition of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, scheduled for release July 21, 2010 in comic shops.

For those who remember the shock waves from research on the Marvel 30¢ and 35¢ price variants in 1997, he promises a new high.

“I still have the first comic I ever got: Batman #181, cover dated June 1966, the first appearance of Poison Ivy, which my parents obviously bought for me, as I was only 2 years old at the time,” Jon McClure said with a laugh about his early start in the four color world.

“The first thing I ever collected in a serious way was comics. I’ve been collecting since 1973, when I ordered a Jack Hunt mail order catalog from a classified ad in the comics. I was nine years old and living in Wickenburg, Arizona at the time I began to take a serious interest. My first order included a Marvel Premiere #1 and some issues of Batman,” he said.

Variety has reported that with production of Spider-Man 4 delayed, Paramount Pictures and Marvel Entertainment have pushed up the release of Thor by two weeks to grab the May 6, 2011 release date.

Kick-Ass, the Matthew Vaughn-directed movie based on the comic by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., will open the South By Southwest Conferences and Festivals (SXSW) for 2010.

SXSW Film 2010, kicks off on March 12, 2010 and runs through March 20. The film is slated for a general opening on April 16.

Based in Austin, Texas, South by Southwest is a 10-day festival that combines the music, film, and interactive worlds each spring. The last incarnation reportedly brought in almost 150,000 fans across the various media.

Comic book dealer Robert Rogovin’s company, Four Color Comics, now has a new website, and it’s up and running. It’s stocked with comics (both CGC-certified and “raw”), original comic book art, movie posters, and loads of other stuff.

The California Comic Convention will present its fourth comic book show in Orange County on Sunday, January 31, 2010. The show, which will be held at the Yorba Linda Community Center in Yorba Linda, California, begins at 9:30 AM and runs until 5:00 PM.

“The show is geared toward comic collectors and will host many comic dealers and guests,” promoters told Scoop.

Frank Brunner, artist of Doctor Strange and Howard the Duck, and Uncle Scrooge writer-artist Don Rosa are appearing. CGC will also be taking submissions and witnessing signatures. Comic book dealers will have plenty of offers, with an emphasis on vintage comics.

Artist, writer and Space Patrol fan Dr. Warren Chaney once again hits the mark with this years holiday card. Maybe next year I can get him to offer these cards for sale on this site. How cool would that be? -- Bruce/Swapsale.

“SENSUOUS MUSE COLLECTION,” A PORTFOLIO OF BEAUTIFUL WOMEN BY ARTIST/PHOTOGRAPHER JEFF WACK, TO LAUNCH NEW YEAR SEASON OF INTRIGUING EXHIBITS, OPENING MONTH LONG SHOW, JANUARY 6, AT THE WORLD EROTIC ART MUSEUM

MIAMI BEACH—Among the premier commercial illustrators of the past three decades, the work of internationally acclaimed artist/photographer, Jeff Wack,
will be on view locally when his stunning collection of beautiful women, “Sensuous Muse Collection,” bows in a month long show, Wednesday, January 6 through Sunday, January 31 at the World Erotic Art Museum, 1205 Washington Avenue.

In a career spanning 30 years in which his clients have included Coca-Cola, Anheuser-Busch, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Sony and a score of Fortune 500 companies, Wack, nonetheless, found time to address his passion for figurative work as a “labor of love,” declaring that what art devotees will be viewing will be what he considers to be his best, “representing the highest realization of both my narrative skills and technical abilities as an artist.”

Winner of the XTO Award and currently featured artist at New York’s Farmani Gallery, Wack’s approach to his work is the combining of his masterful command of photography with that of digital painting, each work of original art presenting a timeless moment captured with a sense of magical light and color…an ethereal mix of reality and idealized feminine mystique.

The World Erotic Art Museum is located at 1205 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach. Open Monday thru Thursday, from 11 A.M. to 10 P.M., Friday and Saturday from 11 A.M. to Midnight. Tickets are $15 with no one under 18 admitted. Further information is available by calling (305) 532-9336 or via www.weam.com.

Pedigree Comics has begun previewing their January Grand Auction (from Monday night, January 18, 2010 until Thursday evening, January 28).

Just go to their website, click on the "Grand Auctions" banner and then click on the “Auction Listings” menu at the top.

There are more than 175 comic books are already uploaded with many more to come over the next few weeks.

“We have received some incredible new books for the auction, including some spectacular high grade early Silver Age Marvels, and we are sure this is one auction you will not want to miss,” said Pedigree's CEO, Doug Schmell. “There will be well over 250 CGC-ertified comics and magazines to choose from, almost every one in ultra high grade (9.4 and higher).”

SILVER AGE MARVEL
“The feature book of the auction is the White Mountain copy of Fantastic Four #1, a CGC-certified 9.2. It is only one of two copies in 9.2 and stands as the sixth best known example of this mega key issue,” Schmell said.

Saturday’s session will begin with more than 170 marble lots. “It’s one of the best marble offerings we’ve ever had, and comes from mainly two very nice collections,” said Morphy’s CEO Dan Morphy.

The grouping includes a handmade sulphide of two kissing lovebirds suspended in turquoise-colored glass ($3,000-$5,000), and two original wooden salesmen’s sample boxes from the Germany manufacturer Mueller & Sons, each filled with handmade sample marbles – swirls, micas, Lutzes, opaques and clambroths. Each box is entered in the sale with a $3,000-$4,000 estimate. Yet another coveted lot is a 2½-inch end of the day lobed onionskin marble in original condition ($2,000-$3,000). A sizable number of other large, lobed onionskins and ribbons swirls will be offered.

Topping the machine-made marbles is a Peltier No. 00 National Rainbow 100-count set in its original box ($4,000-$6,000). An extremely rare Akro No. 250 marble box set may attract a winning bid of $2,500-$3,000; and there will be no shortage of buyers, Morphy said, for the more than 20 Christensen agate flames, some of them unique examples.

The Saturday session also features part two of the Pat and Lowell Wagner steam toy collection. More than 350 lots of highly desirable steam engines, cars, boats and other playthings from the collection carry the brands of such prestigious manufacturers as Marklin, Weeden, Schonner, Bing, Plank, and Doll et Cie.

Nearly 200 general toy lots run the gamut of dolls, trains, Steiff and American tin. A Maggie Bessie cloth doll consigned by its original owner is estimated at $4,000-$6,000; while another excellent selection of Fisher-Price toys from collectors Pat and Lowell Wagner will also cross the block.

Nearly 100 pieces of cast iron range from horse-drawn through mechanical banks and other iron toys. Pristine examples of the Breadwinners and Boy Scout banks will be sold, as well as a very nice Merry-Go-Round bank.

For those who’ve ever harbored a desire to channel their inner superhero, the auction offers more than a dozen opportunities to dress the part. Approximately a dozen original costumes from classic TV shows and films will be up for bid, including four authentic Superman suits – a George Reeves black & white version, a Reeves regular blue version, a Kirk Alyn black & white, and a Christopher Reeve color costume.

Joan and Dick Ford, Bertoia Auctions owner Jeanne Bertoia and her son, Bertoia Auctions associate Michael Bertoia pose with Dick’s immaculate 1934 Chrysler Imperial Airflow CV automobile, which sold for $43,700.

Hubley cast-iron TrukMixer with revolving-drum body and white rubber tires, 7½ inches long, $9,200.

To many, the holiday season officially launches on Thanksgiving Day with the legion of colorful parades held in major American cities. But ask antique toy collectors where and when the party started this season and they’re likely to say November 13-15, 2009 at Bertoia’s auction gallery in southern New Jersey. Over that weekend, Bertoia’s held its $1.5 million Holiday Toy Trimmings sale, which featured, alongside several other showcased collections, the final installment of Christmas antiques from both the Fred Cannon and Mary Lou Holt collections.

“We were inspired by the two holiday collections to create an atmosphere reflecting an old-fashioned Christmas,” said Bertoia Auctions’ owner, Jeanne Bertoia. “We knew many members of the Golden Glow of Christmas Past collector club would be attending, so we put up a 10-foot-tall tree decorated with antique ornaments, played Christmas music and served cookies, eggnog, hot apple cider and coffee. Jim Morrison, a Golden Glow member who operates a Christmas museum in Pennsylvania, came dressed as Father Christmas, and with his own long beard, was very convincing. Even Tim Luke, one of our two auctioneers, showed his Christmas spirit by wearing a Santa hat at the podium. Everyone had a good time.”

Toys go hand-in-hand with Christmas, and the three-day auction featured a bountiful array that included the Dick Ford Airflow toy auto collection and part II of the Dick Sheppard still bank collection.

Cast iron was first out of the gate, with one the auction’s top 10 entries – an impressive 27-inch-long Pratt & Letchworth 4-seat brake with driver and six passengers – rolling past its estimate to settle at $23,000. In pristine condition with beautiful paint, it sold to a collector from the Midwest. Another Pratt & Letchworth production, a 14-inch-long hose reel wagon drawn by a “galloping” white horse and commandeered by a firefighter figure, came to a halt at $7,475, more than twice its high estimate. “There was a lot of interest in the piece,” said Bertoia Auctions associate Michael Bertoia. “It was relatively small compared to the 4-seat brake but was finely cast and very appealing. It went to a New Jersey collector.”

The new auctions at eMoviePoster.com started last night (as we post this on Wednesday, December 30, 2009) and they feature 987 Australian (one-sheets and daybills) and German posters (mostly 33” x 47” and 23” x 33” format). You can view them online now.

The Australian offerings include The Empire Strikes Back (different art by Ohrai), Alvin Rides Again (Graeme Blundell, Chantal Contouri) What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? daybill (Bette Davis and Joan Crawford), The Cincinnati Kid daybill (Steve McQueen and Ann-Margret), The Strange Love Of Martha Ivers daybill (Barbara Stanwyck and Van Heflin), Mission Mars daybill (Darren McGavin), Tron daybill (Jeff Bridges), The Wild Bunch daybill (1970 reissue, William Holden and Ernest Borgnine), Dementia 13 vertical style daybill (Francis Ford Coppola’s first feature), Abba: The Movie (all four band members), Nashville daybill (Karen Black and cool patriotic artwork), Stanley Kubrick’s Spartacus daybill (Kirk Douglas), North To Alaska daybill (John Wayne and Capucine), U2 Rattle & Hum daybill (Bono & The Edge), Cleopatra daybill (Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton and Rex Harrison), Scarface daybill Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer), and Some Like It Hot 1980 reissue (Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon).

The man who started it all, Sam Gold. Scroll down to the bottom for more photos!

Good As Gold...

Premiums have had a long and colorful history since the 1920s. From PEP cereal pins to Cracker Jack toys, these "sales incentives" have touched all of our lives at some point or another - and that's what makes the collectibles field so special. And since almost everyone can remember eating an entire box of cereal to reach the valuable prize at the bottom, it's no small surprise that cereal companies sold millions of dollars worth of product. But who was responsible for this premium craze and its after-effects?

It all began with a man named Sam Gold.

Born in 1900, Sam Gold went to work for Whitman Publishing Company, one of the largest publishers in the country, in 1920. There, he created and developed children's books. By 1922, Sam had moved to Chicago and started his own company, known as American Advertising & Research Corporation, which produced not only children's books, but also premiums, direct mail and displays. Sam believed that the "world's greatest super salesman" was a child, able to sell to mom and dad when no one else could. This concept was the principle that Sam used as the foundation of his business. He would go to large national food companies (mostly cereal companies) with the pitch that children could help their products sell.

This was a revolutionary idea, because in those days, families didn't listen to children as they do today. Many customers felt a child wouldn't be able to influence an adult to buy a product, but Sam was convinced that if you "sold" the child, you could get the child to help "sell" the parents. To implement this idea, Sam created a total marketing plan that included point of purchase displays, posters, direct-mail and radio scripts aimed at selling products to kids.

By 1934, American Advertising & Research Corporation had a ten-man art department that worked on premiums for kids and related displays, with Sam Gold as Art Director at the head. He also had a full-time copywriter by the name of Hugh Stevenson, whose background included working for the General Mills ad agency in Minneapolis. So while the development of these premiums was really a team effort, it was the Art Director and the Copywriter who had the responsibility of creating the original idea and deciding how to develop and produce it.

And the actual production of a premium was a difficult job. It had to be planned and coordinated so that it worked when all the parts were finally manufactured. If the premium didn't assemble correctly and wasn't delivered on time, companies had a huge problem on their hands. If companies took an order from a cereal company for $25,000 to $100,000 (which in those days was big money) that they couldn't produce, they would be sued. Even the premium buyers for the food companies could get fired if the premiums were late.

But because of Sam Gold's dedication and ingenuity, he - and eventually his son Gordon - always came through on delivery.

In 1934, Sam created and produced the Mickey Mouse Waddle Book for Blue Ribbon books. He arranged the licensing of Mickey Mouse with the Disney studio and also signed Disney to do the artwork on this book. The creation and development of this book also gave him the chance to work with Disney's top marketing man, Kay Kamen, who became one of his dearest friends.

Nova might not be Spider-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Punisher, Ghost Rider, or... okay, so he's not one of Marvel's best known characters. Would movie-goers line up for a Nova feature film? We would, but how about the general public?

Following their still-to-be-finalized $4.2 billion acquisition of Marvel Entertainment, The Walt Disney Company is looking to Marvel's lesser-known characters for some diamonds in the rough. A few surprise hits in terms of movies, TV shows, video games and/or licensing, after all, and the price paid could actually turn out to be a steal.

The publishing history of the late Dave Stevens’ most famous creation almost takes longer to tell than it does to read, but even though the volume of the output is relatively small, its impact on the imaginations of its readers has been just the opposite.

The Rocketeer first appeared on an ad on the back of Pacific Comics’ Starslayer #1. The feature itself ran in Starslayer #2-3, and Pacific Presents #1-2 before Pacific went under. The Rocketeer Special Edition #1, which had been intended to be Pacific Presents #5, was published by Eclipse, as was an album-format collected edition of those installments.

The Rocketeer Adventure Magazine#1-2 were published by Comico, and then #3, the final issue, was published by Dark Horse Comics, which subsequently collected the three issues into the a second album-format graphic novel subtitled “Cliff’s New York Adventure.”

The story, of course, spawned the 1991 feature film and sparked the renewed interest in pin-up Bettie Page, but it became a cherished favorite of many of its readers.

Geppi’s Entertainment Auctions is pleased to announce that the newest Hake’s Americana & Collectibles auction is now online for bidding and will close January 19-21, 2010. Hake’s usual high regard for quality collectibles remains the same and this auction once again features a vast array of rare highly desirable pop culture collectibles including great Disneyana, comic character, Popeye, premium, sports, movie memorabilia and gum card offerings.

And those are only a few of the great collecting categories available this auction. Political items, Superheroes and Western heroes are all back with great items that are up for bid right now. Another great Disney section await collectors, with over 300 items to choose from, including over a dozen items being book examples from The Official Price Guide To Disney Collectibles by Ted Hake.

The staff of ComicConnect.com would like to offer their best wishes for the New Year to their many consignors and bidders, they told Scoop.

“Comic fans have seen the results and heard about the record-breaking prices achieved in ComicConnect.com’s Event Auctions in 2009,” the company’s Director of Consignments, Rob Reynolds said. “Now is the time to consign comics for the first open auction of 2010.”

To participate, simply upload your comics on ComicConnect.com, and their staff will start promoting your listings and telling prospective buyers to bid on your items!

Sent by Hustler cartoonist Bob MuLeady. This is in bad taste, Bob. But it's a good kind of bad taste.

You'd better watch out, you'd better not dry, ... or this guy may kill you...Sitting on Santa's lap... eeuuuww!

ABRAHAM OBAMA:
A GUERILLA TOUR THROUGH ART & POLITICS

Compiled and edited by Don Goede and Ron English

Abraham Obama is an image melding the faces of Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama. It was originally a painting by Ron English and fast became one of the most recognizable icons indirectly involved with the Barack Obama campaign for president. It is the subject of a documentary of the same title. It has been featured on CNN, NPR, and distributed world-wide on the internet. It even has its own song called The Obama Song.
This visual documentary explores the adventure of Ron English's image Abraham Obama and all it encounters on a national and world tour leading up to, during, and after the 2008 presidential election. It begins in Boston and picks up steam in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and takes time at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado. The crew disbands and all continue with the image in their respective cities.

Cover Price $20

In the world of commercial art, Los Angeles-based photographer/illustrator Jeff Wack is a superstar. Known for his imaginative and stunning visual style, Wack has created major works and ad campaigns for a variety of mainstream clients, including Coca-Cola, Nokia, Budweiser, MGM, 20th Century Fox, Universal Studios, Atari and Activision. But it is his latest project that really captured our attention.

The "Sensuous Muse" series blends the timeless theme of the idealized female figure with elements commonly found in nature. The result is nothing short of breath-taking. But make no mistake, these erotic images are not porn. Instead, Wack's creations
present the softer side of sex: subtly focusing on the female form rather than raw, explicit sexuality.

The artist is very passionate about his creations. " I allow the unmistakable beauty of the female form to inspire my works," Wack declares. " Through the ages it has been a source of wonderment and intrigue for countless artists of all media.
My goal is to infuse each figure's world with a timeless sense of ethereal space and energy that goes far beyond a mere model shot against a studio backdrop."

Wack combines conventional photography ( both from personal files and studio shoots ) and high-definition digital graphics. He then alters the lighting and color while adding detailed effects to conceive a vivid, otherworldly image.
The end result leaves us speechless.

Caprica To Air on January 22, 2010

Syfy has announced the US air date for its Battlestar follow-up, Caprica, and it's running on Friday, January 22nd 2010. Caprica will start with a two hour premiere and will appear regularly on subsequent late Fridays evenings.

Humanity's storyline takes completely new twists with Caprica, which follows two rival families and their patriarchs – Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) and Joseph Adama (Esai Morales) – as they compete and thrive in the realm of the 12 Colonies, a society recognizably close to our own.

Dario at Art Awake did the 2D build, and I took his image in layered Photoshop form and built grayscale maps. So his flat pic became what you see in the attached file (crosseyed freeview stereo) but the actual print used for Burning Man badges were ones I created as lenticular 3D pics. What you're seeing are two images from a fifteen image grayscale array that was used to build the lenticulars.

Sent to us by Elliott Swanson, creator of the 3-D badge. To see the badge in 3-D let your eyes cross as you stare at image. Concentrate on center image as they converge. Way Cool!

George Pérez (JLA/Avengers) will be the Guest of Honor, kicking off a roster that includes Don Rosa (The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck), Mike McKone (Amazing Spider Man), Alvin Lee (Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes), Nelson DeCastro (Action Comics ), Mike Choi & Sonia Oback (X-Men, Uncanny X-Men), Olivier Coipel (Thor, Legion of Superheroes), Jim Calafiore (Aquaman, Exiles), and Graham Nolan (Batman, Bane, Fantastic Four).

Also announced for the show were Marv Wolfman (Tomb of Dracula, The New Teen Titans), Jimmy Palmiotti (Back to Brooklyn, Jonah Hex), Amanda Conner (Power Girl, Green Arrow/Black Canary), Darwyn Cooke (The Hunter, DC: The New Frontier), Joe Jusko (Tarzan, Vampirella), Dave Dorman (Star Wars: The Art of Dave Dorman), Billy Tucci (Shi, Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion), Greg Horn (Emma Frost), Casey Jones (Avengers), Sergio Cariello (Lone Ranger), Paul Pelletier (Guardians of the Galaxy), Jim Cheung (Young Avengers), Ethan Van Sciver (The Flash: Rebirth, CyberFrog), Chuck Dixon (Robin, Nightwing), and Brandon Peterson (Uncanny X-Men).

On top of next year’s big screen return of The A-Team, the characters will be getting an introduction to the four-color world as well, courtesy of some comic book movie prequels from IDW Publishing. MTV Splash Page broke the story on Monday, December 21, 2009 with a five-page preview of the interior art and a look at the first two covers, which they dubbed “ridiculously cool.”

According to MTV, IDW Publishing will be launching two series following the exploits of Colonel John “Hannibal,” Smith, “Howling Mad” Murdoch, Templeton “Faceman” Peck, and Bosco “B.A.” Baracus. The first, the subject of the preview, is The A-Team: Shotgun Wedding. The second is The A-Team: War Stories.

In the new film, Liam Neeson replaces the TV show’s George Peppard, Sharlto Copely steps into Dwight Schultz’s shoes as Murdock, Bradley Cooper stands in for Dirk Bennedict as Faceman, and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson attempts to replace Mr. T as B.A. We, of course, are tempted to say “I pity the fool who attempts to replace Mr. T,” but then we’d never actually do that, would we? Jessica Biel is also in the cast.

As we mentioned last week, our friends at Best Comics & Collectibles International in New Hyde Park, New York are hosting a big post-New Year sale on January 2, 2010.

DC’s Blackest Night #6 arrives in the store on Wednesday, December 30, and then on Saturday, January 2, Best Comics will kick off the year with a huge sale as they offer up to 60% off on selected items. The store stalks a large number of statues, mini-busts and more in addition to comic books and graphic novels.

Whether you know him from MAD, Bat Lash, The Spirit, Magnor, or Groo, Sergio Aragonés is by any calculation a superstar. Now he has turned his attention to Free Comic Book Day.

“We wanted to create a unique annual event T-shirt and who better to start with than Sergio?” commented FCBD spokesperson Elissa Lynch. “We think he’s done a beautiful job of capturing the excitement and personalities found in comic shops and on Free Comic Book Day.”

The FCBD Commemorative Artist T-Shirt is the start of a new tradition, with a new artist to provide artwork for the special design each year.

ComicConnect.com elves braved the Nor’easter over the weekend to list the inimitable Joe Desris Double-Cover preview. Even though a foot of snow hit the ground, the indomitable elves were able to list a preview of nearly 500 comics including multiple covers and rarities found only in this collection.

Double and triple cover highlights (so far) include Action Comics #28 CGC 8.5, Adventure Comics #115 CGC 9.4 “D” copy, All Winners Comics #13 PGX 7.0, Batman #9 F/VF, Batman #33 CGC 9.2, Detective Comics #90 CGC 9.4, Famous Funnies #40 CGC 9.2, Fantastic Four #72 CGC 9.0, Superboy #1 VF/NM and hundreds more.

Around 1,500 lots of high-quality and mostly fresh to the market items – ammo, firearms, militaria, advertising and general collectibles – are for sale in an online auction that is already underway and concludes January 23-24, 2010. The sale is being conducted by SoldUSA.com, the premier hunting and fishing, militaria and collectibles site. All items are guaranteed as described and original.

“This will end up being the largest militaria auction to come to market in the last five years, in terms of pure quality,” said Chris Roberts of SoldUSA.com. “We’ve got Civil War, World War I, Japanese, German and U.S. World War II – just a host of items that would be fine additions to anyone’s collection. Many lots are expected to bring $10,000-$30,000. Serious collectors should log on now.”

Mr. Roberts said that while the market overall for such items is generally soft, the recession hasn’t seemed to affect the online auction community. “People don’t have to travel to bid on quality items anymore,” he remarked. “They can bid from the comfort of their homes. Plus it’s great knowing that every item in this auction is guaranteed.” He added that phone and absentee bids are also accepted.

Several lots have already sparked keen bidder interest. One is an exceedingly rare group of three distinguished awards given to World War I German ace Adolf Ritter von Tutschek – his original named and engraved Pour Le Merit “Blue Max” award, in its original case; his cased silver Iron Cross medal, engraved with his name on the reverse; and his engraved cut-out pilot’s badge in a black leatherette box.

A Civil War flag important as both a Civil War relic and as piece of African-Americana realized $50,787 in spirited bidding to lead Heritage Auctions’ December. 12, 2009 Signature Arms & Militaria including Civil War Auction, live, in-person and online at www.HA.com. All prices include 19.5% Buyer's Premium.

"This singular Civil War Regulation All Silk 25th Corps Flag of Maj. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel was consigned by his direct lineal descendants," said Dennis Lowe, Director of Arms, Militaria and Civil War at Heritage Auctions. "Weitzel was the first Union general grade officer to enter the city of Richmond upon its fall, doubtless under this very flag. He was originally given command of the all black 25th Army Corps on Dec. 3, 1864, maintaining the command off and on through May 1865."

The 25th Army Corps was created on December 3, 1864, from the 10th and 18th Corps, which were disbanded. All white troops were placed in the newly formed 24th Corps, and all black troops on the 25th, under the command of Weitzel, who had previously commanded the 18th Corps. Units of the 25th Corps participated in the Siege of Petersburg, the Battle of Fort Fischer and the Appomattox Campaign. Weitzel stated, in 1866, upon the disbanding of the Corps, that the conduct of the 25th Corps "has been such to draw praise from persons most prejudiced against color, and there is no record which should give the colored race more pride than that left by the 25th."

The new auctions at eMoviePoster.com started last night (Tuesday, December 22, 2009). They include 480 single vintage 8" x 10" black and white stills (covering all years and genres) and a few outside the 8” x 10” realm. You can review these items online now.
Note that, because of Christmas, their Thursday auctions from last week are two week events, so they have already been on for six days and will run for another eight days as we post this on Wednesday, December 23.

Some of the best stills offered this time out are Anna May Wong, Charley Chase and Leo Mccarey, Chase (Peter Lorre), Battling Butler (Buster Keaton), Carole Lombard (on the set of Fools for Scandal), the 1966 reissue of Dr. No (Sean Connery as James Bond, Joseph Wiseman, and Ursula Andress), The Enforcer (Clint Eastwood), the 1956 reissue of The Adventures Of Robin Hood (Errol Flynn and Basil Rathbone), The Devil Is A Sissy (signed by Jackie Cooper), Madge Bellamy, Rio Bravo (John Wayne and Angie Dickinson), and The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin as Hitler-like dictator Hynkel).

Also topping the selections are James Cagney, The Follies, Goldfinger (Sean Connery & Gert Froebe), Jean Harlow, Forbidden Trails (Buck Jones), They Met In Argentina (Diosa Costello and Buddy Ebsen), Kiss The Other Sheik (Marcello Mastroianni and Pamela Tiffin), Cool Hand Luke (Paul Newman), The Quiet Man (John Wayne and Victor McLaglen), Lady Of The Pavements (Lupe Velez), Far Country (James Stewart), Uncertain Glory (Errol Flynn an Jean Sullivan), Blonde Sinner (Diana Dors), Two Girls On Broadway (Lana Turner, Joan Blondell and George Murphy), Vertigo (Kim Novak), and Myrna Loy.

Back in the December 6, 2003 edition of Scoop, we did a little piece on the origins of the Red Ryder, "America's favorite fighting cowboy." From radio to comic books to strips, this red-shirted hero galloped his way into the hearts of kids everywhere from the '30s - '60s. So naturally, his popularity was used to promote a number of different toys and products - one of which was the Red Ryder Daisy Air Rifle. But did you know that this gun has been immortalized in Hollywood as well?

It was in a film called A Christmas Story, which opened to mixed critical reception and a less than enthusiastic audience in 1983. Still, while its acceptance as a holiday classic wasn't instant, audiences have grown to love it more and more with each passing year (as a matter of fact, last year one cable channel ran it for 24 hours straight). And if you've seen the film, you'll recall that it centers on a young Midwestern boy named Ralphie who, after seeing an ad on the back of a comic book, dreams of only one thing for Christmas - "an official, Red Ryder, Carbine-action, 200-Shot, Range Model, Air Rifle." Of course, between grown-ups telling him he'll "shoot his eye out" and accidents and shenanigans galore, Ralphie goes on quite a ride before finding out whether he will be granted his Christmas wish.

You may be aware that Mickey Mouse #16, "Mickey Mouse Outwits the Phantom Blot", is the most valuable of the Mickey Mouse comics - but did you know that it's actually a reprint? It was originally printed in the dailies from 5-20-39 to 9-9-39, where it featured four extra panels (pictured below) that were not included in the comic book. It was then featured in an October 14, 1939 issue of Mickey Mouse Weekly in Great Britain. It wasn't published as a comic, however, until 1941.

But what, you may be wondering, is a phantom blot? And what makes the story so special? Well, it all starts when Mickey is summoned to the police station to help solve a mystery. We see a huge, black, ghost-like creature behind him the whole way there, but Mickey himself is oblivious. Turns out, this ghost-like creature is exactly the guy police want Mickey to help track down. We learn a little more about him in the next few panels: he's a crook who calls himself the "Blot", he signs his cryptic letters with a blob of black ink, and he's too slick for the gang at the Police Department. Weirdest of all, though, is that he steals only cameras - which he ends up smashing to bits.

Mickey and the gang at the station are mulling all this over when suddenly, the lights go out and Mickey disappears - only to be seen again in a most unfortunate booby trap rigged up by the Blot himself. He's tied to a table with a gun pointed at him - a gun that's attached to a fish. And beneath the fish is a sleeping cat. And as soon as the cat wakes, he grabs the fish, the gun goes off, and...Mickey is just barely missed. After this little game of cat and mouse, Mickey has more resolve than ever to capture the evil Blot.

Okay, so it's been a feature film, but what was the story with the original incarnation of Thunderbirds?

The brilliantly creative mind of one Gerry Anderson concocted Thunderbirds in 1963 - and gave birth to what would become one of Britain's most beloved television cult classics. Those wild and wacky puppets of the International Rescue, based out of a top-secret location in the South Pacific, thrilled and delighted with their supermarionated, world-saving exploits. Just as exciting, however, as the Tracy family (all named after astronauts), Lady Penelope, Tin Tin, Kyrano, The Hood and crew, were the fantastic "crafts", or Thunderbirds, that transported the gang and equipment to and fro, could travel at amazing speeds and sparked the imagination as to what the future could hold (the show was set, after all, in the far off world of 2065!). But did you know the story behind Thunderbirds?

Gerry Anderson was just wrapping up work on his 39-episode Stingray, and needed an idea for his next project. A disaster was his inspiration. There was a collapsed mine in Germany that had almost 30 men trapped hundreds of feet below the earth's surface - a story that was making worldwide headlines and, though gruesome, caught his attention. Anderson got to thinking about the huge drills that were being used in the rescue effort, and had the idea that such drills, along with other rescue gear, should be kept in strategic places around the world in anticipation of such disasters.

When he passed away this year, many looked back very fondly at this TV icon and his legacy of making people laugh...

Pioneer of the whipped cream pie, Soupy Sales is known the world over as one of the most popular variety show hosts of all time. With his squished hat and ridiculously oversized bow tie, he appealed to children, adults and everyone in between with his crazy hi jinx, his pets (dogs White Fang and Black Tooth - who spoke in their own secret language that only Soupy could decipher, Pookie the Lion, Hippie the Hippo, Willie the Worm and Herman the Flea) and his fantastic guests. But did you know the story behind the man who claims to have been the recipient of nearly 20,000 pies-in-the-face?

Born in small town North Carolina and raised in small town West Virginia, Milton Supman (Soupy was a childhood nickname) always had a flair for the comedic. He cultivated this flair on the radio and in nightclubs under the name Soupy Hines, and he started to develop quite a following. So much so, that television was the next logical step.

It started with the local Cincinnati show Soupy's Soda Shop, the first of the teenage dance shows. It was so successful, that Soupy soon branched out with The Soupy Sales Show.

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According to Variety, Disney's Toy Story 3 will launch in Imax 3D simultaneously with its regular June 18, 2010 release.

Toy Story 3is directed by Toy Story 2 co-director Lee Unkrich and produced by Cars producer Darla K. Anderson from a screenplay by Little Miss Sunshine writer Michael Arndt.

Space Patrol fan Elliott Swanson, the designer of the Space Patrol belt and holster, sent us this seasonal missive with the following text:

I've attached my "New Moon" ripoff greeting card image. Now if you want to talk about horrible writing that became horrible movie dialog and STILL made the top of the NYT bestseller list. here's an amazing example. I read the book. It stinks, despite being set in Washington State... For those of you living in caves or off the grid, "New Moon" is part of a series of books about vampires, living in a blown-out logging town, Forks, in Washington. And for you theatrical geeks, my eyes aren't Photoshopped-- I'm wearing theatrical contact lenses. The teeth are formed thermoplastic that fit over my own teeth, precisely.

Pre-release Information - Synopsis by Joe Pearson; "It's an R rated, retro-history, steam punk epic set in [the year] 1914, fourteen years after the first failed Martian invasion. Mankind has rebuilt her cities and military adapting a lot of the abandoned Martian technology. They've created an international defense force, A.R.E.S., based on the lower end of Manhattan and under the command of Theaodore Roosevelt. They've built a formidable force centered around giant, steam powered battle tripods. Think of "Band of Brothers" meets "Star Wars", meets World WO. It will be cool-steam powered battle tripods, doomed Cossack cavalry charges, victorian decco, steam punk Manhattan, 1500 foot long armored battle zeppelins, Teddy Roosevelt, souped up Tri-planes, blood on steaming metal, sex in the cockpit. The usual." The movie has a budget of over $5 million, and is being produced by Tripod Entertainment Sdn Bhd (joint venture between Elemental Ventures Sdn Bhd and Epoch Ink Corp). This story is not directly based on Heavy Metal, but it is a sequel to the classic War Of The Worlds novel by H.G. Wells. It is uncertain how connected this movie is to Heavy Metal. It might not be an Official Heavy Metal movie, but it still has Heavy Metal connections. It was originally intended on being part of a series of Heavy Metal Videos. And is being co-produced by Kevin Eastman (owner of Heavy Metal).

Release Date - Production started November 2007, and is expected to be finished around April or May 2010 (as of November 27 2009) and released mid-2010 (as of August 12 2009) on DVD and possibly in limited theaters.

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A funny mid-20th century newsreel featuring amazingly accurate predictions of the year 2000.

BEST SHORT FILM - New York Comedy Film Festival

OFFICIAL SELECTION
Montrael Just For Laughs Comedy Festival
Chicago Short Film Festival

Written and Directed by Scott Dikkers

Starring Tim Harrod, Maria Schneider
DP: Natalie Richter

Titans Return and Clash in All New Wrath of the Titans DVD!

December 15, 2009. Eagle One Media is proud to announce the upcoming release of Wrath of the Titans on DVD March 2, 2010. With a story developed under the guidance of Ray Harryhausen and presented as a unique motion comic film, fans of the beloved original motion picture can immerse themselves again in the further adventures of hero Perseus and his winged horse Pegasus in anticipation of the upcoming theatrical big budget remake of Clash of the Titans on March 26, 2010. The DVD shall also include a special bonus 28 page comic book with a tie-in story.

Five years have passed since the legendary Perseus defeated the evil Gorgon Medusa, killed the Kraken and assumed the crown of the kingdom of Argos. Things seemed idyllic throughout the land for its citizens and recent news of an apparent heir has put everyone in a celebratory mood. Yet lurking in the shadows is the one being in Argos simmering with hate and discontent. Calibus, once though dead, was let out of the Underworld by Hades and looks to take his revenge. Perseus stole his bride, stole his position, stole Zeus’ favor, and now Calibus looks to take it all back. And with the news that a baby boy was born to Perseus and Andromeda, he is chilling that dish of revenge…

The Wrath of the Titans DVD is a revolutionary convergence of animation and comics. It utilizes the storyline, art, and dialog from Washington-based Bluewater Productions just released comic book series and with the addition of voice-over, special effects, music, and animation, creates a fast paced video adaptation that takes viewers back to Greek mythological times where the Gods battled amongst themselves and heroes fought unimaginable creatures. This motion comic production joins Eagle One Media’s other available motion comics such as Street Fighter, based on the worldwide popular CAPCOM video game, and Voltron: Defender of the Universe, based on the popular anime television series. All of which are available on DVD or for download through iTunes, Playstation Network, and other media distribution platforms.

Also in March will be the printed graphic novel version with a new cover image by Azim.

Fusion Junction 3: A Collection of Contemporary Character Art

Fusion Junction does it again with another amazing collection of artists from around the globe. This time they re serving up four artists for your enjoyment. Mosthika and Noah hailing from China, Artgerm from Singapore and Noho from Korea make up the team of mind blowing illustrators. Their work covers everything from fantasy to sci-fi. The artists are truly on the edge of the new generation of illustrators.

10.5 x 7" Hardcover. 112 pages.

Cover Price $35

Solicited this month is Part 3 of this multi-part statue, featuring Batwoman and Commissioner Gordon standing on a rooftop in Gotham City, ready to take action.

This part of the statue follows the other pieces of the statue: Part 1 features Robin and Catwoman reclining on a gargoyle and Part 2 features Huntress and Nightwing heroically surveying the city.

The bases of each piece slide together to form a shot of the entire Batman family on a rooftop overlooking Gotham. Each of the three parts includes a piece of the fourth portion of the scene, which can be easily assembled to form Batman, who looms in the back of the scene.

All three parts of the statue are needed to make Batman. Part 3 of the statue measures approximately 9" high x 7" wide x 5" deep, while the entire multi-part statue measures approximately 11" high x 17" wide x 11.5" deep when fully assembled.

The BATMAN FAMILY MULTI-PART STATUE is limited-edition, hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain, includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box. Manufactured to order.

The third series of action figures that spans the broad history of the DC Universe includes more fan-favorite characters that have rarely been produced in action figure form! Ocean Master (half-brother of Aquaman), the super-flexible Plastic Man and Superman's nemesis Brainiac join the Man of Steel himself in this series, based on George Pérez's art from HISTORY OF THE DC UNIVERSE. Each figure features multiple points of articulation and a base. 4-color blister card packaging. Advance-solicited; on sale December 16, 2009 * Action Figures * PI

This holiday issue will be filled with coverage of all the new toy and collectible releases for 2010 from leading manufacturers like Hasbro, Mattel, DC Direct, Diamond Select Toys, Sideshow Collectibles, Gentle Giant, NECA, and Playmates. Also included will be vintage Star Wars figure variations and the fourth installment of Lee's Guide to Collecting Loose Generation 1 Hasbro Transformers, the 1986 series.

About the Artist: Chris Ryniak was born in 1976 in a safely distanced suburb of Detroit. He spent his childhood basking in the warm glow of Saturday morning cartoons, monster movies and flipping over rocks in search of insects and reptiles. In his teenage years, Chris' attention would shift to the world of skateboarding and the artists associated with the skate community, which later led to interests in commercial illustration. A graduate and former instructor at the Ringling School of Art and Design, Chris is now a painter and sculptor of all manner of critters that grace canvases as well as toy and print platforms. Chris' work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the world and his paintings have also been published in numerous books and periodicals. Chris currently resides in a coastal Ohio Dutch Colonial town with his wife, two children, cat and frog.

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Hake’s Americana & Collectibles next auction of quality pop culture collectibles goes online on December 28, 2009 with catalogs being mailed out in early January, 2010.

With this event, Hake’s will returns to its usual selection of nearly 2,400 great collectibles in more than 200 collecting categories, restoring all of the categories that were omitted in the company’s mini-auction held this past September.

“This January, ComicConnect.com will ring in the New Year with what is sure to be one of the most talked about comic book auctions of 2010. Now, for the first time ever, the legendary collection of Joe Desris will be brought to market,” said ComicConnect’s Rob Reynolds.

Those “in the know” in this hobby recognize the name of Joe Desris as the man who has assembled the largest known collection in the world of double covers and printing rarities. Desris was reportedly one of the first to identify the extreme rarity of double covers and has aggressively pursued documenting and collecting them for the past 35 years.

“So aggressive, in fact, those other collectors who sought them knew their chances to actually obtain double covers were pretty small once Joe Desris got wind of them,” Reynolds said.

Starting in January, over 1,700 pieces from his collection will be placed on the auction block. Items up for grabs include over 1,400 double covers, plus triple covers, quadruple covers and even an octuple cover, as well as all the other printing-error anomalies also included in the collection. The list includes cover miswraps, misbound pages, and missing or misaligned ink impressions.

“The past 10 years have brought tremendous growth for Heritage,” said Greg Rohan, President of Heritage Auction Galleries. “Now, we’re thrilled to present the first great numismatic event of the new decade. As the official auctioneers for the two yearly FUN conventions, Heritage is committed to offering the best coins and related items. We've brought together the finest selections from more than 370 consignors to make this U.S. Coins auction a truly special event.”

“The 1913-dated Liberty nickels are among the greatest mysteries of American coinage,” said Rohan. “James Earle Fraser’s famous ‘Buffalo nickel’ design should have appeared on every coin dated 1913. Yet there are five 1913 nickels that have the old Liberty design instead.”

One of only four original plaster models of renowned western artist Frederick Remington’s bronze sculpture The Bronco Buster will be sold at a three-day weekend estate sale slated for Jan. 22-24 by Philip Weiss Auctions. The piece was hand-carved and cast by Remington himself, prior to 1895, and is the oldest of the original four versions. It has never been offered for sale.

In fact, it has never been seen by the public before. That’s because it has remained in the private collection of Roman Bronze Works since being acquired over 100 years ago, and it has been in storage ever since. It is believed that Remington worked this, his first piece, entirely by himself and would not accept any assistance. It still has the artist’s original signature, which was never strengthened or cleaned.

The sculpture was exhibited at Tiffany & Company, when the firm was offering replicas of the statue for sale in the late 1890s. In 1901, the piece was bought by Roman Bronze Works, when Remington began working with Ricardo Bertelli, the founder of R.B.W. Mr. Bertelli had seen The Bronco Buster in 1895 and had acquired one of the 40 original castings by Henry Bonnard Foundry.

Remington worked closely with Bertelli until his death and gave him the plaster version of The Bronco Buster to be sold by Philip Weiss Auctions. Another original plaster casting of the sculpture was offered at auction in 1988, where it carried a dizzying pre-sale estimate of $350,000-$400,000. Philip Weiss Auctions has assigned this version a much more conservative sale estimate of $30,000-$50,000.

Frederick Remington (NY/KS, 1861-1909) is arguably America’s best-known and most revered western painter, sculptor and illustrator. His style was realistic and much of his work was narrative, the implication being that the West belonged to the white man, but his Indians were portrayed with dignity and nobility. He created about 25 bronze statues. The most famous of these was The Bronco Buster.

The Jan. 22-24 sale will also feature the original marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic, where the musical icons embarked on their brief and highly publicized life together The certificate was signed by both Jackson and Presley.

Christmas is just a few days away, and of course holiday celebrations in general play host to some of the richest characters that our culture loves. From a fairy that collects our baby teeth to a rabbit who delivers pastel colored eggs, holidays in America pull us back to childhood imagination. Christmas carries with it one of the most popular characters, the world over. He is a man whose roots reach almost 1,800 years back in history. A character we call Santa Claus.

The legend of Santa Claus can be traced back to a monk who lived hundreds of years ago, named St. Nicholas. It is believed that he lived around 280 A.D. in Patara near Myra, which is now Turkey. St. Nicholas was deeply admired for his kindness and willingness to help others. It is said that he gave away his inherited wealth and traveled the countryside to help the poor and sick. One of the more popular legends about St. Nicholas is that he saved three poor sisters from being sold into slavery by their father by giving each girl a dowry to ensure their prospects for marriage. The story explains that he dropped money sacks into each sister’s stockings hanging from their windowsills or over their fireplace.

St. Nicholas’ popularity spread over many years and he became known as the protector of children and sailors. By the time of the Renaissance, he was the most popular saint in Europe and even after the Protestant Reformation discouraged the celebration of saints, he remained a popular figure with the public.

St. Nicholas made his introduction to American pop culture in the end of the 1700s. Newspapers in December of 1773 and 1774 announced gatherings of Dutch families to honor the anniversary of his death, which was celebrated on December 7. St. Nicholas’ Dutch nickname Sinter Klaas evolved to American society as Santa Claus. Then in 1804 John Pintard distributed woodcuts of St. Nicholas to the New York Historical Society at their annual meeting. The engraving’s background depicts images that are now central to Santa Claus themes, including stockings filled with toys. He made his deepest introduction to American society in 1809 in Washington Irving’s The History of New York when he dubbed Sinter Klaas the patron saint of New York.

The name Will Eisner resonates with comic book fans as one of the most influential, acclaimed comic book writers, artists, and entrepreneurs. He lectured on comic book art, helped establish the graphic novel genre, and founded a cartooning studio. One of his greatest accomplishments was helping newspapers keep up with the ever expanding comic book industry with his creation of The Spirit.

The masked crime fighter debuted on June 2, 1940 as part of a Sunday newspaper comic book insert. The comic followed the adventures of a vigilante fighting crime with the approval of the police commissioner, an old friend of his. Originally he was a detective named Denny Colt, though after the first few issues, his identity is rarely mentioned. In the first three pages of the first story he was presumed dead, but later revealed to his friend, Commissioner Dolan that he’d been put in suspended animation by archvillian Dr. Cobra. When he woke in Wildwood Cemetery, he made it his base of operations and used the anonymity to fight crime as The Spirit.

Unlike most comics of the time, The Spirit was distributed in a newspaper. Everett “Busy” Arnold, the publisher of Quality Comics was exploring ways to expand Sunday newspaper supplements and began looking through existing Quality Comics material for a story. He liked Eisner’s work the best and wanted to run The Spirit. In a 1979 interview, Eisner recalled, in “late ’39, just before Christmas time he (Arnold) came to me and said that the Sunday newspapers were looking for a way of getting into this comic book boom.” Eisner was brought into a meeting with sales manager of the Des Moines Register and Tribune Syndicate, Henry Martin, who told him that newspapers were going to compete with comics, thus they needed a comic insert and asked him to do it. This put Eisner in a difficult position as his company Eisner & Iger, which produced comics on demand for publishers, was quite successful and to work on the Comic Book Section in newspapers, he’d have to leave it. After wrestling over the opportunities and possible consequences, he made the decision to do the Sunday comic.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, SyFy has renewed both Stargate Universe and Sanctuary, adding a second and third reason, respectively, to the original cable series.

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

The thin 112-page volume, dominated by lush, full-color reproductions, opens with a fond remembrance of her father by Lynn Maguire and a brief introduction to the artist’s early life.

At times, Silke engages in sloppy research. He writes “Gold Medal came out with the first original paperback, Hill Girl by Charles Williams, published in 1951.” While there is no consensus about exactly when the first paperback original came out, numerous books first appeared in paperback during the 1940s, including several crime novels.

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Created from the same digital files used to print the screen-used props, QMx has reproduced the practice target on an 18.5" x 22.5" poster, printed on 60-pound flat-finish paper stock. We've even die cut the poster into the same distinctive trapezoid shape (why do Colonials hate right angles so much?), and we've included the scoring form in lower-right corner.

A perfect way to prepare for the fight against our Cylon oppressors, when that dark day comes.

FLCL

FLCL follows Naota Nandaba, a twelve-year-old boy living in the fictional Japanese suburb of Mabase, and his interactions with Haruko Haruhara, who arrives in the quiet suburb, drawn by the industrial town houses and the Medical Mechanica building.

The English adaptation of the series is licensed by Synch-Point and Geneon Entertainment, which released the DVDs and soundtrack respectively.

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Welcome to WantedCowgirls.com where documenting Cowgirls in all
media is our mission. We need your help and encouragement, so please
come in, look around, and report all undocumented Cowgirls to this
website. You're invited to join our posse so we can all help each other
find the most wanted women in the west. In these dangerous times, it
seems wise to concentrate first on the Bad Girls with Guns. Of course,
even Good Girls can look "Bad" when they're packin' pistols, and to
make matters even more confusing -- some gals have been known to
wear their guns on both sides of the law! So in the true spirit of the
Patriot Act, we'll be listing all cowgirls with guns. And what about
those high fashion cowgirls who dress to kill? Intelligence sources are
convinced they're carrying concealed weapons of mass destruction and
that they know how to use them! As we try to figure out the Dept. of
Homeland Security color threat codes, please check us out and keep in
mind that we are still in the early stages of construction. If you have
any questions or suggestions, you may contact us HERE. Our streaming
video is being offered in a variety of formats. We're still trying to de-
cide which formats will work best for the most people. Let us know
what you think. For the latest additions to this website, see What's New.

Without getting too technical about things, Barrett essentially superimposes the oversized heads of his actors onto animated bodies, then assembles the characters within a spaceship in an ongoing intergalactic mission of persistent silliness.

Barrett himself plays the laidback, dunderheaded captain, with Adam Clinton as his straightlaced first officer and, among others, Jacey Margolis as an English-mangling alien the crew adopts in the premiere.

The ultimate collection for comics fans, the DC Superhero Collection Figurine Magazine brings together DC Comics' greatest heroes and villains! Official figures of the characters, both good and evil, are cast in lead, individually hand-painted and numbered to form an authentic collector's edition.

Each comes with a 20-page magazine providing detailed history and background on the featured characters, including exclusive images and interviews. Choose this month from Raven (#21), Mary Marvel (#40), and the Golden Age Green Lantern (#41).

Sculpted and Painted by Tom and Joy Snyder, based on Frank Cho's cover from JUNGLE GIRL SEASON ONE #1! The Jungle Girl Statue is one of Dynamite's most ambitious projects!

Based on the cover art to the premiere issue of Dynamite's series, Frank Cho himself has meticulously art directed the piece, and he hasn't let any detail escape his artistic eye.

Here, Jana the Jungle Girl is presented in 3-D for the first-time ever as Cho's pure vision - and what a vision! Sculpted from Cho's art by Tom and Joy Snyder, Jungle Girl stands 7 inches tall, 8 1/2 inches wide and 6 inches deep! Featuring jewel eyes and a certificate of authenticity signed by Jungle Girl creators Frank Cho and Doug Murray!

Imported from Japan! From the game Muv-Luv Alternative comes Meiya Mitsurugi, the latest addition to the collection of figures in Max Factory's Figma line. A fully posable action figure, it's made of PVC and has several joints of articulation. Meiya comes with extras, including a katana and scabbard, various hands and faces for different expressions, as well as a display stand that allows you to suspend her in mid air. Standing 6" tall, she wears her UN Army uniform. Window box packaging.

Diamond Comic Distributors has announced the Gold Level sponsors for Free Comic Book Day, May 1, 2010.

In case you’ve missed the staggering success the last few years, Free Comic Book Day is a single day - the first Saturday in May each year - when participating comic book shops across North America and around the world give away comic books absolutely free.

There are more announcements to come, but here’s what Diamond announced for the first round:

Ape Entertainment
Kizoic Presents: Shrek & The Penguins Of Madagascar
Featuring four stories by the artists and writers of the upcoming Shrek and Penguins of Madagascar comic books!

Archaia Entertainment
Mouse Guard/Fraggle Rock
Two amazing all-new stories in one fantastic flip-book!

Archie Comics
Archie’s Summer Splash! #1
“Whose BEACH is it Anyway?”: Sun, sand, swimsuits and cool rockin’ tunes — no, it’s not a cinematic “beach party” blast from the past, but a whole new summer splash from Archie and his friends!

BOOM! Studios
Toy Story
With Toy Story 3 hitting theaters this summer, don’t miss this opportunity to get a free issue from the ongoing Toy Story series from BOOM Kids!

First came the New York Comic-Con, then the New York Anime Festival, then the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. Now Reed Exhibitions has landed Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Flordida.

“We have entered into a brand-new partnership with Lucasfilm, and we are pleased to announce the addition of Star Wars Celebration V, being held August 12-15, 2010 at the OrangeCountyConvention Center in Orlando, FL,” said Reed’s Lance Fensterman.

The ComicConnect.com December Event Auction achieved nearly a dozen new records and strong prices across the board, the company’s Director of Consignments, Rob Reynolds, told Scoop. Golden Age issues led the way as a Detective Comics #28 CGC 3.5 hammered at $15,600, a Batman #1 CGC 5.0 achieved $46,200, and a pair of highest-graded issues of Captain America Comics set new records.

“We put so much effort in to each comic for our consignors, it’s great to see all of the hard work pay off,” said Reynolds. “I’m really looking forward to January’s one-of-a-kind Ultimate Double-Cover auction from the Joe Desris collection,” he continued.

“ComicConnect.com is building momentum with each auction. The December Event Auction showcased the most lots to date and I couldn’t be happier with the results we’ve achieved for our consignors,” said Vincent Zurzolo, the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

Among the notable CGC-certified comics in the auction, Action Comics #11 7.0 sold for $5,900, Action Comics #46 9.0 went for $3,100, Amazing Fantasy #15 8.0 closed at $68,888, Amazing Fantasy #15 2.5 brought in $3,800, Amazing Spider-Man #1 7.5 realized $9,500, and Amazing Spider-Man #1 3.5 totaled $2,900.

ComicLink’s Josh Nathanson tells Scoop that this auction is a change of pace from ComicLink's usual selection, and is a fun hodgepodge of comic books in a wide variety grades, genres and titles.

“To avoid the Christmas holiday vacation season, this auction is a short one. It will end next week, December 15-17, 2009, so don't wait to bid!” he said.

“All eras and genres of comic book are represented, from Golden Age superhero comics to modern independents. In addition to more than 1,600 individual listings, over 1,000 multiple book lots are available, giving buyers the opportunity to really stock up before the New Year,” he said.

“With close to 2700 lots up for grabs, all with no reserve, there is something for just about any level or style of collector. Individual offerings range from Avengers #4 CGC 9.2 to Captain America Comics #7 CGC 5.0, and Crime Suspenstories #22 4.0 to Brave and the Bold #28 in 1.5. There also are many books not graded by CGC or PGX but graded by ComicLink for this auction.

Nathanson said the event includes many affordable examples of many major keys and first issues, including Adventure Comics #247, Amazing Spider-Man #14, Journey Into Mystery #83, Atom #1, Fantastic Four #2-5 and 12, Brave and the Bold #28 and #34, Flash #123, Incredible Hulk #102, Iron Man #1, Justice League of America #1, Mystery In Space #53, Sgt. Fury #1 and 13, Silver Surfer #1, Strange Adventures #9, Strange Tales #101 and 110, Tales of Suspense #39, Tales to Astonish #27, Thor #126, and X-Men #2-5

Also lined up are more than 70 group lots of Amazing Spider-Man comics from the early Silver Age through the Modern era as well as hundreds of other Silver and Bronze Age lots of major Marvel and DC titles, along with 31 separately listed Golden Age issues of Captain America Comics issues ranging from #2-78, as well as individually offered Golden Age Batman, Detective Comics, and Superman.

Spider-Man, Spider-Man, does whatever a spider can… and if he wants to collect Amazing Spider-Man #1-300 this weekend’s Sunday Internet Comic Auction from Heritage Auction Galleries might just make a very good place to start.

Every Amazing Spider-Man issue from #1-300 is in this week’s auction, so whether your preference is Ditko, Romita, McFarlane or any of the other great artists who’ve worked on the series, it’s like one-stop shopping.

The auction also has 20 lots of DC war books, nice copies of some humor books “i nspired by MAD,” and a total of 747 lots, all of which conclude Sunday evening, December 13, 2009 at 10 PM CT.

Space Ships, Aliens And Comics To Watch At SXSW's Film Fest