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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/

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.

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).

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.

JOIN DEVIANTART NOW!

Join the largest art community in the world! Membership is FREE to share and sell your artwork, start your Art Collection and track your favorite artists!

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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.

The White Mountain pedigree copy of Fantastic Four #1 (CGC certified 9.2), a X-Men #1 in 9.2, and X-Men #s 2-4 in 9.4 will join high grade specimens from the Mound City Collection and early Silver Age DC runs from the Pacific Coast Collection in Pedigree Comics upcoming Grand Auction, which begins Monday, January 18, 2010.

Doug Schmell, CEO of Pedigree, told Scoop that his company has just received the comics for the event, which will run for ten days ending Thursday, January 28.

“We are very pleased to be bringing the White Mountain copy of Fantastic Four #1 to market. It is one of only two copies in CGC graded 9.2 and stands as the sixth best existing example of this mega key comic book. It has been locked away in the private holding of a major collector (whose Amazing Fantasy #15 in 9.2 we sold for $190,000 in our February Grand Auction) and has not seen the light of day for years. It is a stunning copy that possesses all of the characteristics that has made the White Mountain Collection so famous; incredible pages, deep cover gloss, near-perfect structure and a newsstand flat and fresh appearance. This is the second best copy ever offered for sale since a 9.4 sold way back in 2002,” he said.

Before World War II, artist Alex Raymond had made his name by establishing a strong following on three popular newspaper strips, Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, and Secret Agent X-9. Raymond’s stint on Flash Gordon inspired many artists, including Al Williamson, and it set an early benchmark for the adventure strip. When the war came along, though, the artist volunteered and was shipped out to the Pacific theater.

After he completed his military service, he expected to pick up where he left off on Flash Gordon, but King Features Syndicate has signed his replacement, Austin Briggs, to a contract that was scheduled to run until July 1948.

Based on the new Rip Kirby – Volume One from IDW Publishing’s imprint The Library of American Comics, that turned out to be a very good thing. He got a new assignment and solid contract from the syndicate to develop a new strip, Rip Kirby, which had been created by editor Ward Greene.

Like the artist, the title character Rip Kirby was newly returned from the war. An ex-Marine Rip Kirby was also a writer, scientist and amateur detective.

Both the character and the artist hit the ground running. The first daily ends with a gun shot. The second one ends with a beautiful dead woman falling into Kirby’s arms, and things start from there. Kirby is aided by his girlfriend "Honey" Dorian and his assistant, Desmond, a former burglar, as he plunges into the case.

You know what has always fascinated us about Shirley Temple? Her career circa the 1940s. That was the decade she spent weathering adolescence and nearing adulthood. In 1940, she was 12. In 1949, when she made her last film, A Kiss for Corliss, she was 21. By the age of 12, she already had 41 films under her belt. She started at the age of three, after all.

At that time and since, she has been considered the most recognizably famous and popular child star of all time. We mean, your brain probably processed the title of this article and immediately connected you to images of corkscrew curls, dimples and a skirted cherub tap dancing alongside Bill "Bojangles" Robinson.

And yet, it's those lesser-known '40s films, where her "golly gee" rosy-cheeked childishness gave way to a graceful young woman who miraculously managed to sidestep the gawky loss of cuteness, the likes of Dakota Fanning and Frankie Muniz have already confronted and may never overcome.

Having never read her autobiography, we can't say for sure why she gave up acting in 1949. And, truth be told, it's much more interesting to use deductive reasoning:

A. She married a meat packer's son--John Agar--in 1945, thereby jump-starting a complete unknown's long and illustrious career in show business. (His first film and one of her last was Fort Apache. They starred opposite heavy-hitters John Wayne and Henry Fonda). By 1950, their marriage was over, after yielding the couple one child. Single parenting could've easily become a more pressing priority.

Sci-fi digital art
Science fiction (SF or sci-fi) is a large genre of fiction that often based on contemporary or future science or technology. Science fiction art is found in fine art, television, books, movies, games, theatre, and other creative media. Sci-fi differs from fantasy, within the context of the story, its unreal elements are possible within scientifically established or scientifically postulated environment. Some elements in a sci-fi pictures 3D images might be pure imaginative fiction. Science fiction can be equal with the broader classification of speculative fiction. Creative art works might incorporate artistic elements not found in modern reality. This might include fantasy art, horror art, and number of other related artistic genres.

"Cool popping and sparking mechanism that made the Atomic Pistol so great...Best packaging for 2009? Go Hero gets my vote hands down...This is exceptional packaging, adding to the value of the gun from both a display and nostalgic angle...the perfect mate for this particular product"- Michael Crawford, MC Toys

I have a supportive husband and a life-long companion in my twin sister, but it is a cat that I rescued from the streets that is the love of my life.

By now I think it is no secret that I love animals. Along with my sister, Sia, I have been rescuing them since I was a child. From climbing trees to breaking my car for wildlife, to wading through floods left behind by hurricanes, to navigating my way through the fire-charred brush of Southern California -- it is safe to say that I would do just about anything to save an animal.

Most people remember my sister and me from Playboy, but those days are long over. In fact, today, Sia and I can be found protesting, not posing. Pet shops, anti-vivisection, the circus and zoos are just a few of the animal rights causes we have taken up over the years.

However, we can also be found walking and rehabilitating dogs at animal shelters in Los Angeles as well as participating in TNR (Trap, Neuter and Return) with Stray Cat Alliance.

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The next installment in the Appleseed franchise based on the manga from renown creator Shirow Masamune! Deunan and Briareos are both partners and lovers. As members of ESWAT, the elite forces serving Olympus, they are deployed everywhere trouble strikes. Now, the two fighters find their partnership tested in a new way by the arrival of Tereus, who uncannily resembles Briareos before the wartime injuries that led to his becoming a cyborg. Plus, cyborg terrorism, deadly nanotech zealots, and rioting citizens are just some of the threats that Deunan must contend with as she fights to save Olympus.

The great Toho monsters can be yours with these 11' tall Godzilla Collectible Figures, new for 2009! Starring the big guy himself, Godzilla (as he appeared in Godzilla: Final Wars), Mechagodzilla, and the cybernetic Gigan (from Godzilla: Final Wars 2004), these figures will be prized by every fan of the series.

Japan's monsters are on the attack in this series of 6' Godzilla Collectible Figures, new for 2009! Featuring Anguirus (from Godzilla: Final Wars 2004), Millennius Godzilla, Godzilla 1968, Destotoyah, First Godzilla (version 2), and Mechagodzilla these figures will enable collectors to relive the excitement of the long-running series!

Born William Henry Pratt, Boris Karloff was a legend of stage and scream. Now, this iconic actor is sculpted as a deluxe 12' tall collector's figure, approved by the Karloff family. The figure comes with 3 interchangeable heads from three distinctive points in Karloff's life, a display stand, and a deluxe 4-color window box with a fifth panel. Limited to 500 pieces.

'The Big Four' have teamed up for the perfect holiday gift! Classic Justice League of America members Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman and Green Lantern appear here in action figure form, along with a 48-page book featuring the story of the re-formation of the JLA after Infinite Crisis, as well as the characters' origin stories as told by contemporary artists. The stories included in this special set are JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #31 by Brad Meltzer, Ed Benes and Sandra Hope, the 2-page origin stories from the pages of 52 starring Wonder Woman, Batman, Green Lantern and the JLA, plus the 2-page Superman origin story by Brian Azzarello, Jim Lee and Scott Williams previously seen in ABSOLUTE SUPERMAN: FOR TOMORROW. Advance-solicited; on sale December 2, 2009 * Box Set * PI

In 1967, a unique television series premiered, featuring the adventures of Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock and crew aboard the fantastic starship, the U.S.S. Enterprise. Nothing like it had been seen on television before - Star Trek was the first serious sci-fi television series and launched a franchise that has spanned over 40 years. Round 2 follows up the instant sell-out of the 2008 Collectors Tin with a second edition. This new edition of the embossed tin features a green color scheme that makes it the perfect companion piece to the Mr. Spock Collectors Edition Tin. Also new to this release: this special edition is molded in blue plastic, very reminiscent of an early release of the kit. The Classic Enterprise kit is 18' long when fully assembled.

One of the most striking ship designs from Star Trek: The Motion Picture returns in this enhanced re-release. The Vulcan Shuttle used to bring Mr. Spock back to the Enterprise features a primary shuttle along with a warp 'sled' which gives it the ability to travel in deep space. This release of the kit features several upgrades from previous versions, including revised warp nacelle grille detail as well as shuttle and sled connection skid plates. The shuttle attaches magnetically to the warp sled with neodymium magnets (included). The kit also includes panel decals similar to the aztec decals featured in our popular 1/350 scale Enterprise 1701-A, and also includes decals to create an alternate Federation version of the ship.

Like most teasers, it’s not particularly full of information about the film. Instead it’s designed to grab your attention with a single, strong image. In this case, it definitely succeeded!

The poster features Iron Man and the character War Machine, another suit of armor invented by Tony Stark, standing back to back. For fans of the comic or just those who discovered the armored Avenger through the first film, it looks very cool.

A 1965 “Loathsome Lore” page from Creepy (the first of only two of these pages done by Frazetta for the magazine).

Russ Cochran’s Comic Art Auction #91 is set for Thursday, December 10, 2009, and “The Old Professor” is really pulling out all the stops for this one. Comic art masters George Herriman, Frank Frazetta, Hank Porter and Hal Foster are just some of the artists whose work is featured this time around.

They are represented by a 1937 Krazy Kat Sunday, a 1965 “Loathsome Lore” page from Creepy (the first of only two of these pages done by Frazetta for the magazine), a beautiful Disney Christmas piece, and the sixth Prince Valiant Sunday page (dated 3/20/1937), respectively.

Of the Frazetta piece, Cochran said, “This is a significant pen and ink original from right around the same time period as his Canaveral Press Burroughs illos. From this point forward, Frazetta concentrated on oil paintings more than ink drawings.”

He described the Porter piece, a 1938 illustration, as “the greatest black-and-white Disney drawing of all time,” and offered details to back up that claim.

“I have been collecting, buying, and selling original comic art for more than 40 years now. I have seen many fine examples of original Disney strip art, including the very first Mickey Mouse daily strip (as well as #3 and #10). I have seen Donald Duck originals by Taliaferro (in the Sunday comics) and Carl Barks (in the comic books). I have seen the wonderful Snow White newspaper strip originals from 1938. The artist for the Snow White Sunday pages was Disney artist Hank Porter. Only two examples of original 1938 Snow White Sunday pages are known to exist; they are much rarer than the many known examples of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, and they are, in my opinion, some of the very best art ever done for the comics,” Cochran said.

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Part I and Part II of eMoviePoster.com’s Winter Mini/Major Auction are now underway. There 491 linen-backed items in Part I and 206 addition pieces in Part II of the event.

Among the top features in Part I are a set of classics from director Alfred Hitchcock, including Psycho (Janet Leigh and Anthony Perkins), Vertigo (artwork by Saul Bass), the 1962 reissue of Rear Window (Jimmy Stewart) and the German 1972 reissue of Psycho with art of Perkins by Rolf Goetze.

Other classics at the top of most lists include The 1956 reissue of The Third Man (Orson Welles and Joseph Cotton), The Ghost & Mrs. Muir (Gene Tierney, Rex Harrison, and George Sanders), Breakfast At Tiffany's (classic artwork of Audrey Hepburn), The African Queen (Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn) and the advance one-sheet from Bullitt (Steve McQueen).

For series fans there are two offerings of Sean Connery as Ian Fleming’s James Bond, Agent 007, Dr. No and Thunderball, the later of which features art by Robert McGinnis, as well as two versions of the original Star Wars, the Tom Jung-illustrated one for 1977 and a Russian release measuring 22” x 34” from 1990.

It at least seems like a lot of pressure to put on a kid: "Only you can prevent forest fires!"

But Smokey Bear, the U.S. Forest Service's fire prevention mascot, has been an effective messenger since the 1940s!

One of the most popular animal advertising mascots of all time, Smokey Bear has been featured on a U.S. postage stamp and in nearly every Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade since 1968. He also starred in his very own animated series on ABC TV for two years. He managed to crop up on and off in his own comic book titles for twenty years.

Five years ago, the final chapter in the Blade film trilogy, Blade Trinity, hit theatres, capitalizing on the title character, who first appeared in Tomb of Dracula #10.

The third film featured Blade teaming up with a group of humans called the Nightstalkers, led by Hannibal King and Abigail Whistler. Blade needed their assistance because he was being hunted by the ultimate vampire: Dracula.

Did you know that like Blade, Hannibal King first appeared in pages of Marvel's long-running horror title? It was Tomb of Dracula #25 to be precise.

As is evidenced by the successes of Davids Copperfield and Blaine -- and in the enduring legacy of the great Harry Houdini -- illusionists, mentalists and magicians have long been fascinating commodities in our society. Is it any wonder that many early radio serials provided their heroes with advanced knowledge of mysticism and the "powers" that come with it?

Chandu The Magician is one such example. One of the most popular and long-running "superhero radio shows," Chandu the Magician chronicles the exploits of American secret agent Frank Chandler. How did he foil criminals at large? By using the ancient powers of a Hindu yogi, of course. In a jewel-bedecked turban, he'd gaze into a crystal ball and find the whereabouts of sundry villains, including criminal mastermind Roxor.

Counter-Spy (sometimes referred to as David Harding, Counter-Spy) arrived on radio in 1942. With the country deeply entrenched in overseas battles, everyone was grateful for a program featuring a hero who did nothing but solidify homeland security and foil acts of international espionage.

Even after the war ended, Counter-Spy went on, ultimately lasting for 15 years with Don MacLaughlin in the role of David Harding, Washington's ace agent. Though most of the wartime plots dealt with our real-life war enemies, plots explored other seedy acts of destruction targeted toward the U.S. in the show's latter years.

If you either are a hardcore Image fan or you just have a soft spot for the characters and the period of comics history in which they were born, it’s hard not to like Image United #1.

It’s not going to be confused with Jar of Fools, Fax From Sarajevo or Maus, but then it’s not intended to be. Instead, it has a clarity of purpose: it is a simultaneous celebration and refocusing of the ideas and concepts that made Image Comics into what it was and what it can be.

Back in 1992, when the Image founders left their lucrative assignments at Marvel Comics behind to publish and more importantly own the characters they created, it set off shockwaves in the business. Craziness ensued.

Then, as these things happen, the boom turned to bust. One of the founders, Jim Lee, sold his studio and characters to DC. Another, Rob Liefeld, left acrimoniously. But Image survived.

Image United wouldn’t work simply as a nostalgia tour because the legacy of that early period is so uneven, but as a first step or first spark of an idea, it’s brilliant. It’s hard to say the early Image offerings were great comic books. With notable exceptions, they were largely writerless packages of beautiful and sometimes innovative art.

But the revolution in creator-ownership that Image pushed along is a monumental force in the history of the American comic book industry, and many of the characters did find their ways into some truly fun stories. In the end, it’s hard not to find at least a wistful soft spot for those early days.

Todd McFarlane is drawing Spawn. Marc Silvestri is illustrating Cyberforce and Witchblade. Eric Larsen is drawing Savage Dragon (the one thing at Image that has never changed). Jim Valentino has a new ShadowHawk. Whilce Portacio is introducing a new character. Rob Liefeld, who returned his Youngblood to Image last year, is on board, and even Jim Lee provided a variant cover.

When we wake on Thanksgiving morn to the scent of spices and the warm glow of the gas oven, do we ever really think about the origin of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade we spend the morning watching? If not, it's probably a good idea to reflect on the history of this holiday tradtion.

The first Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade took place in 1924, when a group of Macy's employees marched to their flagship store on New York's 34th Street to honor their American heritage. The employees, many of whom were immigrants, wore costumes, enlisted bands, and borrowed live animals from the Central Park Zoo. The event culminated in the appearance of Santa Claus at Herald Square.

Three years later, the tradition evolved when the live animals were replaced with animal-shaped balloons-the most recognizable of which was Felix the Cat. The debut of a popular cartoon animal was so well-received that more cartoon character balloons and floats began to emerge. (It would be ten years after the very first parade when Mickey Mouse made his first appearance as part of the festivities.)

Well, it's once again turkey-time in America, and this is one holiday that hasn't been lost on comic book creators through the years.

While nowhere near as popular as Christmas comics (or, "holiday" comics if you prefer), there certainly have been more than a few Thanksgiving-inspired images over the decades.

So, as a way of letting you know how thankful we are for your readership, we thought you might like to feast upon this collection of Thanksgiving-themed covers.

The Leonid meteor show occurs every November. This year it was, by most accounts, spectacular. There are more examples of the shower on YouTube.

ACTRESS: Mathilda May

CHARACTER: Space Girl (Lifeforce)

WHAT MAKES HER HOT: Most people have never heard of Lifeforce, much less actress Mathilda May, but it's one of the few movies we're aware of that boasts both space vampires and full-frontal nudity from one of its main characters. We guess Species is the closest, most recent (and successful) example, but back in the days of VHS, Lifeforce was all we got. And what made her hot? Well, she was running around butt-naked for the entire movie, killing people with an electrical make-out session, duh! So what if she's really a giant bat?

WHAT WE WANT HER TO DO NEXT: Put some clothes on for crying out loud. You're going to catch a cold, especially walking around dreary London like that. Sheesh!

Over the years, Dark Horse has been committed to incorporating art into our everyday lives through prints, T-shirts, mugs, and a variety of other items that help make this world more colorful. Now Dark Horse is proud to collaborate with GelaSkins to bring over twenty new designs to their line of protective skins for laptops and phones.

Our next wave of designs characters from Tim Burton and Weta Collectibles' Dr. Grordbort. The new line of GelaSkins is the perfect way to protect your technology while showing off your signature style.

DESIGNED BY ANDY KUBERT ï SCULPTED BY OLUF HARTVIGSON It's the ultimate collectible for Batman fans! Batman and his allies team up in four separate pieces (sold in three parts) to form a single statue.

Solicited this month is Part 2 of this multi-part statue, which features Huntress and Nightwing standing on a rooftop in Gotham City, heroically surveying the place they call home. This part of the statue follows Part 1, solicited last month and featuring Robin and Catwoman reclining on a gargoyle.

Part 3 (to be solicited next month) will feature Batwoman and Commissioner Gordon. 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 2 of the statue measures approximately 10' 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.

A Diamond Select Release! When first assigned to the Battlestar Galactica, neighter Saul Tigh nor Felix Gaeta had any inkling their lives would never be the same again. Featuring two of the most dedicated (and ill-fated) officers in the Colonial Fleet, this all-new Battlestar Galactica two-pack features Colonel Saul Tigh and Lt Felix Gaeta in their signature second-season looks and includes multiple accessories from the hit show!

A Diamond Select Release! A Diamond Previews Exclusive! The Razor-era Cylon Centurion Commanders possess additional tactical algorithms and autonomous command protocols - making them the perfect units for a full-scale invasion! Each capable of controlling at least two Cylon Pilots and a Cylon Raider, the Cylon Commanders were last seen in the closing days of the first Cylon War. These seven-inch action figures feature multiple points of articulation and accessories from the hit series!

BASED ON THE ART OF ADAM HUGHES SCULPTED BY JACK MATHEWS Black Canary, the Sonic Siren, cracks her knuckles in anticipation of taking on her next adversary.

This latest addition to the instantly popular COVER GIRLS OF THE DC UNIVERSE statue line is posed just as she appears on Adam Hughes' variant cover of JUSTICE LEAGUE OF AMERICA #6.

Hand-painted, cold-cast in porcelain and measuring approximately 9.5' tall x 4' wide x 3.75' deep, this statue includes a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is packaged in a 4-color box.

Your wildest fantasies just got wilder!

Yamato USA expands its line of fantasy figures with Fantasy Figure Gallery Sculptor Originals. The sculptors who brought your fantasies to life now bring you their own unique creations in a collection of startling statues.

Sultry secret agent Felicia Andress from Shungo Yazawa, the amazing sculpting talent behind Yamato USA's Fantasy Figure Gallery: Medusa (Luis Royo), slinks stealthily across the floor on the hunt for enemy agents. Limited to 1,007 pieces, Felicia measures 10 1/4" in length, features rooted hair, and comes complete with base ready for display.

Painted and ready to display.

The November Event Auction at ComicConnect has 1,485 lots up for grabs, making it the company’s largest auction ever thanks to some last-minute consignments, and they said the number of bids received so far is easily outpacing every auction to date.

“I am thrilled at the number of bids and new bidders that have swarmed the ComicConnect.com servers,” said Vincent Zurzolo, Chief Operating Officer. “The quality of material available in this auction is spectacular, with something for every collector.”

The ComicConnect.com Event Auction has over 100 art lots and over 1,300 comics available.

The closing schedule for the sessions is as follows:
Session 1: Art + Comic Titles A-E (Friday, Dec. 4, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)
Session 2: Comic Titles F-Z (Saturday, Dec. 5, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)
Session 3: Bonus Round (Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)
Session 4: Bonus Round (Wednesday, Dec. 9, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)
Session 5: Bonus Round (Thursday, Dec. 10, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)

Following last week’s record-breaking sale of a CGC-certified 9.2 copy of Incredible Hulk #1 at Heritage Auction Galleries for $125,475, Pedigree Comics has just reported another landmark transaction involving the jade giant’s first issue with a sale of a CGC-certified 9.0 copy for $100,000.

Pedigree Comics President and CEO Doug Schmell negotiated the transaction between the seller and buyer and both sides "are extremely happy," he said.

“This is the nicest 9.0 copy I have ever seen (I've seen three of them) and actually rivals the Northland 9.2 copy I used to own in structure and appearance. This copy has off-white to white pages and is the glossiest Hulk #1 I've ever seen. Plus, it is perfectly centered, which was a major negotiating point in completing the sale,” he said.

“The buyer made the trip to my office to personally inspect the book and he was very pleased with the its overall appearance. After some back and forth phone calls to the consignor and haggling with the buyer, a price of $100,000 was agreed upon, far eclipsing the previous record for a Hulk #1 in 9.0 of $45,000 set in July, 2006, and just short of the overall record price for an Incredible Hulk #1 reached this past weekend at auction.”

For many, Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day holiday creates a very long weekend, but that doesn’t mean there’s not a Sunday Internet Comics Auction at Heritage. In fact, the November 29, 2009 edition closes at the regular time, 10 PM CST, and features plenty for which collectors could be thankful.

Charlton Heston, Pierre Boulle, Richard Zanuck, Arthur P. Jacobs, Rod Serling and a host of others came together and both wittingly and unwittingly gave us one of the classics of science fiction film. This film in turn spawned a remarkable cabal of character collectibles from videos and costumes to toy guns and comic books.

Eleven years ago, the 30 Anniversary re-issue of Planet of the Apes and its four sequels fueled the nostalgic fires of collectors and brought new fans into the fold. And, while the Tim Burton remake in 2001 may have done much to quench those fires, the DVD editions of the film series and subsequent TV series continue to sell. The 35th anniversary editions last year again stoked the fire, as did rumors of another new film.

With a strong connection to collecting fandom through the Marvel magazine, later comics and other collectibles, Apes fans have long known that the dictum attributed to DC editor Julie Schwartz is true: “Gorillas always sell.” The explanation of the franchise's longevity is obviously not that simple, but it's not a bad place to start an investigation.

When French author Pierre Boulle's 10th novel was published in 1963, it was widely considered to be one of his lesser works. Certainly, said the pundits, it was neither as important nor as commercial as his previous smash, The Bridge on the River Kwai, which became an Academy Award winning film.

The novel was called Le Planete Des Singes (or Monkey Planet in English), and, like the prognosticators who thought Star Trek would die when the TV show was canceled or those who suggested that comics would disappear after the advent of video games, the pundits were wrong.

Producer Arthur P. Jacobs was an old-fashioned Hollywood executive who had climbed his way up the ladder to a position of recognition among the elite of the movie business. He had most recently finished Dr. Doolittle and latched onto the film rights for Boulle's novel. He had the rights and the basic idea of what he wanted to do, but he didn't have a script, a star or a studio. In Hollywood, that puts you on a par with the valet who parks your car. He probably had an option on something, too. Jacobs, though, believed in the property, and he doggedly pitched the concept around town in his unrelenting attempts to get the film made.

Even while he couldn't get a positive response from the studio heads, Jacobs started building his team. Charlton Heston was already a well-known and highly respected actor when Jacobs approached him. The star of such classics as Ben-Hur and The Ten Commandments was intrigued.

He was one of the greatest baseball players of all time, but did you know that Babe Ruth was also a radio star?

Yes, the legendary home run hitter for the Baltimore Orioles, then the Boston Red Sox, and then the New York Yankees was not only an athlete but also quite an entertainer! In fact, Babe's celebrity even reached beyond the sphere of radio, and he had a few bit parts in silent films. But radio was what he loved, with his personal favorite program beingJack Armstrong: The All-American Boy.

In fact, Babe loved it so, he was even known to miss practices for it! It was in 1934, however, that his own radio career came to be. Play Ball and The Adventures of Babe Ruth were the first two shows. Sponsored by Quaker Oats, these shows aired three times a week. Then, in 1937, the Sinclair Babe Ruth Program, sponsored by Sinclair Oil, aired twice a week. In 1943 two more Babe Ruth shows hit the airwaves, Here's Babe Ruth and Baseball Quiz, which aired on Saturdays.

You already know that flying clubs were all the rage in the late '30s - and aviation heroes from Jimmie Allen and Captain Midnight to Speed Gibson were used to promote products and capture the imaginations of kids all over. But fictitious heroes weren't the only ones kids looked up to. In fact, did you know that one of the most popular clubs of the day was The Huskies Club - and their president and main spokesman was none other than baseball legend Lou Gehrig? The Huskies Club was developed to promote Post's "Huskies" Whole Wheat Flakes Cereal - and what better way to get kids to eat those "crisp, crunchy, golden-brown flakes" than to have the original Iron Man of baseball touting their goodness?

In 1937, Lou Gehrig was at the peak of his career as the star first baseman for the New York Yankees - and kids everywhere wanted to be just like him. So, if Lou ate a big bowl of Huskies every morning, naturally kids all over America would want to do the same. Plus, Huskies were full of essential vitamins and nutrients - including phosphorus for strong bones and teeth, iron for healthy blood, carbohydrates for energy and proteins for muscle - meaning Mother had no problem buying box after box of the fantastic flakes.

As with any club worth its weight in wheat, The Huskies Club also had plenty of premiums to give away to members. The bronze embossed Huskies Club Membership Pin could be yours in exchange for one box top and one coupon - along with the Huskies Club Catalog - the door to 41 different free gifts available only to members. There were baseballs, sweatshirts, caps, mitts, and, perhaps best of all, the Huskies Club Ring: a glorious ring with a 24-carat gold finish that was embossed with the same insignia as the club pin. And all you needed was three box tops!

One of the great children's characters of the puppet/marionette genre, Foodini waited two whole decades to reach international heights of stardom. Check out his progression here:

1. Morey Bunin and then-wife Hope Shippee created characters like Lucky Pup, The Great Foodini, Pinhead and Phineas Pitch while working on the WPA children's project during the 1930s. An oft-foiled evil magician, Foodini tried to steal Lucky Pup's multimillion-dollar inheritance, with the help of his bungling sidekick, Pinhead.

2. The puppeteering pair took their act to the international stage during WWII when they performed with the USO in New Guinea and the Philippines. They remained abroad after a year entertaining the troops to work England's vaudeville circuit.

3. Upon their return, CBS approached them about creating a children's show, The Adventures of Lucky Pup, in 1948. The show ran live every Monday at 6:30 pm and was rebroadcast via kinescope recording every Saturday.

4. Despite Lucky Pup's appearance in the 1951 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, The Great Foodini Show on CBS and Foodini the Great on ABC enjoyed their own sweeping popularity and mainstream success.

After years as a one-day event, the Virginia Comic-Con rolled out their first two-day show over the November 21-22, 2009 in Richmond, Virginia.

Show officials told Scoop that advance ticket sales alone had surpassed the attendance at their previous shows, and the crowd on Saturday mor than backed that up. Many areas fans commented that it was the first comic convention they had ever attended, while regular attendees of the one-day shows were surprpised by the scope of the guests and panel discussions. Admission was $10, but sudents, children, active duty military and press were admitted free of change, as were those in full costume.

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Civil War Adventure is the first book from History Graphics Press, an imprint conceived in 2008 by writer Chuck Dixon and writer-artist Gary Kwapisz, to publish entertaining, historically accurate graphic novels set against the background of American history. They used old EC titles such as Two-Fisted Tales and Frontline Combat for their model, and the struggles of the Civil War as their inspiration. The results are a moving, gripping, insightful and deeply human collection of tales set on both sides of the war between the states.

Warren Chaney is a Space Patrol collector and expert who is famous for his Space Patrol art work (among other things) including his yearly Space Patrol Christmas cards. He is currently working on a brand new Space Patrol novel, part of which can be found here.

Thanks for the card, Warren. Your support and friendship are deeply appreciated.

Northern Lights and Fire Rainbow over Yellow Knife , Yukon , Canada ..
Don't skip the last picture ENJOY !

THIS NEXT PICTURE, IS A FIRE RAINBOW - THE RAREST OF ALL NATURALLY OCCURRING ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENA.

THE PICTURE WAS CAPTURED THIS WEEK ON THE IDAHO / WASHINGTON BORDER. THE EVENT LASTED ABOUT 1 HOUR.

CLOUDS HAVE TO BE CIRRUS, AT LEAST 20.000 FEET IN THE AIR, WITH
JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF ICE CRYSTALS AND THE SUN HAS TO HIT
THE CLOUDS AT PRECISELY 58 DEGREES.

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The CS Moore Studio continues its popular series of Joseph Linsner gorgeous female sculptures with the beautiful and sultry Dark Ivory, co-created with Eva Hopkins.

The third in the CS Moore Signature Collection, this stunning vampiress is a testament to the result when two masters of the female form join forces.

Standing a full 15" tall from highly detailed base to the tip of her striking vampire wings, this fully painted masterpiece will become a modern classic, so don't miss it. Painted and ready to display.

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DESIGNED BY WALTER O'NEAL SCULPTED BY RAY VILLAFANE Space Sector 2814 is well protected as Hal Jordan (and fellow Green Lantern Ch'p) stand ready for action, with their power rings fully charged!

This stunning 1:4 scale museum quality statue features Hal Jordan, the ultimate space cop, just as he appeared during the heyday of the Green Lantern phenomenon, dressed in his traditional fabric costume and clutching a lantern that really lights up!

Standing atop an asteroid-inspired base, Hal is joined by diminutive Corps member Ch'p, who is removable from the base and can be displayed separately.

This exclusive, limited edition, fabric and hand-painted resin mixed-media statue measures approximately 18' high x 10' wide x 9.5' deep, is packaged in a 4-color box with a 4-color Certificate of Authenticity and is manufactured to order.

Throughout the ages, men and gods have experienced the power of Thor, Lord of Asgard, and his legendary hammer, Mjolnir. Now, Marvel HeroClix: Hammer of Thor Booster Pack will bring the might of the gods to your fingertips!

Featuring not only the Thunder God, but also the heroes and villains of Asgard, this new HeroClix release boasts 60 all-new figures including the first Clix appearance of fan-favorites, The Runaways and marks the return of one of the most fun and exciting miniatures games of all time!

Who Framed Roger Rabbit?'s intoxicating blend of animation and live action was a groundbreaking event. For the second theatrical short that followed the film, 'Roller Coaster Rabbit,' a sultry country girl ensemble was designed for Jessica Rabbit, but it went unused in favor of her familiar maroon dress.

Electric Tiki has raided the Disney archives to create this unique Jessica collectible. Standing 8" tall, the maquette comes hand-painted and individually numbered and is strictly limited to initial orders. Jessica Rabbit comes in a green outfit, and is based on a design by Tracy Mark Lee, sculpted by Raffaello Vecchione. Painted and ready to display.

Quantities are limited and allocations may occur.

In the lead-up to Heritage Auction Galleries' November 12-13 2009 Signature Vintage Movie Posters Auction, all the serious watches had their gazes fixed on one piece, wondering how hit it would go. That poster was the only known copy of the Style B one-sheet for the 1934 Universal classic horror movie The Black Cat, and it ended up bringing $334,600 in an auction that surpassed the $2 million mark including the 19.5% buyer's premium.

"The graphically spectacular red, black and white stone lithograph Black Cat movie poster is that rare collectible that transcends its genre," said Grey Smith, Director of Vintage Movie Posters at Heritage Auctions. "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."

Wouldn’t it be odd if there was nothing bigger than the Atom? Well, if the diminutive DC hero ever had a chance to make a big splash, it’s now. Pedigree Comics has just acquired an impressive set of the character’s early appearances in Showcase and his own title. Nine of the 11 comics are from the PacificCoast and Western Penn pedigrees, and every one of them is the highest-graded copies.

“These books are incredible and must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. Every book in this group is the nicest copy of that particular issue I have ever seen and is characterized by outstanding cover gloss, page quality and eye appeal,” said Doug Schmell, President and CEO of Pedigree. “I have always loved these early Atom covers, but never really collected DCs so I never had the opportunity to hold them in my hands. To find these issues in strict Near-Mint and Near-Mint Plus condition is extremely rare and quite a thrill.”

Included are Showcase #34 9.4, Showcase #35 9.6 (Western Penn), Showcase #36 9.6 (Western Penn), Atom #1 9.6, Atom #4 9.6 (PacificCoast), Atom #5 9.4 (PacificCoast), Atom #6 9.6 (PacificCoast), Atom #7 9.6 (PacificCoast), Atom #8 9.6 (PacificCoast), Atom #9 9.6 (PacificCoast), and Atom #10 9.8 (PacificCoast).

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Russ Cochran, also known as “The Old Professor” and the man behind Russ Cochran’s Comic Art Auction, dropped us a line to tell us how excited he was about offering the 1/29/1933 Tarzan Sunday page by Hal Foster in his next auction, December 10, 2009. The story is called “Brother of the Beasts,” and he was anxious to share his enthusiastic insights about the piece.

I have always loved this particular page because of the two drawings of Tarzan it contains. The header strip, showing Tarzan sitting calmly with a monkey, a gazelle, and one of his tribe of apes, and across the page, Numa the lion and Sheeta the leopard. And Panel #10, shows Tarzan being led to his "test" and presumably his death, where he has been sentenced by the Egyptian priests to prove his brotherhood with the beasts by swimming across a river teeming with crocodiles. The rest of this handsome page is filled with the pageantry of the Egyptians, including the High Priests, the Princess Nikotris and the Prince Tutamken. All of this long and important story by Hal Foster was sparked by the real-life discovery of the tomb of "King Tut," as he was called.

King Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in the Valley of the Kings and was the richest Egyptian tomb ever discovered. The discovery started with an American businessman, Theodore Davis, who found a cache of funeral items which seemed to indicate they were from King Tut's tomb. Then, in 1907, Tutankhamun's seal was found on burial items found in a pit in the Valley of the Kings. Davis disregarded this evidence, but Egyptologist Howard Carter thought these items were important and Carter went to his friend Lord Carnarvon to finance the expedition. Carter and Lord Carnarvon were given permission to dig in 1914, but the first World War interrupted them and Carter did not start his dig until 1917. In November, 1922, Carter found the sealed door to the tomb and called upon Lord Carnarvon to join him in Alexandria. Carnarvon and his daughter, Lady Evelyn Herbert, quickly left for Egypt to arrive in Luxor on November 23rd. Once they reached the Archeological spot, they were met by Howard Carter and his assistant, A. R. Callender. When they opened the tomb, they found gold objects of inestimable value, seen first by the light of a candle held by Carter through a small hole in the door of the tomb. In his book, Howard Carter tells the story:

"We were firmly convinced by this time that it was a cache that we were about to open, and not a tomb. The arrangement of stairway, entrance passage and doors reminded us forcibly of the cache of Akhenaten and Tyi material found in the very near vicinity of the present excavation by Davis, and the fact that Tutankhamun's seals occurred there likewise seemed almost certain proof that we were right in our conjecture. We were soon to know. There lay the sealed doorway, and behind it was the answer to the question."

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All original circa-1933 Lou Gehrig New York Yankees game-used flannel home jersey. Reserve: $225,000.

NBA superstar Nate Thurmond’s 1965 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III outfitted with many luxury appointments, including a custom sunroof. Offered at auction with the bonus of dinner with Nate Thurmond. Reserve: $30,000.

A circa-1933 game-used home jersey worn by the New York Yankees’ immortal Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig, tops an all-star lineup of sports apparel, equipment and memorabilia in Grey Flannel’s Holiday Auction, with absentee and Internet bids accepted now through December 9, 2009.

While a terminal illness forced Lou Gehrig to retire in 1939 at the age of 36, his monumental achievements live on in the history books, with a career record of 23 grand slams that stands to this day. The first athlete ever to appear on a box of Wheaties, Gehrig is in a league of his own, and so is his game-worn apparel. His pinstriped Yankees home jersey offered by Grey Flannel is 100 percent original, with Gehrig’s long-retired number “4” on the back and the name “L. Gehrig” chain-stitched in red on the inside collar. Once part of the renowned Barry Halper Collection, the iconic jersey is entered in Grey Flannel’s auction with a $225,000 reserve. As is the case with all game-used jerseys auctioned by Grey Flannel, the Gehrig jersey is accompanied by a Grey Flannel Auctions Letter of Authenticity (LOA).

Another early game-used Yankees jersey dates to 1927-1930 and was worn by Yankees catcher Benny Bengough. The front of the jersey, which carries a $5,000 reserve, is emblazoned with the team name “YANKEES” in blue felt.

Jerseys worn by stars from the current world champion New York Yankees lineup are poised for the auction spotlight, as well. A 2009 pinstriped game-used home jersey from team captain Derek Jeter features a Yankee Stadium Inaugural Season patch on the left sleeve and his player number “2” on the back. This coveted jersey, with photo match, commands a reserve of $10,000. A game-used road jersey from Jeter’s teammate, slugger Alex Rodriguez, displays both a “Yankee Stadium Final Season” and “2008 All-Star Game” patch, plus a black armband in memory of Yankees outfielder and broadcaster Bobby Murcer. A-Rod’s jersey has a $7,500 reserve, and both the Jeter and Rodriguez jerseys are accompanied by Yankees-Steiner LOAs.

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Debuting in February, 1943, with the legendary Stan Lee as Editorial and Art Director, Kid Komics gave kids all over the country plenty of exciting tales with a host of very different, but all equally adventurous, characters. It lasted for three years before morphing into Kid Movie Komics in the 11th issue, in the summer of 1946.

But let's focus here on that exciting debut issue, featuring seven different action-packed tales with the heroic Captain Wonder, the sweet and innocent Trixie Trouble, the wild rustlin' cowboy Pinto Pete, the pint-sized sub-mariner Subbie, aviation-master Breezy Collins and the ryhmin' rascal Flap Flipflop

We start with Captain Wonder. Actually, we start with his nemesis, Mister Death, who is seen on the very first page looming over the town with knarled hands and a spooky white mask. We soon learn that Mister Death has been ravaging the poor town, "stalking in the night on a trail of doom"! Sounds like a job for Captain Wonder - also known as Professor Jordan. Poor Professor Jordan was known around his school as a rather nerdy kind of guy, with, according to the bully-ish gym teacher Mr. Brent, "the strength of a grasshopper and the spine of a jellyfish."

Little did all of his unsuspecting colleagues know, however, that the good professor was soon to save the word from a most formidable foe. When the rowdy Tim Mulrooney was forced to stay after class one day and assist Professor Jordan on a new experiment, a vial of "Wonder Fluid" slips from his hands and transforms him from a brainy weakling to an all-powerful force to be reckoned with. A force that even kicks Mr. Brent's butt in the boxing ring.

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As the archenemy of Flash Gordon, Ming the Merciless is one of the crueler comic character villains to ever grace a comic strip or film serial.

And here's our take on why: not only was Ming the kind of guy who would takeover your planet, topple your government and establish himself as the reigning and indisputable tyrant in an endgame that will stop at nothing less than intergalactic domination, but he was also a love hater of Shakespearean proportions.

Did you know that Ming didn't just steal the planet Mongo from its rightful owner, one Prince Barin. But he also banished him and his followers to the incarcerating forest of Arboria, despite the fact that Ming's own daughter was Barin's bride?

If that's not the Capulet calling the Montague "Ming," we don't know what is.

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In 1947, General Mills launched the greatest comic book-based premium campaign of its time: a series of already popular comics to be sold with Wheaties, an already popular cereal.

They did it in conjunction with two huge names in the comic book business, National Comics and Fawcett, in a brilliant marketing scheme that had consumers ultimately buying at least twice as much cereal. By releasing a series of four comic books, one to be attached to every two boxes of Wheaties, children who wanted to secure the whole set had to buy eight packages of cereal. General Mills also knew that not every grocer would stock the same issues, so kids would end up buying even more cereal to obtain duplicate comics for trading.

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For the purposes of this article, we're going to say that the truly authentic New Teen Titans were the ones that cropped up in the 1980s.

See, the first Teen Titans appeared in the 1960s. Then they experienced a minor lull and underwent a semi-reinvention in the '70s, adding characters like the Joker's Daughter, The Bumblebee, Bat-Girl and Golden Eagle.

But it wasn't until 1980 when DC Comics emerged under an official The New Teen Titans comic title that the transformation was complete. Previewed in DC Comics Presents #26, this fresh-faced crew fused the older standbys like Robin, Wonder Girl and Kid Flash with entirely original characters like Cyborg, Starfire, Raven, Terra and Changling.

The major difference between this camp and its band of '60s predecessors was that, this time, the Teens were no longer sidekicks. They'd finally emerged from the shadows of their mentors (with the aid of gradual age progression) to become their own men... and women. This time around, they were confident enough in their own ability to bust the bad guys without having to play second fiddle or beg an assist from their older superheroic counterparts.

Under this title, Wonder Girl married and Robin graduated college. Then, in 1988, the comic title evolved, dropping the "Teen" from its name to become The New Titans, and crimefighting business went on as usual for another eight years.

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REMAKES: The Blob Returns (1969) Here Comes The Blob 1973) More Blob (1975) My Mother The Blob (1977) The Blob Goes West (1980) Son of Blob (1983) The Blob's Great Great Grandson (1987) Donnie Osmond Meets The Blob (made for TV Movie 1989-also starring Sonny Bono) Here Comes More Blob (1990) There Goes More Blob (1991) Not Much More Blob (1992) Very Little Blob Left (1994) Blob-a-Lish-uss (MTV broadcast starring Pauly Shore-1995) Christmas With The Blob (1998)

Also: Weekend At Bernie's III-Bernie Meets The Blob (1994-never completed)

Blob Episode One, The Early Years- (Prequel In Post Production -summer 2010 release date)

Submitted by Larry James.

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Over the last 10 years, Greg Horn has established himself as one of the premier digital painters in comics, creating some of the most memorable covers and images of characters such as Elektra, Emma Frost, She-Hulk, and Ms Marvel. This brand-new art book is a visually stunning collection of the artist's most recent work for Marvel, Image, and DC--as well as his best illustrations in advertising and video games. Don't miss this opportunity to own this beautiful collection of all-new material.

Obie the Alien Space Cadet Hot Pink Edition

There aren't many folks who wear the same outfit all the time, including Obie the Alien Space Cadet. In his quest for the ultimate sock, he packed a change of space suits, and he is now available in an eye catching hot pink edition. The Cadet measures 11 inches tall (including sock). Individually clamshelled and boxed (4 wide x 9 ½ wide x 11 tall). Limited to 80 pieces worldwide.

Suggested Retail $60

This wood and brass cellphone handset has pressure gauges and binary-coded punch cards instead of dial pad. It has no display, no 3G, no data plan, no games but it's DAMN cool!

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ComicConnect.Com’s Event Auction begins Sunday November 15, 2009 at noon ET, and over 1,000 lots are opening for bidding! The auction end-dates are as follows:

Session 1: Art + Comic Titles A-F (Friday, Dec. 4 7 PM - 12 AM EST)
Session 2: Comic Titles G-Z (Saturday, Dec. 5, 7 PM – 12 AM EST)
Session 3: Bonus Round (Tuesday, Dec. 8, 7 PM - 12 AM EST)
Session 4: Bonus Round (Wednesday, Dec. 9, 7 PM - 12 AM)
Session 5: Bonus Round (Thursday, Dec. 10, 7 PM - 12 AM)

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“It’s only fitting that Karloff and Oscar, both American icons in the truest sense of the word, would lead this auction,” said Doug Norwine, Director of Music & Entertainment at Heritage Auctions. “Karloff was arguably the greatest of his day, and an Oscar has been emblematic of glamour and excellence since its inception. The fact that they share the top spot on the podium of this auction at the end of the day is entirely fitting.”

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The most convincing proof that quality Americana finds its buyers in any market condition came on October 8-10, 2009 at Dan Morphy Auctions’ Fall Sale, which featured the revered Joseph and Lilian Shapiro Americana and folk art collection.

“The sale did over $1.5 million (inclusive of 15 percent buyer's premium), and the usual factors came into play – rarity and condition,” said Morphy's owner and CEO, Dan Morphy. “We specialize in genuinely fresh to the market collections that have been held for many years. When the quality is there and the antiques legitimately have not been available to the public for several decades, the collectors don't hold back. They buy.”

Antique advertising signs, salesman's samples and an extraordinary collection of decorative 19th-century folk art “bride sticks” (implements once used to push down laundry into washing water) generated tremendous presale interest. A beautiful 1890s paper sign advertising Soapine Soap, which previously had been displayed in the president's office at Kendall Manufacturing in Providence, Rhode Island, hit the midpoint of its estimate at $17,250. “It was a rare and spectacular example,” Morphy noted.

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Official signed marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley in 1994 (to be sold Jan. 22-24).

The original marriage certificate issued to Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley on May 26, 1994 in the Dominican Republic, where the couple embarked on their brief but highly publicized life together, will be sold in an important multi-estate sale slated for the weekend of January 22-24, 2010, by Philip Weiss Auctions. The certificate was signed by both Jackson and Presley.

“Anything relating to Michael Jackson is of extreme interest right now because of his untimely death and the release of the movie,” said Philip Weiss, “but when you have an item that combines his name and legend with the Presley name and legend, their marriage certificate no less, with both of their signatures on it, you’ve got something that’s almost impossible to predict what it will bring at auction.”

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A 25-year private collection of steam toys amassed by New Mexico couple Pat and Lowell Wagner headlines a 3,100-lot holiday-themed Winter Sale to be held December 10-12, 2009 at Dan Morphy Auctions’ gallery in Denver, Pennsylvania.

The acclaimed 545-lot steam toy collection includes many great rarities, said Morphy’s CEO and owner, Dan Morphy. “The Wagners bought only the best pieces – like the steam-driven motorcycle with sidecar, and extremely desirable steam-driven boats,” Morphy said. “By anyone’s assessment, it’s a premier collection.”

Lowell Wagner, a former auctioneer, said he attributes his early interest in steam toys to his farming background. “Even though he used a gas tractor, my father was one of the last farmers in the area to thresh rather than using combines,” Wagner said. “Steam and threshing go together in history.”

The timeline in the Wagners’ collection runs from the 1870s to modern day, but most of the toys to be auctioned are pre-1925 examples in excellent condition, many of them boxed. The top-shelf entries are those made by Marklin, said Wagner. “Even though they were sold as toys, Marklin steam toys were so well made, they could be models. Part of their appeal is their robust construction.”

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Emotions were high in 1941 when Captain Marvel Jr. made the scene in Whiz Comics #25. Rescued from the clutches of Captain Nazi, a crippled, orphaned newsboy before his fateful encounter with Captain Marvel, little Freddy Freeman became one of the most famous comic book characters of his time.

But it wasn't his sympathetic condition that made him a great character in the eyes of the American public. It was, perhaps more than anything else, the sense of hope he inspired.

Co-created by writer France Herron and artists CC Beck and Mac Raboy, Captain Marvel Jr. probably had all the makings of a textbook sidekick--the devotion and loyalty to the lead hero for saving him from the clutches of danger; the dependence on said lead for the activation of superpowers--and of course the only slightly variant costume.

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Sometimes, even when it's a comic you like, you have to sit back and ask, "Why are these characters popular right now?" Sometimes there just isn't a distinct answer.

The Justice Society of America, beginning with All-Star Comics #3, has appeared at least semi-regularly since 1940, but between the end of their All-Star run in 1951 and the launch of JSA in 1999, they were generally consigned to guest appearances and/or mini-series and one-shots.

"I'm not sure what exactly it is that makes the JSA popular with readers," writer Geoff Johns told Scoop a few years ago. "The characters have a very strong following, and always have, they just haven't had a very large opportunity to be seen on a monthly basis for awhile. I think part of what really works with the current team is the fact that many of the heroes are carrying on the legacies of previous members. They aren't all seasoned veterans, and I think the interaction between the characters is what readers respond to. It's also what makes the team members fun to write. Seeing Alan Scott talking to Stargirl, or Jakeem Thunder and Johnny Thunderbolt. This is what the JSA is to me today. The first super-hero team, carrying on with the help of the descendants of the originals."

Despite - or maybe because of - their lasting popularity, the history of the team is deeply entwined with the business side of publishing. Toward the end of 1938, comics pioneer M.C. Gaines entered into an agreement with DC Comics' Harry Donnefeld. Their bargain created a marketing arrangement that presented one public face to two distinct companies. DC and its new counterpart, All-American, both displayed the DC logo on their comics. Advertising cross-promoted the lines in each other's titles, and there was little to distinguish for readers that they were in fact not one company but two.

All-Star Comics followed on the heels of DC's New York World's Fair Comics in 1939 and 1940 (precursor of their World's Finest Comics title), particularly the 1940 edition which featured Superman, Batman and Robin on the cover. It's not a huge series of leaps to go from co-cover features to team-ups to a permanent team-up.

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Did you know that the creators of Tim Tyler's Luck and Blondie were brothers? Though Blondie creator, Chic Young, remains the more famous of the two, his elder sibling, Lyman, should share in some of his brother's prolonged success, as he must have been his inspiration to pursue work in the comics industry.

Lyman Young created Tim Tyler's Luck, a strip about an orphaned boy who sets off on a life of adventure, debuted in 1928. America immediately sympathized with his parentless plight, but it wasn't until Tim Tyler left the orphanage and began globetrotting, foiling poachers in Africa and attacking spies during WWII, that readers really sat up and took notice.

It's strange. Tim Tyler's Luck and Blondie are about as different as east from west, and yet both found respectable niches and both experienced widespread multimedia success. Tim Tyler appeared in Big Little Books, film serials and several comic book titles. Even after Lyman's departure from the strip (which he eventually handed down to his son, Bob), the series continued a pretty successful run throughout the '70s. Bob's version, however, failed to maintain his father's visions and fans, so Tim Tyler's Luck steadily began to lose circulation. The strip is widely known as one of the very few that remained in print in a single newspaper for years after all its other carriers dropped it. The Conroe Courier ran the strip until 1996, when it lost print forever.

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By the time the Great Depression hit America in 1929, comic books had been around for decades. With a population of about a third of what we have now, titles like Bringing Up Father had sold millions of copies. But when the economy faltered, so did comic book sales. Mainly comprised of reprints of popular comic strips, they were had been aimed at adults, with 50¢ cover prices being very common.

When people started tightening their financial belts, comic sales plummeted. Seemingly stuck with paper contracts that would eventually pull them under, publishers struggled to find something that would work.

Just a few years later, what we today recognize as the modern comic book industry got its start -- or perhaps we should say its revival -- from M.C. Gaines, who must be acknowledged as one of the pioneers of the comic book industry in the US.

Gaines took a batch of Famous Funnies giveaway comics that he had produced for a cereal company, stuck "10¢" stickers on them, and took them to a local newsstand in New York to see if they would sell.

Sure enough, they did. Gaines then went on to form the All-American comic book publishing house, in partnership with Harry Donnenfeld at DC Comics, and published superhero titles such as Wonder Woman and The Flash.

But did you know he also published a pioneering effort called Picture Stories from the Bible? Gaines was a firm believer in the power of the medium of comics to teach children about science, history, and religion, and Picture Stories from the Bible was eventually joined by Picture Stories from World History, Picture Stories from Science, and Picture Stories from American History.

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The Phantom and Captain Action will meet in a two-issue mini-series that begins in March 2010 from Moonstone Books. Phantom Action will be written by regular Phantom scribe Mike Bullock, with pencils by Reno and covers by Art Thibert, regular Captain Action cover artist Mark Sparacio, and Mr. Monster creator Michael T. Gilbert.

This, of course, is not the first time these characters have met, since The Phantom was one of the costumes available for the original Captain Action figures in the 1960s (and it remains highly collectible today). However, it is their first time together in comic book form.

Scoop talked with Bullock and Captain Action Enterprises’ Joe Ahearn and Ed Catto about the project.

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While visiting Japan, radio personality Erich "Mancow" Muller, a big fan of sixties and seventies nostalgia, couldn't resist visiting the Ultraman store in the city of Kawaski. Describing his visit Mancow said: " Think [of] a Disney store that's actually cool. My excitement was actually contagious as I went crazy with my American Express card." Special thanks to Mancow for sending us this pic.

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A 2-night stay, unlike any other
we have had...

The Dirty Show is taking over the entire East Wing of the motor court. Each room will be luxuriously appointed with skin-tallating erotic works from over 100 local, national and international artists. from all over the world. A completely uncensored exhibition, with work ranging from classic to vanguard. Featuring many of the biggest names in modern erotica and some unexpected participants as well. A special once in-a-lifetime collection that will never be assembled under one roof again.It opens on Friday the 13th, at 7pm to 11pm — which will be your lucky day if you are in the market for amazing exotic art. Come early for best selection. The entrance will be through the alley, in the back of the motel. There are plenty of inexpensive parking lots and ample street parking. The fun will continue to a secret location announced at the exhibition.Saturday, Nov. 14th is the Gala, from 6pm -11pmand continuing with an after-party at Fetish Nation. In Detroit, our second night is usually bigger than opening night, so we advise you to come early. You should bring your checkbook and credit cards, because you won't want to have to drive home to get them when you see that piece of art you can't live without.
Location:
CITY CENTER MOTEL
1135 West 7th St.
Los Angeles, CA 90017

MAP

JEFF WACK ART SITE: http://sensuousmuse.com/

Our mailing address is:
Dirty Show22967 Woodward Ave. #130
Ferndale, Michigan 48220

These unbelievable photos are chalk drawings done by Julian Beever and Kurt Wenner. Both Julian and Kurt have different styles to create an amazing 3D illusion.

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Digital artists' catalog
Since the early 1990s the vocabulary of contemporary visual arts has expanded significantly. Many modern digital artists, students, teachers, and critics have suddenly found themselves drowning in a sea of computer jargon that seems to have descended suddenly from nowhere. A clear-cut guide to modern computer art tendencies was greatly needed.

This artist's artwork collection is intended to be a guide into the frontier of current trends of modern visual art and culture. It includes several hundreds of well-known digital masters and aspiring 2D & 3D artist that have recently entered digital arts. Already famous computer genres as fantasy, SF since fiction, abstract, digital landscape, etc. presented here as well.

No genre has been more synonymous with nerds and nudity than the horror, which is why Nerdcore got a little bit bloody for 2010. From the classics to the controversial, this 4th Annual calendar features pinups of all varieties: cover model Jana Jordan getting paranormal with a TV set, sultry scream queen Justine Joli in the most vintage of psychotic shower scenes, Bobbi Starr sewn together (literally) in a more naked version of Frankenstein, as well as Aria Giovanni, Kayla Jane Danger, Karlie Montana, Mosh, and Zoli Suicide getting their scream on.
Sexy, not scary. Nerdcore 2010.

+ Following the footprints left by the first three calendars, this 2010 edition marks the fourth collaboration between photographer Cherie Roberts and designer/artist Jason Adam, and features giant, awesome photography of industry superstars: geek goddess Justine Joli, Bobbi Starr, Aria Giovanni, Kayla Jane Danger, Karlie Montana, Mosh, and Zoli Suicide.

+ NERD DATES - Regular and nerdy holidays, including over one hundred important holy days for geeks, including: Major movie releases; conventions like San Diego Comic-Con, Alternative Press Expo, etc. ; anniversaries for major franchises and cult classics; birthdays for of genre favorite creators, actors, writers, and directors; and key fictional happenings, from obscure to awesome.

+ OVERSIZED DIMENSIONS- 12 inches wide x 18 inches tall (much larger than standard calendars), with a spiral binding for easy flipping and hanging.

+ QUALITY - Printed on heavy, archival-style paper stock, as well as a glossy, UV coating, giving the calendar an extended lifespan long beyond 2009.

Suggested Retail $25

TO ORDER THIS ITEM AT A 10 PERCENT DISCOUNT CONTACT: Swapsale@aol.com

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Visions From Within the Mechanism: The Industrial Surrealism of Jeffery Scott

Jeffery Scott's mind-bending book of photographs quickly sold out both the limited edition hardcover and paperback trade editions. Now, a mysteriously altered second printing of the paperback edition is being offered. Several of Scott's older images have been replaced with popular new work including two of his Alice in Wonderland portraits. Jeffery Scott is a photographic liar whose digitally manipulated images cross boundaries and bend perceptions. Ranging from classically theatrical to contemporarily horrific, Mr. Scott's images are a visual odyssey through a landscape where vintage technology and modern machines blend seamlessly into a world inhabited by strong individuals and damaged souls.

Softcover. 96 pages. Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.2 inches.

Cover Price $25

TO ORDER THIS ITEM AT A 10 PERCENT DISCOUNT CONTACT: Swapsale@aol.com

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Over the years, Dark Horse has been committed to incorporating art into our everyday lives through prints, T-shirts, mugs, and a variety of other items that help make this world more colorful. Now Dark Horse is proud to collaborate with GelaSkins to bring over twenty new designs to their line of protective skins for laptops and phones.

Our second wave of designs includes the Dark Horse logo and the timeless beauty Bettie Page, the new line of GelaSkins is the perfect way to protect your technology while showing off your signature style.

Pub. Date: January 2010
Format: 15" laptop protective skin
MSRP: $29.95

Over the years, Dark Horse has been committed to incorporating art into our everyday lives through prints, T-shirts, mugs, and a variety of other items that help make this world more colorful. Now Dark Horse is proud to collaborate with GelaSkins to bring over twenty new designs to their line of protective skins for laptops and phones.

Our second wave of designs includes the Dark Horse logo and the timeless beauty Bettie Page, the new line of GelaSkins is the perfect way to protect your technology while showing off your signature style.

Over the years, Dark Horse has been committed to incorporating art into our everyday lives through prints, T-shirts, mugs, and a variety of other items that help make this world more colorful. Now Dark Horse is proud to collaborate with GelaSkins to bring an ongoing program of new designs to their line of protective skins for laptops and phones.

Featuring designs from Hellboy, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Goon, The Umbrella Academy, and new additions every month, GelaSkins is the perfect way to protect your technology while showing off your signature style.

TO ORDER ANY OR ALL OF THESE ITEMS AT A 10 PERCENT DISCOUNT CONTACT: Swapsale@aol.com

These Star Wars items offered at this site are absolutely top notch. They're not cheap, however. The above light saber costs $120.99. Check it out by clicking here.

From its Creators' Labo, Yamato presents its latest master works bringing together the talents of famed illustrator Shunya Yamashita with master sculptors Mitsumasa Yoshizawa (REFLECT) and Sunny Day of Cerberus Project TM.

Two stunning statues spring from the pages of Yamashita's artwork, Creators' Labo #020 'Roxanne' standing approximately 11.00' sculpted by REFLECT and Creators' Labo #021 'Emaretta-chan' standing approximately 9.50' sculpted by Sunny Day.

Each PVC statue comes complete with themed weaponry and display base packaged in collector's style window box. Items sold separately.

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Imported from Japan! As beautiful as a poem, as light and elegant as the bird from which she transformed, Yamato presents Iroha from Samurai Showdown in a dynamic, fully-painted 1/6-scale PVC statue, the next character in its popular Story! Image!

Figure! EX collection. Sculpted by D-zou, Iroha is delicately poised with weapons at the ready to fight in the service of her master's happiness. And now you can be the master of one of the most popular video game heroines with this lovely and unique interpretation. Window box packaging.

A Diamond Select Release!

A former online exclusive! Straight from the fan-favorite second season episode of the original Star Trek series, this "Tribbles" set includes the deluxe electronic Command Chair from the Enterprise and the classic Mirror Kirk action figure! Not to be forgotten, a pile of Tribbles are included, just don't feed them. Combine the two for the ultimate six-inch action figure display to rule your collection with an iron fist!

The November 21-22, 2009 Virginia Comic-Con will offer a show exclusive version of Top Cow Productions Witchblade #132 with a variant cover by convention guest Randy Green.

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