Dylan Horrocks Tours for "Sam Zabel"

Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen Book Tour: Cartoonist Dylan Horrocks' Anticipated U.S. Tour

Critically acclaimed cartoonist, Dylan Horrocks bids farewell to his native New Zealand as he travels to the United States for his first convention appearance in over a decade on a book tour in celebration of the fan-favorite release, Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen. His first graphic novel since the classic, Hicksville, collected in 1998.

Sam Zabel is an exploration of the highs and lows of fantasy through the lens of Zabel, a popular, but creatively stymied, cartoonist. This provoking and thoughtful meditation on the comics medium as art, outlet, and industry leads the reader on an epic adventure with sex-crazed aliens, monks, pirates, and web-cartoonists. Horrocks approaches this one-of-a-kind tale with careful consideration for the artist, the reader, and of course, the story we all yearn to tell.

Tour Dates

September 18..........................Politics & Prose - Washington DC

September 19-20......................Small Press Expo - Bethesda, MD
Special Guest*

September 22.................................Desert Island - Brooklyn, NY
w/ Joan Cornella*

September 24.............................CCS - White River Junction, VT
Visiting Artist Lecture*

September 26......................Harvard Bookstore - Cambridge, MA

September 28.........................Magers & Quinn - Minneapolis, MN

September 30..........................Challengers Comics - Chicago, IL

October 2............................Cartoon Crossroads - Columbus, OH

October 5-7.................Sequential Arts Workshop - Gainesville, FL
Visiting Artist Workshop*

October 22..............International Festival of Authors - Toronto, ON
Special Guest*

Praise for Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen:

"A creator only knows if something succeeds once it's in someone's hands and, even then, there's no guarantee that feedback makes its way back to the place of origin. But, Sam Zabel and the Magic Pen shows that when the loop of creation to appreciation is complete-and better still if the creative energy spins out on its own unpredictable orbit-that the relationship between audience and artist carries its own sort of eldritch power."
-Evan Narcisse, Kotaku

"This is a complicated, rich story about confronting the sometimes-lurid or nakedly obvious wish-fulfillment aspects of comic books, but it's also about the ways Sam's distress with the world can't be satisfied by other people's ideas of paradise."
-Tasha Robinson, NPR

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Archie Comics Characters Headed for Broadway

ADAM MCKAY AND FUNNY OR DIE JOIN ARCHIE COMICS TO CREATE A NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL BASED ON THE CHARACTERS OF THE BELOVED COMIC SERIES ARCHIE.

Writer/Director Adam McKay (Anchorman, Talladega Nights, You're Welcome America) and Funny Or Die have joined forces with Archie Comics, one of the most popular comics ever produced, to bring Archie, Betty, Veronica, Jughead and the Riverdale gang to Broadway in an all-new musical.  McKay is slated to bring his singular brand of comedy to the musical, writing the book for the show, with a creative team and timing for a New York run to be announced at a later date.

Funny Or Die will serve as a presenting partner. CEO Jon Goldwater and CCO Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa will oversee for Archie Comics. The partnership was packaged by Triptyk Studios (An American in Paris, You’re Welcome America, Xanadu) who will reteam with their You’re Welcome America partners for the endeavor. Tara Smith, B. Swibel and Adam Westbrook will oversee development for the company and present on Broadway.

Adam McKay said, “Archie represents a bygone era of America. And like all bygone eras, there are elements we miss and elements that should be bygone. This will be a musical that deals with both those realities in a bright, colorful and slightly demented way.”

Jon Goldwater, Archie Comics CEO/Publisher, said, “We couldn’t be more excited to partner with Adam McKay and Funny Or Die to finally bring Archie to the stage. We’ve always thought that Archie was destined to be a big Broadway star – and now that moment has come! I’ve long admired Adam’s work and the pairing of Archie’s world with his brilliant humor and sensibility is the perfect fit. We look forward to developing this project together with this incredible team.”

Visit www.ArchieMusical.com for more information and to sign-up for updates.  Follow the development of the Archie musical on all social media channels @ArchieMusical


ABOUT ARCHIE COMICS:
Archie Comics is the leading mass market comic book publisher in the world and the home to a wide array of the most popular humor, action-adventure and superhero characters in entertainment, including Archie, Jughead, Betty and Veronica, Reggie, Kevin Keller, Josie and the Pussycats, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Afterlife With Archie, the Dark Circle Comics superhero characters (The Black Hood, The Fox, The Shield and more), Li’l Jinx and many more. Archie Comics have sold over 2 billion comics worldwide and are published around the world in a number of languages. In addition to comics, Archie characters have been featured prominently in animation, television, film and music. Follow Archie Comics on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and the Archie Comics Store.

About ADAM McKAY
Adam McKay is a writer, director, and producer who is best known for directing the Anchorman films, Talladega Nights and Step Brothers, all of which he also co-wrote with longtime partner Will Ferrell. He is a former head writer of “Saturday Night Live,” one of the founding members of the Upright Citizens Brigade and the co-creator of the largest comedy website in the world, Funny Or Die. On Broadway, McKay directed the Tony Award-nominated You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush.  Most recently he wrote and directed an adaptation of Michael Lewis’ bestseller The Big Short, starring Brad Pitt and Christian Bale and was credited as a writer on Marvel’s Ant-Man.

About FUNNY OR DIE
Funny Or Die launched in April 2007 and has grown into a premier comedy brand and production studio known for creating award-winning, high-quality content with a global audience of more than 70 million. Funny Or Die’s social media division produces content for over 15 platforms and is the #1 comedy brand on both Twitter and Facebook. Funny Or Die is the top destination for celebrity-driven comedy videos and highly topical political commentary. Funny Or Die's founders are Gary Sanchez Productions (Will Ferrell, Adam McKay, and Chris Henchy), and Creative Artists Agency (CAA). Judd Apatow is also a principal partner.

About TRIPTYK STUDIOS
TriptykStudios makes works for theater, film, television, web and arts education, and is led by producer TARA SMITH and writer-producers B. SWIBEL & ADAM WESTBROOK.  Recent select theater work includes Tony-winning hit An American in Paris; the award-winning hit Xanadu; Broadway smash You're Welcome America from Will Ferrell and Adam McKay; the critically acclaimed revival of The Seagull starring Carey Mulligan; The Performers starring Henry Winkler; NY Times Critic’s pick My Daughter Keeps Our Hammer. Triptyk premieres Amelie, a new musical, starring Samantha Barks, at Berkley Repertory this summer, before seeing Xanadu make its London premiere this October. They recently announced the new Stevie Wonder musical, Freedom Run, with NBC/Universal Stage.

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Academy Announces Sci-Tech Achievements Under Consideration for 88th Academy Awards

20 SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENTS UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR 2015 ACADEMY AWARDS
The Scientific and Technical Awards Committee of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced today that 20 scientific and technical achievements, involving 11 distinct investigations, have been selected for further consideration for 2015 Academy Awards.

The list is made public to allow individuals and companies with similar devices or claims of prior art the opportunity to submit achievements for review.

The deadline to submit additional entries is Tuesday, September 1, 2015 at 5 p.m. PT.

The committee has selected the following technologies for further consideration:

    A remote-controlled lens attachment that enables highly adjustable in-camera distortion effects     Prompted by Squishy Lens (Clairmont Camera)
   
    A remote-controlled lens attachment that allows viewable, easily manipulated, real-time image movement without displacing the camera
    Prompted by Image Shaker (Clairmont Camera)
   
    Portable, inflatable panels for on-location motion picture production
    Prompted by Inflatable Airwall (Aircover Inflatables)
   
    Displays that provide P3 color space for image review in motion picture workflows
    Prompted by Dolby Laboratories model PRM-4200 Professional Reference Color Monitor (Dolby Laboratories)
   
    Tools that are used for the creation and quality control of DCI compliant digital cinema packages for the motion picture industry
    Prompted by easyDCP Software Suite (Fraunhofer IIS)
   
    Rig-based solvers for tracking and animating deforming objects from image sequences
    Prompted by Geometry Tracker (ILM) and FACETS - Directable Facial Motion Capture (Weta Digital)
   
    Integrated computer solutions for collaborative, iterative review of cinema resolution shots and sequences within the visual effects and animation studio environment
    Prompted by RV Media Player (Tweak Software), Clip - A Comprehensive Playback, Editing and Review Suite (Double Negative), DreamWorks Animation Media Review Ecosystem (DreamWorks Animation), FrameCycler (IRIDAS), Global DDR (Rhythm & Hues), HiDef - Media Review System (Weta Digital), Itview Collaborative Review System (Sony Pictures Imageworks), WDAS Collaborative Enhanceable Image Playback and Review Systems (Walt Disney Animation Studios)
   
    Large-scale, massively parallel, distributed, multi-physics simulation systems
    Prompted by Odin: A massively parallel simulation environment (Weta Digital)
   
    Image compression coding and parameters that adhere to the specifications for the theatrical release of motion pictures
    Prompted by JPEG 2000 Digital Cinema and IMF Profiles (Fraunhofer IIS)
   
    3D texture paint systems capable of dealing with large texture sets for production assets
    Prompted by MARI (The Foundry)
   
    Rule-based frameworks for the art-directable creation of computer-generated structures and urban environments
    Prompted by CityEngine (Esri R&D Center Zurich)

After thorough investigations are conducted in each of the technology categories, the committee will meet in early December to vote on recommendations to the Academy’s Board of Governors, which will make the final awards decisions.

The 2015 Scientific and Technical Awards will be presented on Saturday, February 13, 2016.

Claims of prior art or similar technology must be submitted on the Academy’s website at www.oscars.org/awards/scitech/apply.html.  For further information, contact the Awards Administration Office at (310) 247-3000, ext. 1129, or via e-mail at scitech@oscars.org.

The 88th Oscars will be held on Sunday, February 28, 2016, at the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, and will be televised live by the ABC Television Network at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.  The Oscar presentation also will be televised live in more than 225 countries and territories worldwide.

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TwoMorrows Publishes Herb Trimpe Biography; Noted Hulk and Wolverine Artist

The late Hulk and Wolverine artist Herb Trimpe memorialized in a new biography from TwoMorrows

TwoMorrows Publishing is now shipping The Incredible Herb Trimpe, a new full-color hardcover which memorializes the late artist known for his groundbreaking work on the Incredible Hulk, and for drawing the first appearance of X-Men fan-favorite Wolverine.

Starting with his humble beginnings running the first photostat machine at Marvel Comics in the 1960s, no other member of the Marvel Bullpen had such a varied and remarkable career as Herb Trimpe. He drew licensed characters based on toys such as G.I. Joe, Godzilla, and Transformers, which went on to become blockbuster movies. He drew runs of super-heroes like Iron Man, Defenders, Captain Britain, and even Marvel’s flagship character Spider-Man. But he’s best known for his definitive eight-year stint drawing the Incredible Hulk, and the eventual debut of Wolverine in its pages.

This book, produced with Herb's full cooperation just prior to his passing last April, chronicles the life and art of Trimpe through his own voice, as well as the voices of friends and colleagues like Stan Lee, Tom DeFalco, Roy Thomas, John Romita, Bill Peckmann, Sal Buscema, Joe Sinnott, Larry Hama, Doug Moench, Eliot Brown, Len Wein, Ron Frenz, Steve Englehart, and his son Alex Trimpe. Their testimony to his talent and his legacy of artwork leave no wonder why he has been dubbed “The Incredible Herb Trimpe.”

"While Herb unexpectedly passed away before the book was released, he got to see the final proofs, and was as pleased with it as I am," recounts publisher John Morrow. "I grew up on Herb's amazing comics work, so when authors Dewey Cassell and Aaron Sultan pitched the book idea to me, I didn't hesitate to green-light it. Those guys knocked themselves out on it on this labor of love, and made Herb—and me—extremely proud. Every comics and super-hero fan should know about Trimpe's pivotal role in Marvel Comics' history, as well as his little-known humanitarian efforts as a volunteer Chaplain at Ground Zero following the 911 attacks. It's a most fitting tribute to a truly remarkable man."

This heavily-illustrated full-color hardcover is 160 pages long, and retails for $34.95. It is available now in both print and digital editions, through TwoMorrows' website (www.twomorrows.com), comic and bookstores through Diamond Comic/Book Distributors, on Amazon.com, and through the TwoMorrows Publishing app on the Apple and Android platforms.

The Incredible Herb Trimpe
(160-page FULL-COLOR HARDCOVER) $34.95
(Digital Edition) $7.95
ISBN-13: 978-1-60549-062-5
Diamond Comic Distributors Order Code: APR151745

A free preview of the book is available at the publisher's ordering link: http://twomorrows.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=133&products_id=1196

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Denise Di Novi's "Unforgettable" Begins Shooting in Los Angeles

Shooting Begins on “Unforgettable”

Katherine Heigl and Rosario Dawson star in the film, marking the directorial debut of Denise Di Novi

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ dramatic thriller “Unforgettable,” which is the first film in the director’s chair for veteran producer Denise Di Novi (“Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “Focus”).

Katherine Heigl (“27 Dresses,” “Knocked Up”) and Rosario Dawson (the “Sin City” films) star in the film. “Unforgettable” marks a reunion for Heigl and Di Novi, who previously collaborated on “Life as We Know It.”

The main cast also includes Geoff Stults (TV’s “Zoo”), young actress Isabella Rice (“True Blood”), Simon Kassianides (TV’s “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”), Whitney Cummings (“The Wedding Ringer”), Robert Wisdom (TV’s “Chicago PD”) and film and television star Cheryl Ladd.

The film is being produced by Di Novi, Alison Greenspan (“If I Stay”) and Ravi D. Mehta (“Grudge Match”), from a screenplay by Christina Hodson.

Heigl stars as Tessa Connover, who is barely coping with the end of her marriage when her ex-husband, David (Stults), becomes happily engaged to Julia Banks (Dawson)—not only bringing Julia into the home they once shared but also into the life of their daughter, Lilly (Isabella Rice). Trying to settle into her new role as a wife and a stepmother, Julia believes she has finally met the man of her dreams, the man who can help her put her own troubled past behind her. But Tessa’s jealousy soon takes a pathological turn until she will stop at nothing to turn Julia’s dream into her ultimate nightmare.

The behind the scenes creative team is led by multiple Oscar-nominated director of photography Caleb Deschanel (“The Right Stuff,” “The Natural”), production designer Nelson Coates (“Flight”), editor Frédéric Thoraval (“Taken”), and costume designer Marian Toy (HBO’s “Ballers”).

“Unforgettable” will be lensed in and around the Los Angeles area.

The film will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.

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Pokemon: Giratina and the Sky Warrior Takes Flight

VIZ MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE HOME MEDIA RELEASE OF POKÉMON: GIRATINA AND THE SKY WARRIOR

Second Feature Film Of The POKÉMON DIAMOND AND PEARL Movie Collection Available Now

VIZ Media delivers the fun adventures of POKÉMON to fans of all ages with the home media release of POKÉMON: GIRATINA AND THE SKY WARRIOR on DVD.

The new release is the 11th POKÉMON feature film and the second movie in the POKÉMON DIAMOND AND PEARL movie collection. POKÉMON: GIRATINA AND THE SKY WARRIOR is rated ‘TV-Y7,’ for viewers ages 7 and older, and will carry an MSRP of $19.97 U.S. / $24.98 CAN. An official manga edition is also published by VIZ Media and is rated ‘A’ for All Ages and available with an MSRP of $9.99 U.S. / $12.99 CAN.

POKÉMON: GIRATINA AND THE SKY WARRIOR takes audiences deep into the heart of the Reverse World, ruled by the Legendary Pokémon Giratina. Ash and friends meet up with the feisty and sharp-witted  Mythical Pokémon Shaymin and discover that its journey and their own share similar themes - love of nature and all living things, and exploring the fragile line between humans and Pokémon. And to make it even more spectacular, get ready for the appearance of Regigigas, a super-powerful Legendary Pokémon with a frosty demeanor! Add to the mix a helpful researcher, a dangerous villain who wishes to control Giratina, and a plan to rule the world, and you have all the makings of a Pokémon epic! Learn to fly all over again with POKÉMON: GIRATINA AND THE SKY WARRIOR!

POKÉMON is one of the most successful international entertainment franchises of all time. To date more than 270 million POKÉMON video game titles and over 21.5 billion Pokémon Trading Cards have been sold in more than 73 countries in addition to substantial publishing and merchandise sales. Pokémon the Series: XY is the 17th season of the POKÉMON animated series and airs in the U.S. on Cartoon Network. VIZ Media is the official North American home media distributor for the POKÉMON anime series and feature films as well as the publisher for POKÉMON manga graphic novel series including POKÉMON ADVENTURES X•Y, POKÉMON ADVENTURES, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: DIAMOND & PEARL, POKÉMON ADVENTURES: GOLD & SILVER, and POKÉMON ADVENTURES: BLACK & WHITE.

For more information on other manga and anime titles from VIZ Media, please visit www.VIZ.com.

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Review: Entertaining "Focus" Lacks Focus

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 32 (of 2015) by Leroy Douresseaux

[The review first appeared on Patreon.]

Focus (2015)
Running time:  105 minutes (1 hour, 45 minutes)
MPAA - R for language, some sexual content and brief violence  
WRITERS/DIRECTORS:  Glenn Ficarra and John Requa
PRODUCER:  Denise Di Novi
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Xavier Grobet (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Jan Kovac
COMPOSER:  Nick Urata    

CRIME/DRAMA/COMEDY/ROMANCE

Starring:  Will Smith, Margot Robbie, Adrian Martinez, Gerald McRaney, Rodrigo Santoro, BD Wong, Brenna Brown, Robert Taylor, Dotan Bonen, and Don Yesso

Focus is a 2015 crime film and romantic comedy-drama from writer-directors, Glenn Ficarra and John Requa.  The film stars Will Smith as a con man and Margot Robbie as the woman from his past who shows up in the middle of his latest con.

Focus opens in New Orleans where veteran con man, Nicky (Will Smith), meets a beautiful young woman named Jess (Margot Robbie).  Jess seduces Nicky, but he quickly sees through her ruse, and she reveals herself to be an inexperienced grifter.  Nicky allows Jess to apprentice with his crew as they plan to con and to steal their way though New Orleans during the weekend of a big football championship game.  However, Nicky eventually sends Jess away, letting her believe that he was just using her.

Three years later, Nicky is in Buenos Aires, where he is working on a con with billionaire motor sport team owner Rafael Garriga (Rodrigo Santoro).  Nicky gets thrown for a loop when he discovers that Jess is on the other side of this con job.

I am a big fan of Will Smith, so I have seen almost all of his films.  One thing that I have noticed is that in some of Will's films, especially in action movies, the filmmakers or the studio expect Will to be funny, although he is a fine dramatic actor.  So, we end up with films like Wild Wild West, which reportedly went through extensive re-shoots in order to add some comedy to the weird Western/action movie mash-up.  The final product was problematic, to say the least.

In fact, Will's 2008 hit film, Hancock, also seemed to suffer from a lack of... focus.  It wanted to be a action comedy about a disaster-prone, washed-out superhero in need of a PR guru.  Then, the film wanted to be a romantic drama about a love triangle, wherein a bad-boy superhero woos his new best friend's wife.  Then, Hancock turned into some kind of dark fantasy drama about fallen gods.

Focus starts off in New Orleans as a heist movie that lets the viewer inside the world of highly-skilled pickpockets, purse-snatchers, and con men; there is a romantic drama backdrop.  In Buenos Aires, the movie starts off as a romantic drama about reunited lovers, but that soon becomes romantic comedy with drippings of a crime thriller.

Well, the best part of this movie is the chemistry between Will Smith and Margot Robbie.  They make the romantic drama seem genuine, and when the film switches tone, they are witty and engaging star-crossed lovers with a perfect comic touch.  I loves me some Charlize Theron (who played opposite Will in Hancock), but I think that Margot Robbie is Will's best co-star to date.  Will and Margot need a better movie.

Although I am critical of Focus' shift in tone and genre-hopping, I like the many twists and turns of its plot, and its glamours backdrops and sets make Focus a gorgeous-looking movie.  Focus also has a scene-stealing star in supporting actor, Adrian Martinez as Farhad, and it is always good to see Gerald McRaney, who plays a hard-ass named Owens.  [I might be partial to McRaney because, before he died, my father was a fan of “Simon & Simon,” the 1980's CBS television series in which McRaney was one of the leads.]

My complaints aside, I really liked Focus, but I don't know if my review will be of much use to readers wondering about this film.  As I said, I am a big Will Smith fan, so that colors my reviews of his films.  And I did really like After Earth...

6 of 10
B

Monday, July 6, 2015


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