One last trip to the Birthday Well

It seems that I somehow forgot to post the Spidey birthday card that was given to me by my wife. With this posting, this should be the last of my Birthday riff. Here you can see both the front and the inside of the card I received.

I plan to return to, well, interesting stuff tomorrow.

Today I have to run out early this morning, and meet with a client, so I really have to make this short this morning. However, I did recently acquire a couple of comics produced from some of my friends (Fellow CAG buddies), that I want to talk about, which I will do next time (yes, we can talk about stuff other than Spider-Man).

Apparently, it is still my Birthday...

No, really, I’m still getting presents, and this most recent one arrived on Sunday afternoon, via my friend, and fellow CAGer Liz Ortiz. We were at a (very well-attended) CT meeting. She slipped me the gift just prior to the meeting proper, and, wow, what a cool gift. She gave me a set of four Spidey place mats (one of which was different that the other three, for some reason, but that just probably mad it the variant edition).

So they say it’s my Birthday

OK, so it was some time ago, (Tuesday), but still, the celebration goes on. Well, not really, but I did get access to some new pics from a different set of Spider-Man 3 birthday cake toppers, that I acquired from a different grocery store.







I think that’s it for Birthday cake toppers.

Spider-Pie! (yes, for my birthday)

So, my Birthday is continuing (sort of). I stopped by my parents this week, and discovered that she had baked me a birthday (apple) pie. When I brought it home, I decided that I deserved a “Spider-Pie”, so I went by my local supermarket and purchased a set of those Spider-Tchotchkes that go on top of your cake. As you all recall, I had a Spider-Cake on my 50th birthday, and since these figures are different from those (these figures are from Spider-Man 3).







Yeah, you’ll notice that I had already taken a slice of pie before I out the figures on top, but that’s the best part of being an adult, you can eat your cake (or in this case, pie), and have it too.

Day three of my Birthday

Hey, this is my Blog, so, yeah, I can celebrate my birthday all week if I want. Truth of the matter is — as you all know — I tend to get Spidey stuff on my birthday, and this time was no different. I received a bunch of cool Spidey stuff from my family, and I now have pictures! As you can see, the first item of the day is a deck of Spidey playing cards. I know that I have another (older) deck lying around somewhere (from 15 years or so back), but it is always cool getting new stuff like this. Unfortunately, it is a standard deck with generic images on the faces, rather than Spider-Man-specific. Still it is cool to have.

Next up is a Spidey pad (with a way-cool magnet on the back so I can hang it on the side of the fridge or something metalic).



As a writer, I’m going to need a journal, so now I have a Spidey-Journal




Well, with all these Spidery things to write on, I’m going to need Spider-Man pens:



...and what is a birthday without sweets?



All-in-all, loads of fun stuff, eh?

It is still my Birthday — Deal with it!

Yes, it is true that yesterday was my birthday, and several of you contacted me to wish me well (a couple of you posted — Thanks). Truth to tell, while I did spend some time yesterday doing stuff that I do enjoy (I saw two films back-to-back Lakeview Terrace & Righteous Kill) which I will review shortly on my Film column, Suspension of Belief which can be found over at (the new and improved) PopThought), much of my day (as well as the week prior) was, well, crap.

Hopefully that will change.

Still, the voice mail from my younger brother (where he said “I miss you the most, Scarecrow”) did brighten my day. Then, of course the cards from my children (where they both credit me as being a great dad because I had a great kid with them) were cute. Then, of course, there was this bit of silliness from Tommy:



Thanks to all!

It’s my birthday, I’ll Geek if I want to

Earlier this month, it was my older brother’s birthday. Today (September 23), it is mine.



In case you are wondering, yes this is me, but it from just over two decades ago.

Batman (Lego) to the rescue

Like I reported the other day, McDonald’s is currently dispensing Batman Lego, as a tie-in to the release of the Batman Lego videogame. Earlier this week I managed to score the first two (of eight) toys. Well, yesterday, I grabbed up the remaining six, which I present below:

Batman (#3) & Robin (#7)



Mr. Freeze (#4)



The Batmobile (#5)



The Penguin Sub (#6)



The Joker (#8)



Batman & Twoface



These two cardboard standees come with two of the other toys, and act as targets for the missiles that can be fired from most of the other toys.

While I think that the toys are very cool (Batman + Lego + fast food toys! How could you go wrong?) I wish that the figures themselves were actual Lego, rather than just preformed toys. Still, the toys are based on the Batman Lego videogame, rather than the Batman Legos themselves, so I suppose that Mickie D’s can be forgiven.

Spider-Man the musical

Remember, a couple of days ago when I said opined that the appearance of Marvel Apes was one of the signs of the oncoming apocalypse? Well, I think that I just might have seen the second sign. Word (extensive word) that a Spider-man Musical just might be on its way to Broadway.

To be sure, a few years ago there was a Spider-Man play at Radio City Music Hall (which I attended), entitled Spider-Man Live! A Stunt Spectacular!





While that show was fun and all (essentially telling a version of the origin of Spidey, but shortening it to fit on stage in a kid-friendly show) I can’t help but to think that a musical version of Spider-Man would be some sort of travesty (anyone remember It’s a bird It's a Plane It’s Superman!, the Broadway musical?)

Well, apparently the talk is more than just talk, as — according to an article in the April 16, 2007 edition of Playbill:

A reading of the new musical Spider-Man will take place in New York City July 12 and 13, Playbill.com has learned.

Then, on April 19, 2007
NME reported that U2 was slated to write music for the new Spider-Man musical:

U2’s Bono and The Edge have signed on to write music for the forthcoming Broadway musical, 'Spider-Man'.

The singer and guitarist will team up with director Julie Taymor to pen songs for the musical based on the Marvel Comics hero.

This story was also carried in April 20, BBC News announced that:

Bono and The Edge from U2 are to write music and lyrics for a Broadway musical based on comic book hero Spider-Man, according to film trade paper Variety.

.

Still, all of that was just talk, right? People talk about stuff all the time and noting ever really comes of it, only then there was this report back in February from The Bad & the Ugly.

Hey-O Superhero Fans!

There have been strong buzzings that crazy genius cum commercial sellout Julie Taymor (Titus, Across The Universe) had cast her Across The Universe leads – Jim Stugress and Evan Rachel Wood - as Peter Parker and Mary-Jane in her upcoming Broadway adaptation of Spider-Man featuring music by Bono and The Edge.

The most recent news I have is from NY Mag, from Aug 3, 2008:

Hundreds of aspiring Peter Parkers showed up at the Knitting Factory last Monday to try out for the upcoming Julie Taymor–directed Spider-Man musical. Left, auditionee head shots; below, their choices of audition tunes (pop/rock was requested—Bono and the Edge are writing Spider-Man’s music and lyrics) and selected explanations as to why they should get the part.

With all of this info available, I ask you now...can the End Times be far away?

Oh yeah, right...

Batman Lego @ McDonalds!

That’s right kiddies, in honor of the new release of the new Batman Lego videogame, Mcdonald’s is giving away Batman Lego toys. Yep, you heard that right, Batman Lego toys. Now what could be cooler than Batman Lego toys (except perhaps Spider-man Lego Toys — but that goes without saying, ‘natch).

Anywhoo, like I said, there are eight of these very cool Batman Lego toys, currently at McDonald’s. Here are the first two.

#1) BatSub



#2) Batcopter



More pics as I get the toys.

It’s the end of the world as we know it

I’m not entirely sure of this, but I do believe that the appearance of the recently-released Marvel Apes is one of the signs predicted by Nostradamus of the on-coming Apocalypse. No seriously, I’ve seen the Marvel Universe put through some pretty impressive hoops this past few years, but when I heard about this newest limited series, all I could think was WTF?

Then I read the first issue.

Now, I have to say that I really enjoyed it. Yeah, seriously, I really kind of enjoyed it because it was fun, irreverent, and evoked the feeling of silly fun that is so missing from Marvel Comics these days. The story follows Martin Blank, the Gibbon, as he and a (nearly competent) research scientist are transported to an alternate Marvel-Verse where Apes Rule (and no, Neither Charlton Heston nor Mark Wahlberg appear). Written by Karl Kesel and written by Ramon Bachs, the story is a light-hearted romp that is fun, and should not be dismissed out of hand by readers.

The story starts out in the “real” Marvel U, and then moves the two characters over into a world ruled by apes, where Martin — who is a self-confessed loser — comes to feel at home. Only this new world just might not be the place that he initially believes it to be. A back-up story has the The Watcher telling us all about the origin of the Marvel Ape-verse.

If you haven’t picked up this comic as of yet— and are in the mood for some fun with a twist — you just might want to check it out. (there was also a preview of Marvel Apes in Amazing Spider-Man Family #1, that you might want to check out as well.)

Top Ten Ways Spider-Man J Is Better Than Spider-Man A

OK, OK, truth to tell, this is not my post, a buddy of mine from SpiderFan sent this over to me, and, well, quite frankly, it was just way too funny to not post here and re-link.

You see — for those of you who are not familiar with it — Spider-Man J is an authorized Japanese version of Spider-Man, only, well, (as my good buddy Chris B points out), blows chunks. That’s right. Spider-Man J is nigh-unreadable. Seriously, I can’t make heads or tails of it, and Stan knows I’ve tried.

Still — as this poster points out — it is still way better than Post BND Spidey, and well, after reading his post, I just have to agree.

Sorry Stephen.

Anniversary Daze

A couple of weeks back I mentioned that it was my anniversary. Well as you probably all knew, I received some Spider-Gifts. I just recently got pics of the couple of items I received, and wanted to share them with you all (mostly because I know that posting this goofy crap makes you all jealous — that and, well, it’s been a slow week).

So here are the two Spidey Items I received.

A new pair of Spidey-Lounge Pants (from Webundies.com)




Spider-Bubbles



My birthday is coming up in a week or so, (hint, hint).

Reboot is all the rage

OK, so we all know by now about the recent reboot of Spider-Man this year, well, apparently this sort of reboot is swiftly becoming all the rage, and Lynn Johnson who produces For Better or Worse recently decided to reboot her long-running syndicated strip. On September first, after 29 years of on-going continuity (at the age of 61), she decided to reset her own strip, and go back to the beginning.


She posted the reason for this reset on her site:

The move comes a year after the Reuben Award-winning cartoonist attempted semi-retirement by mixing classic reprints of “For Better or for Worse” with new panels that advanced the present-day story. That allowed Johnston to go back and forth in time in the lives of her characters.

For the full story...

I’m not sure what to make of this, nor am I sure that I like it (but hey, don’t listen to me, I didn’t like that the syndicate decided to keep running Peanuts after Charles Schultz passed away. because now — as much as people like this strip — there is some cartoonist out there (or several cartoonists) who can’t get their work into print because Peanuts is occupying their real estate.

Imagine, if you will, if Schultz had been denied publication because some older “revered” cartoonist strip was hanging on after that guy had passed away. I respect the right for the syndicate to make money, but I think that Shultz would have objected (or sahould have objected) to this sort of thing.

I met Spider-Man this weekend, and you didn’t

That’s right kids. I met the actual, honest-to-Stan, Spider-Guy, and I can prove it. You see, I spent this past weekend (underwater in CT, thanks to Hurricane Hanna). I was working at a local outdoor food and music festival here in my hometown — one that I’ve been working at for the past 22 years. Anyway, this year, Spider-Man and some other Marvel Heroes (and villains) were scheduled to show up; which they did.

That’s right, I got to meet, Spider-Man, Storm, Hulk, and the Green Goblin. The Marvel characters came out and performed a kid-oriented show, and then met with their fans afterward. Below, are some of the photos that I managed to snap of these folk, before, during, and after the show. The show was fun and all, and was most definitely done for the kids. (And yeah, everyone working with me at the Festival knew that I was not only there at the show, but made fun of me because I told everyone that I really wanted to go.

Oh yeah, the really fun part for me, was that because earlier in the weekend since I had received a back-stage pass, I got to watch the show from the wings, and then got to meet the heroes personally.

Yeah, I am a geek. Now, some of those show pics

Spidey back stage:



Spidey and Storm onstage:



Hulk joins them onstage:



Bring on the Bad Guy!



Look, we even have Spider clones!



And the crowd goes wild!



And finally, Spidey & Me!



Hail! Hail! The Gang’s All Here!



Eat yer hearts out kids!

Look! Up in the sky! It is the real origin of Superman

Author Brad Meltzer has a new book out that details the secret real-life origin of the Man of Steel (The Book of Lies). As it turns out (according to Metlzer), there has been a long-held secret behind the creation of the world’s greatest Superhero:

it appears that the origin might have been more profound — that it was the death of Jerry Siegel's father that pushed the devastated teen to come up with the idea of a "Superman" to right all wrongs.

"In 50 years of interviews, Jerry Siegel never once mentioned that his father died in a robbery," says Brad Meltzer, a best-selling author whose novel, The Book of Lies, due Sept. 2, links the Siegel murder to a biblical conspiracy plot.

"But think about it," Meltzer says. "Your father dies in a robbery, and you invent a bulletproof man who becomes the world's greatest hero. I'm sorry, but there's a story there."

Check here for the rest of that story, as it appeared in USA Today.

Or you can listen to Metlzer himself.



Between Metlzer’s book and the one from Marc Tyler Nobleman (Boys of Steel), it seems that this is Superman Month. Cool, eh?

***UPDATE***UPDATE***

I just got word from Marc Nobleman, and it seems that I got some of it wrong, apparently Meltzer’s book is a fictionalized account about the “Secret” origin of Superman. Apparently I either misread the USA story, for misunderstood it.

Sorry for the confusion.

May the Force be with us All

The week of August 11-24 TV Guide had a cover feature of the New Star Wars animated Flick, (The Clone Wars). This was in anticipation of an up-coming animated TV show of the same name.

Well, TV Guide also included a special CD-ROM with that issue. I did not notice the CD at first because I have my TV Guide delivered. Interestingly enough, I didn’t get the Disc, but it was included on the store copy. As you can expect, this irritated me, so I wrote to them and asked for my copy with the disc. After all (I said), why should casual readers get something that I — a dedicaded reader — didn’t get.

Well, This week I received my CD. I hope to watch the CD this week, and then go out to see the flick. I’ll let you know when I have.