By Duran Rivera

Comic book teams come in all shapes and sizes literally and figuratively in comic books if you’re a comic book fan we all have our favorite comic team. I have my list of favorite teams of all time. This though is not that kind of list. These are not necessarily teams. Teams are a unique squad or collection of individuals who have cultivated a chemistry and companionship over time. Teams are the goal of what collections of persons want to become. Teams like Justice League, or Avengers cannot be on this list. This is a list of the all time most badass squads in comic book history. These squads might not be your favorite or most beloved, but they are badass – period! They will take your teams headquarters redecorate it and burn it to the ground. So now let us take a look at the 8 Spot’s top 8 most badass smash mouth groups of all time.

8. The Reavers
This is the team that kicked Wolverines ass. Period. That’s all I need to say about that. They captured tortured him, etc. But one more I will elaborate. If you know anything about the X-men you know the original Reavers, with Lady Deathstrike, and 3 members of the Hellfire Club is not a team to be messed with. They killed two members of the X-men. They almost kill Punisher twice, and Punisher needed and auto destruct cybernetic suit to barely beat them.  They abduct Rogue, and they took on the Sentinels.

7.  The Boys
They are a Super-powered CIA unit made to scare the living #$% out of Superheroes and villains alike. They are the ones the Government calls to set any and every out of line super-human. In a big world of super-powered beings you know that has to be badass.

6. The Inhumans
This is an intergalactic ass kicking stomp you into a mutt hole team whose leader (Blackbolt) even breaths would kill you.  A quick rundown- The Inhumans, went on to form a society of their own, which thrived in seclusion from the rest of humanity and developed advanced technology. Experiments with the mutagenic Terrigen Mist (a process known as Terrigenesis) gave them various powers, but also caused lasting genetic damage and deformities. This led to a long-term selective breeding program to try to mitigate the effects of these mutations. The Inhumans have been used  as the muscle of choice by the Fantastic Four, Avengers, X-men, and even used as an army to turn the tides of the Kree-Skrull war. They’ve fought the lights of Galactus, Magneto, Doctor Doom, Ultron, and Apacalypse. Whenever there’s a major Marvel event the Inhumans are not far.

5. The Hulks Grandchildren
This couldn’t be easier. This is a group of the grandchildren of the Hulk and She-Hulk. If one Hulk wasn’t kick ass enough, imagine a whole group of them! This is something that must be understood- they are angry, morally corrupted and treacherous. You would not want to owe them money, as Logan/Wolverine found out himself in the Old Man Logan Storylines.

4. The Blood Syndicate
What do you get when you put together an indestructible almost Superman like character, another that can turn to water, another that has superhuman intelligence, another that can take any gun and fire unlimited rounds with bulls eye accuracy, another that can pass through solid objects and still hit people, a pyrokinetic, a shape changer, a reincarnating spiritual being, an absorber and distributor of energy? – A pretty bad ass #!$% team that’s what!!

3. The Villainous Secret Six
This collection of the old Secret Six has not been around too much. They fit the bill to a tee of a badass squad who will twist your favorite heroes head just for looking funny. This is a Mercenary group made up of the Legendary and lesser-known villains in the DC universe. It doesn’t make them any less dangerous. The members are Cat-Man, Bain, Deadshot, Scandal Savage, Ragdoll, Jeannette. Villains and Super Heroes alike hate them but they are still around and kicking. So, that should say enough.

2. The Sinister Twelve
The Sinister dozen is by far the most colorful of badass squads on the list. An offshoot of the original Sinister Six, this team is a collection of Spiderman’s most dangerous and lethal foes. Norman Osborn who has recently earned himself a place amongst Marvel Universes most dangerous villains organized them. This squad can go toe to toe with any other on the list. They have the brains and brawn and the capabilities to go all the way and do what it takes to take any opponent down. Most of their members are legends in their own right. Their members include: Venom (the original Scorpion), The Chameleon (who’s a mastermind in his own right), The Lizard who’s strength and speed is more then a handful for anyone, Vulture (who’s technological modifications make him a one man air-force unto himself), Sandman (who also needs no introduction, but in case you forgot, turns into Sand and is not phased by brutal assaults, and can slip in and out of almost any object), Electro (controls lightning and electricity), Hydro-Man (who can turn into water), Hammer-Head (Once the Underworld Gang Boss. If this is the new Adamantium Hammer-Head, he’s almost indestructible), Shocker (powerful bolts of energy, shockwaves, and vibrations), Tombstone (Who’s also renown in the underworld and has impenetrable skin. Super-Strong and fast), Boomerang (whose abilities to always hit his target mark match Bullseye or Hawkeye,plus a devastating array of high tech equipment) and last but not least the Green Goblin (Norman Osborn- who we all know what he can do- which is whatever he puts his mind to). It would take an army to take these guys down at their best. It took the combined might of Captain America, Iron Man, Daredevil, Yellowjacket, the Fantastic Four, Spider-man and SHIELD to take them down.

1.  The Dark Avengers
I have to say this team you can argue is a team and shouldn’t be on. But they are anything but a team. They are a squad. They have a leader and such, they have a rank and chain of command. But do you think the members truly follow it? It was hard enough for Norman Osborn to keep them in check. They were together for a short time, but the time they were together, they literally hunted down EVERY marvel super hero in the universe. The original Avengers were in hiding- Asgard was invaded by them, they took down Thor, they killed Punisher. They took down Molecule man! The members are: Iron Patriot (Norman Osborn), Wolverine (Daken), Sentry (Void), Spiderman (Venom), Hawkeye (Bull’s-eye) and Ms. Marvel (Moonstone).



So there you have it. The top 8 most bad ass squads or units of all time! Some of these teams did not last too long together, but for everyone else’s sake that would be a good thing. Who’s your favorite squad? Do you agree with the order of the teams? Do you think your team would kick their ass?

by Duran R.

The clip below is a little accident thathappened during a prank war at the Wizard Con at Philly '06. It startedat the Chili's near the convention center. I sent my check to the tablethat JP, Bryant, Julien and Marc were eating at. They, in response, senttheir check to our table, a check that was about 3 times the amountthey had originally sent to the kiddie table.

In retaliation I walked over and slapped the bill on Julien's forehead where it stayed glued to his forehead.

The next day Marc and the rest decided tomake it look like someone had broke into the room and stolen our stuff.In actuality they just made a mess.

After I stopped laughing at the mess theymade, I put on an angry face and yelled at them and read them the riotact so they would clean the room. Later that night while Wilson, D, TomChu and Lanky were watching a Star Wars movie I sneaked into the otherhotel room and stole all there soap, shampoo, deodorant and toothpaste.When they discovered this the next morning they accused Lanky ofbetraying them to the other room, than they took the following steps.

By Duran Rivera
Section8comics.com

The earliest history of the Comic Convention is an epic tale shrouded in mystery, allure and enchantment. It is an ancient story coated with controversy, sacrifice and forged in the molten lava of steel swords, phasers and unsharpened pencils. It goes back to the darkest annals of geekdom, where the first geek picked up a comic and salivated uncontrollably over it. But to truly know the history of the comic convention one must go back to the pre-comic con age.

 Before Comic Cons there were secret societies, clubs and leagues of geeks (well, not so secret), but they didn’t let just ANYONE in. There were requirements, like for example in the Philadelphia Science Fiction Society a person must have attended three meetings before being voted into becoming a member of this exclusive club. The traditional club greeting for a person voted in is, "Pay your dues!" shouted in unison. The names for these groups sounded more like super hero groups then anything: The Futurians, The Boys' Science Fiction Club, The Science Fiction League, etc. These dedicated societies, clubs and leagues paved the way for a future Sci-fi convention.

 It has been said the first fan convention occurred way back on January 3rd, 1936 when science fiction writer Frederich Pohl and seven other New York-area fans took a trip to the brotherly city of Philadelphia to meet other fellow minded sci-fi aficionados in the living room of American nuclear physicist/Professor Milton A. Rothman (you can’t make this up) who wrote stories under the alter ego Lee Gregor.  Milton Rothman ended up founding what some refer to as the first sci-fi convention the “Philcon” which stands for the Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference. Through the Philcon, the first ever "convention report" was published in a New York fanzine.

The sci-fi-conies were the predecessors for the comic-elementals, the priests to the old Gods. These creatures the most modern geeks must revere, for these Newsstand locals witnessed the first comic book’s ascent from the primordial darkness.

 A year later, on January 3, 1937, some of British science fiction fans had a more polished/ dressed up public event. The first World Science Fiction Convention or as it was called “Worldcon” was held over the July 4, 1939 weekend in New York City. Aside from a small break due to a little dispute called World War 2, it has been a sci-fi benchmark distributing Hugo Awards ever since.

Now, we fast forward to 1961. Comic culturalists Jerry Bails (who is considered the father of comic fandom), Shel Dorf (letterer and freelance artist who founded the San Diego Comic Con in 1970), writer Bernie Bubnis, and future Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Roy Thomas took notes from the sci-fi culture was doing and began touching base back and forth with each other and with comic-book editors (mainly DC Comics' Julius Schwartz), eventually putting together the flagship comic conventions. Among the first were the 1964 New York Comicon and that same year's Detroit Triple Fan Fair.

 

Philip Nicholas Seuling founder of the New York Comic Art Conventions and orchestrator of the direct market distribution method says "In 1964, about a hundred people found themselves in a New York City union meeting hall, a large open room with wooden folding chairs, looking around at each other oddly, surprised, not really know what they were there for, a bit sheepish, waiting for whatever was going to take place to begin. ... It was the first comic convention ever and that one-day assembly grew step by step into an annual tradition in New York and then elsewhere. In 1968, I became involved in staging my first convention. The following year began the current series called the Comic Art Convention".

His New York Comic Art Convention was one of the largest of all the comic conventions with five to seven fans attending. It fed heavily into the comic collector culture due to the growing media attention. The raising age brackets of an older and older fan base opened the doorway for comics to be studied in a more critical and mature fashion.

The 69’ convention held Independence Day weekend at the Statler Hilton Hotel in New York City cost $3.50 for a three-day ticket, with daily passes at $1.50. Admittance was free with a hotel room rental, which cost $15-and-up per day.

Will Eisner, the creator of the Spirit in 1940s says that the 1971 Comic Art Con inspired his return to comics. He says in an interview with Seuling, "I came back into the field because of you. I remember you calling me in New London, [Connecticut], where I was sitting there as chairman of the board of Croft Publishing Co. My secretary said, 'There's a Mr. Seuling on the phone and he's talking about a comics convention. What is that?' She said, 'I didn't know you were a cartoonist, Mr. Eisner.' 'Oh, yes,' I said, 'secretly; I'm a closet cartoonist.' I came down and was stunned at the existence of the whole world. ... That was a world that I had left, and I found it very exciting, very stimulating".

 

Eisner later elaborated about meeting underground comics creators and publishers, including Denis Kitchen: "I went down to the convention, which was being held in one of the hotels in New York, and there was a group of guys with long hair and scraggly beards, who had been turning out what spun as literature. Really popular 'gutter' literature if you will, but pure literature. And they were taking on illegal [sic] subject matter that no comics had ever dealt with before. ... I came away from that recognizing that a revolution had occurred then, a turning point in the history of this medium. ... I reasoned that the 13-year-old kids that I'd been writing to back in the 1940s were no longer 13-year-old kids; they were now 30, 40 years old. They would want something more than two heroes, two supermen, crashing against each other. I began working on a book that dealt with a subject that I felt had never been tried by comics before. That was man's relationship with God. That was the book A Contract with God.”

 

The history of comic book conventions coincides with the history of its host. Be it, San Diego, Chicago or New York City. The stories that surround the different eras of the comic conventions are lengthy and very telling. Comic book historian Peter Sanderson sheds some of his thoughts on the New York Comic Con:

 

 “I think the fact that the Comic-Con is in San Diego is one of the foremost reasons for its success. Considering that the two major comics companies, Marvel and DC, are based in New York City, it has long been a puzzle why New York is no longer able to sustain a first-class comics convention. It used to: there was another Golden Age of comics cons, and in this case I was around for the tail end of it. These were the annual Fourth of July comics cons in New York City run by the late Phil Seuling, the pioneer of the direct sales comics market. Again, I suspect that the smallness, intimacy, and newness of these Cons are what have made them nostalgic legends, but they were already in decline when I started attending in the late '70s. The Seuling cons were supplanted by Creation Cons, back before Creation abandoned comic cons for sci-fi, and though large, there were probably too many of them per year, and they lost the cachet of being special events. For years now, there are comics conventions, some large, and others merely a Sunday gathering of back issue dealers, in New York City, but they all seem cheesy, crowded and undignified. (I went to one year ago that was held in the Madison Square Garden complex when the circus was in town, and people remarked on the strong scent of elephant urine.)

 

The revolving golden eras and slumps continue to this day. One doesn’t help but wonder even in the height of heights of the modern NYC comic cons today how it would one day hit a funk, returning to the bygone eras but as all things it would. Hopefully though, it won’t for a long time. 

Till then, in the night, a gigantic huffing puffing beast approaches and it is hungry. It is made of Jedi’s and Trekkies, it is made of Bat-Fiends and Spider-Dweebs. It is called the Comic Con!!!!! It’s skin cells are made of geeks. This monster bleeds India ink and CMYK. It will turn back for no mere mortal. Annually it stomps through the legendary lands of San Francisco, New York, Japan, Italy and France etc. The motion picture industry feeds uncontrollably over whatever it drops, the greatest video game companies cower in its presence. It is a growing perfect storm not subsiding anytime soon.

Today there are numerous Comic Conventions through out the nation:

• Alternative Press Expo (San Francisco, CA
• Baltimore Comic-Con (Baltimore, MD)
• Big Apple Convention (New York City, NY)
• Central Canada Comic Con (Winnipeg, Manitoba)
  
• Comic-Con International (San Diego, CA)
• Comicpalooza (Houston, TX)
• Emerald City ComiCon (Seattle, WA)
• Heroes Convention (Charlotte, NC)
• MegaCon (Orlando, FL)
• MoCCA Art Festival (New York City)
• New York Comic-Con (New York City, NY)
• Phoenix ComiCon (Phoenix, AZ)
• Small Press Expo (Bethesda, MD)
• Toronto Comicon (Toronto, ON)
• WonderCon (San Francisco, CA)

 And for that we must thank those who started this annual custom. It is because of the ancient geeks that we savor and anticipate the newest comic con. Because of them that we shake hands with the legends that forget we exist a moment later. It is partly because of the archai-geeks that our lives are self-indulgently shaped by such phantasmagoria.  

By rod and lash those vanguards have bequeathed to us a world of amazement and wonder. We owe these fine souls our finest tribute!.

For more on Comic Conventions Go to:

http://movies.ign.com/articles/432/432946p1.html

http://www.fanhistory.com/wiki/Conventions

http://www.psfs.org/about/founders.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MoCCA_Art_Festival

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Apple_Convention

http://www.newyorkcomiccon.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Seuling

by Duran R.

So both Duran & Eric Rivera (No Relation) wrote there opinions on the new Thor trailer so see what both have to say:

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OK the Thor trailer was aired at Comic con and the guys over at Spinoff Online have released the trailer and it looks amazing.  The trailer does a good job of letting you know what the movie is about with out showing too much.  Granted the trailer is more of a mini sneak preview that tells you the basic plot in broad strokes one can only hope that these were not all the best scenes but something to wet our appetite.  From what can be gathered they seem to be dropping the crippled Donald Blake angle, but  everything else seems to be pretty accurate in the retelling of one of Marvels most iconic characters and I have high expectations for this adaptation.  But enough about that check out the trailer. 

by Sir Eric

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The Thor Movie Trailer from the Comic Con has been released if not officially. Still check it out! This looks like it's going to be one of the biggest blockbuster movies Marvel has ever released. Looks great. All the things people have been worrying about pertaining to the Thor movie has been relieved for the time being at least. Thor has the helmet, Loki looks amazing, Odin looks daring and imposing, Asgard looks amazing. There are villains called the Destroyer, Loki, also there are rumors of a secret villain in this film as well!

Well, in my opinion, from all the things they are showing you, as Marvel knows how to do, there will be some exciting additions to the film that we just are not prepared for. Amongst those is the belief that the Infinity Gauntlet itself would be introduced. If you do not know what it is. In Marvel, it is a legendary glove that plays a major role at one point. Look it up. Whether that implies Thanos or not, who knows. But that alone will get me in the theater!! STAY TUNED FOR MORE UPDATES on the 8SPOT!!!! OVER AND OUT!

by Duran R

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Info Links:
http://spinoff.comicbookresources.com/2010/07/29/thor-comic-con-trailer-leaks/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0800369/
www.marvel.com

This San Diego Comic-Con has started off with a bang so far. From the presentations of Captain America, Thor, Green Hornet, Green Lantern (check out Abin Sur) to open panel discussions and tons of surprises the West Coast Comic-Con has got it locked! All East Coast geeks are weeping in envy right now including me.Amongst some of the cool treats for the pop fans is this trailer to Tron: Legacy which obviously the sequel to the original Tron. Check out the trailer.

by Duran Rivera

The departure of Edward Norton from the Hulk and the Avengersfranchise is sad news to many who truly cherished his performance. When Ireceived the news, it came as a shock to me. It shouldn’t have becausethere was so much talk about his struggles with the Execs at MarvelStudios. I thought to myself though that it would get worked out. Theywould recognize how big a piece and how much of a catch he really is as atalent. I guess I was wrong.

After receiving the news though, I can say this is not a totalshocker, after Norton bailed out of the publicity tour for The IncredibleHulk film, you can see where the contentious relationship was going.

Marvel issued a press release saying they won’t bring back EdwardNorton as the Green Behemoth and explained their reasons why:

“We have made the decision to not bring Ed Norton back toportray the title role of Bruce Banner in the Avengers. Ourdecision is definitely not one based on monetary factors, but insteadrooted in the need for an actor who embodies the creativity andcollaborative spirit of our other talented cast members. TheAvengers demands players who thrive working as part of an ensemble, asevidenced by Robert, Chris H, Chris E, Sam, Scarlett, and all of ourtalented casts. We are looking to announce a name actor who fulfillsthese requirements, and is passionate about the iconic role in thecoming weeks.”

The key statement by Kevin Feige of Marvel Studios, was when he saidthat Norton wasn’t picked up as Bruce Banner because they needed:

“an actor who embodies the creativity and collaborativespirit of our other talented cast members,”

In my opinion that comment left an unnecessary black eye on theAvengers movie and also left Norton and his representative inclined torespond. Norton’s rep ended up replying saying:

Norton’s agent, Brian Swardstrom of WME has justresponded with the following statement:

“This offensive statement from Kevin Feige at Marvel is apurposefully misleading, inappropriate attempt to paint our client in anegative light. Here are the facts: two months ago, Kevin called meand said he wanted Edward to reprise the role of Bruce Banner in TheAvengers. He told me it would be his fantasy to bring Edward onstage with the rest of the cast at ComiCon and make it the event of theconvention. When I said that Edward was definitely open to this idea,Kevin was very excited and we agreed that Edward should meet with JossWhedon to discuss the project. Edward and Joss had a very goodmeeting (confirmed by Feige to me) at which Edward said he wasenthusiastic at the prospect of being a part of the ensemble cast.Marvel subsequently made him a financial offer to be in the film andboth sides started negotiating in good faith. This past Wednesday,after several weeks of civil, uncontentious discussions, but before wehad come to terms on a deal, a representative from Marvel called to saythey had decided to go in another direction with the part. Thisseemed to us to be a financial decision but, whatever the case, it iscompletely their prerogative, and we accepted their decision with nohard feelings.

We know a lot of fans have voiced their publicdisappointment with this result, but this is no excuse for Feige’s meanspirited, accusatory comments. Counter to what Kevin implies here,Edward was looking forward to the opportunity to work with Joss and theother actors in the Avengers cast, many of whom are personalfriends of his. Feige’s statement is unprofessional, disingenuous andclearly defamatory. Mr. Norton talent, tireless work ethic andprofessional integrity deserve more respect, and so do Marvel’s fans.

Ouch!!!!

Then not long after Norton as a gesture to his fans made hisstatement on the Facebook website:

This Avengers film was not just a special cinematic event in terms ofseeing our favorite super-heroes coming together for the first time onthe big screen, but this was suppose to be a who’s who of super starscoming together playing out their franchise characters together on thebig screen. There was suppose to be nothing like it and still it seemslike it is developing into something we’ve never seen. But thatanticipation and that magic surrounding it took a big hit with the lossof Mr. Norton.

The Hitflix article summed it up wonderfully when theysaid

“Avengers assemble” is more than just a nifty slogan for aball cap.  It’s a call to arms for a one-of-a-kind movie event. Please… treat it that way.  The rewards will be worth the effort.

I know I’m not alone in feeling this, that there is still a smallpart of me that’s hopeful of both sides coming together and working thisout. If they could both understand that they both could use each otherand bring together something unique and memorable. The opportunity ofhaving a film that’s more like a transcendent event then anything elseis too awesome to pass up. It seems though, more and more that maybethat is a pipe dream. That ship has sailed.

“TheAvengers” is set to open on Friday, May 4, 2012.

What do you think about this? Do you think Avengers is better offwithout him? Do you think Marvel Dropped the ball? Let us know.

Source: HitFlix

Duran R.

by Duran Rivera

 

          There is something about hearing that our favorite hero/heroin being in a new motion picture that gets us fan boys crazy. One of the first things that come into our heads is how they may look when they come to life on the big screen. It’s a subject of much speculation and tabloid rumor. All kinds of fake photos appear, and supposed clues pop up around the net.

      In our modern times comic books and movies have had a stronger and stronger effect on each other. The imprint and influence comic books have had on movies have been immense, breaking records and steering the direction motion pictures and movie studios are going. Influencing the amount of money and the kinds of movies they invest in. And Motion pictures have influenced comic books in many aspect from inspiring the reimagining of an entire Marvel Universe in what is called Ultimates” to re-introducing old characters in new costumes.

   In lieu of the new look of Wonder-Man us here at the 8spot have decided to take a look back at other super heroes who have made dramatic and not so dramatic changes for the big screen. Let’s take a look at a list of some of the more popular characters and changes they have made for the motion pictures.

Daredevil 

 

We’ll just skip the ski mask Daredevil from the old Hulk tv show because it’s just too easy. When the Daredevil movie came out in 2003, there was much fanfare and speculation about what the costume would look like whether it would be closer to the original or have drastic changes done to him. This is one of the examples of the filmmakers choosing to make modifications to the original suit. Much of the reasoning many within the industry make for changing the costumes is that they say the comic book costumes don’t ‘translate’ well on the big screen, or that it doesn’t ‘read’ well. This costume looks more like a compromise, but what do you think? Is it that much of a change to justify changing it at all? In my opinion, red leather is not that big a jump in credibility from spandex. Hmm-- maybe it was good they changed it a little bit. At least leave the “DD” logo and lose the zipper though. Ugh.

Thor

 

The Thor movie, which is to be released next year, is an example of not only a comic inspired movie, but also a movie inspiring a comic. The re-introduction of Thor to the Marvel Comics shows him in a new look very familiar to the upcoming film. One thing that is missing though is that the live action Thor is not wearing a helmet. Hopefully they have plans on having him wear it in the film.

Spiderman

Spiderman is thankfully one of the only Superheroes who actually have a truly close look to the original character. But yet there still are changes to his look from the comic. The Oakley glass plates, the white exterior Spider web is also different. I may be fickle but the concept art for Spiderman looked much better then the final version. Alex Ross did some of the concept design for the Motion picture. I figured it would have been very doable, yet Sam Raimi decided to go in a different direction with Spiderman. I am hoping that there will be something new to come along for the next Spiderman Reboot. Give us something new to look at for the next generation of Spiderman.

Superman

Here once again is an example of modification but ultimately staying true to the original Super-Hero look. Superman (2006) starring Brandon Routh was a moderate success, and featured a new look for superman. There was some controversy about the new look Superman. The super small underwear, the super small Symbol on his chest.  All in all it  was a light change from the comics.

Captain America

Captain America is the latest superhero to join the ranks of live action heroes. There was much speculation on what he might look like. Would he look like the Ultimates version of Captain America? Finally when the concept art was released of Captain America, many fans were very happy. There is still going to be controversy regardless.  The look is inspired from the Ultimates Universe, and he has lost the little wings on his head. In the movie though they are going to show him in three different costumes. The more modern comic book movies are having much more consideration to the original comic book despite the small modifications.

Through out modern history of Comic book movies, we’ve seen Hellboy, Ironman, Joker, Green Lantern, Catwoman, Batman,  Watchmen, Ghost Rider, Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Xmen, Sin City, Blade,  and more recently Captain America. There are always going to be very strong opinions on the looks of these various characters, but one thing is for sure, the interest and the fascination people have with the characters will stay for the foreseeable future. What do you think? What are your favorite or least favorite movie costumes? Do you think there should be changes to these characters in upcoming films? Any ideas that you think might look good? Very interested in hearing your opinions.

 

by Sir Eric

I will be writing a series of odd conversations I have had or heard at Conventions, The series will be called @ the table.

So I was working a Convention in a museum with my Business Partner Wilson.  As soon as Wilson left the table for a moment this rather studious looking gentleman came up and I went into the whole spiel about our books and what I had to sell.  After I mention that I'm also the company owner the following conversation occurs.

Science Geek:         So you started your own company so you could have your ideas published?
Me:                          Pretty much.   I also try to help other writers and artists.
Science Geek:         I have this great idea see I am a geologist and there is so many great stories that can be created.  Especially when you add in all that we know about various dinosaurs and animals that are extinct but because their skeletons are preserved in rocks we really have a wealth of data…
Me:                           Well we have a submissions page on our website so you could send me a proposal. (I hand him one of our flyers with our website on it.)
Science geek:          I don’t have the time to write it and I’m not really a writer but I figured if I gave you the idea when it sells we could split the money.
Me:                          Wait you want me to write a story based on your knowledge of science but you don’t have a character concept, a story or even the time to write up a proposal.  Than I have to spend my money to get artists to work on it and hope it hits big so I can give half to you?  
Science Geek:        Yeah, it will make you millions. I know it!  
Me:                         Thank you but that doesn’t seem like a project that I would be interested in working on.
Science Geek:        Don’t you want to be Rich?
Me:                         No, No I don’t.  

By Duran Rivera for the 8spot

 

I want to say something before we go on to quoting the different parts of the media about this new decision. I'm not hating this decision at all. I don't thing Andrew Garfield is all that bad a decision. I was truly dreading the Josh Hutcherson pick. I truly didn’t think he had any "scale" as an actor. He's cardboard in so many senses. This is just my opinion. I'm not vomatose about this Andrew Garfield decision even if I never truly seen him in a film. I'm personally going to watch his movies now and get myself a feel for him. One thing is for sure, I don't know if it's Marvel, or it's just their productions, but the rumor mills surrounding these castings and the consequential decisions about the actor ends up having the same patterns. The Captain America movie had the same process about it. Well, anyway, Here are some quotes with links on some more info on who Mr. Garfield is.

 

Check out the video about him:

 

First the Press Release:

 

After a comprehensive worldwide casting search, Andrew Garfield has been chosen to portray Peter Parker when Spider-Man swings back onto the screen in 3D on July 3, 2012.  The new film will begin production in early December directed by Marc Webb from a screenplay by James Vanderbilt.  Laura Ziskin and Avi Arad will produce the film from Columbia Pictures and Marvel Studios.

Today's confirmation culminates what has been one of the most eagerly anticipated casting announcements in recent memory. Bloggers, pop culture speculators, and everyday fans have pored over and analyzed every conceivable online rumor in an attempt to discover the identity of the next actor to play Peter Parker. Garfield will immediately begin preparing for the coveted role.

The Spider-Man franchise is one of the most successful in film history and the three previous motion pictures have collectively grossed more than $2.5 billion in worldwide box office.

On selecting Garfield, director Marc Webb said, "Though his name may be new to many, those who know this young actor's work understand his extraordinary talents. He has a rare combination of intelligence, wit, and humanity. Mark my words, you will love Andrew Garfield as Peter Parker."

Commenting on the announcement, Amy Pascal, co-chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment, and Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures said, "Spider-Man is a classic superhero -- a young man who balances his responsibility to serve humanity and crush evil with the shyness and normalcy of someone struggling to find himself. The role demands an extraordinary actor. You need someone who can magically transform himself from Peter Parker into Spider-Man. An actor who will depict the vulnerability of youth and the strength and confidence of a legendary figure at the same moment. We have found that actor in Andrew Garfield. From the first time we saw him in the upcoming film The Social Network, to his glorious screen test, which floored all of us, we knew that we had found our new Peter Parker."

Producer Avi Arad added, "I'm incredibly excited about Andrew Garfield. In the Spider-Man tradition, we were looking for a smart, sensitive, and cool new Peter Parker who can inspire us and make us laugh, cry, and cheer. We believe we have found the perfect choice to take on this role and lead us into the future."

Producer Laura Ziskin said, "We are thrilled to have Andrew Garfield for this new incarnation of Spider-Man under Marc Webb’s direction.  We were fortunate enough to meet with a group of fantastically talented young men.  In the end, we all agreed that in addition to being an extraordinary actor, Andrew had the right mix of humor, youth, and pathos, along with an underlying sense of strength and power necessary to bring Peter Parker and Spider-Man to life on screen."

The selection of Garfield was revealed at a press event in Cancun, Mexico for international journalists attending a media tour promoting upcoming films from Sony Pictures Entertainment.

Garfield is fast becoming one of the most respected and sought-after young actors working in the industry today. In a short career, spanning only five years, he has already been directed by, and starred alongside, some of the greatest names and received a BAFTA for a role that won him international praise.

Garfield most recently worked with director David Fincher on the upcoming film The Social Network. He previously starred for Spike Jonze on his robot love story I'm Here, which premiered at Sundance this year.  He plays the lead male opposite Keira Knightley and Carey Mulligan in Mark Romanek's Never Let Me Go, due for release later this year.

Other notable screen credits include Terry Gilliam's The Imaginarium of Dr Parnassus playing opposite Christopher Plummer, Johnny Depp, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and the late Heath Ledger, Robert Redford’s Lions For Lambs, where he starred alongside Redford, Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep; Revolution Films' "Red Riding Trilogy – 1974" directed by Julian Jarrold, where he lead a stellar cast including Rebecca Hall and David Morrissey, and his unforgettable portrayal of a young ex-con in John Crowley's "Boy A," for which he earned the best actor BAFTA in 2008.

Garfield’s career began in theatre and in 2006 his performances in "Beautiful Thing" (Sound Space/Kit Productions), "The Overwhelming," and "Burn / Chatroom / Citizenship" (Royal National Theatre) won him the Milton Shulman Award for Outstanding Newcomer at the Evening Standard awards and the Jack Tinker Award for Most Promising Newcomer at the Critics Circle Theatre Awards.  Other notable theatre credits include "Romeo and Juliet" (Manchester Royal Exchange) and "Kes" (Manchester Royal Exchange), for which he received the Most Promising Newcomer Award at the Manchester Evening News Awards 2004.

Now some quotes from the website Wikipedia:

Andrew Russell Garfield^[1] (born 20 August 1983) is an actor who has appeared in radio, theatre, film, and television. He is known for his roles in the 2007 films Lions for Lambs and Boy A, as well as 2009's The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, and will play Peter Parker in the 2012 Spider-Man reboot. Garfield is a dual citizen of the U.S. and the U.K.^[2]

I hear that Sony initially released this information through TWITTER??!! Where is the drama in the movie industry nowadays? Where are the press releases? The interviews? EVEN A FAX!? Anyways. I guess they are penny pinching now huh? Maybe they dont need to get any more publicity than it would already get. Well, hopefully this movie is filmed in NYC! CONGRATS Mr. Garfield!!!!

What do you guys think? Are you happy that Garfield has the role? Are you looking forward to this movie? Do you think Sony could have done better with any of their other choices?

 

Related Links:

http://screenrant.com/andrew-garfield-spiderman-2-pauly-66944/

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/07/andrew_garfield_is_the_new_spi.html

http://celebrity-gossip.net/andrew-garfield/andrew-garfield-nabs-spider-man-role-383447

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/45653

http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2010/07/andrew-garfield-is-spider-man-in-franchise-reboot.html

Duran R

In light of the news that Marvel Comics is creating a small screen division named "Marvel Television Division", I have come up with some interesting ideas for what would make some great live action TV shows for Marvel Comics. This has been a long awaited event for me. I think there are many Marvel characters that would make for interesting live action shows. I think the success of Heroes, Smallville, Lois & Clark, Hulk, Flash all proved there is a fascination and staying power of super-hero movies. All it takes is great writing and really appealing/endearing sets of characters. Here are some of my ideas for some really smash hit TV shows:

 

SPIDERMAN: This looks to be one of the better ideas Marvel has had in a long time. For one, imagine if you can an ABC show that is all about Spiderman, but not just about him web slinging but a drama about all the things that is going on in the Daily Bugle, or Parkers life at home. The kind of drama where you would see a Harry Osborn getting addicted to drugs or having some love triangles with Peter, or Flash getting cut from a football team and being influenced by teammates to do steroids. I think it would work out so well. The cast of characters and interesting people in Spiderman is so much better then Superman. Superman did so well in Smallville, imagine how great a show we would see if a great writer took hold of Spiderman and turned it into a CW show! I'd watch it!

 

BLACK PANTHER: Remember that great TV show they have on HBO` The No.1 Ladies Detective Agency which takes place in Africa? Well, I think there is lots of untouched potential to that show. I think it would be great to have a crime show connected more with the Black Panther. He is the defender of his home in Wakanda, and he seeks out different criminals every week, or sometimes its 2 parters etc. He works with the African police department, federal investigators, and he also has to deal with the world of politics where he is warding off the West's attempts to meddle in his peoples affairs. He could have to overcome cells or corporate spies who are trying to ruin his political career. Meanwhile as the Black Panther he hunts hardcore criminals. It could be great! The cartoon introduced lots of promising supporting characters for that franchise.

 

FANTASTIC FOUR: There may be some of you who wonder how the FF can be such a smash hit TV show, but hear me out. The Fantastic Four is the comic book industries answer to Star Trek. If you read any of the old Jack Kirby FF comic books, you'll see how amazing it would be to see this on the small screen. Ten years ago this would be an impossible task to ask for due to all the special effects, but now it isn't. Though, even in the 90's the Next Generation had some great action scenes. Imagine Earths most dysfunctional super family- (INCLUDING a young Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards), running the most amazing building in New York's 42nd street and Madison Avenue and fighting off the GALAXIES most dangerous villains/ invasions. Picture them having all kinds of family issues, squabbles and making up. Different members of the families learning important values about family and being apart of a team, learning about responsibility. Mr. Fantastic bringing them across the universe to meet the Inhumans (particularly Black Bolt, Crystal, Medusa, Gorgon, Karnak, Triton, and Lockjaw), going to the center of the earth to go up against the Mole Man and his subterranean army of Moloids, stopping an invasion by the Skrulls, taking on Dr. Doom (possibly the greatest villain in comic book history), to the deepest depths of the Atlantic to face the Submariner. It just goes on and on. Do not doubt this would be a hit!

 

DAREDEVIL: This is a no-brainer. Anyone who knows anything about Daredevil will know that the story of Matt Murdock and his experiences within the tragic streets of Hells Kitchen is a potential Law and Order hit ready to happen. Especially since the character of Daredevil already has had international exposure on the big screen. Holding him off from the big screen and developing his character first in a TV show is a better route in my opinion. The actors that would play Matt Murdock, or supporting characters like Stick, Foggy Nelson, Jessica Jones, Maya Lopez; Ben Urich can become house hold names, and be embraced on the big screen. Besides the Law and Order elements within the Daredevil story, there is also the vigilante/ NYPD Blue element, there is also since Daredevil himself has shown bits of investigative prowess and his amazing echolocation powers will bring in some CSI elements to the show. Amazing villains like the Kingpin (who's head of organized crime in at least NYC), Bullseye, Typhoid Mary, Electra (villain/heroin), and if this is a Marvel Studios production you can have interesting cameos by other heroes who also work the streets like Luke Cage.

 

All and all, Marvel has a tremendous library of Super hero Television shows that would get huge ratings for whichever station they land on. Other potential tv shows would be: Hulk (closer to the comic book), X-Men (love triangles, family dramas), Cloak and Dagger, Dark Avengers, Thunderbolts, Spider-Woman

Am I missing any? Do you agree or disagree? Are there any other Marvel comic Television shows you think would do well on TV?

Duran Rivera