Marvel Loses Avi Arad and Media Obsess About Superman's Sexuality

Avi Arad has left Marvel Comics to start up his own film production company. Arad was one of the key figures in Marvels recovery from bankruptcy and helped move the company away from comic books as a primary product and into a multimedia conglomerate. Arad's vision seemed finalized when Marvel opened their own production studios for films, an act Arad deemed necessary after conflict with Sony over Spider-man revenues.

The split, and subsequent creation of a company that will make Marvel licensed films, seems odd. Especially when you take into account that Arad has recently sold off $60 million in Marvel shares, 2/3 of his holdings in Marvel. The combination of Arad's apparent ability to convince Marvel to once again license their films out, in this case to him, with his own huge divestiture in Marvel interest leave the future of Marvel open in my mind.

In other news, it seems that the Los Angeles Times and everyone else can't stop talking about how "gay" Superman is going to be as a film. Personally, Superman is one of my favorite characters, Singer is one of my favorite directors, and I think the film will be great. Besides, I saw Christopher Reeve kiss Michael Caine in Deathtrap and you don't get any more homoerotic than that. Oh wait, sure you do, "Kneel before Bernadette." I mean Zod. Look at how fetish-wear the Zod getup looks? It looks like Zod is getting ready to molest Kal-El.



I don't know what the big deal is. I don't know why everyone is trying to politicize/tank what looks to be a fun movie.

I will be waiting in line to see Superman Returns and if I hear too much snickering in the line, I just may go Doomsday on their asses.

Food For Thought

So, I was watching Heavy: The History of Metal and The VH1 Rock Honors the other day. Yeah, I know...metal bah.

Heavy was a pretty good set of documentarys if you like the subject matter. But don't even get me going on the use of the term Glam to describe 80's "hair metal." Everybody, okay well at least Nick Hornby, knows that Glam is T-Rex, David Bowie, and the New York Dolls (Robert Palmer and Roxy Music too) and not Poison, but that is another story (you can always watch Velvet Goldmine for a fictional version). To make a long story short, I enjoyed the show, but what really capped it off for me was last night's Rock Honors. The highlight for me was Godsmack doing a Judas Priest medley. I normally hate medley's but Godsmack really adapted the music of Priest well. Their medley made a great opener for the Priest themselves.

On the weak side was the All American Rejects version of Def Leppard's "Photograph." To be honest the whole Leppard segment was pretty weak.

The irony of watching bands like Priest (Breakin' the Law and Hell Bent for Leather) hobble around on stage like geezers isn't lost on me, but Priest let the music do the talking and focused their performance on the music and it worked. The band's proficiency carried them through, they seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves, and they rocked. Leppard on the other hand seemed lathargic and lazy when performing their own music. Their notes were flat and the guitar work harried. When Brian May, of Queen, came out with Leppard for their cover of T-Rex's "Twentieth Century Boy" they did liven up and appear to enjoy themselves. Kinda sad that they are more excited about other people's music than their own, though they were still overselling it. I don't know how you oversell a Glam tune, but they managed.

Back to Priest/Godsmack. A part of the Godsmack medley was the classic Electric Eye, which regardless of where you stand in today's political climate provides food for thought.

Up here in space
Im looking down on you
My lasers trace
Everything you do

You think youve private lives
Think nothing of the kind
There is no true escape
Im watching all the time

Im made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

Im elected electric spy
Im protected electric eye

Always in focus
You cant feel my stare
I zoom into you
You dont know Im there

I take a pride in probing all your secret moves
My tearless retina takes pictures that can prove

Im made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

Im elected electric spy
Im protected electric eye

Electric eye, in the sky
Feel my stare, always there
Theres nothing you can do about it
Develop and expose
I feed upon your every thought
And so my power grows

Im made of metal
My circuits gleam
I am perpetual
I keep the country clean

Im elected electric spy
Im protected electric eye

Protected. detective. electric eye

Christian Johnson in Print Again

In my ever expanding quest to become a game designer, I have become an editor on the staff of the unofficial Savage Worlds Fanzine Sharkbytes. I am the 50 Fathoms editor. 50 Fathoms is Savage Worlds' piratical setting and I have had fun as the editor.

Long story short, my first edited article is in the newest issue (Volume 2, Issue 1).

If you have any interest...my first published article was in the February '05 Nibbles issue. It was an article on how to incorporate introduction, cutscenes, and flashbacks into game sessions.

After its long hiatus, it is good to see Sharkbytes back in print and I have already gone hard to work editing the next 50 Fathoms article. I am even writing a few, though not 50 Fathoms, of my own.

Baseball stories not currently being covered

With the Barry Bonds saga dragging on the national media seems to be mostly ignoring some of the better baseball stories going on throughout the league. This is not to say they are not being covered but not being given their due. The following list is in no particular order:

Albert Pujols: Now he is being covered but not to the degree that McGuire or Bonds were when they were on their record setting pace. Currently, he has 25 homeruns and 64 rbis at the end of May, if Albert keeps it up he will hit 79 home runs and have 202 rbi's by the end of the season. A mind boogling season - perhaps the best of all time.

Brandon Webb: Quietly leads the league with 8 wins. He has been dominant throughout the season and should start for the National League in the all star game. His ground ball to flyball ratio has been disgusting. His 2.18 ERA and 1.08 whip are nothing to sneeze at.

The Detroit Tigers: They have been in a word awesome. Jim Leyland has turned around a franchise in desperate need of a new direction. The pitching is good and their lineup produces runs. They are a nice change to the teams normally associated with the elite of the sport.

Nomar Garciaparra: After a couple of years of injury he has made a smooth transition to first base and is hitting lights out in Los Angeles. Nomar hasn't been playing as long as everyone else but he is hitting over .360 and has favorable rbi's with the league even with his time off for injury.

Johnathan Papelbon: The Boston rookie has moved into the closer's role and has given up one earned run all year. His microscopic whip and era (0.35 era and 0.58 whip) have helped Boston stay at or near the top of the AL East

Ryan Howard: This second year first baseman from Philadelphia is tearing up the National League with 18 homeruns and 47 RBI's through May. He simply crushes the ball - get used to the name it will be around awhile.

Hanley Ramierez: Rookie starting shortstop for the Florida Marlins is hitting .315 with 43 runs and 16 stolen bases in his debut season. He runs and scores, just what you want out of a lead off hitter. Additionally, he is a legitimate threat on the bases, rivaling Carl Crawford, Jose Reyes and Scott Posednick for steals. A true consideration for rookie of the year.

the National League West: After a season where only one team was above .500 for the year, after two months every team is .500 or better. Thats what I call a turn around.

Whatever your take on Bonds, he looks old these days and in my humble opinion now that he has taken the next hurdle lets see more of some other stories.

Joe Bob Briggs Imitates Cinerati

Look at the theme he chose for his blog!

In all honesty, Joe Bob's Week in Review has been long in need of the kind of interactivity that blogs allow. Go on over and give him a holler.

Community Rundown

Here are the stories being covered by the Pop, Pop, Pop Culture Community this week so far.

1. Perrero has their usual blogburst, expect the unexpected.


2. Shouting Into the Wind discusses why Taylor Hicks Matters.


3. DISContent discusses Memorial Day and Hershel Gordon Lewis


4. Monitor Duty discusses Strangers in Paradise


5. News on the March discusses Google, the Simpsons, and Jules Verne.


6. Gone Hollywood disses Michele Rodriguez for being released from prison and praises Naomi Watts for her philanthropy.


7. Our friends at the Ziggurat of Doom discuss propaganda, X3, and how vampires are protesting hamburgers at White Castle


8. The Shelf apologizes for the lack of a Memorial Day post on Memorial Day and has a few comments about his opinions regarding An Inconvenient Truth


9. The Hungry Ghost reminds us to read the Axis of Time series and presents an opportunity for all you burgeoning 35mm Hong Kong Print collectors out there.

We, of course, have discussed X3 and Xombies and will soon discuss the Wild Cards series in greater detail.

Added Community Members

Per Request I added Gone Hollywood to our community. I also added Monitor Duty, though they didn't ask.

We still need a "logo" for our community. Any volunteers?

If not, I'll have one up by the end of next week.