Book Deal For Harvey Pekar
Keep your eyes peeled this Fall for three new graphic novels from Harvey Pekar.
Harvey Pekar, the cult comic book hero and inspiration for the acclaimed film "American Splendor," has agreed to write three graphic novels for Ballantine Books, an imprint of Random House, Inc.
Pekar's first work for Ballantine, a "sequel of sorts" to "American Splendor," will come out this fall.
Ong-Bak Will Destroy You
Some of you may have heard the hype, some of you may have seen the trailer, some lucky among you might have seen the movie playing at a nearby film festivalbut for the rest of you, prepare to have your minds blown and your bodies destroyed by the awesome force of martial combat that is Ong-Bak.
With brutal and uncompromising martial artistry that hasn't been seen in years, if ever, the Thai film tells a simple story: when a protective statue of the Buddha is stolen from a tiny town, Ting (Tony Ja)who has been trained in Muay Thai kickboxingis dispatched to find the traitor who stole it and return it safely. Simple. Except, along the way, Ting is forced to dispatch other people using his knowledge of Muay Thai. Repeatedly. Spectacularly. Jaw-droppingly.
Seriouslythink back to the best thing you've ever seen an American martial artist do in a movie and imagine if, halfway through said stunt, he was kicked in the nuts: that's what Ong-Bak is going to do to the cinematic genre.
A release date is set for July in France. We don't get squat for now but the trailers on its website. But those should keep us going for a little while, anyway. Well, those and Muay Thai lessons, so we can try to get ourselves as badass as Ting.
(nb. Choose the "Trailer VO" option to hear the original Thai language trailer, as opposed to "Trailer VF," which will give you the dubbed French.)
Human remains may have been among farm meat
Farmer Robert Pickton now faces over 15 counts of first degree murder after the human remains of several missing women were found among meat processed at his farm outside Vancouver.
the meat was never distributed commercially. But about 40 friends and neighbours ate meat from the farm during barbecues or were given some to take home.
Otaku for Christ
Otaku translates from Japanese to mean nerd, outsider, or "rogue fan." It is someone who fully adopts the ethos and personality of the object of fandom. Western culture has adopted it despite its negative Japanese connotation to mean anyone who is a part of a popular culture epoch that adopts the persona and elements of the epoch (think trekkers).
The rash of "indecent" media has, in turn, produced a unique evangelical Christian counterculture.
An article at MIT's Technology Review examines the reasons why.
"While many Christians have felt cut off from mass media, they have been quick to embrace new technologiessuch as videotape, cable television, low-wattage radio stations, and the Internetthat allow them to route around established gatekeepers. The result has been the creation of media products that mirror the genre conventions of popular culture but express an alternative set of values."
Interestingly enough, by both examining an artifact of popular culture and critiquing it with another set of values, a new media literacy develops.
[...] Christians are apt to disagree among themselves abo ut what is or is not valuable in such works [Bruce Almighty, Whale Rider, Cold Mountain, and Lord of the Rings], but that the process of talking through these differences focuses energy on spiritual matters and helps everyone involved to become more skillful in applying and defending their faith.
Anakin Still Looks Like a Whiny Punk
The Movie Vault (and a bevy of other places) have posted a picture of "evil" Anakin Skywalker for Episode III.
The Practice Adjourned For Good
ABC execs have just announced that the season finale of The Practice will also be the series finale.
Despite a resurgence in the fading ABC legal drama's popularity this season--thanks mostly to an Emmy-worthy performance by new cast member Spader--ABC announced Wednesday that the May 16 season finale of The Practice will also be the series finale for the show.
Court dismissed!
Teens Break Anti-Sex Pledge
Reuters has posted this news tidbit:
U.S. adolescents who pledge not to have sex until they are married have about the same rate of sexually transmitted diseases as other teenagers and they often fail to keep their pledge, according to a study released on Tuesday.
The study of a nationally representative sample of about 15,000 youths aged 12 to 18 found that 88 percent of teenagers who pledged to remain virgins until they are married ended up having sex before marriage
I am shocked. SHOCKED.
The FCC is Bush's lapdog
Jeff Jarvis has been reporting daily on what's going on with the FCC and Howard Stern, and it's getting more serious by the day.
Howard Stern's source in the FCC tells him today that there have been meetings at a high-level in the agency strategizing when to fine Stern based on the impact it would have on the election of George Bush. Some argue that fining him now will make him a martyr and help him rally voters against Bush; others say not fining him will make him look like a boy who cried wolf; others say they should get rid of Stern now because, to their surprise, much of his audience does vote. and he can have an impact on the election.
If that is true, that that could not be a clearer violation of the First Amendment: an agency of government using fines for political ends to affect political speech.
If that is true, if any such discussion occurred in the agency, then they should be hauled before Congress or courts right now.
If that is true, what's the difference between this and Nixon's enemies list or J. Edgar Hoover's harassment of civil rights and antiwar leaders?
So let's find out whether it is true: Stern should sue and subpoena their asses. Or a legislator with balls should call for a hearing.
That's only a small portion of what he's talking about today. Go read the rest.
Girls Gone Mild
Apparently, the underage boob flashing and girl-on-girl action in the famous Girls Gone Wild series is considered by a court of law to be good clean family fun!
A videotape of an underage girl exposing her breasts is not child pornography, a judge decided Tuesday in a criminal case against the producer of the "Girls Gone Wild" video series.
Return of Scarface (aka New Jack City 2)
As definitive as Pacino's Scarface is (not to diss Paul Muni, but c'mon), apparently it's not definitive enough. The USA Network has bought the rights to the story and is preparing to dust it off next year in a new four-hour miniseries.
The return of Tony Montana?! Err, no. It's set in L.A. in the early '80s and will focus on the early days of crack, rather than the (currently chic) cocaine. Will the Cuban posse still be the anti-heroes at the centre of the story? Or, if it's about drugs, are they gonna make, say, the CIA the bad guys? Err, no. Writer/executive producer Charles Eglee (Dark Angel co-creator) has decided to showcase the new face of dope-peddling villainy as... uh, African-Americans. For some reason. Which hasn't been stated publicly.
Uhhhhhh... okay. Yeah, this should be swell.
Quizno's Mystery Mammals
Just because those flea-bitten, Picasso wanna be, mystery mammals in those Quizno's commercials make eating at their restaurant the last thing I would want to do, it doesn't mean I still don't want to know what they are. Tarsiers.Yeah, that's what I thought.
Taking what we'd learned from these sources, we plugged "Tarsiers" into Yahoo! search and found indisputable evidence incriminating the tiny primate as the animal behind the Quiznos campaign. Learn more about these mini monkeys at primates.com and the Animal Diversity Web, or just try image search for pictures of the bug-eyed tree dwellers.
Stinky Monkey = Tasty Sandwich? What the...
What are those animals in the Quiznos commercials? [Ask Yahoo]
Lunch with Stan "The Man" Lee
GREETINGS, TRUE BELIEVERS!
When last we left our intrepid comics fans, they were wondering how to spend their lunch money, when suddenly FORTUNE STRUCK in the form of a charity lunch! Using their internet connections to their full heroic potential, they logged onto eBay and forged their bids for lunch with arguably the greatest (or most diabolical) comic book mogul ever!
Can you defeat the other comic fans in a bid to enjoy the COSMIC BUFFET with Smilin' Stan Lee?! If you win, will you choose the path of righteousness and praise him for helping to create the Fantastic Four, or will you throw your macaroni salad at him and ask him what was up with his fucked-up treatment of Jack "King" Kirby?! THE CHOICE IS YOURS!
BID AS BIG AS GALACTUS! SPEND LIKE TONY STARK IN A WHISKEY WAREHOUSE! WIN LIKE MAGNETO IN VEGAS!
EXCELSIOR!
Slave Labor Graphics vs. The Car
Slave Labor Graphics, the folks that bring you such happy-go-lucky comics as Johnny the Homicidal Maniac, Lenore, Little Gloomy, Squee and Milk and Cheese had a run-in with a car with last weekend... or at least their offices did.
Early Saturday morning, a drunk driver took her car and rammed it through the front doors and windows, wiping out the editorial and production department and part of their store.
Still, as no one was injured, they held their heads up high and got on with the clean-up. Editor-In-Chief Jennifer de Guzman related it thusly:
As Dan [Vado, President and Publisher] just said to me, "You can drive a Honda Civic through the heart of our business, and all that we'll say is, 'Hand me a broom.'"
Witness what the staff was forced to use a broom on! Witness the carnage!
The Juice Is Loose
Obviously too cash strapped from his exhaustive and relentless search for the real killers, O.J. Simpson has, apparently, decided to cut a few corners and use a pirate satellite TV box.
DirectTV is suing him for $20K, in the midst of a larger crackdown on people who pirate satellite TV. It's also not O.J's first scrape with the law since he was aquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman.
What a great guy. 
DirectTV Sues O.J. Simpson for $20,000 Over Cable Piracy
Battle Of The Bands
White Stripes frontman, Jack White, found himself in court today facing misdemeanor assault charges.
White is accused of beating up Jason Stollseimer, frontman for Detroit act the Von Bondies, at another band's show in the Motor City back on December 13.
White Stripes Frontman Goes On Trial In Assault Case [Launch.com]
UPDATE:
White Stripes lead singer Jack White pleaded guilty to assault and battery Tuesday for a fight with the lead singer of another band.
White was accused of repeatedly punching Von Bondies lead singer Jason Stollsteimer and originally was charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault. He could have faced up to a year in jail, but will avoid jail time under the plea deal.
White must pay a $500 fine, plus $250 in court fees, and Judge Paula G. Humphries ordered him to attend anger management classes. She also told him not to contact Stollsteimer.
White Stripes Lead Singer Pleads Guilty [Associated Press]
What Dictates Body Image, Perception or Projection?
According to Marie Claire, six words are worth more than a picture. A "plus sized" model named Nicole was used in a billboard campaign portraying two completely different messages:"I think I'm fat" and "I think I'm sexy". What did they discover? How you present yourself can be just as sexy as you look.
"She is a goddess to behold. Nothing is more sexy than a voluptuous woman -- and confidence goes a long way."
--Jeff, 31
Nicole is a size 14, which is an average size for American women. The article can be found at iVillage.
Alien Vs. Predator
A kick fucking ass AVP featurette has just been posted online on Apple.com. It goes into a lot of background on the story itself, and has some great shots from the upcoming movie.
Family Lawsuit Alleges UCLA Sold Donated Body Parts
The University of California, Los Angeles has illegally sold body parts of people who had donated their corpses in order to further medical research, donor relatives claimed in a lawsuit filed Monday. The class-action lawsuit comes after two men were arrested for allegedly selling parts of the corpses for profit. The lawsuit also claims UCLA officials were fully aware of this practice as it has been going on for several years. UCLA has denied having any knowledge of the sales. Attorneys representing victim's families have stated that survivors of the donors recieved documents from the university stating that cadavers would never be sold, noting that such sales are in violation of California state law
Angelina Jolie's Friends are Lucky Bastards
OK, so Angelina Jolie just happens to be your friend, and you just happen to be a dude. You've always thought she was hot, but way too crazy to get involved with. Well, today is your lucky day - from e!online:
Angelina Jolie telling the New York Post that she's currently sleeping with men with whom she's close friends and is not seeking a serious relationship. "As crazy as it sounds, meeting a man in a hotel room for a few hours and then going back and putting my son to bed and not seeing that man again for a few months is about what I can handle now," she said.
Sniper Killer Muhammad Sentenced to Death
A judge rejected John Allen Muhammad insistence of innocence and sentenced him to death Tuesday, saying his actions in the Washington-area sniper shootings were "so vile that they were almost beyond comprehension."
Circuit Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr. also turned aside a plea from Muhammad's lawyers to spare their client's life. He ordered that Muhammad be executed on Oct. 14, but that date likely will be postponed to allow appeals.
Link to full story.
