Secret Identity--What's New?

Not Just Another Funny Animal Comic

7/31/2012

by Matman

Recently I picked up a bunch of funny animal comics from our good friends at Curious Goods And Comics. Books like 'Biker Mice from Mars', 'Hamster Vice' and the classic 'Cold Blooded Chameleon Commandos' can all be found there for as little as fifty cents an issue!

But this got me thinking! What are my favorite anamorphic comics? So here goes number one to number five!

1. Usagi Yojimbo - Since 1987, this book has been my favorite monthly read. Created, written and drawn by Stan Sakai, the series is a well crafted story that adult and child can enjoy. If you have never read an issue than i don't think we can be friends anymore!

2. Captain Carrot - From DC came the Captain and his Zoo Crew! Created by Roy Thomas and Scott Shaw!, this series gave us almost 30 solid books that may have started as parody, but ended up being an amazing book.

3. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles - This is the series that started it all! In early 1984, the turtles hit the Massachusetts area and then...the world! Combining pleasant art, humor and martial arts mysticism, this series continues to be a must read.

4. Samurai Penguin - In 1987, writer Dan Vado and artist Mark Buck took a penguin, made him a samurai and for 8 issues, really had a lot of fun. Penguins are cool...anywhere!

5. Fish Police - This series was a beautifully crafted tale (by Steve Moncuse) about a fish cop named Gil and his underwater buddies. But what made the book a little more was the hints that Inspector Gil was once human.

To find some of these, and much more visit www.curiousgoodsandcomics.com.

Marvel Launches 'All Winners Squad' Web Series

7/30/2012

If you can hear Matman squealing right now, it's beacuse his beloved Howard the Duck is back in the spotlight at Marvel.

This past week, the House of Ideas launched a new web series that combines some of their more obscure characters with the animation and humor style of an Adult Swim cartoon.

The All Winners Squad features Howard the Duck, Squirrel Girl, Unicorn, The Walrus and Hypno-Hustler, Ruby Thursday and Frog-Man. You can watch the first episode in the player below, and then head to their hub page on Marvel.com for more info.

Word is, there's also a toy line launching this fall.

Back To The Future With Space 1999

7/29/2012

One of the cooler shows on TV in the 1970's was 'Space 1999'!

The British sci - fi series (that aired from 1975 to 1977) told the story of Moon Base Alpha after an explosion hurled it into space...and adventure. For 24 episodes, the series captured the imaginations (and merchandising dollars) of fans not only in the UK but in the United States as well.

There was an even short lived comic series from Charlton Comics which lasted seven issues and eight issues of the black and white magazine.

Fans of the show have reason to get excited with the return of Space 1999 to the world of comics and the hearts of fans. Well thanks to our friends at Archaia the disaster of earth and Moon Base Alpha will live again!

'Space 1999: Aftershock and Awe' is a 160 page full color book written by Andrew E.C. Gaska and features the art of Gray Morrow, David Hueso and Miki.

To see a preview go to www.archaia.com/archaia-titles/space-1999.

Help Fund The Sky Pirates And You Could Be In The Pirate Wars

7/28/2012

Our friends Everett and Susan Soares have been putting out a fantastic fantasy book called Sky Pirates of Valendor since 2007. As they close out the second volume of the series, the've decided to publish the collected edition of the story so far themselves, and have started an IndieGoGo campaign to help fund that publishing.

The Soares have come up with a really cool concept for those who help fund the project--you could actually become a character in the upcoming Pirate Wars storyline! Here's what they had to say about the project:

“Our goal is to have the fleet of ships competing in the wars to be named and manned by our readers,” said Everett.

Depending on the level of contribution, fans can name a ship all the way up to starring in their own issue. The levels of contribution include:

·        Contributors of $10 will receive a limited edition, numbered print of the Volume 2 wrap-around cover signed by Marvel veteran artist Mark Sparacio.

·        Contributors of $20 will receive one of the first printed copies of Sky Pirates of Valendor: Volume 2. Contributors will also have the option of naming one of the ships to be included in Pirate Wars.

·        Contributors of $50 will be drawn into the comic book series as one of the participants in Pirate Wars. They will also receive a pinup of their character and a copy of the issue their character appears in.

·        Contributors of $100 will not only be drawn into the comic book series but will also be the captain of their very own pirate ship, named by the contributor. The contributor will also receive the original page where the ship appears and a copy of the issue they appear in.

·        Contributors of $500 will receive the following: 1. Will be drawn into the series as the captain of their very own pirate ship, to be named by the contributor! 2. Will receive the original page where their ship appears and a copy of the issue they appear in. 3. Will have a 10-12 page short story written and illustrated based on the backstory of their ship. The short story will be included in one of the 6 issues of Sky Pirates of Valendor: Volume 3.

Everett and Susan have also decided that 14% of the proceeds from this campaign will be donated to the victims of the Aurora, CO shooting on July 19, 2012.

The campaign will run until September 30 and contributors will be contacted in the fall of 2012 for their respective contributions. To contribute to Pirate Wars in Valendor, head here.

For more information on Sky Pirates of Valendor, or to download digital copies of the current issues, visit www.skypiratesofvalendor.com.

Syfy Celebrates Memorabilia

7/27/2012

Press Release

In Syfy’s newest reality series, Collection Intervention, premiering Tuesday, August 14 at 10PM (ET/PT), former Head of Special Collections at Christie’s Elyse Luray helps couples, families and individuals whose pop-culture memorabilia collections – from Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica to Catwoman and Barbie – have become damaging obsessions, creating financial strife and a huge strain on their lives.

In each of the six hour-long episodes, Elyse will create a strategy that helps these collectors curate and showcase their collection by assessing where the true value lies and then allow them to decide what’s worth keeping and what they can sell. These massive collections include dining rooms stuffed with 30,000 comic books, a garage filled to the rafters with Catwoman memorabilia, and an almost uninhabitable house filled with Transformers. For each collector, parting with some of their collection may free up some much needed space in their home, provide a cash windfall to get out of debt, or even just allow a couple to become more focused on their relationship.

In the premiere episode titled “A Disturbance in the Force,” what started out as a single room dedicated to Star Wars has grown to take over the entire Concord, California home of Garet and Consetta. When Elyse quickly realizes the Star Wars collection has intense emotional meaning to Consetta, she fears that Consetta may not be able to part with a single item. If Elyse is going to help this couple take back their house, she’s going to have to use The Force to break through to them. Also in the episode, disgruntled Los Angeles housewife Lolly calls Elyse to see if she can help her husband Mark let go of some of his extensive Catwoman collection so they can start to pay some bills. When Elyse sees the collection, which has overtaken their garage, she is stunned by the poor manner in which Mark has stored the collectibles he says he loves. Nonetheless, to save their relationship and pay down their debt, Elyse helps Mark identify what in his collection is truly important to him while pushing him to let go of what is not.

For more info, head over to www.Syfy.com.

Review--Extermination #2 (BOOM!)

7/26/2012

by Brian LeTendre

In the first issue of Extermination, writer Simon Spurrier and artist Jeffrey Edwards introduced us to a world where a superhero and his arch-nemesis had become uneasy partners after an alien invasion had decimated most of the planet. In the second issue, Spurrier and Edwards peel back another layer of the mystery about how things got this bad, and it makes for one heck of an story.

The issue begins with Nox (a Batman-like hero) and Red Reaper (kind of a Lex Luthor) battling hordes of aliens and nearly getting overwhelmed. They are saved by a group of human survivors that have set up and underground base of operations. Initially, Nox and Reaper are impressed with the outfit's operation, but they soon find out that things aren't what they seem, and the group has gone to some disturbing ends to survive and prosper.

The first two issues of Extermination have been fantastic. In addition to the premise being a great twist on the superhero-villain dynamic, the way that Spurrier and Edwards keep giving the reader tidbits about how things came to be is really well done. A lot of information has been given to the reader in the first two issues, but every flashback raises more questions than it answers.

The series so far has been really entertaining, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

4.5 out of 5 Don’t Eat The Stews

Tom Jane Makes His Own Punisher Short Film And It's Pretty Awesome

7/25/2012

I have spoken of my strong dislike of the 2004 Tom Jane Punisher movie several times on the podcast. Aside from the bad writing and acting, it felt like a watering down of the character that just didn’t do the Punisher justice. I much prefer the 2008 Punisher: War Zone movie which, while not perfect, certainly captured the feel of Frank Castle.

But Tom Jane is a real fan of Frank Castle, and he recently made a short film that proves he wasn’t the problem with that 2004 turd of a movie. Called Dirty Laundry, the 10-minute short shows a Frank Castle who is still coming to grips with who he will become. He runs into a group of thugs who are terrorizing a street full of people, and he ultimately decides to do something about it.

The film is a little slow-paced to begin with, but the payoff is something to behold. There is a level of violence in the final two minutes that the 2004 movie never came close to.

You can watch the film in the player below, but be warned--THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NOT FOR CHILDREN (or the squeamish).

Now let’s hope Tom Jane gets another crack at playing Frank castle again, and perhaps they should let him direct as well.

--Brian

Before Watchmen Sells Big For DC In June

7/24/2012

The June 2012 comic sales numbers were released a couple weeks ago, and all four of the Before Watchmen miniseries placed in the top ten. Here are the sales estimates for each, along with their spots in the top ten:
　
5 Before Watchmen Minutemen #1--107,517
6 Before Watchmen Comedian #1--104,142
7 Before Watchmen Silk Spectre #1--102,955
8 Before Watchmen Nite Owl #1--101,297
　
Even though there was a lot of opposition to the new series from longtime Watchmen fans, DC's plan seems to have paid off, at least as far as first issue sales. These numbers will undoubtably dip by the last issue of each series, but unless they fall off a cliff, it looks like the Before Watchmen initiative was a success for DC.
　
So, were you surprised by the success of the first issues?

It's Christmas In July At Drive Thru!

7/23/2012

It's the middle of summer, the weather is hot, and Santa is enjoying some well-deserved time off. The folks at Drive Thru are in a giving mood however, and they've decided to fill in for Santa with their annual Drive Thru Christmas in July Sale. Drive Thru Comics, Drive Thru RPG and Drive Thru Fiction are all discounting hundreds of titles by 25% starting today and running through July 30th.

Now's the perfect time to try out a new comic, novel or RPG at at great price. And as always, you can download the latest issue of Secret Identity for free while you're there.

So, support the good folks who support us, and check out the Drive Thru Christmas in July sale this week!

Brass City Comic Con Today!

7/22/2012

<<Previous

Not Just Another Funny Animal Comic

Marvel Launches 'All Winners Squad' Web Series

Back To The Future With Space 1999

Help Fund The Sky Pirates And You Could Be In The Pirate Wars

Syfy Celebrates Memorabilia

Review--Extermination #2 (BOOM!)

Tom Jane Makes His Own Punisher Short Film And It's Pretty Awesome

Before Watchmen Sells Big For DC In June

It's Christmas In July At Drive Thru!

Brass City Comic Con Today!

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