Quatermass and the Pit (Complete Series)

Good God! The full series in one sitting...

It's going to be a long night.

Ralph McQuarrie RIP

I'm saddened to hear about the passing of Ralph McQuarrie.
He was a brilliant artist with a vision and natural talent that was beyond reproach.

George Lucas certainly has a lot to thank him for!

ralphmcquarrie.com

Updated:



"I am deeply saddened by the passing of such a visionary artist and such a humble man. Ralph McQuarrie was the first person I hired to help me envision Star Wars. His genial contribution, in the form of unequaled production paintings, propelled and inspired all of the cast and crew of the original Star Wars trilogy. When words could not convey my ideas, I could always point to one of Ralph's fabulous illustrations and say, 'Do it like this.'

"Beyond the movies, his artwork has inspired at least two generations of younger artists—all of whom learned through Ralph that movies are designed. Like me, they were thrilled by his keen eye and creative imagination, which always brought concepts to their most ideal plateau. In many ways, he was a generous father to a conceptual art revolution that was born of his artwork, and which seized the imaginations of thousands and propelled them into the film industry. In that way, we will all be benefiting from his oeuvre for generations to come. Beyond that, I will always remember him as a kind and patient, and wonderfully talented, friend and collaborator."

—George Lucas

CNV

Congrats to AJ Lieberman(Co-creator and writer of Harvest)as he has just had his(and artist Riley Rossmo's)CNV comic book picked up by Universal Studios. Details below:


Universal Pictures has acquired the action film Cowboy Ninja Viking and has Marc Forster ready to make the graphic novel adaptation his next film. The graphic novel and a Disney-developed script by Zombieland writers Paul Wernick and Rhett Reese were acquired by Universal after the script came in and was deemed too edgy for Disney’s family film mandate. The intention is to begin production later this year, after Forster completes the Brad Pitt-starrer World War Z for Paramount and Skydance. The hope is to spawn a franchise.

Cowboy Ninja Viking is based on the Image Comics graphic novel by AJ Lieberman and artist Riley Rossmo. The title character comes from a secret government program to turn schizophrenics into assassins. The protagonist comes through the program with the skill sets of a cowboy, ninja and a viking. While most of the patients involved in the program are sent back to insane asylum after the program went awry in Iraq, he escapes and uses his skills to track down the billionaire who masterminded the program.

The film will be produced by Guymon Casady, Ben Forkner, Mark Gordon and Bryan Zuriff through MG360, the joint venture between The Mark Gordon Co and Management 360. Wernick & Reese are also producing. The scribes are repped by WME, and Forster by CAA and Management 360.

Forster’s zombie apocalypse World War Z will be released by Paramount on December 21, 2012.

www.deadline.com

HARVEST

Here's a cover mock of Harvest #1 that I worked up for the Image Expo that was held over the weekend.

Not by any means a final image.

Tyrannosaur

Starring Eddie Marsan, Olivia Colman, and the brilliant Peter Mullan. Has Peter Mullan ever given a bad performance?

Written and directed by Paddy Considine. This is also Considine's directorial debut and for his first outing he doesn't put a foot wrong. It's working class, social realism in the vein of Alan Clarke and Mike Leigh (minus Leigh's quirkiness- there isn't much relief or humour within the movie) Considine does not believe in pulling any punches and it will most certainly leave you emotionally exhausted as the credits begin to roll, but, if you do decide to take the journey- you'll be strongly rewarded!

Considine also wrote(alone with Shane Meadows) Dead Man's Shoes which is another movie worth tracking down--

It also features this song on the soundtrack- never has a song complimented a movie so well:

Galaxies greatest...

Not only 35 years old- but it features a bloody lovely Mike McMahon cover:
I actually started reading 2000AD with Prog 86 when another British comic called Starlord folded and merged with it. Around that same time I was reading Savage Sword of Conan and the Star Wars Weekly- with extra helpings of a lot of the British humour mags : Whoopee, Whizzer and Chips and the like...

Looking back I'm surprised that I didn't pick up on it for nearly a year and a half, especially as I was always picking up new comics in the local newsagents...how 2000AD passed me by for so long - I have no idea!

Most people in the industry of a certain age (whether it be in film or comics) always mention Star Wars as the defining moment when they decided "this" is the type of stuff that they want to do with their life! It's true for me also, to some extent-- but I think I would have to give that pride of place to 2000AD.

While Star Wars was definitely one of the many sparks; 2000AD was quite literally the 'blaze' that kept me engrossed with incredibly imaginative ideas, story content and characters for the longest time...

Long may it continue...

Lou, Leonard and Shane...

Some great finds on Youtube:

Almost 5 hrs worth - should keep you busy for a while...

SOUND IT OUT

I must admit I do enjoy my digital tunes, they are immediate and compact- meaning I can have a ridiculous amount of music on my ipod at any given time.

In saying that, I do miss the days of going to record stores and picking up Vinyl - it just seemed you got a little more bang for your buck- gatefold sleeves for one, I mean in general the bloody size of them was impressive opposed to your little cassettes and then your CDs and now, well...there's nothing of any tangible value whatsoever...

There was just something more personal about owning an album or a record; even the scratches held distant memories (-usually being too pissed to place the needle on the record properly in my case...) The sound of the needle was a comforting sound in itself-- like the rumble of a train as it moved towards it's track 1 destination... (bit of a wanky metaphor- but bear with me...)

I do also remember my sister and myself as kids using a bunch of my dad's Beatles and old Elvis singles as stepping stones-- and the sound they made as they crunched under our feet...

GOD IN HEAVEN!!!!

Anyway...that brings me on to this:

TRAILER: SOUND IT OUT - A documentary by Jeanie Finlay from Jeanie Finlay on Vimeo.

This is a fantastic slice of life documentary of the very last surviving vinyl record shop in Stock-on Tees in the UK.

I bloody loved it! I think you will too...

Website: www.sounditoutdoc.com