Zombified!

Wasn't feeling great last night or this morning, so kept putting off a post.

Don't want to miss a day, however, so here are zombified versions of popular characters.

Aquaman

Bugs Bunny 

Mickey Mouse 

Spongebob Squarepants 

Snoopy

Garfield 

Zombie Smurf by mrtozkan 

Indiana Jones

For more posters like this,

go to Hollywood Is Dead

Another loss: Norman Alden, voice of Aquaman

Last night, on the heels of hearing about RG Armstrong having died, I heard another legend has left us.

Norman Alden, also a prolific character actor, also died on Friday. Alden has 237 credits listed on IMDb. Incredible body of work. The roles I know him for are as Professor Frank Heflin on The Krofft Supershow Electra Woman and Dyna Girl and as Bill in Tim Burton's Ed Wood. 

But he will forever and always be the voice of Aquaman, from the 70s Super Friends cartoon. He epitomized the character for so many kids.

Check out a tribute post at The Aquaman Shrine for more information.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Alden.

Super Golden Friends

So - Anyone miss me posting?

Anyway, this was too funny not to share:

Hope you all are having an awesome summer!

Superfriends?

from the MAD cartoon

(thanks to Topless Robot)

Happy Birthday Arthur!

Today marks the 70th anniversary of the debut of Aquaman, King of the Seas!

Aquaman first appeared in More Fun Comics #73, which hit stands on September 25, 1941. He is one of the few comic book characters to keep appearing in comics from the Golden Age into the present. While he wasn't always in his own, self-titled comic, he appeared as the star or back-up star in other comics, such as Adventure Comics and Justice League of America.

The character has had many roles in his long career, from super hero do-gooder to King of Atlantis and founding member of the Justice League, DC's premier super hero team.

Arthur has been married, not always happily, to Mera since 1964. The couple had a son, Arthur Jr., who perished after being held captive by the villain Black Manta. Arthur was also a father figure to Garth, another outcast from Atlantis, who would become his sidekick Aqualad.

I could go on and on with the history of the character, but I wouldn't do him justice. Instead, I direct you toward the awesome website The Aquaman Shrine, where a full-fledged celebration of Aquaman's 70th Anniversary and the debut of the new Aquaman #1 is occurring today!

Head over and join in the fun!

And thanks for all the adventures, Arthur!

Here's to many, many more!

70 Years and Still Making Waves

This Sunday marks Aquaman's 70th Anniversary, to the day - He debuted on comic racks on September 25, 1941 in issue #73 of More Fun Comics! Also, next Wednesday marks the debut of Aquaman #1, the brand new ongoing series from DC Comics! Quite a week!

The Aquaman Shrine is celebrating this event by throwing a party! Who will be attending this party? None other than Dan Abnett, Tony Bedard, Kurt Busiek, Nick Cardy, J.M. DeMatteis, Ramona Fradon, Pat Gleason, Dan Jurgens, Paul Levitz, and Joe Prado!

Also, there will be special surprises will be in store and this event will be fun for comic book fans of all ages!

In addition, the Shrine will be following up the big 70th birthday party with EXCLUSIVE CONTENT from Aquaman artist Ivan Reis every day leading up to the release of Aquaman #1 on September 28!

I may do a little something here on Sunday, to help celebrate this major milestone for my favorite super hero, and I will definitely be attending the party at The Shrine. Hope you'll join us there!

The New 52

Exciting times for DC Comics fans old and new!

DC Comics Relaunch

Geeks of Doom posted the following industry video from DC Comics:



Granted, this is PRO-relaunch all the way, because it IS from the company itself. But I am just as excited as these bigwigs at the company are.

Some fans - heck, A LOT of fans - are up in arms over this relaunch, reboot, renumbering. They don't want to "lose" their DCU or the characters they love. But I have been reading the awesome book "DC Comics Year by Year: A Visual Chronicle" and it has helped me see that this is not the first time DC has redone things. It may be the first time they have done it so blatantly, with a total restart all at once, but DC has had many incarnations.

Maybe this is so different because fans are now so connected, with the internet, and can be a united, vocal voice. But should DC just stay the course and hope for the best? No. They need to do whatever it takes to survive as a company. That's just common sense. And they have always done that. Heck, look back to the 70s and the "DC Implosion".

This relaunch could end up crashing and burning, but I hope it succeeds. I hope this is the beginning of a great, new age for the company and that, one day, in a revised and updated version of "DC Comics Year by Year", my grandkids are reading about this new start and all that came after.

For more on the relaunch, and a gallery of the #1 issue covers,
check out DC Universe: The Source

Cover to Aquaman #1

DC Comics - A fresh start

All around the Internet is the news that DC Comics is starting over.

In short, the DCU will be 'rebooting'. All comics - 52 of them - will be starting with #1 issues. Also, the characters and their shared universe will be younger and fresher, apparently. Lastly, the company will be making comics available in both retail shops and in digital form on the same day. A big change, but a needed one. Hopefully a move that will save the company for the future.

I am thrilled with all of this. I have long said that the DCU was in need a restart. So much was weighing these characters down, confusing fans and keeping possible new fans at bay. Too much to wade through. While comics should be read for the story, it was too hard to feel like you could get into just the story when you had missed so much before. Or were just confused by how it all 'fit together'.

My favorite character is Aquaman, a long running DC hero. He will be part of this reboot, and I am honestly quite okay with that. From what I have read, the creators behind all this are going to keep what is iconic or important and just build from that. I couldn't ask for more. I hope this is the beginning of a new, great age for the DCU.

So, I am going to be optimistic and hopeful for this change. A new day and a fresh take on the comic universe I love the most is a thing to be excited for. I, for one, will be there buying some #1 issues and hoping to fall in love with the form all over again.

Check out the DC Universe: The Source.

Vote for Rob Kelly's Spider Lady

My friend Rob Kelly, who is a very talented artist and illustrator,
has a design up for voting at Threadless.

Here is his design, Spider Lady:



You can go to the site and vote here:



Also use this link: Vote for Spider Lady by Rob Kelly aka namtab29

Please vote, Rob is not only talented, as you can see, but he is a cool dude!

View Rob's work @ Rob Kelly Illustration

and also his very cool Aquaman Shrine

Aqua-birthday!

According to the 1976 DC Calendar, today is Aquaman's birthday! (Thanks, Laura!)



Here is a pic of me and my family from last summer, at Six Flags.



As you can see, we are all in Aqua-shirts! We didn't get a pic with Aquaman that day, although I did see him wandering about the park.



Here's to hoping the next year is a better one for Aquaman & Mera!

UPDATE: Rob is doing posts all day @ The Aquaman Shrine

Laura mentions Aquaman's birthday, as well!

FUGLY!

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I posted my thoughts about DC's Blackest Night series and Zombie-Aquaman previously, so no need to go over that again.

But today I got a look at the action figure they are releasing to tie-in to all this.



FUGLY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Newsarama for the heads up.

And if, for some reason I can't fathom, you want to see the entire Wave 3 of these figures, go on over to Entertainment Earth.

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Blackest Night? No Thanks...

DC Comics' "Blackest Night #1" is in stores today, kicking of their major summer event.

In a nutshell, "Blackest Night" has the villain Black Hand resurrected and recruited by the Guardian Scar to head the Black Lanterns. The Black Lanterns will be made up of deceased heroes from the DCU, including Firestorm, Earth-2 Superman, Martian Manhunter and, among others, Aquaman. (Read more about the storyline here.)

I won't whine about the story itself. I haven't read it, and I don't plan on reading it. But, a note to DC, this is not Aquaman:



Aquaman is a water-breathing, super-strong, telepathic Atlantean. NOT an undead space zombie with a magic ring. And garters, apparently.

The only redeeming thing I can take from all this is that maybe it will end with Aquaman being restored to the DCU in his proper form. But there are so many other ways this could have been accomplished.

I will leave the dissection and debate of the comics themselves to those who read them. Just wanted to have my say about my favorite character and the place he is in now. In my opinion, it's not a good place to be.

Check out The Aquaman Shrine or The Unofficial Aquaman Website for more in depth Aqua-info.

My Daughter Met --- AQUAMAN!

My daughter and a bunch of her friends and schoolmates went on post-school trip to Six Flags New England today.

She had a great time, which was made even better when she met Aquaman!


pic is small due to cell phone

She has this to say about meeting the King of the Seas:

"Today, I met Aquaman. I was visiting Six Flags, and they had The Hall Of Justice, with Batman, Robin, The Green Lantern, and Aquaman inside. My friend Sarah and I visited the superheroes at least twenty times, and bugged the funions out of them. Aquaman and Batman gave us super-powers and super-names. Sarah could make dreams come true, (was) named Dream Catcher, and I was super fast, (and) named Synapse. Batman named us; he's a dork. Synapse are apparently fast things in your brain.

The superheroes signed my basketball, and Batman wrote on the part most difficult to see; Robin scolded him for that. Aquaman also signed my brand-new Aquaman t-shirt.

Aquaman had blonde slicked-back hair, the gold scaly chest, gold shoulder things, green gloves, an Aquaman belt, the green Spandex pants, and snazzy green boots. He welcomed our many returns, and told us Aqualad was at school in Atlantis. Sarah said it was summer, and he told us it's not summer in Atlantis. We then asked where Mera was, I forget what he said... I think he said she couldn't make it.

When I was telling him about my Aquabsessed (Aquaman obsessed) Dad, and I told him about the Aquaman signed comic page he has, he couldn't remember the name of his creator. It was funny =D!

Also, when we left for the last time, he held up his hand as though to wave (but didn't move his hand), so Sarah and I did the Live Long and Prosper sign, and he said, "What does that mean?" (he didn't know about the surface world, he told us), and we said, "It means 'Live Long and Prosper'!", and he said, "Is that a cultural thing?". I responded, "Yes. We are Vulcans." Aquaman was a very nice person, and Sarah and I enjoyed meeting him. =D "

This is the Aquaman "A" in the Hall of Justice:



Here is a pic of her looking very cute, with the shirt she bought and had signed by Aquaman:



Here is a close-up of the very cool t-shirt:



And a close up of the basketball she had signed by Aquaman, Green Lantern, Batman and Robin:



Very cool! Glad she had a great time!

And glad Six Flags is still showcasing DC's Finest!

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Frankenstein, Aquaman & Plastic Canvas

Serendipity, that's what I say. And here is why:

I was planning on doing a quick post today, showing off the Aquaman tissue topper I had finished last night. I had also recently mailed off to England a small Frankenstein's monster 'trading card' I had made, for an ongoing project on the web. Lo and behold, I received an email from the man running the project, and he posted my piece to his site today! So now this is a two-part blog:

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1)

Coop, over in the U.K. has been running a blog project called 'A Patchwork of Flesh'.

He is creating "a gallery of Frankenstein Monster artist trading cards", which is online now and growing, and will possibly be featured in an exhibition in a real gallery at some point.

Here is my submission, from Gallery 23:



Coop sent a very nice email upon receiving my piece, and I thank him for his kind words!

He is welcoming any and all artists to submit their own pieces, in their own styles and mediums, to his gallery. His one stipulation is that the size of the card is 2.5 inches by 3.5 inches (standard artist trading card size) and that each card has name, date, title and anything else you care to add on the back.

I have loved seeing the new cards come in, with the different takes on the character.

You can view more submissions, project information and the address to send your card to at his site: A Patchwork of Flesh.

So, join in and submit something!

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2)

I realized, with all the tissue toppers I have made, I had neglected to make one for my own tissue box. So, I dug out my old "DC Comics Super Heroes" plastic canvas pattern book, to use the pattern for the Aquaman "A".

Here is the finished product, which Aquaman was kind enough to play 'game show model' for:





I like how it turned out, if I do say so myself. :)

And hey, if anyone is at all interested in one of these, let me know. The pattern book has logos for DC, Justice League, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Robin, Flash, Shazam!, Hawkman and, of course, Aquaman. Will be happy to put one together for you. Here is the front and back covers to the book:

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To view more of my plastic canvas items, check out my shop:

Plastic Canvas Crafts by Wings1295

Thanks!

Theme Thursday - Water

Theme Thursday - WATER

Being the fan that I am, there was only one way for me to go with this week's theme:



Aquaman has always been my favorite super-hero. He is perennially the easiest for people to joke about, but this stems mainly from a general ignorance as to what he is truly capable of. Not only can he breathe underwater and 'talk' to sea life, but he is also super-humanly strong, amazingly fast and the King of Atlantis - heck, the King of the Seven Seas!

His origin has gone through many changes over the years, as has his temperament, his costume and his ability to sell comics. But he has maintained a popularity over more than six decades, through many rises and falls in the comic book industry.

I became a fan when I was a kid through the Saturday morning cartoon "The Super-Friends". Later, I was reintroduced to the character through comic books, and have been a fan ever since. I can't say I am happy with how DC Comics has treated the character as of late, but I am hopeful we will see a return, one day, to the Aquaman we know and love. And there are hundreds of comics, dozens of shows and tons of merchandise to enjoy until then!



Here are some great links concerning the King of the Seven Seas, swim over and check them out!

The Unofficial Aquaman Website - Laura runs an awesome, extensive site with everything you needed to know about Aquaman!

The Aquaman Shrine - Rob runs another great site, with everything and anything pertaining to Aquaman. My own "Aquaman Shrine" is one of the many Rob has posted on his site.

Wikipedia page with tons of Aquaman information

DC Comics Aquaman Message Board

A previous post of mine, a collage of 25 Aquaman "A" icons.


Aquaman and his wife, Mera

Collection of Aqua-Icons

Calvin's Canadian Cave of Cool posted a very neat Collection of Super Icons.

I was inspired to do a variation, using Aquaman's "A" from his belt:



(As you can tell, I have no talent with Paint or collages, but I hope you like it.)

Thanks Calvin, for the inspiration! Your collage is Super!

Submitted for your perusal...

So, I have built up a lot of links I thought were cool and fun and wanted to share, and since the weekend is here, you can surf away if you're bored.

First off, COFFEE!!! :ahem:

A cool Literature-Map, lets your put in your favorite author's name and see who else is close to his style. Fun to play around with.

31 Contemporary & Creative Bookshelves. Some of these are very cool. I like #8 the best and #19 seems like something out of LOST's Dharma Initiative.

72 Programs for Freeware Only PC might have some stuff you can use.

and Greg Rutter's 99 Things You Should Have Already Experienced on the Internet.

and 100 Insanely Useful Web Tools You Never Knew You Needed. Nuff said.

Pen Pals for Soldiers seems like a good site. I haven't signed up yet, but I am thinking about it.

Upload your pic and "devolve" yourself at this fun site. Darwin would be proud!

This game, BubbleQuod, I loved! The art, the music, very cool. And I finished it! Yay me!

This Find the Numbers game can be tricky!

Simple spot the differences game, but with a cool art style, Jasmine and Jack.

Can you finish the Picnic Puzzles before your computer? Simple but fun.

A fun time-waster, Gravibounce can be addictive!

Okay, if, like me, you are too old for the stress of Cursor Chaos, then...

Maybe you just want some old school Mario fun!

Don't need a noisy, distractive game, but rather some peaceful, soothing sounds? Try iSerenity.

Or for a laugh, here is WHITE WEDDING done literally, thanks to The Daily What.

How to Knit Smittens - Mittens you can hold hands with. Um yeah, okay then...

FatFingers aims to help you find items on eBay lost to typos. Interesting idea.

And Found Cameras and Orphan Pictures aims to reunite people with their lost, um, cameras and pictures. Do I need to explain more???

Help with meeting people halfway at Happy Median.

Thanks to Laura for this sweet art of Television's SciFi and Superheroes of the 70s.

And DC has two cool busts coming out, one of Aquaman and one of his wife, Mera. Very nice, but too expensive for me.

Wow. Now THAT'S a collection.

I kinda like this Pizza Circular Saw. Sort of a great idea for lots of different folks: woodworkers, pizza chefs and wanna-be serial killers.

More shopping, here is a site for horror fans or for those who need to get a gift for a horror fan - Horror Decor! The Jason mask pillows are sufficiently creepy.

More horror, Mark H. Harris has his list of Guilty Pleasure Horror Movies. Hey, if you enjoy it, it shouldn't be a guilty pleasure. To each their own and all that jazz. Harris also picks the Top 25 Backwoods Horror Movies. After that piece of crap BACKWOODS I saw (with Haylie Duff, ugh), I may have to redeem myself.

Fangoria has Friday the 13th: Body counts, boobies and bloody good quotes.

SPIDER BABY now has a very cool looking OFFICIAL website! Wow. This movie is something to see. It is odd, at best, but I love it more each time I see it.

The always awesome Kindertrauma gives us this very scary Gainomax Monkey. eep...

Dickipedia. Heh.

And I will end with these two from No Smoking in the Skull Cave: The first is just so ... wrong ... and the second is a good way to end a post.

Have a great weekend!