X-Men Artist Apologizes for Reportedly Anti-Christian, Anti-Semitic Imagery
Posted: April 10, 2017 Filed under: Comics, Mediasphere, Politics, U.S. News | Tags: Antisemitism, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, Bogor, Donald Trump, Facebook, Google, Halim Perdanakusuma Airport, Indonesia, Jakarta, Jews, Marvel 1 CommentOliver Gettell reports: Comic book artist Ardian Syaf has issued an apology for including hidden messages in an issue of X-Men: Gold that have been interpreted by many readers as being anti-Semitic and anti-Christian.
“My career is over now. It’s the consequence what I did, and I take it.”
The panels in question appear to allude to religious and political tensions in Syaf’s native Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
“My career is over now,” Syaf said in a statement posted to Facebook on Monday. “It’s the consequence what I did, and I take it. Please no more mockery, [debate], no more hate. I hope all in peace.”
Syaf went on to address his inclusion of the number 212 and the phrase “QS 5:51” in the comic, writing that they were meant to represent “justice” and “love.” He also apologized “for all the noise.”
As reported by Bleeding Cool on Saturday, Syaf’s artwork in the first issue of X-Men Gold appeared to reference hardline opposition to Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, the Christian governor of Jakarta, as well as anti-Semitic sentiments. Read the rest of this entry »
Captain America vs Adolf Hitler
Posted: January 29, 2017 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Humor, Mediasphere | Tags: Captain America, Comic Art, Hitler, Marvel 1 Comment[VIDEO] Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Posted: October 24, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Movies, video Leave a comment
Godzilla, like Conan and Tarzan, is in the Marvel Universe
Posted: September 1, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Comic Books, Conan, Godzilla, Illustration, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Tarzan Leave a commentClassic cover by Bernie Wrightson from ‘Chamber of Darkness’ #8, Marvel, December 1970
Posted: August 31, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Chamber of Darkness, Comics, design, Illustration, Marvel, Marvel Comics, typography Leave a comment
Mighty Thor Scooter Wind-Up Toy, 1967
Posted: April 17, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Entertainment | Tags: 1960s, Comic Books, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Mighty Thor, Novelties, scooter, toys, vintage Leave a commentDaredevil #53
Posted: April 2, 2016 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment | Tags: daredevil, Illustration, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Superhero, vintage Leave a commentMarvel’s ‘Daredevil’
Posted: March 1, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Comic Books, daredevil, Marvel Leave a commentJustice League of America #1
Posted: February 25, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Cartoons, Comic Books, Illustration, Justice League of America, Marvel, vintage Leave a commentChinese Marvel Godzilla Comic
Posted: February 25, 2016 Filed under: Art & Culture, Asia, China, Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Bootleg, Cartoon, Comic Books, Illustration, Marvel, Translation Leave a commentMicro-Marketing? Marvel is Promoting ‘Ant-Man’ In The Teeniest, Tiniest Town In Canada
Posted: July 15, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment, Humor | Tags: Actor, Alberta Health Services, Ant-Man, Baie Verte Peninsula, BBC News, Canada, CBC News, Clerk (municipal official), Edmonton, Marvel, Michael Douglas, Paul Rudd Leave a commentWith tiny, little billboards, of course.
Daniel Roberts writes: Marvel’s big summer superhero blockbuster of the moment is “Ant-Man,” starring Paul Rudd, and the studio is working to get billboards for the movie placed in a Canadian town—of six residents.
“It’s a perfect match, in our minds. We’ve had this interesting campaign where we have these mini-sized billboards… It crossed our minds that wouldn’t it be fantastic to have the smallest billboard in Canada in the smallest town, which is Tilt Cove.”
— Disney marketing exec Greg Mason
As part of Marvel Canada’s marketing strategy for the film, it has placed more than 2,500 miniature billboards (a nod to the size of the character, who can shrink to an ant’s level) all over the country so far. They range in size, and the smallest of them is just one-foot tall.
[Read the full story here, at Fortune]
But Marvel Canada is especially interested in placing one of those billboards in Tilt Cove, Newfoundland, CBC News reports. Marvel Canada tweeted its wishes:
Help us get one of these #AntManMiniBoards to Canada’s smallest town #TiltCove #Newfoundland. pic.twitter.com/uONLMX94yO
— Marvel Canada (@MarvelEntCA) July 14, 2015
“It’s a perfect match, in our minds,” Disney marketing exec Greg Mason told CBC in an on-air interview. Read the rest of this entry »
Captain America’s Bicentennial Battles, 1976
Posted: July 4, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: 1970s, Bicentennial, Captain America, Comic book, Marvel, Superhero Leave a comment[REWIND] The Avengers on David Letterman
Posted: May 23, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Comic Books, David Letterman, Illustration, Marvel, Marvel Comics, The Avengers, typography Leave a commentWhat to Get On Free Comic Book Day
Posted: May 2, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Action game, Age of Ultron, Ant-Man, Comic Books, Marvel, Wired Leave a commentIT’S THAT TIME of year again: Free Comic Book Day. Comics shops around the country will open their doors today for the annual celebration of the occasionally-funny books that are always looking to lure in a few new believers. It’s a wonderful time for comics fans, but with so much material on offer—publishers are releasing 50 special issues for readers to sample—you’d be forgiven for feeling paralyzed when it comes to knowing what to pick up. To make your life a little easier, here’s Wired’s guide to the many books on offer…(read more)
For Real: Captain America Shield Pizza
Posted: April 29, 2015 Filed under: Comics, Food & Drink, Humor | Tags: Avengers (comics), Captain America, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Pizza Leave a comment
Is there anything more deliciously geeky than a Captain America shield pizza? http://t.co/ufANgNXSii pic.twitter.com/iHYV3KhwOb
— The Daily Dot (@dailydot) April 30, 2015
[VIDEO] Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’
Posted: April 12, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Avengers, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Cinema, Marvel, media, Movies, video Leave a commentALEX SCHOMBURG (American, 1905-1998) Flying Saucer Landing, Fantastic Universe Magazine Cover, July 1954
Posted: March 15, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: 1950s, Alex Schomburg, design, Golden Age Comics, Illustration, Magazines, Marvel, Millis, New York City, Norman Rockwell Museum, pulp fiction, Science fiction, Stan Lee, The Saturday Evening Post, vintage Leave a commentSchomburg, Alex: Alex Schomburg (American, 1905-1998): is perhaps most celebrated by comic book fans for his action-packed superhero and airbrushed “good girl” covers done during the Golden Age. In addition to his comic book art, Schomburg is also remembered for his stellar science fiction scenes, done for pulps, digests, magazines, and children’s books. In later years Schomburg re-created some of his most famous comic book covers as finely detailed paintings. Former Marvel writer, editor, and publisher San Lee has said, “I’ve always felt that Alex Schomburg was to comic books what Norman Rockwell was to the Saturday Evening Post. He was totally unique, with an amazing distinctive style. You could never mistake a Schomburg cover for any other artist’s”
Disney is Banning On-Screen Smoking in All Future Films, Even Marvel Movies
Posted: March 14, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Censorship, Entertainment | Tags: Animation, Cinema, Disney, Marvel, media, Movies, news, Smoking, tobacco, Twitter, Variety Magazine Leave a commentJohn Romita: ‘The Incredible Hulk on Drums’
Posted: February 16, 2015 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Cartoon, Comic book, Illustration, John Romita, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Sketch, The Incredible Hulk Leave a commentComic Panel: ‘Suddenly, Tony Stark…’
Posted: November 1, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Avengers, Comic Books, design, graphics, Illustration, Iron Man, Lettering, Marvel, Superhero, Tony Stark, typography 1 Comment
Marvel Announces New Wave of Superhero Movies
Posted: October 28, 2014 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Adventure, Iron Man, Marvel, Movies, Superhero, The Avengers, The Black Panther, The Hulk, Variety 1 CommentUPDATED [VIDEO] ‘The Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trailer Leaks Online
Posted: October 22, 2014 Filed under: Breaking News, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: ABC, Age of Ultron, Avengers, James Spader, Joss Whedon, Marvel, Marvel Entertainment, Ultron Leave a commentMarvel and Disney’s first trailer for “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” leaked online Tuesday.
The clip, which features never-before-seen footage including scenes with the villainous Ultron, played by James Spader, was expected to debut during next week’s “Agents of SHIELD” on ABC.
Marvel acknowledged the leak via a meta Tweet:
Dammit, Hydra.
— Marvel Entertainment (@Marvel) October 22, 2014
Iron Man is Forever. Robert Downey Jr. Isn’t
Posted: October 20, 2014 Filed under: Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Captain America, Chris Evans, Elon Musk, Iron Man, Marvel, Marvel Entertainment, Marvel Studio, Marvel Studios, Robert Downey, Robert Downey Jr, Tony Stark 2 CommentsFor The Verge, Ross Miller writes:
After weeks of back and forth, will he or won’t he, Marvel finally announced Robert Downey Jr.‘s next appearance as Tony Stark / Iron Man, playing counterpoint to Chris Evans’ Steve Roger in the NSA-fueled Captain America 3.
But the most interesting part of the announcement is this behind-the-scenes blurb from Variety:
Originally, Marvel wanted to hire Downey for a small role, which would have required just three weeks of work. But Downey wanted Stark to have a more substantial role in the film’s plot, which would give him more screen time and naturally a bigger payday. This angered Marvel Entertainment chief Ike Perlmutter, who ordered the screenwriters to write Iron Man out of the script entirely, according to sources with knowledge of the situation.
[Order the Big Box Iron Man 3 Movie Collection: Iron Man / Iron Man 2 / Iron Man 3 [Blu-ray]
Robert Downey Jr. is Tony Stark. Tony Stark, likewise, is Robert Downey Jr. (with a dash of Elon Musk). There’s no point arguing otherwise; so much of Stark the character feels like an extension of Downey’s own. Marvel Studios has merged the two personalities into one inextricably linked entity, which is why Marvel is more likely to write the character out completely rather than recasting. Read the rest of this entry »
‘Captain America 3’: THR’s 5 Things to Know About the Planned Civil War Story Arc
Posted: October 13, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Captain America, Captain America: The First Avenger, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Civil War, Iron Man, Mark Millar, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel Comics, Registration acts (comics), Robert Downey Jr Leave a commentWhose Side Are You On?
For the Hollywood Reporter, Abid Rahman writes: The incredible news that Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to bring Iron Man to Captain America 3 has set the Internet on fire and with good reason as the most likely story arc that Marvel will use in this casting scenario is Mark Millar‘s fabled Civil War limited series from 2006-7.
[Check out “Captain America: The First Avenger” (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo + Digital Copy) at Amazon.com]
Nothing has been confirmed at this stage, with no definitive word on Iron Man gracing Cap 3 or that Civil War will be the source material. However, with all the rumors, leaks and drip drip of information coming out of people close to the project, there’s a high likelihood that Marvel will base the basic premise of Cap 3 on Civil War.
[Variety has its own edition of “Marvel’s Civil War: 5 Things You Should Know”. Who started this # of things you should know thing, anyway? Anyway, check it out here]

Marvel Entertainment started off its 75th anniversary celebrations at this year’s New York Comic Con with the announcement of what the company is calling its biggest event yet: Secret Wars.
[Read more Marvel Announces ‘Secret Wars’ Cross-Platform Event for Spring 2015]
So what’s the fuss about Civil War? Well, THR have put together 5 key things that occur in the comic series Civil War that will have heavy ramifications for both Cap 3 as well the wider Marvel Cinematic Universe, future Ant-Man and Dr. Strange movies and even planned Avengers sequels several years from now.
[Order “Captain America: The Winter Soldier” [Blu-ray] from Amazon]
Warning, major Civil War spoilers ahead.
1. Civil War needs more than just Iron Man and Cap – Millar’s Civil War featured a huge universe of Marvel characters who were forced to take sides following the introduction of the Superhero Registration Act, an American government initiative to regulate and control vigilantes who also must reveal their identities. In the comics, Spider-Man, Luke Cage, Human Torch, Invisible Woman, Daredevil, Cable, Nick Fury and Captain America rebel against this government attempt to control superheroes. In favor of the legislation you have, Iron Man, Ant-Man, Black Widow, She-Hulk, Venom, Mr Fantastic and many others.
[Order the Big Box Iron Man 3 Movie Collection: Iron Man / Iron Man 2 / Iron Man 3 [Blu-ray]
The inherent problem with adapting Civil War is that Marvel would need to populate the film with enough superheroes for a ‘war’ to look like a war. Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four are out as the rights to those characters rest with other studios, so Marvel will have to get creative to flesh out the secondary superheroes. Read the rest of this entry »
Robert Downey Jr: No Plans for ‘Iron Man 4’
Posted: September 7, 2014 Filed under: Entertainment, Mediasphere | Tags: Iron Man, Marvel, media, Movies, Robert Downey Jr, Tony Stark, Variety 1 CommentSay it isn’t so! Read the rest of this entry »
‘The Coffee Bean Barn’ by Larry Lieber from Amazing Spider-Man Annual #4, 1967
Posted: September 4, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Amazing Spider-Man, Larry Lieber, Marvel, Spiderman, vintage Leave a commentIRON MAN: Seen on Break Room Chalkboard
Posted: August 6, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Art, Chalk drawing, Comic Books, design, IronMan, Marvel, Movies 1 CommentWow.
[VIDEO] Marvel Studios Looks Back on Its First Ten Films
Posted: August 4, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Entertainment | Tags: Avengers, Film, Guardians of Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy, Iron Man, John Sexton, Lucy, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios 2 CommentsJohn Sexton writes: After seeing the disappointing Lucy last week and wondering why anyone would think it was a good idea to take a silly premise and turn it into a profound statement, I did not want to see another summer movie with delusions of grandeur. So Friday, my family and some friends went to see Guardians of the Galaxy. Ah, now that’s more like it.
Marvel has of course been promoting Guardians heavily on TV, even highlighting the claim that it’s the “best Marvel movie ever.” Sorry but that’s not true. The Avengers and the first Iron Man are both better films. But it’s a credit to Guardians that after those two high points it at least becomes arguable whether Guardians could be next in line.
[Also see – VIDEO] LUCY Movie Trailer HD – Writer Director Luc Besson, Stars Scarlett Johansson]
As if inviting the comparison..(more)
NASA and Marvel Super Heroes Have something in Common? Yes…
Posted: June 3, 2014 Filed under: Mediasphere, Science & Technology, Space & Aviation | Tags: Avengers, Games, Marvel, Marvel Super Heroes, NASA, Space, technology Leave a commentNASA and Marvel super heroes have something in common? Yes. Super Science! http://t.co/uHjItljIS7 pic.twitter.com/DUHRimF6zx
— NASA (@NASA) June 3, 2014

Vintage Comic Panel of the Day: IRON MAN
Posted: April 25, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics | Tags: Art Simek, Comics, design, Don Heck, Illustration, Iron Man, Larry Lieber, Marvel, Stan Lee, typography 2 CommentsVingage Comic Panel of the Day: Batgirl
Posted: April 21, 2014 Filed under: Art & Culture, Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Batgirl, Batman, Books, Comic Books, D.C. Comics, design, Gene D'Angelo, Illustration, Joe Giella, Jose Delbo, Marvel, typography 1 CommentCOMIC BOOK CLOSE UP
B A T G I R L
Detective Comics #497 (Dec. 1980)
Art by Jose Delbo (pencils), Joe Giella (inks) & Gene D’Angelo (colors)
Johnny Depp as Doctor Strange?
Posted: January 14, 2014 Filed under: Comics, Entertainment | Tags: Doctor Strange, Johnny Depp, Kevin Feige, Marvel, Marvel Comics, Marvel Studios, Stan Lee, Steve Ditko Leave a commentDepp May Join Marvel’s Superhero Universe
Marc Graser reports: It was only a matter of time before Marvel Studios started courting Johnny Depp to play one of its superheroes.
Sources have told Latino Review that the Mouse House’s main man is in very early discussions with Marvel to take on the role of eccentric magician Steven Strange in “Doctor Strange,” which the company has long been developing as a solo pic to join the ranks of its “Iron Man,” “Thor” and “Captain America” franchises. “Ant-Man” is another character it hopes to launch in 2015 as a standalone franchise around one of the comicbook company’s heroes.
While it makes sense that Marvel would want to have a conversation with Depp over how it could launch a new franchise with the thesp, sources tell Variety that such talks have yet to take place and any possibility of such a pairing is premature.
‘Iron Man’ Deployed to Hong Kong Disneyland
Posted: October 8, 2013 Filed under: Asia, China, Entertainment | Tags: Andrew Kam, Asia, Disney, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Disneyland, Marvel, Mystic Point, The Walt Disney Company 1 CommentPatrick Frater reports: Already hugely popular in Asia, “Iron Man” is to become the newest attraction at Hong Kong Disneyland.
The attraction starts with the progression of Tony Stark’s suit and his other technologies. The anchor of the attraction is the Iron Man Experience, where guests will take flight on an adventure ride that pits Iron Man, and guests, against alien invaders in the streets and skies of Hong Kong. Read the rest of this entry »