After losing a film legend like Roger Ebert, it would have to take someone major to pass away to make my day any more miserable. But just a few short hours after I found out that Ebert had passed away, i got the news that comic legend Carmine Infantino had also passed away. While Infantino may not be as well known amongst the mainstream as Ebert was, to geeks like me he is one of the golden gods of the comic industry and a titan among men. Infantino was directly responsible for ushering in the Silver Age of comics, and he did this by redesigning The Flash's costume to the familiar hooded red & yellow suit that we all know and love. Those stories focused on the rebootable aspect of comics, and the future inclinations of classic DC characters came shortly after.
Vampires are on the way out. Zombies are on the rise. I can not wait for AMC's The Walking Dead, and I have been impressed with most of the newer takes on the classic Zombie genre like Fido and Resident Evil 3 (what... it took more of a zombie twist with 3, and I liked it. Milla can get it son!!!) Anyways, we were wandering through the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con when we were stopped by a guy that said "Oh, nice shirt... hey Arthur, check this out." As I was turned around to face an artist who was drawing, he began to analyze my Marvel Zombies T shirt... "Not bad, but why did they have to go around the edges with marker?" he asked his assistant. As I stood there modeling, I took a look down at the prints and realized that they were all of flesh rotting versions of superheroes and pop culture icons. As my eyes dropped down to the artist, he looked at me, extended his hand and said "I'm Arthur Suydam, nice to meet you." Damn, I just met a legendary comic artist and had no idea I was even next to him... gulp!
I asked Arthur if he would mind giving us an interview, and I think my shirt played into his choice to say yes. We agreed to come back a bit later, and when we did we were met by his assistant, Eric. Eric was great, and he cleared space for me to sit behind the table with Arthur. We had like a 10 minute chat, and Arthur told us what he loves about drawing Zombies, how it feels to have been doing something for years that other people are starting to jump on the bandwagon for, working for Heavy Metal, how long it takes to do one of his prints, getting to draw cadavers in the morgue to learn anatomy, and all types of other stuff. The guy was super friendly... check out the interview here:
What a cool guy. Eric told us to check for him the next day, as he would be dressing in an 8 foot Zombie Hulk costume. You know we couldn't wait for that!!! I went the next day with my son Mikey, and when Eric put on the suit... well, Ill let you see for yourself:
Check out Arthur's work in Marvel Zombies, Marvel Zombies 2, Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness, Mudwags, Mudwags II, and Arthur Suydam: The Art of the Barbarian. Also, check back here for more of his work. Thanks for the love Arthur.
P.S.- The next day, I brought Mikey over to meet Arthur, and he sketched him a Deadpool Zombie head in his sketchbook. Yeah son... check it out!!!
During the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con Mike D and Tommy had the opportunity to meet and interview lots of people. One of the coolest groups, by far, were also the ones who were getting the most stares... the trio of actors/actresses that portrayed the centipede in the 2010 surprise hit The Human Centipede. Akihiro Kitamura, Ashlynn Yennie and Ashley C Williams were super cool and more then happy to chat with us for a bit about things like what it was like to be in such a surprise hit of a film, what kind of diet they were on during the shoot, the comfort level actors must have when shooting a film ass to mouth with your co-stars, where Dr Heiter places amongst the new lexicon of modern horror evil doers, and how they auditioned for the film using only their eyes to convince director Tom Six they were the right ones for the gig... its all right here:
Very cool stuff from a very cool group. I love these guys, I really do. They were great and I look forward to meeting up with them again. Check for Ashlynn Yennie in the upcoming film 'Fetch' and the 'Bloody Best Photography Project'. You can see Akihiro Kitamura in the upcoming 'Nipples & Palm Trees'. Ashley C. Williams can be seen in the upcoming British film 'Stagnant'. I wish them all the best. Thanks for the love guys. I will leave you with the cast of 'The Human Centipede' shouting out CCD.... gotta love it!!!
Whenever I'm choosing another lovely young lady to feature in our OHC column (Obscure Hot Chick) it takes me awhile to figure out who I'm going to pick. The goal of this column is to expose you guys to someone who is kinda on the radar but poised to bust out in a major way. It helps that they are easy to look at (always a bonus). Ashlynn Yennie fits this description to a T. Even though she starred in one of last years most talked about features, The Human Centipede, you would be hard pressed to pick her out of a crowd. That's probably because she spent around 3/4 of the film with her mouth attached to the ass of her beautiful co-star Ashley C. Williams (a up & coming OHC in her own right... check back soon!). Now even though that sounds promising (perverts), those of you guys who have seen the movie know that its not so sexy. I was a fan of the flick from the moment I saw it, and having been lucky enough to meet the centipede trifecta at the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con I am even more inclined to jump on the bandwagon. Ashlynn was gracious enough to take a bit extra time after our interview with the group to discuss her role in the Bloody Best photography project. Even though the project is shrouded in secrecy, Yennie told us there is more to come... and she will be featured in more photos. She also has another horror movie getting lots of buzz, called Fetch, coming soon. She also hinted that we might see her in some more mainstream "franchise/tent pole" movie coming soon, but couldn't comment further (or did she... I caught that hint Ash!!!) She is also getting involved with the Bowling for Boobies charity, which you can get more info on by clicking here. All in all, she is a fresh face with a bright future and a lovely personality to match her stunning looks. Thanks for all the love Ashlynn... we here at CCD wish you all the best!!!
***Please press click here below to see more Ashlynn Yennie***
Tommy and I had the opportunity to meet the lovely and talented Erin Gray over at the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con... and fellas, the lady is still as gorgeous as ever!!! We chatted with the former Silver Spoons and Buck Rogers star, and she was more then happy to discuss a few things with us on camera for you guys to enjoy. We talked about her career as a super model and the face of Bloomingdales, what it was like working with Rick Schroeder, Alfonso Ribiero, and Jason Bateman on Silver Spoons, and being one of the first woman in the history of Sci-Fi to occupy a lead role in a series, as well as being in Jason Goes To Hell... once you go horror, you never go back!!! We also chatted about her future projects and what she has been up to recently. Check the video out for yourself:
You should stay tuned here on CCD for more news on the web series Buck Rogers Begins, which will be serving as a prequel to the hit show. Also, you can get some more information on her upcoming film "Dreams Awake" by clicking here. It's the first movie to ever shoot on Mt. Shasta, so it should be breathtaking. Erin is a class act, was a pleassure to speak with, and was super nice enough to take a few minutes out of her busy schedule for us at CCD. We love you Erin!!!
We caught up with Dan Fogler on the second day of The 2010 Big Apple Comic Con because he was unable to make the opening night due to arrival times from LA. I happened to be at the con on a second day just as a fan with my son Mikey, but when I saw Fogler I had to get a few minutes on camera with him for you guys. I have liked Fogler since the first time I saw him as Randy Daytona in Balls of Fury (hysterical... Christopher Walken in a Fu-Manchu outfit...priceless) and continued to make us laugh in Good Luck Chuck and Fanboys. He has a new film project, which he makes his directorial debut, is entitled Hysterical Psycho. I scored a signed copy for a mere 10 bucks (a black and white special edition) at the show. Fogler also chatted with us about the upcoming Moon Lake graphic novel which is based upon the Hysterical Psycho universe. He threw in a signed copy of the preview comic as well as an autographed one sheet poster. Three autographed pieces of merchandise from a very cool actor for 10 bucks... not bad!!! Check out this video where Fogler tells us a bit about Hysterical Psycho, Moon Lake, and being in the Star Wars geek-umentary FanBoys. He is talking to my son Mikey about Empire Strikes Back in the clip...
You can check out the Hysterical Psycho website by clicking here, and you can pre order the Moon Lake graphic novel on Amazon by clicking here. Be on the lookout for Fogler playing one of the greatest comedians of all time, Sam Kinison, in the upcoming HBO biopic "Brother Sam". Very cool dude, thanks for the interview Dan!!!
Abe Sapien. The Faun. The Pale Man. The Silver Surfer... if you have ever seen these characters on the big screen in their respective movies (Hellboy I & II, Pan's Labyrinth, Fantastic Four 2:Rise of the Silver Surfer) than you have seen Doug Jones in action, even if you didn't know it. Under all that makeup and digital effects lies the man who truly brings those characters to life... and frankly, the actor that makes those movies as great as they are. Jones steals everything he is in, and its a combination of his sweepingly graceful body motions and ability to bring humanity through layers of latex & paint. The dude is just a beast, and he is the best at what he does.
I had the pleasure of meeting Doug at the 2010 Big Apple Comic Con last week. When it comes to celebrities, Jones is really a breath of fresh air. He is so nice, and caring when he speaks to you. When Tommy & I came up to his table and asked him for an interview, he damn near hurdled the table to get in front of the camera for us. No begging or pleading necessary... he was more then happy to oblige. Also, let me be clear, it was not because no one was coming up to his table. He was constantly getting visits from fans, as you will see in our video clip (a fan bum rushes our interview for like 2 minutes... hysterical). Listen to Doug's thoughts on playing characters in makeup, bringing the Silver Surfer to life, recommending lines to the director that disn't get into the FF film, what kind of comics he read as a kid, whether or not he will appear in Guillermo del Torro's anticipated Lovercraftian opus "At The Mountains of Madness", and much more. We chatted with Doug for quite a bit, and here are the videos to prove it. Watch for yourself:
So, Doug has tons of stuff on the horizon. Make sure you pre-order a copy of My Name Is Jerry (click here), check out Carnies, and Pretend Time on Comedy Central. Also make sure you have seen Hellboy I & II and the animated Hellboy Films, Fantastic Four 2: Rise of the Silver Surfer, and Pan's Labyrinth. Thanks for all the love Mr. Jones... we wish you all the best!!!
Monster Faces with the man himself, Doug Jones
P.S.- On a side note, I brought my son Mikey to the con the next day and Doug was unbelievable towards him. He came around the table, hugged him, took pictures, and even gave us some autographed pictures for nothing!!! He signed Mikey's Silver Surfer picture "Listen to the hero in your heart" and he signed my photo of the infamous Hellboy 2 "Drunk Karaoke" scene "You know I can't smile without Mike". I can not wait to get Ron Pearlman's signature on that pic to complete the piece!!! Very cool dude. Thanks for all the love!!!!
So this past weekend I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 Wizard Big Apple Comic Con as a member of the press... yeah, I know, I can not believe it either! They should have never let us in the door, cause we used this full on access to interview tons of celebrities, comic book artists, and living legends that we look up to as idols and inspirations. It was so great to see them welcome us in and gladly allow us access into the world of real press coverage!!! I am super excited to share all the pics, videos, and swag that we acquired over the weekend all week this week, so I hope you are ready!!! Enjoy all the great content, and a special THANK YOU goes out to Jerry Milani, PR genius from Wizard and man that made our access possible... hope the posts we make this week do you proud and not regret letting us in!!!!
