'Snowpiercer' May Be The International Movie To See This Summer...

Ho-ly SHIT! I just saw the trailer for Snowpiercer, the South Korean import film from Bong Joon-ho (director of The Host & Mother, both insanely great flicks) that marks his English speaking film debut. The film is an adaption of a graphic novel La Transperceneige, a French comic by Jacques Lob. The film focuses on a dystopian future in which mankind has forced a new Ice Age while trying to cure global warming. The only surviving folks, rich and poor, live on a train called 'Snowpiercer'. The train has a perpetual motion engine and travels along a world spanning track. The rich people live in the front of the train, and as you get to the rear of the train you travel down in class. At the rear of the train is the poorest of the poor, the ones who keep the train functioning. Lead by a rebel named Curtis (Chris Evans) they begin to travel car to car towards the front, overthrowing the guards and taking control of the train. Bloody car after bloody car, the class system that has been set begins to crumble and a true power struggle ensues. Who will control the train, rich or poor? Whoever comes out on top controls the only environment that is fit for life... wow, what a great concept that looks even more bad ass on screen. The futuristic, yet primal conditions on the train (who fights with axes in 2031???) make this movie even crazier! The film also stars Jaime Bell, Tilda Swinton, John Hurt, Ed Harris & Alison Pill. Snowpiercer receives its US release June 27th, and will gain a wider release if the market dictates. They got my money for sure... how about you? Check the trailer out after the jump...

Great Comics Revisited: The Rocket Raccoon Mini Series (1985)

I am someone who can't read comics month to month anymore... I can't bear to wait four weeks to continue a story, and 22 pages of an issue just don't satisfy me. So I usually let storylines build up and then read collected editions to get caught back up. I also like to back and read the classics that laid the groundwork for some of the stories being told today. So recently I decided to revisit a mini series from the golden era of comics... well, the golden era to me anyway... 1985. It is the Rocket Raccoon mini series, published in 1985 and introducing the character of Rocket to a wide spread audience in his own book for the first time. The series was written by Bill Mantlo, and the art comes courtesy of a young Mike Mignola (pencils) and Al Gordon (inks). I must have read this as a kid as the story seemed familiar to me, but I honestly can't remember... and boy does that make me sad! This is such a great series, for a variety of reasons.

Check more after the jump...

CCD Holiday Geek Gift Guide #5: What To Get The Comic Book Newbie In Your Life

I am a veteran of the comic book game... I have been collecting since I was four (just over 28 years) and I have tons of comics/graphic novels to prove it. I, along with many of my fellow 80's baby comic geeks, were way ahead of the current comic book movie craze and have read ALL of the source material that is making the summer blockbusters the masses are devouring at a record pace. But what if you have to buy a gift for the person who is just getting started with comics? Here is a list of a few of my personal faves that will give any comic fan, new or old, a smile on their face. These will even work for a hardcore fan, even though a true comic book head SHOULD have in their collection (both in issue format and collected versions...lol). Click after the jump for my suggestions...

A Clockwork Orange: The Comic Book.... Viddy Well, Little Brother!!!

Comic artist/writer Kevin Colden loved the Anthony Burgess novel/Stanley Kubrick film A Clockwork Orange so much that he decided to come up with a graphic novel adaption of it... what a great fucking idea! How come no one had thought of this sooner? Anywho, Colden drafted a 150 page script from the original novel and came up with a few pages of concept art to pitch. Nothing has come of it yet, so Colden decided to release the art on his blog, Optical Disillusions.

Here is what Colden had to say about the project:

Every once in a while, like most comic creators, I'm asked the question "If you could do your dream project, what would it be?" For me, the answer is easy: for many years now, I've wanted to adapt Anthony Burgess' classic novel A Clockwork Orange into comics form. I'm not entirely sure why; I'm also a big fan of Stanley Kubrick's work, and no one could successfully argue that his iconic film adaptation is in need of improvement. Maybe I just like a good challenge. In any case, during the summer of 2009, I found myself dealing with a major family crisis and in need of something to keep my mind occupied during long interstate train rides and otherwise insanity-inducing idle time at my destination, and the one thing I found that could occupy mind enough was this long-dormant idea.

Sounds good to me... here are the pages he published. Click the link above and show him some love in his comments section. These are wonderful!!! My favorite part of them is the orange hue that each page has... very original and creepy. Enjoy!

 

Google Doodle Celebrates Will Eisner's 94th Birthday

Yesterday Google celebrated the father of the graphic novel, comic great Will Eisner's, on what would have been his 94th birthday. The comic book hall of fame is named after him, and he created one of most recognized superheroes in the history of comics in The Spirit. To honor the legend, Google placed a logo bearing his trademark heroes likeness as the search engine header (which is called a Google Doodle). Here it is in case you missed it.

Very cool gesture from a company that "gets it". Very rare from a corporation that size. Google we salute you for celebrating the genius that is (and always will be) comic greatness!!! Happy Bday Will.

Its Koch Comic's Warehouse Sale Time Once Again!!!

Here we go again.... the boys over at Koch Comicbook Warehouse are opening theoir doors to the public and providing you with an excellent place to spend some of that Christmas cash!!! Both today and tomorrow (Jan. 8th & 9th) you can get 6 buck trade paperbacks & graphic novels, over 1,000,000 back issues (with tons for a buck!), and the best damned snack table you ever saw in your life!!! Since its winter time, the boys will be providing hot chocolates along with the savings... what more reason do you need. Here is all the information... now make it happen and tell 'em CCD sent ya!!!

Joseph Koch Inc.

206 41st Street (corner of 2nd Avenue)

Brooklyn, NY 11232

Tel. 718-768-8571 Fax. 718-768-8918

http://www.kochcomics.com/

Joe Koch Comics Warehouse Has Something For Everybody...

Joe Koch in just one of the aisles... look how many books!!!

... even you!!! Imagine a place where there were 200,000 back issues of comics that cost only 1 buck, thousands of graphic novels for 6 bucks a pop (or 4 for $20), hundreds of vintage toys, posters & magazines for under 3 bucks, and hundreds of thousands of more rare geek finds for sale under one roof. Now here is the catch... this place is REAL!!! It's called Joseph Koch's Comic Warehouse and if you need to pick up some gifts for the geeks in your life for Christmas, then you are in luck. Joe & the gang are having a warehouse sale this weekend, Nov. 20th & 21nd, at their Sunset Park, Brooklyn location. Usually Joe only offers the warehouse up to appointments, and I have had the pleasure of having one such appointment. To sum up the contents of this place, I can only use one word: DAUNTING!!! Its not a matter of finding something to buy there. Instead, its a matter of figuring out what you want to put back because you have too much stuff in you bag for the checkout counter.

My Swag from my last trip to Joseph Koch Comics Warehouse!!!

The staff has the place wired, and even though it looks chaotic inside, its an organized chaos. I scored tons of great vintage comic posters for my son Mikey's bedroom, about 10 graphic novels, a gift for fellow blogger Johnny Boots over at Freddy In Space, and a ton of back issues of Plastic Man because he is currently Mikey's go-to superhero. Friend & CCD contributor, Tommy Lombardozzi, came along as well, and he had a ton of shit in his bag... all in all, a great place. I even got interviewed by the local newspaper 'The Brooklyn Paper' for a story they were doing (click here to see it). So make sure you make your way over to 41st St & 2nd Ave in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and follow the signs... if you are a nerd, geek, comic dork, toy collector, memorabilia lover... well, this is the place for you!!!