The Jacked Kirby Podcast - Episode #7 - Tales of Asgard

On this episode of the Jacked Kirby Podcast hosts Tommy Lombardozzi and Mike D are joined by artist Al Accettura for one reason... Let's Talk Some Asgard! Thor: Ragnarok is on the horizon, so we figured this would be a perfect time to discuss Jack's back up feature Tales of Asgard that appeared in issues of Journey Into Mystery that featured Thor. It was in these short 8 page back up stories that Kirby wrote & drew where he really developed the world of Asgard that we all know and love. The most important of those back up stories were collected into Tales of Asgard #1, an oversized comic featuring 9 stories that was published in October of 1968. The boys talk through those blockbuster stories that laid the world building of the Thor mythos for decades to come!!!!

The 'Item 47' Teaser Trailer... Marvel Short Films Just Got Real!!!!

So it looks like my decision to not buy any of the Phase 1 Marvel superhero movies on Blu Ray yet is paying big dividends. The ginormous box set that is being planned with the release of Avengers in a few months will include Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor, Captain America, The Incredible Hulk & the Avengers... but it will also include all of the Marvel short films which have bridged the gaps between all of these movies. It also includes 'Item 47', the newest short film that takes place AFTER the Avengers movie. It stars Jesse Bradford & Lizzy Caplan (I absolutely sweat this girl) as two regular schmoes who stumble across a piece of Chitauri weaponry and decide to make some criminal moves to better their life. Yeah, I'm in. Check out the teaser trailer after the jump, and grab the box set when it comes out on September 25th.....

The Incredible Hulk TV Movies Get a Poster Via Sean Hartter

I haven't featured my boy Sean Hartter's work here on CCD because he hasn't been releasing stuff with his regular frequency as of late. I know that is because he is busy becoming a huge artist with international fame and fortune (remember CCD when you are living the life of a jet setting poster artist SH!), but this week he seems to be back on his grind posting stuff on his cool ass website. One of the coolest pieces he posted this week is his dual poster for the classic Marvel TV Series The Incredible Hulk. We get both The Return of the Incredible Hulk & The Trial of the Incredible Hulk... yup, both the 1st appearances of Thor & Daredevil!!! This is so freaking awesome... you gotta love this kind of stuff. Check out the full size poster after the jump...

Marvel High by J Bone

This is a book or cartoon series that I would love to have read... perhaps someday in the future?

Here are a few words from artist J. Bone

So, about the drawing...it was originally done as a pitch for an Archie-like approach to the Marvel characters. I'd been drawing a teen version of Tigra for a while and used her as the main character in the pitch (which was written by Brian McLachlan of Princess Planet fame). I think the characters are pretty self-evident but I'll still leave it up to you commenters to name them all. :) The book never happened but it sure would have been a lot of fun.

Movie Trailer Mania @ The Super Bowl!!!!

The Super Bowl gives us great football, but it also gives us an opportunity to see some of the great movies that are coming out in the next year. Some are for movies that we have seen trailers from, and some are our first looks at whats going to be on the screen. So lets jump right in to the ones that I liked best.

Thor

Captain America



Super 8



Cowboys & Aliens



But by far, my favorite movie trailer and movie I am looking forward to the most would have to be:

Limitless



Which movie trailers did you like the best during the Super Bowl? Let us know in the comment section below... see you at the movies!!!

Thor Goes To Hollywood To Fight Some Horror Legends

Marvel Comics is trying to ensure that their Thor movie is a huge success upon release this May... and so they are approaching the film's promotion from all angels. One way is to mash up Thor with some Hollywood legends on variant covers for some of their upcoming comic books. This is a pretty cool idea, and the first two covers are making the rounds.

First up: Artist Mike del Mundo and his cover for 'Uncanny X-Force #7' that features Thor and Frankenstein's Monster!!!

Next up, we got artist Greg Horn and his 'Heroes for Hire #5' cover where Thor is all set to battle The Great White Terror... Jaws!!!

Very cool stuff... and Marvel has more of these to come. Check these out at your local comic book stores in the upcoming months!!! Support local mom and pop comic stores. Which Hollywood mashups do you want to see with Thor? Tell us in the comment section below...

Favreau Might Be Off Of Iron Man 3... Here Is Why This Doesn't Matter At All

So websites all over the place are running unconfirmed stories that Jon Favreau, the wonderful filmmaker who brought us Iron Man 1 & 2, will not be sticking around to direct Iron Man 3. Oh My GOD... judging by the general reaction to this, you would think that someone just found a sex tape featuring Yoda & The Emperor. People are already touting the complete collapse of the Marvel Comics movie world and all other kinds of doom & gloom.... and for the life of me, I can't figure out why. Listen, I am a movie geek, a comic book geek, a toy geek... yeah, pretty much an all around geek. Yet the one thing that drives me nuts is when fellow geeks light up the 'net with ridiculous claims and statements. Whats even worse then that is when they complain about shit that is perfectly fine... So, instead of just disagreeing with all of these "doom & gloom" prophets, I will do one better: I will give you a 5 point explanation on why Jon Favreau leaving Iron Man 3 means absolutely jack shit. Here we go...

1. The rest of the directors involved in the foreseeable future of the Marvel Comics movie universe are pretty awesome themselves. Honestly, are these guys fucking kidding me? First up, you got Kenneth Branagh directing Thor next May. That trailer just hit and looks great... Then you got Joe Johnston directing the World War II era Captain America: The First Avenger in July. That one is scripted by uber geek god Joss Whedon... who also happens to be lined up to direct The Avengers, which will represent the culmination of everything started with Iron Man back in 2008. That hardly seems like a lineup that should lead to the belief disappointment is coming on the horizon. Factor in Matthew Vaughn's X-men: 1st Class, Marc Webb's Spiderman reboot, & the proposed Edgar Wright Ant Man movie and Marvel Films looks to be more then OK.
2. It was silly to think Favreau would just sit around waiting for the time to direct Iron Man 3. Favreau is a wonderful director. Made, Elf, even the Jumanji sequel Zathura... all good movies. He wrote Swingers... and not to mention Iron Man 1 & 2. Cowboys & Aliens looks pretty good as well. Did you really think this guy was just going to sit around and wait for Thor, Capt America, The Avengers... not to mention the sure sequels to all of those films... it's just unrealistic. He has a ton of great films in him, and he need to go and make them.
3. Are we sure there even will be a Iron Man 3? Lets be real. If you are going to have all of these characters crossing over into each others films and tying in to a major film franchise like The Avengers, will you even have to make Iron Man 3 right away? I think not. Lets put it like this. In 2011 you got Thor, Cap & the X-men, 2012 gets us Spidey, Ghost Rider, & The Avengers. Iron Man came out in 2008, and had a sequel by 2010. Why wouldn't any of the above films spawn a sequel just as quick? As a matter of fact, based on the track record of superhero movies over the past decade, its pretty much a forgone conclusion that this will happen. So... are you really crying over a movie that may be like 10th on the burner?
4. What about all the other Marvel characters out there? There are so many great characters out there that deserve their shot. Ant Man by Edgar Wright can be phenomenal. I am looking forward to bat-shit crazy Nic Cage going Ghost Rider once again. But what about a epic underwater Namor movie? Or a great space opera featuring Captain Marvel, The Eternals, Nova, or The Silver Surfer? How bout that R Rated Punisher movie that HAS to be made? Black Panther? Power Man & Iron Fist, Heroes For Hire? Power Pack? The opportunities are endless... and should be mined carefully. They should take a hard look at the tons of great characters that litter the Marvel Universe stable.
5. If they do make Iron Man 3, why can't somebody else do it just as good (if not better) than Favreau? Superman 2 - Richard Lester replaced Richard Donner. James Cameron took over for Ridley Scott on Aliens. Irvin Kirschner solidified the Star Wars franchise as epic with Empire Strikes Back by taking over the directing reigns from George Lucas. Chris Nolan not only recreated Batman, he recreated superhero movies FOREVER. I'm not shitting on Favreau at all. I love him & all he did with the Iron Man franchise. But to say it can't be done without him... that's just crazy. Robert Downey Jr is the bread & butter of Iron Man. That's that. If they get someone who is passionate about the comic book, who strives to tell a good story, and wants to make not just a good "comic book" movie, but a "good overall movie", then all will be fine.

Listen, if the time comes around for Iron Man 3, and Favreau takes a pass (or isn't chosen) for the gig... well, I'll be sad. But I won't think its totally fucked before we know anything like what it may be about or where the whole Marvel Universe story will actually be at the point (with the above movies we mentioned all being tied in). Can it all fail... sure it can. But nothing is guaranteed. Lets hope it all works out in the end!!!

These Two Tentpole Movies Are Shaping Up Nicely...

In the last few days, we have seen the trailers for two of next years most geek related movies. First, we had 'Thor', and now we have 'Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides'. Both looked really good, and despite the fact that we got a long time to wait, and many films coming out before them, I can't help but be super intrigued by them. Here are a few things I liked about each of them.

First, we have The Mighty Thor:

My Thoughts:

1. I love Agent Coulson. He is starting to shape up as a bad ass agent. I am looking forward to him being an integral part of The Avengers Initiative.
2. Asgard looks fantastic... just spectacular.
3. All the armor and helmets look comic book accurate, but not overly ridiculous. Thor's helmet scared that shit out of me... I thought for sure he was gonna look like a dick with a metal helmet and duck wings with feathers on the sides. Definitely not the case.
4. Chris Hemsworth is Thor...'nuff said. Better yet, Thor is playing an actor named Chris Hemsworth on Earth right now.
5. The Frost Giants, The Destroyer Armor, and Loki look fucking amazing. Villains tend to be these comic book adaptations downfall... and this does not look likely here.

Next, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides'

And now, my thoughts:

1. Captain Jack Sparrow as a prisoner. My favorite scenes from this series always come when Jack is in the capture of someone... and he finds a way to worm out of it.
2. Penelope Cruz... damn son!!!!
3. Blackbeard aka Ian McShane. I was not a huge fan of Deadwood (I know, I know... I am the ONLY one in the world who didn't like it) but I definitely loved every scene McShane was in. He is gangster... and now he will bring that wickedness to the high seas.
4. Dropping Keira Knightley & Orlando Bloom. Those two had a great storyline through three movies, but that was enough. If Disney is going back to the well for a 4th, 5th and 6th film (that's the rumor), then its good they chose to gravitate away from that completed storyline. Maybe Bloom can make a cameo as the captain of  The Flying Dutchman.
5. Mermaids, Zombies and action... oh my!!! These twists look great. Bring it on!!!

So, there you go. We'll see how it goes next year. Are you guys excited to see these films? Why? Tell us in the comment section below!!!