Archive Page 2207

August 2024

Quality and "Superhero fatigue"

Story at The Wrap MSN

These numbers for Deadpool and Wolverine are genuine old school Marvel numbers – Variety MSN

The superhero sequel, which unites Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman as their comic book personas, has generated $233 million at the international box office and $438 million globally. "Deadpool & Wolverine" stands behind only "Inside Out 2" ($1.5 billion), "Dune: Part Two" ($711 million), "Despicable Me 4" ($596 million), "Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" ($567.6 million) and "Kung Fu Panda 4" ($545 million) in terms of worldwide ticket sales in 2024..."

$205 million dollar start for Deadpool and Wolverine – – Iron Mountain Daily News

It shattered the opening record for R-rated films previously held by the first “Deadpool” ($132 million) and notched a spot in the top 10 openings of all time. Including international showings, where it’s racked up an addition $233.3 million from 52 markets, “Deadpool & Wolverine” is looking at a global opening of over $438.3 million..."

The coming of Doom - reactions in Hollywood to Downey Jr returning as Dr. Doom – MSN People

Marvel Studios just teased Galactus and ‘THE FANTASTIC FOUR’ in a drone show above #SDCC pic.twitter.com/5OliavHHGj

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 26, 2024

Review of the documentary: My Comic Shop Country – Bleedingcool

Review of the 5 year old film by a comic book store owner:

The documentary was about a closed comic store, and some customers were interviewed about it, along with interviews with other comic stores throughout the USA and comic book writer Mark Waid. I looked up one of the other store owners who was interviewed and discovered that he had sadly gone out of business. Topics such as the quality of comics and problems with pull boxes—the same things that were plaguing comic stores then—still are now. Quality has not improved, and sales are sliding..."

What's the issue with comic book sales decline? Simply put:

I may like certain comic book characters and have my favorites, but if publishers aren't putting out titles people want, they aren't buying them. You can't force someone to eat a spit sandwich.

IMDB page on My Comic Book Country feature film - it's also at Amazon for streaming

DC Comics bringing back one of their old logos? – Bleedingcool

Google Play Store has a news comics section – but only in Japan

Story at Mashable MSN

Asian anime content will be making a big impact at San Diego Comic-Con

Story at Variety MSN

Titan says Conan the Barbarian #1’s first printing was 80,000 and there's a spin-off titled Savage Sword coming – Screenrant MSN

Ex Marvel CEO Ike Perlmutter sells off all of his $3 Billion in Disney – Boundingintocomics

"The Postcolonization of cartoonists"

Cartoons in Greece as the Junta years ended

Story at EFSYN

Brief article on the role of cartoons (and cartoonists) as the Junta military dictatorship of Greece was drawing to an end in 1974, and then abruptly stopped with the return of the exiled leader Karamanlis who flew into Athens from Paris and began the modern chapter of democratic rule (once again) in Greece.

The article at EFSYN is in Greek, you can go here to translate the page into English - Google translate.

Looking one by one at the hundreds of cartoons from that critical period (July 1974 - August 1975), we find an unprecedented breath of freedom in the form of spontaneous humor. Despite the different approaches, from the radical left to the conservative anti-junta right, for the first time since the war of 1940, a consensus prevails: condemnation of the junta, deepening of democracy and of course "fire squad" against the then most hated person in Greece, Henry Kissinger..."

"The Postcolonization of cartoonists" is the title of the exhibit presented at the garden of the Presidential Palace. A larger retrospective exhibition to appear at the Syntagma metro October 14-19 is curated by the Greek Cartoonists Club "under the auspices of the President of the Republic, Mr. Katerina Sakellaropoulou."

Graphic novels sales down in 2023 compared to 2022

Story at Publishers Weekly

Hits in streaming but bombs at the movie theatre – Screenrant

Discusses Madame Web, Wonder Woman 1984, and others.

DC Comics October book list – Comicsbeat

Could a Deadpool & Wolverine success in theaters bring back the superhero money train to Hollywood? – Yahoo Entertainment

Russo brothers coming back to superhero movies? – MSN Insider

The Russo brothers, the directing duo behind the $4 billion epics "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Avengers: Endgame," may be returning to save Marvel.

Article claims about the recent spate of superhero movies "...the losses for many of the movies on this list are all in the tens of millions." I believe that's a low-ball figure for films from 2023, and for a variety of other titles from previous years, too (or even decades: the superhero movie bust has happened several times now since 1978's Superman brought in a relatively consistent stream of superhero movies).

The string of overcooked big name superhero films of 2023 slammed down the coffin lid on superhero movies, and the incredibly epic lack of earnings for more recent releases just confirms the doom spiral. Individual brand names, either for a director or maybe an unblemished title (Deadpool? Matt Reeves Batman?) might be exceptions.

Fast review: Bad Boys Ride or Die One of the themes of modern action films of the 21st century is "forgotten sons" in which a mature, adult man is forced by a story line to remember he has fathered children and now circumstances require him to rise to the occasion and deal with the matter. Eventually, both some sort of emotional intimacy with the kid (who is in trouble) and some kind of overt physical action in which the father performs a deed that compensates in some fashion for years of absence and alienation will prove his true emotional investment in the child. There's a wistful "what could have been" angle to the tale, but not big enough to really cast doubt on the happy ending.

Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are a good comedy team and in between the jokes they set up some pretty involved stunt work as they battle a conspiracy of lies against their now departed "father figure" of police Captain Howard (Joe Pantoliano) and a threatening range of threats building up from both feds and criminals. Bad Boys Ride or Die has a complicated series of clues to solve, of course, but also a lot of Florida scenery and a wide cast of characters making up it's "family." In between the fighting and a final confrontation at an abandoned coastline theme park featuring a large albino alligator, the main thing we get is the dominant value of family for a "grown ass man" and the need to kill vicious criminals.

James Gunn's Superman movie filming is getting near the end – MSN Variety

Novel sequel to the 1989 Tim Burton Batman movie

Story at Fansided

Eminem gets comic book – Billboard

Deadpool Movie Promotion at Spencers Gifts, July 18, 2024 Virginia Mall

Bestselling comics across the digital world – Comicsbeat

Ultimate Cyclops a girl? Hawkeye a Native American? – Bleedingcool

One-Punch Man Artist Yusuke Murata makes Naruto Tribute – Comicbook

How Marvel is better than the other companies – CBR MSN

US Mint to coin DC superhero coins – inviting public to vote on selection – Numismatic News

Treasury Dept page on the superhero coins they're going to be making.

Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman and Shawn Levy interview to promote ‘Deadpool and Wolverine’ – Variety

Given that they’re here to sell a raunchy, boundary-pushing sequel to the most profane superhero franchise in history, it’s not surprising that many of the jokes are NSFW. Take the moment when 47-year-old Reynolds, who stars in the film with Jackman, stands on a chair for a photo with his crotch hovering over writer-director Levy’s head..."

Arkham Asylum spinoff TV show cancelled – T3 Yahoo Entertainment

Comic-Con variants from BRZRKR Studios – IGN MSN

Hollywood + Green Lantern + forty years = failure – Dexerto

Is the anime bubble going to burst?

Story at Boundingintocomics

DC coming with the "Absolute Universe" featuring new versions of DC characters with new origin stories and changed looks – Comicsbeat

"The global comic book market size is estimated to grow by USD 3.25 billion from 2024-2028, according to Technavio" – Goodereader

The 20 best selling comic books "of all time" – Screenrant MSN

As impressive as some of the numbers reported are (for example Batman #50 from 2018 - 412,541 Copies Sold) these numbers don't compare to the millions of copies that Superman and other titles could move monthly in the prime peak years of of comic book popularity during the 1940s going into the 1950s.

Special Absolute Batman for San Diego Comic-Con – Bleedingcool

Marvel Comics No.1 sells for $2.4 million – Comicbookmovie

More Comic Book Money

Comic book stores in Colorado see sales drop

Video report at Yahoo News

Get into the Public Domain archives that are online at Graphic Chatter

Original page August 6, 2024