Tag Archives: Penguin

@Gotham Season 1 Discussion #Gotham

 @GothamTVWriters @robinlordtaylor @ErinRRichards @camrenbicondova #SelinaKyle @ben_mckenzie @mister_CMS @realdavidmazouz @seanpertwee

John Mayo, of ComicBookPage, and Kay Kellam, of PopArtsPlace, have a spoiler filled discussion about the first season of Gotham.  Discussing the show set in the city that inspires Bruce Wayne to become Batman, set in the time when Oswald Cobblepot is just becoming the Penguin (and starting to embrace the name that was once a derogatory nickname he avoided) and when gangster like mobs ran the city under the leadership of more family like structures led by Carmine Falcone and Sal Maroni.

Links:
Gotham @ IMDB.com: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3749900/
Discount Comic Book Service: http://www.DCBService.com
Comics Podcast Network: http://www.comicspodcast.com
League of Comic Book Podcasts:http://www.comicbooknoise.com/league/

Email us at TheGuys@ComicBookPage.com

Join the discussion on our forum at: http://forum.comicbookpage.com

This podcast episode originated on the Comic Book Page website:http://www.ComicBookPage.com

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Who Is George Lucas?

WhoIsGeorgeLucass260x420I was unsure what to expect from the book Who Is George Lucas?  The title sounded interesting, but the book is clearly intended for a school age crowd.

The moment I started reading the book I was captivated.  A very easy to read page turner the book is filled with interesting facts and stories about the man who went on to play a major role in making so many movies that influenced and thrilled a generation of cinema goers.

From reading about his childhood, and desire to be a race car driver — and how that actually turned him around and inspired him to become a better student, to reading about his teaching college courses to US Navy Cameramen while in college, I learned a great deal about the man who at one time considered making documentaries, and yet even in college was winning awards with his futuristic movies (Electronic Labyrinth THX 1138 4EB).

The book presents a well-rounded view of the man who went on to make Star Wars, even when friends were telling him it was a disaster, teasing him about Princess Leia’s hair and the force.  Covering his life, and accomplishments to date, Who Is George Lucas? is a fun and informative read for anyone wanting to know more about the man behind so many movies they’ve enjoyed over the years.

This unauthorized biography Penguin was handing out at San Diego’s Comic-Con International is by Pamela Pollack and Meg Belviso, with illustrations by Ted Hammond.

George Lucas at IMDB
George Lucas Educational Foundation
Who Was Book Series Official Website

 

A&E Cancelled Longmire – Tis Sad But True

longmireJust two days after we posted a review of the first Longmire novel (The Cold Dish) by Craig Johnson word came that A&E, the network broadcasting Longmire, had chosen not to renew the show, despite the fact it was the cable networks highest rated scripted show.  Like a shot heard round the world, the announcement went out under the headline “Breaking News” from many who cover the entertainment industry, like the Hollywood Reporter, who came close to that level of emphasis, making it the lead story in their e-mail bulletin that day.

Basic Longmire_Why such surprise?  Such emphasis?  Admittedly the season three finale averaged an audience of 3.7 million, and many viewers had not found the show.  Yet, the flip side of that coin is the fact local movie theaters had commercials for Longmire airing before major summer tent pole / blockbuster movies.  That meant the network was promoting and supporting the show, right?

The sad reality is the audience numbers had slipped since Season 2, when in my humble opinion the show had a more interesting through-season arc.  One of the greatest strengths of Longmire is the friendship between Henry Standing Bear and Walt Longmire, and during Season 3 they were forced to be apart for several episodes with rare contact.  While that allowed for some interesting revelations, and some character development, it meant that a lot of the fun and sparkle that audiences looked forward to seeing on the screen each week was missing.

Perhaps even more important that a slight slip in the ratings however, is that the younger audience, the ever-talked about 18-49 demographic that advertisers are so convinced spend more money, dropped off by 45% during Season 3.

Longmire-TV-2012-Season-1I can not help but wonder if the folks at FX who put Justified on the air have watched Longmire… this is their chance, with one more season of Justified coming to audiences in the not too distant future, what a double feature of entertainment that would be!  An hour of Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) style justice as he goes after Boyd Crowder (Walton Goggins) down in Kentucky, followed by an hour of Walt Longmire (Robert Taylor) and Henry Standing Bear (Lou Diamond Phillips) doing what they do best in Absaroka County, Wyoming!

After one of those movie theater promotions I mentioned aired while I was at Guardians of the Galaxy with John Mayo of ComicBookPage he asked me after the movie, “anything like Justified?” and we had a good talk about the two shows, and just how much they had in common, and how different they are – the two would compliment one another nicely for an hour of Justice served up with a little old-fashioned attitude and style.

And for those who were paying attention to how Season 3 of Longmire ended, we were pretty well guaranteed to get some more guest appearances from Gerald McRaney who was knocking our socks off as Barlow Connally, father of Deputy Branch Connally (Bailey Chase).

All of the articles I have seen confirm what I first heard, the folks making Longmire are shopping it around, with hopes a fourth season will indeed be made and air, so maybe my dream of some fantastic justice nights on FX is not as crazy as you think.

A few links that might be of interest:

Comic-Con International 2014 Madlibs

ComicCon-2014MadLibs

Every year at Comic-Con International in San Diego one of the highlights for my inner child is this little flash back to days gone by.  This visit to my childhood days, to playing with friends and siblings and remembering all the fun we had with madlibs before cellphones and digital games / videogames took over the entertainment environment.

One book of madlibs provided hours and hours of not just entertainment, but bust your gut laughter!  Perhaps it seems simple to the children of today, but that was part of the joy of it when I was growing up.  A game anyone and everyone could play.  All you needed was a pencil (and yes, a pencil was better than a pen.)

So while I may rarely reach for the madlibs as an adult, cosplay for beginners, a sampling of comic-con panels, and keeping cool around your idol were just a few of the pages in this years madlibs that tickled my funny bone when I flipped through the pages to see what fun awaited me when I went by the Penguin booth to pick up this years book.