Portland State University and Dark Horse Comics Open First Comic Book Archive

This week has turned out to be a pretty cool news week in the world of comic books. The Portland Monthly Magazine is reporting that Portland State University’s Branford P. Millar Library will house the country’s very first comic book archive. Dark Horse Comics, home to Star Wars, Hellboy and Sin City, has “so far donated over 3,000 volumes to the library’s shelves (that’s three copies of every title the company has ever produced), making PSU the first university in the country to keep such an archive.” (link) I think this is wonderful news and it is about time that the comic book industry is given the respect it deserves as both works of literature and art.


For those of you wondering how such a collection ended up at Portland State University, it turns out that Dark Horse, the third largest U.S. publisher of comic books after Marvel and DC, was founded in 1986 by two PSU alumni, Mike Richardson and Neil Hankerson. In the article, librarian Helen H. Spalding is quoted as saying the Dark Horse Comics archive “is an important international research collection, it holds an interest for those studying American pop culture, gender studies, violence in literature—almost anything. We wanted to make the university a hub of comic-book studies.” (link)

If you’re in the Portland area then I highly recommend stopping by the PSU Millar Library and checking out the new Dark Horse section! I’d love to hear what it’s like and will one day hopefully get to see for myself. You can expect to see comics such as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Concrete, Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot, Barb Wire, The Goon, Grendel, Groo, The Mask, Usagi Yojimbo, and Aliens in the newly created comic book archive.

Robin the Boy Wonder and Superman to Team Up on The CW

Now this announcement has The Blot all kinds of excited. According to a Variety report, “the CW is prepping a series based on Batman sidekick Robin’s pre-Caped Crusader days” entitled The Graysons. (link) In the same vein as The CW’s Smallville, The Graysons will be a live action television show based loosely on the DC Comics.


According to reports, “just as Smallville focused on Clark Kent in the years before he became Superman, The Graysons will follow the world of Dick "DJ" Grayson before he takes on the iconic Robin identity and aligns himself with Batman.” (link) While I’ve never been too interested in watching Smallville (except for the Justice League episodes), Robin (Richard “Dick” Grayson) has always been one of my favorite super heroes, even after he left Batman’s side to grow up and become Nightwing. It also makes me happy to see Warner Bros. finally create a project featuring one of DC Comics’ super heroes that isn’t named Superman or Batman.

Evidently The Graysons will be a one-hour show, “which will be set in modern times, young DJ will face challenges involving first loves, young rivals and his family as he grows up.” (link) I can’t even explain what great news this is. Even if the show totally screws with Dick’s official back story, at least Warner Bros. is making an attempt to utilize the huge stable of characters at their disposal, something Marvel Comics has been doing exceptionally well these past few years.

Expect more details to come as they become available!

Barneyism of the Week

I want…to take this burger out to dinner, and maybe a movie.

Then, take it back to my place, put on a little Terence Trent D’Arby and then I will just…

Fool around a little bit.

Nothing serious, just take it slow ya know?

- Barney Stinson

"The Best Burger
In New York"

How I Met Your Mother

I think The Blot secretly writes for How I Met Your Mother, how else do you explain the fact that they incorporate all of my favorite things into each and every episode? Last week we had an episode spouting the greatness that is Star Wars, and now this week HIMYM gives us an entire episode devoted to my favorite food of all time, hamburgers! Oh why do you mock me with your greatness How I Met Your Mother?!? The next thing you know the show will star one of the most awesome actors in the universe, Neil Patrick Harris. Oh wait, it’s already doing that too!

Disney Finds Its Leading Man In Depp

After helping Disney to earn $2.6 billion with the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy, the House of Mouse is locking down Johnny Depp with a three picture deal. (link) Depp has proven over the past 5-10 years that he really is a top tier talent with the ability to open even the most eclectic of movies. It is just unfortunate that this deal includes Depp reprising his role as Captain Jack Sparrow in a fourth Pirates movie.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved the first Pirates of the Caribbean movie. But similar to the Matrix trilogy, each subsequent movie has gotten worse. Now the Pirates sequels are no where near as bad as the Matrix sequels, but you get my point. Hopefully the upcoming fourth Capt. Jack Sparrow movie will benefit from a new and unconnected storyline. Also as part of the deal, Depp has agreed to star in the Jerry Bruckheimer produced remake of The Lone Ranger as the masked hero’s sidekick, Tonto.


And rounding out the three movie deal will be Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland. Depp will star as the Mad Hatter, a role he was born to play. The movie, scheduled to be released in 2010, “will be shot using 3-D and performance capture technology similar to that used for Beowulf.” (link) It sounds like a very cool project, and I cannot wait to see Burton’s bizarre take on this children’s classic. Alice in Wonderland will mark the seventh time Depp has starred in a Tim Burton directed feature film (Edward Scissorhands, Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street)

Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs Meet Their Doom

According to multiple sources from around the web, all of the Indiana Jones themed toy lines are coming to an end relatively soon. It sounds like all previously announced Indiana Jones Mighty Muggs waves have been canceled, but I am not sure if this also applies to the EE Exclusive Mighty Muggs figures or not.


Most movie themed toy lines don’t typically survive once the films they are based on leave the theaters, but I thought these would at least make it until the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released on DVD. I believe there had been some hope that Indy would prove to have stronger staying power than previous franchises and Hasbro would be able to carry on producing the various toy lines centered around the Harrison Ford character.


But, no matter how popular a movie is its toy line is sure to fail eventually. Just look at the Pirates of the Caribbean, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter films, combined those movie franchises have grossed billions, but you’d be hard pressed to find their action figures on store shelves today. The fact that Indiana Jones action figures have taken up so much shelf space the past six months actually says a lot about the character’s (and Harrison Ford’s) pop cultural significance. How many other 60 year actors could be selling this many toys of a WWII era hero? Definitely not Arnold or Stallone!

The only movie franchises with real staying power has proven to be Star Wars and DC Comics/Marvel Comics’ super heroes, but that is primarily based on those properties’ abilities to expand into other formats in order to sustain their characters' popularities. Unfortunately this is something Lucas has been unable to do with Indiana Jones. If only they had come out with an animated series!

G.I. Joe Enlists the Leader of M.A.S.K.

As a child of the 80’s I think this is one of the coolest crossovers to hit a mass produced toy line in a really long time, if ever. Hasbro is releasing a tribute figure of the leader of M.A.S.K., Matt Trakker. As many of you may remember M.A.S.K., which stands for Mobile Armored Strike Kommand, was an animated television series from the mid-80’s that featured a G.I. Joe type task force with a twist, their vehicles could transform into a completely different vehicle, both of which were controlled by their driver’s mask.


It just so happens that M.A.S.K. also fought against a snake themed villainous organization similar to G.I. Joe’s Cobra, V.E.N.O.M., which stood for Vicious Evil Network of Mayhem and was led by the evil Miles Mayhem. It seems to me like this team-up between two classic 80’s cartoons/toy lines was meant to happen. Who could have imagined that over 20 years after M.A.S.K. left the airwaves we’d have our very first cross-over between G.I. Joe and M.A.S.K.


The reason all of this is possible is because Kenner, the original holder of the M.A.S.K. toy license, was purchased by Hasbro in 1991. Since Hasbro also owns G.I. Joe, the two teams were finally able to join forces to protect the world from evil.


Specialist Trakker, as the character has been renamed, will be a part of G.I. Joe’s 11th wave of its 3 3/4” 25th Anniversary action figure line. The figure is schedule to be released in November 2008 with a suggested retail price of $6.99.

James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace Final Theatrical One Sheet Movie Poster

While I have always enjoyed the 007 film franchise and really loved 2006’s re-start of the series starring Daniel Craig as the debonair British secret agent James Bond, nothing I’ve seen concerning the Quantum of Solace has really gotten me excited for this, the 22nd James Bond film.


The trailer made the film look just like any other generic action flick and the movie’s final theatrical one sheet promo poster (which you can see above) is a total snoozer. The color of it is bland and worst of all, it’s just plain boring. Didn’t anyone tell Craig that Bond always holds his gun up in the films’ movie posters? I think if the franchise is really trying to regain that old school, retro feel they should have gone back to the 70’s style James Bond movie posters with those groovy multi-colored illustrations.

Quantum of Solace sneaks into theaters on November 14, 2008.

Kidrobot 15 - KidReaper Vinyl Figure by Andrew Bell

Kidrobot is really pulling out all the stops this October in celebration of Halloween. First there was the creepy Hello I’m Insane 8” Dunny, then there was the Nightmare In Jeremyville 8” Dunny and now The Blot is excited to highlight the upcoming Kidrobot 15 – KidReaper vinyl figure.


While I’ve never been interested in collecting the Kidrobot line of figures based on the company’s official mascot, I’ve always really enjoyed seeing the different variations and characters Kidrobot has come up with over the past few years. Next month’s Kidreaper character might be my one of my favorites, coming up a close second to Huck Gee’s Kidrobot 14 – KidNinja.


Designed by Creatures in My Head creator Andrew Bell, Kidrobot 15 features a glow in the dark skeleton, a fabric cloak with flexi wire trim and a bloodstained scythe. Best of all, this figure has a chase! No word yet on what the chase looks like or how limited it is, but I am sure it will send collectors scrambling to find one in order to complete their collections.


KidReaper will be released on October 16, 2008 and retails for $50.00 each at stores worldwide and at Kidrobot’s online store.

Eddie Vedder - All The Way

As a die hard Pearl Jam fan I had to blog about this. This week Eddie Vedder released the single “All The Way,” a tribute to the Chicago Cubs. While baseball is probably my least favorite sport (although I would rank it ahead of hockey), I do hold a special place in my heart for those lovable losers the Chicago Cubs. Plus, how can you not love the nostalgia of Wrigley Field? I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few Cubs home games over the years, and there really is no better place to catch an afternoon baseball game.


According to Pearl Jam.com, “Eddie threw together a song for the Cubs (“All the Way”) at the request of Ernie Banks.” (link) How cool is that? It was recorded live at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago this past August and is now getting heavy rotation on local Chicago radio stations. Thankfully, Pearl Jam has decided to make the song available for download at their online store for 99 cents. So, whether you’re a PJ fan or a Cubs fan head over to Pearl Jam.com and pick up Eddie’s latest single “All The Way,” a tribute to the Chicago Cubs.



Pearl Jam.com is also teasing that EV might be making some hard copy CDs and souvenir 45 singles of the song as well, so if you might be interested in picking up one of these keepsake collectibles keep checking back at Pearl Jam.com for all the latest info.

Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs Wave 5

Hasbro gave us a sneak peek of this latest wave of Marvel Mighty Muggs last July at San Diego Comic-Con 2008, but today The Blot is happy to share a picture of the final product. Marvel Mighty Muggs Wave 5 includes Iron Man Version 1, an alien Skrull, Ultimate Captain America and the android Avenger Vision.


You know I’m really not feeling this wave at all, and I can’t imagine there has really been that much of an outcry for a Skrull Mighty Mugg. But who knows? I am glad to see the Vision is finally getting some love from the folks at Hasbro. I might even have to pick this one up and add it to my ever so slowly growing Mighty Muggs collection.

The Marvel Legends Mighty Muggs Wave 5 are expected to hit stores in December 2008 and are available for pre-sale now.