A movie based on Michael Allred�s Madman is planned:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9789.html
AMC is remaking The Prisoner TV series:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9788.html
20061220
20061216
20061209
Last Unicorn DVD; 300
A 25th Anniversary Edition of The Last Unicorn is due out on DVD in February-and fans will want this anamorphic widescreen version, which supplants the poor quality, pan and scan 2004 edition:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9683.html
Zack Snyder's film of Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300 was the subject of a major article in Sunday's New York Times:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9685.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9683.html
Zack Snyder's film of Frank Miller's graphic novel, 300 was the subject of a major article in Sunday's New York Times:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9685.html
20061202
20061122
Re: [b] Morally-objectionable collector's item???
Almost exclusively (at least in our store) Mein Kampf is purchased by philosophy 'students' or people attempting to figure him out. After all if you don't have all the information how can you come to an full conclusion? I see nothing morally wrong with selling _any_ used book. Banning those books, even by the expedient of not offering them, merely makes them forbidden fruit and all the more desirable to those that might agree with them. Banning any book is morally repugnant, regardless of it's probable merit, or lack thereof.
At 11/21/2006 02:56 PM, you wrote:
At 11/21/2006 02:56 PM, you wrote:
interesting topic. What about other material like Mein Kampf? Anyone
have any standing policies?
--
Jeremy
It was announced a few moments ago that the O.J.Simpson book, "If I
Did It" has been pulled from distribution and the accompanying TV
special has been cancelled.
Apparently some copies of the book have already been sold. Estimates
range from several hundred to several thousand copies now in readers'
hands. I have been unable to learn whether any ARCs were distributed.
So what is the collective wisdom here?? Is this likely to become a
collector's item? Should scouts scour the shelves for any remaining
copies? Is this something you would carry in your inventory, or
would you regard it as without redeeming value?
inquiring minds, etc.....
patterson
NYT Students read aloud for record 6 days
Students read aloud for record 6 days
By Ben Dobbin, Associated Press Writer | November 20, 2006
ROCHESTER, N.Y. --A team of high school seniors set a six-day reading
record on Monday as a way to bolster students' interest in books and
boost their school's spirit.
Southside High School's principal said he pursued the reading marathon
to inspire a school still reeling from the 2001 arrest of a senior who
had smuggled a duffel bag full of bombs and guns into the school
intending to carry out a killing spree.
The teen, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison,
surrendered peacefully after students notified officials that he had
passed someone a threatening note.
"That was just one of the shadows we've tried to overcome," said
principal Christopher Krantz, who took over the school in 2004. "When I
came here, the school was just kind of stumbling. It had been through
eight principals in eight years. It had some negative press; it had lost
pizazz."
When the clock struck 5 p.m. Monday, six National Honor Society members
drew a standing ovation from hundreds of parents, teachers and
classmates. Cheers also rang out 11 hours earlier, at 6 a.m., when they
matched a Guinness World Record set in October 2005 by five Britons who
read aloud continuously for 117 hours at the airport in Manchester, England.
In mostly one-hour shifts, they read more than 20 beloved children's
books, including the six-volume Harry Potter series, seven "Goosebumps"
thrillers and Katherine Paterson's "Bridge to Terabithia." They wrapped
up their epic, 128-hour performance on the school auditorium stage with
"Oh, the Places You'll Go," a Dr. Seuss classic.
Between their reading spells, the students played table tennis, cards
and Scrabble or crawled into their tents onstage for little more than
four hours of sleep at a time. A nurse or a doctor was on duty nearby at
all hours.
One student developed laryngitis and had to cut back to reading for just
10 or 15 minutes at a time until her voice improved with the help of a
humidifier and infusions of honey.
"For the last six days, reading has been the cool thing to do," the
principal said. "I've had people say to me, 'You know what, we turned
the TV off this weekend and read as a family. It was really
inspirational to a lot of people."
By Ben Dobbin, Associated Press Writer | November 20, 2006
ROCHESTER, N.Y. --A team of high school seniors set a six-day reading
record on Monday as a way to bolster students' interest in books and
boost their school's spirit.
Southside High School's principal said he pursued the reading marathon
to inspire a school still reeling from the 2001 arrest of a senior who
had smuggled a duffel bag full of bombs and guns into the school
intending to carry out a killing spree.
The teen, who was sentenced to more than eight years in prison,
surrendered peacefully after students notified officials that he had
passed someone a threatening note.
"That was just one of the shadows we've tried to overcome," said
principal Christopher Krantz, who took over the school in 2004. "When I
came here, the school was just kind of stumbling. It had been through
eight principals in eight years. It had some negative press; it had lost
pizazz."
When the clock struck 5 p.m. Monday, six National Honor Society members
drew a standing ovation from hundreds of parents, teachers and
classmates. Cheers also rang out 11 hours earlier, at 6 a.m., when they
matched a Guinness World Record set in October 2005 by five Britons who
read aloud continuously for 117 hours at the airport in Manchester, England.
In mostly one-hour shifts, they read more than 20 beloved children's
books, including the six-volume Harry Potter series, seven "Goosebumps"
thrillers and Katherine Paterson's "Bridge to Terabithia." They wrapped
up their epic, 128-hour performance on the school auditorium stage with
"Oh, the Places You'll Go," a Dr. Seuss classic.
Between their reading spells, the students played table tennis, cards
and Scrabble or crawled into their tents onstage for little more than
four hours of sleep at a time. A nurse or a doctor was on duty nearby at
all hours.
One student developed laryngitis and had to cut back to reading for just
10 or 15 minutes at a time until her voice improved with the help of a
humidifier and infusions of honey.
"For the last six days, reading has been the cool thing to do," the
principal said. "I've had people say to me, 'You know what, we turned
the TV off this weekend and read as a family. It was really
inspirational to a lot of people."
Jackson Off Hobbit
In a tiff with New Line, director Peter Jackson says he is off the Hobbit:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9670.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9670.html
20061117
Nexus Returns; '300' Sales Soar!
Eisner-winning artist Steve Rude has formed Rude Dude Productions and plans to publish a new full color, quarterly Nexus comic (written by Mike Baron):
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9635.html
After the trailer for Zack Snyder's film of Frank Miller's 300 hit theaters sales of the graphic novel soared-and Dark Horse has a plan to keep it in print:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9631.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9635.html
After the trailer for Zack Snyder's film of Frank Miller's 300 hit theaters sales of the graphic novel soared-and Dark Horse has a plan to keep it in print:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9631.html
20061115
B5 Direct-to-DVD; Spidey's Back in Black!
J. Michael Straczynski is writing and directing a new Babylon 5 direct-to-DVD release for Warner Home Video:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9619.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9619.html
20061111
Fwd: [b] On Carefully Choosing a Book by Its Cover
EDITORIAL NOTEBOOK
On Carefully Choosing a Book by Its Cover
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH
The fact that booksellers are scrambling to market their
wares at other places besides bookstores makes sense, but
something seems a little off kilter when publishers change
a book cover to suit the fashions of the day.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/opinion/05sun3.html?th&emc=th
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH
Published: November 5, 2006
To make my view clear from the start, anything that sells more good
books is good, period. So the fact that booksellers are scrambling to
market their wares at other places besides bookstores makes sense. If
a store sells pots and pans, it should also sell instruction manuals —
i.e. cookbooks. Auto shops would be a good place to peddle "The
Complete Guide to Used Cars" or "On the Road."
But something seems a little off kilter when publishers are changing a
book cover to suit the fashions of the day. As detailed in an article
by Julie Bosman in The Times last week, stalwarts like Hachette Book
Group USA will now redo the cover of a book to go with a store's
merchandise. (Imagine, for a moment, Jon Stewart in ecru.)
HarperCollins has been known to take its cue from the fashion industry
— featuring more covers in bright green and sangria red this spring as
dictated by the crowd from Paris and Bryant Park.
The publishing industry has taken to selling books in any place and
any color because book sales have been sagging and these new marketing
techniques seem to work. At least in the short term. But what happens
if buyers purchase only one book per season? Or worse, imagine if your
customer buys only a few tasteful-looking hardbacks when redecorating
the house? This would not seem to be a promising long-term business
plan.
To be fair, books have always been considered a fashion accessory in
some quarters. Anybody who has ever purchased a yard of books or a
backyard of books knows that just having these little items around can
raise the tone of the lowliest motel restaurant. As an obsessive
collector of books myself, I have always thought that a room is
softened by bookcases. And their dust, of course.
But this bookselling trend seems different. Ms. Bosman cited one hip
New York shop featuring the careful juxtaposition of a
black-and-orange sweater-and-skirt combination next to Annie
Leibovitz's "A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005" with its sleek
black-and-white cover. For a mere $270 or so you can be almost as
glamorous as your coffee table.
One way to deal with this need to match book and look might be to find
some chameleon-like material that can imitate any color around it.
Failing that, publishers could start using something that reflects the
hue du jour, like aluminum foil. Or maybe they could sell wrappers
that do not have a high school mascot on them — book wrappers in
stylish magenta or cerulean or whatever looks good with your
complexion. Then, if you happened to be interested in what's inside a
book, you could read almost anything safely camouflaged behind this
year's color-coordinated cover.
On Carefully Choosing a Book by Its Cover
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH
The fact that booksellers are scrambling to market their
wares at other places besides bookstores makes sense, but
something seems a little off kilter when publishers change
a book cover to suit the fashions of the day.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/05/opinion/05sun3.html?th&emc=th
By ELEANOR RANDOLPH
Published: November 5, 2006
To make my view clear from the start, anything that sells more good
books is good, period. So the fact that booksellers are scrambling to
market their wares at other places besides bookstores makes sense. If
a store sells pots and pans, it should also sell instruction manuals —
i.e. cookbooks. Auto shops would be a good place to peddle "The
Complete Guide to Used Cars" or "On the Road."
But something seems a little off kilter when publishers are changing a
book cover to suit the fashions of the day. As detailed in an article
by Julie Bosman in The Times last week, stalwarts like Hachette Book
Group USA will now redo the cover of a book to go with a store's
merchandise. (Imagine, for a moment, Jon Stewart in ecru.)
HarperCollins has been known to take its cue from the fashion industry
— featuring more covers in bright green and sangria red this spring as
dictated by the crowd from Paris and Bryant Park.
The publishing industry has taken to selling books in any place and
any color because book sales have been sagging and these new marketing
techniques seem to work. At least in the short term. But what happens
if buyers purchase only one book per season? Or worse, imagine if your
customer buys only a few tasteful-looking hardbacks when redecorating
the house? This would not seem to be a promising long-term business
plan.
To be fair, books have always been considered a fashion accessory in
some quarters. Anybody who has ever purchased a yard of books or a
backyard of books knows that just having these little items around can
raise the tone of the lowliest motel restaurant. As an obsessive
collector of books myself, I have always thought that a room is
softened by bookcases. And their dust, of course.
But this bookselling trend seems different. Ms. Bosman cited one hip
New York shop featuring the careful juxtaposition of a
black-and-orange sweater-and-skirt combination next to Annie
Leibovitz's "A Photographer's Life: 1990-2005" with its sleek
black-and-white cover. For a mere $270 or so you can be almost as
glamorous as your coffee table.
One way to deal with this need to match book and look might be to find
some chameleon-like material that can imitate any color around it.
Failing that, publishers could start using something that reflects the
hue du jour, like aluminum foil. Or maybe they could sell wrappers
that do not have a high school mascot on them — book wrappers in
stylish magenta or cerulean or whatever looks good with your
complexion. Then, if you happened to be interested in what's inside a
book, you could read almost anything safely camouflaged behind this
year's color-coordinated cover.
20061103
20061101
Weisman's immersive alternate reality novel "Cathy's Book"
Jordan Weisman's immersive alternate reality novel Cathy's Book had a very impressive sell-in for a $17.95 hardcover:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9549.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9549.html
20061028
20061027
Lullaby not scrapped
Five comic series previously published by Alias Comics have found new homes:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9532.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9532.html
D&D Murder
A sensational murder trial in Detroit, which will be broadcast live on Court Tv Extra, is sure to put D&D in the public consciousness as the RPG is central to both prosecution and defense arguments:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9540.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9540.html
Neil Gaiman Stardust, Beowulf
Titan Books has acquired worldwide rights to create the Official companion volume for the big budget fantasy movie based on Neil Gaiman�s Stardust:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9536.html
Another Neil Gaiman movie project -- his script (with Roger Avary) for Bob Zemeckis� adaptation of Beowulf -- is in the news. It opens next month and over 1,000 theaters will show it in 3-D (Is it time to stock up on your favorite translation of the 9th Century epic?):
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9535.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9536.html
Another Neil Gaiman movie project -- his script (with Roger Avary) for Bob Zemeckis� adaptation of Beowulf -- is in the news. It opens next month and over 1,000 theaters will show it in 3-D (Is it time to stock up on your favorite translation of the 9th Century epic?):
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9535.html
300 & Colbalt 60
Zack Snyder, who directed the forthcoming adaptation of Frank Miller's 300, has signed to helm an adaptation of the cult comic book Cobalt 60:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9528.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9528.html
20061023
NBX 3-D
Christopher (Batman Begins) Nolan's The Prestige, which stars Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, was the surprise winner at the weekend box office-and find out how the 3-D re-release of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas did:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9510.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9510.html
20061022
Abibliophobia
"Abibliophobia"
"An Irrational Fear of Running Out of Reading Materials." This word combines
the Greek negating "a-" with "biblio-" and "-phobia." See entries for both."
http://www.panikon.com/phurba/alteng/a.html
"An Irrational Fear of Running Out of Reading Materials." This word combines
the Greek negating "a-" with "biblio-" and "-phobia." See entries for both."
http://www.panikon.com/phurba/alteng/a.html
[BI] Discarding sentimental but probably worthless books
Pity the poor book loving non-book seller. The only way I can have
Thanksgiving is to discard books. Lots of them. You know how the dominos go. The only
way I can have overnight guests is to pick up the boxes of photo disks
scattered around the spare room. The only way to do that is to clean off some
shelves. The only way to clean off the shelves is to move books off the shelves,
but to where? A book sale probably, which isn't as bad as throwing them out.
But still, it's hard. First are the standards for discarding. Do I keep books
that belonged to my late family members as children 60, 70, 100 years ago?
The answer is usually. Then there's the distraction element. You can't get rid
of a book without first reading a few paragraphs. If it's a book of short
stories, then you might have to scan several of them. Then you have to wonder
why you ever picked some books up to begin with. Take "Growing Nuts in the
North." Why do I have this book? It's not likely I will ever start growing nuts.
Going nuts, maybe. You get to the point where you throw up your hands and
write an e-mail. So far about 20 books are firmly in the discard box. Back to
work. More boxes to fill.
Sally Spooner
__________________________________________________________________________
BookFinder Insider -- http://lists.bookfinder.com/mailman/listinfo/insider
Thanksgiving is to discard books. Lots of them. You know how the dominos go. The only
way I can have overnight guests is to pick up the boxes of photo disks
scattered around the spare room. The only way to do that is to clean off some
shelves. The only way to clean off the shelves is to move books off the shelves,
but to where? A book sale probably, which isn't as bad as throwing them out.
But still, it's hard. First are the standards for discarding. Do I keep books
that belonged to my late family members as children 60, 70, 100 years ago?
The answer is usually. Then there's the distraction element. You can't get rid
of a book without first reading a few paragraphs. If it's a book of short
stories, then you might have to scan several of them. Then you have to wonder
why you ever picked some books up to begin with. Take "Growing Nuts in the
North." Why do I have this book? It's not likely I will ever start growing nuts.
Going nuts, maybe. You get to the point where you throw up your hands and
write an e-mail. So far about 20 books are firmly in the discard box. Back to
work. More boxes to fill.
Sally Spooner
__________________________________________________________________________
BookFinder Insider -- http://lists.bookfinder.com/mailman/listinfo/insider
20061020
NEWS: OOOPs! Errant elbow costs $100 million
Steve Wynn is a billionaire casino owner in Las Vegas. He recently agreed to
sell Picasso's "Le Reve" for $139 million, almost $100 million more than he
had paid for the painting nine years ago.
Wynn was showing the painting off to friends when he turned, and hit the
painting with his elbow, tearing a hole in the canvas.
The sale is off.
Complete story at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/18/national/main2100835.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2100835
sell Picasso's "Le Reve" for $139 million, almost $100 million more than he
had paid for the painting nine years ago.
Wynn was showing the painting off to friends when he turned, and hit the
painting with his elbow, tearing a hole in the canvas.
The sale is off.
Complete story at:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/10/18/national/main2100835.shtml?source=RSSattr=HOME_2100835
20061018
Miyazaki's Tales From Earthsea
According to the New York Times the Sci Fi Channel is holding up the potential theatrical release of Goro Miyazaki's Tales From Earthsea, the most popular film in Japan this summer:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9468.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9468.html
20061017
20061016
Nightmare in 3-D!
Disney is releasing the cult hit �Tim Burton�s The Nightmare Before Christmas� in a new 3-D version in over 150 theaters across North America on October 20th:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9456.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9456.html
20061013
Early Book Humor
> on Amazon.com
> Publisher: Cupples & Leon (January 1, 0008)
Well, even the most callow bookseller should recognize this as a typo.
The Cupples & Leon imprint did not even *exist* before March, 0018, when
Ximendes Cupples bought out Ioshua Leon's earlier partner, Tiberius
Calpurnius Tiso. The Cupples & Leon imprint was very successful- among
their best selling titles were "Everything You Need to Know About
Investing in Pompeiian Real Estate", "Lead Pipework for the Noble Home",
and "Gladiators for Dummies". The partnership was abruptly terminated in
February, 0019 when Cupples, while researching "Gladiators for Dummies
-II", was sat on by a bored elephant.
-Forrest, Bibliogrofer
20061011
"Indie bookstores fight chains, Internet"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061008/ap_on_bi_ge/independent_bookstores
>>Adam Brent knew his 11-year-run selling best sellers and new releases was
over when mail carriers started walking into his building to deliver books
from Amazon.com to the tenants upstairs
"Literally, they didn't walk downstairs or take the time to make a phone
call," Brent said of the neighbors of Brent Books & Cards in the city's
business district.<<
20061010
20061009
Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Day = November 4th
The third annual Worldwide Dungeons & Dragons Game Day is scheduled for November 4th:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9429.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9429.html
20061006
Marvel Soap Opera!
Marvel has a major cross-promotion planned with the daytime soap opera, Guiding Light:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9425.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9425.html
20061004
New Miyazaki Movie in 2008!!
Miyazaki has started shooting his next animated feature:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9410.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9410.html
20061002
Fwd: 15 Reasons Why Airplanes Are Better Than Women!
1) Airplanes usually kill you quickly - a woman takes her time.
2) Airplanes can be turned on by a flick of a switch.
3) Airplanes don't get mad if you do a "touch and go."
4) Airplanes don't object to a preflight inspection.
5) Airplanes come with manuals to explain their operation.
6) Airplanes have strict weight and balance limitations.
7) Airplanes can be flown any time of the month.
8) Airplanes don't come with in-laws.
9) Airplanes don't care about how many other airplanes you've flown before.
10) Airplanes and pilots both arrive at the same time.
11) Airplanes don't mind if you look at other airplanes.
12) Airplanes don't mind if you buy airplane magazines.
13) Airplanes expect to be tied down.
14) Airplanes don't comment on your piloting skills.
15) Airplanes don't whine unless something is really wrong.
16) However, when airplanes go quiet, just like women, it's usually not good.
20060929
Occult Crimes Taskforce - Rosario Dawson:
Dimension Films has optioned O.C.T.: Occult Crimes Taskforce, the Image comic co-written by Rosario Dawson:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9385.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9385.html
20060927
Cancer Vixen
Marisa Acochella Marchetto's autobiographical graphic novel Cancer Vixen, which Random House is publishing today, has been optioned by Working Title as a vehicle for Kate Blanchett:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9367.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9367.html
20060925
Family Guy Deleted Scenes
Some of the �deleted� scenes from the upcoming Family Guy Season Four DVD set have been revealed:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9353.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9353.html
Gamer Study
The first part of a new research study of the motivations of hobby gamers has been published by GAMA and Ohio State University:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9358.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9358.html
20060923
20060922
Fwd: Happy New Year!!!
La Shonah Tovah! Happy year 5767!
hmmm 5767 seems a much more interesting year to live in than 2006 ...
hmmm 5767 seems a much more interesting year to live in than 2006 ...
20060920
20060915
Video Downloads
Another Internet powerhouse has begun offering anime downloads:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9314.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9314.html
Crowley and Aziraphale's New Year's resolutions
Crowley and Aziraphale's New Year's resolutions
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman present New Year's resolutions of the demon Crowley and the angelic Aziraphale — characters in their collaborative novel, Good Omens.
Aziraphale:
Resolution #4: I will try to be nicer to the customers. They want to buy books; I want to sell them. It can't be that hard. (Memo to self: Regular opening hours? Mark prices on books?)
Resolution #6: Find out exactly what an "Internet" is.
Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman present New Year's resolutions of the demon Crowley and the angelic Aziraphale — characters in their collaborative novel, Good Omens.
Aziraphale:
Resolution #4: I will try to be nicer to the customers. They want to buy books; I want to sell them. It can't be that hard. (Memo to self: Regular opening hours? Mark prices on books?)
Resolution #6: Find out exactly what an "Internet" is.
20060908
Geppi's Museum "Overwhelming"
The word for Geppi's Entertainment Museum, which opens to the pubic today, is "overwhelming:"
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9287.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9287.html
Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0!
Gainax has announced a series of four movies that will �retell� the Neon Genesis Evangelion saga with all new material, creating a new version that is not redundant, but is more accessible:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9282.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9282.html
Lost Girls - sold out!
And Alan Moore and Linda Gebbie�s Lost Girls sold out its first printing immediately. Here�s the breakdown between the direct market and the book channel, and the plans for future printings:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9277.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9277.html
20060906
Mouse Guard
David Petersen's Mouse Guard (published by Archaia Studio Press) has been a stealth hit in the direct market with the first three issues burning through several printings--clearly this is a title to watch, especially when it appears in a collected edition in 2007:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9260.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9260.html
Titanic's First Two Games; FLCL Set!
Titanic�s premium version of Kill Dr. Lucky, due in October, will include a limited edition game piece with retailer preorders:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9270.html
A FLCL DVD box set is due in November, with a book, t-shirt, and other special extras:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9268.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9270.html
A FLCL DVD box set is due in November, with a book, t-shirt, and other special extras:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9268.html
20060903
GENE SIMMONS
TOWER MUSIC in LA GENE SIMMONS and Miss Tweed will by signing their respective books (GENE SIMMONS FAMILY JEWELS/Sex, Money, Kiss) and KISS AND MAKEUP (both on SimmonsBooks/Phoenix Books) at:
TOWER MUSIC on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.
September the 8th, 2006 -- we start at 7 pm and we will stay as long as possible.
TOWER MUSIC on Sunset Blvd in Los Angeles.
September the 8th, 2006 -- we start at 7 pm and we will stay as long as possible.
20060901
20060830
The 'Spirit' Dream!
Spirit was a dream project for the movie's producer--how the deal was done:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9227.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9227.html
20060828
They know all about you
They know all about you
AOL Users Especially BEWARE:
Every time you use an internet search engine, your inquiry is stored in
a huge database. Would you like such personal information to become
public knowledge? Yet for thousands of AOL customers, that nightmare has
just become a reality. Andrew Brown reports on an incident that has
exposed how much we divulge to Google & co
Andrew Brown
Monday August 28, 2006
Guardian
In March this year, a man with a passion for Portuguese football, living
in a city in Florida, was drinking heavily because his wife was having
an affair. He typed his troubles into the search window of his computer.
"My wife doesnt love animore," he told the machine. He searched for
"Stop your divorce" and "I want revenge to my wife" before turning to
self-examination with "alchool withdrawl", "alchool withdrawl sintoms"
(at 10 in the morning) and "disfunctional erection". On April 1 he was
looking for a local medium who could "predict my futur".
But what could a psychic guess about him compared with what the world
now knows? This story is one of hundreds, perhaps tens of thousands,
revealed this month when AOL published the details of 23m searches made
by 650,000 of its customers during a three-month period earlier in the
year. The searches were actually carried out by Google - from which AOL
buys in its search functions.
The gigantic database detailing these customers' search inquiries was
available on an AOL research site for just a few hours before the
company realised that substituting numbers for users' names did not
really protect their identities enough. The company apologised for its
mistake - and removed the database from the internet. The researcher who
published the material has been sacked, as has his manager, and last
week AOL's chief technology officer, Maureen Govern, resigned. But those
few hours online were enough for the raw data files to be copied all
over the internet, and there are now four or five sites where anyone can
search through them using specialised software.
What was published by AOL represents only a tiny fraction of the
accumulated knowledge warehoused within Google's records - but it has
given all of us, as users, a dramatic and unsettling glimpse of how
much, and in what intimate detail, the big search engines know about us.
More at:
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329562941-116259,00.html
AOL Users Especially BEWARE:
Every time you use an internet search engine, your inquiry is stored in
a huge database. Would you like such personal information to become
public knowledge? Yet for thousands of AOL customers, that nightmare has
just become a reality. Andrew Brown reports on an incident that has
exposed how much we divulge to Google & co
Andrew Brown
Monday August 28, 2006
Guardian
In March this year, a man with a passion for Portuguese football, living
in a city in Florida, was drinking heavily because his wife was having
an affair. He typed his troubles into the search window of his computer.
"My wife doesnt love animore," he told the machine. He searched for
"Stop your divorce" and "I want revenge to my wife" before turning to
self-examination with "alchool withdrawl", "alchool withdrawl sintoms"
(at 10 in the morning) and "disfunctional erection". On April 1 he was
looking for a local medium who could "predict my futur".
But what could a psychic guess about him compared with what the world
now knows? This story is one of hundreds, perhaps tens of thousands,
revealed this month when AOL published the details of 23m searches made
by 650,000 of its customers during a three-month period earlier in the
year. The searches were actually carried out by Google - from which AOL
buys in its search functions.
The gigantic database detailing these customers' search inquiries was
available on an AOL research site for just a few hours before the
company realised that substituting numbers for users' names did not
really protect their identities enough. The company apologised for its
mistake - and removed the database from the internet. The researcher who
published the material has been sacked, as has his manager, and last
week AOL's chief technology officer, Maureen Govern, resigned. But those
few hours online were enough for the raw data files to be copied all
over the internet, and there are now four or five sites where anyone can
search through them using specialised software.
What was published by AOL represents only a tiny fraction of the
accumulated knowledge warehoused within Google's records - but it has
given all of us, as users, a dramatic and unsettling glimpse of how
much, and in what intimate detail, the big search engines know about us.
More at:
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/print/0,,329562941-116259,00.html
20060825
Unusual bookstore nuisance (or magnet): naked teens books
Strange news item from the Boston Globe out of the
Green Mountain State:
Law of nature prevails in Vermont
Brattleboro teens shed clothes with impunity
By Brian MacQuarrie, Globe Staff | August 23, 2006
BRATTLEBORO -- Here on the banks of the Connecticut
River, in the busiest parking area of a downtown
peppered with bookstores and coffee shops, more is
meeting the eye than some people want.
A politely rebellious collection of teenagers passing
time in the Harmony Parking Lot this summer has taken
to disrobing. Seemingly on a whim, they shed clothes
and soak up the sun, nude.
What began as a lark or an ode to youthful exuberance
has now turned into a municipal quandary, because
public nudity is permissible in Brattleboro.
In the words of Town Manager Jerry Remillard, if
you're naked in public, and you're minding your
business, you're legal.
``We're quite a bit different than a lot of places,"
Remillard said.
Spurred by complaints, the town's Select Board will
consider changing that, although no changes are
expected soon. In the meantime, some pedestrians avert
their eyes. Some youths cheer on their naked friends,
and a few adults are so offended that they become
nearly hysterical.
If the two-dozen or so youths, 16 to 19 years old, are
seeking to make a social statement, the manifesto
needs some work.
``We just thought it'd be a little fun," said Charles
Corry, 19, who said he stripped to nature's own Friday
and hung out for about 45 minutes with five
like-minded friends as shoppers, diners, and walkers
made their bemused way through the lot. ``I don't see
it as a serious statement."
Serious or not, the teenagers have made nudity
something that can show its pale or sun-burned self
with no warning. Rachel Brooks, who works at
Everyone's Books, sees some of the action on the
sidewalk outside the shop's rear door.
``Personally, if I wanted to be naked, I wouldn't sit
around in a dirty parking lot," said Brooks, 22. ``I
wouldn't want to get cigarette butts on my butt."
The nudity began in earnest this year, Brooks said,
when one young woman decided she wanted to bare her
chest in public, just like her male friends.
Since then, the no-clothes fashion has gained
popularity and has expanded to include group bike
rides, skateboarding, hula-hoop contests, and a
grass-roots music event that the group dubbed the Brat
Fest.
One girl even sat partially nude on a newspaper
vending box in the middle of downtown.
``I think most of Vermont wants Vermont to be nude,"
said Hannah Phillips, 15, who added that she has not
disrobed. ``People have a basic human right to be
naked if they want to."
Nearby, older teenagers sat on the sidewalk, fully
clothed, their backs propped against a brick wall,
munching on a pizza they found in its box. A car
belonging to one of the group was parked nearby, a
skull-and-crossbones on its hood and the words,
``Chaos Infiltration Squad," on a side door. On the
opposite side of the lot, the Back Side Cafe looked
down on the scene.
Although members of the group said they don't intend
to offend anyone, one woman has filed a complaint with
the Select Board.
But the wheels of legislation grind methodically here,
and the board must hold two public meetings, followed
by a waiting period of nearly a month before a ban on
public nudity can be implemented and enforced.
Vermont does not forbid public nudity, as
Massachusetts does, but some liberal communities in
the state have banned it. Remillard said that
outsiders should not begin to think of Brattleboro as
a haven for the behavior. It's just that Brattleboro
never had cause to ban nudity before.
``I would suspect that if it were OK, you'd see it in
Boston," he said.
Andrew Wdowiak, who works at Everyone's Books, said
that he's not put off by the nudity, but that the act
has become a little tired. ``I think it was more for
the shock value," he said. ``They weren't flagrant
about it."
But last week, when about a half-dozen naked teenagers
congregated outside the store, ``it was like they were
baking a cake, and they really frosted it," Wdowiak
said. ``All the men were naked, and the women were
topless. I needed about three drinks to erase that
vision."
One patron of the bookstore let loose with hysterics
of Academy Award proportions, he added.
If the town passes an ordinance this year, cool
weather will have begun to settle in this slice of the
North Country.
But Remillard, for one, doesn't think the bracing air
will accomplish what Brattleboro's laws have been so
far unable to do.
``That isn't necessarily going to bother this group of
people," he said of the cold.
20060819
20060807
20060806
20060805
Name-calling!
The following is excerpted from Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot Professor Poopypants,
by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names...
1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy
2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:
a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle
3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g = pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice
Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is: Fluffy Chucklefanny.
by Dave Pilkey, in which the evil Professor forces everyone to assume new names...
1. Use the third letter of your first name to determine your new first name:
a = snickle
b = doombah
c = goober
d = cheesey
e = crusty
f = greasy
g = dumbo
h = farcus
i = dorky
j = doofus
k = funky
l = boobie
m = sleezy
n = sloopy
o = fluffy
p = stinky
q = slimy
r = dorfus
s = snooty
t = tootsie
u = dipsy
v = sneezy
w = liver
x = skippy
y = dinky
z = zippy
2. Use the second letter of your last name to determine the first half of your new last name:
a = dippin
b = feather
c = batty
d = burger
e = chicken
f = barffy
g = lizard
h = waffle
i = farkle
j = monkey
k = flippin
l = fricken
m = bubble
n = rhino
o = potty
p = hamster
q = buckle
r = gizzard
s = lickin
t = snickle
u = chuckle
v = pickle
w = hubble
x = dingle
y = gorilla
z = girdle
3. Use the third letter of your last name to determine the second half of your new last name:
a = butt
b = boob
c = face
d = nose
e = hump
f = breath
g = pants
h = shorts
i = lips
j = honker
k = head
l = tush
m = chunks
n = dunkin
o = brains
p = biscuits
q = toes
r = doodle
s = fanny
t = sniffer
u = sprinkles
v = frack
w = squirt
x = humperdinck
y = hiney
z = juice
Thus, for example, George W. Bush's new name is: Fluffy Chucklefanny.
20060804
Robotech Release Date!; Hellboy 2
FUNimation has set a release date for the new Robotech feature:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9088.html
Hellboy 2 was picked up by a new studio and will start shooting next year:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9089.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9088.html
Hellboy 2 was picked up by a new studio and will start shooting next year:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9089.html
20060803
James Kochalka Superstar - Spread Your Evil Wings and Fly
James Kochalka's James Kochalka Superstar - Spread Your Evil Wings and Fly CD, was probabaly the most fun thing I got at the San Diego Comic-con 2006. Saw him at the Top Shelf booth, with Eddie Campbell, and Melinda Gebbie. He didn't really have to talk me into it that hard, I've been waiting for a collection of the SuperF*ckers comics and stopped to see if I could get a sketch. Good rock music, with darkly humorous lyrics, some songs more pop rock, some dark rock, with some catchy and horrifying refrains (Justin Timberlake, Justin Timberlake, Justin Timberlake, Justin Timberlake, Justin Timberlake... Gah!!)
Eltingville club
Best SF/Comics/RPG/Horror/Toy/Fan cartoon ever!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OIDFGRgVyI&search=eltingville
too bad it's gone now....
well you can go read Evan's rants instead
http://www.houseoffun.com/athome/ejournal.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OIDFGRgVyI&search=eltingville
too bad it's gone now....
well you can go read Evan's rants instead
http://www.houseoffun.com/athome/ejournal.html
20060802
Bad first lines / GREAT LITERARY TAUNTS
Bad first lines
"As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber, he would never hear the end of it."
"Just beyond the Narrows, the river widens."
With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned, unblemished oval face framed with lustrous thick brown hair, deep azure-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes, perfect teeth that vied for competition, and a small straight nose, Marilee had a beauty that defied description."
"Andre, a simple peasant, had only one thing on his mind as he crept along the East wall: 'Andre creep... Andre creep... Andre creep.'"
"Stanislaus Smedley, a man always on the cutting edge of narcissism, was about to give his body and soul to a back alley sex-change surgeon to become the woman he loved."
"Though Sarah had an abnormal fear of mice, it didn't keep her from squeaking out a living at a local pet store."
"Stanley looked quite bored and somewhat detached, but then penguins often do."
"Like an over-ripe beefsteak tomato rimmed with cottage cheese, the corpulent remains of Santa Claus lay dead on the hotel floor."
"Mike Hardware was the kind of private eye who didn't know the meaning of the word ' fear '; a man who could laugh in the face of danger and spit in the eye of death -- in short, a moron with suicidal tendencies."
AND THE WINNER IS...
"The sun oozed over the horizon, shoved aside darkness, crept along the greensward, and, with sickly fingers, pushed through the castle window, revealing the pillaged princess, hand at throat, crown asunder, gaping in frenzied horror at the sated, sodden amphibian lying beside her, disbelieving the magnitude of the frog's deception, screaming madly, ''You lied!"
GREAT LITERARY TAUNTS
"I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here." --- Stephen Bishop
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." --- Irvin S. Cobb
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." --- Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." --- William Faulkner
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." --- Samuel Johnson
"He had delusions of adequacy." --- Walter Kerr
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." --- Groucho Marx
"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." --- Thomas Brackett Reed
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." --- Forrest Tucker
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." --- Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." --- Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." --- Oscar Wilde
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." --- Oscar Wilde
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." --- Billy Wilder
"As a scientist, Throckmorton knew that if he were ever to break wind in the echo chamber, he would never hear the end of it."
"Just beyond the Narrows, the river widens."
With a curvaceous figure that Venus would have envied, a tanned, unblemished oval face framed with lustrous thick brown hair, deep azure-blue eyes fringed with long black lashes, perfect teeth that vied for competition, and a small straight nose, Marilee had a beauty that defied description."
"Andre, a simple peasant, had only one thing on his mind as he crept along the East wall: 'Andre creep... Andre creep... Andre creep.'"
"Stanislaus Smedley, a man always on the cutting edge of narcissism, was about to give his body and soul to a back alley sex-change surgeon to become the woman he loved."
"Though Sarah had an abnormal fear of mice, it didn't keep her from squeaking out a living at a local pet store."
"Stanley looked quite bored and somewhat detached, but then penguins often do."
"Like an over-ripe beefsteak tomato rimmed with cottage cheese, the corpulent remains of Santa Claus lay dead on the hotel floor."
"Mike Hardware was the kind of private eye who didn't know the meaning of the word ' fear '; a man who could laugh in the face of danger and spit in the eye of death -- in short, a moron with suicidal tendencies."
AND THE WINNER IS...
"The sun oozed over the horizon, shoved aside darkness, crept along the greensward, and, with sickly fingers, pushed through the castle window, revealing the pillaged princess, hand at throat, crown asunder, gaping in frenzied horror at the sated, sodden amphibian lying beside her, disbelieving the magnitude of the frog's deception, screaming madly, ''You lied!"
GREAT LITERARY TAUNTS
"I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here." --- Stephen Bishop
"I've just learned about his illness. Let's hope it's nothing trivial." --- Irvin S. Cobb
"I have never killed a man, but I have read many obituaries with great pleasure." --- Clarence Darrow
"He has never been known to use a word that might send a reader to the dictionary." --- William Faulkner
"He is not only dull himself, he is the cause of dullness in others." --- Samuel Johnson
"He had delusions of adequacy." --- Walter Kerr
"I've had a perfectly wonderful evening. But this wasn't it." --- Groucho Marx
"They never open their mouths without subtracting from the sum of human knowledge." --- Thomas Brackett Reed
"He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." --- Forrest Tucker
"I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it." --- Mark Twain
"His mother should have thrown him away and kept the stork." --- Mae West
"Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go." --- Oscar Wilde
"He has no enemies, but is intensely disliked by his friends." --- Oscar Wilde
"He has Van Gogh's ear for music." --- Billy Wilder
Amputated leg pulled from auction
The leg was viewed by 20 people but no bids had been placed before it was withdrawn. The leg sports a tattoo of an open book which Mr Torrance said symbolized emotional blackmail from his time being "locked up".
http://steelturman.typepad.com/thesteeldeal/2006/05/getting_a_leg_u.html
http://steelturman.typepad.com/thesteeldeal/2006/05/getting_a_leg_u.html
Political Quiz
Answer just 10 questions, and it instantly tells you where you stand politically. It shows your position as a red dot on a "political map" so you'll see exactly where you are. http://www.theadvocates.org/quizEarthsea Anime!; Claypool Goes Web-Only; Yet another Batman Movie
Gedo Senki (Tales From Earthsea), the anime feature based on Ursula K. LeGuin's fantasy series and directed by Hayao Miyazaki's 39-year-old son, Goro, topped Pirates of the Caribbean 2 at the Japanese box office:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9072.html
After fourteen years and over 300 issues Claypool Comics will cease print publication of all titles and take its Deadbeats series to the Web as an online publication. Claypool will continue to publish through the first quarter of next year:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9077.html
Christopher Nolan will direct The Dark Knight, a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and Heath Ledger as The Joker. Filming will start in early 2007 for a summer 2008 release:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9075.html
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9072.html
After fourteen years and over 300 issues Claypool Comics will cease print publication of all titles and take its Deadbeats series to the Web as an online publication. Claypool will continue to publish through the first quarter of next year:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9077.html
Christopher Nolan will direct The Dark Knight, a sequel to 2005's Batman Begins starring Christian Bale as the Caped Crusader and Heath Ledger as The Joker. Filming will start in early 2007 for a summer 2008 release:
http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/9075.html
20060730
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