"IMAGINE, IF YOU WILL, A WORLD WITH ONLY THREE CHANNELS..." - MARK RAHNER TALKS TWILIGHT ZONE03/28/15 @ 10:31 am EST
Source: Bleeding Cool | Categories: Dynamite | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentDavid Avallone, writer of the
Altered States: The Shadow one shot, talks with writer
Mark Rahner about
Twilight Zone: Shadow and Substance #3, both on sale now. Covers by
Guiu Vilanova,
Francesco Francavilla and
Jonathan Lau.
DAVID AVALLONE: Obviously, you’re a big fan ofThe Twilight Zone. How old were you when you saw your first episode? Do you remember what it was? Or what episode first really grabbed you?MARK RAHNER: I don’t recall discovering
The Twilight Zone at any age so much as it always being a presence and shaping my sensibilities. Although when I was a kid in Spokane, one of the TV stations had an annual Golden Days of Television thing, and TZ was always by far the coolest part of that – especially compared to stuff like
Leave it to Beaver.Imagine, if you will, a world with only three channels – four, counting PBS – where you have to wait for things to be broadcast, and there’s no home video or internet. Talk about your willing suspension of disbelief.I read all the short story collections when I was young, too. Devoured them. And I can’t be the only one who’s re-purchased
Twilight Zone every time there’s a new video format.
DA: Writing the narration… did you hear Rod’s voice? Do you – like so many of the fans, myself included – do a Rod Serling impression?MR: Not only do I have a Serling impression, but if you search YouTube for “Mark Rahner’s Blight Gallery,” you can see it. But this was more orange-tanned Serling from the
Night Gallery days, as a promotion for a horror convention called Crypticon. Occasionally, I’ll lapse into Serling on the talk-radio show I do too. I love him.Anyhow, I do try to channel Serling when I write my narration. I know his bio, his work before and after
Twilight Zone, and think I’ve internalized him as much – probably more – than is healthy. You don’t see his likeness, but I hope I can make you hear his voice. It wouldn’t be a
Twilight Zone story without that narration.
DA: As you know, TZ used science fiction/fantasy allegory to comment on universal themes and current events. Are you doing that here? And is it a universal theme or current events?MR: You bet I am. The first story, “Stumbling Distance,” was more of a personal one with some time-travel, but the new one, “Jailbreak,” has plenty to chew on. For starters: How can we be so complacent with all that’s happening around us? And if we do choose to notice, then aren’t we obligated to act?Other TZ stories I’ve done have been very on-the-nose. In “Hangnail on a Monkey’s Paw,” an obvious – and frail – Dick Cheney type is kidnapped by a Middle Eastern ex-detainee who makes a magic wish for him never to die … so he can face charges for war crimes. In “Takers,” an insufferable young senator who wants to slash the social safety net gets whisked back to the Depression-era Dust Bowl.Some people forget (or never knew) what an angry liberal Serling was, and what a Trojan Horse he intended
The Twilight Zone to be. Just using it for cute, little morality fables with twist endings would be to dishonor the guy’s massive nerve and how he risked himself.
DA: Aside from Serling and The Twilight Zone, what are your other literary influences?MR: Too many to boil down. I was such a junkie that I got a couple of lit degrees, then one in philosophy to make myself even less employable! That said, I’ve always loved short stories by Harlan Ellison, Richard Matheson, Ray Bradbury, H.P. Lovecraft, Fredric Brown … and lots more. Short stories are a dead art, and
Twilight Zone was a perfect venue for them.
DA: Like me, you had a career before comic books. I was surprised that I found more freedom working in comics than I had in film. What has surprised you?MR: I was a newspaper guy first – reporter, critic, celebrity interviewer. You can find some evidence of that at www.markrahner.com. Whole different universe, although some skills do translate.What’s surprised me is how great readers are, and how much they remember. Newspaper stories are more or less disposable. But comics become part of people’s libraries, and they remember the stories.I see what you mean about freedom too. You probably know the condition the newspaper industry’s in. I’ll just say that my satisfaction in the funny book field isn’t a huge stretch from Serling’s. Outside of comedy like
The Daily Show, there are few other ways to comment truthfully, let alone achieve some wish-fulfillment.
DA: Do you have to fight the urge to avoid Serling-isms like “picture if you will” or “portrait of a man.”, etc? Or do you just go for it sometimes? MR: You’ll never see me write “Submitted for your approval” in a comic, or any of his well-known lines. The “imagine, if you will” line above was a meta-wisecrack. But in
The Twilight Zone, that crosses into imitation and fan fiction – even self-parody – as far as I’m concerned. My goal’s to write stories, and in a voice, that are utterly faithful to the spirits of Serling and
The Twilight Zone, yet original and raw.
DA: In one of the many TZ reboots, they revisited Jerome Bixby’s “It’s A Good Life,” complete with middle-aged Billy Mumy. Is there a story from the original series you’d like to write a sequel to?MR: I suppose a sequel to “The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street” would involve Fox News, right?But no, I’ve never spent one moment wanting to revisit any original TZ story. What would Henry Bemis in “Time Enough At Last” do after his specs broke on the library steps? Would it be like Cormac McCarthy’s
The Road? …Seems cheap to me.I can see hitting familiar notes here and there. “Stumbling Distance” is the closest I’ll come, as a tough variation on the theme of “Walking Distance.” I also had one brewing called “Give Til It Hurts” that would have been a very distant cousin to “Night of the Meek.” But if you’re lucky enough, or cursed enough ever to write
The Twilight Zone, you’d better have your own stories to tell. And I’ve got plenty.
ALAN RITCHSON SET FOR ACTION SCI-FI FILM ‘WAR MACHINE'03/29/24 @ 8:48 am EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentReacher’s Alan Ritchson is set to star in
War Machine, the Patrick Hughes-directed and scripted action sci-fi film that will find its home with Netflix. Lionsgate developed the script with Hughes, best known for
The Hitman’s Bodyguard films. Hughes wrote the script with James Beaufort (
Machine). Lionsgate set the title in a deal with Netflix. This comes on the heels of Lionsgate announcing it has Anna Kendrick and Blake Lively reuniting for
A Simple Favor 2, setting the film as a streamer title with Amazon MGM Studios. It is part of a third facet of Lionsgate’s long term plan, which includes a direct-to-streaming business, to go with theatricals and multiplatform titles that have included
Sisu and
Retribution. The plot? During the final 24 hours of the world’s toughest selection process, a team of Army Rangers encounters a threat beyond their imagination. (via
Deadline)
THE BEST & THE MERC WAGE WAR IN THE 'DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII' TRAILER03/29/24 @ 8:36 am EST
Source: Marvel | Categories: Marvel | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThis May, an all-new three-part, globe-spanning saga starring the most intensely mismatched team-up in pop culture begins in DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII #1. Deadpool and Wolverine’s latest joint adventure comes courtesy of two of the pair’s most legendary storytellers—formative
Deadpool writer Joe Kelly and iconic
Wolverine artist Adam Kubert. Together, they’ve crafted a relentlessly explosive and deliciously violent series that’s both a must-have for comic fans and a perfect entry point for newcomers. Featuring never-before-seen artwork, the all-new
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII trailer shows just how deadly the situation Wade and Logan find themselves in this time. The series kicks off when the pair is targeted by Delta, an all-new super villain with the power to amplify a person’s abilities, strength, and savagery to their ultimate limit! Taken to the ends of the earth by this new foe, Deadpool and Wolverine must embrace radical change and manage to work together to survive and bring down a twisted group of individuals bent on seeing them rip each other to shreds—THOSE WHO WATCH. The action-packed trailer provides a first look at this villainous group and the weaponry at their disposal, but fans will have to wait till later in the series to behold the Delta’s fury! On the action he and Kubert will be delivering, Kelly said. “We've seen both guys get put through the physical ringer in many ways, and part of the fun is trying to one-up the next person, or whoever played with these characters before you, but always in service of the story. And I think in this case, my hope at least, is that we came up with a way to use these guys' very, very unique abilities in a way that reflects what's going on with them emotionally.” Check out the trailer and preorder DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE: WWIII #1 at your local comic shop today!
HEROES SUIT UP FOR 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF SPIDEY'S ICONIC BLACK COSTUME03/28/24 @ 4:16 pm EST
Source: Marvel | Categories: Spider-Man | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentIn 1984, Spider-Man discovered a mysterious black costume during the original
Secret Wars. Adopting it as new suit, it became one of Spidey’s signature looks before it dramatically revealed itself as the Venom symbiote! It’s impact on the Spidey mythos cements it as one of the most significant super hero costume changes in comic book history, and this year, Marvel Comics is celebrating 40 years of the Black Costume with facsimile editions of Spider-Man’s early adventures wearing the costume, and the launch of new BLACK COSTUME VARIANT COVERS this May! Across 23 covers on some of Marvel’s hottest current series, see your favorite heroes suit up in sleek all-black looks! Featuring all-new designs by Marvel’s most acclaimed artists, these pieces give a glimpse into universes where Captain America, Iron Man, Ms. Marvel, and more came across symbiote suits of their own and slowly discovered its sinister secrets.
STEPHEN KING HORROR 'THE MONKEY' ADDS TATIANA MASLANY, ELIJAH WOOD03/28/24 @ 4:07 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentClockwise L-R: Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Christian Convery, Colin O’Brien, Rohan Campbell and Sarah Levy Horror movie
The Monkey, the adaptation of the Stephen King short story, wrapped shooting a week ago and
Deadline is reporting that lead cast joining Theo James (
The White Lotus) includes Tatiana Maslany (
She–
Hulk:
Attorney at Law), Elijah Wood (
The Lord Of The Rings), Christian Convery (
Sweet Tooth), Colin O’Brien (
Wonka), Rohan Campbell (
The Hardy Boys) and Sarah Levy (
Schitt’s Creek).As was previously reported, the team behind the movie includes genre supremo James Wan, creator of the
The Conjuring Universe and co-creator of the
Saw and
Insidious franchises.In
The Monkey, when twin brothers Hal and Bill discover their father’s old monkey toy in the attic, a series of gruesome deaths starts occurring all around them. The brothers decide to throw the monkey away and move on with their lives, growing apart over the years. But when the mysterious deaths begin again, the brothers must reunite to find a way to destroy the monkey for good before it takes the lives of everyone close to them.
COVER REVEAL: THE EPIC SERIES FINALE OF 'DUKE'03/28/24 @ 4:01 pm EST
Source: Skybound | Categories: Skybound | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentToday Skybound and Image Comics, in collaboration with leading toy and game company Hasbro, revealed new variant covers for Duke #5 from writer Joshua Williamson (DC’s Superman, Dark Ride), artist Tom Reilly (The Thing) and colorist Jordie Bellaire (W0rldtr33). The series finale of the Energon Universe’s acclaimed limited series arrives in comic book shops on April 24, 2024. Duke has been betrayed by his allies and hunted by new enemies. The time has come for Duke to start fighting for something bigger than his country. Bigger than he ever could have imagined. Get ready for the last page shocker than no one will see coming! Duke #5 will feature a main cover by Reilly, along with a stacked lineup of variant covers by Mateus Santolouco, Tyler Boss & Jason Wordie, Brian Level, and Dustin Nguyen. One of four action-packed G.I. JOE miniseries that introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe, Duke is running concurrently with Cobra Commander from writer Joshua Williamson, artist Andrea Milana (Impact Winter: Rook) and colorist Annalisa Leoni (Oblivion Song). These miniseries set the stage for a fresh new take on G.I. JOE, Cobra and the iconic characters that you only think you know in a shared universe with TRANSFORMERS and Void Rivals! The Energon Universe officially began last summer with the surprise first appearance of iconic TRANSFORMERS character Jetfire in Void Rivals #1 from Robert Kirkman (Invincible, The Walking Dead) and Lorenzo De Felici (Kroma), introducing the historic new collaboration between Hasbro and Skybound, with TRANSFORMERS and G.I. JOE comics finding a new home with the publisher. Then TRANSFORMERS from writer/artist Daniel Warren Johnson (Extremity, Do a Powerbomb, DC’s Wonder Woman: Dead Earth) and colorist Mike Spicer (Stillwater, Murder Falcon) kicked off a brand-new era for the iconic franchise. The Energon Universe recently expanded with the launch of Duke and Cobra Commander. Beginning in June 2024, limited series Scarlett, from writer Kelly Thompson (Black Widow, Birds of Prey) and artist Marco Ferrari (Frontiersman) and Destro, from writer Dan Watters (Loki, Universal Monsters: Creature from the Black Lagoon Lives!) and artist Andrei Bressan (Dark Ride, Birthright), will round out the lineup of action-packed G.I. JOE miniseries that introduce the iconic characters of the G.I. JOE and Cobra factions to the Energon Universe. Fans should expect can’t-miss moments from every issue of the Energon Universe, as secrets are unveiled along the path to answering the BIG questions. Duke #5 (of 5) (Lunar Codes Below $3.99) will be available at
comic book shops and digital platforms including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, comiXology, and Google Play on Wednesday, April 24, 2024.
The full list of variant covers is below:
Duke #5 Cover A by Tom Reilly (Lunar Code 0224IM262)
Duke #5 Cover B by Mateus Santolouco (Lunar Code 0224IM263)
Duke #5 Cover C (1:10 Copy Incentive) (Connecting) by Tyler Boss & Jason Wordie (Lunar Code 0224IM264)
Duke #5 Cover D (1:25 Copy Incentive) by Brian Level (Lunar Code 0224IM265)
Duke #5 Cover E (1:50 Copy Incentive) by Dustin Nguyen (Lunar Code 0224IM266)
STAR TREK CONFIRMS WHEN 'STARFLEET ACADEMY' WILL START FILMING03/28/24 @ 10:45 am EST
Source: ComicBook | Categories: Star Trek | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentThe Star Trek franchise continues to grow with the addition of
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, and the new series is gearing up for filming. Star Trek received a breath of fresh air on Paramount+, with
Star Trek: Discovery,
Star Trek: Lower Decks,
Picard, and
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds all finding success. Even more content is on the way, most notably in the form of a young adult series titled
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. What sets
Starfleet Academy apart from its predecessors is it takes place in the 32nd century, meaning it shouldn't have to worry about continuity as much. Now, we have an idea of when Starfleet Academy production kicks off. Variety reports production on
Star Trek: Starfleet Academy will begin this summer, with the show sporting "the largest single set ever created for Star Trek on TV." A description of the series states
Starfleet Academy "will follow the adventures of a new class of Starfleet cadets as they come of age in one of the most legendary places in the galaxy." The newest season of
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is currently in production, and Michelle Yeoh's
Section 31 movie has wrapped filming, so there's a lot for Star Trek fans to look forward to. (via
ComicBook.com)
BRANDON SKLENAR JOINS BLUMHOUSE THRILLER 'DROP'03/28/24 @ 10:31 am EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentFollowing his breakout role in
1923, Brandon Sklenar looks to have found his next feature film project as he is set to join Christoper Landon’s film
Drop from Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse.
Meghann Fahy is also on board with Landon directing. The film’s logline is being kept under wraps, but it’s said to be a fast-paced thriller. Jillian Jacobs and Chris Roach penned the script, with Michael Bay, Jason Blum, Brad Fuller and Cameron Fuller — who brought the script in to Platinum Dunes — producing. Sam Lerner is an executive producer. The film is a Platinum Dunes and Blumhouse production for Universal. The partnership between the two production companies has delivered huge results from its
Purge franchise that includes five films with the sixth on the way as well as a TV series. (via
Deadline)
'AMONG US': DAN STEVENS, LIV HEWSON & KIMIKO GLENN JOIN CAST03/27/24 @ 7:46 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentL-R: Dan Stevens, Liv Hewson and Kimiko GlennDan Stevens (
Downton Abbey), Liv Hewson (
Yellowjackets) and Kimiko Glenn (
Orange Is The New Black) have joined the cast of
Among Us, an animated series based on the highly popular game, from CBS Studios, Innersloth, and creator Owen Dennis
(Infinity Train). They join previously announced Randall Park, Ashley Johnson, Yvette Nicole Brown and Elijah Wood. CBS Studios‘ animation arm Eye Animation Productions is currently developing the project in partnership with Innersloth, the independent studio behind the game.The series is created and executive produced by Dennis, who is under an overall deal at CBS Studios. No network or streamer is currently attached.Per the logline, the series is based on the game’s premise: “Members of your crew have been replaced by an alien shapeshifter intent on causing confusion, sabotaging the ship, and killing everyone. Root out the ‘Impostor’ or fall victim to its murderous designs.” (via
Deadline) For character details and more, click
here.
'THE BRIDE!': JULIANNE HOUGH JOINS MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL FRANKENSTEIN MOVIE03/27/24 @ 7:40 pm EST
Source: Deadline | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentJulianne Hough has landed a role in
The Bride!, writer-director Maggie Gyllenhaal‘s follow-up to her Academy Award-nominated drama
The Lost Daughter.A Warner Bros title steeped in the Frankenstein lore, the film also stars Christian Bale, Jessie Buckley, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening and Penelope Cruz, as previously announced. Details as to Hough’s role are under wraps. Slated for release in IMAX on October 3, 2025,
The Bride! sees a lonely Frankenstein travel to 1930s Chicago to seek the aide of a Dr. Euphronius in creating a companion for himself. The two reinvigorate a murdered young woman and the Bride is born. She is beyond what either of them intended, igniting a combustible romance, the attention of the police and a wild and radical social movement. (via
Deadline)
CHAOTIC MAGIC & UNFINISHED BUSINESS IN YOUR FIRST LOOK AT 'ORCS!: THE GIFT' #303/27/24 @ 7:36 pm EST
Source: BOOM! Studios | Categories: MIsc | Comments (0) | E-mail Article | Add a CommentBOOM! Studios today revealed a first look at ORCS!: THE GIFT #3, the next issue of the third and final chapter of the critically acclaimed comic book series by cartoonist Christine Larsen (
Adventure Time, By Night), in the world of the beloved misfit ORCS! Available in April 2024. As the Orcs hurtle towards the final issue of The Gift, Pez struggles to control her chaotic magical powers. Back in the caves meanwhile, a mysterious specter is seemingly haunting the entire tribe... Who (or what?!) could it be? What unfinished business do they have with the Orcs? And why do these things always seem to happen when the Wise Woman is away? Answers to all of these questions (and more!) await readers in the penultimate issue of Christine Larsen's latest
ORCS! adventure! ORCS! THE GIFT #3 features a main cover by Christine Larsen, with variants by Gus Allen (
Lumberjanes). ORCS! THE GIFT is the latest release from BOOM! Studios’ award-winning KaBOOM! imprint, home to comics for middle grade and younger readers including original series
Mech Cadets by Greg Pak and Takeshi Miyazawa;
Just Beyond by R.L. Stine, Kelly & Nichole Matthews, and Irene Flores;
ORCS! By Christine Larsen;
The Princess Who Saved Herself by Greg Pak, Jonathan Coulton, and Takeshi Miyazawa;
Forever Home by Jenna Ayoub;
Jo & Rus by Audra Winslow,
Hex Vet by Sam Davies;
Drew and Jot by Art Baltazar; and
Hotel Dare by Terry Blas and Claudia Aguirre.
ORCS! The Gift #3 A Main: DEC230191
ORCS! The Gift #3 B Variant: DEC230192
ORCS! The Gift #3 C 1:10 INCV: DEC230193
ORCS! THE GIFT #3 will be available in comic shops April 24, 2024. It is available for pre-order at your local
comic shop. Digital copies can be purchased from content providers, including iBooks, Google Play, and Kindle.