Who the hell is Jackpot?

So one of Spider-Man’s archenemies, Venom, is coming to the big screen in a solo film this October. It’s not just an attempt to do cinematic justice to the gooey symbiote after his less than stellar appearance in the disappointing Spider-Man 3 a few years back…

It’s also the hope of Sony Pictures that the movie will launch an interconnected universe of superhero films similar to what Disney has with its Marvel characters (and what Warner Bros/DC is trying to do with its hero and villains).

Sony Pictures owns the licensing rights to roughly 900 Marvel characters. If Venom does well at the box office, then Sony plans on making more movies. They are already in the process of developing films based on Morbius the Living Vampire, Black Cat, Silk, Nightwatch and Jackpot.

According to some muckity-muck president at Sony, “We’re focused on being faithful to the comics.”

And, within the studio, this is being referred to as “Sony’s Universe of Marvel Characters.”

Not the best sounding name, to be sure. Kinda clumsy to say, actually. Sorta sounds like someone gargling with a bunch of marbles.

But what it does sound like is a desperate cash grab.

In recent years, Sony hasn’t been able to capitalize on the bonanza of superhero films even though they have one of the most iconic comic book characters in Spider-Man. The three Spidey films prior to Homecoming (including the reboots) were lackluster, at best.

A few years back, Sony made a deal for Disney/Marvel to make Spider-Man movies (Sony keeps movie profits, Disney gets merchandising rights) so we’re once again getting our Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man on the big screen in something that doesn’t suck.

Except Sony still wants to make superhero movies.

So now we’re getting Venom… without Spider-Man. And possibly Kraven the Hunter… without Spider-Man. Black Cat… without Spider-Man. And let’s not forget all those second and third string characters. Is the world really ready for a movie about Silk, Nightwatch and whoever the hell Jackpot is?

It’s been reported that Sony is opened to having other characters from its “Spider-Man” films pop up in Disney’s Marvel moves, and wouldn’t mind seeing an Avenger or two making guest appearances in their own movies.

Of course, Sony is opened to this. Who wouldn’t be opened to making extra money?

Marvel has built a pretty good track record with its MCU films over the last ten years. Every film has been fairly successful, financially and critically. What Sony seems like they’re doing is associating themselves with the Marvel brand. But, the fear is, they will be making an inferior product… and possibly lower that brand association in the movie goer’s mind.

Needless to say, if Venom is really good then we won’t have much to worry about. The latest trailer wasn’t so bad; the writing seemed interesting. Here’s a line:

We will eat both your arms, and then both of your legs, and then we will eat your face right off your head. You will be this armless, legless, faceless little thing, won’t you? Rolling down the street… like a turd in the wind.

J. Jonah Jameson help us.

JR
(was too lazy to google Jackpot)

OMG!

This year's convention kicked my butt. There was so much going on my brain started melting from sensory overload.

Instead of trying to write anything, I'm just going to post pictures.








I ended my convention experience by having dinner and drinks with good friends. I attempted to pay the bill with a drawing, but was told this wasn't going to fly.



What's the World coming to?

JR

Day 2!!!



Comic-Con really starts to ramp up... it's elbow to elbow both inside and outside.

And the cosplayers start showing up in full gear...





But the thing of the matter...

It's just getting started.

Stay tuned for photos from Saturday.



On a personal note, I got to host a panel at the convention. One more item to scratch off the bucket list.

JR

It's 2018; do you know where your nerd is?



Nowadays, everybody has embraced the word "nerd." And nowhere is that more evident than at the San Diego Comic-Con.

I won't waste your time with a lot of boring descriptions of the events that occurred on Day One. Here's a few photos of the craziness that is Comic-Con!






I had a good time on Day One. There was a 10 year anniversary of premiere of the TV show, Breaking Bad. I wore my Los Pollos Hermanos t-shirt, and scored some Crystal Blue.



Stay tune for tomorrow...

JR
(JR does not use nor condones the use of illegal drugs... that's what donuts are for)

When you think of Jack Kirby, you think of new gods, tales of Asgard, patriotic heroes punching nazis, double page spreads and maybe even devilish dinosaurs.

You may, or may not, think of his collage artwork.



A collage is a piece of art made by sticking various different materials such as photos and pieces of paper or fabric onto a backing. Back when a bunch of my friends were going to art school, they would call it Mixed Media to make it sound cool.

Even though artists have been creating collages for years, Pablo Picasso and George Braque brought the art form to the forefront of the art world in the early 20th century.

I don't know who was the first to bring collage into the world of comics (maybe it was Will Eisner on The Spirit), but Jack Kirby started to experiment with the technique in 1964 in the pages of the Fantastic Four. He would use collage to create fantastical scenes of otherworldly dimensions.





Even though the printing processes for comics in those days were crude, Kirby created amazing effects. His penciled characters jumped off the page juxtaposed with the hyper reality created by his collage work.

Jack Kirby would continue to make collages throughout his life. According to his assistant from the early 70's, Kirby would request visitors to his home to bring photo magazines so he could mine them for his collage pieces.



Kirby was a creative powerhouse, working 80 hours per week, penciling endless pages. He was a speed demon with a pencil, too. There are stories where Kirby would pencil five or six pages in a day (your average comic book penciler is lucky to get one page done today). So creating a collage for a comic page, for him, would slow the process down.



However, for Jack Kirby, collage seemed to be a relaxation; a happy distraction from the penciled pages. Kirby was always shaping new worlds of imagination, and his crazy, cosmic collages were just another medium for his talent.

JR
(JR has a court order preventing him from trying to make mixed media)

Well, I wasn't fired.

But Rob Rogers, formerly an editorial cartoonist with The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, was fired from that paper for being critical of Trump and his Administration.

Rogers was an award-winning artist who has been with The Post-Gazette for 25 years. Up until recently, his cartoons would be published in the paper around five times every week.




However, according to Rogers, in March, a new Trump-supporting editor, Keith Burris, became the paper's editorial director. Afterwards, 19 of Rogers' cartoons and ideas were rejected. The picture above is an example of one of the rejected cartoons.

Rogers said, "the common theme in all the ones that have been rejected, I'd say 90% of them have something to do Trump."

This is distressing.

Editorial cartoonists are the court jesters of the news medium. They can say things that regular reporters can't in print. It is their job to provoke thought of our leaders. It's not their job to illustrate a publisher's politics.

During a time when a President is calling the news media "Our Country's biggest enemy," artists of all types should be supported, not fired for doing their jobs.

Be on the lookout for assaults to our freedom of expression. They could be the harbingers of worse-things to come.

Any reasonable comments are welcomed, even if they differ from my own.

JR

The best thing about driving in traffic from Vegas to LA (probably the only thing) is stopping at a small town just off of the I-15, and getting yourself some fresh alien jerky.

Seriously.

Alien Fresh Jerky is a shop located in Baker, California (the same town which is the home to the World's Largest Thermometer), and it's a convenience store selling refreshments for the weary traveler. You can't miss the place. There are plenty of signs along the highway for miles in either direction. I frequently drive from LA to Vegas and back (mostly for my day job), but I always stop in at this place.


You gotta be careful when parking your car. Little green aliens in an old Trans Am are trying to park their vehicle, and there are parking spots just for Aliens (prejudice is intergalactic, unfortunately).

Alien Fresh Jerky got started when the owners took a road trip to Area-51 in the late 1990's. Inspired, they started selling healthier snack alternatives for the road warrior. They originally offered nuts, trail mixes, dried fruit, stuffed olives, honey... and, of course, jerky.

Inside the shop, there's a lot of entertaining alien decorations. There's plenty of fun novelty souvenirs you can bring home, too.

And there's tons of jerky. There are plenty of different flavors, including Abducted Cow Teriyaki and BBQ on the Moon Beef. Don't ask me what the jerky is made from; could be dead aliens... or it could be abducted humans.


They also have invisible jerky. Supposedly, it's only edible at light speed. I hear it's tasty.

JR
(The truth is out there; but so are crazy drivers, so I'm staying inside)

Deadpool 2 opened in theatres this weekend, and no doubt it's going to be huge at the box office.

But how much do you really know about the Merc With A Mouth? You probably saw the first movie and maybe even read a few comics, but do you want to know more?

Yeah, sure... do a Google search and you'll find plenty of "25 Facts You Didn't Know" or "10 Things to Know" clickbait articles about Deadpool.

But will you find anything that says "7 Awesome Tidbits?" I highly doubt it.

Without further ado, here are some awesome tidbits...


Tidbit #1: The True Creation of Deadpool

Back in 1990, Deadpool creator, Rob Liefeld was drawing Marvel Comic's New Mutants. At the same time fellow creator and buddy, Todd McFarlane, was working on one of the Spider-Man titles.

According to Liefeld, he would get trash-talked by McFarlane. He would say, "Buddy, I feel bad for you. You have to draw seven characters with their faces and you have to line up their eyes and draw their hair. In the meantime, I get to draw Spider-Man. So I draw a big oval and some big eyes and I'm done with the page."

So Liefeld decided to counter the situation with his own masked character. He pitched the character as "Spider-Man, but with swords and guns."

And that's how it all started.

Tidbit #2: Deadpool and Captain America Are Pals

Steve Rogers was given the Super Soldier Serum to become Captain America during WWII. The Weapon Plus Program, the program that experimented and gave Deadpool his powers, was attempting to create super-soldiers like Captain America.

As a result, Cap worries about Deadpool's wellbeing and kinda looks out for him like a father figure.

Meanwhile, Deadpool's childhood hero was Captain America so he looks up to the Shield Slinger.

Personally, I would love to see these two in a movie together.

Tidbit #3: Deadpool Was Banned in China

The first Deadpool movie was hugely successful, and made over $783 million worldwide at the box office... without the benefit of the second largest movie market, China.

Unlike other countries which have a rating system to judge a film's suitability for certain audiences (especially for children), China has none. They rely on a government body to determine if a movie is offensive for general audiences.

And I guess Deadpool was offensive. Who would have guess?

Tidbit #4: Deadpool is an Organ Donor

If you have a mutant healing factor and your organs grow back in a couple of days, why wouldn't you be a good samaritan and donate your organs on a regular basis?

Tidbit #5: He Once Killed a Man Who Said the Star Wars Prequels Were Better Than the Originals



Tidbit #6: Deadpool the Character Picked Ryan Reynolds to Play Him



Okay this gets kinda meta...

When Ryan Reynolds was filming Blade: Trinity back in 2004, somebody asked him if he would be interested in portraying Deadpool in a movie. Reynolds wasn't familiar with character until he received a bunch of the comics.

After seeing the above panel with Deadpool saying he's a cross between a Shar-Pei and Ryan Reynolds, the actor felt he was destined to play the character.

So essentially, Deadpool chose Ryan Reynolds to play him.

Tidbit #7: Celine Dion!!!



In a similar vein, Celine Dion was associated with the character before she actually had something to do with the movie sequel...

In 2010, Marvel Comics had a one-shot issue involving Deadpool trying to get a movie made about his life. In the comic, he hires a bunch of Hollywood-types to make the film. Upon watching a test screening, Deadpool is appalled by the musical soundtrack, saying "please don't tell me this is Celine Dion..."

Fast forward half a decade or so in real life, Ryan Reynolds and the movie makers are trying to find a female vocal artist to play a song in the movie. Who does Ryan Reynolds personally ask... the Queen of the Power Ballad herself, Celine Dion.

Tidbits are stranger than facts or fiction.

JR
(JR once ate a tidbit for lunch, but was rushed to the hospital for food poisoning)