Matt Smith, the newly named Doctor Who, is getting quite a different deal than his predecessor David Tennant, signing a three year contract for £600,000. The contract also gives Smith the option of signing on for an additional two years. The new Doctor’s fee is significantly less than Tennant’s £1,000,000 a year deal, which is probably due to the slow down in the economy and little to do with the popularity of Doctor Who. Smith, who will become the eleventh Time Lord, is the youngest ever actor to play the 903-year-old doctor. Some critics branded him ‘the toddler in the…
Author: Stephen Schleicher
Stephen Schleicher
Stephen Schleicher began his career writing for the Digital Media Online community of sites, including Digital Producer and Creative Mac covering all aspects of the digital content creation industry. He then moved on to consumer technology, and began the Coolness Roundup podcast. A writing fool, Stephen has freelanced for Sci-Fi Channel's Technology Blog, and Gizmodo. Still longing for the good ol' days, Stephen launched Major Spoilers in July 2006, because he is a glutton for punishment. You can follow him on Twitter @MajorSpoilers and tell him your darkest secrets...
When you cancel a series, it is always good to go out with a bang, and Robin #183 goes out in a way that makes the reader realize Tim Drake Wayne is more of a hero mastermind than Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman combined. Robin #183 is the last installment of the current series, and delivers a story that might just be the best single issue of 2009.
The Doctor Who theme song never grows old – especially when there are two giant Tesla Coils involved. Creators of the original Singing Tesla Coils, the crew of ArcAttack uses high tech wizardry to present music in a whole new light. ArcAttack employs a unique DJ set up of their own creation (an HVDJ set up) to generate an ‘electrifying’ audio visual performance. The HVDJ pumps music through a PA System while two specially designed DRSSTC’s (Dual-Resonant Solid State Tesla Coils) act as separate synchronized instruments. These high tech machines produce an electrical arc similar to a continuous lightning bolt…
Woot! Here’s another sneak peak of an upcoming Batman: The Brave and the Bold episode. Check it out as the Red Hood must seek Batman’s help to combat the Crime Syndicate! When parallel worlds collide, Batman swaps places with Owlman–his criminal counterpart in an alternate universe–to stop the Crime Syndicate from taking over their world. Crime fighters in one world must battle their evil counterparts in a crime spree melee. Meanwhile back on Earth, Owlman has been perpetrating crimes disguised as Batman and assembled all the villains to join him. When Batman returns, he finds himself on the wrong side…
We’ve discussed the relative ages of superheroes a couple of times on the Major Spoilers Podcast, and while we’d all like to think truly evolved heroes are in their mid 30’s, it turns out Thor is still twenty-something. Or at least that is the age range Marvel is looking for in the upcoming Thor movie as revealed in this casting call notice. Male MUST BE MID-LATE 20’S and SIX FEET OR TALLER. LEAD. Physically powerful, very handsome, occasionally egotistical, petulant, and wild. A natural warrior with a quick charming wit who must be genuinely and severely humbled before becoming the…
With my recent thoughts on electronic books and digital comic distribution, I really tend to focus on the large page format, where artists can continue to create in the style they are most accustomed to. But with small being the big thing, what happens to those comics that need to be reduced to a single panel? Balak01 (Yves Bigerel) at the Deviant Art page, has been listening to Scott McCloud and thinks there is definitely a market for the single page digital comic as it provides another unique way to tell a story. Check it out. about DIGITAL COMICS by…
We wrote about the upcoming Marvel Superhero Squad animated series a few days ago, and now we’ve dug up the official press release that gives more information about the 26 episode season. Is it any surprise Wolverine is in it?
Ever since he took up drawing Catwoman covers for DC Comics, I can’t think about Selina Kyle without thinking about Adam Hughes. One of my favorite artists of all time, Hughes finds Ms. Kyle one of his favorites too. I miss drawing Selina. It sure was fun with her; lots of different moods. She’s the quintessential femme fatale. And YES, I’m aware the she resembles Audrey Hepburn, LOL. My personal inspiration for Selina Kyle is Ms. Hepburn, circa 1954-57. My favorite face ever. My personal inspirational cocktail for Catwoman is: 70% young Audrey Hepburn 20% Liz Taylor from CAT ON…
Yup, we’re trying to make sure your Friday Sing-a-Longs return as a regular feature. This week we’re continuing the Batman song, with this original piece by Rockin Jamboree. This is a song I wrote a around 1992. It pre-dates Heath Ledger’s “Dark Knight” by many years. I was hosting a show at Stevie Ray’s Comedy Club in Minneapolis. As part of the show, I had a bit where I took suggestions for song titles from the audience, promising to write a song with that title for the next weeks show. An audience member suggested “Batman’s Song” and I wrote this.
The Stand: Captain Trips is over, and it’s time for the survivors begin to adapt to the changes in the world. Marvel is ready to kick off the second chapter of the series with The Stand: American Nightmares #1, that arrives March 11, 2009. The superstar creative team of Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Mike Perkins and Laura Martin, who brought you one of the most critically acclaimed series of last year, The Stand: Captain Trips, reunites to deliver a shocking tale of despair and destruction unlike any other before! The few, brave survivors must adapt to a reality they never thought possible.…
Image Comics wraps up the week with a look at the cover images and solicitations for titles arriving in May 2009.
No, I’m not talking about that long line already waiting to get into the next Harry Potter movie, but the comic book adaptation being worked up between Warner Bros. and Silver Pictures. Sylvain White is directing the adaptation of the Vertigo book, which follows a special forces team betrayed by their handler and left for dead. The Losers regroup in the interest of revenge and the opportunity to remove their names from a secret CIA death list and to conduct covert operations against the CIA and its interests. Watchmen star Jeffrey Dean Morgan is negotiations to star as Clay, the…
The end of yet another era This month sees the end of three Batman family titles, with Nightwing being the first to go dark. It seems fitting that of the three (Nightwing, Robin, Oracle), that Dick Grayson takes the bow, as he was the first side-kick. With Batman “dead†(snicker-snicker, foolish citizens of the DCU), it appears the Dick is up for the task of protecting the city, but is the city ready for Dick?
Aspiring and current webcomic artists should probably check out this panel from Katsucon 2009, where the panelists talk everything from sketch to screen. Katuscon 15: How To Make Webcomics: From Sketch to Posting and All Points in Between. from kaiki on Vimeo.