“Halo Legends” will hit DVD and Blu-ray on February 9. Distributed by Warner Home video and produced by 343 Industries, part of Microsoft Game Studios, the CG and traditional anime will explore the history and origins of the Halo universe and some of its characters. The eight episodes will cover seven storylines, which will also be available via On Demand and Digital Download.

The episodes will fall inside Halo’s 26th Century continuity as humanity battles aliens to protect the ever-expanding space colonies of Earth. Halo fans will recognize some characters and locales from the games. Each episode will be 10 to 17 minutes long, with about two total hours of viewing.

Halo Legends will have the same look and feel as “The Animatrix” and “Batman Gotham Knight,” in that each episode will be self contained. Each episode will be presented as imagined by a the director or animator. Children of the 80s and anime fans, alike, will recognize the work of some of these creative contributors including Shinji Aramaki, who did character designs on “MASK;” Mamoru Oshii, creator and writer of “Jin-Ro;” and Hideki Futamura, a key animator on “Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust.”

Extras on the two disc will include a “making of” feature, audio commentary with the directors and a mini-feature detailing the rise of the Halo franchise from an Xbox game to a mammoth property commanding over $1 billion in revenue with games, comics, novels and other merchandise. The Blu-ray will retail for around $35, the two-disc set for around $30 and the DVD for around $20.

In addition to the thrills of Superman’s weekly adventures, each episode included a mini-segment called Superman Family Album that told the “real” story of what it was like to grow up as the most powerful boy in Smallville.

Joe Ruby and Ken Spears talked about the DVD and series recently, and the studio sent the interview over:

QUESTION: How was the title character developed for your Superman series?

JOE RUBY: “We went through a lot of different directions in development as to what kind of Superman we wanted. We had several different models – the crying/feeling Superman, the lecturing/do-gooder/save-the-day Superman, then there was the hip Superman and even the long-haired Superman. And, of course, there was the old straight-as-an-arrow Superman. Ultimately, we settled on the Christopher Reeve model – he had personality and a sense of humor, and yet he was still Superman. We figured that it worked for the films, so it would work well for us.”

QUESTION: Why were there only 13 episodes to the entire series?

JR: “I think the problem for us was our timeslot. It turned out 8:30 in the morning was a killer for Superman. Only the little kids were up, and they don’t understand Superman as well as the older kids. It wasn’t for 4- to 5-year-olds”

QUESTION: Was there a guiding theme to the series?

KEN SPEARS: “I think we were true to Superman to begin with – we produced a show that the audience expected Superman to be. He was the tried and true Superman, That’s who they wanted to see – that’s the feedback that we continue to get today.”

JR: “We basically had Superman tackling anything and everything, with the marching orders to have bigger-than-life fights.”

QUESTION: What did you see as the strength of your Superman series?

KS: “We had the best talent in the business at the time – that was our strength. They were excellent. When you first create a show, you hope your talent will be able to plus it – and they really plussed it. There are so many shots in the show that weren’t written into the script – those kind of great additions come straight from the artists and the storyboarders.

JR: “We had a pretty amazing crew – and an especially great crew of artists – including some of the best comic book guys in the business, and that made for good filmmaking. Guys like John Dorman and Gil Kane – we had an army of great talent on that show. Give credit to John Dorman – he’s a filmmaker and that’s the difference. He made sure the show had all the creative shots, the movement, some of that great left-to-right or down-angle camera moves. The show was well paced, well boarded, and I think John really put these things together well.”

QUESTION: Did splitting the production between two overseas studios in Japan and Korea cause any problems?

JR: “It was an experience for us, from a production standpoint, traveling overseas and working with two different interpreters having to translate in three different languages. They’d be answering before I’d get done with my question. It was the worst torture I ever had in my life.”

QUESTION: Looking back now, can you see how Ruby-Spears Superman fits in the canon of productions surrounding the Man of Steel?

JR: “As a kid, we all grew up with Superman. He’s the favorite, always. Your heroes stick with you. So we wanted to make the best Superman show we could, to really set it apart. I think everyone that worked on it felt that way. He’s Superman.”

KS: “It was like an honor to do something that classy and classic as Superman. He’s the No. 1 guy. We wanted to do it justice.”

“TNA iMPACT!” on Spike TV is one of the highest rated cable shows for young men.

“Hulk Hogan is one of the world’s top pop culture icons and the biggest superstar in the history of professional wrestling. We are truly excited to welcome him into the TNA family,” said Dixie Carter, president of TNA Wrestling, in a statement Tuesday. “Our goal is to become the world’s biggest professional wrestling company. Hulk defines professional wrestling and we look forward to partnering with him in a variety of ways as we continue to grow TNA globally.”

Hogan, who made waves in reality television after retiring from the WWF/WWE, said he was glad to be back.

“I’m thrilled to be jumping back into the world of professional wrestling,” he said. “My fans have been asking me to return to the business for many years on a full time basis, but the timing or the opportunity has never been right until now.”

Hogan recently wrote an autobiography with Mark Dagostino, “My Life Outside The Ring.” He is a member of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Johnson’s historic novel takes us all the way back to the origins of Atlantic City. The story drags a bit in the beginning as it gets bogged down in the extensive history of the early days. It is clear how much research Johnson put into this historical work, but it makes for tedious reading to go through every person that was involved and all the railroad and other bureaucratic complications.

The story picks up steam when we reach the era of Louis “The Commodore” Kuehnle and thus begins the chain of Republican bosses. Kuehnle’s reign ends in the early 1910s with a conviction for political corruption, leaving the door wide open for a new leader. That leader was Enoch “Nucky” Johnson. Nucky (to be played by Buscemi) is described as a “ruggedly handsome man” and was the perfect charismatic boss to keep the Republican machine well oiled and running smoothly.

“In his prime, he strode the Boardwalk in evening clothes complete with spats, patent leather shoes, a walking stick, and a red carnation in his lapel,” writes Johnson. Nucky was known for his lavish behavior and also his generosity; provided that said generosity could turn into votes for the machine-picked candidates come election time.

It will be interesting to see how Buscemi will portray Nucky and how the producers will handle the rich history laid out by Johnson. The dynamic between each political boss and the people of Atlantic City is another fascinating aspect that could bring some great drama to the HBO series. Eleven episodes have already been ordered and the show is due to premiere sometime next year. But if you want to get a head start on the story, you can pick up “Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City” now.

Bannatyne, of Somerville, is the author of several books about the October holiday.

Blast: You were voted one of the most interesting women in Boston by Boston’s Women’s Journal. Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Lesley Bannatyne: I came to college in Boston and never left. During my twenties I co-founded a touring theater company called Studebaker Theater, which had a good, long (25-year) run — our last production, under the name Invisible Cities Group, was done in 2003; it was a collaboration with local musician Rick Berlin. For my day job, I took every kind of writing job you can imagine from writing text for fashion shows to commercials to writing journalistic pieces for the Christian Science Monitor and the Globe. My first Halloween book came out in 1990.

Blast: We hear you started your career as a writer-how did you become so involved in researching Halloween?

LB: I can honestly say that I’ve always loved Halloween, from the time I was a kid until now, and I’ve always celebrated it.

In fact, people often ask me why adults have started celebrating Halloween, and the truth of it is that many adults never stopped celebrating. It’s just that there are so many more of us now. The market has taken notice, which means more products-decorations, music, events, costumes-and a much more visible adult celebration.

I started looking into the history of Halloween when I couldn’t find a source that had good detail on American celebrations of the last 100 years. That research became “Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History.” After that, it was like falling down a rabbit hole; everything you turn up leads to something else, which leads to something else. In fact one of the hardest points in working on a book is knowing when to draw the line and say, “I’m finished.”

Blast: You became involved in a pagan organization in order to learn more, correct? What are some of the important ideas or concepts you took from this experience?

LB: Yes, I joined the Earthspirit community for a few years and have attended many of their Samhain rituals (which occur around Halloween) which I always find very beautiful. I suppose one of the most striking aspects of paganism as I know it (Bannatyne is not pagan) is how attuned to the natural world it makes you. The Earthspirit Samhain rituals also made the idea of death very personal. You spend time thinking about your dead, your losses, the lives lived by those you love, rather than thinking about death in a more general way, like we might on Memorial Day.

Blast: Do you feel pagan societies are often misrepresented in society or the media? If yes, how so?

LB: I think it’s actually gotten much better. The early pieces on witchcraft in the States, say those that came out in the 1960s, were written in a way that sensationalized some aspects of neopaganism (like nudity). The most out-of-the-box coverage we have now comes from extreme religious groups and tends to be published on the internet or privately. In general, the mainstream news media is factual on paganism, and the articles that appear around Halloween usually give pagans a chance to detail their lives and rituals.

I know what you’re getting at, though…there’s a lot of misinformation on the internet about what witchcraft is (for example, devil-worship, which of course it is not), and even on its history (She points to the fact that 9 million women were said to have been killed by the church during the “Burning Times”; scholars now know it was likely more like 60,000, both women and men, and that secular courts were just as culpable as the church). Things are always more complicated that they seem

Blast: You are a Halloween advisor to the Vampire Empire. What does this entail?

LB: Ah! The Empire is a collection of fans of vampires and I supply them with Halloween information. We don’t meet in person, under a full moon, or anything like that.

Blast: What do you think of the current vampire hype in Hollywood? Do you think our fascination with vampires will ever fade?

LB: I think it’s fascinating how much we’re mesmerized by the undead. You can see this in the current zombie explosion as well. Hollywood can only feed on a live vein, if you pardon my terrible pun. People love the forbidden, the mysterious, the Other; it appeals to our rebellious side. So too, we no longer sit with our dead as we did even 50 years ago. Wakes, open coffins, funeral home visitations are fading in lieu of cremation where there’s no body to witness. I think the deep morbid streak in American culture may have something to do with trying to process death in an age where it’s mostly hidden from us.

Blast: What about witchcraft? Being so close to Salem, witches are very much included in the history of Massachusetts. We often see witches portrayed in a bad light, though this has changed a bit. Do you think the stigma will ever go away?<

LB: I think the stigma attached to modern witchcraft will only go away with the controversy between a pantheistic worldview and a monotheistic worldview. In other words, this religious argument has been part of human history for a very long time. I don’t think we’ll need mittens in hell any time soon.

Blast: And you’ve written various books about Halloween-from history to costumes. Personally, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays due to the costumes! What has been one of the most creative costumes you have ever seen?

LB: I have seen so very many wonderful costumes. Off the top of my head, there was a tornado complete with thunder, lightning and a mist bottle for rain; there were the 30 people who went as Imelda Marcos’s shoes, an oven with a witch inside, a wrapped meal for a spider, a present with a tag reading: “To women, love God,” a trio who were dressed as Alaska, Russia, and a “Narrow Maritime Divide,” and a foursome dressed as a rapper, two prostitutes and a bottle…

Blast: What is one of the oddest things about how Halloween has developed into a modern holiday, in relation to how it originated?

LB: If you take this from the time Halloween came to be known in America, I’d say the oddest thing is how public it is. At first – mid 19th century — Halloween was more or less a loose collection of superstitions and folk games. If you marked Halloween, it was most likely a private or family event. But now, Halloween’s become a litmus test for our culture. Because it’s not tied to an event, religion, person, or even ethnicity, Halloween can shape shift a bit, reacting to who we are as a culture; what we value, what we fear.

Lesley Bannatyne will appear on the History Channel’s “Haunted History of Halloween”  and is the author of books such as Halloween: An American Holiday, An American History, Witches’ Night Before Halloween, and supplied the Halloween article found in the “World Book Encyclopedia.”

The cover shows “The Devil in Marge Simpson,” depicting her in the nude, albeit mostly covered by a Playboy-bunny-shaped chair (which conjures up images of the “Life in Hell” rabbit). Inside, you’ll find a three-page pictorial with “implied nudity” drawn by “The Simpsons” illustrators.

“It’s never been done, and we thought it would be kind of hip, cool and unusual,” Scott Flanders, CEO of Playboy Enterprises, told The Chicago Tribune.

Ned Flanders, however, could not be reached for comment.

The purpose of the cover is two-fold, according to the Boston Herald: to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Simpsons, and for the magazine to focus on a younger audience.

While this is not the first time Marge has been a featured model for a men’s magazine – she appeared on the cover of Maxim in 2004 as a “D’oh-eyed beauty” – it is the first time Playboy has featured an animated model (not to be confused with Jessica Rabbit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit fame, who was played by a real-life model).

Make sure to read the accompanying article penned by the writers of “The Simpsons.”

Other people of interest on the cover are Stephen King, Farrah Fawcett, and Tracy Morgan.

The friends, who met as high school students in Montreal, essentially began cold-calling musicians they admired and asking them to participate by creating designs for T-shirts, the proceeds of which would go to a charity of their choice.

“It was really that kind of DIY approach,” Cohen said. “We knew nobody.”

“The key was getting that first band to sign on,” Stotland added.

That initial “yes” came from Devendra Banhart, and many others soon followed.

“I didn’t think we would actually (get the project off the ground), but if he’s willing to do it, there’s no reason why we can’t,” Cohen remembers thinking after getting an enthusiastic note “in all caps” from Banhart in response to their request.

Soon, they found that word of mouth about their project was spreading like wildfire among the insular indie rock world. Some artists they contacted had been working independently on illustrations; others, including The National, already had T-shirt designs prepped and ready to go.

But they heard some “no”s along the way, too.

“Most of them have a reason that’s justifiable,” Cohen explained. “Some said they don’t have artistic inclination.”

Thus far, the Yellow Bird Project has raised money for organizations like Art for Change, AIDS Society of Canada, Safe Space, and Free Arts for Abused Children.

Cohen and Stotland recently expanded their venture from clothing to create a children’s activity book dubbed the “Indie Rock Coloring Book.” Parents looking to up their “cool” quotient will be glad to hear that the finished product includes music-inspired illustrations and activities from indie darlings like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bon Iver and Rilo Kiley. (Cohen and Stotland like to quote The National’s Matt Berninger, who once said “I’ve decided to have kids just so I’ll have somebody to give this book to.”)

While the Yellow Bird Project is currently just a side project for both Cohen and Stotland, they each hope to turn music-related charity work (or is it the other way around?) into a full-time career. Stotland, who has a background in computer science, still lives in Montreal and does freelance computer programming; Cohen studied philosophy in college and now resides in London, where he works for a marketing agency.

The two 25-year-olds are still two unassuming music fans who can’t hide their excitement about working with artists they enjoy and admire.

“We just really like music,” Stotland said. “This project just sort of fell into our laps.”

They celebrated the book’s September release with launch parties in New York City, Montreal and at the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco.

“It’s basically our favorite bands (who participate),” Cohen said. “To have people who want to be a part of that … It’s quite cool where this has taken us.”

The Indie Rock Coloring Book is available at various online and retail locations, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble and at www.yellowbirdproject.com.

“When I first pitched this project to Archie Comics,” said Michael E. Uslan, executive producer of the Batman film franchise and writer of the Archie comic book wedding,”I wanted to write a story that updated the characters somewhat, but still retained the sense of fun that has always embodied Archie comics.”

The long-awaited engagement caused some controversy in the comic book world last year.  Some would have preferred to see Archie marry fan favorite and the girl next door, Betty.

Alas, Uslan is confident that the fans will be satisfied.

“I’m sure that people have a lot of questions about the choice that Archie made,” Uslan said, “and all I can do is tell them to pick up the comic. I guarantee that this story is not finished, and there are still some surprises left in the story to come.”

Archie comic #601 arrives in comic book stores September 16 and hits newsstands and bookstores a week later.

It’s not a ride, but a section of the park that promises to take fans and put them in the HP universe, with shops and a restaurant.

Universal worked closely with author J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter team on the design of the attraction, even bringing in people from the films to get things going.

“Guests will be able to sip Butterbeer in Three Broomsticks, buy Extendable Ears at Zonko’s and experience a state-of-the-art attraction that brings the stories of Harry Potter to life in a way never before imagined,” Universal said in a statement.

“All of the action and adventures of Harry Potter’s world will come to life here at Universal Orlando Resort,” said Tom Williams, chairman and CEO, Universal Parks and Resorts, in a statement. “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will be unlike any other experience on earth and we can’t wait to see the looks on our guests’ faces as they enter this rich environment.”

The attraction opens in the front archway of Hogsmeade and goes right trough the Hogwarts castle, including the following attractions:

• At the entrance of Hogsmeade, billowing steam and an iconic whistle signal the arrival of the Hogwarts Express into Hogsmeade station
• Across the way is Zonko’s, a joke shop with a collection of tricks and jokes, including Extendable Ears, Boxing Telescopes and Sneakoscopes
• Honeydukes is next door and full of treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every-Flavour Beans
• The Three Broomsticks and adjacent Hog’s Head pub will feature traditional British fare and drinks including Butterbeer and pumpkin juice
• Across from the Three Broomsticks is The Owlery, where owls roost and await their next delivery
• The Owl Post sends letters with a certified Hogsmeade postmark and sells official stamps from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Ollivanders wand shop is an incredible interactive experience where the wand chooses the wizard
• Completing Hogsmeade is Dervish and Banges, the magical instruments and equipment shop featuring Quidditch equipment, Triwizard apparel, Spectrespecs and Remembralls
• The first attraction, Dragon Challenge, features a twin high-speed roller coaster with many iconic elements from the Triwizard Tournament
• Next is Flight of the Hippogriff, a family coaster simulating a Hippogriff training flight over the grounds of Hogwarts castle
• Located in Hogwarts castle, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey is a thrilling new state-of-the-art attraction that uses entirely new technology to bring the magic, characters and stories of Harry Potter to life in ways never before experienced
• Before exiting back into Hogsmeade, Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods is full of Ministry of Magic and magical creatures merchandise, Omnioculars, and even remote control Golden Snitches

Well, we’re excited. Are you? Share your thoughts in the comments section!

Librarians have stripped the books from shelves in some junior schools because they believe the content is too sexual and goes against religious beliefs, reports the Australian Daily Telegraph.

One Aussie school even ran a special class for young students explaining the “racy and supernatural themes” in the books.

Australian Catholic Education Office spokesman Mark Rix told the newspaper that “individual schools had to decide whether the books were suitable.”

Librarians have pulled the book from shelves, and parents were told not to allow their children to bring the books to school.

“It comes down to the discretion of the school to keep an eye on what the kids read,” said Rix. “Some primary students are not ready to read Twilight. That said, some secondary students may not be either.”

Anyone who’s seen Griffin’s stand-up routine or Bravo reality show, “My Life on the D-List,” knows that her act is essentially a collection of anecdotes about her encounters with and opinions of Hollywood A-listers. Her knack for storytelling comes through in “Official Book Club Selection,” a witty, entertaining read about Griffin’s rise to fame and ongoing pursuit of notoriety. She manages to make even the most mundane childhood stories — getting an early start on gossiping by dishing family secrets to the neighbors, for instance — enjoyable rather than tedious.

In her first book, which hits shelves today, Griffin spins memorable (and sometimes less than flattering) yarns about celebs including Jerry Seinfeld, Andy Dick, Steve Martin and her “Suddenly Susan” co-star and maid of honor Brooke Shields, in addition to the expected offhand dismissals of favorite targets like Heidi Montag and the Lohan family. The 20 “discussion questions” included at the end of the book are good for a few chuckles as well (Sample: “When will it be okay to say that the Octomom’s children are in rehab?”)

Unlike with other celebrity memoirs, readers can approach Griffin’s writing with a fair degree of confidence that nothing has been sugarcoated and no one’s ass is being kissed. (Case in point: her mention of NBC head Jeff Zucker in the acknowledgments, “who has done very little for me but thinks he discovered me”)

But what’s most appealing about “Official Book Club Selection” is that Griffin affords herself the same no-holds-barred treatment she employs in her celebrity skewerings, devoting one chapter to a now-deceased brother who had alleged pedophilia tendencies and offering candid details about the collapse of her marriage in another. She frankly describes herself as an “ugly” child, and a binge-eating disorder is mentioned repeatedly. The warts and all approach also carries over to an extensive discussion of her much-discussed plastic surgery and liposuction procedures, complete with explicit post-op pictures.

The sneakily-titled book (hey, her comedy album “For Your Consideration” garnered her a Grammy nomination!), offers insight into Griffin’s fame-whore persona and biting comedy. She discusses first using humor as a way to deal with bullying classmates at the all-girls Catholic elementary school she attended (“If I can keep them laughing, they’ll get off my back,” she remembers thinking), and recounts her struggles to make it in the Los Angeles comedy sector at great length, but without a sense of entitlement or self-pity. But anyone who thinks Griffin is one-note needs only to read her moving account of the suicide of her “Suddenly Susan” co-star David Strickland to prove otherwise.

As a writer, Griffin comes off as refreshingly self-aware. She recognizes her own need to be the center of attention from an early stage, whether through starring in the school play or unexpectedly popping up in yearbook pictures for all the school clubs. “That was my big thing, getting my name out there, a credo I still live by today,” she writes. “You may not like me or embrace me, but I’ll bet you’ve heard of me.”

Though it’s unlikely to win over any detractors (or be on Oprah’s short list for her next Book Club pick, announced September 18), “Official Book Club Selection” is a must-read for any Kathy Griffin fan.

20th Century Fox, not Disney, has announced plans for another Fantastic Four film with a new flick produced by Akiva Goldsman and written by Michael Green.

Goldsman is currently producing movies based on DC properties “Jonah Hex” and “The Losers,” while Green is co-writing “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds and is the co-executive producer of “Heroes.”

Neither of the previous two Tim Story-directed Fantastic Four fims have been particularly good, nor have they received particularly good reviews.

There is no word on whether or not Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis will return for a third go around.

Then the phone rang.

It was the call.

The hot, streaking, eventual champion New England Patriots needed a long snapper. Two months later, Kinchen was snapping the ball for the winning field goal in the Super Bowl.

Pulitzer Prize winner Jeffrey Marx tells this story in intricate, witty detail as only a true journalist can.

In sports today, we’re too often inundated with bad news. We see too much of players cheating and doping or violently breaking the law. With Paul Byrd’s epic comeback performance Sunday night for the Red Sox, these are the kinds of stories that keep us believing in sports. So go read “The Long Snapper: A Second Chance, a Super Bowl, a Lesson for Life.”

Here’s what we came up with:

10. X-men meet the Seven Dwarfs

The X-men have always lacked just a little something, but by adding Dopey, Sleepy Grumpy and the gang they pick up seven little somethings in one fell swoop. And if you don’t think the dwarfs are mutants, you haven’t seen Grumpy eat soup.

9. Sub-Mariner meets The Little Mermaid

A couple of nights with Namor and Ariel would never pine for the surface world again.

Do you get the metaphor?

8. Donald Duck meets Howard the Duck

Oh, the (in)humanity!

You have heard of Howard the Duck, right?

7. Bambi meets The Incredible Hulk

Each an orphan in his own way, the purple panted one and the world’s most beloved deer would get along famously — at least, a helluva lot better than Bambi and Godzilla did!

6. Beauty & the Beast meet Wolverine

The two beastie boys battling over Belle? Put some protective covering on the furniture and an extra coat of scratch-resistant polish on the floors!

5. Deadpool meets Dumbo

Teleportation is so overdone. What better way to strike terror in the hearts of your enemies than to come swooping in on a flying baby elephant who cries if you criticize his ears?

4. Spider-man meets Aladdin

You gotta believe smart-alec Spidey and the jovial blue Genie would get along famously. Although with skyscrapers hard to find in the ancient middle east, the magic carpet could get a bit crowded!

3. Iron Man meets Wall-E

I’m sure each has a few spare parts the other would love to accessorize, and imagine the epic quests across the galaxy looking for a 220-volt outlet!

2. Daredevil meets Goofy

The blind leading the congenitally idiotic! At least Goofy could lighten the mood during some of those tense courtroom battles..

1. Captain America meets Toy Story

Could there be two more pompous crimefighters than Cap and Buzz Lightyear? By the time the two of them decide on a rallying cry/motto, all the super villains will have retired.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and … unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. “We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

Under the deal, Marvel shareholders will receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.

The gives Disney more than 5,000 new characters to work with.

It also gives Marvel a cash influx.

“This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s chief executive officer.

In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios, the creator of “Toy Story” and “Cars,” for $7.4-billion.

Both companies’ boards of directors approved the deal, which is pending governmental antitrust review.

Those of you who have been following the Scientist’s journal on www.facebook.com/9scientist know a few weeks back, the Scientist was forcibly removed from his laboratory and interrogated. Upon returning to his lab, the Scientist realized that the Chancellor’s men had seized a collection of designs vital to his research. One of these designs holds the key to his next phase of development.

The designs have been shredded and torn into nine pieces, scattered in nine secret locations. When all nine pieces are put together, they reveal a secret alchemical code. Only the typewriter on www.9experiment.com can help decode the hidden message from the designs.

Typewriter clue

This link from the “9″ Scientist Facebook page also provides more detail about where the nine clues are hidden around the web.

Stick with Blast over the next few days for interviews with Tim Burton, Shane Acker and Elijah Wood about “9,” plus other Comic-Con interviews.

“Everybody else is showing up, talking on panels about their movies, and they’re leaving,” said Gibson. “I was out there seven hours, selling comic books yesterday on the floor.”

This year, Gibson was not only at Comic-Con to promote “Legion,” his new film with Dennis Quaid and Paul Bettany, but also to promote his debut comic book, “Mayhem.”

Gibson said it wasn’t until he came to San Diego Comic-Con last year to promote “Death Race” that he truly became interested in the world of comics.

“I’ve never been exposed to so much selfless, selfless passion for anything that someone believed in, ever,” he said of the experience. “I mean, I come from the world of music, done my share of films, but people don’t show up looking like Tyrese at a Tyrese concert. And so for people to be here, showing up looking like their favorite comic book character, says a lot about the level of passion that’s here for Comic-Con. (I’ve) never been exposed to it before.”

Saying he represents “the new generation of comic book fans,” Gibson admitted he wasn’t a fan of comic books growing up, but after his Comic-Con experience in 2008, he felt the need to become involved in the world.

He said Todd McFarlane and Robert Kirkman of Image Comics gave him “the opportunity of a lifetime” to create his own debut comic book, “Mayhem.” Citing 20,000 copies sold on presales alone, Gibson was enthused enough about his new comic book that he passed out free autographed copies to everyone in the press room.

Comic-Con exclusive Mayhem tribute to Jack Kirby

Showing he has done his research about comic book culture in the past year, Gibson said the Comic-Con exclusive cover of “Mayhem” volume one is a tribute to Jack Kirby, with the page rip added into the art in the corner. The cover art for volume one was done by Ton Rodriguez, but Gibson had some exciting news to share about volume two.

“Jim Lee was just in my booth today. We got him to do the cover of issue number two,” Gibson shared with an excited grin on his face. “Jim Lee is the founding partner of Image Comics. He parted ways and went over and did Wild Storm at DC. And for him to be doing anything at Image is a very big deal, and not only is he doing issue number two, we just revealed today on the Image panel, he’s doing the full wrap around graphic novel for Mayhem, too, which is a very, very big deal. So I’m excited.”

Gibson shared that the writing for volume four was already written, the artwork is completed up to issue three.

“It’s just kind of a process,” he said. “We’ve got to stay ahead of the curb. And so we’re rolling.”

“Mayhem” hits comic book retailers August 5.

It was easy for Max Records to win the audience over, after he said he wrote down his speech on his hand.

The book originally caused an uproar when released in 1963 for its demonstration of rage being a part of children’s nature and growth. Some religious groups perceived the central character “Max” as depicting humans as animals — Darwinism. But readers fell in love with the book, which received the Caldecott Medal given by the American Library Association for the most distinguished American picture book for children.

Decades later, this book has settled comfortably into the role of beloved children’s classic. Now it’s up to Jonze, who appeared in a behind-the-scenes feature at this year’s Comic-Con International, to use his creativity to put “Where the Wild Things Are” on film.

In the convention featurette, Jonze demonstrates how the film was made and how he first got Sendak’s blessing to proceed with the production.

Jonze made it clear he did not want to produce a film which would tarnish the vision and scope of the classic. Audiences are also given a look into the life of Sendak.

The “Where the Wild Things Are” panel also featured a guest appearance of the actor who plays Max, the aptly named Max Record.

“This is the first time I have ever been to one of these things,” Records said at the panel, “so I wrote down what I wanted to say on my hand.” The audience immediately became smitten by the shy yet undaunted actor as a series of clips and the movie’s official trailer were played.

The film is first and foremost a surreal live action replica of the books. Jonze spared no creative or monetary expense in detailing the creatures’ costumes, as well as Max’s infamous pajamas. The scope of the production design is amazing, and it leaves one certain that, had this been made as an animated feature, it would surely be less impressive.

What makes this film such an amazing compliment to the literature is the immediate impression that the film will not candy-coat themes usually associated with coming of age films.

The film also stars Catherine Keener as Max’s mother who, through her brief scenes in the trailer, demonstrates the poignant moments as she tucks him in bed.

There is a poignant moment in one of the clips where Max explains “the death of the sun” to one of the creatures, much to the creature’s surprise. The exchange underlines the serious aspects of the film as Max shows his naivety toward the difference between being good and bad — how he is a biter and it got him in trouble. Records’ eyes and expression hanker back to another child star whose charisma pierced the screen with an immense vulnerability — the late River Phoenix, whose “Stand By Me” performance forever drew audiences to him.

“Where the Wild Things Are” is not going to easily be defined as a children’s film. In fact, it could easily be categorized as a PG-13 movie for its complex issues and themes. Fans of the books will love the translation, especially with Sendak’s approving nod and the way Jonze has used his own vision to bring this classic to the screen.

“The Dead Space Extraction comic reunites renowned illustrator Ben Templesmith and writer Antony Johnston with the game’s cold and terrifying fiction,” the companies said in a statement. “This one-time special issue comic follows the successful partnership for last year’s Dead Space comic mini-series.

The comic will be on store shelves in September for $3. A limited edition version of the comic featuring exclusive cover art will be available for the special price of $2 at the EA Comic-con booth.

“There is so much more to the Dead Space universe than we could ever fit into one game and we’re excited to be working with Image Comics again to extend the story in Dead Space Extraction,” said Steve Papoutsis, executive producer of Dead Space Extraction. “Ben and Antony did such a tremendous job with the original comic, we can’t wait for fans to get their hands on this special issue.”

Dead Space Extraction is the prequel to the award-winning Dead Space action/horror game. It ships September 29.

Five members of the Blast team are in San Diego for Comic-Con International!

First and foremost, check out the “9″ panel in Hall H Friday at 2:30 p.m. (though you’ll have to be in line far before then). Shane Acker, Tim Burton, Timur Bekmambetov and stars Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly will take the stage to talk about their upcoming film and most likely show some fun, exclusive Comic-Con video.

But the celebrity fun won’t stop there. Special edition collectible “9″ cards will be distributed throughout San Diego’s Gaslamp District daily. Nine different cards will be distributed (eight character cards and one machine card) and the first 100 people to bring their complete set to the NECA booth (#4345) will win a guaranteed place in line to receive an autograph by Timur Bekmambetov, Shane Acker and Elijah Wood.

Those too lazy to walk around the beautiful Gaslamp District are in for a treat if they catch a ride in one of the “9″ themed pedicabs. Text READER to 4FOCUS for instructions on downloading Focus’s preferred reader so your phone is QR-ready for when you catch a ride in one of these special vehicles. Once you unlock the QR code (a different one for each pedicab) you can be the first to see exclusive videos and content for “9.”

For all the latest news on “9,” head to the NECA booth, and check out 9Experiment.com to see its new Radio feature.

As always, stick with Blast for your latest Comic-Con 2009 coverage!

Reynolds, 32, also played Deadpool in “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” He will reprise the character in the movie of the same name in 2011.

The BBC notes that Reynolds is now the first actor to portray characters for DC and Marvel.

Reynolds beat out short-listers Bradley Cooper and Justin Timberlake for the Green Lantern role. The movie is scheduled to begin filming in November.

This lack of financial recognition of one of the most original forms of American entertainment has caused film veteran and Newbury native Miguel Cima to create “Dig Comics” a 15 minute call to arms to comic fans to bring the ink and paper to the masses and have the general populace embrace the medium.

The documentary is one part history lesson about the American comic book and one part ideology speech. Cima begins by explaining the rise of comic book popularity in World War Two era America, when everyone from service men to housewives could openly enjoy any number of comic genres from monster stories to fluff romances. From there Cima dips into the McCarthy era of the Cold War, when a juvenile deliquesce scare caused Senate hearings to examine the comic book industry more closely. From that point onward, poor distribution, lack of invitation to the populace and stagnation of genres are put up as the main cause of the comic book industry’s shortfalls.

Featuring the opinions of comic greats like Jehb Loeb, Scott Shaw and Dame Darcy, the movie goes on to explore the possibility of the comic culture becoming a dominating feature of the American entertainment industry once again. Sighting the popularity and recognition of comic properties from their movie adaptations, the 9 billion dollar manga industry of Japan, and the varying styles and genres of the comic industry that can appeal to most if not all tastes, Cima ideal is straight and to the point.

The short documentary will be next made into a full length documentary by Olmos Productions, in the coming months. More information on Dig Comics can be found at digcomics.com.

Tune to Blast in the coming days for an interview with Cima.

Keaton’s career has spanned over many types of media, and he was kind enough to let us in on what its like to play Spider-Man, along with some thoughts on video games and comic books.

Sci-Fi and comic book geeks rejoice!

So you’ve been working on the voice of Peter Parker in The Spectacular Spider-Man — what’s is it like to be the voice of one of the most popular comic book heroes?

It’s awesome. Speaking as a geeky comic book reader and gamer, its something I’ve always wanted to do, and I’m glad it turned out this way. It’s daunting, because I know how popular (Spider-Man) is, so I wanted to put forth something I as a fan would want to watch

Do you have to get in character, or do you prepare before going into the studio?

Yes, we get scripts a few days in advance, but now that I’ve got to see how the show is put together, I can visualize how it’s going to be (while in the studio). I kind of go back to how I was in high school. I was a total dork and couldn’t get a date-but I was also a child actor … so I guess I have experience with that double life.

And you’ve been doing voice over work for quite some time now, correct?

I’d been doing on camera, it was how I got my start. I did animation for a while, and then focused on screen and music. Then after Hercules, I got a specific voice over agent.

What has been your favorite role so far?

Spider-Man without a doubt! For one, I was a lifelong reader as a kid. They way they write the story is not just for kids, and I love how it’s serialized and the supporting characters are just as interesting. But I’ve enjoyed a lot of characters.

No to mention you were in Alex Mack. I know a lot of people from my generation loved that show!

It was great, it was awesome. Larissa was great. I was supposed to be playing  someone older than Meredith (Annie Mack), and she was older than me … ways remember Alex Mack because I didn’t have a drivers license, but my character had to drive a stick shift. I kept thinking, “I hope I don’t stall, I hope I don’t stall!” … and I didn’t!

As for video games, what types of games do you like to play?

I like to play everything. I’m a recovering World of Warcraft addict. I like character based games and first person shooters … driving games are huge for me. I’m currently playing Fable 2. I like games with stories and, aside from driving, I’m a big fan of the Resident Evil series and the survival story. There aren’t many games I don’t like. If its a good play and a good story, I’m game.

And since you’ve been doing work with comic book stories, and you mentioned how you enjoyed reading them as a kid. What are your favorite comic books?

Spider-Man, Batman, Superman. I loved Wolverine. He was probably my second favorite, and the Logan/Wolverine stories. They’re short guys. I’m 5′9″. It’s always cool to see the short guys kicking ass. Plus, Peter Parker uses his brain and his brawn.

Your work really spans over all types of media, from music to voice-over to acting. What are your aspirations for the future?

I would like Spider-Man to do as many seasons as they can, and maybe go to DVD for more storylines. As for music, I’m in the studio working on my own stuff and there are some groups I’m working with. I love to do projects that relate to something I’m passionate about. SciFi, history, I love to do cool characters and character work.

Keaton has appeared in several films including: “Newsies,” “Horror High,” “All I Want For Christmas,” “Judge and Jury,” and “Chimera House.” His has lent his voice to “Hercules” with James Woods and Danny Devito, “The Wild” with Keifer Sutherland and Jim Belushi, and “Doctor Strange.” He has appeared in several television shows, including a role in Jerry Bruckheimer’s Skin. He has also voiced several video games besides Spider-Man titles, including Metal Gear Solid, X-Men Legends, SOCOM, Ninja Gaiden, Marvel: Ultimate Alliance, Area 51, Spider-Man, and several others.

By the way: Because of a reporting error, we incorrectly listed The CW as the network of record for the Spider-man animated series. It’s actually Disney XD.

Seems like Funny or Die thought so too. Check out this shout-out to the sci-fi classic below, and happy Fourth of July from Blast!

In the “New Moon” teaser poster, Jacob is shown as clearly standing between Edward and Bella’s relationship; a foreshadowing concept for anyone familiar with the plot.

However, in the movie tie-in cover, Jacob is shown possessively holding Bella, while she looks like she is trying to pull away from him. An image of Edward’s face is shown over the moon, much like the imagery Stephenie Meyer originally intended for the cover of “Eclipse.”

The real question is: Why does a novel called “New Moon” — a night when there is no moon in the sky — have a sliver of the moon shown on the cover? Only Harper Collins can explain.

“The Twilight Saga: New Moon” hits theaters November 21, 2009.

Stanton’s book reads like a summer action movie, or maybe a Spike TV miniseries, about gutsy soldiers with waiting wives back home, fighting for Uncle Sam in the War On Terror, against Al Qaeda terrorists in the deserts of Afghanistan… you know, fighting The Bad Guys for America. Politics doesn’t enter into the equation at all, since, as the book jacket screams, the story is about “a band of U.S. Soldiers who rode to victory in Afghanistan.”

It’s even structured like a movie. Ready? Act 1: get the team together. Act 2: deal comically with saddlesores and miscommunications between cultures as the teams prepare for Act 3: Assault on the Terrorist stronghold.

Is it wish-fulfillment that America beat Al Qaeda on horseback? The meta-narrative of the book isn’t even glossed over: It’s cowboys vs. Indians writ large, with Freedom at stake; the perfect thing to read on the beach next to your wife, who’s probably reading something like “The Ya Ya Sisterhood” if you’re in the target demographic for this simplistic blockbuster.

In the interest of fairness, here’s what I liked about the book, before I go further with what I didn’t like: the description of Afghani tribal warfare realpolitik; the quiet times in the lives of soldiers, where they emerge behind Stanton’s ham-handed macho prose, briefly and sweetly, to appear as people; and the strange craving I’ve been having for goat curry as a result of reading the book.

I suppose I must also give Stanton props for not turning his book into some jingoistic tract, though he flirts with this notion several times in several ways. The early parts of the narrative told from the Afghan perspective read differently, as though Stanton wrote them with a different “voice” in mind. The voice frequently marvels at the strange American super-high-tech and speaks with many, many fewer contractions than the American sections.

Sections written about John Walker Lindh (whose chosen Muslim name is only alluded to) begin and end with pompous declarations like, “So said the voice of God,” another awkward attempt at “othering” the Muslims. In the hands of a better author, these might have worked. Here, they don’t.

It’s a fun — if completely brainless — book, one you will likely only find worth it if you don’t think too hard. It’s written by a guy who spent, I kid you not, dozens of pages salivating over GPS units and EMS catalogue items at the beginning of the story, with detail that eclipsed virtually every other part of the book. I got a better feel for the palleting system used to gather together the commercial-grade gear CIA agents used in Iraq than I did for the agents themselves. I may be exaggerating a little. I liked a couple of the soldiers… but for the life of me, I can’t remember their names.

Which, I suppose, is the biggest problem Stanton has created for himself. The soldiers aren’t really people except when they’re remembering their wives, who are all, if the Men’s Journal staffer is to be trusted, cleaning floors on their knees and weeping into buckets of sudsy water, waiting for their strong men to get home, or, if they are dead, waiting for their buddies to get vengeance.

The disappointment I felt nearing the end of the book had multiple layers. First, the middle hundred pages or so (leading up to the climactic battle scene, which is spoiled in the prologue anyway so whatever) put me to sleep. Second, I never got enough of the personalities of the several soldiers Stanton interviewed to care about any of them. Third, the complete disconnect I felt from the narrative made the book’s attempt to Tell the Soldiers’ Story (which, if handled by a better writer, would have been incredible) a little more than insulting, since they are all reduced to cardboard Action Movie cutouts.

Want a similar narrative? Since this book is a movie waiting to happen, skip the wait and go rent “Lawrence of Arabia,” and watch it on your huge television. Sure, it’s about the British soldier T.E. Lawrence, and not a bunch of American Cowboys, but the basic structure is the same: Westerner(s) network with Middle Eastern Tribal warfare, blow stuff up, and go home. The saddle sores, cultural differences, and goat curry love are handled with more dignity, care and skill than this forgettable beach read.

But this is an idea that comes with the new age of American culture. Back in 1939, the future was put on display in New York City at the World’s Fair. The spectacle presented a future of perfect metropolises, flying cars and robot maids all intended to bring about a new age of comfort and peace to the world. It wasn’t until later, with the development of the nuclear science and the cold war between the U.S.A and U.S.S.R, that the future became a vague idea.

This change of ideas is well documented and mused upon by Eisner Award winning author and cartoonist Brian Fies in his new graphic novel “Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?” a story of an unnamed boy and his “Pop” on their journey from the 1939s World’s Fair through the 1975 link up between the US and Soviet space probes.

Blast was able to talk to Brian Fies about his new book and the experience of living many of the experiences that make up the books events.

“I was born in 1960 and very much consider myself a space age baby,” said Fies. “I remember seeing Neil Armstrong landing on the moon and following the space program very closely from the 60s through the 70s.”

Fies first found success in the world of comics with his multi-award winning web-comic series “Mom’s Cancer,” a first-hand account of living with a family member with incurable cancer. Though “Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?” is his first straight-to-print work, Fies work process remained very much the same.

“Physically writing the book was the same process as writing ‘Mom’s Cancer’,” said Fies. “The fact that this new book is in full color is the biggest difference between the two.”

The story of “Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?” is interspliced with a sub story, following the son’s favorite comic book “Space Age Adventures with Commander Cap Crater and his young aide Cosmic Kid.” As the father and son see the actual world change, Cap and the Cosmic Kid go through their own metamorphosis. From carefree defenders of the city of tomorrow to Commie-bashing patriots to socially concerned sci-fi characters, the comic within the comic sees the effects of the changing attitude of the world almost as much as the father and son do.

“The Cap Crater sections of the book serve two functions within the story,” said Fies. “It is in one way a Greek chorus used to comment on the other happenings in the book and in another way is used to show pop-cultures effect on the real world and visa-versa.”

“Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow?” is a rare book about the future in the way that it does not foresee a completely bleak outcome. With the success of Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road,” the continuation of the “Terminator” series and any number of post-apocalyptic video game premises, this book offers an idea that the promised better tomorrow isn’t gone, just changed. As the book itself states in its own jacket: “Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow? People believed in it for a long time. Then they gave up on it for a long time. And the, gradually, without even necessarily meaning to…they built it.”

“There is a slight sense of disappointment from my generation and anyone who hoped for the promise of the space age,” said Fies. “But there is also a many new ideas, both actual and hypothetical, that seem to be taking the world into a better tomorrow. I want this book to show that it’s a good thing to hope and think that tomorrow might actually be better than today.”

Whatever Happened to the World of Tomorrow is available in stores across the country on June 13. For more information on Brian Fies and his work visit http://brianfies.blogspot.com.

I fell in love with music and with poetry all over again. I craved some mash-ups that I’d never, ever see. To wit: taking the best of Keats and Billy Corgan, how about “Ode to Mellon Collie?” From Shelley and Gerard Way, “The Masque of Anarchy leads the Black Parade?”

Schuftan’s book, still for some stupid reason not available in the States, is an amazing success.

I recently talked the book up to a punk friend of mine from college, whose name, on her request, I have left out. I include it here because, frankly, I love the book too much not to.

Me: So this book I am reviewing, you would love it. When you come and visit me you should borrow it. It’s not out in the states yet so you are SOL.

ANON: Whee! Oh snap.

Mme: It’s about the roots of punk, pop, emo and goth in I SHIT YOU NOT LORD BYRON AND SHELLEY. it. is. the. greatest.

A: Byron and Shelley were the ORIGINAL GOTH KIDS.

Me: Actually Milton was but whatever. Then again maybe Milton was more of a punk.

A: Nah, Milton was a nerd.

Me: using his art to be a revolutionary and whatnot.

A: Okay, maybe he was a punk.

The author’s passion for tunes, pop, emo, punk and goth is matched with his love for Romantic poetry (and this author would have a tough time pitting the two against each other in the Thunderdome, and is content to see them share the stage) and 19th century history.

Look, honestly? This book needs to be released in the States yesterday. I had a blast reading it.

The book starts out with a confession: Schuftan likes My Chemical Romance. And I have to confess, similarly, that so do I, after reading “Hey! Nietzsche!” If only because reading the book gave me a much bigger appreciation for where the band’s music is coming from, historically and artistically. It’s easy to point at Gerard Way’s Black Parade makeup and derisively laugh, “emo kid,” but when Way calls emo “a pile of shit,” he starts to sound a bit more like Byron when he went to go fight in Greece.

Mechanically, Schuftan illustrates his point by juxtaposition and historical inference. It’s quite brilliant, really, in the sense that when you take a good long look at Bryon’s pallor, his disinterest in people, and his massive poetic talent, he really does look like Rivers Cuomo. Similarly, when you think about Gerard Way voicing a desire to save the world with rock and roll, it sounds a lot like Milton’s Satan.

And really? If it sounds like this praise is too high, or to elevate Weezer and MCR up to the heights of a pair of the greatest poets to ever commit pen to paper, the point is lost on you, dear reader. Byron, Schuftan’s Adam from which all this pale, black-wearing music descended, was a rock star. People read his poetry and loved him Beatles-style. Calling cards arrived in buckets, and Bryon, like a rock star, took in the sex, booze and drugs en masse, with the perfect nonchalance.

The biggest success in the book is making the connections seem so obvious. Schuftan doesn’t strain to make a point once in the book’s 300 pages. The book concludes with an affirmation, and so must I. Love your Byron, listen to your Weezer, and for the love of God, read this book.

Adult Swim first teamed up with the acclaimed Santos Party House earlier this year and treated fans to a live show hosted by “Delocated!” star and creator Jon Glaser, with music from Andrew W.K. and Cheeseburger. The response was huge, so Adult Swim and Santos Party House are working together again to give fans more of what they want all summer long. Up-to-date information on the Adult Swim Presents Summer at Santos Series can be found at www.adultswimpresents.com.

All six shows of Adult Swim Presents Summer at Santos Series will occur every other Thursday night, beginning on June 11 at the Santos Party House located at 96 LaFayette St. in New York City. Doors open at 7 p.m.; the show starts at 7:30 p.m. All shows are free and open to the public, ages 18 and up.

Current line-up for Adult Swim Presents Summer at Santos Series*:

June 11 – Andrew W.K.

Opening sets by: Cherie Lily, Aleister X, Bad Brilliance & Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head

June 25 – Jon Glaser (”Delocated!”)

With The Woggles, Cheeseburger, A.C. Newman and masked burlesque dancers, The Pontani Sisters

July 9 – Brendon Small (”Metalocalypse”)

With Paul Green’s School of Rock

July 30 – Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareheim (”Tim and Eric Awesome Show,” “Great Job! “)

With DJ Douggpound, Gildon Works, The Party Animals and Beat Jams

August 6 – Dave Willis (”Aqua Teen Hunger Force” and “Squidbillies”)

With special guests

August 20 – Christy Karacas (”Superjail!”)

Featuring a night of local New York bands

*Line-up subject to change

The world of martial arts entertainment lost one of its most important and influential stars today as David Carradine was found dead in a hotel room in Thailand on June 4 at the age of 72. He was in Thailand shooting his new movie “Stretch” when he was found in his room dead of an apparent suicide.

Carridine was most know for his role as Kwai Chang Caine in the genre-breaking Kung Fu/Western television show “Kung Fu.” It was there that the term “Grasshopper” became synonymous with the martial arts and Carradine’s career was forged.

From there Carradine led a very successful acting career, becoming a four time Golden Globe nominee. Though known best for his roles as kung fu masters, Carradine was a multi-talented man, working with such greats as director Martin Scorsese and Robert Altman. He also became famous for portraying such great American icons as Woody Guthrie in the 1976 movie “Bound for Glory.”

Carradine was also not above playing humorous roles. From the self parodies of his famous Kwai Chang role appearing in everything from Lipton Iced Tea commercials to Jonas Brothers’ music videos, to his voice acting in several cartoons, including Nickelodeon’s “Danny Phantom” and “King of the Hill,” Carradine was noted for his sense of humor as well as his action star fame.

In his final years, Carradine never stopped making movies. In fact, he seemed to average almost a dozen a year since the turn of the century. Most famously he appeared as Bill, the ladies man leader of the Deadly Viper Assassin Squad, in the Quentin Tarantino classics “Kill Bill Volumes I and II.” He also appeared as the host of the TV series “Wild West Tech” on the History Channel, a show that went over everything about old west technology from faster six shooters to failed cures for dysentery.

Carradine was a known supporter of small budget films, appearing in many direct to DVD action titles. He was once quoted as saying, “Independent movies are just loaded with an enthusiasm that you usually don’t find in a big feature.” In 2005 he was honored for his list of over 200 roles when he was awarded the Action on Film International Film Festival Lifetime Achievement Award.

The last movie released featuring Carradine was titled “Break,” an assassin thriller in which Carradine appeared along side his long time acting partner and friend Michel Madsen. Madsen, who had appeared with Carradine previously in both “Kill Bill” and “Money to Burn,” was known to be extremely close to Carradine, so much so that Carradine’s marriage to his wife occurred on Madsen’s Malibu estate.

What is lost in the death of David Carradine is not just an icon of the kung fu genre. What is lost is a truly enjoyable man to see in any form of media. He may not have been considered an A-lister by the standard definition, but you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who in the very least didn’t recognize his face and smile when he came on screen. He was a pioneer of his genre, a man of good humor, and will certainly be missed by all who knew his work.

Then, their “Twilight” trailer spoof, which was the lesser-known cousin of the Batman spoof, earned them a hearty 2,000,000 YouTube hits. In the seven months that have passed since then, Deering and the rest of the Evil Iguana crew have become enveloped by Twi-Hards, and earned themselves free front-row tickets from MTV to the MTV Movie Awards Sunday night.

Bailey “NoMoreMarbles” Gauthier, beloved “Twilight” YouTube personality and friends of Deering and EIP, received passes to be seat fillers at the Movie Awards from her contact at MTV. She was allowed to bring some “friends,” and chose to invite Deering and EIP members Joe Korbel and Tom Latvys. “Of course we weren’t going to say no to that,” Deering said.

Though the foursome were originally supposed to be seat fillers for the cast of “Twilight,” the company behind filling seats said it would be nearly impossible to guarantee those seats. MTV pulled a few more strings and got them seats at the front row of the pit, “10 feet from everyone,” Deering said.

They didn’t get to meet any of the cast — or make a swipe at Megan Fox’s behind like Deering had joked on his Facebook — but while they were in L.A. they did get a chance to talk to Christian Serratos who plays Angela in the “Twilight” films.

Deering, who is petitioning Summit to play the role of Riley in next year’s “Eclipse,” said he will get a chance to meet the cast of “Twilight” (sans Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson) July 4 at a Make-A-Wish fundraiser in Portland, Oreg. and during Twi-Con in Dallas July 30 to August 4.

When the “Twilight” YouTube spoof originally debuted, Deering and the EIP gang never had any plans to get involved in the Twilight fan culture, but he said he is glad things have changed.

“I’m loving it,” Deering said. “I didn’t think I was going to be a part of this Twilight universe thing, but making that spoof was one of the best ideas we had to do.”

Deering told Blast EIP will be making a 15 to 20 minute long “Twilight” scene they will debut at Twi-Con. He also said they are very strongly considering making a “New Moon” trailer spoof, but need some more scenes than the one minute trailer to make an adequately funny spoof. “We might as well,” he said.

Though EIP has never worked with or been approached by MTV before, they had the opportunity to make a video before the Movie Awards that MTV put on their Movies Blog site and MTV asked them to continue sending them their videos. Deering said he will be sending MTV the “Eclipse” YouTube petition video in the hopes MTV will get behind their campaign.

Blast previously reported on the “showdown” between “Twilight” screenwriter Melissa Rosenbaum’s choice for Riley — Channing Tatum — and fan pick Deering. Tatum was also at the MTV Movie Awards, and Deering said he was apparently sitting about 15 feet away from him.

“I said to Bailey, ‘Hold me back, I’m going to jump him,’” Deering told Blast with a laugh. “‘I’m going to challenge him to a dance off.’”

Deering said that originally his idea to play Riley in “Eclipse” was a just a joke.

“The fans we were talking to thought we were serious, and they started spreading the word around, and it just got bigger and bigger,” he said. “Now we’re going full force and trying to get into this movie.”

EIP got to meet up with T180, a Disney-owned studio that makes a lot of spoofs and parodies, while they were in LA. Turns out not only Blast, MTV and Twi-Hards have had their eyes on Evil Iguana, but Disney has as well. The people Deering, Korbel and Latvys spoke to said they had been planning on reaching out to EIP previous to the Movie Awards experience, and talked about making some spoofs together in the future.

Deering also shed some light for us on the Bruno/Eminem fiasco at the Movie Awards. “I personally think it was scripted because I went back and I watched it to hear everything and [Eminem] was miced the whole time,” Deering said. “I wouldn’t know why they would mic someone if it wasn’t. It was very chaotic in the actual awards ceremony when it happened.”

Korbel and Latvys both thought the incident was unscripted, Deering said.

Deering not-so-subtly implied in his post-Movie Awards blog for MTV that he would be interested in participating in more MTV events. With attention from big shots like MTV and Disney, it looks like Evil Iguana is ready to dominate more than just YouTube and “Twilight.”

Fans can check the guys out when they are featured at Twi-Con in Dallas July 30 through August 4. Keep an eye on Blast for up-to-date news on Evil Iguana Productions.

Yes, really.

The story of Farley, as he’s affectionately called by his friends in narratives compiled almost a decade after the “Saturday Night Live” star’s death by cocaine overdose, is on the one hand a group of friends remembering a person frequently described as a force of nature, and something of a book of regrets: looking back on their friend’s all-consuming drug problems, alcoholism and inexorable self-destruction, the closest friends and colleagues of Chris Farley are sorry they didn’t do anything to save their friend.

You’ve heard it before, the story of The Great Artist brought down by drugs; Edie Sedgwick comes to mind; Jimi Hendrix; and of course, John Belushi.

And so the book takes two directions, and is pulled between them constantly. Was Chris Farley a comic genius, a force of charisma unlike anything his friends — teammates at Second City and “Saturday Night Live” — had ever seen? Or was he, as his brother describes him, a deeply religious kid, ashamed of his weight and scared of the devil, hungry for love?

I suppose the question is: why can’t we think of him as both? The book, a series of interlocking, transcribed oral narratives, constantly toes the same line between self-important exoneration and apology with which most celebrity postmortems wrestle, to no clear answer.

Is that the core of the narrative? It has to be. The book might be an oral history, but given that it was co-authored by the man who, essentially, taught Chris Farley how to live, it has to have been delicately constructed to toe the line.

When the book’s authors made the decision to get away from straight-forward narrative biography and let the voices of Farley’s friends simply take over, the reader is thrust into a complicated narrative less about the actor himself and more about the difficult feelings everybody had for Farley.

Should they save him, or should they laugh? Nobody outside of Farley’s family admits to guilt by complicity; only Farley’s own siblings recognized in the book that Farley, and their entire family, had serious issues.

And in a way, co-author Tanner Colby is to blame. Early in “The Chris Farley Show,” Farley’s brothers discuss how Chris read Colby’s book about John Belushi’s drug problems, “Wired,” and describe how he took all the wrong lessons away from the narrative. According to “The Chris Farley Show,” what Farley learned form Colby’s book about his on-screen idol was, essentially, that if Farley drank to excess and was a wild and crazy man, people would love him.

The worst part of the whole sordid thing is that everybody did love Chris Farley despite, or in spite of, his incredible self-immolation. I got the feeling from the book that the people around Farley thought of him as a beautiful train wreck: a huge, powerful force, completely destroyed. They wanted to slow down and watch, but couldn’t bear to pull bodies from the wreckage.

The troubling thing is, reading the book and watching clips of Farley’s performances, I couldn’t help but read into them deeply. When Farley’s most famous character, motivational speaker Matt Foley (named after a childhood friend) scolds David Spade and warns him that he will end up thrice divorced and in a van by the river, I couldn’t help but wonder if Farley was yelling at himself: an alter-ego character that came out and talked to everybody but the actor responsible for bringing him to life.

The book, like Farley as he’s described, will draw you in, and you won’t want to look away. I found myself captivated as much by the better days Farley had, the honest-to-god funny stunts he pulled growing up, as I was by his absolutely stupid binge-drinking once he found fame at Second City and “SNL.” I couldn’t decide which was more powerful, the good or the bad, and I get the impression that this is what the authors wanted.

After all: if they’re wrestling with their own guilt, shouldn’t the reader? If everybody who ever knew Chris Farley beyond his shitty, fratboy movie was so conflicted about him, shouldn’t people who are drawn to his story also wrestle with it?

So that’s what you get when you pick up “The Chris Farley Story”: conflict, indecision and guilt. Thinking back on it, I can’t help but think about Macbeth’s soliloquy: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more.”

What have we got to remember Chris Farley? YouTube, Hulu, DVDs, and “Tommy Boy.”

Lynch and S. were kind enough to answer a few of Blast’s questions by email.

First of all, thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me! Can you both tell me a little bit about how this project began?

Jason and I were sitting together at the kitchen table one afternoon when the initial idea for Interview Project struck us. Shortly thereafter we told my dad about our idea and he became very excited about it. The three of us spent the next few weeks developing the project and gearing up for the trip.

During filming you two traveled all around the country, just meeting and talking to people. What surprised you most during filming?

I think Jason and I were most surprised at how receptive people were to our project. The majority of the people we interviewed were genuinely excited to be a part of this series.

How did you map out where you were going? Did you have specific places you wanted to hit?

Not really, our goal was simply to cover as much of the country as we possibly could. We decided to stay away from most major cities and towns, but other than that we made our route as we went along. We would come up with our next destination or direction but never knew what would come after that.

Were there any disappointments, or things you weren’t able to do that you want to accomplish in the future with this project?

Quite honestly, and this will make more sense further down the road, our only wish is that we would have been able to get a shot of Jefferson Orwell Opal riding away on his bicycle. We are hoping to put out a DVD of Interview Project at some point if there is enough interest in the series.

How well can you get to know a person in three to four minutes?

It depends, sometimes you can get to know someone intimately in a three to five minute episode, other times, for various reason, you may not get to know the subject as well, but this short glimpse will still give you a sense of their character.

Can you give me an example of the kinds of questions you would ask?

We asked each person a series of biographical questions, like “Where were you born?” or “What was your early childhood like?” as well as a series of more open ended or subjective questions, for example “Do you have any regrets?” or “How would you like to be remembered?” We tried to structure the interviews in a very simple and straightforward manner that would allow the people to tell there story, or speak their mind, as effortlessly as possible.

Austin: You’re David Lynch’s son, who’s presenting this show. What was your experience of working with your father?

It was great. My dad was mainly involved with the development of Interview Project. He didn’t go on the road trip with Jason and I, but he was, as I mentioned before, instrumental in getting this project off the ground. He also presents each of the episodes, providing a brief introduction to each of the people that we interviewed, and it was a lot of fun for Jason and I to shoot those intros with my dad.

What are your future plans for this enterprise?

We’re not really sure at this point. Right now were waiting to hear back from Pierre Edelman and focusing on launching our website June 1, 2009.

Continuing with their Girls of “Star Wars” theme is an Oola mini-bust, plus Luke Skywalker and Ewok statues.

There also are some “Friday the 13th” goodies, which Gentle Giant said would be ready for shipping in time for Halloween ‘09.

Comic-Con attendees can be sure to get a first look at some of Gentle Giant’s newest and coolest collectibles this July, and Blast will be there viewing with you.

Here is more information on their newest items:

Oola Mini-Bust at $59.99
License: “Star Wars”
Item Number: 12145
UPC: 8-71810-00757-8
Height: 6”
Release Date: Summer 2009

Oola Mini Bust

Oola the Twi’lek dancer and unfortunate slave to Jabba the Hutt. Dressed in fish net and leather, Oola was the star attraction in Jabba’s court. In the end, Oola refused to submit to Jabba’s will and met with a grizzly death at the hands of the monstrous Rancor.

Accurately detailed, hand painted to perfection and features real fabric fish net body suit. This 1:6th scale mini-bust is a limited edition that comes with a matching, numbered certificate of authenticity.

Luke Skywalker in Bespin Fatigues Statue at $145.00
License: “Star Wars”
Item Number: 9074
UPC: 8-71810-00155-2
Height: 12”
Release Date: Summer 2009

Luke Skywalker in Bespin Fatigues Statue

Luke Skywalker dressed in his Bespin fatigues and straight out of 1980’s “Empire Strikes Back.” With Light saber drawn, Luke will meet with the most difficult dilemma of his life when he learns the dark overlord, Darth Vader, is his true father.

This finely sculpted, film-accurate depiction of Luke Skywalker is cast in high quality poly-stone and features an injection-molded light saber. Strictly limited and hand-numbered with a matching certificate of authenticity. Comes fully painted and ready to display.

Wicket W. Warrick Animated Maquette at $59.99
License: “Star Wars”
Item Number: 11796
UPC: 8-71810-00758-5
Height: 4.5”
Release Date: Summer 2009

Wicket W. Warrick animated maquette

Wicket the Ewok gets the animated treatment in this stylized poly-stone statue. First seen in episode VI, “Return of the Jedi,” Wicket befriends Princess Leia Organa and helps the rebel alliance defend the forest moon of Endor from the attacking imperial forces.

Strictly limited, painted and ready to display, Wicket stands 4.5” tall and is in scale with all of Gentle Giant’s animated “Star Wars” maquettes. Hand-numbered with matching certificate of authenticity.

“Friday the 13th” Jason Hockey Mask Ring at $15.99
License: “Friday the 13th”
Size 10 Item No: 11801
UPC: 8-71810-00748-6
Size 12 Item No: 80011
UPC: 8-71810-00753-0
Release Date:Fall 2009

"Friday the 13th" Jason Hockey Mask Ring

The iconic “Friday the 13th” Jason Voorhees hockey mask! Since 1980 Jason Voorhees and the “Friday the 13th” franchise have been slaying audiences worldwide.

This silver replica hockey mask ring comes in common men’s sizes 10 and 12. Made of a durable base alloy metal and finished with a high polish and custom antiqued accents.

Minimum quantity: 5 per stock-keeping unit.

Jason Statue at $145
License: “Friday the 13th”
Item Number: 10700
UPC: 8-71810-00495-9
Height: 7” scale
Release Date: Fall 2009

Jason Voorhees statue

Jason Voorhees! With over 300 kills to his credit, it’s no wonder that the guy needs to sit down and take a break for a minute. Seen here in an outtake from the “Freddy vs. Jason” feature film; Jason sits atop his old childhood bed and reflects on…well simpler days. Note the sinister Freddy Krueger glove and trademark Fedora in the piece! A fantastic companion to Gentle Giant’s previous “Nightmare on Elm St.” statue.

This piece is hand painted and cast in a durable poly-stone material. Another strictly limited edition just in time for Halloween. Includes matching hand-numbered certificate of authenticity.

“Friday the 13th,” Jason’s Machete Pendant at $ 12.99
License: “Friday the 13th”
Item Number: 10705
UPC: 8-71810-00499-7
Height: 2”
Release Date: Fall 2009

Make a statement with the “Friday the 13th” machete pendant. Just in time for Halloween, this 2” pendant is the perfect accessory for any horror fan. Based off the favorite weapon of slasher horror superstar Jason Voorhees. Made of base metal Alloy with inscribed “Friday the 13th” logo on one side.

Lynch is presenting “Interview Project”, a 121-part web series that will premiere on June 1. The program will feature three to five minute interviews with people from all across the country. Filmmakers Austin Lynch (David’s son) and Jason S. went on an extensive road-trip around the U.S., finding people in bars, on their front lawns, and other ordinary places, using brief but in-depth interviews in an attempt to chronicle the human experience. David Lynch will provide an introduction to each episode.

The series will debut at interviewproject.davidlynch.com.

Drawing on the childhood traditions of “Power Rangers” and the recent melodrama that is the ‘dark’ retellings of happier shows, they have brought together classic mecha with broken-down failures trying to prove themselves.

Executive producers Seth Green, Tom Root and Matthew Senreich will pool together past voice talents and use them in the new series. Green will voice the show’s villain, along with voice talents from Breckin Meyer, Rachael Leigh Cook, Dan Milano, and Eden Espinosa.

At the top of the writing heap will be lead writer, Tom Root, accompanied by the epic comic book chops of Geoff Johns (”Superman: Secret Origin” #1-6, “The Flash: Rebirth” #1-5 ) of DC Comics and veteran “Robot Chicken” writer Zeb Wells (”Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways” #1-4, “Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man” #13-16) of Marvel Comics.

The story takes place one hundred years in the future. Saturn’s moon Titan is defended by Titan Force Five, an elite squadron of young, brash pilots whose spaceships combine to form the giant robot Titan Maximum. As the series opens, the team has been disbanded due to budget cuts, but must hastily reassemble when a former team member turns rogue and tries to conquer the solar system with an assault of giant monsters. Now, the fate of humanity rests in the hands of a team of dysfunctional misfits commanding a rust-bucket robot.

Score one Adult Swim: you’ve got me interested.

Deadpool, a fan-favorite character played by Ryan Reynolds in “Wolverine,” is a (crazy) mercenary who peppers his stories with wisecracks and quips. He has a healing factor that supersedes even Wolverine’s and is one of the most formidable fighters in the X-Men universe.

And that’s all well and good except for the fact that the awesome Deadpool of the comics showed up in “Wolverine” for about five minutes before his character was summarily (and literally, apparently) chopped up into little bits.

Indeed, one of the great failures in “Wolverine,” besides the laughable writing, horrendous production values, pathetic dialogue, and all-around terribleness, was in fact the treatment of Deadpool’s character.

So what do I have to say about a Deadpool movie?

Let’s break it down.

PROS

1. Done right (key word), Deadpool has the potential to make a very cool movie, as well as one that will make money at the box office. His character allows for the gritty, edgy superhero movies that have come into vogue since “Sin City,” “The Dark Knight,” et cetera as well as the comedic factor – like “Spiderman,” except not as lame.

2. Done right (key fucking word), Deadpool would be a redeeming addition to the X-Men franchise that has gone from a gleaming beacon on a hill to a festering joke populated with evil Hollywood-types who like to destroy childhood heroes as they laugh and count their money. “Wolverine” proved that there could be an X-Men movie even worse than “X-Men 3: The Last Stand” and that Wolverine could star in a movie that people would compare to “Daredevil” in terms of suck. But Deadpool could change all that.

3. Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds caught a lot of flak when he was cast as Deadpool. Most fans had a hard time seeing Berg as one of the most badass mutants in the X-Universe. But frankly, the guy proved that he can do action movies in his five seconds of “Wolverine” screen time and in his role as Hannibal in “Blade III” (and come on, folks, let’s not pretend that the Blade movies were anything other than sweet sword-fights, shootouts and vampires). I’ll even go one step further and change his status from “competent” to “great choice.”

CONS

1. “X-Men 3: The Last Stand” made most fans (and people with brains) want to kill puppies.

2. “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” made most fans (and people with brains) actually go out and kill puppies.

3. Can we possibly trust Fox? Since Bryan Singer left the franchise to go fail at “Superman Returns,” the studio has clearly proven that they could honestly care less about the quality of the X-Men movies. I mean, who hires Brett Ratner for anything, much less for a huge, big-budget threequel with a big fanbase and fan anticipation? Who hires a director whose attitude is, “fuck the fans, we already have their money?” And it’s one thing to change the storyline or introduce new characters or ignore established comic book canon in order to make a better film — a comic book movie is still an adaptation. It’s another thing entirely to shit on comic book canon in favor of making a shitty movie.

4. Most people haven’t heard of Deadpool, including the studio zombies who make these decisions. Unless Wolverine is somehow involved (as most popular character in Marvel films and comics), will Deadpool a) get the budget (although a budget didn’t appear to help “Wolverine” any) and b) generate excitement (aka, will people see it because it’s an X-Men movie?).

5. LEAVE DEADPOOL THE HELL ALONE. LOOK WHAT YOU DID TO HIM IN “WOLVERINE,” YOU MONSTERS!

So here’s what I think should happen. Drop the hokey and pretentious “X-Men Origins” business (Deadpool was NOT an X-Man, thank you), and besides Deadpool wasn’t in the original three X-Men movies. Don’t leech off of Wolverine’s popularity by making the movie some kind of “Deadpool and Wolverine, Duo Extraordinaire” and don’t even attempt to adhere to the (shitty) continuity in “Wolverine.”

Instead, reboot Deadpool in a movie of his very own, unrelated to the established X-universe on film. Sure, it can be an origin story, whatever. That’s what studios seem to be fond of these days. But make a movie for the character in his own right, not just because he fought with Wolverine a couple of times.

Most importantly, studios — read a fucking Deadpool comic. Seriously. Please.

And finally — for the love of Phoenix, don’t sew the character’s mouth shut. That’s half of what makes him awesome.

In an age where people have films and video games to do the imaging for them, a new type of literature is emerging to bring the characters and stories into the reader’s world for a change. Sean Stewart, Jordan Weisman and Cathy Briggs, the co-authors, illustrators, and creators of a book series with a fully functioning understand the need for this change and have fused the gap between books, technology and their audience with their novels “Cathy’s Book,” “Cathy’s Key” and the upcoming “Cathy’s Ring.”

The “Cathy” series is part of a new genre dubbed “interactive fiction” and comes complete with working telephone numbers, websites and e-mail addresses — bringing the characters to life in the reader’s world. “Cathy’s” author, Sean Stewart claimed, “This kind of interactive entertainment will surely be to the 21st century what film was to the 20th in terms of being the defining art form.”

From what Blast has seen so far, there’s a definite possibility for this prediction to become reality.

The idea behind interactive fiction was born in 2001 when Stewart was hired to be involved in a project building a fully functional online world surrounding the Stephen Spielberg movie “A.I.” The project, dubbed “The Beast” due to its dauntingly huge list of requirements, entailed creating the world of this movie so that even five months before it came out, people could go to the website, which was according to Stewart, “literally hundreds or thousands of web pages deep”.

“You’ll go to a person’s blog and it’ll look like a real blog, except in the future . . . it’ll have a link of where they went to school, which then has links for 60 or so departments, all of which are up and running. When you e-mail these people, they will e-mail you back. We’re going to create a world and actually let you touch it. Instead of watching what happens to Lucy when she goes through the wardrobe to Narnia, we’ll let you go through the wardrobe yourself and see and touch Narnia as much as you can.”

The problem was, once the movie came out and the project was finished, it was left for dead. Stewart found himself and his colleagues saying, “that was really cool but now it’s over and people can’t play anymore because it’s over,” so they had no choice but to move on.

In creating “Cathy’s Book” and the subsequent sequels, Stewart and Weisman wanted to make sure that people could come across the series five years later and still play along. Running Press is set to release “Cathy’s Ring,” the third book in the New York Times bestselling teen trilogy. Despite the approaching end to the series, people will be able to enjoy the interactivity for a long time to come. The co-authors also wanted to make sure that it could stand alone as any other book would without the addition of its real-life communicative capabilities.

“We built it with a very simple premise: if all you ever did was just read the words of the book, that should be a great experience and you should feel fully satisfied, that by itself, should work as a book,” they said.

And it does. The story on its own is compelling and relatable, yet wildly fantastic — ready to compete with any other young adult series out there, complete with immortal boyfriends, Asian assassins, and witty banter. However, despite the inherent fantasy of the plot, opening the book itself brings you into a strange false sense of reality.

The series’ illustrator, Cathy Briggs, had a lot to do with this. Each page’s margins are covered in sketch-like illustrations, as if the artistic Cathy Vickers — the protagonist — drew these doodles while writing in her journal. Each drawing carries significance to what is happening on the particular page, and every now and then there will be little scratched in commentaries about what is printed.

Needless to say, Stewart and Briggs had to work together on this one. Stewart explained the process, saying “Jordan Weisman and I will usually talk about what we’re thinking of doing in a book and then I will go off and write the book and then send in a manuscript and we’ll go through revisions. Then I’ll sit down and write down some ideas for illustrations.”

After jotting down the ideas, Stewart and Brigg would collaborate on what drawings to include on each page, and were definitely on the same page about one aspect of the illustrations: they should not interrupt the reading of the story.

“A lot of the doodles and illustrations should be in the background and a second read, not a distraction, but yeah, we worked quite closely on developing what those illustrations should be,” Brigg explained.

Stewart conveyed the same idea: “It works the same way that a soundtrack in a movie does”.

Even as a background, it is hard not to consider how time consuming illustrating every page of a novel could be.

“It was quite intense,” Brigg admitted. “My hand was definitely falling off by the end. Some of them look quite sketchy — very crude, almost — but even so, they take quite a lot of time.”

You might have noticed the “Cathy” similarity as well – it’s no coincidence, Cathy the character is based off of Cathy the illustrator.

Fans had been encouraged to dress as their favorite Transformer for a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for the “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” premiere. Krystal Calarese from Marlboro was the only screening attendee to come in full costume.

Krystal Calarese

Calarese said she had made the costume for Transformers convention BotCon a year before, and would be adding speakers to the ensemble for an appearance at Anime Boston’s Masquerade next month.

Loving Transformers since she was young, Calarese expressed her excitement about the new movie.

“I’d just give anything to see my ‘bots on the screen,” she said.

Calarese was greeted with cheers by the screening audience as she walked in full costume into the theater.

In addition to seeing a screening of Michael Bay’s 2007 hit “Transformers,” accumulated fans were some of the first in the country to see the newest full-length “Revenge of the Fallen” trailer from Paramount.

The trailer revealed a lot more about the plot of the film: Sam Witwicky (Shia LaBeouf) goes to college, leaving behind transforming friend Bumblebee and girlfriend Mikaela (Megan Fox). He comes across a small rock fragment with strange symbols engraved on it, which embed themselves in his mind. Amidst epic shots of battling robots and images of the symbols in pyramids and etched on the ground are hints from Optimus Prime of this being Sam’s destiny – and of Megatron wanting the secrets Sam knows about the symbols.

Yahoo debuted the trailer at noon today.

“Perfect honesty: I don’t care what [the movie]’s about. I just want to watch giant robots on the screen,” said Mike Avagianos, who traveled from Providence, RI in a Trax t-shirt to attend the screening. “I mean, what more can you expect?”

Fans young and old turned up for the event. Peter Boccelli from Stoneham showed up with an Optimus Prime helmet under his arm and his young daughter Brianna Briana in tow. He said to her he has always been “Daddy Prime” and she has been “Briannabee.”

“She’s Bumblebee, that’s her boy. Throughout the house, about 400 [toys] in the house,” Boccelli said of her fandom.

Entertainment Tonight is hosting the “Ultimate Transformers Fan” contest. From yesterdays nationwide submissions, 20 finalists will be chosen. The public can vote on which fan is their favorite from May 25 to June 10 on www.etonline.com.

“Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” hits theaters June 24, 2009.

Did any Blast readers attend the screenings or enter Entertainment Tonight’s contest? What did you think of the new trailer? Let us know your thoughts!

By the way: Because of a reporting error, we spelled the name of Briana Boccelli incorrectly.