In late August pretty much everyone lost their shizz when the news came out that The Walt Disney Company was acquiring Marvel Comics for $4 billion mainly because there was a huge fear that Disney would interfere with Marvel and ruin those characters. BUT, what if the reverse actually happened and Marvel was able to influence the nice, sweet Disney characters instead. Illustrator Jeffrey Thomas envisions what Disney characters might look like if they received the Marvel Comics treatment … here are a few of the Twisted Princesses that he envisions:

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if instead of Disney’s wussification of Marvel’s characters, the tables were turned and instead Marvel turned the Disney princesses into Skrull invaders and zombies like this Dark Little Mermaid? All the images are by illustrator Jeffrey Thomas, who’s as twisted as he is brilliant. Please oh please can’t we at least get a comic book out of these images?

Aren’t these illustrations fantastic? I love mashing up characters like this … seeing the Disney Princesses in a more dark light only highlights their personalities, I think. Some of them look evil (ie. Ariel the Little Mermaid) but some of them just look more realistic and strong (ie. Pocahontas). I LOVE these illustrations. I urge you to visit Thomas’s website HERE to see these illustrations in higher resolution … they’re really amazing. One can only hope that the marriage between Disney and Marvel might bring to fruition an alliance like this … my guess is that it won’t really happen but it’s nice to wish … upon a star.

[Source via Source]

Last May we learned that Tim Gunn, the fashion mentor extraordinaire on Project Runway, would be making a special appearance in a Marvel Comics comic book series called Models, Inc. where he teams up with Iron Man to save New York Fashion Week. Today we get our first look at Tim’s issue of the series, titled Loaded Gunn, and learn some more info about the comic:

If there’s anyone suited to fight a crime involving fashion, it’s style guru Tim Gunn. This fall, the Project Runway fashion mentor will shed his designer suits for an edgier look in Loaded Gunn, the first of four comics in Marvel’s limited edition fashion-themed comic series, Models, Inc. “Isn’t it just utterly and totally surreal?” says Gunn, who is thrilled with his likeness as a superhero. “This is one of those make-a-wish things that could never happen.” In the story, when a special museum retrospective of superhero style is attacked, Gunn comes to the rescue — with a little help from Iron Man. (”It’s because I don’t have any superpowers of my own!”) “There are lots of debates about how much it looks like me,” says Gunn, who chose to leave the creative process to the experts at Marvel. “I said, ‘Gentleman, this is your business. This is not what I do. I do not even want to remotely weigh in on it or micromanage it.’ ” Gunn’s comic-book likeness sounds like him as well, and Runway fans will recognize catchphrases such as “Gather ’round, everyone” woven into his polite way of speaking. Could a superhero-themed design challenge be in Runway’s future? “You never know,” Gunn says. “I think it would be wonderful to do.” As for ratings, Runway’s first season in Los Angeles — and on Lifetime — drew a record 4.2 million viewers for its premiere. “People seem to love it,” Gunn says. “I honestly haven’t heard anything negative. If they did hate it, then I’d like to know.” Gunn says he has loved comic books since childhood. If he were to choose a favorite based solely on style, it’s Gotham’s own Batman, “the most debonair of superheroes.” “He’s sort of the James Bond of superheroes,” Gunn says.

Is there anything that Tim Gunn cannot do? Not only has he caught the hearts of Project Runway designers AND viewers alike but now he’s teaming up with one of the most iconic superheroes of all time to feature in a fun new comic book? Seriously, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t like Tim Gunn and, to be honest, I don’t think I’d want to even be friends with such a person. Tim just emanates pure positivity and bends over backwards to pass along that positivity to everyone he encounters. I was fortunate enough to meet Tim Gunn at a GLAAD event here in SoCal a couple of years ago (you can see a pic HERE) and he is truly as nice as he seems on TV. As for Project Runway, I agree that people who are watching seem to love it. It’s the same great show we’ve come to love over the years, I’m totally hooked again!! I love to support Gunn’s endeavors whatever they may be. As a comic book fan, I’ll deffo be picking up Loaded Gunn when it becomes available. If you would like to order this issue online, you can do so HERE.

[Source]

Terribly scary news to pass along today … The Walt Disney Company has announced that it is planning to acquire the Marvel Comics company — including its 5,000 characters like Spider-Man, Iron Man, The Hulk, etc. — for $4 billion in cash and stock. Um, to this I say, WTF????????

The Walt Disney Co. says it is acquiring Marvel Entertainment Inc. for $4 billion in cash and stock, bringing characters like Iron Man and Spider-Man into the Disney family. Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of 5,000 Marvel characters. Disney said Monday that Marvel shareholders will receive $30 per share in cash plus 0.745 Disney shares for every Marvel share they own. It said the boards of Disney and Marvel have both approved the transaction, but it requires an antitrust review and the approval of Marvel shareholders.

This is terrible news! While I’m sure Disney plans on acquiring Marvel Comics for the sole purpose of keeping it the way it is, I can’t help but wonder if they will start tinkering with the way Marvel operates its comics and/or movie biz somewhere down the line if they successfully gain control. I had no idea that Marvel was in a position where they would want to sell … to anyone … let alone Disney! Says Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s Chief Executive Officer:

“Disney is the perfect home for Marvel’s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses.”

And here’s a quote from Robert A. Iger, President and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company:

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and world-renowned library of characters including Iron Man, Spider-Man, X-Men, Captain America, Fantastic Four and Thor with Disney’s creative skills, unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories.”

I can’t help but feel deep in the pit of my gut that this is a terrrrrrrribly horrible idea … one that will adversely affect Marvel comics fans down the line. I mean … right? Does this sound like a good idea to anyone out there??

[Source]

It is being reported that Ryan Reynolds has won the casting battle to play the part of Hal Jordan/Green Lantern in the planned big screen movie adaptation of the comic book hero. It was rumored that both Justin Timberlake and Bradley Cooper were up against Ryan for the role but it looks like Ryan won the role. This makes Reynolds the first actor to play a character from both Marvel Comics (he featured in the Blade series of films and played Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine) and DC Comics (Green Lantern is one DC’s big superheroes):

Warner Bros. Pictures has hired X-Men Origins: Wolverine and The Proposal star Ryan Reynolds to play the title role in the anticipated Green Lantern, scheduled for a June 17, 2011 release. Based on the DC Comics hero, the action-adventure will be directed by Martin Campbell (Casino Royale, GoldenEye) and produced by Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti. Berlanti wrote the script with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green. The Hollywood trades say that Reynolds and his camp entered negotiations for the part Friday, after the studio held two rounds of screen tests, along with actors Bradley Cooper and Jared Leto. Justin Timberlake also did a screen test. The studio had holding options on the actors, but, except for Reynolds, those expired Monday. Reynolds’ option would have expired end of day Friday. Production is expected to begin in January. The “Green Lantern” was created in 1940 by writer Bill Finger and artist Martin Nodell. Introduced in 1959, Hal Jordan is a second-generation test pilot, an ordinary man who was given the power ring and battery (lantern) by a dying alien named Abin Sur. When Abin Sur’s spaceship crashed on Earth, the alien used his ring to seek out an individual to take his place as Green Lantern: someone who was “utterly honest and born without fear.” Reynolds recently starred in Fox’s “Wolverine,” in which he played Wade Wilson/Deadpool. The character is now being developed for a spin-off to which Reynolds is attached. He also played Hannibal King in Blade: Trinity.

As much as I LOVE Ryan Reynolds, I was really pullin’ for Bradley Cooper to get the part. I can totally see Hal Jordan in Cooper … and I was really lookin’ forward to seeing Coop in those tight superhero spandex. Ah well, I guess I’ll just have to settle for Ryan Reynolds squeezin’ his goodies in those superhero spanx. Wait … why was I all upset for again?? On second thought, WOOT!! What do y’all think … is this good news or bad news?

[Source]

Yesterday afternoon, David and I made our way to Golden Apple Comics for an in-store appearance by Milo Ventimiglia and his partners Russ Cundiff and Jeremy Haun for the release of their new comic book series Berserker:

We got to hang out for a bit with the guys before making our way to Mercedes-Benz in Beverly Hills, CA so that David could test drive their new GLK350:

He’s been in the market for his first car so he is getting down to the decision-making phase.

After we were finished tooling around BH, we came back home so that I could lay out by the pool:

Lemme tell you … twas nice. I’m trying to get my work done as quickly as possible today so that I can get down by the pool again.

Tonight Kirsten, Darion and I are going to be celebrating our Friend Anniversary. It’s gonna be a very nice Sunday, methinks.

Marvel Comics is celebrating their 70th anniversary this August and in celebration they are publishing special edition variant covers of various comic book titles inspired by music icons of the 80’s and 90’s. X-Men: Legacy #225 features Rogue striking a Vogue pose on the cover, very clearly inspired by the Queen of Pop Madonna:

Celebrating their 70 years on August 11, 2009, Marvel will be spicing up the aniversary by releasing alternate covers to many of its super-heroes magazines, inspired in Music Idols from the 80’s and 90’s. Four covers will be released on June 17 of the 90’s Decade Variant cover of X-Men: Legacy #225 designed by Brazilian artist Adriana Melo features Rogue – one of the mutants’ most controversial characters – striking a pose…

Does Madonna’s pop culture reach know no bounds? I mean, it does make sense that if you’re looking for an icon from the 80’s or 90’s for inspiration, you really need look no further than to he Madgesty herself. I have to say … Rogue looks pretty cool as Maddy. She’s even got Maddy’s monstrous hands, too!! This comic book cover looks pretty sweet … I wonder what other icons of the 80’s and 90’s they’ll be paying homage to as well.

[Source]

How’s this for strange bedfellows … Tim Gunn, the mentor and all around cheerleader for contestants on Project Runway, will be featured in an upcoming special edition Marvel Comics issue where Tim teams up with Iron Man to help foil a plot to ruin New York Fashion Week. Actually … Gunn does more than just “team up” with Iron Man, as I understand it — he actually dons the Iron Man suit and saves the day himself:

THE heroes of Marvel Entertainment have foiled everything from bank robberies to alien invasions — usually with their fists. But when a young set designer is murdered during New York Fashion Week, solving the crime falls to more delicate hands. On Aug. 26, Marvel will release the first issue of “Models Inc.,” a sartorially minded mini-series that unites some of its fashion-friendly supporting characters and pushes them into new starring roles. The runway divas include Millicent Collins (a k a Millie the Model), Patsy Walker, also known as the superheroine Hellcat, and Mary Jane, the model-turned actress who is the sometimes wife of Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man. The women team up to clear Millicent, who is the prime suspect in the murder of the set designer. Think of it as “Charlie’s Angels” set in the fashion world. But what would the angels be without someone to guide them? Enter Tim Gunn of “Project Runway.” In the debut issue’s second story, Mr. Gunn becomes an action figure — jumping into Iron Man’s suit of armor to save a fashion exhibition from evildoers. It’s certainly a departure from Mr. Gunn’s usual role as a mentor to aspiring designers, but there is a connection. Mr. Gunn said he remembered comic books with Millicent, who first appeared in 1945. She was a comic romantic figure, who worked as a model for the Hanover agency. Mr. Gunn will grace one version of the first cover of “Models Inc.,” drawn by Phil Jimenez, a popular comic book artist who also illustrated the cover of “Amazing Spider-Man” No. 583, which paired Spidey with President Obama. A sales analysis on the Beat, the comic blog of Publishers Weekly, estimated that more than 520,000 copies of the issue were sold. Can Mr. Gunn persuade fashionistas that these comic books are as valuable as the September issue of Vogue? Mr. Gunn doesn’t claim to know, but he is as surprised as your average Hulk reader that he is now a Marvel action figure. “I’m not certain of the particulars of how I’ll be portrayed, but I’m really excited about it,” Mr. Gunn said. “To say I’m a character in a comic book is wild!”

See, I always knew Tim Gunn was cool but this just settles everything — he is freakin’ awesome! Lawd, what can’t Tim Gunn do? If he can put up with Kenley Collins’s bullshizz on Project Runway then surely he has the mettle to defeat any nasty evil-doers who try to ruin Fashion Week (which, in a sense, is what Kenley tried to do herself). What a fantastic idea for a comic book … I can’t say that I ever envisioned Tim Gunn as a comic book hero but seeing him in animated form makes me a believer. Love it!!!

[Source]