LUCID FORGE

In the News

IDW Bringing Back Famous Monsters

Famous Monsters of Filmland is returning to print thanks to a partnership with IDW Publishing and piloted by editor Michael Heisler. The magazine originally ran from 1958 to 1983 and was one of the first to focus on the behind the scenes goings-on of horror, sci-fi, and fantasy movies. It inspired and nurtured people like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Guillermo del Toro, Ray Harryhausen, and Stephen King, and was the vanguard of other magazines like Cinefantastique, Fangoria, and The Monster Times. The news follows the death of the magazine’s founder, Forrest J. Ackerman, just two years ago and Heisler says his expectations are simple. “Our goal is to update that magic for a modern audience, with coverage of current horror in all its forms, while continuing to pay tribute to the classic films that started it all.” Famous Monsters of Filmland will run quarterly starting in the summer of 2010.

IDW also Paranormal Activity enthusiasts

IDW Publishing and Paramount Licensing are producing a digital comic exclusively to iPod and iPhone users through Apple’s iTunes App Store. Called Paranormal Activity: The Search For Katie, A Case Study by Dr. Johann Averys DMN, the comic will continue where the movie left off, as Dr Averys seeks to find the origins of the demon that haunted the couple and tries to discover what happened to Katie. The comic will be written by Scott Lobdell (Jennifer Love Hewitt’s Music Box) and drawn by Mark Badger (The Gargoyle).

Zombie writers take on Deadpool

The highly-anticipated Deadpool, which may or may not be called “X-Men Origins: Deadpool,”, looks to have a couple of screenwriters signed in the form of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick who worked together on the amusing Zombieland. Buzz is good on this pair with many thinking that they could be a perfect fir for the “Merc With A Mouth.” Deadpool was featured in last summer’s X-Men Origins: Wolverine as played by Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and it’s being said that this standalone movie will be a reboot of the character, and will take full advantage of Reynolds’ skill at being a talkative and smart-ass.

Comics 2 Film Report

Guy Ritchie follows Homes with Lobo

Guy Ritchie is unclear about the next direction in his career, like whether or not he’s going to direct Lobo, which was once thought to be a sure thing. Lobo is an interstellar mercenary who makes up for his lack of character and plot with over-the-top violence, in other words, a perfect fit for Ritchie. Warner Bros. is supposed to be starting production on the film early this year, almost as if producers Joel Silver, Akiva Goldsman, and Andrew Rona were waiting to see how successful Sherlock Holmes turned out to be. The big question is whether Ritchie will be making a PG-13 rated and edited version of Lobo, or whether the success of Watchmen warrants more violence like the Lobo comic. Bur forgetting Lobo all together, it could be that Ritchie will go back to working on Sgt. Rock now, another film property being produced by Silver.

Producers tackle Night and Fog and Dead of Night

There are more than a few movies in the supernatural war horror subgenre: The Keep (1983), Deathwatch (2002), and the Nazi-zombies of Dead Snow (2009). Most of them have at least the potential to be a vehicle for suspense, and possibly even a history lesson, so there’s no reason why there isn’t room for more. With that in mind, producers Gil Adler and Shane McCarthy are now shepherding an adaptation of the Studio 407 comic Night and Fog. Night and Fog is the tale of a mist in World War II that changes its victims into creatures of the night that become even more menacing when you try to kill them. Adler was also behind the DC Vertigo adaptation Constantine, which was based on their long running Hellblazer series. Also coming soon is the new film Dead of Nigh, based on the Italian comic Dylan Dog. Adler says he is impressed with the character driven story, its gothic horror potential like the Hammer films, and sci-fi horrors like Aliens or The Thing.

Reviews

The Complete Alice in Wonderland #1

Leah Moore & John Reppion and Erica Awano

Dynamite Entertainment

With Tim Burton taking liberties with Lewis Carroll’s story, now might be a good time for a look down the rabbit hole at the books in comic form. Here, the story isnicely interpreted by the manga influenced artist Erica Awano, and rewritten carefully by Moore and Reppion, keeping much of Carroll’s charming English and poetry. The four-part full colour series includes Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the sequel Through the looking Glass, and the ‘lost’ Looking-Glass chapter “The Wasp in a Wig.” The White Rabbit and the gang are in fine hands though, Moore and Reppion are the same team that did Dynamite’s classics run on The Complete Dracula and Sherlock Holmes series

Sir Edward Grey: Witchfinder - In the Service of Angels

Mike Mignola & Ben Stenbeck and Dave Stewart

Dark Horse

It definitely wasn’t Jack the Ripper that killed Bradley T. Hopkins; his ripped bloodless body found in an alley. Once again, “from the pages of Hellboy,” comes another offshoot story about the penetration of this world by a creepy little gargoyle bugger with sharp teeth and glowing eyes. This time it is the fault of Lord Wellington and his team, who, on an expedition to a lost civilization they find in 1879, come across a large humanoid skeleton. Taking no heed of warnings, they insist on bringing it back to London to show off, but then horrible nightmares and then sudden death reaches each of the men one at a time. Only Edward Grey the Witchfinder, in the service of the Queen, can help to solve the mystery.