ANIMATED MAN-THING? (ANI-MAn-ThingED?)

Sheesh... I keep trying to get back on track with some real posts here, and I keep finding more swell news tidbits to post instead. However, since this is more MAN-THING goodness, I'm fine with it.

File under "Easter Egg", I watched the preview trailer for Marvel/Disney's new, upcoming AVENGERS : EARTH'S MIGHTIEST HEROES animated series and in the first few seconds saw THIS.

See that newspaper's front page?
Check out the right side-column EXCLUSIVE story.

Click pic to make Man-Thing "Giant-Sized"

Note: the classic "Bigfoot" film-footage pose. Nice touch.

Yup.
"MAN-like 'THING' stalks upstate!"

Now, don't ask me what Man-Thing is doing in upstate N.Y. (most likely, since I've never heard of any other state having an "upstate") and away from his Florida Everglades home, but as we've seen with recent developments in the comics canon (as reviewed HERE), Manny is now capable of long-range travel, so... anything goes.

Sadly, that seems to be the extent of his "animated" appearance, but it does provide hope for an actual appearance in the show down the road.

This all-new 'Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes' animated series from Marvel Animation premiers on Disney XD this Autumn 2010.

For your convenience, you can check out the trailer here.




I'm not sure how I feel about the overall look and quality of this production.
This is the closest I've seen Marvel get to the quality of DC's animated series, but it's still a bit... "off".
Not sure why most of Marvel's animated output always look so inferior to DC's.
Yes, I know DC has Warner Bros. studios behind them, but this is Marvel-as-backed-by-DISNEY we're talking about.
I'd expect better by now.
Especially with a big-budget series of films about to be unleashed that will feed directly into and from this.


Well, if MAN-THING (or DR. STRANGE) will appear, I'll be more forgiving.

"Tamam Shud!"
~P~
PTOR

Since STRANGE left, the place has turned into a BROTHEL!

After a few years of having famed blogger Chris Sims (of The-ISB) constantly reviewing the insanely bad issues of TAROT : Witch of the Black Rose, I confess I finally succumbed and checked out an issue.

The COVER is the most tasteful part of the entire comic!

The newest issue (# 58) of Jim Balent's opus (self-published by his BroadSword imprint) held one unexpected delight for me hidden among it's many overinflated boobs and ludicrous crotchshots.

And that is, that Doctor Strange seems to have rented out the Sanctum Sanctorum (or at least it's designer) to these nekkid witch ho-bags.

Check it out. Clicking image makes pic DDD!

Naughty Bits have been obscured (by me) for the young and impressionable who may visit this all-ages site.

When TAROT and her evil sister; RAVEN arrive back into the inner sanctum of some magician/librarian (/friend of the artist due to the specifics of the likeness in the drawing of the man), it seems his window shares some mystic design with that of the Sanctum Sanctorum of Doctor Strange.
i.e.; The WINDOW.

While I have no further intent to pick up Tarot : Witch of the Black Rose (because it is just as bad as Sims has professed), I am happy at the serendipity which caused me to get this one issue.

Spells Re-Cast

I have a "confession" of sorts that I've been meaning to mention, for quite some time now.

There are often times where I'll have a flash of inspiration, or a fleeting memory will resurface, or I'll dig up something while researching a new post, or a stray neuron will set off a synaptic miss-fire and I'll go back to an already published post (usually the most recent) and add to it, or edit it in some way as to make a re-read possibly worthwhile to those who may have already given it a once-over.

It's a habit from which I've been trying to break myself, and on occasion, if the added information can sustain itself as a stand-alone (or addendum) post, I'll simply give it it's own entry (linked to the predecessor).

This was most recently done in the case of the
"And Now Ladies and Gentlemen... Observe as I put this rabbit back INTO my hat!" post, which was itself an addendum to the earlier "Silly Rabbit..." post.

It was new information that should have been in the earlier post, but it could support itself on it's own.

Some times, however... that's just not the case.

And so, to that end, I have added a piece to the side-bar, directly UNDER the blog-post history where I'll list any posts that get added to in a fairly major way.

Just look for the list under THIS image * :


It's titled "SPELLS RE-CAST ".
There are also notations as to what date each post was edited and when were the original post dates.

Not every tweak will get a re-listing. I won't bother if I've just added a line or two or changed some grammar around, or some other cool, but "minor" change (which happens pretty much all the time). I'll just list the ones where vital goodies are added;
Information that further fleshes out a point, brings forth an instance that really belongs with the original post, or in some way enhances the reading experience - making it worth a second read.

Two caveats, however:

1. While in some instances, the edited post may have a noticeable ***EDIT*** blurb on it (usually at the end), many times, especially if the information needs to be in the body of the post, it won't be readily evident what I've changed. I can only promise that it would be a fairly important point.
2. I'm not sure how LONG I'll leave the tweaked posts in that list. It could be a week, a month... who knows? All I know is it won't be permanent (unless I relocate it to the BOTTOM of the side-bar to give it breathing room to grow - which I highly doubt), so check back early and often.
   

Why, look! There are some there NOW.
(Who says this isn't the world's most self-referential blog?)
;-)

That's all for now.
I have to get cracking on my next big entry.
Thanks for your kind indulgence.

---

* That image, by the way, is from the "What is it That Disturbs You, Stephen?" graphic novella by P. Craig Russell.
It, itself, is a "Spell Re-Cast", since it was reworked, nearly panel for panel, from P.C.R.'s much earlier work found in Doctor Strange Annual # 1.

A picture (or two) is worth a thousand exclamations of delight!

How can something so minor make me so happy?

In reply to my LAST post (about the subtle nature of Doctor Strange's involvement in this "MARVELS : Eye of the Camera" series) my friend Howard Hallis emailed me and mentioned the pic of Doc at the END of the issue (issue # 2).

I had totally forgotten that I had seen that, because I was so damned pleased about the RABBIT thing, that I neglected to mention it in yesterday's post.

Good thing too, because when I went to get the pic just now I took another look at that panel and also saw...

MAN-THING!
DOCTOR STRANGE & MAN-THING are both hidden away in this title.

click pic to zoom in.

Man-Thing is seen at the very top center of the page (behind the Daredevil & Iron Man pics).
Dr. Strange is seen to the far right of the page, in a pic obviously taken after he made the "House of Shadows" disappear (from Strange Tales v1 # 120 - and mentioned in this blog in this old post HERE).

Kurt Busiek & Jay Anacleto are making me a happy fanboy thus far.
I don't need to have Doc (or Manny) front and center all the time.

Would I LIKE to see Strange in a more meaty role in this book?
Well... SURE.
But, sometimes a good, well-placed and purposefully hidden cameo is more than enough.

Also, there's something to be said for the child-like joy of finding hidden treasures like this. Almost like Christmas. Or finding an Easter Egg (a mossy, muck-encrusted mockery of an egg, that will burn you... but that's neither here nor there).

I'd love to have some more "urban legend", "boogie-men" type of appearances for these two characters.
Sure beats "deus ex machina" and "plot device" any day.

Thanks again Kurt & Jay (and Howard)!