I was going to write a post about some bit of pop culture ephemera here, as usual, but this week I was reminded that there’s this boil that’s festering in fandom (and in society at large), it isn’t going away, and it needs to be addressed head on. I refer, of course, to the ongoing and escalating river of misogyny that flows under the comics world, occasionally bubbling up in a noxious eruption.
Marvel’s Doctor Strange is exactly the kind of superhero movie we all wanted to see back when the ads were promising that we would “believe a man can fly.” The mystic warriors here do a lot more than fly, and it’s all visually stunning. Much more important than the eye candy, however, are the personalities involved, their histories and motivations, and the importance of what they are all fighting for or against. If those things don’t engage us, the amazing effects are just a digital fireworks display.
The cast of Marvel’s Doctor Strange assembled at the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills to discuss the film. Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Mads Mikkelsen, Rachel McAdams, and Benedict Wong, producer Kevin Feige and director Scott Derrickson, were interviewed by Access Hollywood’s Scott Mantz and took questions from the audience.
Following the negative critical response to Batman V. Superman, Zack Snyder promises future DC films will be “lighter and brighter.”
In an effort to deprive myself of even more sleep, I’ve decided to alter somewhat my contribution to Atomic Junk Shop; every so often, I plan to forego the whole column-essay-rant-listicle thing and just draw a cartoon.
Drew Struzan began his career as an advertising illustrator before finally becoming the most distinctive and acclaimed illustrator of movie posters, best known for his work on the Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter franchises. Long before he got to those iconic images, he made a whole lot of other movies look great, including some pretty terrible ones. Let’s take a look at a half-dozen:
In recent years, there’s been a lot of press about comics starring girls and women; Ms. Marvel, Captain Marvel, Squirrel Girl, plus less superhero-oriented fare like Gotham Academy and Lumberjanes. While much has been made about the emphasis on diversity, I think one of the reasons why these books are popular is that they are fun.
