Twisted Toyfare Theatre: 10th Anniversary Collection

Creators: Toyfare Magazine writers and editors

Wizard Entertainment, color, $29.99

Before they stormed Cartoon Network with "Robot Chicken," the editors and writers at Toyfare magazine were splitting geeks' sides with Twisted Toyfare Theatre, now celebrating its 10th anniversary with the release of a classy paperback collection.

TTT consists of laugh-out-loud comic strips that use photos of action figures (primarily Megos, which are apparently big enough and articulated enough to make them the figures of choice) in storylines ripped from the pages of various geek texts (Marvel superheroes and "Star Wars" are, naturally, the most-used templates). Spider-Man is hilariously used as a straight man surrounded by such sights as Dr. Octopus trying to wed Aunt May, and a chaotic senate hearing on Coruscant.

Collecting their picks for the best of TTT since 1997, the book features some classic bits, including "Super Villain Jeopardy," an insane-looking Alan Moore battling Oscar Wilde, a funny "24" spoof, and one featuring zombie smurfs. In one of the best stories, Daredevil sues Ben Affleck for his poor performance in -- you guessed it -- "Daredevil."

It's also fun to see some of the early strips, when the style of humor hadn't quite yet jelled. Each strip is preceded by brief commentary, and there are short bios of some of the recurring characters, while Jeph Loeb provides the collection's introduction. The book also features a brand new strip, where Spider-Man -- against his will -- recounts his past TTT exploits with James Lipton on "Inside the Actor's Studio."

Grade: A-

Reviewed by David Lewis.

'Dark Knight' demolition

The Fox station in Chicago has some great photos and video footage of "The Dark Knight" film crew destroying a building on the city's west side. These are some serious pyrotechnics, and almost nothing was left of the building when the smoke cleared.

Vega's 'Gunplay' wins Comic Book Challenge

Jorge Vega was the winner of Platinum Studio's Comic Book Challenge, the comics industry's version of "American Idol." The artist nabbed a publishing deal and multimedia pact for his brainchild, "Gunplay," the story of a man forced to kill at least once a day to keep a curse away. The finish product will get a big unveiling at a Wizard World confab in 2008.

"This is a dream come true for me!," Vega said. "You only see these things happen to people on TV, and I still can’t believe that 'Gunplay' was selected. Platinum Studios and AT&T have created a tremendous contest that allows aspiring comic creators such as me the opportunity to enter this field, and I’m honored and humbled that hundreds of thousands of people globally in the comic community selected my concept from all of the amazing entries."

"Gunplay" was chosen by comic fans who voted online. Full details of the contest and info on the runners up are available at the AT&T Blue Room. -- Erin Maxwell

Events: Hero sketches; McCloud tour wraps

A couple of Los Angeles-area comics events are set for this weekend:

* Charity group The Hero Initiative will launch its newest fund-raising project, “The 3-Minute Sketchbook,” with an event Friday, Aug. 31, at 8 p.m. at Secret Headquarters in Silver Lake. The 112-page book features sketches from more than 100 artists, including Neal Adams, Howard Chaykin, Mike Mignola, Tim Sale, Walter Simonson and Berni Wrightson. Three of the original pieces will be auctioned off at the event, with the rest heading for the Baltimore Comic-Con. Several artists will be on hand to do in-person sketches.

* Scott McCloud, creator of “Understanding Comics,” “Reinventing Comics” and “Making Comics,” will bring his family’s 50-state tour to an end at Golden Apple's Melrose store on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 4 p.m.

Comic-Con: Attendance hits 125,000

In several interviews, Comic-Con spokesman David Glanzer pegs attendance at this year’s con at about 125,000, up only a slight bit from the previous year’s 123,000. Of course, this year saw for the first time caps on ticket sales, with four-day badges and one-day badges for three out of four days selling out. In an interview with Tom Spurgeon at the Comics Reporter, Glanzer mentions some of the things the organizers are considering for the future, including finding locations for some events outside the already-packed convention center. Glanzer also debunks the constant rumor that the show will move to a new city (it’s set in San Diego through 2012) or the new rumor that it will add more days to the show.

The slate of conventions rolls on, with Wizard World reporting attendance of 68,000 at its Chicago show. The Toronto Comics Art Festival, an indie-focused show, earned great reviews, with the massive Fan Expo rolling into town the following weekend. Up next is the Baltimore Comic-Con on Sept. 8-9.

And making all of these shows look small, was the semi-annual Comiket in Japan, which drew more than 500,000 fans from Aug. 17-19.

Virgin, Ennis relaunch 'Dan Dare'

Virgin Comics has announced the return of legendary British comics hero Dan Dare in a new series to be written by Garth Ennis. Company's also looking to develop a feature film version.

Dare first appeared in the pages of a weekly comics magazine called Eagle in 1950, the creation of artist Frank Hampson. The science fiction adventure strip is an icon of childhood for the post-war generations of British boys, apparently including Virgin chief Sir Richard Branson (at right with promotional art).

Virgin’s press release describes the new version this way:

Virgin Comics’ Dan Dare is set in the future, albeit not too many decades from the present day.  Colonel Dare is still vibrant and courageous – but now he’s retired.  His retirement is a self-imposed exile, the result of his disgust with politics and the post-nuclear warfare that has destroyed North America and much of Asia – leaving the UK as the world’s last remaining superpower.  Readers familiar with Dan Dare stories will recognize many of the original cast including a wiser and more experienced Digby; the innovative, brilliant and beautiful Professor Peabody; and of course the enemy of all that is good, the super-intelligent ruler of the Treens – The Mekon, together with a mix of galactic evil beings.

While not the classic version — what else would you expect from Ennis, writer of "Preacher" and "The Boys"? — this should make Brit comics fans everywhere happy and hopefully inspire some reprints of the classic material, which has been pretty scarce on this side of the Atlantic. No word yet on the artist for the series, though there likely is no shortage of U.K. talents who would love to take a shot at it. The cover art the company released  is by Bryan Talbot, whose work includes "Luther Arkwright," "Tale of One Bad Rat" and various "Sandman" projects with Neil Gaiman.

Movie updates: 'Oz,' 'Spirit,' DC, Oni

More catching up, this time on the film side of things:

* Spawn creator Todd McFarlane has teamed up with “A History of Violence” screenwriter Josh Olson to sell a darker take on the classic “Wizard of Oz” to Warner Bros. and Village Roadshow. McFarlane and Olson were quick to clarify that their project, titled simply “Oz,” would be darker along the lines of the original Frank L. Baum books and material like the "Harry Potter" series or "Lord of the Rings," rather than the somewhat extreme "Twisted Land of Oz" action figure set McFarlane produced a few years back.

* Frank Miller continues to add to the cast for “The Spirit,” with Eva Mendes signing on to play Sand Serif. Those who’ve followed the artist-turned-director’s career will know that “Spirit” creator’s version of that character was the direct inspiration for Miller’s creation of Elektra way back in the now-classic Daredevil #168. Mendes last comicbook project was Marvel’s “Ghost Rider.”

* Rumors are flying like crazy about DC movies, with spoilers coming out for Bryan Singer’s sequel to “Superman Returns,” and rumors of a start soon and possible casting for “Justice League.”

* Top Cow has launched a minisite for its popular graphic novel “Wanted,” which is set to be released as a motion picture next spring from Universal.

* Oni Press has been on a roll lately, with three projects based on its properties getting set up at studios: “Courtney Crumrin” and “The Damned” are at DreamWorks with producers Walter Parkes and Laurie MacDonald, while “Charlie’s Angels” director McG has “Maintenance.”

Disney mag axed; another author goes manga; legal doings

We’re back from a few days off watching short films in the desert. Here’s what’s what in comicbook land in the slow, dog days of summer 2007:

* The long-running Disney Adventures digest magazine has been canceled. The November issue will bring the periodical’s 17-year run to an end. Disney Adventures is one of the few remaining mass-market periodicals to feature comics for kids, and was readily available at supermarket checkout stands across the nation. The mag had a circulation of 1 million, but declining ad revenues sealed its fate. Its not clear if the Comic Zone! companion mag also is shutting down.

* TOKYOPOP and HarperCollins have signed a deal for author Ellen Schreiber to write the story for a manga based on her popular “Vampire Kisses” novels. The first of three parts, “Vampire Kisses: Blood Relatives” goes on sale next month with art by rem.

* Recent developments in a pair of closely watched legal cases saw the settlement of the lawsuit between author Harlan Ellison and Fantagraphics and the delay until November of the trial of Georgia comicbook retailer Gordon Lee on charges of distributing harmful materials to a minor. Lee is being defended by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund.

Dabels' new project; art find; slabbed comics; July sales

* The Dabel Bros., following their high-profile split last week with Marvel, has signed a deal to do a comic based on Dean Koontz’s "Frankenstein: Prodigal Son." The first issue is set to hit shelves in February. Meanwhile, rumor columnist Rich Johnston explains what he's heard was the reason for the split.

* Fox reports a couple that bought a coloring book for their daughter at a Texas garage sale found inside it some comicbook art, including some incredibly valuable Jack Kirby pages from 1963's Avengers #1. Turns out, the pages were reported stolen a while back and a judge is determining who gets them.

* The Los Angeles Times writes about professionally graded comics and the Certified Guaranty Co. Best line comes from Frank Miller:

"I think it's all pretty silly," said Miller, whose graphic novels "300" and "Sin City" have led to major Hollywood success stories. "But I'm of a generation that love the feel and smell of these ephemeral old leaflets. . . . Maybe it will get to the point where I can put out comics that have blank pages inside -- just covers -- and no one will notice."

* Thor #1 topped the direct market sales charts for July, a month that posted a 6% gain over the same month last year, according to ICV2.com. Marvel did well with World War Hulk, a "final" showdown with Sabretooth in Wolverine, and the Fallen Son tributes to Captain America. DC did well with a hell-themed Batman #666 and a big boost on Green Lantern thanks to the popular Sinestro Corps storyline. And Dark Horse again had the top indie title with Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight #5 at the No. 12 spot. The Marvel-Dabel Bros. collection "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter" was the top graphic novel in the direct market, followed by DC's 52 Vol. 2.

Sci Fi offers comic prequel to 'Tin Man'

Sci Fi Channel made a big push at Comic-Con this year for its December-airing miniseries "Tin Man," a kind of edgier retelling of the "Wizard of Oz" starring Zooey Deschanel, Alan Cumming, Neal McDonough and Richard Dreyfus.

To promote the upcoming event, they've commissioned a prequel comicbook from writer Stuart Moore and artist Siju Thomas. Some printed versions were handed out at Comic-Con — one of many TV shows using comics as promos — but the main rollout will be on Scifi.com and cellphones sometime soon. Here's a sneak peek at the cover and a few inside pages. (Click on the images for a closer look; more after the jump.)

ScarJo joins 'The Spirit'

Actress Scarlett Johansson is in talks to join the cast of "The Spirit," the adaptation of Will Eisner's classic comic as written and directed by Frank Miller.

Johansson is reportedly set to play a characted named Silk N. Floss, a sexy and vindictive secretary who joins up with Samuel L. Jackson's The Octopus against the titular hero, played by Gabriel Macht.

Film is set for a fall start and 2009 release.

Film news: '10,' 'Pet Robots' optioned; 'Jane' nixed

Ice Cube and his production company CubeVision are in talks to option "10," the Boom! Studios action-crime graphic novel by Keith Giffen and Shannon Eric Denton.

Meanwhile, Disney has picked up "Pet Robots," based on the graphic novel by Scott Christian Sava and published by his own Blue Dream Studios.

And Sci Fi Channel will pull "Painkiller Jane," based on the Event Comics series created by Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti, after its first season finale next month.

L.A. Con spotlights classic fan films

The Los Angeles Comic Book and Science Fiction Convention returns this Sunday to the Shrine Expo Center. Guests include writer Don Glut and artist Jesse Santos, who worked on the 1970s Gold Key comics The Occult Files of Doctor Spektor and Dagar the Invincible. Both also worked in animation and Glut wrote the novelization of “The Empire Strikes Back” in 1980. The show features a Superhero Fan Film Festival starting at 11 a.m., including some by Glut made back in the 1960s that are likely some of the earliest fan films ever made.

Three finalists face off in Comic-Book Challenge

Platinum Studios’ second annual Comic-Book Challenge was been narrowed down to three finalists after pitch sessions held at Comic-Con.

The finalists are: Jorge Vega from Brockton, Mass., for “Gunplay;” Shawn Granger from La Verne, Calif., for “Grey Shades;” and Josiah Grahn from Richmond, Ky., for “Banana Barry.”

The winner will be decided by a popular vote at sponsor site AT&T Blue Room, where you can look at art and watch videos of both the pitch sessions and the finalist talking about their character. Voting ends at midnight Aug. 26, with the winner getting their comic published by Platinum and unveiled at a Wizard World convention next year.

Comic-Con: Looking 25 years into the past

Alan Light, who founded the publication now known as the Comics Buyers Guide, has posted an incredible gallery of photos taken at the 1982 San Diego Comic-Con.

Aside from the “Wow!” factor of seeing a young Frank Miller sketching for fans, are the number of true comics greats who are no longer with us. Among them are Carl Barks, Jack Kirby, Milton Caniff, Will Eisner, Burne Hogarth and Hank Ketcham. (Pictured above are Barks and Hogarth; photo copyright 2007  Alan Light.)

There’s a lot of pics there, but they’re worth looking through to see some of these greats and how radically the show has changed in the past 25 years.

Interestingly enough, even back then there were some pretty impressive Hollywood names at the show, including producer Frank Marshall, who had been up for a Best Picture Oscar that year for “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and was awarded an Inkpot Award at the show that year.

Marvel, Dabel Bros. split

Marvel's relatively recent and high-profile co-publishing arrangement with Dabel Bros. has come to an end after less than a year.

Move comes as a surprise given the success the Dabel imprint had in launching its titles, most notably "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter," which was a hot seller that brought author Laurell K. Hamilton's fans into comicbook shops and is presumably primed to be a huge bookstore market hit when it's collected.

Dabel will return to self-publishing, while Marvel will hang onto and continue to publish a number of the properties Dabel began, including "Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter."

Full details from the decidely-vague press release: 

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. and Dabel Brothers Productions, LLC announced today that they are mutually ending their publishing relationship. In 2006, Marvel and Dabel Brothers signed an agreement for Marvel to market, print and distribute several limited and ongoing series, in addition to some other dynamic new properties. Founded in 2001, the Dabel Brothers have specialized in creating comic books and graphic novels based on the works of best-selling authors’ series such as Laurell K Hamilton’s Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter; George R. R. Martin’s Hedge Knight; and Orson Scott Card’s Tales Of Alvin Maker and others.

Marvel Entertainment, Inc. President and Publisher Dan Buckley explained, "We have great respect for the Dabel Brothers’ business and the relationships they have generated. Our partnership has been an exciting experience for both companies. We wish the Dabels well in their future publishing endeavors and hope to work with them again, should the opportunity present itself.”

“Working with Marvel was a dream come true for all of us, and we enjoyed the opportunity to learn from the comic book industry’s market leader,” said Ernst Dabel, President of Dabel Brothers Productions. “We’re looking forward to applying those lessons to our business as we resume our status as a self-publisher, and we plan to continue producing top-quality adaptations of best-selling science fiction, fantasy, horror and thriller novels by popular authors.

Going forward, Marvel will continue to publish Anita Blake Vampire Hunter by Laurell K. Hamilton; the Hedge Knight series by George RR Martin; Tales of Alvin Maker and Wyrms by Orson Scott Card; Magician Apprentice by Raymond Feist; Lords of Avalon by Kinley MacGregor; and Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore. Dabel Brothers Productions will begin work on its next wave of books, slated for release in early 2008.

'Stardust' casts feeble B.O. spell

"Stardust" had a less-than-impressive debut at the box office, grossing $9 million and coming in fourth over the weekend behind holdovers "The Bourne Ultimatum" and "The Simpsons Movie" and chart-topping new release "Rush Hour 3."

While reviews were good, most pundits are agreeing that Paramount had no idea how to market the pic, which is adapted from the illustrated novella by Neil Gaiman and Charles Vess. "Stardust" is not a comic, but it was originally published by DC Comics, and is the first major work by longtime comics scribe Gaiman to make it to the screen.

From Pam McClintock's Variety story:

Par remained confident that "Stardust" will be a strong international player considering its ensemble cast, which includes Charlie Cox, Sienna Miller, Robert De Niro, Peter O'Toole, Michelle Pfeiffer, Claire Danes and Rupert Everett.

Studio also said it only put up half of the budget, and that the rest came from Marv Films, Ingenious Films and the Melrose Fund. Par says the pic, directed by Matthew Vaughn and produced by Lorenzo di Bonaventura, cost $75 million to make, but others put the figure well north of $100 million.

"I think fantasy is a hard genre, but we always assumed international would be better than domestic," said Paramount prexy of worldwide marketing and distribution Rob Moore. "It certainly is less than we expected, but the early outlook overseas is good. Ultimately, we could do double the business internationally."

Launching in Russia over the weekend, "Stardust" took $2.9 million, more than "Mission: Impossible III."

After "Stardust," Paramount proper has only one release for the rest of the year, Robert Zemeckis' "Beowulf," which opens Nov. 16. The rest of Par's slate will come from DreamWorks.

Mike Weiringo: 1963-2007

Comicbook artist Mike Weiringo died Sunday after suffering a heart attack at the age of 44, according to a report on Newsarama. The news took the industry by surprise, as Weiringo was by all accounts in good health as a vegetarian who exercised daily.

Weiringo was a popular artist who drew a number of high-profile books for both Marvel and DC, including runs on Flash, Sensational Spider-Man, Adventures of Superman, Fantastic Four and Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. He also was co-creator with Todd DeZago of the independent fantasy series Tellos.

Weiringo's collaborators shared their thoughts on the artist in a thread at Newsarama.

Vaughn picks up "Thor's" uru hammer!

As "Stardust" opens in theaters today to good reviews, Marvel is closing the deal for director Matthew Vaughn to helm "Thor," based on the longrunning mythological superhero comicbook series.

Vaughn is working from a script by Mark Protosevich. Over at AICN, Harry Knowles raves about the script, which he says channels the great Jack Kirby, "Tales of Asgard" material from the 1960s. That means lots of Loki and no sign of Dr. Don Blake, the Thunder God's original "secret identity" in the earliest days of the book. Kirby's run on Thor, full of awesome spectacle like Frost Giants, the Rainbow Bridge and the majesty of Odin. A second run in the 1980s by Walter Simonson also is well-regarded by fans.

Again, this is Vaughn's second go at a Marvel movie after he was briefly attached to "X-Men 3." Vaughn's comicbook cred includes producing Neil Gaiman's directorial debut, "A Short Film About John Bolton," and the Gaiman-penned "Stardust."

Marvel will finance and produce this pic itself through a credit line established with Merrill Lynch. It would be the third self-produced pic from the company after "Iron Man" and "The Incredible Hulk," both set for release next spring. The company is looking to begin production this winter, before a possible strike.

Publishing, licensing lift Marvel but toys limit profit

Marvel's 2nd quarter results were released Tuesday, showing net income for the quarter up 78 percent from last year. Soft toy sales held back the company, which saw a big boost in licensing revenue, mostly related to "Spider-Man 3." Forbes weighs in with some thoughts on the company's toy business here.

Publishing was a real bright spot for the company. From the PR:

Marvel's Publishing Segment net sales increased $7.8 million or 31% to $32.9 million in Q2 2007 principally due to continued strength in Civil War and the Dark Tower publications in the Direct and Mass Market channels. Operating income in the publishing segment rose to $14.7 million with an operating margin of 45% in Q2 2007, compared to operating income of $10.4 million with an operating margin of 41% in the prior-year period. The improvement in operating margin principally reflects the benefit of operating leverage resulting from sales of high margin trade books.

The company also updated its roster of film, TV and game projects, with no surprise developments. Upcoming licensed film project are Fox's "Wolverine," which Gavin Hood recently signed on to direct; and Lionsgate's "The Punisher 2." With "Iron Man" and "Incredible Hulk" both set for release next summer, the company has writers attached to "Ant-Man," "Captain America," "Nick Fury," "Thor" and "The Avengers." Of those, only "Ant-Man" has a director attached.

On the TV toon side, "Fantastic Four" and the spring-launching "Spectacular Spider-Man" will be joined by in-development toons "Wolverine and the X-Men" and "Iron Man." The upcoming D2DVD animated features set up at Lionsgate will see "Doctor Strange" out next week, followed by "Teen Avengers" and "Hulk Smash" in 2008. "Iron Man" and "Hulk" vidgames are in the works for 2008 from Sega, while development continues on the "Spider-Man" Broadway musical.

Gugino cast in 'Watchmen'

Actress Carla Gugino has been cast as Sally Jupiter, the original Silk Spectre, in Zack Snyder's upcoming adaptation of "Watchmen." This will be the actress' second comicbook movie; she played Lucille, Marv's probation officer, in "Sin City."

Marvel's 'Thor' next for Vaughn?

Over at Ain't It Cool News, "Stardust" director Matthew Vaughn talks about following up the Neil Gaiman adaptation "Stardust" with a "Thor" movie for Marvel, as well as his brief tenure on "X-Men 3."

C: I was going to bring it up toward the end of our talk, but since you mentioned it…The one I’m hearing now is THOR. Is there any truth to that?

MV: I’ve been discussing it with Marvel. I really like the Marvel guys, and it would be good to make. We’re trying to find something to work on together. If THOR is going to happen, I don’t know. I’m seeing them again next week. And, the other problem is the whole strike thing. It’s, like, we’d like to make a movie before the strike, so whether THOR could be the one, I don’t know.

Producers leap into Ellis' 'Ocean'

Producers Gianni Nunnari and Nick Wechsler have optioned "Ocean," a sci-fi graphic novel by Warren Ellis and artist Chris Sprouse, for the big screen through their company, Hollywood Gang. Book was published in 2005 by the Wildstorm arm of DC as a six-issue series. The producers also are working on the adaptation of Frank Miller's "Ronin" for WB.

News: Superboy, Valiant legalities; 'Law' and 'Bad Boy' return; Minx in 2008; Neil Young's GN; and more

* A ruling in the ongoing legal battle over Superboy between the heirs of Jerry Siegel and DC/WB seems to tilt things in favor of the publisher.

* As Valiant prepares to return with the release later this month of the Harbinger hardcover collection, Newsarama gets into the nitty gritty of two companies that both have claims to the trademarks to the characters.

* Top Shelf will bring back U.K. favorite Marshal Law next year in a massive omnibus edition next year, thanks to a deal with creators Pat Mills and Kevin O’Neill.

* Top Shelf’s big book of the past year, Alan Moore and Melinda Gebbie’s pornographic take on fairy tale heroines “Lost Girls,” was featured on a segment of a Canadian TV show called “Sex TV.” The adults-only segment can be seen here.

* Dark Sector, an upcoming videogame from D3 Publisher of America and developer Digital Extremes, is getting a companion comicbook through a deal with Top Cow. The book will be written by David Wohl and feature a cover and interior art by Bill Sienkiewicz.

* DC announced seven Minx titles for 2008:  “Token,” by Alisa Kwitney and Joelle Jones; “Emiko Superstar,” by Mariko Tamaki and Steve Rolston;  “Burnout,” by Rebecca Donner and Inaki Miranda: “The New York Four,” by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly, the team behind “Local”; “All Nighter,” by David Hahn; “Poseur,” by Deborah Vankin and Rick Mays; and “Clubbing In Tokyo,” by Andi Watson and Josh Howard, a sequel to “Clubbing.”

* DC’s Vertigo arm announced a graphic novel based on Neil Young’s concept album and film “Greendale.” Joshua Dysart will write the original story based on Young’s characters and concepts, while Sean Murphy will draw the book.

* Dynamite Entertainment is bringing Frank Miller and Simon Bisley’s “Bad Boy” back to print in a new hardcover edition due in November. Originally created as a strip for the U.K. edition of GQ magazine, “Bad Boy” has long been out of print. The new edition will feature a new cover and sketches by Bisley.

* “Spider-Man 3” is set for release on DVD on Oct. 30, with lots of variations and formats (including high-def).

* Marvel will release "Avengers Reborn" as an animated D2DVD feature in summer 2008, featuring a team of younger characters set in a future with an older Tony Stark as their mentor.

Comic movie catchup: 'Spirit' cast; 'Punisher 2' set; more!

Having finally recovered from the case of San Diego SARS, which appears to be the preferred name for any kind of illness contracted in this year’s mass of humanity, here’s catching up on a few things comics-to-film wise, with more pure comicbooky stuff to come later.

* Gabriel Macht has been cast in the title role of Frank Miller's adaptation of "Will Eisner's The Spirit." Macht was most recently seen in "The Good Shepherd," and also stars in the upcoming "Whiteout," based on the graphic novel by Greg Rucka and Steve Leiber. Pic is set to shoot this fall for a 2009 release.

* "Watchmen" gets a release date of March 9, 2009, at its official site, which also serves up a closer look at the new Dave Gibbons poster.

* Marc Graser has a good roundup of the next gen of comicbook publishers looking to go Hollywood in this week's weekly Variety.

* "The Punisher 2" is set to shoot this fall, as well, with Ray Stevenson of HBO's "Rome" donning the skull-emblazoned battled armor. Pic will be directed by Lexi Alexander and find the Punisher going up against mobsters in NYC.

* Wizard has a nice summary of what's going on with the "Wolverine" pic.

* George Miller is rumored to be in talks to direct the "Justice League" film.

William Morris Agency signs TOKYOPOP

Details from the press release:

WMA SIGNS MANGA GIANT TOKYOPOP

BEVERLY HILLS, CA (August 2,  2007) -- The William Morris Agency (WMA) has signed TOKYOPOP, the #1 publisher of manga graphic novels in North America and largest supplier of manga entertainment in the world.  WMA will represent TOKYOPOP’s original intellectual property for film, television, digital, merchandising, and game development.

"WMA's partnership with TOKYOPOP presents a fresh opportunity for our clients and TOKYOPOP to create new characters and ideas through the dynamic world of manga,"   said WMA President Dave Wirtschafter.  "Our agency's resources coupled with the unique world of TOKYOPOP, allows for a global exchange between traditional content creators and manga, anime and beyond."

“We are excited to join forces with WMA as we further develop the TOKYOPOP brand worldwide,” said Stu Levy, the company’s CEO and Chief Creative Officer. “This partnership takes us one step closer to realizing our dream of merging the leading edge of manga entertainment with Hollywood.”

With Levy at the helm and creative executive Noah Stern onboard, the newly-formed TOKYOPOP Pictures is off and running.  Film projects in development include the company’s hit properties, Lament of the Lamb, a gut-wrenching horror story of a young man who shockingly discovers he may be the last in a bloodline of vampires, and The Ai-Land Chronicles, a groundbreaking blend of live action and animation based on the company’s successful manga franchise, Princess Ai.

Hailed by the New York Times as “the American pioneer of manga,” TOKYOPOP, the company responsible for igniting the worldwide manga boom, is proud to celebrate its 10-year anniversary in 2007.  From the introduction of the first-ever extensive manga publishing program in North America, to the development of its manga-originated intellectual properties into film, television and digital entertainment, TOKYOPOP is recognized on all fronts as a trailblazer in the manga business and a true global pop culture brand.