Saturday, November 30, 2019

#CoolArt: 'Candy Coating' Original Art by Ejiwa 'Edge' Ebenebe for Every Day Original

'Candy Coating' by Ejiwa 'Edge' Ebenebe for Every Day Original.

11" x 14" mixed media (Acrylic and Iridescent Pigment) on Primed Wooden Panel, original artwork for $485.

On sale Saturday November 30 at 12.30pm ET from the Every Day Original website.

'The Running Man' Exclusive Bluray Steelbook + Collector's Edition from Zavvi

'The Running Man' exclusive Bluray Steelbook for £16.99 from Zavvi.

Collector's edition for £24.99 also contains a pin badge & 9 different design art cards.

Bonus Features:
  • Box art by Christopher Cox
  • Audio Commentary with Producer Tim Zinnemann and Director Paul M Glaser
  • Audio Commentary with Executive Producer Rob Cohen
  • Lockdown on Mainstreet / Game Theory / Trailer
On sale Friday November 29 at 6pm UK from the Zavvi website.
(Release date January 13 2020)

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Jonathan Earl Bowser

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.


#ArtOfTheDay: 'Wonder Woman & Batman' by Joshua Middleton

Variant cover art by Joshua Middleton for 'Wonder Woman' issue #33, published July 2014 by DC Comics

Friday, November 29, 2019

#CoolArt: 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' IMAX posters by Paul Shipper

Official 'Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker' IMAX posters by Paul Shipper

#CoolArt: 'Fox Shrine' print by Djamila Knopf

'Fox Shrine' by Djamila Knopf.

10.3" x 15.2" giclee print on 11.7" x 16.5" 308 g/m² Hahnemühle Photo Rag (100% cotton-rag) paper with archival pigment-based ink in a signed and numbered TIMED release edition for €60.

On sale until Monday December 2 at 6pm ET from her website.

Use discount code BLACKFRIDAY for 20% off all products in Djamila's store.

'Captain America: Civil War' Exclusive 4K Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Captain America: Civil War' exclusive 4K UHD (including bluray) steelbook for £27.99 from Zavvi.

Bonus features include:
  • Audio Commentary By Anthony & Joe Russo And Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely
  • Featurette: United We Stand, Divided We Fall - The Making Of Captain America: Civil War
  • Featurette: Captain America: The Road To Civil War,
  • Featurette: Iron Man: The Road To Civil War
  • Featurette: Open Your Mind: Marvel’s Doctor Strange - Exclusive Sneak Peek
  • Deleted & Extended Scenes
  • Gag Reel
On sale for pre-order Monday December 2 at 12pm UK from the Zavvi website.
(Release date February 24 2020)

'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' Exclusive 4K Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Captain America: The Winter Soldier' exclusive 4K UHD (including bluray) steelbook for £27.99 from Zavvi.

Bonus features include:
  • Commentary by Joe and Anthony Russo, & Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely
  • Gag Reel
  • Deleted Scenes: In Pursuit of Captain America, Hill and Sitwell Talk Loyalty, Nick Fury’s Circle, Widow Reveals Her Past
  • Featurettes: On the Front Line: Inside Look at Captain America’s Battlegrounds, On Set with Anthony Mackie: Cut the Check!, Steve Roger’s Notebook
On sale Sunday December 1 at 12pm UK from the Zavvi website.

'Hellraiser Trilogy' Exclusive Bluray Steelbook + Collector's Edition from Zavvi

'Hellraiser Trilogy' exclusive Bluray Steelbook for £17.99 from Zavvi.

Collector's edition for £149.99 includes Pinhead bust and Lemarchand's Configuration box packaging.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
  • Brand new 2K restorations of Hellraiser, Hellbound: Hellraiser II, and Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
  • Uncompressed PCM Stereo 2.0 and Lossless DTS-HD MA 5.1 sound for Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II
  • Lossless DTS-HD MA 2.0 sound for Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
  • English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing for all three films
DISC 1 – HELLRAISER
  • Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
  • Audio commentary with writer/director Clive Barker
  • Audio commentary with Barker and actress Ashley Laurence
  • Leviathan: The Story of Hellraiser – brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellraiser, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
  • Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellraiser – actor Sean Chapman talks candidly about playing the character of Frank Cotton in Barker’s original
  • Soundtrack Hell: The Story of the Abandoned Coil Score – Coil member Stephen Thrower on the Hellraiser score that almost was
  • Hellraiser: Resurrection – vintage featurette including interviews with Clive Barker, actors Doug Bradley and Ashley Laurence, special make-up effects artist Bob Keen and others
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser
  • Original EPK featuring on-set interviews with cast and crew
  • Draft Screenplays [BD-ROM content]
  • Trailers and TV Spots
  • Image Gallery
DISC 2 – HELLBOUND: HELLRAISER II
  • Brand new 2K restoration approved by director of photography Robin Vidgeon
  • Audio Commentary with director Tony Randel and writer Peter Atkins
  • Audio Commentary with Randel, Atkins and actress Ashley Laurence
  • Leviathan: The Story of Hellbound: Hellraiser II – brand new version of the definitive documentary on the making of Hellbound, featuring interviews with key cast and crew members
  • Being Frank: Sean Chapman on Hellbound – actor Sean Chapman talks about reprising the role of Frank Cotton in the first Hellraiser sequel
  • Surgeon Scene – the home video world premiere of this legendary, never before-seen excised sequence from Hellbound, sourced from a VHS workprint
  • Lost in the Labyrinth – vintage featurette including interviews with Barker, Randel, Keen, Atkins and others
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellbound: Hellraiser II
  • On-set interview with Clive Barker
  • On-set interviews with cast and crew
  • Behind-the-Scenes Footage
  • Rare and unseen storyboards
  • Draft Screenplay [BD-ROM content]
  • Trailers and TV Spots
  • Image Gallery
DISC 3 – HELLRAISER III: HELL ON EARTH
  • Brand new 2K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version [93 mins]
  • Alternate Unrated Version [97 mins]
  • Brand new audio commentary with writer Peter Atkins
  • Audio commentary with director Anthony Hickox and Doug Bradley
  • Hell on Earth: The Story of Hellraiser III – making-of documentary featuring interviews with Atkins, Keen and actor Ken Carpenter
  • Terri’s Tales – brand new interview with actress Paula Marshall
  • Under the Skin: Doug Bradley on Hellraiser III: Hell on Earth
  • Raising Hell on Earth – archival interview with Hickox
  • On-set interviews with Barker and Bradley
  • Never-before-seen Hellraiser III SFX dailies
  • Theatrical Trailer
  • Image Gallery
  • Hellraiser III comic book adaptation [Disc gallery]
On sale Friday November 29 at 12pm UK from the Zavvi website.

Collector's Edition

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Lady Sif' by Jorge Molina Manzanero

Variant cover art by Jorge Molina Manzanero for 'Journey Into Mystery' issue #649, published February 2013 by Marvel Comics

Thursday, November 28, 2019

'Doctor Strange' Exclusive 4K Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Doctor Strange' exclusive 4K UHD (including bluray) steelbook for £27.99 from Zavvi.

Bonus features include:
  • Region Free
  • Play Movie With Intro
  • Featurettes / A Strange Transformation
  • Featurettes / Strange Company
  • Featurettes / The Fabric of Reality
  • Featurettes / Across Time and Space
  • Featurettes / The Score-cerer Supreme
  • Marvel Studios Phase 3 Exclusive Look
  • Team Thor: Part 2
  • "Deleted & Extended Scenes:
  • 1.) Strange Meets Daniel Drumm
  • 2.) Kaecilius Searches For Answers
  • 3.) The Kamar-Taj Courtyard
  • 4.) Making Contact
  • 5.) Lost In Kathmandu "
  • Gag Reel
  • Audio Commentary By Director Scott Derrickson
On sale for pre-order Friday November 29 at 12am midnight UK from the Zavvi website.
(Release date December 26 2019)

#CoolArt: 'Cat Lady's Perfect Afternoon' print by Yuko Shimizu

'Cat Lady's Perfect Afternoon' by Yuko Shimizu.

13" x 19" digital print on Hahnemühle William Turner Matt Fine Art Paper, in a signed and numbered limited edition of 75 for $100

For each print sold, $25 will be donated to Waggytail Rescue, an all-volunteer, NYC based animal rescue charity dedicated to the rehabilitation and rehoming of small breed dogs.

On sale now from Yuko's website.

#CoolArt: Beinart Gallery presents 'Hideaway' Solo Art Exhibition by Erika Sanada

Beinart Gallery presents 'Hideaway', a solo art exhibition of new ceramic sculptures by Erika Sanada, in an exploration of the link between Erika’s anxieties and herself.

Opening reception is Saturday November 30 from 6-9pm (AUS ET) at Beinart Gallery, 1 Sparta Place, Brunswick, VIC, 3056, Australia.

The exhibition will be on view until December 22 2019

#CoolArt: Beinart Gallery presents 'Arcana' Solo Art Exhibition by Annita Maslov

Beinart Gallery presents 'Arcana', a solo art exhibition of new pen and ink drawings by Annita Maslov, inspiring intrigue about the mysterious worlds the illustrations portray: worlds that involve the occult, preternatural beings and magic, with sometimes a subtle air of tragedy.

Opening reception is Saturday November 30 from 6-9pm (AUS ET) at Beinart Gallery, 1 Sparta Place, Brunswick, VIC, 3056, Australia.

The exhibition will be on view until December 22 2019

#CoolArt: Beinart Gallery presents 'Present Tense' Solo Art Exhibition by Brian Mashburn

Beinart Gallery presents 'Present Tense', a solo art exhibition of new works from Brian Mashburn, his first solo exhibition outside the United States, reflecting the artist’s interest in our current state of affairs and conflicts and cleavages as they relate to environmental, social and political concerns.

Opening reception is Saturday November 30 from 6-9pm (AUS ET) at Beinart Gallery, 1 Sparta Place, Brunswick, VIC, 3056, Australia.

The exhibition will be on view until December 22 2019

#CoolArt: 'Blue Velvet' prints by Kevin Tong through Mad Duck Posters + Black Friday Sale

'Blue Velvet' by Kevin Tong, a new officially licensed print release through Mad Duck Posters.

24" x 36" screen print, in a numbered Regular edition of 250 for $70, and a numbered Variant edition of 125 for $90.

On sale Friday November 29 at 12pm ET from the Mad Duck Posters website.

Mad Duck Posters also have a huge sale planned for Black Friday weekend, starting Friday November 29 at 12am midnight ET and running through until Monday December 2 at 11.59pm ET!
  • All in stock movie posters (screen prints) will be 25% off!
  • Archive stock will be released throughout Black Friday and the weekend, with Archive and Art Print stock 10% off!
  • All discounts will be reflected automatically in your cart!
  • In addition to Blue Velvet, they also have another surprise release planned!
Regular Edition
Variant Edition

Book Review: 'Kingdom Of Souls' by Rena Barron

UK Proof Edition Cover Art
In the lead up to the release of the book, I was seeing a lot of positive buzz about 'Kingdom Of Souls' by Rena Barron, not least because Michael B Jordan's production company has acquired the option rights for the trilogy, and when I won a UK Proof edition (and gold snake pin) through a RT competition on Harper Voyager's UK twitter account (thank you so much!), to say I was very happy was an understatement!

And I was not disappointed. 'Kingdom Of Souls' is the first book in a new trilogy set in a West African inspired world of magic and mythology with a story that had me captivated from beginning to end.

It's the story of a sixteen year old girl, Arrah, born into a family powerful in magic (her father is a witchdoctor and her mother is a priestess), but instead of inheriting the magic from her magical lineage, it seems to have instead passed her completely by, casting her as worthless, especially in her mother's eyes. But when children in the kingdom start to mysteriously disappear and rumblings of an archaic evil force beginning to resurface, Arrah makes a sacrifice that allows her to finally gain magic to combat the evil and to protect the ones she loves.

UK Edition Cover Art
I really liked Arrah. She was somebody that despite her lack of magic, in a world full of magic, and weighed down with the feeling of shame and being a disappointment to her family, was still full of conviction and spirit. You couldn't help but love her! Her character development throughout the story was a real highlight! She felt like a real three dimensional character that was fully realised and fleshed out emotionally as the story focuses on her relationship with magic, or rather lack of, and with her friends. And Arrah's friends, even though they weren't heavily involved in the overall story, seemed like a great group of people to have around. Each had their own distinct personalities, and the relationship Arrah had with Rudjek, which had a Romeo and Juliet feel to it, I thought was very well written - nothing too sugary, but felt like a real relationship, complete with the playful banter and not so playful friction. A very cute couple if I'm being honest. I was also very impressed with how the villains were written, very complex and they actually had a bit of depth to their character, which was some of the best I've read, with their circumstances and personalities forming their motivations, keeping them compelling throughout.

The world building was top notch too. The fusion of African inspired myths and legends into a kingdom that was full of magic and tribal lore, immersed me into the story quickly and I was soon engrossed within the pages. The blend of political intrigue, scheming gods and demons, dark magic, magical battles and some twists and turns thrown in for good measure, made 'Kingdom Of Souls' a really enjoyable read with some well developed characters and excellent, imaginative world building. Worth the hype in my eyes and a great start to the trilogy. I'll be looking forward to reading the next book and seeing where the story goes next.

Available from:
Waterstones Books Forbidden Planet Kobo UK ebooks & audiobooks Kobo US ebooks & audiobooks Kobo Canada ebooks & audiobooks Audible Audiobooks Alibris for Books, Music & Movies

'Carrie' Exclusive Special Edition Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Carrie' exclusive special edition bluray steelbook for £16.99 from Zavvi.

Special edition features include:
  • Limited Edition Steelbook featuring new commissioned artwork by Gary Pullin
  • 4K restoration from the original negative
  • High Definition (1080p) presentation
  • DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio and uncompressed 1.0 mono soundtracks
  • Optional subtitles for the deaf and hard-of-hearing
  • Commentary by Lee Gambin, author of Nope, Nothing Wrong Here: The Making of Cujo, and Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, author of Cultographies: Ms. 45 and Devil’s Advocates: Suspiria, recorded exclusively for this release
  • Brand-new visual essay comparing the various versions and adaptations of Carrie across the years
  • Acting Carrie, archive featurette containing interviews with director Brian De Palma, actors Sissy Spacek, Piper Laurie, Amy Irving, William Katt and others
  • More Acting Carrie, additional interviews with the cast of the film
  • Visualising Carrie: From Words to Images, archive featurette containing interviews with De Palma, writer Lawrence D. Cohen, editor Paul Hirsch and art director Jack Fisk
  • Singing Carrie: Carrie the Musical, archive featurette on the stage musical adaptation of King’s novel
  • Writing Carrie, an interview with writer Lawrence D. Cohen
  • Shooting Carrie, an interview with cinematographer Mario Tosi
  • Cutting Carrie, an interview with editor Paul Hirsch
  • Casting Carrie, an interview with casting director Harriet B. Helberg
  • Bucket of Blood, an interview with composer Pino Donaggio
  • Horror’s Hallowed Grounds, a look back at the locations of Carrie
  • Still Gallery
  • Trailer
  • TV spots
  • Radio spots
  • Carrie trailer reel
On sale for pre-order Friday November 29 at 9am UK from the Zavvi website
(Release date December 9 2019)

Cover Art
Interior Art

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Revoir Paris' by François Schuiten

Cover art by François Schuiten for 'Revoir Paris: Book 1' published November 2014 by Casterman

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

#NewComicBookDay: My Comics Pull List This Week

My comics Pull List this week
  • 'The Sandman Universe: John Constantine - Hellblazer' #1 (DC Black Label)
  • 'The Sandman Universe: Books Of Magic' #14 (DC Black Label)
  • 'Star Wars: Doctor Aphra' #39 (Marvel Comics)
  • 'Invisible Kingdom' #7 (Berger Books / Dark Horse Comics)
  • 'The Last God' #2 (DC Black Label)
  • 'Ascender' #7 (Image Comics)

'The Sandman Universe: John Constantine - Hellblazer' #1 (DC Black Label)
Variant cover art by Charlie Adlard

#CoolArt: 'Space Is The Place' print by Kilian Eng through Black Dragon Press

'Space Is The Place' by Kilian Eng, a tribute to afro-futurist jazz musician Sun Ra, is a new print release through Black Dragon Press.

49cm x 70cm giclee print on 290gsm Hahnumühle German Etching paper, in a hand numbered limited edition of 300 for £100.

On sale Friday November 29 at 5pm UK (12pm ET) from the Black Dragon Press website.

#CoolArt: 'Wallace & Gromit' print by Arno Kiss through Vice Press

'Wallace & Gromit' by Arno Kiss, a new officially licensed print through Vice Press, in collaboration with Aardman Animations.

50cm x 70cm screen print on Mohawk 270gsm Ultrafine in a numbered limited edition of 140 for £40.

On sale Thursday November 28 at 6pm UK (1pm ET) from the Vice Press website.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Storm' by Milo Manara

Variant cover art by Milo Manara for 'X-Men' issue #1, published May 2013 by Marvel Comics

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

#CoolArt: Roar Illustration Agency presents 'Into The Wild' Group Art Exhibition

Roar Illustration Agency presents 'Into The Wild', a group art exhibition curated by Skye Victoria Projects showcasing new pieces from their roster of incredible artists. Each of the artists exhibiting have been tasked with creating a new piece of artwork that reference the locations and animals that World Land Trust is involved with protecting. The artists took inspiration from both the beauty of the land and the destruction that this land often faces. 

As part of their collaboration with theprintspace, they will be donating a percentage of all sales from the exhibition to support their chosen charity: World Land Trust. This will secure a section of land that will be protected by the charity going forward.

The private view is Thursday November 28 from 7.30pm-10pm UK at theprintspace Gallery, 74 Kingsland Road, Shoreditch, London, E2 8DL and the exhibition will be on view from Wednesday November 27 until December 10 2019


#CoolArt: Mondo's Remaining 'It’s An Art Show, Charlie Brown' Prints Release (Part Two)

Mondo are releasing the final batch of remaining prints from their 'It’s An Art Show, Charlie Brown: A Peanuts Poster Show' at the Mondo Gallery in Austin, TX.

On sale Tuesday November 26 at a random time from their website (US & Canada only).

Follow them on Twitter @MondoNews for the on sale announcements.

#CoolArt: 'The Black Keys at Vancouver, Canada' prints by Miles Tsang

'The Black Keys at Vancouver, Canada' by Miles Tsang.

18" x 24" screen print in a numbered Regular AP edition of 80 for $60, a numbered 'Turn Blue' Colourway Edition of 30 for $70, a numbered Keyline Variant edition of 15 for $80, and a numbered 'I Got Shine' Foil Variant edition of 20 for $120.

On sale Tuesday November 26 at 11am ET from his website.

Regular Edition

#CoolArt: 'Knives Out' print by Phantom City Creative through Mondo

'Knives Out' by Phantom City Creative, a new print release through Mondo.

24" x 36" screen print in a numbered limited edition of 250 for $50.

On sale Wednesday November 27 at 12pm CT from the Mondo website.

#CoolArt: New Artwork for the Limited Edition Leather Bound Release of Brandon Sanderson's 'Warbreaker'

Art revealed for the new limited edition 10th anniversary leather bound book release of Brandon Sanderson’s 'Warbreaker'.


by Howard Lyon
by Miranda Meeks
by Brian Mark Taylor

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Djinn' by Ana Miralles

'Djinn' by Ana Miralles

Monday, November 25, 2019

#CoolArt: 'Where You Are, So There I’ll Be' Original Art by Sam Hogg for Every Day Original

'Where You Are, So There I’ll Be' by Sam Hogg for Every Day Original.

6" x 6" mixed media (watercolour, ink, and coloured pencil) on illustration board. original artwork for $375.

On sale Monday November 25 at 12.30pm ET from the Every Day Original website.

Book Review: 'The Wheel Of Time: Book 1 - The Eye Of The World' by Robert Jordan

Cover art by David Grove
Due to the forthcoming streaming series and the overall acclaim of this series, I finally got round to starting book 1 in the series.

And my initial impressions were that it was an enjoyable read, if a little cliche. The lore and the world building throughout the book, however, stood out for me. I really liked the fusion of myth, religion, folklore and Eastern philosophy, giving the comparison that 'The Wheel Of Time' is to the fantasy genre what the 'Dune' series is to sci-fi. The world is slowly sketched out, giving us a look at the wider world as we experience it through the eyes of the main protagonists of the story; Rand, Mat and Perrin, as they leave their village for the first time and discover that there is more than their little corner of the world and that life outside of their village is vast and sometimes difficult and dangerous, it really adds depth to the story, and showed that Robert Jordan spent a lot of time and effort giving his huge multiple book series an impressive foundation of lore to build upon. And on top of that foundation is essentially a reworking of Tolkien's Middle Earth. Jordan takes the recognisable themes and tropes from Tolkien's classic and blends them with his own to create a story, with all the familiar beats. And given how much that Middle Earth has influenced the fantasy genre in general, it wasn't at all surprising, but it was surprising at how close it did stay to the epic tale.

'The Eye Of The World' is a classic fantasy read that certainly stands on the shoulders of giants. However, it did feel a bit long winded and slow paced for me, with the plot meandering off the path at times. Some of the characters did come across as bland and sometimes a bit whiny too, but as I progressed further into the story, and seeing how they coped with events, especially after they all get split up, the characters that I once didn't really feel engaged with were becoming more fleshed out and grew into a group that were, giving me enough to keep me invested with, especially with wanting to know more about Moiraine and the mysterious Aes Sedai, and I'm glad I got through to the end.

With book 1 setting the stage for this epic series, I can see why the series is so beloved, and I have read that the books do get better as the series progresses, so I will definitely be picking up book 2 in the future. But with that said, and as much as I did enjoy reading the beginnings of 'The Wheel Of Time', I'm in no rush to pick up the next book in the series (I do have plenty of other fantasy (and Sci-Fi) books on my (ever expanding) TBR list to get through first), but it has added to my anticipation of the Amazon series when it airs.

Available from:
Waterstones Books  Kobo UK ebooks & audiobooks Kobo US ebooks & audiobooks Kobo Canada ebooks & audiobooks Audible Audiobooks Alibris for Books, Music & Movies

'Wonder Woman' Exclusive 4K Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Wonder Woman' exclusive 4K UHD (including bluray) steelbook with slipcase for £24.99 from Zavvi.

On sale for pre-order Tuesday November 26 at 9am UK from the Zavvi website
(Release date December 9 2019)

Slipcase

'Captain America: The First Avenger' Exclusive 4K UHD Bluray Steelbook from Zavvi

'Captain America: The First Avenger' exclusive 4K UHD (including bluray) steelbook for £27.99 from Zavvi.

On sale now from the Zavvi website