Snyder’s latest stab at Superman has some pretty interesting casting choices. Amy Adams has been announced as the latest incarnation of Lois Lane, Superman’s love interest, known as a woman with a fierce passion for journalism, the guy in the cape, and her own career.

If you take a peek at ComicVine, Lois Lane is a brunette with a hunch for a story, in many case, Pulitzer-prize winning stuff. She is also married to Clark Kent, who happens to be Superman. The married part is very much belonging to the comic world Superman universe, rather than the cinematographic one.

Last attempt at making the Superman franchise revival, resulted in a flop and a giant disappointment for the fans of the Christopher Reeves film version of the comic. The reason? Mainly lack of originality.

But attachment of Snyder, who is currently punching competition at the box offices with his Sucker Punch, seems promising. That is, of course, unless he avoids remaking the Superman films shot for shot, which was more or less the annoying bit about Singer’s Superman Returns.

by Irma Arkus

Not sure how much trouble the magazine industry is in, but Playboy is most definitely attempting to reach out to new audiences by going Hentai. November Playboy features Marge Simpson on its cover, and an in-depth interview will give us “insight” into sexy, Julie Kavner-voiced life of the Simpsons femininity.

Let us forgo the fact that Playboy’s sexuality is cartoonish enough, after all turning women into “bunnies” for source of amusement is pretty Hentai already, but the Playboy’s homage to one of the most beloved cartoon characters in the longest running animated series may carry multiplicity of meanings.

The issue has plenty of geek appeal. Touted are the likes of Stephen King, Benicio del Toro and Tracy Morgan meant to appeal to an entirely new subset of potential, future Playboy readers. In fact, the issue is shamelessly attempting at ingratiating itself to “readership” period, except that it does so by sexualizing one of the least sexy, maternal, meek and family-oriented characters embodying the lackluster houswives of low-income families.

The Devil in Mrs. Simpson is drawn by Matt Groenig successfully sexualizing the maternal goddess of the Simpsons family. It has serious connotations as to what a growing audience of The Simpsons fans, mostly kids that grew into men we know today, is perceiving as sexy.

It may somehow appeal to their inner Homers, or insinuate that yes, all Homers can find their own Marge, a faithful companion who not only bears the burdens of raising a family on shoe-string budget, but also happens to be a great, feisty gal in the sack.

On the other hand, it just may be that Playboy is finally getting into Hentai, looking for lusty thrills in cartoons.

Watch out for Playboy issue featuring Marge in November. The publication will make the Simpsons coverage available online.

by Irma Arkus

Turns out, Joe Shuster, creator and animator of Superman, wasn’t the average “boy next door” after all, as the latest book by Craig Yoe, “Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster,” documents his BDSM work.

The book, available in bookstores and libraries (? Not sure on that one, but I am trying to get you to spend less and read more, yeey!), documents the rare and obscure samples of Shusters work in erotica.

Turns out, in the wee hours of the night, Shuster was drawing images for an independent magazine, “Nights of Horror.” The erotic nature of the magazine made it technically unavailable, sold under counters, until it was banned by rising movement towards censorship.

Shuster’s moonlighting as a creator of erotica, esentially labels him as a man with a “secret identity,” similarly to that of Clark Kent / Superman. One thing is for sure – after reading the “Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster” you will never be able to look at the Shuster’s characters the same way again.

That makes me kind of happy too, as the polished, uber-American-rah-rah-USA type Superman seems inadequate for contemporary audience. The latest cinematic incarnation of Superman fell short of my expectations, as it reproduced the images associated with Superman from the 1980s, rather than looking to transform the character and propel him into the future.

Even though the uncovered art has very little to do with Superman, it does allow us a peak at the mind who created him (or co-created him, better said). Perhaps the “Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-creator Joe Shuster” will do just that, peeling away the layers of the innocuous, the corporatized and the infantile, and replacing those with the kind of characters that captivated audiences in the early stages of Shuster’s work.

Either way, the collection provides a grand overview of underground artist work that Shuster and his contemporaries were very much a part of, and will perhaps allow us to deconstruct and discard the illusory puritan imagery of the 1950s era with a more realistic picture of the time and its people. [Amazon]

by Irma Arkus

Haven’t had enough of Marvel zombie madness? Apparently, neither did Scott Fields and James Ojala, who lovingly made a short film dedicated to their fave dead-but-alive superheroes. Check out the 2:09 short here.

by Irma Arkus

First of all, if you haven’t received the news yet, make sure to tune in on this Friday, as the new episode of BSG will premier.

This episode will be so cool that your head might explode. It is also fractionally (and that includes the frak) longer by about 3 minutes.

You will feel exhausted, kicked in the nuts, but more importantly, you will realize that living BSG-sans is no way to go on.

But wait! There is an answer to your problems, as BSG Cylon Wars premier in comic books.

Newsarama reports that Dynamite Entertainment will issue a four-issue comic series that will explain the first of Cylon wars, a sort of Caprica tale.

Introducing Robert Robbi Rodriguez, comic book artist known for his amazing art: Haze, Tek Jansen (yes, we are inching closer to deity that is Stephen Colbert), Maintenance, and currently working on writing and illustrating a provocative independent series, Frankie Get Your Gun!

Robbi Rodriguez represents some of the best of the contemporary graphic novel art. I encourage you to check out Maintenanceat OniPress, his blob, and make sure to glance at Frankie (see illustration).

Now, I do have to say that talking to Robbi was great, and you can listen to our conversation below, or download a copy for posterity. However, I have to admit, that I’ve experienced some problems with the earphones in the studio during the recording process, which is why I’m a bit awkward (as in, I could barely hear him , and sometimes ask twice about the same stuff, all of which is compounded by my heart’s pitter patter at the thought of most handsome man in the universe, Tek Jansen…booo!!! I guess we’ll just have to have Robbi Rodriguez on again! Awwww.

HiSciFi – Live with Robbi Rodriguez

This week we had the pleasure of having Chris Brandt join us live to discuss his latest documentary, “Independents: A Guide for the Creative Spirit,” a showcase of indie comic book artists. Being an independent anything these days is a difficult as well as exciting prospect, and Brandt, a long time artist as well as a fan, dedicates this film to the art of comic book creation.

Check out the Independents.
HiSciFi – Independents, All About Indie Comics, live with Chris Brandt

by Irma Arkus

Behold the amazing Superdickery.com! Apparently, the Silver Age of Comic Books was laden with bad marketing ploys.

To get you to purchase the dandy comic featuring your favorite super heroes, the editors produced eye-popping oddities on covers.

Superman acting like a tool, Wonder Woman experiencing bondage session tied to a phallic object, and monkeys, loads of monkeys. People, this was not a Silver Age of comic books, but age of superdicks, S&M addicts and big apes! (click on images above to see larger samples of this phenomena)

Thus I present to you with Superdickery.com. Collections which started with Mike Miksch encountering one of these curiousities, only to develop into an obsession with followers. Not only is Superdickery.com a website with a precious collection of gems, but a lively community featuring hundreds of members who regularly converse on subjects of ‘dickery.

Listen to the interview with Mike Miksch below, and make sure to visit his Superdickery.com website!

by Irma Arkus

Alright. You’ve heard me say it a million times, and I will say it again – I hate Wonder Woman. To all of you who are thinking back to what and how Wonder Woman started, I say booohooohooo. I know that a lot of things had more than fantastic beginnings, but in this case, how does that excuse for a female appendage of a superhero character, emulsified in boob-a-rific Wonder Woman? I find her detestable. Why you ask? Because Wonder Woman exemplifies so many things that are characteristic of so many badly constructed female excuses for superheroes.

Oh, what’s that? You want me to clarify? SHE IS LAME.

Latest on Wonder Woman camp – Diane Von Furstenberg has written a Wonder Woman comic book.

Now, for those of you unfamiliar with my secondary obsessions (y’know, apart from crazy science and massive amounts of science fiction,) I happen to love fashion.

And apparently, Von Furstenberg dedicated a whole new line of clothing to Wonder Woman, including writing this limited edition book on subject of Wonder Woman, features writing by Gloria Steinem, whom I also happen to admire a lot.

You know what that makes this particular book “Be the Wonder Woman You Can Be: The Adventures of Diva, Viva and Fifa”? Pure shameless promotion of uber-expensive pieces of clothing that probably Wonder Woman herself cannot afford (after all, why would she wear same costume over and over again, especially after all those bondage sessions in the 60s?).

I know what you’re going to say — but it’s going to charity! How can you be so heartless? I say boo again! You want to donate to charity – Why bother with clothing then? Why not just donate the cash where it’s needed?

This “product” my friends, is an equivalent to a Superman comic book about how wonderful Gillette Mach 3 shavers are. Worst of all, it entails Gloria Steinem in order to appeal to my inner feminist — Or should I say — confuse my inner feminist?!!!

But what does this have to do with Wonder Woman? Or for that matter, comic books? Nothing. Just further proof of utter lameness. So, there. I await your arguments. Hit me with your best shot.

This is shaping up to be a big week for comic book nerds everywhere. Iron Man is hitting the theaters this Friday, and on Saturday May 3 as you crawl out of your sleepy post Iron Man night dreams, it will be FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! Every year comic shops all over the place will be giving visitors their choice of free comics which are a great way to tr out new series, check out some interesting new companies, artists, and writers. If you are interested in learning more, like what is available, etc., head over to the Free Comic Day Website to learn more.