Uh...is this a good idea?

I'm totally going to write a one-shot about this...that is, if we're not all sucked into a black hole:

Giant atom-smasher poised for restart: CERN

GENEVA — The world's biggest atom-smasher, which was shut down soon after its inauguration amid technical faults, is set to restart this weekend, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said on Friday.

The first beam of sub-atomic particles are expected to be injected into the Large Hadron Collider "early Saturday morning," CERN spokesman James Gillies told AFP, while adding that the timing was not set in stone.

Nestled inside a 27-km long tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva, the LHC promises to unlock scientific mysteries about the creation of the Universe and the fundamental nature of matter.

But the machine was shut down just nine days after its inauguration last September following a series of technical faults.

Since then, the LHC's components had been tested to an energy equivalent of five teraelectronvolts at full power.

The maximum output of what is currently the largest functioning collider in the world, at the Fermilab near Chicago in the United States, is one teraelectronvolt.

CERN had said in August that upon its relaunch, the LHC will run at 3.5 teraelectronvolts in order to allow its operators to gain experience of running the machine.

The first data should be collected a few weeks after the first particle beam is fired.

CERN said the partial power level will be kept until "a significant data sample has been gathered" and ramped up thereafter.

Designed to shed light on the origins of the universe, the LHC at CERN took nearly 20 years to complete and cost six billion Swiss francs (3.9 billion euros, 4.9 billion dollars) to build.

Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. [Link]

Dazzler Marketing Tie-In of Yesteryear!

That's not a lens flare - General Mills' short-lived Dazzler breakfast cereal had pieces of real disco ball baked into each groovalicious bite. Some concerned parents found this a bit hard to swallow, and the tasty treat was yanked from shelves after only 24 days.

Stupid concerned parents.

Comic-Con 2009 Preview Night

Another weekend of crazy begins. =)

Megan Fox's outfit in Transformers. =)

Shout! Factory

Shout! Factory will rollout in full force with a slate of popular and memorable television properties on DVD, special panel presentation and signings. Below, please find the outline of activities for your coverage planning.



* The Middleman – Special Panel presentation follow by signing on Thursday, July 23, 2009



* The Transformers:25th Anniversary “Matrix of Leadership” Edition Collector’s Set

Featuring Limited-Edition Gift-with-Purchase Comic Con Exclusive Lithograph (More in-depth info to come…)



* G.I. Joe A Real American Hero: The Complete Series Collector’s Set

Featuring Limited-Edition Gift-with-Purchase Comic Con Exclusive Lithograph for the collector’s set (More in-depth info to come…)

The Prisoner

JIM CAVIEZEL, JAMIE CAMPBELL-BOWER & LENNIE JAMES

DESCEND ON COMIC CON 2009 TO PRESENT

AMC’S EPIC MINI-SERIES “THE PRISONER”



“The Prisoner” Panel Event and Exclusive Sneak Preview Take Place

Friday, July 24th at 11:30am



Highly Anticipated Six-Part TV Event Premieres in November on AMC





NEW YORK, NY – July 6, 2009 – Stars of AMC’s highly anticipated mini-series “The Prisoner,” including Jim Caviezel (The Passion of the Christ, Thin Red Line, Pay It Forward), Jamie Campbell-Bower (Sweeney Todd, The Twilight Saga: New Moon) and Lennie James (“Jericho”) descend on Comic Con 2009 for a panel event and exclusive sneak preview of the highly anticipated six-part series. “The Prisoner” panel, scheduled for Friday, July 24 at 11:30am, also features “The Prisoner” writer Bill Gallagher (Conviction, Clocking Off) and AMC’s Vlad Wolynetz, vice president of production, and will be moderated by producer and director Robert Meyer Burnett. “The Prisoner,” a re-imagination of the 1960s cult classic created by the late Patrick McGoohan, premieres this November on AMC.



During the hour-long event, Burnett will lead panelists in a discussion about their personal experience making “The Prisoner,” shooting the series in Namibia and South Africa, and the various themes explored in the re-imagination, among other topics, followed by an exclusive first look at the mini-series, and a Q&A session with attendees.



“The Prisoner” panel will be complemented by a number of on-the-ground activities taking place throughout Comic Con:

* Attendees will have an opportunity to obtain their own Village identity by visiting “The Prisoner” booth to pick-up an official Village ID badge, on which they will be identified by number only.
* AMC will distribute a mini comic book created by Marvel Comics, based on the mini-series first hour.
* AMC will distribute limited edition items featuring the original series’ iconic taglines such as “Be Seeing You,” “You Only Think You’re Free” and “I Am Not A Number.”


About “The Prisoner”

“The Prisoner” tells the story of a man, “Six” (Caviezel), who wakes up to find himself inexplicably trapped in a mysterious and surreal place, The Village, with no memory of how he arrived. As he frantically explores his new environment, he discovers that Village residents are identified by number, have no memory of any prior existence, and are under constant surveillance. The Village is controlled by one man - the sinister and charismatic “Two” (Ian McKellen). Throughout the series, “Six” and “Two” are locked in a battle of wits, as “Six” challenges the oppressive nature of The Village and struggles to learn the truth behind it.



“The Prisoner” is AMC’s second original mini-series and combines a wide range of genres, including espionage, thriller and sci-fi, into a unique and compelling drama. The six part mini-series will reflect the same key elements of paranoia, surveillance, liberty, and socio-political commentary seen in McGoohan’s enigmatic original.



AMC co-produced “The Prisoner” with UK producer Granada and ITV. Granada International will distribute the series worldwide. Produced by Michelle Buck and Damien Timmer of Granada, the new series is written by Bill Gallagher and directed by Nick Hurran (It’s a Boy Girl Thing, Little Black Book).

Farscape

From the A&E folks...

AS SCI FI TELEVISION CLASSIC FARSCAPE MARKS ITS 10TH ANNIVERSARY,

A&E HOME ENTERTAINMENT AND THE JIM HENSON COMPANY PARTNER

ON A RE-LAUNCH OF THE DVD FRANCHISE



The Re-packaged Line, Slated for November 2009, Includes the First-Ever

COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET™ Featuring All Four Out-of-This World Seasons



Fans Invited to Attend Panel Featuring Executive Producer Brian Henson,

Creator Rockne O’Bannon and Stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black

This July at Comic-Con International 2009



NEW YORK, NY (July 1, 2009) – When a freak accident during an experimental space mission catapulted Astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) across a thousand galaxies to an alien battlefield, a cult classic was born with the epic, adventure-filled TV series Farscape. The award-winning fan favorite show, which ran from 1999-2003 on Sci Fi and was named by TV Guide as one of television’s best cult shows ever, is about to blast off again on DVD courtesy of a pact between A&E Home Entertainment and The Jim Henson Company.



Blasting off in November 2009, as the show marks its 10th Anniversary, the treasure of the newly re-packaged DVD line will feature a Farscape home entertainment first: THE COMPLETE SERIES MEGASET™. Never before available in one package, A&E Home Entertainment brings together all four out-of-this-world seasons with countless hours of absorbing bonus programming featuring multiple commentaries, interviews with cast and crew, behind-the-scenes featurettes and much more! Single season collector’s sets will also be released, offering genre fans of all walks the opportunity to sample this superlative sci-fi classic.

To launch this eagerly-anticipated re-release, there will be a Farscape panel convening at this year’s Comic-Con International in San Diego. Executive producer Brian Henson, creator Rockne O’Bannon, and stars Ben Browder and Claudia Black (Officer Aeryn Sun) will be in attendance to discuss their favorite moments from the series and the DVD re-release.

NCsoft

Got this from the NCsoft people

Hello!



Now that the E3 dust has settled, we wanted to stir things up again and let you know that NCsoft will be out in full force this coming show season with participation in all of the major shows – Comic-Con, GamesCom (Leipzig successor) and PAX. With the highly anticipated MMO game, Aion, as the NCsoft front runner, show attendees will have an opportunity to see captivating video, listen to panel discussions, play the game and get their hands on beta codes.



Along with Aion, both City of Heroes and Guild Wars will have a presence at the shows as well – with City of Heroes at Comic-Con and PAX, and Guild Wars at PAX.



For more information on each title’s presence at the shows, please visit the community Web pages at:

Aion – www.aiononline.com

City of Heroes – www.cityofheroes.com

Guild Wars – www.guildwars.com



And if you are attending Comic-Con, GamesCom and/or PAX, please let us know if you are interested in setting up time to meet with a studio executive, artist or developer during the show. We’d love to make that happen for you.

Spartacus: Blood & Sand

ON JULY 24th, STARZ PUTS THE SPOTLIGHT ON HIGHLY-ANTICIPATED ORIGINAL DRAMA ‘SPARTACUS: BLOOD AND SAND’ AT COMIC CON

Cast And Crew Including Lucy Lawless, Rob Tapert and Steven DeKnight Host Exclusive First Look of Action Series Premiering January 2010

PANELISTS INCLUDE LUCY LAWLESS (“XENA: WARRIOR PRINCESS”), PETER MENSAH, ROB TAPERT (EVIL DEAD 1-2, DRAG ME TO HELL), STEVEN S. DEKNIGHT (“BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER,” “ANGEL”) AND INTRODUCING ANDY WHITFIELD AS SPARTACUS

Exclusive ‘First Look’ at the anticipated original drama “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” PLUS interview opportunities with cast and production team AND Unveiling of the Exclusive First Edition of series-inspired comic w/ special Comic Con cover.

The world of gladiators comes to life as the Roman Republic’s most brutal fighters clash in the ultimate arena. “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” is an entirely new vision of the ancient legend and will utilize virtual environments giving it a unique graphic novel look and style, along with a fresh narrative approach. Debuting exclusively on Starz, “Spartacus: Blood and Sand” in January 2010 is produced by Starz Media with Executive Producers Rob Tapert, Sam Raimi and Joshua Donen. Starz’s new “Spartacus” series was inspired by the actual slave of the Roman Republic who in 73 BC led a slave revolt that grew to more than 120,000 fighters. Defying the Roman Republic’s legions of soldiers, they campaigned for two years through much of what is now Italy before succumbing to a much larger army. The new series will tell a new set of stories rich in character, action, sex and combat.

This series, including 13 one-hour episodes, is executive produced by heavy-hitters Sam Raimi (Spider-Man and Evil Dead), Rob Tapert (The Grudge, “Xena: Warrior Princess” and “Hercules: The Legendary Journeys”) and Steven DeKnight (“Smallville,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”). Production, based in New Zealand, runs through the end of October.

Captain America rises from the dead

The Marvel Comics superhero returns for the five-part series Captain America Reborn, beginning July 1.

But Marvel won't disclose how he rises from the dead. Executive Editor Tom Brevoort teases that the character has been "on a Vonnegut-esque metaphysical journey," including some soul-searching about his place in the world.

Brevoort says that "while he seems to be dead, his mind and his spirit" are active elsewhere.

Captain America, the alter ego of Steve Rogers, was apparently shot and killed two years ago on the steps of a courthouse in lower Manhattan.

Rogers' sidekick Bucky Barnes took his place, continuing the series. Brevoort says Barnes will embark on a quest to revive Rogers.

Rogue is so helpful, but do you really want her to get your back? Do you really want your life to depend on this woman? I think there's a strong case to be made that it's dangerous to go into battle at Rogue's side.

Case in point:

Touch Freak

Control Freak

Mommy Issues

Tries, but does she try hard enough?

Marvel's 70th

Got an email from Marvel comics today regarding their 70th anniversary. They've got some cool stuff up from many of the classics.

Check it out here.

Wolverine: Origins

Another conflict between book and movie. Like "Watchmen" some people out there are mumbling about the making of a classic graphic novel into a movie. I thought the previous X-Men were made well. Well, I consider anything with Halle Barry in it to be an instant hit. I'm looking forward to see what the producers have done with Origin.

I know the movie has been leaked onto the web but for those of you who like to wait...here's the trailer:



Don't forget to get you tickets to CON!!! July is just around the corner...

Fables - The Good Prince (Volume 10)

Story by: Bill Willingham | Art by: Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha | $12.99 USD, $17.50 CAN | vertigocomics.com





Brilliant yet again. I know I'm a sucker for all things "fairytale" but Fables does a great job at expounding on the lives of these magical folks in the mundy world. This volume focuses on the much-loved Flycatcher and his journey/struggle after remembering the fall of his world (and family). He's guided by someone we've seen since volume 1 (although this guide never spoke much before). Will The Good Prince be able to live up to the name despite his pain and anger?

Buy buy buy!

Wow. Comic-Con attendance is out of control! Last year it was packed...I can only imagine what it'll be like this year. But I do like that they have this little meter up so you know when you need to hustle and buy tickets.

Superman & Friends

'Unrestored' copy of first Superman comic book for sale

• Story Highlights
• Action Comics No. 1 may fetch $400,000, expert says
  
• Comic book features debut of Superman, Lois Lane
  
• "There was no such thing as a superhero before Superman," expert says
  

By Kara Yates
CNN

(CNN) -- After being hidden away for years, a copy of the original "Superman and Friends" comic book will make a comeback -- at a price of about $400,000, a comic expert said Thursday.

A Superman Web site features Action Comics covers, including No. 1, at left.

Starting Friday, comic book collectors and Superman fans will have the opportunity to bid on a comic classic -- an "unrestored" copy of Action Comics No. 1, said Stephen Fishler, owner of Comic Connect, an online liaison between comic book buyers and sellers. The book's owner is not being identified.

The auction is attracting a lot of interest.

"One bidder wanted to trade his Ferrari for the comic book," as part of an under-the-table deal, Fishler joked. But he said the auction will remain public. "I couldn't see myself trading in my Toyota Prius" -- even for a $375,000 car.

Why is this comic book so unique?

"Of the 100 existing copies, 80 percent have been restored, but people want an untouched copy," Fishler said. The book is listed in "fine" condition, a six on the 10-point rating scale.

"It's the Holy Grail of comic books," Fishler said.

Co-created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the comic book first appeared on newsstands for 10 cents a copy in June 1938.

Nearly 12 years later, a young boy on the West Coast found himself in a secondhand book store, where he persuaded his dad to loan him 35 cents to buy the comic book.

Until 1966, the owner forgot about the book, which was hidden in his mother's basement. Since then, he's been holding onto it, hoping to see it increase in value, Fishler said. He has not been disappointed.

"There has been a lot of interest shown on the book in the collectibles market," said Fishler, who predicted the comic book will sell for about $400,000. But, he added, no minimum price has been set for the auction, so "whatever it sells for, it sells for.

"I've known Action Comics to sell for around $750,000," comic book sales associate Bill Peterson said. "I don't have any intention on making a bid, but I know people who don't mind dropping several thousand for a classic comic."

The comic book marked the first appearances of Lois Lane, Giovanni "John" Zatara and, of course, Superman. The book is in high demand because "there was no such thing as a superhero before Superman. It spawned everything that came after -- like Batman and Spider-Man," Fishler said.

Even during the current economic downturn, Fishler expects the book to do well.

Those who can afford to bid, he said, "would ordinarily put money into the stock market. But that's a shaky proposition." These days, the comic book may even be a better investment than putting money into a CD or a bond, Fishler speculated. iReport.com: Do you own a sought-after collectible?

Because the book was published at the close of the Great Depression, it contains advertisements that may appear quaint and quirky to 21st century readers. For only $1.25, one could buy a blonde wig, a live chameleon, a whoopee cushion, a Bible "the size of a postage stamp" or hypnosis lessons.

"Some books seem to go in and out of fashion," reads the auction blurb at comicconnect.com. But "Action Comics No. 1 will never be one of those books."