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11/08/13 @ 11:46 am EST
Ande Parks started his career as an inker, most notably doing a 40 issue run with Phil Hester on Green Arrow working with writers Kevin Smith, Judd Winick and Brad Meltzer. In more recent years Parks has been known for his writing starting with Union Station and Capote In Kansas for Oni Press and working with Ed Brubaker on Daredevil. With Dynamite Parks has played with such iconic characters as Kato, Zorro and The Lone Ranger. Nancy Collins talked with Parks about his work on the legendary cowboy hero. NANCY COLLINS: How familiar were you with the Lone Ranger before coming on as writer for the series?
ANDE PARKS: To be honest, not very. I had seen the show some as a kid, but I definitely not what you would have called a big fan. The first time I wrote the characters was in the Death of Zorro mini-series, and I struggled to find their voices in that first issue. I had dug into the Zorro character, but was lagging on The Lone Ranger and Tonto. So… I dug in, big-time. I read the entire Brett Matthews/Sergio Cariello/John Cassaday run from Dynamite. I sought out some old TV shows, radio shows and comics. I got into the characters as much and as quickly as I could. Fortunately, they really spoke to me. The values of the Ranger are very appealing to me, and I love the dynamic between him and Tonto. When I write, I place a very high value on theme; a big, underlying idea that runs through the story. If there’s a central theme in all of my Lone Ranger story, it is friendship… looking into what holds these two men together, and why they are so important to each other. We established with our second arc, “Native Ground” that The Lone Ranger and Tonto have redeemed each other. Each man has been helped by the other in reconnecting with his own humanity. NC: Do you read Western fiction? If so, do your tastes run more to Louis L’Amour & Zane Grey or Elmore Leonard and Larry McMurty?
AP: Not really. I have read some Leonard, and liked it. I think I read some L’Amour when I was a kid. My grandpa was a fan, and had them around. I think I read a few, but don’t remember them well. I feel more connected to the Western films of John Ford. I think you can find a lot of that stuff in our book. We even quoted Ford in our first issue. NC: How does writing for the Lone Ranger differ from writing for a ’powered’ superhero like the Green Lantern?
AP: I approach Lone Ranger in a more grounded, realistic way. I like writing big supervillains tearing down cities, but the smaller, more personal stories of the Ranger’s world appeal to me even more. I like to take John Reid’s clear and noble values and smash them into real-world situations where there may not be a simple answer. We set up collisions between a black and white man and a gray situations, and we observe how the characters respond. That resonates more, I think, when your characters are men who are really flesh and blood. The Lone Ranger could easily be killed by a bullet. He’s willing to die for what he believes in. The fact that he’s so righteous and so vulnerable makes him a very relatable hero. NC: What do you think today’s comic fan is looking for from a character like the Lone Ranger?
AP: They want to see the man’s values on display. They want to see that pillar of justice. They want the interplay between Lone Ranger and Tonto. They want action, but not without some meaning. I think, in the case of our book, they also want a sense for what the real Old West was like. I hope so, anyway… because we really try to get some of that history into the book. I think it adds another layer. It makes the heroic stories more believable, which elevates the heroism. NC: Do you have any upcoming releases for 2014 that fans should keep an eye out for?
AP: Lone Ranger will continue. I’m also working on a new crime series for Dynamite. It’s going to be very interesting… very different. I’m excited about it. I’m always working on creator-owned stuff, as well. If people seek me out on Twitter, they can keep track of that stuff. http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/07/ande-parks-on-westerns-the-lone-ranger-and-what-readers-want-today/
05/14/24 @ 12:00 pm EST
The Tomb Raider TV series is moving forward at Amazon. A year and change after The Hollywood Reporter revealed Emmy winner Phoebe Waller-Bridge was writing and producing an adaptation of the popular video game turned action movie Tomb Raider, the retail giant/streamer has handed out a series order for the live-action series. A worldwide casting search will begin soon for an actress to play Lara Croft in the series from Legendary Television. The surprise announcement was made Tuesday during Amazon’s first trip to woo Madison Avenue ad buyers at TV’s Upfront week in New York, with the news arriving after another video game adaptation, Fallout, has become a breakout hit for the service. The Tomb Raider TV series is the first project to stem from a massive rights deal with Johnson’s dj2 Entertainment. A feature film and at least one video game in the Lara Croft franchise are also in the works as Amazon plots a Marvel-like franchise with all of the projects connected. 05/14/24 @ 11:50 am EST
Bestselling creator Maria Llovet (Crave, Luna, Porcelain) returns with this sexy one-shot compilation of her three-part story—previously published in the Image 30th Anniversary Anthology—titled, All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night. This complete, criminals-to-lovers tale is set to hit shelves in July from Image Comics. In All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night, Mamen is a young art historian who has become a jewelry thief because of a trauma from her past. Damon is a hitman tired of his bosses. Oblivious to their secret lives, they meet cute and promise to go on a date. But fate unites them before they planned, as both witness each other’s crime. "This one-shot was initially created as an 'origin story' of a bigger project of mine, so in this edition I’ve decided to include a lot of extra material and info where the readers will know more about these characters that I love and their future adventures," said Llovet. All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night one-shot will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, July 3: Cover A by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM238 Cover B by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM239 Cover C by Jesús Orellana - Lunar Code 0524IM240 Cover D (1:10 copy incentive virgin variant) by Orellana - Lunar Code 0524IM241 Cover E (1:15 copy incentive) by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM242 Cover F (1:20 copy incentive virgin variant) by Llovet - Lunar Code 0524IM243 All the Things We Didn’t Do Last Night one-shot will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.            
... 05/14/24 @ 11:36 am EST
Amazon continues to have faith in The Boys. The series has been renewed for Season 5, the company announced during Tuesday’s Upfront presentation. The news comes about a month before the fourth installment is set to hit Prime Video. The eight-episode Season 4 premieres on June 13 with three episodes, followed by a new episode each week, ending with the season finale on July 18. In Season 4, the world is on the brink. Victoria Neuman is closer than ever to the Oval Office and under the muscly thumb of Homelander, who is consolidating his power. Butcher, with only months to live, has lost Becca’s son and his job as The Boys’ leader. The rest of the team are fed up with his lies. With the stakes higher than ever, they have to find a way to work together and save the world before it’s too late. The Boys is based on The New York Times best-selling comic by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, who also serve as executive producers. Eric Kripke developed the series for TV and serves as showrunner and executive producer. (via Deadline) 05/13/24 @ 10:50 pm EST
The Barbarella feature starring Sydney Sweeney is getting more oxygen. Edgar Wright is in talks to direct the film for Sony Pictures, with Jane Goldman and Honey Ross in talks to write the script, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed. The project is still in early development and is planned as a new take on the character that originated in a French comic series from Jean-Claude Forest. Barbarella, a mercenary who travels the universe, was portrayed by Jane Fonda in a 1968 movie version that has become a cult favorite. Sweeney’s involvement in the new film was announced in 2022. Wright is known for helming films including Last Night in Soho, Baby Driver and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. His next project is set to be a new adaptation of The Running Man for Paramount Pictures that will star Glen Powell. 05/13/24 @ 10:29 pm EST
Fan-favorite Cliff Rathburn (The Walking Dead, Brit) will launch an all-new, four-issue science-fiction miniseries titled, Remote Space. This tale will kick off in June from Image Comics. Remote Space is set in the year 2450 and Earth is dying. The human species has gone down two different evolutionary paths. One used cybernetic augmentation to adapt to space travel. The humans left behind used genetic manipulation to adapt to earth's worsening climate. For earth to survive, civilizations need to collide. "I am proud of what I've done with Remote Space and I think anyone who buys a copy will be happy with their purchase," said Rathburn. Remote Space #1 will be available at comic book shops on Wednesday, June 12: Cover A (wraparound) by Rathburn - Lunar Code 0424IM209 Cover B (1:10 copy incentive) by Ryan Ottley - Lunar Code 0424IM210 Remote Space #1 will also be available across many digital platforms, including Amazon Kindle, Apple Books, and Google Play.     
05/13/24 @ 12:20 pm EST
Jason Statham (Fast & Furious) has been set to lead a new action-thriller from director Baltasar Kormákur (Everest), which Black Bear is launching this week for the Cannes market. In the currently untitled film, Statham will play Mason who lives in isolation in a remote Scottish island. When he rescues a young girl from the ocean in a terrible storm, he sets a chain of events in motion that brings a violent attack to his hideaway, forcing him back into the world to confront the ghosts of his past. Principal photography is scheduled to commence in November in the UK and Iceland with production services and filming to take place at Kormákur’s RVK Studios facility in Reykjavik. The script comes from Ward Parry. (via Deadline) 05/13/24 @ 12:15 pm EST
These apes are going to need a bigger boat for their cash! 20th Century Studios‘ Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has come in over expectations with a $58.5M opening. Sunday came in at $16.5M, down 19%, a strong attributable to Mother’s Day. Who knew moms were fans of the Planet of the Apes movies? Typical Mother’s Day Saturday to Sunday drops are around the -28% range. That’s now the third highest opening for an Apes movie after Dawn of the Planet of the Apes ($72.6M) and Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes ($68.5M). Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes only cost $160M, which is cheaper than Matt Reeves’ War for the Planet of the Apes which cost $190M before P&A. As Deadline reported yesterday, there’s hope for summer in a movie that can beat its tracking projections. Not everything is destined to become flat footed. 05/12/24 @ 2:40 pm EST
Susan Backlinie, the actress seen in one of the most terrifying cinematic moments in history, has passed away at the age of 77. Backlinie played the skinny-dipping swimmer attacked by the shark in the opening scene of the 1975 horror classic Jaws. She would later re-team with director Steven Spielberg to parody that same scene in his film 1941. From their her career moved more into stunt work for films and television including work on The Great Muppet Caper, Day of the Animals and The Fall Guy television series. No cause of death has been released. She is survived by her husband, Harvey. 
05/12/24 @ 2:10 pm EST
Recently we’ve been seeing a rise in the number of “insiders” leaking information and photos from upcoming films. And while this has been going on for years, one in particular has hit a nerve with Marvel Studios so much that they have gone to the courts to try and have their true identity revealed. Documents have been found that show that Marvel’s VP of Global Security & Content Protection has subpoenaed Instagram for the identity of who runs the account “CanWeGetSomeToast,” a scooper who is known for posting leaks and spoilers. They are doing this because of a “leaked, pre-release image” from Captain America: Brave New World. The film is already dealing with leaks due to images from the upcoming McDonald’s toy tie-in hitting the web that showed a few characters that have not been officially confirmed for the film. It’s unclear what Marvel plans to do if they are able to get the information about who runs the account.  05/12/24 @ 1:13 pm EST
B-movie legend Roger Corman passed away at the age of 98. The director and producer of hundreds of low-budget films and the man who discovered a ton of industry stars from Jack Nicholson to Martin Scorsese to Rober De Niro. Variety reported that he died on May 9th at his some surrounded by his family. Previously asked how he wished to be remembered, Corman said, “I was a filmmaker, just that.” He specialized in fast-paced, low-budget genre movies including horror, action, science fiction and the occasional family fare. His films included Little Shop of Horrors, Boxcar Bertha, Machine Gun Kelly, Fall of the House of Ushers, Masque of the Red Death, Dementia 13, Eat My Dust, Frankenstein Unbound and in 1994 he famously produced with Bernd Eichinger an unreleased Fantastic Four film that was made so Eichinger could retain the rights to the franchise. Though the film never hit theaters, bootleg copies have been sold around at conventions for years. Corman is survived by his wife, producer Julie Corman, and daughters, Catherine and Mary.  |
