The 10th figure to be released in Mattel's incredibly popular Masters of the Universe Classics line was Man-At-Arms. And what an impressive figure he is.
In terms of sculpting, I think that is safe to say that Man-At-Arms has some of the most detailed and intricate sculpting that has been seen in this line so far. And this is due to the fact that the characters armour lends its self extremely well to this type of detail.
From the serrated plate armour of his lower shin guard right up to the metal face plate, the level of detail is truly amazing, and it really makes the figure look unique which is fantastic, given the fact that this toy line has been structured around the heavy reuse of parts.
Man-At-Arms armour is completely unique to this character and it consists of 5 pieces which are all easily removable. And with an additional 4 weapons and an interchangeable head, it brings us to a grand total of 10 accessories. The most that has been seen in any MOTUC release to date.
There have been some concerns from some fans regarding the softer plastic that has been used for the sculpting of Man-At-Arms mace weapon. Personally I do not have an issue in this particular instance because the figure that I recieved was packaged correctly and was not warped as I removed it from the box.
One area where I think that this new, softer plastic works extremely well is on the construction of Man-At-Arms hands. The softer plastic used here allows for the various weapons that he comes equipped with, to be removed from his hands very easily. But the plastic is not too soft that they would simply fall out of his hands. It is a delicate balance but it seems evident that Mattel are constantly striving to find new ways to improve upon what is already a phenomenal line of action figures.
Duncan also comes equipped with 2 different heads. This is fantastic due to the fact that many people have different interpretations as to what the character should look like. And this is a great way to please everyone.
He also comes equipped with a sword, a gun and his trademark mace, as well as a 200x version of the He Man power sword, the inclusion of which will please a great many of the fans from that era.
Overall, I have to say that Man-At-Arms is a truly exceptional action figure. And the original $20 price tag does not seem very steep at all considering all of the extras that this figure comes equipped with.
Unfortunately, this figure has already sold out on mattycollector.com. But if you shop around you should be able to find a reasonably priced figure on eBay. Or be sure to pick him up on his inevitable re-release.
Many fans feel that Man-At-Arms has been the most impressive MOTUC figure so far, and I must confess, when you actually hold the figure in you hand it is very difficult to disagree. He really is a spectacular action figure and certainly worth the original $20 Mattycollector.com price tag.
The Masters of the Universe Classics Beast Man action figure debuted with He-Man back in December of 2008 and sold out after six weeks. If all goes according to plan, and the reissues of He-Man and Skeletor go well, Beast Man would be a logical candidate to be re-released by Mattel early in 2010. Beast Man is a stand out among the early figures and you should definitely get him if he slipped under the radar the first time.
Beast Man’s bio is pulled straight from the Icons of Evil comics that accompanied the 2002 Masters of the Universe Series. It presents him as one of Skeletor’s earliest allies and “chief henchman to Skeletor, the Overlord of Evil,” which is I guess what it says on his resume. The most remarkable part of the bio is that it gives him a name, Raqquill Rqazz. This is the first in a series of odd and unwieldy “real” names provided by Mattel for these characters, although, it did originate in the above comic.
The added articulation of these figures serves Beast Man extremely well. The abdominal "crunch" joint in particular seems made for Skeletor’s beastly henchman, as you can pose him hunched over as he was often depicted. Hunching him over also has the added benefit of causing his armor to bunch up, making him look much bigger and huskier than the other figures. It’s a great way of disguising the fact that all of these figures are pretty much the same size. This is a figure that works really well and whose parts are beautifully integrated. The head sculpt on this one is fantastic and ferocious-looking. This figure introduced a new “hairy” torso, different from that of He-Man or Skeletor, in the same way that the original line endlessly combined a dozen or so different parts.
He only comes with one weapon, a whip, but much of Beast Man is covered in removable armor, such as the sculpted furry mane-like piece mentioned above. Growing out of this piece are six bony spikes that surround his head. The figure also has two removable upper arm guards, each of which has a pair of spikes growing out of it. This is, of course, straight from the original figure, only realized with infinitely more detail. All of these spikes are sculpted with natural ridges and wear marks. The total effect here is of rough and primitive armor that has been cobbled together out of pieces of bone and teeth.
Beast Man keeps his basic color scheme, which means he has the improbably Orange Crush colored fur which always made him such an eye-catching and appealing character in his 1980’s figure. He also has the blue highlights on his face. Now, if I had never seen this figure and you were to tell me he was bright orange with blue lipstick and eye shadow, I would think that it would look pretty silly. But it doesn’t, it looks really good and really makes the otherwise white face really pop. The one complaint that I have with this figure is in the medallion that is sculpted onto the front of Beast Man’s chest. Both the medallion and the chains that disappear into his fur are painted a uniform light blue. It feels a bit tacked on, which is a pity because it is right there in the middle of everything. Maybe with a little more color detail it could look a little better. Hopefully this is something they will address in a prospective re-release.
Beast Man is definitely one of the better figures of the Masters of the Universe Classics line. This is in part thanks to the strength of the design of the original figure, which has here been given a pretty thorough update without a lot of new elements. With a little luck and successful reissues of He-Man and Skeletor, we should see Beast Man re-released on mattycollector.com early in 2010.
Famed horror writer’s all-new Seduth comic presented in 3-D
Coming this October
Acclaimed novelist/filmmaker/painter Clive Barker is teaming up with IDW to make his return to comic books in October with Clive Barker’s Seduth. This especially horrific comic is presented with vivid 3-D effects, as Barker is joined by the Eisner-nominated art team of Gabriel Rodriguez and Jay Fotos (Locke & Key), along with co-writer Chris Monfette and 3-D art expert Ray Zone.
In Seduth, Barker tells the tale of celebrated architect Harold Engle, who first glimpses the small cloud of darkness inside a glittering, priceless diamond, without any knowledge of the terrible plague contained within. Seduth follows Engle on a surreal journey through murder and madness to the very heart of existence and a terrible, impossible choice—to unravel the very fabric of the world, or to save it?
Seduth marks Barker’s long-awaited return to comics and is the first all-new comic book created by Barker in two decades. IDW has previously presented adaptations of Barker’s novels The Thief of Always and The Great and Secret Show.
“In working with Clive Barker over the past five years and in adapting one of his books myself, the thing that constantly struck me is how wildly inventive he is, and I’ve always been eager for him to create something new” said IDW Publisher/Editor-in-Chief, Chris Ryall. “With Seduth, where 3-D artwork is essential to the story and presents a complete merging of story and art in a unique way, we finally have that.”
The visual collaborators on Seduth are Rodriguez, who not only reached new heights with his work on The Great and Secret Show adaptation, and Zone, who has pioneered 3-D effects in print. Seduth takes as one of its influences the collaged journals of Peter Beard, leading to a style never-before-seen in comics. Seduth comes complete with 3-D glasses, as well as back-up material that includes Barker’s original notes and sketches for the story.
“I have always felt that comics as a medium are still in a relatively early stage in their development—there are so many roads still to be taken,” said Barker. “It is a medium which can afford to take risks, and we’re taking them.” Barker then added “This is, in more than one sense, a dream project. It is my first chance to co-produce with my best friend Robb Humphreys on a story that really touches our shared interests in the power of hallucinations and visions. It also brought me together with Chris Monfette, who will certainly be a part of my creative life for many years to come if I have any say in the matter. Add the art of Gabriel, the color of Jay and the amazingly mind-blowing talents of Ray Zone, this fulfills my dream of Seduth completely.”
About collaborating with Barker, the project’s co-writer, Monfette said “Clive came to me, quite literally, with nothing… which is to say that he wanted to create a piece about the essence of nihilism. Foolishly, I had expected a story—manageable, straightforward, perhaps a bit messy—and what I received was a five-dimensional jigsaw, the likes of which could only ever come from the mind of Clive Barker, my friend, whose head and heart, I believe, are one and the same.”
Clive Barker’s Seduth, a 32-page ad-free comic with 3-D glasses, will be in stores in October. Diamond order code AUG09 0924.
Top Cow Productions, Inc. proudly announced today that they will be expanding the deluxe edition hard cover containing Broken Trinity to include First Born. The limited edition volume will now contain both epic crossover miniseries that forever altered the course of the Top Cow universe. Presented in a new oversize prestige format, the 352 page First Born/Broken Trinity Deluxe Hard Cover collects all three issues of Broken Trinity, the three tie-in issues featuring The Darkness, Angelus, and Witchblade, and Broken Trinity: Aftermath. In addition, the collection will now also include all three issues of First Born as well as the Harvey Award winning tie-in issues of Witchblade #110–112. The hard cover also reprints the previously uncollected First Born: Aftermath, making the entirety of the First Born epic available in a single volume for the first time.
The First Born/Broken Trinity Deluxe Hard Cover reprints the ground-shaking stories from current Witchblade creative team of writer Ron Marz and artist Stjepan Seijic and current The Darkness Phil Hester. The story of First Born explores the conflict between the forces of Light and Dark as New York City Police Office Sara Pezzini prepares to give birth to her first child. Desiring a tip of the power balance in their own favor the forces of Light and Dark covet the offspring of the Witchblade bearer! Broken Trinity acts as a thematic bookend, when a new Angelus bearer rises and two brand-new Artifact bearers make their first appearance in the Top Cow Universe. With new players on the board upsetting a delicate balance, a Trinity will be broken and one bearer will die.
The First Born/Broken Trinity Deluxe Hard Cover is fleshed out with art by industry heavyweights Luke Ross (Captain America), Stephen Sadowski (Avengers/Invaders), Rick Leonardi (Vigilante), Kevin Nowlan (Wednesday Comics), Mike Mayhew (Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps), Lee Moder (Dragon Prince, Red Sonja), Jorge Lucas (The Darkness), Brian Stelfreeze (Wednesday Comics), Nelson Blake II (The Darkness), Tyler Kirkham (Fusion) and Ryan Sook (X-Factor).
Additionally, the oversized 9” x 12” slipcased hard cover will feature an extensive behind-the-scenes section delving deep into the development process, a new wraparound cover by artist Stjepan Sejic, and a 24” x 36” full color poster.
“We were so incredibly pleased with the way that the Midnight Nation Deluxe Hard Cover turned out, and wanted the Broken Trinity edition to be just as impressive,” explained Top Cow Publisher, Filip Sablik, “So we decided to increase the content and page count and give the fans more value without increasing the price. There’s no doubt this is a premium collectible item, but one that really highlights some of the high points in the Top Cow Universe in the last few years. Plus as a fan, I really wanted to see Stjepan Sejic’s beautiful painted work in an over-sized format.”
Orders for the previously solicited First Born Deluxe Hard Cover will be cancelled through Diamond and retailers will have an opportunity to adjust their orders for the new First Born/Broken Trinity Deluxe Hard Cover through Diamond’s FOC program.
Frankenstein: Prodigal Son vol 1 is next Dabel title available for download via mobile devices
Dabel Brothers is pleased to announce that they have reached an agreement with Dean Koontz and iVerse Media to release *Frankenstein: Prodigal Son* Volume 1 on mobile devices.
*Frankenstein: Prodigal Son* is the first novel in the trilogy of re-imagined Frankenstein lore from master suspense writer Dean Koontz. The comic book series was originally released last year, adapted by writer Chuck Dixon with fantastic artwork by fan favorite Brett Booth. The graphic novel shipped in February 2009 from Del Rey.
"Dean Koontz has a fascinating take on the Frankenstein mythos, and The Dabel Brothers have done an amazing job bringing it to life," said iVerse Media CEO Michael Murphey. "We can’t wait to bring it to mobile readers."
The comics will be available on Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch, and Google’s Android Mobile Devices through iVerse Media’s digital distribution technology. The first issue of each will be available for download for free, with subsequent issues available for 99 cents each.
iPhone and iPod Touch owners can search for "FRANKENSTEIN" in the App Store located directly on their phone, or in iTunes on their PC or Mac. With a few touches the digital comic will be downloaded directly onto their device. Google Android users will follow the same steps using Google’s Android Marketplace.
With the third Koontz Frankenstein novel, *Dead and Alive*, recently hitting stores everywhere July 28th, timing could not be better. The novel debuted at #1 on the New York Times Mass Market Best Seller list.
"Dean has such a huge following, we’re excited that we can bring these comics to his fan base in a new way," said Dabel Brothers Business Manager Rich Young, "and at the same time potentially expose people who like his work but may not be aware that he’s involved in these projects at all."
Be sure to check www.dabelbrothers.com for more iVerse-related updates!
Mezco's beloved Mez-Itz return in a larger six inch form.
These newly resized creations are the hot new item in the world of designer vinyl for 2009. Based on the artwork of Mike Mignola, this limited edition Hellboy Mez-Itz captures the essence of the comic book Hellboy from his sawed-off horns to his posable tail. Standing six inches tall, with six points of articulation, this limited edition variant figures comes complete with Hellboy's legendary gun, the Samaritan, and features the famous BPRD (Bureau Of Paranormal Research And Defense) logo on his shirt.
EVEN THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT NEED PROTECTION…
THIS SEPTEMBER, E1 ENTERTAINMENT UNLEASHES THE BREAKOUT SYFY SERIES SANCTUARY ON DVD FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER
SANCTUARY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON
One of the Most Talked About and Innovative New Shows on Television Arrives in a 4-Disc Collector’s Set Packed With Electrifying Extras Including Full-Episode Commentaries on All 13 Episodes, The Original Sanctuary Webisodes and More!
IN STORES SEPTEMBER 15
This September, E1 Entertainment proudly brings to DVD one of television’s most talked about and groundbreaking new series. Blazing an innovative trail, the hit Syfy original series Sanctuary features awe-inspiring virtual sets and visual effects as it follows Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) on her quest to study and protect the extraordinary and legendary creatures that secretly live among us. On September 15, prepare to believe in the unbelievable as SANCTUARY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON debuts on DVD in a deluxe, 4-disc set featuring all 13 exhilarating Season One episodes plus over two hours of bonus features for only $44.98 SRP.
“With cutting-edge technology, Sanctuary creates a world teeming with mermaids, dinosaurs and monster mayhem” –TV Guide
Presented in 16x9 anamorphic widescreen with 5.1 Surround Sound and optional English and Spanish subtitles, SANCTUARY: THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON also includes an arsenal of exclusive extras including: audio commentaries on all 13 episodes with cast and crew including Amanda Tapping, creator Damian Kindler, director Martin Wood and more; three making-of featurettes (“Welcome to the Sanctuary,” “Sanctuary Residents” and “Sanctuary Visual Effects”); the original Sanctuary webisodes (which provided the inspiration for the television series); a bloopers reel; behind-the-scenes photo gallery and an exclusive sneak peek at Season Two, which premieres on Syfy Friday, October 9 at 10/9 Central.
Sanctuary follows the adventures of the beautiful, enigmatic and always surprising Dr. Helen Magnus, her new recruit, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Will Zimmerman and her fearless daughter Ashley. Together they track down, study and protect the strange and often terrifying creatures that secretly populate our world. Although dismissed as monstrous figments of our imaginations and the stuff of our nightmares, Magnus recognizes that the world is full of nature’s mistakes and triumphs. And she has the spectacular proof that they are indeed real. For some ‘abnormals’, Magnus is their protector. For a dangerous few, she is their captor.
Sanctuary stars Amanda Tapping as Dr. Helen Magnus (Stargate SG-1), Robin Dunne as Dr. Will Zimmerman (Dawson’s Creek), Emilie Ullerup as Ashley (jPod), Christopher Heyerdahl as the sinister John Druitt (Stargate Atlantis) and Ryan Robbins as Henry Foss (Battlestar Galactica).
Braving new worlds in each episode is just the start for Sanctuary. The series is also proudly credited for pioneering new techniques and technology in television production. Recently nominated for a 2009 Primetime Emmy® for Outstanding Special Visual Effects, Sanctuary is one of the only series to shoot extensively on green screen. The series was also the first in North America to shoot with the new RED camera – a digital system that captures images at four times the resolution of a high definition camera, resulting in a look that is unmatched on television.
The Sanctuary creative team includes executive producer, writer and creator (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis); executive producer and lead actor Amanda Tapping (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis); and executive producer and director Martin Wood (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis). In addition, Sam Egan (Jeremiah, The Outer Limits) serves as executive producer and writer along with John Smith (Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis) and Keith Beedie as executive producers. Sanctuary is distributed by Tricon Films and Television. For more information, visit www.sanctuaryforall.com.
L-R Ashley Magnus (Emilie Ullerup), Dr. Will Zimmerman (Robin Dunne), Dr. Magnus
Dr. Helen Magnus (Amanda Tapping) and Mermaid
L-R Henry Foss (Ryan Robbins), Dr. Magnus and Bigfoot (Christopher Heyerdahl)Read more...Read More
Long Beach Comic Con is a Hero to Hero Initiative! See how you too can be a Hero!
The generous staff of the first annual Long Beach Comic Con has announced its initial step in its huge support of and partnership with Hero Initiative! Donations can be made directly to Hero when purchasing tickets to the con October 2nd -4th at the Long Beach Convention Center in California. So you can be a Hero as well! Just elect to contribute an additional $1 or $3 when you purchase your tickets at:
“Long Beach and its convention center are an ideal location for a comic con, and we're thrilled to have a first-class event right in our own back yard,” said Hero Initiative President Jim McLauchlin. “We're looking forward to seeing Long Beach Comic Con grow, and adding first-class Hero Initiative events to it.”
"We're thrilled to be working with the Hero Initiative here at Long Beach Comic Con. The Hero Initiative is an incredible organization with one goal - to help those who need it. We're doing our small part to help them raise awareness for their good work, and we're going to have a great time doing it!" said Martha Donato, title/ref. t’k
ALAN J. PORTER THE WORLD OF CARS: THE ROOKIE & PAUL BENJAMIN MONSTER'S INC: LAUGH FACTORY & JACK MITCHELL POE ONLY THIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19th 4:30pm - 7pm.
Come meet BOOM! writers ALAN J. PORTER (THE WORLD OF CARS), PAUL BENJAMIN (MONSTER'S INC.) and JACK MITCHELL (POE) where they will be signing copies of their books for one night only!
Scrubs star joins stellar voice cast for all-new DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 Movie
From the trauma of war in Oliver Stone films to hospital humor on Scrubs, John C. McGinley has covered the acting gamut. But in his latest role – as the voice of Metallo in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies – McGinley finally gets to delve into a characterization he has rarely been offered: pure villainy.
McGinley voices one of the featured villains in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, a blockbuster blast of super heroes and villains alike that includes the voices of Kevin Conroy (Batman), Tim Daly (Superman), Clancy Brown (Lex Luthor), Allison Mack (Power Girl), Xander Berkeley (Captain Atom), Ricardo Chavira (Major Force), LeVar Burton (Black Lightning), CCH Pounder (Amanda Waller) and a host of others.
Warner Premiere, DC Comics and Warner Bros. Animation are set to release the all-new Superman/Batman: Public Enemies on September 29, 2009 in a Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def edition, a special edition 2-disc DVD, and a single disc DVD. Warner Home Video will distribute the action-packed movie, which will also be available OnDemand and Pay-Per-View as well as available for download that same day.
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies is based on the popular Jeph Loeb/Ed McGuinness comic series/graphic novel. Animation legend Bruce Timm (Superman Doomsday, Green Lantern) is executive producer. Michael Goguen (Justice League: The New Frontier) is supervising producer. Sam Liu (The Batman) is directing a script written by Stan Berkowitz (Justice League: The New Frontier).
In the film, United States President Lex Luthor uses the oncoming trajectory of a Kryptonite asteroid to frame Superman and declare a $1 billion bounty on the heads of the Man of Steel and his “partner in crime,” Batman. Heroes and villains alike launch a relentless pursuit of Superman and Batman, who must unite – and recruit help – to stave off the action-packed onslaught, stop the asteroid, and uncover Luthor’s devious plot to take command of far more than North America.
McGinley has crafted a well-rounded career in film and television, forcing audiences to instantly take note with his performances in Oliver Stone films like Platoon and Born on the Fourth of July.
McGinley has garnered top-notch reviews for his turns in Any Given Sunday, Office Space, Wall Street, The Rock, Nixon and Point Break, and he is instantly recognizable to television audiences for his portrayal of the sarcastic, abusive, hilarious Dr. Cox in 169 episodes of Scrubs. Mc Ginley is also no stranger to animation, having spent significant hours in the sound booth recording for The Boondocks, Justice League (as The Atom), WordGirl (as The Whammer) and in guest spots on King of the Hill, Kim Possible, Robot Chicken and Spider-Man.
McGinley took a few minutes after his recording session as Metallo to discuss the pleasures of preparation, the similarities of Andrea Romano and Oliver Stone, his personal commitment the National Down Syndrome Society’s Buddy Walk, and the definition around Hollywood casting departments of the “John C. McGinley type.” But enough of our words, here are his – a Q&A with John C. McGinley, the voice of Metallo in Superman/Batman: Public Enemies.
QUESTION:
What were the joys and challenges of getting behind a microphone for a character like Metallo?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
It’s a real treat to collaborate with the creative folks once you get in the booth. Ten out of ten times the people on the other side of the glass know the character better than you are ever going to – they have been working on this for months or years. All you can do is try to return serve because you are given all this wonderful, precise direction. I’ve found over the years it is really, really helpful to just integrate and go. It’s also a treat that the people on the other side of the glass are pretty much the top one percent of their industry, and I get to have this kind of creative input. You get on a lot of film sets and everybody is rolling the dice. Everybody is guessing their best. The people in that booth are not guessing, they know this stuff backwards. That to me is a huge asset.
QUESTION:
What were your impressions of the script for Superman/Batman: Public Enemies?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
The fun part for me showing up on any set is the preparation. A lot of times when you are doing a play or a film, things are going to go wrong. You’re going to lose the light or the sound is going to stop working. Even in a controlled environment like that booth, which lends itself to things going right and to things flourishing, there are sometimes things that can go wrong and, thus, compromises will need to be made. So it behooves the actor to come loaded for bear. If you are 100 percent ready and we have to make 40 percent compromises, then unless you have that other 60 percent ready it is going to kind of just go flat instead of elevating it. My favorite thing, which may sound a little presumptuous, is to try to elevate the material.
QUESTION:
Did you enter the world of super heroes through comic books or otherwise?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
My earliest memories of Batman are watching the live-action series with Batman and Robin. That was the coolest Batmobile and you had Frank Gorshin as the Riddler and Caesar Romero being the Joker. As far as Superman goes, it was more about the Christopher Reeve films. I was not a comic book reader. When we played as kids, we were always acting out stuff we saw Batman doing , or the Green Hornet or Aquaman.
But that inspiration came from Saturday morning cartoons and not proper comic books.
QUESTION:
As a non-comics reader, does voicing a comic character still lend itself to some child-like thrill for you?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
Well, of course, it is big fat privilege to work with these characters – and it is really fun now with Hi-Def. It just kind of jumps off the screen, and the transfers (to Hi-Def) are so beautiful now and perfect. It’s completely thrilling because the state of the art has exceeded anybody's wildest expectations. It is astonishing. It is not as fun to see my voice come out of a character as it is really rewarding. To be a tiny component in the evolution of animation as the voice of a character is thrilling.
My son is old enough to hear and recognize my voice coming out of the characters, but it doesn't resonate with him yet. My daughter will, and that is pretty cool. Not necessarily to be a killer robot, but we will see how things evolve.
QUESTION:
Actors tend to be very self-critical. Is it easier to watch an animated film with your voice coming out of a character than it is to watch yourself on-screen in live-action productions?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
If I have a script early enough, I have a room set aside in our house as a rehearsal space. I set up a camera and I rehearse in front of the camera, especially for Dr. Cox on Scrubs, who has these long two-page, single-space rants. So it is almost like somebody practicing foul shots. It sounds simple – go to the free throw line and shoot a foul shot. But Larry Bird shot a million foul shots in French Lick before he ever tried for Indiana State or the Boston Celtics. So I feel like if you have text early enough, it really is in the actor's best interests to go just hash about in front of a lens.
One thing the lens does is it exposes bad habits. Like an X-ray machine taking a picture of a fracture. We all have nervous ticks, things we do when you can't remember a line. But if you watch yourself, you can see for yourself – the camera exposes those liabilities like an X-ray machine. So yes, I watch myself on film as much as possible because the learning curve just objectively is through the roof.
QUESTION:
You’ve worked with some impressive live-action directors. What’s it like working with Andrea Romano in the animated realm?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
Andrea Romano is not dissimilar to Oliver Stone in a lot of ways, in as much as they’re both like a thoroughbred at The Kentucky Derby.
They both put on creative blinders like a thoroughbred. Oliver and Andrea both put on blinders and invite you into that narrow creative vision which is the perfect division for the piece. So that you don't have to do anything, you don't have to guess. Come right inside here and it is going to be good. When you come in there with Oliver Stone or with Andrea, it is Nirvana. You will now shine.
QUESTION:
We’ve heard the expression, but can you define a John C. McGinley “type”?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
The John C. McGinley type usually is one of about seven different things. It is a niche that I fell into, not of my own doing, but it became the part in the films where either you are the best friend, the co-worker, the bad guy, the brother who dies and compels the hero into action in the third act, the boss, now the father of the kids, the head of the hospital usually in a position of authority. For a long time there was a group of us – Ving Rhames, me and about a half a dozen other guys – who would be the component in the story. Who would reiterate the who, what, where, when and how a couple times throughout the movie. You need somebody who can speak the speech without getting in the way of the speech. The hero is not going to do that. So every once in a while throughout the progression of a story, we need to be reminded where the bomb is, when it is going to go off and who the bad guys are. So that the hero can do his job. That “type” has paid the bills for a long time.
QUESTION:
You’re a bit of a super hero yourself as the national spokesperson for the National Down Syndrome Society’s Buddy Walk. What’s the essence of this endeavor?
JOHN C. MCGINLEY:
The Buddy Walk is our national day of empowerment, encouragement and elevation. There are nearly 300 walks that happen in September and October throughout the United States – and these are great, great days. When you have a child born with special needs, a lot of parents think they did something wrong. They beat themselves up and they don't realize that there is a much larger community out there who also have kids with special needs. This is a day of inclusion, where we want people to know that you have a chance now to be a great parent, which is what it is going to take. The day is as much about including and loving the caregivers as it is about the kids. We attempt to raise money, but that is not really my mantra. It is about coming out and just getting the love. It is all about introducing people to nutritional intervention and further education. It’s a short walk – not a marathon, just a mile. And it is a lovely day where we include, elevate and celebrate the similarities that the children and the parents have instead of their differences. It’s a very important cause.
For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s official website at www.SupermanBatmanDVD.com.
Metallo emerges from the flames to challenge Superman in the next DC Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video.
John C. McGinley provides the voice of Metallo.
Metallo morphs his appendages into weapons to take on a weakened Superman in the next DC Universe animated original movie,
Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video. John C. McGinley provides the voice of Metallo.
Metallo scans a cemetery in search of a beaten Superman – in hopes of finishing off the Man of Steel – in the next DC Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video. John C. McGinley provides the voice of Metallo.
Batman helps a wounded Superman escape the relentless pursuit of Metallo in the next DC Universe animated original movie, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, which is set for distribution September 29, 2009 by Warner Home Video. John C. McGinley provides the voice of Metallo. Read more...Read More
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