PENDRAGON'S POST: Jan 27, 2010

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

DVD News: Ralph Bakshi's animated "Lord of the Rings - Remastered Deluxe Edition" coming to Blu-ray and DVD on April 6

One Ring To Rule Them All…

Ralph Bakshi’s Animated Classic
The Lord of the Rings
Returns in a Newly Remastered
Deluxe Edition on April 6

Warner Home Video Distributes Heralded Animated Film
as Blu-Ray™ Combo Pack and DVD with All-New Extra Content

Combo Pack features Blu-Ray, DVD and Bonus Digital Copy

Journey back into the world of Hobbits, Humans, Elves and Dwarves in the all-new The Lord of the Rings Remastered Deluxe Edition coming April 6, 2010 from Warner Home Video. This original animated classic from acclaimed director Ralph Bakshi and Academy Award Winning producer, Saul Zaentz, has been remastered with pristine New Dolby 5.1 audio and picture quality and will be distributed as a single disc DVD and Blu-ray combo which features a Blu-ray, DVD and bonus digital copy. The film will also be available for Digital Download. This film is rated PG.

One of the great visionary animation directors of the modern era, Bakshi went to artistic extremes to meticulously bring the legendary world of J.R.R. Tolkien to animated life – adding yet another stunning title to the director’s canon of ground-breaking films. Bakshi’s animation accomplishments include Fritz the Cat, Heavy Traffic, American Pop, Wizards and Cool World.

All the magical adventure of the fantasy classic comes to life in Bakshi’s brilliantly animated tale of the enchanted land of Middle-earth – and the brave band of Hobbits, heroes and Wizards who set out to protect it. When a dangerous and powerful gold ring falls into his hands, a courageous Hobbit named Frodo embarks on an epic adventure. Along with the mighty Wizard Gandalf and some daring Elves, he defends his homeland from the Dark Power who would destroy it. Set in a mystical age of magic, monsters and unlikely heroes on incredible journeys, The Lord of the Rings will cast its spell over the entire family!

The deluxe edition also features a never-before-seen, 30-minute in-depth interview with legendary director Ralph Bakshi entitled Forging Through The Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for The Lord Of The Rings. This special feature explores his concept for creating an illustrated film, his pioneering rotoscoping process, and inspirations for his visual storytelling.

“The Lord of the Rings is a timeless classic that continues to be a favorite for generation after generation,” said Amit Desai, WHV Vice President of Family, Animation & Partner Brands Marketing. “The theatrical release in 1978 had a domestic total gross of nearly $90 million at the box office and shipped 1.1 million net videos. We are looking forward to offering this remastered deluxe edition to the fans for their library collections and providing endless enjoyment for years to come.”

With operations in 90 international territories Warner Home Video, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, commands the largest distribution infrastructure in the global video marketplace. Warner Home Video’s film library is the largest of any studio, offering top quality new and vintage titles from the repertoires of Warner Bros. Pictures, Turner Entertainment, Castle Rock Entertainment, HBO Home Video and New Line Home Entertainment. Read more...

Radical Publishing presents two titles on sale February 3rd: Aladdin: Legacy of the Lost #1 and Legends: The Enchanted #0.

ALADDIN: LEGACY OF THE LOST #1 (1 of 3)
Writer IAN EDGINTON
Series Illustrators PATRICK REILLY and STJEPAN SEJIC
64 pages, FC, $4.99

From the mystical city of Shambhalla to the ends of the Earth comes a tale of magic, mystery and the motivations of power. It is the world of Ala ad-Din, better known as ALADDIN.
Thief, gambler, liar and cheat, Aladdin’s reckless soul falls under the eye of the sorcerer Qassim, who has spent his life scouring the sands for the Dreaming Jewel. This lost relic of shattering power will enable Qassim to steal the magic of the Djinn of the Lamp and reshape the world in his own malicious design. But to do so, he requires a mystical ability carried within Aladdin's blood...power that not even Aladdin himself knows about. An epic adventure that twists the classic saga into dark, unexplored territories with multi-Eisner nominated writer Ian Edginton!

Featuring covers from Marko Djurdjevic (Dark Reign: The List – Avengers), Arthur Suydam (Marvel Zombies) and a limited edition 1:10 incentive cover from Clayton Crain (X-Force)

LEGENDS: THE ENCHANTED ISSUE #0
Creator and Writer NICK PERCIVAL
Illustrator NICK PERCIVAL
28 pages, FC, $1

Following the same standard for our debut miniseries Hercules: The Thracian Wars and Caliber: First Canon of Justice, Radical Publishing presents a special $1 introductory issue for the upcoming hardcover graphic novel by award-winning illustrator Nick Percival (Dead of Night).

You think you know them… Think again!

Violently ripped from the pages of folklore emerge the Enchanted, supernatural immortals living in a dark, steampunk, creature-infested world where nature, technology and foul magic are in constant conflict. When the twisted, burnt remains of the half-wooden, half-mechanical warrior, Pinocchio are discovered, wolf-hunter Red Hood and giant-killer Jack realize the fragile rules of their existence have been shattered. With the help of the other Enchanted (the mercenary Goldilocks and psychic exterminators Hansel and Gretel), Jack and Red team up on an adventure to stop whatever, or whoever, is destroying their powers and murdering their kind.

The last time Radical debuted their $1 books, they quickly sold out and had to go to a second printing. Don’t miss out again on this limited, one-time-only event!

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Top Cow is pleased to offer a preview of Pilot Season: Demonic #1.

Pilot Season: Demonic
(W) Robert Kirkman (A) Joe Benitez (Cov) Marc Silvestri

From the creative minds of Image partners Robert Kirkman & Marc Silvestri! The demon is in his head. The demon makes him strong. The demon gets angry when he doesn't kill. Scott Graves is possessed and he will do anything the demon asks as long as it promises not to make him kill his wife and daughter. Scott stalks in the night as Demonic, a vigilante known for savagely slaughtering the wicked. He asks himself, how long can he continue living this way and what if the demon isn't real?

Full Color 32 pages $2.99 pilot issue

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And there are some real doozies in this series!

The series includes:

Courtroom Egon and Ray facing down the “toasted” Scolari Brothers: Tony and Nunzio
Egon and the ill-fated Titanic Captain
and: “World of the Psychic” Peter and Vigo the Carpathian (plus a hairless kitty!).

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Pop Culture Event Continues to Reveal Presence of Major Creators; New Guests Include Chris Ware, Adam Hughes, David Finch and Others

Much More News to Come in Next Two Months

In their first announcement of 2010, C2E2 officials have divulged the names of ten top artists to add to the line up of major guests who have already been announced for the new pop culture event which is set to debut at Chicago’s McCormick Place Convention Center, April 16 -18, 2010. The creators, who are among the leading and most progressive artists working in the graphic arts field today, will make themselves available to meet and greet the thousands of fans expected to swarm the McCormick Center as Reed Exhibitions launches the Midwest incarnation of New York Comic Con, which itself has quickly grown to be second largest pop culture event in America, and the largest pop culture event on the East Coast.

"We are kicking off 2010 welcoming 10 major artists to C2E2, but this is merely the beginning of a 2 month cavalcade of guest announcements that we promise will wow fans in Chicagoland and all over the Midwest," states Lance Fensterman, Vice President for the Reed Pop Culture Group and Show Manager for C2E2. "Next week, we will be announcing 'Women Creators at C2E2' and each week after we'll have bigger and bigger announcements to share with you. With about two and a half months until C2E2 storms the shores of Lake Michigan we are fully prepared to wow the fans of the Midwest with the caliber of show they deserve and have told us they want. New York Comic Con has grown exponentially over the past four years and we are using all our knowledge and expertise to make C2E2 the largest event in the Midwest, just as NYCC is the largest event on the East Coast. Of course, none of this would be possible without the willing participation of our guests, to whom we are deeply grateful."

Some of the other guests who have already been announced for C2E2 include Alex Ross, who will be a Keystone Guest of Honor, Jackson Guice, Steve McNiven, Mike Mignola, Jeff Smith, Ben Templesmith and Ethan Van Sciver, among many others.

The ten new artists joining the guest line up at C2E2 include:

Franco Aureliani: Franco was born in 1492 aboard the cruise ship Santa Maria and currently resides in Nueva York in a warm ranch-style house with a white picket fence and a very lovely lady who said "yes" to his marriage proposal and their wonderful son. Franco spends most of his time in his Bat Cave-like studio and emerges occasionally to yell at people and stuff. He is the creator of Weirdsville, co-creator and writer of the acclaimed indie title Patrick the Wolf Boy, and co-creator and writer of DC's all-ages, New York Times Best-Selling, Eisner Award-winning hit Tiny Titans. He has also been known to write, paint, or draw for companies big and small from DC to Devil's Due on titles such as Billy Batson and the Magic of Shazam, I Dream of Jeannie, Ninjatown and many others. Not wanting any free time in his life, Franco teaches High School Art and gains immense satisfaction in seeing new generations of artist coming into their own. Franco is adamant that he is a genius, but he usually defers to his wife who tells him he isn't and keeps him grounded in the real world.

Jimmy Cheung: Originally hailing from the UK, Jimmy now resides in Florida, pencilling exclusively for Marvel Comics. He is currently working on a new Young Avengers project with Allan Heinberg as well as providing covers for the Secret Warriors series. His past projects for Marvel have included Iron Man, X-Force, Uncanny X-Men, Illuminati and New Avengers, and he Is responsible for co-creating the Young Avengers and Scion for CrossGen Comics.

Frank Cho: Frank Cho was born in Seoul, South Korea, and at the age of six, he and his family came to the United States. Cho never had any formal training in art and taught himself to draw and write by reading art books and comics. At the University of Maryland, he created the award winning college strip, University 2 (University Squared), which ran in the campus newspaper, The Diamondback. Upon graduating from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor degree in Nursing, he signed with Creators Syndicate Inc. His Liberty Meadows was distributed worldwide and was also published as a comic book from Insight Studios Group. In an unprecedented move in comics history, Cho voluntarily discontinued the newspaper strip in favor of comic book distribution only. In 2002, Cho has moved the hugely successful Liberty Meadows comic from Insight Studios Group to Image Comics. He has number of projects scheduled, including upcoming exclusive Hulk and New Ultimates with Jeph Loeb for Marvel Comics and Dragon Line and Zombie King for Image Comics.

Geof Darrow: Geof Darrow began his professional career in Cedar Rapids, Iowa as a snow shoveler, lawn mower, and occasional altar boy. He moved up from there (or down depending on your taste) to design character models for Hanna Barbera. Due to the French-American trade imbalance during the 80's, he was sent to Paris, where he nearly ruined Jean "Moebius" Giraud's career by working with him at the French publishing house Aedena on the project City of Fire. From there, he bedeviled Frank Miller, making his life miserable, in turn, by working with him on the comics Hard Boiled and The Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot for Dark Horse. Not content with ruining his reputation in print, Darrow moved into celluloid and was the concept artist on the Matrix Trilogy and Speed Racer films for the Wachowski Brothers. He is currently writing and drawing the Shaolin Cowboy for Burlyman Entertainment as well as writing and co-directing an animated version of the Shaolin Cowboy for Madhouse Animation Studios, produced by the aforementioned Wachowskis. He is still available for lawn mowing and snow shoveling but has laid down his hassock much to the consternation of the church. Mea Culpa.

David Finch: David Finch began his comic book career at the age of 22 at Top Cow. There, he created Ascension and Aphrodite IX, both of which were top sellers in the business. In 2001, he made the move to Marvel. His 15 issue run on Ultimate X-Men saw sales of the comic jump 40%. On Avengers, David's presence doubled sales with starting with his first issue. Eventually feeling the need for a change, David took on the monumental task of bringing a perennially low-selling, cancelled Moon Knight into the mainstream. His run on Moon Knight skyrocketed this title into the main Marvel universe and saw it sell over five times the all the title's previous releases. Now, David is working with Jeph Loeb on Ultimatum. In addition to his comic career, David has also worked on video games, music, and film. He has worked with Zack Snyder, Guillermo del Toro, Clive Barker, and Michael J. Straczynski, among others. His artwork can currently be seen in stores nationwide on the CD cover for the band Disturbed.

Ron Garney: Ron Garney has been a professional comics illustrator since 1989. Over the course of his career, he's built a large fan following, tackling some of the industry's greatest characters including the Incredible Hulk, Silver Surfer, X-Men, JLA, Captain America, Spider-Man, Daredevil, Ghost Rider, Moon Knight, and G.I. Joe. He's been nominated twice for the industry's coveted Eisner award, for best penciler and best serialized story for Captain America with Mark Waid. Ron has also worked in the film industry, notably on I Am Legend as costume illustrator, and he currently illustrates Wolverine: Weapon X alongside Jason Aaron. Ron lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children.

Adam Hughes: Born Cinco de Mayo during the Summer of Love in Riverside, NJ, Adam escaped to Atlanta in the early 90s, when such things were possible. Starting his comics career in 1987, Adam has drawn for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Dark Horse Comics, and many other companies. He has also done work for Lucasfilm, Warner Bros., and Joss Whedon's Mutant Enemy Productions. He's drawn everything from Star Wars to Star Trek and Indiana Jones to Tomb Raider. His run of covers on Wonder Woman won multiple Harvey Awards and an Eisner. He's also won both the Gold and Silver Spectrum Awards for Comics. Adam is currently working on many projects, including a hard-cover collection of his work for DC Comics over that last 20 years. He also enjoys designing statues for Sideshow Collectibles.

Greg Land: Greg has been illustrating comics as a freelance artist since 1994. He broke into the business with Sky Comics, on a title called Storm Quest. This work led to projects with DC Comics that included Nightwing and the Birds of Prey. In 2001, Greg started with CrossGen Comics and helped develop their top selling adventure book, Sojourn. His next step was illustrating several covers for Marvel, Top Cow, and DC. His relationship with Marvel Comics led to an exclusive contract that has featured work on titles such as Phoenix: End Song, Ultimate Fantastic Four, and Ultimate Power. Currently, he's at work on The Uncanny X-Men. Greg resides in Florida with his wife of almost 25 years, Trish, and their daughter, Shelbi.

Paul Pelletier: Paul has been drawing comics professionally since 1992. Over the last 18 years, he's penciled books including Ex-Mutants, Flash, Green Lantern, Negation, Fantastic Four, and She-Hulk and worked for companies including Malibu, DC, CrossGen and Marvel. He is now under exclusive contract with Marvel and is drawing the Incredible Hulk. Paul lives in Tampa with his wonderful wife, Danette, and their two cats, Moxie and Marino.

Chris Ware: Chris Ware lives in Oak Park, IL, and is the author of Jimmy Corrigan – the Smartest Kid on Earth. He is currently serializing two new graphic novels in his ongoing periodical The ACME Novelty Library, the 20th issue of which will be released in 2010. He has guest-edited McSweeney's Quarterly Concern and Houghton-Mifflin's Best American Comics and was the first cartoonist chosen to regularly serialize an ongoing story in The New York Times Magazine. A contributor to the New Yorker and The Virginia Quarterly Review, his work was included in the 2002 Whitney Biennial, was favored with an exhibit of its own at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in 2006, and will be exhibited at the Gävle Konstcent.

For more information on guests, tickets, or C2E2 in general, visit www.C2E2 or check out the show’s official blog, MediumAtLarge at www.mediumatlarge.net, or follow C2E2 on Twitter at www.twitter.com/c2e2.

ABOUT REED EXHIBITIONS POP CULTURE GROUP:
The Pop Culture Group at Reed Exhibitions owns and operates the New York Comic Con (NYCC), the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2), and the New York Anime Festival (NYAF). New York Comic Con was launched in 2006 and quickly became a dominant presence in the pop culture world of public events. In 2009, 452 companies exhibited at NYCC for a total of 84,000 square feet of paid exhibit space, and it has been ranked by Crain's New York Business as the second-largest annual event in NYC. C2E2, which will debut April 16 – 18 at Chicago's McCormick Place Convention Center, is modeled after NYCC and will provide fans the opportunity to meet and greet their favorite writers, creators, and artists, as well as to see, hear and learn about the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television. The Pop Culture Group also operates the recently-launched Star Wars Celebration in partnership with the Lucasfilm Ltd. and UFC Fan Expo. Additionally, it holds a strategic partnership with Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) in 2008 and will work closely with PAX on the launch of PAX East in Boston in 2010. Read more...

Marvel Comics is proud to announce The Heroic Age, the dawn of an exciting new era of heroism in the Marvel Universe!

Beginning in May 2010 with the release of Avengers #1, The Heroic Age ushers in a brighter Marvel Universe and a bold new era for the world’s greatest super heroes as they emerge from darkness with a renewed sense of hope and optimism, leading to the formation of all new teams with new members…and brand new characters! Titles branded with the Heroic Age banner offer a perfect jumping on point for readers new and old alike, as the top comic book creators in the world deliver a Marvel Universe like you’ve never seen before!

Over the past few years, the Marvel Universe and its citizens have found themselves living in a dark age of despair. Beginning with the disbanding of the Avengers, the heroes of the Marvel Universe have been caught in a demoralizing downward spiral that has included the genocide of the mutant population, a divisive civil war between heroes, the assassination of Captain America, a worldwide subversive alien infiltration and invasion, and the media-fueled and publicly-supported ascension of the Green Goblin’s civilian identity, Norman Osborn, to power and control of the United States. Now, the heroes have united once again, stronger than ever and are prepared to face the dangers that lie ahead.

“Our heroes have experienced some of their greatest trials and tribulations recently, but now there’s going to be a renewed hope among their ranks,” said Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer & Editor-in-Chief Marvel Entertainment LLC. “As our heroes emerge from the darkness, the Marvel Universe is going to be a more optimistic place than we’ve seen in a quite awhile. But that doesn’t mean we’re making things easy for our characters!”

From the tone of the storylines, to the stunning new artistic look, The Heroic Age ushers in a dramatic new vision of the Marvel Universe. Marvel’s most elite characters will be at the center of The Heroic Age, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Avengers and more!

David Gabriel, Senior Vice-President of Sales & Circulation, Marvel Entertainment LLC. added “We've been working out the details of The Heroic Age for about a year now. The plan is to give old and new fans alike the perfect place to jump into the Marvel Universe without feeling like they've missed out on anything that's come before. If there's a Heroic Age banner on one of the books, we're serious when we say 'the Marvel Universe Starts Here!”

A new Age of Heroes dawns this May as The Heroic Age begins and changes the face of comics as you know them! Join Brian Michael Bendis, Ed Brubaker, Jonathan Hickman, John Romita Jr, and more of the industry’s hottest creators as they bring a bold new era for the world’s greatest super heroes, with a stunning new look for the Marvel Universe!

Marvel Entertainment, LLC. is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 5,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in licensing, entertainment (via Marvel Studios and Marvel Animation) and publishing (via Marvel Comics). Marvel's strategy is to leverage its franchises in a growing array of opportunities around the world, including feature films, consumer products, toys, video games, animated television, direct-to-DVD and online. Read more...

BOOM! Town announces TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN “DEATH BEFORE DECAF” ANIMATED MUG

BOOM! Town, a new imprint of BOOM! Studios, announced today the TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN “DEATH BEFORE DECAF” ANIMATED MUG.

“It animates when you put hot coffee into it!” Said Shannon Wheeler, creator of TOO MUCH COFFE MAN.

TOO MUCH COFFEE MAN “DEATH BEFORE DECAF” ANIMATED MUG costs $14.99 and carries a Diamond Code of JAN100822.

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ANDREA ROMANO DISCUSSES CASTNG/DIRECTING THE VOICES BEHIND “JUSTICE LEAGUE: CRISIS ON TWO EARTHS,” THE NEXT DC UNIVERSE ANIMATED ORIGINAL FILM COMING TO DVD FEBRUARY 23

The stars come out for Andrea Romano.

You need a voice echoing the All-American trust of Superman? Romano gets Mark Harmon for his maiden voyage in animation. You’re seeking a subtly evil performance as the intelligent-bordering-on-insane Owlman? James Woods is willing to do it from a little booth in Rhode Island.

Whatever the role, no matter the production, actors push aside their Oscars, Emmys and Tonys to step behind the microphone and “play” with Romano.

Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths is the seventh entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe animated original PG-13 movies, and each has featured all-star casts with Romano at the reigns. From Neil Patrick Harris, Brooke Shields and Alfred Molina to Virginia Madsen, Nathan Fillion and Kyra Sedgwick (to name but a few), Romano’s casts are packed with the faces normally reserved for lead roles in feature films and primetime television series.

Casting/Dialogue Director Andrea Romano poses for a post-recording session photo with William Baldwin, the voice of Batman in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video. (Photo courtesy of Gary Miereanu)
In addition to Harmon (NCIS) as Superman and Woods (Mississippi Burning) as Owlman, Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths features the voices of Chris Noth (Law & Order, Sex and the City) as Lex Luthor, William Baldwin (Dirty Sexy Money) as Batman, Gina Torres (Firefly/Serenity) as Superwoman and Bruce Davison (X-Men) as President Wilson.

Romano has been one of the driving forces in animation voiceovers for more than a quarter century, amassing a list of credits that range from dramatic (Batman: The Animated Series) to silly (Animaniacs) to hip (The Boondocks) and timeless (Smurfs). The six-time Emmy Award winner (and 20-time nominee) has not only set the standard by which industry veterans measure the art, but she has become a household name to animation fans across the globe, regularly drawing standing ovations and endless applause during her annual Con appearances.

Warner Home Video will distribute the full-length animated Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths on February 23 as a Special Edition 2-disc version on DVD and Blu-Ray™ Hi-Def, as well as single disc DVD, and On Demand and Download.

Romano found time in her busier-than-you’d-ever-believe schedule to discuss the cast of Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths. The questions are simple, but the answers are pure Andrea Romano. Take a read …

QUESTION:
James Woods has quite the resume, including plenty of animation experience. How is it that you had not worked with him until now?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I’ve been a huge fan of James Woods and wanted to work with him for years. We actually had a Justice League production about five years ago that we had him booked for, and then the plug got pulled on the project. I’ve been waiting for something else for him ever since – and then Owlman came along, a perfect role for him.

We had to record him long distance, and his performance was very, very subtle – so much so that I was worried that it wasn’t going to play when it came back with animation. But it was perfect. It was subtle and nuanced and scary without being broad in any way, and it was wonderful to see such a subtle performance work in a big action piece. I can’t wait to meet him in person.

Despite recording on opposing coasts on different days, James Woods (Owlman) and Gina Torres (Superwoman) created a diabolically romantic chemistry thanks to the guidance of casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano. Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie, will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
QUESTION:
On the flipside, the star of one of primetime’s top rated series – Mark Harmon of NCIS – had never previously done animation. How did he do?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I fell in love with Mark Harmon. I have admired his work for many years, but he had not done this kind of work before, and so you always run the risk of several different situations occurring when you bring in someone who is new to animation. But Mark Harmon completely put himself in my hands, and totally let me show him how this work is done. I certainly didn’t have to teach him acting, but he was completely agreeable to trying options, had ideas of his own, and had complete trust in my process. So it was a terrific experience for both of us. I think he’s a wonderful Superman. Although he’s older in years than how we typically portray Superman, his voice with the model was right on.

QUESTION:
Gina Torres is another Joss Whedon alum making an appearance in the Timmverse. What made her right for Superwoman?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I’ve had the great pleasure of working with Gina over the years, and she is as beautiful to work with as she is visually. What makes this particular performance so great is that she plays a truly evil character and, if you didn’t know her personally, you’d think that was what she was like in real-life. She wore this role like a glove.

We recorded Gina separately from James Woods, and their characters are love interests. Without the benefit of being in the same room, let alone the same coast, Gina brought an energy that matched his perfectly. She’s such an instinctual actress. And especially for Superwoman, Gina really put herself into the role. She is sexy. She doesn’t have to play sexy – she IS sexy.

One of the interesting things about Gina’s performance is that when she first recorded, she had a cold and it manifested itself as kind of deeper and textured. But when she came in for ADR, she was perfectly healthy, and much more pure and clear – so we had to make a little bit of an adjustment to make sure she didn’t sound too sweet.

QUESTION:
Did William Baldwin have any trouble mastering Batman?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I thought he did great – I love the texture of his voice. The performance is spot-on. The only issue was that William hasn’t done a lot of voiceover work in this genre. We do a lot of impact sounds that come with this kind of an action piece, and being the method actor he is, he insisted on actually striking his own body physically when he had to do “umphs” and “ohs” and impacts. By the time he was done, he must’ve been bruised. We were a little worried for him. When we brought him back in for ADR, we asked him to please not hit himself, and we showed him how to do those grunts and ughs In this film, Batman wasn’t a big role, but it’s an important role, and I think William really filled it well. Someday I’m going to get all the Baldwins in the same room.

QUESTION:
Chris Noth is another animation novice. Did he enjoy his time as a “good” Lex Luthor?

ANDREA ROMANO:
Chris Noth thought he was going to be playing the evil Lex, and I think he was disappointed he didn’t get to play a villain. Still, he came through and gave a really good performance. What was funny was that at the end of the entire recording process, Chris was our absolute last session of ADR – on a late Friday afternoon. To celebrate, they brought in a tray of Cosmos, and our own Susan Chieco had a very “Sex in the City” moment of walking a Cosmo in to Chris Noth. He cheered up considerably at that point.

Under the direction of Andrea Romano, the voices of Superman, Lex Luthor and Batman – Mark Harmon, Chris Noth and William Baldwin, respectively – meshed perfectly with their characters in Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths, the next DC Universe animated original movie. The film will be distributed February 23, 2010 by Warner Home Video.
QUESTION:
How did you end up promoting Bruce Davison to President?

ANDREA ROMANO:
I met Bruce at a wedding about 20 years ago and have admired his acting for so long anyway. It was another one of those perfect matches of voice and character. We had this nice role of the President that needed some gravitas to it and, at the same time, this particular President was a bit of a coward. Bruce was able to give us both of those aspects in just the right doses.

QUESTION:
In your opinion, what will win the Academy Award for Best Animated Film?

ANDREA ROMANO:
“Up” was my favorite movie of the year. Think about it: I’m a voice director, and I was captivated by the first 10 minutes of the film – which has no voice, and yet it’s some of the best storytelling I’ve ever seen in a live-action or animated film. You really run through the gamut of emotions. I also thought the kid was charming, and Ed Asner was so wonderful. Plus, who doesn’t like looking at a huge collection of balloons, and a house that can fly?

For more information, images and updates, please visit the film’s official website at www.JUSTICELEAGUECRISIS.com. Read more...

Smallville returns this Friday at 8pm with "Disciple!" Tune in!

“SMALLVILLE” — (8:00-9:00 p.m. ET)

“Disciple” (TV-PG, V) (HDTV)

NO LOVERS, NO ALLIES, NO DISCIPLES; INTRODUCING DC COMIC CHARACTER THE DARK ARCHER — Oliver’s (Justin Hartley) past comes back to haunt him in the form of The Dark Archer (guest star Steve Bacic), Oliver’s former teacher, who seeks revenge on his student by taking aim at Lois (Erica Durance) and Chloe (Allison Mack). Oliver faces down The Dark Archer after his former mentor kidnaps Mia AKA “Speedy” (guest star Elise Gatien) but is pushed to his limit and Clark (Tom Welling) races to stop him from making another deadly mistake. Mairzee Almas directed the episode written by Jordan Hawley (#3X5260).

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Diamond Select has release images of the upcoming Marvel Minimates Toys R Us Series 6.

Included in this series is Klaw and Storm, Thor Reborn and Lady Loki, Mr. Fantastic and World War Hulk, and Wolverine and Captain America.