BitterNews for Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

• Amanda Conner is taking on the Black Cat after her Power Girl run wraps in just a few issues. Looks great!
• The new Jackass film will be in 3-D. Giant Steve-O balls in your face.
• EMI is now trying to license its catalog to third parties in the USA for a period of 4-5 years. Do I smell desperation? Yes. Yes, I do.
• The MGM bid deadline was extended, but still no news on a winner. It’s doubtful there is one as the owners value the company beyond its assessed price.
• Chris Evans is Cap! We’re happy.
• The Punisher book is now called Franken-Castle, proving that, in the 616 universe, there is no Galactus.
• Hot Toys is doing Cosbabies for Iron Man 2 – and charcters include Nick Fury and the Black Widow. Hopefully these two will make it to 1:6 scale as well. Today the company revealed it’s 1:6 Whiplash, so we’re hoping.


• Looks like Tom Hanks’ Playtone films will maker the Green Day American Idiot movie.
• Marvel is soliciting a ton of premier hardcovers this month, going so far as to reprint the controversial Rawhide Kid series by Ron Zimmerman. I’ll buy it, but who else will? Also, there’s only one Masterworks this month (Amazing Spidey) and a lone Essentials (Captain America #5, which gets into the Kirby return to Marvel).
• A wimpy kid kicked Gerard Butler’s ass this weekend.
• Ratt’s drummer, Bobby Blotzer, is publishing his autobiography the same day that Ratt releases a new album. A whole book about how you made a career of drumming on one half-assed hair metal hit? Sounds like a paragraph, not a book.
• Bitterest Geek of the Year Award: Yes, we realize it’s only March, but we highly doubt anyone will top this; Ree Yees, I mean Lady Gaga’s ex-Boyfriend / Producer is suing her for over $30 million. He claims this is to compensate for all the work he did with her in “grooming” her for stardom (personally, I think she should be groomed by another monkey – they can find the insects that live on her, and they eat them, so no chemicals!). We think that he is due something for the services provided but the first $30 million is for having to admit to the world that he fucked that hideous, untalented freak.
• DC direct has released their upcoming products list, and as usual, most of it elicits a humongous yawn. There are a couple of highlights; a Superman VS Muhammad Ali statue, an Adam Hughes Batgirl statue, and a 1:6 movie Jonah Hex that is limited to 1000 pcs, which shows that not only have they realized these fucking things don’t sell, but that the movie probably blows. The rest is the usual assortment of Blackest Night figures, World of Warcraft stuff, an Under The Red Hood tie-in “maquette”, Ani-Come figs, girly busts and boring Tim Bruckner sculpts.
• DC is reissuing the Neal Adams Superman/Ali book in hardcover in two versions – one of which is in the original printed dimensions – in our opinion, the only way to see it.
• The James Jean Fables cover collection is being reprinted.
• There’s a Scott Pilgrim trailer that will be online in the next week or so.
• Lego has revealed six figures from their replacement for the Bionicle line, Hero Factory. In addition, two vehicles were revealed.
• Desperation in Amazon land: Amazon is releasing a version of the Kindle software for the iTampon. Because that makes sense.
• Mattel Fuck-Up Of The Day: I suppose this is technically the “Mattel-related Fuck-Up of the Day” as Mattel didn’t actually initiate this, but it’s laughable that they accepted it. They’ve been awarded one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies. Tell that to anyone trying to order Moss Man last week. But don’t feel bad, NAMBLA was just outside the top ten.
• Check out ghostofellie.com, a blog that is supposedly exposing dirty-dealings in the Frazetta family that may leave Frank’s art in the hands of the wrong peole.
• If you hate music, MGMT’s new album is streaming in it’s entirety.
• Johnny Greenwood from Radiohead has a classical piece – surely now their fans will realize how badly they suck.
• Avi Arad is planning a 3-D Popeye movie – because kids love Popeye! Kids who died in the 50’s, that is.
• Don’t buy the new Complex, as all the pictures of Olivia Munn are visible online. You could buy it if you want to read the interview. I’m a laugh a minute over here.
• Marvel/Miracleman is coming back into print via Marvel who will be releasing a hardcover called Marvelman Classic Primer – which sounds like a corporate version of the Two Morrows book of a few years ago. At the moment it does not appear that Alan Moore is involved. Reports are also leaking that Mick Anglo strips (pre-dating the Moore revival by many years) are coming in July. Uneducated fanboys will be underwhelmed by these primitive Captain Marvel rip-offs.

BitterNews for Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

Mattel Fuck-Up Of The Day: As expected it was today’s “sale” or, as we have come to know it at BG HQ, “when Nerds get their period.” Here are just a few of the sweet posts from “fans” found around the web:

* Q: Where is toy guru and his HORSE TEETH spin on todays sell out?
A: Stylin' and profilin' with the Horseman fatboy!

* Dam things are going form bad to worst on mattycollector.com.....

* I had a subscription and Digital River cancelled it without explanation, so I'm starting not to care. They should sell these at retail. I'm just tired of the problems.

* I didn't even bother today and it still sold out at 2 minutes? That's ridiculous. And giving everyone a heads-up that stock was small was just an invitation for the scalpers to recruit all their buddies to buy even more. Sometimes I wonder if you even want us to buy your product.

* System said in cart, but after pressing to go to cart it said it was empty. Digital River...U suck!

* The tax is BACK YET AGAIN! Matty. Please do something for this. This is the third time the 15% VAT on DIGITAL GOODS is being charged on ACTION FIGURES. Can't Digital River figure out yet that an action figure is NOT a Digital service? You already made this mistake twice, acknowledged that it is a mistake and refunded us. Please fix this issue and make sure it does not happen again. THANKS!

* We haven't gotten a response yet. I guess that means the staff at Mattel must be hiding with their heads up their a**es. I hope you enjoy the experience Matty, big crown and all.

* Comment on todays screw up. Not about deleting post. Dont hide behind your computer screen we know youre there.

* I never even had the wsod and had two of each Mossman and it said it was sold out and it waa only 12:03. I was on at 12 on the dot. Matty you got some explaining to due.

* I was all ready to buy my 1st MOTU figure with Moss Man and has expected was let down by Matty. This is the trifecta for me. JLU, DCUC and now MOTU.

* If Toyguru even mentions what a "success" this month was, I'll buy a flocked Moss Man off eBay just so I can beat him to death with it.

* Well, I wanted to report something good about my single Club Eternia monthly figure, but it seems that calling customer service twice, and adding two back up credit cards is not enough for mattel. For some reason I have been unable to persuade them not to use my old credit card. Now I have no Moss Man despite my subscription. What the hell is wrong with Digital River, and what the hell is wrong with Mattel? Please use the information available to you on my account! Thank you!

* I think I'm done with MOTUC. Never enough quantity to satisfy demand. Noon sale that last for 20 mins before sell out it ridiculous. Digital River sucks and cancelled my subscription without explanation & I will not pay markup on the secondary market. Matty, let me know when you're ready to sell your product directly to the consumer for more than a 20 min window.

* Matty, I have made a permanent decision to, after attempting to get April's Weapons Pak, and June's Faker re-issue, to drop MOTUC permanently. I'm sure my feelings are shared with thousands of other fellow collectors who Mattel has alienated with this particular line. I am also starting up my own Facebook group page to boycott MOTUC and Mattel's ass-backward decision-making skills. Oh, don't bother deleting me: as soon as I post this, I will leave this God-forsaken group, just like Mattel leaves customers hanging on or around the 15th of every month. Good riddance.

* HOW do they make marketing and production decisions at matty? Do they sit around a huge geek/nerd round table and decide that low production numbers and spinning "explanations" for fast sell outs is "good business?" I understand the whole "keep supply low to keep demand high" tactic,but when the supply is THIS low,it only results in a backlash that they OBVIOUSLY get off on.

* Im sure the Matty crew sit around the office the day of the sale and drink champagne when the figs sell out,while platitudly congratulating themselves,while laughing at their customers.

* Waaazzzupp ToyGuru, you go on wit yo bad self! A rolling fanboy gathers no Moss Man...

and if the complete failure of Mattel to address this problem didn’t get the nerds fired up enough, there’s this:

Ouch.

• Ferg is releasing his first 12” figure – the Playge Rat. The full figure hasn’t been revealed yet, but there are a few pics at Collect & Destroy.
• Bendis says the Spider-woman cancellation wasn’t due to sales – but sales did suck – the book went into freefall after the first issue.
• Kirby’s heirs have sued Marvel over character rights. They had previously served Marvel notice and Marvel responded by suing them. Even if Marvel is technically within their rights, it seems appalling that the Kirby Estate hasn’t seen royalties on ANYTHING – while Stan has had renumeration for years, even if it wasn’t in the form of royalties.
• Twilight GN is out today. One was listed on eBay last week and no one bought it. Does this cult really have the juice the media suggests it does?
• EMI has launched a new country label – smart move, as EMI Nashville is the only part of the company that consistently delivers hits.
• Ryan Adams has made a metal album called “Orion”. Sounds like a rock album to me, not really metal.
• Spencer Pratt has not only been replaced as Heidi Montag’s “manager” (like that’s a timesuck), but he’s been booted from the Hills for a few weeks. Great, can we forget about this turd in the punch bowl now?
• Michael Jackson got a 200 million dollar advance from Sony – the largest in music biz history. Of course this is just a publicity stunt, as Sony probably crossed the royalties with old material and the Estate is probably due nearly that amount in the wake of sales after his death.
• Kate Winslet …….snore
• Duke for Captain America? Ugh.
• Is it normal for this many earthquakes to happen in close proximity to each other?
• Willie Nelson is starting a film company. Who in their right mind is funding this? They plan to make 5 films a year!
• Longbox, the digital comics delivery service, has gone live.
• Japan & China have combined a copyright agreement.
• Thousands of jag-offs pissing away their company’s expense accounts on barbeque, booze and strippers. That’s all that’s happening there, though.

BitterNews for Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

• Community, 30 Rock, Smallville & Fringe were all picked up for next season.
• There’s a Gilligan’s Island movie in development. In related news, my script for “Windex: The Movie” has just been picked up.
• Tim Burton and the Russian dude that did both Day- & Night- Watches are developing Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter.
• CD releases today: BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB-Beat The Devil's Tattoo, BROKEN BELLS-Broken Bells & Deluxe Box version too, BUNDLES (KIMYA DAWSON), CHIEFTAINS/COODER, RY-San Patricio & CD/DVD version too, FRIGHTENED RABBIT-Winter Of Mixed Drinks (gayest band name ever), GORILLAZ-Plastic Beach 3 versions before you get into vinyl, the HJIMI HENDRIX catalog is reissued again, including most albums as CD/DVD sets, and a new collection of previously (legally) unreleased tracks, Valleys Of Neptune, a long-overdue new JOAN JETT double Greatest Hits in time to cash in on the Runaways film, KIDZ IN THE HALL-Land Of Make Believe, LEO, TED-Brutalist Bricks, LUDACRIS-Battle Of The Sexes, PAVEMENT-Quarantine The Past: Best Of, IGGY POP -Anthology 2 CD Box that no one needs, JOSH ROUSE -El Turista, comics freak SERJ TANKIAN -Elect The Dead Symphony (& a CD/DVD version too)
• Betty White IS doing SNL.
• Fantagraphics will be publishing “art manga”. So it’ll still be incomprehensible, but this time won’t have anthromorphic people, aliens, witches, invisible creatures, intentional jokes, sports, or trading card tie-ins. Perhaps some people in their teens/twenties will be sad in it?
• Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine is scoring Iron Man 2. Ironic.
• Bad Religion is recording a live show to release as a free download to it’s fans. All you need to do is join the mailing list.
• Flaming Lips are making a new movie.
• Foo Fighters are making their next album with Producer Butch Vig, who also produced “Nevermind”.
• Of course, in an effort to continue infuriating his fans, Ashley Wood’s new 1:6 figure “Little Shadow” will be released in two version made available at Bambaland on March 18th or 19th depending on where you live on this globe, and a third (at least) version that will be sold randomly at no specific time. So good luck with that.