TV Takes A Shine To DC's "Booster Gold"

Syfy confirms it now has a pilot script, written by Andrew Kreisberg ("Fringe") for a one-hour drama based on the DC Comics superhero character "Booster Gold", to be executive produced by Greg Berlanti ("Brothers & Sisters").

"Booster Gold", created by Dan Jurgens, debuted in DC Comics' "Booster Gold" #1 (February 1986), initially depicted as glory-seeking 'showboat' from the future, using knowledge of historical events and futuristic technology to stage high-publicity heroics. 'Booster' develops over the course of his publication history and through personal tragedies, evolves into a true hero weighed down by the reputation he has created for himself :

"...'Michael Jon Carter' was born poor in the 'Gotham City' of the 25th century, speaking 'Esperanto' as his first language. He and his twin sister 'Michelle' never knew their father because he left after gambling away all their money. Luckily for Michael, he was a gifted athlete and he managed to get into 'Gotham University' on a football scholarship.

"In college, nicknamed 'Booster', Carter became a star quarterback with a bright future. His father then reentered his life and convinced him to bet on games and then throw them. He was exposed and his once bright future shattered.

"He took a job as a night watchman at the 'Metropolis Space Museum', where he began to study displays about superheroes and villains from the past, particularly the 20th century.

"With the help of a security robot named 'Skeets', Carter stole devices from the museum displays, including a 'Legion of Super-Heroes' flight ring and a force field belt used by 'Brainiac 5'. Using a time machine, also on display in the museum, previously owned by 'Rip Hunter', Carter travels to the 20th century, intent on becoming a superhero and forming a corporation based around himself to make a comfortable living..."

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Fincher Plays Rough With "The Goon"

The animated feature "The Goon", based on the 1999 Dark Horse Comics comic book series by writer/illustrator Eric Powell is

co-produced by Dark Horse' Mike Richardson ("The Mask") and David Fincher ("Fight Club") for Blur Studio, Inc.

"...'The Goon' was an orphan raised by his 'Aunt Kizzie', a carnival side-show 'strong-woman'. When wanted gangster 'Labrazio' made the carnival his hiding place, Goon confronted him, with Labrazio showing Goon a book containing the names of all his underworld connections.

"But the police track Labrazio down and surround the trailer.

"In the resulting shoot-out, Goon's Aunt Kizzie is gunned down by Labrazio. Goon then kills the mobster, steals his book of contacts and takes over his entire criminal operation..."

The Goon is a hulking figure, wearing the hat he took from Labrazio.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Goon"...

Depp Stakes Out Disney's "Night Stalker"

Development continues on director Edgar Wright's "The Night Stalker" feature for Disney, based on the classic TV series, to star actor Johnny Depp as Chicago newspaper reporter 'Carl Kolchak'.

First airing over ABC during the 1974-75 TV season, the original series, considered the inspiration for "The X-Files", followed 'Kolchak' (Darren McGavin), who investigated mysterious crimes with supernatural causes, particularly those crimes that law enforcement authorities and city officials won't pursue.

Often these crimes involved elements of the occult or science fiction, including 'fantastical' creatures.

The 'Kolchak' character originated in the novel, "The Kolchak Papers" by author Jeff Rice. In the novel, Las Vegas newspaper reporter Carl Kolchak tracks down and defeats a killer who turns out to be a vampire named 'Janos Skorzeny'.

During the series' run, "The Night Stalker" managed to tackle most of the major monster myths, including vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies.

It also included stories about a doppelganger, witches and succubus.

Four episodes focused specifically on spirits based on native folklore.

The series also dealt with a killer android, invisible extra-terrestrial and a prehistoric man thawed back to life.

Also featured was a headless motorcycle rider and knight's suit of armor possessed by a supernatural spirit.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "The Night Stalker"...

Columbia Dreams Of "Jeannie"

Columbia Pictures continues to develop a big screen adaptation of the classic 1960's TV sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie".

Created by Sidney Sheldon in 1965 to compete against ABC's "Bewitched", "I Dream Of Jeannie" starred actress Barbara Eden, as a 2000-year-old female 'genie' and actor Larry Hagman ("Dallas") as an astronaut who becomes her master and lover.

In the pilot episode, "The Lady in the Bottle", astronaut 'Captain Tony Nelson, US Air Force', is on a space flight when his one-man capsule 'Stardust One' comes down far from the planned recovery area, near a deserted island in the South Pacific.

On the beach, Tony notices a strange bottle that rolls by itself. When he rubs it after removing the stopper, smoke starts shooting out and a Persian-speaking female genie (wearing an enticing harem costume) materializes, kissing Tony on the lips with passion.

Tony expresses his wish that 'Jeannie' could speak English, which she then does. Then, per his instructions, she "blinks" and causes a recovery helicopter to show up. A grateful Tony tells Jeannie she is free, but Jeannie falls in love with Tony, re-enters her bottle and places it in Tony's duffel bag so she can accompany him back home.

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"Guerillas" In The Mist - May 2012

From Oni Press, "Guerillas" Volume 2, available May 2012, is written and illustrated by Brahm Revel :

"...a strange tour of duty in Vietnam for 'Private John Francis Clayton' gets even stranger as he struggles with the unbelievable facts he is faced with.

"The elite platoon of 'simian soldiers' he's encountered don't make any more sense to him than the war he's been sent to fight.

"But is this squad of chain-smoking chimps the most dangerous force in the jungle or are they merely a distraction from a larger menace culivating in the wild?..."

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Marvel Cinematic Universe Expanding

Following the next round of 'Marvel Cinematic Universe' motion picture comic book adaptations, including "The Avengers", "Iron Man 3", "The Amazing Spider-Man", "Captain America 2" and "Thor 2", Marvel Studios is also planning adaptations of "Ant-Man", "Guardians Of The Galaxy" and "The Inhumans" for the big screen.

'Ant-Man' was created in 1962 by writer Stan Lee and illustrator Jack Kirby for Marvel's "Tales to Astonish" #35.

Scientist 'Dr. Henry Pym' invented methods for an individual to be reduced in size, as well as a 'cybernetic' helmet to control insects with feelers, specifically ants.

The second Ant-Man was 'Scott Lang', a thief who reformed with the aid of Pym and 'Iron Man', becoming an affiliate of the Fantastic Four and full-time member of the 'Avengers'.

'Eric O'Grady', the third Ant-Man was a low-level agent of counter-terrorism organization 'S.H.I.E.L.D.', before he stole the Ant-Man armor "...to get chicks."

Director Wright, who researched 'nanotechnology' for his gestating "Ant-Man" feature, plans to deliver "a full-on action adventure sci-fi film but with a comedic element", working from his own screenplay adaptation, co-written by Joe Cornish ("Attack The Block").

Both Pym and Lang will appear in Wright's film, with Pym as Ant-Man in his 1960's guise and a flashforward to the present with Lang as Ant-Man's successor.

Another adaptation in development at the studio is Marvel Comics' "Guardians Of The Galaxy", debuting in "Marvel Super-Heroes" #18 (Jan. 1969).

Set in the 31st century, the 'Guardians' are 'Major Vance Astro', an astronaut from 20th century Earth who was in suspended animation, 'Martinex T'Naga', a 'crystalline' creature from Pluto, 'Captain Charlie-27', a soldier from Jupiter and 'Yondu Udonta', a blue-skinned savage from 'Beta Centauri IV'.

Each Guardian is the last of their kind, forced to unite as a team against the 'Badoon' aliens who attack Earth's solar system.

The Guardians defeat the Badoon, then face 'Korvac', a creation of the Badoon. After teaming with 'Thor' to defeat Korvac in the 31st century, the Guardians chase Korvac to 20th century Earth, where together with the 'Avengers' they fight a final battle.

"The Inhumans" also created by Lee and Kirby, debuted in Marvel's "Fantastic Four" #45 (December 1965). Their home, the city of 'Attilan' is credited to Kirby from a "Tuk the Caveboy" story in "Captain America Comics" #1 (March 1941), described as the home of volutionarily advanced beings, when humans were still in the caveman era.

In their "Fantastic Four" debut, "The Inhumans" origins were established millions of years ago, at the beginning of the alien 'Kree'-'Skrull' war, when the Kree set up a station on the planet Uranus, observing that sentient life on Earth had genetic potential, invested in it by the alien 'Celestials'.

The Kree then began to experiment on primitive homo sapiens by splicing 'Eternals' DNA into 'Cro-Magnons'. Their goal was to investigate ways of circumventing their own evolutionary stagnation, while creating a powerful mutant strain of soldiers for protection against the Skrulls.

The test subjects, the Inhumans, formed their own society, thriving in seclusion from the rest of humanity, developing their own advanced technology, including the mutagenic 'Terrigen Mist' which gave them superpowers, as well as unforseen genetic damage.

Their once-secret existence is now known to the general public as the Inhumans interacted with the Fantastic Four, Avengers, and 'X-Men', against 'Galactus', 'Ultron-7', 'Magneto' and 'Apocalypse'.

Once led by the dethroned 'Unspoken'. the Inhumans king is the mute noble 'Black Bolt'.

His royal family includes 'Medusa', 'Karnak', 'Gorgon', 'Triton', 'Crystal', 'Maximus the Mad' and the canine 'Lockjaw'.

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