DARK SHADOWS: the Review

Check out my review of the new film HERE.

YouTube Wednesday: Dark Shadows Past and Present

With a new film debuting on Friday, let's look at Dark Shadows...

The freaky-kool Japanese poster for House of Dark Shadows (1970)

...starting with Barnabas Collins' first appearance in 1967 on the already-year-old series...

Next, the trailer for the first Dark Shadows movie, House of Dark Shadows, done in 1970 while the show was still airing on ABC daily, and featuring the tv series' cast!

It's not a continuation, but a condensed adaptation of the first Barnabas plotline with a bigger budget (no cardboard tombstones!), location shooting, and more Hammer-style blood than daytime tv would allow!

Right after the show ended, a second feature, Night of Dark Shadows came out...

...but was nowhere near the quality of the first film.

When reruns in the 1980s and the release of the series on videotape brought a whole new audience to the show (including a young Johnny Depp), a prime-time revival was ordered in January 1991...

...but constant pre-empting due to the first Gulf War kept the ratings down, and it only lasted half a year!

The videos, however, kept selling, and a devoted audience kept growing.

A new pilot was commissioned by the WB in 2004, but didn't go to series.

(Ironically, the year before, the WB did a Lone Ranger pilot that didn't sell.

Now, Johnny Depp is filming a Lone Ranger movie...as Tonto!)

Depp, who loved the original tv series, acquired the film rights for his production company, contacted Tim Burton, and, this Friday, you'll see the results...

Take it in the same spirit as the JJ Abrams 2009 Star Trek reboot, and you'll have a great time!

Trivia: Show co-creator/story editor/writer Art Wallace also wrote episodes of the original Star Trek, Space: 1999, Planet of the Apes (TV), The Invaders, and Tom Corbett: Space Cadet!
He later served as story consultant on All My Children.
And, every version of Dark Shadows since has used his characters and concepts...

Tribute to Jonathan Frid...the ORIGINAL Barnabas Collins!

Courtesy of the amazingly-talented Francesco Francavilla...

...a graphic tribute to the late Jonathan Frid, who embodied Dark Shadows' Barnabas Collins for two generations of fans, and who passed the torch to Johnny Depp in the new film opening next week.

Plus the cover for #11 of the new Dark Shadows comic book, also by Francesco...

Superb art, eh?

Cover Preview: Dark Shadows #4

One last Halloween treat (no trick)...

...the moody cover for Dark Shadows #4, one of our favorite artists, Francesco Francavilla!
 (and the first issue comes out tomorrow! Pick it up!)

Btw, there was a series of Gold Key Comics, published from 1969-1976, and currently being reprinted in collected editions by Hermes Press...
Innovation Comics published a comic series based on the short-lived prime-time revival of the show in the early 1990s, some of which we re-presented on our blog, True Love Comics Tales™ here and here.

Check out

 Horror Comics of the 1950s

Comics Collectibles Store!

Dark Shadows: the NEW Comic about the 1960s TV series!

With a NEW movie version starring Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins coming..

Click on the art to enlarge

...what better time to do a new comic book about Dark Shadows?

But, not the new movie version...they're doing the original 1960s tv series!

And who better to do the covers than one of our favorite Gothic-style artists, Francesco Francavilla?

TV’s original reluctant vampire, Barnabas Collins, laboring under his vampiric curse and haunted by dreams of his age-old lover and nemesis, Angelique, is one of the small screen’s most original horror creations.
The stories for the new comic book series pick up right where the narrative of the original ABC soaper left off in 1971, using the likenesses of the original actors.

There was a series of Gold Key Comics, published from 1969-1976, which is currently being reprinted in collected editions by Hermes Press...
Innovation Comics published a comic series based on the short-lived prime-time revival of the show in the early 1990s, some of which we will be re-presenting in October on our blog, True Love Comics Tales™.
The new series from Dynamite will be available in October!

Whatever Happened to The Lone Ranger?

The budget had been approved.
The script was written (and approved) by all concerned.
The stars, including Johnny Depp as Tonto, were cast.
Sets were being built in New Mexico.
Pre-production was well underway.
Then, someone at Disney yelled "STOP!"

The producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, was told he would have to cut $40 million from his already-approved budget of $250 million.
Was it because of the less-than-stellar box office for Cowboys & Aliens?
According to the LA Times: "Cowboys & Aliens made them (Disney executives) start quaking in their boots over big budgets," said Brandon Gray, creator and president of BoxOfficeMojo.com, a website that tracks worldwide ticket sales. "It was High Noon at Buena Vista."
Oddly enough, The Lone Ranger also would've been a cross-genre western, this time with werewolves (which makes sense, since silver can slay lycanthropes, and the Ranger uses silver bullets)!

Besides the location shooting in New Mexico, The Lone Ranger had reserved several soundstages at  Albuquerque Studios which, ironically, are currently being used for another big-budget Disney film; The Avengers!

Let's see what develops...

'Tis Better to Give than to Receive (especially bullets!)

In the season of giving, the crew at Atomic Kommie Comics™ ask "why not give the guys who gave as good as they got?"

That's our roundabout (but alliterative) way of saying you should visit the Real Life Criminals section of our Crime & Punishment™ line for some criminal, but kitchy, collectibles for the Mob maven in your life!

We're talkin' Al Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, and especially John Dillinger on everything from black hoodies to mousepads!
With the new Dillinger biopic Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp out on DVD & Blu-ray, now's the time to grab a funky, but affordable, retro collectible and combine it with said DVD or Blu-ray to make the perfect gift set for the felony fan you love!

It's an offer you can't refuse. (Oh, wait, that's another gangster epic...)

Give DILLINGER for Christmas--or else!

Few criminals have been fodder for dramatization more than John Dillinger!
Many noted actors including Martin Sheen, Mark Harmon, Warren Oates, Robert Conrad, Nick Adams, Ralph Meeker, and Lawrence Tierney have portrayed the notorious gangster in tv and films! Dillinger even appeared in episodes of Lois & Clark: the New Adventures of Superman and NightMan!
The recent biopic, Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp, has just been released on DVD and Blu-Ray.
There are numerous novels and historical texts about and including him!
He's even been the star of his own comic book!

Atomic Kommie Comics™ proudly offers not one, not two, but six different Dillinger designs on various kool kollectibles!
Three classic movie posters, a classic "teaser" logo (see above) and two Golden Age comic covers!

Why not combine one of our Dillinger items (including mugs, hoodies, and messenger bags) from Real-Life Criminals, with a copy of the Public Enemies DVD or Blu-Ray to make a dynamic Dillinger gift set for Christmas?
The Dillinger or Depp (or both) fan in your life will thank you for it!

PLUS: A FREE Christmas bonus from us to you: From Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine (an incredible blog! Subscribe to it NOW!), here's "The True Story of John Dillinger"!

Design of the Week--Dillinger Is Coming!

Each Wednesday, we'll post a graphic design on kool kollectibles, to be sold for exactly 7 days, then replaced with another, totally-different image!
Last week it was Honus Wagner on the rarest baseball card in the world!
It's gone now! You can't get it any more!
This week it's Dillinger is Coming!
And he is coming, in just two weeks, on July 1st in the new Michael Mann flick Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp as the legendary bank robber John Dillinger!
Our design this week is taken from the teaser poster for the 1940s biopic Dillinger! starring Lawrence Tierney, noted for "tough guy" roles, as Dillinger.
(It looks especially good on our black / dark t-shirts!)
Instead of wearing Johnny Depp, like everyone else, show your pop-cult cred and join in the tradition of "Secret Chic" pioneered by Atomic Kommie Comics™ using graphics from earlier versions of new flix and tv series as our design inspiration!
Impress your friends (who probably never even heard of the 1940s Dillinger!) with your knowledge of celluloid history and your good taste in t-shirts and accessories!
Order now, 'cause in a week, it'll be gone!

PS...it's our 300th post!

75th Anniversary of John Dillinger's Death!

Famous Gangsters comic cover showing John Dillinger's death in the alley of the Biograph Theater

On July 1st, Michael Mann's new film Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp as John Dillinger opens across America, less than a month before the 75th anniversary of Dillinger's death on July 22, 1934.
(Is that great timing, or what?)

Before it does, have a look at John Dillinger in Pop Culture, a cool webpage with links to resources including the official FBI webpage about Dillinger, pages about movies (including Public Enemies) and other media portraying the legendary bank robber, and kool kollectibles (t-shirts, hoodies, mugs, messenger bags, etc.) emblazoned with Dillinger comic covers (including the one above) and movie posters from the 1930s thru the 1960s!

Johnny Depp IS John DIllinger!

That new poster looks cool, doesn't it?
Speaking of cool, why not check out our line of kool retro John Dillinger kollectibles embellished with vintage movie poster and comic book cover art?
It's "Secret Chic" at it's best!

'Tis Better to Give than to Receive! (especially bullets!)

In this season of giving, the crew at Atomic Kommie Comics™ ask "why not give the guys who gave as good as they got?"

That's our roundabout (but alliterative) way of saying you should visit the Real Life Criminals section of our Crime & Punishment™ line for some criminal, but kitchy, collectibles for the Mob maven in your life!

We're talkin' Al Capone, "Lucky" Luciano, and especially John Dillinger on everything from black hoodies to mousepads!
With the new Dillinger biopic Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp due out shortly, now's the time to grab a funky, but affordable, retro collectible for the felony fan you love!

And, for you last minute shoppers, Atomic Kommie Comics™ offers a FREE upgrade to 2-Day Shipping to be sure that your gangster gift (or ANYTHING you order from us) is under the tree on Christmas Eve!
Talk about an offer you CAN'T refuse!
Just pick "Standard" shipping at checkout, and you'll automatically be boosted to the normally-more expensive 2-Day option at NO EXTRA CHARGE!
But the offer's only good until Midnight (eastern Standard Time), tonight! So move it or lose it! ;-)

"Let's go make a withdrawal..." BANG! BUDDA-BUDDA-BUDDA! BLAM!

Few criminals have been fodder for dramatization more than John Dillinger!
Currently, Johnny Depp is filming a new biopic, Public Enemies, in Illinois.
Many noted actors including Martin Sheen, Mark Harmon, Warren Oates, Robert Conrad, Nick Adams, Ralph Meeker, and Lawrence Tierney have portrayed the notorious gangster in tv and films! Dillinger even appeared in episodes of Lois & Clark and NightMan!
There are numerous novels and historical texts about and including him!
And, he's even been the star of his own comic book!

Atomic Kommie Comics™ proudly offers not one, not two, but five different designs on kool kollectibles! Three classic movie posters and two Golden Age comic covers!
The average guy on the street will wear the poster art for the Johnny Depp film! On the other hand, you, dear reader, as a master of pop culture coolness, would rather go retro at Real-Life Criminals, a section of Crime & Punishment™ devoted to true-crime comics & flix and choose from messenger bags, t-shirts, mousepads and other swag adorned with classic Dillinger imagery!

PLUS: A comic book bonus: From Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine (an incredible blog! Subscribe to it NOW!), here's The True Story of John Dillinger!