Latest Gear Live Videos
Contest: Want to go to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game?
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Features, Microsoft,
If you’re an NBA fan, then this HP Take All the Action With You contest is going to be right up your alley. Even better? We are partnering with about 24 other sites to bring you some exclusive prizes as well. We will go into all the details after the jump, but here it is in a nutshell:
By entering the HP-Microsoft contest, you are entered to win a grand prize that allows you to see Kevin Garnett and the Celtics play a home game in Boston, and an away game in a West Coast city. That’s right, coast-to-coast baby! That includes VIP tickets to the games, airfare, hotel, and some HP gear as well. At the very least, check it out. So, that’s one contest. But the real deal is that we are having our own giveaway with 24 other sites, with the prizes being 2 trips to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas, TX, including travel, accomodations, and a ticket to the game. The winners will be accompanied by the site owner. In other words, if someone from Gear Live wins, I’ll be personally going to the NBA All-Star game with them.
Now, there are a bunch of runners-up prizes as well, so jump down for all the details, including how to enter.
Click to continue reading Contest: Want to go to the 2010 NBA All-Star Game?
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DC Comics Review: Batman Confidential #29
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, DC Comics,
Rating: ** 1/2*
A bit of a disappointment this time around for the creative team of Andrew Kreisberg and Scott McDaniel. I’ve been raving about the writing that Kreisberg had been doing with his previous story arc in “Batman: Confidential” which was entitled “Do You Understand These Rights?”. This was a great story that presented a retelling of the first time Batman captured the Joker and brought him in for booking at Gotham Police headquarters. The Joker that Kreisberg portrayed in his story was fantastic; funny and evil at the same time; the way you would like to see the Joker in any comic book story. The peanut murder was a classic! I highly recommend picking this story arc as a trade or going to your local comic store to get the back issues.
I was looking forward to the “Bad Cop” storyline because it’s a direct sequel to the “Rights” storyline and Kreisberg and McDaniel have returned to tell the tale. This wasn’t a bad story, but it also wasn’t a great story. If you’re a Batman addict, I would recommend it as it maybe one of the few Bruce Wayne/Batman stories we maybe seeing for a while. If you can do without Bats, then I would pass.
Click to continue reading DC Comics Review: Batman Confidential #29
WEEKEND READING: DONALD WESTLAKE, BOSKO, TINTIN & STAR TREK!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Lots more great fun on the internets this week: Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of Richard Stark’s (aka Donald Westlake) The Hunter, the craziness of Tintin, a bit of Bosko, The Family Circus (no, really!) and some silly Star Trek stuff with Simon Pegg. Let’s get the linking party started:
DONALD E. WESTLAKE & DARWYN COOKE: The late Donald E. Westlake was one of America’s greatest crime writers. He wrote some great stand-alone novels like Kahawa and The Ax, as well as caper novels featuring John Dortmunder, many of which became movies: The Hot Rock, Bank Shot). Under his Richard Stark pseudonym he wrote some critically-acclaimed hard-boiled crime novels featuring Parker (many of which were made into movies: Payback with Mel Gibson and Point Blank with Lee Marvin). Both Payback and Point Blank are based on the same novel, The Hunter. Tom Spurgeon of the blog Comics Reporter has an interview that’s a must-read for Westlake/Stark/Parker fans. Spurgeon interviews Darwyn Cooke about his upcoming IDW adaptation of The Hunter. Ed Brubaker guest-stars in the interview.
STAR TREK: Simon Pegg of Shaun of the Dead and other fun films, gives an interview to the BBC where he talks about playing Montgomery Scott in J. J. Abrams’ Star Trek, and also playing on of the Thompson Twins in Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson’s adaptation of Tintin. Here he is talking about having his own licensed action figure: “As a fan of those things as a kid, I had plenty of action figures. To actually be one is a great joy, well, it’s five - two Shaun of the Dead, a Doctor Who one and two Star Trek figures. Yes, I play with myself regularly.”
TINTIN: This is from a couple of years ago, but it’s still hard to figure out who’s nuttier, Herge or his creation Tintin. Fortunately, Spencer Cook has the illustrated details, and it’s hard to argue his point. It’s easy to laugh with him though!
TINTIN II: And while Tintin may or may not be crazy, at least one of his fans is rich enough to part with a cool million to buy some original art. The Scoop at Diamond Galleries has the scoop.
BOSKO: Bosko was an animated series character created by Hugh Harman and Rudolph Ising whose cartoon adventures “mirrored” whatever his competitor Mickey Mouse was doing over in his Walt Disney Cartoons. Over at David Gerstein’s Ramapith, he’s posted some fun samples of a Bosko comic strip that’s well worth taking a look at.
THE WORST COMIC BOOK ARTIST?: Steve over at Booksteve’s Library has an interesting historical question. He’s posted what he thinks may be the worst-drawn comic book story in history (or at least the Silver Age) and he needs help identifying the artist. Help a blogger out if you can. And read the whole thing while you’re over there; he’s posted the entire story. It’s a Secret Agent X-9 tale, but it bears no resemblance to the work of Archie Goodwin and Al Williamson.
LELA DOWLING: Here’s a book that fell through the cracks because its target audience isn’t necessarily the comic book fan, it’s beekeepers. Regardless of whether or not you’re a bee lover or bee hater, there’s some great cartooning here. When you get to the cover icon, click it and check out some of the insides to Uncle Buzzy’s Big Fat Book O’ Bee Cartoons.
Click to continue reading WEEKEND READING: DONALD WESTLAKE, BOSKO, TINTIN & STAR TREK!
Top Gear 10 DVD giveaway
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Features, Home Entertainment, Transportation,
For all you lovers of Top Gear, the fantastic BBC show that goes to the extreme with cars, we are giving away the new Top Gear Season 10 DVD set. If you haven’t seen Top Gear, you should, because it’s insane entertainment. How insane? How about driving through the Kalahari Desert in three 20 year old beaters? Or how about crossing the English Channel in a fleet of amphibious cars? See? Now you’re interested.
As with all our other giveaways, you need to be a Gear Live member located in the US. To enter, log in and leave a comment in this thread to something cool on the Internet involving cars. Funny YouTube videos, serious scientific articles, conspiracy theories, or whatever else. We will choose a random winner in a week.
Read More 
| Top Gear 10 on Amazon
LOST Review 5/13/09: The Season Finale
Posted by David Torres Categories: Reviews, Television,
The review for the “LOST” season finale and anything else I write about “LOST” will be posted in the TV Envy section of Gear Live.
Click here for the review!
WEBCOMICS: Thinkin’ Lincoln With Miles Grover, Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe!
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Interviews,
Quick, name a strip that might feature a rap battle between Abraham Lincoln and George Washington, a recurring cast of supporting players including zombie Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe, Jose de San Martin, Queen Elizabeth II, Punxsutawney Phil, and pie charts. Can’t do it? I can. It’s Thinkin’ Lincoln by Miles Grover. If you like your historical figures hysterical, petty, snarky, and anachronistic, you’ll want to hang out every day with Abe and his dead friends .
Besides, where else will you find Abe Lincoln saying “Yesss, I am an awesome boyfriend?”
TOM MASON: Okay, Miles, why Abraham Lincoln?
MILES GROVER: I just really admire Abraham Lincoln. A while into making the strip, I realized it’s kind of a funny way of showing it though, casting Lincoln as this sort of idiotic, buffoonish man-child.
TOM: How do you decide which historical figures to throw in?
If you dream of a comic book called “The Fantastic Four And Steve” or “Iron Jimmy,” or “Valerie’s Avengers,” you might be eligible for a job at Marvel Comics.
Marvel is currently looking for a batch fresh-faced students in need of a little academic credit. That’s right, if it’s summer, it must be intern season. Marvel needs interns in ”different departments to keep the old ship going full steam ahead, and we encourage students to apply to more than one department if they feel they have the skills that fit the bill.” A bill that will go unpaid, since these are unsalaried positions.
Details are at the Marvel Comics website, but internships range from handling art returns (yes, some artists are still Strathmore-based), Editorial Operations, Editorial, Production (hey, that’s the legendary “Marvel bullpen”!), Web/Online (analytics, web editorial, web design, web development, project management), Digital Comics (that’s where I’d go), Creative Services, Brand Assurance, Inventory, Business Development & Merchandising, Sales Communications, Legal, Accounting, Licensing & Consumer Products (toys!), Information Technology, IT Desktop, Human Resources (so you could, theoretically, hire yourself some day) and Print Production (learn it while you can). Those interships are all based in Marvel’s New York headquarters. Over in their L.A. offices in Beverly Hills, they need a few locals in Film Development, Marketing, Legal, Animation, and Interactive. I know someone who interned at Marvel Animation, and she had a blast.
If you’ve got the right stuff, and know your many Green Goblins, and the differences between A.I.M, S.H.I.E.L.D., The Serpent Society and Hydra, you’ve got a shot. And if you find out where they keep The Infinity Formula, let me know.
If DC Comics is more your style, you see about jobs at DC in a previous post.
(Artwork: Cover to Marvel Comics #1 © Marvel Comics)
COMIC BOOK JOBS: WHO’S HIRING? DC COMICS, Batman and Superman
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
BATMAN needs your help! So does SUPERMAN. And AQUAMAN. And even GREEN LANTERN could use a little bit. What’s going on? Is it some sinister plot? A new multi-title crossover? Or worse, another relaunch an old favorite? Nope. It’s DC Comics and they appear to be looking for someone just like you. According to the Time Warner website, there are two positions available in DC’s New York offices. One pays, and the other doesn’t, not even in Target gift cards.
Let’s go to the free job first: A CREDIT-ONLY INTERNSHIP at DC COMICS CREATIVE AFFAIRS department. It’s a general office-duties sort of gig, with a lot of organizing and database searches, but it has an awesome perk: you’ll get to read incoming movie scripts and treatments for upcoming DC-based movies. Oh, and you’ll be in charge of organizing the mysterious and thrilling “comic book closet.”
So if you’re heading into your Junior or Senior year of college and want to move into the creative end of film and television business, this sounds like an easy A on your report card. But it’s also a hugely confidential non-paying position, so don’t ask, don’t tell.
Now for the paying gig: A COORDINATING EDITOR for the DC EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT. You’ll be setting up a ton of meetings with the various DC departments, manage the DCU schedule, and reassign the work of late creators, as well as being the primary DCU contact for talent relations. You’ll also be in charge of coordinating all the stuff for Diamond’s Previews catalog, supervise the credit-only interns (see above listing) and coordinate with the Comics Code Authority (hey, they’re still around?).
There are a lot of requirements, but one of the cooler ones is the ability to travel to various conventions, presumably on DC’s dime, unless you have your own super-powers. Good luck, job-seekers!
Both jobs were posted in mid-April so time may already be running out. Get that resume polished and in.
FORGOTTEN COMICS: BOB RITE and Batman’s Secret Pal, BATBABE
Posted by Tom Mason Categories: Editorials,
Who is Batbabe? Good question. The Batman TV series – the one with Adam West and Burt Ward - took the nation by storm for a brief time in the 1960s. The success of it inspired a number of cheap knock-offs where putting “Bat” in front of anything smelled like a license to print unlicensed money. Batfink, anyone?
Hence, Batbabe and Rosie. Tower Books (#42-691) released this cheap paperback in 1966 in an obvious attempt to cash in on the craze: Batbabe and Rosie are a cartoony female version of Batman and Robin. Most of the humor in each of the double-page spreads of cartoons is of the corny late-50s and 60s variety, with strong sexist overtones. Batbabe has man trouble, her mother nags her about getting a boyfriend, she frets about her hair and falls for the kind of guy she’s always punching out, etc. The art is competent, stylized and looks quickly drawn.
But who is Bob Rite, the credited creator? The copyright is in his name so he must have been someone, yet a Google search of Bob Rite, Robert Rite and Batbabe turned up nothing except a couple of copies for sale. So who was he, where did he come from and where did he go? Tower Books also published Tower Comics, home of the T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents by Wally Wood and Samm Schwartz (and lots of others) from 1965-1969. So in theory it could be someone from that part of the company, but who knows? If you do, leave your Bat-thoughts in the Bat-comments.
(Illustration: The cover to my worn-out copy of Batbabe and Rosie, picked up at a library book sale.)
AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro Giveaway
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Announcements, Smartphones, Features, Handhelds, Hot Deals,
We are giving away a Pantech Matrix Pro, along with a $100 AT&T gift card that you can use to set up service, play your current AT&T bill, or apply towards the purchase of anything at an AT&T Store. This contest is courtesy of AT&T, so big ups to them. If you want a closer look at the phone, take a look at our Pantech Matrix Pro gallery.
Here’s how to enter to win:
- If you don’t have one already, sign up for a Gear Live account
- If you don’t have one already, sign up for a Twitter account
- Add the Gear Live Twitter account to your follow list
- On Twitter, post a tweet about our contest and link to this page. In the tweet, include the phrase “@gearlive” so we can easily find it.
- Once that is done, leave a comment here in this post with a direct link back to your Tweet. Be sure you are signed in to your Gear Live account before you leave the comment.
Here’s an example of an appropriate Twitter entry:
“@gearlive I just entered to win the Pantech Matrix Pro and $100 AT&T gift card! http://bit.ly/O04Rl/” (Click here to tweet this now)
BONUS ENTRIES: Want more chances to win? Share the link to our contests on the following sites, and leave us a comment linking to those as well:
- Facebook: Shared Link
- Del.icio.us bookmark
- FriendFeed: Use Post a Link
- Your blog: Have a site? Link to our contest on it!
Remember: The bonus entries are just that - bonus. In order to be eligible to win, you must complete the core Twitter requirements.
The contest starts today, and is open to US residents only. May 11th. You have until 11:59 PM PST on May 15th to enter your comments here on this post. We will then announce our winner, chosen randomly out of all valid entrants and bonus points, on May 18th.
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