#Marvel Publishing Worldwide Books

[disneytva]

Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur: Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

📚 August 1, 2023

Illustrated by New York Times best-selling artist Bea Jackson, this poignant story speaks to Lunella Lafayette's insecurities about her hair as School Picture Day approaches. Sure, Lunella may be a genius Super Hero (Moon Girl), but when someone makes unkind comments about her hair, she questions whether she needs to change it for School Picture Day. She is, after all, still a 13-year-old girl. Ultimately, Lunella figures out the hairstyle that makes her feel like her best self for her school picture, but not before struggling with what that means for her. Readers will explore and relate to themes of self-kindness, patience, identity, and acceptance in this charming and funny story.

[tepkunset]

Marvel Studios is an American film and television production company. Marvel Comics is an American comic book publisher.

As of the current date, the official BDS Movement has called for a Boycott of Marvel Studios upcoming Captain America film that features a zionist Israeli character who supports apartheid. There has been zero mention of Marvel Comics - or anything else Marvel - in either of their two statements I can currently find mentioning "Marvel" on their website, unless something is missing from that tag.

April 27, 2023: "Palestinians call for widespread boycotts of Marvel’s 2024 film, Captain America: New World Order, unless it drops Sabra/Ruth Bat-Seraph, its “superhero” that personifies the apartheid state of Israel. ... We encourage creative, peaceful protests to challenge Marvel Studios’ – and its owner Disney’s – complicity in anti-Palestinian racism, Israeli propaganda, and the glorification of settler-colonial violence against Indigenous people. ... We urge conscientious audiences worldwide to join us in boycotting Captain America: New World Order, and standing up for freedom, justice and equality."

November 23, 2023: "Marvel’s next Captain America film features Sabra/Ruth Bat-Seraph, a “superhero” personifying apartheid Israel. The character’s backstory includes working for the genocidal Israeli government and its occupation forces. By reviving this racist character in any form, Marvel is promoting Israel’s oppression of Palestinians. It is complicit in anti-Palestinian racism, Israeli propaganda, and glorifying settler-colonial violence. Tell Marvel you won’t buy its toys, clothes or accessories."

It is my understanding that the only way a boycott will work is if it's organized and targeted - thus the reason for BDS in the first place. The demand was that Marvel Studios remove the Israeli character from the film. Since the demand has not been met, then the boycott remains in place. But boycotting some random comic book writer's work and some comic book shop that makes pennies, with nothing to do with the MCU, is not what is being organized at this time.

The character in question hasn't even been featured in comics in 10 years - though of course she never should have been created in the first place. But Marvel Studios is choosing to pull her out of nowhere, when they have thousands and thousands of characters they could adapt instead. Please boycott Captain America: Brave New World (formerly titled New World Order) set to come out February, 2025, even if you're a Sam Wilson fan.

[lostcauses-noregrets]

By Rafael Motamayor, New York Times, Nov. 5, 2023

On Saturday, the final episode of the anime adaptation of Hajime Isayama’s “Attack on Titan” premiered on Crunchyroll and Hulu, ending an epic tale that started back in 2013.

Like the manga, which ran from 2009 to 2021, the anime was an instant hit, becoming one of the defining shows of the modern anime era, with spinoffs, live-action and video game adaptations, and even a comic book crossover with Marvel’s “Spider-Man” and “Avengers” titles.

Since the fourth and final season started airing in 2020, “Attack on Titan” has been one of the most popular shows on the internet — episodes have routinely trended on social media, streaming servers have occasionally crashed, the opening theme song became a rare anime song to hit the U.S. Billboard charts. Parrot Analytics said it was the most “in-demand” show in the world in 2021, a metric based on analysis of streaming, social media, search and other online behaviors. The manga has continued to be popular as well, selling over 120 million copies worldwide, and several of the published volumes have charted on the New York Times graphic novels and manga best-seller list.

What started as a thrilling yet relatively simple tale of a young boy seeking revenge against the giant humanoid monsters that ate his mother quickly evolved into a thought-provoking war epic. The tonal shift in “Attack on Titan” also came with one of the biggest heel-turns in modern anime, with the protagonist, Eren Jaeger, devolving into a radicalized monster threatening worldwide genocide.

Since the manga ended in 2021, there has been plenty of speculation and debate over Eren’s antagonistic turn and what the story’s ending means. Ahead of the release of the final episode, the manga creator Hajime Isayama, speaking through an interpreter, David Higbee, talks about the restrictive nature of writing and the story’s dark ending. These are edited excerpts from the interview.

The manga ended a couple of years ago, and the anime is just finishing now. How do you feel about the story coming to an end?

For this anime to be made and for that to go beyond the borders of Japan and to reach a worldwide audience is something that’s been a very happy occurrence for me. In a sense, “Attack on Titan” has connected me to the world, and that’s something that I’m very glad happened.

How much of the ending from the manga did you have in mind when you first began writing “Attack on Titan”? And how much did it change along the way?

That was pretty much there from the beginning, the story that starts with the victim who then goes through this story and becomes the aggressor. That is something I had in mind right from the get-go. Along the way, certain aspects of the story didn’t go as expected, and I adapted and fleshed out certain aspects. But I would say the ending of the story didn’t change much

There’s a much-talked-about scene where Armin, who is struggling with Eren’s turn into a mass murderer, seems to thank him for his actions. Can you talk about the meaning behind that conversation?

My thinking there wasn’t really that Armin was trying to push Eren away for the sake of justice or whatnot. It was more that he wanted to, in a sense, take joint responsibility. He wanted to become an accomplice. In order to become an accomplice, Armin had to make sure that he used very strong wording so that he could take those sins upon himself. And so that was the intent behind it.

You have a scene where Eren apologizes to a kid for the carnage he’s going to commit and says he was disappointed in the world he saw beyond the walls. What does that say about his motivation?

I think that refers to the fact that Eren was dreaming of going to this world outside of the walls where there was nobody and there was nothing. There was an excitement about this world that was just empty, a clean slate. I don’t really know whether that’s a good or a bad thing, and I don’t really know why that was the ideal that I set up for Eren as a part of this story. But what I can say is that, when he does get across the wall at that point, he says he sees that the world is really not that different from what’s within the walls in the world that he already knows. I believe that’s probably the disappointment that I’m referring to in that specific scene.

Eren says in the final episode of the anime that he had no choice but to follow the future that he saw, that he was powerless against the powers of the Founding Titan. Armin even asks if he’s really free. Was he telling the truth or do you see this as him telling an excuse?

So the truth is the situation with Eren actually overlaps in a certain sense with my own story with this manga. When I first started this series, I was worried that it would probably be canceled. It was a work that no one knew about. But I had already started the story with the ending in mind. And the story ended up being read and watched by an incredible number of people, and it led to me being given a huge power that I didn’t quite feel comfortable with.

It would have been nice if I could have changed the ending. Writing manga is supposed to be freeing. But if I was completely free, then I should have been able to change the ending. I could have changed it and said I wanted to go in a different direction. But the fact is that I was tied down to what I had originally envisioned when I was young. And so, manga became a very restrictive art form for me, similar to how the massive powers that Eren acquired ended up restricting him.

You have been involved in the anime production for a little while, supervising the adaptation’s storyboards, and have been known for asking for changes to the story in the adaptation. Did you personally ask for anything for the final episode?

Yes. Absolutely. I checked the script, but the main thing was the storyboards. There were different things I suggested. When it comes down to it, it’s really the role of the production to make those decisions. But I wanted to at least give my input so that they could take those into account when they were making the final decisions.

The manga ends with you showing the future of Paradis and sort of the cycle of war continuing. Is there no end to the conflict and the cycle you present in the story?

I guess there could have been an ending where it was a happy ending and the war ended and everything was fine and dandy. I guess that could have been possible. At the same time, the end of fighting and the end of contention itself kind of seems hokey. It kind of seems like it’s not even believable. It’s just not plausible in the world we’re living in right now. And so, sadly, I had to give up on that kind of happy ending.

[New York Times, 5 November 2023]

[incidentalcomics]

POETRY COMICS is out today! Inside you'll find 96 pages of visual poetry on the seasons and the self. I hope it inspires you to go outside, marvel at the world around you, then write and draw about it.

POETRY COMICS is published by Chronicle Books and is available worldwide wherever you get your books. Signed copies are at my local bookshop, Watermark Books.

[aortaplatinum]

Why Sonic sucked in the first half of the 2010s

One thing I constantly see brought up in the constant Sonic discourse is the concept of the "Meta Era": the period of time in the 2010s when Sonic stories and the series presentation was the lightest and most shallow it had ever been. This era starts with Sonic Colors and ends with Sonic Forces, but doesn't count the failed Sonic BOOM sub-franchise experiment since that was done by entirely different teams compared to those who usually work on Sonic games. The "Meta Era" term seems to have been coined by J's Reviews on YouTube, and is characterized by fourth-wall-breaking, Marvel movie esque English scripts written by Ken Pontac and Warren Graff of Happy Tree Friends and MadWorld fame, along with strange characterization of the Sonic cast. But no one ever tries to look at WHY this happened. I'm splitting this post into two parts because 2010-2015 is very different from 2015-2020 in terms of why the games' stories and then the game[s] themselves sucked. So, the year is 2009. Sonic and the Black Knight has just released following last year's console entry of Sonic World Adventure [titled Sonic Unleashed outside of Japan], and both are torn to shreds by millennial games journalists who grew up with the SEGA Mega Drive/Genesis games, for having stories that are "too dark/edgy". That aspect paired with these games' mostly mediocre gameplay caused them to be branded as "shitty Sonic games" by journos and the general public for years, until they were re-examined by the Sonic community as a whole, who found the good in Unleashed and Black Knight's stories and stage design in the mid-late 2010s. But, SEGA had just recently financially recovered from the failure of the Saturn outside of Japan and the worldwide failure of the Dreamcast, having to be bought out by pachinko manufacturer Sammy Corporation in the early 2000s to avoid going bankrupt. And despite Sonic historically being the company's best-seller worldwide [with the exception of Japan, ironically], SEGA Sammy Holdings [referred to as SEGA] wanted Sonic to be as beloved as much as it could and to sell as much as it could. The series' lack of popularity in Japan has always caused it to be seen as a mascot cash cow by SEGA Japan, just a source of income. Meanwhile, the same publications who cringed at Sonic LAUDED SEGA's recently published PlatinumGames release, MadWorld, for its presentation and its comedy dialogue, and with this positive reception, SEGA had an idea; marry the praised daytime Sonic Unleashed gameplay, with the tone and comedy writing of MadWorld- complete with giving the English script those same writers. There's just one problem- MadWorld is an ultraviolent M-rated comic book style comedy, sharing similarities with the original The Mask comic series. So you can probably imagine what happened when these writers were tasked with creating English localized dialogue for kids' games.

It wasn't very good.

But, sales were up. REVIEW SCORES were up. And this lead to Sonic Generations, which refined the daytime boost gameplay of Unleashed and even used it's same game engine, while introducing the world to "Classic Sonic", a modern re-interpretation of what Sonic played and acted like in the Mega Drive games from the 90's. Gens went on to become one of the most beloved Sonic games of all time- and thankfully, since the game had nearly zero story, there wasn't much script there for Pontac and Graff to... alter.

But, seeing the praise Colors' tone was getting from the professional journalists who bashed the 2000s games, SEGA decided the next course of action was to reach out and work with more Western studios. End part 1.

[satoshi-mochida]

Farmagia digital pre-orders now available, ‘Characters’ trailer - Gematsu

Publishers Marvelous USA and Marvelous Europe have begun digital pre-orders for monster-farming action game Farmagia, as well as released a new trailer spotlighting the game’s characters.

Digital pre-orders are available in the following editions:

Standard Edition ($49.99)

A copy of the game

Digital Deluxe Edition ($59.99)

A copy of the game

Digital art book

Digital soundtrack

Downloadable content: “Buddy Booster Pack”

Both the standard and Digital Deluxe editions will include an exclusive “Jolly Snowtan” buddy skin downloadable content, which includes a wintry skin for your monster plus a set of helpful items.

The physical “Day One Edition” of Farmagia is also available for pre-order through Marvelous USA Store and select retailers for $59.99. It includes a copy of the game, soundtrack CD featuring 23 tracks, and an art book with more than 90 pages of illustrations, all housed within an outer box covered with an original illustration by Hiro Mashima.

Farmagia is due out for for PlayStation 5, Switch, and PC via Steam on November 1 worldwide. Read more about the game here.

Watch the new trailer below.

Characters Trailer

[mayamidnightmelody]

The 1990s was a pivotal decade for geek culture, solidifying many of the trends and franchises that continue to influence pop culture today. Here's an exploration of the various facets of geekdom in the 90s:

Video Games

The 1990s were a golden era for video games, seeing the rise of iconic franchises and gaming consoles.

Consoles and Games:

Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and Sega Genesis were at the forefront of the early 90s gaming scene. Classics like "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past," "Super Mario World," and "Sonic the Hedgehog" became household names.

The mid-90s introduced the Sony PlayStation and the Nintendo 64. Games like "Final Fantasy VII," "Metal Gear Solid," "Super Mario 64," and "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" revolutionized the industry with their storytelling and 3D graphics.

PC Gaming:

The rise of PC gaming brought titles like "Doom," "Quake," "Warcraft," and "Starcraft," which laid the groundwork for modern first-person shooters and real-time strategy games.

The introduction of the CD-ROM allowed for more complex and graphically intense games, expanding the possibilities of game design.

Comic Books and Graphic Novels

The 90s was a transformative period for comics, marked by a combination of innovation and market upheavals.

Marvel and DC Comics:

Marvel experienced a surge in popularity with the introduction of new characters like Deadpool and the significant events like the "X-Men's Age of Apocalypse" and "Spider-Man's Clone Saga."

DC Comics shook the world with storylines such as "The Death of Superman" and "Batman: Knightfall."

Independent Publishers:

The formation of Image Comics by former Marvel artists brought a wave of creator-owned series like "Spawn," "The Savage Dragon," and "WildC.A.T.s."

Vertigo, an imprint of DC, produced critically acclaimed titles such as "Sandman" by Neil Gaiman and "Preacher" by Garth Ennis, pushing the boundaries of mature storytelling in comics.

Science Fiction and Fantasy

The 90s were a golden age for science fiction and fantasy, both in literature and on screen.

Television:

"Star Trek" had a strong presence with "The Next Generation" continuing its success, followed by "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager."

"The X-Files" became a cultural phenomenon, blending science fiction with horror and conspiracy theories.

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" redefined the fantasy genre on television, combining teenage drama with supernatural elements.

Movies:

Blockbuster franchises like "Jurassic Park," "The Matrix," and "Men in Black" showcased cutting-edge special effects and imaginative storytelling.

The re-release of the original "Star Wars" trilogy in special editions prepared the groundwork for the much-anticipated prequel trilogy.

Anime and Manga

The 90s saw the global explosion of anime and manga, making Japanese pop culture a mainstream phenomenon.

Anime:

Series like "Dragon Ball Z," "Sailor Moon," and "Pokémon" became immensely popular worldwide, introducing many to the world of anime.

Films by Studio Ghibli, such as "Princess Mononoke" and "My Neighbor Totoro," received critical acclaim and international recognition.

Manga:

Manga series like "Naruto," "One Piece," and "Berserk" began their runs, setting the stage for long-lasting popularity.

The publication of "Shonen Jump" in English brought many of these series to Western audiences.

Role-Playing Games (RPGs)

The 90s were a significant decade for tabletop RPGs, with many classic games being developed and popularized.

Dungeons & Dragons:

The release of the second edition of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) in 1989 carried through the 90s, with campaigns like "Planescape" and "Dark Sun" becoming fan favorites.

Other RPGs:

"Vampire: The Masquerade" by White Wolf Publishing introduced the World of Darkness, a setting that offered a dark, gothic-punk alternative to traditional fantasy RPGs.

The cyberpunk genre was well represented by games like "Shadowrun" and "Cyberpunk 2020," capturing the gritty, high-tech, low-life aesthetic.

Collectibles and Trading Card Games

The 90s witnessed the birth and explosion of collectible card games (CCGs), with "Magic: The Gathering" leading the charge.

Magic: The Gathering:

Created by Richard Garfield and released by Wizards of the Coast in 1993, "Magic: The Gathering" became a groundbreaking and immensely popular game, sparking a new industry of collectible card games.

Pokémon:

The Pokémon Trading Card Game, released in 1996, quickly became a massive hit alongside the video games and TV series, contributing to the global Pokémon craze.

Internet and Technology

The rise of the internet in the 90s played a crucial role in shaping geek culture.

Early Internet Communities:

Bulletin board systems (BBS), forums, and newsgroups like Usenet allowed geeks to connect and share their interests in ways that were never before possible.

The creation of fan sites and the use of IRC (Internet Relay Chat) facilitated the growth of online communities dedicated to various fandoms.

Technology:

The proliferation of personal computers and the advent of the World Wide Web democratized access to information and entertainment, allowing geek culture to flourish and expand globally.

In conclusion, the 1990s were a transformative decade for geek culture, characterized by the rise of influential media, the advent of groundbreaking technology, and the growth of vibrant communities. The era laid the foundation for many of the trends and franchises that continue to shape geekdom today.

[geekcavepodcast]

Picture Book "Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You" Set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe

Marvel Press, a part of Disney Publishing Worldwide, is releasing a picture book that is a tie-in to Captain America: Brave New World.

Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You hails from author Kwame Mbalia and illustrator Nikkolas Smith. In the story a young boy named DJ "steps up to help Captain America, his favorite Super Hero, and discovers along the way that heroes don’t always look big or strong or wear a suit. Sometimes, they might even look like him." (Marvel Comics)

Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You goes on sale on January 7, 2025.

(Image via Marvel Comics - Cover of Captain America: Brave New World: A Hero Looks Like You)

[1863-project]

Here's a fun little find in a book I'm scanning right now called The Marvels of Modern Mechanism, published in 1901. This was released three years before the opening of the New York City Subway in October 1904, and it's cool to see the anticipation building for it in this text. By this point, the London Underground (the Tube) had been open for quite some time (1863) and Boston's subway (the T) was operational for a few years (1897). The Paris Metro would have also opened roughly a year before this was written, in 1900, but interestingly it doesn't get a blurb in here. The Paris Exposition, during which the Metro first opened, is mentioned, however, specifically with regards to the first moving sidewalk in Europe, today a common feature at airports worldwide.

It's fun to find things like this - knowing the NYC Subway was hotly anticipated by people in the engineering profession makes me happy.

[disneyboot]

[wizardingwirelessnetwork]

Celestina Warbeck aka the Singing Sorcerers!

Celestina is a famous witch, known for her mesmerizing songs and performances usually accompanied by a chorus of backing banshees.

She’s Welsh, was born on 18 August 1917 and attended Hogwarts - Gryffindor - she performs live and is often featured on the show ”Witching Hour” on Wizarding Wireless Network

While not that popular with younger people, and openly disliked by Fleur, the older generation is very fond of her. Molly Weasley and her husband Arthur, like listening to her songs. Severus Snape secretly liked the song “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love”. Three devoted fans were involved in a three-broom pile-up over Liverpool on the last night of her 'Flighty Aphrodite' tour. Her tickets often went on sale in the black market for vastly inflated prices (one reason why Molly Weasley, who listened to her songs every Christmas, could never see her favourite singer live).

Celestina's personal life provided much fodder for the gossip columns of the Daily Prophet. Warbeck became romantically involved with one of her backing dancers early in her career. They married, but ended up divorcing after only a year. Some time later, she married her manager, and they had a son together. However, after ten years of marriage, Warbeck left him in order to marry Irving Warble, a music composer.

Two Muggle dog-walkers found themselves accidentally transported to a Celestina Warbeck concert in 2003, because their dogs had run off with an old trainer on Clapham Common (leaving an anguished crowd of witches and wizards to look frantically for their Portkey on a stretch of empty grass, hopefully seizing old crisp packets and cigarette ends). One of the Muggle dog-walkers was even invited on stage by Celestina to perform a duet of ‘A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love’. While the Memory Charm placed upon him by a harried Ministry official seemed to take at the time, he has since written a popular Muggle song that bears an uncanny resemblance to Celestina’s worldwide hit (Ms Warbeck is not amused). - Pottermore

“Celestina is one of my favourite 'off-stage' characters in the whole series, and has been part of the Potter world ever since its inception, making an early appearance in the short-lived 'Daily Prophet' series I produced for members of the equally short-lived fan club run by my British publisher, Bloomsbury. Although we never lay eyes on Celestina during the whole seven volumes of the Potter books, I always imagined her to resemble Shirley Bassey in both looks and style. I stole her first name from a friend with whom I worked, years ago, at Amnesty International's Headquarters in London; 'Celestina' was simply begging to be scooped up and attached to a glamorous witch.” - JKR on Pottermore

Book Quotes & other mentions:

“Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts — It’s Magic! And unless Harry’s ears were deceiving him, the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was “Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck.” - HP & the Chamber of Secrets, Chapter 3

“They were all supposed to be listening to a Christmas broadcast by Mrs. Weasleys favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck, whose voice was warbling out of the large wooden wireless set. Fleur, who seemed to find Celestina very dull, was talking so loudly in the corner that a scowling Mrs. Weasley kept pointing her wand at the volume con-trol, so that Celestina grew louder and louder. Under cover of a par-ticularly jazzy number called "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love, […]

[…] "We danced to this when we were eighteen!" said Mrs. Weasley, wiping her eyes on her knitting. "Do you remember, Arthur?"

"Mphf?" said Mr. Weasley, whose head had been nodding over the satsuma he was peeling. "Oh yes ... marvelous tune . . ." ” - HP & the Half Blood Prince, Chapter 16

“Bill told Mum he and Fleur weren’t going home for Christmas because they wanted to spend it alone. You know, first holiday after they were married. I don’t think Fleur minded. You know how much she hates Celestina Warbeck.” - HP & the Deathly Hallows, Chapter 20

Songs and lyrics:

Listen to the songs here!

“A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love”

“I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love

And it's bubbling for you!

Say Incendio, but that spell's not hot

As my special witch's brew!

Don't you be afraid, come and take a sip

Of this steamy, tasty treat!

What's in my cauldron full of hot, strong love

Will make your life complete!

I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love

That's about to be unfurled

Got a flavour that beats anything

You'll find in the Muggle world!

Mix a pinch of spice with a dash of charm

And a sprinkling of romance

They're why my cauldron full of hot, strong love

Is worth it, take the chance!

Oh, come and stir my cauldron

And if you do it right

I'll boil you up some hot, strong love

To keep you warm tonight!

I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love

It's a recipe so rare

There's no potion or elixir that

Could ever quite compare!

Oh, such thrills await

'Cause, together, we are ready to proceed

Drink from my cauldron full of hot, strong love

It's all the magic you'll ever need!

Oh, come and stir her cauldron

And if you do it right

She'll boil you up some hot, strong love

To keep you warm tonight

To keep you warm tonight!

That's right!

I've got a cauldron full of hot, strong love

It's a recipe so rare

There's no potion or elixir that

Could ever quite compare!

Oh, such thrills await

'Cause, together, we are ready to proceed

Drink from my cauldron full of hot, strong love

It's all the magic you'll ever need!”

“You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me”

“Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone?

It's left me for a spell

But I don't mind, 'cause with you I find

I'm always feeling well...

— two, three, four!

You charmed the heart right out of me

Don't need no broom, I'm flying free

I think by now it's plain to see

I'm nothing without you

Your every wish is my command

My fragile heart is in your hand

And now, at last, I understand

The magic about you!

I'm losing all control

My chest is one big hole

Inside you'll see my soul

Happy as can be

'Cause, babe, you charmed the heart right out of me!

You charmed the heart right of me

To my whole life you hold the key

You cast your spell and suddenly

I cannot forget you!

This feeling's utter bliss

Yet something seems amiss

Like a Dementor's Kiss

You're consuming me!

And now you've torn it quite apart

I'll thank you to give me back my heart!

'Cause, you charmed the heart right out of me!

But I need a heart for loving thee

So give it back, together we

Can love till forever!

You may have not played fair

But, frankly, I don't care

'Cause without you I despair

Lost in misery!

Oh, babe, you charmed the heart right out of —

It's the one thing I've no doubt of

Babe, you charmed the heart right out of me!

Right out of me!”

“You Stole My Cauldron But You Can't Have My Heart”

You think you're quite the wizard, got me under your spell,

But guess what, Mister Wizard, you don't know me so well

You thought you were so clever, but, in truth, you're a crook

And no way you're gettin' away with all the things that you took

You stole my cauldron

My favourite black hat

Purloined my owl

Then flew off like a vampire bat

You claimed that you loved me

Said we'd never part

Then you stole my cauldron

(Oh, you stole her cauldron)

But you can't have my heart.

Oh, sure, you're quite the dancer, swept me off of my feet

But back here on the ground, I see a liar and cheat

And when you disappeared at first it's me who I blamed

But now I see you're wicked as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named

You stole my cauldron

The toads from my pond

Crystal phials of my memories

Plus my larch and phoenix feather wand

But don't think that you broke me

Cause you ain't all that smart

See, you stole my cauldron

(Stole her favourite cauldron)

But you can't have my heart.

(You stole her cauldron)

Go on and take it!

(Her hippogriff, too!)

Careful, he bites.

(Her dragon skin coat)

You can have it!

If that's worth so much to you.

But love, love is priceless

Like a rare work of art

Yes, you stole my cauldron

(She can buy a new cauldron)

But you can't have —

You can't have —

You can't have my heart!

(No, no, no, you stole her cauldron)

(No, no, no, you stole her cauldron)

Not my heart!

(No, no, no, you stole her cauldron)

You stole my cauldron, but you can't have my heart!

(Her heart!)

Listen to the Christmas songs here!

“Nothing Like a Holiday Spell”

There's a spell to make somebody freeze

Or make something disappear

There's a spell for wiping memories

There's a spell to bring you cheer

But when it comes to magic that I love best

Outshining the rest

It's time to confess

Out of all the charms that ring my bell

There's nothing like a holiday spell!

It'll make you dance or make you sing

Make the darkest sky shine bright

Fill your heartbeat with a jingling

Father Christmas takes his flight

It's to cast a spell to change your attire

To conjure a fire

Or summon a choir

[?] so well

There's nothing like a holiday spell!

With a wave of the wand

What a Christmas we'll create

With goodwill toward all

We will feel our spirits levitate!

(Feel our spirits levitate!)

There's a spell to send you back in time

Or release you from a cell

But to make the season so sublime

There's nothing like a holiday spell!

(Season's greetings my lovelies! And welcome to a very special holiday celebration! As you know, this first song is the title track of my latest Christmas album, "Nothing Like a Holiday Spell"! It's already flown to the top of the charts. And you can hear it playing round the clock on the Wizarding Wireless Network. And nothing could make me happier, because I just love singing a classic holiday tune!)

If you want to feel that Christmas glow

I've just the spell for you

It can bring to life a man of snow

Make your Yuletide dreams come true!

So hang a shining star on that highest bough

The moment is now

Together we vow

With your loved ones, family, friends as well

Get ready for the holiday —

Gather for the holiday —

Nothing like a holiday spell!

Merry Christmas, lovelies!”

“My Baby Gave Me a Hippogriff for Christmas”

“(I have a very important question: with a show of hands, who here has received a holiday gift that, well, was not something you asked for or ever really wanted? Well then, you'll understand exactly what I'm talking about in this next song.)

I made it very clear

I've been dropping hints all year

About the gift I hoped to find beneath the tree

So imagine my surprise

When right there before my eyes

Was the last gift that a girl expects to see...

My baby gave me a hippogriff for Christmas (for Christmas!)

A giant, feathery hippogriff, it's true (sad but true!)

I expected jewels at least

But instead I got this beast

I have no words, he ate my purse

Oh, what's a girl to do? (what to do?)

My baby gave me a hippogriff for Christmas (for Christmas!)

Its being here is cause for great alarm (great alarm!)

Oh, it's just as you'd expect

My entire house is wrecked

It may be that my baby means me harm!

(Her baby gave her a hippogriff for Christmas)

You might say he's high maintenance at best (at best!)

Gotta bow approaching him

Or he'll tear you limb from limb

He's way too proud

He squawks real loud

This sorceress is stressed! (So stressed!)

(Her baby gave her a hippogriff for Christmas)

Now I'm finding nests in every single room!

Oh, he's easy to offend

So I gotta just pretend

I'm not annoyed he destroyed my favourite broom!

My baby could have given me a diamond ring

A captivating thing that makes my heart go zing

A sparkly robe is something every witch admires

Oh boy my baby conjured me my desires (sarcasm)

It could've been a toad or a cuddly crup

I thought you loved me, baby, tell me what is up

I saw the Christmas tree, but now I'm what you call "mad"

And now I'm struggling with this temperamental pet

My baby gave me a hippogriff for Christmas (for Christmas!)

And now there's talon scratches 'cross my floor (across her floor!)

Still, he's loyal as can be

I am his priority

If you're polite, he doesn't bite

It's magic when he soars!

My baby gave me a hippogriff for Christmas (for Christmas!)

If you wish for less, you're thinking way too small (you're thinking way too small!)

Oh I found a faithful friend

Who'll be with me till the end

Oh, a hippogriff's the greatest gift of all!

Yes, a hippogriff's the greatest gift of all!

Hippogriff's the greatest gift of all!”

“Accio Christmas”

"(Do you hear that? That's the rhythm of the islands! Christmas doesn't just cast its spell over the British Isles, my friends! It enchants people all over the world!)

Accio Christmas, Christmas come to me

Accio Christmas, calling out to thee

Accio Christmas, we've waited so long

to summon your magic with a Christmas song

Accio Christmas, come bring out the joy

Accio Christmas, every girl and boy

sings Accio Christmas, all through the year

'til the jingle bell season is finally here!

It's an invitation for a celebration

Bringing out elation in everyone

It's an invocation, a conjuration

And an invitation to have some fun!

Accio Christmas, let the magic start

Accio Christmas, filling out my heart

Bring me the love and good will for all

Singing Accio Christmas all 'round the world!

(Alright, lovelies! Now it's time for the fun part: audience participation. As they say, the more the merrier, so let's cast this Christmas spell together, shall we?)

Accio Christmas (come on, everyone!)

Accio Christmas (I can't hear you!)

Accio Christmas (getting better!)

Accio Christmas (good! now bring it down)

(4x) Accio Christmas!

Accio Christmas, Christmas come to me

Accio Christmas, calling out to thee

Accio Christmas, we've waited so long

Just summon your magic with a Christmas song

Accio Christmas, come bring out the joy

Accio Christmas, every girl and boy

Sings Accio Christmas, all through the year

'til the jingle bell season is finally here!

It's a proclamation, it's an exclamation

Needs no translation 'cause we all know

It's an inspiration for some decoration

[?] so let it snow!

Accio Christmas, let the magic start

Accio Christmas, filling out my heart

Bring me the love and good will for all

Singing Accio Christmas all 'round the world!

(Accio Christmas) All 'round the world!

(Accio Christmas) All 'round the world!

(Accio Christmas) All 'round the —

Accio Christmas all 'round the world!"

"A Witch and Wizard's Wintry Wonderous Land"

"On a cool winter breeze, we'll sail over trees

Glistening with flakes of white

And what could be rich, is if we bewitch

Some snow and start a snowball fight

We'll glide right along, singing a song

And even if our lips turn blue

Not a thing could compare to floating on air

In a witch and wizard's wintry wondrous land with you

Stroll down the streets, eating holiday treats

Taking in enchanted sights

As night leads to day, see the stunning display

Of glowing fairy Christmas lights

I'm under your spell, and it's clear to tell

That baby, you're under mine too

I'm yours heart and soul, as I take a stroll

In a witch and wizard's wintry wondrous land with you

As we approach December, falling leaves give way to snow

But as long as we're together, the weather can put on a show

'Cause we'll be safe and warm beneath the mistletoe

Wherever we roam, we're sure to head home

When our Christmas hearts are full

After some luck, we will not get struck

By an everlasting icicle

I'm under your spell, and it's clear to tell

That baby, you're under mine too

I'm yours heart and soul, as I take a stroll

In a witch and wizard's wintry wondrous land with you (I'm strolling here with you)

I'm yours heart and soul, as I take a stroll

In a witch and wizard's wintry wondrous land with you"

[disneytva]

Disney Publishing Worldwide And Scholastic Announce New Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur Graphic Novel Slated For 2024

Stephanie Williams and Asia Simone are creating a new Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur original graphic novel, Wreck And Roll for 2024, which might be when the second season of the TV show hits. It's a good guess, anyway. Disney and Marvel like to keep things tight, even though this book is being published by the biggest comics publisher in the English-speaking world, Scholastic.

📚 Moon Girl And Devil Dinosaur: Roll and Wreck

February 6, 2024

Written By Stephanie Williams and Art By Asia Simone

Disney Press

Disney Publishing Worldwide

Marvel Press

Marvel Publishing Worldwide

Scholastic

An all-new original graphic novel starring Marvel's Lunella Lafayette (Moon Girl) and her pet dinosaur!  Just in time for the debut of her original Disney TV show, Lunella Lafayette — aka the smartest person in the Marvel Universe — gets her own original graphic novel!

When a rad-skating band of thieves start going wild, it's up to Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to take to the streets and put a stop to their crime spree – while making sure to bust a few sweet moves along the way! But can Lunella balance fighting crime AND training with her all new, all awesome derby team – especially when it turns out that team might be up to no good? Set against the backdrop of her vibrant Lower East Side community, this hilarious graphic novel with a diverse cast of characters will be a hit with kids everywhere.

[kachowpal]

Is Marvel the Ultimate Gen Z Universe?

Marvel has been a fan favorite in superheroes for decades, from comics to movies. From the diversity in superheroes to the addictive, intertwined, complex storylines - it's more than unforgettable battles and crazy visuals but a universe that shadows values, struggles, and dreams.

The Marvel Universe contains so many things that fans love and appreciate, such as the diversity of characters ranging from Ms. Marvel, Black Panther, and Shang-Chi, which brings people from different backgrounds and lets them understand the characters, their journey, and how someone like them can be seen on the big screen. People Matters Global writes, "By leveraging diversity & inclusion for enhancing innovation, Marvel created an inclusive cinematic universe showcasing a wide representation of society." This shows that Marvel values inclusivity, and they took charge knowing that fans appreciate seeing people who reflect themselves on the big screen. This, in turn, allows fans to feel more empowered.

Also, Marvel has created a vast connection with people worldwide who can share this part of themselves with others. Whether these fans are discussing theories, discussions, or even cosplaying, Marvel allows people to connect with those interested in the same things. Every character in Marvel and their stories has their own unique and exciting journey that fans can not get enough of. Storytelling is powerful and can inspire readers, watchers, and more, to embrace their power, potential, and culture.

However, the Atlantic writes an article on how it is harder to enjoy the comics for first-timers now since they are hard to obtain, "It breaks my heart, but I think that Marvel comics (and DC, the other of the two largest comic-book publishers in the country) are the least accessible form of popular entertainment out there. The challenge to becoming a new comic-book fan is untangling the convoluted web of stories that happened before you picked up your first book." Though this may be true, Marvel does an excellent job of making sure the films are connected so that if someone is first getting into the franchise, there is a way to understand it. Whether watching the films chronologically by year or, fans can also search on Google what order the movies are supposed to go, according to events (which is the best way to watch). Marvel does a great job at being open enough for newcomers to join the team even without reading the comics.

It is clear that Marvel isn’t just a franchise; it’s a cultural phenomenon that reflects the values and experiences of Gen Z. It creates a universe where we can see ourselves and find connections. So, whether you’re team Iron Man or Captain America, one thing’s sure: we’re all part of this incredible Marvel journey together!

[vintage1981]

Anderson Entertainment Reveals Covers for UFO & Space: 1999 Novels from James Swallow

Anderson Entertainment is publishing two novellas by New York Times bestselling author James Swallow.    

Jamie Anderson, managing director of Anderson Entertainment, acquired world all-language rights to the novellas directly from the author. 

Swallow said he was “a lifelong fan” of company founder Gerry Anderson’s TV shows such as “Thunderbirds” and “Stingray”. 

The two novellas, Space: 1999 The Armageddon Engine and UFO Shadow Play, are new stories set within the worlds of two of the biggest live-action Anderson properties, “Space: 1999” and “UFO”.  

Both novellas will be published on September 13th 2024 for Breakaway Day, the annual celebration of the 1975 series "Space: 1999". The books will be published in a limited-edition hardback and paperback, with e-books to follow at a later date.

Swallow said: “Growing up, ’Space: 1999’ and ’UFO’ were a big part of my sci-fi landscape, and so it’s been great fun for me to revisit these characters to tell some exciting new stories. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson’s creations are unique, retro classics and I’m thrilled to be teaming up with Jamie and everyone at Anderson Entertainment for this new era of adventures.”  

The New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author has written more than 65 novels including tie-ins, thrillers and video games. 

Anderson said: "We started to publish non-fiction titles in late 2021, and since then we’ve been working with our partners at ITV Studios to create new stories based on these amazing TV shows. Working with James has been a real pleasure. He’s a genuine fan and we’re sure that they’ll appeal to long-time as well as new readers. We have much more to come."

The two novellas by Swallow will be available for retailers to order wholesale from Gardners as well as direct from Anderson Entertainment.   

About the author

James Swallow is a New York Times, Sunday Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author of over fifty-five novels, an award-winning, BAFTA-nominated scriptwriter with millions of books in print worldwide. He is the creator of the Marc Dane action thriller series, and has written for franchises such as Star Trek, Tom Clancy, Marvel and several high-profile videogames. He lives and works in London. Find him online at www.jswallow.com   

[graphicpolicy]

Marvel and Erasmus Fox team for new projects like New Mutants #98 Pan-Dimensional 3D Edition

Marvel and Erasmus Fox team for new projects like New Mutants #98 Pan-Dimensional 3D Edition #comics #comicbooks #deadpool

Having just launched in 2023, publisher Erasmus Fox (EFI) is pleased to announce a wide-ranging licensed publishing deal with Marvel featuring a variety of products including 3D-enhanced comic books, unique gallery-quality art portfolios, art books, and brand-new prose novels to be distributed to retailers through Lunar and Diamond via Pan Universal Galactic Worldwide (PUG) .  Starting this…

[leelee120000]

Movie review: The Lost City was refreshingly creative

September 28, 2022

In a world so oversaturated with franchises, it’s rare that an original movie comes out. It’s even rarer when it makes a worldwide total of $181.4 million in less than 3 months.

Admittedly, when my family suggested we watch it for a movie night, I was annoyed. I had assumed it was going to be a throw-away action movie with a celebrity cast, weak script, and boring jokes. I’ve been so burnt out on the five year streak of mega movies that play like cut and paste Marvel scripts that I almost used my veto for us to watch Sonic the Hedgehog 2 instead. (What can I say, I’m a sucker for fun kids movies.) However, my sister insisted that The Lost City looked interesting and that she really wanted to watch it. She convinced us all so, pizza slices and Pepsi cans in hand, we sat in the living room and turned on Paramount+.

The opening scene starts typical enough – with two lovers stuck in a den of snakes, at the mercy of a typical villain, who has trapped them there. The moment I started to regret not choosing Sonic, Sandra Bullock’s character Loretta Sage says “delete” in a voice over and items / characters on screen disappear and we learn that this isn’t the movie, but instead the book she’s working. That was actually amazing. We then see her basically doing everything but finishing her last chapter as her publisher’s repeated calls play, telling her that she needs to finish, that her book tour is coming up, and that she needs to get out of the house and move on from her husband’s death. I was so surprised. This movie brought more wit and characterization in the opening scene than some films do in their entire run time. Not only that, but it did it so expertly, balancing the comedy of a person avoiding work with the inherent sadness of her being so alone and suffering through such a writer’s block. I was immediately hooked.

Next, the movie carries us to Loretta’s book tour. Loretta is clearly uncomfortable as she’s made to wear a sparkly pink jumpsuit and remove her glasses. It’s done for comedic effect, but there’s a real truth to having to lose yourself to market yourself in the industry. We’re introduced to Channing Tatum’s character, Alan Caprison, a cover model who is clearly more famous and loved by Loretta’s fan base than she is. They take questions from the audience. Alan tries hard to redirect questions to Loretta, reminding the crowd she’s the writer. While trying to ease tension, he offers to dance with her and an interesting character development happens.

In storytelling, we often swear by “show don’t tell” and this moment is a hallmark of that principle. Alan invites her to dance for fun, thinking she wants equal attention, and wanting to share his limelight. Loretta doesn’t want to look even more foolish and mistakes this as him rubbing in the fact that he’s so well liked. But being encouraged by him and her publisher, they dance. Her earring catches his wig and rips it off as he falls to a table below. It’s hilarious, and the tour ends with Loretta running away and Alan confronting her. He calls her a “human mummy,” saying she’s alive, but not really living. He regrets this immediately, as it only makes her more angry and embarrassed. She asks a hotel employee to call a cab. He does. However, as she gets in the first car that pulls up, it turns out to be a kidnapping scheme.

Daniel Radcliffe’s character, Abigail Fairfax, a wealthy billionaire with a brother complex, kidnaps Loretta. She thinks this is all a prank, done by her marketing team, and doesn’t keep her guard up. Abigail insists that this is real and that he needs her to translate a dead language that she had shown in her book. Loretta had learned this language, back in her archeology days, with her late husband. Abigail offers her anything she could dream of in exchange for her translating and helping him discover the mythical Fire Crown she had written about. He begs her to come with him as the island it’s on has a volcano, and it will be lost forever if he doesn’t find it. Loretta realizes he’s serious and declines, saying her book tour is not something she can quit. He then has her knocked out and taken onto his helicopter – which sounds incredibly dark on paper, but is actually really funny because of the physical comedy in the scene. I wasn’t aware Radcliffe was in this movie before watching, and I adore him, so that was such an exciting realization.

With Loretta missing Alan, her publisher and her social media manager call the police who do nothing to help, citing the ‘must be reported after 24 hours’ myth that TV and film treat like a real law. Alan decides to call his fitness trainer, a man named Jack Trainer. Trainer is a typical action hero, talented in everything from detective work to combat fighting. He instructs them to use Loretta’s phone to track her through her smart watch. They discover she’s flying across the ocean and Trainer agrees to rescue her. Loretta’s friends agree to meet him there. Upon meeting, Alan insists he join Trainer in rescuing Loretta. Everything about Trainer is great. The bit about him having a cheap little car instead of a big truck made me actually laugh.

After Alan confronts her about her translations and what she’s planning on doing, she explains more about the lost city and helps him with his rash. They share a hammock by their campfire and it’s actually really sweet. After hiking and using the silly pink jumpsuit to save their lives by distracting some of the henchmen hunting them, the two find a nice town. Alan goes and explains what happened to the police, and Loretta gets dressed and relaxes at the hotel. At nightfall, Alan and Loretta share a dance in the town square and have fun in the company of friendly town people. Loretta learns new information about the lost city through the song a local sings. This area of the movie really did wonders not only for pacing, but respecting the love the pair was building within reason and, again, showed expert character understanding and writing.

Loretta is stopped on her way back to the hotel. The local police told Abigail about her arrival. Abigail and his men rush her into a tank-like vehicle and drive off. Alan sees this at the last second and trades his watch for a motorcycle to catch up with the vehicle. A fight takes place on the roof of the vehicle and Alan breaks in. Loretta sets the vehicle on fire temporarily, trying to make a distraction. This fails. Abigail now happily takes Alan as an extra hostage. There’s a lot of incredible lines from this scene, but, hands down, the reversal of villain hitting on hero was amazing as a distraction. Abigail, with absolute confusion and disgust in his voice, says to Loretta, “Are you trying to be sexy? Stop it, you’re making this weird.” Coming from a villain who literally kidnapped her, this is just spectacular writing. He wants her for her translation abilities and nothing else. He’s an A+ villain and, honestly, a new member on my favorite villain list.

Arriving at a cave on the island, a sort of mouth to the lost city, Abigail and some henchmen force Loretta and Alan through a tight path that leads to an incredibly tight crawl space in the cave’s wall. No one wants to go through it, but Abigail threatens to kill Alan if Loretta doesn’t, which really drives home that he’s the damsel and she’s the hero. Loretta crawls through and confirms it’s safe. Upon reaching the tomb holding the Fire Crown, Abigail wonders why a monument would be hidden. Loretta realizes it wasn’t a public monument but rather was a peaceful place for the grieving Queen. A henchman, who constantly throughout the movie was explained to be a local desperate for income for his family and not okay with Abigail’s actions, tries to tell him not to mess with the tomb. Abigail doesn’t care and makes everyone open the stone tomb.

The group learns the Fire Crown isn’t made of jewels, but, rather, seashells and was a gift of love from the king to the queen. Abigail flips out and forces the henchman to help him trap Loretta and Alan into the tomb, sealing them in to die as the volcano begins to shake the island. The henchman slips in a crow bar and hopes the pair will find it to escape. He leaves with the boat, abandoning Abigail on the shore. He is rescued by Loretta’s friends on their boat as it passes. He lies and says he’s never seen Loretta before. Alan and Loretta escape. Loretta leaves her wedding ring and essentially moves on from her deceased husband. The boat spots them, they explain Abigail tried to kill them, and everything ends well with a kiss shared by Alan and Loretta. I loved the crown not being an expensive treasure but rather seashells and symbolic of love. I loved how the movie felt so girl driven and I was shocked to see the directors were two guys, because they really captured the female gaze with how the movie felt and worked. I loved Loretta’s novels being romantic and not put down for it. All in all, The Lost City was a fantastic movie.

LeAnne McPherson