Ahoy, squirts. Quint here with this week's Chum Bucket. For those who aren't familiar with this column, be warned that it isn't exclusively about movies! Shock! Gasp! It is more a look at shit that I find really interesting. Sometimes I'll get to show you things you haven't seen before, like the below cover art from the new John Romita Jr. mini-series called THE GRAY AREA, or get to give you folks exclusive reviews, like last week's review of the 6th Book in Stephen King's DARK TOWER series. Of course, being me, the column will always revolve around movies since what I find extremely cool usually is in the realm of film.
This column is meant to be sort of a communication with the geeks out there. I found these cool things, what can you find? Let me know in the talkbacks below.
I'm starting out this weeks column with a look at an upcoming three part comic mini-series called THE GRAY AREA, written by Glen Brunswick (who did a lot of uncredited work on the screenplay for FREQUENCY) and drawn by John Romita Jr. for Image comics. This will mark Romita Jr.'s first creator owned work and the first time he is published outside of Marvel. Here's a look at the cover art for book 2:
What got me was the story... sounds like it could be really sweet. Brunswick had this to say about the mini-series:
"The basic idea is that after death the large majority of human souls are sent to the Gray Area. It's not purgatory it's just the next step to decide your ultimate fate. A few good souls make it straight to heaven and some go to hell. But the soul of the average Joe is sent here. It's been this way for centuries and the Gray Area is now chaotic, overcrowded and unmanageable.
"After his murder, Rudy Chance, a brutal corrupt cop, is given extraordinary powers and coerced to become Gray Watch, the police force of the after-life. His job description includes: Condemning evil souls for eternity, helping those with potential ascend, chasing down heinous spirits that travel back to earth to cause death and destruction and general policing of the inhabitants in the Gray Area.
"The carrot for Chance is the opportunity to see his son again who has gone on to heaven. In life the only thing that Chance truly cared for was his son. If he does good, learns to play by the rules and helps others out of a genuine caring for them he can move up and be reunited with him. The problem is that Chance is a selfish greedy prick that only made it as a cop because he could bust heads as an enforcer. His dark side constantly rears its ugly head and may very well land him in hell for eternity."
Click here for the rest of the article at Newsarama. If you folks think this is an interesting book, let me know and I'll see if I can nab an interview with Romita.
I also have to shine some light on SIDESHOW/WETA. We know their LOTR busts and figures kick all sorts of ass... we know their high priced prop replicas are the coolest of the cool (like HELLBOY's gun and right hand)... we know the Sideshow side of things puts out great stuff like the TWILIGHT ZONE dolls, but I'd like to point at two specific items from Sideshow/Weta that make them the bee's knees in my book.
And before you start screaming and whining about me being a shill for these guys, one of the items I'm pointing out can't even be bought. It's sold out, but damn if it isn't cool. If I was in their pocket, cashing huge check after check for praising their items, I'm sure the boss-man wouldn't be happy I was only talking about stuff that can't be bought.
This item I saw with my own eyes when I was down in New Zealand last year and took a look around Weta's workshop. My jaw dropped. I expected to see the Theodens and the Samwises and the Gandalfs, but sitting on top of one of their glass display cases was none other than Santi from Guillermo Del Toro's fantastic ghost story, THE DEVIL'S BACKBONE.
Since they were doing the HELLBOY replicas, they apparently made this up as a present to Guillermo, but it seems that they've done a limited release of the statuette that sold out before it went to preorder. Take a look:
As cool as that looks in those pictures, it is even more gorgeous in real life. I'd kill to have one of my own, but I am a poor writer and couldn't have afforded it anyway. Just imagining one of those awesome Balrog statues sitting next to Santi and the fallen bomb on my mantel... makes my little geek heart flutter.
But back to the realm of possibility, they have also release a toy that I never expected to see in my life. It's an easy decision to make a toy out of Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, but to actually make a Pamela Voorhees doll? Takes someone special and that's why Sideshow/Weta ranks supreme as the geekiest of the geeks. It even looks like creepy Betsy Palmer!
It even comes with decapitated head action!!!
Ah, how cool! It sends the mind reeling... In a world where a decapitation action Pamela Voorhees doll can be released there are all sorts of possibilities for the horror geeks. How about a MANIAC with scalp in hand and a mannequin accessory? How about an Angela figure with penis from SLEEPAWAY CAMP? What about a MY BLOODY VALENTINE Harry Warden figure in Miner outfit? What about a MONSTER SQUAD set with all the kids and all the monsters... and Scary German Guy? Continuing the Fred Dekker line, how about a NIGHT OF THE CREEPS series with Det. Cameron (and a voicebox that says "Thrill me"), J.C. with crutches, dog zombies, alien's with slug containers...
OK, so I went off a bit there... But you can understand how geeky I get about this stuff. The only problem I see with that Pamela Voorhees doll is its price. $40 is a lot to ask, but then again... it is a limited edition (limited to 666). At any rate, I'd rather there be cool stuff out there I can't afford than nothing but shit. Hopefully McFarlane will get off their Alien and Predator hard-ons and start pumping out some more unique and cool maniacs!
Anyway, we've reached the filthy bottom of this week's bucket o' chum. I honestly have no idea what goodies will be in next week's column, but I'm sure it'll be rank and disgusting! 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
