THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie News - Video of 3 Tumbler Batmobile Cars in Pittsburgh!

Yes! THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie is really getting underway! Here's a video showing the "Camouflage Version" of the Tumbler cruising the streets of Pittsburgh! Actually, there are 3 of them. I guess they either have back-up ones or they each perform a different function...cool!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES - 1st Decent Photo of TOM HARDY as BANE in Full Costume

A friend just sent me this great photo taken by Photographer Jared Wickerman showing Actor TOM HARDY as BANE in Full-Costume! ( Click on it for a larger, sharper version ). They're filming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie right now in Pittsburgh & he got this great shot! To check out more cool Photojournalism from Jared, just click HERE!

Original BATMAN Comic Book Art at TOONSEUM in Pittsburgh has been extended through August 21st.

In Pittsburgh, at the TOONSEUM, they're having an Comic Art Show called "SUPERHEROES : ICONS & ORIGINS". Basically it's an Art Gallery showing of Vintage Comic Book Art. Now, it was going to end on July 31st but now they have been extended it through August 21st. For more information, click HERE!

THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie News - The Batsignal Seen in Pittsburgh!

To celebrate the fact that the next Batman Movie, THE DARK KNIGHT RISES, will be filmed for one month in Pittsburgh the city hired "Lightwave International" to create a BAT-SIGNAL to welcome the Director, Actors, & Film Crew. The BAT-LOGO shined on the famous Highmark Building & was actually done with High-Powered Lasers! Be sure to click on the photo below for a larger, more detailed, version... it's freakin' AWESOME!!

BATMAN ARKHAM CITY - 1970's Inspired BATMAN SKIN - UK Video Game Exclusive

In BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM we could all pretty much be Batman but all with the same costume. For BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY there has already been an announcement that, in the Special "Limited Collector's Edition" of BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY, it will include a Frank Miller-style "The Dark Knight Returns" Batman skin that will change the appearance of the character to look like the TDKR version.



OK, it's been announced in the UK that if you buy the "Limited Collector's Edition" of BATMAN: ARKHAM CITY from a company called SHOP TO, you can get a free EXCLUSIVE download that will enable you to have a 1970's Inspired Costume Skin ( see the pic up above ). Now, I'm not sure if this will be made available in the USA or if it will even work with American Consoles. But if you're curious & wanna check it out then here's a LINK!

Video - BATMAN YEAR ONE - Warner Bros Promo at Comic-Con 2011

Well, at this year's 2011 Comic Con a few lucky people got to see the new DC Universe Animated Movie BATMAN: YEAR ONE. The reviews have been decent so that's cool. I guess the rest of us will have to wait for the DVD or Blu-Ray & Digital Download ( Oct 18th ).

Updated: Is 'Avengers' Hulk Really 'Substationally Different" From Other Movie Hulks?

With Will the Hulk design for the Avengers movie be that much different from the past two movies? Yes, but not the way he says.

Kevin Feige, president of Marvel Studios and producer of The Avengers (2012)  in an interview with "Hero Complex" said the following:

It will be as different as "The Incredible Hulk" was from Ang Lee's "Hulk" in terms of its look and design, but it is Hulk.

As you can already see in that concept painting, it is — more than any Hulk that's ever been done in live action — a Hulk that let's you see the actor in there. You will be able to see Ruffalo in there. That was a big revelation for us. It's just a concept painting, but in that you can see the [influence of Marvel Comics pioneer and original Hulk artist Jack] Kirby, as people have already pointed out, but also, and equally important in this case, Ruffalo's eyes and his cheek structure. It is him.

So how different will the Avenger's Hulk be? He's implying that other Hulk's haven't really looked like the actor. Is that true?

Hulk (2003) with Eric Bana

Artist: James Carson

This looks quite a bit like Eric Bana. They widened his jaw and shortened his nose a bit. The eyebrow ridge is more pronounced and his jaw is much larger than his real one. The entire face looks like it was blown up like a balloon.

The Incredible Hulk (2008) with Edward Norton

Artist: Unknown (Aaron Sims Company)

This Hulk looks less cartoony than the first one. His face isn't as exaggerated as the first one, but he looks a lot less like the actor Edward Norton. Mainly because Norton's face is much narrower. The face is very hulk-like, but not as Norton-like. Notice they got rid of the crooked nose too.

The Avengers (2011) with Mark Ruffalo

Artist: Charlie Wen (Marvel)

Its hard to tell from this angle, but at first glance it looks like they took the same liberties as they did with the other films. Eyebrow ridge is larger. Nose is shorter. When you look closer though, you do see some changes.

Ruffalo's face is thicker, so it's easier to bulk it out. His jawline, while larger, isn't that much larger. The same with most of his features. He still looks like the traditional Hulk, but his face doesn't change as much.

It's possible that they chose him specifically because his face lends itself to the distortion. I've never done casting or concept design though. So, who knows?

In the end, it is different, but mainly because the actors face is Hulk-like.

Update: In the book Art of Marvel's The Avengers there was a quote from Ryan Meinderding that supports my viewpoint.

Joss really pushed us to take some of the cuses from those early Hulks and combine them with Mark Ruffalo's features. At first, we couldn't see how that would work - but he was dead-on in that direction. Mark's face really lends itself to hulking out, and we affectionally called the design "Hulkalo."

What do you think? Is it really a "different" Hulk?

Via: Herocomplex

Question About THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman Movie Teaser Trailer

OK, by now each & everyone of us have seen the brand-new Teaser Trailer for the THE DARK KNIGHT RISES Batman movie, probably more than once. Here's my question. At the end of the trailer we see an image of Batman being confronted by Bane. We really don't get a very good view of Bane but in the background is some guy who standing off in the distance. Does anybody know who this is & is he a major character? Just curious... Oh yeah, you might have to click on the above photo for a larger, sharper, version.

More New Photos From BATMAN LIVE World Arena Tour in the UK!

Check out these 2 wonderful photos all the way from England. Our friend, Michael, who lives in Leeds, went to the BATMAN LIVE event in the UK ( Super-Jealous! ) & took these pics. The 1st one is an advertising standee of Batman that he saw in the foyer of the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle. I begged him to steal for me but he's a good citizen & would not do it, Ha Ha!



Then, Michael got this great shot of the Official "BATMAN LIVE" Souvenir Merchandise they have on sale. It looks like there are many different T-Shirts to choose from, a few Ceramic Coffee Mugs, a Program Booklet, and even some Batman Cowl Masks! ( Be sure to click on the photo for a larger version ). Great, more cool Bat-Stuff I can't afford, ha! But really, I can't wait till this show hits the USA next year. Thanks Michael for sharing your photos, you ROCK, Sir!

NEW BATMAN FINE ART PRINT - Tribute To Dick Sprang & Carmine Infantino

Awhile back, right here on the Bat-Blog, we featured some amazing artwork by an Artist named Christopher Franchi. He did this piece that combined a classic iconic image of Batman and Robin, by Carmine Infantino, & he recreated it in the drawing style of Golden Age Comic Book Artist Dick Sprang. I mean, if you're familiar with both of these Artists you can see the combination and it's an extremely awesome image. Well, Chris got it licensed by DC Comics & now it's a Limited Edition Fine Art Print ( only 75 will be made, so, very limited ). It's pretty BIG, measuring about 24" X 36" and is printed on a sturdy, high quality, card stock. It is also signed by the Artist. The thing is, it's now on eBay & I wanted to share this with my Readers because I know a lot of people will want one! For more information, just CLICK HERE!

Cesar Lemus Talks About Astonishing 'Heroes' and 'Wonder Woman' Storyboards

Here's another exclusive interview with my first storyboard artist and he draws on his experience to give us an inside look of the storyboarding industry and the unique chalenges of television.

Cesar Lemus is best known for his work on the television show Heroes, but he recently worked on another superhero show: Wonder Woman. He did storyboards for the pilot and when the Internet found out it exploded.

The industry has been struggling lately and many fine artists find themselves out of work or work is hard to come by. Cesar does a good job of expressing the challenges of being an artist in the film and television industry.

His work is prolific. He's done art for shows like Heroes, House M.D., Hawthorne, Mercy Reef/Aquaman (Pilot) Love Bites, Pretty Little Liars, No Ordinary Family, Melrose Place, Wonder Woman (Pilot) Smallville and Pushing Daises.

Q: When someone asks you "what's a storyboard artist" what do you say?

We help previsualize the action and tone for scenes. Animation and Live action share some of the same things but are two different animals.

Q: How did you get the job story boarding for David E. Kelly's Wonder Woman pilot?

I got a call from someone on the show, I believe it was the UPM (Unit Production Manager). I was also familiar with the director, he was a ex-producer on The Event, which I also worked on.

Q: What was your reaction when you found that the pilot wasn't picked up by NBC?

Very bummed. Sad.... it would have been a great series to work on, great crew. I hate being out of work... I am actually looking for work now.

Q: The costume was highly controversial, but your storyboards show her dressed in the new costume. How late in the design process did the new costume remain?

I actually used the concept [art] as reference in the boards, but I did tweak the design a bit in the cconceptual art I did... I switched the boots color back to red.

Q: You worked on the superhero show Heroes, what was the best part of the job? Did anything you learned there help with Wonder Woman?

Basically getting to do a show about superheros.

I love comics and grew up on them. I've never gotten to work for DC or Marvel, so it was bittersweet.

That show helped me to get faster at boards, turnaround was [always] fast, also getting to work with a different directors... it's intimidating at first, getting to work with guys that have been in the business WAYYYY longer than me...it makes you step up your game.

The top guys that do boards, have been doing it twice or three times as long as me. I was VERY fortunate to work on that show. I worked on all 4 seasons in some way. Seasons 2, 3 and 4 ... 3 & 4 were the most busy.

Q: What did you use for inspiration for the look of the Amazon world of Themyscira and your art in general?
A lot was influenced by Alex Ross...and Adam Hughes.

Q: What was it like story boarding the action for such an iconic superhero?
Very cool, I never got to see it filmed... I had to work on another show. I still would love to watch the pilot.

Q: You do conceptual art, storyboarding and sculpting. Is there one you enjoy more than another?

Boarding is harder... and Conceptual is hard too but you have a lot less stress, I guess sculpting is the most relaxing. But it don't think I can pick one... Also I have yet to do sculpting for work.

Q: Having worked on video games, what's the biggest difference between working on games versus television?
TV is crazy... very tight turn arounds. When I worked in games, it seemed pretty chill. Schedule was more 9-5, when I board stuff my schedule is all over the place. ...Long nights, crazy hours.


Q: You've worked many art mediums from markers to 3-D software. Is there a favorite tool that you like to use?

Traditional... it's so easy to pick a pen, pencil or marker and just draw!

The only drawback is scanning your work to email to clients or any show you might be working on.... I want to switch to more digital boards, but a lot of TV directors need you to you be able to draw on the spot.

There is no time to set up a laptop...I wish Apple would get on the Ipad and make it so you can plug in another hard drive for more space or install a program like "Painter" or "Photoshop."

Q: You're known for building scale models. What's the most surprising way this helps with your other artistic efforts?

Well, it just helps in using it as reference, helps with scale and proportions.

Q: What's the next project from you we can look forward to?

I am working on a comic book for a friend, doing pencils, hopefully it will be done by Dec.

But as far as Storyboards? I wish I knew...I am actually waiting for my agent to tell me if a got a gig or not. Work has been slow, so I cant wait for a nice long gig!

If you're reading this and need a storyboard artist, hire this guy! His talents have just begun

Check out more of his work on his blog and read more about him on HeroesWiki.

To see a list of all the exclusive interviews with other great artists on my blog go here.

What do you think of Cesar Lemus' work?

Profile Image: Huy (Wee) Dinh

BATMAN ART - Comic Book Cover Done in Stained Glass

A Friend shared this link with me the other day where it shows an Artist's work that is completely amazing. This guy has recreated a bunch of Vintage Comic Book Covers in Stained Glass. The effect is pretty cool! His name is Brandon Barker & here is his tribute to Detective Comics #31, which first appeared in 1939 & is a total classic. I mean, it's actually an icon! The story of this book was titled "Batman Verses The Vampire ( Part 1 )" & was the 1st introduction of the "Mad Monk" Villain Character. To check out other work by this Glass Artist just click HERE!

Billy's BATMAN LIVE WORLD ARENA TOUR Adventure in the UK

Last week, in the UK, the BATMAN LIVE World Arena Tour had started & ever since then we have got a ton of personal reports. The good news, all the reviews are really positive. I've been keeping up with this show from the beginning & have been kinda skeptical. I mean, they were either going to make this show amazing or it would totally bomb. Luckily, it's a great event, whew! Here are a few photos sent in by our friend Billy, who is lucky enough to live in the UK. He said the show was totally great! Now, at the show he only had a camera phone but he did manage to get a few nice pics.



In the 1st one we get a really good look at the costumes for Batman and Robin, nice. Next, is a scene where a HUGE Joker Hot Air Balloon appears on stage! Then, the last 2 show the giant-sized bat-shaped video screen. I've heard that this is used to great effect for making transitions to other locations. Plus, it gave the show a great visual effect, like seeing tons of Bats flying across Gotham City or the Batmobile driving through the city. Oh yeah, in the last photo you can see a photo of our friend Billy. Yes, photographic proof that he was there, ha!

BATMAN WALLPAPERS OF THE JOKER - Wacky Wallpaper Wednesday!

Here are 2 Cool Wallpaper Backgrounds of THE JOKER that were submitted by some extremely awesome Bat-Blog Fans! the 1st one is a photo taken the other night at the BATMAN LIVE event in the UK. It was shot by our friend Billy. This is a stage prop where a giant-size JOKER HEAD comes out on stage. The Joker's eyeballs, teeth, & tongue are actually real people and they all tumble out at once, it's a pretty cool visual effect! Next is a Tribute to Brian Bolland's BATMAN: THE KILLING JOKE Graphic Novel. This was sent in by a Graphic Artist named Chris Bacon. He took some classic artwork and gave it a whole new look. Thanks Guys, Great Job! Now, be sure to check out our other Batman Wallpapers by clicking the button down below.

Brand-New BATMAN CHARACTER GLASSES

Check out this new BATMAN Merchandise that just became available. Here are 2 Glass Tumblers with humorous sayings & retro-style bat-graphics. In fact, if you're a Vintage Toy Collector you'll probably notice the "Batmobile" image is the Kenner Superpowers Action Figure Vehicle. Yes, this clip art is from the 1980's. One glass says, "Wanna Come To My Bat Cave?", & the other one is "Chicks Dig The Ride!", ha ha! I really like these & someday, they will be MINE! Here's a good place to get them, just click the link button down below:

BATMAN ART - The Graphics of Liam Brazier

A friend on Facebook recently turned me on to the artwork of an Artist named Liam Braizer. He makes extremely cool images using only geometrical shapes that have unique coloring to create depth & form. It's very abstract & his stuff is pretty cool! Shown here is an example of the Dark Knight but he has also done one with Superman & some of my favorites ( besides the DC Superheroes ) is awesome STAR WARS characters, click HERE to check it out.

Video - BATMAN ARKHAM ASYLUM - Six Screen Eyefinity Review

OK, I know the new Batman Video Game is "Arkham City" but here's a video showing a pretty awesome 6-Monitor PC Gaming Set-Up using "Asylum" as a demo. Oh man, it's crazy! I bet if you were setting there, close to the screens, it would seem like a more natural view. But, I wish the monitor edges were not showing, more seamless, but this is still pretty cool!

Captain America Strong-Arms Hydra in 'Captain America: The First Avenger' Storyboards

Storyboards from Captain America: The First Avenger show how cool Cap's bike really is.

As always, after a movie release concept art and storyboards are up from the artists. Captain America is no exception.

I was checking out the artists and came across these storyboards from Rodolfo Damaggio.

The sequence is called "Bike Chase." He's heading through the woods to the base of the evil H.Y.D.R.A. The scene right before this one has him using his motorcycle gadets to get rid of some agents chasing him.

Here's what he said about them:

Here are some the storyboards I did for Captain America, the "Kruger Chase" and the Bike chase sequence. Joe [Johnston] thumb nailed the Bike chase entirely.

For comparison, check out the video clip below. It's a shame it cuts off right when it gets interesting. I would have loved to see him backflip off his bike onto the sheild. Guess we'll have to check out the movie. ;)

Check out the rest of his storyboards from the movie and his other amazing art work at Damaggio.com.

Do these storyboards make him look cooler than ever?

Seth's BATMAN TOYS AND MEMORABILIA Bat-Cave! Part 1

Check out this amazing Collection of BATMAN TOYS!! Here are just a few photos of our good friend Seth's BAT-CAVE Room! Now, because of space limitations I can only post a few pics but please be sure to check them all out. I know that if you do you will be drooling for days, ha! I mean, there's some really great stuff here: Action Figures, Hot Wheels, PEZ, Masks, Toys, Blankets, Statues, Vinyl Figures, Nodders, Corgi Die-Cast Cars, Toothbrush Holders, Dolls, Puzzles, Puppets, & even Batman Band-Aids! WOW! The list could go on & on forever!



I love how everything is displayed & it's so cool that they're able to use an entire room for the collection. My only worry is that they will probably have to buy a bigger house someday, ha! But all kidding aside I do wanna thank Seth for sharing his BATMAN Toy Collection with all of us. It's great to see a bunch of cool Bat-items all together and this BAT-CAVE room is totally AWESOME! Now, there were way too many pics to share in one post & I will be posting more in the near future, so everybody please keep an eye out for those.