TVSquad

What's old is new again. Marvel Comics is dusting off a group of characters created in the 1960's called Models, Inc. and will be revamping them for a modern audience. The twist is that Project Runway star Tim Gunn will be featured in one of the comic book storylines called "Loaded Gunn."

It's a very clever way to reintroduce a group of characters that could be considered somewhat dated and make them relevant again. Since the storyline involves the theft of some superhero costumes, there may even be some crossover appeal between the genders. Hopefully, the comic will not be confused for that other Models, Inc. from way back when.

Apparently the group will be pursuing supervillains who commit "crimes of fashion." In which case, they're going to have to go against half the superpeople in the Marvel Universe. So who should they go after? Which superheroes or villains have committed the greatest fashion crimes at Marvel?

While this news doesn't only affect television, it does affect the industry enough to warrant a mention since both companies have historically had a television presence. Disney has purchased Marvel Entertainment for about $4 billion.

So does this mean we'll be seeing Spider-Mickey cartoons in the near future? Beats me. There are certainly benefits to Disney's acquisition. Marvel is predominately known as a comic book company and that market has been shrinking. However, the visibility of its characters has been growing due to the myriad of Marvel movies out there.

I'm sure words like 'synergy' and 'downsizing' are going to be used when describing this situation in the future. Will there be layoffs at Marvel? Should editor-in-chief Joe Quesada fear for his job?

My biggest concern is content interference on the part of Disney and the "toning down" of the more adult storylines and characters at Marvel in an effort to maintain the corporate image of its new parent. One can only hope that Disney lets Marvel be Marvel.

Being a big fan of Cartoon Network's goofy Batman: The Brave and the Bold, I'm really looking forward to the debut of Marvel's Super Hero Squad. The show premieres Sept. 19 on Cartoon Network, and Marvel has already launched a teaser site featuring a fun video preview that could turn out to be the show's opening montage.

Super Hero Squad is based on the toy line and video game of the same name. It features cute and cuddly versions of Marvel heroes, like Wolverine, Iron Man, and the Hulk, protecting Super Hero City from a pint-sized Dr. Doom and other baby baddies. Judging by the preview video, the show will even make room for kid-sized versions of more obscure characters like Fing Fang Foom and MODOK.

One of Marvel's upcoming projects is a new direct-to-DVD animated movie called Planet Hulk. It's based on the comic story of the same name. It looks to be a pretty faithful adaption. I have read the original story and thought was good.

It's a huge story, though, and I doubt they'll fit all the details in a 90-minute movie (or however long it is). If the DVD has big sales, will Marvel release the sequel story in which The Hulk returns to Earth and fights the other Marvel heroes as a DVD as well?

Even though I liked Planet Hulk, there are other, better stories I'd love to see released as a DVD animated movie. Hey, DC, how about putting The Dark Knight Returns on a DVD (a real movie and not the cheap animotion Watchmen DVD)? Marvel, where's my animated movie of Marvel Zombies?

The trailer is after the jump so you can judge for yourself. Which comic storyline would you be interested in seeing animated?

[via Topless Robot]

If you've been reading Marvel Comics, you've probably seen the little gag strips they've put in the back of a lot of them. Super Hero Squad takes all the Marvel heroes and villains and makes them basically parodies of themselves.

Now they're taking that same style to the masses. Hero Up! The Super Hero Squad Show is the new cartoon headed to Saturday mornings. The premise is simple. The heroes hang out in Hero City. The mayor is voiced by Stan "The Man" Lee, who created most of the Marvel Universe ("Excelsior!"). That's right up there with Mayor West on Family Guy in sheer coolness.

Meanwhile, over in Villainville, Dr. Doom and the Lethal Legion are plotting to take over the world. To give you an idea of what kinds of villainy we're dealing with, they did a special cast reading at the convention. It's plot: Dr. Doom's quest to acquire an exclusive My Little Pony collectible. The series kicks off with a four-episode marathon on Cartoon Network September 19, and I'm strangely very excited about it.

I doubt I'll ever grow out of my love for superhero comics or TV shows based on my favorite comic book characters. It's kept me from abandoning Smallville for the past eight years, and it's the reason my DVR is currently clogged up with reruns of Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Wolverine and the X-Men. I might have two new superhero shows to add to that list pretty soon, and both of them are based on Marvel Comics characters.

As I mentioned on SciFi Squad earlier today, Marvel will preview two if its highly anticipated animated TV projects at this year's San Digeo Comic-Con, Marvel Animé and Super Hero Squad.

First, let me lower your expectations: This is just a rumor started by fanboys at a comic book shop.

OK, for those of you still reading, former Battlestar Galactica actress Katee Sackhoff was recently spotted buying a ton of comics featuring Daredevil character Typhoid Mary. According to MTV, Sackhoff visited Golden Apple Comics in L.A. last week and picked up the books and stunned the shop's staff with her smokin' hotness. This, of course, led the staff to believe that she might be doing research to play Typhoid Mary in a new Daredevil movie.

It's true. You really can't kill Wolverine.

Hugh Jackman is already hitting the gym for a sequel to the just-released X-Men Origins: Wolverine, and Nicktoons just ordered 26 more episodes of Wolverine and the X-Men.

The animated show was a big hit on Nicktoons, helping give the network its highest-ratings ever in key demos. The new eps will kick off May 22.

I know a lot of X-Men fans had problems with Wolverine and the X-Men, but I love the show. Being a Cyclops fan (yes, we do exist), it sorta bugs me that Wolverine is billed as the leader of the X-Men on the show, but that's a minor complaint. The show is fun, packed with cool, somewhat obscure Marvel mutants, and it's pretty entertaining for kids and adults.

Bill Hader and Seth Meyers (the latter of whom is the head writer for Saturday Night Live) will be writing Spider-Man ... the comic book, not the next movie. Their single-issue story is called "The Short Halloween" (which I presume is a parody of a Batman comic story called "The Long Halloween") and will be in finer comic book shops on May 13.

This isn't the first time a comedy writer has written a comic book. I recall Gilbert Gotfried helping out with an issue of Superboy and Patton Oswalt writing a one-shot Justice League special, among others. While I don't think this will get the same level of publicity as Barack Obama being on a Spider-Man cover, it's kind of cool to hear about. I wonder if Spider-Man will sing his own rendition of "Dick In A Box".

In short, comedians are huge nerds. But this is nothing you didn't know before.

[via ComicMix]

It's not enough to have Spider-Man on The CW, Wolverine and the X-Men on Nicktoons and the upcoming Black Panther on BET. Marvel Comics is now creating a new series for Cartoon Network called the Marvel Super Hero Squad.

Obviously, the show is marketed towards the very young viewer who is first being introduced to the Marvel super hero characters. That way, the company can indoctrinate new zombies into its empire. The cartoon is based on Hasbro's anime-like action figure series of the same name.

I can't help but wonder if Marvel is spreading itself too thin with so many movies and cartoon series. On the other hand, rival DC Comics is already marketing to the kiddies with their Brave and the Bold series on Cartoon Network and one cannot help but wonder if Marvel simply doesn't want to be outdone in that demographic.

In any case, kids watching the show will buy the toys and vice-versa. Marvel is learning the lesson of Disney.

I'm not referring to Emma Peel and John Steed. Apparently there's a new cartoon heading to television based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. Is it just me, or are the characters' shapes reminiscent of the excellent Batman, Superman and Justice League cartoons from recent years?

Obviously, this is crossover marketing with the Marvel-financed movies that are coming out using the "shared universe" approach that was popular in their comics. Movies like Iron Man, Thor, and The First Avenger: Captain America (while I understand the marketing behind "The First Avenger" tag, I don't really like its use) are leading up to The Avengers movie in which all the aforementioned superheroes appear on the same screen.

Everyone thinks they can write. No, really. If you talk to anyone who likes TV and movies, invariably you'll hear that they have a great story. Well, some do and some don't. In the soap business, just about every kind of story has been told.

A show like Passions, which has recently come to an end, told wild tales about witches and sorcery and dwarfs and demons.

General Hospital has been firmly set in plots about mobsters in the manner of The Godfather, with Sonny Corinthos a latter day Michael Corleone.

As the World Turns, currently in its 52nd year, is rooted in traditional love stories and family conflicts, although you have to give them props for Luke and Noah, a frontline gay romance which is definitely a 21st century development.

The Marvel Comics character Black Panther is getting his own animated show on the BET network. This was announced during the BET upfront presentation in New York for the 2008-2009 season.

The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby (who co-created most of the classic Marvel Comics line up) and first appeared in Fantastic Four #52 in 1966. The character's real name is T'Challa and he is the ruler of a fictional African country called Wakanda. His name predates the existence of the Black Panther Party.

There have been a few attempts to bring the character to the movie screen, one in particular in the early 1990's starring Wesley Snipes. In 2007, Marvel announced that a film based on the character was on its movie development slate.

He's a minor character as far as the Marvel universe goes, but he is the most visible black superhero they have. He has appeared in several other animated Marvel television shows before, but not in a main role.

It's product placement on a whole new level. ABC Marketing is placing references to its its show Lost in Marvel Comics.

It's a pretty big marketing campaign, based on what I read in the article. There will be posters and references in panels of various comics.

I wonder how the creators feel about that? Will it interfere with a story or piece of art? Will they get renumeration for putting the advertisements in their stories (much as TV writers were looking for a piece of the advertising dollars for putting product placement in their scripts).

I've seen some odd cameos in comic books, TV shows, and movies, but this is one of the more odd ones.

Marvel has a new comic book out, Mythos: Spider-Man, which retells the origin story of the webslinger with several changes. One of the changes? After Peter Parker is bitten by the radioactive spider, he doesn't go try out his powers in a wrestling ring, he demonstrates them on NBC's Late Night With Conan O'Brien!

The show's blog has the details, along with several pics from the issue, which hits newsstands today. Next month: the Hulk's band plays on Letterman's show.

[via TV Tattle]