I have been reading comics since the 60s. I can honestly say I was there at the rise of Marvel, thanks to men like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko and countless others. I even remember writing a letter to Stan, hoping it would get added to the letters page and collect an infamous “no-prize” for my efforts.
The death of Stan Lee was not a surprise. His health had been failing and it was inevitable after the death of his wife, Joan, last year. But it does sadden me that a man, whom I never met but considered a mentor, is gone from my life.
Stan Lee was one of the reasons I became interested in fantasy, writing, and creating my own characters. My first original superhero was called Vulcan, a boy who found a meteor that imbued him with energy-based powers. Very cool! I even wanted to be a comic book artist, but I went the writing route because I wasn’t the best artist. My skills just never really improved.
I became a writer because of people like Stan Lee. He created some of the most iconic characters that are known around the world. The 60’s Spiderman cartoon theme song can be hummed by anyone who calls themself a nerd. That’s why it pisses me off when asshats like Bill Mahr dis the accomplishments of someone like Stan Lee.
As much as he inspired writers like me, he equally inspired scientists even more. I mean, think about it. Geeks who read comic books studied science and math to be like Iron Man, Mr. Fantastic, or in a worse case scenario, Doctor Doom. He inspired the generations of scientists, doctors, physicists, and chemists who will take us to the future.
That’s the importance of someone like Stan Lee. It’s not just about comic books. It’s about the characters, the stories, the magic, and the science behind it. He gave us it all.
I will cry when I see his last cameo in Avengers 4. It will mean the end of an era for many of us who were with Stan from the very beginning. God bless you, Stan Lee, and, always and forever… Excelsior!
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Mark Piggott is the author of the Forever Avalon book series. Forever Avalon is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon. The Dark Tides is available for purchase as a paperback/ebook at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iUniverse publishing. The Outlander War, Book Three of the Forever Avalon series is coming soon from Austin Macauley Publishing.
This past weekend was one of the best reasons to be a geek… San Diego Comic-Con! SDCC is the pinnacle of geekdom with tons of cosplayers, celebrities, and plenty of new trailers of upcoming movies and TV shows. It is, without a doubt, the mecca for nerds.
The big TV debut at SDCC was Jodie Whittaker and the new companions to Doctor Who. The new trailer definitely showed us a strange, new world for the 13th Doctor, but not a lot of teaser-worthy material. There is still plenty of mystery about the new Doctor, her companions, and what they will face. “I felt if I was very much in someone else’s shoes,” Whittaker herself said of her first days playing the character, “which is an amazing way to start this journey.”
“You must be shapeless, formless, like water. When you pour water in a cup, it becomes the cup. When you pour water in a bottle, it becomes the bottle. When you pour water in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Water can drip and it can crash. Become like water my friend.” — Bruce Lee
“Enter the Dragon” is by far his most popular movie, and my favorite too. Of all the kung fu movies ever made, this one is a masterpiece. I think I like it the most because it was the first, and only movie, that Bruce Lee acted in English. He really was a great actor. Plus, you can’t compare the fight scenes in it with movies like “The Matrix” or “John Wick” because they did it without the wire work or special effects. It was all Bruce Lee.
First things first, this is going to be somewhat SPOILER FREE, though I doubt that’s necessary. After opening weekend, with more than $630 million at the worldwide box office, I doubt most of the secrets are out. I will be cautious in my review, but there will be some snippets of juicy information. You have been warned.
There were plenty of other surprises in this movie that tied back to all 18 previous films. It was incredible to watch and kept me on the edge of my seat: Spider-man in his “Iron Spider” armor, complete with retractable legs, Iron Man’s “Bleeding Edge” nano-tech armor, finding out a certain Captain America is STILL ALIVE, and of course, Nick Fury’s return and the tease for Captain Marvel. It was all a comic book geek’s wet dream (apologize for the vernacular, but it’s quite accurate).
The hype is nearly over. Avengers: Infinity War, the culmination of 10 years and 18 major motion pictures, is arriving on the big screen April 27. Most fans of Marvel Comics and the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) knew this day was coming since we saw Thanos’ grinning face at the end of The Avengers and seeing Josh Brolin raise the Infinity Gauntlet at San Diego Comic-Con. If you don’t have the time to watch 18 Marvel movies in one sitting, then here are five “must see” Marvel movies that will help explain the basics of the MCU and lead you into the Infinity War.
IRON MAN (2008) — This is the movie that started it all. Sure, their were plenty of previous films that carried the Marvel name, but for the MCU, this is it. There really is nothing better than watching Tony Stark create his armor from scratch and, after all non-stop action, see Samuel L Jackson’s Nick Fury talk about the “Avengers Initiative” with him. I still love watching this movie, especially the first fight he has in Gulmira; and, to be honest, this movie shows why Robert Downey Jr. is the heart of all of the MCU characters. He really embodies Tony Stark like no other. Like I said, it’s always best to start at the beginning.
GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (2014) — Although there were other movies (Thor: The Dark World, Captain America: Winter Soldier) that were excellent movies and do play an important role in the MCU but Guardians introduces another Infinity Stone… The Power Stone. Yes, Thor: The Dark World also introduces one of the stones… The Reality Stone, but its not a great movie and it actually confuses the issue. Guardians is fun, entertaining, and brings us Thanos, his daughters (Nebula and Gamora) and how bad ass the Guardians are. To me, the music makes the movie so much better. It’s a soundtrack of my youth and I love it.
DOCTOR STRANGE (2016) — This is the movie that introduces magic to the MCU. Yes, we’ve actually seen magic before, as used by Loki in the Thor and Avengers movies, but it was never really explained. Remember, Thor told us that “in his world, science and magic are one in the same.” The Ancient One explains it even further as she brings Doctor Strange into the world of arcane arts, i.e. “channeling energy from other dimensions” and spells are like programs” according to the MCU. With all of this, we also get glimpse of the power behind the Time Stone, which lies inside the Eye of Agamotto. Even though Doctor Strange becomes quite proficient in using it, there is a reluctance to keep an Infinity Stone around his neck all the time.
I don’t like to touch on religion a lot in my blog. It’s a subject that can go ten ways from Sunday, for lack of a better word. But after seeing “I Can Only Imagine” at the movies today, I just can’t help myself. No matter what you believe when it comes to God, this movie will bring you closer than ever before.
5. Prince Valiant (1954) — Robert Wagner called this film an “embarrassment” but I can’t help loving this movie. First off, I grew up reading the adventures of Prince Valiant every Sunday in the comics, so it’s a part of my own personal history. The plot was your basic “boy vows to become a knight and restore his family honor” gimmick… “After the evil King Sligon exiles his family from Scandia, Prince Valiant (Robert Wagner) vows to become a member of King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table in order to return his father to the throne. As he travels to Camelot, Valiant discovers the Black Knight, a villain conspiring with Sligon to destroy King Arthur. Under the eye of Sir Gawain (Sterling Hayden), Valiant trains to become a knight, falls for a princess (Janet Leigh) and unmasks the Black Knight (James Mason). This movie had an all-star cast, which is one of the reasons I loved it so much. You just have to get past that awful haircut on Prince Valiant, which is why, I think, Robert Wagner was embarrassed by it.
4. The Flame and the Arrow (1950) — Burt Lancaster led this fun-filled, acrobatic movie. Set in Italy (not England, for a change), the story revolves around Italian archer Dardo Bartoli (Burt Lancaster), who is waging a war against the Hessians. His grudge against their leader, Count “The Hawk” Ulrich (Frank Allenby), is more than simply political. Long ago, he took away Dardo’s beautiful wife, Francesca. Then, Ulrich returned to steal the couple’s son, Rudi. Incensed, Dardo emerges as a rebel leader who may be able to drive out the Hessians for good. This movie shines solely because of Lancaster. His smile is infectious, and his grit and determination are intoxicating. It’s a fun movie, from beginning to end.
3. Ivanhoe (1952) — This movie had the Hollywood powerhouse of TWO Taylors… Elizabeth and Robert. This is different look using characters from the time of King Richard, just like Robin Hood. Loyal British knight Wilfred of Ivanhoe (Robert Taylor) sets out on a mission to free the kidnapped King of England, Richard the Lionheart (Norman Wooland). The brave Ivanhoe must eventually confront the devious Prince John (Guy Rolfe) and the fierce Norman warrior Brian de Bois-Guilbert (George Sanders), while also juggling the affections of the beautiful maidens Rowena (Joan Fontaine) and Rebecca (Elizabeth Taylor). Again, all-star cast carries this classic movie. Out of all the classics in my list. it has some of the best fight scenes.
2. The Black Shield of Falworth (1954) — Although this is not one of the more well-known classic medieval fantasy movies, it’s one of mine. Tony Curtis stars as the son of a disgraced knight who – noble by birth, noble by nature – attempts to thwart another noble’s attempts to take the throne of King Henry IV. Janet Leigh stars as the love interest for Curtis. What I love about this movie is how the plot unfolds. Curtis goes from secretly training as a squire to knighthood where he can challenge his enemy directly.
1. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) — There be no finer medieval film than this… A perfect cast, magnificent color cinematography and a wonderful musical score highlight this entertaining swashbuckler featuring Errol Flynn, the lovely Olivia de Havilland, Claude Rains, Alan Hale (Skipper from Gilligan’s Island fame), Basil Rathbone and Patric Knowles. The film went on to win three Academy Awards and was the second-highest grossing picture of the year. That says it all about this film. Most of us “baby boomers” kids from the 50s and 60s grew up with this film. You can’t help but love it! Sure, there have been plenty of remakes with non-English actors (hint, Kevin Costner) and that was fabulously mocked by Mel Brooks’ Robin Hood: Men in Tights. It’s like we’ve always said, you can’t beat the original.
After last night’s win at the 90th annual Academy Awards, Guillermo del Toro’s The Shape of Water is in the spotlight, as is the fantasy genre. It was great to see a writer/director/producer like del Toro win the Best Picture and Best Director Oscar. His vision of other worlds in such wonderfully vivid movies like Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, and Pacific Rim is legendary.
Now, in 2018, HBO is remaking it into a new movie starring Michael B. Jordan and Michael Shannon. It looks amazing, sure to outshine the original. You also got to love the subject matter (burning books, controlling information) in today’s day and age.
The Black Panther movie is premiering this week. The movie is being hailed as one of the best Marvel comics movies yet. The visuals of the amazing world of Wakanda is breathtaking, and that’s where people seem to forget that this is a movie.
Mark Piggott | Fantasy & Steampunk Author 