Sometimes I get reminders for topics to run in my Blog...  which are appreciated!  They come in the forms of emails, messages, calls, hard copy requests, TV Show mentions, etc. 

Well, yesterday morning I had an email from Tim Brown, Webmaster- Superman Celebration and host of the Superman Celebration Fan Film Competition, reminding me that this is the week for the Annual Superman Celebration in Metropolis, Illinois.

Then late yesterday afternoon, while driving I was station punching on my car's radio buttons, and happened across Brad Meltzer talking about the same topic on the Glenn Beck Radio Show! 

OK, enough hints! LOL!   Today's topic is this week's THE Superman Celebration taking place, starting on June 11th and ending June 14th, 2009!  

  Of course there are media guests and comics guests at this Celebration!  One guest that I have seen before, and always worth listening to, is Noel Neill, who will be at this Celebration.  Matter of fact, there will be a 'Tribute to Noel Neill' on Friday, June 12th, 7:00 pm at the Artists Alley.  Seating is limited, so be sure to get there early!  

  Another guest, (and Facebook Friend), is Gail Simone!  She is a comic book writer best known for her work on DC Comics' Birds of Prey series.  Would you believe she is also the first female ongoing writer for the character Wonder Woman?!

  Well, I mentioned that I heard Brad Meltzer on the radio talking about the Celebration.  Last year he was on the same radio program stating that there was a fund raising for saving "Superman's House".  He was pleased to state that the fund raiser grossed over $100,000 last year!  Brad is a writer of comics and novels. He is well known for the 'Identity Crisis' for DC Comics, and has now taken over the Justice League of America for a relaunch.  It is not known by this blogger if Brad will be attending the Celebration or not, but I wanted to include him because of hearing about his work for the Superman House and mentioning the Celebration Week.

  Oh... and I did mention that Tim Brown reminded me first, right?!  Well Tim is the Owner and Executive Producer of Inked Monkey Productions.  His company is returning for a third year at the Superman Celebration after successfully hosting Fan Films in 2007 and 2008!   Tim is also a film editor and videographer who has done work for Coca-Cola, Maw Productions, Pencil Neck Studios, and for the Superman Celebration produced a tribute video to Christopher Reeve!  

Please Note:  For a schedule of events you need to look at the following - http://www.supermancelebration.net/index.php/schedule . The guests mentioned above may not be there all days and times or not be on any programs or panels.  Times, guests, and programs subject to change!

Tina and I can't make this great Superman Celebration Week in Metropolis, but for all those of you that are or could... Have Sum Fun!  

I have an affinity to the San Diego Zoo...  which dates back to 1969 when I was a Senior in High School, and started my first 'paying' job there during the Christmas Vacation. Between that job and selling at the earliest San Diego Comic Cons in the early 1970's, I earned enough money to put myself through college.

  So when my folks asked us to go with them yesterday to see the newest exhibit at the San Diego Zoo, 'Elephant Odyssey', I said sure!  My folks are 'sponsors' of the Zoo, and were among the guests asked to attend the Opening Night festivities for the Odyssey earlier last month.  My dad also has an affinity toward the Zoo as he worked there just before I did, after his retiring from the US Navy. 

The first thing I noticed was the vast openness of the new exhibit... which I knew would be expansive as I had joined my folks for a special luncheon for sponsors many months ago when the exhibit was just on the drawing board, and the Zoo was looking for additional sponsor funds to build it. 

  The second thing I noticed was one of the keepers who came out and was taking care of a couple of elephants within the enclosure.  I kiddingly told Tina, 'Look it's Shanna!".  Within a few minutes out comes another keeper, and Tina said... 'And there's Sheena, just for You!"

  Well, we finished watching the two take care of those two elephants and started moving on with my folks.  Turns out that 'Shanna & Sheena' were also going next to where there were two more elephants in a different part of the Odyssey.  (There are a total of seven elephants mentioned on the Zoo's web site as being at the exhibit, and we saw all seven.)  We watched the two keepers carry a bale of hay and a bucket to the enclosure, and smiled when they started calling the elephants just like real 'Jungle Queens' would!  The elephants came right over to them and started almost posing for the Zoo goers, as seen at the top left photo of this post.

  So what does this blog post have to do with comics or even pop culture?   Well, next month is the Comic Con International San Diego - CCI (or the San Diego Comic Con as we old timers still call it, SDCC).  Even though it starts on a Wednesday afternoon  / evening and ends on a Sunday late afternoon, many Con goers come out earlier in the week to see San Diego itself.  

The San Diego Zoo (and even their Wild Animal Park in Escondido which has more elephants), is but one additional place I could recommend for sight seeing while out here!  After all you gotta get out of the Convention Center and breath 'fresh air' sometime! 

Which is funny for me to say, as Tina and I 'live' at the San Diego Convention Center starting early Wednesday afternoon when we pick up our membership badges!  Then to make sure we have parking in the underground structure, we are there at the wee hours of the morning till late at night after the evening programs stop running!

I viewed the photos that were released regarding the upcoming Jonah Hex Film...  earlier in the week.

Not having been a big Jonah Hex comics reader in the past, I thought I would wait to see what 'fan' reaction there would be on the photos and other info that has been released on film.  So far, what I've seen is positive feedback...

I first blogged about the upcoming film back on December 11th 2007, but there hasn't been much really to blog about since.  That's because the director, Jimmy Hayward was chosen in January 2009, and Brolin was announced in February.

Josh Brolin will star as Jonah Hex, and John Malkovich and Megan Fox also star in the film which is now scheduled to be released on August 6th, 2010.

My interest in the comic book series that the film is based on, was because one of my favorite pencillers / inkers was on the series for a while, that being Dick Ayers.  I even bought a sketch of Jonah Hex as well as other Western Heroes that Dick has drawn throughout the years at an earlier WonderCon.  (Those are Not for Sale!)

I'll probably be blogging a little more on this upcoming film in the months to come, as more details come in.  I have not yet tagged it as a 'must-see' at this point of time...