I have been mentioning the AMC mini-series of 'The Prisoner' that airs tonight for a while at several venues, including my own Facebook Group Page as well as my Facebook Wall.

That's because I picked up a few copies of 'The Prisoner' preview comic book at the July 2009 Comic Con International: San Diego (CCI / SDCC), and have been selling them from our eBay Store.  Plus the trailer shown at the SDCC and online has looked pretty good for a remake. I'll reserve judgement till I see the entire mini-series.

Earlier this summer I devoted a full blog post 'Main Feature' for this mini-series that finally starts tonight! (Click here for the full blog post of the AMC Prisoner TV mini-series!)

Since then I've had in the back of mind about blogging about the earlier unpublished comic book adapation of the original series.  Vince Musacchia, who I met at the recent 2009 Long Beach Comic Con, reminded me Friday evening of that adapation that was not published by Marvel Comics.

So I thought that a little bit of info on that adapation would be fitting for today as an update and as a reminder that show is on later tonight, as Tina and I are taking it easier this weekend celebrating her birthday, (see the below 'Featurette' section.

As long time readers of this Blog know... It was Jack Kirby's cover to "Journey Into Mystery #72" that got me from just reading comics into actually 'collecting comics'!  So I have a special fondness for most of his works...

Back in 1966 the premise for the TV Show 'The Prisoner' was conceived.  Patrick McGoohan became the actor/producer for the Show.  It was  a complicated show, and although not a true 'sequel' to Patrick's UK Show 'Danger Man', better known in the USA with the  title: 'Secret Agent', it was a great follow up to the earlier show.

'The Prisoner' had already acheived 'cult status' by the mid 1970's. I am not aware of any earlier adaptation prior to Marvel Comics wanting to publish this proposed comic book series.  Jack Kirby had returned to Marvel Comics by then, (from DC Comics), and was creating new series for Marvel, as well as a licensed series.

For whatever reasons, Marvel Comics dropped the proposed series after Jack Kirby created the first seventeen pages for the first issue.  Mike Royer had partially inked and lettered several of the pages in the Summer of 1976.  The timing of this series was to have the 1st issue published in November of 1976 with a February of 1977 cover date.

I've seen the unfinished pages before with reviews and insights, here and there in fanzines, and on websites, so I won't go into too much detail here about what Jack included and didn't include in his unpublished 17 pages...

I just wanted to acknowledge that there was this unpublished comic book series that was based upon the UK TV Show that was broadcast there in 1967-68.  USA viewers saw it in 1968.  Here we are 41 years later with a remake!  It truly is amazing how ideas get recycled in Hollywood!

(And yeah, I know there was a later published four-part sequel by Dean Motter and Mark Askwith, that was printed by DC in 1988-89, but I haven't read that series. I'll mention it here because it is only the second licensed project to be attempted on this TV Show that I'm aware of for comics format.  Of course there have been references made to 'The Prisoner' in other comics, and even some similiar stories published story wise, but I'm going to pass on mentioning those here today...) 

For those of You that want a copy of the preview comic book of "The Prisoner", just click this link to be taken to our eBay Store for purchase.  The cost will remain at $1.95 plus shipping until the preview comic is sold out.

Thanks again to Vince for reminding me that I hadn't mentioned the earlier unpublished comic book series in this blog!  And to all of You that have posted comments on my Facebook Wall or sent me emails or messages about your wanting to see this mini-series also!

This comic book is being released November 15th and the creator / publisher has asked me if I would mention it in my Blog....  

Since a preview copy of the comic book that is the first issue of a new ongoing series came in with the request, I thought I would include it in today's blog post.  I'm always interested in new comics, especially those that are the first issue of a proposed ongoing series, although I may not blog about all the comics that come in for possible review in the 'Main Feature' section of this blog.

First, here's what the Press Release said about the comic book:

"Legend has returned from retirement only to find the world on the brink of domination at the hands of his long-time nemesis, Anthrax and his team has been replaced by a rowdy, disorderly band of ex-super-criminals. HOW can Legend win and WHO can he trust.

There is an invisible war going on without our knowledge. A battle being waged between our government and an alien empire bent on enslaving our entire species. It is a fight that we are losing and our only hope is a super-human military force known as THE MAJESTIC-XII."

Here are the credits: 

Created by Justin Leach and Andrew Kilian.

Written by Justin Leach.

Penciled and inked by Andrew Kilian, with coloring by Omi Remalante Jr. with Lettering by Jon Zamar.

24 pages, bi-monthly, on-going series, and produced by Odyssey Comics

Okay, so why did I take the time to blog about this first issue in the 'Main Feature' section of my Blog?

Most of my Blog readers will know that I joined the Facebook Comic Con (FBCC) right after it first kicked off earlier this year.  So when there is an event, I either try to attend as a 'judge' or 'reviewer' or just publicize what is happening in this Blog.

A while back I kept seeing info on a video based art show that was going to be held at the FBCC.  Not totally understanding where the creators of this project were going with this, I held off mentioning it until seeing it for the first time yesterday when it was first uploaded to their Facebook Comic Con Group Page.   There are six (6) approximately twenty minute clips in this FREE Virtual Premiere at their FBCC group page event.  

However, PLEASE NOTE:  This event only runs from November 12th thru the 15th. After that, the event closes.  So, do as I did and see if the first clip grabs your interest or not BEFORE the FREE viewing closes!   Both Tina and I viewed the original film many years ago, and we will be watching this before the Virtual Premiere ends.  I don't have our responses to this yet, as we have not seen it in its entirety.  It was just uploaded yesterday for viewing!  Following is the info from the Event Organizer: 

NOTLD:R Virtual Premiere
--------------------------------
Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated ( NOTLD:R ), will be screening November 12-15th, 2009 as part of the Facebook Comic-Con (a free virtual convention occurring through the architecture of Facebook). For this screening the event page (typically just used to announce the time and place of real world events) doubles as the venue and those 'attending' the event will be able to view the entire feature length project for free from the comfort of their own homes... well before it's official release. The project is now live and will remain online until November 15th, at which time, it will be taken down thus ending the screening event.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=160692464632

Night of the Living Dead: Reanimated a video based art show. Artists from around the world were invited to select scenes from the original film and make them their own. With no restrictions on style, media or process the resulting works ranged from oil paintings to comic illustrations and sock puppets to digital animation. These works were then curated into a visual track of artwork and set to the audio of George A. Romero's masterpiece, 'Night of the Living Dead'.

NOTLD:R is not meant to replace the original film but rather to supplement your viewing experience by allowing you to see the film through the eyes and hands of these talented individuals.

Feedback is welcomed. Enjoy the show.

-Mike Schneider
Organizer/ Curator of NOTLD:R 

My thanks to those at FBCC and to those at NOTLD:R for staging this Virtual Premiere at Facebook Comic Con.  It is good to see other events happening there inbetween the major  FBCC convention programs.  For those of You that haven't 'been' to a FBCC event, this one might be up your alley, especially if you are into that type of genre. After all FBCC is running something all the time... 24 / 7 / 365.   Here is the 'Gateway' to the FBCC:  click here!

This past Sunday I blogged that the creators of FACTION, the comic book that won the 2009 Small Press Idol Contest (SPI), would be signing the special Zero Issue this Wednesday the 11th of November, at a Local Comic Book Shop (LCBS) in San Diego.

For those of you that weren't able to attend this special signing yesterday, I've published a few photos from the signing above. 

Of course the 'hi-lite' of the signing for most persons there was seeing the actual copy of the comic book, which had taken months to put together, as it progressed from its' beginning stages in Round 1 of SPI to finally being the winner in Round 4!

Those store customers that were there basically for 'New Comics Day' at SoCal Comics also had the pleasure of meeting the FACTION creators, Erik & Arnie, who were sitting right next to the 'new comics racks' at their booth.  (Shown in the top right photo.)

I have stated before that Tina and I first met Erik W and his wife Amanda Hendrix back on the night of May 30th at Sky High Comic's "A Night Of Art - Music - Comics In San Marcos California!"  (click here for that post).

However, I had not yet met Arnie Gordon, the artist for this #0 issue until yesterday.  Arnie was a great guy to meet, who although a 'quiet' guy at the signing event, lets his pencils speak for him!  Glad to have finally met you Arnie... looking forward to rest of the story arc from you and Erik! 

In the middle photo of the photos published at the top right of this post is SoCal's owner, Jamie Newbold.  He and I discussed the current status of 'comics sales' in the San Diego area, of which I will be sharing some of that with you in the days to come. I had previously mentioned Jamie's LCBS in my review of the 2009 Free Comic Book Day (FCBD) Event As Seen in the San Diego Metro Area: (Click for blog post.)

Store Location:  Southern California Comics
Street Address:  8280 Clairemont Mesa Bl. #124
City/Town:         San Diego, CA

For more info you can check his store's web site at:  http://www.socalcomics.com/.

Jamie's LCBS is where we get the majority of our comics bags and boards supplies for shipping our own online sales, even though they are approximately 30 miles away from us here in the city of Carlsbad, located in North San Diego County.

The third photo at the top right is just one of the dozen and half  persons that bought a copy of FACTION while I was there during the signing for a few hours of the event.  Thanks John for the conversation!  Also to Mike who is both a local teacher and a SDCC volunteer in the GRT department of that great Comic Con. Looking forward to perhaps seeing you again at the 2010 Comic Con International: San Diego!

Plus, Thanks again to Erik for sending me an invite to this signing! I was pleased to be able to attend this mid-week event!

Earlier this year I blogged about a different mini-series that Robert Roach created, titled 'The Roach', which was Not an autobiographical set....