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'X-Men: First Class' FX Supervisor To Direct 'Tales From The Farm' Adaptation

Posted 6/7/11 2:46 pm EST by in News, Top Shelf

Essex CountyJohn Dykstra, the visual effects supervisor for “X-Men: First Class,” may soon have the title of director under his sleeve. According to a new report, he might get behind the camera for a movie based on Jeff Lemire's “Tales From the Farm.”

Variety has indicated that the film is set to be re-titled “Super Zero," and a screenplay has already been written by John Carr, with Alec Chorches and Steven Gilder attached to produce. The movie will be live action, but it will use some visual effects, too.

The producers plan to push the film heavily at this year's Comic-Con International in San Diego. Read More...

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Weekend Reading: The Swedish Invasion!

Posted 5/21/10 12:03 pm EST by in Commentary, Review, Top Shelf

120 Days of SimonThis week's installment of Weekend Reading is going international, with a look at four books from Top Shelf Productions' "Swedish Invasion" line.

Launched just last month, the four books were originally published in Sweden but now arrive here in the U.S. fully translated and featuring an eclectic mix of stories by creators who might not be well-known commodities here, but have earned a big following in their homeland and the surrounding regions.

From a rapper's quest to sleep, smoke and crash his way across the country to a trippy adventure with naked, hairy forest-dwellers, the Swedish Invasion has begun. Read More...

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ADAPT THIS: 'Incredible Change-Bots' By Jeffrey Brown

Posted 4/21/10 6:21 pm EST by in Adapt This, Top Shelf

Incredible Change-BotsTHE STORY: "Incredible Change-Bots" by Jeffrey Brown - Top Shelf Productions

WHAT IT'S ABOUT: Forced off their war-ravaged home planet of Electrocybercircuitron, the Awesomebots and Fantasticons continue their struggle on Earth, utilizing their advanced technology and ability to transform from robots to vehicles (and back again).

Sure, it sounds familiar — but that's intentional with this nostalgic mash-up of giant-robot adventures a la Transformers and Go-Bots. While Brown makes no shortage of references to the '80s cartoon and toy lines (Awesomebots leader "Big Rig" turns into a tractor trailer, while his Fantasticons counterpart, "Shootertron," changes into a gun), his tales have the robots treading new, hilarious ground. Read More...

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MoCCA 2010: A Swedish Invasion, 'Mercury' Arrives, And Dave Roman Does 'The Last Airbender'

Posted 4/12/10 4:46 pm EST by in Del Rey, First Second Books, Top Shelf

MoCCA 2010One of my favorite conventions every year is the MoCCA Festival here in New York City, which gathers comic creators and publishers from the small-press, indie-oriented and online sides of the industry for a two-day show hosted by the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art.

While last year's show yielded a big scoop on the movie side (Top Shelf told me that Alex Robinson's "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" had been optioned), conversation was firmly focused on comics this time around — though I did get a little info about an upcoming comic tie-in with M. Night Shyamalan's "The Last Airbender" adaptation.

Read More...

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'Role Models' Director Considering 'Too Cool To Be Forgotten' Adaptation?

Posted 4/5/10 6:14 pm EST by in News, Top Shelf

Too Cool To Be ForgottenWay back in June 2009, I brought you the news that Alex Robinson's excellent graphic novel "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" had been picked up for adaptation by "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Synecdoche" producer Anthony Bregman. When I spoke to Bregman about the deal a few months ago, he said there were a number of potential directors being pursued for the project, with the chief qualification being "people who are able to tell a funny story and at the same time an emotional story."

A new report indicates that Bregman and Top Shelf Productions might have found their filmmaker.

According to Pajiba, "Role Models" director David Wain is considering "Too Cool" for his next project. Given the moderate success of his 2008 comedy starring Paul Rudd and Seann William Scott, the site reports that Wain is not only a good fit for the project but also has connections to several potential actors who could play the film's lead role. Read More...

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James Kochalka Kicks Off Fan-Funded 'Glorkian Warrior' Game Campaign

Posted 3/2/10 9:46 am EST by in News, Top Shelf

Kochalka - GlorkianIf you're familiar with James Kochalka's smiley comics like "Super F*ckers" and "Peanutbutter & Jeremy" and Pixeljam's evolved-retro video games like "Cream Wolf" and "Pizza City," you already know that a joint venture between them could burn your eyeballs out with neon rays of sunshine. Their new project, titled "Glorkian Warrior" currently needs more money to get through development, so they've put out a request for fan funding that they hope will push the game through to publication— and they're offering rewards.

"James Kochalka is doing the artwork, dialogue and design, and Pixeljam is doing the programming, music, and additional artwork / design," according to the page they've started at Kickstarter.com.

Thus far, 130 backers have pledged $5,297 to the cause with 21 pledge drive days left. Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Too Cool To Be Forgotten' Producer Talks Adaptation, Casting And Top Shelf Deal

Posted 1/25/10 1:46 pm EST by in interviews, News, Top Shelf

Too Cool To Be ForgottenWay back in June 2009, we brought you the exclusive news that Alex Robinson's graphic novel "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" was headed to the big screen with "Synecdoche, New York" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" producer Anthony Bregman attached to the adaptation.

The report was confirmed with the recent announcement that "Too Cool" publisher Top Shelf Productions entered an agreement with Bregman and media entrepreneur John S. Johnson giving the duo 33-percent ownership and the first look at all new Top Shelf projects for TV and film development. Their first project targeted for adaptation will be Robinson's tale of a middle-aged father who accidentally travels back in time to his teenage years, and must decide between reliving the mistakes of his awkward years or changing his future and erasing the life he knew.

I caught up with Bregman for a chat about his plans for "Too Cool To Be Forgotten" and more info about the Top Shelf deal. Read More...

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EXCLUSIVE: 'Surrogates' DVD & Blu-Ray Bonus Feature Preview - 'Breaking The Frame'

Posted 1/22/10 1:46 pm EST by in Top Shelf, Video

"Surrogates," director Jonathan Mostow's big-screen adaptation of Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele's comic book series, arrives on shelves next week. As regular readers know, we've been all over the film since it was first announced several years ago — mainly because we're all big fans of the book around Splash Page HQ.

That's why we're happy to present an exclusive preview of one of the bonus features on the "Surrogates" DVD and Blu-Ray. In "Breaking the Frame," Venditti describes the long, strange trip "Surrogates" has taken from the mailroom at Top Shelf Productions to a feature film starring Bruce Willis.

"Surrogates" arrives on DVD and Blu-Ray January 26. Read on for a full breakdown of the specs for each release. Read More...

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'Surrogates' Arrives In Theaters: Here's What You Need To Know!

Posted 9/25/09 3:02 pm EST by in Top Shelf

The Surrogates"Surrogates" hits theaters today, and Jonathan Mostow's adaptation of Robert Venditti and Brett Weldele's graphic novel already received a positive review from our very own Kurt Loder. As longtime readers are well aware, we've been covering this film since it was in its earliest stages, bringing you news about the film's cast, story, potential sequels (both on-screen and in comics form), and many of the differences between the film and its source material.

In an effort to get you up to speed on all things "Surrogates," I've compiled a roundup of "Surrogates" coverage from the Splash Page archives featuring lots of things you should know (and a few things you don't need to know, but are cool anyway). Read More...

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A Sci-Fi Flick With Heart: Kurt Loder's 'Surrogates' Review

Posted 9/25/09 12:02 pm EST by in Review, Top Shelf

SurrogatesFROM MTV MOVIES: In "Surrogates," nobody goes to work anymore, or even leaves the house much. Instead, lifelike robo-mannequins are dispatched to undertake the day's business while their operators sit at home with headsets and watch. These surrogates tend toward whitebread perfection — blonder of hair, bluer of eye and hotter of bod than their owners — but they can also be purchased in any race or gender desired. Imagine the benefits.

Cops and combat soldiers no longer need risk their real lives. Communicable diseases fade away, along with various sorts of prejudice. (That hot number your surry just picked up in a club might actually be some leering lardo sprawled at home on his living-room sofa.) Life — or at least "life" — is good.

The movie makes significant alterations (mainly of gender and motivation) in the Robert Venditti comic books on which it's based; but these changes, for a change, actually enhance the story.

Continue reading Kurt Loder's review of "Surrogates" at Movies.MTV.com.

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Cover Artist

Splash Page welcomes Ed Tadem to our cover artist family (our custom-designed theme up top). Currently working on the forthcoming "Avengers" animated series, Tadem's work can also be seen in the "Jackie Karma" issues of Image's "'76," and in "Pop Gun, Volume 1." Ed Tadem can be found online at EdTadem.com.
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