Robert Meeks: April 2009 Archives

This video from Funny or Die follows poor Batman (Adam West) after he has fallen victim to a ponzi scheme.

Man, this is wrong on so many levels.

Wolverine avoids the swine flu outbreak

I should say avoid the POSSIBILITY of swine flu.  20th Century Fox decides to skip the Mexico premiere of "X-Men Origins: Wolverine."  People magazine has more.

Barack is the mightiest there is

Rich Johnston over at Lying in the Gutters has some art from Devil's Due Publishing's "Barack the Barbarian." Click stage right to see a larger image.  More info at MTV Splashpage.

Back to Wolverine again

Sci Fi Wire reports on easter eggs in the upcoming X-Men Origins film.  Some people may be like "Robert, stop, I don't wanna know!" But did you think there would be a superhero flick without an easter egg at the end? It's like de rigeur in all the finer comic flicks now.

Megan Fox is our friend

SuperheroHype.com had some pics of Megan Fox on the set of the upcoming "Jonah Hex" film. I honestly wasn't sure when this film was happening, but I guess it's on now. If you want to see more of the images you have to catch them over there.

The 'Fatal Attraction'-like film 'Obsessed' starring Beyonce Knowles (right), Idris Elba and Ali Larter (left) earns an estimated $28 million in its opening weekend.  AP Photo/Dave Allocca

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Audiences were in the mood for some fatal attraction action at the box office. Beyonce Knowles and Idris Elba's "Obsessed" debuted as the top weekend movie with $28.5 million in ticket sales. The Sony Screen Gems thriller stars Knowles and Elba as a couple whose ideal marriage lands on the rocks after a psychotic temp played by Ali Larter begins stalking the husband.

The strong opening for "Obsessed" helped maintain Hollywood's hot streak, with overall revenues at about $112 million, up 23.5 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

The busy summer season starts Friday with 20th Century Fox's spinoff "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," starring Hugh Jackman in the title role he played in three "X-Men" blockbusters.

Studios head into summer on a box-office tear, with receipts running at a record pace. Revenues for the year are at $3.06 billion, up 17.4 percent over last year. Factoring in higher ticket prices, movie attendance is up 15.7 percent.

"We have never been in this strong a position heading into the summer season, ever," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

Zac Efron's "17 Again" and Channing Tatum's "Fighting" were neck-and-neck for the No. 2 spot. With Sunday estimates of $11.7 million, the Warner Bros. comedy "17 Again" had the edge. After debuting in first-place a week earlier, "17 Again" raised its 10-day total to $40 million.

Rogue Pictures' "Fighting," starring Tatum and Terrence Howard in the story of a rising star in New York City's underground bare-knuckle fight circuit, debuted with $11.4 million.

The two movies were close enough that rankings could change when final numbers come out Monday.

Paramount's drama "The Soloist" opened at No. 4 with $9.7 million. It stars Jamie Foxx as a schizophrenic music prodigy living on the streets of Los Angeles and Robert Downey Jr. as a reporter who befriends him.

Disney's nature documentary "Earth" premiered in fifth place with $8.6 million, bringing its total to $14.2 million since opening Wednesday.

"Obsessed" was not screened in advance for critics, and those who reviewed it generally trashed the movie as a lame retread of 1987's "Fatal Attraction," which starred Glenn Close as a demented woman pursuing a married man, played by Michael Douglas.

But "Obsessed" had the lure of singer Knowles stepping out from her pop star image and duking it out with the crazy lady threatening her home and marriage.

"There's something about wanting to see Beyonce kick butt. She's taking on one wacked chick, played very well by Ali Larter," said Rory Bruer, head of distribution for Sony. "Let's face it, everyone loves Beyonce, and to see her in this role is a treat."

Documentaries rarely open in nationwide release or break into the top 10, but Disney aimed for a wide audience with "Earth," which traces families of polar bears, elephants and humpback whales over the course of a year.

Disney pledged to plant a tree for every viewer who sees the movie in the first week, with the number climbing to more than 2 million after five days. The film was tied to Earth Day and was the first release of the studio's Disneynature label.

"We just felt like if we make an event out of this, tied it to this whole plant-a-tree effort, tied it to Earth Day, maybe we could break the mold and come up with the kind of opening that you'd be satisfied with on a regular film," said Mark Zoradi, president of Disney's motion-picture group.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Obsessed," $28.5 million.

2. "17 Again," $11.7 million.

3. "Fighting," $11.4 million.

4. "The Soloist," $9.7 million.

5. "Earth," $8.6 million.

6. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $8.5 million.

7. "State of Play," $6.9 million.

8. "Hannah Montana: The Movie," $6.4 million.

9. "Fast & Furious," $6.1 million.

10. "Crank: High Voltage," $2.4 million.

This is a cool little clip introducing some of the characters we'll see in "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" next week.

Hey, is that blond girl Emma Frost?

The latest Marvel animated effort from Nicktoons Network "Iron Man: Armored Adventures" is fun in the action moments but a little dry in the re-imagination of the character.

I understand this is Nicktoons and the producers are looking to appeal to its viewership by introducing Tony Stark (Iron Man) as a young genius.  Also, get ready for the high school-age James "Rhodey" Rhodes and Pepper Potts.

There's all ready too much being said about how mildly annoying this teen Tony is and much of what was said is true. Stark is such a great adult character getting this kid version simply takes the fun out of the guy.

But let me clarify -- I'm not kicking lil' Tony around because I think young people don't make interesting superheroes. It's because I think interesting people make interesting superheroes and this main character needs a little life breathed into him. 

This kid has everything going for him: money, smarts, a mega-sized trust fund. When Rhodey asks if he needs his textbooks and Tony says he's memorized them already, I wanted to step into the television, punch his lights out and throw him in his locker so he can get an authentic school experience.

If Rhodey had beat Tony down after that I might've had more empathy for the guy.

Anyway, there are some good things about this show. 

The computer animation does no favors for the movement of the human figures but it's great for the Iron Man action sequences.  When it comes down to it for many fans of Iron Man, it's mostly about the tech and the action.  If you can make that look cool other failings can be forgiven.

At least for the first 26-episode season.

Iron Man: Armored Adventures debuts on Nicktoons Network at 7 p.m. and will run every Friday at 7 p.m.

Terrence Howard isn't over being dropped from the "Iron Man" sequel yet, and do you blame him?

No one denies that the mega hit film ($582 million worldwide) is a possible killer franchise in the making, and in these types of flicks the stars get a windfall.  Well, except Howard, who will not reprise his role as Jim Rhodes, Tony Stark's best military buddy.

Of course Robert Downey Jr. is back as Tony Stark/Iron Man, Academy Award nominated actor Don Cheadle will step in as Rhodes and Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke join the cast.

Howard told Parade.com "They didn't keep their word. They didn't honor my contract." He added that renegotiations for the sequel didn't go well for Gweneth Paltrow either.

More than a few stories on the "Iron Man 2" casting suggested that Johansson and Rourke were not offered big bucks for their parts in the sequel either.  If it is true that Howard would have commanded more money and maybe even part of the box office and Marvel didn't want to make a deal like that, then it makes sense that he isn't back.

Before Samuel L. Jackson got that multi-picture set up with Marvel as Nick Fury, Jackson himself told Geoff Boucher at Hero Complex that he wasn't getting a big offer in initial negotiations from the producers.

Well, "Iron Man 2" is probably one of the most public examples of movie companies tightening their purse strings when it comes to casting.

Am I still going to see the "Iron Man" sequel?  Of course I am.  Heck, even Terrence Howard said he's going and he still has an axe to grind.  

In this film publicity image released by 20th Century Fox, Hugh Jackman stars as Logan, left, and Liev Schreiber stars as Victor Creed in a scene from "Wolverine." (AP Photo/20th Century Fox, James Fisher)

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- What a who's who list Hollywood has lined up for its summer action spectacles: Wolverine. Transformers. Harry Potter. James Kirk. G.I. Joe. Terminator.

If there's one word to sum up it all up, it's this: Relentless.

Starting May 1, barely a weekend will pass without another brawny special-effects extravaganza landing in theaters.

Appropriately, summer starts with a couple of prequels.

After co-starring in three "X-Men" adventures about the Marvel Comics mutants, Hugh Jackman steps out from the pack for "X-Men Origins: Wolverine." The film spins the back story of Jackman's metal-clawed loner, a military experiment gone rogue amid a government conspiracy to control his super-freak kinfolk.

Next, the starship Enterprise is relaunched in "Star Trek," with a new cast taking on the characters originated in the 1960s TV show. Chris Pine inherits William Shatner's role as dashing James Kirk, while Zachary Quinto plays Vulcan egghead Spock (Leonard Nimoy, who created the role, pops up as the older Spock).

Like "Star Trek" director J.J. Abrams, Pine grew up more a "Star Wars" kid than a "Star Trek" kid. After snagging the role, Pine started watching the original series but stopped halfway through the first season.

"It was kind of nice to familiarize myself with the world, but it didn't help me much at all to delve any deeper," Pine said. "If anything, it was a hindrance to kind of watch what Mr. Shatner had done, because he'd done it so well, and he was so specific.

"There were certain mannerisms that I think are definitely Kirk-ian things that I wanted to use in my portrayal, but for the most part, I wanted to free myself up to create something new."

The director of the final four "Harry Potter" movies, David Yates, is still giving thanks for the young cast he inherited, led by Daniel Radcliffe as boy wizard Harry and Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as his school pals.

"There was something very, very, very clever in their choices. Not a day goes by I'm not grateful for this bunch they put together," Yates said. "It's a remarkable bunch of kids."

In "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," Harry is charged with uncovering a forgotten memory from a new Hogwarts teacher (Jim Broadbent), information the young sorcerer needs for his final showdown against dark wizard Voldemort.

While Yates marvels over how his youthful cast has blossomed, "Transformers" director Michael Bay was thrilled over the improved acting chops of his computer-animated robots for the sequel.

"We were just touching the surface last time in what they're capable of doing," Bay said. "This time, they really emote."

"Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" reunites puny but plucky human Shia LaBeouf with his giant, shape-shifting Autobot buddies in a rematch against the evil Decepticon robot clan.

Also in a rematch are Tom Hanks and Ron Howard with "Angels & Demons," their follow-up to "The Da Vinci Code." This installment hurls Hanks' symbologist into an ancient feud between the Vatican and a secret brotherhood that has kidnapped the cardinals in line to become the next pope.

Howard felt less pressure this time adapting Dan Brown's best-seller than he had with "The Da Vinci Code," a literary phenomenon whose did-Christ-have-kids premise put the movie under a severe microscope by fans and detractors alike.

"Documentaries are being made about 'Da Vinci Code.' Theologians develop symposiums around it. Ministers were using it as a way to, frankly, entice people to church," Howard said, adding that the new film "remains provocative, yes, but it doesn't hold that same place at the center of the zeitgeist. So it's really full-on escapism.

Other action highlights:

-- "Terminator: Salvation": Christian Bale leads the last shreds of humanity against machine enemies as the franchise reboots without Arnold Schwarzenegger.

-- "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra": The action figures get their own movie as the G.I. Joe guys take on an arms dealer and a militant secret organization.

-- "Inglourious Basterds": Brad Pitt and Quentin Tarantino resurrect "Dirty Dozen"-style action as Jewish soldiers dish out chaos among the Nazis.

-- "Public Enemies": Johnny Depp is gangster John Dillinger and Christian Bale is G-Man Melvin Purvis in Michael Mann's Depression-era crime saga.

-- "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3" -- The remake casts Denzel Washington as a subway dispatcher and John Travolta as a bad guy ransoming a trainload of passengers.

-- "Drag Me to Hell": "Spider-Man" director Sam Raimi returns to his "Evil Dead" roots with a horror tale about a bank employee (Alison Lohman) tormented by a vengeful customer's supernatural curse.

-- "District 9": "Lord of the Rings" overlord Peter Jackson produces a sci-fi tale about a human who becomes an unlikely ally for aliens held in a South African ghetto.

I have not read all the books but I have watched EVERY Harry Potter film and they are never disappointing. Even though I may not have sang all the praises of Order of the Phoenix, it still soared higher than most films of its type.

So you can bet I'm excited about "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince."

With all the stunning special effects and innovative storytelling by the various directors (David Yates helms Half-Blood) the films maintain a level of humanity.

That may seem weird but it's true.

My fellows who have read every book tell me this... the story only gets darker.
And I hear Warner Bros. will open the film two days early on July 15.

I didn't initially see this trailer from GameTrailers.com, it was Modern Mythology contributor James Rasmussen. He told me I had to drop whatever work I was doing to see this.

Man, was he right. I might have to actually invest in a game system now.

Blair Butler of Fresh Ink has exclusive images of Cory Walker's artwork from an upcoming issue of "Invincible." She also shows a page or two from the comic adaptation of Stephen King's "The Stand" with some really gruesome imagery.

OK, it's not too gruesome.

A class offered at Cal State Long Beach examines the art, history and story of comic strips and graphic novels.

"Show and Tell: From Comics to Graphic Novels," taught by CSULB professors Tim Caron and Nhora Serrano, was featured in a story by education reporter Kevin Butler and is worth a read.

Considering that the class will discuss "Maus," "The Dark Knight Returns" and "Watchmen," it is my hope that doors will open to new readers in this medium we all love -- and criticize.

Maybe for an outing the class should witness and participate in an intense comic store argument discussion.


Image courtesy of The Grand Comic Book Database

In this video screen image released by Warner Bros., a scene from the videogame "Terminator Salvation," is shown. (AP Photo/Warner Bros.)

DERRIK J. LANG
AP Entertainment Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Video games based on blockbuster movies typically get panned, yet shamelessly benefit from the buzz of their film inspirations. But the developers of this summer's movie games are more intent than ever on transforming gamers' groans into grins.

"Movie games have a bad history," said Jeff Poffenbarger, senior producer at "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" game developer Raven Software. "There is a stigma to movie games, for a thousand different reasons. They come out and they don't live up to the hype people create. For us, it was all about creating the definitive Wolverine experience, not recreating the movie."

Traditionally, movie games are daunting to develop because they face opening-day deadlines yet take double the time to produce as the films they are based on. Veteran game director Joby Otero, chief creative officer at "Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen" developer Luxoflux Studios, said upgrading the genre's quality has become a primary goal in recent years.

"I think Hollywood is communicating with the games industry on a different level now," said Otero. "There's a recognition that a game's quality can impact the overall franchise. I think part of the reason is that more of the key creative decision makers grew up as gamers themselves. There's an understanding of how wrong these things can go."

In hopes of saying "hasta la vista, baby" to a poorly received game, the Halcyon Co., which owns the rights to the "Terminator" franchise, allowed the "Terminator Salvation" game developers to work under the same roof as the film crew when creating the apocalyptic third-person shooter based on the flick directed by McG and starring Christian Bale.

"It meant that the game developers, art directors and designers could literally sit in the same production studio as the film guys," said Cos Lazouras, Halcyon Games development vice president. "They worked collaboratively side by side. They had access to McG, who was intrinsically involved in the game."

Actor Hugh Jackman, center, holds a camera to photograph himself and fans after he arrives for a promotion of his new movie "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" on Cockatoo Island in Sydney, Australia Wednesday, April 8, 2009. (AP Photo/Aman Sharma)

SYDNEY (AP) -- Hugh Jackman said Wednesday that he is heartbroken his new film, "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," was leaked online a month before its official release.

The movie, which focuses on the beginnings of Jackman's clawed Marvel superhero Wolverine, is not scheduled for release in the U.S. until May 1, but a work print of the film began appearing online last week. 20th Century Fox said the FBI and Motion Picture Association of America were investigating and promised to prosecute those responsible.

The Australian actor, in Sydney to unveil 20 minutes of completed footage of the film to around 600 fans, said he was upset about the leak but still thinks fans will flock to see the movie in theaters.

"It's a serious crime and there's no doubt it's very disappointing -- I was heartbroken by it," Jackman said. "Obviously people are seeing an unfinished film. It's like a Ferrari without a paint job."

Jackman is on a world tour to promote the movie, making his first stop at Cockatoo Island in Sydney Harbor, where much of the film was shot. He arrived at the venue by helicopter before swooping to the ground on a zipline.

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Robert Downey Jr. is officially back in the superhero business.

Production started Wednesday on "Iron Man 2," the sequel to his 2008 blockbuster about the Marvel Comics character.

Downey reprises his role as a billionaire genius who fights bad guys in a high-tech metal suit that's loaded with gadgets. "Iron Man 2" reunites Downey with co-star Gwyneth Paltrow and also features Don Cheadle, who replaces Terrence Howard as the superhero's military ally.

Mickey Rourke is signed on to play a villain, and the cast also includes Scarlett Johansson and Samuel L. Jackson, who had a cameo at the end of the first "Iron Man."

Jon Favreau is back directing again for the sequel that hits theaters May 7, 2010.

Actor Keanu Reeves between practice runs at the tracks of Long Beach with Adrien Brody behind him in preparation for the upcoming 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in Long Beach. Photo by Steven Georges/Press-Telegram

While there have been reports of a live-action feature film of the popular future-pulp anime "Cowboy Bebop," when I asked actor Keanu Reeves yesterday how it's going he said "we're trying."

Reeves was here in downtown Long Beach for the Toyota Pro/Celebrity race practice and media day yesterday. Check out our stories on his racing preparations by Karen Robes Meeks and Robert Morales.

"Cowboy Bebop" features space traveling bounty hunters Spike Spiegel and Jet Black -- Reeves is reported to be playing Spike. As to the progress of the Bebop live action, he said there is work still being done on the screenplay and special interest is being paid to making sure the tone of the script matches the series.

Some fans may be concerned whether the anime is in good hands -- In our short conversation about the potential of the film It was obvious Reeves has a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for adapting the work.

Up next for the actor is  "The Private Lives of Pippa Lee," directed by Rebecca Miller and starring Robin Wright Penn to be released sometime before the end of the year.

DAVID GERMAIN
AP Movie Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- "Fast & Furious" left the competition in the dust with a $72.5 million opening weekend, the best so far this year.

That topped last weekend's $59.3 million debut for DreamWorks Animation's "Monsters vs. Aliens," which slipped to second place with $33.5 million, raising its 10-day total to $105.7 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

Universal's "Fast & Furious" also raced to a record for April debuts, easily passing the previous best of $42.2 million set in 2003 by "Anger Management."

It was a blockbuster opening more customary to summer. But Hollywood has been extending its busy season more and more by placing summer-style flicks earlier in the year.

"It's summer time in April," said Paul Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By Numbers. "We've seen the summer season stretch from what used to be Memorial Day through Labor Day, then the first of May through Labor Day. Now maybe with 'Fast & Furious,' it's going to be early April as the beginning of summer."

The weekend's other new wide release, Miramax's 1980s nostalgia comedy "Adventureland," debuted at No. 6 with $6 million. The movie stars Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart as summer workers at a second-rate theme park in the late '80s.

The fourth installment of the "Fast and the Furious" street-racing franchise brings back the four stars of the 2001 original -- Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster. The new movie has Diesel's fugitive driver and Walker's undercover cop reteaming for more illegal races as they take on a murderous drug lord.

The reunion paid off for distributor Universal, which also pulled in $30.1 million in 32 other countries where "Fast & Furious" was playing.

The original was a surprise hit, but the franchise was slowly running out of gas after the sequel "2 Fast 2 Furious," which starred Walker. Part three, "The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift," had a new cast and took in a solid but unremarkable $62.5 million over its entire run.

But "Tokyo Drift" ended with a cameo by Diesel, sparking interest in reviving the series with the "Fast & Furious" reunion.

"The marketing campaign let everyone know it's not what you've seen before. It's the original cast," said Nikki Rocco, head of distribution for Universal. "For the audience, the first main reason to see the movie was the action, then the car racing, then Vin Diesel."

"Fast & Furious" paced Hollywood to another huge weekend, with overall revenues at $160 million, up 68 percent from the same period last year.

For the year, domestic revenues are running at a record pace of $2.57 billion, up 14.5 percent from 2008's, according to Media By Numbers. Factoring in 2009's higher ticket prices, movie attendance is running 12.8 percent ahead of last year's.

"The title of this movie perfectly describes the box office year of 2009. Fast and furious," Dergarabedian said.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Fast & Furious," $72.5 million.

2. "Monsters vs. Aliens," $33.5 million.

3. "The Haunting in Connecticut," $9.6 million.

4. "Knowing," $8.1 million.

5. "I Love You, Man," $7.9 million.

6. "Adventureland," $6 million.

7. "Duplicity," $4.3 million.

8. "Race to Witch Mountain," $3.4 million.

9. "12 Rounds," $2.3 million.

10. "Sunshine Cleaning," $1.9 million.

___

On the Net:

http://www.mediabynumbers.com

It's not like NBC's "Heroes" has been uneventful -- we've seen events upon events.

Will any of this be enough to win the audience back for a fourth season of the show? I don't know, but I did notice that the show's producers seem to have recognized their greatest special effect is simply writing good characters and good moments for them to shine. 

Now, if only the plot can make more sense. 

I know some of you remember when it was cool to like CLAIRE (the freakin' invincible cheerleader) and talk about a recent episode with your friends?  You don't? Was it really that long ago?

I suppose it was.

Well, I wanted my good characters back and the last couple episodes, Cold Snap and Into Asylum, gave me a chance to have that.

This is the semi-SPOILER point for Heroes Watch and I'll mention a few things from the show after the image below, but I promise to only drop a few details as I attempt to defend the merits of the "Heroes" characters.

DANKO, "the Hunter" is played by actor Zeljko Ivanek who has also appeared on "True Blood" in its first season as "The Magister."

What good characters am I talking about?  Who should the "Heroes" writers focus on?
 
I mean Claire was as heroic and noble as HIRO (the dude who is kind of a time traveler) and she seemed to make better choices than her uncle PETER (has a grab-bag of super powers) PETRELLI.

I recall CLAIRE'S most recent shining moment against the puppet master dude (DOYLE) earlier this season when she had to choose life or death for one of her two mothers.  And when the writing for the show works for me in anything, it's when the characters have to make tough choices. When DOYLE resurfaces she helps him when he needs it -- something I certainly wouldn't have done.

And let me give some props to NATHAN PETRELLI (political flying boy), his sorta-evil, sorta-good mom ANGELA (future seeing lady) and NOAH (Claire's dad) who are usually the best acted characters and I noticed the series creators are paying more attention to them.
 
That's a good idea.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- The Michigan Court of Appeals is expected to consider whether to reinstate the conviction of a man accused of murdering his wife in their Detroit-area comic book store.

Apparently young adult readers are still not afraid to read stories that may have a supernatural theme -- especially at school book fairs.  "Dead is the New Black" and numerous books from the "Twilight" series are mentioned as examples in the following Associated Press story.

It sure would be great to get this large audience of readers more into comics. Of course, the story does mention that several middle school kids were interested in graphic novels.

-Robert Meeks

Hitmakers and fundraisers: school book fairs

HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) -- Marlene Perez's "Dead Is the New Black" is a young adult novel with a noirish pink and black cover and a supernatural plot. If it ever becomes the next sensation, give some credit to middle-schoolers such as Geneva Lish.

"It really caught my eye," says Lish, a seventh grader. "It has an unusual plot and a unique power. And the title is intriguing."

Lish didn't buy the book online or at a store. She was among the students at J.H.S. 167 in Manhattan who recently visited the Scholastic Book fair, shopping on the stage of the school's auditorium as they looked through graphic novels, fantasy, children's cookbooks and a Life Magazine volume about President Obama.

They purchased Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" novels, the latest "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" and Linda Gerber's "Death by Latte," a mystery set in part at a Seattle coffee shop. Ashley Zhang, another seventh grader, bought Mari Mancusi's "Gamer Girl," featuring a lonely high-schooler who becomes a star when playing online games.

"I borrowed it from a friend and thought it was fascinating. I like that it's about a girl who really wants to fit into the world," Zhang says.

During a hard time for publishing, and for education, the fairs remain a relatively stable source of income. According to a recent report from the Scholastic Corporation, revenues from fairs for the nine months ending Feb. 28 was $261.2 million, virtually unchanged from the same ninth-month period a year earlier.

"I've never met one parent who said, 'My kid has too many books.' ... You might cut a lot of things out. You might cut out a toy. You're not going to cut out a book," says Scholastic's president of book fairs, Alan Boyko.

I caught this panel of editorial cartoonist David Horsey's work over at Robot 6 and then The Washington Post.  Even the Man of Steel is not immune to the woes of the newspaper industry. 

See a larger image of the cartoon here.  See more from this cartoonist at DavidHorsey.com.

What's this I hear?

I'm just getting used to the idea of Vin Diesel coming back to reprise his outlaw/hero role as Dominic Toretto in "Fast & Furious" and here he is talking to MTV about being Doctor Doom and/or the Sub Mariner.

It's a funny observation in the video by the interviewer and Diesel about whom the actor would play in a comic book adaptation. It makes me curious as to why he has not done one yet.

There's talk of Diesel's ego, working with Furious director Justin Lin and other stuff in a story with the Los Angeles Times' Chris Lee here.

Video Via MTV Splashpage, "Fast & Furious" opens tomorrow and yes, Jordana Brewster is in it too.

Related post:

Trailer: Vin Diesel back in Fast & Furious sequel

If you want help weaving through your comic news today without feeling like an April Fool, check out Robot 6 or MTV Splashpage -- they're trying to do it too.

But one piece of information that appears to be sincere is a contest announced in this video by "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" star Hugh Jackman.  He says you can win a chance to have the flick premiere in your town.  The official contest entry page.

If this is a joke then I know what the sequel is gonna be... "X-Men Destroyed: Modern Mythology vs. Wolverine."

Weapon X against a cranky caffeine-deprived comic fan?  Always bet on the blogger.