RIP Don Payne, Simpsons Writer/Producer

48-year-old Don Payne, best known for his work as a writer and producer on The Simpsons, died from bone cancer last Tuesday at his home in LA. Payne also wrote the screenplay for Thor, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, and Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. He won four Emmys for his work on The Simpsons. He also won an award from the WGA for his work.

Our condolences to his family and friends.

© C Harris Lynn, 2013

Wiedlin, Morrison Offer Comic-Con Exclusive Lady Robotika

Lady Robotika's Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Gos) and Bill Morrison (The Simpsons, Futurama) will be on-hand to autograph and discuss their new series, as well as the Comic-Con exclusive, limited edition, Lady Robotika #1 issue (cover by Jim Silke -- featured). Like I said, I'm not posting the entire schedules this year; you can find those on the companies' websites.

Lady Robotika is an existential, possibly absurdist, sci-fi comedy which is more comedic than sci-fi, or sexy, or anything else. Most of the first issue is exposition and it isn't handled very well. Definitely interesting, and recommended for collectors, but your average superhero comics fan probably isn't going to like it very much.

WHO:
Lady Robotika, the inter-galactic rock 'n roll sexy cyborg heroine, is the brainchild of Jane Wiedlin (legendary guitarist for the Go-Go's) and Bill Morrison (Eisner Award-winning creator behind The Simpsons Comics, Futurama Comics, Roswell, Little Green Man, and Heroes Anonymous). The new super-heroine debuted last week to great reviews with Lady Robotika issue #1: "Slaveship to the Stars!"

Grammy Award-winning album art director, and famed comic and pin-up artist, Jim Silke, has created a limited-edition convention-exclusive Lady Robotika cover for "Slaveship to the Stars!," available for the first time during San Diego Comic-Con at the Image Comics booth for $10.

WHAT:
Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison, and Jim Silke will be attending San Diego Comic-Con, hosting Lady Robotika autographing/meet & greets, attending various parties/events, and closing out the weekend with a bash at Meltdown Comics in Hollywood.

WHEN & WHERE:
Friday, July 23
Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison & Jim Silke autograph-signing
11:00am - Noon
4:00pm - 5:00pm
Image Comics booth #2729.

Saturday, July 24
Jane Wiedlin, Bill Morrison & Jim Silke autograph-signing
3:00pm - 4:00pm
Image Comics booth #2729.

Monday, July 26
Meltdown Comics Annual Comic-Con After-Party
7:00pm - 10:00pm
7522 Sunset Blvd. (Hollywood, CA)

About LADY ROBOTIKA
Lady Robotika is a full-color, 32-page comic published by Shadowline and Image Comics. Earthly rock star Jane Wiedlin is abducted by a rock 'n roll-loving, evil, alien emperor and implanted with nanobots meant to enslave her. His plans backfire as our guitar-slinging heroine learns to control the nanites and transforms into the super-powered cyborg galactic liberator Lady Robotika! With sexy sci-fi rock and roll space adventures to ensue...

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

DOH!

© C Harris Lynn, 2010

Create the Newest Simpsons Character

That's right: the cast and crew of The Simpsons have completely given-up (in case you haven't seen the show in the last two-three years) and now want you to design the newest character. All you have to do is come up with a name, brief description, and a handful of catchphrases; an artist will do the rest. If you win the contest though, you will be flown out to Los Angeles to meet with the artist and design your new character!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Marge Simpson in Playboy

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

DOH! The Stamp o' the Simpsons

The USPS announced a series of Simpsons stamps to be released this year (2009). The series will feature all members of the family as rendered by creator and executive producer, Matt Groening. A sneak-peek at the line will be revealed April 9^th.

At 20 years old, The Simpsons is the longest-running primetime TV show still on the air. It will soon air its 500^th episode, making The Simpsons the longest-running TV show in history.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Simpsons 44 Episodes Closer to 500

Fox has ordered another 44 episodes (two seasons) of the venerable and award-winning The Simpsons. This is another milestone for The Simpsons, which already holds the record for longest-running animated sit-com and will now hold the record for longest-running primetime show.

Gunsmoke previously held the latter record. However, Gunsmoke ran for 635 episodes; with this additional 44, The Simpsons will still only have 493 under its belt.

January 14^th, 2010 marks the 20^th anniversary of the debut.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

The Simpsons is 20

That's right: with tonight's season premiere, the venerable animated series turns 20 years old.

We really old people remember when it first premiered - we even older people remember the shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show! While a pale imitation of the controversy-inspiring show it once was, The Simpsons actually stirred the waters by introducing phrases like "Eat my shorts" into the American youth's vernacular (granted, it was already being said and The Breakfast Club cemented it). Christian "activists" and other thinly-disguised fascists decorated the television's talking-head programs, declaring Bart Simpson everything but a white boy.

Because, as series creator, Matt Groening, puts it, "I think we've used more yellow paint than any other TV show." The phenomenal - truly funny - movie based on the show recently caused the goodwives and burghers to clutch their pearls once again, as it features a prominent (and truly inspired) scene featuring Bart Simpson's dingle.

The Simpsons just collected their 10^th Emmy for Outstanding Animated Series.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Homer Simpson is So Money

or
DOUGH!

A Spanish shopkeeper was counting change when he came across a coin with Homer Simpson's face on it.

Apparently, some crafty counterfeiter had replaced King Juan Carlos' image with that of the pudgy cartoon character. He had not defaced the other side of the Euro, which still showed the map of Europe. The coin turned up in the city of Aviles, in Northern Spain. So far, no others have been found.

The shopkeep said the work "must have been done by a professional," and called it "impressive." He said he has been offered as much as €20 for the coin, but he is holding onto it for now.

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Box Office Results - Simpsons Win!

Well, The Simpsons movie exceeded everyone’s expectations, opening at #1 and bringing in just $1 million less than it cost to make. Though many sources are saying it received good reviews, I’m not sure where those good reviews are; most everything I’ve read, heard, or seen about it has been lukewarm, at best. There has also been a bit of a backlash concerning their aggressive marketing campaigns, but none of this seems to have hurt the animated movie. In fact, Simpsons was the third best opening for an animated movie and the best opening for a "2-D" animated movie.

The new Harry Potter slipped to third and Transformers fell to sixth place.

Lindsay Lohan’s new vehicle just barely made the top ten at all, coming in at ninth. With each passing day, my chances of bedding her become better and better...

Homer vs. Cernes Abbas

This is too good!

They have used a washable, biodegradable chalk compound to render an image of Homer Simpson next to the Cernes Abbas Giant. The Giant is the stuff of which we usually handle over on The OddBlog, as no one is certain who made it, where it came from, what it’s supposed to mean, or when it first appeared. Some think it is a fertility symbol, while others believe it may have been used to guide alien spacecraft to landing platforms, or even frighten airborne enemies.

Homer likes doughnuts.

DOH!

It is a publicity stunt for The Simpsons movie, premiering later this month. Follow this link and see the picture!

Springfield, VT to Host Simpson's Premiere

The Simpsons creator, Matt Groening, noticed that Springfield was one of the most common town names in the US, and so he decided to use that as the name for his cartoon family's hometown. 18 seasons later, in preparing to release The Simpson's first major motion picture, the movie company decided to hold a little competition for all the towns named Springfield, searching for just the right one in which they could release the new animated flick.

Springfield, Vermont won the prize.

They will host the movie premiere on July 21^st, six days ahead of the national release. They beat several states who have a Springfield, including those in Massachusetts, Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee, among others.

A Slew of Entertainment News - Movies, Music, Comics, More

Well, here we go; this is why the blog's called The Rundown:

• Michael Rosenbaum, Lex Luthor of TV's Smallville, appears in the new Jamie Kennedy comedy, Kickin It Old School, opening tomorrow.
• Kirsten Dunst was quoted as having said the Spider-Man movie franchise would crumble without her and Maguire (referring to further movies without either actor).
• Speaking of, Maguire has optioned rights to the manga, Tokyo Superpunch.
  
• Snoop Dogg has been banned from entering Australia, weeks after being banned from entering the UK.
• Alec Baldwin has said he wants out of his 30 Rock contract in the wake of a disturbing phonecall he made to his daughter in which he refers to her as a "little piggy."
• Hugh Grant threw a plastic tub of baked beans at a stalkerazzi and further assaulted him. He was questioned by police but no charges have been filed.
• Film critic, Roger Ebert, made a public appearance at his namesake film festival in Champaign, IL. Watch CNN today for an interview with him and his wife.
• NBC Universal is developing a ride modeled on The Simpsons for its theme parks.
• Eric Roberts, most recently seen guest-starring on Heroes, will play a mafia kingpin in the upcoming Batman movie, Dark Knight Returns.
• Spinal Tap will reunite for a concert in Wembley Stadium on July 7^th!

And that's why they call us The Rundown, y'all. Since 1998.

Brief Simpsonzu Shout Out

Mayren Proposes the following -

I ran across this amazing talent in the Comic industry: DeviantArt's SpaceCoyote. Lo and behold, SpaceCoyote is being hired by Bongo Comics (Matt Groening's Co.) to do the pencils for a short Manga-Style Simpsons Comic.

Please support your artists and check it out.

CONGRATS SPACE COYOTE!