Spare Room Holds Million-Dollar Comic Book Collection

• By Russ Neumeier
• From: http://www.wired.com/
  

A retired Minneapolis bus driver who died in a fire last year had a passion for comic books. The fire that took his life started in the kitchen, but a back bedroom filled with more than 20,000 comics was spared. It was just recently that the surviving family members realized the collection was worth about $1 million.

Philipp Lenssen/Flickr

According to the Star Tribune, Gary Dahlberg started collecting comic books in the 1960s and would spend lots of time in comic stores or at comic book conventions. He also collected Star Trek–related items of all sorts, and liked having some of his figurines in the refrigerator to have something to look at when he opened the door.

Living a humble life, he sold two comics before his death — one to buy a computer so he could catalog his collection, and one to help pay off his home. Some family members questioned the value of his hobby, but now that the collection has been appraised, the Star Tribune says the hobby is more valuable than they ever could have imagined:

2,500 to 3,000 of Dahlberg’s 20,000 comic-book collection would end up “easily” worth more than $1 million. “Maybe closer to $2 million,” said Ed Jaster, senior vice president of Heritage Auctions.

Some of the comics of note in the collection are from 1963 : The Amazing Spider-Man No. 1 and No. 2. The No. 2 issue is one of only five known copies. The company hired to appraise and certify the collection will sell the comics in the coming year. While 3,000 of the comics are valuable, the majority will only be worth around twice the cover price.

So, collectors, look for comics from the Gary Dahlberg Collection.

7 Everyday Scenarios That Would be Awesome to Drive the Batmobile to

article written by: Andy Green

from: http://www.forkparty.com/

 

On a recent episode of The History Channel’s Pawn Stars, the boys at the shop had an opportunity to buy a replica of the Michael Keaton “Batman” Batmobile. Upon hearing this news, several Fork Party Editors collapsed and defecated in their pants.

After they woke back up they found a golden glowing letter from the web content gods. It said “Ye are tasked with writing a post about lame things that could be made better with control of the Batmobile.” After passing out one more time the editors woke up, changed out of their jorts and began chiseling this piece out of their brain with icepicks… and beer… lots of beer.

The Laundromat

Nothing is worse than the laundromat. It’s life’s little ball-tap. You walk in and it’s filled to the brim with shady characters and people who look like 1930′s era gangsters on the lamb from the cats in blue. It seems dangerous also. Laundromats always kind of feel like a knife-fight is about to happen. It’s a generally unpleasant place. So could you imagine rollin up and blowing the 4 inch ash off of the cigarette being smoked by the 600lbs man who’s gut is hanging outta his stupid circa 2001 novelty shirt that says “Did you eat a bowl of stupid for breakfast?”- with the exhaust from the MOTHERF**KING BATMOBILE?! AWESOME!

Court

So in a drunken stupor you punched a man out on Friday night who you thought said Star Wars sucked.  The police show up and they find the meth in your pocket or whatever. These actions can land you in a magical place called court. So on the big day you put your tie on and tuck your shirt in extra neatly. You make sure your shoes are extra shiny… then you use your car starter and fire up the Batmobile. You exit your place of residence, look up into the sky and put your sunglasses on. You slide across the hood of the Batmobile and hop into the hatch from the driver’s side. You do 145 mph all the way to the court house. Then you get there and park it at a meter. Even the judge would say… “Dude that was awesome — you’re free to go.”

The Grocery

Oh darn it. Your girlfriend just realized you are all out of nutmeg. Better make a trip to the supermarket. The supermarket is already kind of awesome. You get to be aggressive over checkout counters. People unleash hilariously awkward yelling and wrestling moves on their horribly behaved children. Hell, there’s even an old lady with a kooky eye thats handin’ out 2 inch wieners crudely pierced on a toothpick that you don’t even trust. What’s not to love? But envision for a second, the sheer joy that would be found in your soul while you intimidate someone backing out of a parking spot… WITH THE FREAKING BATMOBILE RUMBLIN’ ON THEIR BUMPER!

A Relative or Best Friend’s Wedding

Weddings can sometimes be a hassle. There’s lots of people you don’t know. You’ve got incredibly awkward dancing. And who can forget the drunk and bitter extended family? Nothing would blow all that chaos out of the water quite like the exhilarating feeling of making the bride cry because you drove the Batmobile to her most special day. You could then leave with one of the hot bridesmaids sitting shotgun…in the friggin’ Batmobile! VICTORY!

A Relative or Best Friend’s Funeral

For some reason funerals are always Bummerville U.S.A.! Lots of crying and speeches from people who weren’t formally trained to speak in public. There’s breakdowns and reminiscing. Then for some odd reason there is a ton of food prepared by obese elderly women. We here at Fork Party would want one of you to drive the Batmobile to our funerals… out of principal! That’s a true friend.

A Company Picnic

Your boss invited you to the “mandatory, without being mandatory” company picnic. All the people you loathe monday thru friday will now be sharing booze with you and partnering up with you in the potato sack race on your saturday. It is hard to find a more heinous event than a corporate get together. So think of the alpha male effect parking your Batmobile next to your boss’ Benz would have on him. You could show up late everyday for a year!

The County Fair

There isn’t much that the fair doesn’t offer in the way of unusual. You see rednecks of all different creeds, sizes and ride-preference. There are Carnies who make ends meet by slangin’ fake Oxy behind the bumper cars. You will learn the true horrors of poor dental care first hand at the county fair. So picture for a second how sweet it would be to blow back mullets by zippin by in the motherforkin’ Batmobile. Yeah, it doesn’t get any better than that.

So we all learned something very important today. That being of course, the vast amounts of epic badass owning the Batmobile would bring.

Adrianne Palicki: Wonder Woman In David E. Kelley's TV Reboot

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/

It's a tough job, casting someone to be the most beautiful (and ass-kicking) woman in the universe, but David E. Kelley has found his Wonder Woman: Adrianne Palicki.

Kelley, the "Ally McBeal" and "Boston Legal" creator who inked a deal with NBC in October to bring the iconic DC Comics character back to television for the first time since the 70's, cast Palicki, best known for her star turn in "Friday Night Lights," as his heroine. And she'll have to be something of a real superhuman to pull off all that he'll be asking of her.

With the new series set in modern day Los Angeles, Palicki will actually be taking on three roles: gritty crime fighter Wonder Woman; her first alter-ego, billionaire business woman Diana Themyscira; AND her assistant, Diana Prince.

She'll have to be fast, one assumes, to get her CEO self the latte that she demands her assistant self to get, ASAP.

Turns out, there wasn't much competition for the job -- Deadline.com reports that Palicki was the only actress that screen tested for the role.

She's had a brush with DC Comics already, playing a villainess in a pilot for "Aquaman" that was never picked up.

Lynda Carter, who flew to fame with the golden lasso in the 70's, apparently approves of the decision, tweeting "Congratulations Adrianne!" on Wednesday.

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Apple's iPad: Rethinking Comics

By: Brian Heater

From: http://www.pcmag.com/

In the lead up to the iPhone's release in June 2007, the blogosphere half-jokingly referred to the handset as the "Jesus Phone." Mind you, all of that white-knuckled hyperbole played out well before anyone had any concept of the device's true potential. A year later, Apple would completely change the smartphone model, with the release of the iTunes App Store. With that in mind, it should come as no surprise that a number of industries are looking toward the iPhone's second coming—the Apple iPad—for their salvation.

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When the iPad launched, media partners couldn't embrace team Apple quickly enough. Magazine and newspaper publishers saw the device as the savior of a dying industry. Even the most established papers and magazines have been hemorrhaging money by the boatload. The inability to sell physical copies of their product and monetize the online content that has replaced it has caused an ever-enlarging number of publications to fold. If you've seen Rupert Murdoch on television in the past year, chances are pretty good that he was decrying the "thievery" of his newspaper content by search engines like Google.

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The last several years haven't been great for the comics industry, either. While comic books aren't quite as immune to recessions as, say, gaming or film, comic publishers seem to have fared better than their newspaper brethren. Like record labels before them, however, comic book companies were largely late to the Internet party.

While most comic publishers continued to focus the lion's share of their attention on print, a Web comic revolution exploded around them. The list of successful Web comic artists is long, but a few spring immediately to mind, including Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik, whose strip Penny Arcade has blossomed into its own cottage industry. The series has spawned several books, an episodic video game series, a Web video show, and a twice-yearly gaming expo.

XKCD, Achewood, and Diesel Sweeties all achieved a considerable level success on the Web independent of more traditional publishing channels (Achewood has subsequently released books through Dark Horse Comics, Diesel Sweeties was picked up by United Features Syndicate, and an XKCD book was released by breadpig). Hark! a Vagrant author Kate Beaton made some waves late year by eschewing offers from larger publishers in order to self-release her book Never Learn Anything From History.

Publishing houses have since turned more of their attention toward the Web. Both of the majors—Marvel and DC—have launched large Web initiatives. Marvel is focusing its attention toward back issues. Meanwhile, DC opted to foster the creation of serialized Web comics, launching Zuda Comics, which allows artists to submit their comics in the hopes of winning a DC book deal. And then there are the independent publishers, like Top Shelf Productions and Dark Horse Comics (who, in 2007, struck up a content partnership with MySpace).

PCs and Smartphones
For a long time, the Internet seemed like the next logical step in the evolution of sequential art. With his seminal 2000 book, Reinventing Comics, cartoonist and theorist Scott McCloud helped popularize the term "infinite canvas," predicting that the unlimited bits provided by the Internet marked the end of the special limitations imposed by traditional publishing.

It's no coincidence that the most popular comics properties on the Internet are almost all newspaper-style strips, rather than online graphic novels. I really can't sum up the matter any better than McCloud did during a recent conversation we had on the subject of the iPad. "Comic strips made an easy leap onto the Web," the writer explained. "They got a little bigger, so they're easier to read. God created Web comic strips in a day and took the other six off. There was no design challenge. It fit."

When he says "it fit," he means it literally. Click on a link and there's the strip—no advancing or scrolling required. Comic books, on the other hand, are an entirely different story. They don't fit—not at all. I receive a lot of comics for review in PDF form, and I just can't do it. Flipping through pages with a mouse isn't natural. And then there's the whole lean back/lean forward paradigm that's been discussed of late, in the wake of the new generation of tablet computers. Have you ever attempted to read a full-length graphic novel while hunched over your keyboard? I don't recommend it.

As consumers began to shift their attention toward the smartphone space, so, too, did the comics industry. A new generation of handsets, led by the iPhone, offered yet another opportunity to re-think the medium. Phones offer comics in your pocket, comics on the go. And, unlike electronic ink-powered devices like the Kindle, the iPhone and its ilk have bright, beautiful color screens. Unfortunately, the special issues that befall comic books on the Web are all the more pronounced on the phone. For obvious reasons, the comic strip is, once again, the ideal size for consumption.

If only there were a device that was like the iPhone but, you know, bigger…

Click here for the full article.....

Comic Book Publishers Plot Comeback via Apple IPad

From: http://www.businessweek.com/

Marvel, DC Comics, and other publishers are promoting apps to make the iPad "a game-changer for the comics business"

By Douglas MacMillan

Newspapers and magazines aren't the only established publishers who've hung hopes for a revival on Apple's iPad. Comic book makers hope to breathe life into such characters as Spiderman and the Incredible Hulk by beaming them on to Apple's (AAPL) new tablet computer.

Disney's (DIS) Marvel comics unit on Apr. 3 released an iPad comic book application that's free to download from Apple's App Store. The software lets fans buy digital versions of more than 500 Marvel comic books for $1.99 each. Readers use their fingertips to swipe through the crisply colored replications of the comics' pages.

The goal is to expand the audience for Marvel, which Disney bought for $4.3 billion last year. "Our app is for comic book lovers as well as lapsed readers—people who might be in their thirties or forties who stopped buying [comic] books after college," says Ira Rubenstein, executive vice-president of Marvel's global digital media group.

Panelfly, a New York startup that distributes digital comic books, plans to release a comic-reading app for the iPad in the coming months that lets users buy and read titles from 50 publishers. Marvel—along with publishers Sterling Comics and Top Cow—plan to distribute titles through Panelfly's app. "There's a huge opportunity to expand the market" by releasing digital comic books on the iPad, says David Steinberger, CEO of ComiXology, a company that helped Marvel produce its iPad software.

Marvel's chief competitor, Time Warner's (TWX) DC Comics, hasn't announced plans for iPad software, but says it is assessing that tablet and other devices. "Our sense is that digital comics will grow and complement the businesses we have already built up through the current network of your local comic book shops and mass market bookstores," says Jim Lee, co-publisher of DC Comics, which publishes Batman, Superman, and other popular franchises.

publishers dream of iPad bounty

Startup Graphic.ly, which is part of Microsoft's BizSpark program for fledgling companies, is also developing an iPad application that will let fans trade comments within the pages of digital comics. "The publisher that really ends up making the biggest splash on the iPad is the one that's not going to look to replicate print," says CEO Micah Baldwin.

The publishing industry has high hopes for the iPad, which went on sale in the U.S. on Apr. 3. Publishers of books, magazines, and newspapers are releasing versions of their materials for the tablet computer in hope of capturing readers and advertising revenues. Add the dusty heroes of comic books to those looking for redemption.

Comic books were a $715 million business in the U.S. and Canada in 2008, according to researchers at ICv2, a Web site that tracks the business of popular culture. Japanese comic books and high-design graphic novels aimed at adults and sold in mainstream book stores are strong sellers, according to industry analysts. But demand for traditional superhero-oriented comic books has declined.

There are about 3,000 comic book stores in the U.S., down from about 10,000 in the '90s, according to Marymount Manhattan College professor Kent Worcester, who teaches classes on comics and animation and who co-edited A Comic Studies Reader (University Press of Mississippi, 2008). "There are plenty of towns which have no comic book stores," he says.

Enter the iPad. Publishers hope new digital versions of their titles can turn comics into mass-market entertainment, not just artifacts for collectors. "Hollywood and television have begun to give people what they used to get out of comics," says Marymount's Worcester. Today, episodes of the TV series Lost provide serialized drama, as Superman comics did in the '50s, he says.

Making strips available for consumers to download on a tablet could change "the mentality that comics are just meant to be collected," says Dave Dorman, a freelance illustrator who has drawn for issues of Batman, Star Wars, and numerous additional comics. "Forty years from when I grew up, comics could potentially make a big breakthrough to a new generation," he says.

Panelfly: "lion's share" to publishers

Digital comics existed before the iPad. But the small screen size of Apple's iPhone and other handheld devices didn't bring the illustrations fully to life, publishers say. Milton Griepp, CEO of ICv2, estimates that sales of comics for the iPhone and iPod Touch in 2009 were less than $1 million. Digital comic book sales through the iPad this year will likely be many times that amount, he says. "The iPad is a game-changer for the comics business."

The move to digital comic books is changing the economics for publishers. Panelfly Chief Executive Wade Slitkin says publishers take "the lion's share" of revenues from digital comic books sold through its iPhone app, which cost consumers between $1 and $10. Apple takes 30% of sales.

The iPad isn't the only new digital device comic book publishers are evaluating. Marvel's Rubinstein says the company is also considering publishing for tablets that run Google's (GOOG) Android operating system.

For all of their bold computer graphics and ease of buying, digital comics won't replace paper for some stalwarts. On a recent afternoon in New York, popular comic book store Midtown Comics was packed with young and middle-aged men scouring stands for their superhero fix. "I still prefer coming into the store every week," says Cristoph Miller, a 29-year-old comic collector.

Miller says he's downloaded a few comic book applications for his iPhone. He's looked only at free previews and has yet to spring for new titles.

Marvel and other comic book publishers may not persuade every old-time fan to switch media. But their excitement over the iPad shows just how much the publishing world hopes Apple can polish their prospects.

Douglas MacMillan is a staff writer for Bloomberg BusinessWeek in New York.

'Green Lantern' has three in ring

Cooper, Reynolds, Timberlake circling project

By Borys Kit

Bradley Cooper, left, Ryan Reynolds, Justin Timberlake (Getty)

Warner Bros. is about to decide who will wear the super-powered ring in "Green Lantern," the studio's latest DC Comics tentpole movie.

Along with director Martin Campbell and producers Donald De Line and Greg Berlanti, Warners has spent the past five months searching for the actor to play Hal Jordan, the hot-shot Air Force pilot who is chosen by a dying alien to be his successor in an intergalactic police force known as the Green Lanterns.

This week, the race narrowed to Bradley Cooper, Ryan Reynolds and Justin Timberlake. The clock is ticking on the decision as the holding deal the studio had on the actors expired Monday, meaning the three are now free to accept other offers.

	Who should light up 'Lantern'? Bradley Cooper Ryan Reynolds Justin Timberlake

The studio ordered up two rounds of screen tests with Cooper, Reynolds and Timberlake. Other actors in the early mix included Michael Fassbender, Henry Cavill and Jared Leto.

Apparently, De Line, Campbell and the studio each had a different favorite among the three finalists, making it difficult to come to a consensus.

Another issue impacting the casting process is the rising budget. "Lantern" is a full-blown space epic that is expected to cost between $150 million and $200 million, if not more. Warners would like to have the production costs at a reasonable level before proceeding.

The studio has scheduled the movie for a December 2010 opening.

Cooper, repped by CAA and Thruline, is feeling a lot of love from Warners as he stars in the studio's surprise comedy hit, "The Hangover," which has grossed $210 million domestically.

UTA-repped Reynolds recently starred in a comic book movie, Fox's "X-Men Origins: Wolverine," where he played "the merc with a mouth" Deadpool. The character is now being developed for a spinoff to which Reynolds is attached. The actor is also in theaters with Disney's romantic comedy "The Proposal."

Timberlake, repped by CAA and Rick Yorn, has been steadily building an acting resume, appearing in such dramas as "Alpha Dog" and "Black Snake Moan" while also showcasing his comedy chops with appearances on "Saturday Night Live."

Actress circling comic adaptations 'Jonah Hex,' 'Fathom'

By Borys Kit

Megan Fox (Getty Images photo)

Megan Fox is ditching the robots and taking her career to Western and underwater frontiers.

Fox is in final negotiations to star opposite Josh Brolin and John Malkovich in "Jonah Hex," Warner Bros.' action Western based on the DC Comics character. She also is attached to star and develop "Fathom," Fox Atomic's comic book-based underwater adventure.

In "Hex," being directed by Jimmy Hayward, Fox will play Leila, a gun-wielding beauty and love interest of Hex (Brolin), a scarred bounty hunter tracking a voodoo practitioner (Malkovich) who wants to raise an army of undead to liberate the South.

The movie is prepping for a shoot in April, with Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar and Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman producing. Legendary Pictures is co-producing and co-financing.

"Fathom," a comic created by recently deceased artist Michael Turner, follows a young woman named Aspen who learns she is a member of a race of aquatic humanoids who possess the ability to control water.

The project was at one point set up at James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. When the option lapsed, producer Peter Safran scooped it up and began packaging it, eventually attracting Fox, a fan of the comic since its 1998 debut, when it became the top-selling comic of the year. Fox had been seeking Turner to investigate "Fathom's" rights availability.

Fox is now helping develop and shape the adaptation, which is being written by Jordan Mechner, the creator of video game "Prince of Persia." (The ICM-repped scribe also wrote on Disney's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced adaptation.)

Safran is producing with Steve Bessen and "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" actor Brian Austin Green. Fox also will produce in some capacity.

Turner will be credited as exec producer. Frank Mastromauro also is exec producing. Zak Kadison and Eric Lieb at Atomic will oversee.

Although Fox began her acting career with the comedy "Hope and Faith," it was her feature debut in "Transformers" that set her on the road to becoming one of the top female names in Hollywood. Her appearance on the cover of GQ late last year propelled her to become a sex symbol, setting records for the magazine's sales and its Web site.

ICM-repped Fox next appears in this summer's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and stars in the Diablo Cody-penned comedic supernatural thriller movie "Jennifer's Body," which opens in the fall. She recently appeared in the comedy "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People."

Megan Fox lines up two film projects

Actress circling comic adaptations 'Jonah Hex,' 'Fathom'

By Borys Kit

March 3, 2009, 08:57 PM ET

Megan Fox is ditching the robots and taking her career to Western and underwater frontiers.

Fox is in final negotiations to star opposite Josh Brolin and John Malkovich in "Jonah Hex," Warner Bros.' action Western based on the DC Comics character. She also is attached to star and develop "Fathom," Fox Atomic's comic book-based underwater adventure.

In "Hex," being directed by Jimmy Hayward, Fox will play Leila, a gun-wielding beauty and love interest of Hex (Brolin), a scarred bounty hunter tracking a voodoo practitioner (Malkovich) who wants to raise an army of undead to liberate the South.

The movie is prepping for a shoot in April, with Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar and Weed Road's Akiva Goldsman producing. Legendary Pictures is co-producing and co-financing.

"Fathom," a comic created by recently deceased artist Michael Turner, follows a young woman named Aspen who learns she is a member of a race of aquatic humanoids who possess the ability to control water.

The project was at one point set up at James Cameron's Lightstorm Entertainment. When the option lapsed, producer Peter Safran scooped it up and began packaging it, eventually attracting Fox, a fan of the comic since its 1998 debut, when it became the top-selling comic of the year. Fox had been seeking Turner to investigate "Fathom's" rights availability.

Fox is now helping develop and shape the adaptation, which is being written by Jordan Mechner, the creator of video game "Prince of Persia." (The ICM-repped scribe also wrote on Disney's Jerry Bruckheimer-produced adaptation.)

Safran is producing with Steve Bessen and "Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles" actor Brian Austin Green. Fox also will produce in some capacity.

Turner will be credited as exec producer. Frank Mastromauro also is exec producing. Zak Kadison and Eric Lieb at Atomic will oversee.

Although Fox began her acting career with the comedy "Hope and Faith," it was her feature debut in "Transformers" that set her on the road to becoming one of the top female names in Hollywood. Her appearance on the cover of GQ late last year propelled her to become a sex symbol, setting records for the magazine's sales and its Web site.

ICM-repped Fox next appears in this summer's "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" and stars in the Diablo Cody-penned comedic supernatural thriller movie "Jennifer's Body," which opens in the fall. She recently appeared in the comedy "How to Lose Friends and Alienate People."

NBA Forced to Scrap Alter-Ego Shirt Idea (Krypto-Nate)

By MARC BERMAN

NOT AVAILABLE: This T-shirt, which would have commemorated the Slam Dunk title won by the Knicks' Nate Robinson, was shelved by the NBA because of intellectual property issues with DC Comics.

Nate Robinson and his Krypto-Nate alter-ego have become such a phenomenon, DC Comics, the originator of Superman, wants a piece of the action, The Post has learned.

Two days after the 5-7½ Robinson spectacularly won the Slam-Dunk competition during All-Star weekend, the NBA announced plans to release a green Krypto-Nate T-shirt for sale at the NBA Store and NBA.com.

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One day later, the NBA scrapped its plan because of intellectual property issues with DC Comics, the originator of the Superman comic books. DC Comics' offices are located on Broadway, near the NBA Store.

Robinson's Krypto-Nate scheme - designed to topple a red-caped Dwight Howard and his Superman shtick - was too close to home for DC Comics. Kryptonite is the green emerald crystal found on the fictional planet Krypton that weakens Superman.

The NBA is now looking to involve DC Comics in future Krypto-Nate endeavors, according to a league source.

"The NBA decided not to release the Krypto-Nate T-shirt because of future initiatives we are working on with Warner/DC Comics," an NBA source told The Post.

The NBA instead released a generic Robinson T-shirt containing only Robinson's name and status as the 2006 and 2009 Slam-Dunk champion.

The NBA also has made Robinson's green Spalding ball he used on his leap over Howard available for auction on its Web site.

Austin Trunick, publicity coordinator of DC Comics, wrote in an e-mail, "We're going to decline participation in this story."

Robinson said he and Howard are planning to do commercials together with the Krypto-Nate/Superman theme. It's unknown if DC Comics will be involved.

It has been a whirlwind three weeks for Robinson, a firestorm February upping his market value as a free agent July 1.

With Robinson now a legitimate candidate for Sixth Man of the Year, Donnie Walsh, whose club is off till Wednesday vs. Atlanta, has more to contemplate, with the balancing act of keeping open 2010 cap space for LeBron James and another star.

Before this surge, Robinson was viewed as a mid-level exception guy ($5.9M per). If David Lee asks for $10M per, Robinson's agents, Aaron and Eric Goodwin, may be looking for a payday not too far off.

"All I know is Seattle and here," Robinson said. "This is where I want to be."

Robinson's fabulous February began in Los Angeles right before the All-Star break, when started at point guard for injured Chris Duhon. Robinson scored 33 points, 15 assists, 5 steals and 9 rebounds. It was the first time in 40 years a Knick had scored 30-plus points and had 15 assists - last done by Walt Frazier Feb. 18, 1969.

Robinson then leapt over Howard in Phoenix as Krypto-Nate and came surging out of the break with a series of dazzling performances, a spot on the Letterman Show, and funny interaction with actor Will Ferrell, his idol, sitting on celebrity row. Robinson has averaged 28 points in the last eight games.

According to a source, the Kings, Lakers and Oklahoma City made plays for Robinson at the trade deadline.

"I don't care honestly," Robinson said of postseason honors. "Making the playoffs is way more important than Sixth Man."

marc.berman@nypost.com

Martin Campbell In Talks To Helm Green Lantern

By Kellvin Chavez

Warner Bros. is negotiating with Martin Campbell to direct "Green Lantern," the live-action film based on the DC Comics hero, reports the trades.

Campbell last directed "Casino Royale" and recently wrapped the Mel Gibson starrer "Edge of Darkness," based on the 1985 BBC miniseries that Campbell helmed.

The emergence of Campbell, who also helmed two "Zorro" films and the 007 film "GoldenEye," puts "Green Lantern" at the top of DC properties being set for movie treatment by WB. While the studio is hoping director Chris Nolan will follow its 2008 smash "The Dark Knight" with another Batfilm, DC projects such as Superman and "Justice League" were expected to happen quickly, but have stalled.

Instead, the hot DC titles are "Green Lantern" and "Jonah Hex," the latter of which has Josh Brolin set to play a disfigured gunslinger in a film that begins production in April, directed by Jimmy Heyward ("Horton Hears a Who").

Greg Berlanti wrote the script with Marc Guggenheim and Michael Green.

Donald DeLine will produce with Berlanti.

Berlanti had once been considered to direct. Instead, WB has attached him to direct "This Is Where I Leave You," the upcoming Jonathan Tropper novel which will be adapted by the author.

Gotham Shocker: Batman Dead! Word is, it was Robin.

By John Capone

Stephen Vaughan

First the economy crumbles and then they kill Batman? What the heck is going on?

If the rumor mill is correct (and by rumor mill we mean the DC Comics marketing department) Bruce Wayne will be killed in an upcoming Batman comic. And it won't be pretty.

The Telegraph (UK) confirmed the death in an interview with Grant Morrison, the Scottish writer who has been steering the Batman series since 2006. Morrison told the trade Comic Book Resources:

"What I am doing is a fate worse than death, things that no one would expect to happen to these guys at all."

Comic book companies, like record labels, have found that the death of a big star is great for sales. When Superman was killed by Doomsday in 1992, DC saw a Cobain-like surge in sales, and the issue was the best-selling in franchise history. However, unlike Biggie Smalls (but very much like Tupac) the character was resurrected. Captain America saw a similar bump after a sniper shot him down in New York last year.

From the sound of things, it seems like the Dark Knight is really in for it in the Batman Comic that comes out tomorrow. At least this will explain the lines outside Forbidden Planet. Stay tuned. Same bat time; same bat channel.

Copyright NBC Local Media

'Captain America' recruits director

Joe Johnston will helm the comic adaptation from Marvel

By Borys Kit

Captain America

Joe Johnston has inked a deal to direct "First Avenger: Captain America," Marvel Studios' take on its classic comic book character. Marvel's Kevin Feige is producing.

No writers are on board, but the studio, which is hearing pitches, expects to hire shortly.

Johnston first met with Marvel two years ago. When the two parties clicked, general talks turned into Captain America-specific meetings, with much of the project's current direction resulting from those early conversations.

"This is a guy who designed the vehicles for 'Star Wars,' who storyboarded the convoy action sequence for 'Raiders of the Lost Ark,' " Feige said. "From 'Rocketeer' to 'October Sky' to 'The Wolfman,' you can look at pieces of his movies and see how they lead to this one."

Created in 1941 by Jack Kirby and Joe Simon for Timely Comics, Captain America is the heroic alter ego of Steve Rogers, who is rejected by the Army for being too sickly and undergoes an experiment that takes him to the pinnacle of human form. Paired with an indestructible shield, he became a symbol of the war effort, in and out of comics.

The character disappeared in the 1950s but was revived during the early era of Marvel Comics. He was reintroduced as part of the Avengers, the absence explained by having him being in a state of suspended animation during a war mission until found by the superteam.

Kicking off with "Iron Man," Marvel Studios' slate of movies --including "Thor" and the "Iron Man" sequel -- is building toward an "Avengers" movie set for release in 2011, in which the characters from the films team for one big adventure. "Captain America" is scheduled for release May 6, 2011.

"Captain America" will be a World War II-set movie, and the character will appear in the modern day-set "Avengers." Executive producing on "Captain" are Louis D'Esposito, Stan Lee and Marvel Studios' chairman David Maisel.

The character's last live-action appearance was in 1990's "Captain America," a cheap production from 21st Century Films that ended up going to straight to video. The movie starred Matt Salinger as the hero, dethawed in modern times to fight his archnemesis, the Red Skull.

CAA-repped Johnston's credits include "Jurassic Park III" and "Hidalgo." He is in post on Universal's retelling of "The Wolfman," starring Benicio Del Toro and Anthony Hopkins.

Casting Directors: Megan Fox as Wonder Woman

wonder-who.com — No, it's not true, but this fan-created poster shows how wonderful the possibilities could be! Make it so!

Batman and Superman Are Diamonds on the Soles of Your Shoes

Express your superhero preferences with what you're wearing on your feet. Nike's new shoes from its skateboarding line are inspired by Batman, Superman and Venom, and they're a lot more subtle than last month's DC Comics line of superhero kicks. Who wins the war on the ground?
While the D.C. Comics shoes from Limited Soles announced last month that you rep a particular superhero, the new Nike SBs simply suggest the presence of greatness is in the area. You don't need Bruce Wayne on the back of your heels...your tailored suit, sneakers, and butler tells the ladies everything you need to know.
The Nike SB shoes come out in November, and you can preorder them here.

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Scifi Clothing You Can Wear Without Fear of Reprisal [io9]