HBO And Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Sign Three-Year Deal

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March 2, 2015

LOS ANGELES, March 2, 2015 – HBO has renewed its commitment to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation by acquiring the rights to present the annual induction ceremony for three more years, it was announced today by Michael Lombardo, president, HBO Programming.

“HBO has enjoyed a longstanding and rewarding relationship with The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, dating back to 1995,” said Lombardo. “We are delighted to continue that collaboration and to give our subscribers a front-row seat to this annual celebration of the music industry’s finest.”

“We are thrilled to expand our relationship with HBO, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman,” said Joel Peresman, president and CEO of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation. “HBO continues to be the right platform for us to showcase to the world the power and history of rock and roll.”

Taping live April 18 at Cleveland’s Public Hall, the exclusive HBO special 2015 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY debuts SATURDAY, MAY 30 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT) and marks the 30th anniversary of the event. This year’s inductees are Ringo Starr, The “5” Royales, The Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Green Day, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Lou Reed, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble and Bill Withers.

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation was established by legendary record executive Ahmet Ertegun and a group of music business executives to honor the artists who have defined rock and roll and have inspired and continue to inspire a generation. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission both through its operation of a world-class museum designed by I.M. Pei in Cleveland, Ohio, which collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as educational programs. For further information, visit rockhall.com.

This year’s special marks the fourth year HBO has presented The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. The network also presented The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25th anniversary special in 2009 and a concert spectacular celebrating the opening of the museum in Cleveland in 1995.

2015 ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY is produced by Playtone and Line By Line Productions. Executive producers are Jann Wenner, Joel Peresman, Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman; supervising producer is Frank Garritano; Barbra Dannov co-produces; Alex Coletti produces and directs.

Source: HBO Media

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Do The Avengers Have Time For “Korvac Saga?”

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Matthew Sardo

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March 2, 2015

KORVAC SAGA #1 Pits Guardians of the Galaxy Vs. Avengers in the WARZONES!

New York, NY—March 2nd, 2015— This June, one of the Avengers & Guardians of the Galaxy’s classic villains returns to the forefront in KORVAC SAGA #1 – a brand-new Secret Wars series! Fan-favorite writer Dan Abnett (Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians 3000) and newcomer Otto Schmidt take you inside the mind of one of the Avengers deadliest, and most misunderstood foes.

In the Forest Hills domain, Lord Michael Korvac governs over all, ruling with an iron fist. But not all is as it seems in his corner of Battleworld. Tensions run high with neighboring lord Simon Williams and his squad of Avengers. Full-scale war is all but assured. Korvac and his royal guard – the Guardians of the Galaxy – stand at the brink of destruction from within and without.

Escalating border conflicts with rival lords and chaotic threats from beyond the Shield threaten all they hold dear. Worst of all, a dark madness is spreading through the population, twisting and manipulating residents of Forest Hills into monsters.

Now, the classic Guardians of the Galaxy – Major Victory, Starhawk, Charlie-27, Yondu, Nikki and young Geena Drake must track down the source of this evil before it corrupts Forest Hills and all of Battleworld! Deadly threats lurk at every turn, both internal and external as their kingdom stands at the precipice. Even if they stem the coming darkness, will they be strong enough to repel Wonder Man and his Avengers? The answers lie within True Believer when KORVAC SAGA #1 explodes into comic shops in June!

Source: Marvel Comics Media

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Todd McFarlane’s Call To Action For Creators

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 25, 2015

On a quite Wednesday night Image Comics founder Todd McFarlane posted a call to action to creators on his Facebook wall:

It is a GOOD TIME to be an INDEPENDENT CREATOR right now!!!! And I tell people that all the time….. Here’s why…..

Right now, Marvel is owned by Disney and DC Comics is owned by Warner Bros. Entertainment. What this means is that NEITHER ONE of those companies is going to let ANY of their characters OUTSIDE their company. So here’s what’s happening…… Universal Studios Entertainment, Paramount Pictures, Sony , FOX and a lot of other smaller studios are LOOKING FOR CONTENT!!!!

So I’m telling you… It’s a GOOD TIME to be an INDEPENDENT CREATOR!

So if any of you have ever thought about putting an idea down on paper – TODAY IS THE PERFECT DAY! There is a great hunger for stuff that ISN’T Marvel and DC.

Another thing I tell people is that if you do a book, and if it’s the 150th best-selling book…. BUT the 149 books ahead of you are Marvel and DC… YOU have the NUMBER ONE book for all other studios! So don’t get discouraged. You don’t have to be a big-selling book to have people interested in you right now. The studios have to scratch out Marvel and DC and go ‘What’s Left???’

So if you have an idea – PUT IT ON PAPER. Now. Go do it! You can make big things happen!!!

Here’s another early Spawn promotional piece from 1992. I think it was my first advertisement for Spawn…. I’m glad I saved him for when I started Image Comics because I own him, the comic book and all the other future stuff (MOVIE!).

Be good.
TODD

Do you agree with McFarlane that now is the best time to be a creator? Comment below.

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The Battle Of The Sexes Has Reached The Craft Beer Industry

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 24, 2015

More women making their mark in craft beer industry

MADISON, Wis. (AP) – Jamie Baertsch worked as brewmaster at Wisconsin Dells Brewing Company, coming up with all the beer recipes, lugging around the malt, leaning over huge vats of wort and stirring, until the day before she gave birth to her son, Wyatt. Four days after she and Wyatt came home from the hospital, she…

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Apple Unveils A Diverse Lineup Of Emojis

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Matthew Sardo

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February 24, 2015

Apple has today delivered a new beta of OS X to developers that comes with a major new feature: diverse emoji.

A tipster sent in these screenshots of the new emoji palette found in OS X 10.10.3. You can now click and hold on any emoji to change the skin tone. The same emoji are appearing in iOS 8.3 beta 2 as well.

For more on this story visit: Owen Williams, The Next Web

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Gmail Autocomplete Bug Could Cause Chaos

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Matthew Sardo

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February 24, 2015

Google’s Gmail has recently been experiencing an issue with autocomplete, which prioritized the wrong accounts, according to multiple reports from users.

For example, you could start typing the address of someone with whom you’ve exchanged hundreds of emails, and Gmail autocomplete would offer an address of someone you emailed once or twice.

For more on this story visit: Stan Schroeder, Mashable.com

The incipient malevolent human-murdering AI inside GMail just autocompleted an address I've emailed once over one I've emailed 10,000 times.

— Marc Andreessen (@pmarca) February 22, 2015

has anyone else noticed that the autocomplete for addresses in gmail has gotten horrendously bad recently?

— Sam Altman (@sama) February 23, 2015

Are you having this issue?

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Jason Aaron Turns Thor Into A Buddy Cop Film?

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 24, 2015

A Corps of Thors Unleashed on BATTLEWORLD in THORS #1!

New York, NY—February 23rd, 2015— This June, meet Battleworld’s steadfast police force, the Thors! Gods of Thunder, doling out justice at the end of a hammer in THORS #1 – the brand new Secret Wars series from blockbuster writer Jason Aaron (Thor, Star Wars) and Eisner-award winning artist Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong, Multiversity)!

“This is basically me doing a cop story, but with hammers instead of guns,” says writer Jason Aaron, in an interview with Marvel.com. “It’s every version of Thor you can imagine, all walking beats, solving murders, getting yelled at by their commissioner and blowing off steam at their local Thor-cop bar.”

The chaos of Secret Wars requires a different kind of lawman. Welcome to the force. Whenever there’s trouble on Battleworld, the Thors answer the call. Gods of Thunder from every world, united in their quest to uphold the law. Keeping the peace, closing cases, and dispensing judgment with the crash of thunder and the crack of lightning!

Yet when the Thors pick up a puzzling murder case on Battleworld, the rules change. And the entire corps is sent scrambling to find the murderer. But when some Thors begin asking the wrong questions, they’ll begin to pull at strings that could unravel the very fabric of reality!

Throg the Frog of Thunder, Beta Ray Thor, Thor Stormborn and many, many more hammer wielders from across the Marvel Universe take center stage to mettle out a new kind of justice. Prepare yourselves for a hard-hitting Marvel Comics police drama the likes of which you’ve never seen before. Bring the thunder this June, as THORS #1 crashes in to comic shops and on to digital devices!

Source: Marvel Comics Media

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The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly From The 2015 Oscars

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 23, 2015

The complete list of winners at Sunday’s 87th annual Academy Awards.

Best picture: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”

Actor: Eddie Redmayne, “The Theory of Everything.”

Actress: Julianne Moore, “Still Alice.”

Supporting actor: J.K. Simmons, “Whiplash.”

Supporting actress: Patricia Arquette, “Boyhood.”

Directing: Alejandro G. Inarritu, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”

Foreign language film: “Ida.”

Adapted screenplay: Graham Moore, “The Imitation Game.”

Original screenplay: Alejandro G. Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris Jr. and Armando Bo, “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”

Animated feature film: “Big Hero 6.”

Production design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Cinematography: “Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance).”

Sound mixing: “Whiplash.”

Sound editing: “American Sniper.”

Original score: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Original song: “Glory” from “Selma.”

Costume design: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Documentary feature: “CitizenFour.”

Documentary (short subject): “Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1.”

Film editing: “Whiplash.”

Makeup and hairstyling: “The Grand Budapest Hotel.”

Animated short film: “Feast.”

Live action short film: “The Phone Call.”

Visual effects: “Interstellar.”

The Jennifer Aniston Emma Stone feud has just begun. #GetOffMe #HowAboutIJumpOnYou #Oscars2015 pic.twitter.com/zyM00Obj1Z

— Matthew Sardo (@MatthewSardo) February 23, 2015

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First Look At Jason Momoa As Aquaman

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 20, 2015

The director of ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice,’ Zack Snyder released the first image of Jason Momoa as Aquaman with the title ‘Unite the Seven.’

There is only one true King. #unitetheseven pic.twitter.com/RDFG8jbuI6

— ZackSnyder (@ZackSnyder) February 20, 2015

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Blur Releases Single And Announces New Ablum

By

Matthew Sardo

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February 19, 2015

In a stunning announcement today, Blur have revealed plans to release their first new album in over a dozen years on April 28th, titled The Magic Whip. While the group had reunited for one-off gigs and a pair of new tracks in recent years, the Britpop legends will finally release their first studio LP since 2003’s Think Tank and their first with guitarist Graham Coxon since 1999’s 13. The band also unveiled the video for The Magic Whip’s first single, “Go Out.”

For more on this story visit: DANIEL KREPS, MARK SUTHERLAND – RollingStone.com

Pre-order the new album #TheMagicWhip on @iTunes now and get the new track 'Go Out' instantly! http://t.co/AQIYiLwNEu pic.twitter.com/ibIEOWYzpB

— blur (@blurofficial) February 19, 2015

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