Dora The Explorer Suing Nickelodeon

 14-year-old Caitlin Sanchez, the voice of Dora the Explorer, claims that Nickelodeon duped her into entering an "unconscionable" contract and that she was uncompensated for hundreds of hours of recording sessions. The lawsuit claims:

"Defendants used Caitlin, unjustly enriching themselves of millions of dollars in profits from the series and branded products, which Caitlin preformed and promoted."

Sanchez first voiced Dora in 2007 when she was 12. A spokesperson for Nickelodeon says that the lawsuit "is completely without merit."

NY Daily News: "Caitlin Sanchez, voice of Nickelodeon hit 'Dora the Explorer,' claims she was exploited by producers"

Happy Keanu: A New Beginning

thanks Mike for the pics!

Is Hasbro Owning A Kids Channel A Conflict Of Interest?

Or just the COOLEST THING EVER WITH TRANSFORMERS AND THE VEHICLES AND ACTION FIGURES AND STUFF!??!!?

C'mon, toy lines and TV are what childhood is all about! And also soda with high-fructose corn syrup.

The Consumerist, "Should Hasbro Be Allowed To Own A Kids' TV Channel?"

Rushing Out A Superman Movie...

 the race to a Superman movie

Not a great idea. The facts (and/or rumors) so far:

1. Zack Snyder was not the first choice for directing, but he could rush it out quicker than Darren Aronofsky.

2. The rushed script by David Goyer needs work (because, well, it's rushed).

3. It's all gotta be in production by 2011, and out the door by 2012. Or else Warner Bros. will be subject to lawsuits by the Superman heirs.

Well, we'll always have the well-planned Superman movie:

UTZ Potato Chip Girl Reimagined

Ever notice how that UTZ potato chip girl looks like Nancy?

Anyway, Kevin Bolk is doing a series of reimaginings of famous female ad icons, including said UTZ girl, St. Pauli Girl, Little Debbie, and Chiquita Banana.

"Lovely Lady Icons"

More Details About Val's Fabulous and Rare NYCC Appearance

I will be signing Friday at the Comic Social Club booth (2461) from 3:30-6:00 on "Ottoman #2"

Do you have a cool booth or comic at NYCC that you think Occasional Superheroine should cover? Make arrangements before the Con for possible coverage on the OS blog by contacting me here:

James Franco Is A Drag

...but I love him anyway.

"James Franco Poses In Drag For Candy Mag"

Look Up "T-Shirt" In Wikipedia...

 Is it significant that the guy representing "T-shirt" is Dan Savage?

Wikipedia: T-shirt

"Memoirs Of An Occasional Superheroine" Book To Debut At NYCC

That's right, I have 5 (count em five) super-limited edition "hard copies" of my "Memoirs Of An Occasional Superheroine" printed up for New York Comic Con. Only thirty clams a piece! Reserve your copies now! Purchase them for your institutions of higher learning. Indulge in the smooth feel of white pulpy paper goodness.

I will be at NYCC on Friday at the Comics Social Club booth, 2461, with the books and limited edition prints depicting...you guessed it, Me! Both the prints and the book's cover are illustrated by the multi-talented Tiffany Kamerman.

So drop by Friday and say hello, and perhaps buy the ultimate in Occasional Superheroine collectibles (until at least next year).

George Lucas 1983-2005-2012

Found on Reddit

PS: Please tell Lucas that 3-D is sooooo 2010.

Who Owns Peanuts? The Answer May Surprise You

With news of a new Peanuts cartoon on the way and other ventures, it might be interesting to know who exactly owns Snoopy and the gang now. According to the official press release for the "Countdown To The Great Pumpkin" social media game, it's:

"The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a joint venture owned 80% by Iconix Brand Group, Inc. and 20% by members of the Charles M. Schulz family. Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICON) owns, licenses and markets a growing portfolio of consumer brands including CANDIE'S (R), BONGO (R), BADGLEY MISCHKA (R), JOE BOXER (R), RAMPAGE (R), MUDD (R), LONDON FOG (R), MOSSIMO (R), OCEAN PACIFIC(R), DANSKIN (R), ROCA WEAR(R), CANNON (R), ROYAL VELVET (R), FIELDCREST (R), CHARISMA (R), STARTER (R) and WAVERLY (R). In addition, Iconix owns an interest in the ARTFUL DODGER (R), ED HARDY (R), ECKO (R), MARC ECKO (R), ZOO YORK (R), MATERIAL GIRL(TM), and PEANUTS brands"

That's right...the same company that owns Ed Hardy owns Peanuts.

I'm not exactly surprised that a group which represents mostly clothing brands owns Peanuts -- considering the sheer number of T-shirts featuring the characters I've seen at women's clothing stores over the last few years. But "Peanuts" really stands out in that sea of fashion brands.

Mark Ruffalo Is Ready For More Hulk Movies

 

Mark Ruffalo believes he can play Bruce Banner in a series of Hulk movies after the upcoming Avengers movie:

"The way I see it, Edward Norton has bequeathed this role to me. I reckon the part is my generation's 'Hamlet, and there's still some room for interpreting who The Hulk is." 

He also tells Empire Online that he was a big fan of the original Hulk TV show with Bill Bixby, and that there are possibly more Avengers and Hulk movies on the horizon.

I know some people are mixed about whether Ruffalo is the right "Hulk," but I think he can pull it off.

Via Contact Music

The Top Ten Split Personalities In Horror Movies (Spoilers)

Warning: since the revelation of a main character's split personality in horror movies is usually part of a twist ending, this post will be chock-full of spoilers. Do not read if you don't want to ruin the endings of most of these films!

10. Session 9 

An asbestos cleaning crew starts to lose their grip on sanity as they work in an abandoned mental hospital. Are ghosts to blame? Or is it Gordon Fleming, the seemingly normal and friendly co-worker with the mounting family problems? Or both?

Thor Movie Photos in Empire Magazine

Four new photos from the upcoming movie Thor are running in the November issue of Empire Magazine. Loads of Chris Hemsworth goodness.

Via /Film

Archie Meets...Reality

Yes, it's a very special team-up in Life With Archie #2 as America's favorite red-headed Twentysomething (Thrirtysomething?) and all his friends come face-to-face with Reality:

Keanu Reeves On The "Sad Keanu" Photo Meme:

"Wow. So, what, now they're putting me next to other objects?"

"Krackoon" - the movie about a crack-addicted raccoon who terrorizes the Bronx

That is all.

Oh, it was also shot using entirely talent from the Bronx, and just won an award.

A Comics Professional Speaking Up On The Rights Of People In This Industry

"I am a young artist, my pull in this industry is almost non-existent, but that is no excuse for my past silence. I apologize for not speaking my mind, stating my concern over what is going to take place over the next year. In fact, I apologize for not having stated my concern at any point within this past year. A person needs to stand for something, even if they know they aren’t voice enough, strength enough to make a difference or else why would we expect others to do so in our stead?"
--Josh Adams, "Cutting Off The Infected Limb"

New "Munsters" To Be A Cross Between "True Blood" and "Modern Family"

EW reports that NBC and Bryan Fuller ("Pushing Daises") are planning to reboot "The Munsters" as “Modern Family meets True Blood."

Was "Cathy" *Really* A Feminist Cartoon?

The last Cathy strip features Cathy announcing her pregnancy. Is cartoonist Cathy Guisewite a "sell-out" for choosing to end her long-running comic strip with her character gushing to her family about the impending birth, husband Irving at her side? By choosing to end "Cathy" this way, is Guisewite making a comment about what women "really" want -- marriage, little bundles of joy, and approving family?

The Office's Michael Scott: Serial Killer Material?

Is The Office's Michael Scott serial killer material? IGN's Matt Fowler examines the character and points out his very troubled past history, including multiple personas, extreme daddy issues, and an unnatural fondness for blue jeans. Did the obviously disturbed Dwight Schrute's antics overshadow what was obviously a powder keg ready to explode in the form of a bumbling but seemingly harmless Michael?

IGN:  "Michael Scott: Scranton Serial Killer"

31 Days of HIGH MOON in October

This month marks the third anniversary of HIGH MOON as a digital comic series, and to commemorate the event, David Gallaher and Steve Ellis will be spending October sharing a lot of HIGH MOON related goodies. They'll show a bunch of great HIGH MOON related art, discuss the Tristan spin-off, the planned anthology, the fifth season, and maybe even have a contest or two.

Read "The High Moon Rises" every day this October!

Kirsten Dunst Vs. Emma Stone As Mary Jane in "Spider-Man"

Who do you think is a more ideal Mary Jane Watson, Emma Stone or Kirsten Dunst? Stone actually seems to match more the "look" of the classic comic book MJ than Dunst:

I think Dunst's performance as Mary Jane was decent, but I never saw her as an iconic Mary Jane. I think some people had a problem with her in the role. Don't know much about Emma Stone, but she was pretty good in "Zombieland."

Donald Duck/Glenn Beck Mashup: "Right Wing Radio Duck"

In this brilliant "remix" of old Donald Duck cartoons and Glenn Beck recordings, an out-of-work and desperate Duck gets seduced by the Conservative talk-show host: