Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 3:46 PM
Brand band Kiss announced a partnership this week with comic book production company Platinum Studios to create a new comic-book entertainment company called the Kiss Comics Group.
This is not the first time the band has teamed up to make comics…or the second…or the third, but it will be the first time that founding members Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley -- under the banner of Kiss Catalog Ltd. -- will produce its own comic-book-based characters. They plan on expanding the comic-book characters' images onto multimedia platforms including print, mobile, online, film, television and licensed merchandise.
First up will be Kiss 4K, "the story of Simmons, Stanley and other band members' transformation from rock stars to world-protecting warrior spirits." It is based on a true story, of course…
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 3:24 PM
Exclusive Podcast Interview With Insult Comic Lisa Lampanelli
Razor tongued insult comic Lisa Lampanelli knows her roasts. She is often called “The Queen of Mean” for her scathing Comedy Central roasts of celebs like Pamela Anderson, William Shatner, and Jeff Foxworthy. She is also a regular on Howard Stern’s Sirius show, where she often closes their roasts with a barrage of nasty barbs and zingers. In fact, she is probably the most inappropriate politically incorrect female comic doing stand-up today, which is why TheFeed loves her. She also happens to have downed a roast or two in her time before she recently lost over 30 lbs! TheFeed is now proud to report that Lisa is looking as slim, svelte and sexy as ever. Oh, she also happens to be the funniest woman in showbiz!
Lisa was kind enough to call up G4’s TheFeed to chat about her new comedy CD/DVD (out today) and Comedy Central TV special (airing this week), Dirty Girl. In her interview with TheFeed, Lisa talks about race, weight, Lyndsey Lohan, Andy Dick, why female comedians suck, Meg Ryan’s horrible plastic surgery, and roasts videogame icon Mario. Click on the image above to watch the podcast version or click below to listen to the Mario Roast only.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 3:06 PM
TMZ is reporting that R&B singer Brandy has just been sued for wrongful death by the family of the woman she killed in a car crash last week.
The family of Awatef Aboudihaj filed the suit today in Van Nuys, CA. The Los Angeles City Attorney is considering the CHP's recommendation to criminally charge Brandy with misdemeanor vehicular manslaughter. Of course, it’s third degree misdemeanor, so with a good lawyer she should get about 30 days in a swanky celeb jail.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 2:30 PM
One of the biggest bummers that comes with gaming on a console is that you can't play game-mods with the ease and speed you can with PC games.
Judging by the word on Unreal Tournament--coming out for the PS3, the 360 and PCs--that might be a thing of the past. According to the games' developers, the ability to play Mods was very important to the process, so important, the company held off on announcing the 360 version until it could be worked out.
Epic's VP Mark Rein "One of our big concerns was the ability to bring mods to the platform, and it's still a bit of an open issue, but we've had some pretty clear indications that we'll be able to do it, and we're pretty excited about that," he says. "That was kind of the one thing, we wanted to make sure we'd be able to bring user-created content to the platform before we made a firm commitment to it."
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 1:35 PM
Rap tycoon Jay-Z seems to lending his name and image to just about any big company that has the bucks to pay him these days. But it ain’t always workin’ in his favor to be so heavily branded.
Monday, for example, it was announced that Jigga was being paid to re-launch and re-imagine Cherry Coke via an “extreme” makeover. Okay, kind of a sell-out move, but nothing inherently wrong or immoral about it, is there?
But then, the very next day, it was revealed that the basketball team he owns, the New Jersey Nets, took $400 million from a bank that many say was built on profits from the slave trade. Ouch.
Now, last year, Jay stopped drinking and promoting Cristal champagne after an executive with Cristal's producer made negative comments about rappers and their love for the drink. So, do ya think he is gonna boycott his own team and their arena over the slave trade blood money issue?
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:54 PM
Down, the side-project group of Pantera frotnman Phil Anselmo and COC guitarist Pepper Keenan, will release its third album this summer. The effort is said to be inspired by tragic event such as the murder of Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
"It looks like something out of a different country," Keenan told MTV of his hometown of New Orleans. "I just can't see how they're gonna figure this sh-- out. They can put 10 gazillion dollars into Baghdad, but nothing's changed around here. Dude, I am driving past houses, and it just looks like the house threw up all over the street. It's sickening."
The band will hit the road later this year with Heaven and Hell, the new supergroup featuring Black Sabbath as fronted by Ronnie James Dio. None more metal…
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:27 PM
Today is New Release Tuesday and there’s a plethora of fun and funny items you should check out. Don’t worry, I’ve divided them into cute categories that only I think are funny for your pleasure. Enjoy!
Great Band Names: Love Me Destroyer - Things Around Us Burn (Suburban Home) Nikki Puppet - Puppet on a String (Locomotive) Busdriver - Roadkill Overcoat (Epitaph) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) The Early Years - The Early Years (Beggars Banquet)
Legends of the underground: Skinny Puppy - Mythmaker (SPV) Gang Starr - The Video Collection - Collector's Edition (Seven Grand) Impaler - House Band at the Funeral Parlor (MVD Visual)
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:19 PM
Exclusive Video
Red hot rapper Lil' Scrappy and his posse stops by G4 to chat with Street Fury's Big C about hip hop and play some Madden. They also touch on Scrappy's new album, Bred 2 Die Born 2 Live, and his bangin' new track "N****, What's Up," which brings together Lil' Jon and 50 Cent. But these boys have Madden on their minds and it's the game they really get into. The kid is definately mean on the field and takes his homeboy to school as C watches and keeps score. This is one Feed exclusive you don't wanna miss!
Posted by Eugene Morton - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:16 PM
Starting today, kids all over the world can leave their boring lives behind and take a trip to the Nicktropolis, an online virtual world, not too dissimilar from World of Warcraft, where they can create avatars, visit Nicktoon inspired landmarks, chat online, buy and sell with virtual currency and even watch episodes of their favorite Nickelodeon cartoons.
That’s awesome, but it won’t be long before… well, I’ll spare you the pedophilia joke.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:13 PM
Well, it’s official: The Police are definitely reuniting to perform on the February 11 Grammy Awards telecast.
The group, led by blue turtle loving solo sensation Sting, has been rumored to be rehearsing for a summer tour, and their opening slot at the 49th annual awards show seems to confirm that the announcement of a full-fledged reunion is on.
I hope they work a few of Sting's lute songs on this tour
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:08 PM
A Canadian car seller who goes by zapper80 has built a spot-on version of KITT, the crime-fighting super-car from the '80s action show Knightrider, and it’s up for sale on eBay!!!
He says it cost him $40,000 CDN to make, and claims to have used original molds as the source for some of the body parts.
Sure, it doesn’t have the "Turbo Boost" function that allowed it to fly over trucks, but it’s still be a pretty awesome score if ya can meet the reserve of $19,000 CDN or “buy it now” price of $30,000.
If you do, please come pick me up for the TV Land Awards…
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 12:00 PM
Paris Hilton filed a federal lawsuit yesterday to shut down the website that is promoting personal photos, sex videos, diaries, and other belongings once kept at a storage facility.
You’ll recall that she didn’t pay her bill and her stuff got auctioned off. The site promises if ya pay a fee of $39.97 you can access her passport, medical records, legal documents....and yet more homemade porn!
In her suit, Hilton said she put her stuff in storage two years ago when she and her sister, Nicky, moved out of a house that had been robbed. The heiress-turned-pop-star said a moving company was supposed to pay the storage fees and was "shocked and surprised" to learn her belongings were sold at a public auction.
Um….a moving company was supposed to pay the fees? What moving company does that? Sounds like Paris is a little sloppy when it comes to the details…not to mention her vagina.
Posted by Frank Meyer - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:49 AM
Miss Oklahoma Lauren Nelson, 20, was crowned Miss America on Monday night, making it the second year in a row that an Oakie has won the crown.
Well, well, well, Oklahoma, it looks like you’ve finally made your move…
The aspiring Broadway star is a student at the University of Central Oklahoma and wants to get her master's degree in musical theater. As a result of her crowning, she gets a $50,000 scholarship and stands to make thousands more in appearance fees.
Check…and mate…
You may have won again, Oklahoma, but you will go down…you will go down…
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:47 AM
Remember how, a few months ago, I told you that Daniel Radcliffe was going to be getting naked onstage for a British production of Equus? Well, in case you didn't believe me, there are pictures. Yes, semi-nude pictures of Mr. Potter. Personally, my virgin eyes are burning, but you might find something you like here.
Again, I'd like to reiterate my position that naked pictures of Hermoine would be about a million times more satisfying, but these should at least make foe good conversation. Also, in case you're wondering, Equus is a brilliant play, and the role he's playing is difficult. And he was really good on this week's episode of Extras, so perhaps Mr. Radcliffe is trying to branch out. After all, there are only seven Harry Potter stories in all. Then what?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:44 AM
Red Octane, the awesome people who brought us so much joy with Guitar Hero, believe that the franchise will continue on the PlayStation 2 for at least the next two years!
"The PS2 was one of the top selling platforms in 2006, and every indication from Sony is that they will continue to manufacture and market the platform aggressively in 2007 and 2008," RedOctane's Dusty Welch told GamesIndustry.biz.
If you're anything like me, that means you won't have to by a whole new controller to enjoy Guitar Hero games, and it also means that my PS2 will be spared from the back of the closet for another couple years.
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:32 AM
Armed & Famous might not have been the worst television show ever, but it probably wasn't that far off.
'Famous' people becoming cops is perhaps the worst lowest-common-denominator show you can conceive, and these people were barely famous to begin with. When Erik Estrada, star of The Surreal Life, is the most famous person in a group of famous people, you know you're in trouble.
Also, people in power don't understand that it's not the cops in Cops that people like, it's the criminals. We're not all sitting around the television just dying to know how cops work that voodoo that they do so well. It's not a secret. Hand them a gun and a license to harass the poor. Done deal. I'm thrilled that this crap is gone. Thrilled, I tell ya.
Posted by Eugene Morton - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:31 AM
Steve Jobs may have announced the iPhone and Apple’s exclusive agreement with Cingular at this year’s Macworld, but had events transpired differently two years ago it would have been Verizon Wireless, not Cingular ready and poised to be part of the i-revolution.
Apple approached Verizon first, but according to the company’s Vice President, Jim Gerace, "We just couldn't reach a deal that was mutually beneficial." Apple wanted a cut of monthly cell fees, final say on the distribution and sale of the iPhone and rights to handle all customer service in regards to the much desired communications device.
Such a deal would have dipped into Verizon’s profits, left its distribution partners, including big chains like Best Buy and Wal-Mart, out in the cold and partially hampered Verizon’s relationship with its customers.
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 11:05 AM
Now, Rodriguez and Tarantino are just f**king with us. In an effort to make GrindHouse the perfect, authentic cheap film experience they are promising, entire sections of the film will be missing. Yes, you'll be watching, and the film will, all of a sudden, say 'Missing Reel.' And, according to Tarantino, it might even be during important segements of the story.
Seriously, this repository of good ideas has become so cool that you wish they'd saved some of the good ideas for a sequel. Because you know you're just going to want more of this when it's finished, but you can never do it again. It's almost sad. But not.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:46 AM
Apple is really behind the gaming curve. Everyone has an iPod, but not many people use it for gaming. This is a terrible waste. Thankfully, Apple seems to be at least making some steps in the gaming direction. Today's step: The very first demo game for an iPod.
Sure, there are 11 games available for the video iPod, but you have to buy them before you can try them. No more. With the release of the demo of Vortex, a 3d Breakout style game, Apple is entering the wonderful world of demos.
The demo features two levels and the full game is $4.99
As with Apple’s other iPod games, Vortex requires a fifth-generation (video) iPod with iPod Software 1.2 or later.
Free to download. Go to the iTunes store to pick it up.
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:36 AM
You're too young to remember this, but I swear there was a time when Jane Fonda was hot. Like hot. Seriously. You can go check. Rent Barbarella, the story of a hot outer space chick who spent a whole lot of time wearing tight leather and fighting a dude named Duran Duran. (That's where they got the name.) Well, according to producer Dino DeLaurentis, Barbarella will be making a comeback in the not-too-distant future.
Though it won't be Fonda in the part, and the film isn't a remake, there will still be 'love, sex, and adventure.' This will be an excellent chance for a very sexy role to get even sexier. Can I suggest Jessica Biel, perhaps, or even Jessica Alba, to face up once again against Duran Duran's orgasm machine?
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:23 AM
Wanna know what's coming up over the next few months on Xbox Live Arcade? I got your back. Below is the full list of upcoming titles you'll be able to download each wednesday. There's no particular order to them, and no specific release dates, but soon, man. Soon.
Highlights include Castlevania, Worms and Paperboy. All of which are fun. Plus, a videogame version of Settlers of Catan will rule. I've played the board game a bunch and always enjoyed it. So yeah, I'm putting my 401K money into Microsoft Points.
Posted by Mike D'Alonzo - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 10:03 AM
Tobey Maguire is into soul. More specifically, he's into souls, like the ones you read and hear about in stories like Faust. See, there's this guy who's selling his soul online, and Maguire was so tickled by the idea that he bought it. Not the soul, the idea. He's going to make a movie about the guy.
Gerald Fraller, the man whose soul is at stake online, was a depressed man who needed a change in his life, so he thought that this would be it. Along with Fraller's soul, the winning bidder will receive an annual percentage of his income, naming rights to his children, and the right to come up with the inscription on his tombstone. Sounds like a bargain. Fraller has already received over 3,000 bids and 8 marriage proposals.
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 9:32 AM
Are you aware of Microsoft's new operating system, Vista? If not, Bill Gates would like to have a word with you. The multinational computer company is heralding the followup to their popular operating system (Microsoft's Bob) with a media blitz of epic proportions.
Look for commercials featuring basketball star Lebron James and appearances by Bill Gates himself who will hopefully be shown diving into a a huge pile of gold coins and swimming around spitting money.
The main changes to your computer:
Vista's "Aero" interface which uses 3-D graphics to create translucent windows that appear to float above the background screen.
improved security,
search bars
a new multimedia platform for digital video, music and pictures.
On the gaming front, Vista will allow 360 owners to play online against PC owners. I will go out on a limb and predict many cries of both "Unfair! Mouse and keyboard gives advantage!" and "Unfair: Joystick gives advantage!"
Posted by Stephen Johnson - Tuesday, January 30, 2007 8:53 AM
Noiseless black helicopters are constantly circling TheFeed's heavily armed compound, so we're used to the Federal government keeping close tabs on our activity, but now it seems the FBI are employing exciting new methods of keeping track of what seemingly innocent people are doing on the internet.
According to Paul Ohm, a former trial attorney at the Justice Department's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the FBI is vacuuming up thousands of people's electronic trails and sifting them.
It works like this:
The Feds get a warrant, but don't have an IP address.
They collect all the data that flows from the ISP related to their court order, then filter it for whatever information they're looking for. This could potentially be thousands of people's computers and includes web browsing histories, email, and, I suppose Gopher searchs.
Evil robots are employed.
The FBI learns that I click on many, many websites devoted to clown porn.
I, for one, think the FBI's net-survelliance methods are super-awesome, and I'm glad law enforcment in the USA is protecting me and keeping me free. After all, I haven't done anything wrong, so what do I have to hide?