Sharp-eyed viewers of HBO’s True Blood may have noticed a famous — or is that infamous? — Alex Ross illustration lurking in the background of one scene in this week’s episode.

On a wall at Fangtasia, the vampire bar in Shreveport, La., hangs Ross’ depiction of President Bush draining blood from the neck of the Statue of Liberty. The image caused a bit of a stir when it first appeared as the cover of The Village Voice on Oct. 26, 2004.

I’d meant to post something about this yesterday, but I have a mind like a sieve. Luckily, The New York Observer jogged my memory.

True Blood, Alan Ball’s follow-up to Six Feet Under, is based on Charlaine Harris’ popular series of “Southern Vampire” novels. You can read the show’s online comic, The Great Revelation, at the HBO website.

Kirsten Dunst tells MTV’s Splash Page that she’s “in” for the next Spider-Man movie, but stopped short of making an official announcement.

That may finally put to rest long-running speculation as to whether Dunst would return as Mary Jane Watson. Or, y’know, it may just start a new round of rumors.

Director Sam Raimi and star Tobey Maguire reportedly signed on earlier this month for the fourth and fifth installments of the Sony Pictures franchise, which will be shot back to back over six months next year. Maguire’s deal is said to be a record $50 million in salary and profit sharing.

Spider-Man 4 is scheduled for release in May 2011, putting it at odds with Marvel’s The First Avenger: Captain America.

The artistic community is buzzing over news that the Senate has passed its version of the orphan works bill.

And for good reason. The legislation will significantly change the incentive structure in copyright enforcement.

As I discussed in a previous post, the legislation’s stated aim is to clarify the status of so-called orphan works–old copyrighted material whose rights owners cannot be located. The typical example cited to justify the bill is something old with a personal or educational value, such as a family photograph or a historic archive.

But what matters most is not the ideal application but the actual language, and this is what has so many people concerned.

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The second episode of Warner Bros.’ Watchmen motion comic will debut next Tuesday on iTunes, followed by the third chapter on Oct. 20. The first installment launched in July.

Future episodes will debut every two weeks.

Announced during Comic-Con International, the motion comic is part of a larger initiative by Warner Bros. to deliver DC Comics properties via the Internet, mobile phones and video on demand. Of course releasing Watchmen, chapter by chapter, in hybrid comic-animation form also helps to create buzz for Zack Snyder’s movie adaptation, which is set to open in March.

As we skid into October, I find myself having a bit of an off week, at least comics-wise. I just don’t see much that catches my eye.

Chris Mautner, on the other hand, has spied a veritable treasure trove, from a Baby Huey collection to Batman #680 a Complete Peanuts box set.

So, maybe it’s just me.

Wednesday also sees the Dark Tower: The Long Road Home hardcover, the debut of Steve Niles’ future-noir City of Dust, and a one-shot dedicated Bruce Campbell’s My Name Is Bruce movie.

To see what other titles Chris and I think are worth mentioning, just keep reading. As always, let us know your choices in the comments below.

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Liz Farmer at the Maryland Daily Record is reporting that the Geppi Entertainment Museum has been embroiled in a rent dispute with the state agency that leases its space for more than a year:

Puddester would not say exactly how long the dispute had been going on, or if founder Stephen A. Geppi had simply missed rent payments or was not paying rent at all out of protest. But he did say the rent became an issue when the Sports Legends Museum at Camden Yards, the tenant in Camden Station below Geppi’s, had its rent payments reduced in June 2007 because the nonprofit was struggling to make ends meet due to unexpectedly low admissions revenue.

At that time, the stadium authority voted to forgive the museum its $444,274 in back rent and also lowered its monthly rent from about $32,200 to $10,300, which Puddester said approximately covers the building’s operating expenses. The museum, which received partial funding from the state, opened in 2005.

Apparently part of the reason the musuem has not been doing well is because of declining attendance at Camden Yards.

Tucker Stone went to the Baltimore Comic Con and came back with the snark an unbiased perspective on the DC Nation panel:

Before they left the Final Crisis topic for Kryptonian waters, Final Crisis: Rage of the Red Lanterns was discussed, and although logic and sense long ago lost the battle with silly conceptual ideas as comic book storylines, it has still been hoped that the idea of a rainbow spectrum of Lantern corps is a joke. Not so! Because here come the Red Lanterns, and according to Johns, they are really hot to trot to ice Sinestro. (Red stands for rage!) There’s probably a reason why, maybe having to do with Sinestro laughing hysterically every time a new color of Lantern enters the room. “I’m a Blue Lantern. Stop laughing at me! I’m the embodiment of love. STOP LAUGHING.” When the subject of the Blue Lanterns came up again later, Johns mentioned that, while he and Peter Tomasi had discussed whether or not the concept of a love corps was “lame,” they had finally realized that “love can be scary as well.” Yes, it certainly can.

I’ve been told there’s more to come soon, so keep your eyes peeled.

For fans of DC’s Legion of Super-Heroes, 2008 started out promising.

It was the 50th anniversary of those teenagers from the future — they first appeared in April 1958’s Adventure Comics #247 — and classic writer Jim Shooter had returned to the title. On television, a Legion Saturday-morning cartoon was in its second season, and the all-ages comic adaptation seemed to be well-received.

What’s more, Legionnaires played prominent roles in the popular “Lightning Saga” crossover in Justice League of America and Justice Society of America, and in the “Superman and the Legion of Super-Heroes” story arc in Action Comics. And then there was the promise of the Final Crisis tie-in, Legion of 3 Worlds (it kicked off just last month).

It all combined for one shiny anniversary present, topped with a futuristic-looking bow.

But then Warner Bros. Animation announced the end of the Legion TV series. DC followed that with the cancellation, in November, of the cartoon’s Johnny DC counterpart.

Finally, over the weekend, the publisher confirmed an earlier report that it will cancel the remaining Legion title — referred to as the “Threeboot” by fans — with January’s Issue 50.

“What fun! Sure makes me look forward to my 50th wedding anniversary,” said Matthew Elmslie, who operates the Legion Abstract blog.

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Starting today, you’ll be able to order a Dell computer with Iron Man already loaded.

Variety reports the PC manufacturer has made a deal with Paramount Pictures to offer the movie as an option for customers as part of Dell’s personalized purchasing process. The move is Dell’s first step toward creating a broader digital-content storefront.

For now the $20 Iron Man preload, which comes with exclusive bonus footage, is only available to consumers in the United States.

Photos of the new Iron Man Mark I 1/6 scale collectible figure were published this week. The action figure will be produced by Hong Kong based company Hot Toys. It has a pimpin’ 36 points of articulation and his mask lifts to reveal Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, utilizing Hot Toys’ new sculpting technique. He has a working missile launcher and on the center of his chest is a battery-operated glowing heart. This new Iron Man action figure stands over 30 cm (12-inches) tall, perfect to take Barbie out on a night on the town. No release date announced as of yet.

Additional photos can be found on Hot Toys’ website.

Hairy Green Eyeball posts a bunch of “bosses chasing secretaries” gag cartoons from a 1948 issue of Cartoon Humor. He’s also got another round-up of great Jack Davis album covers, if you prefer more of that instead.

Despite my best efforts to trim my pull list to something approaching reasonable, new comics come out demanding my attention. Current titles and storylines such as Secret Invasion and “Old Man Logan” force their way into my hands. Looking ahead, the promise of even more great titles ensures that I’ll need to pick up another long box or two.

The five upcoming story arcs that have me the most jazzed …
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Ger Apeldoorn shares a funny animal story by Walt Kelly, as well as some other delights.

Someone with an incredibly high threshhold of pain has whittled 1997’s Batman & Robin down to 10 minutes of its absolutely worst moments. How they decided which was the wheat and which was the chaff, I’ll never know.

(Filmdrunk, via Topless Robot)

DKNY Jeans has launched a sub-site for the line of clothing comics creator Paul Pope designed for them, DKNY 2089. It includes some of his sketchbook as well as an “inspiration” section with art by Moebius and Jack Kirby, among others.

Pope talks about the clothes on his blog:

The 2089 line has hit the stores and is now available anyplace DKNY and DKNY Jeans clothing are sold. Internationally, an alternate 2089 line is available through Club 21 and features additional style and prints not seen in the North American 2089 line, including a pair of black jeans with a silkscreened grasshopper print. I did four window displays for four separate Asian markets (Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, and Macau), as well as a lot of press here in the US.

Don’t forget to enter the sweepstakes while checking out the site.

Attending CAPE! last spring, I was fortunate to attend a panel of such luminary talents as Gail Simone and Mark Waid, among others. What was terrific about this panel in particular was that it was moderated. Once common at conventions, it seems to me that moderated panels are now a curiosity of a bygone age.

Perhaps I should define the term as I see it?

Moderated panel discussions are those in which talent from various publishers and titles are gathered together to speak on a particular subject. Sure, the Marvel guys sit down with the other Marvel guys for discussions, but what about a panel comprised of talent from all the publishers in attendance? For instance at CAPE!, the panel was on the topic of writing. Writers were on hand from DC, Marvel and BOOM!, all talking about the craft. That in itself was something.

The panel was moderated by author David Hopkins. Hopkins was the great thing about this panel, not because he revealed a great deal about his own experience. Rather, because as a writer, he was able to keep the discussion moving and refocus it when it stalled by calling on his own background. Hopkins ensured that every moment of that discussion was worthwhile.

From my perspective, panels are probably the cheapest things cons coordinate. Yet, they are becoming more and more scarce. Panels have largely devolved into press conferences. Sure, those are fun, but those are generally forums where you’re being spoken at. You’re receiving a presentation. A moderated panel is more of a discussion. Moderated panels build community by engaging the fans as something more than consumers.

Back in the day, you’d have a whole table full of comic writers chatting on such subjects as time travel in the medium, the future of comics and secret identities. One of my favorite moderators, Robert Aspirin, used to moderate some wild panels. Miss that guy.

And I miss moderated panels.

– Iron Man comes out on DVD today, and Paramount sent over a bunch of links to deleted scenes and test footage that’ll appear on the special edition. Check’em out here, here, here, here and here.

– The North Shore News talks to Peter Bagge.

– McClatchy News Service has a nice, short Q&A with Sergio Aragones.

– Just how much manga do the Japanese read anyway? Matt Thorn investigates.

– Charles Hatfield visits the Center for Cartoon Studies.

– Matt Bors sketchblogs the presidential debate.

– “Retired” comics critic Domingos Isabelinho is blogging now.

– The Daily Cross Hatch is asking cartoonists to draw how they’re getting to the Small Press Expo this year. Mei K kicks off the series.

– Damn, I forgot to add this to the TiVo; Cold Hard Flash talks to the creators of the new Adult Swim cartoon Superjail.

– Anyone want to draw a monkey? It’s for charity.

Compiled by JK and Chris.

The T-shirt website Threadless has a new shirt up featuring the Man of Steel (or at least a close facsimile — note the un-logo’ed cape) heating up a TV dinner. Mmmm, heat vision’ed TV dinners …

Paramount Pictures has signed a deal to distribute the next five Marvel Studios films: the two Iron Man sequels, Thor, The First Avenger: Captain America and The Avengers.

Paramount distributed Iron Man, Marvel’s first independent production, which earned $574 million worldwide.

News of the agreement was broken early this afternoon by Hollywood gossip columnist Nikke Finke, who has since updated with official confirmation from Paramount Vice Chairman Rob Moore and Marvel Studios Chairman David Maisel.

“Paramount is an excellent partner and an outstanding global distributor,” Maisel said in a press release. “Through our experience on Iron Man, Paramount has demonstrated a passion and ability to release Marvel properties theatrically, allowing us to focus on making great movies for the largest audience possible.”

Presumably, the distribution deal will carry the partners through 2012; although the third Iron Man film isn’t yet scheduled, Marvel’s prime release spots for 2011 are filled by Captain America and The Avengers.

Update: Variety notes that the new deal helps to fill holes in Paramount’s distribution schedule left by DreamWorks’ departure from the studio.