Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Wrath of the Titans Official Trailer #1 - Sam Worthington Movie (2012) HD

The GODS are losing their powers! Only Perseus and the music of Marilyn Manson can save them!
This movie is going to be GOD DAMNED COOL!!!


Monday, December 19, 2011

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Upsie Daisy!!!



This one comes to me from fellow contributor and the "Main Man" over at the "Red Sonja - She Devil with a sword " blog Darius Whiteplume he remembered that I was on the lookout for shots of Mickey and Jayne doing the TARZAN lift...I could have gone with my SHANNA blog...due to Jayne's Leopard print Bikini...but I stuck with HERC..because they were both in a HERCULES film together. " The Loves of HERCULES " all I have to say is " SWEET! Thanks Darius ! "

Saturday, November 26, 2011

HERCULES gives THOR the GIFT!




Splash page from THOR 221 by John Buscema and Mike Esposito. I love the web...so much good stuff to find and share. Interesting sound effect though. I believe that may be the result of part of HERC'S fisk bashing THOR on the side of his head and clipping part of his Winged war helmet!


I love the little NO-PRIZE contest note they ran on the bottom right corner there. Marvel always had a tongue in cheak sense of humor.

HERCULES takes Manhattan!





This piece comes from Chris Ivy. The man gets around and I can safely say he's done it all for just about all the major companies. He is a talented cuss and I really love his interpretation from a certain famous MARVEL TEAM UP I covered earlier here on the blog. This I believe is a commision piece...probably originally in b/w...but I found it on the web in color. Either way GREAT JOB CHRIS!!!

The Mighty HERCULES 8mm



You never know what might turn up when you do a search on the web. Look at this cool 8mm home film of the Mighty HERCULES cartoon from..I guess around 1966-67.



I wish I could get my hands on it and watch it. When I was a kid my parents had a movie projector and camera to film 8mm home movies. We also had two of our own movies that we watched from time to time. CHIMP THE COWBOY and a TWEETY and SYLVESTER cartoon



Ahh...those were the days.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

The Mighty Primo Carnera the " Walking Mountain "




I am going to direct you over to http://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/ Frankensteinia the Frankenstein blog for a bio on Primo Carnera....A man who played big part in the History of the legend of HERCULES...Enjoy.

Click on the link provided...or simply click herehttp://frankensteinia.blogspot.com/2011/11/revealed-tvs-lost-frankenstein-of-1957.html to go directly to the post. Thank you to the good people at FRANKENSTEINIA !!!

Hercules Unchained (1959) Herc Vs Primo

Mighty Joe Young VS PRIMO!!!

Monday, November 7, 2011

Immortals - Official Trailer [HD]

Coming soon 11-11-11 another Badass movie...

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Wrestling , Giants and feats of strength !!!



One of my favorite heels ( Bad guy ) in Wrestling was absolutely HERCULES HERNANDEZ.



He had so much character and he was so intense. The way he could talk through his teeth and make veins bulge in his temples was probably what got me so interested on a dramatical sense of the word. This guy could really sell it.



One of my favorite feuds was with him and the Ultimate Warrior ( James Helliwig ). The CHAIN MATCH at MSG...they had a tug of war and the chain snapped. HERC then proceded to choke out Warrior with his half of the chain. It took a half dozen other guys to pry him off the Warriors lifeless corpse. lol....the feud lasted for months as they went from state to state pulling the same act over and over. That's how they did it back then in the 80's.



Some matches the Warrior would win and some matches HERC would get DQ'd because of the choke out. I prefer the DQ matches personally. I liked that HERC got the better of ol' "Jimmy the nutbag Ultimate Warrior." Ray passed away...too bad. Jim is still alive and he legally changed his name to the ULTIMATE WARRIOR...so yeah...he's a nutbag.

Another of my favorite matches was between ANDRE the Giant and Hacksaw JIM DUGGAN.



Andre just got done beating up some jobber ( A preliminary wrestler specifically there to get beat up and lose ) and he challenged anyone to come out and take him down. So out comes DUGGAN chanting "USA" and hoisting his 2 x 4 in the air and getting the crowd all worked up.

Well ANDRE proceeded to beat on DUGGAN and choke him out with the strap from his trunk

and DUGGAN...walloped him in the GIANT NOGGIN' with the board! Down went ANDRE.

Those were the days man! The reason I loved wrestling so much is because of cool match ups like that. I could imagine ancient ROME and Gladiators and so on. The thrill of victory and the agony of getting bashed in the head! Yeah baby...check out the two youtube vids of ye ancient olden wrestling times ( For review purposes ) Action provided by the WWE Superstars by way of Youtube. " Lets get rrrready to RUMBLLLLE!!! "

Ultimate Warrior Vs Hercules (chain match)

Andre The GIant and Jim Duggan

Sunday, October 30, 2011

Power Records: Conan the Barbarian - Crawler in the Mists

A piece of my childhood I feel the need to share...enjoy. I am aware the audio is here on the blog. But this is a nifty little Youtube video someone has put together. Thank YOU!

Friday, October 28, 2011

The Mighty AQUALESE!!!



Pretty much going back to as early as I can remember I have always loved super heroes. I remember kids asking me “ Why do you like Super Heroes so much?” My answer was “ I just do. “ I had no answer …comic books, cartoons and super heroes just spoke to me. Kids love sports and know all the guys and stats other kids love cars and learned how to strip’em down and modify them and become mechanics…Kids love Motorcycles or motor cross or skating…I loved comics. We all have something don’t we?
I used to watch SPACE GHOST and BIRDMAN and the reruns of the 1960’s SUPERMAN, BATMAN and AQUAMAN cartoons and when the Super Friends came out I watched that. BATMAN the animated series in the early 90’s was a great show and BATMAN BEYOND was cool too. BUT..between all the BATMAN cartoons that ever came out…BRAVE AND THE BOLD was the absolute best!
Now let me get to the point…AQUAMAN…he became a prominent part of the series. He was a permanent fixture practically as he was in more episodes than just about anyone. But this version was not just any old version he was for all intents and purposes…HERCULES!! The way he spoke and his boisterous attitude and his bluster and even the beard. They played him up like the Original version of JACK KIRBY’S HERCULES from the early issues of JOURNEY INTO MYSTERY….I loved it every minute of it. He was the best version yet.
One episode titled “ The Sword of the ATOM “ from the last season had him utter the line “ HERCULES?...BY NEPTUNE! “ I was cracking up. I knew the similarity was deliberate and they let us know right there. I recommend anyone who is a fan of cartoons to go out and purchase the entire series of BRAVE AND THE BOLD on DVD wherever you can get it. It’s worth watching just for AQUAMAN alone!











Thursday, October 27, 2011

The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit : A review





The Brutal blade of Bruno the Bandit : A review.

I sat down to read my Bruno comics the other day and started reading of course with number one. Here we are introduced to BRUNO the bandit as he sets off on an adventure. The humor in the strip is what I would consider to be straight dead pan….as Bruno gets himself into scrapes against Gargoyles that were guarding the castle Bruno sets out to rob. They begin to argue and Bruno slips by.
I was amused by Ian McDonalds imagination and the world he set up where Medieval knights and demons and dragons co exist with telephones and TV sets…it leaves a lot to the imagination as well. My first out loud laugh was when the commentary stops and Bruno looks out of the panel at the reader and says “ Well? “ I was so totally not expecting that…of course Bruno outsmarts the Wizard and gets away…along the way he makes friends with Fiona…a micro dragon. Of course Bruno does not want her following him but eventually accepts that now he has a new travelling companion.
The character of Fiona is a charming one as she is intelligent and innocent all at once. Bruno attempts to get her to rob someone but her honest nature prevent this from happening. I enjoyed myself as I was reading the story because you can visualize the world they live in and can imagine it in the form of a Sid and Marty Krofft TV show from the 1970’s. The parodies and references to today’s court themed TV shows is worth the read alone.
What I thought was quite hilarious was Bruno’s curmudgeon of a Father ( Who has one arm by the way ) and Bruno’s bickering …it reminded me of when my Dad and I used to bicker back before he moved to Florida.
I’d have to say…I’d like to see more of Bruno . The collected strips are available in two volumes available through the A.I.M comics blog. ( aimcomics.com )
I think the series would do well in comic book format with splash pages and panel to panel continuity. I could totally see this comic book being a regular series or even a cartoon strip in syndicated papers.
I especially like the art work as it is clean and tight and not too much going on..it’s sweet and simple…like any good strip should be.
If you’re in the mood for a laugh or to just brighten your spirits I recommend “ The Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit “ go order volumes 1 and 2 today. Trust me…you won’t be sorry.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mighty Men of American folklore - Paul Bunyan




" Well he rode throught the woods on his big blue ox , he had fists as large as chopping blocks at 500 pounds and NINE feet tall...that's PAUL "

That's the way the song went that country music legend Bobby Bear wrote. My Dad used to play that song on Sunday mornings to wake the kids up early so we'd get up and get ready for church. Mom would have pancakes ready or oatmeal and my Dad would be walking around singing along...." Talk about women the man is so lusty he needs a woman every hour just to keep from getting rusty , Talk about drinking the man is so mean he never drank nothing but kerosene a 5 gallon can and that aint all...for Paul "

Well there are many tales and stories surrounding Paul Bunyan about his size and logging and lumberjacking skills as he could swing his giant axe and take down a dozen trees in one fell swoop. Some stories he's a giant and he can tear out trees like weeding in a garden. Nobody ever really mentioned just how big Paul was except Bobby Bear.

He'd take a stack of flapjacks and swallow it in one bite. He had a pet named Babe...Babe was a giant blue ox...the only creature on earth who could give him a run for his money in a friendly wrestling match. He'd take on entire logging camps and swat away 2 dozen men in one smack nobody could take him down. He was a Mighty mighty giant of a man.

As Bobby's song went... Paul one day decided he did not want to live anymore " I'm gonna lay right down and die! " because he'd seen everything and done it all and this world was no longer exciting for him and he wanted to see what the DEVIL had going on down in HELL. SO he dug himself a giant hole and drank 25 gallons of kerosene and instructed his pals to bury him in as he willed himself to die. " So late one night when you hear a ghostly wail like someone chopping on the Devil's tail...that's Paul !"
Well as it turns out Paul got bored in HELL too...he burst out of the ground some weeks later where his friends buried him and called on Babe who came running and the two of them waltzed off in the mountains never to be seen or heard from again. Well he's still out there folks.


This tale like so many others was inspired by a real man too. A man named Paul BonJean...a French Canadian a giant of a man who really existed in themid to late 1800's. Paul was almost as true to the legend as anyone can be. He drank moonshine whiskey he made himself that was so strong nobody else could touch it...it was used sometimes instead of kerosene. He loved women too...he wenched and whored and had sired many a bastard child up in them there woods. He loved to fight too...six , 8 , 12 men could not bring him down but he fought for fun and recreation he never hurt anybody he just like to toss people around and laugh heartily while swigging moonshine from an oversized jug in one hand while dispatching opponents with the other. Sounds like enough to start a legend around. One day he had enough with the toying around of his lesser opponents and saw an ox in someones field...he charged it head on and wrestled that ox bringing it to the ground... got him good too as he was thrown in the air and tossed about like he'd never been tossed around by anything ever before. Wrestling the ox became a daily routine as the ox was the only competition he ever had. He was a champion logger and a big drinker and yes he loved his women. He'd done it all and had all the people in town hail and regard him as a hero of heroes. Then one day...he came walking down the street with that ox...on a leash. Thus...was a legend born.

Now I see a few comparisons here...to HERCULES. The BULL of MINOS...WOMEN , WRESTLING , DRINKING a fun loving HELL RAISER. If this story is true and the legend and myth were created around a real guy like this...I believe it. Paul Bunyan...SON OF HERCULES!

Mighty Men of American folklore - John Henry







Mighty Men of American folklore - John Henry


I'm just going to go with my heart here. I have always been fascinated with tales of the Mighty and Giant like powerful Heroes of American folk lore. John Henry the steel drivin' man was one of them. This Myth may be based on a real individual or it may not be. I'll leave you to determine this for yourselves.


Back in the olden days when Rail road crews were laying track across the land men had to carve out moutains by hand. Crews and crews of men with pick axes and sledge hammers would dig and dig out mountains and tunnels for the railroad until one day some dude come along and he got a steam engine pile driving machine and he wants to make things easier on men and leave all the smashing and crashing to his machine. But this is going to put men out of work and a lot of guys are simply none too happy with the prospect of losing their job. SO...in a challenge the DRIVERS ( That's what the men were called that did all the sledge and axe work ) put their biggest and mightiest and strongest DRIVER up to the task of banging out a tunnel in a race of MAN vs MACHINE !


With nothing but a hammer in each hand JOHN HENRY showed up to work that day ready to rip into a mountain. The race was on as the Steam driven pile driving modified locomotive and the Mighty JOHN HENRY the STEEL DRIVING MAN went toe to toe. The story goes...JOHN HENRY beat that steam engine that day but...he then expired and died collapsing while holding onto both his hammers in his blistered and bloody fists. The starin was just too much for him as he was more than likely dehydrated exhausted and probably had several broken blood vessels in his heart and brain from exerting his mighty muscles for so long a period of time while facing off against the MACHINE. Just the story alone is amazing. Can a man actually triumph is such a fashion?


It's been said that according to legend the myth was derived from an actual living breathing person. This man was a convicted criminal and put to work on the railroad as part of his penalty. But his hard work and mighty frame had people in awe as he wielded two hammers to do his work just like the legend says. So much so that a legend was built around him. The John Henry of myth was a former slave who had gotten work at the railroad because of his size and strength. There are stories and films and songs about him and you can look up all the particulars on the web if you're so inspired. But Mighty men like this....I do believe did and do exist. This legend is a truly inspired one in that it encompasses all the elements of a trail of HERCULES ~ JOHN HENRY ...a MIGHTY SON OF HERCULES!

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Doc Samson -



I found this Doc Samson drawing on the web by Herb Trimpe and wanted to share. Being in that Samson is another comic book hero inspired by some type of mythology and used to create a new super hero. Samson got hios power by intentionally exposing himself to gamma radiation he was successful in his endeavor to give himself HULK like strength but his power is only about 2/3 of the HULKS...so as for being a match for HERCULES...forget it Ol' Herc would put him down in seconds. The reason Doc ever gave the HULK so much trouble is becasue he's famous for his sneak attacks and diversions. Or getting a whole bunch of super strong hero types to attack the HULK at once. ( Including HERCULES ) Yep...the HULK got knocked out in that encounter. But not before he knocked them all around pretty good.

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Kevin Sorbo ( Hercules ) overcomes adversity




By Kimberly Potts - LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) -



"Hercules" star Kevin Sorbo has revealed for the first time that while filming his hit series in 1997, he suffered three strokes that left him "depressed and frustrated" and with a bad attitude for the two years it took him to recover.
In a Neurology Now magazine interview that teases Sorbo's new memoir "True Strength," the actor says his health troubles left him partially blind and grasping "the backs of chairs and counters for an arduous five-yard trip to the bathroom."
"I went through two years of hell before I began to feel like myself again," says Sorbo, 52. "I was depressed and frustrated and had a bad attitude."
Sorbo, who worked out rigorously to play "Hercules" and perform his own stunts, was exercising in the summer of 1997 when, out of the blue, he began to feel pain and cold sensations in his left arm and hand.
Doctors checked him out and found nothing seriously wrong with him, and he resumed working out. The pain continued, however, and while lifting weights one day, he experienced severe pain down his shoulder. Again, a chiropractor checked him out and found nothing seriously wrong.
But on the drive home from the chiropractor appointment, Sorbo experienced blurry vision and dizziness. He arrived home safely and decided to "sleep it off," but awoke the next morning with slurred speech and found himself barely able to walk.
A trip to the ER finally pinpointed the cause: Sorbo had an aneurysm near his shoulder, which had been causing blood clots. Two of the main arteries into his hand were completely blocked, and after he underwent surgery, an MRI test showed Sorbo had suffered three separate strokes before he was diagnosed.
Doctors told him that given his age at the time -- 38 -- and his physical fitness, he was a medical anomaly. They said the chances of him experiencing both an aneurysm and multiple strokes had been one in 75 million.
"My illness made me special in a way that I never wanted nor expected," Neurology Now quotes him as saying. "I'm not Hercules; I'm a mere mortal with human limitations and problems. But I am determined to not behave like a victim anymore."
Sorbo, who guest-starred on an episode of "Hawaii Five-0" last season, is developing a new TV series, "Legendary." In the comical Syfy project, he would play Kevin Sorbo, who is recruited by a "Hercules" fan to battle underworld monsters in Los Angeles


Official /Unofficial disclaimer : I did not write this article this article is not mine I got it off of Yahoo news and fealt like I should share. It is after all HERCULES related news !

Sunday, September 18, 2011

MAGNET COMICS pledge your support today!






If you have a Facebook account...follow this link to get this project soaring!






" About this project
WHERE MY IDEA CAME FROM...
This is a dream project for me; one that's been brewing since I was a kid! The late Silver Age/ Bronze Age of comic books was my influence growing up and I LOVED it! Even as I knew, back then, that I wanted to become a professional artist drawing comic books (which I've done) I've also, recently, become aware of a slightly different, yet parallel desire I've had since I was that kid, though I didn't really know of it until now: I've wanted to draw THOSE very comic books I was reading back then! (And after talking to tons of fans over the years, I've found that there are a LOT of people who'd love to READ those types of comics again!)
And those comics had some cool things going on: • Classic, yet revitalized, Superheroes. • New Creative superheroes which included: Kung Fu warriors and Cosmic Surreal Icons. • Savage Barbarians. • High Fantasy characters. • Tales of Mystery and Horror. • and New, radical, wild cartooning! And what a period for comic creators! Classic veteran writers and artists were reaching the zenith of their powers while new, young, talented creators were emerging with exciting skills and ideas. (Both of these types of creators are my primary influence, both then and now.)
And even the comic book medium/package itself had evolved and been refined into an apex of a fascinating combination of entertainment and commerce. Not only had the characters and the stories matured into very cool art forms but even the ad pages, the news pages and letter pages had all become their own self-contained experiences of interest. This was happening at the mainstream publishers as well as the independents.
BUT ... I was born too late to join that particular time of comic book publishing as a professional artist at it's zenith, though I was a rabid follower of it all. Well, this Kickstarter-funded project (fingers crossed!) is as close to solving that particular time-travel conundrum as I can come. So, here it is:
MY PROJECT AND HOW IT'LL BECOME A REALITY...
I've created quite a few of my own characters over time and, no surprise, they all reflect my personal love for that period of creativity. (The names of just a few of them: AUGUST, MATON, LION FIST, THUNDRON, THE SPIDROID, JOHN HAWK, EAGLE KING, ONYX, AGENTS of R.A.N.C.O.R., INFINITON, TERROR WOLF, etc. etc.) They all have the fun, jazzy story thrills, funky art techniques and graphics, bright strong coloring .... these classic-style (yet new) characters will fill dazzling pages of entertaining pop culture. I'm even going to mimic the old newsprint look of paper. (While still using good quality paper and acheiving a quality printing look!) And with these characters, this is the exact type of comic book experience I plan to create, brand new, again:
A 3-Issue Comic Book Mini Series: "Magnet Comics Presents..." 52 pages (Giant Size!) each issue; enough to tell a great variety of stories as well as offer a tremendous value for everyone's money! A glorious celebration of the Silver / Bronze Age of Comics ! A new expression of that era of comics and a new continuation of that period's potential! And in a price range that will be extra-value-packed and affordable! (Possible $2 per 52 page issue .... great deal !!! )
Why a self-contained, monthly, 3 issue mini series? So I can accomplish certain things with it: (a) Have separate front covers showcasing different characters and design styles .... (b) The ability and opportunity to utilize a "Next Issue", "Continued In..." and "Coming Up In Issue #__ " theme of design and in-house company ads as part of the fun packaging. (c) The storytelling devices of paused tension between chapters. (d) The opportunity for fans to write in letters and the potential for those letters to alter some of the next issue's content. And other unforeseen benefits ...
Most of this material will come from my own hands as I've built a respectable array of skills that were honed over years and across many disciplines. (See my resume/biography) But some of it will (hopefully) come from some of the very talented people that helped forge those days, those creators who are still around and active.
There's also going to be a lot of research and use of references/resources for (re)creating that particular publishing look and style. Paper types, color schemes, printing-drawing-graphic techniques, typography choices, etc. These 3 issues are going to powerfully reflect all these unique qualities, and more, while at the same time presenting all-brand-new stories and characters and experiences. A lot of time, man hours and hand crafted skills will go into these books.
Colorful, heroic, positive, powerful, mind-stretching stories and characters that just zip through a fascinating package of awesome comic book goodness!!!! (Of course it'll be just 3 months of this for right now but who knows what the future will bring ... ! )
WHAT THE FUNDING WILL PROVIDE...
The funds raised for this will pay for all the time, work and research needed to go into producing these books at professional rates as well as the printing and distribution efforts (both traditional and leading edge) needed to reach as wide of an audience as possible. Also there will be a few select, strategic convention and comic book store appearances to promote the books, which include creating specialty promotional items for sale, give-away and display. (My plans include the debut of these 3 issues over 3 convention appearances during the main convention season of 2012.)
MY FINAL WORDS OF GRATITUDE...
So, if you are around the age where you remember these types of comic books ... or even if you are much younger but you want to experience the thrill of getting at least 3 months worth of comic books coming your way that will actually entertain you as much as any video game of download ... than this is going to be a truly worthwhile project for you to support. An experience of superhero, mystery, action-adventure comic books that haven't been available as brand new for over 35 years!
Fun, awesome entertainment you will simply LOVE to have ... that's what I believe it will be, I certainly hope you believe it, too! Welcome on to this cool train of fun; it is GREAT to have you aboard!!!
Thank you very much for your time, attention and interest!! All the best to you!!




Sincerely, Scott Rosema "


I pledged my support Scott...I want to see these comic books! C'mon people!



Monday, September 12, 2011

HERCULES vs !!!

HERC vs SUPERMAN by legendary artist George Perez...my favorite pic from the bunc

Herc vs Wonder Woman a cartoon I found while surfing...yeah that's how it would go down.


Here is an unlikely duel by Independant cartoonist. Bertram.

The classic mythological match up HERCULES vs Cerberus..the three headed wolf dog who guards the entrance to Hades or HELL...whatever you want to say! Stay tuned for more HERCULES vs !!!








Brett Ratner to direct a new "HERCULES" film.



He has signed on to direct the film based on the RADICAL imprint "Hercules the Thracian wars"

series. No word yet on who will star in the film. But it has been said that it will follow the story line of the comic book and stay faithful and true to the dark and gritty nature. There is even one news outlet on the web stating that Vin Diesel will play a role ( Hopefully not as HERCULES! I won't see it then ) Other reports hgave it coming out in 3D and others state it will be shot in the style of 300. A film I loved by the way. Since CONAN was such a big flop...maybe one of my other heroes can save face. Then of course there is TARZAN with Hugh Jackman...I'm hoping that will also quench my thirst for some SAVAGERY!



The passing of Andy Whitfield.



"Andy Whitfield, star of the Starz Entertainment sword-and-sandal series "Spartacus," died in Australia on Sunday at the age of 39.
The muscled actor succumbed to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, a type of blood cancer with which he was diagnosed in March 2010, according to The New York Times.
Whitfield was born in Wales, but made his home in Australia, where he first came to attention after stints in a number TV shows, including "All Saints" and "Packed to the Rafters." The sometime model had his biggest breakthrough, though, when he was cast in the Starz series "Spartacus: Blood and Sand," in which he played the title role of a soldier who leads a rebellion against the Roman Empire. The series was an instant hit thanks to his turn in the classic role that had previously been filled by such screen icons as Kirk Douglas.
After his diagnosis last March, Whitfield began to undergo treatment in New Zealand, which led to the delay of the second season of the show and the filming of a six-part prequel, "Spartacus: Gods of the Arena," for which he provided some voiceover work. He was initially declared cancer-free a few months after treatment, but suffered a relapse later in the year that forced him to abandon the role, which was recast.
His wife, Vashti, issued a statement on Sunday confirming his death. "On a beautiful sunny Sydney morning, surrounded by his family, in the arms of his love wife, our beautiful young warrior Andy Whitfield lost his 18-month battle with lymphoma cancer ... he passed peacefully surrounded by love," the statement said. "Thank you to all his fans whose love and support have helped carry him to this point. He will be remembered as the inspiring, courageous and gentle man, father and husband he was."
The cable network Whitfield called home also released a statement on his passing. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of our dear friend and colleague, Andy Whitfield," said Starz President and CEO Chris Albrecht. "We were fortunate to have worked with Andy in 'Spartacus' and came to know that the man who played a champion on-screen was also a champion in his own life. Andy was an inspiration to all of us as he faced this very personal battle with courage, strength and grace. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. He will live on in the hearts of his family, friends and fans."


This article was taken from MTV's news media site.



Thursday, September 8, 2011

HERCULES is beside himself!



Art by Mike DeStasio ( after Jack Kirby and Sam Glanzman )

Color art and text by Mike Dominic

Over at - "The Brave and the Bold- The lost issues"



Ross the creator , founder and main man has put together this little beauty. I have been following Ross' blog for a couple of years now. I take great joy in seeing his little mash ups. It is definately a number 10 on a scale of 1 to 10 in the entertainment department.


His blog is the inspiration for me to draw up the "HERC vs" covers. Of course I'm only doing about 8 or so altogether. But ROSS has an ongoing thing with his blog. Check out " The Brave and the Bold - The Lost issues " today!

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

AVENGERS cosplay



That's the same HERC guy from the earlier cosplay shot with BatMan....

Herc vs Herc vs Herc!



This one brought to you by Walt Simonson , John Buscema and SaM Glanzman! Just for fun..a 3 way Royal Rumble

Ok..I think I'm happy now



Monday, September 5, 2011

After DON HECK



In 1989...THOR 400 came out...in it was a back up feature that had a splash page with THOR and HERCULES ready to sit down and have an arm wrestle to finally decide who is the strongest between the two...well they rattled a mountain apart in their struggle. Here is my HOMAGE to DON HECK...part of it anyway...my scanner in too small to accomodate the artwork...so I scanned the most appropriate section..for the blog...lol

Hercules vs Hercules? Huh?

I was not happy with the bottom ( First image ) so I worked up another one...to save myself some time it's all in markers...so it's not as smooth but I like the way the Glanzman HERC turned out.

I just got done working on this one....I tried to imitate Sam Glanzman's style for the Charlton version of HERCULES and he has a pretty muddy ( But tasteful ) line...I got a little too muddy on the face...But I like the border I got going on...that's very Sam! Of course...everyone knows where I got Jacks HERC from...I been drawing Kirby-ish my whole life...some things are easier than others...then some things get a wee bit difficult...trying to mash up Sam Glanzman and Jack Kirby...yeah that's a wee bit difficult...BUT...I like it. Color version on the way. :)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

HERCULES vs TARZAN



Here is the next cover in the series....I believe I am going to do maybe 6 more or so...then put a lid on it....But in the meantime this is FUN! Enjoy! Thank you CROMSBLOOD from over at



"Crom the Ultimate Conan fan blog " for the assist in putting this little piece together...Next ish...RED SONJA!

HERCULES cosplayer



Here is a shot of a HERC cosplayer at a recent con. Posing with some guy who's supposed to be ZORRO or something.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Progress on the next cover...



still working out some bugs...but this is almost what it's gonna look like...I'm loving it. My friend Mark is really kicking ass on this....

HERCULES and TARZAN



Here is the artwork for the next HERC vs mock up cover...the art has been scanned and file sent to the color artist. I am excited...this is fun. Each drawing will be in the style of KIRBY of whatever seems appropriate. As I am working I am slowly getting my chops back. It'll take several more attempts before I am back at the level I was 20 some odd years ago. Plus I need to go get me some serious art tools...this 5 dollar pack of brushes is killing me.



Cover ideas for HERC to square off against next are...RED SONJA , SHANNA the SHE DEVIL , DC COMICS version of HERCULES as well as Charlton comics Sam Glanzman version...that's it for now. Stay tuned!

Thursday, September 1, 2011

HERCULES battles CONAN ~ FULL COLOR!



I was inspired recently to whip up an homage to Jack Kirby....being that Charles R. Rutledge from " Singular points " and I were mentioning that Jack Kirby never really had any CONAN material out there. So I too pulled a Rich Buckler/Ron Frenz and swiped/borrowed a couple of poses to draw up this HOMAGE to CONAN and KIRBY in honor of his Birthday recently Aug 28.
I was thinking after I drew it...man this needs some color and thought to myself " Hmm I've been working on a side project with Cromsblood...but he has a child on the way and he's very busy as of late." Then I remembered the Rudy Nebres " One minute later " piece from several months back on "CROM the Ultimate CONAN fan blog" and how Mike Dominic from AIM comics producers of " The Brutal blade of BRUNO the BANDIT " colored in the artwork the very next day...it was an internet smash and can be found in several places...( Folks that was Mike Dominic who colored that in ) So I asked "DOM" if he would not mind doing this fun little side job for me. Sure enough the very next day VOILA!
I could not be prouder..thank you "DOM" You did a great job coloring and adding text to my piece! You are a great artist! I hope you folks out there like it. I'm very proud.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

HERCULES battles CONAN!




I'm going to start a new feature here on the blog. HERCULES vs...some other HERO..I.E. In this case CONAN the BARBARIAN...Do you remember in the 1960's-70's...HERC'S POP was always stripping him of his GODLY powers...well in this scenario that's what happened. Here he is wandering around the HYBORIAN age and CROM don't like it one bit. ( sounds familiar right? ) Anyway..he has to go toe to toe , blade to blade against the Mightiest warrior ever to wander the shining kingdoms that lay spread across the land in an age undreamed. Hope you like it. I plan on working it up in color too. If all goes well...we'll see it soon! Any requests? I'll see what I can do as time allows. ~ Thanks Mikey.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Happy birthday Jack " KING " Kirby




The modern versions of THOR and HERCULES in MARVEL comics as we know them. Thank you Jack. Happy Birthday to the LEGEND whose work lives on!

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Ryan Gosling ~ Young Hercules









Ya know the most successful actor to come out of the HERCULES thing? Ryan Gosling. Ian Bohen is nowhere to be found these days. Where is Kevin? What's going on with Lucy? She gets naked and does lesbian scenes on cable ( Nothing wrong in that ) but she is no mainstream star anymore. Buy Ryan Gosling seems to have taken off and become a real Movie star. I believe he has two big movies coming out right now....and there are sure to be more on the way.

Just another example we can thank HERCULES for!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

The incredible Wonder Woman....





We seem to forget that the character of Wonder Woman is a powerhouse with strength to rival Hercules...in the DCU anyway. I think in the 90's crossovers Marvels Herc and WW were going toe to toe...but knowing him they went tongue to tongue in no time as we all know he's a charmer with the ladies. BUT...as you see here in this clip from an old WW comic book ( Can anybody tell me where this is from? I want to go find that issue! ) She's strong enough to toss ole HERC around ( DCU's HERC known sometimes as Herakles) like nobodies biz! All I have to say is WOTTA WOMAN! Then check out the convention drawing paying Homage to an all but too familiar Steranko drawing from somewhere...just can't place it right now but...ENJOY!

" HERCULES 3D " BRING IT !!!








With CONAN the barbarian 3D coming out there are bound to be a group of followers. Just like back in the 80’s. After 82’s Barbarian pic Lou Ferrigno came out with a couple of HERCULES films no doubt to be an answer or even a Barbarian bandwagon jump. The movies themselves were horrendous but Lou’s physique was no doubt simply incredible.
I think ( Back in the day ) Lou and Arnie should have taken their tremendous heroic proportion physiques back to competition. I can’t really say for certain who’d win that time around but in my humble opinion…Louie had the better build. But I digress….ANYWAY…I came across this poster for a HERCULES 3D film soon to be released no doubt with the advent of the release of the new CONAN movie. Who plays HERC in this upcoming Heroic spectacle? I do not know but the more the merrier I say. There will always be a place for Heroic fantasy adventures in Hollywood. Everyone loves a super hero looking all tremendous and powerful . Granted there have been and still are films coming out left and right…IRONCLAD , CENTURION , The EAGLE and SEASON OF THE WITCH ( A Solomon Kane knockoff ) just to name the most recent ( I have to include SOLOMON KANE in here too as I loved that movie ) and there will be several more in the coming years. GOOD!
There is something to be said for a stalwart hero battling baddies with naught but his fists and a sword. What I am waiting for now is…TARZAN starring Hugh Jackman….that’s gonna be good. But first….BRING ON THE BARBARIAN!











Sunday, July 17, 2011

HERCULES Obscurities!







As a collector it's fun to come across rare finds to add to your collection of obscura and what not. While I was a student at the Joe Kubert school back in 1989 there was a little flea market up the road and inside there was a little comic shop called "Big Dave's" while scouring Dave's bins ( Dave passed away from a heart attack later that year. RIP Dave..) I came across a weird oddity it was a HERCULES b/w magazine put out by Charlton comics the same month they put out their regular monthly comic. Why and for whatever reason they published it in this format I can not say. Perhaps it was an experiment to compete with WARREN magazines who was doing so well with CREEPY and EERIE and Vampirella...no one can say for sure. But I certainly got a kick out of it and I only paid 50 cents!


I found a neat bunch of posts in "RIP JAGGERS DOJO" pertaining to the Charlton HERC's...I love reading other peoples thoughts on the subject. Rip runs a damned fine blog there!






Anyway...here are the 2 versions of HERCULES # 8 by Charlton comics.