meltblog

What do you think?

 Sat, Nov 10, 7:00 p.m. ArcLight 10
Marjane Satrapi’s autobiographical graphic novels detail her childhood in Tehran from the overthrow of the Shah through the years of Ayatollah Khomeini’s Islamic fundamentalist regime and the Iran-Iraq war.

This gripping personal journey from childhood through adolescence, sexual awakening to an unhappy marriage has been transformed by Satrapi and co-writer-director Vincent Parranaud into a series of animated comic-book images that provide a strangely magical viewing experience, and create an emotional terrain that’s both poignant and humorous. Satrapi is encouraged by her loving parents to flee Tehran for Vienna but life there is bittersweet. Homesickness propels her to don a veil and return home. As she sits in an airport watching planes arrive and depart, we see that she will always be in a state of exile. 

This beautifully animated film is based on Marjan Satrapi’s award -winning graphic novel Persepolis.

Watch it now!

Johnny Delgado Is Dead:
Created by: Jon Leekley, Michael D. Olmos & Roger Mincheff
Written by: John Leekley and Michael D. Olmos
Pencils & Inks by: Chris Moreno
Colors by Jim Ringuet
Available @ Meltdown NOW!!!

JOHNNY DELGADO IS DEAD:As children, Johnny Delgado & Victor Reyes grew up in a rough Phoenix neighborhood, where they were reared on corridos about the legendary vigilante heroes of the old west who stood up for the powerless against the corrupt and the heartless. One ballad, in particular, was oft repeated to the boys. The corrido spoke of the unbreakable bonds of brotherhood and two becoming one.
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Perhaps you remember my original coverage of this from a little over a month ago. Tom Franck is a former member of the Meltdown family, a fanboy-friendly stand-up comic, an official part of DC continuity and all-around nice guy.

He is currently competing in Famecast’s online stand-up comedy competition and has now made the top ten. Please go vote him into the top five. There are new clips up this round, so even if you’ve voted before, you won’t be bored. New comedy!

Register here. Vote here.

You can learn more about Tom at his MySpace page.

I had the pleasure of seeing a (slightly) advance screening of Live Free or Die Hard last night. And saw a familiar face.

Apparently Mel wasn’t content appearing in just ONE of this year’s independence day spectaculars and he decided to go for a twosie.

Early in Live Free or Die Hard we witness Matt Farrell (played by Justin Long) at his computer workstation in his apartment. As he gathers his things and John McClane plays with Matt’s Spawn figure, we can see two Mel stickers on a gray metal panel against the wall behind Matt. Go Mel! (I’ll provide some pics as soon as I can get them)

Transformers, Live Free or Die Hard…what will Mel’s next role be?

EDIT: As promised, here are some captures from the movie, showing both the Daniel Clowes and Junko Mizuno versions of Mel:

You can watch 8 minutes of the film, including Mel’s big scene, here.

Could it be that the Meltdown Mel Hollywood Retrospective has come to and end?

I hope not, but I myself have run out of known appearances. Rumor has it the Sprouse Twins wore the Meltdown athletic shirt to a premiere, but I haven’t been able to find any pictures…

The fate of the retrospective is now in your hands, dear readers. Find some Mel sightings and let me know about them!

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Mel also makes an appearance in the cool comic shop location in Ghost World.

Here he is with co-star Thora Birch:

This is, of course, all kinds of appropriate since Mel was designed by Dan Clowes, who also co-wrote the film based on his graphic novel of the same name.

You can watch the clip I captured this from here, and be sure to check out the Enid 15″ Fashion Doll in our online store.