Marvel Zombies And Batman: Blind Justice

Recently it seems that everywhere I look, there Marvel Zombies are. The art work by Arthur Suydam is by far my favorite part of this comic book miniseries. I first noticed them about a month ago when I began staring at my coworker Duncan's Zombies poster. It is the type of art that hits you in waves. First I noticed characters that I grew up with, nothing more. Then I began realizing that the colors were a little distorted. Finally, it hit me that these weren't the friendly superheroes I had assumed they were at all, but the undead shell of what they had used to be. In case you are lost, Marvel Zombies are a set of comic book miniseries published by Marvel Comics beginning in 2005. They are set in an alternate version of the Marvel Universe where most of the super heroes and villains have been exposed to a viral infection of sorts, turning them into flesh-eating zombies. The series was originally a spin-off from events in Ultimate Fantastic Four, but it became successful enough to produce an additional miniseries of its own, as well as several standalone one-shot issues. The title Marvel Zombies comes as a tribute to the nickname the Marvel fanbase gave to those who were very dedicated Marvel fans.
Another series I have taken note of is Batman: Blind Justice. From what I have gathered, the story begins when Bruce Wayne refuses to allow illegal mind-control experiments to continue at Wayne Technology, and he finds himself charged with being a traitor. Blind Justice then delves into Bruce's past as he confronts memories of those who molded him into the Dark Knight. All of the reviews seem to be of four-stars or more and it might be placed on my iTaggit wishlist soon enough. In case you might be seeking a Marvel or DC comic price guide, or really any comic book price guide at all, add your comics into our “What's My Item Worth” collection, and we will do our best to give you an idea of your comic's value.

Baseball Memorabilia Showcased In Our Own Gallery

Check out some of the great baseball memorabilia I found in the iTaggit gallery:

iTaggit user kihm8787 has an amazing collection of baseball memorabilia in the community collection. Within the collection are a Limited Edition Ted Williams 50th Anniversary Autographed Plaque, Hank Aaron Autographed Baseball with Certificate of Authenticity, Rod Carew Autographed Baseball with "HOF 91'" Inscription (pictured left), Lou Brock Autographed Baseball with "SB 938" Inscription, all of which can be considered almost antiques these days.

iTaggit user comic_relief added a baseball cards collectors box with over 500 cards in it!!! (pictured right) In the description, the contents consist of over 500 baseball cards from different manufacturers and years, including one original card from the 1950's, two original cards from the 1960's and five original cards from the 1970's. Other interesting cards I've found include Wheezy's autographed Bobby Doerr Baseball Card and itaggitfather's 2003 Upper Deck Sammy Sosa Limited Edition Baseball Card, which is in it's own display case. Lastly, one of the most impressive collections I have found across the board would be the_baseball_guru's The Topps Baseball Cards Complete Set from years 1986-1989, consisting of approximately 3,168 cards collectively.

I love finding new stuff in the iTaggit Gallery on a daily basis, and I hope you do to. If you find something that you feel needs to be shared, blog about it!

The Dark Knight

The Dark Knight is based on the Batman comics, but most of its influences come from Batman: The Long Halloween, according to screenwriter David S. Goyer. It is set to hit theaters in Summer 2008, but the anticipation over the first full-length preview release is already building. The preview is expected to debut when I Am Legend is released this coming Friday. Until then, I will share with you the official movie poster that was released last Tuesday, as well as some trivia I found on IMDb.com about the upcoming sequel to Batman Begins. Don't forget to use our “What's My Item Worth” section for a comic book price guide.

Hugh Jackman, Ryan Phillippe, Liev Schrieber, and Josh Lucas expressed

As a joke, one bat suit was made with nipples. It was presented to Christian Bale as the real bat suit, but he knew instantly it was a joke, having seen a few design pictures during preproduction. He did pose for some publicity photos in the “nipple” suit.

This is the first Batman film not to have “Batman” in the title.

At the time when the Penguin was rumored to be in the movie, Bob Hoskins appeared as a fan favorite. He stated that he would have loved to protray the role and work with Christopher Nolan, calling him a fantastic director. Nolan then stated he had no intention of using the Penguin, calling him a too far-fetched character.

Robin Williams, Lachy Hulme, Paul Bettany, and Adrien Brody all expressed interest for the role of the Joker before Heath Ledger was cast. Sean Penn was the original choice.

When asked, “Why Heath Ledger as the Joker?” Christopher Nolan said, “Because he's fearless.”

Turning down a salary estimated at between $1 million and $2 million – an increase over the roughly $1 million she was believed to have earned for Batman Begins (2005) – Katie Holmes chose not to reprise her role as Rachel Dawes. This was due to what was described as 'scheduling conflicts'.

Jerry Robinson, who is credited as one of the original creators of the Joker, served as a consultant on the film.

Before Maggie Gyllenhaal replaced Katie Holmes in the role of Rachel Dawes, both Rachel McAdams and Emily Blunt were rumored for the part.

While filming on the streets of Chicago in April 2007, the filming was carried out under the fake movie title “Rory's First Kiss”. Fliers regarding the filming carried this fake title, complete with a fake “RFK” logo for the movie and an address for the film's production offices.

One of the extra's military uniforms has the name “Philo” on it, after the film's extras casting director, Joan Philo.

Future Football Rookie Cards Worth Holding Onto

The Associated Press just released a great article outlining the NCAA All American Team members for the 2007 season, some of which will be moving on to the NFL Draft here in a few months. Their rookie football cards and other autographed sports memorabilia may be worth a fair amount in the future, once they've had an opportunity to perform their talents.
When it comes to being an All-American, Darren McFadden doesn't have to settle for second. The Arkansas running back and two-time Heisman Trophy runner-up was one of four players voted to The Associated Press All-American team for the second consecutive season. Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long, LSU defensive tackle Glenn Dorsey and Ohio State linebacker James Laurinaitis were the other two-time first-team AP All-Americans on the team released Tuesday. Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow joins McFadden in the backfield along with Central Florida's Kevin Smith, who leads the nation with 2,448 yards and 30 touchdowns. Smith is the first All-American from UCF, which began playing major college football in 1996. Tebow led the Gators in rushing and became the first major college player with at least 20 rushing touchdowns and at least 20 TD passes in the same season. McFadden set school records with 1,725 yards rushing and 2,172 all-purpose yards, breaking the marks he set last year. He scored 16 touchdowns and threw four TD passes, working as a quarterback out of Arkansas' shotgun Wild Hog formation.
Kansas State receiver Jordy Nelson went from walk-on to All-American. He ranked second in the country in both receptions (122) and receiving yards (1,606) behind fellow All-American Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech. Crabtree set NCAA freshman records with 125 receptions for 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. Fellow redshirt freshmen Jeremy Maclin from Missouri (all-purpose player) and Arizona State kicker Thomas Weber also made the first team. Crabtree was also one of four players unanimously selected to the first team by a panel of 12 media members, along with McFadden, Dorsey and Southern California defensive tackle Sedrick Ellis. Missouri's Martin Rucker, who led the nation's tight ends with 81 catches, gave the Tigers two All-Americans. Long was joined on the offensive line by Kansas tackle Anthony Collins, guards Duke Robinson of Oklahoma and Martin O'Donnell of Illinois, and Wake Forest center Steve Justice.
On the defensive line with Dorsey and Ellis were ends Chris Long from Virginia and George Selvie of South Florida. Penn State's Dan Connor, Colorado's Jordan Dizon and Butkus Award winner Laurinaitis were the linebackers.
In the secondary, the cornerbacks were Aqib Talib from Kansas and Antoine Cason from Arizona. The safeties were Jamie Silva from Boston College and Craig Steltz from LSU, each with six interceptions. Cincinnati's Kevin Huber was the punter. He led the nation with a 46.9-yard average.
The Big 12 had eight players selected to the first team, leading all conferences. The Big Ten and Southeastern Conference were second with four All-Americans each.
Let me know what you think about those who made the team, or those who didn't, and if you do happen to pick up any of their rookie cards, be sure to manage your collection on iTaggit!

Michael Vick Memorabilia

Michael Vick had one of the most promising careers in the National Football League ahead of him. He was the star quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons and the 2007 Draft brought plenty of young talent onto the team to spark a successful season. Little did they know that shortly before the season kicked-off, Vick would be turning himself in on charges of racketeering and drug use, as well as suspicion of lying about his involvement with the “Bad Newz Kennels” dog fighting operation. A case that has certainly affected the collectible value of his memorabilia. Vick was sentenced on Monday to 23 months in prison, which carries a possibility of being reduced by approximately 4 months if he shows good behavior. The real question on everyones' minds is if he will ever play pro ball again. His $130 million contract, once the richest in NFL history, is now suspended without pay, and all of his endorsement deals have been revoked. When asked about an indefinite suspension before the trial, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded “That's a determination we'll make later on... when the legal process is closed.” Now that sentencing has occurred, the professional career of Michael Vick lies in Commissioner Goodell's hands. As for his authentic sports memorabilia, one could argue that the current value might be solely based on the whirlwind of media frenzy surrounding the case and only time will tell how this controversy will affect his overall worth. What are your thoughts?

One Hundred Million Pennies For Your Thoughts

As the old saying goes “A penny saved is a penny earned,” but the children of New York City took their coin collecting to a whole new level. Hundreds of thousands of city students representing more than 800 public schools in the area spent their weeks between October 22 and Thanksgiving collecting pennies door to door. The outcome is being displayed in Rockefeller Center near the famous Christmas tree.”The Penny Harvest Field” was designed by architect James Polshek and is approximately 30 feet by 165 feet, or roughly as long as a city block. The value of their collection is estimated at around $1 million, or 100 million pennies plus a few other coins that might have slipped in. The exhibit is the outcome of the 17^th annual Penny Harvest hosted by the nonprofit organization Common Cents. Their national education program is designed to teach children about their contributions to society, and after the first of the year, the money will be donated to charitable organizations of the children's choice.

Help Others While Helping Yourself

During my morning hunt for good antiques news, I stumbled upon a great article about Shopgoodwill.com. If you are in the market to purchase antique furniture, antique bottles, or anything else that you feel has aged better with time, check out their site. It is the first and only nonprofit Internet auction site and it makes searching through the old bins and clothes racks seem obsolete. They have over 75 categories and subcategories consisting of more than 18,000 items from antiques and toys to one-of-a-kind collectible items, which they have pulled from the billions of pounds of donated goods they collect every year. Shopgoodwill.com also has many popular features including Personal Shopper, which will send bidders e-mail alerts when items they are looking for are posted, which sounds perfect for the busy holiday shopper. If you would like to see more details from within the original article, please click here, and remember to add your new finds into your collection on iTaggit!