‘I am your paw-ther’

Dogs dressed as Darth Vader and Yoda wait outside the San Diego Convention Center during the 2019 Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. This year is the convention’s 50th edition and will see some 135,000 cosplayers, bloggers, and fans come to see upcoming films, TV shows, and comic books. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Steve Jobs' pre-Apple job application could fetch $50,000 at auction

LOS ANGELES - A job application filled out by Steve Jobs more than four decades ago that reflects the Apple founder's aspirations to work in technology and design will go up for auction next month.

With an estimated value of about $50,000, the one-page application from 1973, complete with spelling and punctuation errors, lists his name as "Steven jobs" and address as "reed college," the Oregon college he attended briefly, Boston auction house RR Auction said on Thursday.

Under a section titled "Special Abilities," Jobs wrote "tech or design engineer. digital.—from Bay near Hewitt-Packard," a reference to pioneering California technology company Hewlett-Packard.

The document but does not state what position Jobs was applying for. Jobs and friend Steve Wozniak founded Apple about three years later. Jobs died of cancer in 2011 at the age of 56.

Though Jobs responded on the form that he had a driver's license, he said his access to transportation was "possible, but not probable." Next to "Phone:" he wrote "none."

The document will be part of a pop culture sale by RR Auction that will take place between March 8 and 15.

Two other Jobs items will appear in the same auction - a Mac OS X technical manual signed by Jobs in 2001, valued at $25,000, and a signed 2008 newspaper clipping, valued at $15,000, with a photo of Jobs and a headline that reads "New, faster iPhone will sell for $199."

The auction will also feature an original fingerprint card from Jimi Hendrix's 1969 arrest in Toronto on drug charges, signed by the late rock musician, which is valued at $15,000.

It will include a love letter from the late British singer Amy Winehouse to her husband Blake Fielder-Civil. In addition to the text, the one-page Winehouse letter features a sketch of a baby crocodile surrounded by hearts.

"Do nothing 'til you hear from me handsome, I need your arms around me so I can inhale, open my eyes, breathe my heart's breathe out," the letter reads, in part. It is valued at about $4,000.

Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning in London in 2011 at age of 27.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

'Let's Make a Deal' host Monty Hall dead at 96

Monty Hall, one of the most popular game show hosts in American television history as he presided over a throng of outrageously costumed and nearly delirious contestants on "Let's Make a Deal" for almost three decades, died on Saturday at age 96, his son said.

Richard Hall said his father died at home in Beverly Hills, California, likely of heart failure.


Members of his audiences, dressed as clowns, playing cards or giant tomatoes, would shriek "Monty, Monty, Monty!" as they tried to convince Hall to give them a chance to win a washing machine or a new Cadillac. Sometimes the prizes were a "zonk" - a gag gift such as a live donkey or a wrecked car.

Hall was the co-creator of "Let's Make a Deal" and hosted more than 4,000 episodes from 1963 to 1986 (with occasional hiatuses) and then again in 1990 and 1991. The show drew good ratings even as it jumped from network to network and into syndication.

"Let's Make a Deal" became a part of American pop culture, with Hall one of the most recognizable stars on TV.

Hall also produced other game shows, hosted variety shows and appeared as a guest star on television series. He was known for charity work for organizations including Variety Clubs International, which raised money for disadvantaged children.

"Many people know my father as an icon on TV but he was also a tireless supporter of charities that meant as much to him as his TV work," Richard Hall said by telephone from California.

He was born Monte Halperin on Aug. 25, 1921, in Winnipeg, the son of a slaughterhouse owner father and an actress mother. After working in radio in Canada, he came to the United States in 1955.

In the early 1960s, he was developing game shows and joined forces with TV veteran Stefan Hatos. They devised "Let's Make a Deal" in which Hall picked people from the audience to become contestants in sort of a trading game. Initially, audience members wore normal clothing but started wearing costumes and carrying funny signs to get Hall's attention.

Hall would offer contestants a modest prize, then give them a chance to trade it for a mystery prize hidden by a curtain, stashed in a big box or concealed behind door No. 1, door No. 2 or door No. 3. That prize might be worth thousands of dollars or might be a "zonk" like a farm animal. Audience members jumped up and down, shouted, cried and kissed Hall when they won, and sometimes even when they lost.

"In 4,700 shows, I got kissed 50,000 times," Hall said in an interview with a classic TV website. "Even when they lost, they were very nice about it. But you know the law in game shows - if you go on a show and you win a donkey, that's your prize. You're entitled to it."

The show's producers showed mercy on the "zonk" winners, however. After the taping of the show, they would be offered a substitute prize, such as a television, and most would take it.

"In 1 percent of the cases, they didn't," Hall said. "There was a time when a farmer won five calves and he wanted the calves. That cost me a fortune because when you rent them from the animal place, they're expensive."

Other members of the show's team were studio announcer Jay Stewart and model Carol Merrill, who displayed the prizes.

Hall made appearances on revivals of the show, including the version hosted by comedian Wayne Brady starting in 2009.

In 1991, the New York Times published an article about what became known as "the Monty Hall problem" - a probability puzzle hotly debated by mathematicians centering on the advisability of switching choices when given options like those on his show. The conundrum was featured in the 2008 film "21" with Kevin Spacey.

Hall was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1973.

In 1947, Hall married his wife, Marilyn, who became an Emmy Award-winning producer. Their three children include Tony Award-winning actress Joanna Gleason. (Reporting and writing by Will Dunham; Additional reporting by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Bill Trott)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

What to look forward to in Asia Pop

MANILA -- It is T-minus 1 by the time you read this. And this means that there’s one day to go ’til the much-awaited Asia Pop Comic Con, the biggest comic book and pop culture convention to hit these shores. And when that happens, some folks will be in Geek Heaven.

There are going to be a lot of activities but personally, here is what I am looking forward to this Asia Pop, which happens on September 17-20 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Thursday, September 17

Checking out all the comics, toys, and merchandise on sale!

Friday, September 18

The special screening of the new Lance Henriksen (who famously played Bishop in the Aliens films and ex-FBI agent Frank Black in the television series “Millennium”) film, "Harbinger Down," a film with alien-like beings that takes the actor back to his roots.

Meeting writer and artist David Mack whose Kabuki and Daredevil stories I read and collected.

Meeting artist David Yardin whose work on Image Comics’ “Aria” following our very own Jay Anacleto and Lan Medina on the wonderful series of magical stories.

Meeting American Cosplayer Monika Lee who did a great interpretation of Final Fantasy X’s Yuna and anime character, Sailor Mars.

Saturday, September 19

The cosplay event our very own goddess Alodia Gosiengfiao and Vampy Bit Me

The Comics Artists Panel with DC Comics’ Hank Kanalz who famously helped start Image Comics with Jim Lee, as well as Filipino superstar artists Mico Suayan, Stephen Segovia, and Carlo Pagulayan.

Check out the Marvel Special Panel on "Captain America: Civil War." I figure they will feature a new cut for the trailer.

In conversation with actor Paul Bettany, who played the android Vision in "Avengers: Age of Ultron"

The Cosplay Authority Global Challenge where the winner can take home up to US$10,000!

Sunday, September 20

The Comics Panel with Marvel Comics’ C.B. Cebulski and Filipino superstar artists Whilce Portacio and Leinil Yu, David Mack and David Yardin.

Checkpoint Movie Preview and Panel featuring former pro-wrestler Bill Goldberg

The Toy Panel featuring J’Ryu, Chris Ryniak, Amanda Spayd, and Simone Legno

The Cosplay Authority Global Challenge Awards Ceremony

Some toys worth checking out:

The Hot Toys Booth, powered by Filbar’s or Booth K#19, will delight action figures hobbyists with six Hot Toys 2015 Toy Fair Exclusives—the Iron Man Mark XXIV Tank, Iron Man Mark III (Stealth Mode Version), Maria Hill, Luke Skywalker (Stormtrooper Disguise Version), Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 1/6th scale First Order Stormtrooper Squad Leader, and Metal Gear’s Raiden (Inferno Armor Version).

There will be Lego and Star Wars booths as well!

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com