Conan Films on their way

Paradox Entertainment, the company which owns the stories and characters created by pulp author Robert E. Howard, including Conan, Kull, Bran Mak Morn and Solomon Kane, has announced it has sold the option for Conan movies to Millennium Films. Development has
started and discussions are underway for US and international distribution.

Conan has a long and proud history as novels, comics and film and Fredrik Malmberg, President & CEO of Paradox Entertainment feels the time's right for the Cimmerian's to return to the big screen. "Robert E. Howard's 'Conan' is undoubtedly one of the greatest fantasy characters in our time and with the right filmmaker this movie will be huge," he says. "We're very happy to be working with Millennium Films as they share our passion and are fasttracking the project."

Producers on the new Conan project are Malmberg and Avi Lerner, Boaz Davidson, Joe Gatta and George Furla, from Millennium Films, who's also producer on the upcoming Day of the Dead project and Red Sonja, the latter currently scheduled for release next year.

The studio is currently working on Righteous Kill (starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro), King of California (starring Michael Douglas) and John Rambo (starring Sylvester Stallone).

Paradox Entertainment has owned the rights to Conan since 2002 through its subsidiary Conan Properties International LLC, and acquired the rest of the Howard library in early 2006. Conan has been making a comeback the past couple of years in publishing, gaming and collectibles. (Conan's female counterpart, Red Sonja, is currently published by US publisher Dynamite Entertainment).

This autumn sees the release of the action-packed Age of Conan videogame (pictured above, top) and spring 2008 sees release of the massively multiplayer online game Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures from Funcom/Eidos (pictured right).

Robert E. Howard is considered by many to be the creator of the genre "Sword & Sorcery", perhaps most known through the character 'Conan.' Despite his short literary career - Howard died when he was just 30 - he wrote over 800 stories and poems.

His breakthrough came when being published in pulp magazines such as Weird Tales during the 1930s with stories set in such different surroundings as ancient Atlantis, the North African desert during the first World War, hidden opium dens in dark alleys of the city, and northern Britain during the invasion of the Roman legions.

Bear Alley Is (The) One

It hardly needs a plug from me here since if you are interested in the history of British comics you have probably already read it but, for those few of you who may not yet have succumbed to its charms, Steve Holland's Bear Alley blog is one year old. If you still aren't sure just why it is called Bear Alley then take a step back one year and look at Steve's very first post.

With its eclectic mix of articles, lists and comment on old comics, magazines, paperbacks and story books, it may not hit every one's mark every time but, even if it is about something you have never heard of, it never fails to impress. From photos of Tharg's futuristic spaceship to D C Thomson's century old HQ, from covers of Hot Dames On Cold Slabs to covers of The Water Babies, from the artists you knew of but didn't know about to the pseudonymous authors of text stories, there really must be something that will pique your curiosity.

Mind you since I guest on it from time to time I may not be the most objective person to talk about it, so why not head over and decide for yourself.

Hammer launches repro quad posters

HammerWeb, the official Hammer Films web site, has been updated today with information about the new range of official reproduction Quad posters which were launched last week. These comprise a set of 12 posters, released one a month, featuring digitally restored original UK quad poster artwork.

The Curse of Frankenstein is the first in the series in this, its 50th anniversary year. The posters are available from www.postersandstuff.co.uk for £19.99 each with free global postage. The official Hammer Shop will also be stocking them.

Full details are available through the Hammer site (the old website, which I helped design, continues to be updated ahead of a relaunch in the coming months).

For fans who are on the various social networking sites, Hammer now has launched profiles and discussion groups on Bebo (www.bebo.com/hammerhorrorfans) and Facebook (search for "Official Hammer Films") to accompany the myspace profile which has been operating for the last year.

Doctor Who Magazine Original Comic Art for sale

I'm selling four outstanding illustrations on ebay by top artist Gary Erskine (Knights of Pendragon etc) used to illustrate the short story "Pathfinders" published in Doctor Who Magazine #173 by Michael E.P. Stevens.

The illustrations are on two boards measuring over 29 x 40 centimetres, with two pictures comprising Tom Baker's Doctor outside the TARDIS and Romana (Lalla Ward) with K9 inside the TARDIS on the same board.

The boards include original artist notes in margins but could be cut to size to be mounted/framed individually.

• Click here for the auction item