At the August 2017 Wizard World in Chicago, veteran comic artist and storytelling legend Mike Grell will be inducted into the Wizard World Hall of Legends.

When I heard of the hall, I wondered why it wasn't called the more traditional "Hall of Fame." But after speaking with Mike on some of the touchstones of his career that led to this induction, I have to admit that "Legends" is exactly the right word. We think our readers will agree after they've hear the same stories.

In an interview too big for one publication, Critical Blast is proud to bring you the first of a three-part interview with Mike Grell.

To encourage Americans to get outside for the 2017 solar eclipse, Hipcamp —a startup that creates new campsites by unlocking access to beautiful private lands such as nature preserves, farms, and ranches—is sharing 5 essential eclipse facts and 789 places to camp in the path of totality.

Saw a headline on Hollywood Reporter this morning reporting a NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS sequel coming in 2018.  But, I opened it up to find out that this sequel is a graphic novel coming from TokyoPop, not a new movie.

It's taken almost 25 years, but Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas is finally going to get a sequel — but it won't be happening on screen.

(WATCH UNTIL THE VERY END!)

What did we talk about on Critical Blast this week?

Game Jab
 

On July 21, Disney debuted the long-awaited DESCENDANTS 2 on pretty much every channel Disney owns. You had your choice of watching it on Disney Channel (with limited commercials, unlike the other channels), Disney XD, Freeform, ABC, Lifetime, and Lifetime Movies.   

The Mystery Inc gang is back in another hair-raising (or hair-popping-off) adventure. Set in the wonderfully self-referential world of LEGO, SCOOBY-DOO: BLOWOUT BEACH BASH finds the gang trying to take a break from mystery solving, with Fred and Velma trying to overcome their square personas after Daphne and Shaggy have teased them about being unable to have fun. Their quest leads them to a beach celebration, where the two coolest teens are crowned "Captains of the Bash" for having led the other teens in having the most fun. It's a musical adventure straight out of a Frankie Avalon / Annette Funicello flick.

Unfortunately, the boardwalk is finding itself under attack by a pair of ghost pirates from the past, which isn't good for business for either the greedy land developer who's buying up the boardwalk, or for Mr. and Mrs. Holdout who run the Holdout Inn and refuse to sell it. Think you know who the mystery bad guy is already? You'll have to think again.

ATOMIC BLONDE is a stylish retro romp through the world of Cold War cloak and dagger. It’s also a strong debut by director David Leitch, though the tangled web they weave in trying to deceive the audience is ever so slightly overwrought. Then again, it’s bloody lightyears better than that Aston-Martin car wreck that was the last James Bond film, SPECTRE.

Cookies are for Closers -- and so is this lunchbox and Blu-ray set for DreamWorks Animation's THE BOSS BABY, starring the voice of Alec Baldwin.

Designed to look like a briefcase, this metal lunchbox is just the thing to give your midday meal both a modern and retro touch.

DreamWorks Animation presents the fun-filled, feel-good comedy of the year, THE BOSS BABY! Seven-year-old Tim Templeton suddenly finds his share of parental love plummeting when his new baby brother (Alec Baldwin) arrives -- wearing a suit and toting a briefcase -- and makes it clear to everyone that he's in charge. But when Tim discovers that Boss Baby is on a secret mission, he reluctantly agrees to team up with his pint-sized sibling for an epic adventure that might just change the world!

Every so often, and far too infrequently, the world produces an actress with a face like Michele Martin's -- attractive yet versatile, able to portray just about anybody in any genre. And Michele has done just that, with performances ranging from Shakespeare on the stage to co-starring in horror/thrillers like COFFIN 2, not to mention her copious writing credits.

Michele will shortly be portraying Natalie Wood as the lead in the premiere of AVALON at the Edinburgh Fringe, opposite Sean Cronin (FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM) as King Arthur. (The two meet each other as ghosts in the titular Avalon, between Heaven and Earth. Guinevere is going to be so jealous!) But before she hits the boards there, she sat down with us to talk a little bit about some of her upcoming projects -- one of which premieres on an entirely new digital platform!

Welcome back to Critical Blast’s weekly look at what new comics you should check out each week.   Just a warning, I make these picks pretty much a week BEFORE I actually get to read any of these comics, so if something is a stinker, I take no blame on that.  Let's get to it!

Comics shipping this week

Zach and Kevin travel down memory lane as they share funny and memorable stories of each other on the show. Do you have a best friend or person in your life with a funny or memorable story you would like to share? 

Yeah we want to hear it Boo! 

Are you an aspiring musician? An upcoming Youtuber? Have a Podcast waiting to start? Well whatever the case may be, the boys at Game Jab have got your back once again with a brand new giveaway. You need a free mic? Well, we’ve got a free mic. We are giving away to one lucky winner a FREE CAD U37 USB Studio Condenser Recording Microphone brand new and ready to be used.

You wanna win it, don’t you? You want that mic so bad that you can almost feel it. Well look no further because we’ve got the scoop on all you need to know on how to enter the giveaway to obtain this fine beauty. Use the RaffleCopter form below where you can easily get in it to win it, and find out ways to better your chances. The whole thing is easy as 1 2 3!

We’ll be there, and you know we’ll be waiting for you. See you at the finish line Boo!

GHOST IN THE SHELL (available July 25 on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD) tells the story of a special anti-cybercrime unit identified as Section 9 whose job it is protect the citizens of the world in the future of 2029, where the gap between human and cyborg has blurred to the point that almost every human has some form of cyber enhancement. Section 9’s leader, “Major” (Scarlet Johansson), is the ultimate expression of human/cyborg integration, where the only part of her that is still human is her brain. After being told she was rescued from a near death experience, her mind was put in a totally cyber body--the first of her kind, she is told. As she and her team are investigating a dangerous criminal who is killing top executives of a major cyber technology company, Major discovers a shocking truth about her identity and past life, and seeks to exact revenge against the company that created and tried to control her.

One might say that writer W. Bruce Cameron has gone to the dogs -- and the author probably couldn't be happier. The writer of several best-selling novels such as 8 SIMPLE RULES FOR DATING MY TEENAGE DAUGHTER and A DOG'S PURPOSE has recently released a new touching novel about canines and the people they care about with A DOG'S JOURNEY.

We were fortunate to have a few moments to sit down with Cameron to discuss the titles he writes, the movies that have been made, and even some of the unexpected controversy thrown his way.

1. Looking at your title history, things seem to fall into either of two categories: "Dads" and "Dogs." What's the connection there?

Well, you know, if you're the father to some children, and you're the father to some dogs, there's a very clear emotional connection between the two.

In this fun new rhyming picture book, Walter and the Wallet by Billy Bloom (illustrated by Tanya Leonello), 9-year-old Walter Collingsworth is having an awful day – until he finds a wallet on the ground, filled with cash. Walter’s day goes from gloomy to great when he starts picturing all the fun things he could buy with his new money. But when he overhears a devastated old man who is the wallet’s rightful owner, will Walter keep the cash or turn it in?

"In the latest season of The CW's hit show, the 100 are still fighting for survival after suffering devastating hardships that have almost completely torn them apart. The fight has taken countless lives and set Earth's survivors against each other, but can this group of heroes protect each other from the most dangerous threat yet? Join members of Skaikru as they work to save the human race when Warner Bros. Home Entertainment (WBHE) releases the exhilarating The 100: The Complete Fourth Season on DVD on July 18, 2017. The 100: The Complete Fourth Season will feature all 13 episodes and will be available to own on July 18, 2017 for $24.98 SRP."