Chris Martin's Wink-Wink Warning After Kiss Cam CHAOS
TV legend Malcolm-Jamal Warner has tragically drowned at age 54 while vacationing in Costa Rica. The beloved Cosby Show star was reportedly swept away by powerful ocean currents. Despite efforts by emergency responders, he could not be revived. His sudden passing has left fans and celebrities heartbroken. Tributes have flooded social media from Beyoncé, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jennifer Hudson, and Questlove. Ross remembered him as her 'first TV husband,' while Questlove praised him as a 'GPS for Black teens.' From his breakout sitcom role to becoming a generational icon, Warner's impact on pop culture and Black excellence remains unforgettable.
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First Post
7 hours ago
- First Post
George Lucas tells Comic-Con crowd his new museum will be 'a temple to the people's art'
The museum designed by Ma Yansong resembles a giant space cruiser, and at 300,000 square feet it's about the size of an average IKEA store read more George Lucas finally came to the stage at Comic-Con Sunday to an ovation from thousands, some holding light sabers in the air, with soaring 'Star Wars' music filling the room. The 81-year-old, appearing for the first time at San Diego's pop cultural extravaganza, looked decidedly earthbound in his jeans and flannel shirt, and a bit embarrassed by the attention. The quiet, thoughtful discussion that followed about the art museum he's building stood in contrast to the sci-fi and superhero bombast that came from Comic-Con's huge Hall H in the previous three days of the convention. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD He's quietly passionate, though, about the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, co-founded with his wife, businesswoman Mellody Hobson. Long in the works, the project was first announced in 2017 and is set to open its doors in Los Angeles' Exposition Park next year. 'This is sort of a temple to the people's art,' Lucas told the crowd. The museum designed by Ma Yansong resembles a giant space cruiser, and at 300,000 square feet it's about the size of an average IKEA store. 'Star Wars' art and artifacts will be well-represented as shown in an introductory video narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. But Lucas' focus on the comic art and populist paintings are just as central to its aims. He's is one of the main collectors of the paintings of Norman Rockwell and Maxfield Parrish, and Hobson has made a specialty of collecting the work of Black painters including Norman Lewis and Kara Walker. The panel discussion also included director Guillermo del Toro and production designer Doug Chiang, who has worked on Star Wars films since the Lucas-directed 'Star Wars' prequels in the 1990s. Rapper, singer and actor Queen Latifah, a friend of Lucas and Hobson who called herself a 'sci-fi nerd,' served as moderator and chief energizer of the panel. 'Are y'all pumped up for this museum now or what?' she shouted to the crowd at the end. The project began in part just to have a place for everything Lucas has collected since he was in college in the 1960s, when he learned original drawings from comic books and comic strips were surprisingly affordable. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'I could get an 'Alley-Oop' for $30,' Lucas said. 'I've been collecting narrative art ever since.' He owns the first drawing of Flash Gordon, original panels of 'Peanuts' comic strips complete with notes from artist Charles Schulz, and early drawings of Iron Man and Black Panther, along with original artwork for political cartoons and alternative comics. He would later move on to paintings and art from films, after the 'Star Wars' money began pouring in. 'What am I going to do with it all?' Lucas said. 'I refuse to sell it. I could never do that.' Del Toro, himself a famous hoarder of pop culture artifacts and a museum board member, said the Los Angeles wildfires earlier this year came 'frighteningly close' to the collection he keeps at home. 'Now that the museum exists, a lot of it may go there,' Del Toro said. He emphasized throughout the panel the political importance of comics since their beginnings. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Comics were the first one to punch Nazis,' Del Toro said. 'Before movies.' While unusual for the big room, the discussion was very close to the kind of talks that have constantly happened in the less flashy corners of Comic-Con for more than 50 years. Lucas is easily on the Mount Rushmore of figures whose work has had the greatest inspiration on the kind of films and other pop cultural celebrated annually in Hall H. But the convention wasn't a common showcase for blockbuster films when he was directing them himself. And he sold 'Star Wars' and Lucasfilm to The Walt Disney Co. in 2012. The Lucas museum's 11-acre campus sits right next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and near several other major museums and the University of Southern California. An exact date for its opening has not been announced.
Hindustan Times
19 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
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Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps is not just another superhero film. It is a second shot at a franchise that has never quite worked on screen. As The Conversation points out, every past Fantastic Four movie - from the early 2000s to the 2015 misfire - has been labeled a flop. Fans are hoping this time will be different. In comics, though, the Fantastic Four have always been a big deal. Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps aspires to redefine the franchise's legacy.( (Marvel/Disney via AP)) When Stan Lee and Jack Kirby introduced them in 1961, they ripped up the old superhero playbook. There were no masks. No secret lairs. Reed Richards, Sue Storm, Johnny Storm, and Ben Grimm were public figures, squabbling like any real family while saving the world. Marvel superheroes leading normal lives These were not just action comics; they broke social ground. Reed and Sue exchanged vows in 1965 - the first superhero wedding. In 1968, Sue gave birth to Franklin Richards, making her the first pregnant superhero mom. The Fantastic Four also introduced the Black Panther in 1966's issue #52 - a historic first for a major Black superhero. And while it was not made official until decades later, scholars believe Ben Grimm was always meant to be Jewish, adding another layer of representation. Also read: Fantastic Four: First Steps' mid-credits scene was shot by Avengers' Russo brothers, says director Matt Shakman The Fantastic Four did not just redefine heroes; they built the Marvel universe itself. Spider-Man's debut in 1963 featured the team right on the cover of Amazing Spider-Man #1, a move that boosted both characters. By 1965, Reed and Sue's wedding turned into a wild crossover with 19 superheroes and 28 villains crammed into one issue. Stan Lee and Jack Kirby even appeared in the comic, blurring the line between fiction and reality. As comics historian Douglas Wolk has said, those first hundred issues are 'Marvel's Bible and manual,' reports The Conversation. Marvel's Phase Six and beyond Now, Fantastic Four: First Steps will launch Phase Six of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which will culminate in Avengers: Secret Wars in 2027. The film is not just a reboot - it is meant to carry the same spark that made the original comics so influential: heroes who are powerful, flawed, and deeply human. FAQs Who is Zac Efron playing in Fantastic Four? Marvel hasn't confirmed Zac Efron as part of the cast, and no official role has been announced for him. Who is playing the new Fantastic Four? The cast for Fantastic Four: First Steps includes Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, Pedro Pascal, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach. Is Fantastic Four from Marvel? Yes, the Fantastic Four are Marvel characters, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1961. When is the new Fantastic Four movie coming out? Marvel's Fantastic Four: First Steps was released on 25 July 2025.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Fame, racism, and the American dream — the complicated legacy of Hulk Hogan
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads One of Kazeem Famuyide's earliest memories is sitting on his father's lwatching Hulk Hogan wrestle in the 1988 Survivor love of Hogan in the ring became inextricable from what would become a lifelong obsession with the sport - including a yearlong role touring the country and writing scripts for WWE 's top talent."He was a superhero to a lot of people, including myself," said Famuyide, who is Black and now co-hosts the WWE-themed podcast "The Ringer Wrestling Show." He remembers Hogan telling audiences to "train, say your prayers and eat your vitamins," often in front of giant American for the 38-year-old Famuyide and other Black wrestling fans and sports commentators, Hogan's death this week at 71 has resurfaced an irreconcilable contradiction in the iconic wrestler's legacy: Hogan's undeniable role in broadening wrestling's appeal to fans of all backgrounds versus his well-documented racism."You never really got the feeling that Hulk Hogan truly felt remorse," Famuyide to Hogan's death reflect American divide on race "The Right Time" podcast host Bomani Jones noted there were two sharply different reactions to Hogan's death. Remembrances have split between those who see no need to harp on past controversies and those who struggle with his behavior that once got him banned from the WWE."This was never going to be one where people were going to mourn quietly," Jones death drew remembrances from politicians, celebrities and fans alike, celebrating his accolades. Many applauded how he was able to parlay his wrestling persona into movie appearances, brand deals, a reality television show and notable political Friday, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose fame arguably rivals Hogan's acclaim, paid tribute. Johnson, the son of pioneering wrestler Rocky Johnson, one of the WWE's first Black champions, said Hogan was a hero "to millions of little kids.""You may have 'passed the torch' to me," Johnson wrote under a 2002 video showing him and Hogan facing off at Wrestlemania."But you, my 'drew the house' meaning you sold out every arena and stadium across the country in your prime as Hulk Hogan, on your way of becoming the greatest of all time."Other notable Black professional wrestlers, from Booker T and Mark Henry, to Jacqueline Moore and Carlene "Jazz" Moore-Begnaud, have found success and fame in the just as many people took Hogan's death as an opportunity to recount Hogan's more controversial 2016, a Florida jury awarded Hogan over $115 million against Gawker Media, after Hogan sued them for posting a video of him having sex with his former best friend's wife. The litigation led to the discovery that Hogan had used racial slurs in 2007 to describe his daughter's Black ex-boyfriend."I am a racist, to a point," Hogan said, before adding the slur against Black people, according to a apologized at the time and called the language "unacceptable."Around the same time, some outlets reported that Hogan used the same slur on a recorded phone call with his enthusiastic endorsement of conservative political figures like longtime friend President Donald Trump made many people doubt the sincerity of that apology, Jones said."It's one thing to get caught on tape saying these things in private. It's another thing for you to decide publicly to align yourself with a cause that many Black people find antagonistic toward us," Jones wrestling has a history of reckoning on racist tropes For many Black wrestling enthusiasts, Hogan's death brings up familiar contradictions in how the sport deals with Swinton, 27, a freelance wrestling writer, first fell in love with the sport when she was 8. She describes wrestling as "the most nuanced and colorful" form of she feels representation has improved, Swinton remembers WWE use racist tropes in Black wrestlers' plot lines. Swinton recalls Shelton Benjamin having a "mammy," played by Thea Vidale, invoking a racist considers Benjamin one of the most talented wrestlers at the time, but feels he never got the recognition that his contemporaries did, in part because he was scripted to those roles."I kind of felt like I had to check my Blackness at the door," she hasn't tarnished sport for all Black fans For WWE enthusiast and sports journalist Master Tesfatsion, the mixed reactions to Hogan's death mirror fault lines that exist throughout the country, and highlight how central wrestling has become in pop up, Tesfatsion, who is Black, remembers watching Vince McMahon, the company's co-founder and former chairman, use a racial slur in a match with John Cena in 2005; or the storyline in 2004 when wrestler John Layfield chased Mexicans across the border."In some strange way, the WWE always had a pulse on where America stood," Tesfatsion said. "You cannot tell the history of America without all these issues, just like you cannot tell the history of the WWE without these issues."Tesfatsion was in the audience at Hogan's last appearance at a professional match in January. He was one of the many who booed Hogan. After decades of fandom, it was his first time seeing Hogan live."I never thought that I would see 'The Hulk' in person, and that I would resort to bullying him. But that's what his actions made me do."Still, Tesfatsion said he will never stop being a super fan."I still love America, I still love the WWE. It's an emotional contradiction that I choose to deal with because I still find value in it," he said.
