WATCHMEN: The Verdict

Sunday, March 8, 2009
Westwood Village,
The Village Theater
First screening of the day



WATCHMEN: The Verdict

"It is EPIC in length. It is Spectacular. It is Long. It is Violent. It is Magnificent. It is Grandiose. It is worth seeing. But set aside at least 4 to 5 hours and do not drink any liquids for at least an hour before the movie starts...There are scenes where you just want to scream, "This Movie Rocks" ! or "Cool!" or "Wow!" Other times you want to yawn and speed up the reel. In short, I liked it ! And I am glad it is over too. The moral of the story: The ends justify the means."

*** *** ***


(Photo source: Billboard at Barrington and Olympic Blvd, in West Los Angeles. Photo by Will Maguire. WATCHMEN™ is a trademark of it's proprietary rights owner).

You've seen nothing yet ! The bombardment of Advertising and Promotion for this Superhero Feature Film is just getting started. Just check out the Watchmen movie website from Warner Bros. (http://watchmenmovie.warnerbros.com/) with its Blade Runner-esque soundtrack. Wow !


(Graphic Film Credit Billing Block.gif above is: Copyright 2008 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved)

Also, see:

The Official Watchmen movie blog at:
http://rss.warnerbros.com/watchmen

and

the Facebook "Watchmen" Group at:
http://www.facebook.com/watchmen


The Watchmen Movie Trailer at:
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/watchmen

and

The Official Magazine of the San Diego Comic-Con at:
http://www.comic-con.org/common/cc_magazine.shtml


and

Entertainment Weekly Magazine, Feb. 27, 2009 Issue
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20213273,00.html



and

Comics Buyer's Guide, #1652, April 2009
http://www.cbgxtra.com/Default.aspx?tabid=42&qs=1&view=topic&forumid=24&postid=49421



The film, based on the graphic novel by Alan Moore, first published as a limited twelve issue comic book series in 1986 and 1987 by DC Comics (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watchmen), is being directed by the same director as the film "300", namely, Zack Snyder.

The plot brings to mind a theme I've stressed for many years:

"Super Heroes Need Protection Too !"
http://www.trademarkesq.com/pages/article2.html

Therein lies the coincidence but also the extent of any substantive similarity. The super hero as intellectual property does indeed require the thought and care of a competent intellectual property attorney. As for the film and its fictional super hero team, the Watchmen, we will all just have to wait and watch...

If you are a creator of super heroes or the like, we invite you to take a look at our website which features ARTICLES of interest, including, of course, our flagpole article, "Super Heroes Need Protection Too !"

Remember: "Protect What's Yours !"

TrademarkEsq is here for you !
http://www.TrademarkEsq.com

"ZAP! POW! BAM!" at the Skirball Center: The Verdict !

The photo below shows the artwork at the entrance to the ZAP! POW! BAM! Comic Book Exhibit:


This next photo shows some newspaper headlines from the same Exhibit:


Some Explanatory Text re the Heralded "Golden Age" of Comics:


A close-up of some very creative display dividers at said Exhibit:


The undersigned shadowed by the Dick Tracy Exhibit at the Skirball's companion exhibit featuring Superheroes in Film:


The Verdict: "WOW!... ZAP! BAM! POW! Go See This Show NOW!"

Updated, Sat., March 7, 2009

So there I was listening to Jerry Robinson, the creator of THE JOKER (as in the Batman comic book series) chat with Mark Evanier the other nite, Thursday, March 6th, at the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.... and in response to a question from the audience, Jerry says that in deciding on the Joker as the protagonist-villain as counterpoint to Batman, that "Names are so Important in Comics"! Well, that is Divine Reassurance for any trademark attorney, to be sure. Comic book character names are so important in comics. And the guy who created THE JOKER said it ! Helloooooo ! Thank you !

And that is EXACTLY why registering your character names as trademarks is so important, if possible ! I rest my case.


(Source: Skirball.org)


(Source: Skirball.org)


Dateline: Feb. 19, 2009 through August 9, 2009.

Venue: Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, Calif.

What: "ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938 - 1950"


(Source: Skirball.org)

Web Link: http://www.skirball.org/index.php?option=com_ccevents&scope=exbt&task=detail&oid=34&ccmenu=v2hhdcdzie9u

Among the Super Heroes featured are Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman in this exhibit which "showcases work by the Jewish artists and writers who created heroic comic book characters during the late 1930s and '40s." (Westways Magazine, March/April 2009, page 52).


(Source: Skirball.org)

Additionally, there is a companion exhibit produced by the Skirball Center itself called, "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superheroes of Film and Television!, curated by Ms. Erin Clancey (Palisadian-Post, Feb. 26, 2009, page 11).
http://www.palisadespost.com/content/index.cfm?Story_ID=4679

Per the Skirball Center's website, "Lights, Camera, Action examines the close relationship and parallel development of the comic book and motion picture industries. Objects on view include the original 1966 Batcycle from the Batman television series on loan from the Petersen Automotive Museum, along with vintage movie posters on loan from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, original comic books on loan from the University of California, Riverside, and movie and television memorabilia."


(Pictured above: Batcycle • Collection of Margie and Robert E. Petersen)

This exhibit is said to include vintage posters and movie costumes from such films as the 1978 Superman movie starring Christopher Reeve, as well as Michael Keaton's Batman costume. No additional admission fee is charged for this exhibit. More bang for your buck! Tickets are $10 for adults, $7 for seniors and students, and $5 for children 2 - 12. For more information, call 310.440.4564 or on check it out on the web at www.skirball.org

Finally, for the comic book afficionado, you may want to calendar attending the chat session at the Skirball on Thursday, March 5th at 8 pm when Golden Age Artist Jerry Robinson will discuss "The Golden Age of Comic Books". This should be a real treat because Robinson is credited with creating Batman's most famous adversary, The Joker, as well as naming Batman's protege, Robin the Boy Wonder.

If you are not yet enticed to see this exhibit, check out the following copy of Jerry Robinson's original sketch from 1940 of The Joker. Note the red shading of the Joker's lips to illustrate the character's makeup.


(Source: Palisadespost.com; From the Collection of Jerry Robinson).

Zap! Bam! Pow!... and get yourself to this show !

And don't forget that "Superheroes Need Protection Too!" http://www.trademarkesq.com/pages/article2.html

For that, TrademarkEsq is here for you !

**********************************************

WHY I LOVE CHICAGO !

(Painting & Source: "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" by Georges Seurat;
http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Impressionist/pages/IMP_7.shtml)
*** The original painting is on display as part of the permanent collection at the Art Institute of Chicago ***

Let me name the reasons:

•The Fugitive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fugitive_(1993_film)
•The Blue Brothers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blues_Brothers_(film)

•Second City
http://www.secondcity.com
•Navy Pier
http://www.navypier.com/visit_us/directions.html
•Chicago Blues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_blues
•Muddy Waters
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muddy_Waters
•Buddy Guy's Legends
http://buddyguys.com

•Billy Goat Tavern
http://www.billygoattavern.com


•Lake Michigan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan
•The University of Chicago
http://www.uchicago.edu
•Museum of Science and Industry
http://www.msichicago.org

•Deep Dish Pizza
http://chicago.citysearch.com/bestof/winners/pizza
•Ed Debevic's (the original)
http://www.eddebevics.com
•Carson's Ribs
http://www.ribs.com
•Scoozi !
http://www.leye.com/restaurants/directory/scoozi
•Taylor Street
http://www.ristorante.net/taylor.htm
•Tufano's Vernon Park Tap
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tufanos-vernon-park-tap-chicago
*** note: Call in advance to see if they will be serving the "Eggplant Parmesan"... it is to die for ! Trust me !
•Spinach Pizza at Bacino's http://www.bacinos.com/

•Rush Street
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rush_Street_(Chicago)
•Oak St. Beach
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Street_Beach
•Grant Park
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Park_(Chicago)

... and besides my nephew's name is Grant !

Soldier Field, e.g., "Da Bears !"...


•Stunning Architecture
http://architecture.about.com/od/usa/p/chicago.htm





•The Art Institute of Chicago
http://www.artic.edu

*** including the World Famous and Utterly Remarkable Postimpressionist Painting by Georges Seurat, namely, "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte" http://www.artic.edu/artaccess/AA_Impressionist/pages/IMP_7.shtml

•Sculpture

(An Untitled Sculpture by Pablo Picasso)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_Picasso

•The Chagall Wall
http://www.worldofstock.com/closeups/AAB1217.php

•The Shedd Aquarium


•Will Maguire with "Man With Fish"

(Photo by Gary Borquez, Esq., CEO, Wheelhouse Legal Search,
Photo taken in May, 2007 during Annual Meeting of Intl. Trademark Assn.)

•The Standard Club
http://www.stclub.org
•Printer's Row
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Printer%27s_Row,_Chicago

•The Cubs and Wrigley Field
http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com
•The Bulls Run of 1990-91 to the NBA Championship
•The Last Season at Comiskey Park, Summer 1990:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiskey_Park

•Michigan Avenue
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michigan_Avenue_(Chicago)
•Marshall Field's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_Field's
•The Sears Tower
http://www.searstower.com

and, of course, my alma mater, The John Marshall Law School, where I earned my LL.M (Masters of Law) degree in Intellectual Property in June of 1991. http://www.jmls.edu

If you've never been to Chicago, GO !


***** ***** ***** ***** *****