A $1.5m Superman comic book

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Rare comic of Superman debut fetches $1.5 millionBy the CNN Wire Staff
March 30, 2010 7:41 p.m. EDT

 (CNN) -- The comic debut of Superman has sold for an out-of-this-world price.
 

The copy of Action Comics No. 1 from 1938, which features the first appearance of the "Man of Steel" was bought by an undisclosed buyer for a record $1.5 million Monday on the online auction site ComicConnect.com.
 

"This is the Holy Grail of Holy Grails," said Vincent Zurzolo, co-owner of the Web site.
 

A copy of the same issue sold for $1 million in February, but this one fetched a higher price because it is in better condition. It was stored inside a movie magazine for the past 50 years, Zurzolo said.
 

"The book looks like it just came off the presses yesterday," said Zurzolo. "The colors are extremely vivid, the whites behind the 'Action Comics' logo are snow white. It's just a stunning copy -- it almost looks brand new."
 

The sale of the Superman book marks the third time this year that a record was set for the sale of a comic book. The other copy of "Action Comics" No. 1 held onto its record for only three days before a comic book featuring Batman's debut sold for $75,000 more at an auction in Dallas, Texas.
 

It's widely believed that there are 50 to 100 copies of Action Comics No. 1 floating around, which makes it exceedingly rare. However, the copy sold Monday has received the highest rating to date from the Certified Guaranty Company, an independent comic grading company in Sarasota, Florida. The company inspects comic books for imperfections, ranging from yellowing to slight creases.
 

J.C. Vaughn, the associate publisher of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide, an annual publication considered the authority on comic book pricing, said the Action Comic No. 1 book sold Monday is worth every penny.
 

"The older any comic book gets, obviously the more unlikely you'll find it with a high rating," said Vaughn. "A book this old, featuring Superman's first appearance? I think this book warrants the price."
Back in 1938, there were 200,000 of these first editions printed and 130,000 sold, said Vaughn. The 70,000 other copies were destroyed.
 

Zurzolo said it could be a while before another comic book sets a new mark, because only a few other comics have this type of value.
 

"You will see a lot of very high-priced comic books selling in the next few years," he said. "But until these books hit the market again I don't think you'll see the same exact type of numbers in the near future."
 

ComicConnect wouldn't reveal the buyer of the $1.5 million Superman book.
 

"Our buyer, much like most of the superheroes out there, has a secret identity and would rather remain that way," Zurzolo said.
 

However, he added that the customer has a tremendous passion for superhero comic books and is especially fond of Superman.
 

"Superman was the first superhero," said Zurzolo. "Without Superman there would be no Batman, Spider Man, Wolverine, Wonder Woman -- they all came about because of the immense success of Action Comics and the first appearance of Superman."
 

Alex Rae, the back issue buyer for Midtown Comics, one of the nation's largest comic book dealers located in New York, said if he had his choice of any comic book in the world, it would be the one just purchased.
 

"It revolutionized the comic book industry," he said.

From CNN.com; see the source article here.

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Popeye coming back - in 3D

Cover of Popeye

'Popeye' to hit the big screen in 3D
Posted: 24 March 2010 0339 hrs

LOS ANGELES - Popeye's famously massive forearms will bulge larger than ever when the squinty-eyed sailor makes his return to the big screen in 3D, industry media reported Tuesday.

Variety magazine reported that a deal has been reached to release a new animated movie starring the flinty seaman, his longtime love interest Olive Oyl, nemesis Bluto and adopted child Swee'Pea.

No date has been announced for the movie's release.

The film will be made by Sony Pictures Animation with its ImageWorks division handling the computer graphics.

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Cartoon characters Popeye (L) and his partner Olive Oil are pictured at Universal Studios.

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"As one of the earliest animated characters... Popeye has become one of the most enduring and iconic cartoon characters of all time and indelibly linked to the evolution of animation," said Hannah Minghella, president of production for Sony Pictures Animation.

Popeye was last seen on the big screen in 1980 when comedian Robin Williams starred in a live-action version directed by Robert Altman.

Created by E.C. Segar, the animated character Popeye first appeared in the already established "Thimble Theater" comic strip in 1929.

Introduced as a walk-on character, Popeye eventually became the strip's star.

In each episode of the cartoon, the iconic sailor invariably succeeds in getting himself or his associates out of a jam, but only after consuming a can of spinach, which has the effect of magically giving him Herculean strength.

- AFP /ls

From ChannelNewsAsia.com; see the source article here.

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Philippines: A rare mule-footed hog

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Rare pig with solid, non-cloven hooves found in Nueva Vizcaya
FLORO TAGUINOD, GMANews.TV
03/09/2010 06:53 PM


BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya - A rare pig with mule-like hooves is being raised in a farm in this landlocked province.


The mulefoot is the rarest of American swine breeds because of its distinctive solid hooves.


An article from the American Mulefoot Pig Association & Registry has confirmed that the pig is unusual.

Mulefoots are a breed of domestic pig which is named for its solid, non-cloven hooves.

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Shown is a mulefoot hog raised by William Ongto Jr. in Bagabag, Nueva Vizcaya. The breed is known for its distinctive solid hooves Floro Taguinod, GMANews.TV

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These pigs are typically black, on rare occasions having white spots, and reach a weight of 400-600 pounds by the age of two years.

These hogs likely originated with those brought by the Spanish to the Gulf Coast.

Articles from the internet show that the said hog breed flourished during the early half of the century, but by 1985, it was said that only one herd of mulefoot hogs has remained and these belong to a hog raiser from Louisiana, Missouri.

Mulefoot hogs are considered by the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy to be critically rare, as there are now fewer than 150 documented purebred hogs of this specie in existence.

William Ongto, a wild hog raiser from Bagabag town and the owner of the said mulefoot, said it was a gift from a friend who lives in the mountains of Nueva Vizcaya.

In the meantime, provincial veterinarian Crisanto Seraspi confirmed that the mulefoot pig being raised by Ongto is definitely one of a kind.

Theres no question about it, Mr. Ongto is in possession of a very, very rare hog specie," he told GMANews.TV. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV

From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.

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Ancient ships discovered at sea bottom

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Centuries-old shipwrecks discovered in Baltic Sea
09-March-2010 11:31 PM


STOCKHOLM - A dozen centuries-old shipwrecks some of them unusually well-preserved have been found in the Baltic Sea by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany.


The oldest wreck probably dates back to medieval times and could be up to 800 years old, while the others are likely from the 17th to 19th centuries, Peter Norman of Sweden's National Heritage Board said Tuesday.


"They could be interesting, but we have only seen pictures of their exterior. Many of them are considered to be fully intact. They look very well-preserved," Norman told The Associated Press.


Thousands of wrecks from medieval ships to warships sunk during the world wars of the 20th century have been found in the Baltic Sea, which doesn't have the ship worm that destroys wooden wrecks in saltier oceans.


The latest discovery was made during a search of the seabed east of the Swedish island of Gotland by the Nord Stream consortium, which is building a 750-mile (1,200-kilometer) pipeline in the Baltic Sea.


The 12 wrecks were found in a 30-mile-long and 2-mile-wide (48-kilometer-long and 1.2 kilometer-wide) corridor, Nord Stream spokeswoman Tora Leifland Holmstrom said.


The heritage board said three of the wrecks have intact hulls and are lying upside-down at a depth of 430 feet (130 meters).


Swedish marine archaeology experts analyzed pictures of the wrecks and determined that they could be of a high historic value.


"The content can tell us a lot about everyday life during that time," Norman said.


It's unclear whether any of them will be salvaged but the board said it hopes they will be explored by divers though Norman added many of them are at a depth that would require very advanced and costly diving operations.


The Nord Stream consortium, which plans to start construction in April, has promised to make sure its activities don't damage the wrecks. The area where they were found is in Sweden's economic zone, but not in the planned route of the pipeline, Leifland Holmstrom said.


The Nord Stream project, in which Russia's OAO Gazprom holds a 51 percent stake, has uncovered scores of other objects during seabed searches of the route, including about 80 sea mines and a washing machine, she said.


Last year, parts of a 300-year-old ship were salvaged from Germany's Bay of Greifswald to clear a path for the pipeline, which expects to carry some 1.9 trillion cubic feet (55 billion cubic meters) of natural gas a year.


Sweden's most famous maritime discovery, the royal warship Vasa, is housed in a popular museum in Stockholm where visitors can admire the ship's details, down to the flashing teeth of the carved lions that adorn its elaborate exterior. The Vasa was raised from the Stockholm harbor in 1961, 333 years after it sank on its maiden voyage. - AP




From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.
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Sentosa Theme Park: come visit Singapore!

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Sentosa Theme Park opens March 18
Posted: 05 March 2010 1213 hrs




SINGAPORE: Resorts World Sentosa will open the gates of the Universal Studios Singapore theme park on March 18 at 8.28am.


Ticket sales for the soft opening phase will begin at 9 am on March 10 and on March 13, the park's first guests will be team members of Resorts World Sentosa, who will be the first to enjoy Universal Studios Singapore with their families.


As it's still during the theme park's preview phase, there will be limited tickets and certain attractions may be temporarily unavailable as Universal Studios Singapore continues its technical and creative adjustments.


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The world's first Far Far Away Castle, located in Universal Studios Singapore (©2009 Resorts World Sentosa)
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A news release from Resorts World Sentosa said ticket prices will therefore be partially rebated by shopping and dining vouchers valid for use at Universal Studios Singapore.


Mr Tom Williams, Chairman and CEO, Universal Parks & Resorts, said: "We are thrilled to be taking the next step toward a grand opening, and we are excited that, at Universal Studios Singapore, guests from throughout the region will get to experience the excitement and adventure our parks are so well known for around the world."


Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay, Executive Chairman of Resorts World Sentosa, added, "we are excited to be gearing up to take our first guests on the rides, which are naturally the highlight of the park. This is the region's only Universal Studios theme park, and it will be a tourism crown jewel for not just Singapore, but Asia as a whole."


Tickets for the preview phase must be purchased online at www.rwsentosa.com, or via phone bookings at +65 6577 8899.


Tickets can also be purchased for future dates only at the ticket booths from 9am to 6pm daily at Universal Studios Singapore.


- CNA




From Channelnewasia.com; see the source article here.
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