I was skeptical about Johnny Depp as Tonto anyway...

[News]

News

[Stats]

Stats

[Chuck]

Does Cassaday do ANY research? Look at that bullet that the Ranger is holding out to us. Or should I say suppository because no bullet ever looked like that. Where's the cartridge?

And the horse on the other cover. The anatomy makes no sense. He gave the animal shoulders. It's almost like he didn't understand the photo he was tracing.

Sergio showed me one of Cassaday's covers once and I pointed out that the Ranger was riding what was obviously a carousel horse.

[R.B. Propst]

Sergio showed me one of Cassaday's covers once and I pointed out that the Ranger was riding what was obviously a carousel horse.

I bet it was this one:

[DanD66]

Does Cassaday do ANY research? Look at that bullet that the Ranger is holding out to us. Or should I say suppository because no bullet ever looked like that. Where's the cartridge?

And the horse on the other cover. The anatomy makes no sense. He gave the animal shoulders. It's almost like he didn't understand the photo he was tracing.

Sergio showed me one of Cassaday's covers once and I pointed out that the Ranger was riding what was obviously a carousel horse.

Yet another improvement Dynamite has made for v.2... Cassaday isn't doing the covers anymore!

[Captain_Marvel]

Francavilla is the MAN.

[Chuck]

Sergio showed me one of Cassaday's covers once and I pointed out that the Ranger was riding what was obviously a carousel horse.

I bet it was this one:

That's pretty bad but this one is even more egregious:



Look where the saddle is set. And the girth of the animal and length of its legs are less than half of what they should be.

[Chuck]

Francavilla is the MAN.

Indeed.  And one hell of a charming guy in person.

[R.B. Propst]

Francavilla is the MAN.

His run on Zorro was terrific.  And if you want a real treat track down his work on a series called The Black Coat.  It's about a Revolutionary War hero in a similar vein as Zorro.  Great stuff.

[Michael Hutchison]

Watch the recent Green Hornet film for a glimpse of what this will be like.  Not good.

The only idea like this I've ever seen work is Without a Clue

And Without a Clue only works because it is an unofficial comedy, and because lovers of authentic Sherlock Holmes have a dozen alternatives.

If they are making the first real attempt at a Lone Ranger film since that awful 70s one, then I want authentic Lone Ranger!!!  I don't want to see him without his mask, and I want Tonto to be his sidekick, and I even want Tonto to wrestle with English because it's not his native language.  (He doesn't have to say "Me do" like Jay Silverheels.)

The reason I disliked Lansdale's "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Break Up" was that it had land-pirates in covered wagon sailboats and an alien mummy.  After the recent "Three Musketeers with wire-fu on Zeppelins" fiasco and the "Jonah Hex" film that seemed to have the Joe Lansdale Hex as its only influence, I'm hoping that that someone involved with this new movie will have watched an episode or two of Clayton Moore and is using that as the guidewire.

[DanD66]

...I'm hoping that that someone involved with this new movie will have watched an episode or two of Clayton Moore and is using that as the guidewire.

If that were the case they wouldn't have hired either Johnny Depp or Gore Verbinski.

[Kevin Findley]

Francavilla is the MAN.

His run on Zorro was terrific.  And if you want a real treat track down his work on a series called The Black Coat.  It's about a Revolutionary War hero in a similar vein as Zorro.  Great stuff.

I'll second RB here.  The Black Coat is a great book.

[Chuck]

How to write a good Lone Ranger story:

1) Write a solid, entertaining, suspenseful action western.

2) Insert the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

[Scott McCullar]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/03/08/first-image-of-the-lone-ranger-and-tonto-as-played-by-armie-hammer-and-johnny-depp/

The first pic of the Ranger and Tonto has been posted.

Um, it looks pretty bad, at least on the Tonto end.  I'm not sure why he has a crow on his head.

While it's a bit jarring at first I could get used to the Ranger being in the black suit.  It seems a bit impractical in a fight but it does add a bit of style. 

I don't think this Lone Ranger's mask was cut from the cloth of his dead brother's black vest.

[DanD66]

How to write a good Lone Ranger story:

1) Write a solid, entertaining, suspenseful action western.

2) Insert the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

After two issues, that appears to be the template that Ande Parks is following. 

I'm still waiting for the Chuck (Don't call me Chick) Dixon issues, though!  Any word on when?

[Chuck]

How to write a good Lone Ranger story:

1) Write a solid, entertaining, suspenseful action western.

2) Insert the Lone Ranger and Tonto.

After two issues, that appears to be the template that Ande Parks is following. 

I'm still waiting for the Chuck (Don't call me Chick) Dixon issues, though!  Any word on when?

Plotlines approved and signing the contracts this week.

[DanD66]

I'm still waiting for the Chuck (Don't call me Chick) Dixon issues, though!  Any word on when?

Plotlines approved and signing the contracts this week.

[R.B. Propst]

http://www.bleedingcool.com/2012/04/13/johnny-depp-armie-hammer-lone-ranger-set-pictures/

Here're a couple more pictures from the set.  This Hammer guy looks pretty good as John Reid and the Ranger.  I'm still not sure about Depp's Tonto though (granted, the pic of him is with a set visitor but he's still in that terrible get up).

[Glen Davis]

http://screenrant.com/lone-ranger-images-johnny-depp-tongo-navajo-nation-kofi-165690/

I always wonder what goes on at these meetings, but something tells me I'm better off not knowing.

[R.B. Propst]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/johnny-depp-reveals-why-tonto-puts-bird-223317067.html

Johnny Depp explains how he came up with his his look for Tonto.  The face paint I get now.  But the reason for the "bird hat" is still stupid, especially since he misunderstood the source material.

[Mr. White]

I have less and less interest in this every time I see something about it.  Good to know this version will by "funny".  That seems to be the prevailing description.  Doesn't sound like the Lone Ranger to me.  I don't know what TV show he was watching, but the original Tonto was a dignified partner.  Which is far more than this Tonto looks to be.

[Hodge]

http://movies.yahoo.com/blogs/movie-talk/johnny-depp-reveals-why-tonto-puts-bird-223317067.html

Johnny Depp explains how he came up with his his look for Tonto.  The face paint I get now.  But the reason for the "bird hat" is still stupid, especially since he misunderstood the source material.

FFS - this almost sounds like the Brando situation in Superman where he was seeing how far he could push with daft concepts for Jor-El until Donner would put his foot down.

[DanD66]

More news:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17840014

After seeing the photos posted earlier, there is 0% chance I will ever see this movie, so the composer doesn't make any difference to me either way. 

[Andy]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

[Spratt Smith]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

I was just thinking this myself recently. Pirates of the Caribbean seems to have been the tipping point; everything after that it's like he decided to use his powers for evil instead of good. Or at least that most of his characters thereafter needed to be some living cartoon a la Jack Sparrow, the more garish the better.

[DanD66]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

I was just thinking this myself recently. Pirates of the Caribbean seems to have been the tipping point; everything after that it's like he decided to use his powers for evil instead of good. Or at least that most of his characters thereafter needed to be some living cartoon a la Jack Sparrow, the more garish the better.

He really is the modern day Brando, as Hodge suggested earlier.

[Sean Burnham]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

I was just thinking this myself recently. Pirates of the Caribbean seems to have been the tipping point; everything after that it's like he decided to use his powers for evil instead of good. Or at least that most of his characters thereafter needed to be some living cartoon a la Jack Sparrow, the more garish the better.

Actually if you look at it, not much has changed for Depp in terms of what he chooses. He always took projects he liked vs. the payday. Before Pirates most of those movies were not popular. His agents were sometimes worried about the films he chose because it was "hurting" his career. Films like Secret Window for instance I believe it made it's $40 million  budget back but only by a bit. He didn't have the options he does now. The major difference is he now has the options to take anything he likes. So really the only thing that has changed is with Pirates he tapped into that audience that will go to see what ever he is in crap or good. The 16 - 30 or so demographic.

[Spratt Smith]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

I was just thinking this myself recently. Pirates of the Caribbean seems to have been the tipping point; everything after that it's like he decided to use his powers for evil instead of good. Or at least that most of his characters thereafter needed to be some living cartoon a la Jack Sparrow, the more garish the better.

He really is the modern day Brando, as Hodge suggested earlier.

I have often speculated that Brando, the "Method" actor that he was, went legitimately insane so that he could convincingly play Colonel Kurtz, but he never recovered.

[DanD66]

I have often speculated that Brando, the "Method" actor that he was, went legitimately insane so that he could convincingly play Colonel Kurtz, but he never recovered.

That's brilliant!   

Maybe Brando took over Depp's mind after Don Juan DeMarco?  Kind of like what Curt Jurgens did to Alan Alda in The Mephisto Waltz!

[Spratt Smith]

I have often speculated that Brando, the "Method" actor that he was, went legitimately insane so that he could convincingly play Colonel Kurtz, but he never recovered.

That's brilliant!   

Maybe Brando took over Depp's mind after Don Juan DeMarco?  Kind of like what Curt Jurgens did to Alan Alda in The Mephisto Waltz!

Hmm, I dunno. As many indignities as he suffered his body through during his (first?) lifetime, I don't think Brando would have ever subjected himself to anything so wretched as Depp's Mad Hatter makeup.

[Chapel]

It's strange to think that I used to like Depp as an actor because he's rapidly become radioactive to me, his presence in a film ensuring that I avoid it as much as possible.

I was just thinking this myself recently. Pirates of the Caribbean seems to have been the tipping point; everything after that it's like he decided to use his powers for evil instead of good. Or at least that most of his characters thereafter needed to be some living cartoon a la Jack Sparrow, the more garish the better.

He really is the modern day Brando, as Hodge suggested earlier.

Brando did call him this generation's greatest actor.  And he IS right, it's just that the true greats do not handle success well.

And so spaketh Spr@t, everyone who worked on Apocalypse Now lost it after that.  Kids worth it though...

[shyguy]

Duvall never lost it