Thriller Jacket Fetches $1.8m

The jacket Michael Jackson wore in the classic Thriller video went for $1.8 million at auction. The winning bidder, a Texas commodities trader, alleged the jacket was to be sold with some of the proceeds going to help children's charities. Some of the $1.8m allegedly goes to a California animal reserve, where Michael Jackson's two Bengal tigers now live.

Michael Jackson is remembered by some as one of the first black performers to be shown on MTV. His Thriller album became, and remains, the best-selling album of all time. The long-play video premiere of Thriller was heavily promoted and was critically lauded. It was nominated for six MTV Video Music Awards and won three. Thriller was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 2009, the first music video to be included.

The glove Michael Jackson wore to the 1983 MTV Video Awards show also became iconic, and was also sold at the auction.

© C Harris Lynn, 2011

MarvelFest 2k9 - Union Square @ 6pm!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

The Marvel Comic-Con Costume Contest, 2009

Are you going to Comic-Con International in San Diego? Will you be dressed as your favorite Marvel character? Then get your friendly neighborhood, star-spangled, best-at-what-you-do self down to the Marvel Booth at Comic-Con for The Marvel Costume Contest taking place on Friday, July 24^th at 4:00 PM!

If you have the heroic (or villainous) qualities to participate in this exciting contest, make sure to be at the Marvel Booth (#2429) by 3:30 PM to register! All you need to do is wear a costume of your favorite Marvel character (but keep it family friendly!) and you could win the Grand Prize of a Marvel Omnibus signed by Stan Lee! All entrants may also be featured in a gallery on Marvel.Com! The winner will be determined by you, the fans, as you vote on who you want to be crowned this year’s winner!

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

Supes' Tights for Sale

Christopher Reeve as Superman

The Superman outfit Christopher Reeve wore in the Superman movie series is set to be auctioned-off the 24^th of this month (May, 2009) in Australia. A private collector is offering the suit in Melbourne, Australia. It is expected to fetch somewhere in the neighborhood of US$15,000, though bidding will start several thousand dollars lower.

The leotard was worn in the Superman II sequel, while the trunks and yellow belt were worn in the original Superman movie from 1978. The article also mentions the suit was worn in Superman III, though it did not specify which pieces.

Christopher Reeve portrayed Superman in four movies. He also appeared in two episodes of Smallville as Dr. Virgil Swann. Reeve, an outspoken and ardent proponent for stem cell research following his paralysis, died in 2004.

© C Harris Lynn, 2009

The Marvel SDCC Costume Contest

I know Marvel had another costume contest around Halloween because we covered it (I won't bother linking to it) and it was the "first annual," so I am not sure if this means they are switching the date or just adding this as a bit of fun for the Comic-Con schedule. Like there isn't enough to do at Comic-Con... Still, a lot of people were dressed-up at last year's event, from the coverage I saw on G4, so what have you go to lose? Whoever this is in the pic definitely has my vote.

This is from Marvel Comics:

Are you going to Comic-Con International in San Diego? Will you be dressed as your favorite Marvel character? Then get your friendly neighborhood, star-spangled, best-at-what-you-do self down to the Marvel Booth at Comic-Con for The Marvel Costume Contest!

On Saturday, July 26^th, make sure to be at the Marvel Booth (#2429) by 2:45 PM to participate in this exciting contest! All you need to do is wear a costume of your favorite Marvel character (but keep it family friendly!) and you could win the Grand Prize of a Marvel Omnibus signed by Stan Lee! All entrants may also be featured in a gallery on Marvel.Com! The winner will be determined by you, the fans, as you vote on who you want to be crowned this year’s winner!

So, True Believer, if you’re at Comic-Con International in San Diego, don’t miss the Marvel Costume Contest!

© C Harris Lynn, 2008

Judge Marvel's 1st-Annual Costume Contest!

We told you about Marvel Comics' 1^st Annual Halloween Costume Contest quite a while back. Well, now is the time for you to get your fingers to the keyboards and vote on your favorite! As you'll read in the following official Marvel press release, both voters and entrants can win! Good luck!

Hundreds of people entered Marvel’s First Annual Costume Contest and our elite panel of judges have selected the top 30 finalists — but it’s you that picks the winner! Head over to www.marvel.com/costumecontest and vote for your favorite entry… but do it soon, because voting ends October 29^th! The Marvel Costume Contest Winner will be announced on October 31 to make one lucky entrant’s Halloween perfect! They’ll win a personalized ‘handbook style’ page to appear in a Marvel comic book along with a signed Captain America Volume 1 Omnibus by Ed Brubaker!

But that’s not all True Believers! Everyone who votes is also entered in the Marvel Costume Contest Voter Sweepstakes to win their own signed Captain America Volume 1 Omnibus by Ed Brubaker! The winner will be randomly selected and be announced on October 31, Halloween.

So what are you waiting for Mighty Marvelite? Get voting now and you can be a winner too! Voting is open now at www.marvel.com/costumecontest till October 29^th!

Heroes' Costumes Bring Big Bucks

Costume auctions seem to be all the rage this year:

One of the Superman costumes worn by Christopher Reeve in the classic 1978 movie went for $115,000 in an auction held by memorabilia firm, Profiles in History. The Batman suit worn by Val Kilmer in the 1995 film, Batman Forever, went for an impressive $63,000. Wolverine's claws, worn by Hugh Jackman in X2: X-Men United, went for $40,250. But the main attraction was the latex Alien costume used in Ridley Scott's classic 1979 film. Bidding for it closed at a whopping $126,500!

In all, the auction raised around US$2 million and included other costumes, scripts, posters, and other Hollywood memorabilia.

04-07-07

Movie Costumes Bring Money

Yes, this happened yesterday and yes, I meant to blog about it then, but I didn't, so you may have already heard this by now, but a host of movie memorabilia - costuming, specifically - brought London-based costumers, Angels, millions. They held the auction to free-up space in their warehouse and lessen insurance costs.

Among the many prizes was the robe Sir Alec Guinness wore as Obi Wan Kinobi in the original Star Wars, which went for $104k. Dr. Who's multicolored scarf sold for about half that (over 12x more than originally expected!), Sir Sean Connery's dinner jacket from the movie, Thunderball, sold for just slightly more. The battered metal helmet worn by Terry Jones in Monty Python's The Holy Grail sold for a little over $20k.

Other lots included costumes from Braveheart, the Indiana Jones movies, other 007 flicks, the Harry Potter series, and Titanic. In all, the take was in the millions, though exactly how much was taken in is not known.