Category Archives: News

Kid Cudi performs at BAPE, drops new single, delays album to October?

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Kid Cudi recently performed his first single “REVOFEV” off his upcoming sophomore album Man on the Moon: The Legend of Mr. Rager at the BAPE clothing store in NYC.  He teamed up with YouTube to have a VEVO crew follow his journey to the store.  The best part of the collaboration is that the video is in HD and the audio is perfectly audible.  Don’t have much time?  Scrub to timestamp 1:37, that’s when the song actually starts.  Remember you can download the track here.

Moving on to some important news regarding the release of MOTM II… According to Rap-Up, Cudder’s new album has been delayed twice in the same week.  Last Thursday it broke that the album would not drop on September 14 (aka G.O.O.D. Music Day) but instead be pushed back two weeks to September 28, the same date T.I. and Young Jeezy are expected to drop King Uncaged and TM 103, respectively.  Then two days ago it was reported that his label Universal Motown decided to delay the record by nearly another month.  Though this is all up for speculation, sources say that MOTM II is now expected to drop October 26.  Bum-mer.

In the meantime, you have “REVOFEV”, “Erase Me”, and now “Mojo So Dope” to enjoy.  “Mojo” found its way onto the ‘Net a few weeks ago in snippet form, but early this morning the full, tagless version was let loose into the wild and it’s hella good.  Its got this hazy, retro, dream-like vibe to it–Cudi’s signature stamp if you ask me.  Take a listen below and click the download link for keeps.  The wait is worth it, the wait is worth it.  You gotta keep saying that to yourself..

Download: Kid Cudi – “Mojo So Dope”

[audio: Kid Cudi – Mojo So Dope.mp3]

[Via KWBlog]

Kanye West braces for new album by previewing new songs at Facebook, joining Twitter [Update: Rolling Stone visit]

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After spending some time out of the limelight, Kanye West has returned to entertain us with his slick, emotionally-driven raps and different side of his thumping ego.  On Wednesday Kanye visited Facebook HQ in Palo Alto, California to preview four tracks from his upcoming album.  He donned a fresh suit and rapped a capella atop a table inside a fluorescently lit conference room in front of Facebook employees.  He starts with a “fun rap”, that’s the one embedded above.  It rocks.  “Kill the hypocrisy/This is an aristocracy..I’m Socrates/But my skin more chocolatey.”  The next rap is rather short; it may just be a freestyle, but it’s got a sick line in it: “Lost in this plastic life/Let’s break out of this fake-ass party, turn this into a classic night.”  The next song likely titled “Chain Heavy” is dipped in politics and contains this humorous line: “They try to tell me that aliens built the pyramids/I swear life’s on bitch on a period”; it concludes with my favorite line I’ve heard this far: “This is the making of a masterpiece/So we broke out the chains and told our master, ‘Peace’.”  The fourth song is called “Mama’s Boyfriend” and it’s an extremely emotional track about Kanye’s late mother Donde West.  In it he journeys back to the days when his divorced mother started dating other men.  “I’m my mama’s boyfriend/I’m her little husband…Keep your hands off my mama” he screams.  Apprently this track took him 33 years to write and it clearly means a lot to him.  ‘Ye drops so many uses of the n-word in this track, but he says, “I’m allowed to use it.”

Later that day he posted this message targeted to the Facebook employees:  “Many times in life I’ve had to deal with moments of doubt. And as it’s been a minute since I’ve performed any fresh material in front of an audience, this could’ve been one of those moments… but it wasn’t. Your energy was a gift so electric, so genuine, that it really helped me give my best. The energy was so inspiring I had to keep going!  I just hope you got as much from me as I got from you…which was everything!”  Be sure to look after the break to listen to all the tracks.

From one popular social network to another, Kanye finally caved in and joined the Twitterverse.  And you know what?  He actually comes across a non-egotistical funnyman.  Peep his first tweet: “Up early in the morning taking meetings in Silicone Valley.”  This was followed almost immediately by: “Lol I spelled Silicon wrong ( I guess I was still thinking about the other type of silicone ITS A PROCESS!! : )”  Then came some important news regarding his upcoming album: “The album is no longer called “Good Ass Job” I’m bouncing a couple of titles around now.”  Just confirming our suspicions, Kanye.  After giving a handful of shoutouts to various blogs for reporting his Facebook HQ visit, he started to notice how quickly he was garnering a following.  In less than two days he managed to gain a following of nearly 300,000 (he’s currently at 293,687 followers).  With tweets like these: “My thoughts on Twitter so far… at the end of the day, God damnit I’m killing this shit!!!” and “I think Twitter was designed specifically with me in mind just my humble opinion hahhhahaaaahaaa humble hahahahhahaahaaaa” you might think ‘Ye is stroking his ego again, but I think he’s actually starting to satirize himself.  He’s finally realized that he “has the power to let power go” and he’s learning from his past mistakes.  Hilarious comic (and one of Kanye’s friends) Aziz Ansari started trending the hashtag #PredictingKanyeTweets, and Kanye simply retweeted jokes that were on him.  “Damn I wish Hermes made edible snacks, Cheezits just ain’t dope enough for my mouth”, tweeted Ansari.  The fact that he’s not retaliating but instead having fun with his new lease on life through Twitter makes me believe that he’s turning a corner for the better.  But don’t take my word for it.  Follow @kanyewest and form your own opinions.

At the end of the day, it appears as if Kanye wants to begin a new chapter in his career.  After coming out of hiding he decided to tease some tracks and open up his fanbase using the power of social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter.  It’s an interesting and unconventional route to take but it’s one I can commend.  Welcome back Mr. West.  September 14 come now please.

Update: Later in the week Kanye visited a bunch of magazine headquarters including XXL and Rolling Stone.  A video surfaced on YouTube from his meeting with the latter outlet.  Look for it after the break.

[Via KWBlog; KWTwitter] Continue reading Kanye West braces for new album by previewing new songs at Facebook, joining Twitter [Update: Rolling Stone visit] →

Apple refreshes iMac, Mac Pro, Cinema Display; intros Magic Trackpad and Battery Charger

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On Tuesday Apple refreshed their iMac and Mac Pro computers, pushed out a larger Cinema Display, and introduced a new input device for the iMac called Magic Trackpad.  Roundup time!

The new iMac family now features Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 processors and upgraded graphics cards from ATI.  The displays feature IPS technology (for better viewing angles) and the SD card slot now supports the SDXC format.  The two 27-inchers can be customized with an HDD and SSD (either can function as primary or secondary drive).  Available today.  Check out the lineup:

*$1,199 :: 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LED-backlit display; 3.06 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache; 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB; ATI Radeon HD 4670 discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 SDRAM; 500GB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm.

*$1,499 :: 21.5-inch 1920 x 1080 LED-backlit display; 3.20 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache; 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB; ATI Radeon HD 5670 discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3; 1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm.

*1,699 :: 27-inch 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit display; 3.20 GHz Intel Core i3 processor with 4MB shared L3 cache; 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB; ATI Radeon HD 5670 discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3; 1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm.  Configure-to-order options include a 3.6 GHz Core i5 processor, 2TB hard drive, 256GB solid state drive (SSD) and up to 16GB of RAM.

*1,999 :: 27-inch 2560 x 1440 LED-backlit display; 2.8 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor with 8MB shared L3 cache; 4GB 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM expandable to 16GB; ATI Radeon HD 5750 discrete graphics with 1GB GDDR5; 1TB Serial ATA hard drive running at 7200 rpm.  Configure-to-order options include a 2.93 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 processor, a 2TB hard drive, 256GB solid state drive (SSD) and up to 16GB of RAM.

All iMacs come included with :: slot-load 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW); Mini DisplayPort for audio and video output (adapters sold separately); AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking & Bluetooth 2.1+EDR; iSight video camera; Gigabit Ethernet; four USB 2.0 ports; one SDXC SD card slot; one FireWire 800 port; built-in stereo speakers and microphone; and Wireless Apple Keyboard, Magic Mouse.

Look after the break for a breakdown of the Mac Pro and LED Cinema Display refreshes and to learn all about the new Magic Trackpad and Apple Battery Charger.  Plus, there’s a plethora pictures ranging across all the different products. Continue reading Apple refreshes iMac, Mac Pro, Cinema Display; intros Magic Trackpad and Battery Charger →

Eligible for a free iPhone 4 case? Here’s how you get it.

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With the fiasco dubbed Antennagate behind us now, it’s time to embrace iPhone 4 with all its advantages and disadvantages and move on.  At the impromptu press conference two weeks ago, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced that all iPhone 4 owners (who purchase their phones before September 30) are eligible to get a free Apple Bumper or third-party case.  The free case is the solution for your antenna woes; it will cover the vulnerable spot at the lower left corner.  Here’s how you go about applying for a case:

1. Download the iPhone 4 Case Program app from the App Store.
2. Launch the app on your iPhone 4 and sign in using your iTunes Store account or Apple ID.
3. Select your Bumper or case.

For iPhone 4 purchases made before July 23, 2010, you must apply no later than August 22, 2010; otherwise, you must apply within 30 days of your iPhone 4 purchase. To qualify for this program, you must purchase your iPhone 4 by September 30, 2010.

It’s that simple, really.  All cases come in black only and they include Apple Bumper, Incase Snap Case, Belkin Shield Micra, Griffin Motif, Griffin Reveal, Speck Fitted, and Speck PixelSkin HD.  There’s a 3-5 week wait for delivery, so sit tight!

If you purchased an Apple Bumper when you picked up your iPhone 4 at an Apple Store with a credit card, you will receive an automatic refund on your card if you haven’t already (you are notified by email).  If you paid with cash you must bring the receipt to the Apple Store to get a refund by 9/30.  If you bought one at an AT&T store you can receive a refund if you fill out and send this rebate coupon by 9/30.

[Via Apple; Engadget]

YouTube increases upload limit to 15 minutes, lets us play Snake during buffer periods

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Since its inception way back in 2005 YouTube limited video upload length to 10 minutes.  After reviewing their most requested features, YouTube has decided to increase that limit by 50 percent to 15 minutes.  Up to this point only revenue-sharing “parterns” have been allowed to upload video longer than 10 minutes, but now good ‘ol regular users can get in on the fun.  I’m not so sure if I need to witness an extra 5 minutes of “double rainbow all the way” (OK, maybe I do), but this increase will definitely help out those users who upload lengthy tutorials; now you might notice a smaller amount of videos being broken up in “parts” thanks to the increase time limit.  Take heed: “If you’re uploading a video that was previously rejected for being too long, you’ll have to go into “My Videos” and delete it before attempting to upload it again.”

In other YouTube news… do you remember the super simple but classic and highly addicting game called Snake?  It was preloaded onto many early Nokia dumbphones back in the day.  It’s the one where you take the form of a snake and your goal is to collect small food pellets the pop up in different areas on the screen; every time you eat a pellet the snake grows longer.  You lose when you tie yourself up and make the snake’s head run into a part of its body or run into the edges of the screen.  Anyway…YouTube has incorporated the game into all of its videos as an easter egg.  While you’re waiting for a video to start streaming (or if it gets stuck buffering) start mashing the left arrow key on your keyboard to turn the video loading circle icon into a snake; play with the directional keys.  If you want to give it a try but have fast Internet speeds, trying loading an intensive HD 1080p or better yet a 4K resolution video.  Happy trails.

[Via YouTubeBlog; Engadget, here & here]

Lost memorabilia up for auction; ultimate Losties inquire within

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Make your own kind of music, sing your own special song; make your own kind of music, even if nobody else sings along.

Who could forget the season two opener “Man of Science, Man of Faith”…when we first discovered a mysterious man living underground inside a hatch?  This man, who we would later come to know and love as Desmond David Hume, was minding his own business and listening to a catchy tune called “Make Your Own Kind of Music” by “Mama” Cass Elliot when another man named John Locke interupted his life of ever-lasting solitude with a loud blast of dynamite atop the Dharma-constructed hatch door.  The song abruptly stoppped when the needle fell off the record and the rest, as they say, is history.

And now you have a chance to be part of that history by owning the very record player that was used in the show!  On August 21-22, LOST: The Official Show Auction will take place at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California.  Literally hundreds of Lost props and costumes will be available for fans to bid on.  Everything from Dharma beer cans to Charlie’s DriveShaft ring to Desmond’s photo of himself with Penny to Mr. Eko’s Jesus stick to the blue Dharma van to Jughead to Faraday’s time travel journal (“Desmond Hume will be my constant!”) to Locke’s wheelchair to Carl’s brainwashing googles to Naomi’s Iridium 9500 satellite phone…ugh I’m out of breath…will be up for grabs at the live auction next month.  But don’t expect to get away with any of these items easily.  The Apple-II Plus computer with an Apple III monitor (aka the Swan Station computer Desmond then Locke then Eko used to type in the Numbers every 108 minutes) starts at $1000.  But then again the Swan Station film projector and screen (the medium that first introduced Locke, Jack, and us to Mr. Pierre Change) is given a range of $400-$600, so item pricing will vary.

Interested in bidding?  You have a few options.  You can attend the live action in Santa Monica or you can bid over the phone, with absentee forms, or over the Internet at Live Auctioneers.  Interested in eyeing the goods?  Look in the gallery below for just a handful.  You’re going to want to hit up Profiles in History to view the full catalog (organized by season).  Each item is tagged with a description that’ll job your memory concerning its use in the show.  Minutes will quickly turn into hours when you browse this ultimate collection of Lost shwag.  Have fun, and happy bidding!

[Via Engadget]

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Back to the Future celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Blu-ray release

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On October 26 the unforgettable Back to the Future trilogy will release on Blu-ray (for the very first time) and DVD.  Though pricing details have not been disclosed, Hollywood News has picked up on the loads of bonus material.  They include 16 deleted scenes, a six-part retrospective documentary with interviews by Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, director Robert Zemeckis, and making-of and archival featurettes.  So if you happen to be a long-time BTTF fan, you’re gonna want to get this. Continue reading Back to the Future celebrates its 25th anniversary with a Blu-ray release →

Dr. House wants to sing the blues

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House fans, listen here!  Hugh Laurie, aka Dr. Gregory House, wants to record a blues album and he’s going for it!  It was announced Monday that Laurie signed with Warner Music Entertainment to make a New Orleans-inspired blues album.  “I am drunk with excitement at this opportunity,” Laurie said in a press release. “I know the history of actors making music is a checkered one, but I promise no one will get hurt.”  Joe Henry has signed on to produce.

He’s finally got the chance to share his piano and guitar skills he often flaunts on the show with the rest of the world.  And if you were wondering, Laurie is apparently a self-taught pianist due to “creative differences” with his childhood piano teacher.  Oh, House.

[Via EW-MusicMix; USAToday]

Ellen DeGeneres leaves her post as American Idol judge [Update: JLo takes her place]

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Ellen DeGeneres has decided to call it quits after only one year as the judge who just couldn’t fit in on American Idol.  Today FOX released two statements, one from DeGeneres and the other from the network itself.

DeGeneres: “A couple months ago, I let Fox and the American Idol producers know that this didn’t feel like the right fit for me. I told them I wouldn’t leave them in a bind and that I would hold off on doing anything until they were able to figure out where they wanted to take the panel next.  It was a difficult decision to make, but my work schedule became more than I bargained for.   I also realized this season that while I love discovering, supporting and nurturing young talent, it was hard for me to judge people and sometimes hurt their feelings. I loved the experience working on IDOL and I am very grateful for the year I had.  I am a huge fan of the show and will continue to be.”

Peter Rice, FOX Chairman of Entertainment: “We love Ellen and understand and support her decision to bow out of Idol. We were fortunate to receive the humor, energy and love for talent that she brought to the show.”

According to the latest reports, American Idol creator Simon Fuller will be back for season 10, and he hopes to bring new judges to the panel.  Judge Simon Cowell left the show to produce the American version of The X Factor, and this leaves a huge gap to fill.  Justin Timberlake and Elton John are currently in talks with the network concerning this matter.  The state of Kara Dioguardi and our main dawg Randy Jackson remains up in the air until a final decision is made.  The Television Critics Tour begins this Monday; it would be wise for FOX to steal the show by announcing an exciting new panel of judges there.

Update:  According to a report from Deadline, Jennifer Lopez will take DeGeneres’ place as a new American Idol judge for season 10.  FOX and JLo’s reps have yet to comment on the breaking news.  Deadline also spills that “unconfirmed reports” target Steven Tyler as a possible Cowell replacement (that’s in addition to Justin Timberlake and Elton John).

[Via EW-HollywoodInsider]

ABC president Steve McPherson steps down [Update: Paul Lee steps in]

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After six years as ABC Entertainment Group President, Steve McPherson has resigned from the company.  When McPherson first took the reins of the ABC primetime lineup the network was stuck in fourth place behind direct competitors CBS, FOX, and NBC.  Throughout his career as president he oversaw many of ABC’s well known hits and misses.  He had a hand in launching the uber-successful primetime dramas like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives; the new Wednesday night comedy lineup including Modern Family, Cougartown, and The Middle; and one of most watched reality programs Dancing With the Stars.  During his early days, though, he was there when the network overplayed “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” until its eventual cancellation.  He has also been faulted with not pushing hard enough for procedural dramas (like CBS’ The Mentalist) as opposed to the heavily serialized shows like Lost.  As great as a show Lost was (and always will be), shows like it are hard to repeat and syndicate once they are completed.  His final year with ABC (2009-2010) landed the network in third place, just 150,000 viewers ahead of NBC.

The sudden resignation comes on the heels of the Summer TV Press Tour 2010, a time when the big networks show off and promote their fall TV lineups.  Yesterday “an informed source” leaked information saying that McPherson was tied up in a formal investigation conducted by ABC related to sexual harrassment crimes.  ABC has not responded to comment, nor have they denied the rumors.  McPherson’s lawyer states that his client “made a voluntary decision to resign, and ABC accepted his resignation.  It is not uncommon for high-level executives to be the subject of gossip and innuendo.”  Whatever the case may be, McPherson is out and a replacement has not been decided upon yet.  ABC Family president Paul Lee, riding high on his recent teen-hit Pretty Little Liars, is expected to occupy the now-vacant position.  McPherson’s parting words:

“I want to thank the wonderful team of individuals who have worked with me throughout my time here and wish them nothing but the best.”

Update: It’s official.  Paul Lee is the new ABC Entertainment Group President and will oversee the network’s primetime lineup and its sister company, ABC Studios.  If he can do to ABC what he did with ABC Family (Kyle XY, The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Pretty Little Liars, Greek) this network might have a fighting chance against behemoths FOX and CBS.

[Via EW-HollywoodInsider; here & here; THR]

Owl City’s Adam Young fesses up to old side project, alter ego Sky Sailing

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You all know about Owl City (aka Adam Young) and his chart-topping song “Fireflies” and album Ocean Eyes.  But did you know that before Owl City there was Sky Sailing and he had an album called An Airplane Carried Me To Bed?  Here’s the story behind what’s being called a “side project” in Young’s words:

Three and a half years ago, I recorded a collection of songs in my parent’s basement during the bleary-eyed hours of night when sleep and I could not bring ourselves to meet. I was a metalworker, working 6 AM to 4 PM at a warehouse in my little southern Minnesota town. I was writing, creating, thinking, imagining and breathing music with every second I had to spare. Music has always been my dream, but at that point in time, it was merely a feather tossed to the wind. Regardless, my spirits were far from dampened and I created music as fast and as furiously as I could. In my little basement bedroom, I had an old Dell computer, Reason 2.5, a friend’s borrowed Behringer C-1 condenser, a Behringer 8 channel analog mixer and my uncle’s old Alvarez. I didn’t have a clue what I was doing but I was a dreamer and music was my escape so I gave it everything I had. Never expecting my music to be heard anywhere but by my parents through the floorboards above, I wrote for my own ears. I was both artist and audience and I called myself Sky Sailing.

It’s true–the Sky Sailing’s vocals are very similar to what we hear on Ocean Eyes today.  What differenciates the two alter egos is that Sky Sailing trades in Owl City’s current crop of synth-infused tracks for those that feature acoustic guitar and standard piano keys.  Young explained to Billboard, “It was clear early on that it needed to be separate from Owl City.  Overall, this piece is disconnected enough to be its own thing.”

On July 13, the 11-track An Airplane Carried Me To Bed  was released to iTunes exclusively; it hits stores in physical form tomorrow (7/27).  Although Young has done little to promote this new album, it quickly climbed the charts and sold thousands of copies during its initial digital release week.  If you’re a fan of Owl City, you’ll want to preview what Sky Sailing has to offer.  Feel free to preview four tracks from Airplane on his MySpace page.

[Thanks, Brian]

Say hello to your 2011 Avengers

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They are: Robert Downey Jr. — Tony Stark; Clark Gregg — Agent Coulson; Scarlett Johansson — Black Widow; Chris Hemsworth — Thor; Chris Evans — Captain America; Samuel L. Jackson — Nick Fury; Jeremy Renner — Hawkeye; Mark Ruffalo — Hulk.  Director Joss Whedon and Marvel head Kevin Feige are up there, too.

Marvel killed it at Comic Con this year.  They literally slaughtered the competition.  After unveiling new footage of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor (in 3D), the official ensemble cast of The Avengers was announced.  The biggest surprises?  Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker) is set in stone as Hawkeye and Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island, The Kids Are Alright) replaces Edward Norton as Bruce Banner/Hulk.  Marvel head Kevin Feige on the Ruffalo decision: “Ruffalo is Joss Whedon’s Banner. He is the Banner that is going to be in that [Bill] Bixby type, wants to help people and is somewhat ashamed of what he goes through but isn’t as strong and angry in his Banner form as he is in his Hulk form, which is something we haven’t really seen in the past films. .. Something like how he was portrayed in the Ultimates, a guy who just wants to be left alone and wear his glasses and do his science.”  Feige also shares that he “hope[s] to develop a standalone franchise” for Renner’s Hawkeye post-Avengers.

During the panel Downey Jr. worked the crowd, naturally.  He invoked the success of Inception, saying it was “just about the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”  He continued, “And then thought wait a goddamn second.  Marvel Studios is going to take all of their top super heros and they’re gonna put them all together in The Avengers?  That’s the most ambitious movie I’ve ever seen.”   He concluded, “If we’re going to make a movie this ambitious [then] the most important thing is that we had to find a person to helm it to get your [the fans’] approval”.  Enter Joss Whedon: “I have had a dream all my life and it was not this good…This cast is more than I could have ever of dreamed of working with. And I am going to blow it…I need your love, I need your support.”  Joss, you got it.

The Avengers is slated for a May 4, 2011 release.  Whet your appetite with Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger on May 6, 2011 and July 22, 2011 respectively.  Bonus!  Look in the gallery below for newly released mini-one-sheets featuring Thor and Cap concept art.  Peek after the break to watch your 2011 Avengers assemble at Comic Con in video form.

[Via IGN, here, here, here & here; Marvel]

Continue reading Say hello to your 2011 Avengers →