In a summer season crowded with super heroes and big-budget blow 'em ups, how does a long-lost franchise break through the marketing clutter? No, not Indiana Jones — is there anyone who doesn't know that's coming out? (Plus it has a Cannes premiere, for whatever reason.) And I'm not talking about Sex and City, which has every media outlet indulging in all the fashion and relationship brouhaha that swirls around it.
I speak instead of intrepid FBI agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, who have long since faded from our TV screens. While the show went off the air in 2002, for many fans it ended two years previously when David Duchovney started curtailing his appearances. I had been an avid fan but lost interest with the convoluted, going-nowhere mythology, and once Mulder was gone I transferred my allegiances to a young Sydney Bristow. I never even saw the finale. A movie came out, which I recall had something to do with bees, and is now mostly referenced as a cautionary tale for Lost on how not to wrap up a series.
With so much baggage — and indifference —
The X-Files has embarked upon a brilliant stealth marketing campaign to get people talking about extraterrestrials again, with the aid of some very heavy hitters.
First the Vatican weighed in, out of nowhere,
professing a belief in aliens. "In my opinion this possibility (of life on other planets) exists," said Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, the head of the Vatican Observatory and a scientific adviser to Pope Benedict.
"How can we exclude that life has developed elsewhere," he told the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano in an interview in its Tuesday-Wednesday edition, explaining that the large number of galaxies with their own planets made this possible.
This from a church who didn't get around to admitting that Galileo was right about the earth revolving around the sun until 1992.
Then on the same day Britain's Ministry of Defense
released their files on UFO sightings, dating back to the 1970s, with more to come. The ministry said it compiled the reports solely to determine whether enemy aircraft had infiltrated British airspace. "The Ministry of Defense has no other interest or role regarding UFO matters and does not consider questions regarding the existence or otherwise of extraterrestrial life-forms," it said Wednesday.
A coincidence, as easily explained as weather balloons reflecting city lights, or evidence of viral marketing is out there? It's a conspiracy I want to believe.
Take the lyrics to Pulp's best song and toss in Riverdale's class struggle that has always been at the heart of Archie comics and you get Chris Invincible's clever mashup of the relationship between Archie and Veronica.
In a summer season crowded with super heroes and big-budget blow 'em ups, how does a long-lost franchise break through the marketing clutter? No, not Indiana Jones — is there anyone who doesn't know that's coming out? (Plus it has a Cannes premiere, for whatever reason.) And I'm not talking about Sex and City, which has every media outlet indulging in all the fashion and relationship brouhaha that swirls around it.
Oh Billy, you were always a little glam. From Soulkombinat.
Sticky Fingers indeed. If the zipper had been down on that Stones album, I might be wondering where this was going. From Mateo329.
This one is so close that you can barely tell that there is an album in the picture. And who knew Iggy Pop could look so nice? From Tsjeu.
Love the Yo-Yo. Do you think Yusuf Islam still plays with Yo-Yos? That third hand is a little disconcerting. From Lynnifer.
You just know the hole in the ozone came from Babs using cans and cans of this stuff in the '70s. From delainey.
I really think Robert Palmer should keep his clothes on. It's just not the same without the suit. From rensenbrink78.
Nothing much to add here — just impressed with the integration of two people into the sleeveface. From carla_mabel.
No, Mr. Kristofferson, not the beard! Another from Soulkombinat.
The Man in Black has a gigantic noggin. A syringe too, but we knew that. From Professional Recreationalist.
Ah, Tina Turner's legs. Good enough. From See Gee.
Bonus sleeveface with Johnny Paycheck. I couldn't resist, he's drinking a 50! From Matt Wagner.
