Comic-Con: James Bond

I've got lots of spy news from this past weekend's huge San Diego Comic-Con, and I'll start with a few James Bond tidbits.

The James Bond Encyclopedia

Publisher DK had the gallies for their upcoming James Bond Encyclopedia on hand at their convention booth. The large format hardcover book is not organized A-Z like most encyclopedias (including Stephen Jay Rubin's The Complete James Bond Movie Encyclopedia), but divided into sections on topics like James Bond (covering Ian Fleming and the various actors to play the part), Bond Girls, villains, gadgets, vehicles, etc. Within each subject, it is A-Z. I only had a chance to flip through it quickly, but it looked like it focused primarily on the characters rather than the actors, and on things and people that appeared on screen rather than behind-the-scenes. It appeared fairly in-depth (as one would expect from Bond experts like John Cork and Collin Stutz), but didn't seem to offer lots of new, previously unseen photos like Cork's last Bond tome, The James Bond Legacy. (Can there possibly be any left?) Co-author Cork gratefully acknowledges Rubin in his introduction, and says it's impossible to attempt such a work without doing so. He points out some of the differences between the two books, the primary one being that Cork's encyclopedia is officially licensed by EON. That means, he confesses up front, no coverage of the '67 Casino Royale or of Never Say Never Again, both of which were given a lot of attention in Rubin's book. Judging from the other, similar encyclopedias DK had on display (like their Spider-man volume), the new James Bond Encyclopedia should be a top-notch production. It's due out in October.

Sideshow Craig On The Way

Representatives at Sideshow Collectibles wouldn't officially confirm it, but they strongly, strongly hinted that a Daniel Craig sculpt was in the offing. "Check the website," they said after pretending not to have heard of Craig. "Craig fans will be happy." So the Sideshow line-up of official Bond actors will soon, once more, be complete! I can't wait to see their Casino Royale figure. (And I do hope they go with the tux.)

Upcoming Femme Fatales Bond Cover

The magazine Femme Fatales has had plenty of Bond Girl cover stories in the past, but the one gracing an upcoming cover is a bit different. Instead of presenting previously published photos of past Bond beauties, a brand new photoshoot will portray contemporary models in a variety of famous Bond Girl poses, costumes and situations. Look for the issue in the months ahead.

Beckinsale Refused Bond

Apparently Underworld actress Kate Beckinsale is immune to 007's charms. At the Whiteout panel, she was asked if she had ever been offered a Bond Girl role. She said yes, but she couldn't remember for which film, and she had turned down the part. She claimed she didn't want to embarrass her daughter (yet she did Van Helsing!) and cited an unwillingness to appear in her underwear, which she seemed to think was required of all Bond Girls. "I'm getting a bit elderly for that sort of thing," the 33 year-old knockout modestly claimed.

I'll have more coverage of spies at Comic-Con soon, including Get Smart, 24, Whiteout, Hot Fuzz, Chuck, new spy comic books and more Bond!