ITEM #1: Possibly one of the biggest shifts in the pop culture landscape in the last 30-50 years took place this week as Disney and Marvel announced that Disney would acquire Marvel and its vast library of thousands of distinctive comic characters. What will the future hold for the many films, TV shows, comics, toys, and other projects that these two giants of entertainment can produce?

There is no end of commentary on the Internet in the wake of this (for most of us) surprising announcement, and I’m not going to add to it right now with any knee-jerk reaction. The fact is it will be some time before we really have a sense of the shape of things to come. While it’s a cliché, it is certain that this is a big deal in the annals of media and merchandising. As the days and weeks pass, it will be extremely interesting to watch what happens, especially if you’re at all interested in the history of pop culture. We’re seeing a major chapter unfolding right now before our very eyes.

ITEM #2: My next “Coffee with the Curator” chat will take place on September 23, 2009 from 6:00 PM-7:30 PM. Pop Culture Families: How TV Made Us Feel at Home will take a look at the history of family-themed TV shows, with a special focus on the 40th anniversary of The Brady Bunch and the 25th anniversary of The Cosby Show.

ITEM #3: GEM Carl Barks Retrospective
Geppi’s EntertainmentMuseum presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the works of the “Good Duck Artist,” Carl Barks, up close and personal! GEM’s Carl Barks Retrospective features oil-on-masonite paintings, sketches, comic book pages & more from the personal collections of GEM founder and President Stephen A. Geppi, noted collector Kerby Confer, and respected artist Patrick Block. The exhibit, showcased inn the museum’s third floor gallery space, also features Barks originals, lithographs, statues and Barks-themed items by Diamond International Galleries, all available for purchase.

The Carl Barks Retrospective runs until September 8. Contact GEM for more information!

ITEM #4: Yellow Bricks & Emerald Cities – Our Special Edition Exhibit
In 1900, children of all ages were first introduced to a wonderful land of imagination and adventure known as Oz. Written by L. Frank Baum (1856-1919), The Wonderful Wizard of Oz told the tale of farm girl Dorothy Gale and her magical journey to another world populated by fanciful friends and foes like the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and the Wicked Witch of the West.

Geppi’s Entertainment Museum celebrates the legacy of Baum’s work and its incredible impact on generations of children through a special exhibition that showcases first editions of the first 40 Oz books on loan to the museum from local collector Fred Trust as well as other memorabilia. The original art wall graphics and cutout figures for the exhibit were produced by the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) Oz Project Team: Crisanto Cimatu, Michael Clayton, Maggie Cerveny, Tiffany Nguyen, Elly Kim and Cody Griffith, all seniors in the Illustration Program at t MICA. The Team was lead by MICA’s Chair of Illustration, Whitney Sherman, who acted as creative consultant and art director.

Yellow Bricks & Emerald Cities is open through January 2010.

And in 2010: HOME PLATE…

Don’t forget to visit Geppi’s EntertainmentMuseum online at www.geppismuseum.com or in person at 301 W. Camden Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Our phone is (410) 625-7060.