2009 April
Stamps to make fans happy on both sides of the Atlantic
Stamps designed by Dave McKean
Fans in the United Kingdom and the United States both have something to look forward to in the mail later this year. First, the Royal Mail will introduce new stamps (pictured above) designed by Dave McKean featuring assorted mythical beasts. In addition, if you buy a presentation pack, the stamps will include a short story by Neil Gaiman. The stamps are due June 16.
And for those of us on this side of the ocean … later this week the United States Post office will unveil the designs for stamps featuring the five main Simpsons characters — Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie. No word on when the stamps will actually hit stores, but I’m sure they’ll announce that on April 9 as well.
- April 6, 2009 @ 04:34 AM by JK Parkin
Artist Frank Springer passes away
Secret Six #1
Prolific artist Frank Springer, who drew a wide range of comics ranging from Secret Six and Dazzler to Rex Morgan, M.D., and The Adventures of Phoebe Zeit-Geist, died Thursday of prostate cancer. He was 79.
Born Dec. 6, 1929, in Jamaica, Queens, N.Y., Springer earned a bachelor’s degree in fine art from Syracuse University in 1952. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he became an assistant to cartoonist George Wunder on the popular Terry and the Pirates comic strip until 1960.
He broke into comic books in 1962 drawing Brain Boy for Dell. Throughout the 1960s and into the ’70s Springer drew numerous titles for Dell and worked on issues of Batman, House of Mystery, Detective Comics and Secret Six for DC Comics, and such series as Nick Fury, Agent of SHIELD, Captain America, The Avengers and Captain Marvel for Marvel.
In 1965, Springer collaborated with writer Michael O’Donoghue on the adult-satire strip The Adventures of Phoebe Zeit-Geist for Evergreen Review. He considered that one of his best works.
Springer returned to newspaper strips in the late 1970s with Rex Morgan and the short-lived Incredible Hulk series.
In the early ’80s, Springer was the regular inker on Marvel’s The Savage She-Hulk and penciller on Dazzler, G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero and The Transformers. He later returned to DC for turns on Green Arrow and Manhunter.
Springer is survived by his wife of 52 years, Barbara, five children and seven grandchildren.
Mark Evanier has more.
- April 6, 2009 @ 03:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
You can’t do FLUKE in 45 minutes
FLUKE 2009 Anthology
I owe the folks that put together the 2009 FLUKE Mini-Comic Show an apology. Unfortunately, Saturday was a busy day, loaded with family commitments and I decided I could squeeze in a first-time visit to the show in Athens, Georgia. Here’s the problem, I live about an hour and a half away from Athens, and I had about two hours to spare for FLUKE. Well, I thought I had two hours, but my lovely wife has never been to Athens and wanted to join me. My wife completely supports my love of comics. I would not be covering comics in my free time, were it not for my wife’s encouragement and support. So when she asked me to spend some time in Athens with her without mini-comics being the center of my attention, I suddenly realized I needed to visit FLUKE in under an hour.
I thought–hey, mini-comic creators spread out across the top floor of Tasty World– this can be done in under an hour. I made this estimate after considering the parameters of the show: “Tables and spaces will be provided for mini comic artists and distributors on a first-come, first-serve basis. All attendees are welcome to bring enough work to fill a small (4′x 5′) table space. In the interest of providing display space for as many artists as possible, attendees may not use more than one table. Large displays and booths are not permitted at FLUKE, so please do not bring them. ”
Folks who have attended FLUKE in past years already know I was mistaken with my time and logistics estimate. The minute I walked into the show, even I knew I was way off with my planning. So, I’ll fully admit at the outset of this write-up, I did not get to visit with all of the FLUKE participants, not by a long stretch. So, before getting into who I did talk to, let me make an offer to those who I did not. If you attended or participated in FLUKE, please feel free to mention your mini-comic (or favorite fellow creators and projects that were at FLUKE) in the comments section. With any luck and better planning, I’ll try to stay much longer next year.
- April 5, 2009 @ 12:15 PM by Tim O'Shea
Just Past the Horizon: This is not an auspicious start.
Women’s Wear Daily published an article last week about Marvel’s new line of women’s apparel and cosmetics that featured this image:
Admittedly, the image itself is cute.
The shirt itself doesn’t harm anything by existing. I don’t object to it any more than I’d object to seeing a T-shirt featuring Jenny Sparks, the Engineer, and Swift that says “I love to see women in Authority.” It’s a cute idea. I do have serious problems with it being alone in that article. Well, not alone. It’s on display with some heart pendants featuring Spider-man/Gwen Stacy and Spider-Man/Green Goblin (which I predict will be a surprisingly good seller) and lip gloss tubes featuring unrecognizable characters kissing. And that begs the question… Where are the female superheroes in this superhero merchandise aimed at female people?
Continue Reading »
- April 5, 2009 @ 11:02 AM by Lisa Fortuner
BOOM and Fox Atomic bring ’28 Days Later’ back to comics
At the Emerald City ComiCon this weekend, BOOM! Studios and Fox Atomic revealed the first comic coming out of their recently announced partnership — and its a project Fox Atomic fans are more than likely familiar with.
28 Days Later , the popular horror movie and one of the comics Fox Atomic previously published on their own, will return to comics in July as part of the venture BOOM! and Fox Atomic announced at WonderCon earlier this year.
No creative teams have been announced, but it looks like at least one of the covers for the first issue will sport a wraparound cover by Sean Phillips:
28 Days Later
(Quick update: The second cover, shown after the jump, is by Tim Bradstreet).
Fox Atomic previously published 28 Days Later: The Aftermath in 2007, which was written by Steve Niles. The complete press release on the new book is available after the jump.
- April 5, 2009 @ 09:41 AM by JK Parkin
What Are You Reading?
Showcase Superman Vol. 4
Welcome to What Are You Reading, where we tell you what’s currently in rotation in our homes, book-wise that is.
Our special guest this week is Jeff Lester, best known for his reviews and insightful comments over at The Savage Critics, though he’s also made a name for himself as a writer on games like the recent Sam and Max series.
More on what Jeff and the rest of us are reading after the link …
- April 5, 2009 @ 09:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Fox News fires columnist for downloading, reviewing Wolverine
X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Fox News has reportedly fired free-lance gossip columnist Roger Friedman after he downloaded and reviewed a stolen copy of X-Men Origins: Wolverine.
Parent company News Corporation described Friedman’s actions as encouraging and promoting piracy.
In a column posted Thursday on the Fox News website, but since removed, Friedman boasted how easy it was to find the 20th Century Fox movie — and other current releases — online.
The work print apparently lacks finished special-effects shots and other material. No matter, though. Friedman loved it.
“Right now, my ‘cousins’ at 20th Century Fox are probably having apoplexy,” Friedman wrote. “But everyone can relax. I am, in fact, amazed about how great Wolverine turned out. It exceeds expectations at every turn. I was completely riveted to my desk chair in front of my computer.”
Friedman certainly got the first part right: Executives at News Corp. sibling 20th Century Fox weren’t happy. In a statement, the studio said, “This behavior is reprehensible and we condemn this act categorically — whether the review is good or bad.”
Then came word last night from Hollywood-industry columnist Nikki Finke that News Corp. had dropped the ax on Friedman.
“Roger Friedman’s views in no way reflect the views of News Corporation,” the company said in a statement. “We, along with 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, have been a consistent leader in the fight against piracy and have zero tolerance for any action that encourages and promotes piracy. Once we learned of Roger Friedman’s post we asked Fox News to remove it, which they did immediately.”
Friedman had written his “Fox 411″ gossip column for the Fox News website for about a decade.
The FBI has begun its investigation into the film’s leak.
X-Men Origins: Wolverine opens on May 1.
- April 5, 2009 @ 05:59 AM by Kevin Melrose
Six by 6 | Six creators we’d like to see on a licensed kids comic
Dennis the Menace
This week’s topic was suggested by Chris Mautner, and I liked it so much that I talked him into writing half of the entries for it. Chris said the inspiration for it came after reading The Muppet Show Comic Book by Roger Langridge. Licensed kids comics in the wrong hands can be a total train wreck, but when you pair up, say, Larry Hama with G.I. Joe, Tommy Kovac and Sonny Liew with Alice in Wonderland, or Bob Burden and Rick Geary with Gumby, you end up with something special. So here’s our list of six creators — or in some cases, creative teams — we’d like to see on licensed kids comics.
1. Jaime Hernandez on Dennis the Menace — It’s no secret that Hernandez is a big fan of the work of Dennis creator Hank Ketcham, as well as Al Wiseman, who wrote and drew a lot of the spin-off Dennis comic books. He seems a natural therefore to give a bit of modern spin on the perpetually five-year-old youngster and brush him up a bit for the 21st century. Jaime’s already proved in Love and Rockets that he has a real empathy for kids and understands their milieu quite well, so I can’t imagine putting himself in Dennis’ shoes would be too difficult. –Chris Mautner
- April 4, 2009 @ 04:45 PM by JK Parkin
Spider-Man’s latest unmasking ‘not a decision we entered into lightly’
From "New Avengers" #51
Last week’s New Avengers #51 saw Spider-Man reveal his identity to his teammates — barely a year after the highly publicized events of “One More Day.”
After going to such extreme, and controversial, lengths to conceal the wall-crawler’s alter ego, why was Marvel so fast to unmask Peter Parker … again?
“I talked to [New Avengers writer] Brian Bendis about this before the fact, and it’s part of a larger story arc for Peter Parker/Spider-Man,” Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada says in this week’s “MyCup o’ Joe” Q&A. “And the outcome of it … well, I don’t want to give away Brian’s story, but it will go on and weave through New Avengers and Amazing Spider-Man with a specific outcome in mind. Maybe ‘outcome’ is the wrong word, but for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction, so you’ll see how that plays out in the books. But in all, it was not a decision we entered into lightly.”
When interviewer Jim McLaughlin asks, “How much back-and-forth is too much?” — the unmasking in Civil War, followed by the “un-do” in “One More Day,” followed by this — Quesada responds: “It’s just one of the usual tropes in writing comic books. Things come, they go, the change, they un-change. And secret identities are part of that. It’s part of keeping things interesting, keeping things fresh. The important part is that these things are done for a reason, and you’ll all see the reason soon of why this particular scene played out as it did.”
- April 4, 2009 @ 06:33 AM by Kevin Melrose
Your Mileage May Vary
This week saw the debut issue of the “Flash: Rebirth” miniseries. Naturally, that’s leading to a lot of blog-type discussion.
Seb Patrick enjoyed the issue but thinks it might be a bit “reader unfriendly”:
Flash: Rebirth
Still, such concerns are probably for the longer view, and needn’t necessarily be reflected in what this is like as a comic and an introductory issue. And it’s… well, it’s as you’d expect from a Geoff Johns tentpole book. It’s entirely, thoroughly and inextricably rooted in “DCness”, and hugely reliant on prior knowledge of the identities of just about everyone that shows up. Make no mistake – if you’re wondering what the Flash is all about and you’re looking to start following his adventures, this ain’t the place for you. There isn’t even an explanation for why Bart is suddenly (a) alive and (b) a teenager again for those of us who haven’t read Final Crisis : Legion of 3 Worlds (I had to Wiki it just to find out that that was where it had happened).
- April 3, 2009 @ 07:58 PM by Melissa Krause
Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 to include Iron Fist
Today the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 website revealed another playable character for the upcoming video game — Iron Fist:
“We wanted Iron Fist to have his own theme and stick out from other characters,” writes Justin Heisler, fusion designer for the game. “His powers and animations were strongly influenced by his martial arts fighting style, and for his powers we focused on moves emphasizing his Chi abilities. This carried through to his Fusion moves: in many of his moves, he leaves mystic symbols after major impacts, and even sometimes when he’s moving at accelerated speeds.”
The game is a loose adaptation of Marvel’s Civil War storyline, and narrative designer Alex Kerr notes that during the event, Iron Fist was wearing Daredevil’s costume. “… our game is sort of a ‘What If?’ take on the Marvel Civil War,” he said.
- April 3, 2009 @ 03:17 PM by JK Parkin
McFarlane appears at this weekend’s Supanova in Australia
Todd McFarlane faces off with Spawn
While the American comics community has the Emerald City ComiCon in Seattle this weekend, Australian fans in Brisbane can meet Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, Heroes star Hayden Panettiere, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac creator Jhonen Vasquez and many more guests at Supanova.
Writing for the Courier Mail, Suzanna Clarke profiles McFarlane, who is making a rare convention appearance:
About 20 years ago, McFarlane became a comic book superstar as a result of his work on Marvel Comics’ Spider-Man. So how did he get into the comic biz?
“I was the proverbial best artist in the class,” he says, from Berkeley in California, where Image Comics is based. “I spent a lot of time doodling . . . around 16, I started collecting American superhero comic books. It seemed cool.”
Taken on at Marvel comics in 1984, he was filled with doubt about his abilities. “Every year there was a new kid coming along. I realised I had to get better and figure out how to draw.”
McFarlane said if he had one piece of advice for young people, it is “don’t buy into the corporate line that there is only one way to get what you want in life.”
- April 3, 2009 @ 01:04 PM by JK Parkin
For the Catwoman fetishist who has everything
Figure of Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman
For those who thought Batman and Batman Returns were the pinnacle of Bat-cinema, here’s your chance to relive those movies. Literally. Like, in your living room.
The Hollywood Wax Museum on May 1 will auction nearly 160 figures, including Michael Keaton as Batman, Jack Nicholson as The Joker, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Catwoman. They’re expected to fetch somewhere between $3,000 and $6,000 each.
If those don’t wax your boat, there’s always Christopher Reeve as Superman, Robin Williams and Shelly Duvall from Popeye, Kirk and Spock from Star Trek II, Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, or several figures from Star Wars, Episode I: The Phantom Menace.
(via Aaron Albert)
- April 3, 2009 @ 12:08 PM by Kevin Melrose
In Marvel Universe 619, all the heroes dress like Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio's Silver Surfer homage
I know several of the folks over at Marvel.com are wrestling fans, especially editor Ryan Penagos, so it’s not surprising to see that they’re counting down the days until Wrestlemania 25 on Sunday. Today they have an article up on the high-flying Rey Mysterio, who regularly pays tribute to characters like Spider-Man, Daredevil, Silver Surfer and the Flash on his mask and outfits. I guess we’ll have to wait for Sunday to see if another Marvel homage is in the works.
- April 3, 2009 @ 11:47 AM by JK Parkin
Food or Comics | A roundup of money-related news
David Horsey's editorial cartoon
• Editorial cartoonists David Horsey and Jeff Stahler turn to Superman and the Daily Planet to comment on the plight of the newspaper industry. (via Michael Cavna)
• This post at The Daily Cartoonist about the annual convention of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists is pretty straightforward. But the comments section almost immediately erupts into an argument between online cartoonists and print cartoonists regarding the “webcomic model,” the future of the industry, who’s making more money and … I’m not sure what else. Or, in the words of Nerf: “This is like watching a fight break out at the Nerd Table in the junior high cafeteria!”
Participants include Wiley Miller, Scott Kurtz, Mike Krahulik, Kris Straub, Rich Stevens and Ted Rall.
• Alan Gardner also reports that editorial cartoonist Gary Brookins was among the 90 or so staff members cut by the Times-Dispatch in Richmond, Virginia.
- April 3, 2009 @ 10:29 AM by Kevin Melrose