2009 May
Straight for the art: Over the Wall
Neimann's Berlin Wall
The New York Times’ Christoph Niemann illustrates his relationship with the Berlin Wall via construction paper weaving, like the kind I used to do in first grade, though he achieves results I never could. In my defense, I was only six at the time.
- May 20, 2009 @ 09:56 AM by Chris Mautner
40 years ago, Apollo 10, and Snoopy, soared to the moon
On his way to the launch pad, Apollo 10 commander Tom Stafford pats the nose of a stuffed Snoopy. (NASA photo)
Wired magazine’s Underwire blog marks the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 10 moon landing with a look at the association between NASA and Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
Schulz sketched special artwork for the mission, which lasted from May 18 to 26, 1969, and sent Snoopy to the moon in a series of strips that appeared two months earlier. The previous year, NASA chose the beagle as an icon that would “emphasize mission success and act as a ‘watchdog’ for flight safety.” And the Apollo 10 astronauts even nicknamed their command and lunar modules Snoopy and Charlie Brown.
The Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, Calif., is celebrating the anniversary, and the Peanuts connection, through July 20 with an exhibit called “To the Moon: Snoopy Soars With NASA.”
- May 20, 2009 @ 08:39 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Emily the Strange
Legal | Rob Reger’s Cosmic Debris Etc., which owns the lucrative Emily the Strange property, has sued authors Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Marc Simont, and is asking a judge to declare that the little goth girl doesn’t infringe on their copyright to the 1978 book Nate the Great and the Lost List.
The lawsuit, filed on Monday, appears to be a preemptive strike on the part of Cosmic Debris, which cites online discussion late last year pointing out the similarities between Reger’s 1991 creation Emily and Sharmat and Simont’s 1978 creation Rosamond. The lawsuit is an interesting read, particularly for its explanation of the visual roots of the “goth girl.”
Emily the Strange appears on assorted merchandise, as well as in a series of comics published by Dark Horse. A feature film, produced by Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson, is planned for release in 2010. [Courthouse News Service, lawsuit]
Detective Comics #853
Sales charts | Direct-market sales bounced back in April after a dismal March, with comics up 6 percent over the same month in 2008. Retail news and analysis site ICv2.com chalks up much of the improvement to price increases and “a stronger shipping schedule.” Sales of graphic novels dipped slightly over the previous year.
Detective Comics #853, the delayed conclusion of Neil Gaiman’s two-part “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader?” story, was the No. 1 periodical, selling an estimated 104,107 copies. The Flash: Rebirth #1 was a close second with 102,429 copies. Watchmen again was the top graphic novel. [ICv2.com]
Publishing | Viz Media has confirmed the cancellation of Shojo Beat with the magazine’s July issue, citing “today’s difficult economic climate.” Kate Dacey, Lori Henderson, Alex Hoffman and Gia Manry have commentary on the publication’s demise. [Shojo Beat]
- May 20, 2009 @ 07:19 AM by Kevin Melrose
In this issue, a Titan dies! Again!
from Teen Titans #72, or just about any other issue ...
DC’s Source blog teases Teen Titans #72, the first page of which features an ominous coffin. Like they’d ever kill a Teen Titan …
Popular guesses for who is inside of it include Superboy (um, wait…), Impulse/Kid Flash (but didn’t he …?) and John Locke from Lost, who plans to come spilling out of it when you least expect it (SPOILER ALERT!!!!).
- May 20, 2009 @ 05:00 AM by JK Parkin
This week, it’s Dracula, Dracula and a mullet-filled X-Men flashback
This feature is back for just two weeks, and already we’re confronted with the not-so-surprising conclusion of Battle for the Cowl, a pair of Draculas — or is it Draculi? — another turn in the Captain America saga, and yet another Final Crisis follow-up. Possibly with dancing.
If that weren’t enough, there’s also a peek inside the slightly musty X-Men time capsule.
To find out what titles Chris Mautner, JK Parkin and I think are worth checking out this week, just keep reading.
And be sure to let us know your picks in the comments below.
- May 19, 2009 @ 01:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Dead and loving it: DC Comics Solicitations for August, 2009
Grumpy Old Fan
August will be a busy month for DC’s superhero line. Blackest Night rolls on, the Archie/Red Circle characters finally get their moments in the sun, there’s an inter-title Superman crossover, and the Bat-line continues to grow. Let’s get right to it, shall we?
BLACKEST NIGHT
There’s a similarity to the various Blackest Night tie-ins, and it has to do with the “How Can [Hero] Fight [Deceased Loved One(s)]?” theme running through them. BN: Batman and BN: Superman feature dead parents; dead significant others are on the agenda for BN: Titans and Green Lantern #45; and dead Green Lanterns take the stage in GL Corps #39. We’ve all seen this story before, haven’t we? The zombies have the upper hand thanks to the emotional hold they still exert over our heroes. Indeed, these folks’ deaths helped shape our heroes’ characters — because that’s what death in comics does, right?
- May 19, 2009 @ 11:50 AM by Tom Bondurant
Juggernaut unleashed in Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2
After posting the Deadpool video a few minutes ago, I noticed that The Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 site had posted another character announcement for the game — Juggernaut:
Juggernaut
Artist Bryan Shutt writes:
My main goal with Juggernaut was to make him look like a mobile wrecking ball. From his gargantuan muscle mass to the impenetrable components of his costume, everything about him needed to feel solid and heavy.
At first glance, our Juggernaut stays fairly true to the comics, but you’ll notice that we made a few tweaks here and there. One thing I wanted to do was give him the ability to turn his head (poor guy probably falls for that sneaky tap-on-the-shoulder trick every time). So we broke up his massive dome into a ball-and-socket design that allows the inner helmet to swivel inside a larger collar. I then wanted to secure the whole contraption to his suit in a way that felt believable, so we bolted it to heavy duty cross straps on his chest and back. In the comics the helmet tends to look mysteriously fused into his costume, or in some cases, like it’s just resting on his shoulders. In our version the helmet’s anchor straps fit snuggly around Juggernaut’s pecs and shoulder blades. I think it adds a nice touch visually, while still staying true to the existing design.
Edit: Apparently Juggernaut is only available if you pre-order the game through GameStop.
- May 19, 2009 @ 11:04 AM by JK Parkin
Ultimate Alliance’s Deadpool in action
Following up on yesterday’s post about Deadpool appearing in Marvel Ultimate Alliances 2, here’s a video of the merc with a mouth in action, courtesy of Marvel.com:
BTW, the video shows one of Deadpool’s “fusion” moves — those are the team-up style moves two characters can perform together — where the Hulk grabs a rock, Deadpool attaches a bomb to it, and, well … things go boom.
- May 19, 2009 @ 10:49 AM by JK Parkin
Captain Britain ends with issue #15
If you look at the Marvel solicitations for August, you’ll see there’s no listing for Captain Britain and MI-13 #16 … unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it’s a skip month. After thanking many of the people involved with the series, including its fans, writer Paul Cornell talks about the end of the series on his blog:
Captain Britain and MI:13 #9
Thirdly, you know that time when the whole internet thought we were cancelled? We genuinely weren’t. The book coming to an end now isn’t a revelation that the rumours then were ‘true all along’. If it had been true then, I’d have told you then. I think that controversy, and the extremely welcome reaction from fans, ended up doing a lot of good.
Lastly, and this is really important, while we didn’t know this would be the last arc until comparatively recently, I had it in mind that it was possible it would be from the time I started plotting it. Indeed, the end of this arc marks the end of what I had planned for the book when I started. One of the images right at the finish is what I always felt I was heading towards, and I’m very pleased I got there. So: you will get a real, thorough, proper, ending, not just of ‘Vampire State’, but of the whole run. It hasn’t been rushed to fit the space, it hasn’t been compromised, it won’t just suddenly cut off: it’s what I intended. I think the Annual and the two remaining issues finish off one of my best stories in any media, and that story is actually the entirety of Captain Britain and MI-13. You’ll see what I mean a bit more next issue. This is a comic with a proper ending.
Quite frankly, this sucks.
- May 19, 2009 @ 09:46 AM by JK Parkin
Robot reviews: The Photographer
The Photographer
by Emmanuel Guibert, Didier Lefevre and Frederic Lemercier
First Second, 288 pages, $29.95.
We like to think that a trip to Europe or colorful tourist spot or even simply tooling around the North American continent makes us “well traveled.” We come back from our trip with our photos and souveniers and tell our friends and anyone else who’ll listen how broadening our trip was and how people are really just the same no matter where you go.
But there are countries in the world where you can get murdered for saying you don’t believe in God, or assaulted or worse for admitting that you’re over 30 years old and unmarried. There are places where the terrain is so inhospitable that merely staying out overnight can be a death sentence, and when you get lost, they don’t send out a search party. They just assume you’re dead.
This is the landscape, both geographical and cultural, brought to life in The Photographer, a stunning new graphic novel by Emmanuel Guibert, creator of last year’s equally impressive Alan’s War. Like the best journalistic pieces, it indelably captures a hostile but occasionally warm country at a unique period of time, where war and desolation has left its residents even more isolated than before.
- May 19, 2009 @ 09:35 AM by Chris Mautner
Real-life superheroes, your days are numbered!
ROACH
Since gaining national media attention as Cincinatti’s self-appointed caped crusader, Shadow Hare has faced public mockery and a $10 bounty for his secret identity.
But now the black-clad protector of the Queen City may pray for the day when those were his biggest concerns.
It seems the rise of real-life superheroes, who organize via the World Superhero Registry, have triggered the inevitable backlash — one far worse than the so-called Consortium of Evil that sought Shadow Hare’s identity.
Introducing ROACH — Ruthless Organization Against Citizen Heroes — whose “primary goal is to be a counter balancing force against the Superheroes of the world who’s [sic] goodwill and penchant for spreading hope has gone on unchecked for far too long. Where they exist to help and motivate society, we exist to help and motivate ourselves and to bring society under our boot!”
Unearthed over the weekend by io9.com, ROACH appears highly organized, with a mission statement, a youth-outreach division called LARVA — Lower Aged Recruits for Violence and Aggression — and, of course, T-shirts.
And, yes, ROACH is recruiting. There’s even an ominous-yet-inspiring recruitment video. For more, see io9′s interview with the group’s mysterious founder The Potentate.
Shadow Hare, what have you gotten yourself into?
- May 19, 2009 @ 08:34 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Shojo Beat
Industry | Sales at troubled Quebecor World, the largest printer of comics in North America, fell 25 percent in the first quarter of the year because of the recession. The company lost $125.9 million, which is still an improvement over the same period in 2008. [ICv2.com]
Publishing | According to a notice on the website of distributor Alini Magazine Services, Viz Media’s four-year-old Shojo Beat will end with the July issue. The magazine, which targets young women, had a monthly circulation of 38,000 in 2007. [Alini Magazine Services, via David Welsh]
Disney Fairies
Publishing | Papercutz has inked a deal to produce a line of graphic novels based on Disney Fairies, a popular property built around Tinker Bell that’s already staked a claim to chapter books, clothing, video games and toys. The publisher plans to release four titles a year beginning in April 2010. [Publishers Weekly]
Publishing | David Wohl, former president and editor-in-chief of Top Cow Productions, has been named editor-in-chief of Radical Comics. He replaces Dave Elliott, who remains as special projects editor. Rich Johnston has more on the move. [Radical Comics]
Conventions | Adri Cowan and Heidi MacDonald post reports and photos from Sunday’s Maine Comics Art Festival in Portland. [Maine Comics Art Festival]
- May 19, 2009 @ 07:11 AM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim: Brian Cronin
Was Superman A Spy?
Back in the mid-2000s, Brian Cronin and I worked together at the earlier version of this blog, The Great Curve. Currently, of course, Cronin is known for great work at Robot 6′s older sibling blog, Comics Should Be Good. Out of that, in mid-2005, Cronin launched his very popular Comic Book Urban Legends Revealed weekly feature. In fact, that particular feature became so popular in late April Plume released a book by Cronin, Was Superman a Spy?: And Other Comic Book Legends Revealed, in which he “demystifies all of the interesting stories, unbelievable anecdotes, wacky rumors, and persistent myths that have piled up like priceless back issues in the seventy-plus years of the comic book industry”. I caught up with my fellow CBR-based writer to chat about his new book.
Tim O’Shea: What were some of the hardest questions to research?
Brian Cronin: Among the legends in the book, I would say that the one about George Lucas and the old Uncle Scrooge story would be the hardest, as Lucas is not exactly the easiest fellow to come into contact with, so after quite some time trying to find information about it, I luckily was able to come into contact with his friend (and the editor of the great Carl Barks’ tribute volume, Uncle Scrooge McDuck–His Life & Times), Edward Summer, who was invaluable in getting an answer to that question.
O’Shea: In terms of the questions that were sent in, were there one or two that just seemed completely implausible at first, but to your amazement turned out to be true?
- May 18, 2009 @ 03:20 PM by Tim O'Shea
Thin Wallets, Fat Bookshelves: A publishing news round-up
Strangers in Paradise Omnibus
* Remember that Strangers in Paradise Omnibus I mentioned awhile back? Apparently you can pre-order it now:
Abstract Studio is pre-selling this very limited definitive edition on line, before its debut at the San Diego Comic-Con. The complete SIP story is contained in two 1,100 page hardcovers with dust jackets and a bonus color cover gallery hardcover with dust jacket all in a gorgeous slipcase! This mammoth collection is only $159.95! Shipping in the continental US is $15.00 via FedEx but if you are attending the San Diego Comic-Con you can pre-purchase your copy and pick it up there! All other orders will be shipped the first week in August.
* Nonfiction prose publisher Hill and Wang announced they’re going to expand their graphic novel offerings.
* Also from ICv2: “DMF and Bleach Studios will launch a series of comics based on the Storm Hawks animated series this summer.” Apparently this is a show on the Cartoon Network? I never turn on my TV anymore.
* Missed it: NBM will publish The Big Kahn by Neil Kleid and Nicolas Cinquegrani this fall:
Rabbi David Kahn has lived a forty-year lie: he is not, nor has he ever been, Jewish. At his funeral, the “rabbi’s” grifter brother reveals the truth to Kahn’s family and his entire congregation. Author and Xeric Award winner Neil Kleid and artist Nicolas Cinquegrani explore a family secret that forces the nature of faith into question.
- May 18, 2009 @ 02:25 PM by Chris Mautner
Deadpool returns for next Marvel Ultimate Alliance game
Deadpool
After appearing in a hit movie this summer and heading up at least three different comic titles, it comes as no surprise that Deadpool is making a return appearance in the upcoming video game sequel Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2.
Deadpool joins Songbird, Iron Fist and many more characters in the sequel to the 2006 hit video game.
“When putting together a new character, it’s always good to be mindful of the visual capabilities of the heroes we’re designing,” writes system designer Jay Twining on the game’s website. “We don’t make The Hulk shoot laser beams, we don’t animate Storm with weapons. Deadpool’s visuals are universally over-the-top; in a way, he’s like a clown who pulls out different props to get a laugh. Except in his case, he’s laying waste to everyone in his path.”
I guess that means he won’t be using optic blasts in the game.
- May 18, 2009 @ 01:31 PM by JK Parkin