2009 June
Straight for the art: The Kirby Project
Hulk art by JR Williams
Surprisingly enough, The Kirby Project is not a blog devoted solely to all things Jack Kirby, but rather an art blog of work by other cartoonists and illustrators inspired by the King. A quick glance reveals some stunning work by folks like Michael Cho, Darryl Cunningham and JR Williams, who did the Hulk pop art piece above. Contributions are sought and encouraged, so feel free to send in your own OMAC homage.
- June 2, 2009 @ 10:14 AM by Chris Mautner
Gotham, ‘a city of graveyards and gargoyles; alleys and asylums’
From "Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight" #27
This post by Jimmy Stamp in which he uses the 1992 Batman crossover “Destroyer” as an entry point to examine the architecture of Gotham City may be my favorite read of the past day or so.
I wasn’t reading comics at the time, so I’m unfamiliar with the Alan Grant storyline, which involved an overzealous architectural historian dubbed the Mad Bomber who dedicates himself to destroying the modern buildings that obscured the city’s original Neo-gothic structures. It’s an interesting premise with an ulterior motive: It altered the comic-book cityscape to reflect Anton Furst’s vision for the Tim Burton movies.
“Since its inception, Gotham City has been presented as the embodiment of the urban fears that helped give rise to the American suburbs, the safe havens from the city that they are,” Stamp writes on his fascinating Life Without Buildings blog. “Gotham City has always been a dark place, full of steam and rats and crime. A city of graveyards and gargoyles; alleys and asylums. Gotham is a nightmare, a distorted metropolis that corrupts the souls of good men. In the excellent book, Woody Allen on Woody Allen
(via Sean Witzke)
- June 2, 2009 @ 09:10 AM by Kevin Melrose
Late to the party: Mel’s piano
Mell Lazarus' piano
A few folks have already linked to Tom Richmond’s photos of cartooning legend Mell Lazarus’ piano, which happens to be festooned with autographs and illustrations from some of the biggest names in around, but if you haven’t seen it yet, it’s well worth taking five from your busy schedule and clicking the link.
- June 2, 2009 @ 08:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Wizard Entertainment
Publishing | Tom Spurgeon has word of more staff departures from Wizard Entertainment: Darren Sanchez, vice president of production and circulation, reportedly was fired, while photographer Dylan Brucie quit. [The Comics Reporter]
Creators | Jim McLauchlin provides an update on the health of legendary underground-comics creator S. Clay Wilson, who’s recovering from a serious head injury. [The Hero Initiative]
Publishing | Dark Horse announced at BookExpo America that it will publish The Last Dragon, a young-adult graphic novel by best-selling author Jane Yolen. It will be painted by fantasy artist Rebecca Guay. [ICv2.com]
Publishing | Dark Horse also is looking for a comic retail manager. [Dark Horse]
Publishing | Shaun Huston chimes in with questions about the name of The New York Times’ comics bestseller list: “In introducing ‘graphic books’ to the critical lexicon, the creators of The New York Times Bestseller Lists seem to have been compelled to simultaneously stand to the side of existing contests over comics, what they are, what they mean, who they are for, and make a statement about the ‘maturation’ of the form.” [PopMatters]
- June 2, 2009 @ 07:26 AM by Kevin Melrose
Iron Fist and Runaways won’t be joining Captain Britain quite yet
Runaways #11
While responding to a question about Marvel’s recent cancellation of Captain Britain and MI13, Executive Editor Tom Brevoort ended up sparking some concerns about the fates of two other titles.
When asked Friday on his blog why the company couldn’t continue publishing a low-selling yet high-quality comic like Captain Britain, Brevoort responded, in part: “… Any one book being unprofitable isn’t enough to break Marvel, but the question is, where do you draw the line? If we keep Captain Britain going, then shouldn’t we also keep Runaways going? Or Iron Fist? Or Spider-Girl? Or any of a number of other titles that have hit this level despite a dedicated and loyal core audience. At the end of the day, Marvel is a business — if we don’t make money, they come around and turn all the lights out. Every series in our publishing line needs to earn its keep in one way or another. If it’s a property we really believe in, we may run a given series into the red for awhile to see if we can’t find a way to turn it around, but we simply cannot do that on every title that garners critical acclaim.”
The inclusion of Runaways and The Immortal Iron Fist among the newly canceled and the, let’s call it, “recently repackaged” led some to wonder whether Brevoort had just dropped a bombshell.
“Runaways is canceled?” one commenter posted. “I think that’s news.” We received an email over the weekend wondering the same thing.
No, a Marvel spokesman tells Robot 6, they’re not canceled: Runaways lives and Iron Fist is “officially on hiatus while Immortal Weapons runs through the end of 2009.”
- June 1, 2009 @ 03:25 PM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim: Greg Sadowski
Supermen!
Editor Greg Sadowski‘s new Fantagraphics book, Supermen! The First Wave of Comic Book Heroes 1936-1941, is a spectacular snapshot of a historical period long before comic book company events, crossovers and alternate covers or universes. As detailed by the publisher: “The enduring cultural phenomenon of comic book heroes was invented in the late 1930s by a talented and hungry group of artists and writers barely out of their teens, flying by the seat of their pants to create something new, exciting, and above all profitable. The iconography and mythology they created flourishes to this day in comic books, video, movies, fine art, advertising, and practically all other media. Supermen! collects the best and the brightest of this first generation, including Jack Cole, Will Eisner, Bill Everett, Lou Fine, Fletcher Hanks, Jack Kirby, Jerry Siegel, Joe Shuster, and Basil Wolverton.” The book sports a foreword by Jonathan Lethem. My thanks to Sadowski for his willingness to discuss his editorial approach on this project and after learning some of what did not make the first volume, I look forward to seeing a second volume down the road as time and other logistics permit. Fantagraphics also offers folks the chance to download an “11-page PDF excerpt (7.4 MB) featuring an entire story by Will Eisner and Lou Fine starring The Flame!”
Tim O’Shea: How did the foreword by Jonathan Lethem come about?
Greg Sadowski: Someone at Fantagraphics approached him, and Jonathan really came thorough – his foreword starts things off beautifully.
- June 1, 2009 @ 02:25 PM by Tim O'Shea
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 077
A touch late today. But always worth hitting the ‘reload page’ button for.
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell
Huh. So that’s where he’s been hiding. Kinda ignorant, too, calling nitro “sorcery.”
Hit the archives to catch the story from the beginning. (Sorry, linking not working. Will try to get it going this afternoon.)
I’ll be writing up my recent trip to Monsterpalooza this last weekend, where I got to meet the one and only Jim Warren, hopefully tonight, probably tomorrow. Trying to catch up from a weekend away and not really succeeding, so back to work for me.
- June 1, 2009 @ 01:22 PM by Matt Maxwell
Retailer James Sime on Marvel, Diamond’s handling of Cap #600
Last week Comic Book Resources reported that Captain America #600 will be available for retailers to sell on Monday, June 15 — a shift from the traditional new comics day of Wednesday. The announcement was made on the Diamond Comics Retailer Services Web site.
“The move to a Monday on-sale date leads one to speculate that a major announcement regarding future storylines is coming on June 15th,” wrote Executive Producer Jonah Weiland.
James Sime, owner of Isotope Comics in San Francisco, dropped me an email with his thoughts about when and how it was announced:
Captain America #600
Monday, June 15th pre-release of Captain America #600.
It’s an unprecedented move by Marvel and Diamond, and a terrific opportunity for comic retailers to take advantage of real-world mainstream press and attention! My shop isn’t even typically open on Mondays, but my staff and I were all really excited to hear about the news of the promotion and to open up for that special day. Even if Marvel doesn’t manage to get the mainstream media attention they’re hoping for, two “new comics days” in one week is still a pretty exciting way to promote what will no doubt be one of Marvel’s best books of the entire year. I couldn’t be more thrilled to participate!
Except one thing. They announced this Monday pre-release the day of Final Order Cut Off on Captain America #600, which was a shipment day when every good retailer is busy selling comics, not screwing around on Diamond’s website.
They haven’t even printed the book yet but it’s already “sold out,” making it impossible for retailers to up their orders to take advantage of this new news.
Without making the product available, what is the point of even writing a press release or doing a special pre-release at all? Are Marvel and Diamond just trying to remind themselves and to prove once again to the world at large that the comic industry is full of creative people with great, exciting ideas … but not even one single businessman who has enough braincells to pass third-grade remedial math?
Marvel and Diamond should be embarrassed of the bumbling, feeble-minded dimwits in charge of their respective marketing departments for wasting a golden opportunity to sell more comics and for their moronic handling of this promotion. I certainly am.
To completely botch this momentous occasion in one of this country’s most important patriotic superheroic icons isn’t just the height of stupidity for the entire comic industry … it’s downright un-American.
- June 1, 2009 @ 12:58 PM by JK Parkin
New Yorker drops more Genesis project tidbits
Dig those unfinished pages man
The New Yorker, or at least its Web site, has quickly become the go-to place for those eager to learn about Robert Crumb’s upcoming and much-anticipated adaptation of the Book of Genesis. Blogger Leigh Stein’s latest revelation comes courtesy of Crumb neighbor and fellow artist Peter Poplanski, who talks about how he helped Crumb do research for the book by taking photos of Biblical-themed movies:
“Robert would go over and over the costume folds, how the robes fit, the drapery. Once you know the gravity of fabric, you also have to light it, so the fabric has weight,” Poplaski said.
He scoured flea markets and discount bins for copies of Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments” (1923 and 1956), William Wyler’s “Ben Hur” (1959), and a made for TV Samson and Delilah starring Dennis Hopper as a Philistine general. He also turned to some less predictable Hollywood sources—Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Sheltering Sky” (1990), Martin Scorsese’s “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1998), and Stephen Sommers’s “The Mummy “(1999) and “The Mummy Returns” (2001).
Update: I haven’t gotten my copy yet, but apparently the latest issue of the New Yorker contains an 11-page excerpt from the book. So be sure to run out to your local newsstand dealer post-haste.
- June 1, 2009 @ 10:50 AM by Chris Mautner
Millar and Gibbons plan to work together … eventually
Mark Millar
Robot 6 confirmed this morning that writer Mark Millar and Watchmen artist Dave Gibbons are looking to join forces on a possible creator-owned series, as reported by Rich Johnston on his new blog.
However, Millar says the details of the project are off the mark.
“Rich [is] totally wrong,” Millar told Robot 6. “This series I’m announcing in summer is someone else, though Dave and I [are] talking about doing SOMETHING in about a year. No idea what or where it is yet.”
Asked if the project he’s announcing at Comic-Con International is his long-rumored project with Civil War and “Old Man Logan” collaborator Steve McNiven, Millar said: “No, that’s already semi-official. Have another one we’ll announce, too, which might be even bigger. Should be a big summer.”
For more from Millar himself, visit his forum.
- June 1, 2009 @ 09:43 AM by Jeffrey Renaud
Read Super Human Resources #1 for free
Super Human Resources trade cover
You might remember back in February when I ran a guest column by Ken Marcus, writer and creator of the mini-series Super Human Resources. Marcus shared some of this thoughts on how he approached marketing the book.
And just because the mini-series has run its course doesn’t mean that the marketing ends — Marcus dropped me a note over the weekend about the trade paperback collection of the mini-series. To help promote it, he and Ape Entertainment have put the first issue out on the web for free. The book is in this month’s Previews, with an order code of JUN090688.
- June 1, 2009 @ 08:03 AM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Stitches
Conventions | ICv2.com reports that although exhibit space and attendance were down from the last New York show, the overall feeling was generally positive at this weekend’s BookExpo America. Heidi MacDonald, Brian Heater and Geekanerd’s AHR also post from BEA, where David Small’s autobiographical graphic novel Stitches apparently was the toast of the show. [BookExpo America]
Publishing | IDW Publishing announced at BookExpo America that it has secured the rights to 100 short stories by prolific writer Robert Bloch, author of Psycho and the Hugo Award-winning “That Hell-Bound Train.” [Publishers Weekly]
Marvel Divas #1
Publishing | Latoya Peterson picks up on the Marvel Divas miniseries, and remembers why she “decamped from American comics in the first place and ran straight into the arms of the Japanese manga market.” [Guardian]
Conventions | Mark Waid blogs briefly from the 27th International Barcelona Comics Fair, where DC Comics’ Batman in Barcelona: Dragon’s Knight received some international attention. [MarkWaid.com]
Retailing | The Beguiling’s Christopher Butcher live-blogs part of his monthly Previews order again: “So what do we have? Another 1 in 250 copy variant on Blackest Night #1. I appreciate that DC is getting behind this one in a big way… Free Comic Book Day, two years of build-up, all of that. But again, this is a program that rewards large retailers and encourages small retailers to take potentially very unhealthy positions on books. Man, if I’ve heard the rumours about Diamond being in a cash-crunch because of the number of comic stores closing (and not paying their bills…) then SURELY DC has heard the same thing… and yet they’re encouraging stores to drop an extra 500-600 bucks to nab an “incentive” cover. Or they’re just shutting those customers out entirely. This is the worst thing in the comics industry right now. The Worst.” [Comics212]
- June 1, 2009 @ 06:57 AM by Kevin Melrose
Video: Bendis on Sound of Young America
The Sound of Young America — “a public radio show about things that are awesome” — recently interviewed comics writer Brian Michael Bendis at the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland, Ore. back in April. Below is the embedded video file, which you can also find on their site along with an audio-only version:
Brian Michael Bendis on The Sound of Young America from Jesse Thorn on Vimeo.
- June 1, 2009 @ 06:08 AM by JK Parkin