2009 June
The Fifth Color | Reach for the Stars
It was four o’clock in the morning. We had to leave my place in Santa Barbara at 2 a.m. to arrive on time to get into costuming and make-up at a blimp hanger in Tustin, CA. Corporate Headquarters called me in.
And by Corporate Headquarters, I mean Starfleet.
From a notice on Startrek.com to a casting call of what honestly felt like over 9,000 hopefuls and fans (one even flew in that day from the East Coast to wait his turn in line!), I got the callback from some very nice people who would induct me into a lifelong dream.
For others, this was just another day at work. For you non-California types, one can make a semi-honest living as a movie set extra. The professionals were rather amused by the extreme nerd set milling about and there was a rumor running around amongst us that if they found you out to be a Super Fan, they might remove you as a security risk. JJ Abrams wanted this more secret than secret and all of us were under non-disclosure agreements. Talking Trek was difficult at first, but it didn’t stop the fans from finding our own. Suiting up in the women’s dressing room, I heard one girl complain about how nerdy some of our fellow extras were. “One guy was complaining about the pin on our jackets!” she decried.
“Really, oh my God,” I commiserated. “… which one was he again?”
- June 16, 2009 @ 02:47 PM by Carla Hoffman
Guest column: Remembering Dave Simons
Editor’s Note: Comics artist and animator Dave Simons passed away last week, and journalist James H. Burns sent us this remembrance of meeting the artist over the years.
by Jim Burns (James H. Burns)
The other day, when I read that comics artist Dave Simons had passed, I wrote the following… But then, I realized, I had committed that semi-sin of commemorating someone, by talking more about oneself. Upon reflection, though, I think this may contain a nice Dave Simons story, and one he’d enjoy… (There’s a terrific summary of Dave’s career, elsewhere on this website.)
A NICE DAVE SIMONS STORY
Dave Simons
Dave Simons was one of the very first comics artists I ever met.
The January 1976 Creation Comics Convention, at the old, great Commodore Hotel in New York City, was the very first comic book convention I ever attended. I was a kid, just into my teens. But somehow, I was also working at the MONSTER TIMES dealers tables!
My first con had been one of the big STAR TREK wing dings, in 1974.
I was supposed to go to the Phil Seuling show, in July of 1975, but had been hit by a car earlier that year, and was still in a body cast. (Having your thigh bone broken, no fun: three months in traction, four months in a body cast, three months on crutches…) One of the worst days of that convalescence, was thinking of the fun I was sure I was missing, July 4th weekend.
- June 16, 2009 @ 01:44 PM by JK Parkin
Straight for the art | Del Rey reveals Talisman cover
Talisman Issue #0
You may have heard that Del Rey was planning to offer a graphic novel adaptation of Stephen King and Peter Straub’s best selling novel, The Talisman, featuring art by Tony Shasteen and a script by Robin Furth. Now Del Rey has revealed that Massimo Carnevale (known for his work on Y: The Last Man) will be the cover artist for the monthly series. What’s more, a special preview ssue, as seen above, will be released at this year’s Comic-Con.
Full press release from Del Rey after the jump.
- June 16, 2009 @ 12:10 PM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the art | Vollenweider’s Cave
Panel from CF's 'Cave'
Vice Magazine, never one to shy away from comics, presents a decidedly odd and somewhat gruesome comic by Christopher Forgues (aka CF).
- June 16, 2009 @ 11:10 AM by Chris Mautner
Thin wallets, fat bookshelves: A publishing news round-up
The Art of Steve Ditko
• Can nothing stop Craig Yoe? The Modern Arf, Boody and Secret Identity editor and author is apparently getting his own imprint, entitled YOE! Books, and courtesy of IDW. The first book released will be the hardcover Art of Steve Ditko.
• Same Hat blogger Ryan Sands reveals that he and Evan Hayden will be adapting Suehiro Maruo’s The Strange Tale of Panorama Island for Last Gasp. The manga won the New Artist Prize at the Annual Osamu Tezuka Cultural Prize earlier this year. Sands and Hayden previously translated Tokyo Zombie for the company. Island will be released in spring 2010. You can read Ryan’s description of the book here.
• Heidi MacDonald notes that up and coming cartoonist Alexa Kitchen, daughter of publisher and cartoonist Denis Kitchen, will have a book out from Hyperion this fall entitled Grown-Ups Are Dumb! (No Offense).
• Del Rey has picked up the rights to two Kodansha manga series: Samurai Deeper Kyo and Wild@Heart. Tokyopop originally published the first 34 volumes of the former series. Del Rey will release an omnibus edition of volumes 35 and 36 in December. Wild@Heart will be released in January.
• Editor and British comics devotee Steve Holland has set up his own publishing imprint, Bear Alley Books, which will reprint …wait for it … classic British comics.
• Brooklyn artist Jason Fraspin is working on a comic about WWII pilot Ben Steeple and has a preview over at his blog.
- June 16, 2009 @ 10:35 AM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the art | Nilsen’s Prosper
Nilsen's 'Prosper the Turtle'
Over on his blog, Anders Nilsen talks about a children’s book he attempted to make for his younger sister, titled Prosper the Turtle, and how it led him to decide to pursue a life in comics.
- June 16, 2009 @ 09:59 AM by Chris Mautner
Retailer roundup: Captain America #600
As you may have heard yesterday, the New York Daily News broke some news about the upcoming Captain America: Reborn mini-series. Yesterday also saw Captain America #600 go on sale at some comic retail stores.
I emailed a couple of retailers yesterday who I knew were selling the book early to see how the book was doing and what kind of interest they were seeing in it. Others have commented on their own blogs or even in the comments field of one of our older posts, which you can find after the jump:
Vito Delsante, Jim Hanley’s Universe in New York City:
We’ve been getting calls about it since 8:30, when I showed up. We put the book out for sale around 9:50 AM (possibly making us the first place in the city to have the book out for sale…possibly) and probably around 12:00 PM for our New Dorp store. Steady selling since then. A lot of questions, I’m guessing, from folks who don’t actually follow the book, but remember Cap’s death. It’s been kind of fun though…selling comics on a Monday seems so dirty, I feel like we’re breaking a law.
- June 16, 2009 @ 09:19 AM by JK Parkin
Today is Winsor McCay Day in Spring Lake, Michigan
Little Nemo in Slumberland
No, really. I swear. They’re going to have children’s activities and everything. Still, if you’re unable to attend the proceedings, I suggest celebrating by putting on your finest nightgown, have your bed grow legs and walk out of your house and then talk so quickly that the words all cramp together and then spill out of the balloon above you. Either that or have a toasted cheese sandwich just before bed which, as well all know, always leads to a horrible nightmare.
- June 16, 2009 @ 08:35 AM by Chris Mautner
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
New Avengers #53
Sales charts | Retailer-oriented ICv2.com trumpets that “Comic Sales Crash in May” as periodicals plummeted 19 percent from May 2008′s direct-market figures. That’s “the biggest year-over-year monthly decline” since the website began tracking sales. Graphic novels fell 13 percent, for a combined 18-percent drop.
Once again, no titles cracked the 100,000 mark; New Avengers #53, the top-selling monthly, moved an estimated 94,367 copies (and that’s with a variant cover). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century — 1910 #1 led the graphic-novel chart with an estimated 36,546 copies. John Jackson Miller has additional analysis. [ICv2.com]
Spider-Man #1
Fandom | Jason Notte turns to Wizard Entertainment’s Gareb Shamus, among others, for advice on comics as financial investments. The headline pretty much says it all: “Looking to Beat Stocks? Buy Comics Books.” Sigh. [TheStreet.com]
Conventions | Tom Spurgeon previews this weekend’s HeroesCon with a list of his favorite things about the convention. [The Comics Reporter]
Events | Today is Winsor McCay Day in Spring Lake, Michigan, celebrating the 1867 birth of the legendary cartoonist and animator. [Grand Haven Tribune, via Sean Kleefeld]
- June 16, 2009 @ 07:36 AM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | Tom Scioli’s Incredibles cover
Incredibles #3 HeroesCon variant
Godland artist Tom Scioli provided the above variant cover for BOOM!’s Incredibles #3, available only at this weekend’s HeroesCon. It’s a really nice piece, and, if this makes sense, has sort of an “indie” feel to it … which seems like the way to go for a variant cover for the show, considering HeroesCon plays host to Indie Island.
See BOOM!’s other variant covers and other plans for HeroesCon here.
- June 16, 2009 @ 05:56 AM by JK Parkin
Are Robinson and Henderson part of comic book history?
DC’s full solicitations for September came out yesterday, something Tom will no doubt talk about in his next Grumpy Old Fan column, but I wanted to draw attention to two comics in particular:
The Web #1
THE WEB #1
Written by Angela Robinson; co-feature written by John Rozum
Art by Roger Robinson & Hilary Barta;co-feature art by Tom Derenick & Bill Sienkiewicz
Cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau
Variant sketch cover by JG Jones
Spinning out of August’s “Red Circle” event from superstar writer J. Michael Straczynski comes the new ongoing adventures of the selfish rich-boy hero the Web, and the mysterious-undying Hangman. Writer/director Angela Robinson (D.E.B.S.) and artist Roger Robinson (BATMAN: GOTHAM KNIGHTS) spin the tales of The Web, a man who has only recently come to understand the burden of true heroism. He’s fighting crime on his own terms, and for his first mission he’s hunting down the men responsible for killing his brother!
Plus, the Hangman stars in his own co-feature with a touch of urban noir from writer John Rozum (DETECTIVE COMICS) and artists Tom Derenick and Bill Sienkiewicz, the team behind REIGN IN HELL! The Hangman haunts the streets of San Francisco and touches lives as he works to discover whether his powers are a blessing or a curse.
Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 10 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Stanley “Artgerm” Lau), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a sketch cover by JG Jones). See the Previews Order Form for more info.
On sale September 23 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 USTeen Titans #75
TEEN TITANS #75
Written by Felicia D. Henderson;
co-feature written by Sean McKeever
Art by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson;
co-feature art by Yildiray Cinar & Júlio Ferreira
Cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson Variant cover by Andy Clarke
Come celebrate our gala 75th issue with an all-star cast of Titans past and present! Joining this issue for the extravaganza is new ongoing writer Felicia D. Henderson, a co-executive producer on TV’s hit show Fringe! Don’t miss this start to a fresh new take on DC’s premier teen team! And in the Ravager co-feature, Rose lies nearly dead in the Arctic when a horrific discovery chills her even more! Retailers please note: This issue will ship with two covers. For every 25 copies of the Standard Edition (with a cover by Joe Bennett & Jack Jadson), retailers may order one copy of the Variant Edition (with a cover by Andy Clarke). Please see the Previews Order Form for more information.
On sale September 30 • 40 pg, FC, $3.99 US
- June 15, 2009 @ 09:55 PM by JK Parkin
Collect this now: Mickey Mouse Meets the Air Pirates
Mickey Mouse Meets the Air Pirates
To all those who have been enjoying this column and wondering where it went, I apologize about the long hiatus. I have no excuses other than it’s been a bumpy year. In any event I shall try to keep things proceeding from here on out at a more regular pace. It might not be weekly, but it won’t be bimonthly certainly.
Anyway, for the return of Collect This Now, the column wherein I pick long-neglected comics and make a case for them to be reprinted, I’ve picked the mother of all lost causes. You can pray to St. Anthony all you like but you’ll see gold-embossed Miracleman Omnibus with a foreword by both Neil Gaiman and Todd McFarlane before you’ll ever set eyes on the trade paperback of this puppy, thanks largely to the Walt Disney company.
Wherefore you ask? What possible reason could the Disney Conglomerate (Inc.) have to prevent this material from ever being printed again? And is it possible that if I click on the link below I will encounter images that are most definitely Not Safe for Work?
Mmmmmmmmm ….. could be.
- June 15, 2009 @ 02:56 PM by Chris Mautner
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 081
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell.
I knew he bore closer watching. Welp, you can’t take that back, can you?
Head over to the archives to catch the story from the beginning.
Back on Wednesday with another page and a chance to win a copy of the first Strangeways graphic novel, MURDER MOON.
- June 15, 2009 @ 01:51 PM by Matt Maxwell
A first look at Captain America: Reborn #1
From Reborn #1
Marvel cranks the publicity up a notch for the return of Steve Rogers with this six-page preview of Captain America: Reborn #1, courtesy of The Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex blog.
The five-issue miniseries, by Ed Brubaker, Bryan Hitch and Butch Guice, debuts on July 1.
- June 15, 2009 @ 12:55 PM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim: Matt Wayne
The Brave and the Bold 24
Matt Wayne‘s latest work for DC comes out this week, The Brave and The Bold 24, featuring the “first meeting of Static and Black Lightning” (as detailed by DC here). Given that Wayne was a Milestone editor back in the mid-1990s, this marks a return to some old friends for the writer. In addition to discussing his comics work, we also discuss his career in animation in this email interview.
Tim O’Shea: You’re shifting Brave & Bold gears, as you wrap up a stint writing the DC Kids Brave and Bold, you will be writing the non-kids line The Brave and The Bold 24, where Black Lightning and Static team up for the first time. With two heroes with similar powers, did you enjoy getting to show their differences in this issue?
Matt Wayne: Sure, any team up’s going to have that aspect to it. For instance, my next episode (Menace of the Conqueror Caveman!) of the Batman: Brave and the Bold show [to be replayed this Thursday, June 18, according to IMDb {check those local listings}] will pair Batman and Booster Gold, and they’re both gadget guys. The differences between the two need to come out in the course of the action, or it’s not a good team-up. There isn’t much in life that’s more entertaining than putting two toddlers in a wading pool and watching them compare belly buttons. But if anything can top that, it’s hero team-ups done right!
- June 15, 2009 @ 12:00 PM by Tim O'Shea