2009 July
SDCC ’09 | There’s trouble in Camp Twilight
Camp Twilight (photo by Andy Khouri)
There’s turmoil brewing in Camp Twilight, the name given to the tent-and-sleeping bag city that sprang up outside of the San Diego Convention Center as fans began lining up two days ago for this afternoon’s New Moon panel.
Jevon Phillips reports that some people — adult TwiMoms are singled out — have been cutting in line and saving spaces. Needless to say, that doesn’t sit well with some of the fans, whose numbers last night were placed anywhere from 1,000 to 2,000. A few teen girls, outraged that convention security is allowing places to be saved, speak out on video.
“They asked a 17-year-old [actor Taylor Lautner, presumably] to sign their thong,” on girl says. “That’s disgusting. If a guy was asking a 17-year-old girl that, he could get arrested.”
By 1:45 this afternoon, things could get really ugly.
And if fans spot the glaring discrepancies between the anemic, fully clothed Edward doll and the buff, shirtless Jacob doll, convention organizers may have to call in the National Guard.
- July 23, 2009 @ 07:42 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Buenaventura Press and First Second
Injury #3
Buenaventura Press will be debuting a grand total of four new comics at the show this weekend, including Aviatrix #1 by Eric Haven, Boy’s Club #3 by Matt Furie, I Want You by Lisa Hanawalt and Injury #3 by Ted May and co.
Haven, Furie and Hanawalt will all be attending the show and signing copies at the Buenaventura booth (#1732).
In addition, copies of by Tom Gauld andThe Gigantic Robot The Complete Jack Survives by Jack Moriarty will also be available for purchase. Both books were available at the last MoCCA show, but they won’t be available in comic book stores until August, so if you can’t wait, this is your chance.
The company will also have a selection of minicomics and imported books from Sweden, Japan, Italy, France and the UK on hand.
Oh, and in case you were thinking of holding off on buying a copy of Kramer’s Ergot 7 until after the show, publisher Alvin Buenaventura has some news:
This will be the last major signing event for Kramers Ergot 7 as many of the contributors including the editor Sammy Harkham will be with us. We’re down to our last few hundred copies so if you’ve been holding out this is one of your last chances to get a copy and signed! We will not be reprinting this book.
Other artists who will be signing at the booth include Johnny Ryan, Xaime Hernandez, Seth, Tim Hensley and Leif Goldberg.
- July 23, 2009 @ 07:00 AM by Chris Mautner
SDCC ’09 | ComiXology launches new iPhone app
Comics by comiXology
Iconology this morning launched its Comics by comiXology application, a digital-comics store, library and reader for iPhone and iPod featuring titles from 20 publishers. It’s available on Apple’s App Store.
Participating companies include AdHouse Books, Arcana, Bluewater Productions, Com.X, Digital Webbing, eigoMANGA, Image Comics, Moonstone, Red 5 and SLG Publishing.
In addition, Robert Kirkman has signed on to deliver his comics, most notably The Walking Dead and Invincible, exclusively through the app.
- July 23, 2009 @ 06:47 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | IDW Publishing expands its digital catalog
IDW Publishing
IDW Publishing announced at Comic-Con that it’s expanding its digital-comics initiative to include the G.I. JOE: The Rise of Cobra prequels, as well as Transformers and CSI titles.
Over the coming weeks the company will add more G.I. Joe and Transformers comics, plus Danger Girl, Astro Boy, Groom Lake, John Sable Freelance and GrimJack.
The IDW catalog can be found on iTunes, where users can download an eight-page preview of Danger Girl #0 for free.
- July 23, 2009 @ 06:04 AM by Kevin Melrose
Co-founder sues Radical Comics’ parent company
Hercules #4
Just days before Comic-Con, Radical Comics owner Blatant Entertainment was dealt a bit of a blow: a lawsuit from one of its co-founders.
THR, Esq. reports that David Elliott, who was editor-in-chief of Radical until his termination in April, claims the parent company hasn’t given him his full salary, failed to properly credit him on several titles (including Hercules), and is exploiting other properties in which he has a copyright stake without receiving his permission. Those, Elliott asserts, include Aladdin, Caliber, Hercules, City of Dust and Freedom Formula.
He also claims that he wasn’t compensated for acquiring three properties for Blatant: Hotwire, Cholly & Flytrap and Lords of Misrule.
The lawsuit, filed July 16 in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks compensatory damages, general damages and “harm to reputation and emotional distress damages” of no less than $1 million. In addition, Elliott asks for, among other things, a reversion of rights to Aladdin and an injunction barring Blatant from using and exploiting Caliber, Hercules, City of Dust, Freedom Formula and other projects “in any and all media and markets.”
Blatant’s Radical Pictures division already has most of those properties set up for film adaptations.
But, as THR’s Eriq Gardner points out, the most interesting and — if it’s true — potentially damaging aspect of the lawsuit may be this allegation: “Blatant’s management failed to have any of its employees sign work-for-hire agreements and/or assignments of copyrights, thereby clouding title to all of Blatant’s projects, and making it impossible for Blatant to provide proper chain of title documents and guarantees to investors, production companies, studios, and insurers, to the detriment of its shareholders.”
Elliott’s departure became public in mid-May when it was announced former Top Cow president David Wohl had replaced him as editor-in-chief. Radical characterized the move as a decision “mutually made” because Elliott was unwilling to move from New York to the company’s offices in Los Angeles.
- July 23, 2009 @ 05:06 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Movie news and notes
First Family
• FremantleMedia Enterprise has signed a first-look deal with Liquid Comics — formerly Virgin Comics — designed to bring the publisher’s properties to other media.
The first two projects in the agreement are based on comics set to be released later this year: Animax, about a boy who can who can absorb the abilities and characteristics of any animals he touches, will be developed as an animated series. The second, First Family, will be turned into a drama about the teen children of a newly elected president who have to grapple with high school.
• Len Wiseman (Underworld, Live Free or Die Hard) will develop and direct the big-screen adaptation of Shrapnel for Radical Pictures.
The comic, from Radical’s publishing division, is set in a future where humans have colonized the solar system, leaving Venus as the last rebellious holdout. A self-exiled former Marine teaches the colonists how to fight back against the Solar Alliance.
• Comic artist Kaare Andrews will direct the action film The Hunted, based on his own screenplay. The movie centers on assassin who’s hired to kill a young girl but refuses to fulfill the contract.
• The oft-discussed sequel to 300 appears to be slowly making progress. The Hollywood Reporter’s Risky Business Blog has word that Frank Miller recently finished a draft of the graphic novel on which the movie will be based.
• Black Beauty, the gadget-filled car from The Green Hornet movie, was revealed during Preview Night by Seth Rogan, writing partner Evan Goldberg and director Michel Gondry.
• ShockTillYouDrop.com has a photo of the Comic-Con banner for Warner Bros.’ Jonah Hex movie.
• /Film rolls out a gallery of images from Preview Night, with a focus on movie and TV booths and props.
• Nikki Finke claims Comic-Con opened with “a whimper,” at least from a Hollywood perspective. Her correspondent in San Diego is unimpressed with the studio presence at the event.
- July 23, 2009 @ 04:02 AM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | What is The Anchor?
The Anchor
BOOM! had a preview of their upcoming Kill Audio book at their booth in San Diego Comic-Con today, and an ad for something called The Anchor can be found in the back. It’s by Phil Hester and Brian Churilla, and I understand we’ll learn more about it around the time of the BOOM! panel.
- July 23, 2009 @ 12:38 AM by JK Parkin
SDCC ’09 | New trailer debuts for Whiteout
Preview Night brings with it a new trailer for the big-screen adaptation of Greg Rucka and Steve Lieber’s 1998 miniseries Whiteout, which stars Kate Beckinsale.
The Warner Bros. movie, directed by Dominic Sena, opens on Sept. 11.
- July 22, 2009 @ 07:37 PM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Behold the power of Twilight
"Twilight" fans camp out at Comic-Con
More than 100 Twilight fans already are lined up outside the San Diego Convention Center for Summit Entertainment’s New Moon panel … which doesn’t actually begin until 1:45 p.m. tomorrow. By then, of course, there will be enough members of Team Edward and Team Jacob to fill Hall H to overflowing.
(via Sean Collins)
- July 22, 2009 @ 04:42 PM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Stan Lee’s doing what he wants to do
Stan Lee
Stan Lee, whom we learned today will lend his voice and likeness to a character in the Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 video game, is the subject of a nice profile by The Hollywood Reporter.
The article focuses on Lee’s numerous POW! Entertainment projects with Disney and other current work, and touches briefly upon his career highlights. In between it delivers a couple of prime Stan Lee quotes.
“People usually retire because they can finally stop working and they’ll have the time to do what they really want to do,” says the 86-year-old creator. “But I’m doing what I want to do! If anybody forced me to spend a day on the golf course, I’d feel I was being tortured!”
Also: There’s a fun illustration of Lee by Jim Mahfood.
- July 22, 2009 @ 04:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Quote of the day
Grant Morrison
“I don’t care about geeks, you know? Geeks shouldn’t be given power. When geeks get power, you get Hitler. There’s a lot of weird and angry geeks out there. But what (a comic book movie) does is it opens up comics as a medium. It stops being geekish. There’s comic books for everyone. There’s comic books for women, there’s comic books for kids, there’s comic books for teenage Goths. That is the important thing that movies are doing.”
– Grant Morrison, in a roundtable discussion about Comic-Con and the geeks inheriting Hollywood
- July 22, 2009 @ 03:28 PM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | Look at me, I’m in San Diego
JK's room key
• After a very smooth flight and quick shuttle ride from the airport, I’m at my hotel. And hey, look — I did get one of those WB room keys I mentioned last night. Now I really want to watch some TV …
• The plane was loaded with folks excited about going to the con, and apparently we had a dealer on my shuttle bus, as he had six or seven huge boxes filled with comics that I’m guessing he’s selling.
Either that or he just wants to get them all signed. Egad.
• Now I’m waiting patiently for Matt Maxwell to get his rental car, so we can head for lunch, then on to the CBR yacht and the convention center. I’m very curious to see the CBR boat set-up; most of what I’ve heard is probably just superstition and legend. I hope. Jonah said something earlier today about having to shave a goat, so I go with a mix of excitement and trepidation.
Matt’s here, so more later …
- July 22, 2009 @ 01:55 PM by JK Parkin
40 most violent comics, my Aunt Fanny
Lev Gleason, you wuz robbed
I suppose in general I agree with most of the selections in Complex Magazine’s The 40 Most Violent Comics Ever, put together by Chris Sims and John Parker. The picks tend toward the obvious though, with a decided emphasis on recent, mainstream comics of the past 20 years, making me wish they had put a bit more effort into their selection process. Garth Ennis, Frank Miller and Mark Millar are all name-checked several times and books like Preacher, Hard Boiled and Faust all put in appearances. No surprises, really.
And while I’m glad to see manga included via Lone Wolf and Cub and Blade the Immortal, but is that all they could come up with? What about Hideshi Hino? Suehiro Maruo? Shintaro Kago? Takashi Nemoto’s Monster Men Buriko Lullaby makes Faust look like a Casper comic. Kazuo Umezu’s The Drifting Classroom has elementary school kids falling to their death and being strangled by madmen and stabbed fer crissakes!
Even if we keep to North America there are still plenty of worthy entries that got the shaft for watered-down stuff like Kraven’s Last Hunt. How, for example, can you not include Chester Gould’s Dick Tracy? The underground comics of Greg Irons and Tom Veitch? Lev Gleason’s Crime Does Not Pay? Friggin EC horror comics for cryin’ out loud! I demands a recount.
- July 22, 2009 @ 01:44 PM by Chris Mautner
SDCC ’09 | Attendees, grab those Human Target totes while they last
"Human Target"/"Vampire Diaries" tote bags
The fall television series based on DC Comics’ Human Target is getting an added promotional boost at Comic-Con from Warner Bros. in the form of free oversized canvas tote bags.
Curiously, perhaps, Human Target shares advertising space with another new series: The CW’s The Vampire Diaries. One side features Human Target stars Mark Valley, Chi McBride and Jackie Earle Haley while the other sports an image of The Vampire Diaries actors Nina Dobrev, Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder.
Not exactly the same demographics, but still … yay, for advertising? And for tote bags, of course.
Human Target, based on the DC character created in 1972 by Len Wein and Carmine Infantino, stars Valley (Fringe) as Christopher Chance, the mysterious bodyguard who impersonates his clients in order to protect them from threats. The series debuts this fall on FOX.
The Vampire Diaries is an adaptation of L.J. Smith’s young-adult horror novels from the early ’90s about a girl (Dobrev) who becomes fascinated with the new boy at school (Wesley) … who just happens to be a centuries-old vampire. The show premieres on Sept. 10 on The CW.
- July 22, 2009 @ 01:14 PM by Kevin Melrose
SDCC ’09 | SEGA debuts teaser for Iron Man 2: The Video Game
SEGA has released the Comic-Con teaser trailer for Iron Man 2: The Video Game, which will be released next spring. The game, whose story was created by Invincible Iron Man writer Matt Fraction, features Tony Stark going head to head against villains not found in the movie, including Crimson Dynamo.
Fans will get a sneak peek at the game this week at the convention.
- July 22, 2009 @ 12:00 PM by Kevin Melrose