2009 September
Straight for the art | Let’s go to the movies
Eli by Chris Weston
As we mentioned back in July, artist Chris Weston did production artwork for the upcoming film The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington. Now on his blog, Weston has started share some of the artwork he did, stories from his time in New Mexico working on the film and the fact that he’s also worked on some webisodes that tie into the movie. Go have a read.
- September 25, 2009 @ 09:02 AM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Viz Media
Internet | A draft letter leaked earlier this week has revealed the desire of a manga-scanlation group to partner with a major publisher, and touched a nerve with members of its online community. In the muddled draft, one of the owners of Manga Helpers suggests Viz Media could somehow benefit by teaming with the website, which posts fan-translated scans of Japanese comics. (MangaHelpers recently received cease-and-desist letters from Japanese publisher Kodansha.)
Reaction to the leaked letter was quick and largely negative, causing another Manga Helpers founder to post an “explanation on current events”: “The goal behind presenting that document to a company was so that we can promote the fans — not their work. We wanted to create a bridge between publisher and fan (scanlator – translator – artist) to help everyone work together and not only make online distribution legitimate, but to increase the amount of released manga by promoting the talented translators, editors and artists we have at MH.”
Simon Jones notes that financial concerns may be at the core of Manga Helpers’ proposition: “They are worried about having to pull more content at the request of Japanese companies giving increasing scrutiny to the scanlation scene, and in the process lose a great deal of their user community and the advertising profits from it. Shueisha and Shogakkukan are larger manga publishers than Kodansha by volume, and through Viz, Manga Helpers hopes to secure their remaining content.” Brad Rice, meanwhile, suggests it’s probably not a good idea for a site that hosts illegal scans to attract attention to itself. [Manga Helpers]
Business | Sonny Bunch suggests that Disney should have passed up Marvel, whose major properties are tied up in film and theme-park licensing agreements, and instead purchased an “indie” publisher, such as Dark Horse. [The Washington Times]
- September 25, 2009 @ 08:01 AM by Kevin Melrose
If you’re going to SPX: A quick Robot 6 guide
SPX 2009
The Small Press Expo arrives in Bethesda, Maryland, this weekend. I’ll be there Saturday (assuming this current stomach ache clears up), covering the event for CBR, yakking it up on one of the panels and just generally enjoying myself. I’ll be wearing one of my traditional black video game shirts (Capcom no doubt) so be sure and say hi if you see me.
In the meantime, I thought I’d take the time to offer a quick list of suggestions regarding what to buy and what to see. I also heartily recommend checking out Comicsgirl’s SPX dining guide and her general survival guide to the show. Reding them will save you a lot of time and worry.
- September 24, 2009 @ 03:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Silent night, blackest night: DC Entertainment comic-book solicitations for December 2009
Grumpy Old Fan
I’ll be honest here, folks: I’m not terribly excited about the December solicits. This is not to say that I am “bored with comics” — heaven forbid! — just that there is little in these adverts which really thrills me. It’s like this year’s Emmys. I’m glad “Mad Men” won, but there were a lot of repeat winners.
Maybe the missing week is to blame. Would Ambush Bug Year None or All Star Batman have come out on December 30? We’ll never know.
Anyway, here come the highlights.
Continue Reading »
- September 24, 2009 @ 02:00 PM by Tom Bondurant
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now: Pregnant at Comic-Con!
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
I write a lot about the unique experience of being a woman in the comics industry, and I have to say, this is the one the most specifically female experiences I can think of. Working at Comic-Con is always a flurry of exhausting activity, but, jeez, I didn’t know exhaustion until I had a tiny entity living inside of my body and using my precious energy.
The bathroom breaks were frequent. My stubborn resolution to continue wearing wedge heels and skinny jeans as long as I could was possibly foolish. The longing in the looks I gave to shots of ouzo at the SLG Publishing company dinner was palpable. Naps were my blessed friends.
But I got through it, just as I’ve gotten through other female-specific inconveniences at Comic-Con: weird guys asking to take my picture, people asking business-related questions to the man I happen to be standing next to instead of me; that jerk who said, “Yeah, a chick would know,” just because I knew the location of the Little, Brown (publisher of the Twilight books) booth. So this? Easy.
- September 24, 2009 @ 11:37 AM by Jennifer de Guzman
Straight for the art | Ryan Kelly draws doomsday for Wired
by Ryan Kelly
Local artist Ryan Kelly has posted two images he contributed to the Oct. 9 issue of Wired magazine, for an article on the Soviet “Dead Hand” nuclear launch plan. Something fun to think about as we head into the weekend …
- September 24, 2009 @ 11:27 AM by JK Parkin
Check out Seth’s Wine King float
The Wine King
Cartoonist Seth has designed a float for the Niagara Wine Festival Parade featuring the Wine King of Dominion City, a fictional city created by the Canadian artist. Details on where and when you can see it in the Niagara area can be found at the link.
- September 24, 2009 @ 10:57 AM by JK Parkin
Beware my wallpaper … Green Lantern’s light!
"Blackest Night" iPhone wallpapers
If you’re a fan of DC Comics’ Blackest Night and own an iPhone, writer Geoff Johns points to something that might interest you: fan-made wallpapers for each of the eight Corps.
- September 24, 2009 @ 10:12 AM by Kevin Melrose
Puzzling policies at Amazon show lack of respect to artists [Updated]
Ball Peen Hammer
George O’Connor — author, creator of First Second’s Journey Into Mohawk Country and artist on the upcoming Ball Peen Hammer — set up an author’s page on Amazon.com. As the page was only displaying the books he wrote, he asked the online retailer to add some of the books he illustrated to it as well.
He received an email back saying the author pages “only support contributors who have authored or co-authored a major portion of a work and whose name is also featured on the title’s cover.” Yes, his name is on the cover of the books he’d like to list, and as the illustrator of these graphic novels, it seems pretty ludicrous that he wouldn’t be considered a “co-author” of these graphic novels, if that’s the term you want to use. O’Connor talks about it in more detail here, and in the comments section he shares a second email from Amazon:
- September 24, 2009 @ 09:42 AM by JK Parkin
Joss Whedon confirms Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Nine
Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Vol. 6 (by Jo Chen)
With still another dozen issues to go in Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Season Eight – the Dark Horse comic-book continuation of the cult-hit TV series — creator Joss Whedon already has confirmed there will be a Season Nine.
“Well, 40 issues was always the goal [for Season Eight], and that’s how we’re playing it,” Whedon tells Complex.com. “We’re around issue 30 now, we’ve got about 10 to go, five of which I have to write, so I have to get on that. Then we’ll pause for breath and then we’ll start Season Nine.
“… I have had for a long time a conception for Season Nine that is very different from Season Eight. It may not run as long, because 40 issues sounds great until you realize that it’s four or five years.”
In the interview, which focuses heavily on Dollhouse, Whedon also talks about his Astonishing X-Men collaborator John Cassaday, who will direct an episode of the science-fiction TV show.
“He’s a storyteller,” Whedon said. “I gave him shorter scripts than any other artist I’ve worked with because he has an extraordinary visual sense and it very much matches my own. … With Cassaday, I know he can tell a story, I know him as a person, his sensibility, the way he is with other people and I just feel that this step is logical for him, it’s something he’s been pursuing for a while.”
- September 24, 2009 @ 09:01 AM by Kevin Melrose
Stars of comics draw stars of soccer
From "The Lightning Strika," by Jae Lee
Sports-apparel giant Adidas has produced three promotional comics illustrated Jae Lee, JG Jones and Ryan Benjamin that spotlight soccer stars Emmanuel Adebayor, Steven Gerrard and Ricardo Kaka, respectively.
The comics are available online for viewing or download on the company’s website, and will be released in print in Adidas markets worldwide. There are also plans to offer the titles for free through e-publishing sites and as an iPhone application.
- September 24, 2009 @ 07:29 AM by Kevin Melrose
Gorillas Riding Dinosaurs: Cursed Pirate Girl #1-2
Cursed Pirate Girl #1
Cursed Pirate Girl #1-2
Written and Illustrated by Jeremy Bastian
Olympian Publishing; $4.95 each
On the back cover of Cursed Pirate Girl #1, Mike Mignola calls Jeremy Bastian a genius and declares, “I almost never see work this original.” If pirates and Bastian’s whimsical and detailed style aren’t enough to make you curious, praise from Mike Mignola – who knows a thing or two about originality – concerning the book’s uniqueness ought to. I mean, that’s like hearing David Petersen call it “stuff that makes other artists jealous and comic readers drool.” Oh, wait. That’s on the back cover too.
I promise I’ll get to the book itself in a second, but there’s another remarkable quote on the back of the second issue. Painter Gail Potocki calls the series, “our generation’s Alice in Wonderland.” Which is interesting because one of the first things you notice when you open it is the influence of classic Alice illustrator John Tenniel with his opulent linework and exaggerated body types. Another way of describing Bastian’s style might be, “Jeff Smith as inked by Gary Gianni.”
But there’s much more to Potocki’s Alice comparison than just the art. Lewis Carroll’s stories were joyous celebrations of childhood and imagination. And while Bastian’s book isn’t as nonsensical as Carroll’s, there’s certainly that sense that anything can happen. And often will.
- September 23, 2009 @ 07:07 PM by Michael May
Send Us Your Shelf Porn!
Time once again for Send Us Your Shelf Porn, the only Internet blog post (that I know of) that lets you, the reader, be the nerd king (or queen, or regent) for a day. This week we’re featuring the collection of Jeff Keller from New Berlin, Wisconsin, whose got quite the set-up in his basement.
Remember, Shelf Porn can only continue with your help. Got a collection you’d like to share? Let the world see it by emailing photos and commentary to me at cmautnerATcomcastDOTnet.
And how here’s Jeff:
- September 23, 2009 @ 02:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 088
Written by Matt Maxwell. Art by Gervasio and Jok.
Science: 1, Vampires: 0. Well, maybe a half.
Always bet on science. Always.
And if you want to start from the beginning, head over to http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/strangeways and get the whole story. For free, even.
Back on Monday.
- September 23, 2009 @ 01:00 PM by Matt Maxwell
Test your continuity chops with the Marvel Expanding Universe Wall Chart
Marvel Expanding Universe Wall Chart
David Brothers over at the 4thletter! reviews a “pictorial tapestry” (hey, that’s what the publisher’s website calls it) called the Marvel Expanding Universe Wall Chart.
I’m not sure how to put this thing into words, but it looks simply awesome. See the picture above for what the front looks like. David also describes what’s on the back. “On the flipside of the chart is a continuity wonk’s dream: pages and pages of info on your favorite characters. They’re sorted by theme, rather than character, so you can see things about teams, kid heroes, origins, names, and so on. There’s even a bit on marriages,” he said.
David’s also uploaded more pictures of it to Flickr, and he’s holding a contest to win a copy. So click on over there and see if you can win one.
- September 23, 2009 @ 12:01 PM by JK Parkin