2010 February
Jim Lee reveals his ICONS cover [Updated]
ICONS by Jim Lee
Scooping his own company’s blog, DC Co-Publisher Jim Lee posted the final pencils for the cover of ICONS: The DC Comics and WildStorm Art of Jim Lee to his Twitter account last night. Trinity-tastic! Anyone else having a hard time getting used to Batman being in the forefront of the Batman-Superman-Wonder Woman pose-offs these days, though?
ICONS comes out this August from Titan Books. You can check out a less dark’n'dramatic rejected cover composition for the book at The Source.
UPDATE: The Source also has the final inks, if you like your Dark Knight extra dark.
- February 26, 2010 @ 05:52 AM by Sean T. Collins
Geoff Johns’ post-promotion charm offensive
DC Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns
It’s tough reading the tea leaves when it comes to the actions of DC’s new management team. Aside from the customary reassuring department meetings, high-level powwows (with the likes of writer Grant Morrison and WildStorm Vice President-General Manager Hank Kanalz) and renewed sense of energy reported in the hallways of 1700 Broadway, the immediate impact of the advancement of Co-Publishers Jim Lee and Dan DiDio and Chief Creative Officer Geoff Johns has been difficult to gauge.
But this being 2010 and all, there’s always Twitter to consult. And in Johns’ feed, at least, we can see some evidence of fence-mending with a couple of creators who’ve left DC and its imprints for presumably greener pastures.
On Monday, Johns wished The Losers and Green Arrow: Year One writer Andy Diggle a happy birthday, tweeting “Still miss your writing at DC… 
” (Yes, complete with smiley-face emoticon.) Diggle, currently a Marvel-exclusive creator, has described leaving DC after coming to feel he was an uncomfortable fit in both its superhero and Vertigo lines. He also took to his own Twitter account a few months back to express his frustration with the unavailability of DC/Vertigo’s Losers collections. Obviously it’s in everyone’s best interests to get along, what with the high-profile movie adaptation of Diggle and Jock’s The Losers on the way — Jim Lee promoted a recent signing by the team on his own Twitter, for example — but still, that’s a fairly explicit overture.
- February 25, 2010 @ 03:41 PM by Sean T. Collins
Detective Comics #27 sells for more than $1 million, sets new record
Detective Comics #27
A copy of Detective Comics #27, which marks the debut of Batman, sold at auction today for more than $1 million, barely breaking a record set just three days ago by Action Comics #1.
The Associated Press reports the Certified Guaranty Company-graded 8.0 issue, sold by Heritage Auction Galleries on behalf of an anonymous party, was purchased for $1,075,500. Earlier estimates had the May 1939 issue selling for $100,000. However, as CBGExtra notes, bids had already reached $400,000 by the time the auction opened.
Before this week, the record for the most expensive comic book was $317,000, set in 2009 by a copy of Action Comics #1.
- February 25, 2010 @ 02:11 PM by Kevin Melrose
Get rid of your shelf porn!
Zito's great giveaway
Zuda cartoonists Johnny Zito and Tony Trov emailed me yesterday to let me (and presumably, everyone else) know that they recently donated their entire comic book collections to RiF, better known as Reading is Fundamental. “That’s how committed to the digital revolution we are,” Zito wrote.
Zito added that the roughly 10,000 comics they donated to the organization’s after school programs around the country. “This promotes literacy and hopefully expands the comic book reading audience to a new generation,” he said.
The really good news is that RiF will be accepting donations for the rest of the school year and possibly onward as Zito and Trov look to make this a permanent operation. In the meantime, interested parties can send their comic book donations to:
Beth Pettit
RiF Comic Book Donation Drive
St. Aloysius Education Clinic
219 West 132nd Street
New York, NY 10027
So if you got an underread (and age-appropriate) graphic novel gathering dust on your shelves, now you know where to send it to.
- February 25, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Your other video of the day: A Walk in the Forest
Montreal cartoonist Diane Obomsawin (Kaspar) has put together this charming little animated short about …well, you figure it out. (via)
- February 25, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Fantagraphics cartoonists are selling art aplenty
A number of Fantagraphics-published cartoonists are offering some striking art for sale lately. To wit:
Joost Swarte did this awesome image of himself and Robert Crumb reading the latter’s Genesis adaptation with a little heavenly help. It’s available here and here (I think).
- February 25, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Your video of the day: ‘Uncovered Property’
Uncovered Property by Carol Tyler from Doodybrains on Vimeo.
I’m not a big fan of this whole “motion comic” craze, but I must confess to liking this adaptation (of sorts) of Carol Tyler’s “Uncovered Property by director Allen Colombo. (via)
- February 25, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Chris Mautner
There’s a new Lantern in town …
After the events of Blackest Night #7, which came out yesterday, DC reveals two covers for Green Lantern #52. You might remember that when originally solicited, DC held back the covers for this issue, and now we know why … they didn’t want to spoil the end of BN #7.
SPOILERS for the latest issue of Blackest Night after the jump …
- February 25, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Ten years ago today, NeilAlien invented comics blogging
A very happy 10th blogiversary to the illustrious NeilAlien! As noted by Tom Spurgeon, today marks an astonishing decade of comics blogging from the Internet’s premier fan of Doctor Strange.
The pseudonymous NeilAlien is a ruthlessly efficient linkblogger, an unfailingly cogent and provocative thinkblogger in his all-too-rare longer posts, and a tireless advocate for not just the (former, alas) Sorcerer Supreme, but for all the comics he loves and all the comics bloggers, critics and journalists whose work he appreciates. He invented what we do long before the idea of blogging about comics — hell, long before the idea of blogging — was even a twinkle in most of our eyes. Hail the Alien!
PS: Definitely check out Spurge’s salute to NeilAlien, a list of 21 things he likes about Doctor Strange.
- February 25, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Sean T. Collins
Straight for the art | March MODOK Madness preparing for another go
MODOK
March winds bring … MODOK! Yes, with March almost here, it means it’s also almost time for March MODOK Madness! The MMM blog is about to unleash everyone’s favorite giant-headed bad guy with a month of MODOK artwork. Head over there to check out last year’s pieces, as well as to find out how you can contribute.
- February 25, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Legion fans want their plastic promotional flight rings
Legion of Super-Heroes #1
After the release of seven plastic promotional rings for Blackest Night and the announcement of three more for Brightest Day, some fans are hoping DC Comics will show the Legion of Super-Heroes a little love.
It seems only logical that a Legion flight ring should come next. After all, the Green Lantern Corps, the Flash Family and the teenagers from the future form a sprawling trinity of functional superhero jewelry. Plus, Legion of Super-Heroes is being relaunched with legendary series writer Paul Levitz at the helm.
But just in case DC needs a little convincing, fans have organized a grass-roots postcard campaign reminiscent of the one launched in September to return Wonder Woman to its original numbering. (Of course, that one originated with the publisher, not with readers.)
Blogger Sven Straatveit points out that DC already has a flight-ring mold — a ring was released with DC Direct action figures of Cosmic Boy, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl — so the company won’t have to shell out money for design or sculpting. Sound reasoning, that.
So how about it, DC?
- February 25, 2010 @ 07:56 AM by Kevin Melrose
Radical halts Nick Simmons’ Incarnate amid claims of plagiarism [Updated]
From Tite Kubo's "Bleach" (left) and Nick Simmons' "Incarnate"
Radical Publishing has stopped production of its comic Incarnate while it investigates growing accusations that creator Nick Simmons plagiarized Bleach and other popular manga series.
The allegations against Simmons, son of KISS frontman and reality-TV star Gene Simmons, emerged at the beginning of the week on the GameFAQ forum before gaining steam Wednesday on fan sites and LiveJournal. The latter link presents perhaps the best visual support for the Bleach claims.
The Wikipedia entry for Nick Simmons now includes a section detailing “Accusations of Plagiarism” that lists eight manga — the insanely popular Hellsing, One Piece and Vampire Hunter D, among them — and an amateur artist from DeviantART. There are assertions that, in addition to panel compositions, character designs and poses, Simmons lifted dialogue and “plot segments” from other works. A group calling for legal action against the 21-year-old Simmons has begun on Facebook, where some members have declared today “Bleach Protection Day.”
- February 25, 2010 @ 04:20 AM by Kevin Melrose
DC Comics adds White Lantern ring to Brightest Day promotion
White Lantern ring
DC Comics today added a third ring to its Brightest Day promotion: the White Lantern ring. It joins The Flash and Green Lantern rings announced last month.
For every 25 copies of Brightest Day #1 ordered by April 15, retailers can purchase one bag of 50 White Lantern rings for $8.
The Brightest Day promotion follows the publisher’s highly successful Blackest Night initiative that gave a significant boost to the seven titles involved. (Of course, the program has its detractors.)
While we’re on the subject of those multicolored rings, the DC Universe blog also reveals that the White Lantern ring will be included at no extra charge in DC Direct’s previously announced Blackest Night Power Ring Spectrum Set. The nine pieces have “light-up capability,” apparently.
Brightest Day #1 arrives in stores on May 5. The Power Ring Spectrum Set goes on sale on July 7.
- February 24, 2010 @ 02:37 PM by Kevin Melrose
Send Us Your Shelf Porn!
Put down that third cup of coffee, it’s time for Send Us Your Shelf Porn, where bookshelves buckle and the trades face spine out. Today’s entry comes from Jamie Tarquini. Jamie had a pretty nice set up in his old apartment, which you can see a little bit of here. He moved recently, however, and was kind enough to send us some photos of his new arrangement, which I think is actually a better set-up than he had before.
Before we begin, let me remind you that I’m always on the lookout for good Shelf Porn pics. If you’ve got a great comics collection (or even adequate one) that you’d like to highlight here, just drop me an email with some photos (along with a brief description) at cmautneratcomcastdotnet.
And how on to Jamie’s collection:
- February 24, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Dark Horse to publish ‘The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen’
The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen
Via press release, Dark Horse Comics and Denis Kitchen announced this week that the publisher plans to release a collection of Kitchen’s past work, including his comix, paintings, covers for underground newspapers and comix, rare strips and illustrations, and historic photos of Kitchen and many of his contemporaries. The Oddly Compelling Art of Denis Kitchen is due in June.
While many probably remember Kitchen as the longtime publisher of Kitchen Sink Press and the founder of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, he was also a comix artist in his own right. He’s also currently working with BOOM! Town to distribute projects like Harvey Kurtzman’s The Grasshopper & The Ant and a set of Robert Crumb trading cards.
The complete press release from Dark Horse can be found after the jump.
- February 24, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin