2010 February
Strangeways: The Thirsty – Page 118
Back on track. Kinda.
Art by Gervasio and Jok. Written by Matt Maxwell
Looks like someone wants to make a couple of real good friends. This oughta end well.
Back next week.
- February 24, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Matt Maxwell
Comics cavalcade: Alfred Hitchcock, David Bowie and cry-babies
Cry-baby by Robyn Chapman
Mining Colony X7170 by Johnny Ryan
- February 24, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the art | Dan Hipp’s spaghetti Western
Art by Dan Hipp
Ridiculously talented cartoonist Dan Hipp — he of The Amazing Joy Buzzards, Gyakushu! and Ben 10: Alien Force fame — has posted a couple of pages from a spaghetti Western comic (with “monsters and stuff”!) that I dearly hope will see the light of day sometime in the not-too-distant future.
“It’s not something I’m actively working on, as there isn’t much of a climate for westerns in comics these days,” Hipp writes. “Yeah, I know there are some good ones out there, and I love them, but getting a publisher to want to pay you for one is a different thing all together.”
- February 24, 2010 @ 11:27 AM by Kevin Melrose
Preview: Ross Campbell’s Shadoweyes
Shadoweyes
As I mentioned in my interview with Ross Campbell yesterday, here’s a preview of his new book Shadoweyes, which is due this summer from SLG Publishing. I promised the first nine pages, but actually I have ten of them for you.
“I’d always wanted to do a superhero comic, more along the lines of an anti-hero vigilante type thing, preferably with some elements similar to characters like Bob Budiansky’s Sleepwalker and the live-action movie version of the Ninja Turtles, characters who weren’t human and could never live in mainstream human society but who still defended people and fought for them anyway,” Campbell told me. “A character who didn’t put on a costume to fight crime, but whose body WAS the costume and could not be taken off, a hero who hadn’t yet figured out what’s right and wrong, and whose idea of right might end up being viewed as wrong by everyone else.”
- February 24, 2010 @ 09:54 AM by JK Parkin
Robert Iger’s multibillion-dollar effort to reinvent Disney
Disney-Marvel
This BusinessWeek profile offers an interesting overview of the Walt Disney Co. under CEO Robert Iger, who’s investing billions in an effort to transform the media giant and increase its appeal among boys.
Iger, who in 2005 succeeded Michael Eisner, is — in the words of the article — on a “spending spree” marked by the purchases of Pixar in 2006 ($7.4 billion) and Marvel in 2009 ($4.3 billion) and a planned overhaul of Disney’s 350 retail outlets.
The piece includes quotes from Dan Vado, whose SLG Publishing released comics based on the Haunted Mansion theme-park ride, as well as criticism of the Marvel acquisition because licensing deals prevent Disney from exploiting some of the bigger superhero properties until at least 2013.
- February 24, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Kevin Melrose
Heading James Sturm off at the ‘Market’
It’s probably too early to say what the best books of 2010 will be, but I feel safe in saying that James Sturm’s Market Day will easily make it on the short list of works to be considered. The graphic novel, published by Drawn and Quarterly, is about a Jewish rug maker, who heads off to the local market full of hope and elan, only to experience a devastating setback to his career. It’s a smart, moving work that I think will turn a lot of heads when it comes out in March.
In the meantime though, I took the opportunity to talk with Sturm about the book and it’s development — as well as life at the Center for Cartoon Studies, a school he co-founded — over at the main CBR site:
Market Day
You say that this was originally intended to be a children’s book. Where did the inspiration for “Market Day” come from?
Drawn and Quarterly, my publisher, actually played an important role in the book itself. There was a point when they hooked up with a national distributor – they were distributed by Chronicle Books at one point.
I don’t think that worked out as well as their current partner [Farrar, Straus & Giroux], but when they first hooked up, they felt this would open up a lot more markets, and after the deal happened [publisher] Chris [Oliveros] sent an email to his stable of artists at D&Q saying “One of the things I’m considering is doing a children’s book line. If you have any ideas, I’d love to hear them.”
So, in my sketchbook, I conceived a story about a rug weaver. In that version of the story, the focus wasn’t so much on the main character but more about how important one individual’s commitment and support can be for somebody. In “Market Day,” when the Finkler character disappears, it sets off this bad chain of events for Mendleman. In my mind I thought of Chris as the Finkler character and how important my own relationship with D&Q was for my own artistic development. The actual book plays out differently – but I did want to get that across and a sense of camraderie between artists who share a an aesthetic and committment to a certain type of work.
- February 24, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Anaheim Convention Center
Conventions | As San Diego tries to sweeten the deal to keep Comic-Con International, Eric Carpenter considers the odds of the pop-culture phenomenon moving to the 815,000-square-foot Anaheim Convention Center in 2013.
“It’s one of those things where it’s hard to unseat an annual convention from any area, and Comic-Con has a long history in San Diego,” says Charles Ahlers, president of the Anaheim/Orange County Visitor & Convention Bureau. “But we think we have a lot to offer.” Chief among Anaheim’s offerings: more convention space and hotel rooms. [The Orange County Register]
Comic strips | Mike Manley has been named as the new permanent artist of Judge Parker, replacing Eduardo Barreto, who is “gravely ill” with meningitis. This will be the first newspaper strip for Manley, a comic-book artist who created and edits Draw! magazine. “I’ve got big shoes to step into,” Manley writes on his blog. “I’ve been a fan of Barreto for a long time, from his stint on Atari Force at DC onward through his varied career. He could do it all, super-jocks, pretty chicks, noir, pedestrian, detective stuff. His work had charm class and power. He made JP his own, something I hope to do in time as well.” Manley’s first strip will appear in mid-March. [Comic Riffs]
- February 24, 2010 @ 07:45 AM by Kevin Melrose
Talking to Ross Campbell about Shadoweyes
Shadoweyes
Ross Campbell has made a name for himself in the comics world through projects like the gothic Wet Moon, his graphic novel series published by Oni Press; The Abandoned, his zombie OEL manga for Tokyopop; and Water Baby, his book for DC’s short-lived Minx imprint, among others. He also drew a short yet stunning story in the first issue of Vertigo’s House of Mystery; I still remember the flies.
Now he’s hard at work on the first volume of Shadoweyes, the story of a young girl who wakes up from a coma to find she’s become a superhuman creature. It’s Campbell’s take on superheroes and is scheduled to be published by SLG Publishing in June. He was kind enough to talk to me about the project and share some artwork; in addition, if you come back tomorrow, I’ll give you a sneak preview of the first nine pages of the book.
Update: And here’s the preview!
JK: So what exactly is Shadoweyes about?
Ross: The story takes place in a futuristic dystopian city called Dranac, which is in the middle of a barren wasteland, and in which both crime and the law have run rampant into a melting pot of crumminess. The main character is moody teen Scout Montana, who is an aspiring vigilante. She wants to take the next step beyond the home-brewed neighborhood watch group she’s a part of, so with her friend Kyisha’s help she comes up with the codename Shadoweyes and prepares to go out and hit the streets. But on her first attempt, a mugger hits Scout in the head with a brick and knocks her into a coma. When Scout awakens, she suddenly metamorphosizes into a blue, lizard-like, androgynous superhuman creature, and immediately takes advantage of it and goes out and kicks ass. But, of course, things don’t really work out as planned and Scout finds it more and more difficult to change back into her human form…
- February 23, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by JK Parkin
Blackest Night, Jack Staff, Alan Moore and more hit comic shops this week
Welcome once again to Can’t Wait for Wednesday, our weekly look at what you can expect to find in your local comic shop tomorrow. To see what Kevin, Chris and I have to say about this week’s comics, read on …
The Weird World of Jack Staff #1
Kevin Melrose’s pick of the week: The Weird World of Jack Staff #1
Britain’s Greatest Hero returns in a much-anticipated monthly series that creator Paul Grist promises will prominently feature Jack Staff’s wonderfully offbeat supporting cast, among them Tom Tom the Robot Man, the investigators of Q branch, and Becky Burdock, Vampire Reporter. The new series also will see the return of Charlie Raven, the greatest escapologist of the Victorian Age — “No door is locked to him! No chains can bind him! No trap can hold him!” — and Lynda Jones, Calendar Girl! Good, or at least weird, times ahead for John Smith & Co. (Image Comics)
- February 23, 2010 @ 01:22 PM by JK Parkin
Robot reviews: King of RPGs
King of RPGs
King of RPGs Vol. 1
Story by Jason Thompson; Art by Victor Hao
Del Rey, 240 pages, $10.99
Jason Thompson is a talented, erudite guy. He knows more about manga than I can ever hope to absorb in the rest of my lifetime. His Manga: The Complete Guide is one of the best reference guides on the subject around and one of the most frequently pulled books off of my shelves. His monthly (or whenever) column on Comixology brims with intelligence and wit. Plus, he’s got a helluva collection.
- February 23, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Straight for the craft | Paper X-Men
I’ve never been a big fan of the X-Men but I’ll be hornswoggled if this collection of papercraft X-Men figures doesn’t seem like one of the better ways to spend a lazy afternoon. That Phoenix figure in particular looks especially fun. (via)
- February 23, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Warner Bros. announces Batman: The Brave and the Bold video game
Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame
On the heels of this morning’s announcement of Warner Bros.’ majority acquisition of Rocksteady Studios comes word of a new Batman video game for kids and families.
Based on the animated television series, Batman: The Brave and the Bold the Videogame is being developed by WayForward Technologies for release this fall on Nintendo DS and the Wii.
According to a statement from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, the game “fully immerses fans into the animated world” of the TV series, and allows players to control such characters as Batman, Robin, The Flash, Green Lantern, Blue Beetle and Aquaman. Linking the DS and Wii will unlock Bat-Mite.
- February 23, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Kevin Melrose
Nominees announced for Rondo Hatton horror awards
Nominees have been announced for the eighth annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards, which honor the best in “monster research, creativity and film preservation.”
The fan awards include some 30 categories, from movies to books to horror blogs, but what most relates to us is Best Horror Comic Book. Those nominees are:
Beasts of Burden #4
• The Astounding Wolf-Man, by Robert Kirkman and Jason Howard (Image Comics)
• Batman: Gotham After Midnight, by Steve Niles and Kelley Jones (DC Comics)
• Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin and Jill Thompson (Dark Horse)
• Carnival of Souls and Other Futile Inquiries, by Michael H. Price (Midnight Marquee Press)
• The Complete Dracula, by Leah Moore, John Reppion and Colton Worley (Dynamite Entertainment)
• The Goon, by Eric Powell (Dark Horse)
• Hellboy: The Wild Hunt, by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo (Dark Horse)
• Lenore, Vol. II, by Roman Dirge (Titan Publishing)
• Locke & Key: Head Games, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW Publishing)
• Robot 13, by Thomas Hall and Daniel Bradford (Blacklist Studios)
• Science Fiction Classics: Graphic Classics, by miscellaneous (Eureka Productions)
• Victorian Undead, by Ian Edginton and Davide Fabbri (Wildstorm)
• Vincent Price Presents, by miscellaneous (Bluewater Productions)
Votes may be cast by email through April 3. The winners will be announced April 4 on the Classic Horror Film Board. See the full list of nominees and voting rules here.
The link comes via Evan Dorkin, who admits he was “geeked out a bunch” to learn of the nomination for Beasts of Burden, in part because winners receive a bust of the awards’ namesake, classic B-movie actor Rondo Hatton.
“Who wouldn’t want a cool-looking little Rondo Hatton bust with their name on it sitting on their bookshelf?” Dorkin writes. “Well, a lot of folks, I guess (my mom wouldn’t like it, but she’s not nominated, so ha-ha on her). But I sure as hell would love one.”
- February 23, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | CubeDudes makes Robin hit the bricks
A Lego Robin
CubeDudes is a Flicker set of Lego figurines made by a variety of brick-obsessed folks. In addition to the Robin above, there are a number of comic-related characters to check out, including Batman, Spider Jerusalem, MODOK and even Calvin and Hobbes. (via)
- February 23, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Stan’s Back: Working through the mystery of Mr. Lee’s new project
Stan's Back on the L.A. Times website
On Sunday I mentioned the Stan’s Back teaser campaign that’s been running on various websites and, as Rich Johnston noted, in the L.A. Times.
Since then, someone’s been having some fun with the source code on the Stan’s Back website, as they added some hidden code that reads:
“Try again, Blog@Newsarama!
Very close, Robot6!
Very funny, Comics Alliance!”
What’s notable here isn’t just that they called out ComicsAlliance’s humorous take on the situation, but that they didn’t mention Bleeding Cool. I listed several possibilities in my initial post, but Rich only mentioned one — BOOM! Studios. I think if Rich was wrong, they would have said so, and if he was right, well … they couldn’t really say that without giving the whole thing away.
“But wait,” you might be thinking. “What if whoever is running this teaser campaign somehow missed the Bleeding Cool post?” Somehow I doubt that’s likely, but for the sake of argument, let’s pretend there is some other explanation and move on to exhibit two.
In the Bleeding Cool comments section, a commenter with the screen name Golabutron points out that the Google Analytics account being used on the site is the same one being used on BOOM!’s other websites. He mentions that this, too, could be a trick to make everyone think it is BOOM! (and if so, well played, mysterious entity working with Stan Lee) but I agree with him that it’s more likely BOOM! just didn’t consider it as something that could give them away.
I contacted both BOOM! and Marvel about the site, and they both gave an official “No comment.”
Update, Feb. 24: The source code on the Stan’s Back site revealed another new message today: “All will be revealed soon.”
- February 23, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin