2010 March
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Legal
Legal | The attorney for Christopher Handley, the manga collector sentenced Feb. 11 to six months in prison on obscenity charges, has released a statement addressing the problem with the obscenity law, why his client thought his books were legal, and why he pleaded guilty.
“I know the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and others concerned about the defense of comic books specifically, and free speech generally, are upset that the case did not go to trial,” writes Eric Chase. “They are right to be. The Miller obscenity test is vague, indecipherable, and clearly chills protected speech. Among its most frightening aspects is that its ‘community standards’ element may allow ‘moral majority’ communities to dictate to the rest of us. The extortionate tool given to prosecutors through the receipt charge, with its mandatory minimum, gives incentive to defendants to not mount appropriate ‘community standards’ or ‘serious artistic value’ challenges. In defense of Chris Handley, given his choices, I suppose all I can do is ask: What would you have done?” [Anime News Network]
- March 3, 2010 @ 08:17 AM by Kevin Melrose
Blackest Night #8 cover revealed
DC Comics revealed yesterday the cover to Blackest Night #8 by Ivan Reis. And like the cover to Green Lantern #52, it now makes sense as to why they didn’t share the cover when the original solicitations came out, as it spoils the end of BN #7 … check it out after the jump.
- March 3, 2010 @ 05:30 AM by JK Parkin
Marvel heroines to face cosmic threat in Heralds weekly miniseries
Heralds
Marvel’s superheroines step into the spotlight in June with a five-issue weekly series called Heralds.
The miniseries, by writer Kathryn Immonen (Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Runaways) and artist Tonci Zonjic (Marvel Divas), was announced this afternoon on G4 TV’s Attack of the Show.
According to “Fresh Ink” host Blair Butler, years ago a herald of Galactus sacrificed her life for the universe, but a portion of her spirit lived on. And in Heralds that spirit returns to seek revenge “on those who left her behind.”
So it’s up to the heroines of the Marvel Universe — Emma Frost, Hellcat, Agent Brand, She-Hulk, Monica Rambeau and Valkyrie, among them — and “a mysterious new character named Francis” to stop the threat.
“Cities are destroyed, families are torn apart and a cosmic resurrection changes our heroes’ lives forever,” Butler said.
You can watch the entire “Fresh Ink” segment after the break.
- March 2, 2010 @ 05:58 PM by Kevin Melrose
A week of firsts, as First Wave, Girl Comics and Green Hornet arrive in stores
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 …
First Wave #1
Kevin Melrose’s pick of the week: First Wave #1 (of 6)
I have little to no interest in Doc Savage, or a Spirit by anyone other than Will Eisner (or Darwyn Cooke). Yet I’m still intrigued by DC’s “shocking new pulp universe” in which there’s no supermen — or, more specifically, Superman — largely, if not entirely, because it’s written by Brian Azzarello. In addition to being a fan of 100 Bullets, I hold an unwavering belief that Batman: Broken City, by Azzarello and Eduardo Risso, is superior in every way to the “Hush” storyline that preceded (and overshadowed) it. I’ll fight anyone who says different. So I’m thrilled to read Azzarello again write Batman — excuse me, “The Bat-Man” — especially as a “brash, cocky, inexperienced and daring” vigilante. Also: the under-used, and under-appreciated, Blackhawks! (DC Comics)
- March 2, 2010 @ 04:41 PM by JK Parkin
Off-topic: HBO greenlights Game of Thrones series
First production photo from HBO's "Game of Thrones"
HBO has ordered the pilot plus nine episodes of Game of Thrones, the highly anticipated television series based on George R.R. Martin’s bestselling A Song of Ice and Fire fantasy novels.
Production begins in June in Belfast, with the series set to debut on the cable network in spring 2011.
From the moment the rights to the novels were sold to HBO in January 2007, many doubted whether a sprawling fantasy could ever make it to television. As recently as Monday, Martin himself expressed doubts as to whether the network would greenlight the show.
“From the start of this, I’ve told myself, ‘Don’t get too emotionally invested in this, or you will be devastated if it doesn’t go’,” Martin wrote on his blog. “Wise words, those. I’m a smart guy. But easier said than done. I’ve failed. I am totally emotionally invested, and if HBO does indeed decide to pass, for whatever reason, I will be gutted.”
Debuting in 1996, A Song of Ice and Fire is set in mythical, medieval Westeros, a continent torn between a dynastic civil war, a threat of invasion from the north and the impending return of the rightful heir to the throne. Four of the planned seven books have been released. The Hedge Knight and The Sworn Sword, two of three novellas set in the world of A Song of Ice and Fire, were adapted as comics by Dabel Brothers Productions.
The HBO series takes its name from the first novel, A Game of Thrones. The cast includes Sean Bean, Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey.
- March 2, 2010 @ 01:26 PM by Kevin Melrose
Marvel characters coming to TV … but not like you’d expect
Marvel TV
Marvel has teamed up with a company called Roundtable Concepts to create branded television sets, featuring characters like the Fantastic Four, Captain America, Iron Man, Ghost Rider and more. Yes, you too can own an LED television set that not only features Marvel characters around the edges, “but when powered on the individual Marvel character will appear on the screen for approximately 8 seconds!” according to the site.
Check out their store to see all your possible Marvel TV options.
- March 2, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by JK Parkin
This contest is totes awesome
R. Sikoryak's Strand bag
Get it? I said “totes” and it’s a tote bag contest! Oh, I slay myself.
Ahem. Anyway, The Strand Bookstore has teamed up with Fantagraphics, Drawn and Quarterly, Toon Books and the School of Visual Arts to offer the Strand Tote Bag Design Contest. All this month, until March 31, aspiring artists are encouraged to send in their design for famed New York book shop’s next “artist tote bag. Judges for the contest include previous bag designers Art Spiegelman, Adrian Tomine, R. Sikoryak, Françoise Mouly and Steven Heller.
The prizes are pretty impressive. The grand prize winner not only gets to see their art printed on the store’s bag, but also gets: an afternoon with Mouly; D&Q’s complete set of books from 2009; $450 worth of recent Fantagraphics books; a complete set of Toon Books; and more.
Second prize nets you a class at SVA, a collection of signed D&Q books; more comics from TB and Fanta, and a $100 coffee gift card. Third prize is the same, but less so.
I don’t know about you, but I’m tempted to enter by just drawing a couple of stick figures.
Rules and details for the contest can be found at that fifth link. A look at past Strand tote bags can be found here.
- March 2, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Your video of the day: 1-800-MICE commercial
Matthew Thurber plugs the latest issue of his ongoing Picturebox series in his own inimitable fashion. (via)
- March 2, 2010 @ 11:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Disney’s D23 Expo to return in 2011, not this year
D23 Expo
Following Disney’s inaugural D23 Expo in September, many wondered what the next installment might look like now that Marvel is part of the House of Mouse. It turns out we’ll have to wait another year to find out.
Geoff Boucher reports that Disney plans to stage the D23 Expo as a biennial event, which means the second convention won’t be held until sometime in 2011.
“I’m not sure when this decision was made or how the expo was viewed in the new regime at Disney,” Boucher writes on The Los Angeles Times’ Hero Complex blog, “but I’ll try to find out.”
Last year’s event, held in Anaheim, featured presentations on Disney’s upcoming film slate and appearances by several stars, booths by BOOM! Studios and other licensees, displays for Disney divisions like ABC and Pixar, and more. As JK Parkin noted in his coverage for Robot 6, attendance for the first two days — a Thursday and Friday — was light, but picked up considerably on the weekend.
- March 2, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Free Comic Book Day previews now online
Some FCBD samples
Can’t wait for Free Comic Book Day? Neither can the folks behind the event apparently, as they’ve put a number of free previews of some of this year’s FCBD offerings on their site om hand-dandy .pdf format. I myself am partial to the Fractured Fables and John Stanley comics, but perhaps you’d prefer some Iron Man or Sonic the Hedgehog. (via)
- March 2, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Chris Mautner
Who is that artist?
We’ve gotten a few emails and seen several blog posts on this advertisement for T-Mobile’s Android-powered Samsung Behold II, which features an unidentified comic artist using his phone to take pictures for reference:
Heidi thinks the artist might look like Lee Bermejo, while CBR’s Jonah Weiland pointed out that some folks wondered if it was CP Smith. Anyone know for sure?
- March 2, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Spider-Man is a New Avenger
New Avengers teaser by Stuart Immonen
Everything old is New again: Spider-Man will still be a member of the New Avengers when that team’s book relaunches with a new #1 from Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen this June. The proof: the above teaser from Marvel.com, the second in what I imagine will be a week-long series akin to those for Avengers (in which Spidey is also a member) and Secret Avengers. Stay tuned!
- March 2, 2010 @ 09:40 AM by Sean T. Collins
Simmons, Bleach and plagiarism vs. homage: A story in words and pictures
From Topless Robot's post on Nick Simmons's response to plagiarism accusations
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. What about when those pictures are juxtaposed with words — specifically the words of Incarnate creator Nick Simmons? And what if those words are denying that the pictures, which pretty clearly show that he plagiarized Tite Kubo’s hit manga Bleach, do any such thing? That’s worth an awful lot, as far as I’m concerned. At Topless Robot, Rob Bricken mashes up Simmons’ non-apology apology with the pictorial evidence to absolutely brutal effect. In a controversy that’s generated more than its fair share of memorable online commentary, this McCloudian approach has generated my favorite yet.
- March 2, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by Sean T. Collins
Straight for the art | ‘Spoiler-free panels’ from Oni’s The Sixth Gun
The Sixth Gun
Over on his blog artist Brian Hurtt has been sharing “spoiler free” panels from The Sixth Gun, his upcoming comic with writer Cullen Bunn.
“Really wanted to share something from THE SIXTH GUN with you but I’m a little limited in my options right now,” he wrote on his blog. “My main worry is sharing anything that has any kind of spoilers in it. I’ve found a handful of images from the first issue that are spoiler-free and I’ll be sharing those here on the blog over the next couple weeks.”
You can find the first one here and the second one up above. The first issue is Oni’s contribution to Free Comic Book Day and is due in stores May 1.
- March 2, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
The Muppets do The Wicker Man
A Muppet Wicker Man
Now this is a great Muppet caper. British comics creator Paul O’Connell has blessed the world with A Muppet Wicker Man, a fumetti in which the heads of Kermit, Gonzo, Miss Piggy et al are superimposed on the bodies of Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland and so on for a re-enactment of director Anthony Shaeffer’s 1975 horror classic The Wicker Man.
If you’ve ever seen the movie, you already know it’s one of the greatest, and strangest, fright films of all time. Now imagine it with Muppets. Yes, I think it’s safe to say the Internet has lived up to its promise at last.
Note: Assuming grainy topless shots of Miss Piggy aren’t workplace safe, this is NSFW. But who needs a job when you have A Muppet Wicker Man?
(Via Tom Spurgeon, with my eternal thanks)
- March 2, 2010 @ 08:26 AM by Sean T. Collins