2010 July
JLA/The 99 #1 hits in October
JLA/The 99 #1
More than a year ago DC Comics announced a JLA/The 99 crossover, featuring DC’s flagship team meeting up with Teshkeel Comics’ Muslim superheroes. Now DC’s The Source blog has revealed not only the cover to the first issue–hey, check out the new threads on Wonder Woman– but also the creative team and the release date. The first issue of the six-issue mini-series, by writers Stuart Moore and Fabian Nicieza with art by Tom Derenick, comes out in October.
- July 12, 2010 @ 09:02 PM by JK Parkin
Talking Comics with Tim: Matt Kindt on Revolver
Revolver
It’s never boring when I get to catch up with writer/artist Matt Kindt about his creative and marketing process–as well as the film, Donnie Darko (and a range of other topics–including video games, Crisis on Infinite Earth and learning how to drive a stick shift). Had I known we could have talked while at a baseball game (this will make sense once you’ve read the interview), well I was crushed (OK not crushed, but I’m finding out next year if Kindt is partial to major or minor league baseball–and we’ll plan our next interview accordingly). Although I was fortunate enough to read an advance black and white preview of Revolver (his new graphic novel for Vertigo “a tale of two worlds — and how both test a man to his limits”), I’m looking forward to this Wednesday, July 14, when I can buy the book in its final form. While we all wait, enjoy this interview.
Tim O’Shea: How much advanced layouts, given the conflicting narratives that you maintain throughout the tale, did you have to set up at the project’s outset?
Matt Kindt: I lay everything out well in advance. I don’t pencil any pages until the entire thing is layed out. Especially with a book like this where I had a hard page count, meaning I couldn’t go over my page limit, I had to be very precise with everything, including where the page-turns would be for certain big reveals, etc.But I really do that with every book – I don’t start penciling anything until I’ve figured out the entire book.
- July 12, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by Tim O'Shea
The future of John Porcellino
from "Map of My Heart" by John Porcellino
If you dig minimalist minicomics, then go ahead and climb aboard the CBR mothership for an interview with King-Cat impresario John Porcellino by Alex Dueben. In addition to some impressively direct questions about working with an outside publisher (Drawn & Quarterly) and putting together a collection — both of which, after all, are outside the legendary self-publisher’s wheelhouse — Dueben draws out some interesting info about Porcellino’s future projects:
Is the plan or the hope for D&Q to publish a collected edition of the comic every few years like this?
Yes, the next collection will be called “From Lone Mountain” and will contain material from King-Cat issues 62- 68 or so. We plan on beginning to intersperse the release of the collections with books of all-new material as well.
[...]
In addition to your “King Cat” work, you have a graphic novel coming out from Drawn and Quarterly next spring, “The Hospital Suite.” I don’t know how much you want to say about or where you are in finishing it…
It’s one of those “all-new” books I mentioned earlier – my experiences from 1997-98, when I was very ill. That period was the hinge of my life thus far, and when I look back, things are clearly divided into Pre-Illness and Post-Illness. The story has been written for a while now, I just need to draw it.
I think we probably all have events in our lives that divide everything else into Pre and Post; seeing a self-observer as astute as Porcellino tackle his big dividing-line event should be absolutely fascinating.
- July 12, 2010 @ 03:30 PM by Sean T. Collins
‘If you’ve wanted to see a milkman fighting a dinosaur in a suit, in a pub, then this is the comic for you’
Knight & Squire
Recently minted DC-exclusive writer Paul Cornell plans to dial up the “over the top weird and wonderful zany surreal Britishness” in the upcoming six-issue miniseries Knight & Squire.
Announced today on DC’s The Source blog, the series stars Batman and Robin’s English counterparts, who have appeared a few times now in Grant Morrison’s Bat books. Cornell is joined on the series by artist Jimmy Broxton and cover artist Yanick Paquette.
“I’m delighted to be working in DC Britain!” Cornell said. “Grant always said that he added something to the Knight and Squire’s world with every appearance: we’ll be taking that policy, and the amount of over the top weird and wonderful zany surreal Britishness and dialling them up to eleven. If you’ve wanted to see a milkman fighting a dinosaur in a suit, in a pub, then this is the comic for you.”
No word yet on when the series starts.
- July 12, 2010 @ 03:00 PM by JK Parkin
Marvel offers retailers another Deadpool variant swap…for unsold Marvel event tie-ins
The Siege #3 variant that broke the Internet in half
Remember when Marvel offered to send retailers a rare Deadpool variant of Siege #3 in exchange for every 50 stripped covers from various Blackest Night “power ring promotion” titles they received? Remember how the comics Internet lost its collective marbles over this? Well, Marvel’s doing it again — but this time, they’re offering retailers the chance to unload unsold event-comic tie-ins published by Marvel themselves.
According to Marvel, the publisher will send retailers a Deadpool variant version of Wolverine #1 in exchange for every 50 stripped covers it receives of a slew of tie-ins to their X-Men: Second Coming and Siege events. The eligible issues include New Mutants 12, Uncanny X-Men 523, X-Force 26, X-Men Legacy 235, Avengers: The Initiative 34, Dark Avengers 15, Dark Wolverine 84, Mighty Avengers 36, New Avengers 64, Thor 609 and Thunderbolts 143.
Obviously, there are some big questions here: Why must Marvel continue to childishly taunt and tweak itself, even going so far as to encourage retailers to destroy their own comics? And how long will the likes of Brian Michael Bendis and Matt Fraction put up with this outrageous insult before taking their business elsewhere?
- July 12, 2010 @ 02:30 PM by Sean T. Collins
Take a bite out of Jordan Crane’s zombie print
"Consciousness of Lack" by Jordan Crane
To paraphrase Christopher Moltisanti from The Sopranos, EFF George A. Romero*–Jordan Crane just took him to zombie school.
The master cartoonist, designer and printmaker behind Uptight, The Clouds Above, NON and the webcomics collective What Things Do has just unveiled the zombie-tastic print above, titled “Consciousness of Lack.” Printed and signed by Crane himself, the piece costs $80 and can be purchased at his website.
The undead are well worth a few dead presidents, no?
*Just kidding
- July 12, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Bruce Wayne’s long walk home takes him through eight one-shots
Bruce Wayne: The Road Home
If you think Superman’s got some ground to cover, wait’ll you see how far Bruce Wayne has to go to get home. DC’s The Source blog reveals that October will bring Bruce Wayne: The Road Home, eight one-shots that will cover how Batman’s “protégés, allies and foes” react to his return.
“Bruce Wayne’s journey back home has been a long and dangerous road, but before he can assume the mantle of the Bat again, he must first figure out how things have changed in the world around him, how relationships have changed…and how those changes will effect his decisions moving forward as the protector of Gotham City,” said Batman Group Editor Mike Marts.
Although specific titles weren’t mentioned, the post did list the eight writers who are involved — Adam Beechen, Fabian Nicieza, Mike Barr, Pere Perez, Ramon Bachs, Marc Andreyko, Cliff Richards and Bryan Q. Miller — as well as some of the characters, including Dick Grayson, Damian, Birds of Prey, Red Robin and Commissioner Gordon. Each comic will feature a connecting cover by artist Shane Davis.
- July 12, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
Comic Twart tackles Asterix, Tintin, Magnus, The Thing and more
It’s been awhile since I posted about Comic Twart, the comic art blog collective that includes Chris Samnee, Mike Hawthorne, Andy Kuhn, Mitch Breitweiser, Tom Fowler, Mitch Gerads and many others. They’ve been regularly posting art based on various themes, so let’s see what they’ve been up to recently …
by Chris Samnee
Above is Chris Samnee’s Magnus, Robot Fighter; you can see more Magnus drawings here.
- July 12, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by JK Parkin
Welcome to the Jungle: The Stuff of Legend Vol. 2 #1 preview
The Stuff of Legend
Following up on their hit miniseries The Stuff of Legend, Th3rd World Studios will release The Stuff of Legend: The Jungle #1 this Wednesday by Mike Raicht, Brian Smith and Charles Paul Wilson III. Here’s how they describe the book:
The Stuff of Legend: The Jungle #1 (of 4) $4.25
Writers: Mike Raicht, Brian Smith
Artist: Charles Paul Wilson III
Publisher: Th3rd World StudiosFollowing the liberation of the board game town of Hopscotch, a brave band of toys continues the quest to rescue their human master from the nightmare realm of the Dark. With the Boogeyman’s army fast approaching for battle, Max the teddy bear and his friends discover one of the Dark’s oldest secrets, and a new threat that could destroy them all.
Check out some pages from the first issue after the jump …
- July 12, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by JK Parkin
Fantagraphics is armed and dangerous
Go ahead, make Gary Groth's day
Fantagraphics co-founder and co-publisher Gary Groth can be scary enough even when he isn’t wielding a loaded firearm. (Don’t believe me? Then witness the savage critical beatdown he just doled out to Comics Journal contributor Noah Berlatsky. Ouch.) But in one of comics’ grander and weirder traditions, Groth and his fellow Fanta folks traipse out into the Washington State wilderness every year with enough guns to make a Tea Party jealous and open fire at whatever office detritus had the misfortune of catching their eye. Check out designer Adam Grano’s “Shootin’ Day” flickr set to witness a variety of Fantagraphics and Comics Journal employees and creators opening fire at everything from one of those good-luck cat statues to a Nagel print.
(Via Flog!)
- July 12, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Heavy meta
Bryant Paul Johnson demonstrates that you can have a pictureless comic
I don’t know if it’s because everyone is on vacation or they are killing time before SDCC or what, but there has been a spate of interesting articles about the theory and practice of comics popping up on the internet lately. Here’s a sample:
Bryant Paul Johnson, the creator of Teaching Baby Paranoia, breaks comics down into their basic components (words, pictures, time) and illustrates how the pieces work together—and how they sometimes don’t.
Bryan Lee O’Malley takes time out from drawing (and promoting) Scott Pilgrim to show some quick comics dos and don’ts.
Related: Filmmaker Anne Lukeman brought Wally Wood’s 22 Frames That Always Work to life—literally. This reminds ComixTalk’s Xaviar Xerxes of a counterpoint, 16 Panels That I Don’t Think Work All That Well.
Sunday Comics Debt looks at oddball cartoon iconography and the use of dots in cartoons, especially For Better or For Worse—there’s more to it than you think.
This one has been kicking around for a little while, but in case you haven’t seen it, Ed Piskor discusses how time elapses in a single panel.
Finally, longtime webcomics reader Lauren Davis heads for the comics store and learns some surprising things from looking at print comics.
- July 12, 2010 @ 11:30 AM by Brigid Alverson
Quitting Moomin
Drawn & Quarterly is planning to publish the biography of Moomin creator Tove Jansson next spring; the book is a translation of Juhani Tolvanen’s Vid min svans! (By my tail!), to be renamed Comics in Moominland. At the D&Q blog, Tom Devlin posts an interesting excerpt from a 1959 letter from Jansson to her editor in which she gives her six-month notice:
During this time my life with Moomin has gone on like a well worn marriage. You must have realized long ago that I want to divorce him. You surely saw years ago that I was tired of him. Well, now I’m even more tired of him. A long time ago I was talking with the composer Dean Dixon and he told me, nicely but with scary directness, ‘Be careful, Tove. Soon people will see you as one more comic strip artist who wants to be an artist.’
Sure enough, six months later, Jansson turned over the reins to her brother Lars, who was already writing the strip and had been learning to draw as well. Moomin: the Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip: Volume 5 is due out this week from D&Q, and Devlin says this is the last volume of Tove Jansson’s work, but the good news is that they will be publishing Lars Jansson’s strips as well, starting next year—and he drew the comic for twice as long as Tove.
- July 12, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
SDCC ’10 | Hamner redeemed, BOOM! parties and ‘Zod Hates Nags’
Zod Hates Nags
Comic-Con International in San Diego kicks off Wednesday night, July 21 and runs through July 25.
• Artist Cully Hamner wasn’t originally listed as appearing on the Red movie panel on Thursday, despite the fact that he drew the limited series, but it looks like everything’s been worked out and he will indeed be there. Here’s his full schedule.
• BOOM! Studios will host their annual party on Thursday night at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Odysea Bar, starting at 9 p.m. The BOOM! Studios Five-Year Anniversary Drink Up will feature Mark Waid, Ross Richie, Matt Gagnon, Chip Mosher and the rest of the BOOM! crew with various BOOM! creators in attendance “for a night of relaxed fun.” No RSVP or tickets are required.
And speaking of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront, I received an email from them about their Comic-Con plans as well:
“Odysea Lounge at Hilton San Diego Bayfront hopes you will make us your ‘Con Bar’ this July. We welcome all attendees of Comic-Con International to indulge in our fresh, hand-muddled cocktails and our dazzling bay front views. Come order right from your seat from one of our brand new iPads and enjoy Happy Hour daily, 4P-6P and 10P-12A. Our staff is ready to serve you throughout Comic-Con and look forward to making this year a memorable one.”
• Radical Publishing has released their booth schedule, which will include signings by Jimmy Palmiotti, Wesley Snipes, Peter Milligan, Paul Gulacy, Sam Worthington, Rick Remender and many more.
• Kurt Busiek shares his schedule for the con, as well as some thoughts on the Westboro Baptist Church picket that Kevin mentioned last week. He says the best way to respond is to ignore them, then adds, “But on Twitter last night, among the suggestions for counter-statements against the WBC’s rallying cry of ‘God Hates Fags,’ this lovely response came up, coined by Lori Matsumoto and designed by Dane Ault.” Check out the image up top to see the suggested response.
• Which reminds me, Andy Mangels sent word about the 23rd annual Gays in Comics panel and a mixer/silent auction, both on Saturday at the show:
- July 12, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
SDCC ’10 | BOOM! and Stan Lee at Comic-Con
BOOM! Studios announced in March that they are working with Stan Lee on three new comics, which will be written by three different writers. Mark Waid is one of them, but who are the other two? Not surprisingly, it looks like we’ll be finding out in San Diego next week.
Or, to be more specific, we’ll be finding out an hour before the con starts. The doors for Preview Night open at 6 p.m. Wednesday, and unless that’s a typo, they’re making their announcement an hour before.
- July 12, 2010 @ 09:45 AM by JK Parkin
Breaking: Harvey Pekar passes away [Updated]
Harvey Pekar
Legendary underground comics writer Harvey Pekar was found dead early this morning by his wife Joyce Brabner in their Cleveland Heights, Ohio, home, The Plain Dealer reports. He was 70.
Pekar, best known for his American Splendor series of autobiographical comics that inspired the acclaimed 2003 film of the same name, had been suffering from prostate cancer, asthma, high blood pressure and depression. He was diagnosed with lymphatic cancer in 1990, which inspired him to collaborate with Brabner and Frank Stack on Our Cancer Year.
A spokesman for the Cuyahoga County coroner said an autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
The curmudgeonly writer, who began publishing his American Splendor comics in 1976, most recently had been working on The Pekar Project webcomic series for Smith magazine.
Born on Oct. 8, 1939, in Cleveland to Saul and Dora Pekar, Polish immigrants who owned a small grocery store, Pekar dropped out of college and joined the Navy, only to return to his hometown. There he worked at a string of menial jobs until settling in as a file clerk for the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Cleveland, where he remained until his retirement in 2001.
In recent years Pekar released two new American Splendor series through DC’s Vertigo imprint, as well the autobiographical hardcover The Quitter. In 2009, he released The Beats, a history of the Beat movement, and Studs Terkel’s Working: A Graphic Adaptation.
Pekar is survived by his third wife Joyce Brabner and their foster daughter Danielle.
Update: Vertigo Editor Jonathan Vankin, who worked with Pekar and Dean Haspiel on The Quitter, has released a statement: “I am terribly sad today. Working with Harvey Pekar was one of my first experiences at Vertigo and it’s still one of my best, not only in comics but in my life. Underneath the well-known gruff exterior, Harvey was a deeply compassionate person and of course, a brilliant mind. He created, almost singlehandedly, an entirely new kind of comics and his commitment to what he did was absolute and uncompromising. We’ve all suffered a huge loss today, in comics of course, but also in American culture.”
- July 12, 2010 @ 09:07 AM by Kevin Melrose