2010 October
What Are You Reading?
Four-Color Fear
Welcome to another spook-tacular edition of What Are You Reading? Our special guest this week is writer Sam Costello, who operates and writes horror comics for the site Split Lip. If you’re looking for some spooky stories to read tonight, it’s a good place to start.
To see what Sam and the rest of the Robot 6 crew have been reading lately, click below, if you dare …
- October 31, 2010 @ 02:55 PM by JK Parkin
Your Robot 666 Week index
Did you miss out on any of our Robot 666 tricks ‘n treats this past week? Fear not … here’s a handy index to all our frightfully fun horror-themed stories, previews, columns and other posts.
News & Previews
Marvel Zombies Supreme coming in March 2011
The Littlest Pirate King
Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and The Great Puppet Theater
A first look at the Mignolaverse titles for next February
Dracula: The Company of Monsters #3 preview
Comics & Stories
Parasomnia, by Greg Hinkle, STORM, Jason McNamara and Matt Silady (introduction, part one, part two, part three, part four)
S.H.O.O.T. First: “The House That Ate Halloween” by Justin and Jesse Aclin
Edgar Allan Poe’s “Annabel Lee,” illustrated by Greg Hinkle
Gone Fishin’ by Cullen Bunn
“The Silent Auction” by Cullen Bunn
“Friedly’s Treats” by Cullen Bunn
“The Best Costumes Are Homemade” by Cullen Bunn
“I Remember When the Monsters Started Coming for the Cars” by Sean T. Collins and Isaac Moylan
- October 31, 2010 @ 02:25 PM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | I Remember When the Monsters Started Coming for the Cars
To wrap up our Halloween treats today, our own Sean T. Collins and artist Isaac Moylan share a comic called “I Remember When the Monsters Started Coming for the Cars.” Check out the complete story after the jump.
- October 31, 2010 @ 01:45 PM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | What comic scared the $#!@% out of you?
Orb
Happy Halloween! We round out our series of posts on what comics from the past or present left various creators shivering under the blanket until the sun came up. To see the previous posts, go here and here.
Fred Van Lente
I had the oversized MARVEL TREASURY EDITION of MARVEL TEAM-UP when I was a kid. The panel in the Spider-Man & Ghost Rider story in which the Orb removes his helmet and shows how hideously scarred he is scared me so bad I actually cut out a square of black construction paper big enough to tape over the panel to cover it so I could read the rest of the comic without looking at it. I couldn’t have been much older than seven.
Fred Van Lente is the co-writer of Marvel’s current event series Chaos War. He’s also written Action Philosophers!, Iron Man: Legacy and Shadowland: Power Man, among other titles. If you’re looking for something in the spirit of the season, check out his Marvel Zombies work.
- October 31, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | The Best Costumes Are Homemade By Cullen Bunn
Cullen Bunn
It’s Halloween, which means Robot 666 Week will soon draw to a close. But before we put the skeletons back in the closet and the bats back in the belfry, we’re pleased to bring you the debut of Cullen Bunn‘s latest short story, ‘The Best Costumes Are Homemade,’ starring, once again, Mrs. Friedly.
Bunn’s previous Mrs. Friedly tales:
The Best Costumes Are Homemade
By Cullen Bunn
Mrs. Friedly had been feeling quite festive, but the children were raising such a fuss that she was growing cross. She took a deep breath, though, and reminded herself that it was, after all, her favorite holiday. She refused to let it be spoiled. She picked a piece of candy from the bowl on the kitchen table and plopped it into her mouth. She instantly felt better.
But the children still whined and mewled.
“Now, now, my sweet ones,” Mrs. Friedly said, “I’m afraid this really is a necessity. I know you love the costumes we’ve made, but it is simply too cold out, and you must wear your jackets.”
The children moaned and sighed, whimpered and cried. Mrs. Friedly clucked her tongue as she gathered their jackets.
- October 31, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and The Great Puppet Theater preview
Courtesy of creators Van Jensen and Dusty Higgins, here’s an exclusive sneak preview of their upcoming graphic novel Pinocchio, Vampire Slayer and The Great Puppet Theater:
- October 31, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | Fighting zombies … with infographics!
Editor’s note: As a part of Robot 666 Week, we welcome guest contributors Johnny Zito and Tony Trov, writers of Black Cherry Bombshells, Carnivale De Robotique, Moon Girl and the upcoming D.O.G.S. of Mars.
by Johnny Zito and Tony Trov
Zombies are kind of our thing. So, in honor of Halloween we conducted an informal survey on Twitter to determine what the most effective zombie killing weapon might be.
We received some pretty unique answers including katana swords, monster trucks, bear traps and “kindness.” Taking the top five suggested methods of murder, death and mayhem, we then looked to pop culture for help ranking them by body count.
The results are reflected in the graph below:
The same rigorous, scientific research also proves that while just about anything can kill a zombie, only one thing makes them hilarious:
To participate in more horror related polls that’ll be transcribed into grossly inaccurate infographs, please check out SOUTH fellini.
- October 31, 2010 @ 08:00 AM by JK Parkin
Friends of Lulu announces awards, new site
This year has been a difficult one for Friends of Lulu, but with their 2010 Lulu awards, a new website, and some plans for the future, they seem to be winding it up on a hopeful note.
The awards were announced last night at the Long Beach Comic Con, and despite some controversy over the nominations, it’s a satisfying slate:
- Leah Adezio Award for Best Kid-Friendly Work: Diana Nock, The Intrepid Girlbot
- Best Female Character: Ramona Flowers, Scott Pilgrim by Bryan Lee O’Malley
- Kim Yale Award for Most Talented Newcomer: Kathryn Immonen: “The Runaways”
- Lulu of the Year: Kate Beaton
- Woman of Distinction Award: Lauren Sankovitch: editor, Marvel Comics
- Female Cartoonists Hall of Fame: Alison Bechdel
Acting board member Kynn Bartlett also responded to Johanna Draper Carlson’s questions about the group’s IRS status and its plans for the future, saying that the interim board will be working on getting the house in order but keeping the organization’s options open for the elected board, and asking people not to make donations until the group straightens out its status with the IRS.
- October 31, 2010 @ 07:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Robot 666 | What comic scared the $#!@% out of you?
Like I said yesterday, we reached out to several comic creators this year to see what comics from the past or present left them with nightmares. Check some more responses out below, and check back tomorrow for another round.
John Rozum
When I was a child the comic books I bought came in four varieties; Disney comics, Turok: Son of Stone, Kamandi: The Last Boy on Earth and what passed for horror comics in the early 1970s. These consisted mostly of the Marvel giant monster titles like Where Monsters Dwell, but also extended to anything that was the least bit spooky looking such as a copy of Marvel Team-Up that featured Brother Voodoo alongside Spider-Man, or pretty much any copy of Batman, or Mighty Samson.
I also read other horror titles such as Tomb of Dracula and lots of the anthology comics. No single story really leaps out to me as scaring me in particular, but some of the covers were things I had a hard enough time looking at during the day, let alone at bedtime. The covers were far stronger to me than anything inside the comic books. I think buying some of these comics was almost like a dare, to prove to myself that I could handle it, that I wasn’t too scared to take this image home with me. having it in my bedroom was like inviting the monster out from the closet, or under the bed where you could see it, and it could see you as well.
- October 30, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by JK Parkin
Robot 666 | Six wicked and wild werewolves
The Wolfman
Today marks the third anniversary of our werewolf western series HIGH MOON. To celebrate, Steve Ellis and I thought we’d take the time to share with you our top list of werewolves that have influenced, entertained, and inspired us over the years.
Starting with this classic:
6. The Wolf Man
SE: You can’t go wrong with this classic tale of innocent Larry Talbot, a poor bastard of a man, who gets caught up in circumstances that are out of his control. I saw this when I was younger – so I’m not sure how much it would still hold up though.
DG: This is a simple yet effective atmospheric masterpiece of horror. Lon Chaney Jr. plays his role to perfection. This is the foundation that all great werewolf movies should be built upon.
- October 30, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by David Gallaher
Robot 666 | Steve Ellis draws Nosferatu!
In honor of Robot 666 Week and 31 Days of High Moon, artist Steve Ellis walks you through the process of drawing famed vampire Nosferatu. Check it out above!
Also, David and Steve are giving away a bag of High Moon swag to anyone who changes their icon to something High Moon related on Facebook or Twitter. Find all the details on their blog.
- October 30, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Talking Comics with Tim | Steve Ellis
High Moon
All this month, the creative team of High Moon has been celebrating its third anniversary of entertaining folks. Robot 666 is joining in the celebratory fun today by interviewing artist Steve Ellis. In this email info exchange we delve into the series moving away from ZUDA and growing its audiences through different digital platforms. While he was unable to go into details, I think fans of High Moon will be happy to learn there will some more Western horror in the High Moon creative team’s future.
If you’ve not read High Moon, at their blog the creators posted where to find High Moon: “The first three chapters of High Moon were collected last October by DC Comics. You can order the print collection through your local area comic book shop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Borders.
The entire series is also available digitally through Comixology’ Comics or DC Comics apps for the iPhone and iPad Operating System. You can also download the issues from here – and read them on your computer or import them them into your ipad or iphone. The first issue is free — and every additional issue is just 99 cents!
And finally, for those of you savvy comic reading gamers our there — HIGH MOON is also available through the DIGITAL COMICS store on the Playstation Network for your PSP.”
Added bonus at the end of this interview, instead of answering a question, Ellis asks the readers a question.
Tim O’Shea: This month marks the third anniversary of High Moon. Looking back at the past three years, what have been some of the high points for you?
Steve Ellis: The first high point was meeting David at NYCC and starting the whole process of collaboration and building the working friendship that we’ve built. The rewards of working in comics come in different forms, but the collaborative process is one of the greatest parts of it.
- October 30, 2010 @ 07:00 AM by Tim O'Shea
Eagle Awards winners announced
Batman & Robin #4
DC Comics’ Batman & Robin led this year’s Eagle Awards with wins in three categories, plus a nod for artist Frank Quitely.
Presented Friday in conjunction with the MCM Expo in London, the fan awards recognize U.S. and U.K. comics and creators for work from the previous year. The winners are:
Favorite Newcomer Writer: Jonathan Hickman
Favorite Newcomer Artist: Jamie McKelvie
Favorite Writer: Warren Ellis
Favorite Writer/Artist: Darwyn Cooke
Favorite Artist — Pencils: Frank Quitely
Favorite Artist — Inks: Kevin O’Neill
Favorite Artist — Fully Painted Artwork: J.H. Williams III
Favorite Colorist: Ben Templesmith
Favorite Letterer: Todd Klein
Favorite Editor: Axel Alonso
Favorite Publisher — DC/Vertigo
Favorite Color Comic Book — American: Batman & Robin
Favorite Color Comic Book — British: 2000 AD
Favorite Black and White Comic Book — American: The Walking Dead
Favorite Black and White Comic Book — British: Whatever Happened to the World’s Fastest Man?
Favorite New Comic Book: Batman & Robin
Favorite Manga: Fullmetal Alchemist
Favorite European Comic Book: Requiem Chevalier Vampire
Favorite Single Issue Story Published During 2009: Phonogram — The Singles Club 4 : Konichiwa Bitches
Favorite Continued Story Published During 2009: The Walking Dead #61-65: “Fear The Hunters”
Favorite Cover Published During 2009: Batman & Robin #4
Favorite Original Graphic Novel Published During 2009: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Century
Favorite Reprint Compilation: Captain Britain Omnibus
Favorite Magazine About Comics: Wizard
Favorite Comics-Related Book: The Insider’s Guide to Creating Comics and Graphic Novels (Andy Schmidt)
Favorite Comics-Related Movie or TV Show: Watchmen
Favorite Comics-Related Website: Comic Book Resources
Favorite Web-Based Comic: Freak Angels
Roll of Honor: Brian Bolland
- October 30, 2010 @ 05:17 AM by Kevin Melrose
The Fifth Color | Man or Monster?
Man... or Monster? U DECIDE!
My Distinguished (and Ghoulish) Colleague said Thursday that “there is a fundamental tension between the horror and superhero genres.” Or, as I see it, when Superheroes and Horror room together, one of them winds up taking up the living room. Mania.com went further and compared the horror comics of Marvel to those of their Distinguished Competitors. They came to the conclusion that DC has a stronger horror line, mostly because of the Vertigo imprint. “We don’t normally associate Marvel with horror comics”, said Chad Derdowski . “When you hear the words ‘Marvel horror,’ you probably have to scratch your head and think about it for a bit and nearly everything you come up with is ultimately going to fall into the superhero category.”
Which is probably the best argument for Marvel having just as strong of a horror element in their titles as DC. Because let’s face it: what scares you? The idea of ghosts and goblins, or that drunk driver swerving uncomfortably on the road in front of you? What terrifies you more, the dark thoughts of a killer or the threat of unemployment? There’s horror, and there’s personal horror, and both are frightful.
- October 29, 2010 @ 07:03 PM by Carla Hoffman
Robot 666 | What comic scared the $#!@% out of you?
from "The Roaches"
Last year for Robot 666 Week we had a lot of fun putting together our list of six comics that scared the $#!@% out of us. So this year, we thought we’d broaden our scope and ask a few comic creators what comics scared them. Here’s the first batch; check back tomorrow and on Halloween for more!
Jimmy Palmiotti
That’s an easy one.
In 1973, I read a short story in the black and white Monsters Unleashed magazine by Thomas Disch, adapted and illustrated by Ralph Reese called “The Roaches,” about a bug-infested apartment and the woman in it…all I remember was it was illustrated in such a creepy style and all those bugs…
At the time I was living in a basement of a house that had some of the little critters from time to time, and the story freaked me out to the point I couldn’t sleep, knowing the bugs were out there ready for me to fall asleep and crawl into my ears, mouth and nose. Now that I’m talking about it, it’s creeping me out all over again.
Jimmy Palmiotti is the co-writer, with Justin Gray, of a ton of comics — Jonah Hex, Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters, Time Bomb and many more. If you’re looking for a comic to read this Halloween, The Last Resort is a fun, over-the-top zombie comic.
- October 29, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by JK Parkin