2010 October
D.O.G.S. of Mars coming in 2011
D.O.G.S. of Mars
Although most fans probably know Comixology as the company at the forefront of bringing other company’s comics to the iPhone, the iPad and the Web, they’ve also been producing their own digital comics for distribution across their various platforms. Joining Moon Girl and Box 13 is a new comic called D.O.G.S. of Mars, which will be released in January.
Johnny Zito and Tony Trov, writers of the Zuda strip Black Cherry Bombshells and Moon Girl, along with Christian Weiser, are teaming up with High Treason Pictures to tell the story of Zoe, “the swashbuckling captain of Earth’s first Martian colony. Isolated on the farthest frontier of civilization, order breaks down when unfamiliar hostiles invade. Zoe faces mutiny, death and dishonor; she must sacrifice her humanity if she hopes to survive.”
High Treason hopes to release the D.O.G.S. of Mars comic in anticipation of the film, which is scheduled for production next year. The comic will be drawn by Paul Maybury, artist of Party Bear and Aqua Leung, with covers by Rhazzah.
High Treason Pictures’ previous films include Bigger, Stronger, Faster and Neil Patrick Harris’ The Best and The Brightest.
- October 14, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
I’m getting married at the Marvel booth…
Okay, not quite, but who am I to pass up the opportunity to quote My Fair Lady? At any rate, check out this video of a fan popping the question to his fair lady at the Marvel booth at the New York Comic Con this past weekend. Here’s hoping things go better for them than for Peter and Mary Jane!
(via Agent M)
- October 14, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by Sean T. Collins
More comic book beer!
Monsters by Mat Brinkman & Alchemic Ale
Now this is a trend I can get behind! Alchemic Ale, the makers of Ron Regé Jr.’s pioneering minicomic/beer hybrid Yeast Hoist #15, have returned to the underground-comics well, this time with a bottle full of Mat Brinkman. The Fort Thunder alumnus and Regé’s fellow Highwater Books veteran has graced a 750mL bottle of Bokrijks Belgian Ale from Belgium’s Brouwerij Sterkens with a drawing entitled “Monsters,” from his current gallery show at NYC’s The Hole.
Here’s a guide to where the beer can be bought. Chug-a-lug, artcomix fans!
(via Ron Regé Jr.)
- October 14, 2010 @ 11:30 AM by Sean T. Collins
‘Are you there, Mother?’ Grant Morrison joins Twitter
Grant Morrison
Speaking of Grant Morrison: The comics writer, playwright, documentary subject and music-video star has at last moved into social media, taking over (with wife Kristan) the Twitter account created months ago by one of his fans.
The writer’s first tweet last night was fittingly Morrison-esque: “3.4 billion years of evolution to create this perfectly self-aware phone/flesh fusion. Are you there, Mother?”
The feature-length documentary Grant Morrison: Talking With Gods is available on DVD beginning Oct. 26.
- October 14, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Kevin Melrose
John Rozum writing new Xombi series
Xombi
This past weekend at the New York Comic Con, DC co-publisher Dan Didio said that the Milestone character Xombi will return in February. John Rozum, who wrote the original Xombi series back in the 1990s, posted on his blog that he will write the series.
“Xombi came straight from my DNA and I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to the story of David Kim,” he wrote on his blog. “This is an absolute dream come true for me.”
He also notes that he’s written one issue so far, and an art team has not been chosen yet.
Xombi, the story of a medical researcher whose supernatural wounds were cured by nanomachines that render him immortal, ran for 22 issues. Like the other Milestone characters, Xombi is now part of the DC universe, having been introduced into it last year in Brave & the Bold #26. Rozum’s post includes a great introduction to the character if you’ve never read the book.
- October 14, 2010 @ 09:30 AM by JK Parkin
Morrison reigns supreme in full-length My Chemical Romance video
Grant Morrison
MTV has posted the full-length video for My Chemical Romance’s “Na Na Na,” which, like the teaser clip that was released last month, features the band in a shootout with Grant Morrison and his gang of masked thugs. And if the end is any kind of indication, I think we can expect a sequel.
Watch the complete video after the jump.
- October 14, 2010 @ 08:45 AM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Legal
Legal | A former middle-school teacher in Idaho has pleaded guilty to possession of obscene visual depictions of the sexual abuse of children for downloading 70 cartoon images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Many of the images depicted characters from The Simpsons. Boise resident Steve Kutzner, 33, faces up to 10 years in federal prison, supervised release of up to three years, a maximum fine of $250,000 and … a special assessment of $100. Sentencing is set for Jan. 5. [Idaho Statesman, press release]
New York Comic Con | Tom Spurgeon settles in for a lengthy, bulleted look at the news and announcements from last weekend’s big convention. Gareth-Michael Skarka, meanwhile, offers commentary on the digital-comics arena. [The Comics Reporter, The Designer Monologues]
New York Comic Con | Ruth La Ferla uses the convention as a chance to look at the intersection of comic books and fashion, spotlighting both cosplayers and noted designers. [The New York Times]
- October 14, 2010 @ 08:19 AM by Kevin Melrose
Why I didn’t go to the New York Comic Con
New York Comic Con
For all intents and purposes, NYCC is now my big hometown show. I still didn’t go, despite the fact that between getting a press pass and having a monthly Long Island Rail Road ticket, it would have cost me basically nothing to do so, and despite the fact that nearly all of my friends were there. There are a few reasons for this, including a major one involving the health of a family member (the good health, fortunately) that has nothing to do with the show itself. But it’s also for the reason I talk about in this comment thread discussion with The Beat’s Heidi MacDonald: There wasn’t a thriving alternative/art/literary/underground comics presence.
Heidi points out that Pantheon and First Second and Top Shelf all had booths at the show, which is true, and which is good. I like tons of Pantheon and Top Shelf books and usually one book per First Second slate. But when I say “thriving presence” I don’t mean “are the individual altcomix-y publishers that are there awesome or not,” I mean “Does the altcomix-y section of the show do well, attract attention, get press, draw attendees and creators, put up a formidable programming slate.” In that light, I don’t think that segment of this show is thriving vs. the rest of the show, no. For example, did Pantheon have X’ed Out, its eagerly anticipated, apparently awesome new book from titanic talent Charles Burns, available at the show? If so, awesome, but did you read word one about it in any show coverage? I sure didn’t. That little group of publishers Heidi speaks of–which by the way is mostly the alt-ish wings of gigantic NY publishing houses, not the alternative comics press per se–doesn’t reach the critical mass that it does at San Diego, even San Diego circa 2010, let alone TCAF/MoCCA/SPX/APE/BCGF/etc. I know there are any number of reasons why NYCC lacks the altcomix component that even San Diego has been able to preserve. I know that not all of it rests at the feet of NYCC’s organizers at Reed. I still think it’s a dealbreaker.
- October 13, 2010 @ 04:10 PM by Sean T. Collins
Gorillas Riding Dinosaurs | Steve Niles’ Big Book of Horror
Big Book of Horror
Big Book of Horror
Written by Steve Niles; Illustrated by Scott Morse, Ted McKeever, and Richard Sala
IDW; $19.99
More this week about horror and all-ages comics, because I’ve found my next bedtime storybook for my son. The boy loves monsters, but he’s appropriately freaked out by serious horror. IDW’s collection of Steve Niles Little Books of Horror is the perfect middle ground.
Niles adapted three, classic horror stories for children, each with a different artist. They’re not comics so much as picture books, but comics fans will recognize the talent Niles worked with. Scott Morse (Soulwind) illustrated Frankenstein, Ted McKeever (Metropol) did War of the Worlds, and Richard Sala (Delphine, Cat Burglar Black) painted Dracula. Each page is a giant, gorgeous illustration overlaid with Niles’ text that summarizes the story.
- October 13, 2010 @ 02:30 PM by Michael May
What makes SNIKT, BAMF and THWIP work on the screen?
Gizmodo has a really fun post up by Bryan Gardiner that looks at how movies translate comic book sound effects onto film. The article looks at the history of three sounds in particular, then delves into how they were created on film.
“Chances are you’ve stumbled across (or even used) one or all of them at some point in your life,” Gardiner writes. “BAMF, SNIKT and THWIP have all become sonic staples in pop culture, part of our modern parlance, and definitely a part of the unceasing marketing machine that drives toy, book and movie sales. Breaking down how these onomatopoeias were sonically transposed from paper to film not only gives you an appreciation for the artists working in both mediums, but speaks to way even a simple sound can weasel its way into your auditory cortex.”
THWIP, for instance, doesn’t actually happen in the Spider-Man films, but the sound of Spider-Man shooting his webs ended up as “combinations of more than 40 elements to produce one sound.” It was made up of, among other sounds, plucked fishing line strung between two posts, magnetic film being cinched tighter on a spindle, compressed air, shaving cream spurts and the swish of old woven fly fishing line. You can read about Wolverine’s famous SNIKT and Nightcrawler’s teleporting BAMF over at Gizmodo.
- October 13, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
Send Us Your Shelf Porn!
by Jack Davis
Welcome once again to Shelf Porn! Today’s shelves comes from Chad Maupin, a freelance artist who lives in Arkansas. He shares his collection of artwork, prints and more.
If you’d like to contribute to Shelf Porn, it’s easy — just send your photos and write-up to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now let’s hear from Chad …
- October 13, 2010 @ 12:29 PM by JK Parkin
Brandon Graham draws Madame Xanadu tale for Vertigo Halloween special
from House of Mystery Halloween Annual #1
I mentioned this in Food or Comics? yesterday, but thought it was worth mentioning again (esp. since Vertigo posted a preview on their blog today) … although it was originally solicited with Jill Thompson on art, the Madame Xanadu tale in this year’s House of Mystery Halloween Annual is actually Matt Wagner and King City creator Brandon Graham. It’s kind of like finding out the house next door isn’t handing out candy this year (boo!), but they did make popcorn balls (yay!).
Wagner and Graham join Matthew Sturges, Peter Milligan, Luca Rossi, Mike Carey, Peter Gross and more in contributing to the anthology. It arrives in shops today.
- October 13, 2010 @ 11:26 AM by JK Parkin
New Act-i-vate strip to benefit Primate Rescue Center
art by Robert Wilson IV
The webcomics collective Act-i-vate has kicked off a new ongoing anthology called Panels for Primates, where various comic creators will create comic strips featuring monkeys, apes and other primates to help raise awareness and, hopefully, money for the Primate Rescue Center in Nicholasville, Ky.
While the stories can be viewed for free, they include a promo at the end encouraging readers to donate money. Per a press release, upcoming stories will “offer an eclectic mix of creators and content, with the only common denominators being high quality and primates.” The first story, “Ilya’s Back Pages” by Stuart Moore and Rick Geary, is up now. The cover, above, is by Robert Wilson IV.
- October 13, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Neonomicon #2
Retailing | Tallahassee, Fla., comics store Secret Headquarters has announced it is refusing to sell Alan Moore and Jacen Burrows’ Neonomicon #2 “due to pornographic content,” and will no longer carry the Avatar Press series: “Secret Headquarters is deeply dismayed that Alan Moore continues to use his reputation as a quality comics author to promote his bizarre sexual philosophies.” [Bleeding Cool]
Comic-Con International | It’s that time of year again: Memberships for Comic-Con 2011 go on sale at 9 a.m. PST Nov. 1. Note, though, that four-day memberships with Preview Night sold out on the last day of this year’s convention. [Comic-Con International]
New York Comic Con | Brigid Alverson rounds up the kids’ comics news from last weekend’s convention, while Kai-Ming Cha tackles manga. [Publishers Weekly]
- October 13, 2010 @ 07:52 AM by Kevin Melrose
Food or Comics? | This week’s comics on a budget
House of Mystery Halloween Annual #2
If it’s Tuesday, it must be time for Food or Comics?, where every week some of the Robot 6 crew talk about what comics we’d buy if we were subject to certain spending limits — $15 and $30, as well as if we had extra money to spend on what we call our “Splurge” item. Check out Diamond’s release list to see what arrives in comic shops this week,then play along in our comments section.
JK Parkin
If I had $15 to spend:
Strange Tales 2 #1 ($4.99)
House of Mystery Halloween Annual #2 ($4.99)
Two $5 anthologies that should be well worth the asking price. Strange Tales II, the sequel to Marvel’s indie cartoonist anthology from last year, features new stories by Rafael Grampa, Kate Beaton, Frank Santoro, Dash Shaw, Jeff Lemire, Kevin Huizenga, Jhonen Vasquez and many more. House of Mystery Halloween Annual #2, meanwhile, features stories by folks like Mike Kaluta, Jill Thompson, Chris Roberson, Mike Allred, Matthew Sturges and Peter Milligan. Most notably, it has a new “Lucifer” story by Mike Carey and Peter Gross, which is the big draw for me personally.
Update: I received an advanced copy of this in the mail tonight, and saw that the Madame Xanadu story isn’t actually by Mike Kaluta and Jill Thompson, as was noted in the above-linked CBR story. No, the Madame Xanadu story is actually by Matt Wagner and Brandon Graham. And it is pretty awesome.
- October 12, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by JK Parkin