2010 October
APE ’10 | AdHouse, Top Shelf, Fantagraphics, APE Aftermath and more
Alternative Press Expo
As Graeme mentioned earlier today, the Alternative Press Expo is coming up this weekend in San Francisco. The show runs Saturday and Sunday at the Concourse on 8th Street. This year’s special guests include Daniel Clowes, Lynda Barry, Renee French, Rich Koslowski and several more. In addition to an exhibitor’s room packed with comics, they also have a full programming slate and even a “speed dating” event to help writers find artists (and vice versa).
Over the next couple days, I’ll be posting what various companies and creators have planned for the show; you can find a few of them below. If you’d like to be included, email me the details on where you’ll be, what you’ll be selling and all that good stuff.
AdHouse Books
AdHouse returns to APE after a several year hiatus, bringing copies of Duncan the Wonder Dog, among others:
Duncan the Wonder Dog
We’ll be tabling with our good bud Scott Morse. So, look for us in the 33o area. Also, Adam Hines will be making his first APE appearance. Swing by and see why PWComicsWeek has said Duncan the Wonder Dog is their pick for book of the year.
We’ll have exactly ONE advance copy of the new Josh Cotter book Babs in the Sky with Neil Diamonds for people to peruse.
We’ll have just a few of the NoBrow editions with us. Our good bud’s at Last Gasp are also a distributor, so I’m sure they’ll have lots as well.
- October 12, 2010 @ 03:31 PM by JK Parkin
The Middle Ground #25: I’m A King Kong Man, I’m A Voodoo Man
It’s APE this weekend, in San Francisco. And, as much as I’m sad that I didn’t make it to New York Comic-Con this past weekend, missing out on APE feels like the bigger loss, from a comics perspective. Continue Reading »
- October 12, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by Graeme McMillan
Happy Fifth Birthday, Mome!: An interview with Eric Reynolds
“5 years, 20 volumes, 72 artists, and 2,352 pages of comics.” Strictly by the numbers — taken from the Editor’s Notes that kick off Mome Vol. 20: Fall 2010, on sale this month — Fantagraphics’ signature anthology is a force to be reckoned with. Launched in 2005 with the intention of providing a regular home for new work by promising young cartoonists like Gabrielle Bell, Jeffrey Brown, Anders Nilsen, Paul Hornschemeier, and Sophie Crumb, it rapidly evolved into something else, something arguably more: a showcase for alternative comics of nearly every style and stripe. During its five-year history, Mome‘s diverse accomplishments have included publishing work from European greats like David B. and Lewis Trondheim, serializing Tim Hensley’s acclaimed graphic novel Wally Gropius, reintroducing Al Columbia to the comics scene prior to the release of his landmark Pim & Francie, giving Dash Shaw yet another forum for his experimental take on science fiction, providing an unlikely venue for underground legend Gilbert Shelton, showcasing up-and-comers like Jon Vermilyea and Nate Neal…and, like all anthologies, starting a good deal of debate over which contributors were any good at all. With its like-clockwork quarterly schedule, Mome is a go-to destination for finding out what’s going on at comics’ cutting edge.
Eric Reynolds by Jaime Hernandez
Presiding over all this has been editor Eric Reynolds, who inherited full control of the anthology from original co-editor and co-publisher Gary Groth. When last I spoke to Reynolds about Mome in October of 2007, he was prepping Vol. 10, which sported a new look, new work from Columbia, and the second half of a story by altcomix titan Jim Woodring. Three years and ten issues later, the series has gotten a full-on makeover from designer Adam Grano, and is in the midst of some of its most challenging work ever from Shaw, Josh Simmons, Derek Van Gieson and more. What has changed, what has remained constant, and what lies in store? Reynolds spoke with Robot 6 about all this and more in a fifth-anniversary interview.
If I’d ask you five years ago to describe what Mome Vol. 20 would look like, what would you have said?
I would’ve said there’s no way this thing’s going to last 20 issues. Really, I’m sure I would have had no other answer.
- October 12, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Sean T. Collins
Now read this: Icarus by Ryan Cody
Icarus
Ryan Cody, creator of the Viper Comics series Villains, started a new webcomic this week called Icarus. New pages will go up every Monday and Thursday.
Here’s how he describes the new series in the press release: “In 2014, a young child with the ability to see the future see an object approaching Earth, a giant spacecraft containing a species intent on invasion and occupation. She locates the most public superhuman of the time, The Golden Templar, and convinces him to take her to a secret group of world leaders. The Amaliorata do not believe her story and cast her away. When she, and other gifted seers go public with their warning, global riots break out and the world is turned upside down with religious and economic collapse. The Ameliorata decide that the super-humans cannot be allowed to roam unchecked and continue to upset the power balance. They order the execution of every known superhuman. Major Fisher Riley is put in charge of exterminating the world’s most powerful individuals. The Ameliorata convince the public that the oncoming object to Earth is only the asteroid Icarus, preparing to make its scheduled pass of Earth. Icarus is expected to pass Earth on June 16th, 2015.”
- October 12, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
NBM/Papercutz pick up Garfield license, new David B., more digital
The Garfield Show
NBM publisher Terry Nantier posted some news yesterday about his company’s upcoming publishing plans. Papercutz, NBM’s all-ages imprint, has picked up the rights to publish a Garfield comic book based on the Cartoon Network show — which, of course, is based on the comic strip of the same name.
He also mentioned some new projects and initiatives for NBM proper:
I can tell you we’ve got a new David B lined up where we’re going to take a quite different approach to how we present it than what we’ve been doing. Also the next Louvre book will look quite different! Basically, we’re seeing we don’t need to be married to the 6×9 format as much as we were so we’re going to open things up!
Also, we’re seeing a need for our books to reflect what we publish: beautiful quality comics you want to have physically and keep proudly in your library. For those who’d rather not spend so much, we’ll be multiplying our efforts on the E-book side.
- October 12, 2010 @ 09:52 AM by JK Parkin
Take a peek inside Periscope Studio
Oregon Public Broadcasting pays a visit to Portland’s Periscope Studio, home to more than 20 comics creators, including Jeff Parker, Steve Lieber, Colleen Coover, Paul Tobin and Dylan Meconis. The seven-minute segment focuses largely on Erika Moen and Ron Randall, but it also provides a glimpse of other studio members and their work environment.
- October 12, 2010 @ 08:23 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | The comics Internet in two minutes
Phoenix
Publishing | Veteran writer J.M. DeMatteis has resigned as editor-in-chief of Ardden Entertainment, fledgling publisher of Flash Gordon and partner in the planned revival of Atlas Comics. DeMatteis, who joined Ardden in February 2008, cited creative differences with Co-Publishers Brendan Deneen and Rich Emms. Deneen has assumed the role of editor-in-chief. [J.M. DeMatteis' blog]
Comic strips | Non Sequitur cartoonist Wiley Miller comments on the decision by more than 20 newspapers to replace the Oct. 3 installment of his strip because it mentioned the Prophet Muhammad: “[Editors] didn’t see the satire was on them, of being petrified to run anything related to him. But this whole thing has just gotten so silly over the years. It’s something I can’t lay off. It’s my job as a satirist to point out the stupidity in the world. And the editors fell right in line with proving how stupid it is.” Andrew Alexander, ombudsman for The Washington Post, criticized his newspaper for pulling the strip. [Fox News]
- October 12, 2010 @ 07:40 AM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim | Renée French
H Day
There’s a horrific beauty to the art of Renée French. With her most recent work, H Day (published by Picturebox and set to ship on October 15), the beauty is built on pain, given that the book’s creation was partially fueled by French’s struggles with migraines. The last graphic novel that both challenged and engaged me in such a manner as H Day did is likely Joshua Cotter‘s Driven by Lemons. I’ve been interviewing French for a number of years, and I never tire of discussing her craft with her. Back when I last interviewed her, we briefly discussed a (then upcoming) project, Towcester Lodge, and I was glad to find out the fate of that project (as well as how H Day grew out of that creative effort). French is one of the special guests at this weekend’s APE 2010. My thanks to French for her time, and to Robot6 6′s own Sean T. Collins as well as Picturebox’s Dan Nadel for helping make the interview happen.
Tim O’Shea: How early in the development of H Day did you realize the bed scenes would play such a pivotal part?
Renée French: I’d been doing line drawings and diagrams of the inside of heads, sort of diagrams of the pain that comes with a migraine, and once I decided to try to draw the stuff I visualize when I’ve got a headache, (the city drawings) the diagrams progressed into the sequence that is in the book (the bed drawings). How confusing is that?
- October 11, 2010 @ 03:30 PM by Tim O'Shea
Chris Samnee provides illustrations for new Jon Stewart book
Samnee contributes to Earth: The Book
Artist Chris Samnee, who has been tearing it up on Thor, The Mighty Avenger lately, notes on his blog that he contributed some illustrations to Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race by Daily Show host Jon Stewart. “This illustration was to accompany a ‘if superheroes really existed, they would be using their powers for evil ‘ type passage,” he said.
- October 11, 2010 @ 02:30 PM by JK Parkin
NYCC ’10 | Stan Lee teaming with Japanese rock star for motion comic
X Japan
One day everyone will have a comic book created by or with Stan Lee. Following the news from this past weekend that Lee is working with the NHL, MTV and 1821 Pictures on new projects, GalleyCat reports that Lee will team with Yoshiki, co-founder of the Japanese band X Japan, on a motion comic featuring a superhero based on the singer.
Yoshiki is doing the music for the project, while Lee will do “whatever else needs to be done,” he said at the New York Comic-Con.
X Japan, a metal band founded in the early 1980s by Yoshiki and Toshimitsu “Toshi” Deyama, has sold over 30 million records and sold out the Tokyo Dome 18 times. After disbanding in 1997, the group reunited in 2007 for an Asian tour, and their first North American tour kicked off late last month. They plan to release their first studio album in more than a decade next year.
- October 11, 2010 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
Associate Editor Nathan Cosby to leave Marvel
Thor: The Mighty Avenger #1
Marvel Associate Editor Nathan Cosby, who oversaw such titles as Thor: The Mighty Avenger, the Oz adaptations and Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers, announced this morning that he’s leaving the publisher.
“So this is my last week working as an editor at Marvel,” he wrote on Twitter. “It’s sad leaving, having worked with such great writers/pencilers/inkers/colorists/letterers/production people/fellow editors. Gonna miss! I’m moving on to do other stuff (I’ll explain later, when it’s announced). I have a few comic things in early stages & I’ll still tweet. [...] My new job’s probably (hopefully) gonna give me a lot more free time to let my mind wander, so …”
Between Twitter and his Tumblr blog, Cosby has maintained a regular online presence, previewing art, interviewing creators and editors, doling out advice on breaking into the industry, and offering his own unique takes on Marvel characters.
(via The Beat)
- October 11, 2010 @ 12:30 PM by Kevin Melrose
Do your comics live off the grid?
Get ready for some serious comics wonkery: Cold Heat cartoonist Frank Santoro (he of those bitchin’ Strange Tales II Silver Surfer pages) is talkin’ grids — specifically, the grid panel layouts most frequently used in North American comics. Frank’s argument is that the common six-panel grid is a great framework for pacing the flow of images but “loses the center” of the page, to which your eye would naturally be drawn, since there’s basically nothing there but a gutter. Three- or nine-panel grids, on the other hand, have a big ol’ box smack dab in the center, which gives the page extra power on an almost unconscious level. Santoro goes on to discuss some tricks artists have used to create a “center” for a page that uses a two/four/six/eight-panel grid, even though the grid itself gets in the way. It’s an eye-opening post if you’ve ever made comics, that’s for sure — read the whole thing.
- October 11, 2010 @ 11:30 AM by Sean T. Collins
NYCC ’10 | Kodansha’s panel was not canceled, it was never scheduled
Dallas Middaugh at NYCC/NYAF
When the news broke last week that Kodansha would stop licensing its manga to Del Rey and publish them under its own imprint, some commenters reacted with dismay. Aside from being unimpressed with the first few releases from the Japanese publisher, American readers are not happy with Kodansha’s complete lack of accessibility to the public — no content on their website, no press releases and very few interviews.
So when the Kodansha panel abruptly disappeared from the schedule for New York Comic Con & New York Anime Festival, online reaction was sharp and rather resentful. Fortunately, the Kodansha honchos seem to realize that things were going off-kilter and authorized Dallas Middaugh, who will continue to edit the publisher’s books under the new arrangement, to address what exactly happened.
And what happened was not a sudden cancellation, but rather a miscommunication, Middaugh explained. Kodansha had originally planned to do a panel at NYAF but decided to cancel it at the end of August. “We realized that we were a little off schedule,” he told Robot 6. “We really weren’t going to have any titles to announce, and without any titles to announce, we didn’t see any point in having the panel. I contacted the [New York] Comic Con folks and told them ‘We got nothing, please cancel the panel.’ And in their defense, I did say ‘What’s the latest we can get back to you if we decide we do want a panel?’ That day came and went, we had canceled the panel, they unfortunately took it as a yes and ran the panel information, and we were surprised the panel was listed.”
So what looked like an abrupt cancellation was actually a correction.
- October 11, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Brigid Alverson
New images from Batman: Arkham City
Batman: Arkham City
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment has released new screenshots and concept art from Batman: Arkham City, the highly anticipated sequel to the bestselling 2009 video game Batman: Arkham Asylum.
A couple of images may seem familiar, as they’re strikingly similar to some of those “leaked” early last month. But the new shots provide additional glimpses of the game’s cityscape and Batman’s Juggalo-esque adversaries, as well as a look at a render for Harley Quinn.
Developed by Rocksteady Studios, the game will send players into Arkham City, the new maximum-security home for all of Gotham’s “thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds.” Arkham City “introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight.”
Check out the images after the break. Batman: Arkham City will be released next fall for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC.
- October 11, 2010 @ 09:28 AM by Kevin Melrose
NYCC ’10 | There’s got to be a morning after
Steampunk Iron Man cosplayer (from Marvel's Flickr feed)
• Organizers estimate that weekend attendance topped 95,000, ICv2 reports, up from 77,000 the previous year (when the convention was held in February). Next year’s event is set for Oct. 14-16.
• At i09.com, Kelly Faircloth and Alasdair Wilkins round up NYCC’s bestselling comics — among them, Darwyn Cooke’s just-released IDW adaptation of The Outfit, True Blood, The Walking Dead, and a handful of BOOM! Studios’ licensed titles.
• At The Daily Cross Hatch, Brian Heater files a lengthy convention report, complete with photos: “One thing New York Comic Con has had going for it in past years was a genuine focus on comics culture. Other ‘geek media’ has certainly been present from the beginning, but certainly nowhere as invasive as it tends to be at a show like San Diego. This year, however, it’s clear that the show’s organizers have no issue letting it take a backseat to glitzier undertakings. Perhaps the show’s ultimate saving grace will be the fact that it’s so far from Hollywood that it just doesn’t make sense for movie makers to invest as much in the event—yet another reason to pray that the Spider-Man musical doesn’t prove a massive hit.”
- October 11, 2010 @ 08:40 AM by Kevin Melrose