2010 November
What Are You Reading?
Thor: The Mighty Avenger #1
Hello and welcome once again to What Are You Reading?, where the Robot 6 crew talk about the comics and graphic novels that they’ve been enjoying lately.
Today’s guest is Zom from the Mindless Ones blog. To see what Zom and the rest of the Robot 6 team have been reading, click below.
- November 7, 2010 @ 03:01 PM by JK Parkin
The Fifth Color | K.I.S.S.
tl;dr version - Read More of These
I am no financial expert. There is no reason to come to a comic shop clerk to learn about big corporate business and how it should be run. There is no way to know Marvel’s financial plans or the details of their exact revenue unless you turn in a smashing resume and work your way into corporate. I will never have access to Marvel’s bank book and nor would I want it (unless it was written by Abnett and Lanning). Numbers and bookkeeping are incredibly boring to Yours Truly and it would be presumptuous and foolish of me to start dictating how Marvel Entertainment should be running their business from my couch.
But that’s essentially what I’m going to do today. You have been warned.
And the worst part is that it’s something no one wants to hear. Marvel, love ‘em or leaving ‘em, has to make money. They have to put out product that people will give them money for and it has to be a lot of money. It’s a rare case when a company packs it up because they have all the money they need. No chance of Marvel doing that any time soon, so they think up new ways to please the public so that they acquire more funds to make more product, etc. etc. So what happens when the best way to please the public… is to lower your prices?
- November 5, 2010 @ 06:15 PM by Carla Hoffman
Better than a motion comic: J. Torres fan film
YouTube user haiku132 created a short, sweet fan film from J. Torres and Tim Levins’s short comic How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love John Byrne. It’s simple pan-and-scan, but the music and pacing are just right. Take two minutes to enjoy it.
(via J. Torres’s blog)
- November 5, 2010 @ 05:40 PM by Brigid Alverson
Amazon announces its top comics of 2010
The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death
Amazon.com is the first out of the gate with a year-end list, rolling out its editors’ picks for the Top 10 comics of 2010. It’s a solid selection of titles, led by Drawn and Quarterly with three and DC Comics with two.
1. The Art of Jaime Hernandez: The Secrets of Life and Death, by Jaime Hernandez (Abrams ComicArts)
2. Batwoman: Elegy, by Greg Rucka and J.H. Williams III (DC Comics)
3. X’ed Out, by Charles Burns (Pantheon)
4. Market Day, by James Sturm (Drawn and Quarterly)
5. King of the Flies: Hallorave (Vol. 1), by Mezzo and Pirus (Fantagraphics Books)
6. 40: A Doonesbury Retrospective, by G.B. Trudeau (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
7. Hellboy, Vol. 9: The Wild Hunt, by Mike Mignola and Duncan Fegredo (Dark Horse)
8. Acme Novelty Library #20, by Chris Ware (Drawn and Quarterly)
9. Picture This: The Near-sighted Monkey Book, by Lynda Barry (Drawn and Quarterly)
10. Wednesday Comics, by various (DC Comics)
The online retailer also revealed its 10 bestselling comics of the year, a list topped by the sixth volume of Bryan Lee O’Malley’s Scott Pilgrim series. See the full rundown after the break:
- November 5, 2010 @ 03:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Director of Spider-Man musical addresses delays
Julie Taymor
The director of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is defending the troubled production, whose opening has been postponed yet again, this time because a safety inspection could not be completed.
“There are no changes coming to the actual show,” Julie Taymor told Showbiz411′s Roger Friedman, a longtime friend. “All the changes have to do with technical things. The flying, of course. But also all the wires, and the changes between scenes. We may need a little bit of an underscore to cover a move, or a small transition that needs to be smoothed. These are the things that you would work out on the road. We’re doing them here.”
Those “technical things” involve some two dozen aerial maneuvers that have come under scrutiny following recent injuries to two performers, most notably an actor who broke both wrists in a failed stunt. Inspectors with the New York State Department of Labor couldn’t sign off on the production this week because producers were unable to present them with all of the flying sequences.
As The New York Times reports, the latest delays move previews from Nov. 14 to Nov. 28 and the opening from Dec. 21 to “the box office doldrums of January,” which means the $60-million musical — Taymor says $55 million — misses both Thanksgiving week and Christmas. The director, however, calls the Jan. 11 opening “the perfect date.”
The musical, which is destined to the most expensive and most technically complex show is Broadway history, initially was scheduled to begin performances in February. However, “cash-flow obstacles” in August 2009 triggered delays that eventually led to the loss of original co-stars Evan Rachel Wood (Mary Jane) and Alan Cumming (Green Goblin).
- November 5, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
This weekend, it’s New England Webcomics Weekend …
… but only if you planned ahead, because tickets for Saturday are already sold out. Tonight’s Pub Crawl may make it worth your while, though, and there are still some tickets left for Sunday. There are worse places to have to while way a day than Northampton, Massachusetts. As the blog says,
Northampton is a great little town. Kind of like a microscopic version of everything that’s good about New York with none of the parking and smell issues.
I like to think of it as Boulder East, myself.
New England Webcomics Weekend is like the Comic-Con International of webcomics, and the guest list is amazing: Kate Beaton (Hark, a vagrant), Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary), R Stevens (Diesel Sweeties), Karl Kerschl (The Abominable Charles Christopher) … that’s a lot of star power, not a concept I would have associated with webcomics just a few years ago. And of course there is always the possibility of being the first to discover that great new webcomic …
- November 5, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
Global manga: Time to stop the hatin’ (and start creatin’)
Tokyopop alumna Svetlana Chmakova
Former Tokyopop editor Tim Beedle has a thought-provoking piece on his blog about the antipathy most publishers still harbor toward manga-influenced art. Back when Tokyopop was publishing global manga, it was fashionable in manga circles to pooh-pooh it on the grounds that it wasn’t Japanese, and some of the books were weak. However, many of the creators have gone on to do very strong work. Unfortunately, they have had to switch styles to do so.
Tim thinks that’s a shame (as do I), and here’s why:
At New York Comic-Con last month, I was introduced to a ridiculously talented manga-influenced artist. She showed me her latest comic (which she had self-published), and after seeing how skilled she is, I thought about a few of the projects I’m working on that are in need of artists. I asked her if she only drew in a manga style, and she said yes. It was the only way of drawing that she really felt passionate about. I remember looking down at some of the comics in front of me, shaking my head, and telling her that unfortunately, I didn’t have any opportunities for her right now. None of the publishers I’m working with are interested in publishing comics drawn in a manga-influenced style. She smiled and said she understood, and that it’s something she’s heard before.
Tokyopop’s original global manga didn’t sell well, probably because the publisher’s audience was only interested in Japanese works, and these books didn’t pretend to be Japanese. Unlike some other global manga, they were mostly set in the U.S. and didn’t pick up on cultural tropes like schoolgirls and ninjas. On the other hand, potential readers (indie and western comics fans) were put off by the manga label. These books probably would have done better if they were published by a Top Shelf or an Oni Press. Here’s hoping the creators get more opportunities in the future.
(Via The Manga Critic)
- November 5, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
Gyakushu is set in motion at Hulu
Dan Hipp’s Gyakushu was originally published by Tokyopop and then moved online for a while (it seems to be gone now) after Tokyopop discontinued their global manga line. Now it is taking on a third life: Tokyopop is publishing volume 3 as a print-on-demand book, and Hulu just posted a motion comic of the first volume. You might as well settle in; it’s 41 minutes long.
Meanwhile, Hipp is posting some awesome fanart at his blog, and it’s all for sale.
- November 5, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
This weekend, it’s Mid-Ohio-Con
The limited-edition "Perhapanauts" poster for Mid-Ohio-Con
Columbus Local News offers a preview of Mid-Ohio-Con, which kicks off its 30th year on Saturday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.
Comics guests include Sergio Aragones, Kurt Busiek, Frank Cho, Todd Dezago, David Finch, Adam Hughes, Lora Innes, Barry Kitson, Tony Moore, David Petersen, Craig Rousseau, Billy Tucci, Ethan Van Sciver and Matt Wagner.
The event continues through Sunday.
- November 5, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
From minicomics to mainstream, by way of MoCCA
Sarah Glidden, as drawn by Sarah Glidden
When she set out for Israel, Sarah Glidden was carrying some baggage — strong opinions about the country and some suspicion about the sponsor of her tour, Birthright, which provides all-expenses-paid trips to Israel for young Jewish people. “How shall I put it? … When there is an expensive trip offered for free, there is always bound to be a downside to it,” she told the magazine Haaretz.
To keep her skeptical eye, Glidden decided to make a graphic novel about her trip, and the result is How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, which came out this week. Glidden shares her experiences in Israel, and discusses how she turned that into a graphic novel, in the Haaretz article, which is well worth a read. But this Horatio Alger aspect is what caught my eye:
- November 5, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Could Stan Lee’s garage contain a treasure trove of Silver Age art?
Fantastic Four #12
To promote its pop-culture memorabilia series Hollywood Treasure, Syfy has released video from Comic-Con International of an awed Stan Lee as he’s shown the complete original artwork from Fantastic Four #12 — pages he’s likely not seen in 47 years.
The footage, which clocks in at more than 12 minutes, is interesting for a couple of reasons. First, and most obvious, is Lee’s genuine excitement about the art and his admiration for the work of collaborator Jack Kirby. As he pores over the pages he realizes the notes aren’t Kirby’s but his own, which were usually erased in the production process.
Second, and by far the most interesting, is the suggestion that Lee’s garage could be the mother lode of Silver Age original art. Toward the end of the video, after Lee has gone, host Joe Maddalena tells his associates: “This is a great start to a great relationship. His guy was telling me — I said, ‘Does he have any artwork?’ He goes, ‘Boxes and boxes in the garage.’ I said, ‘What do you mean, garage?’ He goes, ‘Storage units full.’ I said, ‘Well, supposedly I’ve heard him say he doesn’t have anything.’ The guy said, ‘Storage units full of artwork.’ He goes, ‘He has no idea what he has. He’s never looked at it’.”
Maddalena, owner of Profiles in History auction house, hopes (naturally) to gain access to the art for appraisal. Watch the video after the break. Hollywood Treasure airs Wednesdays on Syfy.
- November 5, 2010 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
This weekend, it’s King Con
Brooklyn is the place to be this weekend, as artists from around the area flock to the Brooklyn Lyceum in New York City for King Con.
“Artists from around the area” is not usually a phrase that strikes excitement in one’s heart, but Brooklyn is home to an amazing array of comics talent, and this is an opportunity for creators to meet with the fans without having to fly across the country (or take the subway into the city).
Artists who will be there include Chris Claremont, Dean Haspiel, Becky Cloonan, Dave Roman, Raina Telgemeier, George O’Connor, Paul Pope (today only), Kyle Baker and Rick Parker. That’s everything from superheroes to kids’ comics to indie comics, all under one roof and conveniently located. Brian Heater curated the panels, and he has posted his schedule at The Daily Cross Hatch; he will be DJ at tonight’s kickoff party.
- November 5, 2010 @ 07:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Grumpy Old Fan | Earth One welcomes new Superman fans
Superman: Earth One
Throughout the character’s history, Superman has been introduced and reintroduced to various audiences through various media. There have been Supermen on radio and film, on television and in prose, and of course in comics. The new Megamind apparently leans heavily on a Superman pastiche, and the newest “proper” Superman movie is being guided by producer Christopher Nolan.
And yet, the goal of Superman Earth One — written by J. Michael Straczynski, pencilled by Shane Davis, and inked by Sandra Hope — seems different from many of the Man of Steel’s other origins. Earth One has Krypton, the Kents, Lois, “Jim” Olsen, the Daily Planet, and of course the familiar red-and-blue costume; but it is most concerned with redefining Clark Kent and his mighty alter-ego. Aside from the “Earth One” brand itself (about which more later), there are very few Easter eggs for longtime fans. This is not a distillation of seventy-plus years’ worth of Superman stories into some platonic ideal (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Instead, it’s almost as if Straczynski and Davis are making a concerted effort to avoid such references.
Regardless, Superman Earth One (there is no colon in the title) clearly seeks to redefine and reintroduce the original superhero to a new audience. As a reintroduction, and more specifically as the first of what is presumably an ongoing series of graphic novels, it’s not a bad beginning — but it doesn’t quite feel like Superman yet.
SPOILERS FOLLOW, of course.
- November 4, 2010 @ 03:00 PM by Tom Bondurant
Frank Miller’s infrequently updated blog is pretty amazing
"Krypto-Fascist" by Frank Miller
The Dark Knight Returns cartoonist and Sin City co-director Frank Miller rarely updates his website, but when he’s done so lately, it’s been pretty remarkable. Take the post titled “A Nice Thought,” featuring a drawing of a dinosaur eating a (presumably) Muslim suicide bomber, for example — or the above drawing, “Krypto-Fascist,” in which a Nazified version of Superman’s best friend is used to riff on a popular political epithet. I just wish the site had an RSS feed so I could make sure not to miss anything. Man, Holy Terror cannot come soon enough.
(via David Aja)
- November 4, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Comic Twart artists minimize superheroes, maximize their creativity
by Chris Samnee
The artistic folks over at the Comic Twart blog have a theme this week that no doubt is a lot harder than you’d think — minimalism. Chris Samnee’s Justice League, above, probably offers the most detail of the pieces they’ve shared so far, while Tom Fowler’s Fantastic Four, below, probably wins the prize for being the most minimal … especially his Invisible Woman.
by Tom Fowler
- November 4, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by JK Parkin