2010 December
Robot Reviews | The Zabime Sisters
The Zabime Sisters
The Zabime Sisters
by Aristophane
First Second, 96 pages, $16.99
The Zabime Sisters follows a day in the life of three girls who live on the Caribbean island nation of Guadeloupe. That description will, I suspect, cause many readers to assume that this is a book heavy in political and social import, as we’ve become come to expect any graphic novel set in or focused on a culture that’s not specifically North America or Eastern Europe to be some harrowing tale of life lived under a harsh totalitarian regime, poverty, colonialism, or some other real-world horror. But Zabime Sisters is not that book at all.
- December 17, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Mautner
Chris Ware covers Presspop’s Tank Tankuro collection
Tank Tankuro cover by Chris Ware
Comics creator Chris Ware provides the cover for Presspop’s upcoming Tank Tankuro: Perwar Works, which collects Gajo Sakamoto’s pre-World War II robot manga.
- December 17, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Ellis, D’Israeli team for ‘experimental publication’ SVK
Warren Ellis
Writer Warren Ellis and artist Matt Brooker, a.k.a. D’Israeli, are teaming up for a new “short graphic novella” called SVK that will be published by BERG, a London-based design consultancy.
“SVK is about… well, SVK stands for a few things, including ‘Surveillance, Very Kafka.’ In one meeting I also described the book as ‘Franz Kafka’s Bourne Identity,’ which seems to have stuck,” Ellis wrote on his blog. “The story, concerning a recovery agent and a thing lost that should probably never have been made, is set in London. So it has to be about surveillance at some level, as London is probably the most surveilled city in the world, one estimate pegging the level at one CCTV camera to every eight people. At any one time, in fact, a fifth of the world’s CCTV cameras are live in the UK.”
BERG has worked with clients like the BBC, Nokia and Absolut. Some of their projects have included a robot that IM’s you what films are playing when and a site that makes important events human scale by putting them over a map of your neighborhood.
“There is an interesting and possibly unique physical aspect to the book that we’re not discussing right now. But BERG are very good at making things that are about perception, like the (pre-INCEPTION!) Here And There map,” Ellis wrote. “When Jack Schulze at BERG came to me with the core idea that SVK’s built on, I knew I had to at least try this, just to see if it’d work…! It’s going to be a surprise, I think, and this sort of envelope-tampering is only going to happen somewhere like BERG. Strange Vector of a Komik.”
BERG is currently looking for potential advertisers for the project. “There are going to be a small number of opportunities to feature advertising – which will be as inventive as the story itself. We’re talking to people now, so that we can go to print with them in February 2011,” the post on their site said.
- December 17, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Quote of the Day | Pete Woods on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark delays
“Hey Marvel guys. The first thing you need to do is put Bagley on the Spiderman musical so he can get that thing back on schedule.”
–Artist Pete Woods, offering a helpful suggestion on how to get the upcoming Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway musical back on track, now that artist Mark Bagley is once again working on Spider-Man.
- December 17, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
Powell, Hester and Ross bring the King of the Monsters back to comics
Godzilla: Monster World #1 cover by Alex Ross
Back in October IDW announced that they’d picked up the license to bring legendary movie star Godzilla back to comics. This week they shared a few more details on the book, including the creative team.
Arriving in March will be Godzilla: Monster World #1, written by Eric Powell and Tracy Marsh, with art by Phil Hester. Both Powell and artist Alex Ross will provide covers (you can find Powell’s gatefold cover after the jump). And I thought this sounded fun: “Plus, retailers will be eligible for their very own cover – featuring Godzilla stomping their comic store.” Monster World will also include appearances by some of Godzilla’s friends, like Mothra and Rodan.
“To be able to launch a Godzilla series that features many fan-favorite Toho monsters never before seen in comics is gratifying enough,” said Chris Ryall, IDW’s chief creative officer, in the press release. “But to do it with the guiding hand and brush of Eric Powell — as perfectly suited a creator as I could’ve hoped to come aboard here – along with Hester, Marsh, and Ross, is about as monstrous a line-up as I could’ve ever hoped for. What’s more, this is just the first series to come in the line. The next one out of the gates features multiple Eisner-nominees and winners handling the creative, so we’re well and truly just getting started here.”
- December 17, 2010 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Christmas on the iPad: Free Little Nemo app
Here’s a holiday treat at a price Ebenezer Scrooge would appreciate: Little Nemo in Christmasland, a free sampler of Winsor McKay’s comics from Sunday Press, which publishes those big, beautiful Little Nemo books.
It’s too bad the iPad didn’t exist in 1906, because it would be interesting to see what McKay could do with the smaller format and bright colors. As it is, the comics show up nicely on the screen but are a bit too small to be fully legible. (This isn’t helped by McKay’s wobbly, crowded lettering.) That means the reader’s experience is broken into two pieces—first you look at the page as a whole, and appreciate McKay’s lovely drawings and masterful compositions, and then you blow it up to read the lettering and follow the story. Admittedly, the second stage is optional, as the stories are fairly slight. The bottom line is that the iPad is really too small to show off these comics at their best, but it is a decent alternative if you can’t afford (or store) the full-size books.
One warning note: These comics appeared in the early 1900s, and they reflect the popular culture of the times. Which is to say, there are crudely caricatured black characters in several of the strips.
If you like the Christmas sampler, check out the 38-page Little Nemo in Slumberland app for $3.99.
- December 17, 2010 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Comics A.M. | Comic Relief’s closing ‘imminent’; the year in digital comics
Comic Relief
Retailing | Berkeley, Calif., institution Comic Relief, opened in 1987 by the late Rory Root, “faces imminent closure” as it reportedly hemorrhages customers and grapples with cash-flow problems that led to the temporary loss of its account with Diamond Comic Distributors. According to an article in the East Bay Express, the store could be purchased by one of Root’s relatives, who would revive the name and retain the staff. Or it could be closed and reopen in another location in January.
However, Image Comics Publisher Eric Stephenson argues that rescue by Root’s family is unlikely, as they already own Comic Relief: “A seemingly never-ending series of colossal blunders by Rory’s family have put the store on life support, and now the store is a shell of what it once was. Comic Relief hasn’t received new product in weeks. For anyone even the least bit familiar with the business of selling comics, it should be vodka clear: No new books means no business. No business means no store. And far from being some sort of solution to the store’s troubles, the Roots are actually the cause. They took the store over against Rory’s wishes and have run it into the ground with such force, you’d think they were blasting for oil.” [East Bay Express]
- December 17, 2010 @ 08:24 AM by Kevin Melrose
Dark Horse announces February digital titles
Dark Horse digital app
You may remember that Dark Horse Comics is launching its own homegrown digital comics application in January, and earlier this month they announced the titles that’ll be available when it does.
But of course they won’t stop there. They seem to have a pretty aggressive schedule for getting their books up onto the app, as you can see from the list of titles they’ll be offering in February books that’s available after the jump. They also had some additions to the January list: Lone Wolf and Cub Vols. 1 and 2, as well as a preview of Fallout: New Vegas—All Roads. And you can expect some day-and-date releases in February that they haven’t revealed yet.
Finally, if you’re curious to know what the app looks like, they sent over a couple of screen shots, the one to the right and one more you can find after the jump.
- December 17, 2010 @ 05:00 AM by JK Parkin
Grumpy Old Fan | Learning to love Mary Marvel
Mary Marvel's '90s reintroduction, by Jerry Ordway
Let me start by saying that I am supremely unqualified to speak about what women or girls want from superhero comics. In this respect I am probably pretty similar to former DC publisher Paul Levitz, who (as you might have heard) told the Comics Journal:
I think the whole myth of superheroes is that they simply aren’t appealing to women as they are to men. I’d like to think I had a pretty good track record on that myself as a writer, as the Legion historically had a pretty good number of female readers, Chris Claremont on his years on the X-Men had a tremendous number of female readers, and there may be any number of other superhero titles that had a fair balance. But overall it would surprise me at any point if you started to have a title that was both a traditional superhero and a majority female audience.
What strikes me about Mr. Levitz’s comments (not just those but others in the article) is the apparent indifference they betray to the prospect of a big female readership. He seems to suggest that while he wouldn’t turn one down, it’s not something DC has particularly pursued. Many more men than women read superhero comics, so DC has focused more on the guys. Even when Sandman appeals to women, that ends up proving his point, because Sandman and Vertigo aren’t superheroes.
Again, at this point I am neither well-equipped nor especially interested in evaluating Mr. Levitz’s arguments. Nevertheless, the attitude that “we don’t need to go this way because it’s never panned out before” sounds rather short-sighted. In the current publishing climate, DC simply can’t afford to ignore women and girls. It needs all the readers it can get.
With all that in mind, I’d now like to talk about Mary Marvel.
- December 16, 2010 @ 04:00 PM by Tom Bondurant
Quotes of the day | The Walking Dead‘s Robert Kirkman & Tony Moore on breaking up
[Johnny Ryan:] You and artist Tony Moore are longtime friends and collaborators. You created The Walking Dead comic together. What prompted Tony to leave the series? Any drama, I hope?
[Robert Kirkman:] Well, there’s always drama when people as close as Tony and I work together. So, you know, sure. My favourite response to this question is that Tony got pregnant and had to leave the book, because that leaves things interesting and mysterious which is the best way to leave them.
The real answer is much more boring. We were very adamant about scheduling early on, and Tony—fantastic artist though he is—is much more the type that works best on a variety of projects, rather than a single, constant deadline, so we decided it would be best if we went our separate ways for the time being.
[Johnny Ryan:] I’ve collaborated a few times with other artists. It always starts off cool, but then I quickly become irritated and want to get the fuck away from the other guy as quickly as possible and then talk major shit about him on the internet. Which collaborations made you do this, too?
[Tony Moore:] Well, Kirkman and I have clearly gone our separate ways. We had our disagreements about how things were supposed to operate, and since then, our different perspectives have given rise to what each believes to be the key issues leading to our split. Over the years, he’s publicly espoused some views on the artistic process that are so fundamentally dissonant from my own that they will likely remain a wedge between us for a long, long time. I don’t talk shit on anybody, but I’m not going to hide or sugar-coat my feelings on the matter.
–The Walking Dead co-creators Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore mince few words in explaining why Moore left the hit zombie comic-turned-TV-show to Vice magazine interviewer (and Prison Pit cartoonist!) Johnny Ryan (himself no stranger to TWD). Read both interviews — after all, it’s Johnny Ryan interviewing Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore.
- December 16, 2010 @ 03:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Kickstart my art | The charity Transmetropolitan art book
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund is using the funding site Kickstarter to raise money to publish a Transmetropolitan art book. Transmetropolitan, for those who may not be familiar with it, was a Vertigo series that starred Spider Jerusalem, a gonzo journalist in a depraved future, who, along with his assistants and a three-eyed cat, battled corrupt politicians, crazy cults and castrated police officers. Written by Warren Ellis and drawn by Darick Robertson, the book was published from 1997 to 2002.
Both creators are participating in the new art book, with Robertson providing a cover and Ellis a foreword. In addition, the book will include artwork by Cliff Chiang, Cully Hamner, Milo Manara, Jeff Lemire, Sam Kieth and many more.
Susan Auġér, the project manager for the art book, and Charles Brownstein, executive director of the CBLDF, were kind enough to answer my questions about the project.
JK: Where did the initial idea to do a benefit book come from?
Susan: A fan approached Darick Robertson’s table at Emerald City Comic Con, the best comics convention out there to meet and greet with creators. Darick agreed that it was a good idea, and the plan took shape shortly after that. You could say it was the perfect jumping off point: a book suggested by a fan, populated by many fans, produced for the fans.
Charles: Shortly after Darick appeared to benefit the CBLDF at WonderCon last year, we sparked up a correspondence with Susan, who had been organizing a project involving a variety of great pieces inspired by Darick and Warren’s iconic series. She did the legwork to get approval from DC Comics to make this book happen as a benefit for CBLDF, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it. There’s some great stuff coming through, and we’re gonna be thrilled to see it, to spread the word, and to do some good for people in comics with the funds that come from it.
- December 16, 2010 @ 02:00 PM by JK Parkin
Opening of Spider-Man musical delayed again, this time until February
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Producers of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark have decided to move the opening of the $65-million Broadway musical from Jan. 11 to sometime in February, The New York Times confirms. That’s nearly a year after it was originally set to open.
This latest delay is intended to provide more time for creators to stage a new closing number, further rewrite dialogue, consider adding and removing scenes, and possibly insert new music from Bono and the Edge.
The musical, which is the most expensive and technically complex in Broadway history, has been plagued by problems, dating back to at least August 2009, when cash-flow obstacles forced production to shut down. Amid delays that led to the loss of stars Evan Rachel Wood and Alan Cumming, the show’s budget ballooned from $35 million to $50 million to $65 million. Just as director Julie Taymor’s ambitious show appeared back on track, reports emerged of safety concerns triggered by two injuries — one was serious — during rehearsals. Then came last month’s glitch-filled first preview, during which actress Natalie Mendoza received a concussion (she returned to the production on Wednesday night after a nearly two-week absence).
However, despite those problems — heck, maybe it’s because of — ticket sales for Spider-Man‘s previews have been impressive, with the 1,932-seat Foxwoods Theatre at 98.2 percent capacity. Unfortunately, producers will have to maintain those numbers if they hope to recoup their initial investment in less than four years.
- December 16, 2010 @ 01:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Comics creators crack Pop Candy’s 100 People of 2010 list
Return of the Dapper Men
Every year USA Today blogger, and comic-book fan, Whitney Matheson releases her list of the 100 most interesting people in television, movies, music, literature and, yes, comics. The 2010 edition (the 11th annual!), which concluded this morning, features a diverse mix that includes five comics creators:
• No. 74 — Jim McCann, writer of Hawkeye and Mockinbird, and co-creator of Return of the Dapper Men
• No. 59 — cartoonist Lynda Barry, whose book Picture This was released in November
• No. 41 — Jeff Lemire, creator of Sweet Tooth and the celebrated Essex County Trilogy
• No. 39 — Scott Pilgrim creator Bryan Lee O’Malley
• No. 15 — Robert Kirkman, co-creator of The Walking Dead and executive producer of the AMC television series
Check out Pop Candy’s full list of 100 People of 2010, and watch CBR TV interviews with three of the names on the list — McCann, O’Malley and Kirkman — after the break.
- December 16, 2010 @ 12:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
BOOM! Studios to publish Michael Moorcock’s Elric
Elric: The Balance Lost #1
BOOM! Studios announced today via press release that they’ve tapped Superman and iZombie writer Chris Roberson to write a new series featuring Michael Moorcock’s Elric.
Elric: The Balance Lost kicks off in July, but will be preceded in May by an all-new Free Comic Book Day edition that serves as a prequel to the new series. The artist for the series wasn’t named.
“Elric is in inspired hands. I’m enthusiastically looking forward to his appearance from BOOM! Studios,” Elric creator Moorcock said in the release. “One of the best writers of his generation, Chris Roberson, will be writing a brilliantly conceived, entirely new Elric story in the grand manner! I can’t wait!”
Elric of Melniboné first appeared in The Dreaming City, a novella that appeared in Science Fantasy #47 in 1961, and has appeared in numerous stories and novels written by Moorcock ever since. Elric’s first comic book appearance was 1970′s Conan the Barbarian #14, and comics featuring the character have been published over the years by Marvel, First Comics, Pacific Comics, Dark Horse and DC Comics.
This is the second new licensed comic BOOM! has announced this week; on Monday they announced Clive Barker’s Hellraiser. It also looks like they’ll be offering two books now on Free Comic Book Day, as Elric joins the previously announced Darkwing Duck/Rescue Rangers flipbook.
You can find the complete press release after the jump.
- December 16, 2010 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Goddess of the Rose to become graphic novel
The elusive Alan Halpin
Sea Lion Books is just getting started, but they are developing an interesting line of graphic novels based on already popular prose works: Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, Richelle Mead’s Dark Swan, and now, P.C. Cast’s Goddess of the Rose.
Cast is one of those writers whose readers obviously can’t get enough of her. She specializes in mythological-supernatural romance; her Goddess: Summoning series, of which Goddess of the Rose is the fourth volume, blends in fairy-tale elements, and she also writes a vampire series, House of Night. The books aren’t the biggest sellers in the biz, but they do pretty well, and she obviously has a dedicated community of fans.
On the other hand, the remainder bins are littered with graphic-novel adaptations of popular romances—I picked up my copy of Christine Feehan’s Dark Prince for a dollar, and I feel like I overpaid. One of the pitfalls is that fans of the prose novels often hate the graphic novels, because they already have the world of the story visualized in their heads, and because they aren’t graphic-novel readers. (It’s always fun to look at the Amazon pages for these books and see the outrage of people who thought they were buying a novel and ended up with a &$#! comic book.) The other is that publishers lean too heavily on the author’s name as a selling point and bring in subpar, no-name artists to do the visuals. Dark Horse avoided this by hiring Joelle Jones to work on Troublemaker (and for my money, the art is better than the story in that book), and it looks like Sea Lion is also hiring an experienced artist: They have signed Alan Halpin, whom they describe as a “much sought-after and elusive Irish artist.” That makes him sound a bit like a character in a romance novel, actually. Halpin certainly is elusive—Google doesn’t turn up much on him—but the fact that they are promoting the artist so heavily is a hopeful sign that they will be paying attention to the quality of the visuals in this book.
- December 16, 2010 @ 10:30 AM by Brigid Alverson