2011 January
Head back to Barsoom in Dark Horse’s John Carter of Mars collection
John Carter, Warlord of Mars
Back in the 1970s Marvel Comics published a series starring one of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ seminal characters, John Carter, which featured the work of Marv Wolfman, Gil Kane, Dave Cockrum, Chris Claremont, Walt Simonson and many more great creators. John Carter, Warlord of Mars ran for 28 issues with three annuals, and next month Dark Horse will release a collection of the entire series.
You can find more info and a six-page preview featuring some sweet Gil Kane/Dave Cockrum art after the jump.
- January 28, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by JK Parkin
Comics on the Kindle (app)
The big news from Amazon yesterday was that Kindle books are outselling print books, both paperbacks and hardbacks, so far this year. And by “Kindle books,” they mean “e-books bought through the Kindle Store,” because you don’t need a Kindle to read them; I have Kindle apps on my Mac, my iPod Touch, my iPad, and my Android phone, and I love them.
I have a friend who thinks that Kindle is actually the best way to market comics. “People are already there,” she told me. “That’s where they go to look for books. Why not sell them graphic novels there?” It’s stunningly logical when you think about it, as plenty of readers already get their graphic novels through Amazon, which often offers a hefty discount.
Graphic novel publishers don’t seem to have caught on, however. The list of graphic novels available for the Kindle is large but eclectic: There’s Joshua Hale Fialkov and Noel Tuazon’s Tumor, a line of Kindle-only yaoi from the Japanese publisher Animate, Harlequin manga published by Digital Manga Publishing, children’s folk tale adaptations from Graphic Universe, some self-published graphic novels—there’s good stuff in there, no doubt, but it’s not easy to find it unless you already have a creator or title in mind. On the other hand, you don’t have the problem of fragmentation that the iTunes store presents—you can search for a creator or title and be confident that if it’s there, you will find it, while the iTunes store doesn’t allow you to search across apps.
- January 28, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
DC’s Flashpoint: An ‘epic five issue series’ with 15 miniseries ‘expanding on the events’ [UPDATED]
Flashpoint
After teasing it a couple of weeks ago, DC Comics revealed some additional details about their upcoming Flashpoint event. A post on their Source blog today — Flashpoint Friday — revealed a few more details about the project.
The main story will be told in a five-issue series by Geoff Johns, Andy Kubert and Sandra Hope, “one with a scope so big and ambitious,” the Source’s David Hyde said, that there will be 15 miniseries “expanding on the events, along with several important one shots.”
Hyde also promised that the titles of 14 of the 15 miniseries would be revealed on The Source later today. I can only hazard a guess at this point, but based on the teasers we’ve seen that hinted at changed histories for DC’s big guns, maybe they’ve opted to cover the side stories of those changes in separate miniseries versus, say, running those stories in the actual ongoing titles. So the story of Bruce Wayne running his casinos would be told in a miniseries rather than in Batman or Detective, and fans of those books who aren’t interested in Flashpoint wouldn’t miss out on the regular adventures of Batman. Of course, there’s always the chance they could be doing both, and that prospect kind of scares my pocketbook. But hopefully we’ll find out soon enough.
I’ll update this post as the titles are revealed.
Update: And here’s the list of titles, which are grouped into “families”:
Flashpoint
Whatever Happened to Gotham City?
FLASHPOINT: BATMAN KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEADMAN AND THE FLYING GRAYSONS #1-#3
Whatever Happened to the World’s Greatest Super Villains?
FLASHPOINT: CITIZEN COLD #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: DEATHSTROKE & THE CURSE OF THE RAVAGER #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE OUTSIDER #1-#3
Whatever Happened to the Aliens?
FLASHPOINT: ABIN SUR THE GREEN LANTERN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: PROJECT: SUPERMAN #1-#3
Whatever Happened to Science & Magic?
FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN & THE CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: SECRET SEVEN #1-#3
Whatever Happened to Europe?
FLASHPOINT: EMPEROR AQUAMAN #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: WONDER WOMAN AND THE FURIES #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: LOIS LANE AND THE RESISTANCE #1-#3
Everything You Know Will Change in a Flash
FLASHPOINT: KID FLASH LOST #1-#3
FLASHPOINT: THE WORLD OF FLASHPOINT #1-#3
- January 28, 2011 @ 10:58 AM by JK Parkin
Comics College | John Stanley
Comics College is a monthly feature where we provide an introductory guide to some of the comics medium’s most important auteurs and offer our best educated suggestions on how to become familiar with their body of work.
This month we’re looking at the career of a Golden Age artist who’s undergone a bit of a rediscovery and renaissance lately, John Stanley. Continue Reading »
- January 28, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Chris Mautner
Robot 13 wins Digital Innovation Award
Robot 13
The big news in the e-book world this week was the Digital Book World convention in New York, and the big news for Robot 6 is that Robot 13 (no relation) won the Publishing Innovation Award in the comics category.
If there was every any doubt that comics have arrived, brush it away: There were only five awards categories, and comics made the cut alongside fiction, non-fiction, children’s, and reference. And the list of nominees was quite diverse:
- Clown Commandos #1 (Big Red Boot Entertainment)
- Disney Epic Mickey Digicomics (Disney Publishing Worldwide)
- Motion Comic SUPERARE (Amo Tarzi)
- Operation Ajax (Tall Chair, Inc.)
- Robot 13 (Robot Comics)
- Tumor (Archaia Studios Press)
- Valentine (Robot Comics)
The nominating judges clearly favorited individual comics over publishers: comiXology, iVerse, and Graphicly are all absent from this list, despite the fact that they have been doing quite a bit of genuine innovation. And it’s worth noting that for the judges, iTunes isn’t king. The finalists for the awards were Robot 13, Operation Ajax and Tumor, and two out of these three are not iPad comics: Robot 13 is available for iPhone but was originally developed for Android, while Tumor is distributed via Kindle. In the eyes of these judges, at least, there’s still quite a bit of diversity in the digital world.
- January 28, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Borders secures loan commitment, raises possibility of bankruptcy
Borders
Borders Group announced on Thursday it has secured $550 million in refinancing from G.E. Capital, so long as the struggling bookseller meets certain requirements — including convincing major publishers and distributors to convert late payments into $125 million in loans.
That’s a major obstacle, as publishers already seemed poised to reject the proposal, which followed an announcement in late December that the retailer would delay payments to some publishers and distributors. The news led some, such as Diamond Book Distributors, to stop shipping to Borders, the second-largest book chain in the United States.
The company had pushed for an answer on its offer by today, when January checks are supposed to go out to publishers. But according to Publishers Weekly, publishers turned down Borders’ request for another meeting earlier this week, which would suggest that acceptance is unlikely.
Borders, however, isn’t limiting its options: For the first time in public, the bookseller raised the possibility of bankruptcy.
“We view the refinancing route as the most practical, efficient and beneficial to all parties, and we are working with our vendors in this regard,” President Mike Edwards said in a statement. “At the same time, given the current environment surrounding Borders, and in order to assure that the company can pursue its efforts to position itself to properly implement its business plan, it is prudent as well for Borders to explore alternative avenues, including the possibility of an in-court restructuring.”
Publishers Weekly and Deal Journal provide more details.
- January 28, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Jill Thompson visits Riverdale
Twitter is a wonderful thing — it allows people to speak and share their mind, and in the case of comics, show off cool artwork. After Eric Powell broke the news that Evan Dorkin was guest-writing an issue of The Goon, Dorkin’s Beasts of Burden partner Jill Thompson posted an interesting sketch of her own:
That’s right: Jill Thompson drawing Archie’s Jughead and Betty. On her Twitter feed, Thompson simply stated “so I’m doodling these guys… I think they work in my style.” Seconds later, she posts a painted version:
- January 28, 2011 @ 06:00 AM by Chris Arrant
Grumpy Old Fan | Spring brings a shorter Day: DC Comics Solicitations for April 2011
Superman/Batman Annual #5
Because they went live around the same time as last week’s column, I’ve had the better part of a week to consider the April DC solicitations. I’d like to tell you I dug deep into the language and the numbers, forsaking all regular human needs in order to unlock the secrets of DC’s superhero springtime, but we all know that didn’t happen. I blame the football.
Onward!
THE BIWEEKLIES
There could be a couple of reasons to cut two issues from the runs of Brightest Day and Justice League: Generation Lost. Twenty-four issues may be easier to collect, logistically speaking, than twenty-six. DC may also want to wrap up these storylines in advance of Free Comic Book Day (May 7 is the Saturday after the month’s first Wednesday), when I presume the big Flashpoint push will begin. The solicit for Flash #12 seems to indicate that Flashpoint starts in May.
- January 27, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Tom Bondurant
Sailor Moon, Star Wars, Strawberry Shortcake, Superman and sex
Hey college students — if you’re looking to woo your significant other with a night of fantasy, guys may want to consider dressing up as a Disney prince, while ladies may want to consider Sailor Moon.
L.A. Weekly has posted the results of a recent sex survey they did of 175 students from UCLA. The survey covers everything you’d ever want to know about their opinions on sex, from how much a virgin should sell their virginity for to what music they listen to during sex. Question 14, which reads “Which innocent childhood fantasies could best morph into adult sexual fantasies?,” is probably the most relevant to comic fans:
from the UCLA Sex Survey
For females who responded, an intimate night with Aladdin or Prince Charming beat out one with Strawberry Shortcake and Lemon Meringue, as well as “an orgy with a cast of anime characters.” Males named Sailor Moon — which seems a bit dated to me, but to each their own — as well as Harry Potter, Superman, the Pink Power Ranger and “Batman and Robin.”
But no Slave Girl Leia, though Star Wars did top the list of movies guys consider the “best date movie to watch before having sex,” followed by American Pie and the movie adaptation of Frank Miller’s 300. The surveyed women seem to prefer a romantic film, with The Notebook and Titanic taking the top spots.
- January 27, 2011 @ 01:30 PM by JK Parkin
Paul Gravett does Creators 101
Paul Gravett, the author of Graphic Novels: Stories to Change Your Life, has an excellent website that collects his essays, observations, and Previews picks.
It is well worth visiting for those who want to know more about comics (or just sound smarter when they talk about them), and he has added a new feature to his site: Creator Profiles, which feature a brief bio of a creator and an annotated list of essential reading. Gravett starts us off with 20 profiles of everyone from Harvey Kurtzman to Darwyn Cooke, and promises that more are on the way. It’s a good start if you’re looking to broaden your reading.
I do have one quibble, though: With 19 male creators and only one woman, it’s a bit skewed. Some of the most interesting graphic novels in recent years have been by women, and I would love to see Carol Tyler, Alison Bechdel or Hope Larson, to name a few, included in his profiles.
- January 27, 2011 @ 12:30 PM by Brigid Alverson
Quote of the day | Steve Niles on supporting creator-owned work
Steve Niles
“Can I say something I’ve wanted to say for a long time? If you like something, tell your friends. If you love it, tell the world. But if you hate something, just throw it away, don’t buy it again and move on. We spend way too much time tearing shit down. I just want to try the other direction for a while.”
–30 Days of Night and Mystery Society writer Steve Niles, who has started a simple grassroots networking campaign to support his fellow creators in their publicity efforts around creator-owned books.
- January 27, 2011 @ 11:30 AM by Kevin Melrose
Got $40,000? Let’s make a comic!
The online market site Etsy has been a boon for entrepreneurial-minded artists, but this recent find by our lead Robot JK Parkin takes the cake — an artist is offering to custom-make a comic book for you… for only $40,000!
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to own a custom comic book or graphic novel featuring you and your story. Memorialize your wedding, your last summer with your friends or classmates, a poignant event in your family history, or your own unique life experience,” says artist Rigel Stuhmiller in her Etsy post. “You will receive 40 hardbound copies of your book, either full color or black and white (your choice), each 32-pages long.”
For only $40,000, Stuhmiller will create a 32-page comic based on your story and print 40 hardbound copies for you to keep. Stuhmiller keeps the copyright — but you get the book.
Hey, let’s start up a Kickstarter fund for $40,000 to get CBR head honcho Jonah Weiland’s amazing but true life story finally put down into comics form. What do you think?
Huh? Where’d you go?
- January 27, 2011 @ 10:30 AM by Chris Arrant
comiXology announces affiliate program for online comic shops
Comics by comiXology
comiXology, which sells digital comics through various iTunes apps, on the web and for the Android, announced plans today to allow comics retailers to get in on the action.
Their new Digital Storefront Affiliate program will allow retailers with websites to integrate a comiXology store into their site. Per the press release, digital purchases from retailer sites will also be compatible with the Comics by comiXology platform, “providing fans the ability to enjoy their comics on their mobile devices and on the Web at their retailer’s websites by way of cross-platform synchronization.”
And also per the press release, it looks like Mycomicshop.com, the online site for Dallas-area retailer Lone Star Comics, will be participating.
“By having a comiXology-powered store and reader integrated with our existing new and back-issue comics website, we will provide our customers with even more access to the comics they love while increasing their loyalty to us,” said Chris Powell, General Manager and CRO of Lone Star Comics and mycomicshop.com, in the release. “Having seen comiXology’s Retailer Tools and Pull List services, we trust comiXology’s technology to help us thrive in a market where customers are interested in both print and digital comics. ComiXology will help us provide the one-stop shopping that customers are looking for.”
You can read the entire release after the jump,, and CBR will have an interview with David Steinberger, CEO of comiXology, about this later today.
- January 27, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Vertical lands two coveted manga
Drops of God
Good news for fans of fine wines and vintage manga: Vertical, Inc., a small manga publisher with one of the most interesting lines around, will announce two new manga licenses today: Princess Knight and Drops of God.
Princess Knight, by Osamu Tezuka, was published in 1953 and was one of the earliest shoujo (girls’) manga. It’s a swashbuckling story of a princess who masquerades as a boy so she can have daring adventures and save her kingdom from an evil tyrant. It actually has been published in English before: The Japanese publisher Kodansha published a bilingual English-Japanese edition in 1970. Hardcore manga fans have been clamoring for a new edition for years, and Viz ran a chapter in Shojo Beat magazine in 2007. Kate Dacey, a.k.a. The Manga Critic, has a nice primer on Princess Knight at her blog.
Drops of God (Kami no Shizuku) is a completely different type of manga, and it has gotten quite a bit of press for a series that isn’t legally available in English, perhaps because of the subject matter: It’s about winemaking. After a famous wine critic passes away, his son learns that he has an adopted brother and that the two of them must compete in a wine-tasting contest in order to inherit the estate. Yeah, it’s your basic battle manga, except that instead of trying to kick each others’ asses, the main characters are striving to identify rare wines. The manga has helped boost the sales of some of the featured wines in Japan and South Korea, and it has already been translated into French. The New York Times even profiled the creators of the manga, brother-and-sister team Shin and Yuko Kibayashi.
- January 27, 2011 @ 09:30 AM by Brigid Alverson
Mike Allred’s Mad, Mad World
Mike Allred’s done it again. He’s taking a break from the Vertigo series iZombie he does with writer Chris Roberson to put together a pseudo-sequel to the compendium Madman Gargantua for a new tome dubbed Madman 20th Anniversary Monster set to come out in April.
Taking a page from his work on the innovative DC series Wednesday Comics last year, Madman 20th Anniversary Monster will be a huge book — measuring 11″ x 17″ and have a bevy of material new and old. Included in this volume are 20 new strips from friends and colleagues, virtually every single Madman pin-up from the original series and a new story by Allred himself.
Allred’s rolling out news, process art and contributions from friends on his new blog at allredart.blogspot.com.
- January 27, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Chris Arrant