2011 January
Hornschemeier returns with Life with Mr. Dangerous
Celebrated cartoonist Paul Hornschemeier in May with a graphic novel titled Life with Mr. Dangerous.
Announced this morning on his blog, this hardcover has been serialized for years in the Mome anthology and centers on a young retail worker named Amy who becomes engrossed with a cartoon show called Mr. Dangerous.
In an interview last fall with the website New City Lit, Hornschemeier said he “wanted to write a story about that strange time between your early twenties and whatever adulthood is supposed to be. When you’ve embraced reality by getting a job, renting an apartment, getting a cat or a dog or a car or a fern — but you don’t really know who you are yet.”
In addition to the standard 140-page hardcover Villard also will release two special editions: The Limited Edition ($75) will contain a four-color silkscreened dust jacket, a signed original sketch and be limited to 75 copies. The Ultra Limited Edition ($400) will contain an 14″ x 17″ original page of artwork from the book, a hand-sculpted figure of a character from by the book by the artist, and everything from the Limited Edition package. This latter package is limited to 16. It’s first-come, first-serve, and Hornschemeier is taking advance orders now at his store.
- January 19, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Chris Arrant
DC Comics delays Batwoman #1 until April
Batwoman #1
DC Comics’ Batwoman will undergo another delay, with the publisher moving the series’ debut from February to April.
The news was revealed online yesterday by retailers The Lauchpad and Comics on the Green. “What a surprise,” the latter wrote on the store’s Twitter account. “… It’s a JH Williams book, of course it’s not going to be on time.”
A spokesman for DC, which previewed art from the first issue just two weeks ago, didn’t respond this morning to a request for comment.
The much-anticipated comic, by J.H. Williams III, W. Haden Blackman and Amy Reeder, initially was scheduled to begin in July, but instead DC released a one-shot in November designed to serve as a primer for the ongoing series.
This delay is only the latest bump in the road for the new Batwoman — lesbian socialite Kate Kane — whose introduction in summer 2006 was met with a hail of mainstream-media coverage, perhaps far more than the publisher had anticipated. A long-rumored Batwoman series faced one setback after another until finally, in February 2009, it was confirmed that the long-awaited Batwoman comic by Greg Rucka and Williams would become an arc of Detective Comics, timed to coincide with the “death”-induced absence of Batman. Their tenure ended in December 2009, with Detective #860, followed by a three-issue arc by Rucka and Jock.
The same month their acclaimed “Elegy” arc ended, Rucka revealed he and Williams would continue the story in Batwoman. But in April, Rucka announced he was walking away from the character, and from DC Comics. Less than two weeks later, the publisher confirmed it was still committed to Batwoman, with Williams sharing writing duties with Blackman and art duties with Reeder.
(via DC Women Kicking Ass)
- January 19, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Downloadable Duncan: Sold-out graphic novel now available digitally
Duncan the Wonder Dog
Adam Hines’ Duncan the Wonder Dog has done pretty well — a little too well, as it turns out. The first printing has sold out, and the second won’t be ready until later this spring. So Hines did the logical thing and took the digital road, but in this case, it’s the road less taken: Rather than go with a comics app like comiXology, he is releasing Duncan in downloadable form via MyDigitalComics.com. MyDigitalComics allows users to either download comics in PDF or CBZ format or keep them in the cloud and read them via an online web viewer.
Chris Pitzer of AdHouse, which publishes the print version of the book, talked to Laura Hudson of Comics Alliance about the decision to publish the graphic novel via MyDigitalComics rather than comiXology. One factor was that comiXology needed to reformat the files for mobile devices like the iPhone, which neither party wanted to do. On the other hand, since the files were already in digital form, no prep was needed to sell them as PDF or CBZ downloads, so the digital cost is lower than print.
And if you want to view it for free, take a look at Adam’s blog, because hard as it is to believe, all of Show One is up there now. So why pay for a download? Because unlike a PDF, the web isn’t forever — Hines plans to take Duncan back offline in March.
Need to know more? Publishers Weekly reviewed Duncan this week.
- January 19, 2011 @ 07:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Food or Comics? | This week’s comics on a budget
Invincible Iron Man #500
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy on Wednesday based on certain spending limits — $15 and $30 — as well as what we’d get if we had extra money or a gift card to spend on what we call our “Splurge” item.
Check out Diamond’s release list for this week if you’d like to play along in our comments section.
Graeme McMillan
If I had $15 this week, IDW would be seeing a lot of it. It’s a cheat, because I’ve actually already read both Doctor Who Vol. 2 #1 and GI Joe: Cobra II #12 (both $3.99), but both are licensed comics done right in my opinion; Who in particular really catches the tone of the TV show in a way that the last series, as fun as it was, didn’t quite do (despite the writer, Tony Lee, being the same for both), and Joe has an ending that’ll get the nostalgics in the audience jumping up and down. It’s a weird mix of anti-nostalgia and art appreciation that gets me looking at my other pick of the week, Marvel’s Invincible Iron Man #500, which I’ll be picking up less for the story – although I like the “What if this really was #500 of the current series, and set 40-odd years in the future?” idea behind it – than the art, seeing as the wonderful Nathan Fox, KANO and Carmine Di Giandomenico join the okay-if-you-like-photo-tracing Sal Larroca for this oversized issue.
- January 18, 2011 @ 06:30 PM by JK Parkin
Police investigate Heavy Ink president, seize weapons
Police in Arlington, Mass., have seized a “large amount” of weapons and ammunition from a comics retailer who last week sparked controversy with his comments about the Tuscon shooting that left six people dead and 13 others, including a U.S. Congresswoman, wounded.
The Boston Globe reports that Arlington police suspended the firearms license of Heavy Ink president Travis Corcoran on the grounds of “suitability” pending the results of an investigation whether comments he made in a blog post titled “1 down, 534 to go” were intended as a threat. (There are 535 members of Congress.)
Corcoran surrendered his weapons and ammunition to police at his home on Thursday. He has not been charged with a crime. According to The Arlington Advocate, Corcoran has a 90-day window in which to appeal his license suspension.
The 39-year-old, who describes himself as an “anarcho-capitalist,” had written that, “It is absolutely, absolutely unacceptable to shoot ‘indiscriminately.’ Target only politicians and their staff, and leave regular citizens alone.” Following online outcry, Corcoran elaborated on his political beliefs in another post, explaining that “I dislike Representatives and Senators, and I think that each and every one of them is doing grave harm to the United States, and to the freedoms of the citizens of the US.” He has since taken his blog offline.
The Globe reports that police consider the threat to be credible until proved otherwise. Federal law enforcement agencies have been notified of Corcoran’s comments.
- January 18, 2011 @ 05:21 PM by Kevin Melrose
The Middle Ground #38: Investigating Dynamite’s Hornet Stings
So, the Green Hornet movie surprised critics by not only winning the weekend box office but, more importantly, not sucking (Or, at least, not sucking as badly as some feared; I know there are still some critics out there). If you surprised yourself by enjoying the film and wanting more, here’s a quick and easy guide to navigating Dynamite’s Green Hornet comics.
- January 18, 2011 @ 04:30 PM by Graeme McMillan
Gabrielle Bell vs. bedbugs
Cartoonist Gabrielle Bell is a Robot 6 favorite, and her latest strip is as good an example as any of why. Currently being serialized on her website, “Nocturnal Guests” tells the story of Bell’s years-long on-again, off-again battle with bedbugs, the nasty little pests that are every New Yorker’s nightmare. Here’s part one and here’s part two; stay tuned for the remaining two chapters, and try not to start impulsively scratching your legs as you read.
- January 18, 2011 @ 03:45 PM by Sean T. Collins
Kanye + Comics = pure gold
The Ultimates by Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch/"Who Will Survie in America" by Kanye West feat. Gil Scott-Heron
Just last week, Techland’s Douglas Wolk tracked the trend of Tumblr blogs dedicated to very specific kinds of comic-book imagery: UnMasquerade (heroes and villains unmasking themselves), A Nice Cup of Comics (comic-book characters drinking tea), A Moment of Moore (a daily dose of something Alan Moore-related), and Superheroes Lose (covers or promo images featuring defeated superheroes — run by yours truly!). And I know I’m late to this party, but I think we may have reached the apotheosis of the genre: Kanye + Comics, a site dedicated to combining superhero imagery and Kanye West lyrics. The results are often hilarious, and sometimes even profound. Kinda like Kanye himself!
The site accepts reader submissions, so like My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, it’s a collaborative affair. My favorite Kanye/comic mash-ups are above and below; what are yours?
- January 18, 2011 @ 02:45 PM by Sean T. Collins
Todd Nauck makes one couple’s anniversary a comic dream come true
Recently promoted Marvel Associate Editor Ben Morse moonlights as a blogger at The Cool Kids Table, where he posted an amazing piece of art he received as a wedding anniversary/birthday gift from his wife Megan.
Spouses of comic fans take note: Ben’s wife commissioned comic artist Todd Nauck to draw them from their wedding photos, surrounded by Ben’s two favorite characters Nova and The Flash. Swooping in from above is Miss Martian, who Megan identifies with. Captain America was thrown in to balance out the DC/Marvel split.
Original comic art and commissions are a great gift for any husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, friend or family. It’s unique, and you can even personalize it like this.
- January 18, 2011 @ 01:45 PM by Chris Arrant
Kevin Nowlan goes Bizarro!
Kevin Nowlan’s done it again — he’s posted some great art over on his blog. This one is a commission he did of the alt-Superman Bizarro with some trophies.
Done in 2007, this piece started with an idea of Bizarro’s take on the Joker Trophy Wall piece by Brian Bolland. In his blog post, Nowlan said it took several passes before he got it how he wanted it… and as you can see from this sketch on the right, it’s looking good!
Swing over to Nowlan’s blog to get a look at a few process sketches and the final result!
- January 18, 2011 @ 12:45 PM by Chris Arrant
Start reading now: The Abaddon
Koren Shadmi’s new webcomic The Abaddon is only up to Page 8, so it’s a good time to start reading, and it passes my eight-page rule: I really want to know what happens next. The action seems a little slow — it starts with a prospective roommate looking at an apartment — but there’s something slightly off about the whole thing, which makes it intriguing. Shadmi’s art is sweet and easy to look at, with a limited palette of brick red and dull blue that would be difficult for a lot of artists to pull off. The comic updates on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
Via Scott McCloud, who mentions something I appreciated as well: The comic is in a “web-friendly” format. Actually, it fits very nicely into my browser; not only is it horizontal, but the presentation is sleek and uncluttered, with everything hidden except the title and the navigational aids. It’s classy and elegant and makes the comic the most important element on the page, something that should be obvious but that seldom happens in practice.
- January 18, 2011 @ 11:45 AM by Brigid Alverson
Bunn and Latour teaming up for Captain America story? [Updated]
Captain America, by Jason Latour
It looks like Marvel’s wind-up to the July premiere of Captain America: The First Avenger will include a collaboration between artist Jason Latour and The Sixth Gun writer Cullen Bunn.
On his blog, Latour, who illustrated the well-received Silver Samurai back-up story in September’s Wolverine #1, posted a color test for Captain America to accompany the announcement of his “next short Marvel gig.” “This time I’ll be collaborating with my buddy Cullen Bunn (The Damned, The Sixth Gun),” he wrote. “Rico Renzi will also be back helping me tag team the colors. Chances are high this character is involved.”
“I’ve always kind of loved Cap,” Latour continued, “in part because at face value he’s such a seemingly nonsensical character. He really works or fails based on the sum of little considerations. That’s a real challenge, but when he does work I like him as much as any superhero around. So, fingers crossed.”
No further details were revealed, so it’s unknown whether the project will be a back-up story or one of several one-shots or miniseries the publisher tends to roll out before the release of a movie. Update: We’ve been told by Marvel that Bunn, Latour and Renzi are collaborating on a story for March’s Captain America #616, a 104-page comic marking the character’s 70th anniversary.
Latour’s other recent work includes Daredevil: Black and White, I Am an Avenger #1, Scalped #43 and, out this week, Wolverine #5. Noche Roja, his graphic-novel collaboration with Simon Oliver, will be released by Vertigo next month. Bunn, the co-creator of The Damned, The Sixth Gun and The Tooth, wrote Immortal Weapons #2: Bride of Nine Spiders and Deadpool
Team-Up #888 for Marvel.
- January 18, 2011 @ 10:45 AM by Kevin Melrose
More Wednesday Comics on the way?
DC's VP – Art Direction & Design Mark Chiarello (photo by Brian Walters)
Rumors began to swirl about a sequel to Wednesday Comics as soon as DC’s weekly anthology debuted in July 2009. But now we finally have confirmation from a contributor that something’s in the works.
Bleeding Cool picked up on word from the Facebook page of Steve Rude that the Nexus artist is working on a New Gods strip for a new Wednesday Comics. Years ago Rude and writer Mark Evanier were in line to do a New Gods series but it fell through (although they did do a Mister Miracle Special sometime back). For Wednesday Comics 2 there’s no word yet whether Rude is writing and illustrating or working with someone else.
The book’s editor Mark Chiarello confirmed last June, as the collected edition was released, that thought has gone into a sequel. All this begs the question — who else is in the book? Let’s put some pieces together …
Earlier in this year Jill Thompson told Newsarama she was approached to do a Wonder Woman strip for the first series but had to turn it down due to working on Beasts of Burden. However, she asked to be considered if Wednesday Comics came back.
During a panel at Baltimore Comic-Con in 2009, Chiarello and some of the contributors to the first series spitballed some ideas of what they’d like to see in the sequel. Read Comic Book Resource’s full report, or follow on for who recommended who:
- January 18, 2011 @ 09:45 AM by Chris Arrant
Digital pricing: The e-book sweet spot [Updated]
Price vs. sales: The picture tells the story
So, last week Mark Millar complained that while his digital comics sold well, the cover price was less than that of the print comics, and once Apple and comiXology took their cuts, there wasn’t much left for the creators.
Millar seems to think that if his comics were priced higher, the creators would make more money, a blogger who did some analysis on e-book pricing has a different take.* Although it sounds like a paradox, creators may make more money by lowering prices in order to make more sales, according to one blogger’s analysis of e-book pricing. David Slusher looked at the prices and sales numbers that writer Joe Konrath posted at his blog in 2009. Some of Konrath’s thrillers are published by Hyperion and he self-publishes others, which means he could compare his sales on Kindle for both sets. What he found is that cheaper books sold better. Slusher graphed the numbers and after some additional analysis, came up with $2.99 as the sweet spot at which the price and sales balance out to maximize the author’s take.
This is, admittedly, a single data set, but the books were all comparable; there was no promotional push on any one of them to make it stand out from the others. Given the different type of market, the sweet spot might be different for comics. But Slusher’s point is just the opposite of Millar’s: The cost of producing your book (creative team, typesetting, whatever) is the same whether you sell 10 copies or 10,000. Distributors, be they Apple or Diamond, take a percentage, so that doesn’t change the picture either. And what Slusher is arguing is that you make more money by keeping the price low and selling more units than charging a lot and only selling a few. If anything, it seems to me this would go double for comics, which are to some extent a disposable medium. It’s a lot easier to justify spending one dollar than three on 20 minutes’ worth of entertainment; the question is whether lowering the price will bring in two extra readers — or four.
Edit: Millar didn’t say he wanted prices to go up; I inferred it from his comments. Robot 6 regrets the error.
- January 18, 2011 @ 08:45 AM by Brigid Alverson
Troubled Borders Group lays off 45 at headquarters, distribution centers
Borders Group headquarters
The struggling Borders Group on Monday laid off 40 employees from its headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich., and an additional five from distribution centers, The Detroit News reports.
Just last week, 310 employees were told they’d lose their jobs with the closing in mid-July of the bookseller’s distribution center in LaVergne, Tenn., near Nashville. In addition, the company eliminated 15 regional management positions.
The cuts come as Borders negotiates for a $500 million credit line from GE Capital to buoy the retailer for six to 12 months while it restructures its business. The company announced on Dec. 30 that it would delay payments to some publishers and distributors, leading some — such as Diamond Book Distributors — to stop shipping to the bookstore chain, the second-largest in the United States. Those publishers have until Feb. 1 to accept or reject a proposal that would convert delayed payments into loans, which would see them take up to one-third of Borders’ reorganized debt.
The bookseller also will close nearly 200 Waldenbooks and Borders Express locations, and 17 Borders superstores, by the end of the month, moves announced before this current crunch.
Jaclyn Trop of The Detroit News has a solid look at the rise and decline of Borders that cites a lack of strong leadership and a slowness in adapting to the Internet as major reasons for the chain’s struggles.
- January 18, 2011 @ 07:45 AM by Kevin Melrose