2011 January
Tokyopop splits up with HarperCollins, now dating Diamond
The big news this morning is that Tokyopop has signed with Diamond Comics Distributors. Just about five years ago, Tokyopop inked what was supposed to be a mega-deal with HarperCollins. In addition to taking over distribution of Tokyopop’s books, HC would partner with them to develop manga based on popular YA properties like the novels of Meg Cabot. If you have a minute (hey, long weekend going up), go refresh your memory with David Welsh’s delightfully snarky column noting that the deal was not quite as novel as it was touted to be.
Lea Hernandez also had a bit of fun with the press release, mocking Tokyopop CEO Stu Levy’s quote:
St00 Le\/y makes his usual incomprehensible pronouncement: “[the deal] would expand the manga lifestyle into mainstream youth culture, building a new paradigm in entertainment, where east meets west and a new generation of mult-ethnic creators can flourish”
My own reaction at the time was more guarded, noting that manga adaptations of graphic novels didn’t thrill me all that much, manga being a separate medium and all, and I hoped this wouldn’t lead Tokyopop away from the Japanese product.
- January 14, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Comics A.M. | Borders lays out refinancing plan; who’s buying digital comics?
Borders
Retailing | Executives from Borders Group reportedly told a group of publishers on Thursday that the struggling bookseller is close to securing refinancing from GE Capital and other lenders. However, one publisher remained unconvinced the plan could turn the company around. The meeting was the latest between the bookstore chain — the second-largest in the United States, after Barnes & Noble — and major book publishers that began late last month, when Borders announced it would delay payments to some publishers and distributors. That news led Diamond Book Distributors last week to suspend shipments to the retailer. Borders also confirmed on Thursday that it has eliminated 15 managerial positions: nine regional merchandising managers, four event-marketing managers and two district managers. [The New York Times]
Retailing | Diamond Comic Distributors announced it will again hold its annual Retailers Summit in conjunction with the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo. The event will begin on March 17 with retailing workshops, publisher focus groups and an opening-night reception, followed the next day by the keynote breakfast and platinum-sponsor presentations. [Diamond Comic Distributors]
- January 14, 2011 @ 08:35 AM by Kevin Melrose
Opening of Spider-Man musical delayed once again
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
The opening of the $65-million musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark has been delayed for a fifth time, to March 15, the show’s lead producers announced late today. Opening night previously had been set for Feb. 7.
According to The New York Times and other outlets, producers Michael Cohl and Jeremiah J. Harris said the opening was pushed back to allow more time to fine-tune parts of the show, “including a new ending.” The announcement came hours after it was reported that Grammy-winning record producer Steve Lillywhite had been brought in by Bono and director Julie Taymor to work with the performers on the music.
Preview performances scheduled for Jan. 18 and Jan. 25 also have been canceled outright.
“Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark is ten times more complicated to tech than anything else,” Cohl said in a statement, “and the preview schedule allows for only very limited rehearsal time (twelve hours per week). We simply need more time to fully execute the creative team’s vision before freezing the show. I picked a date in March that allows me to ensure that this will be the final postponement.”
The delay is just the latest in a series of setbacks for the musical, which in addition to be the most expensive and technically complex in Broadway history now holds the record for most previews (they began on Nov. 28). Spider-Man has been plagued with troubles that date back to at least back to August 2009, when cash-flow obstacles forced the production to shut down, seemingly beginning a domino effect that led to repeated delays, the loss of two stars and a ballooning budget.
Safety concerns first emerged in October, around the time dancer Kevin Aubin broke both wrists in an aerial stunt gone wrong. During the coverage of that incident it was discovered that another performer had broken a foot during rehearsals. Then came November’s problem-filled first preview, during which actress Natalie Mendoza suffered a concussion, resulting in a two-week absence and, eventually, her departure. That was followed on Dec. 20 by the show’s worst mishap, when aerialist Christopher Tierney suffered extensive injuries after his harness snapped, sending him falling 30 feet.
Despite those problems, Spider-Man still managed to top last week’s Broadway box office, narrowly beating out the long-running musical Wicked.
- January 13, 2011 @ 05:56 PM by Kevin Melrose
Grumpy Old Fan | Boxing days
The Flash vol. 1 #227
What could be worse than a slide show about a stamp collection? Probably a blog post about a comic-book collection….
Among other things, the Vast Bondurant Comic-Book Library now includes over 11,000 single issues spread over 23 long boxes and 15 short boxes. My goal — which seems to recede in the distance the more I consider this project — is to separate all of the newer issues and shorter-run series from the old warhorses like Detective Comics and Fantastic Four. That means bringing the Gotham Centrals and Hourmans out of those big boxes with all the Green Lanterns and Incredible Hulks, into smaller boxes which won’t strain my aging vertebrae.
That scintillating introduction should tell you just how thrilling the past couple of days have been for me (not least because the project is far from over). This is the paper equivalent of defragmenting a hard drive, and it is not the most engaging of topics. Nevertheless, the process has forced me to examine how I use this library. After all, books are for reading, not for taking up space — and the way we read comic books, especially superhero comics, is changing dramatically.
- January 13, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Tom Bondurant
New Chicago Comics exhibit runs all this month
To highlight the New Chicago Comics exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art, NBC Chicago ran the above segment, which features creators Jeffrey Brown and Paul Hornschemeier talking about their work. The exhibit features their work, as well as that of Lilli Carré and Anders Nilsen.
- January 13, 2011 @ 01:06 PM by JK Parkin
Wonder Woman cosmetics? I just like saying ‘Themyscira mascara’
Artwork for MAC Cosmetics' Wonder Woman collection, by Michael Allred
If the lovely Michael Allred artwork isn’t enough to pique your interest in MAC Cosmetics’ upcoming Wonder Woman collection, then maybe the names of some of the products will: Emancipation and Athena’s Kiss lip gloss, Army of Amazons and Themyscira mascara, Obey Me nail polish, and Spinning Transformation eyeshadow.
You can view images of the collection, which debuts in the United States on Feb. 10, at Temptalia. Check out another piece of Allred’s promotional art after the break.
(via Super Punch, Dean Trippe)
- January 13, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Comic Strips to Comic Flicks: Frank Miller movies they haven’t made (yet)
In recent years, we’ve seen a boatload of comic books and graphic novels make their way to the silver screen, from Big Two stalwarts like Spider-Man and Batman to independent titles like Scott Pilgrim and 30 Days Of Night. Amongst the various adaptations, though, some creators have emerged as magnets for Hollywood types — and one of those is Frank Miller.
You could see glimpses of Frank Miller on the screen going as far back as Tim Burton’s Batman and even in the more recent Daredevil, but he didn’t become a name to movie-going audiences until the smash hits 300 and Sin City, both based on his original work. But there’s more to Miller’s oeuvre than just those two seminal works, so we thought we’d point out some overlooked items in his catalog and posit what a film adaptation would look like.
Give Me Liberty – “From the creator of 300 & Sin City and the co-creator of Watchmen.” That’s how any promotion for this would start out, and the movie itself would show a burnt-out husk of a world with humanity pulling itself out from the wreckage. Fronted by the a freedom fighter named Martha Washington, it would cover her humble beginnings to her time in the second Civil War to her death as glimpsed in the recent coda story Miller & artist Dave Gibbons released. I’d love to see Children of Men‘s Alfonso Cuaron on this, and this could be a starring vehicle for Rosario Dawson.
- January 13, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Chris Arrant
Don’t tase me, Jones! Real-life superheroes patrol Seattle
Phoenix Jones poses with some fans
Shades of Kick-Ass: A group of self-styled superheroes are going a step beyond cosplay and attempting to fight crime in real life, although their most notable achievements so far seem to be drawing attention to themselves and giving the Seattle police headaches. The Rain City Superheroes patrol the streets of Seattle giving food to the homeless and watching for crimes to stop, but things turned sour recently when their flagship character, Phoenix Jones, tried to break up a fight and ended up with a broken nose.
Up until then, the Rain City Superheroes were a bit of a local phenomenon, a fun story for a slow news day. While they rigidly maintain the secrecy of their identities (Phoenix Jones claims to have a wife and a day job), they allowed a camera crew to follow them on patrol, and they were recently interviewed on Good Morning America. Jones has a logical explanation for his costume—it’s bulletproof (including a bulletproof cup) and makes him instantly recognizable to police. (There’s a flaw in that argument, of course—if I were a criminal in Seattle, I’d be shopping for capes, so the police wouldn’t shoot me.) Jones explains his costume, and even shows off his secret hideout (a comics store) in this video for CBS News.
And in a true Battle of the Real Life Superheroes, Jones has raised the ire of Mr. Ravenblade, who claims that he is the original Real Life Superhero and that Jones and the others are ruining his brand. Ravenblade’s offer to mentor the Rain City Superheroes seems to have gone unanswered.
Perhaps Mr. Ravenblade is jealous: Phoenix Jones now has his own theme song, too.
(Photo from the Real Life Superhero blog.)
- January 13, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Comics A.M. | Borders to close Tenn. center, Muppets/Pixar titles canceled
Borders Group headquarters
Retailing | The picture keeps looking worse for Borders Group: Even as news surfaced Wednesday that Diamond Book Distributors has stopped shipping to the troubled retail chain a report circulated that Borders will close its LaVergne, Tenn., distribution center in mid-July, resulting in the elimination of 310 jobs. That follows more than 200 layoffs made at the center since 2009. [WKRN.com, via GalleyCat]
Publishing | The remaining licensed Muppets and Pixar titles from BOOM! Studios have been listed as “canceled by Previews.” In response to inquiries, the publisher pointed to the teaser for “BOOM! Kids 2.0,” the relaunch of its kids imprint announced in September. Rumors that BOOM! had lost the Muppets/Pixar licenses began swirling in late November, following Roger Langridge’s announcement that he would no longer be drawing The Muppet Show. The publisher’s relaunched kids line will include such Disney licenses as Darkwing Duck, and reprints of Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. [Comics Worth Reading]
- January 13, 2011 @ 08:54 AM by Kevin Melrose
Diamond puts Borders on hold
Word is rocketing around the blogosphere that Diamond Book Distributors has suspended shipments to Borders stores because the book chain suspended payments to its suppliers earlier this week. Tom Spurgeon of The Comics Reporter got hold of an internal e-mail from Diamond Vice President of Purchasing Bill Schanes to several executives that says
This email is to confirm reports in the news that Borders is suspending payments to its suppliers, including Diamond. As a result, we have made the difficult decision to stop shipping them and put their account on hold, as of last week, until such time as they are able to resume payment.
Borders has been failing for a while (here’s a great account of what went wrong with Borders at The Atlantic’s blogs), and the chain confirmed on December 30 that it was delaying payments to vendors while it works on restructuring its debt. The next day, Calvin Reid of Publishers Weekly reported that one of the “big six” New York publishing houses had stopped shipping boos to Borders, and he added
Borders carries about $450 million in trade payables on its balance sheet and many publishers are anxiously waiting to see which houses will be paid and which will not be.
- January 12, 2011 @ 07:13 PM by Brigid Alverson
Gorillas Riding Dinosaurs | Return of the Dapper Men
Return of the Dapper Men
Return of the Dapper Men
Written by Jim McCann; Illustrated by Janet Lee
Archaia; $24.95
There’s a line in Finding Neverland that’s stuck with me. “Young boys should never be sent to bed. They always wake up a day older.” What I love about that movie (and stories like Peter Pan and Alice in Wonderland) is their celebration of childhood. They reflect a delightfully tenacious refusal to let something as mundane as growing up steal the joy of an imaginative life.
Of course, there’s a flipside to that perspective. A couple of them, really. The dreary one that’s most often cited by boring people is that you can’t stay a child forever. As a Grown Up, one has Responsibilities to face. As if meeting responsibilities and living a blissful, inspired, creative life are mutually exclusive activities.
There’s another response to the Peter Pan Syndrome though; one that’s just as special as the desire to hold on to childhood. It doesn’t belittle childhood as something to be put behind as quickly (and grumpily) as possible. It takes the best part of childhood and invites us to carry it with us into a more mature way of looking at the world. That’s the perspective that Jim McCann and Janet Lee introduce in Return of the Dapper Men.
- January 12, 2011 @ 04:00 PM by Michael May
Infinite Vacation teasers: Now I want to read these magazines
Infinite Vacation teaser
Image Comics wraps up their series of teasers for the new Nick Spencer/Christian Ward miniseries, Infinite Vacation, with two more faux magazine covers. I kinda wish I could read that National Geographic, as I’m curious what a Pomplamoose is (besides a grapefruit in French).
The first issue was quite popular in our Food or Comics? column this week, and it arrives in stores today. Anyone read it yet?
- January 12, 2011 @ 03:30 PM by JK Parkin
Send Us Your Shelf Porn!
Your eyes do not deceive you … it’s the return of Shelf Porn! We had a pre-holiday lull in submissions that led to several Shelf Porn-less weeks, but luckily Andrew Chapman sent in a fresh batch to feast you eyes on. He and his wife have a great collection of graphic novels, toys, a Tintin puppet and even a table made from Captain America’s shield.
We love sharing people’s shelves, but we can’t do it without you! So if you’d like to see this feature continue, please send in your Shelf Porn to jkparkin@yahoo.com.
And now let’s hear from Andrew …
- January 12, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by JK Parkin
New Life for Mercury Chronicles?
Thanks to CBR’s enterprising Comics Twitter Directory, we’re able to keep track of the multitude of comics creators and see what they’re talking about. Like comics writer/retailer and friend of the blog Vito Delsante posting the full issue of his book The Mercury Chronicles (with artist Mike Lilly) on his blog. This #0 issue saw the light of day five years ago at SDCC as a giveaway for now-defunct comics publisher Speakeasy, but has been without a home since. Seems like Delsante has dusted it off and wants to see if fans would like to see more.
To find out more, we asked Delsante himself — and here’s what he said:
I just wanted more eyes on it since it’s been written for years and is still not available for purchase or download. Anyone who knows me knows that it’s been a bit of a labor of love, emphasis on labor (as in childbirth with contractions and it takes forever), and that the only speed bump on the road to publishing is that Mike Lilly, the artist, has been offered paying work throughout the life of the comic, which meant putting Mercury on hold until enough of a war chest was saved up. Maybe, if enough people tell Mike that they’d be willing to shell out $3 for each issue (or $20 or so for a graphic novel), maybe we can get this done. I’d contemplate making a Kickstarter project out of it, if I only knew that yes, people do want to see this.
Read the 16-page zero issue over at Vito’s site, and make your voice heard if you’d like to read more on this pulp/hero series.
- January 12, 2011 @ 02:00 PM by Chris Arrant
ALA posts Great Graphic Novels for Teens list
From the very beginning, librarians have been huge boosters of graphic novels, especially for younger readers, and the Great Graphic Novels for Teens list has been instrumental to their efforts, as it gives a sort of stamp of approval (from librarians) to a medium that adults often find kind of sketchy—but at the same time, the librarians making the choices are teen librarians, who are usually well tuned in to what teens like to read (as opposed to what grownups think they should read). So the list may not be entirely what you expect—for instance, it usually includes a few graphic novels that are pitched at older readers but that teens would actually really like.
Anyway, the new GGNFT list is up at the ALA website, and the librarians have chosen their Top Ten of the year as well. Here they are:
- The Zabime Sisters, by Aristophane
- Green Monk, by Brandon Dayton
- Saturn Apartments, vol. 1, by Hisae Iwaoka
- Brain Camp, by Susan Kim, Laurence Klavan, and Faith Erin Hicks
- Chew, vol. 1: Taster’s Choice, by John Layman and Rob Guillory
- Yummy: The Last Days of a Southside Shorty, by G. Neri and Randy Duburke
- Meanwhile, by Jason Shiga
- Smile, by Raina Telgemeier
- Ghostopolis, by Doug TenNapel
- Set to Sea, by Drew Weing
- January 12, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Brigid Alverson