2011 April
Thin wallets, fat bookshelves | First Second’s Fall 2011 catalog
from Americus
First Second sent out their latest catalog earlier this month, highlighting all the graphic novels they’ll be releasing in the fall. This is the imprint’s fifth anniversary, so congrats to Mark Siegel, Gina Gagliano and the rest of the crew for five great years of making awesome graphic novels.
Here’s a rundown of what to expect from the publisher later this year:
Americus, by MK Reed and Jonathan Hill: Tim spoke with Reed about this one last year; it’s about a teenager fighting to keep his favorite fantasy series on library shelves when it’s targeted by “Christian activists.” You can read it online here.
- April 19, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Grell, Dragotta to provide art for T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents #7
art by Mike Grell
DC Comics announced today that Mike Grell (Warlord, Green Arrow) and Nick Dragotta (Captain America: Forever Allies, Vengeance) will provide artwork for issue #7 of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents, joining the regular creative team of Nick Spencer and CAFU.
“We’re thrilled to have an artist as legendary and as talented as Mike Grell on board to help us kick off the second arc of T.H.U.N.D.E.R. Agents with May’s #7, joining writer Nick Spencer and the regular art team of CAFU & Bit,” editor Will Moss told DC’s The Source blog. “Mike will be drawing a sequence starting in #7 that dives into the backstory of the classic TA foe The Iron Maiden, revealing the crucial role she played in the current team’s formation. Also starting in #7 is a sequence set even further in the past by the über-talented Nick Dragotta, channeling his inner Wally Wood. The secrets revealed in these two timelines will have shocking — that’s right, shocking! — consequences for the team in the present. So don’t miss it!”
The issue comes out in May.
- April 19, 2011 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
Infestation: Outbreak | Meet Leticia and Archibald
Leticia and Archibald
Wrapping up the teasers for the upcoming Infestation: Outbreak, IDW sent over one last image, this time featuring two characters — Leticia and Archibald. The comic is co-written by Chris Ryall and Tom Waltz, with art by David Messina … Ryall previously collaborated with Ben Templesmith on Groom Lake, which is where I believe these two characters are from.
They will join with Bools, Yumiko, Britt, Cross, Isaac and Nikodemus to fight the infestation, starting in June. You can find the other six teaser images after the jump.
- April 19, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Max Overacts: “Awards are good!”
Caanan Grall’s Eisner-nominated Max Overacts is officially on hiatus, but Grall has interrupted the break with a special Max strip to talk about awards and validation. In the same post he also shares his thoughts on his fellow Best Digital Comic nominees, proving that he’s every bit as classy as the Abominable Charles Christopher’s suit in the drawing above.
Grall also mentions that he’s selling original art from Max Overacts at his etsy store as well as taking commissions to help pay some bills.
- April 19, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Michael May
Comics A.M. | Mike Keefe wins Pulitzer; BOOM! loses Classic Disney titles?
From Mike Keefe's portfolio
Awards | Denver Post editorial cartoonist Mike Keefe has won the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for editorial cartooning “for his widely ranging cartoons that employ a loose, expressive style to send strong, witty messages.” Keefe, who joined the Post in 1975, had previously served in the Marines and taught math in college. “I am gobsmacked,” the 64-year-old cartoonist says. “In recent years, the Pulitzer has gone to much younger folks who are newer in the business. I’ve always done pretty classical editorial cartooning. I thought my day had passed.” Comic Riffs has Keefe’s award-winning portfolio. [Denver Post]
Publishing | On the heels of successive announcements that Marvel will publish comics based on Disney’s Pixar and Muppets properties, licenses previously held by BOOM! Studios, comes word that BOOM! has stopped soliciting Classic Disney series like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. However, Diamond’s Previews catalog for July contains listings for the publisher’s titles based on such Disney Afternoon properties as Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers, Darkwing Duck and DuckTales. [ICv2.com]
- April 19, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim | Laura Allred
Laura Allred's studio
There’s a list of creators that in my estimation are not interviewed nearly enough, one such example is colorist Laura Allred. You can find several interviews with both Mike and Laura Allred together, but few rarely focus on Laura solely. So I recently crossed my fingers and shot off an email to Laura seeking to do an email interview. Much to my sheer delight, she was game for a discussion of her career as a colorist. Jamie S. Rich, long-time Allred associate and friend of Robot 6, was kind enough to share his perspective on Laura’s body of work, which helped me shape some of the topics covered in this exchange. Obviously, a huge thank you to Laura for giving so selflessly of her time. As someone who enjoyed Art Adams’ Monkeyman and O’Brien years ago, I plan to dig up my box with those issues, just to appreciate Laura’s work on it, given how highly she speaks of it in this interview.
Tim O’Shea: The life of a freelancer is never easy–and in your house, it’s extra challenging as both of you make a living either through one of the independent publishers or work through DC or Marvel. Granted at this point in your career, there is a certain brand and reputation that your work carries, still freelancing is a challenge even for successful folks as yourself. If you don’t mind me asking, how much has your faith served to buoy your spirits when the hardships of freelancing blindside you?
Laura Allred: It seems when we simply try to do our best in all our efforts, everything always seems to work out. We work hard, though Michael refuses to call it working, but we also try to make time for family and friends. So, I’ve found that my secret weapon for hardships is to just crack the whip and we get back on track. I’m only half kidding.
- April 18, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Tim O'Shea
Spell Checkers: Sons of a Preacher Man due in September
Spell Checkers: Son of a Preacher Man
Both writer Jamie S. Rich and artist Joëlle Jones point out that Oni Press has released information on the second volume of their graphic novel series Spell Checkers.
The second volume, which reunites Rich and Jones with artist Nicolas Hitori de, is subtitled “Sons of a Preacher Man” and is due in September. Here’s the solicitation text:
There are two new kids at school. Twin brothers–one straight-laced and buttoned-up, the other a rebel in a leather jacket–and they’ve transferred in with trouble for the Spell Checkers. Jesse finds romance, but for Cynthia, it’s rivalry. She and the good brother compete for student body president, while Kimmie tries to find out who murdered the last one. Dark magic is afoot, as well as dark humor, in the second mystical volume of Oni’s latest hit series.
- April 18, 2011 @ 02:00 PM by JK Parkin
Stumptown swag: Objects of desire
MoCCA on the East Coast, Stumptown on the West Coast—the past two weeks have been busy ones for comics creators and fans alike. I made it to MoCCA, but the grass is always greener on the other side of the country, and it looks like there was a lot to see—and buy—at Stumptown. Here’s a sample of the offerings, starting with Dylan Meconis’s slew of tiny watercolor paintings, above.
- April 18, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
Jaime Hernandez draws Wonder Woman, P.I.
The headline says it all. This is from 2010, so it has actually been kicking around for a while, but it hasn’t been seen here yet and that seemed like a shame.
From the Fantagraphics blog, but spotted via Alex Segura’s Tumblr. How’s that for provenance?
- April 18, 2011 @ 12:30 PM by Brigid Alverson
Icarus on Robot 6 page 9
Icarus is a comic by Ryan Cody and is serialized here on Robot 6, with new pages every Monday, Wednesday & Friday.
Ryan Cody is the creator, artist, writer, & colorist of ICARUS, a bi-monthly super-powered adventure/espionage book published through Super 75 Comics. Ryan’s past projects include illustrating the graphic novel VILLAINS for Viper
Comics as well as contributing to the Eisner-Award winning anthology, Popgun Vol.3, from Image comics. ICARUS #1 is currently available as both a .99 digital download and in print. For more information or to order a print copy of ICARUS, please visit www.super75comics.com
- April 18, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Ryan Cody
Claire Hummel gives Disney a history lesson
Microsoft Games artist Claire Hummel has been doing a series of illustrations featuring historically accurate versions of Disney’s princess costumes. It’s gorgeous stuff, but is also interesting for some of the discussion it’s fostered, particularly around her version of Jasmine’s costume from Aladdin, a Chinese story displaced to a fantastical “Arabia” with Indian influences in the film. Take a look at Hummel’s choice and the responses she received in the link.
- April 18, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Michael May
If your last trip through airport security was bad, at least you aren’t Wolverine
Threadless revisits the age-old question of how Wolverine gets through airport security (which, IIRC, Chris Claremont once addressed by providing Logan the proper papers), which seems to have a bit more topical relevance nowadays. The T-shirt costs $20 on the site; I’d suggest wearing it locally vs. on your next trip, as some TSA agents might not find it funny.
- April 18, 2011 @ 10:30 AM by JK Parkin
Infestation: Outbreak | Meet Bools
Bools
Today Bools joins Yumiko, Britt, Cross, Isaac and Nikodemus in IDW’s upcoming series Infestation: Outbreak, which kicks off in June. The comic is co-written by Chris Ryall and Tom Waltz, with art by David Messina.
One last teaser wraps these up tomorrow, so be sure to check back.
- April 18, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by JK Parkin
Quote of the Day | Becky Cloonan on how Tokyopop got it backwards
from the never-published East Coast Rising Vol. 2 by Becky Cloonan
Maybe [Tokyopop] just went around things wrong. If Stu Levy wanted to make a media company, I feel like he should have started it that way instead of trying to get into movies and other media through comics. That notion has always seemed backwards to me- if you want to make a movie, fucking just make a movie! It might not be easy, but it makes a lot more sense than making comics to make movies. That’s like making cookies and hoping they will turn into a cake in the oven!
–Demo artist Becky Cloonan, whose unfinished OEL graphic-novel series East Coast Rising has disappeared down Tokyopop’s publishing-rights rabbit hole, with an analogy for the ages on the trend of using comics as back door to Hollywood. The post contains a lot more insight into Cloonan’s ill-fated relationship with the now-defunct manga publisher — well worth a read.
- April 18, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Sean T. Collins
Comics A.M. | Borders to revise bonus plan; Tokyopop reactions
Borders
Retailing | The bankrupt Borders Group agreed to revise its $7.8 million retention bonus plan by tying potential payments for top executives to the company’s ability to pay unsecured creditors. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Martin Glenn told the bookseller on Thursday it must make further changes to the proposal, and negotiate with the U.S. trustee, before he would approve it.
The struggling bookseller says that 47 executives and director-level employees have quit since the company declared bankruptcy on Feb. 16 — two dozen just this month — leaving only 15 people in senior management positions. The book chain had sought to pay $6.6 million to 15 executives, including $1.7 million to CEO Michael Edwards, and $1.2 million to 25 director-level managers in a bid to retain key personnel.
Under the new terms, agreed upon by Borders and the creditors before Thursday’s hearing, the top five executives would receive $4.9 million at most if they recover $95 million to unsecured creditors under a sale or restructuring by Aug. 15. They could get $1.8 million in $73 million is returned. [The Detroit News, Bloomberg]
- April 18, 2011 @ 07:00 AM by Kevin Melrose