2011 August
A cold day in hell: Mr. Freeze trailer for Batman: Arkham City
Rocksteady and Warner Bros. have released a new trailer for the upcoming Batman: Arkham City video game, one that features the villain Mr. Freeze. The game is due Oct. 18 in North America and Oct. 21 in Europe.
- August 15, 2011 @ 02:00 PM by JK Parkin
“I don’t remember the coma”: Tom Spurgeon on his life, and near-death, in comics
Tom Spurgeon by Michael Netzer
Tom Spurgeon almost died this summer. That’s why we all had to learn to live without his nigh indispensable comics news and criticism site, The Comics Reporter, during its lengthy hiatus in July. And that’s why he wrote “All of These Things That Have Made Us,” a powerful reflection on a life lived in comics on the occasion of nearly losing it that is now available to read, and re-read and re-read, at his site.
In a juxtapositional fashion true to the art form, Tom jumps back and forth from an account of his medical ordeal,one that carried with it “a Shooter-era Marvel market share sized mortality rate” and briefly left him in a coma, to musings on comics — the industry, the art form, the community, and his place in all of the above. This technique makes for a very funny essay at times: Only Tom would spend time on what could well have been his deathbed trying to figure out what the heck is up with the Green Lantern movie and “The New 52,” or note as his life flashes before his eyes that all the people in comics complaining about how hard they work should basically STFU because based on his own experience it’s the easiest damn job in the world.
But it’s also a deeply moving piece, as Tom thinks about the safety and comfort the welcoming, forgiving (to a fault) comics community has given him. “Comics is the place where I’m the least scared,” he says. Later he grapples with the fact that despite years of immersion, the strange, sprawling, small, young art form still remains a mystery to him in many ways: “I’m not even sure I know how to read comics yet.”
Tom says that his road back to health will literally be lifelong, so while a speedy recovery is not in the cards, please join me in wishing him a thorough and life-affirming one. Not to be greedy or anything, but we can’t afford to lose the chance to read more pieces like this. It’s funny and sad, full of legit insight into how comics work today (including that terrific section on DC) and harrowing glimpses of what it’s like to go to the hospital believing you won’t be coming out. It’s incredible, maybe the best piece of writing on comics I’ve ever read. Go read it yourself.
- August 15, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
Independent cartoonists imagine their own DC Fifty-TOO!
Blue Devil by Indigo Kelleigh
With DC’s “New 52″ titles hitting in a few short weeks, cartoonist Jon Morris has recruited a whole bunch of indie comic artists to put their own spin on what the relaunch could have looked like. Today he officially launched DC Fifty-TOO!, a blog that will feature mock relaunch covers by T.J.Kirsch, Marc Palm, Ryan Cody, Thomas Perkins, Robert Wilson IV, Matthew Allison and Benjamin Marra, among others. Morris asked them the question, “If DC approached you and offered you any DC property – past or present – of your choice to be your own new ongoing part of the DC Universe, what would the cover to the first issue look like?”
The first cover, featuring Blue Devil, is by Indigo Kelleigh, co-founder of Stumptown Comic Fest and creator of The Adventures of Ellie Connelly. Expect some others later today, with many more on the way.
- August 15, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Have you seen this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle?
Marathon County Sheriff's Department
Well, not this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, but one who looks a lot like him. Police in Marathon County, Wisconsin, have released a photo of the type of mask — Raphael, I do believe! — used last week in the robbery of a Wendy’s in the delightfully named town of Rib Mountain. That’s right, a Wendy’s, not a pizza parlor.
According to WSAW-TV, employees arrived to work last Monday morning to find Raphael and another man, wearing a nondescript black ski mask, already inside. Detectives say one suspect had a gun, and the two duct-taped the employees’ hands and ankles before making off with an undisclosed amount of cash.
There’s no mention of how the robbers got inside the restaurant. I’d suggest that police start by searching for sewer access. But be warned: The suspect is believed to be cool but crude.
- August 15, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Preview: The Man from R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E.
Ah, the Sixties, a simpler time when all spy and supervillain agencies were known by clever acronyms. Back in the heyday of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Get Smart, the Archie folks cooked up their own spy parody, and they are bringing it back this week in Archie & Friends #157. This story is a 1960s original by writer Frank Doyle and penciler Bob White, the same duo that devised the Captain Pureheart superhero parodies for Archie. Click for some retro cool, and pipe that Barbara Feldon ‘do on Veronica!
- August 15, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Cartoonists respond to London riots
The other day, Graeme McMillan asked why there are no news comics about the riots in the UK—he thinks that the immediacy of comics is exactly what is needed to fully convey a situation like this.
David Ziggy Greene’s comic What the F*** Just Happened? is a report from the scene, not a dispatch from the thick of the riots but a stroll through the aftermath. The comic includes a piercing insight into what the riots were all about, at least in one one shop in one neighborhood. On the other hand, Tom Humberstone accompanies his image of Londoners rebuilding with a blog post that argues that there are no simple answers to why the riots happened. Sally Jane Thompson also posts an illustration inspired by the riots, this one much more abstract in its concept than the other two.
Martin Rowson responds with an editorial cartoon.
(First two links via The Forbidden Planet blog.)
- August 15, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Record rainfall damages Jim Hanley’s Universe Staten Island store
The Staten Island location of Jim Hanley’s Universe will be closed again today after suffering extensive damage Sunday as New York experienced record rainfall. According to the New York Daily News, the city was soaked by up to 8 inches, the most recorded in a single day since the National Weather Service began keeping records more than a century ago. Heavy tropical rain is expected to continue today.
The video above captures much of the damage to the New Dorp Lane store, with water pouring from the ceiling, leaving an inch or more of water on the floor and destroying merchandise. A call has gone out for assistance with cleanup. Writer Dan Slott, meanwhile, suggested helping out by buying comics this week from Jim Hanley’s Manhattan location.
“We have a lot of work to do,” the retailer tweeted, “but we have the best staff in the world and we WILL reopen.”
- August 15, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | Robert Crumb explains withdrawal from festival
Robert Crumb
Creators | Robert Crumb pens a letter to The Sydney Morning Herald, explaining why he pulled out of the Graphic 2011 festival: “I was quite alarmed when I read the article in the Sunday Telegraph. I showed it to my wife, Aline, who said, ‘That’s it, you’re not going.’ She got a very bad feeling from the article. She feared I might be attacked physically by some angry, outraged person who simply saw red at the mention of child molesters. She remarked she’d never seen any article about me as nasty as this one.” Sunday Telegraph staff writer Claire Harvey, meanwhile, responds to Crumb’s comments and criticisms lobbed at the newspaper: “Crumb seems to be living in fear of the reaction he once sought to provoke. It seems a sad place for any artist to be.” [The Sydney Morning Herald]
Passings | Kim Thompson eulogizes Argentina cartoonist Francisco Solano López, who passed away on Friday. [The Comics Journal]
Conventions | Reporting from this weekend’s Wizard World Chicago, the Chicago Tribune talks to former comic shop owner Gary Colabuono, who displayed rare ashcan editions of comics from the 1930s and 1940s featuring Superman, Superwoman, Superboy and Supergirl at the show. Blogger Matthew J. Brady has pictures of the ashcans, as well as a report from the show. [Chicago Tribune]
- August 15, 2011 @ 07:15 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
First look at the cover of Justice League #3
Justice League #3
DC Comics has unveiled the cover by Jim Lee and Scott Williams for Justice League #3, which puts Wonder Woman front and center as Lee and writer Geoff Johns “unleash the amazing Amazon [...] who joins the battle against a bizarre threat! And the not-yet World’s Greatest Heroes need all the help they can get!”
The 40-page comic, which goes on sale Nov. 16, features variant covers by Greg Capullo and Lee.
- August 15, 2011 @ 06:40 AM by Kevin Melrose
What Are You Reading? with Von Allan
Hello and welcome once again to What Are You Reading? This week our special guest is Von Allan, creator of the self-published graphic novel series Stargazer. The first volume is still available, while the second one is due in shops in October.
To see what Von and the Robot 6 crew have been reading, click below.
- August 14, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Shelf Porn | A ‘trophy room’ filled with statues and original art
Welcome to Shelf Porn! It’s been awhile since we’ve posted this feature and we’re back with quite the collection today, as David Dougherty, a lawyer from Florida, shares his nicely displayed collection of statues and original art.
If you’d like to see your collection featured here, contact me at jkparkin@yahoo.com. And now let’s hear from David …
- August 13, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Connections between Marvel’s Heroic Age and 2099?
I’m a year or so late to the game here, but a recent find while trolling through some issues of Spider-Man 2099 got me thinking; if the past that led up to the apocalyptic 2099 going on now? Let me explain.
In the early 90s, Marvel began a line of comics set over one hundred years in the future. In this future corporations had run amok, leading to a Blade Runner-esque future replete with hovercars and cybernetics galore. Although superheroes were prevalent in the 1990s of Marvel continuity, they were completely absent as the 2099 line began. Over time new iterations of Marvel icons began appearing, but what’ s important for this is that in the 2099 future they teased as to what happened in the late 20th/early 21st century to get to this point. In an issue of Doom 2099, they go into some detail describing a “Heroic Age” (their term) that existed around the turn of the century, that fell into disarray with a massive “civil war” between humans and mutants.
That mention,way back in the nineties of a “Heroic Age” came full circle last year with Marvel’s turn to their own “Heroic Age” post Siege, and as coincidental that might be it also gives me a bit of fanboy hope that something bigger might be coming along. Marvel has previously stated that the 2099 titles existed in a different universe — Earth-928 to be exact — but wouldn’t it be unique if some of the events in the 2099 came true in the regular Marvel Universe? We only have 88 years to wait.
- August 13, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Chris Arrant
Chris Samnee on Fantastic Four? He wishes.
It all started with a simple tweet late Thursday night.
“I really want to draw an arc of Fantastic Four some day,” tweeted artist Chris Samnee. That’s all. As you were. 
”
What followed was an outpouring of support from comics fans on twitter, as well as more than a few comics pros. Fantastic Four/FF Colorist Paul Mounts tweeted “You on FF at some point?YEEESSSSSS!!” and was joined by several Marvel creators and even a few Marvel staffers. After the outpouring, Samnee half-jokingly tweeted again saying “Wow. Apparently a lot of you wanna see me on FF too. Anybody have an in at Marvel? ;P”
With news this week that Marvel was bringing back the Fantastic Four title while also keeping the abbreviated FF series going forward, Samnee might get his chance and more than one comics fan might get their wishes come true. To the right is a sketch Samnee did awhile back of the team in tribute to Mike Wieringo.
- August 13, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Chris Arrant
The Fifth Color | Vengeance #2 proves me wrong
Vengeance #2
The weird thing about the internet and having a strong fanbase is that comics can often disappoint without even trying. Here’s my story: Last month I fell in love with a weird little mini-series called Vengeance. Artist Nick Dragotta and writer Joe Casey made this unclassifiable story that had all these weird touches to it, moments and names and items that jumped immediately to that place in my brain where I store the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe (Deluxe Edition, please). The story is set “nowish,” with characters seeing current Marvel events like Fear Itself played on bar TV screens and a few flashbacks setting the tone, like the Red Skull and Hitler chatting about the Red Army’s eugenics program. The appearance of Forge’s old gun that takes away a mutant’s powers being toted around by the new Ultimate Nullifier, the fact that the book opens up with the Red Ghost sitting alone at a bar somewhere, watching Captain America face down an angry mob, that anyone would remember Sugar Kane the pop star that dated Chamber in order to seem edgy to her public … I might have taken those for granted. But all these little morsels of info in a rather disjointed book left me enamored with it.
My esteemed, saintly and incredibly good-looking editor here at Robot 6 mentioned that an annotation of the Vengeance series might point out all these little things and bring them to the surface for more fans. So I spent a couple weeks going over the book, making notes, putting things in order and then… the worst part. I made conjectures. After all, you can’t put a bunch of puzzle pieces out in front of someone and not expect them to make a couple guesses, right? But then one guess turns into two and the more you dissect a frog to see how it works, well, you learn a lot in the process. But in the end the frog is dead.
So with Vengeance #2 on the stands this week, there’s all this new information to prove me wrong on everything I had assumed. Which was disappointing at first; after all, my ideas are pretty cool, why didn’t they go in that direction? If you bring out the Red Ghost in act one, he has to have monkeys by the end of the play, it’s integral! But then, is there a lot of disappointment running through comics sometimes? The flashed image of a character’s redesign can send fandom into fits. The lack of information on a missing character can start wars in convention halls. I can sit here, read Vengeance #2 and think, “This isn’t what I expected at all.”
First issues are like that, though. We don’t normally have all our ducks in a row for our introductions in modern comics storytelling. The boards have to be set up, players chosen, the rules in place and only then does the game begin. So how do Vengeance #2 and WWE tag team matches relate? Read on and find out, gentle viewer.
WARNING: Rampant discussion of the events from Vengeance #1, Vengeance #2 and 75% of WWE tag team matches follows. You have been warned.
- August 12, 2011 @ 04:00 PM by Carla Hoffman
Rich Tommaso sets up another round of comics
Rich Tommaso set up his own webcomics site about a year and a half ago so that he could post his comics; despite an Eisner award for his work on Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow and numerous other accolades, he has had trouble selling his work to print publishers. Which just goes to show you what a bunch of losers they are, because Rich’s work is beautifully drawn and his stories are well told.
Anyway, if you haven’t seen his site, or if you have but it’s been a while, now is a great time to check it out because he is launching two new stories, Dry County and Yearling. With just a cover and one page up of each, it’s a bit hard to see what Dry County is about, but Yearling is clearly a superhero comic, and it has a female lead. Tommaso says it’s going to be like a crime novel: “Like a Batman Detective comic, only my hero would actually DO SOME INVESTIGATING.” What could possibly go wrong? I can’t wait to find out!
- August 12, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Brigid Alverson