2011 September
Get a sneak peek at Marco Checchetto’s Punisher pages
Art by Marco Checchetto
This afternoon on Twitter, Marvel Editor Steve Wacker teased two pages of stunning art by Marco Checchetto from “the next Punisher.” Presumably that’s Issue 4, with writer Greg Rucka, which arrives Oct. 12. “Easily one of the best books around,” Wacker wrote. Check out both pages below.
- September 27, 2011 @ 04:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Food or Comics? | Brilliant, holy, super habibi
Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy at our local comic shop 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 a “Splurge” item.
Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList, and tell us what you’re getting in our comments field.
Brilliant
Graeme McMillan
It is, thankfully, the last week of September which means that, if I had $15, I only have one more week of new launches from DC to pick out potential favorites, Sophie’s Choice-style. This week: Aquaman #1, Flash #1, Fury of Firestorm, The Nuclear Men #1, Justice League Dark #1 and Superman #1 make the cut (All DC, all $2.99 each).
If I had the chance to add some more money to take that total to $30, I’d go for some Marvel books: Brian Michael Bendis gets well-represented with Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #2 ($3.99); New Avengers #16.1 ($2.99), his “new readers jump on” issue with art by Neal Adams; and Brilliant #1 ($3.99), his new creator-owned book with Mark Bagley. Here’s hoping I’m in a suitably Bendis-y mood when I read all of these ones.
Splurgewise, it has to be Habibi (Pantheon, $35), Craig Thompson’s new graphic novel. I know a few people who’ve had a chance to read it already, and everyone has made it sound like a large leap ahead from Blankets, and something almost worth the many-year wait it’s been since his breakthrough last book. I’m really looking forward to this one.
- September 27, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Michael May
New trailer debuts for Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts
Sequart has debuted a new trailer for Warren Ellis: Captured Ghosts, a documentary that examines the life, career and influence of the acclaimed writer. The NSFW trailer (there’s profanity, naturally) features excerpts from interviews with the likes of Joss Whedon, Helen Mirren, Wil Wheaton, Ben Templesmith, Kelly Sue DeConnick and, of course, Ellis himself.
The film, which was previewed in July at Comic-Con International, will be screened worldwide this fall and winter.
- September 27, 2011 @ 02:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Food AND comics: Superheroes are delicious
Lime Green Lantern
The Foogos site is a wonderful amalgamation of food and pop culture logos, with comics icons and sports teams sharing the menu in equal amounts for a well-balanced diet. In addition to the Green Lantern limes and Hellboy chili you see here, the unnamed artist who runs the site also has Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pizza, Skeletor pudding, Avengers applesauce, and much more. Just make sure you’ve eaten before you visit. It’s embarrassing to be caught licking the screen. I imagine.
- September 27, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Michael May
Quote of the day | Craig Thompson’s Arabian Nights
Habibi is in, if you can call it a genre, the Arabian Nights genre. It’s borrowing from the tradition of 1001 Nights where one story folds into another and you lose sight of where you began. I was drawing from that book as a genre as if it were superheroes or crime noir, borrowing from a lot of the tropes of Arabian Nights and the bawdiness, the sensuality, the adventure, the violence, the religious aspects, the landscapes, the deserts, the harems.
— Craig Thompson, in conversation with CBR’s Alex Dueben, on his ambitious new graphic novel Habibi, which is set in a world shaped both by actual Islamic and Arab culture and an old-school, romanticized/exoticized Western vision of the same. As I’ve written elsewhere, Habibi isn’t really a book “about Islam,” as some of its PR makes it seem — it’s a book that uses Islam and the Middle East as a vector for exploring issues and obsessions close to Thompson’s heart, from religious texts to sexuality to art and design to simply drawing sweeping panoramic views of the desert. In that sense, his use of the term “genre” makes a good deal of sense, since like any genre artist might do, he’s using preexisting tropes as building blocks for his world.
- September 27, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Sean T. Collins
First look at Greg Capullo’s The Flash #2 variant cover
The Flash #2, by Greg Capullo
Accompanying its story about DC Comics’ New 52 sellout — that’s right, all 52 premiere issues have sold out at the distributor level — The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy blog runs our first look at Greg Capullo’s variant cover for The Flash #2.
Unfortunately, the image is small, so we don’t get to fully appreciate the illustration, complete with the “OMG” setting on the speedometer. Hopefully DC’s Source blog will provide a larger version of the cover soon.
Capullo, who’s already receiving praise for his work with writer Scott Snyder on the relaunched Batman, also provided variant covers for Green Lantern #1 and the upcoming Justice League #3 and Action Comics #4.
In case you haven’t read the official announcement at Comic Book Resources, DC also revealed this morning that Aquaman #1 is the 11th title from the relaunch to sell more than 100,000 copies. It joins the first issues of Action Comics, Batgirl, Batman, Batman and Robin, Batman: The Dark Knight, Detective Comics, The Flash, Green Lantern, Justice League and Superman in doing so. In addition, Batman has joined Action Comics and Justice League in breaking the 200,000-copy mark.
The Flash #2, with the Capullo variant, arrives Oct. 26.
- September 27, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Dare Detectives coming to Archaia
Ben Caldwell (Wednesday Comics, All-Action Classics) has announced on his blog that the next volume of his creator-owned Dare Detectives series will be published by Archaia. The first volume, The Snowpea Plot, was published in two parts by Dark Horse in 2004 and 2006 and nominated for a Russ Manning Award. Archaia’s also reprinting that story (presumably in one volume) in time for Christmas this year. No word yet on when the new story, The Kula Kola Caper, will be published. Caldwell is in the process of drawing it.
Dare Detectives follows the adventures of a reformed criminal named Maria Dare who’s “assembled a team of misfits to crack the world’s weirdest cases.” In The Snowpea Plot, they take on the beautiful Madame Bleu, who’s using pandas and abominable snowmen to steal chefs, radios and snowpeas in a plot to take over Chinatown. Caldwell promises that The Kula Kola Caper will be “all-new, all-kidnapping, all-kissing, all-tiki-zombie.” Cannot wait. I love kissing and tiki-zombies.
- September 27, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Michael May
Winners announced for 2011 Shel Dorf Awards
Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard #2
The second annual Shel Dorf Awards were presented Saturday as part of Detroit Fanfare. Named in honor of the late Shel Dorf, a Detroit native and the founder of Comic-Con, the fan awards “are dedicated to recognizing the comic industries best and brightest talents.”
The winners of the 2011 awards are:
Writer of the year: Robert Kirkman
Artist of the year: Guy Davis
Inker of the year: Klaus Janson
Colorist of the year: Jeff Balke
Editor of the year: Shannon Eric Denton
Cover artist of the year: Mike Mignola
Letterer of the year: Tom Orzcechowski
Miniseries of the year: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Graphic novel of the year: Superman: Earth One
Webcomic of the year: Axe Cop
Syndicated print strip of the year: Zits
Comic to multimedia adaptation of the year: The Walking Dead
Comic blogger of the year: Heidi MacDonald, The Beat
Continuing series of the year: Usagi Yojimbo
Self-published comic of the year: Echo
Kids’ comic of the year: Mouse Guard: Legends of the Guard
Jerry Bails Award: Randy Scott
- September 27, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Preview released for Jim Henson’s Tale of Sand
Back in March, Archaia Entertainment announced it would publish Tale of Sand, a graphic novel based on an unproduced screenplay by Jim Henson and his writing partner Jerry Juhl. Last week, on the eve of Henson’s 75th birthday, the publisher posted a generous 20-page preview of the book, illustrated by Ramón Peréz. It’s a bit disorienting at first, but stick with it — it’s not exactly cinematic, but the flow of the story, especially in the first few pages, is also very different from traditional comics. Peréz told Comic Book Resources’ Steve Sunu about the process of illustrating Henson’s script:
After reading the script a couple of times, I sat down with my sketchbook and basically started sketching and adapting and the film just started unraveling in my head. The script itself is very light on dialogue; it’s all about visual story. It could almost be a silent film with a principle soundtrack. If you cut all the dialogue, it would still work. It was very detailed, and I had to adapt the pacing to a graphic novel where you have page turns. You want to keep exciting moments as much as possible as the reader is flipping through
You can definitely see what he is talking about in the pages so far—there are quick cuts and montages, but it’s definitely a graphic novel.
- September 27, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Comics A.M. | Asterix co-creator retires; publisher Sergio Bonelli dies
Asterix
Creators | Eighty-four-year-old artist Albert Uderzo, who created Asterix the Gaul in 1959 with writer René Goscinny, has announced he’s retiring, saying he’s “a bit tired” after 52 years of drawing. The news came as publisher Hachette celebrated the sale of 350 million Asterix books worldwide. Uderzo, who took over writing after the death of Goscinny in 1977, said he has found an as-yet-unnamed successor to continue his legacy, beginning with a new book planned for release in late 2012. [Reuters, BBC News]
Passings | Italian comics writer and publisher Sergio Bonelli, whose company Sergio Bonelli Editore (formerly CEPIM) releases such titles as Dylan Dog and Nathan Never, passed away Monday in Milan. He was 79. [UPI]
Legal | A witness testified Monday in Michael George’s murder trial that she heard the defendant and his first wife Barbara George have a particularly heated argument in their Clinton Township, Michigan, comic store on July 13, 1990, only hours before Barbara was shot and killed. [Detroit Free Press]
- September 27, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Kevin Melrose
Talking Comics with Tim | Michael Kupperman
Mark Twain's Autobiography 1910-2010
Humorist Michael Kupperman is the kind of storyteller that prompts a (long thought dead) legendary writer to reveal he’s undead. Such is the offered backstory on Kupperman’s new book, Mark Twain’s Autobiography 1910-2010, described by Fantagraphics as follows: “From WWI to the Great Depression, WWII to Woodstock, and through the present, Twain details his careers as an ad man, astronaut, hypnotist, Yeti hunter, porn star, drifter, grifter and more, rubbing shoulders and having never-before-told adventures with many major figures of the 20th Century.” After covering his new collection of writing and illustrations, Kupperman discusses the upcoming series of live performances (set to start tomorrow with his solo appearance, but future installments will often be in conjunction with Kate Beaton)—and how performing his work helps him gain a sense of his material. Once you’ve read the interview, be sure to peruse the publisher’s 32-page book preview and Kupperman’s reading of the Ant I Am Telling You portion of the 160-page book.
Tim O’Shea: Have you heard what Mark Twain thinks of what you did with the manuscript he gave you, or do you expect never to hear from him again?
Michael Kupperman: Actually I’ve been hearing from him a lot. I thought that one meeting would be it, but since then he keeps reappearing, asking for help dealing with today’s publishing industry. He’s written a new novel called Prairie Rumpus, which I feel is dated in its use of slang and locale. Meanwhile I’ve got a lot of interest in my novel The Fart Vampires, a lotta heat building up.
- September 26, 2011 @ 02:00 PM by Tim O'Shea
Quote of the day #2 | The bestselling digital comic of 2012?
Johnny the Homicidal Maniac
“In January, we will start re-releasing Johnny the Homicidal Maniac as digital comics. When that one comes out, issue #1 (my prediction) will become the top selling digital comic, outselling even Marvel and DC titles. We are going to take our time with that one, as I want to make sure we have all of our outlets selling it at exactly the same time.”
– SLG Publisher Dan Vado, discussing the company’s recent decision to release comics digitally first
- September 26, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Sam Hiti illustrates the building blocks of science
Matter and How It Changes
Sam Hiti (Tiempos Finales, Death-Day) has illustrated a series of educational books for World Book titled Building Blocks of Science. They’re only available to educational institutions, but if you contact your local school or library and tell them you want to read the series, they’ll be able to order them. And since World Book is currently taking pre-orders, now would be an excellent time to do that.
The titles include Electricity, Energy, Force and Motion, Gravity, Heat, Light, Magnetism, Matter and How It Changes, Matter and Its Properties, and Sound. Hiti’s got several sample pages and a behind-the-scenes video on his blog.
Update: On Facebook (and in the comments below; I’m so unobservant), Hiti offers the following advice on approaching schools about ordering these: “Talk to your library at the school. They will have the budget to get it in there asap. If you bring it to a teacher, they will have to bring it before a school committee to approve it to be a part of the schools curriculum, which is good, but it may take longer to get in. Plus the committee would need the books in order to judge them first, so get it into the library first.”
- September 26, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Michael May
Sneak preview | Jim Zubkavich’s Makeshift Miracle
After a week of teasers, Jim Zubkavich launches his new webcomic Makeshift Miracle today. If you’re getting a feeling of deja vu, it’s because Jim first published Makeshift Miracle online, and it has been through several different versions already. Now he is relaunching it with new art, by Shun Hong Chan, and a revised story; it will be serialized for free and then published in print form by UDON Entertainment next year. Jim’s Skullkickers was a big success last year, but Makeshift Miracle is a very different story. Jim told us all about it — and shared an advance look at the art as well.
Robot 6: For those of us who weren’t reading webcomics in 2001, can you briefly summarize what this comic is about?
Jim Zubkavich: Makeshift Miracle is the story of Colby Reynolds, a teenage boy on his own for the first time in his life. He’s exploring independence, trying to figure himself out, and then he encounters something that will change everything he knows about dreams, desires and his future.
It’s a surreal coming-of-age story. Part Sandman, part Stand By Me with some Miyazaki-esque visuals thrown in for good measure.
- September 26, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Evangelicals weigh in on Superman’s underpants
RIP
There are a lot of places where I’d expect commentary about Superman’s costume changes for the New 52 and the Man of Steel movie. A blog for evangelical Christian leadership wasn’t one of them.
What I love about it is that it’s not a moralistic rail against pop culture a la the Jeff Lamb/Action Comics kerfuffle, but a fannish lament much like the ones we’ve seen on most comics and movie blogs. Pastor and author Skye Jethani calls it a “blasphemy against my childhood hero,” but the tone of his article is actually pretty thoughtful and balanced. In the end he decides to judge Man of Steel on its storytelling rather than Superman’s Underoos.
He also, appropriately for his blog, pulls some leadership lessons from the missing trunks: the power of symbolism, generational differences, compromise, and how much influence leaders (religious, political, or Warner Bros.) actually have. The piece is a fascinating and unexpectedly comfortable blending of religion and pop culture.
- September 26, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Michael May