2011 November
Cartoonists chronicle Occupy movement
Shannon Wheeler's view of Occupy Wall Street
Occupy Wall Street and the related protests in other cities are proving fertile ground for comics journalists—by which I mean those who use sequential art to report about an issue rather than journalists who cover comics. The comics-journalism site Cartoon Movement posted an Occupy Sketchbook this week featuring work from Susie Cagle, Sharon Rosenzweig, and Shannon Wheeler, and they promise another installment next week. At Comic Riffs, cartoonist and Cartoon Movement editor Matt Bors explains why cartoonists and Occupiers get along so well:
“Corporate media is met with skepticism by protesters — and with good reason,” Bors tells ‘Riffs. “I’ve found that sitting and talking to people with a sketchbook is a far better way to gain insight than shoving a network camera in their face. That only yields sound bites.
“Susie Cagle’s approach of essentially being an embedded journalist with the movement,” Bors continues, “will no doubt result in great comics and the kind of insight you aren’t going to find on television.”
Many of the comics in the Occupy Sketchbook are sound bites too, but Shannon Wheeler’s drawing of Occupy Wall Street is a birds-eye view that a camera simply couldn’t capture as well.
- November 17, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
Dark Knight Returns parody takes aim at Frank Miller
From "The Dick Knight," by Richard Pace
Richard Pace sends up Batman: The Dark Knight Returns in his response to Frank Miller’s recent tirade against Occupy protestors, writing, “I’d prefer to remember Frank Miller as the sometimes brilliant, long-haired nerd glaring from his back-cover photo on The Dark Knight Returns trade rather than the fedora-wearing, incoherent lightweight hack he’s become.”
Read the full comic strip, titled “The Dick Knight,” on Pace’s blog.
- November 17, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | ‘Death of Phoenix’ page fetches $65,000 at auction
From Uncanny X-Men #137
Comics | An original page by John Byrne and Terry Austin from Uncanny X-Men #137, the 1980 issue that featured the death of Phoenix, sold at auction Wednesday for $65,725. As ICv2 notes, the sale continues the trend of 1980s comic art going for high prices; a page of Frank Miller art from Batman: The Dark Knight Returns #3 sold for $448,125 in May. [ICv2.com]
Digital | ICv2′s Milton Griepp makes the case for publishers to provide sales information on digital comics. “Why would this information be useful? There are a number of reasons. One is that it would help distributors (most importantly, Diamond Comic Distributors) and retailers selling physical comics and graphic novels identify which titles have the largest audiences in digital form. They could then make sure that they’re merchandising the top digital titles appropriately, so they can take advantage of demand for physical titles that results from digital exposure (we’ve been hearing that there’s a significant phenomenon of digital purchasers looking for collections of comics they’ve purchased online). Digital demand can also indicate potential demand for physical books from consumers that aren’t purchasing digitally; a good book, after all, is a good book, and if digital purchasers are finding a title that’s not as popular in physical form, it may indicate that there’s an untapped market of consumers of physical books as well.” [ICv2.com]
- November 17, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
Your Wednesday Sequence 32 | Frank King
Gasoline Alley Sunday page (1934). Frank King.
Even when cartoonists working in the comic book format caught on to the fact that it was possible to design sequential pages that also worked as unified visual statements, it never quite worked the same as the Sunday strip. The context of the single-page broadsheet comic is something that the form lacked for years post-1950 or so, and has only recently begun to make a return. To really understand Sunday pages it’s necessary to think about how they were originally presented, not how we see them today.
For the better part of the medium’s first half-century, its territory was the funny pages, not the pamphlet and certainly not the book. The comics sections of yesteryear provided artists with a presentational challenge that the comic book format avoids: when each page of the work’s delivery system is drawn in a completely different style on a completely different subject by a completely different artist, that work lacks a pre-existing context. It’s forced, essentially, to create its own. To my mind, the emphasis the comics section put on creating a fully-rounded aesthetic statement in one page is at least as responsible for the staggering weight of brilliance the Sunday page format produced as a more frequently discussed property — page size — is. When the turn of each page doesn’t add to the experience of a single work of art but actively works against it, the one-page spotlight an artist is given becomes an urgent call for something fully formed, a single page that stands alone. Like the one above.
- November 16, 2011 @ 04:00 PM by Matt Seneca
Marvel ends PunisherMAX with February’s Issue 22 [Updated]
PunisherMAX #22
PunisherMAX will end with February’s Issue 22, Newsarama reports, ahead of what Marvel characterizes as “a big change” coming to its mature-readers imprint.
Although the conclusion follows January’s “final brutal confrontation between the Punisher and Kingpin,” it’s unclear whether this is the planned ending for the series. Writer Jason Aaron told Comic Book Resources in August, just as the current arc was beginning, that, “This is the culmination of the Punisher/Kingpin story, but it’s not my last story on the book. There are definitely plans in place after this next arc, but I can’t talk about them without spoiling what’s coming up.”
PunisherMAX, by Aaron and artist Steve Dillon, debuted in November 2009, following the end of the 75-issue run of the original mature-readers Punisher series (retitled The Punisher: Frank Castle during its final year). PunisherMAX and Deadpool MAX are the imprint’s only current monthly series.
News of the title’s end arrives just a day after CBR reported that X-23 will be canceled with January’s Issue 20. It’s the latest in a string of abrupt cancellations at Marvel that includes Alpha Flight, Victor Von Doom, Destroyers, Iron Man 2.0 and All-Winners Squad.
Update (5:47 p.m. PT): Aaron commented on Twitter, writing, “PUNISHER MAX is ending, the way I always intended it. It was not canceled.”
- November 16, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Kevin Melrose
Webcomicker creates parody of Steve Jobs bio featuring the Man Of Steel
With the “Biography” section of the local bookstore being an eternally high-traffic section, I’ve always wondered why super-heroes haven’t given us a glimpse inside their head and their history. Maybe it’s because they’re fictional?
Regardless, after the widespread popularity of Walter Isaacson’s bio of Steve Jobs, Joy of Tech cartoonists Nitrozac and Snaggy have taken that template and extrapolated what it would look like if the world’s biggest super-hero ever opened up. I won’t spoil the comic, so head over to their site to read the full strip!
- November 16, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Chris Arrant
Dark Horse adds Buffy, other Whedon titles to their digital store
Buffy the Vampire Slayer #40
Dark Horse Comics announced that they are adding their popular comics based on the television works of Joss Whedon to their digital store, starting today with a good chunk of Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight and the first two issues of Season Nine.
Additional issues from Season Eight and Nine will be added over the next few weeks. Issues of Angel & Faith, which spun out of the events of Season Nine, will arrive next week. The Dollhouse one-shot and five-issue series will be added Nov. 23.
“This marks another important turning point in Dark Horse’s digital initiative,” said Mike Richardson, Dark Horse president and founder. “Joss Whedon’s incredible characters have become some of our most popular, and now fans from all over the world can see them like they never have been seen before!”
No doubt. Considering the fan base Buffy, Angel and, well, anything Joss Whedon does have, it makes sense that Dark Horse would want to make their “in canon” comics available via their digital store, and the natural question is “What took so long?” Given the titles are licensed from Twentieth Century Fox Consumer Products, it wouldn’t be surprising if they had some legal/licensing issues to work through. Fans commenting on the news at the Whedon-focused blog Whedonesque are now asking if Dark Horse will move to a same-day-as-print schedule, which seems like a natural move.
After the jump you can find the release schedule for upcoming Whedonverse titles on Dark Horse’s digital app.
- November 16, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Variant covers for Peanuts feature first appearances of characters
Following the announcement of the creators for their new Peanuts ongoing series, BOOM! Studios has announced variant covers for the first four issues available to comics retailers as order incentives. The covers feature Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and Snoopy as they first appeared in the comic strip reproduced directly from Charles Schulz’ original panel art.
The first Peanuts miniseries, which BOOM! confirmed will be published as a series of miniseries a la Hellboy, will hit stores in January. Check out the other covers after the jump.
- November 16, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Robot 6 Q&A | Caryn A. Tate continues to ride the Red Plains
Caryn A. Tate has been writing Red Plains for a couple of years now, and the world of her story, which is set in the Old West but is not bound by the traditions of the Western genre, is getting more and more complex. With the publication of The Ballad of Double Ott this week, she launches a new story arc and an intriguing new character. I talked to Tate two years ago, and this seemed like an opportune time to revisit Red Plains.
Red Plains is a digital comic that is carried on Graphicly and My Digital Comics. The first issue of each arc is free.
Robot 6: Is Double Ott a new character, or has he appeared in other issues of Red Plains? Who is he, and what is his backstory?
Caryn A. Tate: Double Ott is a brand new character to the series. It’s been a long time coming—he first came to me a couple of years ago, and I fleshed out the plot of The Ballad of Double Ott around the same time. But I wanted to wait for the timing to be right in the series, not just to introduce Ott, but to bring back Velasquez, who played a huge role in the Red Plains story Nice Place to Raise Your Kids Up. There had to be a good amount of time between Nice Place and The Ballad of Double Ott because I wanted there to be some anticipation for folks as to what happened to Velasquez, what was going to happen to Lupe and the other Escovidos, and there has been a whole lot of other stuff going on in town too!
Ott is a bounty hunter and an ex Buffalo Soldier who comes through the town of Red Plains hot on the trail of a white slavery ring. He’s a classic action hero badass—ready for any situation, armed to the teeth, and lives a life of adventure! Double Ott embodies my favorite action heroes that I grew up on…and in that light, he’s the one character in the Red Plains series that I take some liberties with!
- November 16, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Brigid Alverson
DC Nation commercial reveals return of Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld
Last Friday’s broadcast of the DC Nation trailer on Cartoon Network got a lot of fans buzzing about the future of this renewed partnership between the network and its sister company DC Comics. And one of the animators behind the work reveals that one of the scenes glimpsed in the 1:35 commercial is leading up to an animated short featuring DC’s Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld. First off, here’s the excerpt from the trailer:
“To clear up the confusion over this part of the DC Nation commercial, she is getting a short,” said animator Brianne Drouhard. ” I am working with a group of fantastic people to put this together.”
Drouhard, who is also working on the upcoming Teen Titans shorts, was given the task of doing the Amethyst part of the DC Nation trailer on short notice, and was assisted by Claire Lenth on color help and video composite work from Will Feng.
“It’s been rewarding and a lot of fun to work with such a great team,” Drouhard continued. “Later in 2012 you’ll get to see our efforts!”
- November 16, 2011 @ 08:46 AM by Chris Arrant
Neil Gaiman joins Homer’s book-writing team on Sunday’s Simpsons
Fox has released images and an official synopsis for this week’s episode of The Simpsons, which features a guest appearance by Neil Gaiman. In addition, Gaiman posted a clip from the show which, as you can see from the above screenshot, includes a glimpse of a bookstore display showcasing the author’s work, including The Absolute Sandman, Vol. 1, and The Absolute Death. Clearly they’re not in the Springfield Barnes & Noble.
Here’s how Fox describes the episode, called “The Book Job”: “Lisa becomes disheartened when she learns the shocking truth behind the ‘tween lit’ industry and her beloved fantasy novel characters. But Homer decides to cash in on the craze and forms a team to group-write the next ‘tween lit’ hit, with the king of fantasy, Neil Gaiman (guest-voicing as himself), lending his expertise to the effort. After catching the eye of a slick industry publisher (guest-voice Andy Garcia) at the Springfield Book Fair, the team gets an advanced copy of their work and discovers that the corporate lit business is a bigger operation than they imagined.”
Gaiman previously appeared in animated for in a 2010 episode of Arthur. Check out the clip and images from “The Book Job” below. The Simpsons airs Sunday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Fox.
- November 16, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | $15,000 comic goes missing; donations for Bill Mantlo
Amazing Fantasy #15
Crime | A man in Lincoln, Nebraska, told police that a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15, valued at $15,000, disappeared from his home sometime between Oct. 27 and Monday morning. The 1962 issue was kept with other comics, but the man claims several people had been in and out of his home since he last saw it. A near-mint copy of the comic, which features the first appearance of Spider-Man, sold at auction in March for $1.1 million. [Lincoln Journal Star]
Creators | Writer Greg Pak has set up a page to take donations for former comics writer Bill Mantlo, whose tragic situation was detailed in an article last week. “Bill Mantlo has had a huge influence on me as a writer and reader,” Pak said. “His Micronauts stories blew my mind as a kid and his Incredible Hulk run laid the groundwork for the themes I explored my five-and-a-half year run with the character.” Money donated through the site goes directly to Mike Mantlo, Bill’s brother, for Bill’s ongoing care. [Greg Pak]
- November 16, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
King City collection due from Image Comics in February
King City
Brandon Graham confirmed on his blog today that Image Comics will release a collection of King City on Feb. 22. The 424-page book will be the same “Golden Age” size as the individual issues Image released last year for $19.99.
“There’s a couple new drawings but for the most part I kept it pretty close to what was in the issues,” Graham said. “It’s still got all the back ups, covers, games and puzzles that were in those. I’m a big advocate of the fun of getting a book in issues as it comes out and I didn’t want the people who had picked it up month to month to feel like they should have waited.”
Image teased the collection last week. The first half of the well-regarded series was published by Tokyopop in 2008, and after that publisher’s OEL implosion, Tokyopop and Image reached a deal for Image to publish it as a 12-issue series. No doubt some fans have been waiting since its original release to see the second half–I certainly wasn’t going to wait, but hey, different strokes–so this will give them a chance to own the whole thing.
- November 15, 2011 @ 08:12 PM by JK Parkin
The Middle Ground #77 | Boom goes the …
Quick, pop quiz: Who is the only publisher to be releasing monthly material from both Garth Ennis and Kurt Busiek right now? Clue: It’s also the only publisher to be putting out regular work from Alex Ross, Scott Beatty and Phil Hester. So why aren’t more people paying attention to Dynamite?
- November 15, 2011 @ 03:30 PM by Graeme McMillan
Superman thief sentenced to six years in prison
Mike Meyer
The Illinois man who stole thousands of dollars worth of Superman memorabilia from a mentally disabled collector in late August has been sentenced to six years in prison.
The Belleville News Democrat reports that Gerry Armbruster, 38, pleaded guilty today to stealing the collection from Mike Meyer and assaulting and robbing an elderly man. Armbruster befriended Meyer, a 48-year-old man who lives on Social Security and works part-time at McDonald’s, before swindling him out of more than 1,800 Superman comics, figures and other memorabilia he’d been collecting since 1974.
News of the theft drew worldwide attention, with fans and creators from as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom rallying to replace Meyer’s stolen items.
Police arrested Armbruster in mid-September while investigating the forcible robbery of money and jewelry from a 76-year-old man, and were able to recover Meyer’s collection. The grateful fan, who lives with his dogs Krypto and Dyno, pledged to give the donated memorabilia to charity. “People were generous to me,” he said at the time. “This is how I can be generous in return.”
Armbruster’s sentencing comes as Meyer is on vacation in Cleveland, birthplace of Superman, courtesy of Carol & John’s Comic Book Shop. He and Keith Howard, who organized the effort to replace the stolen items, visited the former home of Jerry Siegel on Monday, and today toured area comic shops, where they received gift certificates. Their trip will conclude tonight with a party at Carol & John’s.
“I feel like I’m connected with Siegel and Shuster,” Meyer told the Plain Dealer from the living room of the Siegel house, “a piece of history was created here.”
- November 15, 2011 @ 01:50 PM by Kevin Melrose