2011 December
The Middle Ground #81 | Is comics, is not comics
One of the weird things about writing about comics for a living — or, at least, part of a living — is that, at this time of year, you end up being asked for lists of the best comics of the year, or your favorite comics of the year and, if you’re anything like me, find yourself falling back in love with comics all over again as a result. Continue Reading »
- December 13, 2011 @ 04:30 PM by Graeme McMillan
I wish someone had told me that Eleanor Davis had a sketch blog
Because then I could have enjoyed two years’ worth of Eleanor Davis’ absurdly proficient “sketches,” comics, illustrations and more instead of having to catch up with them all at once.
Wait. “Having” to catch up with them all at once? Isn’t it more like getting to catch up with them all at once? When it’s someone with Davis’s level of chops we’re talking about, what the hell am I complaining for?
(hat tip: Zack Soto)
- December 13, 2011 @ 03:15 PM by Sean T. Collins
Jim Lee designs Free Comic Book Day T-shirts
DC Comics has unveiled Jim Lee’s T-shirt design for Free Comic Book Day 2012 featuring the current lineup of the Justice League. The image is an homage to a classic Justice League of America illustration by José Luis García-López, which you can see below.
The T-shirts will be available for order in January’s Previews catalog, with proceeds benefiting promotional efforts for FCBD.
- December 13, 2011 @ 02:20 PM by Kevin Melrose
Food or Comics? | Arroz con Archaia
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.
20th Century Boys, Volume 18
Chris Arrant
If I only had $15, I would only be buying one title this week: 20th Century Boys, Vol. 18 (Viz, $12.99). Sorry Americanos, but Naoki Urasawa is delivering a gripping, sprawling drama that most other books can’t live up to. Wait, I’m wrong – I’d buy two comics with a $15 budget this week; I’d snag the $1 The Strain #1 (Dark Horse, $1) for the price point and Mike Huddleston. I’ve read the novels, but for $1 I can’t miss sampling at least the first issue.
If I had $30, I’d be thankful to double-back and first get Uncanny X-Force #18 (Marvel, $3.99). This issue, the finale of the “Dark Angel Saga,” has been a long time coming and I’m excited for the writing, the art and the story itself; and I can’t forget colorist Dean White, sheesh he’s good. After that I’d pick up my usual Walking Dead #92 (Image, $2.99) and then try Ed McGuinness’ new work in Avengers: X-Sanction #1 (Marvel, $3.99). I’m a big fan of McG’s work, but also realize just how different he is than the standard Marvel (or mainstream super-hero) artist in general. I’ve loved his storytelling sense since Mr. Majestic, and will pick up most any of his work without knowing much about the book itself. Next up would be James Robinson & Cully Hamner’s The Shade #3 (DC, $2.99). I’m surprised DC hasn’t done more marketing for this book, especially considering it’s a character who’s never held a series before; they’ve done little-to-any marketing to define just who the character is, relying on his ties to a lesser-selling series that ended ten years ago (no matter how good it was). Getting off my soapbox: those that have been reading The Shade know it’s good. After that I’d round it off with the best looking comic on shelves, Batwoman #4 (DC, $2.99).
If I was to splurge, I’d double-up my J.H Williams 3 fix with the final volume of Absolute Promethea (DC/ABC, $99.99). Although I already own these issues in singles, getting it over-sized and in hardcover is a treat. I’m hoping it also includes some production art or process sketches – I’m a nut for that.
- December 13, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Michael May
Rich Tommaso turns to Kickstarter for new project
Rich Tommaso is the latest comics creator to turn to Kickstarter to fund one an ambitious graphic novel. Tommaso, who won an Eisner and two Glyph awards for Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, has been publishing his indy graphic novels at his own website Rich Tommaso’s Web of Comics, and he is also busy re-coloring the Carl Barks comics that Fantagraphics is publishing in glorious archive editions.
Tommaso’s Kickstarter project The Cavalier Mr. Thompson is something that has been, well, kicking around in his head for about 10 years. Here’s the gist of it:
The Cavalier… is a story loosely based on the life and works of hard-boiled crime writer Jim Thompson, who was raised in West Texas during the 20′s and 30′s. At the same time, Cavalier’s story is very much my own; the cast of characters, their family backgrounds, their motivations, likenesses, personalities–were all my creation. The breakthrough on this project came about when I was reading a biography of Jim Thompson and I discovered how his relationship with his father uncannily mirrored mine with my father. It was this personal connection that spurred me on and got things rolling on Cavalier. The story is set in Big Spring, Texas during a time in America when things were slowly sliding toward what would come to be known as The Great Depression. So, The Cavalier Mr. Thompson is one part American History, one part American Crime Novel.
If that piques your interest, check out the 75-page excerpt he has up on his site. The Kickstarter is to pay the printing costs of the book, which will be distributed by Fantagraphics; interestingly, it looks like the book is being published in the usual way in France and Spain. And check out the goodies for donors, which include everything from a watercolor print to a scene from the graphic novel rendered in Sculpey clay.
- December 13, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
Torres and Galloway team up for Bastion’s 7
Bastion's 7
J. Torres and Sean Galloway have teamed up on a new science fiction webcomic– Bastion’s 7, which began running on Galloway’s blog last week. Galloway says to look for a new page each week,either on his blog or on the Table Taffy Deviant Art site he’s set up with Ryan Benjamin.
- December 13, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin
Quote of the day | Brandon Graham on comics’ ‘bizarre separation’
“One of the rants I always go on is about the bizarre separation between a lot of the people creating comics and a lot of the people reading comics. A big thing in graffiti is taking comic book characters and doing murals of them. I’d be in New York and see this Incredible Hulk mural or Spawn mural, but then I’d look at Spawn or Incredible Hulk comics and they don’t even take the time to draw graffiti in the backgrounds correctly. It’s kind of like that with women. There are female artists and female readers who are really excited about comics, but comics’ portrayals of women are like their portrayals of graffiti. Like they’re not even looking at them.”
– King City creator Brandon Graham, discussing, among other things, the depiction of women in mainstream superhero comics
- December 13, 2011 @ 10:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Straight for the art | The battle of the century …
by Roger Cruz
Brazilian comic book artist Roger Cruz shares a watercolor painting of what should be a confrontation of epic proportions — Homer Simpson vs. Peter Griffin. It may not be Hulk vs. Thor, but if there’s food involved, watch out.
- December 13, 2011 @ 09:00 AM by JK Parkin
Don’t call it a comeback? Marvel’s ‘seriously inflated’ top-seller
Point One
The takeaway from November’s direct-market sales estimates seemed to be that Marvel had rebounded from its thrashing the previous month by DC Comics, whose New 52 numbers appear to be settling. With 33.3 percent of dollar shares and 37.94 percent of unit sales, the House of Ideas came within two points of its competitor.
However, in its analysis ICv2.com suggests that those numbers don’t tell the whole story, and that the sales of some of Marvel’s top titles are a bit — or, in one case, “seriously” — inflated.
The retail news and analysis site reminds us that the publisher’s top-selling comic at No. 5, the $5.99 Point One, was over-shipped, with stores receiving double their initial orders as free copies. That means retailers didn’t order an estimated 113,352 copies but rather around 56,600, placing Point One at No. 29 on the Diamond Comic Distributors chart, between The Amazing Spider-Man #673 and The Avengers #19.
Skipping past The Avenging Spider-Man #1 and Wolverine and the X-Men #2, with their variant covers — four for the former alone — brings us to Fantastic Four #600, the anniversary issue whose $7.99 price tag helped Marvel to gain ground in dollar share.
Related: John Mayo looks at November sales estimates for Comic Book Resources
- December 13, 2011 @ 08:00 AM by Kevin Melrose
Comics A.M. | Archie-Valerie romance rekindled; cartoonist resigns
Archie #631
Creators | Dan Parent discusses an upcoming Archie storyline that will bring Valerie Brown from Josie and the Pussycats to Riverdale, causing sparks to once again fly: “The fans can expect the next step in what I think is the most romantic story in Archie history. The chemistry between Archie and Valerie was hot the first time they got together, and now you’ve really got to see it simmer, all the way from the rekindling of their romance to getting much more serious than we’ve seen before.” [USA Today]
Editorial cartoons | Cartoonist Jeff Stahler has resigned from The Columbus Dispatch following accusations that he lifted ideas from other cartoons, including one that ran in The New Yorker. [Poynter]
- December 13, 2011 @ 06:55 AM by Brigid Alverson and JK Parkin
Talking Comics with Tim | Jamal Igle
The Ray 1
Sometimes when you interview a creator, you get the distinct impression that person would rather be promoting a new film or a new novel, anything but a comic book. Other times you are fortunate enough to talk to a creator like artist Jamal Igle who relishes his craft, loves comic books and is almost as much a booster of his fellow creators as the typical comic book fan. This Wednesday (December 14) marks the release of The Ray 1, the first installment of the four-issue DC miniseries by Igle with the writing team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray. My thanks to Igle for the email interview. Once you’ve enjoyed this interview, be sure to check out CBR’s late November interview with Palmiotti and Gray, as well as the preview that CBR offered of issue 1.
Tim O’Shea: When the initial 52 DC Books were announced there was a great deal of displeasure voiced about the fact you were not on the list of creators. Two-fold question: How gratifying was it to see your fans support you so vocally on this front. Secondly, without going into details, were you offered a New 52 assignment and passed on it (please feel free to skip the first part and only answer the first part, if you prefer not to delve into it)
Jamal Igle: It was very flattering and humbling at the same time. It was a little difficult for me to respond to all of the inquiries, because I didn’t know, frankly, how to respond. I was still working on Superman at the time, so I hadn’t been assigned anything. It was a really weird, with all of the assignments being announced, not being able to say anything. The offer for The Ray came just as I was finishing up Superman # 713, prepping #714 and getting ready for San Diego.
- December 12, 2011 @ 03:00 PM by Tim O'Shea
Your own private BCGF is now available at the PictureBox online store
Mould Map 2
Missed out on the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival? Want to check out new comics, zines, and prints from some of the show’s buzziest attendees and exhibitors? BCGF co-organizer PictureBox Inc. has you covered. Dan Nadel’s brainchild has stocked its online store with new books and art from a who’s who of folks at the show, including Frank Santoro, Anya Davidson, Matthew Thurber, CF, Sammy Harkham, and Leif Goldberg, and the anthologies Mould Map 2 (edited by Hugh Frost and Leon Sadler) and Weird (edited by Noel Freibert) from Landfill Editions and Closed Caption Comics respectively. Stuff your stockings, artcomics fans.
- December 12, 2011 @ 02:10 PM by Sean T. Collins
Call to artists: Help fight human trafficking
Comic Creators for Freedom is sending out a call for artists to participate in its third annual fund-raising project, which will launch on Jan. 9. CCF is an organization of comics artists that raises money to fight child slavery and human trafficking through art; so far $15,000 has been raised for the cause. Participating creators send in a drawing of one of their female characters, and the drawings are combined into a single image, which is offered as a downloadable wallpaper to donors. Artists interested in participating should contact organizer Lora Innes by Dec. 31. The fund-raiser will run from Jan. 9 to Jan. 20, and the money raised will go to Love 146, an organization that fights human trafficking on a global scale, and Gracehaven, a home for victims.
The list of participants is already pretty impressive: In addition to Innes, the creator of The Dreamer, participating artists include Danielle Corsetto (Girls With Slingshots), Thom Zahler (Love and Capes), Scott Christian Sava (The Dreamland Chronicles) and Chris Watkins (Odori Park).
Want to know more? Check out this podcast at TGT Media, where Innes and Earthsong creator Crystal Yates explain what CCF is all about.
- December 12, 2011 @ 01:00 PM by Brigid Alverson
Before Bunker, there was ‘Mega Arm Guy’
Over on his blog, Teen Titans artist Brett Booth shows us some of his early designs for the character who eventually became Bunker. Originally the character was “going to transform into a monster,” Booth says, and the character went through several other iterations before they landed on Bunker and his bricks. “Scott wanted to do bricks so we did bricks.”
- December 12, 2011 @ 12:00 PM by JK Parkin
Baltazar, Aureliani’s Superman Family Adventures coming next May; Tiny Titans ends with #50 [UPDATED]
DC Nation 2012 Free Comic Book Day Super Sampler
Along with the rest of the “Silver” comic books coming on Free Comic Book Day next year, DC Comics announced the DC Nation 2012 Free Comic Book Day Super Sampler, which will feature comics based on their animated series Green Lantern, Young Justice and a new series called Superman Family Adventures. Today on the Source, DC announced the creative team for that book–the Tiny Titans team of Art Baltazar and Franco Aureliani are working on the monthly Superman Family Adventures, which kicks off next May.
“I have been sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my tongue about Superman Family Adventures since Thursday, July 21 at approximately 4 p.m., when Art and Franco came to see me at SDCC and showed me the proposal for this series,” said series editor Kristy Quinn. “Whew. Now, at least, you’re all stuck waiting with me—I was getting lonely sitting at my desk with all this cool stuff I couldn’t share!”
Update: Issue #50 of Tiny Titans will be the final issue, as noted in today’s solicitations. Baltazar and Aureliani have been the creative team on Tiny Titans since DC started publishing it in 2008.
- December 12, 2011 @ 11:00 AM by JK Parkin