Kaboom!

BOOM! Studios has been teasing “BOOM! Kids 2.0″ for awhile now, and earlier today they sent out the above image that denotes a name change for their kid’s line, from BOOM! Kids to Kaboom! They’ve also taken down the BOOM! Kids website and replaced it with the teaser.

That was followed a few hours later with this image:

Peanuts

with the headline “Peanuts come to Kaboom!”

Considering that Marvel is now doing Pixar comics and BOOM!’s Muppets comics seem to be in limbo, it makes a lot of sense that they’d look beyond Disney for some new licensed kids books … and who knows, maybe they have some original material on the way as well. Expect to hear more about Kaboom! this week.

Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever

Welcome to Food or Comics?, where every week we talk about what comics we’d buy on Wednesday 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 what we call our “Splurge” item.

Check out Diamond’s release list or ComicList if you’d like to play along in our comments section.

Michael May

If I had $15:

I’d start with Witchfinder: Lost and Gone Forever #1 ($2.99). I love weird western tales and can’t imagine a better creative team for one than the writers of BPRD and artist John Severin, who illustrated so many of Atlas’ classic westerns. Then I’d grab The Muppet Show, Volume 5: Muppet Mash ($9.99) because hey, Roger Langridge, Muppets and classic monsters.

If I had $30:

I’d add a couple of Big Two all-ages comics to the pile. If Marvel’s Super Hero Squad Spectacular #1 ($3.99) is half as fun as the show it’s based on, it’ll be worth taking home and reading to the boy. I’ll just have to keep ignoring the irritating, unnecessarily three-fingered character designs. I’m even more confident that we’ll enjoy DC’s Super Friends, Volume 4: Mystery in Space ($12.99) because we’ve been so delighted with the first three collections. David just turned nine and by way of celebration, he wanted to go back and re-read the Superman’s Birthday story from volume two.

Splurge:

The only reason the Cursed Pirate Girl collection ($20.00) is a splurge item is that it actually came out last week. It didn’t make Diamond’s list for whatever reason, but there it was at the store. So I already have it, but need to mention it here in case you don’t. ‘Cause if you don’t, you really, really need to.

Graeme McMillan

Lebion of Super-Heroes Annual #1

If I had $15 this week, Dan Didio and Jim Lee would be happy men. I’d pick up Legion of Super-Heroes Annual #1 (DC Comics, $4.99), which reunites Paul Levitz and Keith Giffen for the first time in far too long on the Legion, and I’d also see whether DC Universe Online: Legends #1 (DC, $2.99) is as odd as those previews have made it seem — really, it looks weirdly generic, don’t you think? But, hey, it’s only $2.99 and I’m curious. Last DC pick of the week is Brightest Day #19 (DC, $2.99), if only to see how they get out of the ending of the last issue, even if I kind of hope that it’s not a fake-out at all. Last book of the $15 week? Transformers: Infestation (IDW, $3.99), another result of curiosity and liking earlier installments.

If I had $30, though, both Infestation and DCUO: Legends would go back on the shelf, and I’d pick up Ivy (Oni Press, $19.99), Sarah Oleksyk’s debut graphic novel about art, freedom and all the things that make life worthwhile, and problematic, at the same time.

Splurgewise, I’m going with Michael and recommending something that’s only a splurge because I already have a copy: Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba’s spectacular Daytripper has its collection coming out this week (DC/Vertigo, $19.99), and if you haven’t already picked it up in single issues, this is an unmissable comic that you owe it to yourself to read. Really beautiful, touching and honest.

Chris Mautner

Little Lulu

If I had $15:

Having just extolled the virtues of John Stanley in my last Comics College column, I would be remiss to not include the latest Little Lulu volume, No. 26, “The Feud,” in my F vs C round-up. At $15, that will deplete my initial budget rather quickly.

If I had $30:

There’s also a new volume of Osamu Tezuka’s Black Jack — Vol. 13 to be precise; $16.95 — which easily enters the second slot on my must buy list, even if I have to root around for another dollar to do so.

Splurge:

It’s been available for awhile in book stores and online, but this is apparently the week when comic shops get the Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts, two-volume slipcased collection. At $70, it’s pretty much the definition of a splurge item, but oh, what a lovely looking one.

Brigid Alverson

Life wth Archie

If I had $15:

I would buy volume 8 of Pet Shop of Horrors Tokyo ($10.99), because it’s the last volume of an enjoyably bizarre and imaginative series. The stories are standalone, Twilight Zone-type tales, bizarre little morality stories that always revolve around the purchase of a pet that always results in unexpected consequences. I’ll miss this series. That leaves just enough for Life with Archie #7 ($3.99), which features the comeback of one of my favorite characters, Little Jinx (now all grown up and just Jinx), in stories written by J. Torres (Alison Dare, Lola: A Ghost Story).

If I had $30:

I’d hunt around under the sofa cushions for $2 in change so I could buy volume 13 of Black Jack ($16.95). Black Jack is another manga that consists of stand-alone stories that are both fantastic and moralistic, but the subject here is an outlaw doctor with a decidedly creative approach to medicine—there is no body part he won’t transplant, including heads. I love this series, and Vertical has done a great job with it. I’m delighted to see a new volume coming out.

Splurge:

I just read the first chapter of Ivy, by Sarah Olesyk, and I’m hooked. It’s the story of an angry young high school student who wants to go to art school and get far, far away from her small-town life in Maine. It’s extraordinarily well done, and at $19.99 for a 218-page hardback, not too crazy a splurge.

JK Parkin

Invincible Iron Man 500.1

If I had $15:

Sweet Tooth #18 ($2.99) probably isn’t technically a comic — “Told horizontally with text and illustrations, the conclusion to Animal Armies is reminiscent of a children’s storybook.” However, I’ve already read it, and it’s very, very good, so it would go on top of my hypothetical buy pile this week. I’d also pick up Invincible Iron Man #500.1 ($2.99). Not only will I join the chorus of folks who enjoy Matt Fraction’s Thor, but I also really like his Invincible Iron Man, and here it is for a dollar less than normal. Sweet. That leaves $9, or room for three more $3 titles, so I’d also grab Batman Beyond #2, as I really enjoyed the first issue; Superboy #4; and Spider-Girl #3.

If I had $30:

I’d also pick up the new R.E.B.E.L.S. trade, which is how I’ve been reading it. In fact, I just polished off the previous one this past weekend, the one that featured the end of the Starro story and Yellow Lantern Vril Dox, both of which were awesome. So let’s see what happens next.

Splurge:

I never read the Warren Ellis run on Thor, So I’ll go with the Thor:Worldengine hardcover ($19).

Chris Arrant

$15:

Invincible #77

If I was wondering into the perfect comic shop and on a budget of $15, I’d be running out first of all to get Kirkman & Ottley’s Invincible #77 ($2.99). I was really impressed with the title’s 75th issue, and I’m continually interested to see where the duo take this character –- and the entire universe itself. The book constantly feels like it’s bursting at the seams, akin to when Marvel was just starting out and could only publish a limited number of titles. After I picked that up (and read some of it in store no doubt!), I’d reach out for Invincible Iron Man #500.1 ($2.99); Matt Fraction has an uncanny ability to really push himself doing special issues, from the Spider-Man story he won the Eisner for to the recent #500 and the Mandarin annual. I think this might be one of those times again. After that I’d pick up the always great Jonah Hex #64 ($2.99); I’m continually impressed by what Gray & Palmiotti do here, and DC for giving them the latitude to do it in. Lastly, I’d get a big read out of Superman 80 Page Giant 2011 #1 ($5.99); it seems like a showcase for new talent, and I’m very keen to see what Neil Kleid & Dean Haspiel do with their Perry White/Wildcat story. I’d love to see them be able to do a mini on either of those characters.

$30:

If the wife gave me permission to spend $30 instead of $15, I’d probably put Jonah Hex and Invincible Iron Man #500.1 back on the shelf so I could free up money to buy Ivy ($19.99) by Sarah Oleksysk. Although I didn’t manage to snag a copy of the minicomics version of this when it came out, people whose taste I trust have been paying attention to it -– and Oni seems to have a good track record at noticing new talent and giving them the platform to tell the world.

Splurge:

If I found some money lying on the ground, I’d promptly spend it on GB Tran’s Vietnamerica ($30). I interviewed him awhile back when this book was in the planning stages, and the advance reviews I’ve seen of this have me hoping for something special like the first time I read R Kikuo Johnson’s Night Fisher.

Borders Group headquarters

Retailing | The picture keeps looking worse for Borders Group: Even as news surfaced Wednesday that Diamond Book Distributors has stopped shipping to the troubled retail chain a report circulated that Borders will close its LaVergne, Tenn., distribution center in mid-July, resulting in the elimination of 310 jobs. That follows more than 200 layoffs made at the center since 2009. [WKRN.com, via GalleyCat]

Publishing | The remaining licensed Muppets and Pixar titles from BOOM! Studios have been listed as “canceled by Previews.” In response to inquiries, the publisher pointed to the teaser for “BOOM! Kids 2.0,” the relaunch of its kids imprint announced in September. Rumors that BOOM! had lost the Muppets/Pixar licenses began swirling in late November, following Roger Langridge’s announcement that he would no longer be drawing The Muppet Show. The publisher’s relaunched kids line will include such Disney licenses as Darkwing Duck, and reprints of Mickey Mouse, Uncle Scrooge and Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories. [Comics Worth Reading]

Diamond Comic Distributors

Retailing | In the first week of Tuesday delivery to the direct market, reports have emerged of suspected mystery shoppers sent by Diamond Comic Distributors to ensure stores adhere to the on-sale dates. [Bleeding Cool]

Conventions | Priority registration for Comic-Con International is open to returning professionals. Registration for first-time professional applicants opens on Feb. 28. Convention organizers also are soliciting contributions to the 2011 souvenir book. [Comic-Con International]

Conventions | Stumptown Comics Fest has opened submissions for the 2011 Stumptown Comic Arts Awards. [Stumptown Comics Fest]

Conventions | Retailer and convention organizer Jim Burleson talks about this weekend’s Albuquerque Comic Con. [Weekly Alibi]

Retailing | The Duquesne University Barnes & Noble location has cuts its graphic novel and computer-book sections to make more space for Duquesne women’s clothing. It also condense its children’s, young adult and travel sections. [The Duquesne Duke]

Retailing | Leslie Westbrook briefly profiles Acadiana Comics and Collectibles in Lafayette, Louisiana. [The Advertiser]

The Sixth Gun, Vol. 1

Creators | Collaborators Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt chat about their Oni Press series The Sixth Gunn. “If you’re a reader who has a hankering for zombies, it’s definitely got more action than some zombie comics,” Bunn says. “The Sixth Gun gets miscast as a horror story a lot, but it’s a fantasy.” [Time Out Chicago]

Creators | Collaborators Nick Spencer and Christian Ward discuss their new Image Comics miniseries The Infinite Vacation. [USA Today]

Digital comics | A Dubai newspaper spotlights the growth of digital comics. [Gulf News]

Once again, courtesy of our friends at BOOM! Studios, we have more covers coming in April. This time we’ve got a double dose of Disney all-ages action in the form of Darkwing Duck and Chip ‘N’ Dale, with a bonus non-all-ages Insurrection v3.6, a new comic that debuts in March. In fact, I’ll go ahead and throw in that first issue cover, just so you’re up to speed.

Check’em out after the jump!

*****

Chip 'N' Dale Rescue Rangers #5

Chip 'N' Dale Rescue Rangers #5

CHIP ‘N’ DALE RESCUE RANGERS #5
Written By: Ian Brill
Drawn By: Leonel Castellani
Cover A: Leonel Castellani
Cover B: James Silvani
Shipping in: April

NEW READER FRIENDLY. A new story arc begins! Join Darkwing Duck writer Ian Brill and Marvel Super hero Squad artist Leonel Castellani for the return of your favorite furry flatfoots in this all-new original ongoing series! Who or what are the Danger Rangers? We don’t even know, and we’re putting out the book! There’s only one way to find out, and that’s in Part One of a brand new arc of the critically acclaimed fan-favorite series, “Slipping Through The Cracks!”

Darkwing Duck #11

Darkwing Duck #11

DARKWING DUCK #11
Written By: Ian Brill
Drawn By: James Silvani
Cover A: James Silvani
Cover B: Amy Mebberson
Ships in: April

“Revenge” is a dish best served cold, but “Double-Cross” turns out to be a dish best served…with duck? In this epic installment of the Disney Afternoon juggernaut, nothing is as it seems…or is it? Tune in and find out as Part 3 of Darkwing Duck’s “F.O.W.L. Disposition” charges on!

Insurrection v3.6 #1

Insurrection v3.6 #1

INSURRECTION V3.6 #1
Written By: Blake Masters, Michael Alan Nelson
Drawn By:Michael Pena
Cover A: Karl Richardson
Cover B: Rael Lyra
Shipping: March 2011

The premiere issue of an unforgettable new sci-fi epic that asks the question: what makes us human?

Enter the future where pollution, poverty, and armed conflict have been obliterated. Only off-world on the terraformed moons of distant planets does war still exist. Corporations command more power than governments and when they go to war, they use their own military force — armies composed of bio-engineered clones. For generations, these clones have not questioned why they live and die while their makers risk nothing. But now, one of their own will stand up against injustice, sparking a revolution that will change the entire galaxy, igniting INSURRECTION!

Insurrection v3.6 #2

INSURRECTION v3.6 #2
Written By: Blake Masters, Michael Alan Nelson
Drawn By:Michael Pena
Cover: Rael Lyra
Ships in: April

The unforgettable new sci-fi epic that asks the question: what makes us human? As the battle for freedom rages on, one clone discovers that sometimes what makes you human is your willingness to fight for what is right. But sometimes that means the loss of the only world you have ever known. Discover a future where life is nearly perfect, but war continues to rage on, setting up the ultimate INSURRECTION!

Walt Disney's Comics and Stories #715, the 70th anniversary issue

BOOM! Studios has made quite a splash since taking over the Disney licenses, with their Darkwing Duck and Ultra Heroes collections, but it has also been continuing Disney’s standard lines with modern-style stories (mostly from Italy) featuring Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, and the rest of the classic stable.

A few weeks ago, BOOM! announced announced that starting in January, it would be marking the 70th anniversary of Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories with a return to classic content in these standard lines. The new comics will drop the contemporary work in favor of older stories, sometimes with new illustrations, as well as older content that has been released overseas but not in the U.S. The relaunch begins with Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories #715, which features a story written by Carl Barks and redrawn by Daan Jippes, as well as several classic reprints, and Mickey Mouse #304, which includes two Floyd Gottfredson stories from 1932 and 1944 and an Italian story by Romano Scarpa that is making its first appearance in English. Both comics are 40 pages long, which takes a bit of the sting out of the $3.99 cover price.

Next up is the 400th issue of Uncle Scrooge, in which Barks makes an appearance as himself and meets with Scrooge McDuck and the other denizens of Duckburg.

And just yesterday, BOOM! announced a quartet of collections that continues the theme: Walt Disney Treasury: Donald Duck vols. 1 and 2, Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories Archive vol. 1, and Disney’s Four-Color Adventures vol. 1. The Donald Duck books will feature some of Don Rosa’s early stories, while Walt Disney’s Comics and Stories Archive is a completist’s dream, the whole series presented in chronological order. All four books are due out in late spring and early summer 2011.

“Thing is, I was ready to move on – this personal situation made me jump when I did, but I was looking for an appropriate time to jump anyway,” he wrote on his blog. “I feel like I’ve done about as much as I can with the Muppet characters – really, I’d rather move on while it’s still fun than carry on grinding away long past the point where I’m enjoying it.”

Langridge’s work on the Muppet Show comics was well received by critics, as was his writing for Thor: The Mighty Avenger, which was recently canceled by Marvel.

Spider-Man #8, one of the featured comics at kidscomics.com

Kids’ comics are big business these days, and Diamond is doing their best to help get the young folks back into the funnybook habit; back in March they launched a new website, kidscomics.com, which is sort of a Previews for all-ages comics, with catalog descriptions, lists of new and upcoming releases, and even a modified Previews order form with just kids’ comics on it.

The side also includes a “kid-friendly comic shop” locator. At the Joe Shuster Awards blog, Joe Haines takes a look at Diamond’s criteria for making that list. Originally, the requirement was to order $200 worth of kid-friendly comics a month for three months. (Diamond labels comics as “kid-friendly” in Previews, so there’s no ambiguity there.) As Haines points out, you can earn that “kid-friendly” label just by ordering the full line of Boom! Kids comics each month, with no risk (because adults will buy them too) and no need to go any further afield. He also notes that Diamond lists Marvel Master Works and Marvel Omnibus books as kid-friendly, which in fact they are (they are reprints of older comics) but the cover price of $50 to $100 is outside the range of most allowances. Diamond recently tweaked the criteria, which Haines thinks is a good thing, as it encourages retailers to diversify a bit, but it’s still way easy to qualify without trying too hard.

The bigger problem is that orders are the only criteria; there is no requirement that the store provide a kid-friendly environment or training for its staff. The result, I predict, will be some unpleasant surprises. I plugged in my zip code and got three results. The first is a branch of Newbury Comics. I wouldn’t call it particularly kid-friendly, if your definition of “kid” is anyone under 16, and anyway, it’s no longer there. I have never been to the second shop, but I have been to the third: I went on Free Comics Day a couple of years ago, and I made the mistake of bringing my daughter (then aged about 12) and my mother-in-law (then aged about 83). Now my daughter refuses to ever go into a comics store again and my mother-in-law thinks I’m a pervert. The store, to give them their due, did have a good collection of kids’ comics and manga, and they were all in a separate section. But the rest of the place was an adult-oriented comic shop, with plenty of non-kid-friendly displays. Nothing wrong with that, except that you had to pass through some of it to get to the kids’ section and all of it to get to the free comics, which were in the back of the store. How about the staff? One person was friendly and helpful when we had questions. When we got to the counter, though, the staffers there ignored us while they chatted among themselves. When we did check out, I asked if they sold a lot of manga. The staffer shrugged and said not really, that that “fad” had pretty much passed. Mind you, I was buying three volumes of manga as he said that. Perhaps the place has gotten better since then, but I wouldn’t know because I never went back.

Now, a retailer can certainly choose to cater to adults, but if they want the kid-friendly label, they should earn it with more than a stack of comics. Ideally, a store that labels itself “kid-friendly” would be clean and well-lit, with kids’ comics in an easy-to-find area near the front and the seriously adult comics in the back, accessible but not in your face. They would have friendly staff, a good selection of comics that you can’t find in chain bookstores, and a comfortable place to sit. I can think of two Boston-area stores that fill the bill, Comicopia in Kenmore Square and Hub Comics in Somerville; Comicopia is on the Diamond list but Hub Comics is not.

Readers, feel free to fill in where Diamond falls short: What kind of comics shop do you want to bring your kids to, and what shops fill the bill in your area?

Originally announced in 2007 at Comic-Con International, BOOM Kids! didn’t hit shelves until 2009 but did so with a bang with a stellar line-up of comics based on various Disney/Pixar properties including The Incredibles, The Muppet Show, Darkwing Duck and Mickey Mouse & Friends. Combining reprintings of foreign-produced comics and out-of-print classics with new works, BOOM Kids! made a real mark.

There’s no word on the exact shape of BOOM Kids! 2011 plans are, but one could easily picture an expansion of its Disney/Pixar line-up and perhaps some new original projects.

Comic-Con International

As we inch another day closer to Comic-Con International, which kicks off in just 13 days, organizers have released the schedule for Friday, July 23.

Below you’ll find highlights of the comics-related programming, which range from a panel on AMC’s highly anticipated adaptation of The Walking Dead to spotlights on such creators as Chris Claremont, Moto Hagio, Paul Levitz, C. Tyler and Stan Lee to, of course, peeks at publishing plans for companies ranging from Marvel, DC and BOOM! to Dark Horse, IDW and Top Shelf.

The full programming schedule for Friday can be found here.

10 to 11 a.m. DC Talent Search 2 — DC’s editorial art director Mark Chiarello presents an informative orientation session that will explain how DC’s Talent Search works and discuss the different needs of DC Universe, Vertigo, WildStorm and MAD magazine publications. If you want to learn what DC Comics looks for in artists and how to improve your chances of becoming a working professional, this is the panel for you! To have your work reviewed, attendance at this orientation session is mandatory.  (Please note: Not all attendees are guaranteed a one-on-one review.)  Room 4

X-Men: Curse of the Mutants

10 to 11 a.m. Marvel X-Men —  Following “Second Coming,” Marvel’s merry mutants are unable to catch a quick breather. As “Curse of the Mutants” begins, there’s no telling what the vampires have in store for the X-Men … or is there? You’ve got questions & these people have answers! VP/executive editor Axel Alonso is joined by a host of creators to lay out what’s going on with the X-Men. Panelists include Matt Fraction (Uncanny X-Men), Victor Gischler (X-Men), Marjorie Liu (Dark Wolverine), Daniel Way (Deadpool), editor Nick Lowe and more for this all-new, all-deadly panel! Room 6DE

10 to 11 a.m. Publishing Comics — Four publishers — Matt Gagnon (BOOM!), Gary Groth (Fantagraphics), Dallas Middaugh (Del Rey Manga) and Mark Siegel (First Second Books) — each from a different part of the comics industry, discuss what’s involved in running a publishing company and in creating and fostering a unique comics ideology. Moderated by Graeme McMillan (Techland). Room 8

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Nappy Hour — Keith Knight (the Knight Life, the K Chronicles, MAD) brings his informal gathering of African-American creators out of the bar and onto the stage for an hour of tips, hints, secrets and thoughts on how to make it in the comics biz. With Ned Cato Jr. (GeekRoundTable.com), David Walker (BadAzzMofo.com), Spike Trotman (Templar AZ) and Dwayne McDuffie (Static Shock, Justice League).  Room 3

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Spotlight on Moto Hagio — Comic-Con special guest Moto Hagio  is considered to be the mother of shōjo (young girl) manga. Her large body of work is renowned the world over, and Fantagraphics Books is publishing a new collection of her short stories, Drunken Dreams. Celebrate her first-ever visit to the U.S. at this special Q&A session, moderated by Matt Thorn, associate professor in the department of manga production at Kyoto Seika University in Japan. (Thorn decided to translate shōjo manga into English after reading Thomas no Shinzō  by Moto Hagio in the mid-1980s). Room 5AB

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Batman: The Brave and the Bold Screening and Q&A — The Caped Crusader swings back into San Diego as Batman: The Brave and the Bold returns to Comic-Con for its third consecutive year, with an advance screening of an upcoming episode as well as a lively discussion with voice of Batman Diedrich Bader (Surf’s Up), executive producer Sam Register (Teen Titans), producers James Tucker (Justice League Unlimited), and Michael Jelenic  (The Batman) and voice director Andrea Romano (Superman Doomsday). As a special bonus for fans, the panel will also screen the world premiere trailer for the upcoming and highly anticipated Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Animation series Young Justice … don’t miss this Comic-Con exclusive! From Warner Bros. Animation, Batman: The Brave and the Bold airs Fridays at 7:30 pm ET/PT on Cartoon Network, and Batman: The Brave and the Bold — Season 1, Part 1 will be released on DVD Aug. 17. Room 6A

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Neal Adams and Stan Lee: They Spoke Out — Against the Holocaust — Neal Adams (Batman, Green Lantern/Green Arrow) and Holocaust historian Dr. Rafael Medoff unveil the new series of educational “motion comics” they are creating with ABC News about Americans who spoke out for the rescue of Jews from the Holocaust. They will be joined on the panel by Stan Lee  (co-creator of Spider-Man, X-Men) and will screen an episode from the upcoming series, illustrated by Neal Adams and narrated by Stan Lee. Room 9

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Retailing in the Digital Age — Publishers are looking at more digital comics releases, and the comic book apps are among the most popular on the iPad and iPhone. How can comic book stores update their retail practices to stay involved with digital distribution? What are publishers doing to encourage new digital readers to pick up print comics? Jim Lee  (co-publisher, DC Comics) and John Rood (executive VP of sales & marketing, DC Entertainment), along with Jim Sokolowski (COO Marvel Comics), Chip Mosher (director of marketing, BOOM! Studios), and David Steinberger (founder, comiXology.com), talk about upcoming promotions aimed at sending readers to comic book stores. Moderated by Joe Field (ComicsPRO president, Flying Colors Comics, Concord, California). Room 12

11 a.m. to noon BOOM! Studios/BOOM Kids! Panel — The BOOM! team — Mark Waid, Ross Richie, Matt Gagnon and Chip Mosher — take over Comic-Con for one full hour. Learn what is next for BOOM! History will be made. New titles will be announced. Heads will explode! And comics will never be the same again! Room 8

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dark Horse Comics: Make Contact in 2010 — Couldn’t get into the Dark Horse panel last year? Well, here’s another chance to be at the forefront of breaking news from comics’ most dynamic publishing house. Dark Horse president and publisher Mike Richardson, plus a host of the industry’s top creators, present a firsthand look at the future of the medium. Featuring everyone from Eisner Award winner Gerard Way to New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich, this is one panel you don’t want to miss. Room 3

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Spotlight on Paul Levitz — Paul Levitz has been a comics fan (The Comic Reader fanzine, NY Comic Art Convention committee), editor (Batman), writer (Legion of Super-Heroes) and executive (DC Comics, including publisher from 1989 to 2010). Now he’s interviewed by favorite writer and DC chief creative officer Geoff Johns about his varied career and his return to writing Legion and other DC projects, including a coffee table book history of the company. Room 5AB

The Walking Dead

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. AMC’s The Walking Dead — Andrew Lincoln (Love Actually), Jon Bernthal (The Pacific), Sarah Wayne Callies (Prison Break), Laurie Holden (The Mist), Emma Bell (Law & Order), series creator/director/executive producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption), executive producer Gale Anne Hurd (The Terminator) executive producer Robert Kirkman (creator/writer of The Walking Dead comic), makeup artist Greg Nicotero and Joel Stillerman (AMCs senior VP) discuss the making of AMC’s series The Walking Dead, based on the Image comic book series created and written by Robert Kirkman, premiering in October on AMC. Room 6BCF

noon to 1 p.m. Spotlight on C. Tyler — Comic-Con special guest C. Tyler  is known for her personal brand of storytelling. Her latest book, You’ll Never Know, Book 1: A Good and Decent Man chronicles the story of her father’s life during World War II and interweaves it with her own story. Fantagraphics publisher Gary Groth interviews Tyler about her work. Room 4

noon to 1 p.m. IDW and Their ‘Bro — Representatives from IDW and Hasbro discuss what’s coming up next in the world of Transformers, G.I. Joe, and the impending relaunch of Dungeons & Dragons. IDW’s Andy Schmidt moderates a panel with D&D editor Denton Tipton and writers John Rogers and Alex Irvine, G.I. Joe artist Robert Atkins, writer Mike Costa, and more! Room 8

noon to 1 p.m. Archie Comics: Cooler Than Ever! — It’s been an exciting year for Archie Comics, but that’s just the start, with plenty of surprise announcements about the future of Archie Comics, including the latest news about Archie on television and in feature films! Panelists include executive producer of The Dark Knight and Archie writer Michael Uslan, Archie Comics co-CEO Jon Goldwater, iVerse CEO Michael Murphy, IDW Publishing COO Greg Goldstein, Dark Horse Comics VP of business development Michael Martens, Archie Comics president/editor-in-chief Victor Gorelick, and Archie Comics VP/managing editor Mike Pellerito. The panel will feature a Q&A session. Room 24ABC

noon to 2 p.m. CBLDF Master Session: Jill Thompson: Secrets of Watercolor Technique — Bring your sketchbooks and learn the secrets of expressive watercolor from one of the medium’s top practitioners! Renowned for her work on Beasts of Burden, Scary Godmother and Sandman, Jill Thompson  shows you the intricacies of the watercolor medium and how to apply it to making masterful comics and covers. The original art from this session will be auctioned off on Saturday night at the CBLDF’s Art Auction! Room 30CDE

Aspen

noon to 1 p.m. The Official Aspen Comics Panel — Creators Frank Mastromauro (Dellec, Shrugged), Peter Steigerwald (Soulfire, Brightest Day), Vince Hernandez  (Dellec, Fathom: Kiani), Mark Roslan (Heroes, Brightest Day), J.T. Krul (Mindfield, Green Arrow), Joe Benitez (Soulfire, Lady Mechanika), David Schwartz (Fathom: Blue Descent, Meltdown), David Wohl (Executive Assistant: Iris, Witchblade), Micah Gunnell (Dellec, Shrugged), Alex Konat (Mindfield), Eric Battle (The Scourge), Beth Sotelo (Soulfire, Fathom), and surprise guests are on hand to unveil Aspen’s all-new properties for 2010 and beyond! See never-before-seen covers and art, hear firsthand from the creators their plans for exciting new properties, and ask them questions directly in a special Q&A session. All fans in attendance will receive an exclusive gift courtesy of Aspen Comics. Room 32AB

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Remembering Frank Frazetta and Al Williamson — The late legendary artists Frank Frazetta and Al Williamson will be remembered by their friends and colleagues during this memorial panel. A giant of comics and book illustration, Frank Frazetta was a major influence on countless comic artists. From his early work at Magazine Enterprises and EC Comics to his Warren Publications and Conan paperback covers, Frazetta’s art was monumental in scope, design, and execution. He passed away on May 10. Al Williamson was an artists’ artist, with a clean, elegant style. He’s most famous for his work with EC Comics and in the syndicated comic strip world, with Secret Agent Corrigan and Star Wars. He passed away on June 12. Moderator Arnie Fenner (co-author/editor of the Frazetta books Icon, Legacy and Testament, and director of Spectrum Fantastic Art) talks to writer/artist Mark Schultz (Xenozoic Tales, writer of Prince Valiant), artist/illustrator William Stout (Dinosaur Discoveries, Prehistoric Life Murals) and publisher J. David Spurlock, whose Vanguard Productions recently launched a number of Frazetta books, including a complete reprinting of Johnny Comet, the artist’s syndicated daily comic strip from the mid-1950s. Room 3

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. DC Focus: Grant Morrison — The mastermind behind bestselling hits such as Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne, Joe the Barbarian, Final Crisis, Arkham Asylum, All-Star Superman and many more invites you to this rare sit-down. You won’t want to miss this candid chat about projects past, present and future, with glimpses into what goes on in the mind of Grant Morrison as he crafts some of the world’s most thought-provoking comics! Hosted by DC’s senior story editor Ian Sattler. Room 6DE

12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Spotlight on the Immonens: Sex, Lies and Comic Books — Kathryn Immonen (Heralds) and Stuart Immonen (New Avengers) enter the ring with the peerless John Siuntres (wordballoon.com) to talk about working for Marvel, publishing with Top Shelf, and sleeping with the enemy. See new work unveiled! Bring your questions! Room 9

12:45 to 1:45 p.m. Marvel Animation — Hosted by an all-star cast of Marvel Animation talent and featuring a special guest of legendary proportions, this interactive game-show panel will get you more than excited about Marvel’s new and continuing animated series. Here’s your chance to snag some sweet Marvel merchandise! Come be a part of the action, with all new seasons of The Super Hero Squad Show and Iron Man Armored Adventures as well as Marvel Knights, Marvel Anime and other upcoming Marvel Animation properties! Room 6BCF

1 to 2 p.m. Spotlight on Michael Zulli — Artist and Comic-Con special guest Michael Zulli  is best known for his work on Sandman with Neil Gaiman. Zulli talks about his career and what’s coming next, including his new book, The Fracture of the Universal Boy. Room 4

Berkeley Breathed

1 to 2 p.m. Bloom County’s Berkeley Breathed: The Secret Sex Tapes — The creator of the 1980s’ most-enduring strip act, Comic-Con special guest Berkeley Breathed, reveals all the behind-the-scenes shockers … and some never-before-seen tests of the Miramax Opus movie that was eventually killed by the Deptartment of Homeland Security. Plus, Bill the Cat’s private home videos of Jeanne Kirkpatrick, Diane Sawyer and Barbara Bush. Room 6A

1 to 2:30 p.m. Comic-Con How-To Session: Whilce Portacio and Francis Manapul — Acclaimed artists Whilce Portacio (Uncanny X-Men, Image United) and Francis Manapul (The Flash, Adventure Comics, Superman/Batman) will demonstrate how to create and draw characters for comic books. Room 18

1 to 2 p.m. Yen Press — Catch up with the Yen Press crew to discuss new licenses, answer questions, and of course be there for the ever-important distribution of swag! Panelists include publishing director Kurt Hassler,  senior editor JuYoun Lee, assistant editor Tania Biswas and editorial assistant Abby Blackman. Room 25ABC

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. A Tribute to Ken Krueger — He was the “go-to guy” and the “adult in the room” when Comic-Con first started 41 years ago. Ken Krueger was a dynamo who helped launch the country’s largest comics and popular arts convention in 1970. Comic-Con friends and associates pay tribute to the life of this larger-than-life retailer, publisher, and fan in this special panel. Moderated by author Greg Bear (author, Quantico), and featuring fellow early Comic-Con committee members Scott Shaw! (Oddball Comics), Jim Valentino (Shadowhawk), J.M. Towry, Janice Campbell and Wendy All. Room 3

1:30 to 2:30 p.m. Spotlight on Jerry Robinson — One of the true legends of comics, Comic-Con special guest Jerry Robinson is a writer, artist, historian, curator and creator rights activist. Jerry discusses his 70 years in comics — from his contributions to the Batman mythos to the creation of the Joker and development of Robin, Alfred, Penguin, Scarecrow and Two-Face. Jerry is interviewed by Michael Uslan, the executive producer of the Batman movies, comics historian and author of the upcoming Archie Marries … (Abrams). In their discussion, Robinson and Uslan will take the audience from behind the scenes of the Golden Age of comics to the filming of The Dark Knight and Jerry’s latest book projects.  Room 9

Batman and Robin #13

1:45 to 2:45 p.m. Batman: The Return — As Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne rages on, follow the Bat-Signal to this panel and uncover clues about the future of the Dark Knight from some of the A-list talent behind the publishing line. If you think you know where this story’s headed — Think again! Hear it here from group editor Mike Marts, Paul Dini (Batman: Streets of Gotham), David Finch (Batman), Grant Morrison (Batman & Robin), Dustin Nguyen (Batman: Streets of Gotham) and others. Room 6DE

2 to 3 p.m. Graphic Novels: The Personal Touch — You know when you read it: that certain something that sticks out in a graphic novel. It’s the personal touch, a work that draws on the life of the creator or the people around him or her. Call the work autobiographical, call it reality — many times it results in truly personal and inspiring comics. Comics creator and journalist Shaenon Garrity (Narbonic, Skin Horse) talks to Comic-Con special guests Gabrielle Bell (Cecil & Jordan in New York), Howard Cruse  (Stuck Rubber Baby), Vanessa Davis  (Make Me a Woman), Larry Marder  (Beanworld), Jillian Tamaki (Skim) and C. Tyler (You’ll Never Know Book 1: A Good and Decent Man) about their very personal work. Room 4

2 to 3 p.m. Spotlight on Stan Lee — Comics legend and Comic-Con special guest Stan Lee discusses some of his latest projects at POW! Entertainment and the future of comics and new media distribution, including challenges today’s writers and artists face. Join Stan and company, including Gill Champion (COO POW! Entertainment) for this special panel, which includes a Q&A with “The Man” himself. Room 6BCF

2 to 3 p.m. Peanuts Turns 60 — On October 2, 1950, the Peanuts comic strip launched in seven American newspapers. Little did anyone know the impact this comic strip would have around the world for decades to come. Nearly 60 years later, Peanuts appears in over 2,200 newspapers, in 75 countries and 21 languages. The animated specials have become a seasonal tradition and thousands of consumer products are available in every country around the world. Moderator Jerry Beck (animation historian/cartoon producer/consulting producer to Warner Bros., Universal and Disney), Comic-Con special guest Jeannie Schulz (widow of Peanuts creator Charles Schulz), Paige Braddock (creative director of Charles M. Schulz’s studio in Santa Rosa), Andy Beall (fix animation lead for Ratatouille, Wall-E, UP), Stephan Pastis (creator of Pearls Before Swine) and Marge Dean (general manager, W!ldbrain Animation Studios), present an in-depth foray into the work of Charles M. Schulz and what new things fans can look out for from Peanuts. Warner Premiere is joining the celebration with a sneak peek of something all new from Peanuts that fans won’t want to miss. Room 25ABC

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. The Image Comics Show — Image Comics promises a slew of exclusive announcements about upcoming projects, updates about ongoing projects, and a Q&A session with some of Image’ best writers. Don’t miss your chance to find out about what Image is up to before anyone else does, get exclusive giveaways, and ask questions of your favorite creators! Panelists include Marc Guggenheim (Resurrection, Web of Spider-Man), Joe Kelly (I Kill Giants), Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible), John Layman (Chew), Ben McCool (Choker, Memoir) and Nick Spencer (Existence, Morning Glories). Room 3

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Spotlight on Steve Rude — Award-winning artist and Comic-Con special guest Steve Rude describes the high points of his career, including how he broke into comics; the various comics he’s worked on, including Nexus, World’s Finest and Space Ghost; and the trials of working on them. Plus Steve gives his thoughts on today’s current comics and artists. A “big surprise” will also premiere at this panel. Room 9

3 to 4 p.m. Spotlight on Émile Bravo — Eisner Award 2010 nominee — three nominations for My mommy is in America and she met Buffalo Bill (Fanfare/Ponent Mon) — and Comic-Con special guest Émile Bravo makes an illustrated presentation: “Graphic Writing, Comics as Calligraphy,” with Michele Foschini (BAO Publishing, Italy) and Stephen Vrattos (Captain Gravity; www.heroesinmycloset.com), followed by a Q&A. Room 4

3 to 4 p.m. Superman: Man of Tomorrow — It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s The Man of Steel — and he’s back on Earth and primed to take 2010 by storm! Don’t miss members of the exciting new Superman creative teams as they discuss their plans for Superman, Lex Luthor, Superboy, Supergirl and more led by DC group editor Matt Idelson, with Paul Cornell (Action Comics), Shane Davis (Superman: Earth One), Sterling Gates (Supergirl), Jeff Lemire (Superboy), J. Michael Strazcynski (Superman: Earth One, Superman) and others. Room 6DE

Jim Lee

3 to 4 p.m. Comic-Con How-To Session: Jim Lee — This is your opportunity to see Comic-Con special guest Jim Lee draw for an hour! Room 18

3 to 4 p.m. Spotlight on Chris Claremont — Comic-Con special guest and world-renowned writer Chris Claremont talks about his career in this special Spotlight panel. Claremont’s incredible body of work, including his many years writing the X-Men and his newest collaborations with Tom Grummet (X-Men Forever) and fellow special guest Milo Manara (X-Women), are fan favorites. Room 24ABC

3 to 4 p.m. Spotlight on the Adams Family: Neal, Jason, Joel, and Josh — Comic-Con special guests Neal, Jason, Joel and Josh Adams make up one of the first families of comics. Neal started his career in the medium in the late 1950s and is famous for his depictions of Batman and numerous other characters. Sons Jason, Joel, and Josh have followed in their dad’s rather large footsteps to carve out careers of their own in sculpture, animation, and comics. Be a part of this first time ever “family reunion” as the Adams Family gets together at Comic-Con! Room 25ABC

3 to 4 p.m. Digital Comics and You — A panel of industry professionals ranging from creators to publishers to retailers to entertainment agents discuss the benefits and drawbacks of digital comics and ultimately how digital comics can and will affect you, now that the digital comics revolution has begun. Ben Templesmith (co-creator, Choker, Fell, 30 Days of Night), James Sime (retailer, Isotope: The Comic Book Lounge in San Francisco), Micah Baldwin (Graphic.ly), Scott Agostoni (entertainment agent, William Morris Endeavor) and more surprise guests will discuss, argue and hopefully hear what you think in this honest, no-holds-barred conversation moderated by Ron Richards (iFanboy). Room 32AB

3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Spotlight on Nicholas Gurewitch — Comic-Con special guest Nicholas Gurewitch is the Eisner and Harvey Award–winning cartoonist behind the hilarious online comic strip The Perry Bible Fellowship. Now being reprinted by Dark Horse, Gurewitch’s twisted strips are fan-favorites the world over. Hear what’s next from Gurewitch in this exclusive Spotlight panel. Room 5AB

3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Comics Design — How do pages of art become a book? Six designers — Mark Chiarello  (DC Comics), Adam Grano (Fantagraphics), Chip Kidd (Random House), Fawn Lau (VIZ), Mark Siegel (First Second Books) and Keith Wood (Oni Press) — discuss what’s involved in the process of comics design, and the importance of design to a book’s critical and consumer reception. Moderated by Chris Butcher (The Beguiling). Room 26AB

4 to 5 p.m. Krazy Kat’s 100th Anniversary Celebration! — An exclusive multimedia show of unpublished strips, drawings, and paintings presented by Craig Yoe, author of Krazy + Ignatz in Tiger Tea (IDW) and the forthcoming Krazy Kat and The Art of George Herriman: A Celebration (Abrams ComicArts). The panel will explore a century of Krazy-ness, with Greg Goldstein (IDW), R. C. Harvey (The Art of the Funnies), Charles Kochman (Abrams ComicArts) and Douglas Wolk (Reading Comics). Plus a thrilling bonus: a never-before-seen home movie of Krazy’s kreator George Herriman! Room 4

Criminal: The Sinners #2

4 to 5 p.m. Spotlight on Sean Philips — Comic-Con special guest, artist Sean Phillips (Criminal, Marvel Zombies) and moderator/artist Duncan Fegredo (Hellboy, Jay and Silent Bob) have known each other for over twenty years. Hear Duncan ask Sean questions that Duncan already probably knows the answers to! See lots of Sean’s art you haven’t seen before! (Unless you read his blog.)  Room 8

4:15 to 5:15 p.m. DC Nation Special Edition — It’s the DC Nation State of the Union address as DC co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee  join forces to give fans all the info they can handle! With those two leading the Nation, expect the unexpected … The Nation welcomes all! Room 6DE

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Indy Comics Writers Unite! — Another in our series of “Year of the Writer” events, this panel focuses on independent comics writers (and some writer/artists!). Moderator Mark Waid (Amazing Spider-Man, Irredeemable) talks to Van Jensen  (Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer), Larry Marder (Beanworld), Carla Speed McNeil (Finder) and Terry Moore (Strangers in Paradise, Echo) about the fine art of writing comics without capes (on the protagonists, not the writers themselves). Room 3

4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Archaia: Lucid — Lucid, the first comic book project from Archaia’s partnership with Before the Door, is finally here! Lucid creator and writer Michael McMillian (True Blood) and BTD partners Zachary Quinto  (Star Trek, Heroes), Neal Dodson and Corey Moosa share cool, behind-the-scenes info and other interesting tidbits about the making of the comic. Moderated by Archaia editor-in-chief Stephen Christy. Room 25ABC

5 to 6 p.m. Girls Gone Genre: Movies, TV, Comics, Web — Meet and talk with women who write, read, game, and perform in arenas that are historically and statistically dominated by men. What’s it like to try and get a job in a field where most of your competitors and colleagues are guys? Can women write men, and vice versa? And what happens when traditionally “male” genres are reinvented by female writers and embraced by female fans? Sex and the City it ain’t! Meet the women who like to play with trucks and Barbies … and Wolverine action figures. And flux capacitors. Featuring Felicia Day (writer/producer, The Guild; actress, The Guild, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog), Kathryn Immonen (writer, Patsy Walker: Hellcat, Runaways, Heralds), Laeta Kalogridis (screenwriter/producer, Shutter Island, Ghost in the Shell, Avatar), Marti Noxon (screenwriter/producer, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Mad Men), Melissa Rosenberg (screenwriter/producer, Dexter, The Twilight Saga) and Gail Simone (writer, Wonder Woman, Birds of Prey). Moderated by Io9′s Annalee Newitz. Room 24ABC

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Vertigo: On the Edge — Find out what compelling tales comics’ edgiest imprint has in store for you in the months to come! Led by senior VP/executive editor Karen Berger, the all-star lineup of talent includes Rafael Albuquerque  (American Vampire), Gabriel Bá (Daytripper), Cliff Chiang (Neil Young’s Greendale), Max Allan Collins (Road to Perdition), Joshua Dysart (Neil Young’s Greendale, Unknown Soldier), Peter Gross (The Unwritten), Matt Kindt (Revolver), Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth), Peter Milligan (Greek Street, Hellblazer), Fabio Moon (Daytripper), Chris Roberson (iZombie), Scott Snyder (American Vampire), Matthew Sturges (Jack of Fables), Jill Thompson (Little Endless), Bill Willingham (Fables) and others. Room 6DE

Ax

5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Top Shelf 2010: Sweden, Japan and so much more! — The crew at Top Shelf Productions celebrate their most international year yet, discussing their hit “Swedish Invasion” initiative, the acclaimed graphic novel The Playwright from British-Australian expats Eddie Campbell and Daren White, and their brand-new book of cutting-edge manga, Ax. They’ll dish all the digital details on the exciting new Top Shelf apps for iPhone and iPad! And they’ll show off exclusive sneak previews of upcoming books from Robert Venditti (The Surrogates), Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Marshal Law), Jeffrey Brown (Incredible Change-Bots), Jeff Lemire (Essex County, Sweet Tooth), Nate Powell (Swallow Me Whole), and so much more! Plus Top Shelf’s hottest creators take your questions! Room 9

5:45 to 6:45 p.m. Marvel: The Heroic Age: Avengers — The Heroic Age is here! Heeding the call, Earth’s Greatest have assembled for the most anticipated comic’s event in a decade! With Steve Rogers back leading the charge, what kinds of threats can his teams expect to face? Find out here as the creators behind your favorite Marvel heroes answer your questions and let you in on what happens next! Editor-in-chief and CCO Joe Quesada, Marvel’s talent liaison C. B. Cebulski, and creators Brian Michael Bendis,(Avengers), Matt Fraction (Invincible Iron Man), Jim McCann (Hawkeye & Mockingbird) and more shed some light on the Heroic Age. Room 6BCF

6 to 7 p.m. The Goon Film Panel — The Goon creator Eric Powell joins Tim Miller and Jeff Fowler from Blur Studio to discuss the animated feature film adaptation of the comic book series. Room 24ABC

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. The Future of Manga— When many people today think of “comics,” they think of webcomics and indy releases, but Japanese comics still seem like a distant world of print-based mega-publishing and tattered copies of Shonen Jump. Think again. The manga world in Japan is changing due to competition from ebooks, cell phones and online comics, and the old manga magazines may not be the same for much longer. How are Japanese artists today publishing their works, and what will the manga of the future look like? A visual presentation by Jason Thompson (Manga: The Complete Guide). Room 3

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thomas Jane and Tim Bradstreet’s RAW Entertainment — Join the crew from RAW Entertainment as they discuss their exciting slate of current and upcoming projects in comics and film. Moderated by Thomas Jane (Hung, The Punisher) and Tim Bradstreet (The Punisher), panelists include Bernie Wrightson (Frankenstein), Bruce Jones (Twisted Tales), James Daly (Bad Planet), William Stout (Pan’s Labyrinth), Mark Schultz (Cadillacs & Dinosaurs), Steve Niles (30 Days of Night) and a surprise guest! Room 4

6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Archaia: All Access — Get updates and new information on all of your favorite Archaia titles, including Awakening with writer Nick Tapalansky and artist Alex Eckman-Lawn; Critical Millennium: The Dark Frontier with writer Andrew E. C. Gaska and artist Daniel Dussault; Feeding Ground with creators Chris Mangun, Swifty Lang and Michael Lapinksi; God Machine with creator Chandra Free; Gunnerkrigg Court with creator Tom Siddell; Hybrid Bastards! with writer Tom Pinchuk; The Killer with writer Matz; Killing Pickman with writer Jason Becker; Titanium Rain with writer/artist Josh Finney and artist Kat Rocha; and Starkweather: Immortal with writer David Rodriguez and Patrick McEvoy. Room 9

7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Grant Morrison: Talking with Gods — Get a first look at the upcoming feature-length documentary chronicling the life and work of one of comics’ greatest writers, Grant Morrison. Featuring extensive interviews with Morrison himself as well as key collaborators, the film takes you inside Morrison’s creative process and explores how his life and work have become inextricably intertwined. Moderated by FJ De Santo (producer, The Spirit), the panel features Patrick Meaney (director), Jordan Rennert (DP/producer) and a special guest! Room 9

7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Udon: 10 Years of Comics and Games — Celebrating Udon’s 10th anniversary, Erik Ko (Udon chief), Jim Zubkavich (Udon project manager), Omar Dogan (Street Fighter Legends, Robotech), Chamba (Street Fighter II Turbo), Joe Ng (Street Fighter IV, Transformers) and others share tips and tricks they’ve learned working with some of the biggest names in entertainment, including Capcom, Marvel, Hasbro and Blizzard. Find out how to break into the biz, and get a sneak peek at Udon’s upcoming projects. Room 3

8 to 10 p.m. World Premiere: Batman: Under the Red Hood — Warner Home Video, Warner Premiere, DC Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Animation proudly present the World Premiere of Batman: Under the Red Hood, the eighth entry in the ongoing series of DC Universe Animated Original PG-13 movies. In the film, Batman faces his ultimate challenge as the mysterious Red Hood takes Gotham City by firestorm. One part vigilante, one part criminal kingpin, Red Hood begins cleaning up Gotham with the efficiency of Batman, but without following the same ethical code. Killing is an option. And when The Joker falls in the balance between the two, hard truths are revealed and old wounds are reopened. The stellar voice cast is led by Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek), Jensen Ackles (Supernatural), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), John DiMaggio (Futurama), Jason Issacs (the Harry Potter films) and Vincent Martella (Phineas & Ferb). Executive producer Bruce Timm (DCU films), director Brandon Vietti (Superman: Doomsday), award-winning comics writer Judd Winick, casting/dialogue director Andrea Romano (DCU films) and members of the voice cast will be around for a post-screening panel that will reveal details behind the making of the film, a glimpse of the 2011 DC Universe Animated Original Movies slate, and a first look at the next DCU film, Superman/Batman: Apocalypse. Warner Home Video will distribute Batman: Under the Red Hood on Blu-Ray and DVD, OnDemand and For Download on July 27, 2010. Note: a second encore screening will take place in the same room beginning at 10:15.  Ballroom 20

8:15 to 9:15 p.m. Marvel: Iron Man Anime — Witness the dawn of Marvel Anime with the world premiere of the highly anticipated full-length pilot episode of Iron Man! Also: an exclusive first look at upcoming designs produced by the world-renowned Japanese animation studio Madhouse, whose notable films (to name a few) include hits such as Ninja Scroll and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. Room 6DE

8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards — The 22nd annual Eisner Awards, the “Oscars” of the comics industry, will be given out at a gala ceremony at the Indigo Ballroom at the Hilton Bayfront. This year’s special theme is “Comics Fiesta.” The masters of ceremony are Bongo Comics’ Bill Morrison and voice actor Maurice LaMarche (Pinky and the Brain, Futurama). Presenters include writer/actor Thomas Robert and Ben Garant (Reno 911, Balls of Fury), cartoonist Berkeley Breathed (Bloom County), comedian/voice actor Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Family Guy, MadTV), comics writer James Robinson (Starman, Justice League of America), with many more to be announced. Other prestigious awards to be given out include the Russ Manning Promising Newcomer Award and the Bob Clampett Humanitarian Award. Admission to the Eisners is free to all Comic-Con attendees — just be sure to bring your badge. Doors open for pro and VIP seating at 7:30 and for attendees at 8:15. All those who attend will receive a free Will Eisner graphic novel. Indigo Ballroom, San Diego Hilton Bayfront

Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1, by Dave Johnson

Welcome to the first of hopefully many editions of “Food or Comics?”, the spiritual successor to our “Can’t Wait for Wednesday” feature. As we did in CWFW, we plan to share what new and notable comic books we’re excited to see in shops every Wednesday, but with one twist — a price limit.

Every week we’ll tell you what comics we’d buy if we had $15 to spend, if we had $30 and if we had some “mad money” (like a gift card) to blow on what we’re calling a “Splurge” item. Admittedly, this was a tough exercise, much tougher than I thought it would be, and a reminder as to why I buy my books from a place that offers a discount.

To see what Kevin Melrose and I would spend our hard-earned money on, keep reading …

Kevin Melrose

If I had $15, I’d buy …

Abe Sapien: The Abyssal Plain #1 ($3.50)

I admit that I’m picking this up as much for Dave Johnson’s cover as I am for the story, which recounts one of Abe Sapien’s first B.P.R.D. assignments: searching for an ancient relic in a sunken Soviet U-boat. It’s by Mike Mignola, John Arcudi and Peter Snejbjerg, so it’s well worth the $3.50. (Dark Horse)

Northlanders #29 ($2.99)

This stand-alone issue of Brian Wood’s Viking saga has at least two things going for it: The first is guest artist Fiona Staples, who produces consistently top-notch work, from Secret History of the Authority: Hawksmoor to North 40 to The Mystery Society. The second is the memory of another self-contained Northlanders story, Issue 17′s “The Viking Art of Single Combat,” in which Wood and guest artist Vasilis Lolos crafted an enthralling and informative 22-page fight between the champions of two feuding clans. It ranked easily among my favorite issues — of any series — of 2009. For “The Sea Road,” Wood comes up with an equally engaging, but perhaps less violent, premise: The entire story is set on a cramped Viking ship heading into the uncharted waters of the Atlantic. (Vertigo)

Wonder Woman #600 ($4.99)

I don’t think I’ve read Wonder Woman in probably three years, and I have no idea what’s going on, story-wise. However, it’s tough to pass up a milestone issue likes this, particularly when it features contributions by the likes of Amanda Conner, Geoff Johns, Gail Simone, Walter Simonson, Adam Hughes, Phil Jimenez, Jock, Jim Lee, Francis Manapul and George Perez. Plus, as with Superman #700, Wonder Woman #600 offers a preview of J. Michael Straczynski’s new direction for the title. (DC Comics)

Captain America #607

Captain America #607 ($3.99)

If I had a pull list, Ed Brubaker & Co.’s Captain America would be one of the few monthly series on it. This issue is the second part of the “No Escape” storyline. (Marvel)

That comes to $15.47, which exceeds the budget by a whopping 47 cents. However, I’m not above cheating — or rummaging through the sofa cushions for change.

If I had $30 to spend, I’d also pick up …

Yours Truly, Jack the Ripper ($3.99)

Writers Joe R. Lansdale and John L. Lansdale and artist Kevin Colden (Fishtown, I Rule the Night) — that’s an impressive creative team — adapt Psycho author Robert Bloch’s horror short story that originally appeared in Weird Tales magazine in the 1940s. Yours Truly is the first release from IDW’s Robert Bloch Collection. You can see a preview here. (IDW Publishing)

The Last Airbender

The Last Airbender Movie Adaptation ($8.99)

Frankly, I’m a little torn on this one: As eager as I am to see a Last Airbender comic by co-writers Dave Roman and Alison Wilgus and artist Joon Choi, I’m put off by how white the characters are on the cover. I realize that reflects the (controversial) casting for the live-action movie, but it’s particularly jarring to see the the change to the characters in their cartoon forms. (Random House)

The Royal Historian of Oz ($1)

Wonderland writer Tommy Kovac joins artist Andy Hirsch, a recent graduate of the Savannah College of Art and Design, for a five-issue miniseries that centers on a failed writer who discovers Oz really exists. However, he makes a serious misstep that brands him a criminal in two worlds, leaving his son to save him and the family name. If the premise weren’t intriguing enough, the cover price certainly is. (SLG Publishing)

That brings me to $29.45. I’m getting better at this.

Splurge:

Tribes: The Dog Years

Tribes: Dog Years ($24.99)

Okay, $25 may not exactly be a “splurge,” but this graphic novel by Michael Geszel and Inaki Miranda caught my eye a few months back. Featuring beautiful horizontal art by Miranda and Eva de la Cruz, Tribes takes place two centuries after a viral apocalypse shortened human lifespans to 21 years. The remnants of humanity splinter into tribes that survive among the ruins until, one day, everything changes for Sundog of the Sky Shadows. Paul Pope describes Tribes as “like Mad Max by way of Disney,” which is enough to convince me to shell out the cash. You can see a 10-page preview here. (IDW Publishing)

JK Parkin

If I had $15, I’d buy …

Usagi Yojimbo #129 ($3.50)

I’ve been a fan of Stan Sakai’s samurai for many years, and it is consistently one of the best comics around. This issue features the return of Kato, who has been hunting Usagi because he believes the rabbit ronin stole money from him. (Dark Horse)

Northlanders #29 ($2.99)

I don’t know what I can add that Kevin didn’t already say about this book above, but writer Brian Wood talks more about it here. (Vertigo)

Secret Avengers #2

Secret Avengers #2 ($3.99)

You can never have too much Ed Brubaker, unless, of course, you’re trying to limit your spending and two Brubaker books hit the stands during same week. It was a toss-up over whether to go with this or Captain America, but since I enjoyed the first issue so much, and it’s loaded with characters I really like, I opted for Secret Avengers. (Marvel)

Invincible Iron Man Annual #1 ($4.99)

Matt Fraction and Carmine Di Giandomenico bring the Mandarin back into the fold in a book that will be released both digitally and in print on the same day. Because it’s the cheaper of the two options, I’m going with the print version. (Marvel)

That brings my total to $15.47 … which, like Kevin, is a little more than the set limit.

And if I had $30, I’d also buy …

Unknown Soldier #21

Unknown Soldier #21 ($2.99)

I’m disheartened that Joshua Dysart’s resurrected Unknown Soldier series is ending, but I plan to be there until the finish. This issue is drawn by Rick Veitch and follows the “life” of a Kalashnikov AK-47 machine gun that was built in the 1970s and made its way through Africa, showing the lives it touched and took. Veitch talks more about the issue here. (Vertigo)

Captain America #607 (3.99)

The other Ed Brubaker title, featuring the work of Mitch Breitweiser and the legendary Butch Guice. (Marvel)

Muppet Show #7 ($2.99)

Roger Langridge’s Muppet Show is always a delight, and even though he isn’t drawing this one, Amy Mebberson is a more-than-capable replacement. This issue focuses on Fozzie, who apparently has mother issues. (BOOM! Kids)

Action Comics #890

Action Comics #890 (3.99)

I’m a fan of Paul Cornell’s previous work at Marvel, so I’m interested in seeing what he has planned for Superman’s pal Lex Luthor … especially since it picks up on Luthor’s role in the Blackest Night mini-series. (DC Comics)

That brings my total to $29.43, which means I’ll have to pass on Flash #3 and Wonder Woman #600 — both of which almost made the cut. And maybe I can talk Kevin out of his extra 55 cents, so I can combine it with my 57 cents to buy my own copy of The Royal Historian of Oz.

Splurge:

Usagi Yojimbo 12 inch plush ($24.99)

I’ll probably take some heat for picking a plush toy rather than something you can actually read, but c’mon, look at this guy:

Usagi Yojimbo plush

All plush toys should aspire to his level of badassery.

You can find the complete list of what’s hitting stores this week at Diamond’s site. Let us know in the comments field what you’re planning on getting this week. Also let us know what you think of our new format.

BOOM! announced today via press release that the previously announced Darkwing Duck mini-series has been upgraded to a monthly series due to “tremendously positive fan support.” The book, by Ian Brill and James Silvani, kicks off in June.

“The fan response for Darkwing Duck has been amazing!” Brill said in the release. “The fans wanted more, so we’ll give them more! Not just more issues but more adventure and more humor. After the first story, which will have big changes for Darkwing and family, we’re going to take the readers on an even crazier ride!”

Check out the complete press release and a preview of the first issue after the jump.

*****

Disney & BOOM! Studios announced today that, in response to tremendously positive fan support, DARKWING DUCK will be offered as a monthly ongoing series only from Disney & BOOM! Studios! DARKWING DUCK was originally solicited as a four-issue miniseries, but enormous fan support has transformed the feathered crusader’s limited series into an ongoing monthly series beginning this June!

To meet demand for DARKWING DUCK, BOOM! Studios will also be offering retailers an additional 3% reorder incentive for order increases until May 26, 2010 for orders received through Diamond Comics Distributor. Orders can also be made through Haven Distributors

“The fan response for Darkwing Duck has been amazing!” Says DARKWING DUCK writer, Ian Brill. “The fans wanted more, so we’ll give them more! Not just more issues but more adventure and more humor. After the first story, which will have big changes for Darkwing and family, we’re going to take the readers on an even crazier ride!”

Now there is no excuse to miss the long-awaited, much-requested return of your favorite… DARKWING DUCK. Once St. Canard’s greatest protector, Darkwing Duck was known the world over as “The Terror That Flaps In he Night.” In the first-four-issue arc, mysteriously, DW has not been seen or heard from in well over a year… and St. Canard finds that evil is once again on the rise. But when a nefarious plan threatens everyone, Darkwing Duck knows… it’s time for the duck knight to return! “LET’S GET DANGEROUS!” with Disney & BOOM! Studios as one of Disney’s most beloved characters makes a comeback in his own not-to-be-missed original series!

DARKWING DUCK #1 is written by Ian Brill (ZOMBIE TALES) with sensational art by James Silvani (MUPPET KING ARTHUR). The first issue ships with two covers in a 50/50 split by James Silvani and Magic Eye Studios with a 1 in 10 incentive cover by Jake Myler & James Silvani. This title ships June 16, 2010 and has a Diamond code of APR100836.

Amy Mebberson sketching the Muppets

Divalicious artist Amy Mebberson has taken over the interior art chores on BOOM! Kids’ Muppet Show comics from Roger Langridge, and BOOM! publisher Ross Richie described her art this way: “Roger does the full cartooning mode, Amy tries to preserve the notion that the hand is inside the Muppet,” which caused editor-in-chief Mark Waid to exclaim “There’s a hand inside the Muppet?” BOOM!, which has been making kind of a thing of variant covers for conventions, came up with a unique idea for C2E2, the Get-A-Sketch cover: It’s blank, and Amy sketches the buyer on it—as a Muppet. This requires the artist involved to be a good sport, and Amy certainly put in a lot of hours at the booth, but she always looked like she was having a good time.

Uncle Scrooge #392

Hot on the heels of their Darkwing Duck announcement, BOOM! announced this week that another Disney Afternoon cartoon is making its return. Uncle Scrooge #392 will kick off a four-issue arc featuring the DuckTales cast — Uncle Scrooge, of course, as well as Lauchpad McQuack, Gizmoduck, Huey, Dewey, and Louie.

“DuckTales is one of the most beloved television shows of the ‘90s,” said BOOM Kids! editor Aaron Sparrow in a press release. “It’s just spectacular to be bringing it back for a whole new generation to discover and enjoy!”

The premiere of DuckTales in Uncle Scrooge #392 will appear on store shelves the same month as BOOM!’s new Darkwing Duck mini-series. The first DuckTales arc includes scripts by veteran Disney writers Paul Halas, Tom Anderson, Didier le Bornec, Chris Weber, Karen Willson, Doug Murray and Régis Maine with art by Xavier Vives Mateu, José Maria Carreras, Roberto Santillo, Cosme Quartieri, Wanda Gattino, and José Cardona Blasi. The stories aren’t actually new, but will include material produced for Europe that was never published in the United States, as well as some stories published overe here back when the show was on the air.

The popular DuckTales show ran from 1987-1990. There was also a spin-off movie,DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp, and two spin-off TV shows, Quack Pack and the previously mentioned Darkwing Duck.

Tales of the TMNT #55

Publishing | Following the purchase last week of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles property by Viacom/Nickelodeon, Mirage Studios announced it will publish Tales of the TMNT at least through May 2010.

On the official website, cartoonist Dan Berger writes that co-creator Peter Laird retained an option to publish up to 18 TMNT comics a year. Elsewhere, writer Tristan Jones notes that the agreement only covers single issues “based on the current Mirage Universe stuff (eg: a continuation/conclusion to Volume 4).”

However, judging by comments made yesterday afternoon by Laird, it seems unlikely he will invoke that option in the near future: “One thing that is becoming clear to me is that, right now, I need to really step back from Turtle stuff. I am feeling strongly that I need to distance myself from the TMNT to truly grasp what has happened, and become accustomed to it. With that in mind, I have to say that it is likely that any new TMNT comics coming from me/Mirage (under the ‘reserved rights’ clause negotiated in the sale) are probably not going to be seen anytime soon. Although I do have the right to publish up to eighteen issues of TMNT comics per year, it is highly unlikely that I will do that right away. In all honesty, the idea of doing ANY new Turtle stuff right now leaves me cold.” [NinjaTurtles.com]

Legal | A court has ordered South Korean cartoonist Choi to pay $17,000 to settle a dispute with Wonju City over a cartoon that included offensive words about President Lee Myung-bak. The city recalled about 20,000 copies of the promotional paper after readers discovered the hidden message. [The Korea Times]

Retailing | Dirk Deppey wonders whether the current state of specialty music, movie and video-game stores offers A Christmas Carol-like glimpse at the future of the direct market. [Eurogamer]

The Muppet Show #1

Publishing | I knew that Disney’s Studio Fountain and Soda Store carried the BOOM! Kids line of Muppets and Disney/Pixar comics, but this is the first mention I’ve seen of any of the books in a Disney theme park. [Westfield Comics]

Publishing | Jessica Reed uses an appreciation of Asterix on the eve of the character’s 50th birthday as an opportunity to take a few jabs at the French: “There’s something endearing about the French and their illusions de grandeur, in which they like to think of themselves as the underdogs putting up a righteous fight for the survival of their perceived uniqueness. I fear the French are too often guilty of clinging to obsolete historical landmarks, most of which paint a picture of their country as having an important and respected say in world culture – from international diplomacy to food, fashion and art. This is a vestige of the past, and yet Asterix charmingly perpetuates this comfortable illusion of control for many a French reader: they’re depicted as feisty, fun-loving patriots with a culture and spirit of résistance that can’t be obliterated, even under duress.” [Guardian]

Casper, The Friendly Ghost #1

Publishing | Speaking of milestones: Casper, The Friendly Ghost is 60. [Express-News]

Creators | Brian Heater continues his multi-part interview with Guy Delisle. [The Daily Cross Hatch]

Creators | Deb Aoki talks with Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda about their book Yokai Attack! [About.com]

Manga | David Welsh gathers a panel of notables to recommend horror/supernatural manga. [The Comics Reporter]

Comics | A Welsh scholar has included the 1970s DC Comics series Beowulf, Dragon Slayer in her study of “representations of masculinity in modern reworkings of the Beowulf story.” [WalesOnline]

Comics | A candidate for the most boring superhero comic of all time: Adventures of the Super Site Selectors: The Search for the Perfect Location. [The Charleston Gazette]

Library War: Love & War, Vol. 2

Publishing | Deb Aoki rounds up the license-acquisition announcements from last weekend’s New York Anime Festival. If Library War is half as awesome as it sounds — a fearless squad of librarians fight censorship! — I can’t wait to read it. [About.com]

Conventions | Now on to the Small Press Expo, and convention recaps from David Welsh, Alert Nerd and Samuel Rules. Johanna Draper Carlson reports on the Critics’ Roundtable panel, while Sean T. Collins provides the audio. [SPX]

Publishing | Arthur de Wolf comments on the debut this week of Mickey Mouse & Friends under the BOOM! Kids banner, noting that the 10-part “Wizards of Mickey” story was told in weekly installments in Italy. In the United States, it will be published monthly: “When Gladstone and Gemstone printed long Don Rosa stories in their original three parts (meant for the European weeklies), readers complained about the stories being spread out over three months. It’ll be interesting to see if readers will have the patience to follow Mickey’s wizardry adventures for nearly a year before its conclusion.” [Disney Comics Worldwide]

Publishing | Jeremy Atkins, director of public relations for Dark Horse, discusses his work for the publisher. [ReadyMade]

Creators | Eddie Campbell weighs in James Robinson’s response to Alan Moore’s most recent unflattering critique of the state of superhero comics. [The Fate of the Artist]

Creators | Rob Sharp spotlights Ian Rankin and other U.K. novelists who have made the move to comics. [The Independent]

Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer

Creators | Writer Van Jensen chats about his SLG Publishing graphic novel Pinocchio: Vampire Slayer: “… I’m expecting people to say, ‘Oh, this is just another vampire book; I can just disregard it because of that.’ That would be annoying. But the book is doing well so far. And part of that owes to the fact that vampires have buzz right now. I don’t think of myself as a pop author. I’m not someone who just cares about making money. But at the same time I want as many people as possible to read what I write. If being about vampires helps me get more readers, that’s good.” [Journal Star]

Comics | An auctioneer in Fenham, Newcastle, uncovered a stash of thousands of comics while clearing out a house. [ChronicleLive]

Comics | Matt Wilson counts down five “genuinely female versions of male superheroes.” [Topless Robot]

Blogosphere | Happy one-year anniversary to the guys at The Cool Kids Table. [The Cool Kids Table]

D23 Expo

Disney’s D23 Expo kicks off today at the Anaheim Convention Center. The four-day event brings together all the various aspects of the Disney company — from theme parks to movies to TV to yes, even comics — under one roof, for panels, screenings, autograph signings and of course the opportunity to buy some Disney stuff. The complete schedule can be found here.

As I first mentioned back in June, BOOM! Studios, which publishes licensed comics based on several Disney properties, will be there and will have two booths at the show. Mark Waid, BOOM!’s editor-in-chief and writer of The Incredibles comic, will be at BOOM!’s display booth in the Disney Consumer Products area (#2209-41) Friday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. Grace Randolph and Amy Mebberson, who also have worked on some of the titles, will be there throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. BOOM! will also have a booth in the Collector’s Forum area, #430, where they’ll be selling many of their Disney titles.

Other guests at the show include Tim Burton, Robert Zemeckis, Nicholas Cage, Courteney Cox, John Lasseter and many more. Panels will focus on upcoming films like The Princess and the Frog, Tron: Legacy, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, among others. And no, there’s no mention of anything Marvel-related, nor would I expect there to be considering the deal isn’t final. Maybe next year, though.

My wife’s a huge Disney fan — this is kind of like her Comic-Con — so we’ll be there Friday through Sunday. I plan to post pictures on the CBR Live blog throughout the day, God and iPhone willing, and will likely blog about it when I get a chance. So check back this weekend for updates.

Wall-E #0

BOOM! Studios’ November solicitations came out today and feature the launch of several new ongoing series in their BOOM! Kids line.

In addition to the previously reported The Muppet Show ongoing launching, BOOM! will also publish ongoing series for Cars, Wall-E and Toy Story, all of which start with a “zero” issue in November.

Alan J. Porter will continue to work on the Cars property, and he’ll also write Toy Story. They’ll feature art by Albert Carreres and Brett Schoonover, respectively. Wall-E, meanwhile, will be written by J. Torres with art by Morgan Luthi.

Check out some unfinal covers after the jump …

Cars #0

The Muppet Show #0

Toy Story #0

Krypton explodes

Legal | Marc Graser breaks down what aspects of Superman are now controlled by the heirs of co-creator Jerry Siegel after Wednesday’s court ruling: depictions of “Superman’s origins from the planet Krypton, his parents Jor-El and Lora, Superman as the infant Kal-El, the launching of the infant Superman into space by his parents as Krypton explodes and his landing on Earth in a fiery crash.” In 2013, the estate of Joe Shuster will become co-owners of the copyright to Action Comics #1 and the newly recaptured early works.

Warner Bros. and DC Comics, which still own later additions to Superman’s mythos — flight and other superpowers, kryptonite, Lex Luthor, Jimmy Olsen, etc. — issued a statement characterizing the decision as affirmation that “the vast majority of key elements” developed after Action Comics #1 remain the property of DC. [Variety]

The Muppet Show #1

Publishing | Wired.com’s Andrew Kardon profiles BOOM! Studios’ kids’ imprint, which features Disney/Pixar comics and, soon, the Disney Standards line. [GeekDad]

Creators | Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist Matt Davies talks about being laid off by the Westchester, N.Y., Journal-News after 17 years with the newspaper: “I was told a few months back by my editor that my position was valued, so I didn’t expect this. I’m not stupid, the business model is in dire straits for all newspapers, we all know that. It’s weird. Before there was a focus on the content; management was cognizant of the need for content, but this time it was all about the numbers, so my position was cut.” [The Daily Cartoonist]

Creators | Sean Collins continues his interviews with contributors to Marvel’s Strange Tales MAX miniseries with this Q&A with Molly Crabapple. [Marvel.com]

Stitches

Creators | David Small discusses his graphic memoir Stitches: “Structuring the book was the hardest part of making it, for multiple reasons. One being that memories don’t have a structure; they don’t come back in sequence. Two, if you tried to make a memoir where everything was in perfect sequence, it would be boring as hell and nobody would read it. Three, certain things are very important to you — everything is important in your own life — that have to be left out, certain people, certain events, because they don’t have anything to do with the main thread or theme of your book.” [Powell's Books]

Creators | I love seeing photos from Jeff Smith signings — the lines are filled with kids. Plus: Lynda Carter! [Good Comics For Kids]

Archie #600

Fandom | Dave Luebke, whose copy of Archie Comics #1 is expected to sell today for $30,000, isn’t thrilled about Archie’s proposal to Veronica. [The Associated Press]

Fandom | Rich Lopez profiles Dallas comedian, and comic-book fan, Steven Jay Crabtree, who confesses to crushes on Spider-Man, Dick Grayson and Red Arrow. [The Dallas Voice]

Blogosphere | Rich Watson, blogger and founder of the Glyph Comics Awards, has launched Great Black Comic Books, “a guide to the quality black comics (read: graphic novels and trade paperbacks) and where and how to get them.” [Great Black Comic Books]

Kurosagi Delivery Service Vol. 9

Is it Sunday again already? Time for another What Are You Reading then. Our guest this week is blogger and Bleach fanatic John Jakala. Has John been reading Bleach this week? Click on the link to find out. Oh, and don’t forget to tell us what you are reading in the comments section below.

Blackest Night: Tales of the Corps

Tom Bondurant: Boy, that Prince Valiant hardcover looked great, didn’t it?  The color is just stunning.  The stories (what I’ve read so far, at least) are fun as well, with a nice mix of realism and fantasy.  I’m looking forward to future volumes, both to see how Hal Foster’s style and Val’s character develop over the years.

I liked Blackest Night:  Tales of the Corps #1 more than I thought I would.  The lead story (written by Geoff Johns and drawn by Jerry Ordway) was a somewhat odd duck, like “The Twilight Zone” meets the Old Testament.  It’s the origin of Saint Walker, leader of the Blue Lanterns, and I suppose it’s a superhero-ish take on the Book of Job, except without all the smack-talk from God.  The second story is about the early years of today’s Mongul, leader of the Sinestro Corps. (Remember, his dad was the Mongul of “For The Man Who Has Everything,” the Superman-in-space storyline, etc.)  Written by Peter Tomasi and drawn by Chris Samnee, it shows Kid Mongul emulating his dad by making a group of marooned extraterrestrials his conquered subjects.  Dad shows up at the end, leaving Junior with a fairly ironic life lesson. It’s disturbing in a darkly funny way — more EC sci-fi than “Twilight Zone.”  The last story introduces the Indigo Tribe, an inscrutable quasi-Lantern-Corps who speak in an untranslatable language and who do some mysterious things to a mortally wounded Green Lantern and his similarly-situated Sinestro Corpsman foe.  Overall, I thought the issue was entertaining, and it will probably provide some relevant insight into the various rival Corps.  (Well, the Mongul story not so much — I suspect we could have figured that out about him on our own.)

Seems like there must have been some behind-the-scenes shenanigans surrounding Steve Englehart’s departure from the ’70s Doctor Strange, because finishing up Essential Dr. Strange Vol. 3 felt like jumping through a series of corrective hoops.  First Englehart wrote two issues of “The Occult History Of America” before that arc was completed by editor Marv Wolfman.  Wolfman then introduced the Creators and the Quadriverse as another challenge to Strange’s (and the reader’s) understanding of reality.  Then, Jim Starlin came aboard for a few issues, and finally Roger Stern wrapped it all up with the In-Betweener, who apparently was related to Adam Warlock, Thanos, and a recent Avengers storyline.  Thus, over about ten issues, the book went from Englehart’s quirky take to a more mainstream, shared-universe-friendly status quo.  Not that Stern’s story was bad — it seemed more reasonable than both Wolfman’s and Starlin’s take — but it purported to show what was “really” going on.

I’ve started reading the new Madame Xanadu paperback, written by Matt Wagner with art by Amy Reeder Hadley.  After two issues I like it quite a bit, especially Hadley’s art. The cameos from various magical DC characters (and the one artifact) are fun too.  On deck are Showcase Presents Bat Lash and a couple of ’70s Marvel series in Essential form.

Wednesday Comics #1

Tim O’Shea: Last week, I had one minor beef with Wednesday Comics — and that was the Simonson & Stelfreeze credits with the Catwoman/Demon story. Did I mention it was a minor quibble? Well, minor or not, I was pleasantly surprised to get an email from WALT Simonson last weekend — explaining quite simply why the credits are the way they are. “Sorry. Didn’t want to screw up the symmetry of Simonson/Stelfreeze.” Makes sense to me. Thanks for the explanation, Walt.

Now on to this week — and Wednesday Comics again. Karl Kerschl’s framing of two “strips” (Iris West/The Flash) in one with Flash Comics is delightful. It would have been my top story of the Wednesday Comics collection this week, were it not for Kyle Baker. Kyle Baker gave readers a scene with Hawkman, a child and a smile. Four simple panels in the midst of a frenetic adventure that reminds me yet again why Baker is one part artist/one part cinematographer in his storytelling.

Mark Waid finishes up the first major arc with The Incredibles this week. My son is loving the book and so am I, but for different reasons. For me, I’m loving it for the comedic moments that Waid works in, almost as asides it seems (and that’s a compliment). My favorite bit in The Incredibles 4 is the “heights” that Violet’s boyfriend goes to get in a good cell zone to call her.

Any week I get to type the name Gene Colan is good for me. Go get Captain America 601, sure it’s a filler issue to a certain extent, but it’s Gene Colan.

Finally I greatly appreciated Jess Nevins’ analysis of Fu Manchu in the back of Incognito 5. Kudos to Brubaker for working in content like this into his Icon series.

Batman & Robin #2

Matt Maxwell: Light comics week reading this week.  (Mostly books from last week anyways).

WEDNESDAY COMICS #1
There’s some great pieces here, but Ben Caldwell’s WONDER WOMAN is the standout.  Okay, SUPERGIRL is a standout too.  And Risso…well, it’s  Risso. I mean, you can’t pass that up.  Oh, and Garcia-Lopez on METAL MEN. Everything he does is a master class in storytelling.

But Caldwell’s take on WONDER WOMAN is a real gem that actually does something intriguing with the space he’s been given.  Don’t get me  wrong. The others are nicely done.  But they don’t jump out as really exceptional.

I’ll probably buy all of these as they come out, but I would be lying  if I said that I didn’t want to read all the stories collected instead of  anthology style.

BATMAN AND ROBIN #2
Morrison and Quitely make this seem like it’s so easy.  Like it’s a  breezy little jaunt through the back alleys of Gotham City and it all just came off  the tops of their heads.  But it didn’t.  There’s a real weight and substance and insight at play.  Instead of working with the ultra grim “I must become a bat” school, Morrison and Quitely instead play up “I’m an actor playing a role” angle.  And giving the role of Robin to Damian allows him to be a  great foil for Dick Grayson’s Batman.  It’s a far better book than I thought it would be and I figured it’d be pretty good (and I lost interest in Morrison’s run on Batman when it became BATMAN RIP).  But this book is something else entirely.  I don’t want Bruce Wayne back as Batman.  Let him vacation
for awhile.  He’s certainly earned it.

AGENTS OF ATLAS #7
At least I think it’s #7.  I’m not used to keeping track of numbers in the comics I’m reading, since I switched over to mostly trades.  You know why I like this book so much?  Because it’s not about characters that I was reading thirty years ago.  This is uncharted territory in the Marvel U.  And who better to set course for it than Jeff Parker, who has a sense of history, but isn’t enslaved by it (as well as a sense of adventure but isn’t interested in breaking toys just to break them.)

Research reading?  Who has time for that?  I’ve got kids out of school and they need entertainment, dammit!  HERE WE ARE, DAD ENTERTAIN US.

The Ice Wanderer

Brigid Alverson: I always loved classic comic strips as a kid, so I was delighted to see NBM’s collection of Frederick Opper’s Happy Hooligan strips from the early 1900s. The book is beautifully produced, with an essay summarizing Opper’s professional work and very nice reproductions of the strips themselves—not an easy feat when you’re talking about yellowing newspaper comics. They probably look a lot better on these pages than in the original. Every strip turns on the same device: Happy, a well-meaning hobo, tries to help someone, is misunderstood, causes all sorts of chaos, and winds up being hauled off by a truncheon-wielding policeman in the final panel. Opper tells each of these stories in six panels with an ascending degree of mayhem and lots of side comments. The similarity of the storylines make this a book that’s better to dip into than to read cover to cover, but it’s a great summer diversion.

Speaking of summer, it’s finally getting hot and sticky here on the East Coast, so I’m escaping with Jiro Taniguchi’s The Ice Wanderer, which comprises six short stories that all share a certain sensibility with the works of Jack London. The first story is a ghost story that is old as the hills, but Taniguchi makes it fresh and ties it so tightly to the place, it’s hard to believe he isn’t from the North himself. His art is crisp and clear, with little of the stylization people usually associate with manga; this is a good example of manga that an indy comics lover can enjoy.

Finally, Alan’s Letters is not a comic but an illustrated nonfiction book, the story of Alan W. Lowell, a World War II soldier who died in combat in 1944. The book, by his niece Nancy Rial, collects his letters starting with basic training and presents them alongside photos of army equipment, vintage postcards and flyers, and modern photos of the sites in France where Alan fought. It all adds up to a very complete and moving picture of army life, as seen through the eyes of an earnest young man.

Crime!

Chris Mautner: I recently finished Darwyn Cooke’s adaptation of The Hunter and will have a full review up next week.

I’m also reading a couple of books for The Comics Journal, including the latest (and presumably final) For Better or for Worse collection, Just a Simple Wedding. I have a love/hate affair with creator Lynn Johnston. I think she’s one of the most talented cartoonists working in newspapers today, but she lays on the sentimentalism with a trowel. And don’t get me started on Anthony.

One book I just started was Larry Gonick’s Cartoon History of the Modern World Part II: From the Bastille to Baghdad. The book’s not out until October, but HarperCollins sent me an advance review copy to read. I’ve been a big fan of this series since it started waaaaaaay back when, and am eager to read this final volume, if a little sad that it’s finally ending.

Bleach Vol. 27

John Jakala: I’m perpetually behind in my comic reading, but this past week I actually managed to read several books that have been sitting near my bedside for weeks.

Bleach 27: The latest installment of one of my favorite shonen manga series. It’s mainly a series of downtime vignettes before the next multi-volume fight scene kicks off, but there are some satisfying moments for long-time Bleach fans. I loved finally seeing Urahara in action, especially when he frustrated his opponent by finishing his sentences. It was great to see Chad and Uryū get some screen time hopefully they’ll be able to pull their weight and not merely serve as punching bags before Ichigo steps in to save the day. And although Orihime’s abduction by the Arrancars reeks of the same damsel-in-distress syndrome that befell Rukia in the never-ending Soul Society arc, I’m hopeful that Orihime will be a more active protagonist than Rukia was because Kubo is upping her powers in interesting ways.

Slam Dunk volumes 3 & 4: I’d already read the material in these volumes back when Gutsoon published the series (first in the Raijin Comics anthology and then in the TPB collections) but I still bought the Viz editions because (1) I want to support the series and (2) I find the differences in translation fascinating.

Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service 9: KCDS is the series that received my vote for best ongoing series of 2009, and this volume is a great example why:  In addition to the usual ghastly and gruesome scenarios the gang finds themselves in, we also learn a bit more about the tragic personal backgrounds of two members of the Delivery Service. Combining pathos with horror makes for a surprisingly rich reading experience.

Pluto 3: There is so much I love about this book. I’ve been enjoying the series, Naoki Urasawa’s reworking of Osamu Tezuka’s classic Astro Boy storyline “The World’s Strongest Robot”, since the beginning, but this volume is where things really started to click for me.  Come the end of 2009, I have a feeling this series is going to be sweeping a lot of critics’ “Best Of” lists.  In fact, this single volume alone could pretty much lock up all the “Best Of” categories as far as I’m concerned:  Best (and Most Adorable) Character:  Uran; Best (and Most Sympathetic) Villain (TIE): Adolf Haas, Pluto; Best Social Commentary; Best Visualizaiton of Futuristic Society; Best World-Building; Best Remix of Older Material; and Best (and Most Surprising) Use of Limited Color
Printing in a B&W Book.  In fact, one of the only awards that Pluto wouldn’t win would be “Best Series Title” because that would go to…

Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu:  Again, this has got to be one of the best book titles ever.  Coming next month from Last Gasp, Little Fluffy Gigolo Pelu is the latest surreal, psychedleic manga from off-beat artist Junko Mizuno and it details the exploits of Pelu, a strange, cottonball-shaped alien who escapes to Earth in search of a mate so he can fulfill his dream of making a baby.  (Pelu himself is kind of a sentient space sperm ripped from the womb before he could copulate with his egg-like wombmate to produce an alien baby, so he’s feeling a bit lost, alone, and incomplete on Earth.)  The book is filled with bizarre, disturbing, but utterly engaging adventures, like the chapter where Pelu’s friend the Space Hippo arrives on Earth, eats too many unfamiliar foods, and ends up vomitting an acid-like substance all over the town’s local poodle ranch.  The “Vol. 1″ in the title makes me hope we’ll see more imaginative tales featuring Pelu and his quest for love (or at least reproduction) in the near future.

Otto Porfiri: Drama on the Cliff and Red Moon: These two books were entries in Dark Horse’s short-lived Venture … venture, where DH worked with Strip Art Features to release European GNs in the US several years back. I picked up these two books for 80% off during one of TFAW’s big Nick-and-Dent sales almost a year ago and am just now finally getting around to reading them. These stories of a portly private eye bumbling through one bizarre case after another are short, self-contained, and a little thin, but they’re saved by artist Franco Saudelli’s wonderful art, which alternatively reminds me of the styles of José Luis García-López and Steve Pugh.

Finally, I’ve been slowly picking away at the mammoth Luba for the past couple weeks. I keep feeling like I should go back and re-read Palomar to reacquaint myself with the characters and settings from the Gilbert-o-verse, but I know that if I do that I’ll never get around to actually reading Luba.  It is interesting to go back and see how Gilbert Hernandez’s art style has evolved over the years, though.

The Muppet Show #4

Given today’s announcement that Roger Langridge will be appearing at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con, it seemed like the ideal time to run my email interview with him regarding his Muppets work at BOOM! Langridge’s industry profile has been elevated by his recent Muppet work, and it was my pleasure to interview him about it.  His grasp of the Muppets characters is amazing and given that I’m a longtime fan of the Muppets, I’m truly enthused when he says some of the characters have “hidden depths you could spend a lifetime mining.” I could spend a lifetime reading what Langridge mines, honestly.

Tim O’Shea: Your Muppet work for BOOM! Studios was the first time I saw you work in the Muppet-verse. But you worked with the Muppets back with the Disney Adventures magazine. How much has your Muppet style changed (if at all) between the Disney era work and now?

Roger Langridge: The Disney Adventures stuff was a bit less on-model; they’d been running some Mickey Mouse cartoons by Glenn McCoy that were drawn in a raggedy, undergroundish sort of style and they were popular enough that they were looking for something similar with the Muppets, so I was encouraged to just go with my own style entirely. The BOOM! material, being more in the nature of a piece of official merchandise, is stylistically somewhere between that and the official models: not entirely my own take, although still recognisably “me.”

O’Shea: How did the Muppet assignment come about–did you contact BOOM! or did they seek you out?

Langridge: They found me! I guess the unpublished Disney Adventures material had been circulating behind the scenes, and I suppose somebody liked it well enough to track me down.

O’Shea: What kind of editorial guidance does editor Paul Morrissey give you, or does he pretty much let you have free reign with the characters?

Langridge: Paul is fairly hands-off, but it would be misleading to suggest that that’s the same thing as giving me free reign! There are further layers of approval to jump through with Disney, so Paul’s style seems to be that he knows what’s coming and doesn’t try to complicate things any further. The main editorial mandate I’ve had at BOOM!’s level is to think in terms of four-issue story arcs, which I admit I’m struggling to make work. It’s not the most natural thing for me. I’m more of a three-minute pop song kind of cartoonist.

O’Shea: In issue 2, you had an entire one-pager/one panel traveling song sketch based on the 1905 song, In My Merry Oldsmobile. How did you ever did you come up with that idea for a sketch? And in picking the song, were you aware (as I learned thanks to Wikipedia) that the song was “often used by Carl Stalling, long-time music director for Warner Bros. cartoons”?

Langridge: I wasn’t consciously thinking of Stalling, although I’m a huge fan; got his soundtrack albums and everything. As for coming up with the idea, I think the musical numbers are a crucial part of the show, but in order to do them without making things unnecessarily complicated, I have to either write the songs myself, or dredge up something that’s out of copyright and in the public domain, which is where “In My Merry Oldsmobile” came in. It seemed like a good fit, inasmuch as I could well imagine it appearing on the original Muppet Show pretty much as-is.

O’Shea: While BOOM! is breaking the issues of up in four-issue increments (and numbering), you consider the Muppet Show assignment as an ongoing monthly. How are you adjusting to working the monthly grind, while juggling other assignments and maintaining your online presence with Mugwhump the Great (which recently went on break)?

Langridge: I guess the answer to that is that I’m not coping very well! As you mention, I’ve had to drop Mugwhump for the moment, which kills me, as it’s the only thing I was working on that was really mine. Apart from that, the only regular thing I’m doing right now is a weekly caricature for a British soap-opera gossip magazine called Inside Soap, which I’m clinging onto to stop my bank manager from sending me rude letters. Everything else I’ve got coming out is something I worked on pre-Muppets; this really is a full-time gig, and then some! I work from 5:30am to 11pm every weekday on the book, and even then, each issue slips a little bit further behind, and there goes my weekend – I can’t remember the last time I spent Sunday with my family. We’re looking at doing one-shot fill-ins drawn by another artist between story arcs, so I can stay on top of it. The current pace isn’t sustainable indefinitely. I’m not as young as I used to be, and I’d like to see my kids occasionally!

O’Shea: How did you (and BOOM!) decide upon the concept for the next four-issue arc, The Treasure of Peg Leg Wilson?

Langridge: It was one of the ideas I submitted when I was asked to pitch some ideas for four-issue story arcs. I was trying to think in terms of subplots that could be running behind the regular Muppet Show shenanigans, so there’d be something to tie each arc together while the show could carry on as usual for the most part.

O’Shea: In working on the book, how much research do you do in order to give the characters the right look?

Langridge: I’ve got huge, groaning ringbinders full of reference. Gradually I’m finding my feet with the main characters, so I rarely need reference now for Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Rowlf, Gonzo, Scooter or the band. It’s taken me six months to get to that point! The first couple of issues were a bit of a nightmare as far as getting everyone looking right was concerned. Now I usually only need reference for the more obscure characters. (Obscure characters are a big part of the book, of course!)

O’Shea: Your backgrounds are quite rich with visual gags, do you try to give Digikore Studios (the colorist) certain tips on how to color them in a way that plays the elements up without hitting readers over the head–or do you trust the colorist to make your work look right without any feedback?

Langridge: I’ve been trusting Digikore completely, not only because they’re doing a spectacular job, but also because managing the colouring would be one more drag on my time that would slow me down even further. But I couldn’t be happier with the work they’re doing. Top notch stuff. (And I should mention the lettering by Deron Bennett as well, which serves the material perfectly. They’re all making me look great!)

O’Shea: What’s the biggest challenge of drawing comedy with characters that have such a rich history–a situation where you strike a balance between doing your own comedy while remaining loyal to the source material?

Langridge: I guess I’m lucky in that my own sensibilities and those of the Muppets coincide in many respects. I was already doing stories set in a vaudeville milieu, with absurdist humour, daft characters and made-up poems, before being asked to work on the Muppets; so you could argue that I was halfway there already. As far as writing the characters goes, it’s much the same as writing any character: you try to listen to their needs as characters and not write anything that doesn’t ring true. I’m fortunate to have Disney watching my back there. They’re not shy about telling me if they think I’m getting it wrong. That rarely happens, I’m happy to say!

O’Shea: You clearly love working with the Muppets, what is it about the characters that appeal to you and plays to your storytelling strengths?

Langridge: I like the fact that they’re mostly failures of one sort or another; the Muppet Theatre is like the level they’ve found as they all head their way down the showbiz ladder. That’s very easy to empathise with. I like the heart that underlies the characters; they’ve all got prickly exteriors to a greater or lesser degree, but they have fundamentally generous spirits at the bottom of it all. It’s almost as if that’s the reason they’re failures; they refuse to give up their humanity to achieve success, and it’s this quality that redeems them. I like the fact that they all embrace contradictions within themselves, specially Piggy and Gonzo, who have hidden depths you could spend a lifetime mining. And I love the off-the-wall randomness of so much of the humour. Very much my cup of tea.

O’Shea: What would you say to Muppet fans that don’t normally read comics to entice them to check out the project?

Langridge: I’d probably point out that I’m bending over backwards to make it feel as much like a “lost episode” of the Muppet Show as I can.

O’Shea: Other than the Muppets and the packaged release of the Fin Fang 4 Return stories (which originally ran at Marvel Digital) what else is on the horizon for you in 2009?

Langridge: Not much! I’ve got a few things coming up which I was working on before Muppet Mania consumed my life: a handful of Captain America backup stories in Marvel Adventures: Super Heroes, written by me and drawn by Craig Rousseau, featuring a World War Two version of MODOK; a two-pager that’s just come out in Uncanny X-Men: First Class Giant-Size #1, written by me and drawn by Jeff Parker; a short piece in Marvel Adventures: Spider-Man #50, written by me and drawn by Sonny Liew; a short story called “Venus in Fur” for an anthology called Snow Stories, edited by Mike Getsiv; a short piece in Strange Eggs Jumps the Shark, written by Chris Reilly and drawn by me, published by Slave Labor Graphics; and a “Mugwhump the Great” short story in IDW’s upcoming Act-i-Vate Primer. This is all stuff that’s already been completed, some of it a couple of years ago. Once those come out, I suspect that’ll be my last non-Muppet work for a while. Those guys don’t draw themselves, you know!